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Broadway Unplugged
Blockbuster stars light up Dark Monday
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On November 17, Gypsy’s Mama Rose doesn’t need to shout, “Sing out, Louise!” Broadway’s best will deliver the goods—without microphones—when Broadway Unplugged comes to Town Hall. Given the superb acoustics in this extraordinary space, there are no electronics; raw human vocal power will fill the 1,500 seat auditorium.
In fact, the goal of Broadway Unplugged is to showcase Broadway singers—and that distinct Broadway sound—in the way it was originally meant to be heard. Plus, it’s a chance to see a favorite performer command the stage, removed from any theatrical artifice.
For audiences accustomed to vocal enhancements, it is a rare treat. In fairness, mics are used on Broadway for legitimate reasons: Eight shows a week takes a real toll on a singer’s voice. By the ’60s, leads were expected to perform increasingly vigorous dance numbers. Even the sturdiest lungs needed a boost after that kind of workout. (According to Playbill, body mics aren’t new. They date back to the 1957 musical Jamaica. Lena Horne didn’t click in tryouts so they fired the conductor, then added a body mic so audiences could hear her over the saxophones. The electronic assist turned an indifferent performance into a triumph.)
This year’s Broadway Unplugged, the fifth official performance, will feature some newcomers: Mary Poppins’ Ashley Brown; Robert Cuccioli, the Tony-nominated star of Jekyll & Hyde; Jeff McCarthy of Urinetown; and Jenn Colella from Urban Cowboy.
Returning Broadway Unplugged anchors include Tony nominee Marc Kudisch from Thoroughly Modern Millie and the upcoming 9 to 5; William Michals, who made his Great White Way debut in Beauty and The Beast; Deven May of Bat Boy; and award-winning vocalist Bill Daugherty.
“The concert is attended every year by musical theater lovers who crave the sound of the pure human voice and the opportunity to hear great Broadway music the way it was originally performed,” says the show’s creator/writer/host Scott Siegel. “[There is] nothing between the singer and the audience except the truth.”
“This is the only concert I’ve ever seen,” he adds proudly, “in which virtually every single performer gets called back for a second bow!”