HOWDY FOLKS!! This is Team New York Broadway Tours and it?s only 18 days away till The 73rd Annual Tony Awards. However to keep us entertained and tracking down the days till we reach Broadway?s biggest night, we are waking you up each morning with some of the greatest musical performances from previous telecasts on our TOP 40 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. Get ready because here comes another great big Broadway number.
At # 18 on out countdown, we take a trip to a HONKY TONK town in Tennessee in the 1950's during a time of segregation and the birth of Rock N' Roll. In this town, we meet a young Caucasian DJ who attempts to get an African American nightclub singer on the radio and eventually falls in a forbidden romance with her leading them into dangerous situations. This is of course Memphis The Musical. The show features a score by Bon Jovi keyboard player David Bryan along with additional lyrics and a book by Joe DiPietro.
From the 2010, Tony nominees Chad Kimball as "Huey Calhoun", Montego Glover as ?Felicia Farrall?, and the cast perform the show?s toe tapping finale anthem STEAL YOUR ROCK N?ROLL.
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 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 1,195 performances. Under the direction by Tony winner Christopher Ashley and choreography by Tony nominee again this year Sergio Trujillo, the cast consisted of….
Chad Kimball (later Adam Pascal) as "Huey Calhoun",
The musical was nominated for 8 Tony Awards in 2010 winning 4 including Best Musical
During its run on Broadway, one of the performances of MEMPHIS was filmed in front of a live audience and released in Movie Theaters. It's currently available on DVD and can be watched on BroadwayHD as well. The filmed performance features the entire original cast live from the stage of the Shubert Theatre.
Following the success of Broadway, the show 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.
AUSTRALIA, HISTORY IS HAPPENING!!! Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s Award winning smash hit Hamilton will be finally making its Australian debut in….. WAIT FOR IT….. 2021! It will have its premiere there in Sydney at the Sydney Lyric Theatre, No word has been announced for the official start dates or casting. Who is excited?
HAMILTON will make its Australian premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in a new production beginning March 2021. Producers Jeffrey Seller and Michael Cassel together with creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, joined NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian in announcing the much-anticipated production today.
What a fun HAUNTED Broadway walking tour on this cool day with our new friends from a priavte school Northern New Jersey. They are seeing The Phantom of the Opera, Dear Evan Hansen, Kiss Me Kate, and more during their stay.
WHAT'S UP BROADWAY FANS?! Broadway's biggest night is right around the corner and just 19 DAYS AWAY. However to keep us entertained till the Tony Awards, we at New York Broadway Tours are waking you up each morning with some of the most iconic toe tapping performances from previous telecasts. It's time for another big Musical number on our TOP 40 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN.
At # 19 on our countdown, we take you on and off stage at a Theater in Baltimore back in the year 1948. There, craziness is happening behind the scenes at a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW including the show's narcissistic director and leading man forced to work with his former temperamental movie star ex-wife. This is the madap play-within-a-play musical comedy KISS ME KATE. The show features a score by Cole Porter along with a book co-written by Samuel and Bella Spewack.
From the 2000 telecast, the company of 1999 Broadway revival perform the Act 2 showstopper which perfectly describes today…. IT'S TOO DARN HOT.
KISS ME KATE was first conceived by rising Broadway producer Arnold Saint-Subber who witnessed the crazy on and off stage fights of real life husband-and-wife actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne during a 1935 production of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. He asked book writers Samuel and Bella Spewacks (undergoing their own marital woes at the time) to write the script. Bella in turn enlisted Cole Porter to do the music and lyrics.
Following a 3 1/2 week tryout in Philadelphia, the original production opened on Broadway at the New Century Theatre in 1948 running for 1,077 performances. Under the direction of John C. Wilson and choreography by Hanya Holm, the cast starred….
Patricia Morison (later Anne Jeffreys and Holly Harris) as "Lilli Vanessi",
Harold Lang (later Danny Daniels and Marc Platt) as "Bill Calhoun",
and Lisa Kirk (later Betty Anne Groove) as "Lois Lane".
The show won all 5 of it's 1949 Tony Awards including becoming the first Broadway show ever to win for the big category that today we all look forward to each year….. Best Musical.
Following the success of the original production, the show went on to make audiences laugh in London's West End, Australia, and around the world becoming an instant hit. The show would late be revived twice on Broadway.
The first Broadway revival happened 1952 playing just 8 performances the Broadway Theatre. Under the direction of John C. Wilson and choreography by Hanya Holm once again, the cast was led by….
Robert Wright as "Fred Graham",
Holly Harris as "Lilli Vanessi",
Frank Derbas as "Bill Calhoun",
and Marilyn Day as "Lois Lane".
The production did not receive any Tony Awards that year.
The last major Broadway revival of KISS ME KATE happened in 1999 at the Martin Beck Theatre (currently the Al Hirschfeld Theatre) running for a total of 909 performances. Under the direction of Michael Blakemore and choreographed by both Kathleen Marshall and Rob Ashford, the cast was led by
This revival was nominated for 12 Tony Awards in 2000 winning 5 including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Leading Actor in a Musical (for Brian Stokes Mitchell).
Currently this season, KISS ME KATE is back on Broadway with a new production by Roundabout Theatre Company playing to packed houses 8 times a week at Studio 54. The production is a strictly limited run now through June 30th, 2019. Under the direction of Scott Ellis and choreography by Warren Carlyle, this new revival features…
The Roundabout revival is nominated this year for 4 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical. Best Leading Actress in a Musical (for Kelli O'Hara), Best Choreography (for Warren Carlyle), and Best Orchestrations (for Larry Hochman)
KISS ME KATE is now a popular show today still performed in Schools, Community Theaters, Regional Theaters, and even Opera houses.
In addition to its triumph on stage, KISS ME KATE was a smash hit on the big screen numerous times.
The original film version of KISS ME KATE was released in 1953 from MGM. Under the direction of George Sidney, the cast featured…
Howard Keel as "Fred Graham",
Kathryn Grayson as "Lilli Vanessi",
Tommy Rall as "Bill Calhoun",
and Ann Miller as "Lois Lane".
In addition, there were 5 TV productions of the musical. The first version was released in 1958 from Hallmark. Under the direction of George Schafer, the cast featured…
Alfred Drake reprising his original Broadway role of "Fred Graham",
Patricia Morrison reprising her original Broadway performance as "Lilli Vanessi",
Bill Hayes as "Bill Calhoun",
and Julie Wilson as "Lois Lane".
In 1964, a 2nd live TV presentation was made for BBC. Under the direction of David Askey, the cast featured…
Howard Keel reprising his film role of "Fred Graham",
Patricia Morrison reprising her original Broadway performance once again as "Lilli Vanessi",
Irving Davies as "Bill Calhoun",
and Millicent Martin as "Lois Lane".
The 3rd TV production was released for ABC in 1968. Under the direction of Paul Bogart, this cast was led by…
In 2003, PBS released a filmed performance of the London company of the 1999 Broadway revival which is still available today on DVD and Blu-Ray. Under the direction of Michael Blakemore and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and Rob Ashford, the cast was led by…
The most recent filmed presentation of KISS ME KATE happened in 2014 for BBC. This version was a filmed performance of a concert adaptation of the show for the PROMS series at London's Royal Albert Hall. Under the direction of Shaun Kerrison, the cast featured…
2019 marks the 10th Anniversary of one of the most life-changing musical television shows entertainment has ever witnessed…. Glee.
For those who may not know, GLEE ran on FOX from 2009-2015 telling the story of a group of underdogs in High School show choir in Ohio. Whole taking part in a non-stop…
