NYBT TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN: # 41 – BLOOD BROTHERS

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GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS! It’s just 41 DAYS till we celebrate Broadway’s biggest night and the return of Live Theater of the year with The 74th Annual Tony Awards. We have more of the most legendary performances from previous telecasts on our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. All of this promises to give you chills and goosebumps.
At # 41 on our countdown is a thrilling musical featuring nature vs nature plot. It follows 2 fraternal twins that were separated at birth, one was raised wealthy and the other poor. The different environments take the twins to opposite ends of the social spectrum. In addition, they both fall in love with the same woman which causes a rift and leads to a tragic conclusion. This is the story of the Johnstone Twins….. Better known as the Blood Brothers. This musical features a score and book by Willy Russell.
From the 1993 telecast, Warwick Evans as “The Narrator”, Stephanie Lawrence as “Mrs. Johnstone”, Con O’Neill as “Mickey Johnstone”, Mark Michael Hutchinson as “Eddie Lyons”, and the original Broadway cast perform a medley of TELL ME IT’S NOT TRUE and SUNDAY AFTERNOON / MY BEST FRIEND,
BLOOD BROTHERS was initially conceived as a school straight play by Willy Russell. It was first performed at the Fazakerley Comprehensive School in Liverpool in 1981. He would later then upgrade the story by translating it into a musical, developing it for the Liverpool Playhouse in 1983. It was a huge success, the production transferred to London’s West End playing the Lyric Theatre for a 5 month run. Under the original direction of Alan Dossor, the cast was led by….
Andrew Schofield as “The Narrator”,
Barbara Dickson as “Mrs. Johnstone”,
Wendy Murray as “Mrs. Jennifer Lyons”,
Andrew C. Wadsworth as “Eddie Lyons”,
George Costigan as “Mickey Johnstone”,
Peter Christian as “Sammy Johnstone”,
Amanda York as “Linda”,
And
Alan Leith as “Mr. Richard Lyons”.
The original production was a modest success. It was nominated and won BOTH its categories at that year’s Olivier Awards for both BEST NEW MUSICAL and BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Barbara Dickson).
The production immediately embarked on 2 National Touring productions in 1984 and then launched a brand new production in 1987. It toured the UK first before returning the following year to London’s West End playing the Albery Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) and later the Phoenix Theatre. This 1988 revival went on to make Theater history as the 3rd Longest Running Show in West End History playing over 10,000 performances closing in 2012. Under the direction of Bill Kenwright and Bob Tomson, this revival’s original London cast was led by….
Warwick Evans as “The Narrator”,
Kiki Dee as “Mrs. Johnstone”,
Joanne Zorian as “Mrs. Jennifer Lyons”,
Robert Locke as “Eddie Lyons”,
Con O’Neill as “Mickey Johnstone”,
Richard Croxford as “Sammy Johnstone”,
Annette Ekblom as “Linda”,
And
Jeffrey Gear as “Mr. Richard Lyons”.
The show featured tons of replacement throughout its long run.
The London revival earned 2 more Olivier Award nominations for its BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Con O’Neill) and BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Kiki Dee). However it lost both its categories.
Along with its life in London’s West End, BLOOD BROTHERS went on to become a worldwide smash hit overseas. It included productions in Australia, South Africa, and Czech Republic. It also would later make its way to our New York Theater scene.
In 1993, the London revival production of BLOOD BROTHERS made its Broadway debut at the Music Box Theatre where it ran for 13 previews and 840 regular performances. Under the direction of Bill Kenwright and Bob Tomson, the cast was led by….
Warwick Evans reprising (later Richard Cox, Domenick Allan, and Adrian Zmed) as “The Narrator”,
Stephanie Lawrence (later Regina O’Malley, Petula Clark, Helen Reddy, and Carole King) as “Mrs. Johnstone”,
Barbara Walsh (later Regina O’Malley) as “Mrs. Jennifer Lyons”,
Mark Michael Hutchinson (later Shaun Cassidy and Ric Ryder) as “Eddie Lyons”,
Con O’Neill reprising (later Phillip Lehl and David Cassidy) as “Mickey Johnstone”,
James Clow as “Sammy Johnstone”,
Jan Graveson (later Shauna Hicks) as “Linda”,
And
Ivar Brogger as “Mr. Richard Lyons”.
FUN FACT: The Ensemble features Tony nominees Kerry Butler and Brian d’Arcy James who both made their Broadway debuts with this show.
The original Broadway production of BLOOD BROTHERS was nominated for 6 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL. However, it lost all the categories. It did however take home a Drama Desk Award for OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Mark Michael Hutchinson).
Today, there are still productions of BLOOD BROTHERS playing around the world. It has been done in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
How thrilling is this musical?!!

#TonyAwards #CountdownToTheTonys #NYBTTop50TonyAwardsCountdown #BroadwaysBiggestNight #BroadwaysBack #TheShowMustGoOn #ThisIsBroadway #livetheaterreturns

Bloodbrothers Musical 1993 Tony Awards – YouTube

Lincoln Center Theatre revival of MY FAIR LADY to relaunch National Tour next month!!!

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LOVELRLY NEWS: WE COULDN’T GO TO BED after hearing about this. According to it’s website, the National Tour of the Award winning Lincoln Center Theater revival of Lerner and Lowe’s beloved musical My Fair Lady is set to GET US TO THE CHURCH ON TIME once more next month.
The Bartlett Sher directed production is expecting to relaunch in Houston, TX starting September 14th, 2021 for a week long engagement. From there, it’s expecting to travel to the following cities…..
San Antonio, TX,
Oklahoma City, OK,
Los Angeles, CA,
San Francisco, CA,
San Diego, CA,
Tempe, AZ,
Seattle, WA,
Las Vegas, NV,
Cincinnati, OH,
Rochester, NY,
Hartford, CT,
Tampa, FL,
Chicago, IL,
Des Moines, IA,
and so much more.
This production of My Fair Lady launched its National Tour back in December 2019 following the Broadway production’s closure in the Summer of the year same year. It was abruptly put on hold in March of 2020 in Columbus, OH at the time Live Theater went dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these cities on the tour have been rescheduled.
At the time of the shutdown, the cast was led by…..
Shereen Ahmed (who came directly from the Broadway production) in iconic leading role of flower girl turned high society lady “Eliza Doolittle”,
Laird Mackintosh (Broadway’s Jekyll & Hyde and The Phantom of the Opera) as the serious, no nonsense, and crotchety phonetics professor himself “Henry Higgins”
Adam Grupper (Broadway’s WICKED, The Addams Family, and Fiddler on the Roof) as the constant drunk and troublemaking dustman and the father of “Eliza” himself “Alfred P. Doolittle”
Leslie Alexander (Broadway’s The Boy From Oz) as the long-suffering, and opinionated mother “Mrs. Higgins”,
Wade Mccollum (Broadway’s WICKED and Off Broadway’s Ernest Shackleton Loves Me) as the rival phonetics professor himself “Zoltan Karpathy”,
Kevin Pariseau (Broadway’s Legally Blonde and Ink) as the kindly father figure himself “Colonel Pickering”,
Gayton Scott (Broadway’s 2003 revival of Gypsy and the National Tour of An American In Paris) as the strong servant of the Higgins house herself “Mrs. Pearce”,
Sam Simahk (Broadway’s Carousel and the National Tour of the Lincoln Center Theatre revival of The King and I) as the handsome, dashing, and caring “Freddy Eynsford-Hill”,
and a full Ensemble.
No word has been revealed if this full cast will be continuing.
Don’t miss this stunning beautiful production of one of the greatest musicals of all time back in a city near you.
Who is excited?!!!

FIRST LOOK: PBS upcoming WICKED IN CONCERT special

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REJOICIFY! One of Broadway’s beloved Award winning BEWITCHING blockbusters returns to the Great Bright Way and London’s West End a month from now. But before DEFYING GRAVITY once again 8 times a week, PBS will be presenting a concert special celebrating the music of WICKED.
WE COULDN’T BE HAPPIER to share with you the first commercial that has gone out for the upcoming WICKED IN CONCERT.
Hosted by Wicked‘s original Broadway WITCHES OF OZ themselves Tony winners Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, this concert will feature promising SWANKIFIED new renditions of Stephen Schwartz‘s beloved score sung by an all-star cast. The lineup consists of…..
Menzel and Chenoweth’s former Glee castmates Olivier Award winner Amber Riley, Tony winner Ali Stroker, and Alex Newell
Tony winner Gavin Creel,
Tony and Grammy winner Cynthia Erivo,
Tony nominee Ariana DeBose,
EGOT winning legend Rita Moreno,
Grammy Award nominee and Broadway favorite Issac Powell,
Grammy Award winner and Broadway vet Jennifer Nettles,
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star Gabrielle Ruiz,
Stage and screen favorite Stephanie Hsu,
and more.
These performances will be coming to you from New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.
WICKED IN CONCERT is set to air on your local PBS starting October 29th, 2021 at 9pm EST.
At the same time, do not miss WICKED THE MUSICAL for real live on stage. Currently, the show’s North American tour continues to play through September in Dallas, TX before FLYING to a city near you.
The Broadway production of WICKED will reopen at the Gershwin Theatre beginning September 14th, 2021. The day afterwards on the 15th, the show’s London company will reopen on the West End at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.
It all returns FOR GOOD just in time before the show prepares to celebrate its 18th Anniversary on Broadway this October.
Who is excited?!!
How THRILLIFYING was that trailer?

Laura Osnes receives backlash on social media; People let their voices be heard to make her get the COVID-19 vaccine

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Earlier this weekend, 2 time Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes is getting tons of backlash with negative posts, comments, and death threats following a recent departure from an upcoming concert production of CRAZY FOR YOU due to not taking the COVID-19 vaccine.
At the same time, many people are also letting their voices be heard to tell the Grease, Bonnie & Clyde, Cinderella, and Bandstand star to get the shot. In addition, sharing facts and information.
Thoughts?

An Open Letter to Laura Osnes — OnStage Blog

Mandatory COVID-19 / Delta Variant Safety Precautions in place!!

NYC Passes 1 Million COVID Cases As Delta Variant Surges
With COVID-19 / Delta Variant cases rising while New York City is making its way back to normal, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo are putting extreme recommendations for everyone’s continued safety and health to still follow ongoing safety protocols. Beginning Labor Day, these MADATORY precautions will include….
Showing proof of taken your COVID-19 vaccine or a result of NEGATIVE on a weekly COVID-19 tests,
continuing to WEAR YOUR FACE MASKS
and
SOCIAL DISTANCE.
All of this goes to our Broadway Theater scene, Restaurants, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, major Businesses, Schools, and more.
For our Broadway Theater community, they will be going for only people who have been fully vaccinated….. That consists of your fellow audience members along with everyone involved with the productions….. cast, crew, musicians, creative team, staff, and more.
However for young Children along with those with medical or religious beliefs, you need to show a result of NEGATIVE on both a PCR test and RAPID test within six hours of a performance.
Please remember, this is continue to help fight against this ongoing horrific spread of the coronavirus and delta variant. We’re in this together!!!
Let’s do this right!!!
Get Vaccinated and stop the virus!!!
Thoughts?

Menzel, Bareilles, Mitchell, O’Hara, Clark, and more team up with NYC NEXT with music video performing Billy Joel’s NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

VIDEO: Sara Bareilles, Idina Menzel, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and More Perform Billy Joel's Photo
New York City is slowly continuing to recover after a previous rough year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though we’re still challenged with the Delta Variant cases rising, people are beginning to resume their lives.
 
These last few weeks, some of the biggest names in show business have teamed up with NYCNext for a very special project. Get ready to celebrate the city that we love with a powerful all-star tribute music video performing Billy Joel‘s ultimate love letter to our home….. NEW YORK STATE OF MIND.
Directed by Joshua Seftel and filmed in all 5 boroughs of New York, it features some familiar faces from the Great Bright Way including…..
Tony nominee and Grammy winner Sara Bareilles,
Tony nominated stage and screen favorite Mario Cantone,
Emmy winner Stephen Colbert,
Tony winner Victoria Clark,
Tony winner Kelli O’Hara,
Tony winner LaChanze,
Broadway favorite Jerry Dixon,
Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt
Tony winner Idina Menzel,
and so much more.
Tissues out before watching please!!!
 
This video continues to give us so much light, joy, and support!!
 
We cannot wait to start relaunching our tours and getting back to the Big Apple as soon as we can.
 
We’re all in this together!! Please get vaccinated, continue to follow ongoing safety precautions, and look out for each other. New York City is strong!!!
 
How powerful was that?!!!