Some of Broadway’s best shows are those that are adapted from Disney movies. The Lion King. Beauty and the Beast. Mary Poppins. All are beautifully crafted productions with top of the line talent and amazingstage design.

The Little Mermaid falls right in line with the other Disney production in terms of the talent and stunning stage design.

Productions on Broadway that are supposed to take place under water are always interesting and visually appealing. For The Little Mermaid, all performers have to simulate the feeling of being underwater on stage,so they wear wheel-heeled footwear. The set has been designed to be light and translucent to depict the feeling of being underwater without actually having to perform under actual water.

The Little Mermaid on Broadway doesn’t disappoint as it stays true to the original movie production. Sierra Boggess really brought the role of Ariel to life with her melodious voice. The songs, which anyone with kidsor a love of Disney’s productions, will remember from the movie, take on new life through the voice of Boggess.

As Chelsea Morgan Stock takes over the role next month, audience goers will be pleased to find that her light, airy voice carries a different, but still significant kind of power that will bring something fresh to the roleof Ariel.

Faith Prince’s rich, commanding voice was perfect for the role of “Ursula,” the sea witch. And Drew Seeley’s heartthrob good looks will do the role of the prince justice, as he takes over the role of Prince Eric for thesummer.

This is a perfect production for kids and adults alike as the acting is superior, but the storyline still appeals to the kid in all of us.

With so much creativity in the theatre business, it is hard to come up with a show concept that is original and inventive. In many instances, from elaborate costuming to award winning performances, it has usually been seen and done before.

However, Le Reve, which stands for “The Dream” in French, is a show so far from the norm that nothing about it is contrived or repetitive.

What makes this show stand out is the fact that it is set in a one-million-gallon water tank theatre at the Wynn Casino Resort in Las Vegas, where the show plays exclusively. Audiences are constantly entertained up-close-and-personal as no one seat is more than 40 feet from the show stage. I love anything to do with water, so this show sounds so amazing.

Of course, I always thought that the mermaid show at Weeki Watchee in Florida was also amazing, so maybe my theatre critiques aren’t the stuff of highbrow society types. Nevertheless, I am truly in awe of anyone that can perform feats of an aquatic nature.

According to the Wynn Resort’s Web site, Le Reve is exclusive to the Wynn and was actually slated to be the name of the resort before it was changed to its current name.

The special effects are astounding and the sheer experience of being close to the water stage is worth the price of admission, at least according to the hotel’s site and more than 100 independent reviews. The cast of 85 dazzles and audience-goers are forewarned that they might experience a splash or two during the performance.

Le Reve Las Vegas is said to be a Cirque du Soleil under water, which speaks volumes about the caliber of the performance. Therefore, the next time you happen to be in Vegas, it’s well worth the time and expense to catch this spectacular aquatic production.

Of all of the shows that have passed through Broadway throughout the years, there are some that are simply timeless and beloved by people of all ages. Think about it: shows like Rent, Cats, A Chorus Line, Beauty and the Beast (ok, so maybe that’s not necessarily a classic, but it is one of my all-time favorite shows) have all been revived at some point since their original debut and audiences still rave about them. South Pacific is one such Broadway production that hopeless romantics like myself just can’t get enough of (*sigh*).

It’s got all of the elements of a great love story/war drama. Set in World War II. On a tropical island. Two couples. One consists of a military nurse and a French plantation owner. The other a Navy office and a local island girl. Neither couple should really be together because of differences in background, nationality, etc., etc. Lots of high seas drama and scheming family members are thrown into the mix. But of course, true love ensues — as does true tragedy. One couple makes it, the other succumbs to tragic circumstances. I mean, really, what more do you need in a Broadway musical!

This fabulous show first premiered on Broadway in 1949 (yes, waaaay back in the ’40s!), and yet somehow the story still translates even today. It showcases the basic prejudices that exist in all of us as well as how well love can overcome even the most insurmountable of obstacles. Like Nellie Forbush, I am also a “cockeyed optimist” when it comes to matters of the heart.

This show is perfect for all ages and was revived on Broadway in early 2008. It has since hit the road and has been hosted by select theatres around the country. In fact, one of the hottest cities, Las Vegas, has played host to this equally sizzling Broadway revival. South Pacific continues to attract both locals and tourists alike to this hit musical, showcasing it’s relevance and staying power an impressive 60 years after it’s original debut. Perhaps audiences simply can’t get enough of hoping there is a “cockeyed optimist” in all of us.

Quality doesn’t always equal fun.

For instance, you may dine at an exquisite French restaurant and recognize the magnificence of their Blanquette de veau or scrumptiousness of their Rouille de seiche.  Yet, if you had your druthers, you’d rather eat at the greasy spoon down the block.  There they know your name, they make great onion rings and they always have the ballgame on TV.

You understand the French restaurant is a five star establishment but you have more fun at your friendly neighborhood diner.

In musical theater, there are several shows recognized as the best the genre has to offer: Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story, just to name a few.  These shows excel at every aspect a musical should and seeing one is quite an event.

There’s a musical that, despite lacking the genius of an Andrew Lloyd Weber or a Leonard Bernstein, manages to capture the heart and the imagination of all who see it.  That musical is Wicked and it’s about as much fun as you can have on Broadway, or at your local theater, say in Austin, Seattle or Philadelphia.

Wicked may not be as important, or as artistically affluent, as Urinetown The Musical, Avenue Q, or Spring Awakening, but it’s a lot more enjoyable.  Wicked is a good musical that’s great fun.

Wicked revolves around the two main witches from the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Elphaba (Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (Good Witch of the North).

Many of the events in Wicked, which is based on the book by Gregory Maguire, fills in the blanks left by L. Frank Baum’s story, the same story featured in 1939 classic film, The Wizard of Oz.

While the music is solid, it’s not anywhere on par with some of the theater’s all-time great works.  “Popular” is Wicked’s version of “Master Of The House” and “Defy Gravity” is as stirring as it is poignant.  The rest of tunes are functional but don’t really leave a lasting impression.

What does leave an impression is the show’s humor.  Even during the most serious scenes there’s plenty of comic relief.  Some of the funniest jokes reference events from the movie, so it might be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the film before going to the theater.

The show’s two main characters, Elphaba and Glinda, are quite unique and provide the show with an energy those renowned and bloated shows lack.

Glinda, the role made famous by the incomparable Kristin Chenoweth, is like no character you’ve seen before.  She’s goofy, strong, silly, independent, shallow, smart, devious and compassionate.

The green skinned Elphaba was a role originated by Idina Menzel.  Elphaba is a “wicked” witch, an outcast that just about everyone, male or female, can identify with.  Despite being “wicked,” Elphaba still manages to draw your sympathies and tug at your heart strings.

Elphaba is also green and people love green characters: Kermit the Frog, Yoda, The Incredible Hulk.

While it’s a cliché to say Wicked is the musical for people who don’t like musicals, it is the musical for people who don’t like musicals.  Wicked is also the musical for people who want a break from serious shows like Jersey Boys and Billy Elliott or corny shows like Hair or Mamma Mia!

Getting Wicked tickets for Broadway isn’t the only way you can see Elphaba and Glinda on stage.  Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto all have their own productions and there are two touring company visiting cities all over North America.  So you can catch Wicked in cities like Des Moines, Indianapolis and Salt Lake City.

Sometimes you read something on the internet and even though it’s posted on several “reputable” sites, by several different writers, you still don’t believe it’s true.

A month ago I experienced this phenomenon when I read that Sean Penn was cast in the new Three Stooges movie.  I experienced it again in regards to the new Spider-man musical that’s heading to Broadway.

Surprisingly, I completely believe Spider-man would provide fodder for the musical stage.  Like Hollywood, Broadway’s profit margins are so thin they can’t take many chances on new material.  They have to use well-known source material in order to secure the financial backing necessary to produce a Broadway show.

Of course, I might have chosen a Disney movie or gone the route of a cheesy jukebox musical instead of having everyone’s favorite web slinger croon and prance around on stage.

Spider-man is probably the most sarcastic superhero around and musical theater is the one medium that eschews sarcasm.  After all, it’s hard to be acerbic when you’re expressing your feelings in song.

What shocked me about “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” a musical directed by Julie Taymor, is the show’s composer.  It’s none other than Messrs. Bono and Edge.

Taymor and Bono worked together on her Beatles musical, “Across the Universe.”  For the project Bono covered two Beatles’ classics, “I Am the Walrus” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”

Still, Taymor must have some incriminating pictures of the U2 duo, or maybe she’s has pull with the Malibu city council and can help the Edge build those houses.  Either way, this project seems an odd undertaking for the coolest-half of the coolest rock band in the world.

Nationwide casting calls are currently underway although rumors had Rachel Evan Wood slated to play Mary Jane.  However, Taymor dismissed the speculation stating she wants to go with unknown actors.

The casting process began April 9th in Orlando and ends May 27th in Austin, Texas.  When it’s all said and done, casting directors will have visited six U.S. cities.

What are they looking for besides someone that tingles their Spidey senses?  Well they’re looking for “performers with dynamic rock/pop voices including those with experience in bands and as solo performers.”  Fortunately, that leaves out Tobey Maguire.

The musical, which begins previews in 2010 (but of course Spiderman tickets go on sale this June), caused a bit of stir on the internet over the announcement that it included a “lead female villain.”

It makes sense, Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, Venom, Carnage, Electro, the Sandman, the Vulture, the Hobgoblin and Sam Raimi would be too hard to recreate for the stage.

The casting call described the show’s villain as “Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern/Bulgarian/Greek twist.”  You have to love the way entertainment types mix and match characteristics; I have no idea what they are talking about.

Some speculated that the unnamed villainess is Dr. Victoria Von Doom while others claimed it’s Black Cat.  Another thinks it’s Hillary Clinton.  According to several sources the new bad girl, created specifically for the show, is Swiss Miss (the name doesn’t fit the description though).

The nerds at Aint It Cool News had an interesting post claiming the villainess is a new character called Arachne.  She’s your typical time traveling beauty that turned herself into a “spider for her hubris.”

Who knows, you can’t believe everything you read on the internet. Oh yeah, and here’s the Spiderman the musical official website.

If there’s one thing I can’t stand as a reserved, authority-respecting, non-free loving theater goer is hippies.  Who needs their ridiculous concepts of love, peace and be-ins?  I don’t want to “be-in,” I want to “be-out!”

I bet you like the hippie counter culture.  In fact, you’ve probably already bought your Hair tickets.

That’s right “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” is back on Broadway (much to my chagrin).

For those fortunate enough to have pushed the horror of Hair into the farthest recess of your mind (right next to the raucous music of Lovin Spoonful and the subversive comedy of Laugh-In), let me refresh your memory.  This is the Broadway musical that gave us songs like “Aquarius,” “Hair,” “Good Morning Starshine,” and “Let the Sun Shine In.”  It hurts my ears just writing about those songs.

The show is also known for its liberal views on sexuality, drug use and, dare I say it, nudity.  It’s scandalous!

What’s worse, this revolting revival is not only getting rave reviews but it’s selling tickets like they are going out of style.

Ben Brantley, writing for The New York Times, said Hair is an “emotionally rich revival… delivers what Broadway otherwise hasn’t felt this season: the intense, unadulterated joy and anguish of that bi-polar state called youth.”

Variety gushed, “What could have been mere nostalgia instead becomes a full-immersion happening… If this explosive production doesn’t stir something in you, it may be time to check your pulse.”

The musical opened on March 31st and in its first week it sold over $500,000 worth of tickets.  In its second week, the musical grossed over $822,000.  Now here’s the really bad news, advance ticket sales have already eclipsed the $5 million mark.  Who would have thought that so many hippie-sympathizers go to the theater?

This revival almost didn’t make it to Broadway.  Last summer, Hair was tormenting theater goers at the open-air Delacorte Theater in Central Park.  Elizabeth I. McCann, the show’s lead producer, was having difficulties raising the necessary funds, $5.5 million, to open the show on the Great White Way.

The show’s other producer, the non-profit Public Theater, stepped in and replaced her with Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel.  They raised all the money necessary to bring Hair back to Broadway.

Hair originally debuted on Broadway in 1968.  It was one of the last musicals to greatly impact the culture at-large, as musicals of previous eras had done regularly.  It was also the first concept musical.

Hair’s rock score help usher in a plethora of “rock musicals” that would litter the 1970’s: Jesus Christ Superstar (1970), Godspell (1971), Purlie (1970), Pippin (musical) (1972), The Rocky Horror Show (1973), Grease (1975) and The Wiz (1975).  However, the rock musical fell out of favor by the 1980’s and replaced by musicals with more pop oriented scores.

Now rock musicals, or at least musicals with more of a rock feel, are making a return to Broadway—for example Rent and Spring Awakening.  The Hair revival is filling this undeserved niche.

Besides attracting decadent fans of the rock and roll, Hair is also attracting old patrons (i.e. actual hippies from the 1960’s).

“When ‘Hair’ first came out, it never did much business with people over 50.  And now the people who saw it the first time are coming again—and many of them are over 50, of course, so we have them as well as the younger generations,” notes Richards.

It’s a shame.  You would think people over 50 would have more sense than to waste their hard earned money on a bunch of hippies singing and prancing around on stage.

I for one will not be seeing the Broadway revival of Hair again… at least not for a couple weeks.

For the first time since 1980, West Side Story is back on Broadway.  The original book writer, 91-year old Arthur Laurentsis, has reconceived, restaged and revamped the musical making it into one of the hottest revivals of the year.

This new production has a more realistic and gritty atmosphere than the original.  Two songs, “I Feel Pretty” and “A Boy Like That,” are now sung in Spanish and “Gee, Officer Krupke” is no longer a comedic break in the drama.  The ending has also been tweaked.  Instead of Tony being carried off, Maria waves around a gun.

The reaction to Laurentsis’ reworking of one of Broadway’s most endearing musicals has been mixed, although the word “disappointed” has been thrown around a lot.

As for the cast, Josefina Scaglione, who plays Maria, can sing but can’t cat.  Matt Cavenaugh, who plays Tony, can’t do either.  Then again you could say that about the lead actors in the movie.

And like the movie, the supporting cast steals the show.  Curtis Holbrook, who plays Action, has been getting rave reviews.  George Akram is fabulous as Bernardo and Karen Olivo, despite being in the great Rita Moreno’s shadow, shines as a sexy Anita.  The production’s Riff, Cody Green, isn’t half bad either.

However, that’s the critic’s perspective.  Fans will flock to West Side Story because it’s West Side Story.  No one is going to the revival because of the reviews, they are going because it’s the greatest musical of all-time.

Besides, Laurentsis may have changed a few things and Joey McKneely may have reimagined some of Jerome Robbins’ immortal choreography, but Leonard Bernstein’s music and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics (minus the Spanish translations) remain intact.

And after all, the music is what really keeps fans coming back.

The most amazing aspect of the musical stage is the promise it brings.  No matter the plot, no matter the setting, if someone can dream it than someone will find a way to produce it.

That same freedom was not afforded to Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, and Nick Massi, known collectively as the Four Seasons.  They grew up in a tough New Jersey neighborhood where the only way to escape was to “join the Army, get mobbed up, or become a star.”

The Four Seasons chose option number three.

The Tony Award winning musical “Jersey Boys,” tells the turbulent tale of one of the 1960’s most successful acts, the Four Seasons, and their rise to fame.  Using the Four Season’s music, “Jersey Boys” is part tribute, part documentary and part musical drama.

The story is structured into four “seasons.” Each season is narrated by one of the band’s members, for as DeVito explains on stage, if you ask four different guys “you get four different versions.”

At times Jersey Boys can be fairly predictable, especially since the typical story of band-making-it big has been streamlined for the stage.  Some details are overlooked while others are over-simplified.  However, this doesn’t distract from the musical but lends to its charm.

The first quarter of the show utilizes songs from other artists of the era to set the mood and prime the audience.  Then, when the Four Season tunes start coming, the hook is firmly planted in the audience’s mouth and the theater begins to rock.  For at its core, Jersey Boys is an emotional crowd-pleaser.

The book was written by two poker buddies, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.  It’s their first endeavor into Broadway but both men have entertainment backgrounds.  Brickman was Woody Allen’s co-screenwriter on “Manhattan,” “Sleeper,” and “Annie Hall” and Elice is a theatrical advertising executive.

The Four Seasons were a rock-and-roll band that emerged between the fall of rock’s first wave (i.e., after Elvis went to Hollywood) and before the British Invasion (i.e., the Beatles playing Ed Sullivan).

The Four Seasons are known for the falsetto voice of Frankie Valli and song writing prowess of Bob Guido, who before joining the band wrote a hit single called “(Who Wears) Short Shorts.”

In total, the Four Seasons had five number one hits that included “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and “Walk like a Man.”  Those songs, as well as many others from the Four Seasons’ catalog, appear in the show.

Besides Broadway, “Jersey Boys” can be seen in Chicago, Las Vegas, Toronto, London and soon in Melbourne.  There’s also a national touring production that’s currently visiting cities throughout the United States.

The Beatles are the most influential band in the history of rock and roll.

Their music has inspired artists as diverse as Billy Joel, Kiss, U2 and Phish.

However, their influence transcends their chart toping albums and singles.

Their 1967 movie, Magical Mystery Tour, featured a band called the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.  This band performed a song written by Neil Innes and Vivian Stanshall.  The name of that song is “Death Cab for Cutie.”

Death Cab for Cutie formed in 1997 in Bellingham, Washington.  The band consists of Benjamin Gibbard on vocals and guitar, Chris Walla on guitars, Nicholas Harmer on bass and Jason McGerr on drums.

The band originally started out as a solo project of Gibbard, who was recording under the name of “All-Time Quarterback.”

In 1997, Gibbard released You Can Play These Songs with Chords on cassette.  He released the offering under the name Death Cab For Cutie.  It was so well received that he decided to expand and form a band.

In the next five years, the band would release four albums with independent record label Barsuk Records located in Seattle, Washington.

The band released Something About Airplanes in 1998 and it featured five songs from You Can Play These Songs with Chords as well as Nathan Good on drums.

The band’s sophomore effort, We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes, was released in 2000.  It was a tribute to Bellingham drummer Trevor Adams—not the British actor of the same name.

Sometime during production of We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes, Good left the band.   The album was finished with Gibbard playing drums.

Good was replaced by Jayson Tolzdorf-Larson who joined the band for their first U.S. tour.

In 2001 the band released its third album, The Photo Album.   Once again the band welcomed a new drummer, Michael Schorr.

The band’s fourth studio album, and last before joining Atlantic, was Transatlanticism.  It’s also the first album to have McGerr on drums.

The band reached a new level of success in 2005 with their release of Plans.  The album reached #4 on the Billboard 200 and eventually went platinum—it only took three years.

The album was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Their latest release is Narrow Stairs (2008).  It has received rave reviews, including four out of five stars from Rolling Stone Magazine, Allmusic, Blender and The Guardian.

Even if their name doesn’t sound familiar, chances are you have heard them.  Death Cab For Cutie’s music has appeared on several television shows: Heroes, The O.C., One Tree Hill, Six Feet Under, CSI: Miami, and Californication.

They’ve also appeared on the soundtracks to the movies Wedding Crasher and Mean Creek.

February of 2009 Death Cab will play several shows in Japan and Australia before returning to North America.

They start their tour of the U.S. in March with an appearance at the Langerado Music Festival in Miami, Florida.

In April, their tour picks up with shows at the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania; DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.; and John Belk Arena in Davidson, North Carolina.

Their tour ends in May when Death Cab visits the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Their most recognizable song is “Soul Meets Body.”  It’s also their highest charting song, reaching number 5 on the U.S. Modern Rock Track chart.

Another highlight of their catalog is “I Will Follow You into the Dark.”  Gibbard wrote the song after realizing no one close to him has died.  It’s a touching and memorable ballad that was recorded in monaural as a solo-acoustical number.

Death Cab’s sound is unmistakable thanks to Gibbard’s unique and haunting voice.  Their music has been described as melodic, melancholy, literate and romantic.

Their lyrics are dark, somber, and moody but very intelligent.

Needless to say, they aren’t the happiest sounding band around.

While it’s clever to explain away circumstances of a previously published work, doing so can be problematic.  Patrons will inevitably make comparisons between the new work and the source material.  When that happens, the new work almost always loses.

The Broadway musical Wicked was faced with such a dilemma.  The story is not only extracted from a successful previous work, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, but it also explains events that lead up to one of the greatest movies of all time, the Wizard of Oz.

This mighty undertaking probably explains why the musical was greeted with mixed reviews from critics and panned by the New York Times.

However, the imaginative and creative way the producers brought Wicked to the stage might explain why the musical has spawned productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, London’s West End, Tokyo, Melbourne, and Stuttgart.  It has also produced two North American tours that visit cities like Jacksonville, Florida, San Francisco, CA  and Birmingham, Alabama.

Wicked has set numerous box office records and was nominated for ten 2004 Tony Awards.

How did Wicked do it?  Read full article