At This Theater: Favorite Show at the Gershwin Theatre

Starting a new series about my favorite show at each Broadway theater with the theater where I saw my very first Broadway show seemed like a no-brainer. It has, instead, proven much more difficult than I anticipated. How do I pick just one? Maybe my favorite show choice is one based on nostalgia? Maybe I should consider picking such things as favorite performances or designs separately? What is a theater lover to do? Ah, well, I'll do my best as I work through all 41 Broadway theaters.

What's your favorite show that you saw at the Gershwin (or maybe when it was called the Uris)? Email us at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet us @jkstheatrescene.

At This Theater:

The Gershwin Theatre

The Shows I Saw There: Mame, Starlight Express, Meet Me in St. Louis, Show Boat and Wicked

How They Rate:

   

5. Meet Me in St. Louis (1990): Saw this lavish production - the sets were spectacular - mostly to have seen all the Tony nominees for Best Musical that year, and to see George Hearn. It was enjoyable and harmless.

   

4. Starlight Express (1987): Overwhelming! The sets and costumes were unbelievable, and the races were breathtaking. Jane Krakowski and Andrea McArdle and my first Broadway crush, Robert Torti, made quite an impression. Race time!

   

3. Wicked (2005): While it will never be my favorite show - it could have been so much more - I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Oz. But what really stood out for me were the magnetic and charming performances of Megan Hilty and Shoshana Bean.

   

2. Mame (1983): My very first! I'm not sure I can be objective. I mean, it started my true love for the live theater. What a way to start, with Angela Lansbury recreating an iconic role.

And My Favorite:

   

1. Show Boat (1994): You really can't beat this classic, especially in such a well-appointed and cast production. It was beautiful, emotional and unforgettable. The company, including principals Mark Jacoby, Rebecca Luker, Lonette McKee, John McMartin, Elaine Stritch, Michel Bell and Tony-winner Gretha Boston, were all at the top of their game, as were director Hal Prince and choreographer Susan Stroman.

For me, there were no real losers in this bunch, just a nice mix of classic Broadway musicals and modern marvels.

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"Hit Songs" in Broadway Misfires: Head Over Heels

If you are a regular reader, you know how passionately I feel about Head Over Heels, the short-lived jukebox musical from a couple of years ago. It is actually a bit of a surprise to me that I felt this way - I was only a passing fan of The Go-Go's (I only knew of their Top 40 hits), and I really feel the whole jukebox musical thing is getting tired. But this show was smart, topical, funny and had a lot to say. It also had a top notch cast, brilliant arrangements and orchestrations (by Tom Kitt) and tight, inventive staging by Michael Mayer (director) and Spencer Liff (Choreographer).

Well, the show was a Broadway Misfire so I think it qualifies for this series. I only considered songs that were not mainstream hits from the band, and narrowed it down to three numbers that not only stood out in the show, but deserve to be on every Broadway fan's playlist.

"Hit Songs" in Broadway Misfires:

3 from Head Over Heels

"Beautiful" from Head Over Heels

Music and Lyrics by Charlotte Caffe and Regina Schock

Sung by Bonnie Milligan and the Ensemble

Favorite Lyrics:

My life is ever so perfect
My life has been a bed of roses

And you might think I'm crazy
So what if I am
My head is full of good things
Enough for everyone

Beautiful
Is all I see when I look at me
Beautiful
Every mother's dream

Day by day
Things just keep getting prettier
Beautiful
What a wonderful life

And my life is really quite simple
My life is just what I make it

 

Why it made this list:

Well, first, it is so damned catchy. It gets in my head and I hum it all day, and it is a great song to belt in the shower... Second, the way it is arranged to be powerful throughout and still builds to a thrilling end, is musical theater ecstasy. Finally, the message it sends of female empowerment through an examination of one's own self-worth is a potent one. 

"Good Girl" from Head Over Heels

Music and Lyrics by Charlotte Caffe and Jane Wiedlin

Sung by Alexandra Socha, Taylor Iman Jones and Bonnie Milligan

Favorite Lyrics:

I'm gonna smile til it hurts
So everybody loves me
I'll bend over backwards
Swallow all my angry words

Good girl, good girl
Better be a good girl
Good dog, good girl
Gonna be a good girl

Why it made this list:

Here's another catchy number, but one that seems at direct odds with my previous choice. It's about the expectations of women by the patriarchy on the surface - the lyrics bear that out easily. Even in the context of the show, the three women are deciding that keeping quiet and doing what they are told may be the best option for the greater good of the kingdom. But is there any real doubt that these women (or the Go-Go's) may "swallow all [their] angry words" now, but when the time comes, they will be up front and in control?

"Automatic Rainy Day" from Head Over Heels

Music and Lyrics by Steve Plunkett, Regina Schock and Jane Wiedlin

Sung by Taylor Iman Jones and Bonnie Milligan

Favorite Lyrics:

Just when it feels like the world is together and whole
You come around
Dragging your permanent cloud and the weather turns cold
Hang around for a repeat of history
Falling down in the hole you dug for free

It's an automatic rainy day when I see you
It's the perfect consolation prize, a little piece of blue
It's an automatic rainy day
It's an automatic rainy day

And when you see the reaction you cause
Does it make you sad?
Do you even realize that you're such a drag?

Why it made this list:
This song, in the show, is played as an emotional turning point power duet, much like "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent. Jones and Milligan really make a meal out of this song. In this instance, I think the way Kitt has arranged this into a duet adds so much this song, it nearly negates the original song.

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This Week in Broadway History: January 10 - 16

 This Week in Broadway History:

January 10 - 16

🎭OPENING NIGHTS🎭

• January 10, 1947: Finian's Rainbow, the Lane/Harburg classic opened at the 46th Street Theatre, going on to win 3 Tony Awards, including one for David Wayne, who played Og. The show ran for 726 performances.

• January 11, 1976: Sondheim's controversial Pacific Overtures began its 193 performance run at the Winter Garden Theatre. The Hal Prince-helmed Kabuki styled musical was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning two, for scenic and costume design.
• January 12, 2014: Celebrated composer/pop icon Carole King's life was brought to the stage in the popular musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Star Jessie Mueller brought home a Best Actress Tony Award for her efforts, and the show ran an impressive 2,416 performances at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

• January 14, 1999: The 1999 Best Musical, Fosse, opened at the Broadhurst Theatre. This revue of the work of one of the greatest choreographers brought bowler hats, white gloves and smooth moves to Broadway. Before it closed, many of the great dancers of the Fosse Legacy joined the production, including Ben Vereen, Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth.
• January 15, 2015: The Jason Robert Brown musical Honeymoon in Vegas opened at the Nederlander Theatre. Even with headliners Tony Danza and Rob McClure, the show only managed a 93 performance run.

• January 16, 1964: On this date, the iconic red dress descended the Harmonia Gardens staircase for the first official time, propelling Jerry Herman, Carol Channing and Hello, Dolly! into legendary status and Broadway history. The show remained at the St. James Theatre for a whopping 2,844 performances.

Debbie Allen     Sal Mineo

James Lapine     Andrea Martin

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY🎂

January 10: Mean Girls' actor Renee Rapp, Pulitzer Prize winner James Lapine, actor Sal Mineo; January 11: Dear Evan Hansen's Kristolyn Lloyd, actor Max von Essen, composer Mary Rodgers; January 12: dancer Tiler Peck, Tony-winning Icon Andre De Shields, actor Oliver Platt; January 13: Broadway legend Gwen Verdon; actor Ruth Wilson, Cats dancer (and Fresh Prince actor) Janet Hubert, original cast A Chorus Line's Kay Cole; January 14: actor Julia Murney, director Trevor Nunn; January 15: actor, choreographer and director Jerry Mitchell, actor Andrea Martin; January 16: multi-hyphenate Lin-Manuel Miranda, actor, choreographer and director Debbie Allen, Broadway Legend Ethel Merman

🎂ON BROADWAY THIS WEEK IN 1984🎂

It was a great week to be a Broadway fan this week in 1984! There were several "hot tickets," including the mega musical Cats, the smash hit La Cage aux Folles (on the verge of its Best Musical Tony win), and the just-opened, and soon to be Best Play The Real Thing, starring Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons, Christine Baranski (all 3 would go on to win Tonys for this Stoppard play), Cynthia Nixon and Peter Gallagher. Dorothy Loudon was serving up sardines and big laughs at the riotous new farce Noises Off.

Other shows available at the TKTS booth would have included the new hit musical The Tap Dance Kid, the cult favorite Baby, Anthony Quinn in the revival of Zorba, and previous season holdovers Brighton Beach Memoirs, My One and Only and On Your Toes.

And if you were lucky enough to snag a ticket, you could have seen the very first preview of the new Kander and Ebb musical, The Rink, starring Broadway legends Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli on January 12th.

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2000s Broadway Musical Logos Bracket Tournament - The Sweet 16!

The first decade of the new millennium was a big one for Broadway, with Disney and vampires, jukebox musicals coming into their own, and movie-to-musical adaptations threatening to take over. It was also a time of new voices, like Kitt and Yorkey and Lin Manuel Miranda. As usual, there were big hits and even bigger flops. In other words: business as usual!

But how were the show logos? That's up to you to decide. We've created a bracket of 64 Broadway shows from the decade. The Tony winners and hits and flops have been evenly distributed over four 16 "team" regions. So far, you've already narrowed down field to The Big 32, and this week, you'll be choosing your favorites from The Sweet 16! For the current winners to date, see the full bracket below:  

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2000s Broadway Musical Logo Madness!

The Sweet 16

HOW IT WILL WORK:

• Each week, we'll open the voting for a different segment of the bracket, and you will select your favorite from each pairing.
• Your selection should be based on the logo/window card ONLY. We are NOT looking for your favorite show! It is possible to like a logo from a show you've never heard of before!
• We will provide pictures of the full window card (in most cases) or logo above each week's ballot, then you scroll down and make your selections. You MUST click/tap the "Click Me to Count Your VOTES" button at the bottom of the survey.
• THIS ROUND WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 15TH AT 5 PM!

Here we go again! May the best logo win! BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FULL LOGOS BEFORE YOU VOTE! THE ACTUAL BALLOT IS BELOW THE FULL-SIZE LOGOS/WINDOW CARDS!

GAME 1:                                                                    GAME 2: 

                         

GAME 3:                                                                    GAME 4: 

                         

GAME 5:                                                                    GAME 6: 

                         

GAME 7:                                                                    GAME 8: 

                         

Broadway Games: May I Have a Word?

Broadway games are back! Let's start off the new year with one of your favorites - a word search.

This week's puzzle is all one-word titles of Broadway plays and musicals. Just click the link below and a puzzle will be generated. Every time you click the link, a new, different puzzle will be generated. Enjoy!

Broadway games

A Word Search:

May I Have a Word?

Click HERE to play online.

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The Broadway Book Club: The Jagged Little Pill Book

Broadway shows of the 80's (mostly the British mega musicals) published coffee table books that amounted to extensions of a souvenir program. But in the 90's, this somewhat limited genre really upped its game, with the publication of the books that supported such shows as The Who's Tommy and Rent. These keepsake editions included essays by creatives and cast members, behind-the-scenes articles, and complete librettos. In recent years, shows fortunate enough to have achieved a certain level of success have continued that tradition and have really expanded on it. Recent "next level" tomes include those for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Come From Away, and the musical phenom, Hamilton.

This brings us to this month's Broadway Book Club selection, Jagged Little Pill: You Live, You Learn: the Stories Behind the Iconic Album and Groundbreaking Musical. One hell of a title title for one hell of a book.

Title: Jagged Little Pill: You Live, You Learn: the Stories Behind the Iconic Album and Groundbreaking Musical

Written by: Alanis Morissette, Diablo Cody and the Complete Cast and Crew of Jagged Little Pill; Principal Photography: Matthew Murphy

Forword by: Rachel Syme; Introduction by: Alanis Morissette; Afterword by: Diablo Cody

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 224 pages; hardcover; full color

Since I got this book for Christmas, I've been through it about five times, and I still haven't gotten everything out of it. Each time through, I find something more to focus on. This book is loaded. And there is something for everyone here - fans of the show, fans of Alanis, rock musical fans. And, dare I say it, even (maybe especially) people who don't like jukebox musicals! The information here is such that it more than justifies using this seminal album as a basis for a fully developed book musical.

The book starts as the show does, with the annual Healy Family Christmas Letter, printed on holiday paper. What follows is a mini scrapbook of the family, including pictures of each member growing up and all those things a perfect family does, including one in front the castle at Disneyland! There are also photos of Healy ephemera - like Mary Jane's pills and Frankie's adoption certificate. Similar photos throughout the book offer detail and context for the plot and themes of the show. What is interesting about all of this is that every time I look at the photos I see something more than I did before.

The Healys and Nick's Harvard acceptance letter
Do you believe his smile?

The full libretto is included, as with most of these types of books, but what sets this one apart are the annotations by Morissette, who explains each and every lyric change and why it was made. Each major song also gets a full essay, with thematic analysis, notes on how it was on the album and how it was worked into the show. Cody and relevant cast members also weigh in on the song in question. Also supplementing the libretto are detailed interviews with key creatives and cast members. I found the relationship each cast member has with the album, as well as insight into how they developed characters, particularly interesting. There are also some insightful tidbits about how the show changed throughout the journey to Broadway.

Other things that bring this book to the highest level are the hundreds of color production photos, dozens of backstage photos, and full dossiers for each character. Essays about the issues in the show delve into topics like LGBTQ identity, opiod addiction, sexual assault and transracial adoption. There is even a Guide to Social Activism pamphlet included.

This wonderful book is an amazing companion piece to the show, and makes me even more excited to see it again. But until we can all do that again, I'll open it for a sixth time and discover even more.

Grade: A+

📸: J. Kyler

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