Tuesday, September 14, 2004
There's Always Room for Cole Porter
The season opener for 42nd Street Moon this year is 'Can-Can' by perennial Moon favorite, Cole Porter.
Artistic Director, Greg MacKellan explains why:
After 13 seasons of 42nd Street Moon “lost musical” concerts, there is one constant that Stephanie Rhoads and I can count on: our audiences can’t get enough Cole Porter. Since the same could also be said of Stephanie and me, we are more than happy to provide our audiences with their Porter “fix” on almost a seasonal basis. In fact, in just 13 seasons, we have done ten different Cole Porter musicals, and have even repeated three of those in all-new productions for a “second look.”
As far back as last summer, we decided on 'Can-Can.' Not only does it have one of Porter’s most noteworthy later scores full of hits like “I Love Paris,” “C’est Magnifique,” and “It’s All Right With Me,” but it seemed like the story – about the battle for personal liberty in 1893 Paris – might feel timely in 2004.
Just a couple of months after our decision was made, Encores! – the “gold standard” of concert musical companies in New York – announced that they would be presenting 'Can-Can' with Broadway diva Patti LuPone in February 2004!
Is that like wearing the same gown to an awards show? Is it like naming your child and then finding our your cousin named hers the very same name?
Not in this business! Instead Stephanie, Greg and musical director, Dave Dobrusky, made plans to jet off to NYC to see what Encores! did with 'Can-Can'.
Artistic Director, Greg MacKellan explains why:
After 13 seasons of 42nd Street Moon “lost musical” concerts, there is one constant that Stephanie Rhoads and I can count on: our audiences can’t get enough Cole Porter. Since the same could also be said of Stephanie and me, we are more than happy to provide our audiences with their Porter “fix” on almost a seasonal basis. In fact, in just 13 seasons, we have done ten different Cole Porter musicals, and have even repeated three of those in all-new productions for a “second look.”
As far back as last summer, we decided on 'Can-Can.' Not only does it have one of Porter’s most noteworthy later scores full of hits like “I Love Paris,” “C’est Magnifique,” and “It’s All Right With Me,” but it seemed like the story – about the battle for personal liberty in 1893 Paris – might feel timely in 2004.
Just a couple of months after our decision was made, Encores! – the “gold standard” of concert musical companies in New York – announced that they would be presenting 'Can-Can' with Broadway diva Patti LuPone in February 2004!
Is that like wearing the same gown to an awards show? Is it like naming your child and then finding our your cousin named hers the very same name?
Not in this business! Instead Stephanie, Greg and musical director, Dave Dobrusky, made plans to jet off to NYC to see what Encores! did with 'Can-Can'.
// posted by ElisaC @ 9:08 AM 
