Here is Jazz Stream: September 1st – September 7th:

Wessel “Warmdaddy” Anderson – New Orleans Jazz Museum Balcony – September 1st – 6:00 PM EDT/3:00 PM PDT

If you’ve ever been to New Orleans you know the sound of music seems to fill the air. On Tuesday it will literally fill the air as saxophonist Wessel “Warmdaddy” Anderson will be performing live from the balcony of the New Orleans Jazz Museum.

Anderson has been playing jazz for most of his life. After Meeting Wynton and Branford Marsalis, he found his way to Louisiana and shortly thereafter, into a gig with singer Betty Carter. Joining Wynton’s Septet followed shortly thereafter.

He’s released several albums of his own and has also recorded with Marcus Roberts in addition to Wynton Marsalis. I listened to his album Space will writing this column and thoroughly loved it.

This should be a fun way to get ready for the long holiday weekend. The performance will be available on the New Orleans Jazz Museum Facebook page.

Detroit Jazz Festival – Detroit Jazz Festival Facebook and Instagram Pages – September 4th – September 7th

You don’t have to be in Detroit this weekend to experience this year’s Detroit Jazz Festival. They are streaming the full program on both their Facebook and Instagram pages. You can also sign up for $20 to Detroit Jazz Festive Live! App and that will not only give you access to this year’s festival, but also to select programming throughout the year.

You can find the entire schedule here, but the following performances stand out to me as ones not to miss:

Justice! – September 4th – 7:15 PM EDT/4:15 PM PDT

This is a four-movement tribute to fighting racism. Traditional spirits open the piece with the last three movements by Chris Collins, Michael Jellick and Robert Hurst.

Pharaoh Sanders Icon – September 4th – 9:30 PM EDT/6:30 PDT

Rodney Whitaker Septet with vocalist Rockelle Fortin featuring the Music of Count Basie and Billie Holiday – September 5th – 8:20 PM EDT/5:20 PM PDT

Something to Live For – Music of Billy Strayhorn – September 5th – 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PDT

Robert Hurst featuring Black Current Jam – September 6th – 8:20 PM EDT/5:20 PM PDT

Michael Jellick Sextet – September 6th – 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PM PDT

Joey Alexander Trio – September 7th – 2:55 PM EDT/11:55 AM PDT

The Curtis Taylor Quartet – September 7th – 4:05 PM EDT/1:05 PM PDT

James Carter Organ Trio – September 7th – 5:15 PM EDT/2:15 PM PDT

Robert Glasper – September 7th – 10:15 PM EDT/7:15 PM PDT

Kenny Werner Trio – Smalls – September 4th – 4:45 PM EDT/1:45 PDT

How you know pianist Kenny Werner might depend on what music you listen to most. If you listen to jazz and love the music of Toots Thielemans, you’d know Werner’s playing. If you love Broadway star Betty Buckley and have seen her in concert, you’ve likely seen Werner as her music director.

Whichever way you know Werner, you know he’s quite talented. He and his trio (Ari Hoenig on drums and Johannes Weidenmuller on bass) will perform on Friday from the stage of Smalls in New York City.

Dee Dee Bridgewater: Horace Silver Tribute – SFJAZZ – September 4th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

This week’s concert on SFJAZZ’s Fridays at Five features one of my favorite singers: Dee Dee Bridgewater. This concert from September 2017 was in celebration of pianist/composer Horace Silver. Her album Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver was released in 1995 and she received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Performance.

Silver appears on the album (he passed away in 2014). Bridgewater’s previous husband, Cecil Bridgewater, was a trumpeter working with Silver in the early 1970s.

Bridgewater is dynamic in concert. I’ve seen her perform many times and always look forward to the chance to see her again. This should be a terrific concert.

For those new to this column, SFJazz makes their concerts available for streaming only at 5:00 PM PDT and only on Fridays. To access the concert you have to sign up for either a one-month subscription (for all of $5 which gives you a month of access) or for a one-year subscriptions (for $60 for a year).

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – Blue Note Live – September 4th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

On March 15th of this year, the last live performance took place at Blue Note in New York before the pandemic forced everything to be closed. The performer of that concert was trumpeter/composer Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah. He was celebrating the release of his 2019 album, Ancestral Recall (which is a terrific album you should hear.)

This August a recording of this Blue Note performance was released as an album called Axiom. He was joined by his septet which included Elena Pinderhughes – flute; Alex Han – saxophone; Weedie Braimah – djembefola; Lawrence Fields – piano; Kris Funn – bass; and Corey Fonville on drums.

He has 15 albums as a leader and has also recorded with such artists as Donald Harrison, Nnenna Freelon, Grace Kelly, David Benoit and Marcus Miller.

Blue Note charges $15 to watch the performance. They have an impressive schedule of concerts this fall. I have a feeling many of us will be shelling out $15 to get to watch amazing performances like this one.

If you live in Japan and Asia you will be able to stream the concert on September 5th at 8:00 PM JST.

Melissa Aldana Quartet – Smalls – September 5th – 4:45 PM EDT/1:45 PM PDT

Last March we previewed two concerts scheduled at The Soraya by Melissa Aldana. Sadly, they were cancelled as the pandemic become a more serious issue. So rather than recap who Aldana is, I’ll direct you to the preview we posted.

For this concert from Smalls in New York Aldana, who plays tenor sax, is joined by Charles Altura – guitar; Pablo Menares – bass and Kush Abadey on drums.

New Music: Before this column comes to an end, I want to point you in the direction of a new album that was released this week by Bettye Lavette. The album is called Blackbirds and finds the legendary singer performing songs primarily made famous by Black women. Amongst the songs are I Hold No Grudge (Nina Simone), Save Your Love For Me (Nancy Wilson) and Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday).

The title track is, of course, a notable exception as it was a song by The Beatles.

Every song LaVette sings she makes it wholly and uniquely her own. Few singers bring as much raw emotion to a song the way she does. I strongly recommend you take time out to listen to Blackbirds. It’s a terrific album.

That does it for Jazz Stream: September 1st – September 7th. Enjoy this week of jazz.

Photo of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah courtesy of ropeadope.com

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This weekend’s Best Bets include traditional ballet and hip-hop dance; a celebration of one of America’s greatest playwrights; an opera legend in concert; a production of an opera by Stravinsky; a chamber music concert from Carnegie Hall; one of Broadway’s most provocative events and a live concert with a Broadway star who knows his way around roller skates.

Here are your Best Bets at Home: July 31st – August 2nd:

The Sleeping Beauty – Royal Ballet – Now – August 6th

Fourteen years ago, the Royal Ballet dusted off their 1946 original staging of Sleeping Beauty. While the costumes and designs by Oliver Messel remained in tact, they combined the choreography of Marius Petipa from the 19th century with new sections created by Frederick Ashton, Anthony Dowell and Christopher Wheeldon.

The music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky remains front and center as does the story of a young girl, Aurora, who has a curse placed on her. On her 16th birthday she will prick her finger on a spindle and die. The Lilac Fairy can’t reverse the curse, but she does create an opposing spell that spares Aurora from death, but she will remain asleep until a handsome prince kisses her.

Fumi Kaneko dances the role of Aurora. Kristen McNally dances the role of Carabosse who puts the curse on the girl. The Lilac Fairy is danced by Gina Storm Jensen. The Prince is danced by Federico Bonelli.

The Kindness of Strangers – TennesseeWilliams.net – July 31st – August 14

When the 2020 Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival had to be cancelled, actor Bryan Batt (Mad Men) suggested rounding up long-time participants in the festival and taking it online. The result is Friday’s The Kindness of Strangers. The event takes place live on Friday, July 31st at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT. It will remain available online for free through August 14th.

If you need me to tell you the source of the event’s title, perhaps The Kindness of Strangers isn’t for you. But for a quick refresher course on Williams, he is the playwright who gave us The Glass Menagerie, Summer and Smoke, The Rose Tattoo, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Orpheus Descending, Suddenly Last Summer, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Night of the Iguana and, of course, A Streetcar Named Desire.

The festival was launched in 1986, so they have a length list of participants and many of them are joining for The Kindness of Strangers.

Batt will serves as the host. The scheduled performers includes: Samantha Beaulieu, Troi Bechet, Curtis Billings, Betty Buckley (Camino Real), Leslie Castay, Michael Cerveris, Patricia Clarkson, Patrick Cragin, Brenda  Currin, Lisa  D’Amour, Arsène DeLay, Gwendolyne Foxworth, Alison Fraser, Lawrence Henry Gobble, John Goodman (who was a terrific “Big Daddy” in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Geffen Playhouse), Rodney Hicks, Kenneth  Holditch, Corey Johnson, Idella Johnson, Peggy Scott Laborde, Donald Lewis, Ti Martin, Elizabeth McCoy, Jessica Mixon, Whitney Mixon, Wendell Pierce (who gives a great performance in the film Clemency), Francine Segal, Janet  Shea, Harry Shearer, Carol Sutton, Beverly Trask, Kathleen Turner (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Cassie Worley, and Jake Wynne-Wilson.

The Kindness of Strangers is free to watch, but donations are encouraged.

Janine Jansen and Jean-Yves Thibaudet play Grieg, Debussy, and Chausson – Medici.tv – Now – August 2nd

This week’s Carnegie Hall concert made available on Medici.tv finds violinist Janine Jansen and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet performing a chamber musical recital from 2018. They are joined by the Dover Quartet for performances of music by Edvard Grieg, Claude Debussy and Ernest Chausson.

The program offers Debussy’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor; Grieg’s Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major and Chausson’s Concert for Violin, Piano and String Quartet in D Major.

This concert was part of Carnegie Hall’s Perspectives series which allows an artist to program a series of concerts. This was the next-to-last of Jansen’s series.

Zoo Nation: The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party – Royal Ballet – July 31st

Hip-hop meets Lewis Carroll in this adaptation inspired by the author’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Zoo Nation/The Kate Prince Company was commissioned to put this dance piece together by The Royal Ballet to accompany Christopher Wheeldon’s full-length ballet named after Carroll’s book.

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party centers around a young psychotherapist in his first job at the Institute for Extremely Normal Behaviour. His patients are all familiar characters to fans of this book: the March Hare, the Mad Hatter, Tweedledum and Tweedledee and the Queen of Hearts. He hopes his PhD in normalization will help him understand his patients better. Perhaps there isn’t anything to understand beyond that normal may not be all it is cracked up to be.

Kate Prince directed and choreographed the show. Music is by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde with all three creators collaborating on the lyrics.

Zoë Anderson from the The Independent in London said of the show, “Prince blends big group numbers with explosive solos. The whole company is strong, with dazzling turns by some of its best regular performers.”

Renée Fleming in Concert – Metropolitan Opera – August 1st – 1:00 PM EDT/10:00 AM PDT

As part of the Metropolitan Opera’s ongoing series of Met Stars Live in Concert, Renée Fleming will be accompanied by pianist Robert Ainsley for a live recital from Washington, D.C.’s Dumbarton Oaks.

Lyric soprano Fleming is amongst the most popular opera singers in the world.

A graduate of Juilliard, she won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in 1988. That same year she made her debut with the Houston Grand Opera Company in The Marriage of Figaro. She sang the role of The Countess. Three years later she made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the same opera and the rest is history.

She is a 17-time Grammy Award nominee with four wins. She’s a fierce advocate for the study of health and music and how they are intertwined. Fleming is also passionate about education. She can be found on Broadway (the most recent revival of Carousel) and has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Brad Mehldau and more.

The recital is scheduled to include works by Handel (Semele), Massenet (Manon), Richard Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier), Korngold (Die Tote Stadt), Cilea (Adriana Lecouvreur), Puccini (Giannia Schicchi) along with a folk song by Joseph Canteloube and a little nod to Hollywood with Over the Rainbow from The Wizard Oz by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg.

Tickets to watch the concert are $20. With your ticket you will be able to watch the performance live and have access to it for 12 days.

Broadway Bares: Zoom In – Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS – August 1st – 9:30 PM EDT/6:30 PM PDT

One of the most popular annual events in the Broadway community is a burlesque show called Broadway Bares. Director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell created the event to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Broadway Bares finds Broadway dancers performing uniquely choreographed routines that all gradually peel away their clothes.

Nobody appears fully nude in show, as per the truest tradition of burlesque. Men and women perform the numbers which are choreographed by some of the Broadway community’s best.

This is always one of the toughest tickets to get in New York. But this year, we’re all invited. Broadway Bares: Zoom In takes place on Saturday and will feature newly created pieces filmed/performed adhering to social distancing guidelines, plus there will be films of classic routines from the nearly 30-year history of the event.

There is no charge to watch the event, but donations are encouraged.

The Rake’s Progress – Glyndebourne – August 2nd – August 9th

Igor Stravinsky’s opera had its world premiere in Venice in 1951. Poet W. H. Auden and poet/librettist Chester Kallman wrote the libretto. All three were inspired by artist William Hogarth’s paintings from the 1730s – a series entitled A Rake’s Progress.

The opera traces the fall of Tom Rakewell. When he encounters Nick Shadow, he leaves behind Anne Truelove. Shadow and Rakewell soak up all that London has to offer.

But Rakewell is unaware that Shadow is actually the Devil. One series of events leads to another and our protagonist finds himself in a mental word.

In this 2010 production from Glyndebourne, Topi Lehtipuu sings the role of Rakewell. Matthew Rose sings Shadow and Miah Persson sings the role of Truelove.

This is a revival of John Cox’s 1975 production that was designed by artist David Hockney. Vladimir Jurowski lead the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tim Ashley, writing for The Guardian, said of this revival, “Designed by David Hockney and directed by John Cox, Glyndebourne’s production of The Rake’s Progress dates from 1975 and is still widely regarded as the benchmark staging of Stravinsky’s great, if difficult, opera.

“Hockney’s designs mediate between the 18th century and the 20th, just as the score self-consciously shuttles between Mozartian models and modernism. Cox’s understanding, meanwhile, of when to keep us detached and when to let emotions through remains wonderfully acute.”

Cheyenne Jackson with Seth Rudetsky – BroadwayWorld.com – August 2nd – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

If you only know Cheyenne Jackson from his roles on Glee or American Horror Story, there’s much more than that to him. For it is Broadway where he truly rose to fame.

Jackson made his Broadway debut as a replacement in the musical Aida. He was also a replacement in Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Audiences started taking serious notice when he starred in the musical All Shook Up in 2005. The stage musical Xanadu was next in 2007 (which showcased his roller skating abilities). He starred alongside Kate Baldwin in the wonderful 2009 revival of Finian’s Rainbow. His most recent show was The Performers in 2012.

Jackson joins music director/composer/pianist and Broadway expert Seth Rudetsky for his weekly Online Seth Concert Series. The show will be a combination of conversation and song. Sunday’s performance will be live. If you can’t watch the show live, there is an encore showing on Monday, August 3rd at 3:00 PM EDT/12:00 PM PDT.

Tickets are $20 for either performance.

As you can see, this week’s Best Bets at Home: July 31st – August 2nd is a short but sweet list. But I have a few reminders before we go:

This weekend’s opera productions from the Metropolitan Opera are Dvořák’s Rusalka on Friday; Verdi’s Ernani on Saturday and Wagner’s Die Walküre on Sunday.

SF Jazz continues their multi-part Wayne Shorter Celebration on Fridays at Five with Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard on Friday at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT.

The Fred Hirsch Trio will perform live sets from the Village Vanguard on Friday and Saturday at 9:00 PM EDT/6:00 PM PDT.

The Julius Rodriguez Trio performs live from Smalls on Sunday at 7:45 PM EDT/4:45 PM PDT.

I hope you enjoy this weekend’s Best Bets at Home: July 31st – August 2nd. Stay safe and healthy!

Photo: Artwork from the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival 2020 Cover/Courtesy of the Festival

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On Thursday, July 16th, Broadway Barks will take place at 7:30 PM EDT/4:30 PM PDT and can be watched on Broadway.com’s Facebook page.

This year marks the 22nd annual event. Each event features celebrities and shelter pets that are available for adoption. This year, with the pandemic, animals and celebrities are being paired up within the safety of their homes.

Peters and her colleagues have assembled a great line-up of talent:

Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Betty Buckley, Danny Burstein, Michael Cerveris, Kristin Chenoweth, Victoria Clark, Alan Cumming, Ted Danson, Ariana DeBose, Raúl Esparza, Gloria Estefan, Sutton Foster, Victor Garber, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Goldblum, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Joel Grey, Josh Groban, Jake Gyllenhaal, Julie Halston, Jon Hamm, Emmylou Harris, Sean Hayes, Hugh Jackman, Andy Karl, Nathan Lane, Laura Linney, Rebecca Luker, Audra McDonald, Malcolm McDowell, Laurie Metcalf, Bette Midler, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Rita Moreno, Bebe Neuwirth, Alex Newell, Kelli O’Hara, Orfeh, Mandy Patinkin, Randy Rainbow, Andrew Rannells, John Stamos, Mary Steenburgen, Will Swenson, Michael Urie, Nia Vardalos, Adrienne Warren and Vanessa Williams. 

32 different shelters will participate both in providing dogs and cats available for adoption and in receiving money raised during the event. There is no cost to join Broadway Barks online, but donations are encouraged.

Every year Broadway Barks is a hugely successful pet adoption event. Over the twenty-two years it has taken place they have been able to place approximately 85% of the animals. That means if you fall in love with one of the dogs or cats you see online, you better act quickly!

During Bernadette Peters: A Special Concert, Michael Urie talked about how passionate Peters is in rescuing animals. He said that she regularly goes to shelters that have a “kill policy” (meaning that animals will be euthanized after a certain amount of time has passed) and takes them to shelters that do not have the same policy.

She and co-founder Mary Tyler Moore found a way to take their passion for our four-legged friends and add their celebrity to help animals find homes.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Broadway.com are producing the event. Paul Wontorek, who produced the recent Buyer and Cellar and Take Me to the World events, produces for Broadway.com

Photo: Bernadette Peters at the 2018 Broadway Barks events (Photo by Emilio Madrid for Broadway.com/Courtesy of Broadway.com)

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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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Macbeth – Stratford Festival – Now – May 28th

In their continuing series of providing films of 12 Shakespeare plays, Canada’s Stratford Festival is adding Macbeth to the list of available films this week.

This drama tells the story of a Scottish general who is told by three witches that he will ascend to the throne and be King of Scotland. The combination of his singled-minded pursuit of power and the assistance of his wife, Lady Macbeth, allows him to stop at nothing to become King.

Ian Lake plays the title character, Michael Blake is Macduff, Krystin Pellerin is Lady Macbeth, Scott Wentworth is Banquo and Sarah Afful is Lady Macduff. Antonio Cimolino directed the production.

Remember that King Lear with Colm Feore will be available for one more week. Coriolanus also continues for two weeks.

Antony and Cleopatra – National Theatre Live at Home – Now – May 14th

If you love Shakespeare, but don’t want to spend time with Macbeth, you have another option. National Theatre Live begins live-streaming today their sold-out 2018 production of Antony and Cleopatra which starred Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo as the ill-fated couple.

In this historical love story, written by Shakespeare around 1606, Antony is smitten with Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar and Lepidus share the power to rule Rome, but hints of scandal and libelous stories lead to death and destruction.

Daniel Barenboim Conducts the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra – Carnegie Hall – Now – May 11th

In this Carnegie Hall concert from November 2018, Daniel Barenboim takes to the podium to conduct a program that includes Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. He and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra are joined by soloists soloists Miriam Manasherov (violin) and Kian Soltani (cello).

The concert includes three encores: Saint-Saëns’ The Swan from The Carnival of the Animals, Elgar’s Nimrod from Enigma Variations, Op. 36 and finally Wagner’s Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

These concerts become available at 3 AM EDT/12 AM PDT on May 8th for 72 hours.

Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things – YouTube – May 8th

On Friday at 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT, Lena Hall, Tim Realbuto, Katie Rose Clarke and Jonah Platt will do a live reading of Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things. After the reading, LaBute will join for a Q&A.

In the play, Evelyn (Hall) attempts to change Adam (Realbuto) which leaves his friends Jenny (Clarke) and Phillip (Platt) concerned about how influential Evelyn is being and how beneficial that ultimately is for Adam.

This reading is a benefit for The Actors Fund. There is no charge to view this event, but they are suggesting a $5 donation.

The King and I – Broadway HD – May 8th

Beginning at noon 8 PM EDT/5 PM PDT, Broadway HD is making available a film of the 2015 Broadway Revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The King and I. This production starred Kelli O’Hara as Anna Leonowens, Ken Watanabe as The King of Siam and Ruthie Ann Miles as Lady Thiang. Not only did O’Hara and Miles win Tony Awards for their performances, the production was awarded the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.

Bartlett Sher directed this production which features such beloved songs as “Hello Young Lovers,” “Getting to Know You,” “Shall We Dance” and “Whistle a Happy Tune.”

Gruesome Playground Injuries – Red Line Productions YouTube Channel – May 8th

Saturday morning in Sydney, Australia, Red Line Productions will live-stream a reading of Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries with Rose Byrne and Ewen Leslie. With the time difference, this reading will be available at 8:30 PM EDT/5:30 PM PDT.

The play, which appeared in New York in 2011, tells the story of Kayleen and Doug, two friends who meet in school and are reunited over the course of three decades. That they turn out to be masochists is just one of the intriguing aspects of their personalities.

Joseph was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his play, Bengal Tiger at the Bagdad Zoo. Amongst his other plays are Guards at the Taj and Describe the Night.

Mefistofele – San Francisco Opera – May 9th

San Francisco Opera starts making filmed productions available this weekend with this 2013 production of Arrigo Boito’s Mefistofele, based on Goethe’s Faust. Boito is best known and the librettist for Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, Otello and Falstaff.

SF Opera’s production starred Russian bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov in his staged role debut as the devil Mephistopheles, Mexican tenor Ramón Vargas as Faust and American soprano Patricia Racette in the dual roles of Margherita and Elena. The production was directed by Robert Carsen and conducted by Nicola Luisotti.

The opera had its world premiere in Milan in 1868 were it was not well-received. Seven years later a new production with significant changes by Boito, was more warmly received.

Mefistofele becomes available on May 9th at 1 PM EDT/10 AM PDT and will remain available for streaming until midnight the following day. San Francisco Opera is making additional productions available for streaming over the next few weeks. We will be including them in our weekend Best Bets at Home.

Broadway Does Mother’s Day – May 10th

The Broadway community continues to rally for its own with this Sunday afternoon concert that celebrates Mother’s Day and serves as a fundraiser for Broadway Cares. Broadway Does Mother’s Day begins at 3 PM EDT/12 PM PDT.

A partial list of those participating in the concert includes Annaleigh Ashford, Kate Baldwin, Laura Benanti, Betty Buckley, Liz Callaway, Carolee Carmello, Victoria Clark, Lea DeLaria, Beanie Feldstein, Harvey Fierstein, Victor Garber, Mandy Gonzalez, Jennifer Holliday, James Monroe Iglehart, Judy Kaye, Celia Kennan-Bolger, LaChanze, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Bernadette Peters and Vanessa Williams.

Cast members from the shows Ain’t Too Proud, Beetlejuice, Chicago, Come From Away, Company, Dear Evan Hansen, Diana, Girl from the North Country, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Jagged Little Pill, Mean Girls, Moulin Rouge!, Mrs. Doubtfire, Sing Street, Six and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will appear in sketches and make special appearances.

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin – May 10th – 8 PM EDT/5 PM EDT

Unlike the other events listed on this page, Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin is not a free event. Felder has teamed up with theatres around the world to perform the show as a fundraiser for those theatres. Tickets are $50 per household and will allow access to the live performance for 72 hours. There is also a live talk-back after the performance.

Felder, who will be giving the performance in Florence, Italy, is known for his one-man shows celebrating various composers including George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Debussy.

Berlin is the songwriter who gave us “Always,” “Blue Skies,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “White Christmas” and “God Bless America.” He also wrote the musical Annie Get Your Gun.

The link above is to raise money for The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Those are our choices for your Best Bets at Home: May 8th – 10th. But we also want to remind you of a couple additional selections that we wrote about earlier this week.

Reminder:

Great Performances on PBS is airing on Friday the Los Angeles Philharmonic Centennial Concert from October 2019. It features conductors Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Gustavo Dudamel. Check your local listings.

The operas available this weekend from the Met Opera in New York are La Boheme from 1977 with Luciano Pavarotti and Renata Scotto on Friday; the documentary The Opera House on Saturday and Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliaci on Sunday. Each program becomes available at 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT.

Main Photo: Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe in The King and I (Photo by Paul Kolnik/Courtesy of Lincoln Center Theatre)

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These shows are billed as cabaret performances. Having seen Buckley many times in this setting, concertgoers are indeed in for a treat. She knows her way around just about any song you could name (and certainly plenty you can’t.)

My fondest memory is seeing her at Pepperdine several years ago when she called for a volunteer to come up on stage. No one was particularly willing, so I raised my hand and the next thing I knew she was singing “You’ve Got Possibilities” from It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman! to me. I had the privilege of not just hearing her through the PA system, but to hear how amazing she sounded without amplification. I was that close. And I was blown away. That’s an evening I’ll never forget.

Given that she’s known for her role as Grizabella in Cats, it is probably safe to assume you will hear “Memory” from that show. Don’t be surprised if a song like “Before the Parade Passes By” from Hello, Dolly! finds its way into the setlist either.

Betty Buckley is an actor who sings and a singer who acts. That gives her tremendous abilities that no fan of Broadway musicals and great singing should miss.

November 2nd Buckley will be performing at The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

For tickets for this week’s shows go here.

For tickets at The Saban go here.

Photo of Betty Buckley by John Boal/Courtesy of bettybuckley.com

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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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Hello, Dolly makes its first stop in Southern California starting today at Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa. After a week there the show moves to the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood where the musical will run until February 17th. The show will continue on to San Francisco where it will be at the Golden Gate Theatre from February 19th to March 17th.

I recently spoke by phone with Buckley about the joys and challenges of performing in this utterly joyous musical.

How much work is involved in performing a show that is as joyful as Hello, Dolly!?

Well, good question. Every day is about maintenance to do the eight shows a week. I work out for 1-2 hours a day and vocalize for 30-45 minutes and you have to time your dinner early enough so you aren’t burping through the show. Basically I live like a monk or a nun. I don’t do anything at night and take an epsom salt bath and ice my knees before I go to bed and get up the next day. It’s not easy doing eight shows a week. I’ve lost 38 pounds so far. They just took in all these costumes. It’s pretty challenging even trying to work in a life – like reading a book is a privilege. You don’t get to keep up with your favorite tv shows.

You are known for playing darker characters like Grizabella, Norma Desmond and Mama Rose. what makes playing a more optimistic character both interesting and satisfying for you?

It’s more challenging actually because it is necessary to keep your own frame of mind in a really positive place and to bring your best self to the experience of that character. That’s challenging when you are tired and going through whatever you are going through. You have to process that quickly and lend yourself to the instrument of joy that is Dolly Levi.

It would seem that both Dolly’s 2^nd act entrance and the title song are enormous gifts for anyone lucky enough to play the part. What was that first night response like for you and what does that kind of unbridled enthusiasm and affection mean to you night after night?

The whole show is. Well it is amazing to experience – that is a remarkable thing. But it really is the show. I don’t tend to take it very personally. I’m grateful to be the quarterback of this team. It’s the production, the character and the show they are responding to. I’m just the actor. This production of the show is the best I’ve ever seen and Jerry Zaks’s direction is very amazing and illuminating. And the design by Santo Loquasto and the costumes and Natasha Katz’s lighting, the ensemble, the singers and dancers. It’s a remarkable team.

You told me when you were at the Wallis with “Ghostlight” that you “wanted to be a very natural, realistic actor who could paint portraits.” Now that you’ve been doing the show for a several months how has your portrayal of Dolly Levi evolved and met that criteria?

I wouldn’t know how to answer that. I don’t know how to evaluate my work. I guess I feel more grounded in the part. We’ve done over 100 performances at this point. In terms of what I experience I feel more grounded. Just evolved. Doing a run your own work evolves. I keep trying to make certain choices better, sing it better. I keep reviewing the story elements every night before I go on. I study the lines and run the show every day. Reading the script every day can give you new insights.

You also said when we spoke that “At each point of sincere readiness it appers to me that the opportunity comes.” Now that the Hello, Dolly! opportunity has not only arrived, but been launched, why do you think this opportunity came at this point in your career?

I think I’m more mature and know better how to tell the story now than I would have years earlier. One remarkable thing I can observe is that a part or character and story come when I have the information and experience to tell it and I’m grateful to experience that synchronicity of the spiritual. That is still my raison d’etre.

I was listening to “Hope” this morning (Buckley’s most recent album and in particular the title song) and it occurred to me that if Hello, Dolly! were less overtly joyful, that song could fit right in and serve Dolly well. Do you agree?  

Well I think she is the manifestation of hope. All human beings are a combination of light and dark. Dolly for the past 10 years as a widow has retired from life from when she lived it – fully with her husband while he was living. She’s reached a point where she’ss tired of living alone and shess on a mission to come back to the world of the living and participate at this moment of life.

This year marks 50 years since your Broadway debut in 1776. Does it seem like just yesterday and how have those 50 years overall been to you?

I‘m keenly aware of that and I became a performer when I was 11. I have been doing this consistently for 60 years. From my Broadway debut, in that sense it’s like a 50-year history. I thnk they’ve been very good to me. I’m very grateful for my career and the eclectic nature of it and the fact I’m still out there. That I was invited to helm this production is a huge honor. I’m exceedingly grateful.

Production photos of Hello, Dolly! by Julieta Cervantes

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No one planning this tour could have imagined that it would open here so closely on the heels of the passing of Carol Channing, who originated the party of Dolly Levi when Hello, Dolly! first opened in 1964. Taking on the role of the title character is Tony Award winner Betty Buckley (Cats.) In addition to playing Grizabella in Cats, Buckley has appeared on stage in such shows as Carrie: The Musical, Triumph of Love, Sunset Boulevard, 1776 and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

In the show, whose book was written by Michael Stewart, Dolly Levi is a matchmaker. (The show is based on Thorton Wilder’s play, The Matchmaker.)  It’s been ten years since the death of her beloved husband, Ephraim, and Dolly has decided to return to the world of the living. So while she pretends to be finding the perfect wife for millionaire Horace Vandergelder (Lewis J. Stadlen,) she’s really positioning herself to be his new bride.

Hello, Dolly! is perhaps the most crowd-pleasing show in the history of Broadway musicals. In addition to its well-known title song, Herman’s score includes “Before the Parade Passes By,” “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” and “It Only Takes a Moment” (known to anyone who has watched the Pixar film, Wall-E.)

This production is directed by Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Warren Carlyle. The show was designed by Santo Loquasto.

Go here our interview this week with Betty Buckley.

Photo by Julieta Cervantes

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Boy was I wrong. I finally had the chance to see Channing perform when she did an intimate cabaret show at the Magic Castle. It was simply Channing, accompanied by a pianist, telling stories and singing songs. I was probably no more than ten or fifteen feet away from one of the most magical, entertaining, charming, eccentric and wonderful performers I had ever witnessed. And the show was, if memory serves, nearly two hours.

This was long after she stopped touring in the show that made her a household name. And it didn’t matter. What I realized that evening was how foolish I had been to let my youthful arrogance convince me that Channing had nothing to offer.

At the end of Act One of Hello, Dolly!, the title character comes downstage and sings “Before the Parade Passes By.”

At the Magic Castle, Channing sang this song and it was as if I had never heard it before. She imbued the song with such pathos; pathos that ultimately yielded to determination, that I doubt there was a dry eye in the place. Mine certainly weren’t.

If you don’t know who Carol Channing was, she was a Broadway legend who had appeared in seven shows on Broadway before originating the role of Dolly Levi in Jerry Herman’s musical. (A show that is touring now with Betty Buckley with upcoming stops at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa and at the Pantages Theatre.) Her best-known role prior to Dolly was that of Lorelei in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She introduced the song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in that show.

That musical was written by Jule Styne. And there was a televised tribute to him that featured Channing. Before performing “Little Girl from Little Rock,” they briefly recount how Styne helped her career. You can see that excerpt below.

She spent more time on stage and television than she did in film. Though many fans adore her appearance in Thoroughly Modern Millie, it is this performance from a 1985 television movie of Alice in Wonderland that I adore.

But it will always be her Tony Award-winning role in Hello, Dolly! for which she will be forever remembered. I’m just grateful that before I allowed her glorious parade to pass me by, I had the chance to witness the wonder that was, and will forever be, Carol Channing.

All photos by Martha Swope/Courtesy of the New York Public Library

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