Second TANGLED Trailer

Posted on September 24, 2010 by David Fick

The second trailer for Disney’s Tangled has been released:

All in all, this leaves me feeling better about the film than I did after the previous trailer. Although I’m still not won over by the look of the film as a whole, there are some stunning shots to be seen here. Maybe some last minute tinkering has been done. Guess we’ll have to wait until November to see what finally hits the screens.

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SAVED Again: Revised Show Opens at KCRT

Posted on September 19, 2010 by David Fick
The film version of SAVED!

The film version of SAVED!

A revised version of the Off-Broadway musical Saved opens tonight at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre for a run that will continue until 3 October 2010. Based on the film, the 2004 show features a book by John Dempsey and Rinne Groff, with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman.

Saved deals with a group of Christian high school students seeking acceptance and inclusion as they search for meaning in their complicated lives. About the revisions, director Gary Griffin has said that the Off Broadway version was like a ‘good first draft’ and that ‘it would be a shame to stop (working on the show) when we were just discovering the musical’s strengths.’ Gary Griffin talks about the show in the clip below:

The cast is led by Felicia Finley as Lillian, Graham Rowat as Pastor Mike and Nick Spangler as Patrick. The cast also features Patrick Andrews as Roland, Izzie Baldwin as Tia, Justis Bolding as Hilary Faye, Doogin Brown as Mitch, Gillian Goldberg as Cassandra, Laura Huizenga as Mary, David Hull as Dean and Emily Peterson as Lana.

Here’s a sneak peek of the show at KC:

Booking information is available from the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s official website.

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Andrea McArdle in BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE…

Posted on September 19, 2010 by David Fick

Here’s a great clip of Andrea McArdle singing “Doatsy Mae” from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Gosh, how I’d love to see a revival of this show with McArdle as Miss Mona.

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Charlie Chaplin in the LIMELIGHT Once More

Posted on September 19, 2010 by David Fick
CHARLIE CHAPLIN

CHARLIE CHAPLIN

Limelight, the new musical based on the life story of Charlie Chaplin, opens at La Jolla Playhouse tonight for a run through 17 October. The show has music and lyrics by Christopher Curtis, with a book by Curtis and Broadway veteran Thomas Meehan, whose successes include Annie, Hairspray and The Producers.

Limelight advertises itself as a captivating close-up on the man who changed motion pictures forever. Charlie Chaplin came to America an unknown and left amidst scandals and controversy. In between, he became one of the best-loved and most famous entertainers in the world. From the gritty streets and smoky music halls of London to movie screens across the globe, the show goes behind the camera to show how a comic genius found soaring success and later fell from grace. Chaplin is played by Robert McClure, with Ashley Brown taking the role of his wife, Oona.

The principle cast is rounded out by LJ Benet as Young Sydney, Jenn Colella as Hedda Hopper, Eddie Korbich as Karno, Brooke Sunny Moriber as Mildred, Ron Orbach as Mr. Chaplin, Roland Rusinek as Alf, Jake Schwenke as Young Charlie/Jackie and Matthew Scott as Sydney. The ensemble features Aaron Acosta, Courtney Corey, Matthew Patrick Davis, Justin Michael Duval, Sara Edwards, Ben Liebert, Alyssa Marie, Jennifer Noble, Kürt Norby, Carly Nykanen, Jessica Reiner-Harris and Kirsten Scott.

The production has been directed by Warren Carlyle and Michael Unger, with Carlyle also have staged the choreography. More information can be found at the La Jolla Playhouse website.

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CARRIE to Return to Broadway

Posted on September 17, 2010 by David Fick
NOT SINCE CARRIE

CARRIE was such a flop that it even has a book about flops named for it!

BroadwayWorld is reporting that one of the legendary flops of musical theatre, Carrie, will most likely return to Broadway soon – following another workshop, which itself follows several readings over the past year or so. Some of the key information from the article, which can be read in full by following this link, is as follows:

I believe they are going to try (bring the show back to Broadway)…. I know that they’ve spent a lot of time rewriting. Dean [Pitchford, the lyricist] has been in a lot over the summer. They’ve rewritten the entire second act. They’ve put a lot of work into it!

Maybe this will finally be a Carrie that lovers of musical theatre can embrace for the right reasons!

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Farewell to Lillias White as FELA! Welcomes Patti LaBelle

Posted on September 12, 2010 by David Fick
FELA!

FELA!

Today will see Lillias White give her last two performances as Funmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti, the mother of the titular character in the hit Broadway musical, Fela! White has been with the show since its Broadway opening on 19 October 2009 and performed the role to critical acclaim, earning herself a Tony nomination along the way.

Grammy Award winner Patti LaBelle, who performed in the show twice last week, will officially take over performances of the role on 14 September. LaBelle will stay with the show through its closing on 2 January 2011.

Fela! tells the story of the extravagant, decadent and rebellious Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Using his pioneering music, which blends jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies, the show is an exciting blend of traditional musical theatre with contemporary Pan African performance styles. See it before it closes!

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Take A LEAP OF FAITH: Previews Start Tonight

Posted on September 11, 2010 by David Fick
LEAP OF FAITH

To purchase the DVD of the original LEAP OF FAITH film, click on the image above.

Previews for the world premiere run of the Alan Menken-Glenn Slater-Janus Cercone musical, Leap of Faith, start tonight. With opening officially set for the 3rd of October, the show is playing at the Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.

Telling the tale of a part-time reverend and full-time con artist, Jonas Nightengale (played by Raúl Esparza), whose traveling ministry breaks down in a small Kansas town, the show deals with what happens when Nightengale, along with his sister-sidekick (played by Kendra Kassebaum), quickly pitches a tent and invites the locals to a revival to line his pocket with what he needs. The local sheriff, Will Braverman (played by Jarrod Emick) is determined to stop Jonas from separating the townspeople from their money, but Jonas’ real challenge arises when he meets a pretty waitress (played by Brooke Shields) and her son (played by Nicholas Barasch), whose love forces an ultimate cynic to take a real leap of faith. Other principal roles are taken by Kecia Lewis-Evans and Leslie Odom, Jr.

The ensemble comprises Brad Anderson, Bradley Benjamin, Tom Berklund, Christopher Bones, Krystal Joy Brown, Ta’Rea Campbell, Eric L. Christian, Michelle Duffy, Harvey Evans, Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, Jennie Ford, Bob Gaynor, Angela Grovey, Shannon Lewis, Michael X. Martin, Maurice Murphy, Anise E. Ritchie, Darcie Roberts, Bryce Ryness, Ariel Shepley, C.E. Smith, Alex Michael Stoll, Dennis Stowe, Katherine Tokarz, Brandon Wardell, Karl Warden, Natalie Willes and Charlie Williams.

Based on the Paramount Pictures film of the same name, the production is directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford. Although there have been whispers of a Broadway production to follow this one, no official announcement to that effect has been made. In the meantime, here is a preview of the show, which makes things sound like Menken is in top form:

More information can be found at the Center Theater Group website

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Ethel Merman sings “Ten Cents a Dance”

Posted on September 4, 2010 by David Fick

Here’s a video of Ethel Merman singing Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s “Ten Cents a Dance” from Simple Simon. I pity the tough guy who would try to ‘tear her gown’. She looks like she’d deck him and do some serious damage in the process!

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Top Ten Movie Musicals: 2010 Edition

Posted on August 8, 2010 by David Fick

What are your Top 10 Movie Musicals – right now at this exact point in time. These are mine – off the top of my head and places in alphabetical order. The links will take you to Amazon.com should you wish to take my recommendations to heart and build up your movie musical collection!

Top 10 Original Movie Musicals

1. All That Jazz
2. An American in Paris
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Gigi
5. Mary Poppins
6. Meet Me in St Louis
7. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
8. Singin’ in the Rain
9. A Star is Born
10. The Wizard of Oz

Top 10 Stage-to-Screen Musicals

1. Cabaret
2. Chicago
3. Dancer in the Dark
4. Dreamgirls
5. Fiddler on the Roof
6. Little Shop of Horrors
7. The King and I
8. Oliver!
9. The Sound of Music
10. South Pacific

Anyone want to share their lists? Stage productions filmed for TV or video and TV movies don’t count for this one!

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Crazy Concepts for Classic Shows: the Sondheim Edition

Posted on July 12, 2010 by David Fick
Company

COMPANY

Sometimes “crazy concepts” – ideas that attempt to breathe new life in to classic musicals – make it all the way into production. Although some of these concepts are not necessarily “crazy”, but merely unconventional, here are a couple done for Stephen Sondheim musicals that certainly fall into the “crazy” category. These come courtesy of a poster at Musicals Dot Net, known as “Annie”:

I went to the Stephen Sondheim conversation with Frank Rich at Lincoln Center in January… and they spoke/laughed briefly about some crazy productions of his shows that have been done…:

Sondheim: I heard about some university on the west coast doing Company and having Bobby commit suicide at the end.

Rich: So much for “Being Alive”.

Sondheim: *laughs for ages*

One wishes so that proper transcripts of these discussions with Frank Rich were readily available. The closest thing I could find for this particular session was in the “Showtime!” blog at BroadwayWorld, which has it as follows:

Michael Dale wrote:
“Then there was a production of Company where Bobby shot himself at the end.” (Rich’s response: “He shot himself after ‘Being Alive’?”)

The anecdote is a lovely one and, of course, one wonders what the director thought was illuminated in the show itself by his/her concept, particularly with such a glaring inconsistency at the end of the show. I guess it was meant to be ironic…

Annie wrote:
Sondheim… also heard about a production of Merrily We Roll Along that they did backwards.

And, rightfully so, he was completely offended by it:

Stephen Sondheim wrote:
Hofstra College once played Merrily backwards. We didn’t find out until it was over or else we would have been there with the sheriff and shotguns.

What a bizarre choice, especially for a college, where one would assume that unconventionally styled (musical) theatre has a place even if it does not have one anywhere else!

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