All tagged Gower Champion
The composing team of Kander and Ebb are typically first remembered as the creators of the edgy, flashy, razzle-dazzle music of such shows as Cabaret and Chicago. It would be wrong, however, to think that this was all that they were capable of. In fact, the team’s work often tended towards a reflective, gentler style of musical comedy found in such shows as Zorba and The Rink. One show that really seemed to embrace this subtler, character-driven approach to storytelling was 1968’s The Happy Time.
Dance is an essential part of most Broadway musicals and there have been many amazing choreographers over the years. Some have really stood out, either reinventing the form and purpose of dance within Broadway musicals and/or bringing a signature style to their work that has become legendary in its own right. Today, I’d like to celebrate these gods and goddesses of the world of musical theatre dance and talk a little about how each of them left their imprint on the art form.
The announcement that Bette Midler will star in a Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! acts on me like a much-needed tonic where musical theatre is concerned. After a recent blog entry bemoaning the loss of honest to goodness old-fashioned musical comedy, what better way to usher back in the feel-good melody infused musical comedy than with a production of this Jerry Herman classic with the Divine Miss M's name over the title?
There are musicals that are so wonderfully constructed, and that have been done so often, that we take for granted their fine craftsmanship and vibrant musicality. These stalwarts of days gone by, produced by every high school, usually once every generation or so, are often dismissed. It's easy to poo-poo these titles because they have become staples of the stage. They serve their function by introducing young audiences to musical theatre. It is easy to forget that these musicals were once brand new, innovative, sometimes cutting edge, and big audience pleasers. I am talking about the Guys & Dolls, The Music Mans, and the South Pacifics of our Broadway musical heritage. Even among these titles, there is one musical that is seldom given its due for just how musically inspired and carefully constructed it is: Bye, Bye, Birdie.
