To facilitate the special announcement, this issue of the Weekly Blast is free to all. A subscription is $36 a year, and available by pressing the button below.
Shalom!
This week, The Broadway Maven looks at the musical innovations of Richard Rodgers, both with Lorenz Hart and with Oscar Hammerstein:
• On Thursday, September 9 at Noon and 8 pm ET, there will be a FREE 90-minute Zoom class on the topic of “Richard Rodgers 101”. Register here.
• This Weekly Blast announces an upcoming Introduction to Broadway class; RAVES about a song related to September 11; contains a student RAVE about being invited onstage during a performance of Cabaret; and links to YouTube GEMs about the Rodgers & Hart partnership and about choreographer Jerome Robbins.
The Broadway Maven has just announced a comprehensive “Introduction to Broadway” course to be held every Tuesday in November and December. Through lecture; discussion; and many, many clips we'll explore how musical theater developed and what the salient features are of Broadway shows past and present. Students will get enough of a taste of dozens of shows that they will be able to make informed decisions about which musicals they'd like to see next.
Among the topics:
• What were the innovations of some of the early Broadway shows like Show Boat, Pal Joey, and Anything Goes?
• Why are Rodgers & Hammerstein so highly regarded, and how did their shows revolutionize the art form?
• How did Stephen Sondheim single-handedly reinvent Broadway? What are his best shows? His best songs?
• When was the "British Invasion" and how did it change Broadway?
• What made 21st century shows like The Book of Mormon; Hamilton; and Dear Evan Hansen so special?
• What's the difference between a musical comedy and a musical play? What's a rock opera? What's a revue? What's a jukebox musical? What are some good examples of each?
• What is the meaning of Broadway terms like "I want song"; "bell tone"; "button"; "11 o'clock number"; and "pastiche"?
The Early Bird rate through October 15 is $59 (a $20 discount). Space limited. Register here.
(Note: current ALL-ACCESS Passholders should inquire about a further discount.)
As we approach the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States, I’ve been thinking about “Me and the Sky,” the most evocative and moving song in the inspiring musical Come from Away.
When I first heard it, I wasn’t such a fan, because its narrative structure is so different from what I considered the best of the Broadway canon. But it grew on me, and as performed by über-talent Jenn Colella, it now moves me to tears every time she talks about “the one thing she loved more than anything else” (an airplane) was used as a bomb. Check it out:
Arlene Rosenblum: I have been to many musical theater productions, both on and off Broadway as well as performances at local schools and community theaters. One magical night that will always stay with me was at the Studio 54 production of Cabaret starring Alan Cumming and Michelle Williams in 2014. When we went to see the show one night during its run, we were sitting at a table up front near the stage. Before the performance began, Alan Cumming (who played the Emcee) came out into the audience to greet the attendees and engage us in some small talk. He then came over to me and invited me onstage to dance with him. OMG! I was so taken aback by this that I didn’t know how to react. Needless to say, I went up onstage with him, and we danced. I was so nervous that I actually can’t remember what song we danced to! When we stopped dancing, he escorted me back to my seat, and the show began!
After my performance with Mr. Cumming, wherever I walked in the theater during the intermission and when the show ended, I was recognized by all my new fans!
What better way to learn how Rodgers & Hart created music than to watch them doing it? Check out this 17-minute short from 1929:
In this video from the summer of 2019, I present four American Jews and their contributions to 1960s culture. The first of them is choreographer Jerome Robbins.
Tomorrow - Thursday, September 9 - The Broadway Maven will hold a special 90-minute class exploring the musical legacy of Richard Rodgers, particularly in his two towering partnerships with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein.
We’ll talk about shows like Babes in Arms, Pal Joey, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.
The class meets twice for 90 minutes each at Noon and 8 pm ET. Register: bitly.com/MavenRodgers
Watch the video below, giving special attention to the creepy aspects of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic South Pacific.
What other moments in Broadway musicals do you consider creepy? Put your answers in the comments.
Note: links to register for ALL classes are ALWAYS available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.
Thursday, September 9 Rodgers and Hammerstein and Hart (FREE, 90-minute class, Noon and 8 pm ET)
Monday, September 13 NO CLASS
Monday, September 20 NO CLASS (Jewish holiday: Sukkot)
Thursday, September 23 Wicked (Noon and 8 pm ET, ALL-ACCESS Passholders only)
Monday, September 27 NO CLASS (Jewish holiday: Shemini Atzeret)
Note: The Broadway Maven will not meet during October.
Tuesday, November 2 FIRST MEETING, “Introduction to Broadway” (Noon ET)
-David Benkof, The Broadway Maven
We are very disappointed that your fall classes are during the day. We work and cannot attend them. Why are you not doing evening classes?
Sue & Bruce Bergman