All tagged Joel Grey

Remembering The Grand Tour

Jerry Herman is best remembered for his splashy musical comedies, including Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles. In fact, Herman often is unfairly criticized (in some circles) for his catchy, upbeat showtunes and feel-good fare. There is nothing wrong with a joyous showtune, but this generalized assessment of Herman’s work would be incorrect for two reasons. First, within his big hits, Herman wrote plenty of tender, gentle, emotionally-charged songs of subtlety like “Ribbons Down My Back”, “My Best Girl” and “Look Over There.” Second, Herman wrote just as many musicals that looked at the darker side of humanity, and though there is much joy to be found in his scores for Dear World and Mack & Mabel, there is also much sadness. The same can be said for one Herman’s most “un-Herman” musicals, the glorious, if under-appreciated, The Grand Tour. 

Broadway Blip: George M. Cohan

Have you ever been at the TKTS Booth in New York City’s Duffy Square and looked up to see a statue looming over the area? Have you inspected said statue more closely and saw the name “George M. Cohan” etched across the front. I’m sure many of you know who Cohan was, but I am guessing there are a lot of people out there who do not.

Broadway’s Stout-Hearted Musical Men: 25 Clips of the Most Memorable Male Performances

About a month ago, I celebrated the great divas of Broadway with a tribute to their careers. This month, I thought I’d share a video montage of the men who have shaped Broadway with their talent and larger-than-life personalities. I hope you enjoy curling up and watching these twenty-five videos of the stout-hearted men of Broadway doing some of their finest work.