A to Z Challenge: Chicago the Musical

Today, I'm switching over to musical theater. At one time I did write about theater for this site. Why am I picking Chicago besides the fact it starts with a C? It was the first National Touring musical that I ever went to see back in 2002. I won tickets from a fabulous record store (remember them?).

What's not to like the musical has catchy songs, an easy to follow plot, eye candy, and "All That Jazz". We caught the show at The Lyric, a beautiful venue in Baltimore, Maryland.

It was back on mind since, I just watched another touring version of the show in February in Pensacola.

That tour is playing sat The Kennedy Center now through  April 16, with Grammy Award winning singer Brandy Norwood portraying Roxie.

 I notice there were some small differences since the last time I witness the performance, which was nice. Seeing the show before, watching the movie version you do get used to the show.

This is just a quick post on /c and /i will be back with a D post soon.

Annie Get Your Gun Premiered on Broadway 69 years ago

69 years ago today back on May 16, 1946 Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun" opened at The Imperial Theatre. Herbert and Dorothy Fields wrote the book but Irving Berlin created the music and lyrics.

Here is a bit from a dress rehearsal of a Broadway version in 2009...

The musical was filled with some timeless hits. A prime example  is the above "There's No Business Like Show Business." Another would be this one..

"Anything You Can Do" from the 1950 film version.

The shows initial performance on Broadway would consist of 1,147 performances. The show would enjoy a revival in 1966 and again in 1999. The one in 1999 would finally win the show two Tony Awards.

Bernadette Peters who won one of those Tony Awards for Best Performance by  a Leading Actress in a Musical in action above with "Can't Get A Man With A Gun."

Have a favorite tune from the show? Have a favorite memory? Feel free to share in the comments. Thanks for visiting.

Farewell Norman Bridwell

Clifford the Big Red Dog is a series of books and shows that was beloved by both of my children. Considering one of the children is a grown man of 18 and my daughter is 7 that is quite a gap but they both found common ground with Clifford.

Norman Bridwell was the man who created Clifford the Big Red Dog. Clifford created a career for Norman that included 40 best selling books, two television series, a live musical and of course merchandise.

Here is a clip from the show..

Quoting Bruce Weber in the New York Times stated Bridwell is "a figure who looms as large in toddler lit as the great white whale does in the American canon." I  have never heard of toddler lit before but certainly Bridwell was a master of the genre. 

He will be missed but he does leave behind one big red legacy!

Music Has Left The Hills: Maria von Trapp has passed away

Certainly those famous lines of "the hills are alive with the sound of music"from The Sound of Music will echo off the walls of a theater somewhere. However, the hills of Stowe, Vermont were silent on Saturday. It was a silence echoed in the famed hills of Austria where the original story found meaning. Maria von Trapp passed away on Saturday at the age of 99.

She was the last singing member from the famous Trapp family who The Sound of Music is based on. The story was originally found in the book "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" which was written by Maria's mother, Maria Kutschera von Trapp. The family gave the world another example of how sometimes the best stories come from real life.

The original movie version is a staple for the girls in my household. The last time I watched the musical was when I reviewed a wonderful performance of the show at The Olney Theatre Center in Maryland. You can read my review for The Maryland Theatre Guide here.

The trailer to the 1965 movie here:

That famous song..

Thanks for the story, the musical, and the memories!

Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson

I'm going to be writing a lot this week. Most of it is sports related. Since, I have already blogged about football and baseball this week I thought I would break it up a bit and write about a musical I reviewed. I found out the lead role lost his voice and the show didn't have an understudy. So, I was expecting the worst but I was pleasantly surprised and treated to a stellar performance of Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick, Maryland. You can read my full review here.

Here is a bit of the opening number as done on the Broadway Production...

It poortrays Andrew Jackson in a EMO rock star style. It is not politically correct, sometimes offensive, but interesting, entertaining, thought provoking fun time!

I'll be back soon with another post about something different.what? I am not sure yet.