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by Michael Portantiere

Party Like It's 1947

  • PARTY LIKE IT'S 1947

    Broadway by the Year, the essential series of concerts at The Town Hall in which some of today's most talented musical theater stars sing songs from yesteryear's shows, continued on Monday, March March 3 with The Broadway Musicals of 1947. To say that it was a very good year would be an understatement, as the list of shows that opened on Broadway in '47 includes Allegro, Brigadoon, Finian's Rainbow, High Button Shoes, and Street Scene. Created, written, and hosted by Scott Siegel, the concert was directed and choreographed by Jeffry Denman, with Ross Patterson as musical director/arranger/pianist. Here are photos of some of the highlights.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Howard McGillin (a.k.a. The Phantom of the Opera) and Christiane Noll began the evening with a charming duet, "Almost Like Being in Love" from Brigadoon.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Kristen Beth Williams, Meredith Patterson, and Erin Crouch sang and danced their way through "Security" from High Button Shoes.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Marc Kudisch sang "A Fellow Needs a Girl" from Allegro, the Rodgers and Hammerstein show that yielded several good songs even though it didn't run very long.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Meredith Patterson and Jeffry Denman romped through "The Heather on the Hill" from Brigadoon.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Donna Lynne Champlin made a great case for a lesser-known number, "If It Were Easy to Do" from Angel in the Wings.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Eddie Korbich, one of the stars of The Little Mermaid, had fun with a ditty called "The 1000 Island Song," also from Angel in the Wings.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Marc Kudisch asked a leading question of Kristen Beth Williams: "Wouldn't You Like to Be on Broadway?" (from Street Scene).

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Alexander Gemignani and the men opened Act II of the show with "I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean" from Brigadoon.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Meredith Patterson and Jeffry Denman were "Moon Faced, Starry Eyed" (from Street Scene).

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Kerry O'Malley got to sing one of 1947's biggest hits, "The Gentleman is a Dope" from Allegro.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    Ace song-and-dance men Jeffry Denman and Noah Racey teamed for a specially choreographed performance of "Necessity" from Finian's Rainbow.

    Photo by Michael Portantiere

    For the big finale, the entire company performed yet another gem from Finian's Rainbow, "That Great Come-and-Get-It Day."


    Published on Tuesday, March 4, 2008


    Michael Portantiere has more than 30 years' experience as an editor and writer for TheaterMania.com, InTHEATER magazine, and BACK STAGE. He has interviewed theater notables for NPR.org, PLAYBILL, STAGEBILL, and OPERA NEWS, and has written notes for several cast albums. Michael is co-author of FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: BEHIND THE MYLAR CURTAIN, published in 2008 by Hal Leonard/Applause. Additionally, he is a professional photographer whose pictures have been published by THE NEW YORK TIMES, the DAILY NEWS, and several major websites. (Visit www.followspotphoto.com for more information.) He can be reached at [email protected]


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