Standing @ Zero Hero: Mean Girls' Curtis Holland

This month's Standing @ Zero honoree comes to Broadway by way of FOX's So You Think You Can Dance and a host of regional credits. Like all of our heroes, he takes on several roles beyond his primary track. His current role in Mean Girls includes an ensemble track as well as understudying the principal role of Aaron Samuels. Curtis Holland made his Broadway debut playing some five different roles, including one where he danced with Audra McDonald. One suspects we will be seeing much more of this already accomplished dancer.

Standing @ Zero

Mean Girls' 

Curtis Holland

     

Among his regional credits are Head Over Heels and Guys and Dolls at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Newsies at the MUNY. He also toured with So You Think You Can Dance LIVE!

 

     

#4448

1990s Broadway Musical Logos Madness - The Championship

You know we are obsessed with show logos and window cards! We just LOVE them. Now, it's time to find out your top logo for the closing ten seasons of the 20th century. We started with a field of 64 show logos from the 1990s, and over the past several weeks your votes narrowed them down to The Championship. This week, you'll be deciding which logo will be named  The Best Broadway Musical Logo of the 1990s!   

#2447

1990s Broadway Musical Logo Madness!

The Championship!

HOW IT WILL WORK:

• Each week, we'll open the voting for a different segment of the bracket, and you will select your favorite from each pairing.
• Your selection should be based on the logo/window card ONLY. We are NOT looking for your favorite show! It is possible to like a logo from a show you've never heard of before!
• We will provide pictures of the full window card (in most cases) or logo above each week's ballot, then you scroll down and make your selections. You MUST click/tap the "Click Me to Count Your VOTES" button at the bottom of the survey.
• THIS ROUND WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH AT 5 PM!

Here we go again! May the best logo win! BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FULL LOGOS BEFORE YOU VOTE! THE ACTUAL BALLOT IS BELOW THE FULL-SIZE LOGOS/WINDOW CARDS!

GAME 1:  

   

 

One That Got Away: Guys and Dolls (1992)

Even though I saw and enjoyed the National Tour of this production, I still count the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls as One That Got Away. Actually, that National Tour is why I count the Broadway version I realized that I had really missed out. Odd as it may sound, I knew practically nothing about the show. Now, however, I count it among my favorites of the classic Broadway canon.

First of all, I love how the Broadway production was both classic and modern edge: lavishly designed, a large orchestra, and a large company. Director Jerry Zaks and choreographer Christopher Chadman brought a sharp, zesty performance to the stage.

Second, I realize now that I missed out on a cast full of actors either at the peak of their powers or on the cusp of a now legendary Broadway career. From principal cast to the ensemble, the company list is star-studded. Nathan Lane, Peter Gallagher and, in a star-making turn, Faith Prince led the cast, with a supporting cast including Walter Bobbie (Chicago), J.K. Simmons, Ernie Sabella, Ruth Williamson, and an ensemble full of Tony winners (present and future) and famous dancers. They include: Scott Wise (Tony-winner, Jerome Robbins' Broadway), Victoria Clark (Tony-winner, The Light in the Piazza), Nancy Lemenager, JoAnn M. Hunter, Mark Esposito, Timothy Shew (Les Miserables, The Visit), Cory English (Damn Yankees, Hello, Dolly!) and David Elder (Titanic, 42nd Street).

So, as I said, despite having seen a version of this production, I definitely feel like I missed out!

Guys and Dolls opened on April 14, 1992 at the Martin Beck Theatre and closed on January 8, 1995 following 33 previews and 1,143 performances. The production was nominated for 8 Tony Awards, winning 4: Best Revival, Best Direction (Jerry Zaks), Best Scenic Design (Tony Walton), and Best Actress in a Musical (Faith Prince).

#2446

1990s Broadway Musical Logos Madness - The Final 4!

You know we are obsessed with show logos and window cards! We just LOVE them. Now, it's time to find out your top logo for the closing ten seasons of the 20th century. We started with a field of 64 show logos from the 1990s, and over the past several weeks your votes narrowed them down to The Final 4. This week, you'll be deciding which two logos will face each other in next week's  CHAMPIONSHIP! We are just 2 weeks away from finding out which is The Best Broadway Musical Logo of the 1990s!  

#2445

1990s Broadway Musical Logo Madness!

The Final 4

HOW IT WILL WORK:

• Each week, we'll open the voting for a different segment of the bracket, and you will select your favorite from each pairing.
• Your selection should be based on the logo/window card ONLY. We are NOT looking for your favorite show! It is possible to like a logo from a show you've never heard of before!
• We will provide pictures of the full window card (in most cases) or logo above each week's ballot, then you scroll down and make your selections. You MUST click/tap the "Click Me to Count Your VOTES" button at the bottom of the survey.
• THIS ROUND WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH AT 5 PM!

Here we go again! May the best logo win! BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FULL LOGOS BEFORE YOU VOTE! THE ACTUAL BALLOT IS BELOW THE FULL-SIZE LOGOS/WINDOW CARDS!

GAME 1:                                                                    GAME 2: 

                         

The White House on Broadway

Like everyone we know, we were glued to out devices keeping tabs on the election and our new president. Broadway (judging by Twitter alone) was right there with us. Broadway shows don't shy from politics: Think 1776, Hamilton, and how they portrayed the Founding Fathers (including several presidents). 

The Best Man is a play all about a fictional president. Have any other presidents been musical-ized by themselves? Yep! Today we'll take a quick look at two musicals about presidents and one about the White House itself. What you'll see is that to date, American Presidents haven't done that well as musicals, & in all cases, the shows were created by really incredible people despite their lack of success.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (2010)

RUN: 26 previews, 94 performances Opening Night: October 13, 2010 Closing: January 2, 2011

CREATIVES: Alex Timbers (book, direction); Michael Friedman (music/lyrics)

NOTABLE CAST: Benjamin Walker, Bryce Pinkham, Kristine Nielsen, Greg Hildreth

THE PRESIDENT: A considerably more successful show off-Broadway, this exciting (and short) show was all about the, uh, troubling populist president Andrew Jackson. Even the house was fully done up (I still occasionally have weird dreams about the house overhead...).

Teddy and Alice (1987)

RUN: 11 previews, 77 performances Opening Night: November 12, 1987 Closing: January 17, 1988

CREATIVES: Jerome Alden (book); John Philip Sousa (music), Hal Hackaday (lyrics); John Driver (director)

NOTABLE CAST: Len Cariou, Beth Fowler, Richard H. Blake (as a small child!), Nancy Opel, Karen Ziemba

THE PRESIDENT: A traditional patriotic, splashy musical about Teddy Roosevelt and his troublesome daughter, Alice. Using the classic music of John Philip Sousa, I can tell you the music was not the problem here. With a tagline of "An American Musical," the show was huge and meant to be an answer to the growing list of Broadway mega-musicals. I though it was fun and really entertaining, if hopelessly old-fashioned. Len Cariou was wonderful. And I'll never forget the giant White House facade which opened to reveal a stunning mansion set.

Speaking of the White House...

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (1976)

RUN: 13 previews, 7 performances Opening Night: May 4, 1976 Closing: May 8, 1976

CREATIVES: Alan Jay Lerner (book, lyrics); Leonard Bernstein (music); Gilbert Moses and George Faison (direction)

NOTABLE CAST: Ken Howard, Patricia Routledge, Beth Fowler, Walter Charles

THE PRESIDENT: Actually, the president's house in this case. Even icons have weak moments. How else could you explain the failure of the show? Maybe the country was suffering from bicentennial fatigue? Maybe we just didn't want to hear any more about the White House after the whole Nixon/Watergate thing? Of course, it could be the subtitle: A Musical About the Problems of Housekeeping. I'll just leave that there.

Interesting fact: both Beth Fowler and an ensemblist named John Witham appeared in both Teddy and Alice and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

#2444

1990s Broadway Musical Logos Madness - The Elite 8!

You know we are obsessed with show logos and window cards! We just LOVE them. Now, it's time to find out your top logo for the closing ten seasons of the 20th century. We started with a field of 64 show logos from the 1990s, and over the past several weeks your votes narrowed them down to The Elite 8. This week, you'll be deciding which logos move on to The Final 4! We are just 2 weeks until we find out which is The Best Broadway Musical Logo of the 1990s! 

#2443

1990s Broadway Musical Logo Madness!

The Elite 8

HOW IT WILL WORK:

• Each week, we'll open the voting for a different segment of the bracket, and you will select your favorite from each pairing.
• Your selection should be based on the logo/window card ONLY. We are NOT looking for your favorite show! It is possible to like a logo from a show you've never heard of before!
• We will provide pictures of the full window card (in most cases) or logo above each week's ballot, then you scroll down and make your selections. You MUST click/tap the "Click Me to Count Your VOTES" button at the bottom of the survey.
• THIS ROUND WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH AT 5 PM!

Here we go again! May the best logo win! BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FULL LOGOS BEFORE YOU VOTE! THE ACTUAL BALLOT IS BELOW THE FULL-SIZE LOGOS/WINDOW CARDS!

GAME 1:                                                                    GAME 2: 

                         

GAME 3:                                                                    GAME 4: