San Jose Stage Company is proud to announce the nominations for the 2013 Bay Area High School Musical Theatre Stage Top Honor Awards.

Under the artistic direction of Spencer Williams, this awards program encourages and rewards exceptional accomplishments in the production of high school musical theatre across the Bay Area.

Nineteen private and public high school musical theatre programs competed in the 2013 Stage Top Honor Awards, modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards featuring shows such as Legally Blonde, Into the Woods, the US premiere of We Will Rock You!, The Sound of Music, Guys & Dolls and Cabaret.

The adjudicators (comprised of theatre professionals, performing artists, designers, and theatre arts educators) evaluated the musical theatre productions over the last seven months and have made their nominations in nineteen different performance and production categories. Recognition of outstanding achievement by students and educators will be made in the areas of performance (best lead and supporting actress/actor), design, direction, musical direction, choreography, technical production, and overall production excellence.

Broadway San Jose has partnered with San Jose Stage Company and they will be sending the Best Actress & Actor to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmy Awards) in New York City. The winners of The Jimmy Awards will be awarded a cash scholarship and a scholarship to NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts upon acceptance. The 5^th Annual NHS Musical Theatre Awards will take place at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City on July 1st, 2013. Tickets are now on sale.

Winners of the 2013 Stage Top Honor Awards will be announced at the Gala Ceremony on Monday, June 3^rd, 2013 at 7:00pm at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose.

For more information and tickets to the 2013 Top Honor Awards Gala please see http://www.thestage.org. 

(Listed in alphabetical order by school name)

GRAPHIC DESIGN:

• Mrs. Cathy Gamlen – Hillsdale High School – Cabaret
• Ms. Maura Feingold – Jewish Community High School – Into the Woods
• Ms. D.J. Zwicker-Sobrepena – Menlo-Atherton High School – Legally Blonde
• Mr. Jared Leake – Pinewood School – The Sound of Music
• Mr. Charlie Royce – San Mateo High School – Legally Blonde
• Ms. Jami Smith & Ms. Judi Fuller – Valley Christian High School – Guys and Dolls

HAIR/MAKE-UP DESIGN:

• Yssabelle Cutchon, Lauren Herbert & Ayah El-Fahmawi – American High School – The Wedding Singer
• Ms. Hillary Pedrotti – Heritage High School – We Will Rock You!
• Ms. Natalie Salvato, Ms. Allison Gamlen & Cabaret cast – Hillsdale High School – Cabaret
• Ms. Shenelle Williams – Pinewood School – The Sound of Music
• Ms. Sharon Lee & Loalynda Bird – San Mateo High School – Legally Blonde
• Ms. Denise Gutierrez – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed in Business…

COSTUME DESIGN:

• Mr. Troy River – American High School – The Wedding Singer
• Ms. Karen Brady – Archbishop Mitty High School – 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Ms. Tammy Vance – Heritage High School – We Will Rock You!
• Ms. Carolyn Leonard & Ms. Barbara Rosenberg – San Mateo High School – Legally Blonde
• Mr. Ted Curry – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed in Business…
• Ms. Caela Fujii – Valley Christian High School – Guys and Dolls

LIGHTING DESIGN:

• Danika Tatangsurja – Archbishop Mitty High School – 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Mr. Ryan Willer – Irvington High School – Bye Bye Birdie
• Zach Rezowalli – Los Gatos High School – Urinetown
• Mr. Joe McDonald – Jewish Community High School – Into the Woods
• Mr. Chris Pranzini – Piedmont Hills High School – Hairspray
• Dr. Kevin Quattrin – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed…

SOUND DESIGN:

• Mr. Brian Larsen & Nicholas Semenza – Harker School – Oklahoma!
• Conor Bard & Mr. Kevin Gallagher – Hillsdale High School – Cabaret
• Mr. Eric Lui – Irvington High School – Bye Bye Birdie
• Mr. Joe McDonald – Jewish Community High School – Into the Woods
• Mr. Mark Metzler – San Mateo High School – Legally Blonde
• Mr. Russell Carr – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed…

SCENIC DESIGN:

• Mr. Fred Chacon, Mr. Darrell Burson & Mr. Simon Lui – Alameda High School – All Shook Up
• Ms. Beth Zeigler – Irvington High School – Bye Bye Birdie
• Mr. Tim Nielson & Ms. Amy Carroll – Los Gatos High School – Urinetown
• Ms. Teresa Dewees – Palo Alto High School – Into the Woods
• Ms. Tiffany Woods – Piedmont Hills High School – Hairspray
• Mr. Ted Curry – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed…

DIRECTION:

• Mr. Frederick L. Chacon – Alameda High School – All Shook Up
• Mr. Doug Santana – Archbishop Mitty High School – 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Ms. Dylan Russell – Jewish Community High School – Into the Woods
• Mr. Tim Nielson – Los Gatos High School – Urinetown
• Ms. Kathleen Woods – Palo Alto High School – Into the Woods
• Mr. Ted Curry – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed…

CHOREOGRAPHY:

• Ms. Christina Lazo – Alameda High School – All Shook Up
• Ms. Katie O’Bryon – Harker School – Oklahoma!
• Ms. Kathleen Wehr – Los Gatos High School – Urinetown
• Ms. Tiffany Woods & Ms. Rachelle Taylor – Piedmont Hills High School – Hairspray
• Ms. Sara Cuddie – Presentation High School – Legally Blonde
• Ms. Robyn Tribuzi – San Mateo High School – Legally Blonde
• Mr. Ted Curry – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed…

MUSICAL DIRECTION:

• Ms. Stacy Aronovici – Aptos High School – Guys and Dolls
• Mr. Mason Kimont – Archbishop Mitty High School – 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Ms. Catherine Snider – Harker School – Oklahoma!
• Mr. Chris Marra & Ms. Maricel Riley – Los Gatos High School – Urinetown
• Ms. Shenelle Williams – Pinewood School – The Sound of Music
• Mr. Chad Zullinger – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed…

STUDENT ORCHESTRA:

• Alameda High School – All Shook Up
• American High School – The Wedding Singer
• Los Gatos High School – Urinetown
• Heritage High School – We Will Rock You!
• Palo Alto High School – Into the Woods
• Piedmont Hills High School – Hairspray
• Valley Christian High School – Guys and Dolls

CHORUS:

• Archbishop Mitty High School – 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Harker School – Oklahoma!
• Piedmont Hills High School – Hairspray
• Presentation High School – Legally Blonde
• San Mateo High School – Legally Blonde
• St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed…
• Valley Christian High School – Guys and Dolls

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS

• Rachel Menedez (Lorraine) – Alameda High School – All Shook Up
• Christina Chan (Rosie) – American High School – The Wedding Singer
• Shannon Haley (Marcy Park) – Archbishop Mitty High School – …Spelling Bee
• Lana Graves (Rapunzel) – Palo Alto High School – Into the Woods
• Jaleiah Bustos (Motormouth Maybelle) – Piedmont Hills High School – Hairspray
• Haley Longbottom (Liesl Von Trapp) – Pinewood School – The Sound of Music
• Alex Perroots (Brooke Wyndam) – Presentation High School – Legally Blonde

BEST FEATURED ACTOR

• Shahil Patel (George) – American High School – The Wedding Singer
• Alex Finlez (Britney Spears) – Heritage High School – We Will Rock You
• Noah Lerner (Professor Marvel/Oz) – Notre Dame High School – The Wizard of Oz
• Marcus Edholm (Rapunzel’s Prince) – Palo Alto High School – Into the Woods
• Aaron Slipper (Cinderella’s Prince) – Palo Alto High School – Into the Woods
• Carson Robinette (Rolf) – Pinewood School – The Sound of Music

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

• Macey Mae Hosick (Sylvia) – Alameda High School – All Shook Up
• Katherine Hauge (Logainne) – Archbishop Mitty High School – …Spelling Bee
• Shenel Ekici (Ado Annie) – Harker School – Oklahoma!
• Madeline Bustos (Meatloaf) – Heritage High School – We Will Rock You!
• Maggie Murray (Fraulein Schneider) – Hillsdale High School – Cabaret
• Lauren D’Ambrosio (Mae Peterson) – Irvington High School – Bye Bye Birdie
• Dana Cullinane (Penelope Pennywise) – Los Gatos High School – Urinetown

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

• Joseph Ruck (Dennis) – Alameda High School – All Shook Up
• Justin Gerard (Jud Frye) – Harker School – Oklahoma!
• Alex Hampton (Seaweed J. Stubbs) – Piedmont Hills High School – Hairspray
• Garrett Biggs (Max Detweiler) – Pinewood School – The Sound of Music
• Aaron Fore (Professor Callahan) – San Mateo High School – Legally Blonde
• Will Stricker (JB Biggley) – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed…
• Mitchel Mayes (Nicely-Nicely Johnson) – Valley Christian High School – Guys and Dolls

BEST LEADING ACTOR:

• Matt Myers (Nathan Detroit) – Aptos High School – Guys and Dolls
• Jake Rosenberg (The Baker) – Jewish Community High School – Into the Woods
• Rodd Farhadi (Bobby Strong) – Los Gatos High School – Urinetown
• Talmage Wise (Captain von Trapp) – Pinewood School – The Sound of Music
• Russell Zych (Emmett Forrest) – San Mateo High School – Legally Blonde
• Max Realevesquez (J. Pierrepont Finch) – St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed…
• Tyler Reynolds (Sky Masterson) – Valley Christian High School – Guys and Dolls

BEST LEADING ACTRESS:

• Mackenzie Cala (Natalie/Ed) – Alameda High School – All Shook Up
• Kara Jonsson (Miss Adelaide) – Aptos High School – Guys and Dolls
• Myha’la Herrold (Olive Ostrovsky) – Archbishop Mitty High School – …Spelling Bee
• Zinah Abraha (Scaramouche) – Heritage High School – We Will Rock You!
• Serena Koo (Hope Cladwell) – Los Gatos High School – Urinetown
• Hanna Berggren (Elle Woods) – Menlo-Atherton High School – Legally Blonde
• Leah Gallagher (Rosemary) – St. Ignatius High School – How to Succeed…

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNICAL THEATRE:

• Shannon Brown – Stage Manager – Archbishop Mitty High School – …Spelling Bee
• Kara Jonsson – Choreography – Aptos High School – Guys and Dolls
• Simon Orr – Stage Manager – Harker School – Oklahoma!
• Jacob Olsen – Sound Design – Heritage High School – We Will Rock You!
• Emily Bordelon – Set Designer – Notre Dame High School – The Wizard of Oz
• Madison Campione – Hair/Make-up – Notre Dame High School – The Wizard of Oz
• Henry Wilen – Lighting Designer – Palo Alto High School – Into the Woods
• Veronica Boyce – Student Technical Director – Pinewood School – The Sound of Music
• Kristina Spring – Stage Manager – Presentation High School – Legally Blonde

OVERALL PRODUCTION:

• Alameda High School – All Shook Up
• Archbishop Mitty High School – 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Harker School – Oklahoma!
• Heritage High School – We Will Rock You!
• Los Gatos High School – Urinetown
• San Mateo High School – Legally Blonde
• St. Ignatius College Prep – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

TOP HONOR NOMINATIONS BY PRODUCTION:

• (12) St. Ignatius College Prep
• (10) Archbishop Mitty High School
• (10) Los Gatos High School
• (9) Alameda High School
• (9) San Mateo High School
• (8) Harker School
• (8) Heritage High School
• (8) Pinewood School
• (7) Palo Alto High School
• (7) Piedmont Hills High School
• (6) Valley Christian High School
• (5) American High School
• (5) Jewish Community High School
• (4) Aptos High School
• (4) Hillsdale High School
• (4) Irvington High School
• (4) Presentation High School
• (3) Notre Dame High School
• (2) Menlo-Atherton High School

But, with a second preview, you also are seeing a lot of things that desperately need to be fixed. I just wish that Big Fish didn’t flounder as much as it did. With the level of caliber that production has, I expected more.

The artistic team is genius – directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman (The Scottsboro Boys and The Producers), music by Andrew Lippa (The Addams Family and The Wild Party) and book written by John August (original screenplay writer for the movie of Big Fish), which is supported by some of my favorite Broadway actors in the business — Norbert Leo Butz, Kate Baldwin, and Bobby Steggert. This show has the talent behind it to be seriously good, and I think that’s why the show has some fantastic producers behind it, who are clearly throwing a lot of money at this pre-Broadway production.

I’m not going to go through and technically “review” the show, because I know hearing from folks that saw the show a few days later that the performers are getting 15-20 new pages a night of re-writes. The production team is hard-at-work trying to create a cohesive show ready for Broadway and they need this time to do it. I just thought the overall structure and writing would have been a little stronger from the get-go.

Here’s my few humble (extremely humble) reminders for the show’s producers and writing team:

• Tell a story that could be told without the millions of dollars of projections, sets and costumes. If you took away all of the incredible technical design that show has, would the story still hold emotionally true?
• Keep the relationships between the father-son, mother-son, father-mother, clearer so that we, as the audience, empathize with these characters at a greater degree — part of that is tell more of these types of relationship-based stories in Act I, and not just in Act 2.
• Keep the fantastical stories shorter and crisper, so that the emotional core of the story isn’t being over-shadowed by millions of dollars of set and costume design in these tall-tales.
• Keep the music as the emotional meat of the show, so that we can connect with the characters through music — not all of the musical material needs to push the story along — sometimes I wanted to just live in the moment of the emotion, instead of trying to listen to the plot through the lyrics, which I missed a lot of (the sound design team was working ferociously in the back to make everything work!).
• Cuts are good (especially in the long-winded Act I).

These might be simple and somewhat “obvious” suggestions, but these were some of what took me out of the story.

Some of my favorite moments:

• “This River Between Us”, “Time Stops”, “Fight the Dragons” and “How it Ends” were fantastic musical moments in the show. I loved these numbers the most. 
• I loved the fact that cloggers were “characters” in this show — I grew up clogging professionally all around the world. But, if you are going to call them cloggers, you might want to have your actors actually clog, and not “fake” it or use quasi-tap steps to create the affect. CLOG! It could be an amazing moment in the show and these actors clearly seem capable of clogging!
• The projections were incredible — so stunning and used so effectively. I loved the wood paneling in the set. It was gorgeous.
• Beautiful colors all around in the set, costumes and lights. Beautiful.
  

But…..   I wasn’t emotionally connected as much as I should have been.

So here’s a few questions you might be asking:

• Does Big Fish have a viable life on Broadway? Yes.
• Will people generally like the show? Yes, especially as they make the show tighter (and hopefully more emotionally connected).
• Will it blow people away? Maybe. It has the potential.
• Would I recommend it? Not yet.
• Will I see it again on Broadway? Maybe — the jury is still out on that. Depends on reviews and word-of-mouth and how they’ve updated the show from now to then.

I want it to succeed – very badly, and I wish all the best to the cast, crew and production staff of this show.

photo credit: Big Fish on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMusical

photo credit: BIG FISH on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMusical

photo credit: BIG FISH on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BigFishMusical

Being my first time in Chicago, I was also very excited to go to the Mercury Theatre for the first time. First off, the space is awesome — intimate, yet big enough to do a circus musical or other relatively big shows (hence their upcoming production of The Color Purple). It’s attached to a restaurant and an Irish pub — two things, that more theatres should be attached to. It’s a social experience from the time you walk in the door. If you do visit Chicago, this is a theatre you should go to. I absolutely loved the feel, experience and overall vibe of The Mercury Theatre.

Now to Barnum…. it’s not the strongest show ever written, but director L. Walter Stearns understood the material in a way that I haven’t seen on stage for a long time. It was clear he knew exactly how he wanted to tell the story, so that the book by Mark Bramble (42nd Street) was full of depth and emotion. Though the story focuses in on P.T. Barnum (the charismatic Gene Weygandt) and his wife, Chairy Barnum (Cory Goodrich), it’s wrapped up in the circus, and the story of Barnum’s eccentric life. The foyer included historical photographs of Barnum’s life, the circus, his museum that burned down, and more. It not only emotionally affected me, but I learned more about how Barnum & Bailey’s circus started. Win-win on all levels.

The small supporting cast was incredibly talented – most were quadruple threats. Not only could they act, sing, and dance, they all had a few tricks in their hat that was fully realized in the beautiful “Finale” at the end of the show. Even though it clearly is not a “Cirque-show”, I was so impressed with the cast, and it also lends to the fact that the choreography by Brenda Didier and Andrew Waters was incredibly tight, interesting and perfect for that small intimate space. It felt like a huge circus, but in an incredibly tight space. The stage pictures were outstanding, which should also be credited to the beautiful designed set by Jacqueline and Richard Penrod. (The colors were beautiful!) Overall, it was really evident that this was a very strong production staff that all shared the same vision and was able to communicate that effectively to the stage.

A few stand-outs: “Black and White” sung by Donica Lynn was fabulous. I wanted to hear more — a lot more. Summer Naomi Smart was devine as Jenny Lind — beautifully sung and helped shape the entire second act’s emotional core between Barnum and his wife. Barnum and Chairy’s duet, “The Colors of My Life” was fantastic — one of my favorite numbers of Cy Coleman’s interesting score. And I absolutely loved the Ringmaster’s (Kevin McKillip) introduction to the scenes and the narrative quality to his character — he was perfect for the role.

Now, the whole show revolves around Barnum and Gene Weygandt (of Wicked fame – he played Oz) holds the show together quite well. He created emotional depth in a script that on-the-surface feels a bit superficial, but I fell in love with his quirks — the Prince of Humbug. The only moment in the show that I wanted a little more was when Barnum’s wife passes away. That moment needed to be longer so that the audience could understand the depth of what they just witnessed. Weygandt’s singing was superb, his interaction with the cast was interesting and creative, and he does a great job holding this circus together.

Overall, the show is extremely well-produced, and I was incredibly happy that I had the opportunity to take the trip to Mercury Theatre, and see the exciting work that this being done there. If I’m ever back in Chicago, I’ll be back because I know that the experience that I have will not only be extremely fun and social, but the level of talent and care of production qualities is top-notch.

Get tickets and more information here.

In Les Misérables: From Stage to Screen, the reader can find out how the musical came to life – the trials and tribulations of turning it from the initial concept into a thrilling musical extravaganza – and how the new film version starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe and directed by the Oscar-winning Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) has emerged from the show that has been seen by over 55 million people worldwide.

To bring this fascinating story to life, the book also contains at least 15 facsimiles that highlight key moments in the creation of Les Misérables, both on stage and on the screen, including:

• Original costume sketches
• Annotated scripts
• Original music scores and librettos
• Film screenplay extracts and anniversary mementos

GIVEAWAY: HOW TO WIN A FREE COPY OF Les Misérables: From Stage to Screen:

• Subscribe to our feed or subscribe through email (see link on right-hand column)
• Comment and tell us what your favorite or least favorite part of the new Les Miserables movie and tell us how many times you have seen the stage musical.

I will double your chances (I’ll enter your name in twice into random.org) if you give us a shout-out on Twitter and/or Facebook and link the post!

Winner will be chosen February 14th, 2013.

TBC will be choosing the winner by entering the names manually (who’ve done all three things) into random.org. You’ll be notified by email. If we get no response, we will choose another winner. (You will not be notified if you do not win.)

Nominations won’t be out for months, but the Tony race for Best Revival of a Musical is already over.

Back to the orphanage, Annie. Nice try, Edwin Drood. Make way for Diane Paulus’ Broadway-bound reinvention of Pippin, currently finishing it’s run at the American Repertory Theatre in Boston, before transferring to the Music Box Theatre this spring.

Pippin, a story of a young man’s quest to find meaning in his life, always seemed a little too esoteric, especially when compared to Stephen Schwartz’s better known crowd pleasers like Godspell and Wicked.

Yet, director Paulus, who has made her mark reinvigorating seemingly outdated musicals (Hair, Porgy & Bess), has re-imagined this show in an absolutely breathtaking way. Rather than presenting the cast as a traveling group of theatrical players, she has set this production inside a big top circus, enlisting the Montreal-based acrobatic group Les 7 Doigts de la Main. The troupe tumbles across the stage, does deathy-defying trapeze acts, uses cast members as human jump ropes, and other amazing feats. Even more remarkable are the moments when their Broadway counterparts join in the fun. Early in act 1, Patina Miller (Sister Act), as the Leading Player, takes flight 15 feet above the stage in a swing. As an audience member conditioned to the Spiderman world, you begin to look for the harness that she is attached to, but there is none. The actors are taking risks too, making for a seamless entertainment experience. While you can’t help but wonder how much more Paulus and Les 7 creator, Gypsy Snider, will be able to add to the spectacle in a larger, traditional Broadway house, you also wonder if it might be too much. The only possible downside to the show’s first act is that the spectacle is so overwhelming, that you lose track of the performances on the stage.  In particular, I completely lost of verse of Miller singing the song “Simple Joys”, as I was so focused on the circus artists.

As the title character, Matthew James Thomas (Reeve Carney’s alternate in Spiderman) conveys Pippin’s desire to be extraordinary with complete sincerity. His acting is first rate and his vocals will make you wonder why Reeve Carney wasn’t understudying him in New York.  A lesser actor would be overshadowed by the spectacle taking place around him, but Thomas has a presence that cuts through. He is supported by an all-star group of Broadway veterans, including pitch perfect performances by Terrance Mann and Andrea Martin.

As Pippin’s father, Charles, Mann has great chemistry with his onstage son, and will surprise you with a deft comic timing that was not well utilized during his time in The Addams Family. In the small, but hilarious, role of Pippin’s grandmother Bertha, Martin might be the early favorite for a best supporting actress Tony. Her rendition of “No Time at All” is an uproarious, show-stealer. The follow-the-bouncing-ball-sing-along gimmick is in place, much like in the original production. However, Martin amazed the audience by climbing aboard the trapeze herself. No small feat for a 25 year old performer, much less one more than twice that age.

In the iconic role made famous by Ben Vereen, Patina Miller sizzles as the leading player. While Sister Act showed off her singing chops and comedic gifts, Miller shows another dimension in this show, commanding the stage from the opening notes of “Magic to Do”, up until she turns her back to the audience to regroup after losing control of Pippin. She shines in the Bob Fosse inspired choreography, brilliantly created by Chet Walker, himself a former cast member from the original Broadway company.

As much fun as the first act of Pippin is, the second act has always taken a turn for the existential. It will be interesting to see how audiences react to the darker tone, when Pippin, having found no fulfillment in schooling, combat, or as the ruler of his people, attempts to settle down in family life. He meets the widowed, Catherine, played by the lovely Rachel Bay Jones (Hair, Women on the Verge…). 

Jones is a fabulous actress, deadpanning her way through the light hearted moments, while absolutely breaking the audiences heart during “Kind of Woman”. Yet… something is amiss.

While certainly not Elaine Strich, Jones just looks too old against her babyfaced leading man. The show addresses the issue when Catherine is first introduced as the Leading Player reminds her “she’s almost too old to play this part”. While Catherine and Pippin share a lovely duet in act 2 where they have good chemistry, it’s a little tough to believe that anything about the life they share with her son, Theo, played by the borderline annoying Andrew Cekala, is “Extraordinary” enough to make Pippin plant his flag and build a home.

Then again, maybe that’s the point?  Is the show saying life is rarely perfect and if you can’t be with the life you love, then love the life you are with? It’s likely to be the main point you talk about as you leave the theater, and I wonder if the show can better address that issue as it fine tunes for Broadway.

And really, it’s probably been since Next to Normal that you have seen a musical that will inspire some debate and conversation on the way home. What’s not to love about that?

Pippin concludes it’s Boston run on January 20th and is scheduled to begin previews at the Music Box Theatre in New York on March 22nd.

Bay Area High School Musical Theatre Showcase

San Jose Stage Company is proud to announce the cast of the first annual Bay Area High School Musical Theatre Showcase:

Zinah Abraha – Heritage High School

Madison Ballard – Archbishop Mitty High School

Hannah Berggren – Menlo-Atherton High School

Garrett Biggs – Pinewood School

Trent Brunngraber – Archbishop Mitty High School

Mackenzie Cala – Alameda High School

Barbara Camara – Archbishop Mitty High School

Aidan Cleary – Bellarmine College Prep School

Lauren Colvin – Presentation High School

Dana Cullinane – Los Gatos High School

Jordan Dong – Jewish Community High School by the Bay

Rodd Farhadi – Los Gatos High School

Gabrielle Filloux – Woodside Priory High School

Monica Goff – Archbishop Mitty High School

Ilana Goldberg – Jewish Community High School by the Bay

Lana Graves – Palo Alto High School

Will Haubl – Archbishop Mitty High School

Katherine Hauge – Archbishop Mitty High School

Myha’la Herrold – Archbishop Mitty High School

Annie Hunt – Archbishop Mitty High School

Serena Koo – Los Gatos High School

Jamie Landrum – Archbishop Mitty High School

Sharon Lita – Archbishop Mitty High School

Christina Martino – Valley Christian High School

Mandy McDonell – Archbishop Mitty High School

Maggie Murray – Hillsdale High School

Lindsay Riches – Pinewood School

Carson Robinette – Pinewood School

Jake Rosenberg – Jewish Community High School by the Bay

Talmage Wise – Pinewood School

Jenna Zimmerman – Jewish Community High School by the Bay

In conjunction with The Stage Top Honor Awards, participating schools were invited to have their students audition to participate in the Bay Area High School Musical Theatre Showcase. This will be the first annual showcase that will present and celebrate some of the best high school musical theatre performers in the Bay Area.

The showcase will feature thirty-two students from across the Bay Area, singing some of the best songs that Broadway has to offer. Not only will the students be showcasing their talents to each other, friends and family, but also to industry professionals, professors, and casting directors who will be invited to join us at our big showcase event on Saturday, January 26^th, 2013 at 7:30pm at San Jose Stage Company, San Jose, CA.

“It was so fun to watch all of the auditions. We had a wonderful turnout and the students did such a great job preparing their audition material. It was very hard to choose, but our cast for the showcase is fantastic,” said Spencer Williams, The Stage’s Education Director. “There will be music from new Broadway musicals like Newsies, Sister Act, Bonnie & Clyde and The Book of Mormon – also included will be classic songs from Godspell, Into the Woods and Nunsense. It’s a great mix and it’s going to be an incredible night celebrating high school musical theatre.”

Tickets our available on San Jose Stage Company’s website. http://www.sjstage.org

Back in March, Anything Goes cast member Raymond Lee, created a music video of “What Makes You Beautiful” with the cast of Anything Goes. In a matter of days, the video hit over 100,000 hits. This hilarious video gives insight of what life is like backstage (and offstage) of a Broadway show. Only six months later, the video has almost 400,000 views on YouTube and has become a pilot for casts all around the country to make their own.

Here are a few of my favorite Broadway inspired music videos on YouTube.

The cast of The Mystery of Edwin Drood performing their original song, “Bustle Fluffah”

Pinewood School’s cast of Xanadu lip syncing to “Scream & Shout”

West Side Story tour lip syncing to “Call Me Maybe”

GB Productions presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” lip syncing to “One Thing”

Florida State University’s School of Theatre lip syncing to “Everybody Talks”

If you have found more, post them in the comments!!

‘Tis the season to buy stuff… so why not buy some of that awesome show memorabilia or a cast recording that you’ve been eyeing the last couple of months.

Here’s the list of Broadway gifts I plan to buy this holiday season. I also bet these gifts would be the perfect idea for any Broadway enthusiast!

10. The Playbill Broadway Yearbook: June 2011 to May 2012 Eighth Annual Edition

Description: The new edition includes chapters on 70 Broadway shows, which is every show that ran during the season, not just such new shows as Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Once, Newsies, Nice Work If You Can Get It, and One Man, Two Guvnors, but the long-running ones from seasons past, such as The Phantom of the Opera, The Book of Mormon, and Wicked.

Why I want it: I love the idea of a Broadway yearbook — I’ve spent so much time reading articles, writing reviews, talking about new (and old) shows, and tweeting about it. It would be great to have a yearbook to help remember and celebrate this past year’s Broadway season.

Cost: $26.39 on Amazon

9. On Broadway – 2013 Calendar

Description: A 2013 calendar featuring Broadway playbills.

Why I want it: I had the 2012 Playbill calendar and loved it! Every morning as I eat my breakfast I stare at my Playbill calendar. Granted, there are a few shows I wish weren’t in there (like Million Dollar Quartet), but overall it’s a great calendar and a completely functional gift as well.

Cost: $10.09 on Amazon

8. Once – Vocal Selections

Description: This official sheet music companion folio to the stage version allows music makers apply their own talent to the beloved score of Once. The 12 selections are based on the renditions from the Original Broadway Cast Recording, arranged for piano and voice, with basic chord fingering grids included for guitarists.

Titles:
* Falling Slowly
* The Moon
* If You Want Me
* Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy
* Say It to Me Now
* Gold
* Sleeping
* When Your Minds Made Up
* The Hill
* Gold (a cappella)
* Falling Slowly (reprise)

Why I want it: It will continue to complete my collection of Broadway vocal selections, and I’m also dying to sing some of these new and updated Broadway arrangements. (I already own the movie vocal selections!)

Price: $11.55 on Amazon

7. Chaplin and The Mystery of Edwin Drood Broadway Posters

Description: The official Broadway window card posters of Chaplin and The Mystery of Edwin Drood measures 14 x 22 inches. Printed on glossy cardstock.

Why I want it: I love collecting Broadway window card posters! I have them lined on my office wall, and I always try to get the new shows’ poster. I do not have Chaplin or The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Price: $20.00 each at Playbillstore.com 

6. A few new Broadway Cast Recordings: Leap of Faith, A Christmas Story, Les Miserables and Anthony Rapp’s Without You. 

Description & Why I want it: I’ve been waiting for Leap of Faith cast recording since I saw it back in May. I can not wait to hear Raul Esparza sing this fun upbeat gospel score! I also would love to listen to A Christmas Carol during the holidays this year! I’m also excited to hear the new movie soundtrack for Les Miserables and Anthony Rapp’s Without You which I saw at the NYMTF last year (and absolutely loved). These are four fantastic CD’s that I can’t wait to hear!

Price: $14.99 – Leap of Faith, $12.99 – A Christmas Story, $11.88 – Les Miserables, & $13.76 - Without You

5. Theatre Tickets: Big Fish in Chicago and Matilda on Broadway

Description: Big Fish, a new musical based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the 2003 Columbia Pictures film written by John August, will star Norbert Leo Butz as Edward Bloom.

Big Fish is directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, a book by John August, and is produced by Academy Award winners Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen.

The gifted child Matilda, unloved at home but supported by her teacher, tries to rid her school of its evil headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Based on the Roald Dahl children’s book, the hit London production won seven Olivier Awards.

Why I want it: Amazingly enough, I will be in Chicago when the world premiere of Big Fish opens and I can’t wait to blog about it! I seriously can’t wait!! It will be my first time in Chicago and I also get to see a world premiere musical and it has Norbert Leo Butz in it. I just now have to grab my tickets but unfortunately they aren’t on sale yet!

I’ve been super interested in Matilda since it started development awhile back. It is one of my favorite children’s books of all time and I can’t wait to see what they have done with it! I feel like it’s going to take Broadway by storm!

(Really though, any theatre tickets to any show will suffice – these are just the two musicals that I’m most excited about next year!)

Price: $ ? - Big Fish tickets not on sale, $32.00 – $147.00 - Matilda tickets

4. A few new London Cast Recordings - Singin’ in the Rain and Top Hat

Description: The Singin’ in the Rain cast recording of the classic musical from London’s Palace Theatre, features Adam Cooper, Daniel Crossley and Scarlett Strallen. With all the charm, romance, comedy and tinsel town glamour of one of the world’s best-loved films, Jonathan Church’s brand new production features a score including the classics “Good Morning”, “Make `em Laugh”, “Moses Supposes” and the legendary “Singin’ in the Rain”. Adam Cooper, Daniel Crossley and Scarlett Strallen play the roles made famous by Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds.

Top Hat brings the glamour of Hollywood’s golden age and the glorious, tap-dancing magic of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to the West End in one of the greatest dance musicals of all time. Tim Walker of The Sunday Telegraph writes, “This is the most sublimely performed, choreographed, orchestrated and costumed musical I have seen in the last 25 years. I can’t ever see London – or me tiring of it. It is sublime”.

Why I want it: I love tap shows! I wish there were more of these types of shows on Broadway! Singin’ in the Rain is one of my favorite movie musicals ever and I also have a special place in my heart for Top Hat because I performed the titled number, as a solo, when I was in college. It’s been one of my favorite songs ever since! I hope that Broadway sees the success of both of these shows and gets at least one of them on a Broadway stage. Since I’m not going to London anytime soon, I’ll just have to listen to the cast recordings!

3. Broadway’s Carols for a Cure, Volume 14 – 2012

Description: For 14 years, members of the Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre community have raised their voices and lifted our spirits with this wonderfully eclectic holiday music series. Mixing holiday classics and brand new original material, this 2-CD set offers us the companies of Evita, Once, Peter and the Starcatcher and Newsies, among others, ushering us into a spirited holiday season. Celebrity guest stars include Ricky Martin, Cyndi Lauper and Perez Hilton.

Why I want it: First, it’s supporting a wonderful cause: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Second, I need new Christmas music every year to listen to. Third, Rebecca which didn’t even land on Broadway has a song on this album! (WTH?!) I think that’s the best part!

Price: $23.00 – Broadway Cares

2. The Broadway Cares Collection – 2012 Logo Christmas Ornament

Description: Decorate your Christmas tree Broadway style with the Broadway Cares white glass ornament, featuring the logos of more than twenty Broadway musicals from the 2011-2012 season.

Logos include: Anything Goes, Bonnie and Clyde, The Book of Mormon, Chicago, Evita, Follies, Ghost The Musical, Godspell, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Jersey Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar, Leap of Faith, The Lion King, Lysistrata Jones, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, Memphis, Newsies, Nice Work If You Can Get It, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Once, The Phantom of the Opera, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Rock of Ages, Sister Act, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and Wicked.

Why I want it: I have the 2010-11 Playbill Ornament and I absolutely love it. I want an entire Christmas tree filled with playbill ornaments! This is always on top of my Broadway Christmas wish list! Everyone always comments on this ornament and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this item goes to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS which is awesome!

Price: $20.00 – Playbill.com

1. Les Misérables Movie Tickets

Description: Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

Why I want it: I have to be honest, I will be at the first showing of Les Misérables on Christmas day – there’s one at 9:00am, and instead of opening presents, I’ll be sitting in an empty theatre, having popcorn for breakfast and enjoying the amazingness of this movie.

Price: $6.00 – (first matinee price) Fandango.com 

The Book of Mormon has hit the Bay Area! The first show was on Tuesday, November 27th, 2012 and twitter was blowing up with some awesome tweets about the show!

Here are some of my favorites! If you do see the show, make sure you tweet about it and use the hashtag: #MormonSF

TWITTER RESPONSES:

@JustinLedezma #MormonSF was a total blast… I have never laughed so hard at a show like that! Took my bro in law, his 1st show ever, he loved it!@shnsf

@JenisaNazzaro OMG anyone else think #JonahHill & #RyanReynolds need to head the #BookOfMormon movie?! #MormonSF #iBelieve ⛪

@mmorgangracee The Book of #MormonSF was so fantastic. Acting, Singing, Choreography, Stage, Lighting, Everything!!!!

@AgentAkit Book of Mormon was absolutely amazing! #mormonsf @ SHN Curran Theatre http://instagr.am/p/SkD8gSv7xC/

@Nettie_Mo Intermission!!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! I ❤ @gavincreel!!! He’s sooooo bringing it tonight!! @shnsf @BookofMormonBWY#MormonSF

@jefftabaco And hello, @gavincreel IS awesome. I’m already planning to come back, man up, and try for rush tickets soon! #mormonsf @shnsf

@thomwatson .@shnsf We’ve been cry-laughing –craughing?– throughout the entire hilarious first act of #MormonSF

@jefftabaco The Mormons have 3 pages of ads in Book of #MormonSF playbill. Interesting PR move. @shnsf http://instagr.am/p/Sj7Ojhw_ZG/

@logainne Holy shit #mormonsf. I haven’t heard a crowd like this since @BookofMormonBWY fan day! Bravo @gavincreel & @JaredGertner et al!

@safire Hello! @BookofMormonBWY #MormonSF http://lockerz.com/s/264759553

@TessCollins “@shnsf: #LotteryFever! @BookOfMormonBWY #MormonSFpic.twitter.com/GpDL1kdc” That’s me with the red hair.

@ceilidhmorrison BOOK OF MORMON. OH MY GOD IM SO EXCITED. #MormonSF@shnsf http://instagr.am/p/SjxUaVkZkE/

@shnsf Before #MormonSF‘s first show tonight, Carole Shorenstein Hays welcomes the cast. @BookOfMormonBWY @gavincreel pic.twitter.com/ABeqZSiD

I walked into the theatre Tuesday evening thinking that I was going to want to walk the plank half way through, but this charming production changed my mind in a matter of minutes. When Cathy Rigby flew onto the stage, I was instantly impressed with her agility and boyish interpretation of Peter Pan. This is the first time I’ve ever seen the full Broadway production of Peter Pan but Rigby has been playing Peter Pan, on and off, since 1991. (That’s over twenty years!) She exuded grace when needed (especially during the flying), youth at all times (she never showed her age) and an incredible infectious spirit that made you want to be young again. It was all very impressive.

This production of Peter Pan felt updated and fresh, especially since the original premiered on Broadway in 1954 with Mary Martin in the title role, almost fifty years ago. The energetic choreography, by Patti Colombo, felt like classic Jerome Robbins choreography but still very current. The updated dance sequences in “Indians!” and “Ugg-a-Wugg” were fantastic. The drumming and rhythmic steps in “Ugg-a-Wugg”, the top of the second act, was one of highlights of the show. Somehow, Colombo captured the spirit of the show, kept the story moving, but the dance breaks didn’t feel “cut or shortened”, rather the director, Glenn Casale, used them to keep the energy up and the plot moving.

The other thing that I loved in this production was the story-telling that happened in front of the curtain. I haven’t seen a director employ this technique for a very long time. I loved the fact that it brought the characters and story closer to the audience for a period of time, while the scene was changed behind it. When the curtain rose, there was a new magical set featuring pirate ships, Peter Pan and lost boy’s home, mermaids or the beautiful and very magical nursery at the Darling residence. Since the audience didn’t see anything being moved on stage, it kept the show’s pace up and kept the “magic” alive.

It was also lovely to hear a full orchestra in the pit. They employed twelve local musicians and four regular tour musicians. With sixteen musicians, the beautiful score by Moose Charlap and Jule Styne sounded wonderful, especially for their first performance as an orchestra. Peter Pan’s score features some of my favorite musical theatre songs: “I Won’t Grow Up”, “Wendy” and of course, “Neverland”. I complained considerably about the sound design in Broadway San Jose’s last show Memphis, but Peter Pan had no issues at all — quite a difference actually.

I also can’t forget to mention Brent Barrett who played Mr. Darling and Captain Hook. I loved his sly portrayal of Captain Hook – super fun but menacing and even comical, all at the right times. Also, his sidekick Smee (James Leo Ryan) was a great comic physical actor, playing off Hook at all the right moments. My favorite actor (besides Ms. Rigby) was actually Tiger Lily (Jenna Wright). Her beautiful, elegant yet completely athletic dancing stole the show.

I walked into Peter Pan as an adult, with the weight and stress of the holiday season on me, and I walked out as a kid wanting to fly to Neverland. I have a feeling that Sir James Barrie wanted nothing else when you read his stories — to remember what it’s like to be a kid. This production of Peter Pan does exactly that.

Don’t miss it!