10 FAVORITES (54): Happy Birthday, Lord Lloyd Webber!

What does the Bible, Argentina, a Hollywood studio, a Parisian Opera House and the London back alleys all have in common?  They each serve as the settings for some of the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Lord Lloyd Webber is celebrating his 64th birthday today (coincidentally he shares his birthday with another Broadway musical legend, Stephen Sondheim, who turns 82 today!).  For over 40 years, Lloyd Webber's musicals have thrilled audiences, broken box-office records and reshaped the musical theatre landscape.  His legend has been fully cemented especially with two new revivals of his earliest hits (Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita) opening on Broadway within the next month and the most financially successful musical of all-time now celebrating its 26th year on the London stage (Phantom's 25th anniversary on Broadway will occur in January of next year!).  His sumptuous and epic musical scores have won Tonys, Grammys and even an Oscar.  But what are the songs of his that this "Broadway Baby" will treasure most.  So, in honor of Lord Lloyd Webber's birthday, this week's 10 FAVORITES are devoted to the best songs the man composed for some of the world's most famous musicals.

THE 10 BEST 

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER 

SONGS

SONG #10
An Unexpected Song
from Song and Dance or Tell Me On a Sunday
Original Lyrics by Don Black
Additional Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr.
Originally written for the one-act musical Tell Me On a Sunday, when that show was combined with a balletic second act to create the 1986 Broadway hit Song and Dance (featuring a stellar Tony-winning performance from Bernadette Peters).  The stand-out song from the show was this charming number that has since become a popular audition song for almost every young female aspiring to stage greatness.  But of course, all these young women take their cues from the phenomenal Ms. Peters (see below!).

SONG #9
All I Ask of You
from The Phantom of the Opera
Lyrics by Charles Hart
Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
Arguably one of Lloyd Webber's most romantic songs ever written, its sweeping melody moves the audiences to tears towards the end of the first act of the gothic musical romance.  The song has become a standard at most weddings (especially ones where the brides have dragged their fiancee to a performance of Phantom!).

SONG #8
Love Changes Everything
from Aspects of Love
Lyrics by Don Black & Charles Hart
Not many shows open with a powerhouse ballad, but in Aspects of Love Lloyd Webber took a chance.  While the show was not his most successful critically (not many of his shows are exactly beloved by the critics), this song was a popular hit and launched leading man Michael Ball into super stardom in the United Kingdom.

SONG #7
Buenos Aires
from Evita
Lyrics by Tim Rice
What I've always loved about this song is the mix of rock rhythms and latin-style dance music combined with the forceful attitude of the character of young Eva Peron.  She stands there when she enters the Argentinian metropolis and (while enthralled by what she sees) she is not intimidated to tell the world what to expect from her.  It doesn't hurt that the original Broadway production had a powerhouse performance from the amazing Patti LuPone (below!).

SONG #6
Memory
from Cats
Lyrics by Trevor Nunn (adapted from T. S. Eliot)
Every time I've talked with people about this musical, they always ask me "Why the hell did a show about kitty cats run so long on Broadway!?!"  There are lots of reasons why the show was so popular (so many to mention here really!).  One of those reasons though was this extremely popular power ballad that became the show's signature tune.  Who knew that kitties could have powerful emotions!?!

SONG #5
I Don't Know How To Love Him
from Jesus Christ Superstar
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Back in 1970, this was one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's first #1 hits.  Inspired by legendary rock albums by The Who and Led Zeppelin, Lloyd Webber and writing partner Tim Rice released Jesus Christ Superstar as a concept album hoping it would be successful enough to warrant a musical production.  Thanks to hit singles like this one (not to mention the title number!), the show opened on Broadway, opened in London  and had a feature film version all within a matter of 3 years.

SONG #4
As If We Never Said Goodbye
from Sunset Boulevard
Lyrics by Don Black
Additional Lyrics by Christopher Hampton
While Sunset Boulevard is not among Lloyd Webber's shining successes (the multi-million dollar original London and Broadway productions lost most of their original investments), this emotionally charged second-act "aria" gives the actress playing Norma Desmond a chance for a true tour-de-force performance.  The sweeping melody and the lyrical poetry make for brilliant speech by someone who has felt so alone, but now has a chance at returning to her former glory.  Just watch Glenn Close below in her Tony-winning triumph.

SONG #3
The Phantom of the Opera
from The Phantom of the Opera
Lyrics by Charles Hart
Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
When it comes to Broadway title tunes, this rock-influenced powerhouse ranks among the best (right up there with Oklahoma!, Hello, Dolly! and The Sound of Music).  There are several things I love about this number. One of the things is the minute I hear that drum-beat intro, I'm immediately taken back to the first time I saw this show and this musical sequence.  When the Phantom takes Christine to his underground lair, the stage production goes all out in wowing audiences with rising candelabras, swirling mists and a moving boat.  Combine all that with the thrilling final seconds of the song when Christine reaches high E's in her vocalizing, it makes for a memorable musical number.

SONG #2
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
from Evita
Lyrics by Tim Rice
This song doesn't really need a lot of explanation.  It is a powerful and very emotional song that epitomizes the love Eva Peron had for her people (more importantly the power they could give her!).  The melody is moving and Tim Rice's lyrics are the perfect mix of poetry and politics.  Get a great performer like Patti LuPone or original London star Elaine Paige (below) to sing it and you've got a Grammy-winning hit.

AND...
SONG #1
The Music of the Night
from The Phantom of the Opera
Lyrics by Charles Hart
Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
This goes on my list as one of my favorite Broadway songs of All-Time.  It goes up there with songs by the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein, George Gershwin and Irving Berlin.  When I first saw Phantom of the Opera almost 20 years ago, I remember this song just moving me to tears (which was a complete turnaround as I had just been wowed by the phenomenal staging of the title number!).  With this song you hear the Phantom's lonliness and his heartbreak, but you also hear the beauty and the passion with which he floods his soul with his art and his music.  It is a hauntingly beautiful song that celebrates the thing that brings us all together: music.

10 FAVORITES (51) - Bromantic Movies

There's nothing quite like it.  The closeness, the communication, the care for each other, all of which describe elements of the ever-popular Bromance.  What is a Bromance?  A Bromance is a friendship between two men who are not related by blood.  Though most fictional Bromances have certain homo-erotic undertones (especially some of the more recent examples), the relationship is most frequently not sexual (so Brokeback Mountain doesn't count folks!).  There have been many really good examples of Bromances in film, on television and in literature.  Most of the best ones have come from film.  But what exactly are the best ones from film?  That is what this week's 10 FAVORITES is all about.

THE 10 BEST MOVIE BROMANCES

HONORABLE MENTION

Bud Abbott & Lou Costello

from The Abbott & Costello Movies

No one can forget their classic "Who's on First?" routine (below).  They are the ultimate in a classic Vaudeville Comedy Duo.  The reason they are eked out of the Top 10 is because their influence in film is equally as strong as their influence in television.

BROMANCE #10

Jay & Silent Bob (Jason Mewes & Kevin Smith)

from Clerks, Clerks 2, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

They have been close since their very beginnings.  They even refer to each other as "hetero life mates" (though Jay really does all the talking!).  They were originally meant to be incidental characters in Kevin Smith's indie hit Clerks, but the response to them was so popular that Smith brought them back for his other films (and then created a film centered around them!).

BROMANCE #9

Sherlock Holmes & Dr. John Watson (Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law)

from Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's brilliantly written characters of Sherlock and Watson have been played on film and television by several people (most notably by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce on film in the 1940s and by Jeremy Brett and Nigel Hardwicke on television in the 1980s).  But in Guy Ritchie's stylish adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes characters, the chemistry between Academy Award nominees Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law makes the two films as enjoyable as they are.

BROMANCE #8

Shrek & Donkey (Mike Myers & Eddie Murphy)

from The Shrek Movies

The brilliance of the first Shrek film lies in the characters of Shrek and Donkey and how well they are performed by their voice actors, Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy.  Donkey attaches himself to Shrek, much to Shrek's chagrin, and their relationship is the driving force of the adventure (and, more importantly, the humor!) of the animated great.

BROMANCE #7

Max Bialystock & Leo Bloom (Zero Mostel & Gene Wilder)

from The Producers

Timid accountant Leo Bloom is taken under the wing of the brash, over-the-top Broadway producer Max Bialystock.  With that, Mel Brooks' Oscar-winning musical-comedy romp has gone down in history as one of the funniest films of all-time.  The chemistry between Tony-winner Zero Mostel and then-newcomer Gene Wilder made the film soar with comedic delight.

BROMANCE #6

Woody & Buzz Lightyear (Tom Hanks & Tim Allen)

from The Toy Story Movies

Since I mentioned Shrek, I cannot go without mentioning the animated friendship that has certainly inspired the last decade.  After three films (and a charming and catchy tune by Randy Newman!), the lovable Sheriff and Space Ranger have certainly proved to children (and adults!) that friendship can overcome anything.

BROMANCE #5

Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy

from The Laurel & Hardy Movies

When it comes to classic Comedy Duos, these are among the first names that come to mind.  The stout Oliver Hardy and the slim and dim-witted Stan Laurel were a perfect team.  They made every film they were in a laugh riot for audiences.

BROMANCE #4

Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (Paul Newman & Robert Redford)

from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

When Brokeback Mountain was first released, many people joked that it was "the new Butch & Sundance!"  Well, the joke obviously comes from somewhere.  George Roy Hill's hilarious and touching 1969 film about the famed western duo has always been a favorite of many film buffs.  Mostly due to the chemistry between Robert Redford and the late Paul Newman, both good actors separately but together bring the film to a whole new level.  The two reunited about 4 years later (with director George Roy Hill!) on the Oscar-winning Depression Era classic The Sting.

BROMANCE #3

Bob Hope & Bing Crosby

from The Road to... Movies

Like Laurel & Hardy, Hope & Crosby are another team that gets named with the best Comedy Duos.  And because their chemistry was primarily in films (save for a few TV variety specials in the 1960s and 1970s!), their influence in movies is that much stronger.  Their Road to... Movies are the perfect examples of the best "roadtrip" movies in film history.

BROMANCE #2

Joe & Jerry/Josephine & Daphne (Tony Curtis & Jack Lemmon)

from Some Like  It Hot

I've talked about my love for this movie.  Nothing unites a friendship more than being on the run and hiding from the mob (we see it later in films like the hilarious Nuns on the Run and the less-hilarious Connie and Carla).  While Marilyn Monroe may have been this film's biggest box office draw, the drive of this film is the chemistry between Tony Curtis and the brilliant Jack Lemmon.  Though Lemmon had chemistry with everyone.  His work with Walter Matthau (in films like Neil Simon's delightful The Odd Couple or the beloved Grumpy Old Men) has been hailed and was almost worthy of this list!

AND...

BROMANCE #1

Martin Riggs & Roger Murtaugh (Mel Gibson & Danny Glover)

from The Lethal Weapon Movies

When it comes to movie Bromances, nothing holds a candle to Riggs and Murtaugh.  Let's face it, these movies have come to define a whole generation (and a whole genre!).  The "buddy cop" genre would be nowhere without characters like Martin Riggs, renegade cop whose wife's death brought him very close to suicide; or Roger Murtaugh, the by-the-book cop who is so close to retirement is always "getting too old for this sh--!"  Together, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover showed us that two different guys could partner up and get the job done.  They are the ultimate movie Bromance!

On another note: Congratulations to this year's Oscar nominees!  Within the month, I shall post my predictions for the major awards.

10 FAVORITES (50) - Hollywood's Golden Age

It is now almost 2 years ago when I began this blog with a list of my 100 Favorite Movies of All-Time.  One of the things I noticed on the list was the number of movies from certain eras and decades.  Naturally, as a member of what was once known as "Generation X," a majority of the films came from the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s.  The decades that seemed to be the least prominent on the list were the 1930s and the 1940s, two decades that together have been called "Hollywood's Golden Age."  Together, there were a total of 10 films from both decades on the list.  So, technically, the "Top 10 of the Golden Age" were: 

1. The Wizard of Oz (1939) (at #10)

2. Casablanca (1942) (at #15)

3. Citizen Kane (1941) (at #26)

4. The Philadelphia Story (1940) (at #36)

5. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) (at #38)

6. Gone With the Wind (1939) (at #40)

7. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) (at #48)

8. Duck Soup (1933) (at #61)

9. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) (at #65)

10. Going My Way (1944) (at #82)

But over the last few months (in large part, thanks to my father!), I have been watching several Hollywood classics from those decades (Bless you, Turner Classic Movies!).  And I started thinking about what movies from that era do I love.  Which films from that Golden Age just missed making my Top 100?  So, for the 50th  edition of 10 FAVORITES, I decided that this week would be devoted to: 

THE SECOND 10 

BEST MOVIES OF 

THE 1930s & 1940s

MOVIE #20
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
Since the #1 movie of the '30s and '40s is the film that sky-rocketed Judy Garland to Hollywood stardom, then it seems only fitting that one of the other movies from that era to make such a list would be the one that introduced her to the director who used her best in her career (and her husband!): Vincente Minnelli.  In Meet Me In St. Louis, Garland sings two of her (other) most iconic songs: the poignant Christmas ballad "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"  (of which I have already spoken about on this blog!) and the jaunty "Trolley Song" in which she sings the legendary line "Clang Clang Clang! Went the Trolley!"  This film became one of three films that are considered "definitive" Judy Garland (the other two being The Wizard of Oz and 1954's A Star Is Born).

MOVIE #19
Rebecca (1940)
Long before Alfred Hitchcock was making masterpieces like Psycho or North By Northwest or Rear Window, he began his career as a title designer and art director in the Silent Era.  And his flair for the picturesque is never more obvious than in his 1940 Oscar-winning adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's gothic novel Rebecca.  It was his first American project and it starred Joan Fontaine as a young woman who marries a dashing widower, Maxim de Winter (played by the always brilliant Laurence Olivier).  But de Winter has one flaw as a husband, the lingering memory of his first wife (the titular character) dominates everything within his large and gloomy household.  The mystery surrounding Rebecca's death becomes the focal point of Fontaine's character and Hitchcock's mastery of the psychological thriller entices the audience even more.

MOVIE #18
Ball of Fire (1941)
When it comes to the slang and the jargon of the era, no film uses it more perfectly than the 1941 classic Romantic Comedy Ball of Fire.  Gary Cooper is well cast as the smart and stiff ring leader of a band of professors compiling an encyclopedia about the entire world up to that date.  When he realizes that his article on slang is incomplete, he sets out to find out everything he can about the subject.  Enter the amazing Barbara Stanwyck as Sugarpuss O'Shea, a night club singer who Cooper asks to teach him about slang.  As a mobster's girlfriend on the run from the law, she uses this opportunity to take residence in the professors' home and shakes everything up.  It is a hilarious and well-acted twist on the Snow White tale, especially with the delightful character actors who fill the parts of the other professors (just look up S. Z. Sakall or Henry Travers or Richard Haydn to get an idea of the track record of these actors!).

MOVIE #17
Modern Times (1936)
A couple people pointed out to me that my 100 Favorite Movies list neglected to recognize the genius of Charlie Chaplin.  To be honest, I have never been a great fan of his films but I do respect his artistry (especially in his classics like The Gold Rush or City Lights).  But, for me, it is his 1936 semi-silent satire of industrialism and trying to make it in tough economic climates (something we all know too well these days!).  Chaplin's iconic Tramp character is charming, endearing and hilarious with his knack for physical comedy.  The scene in the factory alone makes the movie a pure classic!

MOVIE #16
42nd Street (1933)
It is considered the ultimate backstage movie musical.  It contains the classic line "You're going out a youngster, but you've got to come back a star!"  It features some of the most notable of Busby Berkeley's filmed dance sequences.  It is also the film that introduced us to the likes of Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers, three of the biggest names in Hollywood's finest musicals.  It is a love letter to Broadway from Hollywood (which Broadway has since utilized fully well!).

MOVIE #15
It Happened One Night (1934)
Before Frank Capra moved us with emotional powerhouses like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or It's a Wonderful Life, he created one of the most enduring Romantic Comedies in film history.  The movie follows the now-standard narrative of "Opposites Attract" as beautiful heiress Claudette Colbert, running away from her domineering father, falls for brash and married-to-the-job journalist Clark Gable.  The film further joined the pantheon of legendary classics when on Oscar night 1935 it became the first film to win the top 5 major awards of the evening: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay (for Robert Riskin's wry and witty adaptation of Samuel Hopkins Adams' magazine story).  Only two other films have since been able to match that record (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1976 and The Silence of the Lambs in 1992).

MOVIE #14
Stagecoach (1939)
Another criticism I received from my 100 list was for my lack of appreciation of Westerns.  It's true, I have never been a fan of the genre (most Westerns I tend to gravitate towards are more non-traditional with unconventional elements).  But if I had to pick which "traditional" Western would be considered my favorite, I would have to say that John Ford's 1939 Stagecoach is definitely a top contender.  The film is filled with great character actors in some of their best performances (like Claire Trevor as a prostitute with a good heart, John Carradine as a Southern gambler and Thomas Mitchell as a kind-hearted but alcoholic doctor - a role which won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor).  The film also features John Wayne in a breakout role as the Ringo Kid, a fugitive out to avenge the killing of his father and brother.  But the true highlight of the film for me is Ford's camerawork that has influenced countless of other films.

MOVIE #13
His Girl Friday (1941)
If I had to pick a favorite actor from Hollywood's Golden Era, Cary Grant would be the first one to come to my mind (with Jimmy Stewart not too far behind, but I already discussed The Philadelphia Story!).  Grant was the ultimate in some of the two decades most enduring Romantic Comedies.  In His Girl Friday (which was an adaptation of the 1931 film The Front Page), Grant plays Walter Burns, a nose-to-the-grindstone newspaper editor who is stumbling on the story that will make his paper the best in the business.  As the movie begins, he is losing the one person he trusts more than anyone else, his ex-wife and star reporter Hildy Johnson (played to perfection by the dynamic Rosiland Russell).  She is leaving the newspaper business to get married and live in the suburbs, a life Walter knows deep in his heart that Hildy doesn't want.  The chemistry between Grant and Russell is pitch perfect.  Every word they speak to each other (in their mile-a-minute dialogues) is filled with wit and verve.

MOVIE #12
Pinocchio (1940)
As Walt Disney's second full-length Animated feature, Pinocchio set the standard for the emotional pull that most Disney films have mastered over the years.  It perfectly combines music ("When You Wish Upon a Star," "I've Got No Strings" or "Hi Diddle Dee Dee") with poignant storytelling and characters that range from the comical ("catty" conman Gideon!) to the downright scary (Monstro!).  It also featured a lead character who, as a child-like character that certainly had flaws, was learning lessons right along with the target Disney audience members: children.

AND...
MOVIE #11
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
When it comes to showbiz biographical films, Hollywood tends to sanitize the facts so much that the final story doesn't even come close to matching what really happened (look at the biographies of Florenz Ziegfeld, Cole Porter or George Gershwin for examples).  But the 1942 film about Broadway legend George M. Cohan is different from most of the other Hollywood biopics.  While the darker parts of Cohan's life are subject to the usual Hollywood sanitation cycle, the film does stick pretty close to the chronological happenings in Cohan's life and captures the nationwide sensation that the master showman was.  It really helps that the man cast as George M. Cohan really shines in a dazzling performance.  James Cagney, who before was known for his work in 1930s gangster films (Grapefruit anyone?), truly surprised everyone with his musical talents and he struck a chord with audiences with his moving portrayal of the iconic man who "Gave His Regards to Broadway."

10 FAVORITES (47): A 5, 6, 7, 8!

Broadway has been filled with toe-tapping, jazz hand-waving, high-kicking musicals.  Dancing has been a part of Musical Theatre since Day One.  Yet over the course of the previous century, the importance the choreographer played in the creation of a musical changed dramatically.  And there are several men and women responsible for that change.  Today's 10 FAVORITES will discuss the most influential choreographers of the Broadway stage, who they were and how the musicals they staged shaped the landscape of Musical Theatre.

THE 10 GREATEST BROADWAY CHOREOGRAPHERS

CHOREOGRAPHER #10

Peter Gennaro

"Nobody's feet were faster than Peter Gennaro's" says Broadway legend Chita Rivera, who had a prominent featured role in the first musical Gennaro choreographed (a flop called Seventh Heaven in 1956).  A year later Rivera worked with Gennaro again in Jerome Robbins' new venture, a modern musical-ballet hybrid of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  Gennaro was hired to be Robbins' lead assistant and co-choreographer.  He was integral in adding authentic Latin dances to several important numbers (namely the "Mambo" and "America").  After that, Gennaro enjoyed a flourishing career as a choreographer of Broadway (Fiorello!, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Annie) and Television (several 1960s variety shows and the Peter Gennaro Dancers!).  You can see the high energy and the fast nature of his choreography style in the 1964 film version of The Unsinkable Molly Brown starring Debbie Reynolds below.

CHOREOGRAPHER #9

Tommy Tune

Tommy Tune has more Tony Awards than any other choreographer (ironically, his total is 9!).  It also helps that he started as a dynamic performer for other choreographers like Gower Champion, Michael Kidd and Michael Bennett throughout the 1970s (two of his Tony Awards are as a performer!).  In the 1980s and early 1990s, Tune emerged as the most successful and the most innovative director-choreographer.  His musicals ranged from nostalgic-style hits (My One and Only, The Will Rogers Follies) to powerful evocative stories that helped shape the way musicals are created and performed (Nine, Grand Hotel).

CHOREOGRAPHER #8

Susan Stroman

One of the most popular choreographers of the last 20 years, Susan Stroman first came to prominence with her high-kicking choreography of the early 1990s nostalgic hit Crazy For You.  She followed that up by teaming with legendary director Harold Prince on the re-imagination of the classic Show Boat.  When she stepped out on her own as a director-choreographer, she revitalized Broadway.  First, she wowed critics twice in one year with a charming revival of The Music Man and her collaboration with the Lincoln Center Theatre on the game-changing musical-ballet hybrid Contact.  The following year, she teamed up with comedic icon Mel Brooks on his love-letter parody to Broadway: The Producers.  The show became the most lauded in Broadway history winning 12 Tony Awards (more than any other show!). 

CHOREOGRAPHER #7

Jack Cole

Of all the choreographers that shaped modern dancing to the way it is today, Jack Cole did it first.  He knew everything and utilized it in his work.  Jack Cole is considered (by many!) to be "the father of American jazz dancing."  Almost every dancer in the Golden Age of Broadway (from Carol Haney to Chita Rivera) worked for Jack Cole (Gwen Verdon was his assistant before she became a star on Broadway!).  Why is this master of American dance not closer to the top of the list?  Well while Cole was hugely influential to many of the dancers and choreographers who worked on Broadway after 1950, his most prominent work was in Hollywood.  Jack Cole worked on several movie musicals in the 1940s and 1950s.  If it starred the likes of Betty Grable or Jane Russell or Marilyn Monroe, Jack Cole was involved in that production.

CHOREOGRAPHER #6

Michael Kidd

When I think of Michael Kidd choreography, I think of a happy child skipping his way through a candy or toy store.  The key word there is "happiness."  Michael Kidd was a master at high energy and absolutely gleeful choreography.  Take a look at his work on shows like Finian's Rainbow, Where's Charley?, Lil' Abner or Destry Rides Again.  Even the times when he ventured into the seedier nature of human nature (like in Guys and Dolls or Can-Can), his dances still manage to be filled with some kind of happy feeling.  Like Jack Cole, Michael Kidd was lured out to Hollywood.  His most enduring contribution was the choreography of the 1954 classic Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.  For the delightful and acrobatic "Barn Dance" sequence alone, Michael Kidd goes down into choreographic history.

CHOREOGRAPHER #5

Agnes de Mille

During the Golden Age of Broadway, there were only a few choreographers who did both ballet and Broadway.  Agnes de Mille was one of them.  Her work helped change the American Musical altogether.  In Oklahoma!, de Mille inspired Oscar Hammerstein II to create the idea of the "Dream Ballet."  The ballet helped to show the inner emotions of the musical's leading characters through dance rather through song.  De Mille continued to use this concept in other shows like Carousel and Brigadoon.  It then became the driving concept of the shows in which she served as director as well (Allegro, Juno).  And her amazing American ballet Rodeo (set to Aaron Copeland's sumptuous music!) has been performed all over the world.  

CHOREOGRAPHER #4

Gower Champion

Like Tommy Tune, Gower Champion started as a famous dancer himself.  His work in many classic musical films (alongside his wife Marge) is extremely well documented.  In the 1960s, Champion became one of the top Broadway director-choreographers (with shows like Bye Bye Birdie, Carnival!, I Do! I Do! and the ever-popular Hello, Dolly!).  After suffering a series of flops (as most legends have) in the 1970s, Champion was on his way back to the top when he took on the task of staging David Merrick's stage production of the classic musical film 42nd Street.  It was a production that would have stressed and taxed anyone (even the likes of Jack Cole or Jerome Robbins!).  It has now gone into the theatrical lore as the most infamous opening night in Broadway history.  When 42nd Street opened to massive applause and rave reviews, producer David Merrick announced that Gower Champion, the man responsible for the brilliance the audience saw on that stage that night, was dead.

CHOREOGRAPHER #3

Michael Bennett

When it comes to Broadway choreographers, the conversation would not be complete without talking about Michael Bennett.  There is so much that Michael Bennett gave to Broadway.  Just Google "Turkey Lurkey Time" in Promises, Promises if you don't believe me.  He also helped the Stephen Sondheim-Harold Prince collaboration by working on their first two musicals together (Company and Follies, both of which have been acclaimed as Sondheim's best scores).  He innovated the way musicals were put together and the method of working a show throughout its run (especially on shows like Ballroom or Dreamgirls).  And the idea of the workshop didn't exist until Michael Bennett created A Chorus Line, quite honestly a musical that exists on every dancer's resume.

CHOREOGRAPHER #2

Bob Fosse

When it comes to style, there is no one like Bob Fosse.  Everybody knows a Fosse move when they see it.  Fosse, too, started as a performer.  When Jerome Robbins suggested him to George Abbott as a choreographer for The Pajama Game, a new career began its trajectory.  He followed his jazzy work in Pajama Game (see "Steam Heat") with dynamic dances in shows like Damn Yankees, Redhead and Sweet Charity (the latter two he served as director as well!).  All three starred his wife and muse, the glorious Gwen Verdon.  He soon branched out into films with the film version of Sweet Charity (starring Shirley MacLaine) and the film version of Cabaret (starring Liza Minnelli), which as become one of the most popular musical movies among college-age kids.  In 1973, Fosse won the Triple Crown for Entertainment directors winning an Oscar for directing Cabaret, a Tony for directing and choreographing Pippin and an Emmy for directing Liza Minnelli's TV special Liza With a Z.  He followed that with work that has since made him a legend: the Broadway musical Chicago (again starring Verdon), the edgy semi-self-biographical film All That Jazz and the musical-ballet hybrid Dancin'.  While working on a revival of Sweet Charity, Fosse had a heart attack while walking with Gwen Verdon in a Washington D.C. park and died that evening.  His legacy lives on through his recognizable style.

AND...

CHOREOGRAPHER #1

Jerome Robbins

What can I say about Jerome Robbins that I haven't already said?  There truly is no choreographer like Robbins that left such an indelible mark on the stage.  To this day, all of the musicals that he worked on still bare his credit (as in "Original Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerome Robbins").  It didn't hhurt that Robbins had one of the fiercest Broadway lawyers in theatrical history, Ms. Floria Lasky.  From On the Town to The King and I or from Gypsy to Fiddler On the Roof, Jerome Robbins was a force to be reckoned with, no matter what show you remember.  And who could forget the masterpiece that is West Side Story?  As hated for his dictatorial metods (and even his personality!) as much as he is loved for his genius, Robbins was the master of the Broadway (and the Ballet!) world.

10 FAVORITES (45) - Play On, America!

Now its time to talk about one of my first loves: the Theatre!  These days, the Broadway stage is illuminated with hit musicals that have been running for years, revivals of past hits that have proven their worth in the theatrical landscape, an uber-expensive musical that seems to have more critics the more money it makes and a smattering of new and revived plays that feature of the brightest stars of stage and screen.  Why are there so many plays where there once was almost nothing but musicals?  Well, three main reasons:

1) Plays are cheap.  In this tough economic crunch, the Theatrical community is really feeling a tightening of the purse-strings.  When it comes to an investor choosing to invest in a new play (with a known star) or a new musical (with an unknown score), the investor is more likely to choose the new play these days.

2) Plays get more critical attention, particularly from the top New York Theatre Critcs.  More good reviews and more attention from the critics means more attention from the several Theatrical Awards groups (i.e. Tonys, Drama Desks, Pulitzer, etc.).  The more awards means the more interest from audiences.

3) Among the stars currently in Broadway plays are Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Langella, Alan Rickman, Kim Cattrall, Marlo Thomas, Hugh Dancy, Stockard Channing and that's just to name a few!  With so many "name" people doing a play or two nowadays, the limited run of a new (or revived) play could net the same amount of profits that a short-lived run of a flop musical that cost twice (or even three-times!) as much to produce could.

Why am I talking about all this?  Well with so many plays popping up on the Great White Way, I thought this would be a good time to look at some of the masters of American plays (both Dramas and Comedies!).  This week's 10 FAVORITES is about the Greatest American Playwrights.

THE 10 BEST AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS

HONORABLE MENTION

Thornton Wilder

Notable Plays include: Our Town, The Matchmaker, The Skin of Our Teeth

There can be no discussion of American Drama without mentioning his name.  Though I'm not a particular fan of his plays (hence his placement as "Honorable Mention"), they have become some of the most influential work in the American Theatre landscape.  Our Town is still the play that is taught to most first-year acting students and The Matchmaker served as the basis for one of America's most enduring musicals, Hello, Dolly!.

PLAYWRIGHT #10

Sam Shepard

Notable Plays include: True West, Buried Child, Fool For Love

This Academy-Award nominated actor is first and foremost one of the most prolific and "out-of-the-box" playwrights of the last 30-40 years.  With a subversive edge and an unmistakable style, Shepard's plays revolutionized Off-Broadway and Regional Theatres.  Most notably, the landmark Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of his True West made stars out of Shepard and actors Gary Sinise and John Malkovich when it won several Obies and was filmed for PBS (Available on YouTube for viewing in 10 parts with Part 1 below!).

PLAYWRIGHT #9

Terrence McNally

Notable Plays include: Master Class, The Ritz, Love! Valour! Compassion!

Trailblazing, controversial and a constant surprise are all adjectives that can be applied to McNally's long career.  He balances quite well between farcical comedies (The Ritz) to romantic dramedies (Frankie and Johnny at the Claire de Lune) to full-on character studies (Master Class).  Occasionally, he will throw in a bit of controversy just to stir the pot (Corpus Christi).  He is also one of the few playwrights who has had successes writing the book (re: script) for hit musicals (Kiss of the Spider Woman - The Musical, Ragtime, The Full Monty).

PLAYWRIGHT #8

Wendy Wasserstein

Notable Plays include: The Heidi Chronicles, The Sisters Rosensweig, An American Daughter

She had the wit of Neil Simon and the style of Tom Stoppard.  Wendy Wasserstein could do it as well as the boys and had the humor to boot.  Her masterpiece comedy-drama The Heidi Chronicles changed the way female characters were perceived on Broadway.  She championed the Regional Theatre and even wrote children's books.  When we lost her to her battle with lymphoma in 2006, the Shiksa Goddess was mourned by many as the lights dimmed on Broadway in her honor.

PLAYWRIGHT #7

David Mamet

Notable Plays include: Glengarry Glen Ross, American Buffalo, Speed-the-Plow

Though censors and parent groups may redact every other word in most of his plays, David Mamet changed the way characters relate to each other in most dramas.  Characters like Ricky Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross (played perfectly by Al Pacino in the 1992 film version below) or Bobby Gould in Speed-the-Plow were willing to play both sides of any moral dilemma and were not afraid to curse up a storm doing it (ironically, both Gould and Roma were originally played on Broadway by Joe Mantegna!).

PLAYWRIGHT #6

August Wilson

Notable Plays include: Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Fences, The Piano Lesson

Very few playwrights were able to connect their works together like links in a chain.  August Wilson was the most groundbreaking.  His "Century Cycle" of ten plays covered the African-American experience in America over the 20th Century.  Plays like Fences and The Piano Lesson (both plays won him Pulitzer Prizes) gave us characters that are transformed by the same things that transform any other person.  Wilson saw it as his mission to "humanize" African-American people for the audiences who normally would "look right through them."

PLAYWRIGHT #5

Arthur Miller

Notable Plays include: Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, All My Sons, A View From the Bridge, The Price

He was accused of being a Communist, he won countless of Theatre and Arts Awards AND he was married to Marilyn Monroe!  In his over 70-year career, Arthur Miller shaped what true American drama is.  He was controversial with plays like A View From the Bridge and The Crucible (which cleverly compared the HUAC hearings to the Salem Witch Trials!).  He was the first playwright to win what was considered New York Theatres triumvirate of Awards for his landmark work Death of a Salesman in 1949 (winning the Tony, the Pulitzer and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards).

PLAYWRIGHT #4

Edward Albee

Notable Plays include: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, A Delicate Balance, Seascape, The Zoo Story, The Goat Or: Who is Sylvia?

When it comes to biting dialogue and true theatricality in American drama, there is no one better than Edward Albee.  He is a master at what is known as the Americanization of the Theatre of the Absurd where much of his work can be compared to the likes of Samuel Beckett or Tom Stoppard.  Just take a look at his brilliant masterpiece Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which gets better with each viewing.

PLAYWRIGHT #3

Tennessee Williams

Notable Plays include: A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Glass Menagerie, The Night of the Iguana

No playwright's style is more memorable than Tennessee Williams'.  Taking cues from those around him as he was growing up in Mississippi, Williams created some of the most enduring characters in American Theatre history.  Williams was especially adept at creating brilliant female characters.  Just take a look at Blanche DuBois or Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire; or Maggie the Cat in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof; or Amanda and Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie; or Alexandra del Lago in Sweet Bird of Youth.  Each woman represented a type of beauty that Williams saw in the world, but each woman was tainted with some kind of madness, brutality, addiction or even affliction, which made for great drama.

PLAYWRIGHT #2

Neil Simon

Notable Plays include: The Odd Couple, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Barefoot In the Park, Lost In Yonkers, Plaza Suite

When it comes to American comedy, Neil Simon is one of the first names that comes to mind.  He started as a staff writer for the great Sid Caesar and his very successful TV variety shows.  But by the end of the 1960's, Simon had hit plays like Barefoot In the Park and The Odd Couple under his belt and had become one of the most praised comedy writers since George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart 30 years earlier.  With shows like Brighton Beach Memoirs and Lost In Yonkers (for which he won a Pulitzer!), Simon personalized the humor and mixed in a good dose of heartwarming drama.  Like McNally above, Simon was also a successful book-writer for many hit musicals (Sweet Charity, Promises, Promises and They're Playing Our Song to name a few!).

AND...

PLAYWRIGHT #1

Eugene O'Neill

Notable Plays include: Long Day's Journey Into Night, Anna Christie, The Iceman Cometh, Mourning Becomes Electra, A Moon For the Misbegotten

This man changed the way American drama is done.  He was one of the first playwrights to have his characters speak in the vernacular.  His characters were often on "the fringes" of society and often involved tragic circumstances.  His use of realism in his techniques were comparable to the likes of Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekhov.  He also explored other theatrical techniques (like Japanese Noh Theatre and ancient Greek themes) to use them in his dramas.  He was one of the first American playwrights to have a Broadway theatre named after him.  He holds the record for winning the most Pulitzer Prizes for Drama (winning four total for Beyond the Horizon, Anna Christie, Strange Interlude and his masterpiece Long Day's Journey Into Night).  His work has become some of the most complex and the most enduring tragedies in American Theatre history.

10 FAVORITES (44) - Musical Mouse

As a follow-up to last week's Best Movie Songs, this week I want to focus on the one studio that has perfectly combined the art of movies and the beauty of music for over 80 years: The Walt Disney Company.  Ever since 1928's Steamboat Willie (with Mickey Mouse whistling a merry tune), Disney and music have been combined in an artistic marriage that has been extremely fruitful.  So, in traditional 10 FAVORITES fashion, I would like to discuss:

THE BEST DISNEY SONGS OF ALL-TIME

HONORABLE MENTION"A Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins (1964)
The only song from a live-action Disney film on this list (hence, it being Honorable Mention!), with the lovely voice of Oscar-winner Julie Andrews, every kid truly believed that "a spoonful of sugar helped the medicine go down."  What made this song more memorable were the scene's visuals that the magic-makers in Disney's effects department were able to design (which were truly groundbreaking at the time!).  I know I always wanted my room to suddenly clean itself with the snap of my fingers (and so did my mom!).

SONG #10
"Bella Notte" from Lady and the Tramp (1956)
When you think of iconic Disney scenes, one cannot forget one of the most romantic scenes in film history (you know, when Tramp nuzzles the meatball towards Lady and they accidentally kiss after sharing a noodle!).  And when you think of this clever scene, you cannot forget the song accompanying it, "Bella Notte" (you know, where the two stereotypical Italian waiters are singing to the canine couple!).  Just watch the scene below (and ignore Disney's inherent ethnic insensitivity!).

SONG #9
"Heigh-Ho" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)
Kids love it when songs have repeating choruses and verses, so of course I loved this cute Dwarf number from Disney's inaugural feature film.  Plus, Dopey makes anything hilarious!

SONG #8
"Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty (1959)
When Disney music maestro George Bruns was adapting Piotr Ilyich Tchaicovsky's haunting themes from the Sleeping Beauty ballet for Disney's adaptation of the fairy tale, he recruited top songwriters Jack Lawrence and Sammy Fain to churn out lyrics that would make the central waltz a chart-topping hit.  What resulted was the gorgeous "Once Upon a Dream," which was beautifully sung by the voices of the leading lovebirds, Mary Costa and Bill Shirley.  (NOTE ON THE VIDEO: The video is of the entire scene in which the song appears, the song does not officially begin until about 4 1/2 minutes into the video!)

SONG #7
"You've Got a Friend In Me" from Toy Story (1995)
Randy Newman has done quite well for PIXAR (winning two Oscars in the process!).  But it is with PIXAR's first feature film that Newman gave us a song that has stuck with us.  In a way, it has become the computer animation giant's unofficial theme song.

SONG #6
"The Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book (1967)
Since I mentioned my appreciation for Phil Harris' work in this film previously, you cannot be surprised that this song makes it onto this list.  The cleverness of the song involves mixing delightful wordplay with a jazzy tune.  Also, it's about relaxing, which every kid loves to do!

SONG #5
"Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid (1989)
The first of four songs on this list to come from that era in Disney's history known as "The Musical Renaissance," this song is the perfect "I Want" Song (see a previous 10 FAVORITES for info!).  I know everybody loves the Oscar-winning showstopper "Under the Sea" or the deliciously villainous "Poor Unfortunate Souls" that Ursula sings to our heroine, but my personal favorite from this film has to be Ariel's yearning for a life above the ocean (and the gorgeous Reprise when she meets the prince of her dreams!).

SONG #4
"A Whole New World" from Aladdin (1992)
When it comes to love duets, Aladdin followed the true musical form and let the hero give the princess what she wanted: To see the world (No dirty jokes people!).  The "soaring" duet won an Academy Award for songwriters Alan Menken and Tim Rice and was the first song the pair wrote together after Menken's previous songwriting partner, Howard Ashman, passed away in the middle of production on Aladdin.  The song is perfectly sung by the characters' singing voices, Broadway stars Brad Kane and Tony-winner Lea Salonga.

SONG #3
"Circle of Life" from The Lion King (1994)
In the Rodgers and Hammerstein tradition of musical songwriting, the opening number of a musical has to set up the world.  What Elton John and Tim Rice did with this song (with the help of Hans Zimmer and South African songwriter Lebo M), was nothing short of amazing.  In the first four minutes of the movie, you get the different types of animals that live in Pride Rock, the way in which these animals live and feel about each other and the momentous occasion that sets the events of the film in motion.  In the stage production, this is one of those opening numbers that is so phenomenally done that once over, you can read the phone book and the show would still be worth the ticket price! (It's also the reason Julie Taymor's ego blew up to the size of the Spider-Man musical's budget!)

SONG #2
"Beauty and the Beast" from Beauty and the Beast (1991)
I've mentioned how I love this film and how I love Angela Lansbury's work as Mrs. Potts in this film.  So, once again, this song and its placement on this list cannot be that much of a surprise.  The Oscar-winning song says it all: "Tale as old as time, True as it can be..."

AND...
SONG #1
"When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio (1940)
Only one song could rise above "Beauty and the Beast" and that is the iconic song that opens up Disney's classic Pinocchio.  The song, with its beautiful melody and its hopeful lyrics, have become such a part of Disney that the tune is practically the unofficial-yet-official theme song of the studio.

Next week, a brand new GOLDEN PLACES and tomorrow, a very special IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS.