Memorable moments from the Great White Way

The best of musical theater is showcased on Nov. 19, at the Madison Theatre on the campus of Molloy College, when some of Broadway’s leading performers combine their talents in the lively, original musical revue, “Give Our Regards to Broadway.”
A tribute to one of the great eras of musical theater, the show celebrates the great Broadway musicals of the 1950s, featuring music by Stephen Sondheim, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Irving Berlin, Robert Wright, George Forrest, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Frank Loesser, Meredith Willson, Leonard Bernstein, and many more.
It will be a spirited evening devoted some of American theater’s most celebrated musicals when an intimate group of vocalists, featuring three dazzling talents — all stars of Broadway — and aspiring student performers from Molloy’s CAP21 Theatre Arts program, gather together for a dynamic theatrical concert.
They’ll take the audience on a historic tour of theater’s Golden Age, recreating some of the biggest moments from some of the most beloved musicals of the past century, entertaining and transporting everyon to Broadway of the 1950s.
“We are excited to salute the ‘50s and the Golden Age of Broadway,” says Angelo Fraboni, the Madison Theatre’s artistic director, who conceived and is directing “Give Our Regards to Broadway,” with Music Director Aaron Gandy.

“The idea came from looking at the 60th anniversary of Molloy last year,” he says, explaining the show’s concept. “Molloy started in 1955. So we decided to put together a show that resembles the time that Molloy came to be. There’s so much great music from that era. The ‘50s was so rich with music of all sorts. Our focus is on how the theater contributed to the music of the decade.”
“The ‘50s was a time when entertainment was at a crossroads. World War II had ended and we had moved from traditional Broadway to jazz and contemporary music. Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis were on the scene. We were starting to become more of a pop generation then, becoming influenced by TV. It was a great era, both on the stage and for rock ‘n roll.”
“Broadway at that time had “Guys and Dolls,” “The Music Man, “Damn Yankees” and so many more. There are so many wonderful musicals from that era. It was an incredibly creative and explosive time for the theater. There were at least 80 to 90 musicals and plays going on Broadway at the time. The volume of work back then was remarkable.”
Fraboni will share some of that history with his audience, serving as a narrator of sorts. He’ll guide the cast, who will offer a wide-ranging selection of the many memorable showstoppers from that era, accompanied by the Children’s Orchestra Society, under the baton of the orchestra’s Artistic Director Michael Dadap.
“We had previously done very well with similar shows, as part of our Pops Concert Series — Rodgers and Hammerstein, Henry Mancini and Marvin Hamlisch, and last fall’s Jerry Herman on Broadway,” says Fraboni. “This is another look at terrific classic Broadway.”
Fraboni has assembled a dynamic cast of acclaimed performers — Cady Huffman, Robert Cuccioli and Scott Logsdon — who are joined by actor Jacob Thompson and five Molloy College students, all juniors in the CAP21 program.
“I am thrilled to have these extraordinary Broadway performers joining us for this concert,” says Fraboni. “Cady last performed during the opening of the Madison Theatre in our very first gala with Martin Short. Robert was one of the stars in our staged reading of the Wanderer that kicked off our 2016 season, and Scott rejoins us from our very successful British Invasion Concert from last season. So to have them all performing together in the same concert is an exciting evening for me and hopefully our audience.”
Huffman, a versatile performer, who won a Tony Award for her role as Ulla in “The Producers” and later revived the character on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” also received a Tony nomination for “The Will Rogers Follies.” Other stage credits include “The Nance,” “Steel Pier,” “Dame Edna,” “Big Deal,” and “La Cage aux Folles.” She has appeared on numerous TV shows, including as a judge on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” and is currently co-directing and choreographing the Drama League’s Gala tribute to Patti Lupone on Feb. 7, 2017.
Cuccioli, a Broadway veteran, received a Tony nomination for his role in “Jekyll & Hyde,” in which he originated the lead dual title roles. He has also appeared in “Les Miserables” and “Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark” and off-Broadway, in addition to TV and film work.
Logsdon, a longtime cast member and dance captain of “Les Misérables” on Broadway and on tour, maintains a busy performance schedule on national and regional stages, in addition to other theatrical and creative projects.
Lending their musical voice to this production are students Jennifer Berger, Peggy Sue Johson, Hannah Mount, Bella Muller, and Shannon Murphy. They’ll be part of this two-act revue that touches on the wide-ranging shows that make their mark on musical theater in the 1950s: “Gypsy,” “Bells Are Ringing,” “Kismet,” “The Pajama Game,” and “My Fair Lady,” among others.
“Our Cap21 students have such great talent,” says Fraboni. “These five have done many concerts here and always excel. They really hold their own. I am really pleased they are participating in this concert. It helps them to develop their own performances by working with the pros and audiences tell me they can’t tell the difference between the pros and the students. These students love to perform and are wonderful singers.”
Songs are interspersed with commentary and anecdotes about the shows and the tunes. “The stories illustrate the music and these wonderful scores,” says Fraboni.
The Children’s Orchestra Society contributes a lively orchestral Broadway-style backdrop to the production, with its complement of student and professional musicians. “Michael Dadap does a great job with these kids and they always rise to the occasion,” says Fraboni. “It’s amazing what they can do.”
The evening opens with the overture to Gypsy, setting the tone for what is to come. “The overture is one of the most beautiful pieces of music,” says Fraboni. “It is so gorgeous, I just had to start with it.”
Fraboni adds: “If you love Broadway music, then this is a show you will want to see. It’s sentimental, funny, exciting — all of these things. Older folks in the audience will have fond memories of seeing these shows and how wonderful these scores are. The younger generation will get a sense of these great shows and how contemporary musicals are often modeled after these wonderful shows.”
Proceeds will support the Joan Roberts Scholarship.

Give Our Regards to Broadway
When: Nov. 19, 8 p.m. $25-$45.
Where: Madison Theatre at Molloy College, Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre.
(516) 323-4444 or www.madisontheatreny.org.