So this column is dedicated to anyone who might want to go on Jeopardy! one day, or anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of musicals, musical-comedy and the men and women who have created them.

Option #1 is The Contemporary Broadway Musical being offered by the Pasadena Playhouse.

This is a ten-class series presented by Broadway producer Adam Epstein. He’s a five-time Tony Award nominee who took home the trophy for Best Musical when Hairspray won in 2003.

Here is the schedule for the ten classes:

February 22nd: High Flying Adored: Eva Peron delivers a Broadway coup de thé·â·tre; Gower Champion dies

March 1st: Michael Bennett’s Dreamgirls vs. Tommy Tune’s Nine

March 8th: The Empire Strikes Back: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh and the “colonization” of Broadway: Cats, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon

March 15th: La Cage Aux Folles and Into the Woods

March 22nd: Americans vanquish the British (again!): City of Angels, Crazy for You, and the return of the musical comedy

March 29th: Falsettos: William Finn and his Tight Knit Family move uptown

April 5th: Broadway in the 1990’s: Disney conquers Broadway; Rent and Ragtime conquer hearts

April 12th: From Celluloid to Greasepaint: The Producers, Hairspray and the changing face of Broadway in the 21st century

April 19th: Avenue Q and Wicked: a theatrical tale of David and Goliath

April 26th: Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and the future of Broadway musicals

All of the dates above are the live presentation of each week’s topic. However, those who sign up for the classes can catch up even if you start halfway through the series. The classes will remain available to you beginning 24 hours after the conclusion of each live class. The 10-series course costs $179. (Members at Pasadena Playhouse receive at 20% discount).

Option #2: What Makes It Great?

Gershwin. Berlin. Arlen. Rodgers. Bernstein. You don’t need to add first names to the list of composers in this title. They are all legends whose work has catapulted them to the upper echelon of composers.

Rob Kapilow, the author of Listening For America: Inside the Great American Songbook from Gershwin to Sondheim, is conducting a five-episode series of classes called What Makes It Great? Celebrating the Great American Songbook beginning on February 23rd and running through March 30th.

Kapilow has teamed up with the Kaufman Music Center and JCC Thurnauer School of Music to lead explorations of these five men and their work. The classes stream on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST and include a live Q&A afterwards. For those for whom that schedule doesn’t work, the classes will remain available through April 15th.

Here is What Makes It Great‘s line-up:

February 23rd: George Gershwin

March 2nd: Irving Berlin

March 9th: Harold Arlen

March 23rd: Richard Rodgers

March 30th: Leonard Bernstein

Tickets for the five classes are $50.

There is a bonus attraction on April 6th. Kapilow will be joined by Nikki Renée Daniels (the upcoming revival of Company) and Michael Winther (the upcoming Flying Over Sunset) for a performance called What Makes It Great? Stephen Sondheim. Tickets for that show are $15 and will allow ticket purchasers to watch the show through the middle of April.

With either or both of these classes, I assure you you’ll not just learn about musicals. You’ll also improve your trivia games, impress your friends who thought you knew nothing about the subject and more importantly you’ll know the difference between August Wilson and Stephen Sondheim when it’s your turn to play Jeopardy!

Photo: Broadway’s Shubert Alley (Photo by Christopher Firth/Courtesy New York Public Library Archives)

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Hair – 1969 Tony Awards

Nominated for Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical, Hair opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre and ran for 1,750 performances. The show, directed by Tom O’Horgan, did not win any Tonys. Amongst the original cast members were two of its creators Gerome Ragni and James Rado, Diane Keaton and Paul Jabara. The 2009 revival of the musical won the Tony Award for Best Revival.

Purlie – 1970 Tony Awards

Purlie was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Musical. Cleavon Little and Melba Moore won Tony Awards for their performances. The show, directed by Philip Rose who co-wrote the book, first opened at the Broadway Theater and later moved to the Winter Garden and the ANTA Playhouse.

Chicago – 1976 Tony Awards

The original production of Kander and Ebb’s musical Chicago was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. It won none of them. Directed by Bob Fosse and starring Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach, the show ran for 936 performances at the 42nd Street Theatre.

A Chorus Line – 1976 Tony Awards

This is the reason Chicago didn’t win any Tony Awards. Michael Bennett’s show, with music and lyrics by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban, was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won nine of them. Its run of 6,137 performances made it the longest running Broadway musical. It is now number six on that list. Ironically, the revival of Chicago, still running in New York, is currently number two on that list with 9,692 performances so far.

The Act – 1978 Tony Awards

This is also a Kander and Ebb musical with the unique distinction of being the only Broadway show directed by Martin Scorsese. The show received six Tony nominations with the only win being for Liza Minnelli. The Act played at the Majestic Theatre and played for 233 performances.

Sweeney Todd – 1979 Tony Awards (though I have no idea who is sitting in as Sweeney)

Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s musical was nominated for nine Tony Awards. The show won eight of them including Best Musical, Best Actress for Angela Lansbury and Best Actor for Len Cariou. Directed by Harold Prince, Sweeney Todd played at the Uris Theatre (later renamed The Gershwin Theatre) for 557 performances.

Evita – 1980 Tony Awards

Evita, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. The show won seven including Best Musical, Best Actress for Patti LuPone and Best Featured Actor for Mandy Patinkin. Directed by Harold Prince, Evita played at the Broadway Theatre and ran for 1,567 performances.

Dreamgirls – 1982 Tony Awards

Dreamgirls was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won six of them. The show, directed by Michael Bennett, played the Imperial Theatre and ran for 1,521 performances. The Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen musical featured the staggering Tony-winning performance by Jennifer Holliday as “Effie White.”

Cats – 1983 Tony Awards

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical inspired by T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won seven including Best Musical. Trevor Nunn directed Cats which played the Winter Garden Theatre. The musical broke A Chorus Line‘s record for longest-running Broadway show with 7,485 performances. Betty Buckley won a Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella who sings the show’s best-known song.

Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur – 1988 Tony Awards

Jerry Herman’s musical Mame opened in 1966 and was nominated for eight Tony Awards. Amongst the three winners were co-stars Angela Lansbury (as Mame Dennis) and Bea Arthur (as Vera Charles). 22 years later they reunited on the 1988 Tony Awards and performed their classic duet from the show. (This was the year The Phantom of the Opera won Best Musical.)

Grand Hotel – 1990 Tony Awards

Grand Hotel was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won five including two for director and choreographer Tommy Tune and one for Michael Jeter as Otto Kringelein. The show opened at the Martin Beck Theatre and later transferred to the Gershwin Theatre. Grand Hotel ran for a total of 1,017 performances

Kiss of the Spider Woman – 1993 Tony Awards

Kander and Ebb won yet another Tony Award for this musical based on Manuel Puig’s novel (which also inspired the Academy Award-winning film.) Kiss of the Spider Woman received 11 Tony nominations winning seven of them including Terrence McNally for Best Book of a Musical and for the performances by Chita Rivera as “Spider Woman/Aurora,” Brent Carver as “Molina” and Anthony Crivello as “Valentin.” The musical, directed by Harold Prince, opened at the Broadhurst Theatre and ran for a total of 904 performances.

Passion – 1994 Tony Awards

The film Passione d’Amore by Ettore Scola was the inspiration for this Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical. The musical opened at the Plymouth Theatre near the end of Tony season and ran for only 280 performances. Donna Murphy, Jere Shea and Marin Mazzie starred in Passion. All three were amongst the 10 Tony nominations the show received with Murphy taking the Tony for Best Performance by an Actress. The musical won Best Score, Best Book and also Best Musical.

The Wild Party – 2000 Tony Awards

Composers Michael John LaChiusa and Andrew Lippa wrote musicals called The Wild Party. Both were based on Joseph Moncure March’s poem of the same name and both were produced the same year. LaChiusa’s show, directed by George C. Wolfe, made it to Broadway’s Virginia Theatre where it was nominated for seven Tony Awards. It did not win any and closed after a run of only 68 performances. The cast featured Toni Collette, Mandy Patinkin and Eartha Kitt.

Caroline, Or Change – 2004 Tony Awards

Playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America) and composer Jeanine Tesori teamed up for this 2004 musical (also directed by George C. Wolfe) that received six Tony Award nominations. Anika Noni Rose was the sole winner for her performance as “Emmie Thibodeaux.” Caroline, or Change was scheduled to have a revival this season, but those plans have been postponed until next season. For anyone who saw the show at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre during its brief 136 performance run, Tonya Pinkins‘ performance of “Lot’s Wife” will stand as one of the greatest performances in modern Broadway history.

Fela! – 2010 Tony Awards

Fela! electrified audiences when it opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in 2009. The musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won three (including Best Choreography by Bill T. Jones). Jim Lewis collaborated with Jones (who also directed) on the book of this musical about legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. The show ran for 463 performances.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch – 2014 Tony Awards

It took 16 years for this Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell musical to finally make it to Broadway. The show began its life off-Broadway at the Jane Street Theatre in 1998. Directed by Michael Mayer and starring Neil Patrick Harris and Lena Hall, the show was nominated for eight Tony Awards. Harris and Hall both won and Hedwig and the Angry Inch was awarded the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. The show ran for 507 performances at the Belasco Theatre.

The Color Purple – 2016 Tony Awards

Alice Walker’s novel inspired this musical by playwright Marsha Norman and composers/lyricists Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. This revival, directed by John Doyle, opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre and was nominated for four Tony Awards. It won for Best Revival of a Musical and for Cynthia Erivo’s performance as Celie. The Color Purple ran for 450 performances.

Hamilton – 2016 Tony Awards

Much like A Chorus Line (which also began its life at The Public Theater), Hamilton was the juggernaut at the Tony Awards that couldn’t be beaten. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical was nominated for 16 Tony Awards and won 11 of them. The show, directed by Thomas Kail, is still running at the Richard Rodgers Theatre with 1,919 performances so far.

What makes this performance particular emotional is that the Tony Awards took place just after the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Given the recent events the cast opted not to use the prop guns that are usually seen in the show.

Those are 18 of my favorite Tony Awards performances. Let me know what your favorites are by posting your thoughts in our comments.

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Niv Ashkenazi: Violins of Hope – The Soraya Facebook Page – April 17th – 7 PM EDT/4PM PDT

Violins of Hope is a program celebrating the recovery and restoration of over 60 stringed instruments from the Holocaust. They were restored by Amnon Weinstein, and his son, Avshalom, in Tel Aviv.

The Soraya had scheduled several events around the Violins of Hope, but those have been postponed due to the pandemic. While they have been rescheduled for early 2021, Niv Ashkenazi will give a concert on one of those violins on Friday.

Ashkenazi is the only musician in North America who has been loaned one of these precious instruments. He recently released an album entitled, appropriately enough, Niv Ashkenazi: The Violins of Hope.

For this live streaming event, Ashkenazi will perform the “Theme from Schindler’s List” by John Williams, “The Chassid” by Julius Chajes, an improvisation on Ernest Bloch’s “Baal Shem, II. Nigun” and George Perlman’s “Dance of the Rebbitzen.”

Prior to the performance, The Soraya’s Executive Director Thor Steingraber will conduct a conversation with Ashkenazi about Violins of Hope and his recording.

Celebrating 25 Magical Years of Disney on Broadway – BroadwayWorld – April 17th – 7 PM EDT/4 PM PDT

Last November, Disney celebrated a quarter century of musicals on Broadway with a concert at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York. The event was a fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

That concert, which featured veteran cast members from Disney’s many shows, is being streamed as an additional fundraiser for BC/EFA, but this time for their Covid-19 Emergency Assistance Fund. There is no charge to watch the show, but they are asking for donations.

As you probably know, Disney has had many a blockbuster musical on Broadway. Their shows include Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, AIDA and Frozen.

Amongst the performers at this concert are Sierra Boggess, Norm Lewis and Sherie Renee Scott from The Little Mermaid, Christian Borle and Ashley Brown from Mary Poppins, Kerry Butler and Susan Egan from Beauty and the Beast, Merle Dandrige, Mandy Gonzalez and Adam Pascal from AIDA, James Monroe Iglehart, Adam Jacobs and Michael James Scott from Aladdin plus a reunion of cast members from Newsies.

Additional participants include Gavin Creel (Hello, Dolly!), Whoopi Goldberg (the original film version of The Lion King), Ashley Park (Mean Girls) and more.

Soft Power Listening Party – Public Theater NY YouTube Channel – April 17th – 8 PM EDT/5 PM PDT

When Jeanine Tesori and David Henry Hwang’s musical-within-a-play Soft Power played the Ahmanson Theatre in 2018 it proved to be a wholly unique way of telling a story through both a play and a musical. I loved it.

The show was reworked and opened at The Public Theater in New York and that cast recored the show. Soft Power was just made available on Ghostlight Records in the digital and streaming formats.

To celebrate the release, some of the cast and the creators of the show are holding a listening party on The Public Theater’s YouTube channel. They are also raising funds for both The Public Theater and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

The Phantom of the Opera – The Show Must Go On YouTube Page – April 17th – beginning at 2 PM EDT/11 AM PDT for 48 hours

Andrew Lloyd Webber continues to make performances of his musicals available for 48 hours with this version of his blockbuster musical The Phantom of the Opera.

This production stars Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom, Sierra Boggess as Cristine Daaé and Hadley Fraser Raoul. Nick Morris and Laurence Connor directed this 25th Anniversary performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Attaca Quartet performs Caroline Shaw’s Orange – The Greene Space YouTube Page

If you aren’t familiar with composer Caroline Shaw, this is a great opportunity to get introduced to her work. Orange, performed here by the Attaca Quartet, is one of Shaw’s highly-acclaimed works. Their recording of Orange won the Grammy Award for Best Chamber Musical/Small Ensemble Performance.

Shaw is the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her Partita for 8 Voices.

This performance comes from a 2019 performance at WNYC/WQXR’s The Greene Space.

TCM Classic Film Festival: Special Home Edition – Turner Classic Movies – Now – April 20th

The annual TCM Classic Film Festival had to be canceled due to the ongoing crisis. However, they have moved the festival from Hollywood to your living room. For fans of theatre and jazz there are a few options worth checking out (whether you have never seen them or want a chance to revisit them!) Note that some are not showing at convenient times (unless you are an insomniac) so set your DVR.

Grey Gardens – April 18th 1:30 AM EDT/April 17th 10:30 PM PDT

This is the documentary that inspired the Tony Award-winning musical. The Maysles Brothers (Albert and David) made an utterly compelling film about Jackie Kennedy’s aunt, Edith Bouvier Beale (79) and cousin, Edith ‘Little Edie’ Bouvier Beale (56). They live in a completely rundown mansion on Long Island with no running water that is filled with multiple animals including numbers cats and raccoons in the attic.

The Man with the Golden Arm – April 18th 6:00 AM EDT/3:00 AM PDT

This 1955 film by Otto Preminger makes our list because Elmer Bernstein’s score is so driven by jazz. Not the first film to use jazz as the style of a film score, but certainly one of the best.

Frank Sinatra stars as an ex-junkie who returns home after half-a-year in prison. While in prison he not only got clean, but learned to play drums. Upon his return he has to face the real world and whether or not he has fully recovered from his heroin addiction.

Both Sinatra and Bernstein were Oscar-nominated for their work on this film. Another reason to check out the film is Saul Bass’s amazing title sequence.

Mame – April 19th 3:30 PM EDT/12:30 PM PDT

This is the classic Rosalind Russell film from 1958 that is truly essential viewing. Mame tells the same story as Jerry Herman’s musical (and the subsequent disaster of a film of that musical with Lucille Ball), but Russell’s performance here is superb. Fans of the musical will want to check out this film. In our troubled times perhaps we can all take some sage advice from our dear Auntie Mame.

Singin’ in the Rain – April 19th 6:00 PM EDT/3:00 PM PDT

One of Hollywood’s best musicals ever and recently on the list of best films to watch during the pandemic. Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds star. Watch this film and you’ll be singing “Good Morning” on Monday.

Victor, Victoria – April 20th 3:30 AM EDT/12:30 AM PDT

Blake Edwards’s 1982 film musical was, of course, the basis for the Broadway musical. Julie Andrews stars as a woman, pretending to be a man, pretending to be a woman, who becomes a singing sensation in Paris. But she has to maintain the disguise just as she falls in love with a gangster played by James Garner.

The film also stars a phenomenal Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren and Alex Karras.

The songs were written by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse.

The Verdi Chorus: The Force of Destiny – The Verdi Chorus Website and Facebook Page – April 18th – 10:30 PM EDT/ 7:30 PM PDT

Forced to cancel their planned April 18th concert, The Verdi Chorus is going to stream their first online concert: The Force of Destiny. This was their 2018 concert that featured selections from Verdi’s La forza del destino, Nabucco and La Traviata. It also included music from Strauss’s Die Fledermaus.

Joining the Verdi Chorus are Shana Blake Hill, soprano, Karin Mushegain, mezzo-soprano, Alex Boyer, tenor and baritone Ben Lowe.

Treasure Island – National Theatre Live’s YouTube Page – Now – April 23rd

Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel has been given a couple twists for this 2014 stage version. First of all, Jim, is played by actress Patsy Ferran. There is music and songs by Dan Jones with additional songs by John Tams.

But the reviews were extraordinary. Arthur Darvill (of Dr. Who) plays Long John Silver. Polly Findlay directed the play. Tim van Someren directed the film. Treasure Island runs 1 hour 50 minutes.

Buyer and Cellar – Broadway.Com – April 19th – 8 PM EDT/5 PM PDT

Actor Michael Urie has performed Jonathan Tolin’s Buyer and Cellar countless times. It’s a perfect role for him as the man who attends to Barbra Streisand’s personal shopping mall in her Malibu home. Of course, this isn’t a true story, but what if it was?

On Sunday Urie will perform the show from his own home as a fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Covid-19 Emergency Assitance Fund. The performance will stream on Broadway.Com.

This is a thoroughly entertaining show and well worth your time.

***Don’t forget there is also Madama Butterfly on April 17th, Adriana Lecouvreur on April 18th and Der Rosenkavalier on April 19th – each available for 23 hours beginning at 7:30 PM EDT/4:30 PM PDT at the Metropolitan Opera’s website.

Another reminder that WNET is making five different Great Performances available. For details you can go here.

Photo: The company of Treasure Island (Photo by Johan Persson/Courtesy of National Theatre Live)

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The Broad Stage Music Mornings – The Broad Stage Facebook Page – April 12th

This is the third consecutive Music Mornings from The Broad Stage in Santa Monica. The Reverend Shawn Amos, whose jubilant approach to the blues is completely a pleasure to hear, will be joined by bassist Jennifer Leitham and saxophonist Mindi Abair. (One assumes they will perform from their own social-distanced homes.)

Amos is the curator of a series called blackbox which highlights emerging artists in the fields of jazz and blues music. He has an album coming out next week entitled Blue Sky.

Leitham has performed with a veritable who’s who of jazz including Peggy Lee, Woody Herman, Mel Tormé and countless others.

Abair has collaborated with artists ranging from Max Weinberg (of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), Trombone Shorty, Lalah Hathaway and dozens more.

Jane Eyre – National Theatre Live at Home (available through Thursday, April 16th)

This Old Vic production is part of National Theatre Live’s At Home Series that began last week with the week-long availability of One Man, Two Guvnors.

Sally Cookson directed this 2014 production that garnered rave reviews for its inventive way of telling Charlotte Brontë’s story of a young orphan who suffers years of abuse before becoming a governess for Edward Rochester. She discovers a secret he’s been hiding which propels the final act of the story.

Madeleine Worrall earned rave reviews for her portrayal of the title character. Felix Hayes plays “Rochester.” Expect this production to take an unorthodox approach to telling Jane Eyre.

Jeremy Denk: The Well-Tempered Clavier on YouTube

One of classical music’s finest pianists and best thinkers, Jeremy Denk, takes viewers on a deep dive into Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier. Direct from his barn in the Catskills, Denk discusses and performs music from Book 1 of Bach’s composition. This event was originally scheduled to be performed live at The Greene Space in New York City, but like many events, it was reconfigured in light of the pandemic.

Jesus Christ Superstar – The Shows Must Go On on YouTube

This is the first of two productions of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical available for you this weekend. This production dates back to 2012 and began its life as a reality show competition to find someone to play the role of Jesus.

In the competition Ben Forster was selected and he co-stars with Tim Minchin (composer of the musicals Matilda and Groundhog Day) as “Judas,” Melanie C as “Mary Magdalene” and Chris Moyles as “King Herod.” This was an arena tour production, so expect it to be big.

This production will only be available for 48 hours Friday at 2 PM EDT/11 AM PDT.

Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert – NBC – April 12th at 7:00 PM EDT/PDT

NBC is re-running their 2018 live production of the musical on Easter Sunday. John Legend stars as “Jesus,” with Brandon Victor Dixon as “Judas,” Sara Bareilles as “Mary Magdalene” and Alice Cooper as “King Herod.”

Live from Feinstein’s/54 Below – Just a reminder that Liz Callaway performs The Beat Goes On starting at 12:30 PM on Friday. This concert will only be available for one day.

If you’d like to see what operas are available for streaming from the Metropolitan Opera this weekend, go here.

If you’d like to see the shows WNET is making available from Great Performances go here.

Main photo: The company of Jane Eyre (Photo by Manuel Harlan/Courtesy of National Theatre Live)

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In alphabetical order the five Great Performances shows available are:

Harold Prince: The Director’s Life

Lonny Price, who appeared in Merrily We Roll Along, directed this documentary which is a look at the man who directed and produced that show, Harold Prince.

Prince, who passed away last July, had an unparalleled career that included such Broadway shows as The Pajama Game, West Side Story, Cabaret and many Sondheim musicals including Company, Follies, A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd. In some cases he produced the shows; in others he directed them and in still others he both produced and directed the shows.

Amongst those making an appearance in this documentary are Sondheim, Angela Lansbury, Andrew Lloyd Webber (Prince directed Phantom of the Opera), Mandy Patinkin, composer John Kander and Prince himself.

Harold Prince: The Director’s Life runs approximately 83 minutes.

Much Ado About Nothing

We’ve previously written about this production of Much Ado About Nothing. Directed by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon, this production comes from The Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park series. The show was part of the 2019 season.

Danielle Brooks (Clemency) and Grantham Coleman (The Americans) star as battling lovers Beatrice and Benedick. It is an all-Black cast playing the characters as Black characters. Leon has put together a very contemporary and timely (in the #MeToo era) production that earned rave reviews.

Much Ado About Nothing runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes

Noël Coward’s Present Laughter

Kevin Kline won the 2017 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Garry Essendine in Noël Coward’s uproarious comedy. Joining him in this production are Kate Burton (The Constant Wife), Kristine Nielsen (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) and Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother).

Present Laughter first appeared on Broadway in 1946 and has proven quite attractive to actors who love farce.

Essendine is a well-known British staged actor whose adoring fans are ravenous. So are the people in his life including a woman with stars in her eyes, his ex-wife, an up ‘n’ coming playwright, Essendine’s friend’s wife, a secretary and others who all surround him as he nears his 40th birthday and a trip to Africa.

This is perfect material for Kline and for those seeking humor this is a must-see.

Present Laughter runs approximately 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Red

When John Logan’s play about artist Mark Rothko first appeared in London at the Donmar Warehouse in 2009, it was inevitable that the play would transfer to Broadway. It did in 2010 with original cast members Alfred Molina as Rothko and Eddie Redmayne as a fictional assistant.

Red was nominated for 7 Tony Awards and won six of them including Best Play for Logan. He was the creator of Showtime’s Penny Dreadful.

Logan’s play takes place as Rothko has the commission to create the murals for the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York. It’s a tight play that gives both actors great parts. I saw the show with Molina at the Mark Taper Forum in 2012 with Jonathan Groff as his assistant. It’s a terrific play.

This filmed version of the play features Molina with Alfred Enoch as his assistant.

Red runs approximately 93 minutes.

Sound of Music

Just as the United States has done live television versions of musicals, so has the UK. This production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s beloved musical dates to 2015. Starring as Maria is Kara Tointon (The Man in the White Suite) and Captain Von Trapp is played by Julian Ovenden (Sunday in the Park with George and Downton Abbey).

This production went out live, was sung live and took place all on a soundstage. If you don’t know the story of the Von Trapp Family and how they escaped the rise of the Nazi’s, let me just say it’s more complicated than Do-Re-Mi.

Sound of Music runs approximately 2 hours

Main photo: Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch in “Red” (Photo by Johan Persson/Courtesy of PBS)

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Gaines and Kristien performed together in Phantom longer than any two leads during the Los Angeles run of the overwhelmingly popular musical.

Kristien also appeared on Broadway in a revival of Show Boat and a revival of Camelot with Richards Burton & Harrison. Gaines also appeared in a Broadway revival of the Lerner and Loewe musical with Burton. (See they have stories to tell from more than just Phantom.)

Locally we’ve seen more of Gaines than we have of Kristien. Both appear as guests for local concerts.

This show will find them performing separately and together and sharing stories of their many years on the stage.

But can we finally discuss one reality about The Phantom of the Opera? Isn’t the title character ultimately a bit like Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love? His role only requires an actor to be on stage for 27 minutes of its performance time. Whereas Christine is on stage for two-and-a-half hours. Not to take anything away from the fine actors who have played the part of the Phantom, but behind every great masked character is clearly a very strong and very visible woman.

Photos of Davis Gaines and Dale Kristien courtesy of the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.

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The musical depicts the last seven days in the life of Christ (Aaron La Vigne) and is seen, primarily, through the eyes of Judas (James Delisco Beeks). It features such well-known songs as I Don’t Know How to Love Him and Superstar. Lyrics were written by Tim Rice.

This production began its life at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in England where it won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. Timothy Sheader, who directed the production in England also directs the tour. Choreographer Drew McOnie also returns for the tour.

Other members of the cast include Jenna Rubaii as Mary, Alvi Crawford as Caiaphas, Tommy Sherlock as Pilate, Tyce Green as Annas, Eric A. Lewis as Simon, Paul Louis Lessard as Herod and Tommy McDowell as Peter.

If you saw the live performance of Jesus Christ Superstar on television, this will be a more contained version since it is a stage musical. But if you loved that version, this looks to appeal on many of the same levels.

Unlike many of the shows that play at the Pantages Theatre, Jesus Christ Superstar will not be going to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. However, it will play San Diego’s Civic Theatre November 12th – 17th.

For tickets at the Hollywood Pantages go here.

For tickets at San Diego’s Civic Theatre go here.

Photo of James Delisco Beeks and the company of Jesus Christ Superstar by Evan Zimmerman, Murphy Made/Courtesy of the Hollywood Pantages Theatre

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Hal Prince passed away today in Iceland a the age of 91. His last show on Broadway was The Prince of Broadway, a show that celebrated his legendary career. It only ran for 76 performances, but gave audiences a look into the career of a man who made the theatre his home.

Prince collaborated with everybody. That’s no exaggeration. Bob Fosse, Leonard Bernstein, Kander & Ebb, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jerome Robbins, Cy Coleman, Tim Rice, Terrence McNally, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Jason Robert Brown and perhaps most famously, Stephen Sondheim.

Prince was the producer of West Side Story and A Funny Thing Happened… before adding director for Sondheim’s shows from Company through to Merrily We Roll Along. He also produced all those shows along the way with the exception of Sweeney Todd.

Simply put, Hal Prince was theatre royalty. And he kept working. His philosophy was always keep an eye on the future . He once said, “I don’t look back. I look forward and plan new shows. That’s really feeding the most important part of working in the theater.”

I never met Hal Prince. I saw many of his shows. As readers might know, when I saw Sweeney Todd it was like finding religion. I did, however, sit next time him once at a performance of David Mamet’s The Old Neighborhood in 1997. He wasn’t involved in the show. I assumed he was there to support Patti LuPone who played Evita.

The play was not particularly memorable. In fact, I remember finding it dull and uninspired. I don’t know what Prince thought of the play. I do firmly recall that when the cast came out for a third curtain call he said to his guest, “Oh Christ, they are coming out again!!!!” That made the entire evening for me.

Hal Prince, for better or for worse, gave us musicals as events. As spectacles. Some of them much better than others. What sets him apart from most producers today in the theatre is that he actually was passionate about it for artistic reasons, not just financial. He was a creature of the theatre. The likes of him are unlikely to be seen ever again.

“I always had a good time in theatre, even when shows don’t turn out as well as I’d like.” – Harold Prince

So did we, sir. So did we. Thank you..

Photo of Harold Prince during a rehearsal of Merrily We Roll Along by Martha Swope/Courtesy of New York Public Library Archives.

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Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber took the writing of T.S. Eliot (from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats) as the source of his musical. The show was directed by Trevor Nunn who contributed lyrics to two of the show’s songs. Perhaps best known is the one song that has become a standard, Memory (performed by Betty Buckley who won a Tony Award for her portrayal of “Grizabella.”)

Nunn returns to direct this revival as does scenic and costume designer John Napier. New for this production is the lighting design by Natasha Katz. Most intriguing is the new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler. He is a three-time Tony Award winner for his work on Bandstand, In the Heights and a little show called Hamilton. His work here is based on the original landmark choreography by Gillian Lynne.

The story revolves around the selection of one cat to be reborn. But it isn’t the story that has compelled audiences around the world. It is the entire look and feel of the show. Cats won 7 Tony Awards for the original production.

Cats will also play the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa for one week beginning April 9th.

Production photo by Matthew Murhpy/Courtesy of the Pantages Theatre

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As in the 2003 Richard Linklater film on which this musical is based, Dewey Finn dreams of being a rock star. Unable to pay his bills, he intercepts his friend’s offer to be a substitute teacher. Totally untrained and unprepared to lead students toward higher learning, he lands the job and teaches the kids the one thing he knows best: rock music. What presents itself as a rock musical is, at its very core, a story about the value of music education.

If you look at Colletti’s bio in the program for the show you’ll see his credits (The Book of Mormon as Elder Cunningham, The 25^thAnnual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Grease.) But it was the last line that intrigued me most: “For Ms. Brady, my first music teacher.” So when I spoke with Colletti by phone it didn’t take too long for her name to come up. Though he didn’t tell me about his high school performances as Mr. Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors nor Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said in an interview with NPR in 2015 that “every school has got a Dewey.” Did you have a Dewey in your high school? If so, who was it?

I guess Carolyn Brady was my Dewey. She was my first ever theatre and music teacher in high school. I went to a Catholic High School [St. Francis High School in Wheaton, IL] and she really went against what you would anticipate a traditional curriculum in a Catholic high school to be. She exposed us to the musical theatre classics, Buried Child by Sam Shepard, The Laramie Project. We actually got to read plays and we would do readings in our theatre class to see what the story would feel like. It wasn’t just theatre. She showed us video of operas and concerts by people who made a difference in her life. And art. 

Tell me how your met Ms. Brady.

I grew up playing sports my entire life and in high school I actually started acting by accident. I auditioned for a play my freshman year. I went with a friend who walked by my locker and said “do this thing with me.” I ended up getting the lead role. Ms. Brady said “You should do it. You’re really good.” I ended up doing every show the whole time I was in high school. I wouldn’t be here without her encouragement. She opened my eyes to how different your world could be by going out of your comfort zone.

Culture wasn’t an inherent part of your upbringing?

There’s sort of a culture within the world my parents came from where they just didn’t have exposure to anyone outside of their world. It’s a blue-collar community, it’s very white, very Christian and anything else is sort of abnormal.

How did all these things Carolyn Brady exposed you to prepare you for the life and career you have now?

When you expose yourself to anything outside of that, then you are not doing what’s expected of you.  I thought what was expected was to be there for other people. Not that that’s a bad thing, but I wasn’t living the truest version of my life. I wouldn’t have discovered the things about myself that I’ve grown to love about myself like music, art, politics. It’s very risqué to talk about politics in my house and my community. If you go against that you are a bit of a wild card and people notice that. To not have to carry that burden, knowing I would have found [the arts,] and then been stuck in that community, that would have been a very rude awakening. I wouldn’t have been happy.

Given everything Colletti has said so far, I felt it was time I looked up Carolyn Brady to get her point of view on her former student and the impact a teacher could have. Ms. Brady is Carolyn Jean Brady and she has a voice studio of her own after teaching at St. Francis High School for 16 years.

How did you get away with teaching some of the things you did within a Catholic high school?

They are a relatively liberal school, but I’ll be honest, nobody knocked on my door and asked to look at my curriculum. I felt like teens in Wheaton were so incredibly sheltered living so close to a big city [Chicago] and they didn’t know it was okay to be different. I remember being an angsty teenager and I wanted to give them an opportunity to be empowered.

What do you remember most about the time Rob was there?

I never imagined I’d be a teacher. I kind of fell into and I’m so happy I did. When I started working with Rob I had created that position at the high school. I was figuring it all out as I went. Rob’s just such a character and this was a kid who wanted to learn and know more and see more and learn outside of himself.

Rob has been on Broadway and is touring the country now. You must be thrilled and to see your name in the program must have been amazing.

It blew me away. I couldn’t even breathe. I feel like being a teacher is the gift that keeps on giving. I’m really humbled by it. I just want to spend the energy on them. I feel like I’m just giving them the rules and they are the ones doing the work.

Now back to Rob Colletti, who is finding out that teaching and inspiring people is something he may also be doing.

School of Rock plays like a rock concert. But isn’t advocacy of music education really at the heart of the show?

No question and especially timely given the current political climate. I think it’s so important to be able to relay that message on a nightly basis. People definitely see that. The most meaningful part of my job is there have been a few times when a kid has come to the stage door and even an elderly woman, who said they would take up an instrument the next day. To have that impact on one person is so gratifying. It’s pretty incredible.

All production photos by Matthew Murphy

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