My first show in high school was PIPPIN, so I have always wanted to see a revival of it. I have done GODSPELL twice, and it is always being done somwehere by some local theatre group. If I had a choice between seeing GODSPELL on Broadway or anything else, I would go for the latter. Why revive it and charge top dollar when the local church has a production of it in the basement? Just my opinion...
Hmmm....the first time I saw FALSETTOS on Broadway with the original cast I was overcome with emotion pretty much the entire 2nd act. I also saw A NEW BRAIN in 1998 and liked it...not loved it until I got the cd and then had the pleasure of music directing it twice. So I would say it's a tie between FALSETTOS and A NEW BRAIN. I liked SPELLING BEE too especially since I got to see it off Broadway before it moved.
Chitty: 2 1/2 hours of my life I will never get back. I guess the name recognition will sell tickets, but this had to be the biggest waste of time and talent on Broadway. They should have saved the audience's patience and charged us $5 to watch the car fly for 5 minutes. That way they could have had 20-30 viewings a day!
I was fortunate enough to attend a sneak preview of SWEENEY TODD on Tuesday here in Orlando (the mecca for theatre and culture....NOT!) My review? BLOODY BRILLIANT! Bloody: yes, VERY! It is kind of stylized like SIN CITY but if you are squeamish, you may have to look away from the screen quite a few times. Brilliant: the cast, the cinematography, the music. Lush, gorgeous, heartbreaking. See this film as soon as you can!! But leave the kids at home.
I bought one of the two they had at Virgin Megastore in Orlando. They did have a lot of the highlight cd's, but for $5 more, you get the whole score and that great book.
Hmmm....when I hear Cybil Shepard, I don't think of theatre. I think of how AMAZING Christine Baranski is on stage and on film and TV. And how she saved Cybil's TV show.
Pianist (for Walt Disney World) Vocal Coach (for Busch Gardens FL) Music Director (for any show I am working on...currently SCREWGED at Theatre Downtown in Orlando, FL)
Probably one of the all time WORST shows. I saw the touring cast a few years ago in Orlando and had to leave at intermission. And then a few years back I ended up playing piano for a high school production. The WORST! The only highlight was when they did about a verse and a half of the song "Fame." That was the only decent song in the show, and it lasted about 45 seconds! The only show worse than this (IMO) is the musical version of "A Wonderful Life." I ended up conducting a production of it...
First, I tried to get the sheet music from the composers, and I was told that you could acquire individual songs, but each one ended up being about $10. Their website is www.theatricalrights.com And here is what the email said: "Beginning today our computer system is now set to sell individual songs from I LOVE YOU BECAUSE, BARE, and ZANNA, DON’T for $10 each, which includes one copy of the selected song from the Piano/Conductor score, along with processing and shipping. In order to purchase ...
NINE I saw a great production recently but still left thinking...ehhhh SPRING AWAKENING Whenever someone asks me about the show, I tell them to buy the CD and enjoy it. Watching it did nothing for me. CATS Saw it on tour and on Broadway and regionally. Never cared for any of the productions. SPAMALOT Some fun bits but to me it felt like a REALLY expensive Forbidden Broadway, but not nearly as funny or immediate. A WONDERFUL LIFE Horrible score, way too long of a book. My suggestion: rent and ...
I prefer the complete recording to the single disc Broadway one. Also, there is a live recording which I have from 1994: Chess In Concert (1994 Swedish Concert Cast) by Lena Ericsson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Karin Glenmark, and Tommy Korberg (Audio CD - 1996) Available at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-4046430-2977726?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=chess&x=15&y=12 And
"Lay Down Your Head" from VIOLET "Say It Somehow" from LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA "Fine, Fine Line" from AVENUE Q (when I saw it the 1st time) "What Would I Do" from FALSETTOS "A Lousy Day in the Universe" from A NEW BRAIN "When The Earth Stopped Turning" from INFINITE JOY "Still Hurting" from THE LAST FIVE YEARS "My Brother Lived in San Francisco," "And the Rain Keeps Falling Down," and "Learning to Let Go" from ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS, AND RAGING QUEENS "No One Has Ever Loved Me" from PASSION "B...
WaltSummersPI: "LB wasn't deemed worthy of a performance slot during the Broadcast." Wasn't deemed worthy? No. It was not nominated for a Best Musical Tony and was therefore not allowed to perform a number on the show. Worthiness has nothing to do with it.