Exactly a century ago this year, a trifle of a musical called No, No, Nanette arrived on Broadway and was acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, neither of which apparently wanted anything more than an excuse for some upbeat, hummable songs and captivating dance numbers. Fast forward to 1971, when the show had its cobwebs wiped away and its still-flimsy script somewhat … [Read more...]
‘Bye Bye Birdie’ at The Wick: An appealing return to 1950s America
The world of rock ‘n’ roll was, pardon the expression, all shook up when in 1958 Elvis Presley put his hip-swiveling act on hold to enlist in the Army. But music’s loss was the musical theater’s gain, as Lee Adams, Charles Strouse and Michael Stewart used that news as their inspiration for their show biz-meets-Middle America satire, Bye Bye Birdie. Classically trained … [Read more...]
Wick’s ‘Anything Goes’ a vintage bubbly delight
When the sublime, sophisticated songsmith Cole Porter collaborated with Brits P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton on the enduring confection Anything Goes, the time was 1934, seven years after Show Boat demonstrated that musicals could take on weighty material. Porter and his writing team – which eventually included play doctors Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse – knew perfectly … [Read more...]
Three first-class principals drive Wick’s ‘Singin’ in the Rain’
Many shows have been adapted from popular movies, but few, if any, have been so slavishly copied as Singin’ in the Rain. Notice, for instance, that instead of a credit for the musical book, the program lists “Screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green,” an indication of how little the film’s script has been changed. And while that screenplay worked like gangbusters in … [Read more...]
Wick brings beloved ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ to the stage
In polls of moviegoers and film critics, 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain is invariably voted the best movie musical of all time. Similarly, the stage adaptation of the love story surrounding the early days of Hollywood talkies has been voted the show that Wick Theatre audiences most want to see. So in the spirit of giving them what they want – and in an effort to, as the film and … [Read more...]