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[bk]

Well, you've read the notes, you've had extra whipped cream on the notes, you've devoured the notes, and now you are ready to post until the whipped cream cows come home.

[George]

So Bruce, first question of the day:  What would it actually take to get "What If" recorded??

[bk]

First answer of the day: Money.  

[George]

Ahh.  I should've known.

[George]

Good night, all.  It's sleepy time now.

[S. Woody White]

Dear BK (and other DRs):

Continuing on a theme brought up yesterday...

What was the first non-American musical you remember seeing (in otherwords, the first import, produced on shores other than American, not the first anti-, because that's an entirely different subject)...

And what do you remember most about it?

(And yes, Tomovoz and Francois, I'm looking forward to your resposes as well!)

[Tomovoz]

A day early for François DR SWoody.
 Now to come up with  a suitable "Respose".
"Oliver" is it. I think 1961 here.
Didn't really get too involved in attending musical theatre until the 70's. First trip to London was in 1973 when  I got to see "Billy",  "The Card", "Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat" and the, IMHO, dull most overhyped of musicals "J C Superstar".

[M. Brandon]

I should only hope that BK appreciates the effort that goes into running the new bit we put in the show today about which he boasts with such naches.  I had to get up from my seat in the house, climb all of three stairs and enter the booth.  Then I had to press the PLAY button on the CD player, and you know with Bruce, the timing must be PERFECT! (Talk about pressure!) And I must have had to do that a good 20 times today!  Oh, and Dale had to press buttons as well and stuff and junk.

By the way, this is Brandon, the lighting technician and sound board op for the show.  Hi to you all.

Garsh, it's late.  I'm going to bed.

[M. Brandon]

Oh yeah, and I brought all those bagels this morning, and forgot to take them home.  What a waste.  I hope one of the cast or crew members gave them a good home...

[Jrand73]

Welcome to DRBrandon, the LT!  Now we have three participants posting from the show.  Yes, it is WHAT IF - RASHOMON!!!


Today at work, no computer again!  And I have rehearsal tonight, so I will not be home until very late.  I will probably barely beat the WHAT IF crowd back to the computer screen.  *Sigh*.  But I am making money.  In fact I am making $1000 more per year than I thought I would be.  So in just 100 years, that would be an extra $100,000!!!!

My question for ASK BK day - do you live near any of the Frank Lloyd Wright or son Lloyd Wright homes in LA or do you drive by them?  And do you have a favorite?  I like the Barcroft house that DRCHARLES POGUE was talking about awhile back (and btw WEHT to CP?  Still having computer problems?).

I like the idea of coming attractions for Broadway Shows - and in fact I think it will be even funnier "live".

First non-American musical was probably POTO.

[Tomovoz]

A welcome from Oz to M Brandon too.
Good morning Jack and Ben.

[Jrand73]

Hi Tom!

Why get upset
over things
On the internet.

Why give a
straight line
to people
who whine?

I just thought it would be neat
to be part of Scarlet Street.

But if that's
the way
Just give Barnum
his pay

I write me off
the same way.

[Dan-in-Toronto]

Welcome to DR Brandon, lighting technician and sound board op for the show.  

[Dan-in-Toronto]

... and the, IMHO, dull most overhyped of musicals "J C Superstar".

Make that IOHOs. I saw JC Superstar in New York and left after the first act. I've walked in to many musicals during intermission, but that's the only one I ever walked out of.

[Dan-in-Toronto]

I just came across the following while surfing the IBDB:


Aleksandr Borodin

Awards
 
1954 Tony Award® Best Musical

[Dan (the Man)]

Today at work, no computer again!  And I have rehearsal tonight, so I will not be home until very late.  I will probably barely beat the WHAT IF crowd back to the computer screen.  *Sigh*.  But I am making money.  In fact I am making $1000 more per year than I thought I would be.  So in just 100 years, that would be an extra $100,000!!!!

That's enough for you to buy:
A trip to France across the seas,
A motorboat with some water skis,
And maybe even a foreign car,
A charge account at the cornor bar,
Not to mention a Ping Pong set with paddles made of gold!

I like the idea of coming attractions for Broadway Shows - and in fact I think it will be even funnier "live".

Trivia Question:  What B'way show sorta/kinda had a coming attraction at the end of the first act for the second?

[William E. Lurie]

For Ask BK Day:
In 1996 you produced a CD called BROADWAY BOUND which contained some excellent songs from shows that were supposed to be coming to Broadway in the future.  I know that NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY made it to off-Broadway, but none of the other shows represented seemed to go any farther than the CD (although "Joshua Novak" has had a life outside the show it was written for).  My question is were the songs on the CD better than the rest of the material in their various shows or was it lack of funding or interest from producers that caused these shows to fall through the tracks? The material on the CD was far superior to much of what did make it to Broadway, that I'd really like your opinion on what happenned.

***

Last night I saw the big hit of the Midtown Theatre Festival, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING CLOSER?, which is billed as a comedy about life in a box office.  While it has its funny moments, it is really more the bitter rantings of a man who couldn't make it as a playwright so he took a "fallback" job in a box office.  He hated the job until he was assigned to the TKTS booth where he lives happily ever after.  The play --- really a monologue --- suffers from the fact that its author is also the performer and he has all the stage presence of a box office treasurer.  Still it has its enjoyable moments, mainly in the lines he (allegedly) heard from various customers.  My favorite: "Is WONDERFUL TOWN and URINETOWN the same show?".

While there, I finally met Peter Fillichia who I have had an e-mail friendship for several years.  He comes off just as nice in person as he does in his writing.

[DERBRUCER]

What was the first non-American musical you remember seeing

My respose: Stop the World I Want to Get Off

der Brucer (when I saw the show the title didn't sound dirty)

[Dan (the Man)]

I've been whacking my brain (ouch!) trying to remember what was my first not-American musical aside from Cats.  The only show I can come up with is Ipi Tombi.

[Noel]

Trivia Question:  What B'way show sorta/kinda had a coming attraction at the end of the first act for the second?

If memory serves, A Day In Hollywood had a sneak preview of A Night in the Ukraine before intermisison.

Great question, WEL!  My guess/supposition is that the powers-that-be, the producers and their investors, were short-sighted and skittish, unwilling to take a risk on the unproven but obvious talents of those on the Broadway Bound album.  Amy Powers, at least, saw some compensation from Sunset Boulevard, which fired her.

Tonight I'm off to Woodstock, or thereabouts, for the 10th Annual Improv Retreat.  This is an amazing educational get-together, the highlight of all my summers.  It's like a camp for adults where people come from all over the world to learn, in a forest setting, from the best improv teachers America has to offer, including Gary Austin, Michael Gellman, and me, of all people.  Then, tomorrow morning, I get up at dawn to drive back to New York in time for a day of rehearsals that starts at 9:30.

It's amusing, is it not, the way some people reveal they've not read the Kritzer books?

[Dan-in-Toronto]

The first non-US musical I saw was Oliver. I didn't pick up on its having a different or foreign quality/personality, and perhaps Onna White should get credit here. Her work, while capturing the spirit of the show, was old-fashioned Broadway choreography at its most exhuberant.

[MBarnum]

Good poem JRand53!

Welcome new DR Brandon!

My question of the day is: Where in the Sam Hill are DRs Jason and Kerry?? Whatever is keeping them away from HHW lately, I hope it is something good and not something bad!

[DERBRUCER]

...He hated the job until he was assigned to the TKTS booth where he lives happily ever after.  The play --- really a monologue --- suffers from the fact that its author is also the performer and he has all the stage presence of a box office treasurer.  Still it has its enjoyable moments, mainly in the lines he (allegedly) heard from various customers.  My favorite: "Is WONDERFUL TOWN and URINETOWN the same show?".
"

Two favorite comments heard while waiting in TKTS line, both in reference to "The Wiz" (opening run):

"I don't think so, I already saw the movie."

"I don't want to see any musicals with black people in it."

der Brucer

PS: To accommodate the later customer, who do doubt will spend endless hours waiting for the "First All Caucasian Musical" to go on sale interest groups should develop little logos to signify their approval of various offerings:

A White Sheet for the KKK approval for "No Non-Anglos"
A Star of David for "No Uncircumcised Male Players"
A MADD logo for "No Alcoholic Beverage references"
A Lavender Triangle with a red slash for "Heterosexually Pure"
A PETA logo for "No Animal Products Used in This Show"

I'd DRs will think of some I've left out.

[DERBRUCER]

It's like a camp for adults where people come from all over the world to learn, in a forest setting...

Clothing optional?

der ever-curious Brucer

[Dan-in-Toronto]

Still it has its enjoyable moments, mainly in the lines he (allegedly) heard from various customers.  My favorite: "Is WONDERFUL TOWN and URINETOWN the same show?".

But what about Urinetown and The Wiz?

[Dan-in-Toronto]

My favorite from the TKTS lineup, and it was really quite sweet. A mom told her family that since they were in New York City, they had to eat bagels. Then she brought out a bag of them that she had bought at McDonalds.

[Ron Pulliam]

Here is something I found interesting.  At the Amazon.com write-up for the CD of "Caroline...or Change," this is what appears:

"Remember 1958, when milquetoast The Music Man won the Tony for Best Musical over brashly innovative West Side Story? It's likely that one day we'll remember 2004 as the year wholesome Avenue Q won over brilliantly daring Caroline, or Change. The Tony Kushner-Jeanine Tesori collaboration proves that a show can be smart, inspirational, provocative, touching, and simply beautiful all at the same time. And lest you think Caroline is the kind of musical that's good for you in a spinach kind of way, this two-CD set demonstrates that the show's also terrifically fun. Because the plot is set in 1963 Louisiana, Tesori's ultra-melodic score, delivered by a superb cast, expertly weaves together R&B, gospel, doo-wop, soul and girl-group pop (check out the lovely "Salty Teardrops"). And of course there's a bona fide showstopper for Caroline (Tonya Pinkins) in the heartwrenching "Lot's Wife," which had New York audiences in tears during the show's run. Truly extraordinary. --Elisabeth Vincentelli "

"The Music Man" -- MILQUETOAST?

How about melodic, infectious, engaging, fun, vivacious, energetic and thrilling?  Gee...all the things which make a great show, IMO.  Try plugging those adjectives into "West Side Story"...energetic and thrilling work, along with melodic...but apples and oranges, yes??!!!??

[Dan-in-Toronto]

I love West Side Story. But, had I had one, I would have given my vote to The Music Man.

[Jrand73]

Guess what?  I have found a computer.  It is a MAC, and it is very nice.  It might be the one that I get to work on, I am not sure.  The Publisher is out this week.

Anyway...very nice DtM:

I love that song...I love that song.  I saw THE PAJAMA GAME movie first as a small child when it was shown by Miss Frances Farmer on her afternoon movie program.  And I went around singing the songs for days, until I was at last able to buy the Pajama Game soundtrack on extended 45's!  Still have it, still play it....still love it!

Thanks DRMBARNUM, but I doubt it will help you get your money, not that you have been asking for it, or anything, just thought I would add you to my poem.  I had a couple of posts over there, and suddenly here comes this "what does this have to do with anything"....so I deleted them  GOD KNOWS there are never any Off Topic posts over there!

[Dan (the Man)]

If memory serves, A Day In Hollywood had a sneak preview of A Night in the Ukraine before intermisison.

You got it!