Dark Monday • Nick Adams Sings

Sometimes, I surprise myself. It has been far too long since I have included the handsome and talented Nick Adams on this blog. He is a true triple threat, being an excellent dancer, as well as a strong singer, and an excellent actor. And man, is he gorgeous. In fact, he is so nice to look at, it is easy to forget just how talented he is. So I thought I would start with him singing a classic song, one everyone knows. That would be "On The Street Where You Live" from 'My Fair Lady', written by the great team of Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1956, and starred Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews. He has sung it a couple of times, and I just love it. This is Nick Adams singing "On The Street Where You Live".

Nick has an impressive resume, starring on Broadway in the revivals of great musicals like 'Chicago', A Chorus Line', and 'Guys and Dolls'. HE was also a member of the original Broadway cast of 'The Pirate Queen' and 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'. He played the role of Adam/Felicia, the younger of the trio who take a bus trip together. He had several numbers in the show, including his version of "Like A Prayer", written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard. The song was, of course, the title cut of her 1989 album, and a big hit. The Broadway version was a bit different, but very special in it's own way. This is Nick Adams singing "Like A Prayer" with the Divas from 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'.

Currently, Nick is on tour with the music 'Wicked', with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Adams is playing Fiyero Tiggular, the prince of the Arjiki tribe. He had a bit of a romance with Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, while at college. There was an attempt on his life, only to be saved by former love. It is through her saving spell that he is transformed into a scarecrow. But before all that happens, he sings "Dancing Through Life". This is a clip of Nick singing the song as part of the National Touring Company.

You can find Nick Adams' music online, as a featured performer on Original Broadway Cast Recording of 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'. You can purchase it on iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about Nick Adams, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. He is still on tour, so you can see when he will be in a town near you. You can check out the schedule at the official 'Wicked' website.

Friday Night with the Desert Queen

Clockwise: Madonna, Communards, M, Peaches & Herb.

A few weeks ago, I features Broadway songs that became dance hits. You can check out that post, Broadway Friday Night. So, as I was thinking about what to do tonight, I thought about changing that up just a little bit. What about dance hits that made their way into a Broadway show? Of course, I would pick Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, a show that is currently running on Broadway. In fact, to find out more about the show, you can check out their official website here. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter. It has plenty of the great dance songs from the past few decades, but I will just pick four that the talented cast bring to life eight times a week, only I will feature the original artists performing the great songs. Although it is hard for me to believe this song has been around that long, first we will go to the Queen of, well, just about everything for Madonna's 1983 hit, Holiday. The song went to #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the US Dance Hits chart, her first #1 song of her storied career. So this is the song from 29 years ago, Holiday.



Way back in 1966, a young man named Herb Fame started singing with Francine Hurd Barker in Washington, DC, no one knew the long-lasting effects the duo would have on music. That would include the hit song they had in 1978. You might know the duo better by their professional name, Peaches & Herb. See, Francine had the nickname Peaches since she was a child. And in 1978, they released Shake Your Groove Thing, which made it to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and featured on the playlist of every DJ in the country.



Englishman Robin Scott had an interesting way of blending New Wave synthesizers, a quirk delivery, and dance beats to create his own special sound. In the late 1970s and early 80s, he recorded as the lead on a band called "M." The most successful of the releases was the 1979 hit Pop Muzik. The song went to #2 on the UK Pop chart, and #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Enjoy M giving you some Pop Muzik.



The final song the evening has a rich history, to be sure. Written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert, Don't Leave Me This Way was part of the Gamble & Huff legacy of music coming out of Philadelphia. It was first released by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in 1975. It was not the first hit for the group, nor was it the last. Have I mentioned yet that at the time, the lead singer of the group was the gifted Teddy Pendergrass. And he compounded the hits with the group with an amazing career of his own. Well, until he had the unfortunate auto accident in 1982. but nothing could halt the pure talent in the voice, which can most certainly be heard on this great song.



In 1976, the song had another go on the charts, when it was covered by the great Thelma Houston who took it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And in 1986, there was another remake on the radio. The British band The Communards, featuring the brilliant vocals of Jimmy Somerville, and the amazing arrangement from Jimmy boyfriend and co-star in the band, Richard Coles. They were joined by by vocalist Sarah Jane Morris, whose deep and rich voice was a perfect counterpoint to Somerville's soaring falsetto. The song returned to Top 40 in the US Market, and once again topped the Dance chart. It went to #1 on the UK Pop chart, and was just a worldwide success. And now, the song is sung 8 times a week on Broadway, tempting the audience out of it's seats to dance.

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.

Dark Monday - Pledge With Priscilla

Top: Nick Adams; Middle: Will Swenson; Bottom: Tony Shelton

Who are these rather handsome and talented men in the pictures? They are the leads in the new Broadway show, Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, which begins previews this evening at the Palace Theater on Broadway between 46th & 47th streets. They are Will Swenson, who plays Tick/Mitzi, Tony Shelton, who plays Bernadette, and the yummy Nick Adams, who plays Adam/Felicia. If you should turn up at the theater, you are more likely to see them looking like this:


Left to Right: Will, Tony & Nick.

As they prepare for previews and a Broadway opening, they took the time to record a video in support of acceptance and hope for LGBT people everywhere, and for LGBT Youth in particular. They recently got together with the people at the "It Gets Better" Project to take things a step further.



They are encouraging people to take the following pledge:

Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work. I'll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other bullied teens by letting them know that "It Gets Better."

Acceptance is a natural message from a musical like Priscilla, as it is part of the inherent message of the show. In fact, the producers of the show have made a sneak peak available online, and sho I thought I would share it with you.



You you like what you see, and are going to be in New York City soon, why not get tickets to see the show. You can find out about the show, and how to reserve tickets by visiting their official website here. I hope I get the chance to see it soon, cause I would love to see these men put in the performances I have been reading about. They've been met with praise everywhere they've been, and from what I have read in the response from the audience, the praise is well deserved.

Finally, via Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

In 1994, the Australian film Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was released on an unsuspecting audience, with a really incredible section using the CeCe Peniston song Finally. I swear, this might have been the inspiration for RuPaul's Drag Race and the ladies who LipSync for Their Life! No, really! There have been many a contestant who could have benefited greatly from watching this clip before going on.

Worth Another Listen - CeCe Peniston

For some, she stamped 1991 with a song that defined the time. For others, she was one of the most successful Dance/Club acts of the decade, topping the club charts five times out of six, with the other landing at #2. For some, she almost defines one-hit-wonder as her career became defined by that one monster song. No matter what group you fall under, you've got to smile when you hear CeCe Peniston's name, her familiar voice, or the opening notes of Finally, whether it be in a club or while watching Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert.



In 1990 & 1991, CeCe Peniston was working on her career, working with some other performers when her strong voice caught the ear of a record executive. The label was a bit wary of taking a chance, so they sent the singer into the studio to record a single. The lyrics were purported to have been written a couple of years earlier by the singer while she was in high school. The single was released, and Finally was soon playing on every Pop station across the country, and Peniston had her first hit on the Billboard charts, getting to #5 on the Hot 100, and #1 on Dance Club Plays chart.



This was not Peniston's only trip to the Billboard Pop Top 40. On the strength of that single, A&M records released the album Finally, which ended up selling over 3 Million units worldwide, and well over 500,000 in the US. The third single off the album, Keep On Walkin', also found it's way up the charts, scoring #15 on the Hot 100, and #1 on the Dance Club Plays chart.



The second single off the album was another winning cut, We've Got A Love Thang. As with the other 2 songs, this topped the Dance Club Plays chart, and made it to #20 on the Hot 100. It was certainly looking like the talented 22-year-old was going to be unstoppable, based on the performance of her first three singles.



Unfortunately, Peniston had only one more song hit the Top 40, the 1993 song I'm In The Mood. The song was off the sophomore offering, Thought Ya Knew. The song was the fourth from Peniston to hit #1 on the Dance Club Plays chart, as well as securing #32 on the Hot 100.



So, for all really paying attention, Ms. Peniston is far from a one-hit-wonder, with four songs in the Billboard Top 40, and five #1 songs on the Dance Club chart. Once the second album struggled with sales, there was a long hiatus while Peniston worked on new material. In fact, after 15 years of releasing the intermittent singles over the past 15 years, Peniston is rumored to be on the verge of releasing a new album shortly. This is only made stronger for fans when they go to check out her official website here, only to discover it is being renovated. But you can catch the latest news on her FaceBook page here.

It Gets Better - Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert

The cast of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert took some time from their busy schedule on the road on their way to Broadway to record a video for the It Gets Better project. It is remarkable, and well worth watching. Check it out.





For more about Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, you can check out the official website here. If you are someone, or know someone who might be feeling the effects of prejudice and bullying, here is the website for The Trevor Project. They have set up a hotline that can be reached at (866)488-7386. Share the number with those how you think might benefit, because the teenage years are hard enough without the additional issues discovering you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.