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mysticalhearth · 3 years

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Waiting for Godot - Broadway - November 24, 2013 (Opening Night) (Lanelle's master) FORMAT: MP4 (HD) CAST: Aidan Gemme (The Boy), Billy Crudup (Lucky), Ian McKellen (Estragon), Patrick Stewart (Vladimir), Shuler Hensley (Pozzo)

War Horse - West End - February 27, 2014 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT: MKV (HD) CAST: Sion Daniel Young (Albert Narracott), Josie Walker (Rose Narracott), Alistair Brammer (Billy Narracott), Alex Avery (Captain Nicholls), Steve North (Ted Narracott), Tom Hodgkins (Arthur Narracott) NOTES: Multi-cam pro-shot broadcast live to cinemas as part of National Theatre Live, Includes interval interview and documentary.

War Paint - Broadway - March 11, 2017 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT: MP4 (SD) CAST: Patti LuPone (Helena Rubinstein), Christine Ebersole (Elizabeth Arden), John Dossett (Tommy Lewis), Douglas Sills (Harry Fleming) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the Broadway transfer. Some changes for Broadway from the previous Goodman Theater production. Excellent performances from the entire cast with clear picture and great sound throughout; very good video. 2 DVDs. A War Paint - Broadway - April 29, 2017 (Matinee) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Patti LuPone (Helena Rubinstein), Christine Ebersole (Elizabeth Arden), John Dossett (Tommy Lewis), Douglas Sills (Harry Fleming) NOTES: The master gets caught during Face to Face. You can hear someone say “TURN IT OFF”. Blackout during that part. Wasted - Southwark Playhouse - 2018 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT: MP4 (HD) CAST: Matthew Jacobs Morgan (Branwell Brontë), Molly Lynch (Anne Brontë), Natasha Barnes (Charlotte Brontë), Siobhan Athwal (Emily Brontë) We Are The Tigers - Off-Broadway - March, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT: MP4 (HD) CAST: Lauren Zakrin (Riley Williams), Wonu Ogunfowora (Cairo), Jenny Rose Baker (Kate Dalton), MiMi Scardulla (Reese), Kaitlyn Frank (Annleigh), Cathy Ang (Mattie Wheeler), Celeste Rose (Chess), Zoe Jensen (Farrah), Sydney Parra (Eva Sanchez), Louis Griffin (Clark) NOTES: Starts at the beginning of "I Just Wanna" and missing part of "Mattie's Lament." The theater was really full tonight so there are a good number of heads in this video, but they are worked around to the best of my ability. This is a super small theater (less than 160 seats) and at times the cast members were definitely singing to the camera and honestly giving their best performances because of it. All of the things on the upper level (the bathroom, the pathway, and the kitchen) are captured perfectly, and the zooms on the lower level (the living room and bench) look good as well. Obviously because this is a murder mystery kind of show the lighting can get a little bit dark, but my camera handles low lighting incredibly well. This is honestly the best video you could expect from this venue We Will Rock You - Germany (Cologne) - August, 2005 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alex Melcher (Galileo), Vera Bolten (Scaramouche), Brigitte Oelke (Killer Queen), Martin Berger (Khashoggi), Michaela Kovarikova (Meat/Oz), DMJ (Brit/J.B.), James Sbano (Pop/Buddy/Bap), Harald Tauber (Teacher), Willemijn Verkaik NOTES: Multicam proshot We Will Rock You - Utrecht (The Netherlands) - October, 2010 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: John Vooijs (Galileo), Marjolein Teepen (Scaramouche), Pia Douwes (Killer Queen), Paul Donkers (Khashoggi), Floortje Smit (Meat/Oz), Ruud van Overdijk (Brit/J.B.), Rutger le Poole (Pop/Buddy/Bap) NOTES: Good capture. Heads in the way, but also a lot of good close-ups. Dubble DVD! We Will Rock You - West End - February 11, 2003 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Tony Vincent (Galileo), Hannah Jane Fox (Scaramouche), Sharon D Clarke (Killer Queen), Alexander Hanson (Khashoggi), Kerry Ellis (Meat/Oz), Nigel Clauzner (Brit/J.B.), Nigel Planer (Pop/Buddy/Bap) The Wedding Singer - Broadway - April 1, 2006 (Preview) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Stephen Lynch (Robbie Hart), Laura Benanti (Julia), Matthew Saldivar (Sammy), Kevin Cahoon (George), Rita Gardner (Rosie), Amy Spanger (Holly), Richard H Blake (Glen), Felicia Finley (Linda) NOTES: Includes pictures of outside of the theatre and playbill. This was before the changes were made to the production. Blackouts throughout the show. The Wedding Singer - Off-West End - March 1, 2020 (Matinee) (Closing Night) (Highlights) (queenofthedead's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kevin Clifton (Robbie Hart), Rhiannon Chesterman (Julia), Ashley Emmerson (Sammy), Andrew Carthy (George), Sandra Dickinson (Rosie), Tara Verloop (Holly), Jonny Fines (Glen), Erin Bell (Linda), Lori Haley Fox (Angie), Andy Brady (David Fonda), Nathan Ryles (Harold Fonda), Jordan Crouch (Donnie), Aimee Moore (Tiffany), Simon Anthony (Shane McDonough), Paris Green (Donatella), Vanessa Grace Lee (Donatella’s Mother), Morgan Jackson (Mookie), Ellie Seaton (Crystal) NOTES: 38 minutes of act 1 of the closing performance, unobstructed. Welcome To The Club - Broadway - April 8, 1989 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Avery Schreiber (Milton), Bill Buell (Gus), Jodi Benson (Betty), Marcia Mitzman (Carol), Marilyn Sokol (Arlene), Sally Mayes (Winona), Samuel E Wright (Bruce), Scott Waara (Kevin), Scott Wentworth (Aaron), Terri White (Eve) NOTES: Filmed during previews. Well filmed from the balcony. Mostly a full stage shot. Some generational loss. Wenn Rosenblätter Fallen - Oberhausen - June 13, 2016 (Rumpel's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Pia Douwes (Rose), Anton Zetterholm (Till), Annemieke van Dam (Iris)

West Side Story - Hollywood Bowl - July 19, 2016 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jeremy Jordan (Tony), Solea Pfeiffer (Maria), Karen Olivo (Anita), Matthew James Thomas (Riff), George Akram (Bernardo), Drew Foster (Action), Jose Moreno Brooks (Chino), Anthony C Chatmon II (A-Rab), Kyle Selig (Baby John), Mike Schwitter (Big Deal), Jeff Smith (Diesel), Kevin Chamberlin (Krupke), Jennifer Sanchez (Rosalia), Erica Dorfler (Consuela) NOTES: This concert version of the show is abridged with shortened scenes, simple costumes, and no sets or choreography, but Jeremy, Solea, and Karen are absolutely phenomenal with soaring vocals and emotional performances. Very well captured with no dropouts, no obstruction, and no washout. The stage is filmed directly most of the time; the screens are occasionally filmed, usually when the actors are not onstage. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. Includes curtain call and playbill scans. West Side Story - Leicester Curve - December, 2019 (queenofthedead's master) FORMAT: MP4 (HD) CAST: Jamie Muscato (Tony), Adriana Ivelisse (Maria), Carly Mercedes Dyer (Anita), Ronan Burns (Riff), Jonathan Hermosa-Lopez (Bernardo), Isaac Gryn (Action), Damian Buhagiar (Chino), Ryan Anderson (A-Rab), Alex Christian (Baby John), Dale White (Big Deal), Michael O’Reilly (Diesel), Beth Hinton-Lever (Anybodys), Darren Bennett (Lt. Schrank), Christopher Wright (Krupke), Christopher Wright (Doc), Darren Bennett (Glad Hand), Mireia Mambo (Rosalia), Abigail Climer (Consuela), Thea Bunting (Graziella), Katie Lee (Velma), Richard Appiah-Sarpong (Pepe), Dominic Sibanda (Indio) NOTES: Missing 7 minutes at the beginning. No dropouts and no obstruction. West Side Story - Second Broadway Revival - February 23, 2009 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT: VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Matt Cavenaugh (Tony), Josefina Scaglione (Maria), Karen Olivo (Anita), Cody Green (Riff), George Akram (Bernardo), Curtis Holbrook (Action), Joey Haro (Chino), Kyle Coffman (A-Rab), Ryan Steele (Baby John), Tro Shaw (Anybodys), Steve Bassett (Lt. Schrank), Lee Sellars (Krupke), Greg Vinkler (Doc) NOTES: Stunning production of this revival. Josefina and Karen still steal the show. The cast was on fire and there was a lot of energy in the audience as it was the first performance on Broadway. There are some changes from the DC run, which work better. Beautiful production and capture with no obstructions. West Side Story - Second Broadway Revival - November 16, 2009 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Matt Cavenaugh (Tony), Josefina Scaglione (Maria), Karen Olivo (Anita), Wes Hart (u/s Riff), George Akram (Bernardo), Eric Hatch (u/s Action), Joey Haro (Chino), Kyle Coffman (A-Rab), Brendon Stimson (u/s Baby John), Joshua Buscher (Diesel), Mike Cannon (Snowboy), Kaitlin Mesh (Anybodys), Steve Bassett (Lt. Schrank), Lee Sellars (Krupke), Mark Zimmerman (s/b Doc), Lindsay Estelle Dunn (Velma), Michael Williams (u/s Pepe), Kaitlin Mesh (Zaza) West Side Story - Third Broadway Revival - January 6, 2020 (Preview) FORMAT: MKV (HD) CAST: Jordan Dobson (u/s Tony), Mia Pinero (u/s Maria), Yesenia Ayala (Anita), Corey John Snide (u/s Riff), Amar Ramasar (Bernardo), Dharon E Jones (Action), Jacob Guzman (Chino), Kevin Csolak (A-Rab), Matthew Johnson (Baby John), Tyler Eisenreich (Big Deal), Ahmad Simmons (Diesel), Daniel Ching (Snowboy), Zuri Noelle Ford (Anybodys), Thomas Jay Ryan (Lt. Schrank), Danny Wolohan (Krupke), Daniel Oreskes (Doc), Pippa Pearthree (Glad Hand), Lorna Courtney (Rosalia), Gabi Campo (Consuela), Marissa Brown (Francisca), Alexa de Barr (Graziella), Madison Vomastek (Velma), Gus Reed (Gee-tar), John Snide (Tiger), Carlos Gonzales (Pepe), Ricky Ubeda (Indio), Roman Cruz (Luis), Israel del Rosario (Anxious), Michaela Marfori (Nibbles), Marc Crousillat (Juano), Sheldon True (Toro), Stephanie Crousillat (Teresita), Marlon Geliz (Estella), Satori Folkes-Stone (Margarita), Uni-Seng Francois (Minnie), Jennifer Gruener (Pauline) NOTES: Wideshot. Stage right is slightly obstructed due to where the master was sitting. Good audio. SD M4V (567.0 MB) West Side Story - UK Tour - May 23, 2009 FORMAT: MP4 (HD) CAST: Daniel Koek (Tony), Hazel Gardner (u/s Maria), Jayde Westaby (Anita), Edd Post (u/s Riff), Dan Burton (Bernardo), Aki Omoshaybi (Chino), Ged Simmons (Lt. Schrank), Martin Chaimberain (Krupke) When We're Gone - Joe's Pub (2014) - March 12, 2014 FORMAT: MP4 (HD) CAST: Gerard Canonico (Todd), Jeremy Kushnier (John), Luke Wygodny (Ashton), Hannah Whitney (Rosie), Eric William Morris (Colin), Bradley Dean (William) NOTES: Concert performance.

The Wild Party (Lippa) - Encores! Off-Center - July 17, 2015 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Sutton Foster (Queenie), Steven Pasquale (Burrs), Brandon Victor Dixon (Black), Joaquina Kalukango (Kate), Miriam Shor (Madeline True), Talene Monahon (Mae), Ryan Andes (Eddie) NOTES: Excellent HD capture from the Encores Summer Series! The cast was terrific and full of energy giving everything they had. Great to see these songs performed again by this caliber of talent! A The Wild Party (Lippa) - Off-Broadway - 2000 (Highlights) (Press Reel's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Julia Murney (Queenie), Brian d'Arcy James (Burrs), Taye Diggs (Black), Idina Menzel (Kate), Alix Korey (Madeline True), Charles Dillon (Oscar d'Armano), Kevin Cahoon (Phil d'Armano), James Delisco Beeks (Max), Todd Anderson (Reno), Jennifer Cody (Mae), Kena Tangi Dorsey (Dolores), Felicia Finley (Rose Himmelsteen), Peter Kapetan (Sam Himmelsteen), Lawrence Keigwin (Jackie), Charlie Marcus (The Neighbor), Kristin McDonald (Nadine), Raymond Jaramillo McLeod (Eddie), Steven Pasquale (Cop), Megan Sikora (Peggy), Ron Todorowski (Kegs), Amanda Watkins (Ellie) The Winter's Tale - West End - November 26, 2015 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT: MP4 (SD) CAST: Kenneth Branagh (Leontes), Dame Judi Dench (Paulina), Miranda Raison (Hermione), Jessie Buckley (Perdita), Hadley Fraser (Polixenes), Tom Bateman (Florizel), John Dagleish (Autolycus) The Winter's Tale - West End - November 26, 2015 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT: MP4 (HD) CAST: Kenneth Branagh (Leontes), Dame Judi Dench (Paulina), Miranda Raison (Hermione), Jessie Buckley (Perdita), Hadley Fraser (Polixenes), Tom Bateman (Florizel), John Dagleish (Autolycus) The Witches of Eastwick - UK Tour - April 4, 2009 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: James Graeme (Clyde), Marti Pellow (Darryl), Poppy Tierney (Jane), Rachel Izen (Felicia), Rebecca Thornhill (Sukie), Ria Jones (Alex) NOTES: Beautifully filmed from the balcony, with a great mix of close-ups and full stage shots. Crystal clear. Widescreen. The Wiz - NBC Live! - December 3, 2015 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT: MP4 (4K) CAST: Shanice Williams (Dorothy), David Alan Grier (Lion), Ne-Yo (Tinman), Elijah Kelley (Scarecrow), Uzo Aduba (Glinda), Queen Latifah (The Wiz), Mary J Blige (Evillene), Stephanie Mills (Aunt Em), Amber Riley (Addaperle) NOTES: A live production of the 1975 musical The Wiz produced for television; excellent video. A+ The Wizard of Oz (Webber) - First National Tour - September 28, 2013 FORMAT: VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Danielle Wade (Dorothy Gale), Jamie McKnight (Scarecrow/Hunk), Mike Jackson (Tin Man/Hickory), Lee MacDougall (Cowardly Lion/Zeke), Jacquelyn Piro Donovan (The Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Gulch), Cedric Smith (The Wizard of Oz/Professor Marvel), Robin Evan Willis (Glinda the Good Witch), Charlotte Moore (Aunt Em/Munchkin Barrister), Larry Mannell (Uncle Henry/Philippe/Head Guard) NOTES: Nice capture of Andrew Lloyd Webber's re-imagined classic; no obstruction and very little washout; a few quick dropouts in act one and a couple in act two, only last about three minutes all together; filmed in 16:9 with a mix of wides, mediums,and close-ups. The Woman in Black - West End - July 8, 2001 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Christopher Ravenscroft (Arthur Kipps), Sebastian Harcombe (The Actor) The Woman in White - Broadway - November 30, 2005 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Adam Brazier (Walter Hartwright), Angela Christian (Anne Catherick), Jill Paice (Laura Fairlie), Lisa Brescia (Marian Halcombe), Michael Ball (Count Fosco), Ron Bohmer (Sir Percival Glyde)

The Woman in White - West End - February 25, 2005 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Maria Friedman, Michael Ball, Adrian der Gregorian (u/s), Oliver Darley, Jill Paice, Elinor Collett (u/s) NOTES: Nice video with good closeups and zooms and great sound. Woman of the Year - Broadway - March 27, 1982 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Lauren Bacall (Tess Harding), Harry Guardino (Sam Craig), Eivind Harum (Alexi Petrikov), Roderick Cook (Gerald), Grace Keagy (Helga), Jamie Ross (Larry Donovan), Marilyn Cooper (Jan Donovan), Rex Everhart (Maury) NOTES: Good color video with clear sound with some generation loss, but a nice video. B+ Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - Broadway - December 29, 2010 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Sherie Rene Scott (Pepa), Laura Benanti (Candela), Patti LuPone (Lucia), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Ivan), Justin Guarini (Carlos), de’Adre Aziza (Paulina), Danny Burstein (Taxi Driver), Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Marisa), Mary Beth Peil (Pepa's Concierge/TV and Radio Announcer), Samantha Shafer (u/s Woman at Train/Ana) NOTES: Also includes press reels, cast/creative interviews and video of David Yazbek singing songs from the show.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - Broadway - January 2, 2011 (Matinee) FORMAT: MP3 (tracked) CAST: Sherie Rene Scott (Pepa), Laura Benanti (Candela), Patti LuPone (Lucia), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Ivan), Justin Guarini (Carlos), de’Adre Aziza (Paulina), Danny Burstein (Taxi Driver), Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Marisa), Mary Beth Peil (Pepa's Concierge/TV and Radio Announcer), Samantha Shafer (u/s Woman at Train/Ana) NOTES: Also includes press reels, cast/creative interviews and video of David Yazbek singing songs from the show. Wonderful Town - Television Production - November 30, 1958 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Rosalind Russell (Ruth Sherwood), Sydney Chaplin (Robert Baker), Jacquelyn McKeever (Eileen Sherwood), Joseph Buloff (Mr. Appopolous), Dort Clark (Chick Clark), Jordan Bentley (Wreck), Cris Alexander (Frank Lippencott), Jack Fletcher (Night Club Patron), Michele Burke (Helen Wade), Ted Beniades (“Speedy” Valenti), Isabella Hoopes (Mrs. Wade), Ray Weaver (Shore Patrolman), Gene Carrons (Violet), John Wheeler (Officer Lonigan), Don Grusso (Fireman) Wonderland - Broadway - March 23, 2011 (Preview) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Alice), Kate Shindle (Mad Hatter), Carly Rose Sonenclar (Chloe/Ellie), Edward Staudenmayer (The White Rabbit), Karen Mason (Queen of Hearts), Darren Ritchie (Jack the White Knight), E Clayton Cornelious (Caterpillar), Jose Llana (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Danny Stiles (Morris the March Hare), Darren Ritchie (The Victorian Gentleman), Karen Mason (Edwina) NOTES: Very limited trade 3:1 at the master's request. Wonderland - Broadway - April 2, 2011 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT: MP4 (SD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Alice), Kate Shindle (Mad Hatter), Carly Rose Sonenclar (Chloe/Ellie), Edward Staudenmayer (The White Rabbit), Karen Mason (Queen of Hearts), Darren Ritchie (Jack the White Knight), E Clayton Cornelious (Caterpillar), Jose Llana (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Danny Stiles (Morris the March Hare), Darren Ritchie (The Victorian Gentleman), Karen Mason (Edwina) NOTES: Beautiful bright capture of this short lived show that only played 31 previews and 33 performances. I thought this show was very enjoyable and fun with great music. Great performances and voices from the cast! A+ Wonderland - Broadway - May 12, 2011 (juniper47's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Alice), Kate Shindle (Mad Hatter), Carly Rose Sonenclar (Chloe/Ellie), Edward Staudenmayer (The White Rabbit), Karen Mason (Queen of Hearts), Darren Ritchie (Jack the White Knight), E Clayton Cornelious (Caterpillar), Jose Llana (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Danny Stiles (Morris the March Hare) NOTES: Filmed in widescreen with very few obstructions except for a head blocking the farthest corners of downstage stage left and right, but very little is missed there. Very good video and excellent picture and sound. Wonderland - Broadway - May 12, 2011 (juniper47's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Alice), Kate Shindle (Mad Hatter), Carly Rose Sonenclar (Chloe/Ellie), Edward Staudenmayer (The White Rabbit), Karen Mason (Queen of Hearts), Darren Ritchie (Jack the White Knight), E Clayton Cornelious (Caterpillar), Jose Llana (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Danny Stiles (Morris the March Hare) NOTES: Filmed in widescreen with very few obstructions except for a head blocking the farthest corners of downstage stage left and right, but very little is missed there. Very good video and excellent picture and sound. Wonderland - UK Tour - June 10, 2017 (Matinee) (bestworstcase's master) FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Rachael Wooding (Alice), Francesca Lara Gordon (u/s Mad Hatter), Naomi Morris (Chloe/Ellie), Dave Willetts (The White Rabbit), Wendi Peters (Queen of Hearts), Stephen Webb (Jack the White Knight), Kayi Ushe (Caterpillar), Dominic Owen (El Gato/Chesire Cat), Ben Kerr (Morris the March Hare) NOTES: DVD menu states June 6 2017 matinee, but all other evidence, even the master's weebly claim it's June 10 2017. Good video! Wonderland (Beth Steel Play) - Hampstead Theatre - July 14, 2014 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT: MP4 (SD) CAST: Unknown NOTES: Livestreamed April 2020. The Worst Witch - West End - August 22, 2019 (Matinee) (wheredidtherockgo's master) FORMAT: MTS CAST: Danielle Bird (Mildred Hubble), Rosie Abraham (Ethel Hallow), Molly-Grace Cutler (Miss Bat/Piano/Guitar/Cello/Dulcimer), Meg Forgan (Fenella Feverfew/Bass Guitar), Rachel Heaton (Miss Hardbroom), Rebecca Killick (Maud Spellbody), Emma Lau (Drusilla Paddock), Megan Leigh Mason (Miss Drill/Guitar/Drums/Percussion/Clarinet/Bass Guitar), Polly Lister (Agatha/Miss Cackle), Consuela Rolle (Enid Nightshade), Lauryn Redding (Griselda Blackwood/Sax) NOTES: A very good show! It’s a show aimed more toward kids so there was a lot of kids in the audience. An amazing performance by Polly Lister as Agatha/Miss Cackle in particular. The Wrong Man - Off-Broadway - November, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT: MP3 (untracked) CAST: Joshua Henry (Duran), Ciara Renée (Mariana), Ryan Vasquez (Man in Black), Amber Pickens, Anoop Desai, Debbie Christine Tjong, Julius Williams, Libby Lloyd, Malik Shabazz Kitchen, Tilly Evans-Krueger NOTES: Near perfect HD capture of this new Off-Broadway show with fabulous performances by the whole cast. There is some wandering throughout but overall a very centered orchestra video with extremely vivid colors. Please do not post screenshots of this video on Twitter ever. Gifs on Tumblr are okay after the NFT date, but don't go linking things to actors and shows. Das Wunder von Bern - Hamburg - July 6, 2015 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Ruben (Matthias Lubanski), Vera Bolten (Christa Lubanski), Patrick Imhof (alt. Richard Lubanski), Marie Lumpp (Ingrid Lubanski), Patrick A. Stamme (alt. Bruno Lubanski), Elisabeth Hübert (Anette Ackermann), Florian Soyka (alt. Paul Ackermann), Robin Brosch (Sepp Herberger(Bohse), Jogi Kaiser (Tiburski/Putzfrau/Adi Dassler), Tetje Mierendorf (Pfarrer Keuchel), Alexandra Farkic/Franziska Trunte/Esther Mink (Wunderfräulein), Dominik Hees (Helmut Rahn), Mark Weigel (Fritz Walter), Dennis Henschel (Berni Klodt), Robin Koger (Horst Eckel), Matteo Vigna (Max Morlock), Hendrik Schall (Toni Turek), Matt Cox (Werner Kohlmeyer), Daniel Therrien (Ottmar Walter), Giuliano Mercoli (Josef Posipal), Fabian Kaiser (u/s Karl mai/Fußballartist), Dominik Kaiser (Hans Schäfer/Fußballartist) NOTES: This video was recorded right after some changes on the show were made (doesn't include the new song which will be published on 11th July, 2015). Full show; beautiful picture quality and nice close-ups but rather shaky in the beginning/end of both acts Das Wunder von Bern - Hamburg - July 23, 2015 FORMAT: VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Tanja Schön (u/s Christa Lubanski), Patrick Imhof (alt Richard Lubanski), Marie Lumpp (Ingrid Lubanski), David Jakobs (Bruno Lubanski), Shari Lynn Stewen (alt Anette Ackermann), Patrick A Stamme (alt Paul Ackermann), Mark Weigel (Sepp Herberger/Bohse), Michael Ophelders (alt Tiburski/Putzfrau im Hotel/Adi Dassler), Tetje Mierendorf (Pfarrer Keuchel), Alexandra Farkic (Wunderfräulein), Amaya Keller (Wunderfräulein), Franziska Trunte (Wunderfräulein), Dominik Hees (Helmut Rahn), Florian Soyka (alt Fritz Walter), Hendrik Schall (alt Berni Klodt), Robin Koger (Horst Eckel), Matteo Vigna (Max Morlock), Fabian Kaiser (Toni Turek), James Cook (Werner Kohlmeyer), Daniel Therrien (Ottmar Walter), Pasha Antonov (Josef Posipal), Adrian Fogel (Kar Mai/Fußballartist), Dominik Kaiser (Hans Schäfer/Fußballartist) NOTES: "Julius" as Matthias Lubanski. Full show. Great picture quality and beautiful close-ups, though some little obstruction due a railing. The last few minutes of both acts are shot blind without zooms but still capturing the action on stage

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shiningnorthernlights · 3 years

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December 4, 8-10pm (https://arsnovanyc.com/telethon)

The Comet Comes Home with hosts Rachel Chavkin & Dave Malloy

The cast and creative team of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 reunite to tell their story from Ars Nova to Broadway through performances, conversations and tributes. Featuring Brittain Ashford, Courtney Bassett, Gelsey Bell, Nick Belton, Denée Benton, Brian Bogin, Josh Canfield, Kennedy Caughell, Manik Choksi, Claudia Chopek, Blake DeLong, Erica Dorfler, Ashley Pérez Flanagan, Paloma Garcia-Lee, Nick Gaswirth, Alex Gibson, Amber Gray, Billy Kiessling, Bradley King, Blaine Krauss, Mimi Lien, Andrew Mayer, Grace McLean, Karyn Meek, Mary Page Nance, Shoba Narayan, Kenny Nuñez, Pearl Rhein, Phil Romano, Celia Mei Rubin, Phillipa Soo, Scott Stangland, Cathryn Wake, Charity Wicks, Katrina Yaukey, Paloma Young, and Lauren Zakrin with appearances by Billy Eichner, Jennifer Kidwell, Scott R. Sheppard, and Robin Lord Taylor.

would anyone be willing to grab this for me? it's likely I won't be able to catch it because of timezones and I want to watch it so bad, I miss them that much. great comet is one of my ultimate favourite musicals and I'd be so thankful.

#trying my luck in the #hadestown #tag as well #natasha pierre and the great comet of 1812 #natasha pierre & the great comet of 1812 #the great comet of 1812 #great comet #phillipa soo

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chaaliapinz · 5 years

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Six but with Great Comet people

Aragon - Erica Dorfler

Boleyn - Shoba Narayan

Seymour - Ashley Perez Flanagan

Cleves - Lulu Fall

Howard - Cathryn Wake

Parr - Denee Benton

#lyd dreamcasts #six the musical #great comet cast

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cockvengers · 7 years

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Final Great Comet Notes (2/2)

So as I mentioned in Part 1, I was fortunate enough see Comet on September 2nd (matinee) and September 3rd (closing) with a friend. In Part 1 I covered mostly the 9/2 matinee but there may be a few leftover notes interspersed.

September 3rd:

So first we actually went to the stage door to drop off some candy before the show. We went the day before with baked goods from a local bakery and gave them to Alex Gibson who was super nice.

I usually don’t do pre-show stage door because I don’t necessarily want to interact with people on my way to work but since they prefer you don’t bring food food into the theatre it is what it is.

Lauren was signing things for fans when we got there and since I hadn’t had the chance to give her the drawing I got to do that and she signed my book which was really generous.

One fan had a rose for each cast member that came by and idk if they’ll see this but I thought it was a very classy move.

Moving on, we headed back around to go in only to be stopped by the massive line around the block that would eventually lead into The Imperial

We were in line behind some ladies in their mid-sixties who were complaining about the show closing. It was something I heard a lot of whispers between fans about. Obviously we’re all upset. I could write essays on my feelings about the whys and hows and the disappointment but no one wants to hear it. It led to such a negative atmosphere on what I had hoped would be a going away party of sorts (ala The Abduction)

Luckily we went separate ways once in the theatre and the atmosphere was much improved.

Unlike our stage seats last time we were in the front of the rear mezz (2C) along the aisle closest to the center. It was a few rows forward from where I had seen Comet the first time and I’m fond of that area for that reason.

We had another friend (and their friend) in Row C of the front mezz and said hi to them before the start of the show

When Rachel and Sam came in and sat on the stage there was much applause. We actually missed it them sitting down because we were prepping our drinks

We saw Scott and Celia in the doorway to the mezz before the start of the show and I gave Celia her drawing since I hadn’t been fast enough to yesterday and I know that during normal show days she often leaves early if she’s not on

Andrew gave out dumplings. My friend got one and was kind enough to share with me.

After the warnings it was time for Dave to come out. That was a standing ovation that lasted maybe a minute.

Natasha chases Andrei and there is applause for her entrance.

The Prologue starts and at this point I feel sorry for anyone who hadn’t seen the show. That includes a person behind us. Hopefully you got something out of the show because I’m pretty sure there was no way to figure out who’s who over the applause.

Natasha is Young... *LOUD APPLAUSE*

Sonya is Good... *Applause* The audience hadn’t decided if we planned to applause for everyone at that point so Brittain didn’t get as much applause. We made up for it when she sand Sonya Alone.

After that we had figured it out and we continued to applause for every character

At that point we already could feel the energy in the room. Things were electric.

Brad walked by at some point and sung “everyone has nine different names” and I held up 9 fingers and he nodded.

Literally if there was a spot at the end of a song to applause we were there. By the end of Pierre I already felt like my hands would fall off.

During most of the songs in the first act I really tried to take in the costumes and movement because it would be my last chance.

During Private and Intimate Life Blaine starts to sing in his old man voice and the girl sitting in the banquettes across the aisle from Bolkonsky waved and he flirted and waved back.

He also was all over the woman he picked to be the “Cheap French Thing”. At least from our angle he looked like he was halfway on top of her.

During No One Else the guy sitting near Denée nodded at her during “We were angels once. Don’t you remember.”

Was there applause and a standing ovation at the end of No One Else? You know there was.

During The Opera Dolokhov just kind of lets Helene go to Natasha with a shrug like “Kuragins gotta hit on pretty girls” kind of a shrug. He’s used to it.

I always love the black cloaks and candles part of the opera. The whole thing makes no sense

The Duel is always exciting to me because the lights hide some naughtiness. I believe Katrina was dry humped by Cathryn. There were definitely piggyback rides happening on the stage.

Also, I had never realized that Brad wears the same outfit as Sumayya and Cathryn and a few others and tthose shorts... that’s some equality right there.

Also during the Duel Paul did the Denisov lisp that Dave mentions in the book (and I think on the genius) that they had tried but people found distracting. It was subtle until the end.

So, Dust and Ashes got the LONGEST standing ovation during the show. Two minutes by my estimate.

Did Charming get applause? Was the entire audience in love with Amber Gray? You know we did and we are.

I love the Ball. I get distracted watching the ensemble dance.

I loved watching Helene’s glee at when her plan to throw her brother and Natasha together came to fruition.

The Natasha and Anatole kiss was wow. Normally Natasha leans into it but today Denée really took over the kiss.

Act II. Begin Letters. Who do we spot coming to the rear mezz but Kennedy and Celia. We later learned at stage door that stage management approved them to come out and do the second half of the show as additional tracks so they covered the rear mezz during letters. It was outstanding.

The woman who gave Natasha The Letter was there for it. I have never seen someone get on the stage so fast.

Just says “yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssss” was longer than normal

As I said Sonya Alone got major applause. What I forgot to mention was something I noticed during the day before. As Sonya marches off the stage while Dolokhov starts Preparations she is pissed as hell at him.

“Was ruining this family once not enough for you?” her look conveys.

Glad to hear Nick Choksi’s “NO” off mic again when Lucas explaining the argument for the hundredth time.

Balaga. Who got shakers? You know our row did. It was my first time getting a shaker and I was so excited when Brittain handed me the basket.

Our friend in front mezz row C said she had a good feeling about getting shakers and she was right as we all got shakers that night.

Did we singing along? Of course. The entire audience did.

Balaga and the Abduction were a non-stop party. Brittain held my shoulder and comforted a girl across from me who was crying as the ‘Goodbye my g*psy lovers’ portion began.

Anatole’s WOAHHHHHOOOOAHHHHHhhhhHHHHHhhhhHHHH was longer as expected for the final show. Lucas held all his really great notes for as long as possible.

Sometime around here you could hear Lucas trying to hold it together.

When Pierre did his WOAHHH. The audience did a standing ovation. The cast was sweaty as usual. Nick Gaswirth was on the floor in front of the mezz stage door panting. Everyone went all out.

Dave had to motion for us to stop twice before we actually did.

The song continued as usual. As you know the triangle strike was a miss. He hit it in the end.

Also a note from the day before actually being able to see Natasha pour the arsenic into the drink was helpful. The first time I didn’t see that and I thought when she poisoned herself with a “bit” of arsenic it was just a ton of arsenic in the whole glass.

The Petersburg Note was long as expected.

I really liked Blaine’s emphasis on “If you want to be MY FRIEND, Never speak of that AGAIN.”

Natasha and Pierre is wear things started to get awkward. I don’t really cry much over these very emotional things (luckily my friend doesn’t either) so while the audience was sobbing (some of you sobbed loudly) I kind of kept glancing at her for reassurance I wasn’t alone.

The last two songs of Comet are always so hopeful in message despite the melancholy tone and even during it’s closing their beauty fills me with such joy.

Denée was folded over and crying and it took her a little bit to recover. Then you could hear it in Dave’s voice that he was crying. Amber and Grace were both wiping their eyes from the tables.

There was so much love in that theatre at the end.

During bows Paul came out beardless and many I spoke to at stage door commented that they almost thought the beard might not have been real and that Paul was just so committed by doing stage door with it before logic won them over.

Bradley King runs down from the front mezz to make it to the stage.

Or Matias, Rachel Chavkkin, Sam Pinkleton, Badley King, Paloma Young, Mimi Lien, and Nicholas Pope all came on stage for Rachel’s short speech.

Erica Dorfler dame up as well and I saw Paloma Garcia Lee at the stage door at one point but I don’t think I saw her on stage.

Josh was there as well in the banquettes but he kept a low profile and I feel like that was probably the right move given how much hype his appearance would have caused during the show as a whole’s moment.

I was one of the first five or so people out the door from rear mezz and even the people from orchestra were just coming out. Normally that would have put me front row for stage door but today the first row was already full which was a little tragic.

While we were waiting for everyone to come out Sam Pinketon, Paloma Young, and a few others threw shakers at us. I caught one in the opposite color scheme from the one I had gotten from the basket. I was very excited.

Everyone was so kind at stage door. Most everyone who came out signed things. Or Matias, Nicholas Pope, and Paloma Garcia Lee did not but everyone else who is or was involved in the broadway run did.

People had been asking if Josh Groban would sign and they initially said no. Josh’s car was already waiting and everything but he went down the whole line and signed and took photos, etc. which was very nice of him.

I enjoyed talking to everyone and I was able to give out most of the drawings. I only had Brandt, Denée, and Amber left at the end of the night.

Since our friend in the front mezz talks with Nick Choksi every time she sees the show he stopped to talk for a minute or two longer than normal given the line size and I got to ask a very important question about his serving plate spinning while shot pouring skills. He said he came up with it at Ars Nova and asked for something that spins so he could use it to pour the shots. It seems like an important life skill we should all learn

That’s all I got right now (aside from a brilliant side story of what happened in the theatre while we were at stage door but that’s not mine to tell) but I’m sure I’ll think of more and maybe I’ll make a post for that later.

#audience reviews #Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 #The Great Comet of 1812

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buhbuhbilly · 7 years

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Last night at the Chita Rivera Awards! Great Comet wins 1st ever Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show Award. mood..

photographed here:

Billy Joe Kiessling Ashley Perez Flanagan Brandt Martinez Alex Gibson Blaine Krauss Erica Dorfler Kennedy Caughell Cathryn Wake Celia Mei Rubin Andrew Mayer Nick Gaswirth Pearl Rhein

#billy joe kiessling #Great Comet

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fourteenacross · 7 years

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H’OKAY. SO. Last night we saw Dave Malloy as Pierre!! :D

We’d been planning this trip since they announced he was doing a series of shows--we knew we had to see him but we needed to make it work with timing and vacation days and stuff like that, so we ended up tagging this trip onto the front of my trip to Charlotte later this week, which inadvertently made it the first show after the Tonys, which we won’t talk about because I think I’ve made my saltiness on that front PRETTY CLEAR so far. With things working out the way they did, we decided that we should get a gift for Malloy to acknowledge how much this show has meant to us and that he won all the Tonys in our hearts. Initially I thought a plant was a good idea because flowers die and are also awkward to carry around. From there, my brain thought: well, we should put it in a box so he can just throw it in his bag. We should decorate the box. We should decorate the box to look like the theatre.

(At queer speed dating the other night, someone asked me which Parks and Rec character I most identify with. I said, “I feel like Ben Wyatt, but if you ask any of my friends, they’d say I’m Leslie Knope.”)

So, we decided all this on Monday night? So Tuesday was spent running around getting fabric and glue guns and putting all of this together. All of the little frames have pictures of members of the creative team. It’s PRETTY DARN CUTE, I’ve gotta say.

The entire day was a wild ride--we got the thing done just in time, then realized that my dad had taken my car keys with him so we were gonna miss the bus. Then he managed to get them to us in time for us to make the bus. Then the bus was stuck in traffic TWICE AS LONG AS USUAL. The florist was out of succulents and I had to run all over to find one. Literally run. I ran. With my legs and my lungs and stuff. It was the worst. But I managed to get to the theatre at 6:55 and use the rest room and get into my seat and chug a smoothie.

AND THEN THE SHOW STARTED!

First off, as you can see from the top picture that I wasn’t supposed to take, we were sitting in the rear mezz. We’ve only ever sat on stage before, so it was fascinating to watch the show from this angle. It made the lighting and set and choreography really come alive. I love sitting on stage--I love being at the center of the action and watching the show unfold around you--but I felt like I got a clearer picture of how the whole thing works as a cohesive unit from sitting in the mezz.

Still, the Imperial isn’t that big! Even sitting like, four rows from the back, I felt like we were right in the middle of things. And, bless that ensemble, the hardest working folks on Broadway, they were up and down the aisles even as far back as we were, dancing and singing and handing out shakers and playing instruments and who knows what else. At one point, Erica Dorfler was right in my face and she’s so pretty that I literally forgot how to shake my shaker, jesus christ. We had a great view of “Coachella Sonya” in the “Balaga”/”The Abduction” dance break, which I was into XD Also, Nick Gaswirth’s excellent dancing was only a few rows away from us.

There were a lot of tiny things I noticed from up high, too--Or and Nick Belton buddying around during “The Duel” and “Balaga”/”The Abduction,” the way Pierre reacts to things happening in the show as he sits in his little hole during the numbers he isn’t in, Anatole admiring himself in L I T E R A L L Y every mirror he walks by, though that might just be a Blaine Krauss thing XD “The Duel” in general was a really fun experience from up high--it was neat to see EVERYTHING instead of just being overwhelmed and in the middle of things. I was removed enough from the action that my brain had time to remember the first time we saw the show at ART when “The Duel” started and I was just like, “.....what the hell IS this show?”

I know I already talked about how good the lighting is, but the lighting is just so fucking good, you guys. The tiniest, most subtle little changes, the way that all the lights slowly go out during “Sonya Alone” until it’s just the spot on her, the lights coming down from the ceiling one by one in “No One Else” like snow falling, the use of the bright lights behind the doors, THE COMET, all of these wonderful, tiny little touches. It was beautiful.

In addition to Malloy, we had two other understudies! Blaine Krauss as Anatole was A M A Z I N G. Some understudies have a problem with trying to emulate the performance of the person they’re subbing for, but that was NOT THE CASE here. Blaine totally made the role his own--his Anatole was delightful and outrageous and over the top and full of himself and vain and hilarious. He definitely had a funnier spin on it than Lucas does, and almost more immature? Like, Lucas’ Anatole isn’t exactly a paragon of maturity, but he wants to THINK he’s mature. Blaine’s Anatole is just a brat and knows it and owns it. His comic timing was AMAZING and he hit the high C sharp and he was overdramatic and fun.

We saw Azudi Onyejekwe as Dolokhov, too! I’ve been wanting to see him as Anatole, but his Dolokhov was great. Much like Blaine, he didn’t try to emulate Nick, just went his own way with it. His Dolokhov was cocky, but not as mean as Nick’s (not a complaint--both are great interpretations) and more laid back and fun-loving. Dolokhov is a character without too much to do (as mentioned directly in the Prologue XD) and it would be easy for him to fade into the background, but much like Choksi, Azudi really kept him front and center in the scenes he was in.

The rest of the cast was phenomenal as usual--Grace had her everything dialed up to eleven, Amber got some of the loudest cheers of the night, Denee is a literal angel upon this earth and “No One Else” was more heartbreakingly beautiful than I’ve ever seen it, Gelsey was amazing, Paul Pinto is insane, Nick’s Andrey continues to be SO angry, and I would TAKE A BULLET for Brittain I love her so fucking much. The ensemble killed it, I do not understand how a person can run up the stairs while playing the clarinet, but there’s Cathryn Wake doing it like it’s no big thing.

And Malloy. MALLOY.

I feel so blessed to have seen him do this on Broadway. He was incredible. I mean, obviously he was going to be incredible, but his Pierre is SO different from Scott’s and Groban’s. He’s just tired and hunched and distant and awkward and it works so, so well. He pours so much of himself into this character and it’s so obvious, even from all the way in the mezzanine. His “Dust and Ashes” made me cry and feel a hundred feelings--the resounding applause and cheers he got afterwards was so heartening. It kept going on and on and on and that made me get all teary too. He was hilarious in “The Duel,” both in the actual dueling and the lead-up song. Watching him watch the other characters was like getting a whole additional show for the price of my ticket--his emotional journey makes even more sense if you factor in what he’s seeing from the people around him as the story plays out. He and Denee and Gelsey doing “I see nothing but the candle in the mirror” gave me chills and I loved the way he did “Nothing matters--or everything matters, it’s all the same.” It was a really cool take on the line. He was great during the toast part of “The Abduction,” with a funny little pause before he started that was either because he was genuinely out of breath or entirely for comedic effect. Either way, it worked XD

And, of course, the end of the show was beautiful. From his “whaaaat”s to Marya and his angry threatening of Anatole and desperate need to understand first Andrey and then Natasha...my heart. His spoken lines were so perfect and I started bawling in “The Great Comet of 1812″ and basically didn’t stop until the show was over.

God, the end of this show WRECKS ME in a totally different way than something like Hamilton wrecks me. My feelings in Hamilton are all about the story, about Eliza and AHam’s legacy and all of that. My feelings at the end of this show are all internal--it’s how this moment is making me feel and the connection I’m having with Pierre and with the ensemble and the music at this particular point in time. It’s so hard to explain, but it’s like...cleansing. That sounds ridiculous, BUT THERE YOU HAVE IT.

ANYWAY, after the show we went out to the stage door. It was about nine hundred degrees outside STILL and it took me about two minutes to turn into a gross sweat monster. We were surrounded by all these sweet teen girls who looked perfect and refreshed and it was mildly hilarious. We chatted with people as they came out, including Scott who was smiling vaguely as he walked by until we said, “We saw you at ART and you were great!” and he did a double take and ran back over to talk to us.

Malloy finally came out and got down to us around 10:30 and we talked to him and told him how much we adore this show and how great he was and gave him his dumb gift and I made him sign my Great Comet book and take a selfie. I do not remember most of this conversation, but I am pretty sure I didn’t entirely embarrass myself.

And then we left and got frappachinos because I was dying for a milkshake and technically can’t have them. And we went back to Port Authority and took the bus home and went to bed and THAT WAS THE END OF THE NIGHT. Whew.

#natasha pierre and the great comet of 1812 #stuff i've seen #show notes #theatre #dave malloy #my face

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unofficialgreatcometcast · 6 years

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Some highlights from Azudi Onyejekwe’s December 1 show at 54 Below featuring Ashley Perez Flanagan, Lulu Fall, Mary Spencer Knapp, Lulu Fall, Erica Dorfler, and Denee Benton

#OOBC: Azudi Onyejekwe #OBC: Ashley Perez Flanagan #OBC: Mary Spencer Knapp #OBC: Denee Benton #OOBC: Lulu Fall #great comet cast #gr8 comet cast #npgc1812 cast #npgc cast #OBC: Erica Dorfler #tgc cast #npatgco1812 cast

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thediaryofatheatrekid · 7 years

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Understudy Love: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Original Broadway Production)

Former Understudies:

Erica Dorfler- Hélène (u/s), Marya D. (u/s)

#natasha pierre and the great comet of 1812 #Understudy Love #Scott Stangland #Nick Gaswirth #Heath Saunders #Courtney Bassett #Ashley Pérez Flanagan #Ken Clark #Azudi Onyejekwe #Lulu Fall #Josh Canfield #Erica Dorfler #Lauren Ashley Zakrin

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newyorktheater · 4 years

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Who knew that “A Christmas Carol” could be so dangerous!

The assaults begin even before the first line of dialogue in the new, charming if overlong, and extraordinarily well-designed Broadway production of Charles Dickens’ 1843 classic, starring Campbell Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge and Andrea Martin and LaChanze as Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present. Cast members on the stage dressed as 19th century English blokes and birds throw clementines and cookies to (at?) the audience…vigorously.

“I’m suing,” said somebody sitting behind me, in a comical impression of Scrooge, after he was hit by one of the packages of chocolate chips. “Are you an attorney?”

Later, at a climactic moment in the story, an entire Christmas dinner comes shooting down from the mezzanine, piece by piece. Long links of sausages dropped directly onto audience laps, and we were urged to pass them onto the stage, where the spectacular feast was assembled.

These enlivening assaults by food were part of the production’s wondrous stagecraft, which also features a dark set warmly lit by lanterns and graced by bells, and two separate snow storms – which looked and felt like real snow (in control to the paper blizzard at Slava’s Snowshow.) There are also a dozen Christmas carols. The first song is worked into the narrative humorously:

Carol singers who show up at Scrooge’s door: oh tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy Scrooge: Oh Christ Carol singers: God rest ye merry gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Scrooge: You dismay me.

The last carol — Silent Night, performed entirely by handbells held by the cast – concludes the show and is one of the two most moving moments in it.

The other moment, surprisingly moving, involves Tiny Tim, portrayed refreshingly by one of two young boys who have disabilities (I saw it with Sebastian Ortiz.) He hugs Scrooge and says “God Bless Us Every One.”

Originally produced by the Old Vic in England, this Christmas Carol is a fairly faithful adaptation of the story of a miser’s redemption after a nightmarish visit by several ghosts. All the changes to the tale are slight and beneficial, especially the effort at an inclusive cast: All three ghosts, for example, are women. The whole enterprise reflects the trademark strengths of its creative team — written by Jack Thorne, the playwright of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and directed by Michael Warchus, whose extensive Broadway credits include “Ghost The Musical,” “Matilda The Musical” and “Groundhog Day.” The cast narrates as a group, divvying up the lines. One scene is conducted between a performer in a box seat and another in the mezzanine!

If I may be a (pre-redeemed) Scrooge for a moment: The enticing promise of the stars in the cast doesn’t really get fulfilled: Andrea Martin plays it straight, and LaChanze doesn’t get any solos. At two hours over two acts (plus a 15 minutes intermission), this A Christmas Carol feels too long. It’s also a bit rich to be offering a lesson against avarice and yet charge up to $179 a ticket. With so many theaters all over the city offering the same story (at far less cost), the Broadway production is not a must-see.

But there’s that real snow, and the warm lanterns, and those bells… and the uplifting message that Scrooge can finally hear: “Change is within all of us. It’s why life is such a thrill.”

A Christmas Carol Ethel Barrymore Theater Adapted by Jack Thorne from Charles Dickens. Directed by Matthew Warchus. Set and costume design by Rob Howell, lighting design by Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Simon Baker, composed, orchestrated and arranged by Christopher Nightingale, movement by Lizzi Gee. Cast: Campbell Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge, Andrea Martin as Ghost of Christmas Past, and LaChanze as Ghost of Christmas Present/Mrs. Fezziwig. Erica Dorfler as Mrs. Cratchit, Dashiell Eaves as Bob Cratchit, Hannah Elless as Jess, Brandon Gill as Fred, Evan Harrington as Fezziwig, Chris Hoch as Father/Marley, Sarah Hunt as Belle, Matthew Labanca as Nicholas, Alex Nee as Ferdy, Dan Piering as Young Ebenezer/George, and Rachel Prather as Little Fan. Sebastian Ortiz and Jai Ram Srinivasan share the role of Tiny Tim. Running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes (including one intermission) Tickets: $49 to $179 A Christmas Carol is on stage through January 5, 2020.

A Christmas Carol Broadway Review: Dicken’s Tale with Campbell Scott as Scrooge, Andrea Martin and LaChanze as Ghosts, food assaults, and real snow Who knew that “A Christmas Carol” could be so dangerous! The assaults begin even before the first line of dialogue in the new, charming if overlong, and extraordinarily well-designed Broadway production of Charles Dickens’ 1843 classic, starring Campbell Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge and Andrea Martin and LaChanze as Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present.

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newssplashy · 6 years

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NEW YORK — By the time the woman in the cafe starts to sing that the music has taken over her body — her bones, her stomach, her heart — you’re in no position to question the diagnosis. You’ve been feeling that same, gut-deep response almost since the first notes were sounded in “Carmen Jones,” which opened on Wednesday at Classic Stage Co.

This may also be the moment at which you accept for good that John Doyle’s transformative revival of this once-shunned, sui generis work from 1943 — a strange hybrid of opera (the score is that of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen”) and musical theater (the lyrics are by Oscar Hammerstein II) — isn’t going to be embarrassing.

It is, on the contrary, sublime.

There’s no point trying to resist such sheer, distilled beauty. Your chances would be about as good as those of our helpless hero in escaping the erotic pull of the show’s title character, thrillingly embodied here by Anika Noni Rose.

And it all could have gone so wrong.

That song about the viral effects of music, for example — its title is “Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum.” Its lyrics, when read on the page, should make any enlightened citizen of the 21st century wince. (Sample: “I know dere’s twen’y millyun tom-toms beatin’ way down deep.”) James Baldwin, writing about the 1954 film version of “Carmen Jones,” called the number “an abomination.”

This was a work, after all, that transliterated a 19th-centry French opera depicting the supposedly lusty, homicidal nature of Gypsies into a 20th-century spectacle depicting the supposedly lusty, homicidal nature of black people. And that language! Baldwin said it made African-Americans sound “ludicrously false and affected, like antebellum Negroes imitating their masters.”

Granted, the original Broadway show had been enthusiastically embraced when it opened during World War II. (The New York Times said it “has everything it needs to make great theater.”) But despite the occasional concert staging in recent years, “Carmen Jones” has seemed destined to languish in that hidden cabinet reserved for cultural curiosities from a racist era.

Doyle, however, has a way of taking a stethoscope to overdressed shows, listening for the compelling heartbeat beneath stereotyped surfaces and translating what he hears into elegantly spartan stagecraft. That was the approach to his Broadway interpretations of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd,” and, more surprisingly, the Tony-winning 2015 revival of “The Color Purple,” a musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s landmark novel, which had seemed bloatedly sentimental in its first New York outing in 2005.

But “Carmen Jones” may be his most unexpected act of reclamation. In this version at Classic Stage, where the British-born Doyle is the artistic director, the doomed title character and the people whose lives she damages often seem as timeless as the beautiful and damned of Greek tragedy.

In its own way, this production is as primal and breathlessly seductive as the great director Peter Brook’s “La Tragédie de Carmen” (seen at Lincoln Center in 1983), which set Bizet’s opera in a bull ring. No voyeuristic detachment is allowed in this “Carmen Jones,” which has been electrically choreographed by Bill T. Jones; the audience feels what the characters feel, on the rutted road to a harrowing catharsis.

Such intensity of feeling is partly a matter of scale. The in-the-round (or rectangle) seating puts the audience right in the midst of the munitions factory and, later, the Chicago club in which the show takes place. Scott Pask’s bare-boards set, lighted with nowhere-to-hide clarity by Adam Honoré, consists of some sheets of parachute silk and olive-drab packing crates, which are put to multifarious use.

The orchestra is made up of six musicians in a balcony. And the cast has been shrunk to a select 10, who occasionally amuse themselves by flirting with the front row. Mostly, though, they exist entirely in the moment — which is to say, in the music.

And there you have the principal reason this “Carmen Jones” is so smashingly effective. Though Bizet’s resplendent score (freshly orchestrated by Joseph Joubert and directed by Shelton Becton) may have been whittled to pocket-size opera, Doyle and his team go with the magnetic flow and personality-shaping detail of the original composition.

Music is character here; it is also destiny. Its sweep is such that the lines between speech and song are eradicated. Listening to the lingo that so appalled Baldwin, it might as well be French — an exotic, serviceable vehicle for the thrust and parry of melody.

And this cast isn’t singing like a bunch of Broadway belters. Opera purists may squawk, but for me every voice does justice not only to Bizet’s melodic richness but also to the inescapable fatalism of the story, as the music tugs everyone into combustible convergence.

As for Carmen herself, Rose, a Tony winner for “Caroline, or Change,” more than makes good on her character’s boast, that when she loves someone, “my baby, that’s the end of you.” Wearing snug, flame-color dresses (Ann Hould-Ward is the costume designer), her hips rolling like waves in a gentle surf, Rose nails the contemptuous arrogance of the sexiest girl in a small town.

But she gives Carmen the provincial girl’s naïve hunger for — and fear of — a bigger, more glamorous life. This discrepancy is reflected not just in her giveaway gaze and serpentine movement (thank Jones for the devastating Salome-style dance of enticement she performs) but, more important, in a soprano that unleashes itself into heady flights of rapture and sunken notes of anger and resignation.

As her chief prey, the virtuous Joe, a touchingly bewildered Clifton Duncan has a tenor that matches Rose’s mezzo in ways that remind you that, in opera, sex starts in the vocal cords. The theory is confirmed by David Aron Damane’s booming bass prizefighter, Husky Miller, who captures Carmen’s attention.

But the entire cast — which also notably includes a heartfelt Lindsay Roberts in the ingénue role of Cindy Lou — is first-rate, and each member creates a specifically defined individual whom you somehow feel you’ve met before. Yet when they cut loose for Jones’ centerpiece dance number, a stylized mix of shoulder-shaking swing and jive, everyone melts into an ecstatic harmony.

That’s during the aforementioned “Beat Out Dat Rhythm.” The soloist here is the marvelous Soara-Joye Ross as Frankie, and for the duration of the song, she is the life force incarnate, exultant and undeniable.

There may be tragedy just around the corner, but for the immediate now, human existence seems like a blessed gift. Frankie concludes the song proclaiming there “ain’t but one big heart for the whole world,” and for those few radiant minutes, you actually believe her.

—

Production Notes:

“Carmen Jones”

Through July 29 at Classic Stage Co., Manhattan; 866-811-4111, classicstage.org. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes.

Credits: By Oscar Hammerstein II; music by Georges Bizet; directed by John Doyle; choreography by Bill T. Jones; sets by Scott Pask; costumes by Ann Hould-Ward; lighting by Adam Honoré; sound by Dan Moses Schreier; hair and wigs by Mia Neal; music supervisor and orchestrator, Joseph Joubert; music director, Shelton Becton; production stage manager, Bernita Robinson. Presented by Classic Stage Company, John Doyle, artistic director.

Cast: David Aron Damane (Husky Miller), Erica Dorfler (Myrt), Clifton Duncan (Joe), Andrea Jones-Sojola (Sally), Justin Keyes (Rum), Lindsay Roberts (Cindy Lou), Anika Noni Rose (Carmen Jones), Soara-Joye Ross (Frankie), Lawrence E. Street (Dink) and Tramell Tillman (Sergeant Brown).

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

via NewsSplashy - Latest Nigerian News Online,World Newspaper

#IFTTT #NewsSplashy - Latest Nigerian News Online #World Newspaper

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thediaryofatheatrekid · 3 years

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Casting Goals: The Life

“It’s my body, and my body is nobodies business, but my own!”

Dan’yelle Williamson as Queenie

Danielle Brooks as Sonja

Ryan Vasquez as Fleetwood

Isaiah Johnson as Memphis

Madison Alexander as Mary

Connie Bahng as April (Mary u/s)

Rema Webb as Chichi (Sonja u/s)

Carleigh Bettiol as Carmen (Mary u/s)

Ryann Redmond as Frenchie

Erica Dorfler as Tracy/Jesus Trio (Queenie u/s)

Sebastian Arcelus as Jojo

Alan H. Green as Lacy (Memphis u/s)

Usman Ali Ishaq as Bobby (Fleetwood u/s)

Casey Garvin as Lou

Erik Martenson as Oddjob (Jojo u/s)

Cooper Howell as Silky/Jesus People Trio

Rodrick Covington as Slick/Jesus People Trio

Michael Gillis as Snickers (Jojo u/s)

Anthony Ieradi as Swing (Fleetwood u/s)

Carmen Ruby Floyd as Swing (Sonja u/s)

Cassandra James as Swing (Queenie u/s)

Ellyn Marie Marsh as Swing

Grasan Kingsberry as Swing (Memphis u/s)

Michael Graceffa as Swing

Honorable Mentions: Carrie Compere as Sonja Merle Dandridge as Queenie

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larryland · 5 years

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by Fred Baumgarten

At the risk of stating the extremely obvious: it’s 2019.

American goods are manufactured in Mexico, Vietnam, and China. Something called “Democratic Socialists” are making a political stir. The wealth gap continues to grow to obscene proportions.

I mention this not to start an argument, but because “Working,” the musical adaptation of Studs Terkel’s eponymous book, which is on stage at the Berkshire Theatre Group, sits uneasily with a current audience, or at least with this reviewer. Seeing BTG’s very energetic and appealing performance was enjoyable, and also felt at times like looking at a 3D movie without 3D glasses—you know, where the images don’t line up.

Terkel interviewed dozens of laborers of all kinds for his great tome to find out, as the subtitle put it, “What People Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do.” In the musical, which was adapted by Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked,” “Pippin”) and Nina Faso (“Godspell,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”), the subjects, from waiters to firefighters, press agents to receptionists, present Terkel’s words in monologues and songs.

The songs and lyrics are from Schwartz, Gordon Greenberg, and numerous other luminaries including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers (“Once Upon a Mattress” and daughter of Richard Rodgers) and Susan Birkenhead, and James Taylor.

Terkel’s book is from 1974; the musical premiered in 1977. Revisions and presumably additions were made in 2012, the version presented here. (Miranda was not yet born in 1977.) Other attempts to modernize may have been made in 2012 or by this production’s director, James Barry. For example, a hedge fund manager carries a smart phone and wrestles with e-mail; a South Asian-accented call center attendant is introduced alongside a receptionist, one of several pairings of characters. These updates help refresh the material and generate some needed laughs. But they cannot paper over the odd juxtapositions and anachronisms of the book.

The most awkward of these pairings, which exemplified the problems, placed a prostitute with a socialite/philanthropist. They both use their charms and looks to separate people from their money, I suppose, although one suspects Terkel sided with the hooker with a “heart of gold.”

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Like other characters, such as the fireman, factory worker, teacher, stewardess, and stonemason, they are one-dimensional cutouts, props for Terkel’s sanctification of the working class hero or vilification of the heedless capitalist. It’s a man’s world for sure, where what you build is “Something To Point To,” as the last number goes.

The thing is, we don’t have firemen in 2019; we have firefighters. We don’t lament the miserable lot of the “Just Housewife” (even if we try to substitute “stay-at-home mom”), we go to work and fight for equal rights and equal pay, or we (men, too) make a conscious and affirmative choice to raise children; we don’t work in factories (in the number “Millwork”)—Chinese workers and robots do; UPS drivers don’t publicly fantasize about women, or at least I don’t want to know about it (“Delivery”).

And I’m not sure stonemasons still see themselves as the salt of the earth, the most satisfied laborers in the world. But hey, I could be wrong.

The evening’s most disturbing moment came in a monologue by a recently fired journalist (Deven Kolluri) who imagines taking a gun to his office. If I’m director, I cut that scene out, period. It’s 2019, folks. Have I mentioned that?

There are, thankfully, numerous exceptions in which the characters are more nuanced and individual. In the rousing number “It’s An Art,” a waitress (Katie Birenboim) gleefully embraces her exhibitionist side. Joe, a retiree superbly played by Miles Wilkie, reminisces; his caretaker and a child care worker team up for a beautiful duo, “A Very Good Day.” In “Cleanin’ Women,” domestic workers with mops do a lively song and dance tinged with sadness, as one of them (the amazing Erica Dorfler) wishes to see her daughter escape the life she leads.

Other numbers, even if not quite as believable, are merely enjoyable, such as “Millwork,” which uses the motions of the workers manufacturing luggage to create an intricate dance. “Brother Trucker” is, predictably, a celebration of the open road, performed vivaciously with Tim Jones in the lead.

The top-notch cast brought its A game. Doffler, who has been on Broadway in “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” among others, scored a knockout. Farah Alvin, who portrayed a teacher and the housewife, had a memorably strong and rich voice. Birenboim glittered as the waitress. Kolluri gave depth to his portrayals. After a bit of a rough start, Barry kept the show moving briskly, and the musical accompaniment led by Casey Reed was on point.

At nearly two hours, the show needed an intermission. I would humbly suggest the company consider having one. With a show that is essentially plotless, the pacing of characters, musical numbers, and monologues starts to get a bit monotonous. Breaking it up would do it good.

Working: A Musical, from the book by Studs Terkel, adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, runs in the Unicorn Theatre at Berkshire Theatre Group in Stockbridge, Mass., through August 24. Running time: one hour and fifty minutes.

Additional contributions by Gordon Greenberg. Songs by Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkenhead, Stephan Schwartz, and James Taylor. Directed by James Barry. Musical direction by Casey Reed. Choreography by Ashley DeLane Burger. Orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.

Cast: Farah Alvin, Katie Birenboim, Erica Dorfler, Julie Foldesi, Tim Jones, Deven Kolluri, Denis Lambert, Jaygee Macapugay, Rob Morrison, and Miles Wilkie.

REVIEW: “Working: A Musical” at the Berkshire Theatre Group by Fred Baumgarten At the risk of stating the extremely obvious: it’s 2019. American goods are manufactured in Mexico, Vietnam, and China.

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