Read on for some recent theatre headlines and videos you may have missed.
Lea Salonga Urges Everyone to "Dream Again"
Tony winner Lea Salonga, most recently on Broadway in Once On This Island, debuts her new track and accompanying video, “Dream Again,” above. Penned by Blair Bodine and Daniel Edmonds, the song aims to raise funds for charities aiding in COVID-19 relief around the world, including The Actors Fund. “In these times of self-isolation and global uncertainty, I wanted to bring together colleagues and friends to share a message of solidarity and hope," says the Miss Saigon star. "Each of us is learning to adapt to our new, temporary ways of life, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t think about, meditate on, and wish for the people, places, and things we once experienced in our day-to-day lives—maybe we even took them for granted from time to time, just a little bit. This song is a message to us all that it’s okay to be sad, it’s okay to feel lonely, and it’s okay to miss whatever it is we’re missing, but that it will get better. It’s an anthem for resilience and hope and a reminder for all of us that dreamed once before that it’s time to ‘Dream Again.’"
Damon Daunno, Robert Torti, More Featured on Broadway Sings Blood Rock The Musical EP
Tony nominees Damon Daunno (Oklahoma!) and Robert Torti (Starlight Express), along with Broadway alums Andy Mientus (Spring Awakening) and Jennifer DiNoia (Wicked), have lent their vocal talent to a new EP for Blood Rock The Musical. The record is available to listen on iTunes and Apple Music exclusively until September 18, when the EP will be released on all streaming platforms. The show follows rival gangs of vampires who have secretly lived in Philadelphia for centuries. Featuring music by Michael Berns and lyrics by Berns and Ralph Pezzullo, Blood Rock is currently being reworked for an updated Los Angeles production following its 2018 debut at the Odyssey Theatre. The new creative team—including director-choreographer Kay Cole, production designer Andy Walmsley, and producer Conwell Worthington—participated in the production of the new studio album.
Ride the Liminal Highway
Composer Christopher Cerrone and flutist Tim Munro have released a new EP, Liminal Highway, on New Focus Recordings. The five-movement piece is inspired by a poem by John K. Samson (lead singer-songwriter for the Canada-based band The Weakerthans) and explores the limbo state between sleeping and walking. Watch a filmed version, filmed aboard the abandoned SS United States in Philadelphia, below. The work was co-commissioned by Miller Theatre and premiered there in November 2016.
The Cabaret Releases Over 200 Archived Performances With Broadway Stars and More
Over 200 archived performances filmed at The Cabaret in Indianapolis, Indiana, have been released on the venue’s YouTube. Among the highlights are performances by Alan Cumming, Jennifer Holliday, Gavin Creel, Laura Benanti, Mandy Gonzalez, Billy Porter, Annaleigh Ashford, Megan Hilty, Kate Baldwin, Norm Lewis, Lindsay Mendez, Stephanie J. Block, Rachel Bay Jones, and Cheyenne Jackson. The organization plans to add new performances to YouTube every two weeks.
