Tag: Broadway

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“‘Til There Was Us” – Broadway’s Best Gay Showmances

Chris Sieber and Kevin Burrows

My dear friend of almost 19 years, Kevin Burrows, has penned a great essay about “Broadway’s Best Gay Showmances” – couples who have met, fallen in love and stayed in love.  Kevin met his husband Chris Sieber at about the same time I met my husband, Michael, while Kevin and I both were in the 1995 Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!

Kevin had recently seen an article compiling couples who had met on Broadway.  Only problem?  No gay or lesbian couples.  WHAT???

So Kevin took it upon himself to rectify that situation.

I have to share a portion of it with you:

Last Friday, while surfing through the major Broadway websites, I came across a feature entitled “”Til There Was You’: Broadway’s Best Showmances.” It was a collection of stories of 18 Broadway couples who fell in love while performing in or working on the same show. As I scrolled through the slideshow with the love stories and images of these couples — most of whom I know — I started feeling uneasy. And by the time I got to the end of the article, I was astounded. Of the couples depicted, not one of them was a same-sex couple.

How could this be? I mean, I’m pretty sure most people are aware of this (and even if people aren’t, this major Broadway website certainly must be), but there are quite a few gay individuals in the Broadway community. I know, shocker, right?

I thought about that gay, theater-loving kid in some small town somewhere — this website offering him some hope and a connection to a potentially bright future — seeing this feature and not seeing himself represented in any way. Once again, something is making him feel different, other, alone.

I want that kid to know that we are out here. And not only are we out here, but we are out here in huge numbers. We have fantastic, successful careers, relationships, marriages, and kids! That’s what I want the next generation to see.

Make sure you read all of Kevin’s fab essay at Huffington Post.

Plus, there’s  a slideshow featuring 20 (just the tip of the LGBT Broadway couples iceberg) Broadway-born gay and lesbian couples.  You might recognize number 19.

Forward.

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Kinky Boots – “Hold Me In Your Heart Remix” featuring Billy Porter

The Kinky Boots phenomenon continues its meteoric rise, from the Broadway stage, to the dance floor, club culture and beyond.

Wayne G. & LFB give the remix treatment to Billy Porter and his Tony Award-winning role of Lola, with “HOLD ME IN YOUR HEART ANTHEM REMIX”

(via press release)

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The original cast of A Chorus Line on Donahue

I hadn’t watched this in a long time.

The original cast of A Chorus Line on Donahue talking about the process and experience of creating the landmark theatre piece.

 A Chorus Line was a big part of my career for many years, and I was fortunate to work and appear with many of these fab actors – Donna McKechnie, Baayork Lee, Kay Cole, my fabulous Thommie Walsh and many others. There’s a tradition in theatre, and particularly dance, to “pass on” knowledge and skills to the next generation. And I learned so much from all of them.

This is just one segment of the show, but I’d encourage folks to go watch the other segments on YouTube as well. Cast members perform there original numbers, and talk about the pain and joy of being a part of something iconic and personal.

Baayork mentions a book that she and Thommie Walsh helped write, On The Line, about the birthing of the project on the TV show, and you can still find it on Amazon.  Simply fascinating. If you’re interested in Broadway and theatre, it’s truly a must read.

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Broadway’s cult fave Side Show to be reimagined at La Jolla and Kennedy Center

Great news! I would love to see this show come back to Broadway and receive the acclaim it deserves. I saw the original and was moved by the story and the gorgeous score. The production was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical.

From Playbill:

Erin Davie and Emily Padgett will co-star as conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton in the La Jolla Playhouse-Kennedy Center co-production of Side Show, the Tony Award-nominated musical by Henry Krieger and Bill Russell, which will return to the stage in a new incarnation directed by Academy Award winner Bill Condon this fall.

Condon (“Dreamgirls”) has given new dramatic shape to the dark, pop-driven musical that has a score by Krieger (Dreamgirls) and Russell (Elegies for Angels…), who also wrote the book, and contains numerous stand-out songs, including “Who Will Love Me As I Am?”

A source close to the production told Playbill.com that the creative team is hopeful for a Broadway run following Side Show’s engagements at the La Jolla Playhouse (Nov. 5-Dec. 15) and The Kennedy Center (June 14-July 13, 2014).

My personal feeling is that the original lacked a cohesive marketing campaign. Everyone who eventually saw the show loved it, it seemed. But getting butts in the seats was difficult as the campaign didn’t really make clear the content of the show (see the original at left). Most people just heard the phrase “freak show” and thought it would be creepy or something.

Over the past 15 years the show has developed quite the cult following. And deservedly so.

Good luck to Condon and the cast. Hope to see the show soon.

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Headed to Broadway – “Magic Mike the Musical”

Count on me to buy a ticket to this:

According to Deadline Hollywood, “Magic Mike: The Musical” is heading to Broadway.

Per the website, producers are actively working to turn the Channing Tatum blockbuster film about male strippers in Florida into a musical with Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey set to write songs, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa signed to write the book for the Broadway version.

The film, released in 2012, was directed by Steven Soderbergh, who along with Tatum, Reid Carolin, Gregory Jacobs, and Nick Wechsler serve as producers on the musical.

Shirtless Magic Mike movie coming to Broadway as new musical
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Cast for Hollywood Bowl production of CHICAGO the Musical announced

Much of the cast for the Hollywood Bowl production of Kander and Ebb’s Chicago was announced today.

Samantha Barks (“Les Misérables”) will play Velma Kelly, Drew Carey (“The Price Is Right,” “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) is cast as Amos Hart, with Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess,” Grease) as Mama Morton and Stephen Moyer (“True Blood”) as Billy Flynn.

Stage and screen star Brooke Shields, who appeared in the Broadway and London productions of Chicago, will direct the award-winning musical that will run July 26-28. Rob Fisher will conduct the orchestra.

What the article failed to add was the production will mark the return of moi, Randy Slovacek, to the theatrical stage.  I was called by the choreographer of the production, Gregory Butler, a few weeks ago and asked if I would perform in the show.  It’s been 8 years since I performed in a full stage production.

And I said “yes.”

I laugh as I type that as I’m currently losing some of my “8 year absence from the stage” weight.  Through better eating and working out again I’ve lost 12 pounds in three weeks and have about 6 pounds to go before reaching “dance weight.”

I’m excited to be a part of the show.  At this point, I do know that Fosse legend and muse Sandahl Bergman will be taking the stage with us.  THAT alone made me say yes.  When you can be onstage with Sandahl Bergman, you do it.

Ticket info – for those so inclined – can be found here.

I’ll share the journey of the production here with  you fabulous readers.

(I’m excited about this).

Forward.

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Neil Patrick Harris will star in Broadway debut of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Playbill reports that Neil Patrick Harris will star in the Broadway premiere of Hedwig and the Angry Inch next year.

“I am simultaneously ecstatic and terrified to be stepping into Hedwig’s heels,” NPH said in a statement. “It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime role and I can’t wait to begin the journey.”

The new adaptation of the musical comedy will star NPH as Hedwig, the fictional transgender rock ‘n’ roll singer-turned-cult-phenomenon after John Cameron Mitchell originated the role both on stage and in film.

John Cameron Mitchell gives his personal blessing saying “Who better to pass the wig to but the finest entertainer of his generation?”, he said in a statement.

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Highlights from the 2013 Tony Awards

Just a few of my favorite moments from last night’s 2013 Tony Awards hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.  Complete list of winners at the end of this post, but first, some fab performances.

The show started out great with this terrific (and BIG) opening number with NPH:

Winner of 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Billy Porter), Best Score (Cyndi Lauper), Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell) – Kinky Boots:

The cast of “Best Revival” Tony Award winner, Pippin:

Funny original material “Television Sucks” with NPH, Andrew Rannells, Megan Hilty, and Laura Benanti.

And the Tony Awards went to:

Musical – Kinky Boots
Musical Revival – Pippin
Actress (Musical) – Patina Miller
Actress (Play) – Cicely Tyson
Actor (Play) – Tracy Letts
Actor (Musical) – Billy Porter
Lighting Design (Play) – Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer
Play Revival – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Lighting Design (Musical) – Hugh Vanstone
Play – Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Featured Actress (Musical) – Andrea Martin
Scenic Design (Play) – John Lee Beatty
Scenic Design (Musical) – Rob Howell
Score – Cyndi Lauper

Choreography – Jerry Mitchell
Direction (Play) – Pam MacKinnon
Direction (Musical) – Diane Paulus
Book of a Musical – Dennis Kelly
Featured Actor (Musical) – Gabriel Ebert
Sound Design (Play) – Leon Rothenberg
Featured Actress (Play) – Judith Light
Sound Design (Musical) – John Shivers
Featured Actor (Play) – Courtney B. Vance
Costume Design (Play) – Ann Roth
Costume Design (Musical) – William Ivey Long
Orchestrations – Stephen Oremus