Briones is starring in the East West Players new production of Pacific Overtures. The show also features Gedde Watanabe, Scott Keiji Takeda, Brian Kim McCormick, Adam Kaokept and Kerry K. Carnahan. Tim Dang directs.

Stephen Sondheim said his musical was, “The most bizarre and unusual musical ever to be seen in a commercial setting.” His certainly untraditional show, which opened on Broadway in early 1976, tells the story of Commodore Matthew C. Perry’s arrival in Japan in the mid-19th century and how his efforts to open up the isolationist country are experienced – through the eyes of the Japanese.

Charles McNulty, writing in the Los Angeles Times, raved about East West Players’ revival saying, “The new revival of Pacific Overtures may be the most impressive production I’ve seen anywhere all year.”

The path to get there was one filled with questions for Briones that didn’t always possess easy answers. This was amongst the many things I learned in my interview with Briones. What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity. To see the full interview, please go to our YouTube channel.

Q: We know that many of Sondheim’s musicals were not always well-received when they were originally produced, but that time and audiences have caught up to those shows. Do you think time has caught up with Pacific Overtures? Are audiences maybe more open now to what this show is than they have been at any other point?

I think so. When they mounted this show in 2004 it didn’t last very long on Broadway. I think it’s still hard for the general audience members to to appreciate something that they think they won’t get or won’t relate to because…This might be controversial, but it’s all Asian. The King and I has that really main character that is Caucasian. Pacific Overtures, Sondheim and Weidman, they wrote something that they wanted. I think they thought they were trying to be true to the culture. The music is beautiful, but it’s really something different. Even to me, I go, what is the meaning of this? I understand it better now, but I have questions.

I read in an interview you and Gedde did with Pasadena Weekly that your first reaction was one that a lot of people have; that you didn’t fully understand it and that there were a lot of questions. Having worked on it now for as long as you have prior to opening, have you been able to sort out a lot of those questions? Do you understand more about what this show is doing, what it’s saying and how your character, The Reciter, plays a role in that?

I’ve reached that. In my career if I don’t really understand something, I try to understand it the way I would and believe it and stick to that so that I can I can grab on to my reality. I think that’s what I did right now. My understanding of it is maybe different from the original idea of Sondheim and Weidman. But I’m sticking to that because I think my understanding of it is something beautiful, kind of universal.

I would assume that, like many actors, you’re intrigued by the things that scare you. How much did being part of Pacific Overtures scare you?

Petrified! Especially the way Tim wants to do this. He wanted to be true to the original vision of Sondheim and Hal Prince, which is Kabuki. And I’m not Japanese. And Kabuki, they’ve been studying this since they were children. So it’s something set and there’s truth in how they do it. I told Tim this. I don’t want to do something generic because I might offend people. But he said, you know, just find yourself. Find whatever is true with a hint of that. I think we found a happy medium there. 

You were born in the Philippines. There is a lot of dialog going on about whether people have to have lived-in experiences to play a character. I understand that intellectually, but practically, aren’t we negating what actors do? 

That was one of the things that I been struggling with, especially when opportunities opened up for Asian actors. We kind of limited ourselves after that because they’ve been saying Japanese stories should be told by Japanese people and Chinese stories and Korean stories should be… And I get that because the opportunities are so few and that they wanted it to be done properly. I get that. But if it is in English, I think that should not be the case. We’re not speaking Japanese. We’re not speaking Cantonese or Korean. It’s in English. And we can bring in our own experiences because all experiences are relatable. They happen to everyone in China and in Japan and in Timbuktu. They’re all the same. It’s human experience and we all have that and it should be valued.

What discoveries did you make about this story and your journey to get to opening night and about the character of The Reciter? 

That’s a good question. I’ve discovered about how to tell a story of an experience that happened a long time ago. And making it entertaining. But at the same time valuing the journeys of each character. And telling stories of so many characters. I asked Tim, why am I telling this story? What is the purpose of this? And then he said, Yeah, that’s a good question. Who do you think is telling this story? Are you Japan? Are you the emperor? Because the emperor back then was a one-year-old baby. He goes on to add that this story is about change and how the changes got to certain people. It got violent. It was funny. It was scary. And all of those things are helpful information to get to the finale of the storytelling.

That makes me think of Someone in a Tree, which is different perspectives on the same story being told simultaneously. Sondheim said that was his favorite song he ever composed. What about that song resonates most with you?

I saw an interview or something that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote that one of the inspirations for In the Room Where it Happens [from Hamilton] was Someone in a Tree. There is always a a bystander looking and observing and they have an opinion of what happening. Which is so interesting because that’s why there are so many versions in history. Who is a witness to your history? Even if they don’t have a firsthand account, it’s going to be out there. It’s going to be told. That’s why I love the power of storytelling.

If we if we look back on the history of East West Players, Stephen Sondheim and Pacific Overtures are inextricably linked throughout its history because East West Players was founded by Mako, who originated the role you’re playing in the original production of Pacific Overtures. I know that Sondheim invested in East West Players and multiple productions of Sondheim’s have been done there. What do you think it means to the company, and what does it mean to you, to be bringing a new production of this musical that is so intricately tied to the history of East West Players? 

That even though Sondheim is not here, he still has a very loud voice. That he is still making things happen from where he is. He wants this because I read that he was not really satisfied with everything. It’s an unfinished symphony. I think maybe he wants us to discover it and make it better. This is what I found out about him. He is not precious with this work. Gedde [who appeared in the original production of Pacific Overtures] had stories he was telling us. He is open to two things. If you want to cut that scene short, cut that scene if you want to. You want more of that? Sure, I’ll write some more of that. He will never be satisfied with his work because nothing is perfect. Art is never perfect and he embodied that.

In the last song in Pacific Overtures, “Next,” the outsider says “There was a time when foreigners were not welcome here, but that was long ago.” In light of the elections this week in America, where anti-immigrant sentiment was a huge part in motivating people to vote for one candidate over another, what power does Next have in the show that may be different than it would have had if the election gone differently?

To me, it’s very hopeful. It came from the people who historically went, No, don’t! We’re fine here. Don’t. Don’t bring that. But because of the forceful and kind of violent interaction from the West, you can’t really stop progress. You can’t stop betterment. You can harness it, you can manipulate it. You can, you know, make it better. But it’s going to come. That is why I think even though a lot of people are heartbroken, it will get better. In Pacific Overtures, they made it Japan. It was given to them. Violently. But they brushed themselves up and started all over again. And they made it better. We can make this better. We can learn something from this. We can overcome this because we are resourceful and we know ourselves. We know what we can do. If only we think a a community, as a country, together as one, we can accomplish anything and we can be better than before.

Pacific Overtures runs at East West Players through December 1st. For tickets and more information, please go here.

To watch the full conversation with Jon Jon Briones, please go here.

Main Photo: Jon Jon Briones on Pacific Overtures (Photo by Teolindo/Courtesy East West Players)

The post Jon Jon Briones Recites His Passion for “Pacific Overtures” appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Perhaps the most common image of a performer singing, dancing or playing an instrument in a train station is one that conjures up ideas of people in subway stations in New York or perhaps London. Busking, as it is sometimes referred, is a centuries-old tradition. So when you find Broadway star Brandon Victor Dixon at Union Station in Los Angeles this weekend, don’t mistake him for a busker.

MUSE/IQUE, headed by Rachael Worby, has been celebrating Sunset Boulevard and the many people, artists and locations that have called that street home across its nearly 22 mile length. The final concerts of this series will take place on Saturday, November 12th and Sunday, November 13th at the beautiful train station built in 1939.

Dixon may be best known to audiences for his Emmy Award-nominated performance as Judas in the 2018 live performance of Jesus Christ Superstar on NBC. On Broadway he’s appeared in The Color Purple (the original production), The Scottsboro Boys, Hamilton, Shuffle Along: Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All that Followed and he just wrapped a run as Billy Flynn in the revival of Chicago.

In addition to his career as an actor, he’s also a producer of Broadway shows (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Moulin Rouge! The Musical) and the Maryland branch of the Jimmy Awards (which celebrate the best in high school musical theater) has named their awards after him. Dixon is from Gaithersburg, MD.

Earlier this month I spoke with Dixon about the state of Broadway today, his Broadway career and most importantly what he’d like his life to feel like moving forward. What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.

How did you feel when the Maryland off-shoot of the Jimmy Awards wanted your name for this branch’s awards?

I was apprehensive at first. I really wanted to think about what that meant and what it meant to put your name on something like that and joining an organization that creates a portal for children. I think it’s a responsibility and I had to think for a moment about all that had brought me here and really measure if I felt that I had earned that.

How did you come to the realization or the acceptance that you had earned it? 

I accepted the fact that there are young people out there who do what I used to do. They sit in their room and listen to cast recordings of me. That is what I used to do and I recognize the power of that. I recognize that matters. Every instance in which I’ve been able to participate in something like that it means something.

As somebody who was listening to cast albums, when did you start envisioning what you thought your career might be? How much of that vision has been realized so far?

I’ve held a vision of the kind of career I’ve molded from a very young age, which I think has helped enable me to to craft it. In many ways it does. In many ways it does not.

I tell young people now when I speak to them, I wish I had spent more time thinking about how I wanted my life to feel as opposed to how I wanted my life to look. We often talk about what you want your life to look like in five years and ten years. Now what do I want my life to feel like is the more important thing.

But I do think many of the things that I envisioned have fortunately come true. There’s still some boxes I want to check off.

When I was young I didn’t think about being in television or being in films. I really only thought about being on Broadway. I wanted to be the 19-year-old sensation on Broadway. I didn’t quite make it there, but that’s what I always wanted. Once I got The Color Purple, The Lion King [on tour], then it’s really interesting. What does life look like once you’ve achieved, quote unquote, your dream? 

When you’re approached about something like MUSE/IQUE’s series, what are you looking for in those opportunities? How did this concert fit in to what what you thought would be the right thing for you to do?

I connected with Rachael and she described to me her background, her love for music and her vision of the value of its place between people and wanting to create unique live musical experiences for communities. That is something that aligns with my own personal philosophy.

Then when she described the scope of this year’s curation I really thought it was a pretty fantastic way to illuminate these elements of music and culture that people don’t necessarily know too much about. So I was grateful to do the the inaugural concert Sunrise on Sunset and very grateful that they’ve asked me to come back for this one.

This series is exploring Los Angeles and what the music that comes from here mean to this city. What does the music of Los Angeles mean to you personally or professionally? 

I’m an East Coast boy. I enjoy the time that I spend on the West Coast and that I spend in Los Angeles. But this project and becoming a part of this organization is helping me really learn a lot about Los Angeles and its music culture. It’s really through this experience that I am starting to learn a lot of things and where these intersections lie.

As we’re speaking you are in your last week as Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway with openly transgender actress Angelica Ross (Pose). What do you think her casting in this production says about whether or not Broadway is truly making serious strides in opening up how shows are cast?

I don’t know what it says about Broadway as a whole. One of the interesting things is when we talk about Broadway, we talk about Broadway as if it’s a company called Broadway Incorporated with a board of directors and a CEO and human resources department. And it’s not. It’s a geographical location that consolidates a series of resources that entrepreneurs come in to create art. Really there is a spectrum of producers and the vision they have and how ready they are to create space, to move things forward in terms of the projects they want to produce; the creative teams they’re willing to put together to produce them and the cast that they’re willing to put together to put them out there.

A lot of the artists with whom I’ve spoken in the last couple of years have said what Broadway needs is braver and bolder producers. It’s not that there’s a lack of talent, either creative talent on stage or off, but there’s a lack of of true courage on the producing side of things. Do you agree with that?

Broadway has, until this kind of interruption, a cultivated audience. It cultivated a set of tools that are designed to cater to that audience and to create products that that audience wants to consume. You see it even in the increasing commercialization of projects. There’s a lack of diversity, not just in kind of the demographics represented in creatives or in design or other projects. But there’s an increasing lack of depth and risk in even the mainstream productions. They’re mostly brand-driven. They’re looking for built-in audiences, looking to ensure a product. They’re increasingly at odds in an environment like this, which makes it harder for people to make those kinds of choices.

I felt like this season that just ended in June was potentially very risky since producers were putting a lot of bets on shows that had been created by people of color. My fear is that if they didn’t do well, the money people would just say, well, we tried. That they would not allow any opportunity to fail. How important do you think it is for artists such as yourself or playwrights or designers to actually fail in order to achieve the greatness that they believe and probably do have in them? 

I think that kind of fear you have is a very real one. Particularly when you do decide to produce these projects in a very severely challenged commercial environment already. A lot of these works would need ideal circumstances under the the old model before all of this happened. But when you’re trying to produce them under this duress, those fears are even more.

As for The Scottsboro Boys, which I loved and think is one of the most powerful musicals ever written, it strikes me that this show would probably resonate far more strongly today and be more widely seen and accepted now than it might have been 12 years ago when it was originally produced. What are your thoughts on the staying power of that musical and whether it was ahead of its time? 

I think The Scottsboro Boys is definitely ahead of its time. I think it’s a masterpiece and I don’t know if this environment is one in which it would be better received. I think the topics in that show are very sensitive to an American audience. So I don’t know.

Was the London experience better? 

I won’t say whether it’s better or worse, but I think the London experience was a very good one. I think the London experience was a great one. The show won the Evening Standard Award. It was very well received. It was pretty much a sold-out run. The thing there is that the British audience is able to distance themselves from personalizing some of the more challenging elements of the project and able to just appreciate the storytelling and the incredible theatricality of the work.

When you were asked to interrupt the curtain call speech at Hamilton to address Vice President Mike Pence, who was in the audience, what did getting that kind of request meant to you? Why do you think of all the cast members who were currently in the show at the time you were the one chosen to say what Lin-Manuel Miranda had written?

At that time we were giving the Broadway Cares speech after this show. That’s the time at the curtain call when we traditionally speak to the audience – at least during that season. I was the individual who had been giving those speeches at that time, for the most part anyway. So I don’t know that there was any special reason outside of the fact that this is already kind of the circumstance we were in.

Were you surprised at the conservative backlash? 

I was because I thought the statement was certainly non-partisan and fairly innocuous. So on one hand I was. Then on the other hand, considering the nature of our political discourse, even just at that time, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Five years ago, you did an interview that was published in Case where you said, admittedly by the writer with “a mischievous grin” that “This republic’s probably only going to last another 20 or 30 years.” Five years later, whether as a joke or not, are you hopeful that that this republic is going to last?

In its current form I don’t think it can. It has to change. I don’t know how that will manifest itself. Things are coming to a breaking point in certain areas. If we don’t release the pressure valves I think things will either change with difficulty or they can change hopefully with more ease. But I do think that the republic, as we know it, will have to change.

As you said earlier in this conversation, the advice you give to people is not to think just about what it is they want to do, but how they want their lives to feel. So if you could look forward now to what the next 20 years of your life, what do you want your life to feel like?

That is a question I do not have an answer for today. I will be honest with you. I want it to feel well-lived and well-given. I want to know that I honored the people in my life who have helped give me all the opportunities that I’ve had and that I have. But beyond that, I do not know. But I hope to soon so that I can forge the path. 

Main Photo: Brandon Victor Dixon (Courtesy MUSE/IQUE)

The post Brandon Victor Dixon Cruises Sunset Boulevard… appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Alikhan is a very much in-demand director these days. He has directed several plays that opened in the last six months. Amongst them were Snow in Midsummer at Classic Stage Company and On That Day in Amsterdam which just closed at Primary Stages (both in New York.) A month after Sanctuary City‘s opening, Geva Theatre Center in Rochester will open a production of Somewhere by Matthew López (Tony Award-winner for The Inheritance – now in previews at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.)

Sanctuary City is a play he’s loved since he first saw a production in 2021.

“I actually got to see the original production of this play at New York Theatre Workshop and it was one of the most harrowing and precise and gorgeous nights in the theater I’ve ever had.” He knew from that moment that this was a play he’d love to have the opportunity to direct. But that wasn’t something he necessarily expected to happen.

“It is so unique to read a contemporary American play that really revolves around the lives of three young people of color,” Alikhan said last week during a Zoom conversation. “And it’s so unique for a theater with the visibility of the Playhouse to then program a play that does that. And for an artistic leader like Danny Feldman to commit to a process led by another young person of color.”

In Majok’s play two characters, B (Miles Fowler) and G (Ana Nicolle Chavez), are navigating their status as undocumented immigrants attending high school. When G is naturalized the two try to figure out a way for B to also receive legal status. With the introduction of a third character, Henry (Kanoa Goo), things don’t necessarily work out as planned.

“What’s so unbelievably fascinating about this play is that these characters essentially don’t have time for sentimentality,” he said of the play. “The circumstances under which B, G and Henry’s lives exist are so entrenched in their lives.”

Alikhan goes on to describe how he understands Majok’s concepts of these characters.

“What I think Martyna is ultimately doing in creating a play like that is [it] forces audience members to learn. There’s nothing comfortable. There’s nothing being spoon-fed to audiences in the text of this play. It is really an opportunity for, I think, the average audience member to go and see and hear and partake in and absorb life that is so different from their own or for those who resonate with the lives of the people represented in this play.”

The son of two immigrants, Alikhan has a way into the play that offers both a unique perspective and a shared one.

“I think something that is extremely true of my experience growing up in this country is definitely feeling on the outside of a system.  It’s the first play that I’ve directed that’s kind of both a period piece and very of my era. I lived this high school experience right around the same time they did. My experience of being a young, Brown person in America, especially a young Brown person that grew up Muslim in a Muslim family right in the aftermath of 9/11. That meant how scary that could be.”

The difference between Alikhan’s upbringing and those of the characters in Sanctuary City is that he never had to live with the fear of being deported.

“What feels fundamentally different is that my experience is not one of undocumented immigration. So it’s been a really important part of my journey with this play to, as authentically as I can, understand the lives of undocumented Americans and understand the very specific corners of life that undocumented Americans both occupy and are kind of forced into by virtue of the systems and structures of this country.”

Immigration remains a hot-button topic in the United States. Just look at very recent stories about immigrants being shipped to New York, Martha’s Vineyard, Washington, D.C. and other locations. Alikhan was a bit surprised when asked if he considered how those who are unsympathetic to the plight of immigrants might respond to Sanctuary City and how that might impact his cast.

“It’s funny. I’ve never really thought to talk with the cast about that. One of the most educational experiences of my career so far has been touring with Hamilton [as Resident Director] and taking a project that is primarily cast with people of color around the country and telling that story in so many different markets that were equally ready and not ready to experience that play on stage. It kind of taught me that the best that we can do is to present the work that we’ve done and be authentic and honest with that work and then allow people space for the educational experience that is seeing that thing.”

Alikhan added, “What I do want to say is it’s just as much for them as it is for people with whom the play does deeply resonate. Whether it immediately resonates with you or not, that might teach you something about your own way of life and how you walk through the world.”

There is an additional issue that comes up in the second half of Sanctuary City that is also topical. Alikhan agrees that we should leave a sense of discovery for audience members, but acknowledges current events have given extra weight to that component of Majok’s play that it didn’t have when he saw the play in New York.

“As an audience member in 2021 I knew something that these characters don’t know about what’s going to happen in the world and how this circumstance will be fundamentally different just a few years in the future. I wish I could transport time and space and tell them that. I found that to be such a fascinating experience.

“And then as we were getting ready to do this production Roe was overturned. We read Clarence Thomas’ opinion on Roe where other fundamental rights were called into question. It was a time, especially working on this play, where I thought to myself, oh my God, the theater is a living, breathing animal. Because the experience that I had watching this play eight months ago is now fundamentally different than the experience our audiences are going to have watching this play three months from now.”

From the outside looking in at Alikhan’s career, it seems as though it is the most deeply-felt plays that pique his curiosity and get his attention. He’s directed plays by Award-winning writers Lucas Hnath (Red Speedo) and Annie Baker (The Flick). Adding Majok to the list just makes a certain sense.

“What’s so fascinating to me about them is how they really put a magnifying glass again on people who really rarely get to be at the center of a story. Especially as a young, queer, Brown kid, it took so long for me to see myself represented in any kind of media. So I think something that really draws me to a project is being able to, first and foremost, say what is the impact that the story’s going to have on the community that surrounds it? What kind of story is uplifting that maybe it’s never been told before? How can I be in conversation with both the creative team and the writer to make a version of it that feels both authentic and uplifting to those people in that community?

“Something that Martyna does that is so that is so gorgeous and effortless is she lifts the stories of these three characters to the highest of value that you can in a play. She centers the story around the lived experiences of these three people whose lived experiences are very different than many of our audience members may be. [It’s] the playwright saying, ‘I value the lives of these characters and thus I value the lives of the people.’ These characters reflect myself and my team. We value first and foremost the lived experiences of the actual people that these three characters reflect. We value the contribution of every single person that lives in this country. We value the stories. We value you and want to uplift the histories, the triumphs, the joys, the grief. Through this play I really hope that we are able to honor and inform the lives of Americans who rarely get to occupy the space of being on stage and of having their stories told.”

Sanctuary City runs at the Pasadena Playhouse through October 9th.

Main Photo: Miles Fowler and Ana Nicolle Chavez in Sanctuary City (Photo by Jeff Lorch/Courtesy Pasadena Playhouse)

The post Director Zi Alikhan Creates a Sanctuary on Stage appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Henry received nominations for his performances in The Scottsboro Boys, Violet and the 2018 revival of Carousel. He’s an original cast member of In the Heights and has toured in Hamilton. Some of his other Broadway credits include The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. Most recently he became the first Black actor to play the role of Dr. Pomatter in Waitress.

I took this occasion to talk to Henry, who was just announced along with Adrienne Warren as the Broadway stars to announce this year’s Tony nominations, about his first-ever stage role, to look back on his career so far and to also look forward to where and what Broadway might and should become. What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.

There’s so much more to hear from Henry, so I strongly encourage you to watch the full interview on our YouTube channel for stories about Carousel, tick…tick…Boom!, Stephen Sondheim and more.

I want to start by asking you about something that Harold Hill says in The Music Man, the first role you ever played which was at Florida Bible Christian School. He says “A man can’t turn tail and run just because a little personal risk is involved.” It strikes me as though that is the journey every actor takes to try to get on Broadway. What are the kind of risks that you feel you’ve taken that have been most successful for you in getting this career that you have now? 

I love that quote. I would say one of the biggest risks that I took was when I was doing In the Heights and it was my first Broadway show and Lin-Manuel [Miranda’s] first Broadway show. We had just won the Tony Award for Best Musical. I was in the ensemble and I had the opportunity to go to a principal role on Broadway in Godspell and play Judas. [In the Heights] was going to run for a long time. But I was like, Oh, I definitely see myself as a principal.

So I decided to put in my four weeks notice, leave and go do Godspell. And this was in 2008. Long story short, the show lost its investment and it didn’t happen. So I find myself in between these two amazing things, just right in the middle of a valley. That’s one of the biggest risks I took. I’m so glad that I took it early on because it showed me the highs and lows of the business and how I need to find something to sustain myself beyond the highs and lows. 

When you think of Broadway as it was back when you were doing In the Heights and Broadway as it is today, pandemic aside if that’s possible, what do you miss most from the way it was and what do you like most about what it is now? 

That’s a good question. I’ll start with what I love about what it is now. I think we’re just much more aware of bringing lots of voices to the table creatively and management wise and producing wise. For instance, Black folks are much more in control of their narrative and the way that they run their shows. I think that’s really important.

What do I miss about what was pre-pandemic or even 2008? For me, it was just this incredible community. It’s still an incredible community, but what struck me when I just got here was how it was just fun. It was just absolute fun. I came from Miami, Florida and coming up to New York in 2006 it was just this world of wonder. And I think now it’s not just fun for me anymore. It’s trying to do the right thing. It’s also fun, but now I’m much more aware and I’m much more strategic in how I’m trying to amplify different voices.

Last year I saw the revival of Caroline, Or Change, a show I loved when it was first on Broadway. But it felt like time and audiences had caught up with it in a way they didn’t the first time around. If The Scottsboro Boys was given a revival today do you think this awareness you mentioned might breathe new life into the show?

100 percent correct! Caroline, Or Change is a great example, it depends on the moment. The audiences in 2010 didn’t want to hear about this true story. I bet you now if Scottsboro Boys is on Broadway right now, oh my goodness! Art sometimes lines up with what’s going on. I’m so sad that I missed Caroline, Or Change because I heard it was incredible. Scottsboro Boys went to the West End and won some Oliviers there. It’s had a great regional life since I did it again at the Ahmanson Theater. It all depends on the moment and I do believe that if Scottsboro Boys came back right now that it would do really well.

You’re on Billy Porter‘s album The Soul of Richard Rodgers, which is completely a pop approach. I’m wondering how important you think it is for projects like that to exist so that people don’t think that Rodgers and Hammerstein or moving forward, even someone like Stephen Sondheim, is part of a previous generation or generations past, and that there’s still something viable about what these songs have to say and that young audiences should be paying attention to them.

The great thing about Stephen Sondheim music, Richard Rodgers music, is it’s just phenomenal storytelling, phenomenal lyric, incredible melodic lines. As someone who grew up in the 90s listening the R&B, pop, rock, jazz, I’m going to see great material through my lens and I’m going to want to interpret it like that, just like Billy Porter or Michael McElroy would want to in their lenses. And I think incredible material that speaks to us will stand the test of time and genre interpretation.

I’m glad to be part of a school of thought that wants to bring those incredible composers as current as possible just to people that don’t know and just think that that’s way back. And I hope that a lot of institutions now understand that and we can rethink some of these classics. They’re fine on their own. But what we’re talking about is bringing them to a newer audience and that’s going to take a little more fine tuning.

Do you remember your first audition for a Broadway show and the song you sang? What was it and what do you think your perspective would be on both how you think you performed it then and how you might perform it now?

Oh gosh, my first Broadway show was off-Broadway at the time, but it was In the Heights. I sang the song “Hear Me Out.” That was a song that Benny sang to Nina’s dad to be like, “Hey, listen. I can handle some more responsibility and I can handle your daughter. Just trust me.” It didn’t make it to Broadway, but that song it’s very hip hop and R&B.

It’s funny that the the title “Hear Me Out” means so much more to me now. I have a hat I was just wearing and it says, “Be Heard.” So like, hear me out, you know? Now I think about it in terms of Broadway. I want to be heard in a different way now. I want more voices to be heard.

If I’m going to sing that song now, though, oh gosh. You know what, Craig? I think I’m going to cover that. I’m going to cover that song. I’m going to put it on Tik Tok because I haven’t thought about it in a little while and I’m going to text Lin. I’m going to be like, “Yo, check this out.” I’m so glad that you brought that up. 

To watch our full interview with Joshua Henry, please go here.

Photo: Joshua Henry (Courtesy his Facebook Page)

The post Joshua Henry Talks All About Broadway appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

That was the date of the Tony Award-winning musical’s first preview upon its return to the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. One hour before the curtain was to go up the show was cancelled. It remained cancelled until last month when Hamilton did finally go on after a nearly year-and-a-half delay.

Jones, who made her Broadway debut in the role of Peggy Schuyler in Hamilton, was looking forward to returning to her hometown and getting the chance to play the woman who married Alexander Hamilton and remained by his side through thick and thin.

“I was so excited to be coming back to L.A. and California after being in New York for two-and-a-half years,” she told me during a Zoom call last week. “To have this beautiful moment delayed was a roller coaster in that I didn’t know where to place my feelings. I didn’t know if it was going to come back. I didn’t really know if I was going to get to play Eliza in the city and state that I love because we just didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Playing Peggy on Broadway allowed Jones to watch others play the role she would ultimately take on.

“My thoughts are how are they doing this and how can they do this eight times a week? It was super intimidating because it’s really hard work. The journey that Eliza goes through is very emotionally wrought, especially in act two. She goes through so much and to put yourself through that every single day, eight times a week, it’s a lot to ask of someone. So it was definitely daunting. But like I also felt like I wanted to rise to that challenge and I knew I had it in me…somewhere.”

Not only did she rise to the challenge, earning glowing praise in the Los Angeles Times review by Charles McNulty, Jones found that the role was more than just work.

“I get to fall in love. I get to get married to this amazing man. I get to experience motherhood. It just feels like I get to go on more of a journey every day. It’s exciting to bring myself to it and also just discover new things about her every day; there’s something new to discover all the time. It kind of feels like playing and I love my turquoise dress and am obsessed with it. It’s just fun.”

When we spoke Jones was surprised and pleased to learn that Smithsonian Magazine published an article in 2016 by Kat Long that argued for Elizabeth Hamilton to get her own musical. But it didn’t take her long to offer her own reasons why that would indeed make a great show.

“What I attribute her spirit to is love. I know that sounds cheesy, but her steadfast love and loyalty caused her to be able to persevere. Even when her son and her husband were killed she was able to see past that and continue on to something good. I think her heart had to be so beautiful for [it] to be able to hold all the love and support that she did for Hamilton. To forgive and get through the embarrassment of the situation that he put her through and then carry on after their death and move past. She was steadfast with love and loyalty. I feel like that is just such a strong force.”

Before assuming the role, Jones read as much as she could about the woman she’d be playing. Does she think this strong and loving woman would recognize America in the year 2021?

“I think she would be pleased to see the progress that’s happened. She would be pleased to see that we are all striving to live in harmony as far as racial disparity and stuff like that. From where she was to where we are now there’s been a lot of changes. We’ve had a Black president. That’s incredible. I think she would have been astonished and amazed by that.

“I think she would have loved to have seen how many opportunities women have in this time in America – how we can be political leaders and our voices can be heard and taken seriously. How the sacrifices were worth it, because this big, beautiful nation that was born has flourished and just become this superpower and this place of hope for many people.”

Through the seemingly endless delays it was her own hope that carried Jones through. That hope has paid off with newfound appreciation for what she’s been able to accomplish.

“That I’m capable and that fear is a lie. That I’m stronger than I thought I was. I attribute that all to God’s grace, to be honest, it’s not me. I’m so fortunate to have the support of so many friends and family. I don’t know what to say, but I love what I do. I love my job. I love the show. I love the role. And I’m just grateful.”

Hamilton is currently scheduled at the Pantages Theatre through January 2nd. For details and tickets, please go here.

Photo: Joanna A. Jones outside the Pantages Theatre on opening night of Hamilton (Photo courtesy Joanna A. Jones)

The post Hamilton’s Joanna A. Jones Returns Home appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

If you’ve been living under a rock and aren’t familiar with this musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda took Ron Chernow’s nearly 1,000 page biography of Alex Hamilton and turned it into a multi-ethnic mix of hip-hop, rock, rap, blues, R&B and traditional Broadway music. It went from the Public Theatre in New York and quickly became a worldwide sensation.

Hamilton was nearing its 2,000th performance on Broadway just prior to the pandemic. The show received 16 Tony Award nominations and won 11 including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Direction and Best Choreography. If that wasn’t enough, it also won the Pulitzer Prize.

Heading the Los Angeles cast in the return of Hamilton is Jamael Westman as the title character. He received an Olivier Award nomination for his performance in the London production.

Nicholas Christopher plays Hamilton’s rival, Aaron Burr. Rubén J. Carbajal portrays John Laurens and Hamilton’s son, Philip. Joanna A. Jones (known to local audiences for her many performances as part of For the Record) plays Eliza Hamilton with Taylor Iman Jones as her sister Peggy Schuyler (she also plays Maria Reynolds) and Sabrina Sloan as sister Angelica Schuyler. Carvens Lissaint plays first President George Washington; Simon Longnight is in the dual roles of Marquis De Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson with Wallace Smith as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison. Returning to play King George is Rory O’Malley who performed the role when Hamilton first played Los Angeles.

As it was when Hamilton first played the Pantages, there is a digital lottery for tickets for every performance with a limited number of $10 seats. That lottery is in place for this engagement.

If you want to be in the room where Hamilton happens go here. Note: You must be vaccinated and be able to show proof of vaccination to attend this show at the Pantages. Masks are required to be worn at all times (except when eating or drinking.)

Photo of Jamael Westman and the Eliza National Tour cast of Hamilton by Joan Marcus (Courtesy of Broadway in Hollywood)

The post Hamilton Has Returned to Los Angeles appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

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)

The post Want to Learn About Musicals and Their Composers? appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

We have ten options for you and each and every one is a winner. They include Lorraine Hansberry’s last play, a highly-acclaimed new ballet based on the writings of Virginia Woolf, two one-act operas by Ravel and one of a jazz legend’s final concerts. Oh…and a little show called Hamilton.

Here are your Best Bets at Home: July 3rd – July 5th:

Hamilton – Disney Plus – Begins July 3rd

You pretty much have to be living under a rock not to know that the smash musical Hamilton becomes available for viewing on Disney Plus this weekend.

Before the original Broadway cast left the show, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail filmed the show. They shot a couple performances and then shot on-stage and close-ups with the cast without an audience.

This film was originally going to be released theatrically, but Disney has added it to their Disney Plus service realizing that no one was going to see Hamilton on stage for quite some time. Let’s also be honest, the pandemic has slowed down new content for the service. Both factored into the decision to release Hamilton this weekend.

Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards including Best Musical and also the Pulitzer Prize.

The cast includes Tony Award winner Daveed Diggs as “Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson”; Tony Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry as “Angelica Schuyler”; Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff as “King George”; Tony Award nominee Christopher Jackson as “George Washington”; Jasmine Cephas Jones as “Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds”; Lin-Manuel Miranda as “Alexander Hamilton”; Tony Award-winner Leslie Odom, Jr. as “Aaron Burr”; Okieriete Onaodowan as “Hercules Mulligan/James Madison”; Anthony Ramos as “John Laurens/Philip Hamilton”; and Tony Award nominee Phillipa Soo as “Eliza Hamilton.”

If you want to have the room where it happened come alive in your room, you will need to subscribe to Disney Plus. One month is $6.99 or you can get an annual subscription for $69.99. They are not currently offering one week free-trial memberships.

Les Blancs – National Theatre Live – Now – July 9th

The National Theatre staged Lorraine Hansberry’s last play, Les Blancs, in 2016. This is the film of that production.

Hansberry is best known for her play A Raisin in the Sun.

After 30 previews Les Blancs opened at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway in November of 1970. It closed in mid-December of that year after 40 regular performances. This production came five years after Hansberry’s death. The text was adapted by her husband Robert Nemiroff and it is that text that is used for the National Theatre production directed by Yaël Farber.

Les Blancs, which Hansberry considered to be amongst her most important works, addresses colonialism bridging the time from the late 19th century into the 20th century. Tshembe (Danny Sapani) has returned home to his African country as its struggles with an impeding civil war over the issue of independence from colonial rule. There for his father’s funeral, he finds himself in the middle of the two warring factions.

Michael Billington, writing for The Guardian, said of Les Blancs, “…an epic production by Yaël Farber of a text that explores both the divided individual soul and the bitterness of the colonial legacy…An imperfect play…has been given a near-perfect production.”

Woolf Works – The Royal Ballet – Now – July 9th

If I offer you the combination of Virginia Woolf, choreographer Wayne McGregor and composer Max Richter, would you really need to know more? That alone is a compelling trio.

In this 2015 work created specifically for The Royal Ballet, McGregor used Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway, Orlando and The Waves as inspiration.

He then combined them with excerpts from her diaries, letters and essays. The end result won the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Classical Choreography and the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production.

The company performing Woolf Works is Alessandra Ferri, Federico Bonelli, Edward Watson, Francesca Hayward, Sarah Lamb and Akane Takada. They are joined by soprano Anush Hovhannisyan. Koen Kessels leads the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Antony and Cleopatra – Stratford Festival – Now – July 23rd

This 2014 Stratford Festival production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra was directed by Gary Griffin. Starring as the titular couple are Geraint Wyn Davies and Yanna McIntosh.

One of Shakespeare’s historical dramas, Antony and Cleopatra tells of the love affair between Mark Antony (one of three men ruling the Roman republic) and the passionate and seductive queen of Egypt, Cleopatra.

Their affair leaves them vulnerable to political intrigue that will change their lives and their relationship dramatically.

This begins the final trilogy of Shakespeare productions from Canada’s Stratford Festival. Called Relationships, this trilogy will continue in the next couple weeks with Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew.

Still available for streaming are Shakespeare’s King John and The Adventures of Pericles.

Ravel’s L’heure espagnole and L’enfant et les sortilèges – -Glyndebourne – Now – July 5th

Two one-act operas by Maurice Ravel are paired together in this 2012 production by Laurent Pelly at Glyndebourne.

L’heure espagnole had its world premiere in Paris in 1911. Franc-Nohain wrote the libretto based on his own play of the same name from 1904.

The opera tells the story of an unfaithful Spanish woman who tries to make love to multiple different men while her husband is away. When he shows up, the men try hiding in the many clocks her husband owns and sometimes find themselves getting stuck inside them.

The cast of L’heure espagnole features Elliot Madore, François Piolino, Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Alek Shrader and Paul Gay.

The second opera, L’enfant et les sortilèges, had its world premiere in Monte Carlo in 1925. The libretto is by Colette who apparently wrote the libretto in eight days. (Did you see Wash Westmoreland’s 2018 film about her? You should. And classical music fans will enjoy Thomas Adés’ score for this wonderful film.)

In the opera a petulant young child, prone to throwing tantrums and destroying the toys and animals around him, is surprised when they come to life to give him a lesson about kindness.

The cast of L’enfant et les sortilèges features Khatouna Gadelia, Elodie Méchain, Madore, Gay, Julie Pasturaud, Piolino, Kathleen Kim, Natalia Brzezińska, Hila Fahim, d’Oustrac and Kirsty Stokes.

Kazushi Ono conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Declassified Memory Fragment – Joyce Theater – July 2nd – July 31

Burkina Faso is a small, landlocked country in Africa. From it comes musician and choreographer Olivier Tarpaga who created Declassified Memory Fragment. This 70-minute piece had its world premiere in 2015. It is a work that features dancers and live musicians sharing the stage.

New York’s Joyce Theater will stream Declassified Memory Fragment for the first time during the month of July.

Tarpaga was inspired by the various political issues his own country faces as well as other countries like Kenya, Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe. Information from The Joyce Theater states that “Declassified refers to living in a society where aspects of everyday life are subjected to restrictions and cultural expectations of secrecy and privacy, even within the family. The act of declassifying is a process of revealing, exposing what is hidden from view and obscured, not spoken.”

Marina Hars, writing in the New York Times said Tarpaga’s piece, “is an extraordinary, distilled piece of music and dance. As the title suggests, it conjures fragmented memories, images and stories, often from childhood, gathered and transformed through movement and music by Mr. Tarpaga, three fellow dancers, and four musicians.”

Allen Toussaint with Preservation Hall Jazz Band – SF Jazz – July 3rd – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT

This 2014 performance was one of the last concerts performed by jazz singer and pianist Allen Toussaint. He died one year after this performance at SF Jazz. He appears with Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Toussaint’s concert is part of SF Jazz’s Fridays at Five. That means the concert will stream only once at 5:00 PM PDT/8:00 PM EDT.

If you like jazz you won’t want to miss this one. New footage from the concert has been added for this presentation. To watch Fridays at Five requires either signing up for one month of concerts for $5 or signing up for a year at $60. With upcoming concerts by John Scofield, Cécile McLorin Salvant and their ongoing Wayne Shorter Celebrations plus this rare performance by Toussaint, it seems like an easy decision.

New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall – Medici.tv – July 3rd- July 5th

This 2015 Carnegie Hall concert finds Alan Gilbert leading the New York Philharmonic. The highlight of this performance was the world premiere of Vivo by Magnus Lindberg. Carnegie Hall co-commissioned the work from Lindberg.

Pianist Evgeny Kissin joins for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s crowd-pleasing Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23.

As an encore, Kissin performs Méditation from Tchaikovsky’s 18 Pieces.

Kissin made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1990. That performance also marked his US recital debut.

The concert concludes with Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2.

Susannah -San Francisco Opera – July 4th – July 5th

American composer Carlisle Floyd wrote this opera during his tenure as a member of the faculty at Florida State University. Floyd wrote both music and the libretto. Susannah had its world premiere in 1955 at the University.

His inspiration was a story in the Book of Daniel in certain bibles. Floyd updates the story of Susannah and the Elders to a more contemporary story of a teenage girl whom many in her isolated religious community accuse of being a sinner. Her journey into womanhood is challenged by the residents in a small mountain town in Tennessee.

This San Francisco Opera production was staged in 2014. Michael Cavanagh directed the production and the performance is conducted by Karen Kamensek.

Patricia Racette sings the role of “Susannah.” Brandon Jovanovich sings the role of “Sam Polk”; Raymond Aceto sings the role of “Reverend Olin Blitch”; the role of “Elder Ott” is sung by Timothy Mix; Catherine Cook sings the role of “Mrs. McLean” and the role of Little Bat McLean is sung by James Kryshak.

This was the first time one of Floyd’s operas had been performed by San Francisco Opera. Critics hailed the production and Racette’s performance in the title role.

Melissa Errico with Seth Rudetsky – July 5th – 8:00 PM/5:00 PM (rerun July 6th 3:00 PM EDT/12:00 PM PDT)

Melissa Errico hasn’t had the Broadway career her many fans and admirers feel she deserves. A 1993 revival of My Fair Lady was followed by roles in High Society, Amour, Dracula the Musical and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Those subsequent shows had short runs.

Off-Broadway has been far kinder offering Errico a chance to shine in productions of Finian’s Rainbow, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and Stephen Sondheim’s Passion.

You can experience how talented she is when she appears as Seth Rudetsky’s Concert guest in his online Concert Series. The live performance takes place on July 5th. There is a second streaming of the concert on July 6th. Tickets for each performance are $25.

Those are your Best Bets at Home: July 3rd – July 5th. But before we go, a couple reminders:

Metropolitan Opera offerings Friday – Sunday are Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and Rossini’s La Donna del Lago.

All Live with Carnegie Hall events-to-date are archived and available for viewing at any time. They include pianist Daniil Trifonov, opera singer Isabel Leonard, Yannick Nézet-Séguin discussing opera, Michael Feinstein celebrating composer Irving Berlin, opera singer Renée Fleming, violinist Joshua Bell and many more.

Stay safe. Stay sane. Be healthy. And enjoy your Bets Bets at Home: July 3rd – July 5th and your holiday weekend.

Photo: Lin-Manuel Miranda in a scene from the film of Hamilton (Photo courtesy of Disney Plus)

The post Cultural Best Bets at Home: July 3rd – July 5th appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

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.

The post My Favorite Tony Award Performances appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Gonzalez has two shows this weekend (one at The Soraya on Saturday and a second show at Irvine Barclay Theatre on Sunday) and she has invited Muñoz to join as her special guest.

When I spoke yesterday with Muñoz by phone he was effusive in his praise of Gonzalez, looking forward to performing different material and most importantly being truly and unapologetically himself.

You and Mandy were original cast members in In the Heights. How did your friendship develop and what stood out to you about her as both an actor and a person?

Oh my gosh. It’s a dream to know Mandy. We nicknamed her “The Beast” as a cast during In the Heights.  Her work ethic, she is invincible, she’s a powerhouse and she puts everything – her heart, her soul, her guts – into everything she does. And she’s really a trustworthy confidant in my life. To have been friends and colleagues all these years is a genuine gift in my life.

How did your joining her for these shows come about?

There was a school opening for a new rehearsal space and theatre and part of the celebration was she and I sang together. I sang The Impossible Dream. For all the years we have known each other, we have know each other in the very specific style of Lin-Manuel Miranda. We rarely get to hear each other sing other types of material. And it really sparked a conversation between us about doing something together.

I jumped at the chance to perform with her and also to learn from her. The concert circuit isn’t something I do very often. She’s mastered this art and what a beautiful way to learn from one of my dearest old friends in the business.

What can people expect from the concerts?

Folks can expect the same powerhouse passionate performance from Mandy and I will bring in some Latin style and some classics that are dear to me. We’ll share our In the Heights and Hamilton journeys that are so special to us. This will show off a different style of what I do. There are other colors to what I do.

You live your life unapologetically on all levels. You are openly gay. You were open about your battle with cancer during the run of Hamilton and you are open about being HIV positive. No doubt there are people who discouraged you to do that. What would the price be to your soul if you weren’t as open as you are?

It would mean no happiness. It would be like a cancer growing in my heart. It’s how I’m built. It’s who I am. I see artists and celebrities do this pseudo-activism where they become a name and face for something, but they don’t get their hands dirty. This is literally how I was born and raised. I have been an activist since high school. This is as vital to me as much as my art is.

I assume you specifically chose the word cancer?

I didn’t use that lightly. It would kill me to not be part of the efforts and energies in the world to change things. To help those who need help. To give food to those who don’t have it. It’s part of my life’s blood. I won’t ever apologize for that. That’s the work I do.

You told GQ that you flew to California to have a face-to-face with the person who transmitted HIV to you a couple years after your diagnosis. When he said nothing, you said you realized, “how much pain he must be in.”  How do you think that compassion influences your approach to the characters you play and the songs you sing?

I really am drawn to the imperfection in all of us because I see it in myself and I look at it and I try to love it and own it. I see my friends doing the same – trying to throw away the parts of themselves that are not so accepted in our society according to our rules in society. I can’t help but see that and think it is beautiful. Humanity is beautiful. We are all imperfect.

The theatre I want to do is the theatre that confronts ourselves and our humanity. I hope we walk away with a little more love around our imperfections. That’s where my performances come from. Act 2 in Hamilton is pretty intense. But I’m sitting in the living history of what could have inspired those choices. How can I love that story? How can I sit in that skin and tell that story to the audience? That is the great gift and power of the art form of theatre.

When you returned to Hamilton after cancer treatments you started a garden on the roof of the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Did someone take that over when you left the show?

Unfortunately it is gone. When I left I took what I could from the garden that I could sustain in smaller pots and bring them home. A lot of fans gave me gifts for the garden, but there was no one there to take care of it. It is something I think about often and it was a cherished place. When I got to the final day of removing the soil and the space where it lived, I couldn’t do it. I was sad to let it go.

As a teenager you played a guard in The King and I and knew you’d found your destiny. If you could go back and give that teenager advice about what his life would be and how best to navigate it, what would you tell him?

I would tell him… (and he takes a long pause) I would talk to him about self-worth. I would say to him the hardest journey is going to be saying yes to what life and the universe is going to offer you. You are going to deserve it. I was a hard worker then and I am now. Nothing came as a gift. No one handed anything to me. I would tell myself to make choices that were true to your self-worth because you deserve it. You deserve to be happy.

Photos of Javier Muñoz courtesy of Javier Muñoz

The post Javier Muñoz is Unapologetically Himself appeared first on Cultural Attaché.