Kip's Korner

  Yes, I recognize that Les Misérables has been presented by BTL a few times over the decades so it technically doesn’t fit into my “What’s the Broadway Buzz” category. BUT it’s my absolute favorite and because I was in the 2004 production that played here at the VBC Concert Hall, please give me some creative license to discuss this glorious show from my perspective.    From the Les Misérables US Tour Official Website:   “Set against the backdrop of 19 th  century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history… Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries, 438 cities and 22 languages.”   Les Misérables was first a novel written by Victor Hugo and published in 1862. Since then, there have been numerous film and tv adaptations, a musical-sta

Whoah, what a week! But congrats y'all because we made it to Feel-Good Friday: The Icemageddon Edition! So many exclamation points! Ok, I'll stop now. For starters, I'm so ready to get back to "normal life things" after being stuck home all week. Don't you want to meet up with friends, go to dinner, catch a show and just basically FROLIC? Well remember that one week from today STOMP will be playing the VBC Concert Hall. You know that's where I'll be, so go on and get those tickets, and make those plans: STOMP January 26 - 27, 2024 Friday at 8pm Saturday at 2pm & 8pm Please click here for tickets! The rest of my Feel-Good Friday musings are brought to you by a glimpse into our little BTL Family's past week. Thanks Kaitlyn for making it look so pretty! Take a look:

  “What’s the Broadway Buzz” is the name of my new series of blog posts where I focus on shows that are currently on Broadway (or on Broadway Tours) and haven’t been presented by Broadway Theatre League… YET! Today let’s talk about Hadestown . As succinctly stated in Playbill:   “Welcome to Hadestown , where a song can change your fate. This acclaimed musical by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin is winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. It intertwines two mythic tales – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone – as it takes you on an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, singers and dancers, Hadestown invites you to imagine how the world could be.” Hadestown has garnered the special reputation of being able to impart a distinct and different message to each theatergoer, based on their clear and

  Happy Feel-Good Friday y’all! And there’s a storm a-comin’ so we could all use a little distraction. Here’s my top five things that had me smiling this week: Stephen Sondheim’s final score, Here We Are, has been greenlit for an original cast album. Arguably the greatest musical theater composer of all time (that would be a YES from me), this is a big deal. Here We Are is currently playing off-Broadway, scheduled to close on January 21. Simply put Sondheim himself said the show is about “trying to find a place to have dinner.” Sadly, Stephen Sondheim passed away on November 26, 2021. The recording of Here We Are will be released this spring. I was a freshman in high school when Prince’s lifechanging (for me anyway) movie, Purple Rain , took us all by storm. If you were also a child of the 1980’s, chances are you knew every word of this legendary soundtrack. Well Purple Rain is now being adapted into a Broadway musical! “I only want to see you laughing in the purple rain…” A few

  “What’s the Broadway Buzz, tell me what’s a-happening? What’s the Broadway Buzz, tell me what’s a-happening? What’s the Broadway Buzz, tell me what’s a-happening? What’s the Broadway Buzz, tell me what’s a-happening?” No, this blog post is not about Jesus Christ Superstar. Although we will be presenting the 50 th Anniversary Tour of JCS here at the VBC Concert Hall on March 15-17! “What’s the Broadway Buzz” is the name of my new series of blog posts where I focus on shows that are currently on Broadway (or on Broadway Tours) and haven’t been presented by Broadway Theatre League… YET! But we hope to bring them to you at some point in the future. Today let’s talk about SIX: The Musical : Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived . SIX tells the story of the six wives of Henry VIII, who grace the stage to remix five hundred years of historical heartache into an exuberant celebration of 21 st -century girl power. Including pop icons and Tudor queens alike! Everyone is

  Peter Michael Marino is an Artist/Arts Enthusiast who resides in NYC. I had the pleasure of chatting with him about his years performing in STOMP, not only in NYC at the Orpheum Theater, but also on tour across the U.S. as well as South America. But like many success stories he had a bit of a bumpy start getting there.  Peter was doing a play in 1994 in Florida when he saw there was going to be an Open Casting Call for STOMP. Well he had played drums from age five until he was 15-years old. So he signed up for a tap class at a Senior Center down there to help him along. Actually that reminds me of an episode of The Golden Girls when Dorothy, Blanche and Rose are preparing for a tap dance competition and Dorothy injures herself and she had the big solo in the middle of the number so Blanche and Rose had to rechoreograph the number without Dorothy, anyone else remember this? Sorry, I digress...  The day of the Open Call arrived and Peter spent the day there vying for the job. It was ab