Inside the Playbill: Blood Brothers February 1994

Inside the Playbill:

Blood Brothers February 1994

Just short of 31 years ago, I had the pleasure of seeing one of my favorite musicals, Blood Brothers, featuring what ended up being my favorite casts in the show. Adrian Zmed was the enigmatic narrator, real-life half-siblings David and Shaun Cassidy were the ill-fated siblings, and Petula Clark headlined as their long-suffering mother. The vocal power on that stage was impressive, and the acting was sublime.

So, what would you find in the Playbill handed out on that chilly mid-90s evening at the Music Box? (Click/tap each picture to enlarge!)

I miss the sure thing of seeing the "At This Theatre" article. These days, you still see it on occasion, I think, but I'm not sure. One thing I know you don't see in the Playbill anymore, is the "Dear Playbill" column. Here, you can see that Sunset Boulevard  was on people's minds months before its Broadway debut. And now, some three decades later, the show is again a sensation.

Note: Kerry Butler in her Broadway debut!

And what other shows could you catch on a three show weekend?

Of the shows that are listed (some big shows that are missing from the list include Cats and Beauty and the Beast) I saw all of them, except the Neil Simon play, and the revivals of My Fair Lady and Guys and Dolls, though I saw all three in their national tours. As you can see mega-musicals were all the rage, punctuated with some razzle-dazzle shows like Crazy For You, and serious drama, like the epic Angels in America and Kiss of the Spider Woman. And there was plenty of star power, too: you could catch the likes of Bebe Neuwirth, Victor Garber, screen legend Richard Chamberlain, and Broadway icon Chita Rivera. (Not to mention the Little Mermaid herself, Jodi Benson!)

Time flies! I can't believe it was over 30 years ago!! 

The Friday 5: 5 As Good or Better Replacements

There's something special about seeing the original cast of a Broadway show. But seeing replacement casts (and/or individual replacements) can be great, too.  In fact, over the years, we've seen replacements that were as good or better than the originals. This week's Friday 5 celebrates the Broadway second stringers, who are really first stringers.

The Friday 5

Our 5 Favorite 

Broadway Replacements

5. Rachel York as Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

If I'm being completely honest, she was better in every way... funnier, sexier, better singer than her predecessor, Sherie Rene Scott.

4. Petula Clark as Mrs. Johnstone, David Cassidy as Mickey, Shaun Cassidy as Eddie in Blood Brothers

By the time the show closed, I saw pretty much every iteration of the cast. I loved the show each time, but there was something truly special about this mother/sons combination. Just devastating. And so wonderful.

3. Michael C. Hall as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch

We saw three Hedwigs: Neil Patrick, Darren and Michael. All three brought something different and terrific to the Belasco Theatre stage. But Hall was the best. Can't put my finger on the specifics, but with NPH, I never really forgot it was NPH, and with Criss, as great as he was, he seemed a shade too young. Hall was the right age, and best of all, he disappeared in the role.

2. Vanessa Williams as Aurora/Spider Woman, Howard McGillin as Molina, and Brian Stokes Mitchell as Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman

As much as I loved the original cast (I mean, c'mon...Chita Rivera!), I have to say this replacement cast was better all the way around. Williams was dangerous and so tempting and was Aurora. Mitchell was a tower of strength and defiance, but had a wonderful undercurrent of warmth and empathy that made his Valentin somehow accessible. McGillin was just sublime as Molina - he didn't overwhelm the production with affected histrionics. This trio hit the perfect, compelling and riveting notes from overture to curtain call.

1. Marin Mazzie as Diana, Jason Danieley as Dan, Kyle Dean Massey as Gabe, and Meghann Fahy as Natalie (the Goodman Family) in next to normal

As you know, if you read this blog with any regularity, n2n is one of my all-time favorite shows. I loved each and every original cast member (I mean, c'mon...Alice Ripley!), but there was something positively electric (no pun intended) about this company. In light of recent events, this memory is all the more special, but it has been my opinion since seeing the closing night performance. It was just so real...

#1916

#TBT: Playbill: Blood Brothers: February 1994

I knew when I was going through my Playbill collection looking for a new #TBT subject, I had to include this one!

Blood Brothers is one of my all-time favorite shows. I saw it an embarrassing number of times, missing only one of the many leading ladies (Carole King). Probably my favorite cast, though, was the one headed by Petula Clark, David Cassidy and Shaun Cassidy. They were incredible, and so was the entire company. And i have an awesome stage door story involving them, but that's for another time! (Again, I apologize for my photos...)

Click to enlarge the pictures.

February 1994

Blood Brothers

The Music Box

13 previews, 840 performances

February 1994 Company: Petula Clark, David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy, Adrian Zmed, Regina O'Malley, Shauna Hicks, Ivar Brogger, John Schiappa

Book, music and lyrics by Willy Russell. Direction by Bill Kenwright and Bob Tomson

Notice Broadway debutante Kerry Butler (3rd row)

Victor Garber was on Broadway then,
and wasn't it nice of Joseph... to do TWO
Sunday matinees?

Is this 2018 or 1994? Angels in America, My Fair Lady 

played both years, and The Phantom of the Opera and

Blue Man Group haven't closed yet!

And my three favorite Blood Brothers stars...

Petula Clark

Mrs. Johnstone

David and Shaun Cassidy

Mickey and Eddie

Check out previous #TBT subjects by clicking the #TBT tab at the top! Have a suggestion or ideas for future posts? Contact us at the Twitter or email address above.