Author Archives: boz

Today in Musical History: High School Musical

Posted on January 20, 2021 by boz

The made-for-TV film High School Musical premiered Jan. 20, 2006, on Disney Channel. The plot is a modern version of Romeo and Juliet about high school juniors Troy and Gabriella from rival cliques. Troy, a basketball team captain, and Gabriella, … Continue reading →

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Broadway Birthday: Michael Crawford

Posted on January 19, 2021 by boz

Happy Birthday to Tony-winning performer Michael Crawford, born Jan. 19, 1942, in Salisbury, England. He made his stage debut in his school production of Benjamin Britten’s Let’s Make an Opera, which transferred to London’s Brixton Town Hall. He spent the … Continue reading →

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Write Out Loud Songwriting Competition

Posted on January 19, 2021 by boz

Write Out Loud, cofounded by Mean Girls Tony nominee Taylor Louderman, has announced their third annual songwriting contest for new musical theater composers and lyricists. A team of adjudicators will review submissions this spring, three songs will be selected to … Continue reading →

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Today in Musical History: 7 Rings

Posted on January 18, 2021 by boz

Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings,” the second single from her album Thank U, Next, was released Jan. 18, 2019. Grande and several others cowrite the song, which contains an interpolation of “My Favorite Things” from the 1959 Broadway show The Sound … Continue reading →

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Today in Musical History: Forbidden Broadway

Posted on January 15, 2021 by boz

The original version of the long-running revue Forbidden Broadway opened Jan. 15, 1982, at Palsson’s Supper Club in New York City. It upgraded from Off-Off-Broadway to Off-Broadway status on May 4 and ran for 2,332 more performances at the venue. … Continue reading →

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2020 Kennedy Center Honors

Posted on January 14, 2021 by boz

The Kennedy Center Honors announced on Wednesday that the lifetime artistic achievement recipients for its 43rd ceremony are Debbie Allen, Joan Baez, Garth Brooks, Midori, and Dick Van Dyke. The 2020 ceremony, traditionally held in early December, was postponed until May 2021 … Continue reading →

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Broadway Birthday: Matthew Bourne

Posted on January 13, 2021 by boz

Happy Birthday to Tony-winning choreographer-director Matthew Bourne, born Jan. 13, 1960, in Hackney, London. He directed various amateur dance companies during his teens and enrolled at the Laban Center in Deptford, London, where he earned a degree in dance theater. … Continue reading →

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Broadway Birthday: André De Shields

Posted on January 12, 2021 by boz

Happy Birthday to Tony-winning performer André De Shields, born Jan. 12, 1946, in Baltimore. He earned his bachelor’s at Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison in 1970 and began his professional career in Chicago, before moving to New York. He made his Broadway … Continue reading →

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Today in Musical History: An American in Paris

Posted on January 11, 2021 by boz

The Oscar-winning film An American in Paris, the pinnacle of MGM’s Freed Unit musicals, received its wide release on Jan. 11, 1952. The story centers around expat painter Jerry, who has moved to Paris after WWII and is quickly caught in … Continue reading →

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Broadway Birthday: James Lapine

Posted on January 10, 2021 by boz

Happy Birthday to Pulitzer-winning writer-director James Lapine, born Jan. 10, 1949, in Mansfield, Ohio. He earned his bachelor’s from Franklin and Marshall College and his master’s from Cal Arts. He then worked as a photographer, graphic designer, and professor at … Continue reading →

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