Blog

In a way, the title of my own just-released tome – THE BOOK OF BROADWAY MUSICAL DEBATES, DISPUTES, AND DISAGREEMENTS – could almost serve as the title of Ethan Mordden’s new book. He’s called it BROADWAY MUSICALS ON CD: A CONVERSATIONAL GUIDE. Nevertheless, be prepared to debate, dispute, disagree – as well as wholeheartedly concur […]

Stephen Sondheim couldn’t do it. Neither could Jerry Herman nor Frank Loesser. Ditto Rodgers and Hammerstein. Perhaps Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez will, but they haven’t yet. No, the only people who could ever boast of writing two consecutive Best Musical Tony-winners were Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. THE PAJAMA GAME in 1954-55. DAMN YANKEES […]

Let’s talk a little about Charlie. Usually when people discuss KINKY BOOTS, they center on Lola, the unapologetic, out-there, fully actualized drag queen. And how can they not? The bigger-than-life Lola not only brings to mind a lyric from DAMN YANKEES – “Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets” – but also one from WILDCAT – “Hey, […]

Mary Martin? Audra McDonald? Patti LuPone? Bernadette Peters? Angela Lansbury? Ethel Merman? Over the years, I’ve heard many claim that one of these performers is The First Lady of Musical Theater. But here’s a question. If for all these years we’ve had a First Lady of Musical Theater, why haven’t we had a President of […]

There will be those who’ll automatically say, “If I want to listen to Michael Jackson, I’ll listen to Michael Jackson himself. Why would I buy a cast album with all the songs he made famous only to hear them sung by other people?” There’s another way of looking at the situation. The power of the […]