NYBT TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN: # 25 – WEST SIDE STORY

by | Sep 1, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

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GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS! It is the first day of September and it begins a very exciting month as we welcome The Great Bright Way back after 18 months of being shutdown. We are only 25 DAYS AWAY celebrating the return of Broadway’s Biggest Night of the year….. The 74th Annual Tony Awards. After a previous rough year, we at New York Broadway Tours continue to also get us back into the spirit with Live Theater’s return on our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. We have more legendary performances coming your way.
At # 25 on our countdown, we take you to New York City on the upper west side where a boy and a girl from two rival neighborhood groups fall into a forbidden love that will change their lives forever. This is one of the most iconic musicals of all time. Yup, you guessed it. Its West Side Story. The show features an iconic score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, a book by Arthur Laurents and legendary staging by Jerome Robbins. The musical is a modern-day retelling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
From the 2009 telecast, Tony nominees Matt Cavanaugh as “Tony”, Josefina Scaglione as “Maria”, along with Tony winner (and nominee again this year) Karen Olivo as “Anita”, and the cast of the 2009 Broadway revival perform the musical’s iconic dance sequence….. DANCE AT THE GYM.
West Side Story was originally conceived in 1947 when Jerome Robbins told Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents about doing a contemporary retelling of ROMEO & JULIET. The original script was completely different from the verses that we know now about the show. It was actually set during the Passover-Easter time with the original rival gangs being Irish Catholic “Jets” and the Jewish “Emeralds” living on the Lower East Side (originally conceived as EAST SIDE STORY). After that original script was completed, Laurents and the team realized that there have already been a few plays with that same theme, including ABIE’S IRISH ROSE. The project was canceled and put back on the shelves. In addition, Laurents, Robbins, and Bernstein went their separate ways. Five years later, the three reunited on another project but decided to go back to EAST SIDE STORY by adding a fourth member of the team….Stephen Sondheim. One day in Los Angeles, the four came across stories in the newspaper about a group of juvenile delinquents and decided to change the setting to LA. However, Laurents said to keep it in New York City getting used to the life of the Puerto Rican immigrants and Harlem residents, instead of Mexican Americans and Olvera Street. At the same time, Jerome Robbins was familiar with Latin music and was stoked when he heard they would use that music style in the story. The team went back to NYC and changed everything, making the story the way we all know it, featuring the American “Jets” and Puerto Rican “Sharks” of the Upper West Side.
The show officially opened on Broadway in 1957 (following a smash sold-out tryout run in Washington, D.C.) at the Winter Garden Theatre for 732 performances. Under the direction and choreography of Jerome Robbins, the cast originally starred…
Larry Kert as “Tony,”
Carol Lawrence (later Leila Martin) as “Maria,”
Tony Award winner Chita Rivera (later Carmen Alvarez, Devra Kowin, and Maurel Bently) in her breakout role as “Anita”,
Mickey Calin (later Hank Brunjes, Thomas Hasson, and Tucker Smith) as “Riff,
Ken Le Roy (later Carmine Terra and George Marcy) as “Bernardo”,
Jamie Sanchez (later Erne Castaldo) as “Chino”,
Arch Johnson as “Detective Schrank”,
William Bramley (later Roger Franklin) as “Officer Krupke”
and more.
The original production was nominated for 6 Tony Awards in 1958, winning only 2 including BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (by Jerome Robbins).
Following its original Broadway run, WEST SIDE STORY went on to wow audiences around the world.
It was later revived twice on Broadway starting in 1980 playing Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre for 333 performances. Under the direction and choreography once again of Jerome Robbins, the cast starred….
Ken Marshall as “Tony,”
Josie de Guzman as “Maria”,
Debbie Allen as “Anita”,
James J. Mellon as “Riff”,
Hector Jaime Mercado as “Bernardo”,
Ray Contreras as “Chino”,
Arch Johnson reprising his performance of “Detective Schrank”,
John Bentley as “Officer Krupke”,
and more
It was nominated for 3 Tony Awards that year including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL, but lost in all of its categories.
The 2nd Broadway revival happened in 2009 playing Broadway’s Palace Theatre for 775 performances. For this production, it was well known for including translated dialogue and several song lyrics into Spanish by Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. Under the direction of the show’s book writer Arthur Laurents and choreography (recreating Jerome Robbins original staging) by Peter Gennaro and Joey McNeeley, this cast featured…
Tony nominee Matt Cavanaugh (later Matthew Hydzik, Jeremy Jordan, and Matt Shingledecker) as “Tony”,
Tony nominee Josefina Scaglione (later Sarah Amengual) as “Maria”,
Tony winner Karen Olivo (later Natalie Cortez) as “Anita”,
Cody Green (later John Arthur Greene) as “Riff”,
George Akram as “Bernardo”,
Joey Haro (later Manuel Stark Santos and Michael Rosen) as “Chino”,
Steve Bassett as “Detective Schrank”,
Lee Sellars (later Ron Piretti) as “Officer Krupke”,
and more.
It was nominated for 4 Tony Awards, including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL. It took home only 1 win for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (for Karen Olivo).
Most recently, WEST SIDE STORY returned to Broadway with a brand new unique production. This version was extremely different vs. your traditional production. It’s an abridged and gritty 90 minute version. The story is set in the present day. 2 notable legendary moments were cut consisting of I FEEL PRETTY and the ballet of SOMEWHERE. It was also the first major production to NOT use the traditional original Jerome Robbins choreography. It played the Broadway Theatre for only 77 previews and 21 regular performances. Under the direction of Tony Award winner Ivo van Hove and new choreography by Anne-Teresa De Keersmaecker, the cast of this revival is led by….
Issac Powell as “Tony”,
Shereen Pimenta as “Maria”,
Yesenia Ayala as “Anita”,
Ben Cook as “Riff”,
Amar Ramasar as “Bernardo”,
Jacob Guzman as “Chino”,
Thomas Jay Ryan as “Detective Schrank”,
Danny Wolohan as “Officer Krupke”,
and more.
This recent revival of WEST SIDE STORY was a huge flop and sparked a whole lot of controversy. Not only for its updated production, the production’s producer Scott Rudin received a lot of backlash following recent reports of his tyrannical behavior in the workplace. In addition, there were tons of demonstration protests against cast member Amar Ramasar (who played “Bernardo”) who was denounced a sexual predator following recent reports that went against him for sexual harassment at New York City Ballet. All of this was a huge uproar during the #MeToo campaign.
Today the show is also a popular musical performed in Schools, Community, and Regional Theaters around the world.
Along with its success on the stage, WEST SIDE STORY became a worldwide hit when the iconic film adaptation was released in 1961 from United Artist. In addition, the film had several of the main roles having voice dubs to the principal actors. Under the direction of Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins (who also choreographed the film), the cast starred…
Golden Globe winner Richard Beymer (with Jimmy Bryant’s singing voice) as “Tony”,
the late Golden Globe winner Natalie Wood (with Marni Nixon’s singing voice) as “Maria”,
the iconic Rita Moreno as “Anita”,
Russ Tamblyn as “Riff”,
Oscar winner George Chakiris as “Bernardo”,
Jose De Vega as “Chino”,
Simon Oakland as “Detective Schank”,
and
William Bramley as “Officer Krupke”.
It received critical acclaim during its opening week. The film was nominated for 11 Oscars and took home 10 including BEST PICTURE. The film also made history as the only Musical movie ever to receive the most Oscar nominations.
FUN FACT: The film version of WEST SIDE STORY was filmed in the area of what a few years later was torn down to become Lincoln Center.
In addition to the original 1961 film version, a new film adaptation of the musical from 20th Century Studios is about to make its way to the big screen. The film was originally set to open in Theaters nationwide on December 18th, 2020. However, it was pushed to December 10th. 2021 this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the direction of the legendary Steven Speilberg, the cast will feature…
Ansel Elgort as “Tony”,
Newcomer Rachel Zegler (who was discovered in a huge casting call beating over 1,000 hopefuls) as “Maria”,
Tony nominee Ariana DeBose as “Anita”,
Tony nominee Mike Faist as “Riff”,
Tony winner David Alvarez as “Bernardo”,
Jose Andres Rivera as “Chino”,
Corey Stoll as “Detective Schank”,
and
Tony nominee Brian D’Arcy James as “Officer Krupke”.
In addition, NYBT Tour guide Michael will also be part of the film. Little cameo in the film. Keep an eye out for him.
We are so looking forward to seeing this timeless recreated both on stage and screen coming up!!
Doesn’t this musical make you wanna “MAMBO”?!!!

NYBT TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN: # 27 – NATASHA, PIERRE, & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

by | Aug 30, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

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HELLO BROADWAY FANS! Time is getting closer to celebrating Broadway’s biggest night and its triumphant comeback. The 74th Annual Tony Awards is just 27 DAYS AWAY. We at New York Broadway Tours have more of your favorite showstopping performances coming your way on our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN.
At # 27 on our countdown, we take you to Moscow, Russia in the year 1812. It tells a complicated tale of a young ingenue who is initially betrothed to another man that falls for another guy and complications begin. It also follows a socially awkward society man witnessing it all trying to make a change. This is the tale of Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812. Based on a 70 page portion from Leo Tolstory’s best-selling novel WAR AND PEACE, the musical features an original score and book by Dave Malloy.
From the 2017 telecast, Tony and Grammy nominee Josh Groban as “Pierre” and the original Broadway cast bringing the Russian party out to Radio City Music Hall. Get your Egg Shakers ready!!! Here they all are performing a medley of DUST & ASHES, BALAGA, and THE ABDUCTION.
THE GREAT COMET had its world premiere in 2012 Off Broadway at Ars Nova. The show was an immersive production under the direction of Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin. With the overwhelming response, the team continued to work on the show a little more. A year later, the Off Broadway production was then performed in a Pop-Up Theater setting TWICE in both New York’s Meatpacking District and later on in the Theater district. The Off Broadway engagements were led by….
Tony nominee Phillipa Soo as the YOUNG “Natasha”,
Dave Malloy (later David Abeles) as the DEAR, BEWILDERED, & AWKWARD “Pierre”,
Tony nominee Lucas Steele as the HOT “Anatole”,
Brittain Ashford as the GOOD “Sonya”,
Tony nominee Amber Gray as the sexy SLUT herself “Helene”,
Amelia Workman (later Grace McLean) as the OLD SCHOOL “Marya”,
Nick Choksi (later Ian Lassiter) as the FIERCE BUT NOT TOO IMPORTANT “Dolokhov”,
Blake DeLong as the CRAZY “Old Prince Bolkonsky” and “Andrey Bolkonsky” who rarely ISN’T HERE,
Gelsey Bell (later Shaina Taub) as PLAIN “Mary”,
and
of course Paul Pinto (later Ashkon Davaran) as the FUN and showstopping cab driver “Balaga”.
The original Off Broadway runs were well received by critics receiving several Awards and nominations including the Drama Desk, The Lucille Lortel, the Obie, and The Off Broadway Alliance Awards.
With its triumphant Off Broadway following, the creative team went on to expand the production for a larger audience including plans for a Broadway run. Before heading to the Great White Way, the musical made its way to Cambridge, MA playing the American Repertory Theater in 2015. With Chavkin still on board, this cast featured….
Tony nominee and newcomer Denée Benton as “Natasha”,
Scott Stangland as “Pierre”,
Lucas Steele reprising the role of “Anatole”,
Brittan Ashford reprising the role of “Sonya”,
Tony nominee Lilli Cooper as “Helene”,
Grace McLean reprising the role of “Marya”,
Nick Choksi reprising the role of “Dolokhov”,
Nicholas Belton in the dual roles of “Old Prince Bolkonsky” and “Andrey”,
Gelsey Bell reprising the role of “Mary”,
and
Paul Pinto as “Balaga”.
The Cambridge engagement was received by critics and audiences. It went on to win the 2016 Elliot Norton Award for OUTSTANDING MUSICAL PRODUCTION BY A LARGE THEATRE.
With the Green Light on, THE GREAT COMET made its way back to New York City and officially hit Broadway. The musical opened at the Imperial Theatre in the Fall of 2016 where it ran for a whole year playing a complete total of 368 performances. With Chavkin and the team on board, the Broadway company featured….
Denée Benton reprising the role of “Natasha”,
Josh Groban (later Okieriete Onaodowan and Dave Malloy) as “Pierre”,
Lucas Steele reprising the role of “Anatole”,
Brittan Ashford reprising (later Ingrid Michaelson) as “Sonya”,
Amber Gray reprising the role of “Helene”,
Grace McLean reprising the role of “Marya”,
Nick Choksi reprising the role of “Dolokhov”,
Nicholas Belton in the dual roles of “Old Prince Bolkonsky” and “Andrey”,
Gelsey Bell reprising the role of “Mary”,
and
Paul Pinto as “Balaga”.
The Broadway production was well received by critics and audiences everywhere. It was nominated in 2017 for the most Tony Awards…. 12 including BEST MUSICAL. However, it only took home 2 for BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL (for Mimi Lien) and BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL (for Bradley King).
During its run on Broadway, THE GREAT COMET experienced a controversial drama that ended causing the production to close and not recoup its $14 Million in ticket sales. When Okieriete Onaodowan (best known as the original “Hercules Mulligan” and “James Madison” in Hamilton) took over from Josh Groban, his performance was well received, but ticket sales began to go low financially. The show’s producers began searching for a “bigger name” to get people filling the seats. On July 26th, 2017, the website Broadway Black broke the news (before the official announcement was supposed to be revealed the next day) that Award winning stage and screen star Mandy Patinkin was set to take over the role of “Pierre” for a 3 week stint. The reaction of Patinkin’s casting caused an uproar by fans and actors, as Patinkin was a white actor whose casting would have forced Onaodowan, a black actor to cut his run shorter. Fellow actor/activisit and friend of Onaodowan himself Rafael Casal launched a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #makeroomforoak and #boycotthegreatcomet. The controversy led to Patinkin dropping from the show two days later after his announcement was made. It caused the entire Broadway production to fail in ticket sales and close.
Following its life on Broadway, THE GREAT COMET went on to launch productions around the world including Quito, Brazil, and Tokyo. Plans for London and many more companies are in the works.
Doesn’t this performance make you want to drink?!!
#TonyAwards #CountdownToTheTonys #NYBTTop50TonyAwardsCountdown #BroadwaysBiggestNight #BroadwaysBack #TheShowMustGoOn #ThisIsBroadway

NYBT TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN: # 30 – DISNEY’S NEWSIES

by | Aug 27, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

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RISE & SHINE BROADWAY FANS!! RISE & SHINE BROADWAY FANS!!! We are only 30 DAYS AWAY till Broadway’s biggest night of the year…. The 74th Annual Tony Awards. We got more of the greatest musical showstoppers coming your way on our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. This is truly the ultimate celebration as we gear also for the return of Live Theater after a previous rough and sad year. Here comes another big Broadway favorite!!!
At # 30 on our countdown, we go to New York City back in time to the year of 1899 during the historical time of the Newsboys Strike. This is of course Disney’s acclaimed smash hit Newsies. With a score by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, and a book by Harvey Fierstein, it’s based on the 1992 cult Disney film of the same name.
From the 2012 telecast, Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan as “Jack Kelly”. Kara Lindsay as “Katherine Plumber”, and the original Broadway cast perform 2 of the musical’s toe-tapping anthems ONCE AND FOR ALL and SEIZE THE DAY.
.
NEWSIES initially was a huge box office flop when the original 1992 film (starring Christian Bale) was released. However, following numerous airings on the Disney Channel, it earned a huge cult following. At the same time with Disney already having worldwide success with acclaimed projects on Broadway, fans petitioned it to be translated into a stage musical. Alan Menken and the Disney team decided to give it a shot.
After a brief set of early development readings and workshops, the show originally premiered at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse in 2011 for a complete sold out run. With the overwhelming response, NEWSIES transferred to Broadway the following year in 2012 playing the Nederlander Theatre. The initial run was technically supposed to be a 6 month limited engagement. However, thanks to it selling out and people were dying to see it, the team decided to have the show as an open ended before ending its official run in 2014. The Broadway run lasted for an incredible 1,005 performances. Under the direction of Jeff Calhoun and choreography by Christopher Gattelli, the cast starred…
Jeremy Jordan (later Corey Cott) as “Jack Kelly”,
Kara Lindsay (later Liana Hunt) as “Katherine Plumber”,
John Dossett as “Joseph Pulitzer”,
Andrew Keenan-Bolger (later Andy Richardson) as “Crutchie”,
Capathia Jenkins (later LaVon Fisher-Wilson) as “Medda Larkin”,
Ben Fankhauser as “Davey”,
Tommy Bracco (later Clay Thompson) as “Spot”,
& more.
The show was nominated for 8 Tony Awards in 2012 winning only 2 for BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (for Alan Menken) and BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (for Christopher Gattelli).
Following its Broadway run, the show embarked on an acclaimed 2 year National Tour traveling all across America. It played 784 performances in 65 cities all across North America. It also featured some additional updated to the production including a new song for the character of “Crutchie” in the 2nd act entitled LETTER FROM THE REFUGE. With its original creative team reunited, the tour cast was led by….
Dan DeLuca (later Joey Barreiro) as “Jack Kelly”,
Stephanie Styles (later Morgan Keene) as “Katherine Plumber”,
Steve Blanchard as “Joseph Pulitzer”,
Zachary Sayle (later Andy Richardson) as “Crutchie”,
Angela Grovey (later Aisha de Haas) as “Medda Larkin”,
Jacob Kemp as “Davey”,
Jeff Heimbrock as “Spot”,
& more.
Towards the end of the tour, the final show in LA was captured on film for a theatrical release from Disney and Fathom Events release and available now on Amazon. The filmed performance was at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. With Jeff Calhoun and Christopher Gattelli on board, the filmed performance featured the majority of the original cast from Broadway reprising their roles joined on stage with several of the tour cast members including…
Jeremy Jordan as “Jack Kelly”,
Kara Lindsay as “Katherine Plumber”,
Steve Blanchard as “Joseph Pulitzer”,
Andrew-Keenan Bolger,
Aisha de Haas as “Medda Larkin”,
Ben Fankhauser as “Davy”,
Tommy Bracco as “Spot”,
and more.
Currently, the licensing is now available for all FANSIES to put on their own productions of NEWSIES worldwide. Productions are being played everywhere from Schools, Community, and Regional Theaters all over.
Doesn’t this show make you wanna join in the fight?!!

NYBT TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN: # 31 – ANNIE

by | Aug 26, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

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LEAPIN’ LIZARDS BROADWAY FANS! It’s getting close to Broadway’s biggest night of the year. You heard it…. The 74th Annual Tony Awards is just 31 DAYS AWAY. We got more of your favorite showstopping performances coming your way on our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. This is giving us so much vibes & we continue to celebrate Live Theater’s promising triumphant comeback after a rough past year. Here come more of your favorite legendary performances.
At # 31 on our countdown, we take you to New York City in 1933, during the peak of the Great Depression. There, we meet a spunky little red-headed orphan. Despite living in poverty under the watchful eye of the orphanage’s cruel, drunk and abusive matron, she has big hopes & dreams of finding and reuniting with her family. One day after being invited and taken under the wing in spending Christmas with the depression era’s billionaire, the man himself helps the young girl in making her dreams come true…. A $50,000 reward if anyone came forward to saying they are the young girl’s parents. This causes the orphanage’s mean matron and her gang of criminal con artists to stir up some trouble. This is of course the story of…… Annie. The musical features a score by
by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin along with a book by Thomas Meehan.
From the 2013 telecast, Lila Crawford as the titular role, Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch as the wicked “Miss Agatha Hannigan”, and the cast perform a medley of 2 of the show’s classic songs….. IT’S THE HARD KNOCK LIFE and LITTLE GIRLS.
Annie was originally first conceived in 1972 by Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan who wanted to create a musical adaptation based on Harold Gray’s comic strip LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE. After re-reading some of the comics and not being able to find any perfect material they wanted. The team along with Charles Strouse decided to create an original storyline. The main characters from the comics that made the musical of course are “Annie”, “Oliver Warbucks” and the dog “Sandy”. When coming up with the original story, the trio had 2 separate locations for the story to take place….. The downbeat mood of the then-current Nixon era / Vietnam War and in New York City during the Great Depression. Thomas Meehan’s idea of ANNIE in The Great Depression really reminded him of his personal experiences during that time. He also noticed that the character of “Annie” herself was a 20th Century American female version of the titular orphan characters created by Charles Dickens including Oliver Twist. Just like in Dickens’ stories, it would deal with the mystery of the abandonment and unknown parents of “Annie” as consistent with a strand of mysteries in Dickens’ tales. Several bits of material had to be trimmed out. Eventually Thomas Meehan would later restore it for his novelization. From there, the team began hard at work on the show.
The show had its World Premiere debut in 1976 at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut. The early reviews were mixed to negative. During the process between Connecticut and arriving on Broadway, scenes were cut. New dialogue and songs were re-written. In addition, several parts were recast including the titular role of “Annie” herself. The original actress who played the title role was Kristen Vigard. In case anyone may not know, she was randomly fired from the show due to the producer’s decision that “her genuinely sweet interpretation was NOT tough enough for the street-smart orphan”. She was replaced by understudy Andrea McArdle (who previously played one of Annie’s fellow Orphan friends “Pepper”) and the role made her an overnight sensation.
ANNIE finally made its Broadway debut in 1977 at Broadway’s Alvin Theatre (currently the Neil Simon Theatre). During its original run, the show transferred to 3 other Broadway houses consisting of The ANTA Playhouse (now the August Wilson Theatre), the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, and the Uris Theatre (now the Gershwin Theatre). It ran for 2,377 performances. Under the direction of Martin Charnin and choreography by Peter Gennaro, the cast was led by…..
Andrea McArdle (later Shelley Bruce, Sarah Jessica Parker, Allison Smith and Alyson Kirk) as “Annie”,
Dorothy Louden (later Alice Ghostely, Dolores Wilson, Betty Hutton, Marcia Lewis, and June Havoc) as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Reid Shelton (later Conrad John Schuck, Harve Presnell, Keene Curtis, and Rhodes Reason) as “Oliver Warbucks”,
Sandy Faison (later Anne Kerry, Katherine Boule, Lynn Kearney, and Marcy Braken Phillips) as “Grace Ferrell”,
Robert Fitch (later Gary Beach, Guy Stroman, and Richard Sabellico) as “Rooster Hannigan”,
And
Barbara Erwin (later Annie McGreevey, Dorothy Stanley, and Rita Rudner) as “Lily St. Regis”.
The original production was a smash hit earning rave reviews & earned a huge following especially for a younger audience. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards that year winning 7 including BEST MUSICAL. Its original cast album from Columbia Records went on to top the charts & win a 1978 Grammy for BEST CAST SHOW ALBUM.
With its life a hit on Broadway, ANNIE brought the DAY AWAY around the world. It launched various companies including 3 North American National Tours all at once and a debut in London’s West End the following year of 1978. For many young girls, the show’s music became a huge obsession with them dragging their parents to let them audition as well. ANNIE would go on to be revived on the Great Bright Way TWICE.
The first revival happened in 1997 commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the show. Reuniting the majority of the original creative team, they collaborated with Macy’s in launching a major open casting call tour to find that new leading lady to star in the title role. The winner was Joanna Pacitti. Before heading to NYC, this 20th Anniversary embarked on a mini 8-city Pre-Broadway tour. The early reviews were positive. However, things took a turn for the worse, repeating what had happened during the Pre-Broadway run of the original production. Just 2 weeks before the Broadway arrival, the tour made a stop in Boston, MA. Joanna Pacitti caught a nasty case of bronchitis missing several performances. While she was recovering, the producers showed up at her hotel room and…… FIRED JOANNA!!! Pacitti was replaced by understudy Brittany Kissinger (who also was playing orphan “July”). The termination of Joanna Pacitti caused an outrage of controversy. It made the headlines on every major newspaper and Joanna herself appeared on every major talk show to discuss the situation & share her talent with the world. In addition, Joanna’s family filed a lawsuit against the producers of this new revival of ANNIE for more than $10-20 million.
The production finally arrived on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld Theatre) playing only 253 performances. Once again under the direction of Martin Charnin and choreography by Peter Gennaro, the cast was led by…..
Brittany Kissinger as “Annie”,
Nell Carter as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Conrad John Schuck reprising the role of “Oliver Warbucks”,
Colleen Dunn as “Grace Ferrell”,
Jim Ryan as “Rooster Hannigan”,
And
Karen Byers-Blackwell as “Lily St. Regis”.
That first revival was nominated and lost it’s only Tony nomination that year for BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL.
After the short-lived run of the 20th Anniversary revival, ANNIE went back to playing productions around the world including another West End revival and several North American Tours.
One of the National Tours included a 5 year 30th Anniversary Tour that briefly returned to NYC for Christmas. It played the Theater at Madison Square Garden for a month-long run. With its original creative team once again with direction by Martin Charnin and choreography by Peter Gennaro’s daughter Liza (keeping it alive in the family), that cast was led by….
Marissa O’Donnell as “Annie”,
Kathie Lee Gifford as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”.
Conrad John Schuck reprising the role of “Oliver Warbucks”,
Elizabeth Broadhurst as “Grace Ferrell”,
Scott Willis as “Rooster”,
and
McKenzie Phillips as “Lily St. Regis”.
The most recent Broadway revival of ANNIE happened in 2012 commemorating the show’s 35th Anniversary. It played Broadway’s Palace Theatre for 525 performances. Under the direction of James Lapine and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, the cast was led by…..
Lilla Crawford (later Taylor Richardson and Sadie Sink alternating) as “Annie”,
Katie Finneran (later Jane Lynch and Faith Prince) as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Anthony Warlow (later Ron Raines) as “Oliver Warbucks”,
Brynn O’Malley (later Jenni Barber) as “Grace Ferrell”,
Clarke Thorell as “Rooster Hannigan”,
and
J. Elaine Marcos (later Kirsten Wyatt) as “Lily St. Regis”.
The recent revival was nominated for 2 Tony Awards in 2013 including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL. However it lost both its categories.
Along with its success on stage, ANNIE has had an unforgettable legacy on screen 3 TIMES.
The original film was released in 1982 from Columbia Pictures. The original film is a tribute to the story with several tweaks. However, it included various changes including the story set during the 4th of July festivities (instead of Christmas). There were also several new songs written specifically for the movie by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin including DUMB DOG, SIGN, and the showstopping LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES. Under the direction of John Huston and choreography by Joe Layton, the original film starred….
Aileen Quinn as “Annie”,
Carol Burnett as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Albert Finney as “Oliver Warbucks”,
The recent late Ann Reinking as “Grace Ferrell”,
Tim Curry as “Rooster Hannigan”,
and
Bernadette Peters as “Lily St. Regis”.
The original film earned mixed reviews but was well received by audiences everywhere. It went on to be nominated for several Awards including 2 Oscars including BEST MUSIC and 3 Golden Globes including BEST PICTURE – COMEDY / MUSICAL.
The 2nd film version was released in 1999 as an acclaimed TV Movie for Disney and ABC. Under the direction and choreography by Rob Marshall, this TV Movie cast was led by….
Alicia Morton as “Annie”,
Kathy Bates as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Victor Garber as “Oliver Warbucks”,
Audra McDonald as “Grace Ferrell”,
Alan Cumming as “Rooster Hannigan”,
and
Kristin Chenoweth as “Lily St. Regis”.
This TV movie version was well received by viewers. It became one of the most popular versions ever of ANNIE produced and seen by over 26.3 people during its initial debut becoming THE 2ND MOST WATCHED DISNEY MOVIE EVER TO AIR ON ABC. It was nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards including OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE. It ended up winning only 2 for OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY (for Rob Marshall) and OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION. It’s now available to watch on Disney+.
The most recent film version of ANNIE was released in 2014 from Sony Pictures. This version was produced by JAY-Z and Will Smith giving the musical a modern-urban hip-hop twist. Still set in New York City, the timeline was changed from The Great Depression in 1933 to the present day. Some of the characters were cut (including “Lily St. Regis”) and had their names and the story fully updated. In addition, all of the iconic songs were given a funny Pop, R&B, and Hip Hop sound. A new song written by Greg Kurstin, Sia, and Will Gluck called OPPORTUNITY. Under the direction of Will Gluck and choreography by Zachary Woodley, this cast was led by….
Quvenzhane Wallis as “Annie”,
Cameron Diaz as “Miss Hannigan” (with new first name as “Colleen” instead of “Agatha”),
Jamie Foxx as “William Stacks” (formerly known as “Oliver Warbucks”),
Rose Byrne as “Grace Ferrell”,
and
Bobby Canavale as “Guy Dannilly” (in place of “Rooster Hannigan”).
This 2014 film version was met with mixed reviews but did great at the Box Office. It did also go on to be nominated for several Awards including 2 Golden Globes.
Coming up, ANNIE will return to the screen this holiday season as an upcoming Live televised production for NBC. It’s set to air on December 2nd, 2021. Under the co-Direction by Emmy nominee Alex Rudzinski and Obie Award winner Lear deBessonet along with choreography by Tony winner Sergio Trujillo, the cast will include….
Celina Smith as “Annie”,
Taraji P. Henson as “Miss Agatha Hannigan”,
Harry Connick Jr as “Oliver Warbucks”,
Nicole Scherzinger as “Grace Ferrell”,
Tituss Burgess as “Rooster Hannigan”,
And
A TBD performer as “Lily St. Regis”.
Today, ANNIE continues to be a popular musical performed around the world in schools, community, regional theaters, and ongoing touring companies everywhere around the world.
Isn’t ANNIE such a great role model?

NYBT TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN: #33 – SOUTH PACIFIC

by | Aug 24, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows

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RISE & SHINE BROADWAY FANS!! Live Theater is making its triumphant comeback following a really rough year. To keep the legacy alive and celebrate The 74th Annual Tony Awards just 33 DAYS AWAY, we at New York Broadway Tours are playing you the best of Broadway’s biggest night on our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. So many more legendary performances to come. Here come more Broadway favorites!!
At # 33 on our countdown, we take you to a tropical Island. There, we meet 2 interracial couples and their lives threatened in the midst of World War II. These are the tales of racial prejudice coming from the….. South Pacific. Based on James A. Michener’s best-selling Pulitzer Prize winning book of short stories TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC, the show features a notable score by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II along with a book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan.
From the 2008 telecast, Tony winners Kelli O’Hara as “Nellie Forbush” and Paulo Szot as “Emille De Becque”, along with Tony nominee (again this year) Danny Burstein as “Luther Billis”, and the cast of the recent Lincoln Center Theater revival perform a medley of some of the musical’s notable signature songs including….. THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A DAME, SOME ENCHANTED EVENING, and I’M IN LOVE WITH A WONDERFUL GUY.
SOUTH PACIFIC was conceived by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II in the early 1940’s. They had just come off the success of OKLAHOMA and Carousel and their last show ALLEGRO flopped. They needed to make a comeback wanting to make another musical hit. One day, writer and director Joshua Logan and producer Leland Hayward came across James A. Michener’s best-selling Pulitzer Prize winning book TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC. Logan recommended it to Hammerstein, who read it and spoke to Rodgers who initially refused. However, the team came to a compromise….. Rodgers & Hammerstein agreed to do the project so long as they had majority control, to which Hayward grudgingly agreed. After a little competition in securing the rights, the team immediately began writing and hiring their full creative team. Developing the musical had its various challenges to have that perfect blend of drama along with the comic relief bits. At the same time of casting, Rodgers & Hammerstein slowly began to write specifically for the performers. The pieces were slowly starting coming in.
The show had its world premiere in New Haven, CT in 1949. A few months later, it transferred to Boston. Audiences loved the show but word needed to be done. The original running time of the show lasted almost 3 ½ hours. Scenes and dialogue were cut. With changes done, the show was ready for the Great Bright Way.
SOUTH PACIFIC debuted on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre (before later transferring to the Broadway Theatre) where it ran for 1,925 performances. It was a huge smash!!! In addition, the show held….at the time…. the record as the 2nd Longest Running Show in Broadway History after Rodgers & Hammerstein‘s other big hit OKLAHOMA. Under the direction and choreography by Joshua Logan, the cast was led by….
Mary Martin (later Martha Wright and Clorish Leahman) as “Nellie Forbush”,
Ezio Pinza (later Roger Rico, Ray Middleton and George Britton) as “Emille De Becque”,
Myron McKormick as “Luther Billis”,
Juanita Hall (later Odette Mytirl, Musa Williams, and Diosa Costello) as “Bloody Mary”,
William Tabbert as “Lt. Joseph Cable”,
and
Betta St. John (later Irma Sandre) as “Liat”.
The original production was nominated and won all 10 of its Tony Awards in 1950 including BEST MUSICAL and being the first and only musical to win in all 4 of its acting categories. The show also made history as one of the first musicals ever to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Following its success on Broadway, SOUTH PACIFIC went to wow audiences around the world including a North American National Tour, in London’s West End (featuring Mary Martin), and Australia. It also was a popular show to be performed during Summer Stock Theater.
The show would go on to be revived several times on the New York stage. The first revival happened in 1955 at New York City for a limited 15 performance engagement. Under the direction of Charles Atkin, the cast was led by….
Sandra Deel as “Nellie Forbush”,
Richard Collett as “Emmie De Becque”,
Henry Slate as “Luther Billis”,
Sylvia Syms as “Bloody Mary”,
Herb Banke as “Lt. Joseph Cable”,
and
Carol Lawrence as “Liat”.
It did so well, this production returned to New York City Center twice for 2 ENCORE engagements.
Other productions in New York included a staging at the New York City Opera in 1987. At the same time, it continued to launch more productions around the world.
The most recent and first ON Broadway revival of SOUTH PACIFIC happened in 2008 with a legendary production from Lincoln Center Theatre. It played at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre for 37 previews and 966 regular performances. Under the direction of Bartlett Sher and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, this cast was led by…..
Kelli O’Hara (later Laura Osnes and Laura Marie Duncan) as “Nellie Forbush”,
Paulo Szot (later David Pittsinger alternating and William Michaels) as “Emmie De Becque”,
Danny Burnstein as “Luther Billis”,
Loretta Ables Sayre as “Bloody Mary”,
Matthew Morrison (later Robert Lenzi and Andrew Samonsky) as “Lt. Joseph Cable”,
and
Li Jun Li as “Liat”.
This critically acclaimed revival of SOUTH PACIFIC went on to be nominated for 12 Tony Awards that year. It took home 8 including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL. It also took home top honors at the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle Awards.
The Lincoln Center Theatre went on to also wow audiences in London’s West End, on tour across America, and around the world.
Along with its success on stage, SOUTH PACIFIC also captured various times on film various times,
The original film was released in 1958 from 20th Century Fox. This film was known for being filmed on location in Hawaii. Under the direction of the musical’s stage director Joshua Logan, the film starred….
Mitzi Gaynor as “Nellie Forbush”,
Rossano Brazzi (with the singing voice of Giorgio Tozzi) as “Emmie De Becque”,
Ray Walston as “Luther Billis”,
Juanita Hall reprising her Broadway portrayal (with the singing voice of Muriel Smith) as “Bloody Mary”,
John Kerr (with the singing voice of Bill Lee) as “Lt. Joseph Cable”,
and
France Nuyen as “Liat”.
The film was a smash hit grossing $7 million at the Box Office. It also went on to be nominated for several film Awards including a Golden Globe for BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL. It also won an Oscar for BEST SOUND.
The 2nd filmed version of SOUTH PACIFIC was a made-for-TV film. It aired in 2001 on ABC. Under the direction of Richard Pearce, this TV movie cast was led by….
Glenn Close as “Nellie Forbush”,
Rade Sherbedgia as “Emmie De Becque”,
Robert Pastorelli as “Luther Billis”,
Lori Tan Chinn as “Bloody Mary”,
Harry Connick Jr as “Lt. Joseph Cable”,
and
Natalie Mendonza as “Liat”.
The TV film earned critical praise.
The 3rd time SOUTH PACIFIC was captured on film was in 2005. This was a filmed version of a one night only concert production at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall. It aired on PBS’ Award winning Great Performances the following year of 2006. Under the direction of Walter Bobbie and accompanied by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and conducted by Paul Gemignani, it featured an all-star cast consisting of..,
Reba McEntire as “Nellie Forbush”,
Brian Stokes Mitchell as “Emmie De Becque”,
Alec Baldwin as “Luther Billis”,
Lilias White as “Bloody Mary”,
Jason Daniely as “Lt. Joseph Cable”,
and
Ren Croney as “Liat”.
Finally in 2010 prior to its Broadway closing, the recent Tony winning Lincoln Center Theater revival was filmed for PBS’ Award winning Live From Lincoln Center series. From the stage of the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, it featured the majority of the original cast.
FUN FACT: The only original cast member that was not present for that PBS filming was Matthew Morrison who at the time departed for filming his breakout TV show Glee. At the time of hiatus from filming, Morrison initially planned to SOUTH PACIFIC for the production’s final few weeks. However, he couldn’t do it due to the ongoing promotional tour for GLEE. The role of “Lt. Joseph Cable” for the filming was Morrison’s 2nd cover turned fulltime replacement Andrew Samonsky.
Today, SOUTH PACIFIC continues to be performed in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere. There have also been various concert productions as well.
How timeless is this musical?