I guess most of my life, I’ve enjoyed the theatre, opera, ballet, and music. I remember as a youngster taking ballet lessons and being in recitals; it’s still a good form of exercise today. Two of my favorite ballets include “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker” (I’ve got an extensive collection of Nutcrackers and Nutcracker-related things).
When I was in Girl Scouts, I remember my Junior Girl Scout Troop going into New York City to attend a play that was playing on Broadway, namely “Fiddler on The Roof.” Its star was the legendary Zero Mostel, and I remember being so fascinated that this must have been the beginning of the love that I have for the theatre. Not just going to Broadway to attend performances, but community theatre and locations such as Westbury Music Fair (Westbury, Long Island), Wolf Trap, National Park for the Performing Arts, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The National and Warner Theatres (Washington, DC), Arena Stage, and many other venues.
Shows ranging from “The Mikado,” “Flower Drum Song,” “A Chorus Line,” “Cats,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” “Aida,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Miserables,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Wicked,” “Arsenic and Old Lace,” “Peter Pan,” “The King and I” (starring the one and only Yul Brynner), “Man of La Mancha,” “Sound of Music,” plus so many others, including all of the plays of William Shakespeare, have been part of my journey. While in school, I was in “Pocketful of Miracles,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Man of La Mancha,” “My Fair Lady,” including plays that were written specifically to be performed before the elementary school students (some of which I wrote).
Lighting, setting, set design, costumes, and so much more play a large role in the success or failure of a play, just as the person that is playing a particular role. It doesn’t matter if you have a well-known person in a lead or supporting role; in great part, it’s how they take that role and make it their own. Even the great Yul Brynner could have an off day as the King of Siam. But then again, you could get someone in a role that someone else has put his stamp on, and the other person could be horrible or far surpass the originator of the part.
Even with newer productions with a named person in a part, the performance can get a negative review and not last long on the Great White Way, or far surpass all expectations. Case in point: for over 25 years, “Les Miserables” has played to sold-out audiences wherever it played, due in part to the strength of the acting talent they have, the music, etc., even though there are newer people in the parts now. This doesn’t always happen. Other examples of longstanding successes would have to include “Beauty and the Beast,” “A Chorus Line,” “The Lion King,” “Wicked,” and others that I believe that I am missing at this point.
At the holiday time, a perpetual favorite that has lasting power would have to be “A Christmas Carol” as well as “The Nutcracker.” Many stars today have gotten their initial start on Broadway. A case in point would have to be Kristen Chenoweth, who was the original Glinda the Good Witch in “Wicked” (I saw this play at the John F. Kennedy Center just prior to its opening on Broadway). It would stand to reason that if a producer is mounting a musical production, he or she would have to make sure that for all parts that require singing, you must have someone that can actually sing, and not put someone in the part because they are otherwise good for the part with the hopes they can carry it off (an example of this might be putting someone like Sophia Loren in the role of Aldonza in “Man of La Mancha,” which is a part that requires a great deal of singing, when she really can’t sing, the movie version of the play was not that good a product).
Lighting, setting, set design, costumes, and so much more play a large role in the success or failure of a play, just as the person that is playing a particular role. It doesn’t matter if you have a well-known person in a lead or supporting role; in great part, it’s how they take that role and make it their own. Even the great Yul Brynner could have an off day as the King of Siam. But then again, you could get someone in a role that someone else has put his stamp on, and the other person could be horrible or far surpass the originator of the part.
I also see the circus as being a theatre of sorts; after all, it is another form of entertainment and fantasy just like a play. The performers in the circus have to rehearse and train just like actors do for a role, even though what circus performers do is a bit different than their counterparts in the theatre. They all still entertain and bring happiness to the audience.
As far as music is concerned, I guess my tastes could be described as eclectic. I enjoy listening to Ronnie Milsap, The Beach Boys, Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck, John Denver, Richard Marx, Andrea Bocelli, Luciano Pavarotti, plus many others. I remember also seeing Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, John Denver, The Beach Boys, David Cassidy, The Beatles, and many more. Plus, I had the opportunity to see the National Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Pops, the Royal Canadians under the direction of Guy Lombardo (got to see the latter at the theatre at Jones Beach), and Debbie Reynolds.
