Broadway backwards

[kooky]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 9:46am

B. B. last night was superb, I can't believe all that talent in one theatre!
If you can go next year ....GO.

LOVED LOVED it. Who else was there ?

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 10:16am

A friend connected to it called me when Gary Beach sang "Fifty Percent," because it's one of my favorite songs (and one I perform a lot)...and I gotta say it sucked. He flubbed lines, wasn't commiting, hell it wasn't even 50%, more like 25%.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 10:21am

Glad you had a great time kooky!

[RyToast1]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 10:22am

I was! I loved every minute of it. Being a big fan of the movie BEACHES, I must admit I was thrilled when Lainie Kazan came out. My friend orchestrated some of the songs, so we had pretty kick ass seats. My favorite moments of the evening were "I Want It All," "Everybody Ought to Have A Maid," "Kiss The Girl," "Maybe This Time," "Suddenly Seymour," "The Bitch of a Living," and "Fifty Percent." The after party was a nice time too. Sierra was beautiful on and off stage. Everything about the evening was amazing, and it was for such a great cause.

[JBSinger]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 11:09am

song list?
What did David Burtka/Doogie Howser sing?
What did Cheyenne Jackson/Anthony Rapp sing?

we need details people!

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 11:14am

What did Cheyenne Jackson and Anthony Rapp sing?

[bythesword84]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 11:18am

They sang Suddenly Seymour...Cheyenne was in the Audrey part and Anthony was Seymour


Edit...and Burtka/Harris did Take Me or Leave Me...Burtka was Maureen and Harris was the Joanne part.


I loved both duets.

Updated On: 2/5/08 at 11:18 AM

[viola13]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 11:19am

Copying from a list on ATC...

Liz Callaway- Pretty Women (Sweeney Todd)
Kerry Butler- When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love (Finnian's Rainbow)
Charles Busch- The Music That Makes Me Dance (Funny Girl)
Jen Colella and Julia Murney (I think?)- Hello Little Girl (Into the Woods) (Jen was Red and Julia was the wolf)
Julie Halston, Ann Harada, and two other women- Everybody Ought to Have a Maid (Forum)
David Burtka and NPH- Take Me or Leave Me (Rent) (David was Maureen and Neil was Joanne)
Karen Mason- I Loved You Once in Silence/How to Handle a Woman (Camelot)
Gary Beach- 50 Percent (Ballroom)
Aaron Lazar and Tony Yazbeck- A boy Like That/I Have a Love (West Side Story) (Aaron was Anita, Tony was Maria)
Sierra Bogess- Kiss the Girl (Little Mermaid) (Jessica Lee Goldyn played the girl she kissed)

INTERMISSION

Girls of Spring Awakening- Bitch of Living (Lilli Cooper as Moritz and Remy Zaken as Melchior)
TASTiSKANK- a song that I assume they wrote for this, about being "lesbos"
Malcom Gets- Dancing on the Ceiling (Evergreen) (Tony Yazbeck was his dance partner)
Jose Llana, Brooks Ashmanskas, and Gavin Creel- I Want it All (Baby)
Len Cariou- Send in the Clowns (A Little Night Music)
Ensemble men- I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair (South Pacific)
Lainie Kazan- The Gal That Got Away (A Star is Born)
Andrea McArdle and Ensemble women- All I Care About Is Love (Chicago)
Titus Burgess- Maybe This Time (Cabaret)
Anthony Rapp, Cheyenne Jackson, and Ensemble- Suddenly Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors)


This was the first time I went to a Broadway Backwards, and I had such a good time. It was great to see some of these actors live, and everyone seemed to be having such a good time. Thank you to my friend for rushing at 2pm.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 11:44am

Thanks! That sounds like fun.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 11:46am

Julia was a no-show, not the wolf, not sure who was.

Kerry belted the hell out of her song.

"Hello Little Girl" was combined with a little of "I Know Things Now." It worked great, the scene was in a bar, Red was being come on to by a girl, "the wolf." The line "when you're talking to your meal" went over great.

"Take Me Or Leave Me" was one of my highlights. The two of them were having so much fun with it, and best part was instead of saying "Kiss pookie," David said "Kiss Doogie."

"A Boy Like That" was amazing, especially Aaron with those low notes. That song got the first curtain call of the night.

I haven't seen The Little Mermaid, but Sierra was quite impressive, she sang the chorus part of "Kiss The Girl" solo and everything.

"Bitch of Living" was fun, they brought a couple members of the Spring Awakening band. All the main girls were there except Lea, and in addition to Lilli and Remy, Phoebe Strole sang Georg's part.

Another highlight of mine was "I Want It All." I love this song in general, and Jose, Gavin, and Brooks did such a great job with it (Gavin was a surprise, I don't remember seeing his name anywhere on the announcement -- a lovely surprise though!) They even set this song up as a scene -- Brooks was hesistantly going to an I-want-to-be-a-daddy meeting, and Jose and Gavin were already there, singing the song, encouraging him, until he finally gave in and sang the last verse. The 3 of them sang great both together and individual.

Len Carou told a great story regarding "Send In The Clowns." Sondheim obviously wrote the musical as it progressed, and he kept telling Len that he was gonna get the big 11 o'clock number he was working on. So at one point, Hal Prince, Hugh Wheeler, Glynis Johns, and Len staged the scene where the song would take place. Sondheim watched, kinda went "hmm" and left. The next day the whole company gathered, and Len got ready to sing the song, until Sondheim went up to him and was like "by the way, Len, you're not singing the song anymore, Glynis is." So Len sang what he called HIS song.

Also, before announcing Len, Seth said that this next performer should have started in a film recently...he proceeded to imitate Johnny Depp's "Epiphany," and went "that's not how I remember it on the cast recording..."

Another highlight was "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," complete with stripping and a shower scene (though I could see around the "shower curtain" that they still had some undies on, despite appearing naked. Boo. Ah well, it was good enough. One of the dancers was Chuck Saculla, a Broadway Bares regular and cast member of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, it was great seeing him again.

Lainie hit an a-mah-zing note at the end of her song, and then Seth talked to her for a bit, had her tell her story of her first time going on in Funny Girl, which was about a year and a half into the run. Lainie had a list of everyone she was supposed to call when she went on, so she got the call, called everyone, and they all came. 5 minutes before the show started, Barbra walked in and announced "I'm going on." Lainie was crushed. So the next day, the company manager told her she's going on, but that she can't call anyone. She pleaded with him to let her call her mother...who had a duplicate copy of the list.

I was simply speechless after Titus' "Maybe This Time." Those notes he was hitting at the end...there aren't words.

"Suddenly Seymour" was a treat, great to see Anthony sing his part. I found it hysterical that Anthony stood and Cheyenne sat on a stool, presumably so they could be more eye level.

All in all, a great night. I missed out on rush (got there at 5:40), but they sold several side orchestra seats to people in the line for $50, so I can't complain. Great talent and a great cause on the stage. You could tell everyone was having a lot of fun.

[viola13]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 11:51am

Yeah, I was almost positive that wasn't Julia Murney, although a lot of people are saying it was. I did notice that was the only number where the performers weren't introduced. I wonder who that was, playing the wolf. She was hilarious.

[paphillyguy]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 12:37pm

I had a great time and thought it was a great show. There were some sound issues, especially in Bitch of Living - band was too loud.

I thought Titus was amazing and Neil and David were great. I like the Cheyenne ( I am a huge fan) and Anthony duet, however I was very disappointed it the way it closed the show. They need a big number for the end.

Other than that it was great night. A highlight for me.

[kooky]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 1:53pm

Sounds like you all enjoyed it too! I was told Julia had some kind of sinus surgery
last week - - that's why the no-show. Good luck and speedy recovery Julia.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 2:39pm

I wish they would record something like that. A live CD and all the proceeds could benefit the LGBT Center.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 2:43pm

And also, the evening began with Sy Adamowsky & Sandy Duncan doing a Broadway Backwards themed opening song. Sandy was looking greeeeeat!

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 2:45pm

Yeah, we all seemed to have a great time, kooky!

Aww poor Julia. Best wishes to her for a speedy recovery. You know, she's one of the performers that does soo many charity events, it's really inspiring. I'm sure she was upset to have not gotten to do this one.

Ahh, thanks for the name of Sy. Any idea what he's been in?

[RyToast1]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 2:47pm

The only Broadway credit he has is as a standby in Caroline, or Change.

http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=380504

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 2:49pm

Ah, okay.

And per ATC, the other two women in 'Everybody Ought to Have a Maid' were Kathryn Kendall and Charis Leos.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 2:51pm

I wonder who it was in Julia's place that people would get mixed up.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 2:55pm

Also, the Playbill article had mentioned a special guest. Do we know who this was? I didn't see anyone on stage who wasn't in the Playbill.
Updated On: 2/5/08 at 02:55 PM

[bythesword84]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 2:57pm

"I wonder who it was in Julia's place that people would get mixed up."

In my mind, no one. This woman was shorter and much blonder than I've ever seen Julia, at least from where I was sitting. It didn't even cross my mind that she could be Julia.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 2:58pm

Yeah, I didn't think for one second that it was Julia Murney.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 3:05pm

Hadn't Gavin Creel not originally been announced? He was probably the surprise.

And yes, exactly -- I'm not sure who could be mistaken for her, especially vocally, but someone posted: "although a lot of people are saying it was."

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 3:12pm

Yeah, same, I didn't think it was at all, either. She wasn't even very tall.

I doubt Gavin would have necessarily been a "surprise," with names like Neil Patrick Harris and Lainie Kazan in the program, I don't think Gavin would qualify as a special surprise guest (don't get me wrong, I love him, but logically speaking).

I'm assuming they were trying to get someone, or thought they would get someone, and it didn't work out. The last event I went to with a "special surprise guest" was Hayden Christiansen at the 24 Hour Plays, I would expect someone like that.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 2/5/08 at 3:17pm

Gavin was announced...

"Newcomers to the evening — featuring male singers performing songs traditionally sung by women and women singing tunes written for men — include Sy Adamowsky, Danny Beiruti, Gavin Creel, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Kathryn Kendall, Charis Leos and Kevin Reed as well as a 30-member ensemble and a surprise guest."

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/114693.html