All tagged Come From Away

Broadway Musical Mash-Ups: Combining Two Shows Into One

To start, this article has no intention of being serious. I was just sitting in my car musing about how you could take two Broadway shows and splice them together into one evening of entertainment. This would certainly cut back on my ticket expenditures and double the amount of Broadway musical viewing I can afford each year. So, strap on your sense of humor, get in the mood for corny ridiculousness, and see how I mashed-up Broadway musicals currently running (or set to open) on the Great White Way. 

Broadway Blip: Cast Albums are NOT Soundtracks

It has been a battle going on for years: making sure that musical theatre fans know the difference between a “cast album” and a “soundtrack”. One might think this is an easy thing to sort out, but those who have devoted their lives to listening to theatre music know that “soundtrack” is used interchangeably with “cast album” to designate Broadway and Off-Broadway) musicals that have been preserved on vinyl (and CD and for download). Retailers haven’t exactly helped the situation, often bundling both soundtracks and cast albums into the same sections and bins in stores.

Broadway, Film, and Television: The Best of 2017

As we wrap up 2017 and say goodbye to a year that made most of us roll our eyes and up our alcohol intake, it is important to take a few minutes to remember some of the good things to come out of the last 365 days. Thank goodness for the world of entertainment, providing both joyous escapism and thought-provoking drama. Here is my list for the best of 2017 in Broadway, film, and television.  

Best Musical Theatre Album: Grammy Nomination Rumination

The Grammy nominees were announced and, as usual, we theatre buffs are particularly interested in the nominees in the category for Best Musical Theatre Album. This last year has been rife with new cast recordings of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, so it is with some frustration that we must accept Grammy’s ruling that only three albums would be nominated in this category, especially with a number of truly wonderful (and deserving) albums that could have rounded out this category. In the end, the three nominees in this category are Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, and Hello, Dolly!.

Nominees in this category are often a funny lot, often a popularity contest outweighing artistic merit or high quality technical know-how. Of course, last year, Broadway Record’s album of The Color Purple garnered a very deserving artistic win, but this isn’t always the case.