Author Archives: David Fick

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About David Fick

teacher + curator + writer + director + performer = (future maker + ground shaker) x (big thinker + problem shrinker) x (go getter + detail sweater)

The Saturday List: Without a Hurt, the Heart is Hollow – or, Five Things I Learned from THE FANTASTICKS

Posted on May 3, 2025 by David Fick

Today marks the anniversary of THE FANTASTICKS opening Off-Broadway in 1960. It became the world’s longest-running musical – and, for me, a creative turning point. In this week’s Saturday List, I reflect on five things I learned while assistant directing and choreographing a 2002 production of the show at UCT – lessons that still shape how I make theatre and live life. Continue reading →

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The Saturday List: 5 Reasons COMPANY Still Says “I Do” – and 5 Why It Could Head for Divorce Court

Posted on April 26, 2025 by David Fick

To celebrate the anniversary of its opening on Broadway, we’re proposing five reasons COMPANY still says “I do” to its audiences — and another five that might just see it headed for divorce court. Continue reading →

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The Saturday List: 5 Ways FUN HOME Still Rings True at 10

Posted on April 19, 2025 by David Fick

Ten years ago today, Fun Home opened on Broadway. Although it had already hit a home run Off-Broadway, the transfer of this memory-fuelled chamber musical to the Main Stem reminded us of something important: an innovative and intimate musical could … Continue reading →

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The Saturday List: A Space Race for Yuri’s Night!

Posted on April 12, 2025 by David Fick

April 12th is the International Day of Human Space Flight, the annual celebration of the first human space flight by Yuri Gagarin established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011. As such, we’re going to get into the spirit of Yuri’s Night and list a veritable solar system of musicals – actually, just five – which take place in space or directly involve space travel. Continue reading →

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The Saturday List: Top 10 Musicals That Explore the Human Conscience

Posted on April 5, 2025 by David Fick

Today is the International Day of Conscience, the fifth anniversary of this global day of awareness established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 and first observed in 2020. In honour of this remarkable day, Musical Cyberspace is curating a list of ten musicals that delve deep into the moral and ethical dilemmas that individuals and societies face. After all, if we accept that musical theatre is a medium capable of exploring complex themes, is any theme more profound at this moment in history than the human conscience as people worldwide grapple with their own values and the complexities of what’s right and what’s wrong. Continue reading →

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The Saturday List: All 11 Best Musical Tony Award Winners of The 1940s and 1950s Ranked From Worst To Best

Posted on August 10, 2024 by David Fick

The 1940s and 1950s were a golden era for Broadway, a time when the Best Musical Tony Award recognized some of the most iconic shows ever staged. But not all winners are created equal. In this weekend’s Saturday List, we’re ranking all the Best Musical Tony Award winners from these two decades, from the most forgettable to the truly timeless, taking into account their cultural impact, musical innovation and audience reception over time. Continue reading →

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The Saturday List: Five Broadway-Bound Musicals That Never Made It

Posted on August 3, 2024 by David Fick

As musical theatre fans, we all know that not every promising show makes it to Broadway. Some musicals, despite having intriguing concepts, talented creators and even developmental productions, never quite manage to reach the Main Stem. This week’s “The Saturday List” dives into five such musicals – shows that had the potential to be Broadway hits but ultimately fell short. Join us as we explore the stories behind these ambitious productions and what kept them from making their Broadway bows. Continue reading →

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Forgotten Musicals Friday: Ready to Cast Your Vote for MR. PRESIDENT?

Posted on August 2, 2024 by David Fick

With Kamala Harris set to face off against Donald Trump this November, is MR. PRESIDENT the kind of satirical show that would be a pertinent reflection of the times? For this week’s Forgotten Musicals Friday, let’s put together a campaign for this politically-tinged musical to see whether it gets our vote. Continue reading →

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The Saturday List: What’s in a Name, Mr Sondheim?

Posted on July 27, 2024 by David Fick

For this week’s Saturday List, I thought it might be fun to take a look at songs with people’s names in the title from shows where Stephen Sondheim wrote lyrics were set to other composers’ music. Continue reading →

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Forgotten Musicals Friday: Did the Quirky Mix of 16th Century Romance and 80s Pop in HEAD OVER HEELS Really Have the Beat?

Posted on July 26, 2024 by David Fick

For this week’s Forgotten Musicals Friday, we’re turning our spotlight onto a more recent and unusual show: HEAD OVER HEELS. Yes, it’s a bit of a stretch to call something that opened and closed only a few years ago “forgotten,” but with a mere 164 performances, this musical barely had time to etch itself into Broadway’s collective memory to earn itself the title. Continue reading →

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