Broadway by the Year: 1956

The problem with a concert featuring only showtunes that premiered in 1956 is the abundance of excellent material. How is a producer to choose only a few songs from such legendary shows as Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady, Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella, Styne, Comden and Green's Bells Are Ringing, Bernstein et al's Candide, and de Paul and Mercer's Li'l Abner? Scott Siegel must have felt like a kid in a candy store when he decided to add 1956 to his hit Broadway by the Year series. Monday's Broadway Musicals of 1956 concert was a splendid, joyous event that treated the lucky audience to some of the greatest showtunes ever penned as performed by some of the best talent in Broadway and cabaret today.

Opening the evening, The Pajama Game's Devin Richards and MAC award winner Brandon Cutrell were joined by The Producers star John Treacy Egan for a tightly harmonized "Standing on the Corner" from The Most Happy Fella. Emily Skinner's appropriately theatrical direction was evident from the beginning, treating the song as a complete dramatic (or comic, as it were) moment to be performed rather than a mere number to be sung. Christine Andreas sang a lovely "Somebody Somewhere" from the same show, and made the audience wonder when she'll come back to Broadway in the leading role she so richly deserves.

Foregoing his traditional suavity and poise, Broadway by the Year regular Marc Kudisch performed the folksy and charming "Druthers" from Li'l Abner barefoot and in jeans, joined by Beauty and the Beast's Ashley Brown in the most conservative Daisy Mae outfit ever. Brent Barrett, charging into the battle for the title of Broadway's Hottest Baritone with Mr. Kudisch, sang a swoon-inducing "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," letting the poignancy of the song carry it. Had the number been performed unmiked, it may well have rivaled last year's unamplified selections from Carousel as the best Broadway by the Year moment ever.

Cabaret star Connie Pachl, attired in a haute couture parka and snow boots, performed the evening's only selection from New Faces of 1956, an ode to the charms of "April in Fairbanks," Alaska, and proved that her comic timing is every match for her lovely voice. Keeping the comic momentum going, Mr. Cutrell and Ms. Brown returned to sing a charmingly witty "You Were Dead, You Know" from Candide, setting themselves up to return to the roles later in the evening.

Mr. Kudisch returned to the role he played in the 2001 revival of Bells are Ringing, leaping about the stage to a jubilant "I Met a Girl." (Will someone please write a musical just for Mr. Kudisch to show off his numerous talents? Mr. LaChiusa? Mr. Brown? Please?) Mr. Egan showed off his sensitive side with a lovely "On The Street Where You Live," and Christine Andreas, who earned raves as Eliza in the 20^th Anniversary production of My Fair Lady, returned to her breakthrough role to perform a vibrant "Show Me." To end the act, Mr. Kudisch and Ms. Skinner sang a lovely unamplified rendition of "My Heart is So Full of You" from The Most Happy Fella.

Opening Act Two with an admirable challenge for any young singer, Ashley Brown proved herself a worthy heiress to Kristin Chenowith's title of Broadway's Most Charming Coloratura Soprano with an excellent rendition of "Glitter and be Gay" from Candide. (Not unlike Juliet, by the time an actress is vocally mature enough to sing Cunegonde, she's generally too old to play her. Ms. Brown may well disprove that rule.)

Rather than make his BBTY solo debut with a standard or a rousing uptempo number, Brandon Cutrell sang a quietly poignant "It Must Be So" from Candide, letting those of us who enjoy his comic work on Friday nights at the Duplex enjoy a rarely-seen side of the talented performer. Three songs from the Sammy Davis, Jr. vehicle Mr. Wonderful followed. Devin Richards conjured the Candyman with a smartly scatted "Too Close for Comfort", and Connie Pachl sang the lovely and gentle title number. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' Rachelle Rak (she of the million-watt smile and the million-mile legs) continued to prove why she should be the next Chita Rivera with her acrobatically dizzying rendition of "I'm Available," Ms. Rivera's first show-stopping hit. (Denis Jones' sassy choreography didn't hurt, either.) Mr. Kudisch and Ms. Skinner hammed their way through a very cute "Just In Time" that included lip-synching each other's parts, and Brent Barrett sang a fantastic "Joey, Joey, Joey" from The Most Happy Fella that could only have been better had it been unamplified. Christine Andreas sang a glorious "The Party's Over" from Bells Are Ringing, and the evening was brought to a lovely end with an off-mike choral rendition of "Make Our Garden Grow," the finale of Candide.

If we are very lucky, there will soon be The Broadway Musicals of 1956—Part Two that will feature Marc Kudisch and Emily Skinner singing "Happy to Make Your Acquaintance" from The Most Happy Fella, Brad Oscar singing "Get Me To The Church On Time," John Treacy Egan singing "With a Little Bit of Luck," Nancy Anderson singing "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "It's a Perfect Relationship," and Devin May singing "I'm Going Back." Until that wonderful day, we'll just have to enjoy the upcoming Broadway by the Year concerts featuring songs from 1968 and 1978. Grab tickets now.

Photographs courtesy of Maryann LoPinto.