Category Archives: Theatre

Comparison: Theatre-on-the-Hill’s Back to the 80s (Original Song List)

It is no secret that Theatre-on-the-Hill’s latest summer endeavor was the jukebox musical: Back to the 80s. Originally created in 2004 in Sydney, Australia written by Neil Gooding with original musical adaptation by Scott Copeman, Back to the 80s features pop songs and music from the 80s. Knowing this, I decided to take the time to breakdown all the songs as listed on the original website and provide a U.S. release date with additional notes (if necessary). Also where available I have included music videos of the songs from YouTube:

Song Title Original Artist Year Released Notes
ACT ONE
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go Wham! 1984 Recorded 1984
Kids In America Kim Wilde 1982 Recorded 1980
Girls Just Want To Have Fun Cyndi Lauper 1983 Recorded 1983
Footloose Kenny Loggins 1984 Recorded 1983
Mickey Toni Basil 1982 Recorded 1981
** Note: Mickey was originally a cover for Kitty by Racey that was released in 1979.
Video Killed the Radio Star The Buggles 1979 Recorded 1979
** Note: Video Killed the Radio Star was widely known as the first music video to premiere on MTV in the U.S. in 1981 despite the video having been released in the U.K. in 1979.
Believe It or Not Peter Cetera 1981 Theme Song: The Greatest American Hero
Let’s Hear It For The Boy Deniece Williams 1984 Recorded 1984
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) The Proclaimers 1993 Recorded 1988; Released 1988 in U.K.
** Note: Since it was released in the U.K. in 1988 it fit the 80s fold, however it was not officially released in the U.S. until 1993.
You Give Love A Bad Name Bon Jovi 1986 Recorded 1986
Man In The Mirror Michael Jackson 1988 Recorded 1987
ACT TWO
Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now Starship 1987 Recorded 1986
Love Shack The B-52s 1989
Total Eclipse of the Heart Bonnie Tyler 1983 Recorded 1982
Walking On Sunshine Katrina and the Waves 1985 Recorded 1983 / 1985
Get Outta My Dreams
(Get Into My Car) 		Billy Ocean 1988 Recorded 1987
Centerfold J. Geils Band 1981 Recorded 1981
Lost in Your Eyes Debbie Gibson 1989 Recorded 1988; Released 1988 in the U.K.
Never Gonna Give You Up Rick Astley 1987 Recorded 1987
Material Girl Madonna 1985 Recorded 1984
Don’t Worry, Be Happy Bobby McFerrin 1988 Recorded 1988
Come on Eileen Dexy’s Midnight Runners 1982 Recorded 1981 / 1982
(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life Bill Medley /
Jennifer Warnes 		1987

Review: Natural Talent Productions’ Into the Woods

Show: INTO THE WOODS
Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Book: James Lapine 		Location: Natural Talent Productions
Director: Raegan Kotz
Music Director: Harrison Ashley

Straight from Music Theatre International:

An ambivalent Cinderella? A blood-thirsty Little Red Ridinghood? A Prince Charming with a roving eye? A Witch…who raps? They’re all among the cockeyed characters in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s fractured fairy tale. When a Baker and his Wife learn they’ve been cursed with childlessness by the Witch next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell, swindling, lying to and stealing from Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel and Jack (the one who climbed the beanstalk). Everyone’s wish is granted at the end of Act One, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. What begins a lively irreverent fantasy in the style of The Princess Bride becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.

Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods was Natural Talent Productions third show at the Arcada Theatre (the first two being Little Shop of Horrors and Jesus Christ SuperStar). With the intent of having a Junior version of the show in the mornings and the original production on afternoons and evenings over the course of the weekends… a bit overkill in my opinion but I can understand the intent for the most part. Me and my friends that went with me all kind of agreed that a more effective way of using both the original production and the junior version would be to have the junior version be the matinee shows and the original production be the evening shows all over the course of the weekend. Would seem to make the most sense, but I digress.

Let’s start with the set, I was pleasantly surprised with what they decided to do for set pieces when introducing the characters… rather ingenious in a way. I really liked seeing the curtains open and you see three life-sized books there that actually open up to reveal the actors in their individual scenes, very well done. When the books closed and were moved off to the side I was a bit put off kilter when I saw the set for the actual “woods”. Though using a video backdrop of the woods was one thing, and it flowed well with the individual trees in the foreground… two massive trees on either side of the stage seemed rather out of place until you realize their primary uses. The tree on stage right was where Milky White the Cow was primarily placed against while the tree on stage left was used to cover up the tower that Rapunzel stayed and later Jack and the Baker would perch while waiting for the giant.
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Review: Theatre-on-the-Hill’s Back to the 80s

Show: BACK TO THE 80s
Music and Lyrics: Neil Gooding
Original Musical Adaption: Scott Copeman 		Location: Theatre-on-the-Hill
Director: Michael Fudala
Vocal Director: Sharon Hand

Theatre-on-the-Hill‘s latest summer foray is the family friendly musical Back to the 80s. At first glance one would say that Back to the 80s is Grease set to the 80s and using popular 80s music. With a storyline revolving around various cliques that would be familiar to any audience member:

Set in the USA, Back To The 80’s tells the story of the senior class of William Ocean High School that graduated in the 1980’s, as remembered and seen through the eyes of middle-aged Corey Palmer (Scott Bovaird).

The then 17-year-old Corey (Caleb Hand) is madly in love with his next-door neighbour, Tiffany Houston (Kristina Parro), one of the coolest girls in the school. However, she barely notices this, as she is too busy mooning over Michael Feldman (Victor Rachal), the hottest guy around. Michael and his friends (Jon Worlton, Jonathan O’Brien, Kayaun Pierce) are athletic and good-looking – the kind of guys that Corey and his two best friends (Jon Slowik and Troy Schaeflein) dream of being. However, while they may not be the coolest guys in school, they are still one up on Feargal McFerrin III (Kevin Nepomuceno), whose best friend is his computer, and who believes the crazy notion that one day CD’s will replace cassette tapes.

Several new students arrive at the school – Mel and Kim Easton (the all-singing, all-dancing twin cheerleaders played by Rachel Slowik and Teri Karl respectively) and Eileen Reagan (Deana Vazquez), who tries desperately to fit in.

Meanwhile the teachers are having issues of their own: Mr Cocker (Scott Boland), after being in a relationship for a year with the apparently conservative English teacher, Miss Sheena Brannigan (Guinevere McGahan), confiscates an old edition of Penthouse from a student, only to discover a wedge that could drive them apart.

Throw in a Star Wars dream sequence complete with Yoda (Joseph Bovaird), high-energy dance routines, the obligatory 80’s party scene, copious amounts of blue eye-shadow, twenty cans of hairspray, as well as some of the most popular songs ever written, and the result is a musical that will not only delight and amuse an audience of any age, but will also inspire any young cast.

Scott Bovaird, the narrator going through his memories of his senior year probably had the one of, if not the most, difficult part in the whole show. Being a narrator is one thing, the fact that what he says or does pretty much cues everyone else in the cast, well that’s a different thing entirely. Scott has been strong and consistent through every viewing of the production. Though he didn’t have much to do as an actor, he does some measure of singing that was not just respectable, but well-done. Singing songs like “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” made famous by Wham!, “Shot Through the Heart” aka “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi, and “Love Stinks” from the J Geils Band.
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Entertainment: Final Fantasy in Concert 25th Anniversary

Yes I am a geek… I am a full fledged geek. I LOVE the Final Fantasy series, but not for the gaming aspect of it, but for the graphics and the music. Oh. Em. Gee. the music… I am so in love with the music. In fact I am such a lover of music that I have been to almost every Final Fantasy Concert that have come through Chicago. Now that there is a 25th Anniversary Concert of the Final Fantasy Concert Series coming to Chicago in December…? Let’s just say I was so excited that I got my ticket already.

The first concert to come through Chicago was aptly named: Dear Friends – Music from Final Fantasy. In fact it was the second Final Fantasy related concert to grace North America, and it was a big deal… the biggest ticket in town for those of us who were major fans of the series. So in 2005 on February 19th, out in the Rosemont Theatre (now the Akoo Theatre) the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra perform the following pieces from the Final Fantasy repetoire:

SET ORDER SONG TITLE FINAL FANTASY GAME
1. “Liberi Fatali” Final Fantasy VIII
2. “At Zanarkand” Final Fantasy X
3. “Terra” Final Fantasy VI
4. “Theme of Love” Final Fantasy IV
5. “Dear Friends” Final Fantasy V
6. “Vamo’ Alla Flamenco” Final Fantasy IX
7. “Love Grows” Final Fantasy VIII
INTERMISSION
8. “Aerith’s Theme” Final Fantasy VII
9. “You are not Alone” Final Fantasy IX
10. “Ronfaure” Final Fantasy XI
11. “Medley” Final Fantasy I, II, III
12. “Cloud Smiles” Final Fantasy VII Advent Children
13. “Final Fantasy Theme” Final Fantasy series
ENCORE
14. “One-Winged Angel” Final Fantasy VII

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Review and SPOILERS: Love Never Dies (Australian Cast)

If The Phantom of the Opera was considered a project of the composer’s love to his muse at the time, then Love Never Dies could be the composer’s desire to return to those glory days knowing full well it could never happen.

For over two decades, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (he was knighted in 1992 and became a life peer in 1997 with the title of Baron Lloyd-Webber, of Sydmonton in the County of Hampshire and sits in the House of Lords) had mentioned the possibility of creating a sequel for the beloved musical Phantom of the Opera that he created in 1986. He started working on the sequel as early as 1990 but did not start composing until over a decade and half later, but lost the score in an announced cat-astrophe, convenient and suspect to be sure.

Three years later the production, Love Never Dies, opened in the West End in London to mixed/negative reviews. During the previews the production was tooled and retooled and retooled again in hopes to garner positive reviews from critics and/or audiences but closed in 2011 after a mere eighteen month run.

The production team, taking what they learned from the West End, redesigned the musical and opened in Melbourne, Australia in May 2011. This time the musical garnered much more positive reviews, it was at Melbourne that they taped the show for DVD and eventually the production moved to Sydney for a limited engagement.

Over the course of the past couple of years there was much hype leading into the opening production with Katherine Jenkins singing her rendition of the title track:

Ramin Karimloo also created a music video of the Phantom’s opening solo of the production featuring the original Christine of Love Never Dies Sierra Boggess:

The original intent of opening Love Never Dies simultaneously at the West End, New York, Shanghai never really materialized with the production in New York to be delayed indefinitely and the Shanghai development ending in favor of opening an Australian production. However, some of us Phantom Phanatics wanted to see the production: Love Never Dies, and were granted a reprieve when a DVD version of the show was to be aired on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) just a day or two after the DVD officially released in the U.S.

A week or two ago I finally found the time to sit down and watch this DVD… after having heard the soundtrack within months after the initial released I was curious enough to see what the production entailed. Curious to see why it worked in some places and not in others.
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Review: The Jersey Boys Tour – Chicago Stop

Jersey Boys came to Chicago in early April for a two month stay. I finally found the time to go and watch this production with a friend. Though I generally enjoyed the music from the Four Seasons, I wasn’t really a huge fan, so when a musical based on the rise and fall of the Four Seasons came out I was skeptical. To me it seemed to fall into the world of the “Jukebox Musical”.

What is a “Jukebox Musical”? Well I suppose the most basic definition would be a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score.

Some of the more known / popular jukebox musicals include:
– Mamma Mia
– American Idiot
– Million Dollar Quartet
– Rock of Ages

But we’re talking about The Jersey Boys and as apprehensive as I was coming in, I enjoyed this show more than I thought I would. The cast, the staging, the music… and I heard the music soundtrack ahead of time and enjoyed that. When looking at The Jersey Boys Tour website, I noticed that there were two tours going on simultaneously. Of the two tours, Chicago got the “Tour 1” cast which included:
– Preston Truman Boyd as Bob Gaudio
– Joseph Leo Bwarie as Frankie Valli
– John Gardiner as Tommy DeVito
– Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi
And man… don’t they look pretty. 😛

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Review: Lemont High School’s production of Chicago

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Normally it would take a lot for me to think about going to see a high school production. Not only that but I’m not really a fan of the Chicago musical either, but what brought me ultimately to see this particular high school production was because one of the students I tutored in mathematics was a part of it. What makes this student different from most anyone else is the fact that for someone as cerebral as she is, auditioning for a play, let alone a musical is a huge step away from her norm. It was a risk, but when it came out that she was called back for the part of Velma Kelly (mind you this is her first audition), but ultimately cast in ensemble… it meant a great deal for her, and I vowed to do what I can to see her in it.

Fortunately time was by my side, with rehearsal over by five, I had enough time to relax and then ultimately head over to Lemont High School to see her production, what I didn’t expect to see was her not only in the ensemble, but also w/ lines as the Bailiff in the trial of Roxie Hart. As her math tutor I was more than proud for her, she did something that was completely and totally out of her comfort zone and not only did she find that she enjoyed it, she actually caught the acting bug as well.

What caught my attention from the get go was the actress that played Roxie Hart. Roxie, to me, was suppose to be this annoying little chit while Velma Kelly should be the starlet that needed a real breakthrough. Instead the girl that played Roxie totally stole the show while the girl that played Velma bored me half to death.

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Review: Emursive presents Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More

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Early in April (the first weekend of April) I made a trip to New York City to watch a couple of theatre productions for one of the blogs that I write for. While there I saw Disney’s the Newsies the Musical and Once the Musical… in fact my impressions of those particular shows have been posted on my blog already.

There is one show – if it can be considered a “show” – that I also went to that went beyond all words and description that it literally took me a few months to truly comprehend what I had experienced and realized that when I go back to New York, I would be more than willing to plop down more to see the production a few more times. Yes, a few… and I’ve already “seen” it twice.

British Theatre Company: Punchdrunk made the trip over the ocean to introduce the Americans to a new kind of theatre experience with the presentation of Sleep No More. They first made their debut in Brookline, Massachusetts, when they took over an abandoned school and transformed it into a variety of scenes that delve into the world of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and tying this Shakespearan tragedy into the world of the Speakeasy / Film Noir.

Even now I am having difficulty organizing my thoughts on this fantastical production. I’ll see what I can do though:
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Fleeting: Sense and Sensibility the Musical by Jeffrey Haddow and Neal Hampton

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Back in late-September of 2011, I went to New York City to watch the up and coming musical: Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice via the New York Musical Festival.

When I first listened to the music for Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice created by Lindsay Warren Baker and Amanda Jacobs, I would admit, as much as I enjoyed pieces of the music I wasn’t completely sold. Until I went to see this production live on stage… seeing everything put together did the music come to life to me. Not necessarily a good thing, but it does bring the audience goer deeper into the story.

The music of Sense & Sensibility by Jeffrey Haddow and Neal Hampton is very similar to that for me. When listening to the music, I was intrigued, but very few songs drew me in. One of these being “I Must Have Sense” that Elinor sings to Marianne in an attempt to prevent herself from breaking down in the possibility of losing her sister.

In the meantime while reading my RSS Feed I found out that one Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Tony nominee for Best Direction of a Musical of the 2009’s revival of Ragtime) was tapped to direct the production at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts for their 2012-2013 season.

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Personal Endeavors: Stage Musical “Wish List”

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Ask any actor/actress that enjoys being a part of theatre, chances are they probably have a short list of shows and/or roles they’d love to play. I’m no different despite this being more of a hobby for me than anything. Although I don’t have a stage play short list (I am usually game to most anything) I do have a musical theatre short list… two of those musicals I have either already done or am doing, so what do I have left?

Well let’s start with what I have already done:
– City of Angels
Yes, I was even willing to grow a beard for a show. =) I loved the musical: City of Angels ever since I first heard “The Tennis Song”, so when I read up on the synopsis of the show and started listening to more of the music I knew that this was a production I just HAD to be a part of. Little did I know what the director at Theatre-on-the-Hill had in store for me…

City of Angels is NOT based off the Nicholas Cage movie of the same name. Instead it is about a writer whose is hired to adapt a popular book of his for the big screen. As we follow the writer go through the perils of working in Hollywood we are also watching scenes from his movie unfold concurrently. Changes he has made in the script are seen live on the stage as it happens.

What I love about this particular show is how two seemingly separate storylines are intertwined. There are particular moments in the shows where you see only one story or the other, and sometimes you see them both happening concurrently. Sure it forces you to think more than the average show, but once you get it, it makes the whole thing even funnier and worthwhile.

There was one conversation I had with a friend whose career is in the performing arts and we agreed that if someone is truly serious about acting and performing they better damn well be willing to make a fool of themself on stage. Pride, image, ego, etc goes right out the door, there is simply no room for it. If you’re not willing to “look ugly” on stage, then you’re not really serious about acting.

I swallowed my pride for my art and to this day people still remember that role. That’s making an impression. People don’t always remember the leads or the straight forward roles, they tend to remember the crazy, off beat, quirky characters. Plus you have fun along the way. =)

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SPOILERS: Disney’s the Newsies the Musical

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There have been a lot of questions swirling about in regards to the changes between the original Disney film the Newsies and the stage musical production of the same name.

In my original review I made a point of glossing over any major plot / character changes that may reveal too much of what is going to happen in the stage production. However, I am sure that there are people out there that are curious about what changes were made in the musical and how was the storyline changed.

Well I am posting that for you… mind you this is a SPOILER and all bits about the changes in the show will be just beyond the break. You enter at your own risk and as thus you cannot blame me for spoiling the musical for you.

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Review: Cats the Musical on Tour – Chicago Stop

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In the first week of May, the touring production of Cats the Musical opened for its week long stint in Chicago. For a little bit of history, Cats the Musical is based off a collection of poems from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, the musical itself was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with Lyrics by Trevor Nunn. On the Great White Way, Cats is currently the second longest running musical, surpassed only by Phantom of the Opera (another Andrew Lloyd Webber musical).

When Cats was on Broadway, I never got a chance to see it live, and I don’t believe I ever saw it live on stage. When the video of a stage production came out in 1998, I was more than content with that version that I could watch on my leisure, that is until I realized that there was a scene/song cut from the original production that was not in the film production. If you are a huge fan of Cats then you would know that I am referring to: Growltiger’s Last Stand, incorporating either ‘The Ballad Of Billy M’Caw’ or the Italian aria ‘In Una Tepida Notte’.

My understanding is that Cats is such a long show that most groups that even attempt to put this production together are likely to cut and carve and snip away to make it easier for either their cast, or the audience wouldn’t think that this was such a long show to bear through. This is such an intensive dancing and singing production that it requires a very strong cast that can do both efficiently and brilliantly. This touring production did just that.

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Review: Once the Musical – Original Broadway Production

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I’ll admit, I was a bit hesitant about this particular musical. I have never really been a huge fan of musicals that were based off of straight movies (Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde, Ghost, Shrek, Footloose), moreso if the movie never really had songs in them except for background. However, once in a while there would be a musical that is based off a movie that I may be willing enough to see (State Fair, The Bodyguard, Newsies) mainly because in a way those movies were seemingly made for musical theatre. Once on the other hand teetered at a knife’s edge for me. I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it or how it would be staged, so when a co-blogger of mine from PureSYTYCD.com got tix to see Once the Musical, I went… with reservations.

Walking into the theater, you automatically realize that this particular show is not going to be like anything you’ve seen before. Think of it this way, when you’re first walking into the Jacobs Theatre the atmosphere is festive, joyous and at first you think it’s music playing in the house. However, it’s not coming from the speakers and it’s not a record, instead you to the stage and realize that the cast is actually doing a kind of pre-show for the audience… a warm-up act if you will. Not only that, but those audience members sitting up in front or even if they have time to run to the stage are allowed to come on stage and join the cast! I haven’t seen or heard anything like it.

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Review: Disney’s the Newsies, the Musical – Original Broadway Production

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When The Newsies first came out to movie theaters in 1992, it was well known as a massive financial and commercial flop. The star of the movie, Christian Bale, was said to have hated the movie so much that he reportedly wouldn’t talk or even acknowledge its existence in his acting career (but between you and me Christian should thank his lucky stars that the Newsies was a flop otherwise it wouldn’t have given him the drive to improve himself as an actor and therefore be an Oscar winner today – but that’s a different story).

Fast forward a couple of decades and the Newsies became a massive cult classic… what started as a flop in movie theaters across the country became a cult classic when put on VHS and DVD (I know I’m guilty of that). So when it came out that Disney Theatrical was working on a musical version of the beloved movie, the general consensus was cautiously positive and with just cause because the movie did not do well how would a stage production fare?

So Disney got smart, they tested the show out of town to positive reviews, reworked a few things here and there and brought it to Broadway on a limited but open ended engagement. Next thing you know it has been a packed house ever since.

Being a Newsies fan I was intrigued with the concept of the stage production and so far liked what I saw. However, knowing that some pieces of the storytelling got changed or rearranged, songs got cut others got added in, I was reasonably apprehensive. Was Disney selling out the integrity of the story in favor of catering to a larger audience? I didn’t quite know what to think, so originally I decided to wait until the soundtrack came out to make my decision of whether to see the show live or not… originally.

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Review: U.S. Tour of In the Heights – Chicago

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In mid January, I took my Mexican friend to see In the Heights when they stopped in Chicago for obvious reasons, as in, with so much Spanish included in the book I wanted to bring someone that would understand and appreciate the Spanish… turns out I was right.

This production sparkled, there was chemistry in places that I didn’t believe there would be at first glance, the singing was spot on and emotional. The comedic moments shone through and the dancing was more than just amazing, the choreography was absolutely perfect, if not exceeded the first U.S. Tour when it went through Chicago a few years ago. The central character: Usnavi seemed a bit breath-y in a few of his bits… not the same silky smooth rhythm of Lin-Manuel Miranda, but he did a respectable job overall.

Nina was a bit younger looking than I expected her to be in comparison to the other “young” characters in the cast. Although this was at first was a distraction, eventually her singing won out as well as her chemistry with her romantic opposite.

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