New Year, New (and Old) Shows

2011 so far has been insane -- in one of the best ways possible -- and one of the things that has blown my mind is all of the great shows I've had the privilege of seeing in this new year. Since I haven't really had time to recap them all, I just thought I would share some of the highlights from the past couple of months and some of the videos from them that are (thankfully) up on Youtube for all to enjoy.

This past weekend, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk finished their "You Made This Tour" with a final performance at (Le) Poisson Rouge. While I didn't get a chance to make it out for their last hurrah, I have been rather obsessed with the following two performances from their other "You Made This Tour" gig:

The Spring Standards singing "Berkeley":




Lewis Grosso, Aaron Bantum, and Sarah Safer singing "She's the Best"(music by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk, lyrics by Adnan Ahmed [age 9]):




With the recent release of his first songbook, Ryan Scott Oliver celebrated with a concert at Joe's Pub packed with old and new favorites, fun anecdotes, and a whole lot of talent. A couple great ones from that night:

New song "Agnes" sung by Alex Brightman:




Katie Thompson singing "To Do":




I know I've been talking up Joe Iconis' Things to Ruin lately, but I also loved letting loose at his Friday Night Commotion at The Laurie Beechman before the run. A lot of newer songs made an appearance, with a few that are still stuck in my head:

Krysta Rodriguez singing "Broadway, Here I Come!":




Jeremy Morse singing "Kevin":




Aside from Joe & Company, one of the most raucous nights of music I've had lately was attending a concert of The Civilians' new show, Pretty Filthy, at Joe's Pub about the porn industry (my friend even won a prize for thinking up a porn title based on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, so it was the show that kept on giving). Michael Friedman's music is so astute and conversational -- it's really a joy to watch. There aren't any videos available from that evening, but here is a video of Greg Hildreth singing another song from Pretty Filthy, "Impossible Girls," which was performed at the NewMusicalTheatre.com concert that also took place recently (fair warning: Not Suitable For Work):



Also, be sure to check out some other videos from the NewMusicalTheatre.com concert at their Youtube channel because there was an awesome assortment of writers in that show. One song in particular I've always loved is Gaby Alter's "Deep in February," sung here by Catherine Brookman:




...And all of this only begins to scratch the surface. If you really want to get in on the experience of some of the new musical theatre happenings lately, you can also watch, in full, streaming concert footage from Drew Gaspirini's Joe's Pub concert here or David Henry Hwang, Kevin So, and Kevin Merritt's concert of their new musical Great Wall here.




On another note, even with all of the new concerts and shows in development, I actually saw a couple of the latest Broadway musical offerings (the first time in a while) and just have to comment on how funny it is that a lot of things out there (even the newer musicals) are so much in the traditional musical realm. I have to admit it was almost a little jarring last night seeing How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying with so many huge dance numbers and such elaborate sets, when I had become so accustomed to minimal staging and small casts. There was something very reassuring in it, though -- to see to see how things have changed and to see how the tradition is still being carried on and paid homage to. Most of all, I was really happy to see that a musical that first was released in 1961 can still feel joyous, that satire and wit can still assert themselves in song, and perhaps most importantly (especially with How to Succeed), that talent can still find energy and passion in material years down the road. Having that as a little takeaway, I'm excited to see the future of these new writers who constantly bring their talent and passion in droves are continuing to share their music, bring houses down, and, hopefully, endure.

...Even if it means I go broke in the process of following their work.

I know I missed out on a lot of shows/concerts too. Anyone else see something awesome recently worth sharing?

Gifts that Keep on Giving

So while the holidays are rapidly approaching, I still thought I would do a quick post with some gift suggestions for a musical theatre enthusiast, whether they are a composer, writer, or just fan of the genre.

The most talked about theater gift this season is undoubtedly Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece, Finishing the Hat, which I am currently in the process of reading. Anyone interested in the theater will enjoy the anecdotes, and any writer will absolutely see the value in the beautifully laid out lyrics and Sondheim's comments on them. It's a really gorgeous book, and both its content and respectful packaging really make this perfect for any book collection.

As mentioned in past posts, Sh-K-Boom has come out with some really amazing albums this past year from many of the composers mentioned in this blog. New releases include Joe Iconis' Things to Ruin and cast recordings for Adam Gwon's Ordinary Days and Michael Friedman's Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. New releases on the way include CDs of work by composers Will Van Dyke, Jonathan Reid Gealt, and Scott Burkell and Paul Loesel -- so you can pre-order any of those as well. Also, remember the code EMERGING10 will still get you 10% off your order on the website at checkout until 12/31!

If you have an actor/singer to shop for, get them some sheet music through NewMusicalTheatre.com. Also soon to be available is the first book of Ryan Scott Oliver's music, which is now available for pre-order here. Or go the extra mile and get tickets to the RSO launch party at Joe's Pub on February 7 for a special someone, and every ticket will get you a free copy of the book.

Another nice gift can come in the form of an experience. I love to buy my friends tickets to shows, and what better to get you in the holiday spirit than getting seats for Joe Iconis' Christmas Spectacular next weekend? Also coming up? A Will Van Dyke concert at (Le) Poisson Rouge on January 17. Quality time and a show? Everyone wins!

Win the Cast Recording for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson!

Hey all! So if you've noticed on the calendar, the cast recording for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is officially released on September 21st. The show starts its Broadway previews on September 20th and whether or not you caught it at The Public, I highly suggest you get down to the Bernard Jacobs Theatre where you can experience the bloody goodness for yourself. Featuring an awesome score by Michael Friedman, whose work I absolutely adore, the cast recording for the show makes for a great way of reliving all the angst and pathos of one of our most iconic presidents.

The wonderful people at Sh-K-Boom have given me two cast recordings to give away on the blog, and I couldn't be more excited and thankful to be able to pass on this music to you guys. So, I thought it would be fun to have a little contest to get a fun discussion going and give you guys a chance to put in your entries for a kind of lottery.

All you have to do is comment on this blog post with an answer to this question: what historical or academic figure do you think deserves the musical treatment and how? Think the theatre world is sorely lacking a song cycle centered around Paul Revere? Have you been itching for an Andrew Lloyd Weber-esque story about Emily and Charlotte Bronte? The sky is the limit. There is only one comment/entry per person, but if you tweet a link to this blog post and include the link in your comment, I'll count it as an extra entry. The winners will be drawn at random and announced next Thursday on 9/16, and I will no longer count entries past 11:59 on Wednesday, 9/15.

Good luck, all!



Edit: Also, as a bonus for those of you who want to forgo the contest and just buy the album, Sh-K-Boom also generously offered a coupon code. Put in EMERGING10 at checkout when ordering from their website, and enjoy 10% off all their products until 12/31/10 (and shipping is always free to the USA!)

All About the Presidents

First of all, the exciting news of the day is that it's official: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is moving into the Jacobs Theater on Broadway! The show will also star Ben Walker as it did at The Public. Congrats to him, Michael Friedman, and Alex Timbers!

And because presidents seem to be so hot right now, I also can't recommend We The People: America Rocks! enough for anyone with a free afternoon to enjoy some free, educational theatre. It's perfect for families with its fast-paced story, fun and hilarious cast members, and cleverly informative lyrics that will keep kids engaged. But even for the older set, it's a nice refresher course about the structure of our government told in a joyful, slightly winking way similar to Schoolhouse Rock. I'm certain you'll find yourself tapping your toes to a particular number about the first 5 amendments thanks to Adam Overett. There are also other great songs courtesy of Brad Alexander and Kevin Del Aguila, Eli Bolin and Sam Forman, Joe Iconis, Tommy Newman, Ryan Scott Oliver, Erik Weiner, Mark Weiner, and Jordan Allen-Dutton--with a book by Joe Iconis. Here's a sample of what you can expect from this fun show:

Coming to Joe's Pub

If you look at the events on the calendar this month at Joe's Pub, there are a lot of exciting offerings, but the two that most get my attention are this week's The Civilians' "Let me Ascertain You" and the Nick Blameire/Danica Dora concert on June 24th. With tickets well under $20 each, I can't think of a better way to spend your night.

The Civilians' have already been mentioned here in reference to Michael Friedman, but I highly recommend checking out their cabaret-style show on Friday to hear the debut of new music from their upcoming porn musical about the adult entertainment industry. Having just finished writing a play last year about a porn-related adventure of four best friends (a play I tried to convince my writing partner to subtitle "A Play of Epic Pro-porn-tions"), I've been anticipating this project for a little while now. But in addition to Michael Friedman's musical talents, it will also feature music by singer-songwriter Jill Sobule. With the intimate space of The Public, I definitely think this will make for a thought-provoking night of entertainment. Also, for more Civilians goodness, watch this series of videos from their latest venture into the subject of divorce, which begins with this video about objects that were fought over:



You can find more videos here, ranging other topics and questions relating to the itemization and deconstruction of divorce.

Then on June 24th, Nick Blaemire and Danica Dora will be performing some songs with some friends at 11:30. While Danica Dora is not necessarily a musical theatre composer, her voice and music are beautifully complex and have produced this video which I absolutely adore:

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Nothing too big to report, but I figured I'd share a couple of videos that have been playing on my computer at least a few times over the past few days.

First, there have been some great videos popping up promoting Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, which is ending its run in the (all too) near future-- June 27th. If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest getting a ticket. Even if the show goes on to a longer life, which I'm sure it will, this production at the Newman Theater is not to be missed:





Also, to give you a tune to get stuck in your head in the coming days, I've been obsessed with this old video of Nick Blaemire singing "I'm Out" from Dan Collins and Julianne Wick Davis' musical Wood. Both composers have been mentioned here before from their 15 minute musical collaboration Time to Kill for the York's 4@15, as well as Julianne's work for Cait Doyle's Hot Mess in Manhattan. The video was taken from Nick's show guyTunes with Justin Keyes and Jason Michael Snow:



Enjoy!

I Told You So

The Playscripts 10th Anniversary Gala on Monday was a blast. It was great to be in the company of many wonderful playwrights and to celebrate a happy milestone with a close-knit staff. But the real focus of the evening was the entertainment, and for a company that just started publishing musicals, the musical performances were truly remarkable.

Christiane Noll kicked ass singing "The Coming of the Dawn," which was originally sung by Hunter Foster in the Off-Broadway production of Frankenstein. Kristin Maloney made for an engrossing Dorothy Parker in a number from Talk of the Town. Dee Roscioli and Kat Hennessey singing "Ready to Settle" from High Fidelity made for a hilariously melodic cap to the excerpts from Check Please. And Nick Blaemire closed out the night with his sweet voice and musical abilities performing "Generation Apathy" from Glory Days. I still contend his voice is like buttah... and I've even had this confirmed by a few of my colleagues.

But the standout of the night for me was definitely Michael Friedman's song "The Song of Progressive Disenchantment" from The Civilians' (I Am) Nobody's Lunch. Devliered with booming indignation, this song told an entire story in a song, perfectly capturing the paranoia and disillusionment of the play with which it belongs. The performance was staggering -- hilarious, heartfelt, and at times jarring. The eventual disintegration of optimism at the end is a stark truth laid out in front of you, and Caitlin Miller showed no mercy in delivering those final lines. You can find a recording (not from the benefit, but this is pretty close) here.

I first heard of Michael Friedman through his work with The Civilians, having read (I Am) Nobody's Lunch, Canard, Carnard, Goose, and the beautiful Gone Missing. And while on paper the lyrics were clever, it wasn't until I heard the music that things came together in an incredibly magic way. The Civilians perform investigative docudrama pieces where they interview and research a particular subject without taking notes, and then later write out the accounts from memory. The subjects range from an absurd story of trying to find out what happens to the geese after "Fly Away Home," to the topical search for understanding about things that go missing.



I already mentioned Michael Friedman in connection to his latest project, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. And the music from that, along with his work with The Civilians, give an incredible look at what he's capable of -- lyrically challenging songs that are unafraid to tackle their subjects head-on. They are artfully crafted and unapologetic as they find answers through the progression of their melodies. I've always appreciated his work, but the more I seek out his music, the more I become a huge fan.

Michael has a lot of projects under his belt, including the Off-Broadway production of Saved at Playwrights Horizons, and Bloody Bloody is already slated to get a cast recording. But be on the lookout for more of his work with The Civlians, along with many more great songs along the way.

New Musical Theatre update

With the launch concert quickly approaching, I am thrilled with the slew of new artists whose work is sold and featured on newmusicaltheatre.com. New members since the original six are: Jeff Blumenkrantz, Paul Gordon, Salzman and Cunningham, Jonathan Reid Gealt, Gaby Alter, Michael Friedman, Kooman and Dimond, Jeremy Schonfeld, and Georgia Stitt. All of these new composers are incredibly talented and are offering a rather exciting variety of works. It's really wonderful for such a large group of amazing creative people to come together on one site. If you have money to burn, go spend it on some sheet music!

The other update I have for you is about New Musical Theatre artist Ryan Scott Oliver, who recently started a blog. With rantings and insights about writing and art and everything in between. Despite the fact that his tirade on the existence of the word "alright" sparked the nerdiest debate during lunch at my office, there's a lot of really interesting musings in here-- if anything, giving a glimpse into the mind of a music genius.

Bloody Bloody good

History is treated with a huge dose of angst and irony in the Public’s musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson with music and lyrics by Michael Friedman and book by Alex Timbers.

In a good way. Trust me.

Because as much as I entered the Newman theater rather skeptical of the opulent-colonial-meets-rock-video décor, with animal heads and carcasses strewn with beads, red lighting, and other wrecked touches, I surprised even myself in how gleefully the history nerd in me delighted in the sarcastic treatment of one of our presidential icons. And in history alone, there’s a lot of material here: the trail of tears, bigamy, accusations of genocide, not to mention winning the populist vote only to be shut down by congress in the first presidential race he attempted. But add to that portrayal of Jackson in a new light, not unlike the way “The Tudors” have reinvented Henry VII, along with a rock/emo score incredibly reminiscent of another musical with microphones pulled from holsters at opportune moments that was on Broadway not too long ago.

And even with its obvious influences, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson stands on its own two feet, a deliciously irreverent portrait of history in general and the legacy people leave behind. Beneath the gags, the sardonic humor, and portrayal of bumbling politicians, there is a lot of emotional truth, a stark reality to the persona that Jackson created through the sheer force of his anger and selfishness. One of the most gratifying moments for me was when Rachel, Jackson’s wife, tells Andrew, who asks why he can’t have a private life with her and the public fame of the presidency, that it’s because he’s “a grown up.” The fact of the story is inescapable – regardless of the glamour or the hype – none of Jackson’s glory came cheaply or peacefully. And the complexity of this story is something that will touch you at times throughout the show, but will also bring you a lot of joy in the twisting of those questions into an absurd, hilariously rebellious musical appeal.

I highly suggest buying tickets and seeing this production, which can be done here. With an amazing cast, band, and production values, this is something to be seen.

Edit: Just a teaser, really, but something to give you an idea of what you'd be in for: