Back in Times Square!!!
Hellooooo Broadway!!! SO NICE TO BE BACK HOME WHERE WE BELONG!!!! Tours resume this month.
Tony and Olivier Award winning legend Lea Salonga adds North American dates of her new DREAM AGAIN Tour!!
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?!!
The Jimmy Awards set to be In-Person LIVE event once again at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre in 2022!!!
BREAKING NEWS: With the Great Bright Way returning, get ready to celebrate the rising future stars of Broadway as this year’s Jimmy Awards will be happening in-person again for first time in 3 YEARS. This year’s edition has been set for June 27th, 2022 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre (home of Disney’s The Lion King).
For those who may not know, The Jimmy Awards is considered the Tonys that honors the best of High School Musical Theater shows from all across the country. The committee votes for the greatest young standout performers of their school productions which they get the opportunity to come to NYC taking part in a week of intensive events, workshops, and master classes with industry professionals consisting of Broadway’s best talents, composers, directors, casting directors, and more. The week leads up to the big ceremony itself where these young hopefuls get that one night only opportunity to perform on a Broadway stage where the nominees compete for the top titles and earn scholarships!!!!
The Jimmy Awards was last done in-person back in 2019. Due to COVID-19, it went through various changes. The 2020 edition was cancelled. This past Summer 2021, the Jimmys were done as a virtual livestreamed celebration.
Some of the Jimmy’s previous winners and nominees have later all went on to have unbelievable careers already on Broadway including….
Reneé Rapp – recently seen in her Broadway debut as “Regina George” in Mean Girls,
Andrew Barth Feldman – who made his Broadway debut as the youngest actor to play the titular role in Dear Evan Hansen along with appearing in the viral Ratatouille: The Tik Tok Musical. He currently is appearing on the Disney+ original series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,
Kyle Selig – who appeared on Broadway in The Book of Mormon and recently seen as “Aaron Samuels” in Mean Girls,
Stephanie Styles – who appeared as “Katherine Plumber” on the National Tour of Disney’s Newsies, made her Broadway debut as “Lois Lane” in the Roundabout Theatre Company‘s revival of Kiss Me Kate, and a scene stealing recurring role on TV’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,
Eva Noblezada – who went on to become an Olivier & 2 time Tony nominated leading lady for Miss Saigon and was appearing on the Great Bright Way in Hadestown,
and more.
Get ready to celebrate the next generation of Broadway!!!
Who is excited?!!
THE BOOK OF MORMON to celebrate its LATTER DAY Broadway return with a free performance!!!
HELLO!!! The Tony and Grammy winning smash hit The Book of Mormon is preparing to resume its mission on the Great Bright Way next month. It was just announced earlier this morning that the hit musical will be presenting a special FREE FAN DAY Performance!! It will be set for November 4th, 2021 at 8pm at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre….. just 1 DAY before the show actually reopens on Broadway on November 5th, 2021. This beloved musical comedy had special performances throughout the 10+ years but this one is very special…. it’s a promising celebration of being together with loved ones and special people in our lives.
To enter on how to enter to win tickets to be part of this history making return, visit the show’s website and spread love to the special mission partner in your life.
Who is excited?!!!
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/THE-BOOK-OF-MORMON-Celebrates-Broadways-Return-With-A-Free-Fan-Performance-on-November-4-20211018
New York Broadway Tours counts down to ringing in the Holiday Season with TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S PARADE COUNTDOWN!!
If you enjoyed our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN last month, there is more showstopping Broadway favorites coming up. As many of you know within the next 39 DAYS, it’s ready gonna be Thanksgiving as we ring in the holiday season. You know what that means?!!!
LET’S HAVE A PARADE!!! November 25th, 2021 will be Thanksgiving Morning where we get to wake up to celebrating New York’s legendary MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. We of course are talking about The 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year’s parade promises to be spectacular as it will be the first parade in 2 years to have spectators in-person. In case anyone may not know, last year’s event was cancelled for experiencing LIVE IN PERSON due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was done as a combination of a pre-recorded and live event on NBC and CBS without the crowds and not that many participants.
With the world starting to make its way back to normal, this year’s edition promises to make up for all that lost time. The parade will include all of its notable moments including…..
The Giant Balloons,
Spectacular Floats,
High Energy Clowns,
Spectacular Marching Bands,
Santa Claus,
some of the biggest names in show business (Film, TV, and Music),
and
so much more.
However, the big highlighted moment when its comes to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for us is……. THE BROADWAY PERFORMANCES!!! If you’ve seen the NBC telecasts, they are performed in front of the Macy’s store in Herald Square on 34th Street. Meanwhile the CBS telecast features the performances pre-recorded on location somewhere in NYC or at their Broadway Theater.
With the Broadway acts, we are pleased to announce beginning October 26th, 2021 on the 30 DAY mark…. we at New York Broadway Tours will be presenting our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN.
Every morning leading to the parade, we will be sharing with you our favorite showstopping performances from Broadway’s biggest night of the year from both previous NBC and CBS telecasts of the parade. It will feature many of your favorite shows. Get ready to sing along, share your reactions, and excitement. We also will be giving some fun facts about the history of many of these unforgettable Musicals we all love.
The Parade will air traditionally both on NBC (in front of that famous Macy’s Store in Herald Square on 34th Street) and on CBS (live from Times Square).
Let’s celebrate the return of coming together once more and of course Broadway being back!!!!
Who is excited?!!!
BROADWAY THROWBACK: The Rocky Horror Show!!!
THROWBACK THURSDAY: Can’t believe we are only halfway through October. You know what that means? Halloween is right around the corner. Over the years. Broadway has had an unforgettable ongoing legacy of Spooky Themed musicals that is still popular with Musical Theater fans today. One of them is the legendary and iconic….. The Rocky Horror Show!!!
For those who may not know, it’s considered as the ultimate love letter to Science Fiction and Horror films from the 1930’s-1960’s. Created by Richard O’Brien, it tells the classic tale of a newly engaged couple who gets caught in storm and find themselves in the home of a mad transvestite scientist. Notable songs include DOUBLE FEATURE, DAMNIT JANET, HOT PATOOTEE, and of course the showstopping TIME WARP.
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW was originally conceived by Richard O’Brien in the 1970’s. He was a huge lover of Science Fiction and Horror Films since he was a young boy. At the time, he was an out-of-work actor. However to keep him busy during the Winter evenings, he started developing the show. Originally, the musical was set against the backdrop of the glam era that had manifested itself throughout British pop culture during that time. But also during that time was the rise of transvestism.
While still developing the show, O’Brien began to share pieces of it with various Theater creators. However, it won the attention of Australian director Jim Sharman (best known for directing the original Australian premieres of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar) who planned to develop it in London at the small experimental space Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre. From there, O’Brien, Sharman, and a whole creative team came together to develop the piece.
When the show was first being developed, it was given a temporary working titled called THEY CAME FROM DENTON HIGH. However, it was quickly switched back to ROCKY HORROR.
In 1973, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW premiered at the Royal Court’s 63-seat Theatre Upstairs for a month long run. With its success there, the show immediately transferred to the King’s Road Theatre and later the Comedy Theatre (now the Harold Pinter Theatre) where it ran for an incredible 7 years. Under the direction of Jim Sharman, the cast was led by….
Tim Curry as “Dr. Frank-N-Furter”,
Christopher Malcolm as “Brad Majors”,
Julie Covington as “Janet Weiss”,
Richard O’Brien as “Riff-Raff”,
Patricia Quinn in the dual roles “Magenta” & “The Usherette”,
Nell Campbell as “Columbia”,
Paddy O’Hagan in the dual roles of “Eddie” and “Dr. Scott”,
Rayner Bourton as “Rocky”,
and
Jonathan Adams as “The Criminologist” / “The Narrator”.
The original London premiere received a Evening Standard Award for BEST MUSICAL that same year of 1973.
Following the success of the show’s world premiere in London, ROCKY HORROR began to make its way Internationally. It made its debut here in the United States in 1975 playing the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, California for a triumphant month long run. Immediately afterwards, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW made its debut in our New York backyard on Broadway. However, when it got there, it turned out to be a huge flop. It played the Belasco Theatre for only 4 previews and 45 regular performances. Under the direction of Jim Sharman, the cast was led by…
Tim Curry reprising the role of “Dr. Frank-N-Furter”,
Bill Miller as “Brad Majors”,
Abigale Haness as “Janet Weiss”,
Richard O’Brien reprising the role of “Riff-Raff”,
Jamie Donnelly in the dual roles “Magenta” & “The Usherette”,
Boni Enten as “Columbia”,
Rock star Meat Loaf in the dual roles of “Eddie” and “Dr. Scott”,
Kim Milford as “Rocky”,
and
Graham Jarvis (later William Newman) as “The Criminologist” / “The Narrator”.
Despite flopping, the show would go on to get several Theater nominations including a Tony Award for BEST LIGHTING DESIGN. It also received 3 Drama Desk nomination for UNIQUE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE, OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Tim Curry) and OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Boni Enten).
With its life after the original London and Broadway runs, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW went on to hilariously spook audiences around the world including Australia, San Francisco, Europe, Asia, several UK Touring companies, a return to London, and more.
The show would eventually find its way back here to our Broadway backyard in 2000 with an acclaimed revival that ran longer vs. the original production. This revival played the Circle in the Square Theatre for 30 previews and 437 performances. This production was very intimate and the action taking place all around you. It also had its share of celebrity stunt casting for the roles. Under the direction of Tony winner Christopher Ashley, this cast was led by….
Tom Hewitt (later Terrence Mann) as “Dr. Frank-N-Furter”,
Jarrod Emick (later Luke Perry and John Jeffrey Martin) as “Brad Majors”,
Alice Ripley (later Kristen Lee Kelly) as “Janet Weiss”,
Raúl E. Esparza (later Sebastian Bach and Jason Wooten) as “Riff-Raff”,
Daphne Rubin-Vega in the dual roles “Magenta” & “The Usherette”,
Joan Jett (later Kristen Lee Kelly, Liz Larsen, and Ana Gasteyer) as “Columbia”,
Lea DeLaria (later Jason Wooten) in the dual roles of “Eddie” and “Dr. Scott”,
Sebastian LaCause (later Jonathan Sharp) as “Rocky”,
Dick Cavett (later Cindy Adams and even Penn & Teller) as “The Criminologist” / “The Narrator”.
This revival was nominated for 4 Tony Awards in 2001 including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL but lost all the categories. It also got 5 Drama Desk Award nominations that year including OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL. Also lost. It also received a special Theatre World Award for Raul Esparza.
The stage version of ROCKY HORROR is still popular today being performed in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
Along with its success on stage, ROCKY HORRO earned a huge cult following with its success on screen. The original movie was released in 1975 from 20th Century Fox. The offer for the movie was given even before the show went to Broadway during its LA engagement. Under the direction of Jim Sharman (who directed the original stage version), the cast featured a mix of original cast members from its London staging and some newbies. That included….
Tim Curry reprising his iconic role as “Dr. Frank-N-Furter”,
Barry Bostwick as “Brad Majors”,
Susan Sarandon as “Janet Weiss”,
Richard O’Brien reprising his notable role as “Riff-Raff”,
Patricia Quinn reprising her role as “Magenta” & “The Usherette” (of course now in the movie is known as “The Lips”),
Nell Campbell reprising her performance as “Columbia”,
Meat Loaf reprising his Broadway role of “Eddie”,
Jonathan Adams this time playing “Dr. Scott”,
Peter hinwood (with Trevor White’s singing voice) as “Rocky”,
and
Charles Gray as “The Criminologist” / “The Narrator”.
When the movie was originally released, it flopped. However, the audiences were still packing the Theaters every night. There would also be a share of repeats who would come to the movie again and again which started ROCKY HORROR’s most legendary tradition we know today….. THE MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS. For those who may not know, those screenings are truly an extravaganza known for some crazy wild madness that goes on in the Movie Theater including….
A Shadow Cast – Fans reenacting the entire movie in front of the screen,
Yelling out replies back at the movie on the screen – (Example: “Brad Majors” being called an A**hole and “Janet Weiss” being called a “slut”.
The props – Audience using random items during key moments including Rice being thrown in the opening wedding scene, newspapers over the head with water guns firing, and more,
and more.
It also played a huge impact for the LGBTQ+ community.
The Midnight Screening traditions still happen today.
Most recently, ROCKY HORROR was re-made on screen as a TV movie for FOX. This version was given more of a modern updated version of the musical. Under the direction of Kenny Ortega, the cast was led by….
Laverne Cox as “Dr. Frank-N-Furter”,
Ryan McCartan as “Brad Majors”,
Victoria Justice as “Janet Weiss”,
Reeve Carney as “Riff-Raff”,
Christina Milian as “Magenta”,
Ivy Levan as “The Usherette”,
Annaleigh Ashford as “Columbia”,
Adam Lambert as “Eddie”,
Ben Vereen as “Dr. Scott”,
Staz Nair as “Rocky”,
and
Tim Curry this time as “The Criminologist” / “The Narrator”.
The FOX TV movie received mixed to negative reviews but earned critical praise for Laverne Cox performance.
ROCKY HORROR is still a thrilling high energy out of this world experience like no other.
Check out footage below of the musical’s most recent 2000 Broadway revival!!!
Any ROCKY HORROR fans out there?!!!
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