It’s May at ol’ Broadway: Now & Forever and I am sitting here in the dressing room, at 15 minutes until the show, realizing that this blog is due on the 15th.  Thank goodness for that reminder, on so many levels!

First of all let me start off by saying thank you to anyone who reads this!  I think it’ll be fun to give you a glimpse behind the curtain and into the lives of the performers here at American Music Theatre.  If you’ve already seen the show you may know me as your friendly neighborhood patron, Monsieur Thenardier in “Master of the House,” an assortment of other jolly characters throughout, or MAYBE you’ll recall my crazy tall-haired antics as an Elf in the 2011-2012 Christmas shows.

Here I am performing in a couple recent AMT shows

Generally about this time backstage the dancers have warmed up, the singers have sung their scales or run through their music (which *raises hand* may be multiple times,) and everyone is putting on their finishing touches which for some include a heavy amount of make-up, layers of costumes, and multiple pre-sets of props and garments just off-stage.  If you turn a random corner you might find yourself face-to-face with one of your favorite characters from an iconic Broadway musical, but to each of us we are just great friends and colleagues, who are blessed to be able to come together and bring you this wonderful show each day.

Julie Keough applies green make-up to portray the Wicked Witch of the West from "Wicked"

This cast is stuffed with talented, supportive people, who are all full of personality.  If it looks like we’re having fun onstage, “duh” it’s because we are, and it’s because of you, the audience, that we are reminded how special it is to be able to step out onstage and do what we love!

Ric Zimmerman lurks behind the dressing room curtain as "The Phantom of the Opera"

Keep up over the next five months as I take you behind the curtain of Broadway: Now & Forever, and give you a glimpse into the lives of our cast, before, during, and after a performance.  Also, stay tuned for my upcoming video blog “Flip for Broadway!”

We just got “PLACES…” – Got to run!!!

- Michael 

Michael J. Austin has been Featured Vocalist & Actor at American Music Theatre since 2011, beginning with Music of the Night: The Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Find him on Facebook or visit his website at www.michaeljasonaustin.com for more information!

It was cool to see three of the original band members still rockin’ it out – lead singer Philip Bailey, bassist Verdine White, and percussionist Ralph Johnson.

Earth, Wind & Fire is a sophisticated, well-oiled machine that is very much in tune with what they do best, and what their audience wants to hear.  They started the show with the 1979 R&B hit “Boogie Wonderland,” and one after another, the hits just kept coming – “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “After the Love Has Gone,” “Sing a Song,” “That’s the Way of the World,” “Shining Star” and more.  They played a few songs I wasn’t as familiar with, but enjoyed just as much.

The band incorporated jazz, soul, gospel, pop, rock, blues, folk, African music, and disco into their musical mix.  They also filled the stage with great visuals – an amazing light and video show that created a super effect which drew the audience in even more.

Throughout the evening, each band member had their opportunity to shine.  Whether it was the vocalists, the percussionists, the horn section, or the keyboards, every member played their part, and played it well.  I especially loved when the sax and trumpet players would come front and center and wail some blues or soul on their horns.  Another highlight was when Philip Bailey played the kalimba, an African thumb piano.

At some point during the show, I realized that from the first notes, I had been constantly moving.  I was either tapping my feet, bobbing my head, clapping my hands, or swaying back and forth (or a combination of several!)  For the last three or four songs, I was on my feet dancing like no one was watching, along with every other person in the balcony who was doing the same thing!

From the moment I heard that Earth, Wind & Fire was coming to AMT, I felt that the show would be good, but the “Mighty Elements” proved me wrong … they weren’t just good, they were terrific!!

Donna 

Donna Haefner is a member of American Music Theatre’s Marketing Department.  She can be reached at dhaefner@AMTshows.com.

My Morning Jacket
This group is one of my favorite modern acts. If you dig classic rock, you’ll probably like this group. They dabble with R&B, metal and country with their tunes, but at their core, they’re a rock band. Also, they put on amazing live shows that seem to never end.

Wilco
An act that has been around for quite some time but never seems to get old is Wilco. They’ve taken their americana sound through a few different iterations but they’ve all been good. They have more than a couple critically acclaimed albums to their names and rightfully so. The lead singer, Jeff Tweedy, has a love for great music (he recently produced Mavis Staples Grammy award winning album), and he seems to carry some of his Beatles influences into his music. It’s just quality music that people young and old can love.

J. Roddy Walston and the Business
This Baltimore native has honed the craft of raucous rock and roll. Think of Jerry Lee Lewis wailing on a piano with some Angus Young guitars and one of the coolest voices you can imagine and you have J. Roddy’s sound. You can hear the music that inspires him in his tracks, too. All in all it’s quite fantastic.

- Mike

Mike Rathfon is a member of American Music Theatre’s Marketing department. He can be reached on Twitter @MikeRathfon.

In aftermath of Boston Marathon bombings, Neil Diamond is happy his song ‘Sweet Caroline’ is providing some comfort
Diamond’s song has become a staple of Boston Red Sox home games — and now an anthem for all of the city
FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013, 2:58 PM

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES – Neil Diamond said he’s happy his “Sweet Caroline,” a staple of Boston Red Sox games, can provide comfort after the Boston Marathon bombing.  The New York Yankees, Toronto Raptors and other professional sports teams have played the song at games in the days after Monday’s deadly blasts, with fans and players often singing along.

[Photo caption] The song is played in honor of the Boston Marathon bombing victims at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.  (Photo courtesy Elsa/Getty Images)

“There is a lot of comfort that music can offer,” Diamond told The Associated Press.  “In this particular situation, I’d much rather it not have happened than for ‘Sweet Caroline’ to become part of it.  But it’s obviously offering comfort to people and I feel good about that.”

Diamond spoke Thursday night at the Rock and Roll Hall induction ceremony.  He said he intended the song, first released in 1969 and addressed to Caroline Kennedy, to offer solace.

“I wrote it in a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee,” he said. “And I think there’s a little bit of God in that song.  I always have felt that.  There’s no accounting for what can happen to a song.  But this one had something special to it.”

Our hearts are with you, Boston.

Donna 

Donna Haefner is a member of American Music Theatre’s Marketing Department.  She can be reached at dhaefner@AMTshows.com.

Sharp Dressed Man
This video features a cover band rocking pretty innocently to the ZZ Top standard “Sharp Dressed Man.” Everything at the gig is going pretty well until their sneaky percussionist steals the show with his over-the-top drumming skills.

Hot For Teacher
Here’s another video that features some really impressive drummer skills, but this time it’s not the hilarious hi-jinks that are impressive. Instead, what’s so impressive is the fact that this 6-year-old drummer (named Avery) nails playing the Van Halen classic “Hot for Teacher.” His smile and air guitar are pretty cute, but the fact that he absolutely rocks this entire drum-focused tune, is nothing short of amazing. Take a look and marvel at this kid’s awesome skills.

Voodoo Chile
When you think of Jimi Hendrix you probably think of an inspired musician playing a left-handed Stratocaster in ways that nobody has before all while wearing crazy colored outfits. The Hendrix song “Voodoo Chile”, accordingly, is pretty well known for being a legendary guitar riff. So I was pretty impressed when I stumbled across this video of a musician named Luna playing “Voodoo Chile” on a traditional Korean instrument called a Gayageum. It’s cool to watch and listen, and it’s amazing at how well it works for this song.

- Mike

Mike Rathfon is a member of American Music Theatre’s Marketing department. He can be reached on Twitter @MikeRathfon.

9:30 a.m. — It’s me, DD 433, and 1,606 additional seats staring at a stage vacant of performers, but filled with the promise of what will be.  We see a huge staircase on both sides of the stage, with a single spotlight shining down on a stack of folding chairs surrounding a piano.  The hum of the ventilation system is the only sound that DD 433 and I hear.  We notice a crew member checking some equipment in the catwalks high about the seats.  DD 433 and I wait a while to see if anything might happen on the stage soon – we quickly realize it’s a little too early for onstage activity.  We decided to try again later.

11:55 a.m. — I returned to the auditorium where DD 433 was waiting for me – we had struck gold.  The stage was now buzzing with activity as ten performers were going through their rehearsal paces.  We watched as three gals and two guys sat on the staircase steps, waiting for their cues, as Artistic Director, Andrea McCormick, reviewed choreography with five dancers.  DD 433 and I watched as the dancers focused intently on Andrea to learn their steps.  Slowly at first, one step at a time, then all in unison, and at a faster pace.  We heard a few counts of music play, then – “Altogether … 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.  Let’s do that again.”

3:55 p.m. — The activity on stage has changed – this time DD 433 and I enjoy watching Andrea instruct ten young girls from the youth cast, each holding a large white feather fan.  Seven others are standing at the front of the stage, watching and listening, knowing their turn is coming soon.  The girls are learning choreography and how to handle the fans for one of the numbers.  Andrea encourages them to “turn into a flower for the count of eight.”  DD 433 and I are amused watching the girls as they learn – “Ready?  1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.  Good job!”

As our time together comes to a close, I realize that DD 433 gets to be a part of something magical – the chance to witness every on stage moment in the creation of a new show.  I’m glad I was able to share the opportunity.  I’ll be back again soon, I told my new friend.

Donna 

Donna Haefner is a member of American Music Theatre’s Marketing Department.  She can be reached at dhaefner@AMTshows.com.

For this post, I thought I’d expand upon that a bit and share some iconic band logos with you. There are some articles that share a lot of great logos, but here I’ll just break them down a bit, and then also share with you what they’d look like if they were to be made with Comic Sans.

ABBA
So the danceable, 70s band that led to the Broadway hit Mamma Mia has a simple, modern, somewhat refined, logo. It looks smart, sophisticated, and gets extra points for being reflective. Here, the comic sans font pretty much makes it feel the exact opposite.

AC/DC
Here’s another band logo that is strong, memorable, fierce, and the vibe it exudes is complete Rock & Roll. The use of red makes it feel a bit evil, too. Conversely, it’s pretty silly with the comic sans, right? I think we all can agree that it just doesn’t do AC/DC justice.

KISS
Sticking with the rock and roll theme, here’s KISS’s iconic logo. It’s slick, glamorous, big, and still has an edge. Just like the band. Now, take a look at the comic sans. It feels like it’s straight out of The Simpsons, and loses its appeal, doesn’t it?

I’ll share more down the road, but until then, what logos are iconic to you?

Mike Rathfon is a member of American Music Theatre’s Marketing department. He can be reached on Twitter @MikeRathfon.

Most of the acknowledgements are pretty basic, like “Happy Birthday, Mary” or “Happy 50th Anniversary, Jane and Frank.”  However, sometimes we receive requests that are a little more unusual.  Here are a few of the more interesting video screen requests we received lately –

Elizabeth – Happy 25th Anniversary of Your 29th Birthday

Happy Retirement, Roy – Can I Have Your Office?

Happy 50th Birthday, Smoochie – I Love You, Peanuthead

I Love You, Linda – Marry Me A Third Time … PLEASE!

We also receive a number of guest requests directed toward our celebrity performers.  We try hard to accommodate as many requests as possible, and many of our celebrity performers have been very gracious over the years in being involved.  It’s especially fun to be a part of a surprise request that comes from a guest’s friend or loved one.  Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to help coordinate six marriage proposals.  Four of those proposals involved a celebrity performer, and happily, all six “propose-ees” accepted!

Below is a sampling of just some of the many celebrity performer requests we’ve received – I’ll use “Mr. Smith” as a stand-in for the celebrity.

I’m celebrating my birthday at the concert.  Can you get Mr. Smith to sing Happy Birthday to me?

I know that Mr. Smith calls audience members to the stage.  I’m sitting in seat B-304.  Please ask him to pick me!

I have a check for Mr. Smith’s charity.  Can I take it back stage and give it to him personally?

How can I get Mr. Smith to sign my banjo/hat/photo/shirt/book/guitar/record album/program/golf clubs/poster/etc.

Can I come in and decorate Mr. Smith’s dressing room?

Could you please give Mr. Smith this apple pie I baked for him?

I’ll give you $50 if you can get me on Mr. Smith’s meet and greet list.

I must admit that last request was quite tempting!  There’s no telling what interesting or unusual request might come in next week!

Donna 

Donna Haefner is a member of American Music Theatre’s Marketing Department.  She can be reached at dhaefner@AMTshows.com.

Jewel with Beyonce – Proud Mary

So, kinda obvious here, but this isn’t a Jewel original tune. Nor is a song that you’d expect to hear on any of her albums, but it does showcase the vocal chops that Jewel carries. Plus, this is just a fun, exciting tune, and the duo of Beyonce and Jewel leave something to be ‘Proud’ of (I couldn’t resist).

Rodney Atkins – Watching You

Switching gears, here’s a clip of country musician Rodney Atkins performing live at the infamous Grand Ole Opry. A sweet, wonderful song about a son trying to be like his dad, sounds as big as the boy’s dreams in this video. The whole song is spot-on thanks in part to Rodney’s super backing band.

Gary Allan – It Ain’t The Whiskey

Here’s a pretty fresh video from country singer/songwriter Gary Allan. This version of “It Ain’t the Whiskey” was filmed a bit over a year ago, and it shows the power and dynamics that Gary can pull off when it’s just him and his acoustic.

Colbie Caillat – Killing Me Softly

Here’s another cover song that’s done very well. This time, singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat performs a stripped down version of the classic tune “Killing Me Softly.” Her version slows it down a bit, and yet still pulls in the same heartache and sadness that the original song possesses. A very cool cover of a classic song.

Mike Rathfon is a member of American Music Theatre’s Marketing department. He can be reached on Twitter @MikeRathfon.

The décor was modern and classy, yet comfortable and inviting.  The staff we had lunch with, as well as those that dropped by to say hello, were all extremely friendly.  I know any group we send to the Café will get the same warm reception.

We enjoyed the options offered on their lunch buffet (which change daily, but have the same components of chicken, beef, pasta, soup, etc).  Again, it’s quite different from what people typically expect from a buffet in Lancaster.  The options are fewer, but my stomach still satisfied.  The chicken was moist and delicious, the potatoes done just right, and the salad bar hit the spot.  There were also options of beef, pasta, soup, and vegetables.  Enough for all appetites, but not too much to make you over do it!  And I definitely can’t leave out my favorite part of the meal – the chocolate cake.  I have a big time sweet tooth and chocolate cake is at the top of my list.  It was soooo good – the cake moist and the icing was sweet, but not too sweet.  The perfect ending to my meal!

Overall, our experience was great.  It’s definitely a nice lunch stop for something a little bit different for the area.

‘Til next time,
Nicole

Nicole Sutton is the Group Sales Manager at American Music Theatre.