On this week’s show, Jamie and Rob talk through Jamie’s personal top ten list of showstopping production numbers, celebrating some of the greatest moments in Broadway musical theatre history. What’s number one? Tune in to find out.
All tagged A Chorus Line
PODCAST: "The Fabulous Invalid" - Episode 83: It’s A Hit! Part Two
On this week’s show, Jamie and Rob dive back into their special three part mini-series looking at some of the biggest Broadway musical hits of all time. In part two, they visit Rydell High, a little orphan named Annie, and perhaps two of the greatest musicals ever.
PODCAST: "The Fabulous Invalid" - Episode 65: Priscilla Lopez: What I Did For Love
On this week’s show, Jamie and Rob are joined at Orso Restaurant by “one singular sensation”: Priscilla Lopez! Currently starring in “Grand Horizons” on Broadway, Priscilla talks about her storied career, from her Broadway debut that wasn’t—the two performance flop “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”—to replacement gigs in “Company” and “Pippin”, and her landmark creation of Diana Morales in “A Chorus Line”.
Phylicia Rashad to direct Charles Randolph-Wright's "Blue" at the Apollo Theater; Shakespeare in the Park season will be “Richard II” and “As You Like It”; "The Notebook" to premiere in Chicago; reimagined “Aida" will premiere at Paper Mill Playhouse in 2021; "Hairspray" national tour launches in the fall; "The Karate Kid" musical in development; "Almost Famous" headed to Broadway? "The Phantom of the Opera" turns 32; RIP: Margo Lion, Joseph P. Patria Jr., and Peter Larkin
Ephraim Sykes will star as Michael Jackson in "MJ" the musical on Broadway; Martin McDonagh's "Hangmen" will play a limited engagement at Broadway's Golden Theatre; "Tootsie" will close on January 5th; "Hadestown" recoups; Imelda Staunton will star in "Hello, Dolly!" on the West End; Dominic Cooke will direct “Follies” film; The Drama Book Shop will reopen in a new location in 2020; RIP Laurel Griggs
REVIEW: “A Chorus Line” at Signature Theatre is one singular sensation!
A sensational new production of “A Chorus Line” at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia makes a compelling case for experimenting beyond the container of Michael Bennett’s iconic original. A well-cast ensemble of triple threats breathes new life and new energy into “one of the best musicals ever”, and reclaim the magic that made the show such a milestone in the first place. This production is a must-see for any D.C.-area theatre fans.
"American Buffalo" will play Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre this spring; "The Who's Tommy" will return to Broadway in 2021; full cast announced for “Company”; Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber collaborated on a new song for the "Cats" film; Jane Alexander and James Cromwell join Second Stage's "Grand Horizons"; Drew Gehling returns to close "Waitress"; Whoopi Goldberg to helm 2020 West End revival of "Sister Act"; Jessica Chastain to perform "A Doll's House" on the West End; "American Utopia" will receive a cast album; RIP: the Times Square Sbarro (1996-2019)
"Company" on Broadway will star Katrina Lenk as a female Bobbie and Patti LuPone as Joanne; Richard Linklater will make a movie adaption of "Merrily We Roll Along" filmed in real time over the next 20 years; "The Lehman Trilogy" books Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre; Tony Award winners Jayne Houdyshell, Jefferson Mays, Shuler Hensley, and Marie Mullen join the Fall 2020 revival of "The Music Man"; Solea Pfeiffer and Maia Reficco will share the title role in "Evita" at New York City Center; Rob McClure will star in the world premiere of "Mrs. Doubtfire" the musical in Seattle; Ryan Murphy is developing a ten-part Netflix adaptation of "A Chorus Line"; Tony Award winner André de Shields will receive the York Theatre Company's Oscar Hammerstein Award for lifetime achievement; RIP: Isabel Toledo, Valerie Harper, and Ken LeRoy
REVIEW: Reinterpreted for today, “Oklahoma!” on Broadway is a must-see
Fresh from an acclaimed Off-Broadway run, director Daniel Fish’s reinterpretation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s groundbreaking 1943 musical “Oklahoma!” completely deconstructs this canonical and totemic masterpiece of American musical theatre by stripping it of its corn and highlighting the darker themes of violence and injustice that have always been simmering underneath. Sexually charged and presented with a striking naturalism, this bold new production is a revelation and a must-see.
FEATURE: Top 10 Shows of 2018
By my count, I’ve attended 246 performances of theatre, dance, music, opera, and cabaret during 2018. Out of a field that large, it’s hard to pick just ten, but nevertheless, here are my top ten favorite shows I saw in New York (including no new musicals and only three Broadway shows!).
NOTES: The New York Pops perform the “Best of Broadway”
Last night at Carnegie Hall, the New York Pops presented “Song and Dance: The Best of Broadway”, a concert celebration of musical theatre’s finest orchestral selections, featuring the Essential Voices USA chorus and dancers from New York Theatre Ballet.
REVIEW: City Center celebrates 75 years with “A Chorus Line”
To mark its 75th anniversary, New York City Center presents a gala production of “A Chorus Line” that is yet another facsimile of Michael Bennett’s groundbreaking 1975 original. Now the amber fossil of musicals, “A Chorus Line” remains genius and powerful, but is long past due for some re-imagination. Maybe next time.