Tag Archives: Broadway

The Clever Magic of Mean Girls On Broadway

I’m not a fan of movies being retooled for Broadway. Either they are too exacting in copying every last line, head nod, and costume, or change up the story so much they lose the magic of the original. And some movies are so iconic, they should be left to bathe in their original glory. Pleeease don’t ever make Back to the Future a musical.

So it was with great trepidation that I waited in the cancellation line and scored my ticket to Mean Girls. I loved Mean Girls the movie and saw no way the writers could meet those expectations, but then Tina Fey is the writer. To my delight, the Broadway production blew all expectations out of the water and delivered, a hilarious, brilliant retelling of the beloved story.

What I enjoyed most was the originality in taking Cady from the friendly wilds of Africa to the treacherous halls of North Shore High all within the confines of the August Wilson Theatre. The clever choreography included students zipping around on stage in rolling desks. It was like witnessing a water ballet, or perhaps the ice capades, as metal desks glided in and out of formation with the ease of a figure skater. There’s also a creative use of lunch trays and cafeteria tables. I’ll be shocked if Mean Girls doesn’t win the Tony for best choreography.

The cast is spot on, led by Erika Henningsen. She beautifully plays all the nuances of the innocent Cady, but after witnessing Henningsen’s performance in Signature Theatre’s world premiere of Diner, I felt there was a missed opportunity in showing off her stellar vocals. Taylor Louderman’s portrayal of Regina George steals the show. She is a sharp, quick witted, powerhouse the audience loves to hate. The entire cast is incredible with high energy and commitment.

Perhaps what captured my heart the most was that the musical didn’t rely on all the old jokes and gags from the movie. While enough were there to keep the essence of the movie, many new ones were inventively incorporated to brighten and update the story. If you have the opportunity to catch this top-selling show, I highly recommend it, but get your tickets early. Otherwise you’ll be trying your luck at the in-person lottery (I didn’t win), or standing in the cancellation line with your fingers crossed (that’s how I scored my seat).

And keep your eyes open, you may spot a celebrity. Recognize this guy?

I Love a Love Story! An American in Paris Interview with Kirsten and Matthew Scott

I recently had the treat of chatting with a delightful husband-wife team that performs with the Broadway Tour of An American in Paris. Now I can’t wait to see them in the show!

What could be more romantic than a trip to Paris with the love of your life? Perhaps it’s transporting an audience to Paris eight times a week, while touring the country. That is what married couple Kirsten and Matthew Scott are doing in the national tour of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, which dances into Madison on February 28th.

Kirsten (Milo Davenport) and Matthew (Adam Hochberg) are a married couple on a real life adventure. After living in Midtown Manhattan and working on Broadway for the past ten years–most notably Kirsten in Big Fish, and Matthew in Jersey Boys, they made a life changing decision. Through hard work, talent, and a bit of serendipity, the couple was cast in their first national tour. They let go of their apartment and packed their belongings into storage so they could embark on this adventure of traveling the country while living the dream of performing.

Kirsten says, “We get to see a little slice of different parts of the country. There are times when I look at Matt and think we’re on vacation and forget this is a job.”

While they’ve marveled at the magnificent Kennedy Center Opera house, the history and food of New Orleans, and the unexpected charm of Albuquerque, most of their tour stops leave little time for sightseeing beyond exploring the local gyms, yoga studios, and coffee shops.

“Downtime is at a premium,” Matthew explains. “Most people don’t realize that we perform Tuesday through Sunday, and on Monday, which would be our day off in New York, becomes a travel day. Monday is the day we get up early and take two flights or a bus, arriving at a hotel at four or five in the afternoon and unpack. There may be a time to grab dinner, or see a little bit.”

Each night they report to one beautiful theatre after another to perform in the Tony Award winning musical. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS begins at the close of World War II in Paris. Inspired by the Academy-Award winning film, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is the romantic story about an American soldier, a mysterious French girl and an indomitable European city, each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of war

The dance heavy show features three large ballet numbers, directed and choreographed by 2015 Tony Award-winner Christopher Wheeldon. “AN AMERICAN IN PARIS harkens back to the old school musical like Oklahoma,” Kirsten explains. “That show was the first to take a departure from the theatrical singing and acting and blend in a dream ballet that supports the plot.”

While the husband-wife team only share a couple of moments on stage, they do sing a duet together, albeit separate as they are singing about other people in other worlds.

A special moment each night for Kirsten, is when the main character Lise sings “The Man I Love.” Kirsten recalls fondly how the song brought her and Matthew together in college when they would meet at his apartment and he would help her break down the lyrically beautiful, yet difficult song. “I never felt that connected to a song before.”

When asked what their plans are when the couple steps out of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS in July, they are waiting to see where the wind blows them. Matthew says, “We realize how lucky we are on this glorious vacation.”

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS won four 2015 Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, the Drama League Award for Best Musical, three Fred and Adele Astaire Awards, and two Theatre World Awards.

If your love of Broadway and musical theatre matches mine, please check out my latest novel, IF EVER, a Broadway love story.

Available from all online outlets.

Love of Broadway takes me back to RENT

I love musical theatre. More specifically I love Broadway. A lot.

These are the shows I saw last year. It’s a lot. Maybe I should be embarrassed by the volume, but I’m not. I write for BroadwayWorld.com, so I’m able to see the national touring shows when they roll into Madison. Tickets for Broadway, well, I’ve plenty tricks up my sleeve to find a deal, which I’ll share another time. In fact, I love Broadway so much, I wrote a book, IF EVER, where the hero is a Broadway Actor.

Last night I saw the 20^th Anniversary Tour of RENT. I immediately fell in love with the performers and their stellar vocals. There is nothing on this planet like a Broadway voice.

Sitting in the darkened theatre took me back to my first time seeing RENT at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway with my daughter and some friends. The director of a local theatre group knew an actor in the ensemble and was able to snag us a backstage visit. Imagine taking two musical theatre-loving teenagers to RENT and then knocking on the stage door for a private backstage tour!

Our guide for the night was Telly Leung, a young actor with great ambitions. It turns out I’d already seen Telly in Chicago playing Boq in Wicked. He couldn’t have been kinder as he walked us onto the RENT stage and told us stories of joining the cast. We pestered him with questions about his dreams and goals. I recall him saying he hoped to stay with the show for five years and to play the role of Angel. I couldn’t imagine doing a show for that long, but his passion was inspiring.

I was happy to hear that Telly did eventually land the role of Angel. However about a year later, I learned that RENT was closing on Broadway, and I was disappointed for the young actor not quite reaching his goals. Little did I know, he was just getting started.

A few years later I was in New York on business and catching a couple of shows including GODSPELL. To my surprise, I recognized Telly Leung in the cast. He was amazing and his vocals were phenomenal. The rest of the cast wasn’t shabby either. It included Hunter Parrish from Weeds fame, Uzo Aduba before she hit it big in Orange is the New Black, and Lindsay Mendez who is quite theBroadway star in her own right. I saw the show twice!

My collection of Telly Leung playbills.

Over the years I spotted Telly on Glee and saw him in Madison doing a fundraiser for Capital City Theatre. Not long after that I heard he was back on Broadway starring in Allegiance alongside the legendary George Takai, from the original Star Trek, and Lea Salonga, who hit it big with Miss Saigon and Les Miserables. Of course, I saw Allegiance on my next visit.

I love how theatre overlaps and I’ve been introduced to so many actors whose careers intersect and I can follow as they go on to television, movies, and ideally more Broadway.

Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy

So to Telly Leung, who currently stars on Broadway in the title role of Aladdin in Aladdin, congratulations on a fruitful career! You’ve come a long way since I met that kid with big dreams, and, yes, I’ll try to get to New York soon to see the show!

Telly Leung has a several other Broadway shows and tours on his resume as well.

Stay tuned for more of Angie’s stories of her experiences with Broadway, New York City, and the adventures that follow. Check out her latest book, IF EVER, which blends her love of reality dancing shows and Broadway.

Blizzard of 2016 ~ New York City’s Snowpocalypse

New York ~ Ah, the weekend!

Broadway and Pushing my Boundaries in Big Scary NYC

Looking Back on my First Visit to Broadway

Blizzard of 2016 ~ New York City’s Snowpocalypse

New York City during the January blizzard was an unexpected treat. I took the trip to attend the first ever Broadway Con and complete some book research, but what I got was an historic snow storm of nearly 30 inches that forced Broadway to go dark, something that rarely happens.

Blizzard of 2016

As a Wisconsin girl used to heavy snowfall, a friend and I tramped through blustery conditions down to Times Square where a team of city workers kept the iconic landmark accessible for the tourists who came out to play.

Despite being stranded in the city, most of the people I saw were eager to be a part of snowpocalypse. There were snowmen, snow angels and snowball fights.

Three little snowmen.

It’s hard to see, but this is a snowball fight in Times Square!

Most storefronts were locked up as roads had all been closed to traffic. The heavy snow created a muffled quiet. With no taxis or buses to dodge, we walked down Broadway unbothered while the lights of Times Square glowed dimly through the thick blanket of white.

The lights of Times Square in the distance. This was taken at 2:30 pm.

After playing in the snow, we discovered an off-the-beaten-path pub packed with boisterous folk who wanted to escape their hotel rooms. It was there we met the most adorable and funny British gals. They had stood in the cold for two hours to get their refund for the cancelled Les Mis, their dream show, when one gal nearly froze her toes off. While she sat on her stool with her bare feet up, her best friend dried her socks under the hand dryer in the “loo”. Much laughter ensued, dry boots were shared, and when it was time to say our goodbyes, email addresses exchanged. Later I learned their flight home was postponed, so they were able to see Les Mis after all.

Our sassy British friends.

Clean up crews were in full force the next day, and four days later, there was barely a trace of snow left to find. A few days after that the temps hit 54 degrees!

Clean up going strong outside, while we enjoyed Noises Off inside.

All that snow reminds me of writing my novella, Snowed Over.

If you haven’t read it yet, check it out!

I ♥ NY

I heart NY

Next week I’ll be traveling to New York City to meet with my agent one day and with my team at HarperCollins on the next. I’m so excited as I’ve been working with people I’ve never met and I always feel that knowing someone in person is best.

New York City is one of my favorite places. When I was seventeen I spent a summer with my friend Sue who lived nearby in Parsippany, New Jersey. Her mom took us to the city several times that summer and more specifically to Broadway.

Sue, a girl from the show, and me!

My first Broadway shows that summer were A Chorus Line and 42nd Street. After the shows we raced to the stage door like Midwest fan girls, took pictures and begged for autographs. It remains a favorite memory.

Over the years I occasionally dig those programs out and take a peek. While I haven’t saved all my programs, here is a lovely selection. Even though there are duplicate programs, they are all from separate viewings.

Playbills

Clearly, I love Broadway shows. I’ve compiled a list of the shows I’ve seen. At least the ones I remember. These shows were all either on Broadway or Broadway touring casts in Chicago or Madison.

42nd Street (Starring Jerry Orbach, he’s known as the dad in Dirty Dancing)
A Chorus Line
Annie
Avenue Q
Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
Cats
Death Trap
Evita
Godspell (Starring Hunter Parrish! And Telly Leung)
Me after waiting in the cold 30 minutes & Hunter Parrish
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (Eric McCormack, James Earl Jones, Candice Bergen, John Larroquette and Angela Landsbury)
Guys and Dolls (Starring Nathan Lane, Peter Gallagher and Faith Prince)
How to Success in Business (Starring Daniel Radcliff and John Larroquette)
Jersey Boys
Jesus Christ Super Star
Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat (Starring Donny Osmond)
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Les Miserables
Lion King
Mama Mia
Mary Poppins
Miss Saigon
Phantom of the Opera
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Rent (Starring TV Carpio, Frenchie Davis & Telly Leung)
Rock of Ages (Love this show!!)
Spamalot
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Wicked (Ana Gasteyer from SNL fame, Telly Leung)

I love to try to figure out if I’ve seen the same actors in lots of shows. Turns out I’ve seen John Larroquette in two shows and Telly Leung in three. I saw Telly as Boc in Wicked – Chicago, in Rent, and in Godspell. Telly has also appeared on Glee.

So what do I want to see when I go to NY? Everything! Actually I’d love to see Pippin, Newsies and maybe Once. Repeats I’d like to see? Definitely Rock of Ages.

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