Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Sep 22: Fall 2010 Preview

The problem with having a day job, a side business, an acting hobby, a family AND a radio show is that something falls through the cracks. I have been insanely busy this week and almost didn't get this show done in time 8-} I will put up links to these shows next week (fingers crossed). There are a few shows I SHOULD have mentioned with today's show, apologies to the following three groups:

Spokane Symphony is bringing to town an evening with Looney Tunes Music, Halloween weekend. This is at the Fox with a matinee on Sunday, costume contests included.

Lake City Playhouse is doing a holiday production of the ever-popular Taffetas pseudo-'50s girl group.

Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre will do a holiday production of Forever Plaid ("Plaid Tidings"), the pseudo-'50s boys group.
Starring: Jadd Davis, Robbie French, Andrew Ware Lewis, and Max Mendez
December 17th, 18th, and 19th at 7:30pm

Things I mentioned in today's show:

Evita, Lake City Playhouse
Going on now...

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Spokane Civic Theatre
Starts this weekend...

South Pacific, Best of Broadway Series
Oct 6-9, 2010

Liza Minnelli, Best of Broadway Add-On
Fri., Oct. 15, 2010 8:00pm

Capitol Steps
Wed., Oct. 27, 2010 7:30pm

STOMP
Nov. 5-6, 2010
8:00pm

Playlist is here in the comments section

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Sep 15: Bing Crosby

True Love - Bing Crosby, High Society [film]
Bluebirds and the Blackbirds - Bing Crosby and the Rhythm Boys, King of Jazz
Just One More Chance - Bing Crosby, One More Chance
Please - Bing Crosby, Big Broadcast
At Your Command - Bing Crosby, I Surrender Dear
Where The Blue of the Night - Bing Crosby, Blue of the Night
We'll Make Hay While The Sun Shines - Bing Crosby, Going Hollywood
Moonstruck - Bing Crosby, College Humor
You're The Top - Bing Crosby; Ethel Merman, Anything Goes
Thanks/Buckin' the Wind - Bing Crosby; Nat Finston & Paramount Studio Orchestra, Star Spangled Rhythm [Smithsonian] Disc 1 (Smithsonian Collection)
Love in Bloom - Bing Crosby, Love in Bloom
Put It There Pal - Bing Crosby, Road to Utopia
Moonlight Becomes You - Bing Crosby, Road to Morocco
Swinging on a Star - Bing Crosby, Going My Way
Lazy - Bing Crosby; Bob Crosby & His Orchestra, Holiday Inn (Universal Special Products)
Moonburn - Bing Crosby, Anything Goes
Well Did You Evah - Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, High Society (Rhino)

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Sep 8: School Daze

Listen online with a free membership with the Public Radio eXchange.

Three Little Maids from School Are We (The Mikado) - William Schwenk Gilbert, Topsy-Turvy (Sony Classical)
Second Grade - Marcus Allen Cooper, Personals (JAY)
Teaching Third Grade - Nancy Linari, Ruthless [Los Angeles Cast] (Colosseum)
Welcome to Kindergarten, Mrs. Johnson [A...My Name Is Alice] - Barbara Walsh; Heather MacRae, My Name Will Always Be Alice ()
The Best of All Possible Worlds - Deborah St.Darr; Lewis J. Stadlen; Mark Baker; Maureen Brennan; Sam Freed, Candide [1974 Broadway Revival Cast] Disc 1 ()
Nobody tells me How - Original Cast, Working [Original Cast Recording] ()
School Song - Animaniacs, Chalkboard Bungle ()
Silent E - Tom Lehrer, Tom Lehrer Revisited ()
Conjunction Junction - Jack Sheldon, Schoolhouse Rock ()
Yakko's World - , ()
Wakko Sings American Capitols - Jess Harnell, ()
ABC-DEF-GHI - Big Bird, Songs From The Street: 35 Years Of Music (Disk 1) ()
I'm Just a Bill - Jack Sheldon, Schoolhouse Rock ()
Amendment (Parody) - Jack Sheldon, Schoolhouse Rock ()
Yakko's Universe - Rob Paulsen, ()
Elements song - Tom Lehrer, ()
That's Mathematics - Tom Lehrer, ()
Inchworm - Danny Kaye, ()
What Do You Do With a B.A. in English? - John Tartaglia, Avenue Q (BMG)
Breathe - Mandy Gonzalez, In the Heights Disc 1 (Ghostlight)
Dear Old Shiz - Stephen Schwartz, Wicked (Decca)
Bull Dog [Yale College, 1911] - Thomas Hampson, Cole Porter: Night and Day ()
Grand Old Ivy - Robert Morse; Rudy Vallée, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying [Original Cast] (RCA)
Bright College Days - Tom Lehrer, ()
I Wish I Could Go Back to College - John Tarteglia; Rick Lyon; Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Avenue Q (BMG)

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Thoughts from Blanche DuBois

Tennessee Williams's play A Streetcar Named Desire has been turned into a film (Marlon Brando, Vivian Leigh) and an opera (Frederika Von Stade). Soon, Ignite Community Theatre presents a reader's theatre presentation, and Blanche DuBois will be played by... me.

I've been spending a lot of time in Blanche's skin, and her desire for "magic" and "soft colors." She walks a delicate line between reality and the fantasy world of what SHOULD happen - her 'descent into madness' is her refusal to accept harsh reality.

Remember in the original book of the Wizard of Oz, to enter the Emerald City you had to put on green-tinted glasses. (They bring this back in Wicked, Elphie and Glinda wear green glasses with the other Ozians in "One Short Day.") I imagine Blanche has her own glasses on, with all the soft colors of the rainbow, and by the end she's reduced to a quivering mess when those virtual glasses are torn off.

There are so many characters that do their best to escape reality, or try to twist reality to fit their needs. I listened to Everything's Coming Up Roses from Gypsy today, and thought of Mama Rose, her first step into a similar form of madness, going to make one of her daughters a 'star' no matter the cost. At least she has a little redemption at the end, unlike Blanche.

I hope to see you at Streetcar Named Desire Sep. 10 & 12. Friday night at Gonzaga's Foley Library, Sunday afternoon at the Blue Door Theatre on Garland.

Sep 1: Labor Day

Listen to this show online at PRX.org - requires free membership.
All the Live Long Day - Original Cast, Working [Original Cast Recording] ()
Nine to Five - Allison Janney, Megan Hilty, Charlie Pollock, Stephanie J. Block and Ensemble, 9 To 5 - The Musical (Original Cast Recording) (Dolly Records)
The Company Way - Gerry Vichi; Matthew Broderick, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying [New Broadway Cast] (RCA)
What a Waste - Gregg Edelman; Ken Barnett; Ray Wills, Wonderful Town [2003 Broadway Revival Cast] ()
Miss Marmelstein - Barbra Streisand, I Can Get It For You Wholesale (Sony)
A Secretary Is Not a Toy - Company; Jonathan Freeman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying [New Broadway Cast] (RCA)
The Speed Test - Marc Kudisch, Sutton Foster, Anne L. Nathan, Thoroughly Modern Millie [OBC] (RCA)
Dentist - Steve Martin, Little Shop of Horrors [Original Soundtrack] (Geffen)
Barber's Song - Jamie Torcellini, Man of La Mancha [2002 Broadway Revival Cast] (RCA Victor Group)
The Contest - Joaquin Romaguera, Sweeney Todd [Original Broadway Cast] Disc 1 ()
Training Montage (The Train Must Be Fed) - Edward Earle; Elva Kellogg; Joseph Karnes; Judy Garland; Marjorie Main; Selena Royle; Virginia O'Brien, Harvey Girls (Soundtrack Factory)
It's An Art - Stephen Schwartz, Working revised ()
Ballad Of A Social Director - Sidney Armus, Wish You Were Here (Original Broadway Cast Recording) ()
A Mover's Life - Lenny Baker, Joanna Gleason, lene Graff, James Naughton, I Love My Wife [Orig. Cast] (Disques Swing)
The Mason (Demo) - Original Cast, Working [Original Cast Recording] (Varese Sarabande)
Something to Point To - Original Cast, Working [Original Cast Recording] (Varese Sarabande)