Review: BROADWAY SHOWSTOPPERS WITH GLENN ROSENBLUM Part 1 at CVRep

When you can hear a room audibly smile, then you know you are in the presence of Glenn Rosenblum. He’s charming, clever, witty, playfully spills the Tea, shows off his encyclopedic knowledge regarding all things Broadway, and displays his utmost respect for this genre of entertainment. 

 BROADWAY SHOWSTOPPERS WITH Glenn Rosenblum has been a tremendous success during the Coachella Valley Repertory Cabaret Summer Series.  Why wouldn’t it be?  When the house lights dim for the lecture the theme is unknown until he reveals it at the start of the show.  In June the theme was The Golden Age Of Broadway – but it’s his personal opinion of what is considered Golden.

Without his usual entrance and comic timing flare a clip begins to play of Pat Suzuki singing “I Enjoy Being A Girl” from the 1958 Broadway musical Flower Drum Song.  Immediately following Rosenblum’s thunderous applause entrance, he gives a back story from his own in depth research about Broadway Belter Pat Suzuki, and her extremely short career. Sad and funny storytelling. Then he moves on to South Pacific with a clip of Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza singing “Some Enchanted Evening”.  Rosenblum gives a master class about these two classic musicals that are showcased for their history and importance.

The brilliance of his lectures is that you can be a Broadway snob, a ‘know-it-all’, or a novice, rank amateur and both will walk away a little more educated and entertained. He knows when a subject is ‘delicious’ and because of his heartfelt affection for the Broadway musical, he becomes very emotional when sharing his information with the audience. In lesser capable hands, without his rare sense of humor, and deeply devoted love for this particular genre – this wouldn’t be as captivating as it is.

His three guest stars for the evening who were there to help show off several more musicals considered “Golden”, were the delightfully charming Alix Korey telling tales about playing prison matron Mama Morton in Chicago and singing ”When You’re Good To Mama”.  Outstanding performance. 

Susan Edwards Martin was introduced to share stories about performing in the musicals: Bubbling Brown Sugar; stopping to sing “It Don’t Mean A Thing”.  Followed by stories about playing Minnie Marx in the musical Minnie’s Boys. Sitting at the piano she sang the poignant “Be Happy”, which is sung to her discouraged sons; The 4 Marx Brothers.

Kelly Lester talks about her performances of Mame, Edwin Drood, and Cabaret. She almost stops the show with her portrayal of Fraulein Schneider from the Kander & Ebb Cabaret as she sings the emotional “So What”.   Continuing with Cabaret Rosenblum sits at the piano and introduces a song that was cut from that show “Why Should I Wake Up”; originally sung by Broadway singer/actor/game show host, Bert Convy.  The Fantasticks is also acknowledged as part of the Golden Age of Broadway as Rosenblum and Lester sing “Soon It’s Gonna Rain”.  

A clip is shown from the musical Wonderful Town with Carol Channing singing “A Hundred Ways To Man”. Rosenblum points out the uncharacteristic subtlety by Ms. Channing.  “A delicious performance”.

Rounding out the talent is extraordinary accompanist Michael Reno who takes on the duty for each lecture to play for the special guest stars. At the finale the cast returns to join Rosenblum with a rousing rendition of “Old Friend” from Merrily We Roll Along; ending the lecture with high energy and a nod to the critically acclaimed revival that recently closed on Broadway starring Daniel Radcliff, Jonathon Groff, and Lindsay Mendez.

 As the audience stood shouting, cheering, with loud whistles of appreciation I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to sit down with the Master Of Ceremonies; Glenn Rosenblum, and learn more about him. Cornering him in the lobby we set up a time and I was honored to grill him about his life, love of Broadway Musicals, and his career-changing move to be a lecturer.  He is so easy to converse with because his enthusiasm for the topic is contagious: Put a quarter in the man, ask a question, sit back, and watch him go:

Gilmore: You’re from Massapequa, Long Island. Tell me how your love for Broadway musicals came about.

Glenn: I started learning to play the piano at age three and when I would hear Broadway albums or songs; I could play them on the piano. My parents did have some cast albums I was very interested in those:  Milk And Honey, Porgy And Bess, Kismet, The Most Happy Fella, and Stop The World I Want To Get Off.  Then I was very interested in Peter Pan which was shown every year on TV starring Mary Martin, and the fantasy musical The Wizard Of Oz starring Judy Garland which was also shown on TV every year.  I just gravitated towards that. In 1964 or 1965 my parents took me to see my first musical on stage -- I saw Peter Pan starring Betsy Palmer and (San-dee) Sandee Duncan as Wendy.  That was a regular theatre proscenium and I loved it so much.  It was only 60 minutes from Long Island to New York...  Westbury Music Fair had Summer Stock where they had different stars like Ann Sothern in Gypsy or Liza Minnelli in The Pajama Game, and so on. We literally went every Saturday because at 5pm if you got one adult ticket, you could get a free ticket for a child. I would see the shows and then rush home to play the entire score on the piano. That was the start of my musical education. I would get the souvenir program which was a dollar and I would study them.  They had the synopsis, history of the show, biographies of the performers, and that became my early Broadway musical schooling.

In 1968 I remember watching the first televised TONY AWARDS. We were a middle-class family and we were comfortable. I don’t know why, but my parents didn’t take me to see my first Broadway musical until 1970 – I was 10 ½ years old – and we went to see Applause with Lauren Bacall.  That was my first Broadway theatre show, but after that, we continually went in to see all those Broadway shows:  Follies, Company, Prisoner Of Second Avenue, Pippin, Neil Simon’s Gods Favorite, and then once I was older I could go see them alone, or with friends.  In the 8th grade, my parents allowed me to take the train in by myself. So, I took advantage of it.  That’s when TKTS opened in Duffy Square, so you were able to get half-price tickets.

I’d go to the library and just sit for hours with John Willis’ Theatre World Books which were like almanacs. I would just study them. So, there was an interest... definitely an interest. That’s how it all began.

Gilmore: Did both of your parents encourage you to fulfill your dreams of being in show business? 

Glenn:  Yes. They were always supportive, and because I played the piano by ear they thought it would be good for me to learn how to read music. Which was a good idea. I think my career could have been juicer, maybe, if I really knew how to read music. My parents found a woman who lived on Long Island, and I still remember her name; Judith Allstatter, and she was a graduate of Juilliard. But, I had the discipline, but I didn’t have the patience. I would hear something and I’d know it by ear, and it became frustrating to me. To this day I really wish I had...  I can’t read music, but I can pick out a vocal line and play it. My parents continued to encourage me. I studied first at Hofstra University, transferred to USC, and then to UCLA and got my theatre degree. Then I moved to New York and all I wanted was my Equity card... that’s all I lived and breathed... I got it within 10 months of living back in New York. I was in an off-Broadway musical called, The Rise Of David Levinsky.  There were three of us in the cast who were non-equity:  Me, my friend Eli, and Avi Hoffman. We got reviewed in the New York Times and there was buzz about moving to Broadway. As luck would have it the original run got extended by three weeks and they said that the only way the run could be extended was if the entire company turned equity. That’s how I got my equity card. I will keep it until my dying day.

Gilmore: Who were your Broadway idols or favorites as a boy?

Glenn: (Without hesitation) Liza Minnelli. She did it for me. She, you know, had that certain edgy, Razzamatazz, but also so focused on telling a story.  Gwen Verdon. Ethel Merman fascinated me, but I liked her better when she was a guest on the TV series That Girl.  Oh, and Georgia Brown, from the musical Olivier... she always did it for me.  Remember, I went to see so many shows I got to see people before they were famous.  When I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar I was like, “Who is that guy?”  It was Ben Vereen. And, Anthony Newley, who was a remarkable talent.  I talk a lot about Newley in many of my shows. He comes up a lot because he created his own work.  He was experimental, a bit bizarre... he was heady. Those were my idols back in the day.

To be continued. In part two: I review Glenn’s July show and continue to ask him about his move to Palm Springs. Does he still want to be on Broadway someday? How does he construct and design his lectures? I get the scoop on his working with Blythe Danner, and the Old Navy commercial with Broadway icon Kristen Chenoweth.

Grand performances, great music, and personality plus make the COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY 2024 SUMMER CABARET SERIES among the very best ways to enjoy Downtown Cathedral City. CVRep has scheduled 17 memorable evenings of award-winning talent, vivacious personalities, music and song, levity, and stories that are just waiting to be shared. This year’s Summer Cabaret Series continues to run through July 25, and has been expanded to include two shows every week!

Showtime is at 7PM. Tickets are $50 and on sale now. They may be ordered online at www.cvrep.org, by calling (760) 296-2966, ext. 201, or at the CVRep box office located at 68510 East Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City. Special custom ticket packages are available. The box office is open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and one hour prior to performances. In order to better serve audiences, patrons requesting accessibility assistance are encouraged to contact the box office at least 24 hours prior to their ticketed performance. Artists, show titles and dates are subject to change.

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