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)   

Around the TheatreScene: August/September 2024

Over the course of each month, we'll collect pictures and newsy tidbits from the "TheatreScene." We'll be scouring Twitter, Instagram and other social media for interesting items. And we'd love to share your love of theater, too! Send us your pics from your theater scene - local stuff, school shows, fan art, stage door encounters! Send them to: jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (careful of the spelling!).

Around the TheatreScene

August/September 2024

Back to School with The Outsiders

These guys have some of the greatest fans - and their fan art is so timely!

Opened: The Roommate

Dueling divas took to the stage of the Booth! Welcome back, Mia and Patti!

Closed: The Wiz

The super successful revival ended on a high note in the box office, and no less than acting icon Wendell Pierce went to the final performance!

FANTASTIC! Closing Night of THE WIZ on Broadway!! The National Tour begins! Coming to a city near you! “CAN YOU FEEL A BRAND NEW DAY?”🎶 Don’t Miss It! pic.twitter.com/V6dqZYki7U

— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) August 18, 2024

Something's Coming!

Broadway newbies and folk rock stars The Avett Brothers are on the scene of their soon-to-preview new musical, Swept Away. This show is on our must-see list! 

Something's Coming! - Update!

Just when it looked like Maybe Happy Ending was maybe not happening, they've gone full court press on, well, press to herald its soon-to-preview show! These co-stars sure look excited!

 

🤖🤖 pic.twitter.com/Vkor9YQp3p

— Maybe Happy Ending Musical (@mhemusical) August 21, 2024

Broadway in the Comics
Whether it's a political cartoon captures a current show's importance, or a fun Fosse-themed meme (I want this on a t-shirt!)...

Broadway Beefcake

Here's some vintage beefcake... 

Before Jeremy Jordan became Jay Gatsby, he posed for the Rock of Ages pin-up calendar!

Before Darren Criss became a Helperbot named Oliver, he took his Opening Night bows as Hedwig!

Farewell

How fortunate we were to watch master actor James Earl Jones share his craft in the 2012 revival of The Best Man. Thank you for the privilege, sir. Rest in Peace.

Best of 2021: Performances

And so ends another trip around the sun. As theater fans, I'm sure you'll agree that the last two years have been brutal. Here's hoping that 2022 brings us even more live theater to enjoy and celebrate.

We end our retrospective week with a look at our favorite performances of the year.

THE BEST OF

PERFORMANCES

BEST GIRL GROUP: 

The Ladies in Waiting of Six

What's a queen without her entourage? At Six, the band is as much a part of the show as the actors. Oh boy, can they play!

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: 

The Queens of Six

Precision, sass, and a show so tightly packed with dance moves, transitions and poses is rarely this well-executed. That you literally feel the "girl power" radiating off the stage, and a pervading confidence that these women fave each others' back makes the experience all the more satisfying.

BEST SUPPORTING ENSEMBLE: 

The cast of Diana

Sometimes campy, sometimes serious, and always a triple-threat, this group does it all with royal finesse. Surely they were exhausted after every performance, having completed Christopher Ashley's precise staging and Kelly Devine's energetic choreography!

BEST PAIR: 

Etai Benson as Paul and Matt Doyle as Jamie in Company

There wasn't a weak link in the entire cast, and each couple had their charms, but Etai and Matt were magic. Their palpable chemistry was off the charts, so endearing and so honest. One of the best things about sitting as close as we did was being able to see them have that same level of relationship evident in side glances, in passing and even across the stage.

BEST REPLACEMENT: 

Heidi Blickenstaff as Mary Jane in Jagged Little Pill

The role - and its Elizabeth Stanley legacy - is an enormous undertaking. Heidi made the role her own, and brought out an intensity and self-loathing that was painful to watch, which made watching her decent all the more emotional, and her personal reconciliation all the more cathartic.

   

Erin Davie (right) and Caissie Levy

      

Kevin S. McAllister, Samantha Williams (right) and Rashidra Scott

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE: 

Erin Davie (Diana), Caissie Levy, Kevin S. McAllister and Samantha Williams (Caroline, or Change), Rashidra Scott (Company)

All five of these actors were stand-outs on stages filled with stand-outs. Their dedication to bringing their individual characters to life with strength and specificity is matched by their commitment to being just one part of the bigger tapestry of their respective shows.

ICONIC PERFORMANCE: 

Patti LuPone as Joanne in Company

A performance years in the making in a role perfectly suited to the actor. Thousands of words have been written on this very topic, and I doubt I have anything to add to the discourse. All I will say is this: it was a privilege to witness every second she was on stage.

Broadway in a Box CD Review: Anything Goes 1987 Cast Recording

Broadway in a Box CD Review:

Anything Goes (1987)

At Christmas a few years ago, Jeff gave me a copy of Broadway in a Box: The Essential Broadway Musicals Collection. He has now given me the opportunity to use his blog to share my impressions of each of the 25 cast recordings contained in the set, in alphabetical order.

This week’s entry is about the 1987 Broadway Revival Cast Recording of Anything Goes.

I should admit at the outset that this show is not among my favorites, either in terms of music or story. While I did not see the production recorded on this CD - which Jeff assures me I would have enjoyed - I was completely underwhelmed by the more recent Tony-winning revival. Since many other people loved that one, I can only conclude that the show is just not my cup of tea.

Nonetheless, this CD had a number of truly enjoyable moments for me - in particular the exciting orchestral preludes and dance breaks spread liberally throughout the score. Even without the benefit of the visual spectacle that I’m sure accompanied them on stage, the music came across as vivid and exciting on the recording.

Likewise, most of the performances were excellent, particularly the venerable voice of Howard McGillin as Billy Crocker, as well as his frequent singing partner Kathleen Mahoney-Bennett as Hope Harcourt. They sounded great together in songs like “It’s De-Lovely” and “All Through The Night,” adding a dose of much-needed sweetness among all of the silliness of this show.

I’ve been a huge fan of Patti LuPone since I first listened to my library copy of Evita when I was 15 years old. I loved her delicious performance in the underrated Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and in numerous other recordings, films, and TV shows; I even prefer her London recording of Sunset Boulevard. That being said - specifically in terms of listening to a recording of these songs - I don’t think she is a great fit for this material. Her sudden dynamic shifts and exaggerated vowels work for most of the characters she’s played, but they’re exactly what you don’t need for songs which frequently feature rapid-fire wordplay. At best, it’s a distraction from the material; at worst, as in “Blow, Gabriel, Blow,” she renders the lyrics indecipherable. Of course, I am certain that she was thrilling on stage, and I can’t wait to see her in Company.

Next up is the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Cabaret.

Thanks, Mike! Looking forward to next week already. Jeff 

#2596

LOGOS: Company (2020)

When I see the upcoming revival of Company this spring, it'll be the third Broadway production for me. This has always been one of my favorite Sondheim scores, and I really enjoy the psychology of the book. I'm hoping that this gender-reversed version will enlighten me even more about the very single Bobby/Bobbie. We have a lot in common. So when the newest iteration of the logo came out the other day, I studied it hard. I mean, I loved the title part of the logo already, but if this is the poster, I may just paper my apartment with it!

But let's take a look at that title-only part first. The use of a neon lights style here seems simultaneously very modern and timeless - and definitely urban. The color choices are also doing triple duty: the purple is feminine and strong (versus, say, pink), the bright blue with a red frame not only compliment the purple, they are definitely eye-catching. You see this in the visual cacophony, and your eye is still drawn to it. Even better, in many iterations, the "NY" seems somehow brighter - perfect for a New York set, New York production. And then there's that olive... The "Y" becomes a martini glass. Grown up, boozy, stylish...here's to the ladies who lunch. Everybody rise!

But that full treatment, right!? Each character in a separate little (NYC-sized apartment, maybe) box speaks to compartmentalization of our relationships. More importantly, each box tells us a lot about each character and their closest relationship - even the singles are telling. There isn't one pair or single that doesn't interest me here! And as a long-time fan of most everyone in the cast, this is a lot of fun to see them all in character at once.

Of course, the above-the-title stars are the biggest draw. A carefree and very tipsy Patti LuPone - dig that hairdo! - will certainly appeal musical theater fans, and a lot of gay men. The centerpiece photo - a very captivating Katrina Lenk - tells us everything we need to know. Here's a young, stylish woman bathed in red with an enigmatic expression, alone. Celebrating her birthday with a small cake and a bunch of shiny balloons (they even match the title!), she's alone. Surrounded by all of her friends, she's alone. Then there's the one red balloon drifting separately away. Maybe, in her red outfit, she sees herself in that single red balloon. She's alone, but alive.

Grade: A+

#2281

Ms. Broadway December 2019: The Joannes of Company

Last month's look back at the all of the Broadway Elder Prices proved to be quite popular, so we thought that we'd honor all those ladies who lunch by lifting a glass to all who have played the iconic Joanne in Company. Some pretty amazing women have played the role as you'll see. From the brilliant original Elaine Stritch all the way to the upcoming Broadway turn by the equally brilliant Patti LuPone. (We are reminded of the Sondheim Birthday Celebration moment when Elaine gave a standing ovation to Patti after the latter's blistering "Ladies Who Lunch." Icons doing iconic things - the perfect reason to be named Ms. Broadway December 2019. Everybody rise!

Ms. Broadway

December 2019

The Joannes of Company

The Original

Broadway, First National Tour, West End

Elaine Stritch

The Original Production Replacements

Jane Russell and Vivian Blaine

1995 Broadway Revival

Debra Monk

Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration

Lynn Redgrave

2006 Broadway Revival

Barbara Walsh

2011 New York Philharmonic Concert Staging

Patti LuPone

2018 West End Revival and 2020 Broadway Revival

Patti LuPone

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