Final Post for 2011

Sorry was a way for a few days dealing with some issues so on this final day of 2010 (Thank God.) I'm going to be doing some catching up on posts about a bunch of things. Think of it as ADD for blog's.

First I was not able to see the Mary Robin Roth in Light Opera Works production of Hello, Dolly! however have heard from many people that it was wonderful and she was wonderful in the role. Having seen her in other comedic roles I'm sure she was wonderful in the role.

In other news: I hope everyone saw the Kennedy Center Honor's on CBS Tuesday night. First to be mentioned is Academy Award and Grammy winning not to mention Chicago favorite Jennifer Hudson who performed a truly emotional and vocally powerful rendition of "The Color Purples" best song "I Was Here" A performance I actually watched several times. It's interesting that both Jennifer and her fellow American Idol contestant Fantasia both performed this same song and have given truly incredible performances of it that I would argue are better then Broadway's own LaChanze who originated the role.

You can watch the video here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxu9rjei-Ss

As Jennifer sang, Oprah grasped partner Stedman Graham’s hands. A choir joined Jennifer on stage, and Jennifer's voice powered though the song like only she can after they finished, the crowd of luminaries, including President and First Lady Obama, were on their feet.

Another of this years honorees was legendary Broadway Composer Jerry Herman which had a strangely edited version of some of his classic and overdone songs performed by some of the overdone stars of them. We started off first with Kelsey Grammer doing some lines from La Cage aux Folles, then a Carol Channing mannequin stood on stage bellowing out two lines of Hello, Dolly!, they then had Matthew Morrison performing :"It's Today" from "Mame" proving his dancing and charisma far exceed his singing. They then had the two Christine's, doesn't that sound like a movie title? Actually it's Christine Ebersole and Christine Baranski performing a very short version of "Bosom Buddies" from "Mame" then the stunning Laura Benanti performed his classic "Time Heals Everything" from "Mack and Mabel." I love Laura she looked stunning, and I liked how she dedicated some of the verses to Mr. Herman I'm just used to this song done more from a belter. After that Sutton Foster who looked like she escaped from a cheap production of "Sweet Charity" next Matthew Bourne and Kellie O'Hara blandly sang "It Only Takes a Moment" again "Hello, Dolly!" After that Chita Rivera another overdone Herman performer spoke "I Don't
Want to Know" from "Dear World" made a few stage movements some kids sang a few lines from "I Am What I Am" which I didn't understand why these kids were singing a song that was a Gay Anthem and then finally after 10 minutes and 40 second another Herman favorite Angela Lansbury did a few lines from "The Best of Times" from "La Cage" while proving that this was anything but. I just realized typing this took almost as long as watching it.


You can watch it here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj6z-dl21X8

In other entertainment news it was announced that more changes for American Idol this year. I wonder when they're gonna drop the title of the show since it's gonna feel like a completely different show. It was reported on top Idol blog Joe's Place that they are adding a "Sing For Your Life Round". The Top 40 will be brought back to Hollywood for this round. What is unknown at for now is if this round will actually cut the top 40 down to a top 12, or 15, or 20…

What is also reported is that during this round contestants can only choose one song to sing. They can choose from the AI approved song list, pick another song, not on the list and hope that it gets approval, or they can sing AN ORIGINAL SONG. (I wonder if they try to an original if it could help or hurt them.)

Also, Joe reported earlier that three contestants will be added to the Top 12 as wild cards.

In other Idol news last season 2nd runner up Crystal Bowersox Debut Album "Farmers Daughter" 2nd Week Sales actually increased to around 96K. Now, that's probably because of the holiday weekend but for someone who wasn't expected to do that well this is great news. I will be adding a review of her disc when I can get to it but it is a great first solo disc and defintly represents Crystal as an artist so you should pick it up.

On this New Year's Eve 2010 other Idols are going to be seen on television Jennifer Hudson performs on New Years Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. ABC 10 pm, David Archuleta performs on FOX New Years Eve Live. 11 pm and Katharine McPhee appears on the All American New Years Eve show on FOX News 11 pm.

Here was Jennifer Hudson belting the heck out of her version of "Feeling Good." I love that we can always count on her getting a cover to sing as they seem to be better then most of her originals.

You Can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy8JGiHqvDo

Today is the end of 2010 (Thank God!!!!) This year has had so many wonderful entertainment happenings all around and some I wished that would never have happened. There are so many theatre shows, films, telvision, cabaret, discs, books, and so many other entertainment joys I'm looking forward to in 2011.

To everyone a Happy New Years Eve and a wonderful 2011!!!!

"Hello Mary Robin Roth"

I'm reviewing "Hello, Dolly!" tomorrow night but before I did, I thought this would be a perfect time to do a piece on one of my favorite Chicago actresses. The obsessive fans of musical theatre generally have their Broadway divas that they love and will fight to the death about. I know people who have ended friendships over who's better Patti, Ethel, Bernadette, Mary, Donna, or Angela. Sadly I bet there's also a group of people who have no idea who I just named but they're probably not going to be reading this piece anyway. Growing up in Chicago and attending theatre obsessively since I was 15 I was lucky to see certain performers again and again in shows and they were what I considered my "stars." Sadly I used to wait for them when they came out after the performance and would in the best of terms "stalk" them asking them questions, getting autographs and so forth. I saw these ladies and gentlemen as stars and wanted to get know the person behind the performance and also of course hear a little Chicago theatre gossip. I remember a certain favorite local Juan Peron telling me which of the many Eva's he starred opposite against. He quite frankly told me who sang the hell out of the role but who acted the hell out of it or the time I went up to one Diva and told her she should have played Mame because she was the right age when in fact the woman playing the part was ten years older then she was. I was young luckily there was no plate of spaghetti.

Anyway I wanted to do this short piece about Mary Robin Roth and how excited I am to see her in the role of Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi . I have not seen the show yet so the judgement is still out on how she does in this taxing role but I do know from seeing many of her previous credits that she is more then up for the titanic role.

I first saw Ms. Roth in Candelight Dinner Playhouse's 1993 production of "Oliver!" When I opened up my playbill I assumed she was an unknown since I was still fairly new to Candlelight (the first production I saw there was their second mounting of "Evita" with Anne Gunn.) Her bio listed that she was thrilled to be back in the Midwest and that Candlelight audiences may remember her as Sally in "Me and My Girl," Mabel Norman in "Mack and Mabel," The Leading Player in "Zorba!," Anita in "West Side Story," and as she put it "Leather Lungs" Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun." Leather Lungs was right her Nancy was full of all the over the top suffering complete with a great cockney accent and the belting. Mary Robin started out with zesty "It's a Fine Life," delivered a strong "Oom-Pah-Pah" and then finished up with a piercing "As Long As He Needs Me" that I can still hear over all other women who have sung this role.

When that show was over she took over the seasons of Candlelight turning a vaudevillian turn as Sister Robert Anne in "Nunsense II the Second Coming...", a comedic Sister Lee in "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? (Joseph Jefferson Nomination), Patricia Fodor in "Crazy for You," and Mickey in ""My One and Only."

Ms. Robin Roth's numerous other credits include an Indianapolis Pat Award for her Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl," Her Joseph Jefferson and After Dark Award winning performance as Carlotta in "Follies" at Drury Lane Oakbrook, Sister Robert Anne in "Nunsense," Angie, the Mambo Winner in the reworked Marriott Lincolnshire production of "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" and in "Bye Bye Birdie" Mrs. Schubert in the Chicago, Washington D.C. and San Francisco productions of "Sheer Madness", both the National and International tours of "Evita" (International Cast Recording with Florence Lacey), and the Toronto Company of "Sunset Boulevard," (where she understudied the leading role of Norma Desmond) Broadway Credits include Ensemble and performing the roles of Princess Puffer & Helena Landless in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and Jeanne McCarthy in "Sentor Joe" heck the woman even figure skated her way though the old Drury Lane Evergreen Park's production of "The Nutcracker on Ice." After that I'm reviewing "Hello, Dolly!" tomorrow night but before I did, I thought this would be a perfect time to do a piece on one of my favorite Chicago actresses. The obsessive fans of musical theatre generally have their Broadway divas that they love and will fight to the death about. I know people who have ended friendships over who's better Patti, Ethel, Bernadette, Mary, Donna, or Angela. Sadly I bet there's also a group of people who have no idea who I just named but they're probably not going to be reading this piece anyway. Growing up in Chicago and attending theatre obsessively since I was 15 I was lucky to see certain performs again and again in shows and they were my "stars." Sadly I used to wait for them when they came out after the performance and would in the best of terms "stalk" them. I saw these ladies as stars and wanted to get know the person behind the performance and also of course hear a little Chicago gossip. I remember a certain favorite local Juan Peron telling me which of the many Eva's he starred opposite against. He quite frankly told me who sang the hell out of the role but who acted the hell out of it or the time I went up to one Diva and told her she should have played Mame because she was the right age when in fact the woman playing the part was ten years older then she was. I was young luckily there was no plate of spaghetti.

Anyway I wanted to do this short piece about Mary Robin Roth and how excited I am to see her in the role of Dolly Levi. I have not seen the show yet so the judgement is still out on how she does in this taxing role but I do know from seeing many of her previous credits that she is more then up for the titanic role.

I first saw Ms. Roth in Candelight Dinner Playhouse's 1993 production of "Oliver!" When I opened up my playbill I assumed she was an unknown since I was still fairly new to Candlelight (the first production I saw there was their second mounting of "Evita" with Anne Gunn.) Her bio listed that she was thrilled to be back in the Midwest and that Candlelight audiences may remember her as Sally in "Me and My Girl," Mabel Norman in "Mack and Mabel," The Leading Player in "Zorba!," Anita in "West Side Story," and as she put it "Leather Lungs" Annie Oakley in "Annie Get Your Gun." Leather Lungs was right her Nancy was full of all the over the top suffering complete with a great cockney accent and the belting. Mary Robin started out with zesty "It's a Fine Life," delivered a strong "Oom-Pah-Pah" and then finished up with a piercing "As Long As He Needs Me" that I can still hear over all other women who have sung this role.

When that show was over she took over the seasons of Candlelight turning a vaudevillian turn as Sister Robert Anne in "Nunsense II the Second Coming...", a comedic Sister Lee in "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? (Joseph Jefferson Nomination), Patricia Fodor in "Crazy for You," and Mickey in ""My One and Only."

Ms. Robin Roth's numerous other credits include an Indianapolis Pat Award for her Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl," Her Joseph Jefferson and After Dark Award winning performance as Carlotta in "Follies" at Drury Lane Oakbrook, Sister Robert Anne in "Nunsense," Angie, the Mambo Winner in the reworked Marriott Lincolnshire production of "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" and in "Bye Bye Birdie" Mrs. Schubert in the Chicago, Washington D.C. and San Francisco productions of "Sheer Madness", both the National and International tours of "Evita" (International Cast Recording with Florence Lacey), and the Toronto Company of "Sunset Boulevard," (where she understudied the leading role of Norma Desmond) Broadway Credits include Ensemble and performing the roles of Princess Puffer & Helena Landless in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and Jeanne McCarthy in "Sentor Joe" heck the woman even figure skated her way though the old Drury Lane Evergreen Park's production of "The Nutcracker on Ice." After that Dolly Levi should be a welcome return home for her.

I'm still hoping that she finally uses that piercing belt of hers and decides to record a solo disc so us fans of Chicago theatre have something to always have a piece of. Though I have to admit and with all these diva pieces I wish they would do the same thing. Some of the women in Chicago have showstopper voices that have worn out my Second City Divas Discs (only two and sadly Mary Robin is on neither.) How about one with all of her favorite roles recorded and sold at the theatres she's appearing in? All this said and done I can't wait to call on Robin Roth to belt out these great Jerry Herman Songs especially on the night that he's being honored with the Kennedy Center Honors.

My Favorite Christmas Songs

So at this magical time I usually have two trees up and my place looks like Christmas in Vegas. At one point I had a life sized Santa that was a lawn ornament in the bathroom as a night light until I got too shy at 2 in the morning and had to have the lighted guy removed. It was so bad that at our place you could read by the Christmas lights. Instead and while there was still some time I wanted to make a list of my favorite Christmas songs that get me though this most "wonderful" time of the year and survive until next years forcing of goodwill and cheer. In no particular order and a lot of these are particular versions instead of the standard one.

Happy Xmas (War is Over) (John Lennon) - This song especially now and even year back seems so relevant. It's a song of question and hope and I think that's something we always need.

All I Want for Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey) - Really was there a Contempary Christmas song until this infectious pop Christmas song came out. It sounds as current today as it did way back then. I can still remember a radio discussion saying that there hasn't been a recent song that has joined the list of Christmas classics and I agee./

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Judy Garland) - Though my Ms. LuPone recorded a version of this song for her torch album. This is probably the greatest torchiest Christmas song ever. Everyone always thinks of this has a happy lovely song but in the movie Esther at the start of it sings about how they might not be together next year. It's a wonderful song.

Jingle Bells (Barbra Streisand's) - Forever Barbra Streisand's version of this song will be the only one out there. In other hands it's an okay song but in her's it's gold. Especially the speed she handles Jingle Bells and doesn't let up.

Be a Santa (From the musical "Here's Love") - For those who know me every year I would put this on my answering machine message because it was just everything Christmas should really be about. It's peppy, perky, and fun with a lot of Ho, Ho's (at least the good Ho's!)

Song for a Winters Night (Sarah McLachlan) - This is a song for those who just want to lay around on Christmas alone with a class of wine and reflect.

It's Not Christmas Without You (Katharine McPhee) - A new song that came out this year and I feel very strongly could become a Christmas classic. Around this time of year for everything we celebrate we look back at what we're missing and who we're missing too.

Oh Holy Night (Kelly Clarkson) - Really any version of this song will do because you have to love a Christmas song that builds and builds into a full throttle chorus and my Kelly does a great cover of this and doesn't lose the emotion behind it.

Hard Candy Christmas (Dolly Parton) - I know this seems like a strange choice of song but it's for anyone who might feel sad around this time of year. Plus it's a great Christmas song because it brings up what they will do in the future and since Christmas always feels like the end (because of the year) I think it's fitting.

White Chistmas (Bing Crosby) - I would have hated myself if I hadn't put this on my list even though Bing isn't my favorite version of this song. Every year when you look outside you hope to see miles and miles of white instead of green.

Peace on Eath/Little Drummer Boy (Bing Crosby/David Bowie) - This was such a magical version that many people didn't believe it was real. It builds and builds to pure utter magic.

Those are my favorite Christmas songs in no particular order. I would also add as an honorable Christmas Time is Here from "Charlie Brown's Christmas," "Merry Christmas to Me", which has the lines I'm alone in my flat, with just my cat and the champagne has gone flat....," and Joni Mitchell's "River" but I still will fight over that being called a Christmas song. Every year the list changes and sometimes it grows but it never gets smaller.

The Kennedy Center Honors Tuesday Night and we are in for a treat

This Tuesday December 28th, The Kennedy Center Honors and Mrs. and Mr. President Obama will be honoring the lifetime achievement work that this years honorees have done: Sir Paul McCartney, Jerry Herman, Oprah Winfrey (I'm SO sorry "O" for putting you third), Merle Haggard and Bill T. Jones in no means any small amount of talent. I'm not sure all the performances that will grace the evening will be to the level that they have been in the past (Possibly with the exception of Jessica Simpson's "Nine to Five"....was it what came after 4 that confused her?) I still remember previous years where Audra McDonald charmed in "I Could Have Danced All Night", Donna Murphy gave a breathtaking "Kiss of the Spiderwoman", Tyne Daly gave us "Some People," Bernadette Peters delivered a gorgeous "Not a Day Goes By and Scott Bakula sang "Nothing's Gonna Harm You" for Stephen Sondheim, Heater Headley tour though "Your Song", Patti LuPone bellowed a lovely "Lonely Town" for Comden & Green, Idina Menzel belted "Don't Rain on My Parade" does Babs and also Beyonce gave a stunning "Way We Where for her as well Though for me nothing beats Betty LaVette turning in a STUNNING performance of "The Who's" ballad "Love Reign O'er Me." I remember not knowing who she was and was planning on fliping channels but by the first note could NOT take my eyes off of her and by the end you could see Roger Daltry and Peter Townshend were in tears and even Stresaid could be seen going Who IS she!!!!

This is a video of Heather Headley selling "young Song" so well tha even though she cracks at the final note she pours so much emotion into this performance and with a full choir backing her up this is THE performance of this song and she sound the best she's ever sounded. Inreresting side note I saw Health Headley play Michelle in the Marriott Linclnshire's production of "Dreamgirls" that should have also stared Felicia P. Fields (Tony nominee for playing Oprah's role in "The Color Purple" but she had damaged her voice so she missed a lot of performances....plus though no one wanted to admit it she was a little old to be playing Effie White.

An ownknown to me Betty LaVette turned in a STUNNING performance of "The Who's" ballad "Love Reign O'er Me." that she included in her Grammy Nominated disc "Interpretations The British Songbook" one of the best CD's of the year. .



This is the kind of STAR performance that can tear you apart. I can't wait for this years water cooler moment.

This year for the Jerry Herman tribute they've announced Angela Lansbury to lead the tribute, which includes performances from “La Cage” star Kelsey Grammer and “Hello Dolly!” leading lady Carol Channing — who performs a number titled “Hello, Jerry” Matthew Morrison of "Glee" sings "It's Today" from "Mame." and in what should be a delightful pairing, Christine Baranski and Christine Ebersole team up for “Bosom Buddies” Tony-winner Laura Benanti (“Gypsy”) sings “Time Heals Everything.” Tony-winner Sutton Foster (“Thoroughly Modern Millie”) performs “Before the Parade Passes By.” And Kelli O’Hara (“South Pacific”) sings “It Only Takes a Moment” with TV’s Matthew Bomer. Chita Rivera joins in, singing and dancing to “I Don’t Want to Know.” And the segment concludes with two of Herman’s biggest hits (both from “La Cage aux Folles”): “I Am What I Am” and “The Best of Times.” I'm not sure how much will make the broadcast. Also what's really exciting me is for the Oprah segmant Academy Award, Grammy Winner, and Chicago native Jennifer Hudson will be belting though I Was Here from "The Musical The Color Purple. Wonder if Fantasia is upset. The Second performance I included is Betty LaVette's materful interpertation of this song from "The Who" I don't know the song well "Love Raign O're Me" but nt only did she own the song you could tell she lived it enough that both Roger Daltery and Peter Thownshed were in tears and even Streisand can be seen asking who is she.

Marcia Lewis "Chicago" Matron "Mama" Morton in the revivial of Chciago passes away

In the early morning of December 21st Marcia Lewis, the brassy and beloved musical star of hit Broadway revivals of "Grease!" and "Chicago", died in Nashville. In the 1990's Mrs. Lewis was nominated two times for the Tony Award for Featured Actress in a musical for her roles as Miss Lynch in the critically disliked but successful 1994 revival of "Grease!" and was nominated again for what was probably her greatest success for her role as the saucy, hard-as-nails Matron "Mama" Morton in Kander and Ebb's revival of "Chicago" for which originally went to Lainie Kazan at City Center before she got a television show. She appeared on both "Grease!" and "Chicago's" cast recordings and was able to perform her hit number "When You're Good to Mama" on the Rosie O'Donnell Show.

Mrs. Lewis was also on Broadway, where she played the comically evil Miss Hannigan in the original run of "Annie" a role she also played at The Music Circus in Sacramento, and Long Beach Civic Light Pera - Drama League Award, Best Actress, Rachel Halpern in the short-lived "Rags" (Drama Desk Nomination), Golde in a 1990 revival of "Fiddler on the Roof", and squared off with Vanessa Redgrave as the distrusting Nurse Porter in "Orpheus Descending," "Time of Your Life" at Lincoln Center, She made her Broadway debut in "Hello, Dolly!" taking over the role of Ernestina opposite Phyllis Dillier and Ethel Merman. Ms. Lewis was loud and brassy enough to make sure she could be heard without the aid of a mike. She liked to tell the story how, while making her Broadway debut with Ethel Merman in the original "Hello, Dolly!", the Broadway legend told her, "Marcia, you and I are never going to have to worry about reaching the balcony."

She appeared as Fraulein Schneider opposite Joel Grey in a Hal Prince directed tour of "Cabaret," the pre Broadway tour of "Busker Alley", National tour of "42nd Street," and "Bye, Bye Birdie" with Tommy Tune," Off-Broadway Theatre of the Zanies in "An Impudent Wolf" (1965), the Players Theatre in "Who's Who Baby? (1968), and Playwrights Horizons in "Romance Language," in 1984 and "When She Danced" in" 1990 and in Wendy Wasserstein's musical "Miami". She also had an extensive cabaret career, appeared in a 2002 Actors Fund benefit concert of "Funny Girl", and starred in productions of "Nunsense" as Sister Mary Hubert opposite Kaye Ballard and Jaye P. Morgan among many regional credits.

She appeared on television in the filmed production of "Orpheus Descending," NBC's "Legs," was a series regular on "Who's Watching the Kids?," "The Goodtime Girls," and was seen in the television movies "The Night They Took Miss Beautiful," "How to Survive a Happy Divorce," and "When She Was Bad," She has played in episodes of "The Bob Newhart Show," "Happy Days," "Kate and Allie," "Mr. Belvedere," "Hollywood Squares" and "Sesame Street." In an especially memorable "Bionic Woman," Marcia appeared as the colorful lady wrestler, "Amazon April" Armitage.

She can be heard on the following recordings "A Bag of Popcorn & a Dream" (1998 Concept Cast), "Kelly" (1998 Studio Cast), "The Night of the Hunter", "Chicago: The Revival" (Grammy Award Best Cast Album), "Big City Rhythm" (1996 New York City Cast), "Grease The New Broadway Cast Recording" (both the Rosie O'Donnell & the Brooke Shields recordings) and "Rags".

She recorded a wonderful CD in 1998 titled "Marcia Lewis Nowadays with THE MARK HUMMEL QUARTET" on the Original Cast Records label that I purchased the first week it was out. It gave myself and others a chance to hear Lewis singing new arrangements and interpretations of 18 songs from such shows as "Chicago" ("Nowadays"), "Destry Rides Again" ("Anyone Would Love You"), "Cabaret" ("So What!"), "Hello, Dolly!" ("It Only Takes a Moment"), "Dear World" ("And I Was Beautiful"), "State Fair" ("It Might As Well Be Spring"), "Oklahoma!" (People Will Say We're in Love), and songs that might have been missed from shows like "Paper Moon" ("I Do What I Can"), "Roza" (A House in Algiers) "Lily & Lily" (Whatever it Takes), "Carnival in Flanders" (Here's that Rainy Day mixed in with In the Wee Small Hours of the Evening, and the original version of "Grand Hotel" After Autumn) along with her club songs Circle of Friends and Tragic Nurse Porters Lament which was her take on her character from "Orpheus Descending."

In the liner notes, Lewis wrote, "I arrived in New York City in August 1964 -- a nurse from Ohio with one dream in her heart: To be in 'Show Biz!' It was tough to leave the financial security of a respected profession for a career that was so far-fetched and hard to get...but I made it, and I enjoyed every step of the journey." It was "proof to me that anything is possible...nothing is beyond our reach...however long it takes." The helpful liner notes explain her links to the tunes.

If you can find this CD and enjoy lesser known songs sung with a distinct brassy voice then please pick it up. She's particularly wonderful on her recorded performances of "So What," "House in Algiers," "Tragic Nurse Porter's Lament" which she fantasized a musical version with this second act soliloquy, and a lovely ballad "He Has a Way."

Finally In film she made her film debut in the award-winning "Night Warning". She has also been seen in "Curtain Call" and as The Frog Lady in the MGM science fiction comedy caper "Ice Pirates."

Mrs. Lewis was quoted as saying bout her role as Matron "Mama" Morton "All of a sudden, I'm playing this very sexual tough cookie, and I love it," Lewis told Playbill website. "I love sitting on the sidelines and watching the audience's reaction to the show. It's exciting every night."

Bebe Neuwirth, who played Velma Kelly, reflected on Ms. Lewis' work on Dec. 21, telling Playbill.com, "Marcia was a deeply talented, and extraordinarily entertaining artist. But beyond that, she was one of the most profoundly good people I've been blessed to know. She was so kind, sweet, compassionate and loving. When she flashed her smile — one of pure love, sparkling delight and mischief — your world lit up, and joy reigned. Everyone who knew this beautiful woman — colleagues, friends, family, audiences — loved her; she will be deeply missed by us all."

Her stage work tapered off after that triumph. But she pulled a surprise finale out of her sleeve. In 2001, Ms. Lewis — who had been previously wed once before — married Nashville businessman Fred Bryan, a financial advisor who had seen "Chicago" 15 times. The two had met in 1999 at the 21st anniversary party of friends at the Hotel Europa in Venice.

"By the end of the party, I was glowing," Ms. Lewis said. "I had been pretty much on my own and working every night for two decades. But about two years ago I started thinking about love, and I made a list of every characteristic I wanted in a man." Mr. Bryan began traveling to New York to visit a daughter — and to see "Chicago".

Marcia Lewis was born in Melrose, MA, and raised in Cincinnati, OH. She was a registered nurse at the The University of Cincinnati and Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, receiving her RN from the Jewish Hospital School of Nursing, Cincinnati.

Karen Ziemba, was quoted as saying "I just spoke to Marcia a few weeks ago. She told me she seldom picks up the phone, but had just come back into the kitchen to put a beautiful rose from her garden into a vase. Well, she indeed picked up, and there I was on the other end of the line, her with her rose in hand. Marcia was a beautiful rose of the highest order. Never had an unkind word to say about anyone, yet, as an actress, could play the most diabolical characters that you still cared about, because each one had a heart underneath and a smile as big as all outdoors. I will never forget her."

In 2001, after her honeymoon, she returned to the role of Matron "Mama" Morton of "Chicago". She also toured with the show in 2003. She recently lived in Nashville, and considered herself retired from the business.

On a personal note I remember being a teenage in my small town having one of those CD shops where you could bring the empty CD case up to the counter and they would let you listen to the CD. I remember picking up "Rags" because it looked different I knew Larry Kert and Judy Kuhn at the time and falling in love with her duet with Dick Latessa "Three Sunny Rooms" and being charmed at that she as able to convince him in song she was good for him and was able to offer him and his daughter a nice clean, sunny place to live in exchange for marriage while remaining charming. Something that any who would have done in a second. It's too often said but there weren't and will not be any like her.

StevenD

Nine's Myra Lucretia Taylor to Star in Goodman World Premiere of Mary

Broadway and Regional actress Myra Lucretia Taylor known for her Broadway credits in The Tempest (Ceres), Nine (Saraghina), Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Victoria), Macbeth (as a Witch), Electra, A Streetcar Named Desire (Flower Vendor & Negro Woman), Mule Bone (Understudy) Wicked (Madame Morrible) and numerous Off-Broadway credits and Regional Credits including The Colored Museum, American Clock, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck), The Old Settler (Mrs. Pike) and with The Royal Shakespeare Company as Paulina The Winter's Tale. Myra will play the title servant role in the 2011 Chicago world premiere of Thomas Bradshaw's absurdist comic drama Mary, a play that is commissioned and produced by The Goodman Theatre.

The Director May Adrales stages the play, according to the Goodman notes, "takes a provocative, wickedly funny view on families, political correctness and the changing nature of bigotry in contemporary America" and will challenge audiences in their views such as their earlier shows "All The Rage," ""Magnolia" and others.


In the new play, Ms. Taylor leads an well known ensemble cast as the Jennings family's domestic servant, Mary. This exciting cast also includes Barbara Garrick (best known for her performance as DeDe in Armistead Maupin's cult hit "Tales of the City" and his sequel "Further Tales of the City" along with her role as Allison Perkins on "One Life to Live" not to mention her stage credits in "Eastern Standard", and "A Thousand Clowns" as Mary's employer, Dolores Jennings; Scott Jaeck from the Goodman's recently acclaimed production of "The Seagull," the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play "August: Osage County" and who's television credits include "Santa Barbara" as Cain Carver, "Charmed" as Samuel Wilder, "ER" as Samuel Wilder and in the historical final episode of "Seinfeld" as an Officer as Dolores' husband, James Jennings; Alex Weisman from "The History Boys" and "Peter Pan-A Play" as Dolores and James' gay son, David. Eddie Bennet from "War with the Newts" and " Twelfth Night" as David's boyfriend, Jonathan; Cedric Young who appeared in August Wilson's Broadway production "Radio Golf" as Mary's husband, Elroy; and Steve Pickering who recently was seen in The Seagull, and whose many other credits include Death of a Salesman, Macbeth, Othello, Long Days Journey Into Night, Good Person of Setzuan, King Lear, and productions from famed director Michael Maggio Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Nights Dream as the family’s priest.

Mary which looks to challenge the audiences perceptions of contemporary America runs Feb. 5-March 6, 2011, in the Goodman's Owen Theatre. Opening night is Feb. 14.

Tickets can be found ordered though here:

Theatre Review: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Normally you would think that an acting company like Steppenwolf known for its naturalistic approach to acting might not be the best fit for Edward Albee’s famous play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” At least in these reviewers’ eyes Virginia Woolf has always had an absurdist performance style to it. A tennis match between insults with one winner and one broken mess left at the end of the game. These are adults who like to play painful children’s games regardless of whatever emotional consequences are left.

In Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s blistering production of Edward Albee’s American Classic “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” from the moment that Tracy Letts and Amy Morton’s George and Marta enter their home you know you’re in for a devastating night of theater with electricity crackling though the air.

It’s the old saying it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt however, in this household it seems like that’s the prize to be won. In a typical night out after a college party our first player George a man so beaten down by his lack of success in a career that he seemed to have the means but not the ability to be successful and his wife Martha a woman that could be described equal parts sadomasochistic and other parts drag queen come home tired and drunk Though this isn’t like a lot of nights Martha has decided to invite over the new couple for a few more cocktails. George is the type man that is brimming with murderous rage beneath him but he usually keeps it in check until the alcohol and the games start flowing, Martha on the hand is always filled with piss vinegar because she’s the type of woman that has to be the center of attention with all the men and make sure all the women fear her and she seems to relish this role too well.

As the play starts Martha comes in early one morning after a party starting off quoting lines as any good drag queen who’s had one too many would from a Bette Davis movie and then from there proceeds to announce to George that she’s brought guests into their house of horrors. It’s just another night into playing one of their typical twisted games that only one can win but it seems like both will lose at least a little something. The only difference tonight has from any other night is they are joined by some fresh blood for them to devour.



There’s a new biology teacher at the college Nick who besides being very good looking has aspirations of getting further there whatever I takes. He realizes very quickly that Martha openly is attracted to him and since her father happens to also be the Dean there he thinks he has control in this and tries to use it to his advantage. Normally it would work but he’s up against pro’s and as we find out Nick doesn’t stand a chance and as a result his mousey wife Honey must play a casualty in this night. At this party Nick and Honey are stuck in the middle of George and Martha’s tennis match and drunkenly seem to be trying to dodge balls but mostly get hit right in the face with them at each serve. You see since Martha’s father is the Dean of the college she uses this against both George and Nick to her advantage and never lets either one of them forgets for a minute.

Nick is the type that married as soon as he was done with school not because he was in love with Honey but because he thought she was pregnant and in a way he could have a wife to look even better for a job but love is not important in this play at all unless it’s George and Martha’s twisted version of it. As for Honey you always get the impression that she was born and raised to be someone’s wife nothing more, nothing less. What we learn here is there is no such thing as innocence just verifying degrees of prey and here only the strong can survive.

Todd Rosenthal has created a home that is as lived in and as cluttered as the performances that are on this stage, special mention has to be also made to Nick Sandys fight choreography as it brings a real danger to a show that already has so much realism to it. The Director Pam MaKinnon keeps the action tight without being claustrophobic but has directed her actors to swing the racket back and forth with a smile on their face fully aware of the pain they’re inflicting on each other until the moment it hits too deep and then they want the game to end. Unfortunately for them and sadly fortunately for us no one wants to stop until there is a clear winner and a crumpled mess of a loser. As Martha says to Nick and I apologize for paraphrasing that George is always able to come up with a new game at a moments notice for her and that’s one of the reasons he is the only man she has ever loved.

I tried to save the best for the last and the reason that this production soars, the acting. Carrie Coon gives Honey the right amount of child like innocence that’s completely lost in this room full of sharks while Madison Dirks Nick thinks that he can hold his own against the heavyweights but soon realizes that all he has to offer is his looks and brute strength which in this game doesn’t help him at all. He starts out like most men thinking that he’s a hot shot but by George and Martha’s verbal attacks consistently forgetting what department he works in, reveling secrets he should not have shared about his marriage or his prospects, and finally his manhood is left broken and defeated.

The stars of this piece Amy Morton’s Martha and Tracy Letts George are a different pair. At the beginning Ms. Morton shows you what you’re in for with Martha. She starts out loud; pushy, demanding but though out the night turns it into a symphony of highs and lows. She’s slightly different then most other Martha’s I’ve seen (most famously Kathleen Turners Drag Queen performance in the recent tour company.) She plays a more human Martha, if that’s possible and maybe that’s why I took to it compared to a lot of others. I always saw Martha as a Drag Queen instead of a real person and Ms. Morton gets into the pain and the anger into the role unlike others I’ve seen. She’s also no victim fully aware of everything she does and has no problem casting either George or Honey aside to get what she wants. At the end is when you get a glimpse of a human Martha and it’s almost and I mean almost hard to forget all of the awful things she has done previously. This production however belongs to Tracy Letts and should clear his mantel for the Jeff Award that will follow if not any other award should this production have a life outside of Chicago. His George starts out and has seconds of catatonic stages but like a razor flips right back into the game with large amounts of blood on his hands. He’ll let you win the first few lines but just so he can size you up after that there’s no chance for you and any feeling he might have had is gone along with his opponent. In Ms. Morton’s case you get the impression she keeps changing the game to suite her own desires with Mr. Lett’s I always felt like he was in control of this game if not his emotions. He’s been to this party, he’s played this game, he’s even thought a long time ago how he would end it if he needed to and when he’s left with no choice he finally destroys his only semi-worth opponent leaving her a mess but still showing enough love in Martha that even the game has changed for good the aftermath has not. He’s both victim and bully in the same breath and make no mistake just when you think you have gotten him he will go in for the kill. Again as I’ve always thought George is the type of man that everyone always says was a quite man kept to himself said the oddest yet wittiest things until you found out that he was a serial killer.

This is a production not to be missed and in all my years of seeing shows at Steppenwolf ranks up there with the very best productions.



“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is playing at the Downstairs Theatre Thursdays though February 13, 2011. It plays on Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, and Sun at 7:30 pm and on both Sun & Sat there is a 3:00 pm matinee. Ticket Prices range from $20-$73 and can be ordered at the Box Office: 312-335-1650. If you click on the title above there’s a link that will bring you to the show’s website.

My Wish for 2011 Theater

I've decided in the year of 2011 to build up my blog with more reviews regarding Theater, Music, Television, Movies, Special performances, Solo performances, Reality shows, and Concerts. I promise not one sports review will grace this blog unless it's The Goodman versus Steppenwolf or Patti LuPone going "Million Dollar Baby" on Bernadette Peters (actually after reading her autobiography I think its Lloyd Webber she’d turn into a meat pie.)

I also plan on doing features about theaters in the past that had a profound effect on me in my life. The wonderful theaters of yesteryear like The Candlelight and the Candlelight Forum, Appletree, Drury Lane Evergreen Park, The Briar Street (before it became overrun by those Smurfs), The Wisdom Bridge, Organic, Touchstone, Bailiwick, The Halsted Theatre Center, Wellington/Ivanhoe, St. Nicholas and so many more all the ones that hopefully will not still carry a grudge against me for future reviews. I also want to do pieces of the history of the current theaters in Chicago and what makes them special enough to keep going. Chicago is a wonderful town where we have a tradition that is deep and has produced some amazing things both artistically (some of the things I’ve seen the original "Wings" at the Goodman, famous “Shear Madness” at the Blackstone, or financially a hit "Bleacher Bums at the Organic. The pluses and the negatives are when one theater company falls under another one will raise from the ashes much like the phoenix.

I also would like to do pieces of the local Chicago Actors such as Hollis Resnik (who I used to wait for after every show just to meet her because to me she was IT to me until that time she tried to run me down with her car on the way to Hello,l Dolly! At Amaish Acres), Paula Scrofano and her husband John Reeger, Susan Moniz (vocally the greatest Eva Peron I have ever heard), David Darlow, Mary Ernster, Felicia Fields, Dale Benson, Kathy Taylor, Larry Yando, Henry Godeniz and his wife Nancy Voights, Lisa Dodson, E. Faye Butler, Gene Weygandt, Anne Gunn, and the entire ensemble of Steppenwolf (both past and present, I'm looking at you Jim True and Glenn Headly.)

Even the ones who have moved on to different stages and other mediums like Anne Dudek who was on House but I fondly remember at Court Theatre in both The Iphigenia Cycle and Mirror of the Invisible World at the Goodman Studio theatre, Harry Althaus who with a three way punch knocked me over with the "The Lisbon Traviata", "The Misanthrope" and "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde" gave performances that I haven't and will never forgot. Joan Allen pre Oscar Nomination when she was good enough for the Chicago stage who I remember last seeing on the Steppenwolf Stage opposite Kevin Anderson and Sally Murphy in an out of this world production of Anne Tyler's "Earthly Possessions" or husband and wife team Kathy Santen and Sean Grennan who were so great they were able to move from musical theater Marriott's production of “1776” (where they both played an Adams) to straight drama a searing never forgotten production of "The Marriage of Bette & Boo at Appletree Theatre that had some walk out on and a kid like me never forget.

My hope for this blog is that just like when I was 15 and I ushered my first production of “Curse of the Starving Class” at Steppenwolf Theater that I can pass down my knowledge of what I used to see as legends. I still remember finding out where the stage door was for ever theater in Chicago which wasn’t that hard it usually was the door where the audience went in and I would walk up to the actor, lead or chorus and recite every show they were in and how I even noticed the smallest detail.

StevenD

"About my blog"

Sorry I thought this was needed after I noticed I posted clips on a certain Diva, a Theater review, a solo pop disc (tpugh I'm lso planning o Broadway vocalist and een past things that Have happened befre I started this.) And will plan on continue talking about films, awards, television, (Idol is coming back soon an X- Factor), performers, and performances. I don't want anyone to think that its limited to one thing. How do you say a great comedic performance is not equal to a great dramatic performance and so forth.....

So my blog is not about one thing. I want to make this about everything. Life and the arts are so fluid, like water. To sing, or act means you can perform the stage, which means you can act in television, which means you can do also do film. I'm not saying that's these are in order of doing things and I've seen people who excel at a field and bomb at another other but it's all moving. Watching a performance, reading, listening to a song, or watching something on television can bring a connection to you and others that isn't possible.

StevenD

Another Kelly Clarkson performance of "When it Don't Come Easy"

Here 's another performance from the same benefit that Kelly performed at. She's covering a song from wonderful folk singer Patty Griffin who has also been covered by the Dixie Chicks and Jessica Simpson (???) Kelly did an AMAZING version of Patty's song "Up to the Mountain (The MLK song) at Idol Gives Back a few years ago. I don't think this girl is incapable of doing anything.


What I keep trying to get people to understand about Kelly is that she can be Powerbelter and then simple and emotional within a single line.

Kelly Clarkson premiers NEW SONG

At a benefit on December 16th my favorite Idol Kelly Clarkson who has been looking amazing lately sang with a bunch of artists including her backup singers Jill & Kate. Kelly also treated the audience to a list of her own songs including "Behind these Hazel Eyes", "My Life Would Suck without You", "Walk Away", covers of Patty Griffin's "When it Don't Come Easy," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and most importantly new songs "You Have Me" and "You Still Won't Know What it's Like." The benefit as for the Houses of Hope orphanage in Nashville, TN. Here's a video of the new song with the lyrics below and I think it's an amazing song that she should put on her new album coming out in January.



Here are lyrics to this great new song

When you hit the bottom
When you're left with nothing
When you can't tell the difference, yeah
You still won't know what it's like

When you think you're drowning
When it's overwhelming
When you can't get past it, yeah
You still won't know what it's like
What it's like

You haven't seen the ghosts that I've seen
You haven't lived enough to know what it means
To feel the pain in love turned cold
To taste the year before it's over

When your body's frozen
And you can trust no one
When you think you're lonely, yeah
You still won't know what it's like

When you feel the knife stick
You just can't take it
When your heart is breaking
You still won't know what it's like
What it's like

You haven't seen the ghosts that I've seen
You haven't lived enough to know what it means
To feel the pain in love turned cold
To taste the end before it's over

You don't know the first thing of suffering
So before you start trading stocks for sympathies
Take a look at what's left of me
Take a look at what's left of me, left of me

Every day I fight a war with God
And every time I think I'm living a lie,
No I'm not

You haven't seen the ghosts that I've seen
You haven't lived enough to know what it means
To feel the pain in love turned cold
To taste the year before it's over

You don't know the first thing of suffering
So before you start *trading stock for sympathy?
Take a look at what's left of me
Take a look at what's left of me, left of me

You don't know the first thing of suffering
So before you start trading stock for sympathy?
Take a look at what's left of me
Take a look at what's left of me, left of me

Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" the Musical review

If your dreaming of a "White Christmas" with lots of sequins, fancy foot work, tapping and even snow coming down from the theater then this is the show for you.

It's pretty wonderful to walk into the lobby of the bank of America Theatre amid snow flurries and leave with those same flurries coming down after you've seen the limited three week holiday engagement now playing though January 2, 2011. However be careful your not slipping on the ice as your trying to tap out the many Irving Berlin classics that have been placed into this production. One might say two many classics but I'm not one to complain as long as the song feels like in belongs in the plot and in this most of the time it did.

If aren't familiar with the movie which I had only seen last year, and even then all I could really remember was how tight Vera-Ellen's waist was then you won't be upset with all the changes that have been made to make it a full fledge musical. It's your typical successful boy act meets talented sisters where one sister likes one of the guys and the others don't get along so two of them come up with a plan to get the others together. You know the boy is ignored with the girl, girl hears boy sing "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" and falls for him, then boy loses girl due to some sort of vague misunderstanding with the typical if you had only asked one question so she leaves as they are helping out a former general by putting on a top notch Broadway show in the barn or his sunny Vermont Inn!,” That's not even the half of it in the second act (?) the girl gets her chance for her own act forgets her morals leaves the benefit and dumps her sister to sing a torch song at a New York night club, while comedic sidekicks do some showstoppers, and if that hasn't worn you out the girl decides to come back to the love of her life and this benefit they've been rehearsing hasn't even started.

I thought the music was grand but with Irving Berlin how can you really go wrong. The film is perfect because it has the right amount of songs in the show and sometimes anything else feels like it could be overkill and out of place but there's a lot more going for this production. I thought the costumes were both eye catching (those Christmas sweaters made me feel like robbing one of the chorus boys and some not so. An eye sore really foam green suits, shoes, and pink ties? The choreography by 2 time Tony Nominee Randy Skinner (42nd Street, and Ain't Broadway Grand) is sensational and bring out the best in the dancers in "The Best Things Happen"..., a sensational "Blue Skies," and "I Love a Piano" is one of the best things about this productions.



As for the performers I though John Scherer's Bob Wallace had the voice and the leading man confidence but lacked Big Crosby's effortlessness in the role but he carried off his leading man status just fine. As for his side kick Denis Lambert who has a wonderful dancer and singer ability and played the second banana to perfection. Playing the lovely Haynes Sisters (the roles made famous by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen in the movie) Amy Bodnar displayed a powerful voice especially during the finale notes of her "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" however she had a vibrato you either loved or hated and her acting left a lot to be desired. As her sister Betty Shannon M. O' Bryan could dance up a storm, sang the part well, and was a total delight. In the other roles I thought Ruth Williamson brought her usual do anything for a laugh routine and belted out a powerful "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy" and "Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun" that lft the audience cheering. I see why she's called out for roles that need a comedic. If you want over the top do anything for a laugh then Ruth is your girl. Not that there's anything wrong with that for this show and helped at parts that might have been slowed down a bit if it wasn't for her. I that Erick Devine as General Henry Waverly played it with all stern but no warmth that I didn't get the impression that this was the man that his troops would follow up anywhere.



One quibble I had from the start when the show begins at the charity event overseas I thought they could have thrown in a few additional chorus boys dressed in army outfits to give the illusion they were putting on a show otherwise it felt like there were a lot of faith in the audience to make believe all these people were there.

Overall I thought this was a great show for the Holidays and adored some of the tricks they used to give you the full theatrical experience (spoiler including the snow coming down from the theatre.) At the end I found myself humming the music from the show and in this day in age when many musicals have scores that can't be remembered for years this was a real treat.

“Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” plays through Jan. 2, 2011 at the Bank of America Theatre. More info here: http://broadwayinchicago.com/shows_dyn.php?cmd=display_current&display_showtag=WhiteChristmas2010

Steppenwolf News

Ensemble Member and three-time Tony and Emmy nominee Martha Plimpton will be the guet of honor at the 2nd annual Steppenwolf Salutes WOMEN IN THE ARTS fundraising luncheon on Tuesday March 15, 2011. She will be interviewed about her work by Steppenwolf Artistic Director Martha Lavey in a format that's similar to Inside the Actors Studio. In Chicago she appeared in The Playboy of the Western World, The Glass Menagerie, The Libertine (which was her first production with Steppenwolf) and, as a director Absolution with Steppenwolf Theater Company. She became an ensemble member in 1998.

In other Steppenwolf news they announced the cast for their production of "The Hot L Baltimore" by Lanford Wilson.




Steppenwolf member Tina Landau's production, March 24-May 29, 2011, will feature company members Alana Arenas, Kate Arrington, K. Todd Freeman, James Vincent Meredith, Yasen Peyankov and Molly Regan with Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Sean Allan Krill, TaRon Patton, Namir Smallwood, Samuel Taylor, Allison Torem and Jacqueline Williams.

Opening night is April 3. The Hot L Baltimore will appear in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St., in Chicago.
According to Steppenwolf, "The Hotel Baltimore used to be the swankiest place in town — now it has a date with the wrecking ball. Eviction notices just went out to its residents, who live on the fringes of society and call the seedy hotel home. This acclaimed play from the author of Balm in Gilead is filled with everyday humanity — unexpectedly intimate and moving. [It] reveals the private lives of an unconventional community about to be turned inside out."

Steppenwolf's 1980 production of Lanford Wilson's Balm in Gilead later transferred Off-Broadway. Other plays by the Pulitzer Prize winner seen at Steppenwolf include The Fifth of July, Home Free, his translation of Three Sisters (1985) and Burn This.
Landau's Steppenwolf directing credits include The Brother/Sister Plays, Superior Donuts by ensemble member Tracy Letts (also on Broadway), The Tempest, The Diary of Anne Frank, Cherry Orchard, The Time of Your Life, The Berlin Circle and her own play, Space.

The production team for The Hot L Baltimore includes James Schuette (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), Scott Zielinski (lights) and Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen (sound and original composition). Deb Styer is the stage manager and Rose Marie Packer is the assistant stage manager.

For tickets and information, call (312) 335-1650 or visit www.steppenwolf.org.

"Sondheim! the Birthday Concert"

Following in the long, long, very long tributes to Broadway God Stephen Sondheim comes "Sondheim! the Birthday Concert". On March 11, 1973 RCA Victor did the unthinkable and recorded a tribute to the shows of Stephen Sondheim called "Sondheim A Musical Tribute." They took the most of the original performers from all the shows that he had done up to that point (which was "A Little Night") and included an unproduced" one "Saturday Night" and brought on stage most of the original performers. It was a three hour evening condensed on two LP's with some numbers committed (though they have appeared in various collections.) Since then we have gotten "A Stephen Sondheim Evening" (which is performed as "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow",) "Marry Me a Little" (I'm including this because these are all the cut songs from various productions), "Sondheim at "Carnegie Hall," Putting it Together version 1 and 2, Sondheim a Celebration, East West Players Sing Sondheim, Movin On, Simply Sondheim, Simply Sondheim Gay Mens Chorus, Songs of Sondheim - Side by Side, and most recently Sondheim on Sondheim. So it's safe to say that these songs have been done in thousands of different ways some work some don't. The Birthday Concert works in parts and in other parts doesn't but overall was wonderful and with songs like these and performers performing them these ways there should be even more.

The show starts with David Hyde Pierce in the matter of a few seconds wipes away memories of Bill Irwin in the last PBS tribute. Him and longtime Sondheim collaborator Paul Gemignami do many funny bits though the night using the overture to "Sweeney Todd" and David Hyde Pierce comes across as likable even with a few zingers.

The show opens with "America" featuring Tony Award Winner Karen Olivo from the current Broadway revival of "West Side Story." I'm not a big fan of dance numbers during these tribute concerts because if your celebrating the songs of the composer how about something like "One Hand One Heart" otherwise it look messy though I think Karen Olivo proves why she won the Tony and shows she has a future as music video extra for a Prince video.

We then get Alexander Gemignani singing a lovely though a little on the light side version of "Somethins Coming." I as a bit surprised that they didn't have Matt Cavenaugh who played the role o Tony in the recent revival but I think since he was fired and panned that might have been a good idea.

Broadway's couple Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley performing "We're Gonna Be All Right" from "Do I Hear a Waltz?" They did a good job and have great chemistry I just think that this is a number that needs staging, having them just sit there singing a song with wonderful lyrics makes it into nothng but a cabaret performance.

Victoria Clark came out in a gorgeous blue dress and did a little know song from the Judy Holliday musical "Hot Spot" called "Don't Laugh." I think this is a great number with wonderful lyrics that hit with humor but Victoria Clark was one of the worst people picked for this. She's not known for her leading lady musicl comedy gifts and wish someone like Faith Prince, Carolee Carmello, or Sally Mayes would have been picked as I think they would have been able to wring all the humor from this number and turn it into a showstopper.

Nathan Gunn sang a gorgeous yet wooden "Johanna" from "Sweeney Todd". As much as I love this song I question why it has to be done in just about very Sondheim tribute show. The only time that there was any originality to this song was when Bernadette Peters sang it for her Sondheim Etc. concert.

After that we got a medley of "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow"/"Love Will See Us Though" with newer Broadway performers Matt Cavenugh, Jenn Colella (Great dress but really couldn't she cover up the arm tattoo), Laura Osnes, and Bobby Steggert. I enjoyed this though more because it's left off of tribute shows then the actual production.

Broadway Goddess Audra McDonald who looks stunning came out as Sally Durant to sing "Too Many Tomorrows" with Nathan Gunn proving his wooden performance of "Johanna" just wasn't an off night. I don't think it would have mattered though if he gave the acting performance of his career. You simply could not take your eyes off of Audra McDonald ho captured even the slightest detail of what the character is feeling during the song.

Next came the original cast performances piece a part I originally thought would be dull as some of these have been preserved for television but showed that after years new layers could be discovered in their performances.

It started with John McMcMartin the only remaining lead from "Follies" performing "The Road You Didn't Take" and this had to have been a highlight of the show. The voice is' what it used to be but that's a tiny quibble at this point you get that he has lived a song like this and understands everything about it. So you feel like your watching a human being reflecting on the do's and don't of their lives instead of an actor.

Joanna Gleason and Chip Zien got a huge laugh when she started the song with the lyric "You've Changed" as the original production of "Into the Woods" opened in 1987. It was also the first Sondheim I ever saw at Music on Stage in Palatine. Another performance that I thought missed something due to them just sitting there but this time it struck me they had a different chemistry then Mazzie and Danieley had so it wasn't as bad. I did notice that Chip Zien's voice has gotten stronger with age but Joanna Gleason after what looked like years of face work has gotten weaker.

As a surprise and a little bit of a cheat to their "Original Casts" category they had Jim Walton playing the piano and singing "Growing Up." He replaced another actor in previews but did open the show. It was nice and as for a historical factor was wonderful but putting him behind the piano limits the performance.

Mandy Patinkin decided to under dress for the occasion by wearing sweater and sang "Day Off/Finishing the Hat" still to me one of the best songs Sondheim has written but I noticed that Mandy is really reaching for some of those notes now.

He was followed by Broadway Goddess Bernadette Peters looking even more like a goddess in a gold dress recreating the magic of 1983's "Sunday in the Park with George" with their scene that leads into "Move On" another one of the greatest songs Sondheim has ever written. What I noticed is that Peters did a lof the same things she did from the original production but brought something fresh and deeper to the performance which was stunning.

For the close of Act One Paul Gemignani finally got to play the overture to "Sweeney Todd" and Broadway Goddess Number 3 Patti LuPone came out with both her Sweeney's George Hearn (from the N.Y. Philharmonic and concert production) and Michael Cerveris got to trade jokes before the two Sweeney's sang "My Friends." LuPone came back out in a hideous pantsuit and what a shame they couldn't all be in the same production which led into "A Little Priest" and a lot of mugging. I thought this was a great concept and showed how much fun the three actors were having doing this particular arrangement and it was new to tribute concerts.

Act Two opened with the theme from the film Reds that Sondheim and my feelings towards dance at these particular events stood also I would have liked to have heard it song as "Goodbye for Now" which was the song that it became with either Judy Kuhn or Liz Callaway (who has recorded it before.)

Next came the stunning Laura Benanti came out and sang "So Many People" from "Saturday Night." Laura Benanti is a developing Broadway Goddess who can sing a simple song put so much emotion into it on a vast concert stage and just make it work. Better known Broadway stars like Sutton Foster who sells everything so hard must hate her.

David Hyde Pierce warbled out a decent "Beautiful Girls" that brought the nights big highlight. Six Broadway Divas all dressed in red Diane Von Furstenberg dresses to each sit in a semi circle and watch the other bring fire and magic and boy did some of them.

Patti LuPone started with the immortal words "I'd Like to Propose a Toast" and then launched into a no holds barred Powerful "Ladies Who Lunch" from "Company." She even delivered the line does anyone still where a hat to a hat wearing Elaine Stritch which was only fitting since Elaine created the song. The thing I like about LuPone now is that she finally gets that she's a Broadway Diva. So her performances have more fire and danger in them.

After that Marin Mazzie offered up an acceptable "Losing My Mind" from "Follies" it was well sung and on second viewing I noticed Marin was doing everything with her eyes but I thought that it was an obvious choice of song to sing and something like "Happiness" from "Passion" would have been better.

Audra McDonald stood up and morphed from a 30's woman to a young girl lamenting about her mother's profession in "The Glamorous Life" from the film version of "A Little Night Music." I've seen Audra perform this on numerous occasions and it never fails to be exciting. She sings the life out of this song and imbues it with so much passion and glorious color to her voice while never forgetting that it's though the point of few of a young girl. However I would have like to have heard Audra sing "There Won't Be Trumpets" or something else.

While still sitting as the orchestra played the familiar strings to "Could I Leave You" from "Follies" Donna Murphy performed one of the most fully realized rendition of this song. Her leave you would have left no survivors at the end of the song.

After that Bernadette Peters who is timeless sang her standard "Not a Day Goes By" from "Merrily We Roll Along" The first time I watched this I was disappointed as I don't think any performance of this number could top her "Sondheim at "Carnegie Hall" performance which was utter perfection. After watching it the second time I noticed she had a more personalized approach to the song and knowing the loss of her husband left me devastated by this performance.

To top off the six divas Elaine Stritch stood up and delivered a vibrant, defiant, "I'm Still Here" the third song from "Follies." Elaine delivered the song much the same way she sang "Broadway Baby" from the Follies concert at Avery Fisher Hall however it works better here then it did there. These are one of the songs delivered by someone who has lived this song and earned the right to sing it.

At the end of the concert brought out everyone who was currently in a Broadway show to finish this night off with "Sunday" from "Sunday in the Park with George." Every time this is played at the end of one of these tribute concerts I get emotional but I also wish they could come up with something else.

Everyone came out to sing Happy Birthday to Sondheim who kept his words very simple quoting Alice Roosevelt's "First Your Young, Then Your Middle Age, Then Your Wonderful."

Grammy Post #2 Where's the love for the Broadway Star

Also the more I think about it I have to say when are the Grammy's that pretty much will come up a category for "Best Belching on a Spoken Album" decide that Broadway performers and separately cabaret sings put out solo discs and honor them with at least their own category. The Best Traditional Pop Album category is basically anyone over 60 (Tonny Bennent, Rod Stewert, Streisand) lets make up a something where people like Audra McDonald, Kate Baldwin, Cheynne Jackson, KT Sullivan, Julie Wilson would be Grammy Winners. Heck Patti LuPone won two Grammy's this past year because an odd technical glitch in Best Opera recording for her performance in "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny." The Award is given out to the Composers and featured performers the only problem is that it was never released on CD. It came on PBS and their was a DVD copy available but no recording. If there was a "Best Broadway Female Vocalist Award I'm sure LuPone would have won it for her "Patti Lupone at Les Mouches" since it was made sound from bootlegs and soundboards. She probably would have won for her recordings of ""Evita," "Anything Goes." "Patti LuPone Live,!" "Sunset Boulevard," and "Gypsy" at least.

StevenD

CD Review: Adam Lambert Acoustic Live! EP

So tonight I decided to listen to the entire new Adam Lambert acoustic released December 3rd. I heard a recording of "Whatya Want from Me " but didn't want to sang anything since the official release of it. If there was only a way that Dam could record all of his music live or acoustic then life would be worth living (Just kidding thank god there's J-Hud, K-Clarkson, LuPone, etc. etc. and as long as there's a diva willing to destroy her lungs life is AWAYS worth living.)

Acoustic Live! includes versions of five songs that recorded live acoustically though out his Glambert Nation tour and they were the songs that most people liked (including his Idol breakout "Mad Word." I wish that it was in all Idol contracts they had to record "their" moment number no matter what. I know most have but can you imagine a word of a studio version of Carrie Underwood'a "Alone" or Jennifer Hudson's 'Weekend in New Enland." Sorry back to Mr. Lambert and this unusual release. These seems to mostly be picked from his most popular tracks from his semi hit "For Your Entertainment", including "Whataya Want From Me," and "Music Again" which were recording while Adam was in Germany and "Aftermath" and "Soaked" from Lambert's Glam Nation tour. It also includes an acoustic version of "Mad World", which is the Idol moment song.

As always I will break down each song and then give my combine thoughts.

01. Whataya Want from Me (Live at ENE) - Oh Adam only a few weeks ago and you have Pink release this and with all due respect Pink is the type that should getting released first no matter what the song. As a secret confession I still prefer her song over Kelly Clarkson "Sober" and that's HUGE!!!!! This is a side of Mr. Lambert at a purely vocal best without showing the other idiocracies that make him special. He could and has done this in bombast in the past but for this show's why he special. He's vocally doesn't just make it his own he almost makes it into a new song.

02. Music Again (Live at Hit Radio FF) - From the opening chords to the semi-forgettable lyrics this strikes me has a song that has the most B-Side feel to it. I think this is a case where the singers gifts are able to improve a sub-par song that given to someone else wouldn't even be included on a release. What I do like is on the occasion that he breaks out that inhuman high falsettos that makes you forgives the level the mediocrity of the actual song.

03. Aftermath (Live at Glam Nation) - It takes a stripped down version of a song to realize that it' a good song enhanced bit a phenomenal singer. What I love about Adam is that he knows what to do to increase the power of the delivery of the song when he has to and he does it here without any effort. He uses his head voice with such ease and then is able to switch to his chest voice like its nothing for him finishing up with the typical star glory notes.

04. Soaked (Live at Glam Nation) - This struck me at a blatant attempt to connect him to the "Twilight" without having anything to do with it. It seemed like it was there for him to throw out some great notes and come up with lyrics that I forgot the moment I heard them.

05. Mad World (Live at Glam Nation) - I have to admit this was the song I was most thrilled to hear because who could forget his Idol performance. Putting that aside, I enjoyed the arrangement though I felt like it lost the outside feel that the original had. I have to say it must be hard since you want to come up with something new and special even though the original was the best service for you. I liked it and I appreciate it but it's one of those that just can't top a better version out there.

Everything about Mr. Lambert is odd, which I'm sure he enjoy's. He doesn't fit image wise into the pop scene and yet he does (especially when you look at acts like "Tokyo Hotel") and his voice is probably one of the finest things to come out of the music business. I think that when he hits songs worthy of his talents like "Whataya Want from Me," "If I Had You" or just about everything from his Idol run (ignoring "Born to Be Wild.") he can't be beat. He know's the bottom and top of his voice and how to use it I just wish he applied the same logic to original song choice. I still think an acoustic shows the glory of his voice better then anything else could and would recommend this to any Lambert fan. I would recommend "Whataya Want from Me" from someone looking to buy a song off of this.

STevenD

CD Review: Katharine McPhee "Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You."

So as we are already in December I thought I would review one of my new favorite Christmas CD's. It comes from American Idol Season Five runner up (and in many eyes the actual winner Katharine McPhee and it's "Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You." Which I have to admit based on the title alone I have to why is it only Christmas the time? Can't you tell your partner on their birthday, Valentine Days, on any given day but according to Katharine it's Christmas or else.

1. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - In one of the best Christmas songs ever I think does an adequate job with it. Her phrasing seems a little bored but the tone is perfection. I just think she doesn't know that this is truly a sad song that should be sung with a certain sadness to it. She does bring her usual jazz tones to the song which are a nice new arrangement of the song but without the loneliness that's built in the song i doesn't go anywhere.

2. Jingle Bells - I loved her take on this all time classic. I would even rank it up there with Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow for taking a tired song and putting a fresh spin on it that stays true to you. I love the organ sounds and her freedom with the medly that gives it a playful quality to it.

3. It's Not Christmas Without You - It's funny for all the sadness she left out for Have Yourself....she's seemed to save for this song. I think because it has more of a contemporary feel for it so she understands it more but everything down from the switches from her chest to head voice all sound lovely

4. O Holy Night - It's funny that seemed almost disconnected from this song. Almost as if they needed something to add to the CD and they gave it to her last minute to record. II like the inclusion of the choirs but even then I know why were they included it I think it would have worked much more effectively with her and just a solo piano.

5. Silver Bells - At first her delivery confused me but after listening to the waltz that was added in back ground that]] seemed to morph into a marching sound which gave this classic a fresh spin and gave her something to play around with while remaining true to the original song and still making it pleasurable and not preciousness .

6. Christmas Is The Time - I think this is one of the highlights on the disc, It's not a well known song but it has in it for Kat to play around and have fun with the song something that she hasn't done since "Jingle Bells;

7. Medley: O Little Town Of Bethlehem/Away In A Manger - I thought the arrangement of this song was gorgeous and she delivered it alternating from head to chest voice.

8. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve - I LOVED the playful sexiness she brings to this song I've heard this song done sadly, sexy but never this much fun with it,

9. White Christmas - Sticking with the more traditional version of this song is nice then perfect for Kat as she adds some stunning jazz inflections into this song, I love just went you think she going to stick to the typical standard phrasing and she flips it on it's year while reemerging different vocal lines and still staying true to the basis while bringing a fresh life to ii.

10. Who Would Imagine A King - I love the amount of warmth that she brings to this song my only problem is I wish it was longer song then the few minutes they gave to it.

Bonus Track
11 It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - I Loved how she infused this song with just a bit of gospel sound to it without sacrificing any of the joy of the song. She made it her own without falling into the indulgent trap.

These are how Christmas CD's should be done, playing up to the artists strengths while focusing on songs that aren't overplayed and coming up with fresh arrangements on well known classics. Pick up this exquisite Christmas CD and had it to your holiday collection.

StevenD

The 2010 Grammy Nominations

This week the Grammy nominations were announced and as usual there were some expected nominees, some surprises, and some WTF moments? So let me do a breakdown of what I think of them.

I'm shocked that Florence and the Machine's only received a Best New Artist nomination as I think "Dog Days are Over" should be up for record of the year and at least a few others.

I love Katy Perry and think her album has some good even great songs but I think she fits better in Record of the Year as opposed to Album of the year.

I LOVE that "F*** You" is nominated for so many awards and bet that 20 second delay is going to be in use big time that night.

I don't understand how Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" one of the best songs of the year didn't even merit a Record of the Year or Song of the Year nominations.

I'm so happy that Miranda Lambert's "The House that Built Me" is up for song of the year.

Last year Beyonce won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Halo" and this year she's nominated again for "Halo" from her live disc. They couldn't go with Pink's "Please Don't Leave Me" or Leona Lewis "Happy" instead.

Train had a huge hit with "Hey, Soul Sister" but their only nomination came from some live performance they did of the song.

Susan Boyle was left off the Best new artist but received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.

I was surprised that Clay Aiken was left out of the Best Traditional Pop Vocal category but figured they had to include Michael Buble, Barry Manilow, and Rod Stewart who have staked claim forever in this one. I still hope for a Barbra win because of them I think her's was the best.

I'm thrilled for Fantasia for R&B Female and think this is the year she might win but surprised that no Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowland, Brandy, or Kelis could make the cut.

No Jason DeRulo for R&B Male vocalist?

Sade only got two nominations when everyone has been talking about them this season.

"Airplanes" one of the biggest hits of the year didn't get a Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Nomination.

As happy I am for Carrie Underwood none of her nominations came from "Cowboy Casanova" or "Undown It" almost like none of Miranda Lamberts came from her exceptional song "Dead Flowers."

The biggest hit of the season "Glee" only received two nominations.

I'm thrilled that Bettye LaVette who is AMAZING was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album for her "Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook" but surprised that there weren't more nominations for this woman.

I was shocked that Kesha regardless is you love or hate her was shut out though her producer Dr. Luke received multiple nominations on her behalf,

Also I must say that I'm truly sad that the Grammy's ignored Katharine McPhee, We Are the Fallen, Kris Allen Allison Iraheta, or Hurt were all passed over nominations I felt they deserved.