Daveed Diggs in the original Broadway company of ‘Hamilton.’ (Photo: Joan Marcus)
The Internet and social media continue to flood with some of Broadway’s best releasing new recordings of our favorite musical theater moments, revealing interviews and more. Here are five of our favorite recent releases.
Defying Gravity v11.0
We turned green with envy when we saw Shoshana Bean and 10 other Elphabas (Eden Espinosa, Stephanie J. Block, Alexia Khadime, Julia Murney, Lindsay Mendez, Lindsay Pearce, Rachel Tucker, Jessica Vosk, Idina Menzel and Kerry Ellis) belt out “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. If you want to savor the money note, jump to 2:55 and you’ll lose your mind. Not in a Stephen Sondheim kind of way, but still.
Get schooled by Betty Buckely on wearing a face mask.
Who better to talk us through social distancing than one of the greatest musical theater legends of our generation? Betty Buckley keeps it simple and straightforward with this PSA to reduce the spread of coronavirus. But can she sing “Meadowlark,” too? Asking for a friend.
About masks: 1. Wear it! 2. Stay 6 ft. apart 3. Avoid large gatherings 4. Wash your hands frequently. #wegotthis 🤗😷 #utsw @UTSWNews pic.twitter.com/vuwxce2nlH
— Betty Buckley (@BettyBuckley) July 12, 2020
Broadway’s leading ladies get real.
Michael James Scott leads a powerful and honest panel discussion with some of Broadway’s leading ladies, including Adrienne Warren (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical), Nikki Renée Daniels (Company) and Amber Iman (Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed), about how race has impacted their experiences.
Sean Hayes and soul-searching.
The comedic co-star of Will & Grace talks about his early days in Chicago theater and how he came to terms with his own identity in an interview with Goodman Theatre trustee and NBC 5 News Today anchor Zoraida Sambolin. (Filmed earlier this year.)
There’s no such thing as too much Hamilton.
The #Hamifilm craze continues upon the release of the filmed stage version of the original Broadway company. Jimmy Fallon reunited the cast for a virtual at-home jam session to sing “Helpless.” The video, in less than a month, has already been viewed more than 2.2 million times. Make that 2.2 million, plus one. (Click here for our interview with original cast member James Sydney Harcourt.)
Matthew Wexler is The Broadway Blog’s editor. His arts writing has appeared in Dramatics Magazine and on TDF Stages and ShowTickets.com. Matthew is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and a past fellowship recipient from The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Critics Institute. Read more of his work at wexlerwrites.com.
