Prince of Broadway is the quintessential theater lovers dream. A crash course in not only Hal Prince's career and life, but an introduction to some of the best shows to have been on Broadway, featuring a standout cast at the top of their game. That is what this new show is, and it's a treat for anyone who wants a night out on Broadway.
The nine person cast features Chuck Cooper, Janet Dacal, Bryonha Marie Parham, Emily Skinner, Brandon Uranowitz, Kaley Ann Voorhees, Michael Xavier, Tony Yazbeck, and Karen Ziemba. What makes this cast so good? Well, their versatility as actors and ability to become different characters within minutes is a true showing of the incredible talent this cast possesses.
Before actually seeing Prince of Broadway, it's hard to imagine how one could weave together shows like Company and Kiss of the Spider Woman. But it is tremendously successful.
Tony Yazbeck shines with his tap routine during "The Right Girl" from Follies. He appears to have a natural talent for dance, and it never looks forced or difficult as he pulls off the routine with ease and grace.
Bryohna Marie Parham was the best Sally Bowles I have ever heard as she sang the title song from Cabaret. Her range and vocal control blew me away and she has an incredible stage presence.
Brandon Uranowitz defines versatility with his performances throughout the production. His takes on George from She Loves Me and Emcee from Cabaret were especially wonderful as well as his take on David from Company and Molina from Kiss of the Spider Woman. It really seems that he can play anyone.
Kaley Ann Voorhees was the perfect Christine from Phantom of the Opera. She previously became the youngest person to play the role on Broadway and she certainly has the voice to do it. She sang "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" wonderfully and fits the character so well.
Janet Dacal was the perfect Eva from Evita. She sang both "Buenos Aires" and "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" incredibly well. She was also amazing as Aurora from Kiss of the Spider Woman and especially as Janet from It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman.
Chuck Cooper is also one of the most versatile actors in the show, doing a fantastic job as Sweeney Todd and as Joe from Show Boat, not to mention being a fantastic Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof while singing “If I Were A Rich Man”.
Emily Skinner absolutely shone when singing “Ladies Who Lunch” from Company at the beginning of the second act. The applause lasted longer than it had before and she was obviously in character.
Karen Ziemba was also fantastic during the Cabaret section and as Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd. She has a very powerful voice and is fantastic at changing between characters.
Michael Xavier gave a wonderful rendition of “Being Alive” from Company as he took on Bobby. He was also a wonderful Phantom of the Opera and sang the title song from that show incredibly well.
One of my favorite parts of the show was how each actor assumed the voice of Hal Prince to narrate and talk about his career and the show featured in the production. It made the production more personal as we were able to understand the 'story' of the show through Prince.
The production is intimate, being in the 650 seat Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. From my seat in the front row, it felt as if they were singing straight to you, a feeling I am almost positive you could get from any seat in the house.
I also met the entire cast after the show at the stage door. As well as being incredibly talented they were all so nice. If you can, go see Prince of Broadway as it is a wonderful production with one of the best casts on Broadway.