Broadway Quiz: Diva Digs

We love our Leading Ladies, don't we? We know their famous roles. We know their signature songs. We know their awards. But do we know where they had their biggest Broadway moments?

Broadway Quiz:

Diva Digs

DIRECTIONS: Answer each question about where these amazing women have played on Broadway. Good luck!

1. Angela Lansbury opened in Mame in which TWO theaters?

    A. Gershwin Theatre    B. Mark Hellinger Theatre    

    C. Winter Garden Theatre    D. Shubert Theatre

2. Patti LuPone has won three Tony Awards. She gave her award-winning performances in each of these theaters EXCEPT:

    A. The Vivian Beaumont Theater    B. The Broadway Theatre

    C. The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre    D. The St. James Theatre

3. Caissie Levy is best known as a musical actress, but which theater did she open in a play on Broadway?

    A. Al Hirschfeld Theatre    B. St. James Theatre

    C. Longacre Theatre    D. Vivian Beaumont Theater

4. Betty Buckley made her Broadway debut singing "He Plays the Violin: in 1776. Which theater was that in?

    A. Lunt-Fontanne    B. Majestic Theatre

    C. Royale Theatre    D. 46th Street Theatre

5. Judy Kuhn was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical three times. Which three theaters did these musical open in?

    A. Criterion Center Stage Right    B. Circle in the Square Theatre

    C. Broadway Theatre    D. Imperial Theatre

6. Audra McDonald won her first Tony Award for a show that played in which theatre?

    A. John Golden Theatre    B. Vivian Beaumont Theater

    C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts    D. Royale Theatre

7. Bernadette Peters opened in shows that played in all of the theaters EXCEPT:

    A. Samuel Friedman Theatre    B. Palace Theatre

    C. Royale Theatre    D. St. James Theatre

8. Rebecca Luker played Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins, which played which Broadway house?

    A. New Amsterdam Theatre    B. The Lyric Theatre

    C. Gershwin Theatre    D. Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

9. Lea Salonga most recently appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends which played which theater?

    A. Circle in the Square Theater    B. Lena Horne Theatre

    C. Eugene O'Neill Theatre    D. Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

10. Sutton Foster has appeared in 14 Broadway shows (not including benefit performances). Which is the only Broadway theater that she played in more than once?

    A. Broadway Theatre    B. Minskoff Theatre

    C. Marquis Theatre    D. Stephen Sondheim Theatre    

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1. Angela Lansbury opened in Mame in which TWO theaters?

    A. Gershwin Theatre (1983)  C. Winter Garden Theatre (1966)

2. Patti LuPone has won three Tony Awards. She gave her award-winning performances in each of these theaters EXCEPT:

    A. The Vivian Beaumont Theater 

    (She was nominated for her role as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at the Beaumont.)

3. Caissie Levy is best known as a musical actress, but which theater did she open in a play on Broadway?

    C. Longacre Theatre

    (She opened there in Leopoldstadt.)

4. Betty Buckley made her Broadway debut singing "He Plays the Violin: in 1776. Which theater was that in?

    D. 46th Street Theatre

5. Judy Kuhn was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical three times. Which three theaters did these musicals open in?

    A. Criterion Center Stage Right (She Loves Me)

    B. Circle in the Square Theatre (Fun Home)

    D. Imperial Theatre (Chess)

6. Audra McDonald won her first Tony Award for a show that played in which theatre?

    B. Vivian Beaumont Theater (Carousel)

7. Bernadette Peters opened in shows that played in all of the theaters EXCEPT:

    D. St. James Theatre

8. Rebecca Luker played Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins, which played which Broadway house?

    A. New Amsterdam Theatre

9. Lea Salonga most recently appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends which played which theater?

    D. Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

10. Sutton Foster has appeared in 14 Broadway shows (not including benefit performances). Which is the only Broadway theater that she played in more than once?

    A. Broadway Theatre

    (Les Miserables and Shrek: The Musical)   

Friday 5: 5 as Good or Better Replacements

It seems that replacement actors are in the news a lot these days. There have been/will be several high profile role take-overs in the recent past/near future. John Proctor is the Villain has a new leading lady, as does this year's Best Play, Purpose. Chicago is a revolving door of newsworthy new faces. Just yesterday, Hadestown announced an upcoming complete change in principal roles (and I am definitely not missing them!). Heck, with Hamilton's 10th anniversary celebration, Playbill has showcased replacements (and understudies and alternates/stand-bys) of all the principal roles in a pair of pictorial essays. 

That same publication also ran an article about shows with new lead actors just last week (HERE). In that story, Andrew Gans recalls the time when Betty Buckley replaced Glenn Close as Norma Desmond in the original production of Sunset Boulevard following the latter's award-winning run. I've written about that very subject myself, as well as my love for the replacement cast of Kiss of the Spider Woman. That article got me to thinking about other actors who took over for acclaimed performances. And each of these were as good - maybe even better than - as the originals.

5 as Good or Better Replacements

(As good) Heidi Blickenstaff as Mary Jane Healy in Jagged Little Pill - originated by Elizabeth Stanley

Here's a no losers situation. Both Stanley and Blickenstaff were absolutely brilliant, and I am so thankful I got to see them both. On any given day (and hour?) I might say I prefer one over the other. But it's like asking a parent to choose their favorite child. I'd give anything to see them both again!

(Better) Sandy Duncan as Roxie Hart in Chicago - originated by Ann Reinking

From the moment she appeared, Ms. Duncan had the sold out Shubert Theatre audience eating out of the palm of her hand. She was mesmerizing: the full package of song and dance, comedy and drama. Her mess of blonde hair, her legs for days, and her megawatt smile made me want to shout, "NOT GUILTY!" What an unforgettable performance, with no trace of Gwen Verdon to be seen. (Ann was a legend, but she sure was like Gwen as Roxie.) 

(Better) Andrew Barth Feldman as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen - originated by Ben Platt

I've made no secret of my disdain for this show, and the title role's originator. And while my doubts about the property remain, Feldman's turn brought me to tears as I was thrilled by his raw, honest take that made me realize I was seeing the birth of a new star. Free of overacting and hyperbolic singing, this Evan Hansen was what he always should have been: a conflicted kid, in over his head and desperate to survive.

(Better) Michael C. Hall as the Emcee in Cabaret - originated by Alan Cumming AND (Better) Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch - originated by Neil Patrick Harris

Here's a two-fer for you! Maybe he's the 21st century's Best Replacement actor. He takes queer androgyny to new levels in this pair of roles. He was creepy and yet endearing, sinister yet sexy, bawdy yet oddly sincere as the Emcee. Over the years, I've gotten to see many takes on this role, including the OG, Joel Grey, and in this revival, Alan Cumming. But it is Hall's performance that mind keeps going back to.

Similarly, I've seen my share of Hedwigs, including Neil Patrick Harris and Darren Criss. Both were wonderful and brought different things to it, but it was Hall who impressed me the most. He was the only person I've seen don the wig and completely disappear. With the others, I never quite forgot that they were playing a part.

(Better) Karen Morrow as The Princess Puffer in The Mystery of Edwin Drood - originated by Cleo Laine

In the above production still, she's number 2 in the rogue's gallery from Drood. In what ended up being her final Broadway performance (to date, anyway), I had the privilege of seeing Ms. Morrow's legendary brassy delivery, her gasp-inducing belt and perfect comic timing. There's a reason she's a true Broadway (and film and TV) icon. If you've never heard of her, do yourself a favor and do some research. Proving just how rich Rupert Holmes' Tony-winning book and score is, she made the part completely her own, and not at all like that of Laine's star turn in the same role. And she was a perfect match for George Rose's Chairman and Donna Murphy's Drood/Datchery (another amazing replacement performance).

It has not escaped me that each of these replacements took over roles that were Tony-winning or Tony-nominated. I think that says a lot about both the original and the replacement.

One That Got Away: Song and Dance

During the 1985-1986 Broadway season, my heart belonged to The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and I was interested in little else. Ah, the blissful ignorance of youth! I was still so new to the world of Broadway. That year, Bernadette Peters won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a musical, but I didn't really know who she was, or how important she would become in my ever-expanding theater fandom. The show was Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song and Dance, and I simply was not interested. 

One That Got Away:

Song and Dance

Then, Miss Peters left the show, and Betty Buckley, my beloved Edwin Drood, took on the role. Needless to say, I got a ticket as fast as I could! But it was not to be. My ticket - 3rd row center for the matinee on Wednesday, November 12, 1986 - was no good. The show closed the previous Sunday, and became my very first One That Got Away show. I'm still not over it.

As it turns out, I didn't exactly miss out on Song and Dance after all. The 1st National Tour came to Baltimore in the summer of 1987. It starred Melissa Manchester, and featured many of the Broadway company including Bruce Falco, Cynthia Onrubia, Scott Wise and Valerie C. Wright, plus Broadway regulars Mindy Cooper and Eugene Fleming. It was worth the wait! What a delightful story, and it has some of my favorite Lloyd Webber songs in it - "Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad," "Take That Look Off Your Face," "Unexpected Song," and "Tell Me On a Sunday." And the dance part of the show features the epic "Variations." So this one got away from me, but I caught up!

Song and Dance began previews at the Royale Theatre on September 4, 1985. After 17 previews, it opened on September 18, 1985. Following 474 performances, the show closed on November 8, 1986. Nominated for 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography, and Best Direction. Bernadette Peters won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Broadway From A to Z: B

Today, we continue our new series that is strictly to the letter. Broadway From A to Z, will look at the people, shows and history of The Great Bright Way! Obviously, with each entry, we'll only be able to scratch the surface of all there is out there. If we don't include your favorites this time, we'll get back to it in the next round! Check out A here.

Broadway From A to Z: B

8 People

John Lee Beatty (scenic designer) - 115+ Broadway shows; 2 Tony Awards, 15 nominations; Talley's Folly, The Nance, Proof, Doubt, The Color Purple

Michael Bennett (actor/dancer/director/choreographer/producer) - 1943 - 1987; Pulitzer Prize, 7 Tony Awards, 15 nominations; A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, Follies, Company, Seesaw, Ballroom, Promises, Promises, Bajour, Subways Are For Sleeping

Laura Benanti (actor) - 1 Tony Award, 5 nominations; Gypsy, She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, In the Next Room (The Vibrator Play), The Wedding Singer, Into the Woods, Swing!, The Sound of Music

Christian Borle (actor) - 2 Tony Awards, 4 nominations; Something Rotten!, Peter and the Star Catcher, Legally Blonde, Falsettos, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mary Poppins, Spamalot

Beatty, Bennett, Benanti

Borle, Brooks

Brown, Buckley, Burstein

Mel Brooks (writer/composer/lyricist/producer) - 3 Tony Awards; The Producers, Young Frankenstein, All-American, Shinbone Alley

Jason Robert Brown (composer/lyricist/orchestrator/conductor) - 3 Tony Awards, 4 nominations; The Bridges of Madison County, Parade, Urban Cowboy, Honeymoon in Vegas, The Last 5 Years, Mr. Saturday Night

Betty Buckley (actor/goddess) - 1 Tony Award, 2 nominations; Cats, Triumph of Love, Sunset Boulevard, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Song and Dance, Carrie, Pippin, 1776

Danny Burstein (actor) - 1 Tony Award, 7 nominations; Moulin Rouge!, Follies, Golden Boy, South Pacific, The Drowsy Chaperone, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, My Fair Lady, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Titanic

5 Shows

Terrence Mann and Susan Egan

Beauty and the Beast - Palace Theatre, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre: Opened April 18, 1994; 5,462 performances; Book by Linda Woolverton, Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice; Original Cast included Susan Egan, Terrence Mann, Burke Moses, Gary Beach, Beth Fowler and Tom Bosley

Judy Holliday, Sydney Chaplin and Company

Bells Are Ringing - Shubert Theatre, Alvin Theatre: Opened November 29, 1956; 924 performances; Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Music by Jule Styne; Original Cast included Judy Holliday, Sydney Chaplin

Con O'Neill and Mark Michael Hutchinson

Blood Brothers - The Music Box Theatre: Opened April 25, 1993; 840 performances; Book, Music and Lyrics by Willy Russell; Original Cast included Stephanie Lawrence, Con O'Neill, Mark Michael Hutchinson, Warwick Evans, Jan Graveson, Barbara Walsh

Matthew Broderick and Company

Brighton Beach Memoirs - Alvin/Neil Simon Theatre, 46th Street Theatre: Opened March 27, 1983; 1,299 performances; By Neil Simon; Original Cast included Matthew Broderick, Elizabeth Franz, Zeljko Ivanek

Judy Holliday and Paul Douglas

Born Yesterday - Lyceum Theatre, Henry Miller's Theatre: Opened February 4, 1946; 1,642 performances; By Garson Kanin; Original Cast included Judy Holliday, Paul Douglas, Gary Merrill

6 Songs

1994 Revival Cast - Billy Porter and Jessica Stone

"Beauty School Dropout" - Grease

Sung by Teen Angel (Alan Paul), Frenchy (Marya Small); Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey

Larry Kert

"Being Alive" - Company

Sung by Bobby (Dean Jones); Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Original Broadway Cast

"Big D" - The Most Happy Fella

Sung by Herman (Shorty Long), Cleo (Susan Johnson) and Ensemble; Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser

Original Broadway Cast

"Big Spender" - Sweet Charity

Sung by Nickie (Helen Gallagher), Helene (Thelma Oliver) and the Fan-Dango Girls; Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by Dorothy Fields

Phillipa Soo

"Burn" - Hamilton

Sung by Eliza Hamilton (Phillipa Soo); Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Faith Prince

1992 Revival Cast

"Bushel and a Peck, A" - Guys and Dolls

Sung by Miss Adelaide (Vivian Blaine) and the Hot Box Girls; 

Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser