In preparation for the completion of this series tomorrow, I thought I would remind you of numbers 10-2.
10) The Lion King
Okay so I was a little behind the eight ball on this show. I didn't see it until 2009, about 10 years after it opened on Broadway. For some reason I never got around to it, but when I lived in Manhattan last summer, I made it my goal to see every musical on Broadway. The Lion King was the last show I saw that summer, the night before I moved to be exact. And I must say it was the perfect end to an amazing summer of theatre. Now I should probably preface this by saying, "I am a cryer". I cry a lot in the theatre, and that is often how I measure how good a show is. Now I was not expecting to cry in The Lion King, a show that I thought was for children. From the moment Rafiki sang the opening syllables, tears streamed out of my eyes. Sure its cheesy, but the harmonies in the opening song, Circle of Life, just moved me deeply. The other number that was particularly touching for me was, He Lives In You, Simba's coming of age moment. This was another song sung by the magnificent character of Rafiki, and when she was joined by an African choir on the reprise, I was again moved to tears. I was somewhat familiar with the use of puppets and masks before seeing the show and I was completely expecting a work of over-the-top Disney-tastic spectacle. But what I actually experienced was a work of theatrical stagecraft that was not at all like something out of a theme park, but rather art. Helmed by the ingenious Julie Taymor, this piece brings our favorite animated characters to life in front of our very eyes. We see the human actors and we also see the animal masks and puppets, which seems like sensory overload, but in actuality, it does not matter if we look at a face or a mask. It isn't about what we see, but what we feel, and that is the spirit of the actor living inside the character.
9) South Pacific (revival)
Like most theatre fans, I grew up watching the Rogers and Hammerstein musicals on video. I started with The Sound of Music and a bit later I fell in love with Carousel, and then South Pacific. I loved the romance of these shows and the glorious, sweeping scores. When I began to study vocal performance, I gravitated toward the R&H songs as they fit wonderfully into my soprano voice. They are still among my favorite repertory pieces today. Unfortunately for me, most contemporary musicals are written for belters so when I knew that Lincoln Center Theatre was reviving South Pacific, I jumped at the chance to see it. I had seen a charming little community theatre production of South Pacific in Walla Walla, WA a few years before and fell in love with the score and staging, but what I saw and experienced at Lincoln Center blew me away. I had listened to the cast recording before I saw the show and fell in love with the voice of Kelli O'Hara. She has a glorious soprano and while she mixes down into her chest voice, she is definitely not a power belter, and she became a singer that I could relate to. Unfortunately when I saw the performance Miss O'Hara was on maternity leave, but Laura Osnes was perfectly lovely in the role of Nellie Forbush and Paulo Szot was, and I do not use this word lightly, a revelation in the role of Emile de Becque.
Now while I have always said I'm an old soul, contrary to popular belief I was not around in 1949 for the original Broadway production of South Pacific. But you could have convinced me otherwise as the opening notes of the overture transported me to the 1940s when full orchestras and romance trumped rock scores and electronic music. When the stage retracted from the thrust to reveal the orchestra as they played excerpts from Bali Hai and Some Enchanted Evening, the water works began and continued throughout the opening sequence (did I mention I love a good cry at the theatre). The opening sequence of Cockeyed Optimist, Twin Soliloquies, and Some Enchanted Evening was enrapturing. Everything about the production was captivating, from the wonderful performances by Danny Burstein as Luther Billis and Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary and picture perfect direction of Bartlett Sher, to the visually stunning scenic and lighting designs. One of the most unique aspects of this experience, for me, was the fact that I was one of the youngest people in the audience of the Vivian Beaumont theatre that night. It felt so wonderful to be in the presence of a more mature generation that may indeed have seen the original production with Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, and above all, that truly maintained respect for the theatre as a venerated art form, and not simply as entertainment. I guess what really touched me the most about this production of South Pacific was the realization that classical musical theatre and timeless talents like Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot still have a place on The Great White Way.
8) Wicked
Those who know me well know that my love for Wicked runs deep and may be surprised that it is not higher on my list of memorable theatre experiences. I think the reason is that I have seen it so many times, it must be 7 or 8 now, so the impact of my initial experience began to fade with each repeat visit. Because of this, I am a strong proponent of only seeing a show once if it has a strong effect on you the first time you see it. I saw Wicked for the first time in 2004 on Broadway. Most of the original cast had left by that time, including my idol Kristin Chenoweth, but Idina Menzel was still playing the role of Elphaba. I didn't know a lot about Wicked the first time I saw it, in fact I didn't know much about Broadway at all. While I had seen a lot of shows on their national tours as a youngster, Wicked was my first true Broadway show. I have a hard time deciphering what I remember from my first time seeing Wicked and what has been filled in by my repeat visits, but I do remember that the song For Good made a very profound impression on me. This representation of a friendship between two women was something that I had never seen in a musical before and it struck me as somewhat groundbreaking. I had the slightest inkling that this message of friendship would touch other people as it had me and that Wicked just might be the next big smash hit on Broadway. Well I think thousands of theatre-goers would agree with me and Wicked has become Broadway's juggernaut, running for 7 straight years to sold out houses at Broadway's Gershwin Theatre as well as several national touring companies, sit down productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and several international productions.
I think Idina Menzel said it best in her accetance speech for the 2004 TONY award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Elphaba when she exclaimed "I'm so proud to be in a show that celebrates women and our strengths and differences." I guess this aspect of the show is what has drawn me back to Wicked at least once a year since 2004. The universal message of friendship and accepting our differences speaks to the heart of every person. There are times in our lives when we relate more to Glinda and there are times when relate more with Elphaba, but nevertheless, we've all had close friendships that have grown from our differences and this show reminds us of how important those relationships truly are. Sure, we've all had our favorite Elphabas and Glindas and while many are still partial to the original cast, I actually prefer Stephanie J Block in the role of Elphaba and have grown to love Annaleigh Ashford's Glinda. But with every cast change on Broadway and around the world, the names of the actresses playing the lead characters become less important and the show itself has emerged as the true star.
7) A Little Night Music (revival)
I apologize now if I start gushing, but of my list of top 10 theatre experiences, the revival of A Little Night Music was my most recent show so it is incredibly fresh and vivid in my memory. This show was a highlight of my life as a theatre-goer for several reasons. First of all, it was my first experience with a Stephen Sondheim work live on stage, other than Sondheim on Sondheim, and I was certainly not disappointed. From the top of the overture the final waltz, I was enraptured by the intricacies of the music, eloquence of the text, and the actors' polished performances. I found myself humming in 3/4 time several days after seeing the show. I try to see as many theatrical productions as possible, particularly those with historical significance that have made a grand impact on the musical theatre canon, but perhaps the biggest draw for me was Bernadette Peters. I wanted to see A Little Night Music when Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury were playing Desire and Madame Armfeldt, but I simply had to see this production when Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch took over the lead roles.
I have been a big fan of Miss Peters since I started my vocal training. My voice professor in college was frustrated because I learned vocal technique very quickly, but she was having trouble teaching me to "act the song." Finally, she sent me home with a VHS copy of Sunday in the Park with George and said "watch Bernadette Peters and learn from her." At that moment I got it. I realized that in the musical theatre, one must deliver a song as the character rather than themselves and that that often means letting go of vocal technique in order to allow the characters' emotions to seep through. Because Miss Peters has had such a profound impact on my growth as an artist, I was delighted to finally have the chance to see her on stage.
I was literally shaking in my seat as the curtain rose in the Walter Kerr Theatre. The actors entered in darkness but the moment I saw her signature red curls, I knew that I was in the presence of my Bernadette. I expected to fall in love with Bernadette's performance, and I did, but I also fell in love with the entire company and the show as a whole. Elaine Stritch was perfection in her comic timing and Alexander Hanson was a debonair, yet vulnerable Frederick. The younger cast members sparkled as well from Leigh Ann Larkin's Petra with her 11 o'clock showstopper The Miller's Son to Erin Davie's Charlotte and her acerbic sense of humor. But the true highlight of the evening for me was Bernadette Peters' Send in the Clowns. This is arguably Sondheim's most well known song and I've heard it many times over, but never truly understood its meaning. But in the context of the show and this specific scene where Frederick rejects Desire's love despite their history, I began to realize the weight of this song. They realize that they are in two very different places and when Desire is finally ready to love Frederick, he has found another wife, and the only way she can cope with the tragedy of the situation is to fake humor. In this respect, the song is truly heartbreaking and while Bernadette was visibly crying during her performance, I was doing the same from my orchestra seat, for many reasons. Not only was I feeling sympathy for Desire and her grief, but I was thinking of how lucky I was to finally see my idol perform live. (This is the point where I gush) I started thinking of how inspirational Bernadette Peters is as a performer and how giving she is to the audience. She has had such a long, illustrious career and she could easily retire or focus on film and concert work, but she has given us all the gift of returning to the stage where I am certain that a whole new generation of theatre-goers are falling in love with her at every performance. As I watched Bernadette Peters in A Little Night Music, I said to myself, "I will never forget this performance," and I'm certain that I never will.
6) Next To Normal
I apologize for neglecting this blog series over the past few weeks. I've been trying to cover the start of the figure skating season but now that that is underway, I'm back to theatre! I lived in Manhattan in the summer of 2009 and made it my personal goal to see every musical on Broadway. After the TONY awards, I became interested in Next to Normal and decided to wait in line for rush tickets. I thought I'd be fine arriving at 9am for a 10am box office opening, but little did I know, that was much too late. I didn't get tickets and saw Rock of Ages that night instead. On the way home from that show, I passed the Booth Theatre and happened to bump into Alice Ripley. She asked if I'd seen the show that night and I was so starstruck I could barely speak, but eventually found the words to tell her I'd waited in line but didn't get tickets. I proudly announced that I planned to get in line at 5am the next week to ensure that I'd get tickets. Then, to my surprise, Alice hugged me and told me how much she loves her fans and that she is so proud to be in a show that people love enough to wait in line for hours for rush tickets. She even told me to friend her on facebook and tell her when I was coming to the show, which I may or may not have done.
The next Friday, I arrived at the Booth Theatre at 5am and was first in line. When the box office opened at 10am I was able to purchase front row orchestra seats for $20 and could not believe my luck. I treated myself to the full theatre experience that night including a nice dinner before curtain. I hadn't listened to the music prior to seeing the show as I wanted to experience it all that night and from the beginning notes of the prelude, I was completely enraptured. I normally fall in love with shows because the music speaks to my soul, and this show was a perfect example of that. I found the blend of soft, traditional musical theatre, with rock and folk music to be genius in getting to the essence of the Goodman family. In some productions, good music can mask a weak story or poorly written book, but this show was one of those rare occasions where all elements worked perfectly in harmony. I use this phrase often, but this show is truly a play with music, because even if the score were taken away, the characters are developed enough to tell a complete story. How this show lost the TONY for Best Musical to Billy Elliott still astounds and infuriates me. Alice Ripley, who did win a TONY for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Diana Goodman, a wife and mother suffering from bipolar disorder and depression was a complete tour de force. Patti LuPone once said that the most exciting performers to watch are those that are on the verge of spinning out of control. This describes Alice's performance perfectly. One minute she was in control of her voice and body and the next moment she wasn't and not only did that make her performance exciting, it made her portrayal of a mentally ill woman believable. While the other performers, J Robert Spencer as Dan, Kyle Dean Massey as Gabe, Jennifer Damiano as Natalie, Louis Hobson as the Doctors, and Adam Chanler-Berat as Henry were all fantastic, in my opinion they only served to support the character of Diana. While I think this show is stellar regardless of the casting, I think that Alice Ripley has become so iconic in this role that without her, it may not have much staying power on Broadway. In fact, now that Marin Mazzie has taken over the role, the show has all but posted its closing notice. But regardless of how much longer it lasts on Broadway, this show shed light on a topic previously untouched by musical theatre, developed a cult following, and truly touched a new generation of theatre-goers. And did I mention that it won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for drama?
5) Everyday Rapture
I must admit that there were two reasons that I bought tickets to see Everyday Raputre. 1) My good friend is a huge fan of Sherie Rene Scott and wanted somebody to see the show with her. 2) I am a Roundabout Theatre Club Hiptix member so I got really cheap tickets. I had heard about this Sherie Rene Scott person before and while I thought her voice was good, I assumed she was just your generic Broadway belter. Also, I though it was highly narcissistic to co-write and star in your own show and actually have it come to Broadway. Nevertheless, I went to the show, expecting to hear a lot of vocal tricks and riffing and see a lot of camp.
Now we reach the point where I eat my words. My expectations were shattered within the first five minutes and I was completely enraptured, no pun intended, by this tour de force of a performer. I've written several posts about this show already, including a formal review, so I'll post links to them.
I'll try not to repeat what I wrote in earlier posts, and now that its been a good four months since I saw the show, I would like to talk about my fond memories. This was a big theatre season for me as I got the chance to see my three Broadway idols, Bernadette Peters, Barbara Cook, and Kristin Chenoweth, onstage in the same summer. But as much as I adored seeing these ladies onstage, none of them gripped me quite the way that Sherie did. Patti LuPone once said that performers are most exciting when they toe the line between in control and out of control, which is the perfect way to describe Sherie in this show. She speaks directly to the audience at the top of the show, telling us she is playing a character also named Sherie Rene Scott who is 50% real and 50% imaginary. This is one of the few musicals I've seen where the book rises to match the music and two elements work seamlessly together to make a cohesive show. Being a one-act, the show moves forward and the momentum is never broken, allowing it reach a climax and eventually a point of catharsis for the audience. The supporting cast is used sparingly, making it the closest thing to a one-woman show since Liza worked the Palace two years ago. Being a singer myself, I have a great deal of respect for good belting and Sherie is a perfect example. It just happens so naturally from good breath control and projection, as opposed to those other belters (I'm not naming names) who sound like their faces are going to fall off when they go for a high F.
I could go on and on about her vocal technique and her acting skills, but what really struck me about Sherie Rene Scott, and the thing I remember most from Everyday Rapture, is how warm and giving she was. I've been to many performances where the actors phone it in, but Sherie's passion and love for the show just radiated throughout the theatre as she put every drop of herself into the performance. I went on such a journey with this character that I felt like I'd experienced a lifetime of her emotions all in an hour and a half. This show actually changed how I feel about theatre and elevated my standards of what makes a perfect musical. I made a big bold statement that Everyday Rapture was the only perfect new musical since Sunday in the Park with George.
Oh yeah, and did I cry? There was no eleven o'clock emotional ballad that instructed me to cry, but nevertheless the waterworks happened anyway, and it was during the final number, Up The Ladder To The Roof, an uptempo to be exact. And did I mention that song is also my ring tone? And every time my phone rings, its an Everyday memory of the Rapture.
4) Hair (Revival)
For five weeks straight in the summer of 2009 I played the ticket lottery for the Broadway revival of Hair almost everyday. It seemed that I would never win the ticket lottery, oddly enough I rarely lose Broadway ticket lotteries, so I heard about the standing room tickets and decided to go that route. Now I would never recommend standing for a Broadway show because I feel that it takes you out of the performance but for this show, it does the exact opposite. Because the cast members, or the tribe, frequently enter the audience and perform in the aisles, I felt like I was truly part of the performance. As I stood behind the last row of the orchestra, Alison Case (Crissy) gave me a flower and an invitation to a "be-in," Will Swenson (Berger) dove over me to get to the last row of the orchestra, and Darius Nichols (Hud) picked me up and carried me around when he made his Act II entrance.
I really didn't know what to expect when I saw the show for the first time, even though I had heard nothing but positive reactions and I really enjoyed the TONY awards performance. Because Hair is more of a concept musical than a traditional plot-driven show, I must admit that I had a bit of trouble following the story the first time I saw the show and it did not strike me the way I expected it would as I could not find a way to relate to the 1960s characters. Nevertheless I had a great time and loved the energy of the performance, especially when I got to go onstage during the finale dance party.
In the days following the performance, I could not get Hair out of my head and could not stop listening to the soundtrack. Then it hit me that Hair was not just about the 1960s, but rather it was about the power that young people can have when they are united as one. I have never really considered myself an activist but the message of this show, "Letting the Sun Shine In" seemed to relate so closely to many of the issues facing our nation today and I felt so compelled to do something with the passion I felt for this show.
The second time I saw the show on Broadway I was completely invested in everything the cast was doing and the composers were trying to say and I really "got it". When Gavin Creel, Hair's original Claude, began to promote the national march for equality in Washington DC within the Broadway community, I knew I had to be there. Going to the march on the national mall on October 11th, 2009 with all of my theatre friends was one of the most elating experiences of my entire life and it was on that day that I learned what it really meant to "Let the Sun Shine In".
During this time I was also working on my own creative project as a tribute to the youth movement portrayed so artfully in Hair. I was inspired to choreograph Levitating The Pentagon based on my research of the youth culture of the 1960s. While my piece was not meant to be a direct representation of what I saw and felt from Hair, I wanted to capture the show's community and self-empowerment themes in a different medium: postmodern dance.
I saw the Broadway production of Hair for a third time in May of this year with a new cast that was so much different than the original tribe while still maintaining the youthful energy and feeling of community. I was so happy to be back in the Al Hirschfeld theatre where I had been so inspired six months earlier, not only to create my own art, but to join a social movement. Seeing Hair with two friends who were new to the show was a particularly special experience as I again realized how magical this piece of art really is.
The Broadway production played its final performance on Sunday June 27th, 2010. While I, along with thousands of others, was so sad to see it go, I know that as this production embarks on its national tour it will continue to inspire new generations of starshines to become the change they want to see in their own world, whether that is in regard to politics, the environment, equality, or any other issue that they feel passion for. It began in Washington, DC on October 26th, 2011 and continues to spread love to all who are willing to receive it.
When the original production of Hair premiered on Broadway in April of 1968, it was revolutionary and when this revival opened in March of 2009, it compelled an entirely new generation of hippies to stand up for their beliefs the same way that their grandparents did in the 1960s. So I would like to thank James Rado, Gerome Ragni, and Galt MacDermot for having the courage to write a musical that challenged the status quo and Joe Papp and the Public Theatre for believing that theatre could inspire social change. You have taught us all that our differences make us beautiful and that we all possess, within ourselves, the power to change the world around us.
3) RENT
I am not here to call myself a RENT-head as I was not a part of the cult following that originated with the show circa 1996 (I was about 8 years old then) but the Jonathan Larson's masterpiece touched me just the same. I am quite embarrassed to say that I saw the movie before I saw the Broadway production, but nonetheless, the movie was my gateway to the show. It was March of 2006 and my senior year of high school when I took a trip to New York with my mom. I was obsessed with RENT's score and we tried to get tickets to the show, but because of the movie's popularity, tickets were hard to come by. We waited in freezing weather at TKTS but the only thing available was partial view. We had recently heard about the show's ticket lottery and decided we would try our hand at that. Our hotel concierge urged us to purchase tickets because the lottery was "nearly impossible" to win, but we thought we'd try our luck anyway.
I remember this like it was yesterday. My mom and I both wrote our names on sheets of paper and anxiously awaited the drawing. I could tell that most of the other people there that night were huge fans of the show and their love for RENT was infectious. Now I am not what I would consider a lucky person, but on that day something just felt right and sure enough, the first name drawn was mine! I couldn't keep from shaking as I handed the box office attendant the $40 to purchase my two front row tickets.
Now I don't know what I can say about RENT that hasn't already been said, but never in my life had I felt so much love and energy in one room. I have now seen the show several times, always from the front row as a lottery winner and I would never want to see it from anywhere else. There is really nothing like it, you feel like you are on stage with the actors and their energy is kinetic. This is one of those shows that has meant different things to me at different points in my life and what spoke to me then was the message "no day but today". It was a difficult time for me as I was preparing to choose a college and transition into a new phase in my life and the show's message really gave me the strength to seize these new opportunities. My first time seeing RENT is an experience that I will never forget and of all the theatre lotteries I've won over the years, this was truly the luckiest I've ever felt.
2) The Phantom of the Opera
When I was 4 years old I was visited by the angel of music and I was never the same. My aunt took me to the Kennedy Center's Opera House to see the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera and according to her stories, I was the most well behaved four-year-old that anyone in the audience had ever seen. I was completely mesmorized and though I've seen the show several times since then, I'll always remember my first. Come to think of it, wasn't "remember your first time" an ad slogan used to promote the show a few years ago? Anyway, it's becoming increasingly difficult for me to decipher my first memories of the show from more recent ones, but I certainly remember the specatacle, from the the Phantom's lair to the masquarade, and of course the falling chandelier. But above all else, I remember the music and that has lived with me for the past 18 years. I loved to listen to the original cast recording, I believe it was on cassette tape then, and I specifically remember running around my house singing the cadenza to "Think of Me" and the notes above the staff at the end of the title track, because I wanted to be Christine Daae. I was probably the only four year old in my neighborhood who know what a high C was.
While I have come to love many other musicals in my theatre-going career, The Phantom of the Opera will always be my first. And as a singer, I still love singing this score more than anything other piece of music I've ever learned. Though there are surely other musical theatre composers that I admire more, I will always credit Andrew Lloyd Webber with inspiring my love of the musical theatre, which has become for me, a love that never dies.
Showing posts with label south pacific. Show all posts
Showing posts with label south pacific. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Barbie's Showtune of the Day #16: I Could Have Danced All Night
This is one of my all time favorite showtunes and I'm actually surprised I haven't posted it yet. The version I'm uploading here actually isn't Julie Andrews. This video actually has a long introduction where New York Pops Music Director Steven Reineke discusses an evening of Lerner and Loewe music performed by Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, of South Pacific fame. At the end of the video, Kelli O'Hara, one of my musical idols, sings I Could Have Danced All Night. I think her rendition of this song is completely inspired and I'm going to say it for the millionth time, somebody needs to mount a Broadway revival of My Fair Lady starring Kelli O'Hara as Eliza Doolittle.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Kelli O'Hara in Concert at the Kennedy Center
I have been waiting for years to see Kelli O'Hara perform live, and when I attended her solo concert tonight at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, I was certainly not disappointed. She opened with He Loves Me, a tweaked version of the song She Loves Me. She then continued into Wonderful Guy from South Pacific and also sang a selection from Most Happy Fella. After the first two to three songs, Kelli addressed the audience. She seemed incredibly comfortable speaking to the audience and while she wasn't as funny as other performers I've seen in concert, she was incredibly sweet and charming in her own way, not to mention incredibly gracious. She told us that this was a new concert and it is the same she will be performing at her upcoming show at Feinstein's in New York. The theme of this concert was her growth as an artist and she began with ingénue songs and progressed into songs sung by more adult characters to reflect her maturity and life experience. She did a lovely rendition of Kurt Weill's My Ship and we were also privileged to hear The Beauty Is from The Light in the Piazza as her final ingénue number. She then continued into Something Wonderful from the King and I and an absolutely stunning rendition of This Nearly Was Mine. She spoke of how much she fell in love with this song hearing Paulo Szot perform it nightly in South Pacific. She even acknowledged that performing the song was a huge risk but I found it to be a phenomenal rendition. She then gave a small discussion of her appreciation for Sondheim, performing Finishing the Hat, and a song written for her by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey in the style of Sondheim for the brilliant composer's 80th birthday celebration. The one selection she chose from her solo album Wonder in the World, which is great I might add, was All The Way.
Kelli discussed the importance of family in her life, specifically her husband and son, and the balance it takes to be a mom and a performer. Everything she said was just so incredibly charming that I darn near fell in love with her! She then sang Opera-Country a number written for her by her musical director that discusses a country singer who secretly wants to be an opera star. This song made use of her lovely upper range and in its use of character voices and a somewhat autobiographical storyline, I found it quite similar to the Kristin Chenoweth standard The Girl in 14G. For her final number, Kelli performed West Side Story's Somewhere, which she also did two years ago for Barbra Streisand at the Kennedy Center Honors.
After tremendous applause and a standing ovation, she returned for an encore, I Could Have Danced All Night, which I thought was her best number. I've been saying for what seems like forever that she needs to play Eliza Doolittle in a Broadway revival of My Fair Lady and I stand by that choice.
In conclusion, I found Kelli's voice to be in tip top shape, and for someone who I admire primarily for her voice, this concert was the perfect medium for me to have my first live experience with Kelli. I could listen to her sing for hours. What I love about her is that her vocal training is definitely apparent, but when she sings, it sounds effortless. Singing clearly gives her great joy and it is very evident in her performance. And as for her stage presence? There were definitely times where her jokes didn't land or she didn't say exactly what she was meaning to say, but she is so darn sweet that you can't help but fall in love with her. I left the concert as an even bigger fan that I was when I arrived and from the mood in the theatre, she was a hit!
Friday, September 24, 2010
My Most Memorable Theatre Experiences: #9 South Pacific (2008 Revival)
Now while I have always said I'm an old soul, contrary to popular belief I was not around in 1949 for the original Broadway production of South Pacific. But you could have convinced me otherwise as the opening notes of the overture transported me to the 1940s when full orchestras and romance trumped rock scores and electronic music. When the stage retracted from the thrust to reveal the orchestra as they played excerpts from Bali Hai and Some Enchanted Evening, the water works began and continued throughout the opening sequence (did I mention I love a good cry at the theatre). The opening sequence of Cockeyed Optimist, Twin Soliloquies, and Some Enchanted Evening was enrapturing. Everything about the production was captivating, from the wonderful performances by Danny Burstein as Luther Billis and Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary and picture perfect direction of Bartlett Sher, to the visually stunning scenic and lighting designs. One of the most unique aspects of this experience, for me, was the fact that I was one of the youngest people in the audience of the Vivian Beaumont theatre that night. It felt so wonderful to be in the presence of a more mature generation that may indeed have seen the original production with Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, and above all, that truly maintained respect for the theatre as a venerated art form, and not simply as entertainment. I guess what really touched me the most about this production of South Pacific was the realization that classical musical theatre and timeless talents like Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot still have a place on The Great White Way.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
My Most Memorable Theatre Experiences
This was going to be a "favorite shows" post but I have way too many and I love them all for different reasons. Plus, there are some shows, like the Sound of Music & Carousel, that I've seen so many times on video that I feel like I've seen them live. So I decided to rank my top ten most memorable theatre experiences based on the initial impact I felt when I saw them live. For now I will just list the rankings, but throughout the week I'll write a separate entry for each show where I describe in detail how the show affected me.
1) A Chorus Line (revival)
2) The Phantom of the Opera
3) Rent
4) Hair (revival)
5) Everyday Rapture
6) Next to Normal
7) A Little Night Music (revival)
8) Wicked
9) South Pacific (revival)
10) The Lion King
1) A Chorus Line (revival)
2) The Phantom of the Opera
3) Rent
4) Hair (revival)
5) Everyday Rapture
6) Next to Normal
7) A Little Night Music (revival)
8) Wicked
9) South Pacific (revival)
10) The Lion King
Monday, August 23, 2010
Fun Fact of the Day: South Pacific becomes the longest running R&H revival
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Barbie's Showtune(s) of the Day #7: A South Pacific Medley
In honor of my girl Kelli O'Hara's return to South Pacific, I've chosen a medley of songs from the gorgeous revival as performed at the 2008 TONY awards. Enjoy her glorious voice and the rest of the amazing cast of South Pacific.
Fun Fact of the Day: Kelli O'Hara Returns to South Pacific
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Weekly Poll Results
Based on your votes last week, the winner for best male role in the musical theatre is a tie. Benjamin Barker/Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd and Bobby in Company each received 38% of the vote; both are roles in Stephen Sondheim shows. Coincidence? I think not. The leading men in the big British imports fell next in line with Jean Valjean in Les Miserables receiving 27% and the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera receiving 22%. The Music Man's Harold Hill came next at 16% followed by Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz with 11%, The King from The King and I with 5% and Billy from Billy Elliot, Emile de Becque from South Pacific and Claude from Hair tied for last with zero votes.
This week's poll will go up later this afternoon. All of you dancers out there will like this one...hint, hint.
This week's poll will go up later this afternoon. All of you dancers out there will like this one...hint, hint.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Our Musical Theatre Dream Roles, by The Democracy Diva and The BackStage Barbie
1. Mama Rose in Gypsy
I know this is one of the Backstage Barbie’s dream roles as well, so I’ll leave the lengthy descriptions of the brilliance of Mama Rose to her. But just know that this is absolutely, undoubtedly, the most important female character in the history of musical theatre. When I saw Patti LuPone perform as Rose, I found myself sobbing hysterically during “Rose’s Turn.” Not because it was sad, but because I couldn’t even believe that Patti was acting. I couldn’t believe she could emote like that – so raw, so pained, so angry, bitter, sad, resentful, desperate, passionate, ambitious – you don’t to be a stage mother (or a mother at all) to feel an unbelievable emotional connection to Mama Rose. She has more depth than any other character I’ve ever seen, and any belter could just dream of blaring out Mama’s notes at full voice.
2. Fanny Bryce in Funny Girl
As a female Jewish belter, it would be impossible for me to leave Fanny Bryce off my list. Played to perfection by the incomparable Barbra Streisand in the movie and original Broadway cast, Funny Girl’s upcoming revival is the current hot topic in the Broadway community. I won’t bother to go into details about how vocally incredible this role is; just listen to “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” and you’ll understand what I mean. Everyone can relate to Fanny’s drive and ambition and the struggles she faces, but Jewish girls with less-than-perfect noses feel a unique connection to her, and to Barbra. I’m not too bothered about who will play her in the revival, but I do hope it’s a Jewish girl who sings “Who’s an American beauty rose with an American beauty NOSE!”
3. Kate in The Wild Party
The only dream role I’ve had the incredible privilege to play, Kate enters the stage by proclaiming that prohibition can “shove it” as she pulls a flask out from her garter. As a supporting lead, Kate is used more as a device to further the plot than as the focus of the plot itself, but she also sings what I consider the greatest female belter song in modern musical theatre: “The Life of the Party.” A caricature of the 1920s vaudeville performer, Kate drinks to excess, snorts cocaine, seduces her friends, and is a diva in the truest sense of the word. Being Kate was absolutely thrilling; it made me feel as if there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish, and I’d give anything to play her again.
4. Cathy in The Last 5 Years
Cathy is possibly my saddest dream role, because I am far, far too Jewish to play this “shiksa goddess.” But she’s a dream role none the less. She is incredibly real and incredibly relatable – her story is not one of trying to drag her children or herself into show biz or vaudeville; there’s no exaggerations, it’s not over-the-top or showy. Cathy is just a woman in love with a man; and she tells her story beautifully, through tearful ballads and brassy, jazzy tunes. A high belter, the role of Cathy is incredibly vocally demanding, but listen to “I Can Do Better Than That” and you’ll understand why she’s the best.
5. Maureen in Rent
Sometimes your first dream role sticks with you forever. And when I was eleven years old, I knew that I wanted to play Maureen. Who needs to be in Act I when “Christmas Bells” serves as the build-up to your epically divalicious first line: “Joanne, which way to the stage?” And she more than makes up for lost time by immediately diving into “Over the Moon,” kissing her girlfriend and showing her ass during “La Vie Boheme,” and belting like there’s no tomorrow in “Take Me or Leave Me.” This role catapulted Idina Menzel into the spotlight and made her the stuff of Broadway legends; Maureen is by no means the largest or most powerful role in the show, but nobody has more fun than Ms. Maureen Johnson.
The Diva's Honorable Mentions:
6. Moritz in Spring Awakening
Yes. I would rather play Moritz than Wendla. Moritz is by far the most interesting character in the show, and while I loved everything about Spring Awakening, nothing struck me as much as John Gallagher Jr.’s portrayl of this tragic figure. Moritz truly makes you laugh and cry, and he steals the show from the rest of the impeccably talented cast because he has this angsty rock star in his soul just bursting out of him. Moritz’s self-doubt is universal, and his expressive rock anthems are incredible to listen to and to watch. I’d give anything to be screaming “Don’t Do Sadness” into that microphone, red lights flashing around me.
7. Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch
It’s confusing to be a girl wanting to play a man who dresses as a woman, but so is life. Hedwig is a post-op transgender punk rock singer from East Berlin, Germany; the rock score tells stories of her botched sexual reassignment surgery, her rejection by the boy she loves, her incredible passion for music and performance, the impact of the fall of the Berlin wall on her youth, and her desperate, starving need for attention. (She’s the East German Lady Gaga, if Lady Gaga used to have a penis.) The music is different from every other rock musical in that it is indistinguishable from actual rock musical. Nothing about it feels like musical theatre; while watching Hedwig, you’re undoubtedly at a rock concert. Hedwig is a refugee, a victim of abuse, a so-called sexual deviant, a songwriter, and a cutthroat, angry woman who has faced an incredible amount of pain. But she has a soft side, as evidenced by the chilling and inspiring song, “The Origin of Love.”
The Backstage Barbie's (@barbiebackstage) Dream Roles:
1. Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera
I fell in love with the role of Christine when I saw The Phantom of the Opera, my first Broadway show, at the tender age of four. I was completely captivated by those glorious high notes written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, specifically for the original Christine, Sarah Brightman. I used to run around my house attempting to sing the high E-flat at the end of the title track and although I'm sure it didn't sound great, those notes were inspiration nonetheless. When I began to study classical voice technique and decided to focus on training my head voice, my goal was that high E-flat because it was a requirement for the role of Christine. To this day, reaching that E-flat, and now the G above it, is the greatest milestone in my vocal training. I love that Christine has such a difficult decision to make, between Raoul and the Phantom, which torments her throughout the entire show. She loves that Raoul is safe, but has always felt pulled toward the Phantom for helping her find the power of her voice. While the Phantom's name is in the title, I have always felt that the show was really Christine's story.
2. Glinda in Wicked
Anybody who knows me knows that this role is a given for me. I have dreamed of playing Glinda since the first time I saw her descend from the rafters of the Gershwin theatre in her bubble and that dream has lingered with me ever since. I love that Glinda gets to sing all over the map, from the coloratura notes in the opening numbers of each act, to the pop belt in Popular and the heartfelt duet For Good with Elphaba. The most extraordinary thing about this show is that it truly celebrates two powerful women and the strengths and the differences that allow them to succeed in their own ways. This is a piece about friendship, which is actually quite rare on Broadway. While Glinda may seem the more shallow of the two witches, I find that she actually undergoes a deep transformation from a spoiled, selfish girl to a strong-willed, independent woman who learns to think for herself and make her own choices.
3. Nellie in South Pacific
As a soprano with the look of an ingenue, I've always found the Rogers and Hammerstein shows to suit me very well. While some of their shows are quite fluffy, I always thought of South Pacific as delving a bit deeper and being quite revolutionary for it time in its discussion of racial tension and ultimately acceptance. Nellie gets to sing some of the best songs every written, from Wonderful Guy to Cockeyed Optimist. In the roles that I love, I tend to be drawn to strong, take charge women and Nellie, a World War II military nurse is certainly one of those. While she appears to be bubble gum sweet on the surface, she actually has her own deeply rooted issues as she was brought up to judge those of different races. She eventually overcomes this and learns to love Emile de Becque's bi-racial children as her own. This role is particularly special to me because my great-grandmother's name was Nellie and the two actually have a lot in common: courage, compassion, and moxie.
4. Val in A Chorus Line
Anyone who has ever seen A Chorus Line knows that Val has the foul mouth of a sailor, but is really just a sweetheart. Now I'm not saying that this necessarily describes me, but it would be so fun to play. First things first, this show celebrates dancers, and dancing has always been my first love. This was the first musical that led me to tears, and not just a few tears, I cried buckets because of its message of the importance of dance and the sacrifice that dances make: "what we do for love." What attracts me to Val is that she puts on a tough girl act to mask her fear in the audition, which is something all dancers can relate to. And most of all, it would be pure enjoyment to sing "Dance Ten, Looks Three" and play that bawdy, sassy character on stage eight times a week.
5. Mama Rose in Gypsy
Like the Democracy Diva, and probably every other actress in the musical theatre, I dream of one day playing Mama Rose, the ultimate stage mother. Its been said that this is the greatest role for an actress in the entire musical theatre repertoire and I have to say that is correct. She is a character that is so well written with depth and emotion, but also allows for great interpretation by the actress given the opportunity to take her on. There is something so incredible about her resilience because even though June, whom she poured all her loved and attention into, leaves her at the end of act I, she is able to quickly switch gears in order to focus on making Louise a star. Rose gives up everything in her life to try to make her daughters actresses, even the chance to have a normal, comfortable life with Herbie as a husband. But she cannot shake the dream of getting her family into the spotlight and when Louise becomes a burlesque star and realizes she doesn't need her mother anymore, everything comes crashing down. This results in Rose's Turn, which I believe to be the single greatest song every written for the musical theatre. There is nothing more heartbreaking than Mama Rose, in all her desperation, shouting "I had a dream, I dreamed it for you June, it wasn't for me Herbie, and if it wasn't for me, then where would you be, Miss Gypsy Rose Lee." While the Democracy Diva cites Patti LuPone's performance in this song as the most thrilling, I prefer Bernadette Peters' rendition. What I love about Peters' performance is that she has an inherent sex appeal in the song, which makes it very believable to the audience that Mama Rose really could have been a star if she would have focused on her own career instead of her children. And since I am not a belter, I love that Bernadette was able to find a way to give a powerhouse performance in the role while mixing into her head voice.
The Barbie's Honorable Mentions:
The Barbie's Honorable Mentions:
6. Cunegonde in Candide
I love that this show is a musical, operetta, and a farce all wrapped in one, which happens to showcase my greatest strengths as a performer. And after spending a great deal of time with my voice teacher mastering Cunegonde's aria Glitter & Be Gay, I would love the opportunity to sing it in the show.
7. A trio of Sondheim roles (because I love the music so much to choose just one)
Cinderella, Into the Woods
Song: No One Is Alone
Desiree, A Little Night Music
Song: Send In the Clowns
Sally, Follies
Song: Losing My Mind, In Buddy's Eyes
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
My Fave Five Broadway Sopranos
Kelli O'HaraThis southern gal is a product of the same teacher, Florence Birdwell of Oklahoma City University, that produced Kristin Chenoweth. She is best known for her Tony nominated roles: Clara in The Light In The Pizza, Babe in The Pajama Game, and Nellie in South Pacific. Her earlier Broadway work shows off her light, sweet, airy sound, but her later work and her solo album, Wonder in the World, demonstrate that there is more to this girl than blonde hair and high notes. There is genuine soul behind that glorious voice. Because her voice and her look are so classical, she seems more inclined to revivals and I think that if My Fair Lady is ever revived on Broadway, the role of Eliza Doolittle just may be her ticket to finally winning that TONY. Listen to the title track of The Light in the Piazza for a taste of Kelli's impeccable control and sweeping vibrato.
Audra McDonaldTelevision fans will know her as Dr. Naomi Bennet on ABC's Private Pactice, but theatre fans know she is a Broadway Baby at heart. She is a classically trained soprano from Julliard. Many know her as a belter, which is not untrue, but her power in her lower register actually comes from her soprano training.She performed an unthinkable feat, winning 3 TONY awards in 5 years as Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel(1994), Sharon in Master Class (1996), and Sarah in Ragtime (1998). She won a 4th TONY in 2004, portraying the role of Ruth Younger in A Raisin in the Sun. She shares the title of "4-time TONY winner" with legends like Gwen Verdon and Mary Martin. She continues to perform concerts worldwide, specializing in opera and classical song cycles. My personal favorite Audra recording is "Your Daddy's Son" from Ragtime.
Julie Andrews
Perhaps the most well known of these 5 sopranos, Julie Andrews captured the hearts of audiences world-wide on film as Mary in Mary Poppins and Maria in The Sound of Music. Her stage highlights include My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Victor/Victoria. Vocally, she is known for her crisp diction and perfect pitch. Unfortunately, in recent years, she has been limited to non-singing roles due to a botched throat surgery that rendered her singing voice unusable. But she has continued to perform in films and her speaking voice is just as fluid and mesmerizing as when she had the use of vibrato. And we will always remember her as the silvery-voiced soprano we fell in love with. The title track from The Sound of Music is a classic Julie Andrews piece that is not to be missed.
Kristin Chenoweth
Anybody who has ever met me knows that Kristin Chenoweth is my idol. I've loved her ever since I began to study voice and found that I too was a soprano. I thought that only belters could have Broadway careers until I began following Kristin's career and then I decided I wanted to be just like her. Her Broadway highlights are certainly her performances as Glinda in Wicked and her TONY winning turn as Sally in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown where she showed off her upper register and her belting capabilities that, like in Audra's case, stem from her classical training. As Cunegonde in Candide, she showed off her coloratura range in what every soprano considers the most demanding song written for the musical theatre, Glitter & Be Gay. She is currently showing a darker side to her performance in the revival of Promises, Promises and though it is great to hear her sing the classic Burt Bacharach tunes, I miss hearing those great high C's, otherwise known as the "cheno note". "The Girl in 14G," written specifically for Kristin by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan is a shining example of her abilities to shift from operatic arias to jazz riffs and belting all in one song.
Barbara CookAnd last but not least, the woman who has inspired every soprano in the musical theatre, the Queen herself, Barbara Cook. Her earliest roles were in the ingenue category, from her TONY winning portrayal of Marian in The Music Man to originating the role of Cunegonde in Bernstein's operetta Candide. After a hiatus from Broadway, Cook embarked upon a very successful cabaret and concert career. She has also become known as one of the greatest living interpreters of Stephen Sondheim's work and made a triumphant return to the Broadway stage this season in the musical Sondheim on Sondheim where she delivered sensational versions of In Buddy's Eyes, Not A Day Goes By, and Send In The Clowns. Although her voice has dropped a bit over the years and she no longer has her high E-flats, she will always be the singer that all other sopranos try to live up to. There is no song in the musical theatre that is more spectacular than Barbara Cook singing "Glitter & be Gay".
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