BWW Reviews: Broadway is Celebrated at the White House

You may recall my article on August 5, 2010 when I wrote about my experience covering the rehearsal at the White House for "A Broadway Celebration" which featured young performers from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Joy of Motion Dance Center performing a number from the musical Hairspray, "You Can't Stop the Beat."

Finally, October 20 has arrived and the PBS Special "In Performance at the White House" will be broadcast nationwide and don't miss it.

I watched the live video stream from the White House Monday night, July 19 and it's amazing to witness the magic of good editing.

Thanks to the good people at WETA in Washington, DC, I have been able to preview the show and it's an "instant classic". Set your DVRs or VCRs or DVDs. This is a program you will want to keep.

The performers are  all spectacular. What better way to begin than with the grand dame of Broadway, Elaine Stritch, belting out "Broadway Baby". Stritch is now sharing the applause with Bernadette Peters  in the acclaimed Broadway revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical A Little Night Music.

Who else but Nathan Lane, taking time off from The Addams Family (did you see his guest appearance on the ABC series "Modern Family"?) serves as the MC.  He noted that President Obama actually enjoys going to the theater and added, "After Lincoln, Presidents haven't rush to the theater."

Lane introduced 12 year New Yorker Assata Alston who sang "Give Me, Give Me" from Thoroughly Modern Millie. I'm not too sure how appropriate this song is for a 12 year old but she has a great voice.

Bryan D'Arcy James (who will forget his performance in Titanic) sang Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies ".

Lane thought the East Room needed some spicing up. His antidote? The cast of the Broadway revival of West Side Story (which had its pre-Broadway run at the National Theater in Washington). Tony winner Karen Olivo  performed the classic "America" with Yanira Marin as Alicia, Shina Ann Morris as Consuela and Jennifer Sanchez as Rosalia. They didn't have much room to dance but they did the best they could.

Four-time Tony winner Audra McDonald did two numbers. She began with "Can't Stop Talking About Him" by Frank Loesser and later sang the ballad "Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe". Lane kidded it was about Vice-President Joe Biden.

Also singing two numbers was Idina Menzel who reprised her big number "Defying Gravity" from Wicked (in a green dress naturally) and later accompanied by composer Marvin Hamlisch, sang "What I Did for Love" from Hamlisch's A Chorus Line.  Hamlisch was the only performer in a tuxedo.

This year's Tony winning musical Memphis was represented by Chad Kimball who delivered the stirring "Memphis Lives in Me".

Lane introduced the wonderful Tonya Perkins who reprised her number from Caroline or Change, "Gonna Pass Me a Law" (a reply to the question what would you do if you were President.)

Not to be outshone, Lane performed (with help from Bryan d D'Arcy James)  "Free" from  A Funny Thing Happened  to Me on the Way to the Forum.

Elaine Stritch returned to sing the Sondheim anthem from Follies "I'm Still Here" (soon to be restaged at the Kennedy Center directed by Eric Schaeffer).  Left on the cutting room floor was Stritch admitting "Boy it's nervous to perform here".  You'll notice her requesting help from her pianist, Rob Bowman, with some lyrics. She made such an impression on the audience they gave her a standing ovation.

Director Joseph Camp wisely left the students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Joy of Motion Dance Center to the end when they energized the evening with a rousing rendition of "We Can't Stop the Beat" from the musical Hairspray with the actual show's choreography from the show's actual choreographer Jerry Mitchell and assistant Danny Austin who both worked with the youngsters and it showed. Two members of the Hairspray tour Danielle Arci (Tracey Turnblad) and Constantine Rusouli (Link Larkin) sang and danced their hearts out.

The quartet accompanying the artists were Bob Berman, music director and piano, Mark Vanderpoel on bass, Jim Hershman on guitar, and Sean McDaniel on drums.

President Obama ended the evening by imploring the audience to "Go to a Show. Buy some tickets".   I concur.

I do wish there was some recognition in the end credits for the terrific young performers and their talented teachers.

You can catch "A Broadway Celebration" on MPT on Oct. 20 at 9 p.m., Oct.21 at 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. and on MPT2 on Oct. 25 at 9 p.m.

 On WETA, the show will air Oct. 20 at both 9 and 10 p.m., Thursday Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. and Friday Oct. 22 at 2:30 and 3:30 a.m.

For more information on the show, visit www.pbs.org.

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.

Photo Credit: Charles Shubow

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