Well I could make your post for you Traci...
but I'm too nice to take away a long post oppertunity, since I do to many anyway
Anyway, briefly(famous last words...), Rachelle was fantastic tonight! All she did the first act was cross over twice and everyone else was great, but finally she did her song in the second act. It was called "I'm Available" from Mr. Wonderful, originally sung by Chita. She put on a funny voice and handed out headshots of herself, and the song was about well I'm available...for parts, auditions, etc. Of course, there was a whole lotta dancing, countered by great singing in the beginning and end. And she did 2 splits! Stayed in one for a while, and the second one she totally jumped down...granted I'm sure it hurt the La Cage boys more, but it still looked painful!
Anyway, it was great. When they announced her, people politely clapped, but there was definitely less, lower clapping than for like...Emily Skinner. But having seen her at Town Hall before, I knew that would change. Sure enough, she got the loudest cheers and the first encore bow of the night. But then for her encore, she ran out and said something like...her mom taught her to do a cartwheel to impress them...so she starts to do a cartwheel and you're like huh? I mean what's so great about cartwheels?
Well, cartwheels are AMAZING...when you cartwheel into a split. That's what she did. WOOW. Lots more cheers.
The rest of the show was pretty great too. It was shows from 1956, so I knew My Fair Lady would be there, but I totally forgot Candide was that year too! Bernstein! yaay! So hearing those songs live, gah w/ an orchestra. The reed player/clarinetist was AMAZING. Someone else in the audience actually applauded after his solo, it was great!
But Ashley Brown was the other standout of the night. Man, that girl could sing...high. Also great performances from Marc Kudish(he has hair--it's so weird!), Brent Barrett, Christine Andreas(who played Eliza Doolittle in the first revival of My Fair Lady, so it was great that she sang a couple of the songs tonight), and Emily Skinner.
Tomorrow shall be exciting.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli