Richard Stafford News

When George M! opens at the Westchester Broadway Theatre this Thursday, June 7, it will be adorned with a little local flair! Four members of this fantastic cast are Hudson Valley locals! Melodie Wolford, of Putnam Valley, who plays Nellie Cohan (George's mom) is a teacher at the Peekskill Movement Center. Victoria Dennis (nine years old) plays the Little Girl, which isn't her first role at the Westchester Broadway Theatre; she played Annie in Big River, she also will appear at the Apollo Theatre this Summer. Gabriella Palminteri, (ten years old) from Bedford, who alternates in the role of Little Girl, is also no stranger to the WBT stage, Last year she appeared in the Musical, Suessical as Mrs. Mayor. Colin Pritchard, of Harrison, is returning to the stage at the Westchester Broadway Theatre, the ensemble member of George M!, was most recently seen in our 2005 production of Sugar.

GEORGE M! tells the life story of George M. Cohan, a giant of the American Musical Theater who gave us such songs asYankee Doodle Dandy, Over There, You're A Grand Old Flag, and Give My Regards to Broadway. The show follows him over a 60-year period period from the late 1880s until 1937. Beginning with his childhood in Rhode Island on the vaudeville circuit with his parents and sister as 'The Four Cohans,' to New York, where he starts his 25-year absolute reign of the Broadway stage.

Westchester Broadway Theatre presents HAIRSPRAY now through June 3, starring Erin McCracken as the unstoppable Tracy and Tad Wilson, donning his heels to play Edna Turnblad. Bruce Rebold is appearing as Wilbur, Kara Dombrowski as Amber, Ann Van Cleave as scheming villain, Velma Von Tussle, Pat McRoberts as Corny Collins, Stacie Gogo as Penny, Tripp Hampton as Link, Inga Ballard as Motormouth, Elgin Giles as Seaweed, and Sydni Beaudoin as Little Inez. Watch a video of highlights from the show below!

Based on the film written and directed by John Waters, Hairspray takes place in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, where the '50s are out and change is in the air. Loveable, plump teenager, Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program. But how can she hold her own with the cool, sleek girls on Corny's show?

Based on the film written and directed by John Waters, Hairspray is described as 'a musically rockin' story which takes place in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, where the '50s are out and change is in the air.'

Forget "Rock Of Ages." That 21st century musical about the 1980s has nothing on the real thing. "Cats," the show that set much of the look and tone of musical theater for the next decade or so when it opened in London in 1981 and in New York in 1982 (and began continuous touring in 1984, a record unmatched in theater history) is on display for this week only (sorry, "Now And Forever") at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre. Forget "Rock Of Ages." That 21st century musical about the 1980s has nothing on the real thing. "Cats," the show that set much of the look and tone of musical theater for the next decade or so when it opened in London in 1981 and in New York in 1982 (and began continuous touring in 1984, a record unmatched in theater history) is on display for this week only (sorry, "Now And Forever") at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre. And I, who saw the original Broadway production twice during that heady decade and have not seen the show in any form since then, was eager to go and see what the fuss was, and is, all about. So I went, Tuesday night. If you've never seen this show, if you kids have never seen it, or if you want to experience the magic of this unique theatrical masterpiece one more time, then this is a great opportunity to do so, as this is the only remaining North American production to (somewhat) accurately replicate the award-winning, record-setting British musical that took America and the world by storm thirty years ago. This tour of non-Equity performers, with its usual orchestra of five beefed up to eight for a weeklong stand (May 1-6) in a major theatrical market, has enough going for it that I highly recommend it. It's a little like entering a time machine, and there's a lot of sleight of hand, but it works. Let me explain. What is "Cats?" Much maligned by insiders, derided as dated by visual artists, underrated by dance teachers and ignored by voice teachers (save for its megahit song, "Memory," which is heard twice, but never in the sheet music version everything has heard and claims to know), it is in many ways a dichotomy. It's a dance show (choreography by Gillian Lynne) written by a singer's songwriter (Andrew Lloyd Webber), as well as a British song cycle based on poems written by a St. Louis-born English poet (T. S. Eliot) who never intended his work ("Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats," and other snippets) to be either musicalized or staged. Its plot, slight though it is, is also the subject of much derision, but to this observer is very reminiscent of "A Chorus Line," a universally revered work that does include dialogue and more depth of character, but also honors unity of time and place. However, there are indeed works that dispense with plot entirely, and which people unabashedly love (you know, revues--"Ain't Misbehavin'" comes to mind), and even shows like "Forever Plaid" and Lloyd Webber's "Starlight Express" feature heaven-going as a climax that is not entirely a surprise. So, enough complaining about there being no dramatic tension, already. But the spectacle! Is it a rock concert with dance, a dance concert with character, a makeup and hair extravaganza with arena-style lighting (still thrilling, the work of David Hersey, as recreated by Rick Belzer), a radio-friendly cast album with a decidedly British keyboard-rock spin, an intellectual set of inscrutable poems with earworm melodies, an environmental theater piece that's fun for all ages (an unmistakeable set and costume design by the remarkable John Napier)--what exactly is going on? The answer, of course, is all of the above. Oh, and it owes a lot to the English music hall tradition and to contemporary classical music, too, not to mention Puccini. Name another show that encompasses so much. Not to mention that original marketing campaign. Aside from his immature works (the children's show "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and others), Lloyd Webber's previous shows written with Tim Rice (the two nominated for the Best Revival of a Musical Tony Award this year, "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Evita,") were both introduced to the world via record albums and marketing campaigns that featured a logo rather than a star name and image. But "Cats" seemed to take that even further, dispensing with the concept album and zeroing in on the show AS the star. Indeed, this show has no leading roles. Really. But who can forget that moon/cats' eyes/dancer silhouette logo, and the letters of the title in color-coordinated graffiti (echoing the oversized junkyard scene design). It was exciting and revolutionary at the time, and the only shows that have done it better since then (Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom Of The Opera" and director Trevor Nunn's "Les Miserables," all three produced by wunderkind Cameron Mackintosh) are the only ones that have run longer in London and New York, due to the lessons they learned from the feline juggernaut before us now. It was "the birth of the musical spectacular," as Broadway In Chicago's promotional materials tell us. This particular edition of the endless "Cats" tour, directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford and featuring mostly young, recent graduates of top U.S. musical theater and dance schools, is indeed "cut down" from the total makeover that the Winter Garden Theatre in New York displayed for the 18 years it played there (1982-2000). But the "Christmas lights" that once ringed the audience do indeed extend past the proscenium arch, and the cast makes several trips out into the aisles, a nice touch. The back wall of the set does not swing down to reveal the ship's set needed for the "Growltiger's Last Stand" sequence--they use drops and a false proscenium downstage center here, and I almost liked it better. The set as a whole is not as detailed and certainly not as deep as it once was, but if you haven't seen the video of the London production, or the show as it played in the early '80s, you would be none the wiser. Sound-wise, I have to give credit to sound designer Duncan Robert Edwards, musical supervisor Kristen Blodgette and music director J. Michael Duff. I swear the show sounds better than ever, even with a smaller orchestra than originally employed. And I could understand the lyrics! The costumes and makeup design look simplified to me, though, but again, a newcomer to the proceedings wouldn't know. And do I care of part of the set is inflatable, as rumor would have it? I don't care how they get it from city to city, or how quickly they do it, but somebody does care, and they figured out a way to make it work! The floating tire and the thing that comes down from the fly space (spoiler alert?) look great, absolutely. Absolutely. The cast is led by Melissa Grohowski as Grizabella, the role made famous by Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley and carrying with it, shall we say, a certain expectation of a certain money note. Boy, does Ms. Grohowski deliver! Three people stood during the applause for the number. Bravo to Clemmons/Dewing Casting, I say! The two singing roles for the men, Old Deuteronomy and Gus/Growltiger/Bustopher Jones, are essayed here by Nathan Morgan and Christopher E. Sidori, who both acquitted themselves well and were very effective theatrically, whatever their actual ages. Among the dance roles, Daniel J. Self as the narrator Munkustrap, Chris Stevens as Rum Tum Tugger and especially Chaz Wolcott as Mistoffelees were crowd pleasers: Self with his movement detailing, Stevens with his Elvis impersonation and Wolcott with his amazing fouette turns. The cast of two dozen or so performers dances uniformly well, and sings very well, too, save for a few minor quibbles with single lines here. And there or some missing low notes that older performers would probably have no trouble with. But these are easily forgiven. Who cares if the leading lights of Broadway (Harry Groener, Terrence Mann, Anna McNeely and of course Ken Page) have been replaced in these roles by recent graduates of Wright State, SUNY-Purchase and Oklahoma City University? These energetic, disciplined performers are working their tails off (pun intended), singing like people who can't dance a lick and are basking in the glow of theater history with every city they visit. Yes, the show has moments that seem a little longwinded, and sure, it doesn't challenge your intellect as much as it challenges your wallet and your caffeine intake (it takes place at night, and everybody is dressed like a cat!). But I challenge you to remain unmoved when Grizabella begs for physical contact, when old Gus relives his moment of youthful theatrical triumph, when assorted junk becomes the train that Skimbleshanks loves, and when the sopranos of the ensemble soar on the words, "'Round the cathedral rang 'Vivat!" Come on! It's "Cats." It's eye and ear candy galore. I don't even like cats, but I do like "Cats." Very much. "Cats" plays this week only, Tuesday night through Sunday night, with additional matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph Street in Chicago. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago box offices, the Ticket Kiosk at Water Tower Place, all Ticketmaster retail outlets, by phone (800.775.2000) and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Photos: Melissa Grohowski; The Cast

Based on the film written and directed by John Waters, Hairspray is described as 'a musically rockin' story which takes place in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, where the '50s are out and change is in the air.'

Based on the film written and directed by John Waters, Hairspray is a musically rockin' story which takes place in 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, where the '50s are out and change is in the air. Loveable, plump teenager, Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program.

Westchester Broadway Theatre will host a fundraising event on April 5th, 2012, to help raise awareness about the work being done to support people affected by breast cancer. On the occasion of our new show, Legally Blonde, the theatre will donate $13.00 for every regular full price ticket sold for the evening performance, to Support Connection. Call the box office at (914)592-2222, make a reservation and use the code "Legally Pink" or mention this Benefit.

Westchester Broadway Theatre will host a fundraising event on April 5th, 2012, to help raise awareness about the work being done to support people affected by breast cancer. On the occasion of our new show, Legally Blonde, the theatre will donate $13.00 for every regular full price ticket sold for the evening performance, to Support Connection. Call the box office at (914)592-2222, make a reservation and use the code "Legally Pink" or mention this Benefit.

Based on the hit movie, Legally Blonde is described as 'a fresh and effervescent evening of musical fun, stylishly wrapped up in a smart pink bow!'

The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards recognize the extraordinary wealth of talent in the Boston theatre community, and this year's nominations have just been announced. IRNE Reviewers include among others David Brooks Andrews, Sheila Barth, Jules Becker, Kay Bourne, Beverly Creasey, Shirley Esthimer, Richard Fahey, Guy Giampapa, Norm Gross, Nancy Grossman, Bryce Lambert, Beatrice Lee, Kilian Melloy and Larry Stark.

The award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is tickled pink to present LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL. Having won over audiences across the nation, Elle, Bruiser and friends will make their NSMT debut for a two week limited engagement, opening Tuesday, November 1 -and playing through Sunday, November 13. Press night is scheduled for Wednesday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m.

The award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is tickled pink to present LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL. Having won over audiences across the nation, Elle, Bruiser and friends will make their NSMT debut for a two week limited engagement, opening Tuesday, November 1 -and playing through Sunday, November 13.

The award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is tickled pink to present LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL. Having won over audiences across the nation, Elle, Bruiser and friends will make their NSMT debut for a two week limited engagement, opening Tuesday, November 1 -and playing through Sunday, November 13.

The award-winning North Shore Music Theatre is transporting audiences back to 1862 Siam with the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, THE KING AND I, starring Lorenzo Lamas, closing on Sunday, October 9.

The award-winning North Shore Music Theatre is transporting audiences back to 1862 Siam with the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, THE KING AND I, starring Lorenzo Lamas, opening today -and playing through Sunday, October 9.

The award-winning North Shore Music Theatre is transporting audiences back to 1862 Siam with the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, THE KING AND I, starring Lorenzo Lamas, opening Tuesday, September 27 -and playing through Sunday, October 9.

Casting for the 61st Music Circus season has been completed. After auditioning performers in New York, Los Angeles and Sacramento, California Musical Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Casale has finalized the acting company for the seven-show season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, including The Producers, Oliver!, Anything Goes, Camelot, Annie Get Your Gun, I Do! I Do! and Miss Saigon.

The fully-staged, full-length revival of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a musical based on Betty Smith's iconic American novel of the same name, will close in New York City April 10, 2011.