Benny Russell

Called one of the greatest Broadway musicals ever written, GYPSY tells the story of the ultimate 'stage mother' who is willing to go to any lengths to transform her daughters into winning stars.

Called one of the greatest Broadway musicals ever written, GYPSY tells the story of the ultimate 'stage mother' who is willing to go to any lengths to transform her daughters into winning stars.

The program notes for Scandalous People: a Sizzling Jazzical, advise us that Myla Churchill (book & lyrics) and Benny Russell's (music) new musical concerns Dewey Demarkov, a fictional black entertainer in pre-Depression Harlem who earned his song and dance chops playing demeaning stereotypes (sometimes in blackface) in white-run vaudeville houses and minstrel shows. As uptown Manhattan developed into a cultural center, Dewey formed an act with his future wife, Desiree Malinda, that evoked the kind of self-respecting class and sophistication the entertainers of the Harlem Renaissance became famous for. His innovative style made his speakeasy shows at The Do Drop Inn a top attraction.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Monday, August 31, 2009.

Broadway veteran Eugene Fleming will head the cast of seasoned stage actors and exciting newcomers. Fleming has appeared in numerous musicals including Never Gonna Dance, The Tap Dance Kid, and A Chorus Line. Other cast members include: Nicole Hill, Matt Stewart, Jennifer Swiderski, Ryan Clardy, Shina Ann Morris, Nirene S. Brown, Jeb Kreager, Terry Lavell, Buzz Roddy, Johnny Flynn, Ryan Dietz and Jesse Sullivan, Graham Kuptz, Jenny LaRoche, Kisa Willis, Monique LeFlore, Brittany Younger and Davina Porter.

Broadway veteran Eugene Fleming will head the cast of seasoned stage actors and exciting newcomers. Fleming has appeared in numerous musicals including Never Gonna Dance, The Tap Dance Kid, and A Chorus Line. Other cast members include: Nicole Hill, Matt Stewart, Jennifer Swiderski, Ryan Clardy, Shina Ann Morris, Nirene S. Brown, Jeb Kreager, Terry Lavell, Buzz Roddy, Johnny Flynn, Ryan Dietz and Jesse Sullivan, Graham Kuptz, Jenny LaRoche, Kisa Willis, Monique LeFlore, Brittany Younger and Davina Porter.

Broadway veteran Eugene Fleming will head the cast of seasoned stage actors and exciting newcomers. Fleming has appeared in numerous musicals including Never Gonna Dance, The Tap Dance Kid, and A Chorus Line. Other cast members include: Nicole Hill, Matt Stewart, Jennifer Swiderski, Ryan Clardy, Shina Ann Morris, Nirene S. Brown, Jeb Kreager, Terry Lavell, Buzz Roddy, Johnny Flynn, Ryan Dietz and Jesse Sullivan, Graham Kuptz, Jenny LaRoche, Kisa Willis, Monique LeFlore, Brittany Younger and Davina Porter.