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Hamilton Spectator
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Drury Lane Theatre's 'Finales' Celebrates the Endings of Broadway Hits
'I'd have a hero's ending. A perfect happy ending. That's how it would be. A big, bright, beautiful world, but not for me,' mournfully sings the titular, green-skinned ogre at the end of the first act of Shrek the Musical. Right before intermission, audiences are left wondering, as they stand in line for the bathroom or snacks, whether this particular main character will triumph or fail in his quest for true love. Will he get the girl of his dreams, or will he return to his swamp alone after his adventure is done? But what's most important in this number, 'Who I'd Be,' is that Shrek is finally embracing, rather than repressing, his need for affection and companionship. Shrek the Musical's first act ends on a key moment of character development. In a Broadway musical, the finale of the first act, or the finale of the entire show, can offer the audience almost anything. A cliffhanger. A revelation. A love triangle resolved. A lifelong dream realized, or a new dream unlocked. At the core of it, what makes a Broadway finale memorable is its ability to leave audiences on a high note. A good finale leaves its audience satisfied. And that's what director Michael MacLennan has done with his new production, Finales: Broadway's Greatest Showstoppers, which was performed at Drury Lane Theatre in Burlington on Friday, June 13, and Saturday, June 14, 2025. MacLennan, in association with CCMP (City Centre Musical Productions), has devised what is, as a whole, a satisfying variety show. Finales, which follows MacLennan's first revue show with the CCMP, Leading Ladies, is a love letter to all the ending songs of Broadway hits that are, in turn, catchy, heartbreaking, inspiring, and celebratory. For this venture, MacLennan has assembled a cast of extraordinary Ontario-based talent to lead the audience on a journey that zigzags from musical to musical at a dizzying speed. The cast jumps from Funny Girl to Chicago, from The Witches of Eastwick to Waitress, from La Cage Aux Folles to City of Angels, and, of course, Shrek the Musical, among an array of others. It's the fastest tour of Broadway you'll ever experience. Audience members could be seen frequently glancing down at their programs and squinting in the dark. They whispered to one another, 'Where is this song from?' The songs are from all over, and the cast members are matched effectively with the ones that suit their styles and abilities best. Several particular performances stand out. David Grimason makes for a dorky, determined suitor, playing Big Fish's Edward to Meagan Dowey's Sandra in a charming rendition of 'Daffodils.' Vincent Perri and Erin Mouchian razzle and dazzle in Bonnie and Clyde's foot-tapping declaration of a life of crime, 'This World Will Remember Us.' Karl Kwiatkowski and Misha Khorramshahi step into the roles of a doctor and a piemaker who can't keep their hands off each other in'Bad Idea' from Waitress. And Nathon Irving's powerful voice perfectly suits that of the agonized, lovelorn Beast for Beauty and the Beast's 'If I Can't Love Her.' Finales relies somewhat on the audience having at least a rudimentary knowledge of the musicals' plotlines and the dramatic impact of the songs chosen. Hardcore Broadway enthusiasts will know, for example, that when Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett sing 'A Little Priest' at the end of the first act of Sweeney Todd, they're officially embarking on their infamous murder-cannibalism business venture. When Doug Massey and Sharon Nimmo played Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett on the Drury Lane stage, they had minimalist costumes and the bare minimum of props. They did a solid job of convincing the audience that their characters are psychotic and up to no good, but it helps to already know that what they're singing about is Mrs. Lovett's scheme to bake Todd's victims into meat pies to sell in her London bakeshop. Rest assured that the piemaker in Waitress at least uses ordinary ingredients. While listening to 'Bad Idea,' it helps to know that the characters of Jenna and Dr. Pomatter are both in desperately unhappy marriages to other people, and their love is forbidden. All context is easily accessible through Wikipedia, though it's advisable not to look these things up during the show., Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Broadway's Eva Noblezada, Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Ben Platt and Kelli O'Hara star on album
NEW YORK (AP) — Lea Salonga stepped onto a Manhattan stage last spring and sang something unusual for her — 'Edelweiss' from the musical 'The Sound of Music,' a song usually performed by the paternal Captain von Trapp. It was part of MCC Theater's annual 'Miscast' gala that's celebrating 25 years with an album of top musical theater stars performing songs from roles in which they would not traditionally be cast. It drops March 28. In addition to Salonga, the album has performances by an A-list of Broadway: Eva Noblezada, Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Ben Platt, Kelli O'Hara, Katrina Lenk, Stephanie J. Block, Rachel Zegler, Raúl Esparza, Heather Headley, Aaron Tveit and Gavin Creel. Zegler channeled her inner green ogre for 'Who I'd Be' from 'Shrek,' and Lenk borrowed Tevye's 'If I Were a Rich Man' from "Fiddler on the Roof." Headley, who originated the role of Nala in 'The Lion King,' instead sang Simba's moving ballad 'Endless Night.' 'We have some that are just funny and silly. We have some that actually change the meaning of a song when someone sings them. We have some that's just a phenomenal person singing a phenomenal song and that's enough,' says Scott Galina, manager of musical programming and development at MCC. 'So it really feels like it captures the breadth of the way a 'Miscast' performance can land.' Other highlights include a live version of 'Take Me or Leave Me' from 'Rent' by Tveit and Creel, a capture made more special because of the death of Creel last year. And Groff and Jordan sing the two divas' anthem 'Let Me Be Your Star' from 'Smash.' Noblezada gets muscular singing 'Go the Distance' from 'Hercules,' and Platt gets in a green mood to sing Elphaba's 'The Wizard and I' from 'Wicked.' O'Hara submits a tender 'Beautiful City' from 'Godspell,' while married couple Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson sing 'The Human Heart' from "Once on This Island." 'There's not a track on the album that you get to and you're like, 'Oh, this is a skip,'" says Will Van Dyke, musical director for 'Miscast" for the past six years. 'That's like my goal in everything — you never want to have a skip track on there.' MCC Theater is a nonprofit, off-Broadway company that delights with its spring gala 'Miscast' surprises, which started in 2001 and went online for a few years during the pandemic. To make the new album, the performers were asked to recreate their live songs in the studio, giving engineers a cleaner sound. Whittling down the various performances over the decades to fit on a 12-album collection — called 'MCC Theater's Miscast: The Studio Sessions' — wasn't easy but some songs popped out for having made a lasting impact. 'Katrina Lenk is still hearing about people who talk about her singing 'If I Were a Rich Man,'' says Galina. 'These are moments that have become bigger for these people than we certainly ever could have intended.' MCC Theater will celebrate its 25th anniversary on April 7 with a 'Miscast' gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom. It will honor Sheryl Lee Ralph and MCC Youth Company alum and artist Travis Raeburn. The 'Miscast25' lineup will feature performances by Tituss Burgess, Cole Escola, Jordan Fisher, Steven Pasquale, Nicole Scherzinger, Britton Smith, Phillipa Soo, Ephraim Sykes, Jordan Tyson, Michael Urie and Tveit. Funds raised by the gala and the album go back to MCC Theater. Over the years, 'Miscast' has seen the landscape of Broadway change with more unconventional choices in race, gender and age. Galina points to a recent gender-swapped version of Stephen Sondheim's 'Company' that transformed the male lead Bobbie into a woman. 'A lot of years before my time at 'Miscast,' you would have women singing 'Being Alive' from 'Company' or 'Mary Me a Little' from 'Company,'' he says. 'And now there's been a production on Broadway with a woman playing Bobbie. So, there are no rules around that anymore, which is amazing.'
The Independent
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Broadway's Eva Noblezada, Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Ben Platt and Kelli O'Hara star on album
Lea Salonga stepped onto a Manhattan stage last spring and sang something unusual for her — 'Edelweiss' from the musical 'The Sound of Music,' a song usually performed by the paternal Captain von Trapp. It was part of MCC Theater's annual 'Miscast' gala that's celebrating 25 years with an album of top musical theater stars performing songs from roles in which they would not traditionally be cast. It drops March 28. In addition to Salonga, the album has performances by an A-list of Broadway: Eva Noblezada, Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Ben Platt, Kelli O'Hara, Katrina Lenk, Stephanie J. Block, Rachel Zegler, Raúl Esparza, Heather Headley, Aaron Tveit and Gavin Creel. Zegler channeled her inner green ogre for 'Who I'd Be' from 'Shrek,' and Lenk borrowed Tevye's 'If I Were a Rich Man' from "Fiddler on the Roof." Headley, who originated the role of Nala in 'The Lion King,' instead sang Simba's moving ballad 'Endless Night.' 'We have some that are just funny and silly. We have some that actually change the meaning of a song when someone sings them. We have some that's just a phenomenal person singing a phenomenal song and that's enough,' says Scott Galina, manager of musical programming and development at MCC. 'So it really feels like it captures the breadth of the way a 'Miscast' performance can land.' Other highlights include a live version of 'Take Me or Leave Me' from 'Rent' by Tveit and Creel, a capture made more special because of the death of Creel last year. And Groff and Jordan sing the two divas' anthem 'Let Me Be Your Star' from 'Smash.' Noblezada gets muscular singing 'Go the Distance' from 'Hercules,' and Platt gets in a green mood to sing Elphaba's 'The Wizard and I' from 'Wicked.' O'Hara submits a tender 'Beautiful City' from 'Godspell,' while married couple Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson sing 'The Human Heart' from "Once on This Island." 'There's not a track on the album that you get to and you're like, 'Oh, this is a skip,'" says Will Van Dyke, musical director for 'Miscast" for the past six years. 'That's like my goal in everything — you never want to have a skip track on there.' MCC Theater is a nonprofit, off-Broadway company that delights with its spring gala 'Miscast' surprises, which started in 2001 and went online for a few years during the pandemic. To make the new album, the performers were asked to recreate their live songs in the studio, giving engineers a cleaner sound. Whittling down the various performances over the decades to fit on a 12-album collection — called 'MCC Theater's Miscast: The Studio Sessions' — wasn't easy but some songs popped out for having made a lasting impact. 'Katrina Lenk is still hearing about people who talk about her singing 'If I Were a Rich Man,'' says Galina. 'These are moments that have become bigger for these people than we certainly ever could have intended.' MCC Theater will celebrate its 25th anniversary on April 7 with a 'Miscast' gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom. It will honor Sheryl Lee Ralph and MCC Youth Company alum and artist Travis Raeburn. The 'Miscast25' lineup will feature performances by Tituss Burgess, Cole Escola, Jordan Fisher, Steven Pasquale, Nicole Scherzinger, Britton Smith, Phillipa Soo, Ephraim Sykes, Jordan Tyson, Michael Urie and Tveit. Funds raised by the gala and the album go back to MCC Theater. Over the years, 'Miscast' has seen the landscape of Broadway change with more unconventional choices in race, gender and age. Galina points to a recent gender-swapped version of Stephen Sondheim 's 'Company' that transformed the male lead Bobbie into a woman. 'A lot of years before my time at 'Miscast,' you would have women singing 'Being Alive' from 'Company' or 'Mary Me a Little' from 'Company,'' he says. 'And now there's been a production on Broadway with a woman playing Bobbie. So, there are no rules around that anymore, which is amazing.'
Associated Press
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Broadway's Eva Noblezada, Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Ben Platt and Kelli O'Hara star on album
NEW YORK (AP) — Lea Salonga stepped onto a Manhattan stage last spring and sang something unusual for her — 'Edelweiss' from the musical 'The Sound of Music,' a song usually performed by the paternal Captain von Trapp. It was part of MCC Theater's annual 'Miscast' gala that's celebrating 25 years with an album of top musical theater stars performing songs from roles in which they would not traditionally be cast. It drops March 28. In addition to Salonga, the album has performances by an A-list of Broadway: Eva Noblezada, Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Ben Platt, Kelli O'Hara, Katrina Lenk, Stephanie J. Block, Rachel Zegler, Raúl Esparza, Heather Headley, Aaron Tveit and Gavin Creel. Zegler channeled her inner green ogre for 'Who I'd Be' from 'Shrek,' and Lenk borrowed Tevye's 'If I Were a Rich Man' from 'Fiddler on the Roof.' Headley, who originated the role of Nala in 'The Lion King,' instead sang Simba's moving ballad 'Endless Night.' 'We have some that are just funny and silly. We have some that actually change the meaning of a song when someone sings them. We have some that's just a phenomenal person singing a phenomenal song and that's enough,' says Scott Galina, manager of musical programming and development at MCC. 'So it really feels like it captures the breadth of the way a 'Miscast' performance can land.' Other highlights include a live version of 'Take Me or Leave Me' from 'Rent' by Tveit and Creel, a capture made more special because of the death of Creel last year. And Groff and Jordan sing the two divas' anthem 'Let Me Be Your Star' from 'Smash.' Noblezada gets muscular singing 'Go the Distance' from 'Hercules,' and Platt gets in a green mood to sing Elphaba's 'The Wizard and I' from 'Wicked.' O'Hara submits a tender 'Beautiful City' from 'Godspell,' while married couple Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson sing 'The Human Heart' from 'Once on This Island.' 'There's not a track on the album that you get to and you're like, 'Oh, this is a skip,'' says Will Van Dyke, musical director for 'Miscast' for the past six years. 'That's like my goal in everything — you never want to have a skip track on there.' MCC Theater is a nonprofit, off-Broadway company that delights with its spring gala 'Miscast' surprises, which started in 2001 and went online for a few years during the pandemic. To make the new album, the performers were asked to recreate their live songs in the studio, giving engineers a cleaner sound. Whittling down the various performances over the decades to fit on a 12-album collection — called 'MCC Theater's Miscast: The Studio Sessions' — wasn't easy but some songs popped out for having made a lasting impact. 'Katrina Lenk is still hearing about people who talk about her singing 'If I Were a Rich Man,'' says Galina. 'These are moments that have become bigger for these people than we certainly ever could have intended.' MCC Theater will celebrate its 25th anniversary on April 7 with a 'Miscast' gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom. It will honor Sheryl Lee Ralph and MCC Youth Company alum and artist Travis Raeburn. The 'Miscast25' lineup will feature performances by Tituss Burgess, Cole Escola, Jordan Fisher, Steven Pasquale, Nicole Scherzinger, Britton Smith, Phillipa Soo, Ephraim Sykes, Jordan Tyson, Michael Urie and Tveit. Funds raised by the gala and the album go back to MCC Theater. Over the years, 'Miscast' has seen the landscape of Broadway change with more unconventional choices in race, gender and age. Galina points to a recent gender-swapped version of Stephen Sondheim's 'Company' that transformed the male lead Bobbie into a woman. 'A lot of years before my time at 'Miscast,' you would have women singing 'Being Alive' from 'Company' or 'Mary Me a Little' from 'Company,'' he says. 'And now there's been a production on Broadway with a woman playing Bobbie. So, there are no rules around that anymore, which is amazing.'
