All stories by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large on BroadwayStars

Monday, February 21, 2022

A Few Thoughts on Those Needless Changes to “The Music Man” by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

I want to be clear.  "The Music Man" is such a masterfully written musical that making some changes here and there can’t really ruin it; but changes are not needed in this show and they c…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 08:59PM
Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Why Robert De Niro’s New Film Studio Matters by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

De Niro’s goal is to lure more film and television production from Hollywood to New York, and that can only be a plus for New York-based actors. A brand new studio, created for the needs o…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 10:08PM
Friday, January 7, 2022

Broadway’s “Mrs. Doubtfire” Takes a Nine-Week Hiatus Due to Covid-19 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

The show's pre-Broadway, out-of-town tryout was very successful financially, suggesting that there's an audience for the show. (The show broke box-office records in Seattle, during its tryou…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 07:22PM
Friday, October 29, 2021

Broadway Box-Office Grosses Look Encouraging by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

So how is Broadway doing right now, in terms of ticket sales and attendance?  Not bad at all, all things considered....  There are currently 24 shows running on Broadway.  Last week, over…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:27AM
Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Remembering George Wein by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

George Wein, who died peacefully at his New York apartment at the age of 95, was the founder of the modern music festival.  His contributions to pop culture were enormous.   I liked him v…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:06PM
Thursday, August 5, 2021

Remembering Don Schaffer by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Don long worked as a publicist for one singer he greatly admired; when age and ill health prevented her from working much anymore and her finances grew precarious, she told him she could no …

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:33AM
Tuesday, July 20, 2021

On the Town with Chip Deffaa: As Nightclubs Begin Coming Back by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Gianni Valenti, who runs one of the city’s best-known and most important nightspots, Birdland Jazz Club on 44th Street, deserves a lot of credit for leading the way.  He was one of the fi…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 02:15PM
Friday, July 16, 2021

When Broadway Shows Will Be Opening (or Re-Opening) by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

More than 30 Broadway productions are expected to open or re-open before year's end. Producers are gambling that by the fall, audiences will be ready to return. I'll list below the shows and…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:56AM
Wednesday, October 21, 2020

EDITH O’HARA—A PERSONAL REMEMBRANCE by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

There were few women in positions of authority when she started in theater.  But as she once told me, “If I wanted to do something, I just went ahead and did it.”  She blazed a trail f…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:57PM
Tuesday, May 5, 2020

BROADWAY’S JAKE RYAN FLYNN releases “GOOD MORNING QUARANTINE” by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Rather than sit around and mope, Flynn wrote “Good Morning, Quarantine”—setting his own new lyrics to the familiar melody of “Good Morning, Baltimore,” composed by Marc Shaiman (wi…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 09:01PM
Monday, April 27, 2020

ON THE TOWN WTH CHIP DEFFAA: THE CORONAVIRUS VERSUS THE THEATER.… by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Will people--especially people who are older or have pre-existing health issues (and many theatergoers are older and have such heath issues)--be willing to gather in packed theaters or conce…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 08:30PM
Friday, February 28, 2020

On The Town…. with Chip DeFFaa: Count Basie and Louis Jordan by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

I'm very glad that a friend and I were able to enjoy the high-spirited, fast-moving revue "Five Guys Named Moe," which is currently playing   at Westchester Broadway Theatre.    A lot o…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 04:19PM
Friday, January 10, 2020

ON THE PASSING OF THE NEW YORK MUSICAL FESTIVAL… by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

The festival has given birth to musicals that have gone on to Broadway ("Next to Normal," "Chaplin," "[title of show]," "In Transit") and Off-Broadway ("Altar Boyz," "The Other Josh Cohen,"…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:00PM
Friday, January 3, 2020

On The Town … with Chip Deffaa: Jerry Herman and Michael Feinstein by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Composer/lyricist Jerry Herman was, of course, a Broadway legend.   He gave us such unforgettable shows as "Hello, Dolly!," "Mame," and "La Cage Aux Folles." These musicals were all  huge…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 02:08PM
Wednesday, January 1, 2020

DAVID CASSIDY… BEHIND THE SCENES by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

David Cassidy’s autobiography “C’Mon Get Happy”–which I ghost-wrote for him at his request–has now come out as a Kindle E-book, with a brand new afterword by me. (It’s availabl…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 04:53PM
Sunday, November 3, 2019

On The Town … With Chip Deffaa, Nov 2, 2019 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Chasing Rainbows has an exceptionally appealing cast. This is one of those rare productions where even the smallest roles are vivid. The show itself is not perfect.  There are fixes that ne…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 10:49AM
Monday, August 26, 2019

ON THE TOWN with CHIP DEFFAA, August 26th 2019 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

I'm stunned and saddened by the passing of one of the best music directors I've known--and one of the nicest gentlemen-- Hubert Tex Arnold. He died suddenly, unexpectedly of a brain aneurism…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 07:18AM
Monday, February 18, 2019

ON THE TOWN … with CHIP DEFFAA, February 18, 2019 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Westchester Broadway's Ain't Misbehavin'--the 208th offering at this venerable dinner theater--is indeed in good hands. For starters, it is directed by none other than Richard Maltby Jr., w…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:49PM
Monday, January 28, 2019

“RENT” ON FOX TV — An Evaluation by Chip Deffaa by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Adapting Broadway shows for "live" TV is never easy. And this production was hampered by some extraordinary bad luck. One of the stars, Brennin Hunt, ("Roger") broke his foot at the last min…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 05:35PM
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

CAROL CHANNING… A Personal Remembrance by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

She encouraged me to dream big, grab opportunities when they came, and work full steam--and not to wait, because none of us know how much time we have. (I thought she'd live forever.) When…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 08:34PM
Sunday, January 6, 2019

ON THE TOWN… with Chip Deffaa, January 6, 2019 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

No one loves Berlin's music more than I do. But the creators of this stage adaptation have tried to jam too many well-known songs into the show. I think that cutting a couple of the songs…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 10:05PM
Sunday, October 28, 2018

ON THE TOWN… with Chip Deffaa …. October 28nd, 2018 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

The generous spirit of Jonathan Larson (1960-1996) certainly was felt in New York's great supper club, Feinstein's/54 Below, the night I went to see The Jonathan Larson Project (which filled…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 10:09PM
Saturday, August 4, 2018

ON THE TOWN WITH CHIP DEFFAA… for Aug 3rd, 2018 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Today’s column will be focusing on theatrical rights. The first rule in the theater, for anyone contemplating presenting a play: make sure you have the right to present the work. That …

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:49AM
Tuesday, February 6, 2018

ON THE TOWN… with CHIP DEFFAA, February 3, 2018 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

If you’re in the mood for a night of laughter, “The Outsider”—a new comedy by Paul Slade Smith, receiving its East Coast premiere in January and February at the Paper Mill Playhouse-…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 09:24PM
Thursday, November 23, 2017

David Cassidy …. A Personal Remembrance by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

I'm sorry to note the passing of David Cassidy. And I want to share a few  remembrances of him--as a performer and as a person. He was capable of conveying magic in his concerts--a "Peter P…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:07PM
Saturday, November 11, 2017

ON THE TOWN…. with CHIP DEFFAA , November 8, 2017 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

Memo to Broadway producers: You need to do everything you can to hook the next generation while they're young. I got hooked on theater because I saw the greatest performers, the greatest sh…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:10PM
Saturday, September 9, 2017

On The Town…With Chip Deffaa…Sept 9, 2017 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

In the first half of her career, Barbara Cook was a top leading lady in musical theater, famously originating roles in such Broadway shows as “The Music Man” and “She Loves Me.” (Dec…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 09:16PM
Friday, August 4, 2017

ON THE TOWN… With CHIP DEFFAA by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

I’ve seen “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” many times, many places.  I didn’t see the original Broadway production, alas–although I loved the cast album–but I�…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 02:24PM
Saturday, June 24, 2017

ON THE TOWN… With CHIP DEFFAA by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

I am so happy I got to see my longtime friend Victoria Leacock Hoffman--a very special person; kind, smart, instinctive, and “giving” by nature--honored by the Keen Company in New York C…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 05:27PM
Tuesday, January 3, 2017

ON THE TOWN WITH CHIP DEFFAA…. January 3rd 2017 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

The three new albums are “The Chip Deffaa Songbook” (39 of my theater songs, from shows I’ve written over the years); “Chip Deffaa’s Irving Berlin Revisited” (featuring rare, and…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 09:08AM
Wednesday, November 16, 2016

ON THE TOWN with Chip Deffaa … for November 13th, 2016 by Chip Deffaa, Editor-At-Large

There were a number of fine performances on the stage. But the performance I enjoyed the most was given by the fellow who, I noted last year, gave the most commanding performance of any fell…

SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 08:22AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards