Come and meet those dancing feet....

All-time favorite is 42nd Street.

Two days until Phantom of the Opera surpass Cats as the longest running show on Broadway.

Link to the Article

I went to NY for Christmas this year & got to see quite a few shows...2 times in 5 months when I'd never been before in my life...I love that city.

I saw Chicago, Wicked, Doubt and we also saw the Radio City Rockettes! It was amazing!

-cory

And yet I fail to comprehend the longevity of either show.

ALW and the Really Useful Group are great marketers. I would guess they had pretty good timing for the movie. It probably gave the show another year or two on Broadway because of the movie's hype.

Yup, R.U.G used to know how to market their shows. They haven't done a great job after Phantom though. All of his shows have lost money, including Sunset Boulevard (he lost tons of money there). Woman in White isn't doing that great either.

Comming soon to Broadway:

A Tale of Two Cities

Reported budget: $12 to $15 million, with some report saying the budget goes up to $18 million. Will be the most expensive Broadway production in history.

I saw Sunset Blvd. in both NY and Denver (first national tour opened here) and enjoyed it.

Woman in White is a real yawner -- at least it was in London.

A couple of other RUG losers were Aspects of Love (NY & Denver) and Whistle Down the Wind (London).

I like Sir Andrew, and both of those shows had a couple of good songs, but overall they were pretty bland. Our son would call most of his stuff "Juke Box Musicals."

BUT, I just saw on the Wicked webpage that Eden Espinosa is playing Elphiba now. She was Idina's understudy for a while, but then had the lead in Brooklyn, The Musical which premiered here in Denver before going on to, and closing last summer on Broadway. She is absolutely sensational -- probably has a better voice than Idina -- at least in my opinion!

Just got tix for Spamalot in June. How cool am I?

You are cool. I saw it over the summer. It's really fun. Hope you enjoy it!

Avenue Q is leaving Las Vegas...apparently, it's making money, but not enough to justify the 1,300 seat theatre it's playing in. Keep in mind, the Golden, its Broadway home, is only about 600 seats. I guess it's just not glitzy enough for Vegas. They're going to do a national tour.

When my sister and her little girl come to town next month, we're all going to see The Lion King. The parents saw it in SF and thought it was amazing. I can't wait!

That makes sense to me. The show is one that probably needs the intimacy of the smaller Broadway houses.

Actually, I'm a little surprized that the NY house it is in has 600 seats. It seemed smaller than that to me when I saw it.

I'm excited!!!!

It's not exactly Broadway, but I just got a call that I was cast in my community theatre's Peter Rabbit, The Musical. I'm Mrs. Rabbit!:D :D It wouldn't have been my choice of show, but it at least gets me in to that theatre group...and their next shows are Steel Magnolias and Charlie Brown (one of my favorites)...so that puts me one step closer to that.

Break a leg!

More cool, off the subject news.

Our son has been offered an Equity contract in a show this summer as well as two non-equity roles at a different theatre. That will get his Equity card.

He can do both if he signs the non-Equity contract first.

Finally, his voice teacher who has numerous contacts has set him up with an audition with an agent with the company that casts Rent, Wicked and another big show when he's in NYC for Spring Break. He's staying there with a young woman who is in Avenue Q who he worked with last summer.

What a tough business he's going into, but this sounds like a good way to start right out of college.

Oh DeltAlum, that is wonderful news. I'm so happy for your son.

Thanks P&C...

There's an update.

He was offered four shows at a different regional theatre, so he now can do five shows instead of three this summer and still get the Equity Card. Obviously, he took the four shows instead of two at the original theatre.

He's in New York this week with a bunch of friends having a great Spring Break.

He hopes to see four or five shows while he's there.

Poor baby.

Good for him!!!

Ok...I have a question for all you Broadway type people (mostly the ladies though):

I have a pair of Character Heels (if you don't know what they are, think Ginger Rodgers' shoes)

They fit perfectly (after some wearing - they're kind of like Birkinstocks - horrible when you first start wearing them, and then the most comforable shoes you own) when I used them for danceteam in highschool, but as you get older your feet spread. I'm trying to re-break them in. Anyone have suggestions for making that a little smoother and a little less painful on my feet?

I have just seen Mamma Mia and LOVED IT!


I would love to see RENT

in a few months going to see Hairspray


i also have seen
Phantom ( 2 times the 1st really counted becazuse it was Michael Crawford)

Les Miz
Annie
Cats
Sunset Blvd
Grease
Joseph ( With Donny Osmond)

I love musicals!!!!!!!!:D

Are these shoes the same pair you wore in high school? If so, I would get fitted for a new pair if I were you.

I found a website for discount character heels in case you are interested.

I was just looking at that site earlier today and picking out a pair! Thanks, you just made up my mind for me!:)

You're welcome. It's been a while since my dancing days, but I remember when my feet hurt, my dancing suffered. When my dance shoes were too worn, tight, or uncomfortable, I had to buy another pair. It makes a big difference. :)

My best friend growing up always wanted to be an actress. Senior year of HS she was a lead in the musical. Since the she's bee acting, writing, coaching etc all with great passion. Next Saturday a play she wrote is showing for one night only in a fairly well sized theatre. What a dream come true!!

Just saw Hairspray recently.......Fabulous!

It can happen.

There have been a couple of musicals and/or plays that have originated here in Denver that either ended up in NY (on or off Broadway), or at least became well enough known to be performed around the country.

Best of luck to your friend!

A small hijack...

Mrs. DA, the two daughters and I are going to see "Movin' Out" (the Billy Joel/Twyla Tharp Toni winner) at the Denver Center this weekend.

I've seen it in NY and here in Denver, but the Joel songs and Tharp choreograpy are so much fun, I'm really excited about seeing it again.

Happy Fathers Day.

Also, son got the Tin Man part in Wizzard of Oz. We'll see it in a couple of weeks.

Shows I have been in as either tech or actor:
Godspell
Man of LaMancha
Brigadoon
Pirates of Penzance (International Thespian Festival, Mainstage Opening Night)

Shows I have acted as Tech Director for:
Lil' Abner
Fiddler On the Roof Jr.
Review Revue
School House Rocks! Live Jr.
Godspell Jr.
Honk Jr.
The Education of Janet O'Malley

Shows I have seen at either Broadway, Regional Touring Companies, ITF etc.
Les Miz
Grand Hotel
Lend me a Tenor (Victor Garber)
Driving Miss Daisy
Cats
Phantom of the Opera
How to Suceed in Business (Matthew Broadrick)
Lion King
Beauty and the Beast
Aida (Adam Pascal)
Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Children of Eden
Schoolhouse Rocks! Live
Our Country is Good
Rent
Grease (Davey Jones)
Jesus Christ Superstar
Big
Annie
Charlie Brown
Brigadoon
Titanic
Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Suessical
Godspell
Miss Saigon
Little Shop of Horrors
Rock N Roll Shakespeare (Jesse Martin)
Sound of Music
West Side Story
Big River
Peter Pan
Jekyll and Hyde
Wizard of Oz (got to have lunch with one of the original munchkins who was in town for the opening)
Oklahoma

I am missing some but my brain is failing me this late at night. I am forgetting shows I directed which is the REALLY sad part :)

Saw Bombay Dreams Tuesday night. OK, but not great.

The kid was great as Tin Man. Lots of fun. Good reviews.

Now they do Millie and Sweet Charity -- then probably off to NY to see if this can really be a career.

ETA Saw Bombay Dreams the same day the terrorist bombs hit Bombay. No reflection on the musical.

Saw The Producers last night. Loved it.

It is a funny show! I really liked it, too.

A kid from our middle daughters class in high school was one of the Nazi's in the movie. Now, he's in Mama Mia in NYC.

I keep mentioning these things in hopes that some of this will rub off on the son...

A not so secret agenda.

Brilliant!

I just read a story on MSN that said Andrew Lloyd Webber is reviving "The Sound of Music" and the actress that he wanted to play Maria turned it down, so now they're doing a Reality show called "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" to find the next Maria. I'm pretty much over the whole reality thing...but how cute is that name for that show?? The winner will get a 6-month West-End contract.

I would have posted the article, but it was more about Scarlett Johanssen turning down the role then the reality show. It's on MSN's front page, under entertainment, if anyone cares to find it.

The Sound of Music was on Broadway 9 years ago. I saw it with my mom. It was pretty cute but it got bad reviews and was cancelled pretty quickly.

See that would be one reality show I would totally want to go for. I can sing, but there is no way I'd want to do American Idol. I'm much more of a musical freak, and I can belt those type of songs much better than rock/pop songs.

I'm surprised that The Sound of Music got bad reviews. It seems odd to me b/c it was a revival and I guess I don't get how a revival of a musical that has received wonderful reviews and spawned a movie could get horrible reviews.

I was only in 7th grade at the time, so I didn't read the reviews. I just remember that it got pulled pretty quickly. A girl in my grade told me that it got bad reviews after the fact.

Wasn't the revival more recent than 9 years ago?


I could have sworn I read something or heard that it was on broadway like 5 years ago.


I just ask because I graduated from high school 9 years ago and if it was on broadway, there would have been no way we could have gotten the rights to perform it, but when did, in April of my senior year.

Someone told me that if a play is on broadway, there is no way a high school can get the rights to do it because A) it's on broadway and B) the rights are astronomical. Anyone know if that's true or not?

I'm with you on that one. I can do rock/pop, but I prefer not to. My coworkers are always telling me that I need to try out for Idol or Gimmie the Mike Charlotte (local version)...but I don't know what I'd sing. I doubt the Idol crowd would go much for "Defying Gravity" or even better "Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden".

The high school I went to did Beauty and the Beast 2 years ago, I believe that the show was still in their broadway run then. The Disney people shopped the show to several high schools in the country (6) to see how it would adapt to smaller theaters before they released the rights. There is an article about that year (their other show, Into the Woods) that is on the New York Times site. Requires registration though. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/08/th...0dbd2a&ei=5070

I rented "Once Upon a Matress" from Netflix, and it arrived last night. I thought I was getting the version with Carol Burnett...well, it was Carol, but she was playing Aggravain instead of Winnifred. Then, as it was starting up, I noticed it was the Disney production. Great:rolleyes: .

I must say that Ms. Burnett does a fabulous job as Aggravain. She has this way of going totally over the top, but making you feel like she's not over the top, that the character is just that "big". I can't say the same for Tracy Ullman, who plays Winnifred in this version. Winnifred is an over-the-top character, but Tracy just tries WAY too hard.

The actors who played the King & Prince were pretty good. The actors who played Larkin & Harry were not bad, but not good. I think they were too "cutesy" (thank you, Disney).

I loved the musical when I saw it at my highschool (we had wonderful actors, who mostly are involved in theatre still...even in Regional and NYC productions). I was less then lukewarm on this version. The Minstrel was non-existent, and the Jester was a bit part. "Many Moons Ago", "The Minstrel, the Jester, And I", and "Yesterday I Loved You" were completely cut. Part of "Normandy" was sung by Larkin and Harry. Other songs were watered down. An extra song for Aggravain was added. The Spanish Panic was pathetic.

Sorry to keep talking about this, but it's a little theroputic (sp?) I guess.

The kid leaves for NY on Tuesday.

He has a one-way ticket.

Damn.