|
| |
Broadway by the Year at Town Hall - 1954
10-Apr-2008
Written by: Janet Pope
As part of an ongoing series, Broadway by the Year at Town Hall, the year 1954 was recently made the focus of honor. If this show was an indication of the caliber of talent, then I can’t wait for the next installment.
As part of an ongoing series, Broadway by the Year at Town Hall, the year 1954 was recently made the focus of honor. If this show was an indication of the caliber of talent, then I can’t wait for the next installment.
Songs were chosen from the famous alumnae plays of '54, as well as the not so famous. Pajama Game, Peter Pan, Fanny, By The Beautiful Sea, and The Girl In Pink Tights were some of the plays chosen to be highlighted in this musical tribute.
Current Broadway stars, as well as familiar Broadway veterans, rounded out this talented cast of 14, backed by The Ross Paterson Band. The creator, writer and host for the evening, Scott Siegel, amiably introduced each number with a bit of history, trivia and humor. Throughout the evening, Mr. Siegel looked on from his podium, like a proud papa both admiring and enjoying his children at play.
br>
The opening number with the full cast, "Racing With the Clock" from Pajama Game, set the tone for a good time. From House of Flowers, Natalie Belcon belted out a Pearl Bailey number, "One Man Ain't Quite Enough." Scott Coulter, the show's director, soon followed with a moving rendition of "When I Went Home", a number originally cut from Peter Pan.
br>
Mark Price and Emily Skinner performed an adorable comic duet from Pajama Game, "I'll Never Be Jealous Again." While Price displays an aura occasionally reminiscent of a Matthew Broderick, (with innocent looks and deadpan style), he made this song his own. Sierra Boggess, aka Ariel, gave a soft and stirring rendition of "Wildflowers" from The Golden Apple.
br>
I thought Act I was a terrific taste of Broadway, until Act II came along and things got even hotter. "Slide Boy, Slide" from House of Flowers featured a sensational pairing of both vocal (Natalie Belcon) and dance talent (Kendrick Jones.) Mr. Jones slipped, tapped and slid his way back and forth across the stage, setting the pace for Act II.
br>
The next number was "unplugged," that is without body mikes, in order to appreciate the pure talent on the stage without need of amplification. Jen Cody did a great characterization of an original Shirley Booth number. Dressed as a little girl and carrying a teddy bear, she sang "Lottie Gibson Specialty" from By The Beautiful Sea and soon had everyone believing she was only 5 years old.
br>
One of my favorites from the evening was "I Won't Grow Up" from Peter Pan. The audience was treated to almost 150 years of theater experience from Broadway veterans; Harvey Evans, Bert Michaels and Don Percassie. A great song for a great trio!
br>
Mark Price and Jen Cody had lots of fun with Hernando's Hideaway also from Pajama Game. While Mark channeled the deer in the headlights look of Don Knotts, Jen hammed it up as the femme fatale. What followed was the favorite "Steam Heat", revived with original choreography by Noah Racey.
br>
The Broadway tribute ended with "Never Never Land" from Peter Pan, causing the whole audience to believe in magic, or at the very least, the magic of Broadway.
br>
On May 12, Town Hall will salute "Broadway Musicals of 1965" including; Man of la Mancha, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, and Flora, The Red Menace. On June 16, the year 1979 will be honored with songs from Evita, Sweeney Todd and They're Playing Our Song. Contact Town Hall for more information.
Talk to other readers about this story.
|
|
|
|
|
