Category Archives: Songbook

“KISS ME, KATE” IN CINEMAS BEGINNING SUNDAY, 11/17! · Nov 13th

(via John Singh.)

Smash-Hit London Production of 

 Joyous Musical Comedy KISS ME, KATE

Comes to U.S. Movie Screens This November

 

Filmed During Sold-Out Production at the Barbican Theatre, ‘Sexy and Sassy’ ‘Showstopper’ Stars Multi-Award-Winning

ADRIAN DUNBAR and Tony Award Winner STEPHANIE J. BLOCK 

Music and Lyrics by COLE PORTER

Book by SAM AND BELLA SPEWACK

Directed by Tony Award Winner BARTLETT SHER  

NEW YORK – Following an acclaimed summertime run at London’s Barbican Theatre, the cinema release of smash-hit production KISS ME, KATE brings the magic of this musical masterpiece to an even wider audience around the world, playing in U.S. cinemas beginning November 17. Tickets are available now at KissMeKateCinema.com.

During its three-month summer residency, audiences flocked to see this “showstopper of a musical” (City AM) thrill with its “exhilarating” (The Guardian) performances from multi-award-winning Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty, Ridley), described by The i as “a revelation” in his musical theater debut as Fred Graham/Petruchio, and Broadway musical superstar and Tony Award winner Stephanie J. Block (Into The Woods, The Cher Show) who ‘commands the stage and makes every note sing” (Time Out) in her West End debut as Lilli Vanessi/Katharine.

Directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Sam and Bella Spewack, KISS ME, KATE was hailed by the Daily Mail as “sexy and sassy” with “great songs, hot dancing and smart gags.” The dazzling production enchanted audiences and critics alike with its breathtaking choreography, show-stopping numbers and star-studded cast delivering unforgettable performances. The cinema presentation from Trafalgar Releasing promises to deliver the best of both worlds: the intimacy of live performance captured with the clarity and scale of film.

Adrian Dunbar said: “I’m delighted that KISS ME, KATE will continue its journey onto the big screen this November. We had a great three months at the Barbican and I thoroughly enjoyed treading the musical theatre boards for the first time. It’s exciting news that even more people will have the opportunity to see the show in cinemas across the UK, Ireland and beyond.”

Stephanie J. Block said: “I had such a wonderful time performing at the Barbican this summer in KISS ME, KATE. So, I’m delighted that the production was recorded for cinema release and will now be enjoyed by an even wider audience, including cinema goers in the USA.”

Producer Howard Panter says: “Following the tremendous success of our summer residency at the Barbican, which was nothing short of extraordinary, I am delighted that we can bring KISS ME, KATE to audiences around the world. The performances of our incredible critically acclaimed cast, led by the incomparable Adrian Dunbar and Stephanie J. Block, make this a must-see cinema event this November.”

Trafalgar Releasing’s CEO Marc Allenby says: “Following the cinema Box Office success of The King and I and Anything Goes, it’s great to be working with our partner Trafalgar Entertainment once again to bring this entertaining and uplifting musical comedy to cinemas across the UK and around the globe. With the filming produced and financed by Trafalgar Releasing, we are continuing to build our wide-ranging portfolio of theatre and cultural content captured especially for the big screen.” 

The cast also features Charlie Stemp (Crazy For You, Mary Poppins) as Bill Calhoun and rising star Georgina Onuorah (The Wizard of Oz, Oklahoma!) as Lois Lane / Bianca. Hammed Animashaun (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Black Ops) and Nigel Lindsay (Victoria, Shrek The Musical) are the singing hilarious gangsters and acting legend Peter Davison (Dr Who, All Creatures Great and Small) plays the role of the General. 

Director Bartlett Sher (The King and I, South Pacific and To Kill A Mockingbird) has brought together an all-star creative team who have collectively won a remarkable 20 Tony awards between them. The dynamic team includes renowned choreographer Anthony Van Laast, accomplished costume designer Catherine Zuber and leading set designer Michael Yeargan. With music and lyrics by Cole Porter and the original book by Bella & Samuel Spewack, this new production promises a symphony of wit, charm and musical brilliance. Featuring a company of over 50, including a full-scale orchestra, they perform Cole Porter classics such as ‘Another Op’nin’, Another Show’, ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’, ‘Tom, Dick or Harry’ and ‘It’s Too Darn Hot’ – KISS ME, KATE is the perfect musical spectacle. 

The musical farce, winner of Best Musical at the Tony Awards, is a sophisticated, ferociously funny, show within a show which whisks you into a world of backstage chaos and romantic entanglements as a theatre company attempt to put on a production of Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. The battle of the sexes takes centre stage as former spouses feud, only to find the off-stage antics rival the drama on-stage. Throw in a number of cases of mistaken identity, confused love, gangsters and a spectacular tap routine, and the result is the unparalleled delight of the first production ever to win the Tony Award for Best Musical: KISS ME, KATE.

 

FRANK GAGLIANO REMEMBERS SHELDON HARNICK · Jun 27th

(Gagliano’s remembrance appeared 6/26.)

I met lyricist Sheldon Harnick (died Friday, 23 June, 2023: age 99) once, at the Eugene O’Neill Musical Theatre Conference. Composer Claibe Richardson and I were working on our musical, “From The Bodoni County Songbook Anthology.” Harnick (“Fiddler On The Roof,” “She Loves Me,” “Fiorello”) was working on a one-act opera, “That Pig Of A Mollette.” 1980’s sometime? I don’t recall much of those lunches (though I suspect we talked about Harnick writing operas (and he wrote many). 

But I do remember recognizing specifically his laugh, because I had heard a recording of an evening devoted to him and his career on the famous NYC  “Lyrics and Lyricists” series, 92nd Street Y, New York City, 2005. Harnick’s sense of delight and whimsey were apparent from the program’s beginning. He started off by singing many of his very early comedy songs: “The Suave Young Man In The Trench Coat,” (A Bogart homage) “They’re Rioting in Africa” (a funny take on man’s inhumanity to man),—“The Boston Beguine” (his first Broadway hit, from the musical revue, “New Faces of 1952”), Below: “The Basilica Of St. Anne” (“I kissed her under that nave/ At The Basilica of St. Anne./There in a scene celestial/ She acted clean/ And I acted bestial. . .”).

 

Researching Sheldon Harnick’s Oeuvre for the Facebook posting, I was amazed at the range of his lyric (and translating and adaptations) genius, and in so many disparate genres. For a Placido Domingo 1985 Special, he translated the Verdi Rigoletto aria, “Questa o Quella.”For Concerts: One of my favorite song cycles, the Canteloube, “Songs of the Auvergne.” For Bill Baird Marionettes: the Stravinsky Theatre Piece “L’histoire du Soldat” and “Alice In Wonderland.” Bach Cantatas, “The Contest between Phoebus and Pan.” Movie to stage: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

 

And of course, we had the glory of the great —now classic— Theater songs. 

Now —more than ever —I would have welcomed more lunches with Sheldon Harnick.

 

RIP Mr. Harnick.

 

FG

(Visit Frank Gagliano’s Web site)

 

 

[Above Attached: Mp3: Sheldon Harnick sings—“The Basilica of St. Anne” and “Garbage”— at the 2005 “Lyrics and Lyricists” series, 92nd Street Y, New York City, 2005.]

 

[View New York Times obit./]

 

‘PHANTOM OF THE OPERA’ CLOSING NEXT YEAR AFTER HISTORIC RUN ON BROADWAY · Sep 17th

(from Eyewitness News 7, 9/16; via Drudge Report..)

NEW YORK (WABC) — “Phantom of the Opera,” Broadway’s longest-running show and an icon of New York City theater, will close early next year.

The show announced Friday it will commemorate its 35th anniversary Jan. 26, and then stage its final performance on Broadway on Feb. 18.

Mayor Eric Adams attended the show earlier this month, kicking off Broadway Week with an appearance to celebrate the theater district’s resilience in the wake of the pandemic.

Bottom of Form

Phantom has been the longest-running show in Broadway history for well over a decade.

On Broadway alone, the musical has played more than 13,500 performances to 19.5 million people at The Majestic Theatre on West 44th Street.

(Read more)

DAVID SERERO STARS AS MOSES IN THE U.S. PREMIERE OF ‘THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE MUSICAL’—MAY 5TH (3PM), 8TH (6PM – PREMIERE), 10TH AND 12TH (8PM), AND THE 15TH (6PM) · Apr 18th

(via The Culture News news@theculturenews.com) 

LET’S GO!

Under star and director David Serero, the French musical The Ten Commandments, finally in English–based on the biblical story of Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince who becomes the deliverer of his true brethren, the enslaved Hebrews, by leading their Exodus–will  open Off-Broadway, MAY 5TH (3PM), 8TH (6PM – PREMIERE), 10TH AND 12TH (8PM), AND THE 15TH (6PM).  Along with Serero, as Moses, the cast of twelve includes theatre and operatic talents, including: DaShaun Williams (Ramses), Stephanie Craven (Sephora), Brooke Myers (Jochebed), Lisa Monde (Bithia), Cale Rausch (Joshua), Zachary Harris Martin (Aaron), Kristyn Vario (Myriam), Shane Patrick Watson and Julia Anne Cohen (Various roles and U/S).

WHERE: This limited engagement will be performed at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York NY 10011)

TICKETS: Available on thetencommandmentsthemusical.com or 1.800.838.3006 for $26 and $36.

Serero is a critically acclaimed, award-winning opera singer, actor, director, and producer, who has performed more than 2,500 performances in more than 45 countries. He has directed and produced nearly 100 theatrical productions, starred in over 100 films and T.V. series, recorded and produced over 100 albums, and played more than 50 leads and title roles (in several languages) from opera, theatre, and musical repertoire. In New York, he starred Off-Broadway in iconic roles such as Shylock, Cyrano, Othello, Barabas, Yiddish King Lear, Don Giovanni, Figaro, Romeo, Nabucco, as well as in new works such as Napoleon by Kubrick, Queen Esther, and Anne Frank a Musical, among others. In his native Paris, he also starred as Don Quixote (Man of La Mancha) and Happy Mac (Beggar’s Holiday by Duke Ellington). He entered the prestigious Who’s Who America for demonstrating outstanding achievements in the entertainment world and for the betterment of contemporary society. In 2019, he received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, the Morocco Day Distinguished Achievement Award, the Trophy of the Culture of Morocco, and was named among the fifteen most influential Moroccans worldwide by Morocco’s airline Royal Air Maroc.

David is a member of the Recording Academy and the Television Academy and a voting member of both the Grammys and Emmys. In 2020, David Serero received the UNESCO Award for Diversity in Paris and became an Honorary Member of the United Nations of Arts and Science. In 2021, he won 4 Broadway World Awards for Best Performer of the decade, Best Producer of a Musical of the decade, Best Producer of a Play of the decade, Best Opera singer of the Year. He was awarded the Certificate of Recognition by the Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, for his contribution to the City’s dynamic cultural landscape, enriching the vibrant performing arts sector, and uplifted and inspired diverse New Yorkers. His first documentary film on fashion designer Elie Tahari won dozens of awards (including Best Director, Best Documentary, Best Producer) and received over 100 film festivals selections. www.davidserero.com

More:

France’s The Ten Commandments, (Les Dix Commandements) announces its upcoming U.S premiere—and  releases its first single in English.
 
Almost 20 years after its opening, “The Ten Commandments” is coming to America and will be presented in English–below,  listen to the first single from the Cast Album,  created by the filmmaker Elie Chouraqui, with music by Pascal Obispo and lyrics by Lionel Florence and Patrice Guirao.  The show has already played to over 3 million spectators in Europe alone.

The revival recording and stage adaptation are the ideas of star baritone (playing Moses) and producer David Serero, who wrote the English language adaptation for American theatrical productions. The first single from the upcoming Cast Album Recording, titled “The Maximum Pain (La Peine Maximum),” has been released on all platforms. The first series of Off-Broadway performances will take place in May 2022 in New York.  Tickets and additional information will soon be available.

First presented in October 2000, the musical was an instant hit, equaling in success another famous French musical: Notre Dame de Paris. The musical carried such radio hits as “L’envie d’aimer,” performed by Daniel Levi. The shows original stars included Yael Naim, Ahmed Mouici, and more. Sonia Rykiel designed the original costumes, and Kamel Ouali  created the choreography.
 
Serero explains “I have carried this masterpiece in my heart since its first day of creation. This unique collaboration between two masters, Elie Chouraqui and Pascal Obispo, will forever remain in the history of French musicals. The original French lyrics were by Lionel Florence and Patrice Guirao.”   

Creator, Elie Chouraqui, comments: “I am thrilled and honored that my show, “Les Dix Commandements” (The Ten Commandments) with the gorgeous music by Pascal Obispo, has finally been adapted for New York, the capital of musicals. After playing it in France, Europe, and Asia, America is a lifetime achievement. I must thank David Serero for his enthusiasm, strength, and unquenchable desire to bring this musical to Broadway.”

Elie Chouraqui is a French filmmaker born in 1950. Among others, he is known for the films Ô Jerusalem,  Harrison’s Flower, starring Andie MacDowell, Adrien Brody, Gerard Butler, and Brendan Gleeson; Man on Fire with Joe Pesci, Scott Glenn, and Jonathan Price. And several French film classics starring iconic French actors, such as Jean-Hughes Anglade, Christophe Lambert, Richard Anconina, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and many more. 

Pascal Obispo is one of the most successful singer/songwriters in the genre of French pop, who released numerous commercial blockbuster albums, scored Top Ten hit singles with regularity, embarked on multiple sold-out concert tours, wrote songs for a musical of his own creation, and collaborated with a long list of French pop stars. The lead single of  The Ten Commandments, “L’envie d’aimer,” was also recorded in English by Celine Dion.

“The Maximum Pain” is performed by Lawrence Neals, with background vocals by Lisa Monde, Mackenzie Tank, and Kristyn Vario. English adaptation and production are by David Serero. The music is composed by Pascal Obispo, and the original French lyrics are written by Lionel Florence and Patrice Guirao.

The Maximum Pain is available to listen to on:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/JJ8wAxkFbGs
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/5El2zq7t64kbaJ7XwCNoqX?si=92afc56325c34da3
iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-maximum-pain-from-the-ten-commandments/1591325748