Popular Music and the Musical

When people talk about the musical theatre, they fittingly talk about the music and what it does in telling a great story. As composers added musicals into the canon, a "musical theatre sound" emerged with contributions from Richard Rodgers, Frederick Loewe, Jerry Bock, Leonard Bernstein and many others. This sound became the Broadway brand. This music crossed over into the world of popular music and people from Frank Sinatra to Barbara Streisand would take songs from Broadway musicals and make them even more popular as standards.

Today, this sound is almost looked at as pastiche. Many have said "They don't make them the way they used to." When The Producers came on the scene in 2001, the overwhelming sentiment was that this was the return to this musical comedy form. From my perspective, these people are referring more to how music is being used to tell a certain type of story. For example, Frederick Loewe came from a Viennese musical background, so his music for far-away places like Brigadoon and Camelot, fit his setting of waltzes and lavish ballads.

For years I've pondered this sentiment of "They don't make them like they used to." Other than I find it a bit insulting to the wonderful pieces of musical theatre recently added to the canon, I thought I needed to flip the question around and ask: what should audiences expect musically from today's musical? And, why doesn't the music on the stage for the most part not reflect popular music?

To search for answers to these questions I did something I hadn't done in years: listen to popular music on the radio. For years I've stayed away from music on the radio simply because I didn't enjoy the music. The music I listen to is so varied and I usually rely on friends to introduce me to interesting new artists and songs. For me, the radio has always been about playing the 15 most popular songs over and over without any air time for up and coming voices. So after months and months of listening to the radio, here are some observations and how they relate to the musical theatre.

1. Lyrics really don't matter. This is not a new idea, but I seem to remember a time when lyrics had a bit more substance and structure. Popular music lyrically has always been grounded in the fact that you are going to introduce one idea and talk about it for three minutes. You knew what you were getting when you heard "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "Just the Way You Are," "My Own Worst Enemy." Today, as long as language fits into the musical setting or beat, it seems as if the lyrics are almost just placeholders for accents.

One artist that seems to be a prime example of this, whose music continues to hurt my brain is Ke$ha. No, that is not a typo. She apparently chooses to have a dollar sign in her name as a means of expression. This lack of basic phonics is repeated in her song titles; most famously the hit "Tik Tok." Once again, she consciously chooses to misspell in the title, for no real apparent reason other than to be different. If you actually take two minutes to read the lyrics to this song (which I went against doctor's orders and did), it's fascinating to see what counts as a sentence or a phrase these days. It also fascinates me how bloated and trivial the imagery becomes on the page. Take this for example: "Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack, Cause when I leave for the night, I ain’t coming back." I give her a half a point for rhyming, but what the hell kind of image is that? Brushing your teeth with Jack Daniels? Is that supposed to be provocative or sexy? It sounds pretty stupid and a bit of an exaggeration. Even funnier is the musical setting of the lyrics, with most coming on the opposite beat, thus "scanning" in an awkward way. "Drop-toping, playing our favorite c-ds, Pulling up to the part-ies. Trying to get a little bit tip-sy." Having awkward emphasis on the wrong syllables yields an awkward result and you can almost feel the songwriters shoehorning these lyrics into the melody.

2. Lady Gaga is pretty much the only icon in relation to popular music. I seem to remember a landscape where several artists shared the spotlight in a given year. As a counter cultural icon whose music is actually interesting, I'm surprised more artists are not succeeding to find their niche in the popular music world today. From what I've gathered, the artists who are elevated to stardom are the teenagers like The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and Justin Beiber.

3. A song that people can dance to has a better chance of being a hit. Although this is also not a new idea, it seems that pretty much every hit song has some sort of primary beat that is unique and recognizable. Lately, I've heard songs like "Sexy Chick", "In My Head", "Down", "Break Your Heart" and many more that use a dance beat as a way of propelling the intention of the song.

4. I'm impressed by the amount of collaboration in today's popular music. Today's charts are filled with artists who come together from two different backgrounds and create diverse music. Some interesting songs I've heard were Jason Derullo mixing Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" in with his song "Whatcha Say" or Katie Perry collaborating with Snoop Dogg on "California Gurls" (Again with the spelling?) Each of these pieces succeed in creating something different for these artists by combining their efforts for an alternative purpose.

These are just a few of many observations I have made in the past couple of months. So how does this relate to the musical theatre? Basically, I feel the musical theatre is doing its best at reflecting our musical culture, but because today's popular music is so varied and frankly without much substance, people don't realize the challenge and how some artists have already bridged this gap. After these past few months of listening to this music, I'm even more enamored with the craftsmanship of compsers like Duncan Sheik & Steven Sater, Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and others who are on the front lines of creating relevant contemporary musical theatre. They have the unenviable task of adapting a form that is not grounded in conveying multiple ideas and uses contemporary technology and have to tell a clear and concise story. This is a tough job that unfortunately gets unrewarded a good amount of the time.

Another way I see it relating to the musical theatre is from one of my popular music observations: the importance of collaboration. This idea has been at the cornerstone of all great musical theatre, but collaboration for the musical theatre is starting to change in an exciting way. I think a big part of the future of the musical theatre could come from artists in the popular music collaborating with theatre artists on new works for the stage. With musicals like American Idiot, Memphis, Taboo, Spring Awakening, and more, these collaborative musicals are yielding interesting stories that are being told in new ways. This is a trend that is growing and can only lead to more interesting pieces. Some pieces I'm excited about are Tales of the City, which brings together Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q, Bring It On) and Jake Shears & John Garden (From the Scissor Sisters) to adapt Armistead Maupin's iconic novels, as well as Beauty, a new adaptation of the Sleeping Beauty story being written by Tina Landau, Michael Korie and Regina Spektor and of course, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark by Julie Taymor and Bono & The Edge. These collaboration's success could lead even more popular artists to consider telling large stories on the musical stage.

I could go on for days about this topic, but I think you can see that adapting popular music on the stage is a huge challenge and I think writers will get better at it the more they examine it. Think about what the musical landscape would be like without a writer like Jonathan Larson, a composer who made it his mission to reflect popular music on the stage. He laid the groundwork and many others have followed. I'm excited to see what's next and do my part in supporting this process. It can only lead to interesting nights at the theater.

Let me know what you think? Am I dead wrong? Leave me some comments.

2010 Tony Award Wrap up

The 2010 Tony Awards brought another season on Broadway to rest. It was a fun evening that although there weren't many surprises, the evening was a wonderful celebration of the season.

I'm beginning to realize that every year when I write my picks, I'm usually depending too much on what I want to win and not about what is going to win. This year, in regards to musicals, I did very well in the design area, pretty well in the performance categories, but missed on the top prize for the second year in a row (last year I picked Next to Normal). For the second time, the voter's interests outweighed the artistic achievement of Fela and even American Idiot. This doesn't mean that I though Memphis was a bad show. It means that it's familiar plot and music made the production safe for voters to get behind. Without the critics being allowed to vote, a piece like Fela could not gain enough votes to grab the top prize. Either way, I think Fela and American Idiot received a lot of good advertising that night to hopefully have a nice run through the beginning of next year.

The biggest criticism I hear from the community is that the Tony Awards "went Hollywood" this year. Actors like Hunter Foster have started a Facebook group to "Give the Tonys Back to Broadway" to echo this sentiment. They spout this negativity because they feel that "theater actors" are not as represented as they used to and that the voters are mobilizing to give awards to stars so they'll be more inclined to come back to Broadway. I cannot disagree more. Whenever producers and casting directors start their process, they have a list of prospective actors they would want to play each role. Can you blame these people if both Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman say yes to doing A Steady Rain? This new American play would have never seen the Great White Way without these two stars agreeing to do it. Do you really think the powers that be would say, "I know these big stars would be ok in the roles, but these other actors would be better in the roles so lets just use them?" That's crazy. The truth is that many film actors (a lot who had their start in theater) love to take time to do plays because it gives them a chance to play characters that are different from the type they play on the screen.

A great example is Scarlett Johansson, a wonderful screen actress who because she is gorgeous, has been typed to play gorgeous people. She was bold and took on an opposite character, Catherine in A View From the Bridge and knocked it out of the park. It didn't matter that she was a star. She was a professional actress who kept up with Liev Schrieber and Jessica Hecht eight shows a week. I reject the notion of people looking down on producers for being bold, getting people with names to do a Broadway production, and creating a successful production. The definition of success on Broadway today is wide open, and the community needs to embrace this type of casting and realize it is good for the future of Broadway.

Lastly, I find it extremely ironic that in a year where everyone is chatting about the "Hollywoodization" of Broadway, that Memphis, a musical that had developmental production after developmental production and has as many above the title producers as a small third world country, won the top prize!

2010 Tony Award Picks!

Alright ladies and gentleman, it is now time for my official 2010 Tony Award Picks! (I really should just call this the Lowy Awards!) This has been an interesting season on Broadway with a lot of twists and turns. If you would have told me in August that Brighton Beach Memoirs wouldn't run two weeks or The Miracle Worker wouldn't run a month, I would have laughed in your face. That being said, there were many wonderful productions on Broadway and I'm looking forward to celebrating them Sunday night. So on to the picks:

Best Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture, Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott
Fela! Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones
Memphis, Joe DiPietro
Million Dollar Quartet, Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

Winner: Everyday Rapture. A trend I'm going to start immediately is that I will not reward average work (Memphis) throughout my picks. Everyday Rapture is a fun enough book for me to think it could win this year. For me, I think Tony Voters forget what this category is really meant to judge. It should be judged on the plot and story and how the evening of theater is shaped. I mean, lets face it, Cats won the Tony for Best Book, which was credited to T.S. Eliot, who died in 1965, never dreaming his book would be a musical. That being said, there's no doubt in my mind that Fela! should win. Lewis and Jones have created a well-crafted evening of theater that is head over heals superior than the other three.

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Addams Family
Enron
Fences
Memphis

Winner: Unfortunately I have to reward mediocrity here and go with Memphis. Although I actually do enjoy the score, it wouldn't even be in the category in other seasons.

Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles
Aaron Johnson, Fela!
Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises
Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis

Winner: Aaron Johnson's tall task of recreating the arrangements of Fela Kuti's very improvisational style should win this award. If you've never heard what the original music sounded like, listen to this.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, Fela!
Christine Jones, American Idiot
Derek McLane, Ragtime
Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles

Winner: Christine Jones created a very interesting visual world for American Idiot that should be recognized. The integration of media within this set was pretty remarkable and really helped fill a very large space.

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, Fela!
Santo Loquasto, Ragtime
Paul Tazewell, Memphis
Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles

Winner: La Cage has a wonderful design that should take this category. It's splashy, but not overly tacky, which with this type of production is essential.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, American Idiot
Donald Holder, Ragtime
Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Wierzel, Fela!

Winner: Much like Jones' scenic design, Kevin Adams' lighting design created a whole visual world for this piece that never ceased to aid the storytelling. It seems that every time he teams up with Michael Mayer he creates magic.

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music
Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim

Winner: Kaplowitz has created a wonderful aural world for Fela! that needs to be recognized. Enough said!

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
Robin De Jesús, La Cage aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow
Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

Winner: In probably the least talented category this year, I'll pick Kreis because that's most people are picking. I hear Steggert was wonderful in Ragtime. Personally, although I wanted to run out of the St. James this fall during Finian's Rainbow, Christopher Fitzgerald was wonderful and probably deserves this award for making this dated show seem lively for the moments he was onstage.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim
Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away
Lillias White, Fela!

Winner: The forgone conclusion is Katie Finneran and good for her. I love me some Angela Lansbury, but her mantle isn't going to be crying if she doesn't win her 6th.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles
Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Chad Kimball, Memphis
Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!

Will Win: Douglas Hodge has all of the momentum after his wonderful performance as Albin. He definitely deserves this honor, although this category also includes Sahr Ngaujah.
Should Win: If the first night press were still Tony Voters, I think Sahr Ngauja would win this award. He has been the critical darling since this show started at 37 Arts and he would have been the lock. Unfortunately, his performance hasn't been in the recent memory of most Tony Voters, so he will probably be forgotten.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow
Montego Glover, Memphis
Christiane Noll, Ragtime
Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

Winner: This is a toss up between Jones and Glover. I am bias in that I think Montego Glover is the next big musical theatre star, but Tony Voters might want to give this to Jones in hopes that she'll come back to Broadway sooner than later. This will be interesting.

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles
Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away

Winner: This is one of the most competitive categories this year. Some say that Lynne Page's choreography in this minimalist production should grab the nod. Others say Twyla Tharp's work, although not recognized in most other categories, will take this award as a vote of confidence in that show. As it probably doesn't surprise you, I think Bill T. Jones should win this award. The movement in Fela is perfect. It is pretty much the language of the piece and makes the piece all the more enjoyable.

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Memphis
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime
Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
Bill T. Jones, Fela!

Winner: Being that the 2003-4 La Cage revival didn't run very long, Johnson's refreshing look at this musical should take the prize. Although, I won't be surprised if Jones wins this award, especially is Tharp win best choreography.

Best Revival of a Musical
Finian's Rainbow
La Cage aux Folles
A Little Night Music
Ragtime

Winner: Easy: La Cage Aux Folles becomes the first musical to win the Best Revival Tony twice.

Best Musical
American Idiot
Fela!
Memphis
Million Dollar Quartet

Winner: I started this list saying I would not reward an average musical, so I can't. I think that Tony Voters will look at that ballot and vote their heart, meaning FELA! Although the out of town Tony voters want Memphis because they think it's a better touring property (which is ridiculous), Fela! is clearly the best musical of the year.

For good measure, here are my picks for the play categories:

Best Sound Design of a Play
Will Win: Acme Sound Partners, Fences
Should Win: Scott Lehrer, A View from the Bridge

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Will Win: Brian MacDevitt, Fences
Should Win: Mark Henderson, Enron

Best Costume Design of a Play
Will Win: Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family
Should Win: Martin Pakledinaz, Lend Me a Tenor

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Will Win: Christopher Oram, Red
Should Win: Santo Loquasto, Fences
An art studio is favored to win best scenic design? Really? Loquasto's vision of Troy Maxon's world is a new and exciting way to see this play.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Will Win: Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences
Should Win: Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Will Win: Jan Maxwell, Lend Me a Tenor
Should Win: Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge
Voters will want to give Jan Maxwell a Tony this year, and Viola Davis is a lock for Best Actress. Scarlett winning would not be a surprise though

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Will Win: Denzel Washington, Fences
Should Win: Denzel Washington, Fences
Some believe Alfred Molina will steal this, but I don't think he is even in the same conversation as Denzel and Liev.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Will Win: Viola Davis, Fences
Should Win: Viola Davis, Fences

Best Direction of a Play
Will Win: Gregory Mosher, A View from the Bridge
Should Win: Gregory Mosher, A View from the Bridge
So many people believe Grandage is a lock for this category. I have no clue why people make this assumption after seeing the play. Mosher brought more out of Miller's text than any director I've ever seen.

Best Revival of a Play
Will Win: Fences
Should Win: A View From the Bridge (If this was still running it would have been an interesting two show race)

Best Play
Will Win: Next Fall
Should Win: Time Stands Still
I must take a second to talk about this category. The frontrunner in this category is John Logan's Red, a play that honestly is pretty boring and very preachy. It seems that in the past Tony Voters have loved plays that talk about art and it's struggles and love that kind of pat on the back. That being said, my choice will shock most people. Although I think Next Fall is a wonderful play that people really should go see; to me, the best play of this season was Time Stands Still. This funny, well-crafted and timely play I think should have been the runaway hit of the season.

So there are my picks! Leave some comments to let me know what you think about the picks and I hope you enjoy this year's award ceremony!

A Broadway Video Game?

It was officially announced mid week that Nintendo Wii was coming out with a new video game called Dance on Broadway. The game features a hit parade of songs from musicals where up to four people can dance and sing along. Meant as a follow up to their game "Just Dance," this game says a lot about how the public views the Broadway Musical.

First of all, the game uses Broadway solely as a brand. If you look down the list, many of the songs are actually from musical films or songs from the stage that were made popular on film. It's interesting that the creators use the word "Broadway" to give this product a bit of cache. From my view, this shows that even though many think Broadway is not with the times, there is still something vibrant and hopeful about the Broadway brand that makes it a marketable commodity outside of just the actual productions happening in midtown Manhattan.

Looking at the list, it must have been an interesting and challenging job to create this game. Examining the musical theater catalog for songs that feature dance are numerous and selecting the right songs would make a game like this great. The songs they chose to use are actually pretty surprising to me for the most part. Songs like "Time Warp," "We're In the Money," "All That Jazz," and "You Can't Stop the Beat" make perfect sense for a game like this, with signature choreographed movement that can be done with great precision. I found it funny that two songs from Hair were included in the game, being that the show's choreography is more free form and precision isn't really relevant or welcome. I don't know about you, but when I hear "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Mucus (yes, mucus), I'm not really looking for the choreography.
I also found it interesting that they feature a few trio songs, including "One Night Only," and "Little Shop of Horrors," which obviously feature movement, but the songs were written to focus more on the lyrics and vocal energy.

As much as I'm always happy when Broadway transcends into popular culture, it seems like this game could have used a few more theatrical minds in the room. I think they missed the opportunity to feature the work of the many famous choreographers that helped shaped the Broadway dance style. The most notable omission is any song from a Jerome Robbins musical! How could there not be one dance from West Side Story, Gypsy, Fiddler On the Roof, etc.? Or how about a Bob Fosse song that is not from Chicago? They have "Cabaret", which is another example of a song that relies on the lyrics more than the movement. Were they scared to put material from The Pajama Game, Sweet Charity, or Pippin? They luckily put a couple of songs choreographed by Gower Champion, but where's Agnes deMille, Michael Kidd, Michael Bennett, George Balanchine, Tommy Tune? And where are the contemporary choreographers like Susan Stroman or Kathleen Marshall (Jerry Mitchell's Hairspray work is included)? For me, this seems like a missed opportunity to package the Broadway dance brand in a way that shows the full breadth of the history of Broadway movement.

Maybe some of these suggestions will come alive in a subsequent game if this one is a hit! In the meantime, watch the trailer for the game below and let me know what you think! Also, leave a comment letting me know if there are any songs that you think should be in this game!

Back and Better Than Ever!

After a long four month hiatus while I focused on some of my other responsibilities, I'm ready to jump back in this Memorial Day to provide some commentary on an interesting season for the musical theater. With the Tony Awards less than two weeks away, there is tons to reflect on and even more to look forward to.

Although I haven't been writing much the past few months, I have been reading and thinking about a lot of different issues that I want to address on this blog. Here's a preview to some upcoming blogs:

This season's Off Broadway musicals' success
Popular Music's relationship to Musical Theatre
Tony Award Predictions
Theaters as living museums
What is the contemporary musical?
Who outside of the musical theatre world should write a musical?

These topics and more will be addressed in the coming weeks. Let me know if there are any topics that you are curious about. Leave me a comment and I'll be happy to give my perspective.

So stay tuned and check back frequently, as this will be a great place to have a healthy conversation about what's next for the musical theater.

A Wicked Way to Advertise

For those of you who are not particularly familiar with my opinion of the musical Wicked, in a nutshell, it’s not on my favorable list. That in itself is a conversation for another time. That being said, I am very excited when any musical does something that pushes the envelope in regards to advertising. Wicked is a show that is special in that it has been such a success that the producers are more willing to experiment and gamble with how to best package their product.

Recently I took a train out of Penn Station and noticed something I’ve never seen before. Posters, images, review quotes, etc. for the musical Wicked are plastered everywhere in the main terminal of Penn Station. You might be thinking: “Everyone does paper advertising and posters in various places.” Yes, but they have chosen a very specific place to flood information to their potential ticket buyers.

Let’s say you are coming in from the front entrance below Madison Square Garden. You go down the escalator where you are greeted with a staircase that is now dressed as the Wicked cover art. As you keep walking, you see columns that are completely surrounded by images of Glinda and Elphaba, as well as review quotes. You then enter the main Amtrak lobby where there are two gigantic displays on either side that feature cover art. As you’re walking, every clock in the place has the small Wicked title treatment next to it. Basically, if you have two eyes and a pulse, you are going to see a lot about Wicked in Penn Station.

Needless to say, I think this is a brilliant move. The producers have decided that during the toughest time of the year to bring in audiences (January-March), they would go right to the crossroads of where their newest potential ticket buyers, tourists, will be looking for how to spend their time in New York City. With the whole place being decked out in green and black, how does a tourist not want to see a show that is pretty much being billed as the only show in town? The viewer isn’t seeing a selection of shows to choose from to get a whole sense of what stories are being told on Broadway. They are being presented with the show they believe is the must see it and by the time they walk back into Penn Station, they can say that they saw the musical that everyone is talking about.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Of course, it’s easier to make bold choices when your show grosses over a million dollars a week. At the same time, they are finding new ways to bring audiences into the Gershwin Theater. In addition to Penn Station, they have an aggressive radio campaign to target older audiences who might want to bring their families to the show, as well as a new trend of having instant translation of the musical into many languages. This device brings an international audience into their show because of this wonderful instrument of access.

It’s pretty remarkable that a book musical (regardless of my personal opinions) has been such a box office hit in this marketplace. Add on the fact that the musical is housed in one of the largest venues on Broadway, the Gershwin Theater, and it’s even more impressive. Can Wicked be the next Phantom of the Opera and become the longest running show on Broadway? I don’t think so, but I bet it will be one of the longest running shows by the end of its original Broadway run. Kudos to those producers who dared to put on an enormous production on Broadway and made sure they found a wide-ranged audience.

Exciting Musicals for 2010

Looking forward towards a new year of musical theater is a pleasant thought these days. There's so much to be excited for in the coming year. I thought a great way to kick off this new year would be to talk about a few musicals that I am excited to see. What follows is a description of the piece, taken from the press (in quotations), as well as my own thoughts.

1. The Burnt Part Boys -
Book by Mariana Elder
Lyrics by Nathan Tysen
Music by Chris Miller

"The Burnt Part Boys is set in West Virginia in 1962. The musical follows a group of teenagers whose fathers were killed ten years earlier in a tragic coal mining accident. When they learn that the mine will be reopened, they set out secretly in the hopes of seeing the site, and keeping it closed. A deeply moving and powerful odyssey, The Burnt Part Boys is an unforgettable coming of age tale, set to a haunting and distinctive bluegrass and pop inspired score."

This musical has been in development for a while and cannot wait to see the outcome of all that hard work. You have to appreciate a musical that is co-produced by three non-profit theaters (NY Stage & Film, Vineyard, & Playwrights Horizons).

2. The Kid -
Book by Michael Zam
Lyrics by Jack Lechner
Music by Andy Monroe

"This musical is based on the true story of what happens when sex columnist Dan Savage and his boyfriend decide to start a family. Winner of the 2009 Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, The Kid is The New Group’s first musical since 2004’s Tony-winning production of Avenue Q. Winner of the 2009 BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award for Outstanding New Musical, The Kid is The New Group's first musical since 2004's Tony-winning production of Avenue Q."

It's very exciting that the New Group has taken the challenge of producing this musical. So many wonderful musicals are written at the BMI Workshop and I'm looking forward to supporting the work of new musical theatre writers.

3. The Scottsboro Boys
Book by David Thompson
Music & Lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb

"From the legendary songwriting team of KANDER & EBB (CABARET, CHICAGO, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN), THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS is a stirring new musical that explores the infamous 1930’s ‘Scottsboro Case’, in which a group of innocent African-American teenagers are falsely accused of a terrible crime — ultimately provoking a national outrage that sparked the American Civil Rights movement. With a book by DAVID THOMPSON (STEEL PIER), Tony Award-winner SUSAN STROMAN (THE PRODUCERS) directs and choreographs a stellar cast led by Tony-winner JOHN CULLUM (URINETOWN), BRANDON VICTOR DIXON (THE COLOR PURPLE), and COLMAN DOMINGO (PASSING STRANGE) on The Vineyard’s intimate stage. Do not miss your chance to see the next major American musical from the Tony Award-winning VINEYARD THEATRE."

Just when you thought there weren't anymore new Kander and Ebb musicals, The Scottsboro Boys provides their canon with a very different entry. I'm very curious to see what Susan Stroman creates this spring. Kudos to the Vineyard Theatre for developing this piece and giving it a home in New York.

4. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Written by Alex Timbers
Music & Lyrics by Michael Friedman

"Following a sold-out run at last year’s Public LAB, BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON returns! BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON audaciously redefines America’s seventh president, the man who invented the Democratic Party and doubled the size of our nation, with a raucous blend of outrageous comedy, anarchic theatricality and an infectious emo rock score. "

After a successful development production of the musical, I'm ecstatic that the Public chose to produce a full production. The writers, who frequently work with The Civilians, have created a musical that is destined to have a cult following. I really hope that this becomes a hot ticket downtown.

5. Million Dollar Quartet
Written by Colin Escot and Floyd Mutrux

“MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is the new smash-hit musical inspired by the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley for the first and only time. On December 4, 1956, these four young musicians gathered at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions ever. MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET brings that legendary night to life, featuring a score of rock hits including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "That's All Right," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "Walk the Line," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Who Do You Love?," "Matchbox," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Hound Dog" and more.”

This musical was a smash hit out in Chicago and begins its Broadway run this spring at the Nederlander Theater. In my eyes, this musical will either be a huge smash or might not find its audience. It also might be overshadowed by the fact that Memphis has many similar attributes. At the same time, I'm really looking forward to seeing what the book writers did to create a story that uses these great songs to elevate the circumstances of the plot.

6. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger
Music & Lyrics by Bono and The Edge

"Drawing from over 40 years of Marvel comic books for inspiration, Spider-Man spins a new take on the mythic tale of a young man propelled from a modest rowhouse in Queens to the sky-scraping spire of the Chrysler Building, the bustling offices of the Daily Bugle, through the dizzying canyons of Manhattan, to new vistas never before seen. The musical follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is turned upside-down — literally — when he's bitten by a genetically altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to his bedroom ceiling. This bullied science-geek — suddenly endowed with astonishing powers — soon learns, however, that with great power comes great responsibility as villains test not only his physical strength but also his strength of character. Spider-Man's battles will hurtle the audience through an origin story both recognizable and unexpected — yielding new characters as well as familiar faces — until a final surprising confrontation casts a startling new light on this hero's journey."

It doesn't get anymore of a toss up than this webbed musical. Of course, by now you've probably read about all of the troubles this musical has gone through this year. For me, I'm just happy they now have a plan to move forward and get this piece onto the stage of the Hilton Theater. If there is one thing on this earth that is true, it is that whatever Julie Taymor touches is always interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing this piece come to life.

7. In Transit -
Written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan and Sara Wordsworth

"In this fresh take on the modern musical, seven performers take on multiple roles and create every note with their own voices for a rich theatrical experience unlike anything you've ever seen (or heard) on stage before. Inspired by the rhythms and sounds of life on the subway, In Transit follows an aspiring actress, a fledgling financier, a street-savvy beatboxer, a cab driver, and others as they find their way in New York City. The result is a vivid tapestry of characters and music in the City that never stands still."

I cannot tell you how excited I am that this musical is getting a New York City Premiere! It has all the elements to be a successful fan favorite Off-Broadway. This story, told through a capella music and a beat boxer, weaves a wonderful tapestry about New Yorkers that is original and full of fun and heart.

8. American Idiot -

Book by Billy Joe Armstrong & Michael Mayer
Lyrics by Billy Joe Armstrong
Music by Green Day

"Green Day won two Grammys for its multi-platinum album American Idiot, which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. Now those searing songs seize the stage with the director behind Spring Awakening, the groundbreaking musical that earned eight Tony Awards and enthralled audiences around the world. American Idiot follows working-class characters from the suburbs to the city to the Middle East, as they seek redemption in a world filled with frustration. This high-octane show features every track from the album, plus several new tunes from Green Day’s newest release, 21st Century Breakdown. With an on-stage band and a cast of 19, American Idiot will take you on an exhilarating journey borne along by Green Day’s electrifying songs."

Since this project started its development, I have been camped out for its inevitable New York Premiere. One of my biggest hopes for the musical theatre is that popular music artists will have a story to tell on the musical stage. Paired with collaborators from the theatre world, I think this type of storytelling can be electric. We've seen through pieces like Passing Strange and Spring Awakening that there are stories that are meant to be told on the stage by people who aren't your typical writers. There's a place for all of these pieces in the canon. I'm so excited that Billy Joe Armstrong decided to be bold and work with Michael Mayer and Tom Kitt to bring their story to the stage.

So that is what I'm excited for this year. What excites YOU about the musical theatre for the new year? Leave your comments and vote on the poll.

Best Broadway Musicals of the 2000s

As we say our goodbyes to the first decade of the new millennium, I thought it would be fun to look back at the musical theatre of the past decade. For me, I thought there were many groundbreaking pieces that have stretched the expectation of what a musical can be.

That being said, here is my list of the Best Broadway Musicals of the 2000s:

15. The Producers - this musical won the most Tony Awards in Broadway history and proved that a "Golden Age" book musical can be a success on Broadway today.

14. Taboo - You might be surprised that Taboo made my list, but I actually saw this show twice! This wonderful musical was overshadowed by the media going after Rosie O'Donnell. If you don't believe me, just think about how in an interview at the end of that season, Stephen Sondheim thought Taboo was the most underrated show of the year!

13. Urinetown - I don't think I ever laughed so hard in a theater as the night I saw Urinetown. I always wonder how much longer the show would have run if it wasn't forced to close due to the demolition of Henry Miller's Theater. Since it closed, I don't think this show has had the kind of life that I would have hoped. I think that many community theatres and colleges haven't acknowledged the satirical nature of this show and hope that some high profile regional theaters will right this ship.

12. Xanadu - I will never forget going to see Xanadu in the second week of previews because I heard it was awful and I wanted to see the damage. Little did I know that I would absolutely LOVE this musical. Douglas Carter Beane did the seemingly impossible: take a terrible film, give it some dramatic relevancy, and create a wonderfully crafted musical.

11. [title of show] - the little musical that could got its shot at Broadway and am so happy that this musical had a future life after its production at the Vineyard.

10. The Drowsy Chaperone - showed audiences that an original musical that is in the style of the classic musical can be a smash hit. It was such a thrill for me to see audiences of all ages enjoy such a positive musical.

9. Passing Strange - From me, this was one of the most exciting musicals I've seen. From the moment the story begins, you are treated to a completely different type of musical storytelling. One of the biggest movements I support is artists coming in from the "outside" and share their musical stories and Stew started a trend I hope will catch on with other artists.

8. Caroline, Or Change - Kushner and Tesori wrote one of the most powerful musicals in the canon of the musical theatre. I will never forget seeing this show early in its Broadway run and finding so much to connect with.

7. Next to Normal - One of my favorite scores of the past decade, I was so inspired by this musical when I saw it at Second Stage. It was so excited to see a contemporary story being told in a perfect contemporary musical style.

6. In the Heights - In the same vein, In the Heights is remarkable for using contemporary Latin rhythms and melody to tell its beautiful and fun story. I remember seeing the show at 37 Arts and telling friends that day that it will win the Tony for Best Musical when it transferred.

5. Avenue Q - One of the biggest thrills of any of the Tony Awards this past decade was when Avenue Q took the prize for Best Musical. It absolutely was the best musical of that year and gave the musical theatre cannon a very different entry.

4. Hairspray - To this day, I still think that Hairspray is one of the best musicals of the past 25 years. When I saw it early previews, I was sold in the first 10 minutes that this was going to be a smash hit. There are moments, like the song "Welcome to the 60s", that I think are among the best pieces of musical theatre dramatic writing that we have. Unfortunately, the movie version is not very faithful to the stage version and most people's perception of the musical is now skewed.

3. The Light In the Piazza - This is the only Broadway musical I ever saw twice in the same month! I was absolutely floored by the beauty and craftsmanship of this musical. I am still so disappointed that this musical didn't take home Best Musical after winning six Tonys! (The top honor went to Spamalot)

2. Spring Awakening - When I saw this musical early in previews, I didn't know what to think of it. I said to myself: I either didn't get what I just saw, or that was one of the most brilliant pieces of musical theatre I've ever seen. I saw the show again the week of the Tony Awards and realized that my opinion was more akin to the latter. The way the authors use contemporary music to tell a story in a timeless way was so well crafted. It was such a thrill to see teenagers and parents in the theater experiencing this musical and being able to have a mature conversation about the nature of sexuality. I can only hope that this piece stays alive in the canon and can be a conversation starter for generations to come.

And the Best of the Best Broadway Musicals of the 2000s goes to..........Michael John LaChiusa's The Wild Party

1. The Wild Party - This selection, to those who know me, is made without any hesitation. I am absolutely enamored with the craftsmanship and artistry of the musicals of Michael John LaChiusa. I think that he is the preeminent contemporary musical theatre artist who has the best toolkit to write in a mature way, but connect with a wide audience. With The Wild Party, he does everything I hope for in a new musical. He challenges standard form, he creates a whole aural world, he dramatically integrates every character to have a specific purpose, and he creates an entertaining way to tell us something about our present state. I can only hope that he will grace Broadway again with another wonderful musical.

So there we are! I hope that you've enjoyed my posts for 2009 and hope that you will join me in this new year to get some perspective about the musical theatre. That being said, why don't you take a moment and click the link that says "Subscribe" to make sure you never miss a post.

Thank you and happy new year!