Beetlejuice choreographer Connor Gallagher aims to please diehard devotees of the film – and welcome new ones into the fold By Page Leggett Connor Gallagher knew fans of Beetlejuice, Tim Burton's over the top 1998 movie, would have high expectations of the musical adaptation. But the choreographer also knew there would be audience members who... Continue Reading →
Bringing ALADDIN to the Stage
by Courtney Potter Early in the evolution of Aladdin, composer Alan Menken, book writer and lyricist Chad Beguelin and director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw got together to write a brand new song for the stage musical – a unique collaboration that could only happen on Broadway. “We needed to write a new song for the Genie, [for]... Continue Reading →
SCHOOL OF ROCK: Q&A with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Laurence Connor and Julian Fellowes
I'd love to start with the inspiration of this project. Andrew Lloyd Webber – I suppose the thing that I picked up on immediately was that it's about the incredible empowering force that music can be. And, therefore, it's really about how music changes the life of the kids in the show, and also... Continue Reading →
SCHOOL OF ROCK: From Screen to Stage
THE MOVIE Screenwriter Mike White got the idea for the movie from the Langley Schools Music Project, where Canadian music teacher Hans Fenger recorded two LPs (1966 and 1967) with grade school students singing hits by The Beach Boys, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, and more. Over twenty years later, the LPs were combined into... Continue Reading →
Creating SCHOOL OF ROCK
Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer of such megahits as Phantom of the Opera and Cats, wants audiences to have a “really good time” at his newest show, an unabashed musical comedy. “School of Rock is fun. Hopefully, I've fleshed it out with a few catchy songs and kept the spirit of the original movie.” But Lloyd... Continue Reading →
Casting the Kids for SCHOOL OF ROCK
W.C. Fields famously remarked “never work with animals or children,” because they’re invariably scene stealers. School of Rock, the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Julian Fellowes musical, based on the Richard Linklater movie, doesn’t have any animals. But it has children…a lot of them. And many of them play musical instruments. Very well. Rob Colletti, who plays Dewey... Continue Reading →
Q&A with the Songwriting Team for A CHRISTMAS STORY
Songwriting team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul -- the celebrated duo behind the music of Tony-winner Dear Evan Hansen and the Oscar-winning La La Land -- discuss the making of A Christmas Story, The Musical. How did you become involved with the musical version of A Christmas Story? JP: Similar to how an actor auditions... Continue Reading →
ALADDIN: Bringing the Classic Story to Life Onstage
by Courtney Potter Early in the evolution of Aladdin, composer Alan Menken, book writer and lyricist Chad Beguelin and director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw got together to write a brand new song for the stage musical – a unique collaboration that could only happen on Broadway. “We needed to write a new song for the Genie, [for]... Continue Reading →
ALADDIN: Musical Maestro
This feature is excerpted from Disney’s Aladdin: A Whole New World (The Road to Broadway and Beyond) by Michael Lassell. Earning a staggering number of accolades for his work on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and the film version of Aladdin, amongst many others, Alan Menken is an undisputed master of the stage... Continue Reading →
Sara Bareilles on ‘Soulful Storytelling’ in WAITRESS
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareillis wrote the music for the hit musical Waitress. Broadway in Cincinnati caught up with her in New York in January 2017. Broadway in Cincinnati: How did you get involved in this project? Had writing music for the stage been something you’d always wanted to do? Sara Barellis: I actually never thought... Continue Reading →