--Welcome to the Broadway Across America report coming to you from our studio in
Times Square. I'm Ryan Lee Gilbert, national editor for
Broadway. com
--And I'm Julie James, program director and host of Sirius XM
On Broadway.
--This episode, we'll introduce the new man behind the mask in the
national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's the Phantom of the Opera, catch up with
these sexy stars of On Your Feet, and fill you in on the new Broadway comedy
that will soon be hitting the road.
--Plus we've got exclusive interviews with
stars from the touring productions of Love Never Dies and Waitress and a
gorgeous music video that'll have you lining up to see The Color Purple. So
let's jump right in and get you caught up on all this exciting stuff.
--Quentin Oliver Lee will soon bring audiences the music of the night as the Phantom in the
touring production of The Phantom of the Opera. He joins the show on December 19th
when Andrew Lloyd Webber's legendary musical plays the Orpheum Theater in
Minneapolis Minnesota. Lee has been seen on the Great White Way in Prince of
Broadway, as well as the national tour of the Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. You don't
want to miss this spectacular new production of The Phantom of the Opera,
so get your tickets to see the show, chandelier and all, today.
--The Broadway
smash hit comedy The Play that Goes Wrong,
currently the longest-running play on the Great White Way, will launch a North
American tour during the 2018-19 season, including a five-week engagement at the
Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Co-written by Mischief Theatre Company
members Henry Lewis Jonathan Sayer and Henry shields, The Play that Goes Wrong
won best new comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards before transferring to
Broadway in April 2017. Additional cities and the touring cast will be announced
in the coming months.
--The tour of the Broadway bio musical On Your Feet is on
the road and starring two of theaters brightest stars. Christie Prades, who
stars as Gloria Estéfan and Mauricio Martinez who plays Emilio Estefan made
their Broadway debuts in the show and now they're bringing the music of the
superstar husband-and-wife team to audiences in over 30 cities. Earlier this
fall we traveled to Miami Florida for a photo shoot and a chat session with the
stars, as they were readying to launch the tour in the Magic City. Visit
Broadway.com to see all of our exclusive photos of Prades and Martinez
and to find out what they had to say about their delightful friendship, why
it's an honor to play the Estefans, and what they enjoy most about bringing this
musical across America.
--Broadway alum Mary Michael Patterson is starring as
Meg Giry in the tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies. Patterson, who
has played Christine Daae in Broadway's the Phantom of the Opera stopped by
Broadway.com HQ to tell us all about the dark, thrilling world of Love Never Dies,
and what it's like playing two of Lloyd Webber's most iconic characters.
--They're
so different, I mean especially in Love Never Dies world. You know we get to look
more closely at the characters and Meg Giry in Love Never Dies is very
different than Meg Giry in the original, but it's really cool because if
it's still the same world you know it's still the same vocabulary and the same
style and musical elements are very similar in a lot of ways, so it's a fun
challenge, and it's not something that I normally get to do. I do a lot of you
know stand and sing and park and bark kind of roles, and Meg is very different.
So she gets to dance a lot, which is something I was excited to do and it's a
little bit of a darker role, which is fun. --Don't miss your chance to see this
exciting show when it comes to your city. --Stage favorite Desi Oakley is playing
Jenna in the national tour of Sara Bareilles is Waitress, which is taking
its charming diner, likeable characters, and winning score all across America.
Oakley swung by the Broadway.com studio to chat about playing the
small-town pie maker with big dreams and why theatre goers are going to fall hard
for this sweet show.
--People are gonna love Waitress because it is a beautiful
show. I think there's something really important that's going on kind of
underlying in the theme that I feel like every person, every human needs to hear.
It is that of accepting yourself for who you are, loving yourself for who you are,
and realizing the impact that you have on the world around you. I mean it's that
deep and when you watch it, it's that deep, but surrounding it is this
laughable, witty, hysterical, gorgeous heartwarming show,
and then there's pie. I'm like what more could you want!
--Get your tickets to see
the hit musical Waitress when it opens up shop at a theater near you.
--Carla R
Stewart is currently playing the role of sexy cabaret singer Sug Avery in The
Color Purple tour, which is on the road and bringing its story of retribution,
Redemption, and forgiveness, to every corner of the country.
Stewart swung by the Broadway.com studio to perform the show's moving song Too
Beautiful for Words.
--I've seen this life from high and low, and all that's in between. I've
danced with Dukes, crooned with counts, been courted like a queen, but when I see
what's in your heart, all the past is blurred. The grace you bring into this
world is too beautiful for words. You hide your head under your wings just
like a little bird. Oh, don't you know you're
beautiful, too beautiful
for words?
--This Tony award-winning revival of The Color Purple is scheduled to play in
over 20 additional cities, so get your tickets ASAP.
--And that's it for this
episode of the Broadway Across America report. We'll be back soon with new buzz
and updates about your favorite touring Broadway productions.
--In the meantime, be
sure you tune in to Sirius XM on Broadway on channel 72 to keep up with
all the exciting programming we have planned.
--And for more Broadway and tour
buzz, visit Broadway.com, and to find out when all of these hit shows are playing
close to your home, visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.
See you next month with a look behind the scenes of the best that touring
Broadway has to offer.