Saturday, May 30, 2020

Friday, May 29, 2020

Broadway Games: Password Alphabetics 2

Last week, it was nice to hear from you that you enjoyed playing Password Plus Alphabetics! (Last week's answers are below.) If you don't know the game, celebrities and their contestant partners give one word clues until the other guesses the "password." In the late 70's version, Password Plus, the winner of the game went on to a bonus round called "Alphabetics." That round had a series of 10 alphabetically ordered passwords, and the celebrity would give one word clues. If the contestant could guess all 10 passwords in order, they won $5000! No prize money this week, either. Just the love of the game!

Here is a list of 10 theater related passwords, from M-V, that cover names, shows and other show terms. Can you guess all 10 with just the one clue provided?


Broadway Games:
Password + Alphabetics



LETTERANSWERCLUE
C?Wilkommen

Example: The letter is "C." The clue is "Wilkommen." The answer is "Cabaret."

Good luck!
LETTERANSWERCLUE
M?afternoon
N?papes
O?Guy
P?magazine
Q?hush
R?Chita
S?platform
T?pinball
U?privilege
V?murderess


Last week's answers!

LETTERANSWERCLUE
AAnnietomorrow
BBette*Dolly
Ccostumeoutfit
DdevilApplegate
EEquityunion
FFantinedreamed
GGlindabubble
HHigginsHenry
IIsaacTony
JJessiepies
* - We'll also accept BETTY or BARBRA, even though these are all Broadway related!

#2331

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Ms. Broadway May 2020: Jagged Little Pill's Lauren Patten

She literally stops the show nightly with her blistering take on "You Oughta Know" in the hit musical Jagged Little Pill. And being in quarantine hasn't stopped her, either. If you did catch her in the show's webcast earlier this month, you missed her doing that same number accompanying herself on an acoustic guitar. Amazing. Or maybe you saw her in her previous Broadway appearance as Medium Alison in Fun Home. No matter what you see her in, be it on or off Broadway or on television, you know you are going to get a thoughtful, deeply human and vocally intense performance. That alone makes Lauren Patten the perfect choice for Ms. Broadway May 2020.

Ms. Broadway May 2020
Jagged Little Pill's
Lauren Patten

     


GETTING TO KNOW LAUREN PATTEN:
BIRTH DATE: September 22
BIRTHPLACE: Downers Grove, IL
EDUCATION: NYU, USC, The New School
SELECT THEATER CREDITS: Broadway: Jagged Little Pill, Fun Home; Off-Broadway: Days of Rage, The Goree All-Girl String Band, The Wolves, Home Street Home; Regional: Jagged Little Pill (A.R.T.), Spring Awakening (Deaf West); Television: The Good Fight, Blue Bloods

Regional

  

Off- Broadway

   

  

  

   

Broadway

  

  



#2330

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Mr. Broadway May 2020: Mrs. Doubtfire's Rob McClure

Like the rest of you, we get out laughs where and when we can these days. One of the really good great guys of the Broadway community has been using his down time to cheer the rest of us up. I'm talking about Mrs. Doubtfire himself, Rob McClure. In case you missed it, he's been a Twitter sensation with his ongoing series #conductorcam. Whether you've been in the pit yourself, on the stage looking at the conductor, or just in the audience of a big ol' Broadway show, you'll be able to understand and appreciate the hilarity of these videos. The man is a riot.


Mr. Broadway May 2020
Mrs. Doubtfire's
Rob McClure

If his selection as Mr. Broadway feels like deja vu, it's because he earned the same title way back in September of 2012, when he was headlining Chaplin. Since earning a Theatre World Award for that star turn, he's appeared on Broadway in Honeymoon in Vegas, Something Rotten, Noises Off and Beetlejuice. When Broadway reopens, he'll be playing the title character in Mrs. Doubtfire.


Thanks, Rob, for the much needed smiles you bring to us. Stay safe, stay healthy, and we'll see you soon! Find more by following him on Twitter: @RobMcClure and Instagram: @mcclurerob .

#conductorcam


Honeymoon in Vegas


Something Rotten


Noises Off


Beetlejuice


Mrs. Doubtfire 


#2329

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

BEST OF THE DECADE: 10 Favorite Broadway Musical Revivals

Last week, we began our series that takes a look back at the theater we enjoyed over the last 10 seasons. One of those posts revealed our 10 Favorite Broadway Play Revivals (HERE), and today, we again look back at Broadway revivals, this time at the musicals. I will say that Mike and I pretty much agreed about our top 5 choices (#1 was unanimous!), but the rest we diverged on quite a bit. In any case, all of these shows are deserving of their spot on the list, and it was so close overall, that any one of our honorable mentions could easily have been in the top 10.  Did your favorite musical revival make the list?

Best of the Decade:
Jeff and Mike's 10 Favorite
Broadway Musical Revivals

 

10. Violet (2014): Here was a show that was new to both of us (and new to Broadway, too, really) and it was really wonderful. Between Jeanine Tesori's beautiful melodies and Brian Crawley's gut-wrenching words and script, it was a very emotional experience. Colin Donnell and Joshua Henry both gave terrific performances, but Sutton Foster really resonated with both of us. We've never seen her better.







9. Once On This Island (2017): It is a testimony to how great this field of shows is that this one is all the way down at number 9, because both of us were thrilled by this amazing production. Michael Arden's vibrant direction brought this fairy tale to life with a meaningful resonance. We saw some definite favorites of ours (Norm Lewis and Lea Salonga) and discovered some new performers that we will follow for years to come (Hailey Kilgore, Tamyra Gray and Isaac Powell).






8. Sunset Boulevard (2017): Both of us had seen the original Broadway production of this Andrew Lloyd Webber epic, and agree that it is one of our favorites of his. Hearing this score with a huge orchestra was music to our ears, and seeing it without a ton of scenery, but with creative staging and a top-notch cast, we discovered that the story is terrific without all of that! Glenn Close was even better this time around, and being introduced to Michael Xavier (who made one of the great entrances of all-time in act two) was icing on this glamorous cake!





7. Oklahoma! (2019): Though I can understand why this radical reinterpretation of this beloved classic wasn't everyone's cup of tea (and we weren't thrilled with the "Dream Ballet" either), Mike and I agree that Daniel Fish's harsh environmental production brought this relic into the 21st century in a tense, relevant and inclusive way. My heart palpates just thinking about the smokehouse scene, the boxed lunch auction and the finale. It was grim and absolutely mesmerizing. So glad that we got to see the Tony-winning performance of Ali Stroker, newcomers (to us) Patrick Vaill and Damon Daunno, and two of our favorites, Rebecca Naomi Jones and Mary Testa. Oklahoma, OK! 



6. The Color Purple (2015): Frankly, I hated the original production of this show, and it was really a surprise that we even saw this. (That's a story for another time.) Talk about a turn around of opinion! John Doyle's spare, intense staging brought the story and the struggle to the front, and assembled a brilliant cast. By the time we got to it, Heather Headley had replaced Jennifer Hudson, and we were thrilled by her take on Shug. But let's be honest, Cynthia Erivo gave one of those once-in-a-lifetime performances as Celie. It was a privilege to be in the room with her.





5. Cabaret (2014): Loved it in the 90's, loved it just as much, if not more this time around. Just as devastating as ever. And how could it not be? Alan Cumming was brilliant, of course, and Michele Williams was a revelation.










4. Pippin (2013):  I was starting to think this show, long a favorite of mine, would never be revived. It was worth the wait. Can't think of a single thing I didn't love about it - the concept, the staging (brava! Diane Paulus), and the dancing in the style of Bob Fosse (bravo! Chet Walker). And the sexy, uber-talented company, wow! Kudos and thank yous to them all, especially Patina Miller, Matthew James Thomas, Rachel Bay Jones, Andrea Martin, Charlotte d'Amboise, Terrence Mann, and Erik Altemus.






3. Spring Awakening (2015): Here is an example of an already great show that was actually better (IMHO) in revival. Michael Arden's directorial debut was a stunner - a beautiful re-interpretation, whose storytelling was not only inclusive of a much under served community, but taught everyone who saw it a lesson in true communication.









2. Follies (2011): As Mike will tell you, I was not a fan of this show, mainly because of the horrid original Broadway cast recording. Shame on me, because this show is the classic everyone has always said it is. Mike will also tell you that I wept silently (mostly) throughout the entire performance. Bernadette Peters broke my heart, Danny Burstein was in top form, and the late, great Jan Maxwell was exhilarating. With a supporting cast that included Terri White, Jayne Houdyshell, Florence Lacey, Mary Beth Peil and Elaine Paige, there certainly was not lack of star power, and they all delivered. I'm so glad I got to see it more than once - I am definitely now a Follies fan!




1. West Side Story (2020): Look, I know that some of you reading this are thinking we are crazy - this radical staging is divisive. Other of you are probably thinking that this is our number one choice because it is the most recent show we saw. I can guarantee that has nothing to do with it. Actually, this show faced an uphill battle for our praise. Both Mike and I consider West Side Story to be one of the greatest musicals of all time, if not the greatest. Frankly, it was like discovering a new show. It is brutal, sadly timely, and often uncomfortable, just as a tragic story about violence and the death of young people should be. We loved the streamlining; we loved the staging, the orchestrations, and even the overwhelming video. The show is alive as has never been before. Truly great shows can withstand, and even be improved upon, with a fresh take. And we didn't miss "I Feel Pretty" at all.

Honorable Mention: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2014), Sunday in the Park with George (2017)

#2328
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