A.A. Cristi - Page 37

At the end of every 'backstage' interview, BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge asks his guest, 'What is the best bit of advice that you've been given, either personally or professionally, that you still live by?'

The weeks leading up to the New Year are often a time of reflection and recognition of the preceding twelve months. In that spirit, BroadwayWorld is taking a moment to look back on the brightest lights in theatre this season.

Each holiday season, many folks find their thoughts wandering back to home. And whether home is a small, familiar house just around the corner, a small town somewhere across the country, or on the other side of an ocean, the season invariably invokes images of a more idyllic reality than the one we know; replete with a loving family nestled around the Christmas tree, or gathered around a warm hearth, taking refuge from the wintry conditions outside with some hot cocoa, and enjoying each other's company.

Ariana DeBose is best known to audiences as an original company member of the Broadway mega-smash, 'Hamilton'. In a featured role that put her squarely at the heart of the show's crescendo, Ariana danced her way into the hearts of Ham-fans as 'The Bullet', bringing elegance and grace to the show's final moments and a strong presence the titular character's untimely demise.

After three smash years of live musicals which included visits to the lush hillsides of Austria, a technicolor adventure in Neverland, and a wildly wonderful visit to the land of Oz, NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt and his team have proven themselves trailblazers in the modern age of live televised musicals.

In cases of most wildly popular media, there is the inevitable expectation of a popularity crescendo. A moment in time when the bubble finally bursts, the hoards cease their obsession and the next big thing comes along. For every 'Frozen' there is a 'Moana', for every Britney, a Christina.

Current Vice President-elect, Michael Pence, paid a visit to Broadway's revolutionary mega-hit, 'Hamilton' this evening and reports from inside the theater confirm a less than enthusiastic reception for the former governor of Indiana.

Amidst heightened fears and and raised tensions of every sort following the presidential race of 2016, many people have begun searching for methods of greater engagement in our political process. From widespread protests to internet campaigns designed to motivate citizens toward unity and equality, if we have gained nothing else from this election, it has proven to be an effective motivator toward a greater understanding of the nuances of the political system and a movement toward more focused grassroots efforts.

With news of the election results now behind us, the nation has responded in myriad ways. From outrage to celebration, from tears to widespread catatonic shock. In what was perhaps the most contested presidential race ever, our nation endured candidates stoking the flames of extreme opposition, widespread violence, the promotion of toxic ideals. With all of the derision exhibited throughout this taxing and divisive national ordeal, we are left with at least one assured agreement among all of us: the aftermath of this election is certain to be pervasive and long-standing.

Tim Minchin will not be put in a box. Though the composer is best known for his Tony-nominated score for the stage adaptation of Roald Dahl's 'Matilda' as well as a series of hugely successful symphonic comedy tours, the man himself is living, breathing proof of the term, 'Jack of all trades.' Outside of his comedic and theatrical pursuits, Tim has also assumed the titles of actor, director, poet, and writer.

At eleven years old, Daisy Eagan became (and remains today) the youngest actress ever to win the Tony Award for the Best Performance by A Featured Actress when she dazzled New York audiences as Mary Lennox inThe Secret Garden.

In 1785, a tale titled, 'The String of Pearls: A Romance' appeared in a series of Victorian fictions known as 'penny dreadfuls.' A story as gory as they come, the tale was a ghoulish account of a psychopathic barber and his pastry-proficient accomplice turning murder victims into meat pies. Gaining instant popularity among readers, the tale of obsession, vengeance, and deeply questionable pie fillings so captivated the public that the tale of Sweeney Todd was adapted for the stage before the ending had been revealed in print.

The Cherry Orchard is Anton Chekhov's masterpiece about a family on the edge of ruin-and a country on the brink of revolution. The story of Lyubov Ranevskaya and her family's return to their fabled orchard to forestall its foreclosure captures a people-and a world-in transition, and presents us with a picture of humanity in all its glorious folly. By turns tragic and funny, The Cherry Orchard still stands as one of the great plays of the modern era.

Timed to the 50th Anniversary of the classic musical, musical theatre fans are gearing up for an off-Broadway production of Dorothy Fields and Cy Coleman's, 'Sweet Charity'.

The Cherry Orchard is Anton Chekhov's masterpiece about a family on the edge of ruin-and a country on the brink of revolution. The story of Lyubov Ranevskaya and her family's return to their fabled orchard to forestall its foreclosure captures a people-and a world-in transition, and presents us with a picture of humanity in all its glorious folly. By turns tragic and funny, The Cherry Orchard still stands as one of the great plays of the modern era.

There is a belief among those in the public eye that you can't say you've truly 'made it' until Saturday Night Live has spoofed you. As evidenced by the show's long and well-documented history of pop-cultural and political satire, it is evident that no one is safe from SNL's finely tuned eye for current events and cultural happenings.

When Falsettos first premiered on Broadway in 1992, the show gained instant status as a game changer. With William Finn's brave new style of musical theatre composition and in placing the lives of queer characters at the forefront of its storytelling, the show has become a cultural landmark and a blueprint for the array of modern musical theatre that followed in its wake.

When Falsettos first premiered on Broadway in 1992, the show gained instant status as a game changer. With William Finn's brave new style of musical theatre composition and in placing the lives of queer characters at the forefront of its storytelling, the show has become a cultural landmark and a blueprint for the array of modern musical theatre that followed in its wake.

In 1935, on the set of the movie musical, Top Hat, composer Irving Berlin hummed a then unfamiliar tune to the film's star, Fred Astaire. He had envisioned the song as a centerpiece for a future film starring Astaire and his dance partner, Ginger Rogers. At the time, Berlin was in the midst of a project writing songs for each of the major holidays of the year, but based on his Jewish upbringing, the composer found that Christmas was the most difficult holiday to write for. Nevertheless, the legendary composer rose to the challenge and gave us what is now one of the most popular holiday songs in history, 'White Christmas.'

It all starts very simple. A steady piano, a lilting flute. A young woman descending a staircase in the ballgown of every little girl's dreams, meeting her intended at the base. They beam at one another; she curtsies, he bows. As the iconic voice of Angela Lansbury enters the equation through an enchanted teapot, infusing the sequence with warmth and wisdom, the woman and her very unlikely suitor enter the ballroom. Finally having learned to ignore their differences, the two sway and twirl their way into happily ever after.