by Mike Haber | Oct 28, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
HOWDY, BROADWAY FANS!!! New York’s MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET is only 28 DAYS till The 95th Annual
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We have more toe-tapping performances coming your way on our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN. Truy an exciting day to ring in the return of the holiday season and celebrate the return of Broadway. Here comes another great Broadway performance?
At # 28 on our countdown, we take a trip to a notable HONKY TONK town in Tennessee in the 1950’s during a time of segregation and the birth of Rock N’ Roll. There, we meet a young Caucasian White DJ who attempts to get an Black nightclub singer on the radio. Slowly, they fall into a forbidden interracial romance that leads them into dangerous situations. Welcome to that town that is…..
Memphis. The show features a score by Bon Jovi keyboard player David Bryan along with additional lyrics and a book by Joe DiPietro.
From the 2011
CBS telecast, here Tony nominated Broadway rock star
Adam Pascal as “Huey Calhoun” and the cast bringing that rock n’ roll vibe to a downtown park in lower Manhattan. Here they are performing the fan favorite RADIO.
MEMPHIS originally was developed during the 2003-2004 season at the
North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts and
TheaterWorks in Mountain View, California. It had it’s official world premiere production in 2008 at
La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California and then later played The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington in 2009.
Following the success of those world premiere productions, MEMPHIS officially arrived on Broadway in 2009 playing the Shubert Theatre where it ran for a total of 30 previews and 1,165 regular performances. Under the direction of Tony winner Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Tony winner Sergio Trujillo, the cast was led by…..
Tony nominee Chad Kimball (later Adam Pascal) as “Huey Calhoun”,
Tony nominee Derrick Baskin as “Gator”,
Cass Morgan (later Nancy Opel) as “Mama Gladys Calhoun”,
Tony winner Michael McGrath (later John Jellison) as “Mr. Simmons”.
The show went on to receive 8
Tony Awards nominations in 2010 winning 4 including BEST MUSICAL and BEST SCORE.
During its run in the Big Apple, the show was also captured on film released in Movie Theaters. The filmed proshot is now available on BOTH DVD and digital download including
BroadwayHD. It stars the entire original cast live from the stage of the Shubert Theatre.
Following the success of Broadway, MEMPHIS went on to become a worldwide hit across America, in London’s West End, Australia, and more. It’s currently also being done in High Schools and Regional Theaters everywhere.
Doesn’t this musical make you want to yell HOCKADOO?!!!!!!
How FANTASTICAL is this show?!!
by Mike Haber | Oct 27, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
RISE AND SHINE BROADWAY FANS!!! We are just getting started with our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN. The 95th Annual
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is just 29 DAYS AWAY. To get us back into the spirit of ringing in the holiday season with New York’s MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET and celebrating Broadway’s return, we have more of your favorite legendary performances that have taken part throughout the years. Are you ready to rock out and celebrate?!!!
Speaking of rocking out, our selection at # 29 on our countdown does just that. For our next selection, we are about to take you to a private prestigious prep school that is about to have its world turned upside down. After an aspiring wannabe rock star gets kicked out of his own band and is under pressure from his 2 roommates, he steps in pretending to be a substitute teacher at the school as a scheme for money, discovers the students musical talents, and forms a new band of his own with the kids. You have just entered the……
School of Rock!! Based on the cult hit 2003 film of the same name, the musical featured a score by Sir
Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and a book by Julian Fellowes.
From the 2016
CBS telecast direct from the stage of it’s-then home at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre, here is Eric Petersen as hard-rocking teacher “Dewey Finn” and it’s young cast of kids showing off their inner rebel attitude in the show-stopping anthem STICK IT TO THE MAN.
School of Rock was of course originally conceived as a successful movie that was released in 2003 (starring Jack Black). With a $35 Million budget, the film went on to become a huge smash grossing in over $131 Million at the Box Office. 10 years later after the film was released, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber announced that he secured the rights to develop a full original stage adaptation of the film. He originally planned to debut the show at first in London’s West End but then changed his mind of bringing more of his work to Broadway. This was only the 2nd time Webber brought his shows to New York City, first following the original
Jesus Christ Superstar. He began hard at work on the show by creating music for the show alongside lyricist Glenn Slater and book writer Julian Fellowes. They were also able to get several of the songs from the film in the show including the titular song, MATH IS A WONDERFUL THING, and THE LEGEND OF THE RENT.
After a set of open call auditions (especially for the young kids to play the students of Horace Green), the stage version of SCHOOL OF ROCK went through a set of early development readings and workshops. The show had its final set of workshops done as a staged concert production held at the
Gramercy Theatre. It was there where the musical got its green light and headed straight for the Great Bright Way.
SCHOOL OF ROCK opened on Broadway in December of 2015 at the legendary Winter Garden Theatre (being the first time Lloyd Webber would be back there following his former record breaking smash hit Cats). It went on to be a smash hit running for 4 years playing 31 previews and 1,309 regular performances. Under the direction of Laurence Connor and choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter, the cast was led by….
Alex Brightman (later Eric Petterson and Justin Collette) as “Dewey Finn”,
Spencer Moses (later Steven Booth and Jonathan Gould) as “Ned Schneebly”,
Mamie Parris (later
Becky Gulsvig and Lori Eve Marinacci) as “Patty Di Marco”,
The show was nominated for 4
Tony Awards in 2016 including BEST MUSICAL. However, it lost all the categories.
A year following the success of the Broadway production, SCHOOL OF ROCK would go on to rule London’s West End (where it received a Special
Olivier Award for its young kids for OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC), in Australia, several Touring companies both the in US and the UK, and more.
SCHOOL OF ROCK today is available for licensing being performed as both the full length show how it’s mainly done and the School Version (with clean dialogue for those who do NOT want to use the Adult Language). Today, it’s still being performed in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
by Mike Haber | Oct 26, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
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”,
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”,
Gary Beach reprising his Broadway performance as “Roger De Bris”,
Roger Bart reprising his Broadway performance as “Carmen Ghia”,
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?!!
by Mike Haber | Oct 25, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
Tomorrow will officially ring in the official 30 DAY mark till New York’s legendary MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. We are talking about The 95th Annual
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. With the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, we love everything from the balloons, floats, clowns, marching bands, and celebrities. However, the cherry on top for us is THE BROADWAY ACTS. Over the years, the parade has continued to show so much love and appreciation for our Theater scene.
To get us in the mood from tomorrow morning till November 25th, 2021 (Thanksgiving Day), we at New York Broadway Tours will be presenting once again our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN. Each day, we will be presenting you many of our favorite showstopping performances from previous NBC and CBS telecasts.
