ELAINE STRITCH AT LIBERTY
(2002 Broadway)
Stritch was as famous for her onstage performances as she was for her offstage person - and here she takes you from childhood to Broadway, in Noel Coward’s Sail Away and Stephen Sondheim’s Company - where she stole the show singing The Ladies Who Lunch! She does this Tony Award winning show wearing nothing but a white blouse and black semi-sheer pantyhose.
So, if you love backstage anecdotes,
show tunes, and dry wit, don’t miss this one!
PRESENT LAUGHTER.
(2017 Broadway)
In this revival of Noël Coward’s
zany comedy, Kevin Kline earned his 3rd
Tony Award playing a jaded matinee
idol in his 50s who is estranged from his wife (an elegant Kate Burton),
needled by his secretary (a delightful Kristine Nielsen) and irked by his vacuous
work. He fills the time by sleeping, griping, and bedding silly debutantes who
claim to have lost their latchkeys. This busy schedule is interrupted when his
business partner’s wife (a predatory Cobie Smulders) attempts his seduction.
NICHOLAS NICKLEBY (1982
Broadway)
Charles Dickens’ novel, about a
young man who has to support his mother and sister following the death of his
father, was brought to the stage in sections that added up to 8 hours. Engrossing
theater but not an experience for the faint of heart. The show started in
London, and, when it transferred to Broadway, won Tony Awards for Best Play,
and Best Leading Actor for Roger Rees. Given the play’s immense length, home
viewing might be the best way to watch because you can take an intermission
whenever you like.
THE KING AND I (2018,
London)
Set in 1860s Bangkok, this
Rodgers and Hammerstein favorite is based on British schoolteacher
Anna Leonowens’ presumed romance with King Mongkut of Siam. After opening on
Broadway in 2015, the production transferred, with all its New York leads, to
the West End, where it was filmed for a limited cinematic release. Starring
Kelli O’Hara, Ken Watanabe, and Ruthie Ann Miles, this show features a memorable
score that includes Getting to Know You, Shall We Dance, and We
Kiss in a Shadow.
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (1986,
Broadway)
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La
Grand Jatte, by Georges Seurat, is one of the great
paintings of the world, and book writer James Lapine, and composer/lyricist
Stephen Sondheim, created a story to illustrate the work and bring it to life. Starring
Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin, while the painting depicts people
gathered on an island in the Seine, the musical goes beyond simply describing
their lives. It is a visual exploration of art, of love, and of commitment.
Seurat connected dots to create images; Lapine and Sondheim use connection as
the heart of all our relationships.
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (2017,
London)
Starring Robbie Fairchild, Leanne Cope, and
Haydn Oakley. Filmed live from London’s Dominion Theatre in 2018, An
American in Paris follows Jerry Mulligan, an American GI who moves
to Paris to pursue his dreams of becoming a painter. After a chance encounter
with Lise, a young dancer, Jerry finds himself caught up in a complicated love
triangle. Featuring music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, the New York
production was nominated for 14 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
