by Mike Haber | Aug 9, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
BREAKING NEWS: SOMETHING’S NOT COMING back and will not MAMBO ever again on the Great Bright Way! Due to COVID-19, various media reports, and extreme low ticket sales, it has just been announced that
Ivo van Hove‘s abridged Broadway revival of West Side Story will NOT be reopening. It closes at the Broadway Theatre following 77 previews and 21 regular performances.
With the show’s original 1957 production’s 732 performances,
the 1980 Broadway revival’s 333 performances,
the 2009 Broadway revival’s 775 performances,
and this revival’s 98 performances ……
WEST SIDE STORY has played a complete total of 1,938 PERFORMANCES ON BROADWAY!!!!
This new production of WEST SIDE STORY was known for a lot of backlash and controversy in the press. Some of this included….
the removement of Jerome Robbins’ legendary original choreography known for still being used in past major productions,
the latest news of the show’s former head producer Scott Rudin and his tyrannical behavior,
the removement of some of WEST SIDE STORY’s notable moments including I FEEL PRETTY and the ballet during the number SOMEWHERE,
reports on the casting of
Amar Ramasar in the role of “Bernado” due to previous reports on sexual harassments at New York City Ballet. This caused a huge uproar in the
#MeToo Campaign.
Our hearts go out to everyone involved with the production of a job.
However, the legacy of WEST SIDE STORY still lives on. Coming this holiday season will be the release of
Steven Speilberg‘s highly anticipated movie musical remake of this timeless story.
The show today also continues to be performed in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
by Mike Haber | Aug 9, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
RISE & SHINE SUPER BROADWAY FANS EVERYONE! Today marks 48 DAYS till we celebrate Broadway’s biggest night of the year….. The 74th Annual Tony Awards. Been a rough past year and a half without Live Theater. However, the Great Bright Way is making its comeback and we are celebrating with our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. With Broadway’s return, this community has come together to celebrate the art Live Theater is & what can we do to make it a BRIGHTER BROADWAY…… especially when it comes to diversity. Are you ready for more of Broadway’s best?!!!
Speaking of diversity, our choice at # 48 on our countdown takes us to the New York City cabaret and jazz club scene…. 1940’s era. That classic big band era playing the latest hottest beat called swing. This particular show celebrates that legacy. This is AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’. This musical is a revue celebrating the music of the acclaimed jazz entertainer Fats Waller (which the show is named after his famous song). It also includes a book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr.,
From the 1978 telecast, the legendary talents of Tony winners André De Shields and the late Nell Carter along with Ken Page, Tony nominee Charlayne Woodard, and the late Armelia McQueen perform a toe-tapping medley of LADIES WHO SING WITH THE BAND and OFF-TIME.
AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ originally premiered in February of 1978 as a cabaret act part of Manhattan Theatre Club’s former East 73rd Street cabaret space. It earned so much critical praise that the full show was expanded into a full-scale Broadway production. It immediately moved to the Great Bright Way in the Spring of that very same year opening at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre before transferring to the Plymouth Theatre (now the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) and the Belasco Theatre. It ran for a complete total of 1,618 performances. Under the direction of Richard Maltby Jr. and choreographed by Arthur Faria, the cast was led by…..
The original production was nominated for 5 Tony Awards that very same year winning 3 for BEST MUSICAL, BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Nell Carter), and BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL (for Richard Maltby Jr). It also won various other Awards including being the recipient of 2 Theatre World Awards and the Drama Desk for OUTSTANDING MUSICAL.
The show would eventually debut overseas in London’s West End in 1979.
AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ was later revived on Broadway in 1988 at the Ambassador Theatre for a strictly limited engagement of 184 performances. It reunited BOTH the full creative team and original cast, all reprising their performances.
That remounted revival would be nominated for a Tony Award again that same year for BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL but lost the category.
It later launched several National Tours both in 1995 (that almost went to Broadway) and then later in 2008 commemorating the show’s 30th Anniversary.
Along with its success on stage, AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ was also captured on film. In 1982 filmed the show directly for television with the original cast and aired on NBC, It was well received being nominated for 8 Primetime Emmy Awards that year. It took home 2 for INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM (both for Nell Carter and Andre De Shields).
Today, there have been productions of AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ produced in Regional Theaters and around the world.
How soulful and toe-tapping was that performance?
#TonyAwards #CountdownToTheTonys #NYBTTop50TonyAwardsCountdown #BroadwaysBiggestNight #BroadwaysBack #TheShowMustGoOn #ThisIsBroadway #livetheaterreturns
by Mike Haber | Aug 8, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Broadway Audience, News, Shows
WE ALL NEED SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN! After 17 months, celebrated powerhouse performer
Linda Eder has made her long awaited return back to the concert stage. The
Jekyll & Hyde relaunched her ongoing tour last month in Maine for a 2 night engagement at the
Vinegar Hill Music Theatre. Of course with her ongoing vlogging on YouTube, Eder gave us a VIP pass into the experience being back on the concert stage.
However this episode of her YouTube vlog is a little bittersweet and emotional. It was announced that Eder’s longtime collaborator Grammy Award Billy Jay Stein has officially stepped down as both her Musical Director and Producer after 24 YEARS. Stein has been keeping himself very busy with various works on upcoming Broadway projects, playing in the pit on various shows, having his own band, and so much more. The video features Eder paying tribute to her longtime friend giving him so much love, support, and happy success in his future.
Eder will continuing touring again beginning September 17th, 2021 in Morristown, NJ before making her way to the following cities…..
Stokie, IL,
Vienna, VA,
Ridgefield, CT,
Englewood, NJ,
Aventura, FL,
Del Ray, FL,
Palm Beach, FL,
Irvine, CA,
Palm Spring, CA,
Venice, FL,
and
Eder’s concert are rotating shows accompanied by either a small band or some of the world’s greatest Symphony Orchestras.
No word has been said on who will be taking over as Musical Director for Eder’s upcoming concerts.
Happy Trails Billy!!
Welcome Back to the road Linda!!!
Thoughts on Billy’s departure?
How amazing is Linda Eder?!!
End of an Era! – YouTube
by Mike Haber | Aug 8, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS! We are celebrating the best of the Great Bright Way making its way to a comeback. Most importantly, we are just 49 DAYS AWAY till we finally celebrate Broadway’s biggest night of the year….. The 74th Annual
Tony Awards. To keep us entertained and celebrate this community we love and dream about, our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN continues with more of our favorite show stopping performances from previous telecasts.
Speaking of dreams, our choice at # 49 on our countdown is truly a musical all about that. This show is a tale from the bible about a young boy with so many dreams, possibilities, and a “Coat of Many Colors”. We of course are talking about
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This all sung-through musical features no book but a score by Sir
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sir Tim Rice.
FUN FACT: JOSEPH is a very personal show that means so much to both NYBT’s very own
Amada and Mike. Both have gotten to perform in professional productions of the show. Amada appeared in one of the show’s National Touring companies as a young girl. Meanwhile, Mike took part in MCP’s sold out & one night only 50th Anniversary concert production at
Lincoln Center.
From the 1982 telecast, the late and great
Laurie Beechman as “The Narrator”, Bill Hutton as the titular role of “Joseph”, and the full original cast perform a medley of many of the show’s notable songs. It includes JACOB & SONS, ONE MORE ANGEL IN HEAVEN, POTIPHAR, BENJAMIN CALYPSO, GO GO GO JOSEPH, SONG OF THE PHARAOH, A PHARAOH’S STORY, ANY DREAM WILL DO, and JOSEPH’S COAT.
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT was first conceived in 1967. At the time, a young 17 year old composer by the name of Andrew Lloyd Webber and 20 year old pop songwriter Tim Rice were just off the hands off from writing their first show THE LIKES OF US. A friend of Lloyd-Webber’s family and London schoolteacher Alan Doggett commissioned both Andrew and Tim to write a piece for the Colet Court school choir. Doggett requested a “pop cantata” along the lines of Herbert Chappell’s The Daniel Jazz (1963) and Michael Hurd’s Jonah-Man Jazz (1966), both of which had been published by music publisher Novello. Both the pieces were based on the Old Testament. However, the request for the new piece came with a 100-guinea advance from Novello. This ended up resulting in creating a pop-vaudeville retelling of the biblical story of Joseph.
The piece officially had its world premiere in March 1968 as a 15-minute pop cantata at Colet Court School in London. It was well received by the audience that William Lloyd Webber (Andrew’s father) arranged for a second performance 2 months later. The 2nd performance was held at Westminster Central Hall, where William worked as the organist. The pop cantata was revised and expanded for an additional 20-minutes. It featured the choir boys of Colet Court and members of the band Mixed Bag singing through the piece. One of the children’s parents in that audience was Derek Jewell, a Sunday Times music critic. At the 2nd performance, he reviewed the piece in the newspaper, calling it a new pop oratorio and raving its innovation and exuberance. 6 months later came a 3rd performance at St Paul’s Cathedral with the piece being expanded once more for an additional 35 minutes. Novello published the lyrics and sheet music of the 20-minute version at the beginning of 1969, as the third of their Old Testament pop cantatas. Decca Records, which had already recorded the St Paul’s Cathedral version of the musical in the summer of 1968, released the recording in 1969, credited to the Joseph Consortium, following the Novello publication. The recording featured singer David Daltrey as “Joseph” along with Tim Rice as “The Pharaoh”, the group Mixed Bag, and the Colet Court School choir. 4 years later, an updated concept album of the musical was released in 1971 from Scepter Records. Once again it featured David Daltrey as “Joseph” along with Tim Rice as “The Pharaoh”, and the Colet Court School choir.
In 1970 following the success of both the concept album of JOSEPH and their acclaimed previous stage hit Jesus Christ Superstar, Webber and Rice decided to pull off a full scale stage show of JOSEPH as a “follow-up” to SUPERSTAR. The first American production of the show was an amateur stage production in May 1970, at the Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, Queens, New York City. Following the production, schools and colleges sought to produce the piece. It later went on to launch productions in the UK including a 1972 Fringe staging at the Edinburgh International Festival by the Young Vic Theatre Company. It was well received that the following year of 1973, it transferred to London’s West End at the Albery Theatre running for 243 performances. It would later go through various changes and final updates to the full sung-through musical we all know today.
The final updated version of JOSEPH embarked on a mini Pre-New York tour before officially hitting the Big Apple in 1981 as an Off-Broadway production playing the Entermedia Theatre for 3 months. It was well received that the production officially transferred to its life ON BROADWAY the following year playing the Royale Theatre (now the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre) for 747 performances. Under the direction and choreography of Tony Tanner, the cast was led by….
Bill Hutton (later David Cassidy) as “Joseph”,
Laurie Beechman (later Sharon Brown) as “The Narrator”,
Tom Carder (later Michael Speero) as “The Pharaoh”,
Gordon Stanley as “Jacob”,
David Ardao as “Potiphar”,
and more.
JOSEPH was nominated for 7 Tony Awards in 1982 including BEST MUSICAL. However, the show lost all its categories.
Following its life on Broadway, the show went on to continue to inspire audiences around the world including a North American National Tour and several revamped and updated new productions.
The most recent major production of JOSEPH here in NYC happened in the 90’s. This 1st and only revival was based on an acclaimed 1991 staging that played The London Palladium which its cast album debuted on the UK Album charts at # 1. The revamped revival following London played Toronto, a brief US Tour, and eventually hit Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre in 1993 running for 231 performances. Under the direction of Steven Pimlott and choreography by Anthony Van Laast, the cast was led by….
Robert Torti as “The Pharaoh”,
Clifford David as both “Jacob” and “Potiphar”,
and more.
It did not receive any nominations or wins from the Tony Awards in 1994.
JOSEPH later went on to launch more notable productions around the world including a remounting of the 1991 Palladium production in 2007 (which also included a
BBC casting reality show in the UK voting a new lucky talent to play “Joseph”), several touring companies, and more. Currently, it’s being performed as a brand new production at
The London Palladium.
Most recently prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, JOSEPH made its way back to the Big Apple with a successful one night only sold out concert staging in celebration of the show’s 50th Anniversary. Produced by
Manhattan Concert Productions, it was performed at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center featuring an all-star cast. Under the direction of Michael Arden, the cast was led by….
Along with its triumph on stage, JOSEPH was a smash on the screen. In 2001,
PolyGram Video released a direct-to-video presentation of the musical. It later world air on PBS part of Great Performances. Under the direction of David Mamet and bits from the Palladium production, the film featured….
Maria Friedman as “The Narrator”,
Robert Torti as “The Pharaoh”,
Richard Attenborough as “Jacob”,
Ian McNeice as “Potiphar”,
and more.
Today, there are various productions of JOSEPH all around the world in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere. It’s one of the most popular shows put on.
Isn’t this musical so powerful?
by Mike Haber | Aug 7, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
HELLO GORGEOUS!!! It’s been many years of rumors but the first ever Broadway revival of the legendary musical FUNNY GIRL is finally happening. According to an
Actors’ Equity Association casting post, it is aiming to begin performances starting next year. Rehearsals are expecting to begin February 14th, 2022 and will open April 2nd, 2022,
The creative team will consist of the following….
Emmy Award winner
Michael Rafter (TV film version of Gypsy, Broadway’s Thoroughly Modern Millie, Swing, the 1996 revival of The King and I) will be the show’s musical director,
The lead roles of “Fanny Brice” and “Nicky Arnstein” has been casted but not yet announced. Stay tuned. However with auditions, they will be looking for understudies.
This production is rumored to be a remounting of a 2015 West End revival directed by Mayer and also an updated book by Harvey Fierstein.
Now in case anyone may not be familiar with FUNNY GIRL, it’s set in New York City around the year of 1910 prior before World War 1. the story centers on the rise and fame of acclaimed versatile entertainer Fanny Brice. It also follows her stormy relationship with entrepreneur, gambler, and womanizer Nick Arnstein. It features an iconic score by
Jule Styne and Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart. It also is best known for being the breakout and signature musical that took off the career of one of the greatest entertainers of all time….
Barbra Streisand. Notable songs include I’M THE GREATEST STAR, PEOPLE, YOU ARE WOMAN, MY MAN, and of course the ultimate powerhouse anthem…. DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE.
The musical was first conceived by Ray Stark, (the son-in-law to Fanny Brice via his marriage to her daughter Frances). He originally wrote an official authorized biography of Fanny Brice’s life based on taped recollections she had dictated. However, he was unhappy with the result. It cot him $50,000 to stop publication of the book entitled THE FABULOUS FANNY.
He then turned Hollywood screenplay writer Ben Hecht on creating a film about Fanny’s life. However, Hecht nor the ten writers who succeeded him were able to produce a version that pleased Stark. Finally, Isobel Lennart submitted the perfect script for the film pleasing both Stark and Columbia Pictures executives, who offered Stark $400,000 plus a percentage of the gross for the property. The original film was initially called MY MAN (named after a real life song by Maurice Yvain, Jacques-Charles, Albert Willemetz, and Channing Pollock which later would later be part of the iconic 1968 film version of FUNNY GIRL). The screenplay got the attention of acclaimed performer Mary Martin, who contacted Ray Stark, and proposed to him an idea that it should be a stage musical instead. Immediately, Stark contacted Broadway producer David Merrick who suggested that Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim would do the score. However, Sondheim was not pleased of the idea of having Fanny being played by Mary Martin since she was NOT Jewish. Martin herself heard Sondheim’s response which caused her to loose interest in the project and dropped out. Sondheim dropped out from co-composing and was replaced by Dorothy Fields and then eventually ended up with Bob Merrill. In addition, the original director of the musical was the acclaimed Broadway director and choreographer Jerome Robbins.
For the lead role of Fanny Brice, several actresses were initially on board for the project including….
Anne Bancroft (however, she dropped due to being disappointed with the score not suiting her voice),
Eydie Gormé (however, she dropped due to the creative team being disappointed with NOT casting her husband Steve Lawrence as Nick Arnstein),
Burnett was interested in the project but really suggested that if the team could find an amazing talent that can play the role, look for a performer who was Jewish. With a list of suggestions running out, a lightbulb lit up for Jule Styne. He recalled attending a performance of I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE and there was a standout performer in that cast…. a 19 year old Barbra Streisand. At the time, Streisand was performing at the Bon Soir in Greenwich Village. He was impressed with her performance but was not impressed with her looks. After a brief argument with his wife, Styne hired Barbra Streisand on the spot.
In addition, there was even was more behind the scenes drama including a full argument between Jerome Robbins vs. Isobel Lennart about the screenplay not being a viable book for a stage musical. Ray Stark refused of all this which caused BOTH Robbins to quit the project and the musical was put back on the shelves temporarily.
A few years later, work on FUNNY GIRL continued. David Merrick hired another set of directors to the production including Bob Fosse and then eventually went to Garson Kanin. From there, Merrick he bowed out and Stark became sole Broadway Producer.
Meanwhile, Barbra Streisand was NOT happy about Garson Kanin’s new direction and was used to working with Jerome Robbins. During rehearsals, Kanin initially insisted on cutting PEOPLE from the musical because it didn’t fit the character. However, the song was already recorded as a single. Luckily, Kanin agreed to let it remain based on audience reaction to it.
The musical had its world premiere Pre-Broadway tryout engagements in both Boston and Philadelphia. Both engagements dealt with tons of negative reviews on the score and book…. including that the show was way too long. However, critics praised the performers (especially Streisand). The creative team kept working on the score and book delaying the New York run…. 5 times. However, the hard work paid off.
FUNNY GIRL officially opened in 1964 at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre (later transferred to the Majestic Theatre and the Broadway Theatre) where it ran for 17 previews and 1,348 performances. It was an instant smash. Under the direction of Garson Kanin and choreographed by Carol Haney (under the supervision of Jerome Robbins), the cast was led by…
Barbra Streisand (later Mimi Hines) as “Fanny Brice”,
Sydney Chaplin (later George Reeder, and Johnny Desmond) as “Nick Arnstein”,
Kay Medford (later Fritzi Burr) as “Mrs. Brice”.
Danny Meehan (later Phil Ford) as “Eddie Ryan”,
Jean Stapleton (later Beulah Garrick and Elizabeth Moore) as “Mrs. Strakosh”,
Roger De Koven (later Alan Manson and William Larsen) as “Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.”
The musical was nominated for 8
Tony Awards in 1964 including BEST MUSICAL, BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Barbra Streisand, and BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Sydney Chaplin). However, it lost all the categories.
The musical’s original Broadway cast recording also went on to top the charts. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and achieved gold record status.
FUNNY GIRL would later go on to become a smash hit in London’s West End (featuring Streisand briefly playing the role of “Fanny Brice” till she got pregnant), Australia, several National Tours, and productions all around the world.
When this new upcoming revival does happen, it will mark as the first ever official revival of FUNNY GIRL on Broadway. However, FUNNY GIRL was done on a New York stage as a one night only concert production to raise money for
The Actors Fund in 2002 at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre (where the story of FUNNY GIRL takes place). Under the direction of Peter Flynn and conducted by Seth Rudetsky, it was known for having a different actress play the role of “Fanny Brice” in a different scene. Several of the “Fanny’s” included….
Whoopi Goldberg,
Ana Gasteyer,
Kristin Chenoweth,
Idina Menzel,
LaChanze,
Julia Murney,
Ricki Lake,
Sutton Foster, Carolee Carmello, Bebe Neuwirth,
Judy Kuhn,
Lillias White, and more.
It also included Peter Gallagher as “Nick Arnstein”.
Plans and rumors of a Broadway revival of FUNNY GIRL have been speculating the Theater community since the 2010 era.
Initially a Broadway revival was supposed to come in 2012 at the Imperial Theatre. Under the direction for Tony Award winner Bartlett Sheer, the production was supposed to star
Lauren Ambrose as “Fanny Brice”. However, the production was postponed due to economic finances being low.
In 2014, Ryan Murphy initially was eyeing interest in producing a full scale revival of FUNNY GIRL based on what was seen on his acclaimed Award winning smash hit musical TV series
Glee. As many of us know, GLEE did majority of all the great songs from the musical (including DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE, I’M THE GREATEST STAR, and FUNNY GIRL). On the series, it was the fictional Broadway debut of the main character of “Rachel Berry”. For the actual Ryan Murphy produced revival, he was planning on casting
Lea Michele (who plays “Rachel Berry” on GLEE) in a Broadway comeback….as “Fanny Brice”. However, nothing ever came of the production.
In 2018, talks were made that Rosie O’Donnell has come on board to the new revival playing the role of “Mrs. Brice” (the mother of “Fanny). For the lead role, it was rumored that Grammy and Oscar winning recording artist Lady Gaga would star as “Fanny Brice” following to the success of her performance in the movie musical remake of A Star is Born,
early of last year in 2020, another rumor came about that this revival would be led by Tony winner Idina Menzel as the titular role. However, still nothing has been confirmed.
With FUNNY GIRL being a smash hit on stage, it was also an iconic movie musical that is still loved by Musical Theater fans everywhere. The original film was released in 1968 from Columbia Pictures.
When it was time to make the film, studio executives were really strict and thought Barbra Streisand wasn’t at that level yet to lead a major motion picture. They wanted to cast a bigger and more established Hollywood actress in the role of “Fanny Brice”. Initially, it was given to
Shirley MacClaine. However, Ray Stark (who also produced the film) insisted on Barbra Streisand. From there, they got her and Barbra’s career rose even higher…..
Under the direction of William Wyler, the original film version of FUNNY GIRL starred….
Barbra Streisand reprising her performance as “Fanny Brice”,
Omar Shariff as “Nick Arnstein”,
Kay Medford reprising her performance as “Mrs. Brice”.
Lee Allen as “Eddie Ryan”,
Mae Questel as “Mrs. Strakosh”,
and
Walter Pidgeon as “Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.”
The film went on to be nominated for 8
Academy Awards in 1969 including BEST PICTURE. However, it took home only 1 for BEST ACTRESS for Barbra Streisand….. historically tying with Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter.
Later on there would be a movie musical sequel to FUNNY GIRL entitled FUNNY LADY with Barbra Streisand reprising her role of “Fanny Brice” which was released in 1975. In that sequel, it follows Fanny’s life following her divorce from Nick Arnstein to her marriage to songwriter and impresario Billy Rose. It went on to get several Oscar nominations but lost that year.
Most recently, the acclaimed 2015 West End revival of FUNNY GIRL was filmed in 2018 during its UK tour run at the
Manchester Opera House from Trafaglar. Under the direction of Michael Mayer, it was led by….
Darius Campbell as “Nick Arnstein”,
Rachel Izen as “Mrs. Brice”,
Joshua Lay as “Eddie Ryan”,
Nigel Barber as “Florenz Ziegfeld”,
and more.
We are anxiously awaiting this FUNNY GIRL revival to come soon!!!
Who is ready to say once again HELLO, GORGEOUS when FUNNY GIRL officially returns to Broadway?!!!
by Mike Haber | Aug 7, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
YEEEEEEEEE HAWWWWWWWWW! Live Theater is making its way back to the Great Bright Way. Today marks 50 DAYS till we finally get to celebrate Broadway’s biggest night of the year….. the 74th Annual
Tony Awards. This past year alone has been really rough with the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected this magical place we call home. So many shows from the 2019-2020 season have opened. There were other shows that were just starting their runs. Of course, there were the shows that did NOT even begin performances yet. With ongoing safety precautions, we are taking things in that slow and steady approach as we get closer each day to those curtains rising once more. That first night for most shows….especially our favorite musicals is going to be an emotional magical evening. Anyways, to get us in the mood of the Great Bright Way making its comeback and celebrating the Tony Awards in just 50 DAYS….. we at New York Broadway Tours are once again proud to present our TOP 5o TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN!!! Each morning, we will be waking you up each morning playing many of our favorite show stopping performances from previous Tony telecasts. You’ll also discover the history of these beloved shows we know in love. Without further or do…. LET’S GO ON WITH THE SHOW!!
Speaking of saying LET’S GO ON WITH THE SHOW, kicking it all off at # 50 is a classic Musical that truly believes in the spirit of that mantra. We are about to take you deep into the Wild Wild West following the life of one of the most famed sharp shooters in American History….. Annie Oakley. We are talking about the Great American classic that hits the ENTERTAINMENT BULLSEYE itself…..
Annie Get Your Gun. The show features a renowned score by
Irving Berlin along with a book by Dorothy and Herbert Fields.
From the 1999 telecast. the legendary
Bernadette Peters in the titular role of “Annie Oakley”,
Tom Wopat as “Frank Butler”, and the cast of that year’s revival take us to the ultimate Wild West Reception at the Hotel Brevoort. Here they are performing a medley of 2 of the musical’s notable classics I GOT THE SUN IN THE MORNING and AN OLD FASHION WEDDING.
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN was first conceived by Dorothy Fields who wanted to create a musical about the famed sharpshooter Annie Oakley for her friend and celebrated powerhouse
Ethel Merman. After a rocky start with producer Mike Todd, Fields approached a new producing team….. Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (who had just come off the success of their breakout debut musical
OKLAHOMA!). Along with continuing to become successful writers, Rodgers & Hammerstein became Theater entrepreneurs going into the world of producing for both their new shows and other authors. They immediately got attached to the project asking acclaimed songwriter Jerome Kern to do the score. At the same time, Dorothy Fields would do the lyrics along with co-writing the book with her brother Herbert. However, tragedy struck just 3 DAYS after beginning work on the musical….. Jerome Kern suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while walking at the corner of Park Avenue and 57th Street. He was hospitalized and died a week later.
Following Kern’s tragic passing,
Rodgers & Hammerstein reached out to Irving Berlin in taking over on the project. However, he originally refused to do the project due to fear of not being able to write certain songs that would be the perfect fit for each scene. Oscar Hammerstein II mentored Berlin in helping him study the script which eventually led to inspiration for some of the musical’s notable songs today including DOIN’ WHAT COMES NATURALLY and the show’s anthem THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS. The songs themselves were perfect for BOTH the script and Ethel Merman’s vocal chops. At the same time, Dorothy Fields agreed to step down as the lyricist focusing on the book. The work continued for the team till the show was ready.
Finally on May 16th, 1946, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN made its Broadway debut at the Imperial Theatre running for 1, 146 performances. Under the direction of Joshua Logan, the original production was led by….
Ethel Merman in her signature performance as “Annie Oakley”,
Ray Middleton (later Milton Watson) as “Frank Butler”,
William O’Neal as “Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody”,
Marty May as “Charlie Davenport”,
Lea Penman as “Dolly Tate”,
Harry Bellaver (later Bert Freed) as “Chief Sitting Bull”,
Kenny Bowers as “Tommy Keeler”,
Betty Anne Nyman as “Winnie Tate”,
George Lipton as “Pawnee Bill”,
The original production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN did not receive any Tony Award nominations or wins. The Tonys was created a year later in 1947.
With the success of the original Broadway run, the show went on to become a worldwide phenomenon. It embarked on a North American National Tour that following year of 1947 (starring Mary Martin as the title role), in London’s West End (starring Dolores Gray) playing the
London Coliseum for 1,304 performances, and in Australia (starring Evie Hayes). It also launched various productions worldwide including Paris and Mexico.
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN would later be revived several times on the New York stage including 2 BROADWAY REVIVALS.
The 1st Broadway revival of the musical happened in 1966. It played the Vivian Beaumont at
Lincoln Center Theater for a strictly limited engagement of 78 performances. This version was abridged. Several songs, storyline, and characters were cut including the love story between “Tommy Keeler” and “Winnie Tate”. This production would later go on a short 10 week North American National Tour. Under the direction of Jack Sydow, the cast was led by….
Ethel Merman reprising her performance as “Annie Oakley”,
Bruce Yarnell as “Frank Butler”,
Rufus Smith as “Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody”,
Benay Venutta who previously appeared in the 1950 film version reprising the role as “Dolly Tate”,
Jack Dabdoub as “Pawnee Bill”,
This revival was nominated for 2 Tony Awards that year including BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL (for Jack Sydow) and BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (for Danny Daniels). However, it lost both its categories.
From there, the show went on to continue launching more productions around the world including 2 West End revivals both in 1986 (starring Suzi Quatro) and 1992 (starring Kim Criswell).
The most recent ON Broadway revival of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN happened in 1999. Following a triumphant out-of-town tryout at
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in our Nation’s Capitol of Washington D.C., it made its way to Broadway’s Marquis Theatre where it ran for 35 previews and 1,045 regular performances. This version was a fully updated take on the musical for this generation. The book was revised by Peter Stone being structured as a “Show within a show” vibe using Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show as a traveling big-top circus act. Notable changes included the show opening with THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS (replacing the initial opening number COLONEL BUFFALO BILL) featuring “Frank Butler” singing and “Buffalo Bill” himself introducing and narrating the story. The “Tommy” and “Winnie” love story was put back in. Under the direction of Graciela Danielle, the cast of this revival was led by….
Peter Marx as “Charlie Davenport”,
Valerie Wright (later Michelle Blakely and Kerry O’Malley) as “Dolly Tate”,
Gregory Zaragoza (later Larry Storch) as “Chief Sitting Bull”,
Andrew Palermo (later Randy Donaldson, Eric Scottio, and Craig D’Amico) as “Tommy Keeler”,
Nikki Snelson (later Emily Rozek and Claci Miller) as “Winnie Tate”,
Ron Caroll (later Gerry Vicchi) as “Pawnee Bill”,
This legendary revival of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN was nominated for 3 Tony Awards that same year of 1999. It won 2 out of the 3 categories for BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL and BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (marking the 2nd win for Bernadette Peters). Its cast album also won the
Grammy Award for BEST MUSICAL SHOW ALBUM. It also took home a
Drama Desk Award both in 1999 (for OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL for Peters) and 2001 (getting the SPECIAL AWARD for Reba McEntire when she took over).
There have continued to be many more productions of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN everywhere around the world.
The recent New York production of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN served as a concert production at
New York City Center for its annual GALA show. Under the direction of John Rando, this cast was led by….
Brad Oscar as “Charlie Davenport”,
Marshall Factora as “Chief Sitting Bull”,
Chuck Cooper as “Pawnee Bill”,
and more.
Along with its triumph on stage, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN was also a triumphant success on the Big Screen.
The original film version was released in 1950 from
MGM. However, its jump from stage to screen had tons of Behind the Scenes drama. The original budget for this film was $1.5 million with $600,000 payable to Irving Berlin and Dorothy and Herbert Fields to use BOTH the score and book. Produced by Arthur Freed, the film was initially made for and starred
Judy Garland in the role of “Annie Oakley”. At the time, Garland was extremely exhausted from film after film after film at MGM. She insisted on taking 6 months off to recover and recharge. However, the studio refused, forced and threw her right into the movie causing her to feel exhausted, get more sick, and grumpy. The worst situation was that the film’s original director and choreographer was Busby Berkeley. Previously, Garland worked with his tyrannical director on various MGM films including STRIKE UP THE BAND and GIRL CRAZY (which Berkeley previously got fired after causing her to faint). There were days where Garland NOT showed up to set, arrived late, and had several walk outs….. She refused to work with Busy Berkley. With the reports of the un-professionalism, Garland would be BOTH fired from the film and it also officially terminated her contract from MGM. The news of Garland’s termination caused her to even cause a few suicide attempts (which included breaking a glass and slashing her throat in the bathroom). Berkeley would be fired as well. Along with the whole Judy Garland drama, her former
Wizard of Oz co-star Frank Morgan (who was originally tapped to play “Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody” unexpectedly died of a heart attack in the midst while shooting. After a rocky start, MGM put together a full new package for the film. With new direction by George Sidney, the cast was led by….
Betty Hutton (replacing Judy Garland) as “Annie Oakley”,
Louis Calhern as “Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody”,
Keenan Wynn as “Charlie Davenport”,
Benay Venutta as “Dolly Tate”,
J. Carol Naish as “Chief Sitting Bull”,
Edward Arnold as “Pawnee Bill”,
and more.
The film went on to become one of the most successful movie musicals of all time. During its initial release, it earned over $4,708,000 in the US and Canada and $3,048,000 overseas, resulting in a profit of $1,061,000. It also was nominated for 4 Oscars winning 1 for BEST MUSIC SCORING.
The musical would also be captured on film an additional 2 times.
6 years after the original film’s release, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN was captured on film again. This time, it was done as a critically acclaimed live TV production in 1957 on
NBC. Under the direction of Vincente J. Donehue, the cast was led by….
Mary Martin (direct from the 1st National Tour) as “Annie Oakley”,
John Raitt as “Frank Butler”,
William O’Neal reprising his original Broadway role as “Colonel Buffalo Bill Cody”,
Donald Burr as “Charlie Davenport”,
Reta Shaw as “Dolly Tate”,
Norman Edwards as “Tommy Keeler”,
Susan Luckey as “Winnie Tate”,
Zachary Charles as “Chief Sitting Bull”,
Robert Nash as “Pawnee Bill”,
and more.
This 1957 live production was nominated for 1 Emmy Award for BEST LIVE CAMERA WORK.
The previous filmed presentation of the musical would happen in 1966…. It was an abbreviated 90 minute version of that year’s Lincoln Center Theatre revival that also aired on NBC. It starred the full cast of that revival (including Ethel Merman as “Annie Oakley”).
Today, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN has been continued to be performed in schools. Community, and Regional Theaters everywhere. There are 2 VERSIONS that are available for licensing consisting…. The 1966 revival for Amateur Performers and the 1999 revival. Truly a celebration of SHOW BUSINESS!!!
How about that toe-tapping performance?
Annie Get Your Gun – YouTube
