#Michael Jackson musical coming to Broadway

[have-a-hiddles]

Papas' Favorite Music

I was trying to think of what the various Papas all like to listen to (besides their own music, of course). I'm taking into account what we know of their personalities, their ages, overall vibe, etc. Granted, Copia will probably be the most detailed since he is the one we know the most about thanks to the Chapters.

Primo: Dude is nearly a generation removed from his brothers. He was already a teenager in the sixties, so his taste skews towards the hippie movement. Although I doubt he was active in anti-war protests, I think he likely enjoyed the resulting music. Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Doors, Rolling Stones. Was dude at Woodstock? Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe... Strangely, he is NOT into Elvis at all. Not that he hates him or anything, but he will change the station if Elvis comes on the radio. Jailhouse Rock is the exception to this rule. Also really likes Johnny Cash and wishes to Satan and all of the Kings of Hell that his range was as deep as Johnny's. Modern music? Today's music often leaves him a bit empty since it's so mass-produced and lacks much complexity. There are some exceptions. Adele, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, even some Taylor Swift.

Secondo: Mister I Must Be Edgy himself, Secondo is one of those people who detests anything deemed "popular" by the masses. As such, he actively dislikes The Beatles, The BeeGees, the Monkees, etc. Any artist/band that had screaming teenagers after them, really. That being said, he did latch on to the burgeoning hard rock/metal genre. Aerosmith, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Sabbath. There were two main exceptions to his hatred of popular music: Queen and David Bowie. He's not entirely sure if it's because the music is actually that good, or if he just really wants to fuck David Bowie and/or Freddie Mercury. (He did both, by the way, although not at the same time, much to his regret.) Want to see him singing into a hairbrush like a teen girl? Play Under Pressure.

Terzo: He likes EVERYTHING. He doesn't give a shit what genre a song is from; if he likes it then he fucking likes it! Shakira? Yeah, his hips don't lie either, gorgeous. Backstreet Boys? Yes, please! Britney Spears? Hit HIM baby one more time! Taylor Swift? Well he was definitely trouble when he walked in. Dolly Parton? Jolene, Jolene, JOLENE, JO-LEEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEE-EEEEEEEN! Opera? You can try to tear Marriage of Figaro from his white-gloved hands. Broadway? Homeboy will belt out Defying Gravity with the best of them. Disney? He will make you WEEP with his rendition of When You Wish Upon A Star. He even likes bands that constitute his "competition". Rammstein? JAWOHL. Nightwish? He will happily walk the Elvenpath. Random internet hits? He literally harassed Secondo with What Does the Fox Say? for three weeks when the song first came out. And Baby Shark. If a song spawns a meme, Terzo is all over that shit. And, yes, he has Rick-Rolled pretty much everyone at one point or another. Copia continues to fall for it. However, he LIKES that song, so the joke's on Terzo.

Copia: Speaking of Copia; much like Terzo, his tastes defy genres. He is very much into anything with a theatrical bend. Broadway and movie musicals are his bread and butter, including Disney/Dreamworks/etc soundtracks. He will put on entire one-man versions of shows to an audience consisting entirely of his pet rats. He ALMOST has that rap in Hamilton down. You know the one. There is a debate on whether taking Copia to Walt Disney World at any point would be a fantastic idea or a terrible one. Because he absolutely will sing at the top of his lungs the entire time and may frighten some small children. And yes, he absolutely has cried listening to Terzo sing When You Wish. With that as the foundation for his music tastes, he mostly likes music that tells a story or that has an accompanying music video that plays out a story of some kind. Think Meatloaf, Michael Jackson, Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds To Mars, etc. That need for a story does spill over into his own music videos; Rats, Danse Macabre, Hunter's Moon, and Jesus He Knows Me. (I consider anything released after 2018 to be Copia's writing, with the exception of Mary On A Cross and Kiss the Go-Goat since they are Nihil's songs in-universe).

Fun Unrelated Fact: If my math is right, Primo is a baby boomer, albeit a young one. Meanwhile, the other three are thick into Gen X territory. Splains a lot, eh?

[tiredboi51]

Yes I had a Be More Chill fixation about 5 years ago, yes it's come back because I rediscovered George Salazar through the Percy Jackson Musical

Yes I'm rewatching videos I watched to much during my fixation, there's context to why I'm saying all this

Baby girl-ified michael, using a screenshot of a scene from the official Broadway performance on closing night of BMC

The references

[d-criss-news]

‘Hazbin Hotel’: Darren Criss and Co. on Their Heavenly Musical Number

--------

And speaking of Broadway talent, Hazbin Hotel enlisted the services of Darren Criss, star of Glee and the Broadway musicals How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, to play Saint Peter, a salty angel with a soaring voice. His jubilant musical number “Welcome to Heaven” is an early standout on the show, and you can get a first look of it here:

Welcome to Heaven Full Song | Hazbin Hotel | Prime Video

“By the time this gig came around, recording studios, particularly ones that catered to voiceover, had already been used to implementing pretty thorough Covid protocols. So, both I as a performer, and the ones in charge on the other side of the proverbial booth (even though they were from a remote location via Zoom), already had it down to a science,” explains Criss.

He adds, “I will say, as a sidenote: it was a pretty cool surprise for me to be voice directed by Richard Horvitz, who is something of an animation and voiceover-world cult favorite, and whose work I’ve loved for years. I had no idea he was the voice director on my episode, but as soon as he started talking, I recognized the voice immediately and had myself a little fan moment… That was nuts.”

“Welcome to Heaven” was also composed by Sam Haft, lead singer of The Living Tombstone, and Emmy nominee Andrew Underberg (Hailey’s on It!), who tailored the song to Criss.

By the time we were into this episode, we needed to deliver demos for two songs a week, so we said to ourselves, ‘If you’re being welcomed to Heaven, it’s a celebration. What’s more celebratory than Saint Peter singing like Michael Jackson over a jubilant Nineties-style house track?’” Haft and Underberg explain. “At that stage, we had learned that Saint Peter would be voiced by the absolutely incredible Darren Criss, who has a much younger, sexier voice than you’d expect to come out of a biblical character from the first century, so we wanted to make the most of that juxtaposition.”

[shelfthe-reader]

alright cabinet, if the only musicals i've watched are spring awakening, dear evan hansen, hamilton, and the percy jackson musical, where should I start?

So I’m not the BIGGEST slime tutorial (iykyk) person so I have NO CLUE the best links for those but here are my favorite movie-musicals you can find on Streaming

Disney+

Newsies (1992)

Newsies (2017) These two would help you understand some of my reblogs lmao

Hamilton

Into the Woods (contrary to popular belief, it’s not as bad as it could have been, and this is the only role James Corden has EVER been decent in)

West Side Story (one of my all-time favorites; I love this version more than the OG)

MAX

In The Heights

Singin In The Rain

Mamma Mia

The Color Purple (2023)

Hulu

Mamma Mia/Here We Go Again

The Color Purple (2023)

As for cast albums, here’s a playlist of the “official” opening songs to all of MY favorites (this IS NOT a finished playlist, especially since people keep dropping cast albums) (you will NEVER see Phantom or Les Mis or Chicago etc etc on here) (But again, this is an ever-evolving playlist on opening numbers so who knows)

Right now, the albums I have on repeat (Note: NOT the same as favorites) are Hell’s Kitchen, The Outsiders, Suffs, 35MM, Bonnie & Clyde, Water for Elephants, and Almost Famous

My ABSOLUTE FAVORITES are Come From Away, Newsies, The Outsiders, West Side Story, RENT, Parade, and & Juliet (as of Monday July 1st)

The Shows I’ve Seen on Broadway (in order)

School of Rock

Come From Away

Hadestown

Six

Paradise Square

& Juliet

Aladdin (music is Menken so thats all it had going for it lmao) (Michael you were great tho)

Parade

The Outsiders

The Heart of Rock and Roll (music was good, plot was out of pocket)

National Tours

Six

Anastasia

College Theter

Newsies

Rent

Into the Woods

Community Theater

Anastasia

Newsies

Beauty and the Beast

Bye Bye Birdie

Aladdin Jr.

School Musicals

Godspell

The Sound of Music

Newsies

Frozen Jr

Shrek Jr

And I was in Tuck Everlasting (Youth Edition) so that’s fun too

I think I’ve covered all my bases so if you have ANY QUESTIONS please ask me also if you want to do like a listening party for any of these I wouldn’t say no lmao

[droughtofapathy]

The Gilded Age of Broadway Divas: Duets, Trios, and Other Crossovers

While I wait for my matinee show to start, here's our final compilation just six hours before our season finale. If you've been following along with this series, you'll notice how much overlap there is in the theatre. Everyone has been with, or sung with, or played the same role as everyone else. Here is just a taste of the sublime combined talents of our favorite Broadway Divas. And yes, this is my petition to have a musical episode.

#1: "Lily's Eyes," (The Secret Garden) Miscast 2022 - Audra McDonald and Kelli O'Hara

I watched this, and my soul transcended space and time. Performed at MCC's 2022 Miscast gala honoring Christine Baranski (of course), Audra and Kelli have a brief tiff about which soprano is worthy of Soprano Island before joining together to sing the most resplendent duet you will ever experience in your life.

The Secret Garden opened on Broadway in 1991 starring Rebecca Luker as Lily. Kelli and Audra are singing the parts of Lily's husband and brother-in-law respectively. And like Lily, Rebecca Luker has since passed away. Knowing that they are singing not only to honor Christine, but also to Rebecca, their dear friend and fellow soprano, is yet another layer of heartbreak. I love this song.

#2: "Move On," (Sunday in the Park with George) Princetown concert 2022 - Audra McDonald & Michael Cerveris

Former co-stars reunited in Princetown last year to sing this impromptu duet from the Pulitzer-winning Sunday in the Park with George. Sunday is filled with sublime music, and "Move On" is one of the best. In it, Dot appears to George, the grandson of Georges Seurat, and encourages him to move on with his artistry and stop worrying about perfection. The show itself is beautiful and complex, and a proshot is available for your convenience.

Audra and Michael had previously done a three-day, semi-staged production of this show in 2004, also featuring Patti LuPone as Yvonne/Blair Daniels (the role Christine Baranski created in the original pre-Broadway workshop). Interestingly, this trio would move on to take part in the Lincoln Center Broadcast of Passion in 2005 with Audra as Clara (the Marin Mazzie role), and Patti as Fosca (the Donna Murphy role).

Michael Cerveris would play Giorgio multiple times in his career, including the 10th Anniversary concert with Marin and Donna.

#3 Tonight: Quintet (West Side Story) - Lucky to Be Me: The Music of Leonard Bernstein (2010) - Kelli O'Hara, Donna Murphy, Michael Cerveris

Speaking of Michael Cerveris and Donna Murphy, and joined by Kelli O'Hara, this audio comes from a 2010 concert celebrating the music of Leonard Bernstein. The youtube video incorrectly attributes this to a 2012 concert, but it is not.

"Tonight (Quintet)" is, of course, from West Side Story, where Bernstein wrote the music, and Sondheim wrote the lyrics. Because this was a concert, certain singing parts are taken by those who would not sing such parts in a full production...anymore. (Lest we forget Natalie Wood in the movie.)

Donna sings Anita, and Kelli sings Maria, the two young Puerto Rican women in the show. And I think we'll leave that there. Michael Cerveris sings the part of Riff, and they are joined by Cheyenne Jackson as Tony.

Also featured in this concert is the amazing, incredible, beloved soprano Victoria Clark, who has starred opposite all three of our Gilded Age actors at one point or another. As the Margaret to Kelli's Clara (Light in the Piazza), the Sally to Donna's Phyllis (Encores! Follies), and in Titanic with Michael Cerveris. Theatre, it's all connected.

#4: LoveMusik (2007)

A little more on LoveMusik. While I've already detailed a little on my Donna Murphy post, here's some more about Michael Cerveris, two-time Tony winner. As Kurt Weill, Michael was nominated for a Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award, but did not win any. While the show itself was given mixed reviews, the performances of Donna and Michael were almost universally praised.

The 2007 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical included three Gilded Age nominees. Debra Monk (Curtains), Audra McDonald (110 in the Shade) and Donna Murphy (LoveMusik). All three lost to Christine Ebersole of the Grey Gardens variety. Fair. I suppose. However, Audra and Donna tied for the Drama Desk. And there WAS a wonderful clip of their award ceremony online for years, except now that I need it for this, it's been taken down. Of course.

#5: "At the Ballet," (A Chorus Line) - Audra McDonald & Kelli O'Hara

Joined by Megan Hilty, Kelli O'Hara and Audra McDonald performed "At the Ballet" from A Chorus Line at a Lincoln Center Marvin Hamlisch tribute in 2013. Audra showcases a robust lower range I simply adore. Unfortunately the lower key change leaves Kelli's soprano in an awkward place, but I love her anyway.

A Chorus Line is one of the musical theatre greats, and while "At the Ballet" is often overshadowed by "What I Did for Love," it's my personal favorite. The original stage show ran for 6,137 performances, and was nominated for twelve Tonys, winning nine. After Follies, this is the show I most want to see fully staged. A 50th Anniversary revival was rumored back in 2016 for 2025, but I'll believe it when I see it.

#6: The Ladies Who Lunch (Company) - Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Celebration - Christine Baranski & Audra McDonald (ft. Meryl Streep)

Legends. Icons. Divas. What more can I say about "The Ladies Who Lunch," performed by Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, and Meryl Streep, mother to Louisa Jacobson? As the story goes, they had done so many takes that by this time, they were well and truly on their way to being drunk. And yet, Audra McDonald still sounds more exquisite than anyone on earth.

I watched this when it premiered "live" on YouTube during the early days of the pandemic. Several Broadway stars who would go on to The Gilded Age are featured, including Kelli O'Hara, Laura Benanti, Nathan Lane, and Michael Cerveris.

It has been almost four years, and I have still not recovered from this song's placement in the concert. Picture it: you have just been emotionally wrung out by Donna Murphy's revelatory "Send in the Clowns," sung whilst seated in front of an Al Hirshfeld print of Passion, with her cleavage out in true Mrs. Astor fashion. And then suddenly there's jaunty Company music, and an illustration of the great Elaine Stritch with her martini glass high. And then there is Christine Baranski in a bathrobe and a truly massive glass of red wine. And you think it cannot get any better. And then the second verse hits and there's Meryl Streep with a cocktail mixer. AND THEN Audra Fucking McDonald. They put those two songs back-to-back and expected me to recover one day? As if.

Bonus: "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" (2018) - Nathan Lane & Christine Baranski

While not a musical performance, I would be remiss if I didn't direct your attention to this masterpiece. Did you ever think you'd hear Aunt Agnes gunning to see Ward McAllister's dick? No? Well, here it is. Terrence McNally wrote "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" specifically for his 1991 original cast which included Christine as Chloe and Nathan Lane as her brother Sam. And they are going through marital troubles with their respective spouses. Nathan and Christine reunited in 2018 to perform this scene for McNally's 80th Birthday.

But the Gilded Age connection doesn't stop there:

In 2019, The New York Times Magazine ran a special "America 2024" issue, as a tribute to Terrence McNally. The whole thing is a fantastic read, and I'd recommend it. In it features photoshoots depicting scenes from several of McNally's plays, including "Lips Together, Teeth Apart." And look who's here: Donna Murphy as Chloe (the Christine Baranski role), Broadway's Leading Man Brian Stokes Mitchell, Michael Shannon as Sam (the Nathan Lane role), and Katie Finneran.

And on one of four covers for this issue, Celia Keenan-Bolger.

With that, the conclusion to my little Diva miniseries. I hope you've found this as entertaining as I have. And if you'd like me to go into more detail about anything you've seen throughout this series, let me know, because I have so much more gossip and drama that I had to restrain myself from adding.

LINK TO MASTERPOST

[foster-the-world]

A good thing

A good thing about my husband is he prefers the chocolate side of the black & white cookies. I eat the white side and leave the chocolate side for him.

Feeling extra tired tonight. Today I talked to the nurse in my office who started Nov 6th. She said she's still not up and running, yet. She has yet to do an in person assessment on her own. She's done a few telemed visits on her own. THREE MONTHS?? She still doesn't have all of her equipment (laptop, etc) I feel like I could do an assessment on my own right now. I do not want to sit around for another three months. Blah. I can handle a month of being way under used but THREE MONTHS?? Again, I think I will like the job when I am on my own but do not want to spend three months not working. People have made comments about me going down to pick up a coffee order - max five minutes. Which is an insane thing to question - even if I actually had work to do. So its not like I can go on long walks, etc. Again, I knew to expect some of this from a city job. I think I'm going to like the work once I'm actually working. Three days doing home visits and two days in the office sounds like a good match. But three months of no work sounds truly terrible.

Went to Trader Joe's to get $50 worth of cupcakes/cake donations for the Black History Month celebration at school on Friday. The theme is historically black universities. Bee's grandma - who went to Howard - was supposed to come but she's in the hospital. Bummer. She'll be fine but still sucky. Anyway, if you need food donations for something Trader Joes will normally donate $50 a monthly basis. You have to find the person in charge of nonprofit donations for that store. Then bring in a letter with your Tax ID and explanation of what you will use it for. Easy Peasy.

Our daycare owner offered up free Michael Jackson on Broadway tickets. We are going tmrw night. I wouldn't pay to see it but I am looking forward to it.

I don't get the Taylor Swift obsession. She's fine. Good for her for finding love but her music just doesn't do it for me. I don't hate it but don't love it. So far, the girls aren't super into her. I'm hoping it stays that way. Now Tracy Chapman is an obsession I can totally get behind. She's so beautiful. You can tell what a bright light she is. No one can do it as well as her but I liked Luke Comb's parts in the song.

[xx-obliviousfantasy-xx]

My ideal party list so far:

My friends and family

Bo Burnham

Weird Al

Tom Lehrer

Chelsea Peretti

Jordan Peele

Funky Frog Bait

Stanzi

First Mate Prance

Thomas Sanders

Beyonce

Rihanna

Jhariah

Joshua Kyan Alampour

MatPat and his family

Ben Schwartz dressed as sonic

Dante Basco

Mae Wittman

Tara Strong

Cree Summer

Zeno Robinson

The entire Obama family

Yara Shahidi

Drake

Kendrick Lamar

Metro Boomin

21 Savage

J. Cole

Childish Gambino

Tyler The Creator

Anna Akana

The Beibers

The Weekend

Selena Gomez

Demi Lovato

The Smith Family

Chris Rock (only if the Smiths come)

Jojo Siwa

Kylie Prew

Avery Cyrus

Hayley Kiyoko

Jordan Fisher

Lemon Demon

Jack Stauber

Will Wood

True Damage (LoL)

Zendaya & Tom Holland

Samuel L. Jackson

Hayao Miyazaki

Toshiko MacAdam

Yayoi Kusama

Takashi Murakami

Lirika Matoshi

Stuart Semple

Malala Yousafzai

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Bill Nye

Mae Jamison

Dana Terrace

Rebecca Sugar

N.D Stevenson

Henry Selick

The three recent spider men live action and Shameik moore

Dove Cameron

Hailee Steinfeld

Jeffrey Katzenberg

Michael Eisner

Michael Dante DiMartino

Bryan Konietzko

The entire cast of hamilton

Every former and current member of Starkid

The entire original Broadway cast of Beetlejuice THE MUSICAL

West End & Broadway Six cast

Freddie Wong and his brother (Jimmy)

Anthony Burch and his sister brother (Ashly)

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Pemberton

Alan Meken

Tape Face

Jesus Christ

Lakshmi

Hera

Cthulhu

And all of the muppets. Not all of THE muppets, but every muppet.

And I would love to publicly NOT invite:

Kanye

Elon Musk

M. Night Shyamalan

Albert Kim

Galen Tipton

Shiki-TMNS

Anish Kapoor (with a card with a picture of Cloud Gate painted in the pinkest pink labeled "Pink Millennium Bean")

Butch Hartman

Tim Burton

Everyone in the kardashian family, not including their children

Ingrid E. Newkirk

Jk Rowling

Kalvin Garrah

Mickey Mouse (but invite Minnie Mouse)

[fearsmagazine]

TEETH - Review

SYNOPSIS: “Dawn O’Keefe is an evangelical Christian teen with a powerful secret not even she understands – when men violate her, her body bites back. Literally. From Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winner Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) and Anna K. Jacobs (POP!),TEETH, based on the cult classic film of the same name, is a fierce, rapturous, and savagely entertaining new musical crackling with irrepressible desire and ancient rage – a dark comedy conjuring the legend of one girl whose sexual curse is also her salvation.” - Press Release

REVIEW: In 2007 filmmaker Mitchell Lichtenstein, the son of artist Roy Lichtenstein, unleashed his tale of a contemporary American female teenager who discovers her body possesses a physical secret when she encounters male violence, vagina dentata; a myth that is found across cultures and eras, about a vagina that has a lethal set of teeth.

In the stage adaptation of Lichtenstein’s vision, Anna K. Jacobs and Michael R. Jackson successfully retain the story's essence while making it fresh for a theater audience. In this adaptation, the lead character, Dawn's home life is restructured, with her father now portrayed as a charismatic preacher and her brother, Bard, still grappling with issues from their youth but influenced by technology rather than as a heavy metal/skinhead. These changes create a more dynamic structure for their dysfunctional family unit. Notably, the myth plays a more central role in the stage adaptation, and the supporting cast of teenage promise keeper girls serve as a Greek chorus. My guest and I both felt that the staging had a feel of Stepehen King’s “Carrie,” his novel, DePalma’s film and maybe the rival of the play. TEETH reaches its climax in a visually captivating and chaotic clash of religious conservatism and feminism, expertly staged in a way that surpasses Frank Oz's never fully realized ending in the film adaptation of "Little Shop of Horrors." Incorporating many of the contemporary social sexual issues in our zeitgeist with satire makes for an extremely entertaining and thought provoking theatrical experience.

The musical numbers were a delight. The combination of traditional Broadway musical songs and 70's and 80's pop songs in Jacobs' music was excellent. Jackson's lyrics added to the story and provided a splendid blend of humor and drama. While some of the lyrics were risqué, they never felt as shocking as something from "South Park" by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Jacobs and Jackson provided some magical musical moments that showcased the entire cast's vocal abilities. Choreographer Raja Feather Kelly did a remarkable job in creating dance routines, despite having to work in horrific moments at times.

The production design, set, lighting, SFX, and sound designs are all of Broadway caliber. The stage design employs impressive elements with subtle movements that contribute to the narrative. At certain moments, all of these elements come together to create a truly magical theater experience. The set design takes advantage of every inch of space in bringing the story to life. Most of the play's costumes are effective, they become more creative and interesting in the final act.

The cast of TEETH is nothing short of brilliant. Lead actress Alyse Alan Louis shines in her portrayal of Dawn. Her performance effortlessly blends innocence, comedic timing, powerful vocals, and a nuanced handling of sensual scenes. Meanwhile, her male counterparts—Steven Pasquale, Jason Gotay, Will Connolly, and Jared Loftin—face a daunting task. Not only do they create memorable characters, but they also navigate multiple roles and costume changes with ease, all the while delivering captivating musical numbers that showcase their talents. This ensemble cast is truly exceptional, and one can only hope that they will grace us with a cast recording of the show.

Michael R. Jackson, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winner of "A Strange Loop," has created a show that is consistently selling out. My guest, who was initially unaware of the show's premise and the creative team, was astounded upon learning about it at the end. They were also unfamiliar with the source material, which left them with a strong desire to seek it out. From my perspective, any adaptation that inspires viewers to seek out the original work is a significant accomplishment. "TEETH" ranks among my legendary theater experiences, akin to my cherished memories of attending the original Broadway productions of "Little Shop of Horrors," "Phantom of the Opera," "Les Misérables," and "Hadestown," that come to mind. "TEETH" offers an unforgettable and haunting theatrical experience that should not be missed.

TEETH contains intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and strong language. Age Recommendation: Teeth is appropriate for audiences ages 17+. The play runs approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes with no intermission.. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 PM, with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 PM. Tickets are $120.00 plus $2.00 fee. Tickets are now on sale at https://my.playwrightshorizons.org/events. For more information, visit www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/plays/teeth/#play-body.

Review By: Joseph B Mauceri

[fitzpirations]

haven’t really been on here in ages- had all these articles I was going to share and proper nerdy posts to make but really who has the time 😔

Also gave up all my socials for Lent and felt I’d get stuck on here if I returned. Made a year at my job @ the streaming service the other day which has been… idk how I feel about it. I still work a weirdo late shift so I may or may not be in the office now, sitting alone, getting the setting sun on my cheek. The schedule is not conducive of socializing. Have thoughts on the Tony noms,, although mostly petty ones as I have been so uninterested in just about every musical this season and only technically saw DOWAR, (off-Broadway because I feared I couldn’t recreate my magical/chaotic night @ the Atlantic) and Prayer for the French Republic V pleased for their collective noms. Re: Days of Wine and Roses-Idc that they closed. Where’s their best musical? Orchestration? Some of these nominees… I have to remind myself New York, New York was up for a TON last year. Sorry to all involved but BOY was that show,,, tragic to me. Had the bones on a surface level but refused to come together for me every step of the way. My friend won the lotto post-Tonys and we went on a lark, and our lukewarm feelings translated into the show announcing its closing that very night. My power, if you will.

volunteered @ my local theatre for a night and left wanting to cry because I’ve been getting v into ~acting craft~ recently, and all the community people are so nice but I can’t do any work on any production,, so sad but nice to be asked to stage manage a One-Act Festival,,,

I do background work on my weird Monday off from work & had two really cool experiences recently! Worked on a film with less than 30 others w/ a huge, half up-and-coming star that I’m pumped about- did they even look my way? No. But they were locked in & it was a real cool set-up. Would it have been nicer if the costume and prop and makeup people didn’t rub fake dirt over all of us extras? Yes. But I got paid the union rate and met some really cool people, including a gentleman 33 years sober who was greatly moved by Days of Wine and Roses! And you know what? He brought up the show, not me.

also did a fancy streamer show I’m quite stoked on- got placed right in the action in the scene, the lead walked right up to me as he swapped with his stand-in and said hi, which is such a minimal thing (and I don’t do it to leer @ stars or w/e) but he thought he was sitting next to me the whole scene and was being friendly. The seat next to me was unfortunately empty by design, but there were a ton of takes where the only people visible were the two actors & me. Which,, is crazy. Like they cleared the room and I was just sat there. Can’t give context, but boy was I actually acting for once. To the extent I was sure I was doing too much. But no one said anything, except the friends I made hours prior on the bus during our early call time, who were thrilled on my behalf about the great placement.

trying to join the union now which is crazy, and maybe a mistake, but the hourly pay is better than my full-time job at a v reputable media company. Know my worth or something? Even if I worked on just the occasional Monday, it’d be great money, and better gigs/placement on jobs. And who knows, maybe I’d put in for even better gigs. Right now I’m chained to the 3pm-11pm, and the dogs I walk in the morning.

saw Prayer for The French Republic with my friend a while back which we sobbed through & had a truly enriching convo on life & religion and such at dinner afterwards. I also saw Teeth at Playwrights which was a wild treat, it was still in previews, literal Michael R. Jackson was in the lobby, my mother felt bad I was going alone and INSISTED I bring her with,, imagine how I felt when my tickets were center SECOND ROW and not in the fourth row, and I was sat next to my mom watching vagina-has-teeth, the musical. She was crazed when we left. I warned her prior, but once she committed to going with me, it was pointless to remind her the concept of the show. Quite the time! It’s one thing to be close enough to occasionally make eye contact with the actors, and another to be locked in an intense gaze with Steven Pasquale as he plays a pervy gynecologist, plunging his arm into someone. Was shaking in my boots. They’re hinting on moving it somewhere which I am against! but as long as it lives off-Broadway it can still rock, I think.

anyway anyway. Trying to write more and be more around art & dig myself out of this rut I’m stuck in. This time last year I was fruitlessly waiting to hear if I got a Stage Manager fellowship with the City Center. It was a nice thought at the time! Maybe one day. The market is so weird I’d have to win the lottery and have a generous offer before I’d be comfortable actually quitting my job for something else. I’m unsure. Feels like I’m wasting away, in friendly enough company at least.

been reading War and Peace (or trying to!) which I jokingly refer to as WAP to myself. Tolstoy would get a kick out of that one, I’m sure. Enjoying Matt Koplick’s Broadway Breakdown podcast which may sound very geeky to admit but he’s very well-informed and isn’t afraid to have a real opinion on modern theatre! Maybe that sounds conservative-coded, but I mean he is never downright cruel, but willing to say some shows were bad (and why! In academic detail) and I’ve got into some great peices & performers listening to his work. I recommend. See also: BdJ on the Drama podcast recently, I am not a frequent listener by any means- the only other one I think I’ve caught was Kelli’s back last year? But what a great listen. (Seriously)

anyway anyway. I love a long-read. I think my writing is half-nonsensical here, but here we are. I enjoy the tiny little community of people I follow on here. Trying to go back to this blog’s roots- inspiration! Art! Action!

[fullmetaldevil-blog]

For grins I took a poll on Twitter to see if people want to know of the playlists I use for my various AUs and the results were a solid YES. So! Without further delay, here are the two primary playlists for Stitched and Green Eyes.

Now if you have questions as to why I chose the specific songs then feel free to ask. (Yes some songs apply to both aus)

Green Eyes Playlist:

The Whole "Being Dead" Thing by Alex Brightman, Original Beetlejuice Broadway cast.

It Terror Time Again, Scooby Doo and Zombie Island

Hard Times Come Again No More, Poxy Boggards

Bore Her to the Ground, Poxy Biggards

Beetlejuice (Main Titles) theme, Beetlejuice soundtrack 

Beetlejuice theme, Beetlejuice Cartoon

Once Upon a December, Anastasia 

Get Out, DaGames, Hello Neighbor

Ghostbusters, Ray Parker jr, Ghostbusters

Cleaning Up the Town, The Bus Boys, Ghostbusters

On Our Own, Bobby Brown, Ghostbusters 2

Higher and Higher, Howard Huntsbury, Ghostbusters 2

Bailamos, Enrique Iglesias

Leave Me Alone, Michael Jackson

Remains of the Day, Corpse Bride

The Headless Horseman, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

Jack’s Lament, Danny Elfman, Nightmare Before Christmas

Oogie Boogie’s Song, Ed Ivory and Ken Page, Nightmare Before Christmas

Good Tonight, Daniel Pemberton, The Bad Guys

Calamity, Miracle of Sound, The Bastion

Hauling for Home, Poxy Boggards

Milford Haven, Poxy Boggards

Stitched Playlist:

Hard Times Come Again No More, Poxy Boggards

Red is the Rose Loch Lommond, Poxy Boggards

Hauling for Home, Poxy Boggards

Good Tonight, Daniel Pemberton, The Bad Guys

Who Will Know, Shiro Sagisu, Shin Godzilla (Shin Gojira)

On Our Own, Boddy Brown, Ghostbusters 2

Rag Doll, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’

The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss), Cher

Slave to the Factory Line, DaGames, Poppy Playtime

Shop Around (Single Version), The Miracles

Evil Food Eater Conchita, MEIKO

I Swear, All-4-One

Beetlejuice (Main Titles) Theme, Danny Elfman, Beetlejuice

Bendy Beats, Kyle Allen Music, Bendy and the Ink Machine

Bailamos, Enrique Iglesias

Cupid, Sam Cooke

Under the Boardwalk, The Drifters

白夜 〜True Light (White Night True Light), D.N.Angel

Never Can Say Goodbye, the Jackson 5

Greensleeves, Rosalind McAllister

Somewhere, The Tymes

Oh! Rival, Porno Graffitti, Detective Conan and the Sunflowers of Inferno

Everyday With You Girl, The Classics IV

More Than a Woman, the BeeGees (Tavares version), Saturday Night Fever

Never Gonna Give You Up, Rick Astley

[kickmag]

A Strange Loop Is Leaving Broadway Early Next Year

Michael R. Jackson's Tony-Award-winning Best Musical A STRANGE LOOP has 14 more weeks on Broadway. The musical opened at the Lyceum Theatre on April 26th to critical acclaim.  Tony Award nominee Stephen Brackett is the director of A STRANGE LOOP, Raja Feather Kelly is the choreographer, and Barbara Whitman Page 73 Productions, Wolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Playwrights Horizons are the producers.

A STRANGE LOOP won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was named Best Musical by the Tony Awards the New York Drama Critics’ Circle, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Off-Broadway Alliance. Michael R. Jackson also won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for A STRANGE LOOP. Jaquel Spivey was awarded the Drama Desk Award for Best Actor in a Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and a Theatre World Award. 

Jaquel Spivey stars as Usher who is a Black queer writer writing a musical about a Black queer writer writing a musical hence the uncanny identity loop. Usher uses humor and truth to transcend his self perceptions while finding his artistic voice. Creator Michael R. Jackson says, "Though A STRANGE LOOP is not autobiographical, it is my life's work. As such, I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to share this raw, vulnerable, and personal story with the world and to have connected with so many enthusiastic, loving audiences. I am also indebted to the many extraordinary collaborators and institutions past and present that made the telling of this unique story possible. You each will have a piece of my heart, soul, and my loop forever.”

The show made its world premiere at Playwrights Horizons, in May 2019, in association with Page 73 Productions. In December 2021, the show had a critically acclaimed run at Washington, D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company prior to coming to Broadway. When the musical closes on January 15th it will have played 301 regular and 13 preview performances for audiences that have included Queen Latifah, Michelle Obama, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Porter. 

Ghostlight Records and Yellow Sound Label released the original Broadway cast recording of A STRANGE LOOP on June 10, 2022. 

A STRANGE LOOP's performance schedule is Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm; Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm; and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are available at Telecharge.com (212-239-6200). Digital rush tickets are available at strangeloopmusical.com/lotteryandrush for $55 the day of the performance.This is a first-of-its-kind digital rush on Broadway and will augment the existing lottery ($43) and in-person rush ($47) ticket availability.

Check out the official site for more information and follow A STRANGE LOOP on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at @strangeloopbway.

[concubuck]

A delivery for Alastor that somehow made it to him in rehab.

It's several albums from Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. A note provided with it reads, "Thought you might appreciate these while you're going through all this. Welcome to the Black Parade made me think of you.

-C.C."

((Due to the mun being busy, this wasn't answered when it was sent on August 30 and Alastor was still in alcohol detox. Pretend it got lost in the mail for a month. We'll overlook the fact that he only told two people privately that he was in detox.))

I take it you're the same person who sent me this!

Now, I've never been terribly fond of this group's gimmick. "Rewrite a recent song in an 'old' genre"—swing or jazz or doo-wop or what have you. Because it acts like nobody else is playing in old styles. Like the swing revival of the nineties never happened, or like jazz clubs don't still host jam sessions, or like there isn't a successful Satanic doo-wop group touring right now.

Anyway, it's all too clean, too over-produced for the sounds they're trying so hard to replicate. Tell me their "New Orleans marching band" cover sounds anything—like—this. Sure, over the decades, the genre's drifted a bit from the style they're trying to replicate. But let me assure you—because I was there—that the energy in modern second line bands has more in common with what I heard than Mr. Bradlee's self-controlled little dirge.

The difference between Joey Cook singing so perfectly over a sedately improvisational wind section and a real second line marching band is like the difference between a Broadway soprano singing about dying, and a raw howl of pain.

If you want to hear Top 40 pop and rock in "New Orleans" style, don't ask a rotating band of genre-dabblers headed by a New Jersey pianist to attempt to sound New Orleanian. Ask a New Orleans band to play the song.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you—

Hot 8 Brass Band performing Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing"

The Soul Rebels performing Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams"

New Creations Brass Band performing the Beatles' "Come Together"

Sunshine Brass Band performing Blondie's "Heart of Glass"

The Original Pinettes Brass Band performing Katy Perry's "Roar"

Blown Away Brass Band performing OutKast's "Spread"

Where Ya At Brass Band performing Bruno Mars's "Treasure"—for half a minute, at least

—or, if you want to hear a real New Orleans band play a song about funeral parades, pick one that already fits the genre.

Or hell—if you can't get a genuine "second line" band, at least get a real brass band:

The Cincy Brass from Ohio performing Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance"

No BS! Brass from Virginia performing Michael Jackson's "Thriller"

Dirty Catfish Brass Band from Canada performing Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off"

Broken Brass from the Netherlands performing Macklemore's "Thrift Shop"

Brass Délirium from France performing The Offspring's "The Kids Aren't Alright"

Hit Brass from Colombia performing Reel 2 Real's "I Like to Move It" and Lipps Inc.'s "Funkytown"

Bieranjas from Switzerland performing Adele's "Rolling in the Deep"

And that's just the ones I could find before I got bored. I'm not even touching on artists like Lucky Chops or Brass Against, they're popular enough.

Now, I have nothing against Mr. Bradlee personally. His arrangements sounds fine. But the trouble with the glorification of this one artist for dressing up in a genre for a song or two is that it treats him like a unique novelty. As if he's the only man in the market who's ever set a Top 40 pop hit to jazz.

Meanwhile there are living, performing, struggling bands who dedicate their entire careers to playing these genres. Notice how many of the recordings I offered come from cell phone cameras rather than nice, professional music videos! If you adore it so much when the novelty act pretends to play in those styles for five minutes, why don't you show any of that adoration to the bands playing those styles every day?

Listen to some bands that really perform those styles—not just the band that plays at those styles.

[lboogie1906]

Dwight Arrington Myers (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known as Heavy D, was a Jamaican-born rapper, record producer, singer, and actor. He was the former leader of Heavy D & the Boyz. The group maintained a sizable audience in the US through most of the 1990s. The five albums the group released were produced by Teddy Riley, Marley Marl, DJ Premier, his cousin Pete Rock, and Eddie F. He released four solo albums and discovered Soul for Real and Monifah.

He was born in Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, his family moved to Mount Vernon, New York, where he was raised.

Heavy D & the Boyz were the first groups signed to Uptown Records, with him as the frontman and only rapper. Their debut, Living Large, was released in 1987. The album was a commercial success; Big Tyme was a breakthrough that included four hits.

He performed a guest rap on Janet Jackson’s hit single “Alright”. It was the highest-peaking song that he had performed on the Billboard Hot 100. He appeared on Michael Jackson’s single “Jam”, and gained a higher profile by singing the theme song for the television program In Living Color and also MADtv. He then began focusing on his acting, appearing in various television shows before returning to the music charts with Nuttin’ But Love. After appearing in the off-Broadway play Riff Raff at Circle Repertory Company, he returned to recording with the hit Waterbed Hev. He collaborated with B.B. King on his album Deuces Wild, rapping in the song “Keep It Coming”. He was referred to in the song “Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G., and appeared in his music video for “One More Chance”.

He developed the boy band Soul for Real and was the executive producer and principal writer of several songs on the group’s breakout album, Candy Rain. He became a Senior Vice President at Universal Music. As an actor, he is known for his role in The Cider House Rules, where he plays a migrant worker. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[ledenews]

On With the Show! St. John's Follies Celebrates 70 Years

No one had heard of Michael Jackson by 1954, and Elvis Presley had recorded only a couple of demos by that year, and little did many people know something called Rock & Roll would change the American music scene forever. But it was that year when a gentleman named Mr. Anthony R. Picchi debuted a type of musical show at then-St. John Central High School in Bellaire that would leave a lasting impression on students for years to come. Picchi called it the “Killarney Irish Follies,” and it opened with “The Star Spangled Banner. After that, the production included a mixture of vocal and instrumental performances of classic Irish songs like “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” “Danny Boy,” “The Wearing of the Green,” and “My Wild Irish Rose.” The academy has scheduled the annual Follies event for this Friday and Saturday evenings at the school in downtown Bellaire. Soon after, the format was changed to an altered minstrel format, and over the years the Follies has evolved from that format to a themed combination minstrel/variety show. It features an interlocutor, a chorus, soloists, dancers and endmen – the fun-makers who constantly try to disrupt the show with their jokes and skits. The music has evolved, too. While keeping its mainstay songs mainly from Broadway musicals, rock, pop and country were added over the years, this year the Follies will celebrate its heritage by singing songs of yesteryear. The event will include songs like “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” “Surfin USA,” “Proud Mary,” and “Tutti Frutti.” “We have really tried to capture the essence of what Mr. Picchi did when he was doing this show, and I think the kids have really done a great job with it,” said show director Brent Kimball. “We have tried to pay homage to him with many different things, from having an actual backdrop that seniors Lauren Moran and Abby Young have set up, to some of our song choices being things that have been done while he was here. “It's an honor to keep this institution of a show going for this long, and I hope to keep it going for many years to come.” The performance takes place May 3rd and 4th at 6:30 p.m. in the St. John Central Academy gymnasium on Guernsey Street in downtown Bellaire, Ohio. Read the full article

[mr-divabetic]

Stephanie Mills' voice is so distinctive that it is hard to mistake it for anyone else's. She has been nicknamed "the little lady with a big voice," but this hardly does justice to her status as a living legend. Although her impressive string of hits in the '80s and early '90s might qualify her as an R&B icon, it was her electrifying performance as Dorothy in the Broadway show "The Wiz" that made her a household name.

Did you know an up-and-coming songwriter named Luther Vandross penned "A Brand New Day," also known as "Everybody Rejoice"? 

If you do a few Google searches,  you'll find "The Wiz" wasn't her first foray into showbiz. At the ripe old age of nine, she achieved considerable success in a background role for the 1968 musical "Maggie Flynn. After that, she won amateur night not once, not twice, but six sensational times at Showtime at the Apollo. 

Her Broadway success in "The Wiz" led Stephanie Mills to be signed with 20th Century, scoring her first top 10 R&B hit in 1979 with "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'." From there, she segued to Casablanca and then MCA, where she recorded five No. 1 R&B singles, including "I Feel Good All Over" and "Home."

She freely admits, "I love all my albums [but] I think my prime album would be the Home album because I put a lot of thought into re-recording 'Home 'and the songs on that album. But each of my albums [has] a story of a time in my life [and] what I may have been going through at that time."

Although we're glad to hear she loves her albums and still tours, we can imagine the time, dedication, drive, and diligence it takes to be at the top of your game for over six decades. "I sing every day, but I get a lot of rest. I sleep a lot, but I love touring," she said in an interview with one of our favorite websites, Rated R&B. "It's not taxing. I'm older, so when I come home, I am tired, but it's a good tired because I love leaving everything I have on stage with my audience."

Recently, Stephanie Mills chose to fund her own recording. She explained to the White Mountain Independent," "I'm doing this on sheer will, faith, and my experience in the business. I didn't set out to do this on my own; it just happened. But I believe in this."

When asked what keeps her inner rhinestones glowing, Stephanie Mills said, "Seeing the audience's faces and seeing them enjoy my singing. I take pride in trying to sound as close to my records as I can. In fact, when I sing, I sing to my original recording. People pay their hard-earned money to come see you. That's big. That's a lot."

On social media, Stephanie Mill has no problem speaking her mind. She's shared her feelings regarding the R&B whitewashing and defended her friend, the late Michael Jackson. 

Her recording of Angela Winbush's "I Have Learned To Respect The Power Of Love" is a standout. Her voice is rich, clear, and powerful. She pours emotion into every line of lyrical sentiment that speaks to your heart. It's one of my most beloved Quiet Storm ballads. You don't hear songs like this anymore. . 

"I've had a fabulous life and fabulous career," the legendary singer confidently told Rated R&B. Asked what she credits for her longevity in the music industry, she said, "Never following a trend. I've always done my own path and stayed on my own path. I didn't listen to a lot of noise of what people say: "Oh, you should do this, you should do that." I took the best from whatever they said that I felt was best for me and would work for me, and I would do that. I always took my time and just slowly did the slow walk. I didn't do a fast run. I did a slow walk."

After working in showbiz for half a century, Stephanie Mills must feel content knowing that people still enjoy watching her perform. It's difficult to imagine the numerous setbacks, disappointments, and frustrations she has faced throughout her career. From the singles that failed to make it to the top of the charts to auditions for roles that she didn't get, Stephanie has likely endured more challenges than most of us could handle. Therefore, we celebrate her longevity steeped in excellence with great admiration.