Which Cast Recording Would You Want Most?
If you could win any original Broadway cast recording, which one would you want most?
That was essentially the question I posed via
Twitter and
Facebook over the past week in my latest SOB Contest. Since I have been feeling very much in the holiday spirit, I decided that my gift to some of my lucky followers would be the cast recording of their choice. I then drew the names of five lucky winners.
Congratulations to the following winners:
- Lynn Gaillard (Carrollton, TX), who wanted and won [title of show] cast recording.
- Jonathon Hunter (Akron, OH), who wanted and won Monty Python's Spamalot cast recording.
- Jayson Kerr (New York, NY), who wanted and won The Scottsboro Boys cast recording.
- Evelyn Sam (Briarwood, NY), who wanted and won The Lion King cast recording.
- Alex Wolfe (Blue Bell, PA), who wanted and won The Scottsboro Boys cast recording.
To each of these winners, as well as to all followers, let me express my deepest appreciation for following Steve On Broadway (SOB)! To the winners, please note that once I have the cast recordings of your choice in hand, I will ship them out immediately, just in time for the holidays!
So, dear readers, if you had to choose any cast recording you just have to have in your collection, which would it be? Would it be one that is already in your possession? Would it be one you have been saving up to buy? Or would it be for a rarity that is just impossible to get? I'll be curious to hear what your selection would be.
In keeping with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. In fact, I have even sprung for each of the cast recordings so that five lucky readers could enjoy listening to the ones they wanted most. Labels: [title of show], Broadway, Monty Python's Spamalot, Original Cast Recording, The Lion King, The Scottsboro Boys, The SOB Contest
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| Photo Courtesy of Peter Gibbons |
Yes, It's True. It Was Me. I Was Susan Blackwell-ed!
But certainly the highlight for me, personally, was donating to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, an organization that is doing so much for so many. To that end, in addition to buying items from various tables, as well as ponying up ten dollars here and there for a chance to have my photo taken with a few of the assembled Broadway stars, my biggest donation came as a surprise even to me.
I had left the event to see a show, only to come back and find a live auction in high gear.
[title of show] star
Susan Blackwell was up on the stage -- with
Heidi Blickenstaff at her side -- auctioning off something. But I wasn't quite sure. It all seemed so very spirited when I arrived, and the bidding was already in the $200 range. I asked someone standing next to me what they were auctioning off. She told me it was a chance to get licked by Susan Blackwell.
"Of course!" I thought. I completely forgot that I had read on Broadway.com that
she would offer up one of her famous face-lickings to the highest bidder. I couldn't resist, especially since I knew I had wanted to make a real tangible donation to BC/EFA and had not yet had the opportunity that day.
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| Photo Courtesy of Peter Gibbons |
So I stuck my hand up. I'm not sure exactly when, but I think it was around the $450 mark. Each time I was outbid, I'd either nod or give a subtle signal to Susan Blackwell that I was still in it, and up the bidding went until she finally reached a threshold that seemed to surprise her where she asked the two highest bidders (including me) if we'd both donate that amount so both of us could be Susan Blackwelled.
We both eagerly agreed, and next thing I knew I was up on the stage. Proving why I'm not in entertainment, she asked me to state my name and I could hardly blurt it out. "My name is Steve." She asked me a quick question and I blurted out a reference to her
[title of show] character that seemed to be lost of the audience, and she asked me what I did so I could donate that amount. I told her I was in PR (a profession that has in fact been very good to me).
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| Photo Courtesy of Peter Gibbons |
Then Susan Blackwell proceeded to provide a nice and soft slow lick down the left side of my face. Then she got on my right side and did the same thing down my right cheek. But wait! There's more! She licked across my forehead and then down the ridge of my nose. Silly me, I know I had my eyes shut the entire time, but I was thinking, "My God! Susan Blackwell is licking my face." And you know what? I felt good!
It's my understanding that there were, in fact, lots of cameras capturing the moment, and a video will soon surface on Broadway.com as part of their regular "
Side By Side by Susan Blackwell" feature so you can see it all for yourself.
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| Photo Courtesy of Peter Gibbons |
Of all the donations I've ever made in my life, I have to say that this was the best one ever, and without a doubt the sweetest and most satisfying. Not only was I proud to part ways with my money for a little tongue action from the truly stellar Susan Blackwell (OK, it was actually a lot), but she was doing it for an incredibly vital and important cause in which I completely believe: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
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| Photo Courtesy of Peter Gibbons |
Thank you, Susan, for risking your tongue on my salty face in support of BC/EFA. We'll always have Shubert Alley. Talk about a perfect day!
If you weren't able to attend, but would still like to donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS, please click
here. No amount is too large or too small, but your support will be greatly appreciated.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
Labels: [title of show], Broadway, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway Flea Market, Heidi Blickenstaff, Susan Blackwell
[title of show] (The SOB Review) - Vineyard Theatre, New York, NY*** (out of ****)The "Let's put on a show" premise for entertainment is certainly nothing new -- it's likely as old as show business itself, albeit in varying derivations. But there's nothing derivative about the wonderful little musical
[title of show], which I saw this past Saturday evening at New York's
Vineyard Theatre. Not since
The Musical Of Musicals-The Musical have I so thoroughly enjoyed such a delightful, decidedly small tuner with an enormous heart.
[title of show] is ostensibly about two friends who embark on writing a musical to enter into the New York Musical Theatre Fest in just under a month and then succeed in bringing it to life exactly as they wrote it against all odds. The engaging and endearing
Hunter Bell and
Jeff Bowen essentially play themselves (and true to its premise, they wrote the actual book, music and lyrics, too). Along the way, they invite two female friends -- the effervescent
Heidi Blickenstaff and the "handsome"
Susan Blackwell -- to help shape the show.
Clever dialogue and a terrific score -- along with
Michael Berresse's lovingly precise direction -- keep the 90+ minute show moving at a quick pace that's never dull and largely entertaining, particularly when they're dishing on some of Broadway's most renowned guilty pleasures or being interrupted via voicemail by some of the Great White Way's most acclaimed female stars. Best of all, they remain true to themselves and their vision.
Sadly, the show closed on Sunday. But something tells me this is not last we'll see of this earnest show, particularly since I'll bet that this musical likely rates as the favorite of at least nine people.... If it reopens, one can only hope that each of these talented actors will reprise their roles.
[title of show] deserves a much wider audience. In the meantime, there's always the cast recording now available through
Ghostlight Records.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for the cast recording.Related Stories:Making a Name for Itself: [title of show] Extends (August 16, 2006)
Labels: [title of show], Musical, Off-Broadway, The SOB Review
Making a Name for Itself: [title of show] ExtendsI have a confession to make. It appears that I've completely neglected to mention one of Off-Broadway's most talked-about musicals in years:
[title of show]. The little tuner about the creation of a musical for a theatre festival has been extended through October 1 at the
Vineyard Theatre.
The musical, written by and starring Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, has come highly recommended to me by several friends and acquaintances who have seen it. Rarely have I seen such a confluence of opinion shared by friends and critics alike -- even
The New York Times'
Charles Isherwood recommends it, saying, "...[M]ay I have your attention, please, devoted aficionados of musical theater? Have I got a show for you!...What may sound arch or silly in theory is surprisingly charming onstage, thanks to the cockeyed humor of the writing and the pretense-free performances."
Now, with the new extension of three weeks, maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to witness first-hand why this show is making such a name for itself around the Big Apple.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: [title of show], Critics' Capsule, Musical, Off-Broadway
Were Tony's Greatest Would-Be Contenders Off-Broadway?In a thoughtful, yet provocative story in this morning's
The New York Times,
Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood opine that some of the best of New York's theatre during the 2005-06 season were found Off-Broadway -- firmly out of the technical grasp of the Tony Awards. Together, they cite such productions as Horton Foote's
The Trip to Bountiful and the musical
Grey Gardens (which
will see a Broadway mounting during the next year) as prime examples of shows that would have merited multiple Tony nods if only the American Theatre Wing's rules allowed for theatres with smaller capacities to be included for consideration.
Brantley and Isherwood also sang the praises of such outstanding plays as
Abigail's Party,
All's Well That Ends Well,
Defiance,
In The Continuum,
Landscape of the Body,
Private Fears In Public Places,
Red Light Winter,
Stuff Happens,
The Little Dog Laughed and
Third; while taking note of the musical
"[title of show]". Naturally, many of the shows simply don't transfer to the larger Broadway stage because of the almighty dollar and fears over lack of wider commercial success. Sadly, these productions often have some of the best talent, both on-stage and off.
Frankly, I agree with their assessment. This was a less than satisfying Broadway season. All but one of my 10 "SOB Best of 2005-06 Theatrical Season" selections were produced outside the confines of Broadway (
Sweeney Todd was my only Broadway choice to make my top ten)
. Eight of my picks were outside of New York altogether.
Will the tide turn? It's not likely anytime soon, and that's why I usually try to balance my trips to Broadway with sidetrips Off-Broadways. Hopefully, if you love good theatre, so do you.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Tony Awards tickets.
Related Stories:The Tonys: If I Could Vote....for Best Revival of a Play (June 5, 2006)
The Tonys: If I Could Vote....for Best Revival of a Musical (June 4, 2006)
The Tonys: If I Could Vote....for Best Play (June 3, 2006)
The Tonys: If I Could Vote...for Best Musical (May 31, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #1 - Theater Of The New Ear (Royce Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA) (May 30, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #2 – Guys And Dolls (Piccadilly Theatre, London, UK) (May 26, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #3 – Hedda Gabler (Brooklyn Academy of Music – Harvey Theatre, New York, NY) (May 25, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #4 – A Blameless Life (Steppenwolf Garage, Chicago, IL) (May 24, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #5 – Reeling (The Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis, MN) (May 23, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #6 – “MASTER HAROLD”…And The Boys (Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL) (May 21, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #7 – Love Song (Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL) (May 19, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #8 - Billy Elliot The Musical (Victoria Palace Theatre, London, UK) (May 18, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #9 - The Well-Appointed Room (Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL) (May 17, 2006)
Tony Award Nominations Announced (May 16, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #10 - Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY) (May 15, 2006)
The SOB Five "Worst" of 2005-06 (May 12, 2006)
SOB's Best and Worst of 2005-06 Theatre Season (May 12, 2006)
Labels: [title of show], Ben Brantley, Broadway, Charles Isherwood, Grey Gardens, Off-Broadway, Stuff Happens, Sweeney Todd, The Little Dog Laughed, The Trip To Bountiful, Tony Nominations
