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Why You Should See Broadway Actors in Concert

Loving the theatre as I do, I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to see some of my favorite actors breathe life into some of the most memorable characters (such as Adam Pascal as Roger Davis in Rent). However, I’ve also been lucky enough to see some of these same people be themselves in concert!

A concert is so much different than an actor playing a role. When playing a character, a performer is forced to inhabit the mindset of someone else. He or she is directed to live as that character onstage, in whatever time frame they need to be in for the show they are in. They are bound by the personalities, words and movements of their character, historical setting and more.

However, in concert they can be themselves! A performer gets to get up onstage and say ‘here’s who I am. Here’s the type of performer I am. And we’re all going to go on a little ride tonight!’ There’s nothing I love more than seeing actors outside of the stage, and see them doing their thing. That’s my number one reason for why you should see your favorite Broadway actors in concert.

The last person I saw in concert was Matthew Morrison, best known in the theatre community for playing Link Larkin in the original cast of Hairspray. Of course, today people know him as Mr. Shue on the hit show Glee. When I saw him live, it was everything I hoped he would be and more! Singing ballads, going back to his dancing roots, giving pop trivia quizzes about songs he sang (such as asking which show “I Could Have Danced All Night” was from after he was done singing it). It was then that I was able to see the real Matthew come out. And he was every bit an entertainer as he is an actor! He even went so far as to try to dance on someone’s table!

A concert is great too in order for an actor to do some improv. Their lines aren’t written for them, and they are forced to just talk to the audience. It’s exciting as an audience member because you never know what could happen!

In a small venue like 54 Below, theater fans get a great chance to see the actors you love be themselves and see why they are so fantastic! Check out this season’s lineup and consider seeing your favorite Broadway performer in a whole new light!

West End Shows, including Cripple of Inishmaan, Transferring to Broadway!

With the throngs of Broadway still shouting along to “Revolting Children” from Matilda the Musical at the Shubert Theater, it’s no surprise that the 2014 Broadway lineup includes many successful West End transfers. Something about the way the British put on a show seems to work over here in the states, and the upcoming medley of plays and musicals will surely have theatergoers excited about what is to come in these next few months.

Les Miserables, one of the most well-known musicals of all time, is making its very anticipated second Broadway revival this March at the Imperial Theater. It first made its West End transfer in 1987 with Colm Wilkinson and Frances Ruffelle reprising their roles from the London production. The transfer to Broadway actually inspired some changes to the show including an edit to the sewer scene and an added affect to Javert’s suicide. The show went on to run for sixteen years becoming the second longest running musical after Cats (also a West End transfer) until Phantom of the Opera passed it up in 2006. With cast announcements including Ramin Karimloo, Will Swenson, Caissie Levy, Nikki M. James, and even Andy Mientus making his Broadway debut as Marius, this classic is sure to be a competitor in the awards season and in ticket sales.

Daniel Radcliffe is also making a return to Broadway this season with his new play The Cripple of Inishmaan. Radcliffe stunned fans, when he starred in Equus and even sang and danced in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He has surely proved that there is more to him than his lightning scar. And now, in The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, he’s tackling a new story about a young cripple named Billy who wants nothing more than to star in a Hollywood movie that’s being filmed on the neighboring Island of Inishmore.

The West End’s specialty seems to be plays these days because along with The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and a new version of Macbeth will grace the Broadway stages this year as well. Curious Incident is adapted from Mark Haddon’s acclaimed novel, and follows Christopher who, although good at math, has trouble dealing with everyday life. After he is accused of killing his neighbor’s dog, he sets out to solve the crime with his own detective work. The show won seven Olivier awards and is set to debut on Broadway in the fall of this year. The latter, Macbeth, starring James McAvoy and Claire Foy debuted at Trafalgar Studios in February of 2013, and rumor has it that Patrick Stewart, who has played Macbeth many times before, wants to bring it to Broadway. There was even a production at the Manchester Fringe Festival starring Kenneth Branagh and Alex Kingston that is set to come to the states at the Park Avenue Armory this summer. Whatever stage production of Macbeth that comes about, Shakespeare revivals from the West End are never a bad thing to have!

Even though Broadway is a fully American invention, one can’t help but anticipate the exciting West End transfers to come this season, and with the proven success of past productions, who knows what accolades this season will bring!

Photo via BBC

The Men of Cabaret

This season, Broadway and Broadway fans alike welcomed Alan Cumming back to his home at Studio 54 where he will reprise his role as the Emcee in Cabaret. With Cumming’s triumphant return to the role, I began thinking of the other iconic men who have danced and stripped across the Studio 54 stage.

Of course, there was Joel Grey who made the role when he originated the role onstage and then in the movie opposite other Broadway royalty Liza Minnelli. While his version is iconic, his Emcee is now considered tame compared to what’s seen onstage.

Alan Cumming came to the role in 2004 and boy did he shake things up! From the costume to the make up, Cumming made sure his Emcee was different from the rest! And that set up some wonderful leading men to come in and make the role their own.

Among these wonderful guys were John Stamos, Adam Pascal, and Neil Patrick Harris. Each one bringing his own special flair and personality to the role. And with so much of the songs, while of course scripted and written, it still leaves the men plenty of room for them to interact and ad-lib with not only the audience, but with fellow actors onstage. Cabaret is unique in that it acknowledges right away that they are putting on a show for an audience, and in fact, at one time, Cabaret was set up in a dinner-theater style.

Usually, if more than one actor plays a role, people are on the fence about who their favorite was. However, this is different in that all these names have become synonymous with the show, and everyone agrees you really can’t pick one over the other-all three of them (Pascal, Stamos, and Harris) did a wonderful job. There are even plenty of clips of all the men doing the role on YouTube if you want to compare for yourself-but I really think you’ll find it hard to pick your favorite.

After the show closed, fans begged for Alan to come back to the stage, even if it was for one night only. And this season, he’s answering the pleas and coming back full-force to the Kit-Kat club to spread  his special brand of showman ship. Wilkommen back, Alan! Cabaret, and you are home!

A Modern Tin Pan Alley

 

Jukebox Musicals are becoming a hot commodity on Broadway. Producers are starting to use popular music to attract new audiences to the New York stage.  The songbooks of Abba, Frankie Valli & The Four Season, 80s Rock, and now Carole King are rocking out on Broadway eight shows a week. With the music of rock band Panic at the Disco being created into a musical, here are some other modern artists who would translate well to the stage.

1. Beyoncé

After an exciting year of a Super Bowl Halftime show and a surprise album, maybe a Broadway musical is next for the pop and R&B singer. With five studio albums and plenty of hits (“Halo,” “Single Ladies,” “Love On Top,” “If I Were A Boy,” “Crazy in Love”), there is a lot of material to choose from. Plus, maybe there would be some appearances of her Destiny’s Child days as well? We will have to wait and see.

2. Katy Perry

After her documentary Katy Perry: Part of Me, we saw how much Katy went through in her first world tour and how hard she works as an artist. What better story to bring to a musical? Not only does she have many singles and albums, but she is the first female artist to have five number one singles off one album (“E.T.,” “Teenage Dream,” “California Gurls,” “Firework,”“ Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F”). This has only been previously achieved by Michael Jackson. With her gigantic fan base, I’m sure a much younger audience would be attracted to New York City with a Katy Perry musical on stage.

3. Bruno Mars

Already a parody on Smash last year, why not bring a musical about the Hawaiian born singer-songwriter to reality? Bruno has two great albums, Doo Wops & Hooligans and Unorthodox Jukebox, with many hit songs (“Grenade,” “Just the Way You Are,” “The Lazy Song,” “It Will Rain,” “Treasure,” “Locked Out of Heaven”). However, not only is Bruno a fantastic singer, but also an amazing songwriter. He has written many hits for artists like Snoop Dogg, Flo Rida, Eminem, Travie McCoy, and more. One could only imagine how interesting a Bruno Mars musical could be.

For more on, Panic! the Musical, check out their Facebook page and Indiegogo campaign.  

Why We Can’t Wait for Broadway’s New Princess, Carly Rae Jepsen!

Broadway cherishes its stars, and the theater community is always very protective of those veterans who have been singing, dancing, and acting on stage for multiple years. Recently it was announced that when Laura Osnes’s contract with Cinderella ends in early January, pop star Carly Rae Jepsen will take over. This is the same Carly Rae Jepsen that was made famous almost two years ago for her single “Call Me Maybe.”

It’s not surprising that the producers of Cinderella have decided to go with a well-known name. Bringing in a star is often the course of action when sales are down. Whether for love of the star or out of curiosity, celebrities help shows increase profits and this seems to be the case here. Cinderella ticket sales have not been stellar, especially with the competition from Tony-winning blockbuster shows like Pippin, Matilda, and Kinky Boots.

While celebrity castings always come with some controversy, often from theater fans who like seeing Broadway actors get the work over international celebrities, this transition has garnered a surprising amount of animosity. Not only did regular old theater fans weigh in across social media, but celebrity Broadway-lovers also had things to say. Modern Family star Sarah Hyland made headlines with her opinionated tweets. “Today’s a meltdown day. Carly Rae Jepsen is going to be Cinderella? On Broadway. Not ok with this,” Hyland posted. “Tell me it’s gonna be ok Laura Osnes… Hoping she will be amazing. I’m hesitant though,” she continued. The tweets have since been deleted.

While Broadway fans everywhere seem very angry with the decision to cast Jepsen, we have to remember that a big name could pull enough ticket sales to keep Cinderella running for a longer amount of time. Stunt casting, as many of these transitions are referred to, always has a bad connotation in the theater world. However, many of the audience members don’t realize that Jepsen attended the Canadian College of Performing Arts, so she probably has a very good background in the arts and musical theater.

It’s also been such a magical process to follow Carly Rae’s journey to Broadway on Instagram. The star and her team have been sharing updates since the casting announcement. Shots include her move to New York, her first moments trying on the glass slipper (with William Ivey Long looking on), dance rehearsals with her new Prince, and, maybe our favorite, a share of the Cinderella logo on the day of the casting announcement. The caption on the photo read, “dreams do come true!”

Throughout this time of transitions, some important words to remember are those spoken by Laura Osnes during the height of this debacle. She tweeted on December 29th, “Have we learned nothing from Ella about charity, generosity, and kindness?” We love the support being shown from princess to princess and, when we realize how excited Carly Rae must be as her dreams come true, we can’t help but wish her all the best in this role!

Photo via NBC

10 Roles Laura Osnes Should Play

With everyone’s favorite Princess Laura Osnes leaving Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella this month, we’re left with one question: what should the two -time Tony nominee do next? She’s already been to the 50’s with Max Crumm in Greade, robbed banks with Stark Sands and Jeremy Jordan in Bonnie and Clyde, and been a Princess– surely she can do just about anything by now. Well, we think so too, which is why we’ve compiled a list of 10 roles that Laura Osnes would play wonderfully.

10. Miss Honey in Matilda The Musical – One might say that Laura’s a bit too young for this role, but au contraire! In the book Miss Honey is described as a young teacher in her first year of teaching. That would put her, realistically, just around Laura’s age! We saw Laura associated with Matilda earlier in the 2012-2013 season in the Tony commercials, but what if she came back to defeat Trunchbull and be a role model to Matilda? I think that the role would be a great change of pace for Laura — plus, who doesn’t want Laura as their teacher?

9. Laura in The Glass Menagerie – The Glass Menagerie is one of my favorite plays, and I think Laura would play the role of Laura, the daughter in the show, with the exact pure feeling the role requires. Many people have played the character Laura, but Laura Osnes would bring so much depth to the character. With her experience in the role of the “good girl,” this role would play off of that, but also give her some space to experiment! Laura Osnes has said she wants to branch out of just good girl roles, after all. Laura playing Laura — it could get confusing, though!

8. Anna in Frozen – With Frozen on it’s way to Broadway, of course Laura is on our minds! After all, it was written by the composer behind Avenue Q, along with his wife. Kristen Bell, who sang her own parts for the film, sound remarkably like Laura anyway, so it’s not hard to imagine — especially in the duet with Santino Fontana! I think this would be a great role for her to play, because Anna has an amazing journey of self discovery. I think Laura would play that in such a lovely way. Plus, I kind of really want Jon Groff and Laura Osnes in the same show.

7. Fantine (or Eponine) in Les Miserables – With the Les Miserables buzz that’s flooding Broadway, I couldn’t not cast Laura! Ideally I’d love to see Laura play the role of Eponine, but with her age I think she’d be cast as Fantine. The only female adult in the show would have Laura delving into issues and situations she’d never faced before on stage. We would get to see a completely different side of her acting abilities, with both roles being definitely darker characters for her. I definitely think that, should the opportunity arise, she should take it!

6. Christine in Love Never Dies – You heard me. Not Phantom, but it’s tragically underappreciated sequel Love Never Dies. While many people don’t like to admit that LND even exists, I think Laura would play a fantastic Christine in the show. In fact, she was one of the finalists to originate the role on the West End! So, let’s bring the show to Broadway and put Laura in the role of the main character. We would get to see Laura in a motherly role, something else we’ve never seen before.

5. Belle in Beauty and the Beast – Before Laura was nominated for a Tony for Ella in Cinderella, she was nominated for Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde, and while being interviewed about the nomination, she said in a YouTube video that Belle was her dream role. We wonder if Cinderella satisfied her princess itch, though. If not, let’s give Laura her wish and let her don the beautiful yellow gown — which coincidentally looks a lot like one of Ella’s dresses!

4. Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie – After her performance as Bonnie, we know that Laura can play headstrong girls who know what they want in life. Millie’s actually a lot like Bonnie — except for the fact that she works instead of robbing — but they both know exactly who and what they want and aren’t going to let anyone get in their way. This is definitely something that should happen.

3. Cinderella in Into The Woods – One of my favorite shows is Into The Woods, and when I heard Laura was a part of the famous reading that took place a few years ago as Rapunzel, I was happy — but a bit sad! Anna Kendrick is no doubt going to be a fantastic Cinderella, but with Laura’s experience with princesses and the similarities between the two Cinderellas,  we think she’d be a wonderful choice!

2. Cathy in The Last Five Years – The reasoning for this is the same as for Millie. This role would be great to show Laura playing a strong female character, like Bonnie, but without the robbing factor. Cathy is one of my favorite characters, and I’ve wanted Laura to play Cathy since the revival and the movie were announced. Will my wish ever come true? One can only hope!

1. Maria in The Sound of Music – How do you solve a problem like Maria? Get Laura Osnes to play her, of course. I can’t even begin to explain how much this role fits Laura. Laura is like a mini-Julie Andrews, talent-wise. She can play any role that Julie Andrews played throughout her career. She’s already mastered Cinderella, let’s add another RnH show to the list!

I had to cut out multiple other ideas I had, what are some of the roles you think Laura Osnes should play? Let us know in the comments!

An Interview With Dr. Beshar, “Broadway’s Dentist”

dentist

Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of conducting a somewhat unconventional interview with one of the unsung stars of innovative Broadway costume design: Dr. Marc Beshar, the dentist behind the false tooth pieces in a variety of shows! Read on for some of the highlights of our conversation, illuminating the importance of some of Dr. Beshar’s work.

I know that you made a set of fake teeth that are currently being used in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder on Broadway! Could you elaborate on the process of making those?
They contacted my office and asked if the actor and costume designer could come in and discuss exactly what they had in mind. We talked about the character, and determined that I had to make a piece to give him really ugly teeth.

Hopefully that’s not something you see too often!
Thankfully, it’s not. It was kind of a “reverse project”. So that was something different. I was set to make some really ugly teeth for this character, but there were a couple of challenges. First, we had to make sure they could come in and out really quickly since Jefferson Mays is also playing a bunch of other characters in the show and needed to change quickly! Another issue was that they couldn’t obstruct his voice while he was speaking. So designing them was sort of a challenge. We had to make a prototype, and redesign them over and over. First they were too big, then too small… Another challenge was making them stay in! And the poor costume changer has to rip them out between scenes during the show.

Wow. That sounds like a really difficult process! That’s got to take a lot of patience. What other shows have you worked on?
My biggest project ever was the Broadway production of Dracula in 2004. I had to make vampire teeth for everyone- Kelli O’Hara, everyone in the ensemble- the whole cast. And after I made vampire teeth for everyone in the show, a while after, I had a couple of young people, probably around your age, come in and ask if I could make vampire teeth for them, for fun! Just to wear around!

That’s hilarious! Any other fun Broadway work or stories?
I did another piece for All My Sons a while ago. I had to make some old man teeth. I also made some for Lauren Graham, you might know her from Gilmore Girls. I made them for a revival of Guys and Dolls that she was in. I had to give her some missing teeth, for a “farm girl” character.

So how do you go about making it look like someone’s missing a tooth? That sounds difficult.
It’s actually pretty simple. It just involves blacking teeth out so you can’t see them from more than a couple feet away.

What, exactly, are some of these pieces made out of?
They’re usually just sort of invisible tooth liners. Kind of like Invisalign.

Oh, yeah! I wear Invisalign.
Well then you’re practically on your way to becoming a Broadway star!

Thank you so much to Dr. Beshar for taking the time to talk with us– and for reminding us that there are so many paths toward finding your success on the Great White Way!

Photo via Broadway Direct

Performing at Carnegie Hall with Camp Broadway: A Once in a Lifetime Experience!

From guest blogger, Marlee Forsyth

“My name in lights at Carnegie Hall, I want it all!” sings Sharpay Evans in High School Musical while describing her Broadway dreams. Sure, it’s a cheesy reference, but what Broadway-bound boy or girl can’t relate to wanting their name in lights at one of the most famous venues in Manhattan? While I haven’t reached that point of success (at least not yet!), I did have the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall with Camp Broadway last April!

I first heard about the New York Pops Gala after an email from Camp Broadway saying that they would be holding auditions. As any actress-singer-dancer would, I begged my parents to take me to audition in New York. Ever the optimist, I walked in with a smile and the energy that can only be described as “superhuman-peppy-audition-rush.” I watched intently as Tony Parise taught us a dance combination to How to Succeed’s “Brotherhood of Man.” We were then divided into groups as Tony sat behind a table with everyone’s resumes. During practice I found myself looking around at other performers, a habit I dropped during the final run through of the routine. When you’re trying to make it count, you have to focus on what you have to bring to the table as an artist: look ahead, move with a purpose, and smile! After everyone had completed the dance audition, we were lined up in the hall. One by one, we went in to sing 16 bars of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” When it was my turn, I walked in, belted out my 16 bars, then went merrily on my way (ok I’ll be honest… I went to Sprinkles for cupcakes).

About a month later, I got the phone call that I had been accepted, impairing the hearing of those around me as I screamed in excitement! The excitement was still fresh as I was handed my music folder in the rehearsal space on a Saturday months later. I took a seat next to a girl I met at a Camp Broadway summer session and started small chat with those around me (fun fact: talking about how hard you cried when you saw Les Mis at the movies is a quality icebreaker). Soon, vocal rehearsal was underway as we breezed through a medley of songs from Gypsy, our piece for the Gala, with the speed and ease of professionals. After a few hours of that, we were off to dance rehearsal. At the end of the first day, exhaustion was starting to set in as my gung-ho smile settled in to one of tired content. The second day brought much of the same, with a similar excitement and buzz as we polished our vocals and dance moves. After lunch we had a break from our usual routine and participated in a Phantom of the Opera workshop, alternating between an acting class and learning the dance to “Masquerade.” Two incredibly inspiring performers, Kara Klein and Ellen Harvey, taught us and answered our questions. After we finished the Phantom workshop, we were brought to a room where many colorful dresses and cardigans hung on costume racks. As soon as I found a dress that fit, I got it approved by the costumer, wrote my name on it, and then stored it neatly in a bag. After all of our costumes had been stored, we were advised to rest and call it a day. Sleep was certainly welcome after all the excitement and work that we had put in the past two days!

I woke up the next morning with a massive smile on my face as I thought about how, in less that 24 hours, I would be following in the footsteps of many great singers and actors before me by performing in one of the most well-know venues in the world! We met at the established meet up spot and walked into the hall together and were escorted up to our dressing room. My new friends and I could barely contain our excitement as we waited for our rehearsal time downstairs on the stage. We had about an hour to rehearse on the stage, and as we were brought down the stairs and through the stage door I whispered to my friend “I can’t believe this is actually happening!” We were given our places and ran through the number a few times when I noticed who was watching our rehearsal: Stephanie J. Block! That’s definitely something that makes you smile a little brighter and dance a little harder! After our rehearsal time had run out, we walked back up to our dressing room for dinner and then changed in to our costumes. We walked down the stairs to our spots and waited for the show to begin.

Waiting for our cue felt like a lifetime, and I began to shake with nervous excitement. The doors opened and there was no turning back! Despite the fact that I had learned it over a course of two days, every move felt as if it was in my bones. I knew messing up was not an option. I was in the presence of Broadway royalty, and nothing short of perfection would do! I didn’t have to put on my performance smile, because the joy on my face was 100% real. Yet, as soon as it began, it came to a close. Our time on the stage, while fleeting, was truly magical. While my friends were at home doing homework, I had just come off stage at Carnegie Hall! As the show concluded, we came out for curtain call in a shared moment with the night’s other special guests including (but was definitely not limited to) Megan Hilty, Rob McClure, Laura Osnes, Will Chase, Kelli O’Hara, and Nick Adams. As we walked off and back up to the dressing room for the last time, I caught Stephanie J. Block and told her that I hoped she got a Tony nomination. Sure enough, her name was read the next day on the Tony nominations telecast! As I gathered my things and walked down the stairs, I said goodbye to my friends and got in the car.

“Hold on,” I yelled out to my parents before we start on our journey home to Baltimore, “I want to make a stop before we go.” We pulled up to Juniors, and knowing that I would be going to school the next day, I bought a piece of chocolate chip pound cake and we were on our way. We got home around 3:30 in the morning, so I slept all I could then got up and went to school. Exhausted as I was, I felt I had been caught up in a Cinderella story, recalling my “Lovely Night” that happened less than 12 hours ago. As I walked into my class, my friends ran up to me swarming me with questions about my experience, to which I could only reply “It was the most wonderful thing I’ve done in my life!” I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall with Camp Broadway and all the friends I made during that weekend. It was truly magical!

Note from the Editor: Audition this Sunday to have your own chance to perform on the Carnegie Hall stage at this annual event! Camp Broadway is holding auditions on January 19th in NYC. More info.

After Midnight Review

Pure Entertainment. That might as well be the alternative title for After Midnight, the Harlem Jazz Age song-and-dance revue currently playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre and rarely are theatergoers treated to a cast filled with so many unique individuals, where each and every performer could fill a stage entirely on their own. But that’s the case at After Midnight, and the effect is thrilling.

However, it is rather important that you know one thing: the show isn’t a traditional plot-based evening. Yes, there’s famous Langston Hughes text used as a narration of sorts, delivered by the suave and charming Dule Hill. The structure of the show could theoretically suggest an “evening” in Harlem’s famed Cotton Club. Various performers have character traits that give them a certain recognizable sparkle throughout the performance. But, don’t let this loose narrative put you off. We promise you’ll be entertained.

The creators, led by the inventive director/choreographer, Warren Carlyle packed almost 30 show-stoppers into the fast-paced 90 minute show. Number after number, I watched the audience delight in the music and dance. And it’s clear that the cast is enjoying themselves just as much as us ticket-holders!

In many ways, the creative team’s greatest accomplishment is in their distinct attention to pacing. They never allow the show to stay in one place for long, and thus the evening never stales. This finesse can be spotted in every aspect of the physical production. John Lee Beatty’s classy sets are constantly moving and morphing to keep the stage picture fresh, and they’re beautifully augmented by Isabel Toledo’s song-specific costumes and Howell Binkley’s striking, mood-inducing lighting. Carlyle holds all of it together with his obvious eye for beauty, and his taste for mixing clever usage of props (a dance with a balloon stands out) with his clear understanding of all traditional forms of dance. Luckily, he’s a sculpting with the world’s most flexible clay when it comes to his performers. When these people sing, they sing. And when they dance? They DANCE. The tap-dancing alone is worth the price of admission.

Still, After Midnight has one appeal that undoubtedly overshadows everything else, the music! The music is equally recognizable and fresh, thanks to the rocking band that is the Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars. These are world-class jazz musicians, and that strangely feels like incompetent praise given the utter adrenaline that these guys are pumping out of their brass horns. At the end of the day, they’re the stars of the show, and the music feels like a show in itself!

After Midnight is simple. There are no gimmicks. There is no masquerade, and there’s nothing for any of the performers to hide behind- making the whole evening even more impressive. The musicians are brilliant. The singers and dancers are the best you’ll ever find. The effect is mesmerizing.

Photo via Business Week