Patti LuPone's "Live" CD from 1993 Aug 20
2019, 10:41:40 PM
This album is actually one of my all time favorite Broadway performers in concert! I think the song selection is brilliant and the stories and such she put together with Scott Wittman were perfect!
Even though she is not my choice for Norma (I fall into the Glenn/Betty camp) I adore her as a performer. I think this album is great because it captures her at a time BEFORE the Sunset debacle while she was on a high that I think really soars on this recording.
Barry Manilow ‘fighting horribly’ with hubby manager amid Broadway flop Aug 14
2019, 10:06:28 AM
I’ve seen him twice in concert and both times he truly delivered the goods. I also think he’s at that very difficult stage in his very long and successful career where the new albums land without much fanfare, and special engagements such as this and his last stint a few years back just don’t draw the crowds like they used to. Add to it the ticket price, it’s not a recipe for success.
DIANA TO TRANSFER Aug 12
2019, 12:42:29 PM
I don’t think this will do very well at all 2020 is starting to look a lot like this past years shows
Mack & Mabel cast recordings Aug 7
2019, 10:05:31 PM
There’s a warmth to Preston’s performance that I’ve always loved. His last spoken line at the end of “I Promise You A Happy Ending” gives me chills. When I want a better feel for the show itself though I prefer the London recording with McGillan.
Sunset Blvd - From Movie to Musical Aug 2
2019, 11:46:30 AM
I grew up in Rochester NY and in the mid-90’s you could take a two and a half hour ride to Toronto and see sit down productions (or productions that would announce for a few weeks and just keep extending) of Phantom, Joseph, Crazy for You, Beauty and the Beast, Showboat, and the list would go on.
It really was a great time.
Sunset Blvd - From Movie to Musical Aug 2
2019, 11:40:09 AM
Sunset proved rather quickly that the show needed a bankable star to keep people coming. Carroll did earn excellent reviews, however she didn’t carry the weight at that point in her career like she had previously.
Livent missed on Sunset and the revival of Candide - both never came close to Phantom & Joseph in Toronto.
Ah - say what you want about Drabinsky - I miss the days when Toronto was truly a hub for musical theater!
Manilow's musical "Harmony" Aug 1
2019, 09:46:52 PM
Harmony is not a jukebox musical - it is an original score by Manilow for the theater. Barry has been performing the title song and “Every Single Day” in concert for the last ten to fifteen years.
He was involved in a very long and drawn out court battle with the original producer to get the rights back to his show. I know they did a full production I think in Atlanta, and somewhere there is a great video of Barry and Brian D’Arcy James (who was originally attached to the production
Im searching for a copy of the making of Sunset Blvd in Toronto. It was entitled Sunset Blvd. from Movie to Musical and was produced for local television in Toronto. I used to have a DVD copy of it and cant find it anywhere. I have the making of LA and Australia, but this one had a lot of great footage of the Toronto production that is hard to find. It had a female host/narrator and ran about 45-50 minutes if I remember correctly. Ive scoured YouTube and cant find it any
RIP to one of the most important people in the history of the theater...
Manilow on Broadway Jul 29
2019, 08:23:15 AM
He recently sat down for a series of interviews with the American Archive of Television and I was shocked at how horse he sounded. I’m curious too to hear how his singing voice is holding up.
CATS Film Adaptation Thread Jul 18
2019, 05:30:33 PM
I guess I’m in the extreme minority - but I think it looks like fun!
Legs Diamond Jul 8
2019, 10:02:14 AM
I’ve always found the score of Legs Diamond to be very enjoyable. I think the preview period combined with the toxic reviews (many at Allen in the show) doomed what could have been a great production. I know Frank Rich made a comment about the most compelling drama of the night being watching Peter Allen figure out what to do with his hands.
I know a lot of people who saw it and they all said it was over the top but pure fun to watch. While Peter Allen may not have been believable
DEH Flops in Toronto May 23
2019, 09:38:00 AM
I still miss the Toronto theater scene of the 90’s
I think it’s slightly surprising that DEH only lasted 20 weeks.
It’s worth noting that the SARS outbreak/scar greatly effected The Producers run in Toronto. My wife and I got super cheap tickets to the run and I remember everyone walking around The Eaton Center with masks on their faces.
Mine was the OLC of Les Miz- had it on 4 cassette tapes (remember those days???) and I was a goner!
That lead to Phantom, to Sunset Blvd. and so on and so on.
I kind of miss the days of discovering one Broadway artist or composer through CDs and chat boards on AOL- they all fostered a great love affair with the musical theater that burns brightly to this day!
Mine was the OLC of Les Miz- had it on 4 cassette tapes (remember those days???) and I was a goner!
That lead to Phantom, to Sunset Blvd. and so on and so on.
I kind of miss the days of discovering one Broadway artist or composer through CDs and chat boards on AOL- they all fostered a great love affair with the musical theater that burns brightly to this day!
Aurora Spiderwoman GONE Nov 14
2018, 08:40:14 PM
And just like that they are almost all gone!
