Great News! Lyricist Lynn Ahrens is coming to our "Ragtime" class June 14
Plus this week: the Book of Mormon
Because of the announcement below, this is a bonus FREE issue of The Broadway Maven’s Weekly Blast for May. For a full weekly subscription ($36/year), press this button:
Shalom! The Broadway Maven is pleased to announce that lyricist Lynn Ahrens is coming to our Ragtime class June 14 at Noon ET.
Ahrens, who wrote the lyrics for Ragtime, is a Tony-winning songwriter who also co-wrote Anastasia, Once on this Island, and Seussical. In addition, she is responsible for several of the best episodes of Schoolhouse Rock, like “The Preamble,” “Interjections!” and “Interplanet Janet.”
Ragtime is widely considered "The Great American Musical" for its lush, thrilling presentation of a gripping story relating to the intersection of blacks, Jewish immigrants, and upper-class suburban whites in the early 20th century.
After the conversation with Ms. Ahrens, in true Broadway Maven fashion, we'll be analyzing Ragtime's lyrics, music, plot, and theme in an interactive presentation.
Class meets online Monday, June 14 from Noon to 1 pm ET. No 8 pm Broadway Maven class that day. Register: bitly.com/MavenRagtime
This week, The Broadway Maven looks at The Book of Mormon:
• On Monday, May 31 at Noon and 8 pm ET, there will be a FREE Zoom class exploring that wacky, hilarious show. Register here.
• My latest video suggests that The Book of Mormon has an important serious side, too.
• In addition to the announcement about Lynn Ahrens, This Weekly Blast RAVES about the best high school drama departments and links to a YouTube GEM about a possible upside The Book of Mormon may hold for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Sign up for our class on the wacky musical The Book of Mormon (from the creators of South Park and Avenue Q).
Your Homework: Watch the video below about The Book of Mormon and answer in the comments: "Do you agree that The Book of Mormon is a serious musical? Why or why not?"
Register for the June Jewish Broadway series here.
Sign up for a summer ALL-ACCESS Pass here.
By now, most of you know I am rapturous over the quality of the best high school musicals. Here are the four schools I consider to have the best productions (on YouTube, at least):
Stratford High: The best part about this school’s productions is how consistently excellent all the elements are: acting, singing, choreography and directing, yes, but also lighting, sets, and costumes. What a West Side Story! What a Chicago!
Ridge High School: The cast in their Guys and Dolls (especially the kid who plays Nicely-Nicely Johnson, but also their Sky, Nathan, and Adelaide) deserves the Best Acting award for a show from any drama department in the country. I also really like their Fiddler and their High School Musical.
King’s Academy: This private Christian school in West Palm Beach, Florida, puts out great musicals with an amazing regularity. I used their excellent Les Misérables to prepare for my class on that show, and several others I’ve seen are impressive (check out their Beauty and the Beast). They call themselves “The Home of the High School Musical.”
Summit High School: I’ve seen two full shows from this New Jersey school and was blown away by both. Their The Producers includes teenage boys performing gay stereotypes in a way that laughs with gays, not at them. The nuanced acting of their Bloom is Broadway-worthy. Furthermore, their Pippin is, well, magical.
Any high school drama departments you’d rave about?
The official reaction to The Book of Mormon by the Latter-Day Saints has been anything but censorious. The Church has even taken out ads in Playbills for the show. This news report from a station in Utah uploaded by a Mormon activist
(who calls himself “Seeker of Truth and Light”) suggests the show may in the long run be good for their religion.
Note: links to register for ALL classes are ALWAYS available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.
Monday, May 31 The Book of Mormon (FREE, Noon and 8 pm ET)
Monday, June 7 Fiddler on the Roof (FREE, Noon and 8 pm ET)
Monday, June 14 Ragtime (FREE, Noon ET)
Monday, June 21 Barbra Streisand’s Musicals (FREE, Noon and 8 pm ET)
Tuesday, June 22 Show Boat (Noon ET, ALL-ACCESS only)