Dance Me a Song - 1950 - Broadway Articles Page 16

Last week on April 20, 2010, Actor's Equity's David Westphal hosted the famed Gypsy Robe Ceremony for company members of AMERICAN IDIOT at the St. James Theatre. A long-standing opening night tradition on the Great White Way, the fabled Gypsy Robe is bestowed upon a veteran Broadway chorus member for each opening production. In what has now become a theatrical ritual, originating on Broadway 60 years ago, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES chorus member Dale Hensley turned over the robe to AMERICAN IDIOT cast member Andrew Call. BroadwayWorld was there for the celebration.

Totem Pole Playhouse received a $1 million pledge at its Capital Campaign kick off celebration on April 22 at Hauser Estate Winery in Biglerville. The donor, Charles Q. Smith, is a 60 year Totem Pole season ticket holder and former board member. The $2.5 million dollar Capital Campaign will support upgrades to the 40 year old theatre and one million of the campaign has been earmarked for the existing endowment.

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

Last week on April 8, 2010, Actor's Equity's 2nd Vice President Rebecca Kim Jordan hosted the famed Gypsy Robe Ceremony for company members of THE ADDAMS FAMILY at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. A long-standing opening night tradition on the Great White Way, the fabled Gypsy Robe is bestowed upon a veteran Broadway chorus member for each opening production. In what has now become a theatrical ritual, originating on Broadway 60 years ago, COME FLY AWAY chorus member Kristine Bendul turned over the robe to ADDAMS FAMILY cast member Jim Borstelmann. BroadwayWorld was there for the celebration.

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

UPCOMING SHOWS ON SALE THIS WEEK.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts has announced its upcoming events through June 15, 2010.

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director of the Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre, today announced the company's 2010-2011 season of four musicals and three plays, with the innovative company producing three world premieres and one regional premiere.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts has announced its upcoming events through May 15, 2010.

Rubicon Theatre Company's DOUBT, A PARABLE Plays Its Final Performance on 2/21.

Rubicon Theatre Company continues the 2009-2010 Season, 'Defying Expectations,' with DOUBT: A PARABLE by John Patrick Shanley.

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem's February 2010 schedule of events are chock full of choices for all from newcomers to the music to seasoned fans of music.

Rubicon Theatre Company continues the 2009-2010 Season, 'Defying Expectations,' with DOUBT: A PARABLE by John Patrick Shanley.

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem's February 2010 schedule of events are chock full of choices for all from newcomers to the music to seasoned fans of music.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts has announced its upcoming events through April 30, 2010.

2009 provided me with the opportunity to review 126 of the more than 200 shows that were available in the St. Louis region, and it began in terrific fashion with New Line Theatre's NIGHT OF THE LIVING SHOW TUNES. This was a wonderful sampling of contemporary show tunes performed by a cast of talented locals, and featuring artistic director Scott Miller's fine accompaniment on piano. In the acoustically perfect confines of the Sheldon Concert Hall, these unique melodies made a glorious noise. And, as I continued on my quest to expose my young son to the world of musical theatre, I ended the year with the Imaginary Theatre Company's splendid presentation of BAH! HUMBUG!. I was lucky enough to catch quite a few gems in between, and I've decided to compile a list of the ten most intriguing and engaging productions I saw in 2009.

Irving Berlin's I Love A Piano, an enchanting new musical revue that spans over seven decades of American history, comes to Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) for two performances on November 20 and 21 at 8 pm.

Irving Berlin's I Love A Piano, an enchanting new musical revue that spans over seven decades of American history, comes to Kanbar Hall at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) for two performances on November 20 and 21 at 8 pm.

Academy and Tony Award-winning actor and photographer Joel Grey returns to television in a new episode of ABC's 'Grey's Anatomy.' Grey, whose recent TV credits include critically acclaimed appearances on 'Private Practice,' 'Brothers & Sisters' and 'House,' will guest star in the November 12, 2009 episode titled 'New History' as Izzie Steven's (Katherine Heigl) high school mentor suffering from dementia.

In case this is your first time reading one of my reviews of a Broadway revival of a classic musical, allow me introduce you to my personal prejudice. I completely abhor the now very common practice of revising the book and messing with the score of any musical theatre piece after the authors are deceased. If a composer, bookwriter or lyricist is around to approve of changes, that's swell, but all too often their estates will allow anything from the sparse, but significant, tweaks to South Pacific to the wholesale revisions of The Pajama Game and The Music Man. Even more deplorable is the practice of letting these changes go uncredited, as was done in the three examples just cited, giving audiences no clue that what they are watching is not wholly the musical the original authors wrote.

Perched above the stage in their private bleacher section, just beyond an outfield fence graffitied with the musical's title, conductor Rob Berman and his 25 piece Encores! Summer Stars orchestra might be mistaken for the conservatory cousins of Brooklyn's legendary Dodger Sym-Phony. But instead of serenading umpires from the Ebbet's Field grandstands with double forte arrangements of 'Three Blind Mice,' the musicians of director John Rando's cracker-jack production of Damn Yankees - a 1955 musical that opened in the early weeks of the baseball season that saw Brooklyn beat the Yankees for the borough's only World Series championship - treats 21st Century audiences to that thrilling sound of a Broadway Golden Age orchestra. The detailed movements and textures contained within Don Walker's orchestrations, whether giving comic accents to the pepper-upper 'Heart,' setting a satirical mood for the pseudo-vamp 'Whatever Lola Wants' or lifting a slow ballad like 'A Man Doesn't Know' with phrases that search the mind of the singing character, help bring majestic touches of artistry to this rousing vaudeville disguised as a book musical.

Due to popular demand, the following shows have added additional performances: F#@KING UP EVERYTHING - Sat, Oct 17 at 11pm SING, BUT DON'T TELL - Sun, Oct 18 at 3pm

Due to popular demand, the following shows have added additional performances: F#@KING UP EVERYTHING - Sat, Oct 17 at 11pm SING, BUT DON'T TELL - Sun, Oct 18 at 3pm