My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 6/27/03 at 10:03am

This was a great concert! I actually just got to see this yeterday, so I'm gonna post my review and opnions of it.
First of all, as a whole, I enjoyed it a lot. I'm going to try to review the acts in order, but I don't have the program in front of me, so bear with me.
1) Robert Morse and Tony Roberts sang "These are the things that drive men crazy" or something like that. It was a great introduction to the show. They were very funny together. Do I smell and Edna replacement? They both looked good in drag..
2) Karen Ziemba and Bebe Neuwirth performed "Nowadays/ Hot Honey Rag" from Chicago. I liked this number. I couldnt kepp my eyes off Bebe, though. She's such an awesome dancer.
3) Marin Mazzie sang "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered". She sings this song beautifully. I saw her perform it at Rodgers and Hammerstein's birthday celebration last year. She sang it very well.
3) Linda Eder sang "Man of La Mancha". Oh My Gosh! Can this woman sing or what? I was so impressed. She went up an octave higher at one point. She has such an incredible range and such a beautiful sound to her voice. The song is great, and it was one of my favorite numbers form the concert.
4) Jennifer Holliday sang "And I am Telling You" from "Dreamgirls" I believe it is. This was great as well. This woman has incredible passion when she sings. She sounded and looked great as well.
5) Andrea McArdle sang "Look for the Silver LIning/Tomorrow". I suprised myself, because at first I didn't even recognize her. She didnt seem that good. She seemed very ordinary, just like a regular chorus girl making her debut in a concert at Carnegie Hall. It wasn't until she started to sing "Tomorrow" that I knew who she was. She definately did not impress me or blow me away with her performance. She's so amazing and should have picked a song to really let her shine.
6)Lea Delaria sang "I Can Cook, too". I wasn't sure where this was from. She sang it well, I guess. It was a very upbeat song. It kept my attention. She was full of energy, and it was on her part a great performance.
7) Nell Carter sang "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Mean to Me". She sang both of these well. It was a sentimental moment, as she isn't here anymore. She has a very unique sound to her voice.
7)Priscilla Lopez sang "Nothing" from "A Chorus Line". I was thrilled with her performance. She can still sing great, and I could tell what it felt like to see her sing it onstage when A Chorus LIne ran on Broadway. She also looks great for her age.
The next song(s) was a trio between Audra MacDonald, Marin Mazzie and Judy Kuhn. Audra started out with "Love Changes Everything" and than Marin began "Unexpected Song" and than JUdy Kuhn came onstage to sing "I Don't Know how to Love HIm" All 3 of the ladies were impressive with her their individual performances. But then they sang together in harmony and it sounded so beautiful. And while watching Judy I could have sworn she had this striking resemblance to Mary Stuart Masterson. She should definately fill that woman's shoes!
9)Liza Minelli introduced herself talking about how when she was young she wanted to be an ice skater, but then she saw Gypsy and changed her mind. Than she sang "Some People" from "Gypsy". She was good. She seemed so out of breath, though. And she's really not in great vocal condition, in my opinion.
10)Dorothy Loudon sang "Fifty Percent", but I don't remember what from. She did a good job all together. She sang it well.
I was impressed. She is pretty elderly, but she did a good job.
11) Faith Prince did "Adelaide's Lament" from "Guys and Dolls". Priceless. She looks great, and sounds great. That woman cracks me up.
12) Audra MacDonald sang "Down With Love". Oh Gosh! She's another one who amazes me. She really is such an awesome singer. I stared at the TV open mouthed. She never disappoints on stage. The song seemed to be written for her.
13) Anna Kendrick and The Kit Kat Girls from "Cabaret" sang "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" from "Showboat" HYSTERICAL! They were so funny. Anna Kendrick is a little girl who is all innocent and naieve, and than you have the slutty, scantily-clad kit kat girls backing her up. They did a little spoof of Mein Herr. This was probably my favorite number. The little girl was great, too. She has a very sweet voice. She's a little older, I think she should come back to Broadway. She should be about 14 or 15 now.
14) Karen Ziemba sang "I wanna be a Rockette" from "Kicks" She was great. A true triple threat. The Rockettes came out near the end, and sang and danced with her. It was a very entertaining number. Another one of my favorites.
15) Than, Rebecca Luker sang "Falling In Love With Love" from "The Boys from Syracuse." She has a beautiful voice. It was kind of like a plain number, but she impressed me with her vocals, as she always does.
16) Debra Monk sang "Everybody's Girl". She was very funny. She looked very different to how she looked in The Music Man. A lot skinnier and a lot younger. She really can play comedy and she can sing great as well.
17) Elaine Strich sang "The Ladies Who Lunch". She was good. It's a good song, and it was a good number for her. She's in good shape.
1 "One"- the finale. All the women who were on Broadway at the time came out and sang it. Great finish tot he show.
The whole concert was great. All in all, an awesome show. THE END!

[CJR]

Posted: 6/27/03 at 10:19am

I love this "concert." I have it on video from 3 years ago when it was done originally... It's definitely one of my favorites. Though the one thing omitted from the video, which WAS played on the PBS Special is the little "Liza with a Z" segment they did with Liza and (if I remember correctly) Rosie O'Donnell. That was classic.

Fifty Percent is from Ballroom, btw

Anna Kendrick was just in A Little Night Music with Marc Kudisch and Michele Pawk at NYCO.... She's about 16 now, I believe.

Jennifer Holliday singing "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" is one of the most incredible things to wittness. I actually saw her do it live... and then segments from it, trying to get the crowd riled up at the BCEFA Flea Market last year :) *(see pic in fan photos section)*

Just felt the need to share... Ooooh that and, "Everybody's Girl" from Steel Pier is one of my FAVORITE songs! :)

Updated On: 6/27/03 at 10:19 AM

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 6/27/03 at 10:38am

"Though the one thing omitted from the video, which WAS played on the PBS Special is the little "Liza with a Z" segment they did with Liza and (if I remember correctly) Rosie O'Donnell. That was classic."

That's the one thing that bothers me I hate that they left that part out when it was (in my opinion) one of the highlighs of the evening. Maybe if they make the DVD they'll leave it in. I don't care that they left it off the CD, but why the VHS?

[jo]

Posted: 6/27/03 at 9:23pm

The Lloyd Webber trilogy of "Love Changes Everything", "Unexpected Song", and "I Don't Know How To Love Him" sang individually and then in harmmony was repeated in the recent Bryant Park concert Broadway Under the Stars. Except "Love Changes Everything" was sung by a male singer whose name escapes me at the moment( sorry, but he was no Michael Ball)... Very well applauded number during the evening!

Harmonizing these Lloyd Webber songs has never been done in the UK, none that I know of from concerts or television shows, though.


jo

[BudFrump23]

Posted: 6/27/03 at 9:41pm

I saw this last year before the Tony Awards...I wish I had taped it, because I enjoyed it greatly!

[LifeOnStage]

Posted: 6/27/03 at 11:50pm

I have the DVD of the show, but they still left out the Rosie and Liza segment. I don't know why either.

My favorites from the show were "Everybody's Girl", "I Can Cook Too", and "Life Upon the Wicked Stage", and Dee Hoty singing "Could I Leave You" from Follies.

Oh yes, and when Linda Eder hit that high note in "Man of La Mancha", my jaw hit the ground. Dear sweet Lord, I didn't think anyone could sing that high.

[Victoria Grant]

Posted: 6/28/03 at 12:12am

Yes that truly was a great show. I am so happy that Julie Andrews hosted. I love her. The second show Broadway the love songs was also exceptional also hosted by Julie Andrews it featured Robert Goulet, Barry Manilow, Adam Pascal, Heather Headley, Michael Crawford, Chita, Brent Spiner and many others if you get a chance to get the dvd to that it truly is worth it. I saw it Live in Nyc WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is all I can say.

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 6/28/03 at 3:00pm

IN the Love Songs concert, Heather Headley was amazing. Which concert do you like better? I'd have to say its a tie.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/29/03 at 6:34pm

I listen to that album all the time. I LOVE Jennifer Holliday!

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 6/30/03 at 12:12am

what did heather headly sing?

[Victoria Grant]

Posted: 6/30/03 at 2:17am

i would have to agree with you they were both amazing.

[Victoria Grant]

Posted: 6/30/03 at 2:18am

Heather Headley sang the duet with Adam from Aida and also the song he touched me (I can't think of what show that is from)

She was great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BillyLawlor]

Posted: 6/30/03 at 11:17am

"He Touched Me" is from Drat! The Cat! She was amazing.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/30/03 at 11:19am

Drat! The Cat!

You NEVER hear anything about that show!

Posted: 6/30/03 at 1:45pm

But Heather Sang that on the OTHER My favorite Broadway LOVE SONGS performace, NOT the leading Ladies....aren't I right??

also the Leading Ladies show was classic!

Linda's Man of La Mancha goes down in history, she's insannne!

Jennifer Holliday, god that woman can belt

Liza Minnelli's return after being hospitalized and throat surgery and what not, she returned and proved she's a force to be reckoned with and she ain't goin nowhere!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/30/03 at 1:47pm

Ijust looked at my albums. Heather did sing at Love Songs, not at Leading ladies. Rob is right.

Posted: 6/30/03 at 2:15pm

:)

I'm right, I'm right! lol jk

just goes to show ya how boring my life is, lol

[Victoria Grant]

Posted: 7/1/03 at 12:22am

I thought that the love songs was the one we were talking about orignally in my conversation anyway sorry for the confusion.