Things better left unsaid

So, round 1 was my random mp3 playing, round 2 was random mashups as suggested by other people, and this round 3 is based on songs suggested by other people..

The songs are loaded to the folder here: http://www.sendspace.com/folder/jwu24z

Feel free to suggest songs/artists, and I'll write drabbles based from them. :)

( 3.1 )
( 3.2 )
( 3.3 )

My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies
83.76MB | zip
hxxp://www.sendspace.com/file/ob0f53

THEATER REVIEW | 'GYPSY'
Curtain Up! It’s Patti’s Turn
By BEN BRANTLEY

Watch out, New York. Patti LuPone has found her focus. And when Ms. LuPone is truly focused, she’s a laser, she incinerates. Especially when she’s playing someone as dangerously obsessed as Momma Rose in the wallop-packing revival of the musical “Gypsy,” which opened on Thursday night at the St. James Theater.

( Read more... )

L.A.'s Ahmanson Will Premiere Musicals Minsky's and 9 to 5

By Kenneth Jones
March 24, 2008

Minsky's is the new title of the Charles Strouse-Susan Birkenhead musical comedy once known as The Night They Raided Minsky's — and it's aiming for Los Angeles in 2009.

The show, which Playbill.com previously reported has new librettist Bob Martin and new director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw (both of The Drowsy Chaperone) attached, is officially on the 2008-09 season of the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in L.A. The season was announced by CTG's artistic director Michael Ritchie on March 24.

( Read more... )

Two Helpings of Pie From Broadway’s Fridge

By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

“SOUTH PACIFIC” and “Gypsy,” which both return to Broadway this spring, originally opened 10 years apart, standing neatly as theatrical bookends of the 1950s. The Rodgers and Hammerstein romance set in the Pacific during World War II had its New York premiere in April 1949, on the cusp of that fabled decade of American prosperity and self-confidence. The brassy musical inspired by Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir first took a bow in May 1959, as the decade drew to a close and only a few shadows of the more fractious era ahead could be discerned on the horizon.

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THEATER REVIEW | 'SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE'
Down by the Blue Purple Yellow Red Water
By BEN BRANTLEY
Published: February 22, 2008

“Look!” says the man for whom seeing is everything, in a voice that both commands and beseeches. “Look!”

This directive is issued by the painter Seurat, played by Daniel Evans in the glorious revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s “Sunday in the Park With George,” which opened Thursday night at Studio 54. And even if George’s mother, to whom he is ostensibly speaking, pays him no mind, we certainly do.

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Happy Valentine's Day for those observing.

I had someone ask for these two recordings... so I will share. :)

( Everybody's got the right to be happy... )

I finally had a chance to snip the two edges off of my audio of The Farnsworth Invention and figured that instead of providing a vocal snippet of either Hank Azaria or Jimmi Simpson, I wanted to snip out Andrew Lippa's original scoring - and the exit music works for this purpose. I'll work on finishing my review notes and posting. In the mean time, Lippa!

Exit Music.mp3
912KB | The Farnsworth Invention - Exit Music
http://www.sendspace.com/file/8c8ao7

[ARCHIVED AND SNAGGABLE]

Nota bene: Please see the comments discussion for further clarification of who's singing and when... I need to go and clean up the actual file information for future reference. Mille grazie.

( Read more... )

Drowsy Chaperone's Last Toast Will Be Dec. 30; Broadway Hit Will Close

Drowsy Chaperone's Last Toast Will Be Dec. 30; Broadway Hit Will Close
By Kenneth Jones
19 Dec 2007

The five-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone will close Dec. 30 at the Marquis Theatre following 674 performances and 32 previews.

The show recouped its investment. A well-reviewed national tour continues. A cast album preserves the score.

( As we stumble along... )

Sweeney Todd in Concert (San Francisco, July 2001)

This is the second 'recorded' opportunity to hear Patti LuPone as Mrs Lovett, and the third occasion where George Hearn plays the Demon Barber of Fleet Street [previously: 1982 National Tour videorecording, 2000 NYPO performances].

I think if you listen to these two performers sequentially, it's amazing how their take on these two very iconic characters have evolved over the years. For Hearn, he's reprised this role over twenty years -- first as a replacement to Len Cariou in the original 1979 Broadway production, then creating the role on the first tour (1981), and here... we can hear him so many years later bringing a new depth to Sweeney Todd.

Patti LuPone doesn't have twenty years on the role, but her take on Lovett has become more focussed over the years. In listening to the 2000 NYPO version through to the 2001 SF performance into the 2005 revival, she's toned down the 'Patti-ness' that she always brings to the stage and made it a part of Lovett's characterization.

Even though we don't have Audra McDonald playing the Beggar Woman here, Victoria Clark (of later Light in the Piazza fame) brings a different sound to Lucy.

On several occasions, I've seen postings of Sweeney Todd claiming to have the SF cast only to learn that it was the NYPO performances. I've liked Lonny Price's semi-staged concert productions... so this DVD joins my stack. :)

( Raise Your Razor High... )

Company — with Esparza — to Make PBS Debut in February 2008

By Andrew Gans
and Kenneth Jones
11 Dec 2007

The acclaimed actor-musician revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company — directed by Tony Award winner John Doyle — will be broadcast on PBS stations around the country in February 2008.

The broadcast, according to the 2007-2008 "Great Performances" season brochure, is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2008.

( Read more... )

Well.

This is a general post of music stuff that I've loaded. There will probably be a few more posts of this nature up until the weekend of the 22^nd.

Or else, if people have specific requests coming from the (as yet to be updated) list here, you can make requests... :)

( Read more... )

Well... It's good to know what's on board for the 2008 season :D

First off... Dolly. Then Ms Janney. And Ms Block and Ms Hilty... mmm... such a lovely cast :)

Janney, Block, Hilty Are Just a Step on Boss Man's Ladder in 9 to 5 World Premiere

( Janney, Block, Hilty Are Just a Step on Boss Man's Ladder in 9 to 5 World Premiere )

NYT's Curtain Call for Grey Gardens with Mary Louise Wilson.

My heart breaks... first Company, now Grey Gardens :(

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/109252.html
( Read more... )

A partial recap of the journey there and back. :)

There are no photos taken from the June 22, 2007 evening show at Curtains - simply because the camera I had was without flash, and took pictures that looked like I'd dragged everything through a bog and back.

( Giant pictures here )

( The Wicked and Musical Theatre mumbles )

So, Broadway's worst kept secret is no longer such...

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/108632.html

( Read more... )

More yammering from NYT.

Critic's Picks
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[ARCHIVED AND SNAGGABLE]

Just the various demo tracks and such. I still need to figure out where I can pick up the OBC that's just been released.

( Read more... )

So the Drama Desk Awards have been handed out...

YaY! to Company for the Lead Actor prize for Raul Esparza, Orchestrations to Mary-Mitchell Campbell, and top prize for the Best Revival of a Musical. :)

It was interesting to note that the original and current orchestrators of Company (Jonathon Tunick and Mary-Mitchell Campbell) shared the prize. :) That, and the two revival Roberts -- Raul Esparza (2006) and Boyd Gaines (1995) -- were taking home awards :)

Utopia and Spring Awakening Win Top Honors at Drama Desk Awards
( Read more... )

The nominations are out...

( Read more... )

( My mumbles )

So, the great spectacle opens again... and I'm not sure how 'pleased' one could be to see Toronto being given as the reason for the world premiere as having the largest stage available... O+o;

Frodo Gets Another Shot at the Golden Ring

( Frodo Gets Another Shot at the Golden Ring )

From Variety:

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933460.html?categoryid=1265&cs=1

( Read more... )