As veteran director Norb Joerder readily concedes, The Wick Theatre was looking for a small musical to open its season, concerned about ticket sales before the snow bird audience arrives. In that sense, the company chose well with 1979’s They’re Playing Our Song, a two-character, on-and-off romantic comedy based on the quirky – and doomed – relationship between composer Marvin … [Read more...]
Andrea McArdle: The first ‘Annie,’ still in love with the theater
Forty years ago, a little 13-year-old girl with a big voice was plucked out of the chorus of moppets during rehearsals and given the title role of an optimistic orphan named Annie. Of course, that girl was Andrea McArdle, who hung onto that star-making part for almost three years, including Broadway and London. She has been back on Broadway, as a featured replacement in such … [Read more...]
‘Every Little Step’ movingly depicts backstage reality show
If ever there were a natural angle for a documentary about a Broadway show, it would be to show the auditions for A Chorus Line, the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical about dancer hopefuls auditioning for a fictional Broadway show. Even though having the idea and gaining the backstage access are much of the reason Every Little Step is such involving … [Read more...]