All tagged On Your Feet

Hamilton, Pence and the Socially Conscious Musical

You would have to be living under a rock if you are not aware that our Vice President Elect, the monstrously bigoted Michael Pence of Indiana, the man who has done everything to mock minorities and spit in the face of gay rights, attended the Broadway musical Hamilton recently. THE Hamilton that tells the story of our forefathers in an artistic stroke of revisionist history that employs diversity in its casting to underline the disparity in crediting everyone who helped to shape America. Kudos to the cast of the production who gently and respectfully schooled His Royal Highness on his hypocrisy by actually welcoming him for coming and suggesting he might learn something. Once again the power of musical theatre had the potential to change minds and open eyes. As Vice President Elect Pence left the theatre, he was booed by people who didn’t like the way he thinks and it had to be a hard pill swallow for this poor, misunderstood wolf in Christian clothing.

Broadway Musical Musings: Huggin’ the Bejeepers and Other Tony Award Musings

To quote Oscar Hammerstein (or is it Leslie Uggams?), “June is bustin’ out all over” and we are inching ever-closer to the Tony Awards and the inevitable crowing of Hamilton as Best Musical. I am not spinning my psychic abilities here, as this had been a foregone conclusion since the show moved to Broadway and became the sensation that it has. It has, however, skewed the Tony Awards toward being a somewhat uneventful night that appears to have few surprises in store. I hope that we will still be startled a few times, but I am pretty much prepared for a non-event where awards are concerned. The best we can hope for are great (if predictable in choice) musical numbers from the nominated shows. I’m not blaming Hamilton’s success for this assertion, but rather that I merely prefer an awards show where all bets are off. We shall see.