Sep 23

Sep 23 Remembering Can-Can

Cole Porter wrote many infectious scores for the Broadway stage, with Anything Goes and Kiss Me, Kate as standouts of how wit and melody can be melded into glorious ditty after glorious ditty. Another hit musical of Porter’s myriad Broadway outings was Can-Can. Though it is seldom revived today, Can-Can nevertheless features an enchanting score, with songs such as “I Love Paris, “ “C’est Magnifique” and “I Am In Love” getting play outside the context of the show. Abe Burrows, known for his knack for writing sparkling comedy for the Broadway stage, wrote the book for Can-Can.

Jul 6

Jul 6 Broadway Blip: Pal Joey

Mark Robinson

Music That Makes Me Dance

The composing team of Rodgers and Hart had a reputation for putting together fun and witty musical comedies. Rodgers’ music sparkled with infectious melody while Hart’s lyrics were clever and bursting with wild use of rhyme. It wasn’t until their 1940 collaboration of the musical Pal Joey that the team ventured into edgier territory. Based on John O’Hara’s series of short stories that were published in The New Yorker, Pal Joey is both the crowning achievement of the duo’s partnership and a benchmark in advancement of serious musical theatre storytelling.

Sep 22

Sep 22 Patti LuPone: Don’t Monkey With Broadway – CD Review

Mark Robinson

Music That Makes Me Dance

I cannot begin to articulate the feeling of joy and warmth that has washed dover me while listening to the new Patti LuPone album Don’t Monkey With Broadway. This collection of delightful anecdotes and perfectly chosen numbers is TRIUMPH! With a capital “T” and that rhymes with “P” and that stands for “PATTI”!

Jul 5

Jul 5 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.

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