All in Broadway Musical Musings
Cats is back. Though I am not particularly ready for it, I cannot dispute the fact the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of my childhood, based on the poems of T.S. Eliot, is readying itself for a revival at Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre. I imagine many folks are excited by its return, especially those who have a fond “Memory” of their first visit to a Broadway show, ushered into the thrill of live theatre by this feline extravaganza. For some, this revival will be a cosmic return from the Heavyside Layer.
It seems to me that we have some exciting cast recordings to look forward to in the coming weeks (and months), and I thought I’d spend today musing over the ones that I am particularly poised to listen to. A few of these scores are already available for digital download, but since I am one of those people who like to have the CD in hand (or LP), I hold out for the tangible version.
Like almost every other musical theatre fan, I was glued to my computer screen watching the live-stream of the Broadway production of She Loves Me this past Thursday night. The idea of live-streaming a Broadway musical carries a most delicious excitement for those who can’t get enough Broadway and who will take the next-best thing, especially at the manageable cost that one seldom gets with the price of a Broadway ticket. The question is, can a live-stream of a Broadway musical be an effective alternative to making the trip to the Big Apple and will this become a trend?
As I was riding the subway the other day, one of those special moments occurred where a street performer entered the car and gave a little show for a captive audience who were less-than-captivated. With a guitar, the lady started to sing “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie, and it suddenly dawned on me that there are just certain showtunes that I don’t ever need to hear again, especially while trapped on a delayed, uptown C Train. “Tomorrow” and its cloying optimism is one of them.
