David Clarke - Page 27

In her current cabaret show at 54 BELOW, Marin Mazzie is taking audiences on a whirlwind ride through her formative years in Rockford, Illinois. She deftly interprets the hit music from the 1970s, making each of the iconic songs her own. With her brand of majestic power, dazzling belt, and her supple alto instrument, Mazzie enchants with her song selections and stories alike.

Original Cast Records is continuing to shed light on forgotten Broadway tunes with their Lost Broadway and More series. Most recently, they highlighted the overlooked tunes of the legendary Jerome Kern by releasing LOST BROADWAY AND MORE, VOLUME 6: JEROME KERN. The disc is a treasure trove of hit ditties from the early 20th century, and each gem is delightfully sung.

For Canfield and Kelly's From Broadway to Survivor cabaret, the charming couple shared with audiences their New York experiences, love story, and their vibrant talents. This made for a fun night of Broadway showmanship that amused the collected audience.

Kimberly Faye Greenberg, again playing the legendary Fanny Brice, released FABULOUS FANNY: THE SONGS & STORIES OF FANNY BRICE last summer. With deft skill, she brings Fanny Brice back to life on the recording, allowing modern audiences a chance to enjoy a taste of the woman who inspired the hit musical FUNNY GIRL.

While many are looking forward to the upcoming Broadway revival of THE KING AND I starting rehearsals, a controversial decision to cast a Caucasian actor as King Mongkut in Dallas Summer Musicals' forthcoming production is generating the opposite response. The Asian American Performers Action Coalition wrote an open letter to DSM expressing their disgust with the organization's choice to use the practice of yellowface.

Musical theater and pop music composer Scott Alan kicked off this week with incredible gusto, retuning to New York City stages after a year and a half. Monday's Simply Scott Alan concert marked the prolific and beloved artist's 54 BELOW debut, and served as a fantastic evening of wondrous music and dazzling performances. The concert was a celebration of some his most cherished tunes and his musical Home.

With Max von Essen returning to Broadway in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS at The Palace Theatre, it's the perfect time to dig up the concept cast albums for Jonathan David Sloate's THE NEW PICASSO. Spanning two discs, the music to this romantic fantasy piece is equal parts stirring and familiar.

It is really no surprise to me that the first musical to open on Broadway in 2015 garnered impressive raves from New York critics. This smartly crafted piece of theatre candy is just sweet and sassy enough. One of the reasons why it is such a gem is because of its fantastically constructed score. Jason Robert Brown layers glitz and glamour on HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, but his trademark nuances and subtleties also add delightful zest and depth to this appealing score.

The closing cast of Broadway's ONCE assembled at the gorgeous Highline Ballroom for a night of music for Fare-Thee-Well ONCE. To kick the evening off, Ben Hope and his rollicking country band The Uptown Outfit performed music from their upcoming album. Ben Hope and The Uptown Outfit rocked the audience with their twang-coated spirit.

Currently wowing audiences eight times a week as the sassy and tenacious Cynthia Weil in BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Anika Larsen recently released her debut solo album, SING YOU TO SLEEP. Sprinkling in subdued jazz, Anika Larsen invites us to loosen our ties, kick off our shoes, and cuddle up with her gentle crooning as we listen to the deliciously soothing SING ME TO SLEEP.

Canadian transplants and New York based theater artists AnimalParts, co-founded by Anthony Johnston and Nathan Schwartz, are bringing their latest play to life in New York. A QUIET SIP OF COFFEE: OR, THIS IS NOT THE PLAY WE'VE WRITTEN opens this weekend at New York City's Dixon Place. In anticipation of opening night, Anthony Johnston and I chatted about A QUIET SIP OF COFFEE.

In a market dominated largely by living legends, the young and up-and-coming composers musical theatre have a hard time breaking into the scene. However, that's not keeping Drew Gasparini from sharing his music wherever and whenever he can. Gasparini invited fans and newcomers to his ongoing party with KEEPIN' THE PARTY GOING at 54 BELOW on Monday, January 5, 2015.

Last August, the 12.14 Foundation premiered Michael Unger and Eric Svejcar's A ROCKIN' Midsummer Night's Dream. This week, the new musical comes to New York City at 54 BELOW. With a ton of energy and some serious vocal talent, the kids involved with the 12.14 Foundation and the Broadway vetted adults bring fabulous new life to William Shakespeare's classic tale of love and fairy mischief.

Alysha Umphress is giving audiences the world over a reason to rejoice in her talent. Seeing ON THE TOWN, I instantly fell in love with her plucky bravado and infectiously charismatic performance. That same energy and passion for performance is pristinely captured on Yellow Sound Label's I'VE BEEN PLAYED: ALYSHA UMPHRESS SWINGS JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ, making this album a sure-fire toe-tapping dazzler.

Last night, I attended the thrilling opening performance of Have Faith. Entering the quaint venue, I was fairly positive that a live performance of the album would be just as electrifying, if not more so, than the recorded tracks, and I'm ecstatic to report that Mary Testa, Michael Starobin, and cellist Alisa Horn absolutely exceeded my expectations and blew me away with their superb performances.

I was able to catch a performance of THE LAST SHIP during previews. By intermission I knew I was looking forward to a cast recording of the musical, but I was largely uninterested in seeing the second act. I stuck it out and left inspired by the music and the cast's performances but entirely unmoved by the clunky book by John Logan and Brian Yorkey.

To be perfectly candid, I found NBC's presentation of PETER PAN LIVE! to be completely unwatchable this past holiday season. However, my review copy of the soundtrack CD landed in my mailbox yesterday. The recording is making me rethink my abandoning the film in the middle of 'Hook's Tango.' Ultimately, Broadway Records' PETER PAN LIVE! (Original Soundtrack of the NBC Television Event) is nicely entertaining and quite charming.

Disney's hit musical adaptation of INTO THE WOODS has been drawing in large chunks of change at the box office and has captured the attention of the world. Luckily for score enthusiasts, Walt Disney Records released 1 hour and 38 minutes worth of musical material across 2 discs, which has been broken into 50 palatable tracks.

It's that time of year, and everyone is making their lists. For me, this task is always harder than it probably should be. I wrestle with myself and debate the merits of everything. I worry about who might get their feelings hurt, and whom I may accidentally overlook. So, for 2014, I promised myself to make a simple list of the 10 albums from 2014 that I simply couldn't get enough of. Naturally, that list is actually 15 items long. (Surprise!)

It seems like Christmas albums are truly a dime a dozen. Everyone has one, and most of them get relegated to the $4.99 bins at Target, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart the season after they come out. Fortunately for consumers, John Schneider and Tom Wopat have released HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, a Christmas album that is sure to become a staple in the holiday collection of any discerning music lover. With snazzy, jazzy arrangements, the electric duo is bringing back 'The Rat Pack' aura for our Holiday enjoyment.