Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
KevinKlawitter
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/21/20
#2Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/5/24 at 9:43am
Finally, the very last Sondheim I haven’t seen!
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Zeppie2022
Broadway Star Joined: 7/12/22
#3Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/5/24 at 9:48am
He was talented as a "kid" on "Glee", wish him success.
#4Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/5/24 at 10:05am
oh, I was think of the other McHale.
#5Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/5/24 at 10:48am
He was the absolute highlight of Spelling Bee at the Kennedy Center for me. This is the only Sondheim I haven’t seen so may have to catch this.
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#6Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/5/24 at 11:55am
I really liked the version of The Frogs done by the Master Voices last year (having not seen the original).
#7Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/5/24 at 5:17pm
He was on the Glee arena tour over there, so it’s not really his debut.
Beyoncé is not an ally. Actions speak louder than words, Mrs. Carter. #Dubai #$$$
#8Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/5/24 at 6:28pm
Jay Lerner-Z said: "He was on the Glee arena tour over there, so it’s not really his debut."
They mean, like…actual theatre.
#9Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/5/24 at 6:34pm
Which is… ?
He performed that show in a wheelchair. He was in character.
I don’t even care if it is his debut or not, I just want news headlines to be accurate.
Beyoncé is not an ally. Actions speak louder than words, Mrs. Carter. #Dubai #$$$
#10Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/6/24 at 1:40am
I think this show is an underappreciated gem. I doubt I'll be able to make it over, but I might have to try!
#11Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/6/24 at 3:26am
I've seen The Frogs in both its 1970s version (I guess the late 70s minor revision which added Fear No More which wasn't in the Yale swimming pool original) and the Broadway iteration, both in solid university productions, and the original just plays much better to me. I *love* the music written for the original--the chorale work in songs like Evoe/Dionysus especially--whereas the additions to the score are perfectly fine, but are in that post Sondheim style where he always sounds a bit too self-referential. And there is just a lot of padding when it's stretched to two acts in general, even if both acts only run an hour each.
#12Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/6/24 at 12:26pm
^Agree with your dismissal of most of the new songs in the 2003 edition, but I hold a special place in my heart for "Ariadne", perhaps the most beautiful song SS wrote in. the 21st century.
#13Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/6/24 at 12:31pm
Someone in a Tree2 said: "^Agree with your dismissal of most of the new songs in the 2003 edition, but I hold a special place in my heart for "Ariadne", perhaps the most beautiful song SS wrote in. the 21st century."
“Ariadne” is in my top five Sondheim songs of all time. Haunting, aching, tender, and very heartbreaking.
#14Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/6/24 at 2:44pm
Someone in a Tree2 said: "^Agree with your dismissal of most of the new songs in the 2003 edition, but I hold a special place in my heart for "Ariadne", perhaps the most beautiful song SS wrote in. the 21st century."
Oh, you got me there, and I agree. That's the one song that doesn't feel more or less like pleasant enough place holding and, while I wouldn't place it as high in the canon as you or TotallyEffed do, I sure do wish more people would perform it (in Sondheim concerts, revues, etc (castalbums.org tells me the only other recording it has is on one of the Sondheim Unplugged collections...)
#15Kevin McHale (Glee) to make UK stage debut in revival of Sondheim's THE FROGS
Posted: 12/6/24 at 4:12pm
Hopefully we will see more of him onstage. I love his voice.
A shame his music career didn't really take off as I love the EP "Boy" he put out 5 years ago. I still listen to it. And the videos for the EP are also good.
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