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, a shy math geek, try out for the leads in their high school musical, but they are up against diva Sharpay and her twin brother Ryan, who not only want the leads themselves but also want to sabotage the budding romance between their rivals.

Principal photography took place in Utah at Salt Lake High School East and Murray High School with a creative team that included Peter Barsocchini (screenplay), Kenny Ortega (direction), David Lawrence (music), Gordon Lonsdale (cinematography), Seth Flaum (editing), Mark Hofeling (production design), Ken Kirchner (set decoration), and Tom McKinley (costumes). The cast included Zac Efron (Troy Bolton), Drew Seeley (Troy’s singing), Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella Montez), Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evans), Lucas Grabeel (Ryan Evans), Corbin Bleu (Chad Danforth), and Monique Coleman (Taylor McKessie).

The production became the most successful Disney Channel Original Movie, seen by 7.7 million in its U.S. premiere broadcast, one of the largest TV audiences Disney has ever had. At the 2006 Emmys, the show won awards as outstanding children’s program and for its choreography (by Kenny Ortega, Charles Klapow, and Bonnie Story), in addition to seeing nominations for its directing, casting, and the songs “Get’cha Head in the Game” (by Ray Cham, Greg Cham, and Drew Seeley) and “Breaking Free” (by Jamie Houston). The soundtrack peaked at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200, while the lead single “Breaking Free” reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

This success has led to a media franchise of numerous sequels and spinoffs, including High School Musical: The Concert (2006), High School Musical on Stage! (2006), High School Musical: The Junior Novel (2006), High School Musical: The Ice Tour (2007), High School Musical 2 (2007), Stories from East High (2007), High School Musical: Sing It! (2007), High School Musical: Makin’ the Cut! (2007), High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), High School Musical: Get in the Picture (2008), Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (2011), High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019), and more.

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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 rest of his teen years performing a wide range of stage, radio, and film work. Britten himself hired Crawford for the opera’s 1955 London revival and its recording later that year, and in 1958, Crawford was cast in the premiere of Britten’s opera Noye’s Fludde.

His role in the TV series Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life (1964) caught the eye of director Richard Lester, who cast Crawford in the film adaptation of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966). In 1967, he made his Broadway debut in the play Black Comedy, which caught the eye of Gene Kelly, who cast Crawford in the film adaptation of Hello, Dolly! (1969). Below is Crawford and Marianne McAndrew in “It Only Takes a Moment.”

Crawford began the 1970s with the stage farce No Sex Please, We’re British (1971), which led to a starring role in the TV series Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (1973). That series made him a household name in England. His other work at that time includes the 1972 film Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the 1974 musical Billy, his first leading role on stage. His next leading roles on stage were in Flowers for Algernon (1979), which earned him an Olivier nomination, and Barnum (1981), which earned him his first Olivier Award. Below is Crawford in the 1986 TV adaptation of Barnum.

In 1986, he created the role for which he is best-known around the world, the title character of The Phantom of the Opera, winning his second Olivier and his first Tony Award. He played that role for some two and a half years and more than 1,300 shows, making his final performance on Apr. 29, 1990. Below is Crawford and Sarah Brightman at the 1988 Tony Awards.

In 1995, Crawford starred in EFX, which opened the 1,700-seat MGM Grand Theatre in Las Vegas. He returned to Broadway in the short-lived Dance of the Vampires (2002) and to the West End in The Woman in White (2004), for which he received an Olivier nomination as supporting actor. His recent work includes the London productions of Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz (2011) and The Go-Between (2016). Below is Crawford and Mandy Gonzalez in “Come with Me” from Dance of the Vampires.

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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 be recorded by a Broadway alum, and the tracks will be distributed on iTunes, Apple Music, and Spotify. Winners will also have their song showcased at a New York concert with songs from 10 other finalists. Submissions opened this weekend and will be accepted through midnight (ET) on March 1, 2021. There is a limit of two entries per person. Past winners include India Angel, Ethan Carlson, Matt Copley, Joriah Kwamé, Brandon Michael Lowden, Kailey Marshall, Alexander Sage Oyen, Mackenzie Szabo. Below is Louderman performing 2019 winner “Little Miss Perfect,” by Kwamé. You can watch the other 2019 finalists on Write Out Loud’s YouTube channel.

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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 of Music by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, who are credited as songwriters. The single debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, where it spent eight weeks atop the chart, becoming Grande’s longest-running #1 and her longest-running song overall on the charts, spending 33 consecutive weeks before dropping off. The song also topped the charts in 19 countries and reached the top 10 in another 10. It received 2020 Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and for Best Pop Solo Performance, losing to Billie Eilish and Lizzo, respectively, but it has become one of the best-selling songs in digital history.

Grande is no stranger to musical theater. As a young child, she debuted with the Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater in the lead role of Annie. By 2008, Grande was on Broadway in Jason Robert Brown’s 13, before being cast in the Nickelodeon musical series Victorious. Grande’s other theater credits include the 2010 musical Cuba Libre, the 2012 holiday show A Snow White Christmas, and the 2016 live broadcast of Hairspray.

Mary Martin introduced the song onstage in 1959, and numerous artists covered the tune in the 1960s. Jazz saxophonist John Coltrane improvised a 14-minute version for the title track of his 1961 album, and in 1964 Jack Jones was the first to include the song on a Christmas album, despite Hammerstein’s lyrics never mentioning the holiday. The last version to chart was Herb Alpert’s 1969 cover, which rose to #45 on the Billboard 100. To compare the original version with Grande’s interpolation, watch Julie Andrews below performing the song in the 1964 film version of The Sound of Music.

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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. Alessandrini updated the show several times during its original run, premiering modified versions on Oct. 27, 1983, on Jan. 29, 1985, on June 11, 1986, and on June 26, 1987. He has created more than a dozen other editions since then. In the original 1982 edition, Alessandrini was among the performers, who also included Wendee Winters, Bill Carmichael, and Nora Mae Lyng, for whom Alessandrini created the show. The director was Michael Chapman, who was succeeded by Jeff Martin, then Alessandrini, and finally Phillip George, who has directed all of the show’s editions since 2004.

Below is a music video of original cast members Lyng and Alessandrini performing a duet from the original 1982 show, with original music director Fred Barton on the piano.

The 1991 edition received an Obie citation, and the 1993 edition a Lortel for Outstanding Musical. The 1996 edition, Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back, and the 1998 edition, Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act, both won Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Lyrics, while the 2000 edition, Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey, won for Outstanding Revue, as did the 2007 edition, Forbidden Broadway: Rude Awakening. The 2013 edition, Forbidden Broadway: Alive & Kicking!, received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Revue, and the 2016 edition, Spamilton, for Outstanding Lyrics. In 2006, the show and Alessandrini won Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre.

Below is a montage of the 30th anniversary edition of the show, Forbidden Broadway: Alive & Kicking!

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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 due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic. This past year has “shined a bright light on the impact of how art and culture speaks to our collective human experience,” Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter said. “We are thrilled to be able to fete these cultural icons in a time where the world and the nation needs the arts more than ever.” The event will air June 6 on CBS.

The citation for Tony nominee and two-time Emmy winner Allen noted that she “moves seamlessly between artistic disciplines and is a cultural ambassador for all while having a monumental impact on dancers of color everywhere.” Allen responded, ““I am truly humbled to be named a Kennedy Center Honoree 2020. This is so much more than our nation’s Highest Artistic Award, it is a measure of how my footprint has resonated as a path of light over the years and in this time of tremendous uncertainty, fear, and search for hope. This glorious achievement I share with my family, mentors, and students who have inspired and pushed me all the way. I look forward to being part of a fresh start for America and reminding the world how essential the Performing Arts are in our lives. Much Gratitude.”

The citation for Tony- and four-time Emmy-winning actor Van Dyke read, “With a charm that has made him one of the most cherished performers in show business history, Dick Van Dyke has brought us beloved film, stage, and TV characters adored by generations of fans, for more than seven decades.” Van Dyke noted, “Many years ago, I was the host of a similar event held, as I recall, in private with the Kennedy family. I saw the care with which the recipient was chosen from an impressive list of nominees. Since the creation of the Kennedy Center Honors, just over 200 have been honored with equal care. Being included in that small, illustrious group, is the thrill of my life.”

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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. After graduation, he spent two  years with the school’s performance company, Transitions, before founding his own company, Adventures in Motion Pictures, with Emma Gladstone and David Massingham. For AMP, he created the award-winning ballets Nutcraker! (Olivier nomination), The Car Man (Olivier nomination), and Swan Lake (Olivier win), which also brought him Tony and Drama Desk awards for both direction and choreography when the show premiered on Broadway in 1998.

He moved into musicals with the 2001 West End revival of My Fair Lady, for which he won the Olivier for choreography. Bourne left AMP in 2002 and launched New Adventures, which premiered Play Without Words as part of the National Theatre’s Transformations Season. That production earned him an Olivier nomination for direction and the award for choreography, as well as an Olivier for best family show and Drama Desk nominations in direction and choreography for its New York run.

Bourne returned to theater with the 2004 West End premiere of Mary Poppins, winning an Olivier for choreography and a nomination for direction, as well as Tony and Drama Desk nominations for choreography when the show opened in 2006 on Broadway. In 2007, the New York production of Edward Scissorhands earned a Drama Desk Award for unique theatrical experience and brought Bourne a nomination for his choreography.

He earned further Olivier nominations for his choreography of the 2009 West End revival of Oliver! and his 2010 production of Cinderella, plus two more wins for the 2016 production of The Red Shoes, one for his choreography and one as best family show.

In 2019, Bourne won a special Olivier and in 2020 his latest competitive prize for the choreography of the West End revival of Mary Poppins. Below is that cast in “Feed the Birds / Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” at the 2019 Royal Variety Performance.

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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 debut in the short-lived play Warp (1973), then choreographed Bette Midler’s first Broadway concert later that year. He next appeared in the musical Rachael Lily Rosenbloom and Don’t You Ever Forget It, which closed during previews in 1973. His breakthrough came in the title role of the Tony-winning musical The Wiz (1975). He next choreographed Bette Midler’s second Broadway concert, then appeared in the Tony-winning revue Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1978), for which he earned his first Drama Desk nomination and an Emmy for the show’s 1982 NBC broadcast. Below is the Ain’t Misbehavin’ cast at the 1978 Tonys.

In 1984, De Shields directed and choreographed Blackberries and wrote, choreographed, directed, and starred in Haarlem Nocturne, which began at La MaMa and transferred to Broadway. The following year, he appeared Off-Broadway in the musical Just So, then returned to Broadway in back-to-back revues: Stardust (1987) and the 1988 revival of Ain’t Misbehavin’. In 1995, he appeared in the Off-Broadway musicals Dancing on Moonlight and Angel Levine, returning to Broadway in 1997 with Play On!, for which he earned his first Tony nomination and second Drama Desk nomination. Three years later, he appeared in The Full Monty, earning his second Tony and third Drama Desk noms. Below is The Full Monty cast at the 2001 Tonys.

He returned Off-Broadway in the 2007 musical A Woman of Will and the 2008 revival of Black Nativity, for which he received Drama Desk and Lortel nominations. His next Off-Broadway musical was The Fortress of Solitude in 2014. His next Broadway musical was Hadestown in 2019, for which he won Tony, Drama Desk, and Grammy awards. Most recently, he was Anton Ego in a benefit presentation of Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical on New Year’s Day. Below is the cast of Hadestown at the 2019 Tony Awards.

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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 a love triangle, which of course ends in his favor. The creative team was Arthur Freed (producer), Vincente Minnelli (direction), Gene Kelly (choreography), Alan Jay Lerner (screenplay), George and Ira Gershwin (music), Conrad Salinger (orchestrations), Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin (music direction), Alfre Gilks (cinematography), Adrienne Fazan (editing), Preston Ames and Cedric Gibbons (art direction), Edwin B. Willis (set decoration), and Orry-Kelly (costumes). The 2016 musical film La La Land paid homage to the 1952 film’s set and costumes. Below is the movie’s official trailer, narrated by Kelly.

The film cast included Gene Kelly (Jerry), Leslie Caron (Lise), Oscar Levant (Adam), Georges Guétary (Hank), and Nina Foch (Milo). Kelly received an honorary Oscar “specifically for his brilliant achievements in the art of choreography on film,” while the film earned eight Oscar nominations and won six, including picture (Freed), screenplay (Lerner), art direction, cinematography, costume design, and scoring. In 1993, it was selected for preservation in Library of Congress National Film Registry, and it ranked #9 on AFI’s Greatest Movie Musicals list. The song “I Got Rhythm” ranked #32 on AFI’s 100 Songs list. Below is Gene Kelly performing that song.

In 2014, a stage adaptation premiered in Paris, starring Robert Fairchild (Jerry) and Leanne Cope (Lise), with a script by Craig Lucas directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. It transferred to Broadway in 2015. Below is the staging of “I Got Rhythm” as performed in the Broadway musical by Fairchild, Haydn Oakley and David Seadon-Young.

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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 the Yale School of Drama. At Yale, he also wrote and directed an adaptation of Gertrude Stein’s play Photograph, which was produced Off-Broadway in 1977. He returned Off-Broadway in 1981 to direct William Finn’s musical March of the Falsettos, the first of their many collaborations. Below is Lapine in About the Work, a guest artist series of the School of Drama at the New School.

In 1982, he met his other frequent collaborator, Stephen Sondheim, and they began to work on Sunday in the Park with George, which Playwrights Horizons produced Off-Broadway in 1983 and transferred to Broadway in 1984. For that show, Lapine received two Tony nominations (for book and direction) and shared the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with Sondheim. A year later, Lapine directed George Furth and Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along at La Jolla. Lapine and Sondheim’s own next musical was Into the Woods, which premiered on Broadway in 1987. That show brought Lapine the Tony for his book and a nomination for his direction. Below is the original cast of Sunday at the 1984 Tonys.

In 1990, Lapine worked with Finn on the Off-Broadway musical Falsettoland, which became the 1992 Broadway musical Falsettos. For that show, Lapine again earned a Tony for his book and a nomination for his direction. Lapine then collaborated with Sondheim on the musical Passion, which ran on Broadway in 1994. Once again, Lapine again earned a Tony for his book and a nomination for his direction. Lapine then worked with Finn on A New Brain, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1998. Lapine ended the 1990s working with Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz on the original Berlin version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Below are clips from the 1999 Berlin production, featuring Drew Sarich, Norbert Lamla, Andre Bauer, and Chris Murray.

In 2000, Lapine earned Tony nominations for his direction of both Claudia Shear’s play Dirty Blonde and the Broadway revival of Into the Woods. In 2003, he earned a Drama Desk nomination for directing Michel Legrand’s Amour. Lapine then directed Finn’s musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2005 and transferred to Broadway, earning him another Tony nomination. Below is the original cast in “Spelling Bee / Prayer of the Comfort Counselor” at the 2005 Tonys.

Lapine’s latest collaboration with Sondheim is the revue Sondheim on Sondheim, presented on Broadway in 2010. His latest with Finn is Little Miss Sunshine, which premiered in 2011 at La Jolla Playhouse. Lapine’s other recent musical work includes directing the 2012 Broadway revival of Annie and writing the screenplay for the 2014 film adaptation of Into the Woods. In 2014, he received an Emmy nom for directing the TV special Six by Sondheim and a Tony nomination for his play Act One. In 2015, he won the SDC Foundation’s Mr. Abbott Award “in recognition of a lifetime of exceptional achievement in the theater.” 

This year, his book Putting It Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I created Sunday in the Park with George will be released and the musical Flying over Sunset, for which he is librettist and director, will premiere on Broadway at Lincoln Center’s Beaumont Theater. Below is a peak inside rehearsals.

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