David Clarke - Page 52

In 1956, Al Capp's cherished Li'l Abner comic strip about the rural inhabitants of Dogpatch, U.S.A. got the Broadway treatment, and was met with a lot of enthusiasm and success. It was quickly adapted to film by Paramount in 1959. To the joy of musical theater enthusiasts, the film is remarkably faithful to its source material and even retained a majority of the original Broadway cast. Even in 2014, people still speak fondly of the LI'L ABNER film, and now Masterworks Broadway is releasing the LI'L ABNER (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on CD for the first time.

Now that New Year's Eve celebrations are behind us, my favorite time of the theatre year is upon us. In late winter and early spring, theaters all around Houston start unveiling their upcoming seasons, in hopes of keeping current season subscribers and gaining new ones. Kicking off this annual season of unveiling is Gexa Energy's Broadway at the Hobby Center 2014-2015 Season announcement.

Stark Naked Theatre Company is kicking off 2014 with two plays, Brian Friel's FAITH HEALER and Conor McPherson's THE GOOD THIEF, being performed in repertory. John Tyson is directing both productions. FAITH HEALER stars Philip Lehl, Kim Tobin, and John Tyson, and Santry Rush is reprising his role in THE GOOD THIEF. In the midst of their busy rehearsal schedule, I got to speak with all four artists about the two plays.

Houston Grand Opera is proudly presenting the US Premiere of Mieczyslaw Weinberg and Alexander Medvedv's 1968 opera THE PASSENGER. After the Second World War, a German couple, Lisa and Walter, are sailing to Brazil. Lisa, unbeknownst to her husband, was a camp guard at Auschwitz and feels she recognizes a former Polish inmate, Marta. In anticipation of opening night, Melody Moore, who plays Marta, spoke with me about Houston Grand Opera's production of THE PASSENGER and her career.

New York City has 54 BELOW, Broadway's living room, where big name acts do acclaimed intimate cabaret concerts. Since it's inception, I have longed for a similar experience in my neck of the woods. Producer Tyce Green, along with Houston's The Music Box Theater, is gifting Houston audiences with their own version of 54 BELOW's concerts with the "Straight From New York Concert Series." First, they brought Mary Testa to Houston, and now they are hosting Constantine Maroulis for four unforgettable, electric performances.

Prodigious playwright Alan Ayckbourn has been acclaimed for his craft many times during his lengthy career. Currently, Theatre Southwest is presenting his first really successful play HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES. The 6 person comedy first debuted in 1969 at The Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, England. It went on to find success in London's West End, opening on August 5, 1970, and on Broadway, opening on March 29, 1971. The production at Theatre Southwest exemplifies why the sidesplitting comedy was so well received.

In 2013, I turned 28, which apparently is one of several years at the end of your 20s where basically your life hits the fan and sudden changes surround you. I looked around, and everyone else seemed so happy. Then, I breathed and realized that I have plenty to be happy about. In 2013 I became BroadwayWorld.com's official theatre recording critic and have been exposed to some incredible albums since accepting that title. Some I have loved; others I have not. Regardless of my feelings towards the albums themselves, these are the top 20 songs from 2013 I simply cannot get out of my mind.

Cone Man Running Productions and Obsidian Art Space's popular 24 hour play festival, A SPONTANEOUS SMATTERING, was given a seasonal spin for last night's holiday edition. Drawing a crowd of theatre diehards, family, and friends, everyone in attendance was curious to see what these skilled and talented artists would create. Waiting for the show to begin, everyone was buzzing about the #smattering posts they had seen on Facebook, the writers' previous works, and their excitement about what they were about to witness. It doesn't hurt any that everyone was treated to a free shot as they picked up their tickets either.

Nestled in the heart of New York City's Theater District, a slice of Russian literature has been making waves. At an opulent Supper Club housed within custom pop-up tent called Kazino, located at 259 West 45th Street, Dave Malloy's NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, a musical adaptation of Volume 2, Part 5 of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, is enjoying a well-received revival, which is set to close on January 19, 2014. The musical premiered at Ars Nova in 2012, and has been consistently praised for its catchy original score, which enthusiastically blends both Russian folk and classical music with indie rock and electronic dance music. Now, this unforgettable score is preserved on Ghostlight Record's NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 (Original Cast Recording).

Bayou City Performing Arts (BCPA) is widely recognized in Houston for its inclusivity and diversity. The organization began in 1979 as the Montrose Singers, Inc. and has since expanded to include the Gay Men's Chorus of Houston (GMCH) , the Bayou City Women's Chorus (BCWC), and the Bayou City Chorale (BCC). Kicking off their milestone 35th season, last weekend BCPA performed a heartwarming holiday concert, TINSEL! SPARKLE! SHINE! A HOLIDAY GIFT.

While performing in SPANK! THE FIFTY SHADES PARODY Gabe Bowling and Michelle Vezilj discovered that their onstage chemistry translated well to original music and formed the bi-coastal duo Drink Me Up. Earlier this week, the pair released their first EP. Willing to defy genres to ensure that their songs are truly heartfelt and with a indie, folksy, singer/songwriter edge the couple has created an infectious quartet of songs that will leave listeners wanting nothing but more.

Premiering at the 2012 Edinburg Fringe Festival, 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL edged out about two months before its competition, SPANK! THE FIFTY SHADES PARODY. 'The Original Parody' of E.L. James' blockbuster 50 Shades of Grey has received positive notices to rave reviews in Edinburg, Chicago, New York City, and the other markets the show has played. Now, in its second leg of its National Tour, the raucously raunchy little show is still going strong and leaving fans absolutely spent.

For one more weekend only, MJR Theatricals | Music Box Musicals is producing FOREVER PLAID: PLAID TIDINGS, the holiday themed spin off of Stuart Ross' 1990 Off-Broadway revue/jukebox musical FOREVER PLAID. In 1964, the four rising stars passed when they collided with a bus filled with Catholic schoolgirls on their way to see The Beatles American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. In FOREVER PLAID the group got to enjoy a second chance at sharing their voices with the world. Now, in FOREVER PLAID: PLAID TIDINGS they have returned again, but this time they have to discover why they were allowed to sing for the world-weary living.

Sierra Boggess rocketed to musical theatre stardom when she originated the role of Christine Daae in 2006's PHANTOM: THE LAS VEGAS SPECTACULAR. She has returned to the iconic role of Christine Daae for the West End production of LOVE NEVER DIES, the 25th Anniversary Concert of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at London's Royal Albert Hall, and the 25th Anniversary of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at Broadway's Majestic Theatre. Along the way, she has also starred as Ariel in Disney Theatricals' THE LITTLE MERMAID and Fantine in LES MISERABLES, among others. Recently, Broadway Records released her charming debut album, AWAKENING: Live at 54 BELOW, which was recorded during her August 2013 cabaret debut at the prized intimate venue.

Just like Auntie Mame sings in MAME, we all need a little Christmas! And, for some unsuspecting Houstonians, Buddy the Elf and two of his elf friends, Peppermint Stix and Salty Snow (a.k.a. Salt and Pepper), took to the METRORail yesterday to share their Sparklejollytwinklejingley joy! The ebuillent trio rode the METRORail during the lunch hour on Tuesday, December 10 and greeted metro riders and anyone else they could find hanging about the rail stops.

Every year, the holiday season is marked by gooey, theatrical mind-candy confections. The syrupy and saccharine spectacles fill audiences with joy and boil pots all over town. Yet, for 2013 Main Street Theater is taking a bold risk and producing the brilliantly crafted and deeply moving Houston Premiere of A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL CELEBRATION by Paula Vogel, with music by Daryl Waters. The play is not the light-hearted, feel-good fare audiences have come to expect; however, I defy anyone to walk away from a performance without feeling moved and permanently altered.

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know that Carrie Underwood recently starred in NBC's production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's beloved musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Whether you loved it or hated it, NBC's live broadcast has been widely discussed for its casting, presenting a production that was more faithful to the original 1959 vehicle created for Mary Martin than the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews, and for the sheer fact that it has been a rather long time since a Broadway musical was turned into a television special and beamed into living rooms across the United States. Additionally, two days prior to the initial airing, Sony Masterworks released a charming studio album that features music from the production.

It's hard to believe that 2013 is already drawing to a close. Holiday decorations line the streets of Houston, Thanksgiving is already nothing but a distant memory, and everywhere people are looking forward to the beginnings of 2014. Luckily, for Houston audiences, our 2014 will start not with a whimper but a roar. Broadway's favorite rocker, Constantine Maroulis, will soon take the stage at Houston's The Music Box Theater for a series of solo cabaret performances that are sure to electrifying. In anticipation of his performances, I recently talked to the performer about his career and the upcoming shows.