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ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY MEDIA COMEDY MUSIC TV CELEBRITY KIDS MOVIEFONE
Michael Giltz
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Broadway Shows , Book Of Mormon Broadway , Broadway By The Year , Broadway By
The Year 1997 , Musicals , Spiderman Broadway , Theater , Entertainment News
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Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyTheater: Broadway By The Year --
1997 Not Vintage But Fun
The Broadway Musicals of 1997 ** 1/2 out of ****
Town Hall
The current season of Scott Siegel's catnip for theater
fans series -- Broadway By The Year -- ended with a
show focused on the big musicals of 1997. It wasn't a
vintage year for great songs. But it did provide a peak
moment for composer Frank Wildhorn, whose wildlydevoted fans packed Town Hall to see the stars ofJeckyll & Hyde reunite on stage in New York for the first
time in more than a decade.
The format is always the same. Current Broadway stars,
veterans and rising talent come together to sing tunes
from various shows. If available, people from the original cast are naturally welcome. Ross Patterson isthe musical director, Jeffrey Denman provides the choreography and performs and Siegel provides tidbits
of information that make the audience sigh or giggle in memory of a bygone era. Invariably, you spot
some new talent, remember a show fondly and find a new one whose cast album you want to check out.
The dominance of Wildhorn -- who had both J&H as well as The Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway in 1997
-- was both the night's biggest draw and major drawback. His tunes remain relentlessly obvious and dull,
despite the best efforts of the talent involved. Robert Cuccioli, Linda Eder and Christiane Noll clearlysavored returning to the biggest hit of their careers -- Noll also directed the evening -- and brought anintensity to their various duets and solos ("This Is the Moment," "It's A Dangerous Game," "In His Eyes")
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that was a thrill for the fans but quite unrewarded by the songs themselves.
Better luck was had with The Life , the musical about drug addicts, pimps and prostitutes. Tony winners
Chuck Cooper and Lillias White both dug into their show-stoppers with easy magnetism. "Don't Take Too
Much" and "The Oldest Profession" aren't truly great songs but these two pros made them feel like it.
As good as they were, they didn't make me want to see a new staging of The Life. But that's exactly how I
feel about Titanic and Steel Pier. I saw the under-appreciated Titanic in its original production and while
the numbers done this night didn't exactly sell the show, they reminded me how special and somber an
offering it was. Steel Pier was more of a crowd pleaser, thanks to Karen Ziemba reprising some of her
great work on that Kander & Ebb show.
The vocal arrangement on "Satin Doll" (from a Johnny Mercer tribute called Dream ) was fun, aided
nicely by the hoofing, including an appealing Drew Humphrey. Poor Christina Bianco was saddled with
one of Elton John's weakest pop hits, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" from the blockbuster The Lion
King. It really shouldn't be performed, but if you must, a very light touch is called for. Bianco delivered it
with intensity and drama, which made the tune all the more insufferable. She won the crowd back with a
jokey "duet" with her inner Kristin Chenoweth on "Two Little Words," also from Steel Pier. I found it too
shticky but the audience ate it up; if Forbidden Broadway were still around, she'd have a job.
The show ended with "The Circle Of Life," which if you've seen The Book Of Mormon can't help bring a
snicker as you remember their mocking tune "I Am Africa." (Maybe that's why Lillias White sat out thefinale yet took a curtain call.)
But the highpoint looked on paper like a gimmick. The musical Sideshow was about conjoined twins,
played famously by Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner. Here the number was performed by Tyler Maynard of
Altar Boyz and the very handsome David Burnham of the current Cy Coleman tribute The Best Is Yet To
Come (which also includes Lillias White). Clever, I suppose, was my thought upon seeing the pairing for
"Who Will Love Me As I Am?" But it wasn't a stunt. They turned the tune into a powerful duet thatworked wonderfully, the sort of moment any Broadway show would kill for -- a great song delivered withpassion by two fresh talents. Here are the two original Broadway stars performing the song on Rosie .
Maynard and Burnham were terrific, even though the dashing Burnham has never wondered in his entirelife if someone would just love him as he is -- the answer has always been, of course. It's the sort ofperformance that keeps you coming back to the series. Up next in July is a three-pack of shows by Siegel,including his annual look at some of the best new talent from theatrical institutions around the countrycalled Broadway's Rising Stars .
The Theater Season 2011-2012
Broadway By The Year: 1997 ** 1/2
One Arm ***
Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark * 1/2
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that
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And...reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion
makers as guests. It's available for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also
available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Note : Michael Giltz was provided with free tickets to this show with the understanding that he would
be writing a review.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
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ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY MEDIA COMEDY MUSIC TV CELEBRITY KIDS MOVIEFONE
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FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TECH MEDIA LIFE & STYLE CULTURE COMEDY HEALTHY LIVING WOMEN LOCAL MORE
Michael Giltz
Freelance writer
GET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ
Read more
Broadway Shows , Book Of Mormon Broadway , Broadway By The Year , Broadway By
The Year 1997 , Musicals , Spiderman Broadway , Theater , Entertainment News
0
6
1
0React
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyTheater: Broadway By The Year --
1997 Not Vintage But Fun
The Broadway Musicals of 1997 ** 1/2 out of ****
Town Hall
The current season of Scott Siegel's catnip for theater
fans series -- Broadway By The Year -- ended with a
show focused on the big musicals of 1997. It wasn't a
vintage year for great songs. But it did provide a peak
moment for composer Frank Wildhorn, whose wildlydevoted fans packed Town Hall to see the stars ofJeckyll & Hyde reunite on stage in New York for the first
time in more than a decade.
The format is always the same. Current Broadway stars,
veterans and rising talent come together to sing tunes
from various shows. If available, people from the original cast are naturally welcome. Ross Patterson isthe musical director, Jeffrey Denman provides the choreography and performs and Siegel provides tidbits
of information that make the audience sigh or giggle in memory of a bygone era. Invariably, you spot
some new talent, remember a show fondly and find a new one whose cast album you want to check out.
The dominance of Wildhorn -- who had both J&H as well as The Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway in 1997
-- was both the night's biggest draw and major drawback. His tunes remain relentlessly obvious and dull,
despite the best efforts of the talent involved. Robert Cuccioli, Linda Eder and Christiane Noll clearlysavored returning to the biggest hit of their careers -- Noll also directed the evening -- and brought anintensity to their various duets and solos ("This Is the Moment," "It's A Dangerous Game," "In His Eyes")
FOLLOW US
September 15, 2011
Signs Your
Husband Is GayKirstie Alley Walks
NYFW
The Alexander
Wang PartyKnightley Gets
Dangerous
EDITION: U.S.
Like 43
Posted: 06/21/11 03:32 PM ET
SHARE THIS STORY
Submit this story
Get Entertainment Alerts
Sign UpPHOTO GALLERIES
CONNECT
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TECH MEDIA LIFE & STYLE CULTURE COMEDY HEALTHY LIVING WOMEN LOCAL MORE
Like 40KTelevision Mad Men Jersey Shore Scarlett Johansson Smarter Ideas More Log in
that was a thrill for the fans but quite unrewarded by the songs themselves.
Better luck was had with The Life , the musical about drug addicts, pimps and prostitutes. Tony winners
Chuck Cooper and Lillias White both dug into their show-stoppers with easy magnetism. "Don't Take Too
Much" and "The Oldest Profession" aren't truly great songs but these two pros made them feel like it.
As good as they were, they didn't make me want to see a new staging of The Life. But that's exactly how I
feel about Titanic and Steel Pier. I saw the under-appreciated Titanic in its original production and while
the numbers done this night didn't exactly sell the show, they reminded me how special and somber an
offering it was. Steel Pier was more of a crowd pleaser, thanks to Karen Ziemba reprising some of her
great work on that Kander & Ebb show.
The vocal arrangement on "Satin Doll" (from a Johnny Mercer tribute called Dream ) was fun, aided
nicely by the hoofing, including an appealing Drew Humphrey. Poor Christina Bianco was saddled with
one of Elton John's weakest pop hits, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" from the blockbuster The Lion
King. It really shouldn't be performed, but if you must, a very light touch is called for. Bianco delivered it
with intensity and drama, which made the tune all the more insufferable. She won the crowd back with a
jokey "duet" with her inner Kristin Chenoweth on "Two Little Words," also from Steel Pier. I found it too
shticky but the audience ate it up; if Forbidden Broadway were still around, she'd have a job.
The show ended with "The Circle Of Life," which if you've seen The Book Of Mormon can't help bring a
snicker as you remember their mocking tune "I Am Africa." (Maybe that's why Lillias White sat out thefinale yet took a curtain call.)
But the highpoint looked on paper like a gimmick. The musical Sideshow was about conjoined twins,
played famously by Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner. Here the number was performed by Tyler Maynard of
Altar Boyz and the very handsome David Burnham of the current Cy Coleman tribute The Best Is Yet To
Come (which also includes Lillias White). Clever, I suppose, was my thought upon seeing the pairing for
"Who Will Love Me As I Am?" But it wasn't a stunt. They turned the tune into a powerful duet thatworked wonderfully, the sort of moment any Broadway show would kill for -- a great song delivered withpassion by two fresh talents. Here are the two original Broadway stars performing the song on Rosie .
Maynard and Burnham were terrific, even though the dashing Burnham has never wondered in his entirelife if someone would just love him as he is -- the answer has always been, of course. It's the sort ofperformance that keeps you coming back to the series. Up next in July is a three-pack of shows by Siegel,including his annual look at some of the best new talent from theatrical institutions around the countrycalled Broadway's Rising Stars .
The Theater Season 2011-2012
Broadway By The Year: 1997 ** 1/2
One Arm ***
Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark * 1/2
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2
'Web Cam 101 For Seniors'
Turns Oregon Oldsters Into
YouTube Celebrities
Scarlett Johansson Nude
Photos Prompt Investigation
SHOCK VIDEO: Debate
Audience Says Uninsured
Patient Should Be Left To Die
Celestrellas: Angola named
Miss Universe 2011 - show
recap (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)
AOL TV: Jon Cryer, Ashton
Kutcher & Angus T. Jones
Talk 'Two and a Half Men'
Season 9 (VIDEO)
Ten Signs Your Marriage is
Headed for Divorce
Mark Blankenship True Blood
Sucker Punch: Season 4, Ep.
12
Engadget: Windows 8 for
tablets hands-on preview
(video)
AOL Jobs: Spelling Errors
Send Red Flags To Employers
DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5
Kumi Naidoo
Don’t Make a Wave: Greenpeace at
40
Candy Spelling
iPads and Social Media in the
Classroom?
Like 114K
Like 84
Like 64K
Like 2K
Like 453
Like 2K
Like 111
Like 3K
Like 1K
Missoni For Target
Merchandise FloodseBay
Scarlett Johansson
Contacts FBI AboutHacked Nude Images
TOP LINKS ON THIS TOPIC
1 of 5
The Stage / News / Ghost the Musical to open on
Broadway next year
A drama about Judy Garland is coming to Broadway
next year.
FELA! The Most Original New Musical On Broadway:
Get Broadway Tickets
Madonna, In
Toronto, Denies
Telling Volunteers
Not...
Anna Faris Talks
Women Actresses,
Co-Stars And...
Michelle Williams'
Marilyn Monroe
Transformation For
'My...
Paul Rudd In
Playboy: Self-
Loathing, Nudity
And...reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion
makers as guests. It's available for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also
available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Note : Michael Giltz was provided with free tickets to this show with the understanding that he would
be writing a review.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
Buy a link here Sponsored Links
What is Scientology
Think For Yourself and Find Out for Yourself.
Scientology.org
#1 Snoring Solution
New solution that allows medical insurance to pay for remedy.
www.WhyYouNeedtoKnow.com
College - 100% Online
Be more employable! Earn a certificate up to a doctoral degree at Baker Online®.
www.bakercollegeonline.com
eBay® - Official Site
Visit eBay for great deals on a huge selection of items. Shop eBay!
www.ebay.com
More in Entertainment...
TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 12
Halle Berry's Flawless
Bikini Bod
Olsen Sister Flashes HerBra
Scarlett's naked pics, TylerPerry is highest paid
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2
HOT ON FACEBOOK 1 of 3
HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2
More Entertainment News at THR.com
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BurninUp4Jonas @nickjonas I THINK MY MOM WILL LET ME SEE YOU ON
BROADWAY NEXT YEAR ALALALALLALA YEAH! AND, BY THE WAY, IM SEEING
YOU IN 8 DAYS <3 U READY?
1 day ago from web
PJVastine Seven of 10 largest Manhattan office deals this year are recaps | The
Real Deal | New York Real Estate News http://t.co/t6PTu5i
1 day ago from Tweet Button
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Trending Topic
Mark Ballas and Pia
Toscano Split
READ MORE
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READ MORE
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Claimed
READ MORE
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'Terrified' Chaz Bono
Haters
Anna Faris On Her Boob
Job & Bulls*it Women
Actress Friends
PHOTOS: Johnny Depp
Gets Creepy
Like 2K
Baby Bump Of The Year!
Like 1K
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
Weird Animals
Astronomy
Food
Fashion
Kanye West
Barack Obama
Maria Shriver
Courtney Love
Australia Buy a link here Sponsored Links
Get Athena Pheromones
Enjoy more romantic attention w/ Biologist Winnifred
Cutler's formulas
www.athenainstitute.com
Penny Stock Jumping 3000%
Join our 100% Free Newsletter & get Penny StockPicks that jump high!
www.AwesomePennyStocks.com
#1 Snoring Solution
New solution that allows medical insurance to pay for
remedy.
www.WhyYouNeedtoKnow.com
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY MEDIA COMEDY MUSIC TV CELEBRITY KIDS MOVIEFONE
Advertise | Log In | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ
User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Contact Us
Copyright © 2011 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
Part of HuffPost News
sarah_ross
RetweetDear Twitter Friends pls check this
out: Have We Overlooked the Most
Effective Way to Prevent Terrorism
& War? http://t.co/YyoQ1EIR
soundcloud
Retweet'Listening for the Sounds ofinnovation.", a great guest post by
our own @Bougie over on
@HuffPostTech http://t.co/aIT65Ox
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT TECH MEDIA LIFE & STYLE CULTURE COMEDY HEALTHY LIVING WOMEN LOCAL MORE