I'm very happy to announce that one of my favorite artists is coming back to NYC for one night only.
CAROLINE O'CONNOR is one of Australia's most recognizable musical theatre entertainers and has appeared on screen as Nini-Legs-In-The-Air in MOULIN ROUGE and Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter biopic DE-LOVELY:
She will be appearing at Birdland Jazz Club on Sunday, Jan. 17th at 6PM, performing selections by several musical theatre legends including Stephen Sondheim and Jerry Herman, plus a tribute to icons Judy Garland, Edith Piaf and Ethel Merman.
Caroline and her husband, Barrie Shaw, have been long-time supporters of Broadway Cafe Society.com. In fact, my April 2007 interview with Caroline is officially the most visited page on the website (click here to visit our stats page and see for yourself) .
For ticket info, click on the graphic below:
CAROLINE O'CONNOR is one of Australia's most recognizable musical theatre entertainers and has appeared on screen as Nini-Legs-In-The-Air in MOULIN ROUGE and Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter biopic DE-LOVELY:
She will be appearing at Birdland Jazz Club on Sunday, Jan. 17th at 6PM, performing selections by several musical theatre legends including Stephen Sondheim and Jerry Herman, plus a tribute to icons Judy Garland, Edith Piaf and Ethel Merman.
Caroline and her husband, Barrie Shaw, have been long-time supporters of Broadway Cafe Society.com. In fact, my April 2007 interview with Caroline is officially the most visited page on the website (click here to visit our stats page and see for yourself) .
For ticket info, click on the graphic below:
Here's a video preview of A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL, currently breaking box-office records in Kansas City, MO and aimed for Broadway in 2010.
All the favorite elements of this cult classic seem to have been incorporated including that infamous "grand prize lamp," the pink bunny costume and the all-important Red Ryder BB Gun!
Lean more at the show's official website: www.achristmasstorythemusical.com
All the favorite elements of this cult classic seem to have been incorporated including that infamous "grand prize lamp," the pink bunny costume and the all-important Red Ryder BB Gun!
Lean more at the show's official website: www.achristmasstorythemusical.com
WONDERLAND: ALICE'S NEW MUSICAL ADVENTURELive Performance
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Tampa, FL
Reviewed by Jason Fortner
With so many versions out there, was there really a need for a "new" look at this material?
WONDERLAND, the new musical playing the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa, Florida tries to shed new light onto the Alice legend by updating, modernizing and twisting the concept, but alas, the entire effort falls short in nearly every department.
Composer Frank Wildhorn, teamed with Director/Bookwriter Gregory Boyd and Lyricist/Bookwriter Jack Murphy have attempted to create a new hip show, sort of a WICKED meets THE WIZ treatment of the story, but with few exceptions, the evening comes off as a misguided mess. This is a musical without a purpose, flash with no real drive, emotion or theatrical logic.
Re-inventing the role of Alice as a Type A personality Mom who hasn't enough time to juggle family and career, the show gets off to a laborious start with a prolonged rooftop cocktail party scene where Alice and company sing "Worst Day Of My Life", a sentiment not lost on the audience. This is lyric writing from the "beat the dead horse" school of composition, belaboring points that weren't fresh, new or interesting to start with. Here at the party we meet the people in her life, all dressed in bizarre costumes that are a cross between WICKED and the Time Warp dancers from THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. This scene tries to be like the farm scene from THE WIZARD OF OZ, giving us hints as to who plays what later in the show, but these new characterizations are so off base from the originals we quickly lose interest.
After much gnashing of teeth over Alice's bad mothering skills, we finally head to Wonderland via an overly long elevator ride with a joke telling Tweedle Dee & Dum. These same two actors will play the Caterpiller (as an oh so cool hepcat) and Cheshire Cat (as a Latino street gang leader?) with very little character variation, another odd choice given Carroll's broadly drawn character studies.
Once in WONDERLAND the show finally comes to life with the number "Welcome to Wonderland", a crazy piece of pure whimsy featuring almost the entire cast cavorting in matching "Alice" in costumes. This song is truly the highlight of the show, and had the creative team maintained this level of creativity and joy, the show might have future potential. The choreography, by Marguerite Derricks, is often clever and captivating, but is often brought down by the flatness of the book and generic nature of the score.
Despite the overall weaknesses, there are some standout performances. The Caterpillar's "Advice From A Caterpillar" is performed in a style not unlike "The Viper's Drag" from AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', which clever parasol choreography from six female dancers. Karen Mason rises above the ennui as a daffy "Queen of Hearts" who is not the villain of the show but rather a silly cameo, but all her moments shine. Another highlight is the number "One Knight", performed by the White Knight in the style of the Backstreet Boys, a funny relief (but rather dated) spoof.
In addition to the Boy Band takeoff, we also see characters do the tired "snaps in a Z" movement, the Cabbage Patch Dance, and other pop culture references from somewhere in the 1990's. The creative team needs to be current if they want to be relevant to today's culture. These outdated bits make the show feel dated and tired, not brand new. Pastiche is fine, but attempts to be timely in this show fail again and again, perhaps owing to the age of the creative team.
The low points of the show include the re-invention of the Mad Hatter as an evil woman with a Napoleonic complex, out to take over Wonderland after singing numbers that would not seem out of place in STARMITES or CARRIE. Her absolute nadir was the number "Nick of Time", staged like a 1980's music video complete with Fembot backup dancers and adding nothing to advance the already creaky plot. Again and again the show ditches Carroll's world for tired numbers we feel we've already seen, such as the battle of the sexes number "Don't Wanna Fall In Love" where we learn that men don't like to ask for directions and women prefer romance. Yawn.
By the time we meet the Jabberwock, a sort of Hannibal Lecter meets Ozzy Ozbourne character, this show has crashed and burned with no hope of redemption. His "Misunderstood" number could easily sum up the whole show, as it left anyone with a sense of theatre logic searching for a clue to the reasons behind this plot.
I wish I could say more positive things, but this show is dull, derivative and totally unnecessary. Many questions remain.
Why is the main color used in costuming green? Is it to remind us of WICKED, a show that I'm not fond of but is easily 100x better than WONDERLAND? Everyone else is mainly garbed in black & white, with Alice running around in Cassie's red dress from A CHORUS LINE. With Wonderland as your setting, why not let loose with the color palette?
When did the White Rabbit become the Cowardly Lion, running around the stage afraid to battle the Wicked Witch, oops, the Mad Hatter. (There are a lot of WIZARD OF OZ moments in this show, which does nothing to please the fans of the Alice stories.)
And why end the show with a long light saber fight on a chess board, clunked out with long plastic tubes, between Alice and the Mad Hatter? Did they just run out of ideas?
Odd choices abound in this show, and in the time remaining in this run I doubt any of them can be fixed in time to ensure a big future for this show.
In the meantime, those willing to pay Broadway prices can go see this "Alice in Video Game Wonderland" mishmash for themselves and perhaps state "not since Wonderland have I seen".
In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, here's a video of one my all-time favorite "patriotic anthems" -- Color Out of Colorado (aka, A Patriotic Finale) from the classic Off-Broadway musical HOWARD CRABTREE'S "WHEN PIGS FLY".
The cast and crew of the Tony-nominated Best Musical 'Rock Of Ages' will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Largest Air Guitar Ensemble on Wednesday, July 1st. The event will start at 4:30 pm eastern time, and will be streamed live on Ustream here:
www.ustream.tv/channel/us-air-guitar-wor
The ensemble will include ROCK OF AGES star Constantine Maroulis, and 2007 National Air Guitar Champion Andrew "William Ocean" Litz.
www.ustream.tv/channel/us-air-guitar-wor
The ensemble will include ROCK OF AGES star Constantine Maroulis, and 2007 National Air Guitar Champion Andrew "William Ocean" Litz.
I am a huge fan of the American Theatre Wing's "Working in the Theatre" seminars. Produced by the City University of New York (CUNY) in conjunction with the Wing, the series can currently be seen on public access television in the New York area and across the country.
This seminar series is truly one of the best resources to learn about the realities of working in the theatre from some of the best in the business.
Whether you're a fan like me or have never seen an episode, you can now view the series for free at the Working In The Theatre website. There also a link on the site to subscribe to the Wing's video podcasts on iTunes.
Here are just a few musical theatre-specific episodes:
For The Record: Inside Cast Albums (April 2009) with Theodore S. Chapin, Kurt Deutsch, Brian Drutman and Thomas Z. Shepard
Performing Musicals (April 2008) with Roger Bart, Brian D'Arcy James, Priscilla Lopez and Sherie Rene Scott
Composers and Lyricists (December 2007) with Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, William Finn and Adam Guettel
Production: The Drowsy Chaperone (April 2006) with Edward Hibbert, Lisa Lambert, Beth Leavel, Bob Martin, Kevin McCollum, Don McKellar, Roy Miller, Greg Morrison and Casey Nicholaw
Pop Music and the New Musical (September 2005) with Stephen Bray, Allee Willis, Rupert Holmes, Lucy Simon and David Yazbek
Production: The Producers (April 2001) with John Barlow, Mel Brooks, Richard Frankel, Laura Green, Thomas Meehan, and Susan Stroman
Composer and Lyricist (September 2000) with Susan Birkenhead, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Marvin Hamlisch and Don Schlitz
Return to Broadway (April 1996) with Cy Feuer, Martin Gottfried, Nathan Lane, Donna McKechnie, Joseph Stein, Susan Stroman and Charles Strouse
There also a link on the site to subscribe to the Wing's video podcasts on iTunes.
This seminar series is truly one of the best resources to learn about the realities of working in the theatre from some of the best in the business.
Whether you're a fan like me or have never seen an episode, you can now view the series for free at the Working In The Theatre website. There also a link on the site to subscribe to the Wing's video podcasts on iTunes.
Here are just a few musical theatre-specific episodes:
For The Record: Inside Cast Albums (April 2009) with Theodore S. Chapin, Kurt Deutsch, Brian Drutman and Thomas Z. Shepard
Performing Musicals (April 2008) with Roger Bart, Brian D'Arcy James, Priscilla Lopez and Sherie Rene Scott
Composers and Lyricists (December 2007) with Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, William Finn and Adam Guettel
Production: The Drowsy Chaperone (April 2006) with Edward Hibbert, Lisa Lambert, Beth Leavel, Bob Martin, Kevin McCollum, Don McKellar, Roy Miller, Greg Morrison and Casey Nicholaw
Pop Music and the New Musical (September 2005) with Stephen Bray, Allee Willis, Rupert Holmes, Lucy Simon and David Yazbek
Production: The Producers (April 2001) with John Barlow, Mel Brooks, Richard Frankel, Laura Green, Thomas Meehan, and Susan Stroman
Composer and Lyricist (September 2000) with Susan Birkenhead, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Marvin Hamlisch and Don Schlitz
Return to Broadway (April 1996) with Cy Feuer, Martin Gottfried, Nathan Lane, Donna McKechnie, Joseph Stein, Susan Stroman and Charles Strouse
There also a link on the site to subscribe to the Wing's video podcasts on iTunes.
EVERY LITTLE STEP, a documentary on the casting of the current revival of A CHORUS LINE opens in limited release this Friday, April 17th.
Here's the trailer from YouTube. (Requires Flash):
Here's the trailer from YouTube. (Requires Flash):
I was deeply saddened by the senseless loss this past week of the multi-talented Natasha Richardson, Tony Award-winning star of the popular Broadway revival of CABARET and a host of other stage and screen works.In her memory, Broadway Cafe Society Radio will be adding her recording of MAYBE THIS TIME to the broadcast during our regular weekly update this evening.
My thoughts are with her family and friends during this very difficult time.
Photo Source: Examiner.com
Pianists, are you threatened by the intricacies of today's musical theatre songs? Ever wish the basics were explained in plain English? Have we got a guide for you.Author Adam Perlmutter and the wonderful publishers of the DUMMIES series of how-to guides bring you Broadway Piano Songs For Dummies. Learn the "Dummies" way to play such Broadway classics as DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA, HELLO DOLLY, SEASONS OF LOVE, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, POPULAR, I COULD WRITE A BOOK, ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE and 40 others.
Expand your repertoire and dazzle the guests at the next Tony Awards party. It's all up to you.
JASON DANIELEY & THE FRONTIER HEROESLive Performance
Birdland - New York City
February 23, 2009
Reviewed by Ligia Fernandez
When an established musical theatre artist decides to expand into another genre, the usual choice is often jazz, R&B or rock.
Jason Danieley, best known for his work in such musicals as THE FULL MONTY and CURTAINS, decided instead to honor his St. Louis, Missouri roots with an enchanting, Americana-infused CD, JASON DANIELEY & THE FRONTIER HEROES, officially launched during a one-night-only performance at New York City's legendary Birdland jazz club.
No one familiar with Danieley's work can dispute his artistry and serious vocal chops. But asking your core audience to step out of their comfort zones and follow you into unfamiliar territory is always risky. In this case, it's definitely worth the trip.
Beginning with the rousing "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)," Danieley and his band, the aforementioned Frontier Heroes, offered a very eclectic evening of down-home versions from Broadway ("As Long As She Needs Me," "What Kind of Fool Am I"), Great American Songbook standards ("Ain't That A Kick In The Head," "All of Me") and traditional Americana (Stephen Foster's "Why, No One To Love?"), plus others including an original song by musical director Dan Lipton ("Honey").
What I particularly enjoyed about the reworking of these songs is that, while taken in a different direction, the integrity of the originals was not compromised. "As Long As He Needs Me" and "What Kind of Fool Am I" are still the same poignant ballads infused with just a touch of country pop. "Ain't That A Kick In The Head" and "All Of Me" lose not one ounce of their traditional toe-tapping goodness -- they were just sweetened with a heaping teaspoon of bluegrass. Kudos to Dan Lipton for the gift of his brilliant arrangements.
About halfway through the Birdland show, Danieley was joined on-stage by his wife, Broadway star Marin Mazzie (RAGTIME, KISS ME KATE), for two rather lovely selections from a new song cycle by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty (SEUSSICAL, RAGTIME, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE). Miss Ahrens was sitting at one of the front tables, beaming like a proud mom during the entire performance.
The audience definitely left extremely satisfied, thanks in large part to Danieley himself, a jovial, handsome showman with a twinkle in his eye and an obvious passion for the music of his youth. Last, but certainly not least, The Frontier Heroes (Dan Lipton, Christian Hebel, Damien Bassman, Mark Vanderpoel, Michael Aarons and Theresa McCarthy) provided the perfect blend of musicality and folksy charm.
If you're an Americana, country or Broadway purist -- this CD is probably not for you. But if you're like me, a lover of pure, no-holds-barred entertainment, I strongly suggest adding JASON DANIELEY & THE FRONTIER HEROES to your music collection.
For audio/video clips and more about JASON DANIELEY AND THE FRONTIER HEROES, visit their official website, www.the frontierheroes.com. 20% of profits from the sale of the CD are donated to the Alzheimer's Association. Mr. Danieley's late grandmother, Reva Vickery, was afflicted with Alzheimer's and the CD is dedicated to her.
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