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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018
THEATER: BROADWAY BY THE YEAR -- 1956
AND 1975
BROADWAY BY THE YEAR 1956 AND 1975 ** 1/2 out of ****
TOWN HALL
The winter-spring series "Broadway By The Year" has been going on
for almost twenty years. But somehow it still feels like the best-kept
secret in theater. Sure it has full houses and subscribers who've heldonto their seats for years and greet each other by name. Yes, creatorScott Siegel has spun this franchise into an ever-growing number of
showcases for Broadway and cabaret stars and rising talent both atTown Hall and 54 Below and beyond. Nonetheless, go to BBTY andyou'll feel like you've slipped backstage or finally received yourtheater-insider badge.
This season, Siegel is focusing on one year for each act of the night. On
Monday, it was 1956 and 1975, two primo years for musical theaterbeing the last gasp of a golden age and the start of a new flowering.I'm about to tell you what you missed but don't despair: the next
Broadway By The Year takes place on June 18 and covers 1988 and the
head-spinningly recent season of 2017.
For 1956, the show drew upon Bells Are Ringing, Candide, Mr.
Wonderful (the Sammy Davis Jr. showcase), The Most Happy Fellaand the peerless My Fair Lady. And 1975? That season offered shows
celebrating Tom Chapin (!), Bessie Smith and Rodgers and Hart.
Happily it also included the surprisingly successful Shenandoah (I did
NOT know that ran more than 1000 performances), The Wiz and two
genuine landmarks: Kander & Ebb's Chicago and A Chorus Line.
You come to BBTY to hear covers of classic songs you know well andsome rarer songs you're not familiar with, all of them performed by bigstars and rising talent. It's a rare night when you don't walk awayMICHAEL GILTZ AT WORK
Michael Giltz is a freelance writer
based in NYC and can be reached atmgiltz@pipeline.com
FAVORITE LINKS
Americablog
Five O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's Blog
The Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPN
Radio
Cine-Blog -- George Robinson's Blog
Documents On Art & Cinema - Daryl
Chin's Blog
Brucie G's Wondrous Blog Of
Adventure and Mystery -- Bruce
Greenspan's Blog
BLOG ARCHIVE
► 2019 (7)
▼ 2018 (34)
► December (7)
wanting to hear a "new" song again and write down the name of a
performer to keep your eye on. Tonight was no exception, but it was
especially good at pointing out new artists ready for their close-up.
It wasn't always as kind to veterans. Lance Roberts is on Broadway
right now in the acclaimed revival of My Fair Lady. While he got by
on "Too Close For Comfort," Roberts was at sea on the infectious
"Gimme A Pigfoot (And A Bottle Of Beer)." It was perhaps the wrong
song for the wrong crowd on the wrong evening and when he gamelypointed the mike at the audience for them to sing ("Gimme apigfoot!") they had blank looks and no idea what to say. He deservedprops for selling it anyway as a grand old time. So did Cheryl Freeman
on "Home" from The Wiz. That's a song that should bring down the
house (any house) but it was an off night for Freeman. However, she
delivered a master class in staying in character after the song was
over, looking genuinely moved by the tune and the moment even asyou knew she was thinking, "Damn! That didn't happen." And LukeGrooms killed it Off Broadway recently in the revival of Jerry
Springer: The Opera . But other than singing sans microphone (a
BBTY tradition for at least one song), Grooms brought little to "MyHeart Is So Full Of You." And "Johnny One Note" was more of a vocalworkout than a treat.
Now onto the good news. Douglas Ladnier is a cabaret star and
Broadway veteran (from Jeckyl and Hyde among others). His best
moment was early on with "Just In Time." But while no one should beasked to sing "Cat's In The Cradle," that slice of bathos simply cannotbe sung with too much intensity and was perfect for him. The audience
loved it, even as I wondered how Tom Chapin got on Broadway with
his own show in the first place. ( Ladnier has a new album out now
called Heart And Soul showing him equally unafraid of other Seventies
hits like "Sometimes When We Touch" and "You Are So Beautiful"
alongside classic theater tunes.)
Ladnier had three numbers on the show, which is one of the best parts
of BBTY. If someone doesn't wow you right away, chances are you'llget to revise your opinion before the night is over. That was certainly
the case for Maxine Linehan, who had the unenviable task of tackling
"I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. After a too-
serious "It's All Right With Me" I appreciated Linehan's voice butwasn't sure about her interpretations. That changed mightily when shetackled a song from the little known hit Shenandoah . Linehan was
singing "The Only Home I Know," a wistful ballad performed by asoldier heading back to his small town after the horrors of the CivilWar. A spare, lovely arrangement courtesy of musical director andpianist Ross Patterson allowed Linehan to sit on a stool and deliver thesong with unadorned sweetness. You immediately wanted to hear
more from Shenandoah and Linehan, a sure sign of success.
And the success of Siegel's showcase Broadway's Rising Stars is how
much of the talent that makes it to that annual event keeps popping► November (4)
► October (6)
► September (1)
▼ May (5)
THEATER: BROADWAY BY
THE YEAR -- 1956 AND 1975
THEATER: "MY FAIR LADY"
SAYS #METOO!
THEATER: TENNESSEE
WILLIAMS ON SIMMER
WITH "SUMMER...
THEATER: "TRAVESTIES" IS
NOT
THEATER: 'SAINT JOAN"
LACKS FIRE
► April (6)
► March (4)
► February (1)
► 2017 (6)
► 2016 (2)
► 2015 (14)
► 2014 (2)
► 2013 (5)
► 2012 (18)
► 2011 (15)
► 2010 (10)
► 2009 (43)
► 2008 (86)
► 2007 (781)
► 2006 (2412)
► 2005 (5)
up all over the theater landscape. Every year Siegel selects the cream of
the crop from arts schools all over the country and puts them in
Broadway's Rising Stars. This year's show takes place on Monday July16 at Town Hall. If you'd gone in the past, you would have been among
the first to see Joshua Israel and Oakley Boycott. (Note: that's her real
name and any suggestion otherwise may lead to legal proceedings.)
Every Broadway By The Year includes some dancing and Israel was on
tap Monday. He started off act two in jaunty style with "I Can Do That"
from A Chorus Line. "All I Care About" from Chicago was more of the
same and they both would have shone better in separate acts. (Is itSiegel's fault they both came out in 1975?) Israel dances with a chip onhis shoulder -- that cocky Gene Kelly attitude of yeah, I'm dancing
here, you gotta problem with that? Maybe I'm just a Fred Astaire guy
myself, but Israel should balance his attitude with a little more joy or
less self-awareness or something.
Three time Tony nominee Carolee Carmello had the right sort of
attitude: the pleasure of a star who knows what they're doing and
loves it. With shows like Falsettos, Urinetown and Parade on her
résumé, it's a well-earned confidence. Carmello first appeared in ActOne, delivering the comic gem "I'm Going Back" from Bells AreRinging with aplomb. It was almost a one-two punch since she
returned early in Act Two with "Nothing" from A Chorus Line,
underlining that song's irony with bittersweet ease. And she ended the
night with the Chorus Line chestnut "What I Did For Love," joined by
the entire cast. Simply making it sound fresh is a hard task but shepulled it off. The recent musical Tuck Everlasting wasn't nearly a good
enough showcase for Carmello and this night reminded you she's a
singular talent that deserves a better one, soon.
And that leaves two newcomers that wowed. Carmello sang a key
number from Bells Are Ringing and killed it. That makes it all the
more impressive that I kept wondering what Oakley Boycott would
have done with the song. Why? Because she'd been onstage just a fewminutes earlier delivering a knockout performance of another comicgem from Bells Are Ringing, "Is It A Crime?" Boycott is a statuesque
beauty, sporting red hair (at least tonight). (She's also an alumnus of
Broadway's Rising Stars, just like Israel.) But two seconds after she
began you knew you were in Carol Burnett territory: a terrific voice
and talent that is unashamedly ready to make a fool of herself for alaugh or a song that calls for it. That was certainly the case with "Is ItA Crime?", with Boycott bringing alive her message center operatorwith ease, elbows akimbo as she kvetched with the audience, did
splits, tottered this way and that and generally had a blast. You
immediately want to see a full-blown revival of that show with Boycottas the lead. I spent the rest of the night (especially the second act)waiting for her to return on another number but this was her big
moment. She made the most of it.
I felt the same about Kyle Selig. Can you "discover" someone you've
already seen perform on Broadway? Yes, you can! I saw Selig in the
new musical Mean Girls. He plays the minor role of boyfriend-to-be to
the heroine (hey, it's her show) and I was smart enough to say Selig
made "something out of the nothing role of boyfriend-to-be Aaron."Now I see he's been bouncing around, doing out of town tryouts of the
potential Broadway musical October Sky among other projects. All I
know is that he may be on Broadway in a Tony-nominated musical,
but he got a much better showcase in two songs on Broadway By TheYear. Up first was the show opener "On The Street Where You Live"
from My Fair Lady. His take on it is far superior to the one in the
current Broadway show. Too often, that song is delivered at full blast,
an almost over-the-top bit of bombast. Without changing the song toomuch, Selig gave it a gentler, more vulnerable and thus more touchingrendition. I enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoyed hearing the little
old lady lean over to her husband when Selig walked out onstage.
"Cute!" she whispered appreciatively. Yes, he's a handsome devil butgood looks are a dime a dozen in the entertainment world. Selig hastalent and he proved it. Selig followed up his first song with the wistfultune "It Must Be So" from Candide . He was, if anything, even better
on one of the best songs from that terrific score. The combination ofits relative unfamiliarity and a quiet nature left the audience hushedrather than bursting out with the applause it deserved. Not to fear; itwon't be the last time he's onstage doing great work.
So terrific work from Selig and Boycott, a memorable song from
Linehan, the pro work of Carmello and you've got more than enoughto stamp it another successful evening. And with Siegel, you don't needto wait long: his next production is 54 Sings Broadway's Greatest Hitsat Feinstein's 54 Below this Friday, May 25.
THEATER OF 2018
Homelife/The Zoo Story (at Signature) *** out of ****
Escape To Margaritaville **
Broadway By The Year: 1947 and 1966 ***
Lobby Hero ***
Frozen **
Rocktopia *
Angels in America ** 1/2
Mean Girls ** 1/2
The Sting **
Mlima's Tale ** 1/2
Children Of A Lesser God ** 1/2
Sancho: An Act Of Remembrance ** 1/2
The Metromaniacs ***
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical *
The Seafarer **
Henry V (Public Mobile Unit w Zenzi Williams) * 1/2
Saint Joan **
Travesties *** 1/2
Summer and Smoke ** 1/2
My Fair Lady ** 1/2
Broadway By The Year: 1956 and 1975 ** 1/2
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the creator of BookFilter, a book lover’s
to BookFilter! Need a smart and easy gift? Head to BookFilter ! Wondering wh
categories, like cookbooks and mystery and more? Head to BookFilter! It’s a w
you do in a physical bookstore, provides comprehensive info on new releases e
personal recommendations every step of the way. It’s like a fall book preview
category. He’s also the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podc
of the day with top journalists and opinion makers as guests. It’s available for
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called P
Note: Michael Giltz is provided with free tickets to shows with the understan
are in New York City unless otherwise indicated.
POSTED BY MICHAEL GILTZ AT 6:24 PM
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Post a Comment
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)Newer Post Older Post Home
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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018
THEATER: BROADWAY BY THE YEAR -- 1956
AND 1975
BROADWAY BY THE YEAR 1956 AND 1975 ** 1/2 out of ****
TOWN HALL
The winter-spring series "Broadway By The Year" has been going on
for almost twenty years. But somehow it still feels like the best-kept
secret in theater. Sure it has full houses and subscribers who've heldonto their seats for years and greet each other by name. Yes, creatorScott Siegel has spun this franchise into an ever-growing number of
showcases for Broadway and cabaret stars and rising talent both atTown Hall and 54 Below and beyond. Nonetheless, go to BBTY andyou'll feel like you've slipped backstage or finally received yourtheater-insider badge.
This season, Siegel is focusing on one year for each act of the night. On
Monday, it was 1956 and 1975, two primo years for musical theaterbeing the last gasp of a golden age and the start of a new flowering.I'm about to tell you what you missed but don't despair: the next
Broadway By The Year takes place on June 18 and covers 1988 and the
head-spinningly recent season of 2017.
For 1956, the show drew upon Bells Are Ringing, Candide, Mr.
Wonderful (the Sammy Davis Jr. showcase), The Most Happy Fellaand the peerless My Fair Lady. And 1975? That season offered shows
celebrating Tom Chapin (!), Bessie Smith and Rodgers and Hart.
Happily it also included the surprisingly successful Shenandoah (I did
NOT know that ran more than 1000 performances), The Wiz and two
genuine landmarks: Kander & Ebb's Chicago and A Chorus Line.
You come to BBTY to hear covers of classic songs you know well andsome rarer songs you're not familiar with, all of them performed by bigstars and rising talent. It's a rare night when you don't walk awayMICHAEL GILTZ AT WORK
Michael Giltz is a freelance writer
based in NYC and can be reached atmgiltz@pipeline.com
FAVORITE LINKS
Americablog
Five O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's Blog
The Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPN
Radio
Cine-Blog -- George Robinson's Blog
Documents On Art & Cinema - Daryl
Chin's Blog
Brucie G's Wondrous Blog Of
Adventure and Mystery -- Bruce
Greenspan's Blog
BLOG ARCHIVE
► 2019 (7)
▼ 2018 (34)
► December (7)
wanting to hear a "new" song again and write down the name of a
performer to keep your eye on. Tonight was no exception, but it was
especially good at pointing out new artists ready for their close-up.
It wasn't always as kind to veterans. Lance Roberts is on Broadway
right now in the acclaimed revival of My Fair Lady. While he got by
on "Too Close For Comfort," Roberts was at sea on the infectious
"Gimme A Pigfoot (And A Bottle Of Beer)." It was perhaps the wrong
song for the wrong crowd on the wrong evening and when he gamelypointed the mike at the audience for them to sing ("Gimme apigfoot!") they had blank looks and no idea what to say. He deservedprops for selling it anyway as a grand old time. So did Cheryl Freeman
on "Home" from The Wiz. That's a song that should bring down the
house (any house) but it was an off night for Freeman. However, she
delivered a master class in staying in character after the song was
over, looking genuinely moved by the tune and the moment even asyou knew she was thinking, "Damn! That didn't happen." And LukeGrooms killed it Off Broadway recently in the revival of Jerry
Springer: The Opera . But other than singing sans microphone (a
BBTY tradition for at least one song), Grooms brought little to "MyHeart Is So Full Of You." And "Johnny One Note" was more of a vocalworkout than a treat.
Now onto the good news. Douglas Ladnier is a cabaret star and
Broadway veteran (from Jeckyl and Hyde among others). His best
moment was early on with "Just In Time." But while no one should beasked to sing "Cat's In The Cradle," that slice of bathos simply cannotbe sung with too much intensity and was perfect for him. The audience
loved it, even as I wondered how Tom Chapin got on Broadway with
his own show in the first place. ( Ladnier has a new album out now
called Heart And Soul showing him equally unafraid of other Seventies
hits like "Sometimes When We Touch" and "You Are So Beautiful"
alongside classic theater tunes.)
Ladnier had three numbers on the show, which is one of the best parts
of BBTY. If someone doesn't wow you right away, chances are you'llget to revise your opinion before the night is over. That was certainly
the case for Maxine Linehan, who had the unenviable task of tackling
"I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. After a too-
serious "It's All Right With Me" I appreciated Linehan's voice butwasn't sure about her interpretations. That changed mightily when shetackled a song from the little known hit Shenandoah . Linehan was
singing "The Only Home I Know," a wistful ballad performed by asoldier heading back to his small town after the horrors of the CivilWar. A spare, lovely arrangement courtesy of musical director andpianist Ross Patterson allowed Linehan to sit on a stool and deliver thesong with unadorned sweetness. You immediately wanted to hear
more from Shenandoah and Linehan, a sure sign of success.
And the success of Siegel's showcase Broadway's Rising Stars is how
much of the talent that makes it to that annual event keeps popping► November (4)
► October (6)
► September (1)
▼ May (5)
THEATER: BROADWAY BY
THE YEAR -- 1956 AND 1975
THEATER: "MY FAIR LADY"
SAYS #METOO!
THEATER: TENNESSEE
WILLIAMS ON SIMMER
WITH "SUMMER...
THEATER: "TRAVESTIES" IS
NOT
THEATER: 'SAINT JOAN"
LACKS FIRE
► April (6)
► March (4)
► February (1)
► 2017 (6)
► 2016 (2)
► 2015 (14)
► 2014 (2)
► 2013 (5)
► 2012 (18)
► 2011 (15)
► 2010 (10)
► 2009 (43)
► 2008 (86)
► 2007 (781)
► 2006 (2412)
► 2005 (5)
up all over the theater landscape. Every year Siegel selects the cream of
the crop from arts schools all over the country and puts them in
Broadway's Rising Stars. This year's show takes place on Monday July16 at Town Hall. If you'd gone in the past, you would have been among
the first to see Joshua Israel and Oakley Boycott. (Note: that's her real
name and any suggestion otherwise may lead to legal proceedings.)
Every Broadway By The Year includes some dancing and Israel was on
tap Monday. He started off act two in jaunty style with "I Can Do That"
from A Chorus Line. "All I Care About" from Chicago was more of the
same and they both would have shone better in separate acts. (Is itSiegel's fault they both came out in 1975?) Israel dances with a chip onhis shoulder -- that cocky Gene Kelly attitude of yeah, I'm dancing
here, you gotta problem with that? Maybe I'm just a Fred Astaire guy
myself, but Israel should balance his attitude with a little more joy or
less self-awareness or something.
Three time Tony nominee Carolee Carmello had the right sort of
attitude: the pleasure of a star who knows what they're doing and
loves it. With shows like Falsettos, Urinetown and Parade on her
résumé, it's a well-earned confidence. Carmello first appeared in ActOne, delivering the comic gem "I'm Going Back" from Bells AreRinging with aplomb. It was almost a one-two punch since she
returned early in Act Two with "Nothing" from A Chorus Line,
underlining that song's irony with bittersweet ease. And she ended the
night with the Chorus Line chestnut "What I Did For Love," joined by
the entire cast. Simply making it sound fresh is a hard task but shepulled it off. The recent musical Tuck Everlasting wasn't nearly a good
enough showcase for Carmello and this night reminded you she's a
singular talent that deserves a better one, soon.
And that leaves two newcomers that wowed. Carmello sang a key
number from Bells Are Ringing and killed it. That makes it all the
more impressive that I kept wondering what Oakley Boycott would
have done with the song. Why? Because she'd been onstage just a fewminutes earlier delivering a knockout performance of another comicgem from Bells Are Ringing, "Is It A Crime?" Boycott is a statuesque
beauty, sporting red hair (at least tonight). (She's also an alumnus of
Broadway's Rising Stars, just like Israel.) But two seconds after she
began you knew you were in Carol Burnett territory: a terrific voice
and talent that is unashamedly ready to make a fool of herself for alaugh or a song that calls for it. That was certainly the case with "Is ItA Crime?", with Boycott bringing alive her message center operatorwith ease, elbows akimbo as she kvetched with the audience, did
splits, tottered this way and that and generally had a blast. You
immediately want to see a full-blown revival of that show with Boycottas the lead. I spent the rest of the night (especially the second act)waiting for her to return on another number but this was her big
moment. She made the most of it.
I felt the same about Kyle Selig. Can you "discover" someone you've
already seen perform on Broadway? Yes, you can! I saw Selig in the
new musical Mean Girls. He plays the minor role of boyfriend-to-be to
the heroine (hey, it's her show) and I was smart enough to say Selig
made "something out of the nothing role of boyfriend-to-be Aaron."Now I see he's been bouncing around, doing out of town tryouts of the
potential Broadway musical October Sky among other projects. All I
know is that he may be on Broadway in a Tony-nominated musical,
but he got a much better showcase in two songs on Broadway By TheYear. Up first was the show opener "On The Street Where You Live"
from My Fair Lady. His take on it is far superior to the one in the
current Broadway show. Too often, that song is delivered at full blast,
an almost over-the-top bit of bombast. Without changing the song toomuch, Selig gave it a gentler, more vulnerable and thus more touchingrendition. I enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoyed hearing the little
old lady lean over to her husband when Selig walked out onstage.
"Cute!" she whispered appreciatively. Yes, he's a handsome devil butgood looks are a dime a dozen in the entertainment world. Selig hastalent and he proved it. Selig followed up his first song with the wistfultune "It Must Be So" from Candide . He was, if anything, even better
on one of the best songs from that terrific score. The combination ofits relative unfamiliarity and a quiet nature left the audience hushedrather than bursting out with the applause it deserved. Not to fear; itwon't be the last time he's onstage doing great work.
So terrific work from Selig and Boycott, a memorable song from
Linehan, the pro work of Carmello and you've got more than enoughto stamp it another successful evening. And with Siegel, you don't needto wait long: his next production is 54 Sings Broadway's Greatest Hitsat Feinstein's 54 Below this Friday, May 25.
THEATER OF 2018
Homelife/The Zoo Story (at Signature) *** out of ****
Escape To Margaritaville **
Broadway By The Year: 1947 and 1966 ***
Lobby Hero ***
Frozen **
Rocktopia *
Angels in America ** 1/2
Mean Girls ** 1/2
The Sting **
Mlima's Tale ** 1/2
Children Of A Lesser God ** 1/2
Sancho: An Act Of Remembrance ** 1/2
The Metromaniacs ***
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical *
The Seafarer **
Henry V (Public Mobile Unit w Zenzi Williams) * 1/2
Saint Joan **
Travesties *** 1/2
Summer and Smoke ** 1/2
My Fair Lady ** 1/2
Broadway By The Year: 1956 and 1975 ** 1/2
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the creator of BookFilter, a book lover’s
to BookFilter! Need a smart and easy gift? Head to BookFilter ! Wondering wh
categories, like cookbooks and mystery and more? Head to BookFilter! It’s a w
you do in a physical bookstore, provides comprehensive info on new releases e
personal recommendations every step of the way. It’s like a fall book preview
category. He’s also the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podc
of the day with top journalists and opinion makers as guests. It’s available for
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called P
Note: Michael Giltz is provided with free tickets to shows with the understan
are in New York City unless otherwise indicated.
POSTED BY MICHAEL GILTZ AT 6:24 PM
NO COMMENTS:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)Newer Post Older Post Home