Review: At Broadway Rose, It's A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING Indeed

I grew up on musical soundtracks -- The Music Man, Oklahoma!, Camelot, Brigadoon, Phantom, Les Mis. Once a year, we would see a live production at a community theatre, but otherwise my initial exposure to musicals, and to theatre in general, was through soundtracks. Sitting in my room, listening to those well-worn and often warped cassette tapes, I learned about love, loss, longing, and many more things it would take me many more years to understand. To this day, listening to a good soundtrack instantly transports me to my happy place.

That's exactly what happened while I was watching A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING, now playing at Broadway Rose. This musical revue of music by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II is a simple production with a great cast that allows the music to shine.

A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING weaves together songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein's most well-known shows (Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King and I, etc.), as well as some you might be less familiar with (Allegro, Pipe Dream, Me and Juliet). So be prepared for some pleasant surprises intermingled with your favorites. There's no plot, but the order of the songs, as well as Sharon Maroney's direction, suggest some relationship arcs.

The cast is also a mix of the known and the new. Joe Theissen, Joey Côté, and Kelly Sina will be familiar to Broadway Rose regulars, while Caitlin Brooke and Deborah Mae Hill are wonderful additions to the BR family. They all have gorgeous voices individually, and when they all sing together, it's divine.

A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING runs through April 28. If you like musicals, you'll love it. More details and tickets here.

Photo credit: Sam Ortega