Profile for broadwaydanwi

There was signage for the world premiere of ALI in Chicago's loop during the fall of 2024. I wish I had one of those plastic posters.

I couldn’t let this summer pass without sharing some new content on my “Memories of Melody Top” website. In collaboration with Wisconsin native Tracy (Borger) Friedman, who was associated with the Top from 1968 to 1976, I’m sharing 80 photographs from her personal scrapbooks: 55 rehearsal and backstage snapshots, 7 color images of the full stage from BRIGADOON in 1973, 9 portraits of costumes created by a talented group of artists, and 9 black-and-white production pictures by professional pho...

fashionguru_23 said: "Some of those costumes (including the Jury ones) make it look like if the cast of Godspell and Pippin told the story of Chicago! So cool!"I agree! One of the things I miss about the current revival of CHICAGO is the fun a good designer can have creating costumes for those characters. Melody Top's costumes were designed by Mathew John Hoffman III, a New York native and graduate of Yale Drama School who, in 1980, was also the "Designer at Costumes Unlimited -- the foremost...

A big "thank you" to everyone who visited my site. I appreciate your support.

Now that CHICAGO is the longest-running musical currently on Broadway, I thought I would share a new page on my Melody Top website about a 1980 production of the musical that starred Robert Mandan (Billy Flynn), April Shawhan (Roxie Hart), and Louisa Flaningam (Velma Kelly). Click on the link below to see production and rehearsal photos, interviews, reviews, and four audio clips from a recording made through the tent's sound system. If anyone here is able to put me in touch with April or Loui...

Just in case anyone here wants to see it, I published a video of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE from Melody Top back in 1982:Doug Sheehan, Mary Ernster and Keith Rice in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

CarlosAlberto said: "Wow! Doug Sheehan - my crush from General Hospital and Knots Landing!!!"This is for you, Carlos. (Sorry that my first attempt at including an image failed. I've put the image on my site and included a link below...)Autographed photo of Doug Sheehan

Thanks for the terrific response to this new page. Almost 500 visitors in the first afternoon!

There's a brand-new page on "Memories of Melody Top!" Click on the link below to see and hear lots of treasures from THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE in the summer of 1982. By the way, I got to see this one! It was a thrilling production. If you decide to play the four audio clips at the bottom of the page, please be sure to listen for these moments: one, the trumpet solo after Keith Rice and Mary Ernster finish singing "Stay, Frederic, Stay!"; two, the wild audience reaction after every encore of "Co...

markypoo said: "So she too was a chandelier-swinger; along with Jane Powell."Yes, I think that was a standard piece of staging for any production of THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN at Melody Top and many other summer stock venues.And thank you to the 1,061 visitors who looked at my newest web page during the first week it was online. I really appreciate all of your support and encouragement.

Now that we are approaching summer-stock season, I thought I would share a new page featuring a 1975 production of THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN on my "Memories of Melody Top" website. Click on the link below to see production photos and to hear audio clips from this recording-setting staging of the Meredith Willson musical. An added bonus, located at the very bottom of the page, is the chance to hear producer Martin Wiviott present a Show Stopper Award to his two stars, Mimi Hines and Peter Pal...

Milwaukee's Skylight Music Theatre announced that they will be producing THE SONG OF BERNADETTE as a finale to their upcoming 2022-2023 season. I recently attended Skylgiht's "season announcement" event, and one very attractive song was introduced to potential subscribers. Here's a video of the event. Frank Wildhorn's ballad starts at approximately 26 minutes into the clip:Skylight's 2022-2023 Season Announcement

As a way of observing the 40th anniversary of Ross Martin's far-too-soon passing on July 3, 1981 and celebrating the Fourth of July in America, I have made some updates to a page on my "Memories of Melody Top" website about a production of 1776 from the summer of 1976. In addition to publishing the scan of a window card created by Melody Top, I have also shared three audio clips from the show: "Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve," "The Lees of Old Virginia" and "He Plays the Violin." There are also ...

As warmer weather finally reaches us here in Milwaukee, I would like to celebrate summer stock by sharing just one more page on my website about a 1979 production of CALL ME MADAM at Melody Top that starred Nanette Fabray. So much happened during the run of this show that I think a movie could be written about it: a feud between the venue’s management and the Journal over a somewhat negative review, a headliner with a hearing impairment who performed her role with both a speaking/singing voic...

Because I'll reach 1,000 visitors to this page today, I decided to share just one more sound clip featuring The Head (of a fallen soldier) from Melody Top's production of PIPPIN. The Head was played by Clyde Laurents, another performer who deserves to be recognized for his Broadway appearances in PICKWICK, CELEBRATION, GANTRY and GIGI. Click on the original link in this post and scroll to the very bottom of the page to hear it. Thanks for visiting!

The scene for The Head (of a fallen soldier) takes place between "Glory" and "Simple Joys." If I log 1,000 online visitors this week, I'll post the audio clip.I just posted a new gallery of color images from Allen McMullen, Melody Top's assistant designer back in 1978. They represent the set-piece created for the "Grand Finale" of PIPPIN. Check it out!

Let’s escape the brutal winter we are experiencing here in Milwaukee – and in most of the United States – by remembering the heyday of summer stock tents. There’s a brand-new page on my “Memories of Melody Top” website about a 1978 production of PIPPIN that starred Barry Williams. Click on the link in this message to see production and backstage photos, read newspaper reviews and listen to four songs made from a recording through the venue’s sound system. Williams’ take on “Corner of the Sky”...

Thank you so much!According to this article, Keith has been performing at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater in Minnesota. Judging by the photo of him wearing a t-shirt, he is in great shape, too!https://www.minnesotagoodage.com/living/features/2017/01/stage-presence/

Now that summer is drawing to a close, I thought I would share one more page on my "Memories of Melody Top" website. Exactly 40 years ago tonight, on Tuesday, August 26, 1980, the Top mounted a brand-new production of THE STUDENT PRINCE, the beloved operetta by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy V. Donnelly. Jack Gilford received star billing for his comedic role of Lutz, a "gentleman's gentleman" to Prince Karl Franz at university in Heidelberg. Gilford last appeared in Milwaukee 39 years before hi...

Tommy Tune wasn't in that production of HELLO, DOLLY! His last appearance at Melody Top was the summer before HELLO, DOLLY! He played the Master of Ceremonies in CABARET opposite Elaine Cancilla (Sally) and Imogene Coca (Fraulein Schneider).