September 2008 Archives
“One night only, one night only, that’s all I’ve got to spare…”
Yes, it’s true! Back by popular demand, musical theatre star Suzy Conn returns to the stage after a 24 year hiatus! Yes, that Suzy Conn -- star of such Queen’s University Musical Theatre hits as THE PAJAMA GAME where she “minced and simpered” her way to glory as Gladys Hotchkiss, and CHICAGO where she famously strutted across the stage in a black teddy, rhyming “passing their gas” with “nobody’s got no class” as Velma Kelly. Hey, and did you know Suzy was directed in THE PAJAMA GAME by Michael Stotts, who is now Managing Director at Hartford Stage. But I digress…
Yes, for one night only, Thursday March 26, 2009. Suzy Conn will appear in a walk-on role in HELLO DOLLY at The 5th Avenue Theatre. This fabulous production stars Jenifer Lewis as Dolly Levi, and Suzy Conn as parasol twirler #7. The chemistry will be electric!
Says Suzy,
“Dahling, when I was offered this role (uh, in exchange for a healthy donation to The 5th Avenue Theatre), by The 5th Avenue Theatre, I just couldn’t turn it down. It really is the role I was born to play. It’s the only role I would come out of retirement for. My fans demanded it! (my fans being my husband and two daughters).”
So get your tickets now before the rush!
And if you are interested in having a totally fantastic evening, donating money to an amazing theatre, and possibly appearing in a walk-on role in one of The 5th Avenue Theatre’s shows in the 2009/2010 season, then mark the date Saturday April 18, 2009 in your calendar. That is the date for the annual “A Night at the 5th” gala, benefiting The 5th Avenue Theatre.
“It’s so nice to be back here where I belong”
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Here is a good solid outline of the upcoming fall season of Broadway shows from Playbill! Shout-out to Shrek, currently playing its pre-Broadway tryout right here, in Seattle, at the 5th Ave Theatre. So get your tickets now! Plus, I know there are going to be lots of new and sparkly shows opening on the Great White Way this year, but don't forget to buy your tickets and go see my favorite sparkly show, [title of show]!
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Lock up your chandeliers!
The national tour of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is coming to Seattle’s Paramount Theatre Sept 10 – October 5.
I’m especially excited to see this production since my friend, Richard Todd Adams, will be playing the Phantom! Rick played Raoul in the national tour almost ten years ago. Rick is an amazing performer – not only does he have a gorgeous voice but he is a master on the piano as well. He toured with 2 PIANOS, 4 HANDS (the hilarious Canadian musical that indeed involves not only two piano, four hands, but four legs as well) as well as appearing in THE WOMAN IN WHITE and THE PIRATE QUEEN on Broadway.
I met Rick in New York when he starred as the dashing pilot Brett Mansford in the 2005 NYMF production of PLANE CRAZY!
Congrats Rick!
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I got this great comment from “Diane” on my Braniff post (Braniff Airlines: The World's Greatest Airline?), so I thought I’d share it with y’all:
WHAT A GREAT SURPRISE! I WAS SEARCHING FOR A POSSIBLE "ALUMNI" OF BRANIFF EMPLOYEES BUT FOUND YOUR SITE INSTEAD.
I BECAME A RESERVATIONIST IN KANSAS CITY FOR BRANIFF, TRAINED AT LOVE FIELD IN DALLAS FOR FIVE WEEKS BEGINNING JANUARY, 1967. WHAT A JOURNEY IT WAS. BEFORE COMPUTERS, WE USED A BUNKO-RAMO MACHINE IN AN OFFICE WITH NO WINDOWS NEXT DOOR TO TWA. A YEAR LATER WE MOVE TO A NEW BUILDING WITH IBM AND HAD TO LEARN TO USE THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM IN ONE WEEK.
OUR UNIFORMS WERE THE FUSHIA, POLYESTER, WITH A FRONT ZIPPER, MATCHING FUSHIA PANTYHOSE & THE FAMOUS PUCCI SCARF. AND THEY WERE MINIS.
WHEN OUR ROUTE TO HONOLULU WAS APPROVED, I HAD THE UNBELIEVABLE EXPERIENCE OF FLYING FIRST CLASS IN A 747. SHERATON GAVE EMPOYEES A WEEK'S FREE STAY AND I THINK MY FLIGHT PASS WAS $30.00 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
MY GIRLFRIEND AND I USE TO TRADE DAYS SO WE COULD GET THE SAME FOUR DAYS OFF AND FLY TO ALCAPULCO WITH MAYBE $40.00 EACH FOR EXPENSES. SOMETIMES WE'D BRING OUR KIDS WITH US. FUN! FUN! FUN!
YOUR ARTICLE HAS REALLY BROUGHT BACK GREAT MEMORIES. IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES AT THE WORST OF TIMES. THE LAST TRIP I TOOK WAS WITH MY SON, MOTHER AND BROTHER. WE HAD JUST ARRIVED IN DENVER FROM COLORADO SPRINGS WITH 3 DAYS OF ADVENTURES AHEAD OF US. THE NEXT MORNING WE WOKE UP TO THE NEWS THAT BOBBY KENNEDY HAD BEEN SHOT AND KILLED. WE FLEW BACK HOME TO KANSAS CITY THAT DAY.
What a time to fly!
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I’m super excited to see the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Rodgers and Hart’s PAL JOEY, which begins performances November 14 at Studio 54. I’ve never seen PAL JOEY on stage, only the film version with Frank Sinatra. And I love Christian Hoff! He totally rocked in JERSEY BOYS. Of course I’ve loved Stockard Channing ever since I saw her in the 1973 movie “The Girl Most Likely To…”.
Do you need another reason? Well here’s one – my friend and performer extraordinaire, Kathryn Mowat Murphy is also in the cast! Kathryn was the assistant choreographer and part of the ensemble in the 2005 NYMF production of PLANE CRAZY! Boy, can that girl dance! Congrats Kathryn!
According to this article on Playbill.com:
Complete casting has been announced for the Roundabout Theatre Company's new fall production of Rodgers & Hart's Pal Joey, already set to star Tony Award winners Stockard Channing and Christian Hoff and Tony nominee Martha Plimpton.
Directed by Tony winner Joe Mantello, with a revised book by Tony winner Richard Greenberg, the musical, produced in association with Marc Platt, will begin performances Nov. 14 at Studio 54 toward a Dec. 11 opening.
Creating a population of Chicagoans in the John O'Hara-inspired tale of a heel who dreams of owning a nightclub will be Robert Clohessy (as Mike), Mamma Mia! veteran Jenny Fellner (as good girl Linda English), Urinetown alumnus Daniel Marcus (as Ludlow), Wicked actor Steven Skybell (as Ernest), Timothy J. Alex, Brian Barry, Bahiyah Sayyed Gaines, Lisa Gajda, Anthony Holds, Nadine Isenegger, Mark Morettini, Kathryn Mowat Murphy, Abbey O'Brien, Hayley Podschun, Matthew Risch, Krista Saab and Eric Sciotto.
The 1940 musical — with a score by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart — is considered one of the landmark "link" musicals between fizzy old-fashioned musicals of the 1920s and '30s and more psychologically charged shows in which darker colors of characters were revealed. Pal Joey is a sort of musical comedy character study about an ambitious performer, Joey Evans, played by Jersey Boys veteran Hoff, who seeks the affection of a married woman in the hope that she'll fund his dream of owning a nightclub (Channing plays older, richer Vera Simpson, who dryly sings "Bewitched" and "What Is a Man?" as well as the duet "Den of Iniquity"). He loses his soul along the way.
The score also includes "A Great Big Town (Chicago)," "You Mustn't Kick It Around," "Take Him," "Zip," "Plant You Now, Dig You Later," "I Could Write a Book," "I'm Talking to My Pal" (a song that had been dropped from the score during its out-of-town tryout, but is now restored), and more.
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Shout out to my friend and composer extraordinaire Seth Weinstein who has just released a new CD!
Here is the email I received from Seth:
I'm delighted to report that my CD of solo piano music, CONVERSATIONS WITH CHAGALL, is now available at CD Baby.
The 62-minute CD contains two of my original compositions: CONVERSATIONS and THE CHAGALL SUITE. CONVERSATIONS, a musical meeting between the Belarusian painter Marc Chagall and Elvis Presley, is a synthesis of Russian-style classical themes, Jewish klezmer music, romantic ballads, rock, blues, and gospel. THE CHAGALL SUITE is an eight-movement contemporary classical piece inspired by eight different themes of Chagallian artwork.
More information about the CD, including sound samples, track listings, and explanations of the music:
http://sethweinstein.com/chagall
Get the CD now - only $15!
http://cdbaby.com/cd/sethweinstein
Also, I'll be performing the Chagall pieces this fall in Germany, Wisconsin, and New York:
9/18 - Osnabrueck, Germany - Lutherhaus
9/23 - Mainz, Germany - Erbacher Hof
9/26 - Siegburg (Bonn), Germany - Siegburger Stadtmuseum
10/25 - Appleton, Wisconsin - Appleton Art Center
10/30 - New York City - Museum of Biblical Art
Road trip to Germany! (I guess technically it would be a boat or plane trip…)
Congratulations Seth!
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I'm the one on Sutton's right (aka the left) in the grey. Fridays at the 5th, August 29, 2008. Go see Shrek.
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Or, Goodbye Eddie Bauer, Hello Dolly!
On Monday, August 25, I was lucky enough to be invited to the opening celebration for The 5th Avenue Theatre’s new downstairs education and rehearsal space, which has been officially named “The Marilyn Sheldon Rehearsal and Education Center”. Marilyn Sheldon (second bio) is the Managing Director, and the heart and soul of The 5th Avenue Theatre. For those "in the know," it's called DAT5!From the evening’s keepsake program:
“Because The 5th Avenue Theatre was constructed in the 1920s to be a vaudeville house and was later converted into a motion picture theatre, there weren’t backstage needs and technical space wasn’t required. As a result, backstage at The 5th Avenue lacks virtually all of the trappings of more modern musical theater venues.
The Board of Directors, under the leadership of Norman B. Rice, authorized a plan to consolidate all production-related activities, known as Downstairs at The 5th. This plan includes a full-sized mainstage rehearsal hall, education center, maintenance building and inventory facility.
Downstairs at The 5th makes the overall operation more efficient, produces a substantial yearly cost savings, and provides a more focused work environment, allowing us to fully invest in the artistic product.”
I’ll drink to that! The 5th Avenue has used Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) over at the Seattle Center for rehearsing all their shows. Don’t get me wrong, TPS is great, but there was always the problem of never having a room big enough to match the size of the actual stage, so they always had to reblock everything once they got to the theatre!
And I can speak with some authority that the heating and cooling systems in TPS are due for an overhaul!
When Eddie Bauer moved out of their basement space, The 5th Avenue Theatre suddenly had a viable option to solve their logistical nightmares! After a lead donation by Sheryl and Peter Neupert of $1.22 million, the renovations were underway!
The opening celebration was so much fun! Not only was it so exciting to finally see the space finished (love the big “5th” on the glass doors facing the food court!) but there was yummy nibbles and of course, a wonderful musical performance. Martin Charnin’s great song “Upstairs at O’Neills” was given new lyrics by Rich Grey and became “Downstairs at the 5th”. With Resident Musical Director Ian Eisendrath on piano, Billie Willdrick, Chad Jennings, Carol Swarbrick and Eric Polani Jensen sang up a storm. Then Patti Cohenour sang ‘Take Care of This House” from the show 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
All in all, a wonderful celebration of a great space. I’m looking forward to doing the workshop of THE MERCER GIRLS there in September!
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SEE A SHOW ON BROADWAY
Monthly Archives
- July 2009 (6)
- June 2009 (14)
- May 2009 (16)
- April 2009 (5)
- March 2009 (5)
- February 2009 (2)
- September 2008 (9)
- August 2008 (23)
- July 2008 (57)
- June 2008 (21)
- February 2008 (7)
- January 2008 (4)
- December 2007 (13)
- November 2007 (12)
- October 2007 (1)
- July 2007 (1)
- June 2007 (4)
- May 2007 (1)
- March 2006 (1)
- July 2005 (1)
- June 2005 (61)
- May 2005 (61)
- April 2005 (62)
- March 2005 (59)
- February 2005 (31)
- January 2005 (55)
Discount codes for Broadway theater tickets
Blogger bio
My name is Suzy Conn and I am a musical theatre composer, lyricist, and librettist. I make may home in Seattle (actually, Mercer Island to be specific) and I am a graduate of the Theatre Building Chicago, Musical Theatre Writers' Workshop.
I am in the writing and workshop process with a number of different musicals, including:
PLANE CRAZY: A Broadway-style musical about feminism set against the backdrop of glamour and innocent sex appeal of the swinging '60s Jet Age, where women learn to "Pilot Your Own Destiny™" (productions in New York, Toronto, Oklahoma City).
Beatrix Potter's THE TALE OF PIGLING BLAND (with Mitchell Kitz): A 45-minute children's musical based on the classic Beatrix Potter story (productions in Chicago and Toronto).
THE MERCER GIRLS (for The 5th Avenue Theatre's AMT program)
DAISY THE FIRECOW and LARRY GETS LOST IN SEATTLE (part of Northwest Bookshelf 2 for The 5th Avenue Theatre's AMT program)
FRANKENBOOGER (with Mitchell Kitz): The new tween musical that tells the cautionary tale of nose picking gone terribly, terribly wrong. Our heroine learns to "Pick Your Friends, Not Your Nose™".
Prior to focusing exclusively on musical theatre, I spent 10 years writing in Toronto and Nashville where I co-wrote or wrote hundreds of country and pop songs and commercial jingles. As a result, I have numerous U.S., international, and Canadian cuts, and several of my songs hit #1 on the international country charts. I have also won a number of songwriting awards, including the prestigious SOCAN Advanced Writer's Workshop Award.
I am a proud member of the Association of Canadian Librettists, Composers, and Lyricists (ACLCL), SOCAN, ACTRA, Toronto Musician's Association (Local 149, A.F. of M.), Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Songwriters Guild of America (SGA), Dramatist's Guild of America, and the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC).
Thanks for listening!
Suzy's Favorite Sites
Maximum Broadway Radio
This is a FANTASTIC Broadway site that broadcasts Live 365.com Internet Radio with 24/7 showtunes! It's a BROADWAY RADIO STATION! I've got it running on my laptop now, and forever. Also includes links to a library of songs, theaters across America and a News section, which includes yours truly...
Internet Broadway Database
IBDB provides a comprehensive database of shows produced on Broadway, including all "title page" information about each production. IBDB also offers historical information about theatres and various statistics and fun facts related to Broadway.
42nd Street Moon Blog
A GREAT musical theater blog, with a Blogway Baby-style fanatical devotion to Broadway. It's published by a theater company focused on "Classic Broadway in Concert", based in San Francisco. I wish I'd known about these guys when I lived in Palo Alto!
Mermaniac
Mermanic, "A Show Tunes Weblog", has an excellent blogroll which has been divided into the signs of the zodiac...Blogway Baby is under the sign of Cancer.
Jorge's Place
This seems like the ultimate Broadway fan site. Nicely designed too!
Yahoo! Entertainment
A fantastic movie musical link database: All the big stars are in here.
Playbill.com
The classic, the original, the only. Playbill: Following theater since there was theater...
Talkin' Broadway
Nice gossip site on Broadway. Interface is weird and difficult to use, but solid content.
Backstage Magazine
The actor's resource to upcoming audtions and casting sessions across the US of A.
Variety Magazine
The grandpappy of theater...check out the "Legit" section.
Broadway.com
The definitive resource on Broadway. Get your tickets, your hotels, and your Broadway plans at Broadway.com
Myrna's Page
My daughter's home page. Isn't she cute?
BoingBoing
The world's greatest blog, EVAR.
Broadwayworld.com
A great resource for Broadway and Off-Broadway reviews.
New York Musical Theatre Festival
The one, the only, New York Musical Theatre Festival: The world's premier musical theater event.
Northern River Arts and Entertainment
A great and comprehensive archive of Canadian musical theater history.
Musical Theater Giants
Richard Adler (b. 1923) Lyricist Richard Adler is best recalled as part of the team of composer Jerold Ross and Adler. Best known for The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees. Adler was unable to reproduce these successes after the death of Ross in 1955.Lionel Bart (b. 1930 / d. 1999) Composer/Lyricist Lionel Bart parlayed a massively successful '50s pop-song writing career into musical theater. He succeeded with Oliver! and Blitz!, and was personally and financially ruined by the flop Twang!.
Irving Berlin (b. 1888 / d. 1989)
Leslie Bricusse (b. 1931)
Cy Coleman (b. 1929 / d. 2004)
Betty Comden
Fred Ebb (b. 1933 / d. 2004)
Adolph Green (b. 1914 / d. 2002)
Jerry Herman (b. 1933)
John Kander (b. 1927)
Alan Jay Lerner (b. 1918 / d. 1986)
Frank Loesser (b. 1910 / d. 1969)
Frederick Loewe (b. 1901 / d. 1988)
Anthony Newley (b. 1931 / d. 1999)
Cole Porter (b. 1891 / d. 1964)
Gerry Ross (b. 1926 / d. 1955)
Arthur Schwartz (b. 1900 / d. 1984)
Stephen Schwartz (b. 1948)
Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930)
Charles Strouse (b. 1928)
Association Sites
Association of Canadian Librettists, Composers, and Lyricists (ACLCL)
Toronto Musician's Association (Local 149, A.F. of M.)
Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)
Songwriters Guild of America (SGA)
From Hollywood to Broadway
They say it's the hot trend in musicals today -- adapting a popular movie to the stage -- but while The Producers (2001), adapted from The Producers (1968) and Hairspray (2002), adapted from Hairspray (1988) grab all the attention, the trend has actually been around for a while. Here's a sampling of a list that seems to grow every day.
David Merrick, the legendary impressario, actually loved to adapt film material and he became famous with some of these productions:
42nd Street (1933) became 42nd Street (1980)
Marcel Pagnol's Marseilles Trilogy (1929) became Fanny: A New Musical (1954)
The Apartment (1960) became Promises, Promises (1968)
Some Like It Hot (1959) became Sugar (1972)
Destry Rides Again (1939) became Destry Rides Again (1959)
State Fair (1945) became State Fair (1996)
And here's a bunch more non-Merrick examples:
Mary Poppins (1964) became Mary Poppins (2004)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) became Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2002)
Meet Me In St. Louis (1945) became Meet Me In St. Louis (1989)
Singin' in the Rain (1952) became Singin' In The Rain (1996)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) became Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1985)
The Wizard of Oz (1939) became The Wizard of Oz (1988)
High Society (1956) became High Society (1998)
Swing Time (1936) became Never Gonna Dance (2003)
Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) became Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002) (though little of the original score was used)
Beauty and the Beast (1991, Animated) became Beauty and the Beast (1994)
The Lion King (1994, Animated) became The Lion King (1997)
All About Eve (1950) became Applause (1970)
Woman of the Year (1942) became Woman Of The Year (1981)
Nights of Cabiria (1957) became Sweet Charity: A New Musical Comedy (1966)
Smiles Of A Summer Night (1957) became A Little Night Music (1973)
Sunset Boulevard (1950) became Sunset Boulevard (1994)
It (1927) became The It Girl (2001)
8 1/2 (1963) became Nine (1982)
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) became Sweet Smell of Success (2002)
The Captain's Paradise (1953) became Oh Captain (1958)
The Night of the Hunter (1955) became The Night Of The Hunter (1998 Concept Cast) (also a literary source but best known as a film)
Billy Elliot (2000) became Billy Elliot: The Musical on the West End (2005)
And continuing into the future, stay tuned for White Christmas, based on the 1954 movie of the same name.
Reader favorite posts
Here are some of Blogway Baby's favorite posts, as voted by Blogway Baby readers:
+ The Lyrics to Sarah Jessica Parker's GAP Ad, "I Enjoy Being A Girl"
+ Rosie O'Donnell's Haiku Blog
Nudie Musical Themes
+ More Nudie Musical Goodness
+ I Always Wondered About That Title
+ Playboy: The Musical
+ G-Spot: Canadian Sex in the City based in L.A.
+ The Pajama-less Game
+ It's Naked Week at Blogway Baby!
+ Bring Back Oh! Calcutta!
The "Ultimate Entertainment Niche" Series
+ Part II
+ Part I
The SF :: Broadway Connection
+ Part IV: Reader Contributions
+ Part III: How Could I Have Missed This One?
+ Part II
+ The SF :: Broadway Connection
+ SF / Musical Theater Mash-up
+ A Long Time Ago, In A Theater Far, Far Away
Flops I Missed
+ Part II: Nick & Nora
+ Part I: Carrie
The "Great Tortured Stephen Sondheim" Series
+ "Songs I Wish I'd Never Written"
+ Wall-to-wall Stephen Sondheim
+ Part III
+ Part II
+ Part I
Top Ten Movie Musicals
10: An American in Paris / Gigi because France in the '50s is simply irresistible;
9: There's No Business Like Show Business because of Ethel Merman...'nuff said?;
8: West Side Story, because even though they dubbed Natalie Wood they retained the energy of the original staging;
7: Guys and Dolls, and not everyone likes this one because of Brando's singing, but I just love the sets, the times, and Frank is simply perfect;
6: Flying Down to Rio / Gay Divorcee / Roberta / Top Hat / Follow the Fleet and Swing Time / Shall We Dance / Carefree / The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle / The Barkleys of Broadway because this list wouldn't be complete without Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, who kept me company afternoons that I used to skip out of school to watch these musicals on TV;
5: Oliver! because it had a huge impact on me as a child: It was the first time that I'd seen someone get killed in a musical. And each time I see it, I still think there's a chance she'll get away;
4: Funny Girl because of two words: Barbra Streisand;
3: Jesus Christ Superstar because of Norman Jewison's incredibly inventive filmography, the energy, the '70s...the closest thing I've ever had to a religious experience;
2: It's a tie between White Christmas because of "Sisters": One of the most important songs in my life and Holiday Inn because despite the cringe-worthy blackface routines and racist stereotyping, it has one of the best dance numbers ever with Fred Astaire and a pocketful of firecrackers;
...and most importantly...
1: Singin' in the Rain because of Donald O'Connor's "Make 'em Laugh" (even though it was blatantly ripped off of Cole Porter's "Be A Clown") and "Good Morning", our daily refrain in the Conn household.
