All tagged Laura Benanti

Broadway and SNL: Ten Broadway Stars Who Should Host

With Lin-Manuel Miranda poised to host Saturday Night Live, our nation’s most well-known and enduring sketch comedy show, I thought it might be interesting to suggest a few other faces from the Great White Way who would make fabulous hosts of the show. Broadway stars so seldom get the opportunity to show off their comedic talents to a larger viewing audience than the mere numbers a Broadway theatre can hold. Many great television and movie comedians of yesteryear have also spent time on Broadway AND appeared on SNL. But who of the contemporary theatre world would be good for a night of riotous laughter and a great opening monologue? Though it is very unlikely to happen to many (Hamilton is, after all, a national phenomenon and pop culture anomaly that has lifted Miranda and Hamilton into the stratosphere of iconic stardom), here are a few Broadway stars who I think would be up to the challenge:

Live from New York, it’s Saturday night… starring… 

Broadway Musical Musings: The New Cast Recording of She Love Me

The definitive cast recording of any Broadway musical is always a matter of personal preference, so it is really hard to state that one particular recording supersedes all others. One person might make an argument for a particular performer, others might prefer a certain sound quality, while still others are attracted to the perfect packaging. Since I will not assert that personal preferences are wrong (what's that? It's okay to have differing opinions?), I won't call the new cast recording of the 2016 revival of She Loves Me “definitive”. I will, however, call it “MY definitive” and I am certain that it will be my go-to recording of the show for decades to come. 

Broadway Musical Musings: Upcoming Cast Recordings

It seems to me that we have some exciting cast recordings to look forward to in the coming weeks (and months), and I thought I’d spend today musing over the ones that I am particularly poised to listen to. A few of these scores are already available for digital download, but since I am one of those people who like to have the CD in hand (or LP), I hold out for the tangible version.

Live-Streaming Broadway Musicals: Will She Loves Me Start a Trend?

Like almost every other musical theatre fan, I was glued to my computer screen watching the live-stream of the Broadway production of She Loves Me this past Thursday night. The idea of live-streaming a Broadway musical carries a most delicious excitement for those who can’t get enough Broadway and who will take the next-best thing, especially at the manageable cost that one seldom gets with the price of a Broadway ticket. The question is, can a live-stream of a Broadway musical be an effective alternative to making the trip to the Big Apple and will this become a trend?