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DIVA TALK: Chatting with In the Heights' Priscilla Lopez, "Idols" Sing Lloyd Webber and More
By Andrew Gans
25 Apr 2008
"AMERICAN IDOL"
Well, Andrew Lloyd Webber night at "American Idol" has come and gone, and now only five contestants remain standing. What was more surprising than the performances — some of the shakiest of the season — was the elimination of Carly Smithson, the belty Irish native who I had hoped would be part of a final three that also includes the Davids, Archuleta and Cook. Although the contestants are usually given free reign in song choices, I think this particular evening would have benefited had Lloyd Webber been allowed to at least suggest possibilities for the young singers. Brooke White would have have better suited seated at the piano, singing "I Don't Know How to Love Them," although her rendition of "You Must Love Me" was no more disappointing than the original. And, I imagine Jason Castro chose "Memory" because it was the only Lloyd Webber tune he recognized, but he surely could have fared better with a less vocally challenging tune. That said, I did enjoy a few of the evening's performances. Despite a minor lyric fumble, I thought Archuleta's "Think of Me" was the standout of the night. It's unclear who created the pop arrangement of the Phantom tune, but it was a terrific adaptation, and Archuleta's vocals were as pure, smooth and beautiful as ever. Syesha Mercado brought life to "One Rock & Roll Too Many," although with such great songs for the picking (she could have really scored with "Unexpected Song" or "Tell Me On a Sunday"), it was difficult to muster too much enthusiasm for one of Lloyd Webber's least memorable offerings. And, David Cook again showed the power of his vocals in a shortened version of the Phantom anthem, "Music of the Night." I have to admit the most enjoyable moment for me was during the introduction of Lloyd Webber's career and a snippet of Patti LuPone's "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" was heard in the background. Who ever thought La LuPone would be heard on "American Idol"? Now, that is good singing! . . . What were your thoughts about this week's performances? E-mail me at agans@playbill.com.
DIVA TIDBITS
Speaking of Lloyd Webber, there are still tickets available for the remaining performances of Tell Me On a Sunday at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Actress Maxine Linehan — who doesn't possess the stellar vocals of Bernadette Peters or Marti Webb, but does win the audience over with a palpable vulnerability — stars in Lloyd Webber's song cycle about an English hat designer, which can be seen Sundays, April 27 and May 4, 11 and 18 at 7 PM. In the days leading up to the first performance in March, Linehan said, "This project has been a labor of love for me, and it's been in the making for awhile. Emma is a challenging character to play, not just vocally, she can be seen as pathetic to some but she's really just trying her hand at everything, trying to see which hat fits. She's dying for success and desperate for love, I mean how many of us can relate to that? I have a lot of parallels to Emma, having moved to the Big Apple from Ireland six years with a head full of dreams. And then there's the love life — well I am adept at choosing the wrong men! But New York can be an overwhelming place for even the most ambitious dreamer, finding yourself — and your place here — is the ultimate goal, I think." The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located within the West Bank Café at 407 West 42nd Street. Tickets are $30. There is a $15 food/beverage minimum. For reservations call (212) 695-6909.
Four performances of War of the Mama Roses will be presented at The Reprise Room at Dillons in May. Written and directed by Rick Skye, the production will play the Manhattan venue May 10 and 17 at 8 and 10 PM. Michael Ferreri is musical director. "All of the greats from Liza and Barbra to Peggy Lee and Carol Channing are coming to audition for the role of Mama Rose in Gypsy," according to press notes. "This rollicking valentine to all things show biz has these legendary ladies being put through their paces and displaying their singular talents in an attempt to grab the spotlight — and the mother of all musical comedy roles!" The cast will feature Steven Brinberg ("Simply Barbra"), Rick Skye ("A Slice O' Minnelli"), Chuck Sweeney ("Miss Peggy Lee") and Maggie Graham ("Carol Channeling") with Scott Nevins as The Director, who will "stop at nothing to get a performance from his leading ladies." Surprise guest artists will also be part of the four performances. The Reprise Room at Dillons is located in Manhattan at 245 West 54th Street. Tickets, priced $50, are available by calling (212) 352-3101.
The Songbook series — produced, directed and hosted by John F. Znidarsic — will continue April 29. Presented by Arts and Artists at St. Paul's, the free 6 PM concert at the Donnell Library Theater will pay tribute to the musicals of Sherman Yellen and the late Wally Harper. Concertgoers can expect to hear selections from Yellen and Harper's musicals This Fair World and Josephine Tonight. Among those scheduled to perform are Penny Fuller, Malcolm Gets, Marcus Neville, Jennifer Smith, Christianne Tisdale, Rachel Cohen, Natalie Venetia Belcon, Lorna Hampson, Kendrick Jones and Terry Burrell. Musical director is Michael Lavine. The Donnell Library Theater is located in Manhattan at 20 West 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. For further information call Arts and Artists at (212) 265-3495, ext. 336.
Four vastly different musicals will be featured during the 2008-2009 Reprise Theatre Company season, which was announced by artistic director Jason Alexander earlier this week. The season will kick off with Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Once on This Island, playing UCLA's Freud Playhouse Sept. 2-14. Billy Porter will direct the production with choreography by Bradley Rapier, the founder of the Groovaloos. The cast will include Yvette Cason, Vanita Harbour, Patina Miller, Jesse Nager, Leslie Odom Jr., Nita Whitaker and 2008 Grammy nominee Ledisi. I Love My Wife, which features music by the late Cy Coleman and book and lyrics by Michael Stewart, will follow, running Dec. 2-14 at the Brentwood Theatre on the V.A. campus. Larry Moss will direct a cast that includes artistic director Alexander as well as Vicki Lewis and Steven Weber. The season's most well-known offering is Dale Wasserman, Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion's Man of La Mancha, which will be seen at the Freud Playhouse Feb. 17, 2009-March 1, 2009. More than 3,300 underserved youth will be able to attend this production thanks to a partnership grant from The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation. And, the Reprise season will conclude with the rock musical Chess, which boasts a score by Abba's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and lyrics by Tony Award winner Tim Rice. This production of Chess, which features such tunes as "One Night in Bangkok" and "I Know Him So Well," will boast a new book penned by Richard Maltby, Jr. and will play the Freud Playhouse May 5-17, 2009. Subscription tickets are now available by visiting www.reprise.org or by calling the UCLA Central Ticket Office at (310) 825-2101.
Initial casting has been announced for the next two concerts in Scott Siegel's Broadway By the Year series at Manhattan's Town Hall. The Broadway Musicals of 1965 — featuring songs from musicals that bowed on Broadway during that year — will be presented May 12 and will feature the vocal talents of Brian d'Arcy James, Gregg Edelman, Marc Kudisch, Mandy Gonzalez and Julia Murney as well as the dancing of Kendrick Jones, Shannon Lewis, Melinda Sullivan and Lorin Latarro. The latter will also choreograph and stage the concert. The June 16 concert, The Broadway Musicals of 1979, will feature the talents of former Side Show stars Alice Ripley, Emily Skinner and Jeff McCarthy as well as Terri Klausner and Noah Racey. Skinner will direct. Both concerts begin at 8 PM. Town Hall is located in Manhattan at 123 West 43rd Street. Tickets, priced $45 and $50, are available by calling (212) 307-4100 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.the-townhall-nyc.org for more information.
Principal casting is now complete for the Hollywood Bowl's upcoming production of Les Misérables in Concert. As previously announced, the starry mix of stage and screen actors will boast J. Mark McVey as Valjean, a role the actor has played both on Broadway and in London's West End; Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, the star of Broadway's Ragtime, Man of La Mancha and Kiss Me, Kate, as Javert; Melora Hardin, the singer-actress who plays Jan Levinson on TV's "The Office," as Fantine; Spring Awakening's Lea Michele, who played the young Cosette in the original Broadway production of Les Miz, as Eponine; Emmy Award winner and former Grease, Seussical and Fiddler on the Roof star Rosie O'Donnell as Madame Thénardier; and Aaron Lazar as Enjolras, a role the actor played to much acclaim in the Les Miz revival. Newcomers to the company include Jersey Boys Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young as Marius, Curtains' Michael McCormick as Thenardier and Les Miserables' Michele Maika as Cosette with Sage Ryan (Robert Zemeckis' forthcoming "A Christmas Carol") as Gavroche and Maddie Levy (Oklahoma! and Oliver! at The Downey Civic Light Opera) as Young Cosette. Richard Jay-Alexander, the Broadway producer-director who has staged concerts for Bernadette Peters, Barbra Streisand, Betty Buckley and Bette Midler, will direct the Aug. 8-10 performances at the famed outdoor venue. Show times at the Bowl are Aug. 8 and 9 at 8:30 PM and Aug. 10 at 7:30 PM. The Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301 North Highland Avenue in Hollywood, CA. For tickets, call (323) 850-2000. Visit www.hollywoodbowl.com for more information.
Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.
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Andrew Lloyd Webber among the "American Idol" hopefuls and host Ryan Seacrest.
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| photo by ® and © FOX - americanidol.com |
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