New York City: July 2008 Archives

Congrats Whoopi! BroadwayWorld has some good photo coverage of Whoopi Goldberg's debut in Xanadu on Broadway on Tuesday! Check it out - there are also some good pictures of the Xanadu production in general...

Yay, you should all read this Diva Talk with Susan Blackwell on Playbill! I especially liked when she talked about the assorted opening night gifts she and the other members of the [tos] gang received. =) At the end, there are some Diva Updates, which include the fact that Bernadette Peters is going to be on the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy! Also, we'll be seeing the return of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Denny Duquette, whom I love. Was that the correct use of whom??? Oh well. =P

Here is an interesting article on Playbill that talks about how Legally Blonde the Musical and MTV collaborated over the reality Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods, and also the airing of the filmed musical in fall 2007 which I had no idea had existed. Sadness, wish I could have seen it. It's worth reading, since it talks about how they kept Bailey Hanks' identity a secret to the devoted viewers of the reality show, since the episodes weren't aired until after her rehearsals had begun. Haha, will make you smile.

Check out this awesome Playbill CUE & A with Cheyenne Jackson! Notice the references to Village Theatre in Issaquah and the general Washington state area! =D

The Songs of Kander and Ebb - now that's HAD!

John Kander and Fred Ebb certainly have the market cornered on what I llike to call "Had". That's because all their songs are "happy/sad". Don't let that bouncy vamp fool you kids, there's real pain in there! Liza Minelli is the queen of happy/sad (sometimes mostly sad…) and nobody sings a Kander and Ebb song quite like her. Maybe it's like the chicken and egg question…which came first -- Kander & Ebb or Liza? But I digress…

I went to the library and checked out the cast recording of AND THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND THE SONGS OF KANDER & EBB. It's fun to spice up the CD collection in the car (I also checked out CHEETAH GIRLS 2, and BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL) since I'm driving so much these days (both my daughters are in rehearsals for summer shows…)

AND THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND THE SONGS OF KANDER AND EBB opened on March 18, 1991 at the Westside Theatre, New York City. It was conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman and David Thompson, and starred Bob Cuccioli, Karen Mason, Brenda Pressley, Jim Walton, and Karen Ziemba. It was directed Scott Ellis, and choreographed by Susan Stroman (does she get all the great gigs or what?)

I didn't recognize a very young Karen Ziemba or Bob Cuccioli or Jim Walton in the picture of the cast that was in the CD sleeve. It was only after listening to the CD that I figured out they were in the cast, duh.

It's a fabulous compilation of Kander & Ebb songs, from "Coffee in a Cardboard Cup" to "Kiss of the Spiderwoman" to "New York, New York" (sung in many different languages!). Some of my favorite cuts are "I Don't Remember You/Sometimes a Day Goes By", "Colored Lights" , "Coloring Book", and "Arthur In the Afternoon" (I can just imagine how great Karen Ziemba was dancing in that number!). Just when you think all Kander & Ebb do are bouncy uptempos, they hit you with unbelievable ballads, like "Coloring Book" and "A Quiet Thing". What a writing team!

This celebration of Kander & Ebb's work was before the hugely successful revival of CHICAGO (now in its 150th year…), before the revival(s) of CABARET and new shows STEEL PIER, FOSSE, THE VISIT, and CURTAINS.

I think it's time for another revue!

From the article on Playbill:

Say Something: A Spoken Word Salon, an evening featuring spoken word performances from a mix of writers and actors, will be presented Aug. 15 at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

The 6 PM performance at the West 42nd Street venue will boast the talents of Hunter Bell, Susan Blackwell, Phil Geoffrey Bond, Paul Cavalconte, Donna Lynne Champlin, Christine Lavin, Carl Kissin, Christine Pedi and Kate Shindle.

The artists, according to press notes, will offer "new work as well as excerpts from some of their favorite texts."

Hunter Bell and Susan Blackwell are the current stars of the new Broadway musical [title of show]. So get ready for this cool event! I won't be able to attend, but everyone else should. =P

On Sunday, Max Crumm and Laura Osnes, winners of the reality TV show Grease: You're the One That I Want!, ended their run on Broadway as Danny and Sandy in the Broadway revival of Grease. However, that means that Derek Keeling and Ashley Spencer will replace them..... They're the ones that I wanted (see my previous post)!!!!!

From an article on Playbill:

Keeling was most recently seen in the West Coast premiere of All Shook Up and also played Danny Zuko in a national tour of Grease. Spencer was recently on Broadway playing Amber von Tussle in the Tony-winning musical Hairspray.

The current cast of Grease, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, includes Janine DiVita as Rizzo, Ryan Patrick Binder as Doody, Susan Blommaert as Miss Lynch, Will Blum as Roger, Jeb Brown as Vince, Allison Fischer as Patty, Robyn Hurder as Marty, Lindsay Mendez as Jan, Jose Restrepo as Sonny, Matthew Saldivar as Kenickie, Jamison Scott as Eugene, Kirsten Wyatt as Frenchy and "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel. The ensemble comprises Josh Franklin, Natalie Hill, Matthew Hydzik, Keven Quillon, Allie Schultz, Brian Sears, Christina Sivrich, Amber Stone and Anna Aimee White.

For tickets, visit here. I really hope that I get to see this!!

Last night was the season finale of Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods, and Bailey Hanks was selected as the next Elle Woods on Broadway in Legally Blonde! Rhiannon was eliminated at the beginning of the episode, leaving Autumn and Bailey as the last contestants in the competition. The final audition required the girls to perform three numbers from the musical with real Legally Blonde cast members, sets, costume, and orchestra! Plus, Jerry Mitchell was added to the panel of Paul Canaan, Heather Hach, and Bernard Telsey.

Okay, so I'm really happy for Bailey, and she definitely is Elle Woods. Her performance was genuine and easy to watch. However, I enjoyed Autumn's much more. Autumn has the better voice by far. Sorry Bailey, but at times you're a little flat :S Autumn still brought the character to life, but her voice was quite amazing. Maybe after Hanks has finished her run, Autumn will be next in line...

Congratulations Bailey! I hope that your experience as a leading lady on Broadway is as magical and fulfilling as you've always dreamed it to be! Bailey starts her run on Broadway on July 23. For tickets, visit here.

Here are some excerpts from reviews about [title of show]'s Opening Night on Broadway!!!

From an article in the New York Times:

As a performer, Mr. Bell has a cuddly, golly-gee manner that is endearing. In contrast Mr. Bowen takes a more businesslike approach, which includes an obsessive need to correct his friend’s every grammatical lapse. Ms. Blackwell’s idiosyncratic humor is a distinct asset. Learning that the authors have earned a lot of attention from an Internet video promoting the show, she cracks, “I’m gonna go onYouTube and announce that I want a golden pony.”

The cheery Ms. Blickenstaff is the strongest singer in the cast, and the only one to have appeared on Broadway previously, mostly as an understudy. If “[title of show]” has a purpose larger than mere diversion, it is to expose the obstacles — internal and external — that artists on the fringes of the business claw past every day to keep their aim true and their egos from imploding. Ms. Blackwell keeps having to remind her friends that she can’t be hanging out brainstorming or rehearsing all day because she actually has to earn a living as an office manager. Later she leads a funny, pointed song, “Die Vampire, Die!,” about the specter of self-doubt that visits all struggling artists in the wee hours — and the not so wee ones, too.

From an article on Newsday.com:

Created and performed by two self-described "nobodies in New York," the first entry of the new season is a clever and often adorable little invention about writing a musical about two nobodies writing a musical while performing the musical. Got that?

The title is what composer Jeff Bowen and author Hunter Bell - both show-biz obsessives - called this meta-project while filling out the application form for the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2004. The men and their two self-described "secondary characters" - Heidi Blickenstaff and Susan Blackwell - were a hit at the festival and Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in 2006.

Their inside-baseball humor, their sardonic attitude and their Cinderella story arrive at the creators' mainstream fantasy fulfillment with a passionate fan base, nurtured on the Internet by a come-on-along YouTube series about the show.

Everyone in Michael Berresse's production is quick and charming. The setup - four mismatched chairs, street clothes and a grimy rehearsal room - has a prepossessing anti-spectacle ordinariness. The show-tune pastiche - think Laura Nyro as interpreted by William Finn - is accompanied by the amusing Larry Pressgrove on a lone keyboard.

From an article in the Daily News:

The production's greatest asset remains its score. Bowen's melodies and harmonies are gems, and his bright lyrics offer insight into everything from self-doubt ("Die, Vampire, Die!") and friendship ("What Kind of Girl Is She?") to integrity ("Nine People's Favorite Thing").

The performers are great fun to hang out with for 90 minutes and as idiosyncratic as the title — especially the irresistibly offbeat Blackwell. Blickenstaff has girl-next-door charm, and her gorgeous voice soars on the soulful show-stopper "A Way Back to Then."

Michael Berresse's stage and dance experience shows in his vibrant direction and choreography, which puts imaginative spin on each number.

Way to go [title of show]! Check out the opening night greeting that In the Heights sent to [title of show] here -- which is extremely similar to the one [tos] sent In the Heights here.

Or, [title of show] is opening on Broadway tonight peeps!!

Goodness gracious, I fell in love with this show the first time I saw it at the Vineyard Theatre in 2006 (so long ago, goodness). It was so creative, funny, and original, with fantastic talent and heart. Now, I can't believe that it's opening on Broadway. Holy peanut butter. I mean, oh my god.

I feel so happy for everyone involved in [title of show], especially Hunter, Heidi, Jeff, and Michael who accepted my Facebook friend request. =D Just kidding, everyone who has made this show what it is now rox. I couldn't find Susan on FB, so props to her. She rox extra hard. :D

I've read the blog every day for the past forever, which has kept me interested and excited about the show and its future. There's a really cool article here about [title of show]'s evolution through the Webnets... Check it out.

There's also a nice article about the opening on Playbill.com, here. It talks about the show's history, and what the show is "about." And stuffs like that.

So, just wanted to give a shout-out to everyone at [title of show] (=P). Have fun tonight, and congratulations!

If you are interested in making it big on Broadway in the musical version of 'Spiderman,' you should check out the open call in New York at the Knitting Factory on July 28 starting at 10am.

Requirements from the Article on MTV Movies Blog:

The producers of “Spider-Man” have announced an open casting call in New York for singers and actors to audition as Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and Arachne. For Peter Parker, they’d like a male aged or appear to be aged 16- to 20-years-old, with a greak rock voice. He “can be nerdy with understated sex appeal” with a “good sense of humor.” For Mary Jane, they’d like a female in the same age range, with a strong pop/rock singing voice, who has a “beautiful girl-next-door” look. And for Arachne, a dangerous but seductive Spider-Woman, they’d like a female aged 25- to 35-years-old, with “amazing rock vocals.” “Think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern/Bulgarian/Greek twist,” they say. Foreign accents welcome.

So all those eligible performers, get out there and show your stuff... Stuff that could end up on Broadway!!

There are some awesome photos of the BROADWAY BARKS book signing on July 12th (last Saturday). Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters hosted it, again helping many homeless animals find permanent homes. More than 6000 theater fans, pet owners, and animal lovers appeared to join in the festivities. An awesome Broadwayworld.com article can be viewed by clicking on the smiley:

=D

The pictures are there too! Wish I could have been there...