by Mike Haber | Nov 8, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows
ON THE MARQUEE: Things once again with Broadway are getting NICE AND ROOOUGH as the Tony winning and Olivier Award nominated smash hit
Tina: The
Tina Turner Musical is back. Earlier this past week, the show had a very exciting cast change as Nkeki Obi-Melekwe has replaced the show’s OG star Tony winner
Adrienne Warren in the titular role.
It also includes a brand new update to the show’s front of house billboards outside of Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Yup, it includes a photo of Nkeki in action rocking out as THE QUEEN OF ROCK N’ ROLL herself.
This is a full circle moment for Nkeki Obi-Melekwe. The newcomer originally replaced Warren in the show’s inaugural London production for a few months. Immediately afterwards, she joined Warren in the Broadway company serving as the alternate performing twice a week. Now, she is main full time star 6 times a week.
Taking over also now from Nkeki as the alternate is original Ensemble member and Broadway veteran Kayla Davison.
by Mike Haber | Nov 8, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
ON THE MARQUEE: It truly is not JUST YOUR IMAGINATION. It’s real. The Tony and Grammy winning smash hit
Ain’t Too Proud is back on Broadway. The show (about the rise and fame with the greatest hits of The Temptations) is playing to packed houses every night.
With the show’s return, there has been some updates to the front of house billboards outside AIN’T TOO PROUD’s home at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre. It now includes a brand new promo photo of the show’s current Broadway Temptations themselves consisting of….
Nikki Walker as “Otis Williams”,
James Harkness as “Paul Williams”,
Matt Manuel as “David Ruffin”,
And
Jelani Remy as “Eddie Kendricks”.
Along with the Broadway company, AIN’T TOO PROUD is set to hit the road with it’s long awaited National Tour beginning next month.
by Mike Haber | Nov 8, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
ON THE MARQUEE: MIC CHECK! One of the hottest tickets back on the Great Bright Way is the encore Broadway engagement return of
Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s acclaimed and Special Tony winning improv hip hop group
Freestyle Love Supreme (preme, preme, preme, preme). This show is truly the greatest 90 minutes of fun you’ll have because every night is different. The audience is in charge of what you want the performers to rap about and you never know who might appear.
Check out the updated front of house billboards and promo outside the show’s home at Broadway’s Booth Theatre.
Catch Freestyle Love Supreme back on Broadway for a limited engagement till January 2nd, 2022.
by Mike Haber | Nov 8, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
Check out footage right below of the show’s front of house billboard outside the show’s hole at the Hayes Theatre. It includes the brand new promo photo of Uzo Aduba cooking.
CLYDE’S is currently in previews, it will open on November 22nd, 2021, and will run for a limited engagement till January 16th, 2022.
by Mike Haber | Nov 8, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS!! We are only 17 DAYS AWAY from The 95th
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. What an exciting time it’s going to be to see people gathering in the streets of the Big Apple celebrating New York’s MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET for the 1st time in 2 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As always, you are continuing to wake up with us at New York Broadway Tours and our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN playing many of your favorite show stopping performances. Are you ready for more?!!.
At #17 on our countdown, we embark on a journey following a young deaf, mute, and dull-witted boy that goes on to become a pinball legend and religious leader. This is the story of
Tommy. The show is based on the legendary 1965 rock opera album by The Wh. It’s written by the band’s lead guitarist Pete Townshead along with
Des McAnuff.
From the 1993
NBC telecast, Tony winner
Michael Ceveris as the title role and members of the cast are in for the ultimate tournament in Herald Square. Here they are performing the signature song PINBALL WIZARD.
TOMMY was originally conceived as The Who’s greatest Gold selling and breakthrough album released in 1969. With the success of the album, it was later interpreted as a ballet, a full-scale Opera and a featured film all in the 1970’s . The plan of putting the rock opera out on Broadway happened in the early 90’s. At the time, Pete Townshend broke his wrist in a cycling accident which prevented him from picking up his guitar for months. While for alternative work while he continued to recover, Townshend received a message and immediately responded to the Pace Theatrical Group who called for permissions for the rights to adapt TOMMY as a full scale Broadway musical. PACE introduced Townshend to director Des McAnuff, with whom they immediately became friends and started collaborating.
The musical originally had its world premiere run in 1992 at the
La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California. It was a commercial success despite mixed reviews from critics (even WHO bandmates lead singer
Roger Daltrey and bassist John Entwistle thought it was too passive). From there, Townshend and McAnuff worked on numerous rewrites before officially bringing the show to New York City.
TOMMY officially arrived on Broadway in the Spring of 1993 playing the St. James Theatre. The original production ran for 27 previews and 899 regular performances. Under the direction of Des McAnuff and choreography by Wayne Cilento, the original cast consisted of….
Marcia Mitzman as “Mrs. Walker”,
Jonathan Dokuchitz as “Captain Walker”,
and
Cheryl Freeman as “The Gypsy” & “The Acid Queen”.
In addition, the Ensemble featured a lineup of familiar Broadway stars of today which for many of them, it was their Broadway debut including Tony nominees
Norm Lewis and
Sherie Rene Scott along with Tony Award winners Christian Hoff and Alice Ripley, and more.
The original Broadway production of TOMMY was nominated for 11 Tony Awards in 1993 taking home 5 including BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL (for Des McAnuff), BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (for Wayne Cilento), and BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (for Pete Townshend).
Following its life on Broadway, TOMMY went on to wow audiences from productions around the world including London’s West End, Canada, and more.
A Broadway revival of TOMMY is still in the early official works. The revival is set to happen in celebration of the album’s 50th Anniversary. It’s expected to feature direction once again by Des McAnuff. No official words of plans on when the Broadway revival will be happening. Stay tuned.
It’s still performed today in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
How awesome was that PINBALL challenge?!!!
