PLAYBILL BACKSTAGE: Hands on a Hardbody Hands on a Hardbody stars Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone and Jon Rua team up to lead Playbill on an exclusive backstage tour of the Brooks Atkinson Theatre as the cast and crew prepare for showtime. Monteleone and Rua reveal secrets (where to take a last-minute emergency bathroom break), chat with some fellow cast members (birthday girl Allison Case scats a la Ella Fitzgerald!) and talk sexy costumes, birthday cakes, coconut water and tchotchkes that celebrate the great state of Texas. Watch Hands on a Hardbodyhighlights, and read the Brief Encounter interview with librettist Doug Wright.
Playbill Backstage: The Phantom of the Opera's 25th Anniversary, Part Two On Jan. 26, 2013, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera celebrated its 25th anniversary on Broadway. Playbill enlisted Kara Klein, the production's current Meg Giry, to capture on video all of the excitement of the milestone evening. Klein visited Phantom alumni as they rehearsed for a special post-show performance, swung by the Majestic Theatre dressing rooms of stars Hugh Panaro and Sierra Boggess, covered the chaos of intermission and, after the show was completed, attended the celebratory party. For more information about The Phantom of the Opera, including a look inside the original 1988 opening night Playbill, visit PlaybillVault.com. Watch Part One here.
Playbill Backstage: The Phantom of the Opera's 25th Anniversary, Part One A milestone previously unthinkable in American theatre became a reality on Jan. 26, 2013, when a Broadway show, The Phantom of the Opera, celebrated its 25th anniversary. In honor of the occasion, Phantom's current Meg Giry, Kara Klein, took video camera in hand to document the special performance and afterglow from the point of view of cast and crew. For more information about The Phantom of the Opera, including a look inside the original 1988 opening night Playbill, visit PlaybillVault.com. Read the Playbill reports about the historic night here and here.
Playbill Backstage: A Christmas Story, The Musical, Part Two In part two of this exclusive two-part video feature, A Christmas Story, The Musical's young star Johnny Rabe takes video camera in hand to explore backstage life of the hit Broadway show at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Stars Dan Lauria, Eddie Korbich, John Bolton and Erin Dilly welcome Rabe into their dressing rooms for fellowship, a (pretend) stiff drink and a rare peek from a balcony that overlooks one of Broadway's busiest streets. The long day of Broadway magic comes to a close as the cast and crew embrace the start of Hanukkah in a celebration led by the mother of one cast member. To see part one, click here.
PLAYBILL BACKSTAGE: Evita Part Three — Ricky Martin and Shooting From The Wings In the final part of their three-part backstage series, cast member Rachel Potter once again takes video camera in hand to chart the course of a Saturday night at Broadway's Evita. A one-woman dance party kicks off the evening, then wigs and costumes are added to the equation as the elusive Ricky Martin (finally!) makes an appearance. The show begins and Potter takes us in the wings to experience what goes on during an actual performance. The show ends and the Ricky Martin stage door mob scene Potter envisioned in Part One turns into reality. To see Part Two of the series, click here.
PLAYBILL BACKSTAGE: Evita, Part Two — The Understudies With video camera in hand, Evita cast member Rachel Potter (you know her as Peron's Mistress) continues her behind-the-scenes tour, and capturing the secret of how an on-stage hospital bed is transformed into a coffin, the magic of the colorful sound board and a last minute put-in rehearsal. The rehearsal inspires Potter to speak with her castmates about their understudy experiences (or lack thereof, in the case of those that cover for iron man Michael Cerveris) and the vital roles that understudies and swings play in keeping a Broadway show moving along. To see Part One of the three-part series, click here.
PLAYBILL BACKSTAGE: Evita, Part One — The Dressing Rooms Rachel Potter
(who plays Perón's Mistress and gets to sing the signature number "Another Suitcase in Another Hall") takes camera in hand to go backstage at the Marquis Theatre to capture the behind-the-scenes life at Broadway's Evita. To kick off Part One of this three-part series, Potter gives us glimpses of the stars' dressing rooms and takes a preliminary glance out the window at the sidewalk by the stage door — a location she promises to return to for the mob scene that will erupt when Ricky Martin makes his post-performance exit. To see Part Two, click here.
PLAYBILL BACKSTAGE: "My First Night on Broadway!" Part 2 — Opening Night of Bring It On On Aug. 1, Playbill caught up with Ariana DeBose as she prepared for the opening night of Bring It On: The Musical — her first on Broadway. For part two of her journey, DeBose took a video camera backstage to film the opening night rituals, including gift-giving, the warm-up cheer call and the Gypsy Robe Ceremony, and capture the energy and emotions of 32 Equity members making their Broadway debuts. After the curtain call, we met with DeBose and her castmates to capture their post-show feelings. To view part one of Ariana DeBose's "My First Night on Broadway!" video, click here.
PLAYBILL BACKSTAGE: Leap of Faith Jessica Phillips, sheriff Marla McGowan in Leap of Faith on Broadway, takes us backstage at the St. James Theatre to see what goes on behind the scenes of the new musical. During the show's preview period, we get a look at rehearsals for a new scene and a peek into the crew room's snack collection. Then on opening night, we meet a special celebrity visitor and get to witness the show's gypsy robe ceremony — and Raúl Esparza's inspiring speech to the company. For more information on Leap of Faith, click here.
PLAYBILL BACKSTAGE: A Christmas Story, The Musical! Part 2 — Exhausted Elves! It's almost curtain time at A Christmas Story, The Musical!, and cast member Kirsten Wyatt is back to give Playbill an exclusive look at what happens behind the scenes while the show is being performed (at the tour's first stop at the Hershey Theatre in Pennsylvania). Watch out for actors running for quick changes, exhausted elves and an actor's-eye view of the musical from the wings. Read more about the new musical based on the beloved 1983 film here. And watch Part 1 here.
