Review - Broadway's Rising Stars: Sing Happy

As I wrote five years ago, regarding the first edition of Town Hall's Annual Broadway's Rising Stars concert, the traditional middle evening of their Summer Broadway Festival, this is an event where I have absolutely no intention of writing anything the least bit negative about any of the young performers who were hand-picked by Scott and Barbara Siegel to sing an evening of showtunes. I have no desire to be the critic who drives some 22-year-old to tears with a bit of constructive criticism, inspiring him or her to angrily vow to the heavens, "Someday I'll show that Michael Dale!"

Fortunately, the Siegels keep delivering a fine young crop of recent musical theatre graduates, their rougher edges polished keenly by director Scott Coulter, choreographer Vibecke Dahle and music director John Fischer.

After a clever opening number, where the cast of 19 lightly spoofed Michael Bennett's A Chorus Line staging by taking out their resume pics and singing the classic "One" about themselves, host Scott Siegel got down to the business of introducing each performer for his or her featured solo.

This year's company represented AMDA, CAP21, Steinhardt, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Carnegie Melon, Marymount Manhattan College and The New School but their interest in musical theatre was sparked in home towns from as far off as Sydney, Australia (Philippa Lynas, "On My Own") and Seoul, South Korea (Esther Kong, "Part of Your World" & Gyu Jin Lim, "I'd Give My Life For You). Housso Semon, who hails from the Ivory Coast, was trapped in the middle of a civil war zone with her family, in hiding for two weeks, which might have inspired her performance of "Easy To Be Hard."

The more local talent included performers brought up in West Virginia (Graham Bailey, "Finishing the Hat"), Milwaukee (Jeanette Monson, "You'll Never Walk Alone"), Texas (Kevin Mueller, "16 Tons"), Los Angeles (Amanda Savan, "Being Alive"), New Jersey (Paul Pontrelli, "Wheels of a Dream") and even Brooklyn (Jason Gotay, "Out There"). Charlotte, North Carolina's Alex Goley had his mom get into the act, yelling out advice from the audience for his rendition of "Mama Says" from Footloose.

Two of the evening's soloists already had a Broadway credit from childhood. From the last revival of The Sound of Music, Morgan Billings Smith sang and tap danced her way through "The Trolley Song" and, from Annie Get Your Gun, Blair Goldberg belted "Don't Rain On My Parade."

Kyle Scatliffe ("Make Them Hear You") had dreams of being a basketball star, but his lack of height steered him into musical theatre. A sudden growth spurt increased his NBA potential, but by then he was hooked on the stage.

Mary Lane Haskell revealed her fondness for the brassy musicals of the 60s with the title tune from I Had A Ball and Kiarri D. Andrews showed an introspective side with "If I Sing."

Anthony Ramos Martinez, who has only been studying acting for three years, tinkered slightly with the lyric of "Nothing" to make the number more personal.

Tristan Morris led the male chorus in a rousing "Into The Fire" and Courtney Simmons opened the second act backed up by the ensemble for "Nobody's Side."

Throughout the evening, Siegel emphasized how the influence of an adult mentor, usually a parent or a teacher, is often the key to young people discovering a passion for performing. And while the odds against sustaining a steady career in the theatre are great, just having the opportunity to practIce Their art, for however long they can, is enrichment to their lives and comfort for their souls.

Break a leg for many years to come.

Photos by Genevieve Rafter Keddy: Top: Esther Kong; Bottom: Kyle Scatliffe

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