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The Musical Theater Project
  • About
    • Mission
    • Leadership
    • For TMTP Members >
      • Celebrating You !
      • Curtain Call: Member Newsletter
      • Member Events
      • Tell Us Your Peter Pan Story
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Auditions
    • Volunteer
  • Concerts
    • The Song Is You! Concert Series
    • Rendezvous Cabarets
    • On-Site Cabarets
    • Lecture-Demonstrations
  • School Programs
    • Kids Love Musicals! >
      • Distance Learning >
        • Unit 1: Cinderella
        • Unit 2: Jungle Book
        • Unit 3: The Wizard of Oz
        • Unit 4: Peter Pan
        • Unit 5: Charlie Brown
      • KLM Resources
      • Teacher Preparation
    • Two-Day Residency
    • Extended Residency - Special Needs Classrooms
    • Intergenerational Workshop
    • Meet Our Teaching Artists
    • Sponsorship
  • Radio Programs
    • Footlight Parade >
      • For Program Directors
    • On the Aisle
  • Recordings
    • About Harbinger Records
    • Recent Releases
    • Harbinger Playlists
    • News & Reviews
    • Catalog by Title
    • Catalog by Artist
  • Donate
    • Become a Contributing Member
    • TMTP Annual Report
    • Legacy Giving >
      • Legacy Gift Options
      • TMTP Organizational Fund
  • Resources
    • Bill's Picks
    • Diversity and the American Musical
    • Links & Books
    • Overture Newsletter
  • TMTP Online
    • Movies At Home
    • TMTP Playlists
    • KLM's Mid-Week Musical Pick Me Up
    • TMTP's Blog
  • Store

TMTP's Blog

Discover Broadway's Hidden Gems

11/18/2020

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PicturePatti LuPone and Kurt Peterson in The Baker's Wife (1976)
As the winter weather rolls in and the pandemic rages on, now is the perfect time to hunker down and get cozy with your favorite cast albums. It's also the time when new releases usually become available from the current Broadway season. Sadly, new musicals are on hold for a while, but TMTP is here to introduce you to a few old ones you might have missed. Here are the staff picks for "hidden gems" they truly love, but have fallen through the cracks over time.

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"It's the Bock & Harnick musical that came right after Fiddler on the Roof. (How's that for pressure?) Actually it's three one-act musicals based on short stories: The Diary of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain, Frank Stockton's The Lady or the Tiger? and Jules Feiffer's Passionella. Most people including yours truly like the quietly charming Twain piece best (which includes the cabaret standard 'What Makes Me Love Him?,' but the three pieces are deliciously different, and that's part of the fun -- especially with a cast headed by Alan Alda, Barbara Harris and Larry Blyden." - Bill Rudman
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"While many are familiar with the song 'Meadowlark,' which has become a cabaret favorite, I love this entire score! Although the production never made it to Broadway and had a limited run in London, it is an achingly beautiful tale of love and loss and the power and limits of our desires and dreams. The 1976 cast album features Patti LuPone and Paul Sorvino. 'Chanson,' 'Where is the Warmth' and 'Gifts of Love' all add to the tapestry of the small French town and the Baker who loves too well and his wife who is torn between her simple life and the adventure of something more."
​- Jodi Maile Kirk  
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"Bat Boy is a show I have been a fan of for a long time! It's an American rock musical with  music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe, based on a June 23, 1992 Weekly World News story about a half-boy, half-bat, dubbed 'Bat Boy,' who grew up living in a cave and the family who tries to adopt him into their home. Hilarity and heart ensues. The script is hysterical and the music and lyrics are clever and fun, and each scene seems to provide a turn of events the audience is not expecting."
- Bridie Srsen

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"Okay, so not really a 'hidden gem,' but I  kind of feel like this musical got lost after Jesus Christ Superstar became so famous. Growing up Catholic, I always thought this show did a wonderful job of telling the story of the Gospel according to St. Mathew. The original 1976 Broadway production only received one Tony nomination for Best Original Score. It took 35 years to bring it back to Broadway in 2011 for a brief run that introduced the show to a new generation. While many have heard the song, 'Day By Day,' my favorite is 'By My Side.'" - Heidi Lang
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"This charming recording features Tommy Tune and Twiggy. It’s been a favorite since I saw it in Cleveland in the late 1980's. This jukebox musical of Gershwin gems was co-directed and co-choreographed by Tune himself. Every song is a fantastic, funny feast. The delightfully satisfying mash-up of 'Boy Wanted' and 'Soon' is tops. With 'Can’t Be Bothered Now' & 'Kickin’ The Clouds Away,' this cast album leaves a smile on your face and a song in your heart!" - Debbie Schinker
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"Based on the 1957 film noir, Marvin Hamlisch's final Broadway musical is a dark story about fame and media that's all-too relevant today. Featuring jazzy brass and sinister strings, the score is incredibly lush. Sadly, like many other shows in the 2001-2002 season, it closed prematurely due to low attendance across the city after 9/11. The musical did earn seven Tony awards including a win for John Lithgow and the recording is worth a listen alone for early performances by future Broadway stars Brian d'Arcy James and Kelli O'Hara."
​- Joanna May Cullinan
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"I wish more people in the general public were familiar with this 1997 musical. It was originally produced Off-Broadway, then later at Encores! and eventually on Broadway in 2014. The warm and accessible score is by the versatile Jeanine Tesori, of Tony-winning Fun Home fame. I especially love the original Off-Broadway cast album - Cleveland native Michael McElroy's performance of the inspirational 'Let it Sing' is beyond compare. Interesting story, first rate performances, and the score integrates flavors of country, gospel, bluegrass, and Memphis blues."
​- Nancy Maier
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Life Is a Cabaret!

10/16/2020

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Every October Manhattan is usually bursting with song as the Mabel Mercer Foundation presents the annual Cabaret Convention. The artform specializing in live and intimate song interpretation certainly wasn't created with "social distancing" in mind, but nobody's gonna rain on this parade. For the first time ever, audiences around the world can enjoy a virtual version of the event jam packed with star power. You can register to attend one of many sessions at the link below. In the meantime, here are TMTP's selections for must-listen cabaret albums. 
REGISTER HERE FOR THE 1ST VIRTUAL CABARET CONVENTION
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"Part of my love for this album comes from the fact that I was there -- and had no idea it was being recorded in 1975! But mostly, as I've listened to and lived with the album through the decades, I am awed by the excellence and style of the King of Cabaret in songs ranging from Ellington and Strayhorn to Sondheim. Being right there for a Short performance (especially at his home, the Carlyle Hotel) was tantamount to a kind of religious experience. As much as I admire many contemporary cabaret artists, there's still no one else who can touch him."
​- Bill Rudman

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"While I've only listened to a few cabaret albums, my appreciation for Sara Zahn's Both Sides of Bernstein on TMTP's Harbinger Records label tells me I should listen to all of my colleagues' recommendations on this list! The journey her show invites the audience to take is subtle and powerful. Her artistry and rapport with the audience is crystal clear. I was blown away by her juxtaposition of Bernstein's "So Pretty" (protesting the Vietnam War) and "Take Care of This House" (From 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue). Sensational."
- Heather Meeker

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"What more can you say about Liza Minnelli! Growing up, she was one of my favorites to sing along with. Not many people can belt out a song like she can. My favorite selections on this album are the songs in the New York Medley. The finale of this medley is my personal favorite - "Theme from New York, New York". I used to sing with her on this song for a better part of my childhood while dreaming of seeing the big lights of Broadway. There is just something magical about the energy in her voice and you can hear it in each one of her songs."
​- Heidi Lang

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"This is a fabulous album. Benanti's voice is glorious in its own right, but her humor really shines in this live performance. Her stories and interactions with the audience are laugh out loud funny with moments of sincerity and true class. She creates a listening experience that makes you feel like you're there in person, which is not easy to accomplish. Plus her song selection is so eclectic with standards from the Great American Songbook, contemporary Broadway and even a tribute to her 'favorite folk pop rock soprano,' Joni Mitchell."
​-Joanna May Cullinan

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"One of my favorite actors and singers is Mandy Patinkin. I remember playing his self-titled album on a near endless loop as I soaked in his tender interpretation of classics such as "Over the Rainbow" and "I'll Be Seeing You" while marveling at his vocal gymnastics and over the top interpretations of both familiar - "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?" - and novel - "Coffee In A Cardboard Cup" - tunes. In addition to Bernadette, I believe that his interpretation of Sondheim is true genius. His covers of "Anyone Can Whistle" and "No One is Alone" do not disappoint."
- Jodi Maile Kirk
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"I love both Barbara Cook and the music of Stephen Sondheim, so this live recording of her Carnegie Hall cabaret-style concert is a real winner for me! It features classic Sondheim, plus some songs Sondheim wishes he had written (some of those by Harold Arlen and Irving Berlin). No one can deliver a ballad quite the way she can - a classic artist and a class act. From the time she was young, I have admired how she used her pure soprano in service of the lyric. And her version of Hugh Martin's "The Trolley Song" is irresistible!"
-Nancy Maier

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What's Bill Up To?

10/9/2020

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We’re thrilled when our participants tell us they have learned, laughed, cried and loved (our
slogan) at one of our events—but I must confess I’m just as happy when I learn something,
which happens all the time.

Example: Now available on our Let’s Go to the Movies series is my preview of the Fred Astaire film A Damsel in Distress (1937). We’ve provided the link to the film, and you can be part of our live-streamed Q&A on October 15.

I programmed it because it’s such a curiosity: Set in Britain, it’s the only musical film starring
Fred in which his leading lady, the 20-year-old Joan Fontaine (remember her from Hitchcock’s
Rebecca?), could neither sing nor dance! I’ll tell you what’s positively disarming, though: In
their dance routine for George and Ira Gershwin’s “Things Are Looking Up,” Fred generously
does everything in his power to make her look good.

And here’s what astonished me: the film, which I hadn’t seen in about 25 years, turns out to be a
delightful confection featuring the great comedy team of George Burns and Gracie Allen; the last
complete score by the Gershwin brothers before George’s untimely death of a brain tumor (their
score includes “A Foggy Day” and “Nice Work If You Can Get It”); and a screenplay co-written
by P.G. Woodhouse, the droll British humorist who created the “Jeeves” stories.

So give it a whirl…Will you cry? Probably not. But there’s a fair chance you’ll learn, laugh and
love. Not bad for a film that’s virtually forgotten today.

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A New Dialogue

8/27/2020

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TMTP Teaching Artists Mariah Burks and Bridie Carroll in Cain Park's "Ragtime" (2019)
By Jodi Maile Kirk

​At The Musical Theater Project, we use the art of musical theater not only to step into a story or soak in the wonder of a song but to
examine and explore the human condition. Musicals offer a unique opportunity to look within. They invite us to unearth our greatest joys and sorrows, to honor both our triumphs and our challenges. 


Sadly, many of our most beloved musicals and favorite songs offer a limited world view seen primarily through a white lens. So many voices remain unheard, So many stories untold. We must continue to ask ourselves, “What stories are being erased? Eliminated? Reduced?” And most importantly, “Who is telling those stories?”

Currently, the story of our nation is one of a great divide. We continue to live in two Americas. It has been a summer of unrest and racial turbulence. Many of us continue to wrestle with hard truths as we bear witness to the horrific murder of George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others. The fuels and flames of social injustice are raging throughout this land, and we seek to find a united voice. 

In searching for a musical that reflects this time of reckoning, I landed on the musical Ragtime. Although written by white artists, the piece authentically explores part of our American story that is either glossed over or ignored. Once again, I was moved by the power of the music and the intricate weaving of three separate narratives. I soaked in the lyrics to one of the show’s stand-out songs, “Make Them Hear You,” an anthem inviting us all to stand for justice no matter the cost. As I listened to it this time, however, its promise rang hollow. I found myself getting angrier and sadder as I questioned the ongoing cost for people of color—the cost of generations—that continues to be too high. 

I found myself haunted by the story of Mother and the journey of the song “Back to Before.”  Although the song in the musical reflects Mother’s ownership of her own agency, I realized that in order to move forward, White America needs to sever ties with the stories that we have told ourselves for too long. We all need to step out of our comfort zones so we honestly look at our nation’s history, as well as our personal history. We must honestly look at the promise of the Civil Rights movement versus the reality. We must rectify the systemic injustices that continue to plague who we are meant to be. Only then will we find a way to be a nation in which everyone--everyone, no matter the color of their skin or who they choose to love—is treated equally, fairly and with justice and respect. 

Black lives matter. 

In Ragtime, the story of Coalhouse Walker ends tragically. We must continue to fight and change the narrative. Thankfully, an amazing group of TMTP artists shared their gifts and their hearts as we worked together to blend songs from this powerful musical as well as images from our shared history to create this video and--hopefully--begin a new dialogue. This performance invites us all to come together and lean into hard questions, as we try to move forward. To change the story of who we are and who we can be.
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Celebrating Bernstein

8/23/2020

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Between multiple Broadway revivals, cabaret recordings, film versions, television clips and concert events, it's hard to identify the quintessential Leonard Bernstein. As we celebrate the late composer's birthday this week, TMTP's staff went down the YouTube rabbit hole to share a few beloved clips worth watching.

"America" from West Side Story
"This scene and song is all about perspective. It is interesting how two different groups can see the same thing so differently. Aside from its very relevant message, this song is one that just seems like it would be so much fun to perform. Every time I see it, whether as a stand-alone or in the show, all of the dancers and singers just appear to be having the best time. The energy is completely infectious." - Heidi Lang
"Come Up to My Place" from On The Town
"Such a treat! A VERY early TV clip of the great comic and singer Nancy Walker. What I find so wonderful about Nancy, who I'm proud to say was a friend, is that she was really a proto-feminist who knew exactly what she wanted and always got it in her riotously deadpan style. And before she revs up the song, notice the splendid ballet music by Bernstein in the background." - Bill Rudman
"I Can Cook, Too" from On The Town
"Openly gay comedian and Jazz vocalist Lea DeLaria (an original cast member of the 1998 Broadway revival of On the Town) gave this quintessentially sexy song some new and wonderful twists in the PBS classic 'My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies.' If you're unfamiliar with the concert, the entire live event from Carnegie Hall is available on YouTube and should not be missed!" - Heather Meeker
"Make Our Garden Grow" from Candide
"Perhaps it's because my husband and I are expecting our first child in the next few weeks, but this song feel very sentimental right now. The lyrics are so important at the beginning, simple but significant, and then when the entire company sings together its some of the most beautiful choral arrangements I have ever heard. The lines leading into the song are, 'We can only promise to do our best,' and that is all I wish for our country right now. You plant seeds wherever you go, and it's so important to remember that and the impact we have on other people. " - Bridie Srsen
"Tonight" from West Side Story
​Anything from West Side Story could have made this list for me because I believe it's one of the true masterpieces when it comes to musical theater. But the fact that a recording even exists of Audra and Mandy  singing this music together feels like an extra special gift to the world. Their voices showcase what Bernstein's music can sound like at its finest. Check out the entire video and/or album of Leonard Bernstein's New York for more all star performances. " - Joanna May Cullinan
"The Greatest Five Minutes in Music Education"
​"This is from a Bernstein lecture in his “The Unanswered Question” series at Harvard University in 1973. He takes us through the entire development of western music in 5 minutes at the piano in a way only Bernstein can. It's really illuminating!" - Nancy Maier
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What's Bill Up To?

8/7/2020

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Bill is up to what all of us at The Musical Theater Project are up to—and this goes for most arts
organizations in Cleveland as well. We’re creating online programming as a means of serving
our participants during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the case of TMTP, that includes our new
weekly series, “Let’s Go to the Movies…at Home!,” an adaptation of our acclaimed school
program, “Kids Love Musicals!,” and specially selected song playlists that can be streamed on
Spotify. (And of course our two long-running radio programs on public stations and Sirius
continue, unaffected by the virus.)

But you probably know that a big part of our work is producing live concerts and cabarets, and I want to tell you about preparing our very first online show because it will help me make an
important point about TMTP.

The show, which you’ll be able to stream in October, is titled “Sing Me a Story”—and my
colleague Nancy Maier and I know it’ll be lots of fun because the songs we’ve chosen are so
much fun. As the title suggests, they’re all songs that tell stories, and they range from
Hollywood’s “The Ugly Duckling” (Hans Christian Andersen) to Broadway’s “Nothing”
(A Chorus Line).

We were doing just fine assembling the music for our two vocalists, Ursula Cataan and Eric
Fancher, when all of a sudden we hit a roadblock. I was determined to include “Cheerleader,” a
little-known story-song by the great John Kander and Fred Ebb that’s both funny and touching.
In 1979 I saw it performed in New York by the late Phyliss Newman in her one-woman show,
The Madwoman of Central Park West.

But the song wasn’t in the Kander & Ebb songbook, nor was it published…period. Well, that never stops us. We go to a friend of mine in New York who has tons of unpublished material in the performance editions used in the theater. He scoured his files; nope.

So…on to composer John Kander (a friend of TMTP) and his assistant. They spent two months
searching for that elusive cheerleader to no avail. I suppose a lot of people would have given up by now; after all, Nancy and I have 20 other songs in the show!

But heck, this is TMTP, so we pressed on. We asked our friend in New York to recommend
someone there who could transcribe the piano-vocal from Newman’s cast album. We found a
terrific arranger named Balint Varga, and a week later, voila! I just sent “Cheerleader” to Nancy
and Ursula. As Balint noted, “Just think: We saved a little gem from oblivion.”
I share this with you because it’s typical of TMTP; we are all perfectionists and we never give
up. That’s a big reason I’ve been here for 22 years…

Don’t miss “Sing Me a Story” in October, OK?

P.S. Naturally I sent “Cheerleader” to John Kander. His response: “Wow! Thanks—it is great to
have this!”

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Binge-Worthy TV Shows to Get Your Musical Fix

8/6/2020

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The 72nd Annual Emmy Award nominations just came out and as usual, Broadway is well represented. We thought this would be the perfect time to look back at our favorite musical TV shows. Everyone at TMTP was tasked with selecting a gem from the small screen that would satisfy our hunger for musical theater while we're stuck home on the couch.

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"My hands down favorite was The Carol Burnett show. I adored the sketches, the repeat characters and the true sense of ensemble. I especially loved when Carol and Harvey would break character when Tim Conway took a comic bit to the extreme. I loved seeing who the guests were each week and was obsessed with the fact that she was good friends with both Julie Andrews and Lucille Ball. Her closing song, “I’m so Glad This Time Together”  as well as the sentimental tug of her earlobe honoring her mom are definitely echoed in the work we do in the classroom. Honoring the time we spend together, celebrating the songs, stories and people who shape us as we share a laugh and sing a song are part of the hallmarks of all our programming at TMTP." - Jodi Maile Kirk
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"It’s TRULY crazy, but I got a huge kick out of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The musical talent on that show was amazing. Creator and star Rachel Bloom is super creative and multi-talented. She creates songs in all genres and performs them really well, as singer, actress, and comedian. The songs bring everyday situations to life in a magical/fantasy-like way. She surrounds herself with excellent Broadway performers, so all the singing and dancing is first rate!" - Nancy Maier
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"The new show Encore! hosted by Kristin Bell on Disney+ is both entertaining and inspiring. It's a reality show that reunites former drama kids as adults to recreate their high school musical in one week! With the help of Broadway professionals, these grownups get a second chance to live out their onstage dreams. Along the way they find new appreciation for the work that goes into it and the friendships that come out of it proving once and for all the universal power of musical theater." - Joanna May Cullinan
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"Only a single episode of The Flash (yes, the DC Universe superhero) qualifies. But of all the non-musical shows to attempt the genre, this one pulled it off. Consider this: Glee alums Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist (TV's Supergirl) anchor the plot and Darrin Criss guest stars. Musical theater veterans Jesse L. Martin, Victor Garber and John Barrowman sing a truly touching "More I Cannot Wish You" from Guys & Dolls. And Oscar-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) contribute the original song 'Running Home to You' for the episode's defining moment." - Heather Meeker
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"As a former show choir geek, Glee brought back so many memories of friendship and the usual teenage struggles. For six years, it was a wonderful "escape" for me from my normal life. Every episode allowed me to listen to many old, familiar songs as well as introduce me to some newer contemporary songs. I also loved being able to see all of the young, emerging singers and watch them develop over the course of each season. Many of the actors started on Broadway or went on to perform there once the show was over." - Heidi Lang
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"We don't watch much TV and Saturday Night Live never captivated me as it did as my high school and college friends. But in the last 4 years, SNL has been solace as well as entertainment. SNL has an on-going, not-so-secret love affair with its neighbor Broadway and in no episode was that more on display than in 2018’s 'Diner Lobster' which parodies Les Miserables as only SNL can!" - Debbie Schinker
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"I have to pick Zoe's Extraodinary Playlist due to the storyline and humor. I think the show is so well done and the script writing is excellent. In musical theater we know that people release into song when emotions are so intense that they have nothing else to do but sing, and I think this is done in such a unique and believable way on the show. It's also fun to see other musical theater performers on your tv at home." - Bridie Srsen
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An honorable mention goes to Smash. The show made it on to so many staff member's lists that we had to show it some extra love. The behind-the-scenes drama only lasted two seasons, but it featured Broadway veterans and lavish musical numbers every week. Season one focused on a Marilyn Monroe musical called Bombshell with an outstanding score written by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman (Hairspray). It's not-to-be-missed!
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Vinyl Memories

7/26/2020

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Harbinger's latest album, Geraldine Fitzgerald's Streetsongs, is now available as a special collector's edition ON VINYL! Yes, that's right, TMTP is now entering the retro-hip era of the  LP record. So, with great nostalgia, the staff recalled memories of their most beloved vinyl cast recordings growing up and how listening to original LPs influenced their love of musicals today.

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"I remember sitting on the living room floor listening to this record and staring at the golden album cover in my lap. I'd try to match each character to their song based on what they looked like and how they were posed in the line. I would pick my favorites and try to dress and stand like them in front of the mirror. Imagine a 7 year-old singing 'Dance: Ten; Looks: Three' around the house!"
​- Joanna May Cullinan
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"I received this album as a gift when I was 10 or so, and fell completely in love with it. The music was hauntingly beautiful and the orchestration featured delicate jazzy arrangements. I longed to play those beautiful piano parts, so I asked for the score and started learning the music. Even now, when I hear those first few notes of the Overture, I am taken right back to that sweet time when emotions were heightened and everything seemed possible. The musical formed me in so many ways."
- Nancy Maier
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"On my 6th birthday I received BOTH the movie soundtrack and the original cast recording from my parents. I created groundbreaking choreography to 'Greased Lightning' (jogging across the room repeatedly was a defining sequence) and forced my 4-year-old brother to perform it with me. I'm sure he remembers the experience fondly."
- Heather Meeker
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"In the 1960s, when Original Cast Albums were super-popular, Columbia Records in particular often made them LAVISH. You opened up the sleeve as you would a book to find liner notes and photos on a two-sided printed sheet glued to the cover. Meredith Willson's Here's Love from 1963 may not have been his best musical (he wrote The Music Man, after all), but you'd never know it from the spectacular photo layout on the inside. I have the album on CD, of course, but I treasure the LP, which I bought at Disc Records at Severance Center with money earned from my paper route!
- Bill Rudman

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"This 2-album brown cover set was integral to my Good Friday traditions while growing up. I have very vivid memories of lying on the floor on my stomach in our family room listening  and following along closer to the lyric insert to make sure I knew every word and who was saying what. I still listen to this soundtrack during Holy Week most years and it's one of the few albums I still have from my childhood."
​- Debbie Schinker
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"I remember I saw a stage production of My Fair Lady when I was 10 years old and was obsessed with all the music. I saved my money all year and purchased the album with my own money. I listened to the songs over and over. However, one song in particular, 'Wouldn't it be Loverly' was played more than others. I was determined to be able to mimic Eliza's accent. For the next couple of years, I would sing this song every chance I could get."
- Heidi Lang

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Geraldine Fitzgerald's Emerald

7/23/2020

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By Bill Rudman

​It’s rare that something you created 37 years ago is still admired decades later. The first LP Ken
Bloom and I ever produced – Geraldine Fitzgerald in Streetsongs – was recently released on CD
on The Musical Theater Project’s Harbinger label, and though it won raves back in the day from
The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, it appears to be a hit all over again.

Actually, “created” is too strong a word. What Ken and I did in 1983 was adapt the star’s live
performance into a recording that worked on its own terms. If her name doesn’t ring a bell,
Geraldine was a great Irish-American actor: a star from the 1930s through the 1950s, sharing the
stage or screen with the likes of Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles and Gary Cooper, and then
appearing or directing on Broadway until a few years before her death in 2005. As if that were
not enough, in the late 1970s she decided to become a cabaret singer, and publicizing her show at the Roundabout was my first New York job.

We became friends, and I was captivated by her voice, though it was, by her own admission,
“peculiar” and “a rough instrument” – a kind of combination of Lotte Lenya and Marlene
Dietrich. But she knew how to take you deep inside songs as disparate as Gershwin’s “Swanee,”
Tommy Makem’s “Four Green Fields” and the Beatles’ “Leaving Home.”

But the question Ken and I asked ourselves last year was this: Would anyone care about our
work (and Geraldine’s luminous art) in 2020?

The response makes us very proud. The customer “reviews” on Amazon are loaded with Five Stars – the highest rating! And several of them amount to mini-essays. I’ll quote from just one, by Arthur Fergenson: “This is theater at its recorded best, where Ms. Fitzgerald acts in the roles
crafted by her….This is about playing a role in the course of a five- to 15-minute one-act play
with music. Listen carefully to Bill Rudman’s radio interview of Ms. Fitzgerald in 1983, excerpts
of which are included on this CD, and you will understand. She wants, craves a full stage with a
large audience so that she can feed off their energy and bring her actor’s craft fully to bear.

“And she does so brilliantly. Her ‘Danny Boy’ is justifiably the most famous piece in the show.
Reminding me of Andrea Marcovicci, Ms. Fitzgerald brings a powerful intelligence to bear
explaining what the song is really about, and seamlessly enters into the song and the character
she plays as the young woman saying goodbye (and possibly farewell) to her beloved. In six
minutes, Ms. Fitzgerald wills us into knowing and feeling.”
​
Bottom line: 37 years ago Geraldine Fitzgerald created a classic recording, and all these years
later, Ken and I are tremendously proud of it. P.S. This month Amazon will also offer the album
in its original vinyl edition; what goes around, comes around.

Order now on Amazon

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Summer Reading List

6/18/2020

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Whether you're laying on the beach or curled up on your porch, nothing says summer quite like indulging in a new book. While there's plenty of escapist novels to dive into, the staff at TMTP is sharing some of our favorite musical theater books of all-time in case you're missing the bright lights of Broadway this season. Click on the book image to view/purchase on Amazon.
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Bridie Carroll: I read this book years ago as I was and still am a huge Sondheim fan. This is a great read that takes the reader through each of his shows talking about the very real and complex subjects and characters that he is known for. If you are someone who loves dissecting lyrics, song and story, this is a great book for you. It's like taking a peek inside the mind of your favorite genius.

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Joanna May Cullinan: I have a special interest in how social and cultural history has shaped musical theater and vice versa. Tracking the way women's roles onstage have shifted in tandem with women's history is fascinating and not at all coincidental. Everything from a show's message and themes down to a character's voice type has been dictated by the times. Think of some of the best Act One finales: "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "Don't Rain On My Parade," "And I Am Telling You" and "Defying Gravity." Each musical written decades apart, but the image of a strong woman ending on a high note (literally and figuratively) is practically an archetype. This book digs deep into the highs and lows of this phenomenon.

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Jodi Maile Kirk: ​I frequently tease that my greatest teachers are the three S’s - Shakespeare, Suess and Sondheim. The lyrics of Stephen Sondheim reflect the paradoxical nature of living life to the fullest. His lyrics capture the mystery and madness of love, loss, and art. His lyrics lay the emotional foundation for my beliefs and values as well as my hopes and dreams. Pouring over his words, soaking up images and hearing faraway melodies while remembering specific moments from some of my favorite shows or just reflecting on my own journey is a gift. Paging through songs and examining the brilliance of one of musical theater’s most vulnerable and acutely human story tellers and lyricists is soul expanding indeed.

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Heather Meeker: I'm especially fond of this title. In 2017, it's how I introduced the musical to my monthly book club - a group of wise women, most 15-20 years older than me. We'd read the Ron Chernov biography the month before, so they knew the source material and were intrigued by Lin Manuel-Miranda's vision. Hip-hop and rap wasn't their style, but they gave it a shot. They loved the essays about the musical's development and followed the lyrics as we played songs from the cast recording. Discussing the concept of "rap battles" with them is a memory I will cherish until my dying day!

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Debbie Schinker: I don't generally read books about musical theater, but this one was a gift to my daughter and I ended up reading and loving it! I thought it was so down-to-earth that I gave it as a High School graduation gift to a seriously focused aspiring Broadway performer I knew.

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Bill Rudman: ​As TMTP continues its long-overdue exploration of the film musical, this book couldn't come at a better time. I have many books on the topic, but Basinger's, which came out at the end of 2019, is in a class by itself. It's voluminouus -- and needs to be, providing information not only on important (both well-known and rarely seen) films, but details on specific scenes that open up the world of the artists' intentions. It is lavishly illustrated with many never-before-seen photos; it is loaded with scholarship; but it is also eminently readable, guiding us through the history of the form and how and when it became more and more ambitious. If I have a quibble, I wish she had given more space (and recognition) to the songwriters, but that's been done often enough. Her passionate account takes us into the very center of hundreds of films, our frustration being that we won't live long enough to see them all.

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Nancy Maier: This is an incredibly well-researched and insightful biography of Sondheim. We get a thorough look at his upbringing and personal life through the author's many private conversations with him. She also interviewed his friends, family, collaborators, and even lovers. So we get a great understanding of what drives Sondheim as a man and as an artist. It is so readable I couldn't put it down! Lots of backstage tidbits, and a look at his lyrics and working methods. He is a fascinating and brilliant man.
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Hail Harbinger!

6/9/2020

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BY TED CHAPIN
PRESIDENT, THE RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN ORGANIZATION

When my father ran the Masterworks division of Columbia Records, the company released
specialized projects under the “Legacy” label. They were boxed sets, elaborately and impeccably
produced, and packaged with style and class including extensive notes.

​If anyone is keeping the spirit of that series alive, it is Bill Rudman and Ken Bloom—and TMTP’s
Harbinger Records. Good on them to find a way to keep important recordings available for
those of us who love all aspects of musical theater and the Great American Songbook.

I’ve known Ken and Bill for years, and when they had the idea to create Harbinger, I felt it was a
noble, and probably foolhardy, idea. But wait! They got Maxine Sullivan and then Peggy Lee to
venture into recording studios—I was impressed. Because they had a sharp focus about what they
wanted from those recordings, the artists responded, and the results were superb.

And their ability to dive into songwriters’ tapes of demos and ephemera, combined with discreet
new recordings, in a Hidden Treasures series, illuminated musical theater creators in ear-opening ways. They even found piano rolls recorded in the 1920's by Richard Rodgers that I didn’t
know existed! Stunning.

They are still at it, and we are all the beneficiaries. Any time they have reached out to me, I’ve
done what I could, from providing notes (like this one) to getting the Rodgers & Hammerstein
Foundation to make unique grants to several albums in the Hidden Treasures series. Thankfully, each Harbinger release is painstakingly edited, sonically clean and elegantly presented.

And extraordinarily classy.

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The Little Label That Could

6/9/2020

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DID YOU KNOW THAT THE MUSICAL THEATER PROJECT HAS ITS OWN NATIONAL
RECORD LABEL?
For 37 years many lovers of musical theater, cabaret and the Great
American Songbook have considered Harbinger Records to be a kind of musical oasis.

BY REBECCA PALLER

The label, since 2015 a division of TMTP, includes 70 recordings ranging from studio sessions by legends like Maxine Sullivan and Peggy Lee to live performances and recordings by such top-ranked cabaret stars as Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano—plus rare archival recordings by Richard Rodgers, John Kander, Sheldon Harnick and other songwriters (including the “backers auditions” of musicals such as Barnum and I Love My Wife).

In this day and age, when countless labels are long gone, it’s amazing that a specialized one—with a name that conjures images of a songbird (Harbinger’s logo) and of good things to come —is releasing six recordings this year, including the recent first edition in a quarter-century of the 1969 original cast recording of Celebration by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, and a fascinating Jones & Schmidt collection, Hidden Treasures, 1951–2001. This focus on the more obscure work of the
creators of The Fantasticks exemplifies the role of Harbinger as both connoisseur and
curator—making available to the public significant work that deserves to be heard.

Harbinger reflects the discernment and gumption of its founders, Bill Rudman and New Yorker Ken Bloom, who met in 1977 and forged an immediate bond in their passion for musical theater. Their tastes were “absolutely compatible,” said Bill and Ken, “and we decided we were destined
to produce recordings.”

In 1983 an opportunity presented itself: a recording of Geraldine Fitzgerald’s one-woman show, Streetsongs, that embodied another Harbinger tenet: “We want artists who can truly act the song,” said Ken, “not just make pretty sounds.” In 1976 Fitzgerald, a legendary actress on stage and screen, was packing in audiences at New York cabaret Reno Sweeney with a colorful array of numbers, from “Danny Boy” to Gershwin’s “Swanee” and the Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home.”

In 1979 Streetsongs scored a hit at the Roundabout Theater. Bill was a publicist for the show, and in 1981 he brought it to Cleveland’s Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival and had it taped in performance as a gift for Fitzgerald. “When the tapes turned out to be terrific, Ken and I worked on them in a Manhattan studio, and emerged with an album that won raves,” said Bill. “Miss Fitzgerald fills her performance with lusty, warm-blooded vitality,” wrote John S. Wilson in The New
York Times
.

By then Ken had relocated to New York from Washington, D.C., where he wrote and directed musical revues including Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen. Many of the numbers in that show were first performed in the 1930s at New York’s famed nightspot the Cotton Club. They became the inspiration for Harbinger’s second album. “We wanted to include previously unrecorded songs alongside standards like ‘Stormy Weather,’ ” said Ken.

Arlen biographer Ed Jablonski helped them unearth the lesser-known songs, and Bill and Ken set their sights on the jazz singer Maxine Sullivan, who headlined at the Cotton Club in 1940 with Louis Armstrong. They found her number in the New York City phonebook and called her cold. At 72, she eagerly joined the team, and Great Songs From the Cotton Club by Arlen ​& Koehler was released in 1984, followed by albums devoted to composers Burton Lane (1985) and Jule Styne (1987). The reviews for the three recordings were rapturous, and Sullivan received a Grammy Award nomination for the Cotton Club album.

For their next venture, the two men pursued the iconic song stylist Peggy Lee. Again, a phone call did the trick. Bill recalled: “I said, ‘Miss Lee, we have this idea for you. You will record an album comprised entirely of unknown, unrecorded songs by Harold Arlen.’” Her response was quick. “Oh, I would be interested in that.”

​When Held Lightly: Rare Songs by Harold Arlen was released in 1993, the reviews were rhapsodic for Lee, then 73—with special praise for two bittersweet songs: “Come On, Midnight” and “I Had a Love Once.”

Enlightening liner notes are another Harbinger hallmark. Among those who have written for the CD booklets are Stephen Sondheim, William Bolcom, Sheldon Harnick, Tom Jones, Jesse Green,
Marc Horowitz, Michael Feinstein and Ted Chapin. Harbinger’s archival recording of Sissle & Blake Sing “Shuffle Along” copped a 2017 Grammy Award for Ken and Richard Carlin’s liner notes, which provided a history of the trailblazing 1921 all-black show.

In the Harbinger pipeline are Hidden Treasures from Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford, and Victor Herbert’s Naughty Marietta in a partnership with the Smithsonian. During this time of pandemic and loss, a niche record label is providing a bit of sweetness and light for music lovers everywhere.
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Rudman and Bloom
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Virtual Joy: 'Kids Love Musicals!' Makes Online Magic

6/2/2020

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BY JODI MAILE KIRK, DIRECTOR OF ACTIVE LEARNING

Many song lyrics from classic musicals that we perform with students in area classrooms have taken on powerful new meanings: “Where troubles melt like lemon drops” (The Wizard of Oz), “Just as long as I stay in my own little corner” (Cinderella), “Look for the bare necessities” (The Jungle Book), “It might be miles beyond the moon, or right there where you stand” (Peter Pan), and “Happiness is singing together when day is through” (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown).

Why? Because in mid-March, with the onslaught of Covid-19, the world came screeching to a halt. For those of us who deliver TMTP’s Kids Love Musicals! residencies to local schools, this was painful. Our in-school programs were canceled at 15 Northeast Ohio schools, the victim of necessary school closures in response to the pandemic.

The cancellation was especially difficult for students who don’t have home support systems or access to essential resources. For many students, school is a safe haven—one of the few places where they feel valued. TMTP’s teaching artists (TAs) amplify that environment by sharing amazing stories and characters from musicals, and inviting kids to enjoy and connect with them in deeply personal ways. How so? Our radiant TAs are ambassadors for all that TMTP does and believes in. As you can imagine, releasing them for the rest of the school year is a terrible loss for all of us in this organization—and for the community.

Right now, it hurts that we aren’t able to share classroom spaces and make real human connections. Our task: How to create something positive that could emerge from the setback.

Speaking personally, it can be difficult for me to balance work with the need to homeschool my twin boys. Both Xavier and Gabriel have learning challenges, and Gabriel is on the autism spectrum. The inequities for all students, but particularly for those with special needs, are more achingly apparent than ever: In addition to being mom, I am now thrust into the role of teaching multiple subjects while trying to provide the services of an intervention specialist, an aide and both a speech and occupational therapist.

In the best of times, a team of helpers is charged with closing a significant learning gap for my kids. Just as in Cinderella, it sometimes seems “impossible.” Yet our work at TMTP has always offered me incredible solace. I am reminded of the characters from the musicals we explore—like Cinderella, Peter, Mowgli, Dorothy and Charlie Brown. All of them are searching to belong and connect, and all of them succeed.

But these are not the best of times. That search—that need—has never been greater: for me, for my kids, for their helpers, for all of us. We at TMTP had to find a way to address that need without going into the schools this spring.

Well, the first thing we did was harder than it may seem. We resolved to embrace musical theater’s core conviction that even if we don’t know how a problem will turn out, everything is going to be OK.

​Armed with that optimism, our suddenly-small team began brainstorming: What aspects of our lesson plans could we realistically deliver online? Students, their parents, their caregivers and teachers face enormous challenges. We wanted to support them, especially if they are in a
position like mine. Many are.

And we wondered—this became very exciting!—what we could develop online that doesn’t work in a classroom setting but could work well on a computer screen, with its potential for astonishing intimacy.

The result is our new “distance learning” curriculum that both reflects the values of our in-school programs and confronts the moment we’re living in right now. How can we communicate the disappointment of canceled activities, or when no one listens to our concerns? What does it feel like when we can’t get together with friends and family? How do we share the community’s burden for the benefit of the whole?

As teaching artists, we’re used to entering a classroom and reading the temperature of the group, assessing where individual kids are in the moment. We incorporate their ideas, validate student contributions to increase self-confidence, and facilitate discussion to help process and deepen a thought or feeling.

As you can imagine, the biggest thing we lose in online instruction is that kind of visceral and immediate feedback. We lose the power that comes with creating a group dynamic and fostering a sense of community. But when we return to normal (whenever that is, and however that looks), I believe our online activities and video skills will complement our inspirational, interactive, playful work in the classroom.

We can never replace the need to see faces and hear voices, to join hands and raise voices, to safely breathe the same air.

And yet, as we’re learning at TMTP, “online” is still a gift we have to offer, just as there is a gift to be found in solving any problem. My hope is that like Baloo in The Jungle Book, we’re all questioning what our “Bare Necessities” are and how they can fill and sustain our hearts.

This challenge has reaffirmed for me why we do what we do at The Musical Theater Project, which is all about building connection, even though for now it’s in a new and different way. We let kids know that they matter. We honor their feelings, ideas and voices. We empower them to know they are a big part of making everything OK. I am excited by the work we are creating, and I’m thankful that we are able to provide a vehicle for self-expression and pure joy during this time of uncertainty. I hope you’ll become part of our online classroom!
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Tony Memories

5/29/2020

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It's Tony Week! Since we can't celebrate Broadway's biggest night together with dazzling new numbers from this season, The Musical Theater Project staff has assembled some favorite clips from years past.* Have you seen them all? Did your favorite make the list?

Annie (1977)
At a time before body mics, Andrea McArdle offers her signature rendition of a song that will be sung by so many for years to come. I imagine every young girl who saw this dreamed of being on stage in that famous red dress and wig.
- Heidi Lang, Director of Development

Evita (1980)
Patti LuPone's unparalleled vocal ability is really what makes this clip so iconic, but the staging is equally brilliant. In college we actually studied it for the acting specificity of the cigarette choreography between Eva and Peron. And for all theater insiders, if you watch carefully you may spot a tiny blunder!
- Joanna Cullinan, Director of Marketing

Hamilton (2016)
For their Tony performance, the Hamilton cast had planned to perform “Yorktown,” a number that normally calls for many prop guns. But in the wake of a mass shooting the night before the ceremony, the company made a last minute decision to remove all guns from the stage and adapt the show’s original choreography out of respect. Barack and Michelle Obama introduced the performance making it even more impactful.
- Bridie Srsen, Kids Love Musicals Coordinator

I Do! I Do! (1967)
This was the first year the Tonys were televised and the most "important" musical that season was of course Cabaret, but I Do! I Do! gave me the chance to see two titans of Broadway -- Mary Martin and Robert Preston -- stop the show in their two-character musical. Little did I know that 50 years later Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, who wrote it, would be friends of mine, and that I'd be co-producing three albums of their work. At 16, all I knew was that life couldn't possibly get any better than this!
- Bill Rudman, Artistic Director

In The Heights (2008)
I will never tire of watching this performance by (at that point) relatively-unknown Lin Manuel Miranda and company. From the knowing lead-in by Whoopi Goldberg to the audience cheers to the break-neck pace of the lyrics and choreography, I was (and am still!) hooked. I'll be first in line when the movie is finally released (after a year-long delay due to the pandemic) next summer.
- Heather Meeker, Executive Director

Les Miserables (1987)
I only saw this Tony performance after the fact but I love the passion and artistry. I spent long graduate school nights studying with the 10th anniversary in-concert production playing on PBS -- and first became a PBS member just to get that production on video tape! As with all incredible art, the messages of this show are timeless.
- Debbie Schinker, Administrative Consultant

The Secret Garden (1991)
I've been thinking about this show a lot lately because it represents rebirth, growth and possibility. The theme of "Wick" is so needed right now. And I love that for this performance you get a taste of the full musical with tidbits of several glorious performances including Mandy Patinkin and Robert Westenberg singing "Lily's Eyes." It doesn't get much better than that.
- Jodi Kirk, Director of Active Learning

Titanic (1997)
For sheer excitement and stunning vocals, there is nothing like this performance. The orchestration sounds like the sun shimmering on water the morning the ship is set to sail, and the final portion is a thrilling chorale, a prayer for God to guide the voyage safely to it's destination. Gives me chills every time! Such incredible commitment from all on that stage. 
- Nancy Maier, Associate Artistic Director
*The Musical Theater Project does not own the rights to any of these recordings.
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The Most Beloved Stage-to-Screen Musicals

4/21/2020

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We're all missing the live theatrical experience right now. Fortunately, Hollywood has adapted many of our favorite Broadway musicals for the silver screen! While some interpretations are more successful than others, here are TMTP's Staff picks for their favorite classic stage-to-screen selections. Just click on the photo or title to stream on AmazonPrime while "sheltering in place."
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Jodi Kirk on Camelot
"I feel the film captures so much of the heart of the story, not only the ideals of King Arthur but the personal conflict of the love triangle between Arthur, Jenny and Lance which is beautifully and achingly portrayed. In addition, being able to fully experience the epic battle scenes and most especially the joust adds to the richness of this period piece."

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Joanna Cullinan on Dreamgirls
"The film so perfectly captures the look and feel of the music industry in the 1960s & 70s. The casting is delicious...Jennifer Hudson's breakout performance is one for the ages, but the supporting turns by Eddie Murphy, Anika Noni Rose and Beyonce are equally strong. And the new songs written for the film are knockouts!"

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Bill Rudman on Fiddler on the Roof
"Because the director Norman Jewison had a career-long dedication to exploring socially conscious themes, and we see that in Fiddler as powerfully as in any of his dramas. Though this film lacks the sheer musicality of the stage production, he tells the story without turning away from the harsh reality of life in a shtetl. The pogrom scene is perhaps the most harrowing ever conceived for a film musical."

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Heather Meeker on Into the Woods
"I saw the film adaptation before seeing a stage production and was blown away by Sondheim's clever concept. The musical teaches deeper lessons about the fairytales we've known since childhood. In my favorite song, 'I Know Things Now,'  Little Red sings, 'although scary is exciting, nice is different from good.' That's just so TRUE, as is the last lyric, 'Isn't it nice to know a lot!/ And a little bit not.'" 

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Heidi Lang on My Fair Lady
"Even though it always bothered me that Audrey Hepburn didn't sing in the movie, I have always loved how the movie really reflects everything I love about the stage show.  And the Ascot Gavotte gets the full Hollywood treatment! What's not to love about this show?"

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Bridie  Srsen on The Sound of Music
"When I was a little girl I wanted to play Gretl, and then I was old enough to play Marta, then Brigitta, Louisa and finally Liesl. But once I was finally old enough to play Maria as an adult was probably the most exciting. I grew up with all of these fantastic characters and this powerful story and I cannot wait to show my future children and sing all of the music with them!"

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Nancy Maier on West Side Story
"The ability to film it in that actual dilapidated section of NYC gave it such an immediate reality. The casting is perfect, even with the dubbed singing voices of Maria and Tony. And I think the decision to place a few of the songs differently, and also revise the song 'America' to include the Sharks’ men, worked better dramatically for the piece as a whole."
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TMTP Staff Picks Documentaries to Watch at Home

4/6/2020

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Since The Musical Theater Project's mission is to educate as well a entertain, we thought we'd share our favorite Broadway-themed documentaries to catch up on while you're spending time at home. Most of these are available for streaming, some even for free. Check out the trailers for all of them right here and add these to your Watch List!
Nancy Maier recommends Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened about the short-lived Merrily We Roll Along. "It truly captures the high hopes of Merrily's original young company and their ultimate disappointment when the show failed. Heartbreaking and exhilarating at the same time - and transformative for them all."
Available on: Netflix and iTunes.

Bill Rudman recommends Pennebaker's Original Cast Album: Company. "It MUST be seen by anyone who has collected cast albums over the years because it captures all the disciplined but frantic art and craft of taking one medium (stage) and making it work for another (recording). Pennebaker makes you feel you’re there and  every MINUTE of this it is riveting."
​Available on: DVD on Amazon


​Bridie Carroll Srsen recommends Every Little Step about casting the revival of A Chorus Line. "This was fascinating to me when it came out because I knew people involved in the production and this was what what I did for a living. To see it all out there, raw and real of how it actually happens is intense!"
​Available on: Amazon Prime and YouTube

Heidi Lang recommends Annie: Life After Tomorrow. "Growing up in the late 70's and early 80's, I this was one of my all-time favorite musicals.  I had big dreams of playing an orphan or even the lead role of Annie.  It's very eye opening to see that the lives of those 'stars' that I idolized were not as glamorous as I imagined.
​Available on: Amazon Prime and YouTube


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Heather Meeker recommends Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genius of Gwen Verdon. "The rare clips of her dancing are stunning, but what the film really shows off is her unparalleled work ethic. You can see in the interview footage with current dancers what she meant to them and how she really changed the shape of Broadway."
Available on: Amazon Prime

Joanna Cullinan recommends Show Business: The Road to Broadway. "The film follows four shows from one Broadway season: Wicked, Avenue Q, Caroline or Change, and Taboo. What's cool is you get to look at the shows from all different aspects of the business from the early writing stages to production and even how critics and the media play a role in a show's success. It's a real insiders look."
Available on: Amazon Prime
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So Happy to Make His Acquaintance

3/19/2020

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By Bill Rudman

No doubt there have been hundreds of us—men and women who found the confidence to make a career in musical theater thanks to Stephen Sondheim’s generosity of spirit and dedication to teaching.


I bet I’m typical. I wrote to him in 1969, when I was an 18-year-old living in a small town in Ohio. Topic: Anyone Can Whistle. I sent him a blank reel-to-reel tape, asking him (what chutzpah!) to respond to my questions. Lo and behold, he brought in Arthur Laurents so they could do it together, with Sondheim commenting that since I was writing “a master’s thesis” (!), he felt I deserved the “most pretentious possible reply.” (High praise indeed from Sondheim.)

I promise you I didn’t misrepresent myself—but for whatever reason, he took me seriously, and our correspondence officially began. Two years later, I was teaching a course in musical theater history while a student at a tiny Ohio college. Displaying more chutzpah, I invited him to speak to my class, but though he declined (graciously explaining that he hated to fly), he invited me to interview him at his Turtle Bay townhouse. In 1973 he even invited me to attend the recording session for A Little Night Music. I took notes! Nirvana! And after the epic 14-hour session, he took me and a friend of his out for a nightcap across the street from the Columbia Records studio.

Then in 1975, when I was working for Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, he gave us the first non-aquatic rights to do The Frogs. He and Burt Shevelove made revisions, and we premiered the heart-piercing Sondheim-Shakespeare song, “Fear No More.”

By 1979, I was living and working in Manhattan—and I decided not to trouble him further (except sporadically!). Forty-one years later, I’m artistic director of The Musical Theater Project, an educational nonprofit in Cleveland. We have a national record label, Harbinger Records, and a few years ago I asked him to do a liner note for a CD retrospective on Hugh Martin, a songwriter I knew he admired.

Amazingly he remembered me and wrote a splendid note. In gratitude I sent him a CD we had produced of piano rolls that nobody knew existed, recorded in the 1920s by Richard Rodgers, and I finally had the chance to teach him something. 

In 1994 New York Magazine famously asked, “Is Stephen Sondheim God”? It’s my favorite rhetorical question.

Happy Birthday to the godlike man who believed in me…


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Harbinger Makes 2019 Year-End List

1/3/2020

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CADENCE MAGAZINE
​(Editorial Board)

Top 10 Vocal Releases
Lets Go Into A Picture Show
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Top Historical and Reissues
Eubie Blake & Noble Sissle Sing Shuffle Along
Sissle & Blake's - Shuffle Along 1950


DARRELL KARL (CasRecL ListServe)
The Year in Show Music 2019
Year's Top 10 Desert Island Discs
Sara Zahn: Both Sides of Bernstein

Notable Cast Album/Studio Cast Album Reissues
Philemon

Top 10 Female Vocalists CDs
Wendy Scherl: You'll See
Sara Zahn: Both Sides of Bernstein


Notable Composer Anthologies/Tributes
Sara Zahn: Both Sides of Bernstein

Special Award: Favorite Flop Score Reissue
Honorable Mention: Philemon
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Special Award: I Never Thought I'd Live To See The Day Reissue
Philemon

Labors of Love
Philemon
Sara Zahn: Both Sides of Bernstein

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A Holiday Deal For You

11/14/2019

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​By Bill Rudman
"They have matched familiar tunes with obscurities...it all adds up to a unique and delightful Christmas collection.”
- Jersey Jazz


What a Classy Christmas Present! The word “legendary” is the best word to describe singer and pianist Steve Ross, who has enthralled audience in Manhattan since the 1970s. In September he headlined at TMTP’s Rendezvous cabaret series in Cleveland, and last month he was featured at New York’s 30th annual Cabaret Convention. Last Christmas you may have missed his just-released new CD, “It’s Almost Christmas Eve,” in which he is joined by three of his cabaret colleagues. Together they celebrate Christmas songs both well-known (“We Need a Little Christmas”) and rarely performed (Rodgers & Hamerstein’s charming “Happy Christmas, Little Friend”). Don’t let another holiday season go by without Mr. Ross and company.

It's Almost Christmas Eve is Harbinger's November Album of the Month and available now for only $10!

BUY NOW
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LAINIE HADDEN AND TMTP

11/11/2019

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By Bill Rudman

​As you know, Greater Cleveland lost an irreplaceable community leader and philanthropist on September 20 with the death, at 88, of Lainie Hadden.

When we think of her, we think first of how Lainie, the Junior League and a visionary named Ray Shepardson saved the Playhouse Square theaters from the wrecking ball in the early 1970s. Over the years, she deflected all praise for her work, but those of us who had watched closely knew she spearheaded the effort. By now, of course, the Playhouse Square district has developed beyond her most fantastic dreams.

What you may not know is that Lainie's many "causes" included The Musical Theater Project. More than 20 years ago, while in the first stages of forming TMTP, I paid a call on her at her Cleveland Heights home. The scene in her study -- a room filled with books and LPs -- plays vividly in my mind's eye; I even remember the table where we sat. I knew she loved the "glorious" (her word) classic musicals, and I told her about my own dream: an arts-education nonprofit that would explore them.

Then I said, "Lainie, would you do me the honor of serving on the board of trustees?"

"Oh, I couldn't possibly," she replied. "I have so much on my plate."

I looked her straight in the eyes. "But Lainie," I said, "I can't do this without you."

And I meant it.

It was her turn to look me straight in the eyes: "Well, all right then. I'll sign up." Soon after, she sent me a letter including a line that I still quote: "Musicals remind us of what we like best about ourselves." And let it be known that although Lainie Hadden could be seen in her box at Severance Hall everything Thursday night when the Orchestra was in town, her favorite art form was musical theater. Whenever I alluded to that passion -- which was often, of course -- she gave me her captivating smile.

About 10 years ago, she suggested I present a talk around town with the tongue-in-cheek title, "Everything I Know About Life I Learned From Musicals." I thought it was a crazy idea, but I did it (still do), and she was right. People love that talk, because there's a lot of truth in it.

Lainie served on our board until her death, and for me one of the best things about TMTP was getting to know her better. She became an extraordinarily generous contributor, but it was her generosity of spirit that inspired all of us. My colleague Nancy Maier recalls, "When Lainie particularly enjoyed one of our concerts, I would receive a personal phone call, or a card from her, or even flowers. We had the most wonderful talks, and she was truly interested in everything about me and my family."

Lainie and I chatted on the phone nearly every Saturday morning. Typically the conversation began with a jovial "Mr. Rudman!" -- and an inquiry about that night's edition of Footlight Parade on WCLV. When I revealed the topic, she would guess which songs I had chosen. (Lainie knew the musical theater repertoire so well, she easily could have hosted my show and done it with style).

Then we'd segue into conversation about TMTP and Broadway and PBS specials and national affairs. At the end it was always, "Goodbye, dear man," and my own ironically formal "Goodbye, Mrs. Hadden." We enjoyed the fact that both of us had been college English majors; our dialogue was unabashedly old-fashioned, even courtly.

Lainie became quite frail a year ago, but in February, that didn't stop her from attending at TMTP concert in Beachwood in the middle of snowstorm. Dressed in a multicolored, knockout winter coat and moving with the aid of her elegant walking stick, she had come to hear Cole Porter, by God, and once my commentary began, I could see her down front taking notes, as usual. What she didn't know, she wanted to learn. Lainie and Cole had something in common: what critic Bredan Gill called and "elevated mind."

At TMTP board meetings, I sometimes made a point of hailing her as the "mother of us all." She clearly liked playing the role, and yet, as she told Cleveland magazine several years ago, "I've been too busy living my life to consider my legacy."

I visited four times last summer. One gorgeous evening on her patio we traded reflections. There was something I wanted to know, but I had to be careful how I said it or she wouldn't accept the compliment: "Lainie, you're the most gracious person I've ever met, and I wonder where that came from."

"From my father," she said, "who brought home my first treasured Broadway album, Oklahoma!, on a set of 78s. He was a great influence because he taught me the art of living."

Lainie's graciousness has had an impact on our organization, if such an ineffable quality can by passed on outside a family circle. I do believe it can, and for that, among so many other qualities, we felt privileged to know her -- to live in her time.

The 2019-20 TMTP concert and cabaret series is dedicated to the memory of Lainie Hadden and to her fellow trustee Robert Conrad.

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Spooktacular Singing Villains

10/29/2019

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Whether you love to hate them or hate to love them, musical theater is filled with delicious villains. From the comic (Miss Hannigan in Annie) to the misunderstood (Jud Fry in Oklahoma!) and the downright evil (Judge Turbin in Sweeney Todd), Halloween is the perfect time of year to celebrate them all!

​Check out TMTP's staff picks for favorite "bad guy" and let us know who makes YOU shiver in your seat.
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Les Miserables has some great villains. I find Inspector Javert's lyrics in "Stars" to be incredibly striking since the policeman with his moral absolutism is the villain of the piece.

​- Debbie Schinker, Administrative Consultant

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I’ll go with a classic: Captain Hook in Peter Pan. His song is so well known and because he's so over the top, it’s clearly fake scary.

- Bill Rudman, Artistic Director/Founder

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My favorite is the Witch from Into The Woods. She's multilayered, funny, fabulous and hits on so many core issues. “Children will Listen” is one of the greatest songs of all time and guides me as both a mother and teacher. 

​- Jodi Kirk, Director of Active Learning

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Every year I can't wait to watch Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas so I can act out "Oogie Boogie's Song" in front of the TV. 

​"It's hopeless! You're finished! You haven't got a prayer! Cuz I'm Mr. Oogie Boogie, and YOU ain't goin' nowhere." ​

- Heather Meeker, Executive Director

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​I like the snake in Bock and Harnick’s The Apple Tree. It’s brilliant how he entices Eve to take that bite of the apple - his song “Forbidden Fruit” is just so sneaky and witty. 

​​- Nancy Maier, Associate Artistic Director

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Jekyll/Hyde fascinates me. I don't know of another role where the actor has to play both hero and villain at once as he does in the song "Confrontation". As an actor I am so intrigued by the choices made, how to play both characters  fighting each other, changing vocal styles, changing from mass murderer to a savior of the mentally ill, and all in 4 minutes!

- Bridie Srsen, Kids Love Musicals! Program Coordinator 
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The devilish duo of Lola and Mr. Applegate in Damn Yankees is hard to beat. They are great villains in their own right and have standout musical numbers, but together they just have too much fun making trouble!

- Joanna Cullinan, Director of Marketing

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I love King George in Hamilton. "You'll be Back" offers so much insight about a Historical figure that was seen by our Founding Fathers and ALL those in favor of the revolution as the ultimate villain who united an entire country.

- Heidi Lang, Director of Development

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Noel Coward Fans Rejoice!

8/15/2019

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By Ken Bloom

For the first time on CD, here's Noel Coward's demo recordings for what eventually became Sail Away. Believe it or not some of these were recorded in India by Coward! There's 26 delicious tracks of the master including two bonus tracks of Coward and director Joe Layton providing vocals. Some of the songs never made it into the finished show and these are their only recordings. This is a terrific album for Coward fans as well as Broadway collectors and aficionados. 
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​Noel Coward Sings Sail Away and Other Coward Rarities is Harbinger's August Album of the Month and available now for only $10!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE NOW
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Honoring Broadway Legend Hal Prince

8/6/2019

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On July 31st, the Broadway community lost a legend. Hal Prince was a trailblazing producer and director who championed the American musical for more than six decades! Here's what TMTP Founding Director Bill Rudman had to say:

"John Kander loves to tell the story about how he and Fred Ebb were blown away by Hal Prince’s approach to Cabaret. Kander told me (and everyone else over many years) that 'for days we sat around a table with book writer Joe Masteroff and talked…and talked…and talked…and talked…and talked.' That grueling process of making sure all the creators were in alignment about what the piece was trying to achieve was something that never would have occurred to Prince’s mentor, George Abbott. For decades, Abbott was the master of musical theater directors; he gets credit for making them 'rational' instead of woefully illogical. But it was Prince who went deeper — a lot deeper. Jerome Robbins had the same instinct, but not nearly as much skill in collaborating with actors. That commitment to depth was all over the Prince and Sondheim musicals, of course, but also in other works like Kander and Ebb’s Zorba and Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Lloyd Webber’s Evita and Phantom of the Opera. Add to that the layer of stunning social consciousness that distinguished virtually all of Hal Prince's works. Yes, the man is irreplaceable."

Click here to see a complete obituary from the New York Times.
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Honoring Broadway Legend and TMTP Member Martin Charnin

7/10/2019

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PictureMartin Charnin and Bill Rudman at 2016 TMTP Member Event
This week the theater community mourns the loss of Martin Charnin. Best known as the creator, director and lyricist of Annie, his career started onstage in the original production of West Side Story. He continued working on Broadway and national tours throughout his life.

"I worked with Martin on several projects over the past five years — both in Cleveland and New York,"  recalls TMTP Founding Director Bill Rudman. "He never failed to amaze me with his encyclopedic knowledge of musical theater history, his dedication to his lyric-writing craft, and one more thing: Martin had great chutzpah; nearly every one of his musicals, including Annie, was conceived and spearheaded by…Martin. He was a terrific lyricist, yes — but more than that, for some 60 years, he was a true Broadway Baby."

Charnin joined TMTP for a very special Member Event in 2016. He sat down with Rudman in front of a live studio audience at Playhouse Square to record an episode of Footlight Parade discussing his "Top 10" favorite songs of his career. Check out the link below to hear an excerpt from that episode. TMTP also produced an in-depth three-part Footlight Parade focusing on Charnin's career that will air locally October 26th, November 2nd and November 9th.

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Ken Bloom, Charnin and Rudman
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Celebrating the Great American Musical for Independence Day

7/3/2019

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Musical theater is considered one of the greatest American art forms. So we thought it was only appropriate to honor Independence Day with a nod to patriotism on Broadway. Here are our staff picks for some of their favorite musical numbers.
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BILL RUDMAN (Founding Director)
"God Bless America" by Irving Berlin
Many people don't realize that Berlin wrote it for a World War I Broadway revue, and though it wasn't used then, his impulse was musical theater. Berlin was the quintessential immigrant; as his daughter Linda Emmet observed, "America was his home sweet home."

HEATHER MEEKER (Executive Director)
The songs from School House Rock
Decades before my kids laughed while King George sang "You'll Be Back" in Hamilton, I learned musical American history lessons from songs like "No More Kings" in the Saturday morning School House Rock series. And guess what? The music and lyrics for that 1975 song were written by none other than Lynn Ahrens, who went on to write Seussical, Ragtime and Once on this Island. "Looks like it's going to be a free country!"

HEIDI LANG (Director of Development and Community Engagement)
"Yankee Doodle Dandy" by George M. Cohan
I remember watching the movie as a kid with James Cagney, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and just loving it.  I would always try to dance and sing-a-long when this song came on.  It takes us all back to a period in our history where we could all unite around a very simple idea.

 JOANNA MAY CULLINAN (Director of Marketing)
"The Old Red Hills of Home" from Parade
It's an incredible opening number that displays the dedication young soldiers have to their country. In this case, it's a confederate soldier so there's a duality that exists in the song. The character's honor and passion is beautiful, but it also reveals how broken our nation was and continues to be.

NANCY MAIER (Associate Artistic Director)
"A New Deal for Christmas" from Annie
This is a fun mixture of the political setting of the time and the joy of Christmas - it seems to perfectly capture the joyful conclusion to Annie’s story and the hope that Roosevelt‘s New Deal brought to the country. 

JODI MAILE KIRK ( Associate Director of Active Learning)
"The Story of Tonight" from Hamilton
I love the lyric “tomorrow there’ll be more of us” because it reminds me that even when battles for justice and freedom seem insurmountable, change begins with individual people fighting for and acting upon their beliefs.

BRIDIE SRSEN (Kids Love Musicals! Program Coordinator)
"Ragtime" from Ragtime
Maybe I'm a bit bias right now, but America is and SHOULD BE a Melting Pot! We all need to respect and appreciate each other's differences -- especially in our current political climate. The sooner we start with providing each other more grace, compassion and understanding the faster our country will heal and thrive. 

DEBBIE SCHINKER (Administrative Consultant)
Pick one? Impossible! Here are my top 3: Irving Berlin's "Song of Freedom" from Holiday Inn "The House I Live In" from Let Freedom Sing and "America" from West Side Story. Happy Independence Day!
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