Is anyone going tonight? This is something I've always wanted to go to, but I'm out of town til Tuesday. If you go, please post about it! I really want to know who sings what.
The show was fantastic. LaChanze started with a song from Jesus Christ Superstar as Judas. Brooks Ashmanskas followed with a Timune song from Once On This Island (Waiting For Life). Norbert Leo Butz was next with a song dedicated to his sister. Raul Esparza did a Mama Rose song from Gypsy. Jane Krakowski sang "Shadowland" from Lion King. Lin-Manuel Miranda did a "rap" version of "Not Getting Married Today" from Company as Amy. Nicole Parker did an impersonation sketch as Ellen hosting the Oscars, as well as Britney Spears, Rene Zellwiger, and Celine Dion, and sang "Phantom of the Opera" as all four characters. Nicole Parker and Brooks Ashmanskas did a Les Mis song as Marius and Cosette (roles reversed). Norbert Leo Butz, Brooks Ashmanskas and Josh Strickland sang "Black Boys" from Hair, followed by Nicole Parker, LaChanze, and Jane Krakowski singing "White Boys." Josh Strickland and Norbert sang "I Will Never Leave You" from Sideshow, and it was hilarious. They were using the microphone cords as whips. Josh Strickland closed the show by singing the finale song from Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me (When A Big Black Lady Stops the Show). That's all I can remember right now!
Wait, was this last night? Josh did the miscast benefit AND the broadway for medicine benefit? Wow. That's impressive.
"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
Yes Josh did both Benefits last night. He performed during the middle of the Medicine Benefit which was around 8:15 then had to rush over to Miscast which started at 8:45. I don't think there's been a benefit that he hasn't done...
Oh my God, Raúl singing Rose's Turn?! Brilliant. And Lin-Manuel's performance sounds fantastic as well. If someone would like to describe the two in detail, I'd be very appreciative! I can just imagine. Ha.
(I just actually LOL-ed. My mom's going to run in here looking at me funny any second now.)
Norbert Leo Butz, Brooks Ashmanskas and Josh Strickland sang "Black Boys" from Hair, followed by Nicole Parker, LaChanze, and Jane Krakowski singing "White Boys."
Haha! That's classic!
Theatre is a safe place to do the unsafe things that need to be done.
-John Patrick Shanley
That picture of Raul Esparza hugging Jane is adorable.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
...Norbert looks suspiciously like Harvey Fierstein in FIDDLER.
Well, at least in this picture, anyway:
Look-a-like conspiracy theories aside, it sounds like it was a great night. Would have loved to hear Raul sing "Rose's Turn" and Norbert sing "I Will Never Leave You" with Josh Strickland.
