Friday 5: 5 Pop Stars Who Wowed Me

5 Pop Stars Who Wowed Me

Some people call it "stunt casting," and sometimes, it is - anything to get butts in seats, right? Sometimes, though, it is just good casting. Here are five times that pop stars were cast and they were amazing!

1. Sara Bareilles as The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods (2022): I didn't think there'd ever be anyone as amazing in this role as its originator, Joanna Gleason. Then along came Sara Bareilles. She made the part completely her own, low-key, earthy and sincere. I was as full of awe and wonder at her performance, as her Baker's Wife was at the magic to be found in those woods.

2. David Cassidy as Mickey Johnstone in Blood Brothers (1993): Some 20 years after he was a teen heartthrob in The Partridge Family, David Cassidy returned to the Broadway stage in a performance that eclipsed its originator. Gritty and troubled, his take on the role was deeply moving. And what a voice! (His half-brother, Shaun, no stranger to pop stardom himself, was also wonderful as the other "blood brother.") 

3. Ingrid Michaelson as Sonya in Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812: I've been smitten with her since I found her video for her song, "After Life." When I saw the announcement that she'd be taking over the part of Sonya, I had to get a ticket! She did not disappoint! What I loved about her performance was her commitment to the ensemble aspects of her track. She really rocked it in the upper mezzanine of the Imperial - even when Sonya was alone...

4. Helen Reddy as Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers (1995): I feel so fortunate to have seen this singing icon in her only Broadway role. She hadn't lost one bit of her extraordinary gifts, singing the hell out of Willy Russell's score. Her acting, as the tragic Mrs. Johnstone, was...dare I say it?...as great as her vocals!

5. Vanessa Williams as Aurora/Spider Woman in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1994): Heck, she was so magnificent as the title character, they put out a second cast recording! A sensuous, provocative and thoroughly engrossing star turn solidified this pop star as a bonafide Broadway star. No slight intended to the original star, the incomparable Chita Rivera, but Ms. Williams made the role completely her own, disappearing into the cinematic temptress and harbinger of death. Brilliant.

Broadway Games: When Pop Musicians Write Musicals!

 Broadway Games:

When Pop Musicians Write Musicals!

Over the years, many musicians who are famous in the world of popular music have tried their hand at writing original Broadway scores. We are not talking about jukebox musicals, we are talking about full-fledged new scores.

Below are 10 such writers, their 10 Broadway shows, and some of their most famous pop songs. All you have to do is match 'em up! And don't forget to try the bonus questions, too! Good luck! 

Writers/Musicians         Pop Songs             Broadway Show 

1. Cyndi Lauper                        A. "Brave"/"Love Song"    a. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

2. Dolly Parton                          B. "King of the Road"        b. The Mystery of Edwin Drood

3. Trey Anastasio (Phish)          C. "Time After Time"        c. AIDA

4. Bono & The Edge (U2)         D. "Girls Chase Boys"        d. Big River

5. Roger Miller                          E. "Pride (In the Name of Love)"      e. Waitress

6. Elton John                            F. "Jolene"                          f. Hands on a Hard Body

7. Sara Bareilles                       G. "Farmhouse"/"Free"       g. Chess

8. Ingrid Michaelson                 H. "Rocketman"                 h. Kinky Boots

9. Rupert Holmes                     I. "Dancing Queen"            i. The Notebook

10. Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus        J. "Escape (Pina Colada Song)"   j. 9 to 5

Bonus Questions:

1. Which of the above writer/musicians are Tony Award nominees? Of those, how many took home the trophy?

2. Which of the above writer/musicians have appeared in a Broadway musical? What musicals?

Broadway Games: Pop Hits, Broadway Flops

For every Kinky Boots and Waitress, there's The Last Ship and Taboo. Being a successful pop songwriter like Cyndi Lauper or Sara Bareilles doesn't automatically translate to being a hit maker on Broadway (though it certainly worked out for those two). Today's game is all about pop composers who were less than successful when they tried Broadway. Here's to all of them for being brave enough to try, and here's to hoping they try again.

Broadway Games:

Pop Hits, Broadway Flops

Match the writer/group they are famous for to their flop show.

A. Boy George     B. Eurythmics     C. Elton John

D. Sting     E. Fountains of Wayne

F. Phish     G. U2     H. ABBA

I. Take That     J. Paul Simon

1.    2.    3. 

4.    5. 

6.    7.    8. 

9.    10. 

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Answers to Last Week's Game:

Broadway Games:

Those Dancing Feet!

1.  A Chorus Line

2. Cats

3. Hamilton

4. Pippin

5. Moulin Rouge!

CD REVIEW: Waitress OBCR

It is testimony to how much I enjoy Sara Bareilles' score for Waitress (well, most of it) that I'm going to try and limit my criticism of the show itself. Suffice it to say, I have several problems with it. Fortunately, most of them don't rear their ugly heads in the cast recording.  Like I said, I really like the score (most of it). And that it features the cast I saw - save for the lead - makes finally getting the CD all the sweeter.

Bareilles, like Cyndi Lauper before her, really knows her way around a show tune, and manages to provide the pop/rock she's famous for, while still developing character, advancing the plot and presenting themes. Okay, so maybe she dips into the pie baking metaphor pool a little too often...
But even though she has subsequently released a Waitress-inspired album, this is, thankfully, not yet another jukebox musical.

I really love the conceptual/ethereal quality of the start of the show - "What's Inside" and "Opening Up" are on repeat every time I listen to the CD before I move on. And the finale version of "Opening Up" also gives me all the feels. Of course, I love the breakout song, "She Used To Be Mine," which is simply a beautiful song. Jessie Mueller sings it well here - certainly better than the scenery chewing histrionic version she did on the Tony Awards. To be honest, I saw Stephanie Torns, and I think she gave the definitive performance of the number.

Other songs that stand out in a positive way for me are "The Negative" (very clever & smart), "When He Sees Me" (infectious and I love the dual styles of the verses) and "Everything Changes" (sweetly sentimental). Still, I wish Keala Settle had more to do, because she's a riot and a hell of a singer.

I think more could have been done with the male roles. Though I appreciate the irony of the lyrics for the abusive husband number, "You Will Still Be Mine," has all the sinister quality of a Hallmark Channel movie villain, and I know Nick Cordero could handle a bigger slice of the dramatic pie. On the other end of the Hallmark spectrum is the sweet but vacuous "Take It From an Old Man." Again, Dakin Matthews could handle so much more, and so could the character.

However, the biggest problem I have with the score (and with the show) is "Never Ever Getting Rid Of Me." I don't care how dorky/charming Ogie is supposed to be, in any context, his words and actions are those of a stalker. Dressing up like a founding father and comparing his love for his target to a table does not excuse his behavior. And though I'm sure I'd feel this way no matter who played the role, the fact that it is the vastly overrated and uber creepy Christopher Fitzgerald playing this jerk makes it all the worse.

I fully support the ground-breaking all-female creative team behind the show, particularly Ms. Bareilles and Diane Paulus, in whose work I find joy and inspiration. But I seriously wonder what the reception for this show would have been had a man been at the helm. Would he be called out for glorifying a stalker? For promoting a doctor having sex with a patient (which is illegal where I live)? Showing a woman weak on relationships? No show down with an abusive husband? Would he be called a misogynist? Heck, these days, the fact that a nice old white guy "saves the heroine" would get a lot of timeline space on Twitter. Think about the flak Pretty Woman gets for being out of touch - largely blaming it's male creative team. It covers a lot of the same territory. Is Waitress getting a free pass?

Grade: B+ (for the cast recording by itself)

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The Broadway Ladies: Ms. January 2019

I've long been a fan of Ms. Broadway January 2019. Her songs make me feel good, and her positive attitude toward life inspires me. And her love and respect for the theater takes my admiration for her to a new, higher level. In just a few years, she's been twice-nominated for a Tony Award, co-hosted the Tonys, and starred in a TV musical, earning an Emmy nod. Through it all, she's been a tireless advocate for the show that has made her a Broadway favorite, including multiple stints as the lead in that show. In fact, she's made her third return (along with two-time Mr. Broadway, Gavin Creel) this month to that show. Any wonder we are honoring Waitress' Sara Bareilles this month?

BROADWAY LADIES

January 2019

Waitress' Sara Bareilles

HEADSHOTS AND CANDIDS

GETTING TO KNOW SARA BAREILLES
Birth Date: December 7
Birthplace: Eureka, California
Education: UCLA
Theater-Related Credits: TV: Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE (Mary Magdalene, Emmy nomination), 2018 Tony Awards (Co-Host); Broadway: SpongeBob SquarePants (Tony nominee, Best Score), Waitress (Tony nominee, Best Score, replacement Jenna); Regional: The Little Mermaid at the Hollywood Bowl (Ariel)

TELEVISION

REGIONAL

BROADWAY

 

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