News Round-Up: March 29, 2018

Me with Arminae Austen and Matt Zarley in Fort Worth, Texas 1999

Some news items you might have missed:

• Since it's Thursday, how about a little #Throwback action? The pic above was from a production of A Chorus Line I directed back in 1999 at Casa Mañana in Fort Worth, Texas. I wasn't originally going to be in the show but the producers eventually asked if I would also play the role of "Bobby" since I had many times before. Pictured with my besties from the Broadway production of ACL who came down to kill it, and kill it they did, Matt Zarley and Arminae Austen.

• There will be a sixth and final installment of social media phenom Sharknado this year on SyFy Network. #YAY! #DumbButFun

• The Ecuadorian embassy has placed jammers in its own building to block WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from access to the internet, social media or even phone calls. Assange has been living in the embassy since 2012 believing he'll be picked up and extradited to the United States for questioning over activities by WikiLeaks.

•  A high-level Trump campaign official had repeated communications in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign with a business associate tied to Russian intelligence, according to a document released on Tuesday by the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the election. Remember when the story was "There was NO communication by anyone on the Trump campaign with Russians?"

• Did you hear the one about Donald Trump's lawyer dangling pardons to former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn and former campaign chair Paul Manafort? #ObstructionOfJustice?

• Always keeping in mind that nature is beautiful but can be just as dangerous, check out this incredible video of a cheetah on the hunt who jumped into a jeep to check things out. Gorgeous, exciting but scary as hell. The passenger didn't make eye contact so he wouldn't seem a threat. #WOW

Incredible video shows a cheetah on a hunt jumping into a jeep to find a better scouting spot. The passenger stayed quiet and didn’t make eye contact so the cheetah didn’t see him as a threat. https://t.co/vQm1lmCLtv pic.twitter.com/mnKugvik4v

— ABC News (@ABC) March 29, 2018

Broadway's Robert Fairchild Dances "Music And The Mirror" For MISCAST! Gala

Robert Fairchild at the 2018 "Miscast" Gala

MCC Theater's annual MisCast gala is one of the most exciting and unique theater events in New York City. Broadway’s brightest stars perform songs from roles in which they would never be cast.

At this year's event, Robert Fairchild, nominated for a Tony Award in his Broadway debut as "Jerry Mulligan" in the musical An American In Paris, took on the challenge of performing "The Music and the Mirror" originally danced by Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie in the groundbreaking A Chorus Line.

I actually have a story to tell in relation to this.

In 1989, I was cast in a national tour of A Chorus Line starring the original Tony Award winner for "Cassie," Donna McKechnie.

Donna was a hero to me. I didn't hesitate to say "yes." No negotiating - just sign me up. I had to share the stage with the incomparable McKechnie.

Not only was Donna still brilliant, if not better than ever, in the role, but she was as wonderful in life as she was illuminating onstage. We became fast friends.

Along the tour, due to my constant curiosity, I asked Donna questions about "Music and the Mirror" (aka "Cassie dance"). Donna was very generous in passing along information about the backstory of the dance, the meaning behind the movement, the storytelling, where steps came from...

Eventually she gave me a "Cassie dance" class and personally taught me the dance. It seemed back then that all then male dancers wanted to know the dance as it was not only dramatic but thrillingly athletic to dance.

Now, when we would arrive at a new city on tour, there would be a sound check at the theater and among other things Donna would sing "Music and the Mirror" so the sound man could get a handle on the new acoustics. The orchestra would play the full dance as it also helped the sound department EQ the band.

Donna didn't dance the dance in sound check as, well, she didn't need to. The understudy would take the opportunity to go over the number onstage as me and another dancer in the show would work the dance in a corner of the stage. I mean, the music WAS playing and we stayed out of the way.

At our last stop on the tour, I was uncharacteristically in my dressing room in the basement of the theatre as Donna sound checked the song. As the music kept playing, I heard the cast in the audience start chanting, "Ran-dy! Ran-dy! Ran-dy!"

It took me a second to understand what was going on, but I went flying upstairs.

I hit the empty stage just in time for the first dance break into the mirrors. The cast burst into cheers as I went into full-on "Cassie dance." Donna had suggested I finally get my "chance to dance."

For that one time, I had the full stage to take on the whole dance with a full Broadway-size orchestra. The stage manager even had the crew fly in the mirrors in the middle of the dance. Can you imagine?

It was a thrill to be in the moment, in the music and have my friends (and Donna) encourage me. Truly a memory to keep :)

The cast used to muse that I could be an understudy as "Casey" in a "non-traditional casting" choice.

I've since directed and choreographed A Chorus Line several times always passing on what Donna taught me about the dance.

Robert Fairchild does a terrific job here. He has a small space but makes the dance work beautifully.

The guy dancers still love to dance this dance. And I'm proud to say I know why :)

Watch below.

Excuse Me For A Moment...

I don't take my fellow LGBTQ media colleagues to task very often, but I have to say I've been stunned how little coverage the passing of Tony Award winner Sammy Williams of A Chorus Line fame got in the LGBTQ media.

I'll admit up front that some outlets like Boy Culture and Kenneth-in-the-212 took time to acknowledge the huge contribution that Williams made with his groundbreaking performance as a gay dancer in the original Broadway production of A Chorus Line as "Paul San Marco."

But so many - and you know who you are - didn't take even a few minutes to briefly write or even link to remembrances of the actor.

I even wrote to a few major outlets to point up his passing.

In addition to the Tony Award, Williams was honored with the Obie Award and a Special Theatre World Award for his stunning work.

It's no exaggeration to say Sammy's performance in A Chorus Line changed lives.

Audiences gay and straight had rarely seen such a raw, authentic portrayal of a gay man on the Broadway stage before his Tony Award-winning performance. For many gay men it was heart-stopping to see our lives presented without any pulled punches.

Long before we had actors like out actors like Sean Hayes and Jim Parsons put gay life in front of audiences, even before we had straight actor Billy Crystal in the 70s TV show Soap, Sammy Williams had the courage and talent to stand alone in a single spotlight and stun audiences with a 7-minute monologue with no special effects or tricks - just the power of the sound of his voice - wherein he chronicled his character's difficult journey as a young gay dancer who could only find safety in the company of drag queens.

Drag queens, Tony Awards, Broadway, authentic gay life - these are subjects constantly in the gay press but for the most part Williams' passing went ignored.

A Chorus Line won not only 7 Tony Awards (one for Williams) but a Pulitzer Prize for Drama - in great part because of Williams' performance.

He was a courageous artist and trailblazer.

He deserved more.

Tony Award-Winner ("A Chorus Line") Sammy Williams Passes Away At 69

Very sad to report that Sammy Williams, Tony Award-winner for his groundbreaking performance as gay dancer "Paul San Marco" in the original production of A Chorus Line, has passed away at the age of 69.

In addition to the Tony Award, Williams was honored with the Obie Award and a Special Theatre World Award for his stunning work.

While Michael Bennett's edgy, "internal/external" direction and choreography advanced the art of Broadway story-telling by light years, Williams' monologue chronicling "Paul's" difficult teen years as a young gay man was the definition of pure theatre.

Standing in a spotlight with practically no movement at all, the heart-breaking and painfully authentic journey of "Paul" drew audiences in with just the power of his voice.

The one sly theatrical technique Bennett employed during the segment - a long, slow, almost indiscernible 90-second lighting cue that brought all the stage lights down save for that one spotlight. Paired with Williams' brilliant performance, audiences were powerless to avoid the emotional impact of the scene.

It's no exaggeration to say Sammy's performance in A Chorus Line changed lives.

Audiences gay and straight had rarely seen such a raw, authentic portrayal of a gay man on the Broadway stage before his Tony Award-winning performance. For many gay men it was heart-stopping to see our lives presented without any pulled punches.

Williams' was only 26 when he first played San Marco, and although he had previously performed on Broadway in Applause, Seesaw and The Happy Time, this - amazingly - was his first speaking role.

Longtime fans of the show might be surprised to know that Williams' life story actually appeared in the musical but not in the role of San Marco.

During the now-famous "tape recorded sessions" of dancers, Williams shared that in his childhood, when his sister announced she didn't feel like going to dance class, he told his parents "I can do that!" and so was born the role of "Mike Costa" and the song "I Can Do That!"

Original cast member and dance captain Baayork Lee shared her condolences on Facebook: "My heart is sad this morning as I learned Sammy Williams, original Paul in A Chorus Line, has gone on his journey into the light. Sammy and I spent so much time together between our ACL workshops and sharing our experiences. R.I.P. Fly and soar as you did here."

On a personal note, I spent years touring in the national company of A Chorus Line, for the most part in the role of "Mark" standing next to "Paul." From my first production in 1985 to my last in 2015 (as choreographer), the power of the show never failed move me.

A Chorus Line opened at the Shubert Theater on July 25, 1975, and played 6,137 performances, becoming Broadway’s longest-running production until 1997, when Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats surpassed that number.

Williams returned to the Shubert Theatre on September 29, 1983, for A Chorus Line's record-breaking performance.

Below, watch a portion of Williams leading a "greek chorus" of "Pauls" in his Tony Award-winning monologue at that special event.

From the original Broadway cast recording, Williams offered the audience foreshadowing of what was to come with "Who Am I Anyway?" at the end of the opening number.

My Favorite Thing Today: Dancing A CHORUS LINE In A T-Rex Costume

Without a doubt, this is my favorite thing today.

A dancer performs the opening combination of A CHORUS LINE in a T-Rex costume!

Hysterical!

Yes, this is me in a T- Rex costume dancing A Chorus Line. Hope you enjoy.
Posted by Michael Macilwee on Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Saturday Show Tune: Audra McDonald, Megan Hilty, Kelli O'Hara "At The Ballet"

People sometimes forget that in the midst of all that brilliant staging and choreography in A Chorus Line lies a Pulitzer Prize-winning score.

Somehow, I had never seen this performance of "At The Ballet" with Audra McDonald, Megan Hilty, Kelli O'Hara.

According to several sources, this song was the first segment of ACL that really gelled. Once director/choreographer Michael Bennett "found" this, things really began to click.

Superbly sung here.

40 Years Ago Today: A Chorus Line Officially Opens On Broadway

October 19, 1975, A Chorus Line officially opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre

Time: Now. - Place. Here.

"The characters portrayed in A CHORUS LINE are, for the most part, based upon the lives of Broadway dancers. This show is dedicated to anyone who has ever danced in a chorus or marched in step...anywhere."

It's difficult to calculate the impact the show has had on my life and career. As many long-time readers know, I performed in two national touring companies of the show, working at different time with several of the now legendary original cast members including Tony Award winners Donna McKechnie, Kelly Bishop, Priscilla Lopez, plus Baayork Lee, Thommie Walsh and Kay Cole.

I also came thisclose to being cast in the Broadway production twice. Life.

Since then, I've passed on what I learned from those greats by staging almost a dozen productions of the show.

Happy Anniversary A Chorus Line!

(h/t Paul Liberti)

Happy Birthday Julie Andrews - "At The Ballet"

I am a fan of the fab Julie Andrews. What a talent.

Rather than post something obvious, like the opening of "The Sound of Music" - I found this rather rare, and unusual clip from a 1979 TV special where Julie sings all three parts of "At The Ballet" from the then fantastically popular A Chorus Line.

It gets a little surreal as she tries to interpolate all three parts, but you get the idea.

Gotta love 1970s TV specials....

40th Anniversary of A Chorus Line Opening On Broadway

I can't imagine my life without the impact of A Chorus Line. Both professionally as an actor and personally as a gay man.

Ground-breaking, innovative, genius - the superlatives for the 7 time Tony Award winning Broadway musical go on and on.

Thanks to Michael Bennett and company for opening so many doors and taking the next step.

Tony Awards On CBS Tonight!

In advance of tonight's Tony Awards show on CBS at 8PM, I wanted to reflect back on the days when the Tonys would pay tribute to the giants of the Broadway world.

From the 1970s through the 1980s the telecast, in addition to handing out the awards for excellence that year on Broadway, would deliver world-class numbers and entertainment honoring the artists of the Broadway genre.

In 1988, a year after 7-time Tony Award winner Michael Bennett's death, original cast members of A Chorus Line and Dreamgirls came together for a terrific montage to remind of his genius.

More than any other director or choreographer, I think (in my mind) I've hoped to aspire to the kind of vision Michael brought to his work.  Breaking ground time after time with Company, Follies, A Chorus Line and the breathtaking Dreamgirls, I've had a visceral connection to his genius ever since I can remember understanding who he was.

Watch below - AND don't forget to watch the Tony tonight!

Thanks to my blogger buddy Wicked Gay Blog for reminding me of this fab clip.

The Public Theater Pays Tribute to A CHORUS LINE on 40th Anniversary

Sasha Hutchings, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Baayork Lee, Kay Cole, Donna McKechnie and Phillipa Soo

The cast of the ground breaking off-Broadway show HAMILTON at The Public Theater - currently the hottest ticket in NYC - pays tribute to A CHORUS LINE on the 40th anniversary of its first performance in the Newman Theater at The Public.

Upon the conclusion of curtain calls, the Hamilton cast recreated the finale of the senior show’s opening number, lining up across the stage of the Newman Theater, holding their real-life resume photos in front of their faces and singing, “Who am I anyway/Am I my resume?...”

Led by their composer/star Lin-Manuel Miranda, the cast of HAMILTON then performed “What I Did for Love” in its entirety for the Chorus Liners, who had been invited to attend that evening.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (L), Leslie Odom (C) and Jonathan Groff (R) from the cast of HAMILTON

Happy 40th Birthday A Chorus Line!

Think of the theater history made 40 years ago today when A Chorus Line opened off-Broadway at the Public Theater on April 16, 1975.

How to write about a show so special it would go on to move uptown to Broadway and win every major theater award possible including 8 Tony Awards, 7 Drama Desk Awards and the Pulitzer Prize?

Every thing about the show was new and fresh. From the stark realism of the "audition" setting, to the exuberant and cinematic choreography, to the raw and emotional performances that anyone who's ever applied for a job could relate to.

Give me somebody to dance for, give me somebody to show. Let me wake up in the morning to find I have somewhere exciting to go...

I can remember listening to the Original Broadway Cast Recording of the show in my bedroom in Fort Worth, Texas, at age 12. What I would give to recapture the awe and images conjured in my mind listening for the first time to songs like "What I Did For Love," "At The Ballet," and "The Music and the Mirror." Did I really understand it? No. But I was organically drawn to the material.

There's a lot I am not certain of. Hello twelve, hello thirteen, hello love.

I had just begun my journey as a performer, with no clue that 10 years later I would perform in my first professional production of the show. And just a few years after that I would be in a National Touring company of the show with the original star and Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie.

(True story - I got the offer for the tour via my "phone service" at the time. I called the casting folks from the subway. They made the offer and said "take a day and think about the offer." I said, "I'll take it." They said, "No, feel free to think about it." And I said even more emphatically, "I'LL TAKE IT! MARK ME DOWN AS YES!" Can you imagine saying "no" to doing A Chorus Line with Donna McKechnie???)

The show became very important to me, as I think it does everyone who's ever stood on that line. It is a show about "us." We may not know who we are, but we know it's about us.

Who am I anyway? Am I my resume? That is a picture of a person I don't know.

It was one of those shows that just "fit" me. From my first rehearsal I felt so comfortable with the steps; with the concept; with the music; with the open, honest approach of the stories.

I made sure it was the first show I ever saw on Broadway. A breathless experience. I'll never forget how it moved so fast. Number after number. It just kept coming at you.

Kind of like life.

After two National touring companies, twice I almost replaced in the Broadway company. But fate had other plans.

The sweetness and the sorrow.

I went on to be in other Broadway shows I never dreamed of. And that's a part of the life of a Broadway dancer.

But the show continued to impact my life as I performed the show under the direction of many original cast members. And eventually, I passed that wisdom on in companies I've staged. I think at last count, I've put 9 companies on the boards across the country; the most recent being last summer at Sacramento Music Circus.

Over the years I got to know and work with many of the original cast members: Donna McKechnie, Thommie Walsh, Baayork Lee, Kay Cole, Priscilla Lopez, Kelly Bishop and more. Can you imagine? What a gift. All of them sharing this tribal experience.

Wish me luck, the same to you.

I always loved hearing what the "originals" had to say about the show and how to approach it. I hate to say "how it should be done" because the one constant in every "original's" recounting was that Michael Bennett - the original director/choreographer - always brought the focus back to each performer. And each replacement got that respect. Because THAT's what the show was about - the individuals who make up the chorus of a Broadway musical.

We're all special. He's special, she's special. And Sheila, and Richie and Connie. They're all special.

If a new cast member had a different line reading or thought on a line, they didn't have to just regurgitate their predecessors performance.

So, when I stage the show now, I let every cast and creative team member know that while I want to honor the integrity of the show, and the choreography will be as close to the original as possible, it's important to not get caught up in starting on this foot or that foot. The tiny details that everyone might swear they know as the "original" way, but no one seems to have a flawless memory of what it really, really was. The point is the intention behind it. It's about US.

Gone. Love is never gone. As we travel on, love's what we'll remember.

And that lesson informs me now every time I approach a new production. It's never "what was this?" It's "what is this about?"

And ultimately, it's about "what we did for love."

Happy birthday A Chorus Line.

Press pic of me as "Mark" in the National Tour of A Chorus Line

Archival photo of Michael Bennett directing the original cast of A Chorus Line

"Who am I anyway?" (Click to enlarge)

Seth Rudetsky Deconstructs "At The Ballet"

Seth Rudetsky "deconstructs" A Chorus Line

This just kills me.

As many readers of The Randy Report know, I was an actor and dancer on Broadway for many years.

Along that journey, I got to work with the fab Seth Rudetsky on a couple of projects - most notably the off-Broadway hit Pageant.

Seth has this wonderful series of "deconstructing" recordings of Broadway show recordings - and this one is perfection.

In this video, Seth "deconstructs" the original Broadway cast recording of A Chorus Line's "At The Ballet." To perfection.

I'm especially impressed that Seth includes in his analysis that the story of "Maggie" was actually based on Tony Award-winner Donna McKechnie's life story.

I've directed A Chorus Line several times and the show is near and dear to my heart. This song, though, is usually where someone in rehearsals comes to me and says "Randy, you've got to stop crying."

I don't know why but the story of "At The Ballet" resonates deeply for me.

Watch Seth do his brilliant thing below:

Theater: A CHORUS LINE opens at Sacramento Music Circus

The Finale of A Chorus Line at Sacramento Music Circus

Finally getting a chance to exhale as I've spent the past two weeks in Sacramento choreographing what feels like a new, fresh and creative A Chorus Line for Sacramento Music Circus.

Uber-proud of the fab cast and crew there. We opened Tuesday night this week to excellent reviews (thank you, thank you, thank you - grateful), and now I'm back at home in Las Vegas with hubby Michael, Bruno the wonder dog and the rest of the pups.

I can only describe this as a truly calm, creative and collaborative experience working with one of the best and most respected directors in theater today - Stafford Arima. The producers of the theatre thought we would make a good team, and I'm happy to say it was a joy from beginning to end.  I think it's rare you walk into an experience with a new "team-mate" and find such a solid connection and unified artistic vision.  Everyone connected to the production from Stafford to our music director Valerie Gebert to the designers who brought the show to life were all on the same page.

I will admit there was a tiny amount of trepidation on my part in taking the job since, as you can guess, A Chorus Line makes "the line" an integral part of the show.   Staging a show that is iconically about a line -  IN THE ROUND - can make for some big creative leaps in order to honor the Pulitzer prize-winning material.

I've been associated with the show for 29 years, performing it for the first time in 1985. Since then, I've been a part of the show as an actor in many national and regional productions (with original cast members Donna McKechnie, Baayork Lee and Kay Cole), and as director/choreographer of several productions in my own right.

Releasing my decades of experience with the show could have been much more difficult, except for our secret weapon - director Stafford Arima. Stafford did not have a history with the show. And that, coupled with his innate talent for questions and creativity moved the show from just another "step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch" to a very new, "out of the box" production.

When my muscle memory would sometimes kick in, and I'd think "how do we...?," Stafford would ask "do we have to do it that way...? What if we...?  Could we...?" and suddenly new ideas became reality.

Do we have to form a single line in the finale?  Can "At The Ballet" spread out to the entire theater?  Can we use mirrors in the production without blocking the audiences view?  

"Deconstructed" became the catch word.  And as Martha Stewart would say, "This is a good thing."

The only things I made sure I brought to the production were ideas/concepts that I had learned over the years from original Broadway cast members that honored the integrity of the piece. The voice of the individual; that everyone is special.  The further and further we got into the rehearsal process, the more comfortable I was that we were doing Michael Bennett (the original Tony Award winning director/choreographer) proud in sharing the intent of the piece.  It was never about starting on the right or left foot - it was about what were we saying.  As Stafford would say over and over "Trust the text."  I would add, "the Pulitzer Prize-winning" text.

I did find one special place with which to land the iconic "logo" line of the show.  That made me happy.  To find out where, come see the show :)

Sacramento Music Circus photog Charr Crail (production pics) and cast member John Williford (rehearsal and opening night pics) shared several photos with me that I've posted here to give you a sense of the journey that is this A Chorus Line.

Should you be interested in what the critics had to say, you can read the Sacramento Bee and Broadway World reviews by clicking those links.  I'm very grateful for the kind words all around.

And, there's a video montage from the production featuring this fab cast below.

Thanks to all at Sacramento Music Circus.

 Kick, ball, change and thanks to everyone for doing "what you do for love."

"Hello 12, Hello 13" with the company

Jen Foote ("Sheila"), Juliane Godfrey ("Judy") and Katie Huff ("Kristine")

Eric Sciotto as "Zach" and Kate Levering as "Cassie"

The Finale

Opening ballet combination with Courtney Iventosch ("Lois") and Kate Levering ("Cassie")

Nick Varricchio as "Mike Costa"

Adam Fleming and Katie Huff as "Al" & "Kristine"

Xavier Cano as "Paul San Marco"

The Opening of A Chorus Line at Sacramento Music Circus

Zach (Eric Sciotto) rehearsing "One"

Taking a break with the cast during rehearsals

In rehearsal: "At The Ballet"

Drew Humphrey ("Don Kerr"), Kat Murphy ("Laura" & my associate choreographer) with me and hubby Michael at the opening night party.  More wine!

The exceptionally attractive cast of A Chorus Line at the opening night party

Even more of the gorgeous cast of A Chorus Line at the opening night party

Billy Porter, Jonathan Groff, Zachary Quinto and Jesse Tyler Ferguson celebrate Marvin Hamlisch

KINKY BOOTS Tony Award winner Billy Porter shared shots of himself and fellow Broadway headliners Zachary Quinto, Jonathan Groff, Jessie Tyler Ferguson and more at last night's celebration of Marvin Hamlisch and the 40th anniversary of the birth of A CHORUS LINE.

The event was held at The Public Theatre in New York City.

Celebrating The GREAT Marvin Hamlisch wit da homies @PublicTheater! @ZacharyQuinto @jessetyler Jonathan Groff! pic.twitter.com/IgOHsbkCXV
— Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) June 23, 2014

In rehearsal: "A Chorus Line" at Sacramento Music Circus

Teaching the cast "Shit Richie" with my associate choreographer Kat Murphy

Hard to believe, but it was 29 years ago this summer that I first performed in A Chorus Line - "in the round" at Casa Manana in Fort Worth, TX.

And here I am choreographing the show "in the round" now in Sacramento. Carly Simon once wrote "I know nothing stays the same, but If you're willing to play the game, you know it's coming around again..." Glad to know she was right.

Sacramento Music Circus had a photographer at a recent rehearsal, so I thought I'd share a few of the pics.  Way proud of this cast.

Please note my open wide jazz hands :)

With our director Stafford Arima

Kate Levering ("Cassie") and I rehearsing "Music and the Mirror"

The cast dancing "Shit Richie"

My "temple"

Thanks for indulging me, faithful readers. I'm currently staging A Chorus Line at Sacramento Music Circus.

This is the closest thing to a "temple" in my life.

This is seriously where I love to be.

A new adventure - A Chorus Line at Sacramento Music Circus

With my partner in crime, Kat Murphy

So a new adventure in the theater lies in store for me over the next ten days.

I'm currently back in Sacramento at the Music Circus where I staged Chicago The Musical last August.  I'm flattered to be asked back this year, and to stage a show near and dear to my heart, A Chorus Line.

(Regular readers of The Randy Report will know that the first half of my life was spent living in the theater.  I'm lucky to still work in this "temple" I call home.)

We began rehearsals today and the cast is really quite wonderful.  I'll be choreographing the show, and the fantastic Stafford Arima is directing.

Also along for the ride - as I need her whenever I can get her - is my "partner in crime" associate Kat Murphy.  Kat has been my team mate for several theater productions now, and I can't imagine these adventures without her.  She's a formidable talent in her own right, AND she can read my mind.

I will be posting her throughout the next week, just on different timing depending on my rehearsal schedule.  So I thank you all in advance for staying with me as my posts may come at different hours.  Please check back here as The Randy Report keeps me sane connecting with you all.  This really is my time to take care of myself by being a part of the blogosphere.

For more info about Sacramento Music Circus, please click here.

The original cast of A Chorus Line on Donahue

I hadn't watched this in a long time.

The original cast of A Chorus Line on Donahue talking about the process and experience of creating the landmark theatre piece.

A Chorus Line was a big part of my career for many years, and I was fortunate to work and appear with many of these fab actors - Donna McKechnie, Baayork Lee, Kay Cole, my fabulous Thommie Walsh and many others. There's a tradition in theatre, and particularly dance, to "pass on" knowledge and skills to the next generation. And I learned so much from all of them.

This is just one segment of the show, but I'd encourage folks to go watch the other segments on YouTube as well. Cast members perform there original numbers, and talk about the pain and joy of being a part of something iconic and personal.

Baayork mentions a book that she and Thommie Walsh helped write, On The Line, about the birthing of the project on the TV show, and you can still find it on Amazon.  Simply fascinating. If you're interested in Broadway and theatre, it's truly a must read.

Marvin Hamlisch, composer of "A Chorus Line," dead at 68

Playbill is reporting that Marvin Hamlisch, who achieved theatre immortality as the composer of the iconic musical A Chorus Line, died Aug. 7 following a brief illness. He was 68.

Mr. Hamlisch's other theatre works included They're Playing Our Song, Jean Seberg, Smile, The Goodbye Girl and Sweet Smell of Success. His latest musical, The Nutty Professor, recently opened in Tennessee.

But it was with the groundbreaking A Chorus Line, which told of the frustrations and worries of a group of anonymous dancers trying out for a Broadway musical, that he made his mark as a theatre figure.

He was already famous as an all-around wunderkind when he began work on A Chorus Line. A child prodigy, he was accepted into Juilliard before he was seven. Before he was 30, he had received Oscars for his score and song to "The Way We Were" and his adaptations of Scott Joplin ragtime tunes in "The Sting," which helped usher in a Joplin revival.

Mr. Hamlisch is one of only 11 people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. On top of this, he also won the Pulitzer Prize for A Chorus Line.

I did 2 National Touring companies of A Chorus Line and due to that, I was fortunate to perform with Marvin a few times at benefit galas when the cast would be invited to perform the finale "One" and the most famous song from the show "What I Did For Love." Marvin was always very easy to be around, but it was clear that he was a genius. And not in a cranky or showy kind of way. He was just brilliant at what he did and made things look easy - even when you knew they were not.

In an interview in July, Mr. Hamlisch talked about the emotional investment he put into each piece of music he composed.

“I’m not one of those people who says, ‘I never read reviews,’ because I don’t believe those people,” Mr. Hamlisch said. “I think they read ‘em. These songs are my babies. And I always say, it’s like having a baby in a hospital, taking a Polaroid and going up to someone and saying, ‘What do you think?’ And he goes, ‘I give you a 3.’ That’s what criticism is like. You’ve worked on this thing forever – ‘I give you a 3.’ And it’s part of you. That’s the bargain you’ve made.”

For years we've all seen Marvin do "celebrity music director" duty on major television specials and galas. And there was good reason for that. He really was "one singular sensation."

Rest in peace Marvin Hamlisch.