All tagged Divas

Broadway Divas: MVPs by the Decade

Broadway Divas: MVPs by the Decade

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Broadway musicals and strong leading ladies walk hand in hand. Since the inception of the Broadway Musical, an actress who can command attention and generate box office revenue through her personality and talents is a sought after commodity. Somewhere along the way, the Broadway Musical Diva emerged and theatre fans became obsessed. I decided to examine each decade of musical theatre (starting with the 1920s) and weigh contributions, reviews, awards, career escalation, and the other je ne sais quois that make an actress unique and decipher who was the most-valuable player of that ten year span. Part of my rules for writing the piece was that no actress could appear on the list more than once, though many of these talented ladies’ careers span several decades. Read on and enjoy. I look forward to your comments and debates.

Dream Casting Our Favorite Broadway Divas

Dream Casting Our Favorite Broadway Divas

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Last week, I wrote a piece about Broadway divas who showed exemplary acting skills. It got me thinking about some of our greatest living actresses of the musical stage and what classic musical theatre role I would most like to see them tackle next. Playing casting director is always a great deal of fun, and I hope you will chime in with your thoughts as well. For me, this is where I'd like to see some of our favorite leading ladies of the stage try their talents.

The Greatest Stars: Broadway Musical Divas Who Can Act as Well as They Sing

The Greatest Stars: Broadway Musical Divas Who Can Act as Well as They Sing

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Broadway musical divas: we live for them. From their signature looks to their distinctive voices, over the last century, Broadway audiences have been drawn to their talents and their energy. To be a Broadway diva is a special thing, but not every member of this exclusive club has necessarily been known for their acting chops. It is especially exhilarating to witness one who has the nuance and variety to create an indelible performance that is based in the craft of acting. In these cases, their interpretations bring rich texture to the music and three dimensional characters emerge as memorable and relatable. Today’s column is a tribute to the finest among out divas, the ones who move outside of the realm of performer and enter the world of legend.

Audra, Patti, Bernadette, Chita, Ethel or Angie: Why Do We Love Our Broadway Divas?

Audra, Patti, Bernadette, Chita, Ethel or Angie: Why Do We Love Our Broadway Divas?

Mark Robinson
Music That Makes Me Dance

Musical Theatre is an exciting world where we love to revere our divas and put them up on a pedestal. In fact, try to find a Broadway musical fan who doesn’t vociferously defend and overtly adulate their leading lady of choice? It is a big part of the musical theatre landscape, always has been and always will be. The question, however, is “why” do we elevate these women into the stratosphere and never really feel compelled to do the same for the men who work so hard in this profession? 

I assume that everyone reading this understands that this is pure speculation, and not any attempt to impose concrete rules on such a subjective matter. I feel the need to state this because I know that everyone has their very personal reasons for their likes and dislikes of certain performers, but I would like to speculate on what draws us to these “Grande Dames of the Theatre”.