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 Mike Haber | Oct 29, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
HEY THERE BROADWAY FANS!! We got more of the best of the Great Bright Way celebrating New York’s MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET on our TOP 30 BROADWAY AT MACY’S COUNTDOWN. The 95th Annual
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is just 27 DAYS AWAY. So much to celebrate with Broadway back and the holiday season already almost here. Who is ready to start their morning with another Broadway favorite?
At # 27 on our countdown, we are about to take a personal coming-of-age journey. In this unique experience, we meet a young man trying to find meaning and significance. Along the way, there’s a performance troupe guiding us along through this tale. We are talking about the adventures of…
Pippin. Based on the fictional story of Pippin The Hunchback (son of Charlemagne), the show features a score by
Stephen Schwartz and a book by
Roger O. Hirson.
From the 2013 NBC telecast, Tony winner
Patina Miller as “The Leading Player”,
Matthew James Thomas in the title role, and the company of the recent Broadway revival bringing their circus act out Herald Square with a medley of 2 of the musical’s beloved signature songs CORNER OF THE SKY and MAGIC TO DO.
PIPPIN was first conceived as a class assignment while Stephen Schwartz was studying Drama at
Carnegie Mellon University in the 60’s. He was part of the school’s oldest Theatre troupe that creates all new original works called
Scotch’n’Soda Theatre. Originally Schwartz not only wrote the score, he also directed that original early production. He also co-wrote some of the score with Ron Strauss. Many of the songs and lines from that early production did not even make it into the final version that we all know today. Schwartz graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in Drama in 1968. 4 years later following the success of his debut rock musical Godspell, Schwartz went back to working on the score of PIPPIN without Ron Strauss updating the story and songs. In addition, Schwartz hired a full new creative team including iconic director and choreographer Bob Fosse.
The original production of PIPPIN arrived on Broadway in the Fall of 1972 playing the Imperial Theatre running for 5 previews and 1,944 regular performances. Under Bob Fosse’s direction and staging, the cast consisted of….
Tony winner John Rubinstein (later Tony winner
Michael Rupert and Dean Pitchford) as the title role,
Christopher Chadman as “Lewis”,
Eric Berry as “Charlemagne”,
Jill Clayburgh (later Tony winner Betty Buckley) as “Catherine”,
Leland Palmer (later Tony winner Priscilla Lopez) as “Fastrada”,
Irene Ryan (later Dorothy Stickney after Ryan’s passing) as “Berthe”.
When the show first opened on Broadway, the audiences enjoyed the show but critics panned it. At the same time, the show’s ticket sales plus a lot of businesses in the 1970’s were not doing well economically. However, everything changed when Bob Fosse had an idea to the show’s main producer Stuart Ostrow. Together with the cast, PIPPIN became the very first Broadway show EVER to film a TV commercial to help promote the show. It did so well from that, the show ran for an additional 5 years. Since then today, Broadway has continued the tradition of filming proshot B-Roll trailers and commercials. We love seeing highlights from the shows in action.
PIPPIN’s original production was nominated for 11
Tony Awards. It won 4 including BEST LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (for Ben Vereen), BEST SCENIC DESIGN (for Tom Walton), along with BEST DIRECTION and BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (both for Bob Fosse).
4 years after the show closed on Broadway, a one night only production in Toronto was filmed in 1981 for Canadian Television. Directed by Bob Fosse’s dance captain Kathryn Doby and the show’s book writer Roger O. Hirson, the filmed cast included…
Ben Vereen reprising his Tony winning performance as “The Leading Player”,
William Katt as the title role,
Christopher Chadman reprising his Broadway role as “Lewis”,
Benjamin Rayson as “Charlemagne”,
Leslie Denniston as “Catherine”,
The filmed performance was also abbreviated. Several songs and dialogue used in the original Broadway production were cut for the filmed performance including the song I GUESS I’LL MISS THE MAN. The filmed production is now available on DVD.
In addition to its original success on Broadway, PIPPIN went on to become a worldwide hit including productions in London’s West End and many regional productions out in North America. The show was later revived on Broadway only once.
The recent revival of PIPPIN was originally developed for the
American Repertory Theater in 2012 to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the show’s Broadway Debut. For this new production was well known for being done in the style of being in a circus. It included illusions by Paul Kieve and circus acts created by Gypsy Snider and members of the Montreal-based troupe
Les 7 doigts de la main. In addition, the role of “The Leading Player” was changed from a male to a female. The Cambridge production did so well, it was brought to Broadway in 2013 playing the Music Box Theatre for 37 previews and 709 regular performances. Under the direction of Tony winner Diane Paulus and choreography by Chet Walker, the 2013 revival cast consisted of….
Tony nominee
Terrence Mann (later John Rubinstein and Tony winner John Dossett) as “Charlemagne”,
Tony nominee Charlotte d’Amboise as “Fastrada”,
The revival was nominated for 10 Tony Awards in 2013 winning 4 including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL and BEST LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Patina Miller). With the GLORY the show got at the Tonys for both its original and revival, PIPPIN made Broadway History as both Patina Miller (the revival’s “Leading Player”) and Ben Vereen (the original “Leading Player”) became the first actors of two different genders ever to win a Tony Award for playing the very same role.
The recent revival went on tour all across North America. Most recently, the production debuted for the first time in Australia as one of the first few musicals to be performed after Live Theaters were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It opened in December of last year 2020 playing the
Lyric Theatre in Sydney for a strictly limited engagement.
Today, PIPPIN continues to become a popular show performed in Schools, Community, and Regional Theaters everywhere.
Isn’t this show magical?!
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?!!
