| . | 03/07/2008
BROADWAY BY THE YEAR: MUSICALS OF 1947
By: Linda Amiel Burns
PHOTO CREDIT: MaryAnne Lopinto
Scott Siegel's brilliant series “Broadway By The Year” has been running for eight years at Town Hall and celebrates the songs from the Broadway musicals that opened in a particular year, some known and some that deserve another look. Didn't think that this series could continue to top itself, but the year 1947, with direction and choreography by song and dance man, Jeffrey Denman, was extraordinary.
Scott Siegel, the creator, writer and host, says “There is no formula for Broadway by the Year. The style and content of each show is dictated by the material from the year we're highlighting. 1947 offered an unusual amount of fantasy on Broadway: Finian's Rainbow and Brigadoon are the most obvious - and glorious - examples. There was also a lot of dance that year, so I've gone to extra lengths to cast this concert with some of the most incredible dancers on Broadway.”
Scott provided a witty narration, taking us back to 1947 when the first UFO sightings were happening all across America and it was rumored that one even crashed in Roswell, New Mexico. It was the year that the Tony Awards began, the Frisbee was the rage, Tupperware was invented and also the microwave oven (although the first one was six feet tall, weighed 750 lbs and cost $5000). Although TV began years before, TV sets became a force to be reckoned with, and it was the year of the first televised address from the Whitehouse and The Howdy Doody Show debuted. Scott led the audience in singing the theme song from that show and a large number of people were able to join in.
PHOTO CREDIT: MaryAnne Lopinto
A stunning cast of singers and dancers was assembled. Ross Patterson served as the musical director/arranger/pianist with his “Little Big Band” of fine musicians. Eight shows from 1947 were featured and the top hits of that year was Brigadoon (Lerner & Loewe) and Finian's Rainbow (Lane & Harburg). Jeffrey Denman and Meredith Patterson sang and danced a delightful duet of “Heather on the Hill,” Alexander Gemignani & Company “I'll go Home with Bonnie Jean” and the tender “Come To Me, Bend To Me.” Eddie Korbich, sang “There But For You Go I” and Howard McGillin & Christiane Noll, “From This Day On.” Scott reported that Agnes Demille told the authors to get rid of “Almost Like Being In Love” one of the most enduring hits from the show, and it was beautifully sung by Christiane Noll & Howard McGillin.
Finian's Rainbow was well represented with “How Are Things in Glocca Mora?” sung by Kerry O'Malley, “Look to the Rainbow” sung by the Company, “When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love” with the impish Eddie Korbich, “That Great Come and Get It Day” - Alexander Gemignani, Kerry O'Malley & Company and the standout “Old Devil Moon” with the great song and dance man, Noah Racey. Another highlight number was “Necessity” danced and sung by Noah Racey and Jeffrey Denman.
Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn's first Broadway show was the hit, High Button Shoes and Erin Crouch & Kristen Beth Williams fought over Alex in “Papa, Won't You Dance With Me?” The song, “Security” was sung by a well choreographed trio of Meredith Patterson, Erin Crouch & Kristen Beth Williams.
PHOTO CREDIT: MaryAnne Lopinto
After Oklahoma and Carousel, Rodgers and Hammerstein's wrote Allegro which was not as big a hit as their other shows, but had a respectable run of 315 performances. However, it was an expensive production to run with 18 principals, 22 dancers, 38 singers, 35 instrumentalists and 40 stagehands. Donna Lynne Champlin sang a lovely rendition of “So Far,”, Marc Kudisch's rich voice rang out with the romantic, “A Fellow Needs A Girl” and the angry “The Gentleman is a Dope” was well performed by Kerry O'Malley.
The talented dancer, Kendrick Jones (who is still in college) brought down the house with a song from Louisana Lady (Sanders & Carlo) which supposedly was to have started a dance craze called the “Cuckoo Cheena," but it didn't catch on.
A surprise guest artist was one and only Christine Pedi who performed “Civilization” from Angel In The Wings (Hilliard and Sigman). She began to sing and Scott asked her to sing it with a Congolese accent and add a little Elaine Stritch to it. Christine had the audience in stitiches and then we were told that Elaine Stritch introduced that song in the show when she was 21 years old.
Street Scene (Weill & Hughes) was introduced in 1947 and four songs from that show were performed, “Moon Faced, Starry Eyed?” - Meredith Patterson & Jeffry Denman, “What Good Would the Moon Be?” Christiane Noll, “Lonely House” with Howard McGillin, and Marc Kudisch with Kristen Beth Williams in “Wouldn't You Like To Be on Broadway?”
Everyone connected with this thrilling show is to be congratulated. The audience rose to their feet to applaud Scott's instructive script, the choice of songs and presentation, the talented cast, Ross Patterson's musical direction, and the extraordinary choreography and direction by Jeffry Denman. There are three more shows left in this year's series, so don't miss these one-night only performances.
April 7 - 1954, May 12 - 1965 June 16-1979.
For more information:
Contact Scott Siegel at SiegelEntertainment@msn.com
TOWN HALL ON MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2008
123 West 43 St 212 840 2824
Next up: Broadway By The Year 1954 April 7th at 8PM
Broadway By The Year 1959 Monday June 16 8PM
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