"Broadway Songbook: Broadway in Love" at Park Square Theatre

As part of their soft reopening after some financial troubles over the last year, Park Square Theatre is bringing James Rocco's Broadway Songbook series back to St. Paul. When he was Artistic Director at the Ordway, James did a dozen or more shows in the series, most of which I attended. I fondly remember them as the best musical theater edutainment, with James' stories and history combined with live performances by some of #TCTheater's top talent. The series has continued at various locations since James left the Ordway in 2017, but hopefully this is the first of many at Park Square. It's February, so the topic for this Songbook is "Broadway in Love," a very broad topic since just about every musical has a love story. So there was less of a cohesive historical or thematic throughline in this show, but more just a collection of some of James and friends' favorite love songs from musicals. Only two performances remain, so head to downtown St. Paul if you've been missing this unique brand of musical edutainment. And follow Park Square for the upcoming announcement of their four-show season, beginning with a summer mystery.

"The Holiday Songbook" by Songbook Live! at Lakeshore Players Theatre

After cancelling the first of three planned shows this season at Lakeshore Players Theatre, Songbook Live! is back, and just in time for the holidays! A continuation of the "Broadway Songbook" series that James Rocco started when he was at the Ordway, this series provides background and stories about songs and composers in a specific genre, while talented singers and musicians perform the songs in question. The two-night only Holiday Songbook (sorry, the LPT run is done, but there is a performance in Menomonie WI on the 15th) is a really fun and festive celebration of the holiday music that is so much a part of our culture, especially at this time of the year. One of the announced cast members had to drop out due to illness, but James Rocco, Erin Schwab, and pianist Lori Dokken are about the best trio you could ask for. The three have a great rapport in this loose and fun show, that includes more than one opportunity for a singalong. The next Songbook Live!, at LPT in April, features women songwriters. Click here for more on that, and follow Songbook Live! on Facebook for information about upcoming shows.

"The California Songbook: Unplugged" at Lakeshore Players Theatre

During his 13-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, James Rocco created the "Broadway Songbook" series, with over a dozen edutainment cabarets combining fantastic performances by local talent with musical theater history, focused on different composers, eras, or topics. After James left the Ordway in 2017, they started the "Ordway Cabaret" series under Kelli Foster Warder, that was a more personal look at how various facets of Broadway inspired local performers. Now that Kelli has left the Ordway for other roles (see her brilliant Jelly's Last Jam at Theater Latte Da), it remains to be seen what the Ordway will do next. But the good news is that James Rocco's "Broadway Songbook" is back, retitled "The Songbook Experience." After omicron forced the cancellation of a January Songbook focused on the late great Stephen Sondheim (a show which will hopefully return later this year), they're finally on the Lakeshore Players Theatre stage with The California Songbook: Unplugged, not exactly Broadway, but still great music history edutainment. There's one final show this afternoon with a few seats remaining.

"Broadway Songbook: Hollywood and Broadway" at the Ordway Center

Thursday night I attended my 13th show in the Ordway's Broadway Songbook series, an edutainment series about musical theater (I think I've only missed one, maybe two). Starting way back in 2011 (aka the good old days) with "The Words and Music of Irving Berlin" in the dearly departed McKnight Theatre, the series has traveled to the stage of the main theater and now to the swanky new concert hall, and gone on to cover such composers as Stephen Sondheim, Comden and Green, and Rodgers and Hammerstein and Hart, and such topic or eras as musicals of the '50s and rock and roll on Broadway. Each has been a fun, entertaining, and informative history lesson about musical theater (which happens to be my favorite thing in the world). Which brings us to the current installment: "Hollywood and Broadway." A topic so vast (there was a time when every successful Broadway musical was made into a Hollywood movie, and now it seems every successful Hollywood movie is made into a Broadway musical), that it's impossible to cover in two quick hours. But co-writers Jeffrey P. Scott and the Ordway's Artistic Director James A. Rocco, who also hosts, managed to put together an interesting story that was perhaps a bit too much Hollywood and not enough Broadway for my taste, but was still a wonderful evening of musical theater history and performance.

"Broadway Songbook: Rebels! On Broadway" at the Ordway Concert Hall

Now in its 6th season, the Ordway's Broadway Songbook series is a unique opportunity to learn about the history of American musical theater (my favorite topic) while being entertained by fabulous performances by some of the Twin Cities' top music-theater talent. I've attended nearly every installment of the series (except when they've inconveniently scheduled them for when I'm out of town), with topics ranging from composers like Irving Berlin and Cole Porter, to themes like the first 100 years and Rock and Roll. This is another theme-based Songbook: "Rebels! On Broadway." A more apt title would be "21st Century Rebels," as all but one of the musicals featured debuted in the 21st Century. But it's wise to limit the scope, because as host and co-writer James Rocco says, American musical theater began with rebels, and all major strides forward were made by rebels. Even Rodgers and Hammerstein were rebels when they began (a musical with a serious plot?!), and I can't think of a more rebellious act than burning a draft card onstage in 1967, which Hair did every night. But the best part about focusing on recent Broadway rebels is that it provides an excuse for performances of not one, not two, but three songs from the biggest Broadway hit in decades - Hamilton. That alone is worth the price of admission, but you also get lots of other great songs and stories in another fantastic installment of the Broadway Songbook series.

"Broadway Songbook: The '70s Songbook" at the Ordway Center

In the 12th installment of the Ordway's fun and educational "Broadway Songbook" series (and the 11th I've seen), host and co-writer (along with Jeffrey P. Scott) James Rocco and Music Director Raymond Berg present the songbook of the '70s. Unlike other shows in the series, the songs in this show don't all come from musicals. Rather, the theme is singer/songwriters of the '70s that had an effect on Broadway. Or something like that. The rules for inclusion seem a little loosey goosey - no Xanadu because the movie on which it was based came out in 1980 (despite the fact that two of the stars of the Chanhassen's 2012 production are in the cast), yet "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the 1994 movie The Lion King, brilliantly adapted for the stage in 1997,* is fair game because Elton John was a songwriter in the '70s? And no mention of one of the most popular and long-lasting musicals that came out of the '70s - Chicago, or songs from Mamma Mia, another popular jukebox musical based on Abba songs from the '70s. And if we're just singing great songs from the '70s, where's John Denver and The Carpenters (my favorite '70s musicians)? As a musical theater nerd, I would prefer more musical theater songs and fewer pop songs. But that being said, Broadway Songbook: The '70s Songbook is still a fabulously performed, fun, entertaining, and educational evening of music.

I count every one of the five members of this super talented cast (Dieter Bierbrauer, Caroline Innerbichler, Kersten Rodau, Randy Schmeling, and Erin Schwab) among my favorite music-theater performers in the Twin Cities, so it's a treat to hear them sing any song, no matter where it comes from or when it was written. They each get their moment in the spotlight, and back each other up for those dreamy '70s harmonies. Accompanied by an awesome four-piece band led by Raymond Berg on piano, there's no doubt that this show contains many amazing musical moments. Here are a few of my favorites:

• The women combine for a gorgeous and stirring rendition of "At the Ballet" from the ultimate musical about musicals, A Chorus Line.**
• The Donna Summer/Barbra Streisand song "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" has a pretty loose connection to Broadway, but Erin and Kersten rock out on this super fun disco song.
• You talk about Stephen Sondheim's Company with Dieter Bierbrauer onstage, and don't have him sing "Being Alive" - my favorite version of one of the best musical theater songs ever written? I guess I'll have to settle for a beautifully sad and poignant "Sorry-Grateful."
• Speaking of Dieter, I was getting concerned that he didn't have any solo moments after "Sorry-Grateful," but he must have been saving it up for an awesome performance of "Eli's Coming" (a song known only to me from that one episode of Sports Night) and leading the cast in a lovely version of the aforementioned "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."
• Proving that there really is nothing she can't do, the hilarious and uber-talented Erin Schwab pounds the keys as Carole King, accompanying herself on piano on "Beautiful."***
• Randy also accompanies himself, on an adorable tiny piano, on "Fill in the Words" from They're Playing Our Song (which we learn is written about two of the songwriters whose music this show features). He also makes a great Pippin in "A Corner of the Sky."
• Despite being the only member of the cast not yet born in the '70s, Caroline Innerbichler best embodies the '70s vibe with her long, flowy, beachy hair and easy breezy delivery on such songs as Joni Mitchell's "Help Me" and Laura Nyro's "Wedding Bell Blues."
• Kersten Rodau lends her powerful voice to Sondheim's "Could I Leave You" from Follies (I was lucky enough to see the recent stunning Broadway revival) and Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better."
• The show includes several songs from the original JT, James Taylor, including Randy on "Traffic Jam" (which is actually from a musical from the '70s - Working) and James on "Fire and Rain."
• The gorgeous harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel are heard on "Homeward Bound" (by Randy and James) and "Cecilia" (by Dieter, Kersten, and Erin).

Despite being a little light on the Broadway, I really enjoyed this show, as I do all "Broadway Songbook" shows. It features some really incredible performances of those great '70s songs, and it did teach me something new about Broadway musicals. Rest assured that the next "Broadway Songbook" will return to its roots, featuring the music of Kander and Ebb next summer.

*The Lion King returns to Minneapolis, where it made its pre-Broadway debut, next summer.
**The Ordway is producing A Chorus Line next February, with a (hopefully) mostly local cast.
***The national tour of the Carole King musical Beautiful stops at the Orpheum in November.

"Broadway Songbook: Rock & Roll on Broadway" at the Ordway Center

In case the Ordway was not sufficiently rocked in the recent month-long "Rock the Ordway" celebration, the rockification continued with the most recent installment of the Broadway Songbook series, in which Artistic Director James Rocco hosts an evening of musical theater education and entertainment. The theme of this Songbook, which ran for only three performances last weekend (why so short?) is "Rock & Roll on Broadway," not "Rock Musicals," an important distinction. The songlist was comprised of songs not just from rock musicals written for the stage, but also jukebox musicals or concept albums that made it to the stage. A continuation of last fall's "First 100 Years on Broadway," the show focused on rock and pop songs being heard on the Broadway stage in various formats. And as per usual with this series, the result was a marvelously entertaining, informative, fun, informal evening featuring great songs performed by a fantastic cast.

This was my first time in the Ordway's new Concert Hall (a brief detour on the way to see Bernadette Peters notwithstanding), and I found it to be a lovely space. Despite seating 1100 people, it doesn't feel huge, in fact it has a similar intimacy to the old McKnight Theatre, which was demolished to make room for the Concert Hall. In the interim, Broadway Songbooks were presented on the huge stage of the Ordway's main theater, with the audience sitting right on the stage along with the performers on a small stage at the very back of the space. It was fun to be on that stage, but it was a bit of an awkward experience to watch a show there, so I'm happy it's now moved into the Concert Hall. The new space has its own new bathrooms, which is handy, but it would be nice if it also had its own bar and especially box office, to ease the flow of people entering the theater.

But enough about that - on to the show! Host James (who happily can't resist singing a bit) and musical director Raymond Berg (taking the weekend off from his current gig music directing And the World Goes 'Round at the Jungle) are joined by a rockin' band consisting of percussion and two guitars. They have also assembled a dream cast of local favorites. Any day that I can sit in a dark room and listen to Dieter Bierbrauer sing is a good day in my book. So this was a good day, and then some! Dieter was only one of seven amazingly talented performers, including frequent stage partner Randy Schmeling (whom I've seen perform together numerous times over the years including Hair and Power Balladz, more on those a bit later). And then we have Eric Schwab, who is pretty much the best thing ever to happen to musical theater cabarets. She is genius at a very specific and difficult skill - singing comedically. She's absolutely hilarious, singing almost in a campy way sometimes, but yet her voice is never less than perfect, and she does it all in an easy, effortless, fun way that makes it impossible for the audience not to have fun with her. This cast also features Caroline Innerbichler with her lovely voice, infectious spirit, and toned torso (see also The Little Mermaid); the Ursula to Caroline's Ariel - Kersten Rodau of the huge and powerful voice in the tiny body; the adorable and talented Reid Harmsen (who will always be Mark to me); and Yolande Bruce, who is new to me but fits in well with the group and brings her own unique talents.

For this very special Songbook, the cast traded in their usual evening gowns and tuxes for leather, denim, and bare midriffs. They were all in for the rock and roll theme! But the best part is they really performed each song with conviction and emotion, as if it was excerpted from a full production. Many of the songs were so fantastic that I wanted them to continue and do the entire musical! But instead, we got lots of little gems, including:

• A glorious medley from the Hair, the American tribal love-rock musical, started the show. Which pleased me not just because I'm obsessed with a big fan of the show, but because it featured Randy and Dieter from the first production of Hair I ever saw (at the Pantages Theatre 11 years ago), and Caroline, from the most recent production I've seen (by 7th House two years ago).
• Another glorious medley, from my favorite musical RENT, which James rightly called "the heir to Hair," ended the first act. It included "La Vie Boheme" (with Reid reprising his role as Mark from a local production five years ago), the poignant "No Day But Today," and of course, "Seasons of Love."
• As usual, Professor Rocco enlightened me about a few musicals I had never heard of - Chess (music by Abba) and Purlie. And "Muddy Water" from Roger Miller's Big River makes me want to see that show!
• Kersten makes an excellent Eva Peron, singing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from Evita.
• The second act opened with the boys singing "The Bitch of Living" from Spring Awakening, and although I wondered how some of the typical Songbook audience (which skews a bit older) reacted, I was thrilled!
• And I was even more thrilled to hear a few songs from another one of my favorites, the brilliant Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal. With Kersten and Dieter as the parents and Caroline and Randy as the kids in this beautifully dysfunctional family, I wanted this one to continue. But lucky for me, and any of you with a N2N craving, Yellow Tree Theatre is currently producing the show in their intimate space.
• Power Balladz is not a Broadway musical, but rather a locally grown '80s rock jukebox musical that made it all the way to Off-Broadway. But since this show reunites the original cast-members, they had to do a number from the show. And they picked a good one - Dieter, Randy, and Erin singing Dream On was a highlight of the night.
• In general, I'm not a fan of jukebox musicals. I don't think their presence on Broadway is something to be celebrated, I think it's the death of Broadway! But I guess it's important to acknowledge the ugly parts of our history so we can learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. ;) As James said about Mamma Mia, "If you didn't know the songs already existed you'd think they were written for the story ... not!" But still, it was fun to hear the girls sing "Dancing Queen."
• Jersey Boys* is the exception that proves the jukebox musical rule (a cleverly written book that illuminates the real life story of The Four Seasons), and Randy nicely channeled Frankie Valli's sweet falsetto backed up by Dieter and Reid, with some snappy choreography.
• "I'm A Woman" is another song not written for the stage, but included in Smokey Joe's Cafe. But who cares when these four fantastic W-O-M-E-N brought the house down with their version!
• You can't cover everything in two hours, but one obvious omission was American Idiot, based on Green Day's concept album, another heir to Hair and RENT. And as long as we're including music not written for the stage, how about Once**, featuring music that one could call folk-rock by my favorite musician Glen Hansard?

The Broadway Songbook series is a must for musical theater nerds fans like me, and "Rock & Roll on Broadway" was another great installment! While I would have preferred fewer jukebox musicals and more original rock musicals, I loved every song as performed by this cast and band. The entertaining musical theater education continues this fall with "The 70s Songbook." But before then you can catch not one but two Ordway original productions featuring local talent, hopefully including this cast! Damn Yankees plays in June, and Pirates of Penzance in August. Hooray for "Broadway-style/quality" (whatever that's supposed to mean) musicals produced right here in the Twin Cities!

*You can see Jersey Boys next week, on tour at the Orpheum Theatre.

**Once is returning to Minneapolis' Orpheum Theater this summer.

"Broadway Songbook: The First 100 Years of Broadway" at the Ordway Center

The Ordway is opening its fourth season of the Broadway Songbook series with a retrospective of the first 100 years of Broadway. If you're like me, your first question is - when did Broadway begin? It's debatable, but Professor James Rocco - who presides over what feels like a college seminar on musical theater history with live show-and-tell by the Twin Cities' best musical theater performers - tells us that the beginning of Broadway can be marked by The Black Crook in 1866. This is just one of the things you'll learn in this Broadway Songbook, but don't worry, it is anything but dry and pedantic. The stories are fascinating and entertaining (at least to a musical theater nerd like myself), James has chosen just the right collection of songs to illustrate his points, and music director Raymond Berg has beautifully arranged the songs, which are performed with much passion, emotion, and humor by the talented cast of actor/singer/dancers (yes they dance!). If you're a musical theater fan, the Ordway's Broadway Songbook series is a must see, and this is a perfect one to start with. And if you live out-state, you're in luck - this Songbook is going on tour¹!

James takes us through the evolution of the Broadway musical, from the aforementioned The Black Crook, through George M. Cohan's invention of the "musical comedy," to the epic Show Boat which was the first musical drama, to the day when Rodgers met Hammerstein and "changed the world" with their sweeping lyrics and melodies and insistence that everything serve the story, to the invention of the LP record that allowed musical theater songs to invade pop culture, to a hint at the beginning of the Rock Musical with Hair (more on that in the next Songbook in April) in 1967², closing out the first century of Broadway. And the best part of this history lesson is we get to hear the music in this march through time.

The Ordway's Broadway Songbook series features a rotating cast of the Twin Cities' best musical theater performers, which this time includes Songbook vets Dieter Bierbrauer, Gary Briggle, Jennifer Eckes, and Erin Schwab, and newcomers to the series Kendra McMillan, Aja Parham, and Randy Schmeling. The cast performs solos, duets, and trios, but the best moments are when the entire company joins in to bring full life to these musical theater songs and give you just a taste of what the whole show might be like. Fortunately, several of the musicals featured can be seen on stages around the Cities in the upcoming season (see footnotes, which seem appropriate for this which feels a bit like a term paper for my musical theater history seminar).

Musical highlights include:

• The "wide-eyed and devilish singing comedian" Gary Briggle entertains with the '20s song "If You Knew Susie" and "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof from the '60s.
• Aja Parham sings the standard "Lady is a Tramp" as well as a gorgeous rendition of "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver³.
• Erin Schwab again showcases her unique talents - she has a fantastic voice and is also a brilliant comedian, and when those two things are combined it's a thing of beauty. She brings the house down with "Let's Do It," and also plays it a little more serious with "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl.
• Kendra McMillan channels Ethel Merman in a clever arrangement of "I Got Rhythm" and Sally Bowles in "Cabaret."
• Randy Schmeling gleefully sings "Almost Like Being in Love," and leads the company in the rousing "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" from arguably the most successful musical Guys and Dolls⁴.
• Jennifer Eckes⁵ sounds absolutely lovely singing "Till There Was You" from The Music Man. She also makes a fine Eliza Doolittle opposite Gary as Henry Higgins and Randy as Colonel Pickering⁶.
• Any day that I can sit in a darkened theater and listen to Dieter Bierbrauer sing "Something's Coming" (West Side Story) and "The Impossible Dream" (Man of La Mancha) is a good day in my book. This was a very good day, as evidenced by the longest ovation of the night after the latter song.
• The medleys are the highlights of these shows, and this time included a medley from Show Boat, a Gerswhin medley, and a Rodgers and Hammerstein medley. They're very cleverly and playfully arranged, quickly switching from one song to the next, or lingering for a few lines, going from humorous to poignant in a flash. The Show Boat medley is particularly lovely, and again makes me wish for a local musical theater company to do a production of Show Boat on the Showboat. It's just too good of an opportunity to be missed!
• The show ended with Hair, which felt like a complete 180 from what we had been hearing all night. But that's the brilliant thing about Hair - it changed Broadway forever, just like so many shows before it had. And I was particularly tickled to hear this company sing "Let the Sun Shine In;" the first production of Hair that I saw was a Michael Brindisi-directed production at the Pantages ten years ago, starring Dieter as Claude and Randy as Woof. So much fun to revisit the production that began my Hair obsession.

I now come to the end of my term paper. I hope that I did the show justice and piqued your interest to experience it yourself. As always, this Broadway Songbook is an informative, entertaining, and fun evening of musical theater history brought to vibrant life by talented performers. Playing this weekend only on the Ordway stage in St. Paul, and possibly coming to a city near you this fall.

1. Tour locations include Austin on Oct. 9, Red Wing on Oct. 11, Dawson on Oct. 23, Detroit Lakes on Oct. 25, and St. Cloud on Nov. 2.
2. "Professor Rocco, Professor Rocco, isn't it true that while Hair first appeared Off-Broadway in 1967, it didn't open on Broadway until 1968?" said the annoying know-it-all student in the back row, eagerly waving her hand in the air.
3. Be sure to catch Theater Latte Da's production of Oliver in February, this season's installment of their "Broadway Re-Imagined" series with Hennepin Theatre Trust. Having never seen it, I didn't think I knew any songs from Oliver, but it turns out I do, yet another example of how much musical theater is ingrained in our popular culture.
4. Don't miss Bloomington Civic Theatre's production of Guys and Dolls, opening next week and already scheduled to perform at this year's Ivey Awards!
5. If you like Broadway Songbook, you might also like Jennifer's show with three of her friends, Pop-Up Musical, a more irreverent version of musical theater trivia mixed with great performances.
6. In case you've been living under a rock the past few months, I should tell you that My Fair Lady is currently playing at the Guthrie. And it's scrumptious.

Does anyone need to borrow my notes?

This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"Broadway Songbook: Comden and Green" at the Ordway Center

"Make someone happy, make just one someone happy." What makes this someone happy is an entertaining and informative lesson on musical theater history from James Rocco, Artistic Director of the Ordway and genial host of the Broadway Songbook series. The final show in this third season of the series focuses on lyricist team Betty Comden and Adolph Green, famous for such classic musicals as On the Town, Wonderful Town, Bells are Ringing, and Will Rogers Follies, not to mention such films as Singin' in the Rain. Along with talented local singer/actors Elena Glass, Amasia Gordon, Reid Harmsen, Peggy O'Connell, Carl Shoenborn, Erin Schwab, and Kirby Trymucha-Duresky, and a three-piece band led by pianist and Musical Director Raymond Berg, James presents yet another fun show celebrating musical theater history. There's really no better way to spend a rainy afternoon.

James describes the typical Comden and Green song as "short, sassy, happy, and a little impudent." Lyrics are often fast and clever, and occasionally sad and poignant. Highlights of the show include:

• The company presents a selection of songs from Comden and Green's first musical, the 1944 classic about three sailors on leave for one short day in NYC, On the Town. Songs include the most famous song from the show, "New York, New York," with Reid, Carl, and James playing the sailors, "I Can Cook Too," with Kirby stepping in at the last minute for an ill Regina Marie Williams, "Carried Away," a very funny duet by Reid and Elena, and the poignant final song, "Some Other Time."
• The quite fabulous Peggy O’Connell* sings a funny and sad rendition of "The Story of My Life" from Wonderful Town, as well as a hilarious Carol Channing-esque version of "I’m Going Back" from Bells are Ringing.
• High school student Amasia, whom James "discovered" in an audition for this year's holiday show A Christmas Story, impresses with a couple of solos – "Hallelujah Baby" and "Being Good."
• Kirby and Erin duet on "Ohio," in which Erin filled in for Regina and cracked her cast-members up, as well as the audience. She's also quite funny in the super-fast "If."
• Carl gives the villian's perspective in "Captain Hook's Walz," with the cast and audience cheering him on.
• The choreography is quite impressive; they don't just stand there and sing. Of particular note is the terriffic tap-dancing by Reid and Elena in "Comes Once In A Lifetime" and the fast and fancy red and blue-gloved hand motion for "Our Favorite Song."

If you're a musical theater fan, the Ordway's Broadway Songbook series should be required viewing. I love musical theater more than anything but there's so much I don't know about it, and this series helps fill in the gaps in my knowledge. The show takes place entirely on the stage of the Ordway's main theater, meaning the audience sits on stage too, which is a unique perspective. Broadway Songbook: Comden and Green runs this weekend only so act fast. Or plan ahead for the next installment, The First 100 Years, which unfortunately falls right in the middle of the Minnesota Fringe Festival (although on second thought I may be the only person in the intersection of Broadway Songbook and Fringe Fest).

*I don't believe I've ever seen Peggy on stage but she seemed familiar to me, and I realized why when I read that she had a recurring role on my favorite TV show of all time, Northern Exposure.

"Broadway Songbook: George Gershwin" at the Ordway Center

Just last month, I learned about the Gershwin brothers, and lyricist Ira in particular, in Park Square Theatre's excellent play with music Words By... Ira Gershwin and the Great American Songbook. My education was furthered this weekend with the latest in the Ordway's always entertaining Broadway Songbook series, featuring the music of composer George Gerswhin. Ordway Artistic Director James Rocco tells the story of George's life and career, interspersed with relevant songs performed by some of the top musical theater talent in the Twin Cities. And it's a great story at that - an American success story with a tragic ending. Sons of Russian Jewish immigrants, the Gershwin brothers grew up in Brooklyn, where George was a prodigy on the piano. He soon found fame as a composer for Broadway and movies, collaborating with Ira and other lyricists. George died at the age of 38 from a brain tumor, but forever changed American music in his short but prolific career.

This Broadway Songbook features a significantly larger cast than past Songbooks. Ten singer/actors, each one of them a true talent, are accompanied by Raymond Berg on piano and Eric Solberg on upright bass (for an extra touch of class and jazz). With the likes of Christina Baldwin, Dieter Bierbrauer, Gary Briggle, Isabella Dawis, Jennifer Eckes, Joel Liestman, Ann Michels, Bryan Porter, Kersten Rodau, and Therese Walth, the cast does not simply sing the songs, they perform them and truly embody the humor and emotion in each composition. The benefit of having this large cast is the gorgeous full sound that they're able to achieve in the group numbers, but the bad news is that with such a large cast, each of them only has one or two solos, which in many cases left me wanting more. Such is the danger of having so much talent on one stage and only two hours to display it!

James has chosen a selection of Gerswhin songs from the familiar ("I Got Rhythm") to the obscure ("When You Want 'Em"), but all serve a purpose in the narrative. Surprisingly, there are no selections from the opera Porgy and Bess, but James did take the opportunity to plug the tour of the 2012 Broadway version coming to the Ordway in March (I second that - I saw it on Broadway and it's absolutely stunning). The evening includes too many wonderful moments to mention, but a few of them are: Christina and her boys (Joel, Bryan, and Dieter) singing the playfully seductive "Do It Again," the gorgeous ballads "How Long Has This Been Going On" (Kersten) and "Embraceable You" (Ann), some seriously great scatting by Jennifer in "Stiff Upper Lip," Christina's mic going out towards the end of "By Strauss" with her unamplified voice filling the theater (which makes me wish they'd do a song or two unplugged), the beautiful harmonies on "Love Walked In" (arranged by Raymond), and the comically drunk "Vodka" by Kersten.

The highlights of the show are the two group numbers. The casts presents a medley from the 1931 Pulitzer Prize winning musical Of Thee I Sing. Not only do we get to hear some of the witty songs in this political satire, but we get a glimpse of what the whole show would be like. The show closes with a unique original vocal version of Gershwin's masterpiece Rhapsody in Blue. The story of George's life and career in words (written by Albert Evans and arranged by Raymond) set to this iconic and instantly recognizable music is truly stunning.

This is another great installment in the Broadway Songbook series, which has taught me so much about the history of musical theater - my favorite thing in the world. I've attended all but one of the shows presented in the past three seasons and it's building up to be quite a nice curriculum. And if you're a musical theater fan, it really is required curriculum. Great stories and information accompanied by iconic music wonderfully performed by local favorites. Only one performance remains tonight, if you're brave enough to dare going out in the subzero Minnesota winter. Otherwise, make your plans for the final Broadway Songbook of the season, featuring the composing team Comden and Green, in June. I can't wait to see what next season will bring to further my education!

"Broadway Songbook: Musicals of the 1950s" at the Ordway

In the continuing musical theater history seminar that is the Ordway's Broadway Songbook series, today's lesson is on the musicals of the 1950s. Often referred to as the "golden age" of musicals, the 1950s saw the musical expand and grow as an art form, as well as influence pop culture and music. Songs from musicals were recorded by the top musical artists of the day and were heard on the radio. Many musicals from the 1950s are still frequently produced today* and are among the most beloved. With legendary creators such as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, and Loesser and Loewe, Ordway Producing Artistic Director and writer/host of the Songbook series James Rocco had hundreds of fantastic songs to choose from. He's made some great choices and assembled them into a narrative about this musical decade, along with Ivey-winning Music Director Raymond Berg on piano. Many of the musicals featured in the show are very familiar to me, some I've only heard of, and some "hidden gems" were previously completely unknown to me. That's what I love about the Broadway Songbook series - I learn so much about musical theater history, relive some of my favorite shows, and get a taste of shows I've never seen or heard of before.

Assisting Professor Rocco in this musical history lesson are six fantastic singer/actors - three Songbook vets (Joel Leistman, Jennifer Baldwin Peden, and Kersten Rodau) and three newcomers to the series (Dan Beckmann, Wes Mouri, and Sara Ochs). They bring to full life the lessons James gives through their performance of these classic songs.

Highlights include:

• The long and expansive opening medley that includes snippets from Damn Yankees, The Music Man, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Sound of Music, and a singalong to "Getting to Know You" from The King and I.
• Joel singing that great sociology lesson "You've Got to be Carefully Taught" from South Pacific.
• A couple of classics in Sara's beautiful voice - "Shall We Dance" from The King and I and "Never Never Land" from Peter Pan.
• An entertaining and fully acted poker game to the song "Politics and Poker" from Fiorello.
• A medley from Candide, which I didn't previously know much about but am now intrigued by after hearing the clever and lovely songs. Words James used to describe it include "brilliant," "enigmatic," "exhausting," and "influential." I've gotta see it.
• A medley from Guys and Dolls, "one of the greatest musicals," with Jennifer as a very entertaining Adelaide (she's got great comedic timing to go with her incredible voice).
• The men performing "Lida Rose" from The Music Man in classic barbershop quartet harmony.
• Several selections from one of my personal favorites, West Side Story, with Kersten and Jennifer dueting as Anita and Maria, and Dan as an excellent Tony.
• An adorably enthusiastic Wes singing "I Met a Girl" from Bells are Ringing.
• Back to back lovely songs by Jennifer - "I Wish It So" from the little-known Juno and "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady.
• Kersten belting out "Everything's Coming Up Roses" from Gypsy.
• The closing number - "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" from another favorite, The Sound of Music, a song that never fails to give me chills.

Things I learned at this musical theater history lesson:

• Peter Pan was originally written for television.
• Oklahoma is considered to be the first musical as we know it, with songs fully integrated into story, and became the template for musicals through the 1970s.
• Fiorello is one of the rare musicals that won the Pulitzer Prize for drama (although I should have remembered that from The Newsroom).
• Our own Sir Tyrone Guthrie directed the original production of Candide on Broadway.
• Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls) mentored Meredith Wilson (The Music Man).
• The Music Man beat West Side Story for the Best Musical Tony in 1958, and Fiorello and Sound of Music tied for the Best Musical Tony in 1960, beating Gypsy (can you imagine a year in which two or three of these classics debuted?).

For the last two seasons, Broadway Songbook has been performed in the Ordway's McKnight Theater. But since the McKnight has been replaced by a hole in the ground, the show has been moved to the Ordway's main stage in a creative way. In order to maintain the intimate feel of the smaller McKnight Theater that works so well with the Songbook series, the show is set up at the back of the huge stage, with audience seated in chairs right on the stage. It's a really cool experience to be on that stage and look out at the empty house. However, the sight lines are not great, with twelve rows of seats on the same level and the stage area only raised a few feet. If they performed at the front of that big stage, with a curtain dropped to make the stage shallow, and only seated people in the front section of the house, it would maintain the intimate feel and eliminate the need to bob one's head around the guy sitting in front of you. But they're making the best of a less-than-ideal situation.

James said "none of my responsibilities give me as much joy as producing the Broadway Songbook series," and it shows. His joy and passion for musical theater is infectious, making this a highly successful series that I hope they continue for years to come! Only four performances remain (two today and two on Sunday) and are tickets are limited, but if you're interested click here or call the box office. And get your tickets now for the next lesson on George Gerswhin in early January. (And click here to read about past lessons in the Broadway Songbook series.)



*Two musicals featured in this Broadway Songbook will be produced by local theater companies next year. Ten Thousand Things will bring their signature stripped-down-bare-bones-straight-to-the-heart style of theater to The Music Man early next year, and Bloomington Civic Theatre is doing Gypsy next spring. James also said that he's hoping to reimagine Damn Yankees on the Ordway stage sometime soon. This is another musical I'm not familiar with, but as a Twins fan I'm very familiar with the phrase "damn Yankees!"

"Broadway Songbook: The Words and Music of Cole Porter" at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

The final selection for the popular Broadway Songbook series this season at the Ordway is Cole Porter. I didn't think I knew that many of his songs; I've only seen one of the 28 Broadway musicals he wrote (Anything Goes, the Broadway touring production of which will soon stop at the Ordway). But Cole Porter is one of those great American composers whose songs you know even if you don't think you do. He wrote back in the day when songs from Broadway musicals crossed over to popular culture, and they've stayed there. Songs like "Let's Do It," "Don't Fence Me In," "You're the Top, "I Get a Kick Out of You," "Another Op'nin," and "I've Got You Under My Skin," all written for musicals, many of which have been forgotten, but the songs remain. Ordway Artistic Director James Rocco brings his usual charm and enthusiasm as host of the evening (or afternoon), sharing facts about Porter's life and career (at one point he exclaims in an aside, "this is my favorite part!"), and singing and hamming it up on a few songs himself. He's joined by Musical Director Raymond Berg on piano, who flawlessly keeps the show moving, and a cast of six local musical theater actors (Jennifer Baldwin Peden, Gary Briggle, Joshua James Campbell, Kersten Rodau, Kirby Trymucha-Duresky, and Regina Marie Williams), all of whom don't just sing these songs, they perform them. And they all look gorgeous - the women in silver and fuscia cocktail dresses and the men in tuxes. Cole Porter deserves this respect. The only thing missing is the champagne!

A few of my favorite parts:

• Regina, Josh, and Kirby turn "Let's Do It" into a charming trio. You know the song, "Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it. Let's do it, let's fall in love!" As we learn throughout the show, this is a typical Cole Porter song - it features a list of items in a theme, and is a bit naughty. Or as James says, "wickedly sophisticated."
• Proving that he really could write a song about anything, Porter took a sentence overheard at a restaurant and turned it into "Miss Otis Regrets," a deadly funny story song, perfectly performed by Gary.
• Most of these songs are upbeat and funny, but a few are sad and lovely. Regina sings a few of them with the appropriate longing and melancholy - "Love for Sale" and "(You'd Be So) Easy to Love."
• They wisely give Josh several beautiful ballads, "Begin the Beguine," "In the Still of the Night," and "At Long Last Love." All of them just gorgeous.*
• Jennifer brings her effortless voice and style to songs both funny ("I'm Unlucky at Gambling") and touching ("I Get a Kick Out of You").
• A song written for Porter's favorite leading lady, Ethel Merman, is of course performed by Gary, and it is indeed "De'Lovely."
• I'm just waiting for Kirby's breakout role. She's long been a standout in the ensemble at Bloomington Civic Theater, and she proves with great performances of "Give Him the Oo La La," "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," and "Always True to You" that she can hold the stage on her own. Funny and charming with a fabulous voice, someone's going to cast her in a lead role soon. 
• To end Act I, Kersten walks through the house and encourages the rest of the cast to sing in a rousing rendition of "Blow Gabriel, Blow." She's a fantastic comic actor/singer (see also Xanadu) and she brings that to "Find Me a Primitive Man" and "Brush Up On Your Shakespeare," but also shows her sensitive serious side in "When Love Comes to Call."
• The Kiss Me Kate medley makes me want to see that show sometime (especially since I finally just saw Taming of the Shrew, the Shakespeare play on which it's based). The cast shares the duties on several songs, and also performs a little choreography. I also loved the group rendition of "You're the Top" from Anything Goes, in which the cast trades lead, like tossing the ball back and forth.
• James' style as host is very laid back and casual, which I enjoy, but the performances are all professional and top-notch, the show flowing smoothly and flawlessly from start to finish.

This is the last production at the Ordway's McKnight Theatre before it is demolished to make way for a much larger concert hall for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. If you're as sad to see it go as I am, make plans to attend "The Night of a Million Stars" this coming Sunday evening. Not quite a million, but at least a few dozen stars will make their appearance! The Broadway Songbook series will continue next year on the main Ordway stage, which just doesn't have the intimacy and charm of the McKnight. But I'm sure they'll make it work somehow. In the meantime, "Broadway Songbook: The Words and Music of Cole Porter" continues for one more weekend, get your tickets now if you can!


*The multi-talented Josh Campbell will soon be directing "TO LIFE! A Benefit to End Gun Violence" at the Varsity Theater, an evening of music and theater featuring a great local cast, with proceeds going to Protect Minnesota. It's sure to be a fun evening for a great cause. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

"Broadway Songbook: The Words and Music of Stephen Sondheim" at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

Three years ago I attended a Q&A session with one of the greatest living musical theater composers, Stephen Sondheim. At the time I hadn't seen very many of his shows, but since then I've seen a half dozen more and have really come to appreciate his immense talent. The second installment of the Ordway's wonderfully entertaining and informative Broadway Songbook series this season features the words and music of Sondheim. James Rocco (the Ordway's Artistic Director) once again wrote and hosts the show, sharing stories about Sondheim's life and work. He whittled Sondheim's 19 Broadway musicals down to select songs from 11 of these shows (the Sondheim catalog is so great that perhaps Sondheim should be an annual occurrence in this series!). Joining James onstage are musical director Raymond Berg, who very ably leads us through this challenging music, and six of my favorite local musical theater actors: Jennifer Baldwin Peden, Dieter Bierbrauer*, Joel Liestman, Kersten Rodau, Erin Schwab, and Regina Marie Williams.

The featured shows are:

Saturday Night (1954, not produced until 1997): Jennifer Baldwin Peden sings a lovely ode to NYC in the first musical that Sondheim wrote, although it wasn't seen on Broadway until over 40 years later.

West Side Story (1957, lyrics only): This is one of the greats and one of my favorite musicals. In perhaps the most thrilling moment of the show, the entire cast sings the brilliant "Tonight Quintet," with Dieter reprising his role as Tony (which he played at the Chanhassen several years ago) and Jennifer hitting those piercing high notes as Maria, while the others prepare for the rumble. Dieter also sings another great song from the show, "Something's Coming."

Gypsy (1959, lyrics): Kersten and Jennifer duet as Louise and June on the adorable "If Momma Was Married," while Regina channels Mama Rose in "Some People."

Anyone Can Whistle (1964): Kersten lends her powerful voice to a really amazing song I've never heard before, "There Won't Be Trumpets," and Erin sings the heart-breaking title song.

Company (1970): Once again reprising a role he previously played (in Theater Latte Da's gorgeous production just last fall), Dieter sings one of the best musical theater songs, "Being Alive." It's the third time I've heard him sing it, and it just gets better every time! In another classic from the show, Erin hilariously and effectively belts out "Ladies Who Lunch." I'll drink to that!

Follies (1971): So many great musical theater classics in this show I was lucky enough to see on Broadway a few years ago, including "Broadway Baby," "I'm Still Here," and "Buddy's Blues." But perhaps my favorite is a song that was cut from the show, the very funny and clever "Can That Boy Fox Trot," perfectly delivered by Jennifer.

A Little Night Music (1973): This show gave us one of the most famous Sondheim songs, "Send in the Clowns," which Regina sings with beautiful and heartfelt emotion.

Sweeney Todd (1979): Joel sings a lovely rendition of my favorite song from this otherwise dark and creepy show, "Not While I'm Around."

Into the Woods (1987): Joel and Dieter are the two princes in "Agony," complaining about the difficulty of winning their princesses' love. And the show closes with the touching "No One Is Alone" and "Children Will Listen," with the voices of the entire cast blending beautifully.

The Frogs (1974/2004): The show very appropriately opens with a selection from this previously unknown-to-me musical.

Road Show (2008): Regina and Dieter sing a charming duet from this frequently re-worked show, "The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me."

The Ordway's Broadway Songbook series is a great thing for musical theater lovers like myself. A chance to hear familiar songs and a few new ones, and take a deep dive into a particular artist's work. James is a welcome host; his enthusiasm for the material is contagious. And the performers are always among the best Minneapolis and St. Paul have to offer. This is the fourth one that I've seen (I've only missed one since its inception), and every one has been so much fun. I hope they continue the series for years to come! Broadway Songbook: The Words and Music of Stephen Sondheim continues this weekend. If you love musical theater, you don't want to miss this one! Next up: Cole Porter, where they're sure to do a few numbers from Anything Goes, also coming to the Ordway this spring.



*I met Dieter a few weeks ago when I spotted him at the Pantages Theatre for a performance of Aida. I'm happy to report that in addition to being a talented singer/actor, he's also a lovely person. He said that his mom often reads Cherry and Spoon and tells him about it, so hello and thank you Mrs. Bierbrauer!

"Broadway Songbook: Rodgers & Hammerstein & Hart" at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

I love the Broadway Songbook series at the Ordway. It's like a college seminar on musical theater history (perhaps like something Rachel would attend at NYADA). The Ordway's Artistic Director James Rocco plays the role of professor, lecturing on the topic and introducing songs (and even singing a little himself). The topic of the first of this season's three sessions is a big one - the popular and prolific musical theater composing teams of Rodgers and Hart and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Rodgers and Hart wrote 28 musicals together, and such memorable songs as "My Funny Valentine," "Blue Moon," and "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered." After Lorenz Hart's struggle with alcoholism and depression tragically got the better of him, Richard Rodgers found a new partner in Oscar Hammerstein. Rodgers (music) and Hammerstein (book and lyrics) went on to write some of the most influential and popular shows in musical theater history, including:

• Oklahoma - who doesn't love this show? I've seen it several times, including once at the Ordway with my favorite Duke, John Schneider, as Curly.
• The King and I - I've never seen it on stage, and only bits and pieces of the movie.
• Carousel - another one I've never seen and would love to - calling all local musical theater companies!
• South Pacific - I saw the 2008 Broadway revival starring Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot, Matthew Morrison, and Danny Burstein, and it was one of the most amazing musical theater experiences of my life, an all-around luscious production with a 30-piece orchestra and a huge and energetic cast singing this amazing and diverse collection of songs.
• The Sound of Music - this one is so familiar to me I almost forget it's Rodgers and Hammerstein. I've loved it since I was a kid, and that love only increased when I was in the pit orchestra for my high school production, and later lived in Salzburg for a semester while studying abroad.

Now that the self-indulgent personal reflections are over (I'm sure everyone has their own personal experiences with these musicals, which is what makes them great), on with the show. In addition to James, five talented local musical theater actors lend their voices to this amazing collection of songs, accompanied by the hardest working musical director in town, Denise Prosek. Joel Liestman has performed in every Broadway Songbook I've seen, and is joined this time by Joshua James Campbell (The Glass Menagerie), Jennifer Eckes (On the Town), Connie Kunkle (who appeared at the Ordway in last year's Japan benefit), and Kirby Trymucha-Duresky (several shows at BCT). The five singers take turns singing alone or together, highlighting many of the composers' biggest hits, as well as lesser known numbers. My favorites include:

• Rodgers and Hart's first big hit, a love song to New York City, "Manhattan," performed by Joel and Jennifer.
• Two songs from my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein score, South Pacific, Josh's lovely rendition of "Some Enchanted Evening" and Joel's emotional "This Nearly Was Mine."
• Two gorgeous Rodgers and Hart songs that have become classics, sung beautifully by Connie ("My Funny Valentine") and Josh ("Blue Moon").
• A couple of entertaining and funny songs by Kirby - "Johnny One Note" from Rodgers and Hart's Babes in Arms and "I Cain't Say No" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma.
• Jennifer's sad and lovely rendition of "He was Too Good to Me."
• A trio by the three women, "Sing for Your Supper" from Rodgers and Hart's The Boys from Syracuse. I was fascinated to learn that "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" from Company (playing at the Ordway next month) is an homage to this song.
• One of the greatest musical theater songs ever written, "Soliloquy" from Carousel. It's such an ambitious (and long!) song with a wide range of emotions and tempos, and Josh sings it beautifully.
• A fabulous montage of favorites from Rodgers and Hammerstein's immense catalog of fabulous songs, including "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" (the first song they wrote), "Edelweiss" (the last song they wrote), "There is Nothin' Like a Dame," "Younger than Springtime," "Lonely Goatherd" (inserted for comedic effect), "Bali Ha'i," "Oklahoma," "Surry with the Fringe on Top," and "Sound of Music" (which gets me every time). Kudos to James and Denise and whoever else had a hand in arranging this medley; it very cleverly weaves together many diverse songs.

My only complaint about this show is that it's too short! It's truly astonishing to contemplate the hundreds of amazing songs that came from the collaboration between these three men. The show could go on for days! But since that's not very practical, this is a nice representative sample of their work. Broadway Songbook: Rodgers & Hammerstein & Hart plays at the Ordway's McKnight Theatre through the end of the month. Check it out if you're interested in a fun and entertaining lesson on three musical theater legends. If you don't already have tickets, call the box office. It's virtually sold out, but they might be able to squeeze you in somewhere. Get your tickets early for the January session, which features the music of Steven Sondheim.

"Broadway Songbook: Words and Music of Contemporary Broadway" at the Ordway

The Ordway is presenting a series of informal cabaret-style concerts this season called Broadway Songbook.  The first one featured the music of Irving Berlin, and was an entertaining and informative look at the history of musical theater.  The second installment, featuring music of "Contemporary Broadway," was the one I was most looking forward to, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was a fairly accurate representation of the state of Broadway today - the good (The Book of Mormon), the bad (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and the ugly (Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark).  I'm not a big fan of jukebox musicals or adaptations of blockbuster movies; it seems like an easy way for producers to make money without taking any risks.  But that's a lot of what's popular on Broadway these days, so it's only fair that they included it in this show.  Fortunately there were also plenty of original musicals and revivals featured to balance things out.

The host for the series is Ordway Artistic Director James Rocco, and once again he introduced each song with a little background or a funny story about the show or composer.  Accompanied by Raymond Berg on piano, the talented singer/actors included Joel Liestman, Robb McKindles (both of whom also appeared in the Irving Berlin show last fall), Kym Chambers Otto, Allison Tilsen-Kassabian, and Cinderella herself, Jessica Fredrickson.

Some highlights of the show:

• The opening number was a beautiful, soaring song that I was unfamiliar with (and I thought I'd know all the songs!), from a musical called Songs for a New World by Jason Robert Brown. 
• Jessica sang several musical theater songs that always get me teary-eyed.  "The Beauty Is" from Light in the Piazza by Adam Guettel, "There's a Fine Fine Line" from Avenue Q, "For Good" from Wicked (a duet with Kym), "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins.  OK maybe that last one doesn't quite fit with the others, but she was definitely channeling Julie Andrews!  James announced that Jessica will soon be moving to New York City.  I'll be sad not to see her on local stages, but I wish her well and hope to see her on Broadway one day!
• In addition to the duet with Jessica, Kym sang the beautiful ballad "I Get a Kick Out of You" from Anything Goes, currently running on Broadway (and I'm kicking myself for not seeing it when I was there last fall - sadly I can only fit so many shows into 5 days in NYC).  She also led the cast in "Day by Day," the 1970s pop hit from the musical Godspell, also currently being revived on Broadway.
• Two of the shows I did see on Broadway last year (and adored) were featured in the show.  Joel sincerely and hilariously sang "I Believe" from the brilliant original musical by the creators of South Park, The Book of Mormon (there are only a few songs from that show that you can sing at the Ordway on a Sunday afternoon), and James himself sang the classic "Broadway Baby" from the divine revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies.
• A newbie to the Twin Cities theater scene, Allison has a fabulous voice and personality to match.  She got one of the biggest rounds of applause for her rendition of "When You're Good to Mama" from Chicago, and closed the first act on a high with "I Will Survive" from Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which I earlier referred to as "the bad" because: 1) it's a movie adaptation, 2) it has no original music, and 3) they use some canned music instead of a full live orchestra.  That's three strikes and you're out in my book.  But despite the origins of the song, it was still a fabulous rendition of a classic pop song.
• Joel and Robb made for an entertaining Pumbaa and Timon in the super fun song "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King.  Too bad they didn't also sing this song's counterpart from The Book of Mormon, "Hasa Diga Eebowai."  Oh wait, that's one of those songs you can't sing at the Ordway on a Sunday afternoon.  Slight digression: I've been seeing the ads for The Lion King everywhere, but I will not be seeing it.  Don't get me wrong, I've seen the show several times and love it.  It's that great familiar music from the movie but with a much richer and deeper orchestration, and the puppets/masks are truly a sight to behold.  But for the price they're charging for tickets ($100+ for just about every seat in the house), I can see 2-3 local shows that are just as good, if not as splashy.  So I'm choosing to spend my time, money, and blog space on supporting local artists and new work.
• Joel sang the beautiful and dramatic song "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera, a show I'm proud to say I've never seen (I seem to be the only person on the planet who hasn't).  He also sat down at the piano to channel Billy Joel in the title song from the jukebox musical Movin' Out (which I have also never seen and don't plan to).
• Robb and the cast sang "Steal Your Rock and Roll" from the Tony award winning musical Memphis, a show I am looking forward to seeing on tour at the Ordway in a few months.  He also sang one of my favorite songs from  Jersey Boys, "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You."  I know I said I'm not a fan of jukebox musicals, but Jersey Boys is the exception that proves the rule.  I've seen it twice and I love it.  I think the reason it works for me is that the book is really clever; it's the true story of The Four Seasons' rise to fame (and subsequent fall), not some silly story made up to fit into the body of songs.
• Finally, you can't really talk about contemporary Broadway without at least mentioning the spectacle that is Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark (aka "the ugly").  James gave a brief history of all the trials and tribulations (and expense and injuries) the show has gone through, describing the songs as guitar-heavy Bono songs.  "Let's do a song... no, let's not do a song from the show."  Wise choice!

It was another great afternoon of exploring the world of musical theater at the Ordway.  The only shows I thought were missing were two of my recent faves - Next to Normal and Spring Awakening (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is probably too much to hope for).  But other than these two absences, it was a truly wonderful selection of the best of Broadway, performed by some fantastically talented local actors, singers, and musicians.  Next up: the music of Johnny Mercer.

"Broadway Songbook: The Words and Music of Irving Berlin" at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

This season the Ordway is doing a new series called Broadway Songbook, all about the music of Broadway - my favorite thing!  The first selection featured the music of one of the greatest American composers, Irving Berlin.  Even though I haven't seen very many of his shows or movies (he composed for both the stage and screen), I knew most of the songs in the program because his music is so ingrained in popular culture.  This is the second Irving Berlin themed musical event I've attended this year; his early immigrant experience was featured in Theater Latte Da's Steerage Song this summer.

The music of Irving Berlin was brought to life by the narration of James Rocco (Artistic Director of the Ordway), piano accompaniment by Raymond Berg, and four talented singers.  Actually, to call them "singers" is selling them short.  They're all accomplished musical theater actors who really brought the songs to life.  The wonderful thing about Berlin's music is that even songs that were not written for musical theater tell a story, making them perfect for a musical theater cabaret like this.  The cast included Joel Liestman, who's made frequent appearances in Ordway productions, including last year's super fun Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  I think I first saw Robb McKindles as Leo Bloom in The Producers at the Chanhassen a few years ago, and most recently as a tap-dancing* sailor on the H.M.S. Pinafore at the Guthrie.  I still remember Kersten Rodau as half of the conjoined Hilton sisters in Side Show at Park Square almost ten years ago (she'll be appearing there again in Ragtime in January), and she also appeared in Pinafore this summer, as a fabulously dressed sister/cousin/aunt.  I don't recall seeing Maria Stukey before, although she's appeared at the Chan a few times, but I'll be sure to take note next time she's in a show.

The music was arranged more or less chronologically, with James leading the audience through Berlin's life, from his days as an immigrant child, to his first hit song ("Alexander's Ragtime Band"), to his stint in the army during World War II which led to a couple of musicals written for all soldier casts, to his popularity as a composer in Hollywood.  Highlights include the Joel's beautiful version of the ballad "How Deep as the Ocean" (written shortly after Berlin's first wife died on their honeymoon), Kersten's gorgeous "Always," Robb's rousing "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy," and Maria singing the often cut "Mr. Monotony."  That seemed to be a theme; Berlin would write a song for one show only to cut it, and resurrect it years later.  Such as the failed song "Smile and Show Me Your Dimple," which later became the hit "Easter Parade."  Another uber-popular holiday song is, of course, "White Christmas."  Robb sat down on the edge of the stage to sing it, and then led the audience in a sing-along.  That song evokes such a sense of nostalgia; it's a beautiful thing.  Another song from the movie White Christmas was featured when Kersten and Maria dueted on one of my favorites from the movie, "Sisters."

The cast sang a medley of songs from Irving Berlin's most popular stage musical, Annie Get Your Gun, which sadly I've never seen.  Perhaps some local musical theater company should do a production of it, and soon.  Kersten has my vote to play Annie for her convincing performance of "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun," as well as beating Joel at the playful competition song "Anything You Can Do."  Robb can join her in the cast; his performance of "They Say It's Wonderful" was heart-breaking.

This was a wonderful afternoon of musical theater; I learned some things I didn't know, and heard some new songs along with old favorites.  I'm really looking forward to the next selection in the Broadway Songbook series - The Words and Music of Contemporary Broadway in January.  That's right up my alley, and I'm sure it will again feature great local musical theater talent.



*Robb is teaching a ten-week tap-dancing class at the Guthrie this fall, for beginners and experienced tappers, which I find extremely tempting.  But I'm not sure I'm up to the commitment of being in downtown Minneapolis by 10 am every Sunday for 10 weeks.  But it sounds like a lot of fun!