Showing posts with label A Chorus Line and Mary Poppins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Chorus Line and Mary Poppins. Show all posts
Monday, February 11, 2008
And the Grammy goes to...
Ok, I'm sure you were distracted with the performances by Kanye, Tina Turner and Ms. Winehouse, but for those of you interested... the winner of the 2008 Grammy for Best Musical Show Album went to Spring Awakening. The album was up against the revivals of A Chorus Line and Company, Grey Gardens and the 50th Anniversary Decca Broadway tribute to West Side Story.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
A chorus for 'Line'
NYC -- The creative team for the new staging of "A Chorus Line" met an adoring audience at the annual League of American Theatres and Producers conference on Tuesday.
The team included the late Michael Bennett’s professional partner Bob Avian, the new show's director and original co-choreographer; original composer Marvin Hamlisch; and producer John Breglio.
A sampler of their conversation:
Marvin on "What I Did for Love": “I always wanted a song that could go on the Ed Sullivan Show. Where’s that two-minute song? I always tried to get it as commercial as possible. … Everyone else said, what do we need this for? If you listen to the two CDs, you’ll hear it. It was the right song {then}, but it was the wrong treatment.
Bob: "New audiences are coming out with the adult story of the musical. The technical changes are astounding. We use mics, but you won’t see mics or wires … we put the challenge to wardrobe because {if you see the technology}, it ruins the whole illusion."
Bob, on whether he's reinventing the show: "I could do it in a circle and have them all play instruments (laughter at the obvious 'Sweeney Todd' reference), but this is Michael Bennett’s masterpiece …"
Bob: "It’s the greatest testament to what Michael did up there, to introduce that passion … "
Bob: "We were worried about {confusion with} reality shows. Reality shows are humiliating. They have no integrity. They are cruel to these artists. They do it for ratings and audience amusement. I was looking at 'Chorus Line.' This is about sincerity, this is about integrity, this is about love. This is not a dark thing; this is about love. " -- Michael Kilgore/TBPAC
The team included the late Michael Bennett’s professional partner Bob Avian, the new show's director and original co-choreographer; original composer Marvin Hamlisch; and producer John Breglio.
A sampler of their conversation:
Marvin on "What I Did for Love": “I always wanted a song that could go on the Ed Sullivan Show. Where’s that two-minute song? I always tried to get it as commercial as possible. … Everyone else said, what do we need this for? If you listen to the two CDs, you’ll hear it. It was the right song {then}, but it was the wrong treatment.
Bob: "New audiences are coming out with the adult story of the musical. The technical changes are astounding. We use mics, but you won’t see mics or wires … we put the challenge to wardrobe because {if you see the technology}, it ruins the whole illusion."
Bob, on whether he's reinventing the show: "I could do it in a circle and have them all play instruments (laughter at the obvious 'Sweeney Todd' reference), but this is Michael Bennett’s masterpiece …"
Bob: "It’s the greatest testament to what Michael did up there, to introduce that passion … "
Bob: "We were worried about {confusion with} reality shows. Reality shows are humiliating. They have no integrity. They are cruel to these artists. They do it for ratings and audience amusement. I was looking at 'Chorus Line.' This is about sincerity, this is about integrity, this is about love. This is not a dark thing; this is about love. " -- Michael Kilgore/TBPAC
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
That Marvin's a funny guy
NYC -- We already know that Marvin Hamlisch is a talented composer, and that his first Broadway score was for the long-running "A Chorus Line."
Who knew he was so funny?
Asked to play something for the League of American Theatres and Producers conference, Hamlisch feigned nervousness.
"I approach this with trepidation. I have no idea whether it’s a good piano or a bad piano; I’m sure it’s a good piano, but …
"{Back when we were doing 'A Chorus Line'}, when we needed money from the Shuberts, we had to audition …. I wanted to do 'What I Did for Love,' but Michael {Bennett} said, no, we need money. Do 'Tits and Ass.' So here I am, 15 years at Juilliard, doing 'Tits and Ass. '
"So there’s this piano that has been there for forever. I’m thinking, probably Irving Berlin played there. So I start quietly and then ... the whole piano falls down.
"So, I’ll play today, but not too loud, in case the same thing happens again.
"Being a person who fell in love with Broadway when I went to see the show, 'Gypsy' ... we all agree it’s got the greatest overture ever. Finally, I’ll get a chance to do an overture. So we write this overture {for 'A Chorus Line'}, and we never use it, because the show takes place at an audition."
So, after 30 years, Hamlisch finally gets to play the overture. He finishes to a standing ovation, and points good-naturedly to the still-standing piano. -- Michael Kilgore/TBPAC
Who knew he was so funny?
Asked to play something for the League of American Theatres and Producers conference, Hamlisch feigned nervousness.
"I approach this with trepidation. I have no idea whether it’s a good piano or a bad piano; I’m sure it’s a good piano, but …
"{Back when we were doing 'A Chorus Line'}, when we needed money from the Shuberts, we had to audition …. I wanted to do 'What I Did for Love,' but Michael {Bennett} said, no, we need money. Do 'Tits and Ass.' So here I am, 15 years at Juilliard, doing 'Tits and Ass. '
"So there’s this piano that has been there for forever. I’m thinking, probably Irving Berlin played there. So I start quietly and then ... the whole piano falls down.
"So, I’ll play today, but not too loud, in case the same thing happens again.
"Being a person who fell in love with Broadway when I went to see the show, 'Gypsy' ... we all agree it’s got the greatest overture ever. Finally, I’ll get a chance to do an overture. So we write this overture {for 'A Chorus Line'}, and we never use it, because the show takes place at an audition."
So, after 30 years, Hamlisch finally gets to play the overture. He finishes to a standing ovation, and points good-naturedly to the still-standing piano. -- Michael Kilgore/TBPAC
Bringing back the 'Line'
NYC -- One of the highlights of recent League conferences is the opportunity to hear Creative Conversations with the people whose art we all support. This conference is about the business, but also about the shows.
Early on Tuesday, we heard members of the creative team behind the new “A Chorus Line,” which closed on Broadway in 1990 after 6,137 performances. Some facts from a promotional book: Over 500 performers danced in the Broadway show and it grossed $300 million in the U.S. It was seen in 104 U.S. cities and 22 other countries.
Producer John Breglio moderated and introduced Marvin Hamlisch, the original composer who wrote his first Broadway score for this show.
Breglio talked about the love of big Broadway musicals and of the dancer gypsies who move from musical to musical as part of the chorus – which provides the story for “A Chorus Line.”
“We consider this musical to be the great American craft,” he said. “I had the privilege of knowing Michael {Bennett} back in 1972 and 73 and … he was a genius, a great man and a great friend.”
The late Bennett, of course, was the original choreographer and director of “A Chorus Line.”
“We had to get ‘Chorus Line’ back,” Breglio said. “It’s a great revival. Actually, I’d like to kill that word right now. It’s a new production of a great American musical. We looked at every department at how we could … fine-tune it. There are people who believe they know every second of ‘Chorus Line,’ but we have made changes.
“We brought it back for two reasons: so everybody can relive the magic of ‘Chorus Line.’ And to introduce it to a generation who had never seen it … to experience the universality of those emotions.”
He said they auditioned 1,800 people over a year and some of them had never seen the show on stage. They’re excited about reaching a whole new audience, including a national tour that was announced today and starting in May of 2008.
Confession time: I’ve never seen this classic American musical. So I’m especially excited to see this new version on stage at the Schoenfield Theatre. – Michael Kilgore/TBPAC
Early on Tuesday, we heard members of the creative team behind the new “A Chorus Line,” which closed on Broadway in 1990 after 6,137 performances. Some facts from a promotional book: Over 500 performers danced in the Broadway show and it grossed $300 million in the U.S. It was seen in 104 U.S. cities and 22 other countries.
Producer John Breglio moderated and introduced Marvin Hamlisch, the original composer who wrote his first Broadway score for this show.
Breglio talked about the love of big Broadway musicals and of the dancer gypsies who move from musical to musical as part of the chorus – which provides the story for “A Chorus Line.”
“We consider this musical to be the great American craft,” he said. “I had the privilege of knowing Michael {Bennett} back in 1972 and 73 and … he was a genius, a great man and a great friend.”
The late Bennett, of course, was the original choreographer and director of “A Chorus Line.”
“We had to get ‘Chorus Line’ back,” Breglio said. “It’s a great revival. Actually, I’d like to kill that word right now. It’s a new production of a great American musical. We looked at every department at how we could … fine-tune it. There are people who believe they know every second of ‘Chorus Line,’ but we have made changes.
“We brought it back for two reasons: so everybody can relive the magic of ‘Chorus Line.’ And to introduce it to a generation who had never seen it … to experience the universality of those emotions.”
He said they auditioned 1,800 people over a year and some of them had never seen the show on stage. They’re excited about reaching a whole new audience, including a national tour that was announced today and starting in May of 2008.
Confession time: I’ve never seen this classic American musical. So I’m especially excited to see this new version on stage at the Schoenfield Theatre. – Michael Kilgore/TBPAC
The show's the thing
NYC -- One great thing about this conference is not only the chance to reconnect with colleagues from around the country, but a chance to see many new shows that have opened since our last NYC trip.
By Friday, I will have seen "Spring Awakening," "Moon for the Misbegotten," "The Pirate Queen," "Inherit the Wind," "Legally Blonde," "A Chorus Line" and "Mary Poppins."
Some of these likely will end up on a Broadway season near you, starting in 2008-2009.
Watch for reports later this week. -- Michael Kilgore/TBPAC
By Friday, I will have seen "Spring Awakening," "Moon for the Misbegotten," "The Pirate Queen," "Inherit the Wind," "Legally Blonde," "A Chorus Line" and "Mary Poppins."
Some of these likely will end up on a Broadway season near you, starting in 2008-2009.
Watch for reports later this week. -- Michael Kilgore/TBPAC
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