Broadway Watch - May 2006

Two Musicals opened this month Tarzan Music & Lyrics by Phil Collins; Book by David Henry Hwang Choreography by Meryl Tankard Original 2006 Broadway Production; Based on the 1999 Film Musical Featuring Josh Strickland (Tarzan), Jenn Gambatese (Jane), Shuler Hensley (Kerchak) and Merle Dandridge (Kala) 2006 Tony Awards – One Nomination Cast Recording released 27/06/2006 The Drowsy Chaperone Music & lyrics by Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison; Book by Bob Martin & Don McKellar Original 2006 Broadway Production Featuring Sutton Foster (Janet) and Bob Martin (Man in Chair) 2006 Tony Awards – Thirteen Nominations (including Best Musical) No Cast Recording One Musical closed this month Lestat Opened 25/04/2006; Closed 28/05/2006; 39 Performances 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) 2006 Tony Awards – Two Nominations Cast Recording releases Jul 2006 Twenty-One other Musicals currently running: 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 (Kalimba) & Ann Duquesnay (Mom) 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) 2006 Tony Awards – Five Nominations (including Best Musical) Cast Recording Released 06/06/06 The Threepenny Opera Closes 25/06/2006 (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) 2006 Tony Awards – Two Nominations (including Best Revival of a Musical) No Cast Recording The Pajama Game Closes 11/06/2006 (Limited Run!) – And then to possibly reopen at another theatre for an open-ended 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) & Megan Lawrence (Gladys) 2006 Tony Awards – Nine Nominations (Including Best Revival of a Musical) Cast Recording Available – “Harry on Broadway, Act I” 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) 2006 Tony Awards – Eleven Nominations (Including Best Musical) 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) 2006 Tony Awards – Eight Nominations (including Best Musical) Cast Recording Available Sweeney Todd Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by Hugh Wheeler 2005 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) 2006 Tony Awards – Six Nominations (including Best Revival of a Musical) 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 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), Lucie Arnaz (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), David Garrison (The Wizrd) & 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 (8th 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), Antonique Smith (Mimi), Justin Johnson (Angel), Ava Gaudet (Maureen) & Frenchie Davis 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) 1988 Tony Awards – Musical; Actor (Michael Crawford); Featured Actress (Judy Kaye); 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 21 May 06) Top Three Shows by Attendance Wicked – 57888 The Lion King – 54885 The Color Purple – 50151 Top Three Shows by Capacity The Pajama Game – 101.2% Wicked – 100% Mamma Mia! – 99.9% Bottom Three Shows by Attendance The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – 16861 Sweeney Todd – 19535 Avenue Q – 20846 Bottom Three Shows by Capacity Sweeney Todd – 55.3% Lestat – 58.3% The Light in the Piazza – 64% Now In Previews No new musicals due until September 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 High Fidelity – New Musical – Previews begin 20/11/2006; Opens 07/12/2006 Legally Blonde – New Musical – Previews begin 30/03/2007; Opens 26/04/2007 In the Pipeline 110 in the Shade – New Revival Company – New Revival; with the actors doubling as the musicians Grey Gardens – Broadway version of Original 2006 Off-Broadway Production 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 21 May 2006) 7637 Phantom of the Opera (still running) 7485 Cats 6680 Les Miserables 6137 A Chorus Line 5959 Oh! Calcutta 4964 Beauty and the Beast (still running) 4185 Rent (still running) 4092 Miss Saigon 3963 Chicago (still running) 3555 The Lion King (still running) (The Producers, currently 20th, due to enter Top Ten in February 2011) Most Performed (as at 21 May 2006) 7637 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) 4964 Beauty and the Beast (still running) 4899 Chicago (2nd run still running) 4893 Grease (2 runs) 4484 Fiddler on the Roof (5 runs) (Rent, currently 11th, due to enter Top Ten in February 2007) Cast Recordings Harry on Broadway, Act I (The Pajama Game Cast Recording, including songs from Thou Shalt Not) Sony The Wedding Singer released 06/06/06 The Drowsy Chaperone released 13/06/2006 Tarzan released 27/06/2006 Lestat released July 2006