Things have been pretty busy for me lately, and I unfortunately haven't been show-going as much as I would like. Still, even when I can't make it to the theatre, it's always nice knowing that I can always go to trusty Youtube to get a fresh musical theatre fix. Therefore, I thought I would share some of the latest videos/performances that have gotten me through the summer:
Santino Fontana and Jessica Hershberg singing Adam Gwon's "Fine"
Nothing like the chemistry of a real couple to keep this always-bouyant tune afloat.
Nick Blaemire and Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band doing a How to Succeed Medley
I said it before, and I'll say it again. Like buttah.
Jane Horrocks singing "Cabaret" from the Donmar Warehouse 1994 production
A new, star-studded revival has been announced of Cabaret, but I would be curious as to whether or not Michelle Williams would be able to deliver this kind of cathartic, fresh hell.
Kristin Chenoweth and Sarah Horn singing "For Good" at the Hollywood Bowl
Yes, I know Kristin Chenoweth has pulled this Wicked-duet-with-an-audience-member during concerts before, but this woman has a seriously wonderful voice. Just a lot of love here.
Pasek and Paul singing "Some Kinda Time" from Dogfight
Yep... still wearing this CD out.
Annie Golden singing Joe Iconis's "Spin Those Records"
Orange Is the New Black was the summer sensation, but an Annie + Joe collab is always sensational.
Andrew Rannells singing Hedwig's "The Origin of Love"
The big news is that NPH will be tackling this iconic role, but this song and performance are pretty close to perfection.
Arielle Jacobs, Max Chernin, Charles A. Franklin, Kerri George, and Noah Zachary singing Ryan Scott Oliver's "When the Music Ends"
I've expressed my adoration of Cait Doyle and her cabaret show, Hot Mess in Manhattan, a few times on this blog, and I'm thrilled to say that Hot Mess will be taking to the Manhattan stage again in the near future, only this time as a full-length musical! Chock full of songs by up-and-coming composers (including the likes of Ryan Scott Oliver, Adam Gwon, Nick Blaemire, Salzman and Cunningham, Kerrigan & Lowdermilk), this semi-autobiographical tale is sure to debunk some Sex and the City myths with a realistic, entertaining portrayal of life in the big city. Cait is hilarious, and armed with some great original songs, this is sure to be a great show.
Performances start on August 30th, and the show will run until September 8th. You can purchase tickets here, BUT WAIT! Use the code newMTfan at checkout, and you can get tickets for $15 each! Save a little money, see a great show, and come back here and share your thoughts!
About two and a half years ago when I started this blog, the first post I ever wrote talked about the work of Nick Blaemire. I had recently seen his Glory Days CD release concert at Joe's Pub and being inspired by seeing the work from his Broadway writing debut (along with the many other projects I had seen him perform in prior) was what pushed me over the line to finally start writing about my passion for new musical theatre artists. I know this past month has featured a lot of posts about him, but I am thrilled to be able to bookend the coverage of so many of his gigs as of late with an interview with the man himself (big thanks to Jennifer Ashley Tepper for setting this up!). As mentioned before, Nick is currently in the fantastic ensemble of Broadway's Godspell and has also recently released an EP with The Hustle. So read on to hear about how Godspell is influencing his writing process, what new musicals he's writing now, and what things make him excited enough to "poop his pants" (his words, not mine).
(Interview with Nick for MTI Showspace)
Me: One of this production of Godspell’s greatest assets is its young and incredibly talented cast. What do you think it is about this show that makes it relevant and important for younger audiences (and actors)?
Nick Blaemire: The opportunity to actually be yourself onstage is an incredibly rare and exciting one - as actors we're usually asked to fit someone else's mold to some degree, unless you're creating the character - but even then you're trying to be someone else, where as in Godspell, as long as we're telling the story, we can do it any way we want. So there's a huge freedom there that allows for some really exciting improvisational moments, and a sense that anything can happen. Hopefully that translates to the young people who come to see it, in that their energy in the audiences influences ours, and it becomes this reciprocal, very alive experience where everybody's contributing to what's being created.
Me: Tackling themes of religion, faith, and ultimately just the mention of God is usually shied away from onstage and in mainstream media. How do you feel Godspell has been able to survive and breakthrough this barrier? And how do you as an actor approach this heavy subject?
Nick: I’m not a particularly religious guy, so for me, the way I found to connect to the material was to honor the truth of the lessons jesus teaches. It doesn’t matter how you approach them, whether it's through the venue of organized religion or just as social doctrines, because the content is always just as valid. I do think that what Godspell does successfully is focus on how we as human beings treat other human beings, rather than about "rules" or "a way of life," which can be alienating if it's not a methodology you connect with. But we're all human, so the way we treat each other is always going to be a subject worth talking about.
Me: Has the improvisational nature of Godspell influenced your own writing in any way?
Nick: Absolutely - especially in pop music. That feeling that anything could happen is how a song should feel, especially in live performance, but even in recording - because surprises are what drive us. We continue to live and move forward because we dont know what's going to happen next, and we want to control it as best we can, but ultimately, every new moment is going to be a surprise, and from Godspell I've learned the value in creating new things with that mindset, of constantly jumping off a cliff and trying to just ride the proverbial wave that music and stories provide.
(Nick singing "My Three Best Friends" from Glory Days)
Me: What is it like to be back at Circle in the Square post-Glory Days?
Nick: It's surreal. I cant believe they've allowed me back in the building. It's especially cool because all the tech and maintenance people are still the same, and it's like getting to hang out with old friends - there are even some little remnants of our production around the building that never got taken down, so that's a trip. And artistically, its beyond humbling. It was such an honor to be there with Glory Days, and I’m reminded every day of the magic of that space every time I come to the theatre for Godspell.
I know I'm super late in doing a post about the last installment of the Behind the Music-al series at 92Y Tribeca last month, but I was waiting for videos to be posted so I could give you a taste of some of the awesomeness going on at that event. There was a lot of new material being shared, as well as new interpretations of old favorites, so I thought that being able to share specific performances was key.
The theme of the night was Teenage Dreams, and this was not your Katy Perry love song fantasy (though there's nothing wrong with that, especially singing along at the top of your lungs in the show-- I mean, what?). Instead, moderator Steve Fickinger posed interesting questions not only about the desires of young people, many of which were addressed directly in the songs presented, but also what it's like writing for young actors and how to frame depictions of young people.
Organizers Kyle Ewalt and Michael Walker tackled this material with songs from their show Separate: Battle Songs of Youth, a musical that follows different young men enlisting in war throughout time. It's very exciting to piece together songs from this show at each of the Behind the Music-al installments, and this evening's show didn't disappoint in showing a few other perspectives of boys on the brink of becoming men. Molly Hager also tore the roof off the place singing a song from a new project that will hopefully incorporate more of Michael's dance/electronica style.
Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk shared some favorites from their catalog, presenting songs from The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown and Tales from the Bad Years. Not only was Brian's beautiful music wonderfully showcased through three amazing singers, but Kait's skills as a book writer were shown through conversation about dealing with what is considered 'age appropriate' material and what it means to have faith in audiences to be as real to experience as possible. I also liked how Brian pinpointed something that I have always had the utmost respect for in their music: once the melody is worked out, songs can have fluidity in how they are arranged and orchestrated to continually have fresh interpretations. That was clear with songwriters like Joanna Burns and Jesse Ruben taking the music into their own creative hands (along with a mind-blowing performance by the always talented Kate Shindle).
Last but never least, Nick Blaemire played some of his own music (with one song pitch-perfectly portrayed by Molly Hager), displaying his great dexterity with language and ability to write very authentic voices of young people at life's crossroads. With a song from After Robert Hutchens, Nick showed the fitfulness and struggle in the face of new responsibility. This was only strengthened when Nick talked about his new musical, When the World Ends, which continues to put his characters in extraordinary circumstances that reveal uncomfortable, yet strangely optimistic truths.
Check out all the videos from the Teenage Dream event here, and be on the lookout for the next installment! It's a wonderful opportunity to hear some really talented people articulate the things that drive their work, as well as some really awesome new songs.
Congratulations to 'Unknown,' who is the randomly selected winner of a voucher for 2 tickets to see Godspell on Broadway! Email me for confirmation and your prize! Thanks to everyone who participated with some great responses.
Here was our winner's favorite Blaemire tune:
"I'm gonna go for 'Open Road' fromGlory Days. The progression from longing to tentative hope to exhilaration is so spot-on for youth. Also, this lyric:I got into my car, what a lousy piece of shit, but I didn't care 'cause I just needed to try. That line tends to get lost in the beginning, but man-o, it gets to me every time. I don't really know anyone who rode through their teens/early twenties with the smooth, fine-tuned engine of perfect grace. It's all been, or at least for me it's been: what a noisy, bumpy, inconsistent ride, but still, what a ride. So yeah, Open Road."
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being invited to attend a performance of Godspell with a talkback afterward with cast member and musical theatre writer Nick Blaemire. The show itself is a unique offering on Broadway right now with its fresh young cast and hilarious improvisation. Experiencing this energetic show in the round makes it feel even more interactive, and Stephen Schwartz's music sounds as beautiful as ever, especially with the likes of Lindsay Mendez and Hunter Parrish singing it.
As a part of my seeing Godspell, I have also been given a voucher for 2 tickets to any Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday performance before 5/1/2012-- which I will be giving away to one lucky reader! Here's how to enter:
In keeping with the Nick Blaemire talkback, post your favorite Nick Blaemire song as a comment to this blog post by Thursday, 3/15. It can be a song by him or just performed by him. If there's a video, feel free to post the link. Or just tell us about a particularly good performance. Haven't heard any Blaemire music before? Look back at some past blog posts, or check out his brand new video with The Hustle for the single "Headturner" off his soon-to-be-released EP:
A winner will be randomly drawn and announced this Friday, 3/16, so check back to see if you won!
Last November, I had the privilege of seeing an installment of Behind the Music-al at 92YTribeca. The whole experience was a total geek-fest for any lover of new musical theatre, and the many insightful conversations and exciting new talent fostered a great sense of community. Much of this can be attributed to composing team Kyle Ewalt and Michael I. Walker, who regularly organize these events and often present their work alongside guest composers. The first 2012 show of Behind the Music-al is coming up on February 22 (with a theme of 'Teenage Dreams' and guests Kait Kerrigan, Brian Lowdermilk, Nick Blaemire, and Steve Fickinger as moderator) and to celebrate this wonderful series, Kyle and Michael agreed to answer some questions about what makes Behind the Music-al so special:
Me: How did Behind the Music-al start? What has been your process of organizing each event?
Kyle Ewalt and Michael I. Walker: We had been working with 92YTribeca for a while, and had done a number of concerts of our own work there, when they approached us about establishing a musical theater series with them. We had seen a series that 92Y does uptown called “Lyrics and Lyricists,” in which a moderator interviews established writers about various songs from throughout their career while singers perform those songs. We really liked how the show combined performances with insight into the writing process, and wanted to try to translate that for a younger audience downtown. We decided that it could be really exciting to have more established writers or producers interview emerging composers about their process in order to give new musical theater fans a look behind the scenes at how contemporary writers work – and “Behind the Music-al” was born.
Our process been pretty much the same since we started last season – we act as curators and organizers for each show, reaching out to songwriters and moderators through friends and colleagues, and picking a theme for each show. Each songwriting team really puts their own set together (they bring their own singers, songs, etc). 92YTribeca produces the show, including PR, venues, etc.
(Molly Hager singing Ewalt and Walker's "Do Not Disconnect"
at Behind the Music-al:Rocks!)
Me: What have been some of your favorite Behind the Music-al moments? What have been some of the most interesting discussions that have come out of the shows?
Ewalt and Walker: We’ve really loved each show and the community we’ve been able to build with the series. Getting the chance to share the stage with all the other great writers and talk with them about their work has been so much fun for us.
Each show seems to have its own magical moments, but a few stand out. When Stephen Flaherty was moderating, his stories were incredible. At one point, as he was talking with Drew Gasparini, Drew just stopped and said, “I need a moment. Oh my goodness, I’m talking with Stephen Flaherty!” Seeing Drew’s excitement talking to one of his idols was really fun.
And in our last show, watching Adam Guettel work with each of the songwriters was truly like being at a master class. At one point, he suggested that Michael Holland do a song a second time without any accompaniment. His singer performed the song again, and it was hauntingly beautiful. You could sense that everyone in the audience knew that Adam’s suggested had affected Michael’s ideas about the song. We were watching a musical get written, in real time. That doesn’t happen very often.
Sadly, Hurricane Irene cut this year's Fringe Festival a bit short, canceling this weekend's performances with the MTA shutdown here in the city. I do, however, want to send out congratulations to all the shows, many of which received great reviews and mentions throughout the last 2 weeks. Also, many were highlighted with The Fringe's Overall Excellence Awards, which are listed here. [EDIT: Looks like a spoke a little soon -- The Fringe Encore Series has just been announced. If there was a show you missed, see if it made the list here.]
Just as one festival ends, though, another begins as tickets to NYMF shows will go on sale to the general public later this week (the festival will run from 9/26-10/16). Check out some of the great offerings on their website, and get ready for even more awesome new musical goodness at the end of September.
In speaking of things to come, Shaina Taub's EP, What Otters Do, is now available online (and in hardcopy through her website). If you're in New York, also check out her show tonight at Rockwood Music Hall at 8:30.
Speaking of Shaina Taub, the songstress will be a guest at Eli Bolin's upcoming show at the Laurie Beechman at 8:00 on September 18. They will be joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anne Harada, Sam Forman, Allison Posner, Greg Hildreth, Anthony Rapp, and Olli Haaskivi -- and with a line-up like that, you gotta get a reservation!
Also, bringing everything full circle, later that week at the Beechman will be a concert version of Bed Bugs!!!! The Musical, which I saw and loved at NYMF 2008. This hilarious show, which was written by Fred Sauter and Paul Leschen, will be performing on 9/20 and 9/21.
So save your pennies and get ready for a month of great new music. In the meantime, I leave you with this great tune from Nick Blaemire's concert at Ars Nova a couple of months ago:
Also, songwriting team Kooman and Dimond released their new album Out of Our Heads -- which, let me tell you now, is awesome. There are great voices on the recording (Heidi Blickenstaff, Kerry Butler, Natalie Weiss, Patina Miller, Anderson Davis, Matt Doyle, Phoebe Strole, Kyle Dean Massey, Chris Mann... look for an especially delightful track with Christopher Sieber), and all of the songs are beautifully recorded. There's a lot of love, pathos, and comedy in these songs, and I'm not only sure you'll be listening to them constantly but you'll want to be singing them too. You can purchase the CD from their website here and be on the lookout for their release concert at The Birdland on 7/18.
In speaking of cast recordings, if you want to help another album yet-to-be-made, support songwriting team Miller and Tysen's Kickstarter campaign to record their song cycle Fugitive Songs. Every song I've heard from this show is fantastic -- heartfelt and evocative, living up to the idea of being a fugitive in the way they just move musically. Even better? If you donate $150 or more, you get a recording of Burnt Part Boys, which is pretty good incentive, if you ask me.
Lastly, I just wanted to end with a couple of videos from recent concerts, the first being Nick Blaemire singing "Trouble" at his recent gig with band The Hustle as a part of Ars Nova's 54/10:
Then, from Good Clean Music: Another Michael R. Jackson Song Thing at The Beechman, Jeremy Morse singing "Girlfriend":
And, also from Good Clean Music, Molly Hager singing "Fairweather Friend":
Heidi Heilig and Mike Pettry's full-length musical, The Time Travelers Convention, debuted as a podcast about a month ago, bringing the story of three friends looking for answers through time travel straight to your living room via Youtube and iTunes. With a wonderful cast starring Nick Blaemire, Lorinda Lisitza, Jeff Essex, Stephanie Spano, Phoebe Strole, and even Mike Pettry himself, this radio play way of experiencing a new show boasts a lot of talent and fun presentation. Luckily for us, Heidi and Mike offered to answer a few questions about the process of recording a podcast, fusing nerd and musical theatre culture, and everything in between:
(First part of Youtube podcast of The Time Traveler's Convention)
Me: The big party in The Time Travelers Convention is based on a real event organized by MIT students. How did you decide to turn the idea into a musical?
Heidi: In the summer of 2005, Mike and I were looking for an idea for our thesis musical for the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU, and my mother, who is a musical theatre writer herself, sent me an article she’d seen in the New York Times about these wacky young science nerds at MIT and the party they were holding to try to attract visitors from the future. She sent it in an email with just the heading “Time traveler convention – GREAT IDEA FOR A MUSICAL.” I’m not joking, that’s how I decided – an all caps email heading from my mother.
Although I don’t do everything she suggests to me in all caps. (If I did I may have tried for a more lucrative career than ‘bookwriter/lyricist.’) And I had to convince Mike, too, but that wasn’t too hard because the idea really grabbed me and I can be really pushy when an idea takes hold.
Mike: It didn’t take much to convince me – I was excited by the idea of writing music from the perspective of nerdy high-schoolers. Before, I had been writing more cerebral art-song stuff, and was getting very tired of that. The Time Travelers Convention was a great opportunity to dive into more pop-rock styles, although the score ultimately found a balance between both worlds (like if Stephen Sondheim were to start an Arcade Fire cover band).
My favorite part of our first meeting about the show was that Heidi had pitched it to another collaborator first, who wasn’t that excited about it. He was like, “Time travel? Enh,” but I was like “BEST IDEA FOR A MUSICAL EVER.”
Heidi: What really sung to me about the whole story was that Amal Dorai (the organizer) and others were asking for things from the potential time traveler – cold fusion reactors, cures for AIDS, solutions to mathematical mysteries – and I thought, well, what would I ask for, if a time traveler showed up?
And the answer that came back in my head was “I’d want the time machine.”
I think a lot of people feel that they have turning points in their lives that they look back on and say “If only I’d—" or “I wish I could have–" or “I never should have–" and they end that sentence with “because then everything would be okay.” I know I have. (And I would sing about it, too.) And for me, characters are formed quite easily out of a mixture of dreams and regrets.
Unfortunately for me, I totally missed the Julia Meinwald/Eric March Cheap Show tonight since my roommate won tickets to Shakespeare in the Park (Merchant of Venice was awesome, by the way... though the intense feeling of swimming in the humid 90-something degree air made me with I was drinking cheap beer and listening to live music indoors on more than one occasion). But, in honor of their show, I thought I would post videos for two Julia Meinwald/Dan Collins songs that have been stuck in my head for the past week or so:
"Lovesick" sung by Nick Blaemire:
And "The Water Song" sung by Mary Ann Schaub and Liz Carbonell:
Didn't get a chance to make it out to see the Nick Blaemire and Danica Dora concert last Thursday, the Kerrigan-Lowdermilk performance on Friday, or the Joe Iconis show on Saturday? Honestly, me neither. But though I'm still awaiting videos for Joe's show, the formers already have youtube clips up and running (and some of these are pretty awesome). Rather than describe them, I'll let you see for yourself.
Nick Blaemire singing (somewhat) original tune "Empty Handed":
Danica Dora singing "Slowin' Down":
And, though not an original tune but because it makes me incredibly happy, a cover of Justin Bieber's "Baby":
From the Kerrigan-Lowdermilk set, David Goldstein singing "Living the Dream":
Skylar Astin and Emma Hunton singing "Run Away With Me":
As much as I want to keep doing new posts of composer/writer profiles, so many things are happening this summer with many of my favorite writers that it's hard to focus on the past when so many exciting events are coming up in the near future.
First of all, I can't stress enough how great it would be to snag a $12 ticket, drink some coffee, and gear up for a late (but well worth it) night at Joe's Pub on Thursday to catch Nick Blaemire and Danica Dora (and friends!) do their thing. From a few performances I've seen of both talented songsters, you'll be doing yourself a favor.
Also, with Monday's free performance at the Astor Place cube still in the rearview of the Iconis vehicle, go revel in the Bloodsong love as Iconis performs at the Duplex this Saturday at 7. It's set to be an intimate evening with familiar faces and lots of whisky-soaked goodness.
In speaking of Joe, he and many other stars are set to perform at the Laurie Beechman's Sondheim Unplugged. And while Sondheim is hardly up-and-coming, the show features many great Broadway, Off-Broadway, and cabaret talents from around the city, including writers Joe Iconis and Katie Thompson, who I've mentioned a few times on this site. The show will be running every Monday through July at 7:00, and to be honest, any excuse to hear Katie reinvent a tune with her gorgeous voice is money well spent in my book.
Lastly, check out Amanda Green & Friends in concert at The Birdland (one of my favorite venues in New York) on July 19. As a descendent of musical theatre legend and the lyricist for short-lived High Fidelity on Broadway, she's worked with Pulitzer-winning Tom Kitt and is currently developing Bring It On the musical with Kitt and Lin Manuel Miranda which will premiere at The Alliance Theater in Atlanta in January 2011. The concert is set to feature Jenn Colella, Ann Harada, Andy Karl and Howard McGillin and should be a ton of fun, and read more about her on her website here.
And to end with a song, here's Will Chase singing one of my favorite songs from High Fidelity, "Desert Island Top 5 Break Ups":
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:
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:
Last night's newmusicaltheatre.com launch concert was like an incredibly tight compilation of six of your favorite band's greatest hits. Pasek and Paul, Adam Gwon, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk, Nick Blaemire, Ryan Scott Oliver, and Joe Iconis all channeled their superb brand of music and lyrics through a slew of awesome performers, creating an impressive soundscape of where young musical theatre is heading. Many of the songs featured on this blog were performed and there were many familiar faces, but the beautiful thing about this concert was the way all the music fit seamlessly together, while still having a distinct voice behind each piece. I watched Matt Doyle move from a romantic drunken piece about an encounter in New York City to inhabiting a seductive vampire preying on Emma Hunton's dreamy idealism of the undead. I smiled at Kelli O'Hara's back and forth with husband Greg Naughton after having been almost moved to tears by her recollection of a romance gone by. The music was transformative-- powerful voices that demand to be heard.
And what is most profound, perhaps, is the whole reason behind the concert. There's something incredibly reassuring about the idea that all of these artists can come together and form an alliance with one another, working towards a common goal. Because while even amongst just the original six songwriters and songwriting teams, each person has a diverse background whether their work has made it to Broadway, won awards, has earned them teaching positions, has toured the country, or has been recorded to CD. All of these voices unite to bring a dialog directly to the fans--to provide those in the community with great songs to be performed and shared, in a forum where these young composers can profit and communicate directly with the customer. I think it's encouraging, and I think that combining all this music only makes the works stronger and shine far brighter.
Many of the songs performed last night have had a video on here before. But here are some highlights that include new songs:
The opening number starring the cast from the night:
"Twisted Teeth" by Ryan Scott Oliver, performed by Emma Hunton and Matt Doyle:
"Fine" by Adam Gwon, performed by Kelli O'Hara and Greg Naughton:
"Ready to Be Loved" by Pasek and Paul, performed by Nikki James:
Also, be sure to check up on the New Musical Theatre website often... word on the street is that a bunch of new composers will be added in the next week or so, including Jeanine Tesori, whose song was the closing number of the night.
So I'm currently on vacation, but still wanted to pop in to give some updates on some of the composers I've mentioned on this blog. Perhaps most significantly (to me anyway) was the announcement of this concert: The New Musical Theatre Launch Concert at Le Poisson Rouge. This concert, on April 26, will feature a slew of the writers/composers mentioned on this blog: Nick Blaemire, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk, Joe Iconis, Adam Gwon, Ryan Scott Oliver, and Pasek and Paul. It's an all-star line-up, and the theatre geek in me is so excited that I'm trying not to gush as I mention this event.
Also, for some "bloody" updates on shows recently mentioned/reviewed on this blog, Bloody Blood Andrew Jackson has officially opened to rave reviews -- many of which can be found here (gotta love StageGrade). Bloodsong of Love is also in full promotional swing, with a kazoo party in Union Square today and a post-show concert after tomorrow night's show. Apparently the show is sold out until Friday, but if you manage to get a $15 "splash zone" ticket or a $10 rush ticket, a free supernova drink, you've got the best deal in town.
Lastly, I just want to end on some gorgeous videos from Nick Blaemire's latest Songbook concert at Lincoln Center (wow, it would have been nice to be in the city for this):
David Hull (who recently made for a wonderful heartthrob in recent production of Calvin Berger) singing "New Home":
Iconis? Pasek? Gwon? And Lowdermilk? Singing Nick Blaemire's "Good Old Glory Type Days"?
Okay, maybe a little rough around the edges. But I think it's good proof that "If It Only Even Runs a Minute," a show that ran at the Laurie Beechman a couple weeks ago, brought about some pretty memorable performances.
If you've enjoyed some of the composers I've profiled so far through the blog, I highly recommend checking out this relatively new site, New Musical Theatre, a place where you can order sheet music directly from many of the composers I've talked about. All you have to do is find your music, pay online, and then download/unlock your sheet music right on your computer.
With many of these composers, I've seen more of a grassroots approach to promoting shows and material, and I fully support this site's outreach to people who would like to perform their work. So, if you're in the market for an audition piece or just want to gather around the old keyboard and belt out some tunes for your friends (...or your cats, who am I to judge?), then head on over and do a little shopping.
After all, who wouldn't want to belt out a little "Blue Hair" by Joe Iconis at a recital:
Or drown your sorrows by doing a rendition of "Like Breathing" by Pasek and Paul:
Or inappropriately serenade your teacher with "What I Wouldn't Do For You" by Ryan Scott Oliver:
Besides sheer talent and a wicked sense of humor, a funny through line that seems to string together some of my favorite up-and-composers over the past couple of years seems to be none other than Nick Blaemire, the composer of Broadway's Glory Days and a fantastic actor in his own right. In fact, I joke that the young New York theatre scene could easily be linked through "The Six Degrees of Nick Blaemire," since he always seems to have a hand in my own theater-going experiences.
Aside from his own writing, I was first captivated by his performance as Chris in Joe Iconis' The Black Suits at The Public's SPF. Ignoring my sheer love of Iconis's music and his merry band of faithful singers/actors, it was Blaemire's gut-wrenching portrayal of a Long Island garage band leader that really got my attention, bringing gravity to what could have easily been a comically crude coming-of-age story. Much of the show's transcendence is due to Joe Iconis and Robert Maddock's quick-paced (despite 3+ hour run time) book and Iconis' hilariously poignant songs. But I can't possibly think of that musical without thinking of this song and that moment of being in that theater, transfixed by the immediacy of what was going on in front of me.
I just remember thinking to myself:
Shit. This is good stuff.
And since then, he seems to pop up in a ton of projects that I absolutely adore. From performing in Kerrigan and Lowdermilk's The Unauthorized Biography of Samantha Brown, to singing pretty songs in Ryan Scott Oliver's Rated RSO, to singing the hell out of more Iconis tunes in Things to Ruin, to appearing yet again at SPF in The Departure Lounge and singing a couple of songs in that year's Composure Exposure event.
And as though that's not enough, at the tender age of 23, he had a musical up on Broadway—albeit its opening night was also its closing performance—still a feat that has contributed to my determination to have some kind of successful creative project by 23 (well, him and Lady Gaga anyway).
Despite the fact that he's played a character in at least a couple of "Bro Musicals" over the past couple years, Glory Days remains its own animal, a heartfelt send-up to "generation apathy" and the inevitable disillusionment of growing up and apart from childhood friends. The music is modern with lyrics that roll off the tongue in a frenetic but relentlessly tuneful way. And even the most clichéd of male sentiments finds its own sophistication as the show tells the story of four high school buddies who reunite a year after graduation to find that their relationships aren't the same as their glorified memories of what they used to be.
This song is brilliant in its startlingly observant view of the world (written, as James Gardiner, the book writer of Glory Days, mentioned at the cast recording release concert, within the span of a few hours):
And this song never ceases to amaze me in way the music weaves through space and time:
There's something about both his songs and performances that is so admirably in the moment and self-aware. There's a sense that his characters are always aware of their flaws and fears, and they push them aside so that they can continue living, pushing through the moments of introspection with a little bit of wordplay and mustered confidence. I can only see even more success in Blaemire's future, and his current project Finding Robert Hutchens already looks incredibly promising. No matter what is on the horizon for him, on stage or off, I will be excited to be a part of it… and with my luck, I'll probably be in the audience whether or not I know he's involved beforehand.
