Broadway takes us from the South Pacific to the Austrian Alps, and from an opera house in Paris to King Arthur’s Court. If you live in South Florida, “Neil Berg’s 101 Years of Broadway” brought that experience to the Sunrise last Sunday. The musical revue, created by composer/lyricist Neil Berg, featured hits from Broadway's past and present and had some singers reprise the roles they inhabited in New York City.
We had the chance to go backstage as the musicians made last-minute changes and sound checks. Each theater is different, and the house technicians worked with the company’s to make sure the sound quality met their standards.
Grant Norman, whose Broadway credits include the title role of “The Phantom of the Opera” and The Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” explained how it all works.
“We go through a few songs to see how it sounds,” he said. “We may not want the same levels. Each singer sings parts of a loud and quiet song to get a feel for the sound.”
Norman said the group makes a conscious effort to sing a different set of songs each year so that audiences get a new experience each time. He loves the revue format, which is less formal than a regular play.
“There’s the 4th wall in the theater,” he said. “That’s where the audience doesn’t exist and you are the character you play. In a revue, the 4th wall doesn’t have to exist. You’re more free to communicate with the audience more directly. You can be singing to the audience and talking to them. It’s a more personal feel.”
The show included a salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein, the duo behind the songs of “The Sound of Music” and “South Pacific.” Other selections came from “Cats,” “Les Miserables,” “Jersey Boys,” “Rent,” and “Chicago.”
Sandi Hellstrom, a Port St. Lucie resident and former member of the Sunrise Theatre board, was in the audience with her husband Dick, who serves on the Sunrise Theatre Foundation board, and their daughter Lauren, a singer.
“We wanted her to see a performance like this, to get some ideas," Sandi Hellstrom said.
“They’re all great,” Lauren added.
Fern Mikus, a volunteer usher from St. Lucie West, was also looking forward to the chance to see the show. A Broadway fan, she’s gotten to see “Cabaret” and “Camelot” this season as well.
“I can meet people, and it’s a great way to see shows,” she said.
Check back with the Sunrise Theatre for more national tours as 101 years of Broadway continues to go on.
Shelly Koppel
Writer
No comments:
Post a Comment