by Mike Haber | Oct 30, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
HELLO THERE BROADWAY FANS!! The 95th Annual
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is just 26 DAYS from now. Because this legendary MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET has continued to be so supportive of our Theater scene, we at New York Broadway Tours continue to entertain you each day with more iconic performances from previous telecasts on our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN. There are more legendary performances coming your way. Here we go.
At # 26 on our countdown, we take you deep into the streets of Dublin, Ireland. There, we meet a struggling Irish musician and a Czech immigrant who meet, collaborate, write a song together, and fall in love. This is
Once. Based on the 2007 Oscar winning film of the same name, the show features the score from the film (plus new tunes) written by its creators
Glen Hansard and
Markéta Irglová along with a book by Enda Walsh.
From the 2012
CBS telecast coming to you on the stage of it’s then home at Broadway’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, here is Tony winner
Steve Kazee as “Guy” (the Irish musician), Tony nominee
Cristin Milioti as “Girl (the Czech musician), and the original Broadway cast performing the musical’s Oscar winning theme FALLING SLOWLY.
ONCE was developed as a stage musical just a few years after the original 2007 film became a huge smash.. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová began work on adapting what they delivered on screen to the stage.
It was fully developed through a workshop lab at the
American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA. Following the success of that, the first full scale production would make its way to the Big Apple in the Fall of that same year of 2011 playing Off Broadway’s
New York Theatre Workshop. The run was a huge success and SOLD OUT, it officially made the move uptown.
ONCE officially arrived on Broadway in the Spring of 2012. It played the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre for a 2 1/2 year run of 22 previews and 1,167 performances. Yup, 2022 will mark the 10TH ANNIVERSARY of the show’s ON Broadway debut.
Under the direction of John Tiffany and choreography by Steven Hoggett, the cast of actor-musicians starred….
Tony winner Steve Kazee (later Ben Hope, Arthur Darvill, and Paul Alexander Nolan) as “Guy”,
Tony nominee Cristin Milioti (later
Laura Dreyfuss, Joanna Christie, and Jessie Fisher) as “Girl”,
Tony nominee Elizabeth A. Davis (later Claire Wellin and Tony winner
Katrina Lenk) as “Reza”,
Will Connolly (later Carlos Valdes) as “Andrej”,
Erikka Walsh as “Ex-Girlfriend”,
Anne L Nathan as “Baruska”,
David Patrick Kelly as “Da”,
Lucas Papaelias as “Svec”,
Andy Taylor as “The Bank Manager”,
J Michael Zygo as “The Emcee”,
a rotating set of young girls as “Ivanka”.
ONCE earned rave reviews by critics and Theatergoers alike. It would go on to be nominated for 11
Tony Awards that year winning 8 including BEST MUSICAL. It also won various other Awards including 4
Drama Desk Awards (including OUTSTANDING MUSICAL). Also, the show’s original Broadway cast recording would go on to top the charts and win the 2013
Grammy Award for BEST MUSICAL THEATRE ALBUM.
Following the success of its Broadway run, the show went on to wow audiences around the world. It had its UK premiere in Dublin, Ireland (where the show takes place) which later London’s West End also for a 2 year run at the Phoenix Theatre. That company would go on to be nominated for 6 and win 2
Olivier Awards in 2014.
Other productions included 3 North American National Touring companies, Australia, Seoul, and was expecting to launch a UK/Ireland Touring company.
Currently, Music Theatre International holds the rights for all productions of ONCE being performed at a local Theater near you….. we’re talking schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
Isn’t this show so beautifully laid back and intimate?!!
by NYBroadwayTours | Jul 17, 2018 | Blog, Broadway
BREAKING NEWS: Tony nominee Hailey Kilgore will be out of this year’s Tony winning revival of Once On This Island Broadway. The young newcomer broke her foot during a recent performance of the show and will be on a medical leave of absence from the show
While Kilgore recovers starting today at Circle in the Square Theatre, the lead role of “Ti Moune” will now be taken over by her understudy and former American Idol contestant Loren Lott.
We send Hailey so much healing vibes. Prayers go out to her to get better. We also want to congratulate Loren on being moved up to the starring role.
Thoughts?!
Loren Lott to Lead ONCE ON THIS ISLAND During Hailey Kilgore’s Medical Leave
Hailey Kilgore will step down from Once On This Island Broadway due to injury…
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by NYBroadwayTours | Apr 27, 2018 | Blog, Broadway
BREAKING NEWS: Last night, the English National Opera had its first preview performance of the new London revival of the Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus cult classic Chess – The Musical. However, this preview had an unexpected surprise.
Canadian performer Tim Howar (Broadway’s Rent) who plays the role of the American Chess player “Frederick Trumper” performed the first act till he got the biggest emergency call of his life….. His wife Pianist Jodie Oliver-Howar went into labor. Tim left at Interval (UK’s saying of Intermission) to go to the hospital. The Interval ended up lasting for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, understudy Cellen Chugg Jones (West End’s School of Rock the Musical) who just had a full company rehearsal) went on for “Trumper” for the second act. WHAT A WARRIOR!!
Before the start of the 2nd half, Director Laurence Connor came on stage to announce about the situation.
For Tim and his wife Jodie, they just gave birth to a son Hamish Rex. Congrats to you both and we wish you many years of happiness, excitement, and adventures with your new boy.
The London revival of CHESS will have its official Opening on May 1st, 2018 and will run through June 2nd, 2018.
How crazy is that for a first preview performance?
Chess star forced to leave stage as wife goes into labour mid-show
The opening night of the West End revival of Chess took an unexpected turn when its leading man had to dash off at the interval after his wife went into labour. Tim Howar, who plays Freddie Trumper in the musical penned by Abba stars Bj?rn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, with Tim Rice, exited halfw…..
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by NYBroadwayTours | Nov 22, 2017 | Blog, Broadway
BREAKING NEWS: Waitress the Musical’s current leading lady Betsy Wolfe will depart the smash hit Sara Bareilles musical at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on January 9th, 2018 (the same day as our very own Michael’s birthday). She departs to do a few Symphony concerts with Seattle alongside Broadway favorite Jeremy Jordan.
No word on who will take over from Wolfe in the lead role of the pregnant pie maker “Jenna”.
Who is sad to see Betsy leave?
Betsy Wolfe Will Leave WAITRESS Early to Headline Seattle Concerts With Jeremy Jordan
Betsy Wolfe will leave Waitress the Musical early!
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by NYBroadwayTours | Aug 10, 2017 | Blog, Broadway
BREAKING NEWS: We’ve been BEGGIN’ this show did not leave and it’s here to stay! The Tony and Grammy Award winning smash hit Jersey Boys makes it’s way back to the New York stage this Fall. However, it will make it’s way OFF BROADWAY this November for an open ended run playing at New World Stages.
The musical telling the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons ended its record-breaking 11-year run on Broadway this past January. The show made history as the 12th longest-running show in Broadway history and played a total of 4,642 performances at the August Wilson Theatre upon closing. The show continues to play productions worldwide around the world.
Who is excited for this show that’s TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE back on the NY stage?!!!
The big man is back in town! JERSEY BOYS will return to New York City at New World Stages this November! Visit JerseyBoysNewYork.com to sign up for more information.
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