Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella: Empowering, Enchanting, and Entertaining

The Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, with a new book by four-time Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane and direction by Mark Brokaw, is an empowering show that will leave you enchanted and entertained. With a stellar cast, excellent costumes, a fun set, Cinderella made me leave the theatre with a big smile on my face.

Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" on Broadway, Photo Credit: Carol RoseggLaura Osnes gave a triumphant performance comprised of her gorgeous vocals and strong acting skills as "Cinderella," while Victoria Clark was delightful as "Marie, The Fairy Godmother." It's always a delight getting to hear Victoria Clark sing; luckily I got to hear her a few times. As "Madame, Cinderella's Stepmother," Harriet Harris gave a brilliant performance. Harriet knew how to deliver each line on target. Ann Harada stole the spotlight each time she was on stage as "Charlotte, Cinderella's Stepsister." Ann's brilliant comedic timing resulted in huge laughter from the audience. Marla Mindelle also did a fantastic job as "Gabrielle, Cinderella's other Stepsister." I saw Marla in Broadway's Sister Act, but in Cinderella, she really got to show off her humorous side. Cast as "The Prince" Santino Fontana wooed the audience with his gifted voice, as Peter Bartlett ("Sebastian"), Greg Hildreth ("Jean-Michael"), and Phumzile Sojola ("Lord Pinkleton") all added much laughter to this story.

Cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" on BroadwayIn addition to the above, the one aspect of Cinderella I LOVED most was the strong message it gave of how important it is to believe in yourself and stand-up for what you want. It's essential to teach this value to people, especially young children. Going to see this show will not only introduce children (or adults) to the magical world of theatre, but it will instill the importance of following your heart. "Cinderella," "The Prince," "Gabrielle," and "Jean-Michael," all displayed this belief in themselves wonderfully. They showed everyone how you can live the life you deserve if you have a strong sense of self-worth and go after your goals.

Cinderella is a show for adults and children alike. I believe you will leave the theatre feeling stronger while still being entertained by the glorious talent up on the stage of the Broadway Theatre. If you want to be taken into a world of laughter, hope, strength, and magic, then I would definitely recommend going to see Cinderella on Broadway. Cinderella plays the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street). Click here for tickets and be sure to follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and at http://cinderellaonbroadway.com!

Lauren Elder and Friends: Stellar Evening of Music and Song

Fun times were had by all on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 when I attended Lauren Elder and Friends at Stage 72 (formerly the Triad Theatre). I remembered Lauren from seeing her in the revival of Hair on Broadway. She always captured my attention when I saw the show, so when my friend Bobby Cronin invited me to her solo concert, I just had to attend.

I was beyond delighted I experienced this brilliant evening of music and song. Lauren's voice is stellar...big, bold, and very controlled! Not only is Lauren a fantastic singer, but she has quite a future as a songwriter. With talents on the ukulele as well, Lauren sang a mixture of original songs and covers. She lit up that stage extra bright! Joining Lauren in this venture were the talents of Katie Kiyan, Allison Guinn, Brett Dameron, Bobby Cronin, and Brett Teresa!

I really enjoyed Lauren's self-penned songs "Sometimes," "Wrong Place," "Don't Leave Me," "Dreamy Afternoons," "Something Inside," and "Wintry Vacation." All of these songs had to deal with love and loss and Lauren captured these emotions perfectly! The next time, I'm looking for an album to explain all my feelings, I will be sure to put on Lauren's (so she better record it soon). Throughout each of these songs, Lauren's voice excelled. From big belty moments to soft reserved sounds, Lauren knew to use her powerful vocals. One thing Lauren did in her songs was whistle in a very cool way for her musical interludes between versus. While it was fun to hear in the first song or two, I hope going forward, she does not put it in every song, but reserves the whistle for those special moments. 

From Left to Right: Bobby Cronin, Katie Kiyan, Lauren Elder, Allison Guinn and Brett Dameron.Out of all the cover songs Lauren sang, I loved her stripped down version of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" the most. It was so beautifully orchestrated and arranged, that I know if Paula heard it herself, she would cry. This brilliant configuration demonstrates exactly how on the mark Lauren is about her craft! She also scored big points with Ella Fitzgerald's "When I Get Low I Get High." Lauren brought much feeling to this jazz standard!

Another great part to this evening was getting to hear Lauren duet with one of my favorite singers/songwriters, Brett Teresa! They killed it together on "Rootless Tree," a song from Masked Plays that Lauren and Brett performed in together. In addition to this great duet, Lauren's first encore was, "Dear Daddy," one of my most cherrished songs by the award winning composer/lyricist Bobby Cronin (from his Broadway-bound show "W2ML"). Lauren was spot on in conveying the emotional intensity of this song about a girl who lost her father. To round out the evening and end on a high note, Lauren's second encore was a group performance of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." It was evident just how much fun all these performers have together. They made leave the show with a big smile and feeling of joy!

Lauren Elder is definitely a singer/songwriter on the rise! I can't wait to see what's in store for her! For more on Lauren be sure to visit http://laurenelder.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

Really Really: Thought-Provoking New York Debut by an Emerging Playwright

With his new play, Really Really, Paul Downs Colaizzo has decended his voice and talent on the theatre world. This young new playwright is definitely going places and Really Really is just the start of it. The first play in his "Want, Give, Get" trilogy, Really Really tells the story about a group of friends who's loyalty to each other is put to the test when after-party gossip turns ugly and every person is out to protect themselves. Directed by David Cromer and produced by MCC Theater, Really Really stars a host of talent including Zosia Mamet ("Leigh"), Lauren Culpepper ("Grace"), Kobi Libii ("Johnson"), David Hull ("Cooper"), Matt Lauria ("Davis"), Evan Jonigkeit ("Jimmy"), and Aleque Reid ("Haley").

Since the 1900s, each generation has been identified by a name. My great-grandparents were part of the G.I. Generation while my grandparents were in the Silent Generation and my parents are Baby Boomers. I'm part of Generation X, with Generation Y after me, and now there's Generation Z. This new generation seems have an attitude of me, me, me and Paul has explored this topic very well in Really Really.

When accusations start circulating about "Davis" and "Leigh," all that their friends worry about is how these allegations will affect them and their life. What will these charges cost them? Their friends don't think about what "Davis" and "Leigh" are going through or how they can help or if they are okay. They focus solely on themselves.

Paul's thought-provoking show made me think about the interactions I've had with Generation Z and while not all of them are about themselves, I've met my fair share who are. I can't help but wonder, where did they adopt this attitude? How will they survive when this selfishness comes back to bite them?

Paul Downs Colaizzo is an emerging playwright who's quickly planting his seeds. Really Really is just the beginning and I can't wait to see what Paul will create next! Really Really plays at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in NYC (121 Christopher Street) through March 10. Click here for tickets!

Bunnicula: A Great Tale of Friendship, Love, and Family

"Bunnicula" opening night cake, Photo Credit: Paul FocazioI had the fortunate experience of attending the opening night performance of Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery on Sunday, February 10, 2013. Based upon the popular children's book series by Deborah and James Howe, this new children's musical has a book by Tony Award nominee Charles Busch, music by Sam Davis, lyrics by Drama Desk nominee Mark Waldrop, direction by Charles' longtime collaborator Carl Andress, and produced by Daryl Roth.

Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery tells the story of one dark and stormy night when the Monroe family brings home orphaned rabbit with mysterious habits and sharp fangs. As the night unfolds, funny things start to happen in the Monroe household and the Monroe family tries to figure out what or who is causing these oddities to occur.

Ashley Campana, Erin Maguire, Abe Goldfarb, John Garry, Robert Anthony Jones and Prescott Seymour, Photo Credit: Jeremy DanielWith a cast that includes Abe Goldfarb as "Mr. Monroe," Erin Magurie as "Mrs. Monroe," Ashley Campana as "Debbie," the "Monroe's" daughter, John Garry as "Toby," the "Monroe's" son, Prescott Seymour as "Chester the cat", and Robert Anthony Jones as "Harold the dog," Charles Busch has written an excellent and fun children's show that will show kids and adults the importance of family, friendship, and love. It demonstrates that the most unlikliest of people can become friends and when family bonds together, a positive outcome can occur. Carl's direction allows the whole audience to get into this story and remain on the edge of their seats with excitement. This talented cast interacted well together, making me believe they were an actual family not only on stage, but off stage as well. I was particularly blown away by Erin Maguire's voice. My mouth dropped in awe every time she sang and I look forward to hearing more from her.

Ashley Campana, Abe Goldfarb, Erin Maguire, John Garry, Prescott Seymour and Robert Anthony Jones, Photo Credit: Jeremy DanielBunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery will allow audience members, both young and old, to relate to this story. It could also be the show that will make a child go, "I want to do that." Playing at DR2 Kids Theatre (103 East 15th Street), Bunnicula runs through April 14 on Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm and 4pm. Click here for tickets!

The Robin Byrd Show Live: Something For Everyone

"The Robin Byrd Show Live", Robin Byrd, GoGo Harder, and Vicky SinI had the time of my life on Saturday, February 9, 2013 when I attended The Robin Byrd Show Live at NYC's historic Cutting Room. For more than 30 years, Robin has been stimulating viewers with her cable television show The Robin Byrd Show. Now she has brought her TV show to the stage in a very fun way. Serving as host of the evening, Robin used her humor to tickle the audience and introduce her guests.

"The Robin Byrd Show Live", Jubilee Diamond, Robin Byrd, GoGo Harder, and Vicky SinWhat made The Robin Byrd Show Live so great was that there was something for everyone. From burlesque and boylesque dancers to strippers, comedians, and theatre artists, Robin had a full range of entertainment. Whether you like boys, girls, or something else, Robin had a guest for you. While I may not be attracted to girls, I was still very intrigued by the burlesque dancers/strippers Robin had perform. My favorite female dancer was Lily Faye. With a throwback to 40s/50s burlesque, Lily brought a sense of class and elegance to her routine in the way she moved and in the way she removed her clothes. I also enjoyed Minnie Tonka''s "futureistic" dances. From her costumes to her movements, I appreciated her theatrical approach to stripping. Sweet Lorraine added still another dimension to her acts...one of a more innoncent female to a woman in charge. The one act that really got my rocket soaring was boylesque dancer GoGo Harder. From his mechanic's strip to a 70s' roller-skater, GoGo, knew how to get the crowd excited!

D'yan ForestWhat made this evening extra special for me was getting to see two of my fellow "Call Me Adam" participants, D'yan Forest and Ben Rimalower, up on stage with Robin. D'yan, who was promoting her new show "My Pussy is Purrin' Again," (which is playing at Under St. Marks Theater from Feb. 21-March 3) is a bi-sexual comedian and chanteuse who had the audience in stitches with humor and songs about enjoying the company of both men and women. Ben Rimalower was there to promote his triumphant, four-time extended, one-man show "Patti Issues," currently playing at The Duplex in NYC. I only wish that Ben got to perform part of the show for the audience. He's so talented, it would have been nice to have him wow the audience with a bit of the show.

"The Robin Byrd Show Live", GoGo Harder, Vicky Sin, Robin Byrd, and Jubilee DiamondIn between performers, Robin played with her assistants Jake Lemmenes and Amanda Whip, which was fun. She was definitely more flirty with Amanda than Jake, but both of them were so great! Amanda actually opened up the night with a great stripese. Rumor has it that Jake might be taking it off for Robin's very special "Man 4 Man" evening on March 16 at midnight...here's hoping the skinny is revealed!

New York has a variety of culture and whatever you desire, this city can satisfy you. The one unique talent New York has that no other city has is Robin Byrd. A night at The Robin Byrd Show Live will arouse you in many ways. So come on down to The Cutting Room in NYC (44 East 32nd Street, between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue). Click here for tickets!