Broadway Friday Night

I remember when I was living in New York City in the 1980s that there were plenty of DJs out there mixing all the music they could, including some of the great Broadway songs. Some where made much more to order than others. There were songs like One Night In Bangkok from the musical Chess by former ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with lyrics written by Tim Rice & Ulvaeus. Before it was a show, it was a concept album, and Pop singer Murray Head was hired to sing One Night In Bangkok, which he did with great style. In fact, his recording was quite the hit worldwide, topping the charts in Europe, and making it to #3 on the US and Canadian charts.



Now, it is tough to say that La Cage Aux Folles was anything other than landmark - a mainstream Broadway musical focusing on the lives of a gay couple. It also has the benefit of a book by the talented Harvey Fierstein, and music and lyrics by the incomparable Jerry Herman. Herman wrote the song of the decade when he wrote the ultimate song of bravery and honesty in I Am What I Am. I remember when the disco versions were coming out, but nothing topped when diva-licious Gloria Gaynor got hold of the song, and really make it iconic.



In 1975, a show opened up on Broadway that had plenty of people talking even before the first preview in Baltimore. Yes, people were abuzz about the Afro-centric retelling of the classic Wizard of Oz story, with an all-African-American cast. The Wiz featured Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, who truly made a name for herself with her big voice. It was such a hit, there was immediate talk about a movie version. When thee move was released in 1978, it starred Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, two of the biggest names in Pop music, as well as Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor. With Ross and Jackson singing Ease On Down The Road, how could you go wrong?



And, finally, there is the delightful show that opened on Broadway just last year, following runs in Sydney, London, and Toronto. Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert was getting great reviews everywhere it opened, and that was partly due to the company never resting on their laurels, and always adapting to the different setting with music that would speak to the audiences. And, when it came time for the Broadway production, it didn't seem likely that they could ignore one of the greatest dance songs ever written, by all kinds of different artists. Check out The Priscilla Diva Mix featuring members of the original Broadway Cast, touching on some of the highlights of the show.



On the 2011 Tony Award broadcast, the Broadway cast was joined by Martha Wash in a very special and glorious performance of It's Raining Men, a standout song for the show. The song was introduced by Paul Shaffer (of Letterman fame), who wrote the song with Paul Jabara. Ms. Wash, of course, was one of the original Weather Girls, who made the song a huge hit 30 years ago, in 1982.

Happy Birthday, Jerry Herman

Pictured: Jerry Herman, Angela Lansbury, Bea Arthur, John Barrowman, Michael Feinstein, and Carol Channing.

Jerry Herman was born on July 10, 1931, so he is celebrating his 80th today. He made his career writing some amazing songs through the years, as well as some iconic roles for some of the greatest leading ladies musical theater has known. He is at least in part responsible for the magical creations of Dolly Levi, Mame Dennis, and Zaza, who offstage was known as Albin. He wrote about love in every form, be it the love of an aunt for a nephew, two best friends, a widow and a widower, or two men who run a drag bar.

But he also made sure all of his leads were strong. They didn't bend to the winds blowing from the society at large, as you can tell when Zaza stands up to tell everyone, I Am What I Am from the 1983 show, La Cage Aux Folles. This is John Barrowman performing it when he starred in a recent London revival of the show.



Sure, Vera might have had a tendency to drink a bit more than most and Mame might have marched to the beat of a different drummer, but when push came to shove, the ladies were inseparable. Here Angela Lansbury & Bea Arthur sing Bosom Buddies from Mame.



Mame celebrated her unconventional nature, something her nephew Patrick loved when he was young, and seemed to be uncomfortable, and even embarrassed about later. But when Patrick was having a tough time because of the passing of his parents, she was right there, singing We Need A Little Christmas from Mame. This is a clip of Angela Lansbury singing it for a Christmas special.



In 1974, Herman wrote a special show called Mack & Mabel. The story revolved around Hollywood legend Mack Sennett and his rocky relationship with Mabel Normand, who went on to be a big star in the movies. The original production was not a big success, closing after 8 weeks. But it grew in cult status, and subsequent revivals garnered some great reviews. Here is Michael Feinstein singing I Won't Send Roses from the show.



Everyone knows the story behind Hello Dolly!, which first opened on Broadway in 1964. Countless woman have played the role, from Carol Channing to Ginger Rogers to Martha Raye to Betty Grable to Pearl Bailey. Here is the original Dolly Levi, Carol Channing, singing the number that closed the first act, Before The Parade Passes By.



Of course, if you mention Hello Dolly!, you can't ignore the title song, can you? Especially if it is sung in the movies by a young Barbra Streisand and the great Louis Armstrong. Here they are, singing Hello Dolly.



Happy Birthday, Jerry! May you celebrate many more!

Dark Monday - RIP Arthur Laurents

Top: Arthur Laurents. Bottom left: The crew for West Side Story, including Bernstein & Sondheim. Right: Mr. Laurents.

Last Thursday, May 5, 2011, the theater lost a giant when writer/director Arthur Laurents passed away. He was preceded in death by his partner of 52 years, Tom Hatcher in 2006. Mr. Laurents was 93 years old. In a 2000 memoir, Laurents was quite open about his relationship with Hatcher, as well as a previous relationship with actor Farley Granger.


Arthur Laurents with partner Tom Hatcher.

Mr. Laurents wrote the libretto, now more commonly referred to as the book of the musical, for some of the great shows of the last 50 years. Starting in 1957, he wrote West Side Story, followed by Gypsy in 1959, Anyone Can Whistle in 1964, Do I Hear a Waltz? in 1965, Hallelujah, Baby! in 1967, The Madwoman of Central Park West in 1979, and Nick & Nora in 1991. I was lucky enough to see Nick & Nora in preview and thought it was a far better show than the critics declared it to be, and that Barry Bostwick and Joanna Gleason were quite good in it.



As a director, he helped make a star in 1962's I Can Get It for You Wholesale of a young, unknown named Barbra Streisand. He also directed the Sondheim show Anyone Can Whistle in 1964, the 1973 London production of Gypsy starring Angela Lansbury which transferred to Broadway the following year, The Madwoman of Central Park West in 1979, La Cage Aux Folles in 1983, Nick & Nora in 1991, the 2008 revival of Gypsy starring Patti LuPone, and the 2009 revival of West Side Story.



He was an important part of the creative team as the director of La Cage Aux Folles, with Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein. It was quite a sensation when it first came out, incorporating a few girls amongst the boys playing drag queens to up the inquisitive quotient. In 1983, this was thought to be rather risque and risky, although the audiences flocked to the theater to see it. Laurents went on to win the Tony Award for his direction of the musical.



He also worked in film, most notably as the screenwriter on the immortal The Way We Were and the dazzling The Turning Point. With The Way We Were, Laurents was able to utilize his time in Hollywood as a screenwriter, as well as someone whose political beliefs landed him on the famed blacklist, something touched on in the film. For The Turning Point, it is said Laurents was inspired by his love for ballet dancer Nora Kaye, with whom he had a relationship with in the early stages of his career. At the time of the film, she was married to the movie's director, Herbert Ross.



Rest in Peace, Arthur Laurents, you certainly left this world with plenty of beauty.

Dark Monday - La Cage aux Folles

To celebrate Harvey Fierstein going into the cast of Broadway's La Cage Aux Folles, I am reposting this entry from last year.

La Cage aux Folles is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and lyrics and music by Jerry Herman. It was based on the 1973 French play of the same name by Jean Poiret, and focuses on a gay couple: Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic partner and star attraction. The farcical adventures that ensue when Georges' son, Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancée's ultra-conservative parents to meet them truly allows the show to kick into full-gear.





The musical's original 1983 Broadway production received nine nominations for Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. The success of the musical spawned a West End production and several international runs. The 2004 Broadway revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival, and the 2008 London revival garnered the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.



The show opens with Georges introducing the Cagelles for the first time. In the original Broadway production, there were at least 2 females in the Cagelles, and they ended this number by taking off their wigs, revealing their sex. This caused some controversy, as many thought it a sell-out move to make the audience more at ease. In subsequent productions, they are played by men. The following clip is from the 2008 London revival.



The show was groundbraking, bing the first Broadway musical to star male lovers. This, of course, was made easier by the success of the French movie of the same name, but was still provocative at the time. Song On The Sand was a beautiful love song, with Georges singing about his love for the star of the drag show and his long-time love, Albin. This clip shows Davis Gaines singing from a 1993 concert, Jerry Herman's Broadway at Holiday Bowl.



The most memorable gon from the show is I Am What I Am, a show-stopper to be sure, as well as an international hit pop/disco for Miss Gloria Gaynor. It is sung by Albin, who flies in the face of societal pressures and proudly proclaims 'Life's not worth a damn 'til I can say world, I am what I am.' George Hearn played it to perfection in the original production, but there was many complaints when he went on the Tony Awards and sang the song in a tuxedo rather than doing the number in drag. In the revival on London's West End, the role of Albin was played by many different stars, including Graham Norton and most recently by John Barrowman. This is a clip from Barrowman's appearance on the Paul O'Grady Show in September, followed by an interview.





The show most certainly broke some barriers for the LGBT community, showing gay men and drag queens to be real people to the musical audience. It might not have suited everyone's taste, but it certainly helped open the minds of many who went to see it. And it gave us I Am What I Am, a song that is a staple at every Gay Pride Parade I have ever seem. The official website of the London revival here.

I Am What I Am - John Barrowman

He might not be wearing purple, but he sings the great song from La Cage Aux Folles, a song that has given strength to many in the LGBT community since the show opened in 1983, with a book by Harvey Fierstein, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. I remember marching in the Pride Parade in NYC in the 80s, and singing this song as we marched down Fifth Avenue. So, to mark the day when people are being asked to wear purple to say they 'give a damn' about the bullying and discrimination in the world today. Here is John saying he gives a damn.

Dark Monday - La Cage Aux Folles

La Cage aux Folles is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and lyrics and music by Jerry Herman. It was based on the 1973 French play of the same name by Jean Poiret, and focuses on a gay couple: Georges, the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag entertainment, and Albin, his romantic partner and star attraction. The farcical adventures that ensue when Georges' son, Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancée's ultra-conservative parents to meet them truly allows the show to kick into full-gear.





The musical's original 1983 Broadway production received nine nominations for Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. The success of the musical spawned a West End production and several international runs. The 2004 Broadway revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival, and the 2008 London revival garnered the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.



The show opens with Georges introducing the Cagelles for the first time. In the original Broadway production, there were at least 2 females in the Cagelles, and they ended this number by taking off their wigs, revealing their sex. This caused some controversy, as many thought it a sell-out move to make the audience more at ease. In subsequent productions, they are played by men. The following clip is from the 2008 London revival.



The show was groundbraking, bing the first Broadway musical to star male lovers. This, of course, was made easier by the success of the French movie of the same name, but was still provocative at the time. Song On The Sand was a beautiful love song, with Georges singing about his love for the star of the drag show and his long-time love, Albin. This clip shows Davis Gaines singing from a 1993 concert, Jerry Herman's Broadway at Holiday Bowl.



The most memorable gon from the show is I Am What I Am, a show-stopper to be sure, as well as an international hit pop/disco for Miss Gloria Gaynor. It is sung by Albin, who flies in the face of societal pressures and proudly proclaims 'Life's not worth a damn 'til I can say world, I am what I am.' George Hearn played it to perfection in the original production, but there was many complaints when he went on the Tony Awards and sang the song in a tuxedo rather than doing the number in drag. In the revival on London's West End, the role of Albin was played by many different stars, including Graham Norton and most recently by John Barrowman. This is a clip from Barrowman's appearance on the Paul O'Grady Show in September.



The show most certainly broke some barriers for the LGBT community, showing gay men and drag queens to be real people to the musical audience. It might not have suited everyone's taste, but it certainly helped open the minds of many who went to see it. And it gave us I Am What I Am, a song that is a staple at every Gay Pride Parade I have ever seem. The official website of the London revival here.