Weekly Poll Results: Which Broadway Diva Would You Go Back In Time To See?

The Broadway Diva performance you would love to go back in time to see is Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady. I can't help but agree with the voters on this one, especially because we no longer have the chance to hear this lovely songbird's voice after a botched surgery left her unable to sing. My Fair Lady starring Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, with a score by Lerner and Loewe, opened on Broadway in 1956. And to have been there to witness it live...well, wouldn't it be loverly.

Close behind Andrews in the voting where Ethel Merman in Gypsy, Donna McKechnie in A Chorus Line, and Angela Lansbury in Mame.

Weekly Poll Results: Chita Rivera is your favorite Broadway dancer!

Chita Rivera scored the top spot in this week's poll with 40% of the vote, which is arguably the strongest majority we've had so far. Broadway vet and Tony winner Bebe Neuwirth scored 33% and Tony winner Donna McKechnie, known for her portrayal of Cassie in A Chorus Line. Charlotte D'Amboise received 6% and Gwen Verdon and Ann Reinking, notably the first actresses to play Roxie Hart in the original production and Broadway revival of Chicago respectively, received zero votes. It is interesting to note that Rivera and Neuwirth originated the role of Velma Kelley in the original and revival casts of Chicago, and were the two top vote-getters. Chita Rivera, oddly enough, has never won a Tony award, but nonetheless is revered as one of the greatest dancers of all time, even starring in her own Broadway show entitled Chita Rivera: A Dancer's Life. Other major theatre credits include originating the roles of Anita in West Side Story, Velma in Chicago, Rosie in Bye, Bye, Birdie and Charity in Sweet Charity. Beating out several Tony winners, I guess Chita Rivera is a prime example of the mantra that when you are a dancer, it is about the work, not the awards.

Barbie's Showtune of the Day #5: Music and the Mirror

The quality of this video isn't great, but the work is timeless. Nobody ever has or ever will perform Music and the Mirror the way Donna McKechnie did it in the original company of A Chorus Line.

Fun Fact of the Day: A Chorus Line and Chicago

In keeping with the dance theme today, especially since I was moving on Saturday and missed the National Dance Day festivities, I decided to post about some of the similarities between A Chorus Line and Chicago, arguably two of the most significant Broadway shows in terms of dance. There are definitely some interesting comparisons between the two, specifically in regards to TONY wins and lengths of their runs. For example, the original production of A Chorus Line and the revival of Chicago won numerous TONYs and enjoyed wildly successful runs, among the top six in Broadway history, while the revival of A Chorus Line and the original production of Chicago failed to win a single TONY award  and could not seem to find an audience for long runs. 1975, when both of these shows premiered, was clearly an incredible year for dance on Broadway, showcasing the finest works of choreographers and directors Michael Bennett and Bob Fosse. It is also important to not the Broadway dancers Charlotte D'Amboise, Bebe Neuwirth, and Ann Reinking, among others, have appeared in both A Chorus Line and Chicago.

A CHORUS LINE

Original Broadway Production: 

• opened July 25, 1975
• nominated for 12 TONY awards, winning 9 including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Score, Best Book, and Best Actress (Donna McKechnie)
• won 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
• ran for 6137 performances

2006 Broadway Revival:

• opened October 5th, 2006
• nominated for 2 TONY awards for Best Revival and Best Featured Actress (Charlote D'Amboise), but lost both
• ran for 759 performances

CHICAGO

 Original Broadway Production:

• opened June 3, 1975
• nominated for 11 TONY awards, won zero, lost a majority to A Chorus Line which opened the same year
• ran for 936 performances

1996 Broadway Revival: 

• opened November 14, 1996
• nominated for eight TONY awards, won six including Best Revival, Best Direction, Best Choreography, and Best Actress (Bebe Neuwirth)
• still currently running after over 5500 performances