LEAPIN’ LIZARDS BROADWAY FANS! It’s only 17 days away from Broadway’s biggest night of the year and we are waking you each morning with our Top 30 Tony Awards. Are you guys ready for more showtunes and incredible Tony performances?
Today at #17 on our countdown is a fan favorite and the musical that every little girl grows up dreaming of being in. We are of course talking about everyone’s favorite little red head orphan Annie The Musical. It was written by Charles Strouse (music), Martin Charnin (Lyrics), and Thomas Meehan (Book) and based on off Harold Gray’s comic strip LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE.
From the 1977 telecast, Andrea McArdle, the late Dorothy Loudon, and the original cast perform a medley of some of the show’s most beloved songs including TOMORROW, YOU’RE NEVER FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SMILE, EASY STREET, & a reprise of TOMORROW.
ANNIE originally premiered at Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut in 1976 before transferring to Broadway’s Alvin Theatre (currently the Neil Simon Theatre) in 1977 and later transferred to 3 other Broadway houses (The ANTA Playhouse (now the August Wilson Theatre), the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, and the Uris Theatre (now the Gershwin Theatre)) during it’s run of 2,377 performances. It was nominated for 10 Tonys that year and won 7 including Best Musical) ANNIE was later revived twice.. The first revival happened in 1997 (in honor of the 20th Anniversary of the show) at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre) for 253 performances. That first revival was nominated and lost it’s only Tony nomination that year as Best Revival of a Musical. The most recent revival in 2013 played Broadway’s Palace Theatre for 525 performances. It was nominated for 2 Tonys that year and also lost both it’s categories including Best Revival of a Musical playing 525 performances.
FUN FACT: ANNIE was known for having some casting drama of the lead role during both it’s original premiere and the first revival. Following the out of the town tryout in CT, Kristen Vigard was originally cast as Annie but was randomly fired before they hit NYC because the producers decided that her genuinely sweet interpretation was not tough enough for the street-smart orphan. Vigard was replaced by Andrea McArdle (who previously played one of Annie’s fellow Orphan friends Pepper) and critics were blown away and became an overnight sensation.
For the 20th Anniversary revival of ANNIE in 1997, the show originally did a pre-Broadway tour with Joanna Pacitti (who won the title role in a Macy’sAuditioning Contest). During a tour stop engagement in Boston (2 WEEKS BEFORE THEY HIT BROADWAY), she had a nasty case of bronchitis and…. got fired when she returned!!! She was replaced by Brittany Kissinger (who made history as the youngest girl to play Annie only at 8 years old). Kissinger previously appeared as an orphan and understudied Annie mainly on the tour. Within days of her dismissal, Joanna Pacittii’s firing made the headlines and everyone was all on her side. In addition, her family hired a lawyer and they sued the producers closer to $10-20 million.
Isn’t ANNIE such so popular? Who hear has kids that sing TOMORROW non stop?
RISE & SHINE BROADWAY FANS. The biggest night of year for Theatre nerds is only 18 days away. We are waking you up once again with our Top 30 Tony Awards countdown playing you the best performances from the past telecasts.
Continuing our countdown at #18 is one of the most iconic, haunting, and dark musicals of all time. It all begins with the sound of a screechy factory whistle… We of course are talking about Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler famous tale of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
From the 1979 telecast, the legendary Tony winners Dame Angela Lansbury laments about working in her pie shopping baking and selling THE WORST PIES IN LONDON.
SWEENEY TODD premiered in 1979 at Broadway’s Uris Theatre (currently the Gershwin Theatre) with Lansbury and Tony winner Len Cariou for 557 performances. It was nominated for 9 Tonys that same year and winning 8 (including Best Musical). The musical would later be revived twice. The first revival began in 1989 at Circle in the Square Theatre starring Bob Gunton and Beth Fowler for 238 performances. In addition, it was nominated for 4 Tonys that same year (including Best Revival Of A Musical) but lost all of it’s categories.The most recent revival happened in 2005 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre for 384 performances starring 2 time Tony winners Patti LuPone?and Michael Ceveris. This production was known for it’s intimate staging where the pit was removed and instead had the actors also serve as the orchestra playing the score live. That production was nominated for 6 Tonys in 2006 winning 2 including Best Director (for John Doyle, who is nominated again this year for The Color Purple Musical).
Doesn’t this musical give you thrills and horror?!!
HELLO THERE THEATRE GEEKS. It’s time to once again to wake up as we continue our Top 30 Tony Awards countdown. Broadway’s biggest night is only 19 days away.
At #19 on our a countdown is a musical about a dancer who is wanted to be love. We of course are talking about Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields?classic SWEET CHARITY. It was also co-written by Neil Simon.
From the 2005 telecast, Christina Applegate and the cast of that same year’s revival perform a medley of some of the show’s iconic songs including HEY BIG SPENDER, IF MY FRIENDS COULD SEE ME NOW, and I’M A BRASS BAND.
SWEET CHARITY first premiered in Detroit, Michigan at the Fisher’s Theatre in 1966 before heading on to Broadway at the Palace Theatre in 1967 starring Gwen Verdon playing 618 performances. It was nominated for 9 Tony Awards later that year winning only 1 for Best Choreography (for?Bob Fosse). It would later be revived twice in NYC. The first revival happened In 1987 at the Minskoff Theatre starring Debbie Allen which played 384 performances. In addition, the first revival was nominated for 5 Tonys that year winning 4 including Best Revival of a Musical. The most recent revival happened in 2005 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre starring Christina Applegate running for 279 performances. Plus, it was nominated for 3 Tonys that year including (again) for Best Revival of A Musical but lost all of it’s categories. In addition, pop singer Britney Spears almost decided to replace Applegate in the last revival but decides not to after having just had the baby. THIS ACTUALLY DID HAPPEN! Coming up this fall in honor of the musical’s 50th Anniversary, SWEET CHARITY will return to the New York stage with an OFF BROADWAY revival with The New Group company starring 2 time Tony winner Sutton Foster. Set to begin performances at the Signature Center in November.
Doesn’t this musical make YOU WANNA HAVE FUN, FUN, FUN?!
YEEE HAW BROADWAY FANS!! Broadway’s biggest night of the year is 20 days away and we have more in our Top 30 Tony Awards countdown playing you the best of past performances from the past telecasts over the last 70 years.
Today at #20 is one of the Greatest American Musicals of all time. Better, it’s well known as one of the first few musicals that incorporated song and dance with the storytelling. This is one our personal favorites and what we mention a lot on our tours… We of course are talking about Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II‘s Oklahoma!
From the 2002 telecast, Tony Award winner Andrea Martin, Tony Award nominee Patrick Wilson, Olivier Award nominee Josefina Gabrielle, and cast members from that year’s revival take us to the Box Social for a round-up rendition of the show’s Act 2 opener THE FARMER AND THE COWMEN.
OKLAHOMA first premiered in 1943 at Broadway’s St. James Theatre as a massive box office smash running for 2,212 performances. Ticket sales were so impossible to get when it first came out. The Tony Awards would later be developed a few years later. The show later was revived 4 times starting in 1951 at the Broadway Theatre running for 100 performances, 1953 for brief stint at City Center (in honor of the 10th Anniversary) for 40 performances, 1979 at the Palace Theatre for 293 performances (featuring?Christine Andreas and Christine Ebersole, who received the only 2 Tony nominations that year but lost both in their categories as Best Leading and Featured Actress in a Musical). Finally in 2002, the critically acclaimed 1998 West End production from the National Theatre London (as seen in this video) played Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre receiving 7 Tony nominations and took home only 1 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (for Shuler Hensley) playing 388 performances. That 1998 West End production (which later hit Broadway in 2002) is actually now available on DVD starring Tony winning Stage and Screen actor Hugh Jackman which made him a big star in the UK before conquering the world of Hollywood. That revival was also well known for having the real actors playing Curly and Laurey to the dance in the show’s iconic Dream Ballet sequence rather than having a professional dancing double do it. Also, Hensley and Josefina Gabrielle were the only 2 actors who reprised their London roles of Jud and Laurey for Broadway.
WAKEY WAKEY BROADWAY FANS. You are rising up each morning with?New York Broadway Tours Top 30 Tony Awards countdown as we celebrate the best of the Theatre world gearing up for Broadway’s biggest night just 21 days away.
At #21 on our countdown today is one of the most iconic and beloved Musicals of all time which later came into our hearts as a film. A tale of 2 dangerous gangs and a young couple from both rival sides that fall in love. We are talking about Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim‘s legendary musical masterpiece West Side Story on Broadway. The show was also co-written by Arthur Laurents and is set as a modern day version of William Shakespeare‘s classic Romeo and Juliet.
From the 2009 telecast, Tony nominees Matt Cavanaugh and Josefina Scaglione, Tony winner Karen Olivo, and cast members of that same year’s revival perform the iconic DANCE AT THE GYM scene (aka MAMBO).
WEST SIDE STORY first premiered in Washington D.C and Philadelphia before moving to Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre for 732 performances, took a break from Broadway to tour the world, and then returned to that same Theatre in 1960 for an additional 253 performances. The original production was nominated for 6 Tony Awards in 1958 where it won 2 including Best Choreography (for Jerome Robbins). A year later, the iconic 1961 film version starring Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno came out to Theatres everywhere earning critical acclaim nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 1962 winning 10 including Best Picture. WEST SIDE STORY would later be revived twice. In 1980, it played Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre for 333 performances and got nominated for 3 Tony Awards that year including Best Revival of a Musical but it lost all of it’s categories. The most recent revival in 2009 played Broadway’s Palace Theatre running for a total of 775 performance. This revival was well known to have include several songs and dialogue in the show translated into Spanish by one of this year’s Tony nominees… our very own Lin-Manuel Miranda. The revival was nominated for 4 Tony Awards that year including (again) for Best Revival of A Musical. It took home only 1 award for Best Performance By A Featured Actress in A Musical for Karen Olivo.
FUN FACT: Did you know the film version of WEST SIDE STORY was shot on location of what is now Lincoln Center before it was even built?
Isn’t WEST SIDE STORY one of the greatest musicals of all time?!
