Friday 5: 5 Pro-Shots We'd Love to See

With this week's announcement that the live-filmed production of Merrily We Roll Along will be released in theaters, we got to thinking about other productions we'd love to see a pro-shot of. I mean we know many shows are preserved for the Lincoln Center Archive, but I am thinking of similar treatment to shows that many of Sondheim's shows have gotten - Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Passion, Into the Woods. And here are 5 that made our list (alphabetically - we want them all!):

5 Broadway Pro-Shots We'd Love to See!

A Chorus Line - Original Broadway Cast: One of my all-time favorite shows, I'd love to see it when it was fresh, with the original company. Maybe the most meta performance in Broadway history, the people who the show is actually about, performing their own stories - the idea alone thrills me.

Follies - Original Broadway Cast: When I asked Mike what he would choose, I'm not sure he even had to think about it, he answered so fast! "It's because of the legendary cast and extremely expensive design that apparently had to be seen to be believed."

Grand Hotel: The Musical: Fittingly for a musical based on a film, Tommy Tune's non-stop staging was very cinematic. Not only was the staging grand, the characterizations were so beautifully specific. What could make a better movie? Big dances and thrilling close-ups - you'd think Tommy Tune was thinking just that when he put it all together.

Head Over Heels: I loved this show so much! It was fun from start to finish, and I left with a goofy grin on my face. Why wouldn't I want to relive that on demand? Plus, seeing the details of the costumes and scenery up close would be amazing.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood - All versions: I make no secret about the fact that I adore this show. So this pro-show would need to be a hybrid of all the varied productions to make this complete. It would star the original cast - Betty Buckley belting "The Writing on the Wall" at my whim? Howard McGillin at his suave, wicked best any time I want to see him? Sign. Me. Up. Plus, I'd want the songs reinstated for the Broadway revival - "An English Music Hall" for example, and "A Private Investigation" from London/Australia. Naturally, all of the endings would have to be included. How about "guest stars" like Donna Murphy as Dick Datchery? Karen Morrow and Chita Rivera could do the Puffer endings - you get the drift.

At This Theatre: The Al Hirschfeld

At This Theatre:

The Al Hirschfeld

On November 11, the Al Hirschfeld Theatre turned 100 years old! Back then, it was known as the Martin Beck Theatre, and it stayed that way until June 21, 2003, when the name was changed to honor the great American caricaturist, famously known for his iconic images of Broadway shows. In 1924, the doors opened to a brand new musical, Madame Pompadour. Over the century, the theater was host to a variety of plays and revivals, new and revival. Among the high profile productions that played there are: Victoria Regina starring Helen Hayes, original productions of The Teahouse of the August Moon, The Crucible, and Candide. Transfers of the original runs of Man of La Mancha and Bye Bye Birdie. Celebrated flops include Tony-winner Hallelujia Baby!, Bring Back Birdie and Drat! The Cat!. Over the past forty seasons or so, big names have trod the boards there, including Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli in The Rink, Brian Stokes Mitchell in both Kiss Me, Kate and Man of La Mancha, Nathan Lane and Faith Prince in Guys and Dolls, and Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed...

Number of Shows We've Seen There: 10

Curtains, Elf, Grand Hotel, Hair, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying! (2011), Into the Woods (1987), Kinky Boots, Moon Over Buffalo, Moulin Rouge!, The Wedding Singer

The 5 Shows That Were Our Favorites at the Hirschfeld:

5. Hair (2009) I caught this one in early previews and was completely bowled over by its energy, artistry and importance. At the performance I attended, I got to see the actual Broadway debut - his very first performance - of Jay Armstrong Johnson on as Claude, not to mention a very up close encounter with Will Swenson, and a patchouli scented cloud surrounding Caissie Levy, all of whom have become some of my very favorite performers. It was an exciting bolt of theatrical lightning!

4. Moulin Rouge! We caught this exciting show first in Boston, and knew immediately we would see it on Broadway. Spectacular doesn't really quite do this amazing production justice. The sets, costumes and lighting are eye-popping, and the choreography by Tony-winner Sonya Tayeh is thrilling. But for me, the original cast was the reason to see the Rouge again. Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivo had smoldering chemistry, and the always wonderful Danny Burstein was extra special. 

3. Moon Over Buffalo When the great Carol Burnett announced her long-awaited Broadway return, I had to see her. She was, of course, brilliantly funny and bursting with joy. But the rest of the company was no slouch, either. A cast that included Philip Bosco, Randy Graff and Jane Connell was more than up to the task of sharing the stage with Burnett. The best part of it all was that Ken Ludwig's ridiculously funny script was smart and clever enough to be worth the comedienne's time. This is a truly cherished memory of mine.

2. Into the Woods (1987) One of the things I am most proud of in my theater collection is a Playbill from an early preview of this show, as it includes songs that are no longer part of the script, now familiar tunes not in the song list, and a different order to some songs. A devout Sondheim fan, seeing it as a work in progress was a distinct thrill. I would end up seeing the original production and cast several more times. I mean how could I resist seeing Bernadette Peters, Chip Zien and the brilliant Tony-winning turn of Joanna Gleason multiple times?

1. Grand Hotel I knew I was going to love this show when the pre-show announcement came on: "Grand Hotel: The Musical, like the film upon which it is based, will be performed without an intermission." (Back then, one act Broadway shows were rare.) From that moment, I was smitten. The mysterious score, the non-stop choreography and tight Tommy Tune staging were a feast for the eyes, heart and mind. The opportunity to see such great performers as Lillian Montevecchi, Karen Akers, Jane Krakowski and Michael Jeter at their peak is an honor I fully recognize and will cherish for the rest of my life.

Do you have any favorite memories at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre? Share with us on Twitter, Instagram, Threads or Blue Sky!

Best Songs From Best Scores: 1989 - 1990

Today, we continue our new series, Best Songs From Best Scores, in which we take a look at the numbers from a season's Best Original Score Tony nominees. Of course, "best" is in the eye ear of the beholder, and we are pretty sure you won't always agree with our choices. So, please feel free to let us know what you think via email or Twitter!

This time, we decided to look at the 1989 - 1990 season, which included two shows really in need of a first class Broadway revival. The others were a less-than-successful Andrew Lloyd Webber opera and a splashy (if unnecessary) musicalization of a beloved movie musical. Some thirty-two years later, each one holds up pretty well, and there are many worthy songs to consider. Here are the ones we like the best:

Best Songs From Best Scores

1989 - 1990

Music and lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane

Best Song: Act One Closer: "The Trolley Song" - Esther and the Ensemble

One of several classic tunes in the score, this was a showstopper, including a moving trolley and a boisterous ensemble. But let's face it, anyone who sang this song would pale in comparison to Judy Garland, but damn if Donna Kane didn't give her a run for the money! I still remember the goose bumps I got when she belted that last note, "at the end of the liiiiiiinnnneee!" It's a classic for a reason.

Nominee: Grand Hotel: The Musical

Music and lyrics by George Forrest, Maury Yeston and Robert Wright

Best Song: Dance Number: "We'll Take a Glass Together" - Otto Kingelein, Baron Felix von Gaigern and Company

In a show that was literally non-stop movement, there were several standout dance numbers, this one really stopped the show cold. A dying Otto is living out his last days in high style with his cashed-in insurance money and meets the Baron, really a cat burglar with his eye on Otto's wallet. This ode to joyous excess brings each to a life-changing epiphany, and the audience to screams of delight. One of the great numbers ever. 

David Carroll, Michael Jeter and Company

Best Song: Character Number: "I Want to Go to Hollywood" - Flaemmchen

Talk about emotional! This "I Want" song is part jazzy Charleston, part terrifying memory play. Flawlessly sung and danced by all five different people I saw do the role, I was tapping my toes and wiping away tears at the same time! 

Jane Krakowski

Nominee: Aspects of Love

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Don Black

Best Song: Rousing Number: "Hand Me the Wine and the Dice" - Giullietta, Rose and Company

I've since come to really enjoy and appreciated this under-appreciated gem. I still maintain that what they did with "Love Changes Everything" for the Tony Awards that year was a vast improvement over how it is done in the show. But I was immediately smitten with this catchy and thrilling number. A celebration of life, love and taking chances, this song is gloriously sung following a significant death. What a tribute!

Ann Crumb and Michael Ball

WINNER: City of Angels

Music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by David Zippel

Best Song: Duet: "What You Don't Know About Women" - Gabby and Oolie

With a jazzy score that is superb from overture to walk-out music, there isn't a weak number in the bunch. This sharp as a tack and venomous argument against men is full of exciting wordplay that had the audience holding its collective breath so as not to miss a single word. That final crescendo of words was met with thunderous applause.

Kay McClelland and Randy Graff

Scott Waara and The Angel City 4

Best Song: End Credits (Walk-out Music): "The Theme from City of Angels" - Jimmy Powers and the Angel City 4/Orchestra

In the theater, this was the music the orchestra played as the audience left. On the cast recording, it is included with full lyrics. And those lyrics are a doozie! As sharp and funny as anything in the rest of the score, it nails that film noir/40's detective feel. It starts with "You only go around once, and then they tuck you in with a spade," and only gets better from there. I hope that when they finally get around to reviving this wonder work, the powers that be include this number as more than walk-out underscoring.