TWO familiar faces will be joining the HAIR Tribe, my sources exclusively confirm.
Get ready for Ace Young (AI’s season 5’s seventh-place finalist) as Berger, and Diana DeGarmo (season 3 runner-up) in a role to be announced.
DeGarmo returns to Broadway after previously appearing as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray. Most recently, she played Sarah in The Toxic Avenger at New World Stages off-Broadway.
Young played Kenickie in the 2007 revival of Grease.
Tell me… will YOU be running to this Idol-infused Be-In at the Hirschfeld?
(P.S. I almost titled this post "Am-HAIR-ican Idol". I decided to spare you. You're welcome!)
“New York is the greatest city in the world.” This is my thought as my plane lands at JFK, after a whirlwind trip to Houston to see Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland: The Musical. Yes, there is theatre in other cities, but there is nowhere else in the world where a fan can have a Broadway experience at any hour of the day or night.
Case in point: in checking my Twitter feed in the cab home from the airport, what do I see? Laura Bell Bundy, with the following message to her fans: “New Yorkers! I'm performing at Splash in 45 mins. Come on down. 50 west 17th street!”
Was it past my bedtime? Yes. Was I exhausted from the trip? Yes. But you KNOW I did what a dedicated BroadwayGirl has gotta do.
“Driver? We have a new destination!!”
So instead of a heading directly to bed at a reasonable hour, I redirect the cab to Splash, a Flatiron gay bar known for its pole-dancing go-go boys and tiny, expensive drinks. I’d never been there before, but I can hang at a gay bar, ladies. I’m so excited that I overtip the cab driver, pay the (admittedly steep) $25 Splash cover, and make my way inside.
The crowd is bumpin’, grindin’, fondlin’ and dancin’ up a storm. But all attention turns to Ms. Bundy when the spotlight swings her way.
She looks AMAZING, y’all! (Isn’t it funny how one night of country-pop has me abbreviatin’ and using words like “y’all”?) And her set is really fun. Too short, to be sure (she only performs 3 songs), but can you really ask for more at 2am, when you’re standing 3 feet away from one of Broadway’s hottest stars?
I wish you all could have been there with me. However, since you couldn’t, I’m bringing you the next best thing: VIDEO!!!!!
Check out my exclusive videos (uploaded on my brand new YouTube page!) of Laura Bell Bundy, performing her hit single “Giddy On Up,” as well as the debut of a NEW tune, “I’m No Good For You, Baby”.
I spent last night falling in love with a White Knight, dancing with a smooth and smiling Gato, taking advice from a Caterpillar, facing down an angry Jabberwock, and finally finding my way home.
Ahhhh you guys. I’ve wanted to see Wonderland: The Musical since I first heard that it was being created. The story of Alice was one of the first literary works that really fascinated me as a child, and being as obsessed as I am with musical theatre, I had to see what it would become on the stage.
Of course I was nervous; a butchering of my favorite tale had the potential to ruin it for me forever. But I just couldn’t know it was out there, and not give it a chance.
I should say that I was very much relieved to find out that Wonderland: The Musical is in fact a NEW story about a NEW Alice – this one a red-headed adult, not a small blonde child. Rather than simply adding songs to a story we all know, book writers Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd (who also directs) have created an entirely new adventure for a complex, adult woman. She encounters characters we know from the children’s story, but unlike Shrek or Beauty & The Beast, this show allows us to meet their new incarnations for the first time. True to Lewis Carroll’s vision, everything might be familiar, but then again everything is strange and new.
In this version of Wonderland, Alice – played by In the Heights’Janet Dacal – is an accomplished but over-extended working mom, teetering on the brink of alienation by her husband (Darren Ritchie) and their daughter Chloe (Julie Brooks). When Chloe runs away from home, Alice follows her down the big-city version of “the rabbit hole” – an immeasurably deep elevator shaft originating in their high-rise apartment building. Upon landing, Alice embarks on a quest to find Chloe – who is, unbeknownst to her mother, a regular visitor to Wonderland.
After maneuvering her way through a sea of Chloe look-alikes, Alice is granted an audience with the Caterpillar (Tommar Wilson of HAIR). He presents her with a riddle, which, when solved, permits her entrance into the next door along her journey.
There are eight doors in total. Behind each door resides a resident of Wonderland (who, in a nod to “The Wizard of Oz,” resembles a character from Alice’s above-ground life), each providing a riddle to help Alice in the mission to find her daughter. El Gato (the Cheshire Cat), the White Knight, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts – they’re all here. And, each in his or her own melodious style, they present their riddles and clues through song.
Wonderland: The Musical overflows with singable tracks. Frank Wildhorn pulls out all the stops – using Latin, Pop, R&B, Rock and Big Band music to create a versatile yet seamless score.
My favorite tunes are “Worst Day of My Life” (Janet Dacal’s opening number); “One Knight” (sung boy-band style, complete with choreography borrowed from the Backstreet Boys); “The Mad Hatter,” Nikki Snelson’s introduction as the scheming, power-hungry Queen-of-Hearts sidekick; and “Misunderstood,” the woeful tale of Tad Wilson’s carnivorous, isolated Jabberwock. (These songs, and twelve others, can be heard on the Wonderland Concept Recording, available at www.wonderlandthemusical.org.)
The design of the production is top-notch. From bright, imaginative set-pieces to a complex use of projected images – not to mention exciting, colorful costumes (my favorites are the Queen of Hearts’ over-the-top gown and the multi-legged zoot-suit worn by the Caterpillar) – the visuals alone are enough to keep me in the world of the play. But it’s the music and the cast that make me want to go back and see this show again.
Wonderland is the perfect antidote to the Disney musical. Young audience members will love the bold colors and the sight gags (watch as Alice rewinds time and the actors move and speak backwards!) but it won’t feel like “kids theatre” to their parents. On the contrary, Jack Murphy’s lyrical wordplay is sophisticated, and there are enough “adult themes” (i.e. divorce) to ground this fantasy story in a reality we can recognize.
Listen, I’m not saying that Wonderland is the most perfect show I’ve ever seen. The storyline is wobbly in parts (is the appearance of author Lewis Carroll really necessary?), and I hear that the creatives are still experimenting with the order of the songs. It’s not particularly edgy or dangerous. But I do believe that the show has the chops to make it in New York. The songs are catchy, the cast is strong and the visuals are impressive. Broadway needs a show like this.
Wonderland: The Musical runs at the Alley Theatre in Houston through February 14.
Everyone responded with passion, humor, and the excitement that embodies the Broadway experience. I am truly proud to have had a part in engaging so many theatre-lovers in one, big, unified conversation.
I've gotta give it up to MCC Theater, for providing the tickets to The Pride. Their rep contacted me last month, offering a pair of tickets to give away in any way I chose. #SingleOnBway came together purely on a whim, in less than an hour, as I was dishing with my lovelies about how hard it is (for all of us!) to get a date. And it became something of a miniature twitter phenomenon.
As stated in the rules, "The choice of winners will be subjective and mine alone." It's time to announce that choice.
Drumroll, please...
The winners of a blind date at MCC Theater, with free premium tickets to see The Pride are...
Tonight on twitter, I was lamenting the lack of eligible, single, straight male Broadway fans. Then my lovelies (my name for "followers," a term I just don't dig) started chiming in -- I heard from gay, lesbian AND straight folks who are ALL having trouble finding love!
I joked that I should start a service for Broadway-loving singles. And then it hit me: with over 2,300 people reading my twitter feed, why SHOULDN'T I help them find each other?!
So, tonight I'm launching my first BroadwayGirl Dating Service ticket giveaway. I'm going to send two of my lovelies out on a date -- to a theatre production, of course!
The two winners will attend a performance of MCC Theater's The Pride, directed by Joe Mantello and starring Hugh Dancy. (The date of the performance will be determined after the winners are chosen and at the discretion of MCC.)
Want to go on a blind date, and see a show for free in the process?
Here are your instructions, lovelorn twitterers:
To enter the contest, introduce yourself on twitter with the hashtag #SingleOnBway.
Search #SingleOnBway to meet other Broadway-loving twitterers who want to go on a date.
When you spot someone you like, strike up a twitter conversation, using the hashtag #SingleOnBway. Conversations must be public (not over DM)!
Once you have made a match -- found a (previous) stranger with whom you'd like to attend the show -- BOTH twitters must send a tweet labeled @BroadwayGirlNYC and #SingleOnBway letting me know you've decided you want to blind-date each other.
At noon on Saturday, January 9, I'll choose a pair of tweeters who will win!
Then, post-date, you have to PROMISE to tweet at me and let me know how it went.
Here are a few little rules:
The two winners must never have met (and agree not to meet in person) before their date.
Both winners must be over 18 and able to get to New York City at their own expense at a date to be determined.
By entering, you acknowledge that meeting any stranger is a risk, and hold me (BroadwayGirlNYC), MCC, and all other parties outside yourselves, unaccountable.
The choice of winners will be subjective and mine alone.
The contest starts NOW! So get tweeting, cutie-pies.
And maybe we'll all be witness to true love found on Broadway!
Janet will return to Heights shortly after concluding her starring run as Alice in Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland: The Musical (at the Alley Theatre in Houston through February 14th). Previously, she originated the Heights role of Carla, the ditzy Salon assistant.
Saturday afternoon, the first big blizzard of the winter hits New York. I am out in it when the snow begins, making my way westward toward my apartment after some last-minute Christmas shopping on the Lower East Side. I’m not a fan of cold weather, but I always appreciate the soft beauty of a snowfall; even as the cruel wind whips across my exposed cheeks, I stop in Washington Square to watch the flakes swirl and spin, landing gently amongst their brethren after the fierce journey down from the sky.
Standing amidst the mounting drifts, as they begin to glow orange under the late-afternoon streetlights, I hear a distant ringing from deep within my many-layered sweaters. I dig; I extract; I answer the phone. And much to my delight, it is the call I’ve been waiting for all day – my heroic friend Sydney has successfully braved the weather and scored us two standing room tickets for A Little Night Music at 8pm.
By the time I reach the theater, the blizzard is in full-force. My winter boots slide across the sidewalk as I make my way into the Walter Kerr. I wedge myself into a myriad of bundled bodies and funnel into the building, grasping my ticket and holding onto Sydney’s mittened hand.
Inside the Kerr, the air and the atmosphere are warm. Coats, hats, and gloves are shed as people bustle to their seats; murmurs of relief that we’ve made it inside are exchanged. There is a festive sentiment amongst the crowd; before the show even begins, we have already shared something: the act of coming in together from the cold.
When the curtain goes up and the lights go down, and the music of Stephen Sondheim surges into my ears, I breathe it in. I am magically transported from freezing New York City to a sunny summer in Sweden. And for the next three hours, I remain there: lost in the story of Desiree Armfeldt and her dueling lovers; their two jilted wives; two longing children; and the watchful eye of the glorious Madame Armfeldt, who oversees the madness with active unconcern (the privilege, she explains to her granddaughter, of “the very old, who know too much”).
This is, it’s clear from the start, a marvelous production. Of significance is the return to Broadway of the incomparable Angela Lansbury, who hits every note (musical and comedic) with precision. At 84 years old, she is in a class of her own, and I feel deeply grateful to have seen her on stage not once but twice this year. Even as I’m immersed in the story of the play, I’m aware that I’ll be retelling my memory of her genius long into the future, to those who don’t share my fortune in seeing her perform live on stage.
The cast, as a whole, is splendid. Alexander Hanson, reprising the role he played in the London staging of this production, is an ideal Frederick – mature and handsome, and somehow empathetic even as he cheats on his (much younger, and still virginal) wife Anne – the pretty and sweet Ramona Mallory. Aaron Lazar’s Carl-Magnus is pleasingly over-the-top, and Erin Davie plays his wife Charlotte with the perfect combination of hysteria and quiet conspiracy. Leigh Ann Larkin, as the maid Petra, captivates with swinging hips and big, wet eyes. And a surprisingly strong voice comes from the slight body of Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, who, playing Frederick’s lovelorn son Henrik, is in his Broadway debut – and holds up quite nicely with the veteran cast.
Also, of course, making her Broadway debut, is the Hollywood movie star Catherine Zeta-Jones. She is beautiful and I know she can sing – she was awarded the Oscar for playing Velma Kelly in the 2002 film adaptation of Chicago, and deservedly so. However, I am simply unprepared for how entirely captivating, awe-inspiring, and truly breathtaking she will be onstage.
From the first moment she sweeps into view, it is as if light is emanating from within her. Her steps, her voice, the way she commands attention even when silent – I haven’t seen many performances like this in my theatre-going career, and as you may have gathered, I go to the theatre a lot. Is she technically the best actress I’ve ever seen? Will she win the Tony this year? I can’t even answer those questions, because I’m so overwhelmed with her loveliness that I’m no longer an objective judge of her skill.
I cry during “Send in the Clowns” – not as a reaction to the story but because of the way the spotlight reflects on her white neck, the sadness that radiates through her smile, the angle of her shoulders, and the perfect way her tiny hands lay in her lap as she sings. I am watching Audrey Hepburn, Liz Taylor, Rita Hayworth. These are the only women to whom, I can imagine, she might compare.
Three hours is long for any production, but I don’t notice the time slipping by during Night Music. On the contrary, I could stay in the theatre and watch the show immediately again. Unfortunately, when the house lights come up, the doors to the theatre are opened – and that snowy reality of winter in New York is upon me once again.
I layer on my hat, gloves, scarf, and coat, to shield me from the elements that exist in this real world. And as push out into the cold, and brace myself against the wind and sleet, I’m warmed with what I bring away from this glorious production: a reminder of human beauty; the gift of a brilliant, elegant cast; and the ability to get lost in the world of the Broadway stage.
A fan's perspective on all things theatre in New York City & beyond. Bway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway show reviews, actor sightings & more!
About Me
Broadway Girl NYC
New York, NY, United States
I'm a chick who has lucked into a life near Broadway, and I'm taking advantage of it. Tune in for accounts of what I've seen, what I thought of it, who was amazing, who sucked ass, general random observations, gleeful tirades, trains of thought, cast-member sightings (they hang in my hood), and whatever else is on my mind relating to Broadway. And follow me at twitter.com/broadwaygirlnyc!
