MUSIC WHILE WAITING By Peter Filichia
Fifty-five years ago, audiences saw Charity Hope Valentine stuck in an elevator with Oscar Lindquist. As it turned out, she was the braver individual and helped calm down the claustrophobic. As the title character of SWEET CHARITY, Gwen Verdon was marvelous – so what else was new? – in showing Charity’s concern for anyone in […]
HAL HOLBROOK’S LOST MUSICAL CHANCE By Peter Filichia
He was known – and always will be known – for bringing Mark Twain back to life. But indeed, Hal Holbrook might well have become a star of Broadway musicals had he got the chance. When I heard of his death on Jan. 23rd, I recalled our conversation of nineteen years ago. It began with […]
KIDS MASTER MASTERWORKS BROADWAY MUSICALS By Peter Filichia
To be sure, we savor many wonderful songs when we hear the original cast albums of ANNIE, INTO THE WOODS, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE and OLIVER! And yet, when we see and hear children sing selections from these scores, we get an additional treat. The Junior Theater Festival, held last month, saw kids perform hits from […]
ANOTHER WEST SIDE STORY GOES VINYL By Peter Filichia
When you get the newly released Original Cast Album of WEST SIDE STORY on vinyl (available exclusively at Barnes & Noble), pretend you’re getting this recording in 1957 as tens of thousands did. The packaging on the new issue has the same front jacket showing Larry Kert as Tony and Carol Lawrence as Maria running […]
REMEMBERING REBECCA LUKER By Peter Filichia
In December, I, along with thousands of others, gave a great deal of thought to the late, great Rebecca Luker. But for the last couple of decades, I’ve always thought about her each January. For on the January 19th, 1999, I was in the bowels of the Martin Beck Theatre doing a story on Bobby […]
