Review : Leap Of Faith on Broadway

The quick review of Leap of Faith which opens this weekend at the St James Theater is - power voices, superb songbook, not so much on story.

Like the Steve Martin movie of the 90s, its the story of a con-man evangelist setting up shop in a little midwest town. He falls in love and learns that perhaps faith is not all a con. A complex or new story line it is not. It's predictable and filled with cliche characters.

The silver lining comes from the music and voices. Alan Menken was the mastermind behind the music and it brags the voices of Raul Esparza, Jessica Phillips, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans and Leslie Odom Jr.

Hear my full review and some of the music from the show in the link below.

China's Terracotta Soldiers Move Into Times Square

Pictures are one thing, but standing right next to the 600 pound soldiers and their horses is a whole different experience. I was in awe looking up from beside the massive terracotta pieces in a setting where you're so close, you could reach out and touch them. But don't. Remember, this is a museum exhibit.

10 of the soldiers have moved into the city as part of the Terracotta Warriors : Defenders of China's First Emperor exhibit at Discovery Times Square. That is the most that can be together on display at any one time outside of China.

Curatorial Consultant Kirsten Romney says there are also some interesting things to be learned from the other items dating back to 221 BCE that were found in the tomb.

“We have female infantry and cavalry. No one knew there were women soldiers back then. “ she said.

Some of the artifacts show that simple things were as important as the big impressive items that were put in the tombs.

“We have a little charcoal grill that's got bugs on a skewer. That would have been a little snack item for whoever was buried in the tomb for his afterlife,” she said, “Its such a small unassuming piece that makes a large statement for what people found was important to have with them in the afterlife.”

A number of the artifacts in the exhibit are making their U.S. debut. One of the larger pieces in the exhibit is making it's world premiere. The intricately carved gates leading into a burial chamber have never been on public display before. There is also an impressive set of stone armor. It had originally been put together with pieces of leather, which rotted over the centuries, leaving a pile of pieces. Each of those 1,000 or so pieces, carefully put back together to recreate the finished piece.

The exhibit will be open through the summer at Discovery Times Square.

Cast Close Up - Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Recently I saw Priscilla Queen of the Desert. I had my own thoughts and feelings about the show. You can read that review in an earlier blog.

But when I had a chance to chat with cast members Will Swenson(Tick & Mitzi), Nick Adams(Adam & Felicia) and Tony Sheldon(Bernadette) I wondered, what kind of impact the show has had on them. So, I asked....Below is an audio feature on what they had to say, with some of the transcript below. Enjoy!

Marquee on 42nd Getting Double Takes

Hopefully people wont be going off half-cocked over seeing the alternate name for a rooster in bold letters over the Duke Theater on 42nd. It really is the name of a show.

The show had been in London, and received rave reviews. The story revolves around a man who had broken up with his boyfriend and falls in love with a woman. He invites his father to dinner as they all try to sort it out in a setting that can only be described as a cockfighting ring. It's a theater in the round with almost no props, just the characters verbally sparring in an arena-style setting.

I chatted with one of the cast members, Cotter Smith, about the story, the title, and the second looks the marquee is going to get. You can hear that whole interview below.

Previews will begin on May 1st with opening night on May 17th.

You can check out the show website at www.cockfightplay.com

Can Music Turn Back The Clock On Alzheimer's?

Many New York nursing homes are filled with Alzheimer's and dementia patients that are withdrawn, depressed. Some can't or don't communicate.

But what happens when you give them music? Social Worker Dan Cohen has been taking iPods to nursing homes and seeing a dramatic reaction as they hear the music they love. It's almost as if it takes them back in time. No, it doesn't stop the disease. No, it's not a cure. So what does it do? It can let patients who did nothing but slump in a chair all day start singing and dancing with their hands. It can make other patients push their walker away to try and dance. And more important than anything else, it gives happiness to those hearing the music and those who are seeing their joy.

Hear the story here:

Additional Video - Here's a clip of the magic of music at work -

Learn more about the program at http://www.musicandmemory.org/

Priscilla – Driving The Bus For A Year On Broadway

Priscilla Queen of the Desert is celebrating it's first birthday on Broadway and I went to see it for my first time.

Something different I immediately noticed about this show, it really is what the commercial says, a show where the audience is dancing along with it. From the overture to the finale people were on the move.

Some of the songs include : Its Raining Men, Don't Leave Me This Way, Material Girl, Go West, I Say A Little Prayer , I Love the Night Life, True Colors, Color My World, I Will Survive and We Belong.

The story surrounds Tick, played by Will Swenson, grabbing a couple of his drag queen friends for a trek across Australia to do a show and meet his son for the first time.

Now, push play and listen to my take on the show in the link below. Enjoy the music!

Photos and Video courtesy of Boneau/Bryan-Brown

The People You Meet in Starbucks (Rubiks Cube)

I don't know about you, but I liked having a Rubiks Cube when I was a kid. I thought I would good at it, until I would get it messed up beyond all recognition. Then I became a pro at taking it apart and putting it back together again. But check out this kid that my brother, and FM NEWS 101.9 fellow reporter, Mike Murillo found in a Starbucks.