Seth Rudetsky Deconstructs Broadway

Seth Rudetsky, Broadway actor, comedian, musical director, and Sirius/XM Radio host, brought Deconstructing Broadway to the Durham School of the Arts.  As in the style of his videos, he deconstructs recordings of everyone from Patti Lupone to Bea Arthur, with a sprinkle of Carly Simon and Cher.

The event was a sort of  lecture on how to deconstruct Broadway videos and audio, that is if lectures were incredibly hilarious and entertaining.  All learning should be so enjoyable; we learned as we laughed so hard that our sides ached.

Seth knows Broadway backward and forward, as he lip synched every song perfectly, stopping only to point out vibrato, head voice, chest voice, whether the singer was on key, and other technical details.  And, as his listeners know, his show would not be complete without his use of "amahzing," explaining the two proper uses of the term and providing examples for each.  The show was hilarious, and informative and we plan to deconstruct every song we have ever loved, but only after we spend hours deconstructing The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.

Aside from deconstructing Broadway, Seth is also an author.  He has penned three books, the most recent of which is an amazing novel.  The Q Guide to Broadway is the ultimate insider's look to Broadway, as Seth demonstrates his incredible knowledge of musical theatre, Broadway Nights, and My Awesome (Awful) Popularity Plan are novels that capture the reader's instant attention and leave them wanting more. Even in those two works, his love of musical theatre shines through.

If you get the chance to see Seth deconstruct Broadway live or have the chance to take a master class with him, do it! You won't be disappointed!

Keep up with all of the amazing things Seth has going on with Twitter, Seth TV, and Sirius/XM channel 72.

Patti LuPone: Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda... played that part with the NC Symphony

Broadway Legend Patti LuPone brought her show "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda... Played That Part" to the Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh, NC.  In the show, LuPone plays parts she could have played, should have played, and did play.  This is the first time that LuPone has performed in North Carolina in 38 years, when she was still a member of The Acting Company before her breakout role in Evita.

The North Carolina Symphony played the first act of the performance with works from Offenbach, Youmans, and Gershwin, and LuPone came on after intermission to perform her show during the second act. Through the majority of the performance, she took us on a journey through her life and career mirroring her amazing memoir.  She recounted her first role, her audition for the Juilliard School Drama Division, her first starring role on Broadway, roles she thought she should have played and roles she played but didn't want to play.

Highlights of the night included her renditions of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from Evita and "Never Never Land" from Peter Pan. She sang "Don't Rain on My Parade" as her "go-to audition song" when she was first auditioning for Broadway roles; however, the night's rendition gave the impression that she was trying to get out of the venue as quickly as possible and she messed up a few of the words while singing at the accelerated tempo.  Her microphone, or the speaker system, seemed to be at a much lower volume than perhaps it should have been to carry the quieter songs throughout the concert hall.  "Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife was good, but it was difficult to understand due to the aforementioned sound issues.

"Everything's Coming Up Roses" from Gypsy and "Invisible" from Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown were both songs we were excited about and she performed both of them beautifully! The only thing that could have made the night more magical (excluding the sound issues) would have been if Laura Benanti had made a surprise appearance. She came back out twice after ending her set, she sang an encore of "Invisible" and then came back out a second time to serenade the audience with a blessing.

       

                                  Photo credit: Amy Arbus                                                      Photo Credit: Broadway.com

The show was fantastic overall, and Patti LuPone commands the stage, even stopping people in their tracks when she came back out to sing her a cappella blessing "A Hundred Years From Today".  We waited after the show by her car and both she and her staff were incredibly gracious about meeting us and others.  She proves to be a Broadway legend by embodying the qualities of a quintessential performer; she has the talent. the grace, and humility that every great performer should possess.

If you have the chance to see Patti LuPone live, you should take it! See a list of upcoming dates here.
A list of upcoming NC Symphony events can be found here.