Kathrine Nero recently sat down with Sergio Trujillo, the Tony-winning choreographer of AIN’T TOO PROUD, to discuss his approach to crafting the Temptations’ signature moves. Kathrine Nero: Sergio, tell us about your career and how you got to Broadway. Sergio Trujillo: Oh, my goodness, wow, okay. Do you have enough time? I’m originally from Cali,... Continue Reading →
Backcombing HAIRSPRAY with Jack O’Brien
By Jack O’Brien Eighteen years ago, HAIRSPRAY bowed for the first time on Broadway, earning a New York Times rave that called it “deliriously tuneful…as sweet as a show can be." The original creative team was led by director Jack O’Brien and included choreography by Jerry Mitchell, set design by David Rockwell, costumes by William Ivey... Continue Reading →
Andy Blankenbuehler’s Pride and Joy in HAMILTON
Bridgett Raffenberg from 365 Things to Do in Cincinnati caught up with Cincinnatian Andy Blankenbuehler in NYC to talk about choreographing HAMILTON. Bridgett Raffenberg: Tell us a bit about your background and career. Andy Blankenbuehler: I’m a director and choreographer in New York City. I grew up in Cincinnati. I moved to New York City... Continue Reading →
THE KING AND I: The Quintessential Director for the Quintessential Production
by Genevieve Holt It’s not every day that an exquisite, distinguished Broadway revival of a classic musical comes around. By all accounts, Lincoln Center Theater’s production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I – headed to the Aronoff Stage in April – is one of those. If you are reviving a classic musical on... 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 →
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 →
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 →