by Mike Haber | Sep 11, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
Today marks 20 years of one of the most terrifying and tragic days we’ll NEVER FORGET. We continue to send love and prayers to all those we tragically lost loved ones and brave heroes who sacrificed their life to help others on that tragic day. The events of the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks took a huge toll on so many people including the Broadway community.
When the news broke of the attacks on both New York’s
World Trade Center and Washington D.C.’s Pentagon, everyone was scared and grieving. All Broadway shows that were running at the time cancelled 2 days of performances. All of New York City (and especially the Theater district) was deserted. Former New York City Mayor
Rudolph gulliani held a city hall meeting and wanted to make sure that Broadway kept doing her thing as quickly as possible. This was not just for economic benefits. Gulliani knew that the best way to get away from all your troubles is to experience some fun top notch entertainment.
The curtain went back up on September 13th, 2001 which all the casts of all the shows running at the time sang GOD BLESS AMERICA for several weeks during their curtain calls. However, ticket sales were extremely low due to people still being scared. With the Broadway community agreeing with Giuliani’s thoughts that Entertainment is truly the greatest medicine, they all came together into a recording studio and then brought that Live Theater magic outside to the streets of Times Square for a special
I LOVE NEW YORK commercial. Choreographed by Tony winner
Jerry Mitchell, it featured Broadway Veterans and cast members dressed in their running show costumes performing
Kander & Ebb‘s beloved theme from NEW YORK, NEW YORK. The tourists and New Yorkers agreed. It was well received and shown in over 20 countries. It also encouraged people who were still feeling depressed and scared to both come to New York City and experience live some top-notch entertainment.
Check out that 30 second commercial right below featuring an amazing lineup of veterans such as….
Harvey Fierstein,
Joel Grey,
Bebe Neuwirth,
Nathan Lane,
Matthew Broderick,
Faith Prince,
and
so much more.
It also features some familiar Broadway characters from hit shows BOTH running past and present including….
The Producers,
Contact,
the 2000 revival of The Music Man,
the long running revival of
Chicago,
and
the 1999 revival of Kiss Me, Kate.
With Broadway starting to reopen despite this ongoing time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know and we hope for a fact that Broadway will definitely do an updated commercial to still spread the love and encouragement to tourists to still come.
Broadway has been there for so many of the most difficult times in the world but came back strong.
Our love today also goes out to loved ones who lost closed and dear friends no longer with us on that terrifying day.
How beautiful was this I LOVE NY campaign?
by Mike Haber | Sep 11, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
WHAT’S GOING ON BROADWAY FANS?! It’s only 15 DAYS till we celebrate Broadway’s triumphant comeback with a BANG…. We are talking about The 74th Annual
Tony Awards. We got more iconic legendary performances from previous telecasts coming your way on our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN.
Today, our selection day was a last minute change in support of 20 years of that horrific we’ll NEVER FORGET. At # 15 today on our countdown, we celebrate America at the turn of the century. It’s a personal favorite of NYBT’s founder and head guide
Amada Anderson……. This is
RAGTIME. Based on E. L. Doctorow’s best selling 1975 novel of the same name, it features an iconic score by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty along with a book by Terrence McNally.
From the 1998 telecast, here is the show’s legendary breakout original cast performing the show’s opening title song.
RAGTIME originally premiered in Toronto back in 1996 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts before moving on a month later to Broadway which opened the newly built Ford Center for the Performing Arts (now the Lyric Theatre) for 861 performances. Members of the original production included….
Alex Strange (later Anthony Blair Hall) as “Edgar, The Little Boy”,
Peter Friedman (later John Rubenstein) as “Tateh”,
Lea Michele (later Elizabeth Lundberg) as “The Little Girl”,
The original production of RAGTIME was nominated for 13 Tony Awards in 1998. It took home 4 for BEST SCORE (for Flaherty & Ahrens), BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL (for McNally), BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Audra McDonald), and BEST ORCHESTRATIONS (for William David Brohn).
Following the success of the original production, the show went on to become a worldwide hit musical from Regional productions, London’s West End, and several concert productions (including a concert production on Ellis Island back in 2016).
The 1st and most recent Broadway revival of RAGTIME happened in 2009 at the Neil Simon Theatre playing for only 93 performances. Members of that 2009 cast included…
Christopher Cox as “Edgar, The Little Boy”,
Ron Bohmer as “Father”,
Robert Petkoff as “Tateh”,
Quentin Earl Darrington as “Coalhouse Walker, Jr”,
Stephanie Jean Umoh as “Sarah”,
Sarah Rosenthal as “The Little Girl”,
and
Donna Migliaccio as “Emma Goldman”.
The revival was nominated for 6 Tony Awards in 2010 including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL. However, it lost all of it’s categories.
How beautiful is this iconic musical?
by Mike Haber | Sep 10, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
LOOK AT THIS STUFF, ISN’T IT NEAT?!! The Movie Musicals are making a triumphant comeback. Disney has officially announced the release for its upcoming highly anticipated Live Action movie musical remake of the Oscar winning film
The Little Mermaid. Under the direction of
Rob Marshall, this highly anticipated new film will bring us all UNDER THE SEA in a whole new way starting May 26th, 2023 in Theaters everywhere!!!
This new Live Action version of THE LITTLE MERMAID will feature a full length all-star cast led by…..
Grammy nominee
Halle Bailey as “Ariel” (the title role herself),
Tony winner Daveed D. Diggs as “Sebastian The Crab”,
Jonah Hauer-King as “Prince Eric”,
Jacob Tremblay as “Flounder”,
Fans can expect to hear all the beloved songs from the 1989 film by EGOT winner Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman including PART OF YOUR WORLD, KISS THE GIRL, and the Oscar winning UNDER THE SEA. In addition, Menken will be collaborating on several new songs written for the film along side Award winning creator
Lin-Manuel Miranda. Sadly none of the songs from the Broadway stage musical adaptation version by Menken and Glenn Slater will not appear in the film.
by Mike Haber | Sep 10, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
I’M AN ISLANDER!!! We are bawling over the
Apple TV + filmed proshot of the Award winning smash hit
Come From Away!!! Such a powerful story. Cant wait to be back sitting in the seats of the Gerald Schonefeld Theatre!!! Who is loving this new filmed presentation?!!!
by Mike Haber | Sep 10, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Broadway Audience, Casting, News, Shows
BREAKING NEWS: Official casting has been announced for both shows part
Vineyard Theatre‘s upcoming REPERTORY ON BROADWAY series this Fall. This all consists of the following…..
For Tina Satter’s IS THIS A ROOM, the cast will include…..
Obie Award winner
Emily Davis reprising her Off Broadway performance as The “Reality Winner”,
Pete Simpson (Gatz) as “Agent Garrick”.
Meanwhile for DANA H which is conceived by Obie Award winner Les Waters, it’s a one woman show starring its Award winning star Deirdre O’Connell.
Vineyard’s REPERTORY ON BROADWAY will be coming to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre. BOTH these shows will run for a limited engagement through January 16th, 2022.
IS THIS A ROOM will begin preview performances September 24th, 2021 and will officially open on October 11th, 2021.
DANA H will start its previews October 1st, 2021 and will open October 17th, 2021.
