Best of Broadway 2006-2010
Best of Broadway 2006-2010
Directed by Wade Hair
Musical direction By Angela Rhode
Choreography by Angela Cotto
Breakthrough Theater
Winter Park, FL
Time marches on, both on Broadway and in Winer Park. “The Best of Broadway” series is getting dangerously close to the modern day and perhaps in a few months it will plunge into the future and give us songs that have yet to be written, never mind having the time to chart. The latter days of the 2000’s produced a strong flock of musical hits; let’s take a quick spin past the highlights of these highlights. First off, this cast has the best dance moves of any “The Best of Broadway” collections thanks to Angela Cotto’s choreography. Some of the best musical material came in Act One where we opened with a “Jersey Boys” medley. Here the dashing Zachary Smith flirted with the front row ladies and made the guys jealous. Later Saige Love gave us a heart wrenching “I’m Here” from “The Color Purple”. There were almost two dozen performers on stage at times; the collective nearly stomped the place down with “Mary Poppins” big hit “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” The ensemble did “Mama Who Bore Me” from “Spring Awakening;” this one took some tears out of us all. Act One wrapped up with some material from “In the Heights;” here Hector Sanchez took the stage and showed us how to be Spanish in America today.
Act Two was spottier. “Cum on Feel the Noize/ Nothing But A Good Time” from Rock of Ages was OK for a rock anthem but clearly no one in the cast had ever seem Noddy Holder sing. “9 To 5” did well; here Niashia Aviles, Stephanie Cruzado and Mellissa Smith showed us the slavery of the working world. “Next To Normal” offered up “You Don’t Know / I’m the One” with Ms. Cotto, Wade Hair and Hector Sanchez belting it out with gusto. We closed with another slam dunk medley; “Memphis” produced “Big Love” sung by Jamaal Solomon, “Memphis Lives in Me” with Zackery Smith and an ensemble blow out “Don’t Steal Your Rock and Roll.” These cabarets are always good fun; its Musical Theater’s Greatest Hits and just about any show, no matter how big it flopped, has one decent tune lurking in it. Anyone remember “Steel Pier”? Of course not, but I’ll bet you’ve heard “Everybody’s Girl.” Look it up.
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