Last night, I attended my first musical since seeing Hello, Dolly! in February 2020. I saw Anastasia at the Merriam Theater, here in Philadelphia. Running from November 23 through November 28, this Broadway hit musical is based on the 1997 film of the same name, which is based on a 1956 movie, also of the same name. So, you could say that this is a story that’s been told for 65 years and still going strong. Read on for my thoughts on Anastasia and whether or not you should buy a ticket.
I had the honor of seeing Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones act together, live on stage, in Gore Vidal’s The Best Man on Broadway in 2012. It was a spectacular show, and both actors, as well as the rest of the star-studded cast, were incredible. Having had this experience, I was eager to listen to the Audible Original production of Driving Miss Daisy, narrated by Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones.
Joey Cassata is a multi-talented artist. He’s a gifted musician, actor, and writer. He wrote Wrestling With Joeylicious, which is the novelization of an upcoming TV series that all wrestling fans will love! I had the chance to interview Joey about this project, as well as his time touring with KISS, being part of a major Broadway production with Josh Groban, and more. Enjoy!
From June 18 through June 30, Cats, the award-winning and record-breaking Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, is in Philadelphia. I had the opportunity to see the show and it wasn’t exactly what I expected. I love cats (my wife and I have two that we adopted), and I love musicals. I also adore Barry Manilow’s interpretation of the signature song from this show: “Memory.” However, I found this show to be one of the weirdest musicals I’ve ever seen.
Patti LuPone brought her one-woman show, “Don’t Monkey With Broadway,” to Verizon Hall in Philadelphia on June 9 and it was phenomenal. The two-time Tony Award winner performed classic Broadway show tunes by Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Jule Styne, Stephen Schwartz, Charles Strouse, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. She also told stories in between songs about how her life-long love affair with Broadway began and her concern for what the Great White Way is becoming today.
Disney’s Aladdin, the musical, is currently at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. Performances run until July 1, and I highly recommend that you go. I went to a performance last night and the nearly sold-out crowd ate it up from beginning to end. Having watched a clip of this show from the Tony Awards a few years back, I knew that the Genie was going to be the star of the show and he was. Michael James Scott, who plays the role of the Genie and was the understudy for the Genie during the original Broadway run, is fantastic. Just watch him sing and dance to “Friend Like Me” and you’ll be blown away by his stamina and unending charisma. He’s the heart and soul of the show and made it a blast to watch.
I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite singers and one of the greatest voices in the history of music: Dennis DeYoung, lead vocalist of STYX hits “Come Sail Away,” “Babe,” “Mr. Roboto,” “The Best of Times,” “Don’t Let It End,” “Show Me The Way,” and “Lady.”
Our discussion lasted for more than an hour and we covered a myriad of topics, including Barry Manilow, Journey, what DeYoung misses most about being in STYX, the state of the music industry, politicians using music without the permission of the artists, and much more. DeYoung was funny, charming, smart, and easily one of the most enjoyable interviews I’ve ever conducted.
Make sure to visit DeYoung’s website for the latest tour dates. He has two performances in the Philadelphia/New Jersey/New York area coming up in October. I’m attending his show on October 8 at The Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pa. For those of you closer to New York, DeYoung has an October 21 performance scheduled at the St. George Theatre in Staten Island, with special guest Steve Augeri, former lead vocalist of Journey.
Yesterday I decided to drop my pseudonym from my blog, and buy a domain in my real name. Why? Well, I originally wanted to write under the name M.C. James because I thought it would be more easily searchable than Michael Cavacini. However, I realized that David Baldacci and Lisa Scottoline became bestselling authors with their Italian last names, so why can’t I?
Of course, this reminded me of a song: “I Am What I Am,” from La Cage aux Folles. This song seems apropos because, beyond its original meaning, the lyrics can speak to anyone questioning his or her identity in an artistic medium. It’s not always easy figuring out who one should be or what works best. But sometimes simply saying, “I am what I am” and going with it makes the most sense. Many people have covered this song, but one of my personal favorites is by Dame Shirley Bassey. Below are the lyrics as well as a video of Bassey performing it live. Enjoy!
I Am What I Am
I am what I am I am my own special creation So come take a look Give me the hook or the ovation It’s my world That I want to have a little pride in My world And it’s not a place I have to hide in Life’s not worth a damn Till you can say I am what I am
I am what I am I don’t want praise, I don’t want pity I bang my own drum Some think it’s noise, I think it’s pretty And so what if I love each sparkle and each bangle Why not try to see things from a different angle Your life is a sham Till you can shout out I am what I am
I am what I am And what I am needs no excuses I deal my own deck Sometimes the ace, sometimes the deuces It’s one life and there’s no return and no deposit One life so it’s time to open up your closet Life’s not worth a damn till you can shout out I am what I am
Tony, Grammy and Emmy-Award winning performer Barry Manilow is returning to Broadway in January 2013 for a limited engagement at the St. James Theatre. With 49 Top 40 hits and worldwide sales of more than 80 million records, Manilow on Broadway marks the music legend’s third Broadway production, and his first in more than two decades. The show begins January 18 and opens on January 24.
Barry Manilow is one of my favorite musicians, and I’ve had the good fortune of seeing him perform live twice, as well as meeting him in person. At nearly 70 years old, his voice is mystifyingly powerful and he still knows how to dazzle a crowd. I plan on attending one of the shows, and I highly recommend you do the same.
Here’s a medley of Manilow’s most popular hits from his 1989 Broadway production, Barry Manilow at the Gershwin:
Michael Cavacini 