FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Total Eclipse of a Wicked Witch

One of my most cherished theatrical memories is seeing DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES in previews starring an unbelievably talented and brand-new talent named Mandy Gonzalez who has since gone to star in IN THE HEIGHTS, and just this week took the lead role of Elphaba in WICKED...

A riveting performance of the classic Jim Steinman anthem “Total Eclipse of the Heart” from a 2008 benefit called BROADWAY LOVES THE 80s, this timeless 1983 ballad was rewritten and performed in the show as a duet with Michael Crawford (as can be glimpsed in the second clip) but here Gonzalez takes it back to its Bonnie Tyler roots and sings the original version of the song, with spectacularly spine-tingling results! Giving an all-out, balls-to-the-wall reading of the rocker, Gonzalez even manages to intone the humor inherent in her role of Sarah from the show as she literally “turns around” with a wink and a hair-flip and a smile as Marty Thomas performs the falsetto back-up made famous by Rory Dodd in the original version of the track. Be sure to stay tuned for the special treat at the end: the deliciously over-the-top conclusion devised for the Broadway version by Jim Steinman and Steve Margoshes. Given the ecstatic praise she is receiving this week for her turn as Elphaba in Stephen Schwartz’s WICKED, I’d be hard pressed to find a better time to share this fantastic performance with you all and if her effortless navigation of the power pop and rock elements of the difficult DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES score is any indication, she is more than prepared to take on the modern sounds of the score of WICKED.

If one bite just isn’t enough to satisfy you, you can also sink your teeth into this equal parts high-drama and low-comedy commercial for the equally divisive DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES. In addition to Gonzalez, the Broadway production of DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES also starred Michael Crawford, Max von Essen, Rene Auberjonois, Mark Price, Ron Orbach, Liz McCartney and Sally Murphy, most of whom make an appearance in this short clip. As the ad campaign for the show stated, “This is one Broadway musical that really bites!” Dig in.

That’s all for this week, and remember if you would like to see a particularly fun, hilarious, bizarre or just all-around excellent performance from the past highlighted here be sure to send us a link! Until next week...