Playbill Presents In Rehearsal With Choreographer Josh Bergasse, "The Flying Lings" and It's a Bird… It's a Plane… It's Superman Whether he's choreographing the musical numbers or acting in the show, Josh Bergasse's work is seen weekly on NBC's Broadway drama "Smash." In the City Center Encores! concert production of It's a Bird… It's a Plane… It's Superman, Bergasse is allowed to step outside of his normal bounds as choreographer. In addition to a more traditional approach for numbers like "You've Got Possibilites," "It's Superman" and "It's Super Nice," Bergasse takes on a martial arts based number that introduces a group of deadly acrobats known as The Flying Lings who prepare to battle Superman. Here, Playbill takes an exclusive peek at Bergasse and troupe as they run through the high-flying choreography featuring somersaults, kendo sticks, karate chops and sword thrusts aplenty. For a musical preview of the show, watch here.
Playbill and the Players Bebe Neuwirth Rehearses "Ring Them Bells" and "Mr. Bojangles" For New Show Bebe Neuwirth's first solo album titled "Porcelain" features story-songs written by the likes of Kander and Ebb, Kurt Weill, Stephen Sondheim, and Tom Waits. The two-time Tony winner brings her revamped show, Stories With Piano #4, to 54 Below, which features many songs off "Porcelain," as well as a selection of new material, to tell an array of musical stories of love, pain and laughter. Here, Neuwirth rehearses for her March 18-23 gig at the New York hotspot singing "Mr. Bojangles" and Kander and Ebb's "Ring Them Bells." To see Neuwirth's Broadway history, visit Playbillvault.com.
Playbill and the Players EXCLUSIVE: Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming in Concert Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming share a link: she won an Oscar for her performance as Sally Bowles in the film version of Cabaret, he won a Tony playing the Emcee in the 1998 Broadway revival of the John Kander and Fred Ebb classic. After they performed together in the summer 2012 on Fire Island, Minnelli and Cumming decided to pair up again — this time at New York's Town Hall — for March 13 and 14 performances in celebration of Minnelli's 67th birthday. Playbill was on hand to capture some sights and sounds of the evening, as the duo paid homage to Kander and Ebb. For more on the performances read the Playbill story.
Playbill Presents Josh Young in Rehearsal For Broadway Backwards 8 Tony Award nominee Josh Young is one of many performers — including Estelle Parsons, Jan Maxwell, Victor Garber, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Stephanie J. Block, Kyle Dean Massey and Robert Creighton — who will perform at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS'Broadway Backwards concert. This annual celebration takes classic songs of the musical theatre and reinterprets them with an eye toward the LGBT experience. Here, Young readies for the big night, March 18, by running through "Bring On the Men," from Jekyll & Hyde. The performance benefits BC/EFA and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York City and will be directed and choreographed by Broadway Backwards founder Robert Bartley. For more on the performers and production, read the Playbill story.
Playbill Presents Mitchell Jarvis and Wesley Taylor's "It Could Be Worse": Episode 7 In Episode 7, struggling actor Jacob (series co-creator Wesley Taylor) has a successful audition for sexy new musical The Ice Queen, whose leading lady Veronica Bailey (Alison Fraser) has taken a very special interest in him. When Jacob visits his troublesome and coked-up agent (series co-creator Mitchell Jarvis), he learns the role is his. With this new lease on life, will Jacob now have the courage to leave his uber-needy boyfriend Philip (Gideon Glick) and pursue his new love interest (Adam Chanler-Berat)? Watch from Episode 1.
*Includes adult situations and language. Viewer discretion is advised.
Playbill and the Players In Rehearsal With It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman From the songwriters of Bye Bye Birdie, It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman, a satiric musical look at the DC Comics hero, ran for 129 performances on Broadway in 1966. City Center Encores! brings back the Charles Strouse (music) and Lee Adams (lyrics) musical March 20-24 for a concert version that will keep the swingin' '60s sound and the frisky humor intact. Stars Edward Watts (Superman/Clark Kent) Jenny Powers (Lois Lane) and cast, along with director John Rando and choreographer Joshua Bergasse ("Smash"), met the media to preview three tunes — "It's Superman," "You've Got Possibilities" and "It's Super Nice" — and chat about bringing the campy musical oddity out of obscurity and down to earth. Meet the cast in a Playbill Photo Call.
Playbill and the Players Bob Fosse's "Cabaret" Film Turns 40 With Joel Grey, Michael York and Marisa Berenson With the release of a new digitally remastered Blu-ray Disc and a 40th anniversary to celebrate, the cast of director Bob Fosse's 1972 feature film version of "Cabaret" met the media. Revamped from the Kander and Ebb stage musical, the Liza Minnelli star-making vehicle featured new songs that replaced others cut in order to keep the musical performance "on stage" and steeped in realism. The film also revisited the original texts that inspired the stage musical and re-focused the story along more personal lines. Here, stars Joel Grey, Michael York and Marisa Berenson are joined by the director's daughter Nicole Fosse to chat about the history and legacy of the groundbreaking cinematic musical. To see the Playbill from the original Broadway musical, visit Playbillvault.com.
Playbill and the Players Berry Gordy's Motown Troupers Revel in Music History Based on his 1995 memoir "To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown," Berry Gordy’s Motown: The Musical charts his rise to the top of a Detroit-based record empire that defined the music of the 1960s. Charles Randolph-Wright directs the new Broadway show, which stars Brandon Victor Dixon as Gordy, Valisa Lekae as Diana Ross, Charl Brown as Smokey Robinson and Bryan Terrell Clark as Marvin Gaye. The production features classic Motown hits as well as several new songs written by Gordy. Here, cast and creatives meet the press to chat about constructing a world that echoes real life. Watch a musical preview from the show.
Playbill and the Players Sneak Peek at the New Broadway Pippin The cast and creatives of the Broadway revival of Pippin met the press to preview the production fresh from its critically-acclaimed run at A.R.T. in Cambridge, MA. Directed by Diane Paulus, the classic Stephen Schwartz-Roger O. Hirson musical finds a troupe of medieval performers telling the story of Pippin, a monarch's son who longs for an extraordinary life. Chet Walker (a member of the original Broadway company) choreographs the production in the style of Bob Fosse, flavored with circus-movement from Gypsy Snider (Cirque du Soleil, Off-Broadway's Traces). Here, Matthew James Thomas (Pippin), Patina Miller (the Leading Player), Terrence Mann (Charles) and the cast run though several of the show's numbers, including "Corner of the Sky," "Glory" and "Simple Joys." See the complete cast at Playbillvault.com.
