A Capitol Fourth 2021

Posted on July 6, 2021 by boz

Tony nominee Vanessa Williams hosted the 41st annual PBS broadcast of A Capitol Fourth, celebrating America’s 245th Independence Day. In lieu of the traditional live concert on the Capitol’s West Lawn, this year’s performances were recorded, but the fireworks were live. In addition to Williams, the evening featured a number of stage performers, including Tony winners Cynthia Erivo and Ali Stroker (who sang “A Million Dreams” from the film The Greatest Showman) and Tony nominees Renée Fleming and Laura Osnes (who sang the Gershwin film classic “Our Love Is Here to Stay” from The Goldwyn Follies).

Also on the roster were Broadway headliner Jennifer Nettles (who sang “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” from Oklahoma!, accompanied by Broadway Inspirational Voices) and Moana star Auli’i Cravalho (who sang “A Whole New World” from Aladdin). 

Other musical film and stage songs were offered by the a cappella group Pentatonix (who sang “Seasons of Love” from Rent) and by Kermit the Frog (who sang the Oscar-nominated “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie).

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On an Island in the River

Posted on July 4, 2021 by boz

On June 19 and 20, Broadway Inspirational Voices presented Broadway Our Way LIVE: On an Island in the River at Little Island, New York City’s newest public park. Broadway.com live-streamed the event on June 30 and has now made it available for free viewing. The night was a celebration of BIV founder and outgoing artistic director Michael McElroy, a Little Island artist in residence. Schele Williams co-directed the evening, which featured incoming artistic director Allen René Louis and guest artists such as Tony winner Phylicia Rashad, Tony nominees Daniel J. Watts and Norm Lewis, Broadway veterans Garen Scribner and Jennifer Nettles, and more. The song list included popular covers from the BIV’s Broadway Our Way web series plus new arrangements that added a gospel twist to show tunes from Aladdin, The Bridges of Madison County, Mean Girls, Tuck Everlasting, The Prom, Hamilton, and more.

https://youtu.be/0GNBCTph6Mw

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Cinderella Preview

Posted on July 1, 2021 by boz

Amazon Prime Video has released the first official teaser for its upcoming musical Cinderella. A modern take on the traditional fairy tale by Charles Perrault, the film follows a young Cinderella who lives with her not-so-evil stepmother and stepsisters. Principal photography began in February 2020 but was suspended a month later due to the pandemic. Production resumed in August 2020 and ended the following month. The film will be available for streaming on September 3, 2021.

The film is written and directed by Kay Cannon, based on an idea from James Corden, who produced the film through Fulwell 73 with Leo Pearlman, Jonathan Kadin, and Shannon McIntosh. Other creative team members include Jessica Weiss (music), Stacey Schroeder (editing), Paul Kirby (production design), Kathryn Pyle (art direction), Ellen Mirojnick (costumes), and Keith Harrison (music direction).

The cast includes Camila Cabello (in her acting debut as Cinderella), Billy Porter (godparent Fab G), Idina Menzel (stepmother Vivian), Maddie Baillio and Charlotte Spencer (Stepsisters), Nicholas Galitzine (Prince Robert), Minnie Driver (Queen Beatrice), Pierce Brosnan (King Rowan), and James Corden, John Mulaney, and Romesh Ranganathan (Footmen).

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Schmigadoon! Preview

Posted on June 28, 2021 by boz

Apple TV+ has released the first trailer for its original musical parody Schmigadoon!, which will premiere July 16 on the service. The series, co-created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, stars sketch veterans Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as a backpacking couple who stumble into a town stuck in the world of 1940s Golden Age musicals — like Brigadoon. Paul also wrote the original songs for the series, and Barry Sonnenfeld directs. 

The cast of townsfolk includes Tony winners Kristin Chenoweth (Mrs. Layton), Alan Cumming (Mayor Menlove), Jane Krakowski (The Countess), Martin Short (Leprechaun) as well as Tony nominees Ariana DeBose (Emma Tate) and Aaron Tveit (Danny Bailey), in addition to Broadway veterans Dove Cameron (Betsy McDonough), Ann Harada (Mrs. Menlove), Jaime Camil (Doc Lopez), and Fred Armisen (Rev. Layton).

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Side by Side

Posted on June 24, 2021 by boz

Last night, a week after returning to live audiences since the pandemic began, Stephen Colbert welcomed two-time Tony winner Christine Baranski to The Late Show at the Ed Sullivan Theater. “We are the first show back up on Broadway,” Colbert noted. Baranski was there to fulfill a promise that the two made to each other during quarantine. “This could be a historic moment,” Baranski added. “We could be the first two performers since Broadway went down who are going to sing Sondheim” on Broadway. Then she and Colbert launched into “Side by Side” from Company.

Baranski performed April in the 1980 production of Company at Playwrights Horizons Theatre-in-the-Park, and Colbert played Harry in the 2011 concert production with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center.

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2020 Special Tony Awards

Posted on June 23, 2021 by boz

Yesterday, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announced that the 74th annual Tonys will present three special awards for the 2019-20 Broadway season. The recipients of 2020 Special Tony Awards are the anti-racism advocacy organization Broadway Advocacy Coalition and two shows from the season that are set to return to Broadway this fall: American Utopia and Freestyle Love Supreme. The ceremony will air on September 26, starting with the awards presentation at 7:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+, followed by The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back! on CBS and Paramount+.

The Broadway Advocacy Coalition is an arts-based advocacy nonprofit dedicated to using storytelling in dismantling systems that perpetuate racism. Founded in 2016 by Jackie Bell, Amber Iman, Cameron J Ross, Britton Smith, Adrienne Warren and Christian Dante White, BAC has grown into a multidisciplinary organization that unites artists, legal experts, and community advocates on issues from criminal justice reform to education equity to immigration. Below is their video “What Now?” about supporting BIPOC leaders as theaters reopen.

American Utopia began as an album in 2018. Later that year, the theatrical concert that included songs from the album, as well as the Talking Heads and David Byrne’s solo career, toured around the world, including a Broadway run. Spike Lee’s film of the show opened the Toronto International Film Festival and premiered on HBO earlier this year. The show returns to Broadway on September 17, with David Byrne and all the original musicians. Below is the trailer for the HBO film.

Freestyle Love Supreme was created by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Anthony Veneziale in the basement of the Drama Book Shop in 2004 and worked its way to Broadway in 2019. The show features a comedic improvisational musical structure and rotating cast, who create the show live every night with the audience contributing words, ideas, and inspiration. Freestyle Love Supreme will return to Broadway for a limited engagement on October 7. Below is the trailer for the Hulu documentary about the show.

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2021 NYSAF Summer Musicals

Posted on June 21, 2021 by boz

New York Stage and Film has announced the musical works-in-progress for its 2021 summer season, including a new show by Pulitzer winner Michael R. Jackson, performed in person at venues around Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The series begins with performances of songs from Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson’s Mexodus: on July 17 at Vassar College’s outdoor amphitheater and on July 24 at Marist College. The musical tells the story of U.S. slaves who pursued freedom by moving south into Mexico instead of north into Union territory. Below is Quijada singing the show’s title song.

On July 23-24, the Poughkeepsie music venue Revel 32° will host showings of South, a solo musical about finding one’s roots, with book, lyrics, and music by Florencia Iriondo and music and arrangements by Luis D’Elias. Below are Iriondo and D’Elias performing the show’s “Vengo del Sur.”

On July 25, Marist College will host a presentation of Interstate by Kleban winners Melissa Li and Kit Yan. Their show follows transgender slam poet Dash who goes on a cross-country tour with his best friend Adrian, a lesbian singer-songwriter. Below is Li singing “I Don’t Look” for Musical Theatre Factory’s 2017 Lift Every Voice at Joe’s Pub.

The NYSAF series ends with Jackson’s White Girl in Danger on July 31 and August 1. This musical follows a young woman in the “Blackground” of the soap opera Allwhite who sets out to become its leading heroine by appropriating  storylines of her three main rivals. Below is the show’s title song sung by Onyie Nwachukwu, Brynn Williams, Sarita Lilly, Larry Cornelius Owens, LaDonna Burns, and James Jackson Jr. for Musical Theatre Factory’s 2017 Lift Every Voice at Joe’s Pub.

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New York Reopening Update

Posted on June 16, 2021 by boz

Yesterday, the producers of two more New York musicals announced their reopening dates. The long-running The Book of Mormon will resume performances on November 5 at Broadway’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre. The show had played 3,748 performances before the pandemic shutdown, the 14th longest run in Broadway history. Casting will be announced later. The other show is the hip-hop improv Freestyle Love Supreme, which will return to Broadway’s Booth Theatre on October 7 for a limited engagement to run through January 2. The company will include Andrew Bancroft (Jelly Donut), Tarik Davis (Tardis Hardaway), Aneesa Folds (Young Nees), Arthur Lewis (Arthur the Geniuses), Kaila Mullady (Kaiser Rözé), Chris Sullivan (Shockwave), and Veneziale (Two-Touch).

Last week, Bruce Springsteen also announced that he will revive his theatrical concert later this month, becoming the first show to play Broadway since last March. Below is the latest list of the planned Broadway and Off-Broadway musical reopenings.

June 26 — Springsteen on  Broadway;
Sept. 2 — Hadestown;
Sept. 14 — Chicago, Hamilton, The Lion King, Wicked;
Sept. 17 — Six (opening Oct. 3);
Sept. 21 — Come from Away, Little Shop of Horrors;
Sept. 24 — Moulin Rouge!;
Sept. 28 — Aladdin;
Oct. 7 — Freestyle Love Supreme;
Oct. 8 — Tina;
Oct. 13 — Girl from the North Country;
Oct. 16 — Ain’t Too Proud;
Oct. 21 — Jagged Little Pill, Mrs. Doubtfire (opening Dec. 5);
Oct. 22 — The Phantom of the Opera;
Nov. 2 — Diana (opening Nov. 17);
Nov. 4 — Flying over Sunset (opening Dec. 6);
Nov. 5 — The Book of Mormon;
Nov. 15 — Jersey Boys;
Dec. 6 — MJ (opening Feb. 1);
Dec. 11 — Dear Evan Hansen; and
Dec. 20 — Company (opening Jan. 9).

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No Lockdowns Anymore

Posted on June 16, 2021 by boz

Last night, The Late Late Show host James Corden premiered the musical parody “No Lockdowns Anymore,” based on the opening number “Good Morning Baltimore” from the Tony-winning musical Hairspray, in celebration of the end of pandemic lockdowns in California and New York. Joining Corden were Marissa Jane Winokur, the Tony-winning star who played Tracy Turnblad in the original 2002 stage production, and Ariana Grande, who played Tracy’s best friend Penny Pingleton in the 2016 NBC-TV live broadcast of the musical.

https://youtu.be/v7TarriXFME

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Paradise Square Preview

Posted on June 15, 2021 by boz

Casting has been announced for the Broadway premiere of the new musical Paradise Square, which will play Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre from November 2 to December 5, before beginning previews at New York’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre on February 22, with an opening night set for March 20. Leading the cast are Joaquina Kalukango (Nelly Freeman), Chilina Kennedy (Annie O’Brien), John Dossett (Frederic Tiggens), Sidney DuPont (Washington Henry), A.J. Shively (Owen Duignan), Nathaniel Stampley (Rev. Lewis), Gabrielle McClinton (Angelina baker), Jacob Fishel (Milton Moore), and Kevin Dennis (Lucky Quinlan). 

The show is set in New York’s infamous Five Points during the Civil War, where “Irish step dancing joyously competed with Black American Juba.” It is the first Broadway show for producer Garth Drabinsky since serving time for fraud. Drabinsky was sentenced in 2009 to seven years (reduced on appeal to five). He served 17 months in a Canadian prison before being released on parole in 2013. In 2018, the U.S. charges were dismissed, allowing Drabinsky to resume producing on Broadway.

The book is a collaboration of Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas, and Larry Kirwan, who also collaborated on the music with Jason Howland. Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare provide the lyrics. In addition to its original songs, the score includes interpolations of Stephen Foster, who was living in Five Points at the time. The creative team also includes Moisés Kaufman (direction), Bill T. Jones (choreography), Graciela Daniele (musical staging), Allen Moyer (sets), Toni-Leslie James (costumes), Donald Holder (lights), Jon Weston (sound), Wendall K. Harrington (projections), Gregory Meeh (special effects), and Matthew B. Armentrout (hair).

Below is the trailer from Berkeley Rep’s world premiere production.

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