I knew band camp would pay off...

Last night I went to see Sweeney Todd at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and I can now officially cross Patti Lupone off my "must see on Broadway" list! (I've seen her in concert a number of times, but never in a Broadway show.)

Michael Cerveris (he won a Tony for Assassins) plays Sweeney, Mark Jacoby plays Judge Turpin, Tobias is played by Manoel Felciano, Pirelli is played by a woman, Donna Lynne Champlin, The Beadle is played by Alexander Gemignani, Jonas Fogg is played by John Arbo, Anthony is played by Benjamin Magnuson, Johanna is played by Lauren Molina and the Beggar Woman is played by Diana Dimarzio.

This unique incarnation of Sondheim's masterpiece uses only 10 performers who sing, act, and play all the musical instruments on stage. So, next to the characters names are the different instruments they play. For example, Patti Lupone plays Mrs. Lovett as well as Tuba, Orchestra Bells, and Percussion. Manoel Felciano plays the violin, clarinet and keyboard. It really is quite incredible to hear these amazing singers play so beautifully, and often while moving and acting.

This Sweeney production was brilliantly directed and designed by John Doyle. It really is quite exquisite. The cast is amazing -- singing, acting, and playing instruments in an intricately orchestrated and choreographed flow, producing a cohesive musical tapestry. Of course Patti and Michael are in fine vocal form as are the whole cast, and Patti has wonderful comedic timing. She is a more sensual than Angela Lansbury's Mrs. Lovett, and I loved her jet black hair and fish net stockings! Despite minimal sets, the story is easy to follow.

The only thing is, I wasn't really scared. When I watched the DVD of Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn, I was scared (and a little freaked out to be honest). And, I felt a lot of compassion for Sweeney and rooted for him. Michael Cerveris' Sweeney is intense, but I never really felt for him. And, although I am blown away by the actors playing the instruments, it distanced them from us, a wee bit. Of course to be fair, the Lansbury/Hearn production had much more elaborate sets, complete with barber chair with trap door, and big ovens.

So don't quit those tuba lessons kiddies!

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Today I saw my first show at The Public Theater! I walked all the way from the Upper West Side down to 425 Lafayette Street and back after the show! It was such a gorgeous day today I thought I'd get a good walk in before the weather turns cold again, and I also got to walk by the Macy's Christmas windows!

I had coffee at the Astor Place Starbucks with a fellow writer and then we headed off to see John Michael LaChiusa's "See What I Want To See" which was directed by Ted Sperling. I actually had bought tickets to see LaChiusa's The Wild Party in 2000 but it closed before I could see it!

What a cool show. It was in the Anspacher Theater on the second floor, sort of a semicircle of seats surrounding the stage. It is a very intimate space, with minimal sets, but great height, and I was sitting about two feet away from the cast, which included Idina Menzel, William Michals, Henry Stram, Mary Testa, and Aaron Lohr. The whole cast was truly phenomenal, but I think my favorite was Mary Testa who sang my favorite song of the show, "The Greatest Practical Joke" which is about religion.

LaChiusa took three short stories by the Japanese writer Ryonosuke Akutagwa and adapted them into one piece of theater. Apparently, he was fascinated by the idea of "what is truth and is it in the eye of the beholder", how you can see a story from many different angles and different colors. He uses Japanese underpinnings for the whole show, with each act starting off with a segment "Kesa and Morito", which has a wonderful sense of ceremony. The first act is called "R Shomon" and takes place in the 1950s, and the second act is called "GloryDay" and takes place in Central Park today.

This is The Public's 50th anniversary, and this is where Hair premiered, so The Public has a history of presenting revolutionary musicals.

Oh, and one more thing -- I saw a small white mouse running around under the seats all through the production. I'm assuming this wasn't part of this production...

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

In my current state of Jersey Boys euphoria, I happened upon this article from The New York Times. Wow, Des McAnuff sounds like an extremely cool guy -- I'd love to meet him!

And he's from Toronto!

A Tiny Theater in San Diego and Its Director Supply a Steady Flow to Broadway

By HEATHCLIFF ROTHMAN
Published: November 16, 2005

SAN DIEGO -- When Tommy Devito in "Jersey Boys," talks about driving to a landfill next to a dump to cheer for a team from New York, there is usually knowing laughter from much of the audience. New Jerseyans have been filling Broadway seats to see this show about their homegrown sons, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, cheering at the Turnpike jokes and nodding at the familiar names of towns.

So they might be surprised that this musical was not born in driving distance of Jersey City, but rather on the West Coast, in sunny La Jolla, which is better known for its rich writers than for local hoods. But this coastal town, which the co-writer of "Jersey Boys" Marshall Brickman calls "heaven with pelicans," has been a pipeline to Broadway for a long time.

La Jolla Playhouse, a tiny nonprofit theater now housed on the campus of the University of California, San Diego, has produced revivals of "The Who's Tommy," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and "Big River," and more recently, Tony winners like Billy Crystal's "700 Sundays," "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "I Am My Own Wife" (which also won a Pulitzer).

Behind the waves of Broadway transplants is Des McAnuff, who since 2000 has been serving his second stint as artistic director. "He's like the mayor of La Jollaville, like La Jolla R.F.D.," Mr. Crystal said by phone from Toronto, where he was performing "700 Sundays." "If they could build a little house right at the theater, Des would live there."

Toronto is where Mr. McAnuff is from, but he moved to New York in the mid-1970's and quickly joined the inner circle of the emerging progressive theater scene, working with Joseph Papp and becoming a co-founder of Dodger Theatricals (with the producers Michael David, Rocco Landesman,Ed Strong and Sherman Warner). Dodger is producing "Jersey Boys."

In 1983 Mr. McAnuff moved west to become artistic director of La Jolla Playhouse. After a string of hits -- and some failures -- he left in 1994, to branch out into film. He directed Jessica Lange in "Cousin Bette" and was the executive producer of the Marquis de Sade film "Quills," starring Kate Winslet and Geoffrey Rush. He returned to La Jolla Playhouse five years ago when its artistic director left abruptly to join the Walt Disney Company.

Elizabeth Bennett, a former dramaturge at La Jolla who is now at the Second Stage in New York, said she remembered Mr. McAnuff's midseason return in 2000: He sat "on the deck outside the building, smoking a cigar and purposely introducing himself to every single staff member who walked by." She continued, "It said a lot about the fact that he really wanted people to know that he was approachable, that he was the kind of person that they could stop and talk to."

Employees are not the only ones Mr. McAnuff is expert at schmoozing with. Mr. Brickman was amused to watch Mr. McAnuff work the room at a fund-raiser. "He is really brilliant at it," Mr. Brickman said. "The rich people, the donors, really love him. I watched him with, oh, what's his name, Dr. Seuss - Theodore Geisel's widow. He was just charming her pants off." When it comes to his work onstage, it is Mr. McAnuff's willingness to take risks that often impresses his colleagues. Mr. Brickman mentioned how he approved a full-scale production of "Jersey Boys" without a script: "We only had an outline and structure. He just had faith in the story and music, and had the guts to give us a slot in the schedule."

Mr. McAnuff decided to set the musical up as a biography of the Four Seasons rather than writing a story to fit the widely different hits like "Sherry," "Walk Like a Man," "September 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" and "Big Girls Don't Cry."

"There is no pit orchestra," Rick Elice, a co-writer, said. "The musicians are essentially characters in the show. That was a big idea from Des. And it set a structure within which we were able to write the show."

Mr. McAnuff explained what he was after: "I didn't want people sitting at the breakfast table breaking out into song. They are at the recording studio and nightclub. The band is in one way or another performing their material."

"700 Sundays" came about, Mr. Crystal said, when he was in Seattle doing a benefit, and Mr. McAnuff, a friend, flew up to see him perform his mix of comedy stand-up and personal anecdotes.

Mr. McAnuff was impressed by what he saw. "I told Billy and had told him earlier, 'Come down to La Jolla,'" he said. "Let's develop it into a play."

Mr. Crystal said he was struck by Mr. McAnuff's instincts and his fearlessness. "I did a piece about my relationship with Muhammad Ali," he said. "The audience was cheering like crazy at the end of it. And Des says: 'I think we should cut it. I don't feel it's on story like the rest of it.' So here we have the audience cheering, and he's saying to cut 18 minutes out of the first act. And he was totally right. Some people in that situation mighty shy away because its someone's life they're dealing with. But not Des."

His skill is not without rough edges. Mr. David called his sometime partner "maddeningly specific and exacting," adding that "simultaneously he sees the big picture - and can make everyone crazy getting it done."

Mr. McAnuff admited: "I could have been accused of bludgeoning people when I was younger. But if I think I'm right, I'm going to argue for it, that's my job."

Of particular interest to Mr. Cary, though, was Mr. McAnuff's willingness to work with newcomers: "Des and La Jolla are willing to live up to the manifesto of developing genuinely new work from truly emerging writers, at a very advanced level, without any sort of guarantee of financial success, or without being able to rely on the cachet of our names. I think that speaks volumes."

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I was so proud of my little girl last night. As I mentioned in this previous post, Myrna won the role of "Annie" in the City Youth Players production of Annie Warbucks.

Well, last night was Opening Night, and Myrna and the rest of the cast NAILED it!

Myrna was AMAZING! I wish I could belt like that...

The rest of the cast was fabulous, and the sets, costumes, and lighting were fantastic.

It's a short engagement (last show is the Sunday matinee), so don't miss this great show.

For tickets call 905-882-7469.

Annie Warbucks continues the story of Little Orphan Annie...and in fact the first bar of the musical picks up where the last bar of Annie ended.

Written by the original Annie team of Thomas Meehan (Book), Martin Charnin (Lyrics), and Charles Strouse (Music), Annie Warbucks opened July 6, 1993 and ran for 200 performances and 38 previews, all Off-Broadway. Although it wasn't the blockbuster of the original Annie which opened April 21, 1977 and ran for 2,377 performances, Annie Warbucks was favorably reviewed and has had a great second life in licensing because smaller regional theaters like to put Annie and Annie Warbucks on back-to-back, like an old-fashioned serial.

In the story, the action picks up right where Annie leaves off, when Child Welfare Commissioner Harriet Doyle arrives on the scene to inform Daddy Warbucks he must marry in sixty days so the newly adopted Annie can have a proper mother. In the end, Daddy Warbucks' whirlwind search for a fitting bride uncovers not only a plot by Doyle and her daughter to strip him of his fortune, but also his true feelings for Grace Farrell.

Full of peppy melodies, plenty of laughs, marvelous choreography, smart sets, bright lights and snappy costumes"
--The New York Times

"ANNIE WARBUCKS is an enormously entertaining evening!"
--The New York Daily News

"Surefire family fun! Charles Strouse's tunes are charmers. Well worth catching"
--New York Magazine

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

In the article "The Making of The Color Purple" (see my previous post) BusinessWeek included a sidebar that lists high-profile shows that have lost lots of money. Gee, nice positioning guys...

Anyways, apparently the data was collected from a number of sources (Not Since Carrie, 40 Years of Broadway Musical Flops by Ken Mandelbaum, IBDB, Playbill.com, Musicals101.com, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times) and here they are:

Via Galactica, 1972 (one of the first musicals to lose serious money): $1 million (played 7 performances)

Carrie, 1988, $8 million/played 5 performances

Shogun the Musical, 1990, $6 million/played 72 performances

Capeman, 1998, $11 million (ouch!)/played 68 performances

Seussical, 2000, $10 million/played 198 performances

Dance of The Vampires, 2002, $12 million/played 56 performances (ouch, ouch!!)

Taboo, 2003, $10 million/played 100 performances

Bombay Dreams, 2004, $10 million/played 284 performances

The Mambo Kings, 2005, $12 million, never ran in New York (they've got to be kidding!)

Let's hope The Color Purple's $11 million doesn't end up on a list like that. The lead producer, Scott Sanders, estimates that "...if every performance is filled to 75% capacity, with the audience paying full price, The Color Purple will recoup its investment in one year." Yikes!

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When I was in Chicago this past weekend for my workshop (Darn it, both Wicked and 700 Sundays were completely sold out!) I got a copy of an article (BusinessWeek, November 21, 2005) about the journey of The Color Purple, from idea to Broadway.

Interesting story, and of course, as with most difficult journeys, one person has championed the project.

Scott Sanders (whose resume includes being president of Mandalay Television, and executive producer at Radio City Music Hall for 15 years), the lead producer, has been pushing that penny up the hill now for four years. When he first asked Alice Walker for permission, she was famously hesitant, but finally gave her consent after much whining and dining.

He has intimately involved himself in both the creative and business demands of turning The Color Purple into a musical. "His ideas are informed by two desires, he says: to fulfill his promise to Walker to maintain the integrity of the characters...and to entertain as broad an audience as possible."

The initial $2 million funding Sanders raised got the show through its month-long trial run in Atlanta last year. "At that point, a reviewer in Variety said the musical was missing "a sence of the sweeping poetic scale demanded by both the material and the form". Interesting.

Apparently, the show continues to evolve, and even as recently as a November performance that Oprah saw (she came into the project late) it was felt that the songs for Celie, the main character, are not as strong as those for the supoporting cast. Of course this kind of constant evolution and fine tuning is not always a sign of trouble. It can also be a sign of a healthy creative process.

Sanders is intimately involved with the creative issues, but the article goes on to say, "Producers don't always involve themselves in the intricacies of the lyrics, the script, the set, the costumes. When they do, they can easily disrupt the artistic process." Interesting.

Apparently, there is more non-Broadway money in the show than usual. The traditional investors were concerned that white audiences won't go to a show with an all-black cast and that African Americans usually don't go to Broadway. A number of big names that are involved are Oprah, Quincy Jones, Roy Furman, Bob and Harvey Weinstein and Gary Winnick.

The Color Purple will open December 1, with advance ticket sales "of about 5 million, a relatively modest amount." Furman and Sanders have arranged for the Empire State Building to be lit in purple on opening night. Interesting.

Break a leg guys!

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Here's a great post courtesy of i am not the walrus about Hollie Howard, who was the amazing Holly Banks in our NYMF 2005 production of Plane Crazy:

If you are in New York (or visiting in the next two months) and looking for a class to improve your skills in musical theatre auditioning, this is one you shouldn't miss. Hollie is a friend of mine -- a gifted performer with a lot of knowledge on what it takes to work in musical theater.

Audition Intensive

Free Introductory Class!

With Broadway Performers:

Shayna Steele (Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hairspray) and

Hollie Howard (Annie Get Your Gun, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray)

Focusing on:

Song Interpretation
What casting directors are looking for in an audition
How to communicate with the accompanist
How to get an agent
Open calls/EPAs
The survival job: What to do to make money while waiting for your big break

And that's just the introductory class!

This is the start of a new 4-week course starting in January 2006 focusing also on cold reads, headshots/resumes, putting a successful songbook together, and Q/A sessions with today's Broadway Stars and Casting Directors!

Class is limited to 10 people on a first come, first serve basis!

When: Saturday, December 3rd
Time: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Where: Shetler Studios (4th Floor) under Shayna Steele

*Please bring one song with sheet music, ready to perform for the class (an accompanist will be provided).

To sign up call Shayna Steele @ (212) 591-0900

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The ups and downs of celebrity casting...

We've hit a new low: Britney Spears is in talks to replace Christina Applegate in Sweet Charity. Not only that boys and girls, but her husband, Kevin Federline, may join the show as well. A moment of silence please...

According to this article in Playbill:

Britney Spears, the international pop star who became a mother this past summer, and recent Sweet Charity audience member, may be Broadway bound.

"The Insider" has reported that the 23-year-old performer is in talks to replace Christina Applegate in the revival of Sweet Charity at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The television gossip program also reported that Spears' husband, Kevin Federline, may join the revival of the Neil Simon-Cy Coleman-Dorothy Fields musical as well.

Spears and Federline, as well as Spears' mother, attended the Thursday, Nov. 17. performance of Sweet Charity, Playbill.com has learned. Charity would mark the Broadway debuts of both Spears and Federline.

On the other hand, I think Jonathan Pryce replacing John Lithgow in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is inspired casting (I loved him in De-Lovely).

According to this article in Playbill:

Jonathan Pryce, a Tony Award winner for Miss Saigon, will take over as the more refined of two grifters in Broadway's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the producers announced Nov. 20.

Pryce, John Lithgow's castmate in Broadway's Comedians, will assume the Lithgow-created musical role of Lawrence Jameson in the Tony Award-nominated Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Jan. 17, 2006. His partner in crime will be Norbert Leo Butz, a Tony winner for his turn as rough-hewn Freddy, who spars and competes with Lawrence. Butz recently extended his contract to July 2006. Lithgow, Tony nominated for the musical, exits the Imperial Theatre Jan. 15.

Co-stars in the Jeffrey Lane-David Yazbek show remain Sherie Rene Scott, Joanna Gleason, Gregory Jbara and Sara Gettelfinger.

Producer Marty Bell said in a statement, "Jonathan Pryce is one of the most talented and versatile leading men on stage and screen. We are thrilled to be welcoming him back to Broadway after almost 15 years. This con is a pro!"

Jonathan Pryce won the Best Actor (Musical) Tony Award for his starring role as the status-starved, capitalism-crazed schemer, the Engineer, in Miss Saigon. For his Broadway debut in Comedians (1977), he received the Tony Award and Theatre World Award.

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Well, good thing I saw it opening night...

According to this article in Playbill:

The Ark, the new musical that featured music by Michael McLean and book and lyrics by McLean and Kevin Kelly, played its final performance Nov. 20.

Previews for the musical -- which co-starred Adrian Zmed and Annie Golden -- began Oct. 14 with an official opening at Off-Broadway's 37 Arts Theatre Nov. 14. The musical played a total of 36 previews and 8 regular performances.

The show was seen as part of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Festival of New Musicals and was produced by The Village Theatre, the respected Equity musical theatre company in suburban Seattle in 2002/03.

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When I bought my half-price ticket at TKTS earlier this week (Monday is definitely the day to go to TKTS -- no line up 'cuz only Phantom, Chicago, and Beauty and the Beast are offered for Broadway) for The Ark I had no idea I was going to Opening Night!

But when I got to Arts 37 (450 W. 37th) I noticed most people were in fancy black dresses -- duh -- Opening Night!

The Ark also has a cool promotion. If you buy tickets at the box office and it is raining, you get them two for one! It was sunny and warm today, so I had to line up at TKTS!

The Ark was written by Micahel McLean (music), with book and lyrics by Michael McLean and Kevin Kelly.

The theater was made up like the inside of the Ark -- very elaborate with lots of wooden beams, gears and pulleys, and gangplanks from the stage right up to the balcony (where I was sitting). When you first walk in you hear a variety of animal sounds and I was sitting in the "water fowl" section.

The animals on the Ark are where the audience is sitting, so the actors look out at the animals, and occasionally talk to them (us). And, involve them in the action. Neat idea. Since it was Opening Night the first row was full of people wearing animal ears on their heads. The story goes from just as the rain is starting to when they finally reach dry land and concerns mostly the family tensions and faith issues on board the Ark.

It was an almost sung-through rock musical, and I would have to say the miking was a tad loud, since there was a lot of rock-style vocal gymnastics. The actors seemed to have powerful enough voices already, so I think the volume could have been turned down a bit. The cast was really good, and the one actress who really stood out for me was Annie Golden who played "Eliza", Noah's wife. She was very funny and had an amazing voice. She also looked incredibly familiar to me, and when I checked her bio I knew why -- she was in the movie Hair (among other things!).

The kids in the audience seemed to really enjoy the show, especially the parts that involved the animals, or made references to future pop culture items (Noah is a prophet, after all).

Congrats on opening night -- here's to a run that's longer than 40 days and 40 nights!

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Holy High Class Batman!

I was lucky enough to receive free tickets from a very generous friend to the Metropolitan Opera's production of Romeo and Juliet at Lincoln Center. Wow, there isn't anything like walking into the central building at night, all lit up. It really is a gorgeous building. And the crowd, so much classier than the bumpkins that inhabit the midtown theatres (myself included!). A much dressier affair, with furs and tuxedos. Even the ushers wear wonderful long capes. And lots of Europeans, speaking French and German. When you walk into the theatre it really is breathtaking, it's huge!

The theater is as tall as two Broadway theatres piled on top of each other -- really thrilling! And the best part? Everyone is seated on time and the opera starts at exactly 8pm!

Fabulous orchestra, fabulous voices, and a wonderful set. The set really played off the whole "fate/star crossed lovers" bit, and used celestial projections inside a large sextant.

Everyone yells out "Brava" or "Bravo" after solos.

Each Act is separated by a "mini-intermission" where the lights are half raised but no one moves (they all cough horribly to get it out of their system) and I guess scene changes are going on behind the curtain. There is a regular intermission as well, of course, to do some classy drinking. The whole thing is extremely civilized and special. What a great night. What a special opportunity.

Oh, and the coolest thing is the digital display on the back of the seat in front of you, which automatically displays the English lyrics. Romeo and Juliet was in French, so I did catch a word or two, but it was great to have the translation.

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Oh boy, this is exciting. One of my favorite shows from the '70s is now out on DVD. That's right, it's The Electric Company!

Here's the referring post from Welcome to the Bloghouse:

Check it out kiddies, The Electric Company is coming back!! Well, at least to DVD.

What's the Electric Company? Ugh. If you have to ask, then you shouldn't know. It was only the best children's show ever. Don't believe me, then read about it here. Rita Moreno, Morgan Freeman, a fantasically energetic theme song (We're gonna turn it on....We're gonna bring you the power...) Who could ask for more? Especially as a grade schooler? This show simply kicked ass.

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

So how do I know it's Bob Gaudio's birthday (he wrote the music for Frank Valli and the Four Seasons, as well as for Jersey Boys the musical -- see my previous post)?

Okay, okay, I admit it! I went to the CD signing at Tower Records by Lincoln Center today. The four stars, John Lloyd Young, J. Robert Spencer, Daniel Reichard, Christian Hoff, and Bob Gaudio were there signing CDs and smiling incessantly for fans snapping photos. I always feel kind of weird getting stuff signed, because I don't want to appear obsessive or creepy (at least not more than usual!) by wanting strangers to sign my CD. But hey, what the heck! It's fun to have a special momento, and tell them what a great show they put on...and leave it at that. So I kept my enthusiasm in check, unlike some others, but I won't elaborate. Oddly enough though, I was the only woman in line...

Anyways the Tower Records guy announced it was Bob Gaudio's birthday and he brought out a cake and we all sang Happy Birthday. One of the stars, Daniel Reichard, who plays Bob in the show, had his own video camera and took some footage of Bob, and seemed to be as excited to be there as the people in line!

So now I have my Jersey Boys CD, all signed and ready to play!

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From Ward-o-Matic, and via this post on Boing Boing, here's an amazing post with tons of scans of a beautiful book called "This Is Cape Canaveral", a children's book from the '60s on the famous Space Cape. My husband would go through 6 pairs of underwear reading this book, and I've got to figure out how to get him a copy for Christmas...

From the original post on Ward-o-Matic:

What's amazing to see is that he produced 18 books for the "This is...," spanning 15 years -- with his signature fun and colorful stylized artwork pretty much retaining the same look throughout the entire run. As an artist I find that very hard to do, especially when your style sometimes starts to evolve without you knowing. Equally impressive is the fact that when you look at Sasek's work, it does not look at all dated. Sure, there are elements to that stylized look and design in his work that was evident of the mid-20th century, but it's just enough to remain timeless. I swear, you could open this book in 2005 and think that you are reading something that is contemporary. Again, credit this to Sasek's impeccable style, which seems to get better with age. Somehow he was able to manage a look and style that transends generations. As a matter of fact, Rizzoli is currently reissuing the series, with all the illustrations intact, but including a section in the back of each book updating certain facts that may be out of date. There have been six already reissued with two more coming soon in early 2006.... A true testament to just how influential Sasek is.

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Dear Diary,

Today I walked from 8th and Broadway to 75th and Broadway! To reward myself I went to one of my favorite New York restaurants, the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station. I love how it never changes...

So here I am enjoying my new favorite beer "Chimay", a white Belgian beer on tap. Mmmm.

And I'm still thinking about Jersey Boys! Did I mention the set? Very simple with some stairs and a catwalk, and they used really cool Lichenstein art projections to give you a sense of time of year, and stylistically illustrate and enhance what was happening. Very cool.

Anyways, turns out that "You're Just Too Good To Be True" was almost impossible to get airplay on. The stations refused to play it because they couldn't "place" it -- the song was too different. No matter who Bob Gaudio talked to they just wouldn't budge. But he believed in the recording so much that he kept pushing and spent his own money to wine and dine radio guys all over the country, until finally they played it. Oh and surprise, it was a megahit and sold 3 million copies right away. Which gets me thinking about every story I've ever heard where some writer believed in his song or play and nobody thought it would go and then finally *poof* it's a hit! One small example (I believe) is Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" which took forever to get any airplay, and then finally when one station started playing it, and so it grew, grassroots style and *poof* it was a hit. But there are a million others.

It's like those Star Trek episodes, where for a hundred episodes they keep discovering alien forces that have come into the ship and turned everyone crazy, but the next time one of the crew members starts to act weird, they assume he's going nuts on his own.

Doesn't anyone ever learn?

Oh and as I was getting up from my table the waiter said "stay safe out there"! The lady sitting at the table next to me looked at me, and I said "does he know something we don't?". Then she launched into the story of how she has lived in New York 56 years and always stayed safe. Her daughter is in the Peace Corps and was sent to Columbia. She was worried about her daughter, but didn't want to stand in her way so she let her go. As it turns out she was in Columbia safe and sound during 9/11, but would have been up in the World Trade Center if her mother had refused to let her go overseas. I left the restaurant reassured...

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Chances are these days, it's partly live and it's partly pre-recorded music.

We've all heard about the showdown between the Musician's Union and Radio City Music Hall (I believe it is still unresolved as I write this) so in the meantime the Rockettes are rockin' out to taped music. Gee, how exciting! But even when it comes to Actors Equity there is pressure to use pre-recorded vocals.

My insider source was telling me about a committee at Actors Equity which is constantly being bombarded with requests from productions to use a little or a lot of pre-recorded vocals. Pit singers used to be used a lot (i.e. in Cats) where they have live singers in the pit augmenting the vocals of dancers.

But extra people cost extra money, so ususally Actors Equity are presented with a laundry list of requests to use tracks. Equity then whittles it down until they have to give in to just a couple, or else submit the whole thing to arbitration and then that opens the floodgates. So they give in on a couple of items. On Woman in White, Equity reluctantly agreed to let them use pre-recorded vocals during two scenes -- the nightmare scene and the wedding scene. My source described the reasons to me and quite frankly, as an audience member, I didn't really notice the effect, and I don't understand why they can't just use the superb live ensemble that they have and re-work the staging slightly to get this "essential" desired effect...

Or, God forbid, hire more actors. But who knows, maybe everyone else in the audience was thinking "hey, I'm really glad they used pre-recorded vocals there".

Apparently there is a spot in Sweet Charity where they used pre-recorded vocals too.

Tsk, tsk. As Danny Kaye sang, "The theatuh, the theatuh, what's happened to the theatuh?

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Jersey Boys: The jukebox musical lives! Sing Hallelujah!

This has got to be the hottest ticket in town and I still managed to score a great seat (N18) for the Playbill advertised discount price! The house was full. And what wonderfully targeted show. As we were standing outside waiting for the house to open, I overheard people saying "I can't wait to hear our music!" This was an audience primed and ready, and being a huge Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons fan (I used to play "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don't Cry" ad nauseum on the piano when I wasn't playing "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love"), so was I. The show didn't disappoint.

What a great frikkin' show. I cannot wait to see it again! The book which was fabulous -- great characterizations, funny, very Jersey (very Goodfellas) -- was written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The music was by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe. The cast were also spectacular -- John Lloyd Young is Frankie Valli, Daniel Reichard is Bob Gaudio, Christian Hoff is Tommy Devito and J. Robert Spencer is Nick Massi. I think my favorite of the four is Daniel Reichard. Don't get me wrong, John Lloyd Young does a great Frankie, but I think Daniel is my fav because Bob Gaudio was the writer in the group.

However, Peter Gregus (who plays Bob Crewe and others) has the best bio in the program. I'll give you a taste:

Peter Gregus: Career lowlights: Elf (Macy's), 10-Foot Day-glo Frog (Radio City), Elf (MSG, better costume, still an Elf) Dean Martin's Head (Radio City)...hey, work's work!

The music, the cast, the pacing, and the real story were all wonderful. I teared up, I got chills, I sang, I clapped, and I wished I had been born 25 years earlier!

Some of the numbers were done just as performances, and some of the songs were done to tell parts of the story. Both were effective. There was a standing ovation partway through the Second Act for "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", and of course at the end the audience threw themselves out of their seats en masse for a thundering ovation.

I walked home singing "Who Loves You" and "Let's Hang On to what We've Got"...

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I love New York. There is always tons of stuff going on! I spent a lovely hour yesterday afternoon enjoying Dear Maudie at the 78th Street Theatre Lab at 236 West 78th Street.

According to the program, this production was part of United Stages -- "one program to unite all of New York's small-venue performances."

My friend Jamibeth Margolis directed it and the play is written by Michele Willens. The cast is almost all kids (the two adults, Michael Jacobs and Staci Rudnitsky were also great) in this play and it is so refreshing to watch talented kids (or should I say pre-teens) in action.

Maudie (Danielle Carlacci) and Nicki (Allison Brustofski) are two tweens who correspond through letters and then e-mail as they grow up into teens. It is described as "a play in correspondence about pimples, parents, peer pressure...and friendship".

As a mother of two daughters 11 and 8 I chuckled a lot at the familiar tone, issues (ie. lice checks -- ew!) and problems the girls encounter and need to share. I particularly enjoyed the obsession with John Travolta and Grease!

If you've got kids, this is a great way to spend an hour on a Sunday afternoon!

Sundays At 1:00pm On Oct. 30, Nov 6, Nov 13, Nov 20, Dec. 4, 2005.

Tickets: Theatermania.com or call 212-352-3101

$10 Adults, $5 Children Under 16

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'Tis the season for movie premieres!

For the second time in one week I've heard the sound of screams. No, I'm not going crazy, it's movie premiere time in New York! Last week it was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire at the Ziegfeld, and the screams were extremely high-pitched. Last night those screams were heard outside the Beacon Theatre, where Walk The Line was opening. They had put down black carpet (instead of red, I guess for Johnny Cash) and the paparazzi were snapping, flashbulbs were popping and this time slightly lower-pitched screams were heard for Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. I couldn't help but think what great timing this was, considering the buzz on Ring Of Fire, which opens on Broadway in February.

Do they plan this stuff? Or does the cosmos just say, hey, it's time for a big Johnny Cash fix?

According to this article in Playbill:

The Great White Way will welcome The Man in Black -- or at least his essence -- in February 2006.

Ring of Fire, the new musical that celebrates the world and sound of late singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, will begin Broadway previews Feb. 8, 2006, leading to an opening of March 12.

As previously reported, the Richard Maltby Jr.-directed project (which earned solid reviews in a regional test run) will play the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 W. 47th Street.

Ring of Fire was created by Tony Award winner Maltby (Ain't Misbehavin', Fosse, Baby) and William Meade. The show will have musical direction by Jeff Lisenby and choreography by Lisa Shriver.

Ring of Fire is presented by William Meade, CTM Productions, G-Four Productions, Robert Cuillo and James B. Freydberg, who also serves as executive producer.

A new motion picture, "Walk the Line," telling the story of Cash, will be released later this year. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Reese Witherspoon as his wife June Carter. If it's a hit, it could fuel interest in the coincidental Broadway property.

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Last night I went to see The York Theatre Company's presentation of a developmental workshop of Dust and Dreams: Celebrating Sandburg.

It's playing again next weekend November 18 to 20, and tickets are free but you need to call to reserve seats at 212-935-5824 x21.

First of all, let me say I totally agree with the show's name change! When this show was presented at Theatre Building Chicago's Stages last August, it was called simply Bringers. Until I saw the show on Saturday night I hadn't a clue as to what that meant. It's new name, Dust and Dreams: Celebrating Sandburg is much clearer! Mostly because that is exactly what it is -- a celebration of Carl Sandburg's poems from "Cornhuskers", for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1918.

"Bringers" is from one of the poems used in the show. Then again, that might have been obvious to some...

The music of this show is by Paul Libman and the concept and lyrics are by Dave Hudson. It is the winner of a 2005 Richard Rodgers Development Award.

The songs are inspired by Sandburg's poems, but are not mere musicalizations of them. They have nicely interwoven the actual poems into the fabric of the show, which is basically a lovely concert of songs. It has a really nice "Americana" feel and the musical styles are varied, from ragtime to barbershop and then some, but definitely part of a whole. The arrangements were really nice and the cast did a great job. It ran just over an hour without intermission and I'm not sure whether they are planning to expand it or not. I quite liked it as it was.

As it turned out, the evening was a bit of Chicago reunion as I ran into John Sparks (head of TBC) and fellow TBC workshopper Craig Wilson too! See you guys next weekend back in the Windy City!

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Boy, it looks like the holiday theater season is off with a bang here in New York! There are crowds everywhere! It was freezing out and the TKTS line was still super long! And when we went to buy tickets at the box office for Woman in White, we got the last two orchestra seats! Very good seats mind you, row E, 16 and 18.

One of the three reasons I really wanted to see the show was because Richard Todd Adams is in the ensemble and u/s for Sir Percival Glyde (the really nasty villan). This is his Broadway debut and it must be so cool for him to see his name in the program and on the poster outside the theater. Congrats Rick! He is also listed in the program as "The Con Man" and he does a great job as a decrepit Londoner with straggly hair who gives bad advice to Marian Halcombe.

The second reason was to see Maria Friedman who plays Maria Halcombe.

She originated the role in the West End and has a list of credentials a mile long (an unprecedented three Olivier Awards). But for me, it was viewing the Donny Osmond's Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat DVD a thousand times with the kids where I first got to appreciate Maria's talents. She played the narrator and boy could she belt out those high notes! She really has a great voice, and such a strong, captivating stage presence. And the girl can act. I'd see her again in a heartbeat.

The third reason was to see the projections by William Dudley (he did set, costume and video design). Wow. Ever. Cool. It's like watching live theater IMAX! The scenes change so seamlessly and you really get a sense of the setting. It's very cool the way the doors in the curved walls (upon which the visuals are projected) line up with projected doors. We're so used to seeing movies, that you are immediately drawn into the visuals as being the real background. At first I thought they were just going to use projections but as the show went on, more and more set pieces and props popped up. But I kinda liked it best when there weren't any sets, just the projections. There is a scene at the end where the special effects actually got applause, and then a bit of laughter...like the audience felt a little sheepish for applauding SFX!

Boy, could I ever see this technique being used for Plane Crazy! I want 3D projections so everyone wears glasses while they watch and you see the airplane landing right on top of you!

Now it's on to Sweeney Todd and Jersey Boys...(if I can get a ticket!)

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For all my airline fans out there, here's my next piece of furniture, courtesy of this post from Boing Boing:

For $1500, you can buy this pair of used first-class plane-seats to use as a sofa in your living room. You know, I've gotten the occassional first-class flight, and while the seats are infinitely preferable to cattle-class's torture-chairs, they're nowhere near comfortable enough to consider replacing a decent sofa with.

Which links to this really neat product catalog description:

MotoArt First Class Chairs
Fly in the comfort of your Home Theatre with First Class luxury for the price of Coach. Introducing Motoart's latest line of authentic First Class airline seats for your enjoyment. These vintage seats will certainly make for great conversation and are tastefully broken in by 1st Class passengers only. Choose from a collection of your favorite commercial aircraft. Available in several colors and styles. 2 seats per set.

What a great way to play out a bunch of "Mile High Club" fantasies in the comfort, and privacy, of your own living room. I can hardly wait...

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

One of the shows I really wanted to see during NYMF was The Mistress Cycle.

Unfortunately our schedules conflicted and by the time Plane Crazy had closed, so had TMC. The Mistress Cycle was written by Beth Blatt (book and lyrics) and Jenny Giering (music).

So, I was very excited to get an invite from Van Hill Entertainment, the co-producers of the show, for a benefit for The Mistress Cycle held last night at Solas Bar down on east 9th street. For $20 you got free "Original Sin Hard Cider" and "Mistress Martinis" and all the cheese and crackers you could eat!

There was also some great entertainment, including songs from the show "Once Around The Sun", but unfortunately no selections from The Mistress Cycle. However, I did have the pleasure of meeting both Beth and Jenny, and I did hear some very funny industry insider stories! Beth and Jenny are currently also working on a show called Caraboo, Princess of Javas, with Marsha Norman (of The Color Purple fame). Caraboo, Princess of Javasu was recently showcased at NAMT. Way to go -- break a leg!

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My favorite ride in Disneyworld is "It's a Small World", and I've always loved the illustration style of the ride (and, guiltily, the song). The artist who did all the work on "It's a Small World" is Mary Blair, and I did this similar post on the beauty of her mid-century illustration design work back in August.

Well, there's another Mary Blair Flickr collection up...so here it is again.

From this post on Boing Boing:

I've mentioned Mary Blair 17 times on Boing Boing -- she was an illustrator known for her children's books and Disney work. (She came up with the designs for It's A Small World.) These scans from The Golden Songbook, which are on Flickr's Retro Kid Photo Pool, show Blair at her best -- painting pictures of happy, playful children and animals.

Here's the Flickr Link that Mark is talking about...very cool!

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Hinesy!

Sorry, but I did warn y'all that I would be doing Pajama Game updates. So I thought I'd "save time" and do Hines and Gladys with one update. I'm really excited about this particular announcement. I think Michael McKean will be great as the knife-throwing jealous maniac who romances Gladys (to be played by Megan Lawrence whom I have heard amazing things about). This is gonna be fun!

According to this article in Playbill:

Michael McKean, recently of Hairspray and A Second-Hand Memory, will play Hines in the upcoming Kathleen Marshall revival of The Pajama Game starring Harry Connick, Jr., and Kelli O'Hara.

As Hines, McKean will sing the songs "I'll Never Be Jealous Again" and "Think of the Time I Save." The actor is well known for his work on the sitcom "Laverne and Shirley" and films such as "This Is Spinal Tap," "Best of Show" and "A Mighty Wind."

Also new to the production are Peter Benson as Prez; Joyce Chittick as Mae; Michael McCormick as Pop; Richard Poe as Hasler; and Roz Ryan as Mabel.

Bridget Berger, Stephen Berger, Kate Chapman, Paula Leggett Chase, Jennifer Cody, David Eggers, Michael O’Donnell, Vince Pesce, Devin Richards, Jeffrey Schecter, Amber Stone and Debra Walton round out the cast.

As previously reported by Playbill.com, Megan Lawrence, who last summer played Rosario Dawson's saucy sidekick in Kathleen Marshall's Two Gentlemen of Verona in Central Park, will work with Marshall again next year in The Pajama Game, playing Gladys, the role played by Carol Haney in the original show. As such, she will be featured in two of the show's most famous tunes: "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway." Haney won a Tony Award for her work.

Previews begin Jan. 19, 2006, at the American Airlines Theatre. Opening is Feb. 23.

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After a couple of weeks in Toronto I'm back in New York! What glorious weather! New shows to see! Diners to eat at! And I've already had two celebrity sightings! On the flight from Toronto I spotted Michael J. Fox.

I was standing waiting for my husband to make it through the security screening when I noticed a man standing, like, six inches from my husband, scooping up his own belongings from those awful grey containers. He looked very familiar, it was the way he stood more than his face. Yep, M.J. Fox alright. So I start waving frantically to my husband to look over...but no...he didn't, and missed it! Funny, when we got to my place and turned on the TV, What should be on but a hilarious episode of Spin City with Michael J. Fox. At that point we noticed that most of the cast (Barry Bostwick, Richard Kind, Faith Prince, and Alan Ruck) were all Broadway performers. I guess they travel in packs...

Then, we were walking in Times Square just outside of the Virgin Megastore and we saw Joan Rivers. Yep, it's true, she's had some work done. Whenever I see Joan Rivers I always remember reading her autobiography wherein she explains why big stars act like such divas, asking for only red M&Msin their dressing room etc. She said it's because actors are treated so badly and are so exploited on their way up the ladder of fame, that when they finally make it, it's payback time! Hey, makes sense to me!

Then off we went to rent a keyboard at Sam Ash, which we found out nobody does anymore. Apparently they come back too damaged. So instead we bought a cute very cheap little keyboard to plug into my computer and use with GarageBand! Technology rocks!

It's good to be back!

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I just got this e-mail from a friend of mine, Noel Carmichael, who just happens to have been the Assistant Director on Plane Crazy!

Way to go Noel!

THE SEXLESS YEARS, starring Kate Pazakis, enjoyed an extended sold-out run this past Spring at The Duplex. It will return to New York with an updated book and score featuring new music from Brian Lowdermilk and Lance Horne for one night only at Ars Nova (511 West 54th Street) on November 13, 2005 at 7pm.

Kate Pazakis belts out her true tale of falling in love with one of the many inspired young men of the musical theatre. A crazy tale of love, lies and cyber-sex THE SEXLESS YEARS is directed by Noel Carmichael with Music Direction by Brian J. Nash. The Book is written by David Solomon based on a concept by Kate Pazakis featuring original music by Brett Kristofferson and Maria Gentile. The cast also includes Ethan Paulini, Arbender J. Robinson and Jamison Stern.

Kate Pazakis has been featured in Broadway Concerts and Special Events which include Pippin in concert at the Manhattan Center starring Rosie O'Donnell and Ben Vereen, Gypsy of the Year Awards at the Neil Simon Theater and Children of Eden in Concert. Off-Broadway she has been seen in Dressing Room (Soho Playhouse), Divas I've Done (Upstairs at Studio 54), Rosie's Broadway Belters (The Zipper Theater), In the Name of Art: music of Lance Horne (Joe's Pub/Public Theater).

She is currently starring in the National Tour of Newsical and has appeared in many readings, recordings and workshops of new musicals. Currently she is belting high notes and riffing on a house music record label.

Tickets for THE SEXLESS YEARS are $15 and are available by calling (212) 868-4444, or online at www.smarttix.com. For more information please visit www.katepazakis.com.

"...emotionally honest...raunchy, funny, poignant, and charming"
-- Broadwayworld.com

"Eye opening...vulgar...poignant...Pazakis is a natural, gifted entertainer. She's also got a great set of pipes...a rambunctious modern day Mae West."
-- Scott and Barbara Siegel, TheaterMania.com

"...hitting the ball out of Oz. An impressive debut show by a powerhouse performer"
-- talkinbroadway.com

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This article from Broadwayworld.com is a nice wrap-up on NYMF 2005.

A couple of highlights:

The 2nd Annual New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), which ended its run on October 2, 2005, saw turnout increase by more than 25% over last year.

and

The success of last year's Festival (Altar Boyz, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Captain Louie, [Title of Show], etc.), coupled with NYMF's ambitious efforts for 2005 (Nerds:// A Musical Software Satire, Plane Crazy, The Big Time, The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde, etc.), culminated with the creation of a televised half-hour WPIX/WB11 program chronicling the labors of the Festival.

I like that! An "...ambitious efforts..." Couldn't agree more! I have a copy of that special, and it's fantastic. It includes the entire opening number of Plane Crazy. Yeah!

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Leapin' Lizards -- tickets are going fast!

City Youth Players is presenting the Charles Strouse (music), Martin Charnin (Lyrics), Thomas Meehan (book) musical Annie Warbucks November 24 to 27, 2005 at the City Playhouse Theatre.

My daughter Myrna Conn just happens to be starring as "Annie Warbucks" so it is sure to be a knock-out show! Don't miss it.

For tickets call 905-882-7469.

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Allison Spratt who played Faith Hope in Plane Crazy in the New York Musical Theatre Festival this past September is starring in Goodspeed Musicals latest production, The Girl In the Frame (playing, "The Girl In the Frame" no less!).

Another NYMF alumnus, Heidi Blickenstaff, one of the original four stars of [Title of Show] is also in this production!

Go Allison and Heidi!

According to this article in Playbill:

The latest production of the intimate musical comedy, The Girl in the Frame, beginning Nov. 3 in a Goodspeed Musicals run, features Heidi Blickenstaff, Jim Poulos, Allison Spratt and Edward Watts.

The show closes the 2005 Goodspeed Musicals season Nov. 3-27. Librettist-lyricist-composer Jeremy Desmon has seen his show develop at several resident theatres, including the Theatre Building Chicago, the Bridewell Theatre in London and the Stoneham Theatre in Boston.

The Girl in the Frame was seen in excerpt form at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s 16th Annual Festival of New Musicals in October 2004.

The musical was originally presented in 1999 as part of Goodspeed's inaugural residency in association with New York University's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Now, the piece graduates to Goodspeed's Norma Terris Theatre, the Chester, CT, venue where new works are tested in full productions without the pressure of being reviewed by critics.

"In this fast-paced musical comedy, a tricky situation turns comical when a tuxedo clad Adonis, a hunky fireman and the perfect girl next door help a young couple bring their fantasies to life," according to Goodspeed production notes. The title refers to the impossibly attractive woman who is seen in the stock photos that accompany picture frames in gift shops. She comes to life -- and comes between -- a loving couple in this musical rumination about seeking "perfection."

Jeremy Desmon is a recent Jonathan Larson Fellow at the Dramatists Guild. His productions also include It's Not You...It's Me (Seattle Fringe Festival) and Cabin Pressure (NYC's Turnip Theatre Festival).

Direction is by Jeremy Dobrish, artistic director for adobe theatre company in New York, which he co-founded in 1991. Choreography is by Dan Knechtges (Broadway's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee).

The musical director for The Girl in the Frame is Jana Zielonka. Sets are designed by Steven Capone with costume design by Mattie Ullrich. Lighting is designed by Michael Gottlieb. The Girl in the Frame is produced for Goodspeed Musicals by Michael P. Price.

Heidi Blickenstaff was seen in Broadway's The Full Monty and the national tours of The Full Monty and Jekyll and Hyde; Jim Poulos was in Broadway's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Rent and the national tour of Little Shop of Horrors; Allison Spratt was in Broadway's Good Vibrations and a national tour of Cabaret; and Edward Watts was seen in Beauty and the Beast in Indianapolis and Camelot at Stages St. Louis.

For more information, call (860) 873-668 or visit www.goodspeed.org.

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Sutton Foster breaks her wrist during rehearsal!

According to this article in Playbill:

Tony Award winner Sutton Foster fell and broke her right wrist Oct. 30 in a Los Angeles rehearsal for the new musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, Playbill.com has learned.

At the time of the spill, the actress was performing a number called "Accident Waiting to Happen." A spokesperson for The Ahmanson Theatre, which is producing the U.S. premiere of the musical comedy, confirmed the story -- and the ironic song title.

"I kid you not," Nancy Hereford, press director of Center Theatre Group, told Playbill.com. "We got her immediately to an orthopedic specialist and she is now in a cast. She's a trooper and will continue with the show. Director Casey Nicholaw is working with her and though her role includes a lot of dancing and movement, Casey is pretty sure she'll still be able to do most of it. And, of course, that fabulous voice has not been disturbed one bit."

Previews for the show, about a rabid musical theatre fan who relates the story of his favorite 1920s musical -- The Drowsy Chaperone -- begin at the Ahmanson Nov. 10. The show, which Spamalot's Nicholaw is also choreographing, is Broadway-aimed.

Well it is a good thing she wasn't performing a song called "You broke my heart and I broke my neck"! Here's wishing Sutton a speedy recovery!

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Last night I went to the Theatre Building Chicago's New Works Showcase, a fund raising night for the Musical Development Program and Musical Theatre Writers Workshop. What a great night!

Two of my songs were on the bill last night. "Judgement Day" from the mini-musical I wrote last year in the workshop (music by Greg Silva, Book by Bill Zorn and lyrics by me!). Greg Silva did a great job singing the song, and Howard Pfeifer played piano. In the second half of the evening "Turbulence" from Plane Crazy was performed by a wonderful singer named Amy Steele, with Greg Silva on piano and chorus vocals. I had never met Amy until that night and she and Greg did a great job.

John Sparks was wonderful introducing all the songs and he gave Plane Crazy a really nice mention and talked about my success at the New York Musical Theatre Festival -- thanks John!

Of course there were many other great songs and performances that night! A total of 25 songs in a wide variety of styles were performed and the performers did a superb job putting everything together with limited time.

The song that opened the show "How'd Ya Like to Be Me" from Once Upon A Time In New Jersey was great, and had music by Stephen Weiner and lyrics by Susan DiLallo. During the New York Musical Theatre Festival I saw a Stephen Weiner concert (see my previous post) and had heard a couple of songs from that show, which were also wonderful. Susan DiLallo is an alumnus of the Theatre Building Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop and apparently a very prolific writer. I'm intrigued to see the whole show now!

A wonderful evening all around, and I hope it raised lots of money!

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Turns out my latest Sci-Fi hunk-o-rama, Nathan Fillion, from the series Firefly and the movie Serenity is Canadian-born (that's a first, although third in the Commonwealth...).

Yep, that's right folks. Thanks to my husband I went to see the movie Serenity which was awesome -- a great mixture of SF, frontier adventure, and humor -- and I have been watching the entire Firefly TV series (from which the movie was spawned) on DVD.

That's right, Nathan was born in 1971 in Edmonton Alberta. Small world, isn't it?

So what does all this have to do with musical theater? Well, nothing really, but I was hoping that when I Googled Nathan I would see he had his roots in musical theater, like Hugh Jackman, or Scott Bakula, or Ewan McGregor and Mark Hamill!

No such luck. Looks like he is pretty much a straight drama guy (so to speak). But he does have an artsy side and writes children's books and likes to draw.

Oh well, a musical version of Serenity or Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Joss Whedon created both series and Nathan played "Caleb" in Buffy) may very well be in his future!

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