REMEMBERING CHITA RIVERA by Peter Filichia
When a celebrity reaches an advanced age, journalists start writing an obituary, knowing that the star’s death could come at any moment. Considering that all others who write about theater had had their Chita Rivera obituaries ready to go, readers have been asking me why I didn’t. I guess there was a part of me […]
52 REASONS TO CELEBRATE GREASE By Peter Filichia
Considering that anniversaries are deemed significant when they end in “5” or “0,” why make a big deal of GREASE’s 52nd? Yet 52 is an apt number because young producers Ken Waissman and Maxine Fox proved that by bringing this ‘50s rock musical to Broadway they were indeed playing with a full deck. In honor […]
THAT NIGHT ON THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW By Peter Filichia
On February 9, we’ll celebrate the 60th anniversary of what was then the most-watched event in television history. No fewer than 73,000,000 viewers tuned in to The Ed Sullivan Show that Sunday night in 1964 to see a British sensation. It was OLIVER! – the musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ OLIVER TWIST. Yes, Lionel Bart’s […]
MORE THAN ONCE UPON A MATTRESS By Peter Filichia
So, for the first time since the Sarah Jessica Parker revival in 1996, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS was back in the Broadway theater district last week. Although more than a quarter century has passed since the musical’s run at the Broadhurst, here’s betting that most everyone who attended Encores! had already seen at least one […]
THE BEST CONCERT OF THE ‘80S By Peter Filichia
Ever hear of PopDaze? The website, we’re told, is “the place to learn, interact, and relive your youth with other fans, as you explore and play with the music, entertainment, and pop culture of the second half of the 20th Century.” So, PopDaze asked the question, “What was your favorite concert in the 1980s?” Some […]
