Only ten days after it had opened, its original cast album was already in stores. Frankly, the first-ever pressing of CABARET would have arrived even earlier had the musical not opened on a Sunday. Back in the ‘60s, casts routinely recorded their albums on the first Sunday after opening. In those days, Sunday matinees were rare, for most managements preferred not to have performances on what many considered The Lord’s Day. So, the future Tony-winning classic that opened on November 20 didn’t get to record its album until the following Sunday, November 27. Had CABARET opened on, say, November 1 ..read more

Although the new musical trying out Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theatre is called A COMPLICATED WOMAN, it could just as easily be titled A COMPLICATED MAN. That sounds complicated, too, doesn’t it? The explanation, though, is that the baby born to the Kenleys in 1906 had both male and female organs. Says Jeff Calhoun, who’s directing and choreographing the new musical in Chester, Connecticut, “He was John Kenley half the year when he was producing shows, and Jean Kenley the rest of the year when he wasn’t.” John, from 1940 to 1995, mounted 538 productions mostly in Ohio. First, he signed many fam ..read more

Does everybody get the joke in ON THE TOWN? That occurred to me last week at the uber-popular Ellen’s Stardust Diner. How popular? Pass by, and you’ll undoubtedly see a line longer than the ones once witnessed at FUNNY GIRL, FIDDLER and DOLLY combined. FUNNY GIRL comes to mind because Ellen’s, at Broadway and 51st Street, is next door to the Winter Garden, where the 1964 musical first played (and where BACK TO THE FUTURE now resides). This location marks the third iteration of the restaurant that owner Ellen Hart founded in 1987. Hart was one of 200 or so women who received an honor that The N ..read more

In the last week, you’ve probably heard two words over and over. “Robbed” and “snubbed.” Yes, it happens every spring once fans hear the nominations for New York theater awards. The Tonys, Drama Desks, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards all get many stage enthusiasts outraged when their favorites get few if any nominations. What they’ve also been known to say is, “In another season.” True enough: if a show had opened either a year or two earlier or later, different titles and names would have entered the winner’s circle. Take CHICAGO, which lost nine out of nine 1975-76 Tony nominat ..read more

Forty years ago this week, a revival of a smash-hit with a Tony-winning score opened. It boasted a Tony-winning actress and an Oscar-nominated star who was repeating his role on stage. And yet, OLIVER! closed after 17 performances. Who would have expected that Ron Moody, the stage and film Fagin, and Patti LuPone, inheriting the role of Nancy, would be filing for unemployment after so short a time? But the bigger ramification of the quick shuttering meant that the theater on West 51st Street would be dark for the next 11 months. In fact, from the closing of OLIVER! on May 13, 1984, the Mark He ..read more

 CD ARRIVES AUGUST 2 – PREORDER NOW  “DAZZLING, LUSH, AND BEWITCHING…WITH A SWANKY SCORE THAT FOLLOWS SUIT.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES  STARRING TONY AWARD-NOMINATED BROADWAY SENSATIONS   JEREMY JORDAN & EVA NOBLEZADA   NOW IN PERFORMANCES AT THE BROADWAY THEATRE – FIND TICKETS HERE   “FOR HER/MY GREEN LIGHT” OFFICIAL VIDEO – WATCH HERE  PRODUCTION PHOTOS (CREDIT MATTHEW MURPHY AND EVAN ZIMMERMAN) – DOWNLOAD HERE  Sony Masterworks Broadway announces the forthcoming Original Broadway Cast Recording of The Great Gatsby, the acclaimed new musical adapta ..read more

Sony Masterworks Broadway, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Seaview, Sonia Friedman Productions, Linden Productions, and Ashley Melone & Nick Mills announce the forthcoming Original Cast Recording of Stereophonic, the season’s most critically acclaimed new play on Broadway.  Produced by Playwrights Horizons, the album features original songs by Academy Award® nominee and Grammy Award® winner Will Butler, formerly of Arcade Fire. The digital album arrives May 10, 2024 with the physical CD release set for June 14, and available for preorder now.    Direct from its smash hit worl ..read more

And speaking of Comden and Green – which I did last Tuesday – J2 Spotlight Productions will present their 1960 musical DO RE MI this week and next. Make no mistake: DO RE MI has nothing to do with THE SOUND OF MUSIC – although the sound of Jule Styne’s music complements Comden and Green’s lyrics extraordinary well. You may well wonder why the three would select DO RE MI as their title only 13 months after Rodgers and Hammerstein had debuted one of their most famous, beloved and clever songs. Styne, Comden and Green knew that that familiar phrase had already made its mark on Broadway. So, why c ..read more

Here’s a different slant on “There are no small parts – just small actors.” Mallory Portnoy and Nick Blaemire were lucky and talented enough to land the roles of Betty Comden and Adolph Green in one of 2023’s most acclaimed films: MAESTRO. There’s a tiny, tiny moment in the film where Comden and Green entertain, which is what they did so often when they weren’t writing a book and/or lyrics for Broadway musicals. Portnoy and Blaemire decided to build on the opportunity. Last month they again portrayed the illustrious couple, but in far greater detail. They replicated A PARTY WITH BETTY COMDEN A ..read more

Today, Sony Masterworks Broadway, along with producers The Araca Group, American Zoetrope, Olympus Theatricals, Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky and Angelina Jolie, announce the forthcoming release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of The Outsiders – A New Musical.  With music and lyrics by Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, the digital album arrives May 22, 2024 and the physical CD is set for release on June 28, and available for preorder now.  Today’s album announcement is accompanied by the third track release “Soda’s Letter,” which features ..read more