ON STAGE A Perfect Threesome
By Lori Simmons Zelenko
Good things come in threes this March as we take a look at these extraordinary musical performances lighting up the Great White Way.
ROCKTOPIA
The Broadway Theatre
Classical music meets classic rock sets the tone in Rocktopia which runs until April 29th. Putting strings and horns, the heart of a symphony orchestra, to the melodies and emotional resonance of iconic classic tunes like on Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd’s “On the Turning Away,” Rocktopia brings arena rock to an epic level. One-of-kind arrangements of the work of classical composers among them Ludwig van Beethoven, George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky pairs up with theatrical, even operatic hits from favorite rock bands, Foreigner, Heart, Journey, Styx, The Who, U2 and more.
Alyson CambridgeGorgeous, glamorous opera star Alyson Cambridge (The Merry Widow at The Met, Madame Butterfly, La Boheme, and Show Boat) exclusively shares with New York Lifestyles Magazine, “Rocktopia for me is all about changing lanes. I’ve always wanted to sing and perform in different genres. I am thrilled, honored, loving every chance I get to change people’s perceptions of opera. I want people to see that opera and classical music are cool, sexy, fun, and powerful.” For Alyson it’s “visceral, this great coming together of classical and rock music. It gets to your core! The passion, the excitement—Rocktopia is the perfect fusion!”
MY FAIR LADY
Vivian Beaumont Theater / Lincoln Center Theater
Love, love, love Lerner and Lowe’s My Fair Lady. I don’t recall precisely how many times I saw the show much less how many times I’ve seen the movie, but I do know I remember the words to almost every song, and I am right there with Eliza believing indeed “I could have danced all night….” In fact, I am dancing my way over to the Lincoln Center production, and delighted at the thought of once again seeing this story of a Cockney flower girl who becomes the toast of London Town.
Although the last revival was just twenty-five years ago, this time around it’s a breathless wait until the April 19th opening (previews start March 15th) Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) is Eliza. She’s paired with Harry Hadden-Paton (Downton Abbey, The Crown) making his New York stage debut as Henry Higgins, the narcissistic professor. I am looking forward to seeing Diana Rigg (Victoria) as the Grand Dame Mrs. Higgins (Henry’s mother who helps show Eliza the ropes when it comes to high society.) Crazy about Diana Rigg since the days of TV’s The Avengers. Her ‘60s-sleek Emma Peel was a marvel back then, well before today’s Marvel superheroes.
Lauren Ambrose & Harry Hadden-PatonBased on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, the story of My Fair Lady is, as Diana Rigg explains, about “a young girl with ambition finding herself; it’s an absolutely wonderful message.” One, the cast believes, everybody can relate to. No doubt about that: the show has been a hit since 1956 when newcomer Julie Andrews took on the role of Eliza Doolittle and became a star.
Tony winner Bartlett Sher (South Pacific. The King & I) directs, and Tony winner Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific, Newsies) choreographs. Norbert Leo Butz (Catch Me If You Can, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), will play Eliza’s dad, Alfred P. Doolittle, a bold-faced bad boy (of a certain age) who is unabashedly and joyfully without a conscience. Her father may have sold her out (to Higgins for a few rounds at the pub) but no matter, Eliza is a sassy girl with integrity. In the end, life is indeed loverly.
CAROUSEL
Imperial Theater
Coming back to Broadway after more than twenty years is Carousel, the musical considered “one of the most hallowed works of the American stage” (The New York Times). Starring Tony winner Jessie Mueller (Beautiful, Waitress) and world-celebrated opera star Renée Fleming in her first-ever appearance in a Broadway musical with Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry (The Scottsboro Boys). The new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s timeless musical showcases hit tunes including “If I Loved You,” “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Jessie MuellerCarousel is no merry go round as it deals honestly with the pain of love and loss. Boy meets girl, but this boy is a troubled carnival barker and the girl, well, it would appear she’s not destined for the likes of him. But true love knows no bounds. No conventional “Happily Ever After” brings one and all together. There’s the thrilling joy of first love, the pain of disappointment, the tragedy of loss, the wonder of a new baby and the beauty of a child turning into a woman. This dimensional tale unfolds under the close lens of a small factory town on the coast of Maine.
Rodgers and Hammerstein elevate heartbreak to an epic scale with one of Broadway’s most famous, deeply emotional musical scores. Incandescent ballet sequences are choreographed by Justin Peck, resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet. Featuring some of the most beloved numbers in the American songbook, Carousel opens April 12th with previews this month.
