"Fractured Broadway 2" produced by Ronn Goswick, Executive Producer and Director of the Valley Musical Theatre (which just completed its second year of operation), was a sold-out success on June 11, 2007 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, CA. Joining forces, the Los Angeles theatre community packed the historic 354 seat El Portal to support the Valley Musical Theatre's upcoming 2008-2009 programming season and its continuing educational work program with the L.A. Unified School District to present the arts to their schools by bringing students to the theatre for a "free" performance of shows presented by the Valley Musical Theatre.
The 90 minute spectacular, with musical direction by Los Angeles Ovation Award winner
Gerald Sternbach, featured 35 theatre stars performing roles in which they would never, ever be cast. Among the performers were
Kristoffer Cusick (co-starring as "Fiyero" in the current Los Angeles production of
Wicked; a role he also performed on Broadway and in
Chicago);
Chad Doreck (from NBC's hit 2007 series "
Grease: You're the One That I Want"); Broadway stars
Kevin Earley (Thoroughly
Modern Millie, Les Miserables),
Christina Saffran Ashford (
Singin' in the Rain, A Chorus Line, Drood, The Music Man), Tony Award nominee
Brian Lane Green (for Broadway's
Starmites, plus co-star of Broadway's
Big River and
The Life), and
Ruth Williamson (
La Cage Aux Folles, The Music Man, Little Me, Guys and Dolls, Annie).
Two-time Emmy Award winner
Bruce Vilanch (one of the entertainment industry's most sought after jokesmiths who also starred as Edna Turnblad in the national tour of
Hairspray) and Emmy nominee and television and film star
Adrian Zmed ("T.J. Hooker,"
Passions, Grease 2, Bachelor Party, The Final Terror) also lent their unique talents to the evening. Los Angeles musical theatre stars
Leslie Margherita (cast as
Paris Hilton singing "If I Only Had a Brain") and
Joan Ryan (singing a medley of "This is The Moment" and "Being Alive") were two of many highlights during the evening.
Since its 2006 opening, the Valley Musical Theatre has presented "Leading Ladies" with
Karen Culliver, Mary D'Arcy and Teri Bibb; "Hear My Soul - An Evening with Valerie Pettiford;"
Four in the Afternoon starring
David Engel,
Damon Kirsche,
Elizabeth Ward Land and
Christina Saffran Ashford; The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award-winning production of Beehive –
The 60's Musical with
LaToya London (of "American Idol" fame),
Stacy Francis,
Kathleen Hennessey, Tricia Kelly,
Sylvia MacCalla and Lesli Margherita;
Nuncrackers, The Nunsense Christmas Musical starring
Sally Struthers with
Adrian Zmed; The West Coast revival of
They're Playing Our Song starring
Vicki Lewis and Scott Waara; and a return engagement of
Beehive presented in cojunction with Weddington Street Productions (Gary Goodgame, Bernard Kaufman, Jay Irwin and Pegge Forrest).
Visit www.valleymusicaltheatre.com for more information.
Photos by Ed Krieger
Gerald Sternbach and guest Henry Pollic
Christina Saffran Ashford
Kristoffer Cusick
Brian Lane Green
Joan Ryan
Ruth Williamson
Bruce Vilanch
Adrian Zmed
Mark W. Smith and Kevin Earley
Chad Doreck (right) and performers
Leslie Margherita
