Broadway Watch - April 2006

Four Musicals opened this month Hot Feet Music & Lyrics by Maurice White & Earth, Wind & Fire; Book by Heru Ptah Choreography by Maurice Hines Original 2006 Broadway Production Featuring Vivian Nixon No Cast Recording The Wedding Singer Music by Matthew Sklar; Lyrics by Chad Beguelin; Book by Chad Beguelin & Tim O’Herlihy Original 2006 Broadway Production Featuring Stephen Lynch (Robbie Hart); Laura Benanti (Julia); Kevin Cahoon (George); Felicia Finley (Linda) & Amy Spanger (Holly) Cast Recording Released 06/06/06 Lestat Music & Lyrics by Elton John & Bernie Taupin; Book by Linda Woolverton Original 2006 Broadway production Featuring Hugh Panaro (Lestat); Carolee Carmello (Gabrielle); Jim Stanek (Louis); Roderick Hill (Nicolas), Drew Sarich (Armand) & Allison Fischer (Claudia) No Cast Recording The Threepenny Opera Closes 18/06/2006 (Limited Run!) Music by Kurt Weill; Original Book & Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht; Translated from the German by Wallace Shawn 2006 Broadway Revival (Original production ran 1933; previous revivals 1954, 1955-1961, 1966, 1976-1977, 1989) Featuring Alan Cumming (MacHeath); Cyndi Lauper (Jenny); Ana Gasteyer (Mrs Peachum); Jim Dale (Mr Peachum) and Nellie McKay (Polly Peachum) No Cast Recording One Musical closed this month Ring of Fire Opened 12/03/2006; Closed 30/04/2006; 57 performances Book by Richard Maltby, Jr. Original 2006 Broadway Production Featuring Jarrod Emick, Jeb Brown, Jason Edwards, Beth Malone, Cass Morgan & Lari White No Cast Recording Eighteen other Musicals currently running: The Pajama Game Closes 11/06/2006 (Limited Run!) Music by Richard Adler; Lyrics by Jerry Ross; Book by George Abbott & Richard Bissell 2006 Broadway Revival (Original production ran 1954-1956; previous revival 1973-1974) Featuring Harry Connick, Jr. (Sid Sorokin), Kelli O’Hara (Babe Daniels), Michael McKean (Hines) & Peter Benson (Prez) Cast Recording released 09/05/2006 The Color Purple Music & Lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray; Book by Marsha Norman Original 2005 Broadway Production Featuring LaChanze (Celie), Elizabeth Withers-Mendes (Shug), Brandon Victor Dixon (Harpo) & Krisha Marcano (Squeak) Cast Recording Available Jersey Boys Music by Bob Gaudio; Lyrics by Bob Crewe; Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice Original 2005 Broadway Production Featuring John Lloyd Young (Frankie Valli), Christian Hoff (Tommy DeVito), Daniel Reichard (Bob Gaudio) & J. Robert Spencer (Nick Massi) Cast Recording Available Sweeney Todd Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by Hugh Wheeler Broadway Version of 2004 English Revival (Original Broadway Production ran 1979-1980; Revival 1989-1990) Featuring Patti LuPone (Mrs Lovett), Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd), Donna Lynne Champlin (Pirelli), Manoel Felciano (Tobias) & Lauren Molina (Johanna) Cast Recording Available The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Music & Lyrics by William Finn; Book by Rachel Sheinkin 2005 Transfer of Original 2005 Off-Broadway Production Featuring Celia Keenan-Bolger (Olive Ostrovsky), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Leaf Coneybear) & Jose Llana (Chip Tolentino) 2005 Tony Awards – Book & Featured Actor (Dan Fogler) Cast Recording Available The Light in the Piazza Closes 02/07/2006 – Limited Run (extended – for the THIRD TIME!!) Music & Lyrics by Adam Guettel, Book by Craig Lucas Original 2005 Broadway Production Featuring Victoria Clark (Margaret Johnson), Aaron Lazar (Fabrizio), Chris Sarandon (Signor Naccarelli), Patti Cohenour (Signora Naccarelli) & Michael Berresse (Giuseppe Naccarelli) 2005 Tony Awards – Score, Lead Actress (Victoria Clark), Orchestrations, Lighting Design, Costume Design & Scenic Design Cast Recording Available Monty Python’s Spamalot Music by Eric Idle and John Du Prez; Book & Lyrics by Eric Idle Original 2005 Broadway Production Featuring Simon Russell Beale (King Arthur), Christopher Sieber (Sir Galahad), Michael McGrath (Patsy) & Christian Borle (Prince Herbert) 2005 Tony Awards – Musical, Director & Featured Actress (Sara Ramirez) Cast Recording Available Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek; Book by Jeffrey Lane Original 2005 Broadway Production Featuring Johnathan Pryce (Lawrence Jameson), Norbert Leo Butz (Freddy Benson), Rachel York (Christine Colgate), Joanna Gleason (Muriel Eubanks), Gregory Jbara Andre Thibault) & Mylinda Hull (Jolene Oakes) 2005 Tony Award – Lead Actor (Norbert Leo Butz) Cast Recording Available Wicked Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; Book by Winnie Holzmann Original 2003 Broadway Production Featuring Eden Espinosa (Elphaba), Megan Hilty (Galinda) & Carol Kane (Madame Morrible) 2004 Tony Awards – Actress (Idina Menzel); Scenic Design & Costume Design Cast Recording available Avenue Q Music & Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx; Book by Jeff Whitty 2003 Transfer of Original 2003 Off-Broadway Production Featuring Barrett Foa (Princeton/Rob) & Mary Faber (Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut) 2004 Tony Awards – Musical; Original Score & Book of a Musical Cast Recording Available Hairspray Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyrics by Scott Wittman; Book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan Original 2002 Broadway Production Featuring Sharon Durig (Tracy Turnblad), John Pinette (Edna Turnblad), Darlene Love (Motormouth Maybelle) & Leah Hocking (Velma Von Tussle) 2003 Tony Awards – Musical; Original Score; Book of a Musical; Actor (Harvey Fierstein); Actress (Marissa Janet Winokur); Featured Actor (Dick Latessa); Direction & Costume Design Cast Recording available Mamma Mia! Music and Lyrics by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson; Book by Catherine Johnson 2001 Broadway version of Original 1999 London Production Featuring John Dossett (Sam) & Judy McLane (Tanya) No Cast Recording – Original London Cast available The Producers Music & Lyrics by Mel Brooks; Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan Original 2001 Broadway Production Featuring Hunter Foster (Leo Bloom) & Gary Beach (Roger DeBris) 2001 Tony Awards – Musical; Original Score; Book of a Musical; Actor (Nathan Lane); Featured Actor (Gary Beach); Featured Actress (Cady Huffman); Direction; Orchestrations; Scenic Design; Costume Design; Lighting Design & Choreography Cast Recording available The Lion King Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Tim Rice; Book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi Original 1997 Broadway Production, Based on 1994 Film Musical Featuring Josh Tower (Simba) & Kissy Simmons (Nala) 1998 Tony Awards – Musical; Direction; Scenic Design; Costume Design; Lighting Design; Choreography 10th Longest Run in Broadway History Cast Recording available Chicago Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb; Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse 1996 Broadway Revival (Original production ran 1975-77) Featuring Charlotte D’Amblois (Roxie Hart) 1997 Tony Awards – Revival of a Musical; Actor (James Naughton); Actress (Bebe Neuwirth); Direction; Lighting Design & Choreography 9th Longest Run in Broadway History (9th Most Performed Musical) Cast Recording available Rent Music Lyrics & Book by Jonathan Larson 1996 Transfer of Original 1996 Off-Broadway Production Featuring Matt Caplan (Mark) 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1996 Tony Awards – Musical; Original Score; Book of a Musical & Featured Actor (Wilson Jermaine Heredia) 7th Longest Run in Broadway History Cast Recording available Beauty and the Beast Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice; Book by Linda Woolverton Original 1994 Broadway Production, Based on 1991 Film Musical Featuring Ashley Brown (Belle) & Steve Blanchard (Beast) 1994 Tony Award – Costume Design 6th Longest Run in Broadway History (7th Most Performed Musical) Cast Recording available The Phantom of the Opera Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by Charles Hart & Richard Stilgoe 1988 Broadway version of London Production Featuring Howard McGillin (Phantom) & Tim Martin Gleason (Raoul) 1988 Tony Awards – Musical; Actor (Michael Crawford); Featured Actress (Judy Kuhn); Direction; Scenic Design; Costume Design & Lighting Design Longest Run in Broadway History and Most Performed Musical No Cast Recording – Original London Cast available Attendance figures for last four weeks (to 23 Apr 06) Top Three Shows by Attendance Wicked – 57888 The Lion King – 57323 The Color Purple – 52790 Top Three Shows by Capacity The Phantom of the Opera – 100.5% Wicked – 100% Mamma Mia! – 100% Bottom Three Shows by Attendance Ring of Fire – 13627 The Light in the Piazza – 20633 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – 20991 Bottom Three Shows by Capacity Ring of Fire – 40.2% The Light in the Piazza – 61.9% Sweeney Todd – 74.8% Now In Previews The Drowsy Chaperone – New Musical – Opens 01/05/2006 Tarzan – New Musical, based on the 1999 Disney film – Opens 10/05/2005 Coming Soon A Chorus Line – New Revival – Previews begin 18/09/2006; Opens 5/10/2006 Les Miserables – Revival – Previews begin 21/10/2006; Opens 09/11/2006; Closes 22/04/2007 (Limited Run) Mary Poppins – Broadway Version of Original 2004 London Production – Previews begin 14/10/2006; Opens 16/11/2006 Legally Blonde – New Musical – Previews begin 30/03/2007; Opens 26/04/2007 In the Pipeline Company – New Revival; with the actors doubling as the musicians High Fidelity – New Musical Jerry Springer: The Opera – Broadway version of Original English Production Princesses – New Musical A Tale of Two Cities – New Musical The Times They Are A’Changin’ – New Twyla Tharp Dance Musical; Music by Bob Dylan The Wiz – New Revival Zanna – Broadway version of Original 2003 Off-Broadway Production Longest Runs (as at 23 Apr 2006) 7605 Phantom of the Opera (still running) 7485 Cats 6680 Les Miserables 6137 A Chorus Line 5959 Oh! Calcutta 4932 Beauty and the Beast (still running) 4153 Rent (still running) 4092 Miss Saigon 3931 Chicago (still running) 3523 The Lion King (still running) (The Producers, currently 20th, due to enter Top Ten in February 2011) Most Performed (as at 23 Apr 2006) 7605 Phantom of the Opera (still running) 7485 Cats 7273 Oh! Calcutta (2 runs) 6680 Les Miserables 6137 A Chorus Line 5010 42nd Street (2 runs) 4932 Beauty and the Beast (still running) 4893 Grease (2 runs) 4867 Chicago (2nd run still running) 4484 Fiddler on the Roof (5 runs) (Rent, currently 11th, due to enter Top Ten in February 2007) Cast Recordings The Pajama Game released 09/05/06 (released as “Harry Connick, Jr. on Broadway, Act I” includes new recordings of songs from “Thou Shalt Not”) The Wedding Singer released 06/06/06 The Drowsy Chaperone released 13/06/2006 Tarzan released 27/06/2006