Saturday, July 18, 2020

ROY BERKO: HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE—CVLT STREAMS VISITING MR. GREEN, EXAMINE PSYCHOLOGY, MUSICAL STYLE AND CREATIVITY OF HAMILTON, PROJECT SING OUT!, FILM VERSIONS OF MUSICALS ON TV, BROADWAY SINGS FOR JOE KENNEDY III, KENT STATE GRAD ALICE RIPLEY TO PERFORM ON STAGE THIS SUMMER, AND MORE….



CHAGRIN VALLEY LITTLE THEATRE STREAMS VISITING MR. GREEN

On Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26, CVLT will be streaming the archival video of Visiting Mr. Green for a pay-as-you-can admission. For details and advance reservation, visit https://cvlt.org/events/visiting-mr-green

"Visiting Mr. Green" stars veteran actor Don Edelman as Mr. Green, an elderly, grumpy, devoutly Jewish widower who wanders into New York City traffic, nearly being hit by the car of 29-year-old finance executive Ross Gardiner (played by Krystopher Perry). As a community service sentence, Gardiner is ordered to assist Mr. Green, visiting him weekly. What starts as a comedy about two men who do not want to be in the same room together becomes a gripping, moving drama as they get to know each other, opening old wounds they’ve been hiding and nursing for years.

••••••••••••••

TMTP DISCUSSES MUSICAL DAMN YANKEES

On Thursday, July 23, the day before The Cleveland Indian’s home opener, watch TMTP’s Artistic Director Bill Rudman give his insights and what to look for in the film version of the hit musical DAMN YANKEES (staring Gwen Verdon and Tab Hunter). 

Here is how it works:  Stream DAMN YANKEES on Amazon Prime, iTunes and or You Tube (some fees may apply).   On Thursday, July 23 at 7 connect to Zoom for the discussion:  https://zoom.us/j/98060526330?pwd=eFBjVTBvZnVMT0pmUisyT0M4bHBXUT09
  

•••••••••••••••


GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PSYCHOLOGY, MUSICAL STYLE, AND STAGE CREATIVITY of HAMILTON

To gain an understanding of the psychology, musical style, and stage creativity of HAMILTON go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=782gnhUox64

••••••••••••••

PROJECT SING OUT!

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift in education across the country, the Broadway community has come together to present PROJECT SING OUT!, a one-night-only livestreamed event to raise funds for the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) to support arts education, specifically in low-income communities and communities of color.

The livestreamed event, which will take place on Monday, July 20, at 7pm (EST), is presented in partnership with Playbill.com and can be viewed exclusively on Playbill.com’s YouTube Channel and Facebook page and stars Chita Rivera, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Roberts, Vanessa Williams, Don Cheadle, Peppermint, Brandon Victor Dixon, Hailey Kilgore, and more.

•••••••••••••••••••

MOVIES STREAMING THAT CAPTURE THE MAGIC OF THE MUSICAL ON STAGE

Check out this list of movie musicals currently streaming that capture the magic of the stage with its own Hollywood twist.
Available on Amazon 

Guys and Dolls
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine, Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons
Nathan and Adelaide have been engaged for 14 years—put off over and over because of the floating crap game he hosts. Songs include “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” and more.


Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical
Starring: Kristen Bell, Neve Campbell, Alan Cumming, Steven Webber
The cult favorite campy musical comedy about the dangers of marijuana.


Flower Drum Song
Starring: Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Benson Fong
Nominated for five Oscars, the adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1958 musical finds a young woman arriving in San Francisco's Chinatown from Hong Kong with the intention of marrying a nightclub owner, unaware he is involved with one of his singers.


Hello Again
Starring: Audra McDonaldMartha PlimptonCheyenne Jackson, T.R. Knight
10 interlocking scenes capture a pair of lovers just prior to, or immediately following, intense, but all-too-brief sexual intimacy. 


Sweeney Todd
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman
Villainous Judge Turpin wants the beautiful wife of a London barber and has him shipped away on false charges. When the barber returns to London 15 years later, he is thirsty for revenge. But don’t worry, there’s also a beautiful love story in this adaptation of the Hugh Wheeler-Stephen Sondheim classic.


A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Starring: Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Jack Gilford, Buster Keaton
This musical comedy set in Ancient Rome follows the story of the slave Pseudolus. Featuring a score by 
Stephen Sondheim, the musical includes hits like “Comedy Tonight” and “Lovely.”
 

Available on Netflix

Jersey Boys
Starring: John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza
The story of 
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, the 2005 Tony-winning Best Musical was written by Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman.


West Side Story 
Starring: Natalie Wood (Marni Nixon does the singing), George Chakiris, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno.  Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed the then-modern-day Romeo & Juliet story of rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks.


Fiddler on the Roof 
Starring: Chaim Topol
The 1964 musical “Tradition musical” by 
Joseph SteinJerry Bock, and Sheldon Harnick with songs like “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “Sunrise Sunset.” 


Available on HBOMax

Chicago
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere
Widely considered the film that revived the modern movie musical, the adaptation of Fosse’s musical earned 13 Oscar nominations and won six trophies.


Cabaret
Starring: Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Fritz Wepper
There’s nothing better than watching the story of Sally Bowles, and the dancers and patrons of the Kit Kat Club unfold in Berlin amid the background of the Weimar Republic. The score from Kander and Ebb includes “Mein Herr,” “Willkommen,” and the title number. 


Hairspray
Starring: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, Nikki Blonsky, Brittany Snow
Based on the 1988 John Waters film, Hairspray takes us to Baltimore where plus-sized teen Tracy Turnblad fight for civil rights and representation on TV. The score includes “Mamma I’m a Big Girl Now,” “Welcome to the ’60s,” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”


Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Starring: John Cameron MitchellAndrea Martin, Michael Pitt, Miriam Shor
The Off-Broadway hit musical follows the trials and tribulations of a touring rock and roll band fronted by Hedwig, an East German transgender singer. 


Little Shop of Horrors
Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen GreeneSteve Martin
A down-on-his-luck plant-shop worker on Skid Row gains fame after finding a man-eating plant while pursuing a troubled romance with his lovable co-worker Audrey. The score includes “Somewhere That’s Green” and “Suddenly Seymour.”


••••••••••••

AMADEUS STREAMING

National Theatre's 2016 revival of Peter Shaffer's Tony winning AMADEUS, starring Lucian Msamati as Salieri and Adam Gillen as Mozart, streamed July 16 as National Theatre at Home’s series of rebroadcasts concludes its inaugural season on National Theatre’s YouTube. It will remain free to watch on demand through 2 PM ET July 23. Donations to support the U.K. theatre community are encouraged.
 

•••••••••••••••
BROADWAY SINGS FOR JOE KENNEDY III 

In conjunction with the Campaign for Kennedy for Massachusetts, Group5 Productions will present Broadway Sings for Joe Kennedy III beginning July 21.

The 30-minute, pre-taped virtual concert, will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Tony and Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Viewers can also expect appearances by Senatorial candidate Kennedy plus cast members from HAMILTON, THE LION KING, THE COLOR PURPLE, WICKED, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, AND HELLO, DOLLY.

Tickets begin at $5. Click here for ticket information.

•••••••••••••

HOWARD ASHMAN DOCUMENTARY FOCUSING ON DISNEY+

HOWARD, a documentary focusing on the life and work of director-book writer-lyricist Howard Ashman, will arrive on Disney+ beginning August 7. 
Among artists interviewed for the film are his most frequent composer-collaborator Alan Menken; Jodi Benson, who starred in Ashman's 1987 Broadway musical SMILE and voiced Ariel in THE LITTLE MERMAID and Paige O'Hara, the voice of Belle in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

•••••••••••••••••••••

ALICE RIPLEY, KENT STATE GRAD, TO PERFORM LIVE IN CONCERT THIS SUMMER



Forestburgh Playhouse in Sullivan County, New York, will offer a series of concerts at its outdoor venue featuring Broadway favorites later this summer. The performances have social distancing and sanitization protocols in place. 
The SEVENTY-FIVE AND THRIVE lineup kicks off July 18 with Kyle Taylor Parker (Kinky Boots) in an evening of soul renditions of Broadway staples.
The final performance, August 22 features Tony winner and Kent State University grad Alice Ripley(NEXT TO NORMAL) August 22.
For more information, visit FBPlayhouse.org.

•••••••••••••••