Baltimore/Washington Backstage - October 16, 2006

Sometimes I miss special events to inform readers. Last Thursday night, "Live from Lincoln Center" presented four-time Tony winner Audra McDonald in a ninety-minute concert which was remarkable. She is such a talent. PBS deserves credit for presenting this remarkable singer. While promoting her newest album "Build a Bridge", McDonald sang a variety of tunes by modern popular song-writers, she also highlighted contemporary Broadway composers like Michael John LaChiusa and Jason Robert Brown who accompanied her on the piano with "Stars and the Moon" from "Songs for a New World". You may recall last week I complimented the Carver Center for the Arts and Technology production of "Songs".

 

When McDonald  introduced Brown, she mentioned that she actually presented him with his Tony Award for "Parade" in 1999.

 

The production of "Parade" at Lincoln Center was my first introduction to Jason Robert Brown. Soon after "Parade" made its bow, the New York Times ran an article about the lack of new Broadway composers. It was a short time later I saw a "Letter to the Editor" in the Times' Arts and Entertainment section by Stuart Mark Brown, Jason's father.  He presented his viewpoint which contradicted this argument using the musical "Parade" as an example.  I'm not sure why I decided to call Mr. Brown…but I did. I told him how much I agreed with his assessment of his son's music and we later became friends. Together we attended Jason's concerts at New York's Joes' Pub, Blues Alley in Washington, DC and the Off-Broadway production of "Last Five Years".  I was thrilled that Baltimore's Everyman Theatre took my suggestion to present "Last Five Years" and to include two nights of Jason in concert. "Last Five Years" broke all box office records for the Everyman.

 

Last week, I anticipated the call that came from Jason reporting that his Dad had passed after a long fight with Pancreatic Cancer.  I traveled to Spring Valley to pay my respects last Thursday. I had no idea at the time that Jason would be performing that evening "Live from Lincoln Center" with Audra McDonald.  He was kind enough to transport me back to Manhattan on his way to the performance. One can only imagine how difficult it must have been to be performing live on national television just days after one's parent passed away.

 

McDonald did not mention this fact during the telecast when Jason took the stage. In a tribute to his father, Jason wore his father's tie. Stuart would have been proud.

 

You'll get a rare opportunity to witness Brown perform "Songs for a New World" with a hand-picked cast on Wednesday and Thursday, May 16 and 17, 2007,  presented by the Signature Theatre at the beautiful new performance space at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda.. (www.strathmore.org or call 301-581-5100). Three sections of the hall are already sold-out so you should act quickly. I highly recommend it.

 

Stuart Mark Brown was a remarkable individual. His family has requested that donations be made in his honor to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research located in Bethpage, NY. Their mission is to seek "to advance the science related to the diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of pancreatic cancer." You can help by making a contribution by calling 866-789-1000 or going to www.lustgarten.org. I hope that theater fans in the Baltimore/Washington area especially will take this opportunity in memory of my friend Stuart Mark Brown. I will miss him.

 

On A&E's "Breakfast with the Arts" last Sunday, Donna McKechnie was interviewed about her latest book, "Time Steps, My Musical Comedy Life". She has a lot to say about  her 1976 (was it really that long ago?) Tony-Award winning performance as "Cassie" in "A Chorus Line", now back on Broadway. She's worked with Fosse, Verdon, Sondheim, Rivera, and many more. What a great idea of a "holiday" gift for someone who loves theater.

 

This Wednesday, "Mamma-Mia!" marks its' 5^th Anniversary on Broadway. You can catch some members of the cast performing on "Good Morning America" on Friday morning, Oct. 20 between 8:30-8:55 a.m.

 

You may recall I mentioned that the Kennedy Center was having a discussion program on  the play "12 Angry Men" and I wondered why Baltimore's Hippodrome was not doing something similar.

 

Well, I'm happy to report they are! I was contacted by Lori Romer of the University of Maryland Law School who told me about their program "Linking Law and the Arts". And you are all invited to a program on jury trials to be held at the law school's Westminster Hall, 500 W. Baltimore St. on Tuesday night, Oct. 24. The program begins at 6 p.m. and includes dinner and costs $25. Guest speakers include author D. Graham Burnett, Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Deborah Eyler, and Baltimore attorney, Andy Levy. Following the program, you may then attend the opening night performance at the Hippodrome (tickets sold separately). Contact Lori Romer at 410-706-0023 for more information. For tickets to "12 Angry Men" (which stars Richard Thomas and George Wendt) call 410-547-SEAT. It runs through Nov. 5.

 Would you like to see "12 Angry Men"  for FREE!!! If you are available on Thursday morning, Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., due to the fabulous Free Fall Baltimore program, there is a free performance at this special matinee performance. However, ALL tickets for this performance have already been distributed to savy, quick-acting theater lovers and there is a long waitng list.  There is a possibility if a number of ticket-holders do not show up by 10:45 a.m., there will be an attempt to allow those without tickets admission, but this is ONLY if there are seats available.  Rembember, unless you actually have a ticket, you may not be able to gain admission. My congratulations to the Hippodrome Foundation for making this event possible. Contact www.freefallbaltimore.com for more information on this and many other free opportunities.

 

For comments: cgshubow@broadwayworld.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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