Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?
Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?
Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#1
Posted: 12/16/06 at 10:51pm
anyone going? its in orange county on tuesday the 19th...eden espinosa, matthew morrison, stephanie j. block, and more (plus i heard julia murney might be there from a friend whos in the chorus)....
aryone going?
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#2
Posted: 12/16/06 at 10:59pm
I'm buying my ticket tomorrow!!! I cannot wait. Going by myself tho 
either way, its going to be amazing!
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#4
Posted: 12/17/06 at 1:53am
Boy, I've been out of the loop. This is the first I'm reading of this. Where can I find details? Is Tami Tappan Damiano performing?
Hmm, amazing what the search engine will do. Just found the info I was looking for. 
Updated On: 12/17/06 at 01:53 AM
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#5
Posted: 12/17/06 at 2:24am
Heck yes I'm going!
Table 29, yay!
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#6
Posted: 12/17/06 at 11:05pm
im table 224 or something like that!
ITS GONNA BE AWESOME! I CANT WAIT!
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#7
Posted: 12/18/06 at 3:31am
I know!!
Maybe we should have a BWW meetup or something?? Get some LA BWW fans together?
And also, if what you say is true, and Julia Murney might be coming....you'll probably recognize me as the girl on the loft being all, F@#K YES, WOO!!
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#8
Posted: 12/18/06 at 1:40pm
Isn't Julia doing the Toys for Tots benefit today?
I suppose there are always last minute flights but I'm not holding my breathe. I definitely wouldn't complain if she made it though, how awesome would that be?!?
I really need to get myself more aquainted with Lippa's work. I may browse his website throughout the day. Anyone care to recommend some signature songs of his that I simply must hear before tomorrow?
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#9
Posted: 12/18/06 at 2:35pm
Julia is doing Toys for Tots AND Miracle on 13th St. tonight.
Anyway, how familiar are you? If you don't know any, I would obviously recommend The Wild Party (Raise the Roof is the most famous, Maybe I Like it This Way, Make Me Happy, Queenie was a Blonde are my favorites), he has some good stuff in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (My New Philosophy and Beethoven Day), I don't know John and Jen but it's supposed to be very good, and I'm Not Waiting from Julia Murney's solo album (I'm Not Waiting) are the most obvious and best choices. At the first concert, he performed a lot of his own songs that he wrote just for the concert (my favorite was What I Like) and of course a lot of Asphalt Beach.
Hope everyone who goes has tons of fun! I look forward to a review!
EDIT: Just went back to Andrew's website, and there used to be a listening section. Does anyone know if they took that off? Or am I just missing it.
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#10
Posted: 12/19/06 at 1:43am
I will definitely be there covering it for the site. Hope to see a few of you out there
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#11
Posted: 12/19/06 at 1:48amJohn and Jen is WONDERFUL. I highly recommend any Lippa fan or anyone wanting to get more acquainted with his work snagging themselves a copy.
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#12
Posted: 12/19/06 at 2:15amTable 37 I believe...fun times
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#13
Posted: 12/19/06 at 2:49amI am at table 180 in the back. Please come and say hi- I'm the balding fat gay jewish guy- you can't miss me---And my pic is in my profile ...so I'm easily recognizable. Please come and say hi!
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#14
Posted: 12/20/06 at 11:52am
I'll have to collect my thoughts and write more once I get back from work, but wanted to just say how nice it was to meet some of you there. What a great night!
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#15
Posted: 12/20/06 at 8:03pm
my teacher is Danny Gurwin, and we didnt know he was taking over for matt morrison until the night before! made the night 10000000 times more fun! it was fantastic and hanging out with steph block and andrew lippa was awesome (especially when stephanie did her "She loves to hear the music" dance for us form Boy from Oz!)
hope everyone enjoyed danny...(sooooo much better than matt!) haha
i was just disappointed that eden had strep. that wouldve been great to see two elphabas on stage singing together...
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#16
Posted: 12/20/06 at 9:54pm
Man, that was so much fun! I was happy to see Sebastian Arcelus there too...I told him I met him at the stagedoor at Wicked when it was at the OCPAC this summer, and he remembered my friend and I because she had a Good Vibrations poster. It was pretty cool.
It was really awesome to be in a cabaret-like setting, and to get to talk to Broadway actors/actresses afterwards...it's so much better than the environment at a stagedoor. Much calmer, much more earnest. It was really nice meeting Stephanie at the end. She is so incredibly sweet!
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#17
Posted: 12/20/06 at 10:22pm
Dramaqueen, so that was YOU she was doing that for? LOL
I'll be posting soon. Glad to know you all enjoyed it as much as I did.
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#18
Posted: 12/20/06 at 10:35pmI wish A Little Princess was recorded.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#19
Posted: 12/20/06 at 10:37pmLooking forward to your review, Popular!
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/20/06
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#20
Posted: 12/20/06 at 11:06pmWhat happened to Matt Morrison?
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#21
Posted: 12/21/06 at 12:32am
OK, here goes:
First off, I just want to say that it was such a pleasure meeting new BWWers and seeing some familiar ones again as well!
The evening was a benefit for the California Conservatory of the Arts, but it was also a celebration of the many years that THE KIDS NEXT DOOR have been around. Many of the members from as early as '86(?) to present were there. Steph told us later that a lot of the past members have moved on in their lives and don't sing anymore, but came out to sing for the first time in a long time just for the cause. That totally explained the unbelievable support they all gave to each other! You could tell that most of the audience shared some sort of history with the group as well.
When you first walked in, there was a silent auction that was going on. Tables were set up with different items to bid on. There were also large posters up with pictures of group members from back in the late 80's. SO fun to see those. I think every straight haired girl lost her mind to the obligatory perm in the late 80's after Desperately Seeking Susan came out... darn you Madonna!
For those of you who have been to Birdland, the setting was similarly intimate except for more "theatre" and less of the "restaurant/bar". And the tables were spread out more front to back than side to side. The present group of KIDS NEXT DOOR came out and sang a song together and were then joined by past members. How do you describe seeing someone who you just saw COMMAND the stage of a huge show fit in just as easily and happily standing in the back of an ensemble chior? Steph's totally the real deal, no airs about her.
OK, so on with the show. Various singers from the group sang solos.... all beautiful voices, truly! If anyone remembers any offhand feel free to add on. There was a funny one about learing how to say no, and then it turns out it was about learning how to say no to ordering a magazine subscription. Somehow in writing that doesn't sound quite right but trust me, it was hilarious. Also, there was a touching one written in tribute to Samantha Runion. They had a really good mix in there. And when I find the flyer (I think I left it at work) I promise to give her credit.... there was a Tony (nominee/winner?) who was FIERCE! They didn't even need to introduce her, I knew she was going to be amazing by her dress. Girlfriend WORE that dress. OH! MY! GOSH! Another OH MY GOSH moment... Stephanie sang Defying Gravity unlike I've heard her sing it before. Maybe someone else can describe it better than I can. She sang it lower than I have heard it before and it was gorgeous.
Sometime after that there was an intermission and then Lippa came out for the 2nd half of the evening. I have to confess, I knew his songs from Charlie Brown and had heard Julia sing Raise The Roof, but didn't know much about him other than that. He is so extremely personable and funny. Anyone who is able to pull off a corny "I'm glad my nephew was born in time for his bris to land on Christmas cause I always wanted to be able to wish someone a Merry Brismas" joke is OK by me! And he surprised everyone by auctioning off a song to the highest bidder. That's right, a song written specifically for the winner for any occassion. He ended up auctioning off two at $2100 each in just under 10 minutes! That was definitely a highlight. If just for that he hooked me. It's always great to be introduced to someone's work. He really seems like he constantly has a million projects going at once. Stephanie, Kamilah, Danny, and Terron sang together and seperately. I wont embarass myself by trying to remember which song belongs to what show.
Then at the end Kamilah told us how it was the group's holiday tradition to pick someone in the audience to choose which member of the group should sing the Silent Night solo... but that this year (I'm paraphrasing here) "screw that, we're choosing Stephanie to sing it". Can we talk about the note she hit at the end?!
If I remember anything else I'll be sure to post. Overall a wonderful evening!
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#22
Posted: 12/21/06 at 12:44amThanks for the review! Sounds like a very fun night. Does anyone know any of the specific songs Andrew did?
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#23
Posted: 12/21/06 at 12:52am
I think one of them was called More is More is More(?) from ASPHALT BEACH. Eden was supposed to sing this one with Steph but Lippa did her part instead since she was ill.
I believe Kamilah sang Life of the Party
I'd probably remember more if it wasn't the first time I heard his songs. I'm sorry.
Oh, I have to add one that one of the former KIDS NEXT DOOR singers sang this funny song about asking someone out for New Years Eve. Adorable! Wanted to pinch his cheeks. Settle down, I mean the ones on his face.
Updated On: 12/21/06 at 12:52 AM
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#24
Posted: 12/21/06 at 1:12am
Danny sang "A Story of My Own" from another show Lippa is currently writing. and the quartet was "Poor Child" from Wild Party....hmmm what else...
im sure someone else who was there can contribute...
re: Anyone Going to Andrew Lippa and Friends Night in LA?#25
Posted: 12/21/06 at 1:13amI'm glad the concert was enjoyable. I had a friend (a former memmber of KND) that was performing and he was incredibly excited about the prospect of singing with these people. I only wish I could've been there.
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