Back to Broadway

Over on Mark Evanier's website, he has a tremendous video today from the annual "Gypsy of the Year" even that Broadway Cares puts on every year in New York.  It's from three years ago when they reunited the entire original 1972 cast of Grease.  It's vibrantly done, and the best thing about it, to me, is that none of the cast is winking at the audience about "isn't it precious that we did this and are doing it now..."  They all take it dead-serious and perform as if it was the show, and you the audience deserve our best.  It's also seriously impressive how spot on they all are after...39 years.

Most of the cast didn't go on the great fame, but a few people are worth noting.  The one actor who did go on to a very good career was Barry Bostwick, who's probably best known for playing the mayor of New York, in the Michael J. Fox series Spin City.  Also in the cast were Adrienne Barbeau who's most recognizable as the daughter of Maude in that TV series.  And though Walter Bobbie's name isn't well known to most people, he went on to later having a very successful career as a stage director.

You can see the thing here and read Mark's comment.  Highly recommended.

Anyway, that brought to mind a companion-ish sort of video.  Not really, but it's in the ballpark.  This is Pat Suzuki, who in 1958 starred in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, Flower Drum Song.  This video comes from 48 years later, in 2006, when she appeared at the World Awards, and recreated her famous number, "I Enjoy Being a Girl."