Dean Jones, who originated the role of Robert on Broadway, was shortly thereafter replaced by Larry Kert, who is also famous for originating the role of Tony in West Side Story.
Company is considered one of the first "concept musical" - a musical where the show's central imagery, metaphor or message takes precedence over traditional narrative structure.
The recording session for the Original Cast Recording of Company stretched into the wee hours of the morning. Elaine Stritch, who played Joanne, was the last to leave. A critically acclaimed documentary, following the recording sessions for Company, was created by D.A. Pennebaker.
The first FOUR HOURS of rehearsal for the original production were spent on just the first page of the show.
The final song of the show was changed three times before it was finalized.
Want to know more of the secrets behind Sondheim's Company? Or find out how Signature is putting their own spin on the show?
Register for Signature Seminar: Side by Side with the Creative Team of Signature's Company
Sign up today for a special six part look into Signature Theatre’s 2013 production of Company. This unique opportunity will take you right into the center of this timeless musical examination of marriage, loneliness, and commitment. This production is brought to life under the direction of Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer.
For more information about Signature Seminar or how to register, click here.
REGISTRATION CLOSES ON MONDAY, APRIL 22nd!
If you’re a musical theatre person, you’ve probably heard of Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, and if you’ve heard of it, you’ve probably listened to it and subsequently become obsessed with this show.
The Last Five Years has enjoyed more than 500 productions in America (many in colleges and high schools) and thousands more overseas. The question then is, “Why is everyone so in love with this show?” What is it about this story that has people lining up outside theaters around the world?
In search of an answer, we checked out blogs and talked to people within our own offices:
Credit: Teresa Wood
"I love The Last Five Years because the songs show such masterful musical theatre songwriting, but at the same time they feel fresh, simple, and catchy. I also love the show because its modest scope allows for the poignant moments to come across in a clean and elegant way… the show doesn’t hit us over the head with how sad it is."
– Hunter (Signature Publicity and Communications Manager)
“I think people find Jamie’s enthusiasm and artistic success inspiring and inviting. Artists like it because it’s at least partially about the experience of being an artist (both succeeding and failing). Actors like it because it is full of great audition songs. Anybody who’s ever been unsure about dating someone likes it because it speaks to a lot of common difficulties in relationships.”
– Joan (Signature Education Intern)
“As much fun as it is to see shows about people who sing and escape Nazis (The Sound of Music) or free flying monkeys (Wicked) sometimes it’s therapeutic and personally enlightening to see a show that feels like it’s about your life.”
New York Post blogger Elisabeth Vincentelli believes that for the younger generation, it comes down to the show's “specific yet romantic depiction of life in New York City. Brown might as well have written an open letter to creative small-town kids who can’t wait to graduate and move to the big city.”
“There’s a warmth to that voicing and orchestration that just draws you in from the start, and for the next 90 minutes, I sat there watching a master class in how to construct an intimate chamber musical about what it is to love and lose… I wouldn’t experience the pain of romantic heartbreak for the first time until three years later, but The Last Five Years was the only thing I wanted to listen to during that period, because there was something so universal about the storytelling that it was the only thing with which I could identify.”
Regarding Signature's production, Washington Post reviewer Nelson Pressley remarked "[The show]hurtles with energy: The story-rich songs soar with youthful expectation and cut with the fury of thwarted desires... Both characters have abrasive qualities — it’s a strength of Brown’s writing — yet Weaver and Gardiner (who ages convincingly) are appealing enough to keep your rooting interest high." Read the full review here.
What do you love about the The Last Five Years?
Tell us by tweeting @sigtheatre and using the hashtag #sigL5Y.
Credit: Teresa Wood
Signature is lucky to be working with a fantastic team of actors, designers, musicians, director, etc on this production. Click here for some of James Gardiner's thoughts on his character and check out "A Quick 5 with Erin Weaver."
P.S. If you enjoyed his performance, give a shout out to James on twitter: @jamesdgardiner. As for the talented Erin Weaver and Aaron Posner, you’ll just have to give your regards in person.
Watch the video of Signature Theatre's Page to Stage at the Shirlington Branch Library with guests Aaron Posner (director) and wife Erin Weaver (Cathy).
For our April Brown Bag Thursday, we will be entertaining Edward Gero, a veteran actor playing the role of Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!, a co-production between Ford’s Theatre and Signature Theatre.
Horace and Dolly share a meal at the Harmonia Gardens.
Photo by Carol Rosegg
Hello, Dolly! is perhaps one of the most iconic of American musicals, conjuring images of stars like Carol Channing, Pearl Bailey, and Barbra Streisand. However, Hello, Dolly! did not begin as the powerhouse of a musical that we know today. The musical Hello, Dolly! actually began as a play called The Merchant of Yonkers, written by Thornton Wilder in 1938. Never heard of it? That’s probably because The Merchant of Yonkers was a flop. It was only after Wilder re-worked the play and published it under the title The Matchmaker in 1955 that the story began to pick up steam. Ten years later, lyricist and composer Jerry Herman and book writer Michael Stewart completed their adaptation of Wilder’s play into the show audiences have been humming and tapping along to for the last fifty years. The ten-time Tony Award-winning musical ran for seven years and 2,844 performances on Broadway, has since been revived multiple times and been performed in countries all around the world.
For those who are unfamiliar with the show:
In the Tony-winning musical farce Hello, Dolly!, the cantankerous half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder hires matchmaker Dolly Levi to find him a wife. Dolly soon hatches a plan to woo and win Vandergelder’s hand herself, while simultaneously arranging romantic prospects for his niece, his clerks and two of Manhattan’s most eligible shop girls.
Watch the Ford's Theatre Hello, Dolly! trailer here.
Our Brown Bag guest Edward Gero will be playing the role of Horace Vandergelder the aforementioned "cantakerous half-a-millionaire." Read a little about him in this bio courtesy of GeorgeMasonUniversity where Gero teaches:
Edward Gero, a fourteen-time nominee and four time recipient of the prestigious Helen Hayes Award for his work in Shakespeare, contemporary and musical theatre, has been teaching at GeorgeMasonUniversity since 1991. Offering a wide variety of courses from Beginning Acting to Characterization, Acting Shakespeare, Verse Speaking, Script Analysis, and many others, he continues his 30 year performance career throughout Washington stages and across the nation.
This year he completed a critically acclaimed production of John Logan’s Tony Award winning play RED, directed by Tony Award winning director, RobertFalls at The Goodman Theater in Chicago and Arena Stage in Washington. He wrote a blog “The Making of RED” to chronicle his process. He will be returning in the 2012 Washington Theater season as Scrooge in the acclaimed production of A Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theater. In 2011 he appeared in The Chosen by Chaim Potok at Arena Stage and Salieri in Amadeus at The Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD.
He has been a company member of the nationally known Shakespeare Theatre Company in downtown Washington since 1983, appearing in over 75 productions there. He was named an associate artist at Center Stage in Baltimore, MD. He appears at many others regional theaters including The Goodman Theater in Chicago, Ford’s Theatre, The Studio Theatre, Round House Theatre, Arena Stage, Olney Theatre Center, Theater J and George Mason's own Theatre of the First Amendment. He can also be heard narrating on The Discovery Channel, Science Channel and Nat Geo.
Don't forget to be part of the conversation tomorrow! Our Brown Bag Discussion with Edward Gero will begin at 1pm in the Mead Lobby at Signature Theatre. Can't make it in person? Follow us on twitter @sigtheatre or use #sigbrownbag.
Ford's and Signature's co-production of Hello, Dolly! is currently playing at Ford's Theatre and will run until May 18th. To purchase tickets online, click here.
Want a second opinion on what you saw or a head's up on what you'll be seeing? Check out some of the reviews for Ford's and Signature's Dolly!:
COMING UP: May 6th, 2013 Page to Stage -- Join us for a special viewing of the film version of Hello, Dolly! starring Barbara Streisand. The film will begin at 6:30pm in the Shirlington Branch Library. We'll bring the popcorn, you fill the seats!
Inthe “Today in Theatre History” series, we take a specific event in theatre history and use it as a starting point for discussion about aspects oftheatre – past, present, and future.
On April 10th, 1994 the hit-musical Les Miserables, opened at the Hiten Theatre in Osaka, Japan.
Click here to listen to a recording of "One Day More" performed by the Japanese cast.
“Japan? Last time I checked Les Miserables was not a Japanese musical.” Correct. However, what many people don’t realize is that there is a steadily growing musical theatre world outside of the United States. Musicals are no longer solely an American, or even British, art form.
Look at the Shiki Theatre Company in Japan – they’ve been producing original musicals since 1962. Look at the Shanghai Grand Theatre which in 2011 produced the first all-Chinese production of “Mamma Mia,” or even the partnership between the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and the Korean Daegu International Music Festival. And not only are these shows being produced and performed in their countries of origin, but Korean musicals are touring to Japan, Japanese musicals to Taiwan, etc.
COMPARE: Broadway "Mamma Mia" vs. Beijing "Mamma Mia"
EXPANSION AND EVOLUTION
"Butterflies" was China's first Broadway-style musical.
Source: http://bit.ly/10SoHxl
How is it that something so “quintessentially” American is finding its way into the hearts and minds of people all across Asia? The culture-specific evolution of the art form speaks for itself:
Asian countries are not only latching on to Western stories and scores, but they are now expanding on that foundation and creating their own works: “As countries have yearned for independence, musicals have had to accommodate their particular tastes. American and British productions have been staged in other languages, and new markets have been created and know-how accumulated. Now these countries are starting to make the things that people want to see.”
Who knows, perhaps in coming years the musical will no longer be defined as an American art form, but rather as an international art form. Best keep an eye out.
SIGNATURE THEATRE CROSSING BORDERS
For our 2013 SigLab project, Signature Theatre will be spending July 9th-27th workshopping a new musical called “Spin,” based on the hit Korean comedy, “Speedy Scandal”:
Faded pop star Evan coasts through life. However, when a surprise daughter and grandson arrive on his doorstep, Evan must choose between the gift of family and the glittering appeal of fame. Spin is a humorous, charming and heartwarming tale about what really matters in life.”
In this blog post we’ve focused on the expansion of musical theatre into Asia. However, the musical theatre movement in many other countries and continents is alive and well! Click here to learn about Theatre Communication Group’s international Music Theatre NOW Competition.
If you didn't know that, don't worry, you're in good company. We here at Signature Theatre only recently discovered it, but we think it's a pretty great idea.
World Theatre Day (WTD) was instituted by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), an organization that has centers in more than 100 countries all over the world and seeks to promote the arts and communication and collaboration between artists across continents. The first WTD was celebrated on March 27th, 1961 and its popularity has only grown since.
Every year for WTD, an International Message is composed. This message is written by a prominent figure (usually from an arts-related field) and is a reflection on "Theatre and a Culture of Peace." On WTD this message is broadcast via radio, television, and the internet in more than 20 different languages in countries and ITI centers worldwide.
This year's message is composed by Dario Fo, a renowned Italian theatre artist. Read a little bit about Fo and his exceptional career below:
Dario Fo is an Italian satirist, playwright, theatre director, actor, composer and recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature. Fo and his wife, the actress Franca Rame, founded the Campagnia Dario Fo–Franca Rame in 1959, and their humorous sketches on the television show Canzonissima soon made them popular public personalities. In 1968 Fo and Rame founded another acting group, Nuova Scena, and in 1970 they started the Collettivo Teatrale La Comune.Fo has written about 70 plays, coauthoring some of them with Rame. His plays have been translated into 30 languages, and upon awarding him the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature, the committee called Fo a writer “who emulates the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden.”
Now that Revolution is said and done, we've asked the students who made up the cast and crew to share some of their thoughts about being part of Signature in the Schools:
"Signature in the Schools is phenomenal. The program has helped me grow so much as an actor, a student, and as a person over such a short period of time. The sense of community and family SIS creates is just mind blowing and the commitment from everyone involved is simply fantastic. It is difficult for me to articulate all of my positive feelings for this program so just trust me when I say SIS is a beautiful thing."
- Brandi, Actor (Basma)
Patrick and Basma share a quite moment. Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria
Andy reads a moving story with the class. Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria
"Signature in the Schools is what inspired me to continue theatre in college and into the future. Without this program, I would probably have no idea what to do after high school. I also can't think of anything I would have rather done these past four years than come to rehearsals and hang out with David, Ellis, Laura, Joan and Marcella!"
- Max, Stage Manager
Larissa and Marcus perform characatures of King Louis
and Queen Marie Antoinette for a class presentation. Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria
"I will never forget my great experiences and the friends that I gained through Signature in the Schools. Signature brings you into a new world of theatre like no other. I will miss Signature the most after I leave high school."
- Sean, Actor (Marcus)
"Signature in the schools has been one of the best programs I have ever participated in. Not only did I learn how to work on a professional play in a professional environment, but it also broadened my interest in theatre. I have met so many wonderful people and worked with such amazing mentors and I will definitely be back next year."
- Marwa, Lighting Board Operator
The cast of "Revolution" creates a tableau to depict Arab Spring protests.
Larissa, with the help of Caroline, puts her own spin on "protest." Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria
"It’s been amazing to have the opportunity to work alongside such talented actors and dedicated directors. Signature Theatre has provided me great exposure to the field of theatre which has broadened my view on the arts, culture and life."
- Karl, Actor (Zerah)
"Perhaps one of the most astounding thing about Signature In The Schools is the sense of professionalism, yet at the same time a cast and crew bond equal to that of family. Your light operator, sound operator, crew, prop crew, stage managers, and fellow actors are all there to make you feel like you are actually part of this environment that is being created. I love, and all audiences love, what Signature Theater is able to present, and this year's performance of Revolution, written by Joe Calarco, was a fantastic example. I hope everyone is able to experience the insurmountable amount of joy that I have experienced while being able to participate with Signature in the Schools."
- Max, Actor (Patrick)
Basma watches on as Mr. Stieper comforts Patrick. Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria
Something you may or may not know about Signature in the Schools' premiere production of Revolutionis that it will be performed on the same stage asShakespeare's R&J, one of the plays on Signature Theatre's 2012-13 season. The stage this year is in the round, meaning that audience members are on all four sides of the stage.
The cast and crew of Revolution had an opportunity to watch Shakespeare's R&Jto get an idea for the space and how it can be used. Here are some thoughts the cast members had about the show and the space:
"There was an amazing amount of motion and energy in R&J; they used the space beautifully. Seeing a show in the same space we are using really helped put together the pieces in my mind. I realized the amount of energy we need to put into our own play to involve all four sides of the audience." - Brandi
"After seeing R&J I'm excited to have the opportunity to perform in the round for the first time. Working in the round is not only a challenge, but an amazing and rewarding experience. I believe with having the audience on all four sides it becomes a lot easier to engage them and consequently put on a great show." - Karl
"Shakespeare's R&J has completely re-worked the Signature MAX theater into a beautiful, hard-wood theater in the round. I am really excited to be able to work and perform in this space because of its understated grandeur and just to be able to perform on the same stage as the fantastic show." - Zak
High school senior Carla plays a charismatic and compassionate Reston high schooler named Caryna in Signature in the Schools' premiere production, Revolution. We asked Caryna to describe her Signature in the Schools experience and she wrote us this lovely poem:
"There is nothing wrong with botany!"
Carla would be lying if she said that in her sleep she drools.
She would also be lying if she said she hated Signature in the Schools.
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