SEARCH CurtainUp
REVIEWS
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
LA/San Diego
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
On TKTS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
NYC Weather
Broadway By the Year: The Musicals of 1935
By Elyse Sommer
|
The year 1935 was a year of sliver thin wallets. It was the height of the Great Depression and instead of its usual feast of new musicals, Broadway launched a mere ten -- and all lost money.
But as the Depression did not deter showman Billy Rose from putting on a costly super spectacle named Jumbo (which besides animal acts featured the music of Rodgers and Hart), neither did it deter Town Hall's own favorite impresario and host Scott Siegel, rom making his retrospective of that year one of his best yet. The year might have been a famine in terms of the number of news shows, but given the pedigree of their composers and lyricists Siegel has managed to translate that famine into a feast.
To accompany his always witty and informative commentary, Siegel assembled a dozen Broadway and cabaret luminaries, twice as many as last time. What's more he had them perform even more of the over two dozen numbers off mike, one of the series' much loved trademark features. Thus, while there were fewer than usual shows to choose from, those shows contained more than enough music from by now legendary composers and lyricists to satisfy the most demanding musical gourmet.
It's hard to single out any of the performers for special praise since all were absolutely superb. Chuck Cooper, the singing washing machine and bus of the Broadway bound Caroline, Or Change, opened and closed the first act with two gloriously unmiked songs from George and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and Bess -- "I Got Plenty of Nothin'" and "Bess, you is My Woman"; the latter a duet with Laurie Williamson whose magnificent diva voice can currently be heard in the ensemble of Wonderful Town.
Douglas Sills, who can be seen every day except Mondays as the sadistic dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, was appealingly romantic in his rendition of "My Romance" from Jumbo and "Begin the Beguine" (from Jubilee). I also liked his amusing vaudeville turn from Earl Caroll's Sketchbook with Todd Murray (new to me but certainly someone whose name I'll look for in future). Karen Akers, after singing a lovely solo, "Little Girl Blues" from Jumbo was the silent object of Sills' flirtatious "Cigarette" from George White's Scandas of 1936.
Emily Skinner and Barbara Walsh rendered a particularly gorgeous off mike "Over and Over Again" (from Jumbo). From the same show, Darius de Haas did full justice to "The Most Beautiful Girl In the World", which also afforded Siegel the chance to toss one of his regular bouquets to his wife Barbara (who is indeed a lovely lady).
While these shows are primarily about beautifully rendered songs (smartly arranged by Ross Patterson), Nancy Lemenager and Noah Racey made this a night for dancing as well as singing. I was so impressed with their grace and charm that if Never Gonna Dance in which they starred hadn't recently closed, I'd go back to see them. Their elegant movements were a lovely and fitting accompaniment for Karen Akers' show closing solo, "Dance My Darlings" from Sigmund Romberg & Oscar Hammerstein II's May Wine.
All the above is of course just a smattering of the goodies dished up during the two hours plus. And while I can't tell you to go see this particular show, I can tell you about the two Broadway By the Year shows that are next in line: On April 19th it's The Broadway Musicals of 1949 and on June 14th its forward to The Broadway Musicals of 1963. The first will highlight songs from South Pacific (Rodgers & Hammerstein), Miss Liberty (Irving Berlin), Touch and Go (Walter & Jean Kerr/Jay Gorney), Lost in the Stars (Weill/Anderson), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Jule Styne/ Leo Robin). The second will include songs from Oliver! (Lionel Bart), She Loves Me (Bock & Harnick), Here's Love (Meredith Wilson), 110 in the Shade (Schmidt & Jones), The Girl Who Came to Supper (Noel Coward), and more.
Tickets are available from Town Hall at 123 W. 43rd Street (web site: www.the-townhall-nyc.org). For a review of The Broadway Musicals of 1926 go here.
| Broadway By the Year: The Musicals of 1935
Creator, writer, host: Scott Siegel Director: Melinda Buckley Cast: Karen Akers, Gretha Boston, Chuck Cooper, Darius deHaas, Nancy Lemenager, Todd Murray, Noah Racey, Douglas Sills, Emily Skinner, Lumiri Tubo, Barbara Walsh, Laurie Williamson Music: Ross Patterson Little Big Band: Ross Patterson, director, arranger, pianist; Don Falzone, bass; Aaron Heick, woodwinds; J. McGeehan, guitar/banjo/ukelele Lighting Design: John Gordon Sheet Music Consultant: Michael Lavine Reviewed by Elyse Sommer. |
Mendes at the Donmar
Our Review
At This Theater
Leonard Maltin's 2003 Movie and Video Guide
Ridiculous!The Theatrical Life & Times of Charles Ludlam
Somewhere For Me, a Biography of Richard Rodgers
The New York Times Book of Broadway: On the Aisle for the Unforgettable Plays of the Last Century
6, 500 Comparative Phrases including 800 Shakespearean Metaphors by CurtainUp's editor.
Click image to buy.
Go here for details and larger image.
