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By Peter Filichia If he’d never done Company, few of us Broadway-centric types would have given much thought to the death of 84-year-old Dean Jones last week. But in 1970, the actor just happened to find himself in one of the great legendary musicals of the twentieth century. Jones had the leading role of Bobby, the […]

By Peter Filichia We’re continuing to celebrate what would have been Alan Jay Lerner’s 97th birthday on August 31. Let’s hope that he would have regarded this column as a present. Last week, we talked about Brigadoon, Lerner’s first hit that had received raves from all nine (!) newspaper critics. Robert Coleman in the Mirror called it […]

By Peter Filichia Let’s get ready to celebrate what would have been Alan Jay Lerner’s 97th birthday on August 31. Alas, we lost him on June 14, 1986, when he was but sixty-seven years old. At least his most enduring works can be found here at Masterworks Broadway. Let’s start with Brigadoon, his first hit […]

By Peter Filichia A great big Broadway show’s overture starts with a majestic flourish that indicates that something important is going to happen. That’s followed by the snazziest tune in the score before the tempo slows down and the Big Ballad comes in. And yet, that third component doesn’t happen in the new #MWBVault release, Woman […]

Oh, Pinocchio! By Peter Filichia “This is a book that deserves attention” says Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump of Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes’ The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney.  But Simon & Schuster isn’t bringing it out until October 20. So while we’re waiting, we can get a Mickey Rooney fix […]