BROADWAY THROWBACK: GOOD VIBRATIONS (Behind the scenes documentary featured)

by | Oct 26, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

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Putting together a Broadway show takes so much time and dedication in making it a reality. At the same time, we’ve had some of the best shows on the Great White Way that have become smash hits and the ones that may have flopped but still went on to have a huge “Cult” following. One of those “Cult” following shows was a feel good, beach, tropical themed musical comedy called GOOD VIBRATIONS.
In 2005, NBC‘s Jane Hanson’s New York featured a full 1 hour documentary about the process that went into the making of GOOD VIBRATIONS. In the documentary, you will experience the full behind the scenes process of every move the company makes from rehearsals, moving into the Theatre, tech rehearsals, backstage shenanigans, and all leading up to Opening Night on Broadway. You will get to experience the full reality of what goes into making a Broadway show.
The actual show GOOD VIBRATIONS tells the story of a group of young High School teenagers who embark on a road trip from New England to California. Even though none of them have a car, they take advantage of the unpopular valedictorian girl who has a crush on one of the guys and hell breaks loose. The show is a jukebox musical featuring the hits of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. Yup, the show featured some of their Greatest Hits like FUN FUN FUN, SURF CITY, I GET AROUND, SURFIN’ USA, WHEN I GROW UP TO BE A MAN, HELP ME RHONDA, CALIFORNIA GIRLS, CAROLINE NO, IN YOUR IMAGINATION, and of course GOOD VIBRATIONS.
The cast featured a lineup of rising talents that later have went on to become beloved stars on Broadway, Film, and TV today including…
Sebastian Arcelus (Broadway’s WICKED and Jersey Boys plus TV’s Madam Secretary, and House of Cards) as “Jan”,
Tracee Beazer Barrett as “Wendy”,
David Larsen as “Bobby”,
future Emmy nominee and Broadway favorite Tituss Burgess (Broadway’s The Little Mermaid and TV’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as “Eddie”,
Kate Reinders (Broadway’s Wicked and Something Rotten plus currently High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) as “Caroline” (yup as in CAROLINE NO),
Broadway favorite Jessica Snow Wilson (The 2004 revival of Little Shop of Horrors and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) as “Marcella”,
and Milena Govich as “Rhonda” (yup as in HELP ME RHONDA).
In addition, the Ensemble also featured…
Janet Decal (Broadway’s In The Heights, Wonderland, Prince of Broadway, and currently on tour with The Band’s Visit),
Krysta Rodriguez (Broadway’s original and revival productions of Spring Awakening, The Addams Family, First Date plus TV’s Smash)
and
Sarah Glendening (TV’s As the World Turns and All My Children).
GOOD VIBRATIONS played Broadway’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre back in 2004 and ran till 2005 playing 50 previews and 94 regular performances.
Critics panned the production considering it as more of a concert vs. a traditional Broadway show. With the bad reviews and low ticket sales, the show closed right way. Sadly, it did NOT receive any Award nominations even the Tony Awards
.
Who remembers GOOD VIBRATIONS and seeing this documentary? Isn’t it unbelievable to see how much hard work and dedication goes into putting a show on the Great Bright Way?

Musical adaptation of India film COME FALL IN LOVE bound for Broadway for 2022-2023 season!!

by | Oct 26, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

COME FALL IN LOVE - THE DDLJ MUSICAL Coming To Broadway During 2022-2023 Season
BREAKING NEWS: Get ready to experience the beauty of India on the Great Bright Way as a new musical adaptation of the 1995 Bollywood Blockbuster film COME FALL IN LOVE (known as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) is heading for Broadway next year for the 2022-2023 season. It features an unbelievable all-star creative team putting it all together consisting of….
Aditya Chopra (who directed the original film) back to now direct this brand new musical adaptation,
a book and lyrics by Tony nominee Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde: The Musical and recently Mean Girls),
top Indian songwriters Vishal Dadlani & Shekhar Ravjiani serving as composers,
choreography by Tony and Emmy winner Rob Ashford (Disney’s Frozen, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Boys from Syracuse) will choreograph
associate choreography by Shruti Merchant,
scenic design by Emmy and Tony Award winner Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge, 33 Variations, and NBC’s Hairspray Live),
music supervision by Bill Sherman,
Adam Zotovich serving as Executive Producer,
and more.
COME FALL IN LOVE tells the romantic story of two young non-resident Indians, who fall in love during a vacation through Europe with their friends. The young man tries to win over the girl’s family so the couple can marry. However, the girl’s father has arranged a marriage his daughter to his friend’s son. The film premiered in 1995 and is the longest running film of Indian cinema. Today in India, it’s still running in theatres there today. It won numerous Bollywood film Awards.
No word has been said on when the show will begin its run, it’s casting, or a Theater.
Who is excited?!!

FIRST LOOK: Celina Smith in costume as title role in NBC’s upcoming ANNIE LIVE!!

by | Oct 26, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Casting, News, Shows

Annie Live!
Photo: First Look at Celina Smith as the Title Role in ANNIE LIVE!
LEAPIN’ LIZARDS! We are so happy to share with you a brand new FIRST LOOK photo for NBC‘s upcoming live televised production of the beloved musical Annie. This one is really special because we got that early sneak peak of the live TV musical’s leading lady 12 year old newcomer Celina Smith (The National Tour of Disney’s The Lion King and TV’s Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan) donning the iconic red dress as the title role of the beloved spunky and optimistic orphan herself. Of course, she’s hanging with her best friend companion “Sandy The Dog”.
Smith joins the unforgettable exciting all-star lineup of this highly anticipated TV production just in time for the holiday season. This consists of….
Oscar and Emmy nominee Taraji P. Henson in the role of the nasty “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Grammy and Emmy winner and Tony nominee Harry Connick Jr. as billionaire “Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks”,
Olivier Award nominee and Pop star Nicole Scherzinger as personal assistant “Grace Ferrell”,
Emmy nominee Tituss Burgess as scheming con-artist “Daniel “Rooster” Hannigan”,
and
his Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt co-star Tony winner Jane Krakowski as the sassy, flirty, sleazy, and sticky-fingered “Lily St. Regis”.
THE SUN WILL COME OUT with NBC’s ANNIE LIVE set for December 2nd, 2021.
Who is excited?
How incredible is Celina as “Annie”?!!!
#AnnieLive #LeapinLizards #TheSunWillComeOutTomorrow #IDontNeedAnythingButYou #Maybe

Tony and Olivier Award winning legend Lea Salonga adds North American dates of her new DREAM AGAIN Tour!!

by | Oct 26, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Broadway Audience, News, Shows

BREAKING NEWS: Get ready to experience your inner REFLECTION as Tony and Olivier Award winning legend Lea Salonga is heading back on the road next year. The Filipino born actress and singer took to her social media announcing several North American Dates of her upcoming DREAM AGAIN Tour beginning Spring 2022.
The North American leg will kick off April 6th, 2021 in Winnipeg, MB (Canada) before making her way to the following cities….
Calgary, AB, (Canada),
Edmonton, AB, (Canada),
Vancouver, BC, (Canada),
Lancaster, CA,
Cerritos, CA,
Chicago, IL,
Strathmore, MD,
N. Little Rock, AK,
Indianapolis, IN,
Scottsdale, AZ,
Las Vegas, NV,
Livermore, CA,
Modesto, CA,
and
Honolulu, HI.
More additional North American dates will be announced soon.
Following this North American leg, Salonga will make her way as previously announced to the United Kingdom for a mini 9-city leg tour. That will kick off on June 18th, 2022 in Leicester before making her way to….
Southampton,
Cardiff,
Birmingham,
Manchester,
Brighton,
Canterbury,
and
a one night only performance at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall.
This new tour is named after a recent single that Salonga recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought together composers, musicians and a production team across three continents and five time zones, to help organizations aiding in COVID-19 relief.
It also comes at a very exciting timing for the versatile star who will be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of one of her most notable performances….. providing her singing voice as “Princess Jasmine” in Disney’s Aladdin singing the Oscar winning A WHOLE NEW WORLD.
Along with DREAM AGAIN and A WHOLE NEW WORLD, fans can also expect Salonga to do songs from Miss Saigon, Once On This Island, Les Miserables, REFLECTION….. the theme from her other notable Disney project….. Mulan, and a whole lot of surprises. She will be accompanied by a full orchestra led by her real life brother Maestro Gerard Salonga. It will also be the first time the siblings will perform in the UK together as well.
Who is excited?!!
May be an image of 1 person and text that says 'TONY AWARD® WINNER DISNEY LEGEND STAR OF LES MISERABLES MISS SAIGON LEA SALONGA DREAM AGAIN TOUR 2022 4/6 WINNIPEG, MB 4/8 CALGARY, AB 4/10 EDMONTON, AB 4/12 4/15 YANCOUVER BC CA 4/16 CERRITOS, CA 4/22 CHICAGO,IL 4/23 STRATHMORE, MD 4/25 N. LITTLE ROCK, AR 4/29 INDIANAPOLIS, IN 4/30 INDIANAPOLIS 5/5 SCOTTSDALE, 5/7 LAS VEGAS, 5/8 LAS VEGAS NV 5/10 LIVERMORE, CA 5/11 LIVERMORE, CA 5/15 MODESTO, CA 5/20 HONOLULU, HI 5/21 HONOLULU, HI TICKETS AT LEASALONGA.COM'

NYBT TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN: # 30 – THE PRODUCERS!!

by | Oct 26, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

Image 1 - The Producers ~Orig Broadway Mel Brooks Poster~ Henry Goodman & Steven Weber
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GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS? It has been the most difficult 19 ½ going on 20 months alone with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this Fall is about to have more happiness since the Big Apple is waking up. What an unforgettable timing it is now that the holiday season is just right around the corner. For all of us, it means one thing….. LET’S HAVE A PARADE!!! In just 30 DAYS from now, New York City will once again celebrate its legendary MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year’s edition is very special. Not only is the parade itself celebrating its 95th Anniversary, it once again features its traditional crowd lining the streets from Central Park, 5th Avenue, Times Square, and of course in front of that iconic Macy’s Store in Herald Square. All the legendary moments we love from the balloons, floats, marching bands, celebrities, clowns, Santa, and of course our very own Broadway’s best are joining forces to truly make this parade the most SPECTACULAR that it is making up for 2 years of lost time. As we all know, last year’s parade was an abridged version featuring pre-recorded acts, performances, and more. Going back to Broadway for a second, our Theater community has played a huge part in the parade for many years. Now that Broadway is back, we at New York Broadway Tours are pleased once again to present our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN. From now till the day prior before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 25th, 2021, we will play 30 of our favorite Broadway showstoppers from previous telecasts. You will see iconic performances from BOTH the NBC telecasts (which usually is held in Herald Square in front of that Macy’s story) and on the CBS Telecast (usually pre-recorded performances from their Theaters and around New York City). If you’re ready, here we go!!!!
Kicking off our countdown today at #30, we travel back in time to New York City in the year 1959. There, we met a legendary Broadway producer who teams up with a mousey and wimpy accountant who joins forces in a scheming plot to make more money by putting on the Greatest Musical Theatre flop ever. This is the tale of…… THE PRODUCERS. The show features a score by Mel Brooks along with a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. It’s based on Brooks’ 1968 film of the same name.
From the 2002 NBC telecast, TV favorite Steven Weber in the role of the mousy bank account “Leo Bloom” expresses his big real true showbiz dreams out in Herald Square. With help from his beautiful golden chorus girls, here is the cast performing the toe-tapping I WANNA BE A PRODUCER.
THE PRODUCERS was first conceived as a stage musical in 1999. Years following the success of the original 1968 film, Mel Brooks was recommended by David Geffen that he should write a full musical version of his own films. His original collaborator was originally going to be Tony winner Jerry Herman. However, he denied and encouraged Brooks’ to do the score himself since he was an amazing songwriter (plus he wrote the film’s signature tune SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER). Along with Brooks doing the score, he hired Thomas Meehan to help expand the story. In addition, husband and wife directing/choreographing duo Mike Ockrent and Susan Stroman came on board as well. However, Ockrent unexpectedly died in 1999 when Stroman continued to take on full leadership and director and choreographer by herself. The musical took 2 years of early development labs.
Following a triumphant world premiere tryout in Chicago, it officially opened on the Great White Way in 2001 at Broadway’s St. James Theatre for an incredible run of 2,502 performances. Under the direction of Susan Stroman, the cast starred…
Tony winner Nathan Lane (later Henry Goodman, Brad Oscar, Lewis J. Stalden, Tony Danza, John Treacy Egan, & Richard Kind) as “Max Bialystok,
Tony winner Matthew Broderick (later Don Stephenson, Roger Bart, Steven Weber, Hunter Foster, and Alan Ruck) as “Leo Bloom”,
Tony winner Cady Huffman (later Sarah Cornell and Angie Schwoer) as “Ulla”,
the late Tony winner Gary Beach (later John Treacy Egan, Lee Roy Reams, and Jonathan Freeman) as “Roger De Bris”,
Roger Bart (later Brooks Ashmanskas, Sam Harris, Brad Musgrove, and Jai Rodriguez) as “Carmen Ghia”,
Brad Oscar (later Jim Borstellmann, John Treacy Egan, Peter Samuel, and Bill Nolte) as “Franz Liepkind”,
and more.
The show grossed more than $3.5 million following its opening week. Lines would go all the way around the block for tickets. You could NOT get a ticket to see it. However, when both Lane and Broderick departed, the ticket sales started to go downhill. However, both actors returned to the show in 2004 for a limited 5 month engagement.
THE PRODUCERS was nominated for 15 Tony Awards that very same year winning a record breaking 12 including BEST MUSICAL. In addition, the show’s original Broadway cast recording won a 2002 Grammy Award for BEST MUSICAL SHOW ALBUM.
Following the success of the musical, a 2005 film remake (featuring the songs from the Broadway show) was made reuniting the whole original creative team, majority of the original cast (including Lane and Broderick), and several newbies to the musical. With Stroman recreating her direction and staging on film, the cast starred…
Nathan Lane reprising his Broadway performance as “Max Bialystotck”,
Matthew Broderick reprising his Broadway performance as “Leo Bloom”,
Uma Thurman as “Ulla”,
Gary Beach reprising his Broadway performance as “Roger De Bris”,
Roger Bart reprising his Broadway performance as “Carmen Ghia”,
Will Ferrell as “Franz Liepkind”,
and more.
Life after Broadway, THE PRODUCERS still went on to be a worldwide hit in London’s West End (which it won an Olivier Award for BEST NEW MUSICAL), on tour across America, and around the world. The show is still performed around the world today with various productions happening in schools, community, and regional theatres..
Isn’t this show an ultimate love letter to Broadway?!!