Ms. Broadway: September 2011: Kimberly Grigsby

Ms. Broadway September 2011

Kimberly Grigsby

WHY SHE'S MS. BROADWAY: Truly one of Broadway's unsung heroes, a musical director and/or the conductor nurtures a show through its birth, crafting the sound of the orchestra to the singers onstage, making sure each live performance is a total connect between musicians, actors and audience.  Along with the stage manager, the musical director/conductor(s) keep the show going long after the director has gone on to another project.  Imagine all of that, plus the scrutiny of national press, cast firings, quitting, near death experiences, directors let go, new teams of writers coming in, plus the chance to work with U2's Bono and The Edge, and you've got this month's Ms. Broadway, Kimberly Grigsby, whose job it is to get the pit in sync with whatever happens on stage or in the air at the Foxwoods Theatre.  Ms. Grigsby first came to my attention in the pit at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre at a preview of The Full Monty, where she bobbed up and down as she conducted the high-energy overture to the show.  Her enthusiasm really set the tone, and she got an appreciative hand.  I noticed her again, long dark hair a flying and barefoot as she guided her musicians through Spring Awakening.  And when I saw in the Playbill of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark that she was musical director, I made a point of checking out her moves in the monitors.  Later, when they added the very cool video of the orchestra to the curtain call, there she was again!  And so, it seems appropriate that an unsung hero, one who always puts me at ease as far as the music goes, be Ms. Broadway.  Recognition for her is long overdue.

OTHER INFO:

• Age/Education: 42 years old; SMU
• Where you might have seen her: Broadway: The Light in the Pizza, Twelfth Night, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Full Monty, Grease, Caroline, or Change, Spring Awakening, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark; Off-Broadway: Spring Awakening, Twelfth Night, Songs from an Unmade Bed; Regional: SCKBSTD
• Where to find her on the Internet: www.ibdb.com; http://spidermanonbroadway.marvel.com/home.  Check out the video below, where she explains her job and the challenges of working from the basement!

IN PHOTOS:

On the set of Spring Awakening

Conducting the cast recording of Grease

Her work can be heard on these cast recordings...

 

... and at these shows.

With her leading men: Jonathan Groff, Hunter Parrish,

John Gallagher, Jr.,

Duncan Sheik and Reeve Carney

Closing night at Spring Awakening

Working on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark with Julie Taymor

At an event for theatre teachers

IN VIDEO:

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Songs from an Unmade Bed





Have an idea for future Mr or Ms Broadway?  Send it in!
Rate this blog below, leave your comments here, or by email at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!
Jeff
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Broadway Ladies: Miss August 2011: Alexandra Socha

Ms. Broadway August 2011

Alexandra Socha

WHY SHE'S MS. BROADWAY: Well, she is part of  an all-star cast of one of off-Broadway's new musicals.  She more than holds her own in this company.  She made her Broadway debut in 2008, as a replacement Wendla in Spring Awakening.  Later, she would open to great notices and audience apathy in Brighton Beach Memoirs, part of what was to be The Neil Simon Plays.  Regionally, she co-starred in We Always Lived in the Castle.  More recently, she has been off-Broadway in The Dream of the Burning Boy, a hit play as part of Roundabout's Underground.  Her career is definitely on the rise, and now with Death Takes a Holiday, it makes perfect sense that Alexandra Socha is August's Ms. Broadway.

OTHER INFORMATION:
Birth date: April 10, 1990, making her 21!
What you might have seen her in:  Broadway: Spring Awakening, opposite Kyle Riabko and Hunter Parrish; in The Neil Simon Plays: Brighton Beach Memoirs; Off-Broadway: The Dream of the Burning Boy, Death Takes a Holiday; Regional: Yale Rep's We Have Always Lived in the Castle co-starring with Jennifer Gambatese; TV: The Big C, White Collar.
Where you can find her on the Internet: She is on MySpace, Twitter and Facebook.  http://roundabouttheatre.org/offbroadway/deathtakesaholiday/index.htm

IN PHOTOS:

Headshots

Spring Awakening with Hunter Parrish,

Kate Burton and Gerard Canonico

With her Spring Awakening cast mates

at various press and charity events

Brighton Beach Memoirs

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

The Dream of the Burning Boy

Death Takes a Holiday

Rate this blog below, and leave your comments here, by email at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
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UPDATE: Broadway Boys and Girls Today, Pt. I

Some of the most popular entries on this blog are the Mr. and Ms. Broadway pictorials each month.  Each month, a different man and woman are named for their current contributions to the theatre season.  Since September 2009, I've selected an up and coming actor, while up and coming actresses have been chosen since January 2010. 

Since then, many of these Broadway babies have thrived and grown in the theatre scene.  So today I thought I would start an occasional update blog of pictures of these stars in the making.

Mr. September 2009: Aaron Tveit

The very first Mr. Broadway has been up to a lot since his breakthrough in next to normal.  The show: Catch Me If You Can; his role: the lead, Frank Abagnale, Jr.  Tveit lead the company through a Seattle try out and a Broadway opening.  Robbed, again, of a Tony nomination, this pro hasn't stopped promoting his show and his Tony-winning co-star, Norbert Leo Butz.

Aaron Tveit

as Frank Abagnale, Jr.

Scenes from Catch Me If You Can

with co-star, Norbert Leo Butz

Mr. July 2011: Matthew James Thomas

And the most recent Broadway Boy, Matthew James Thomas, was recently featured in a photo essay on Playbill Online.  The adorable superhero by matinee shows a nice sense of humor to go along with his cutie pie looks.  Here are some highlights:

Sleepyhead Matthew James Thomas

Thomas "in action" on the streets of New York City

Pre-curtain Peter Parker

During the show: Backstage with Luther Creek (TOP)

 and donning the suit for the last scene (BOTTOM)

Ms. September 2010: Jill Paice

Most recently, this Broadway gal has been spending her time working regionally, with the New York Philharmonic, and off-Broadway.  She is EVERYWHERE these days!

Jill Paice

Regional: SCKBSTD

(CENTER) In a scene with Marcus Lovett

(BOTTOM) with composer Bruce Hornsby

as Sarah in the New York Philharmonic

production of Company

with Julian Ovenden in Death Takes a Holiday

Ms. Broadway 2010: Patti LuPone

My favorite diva, Patti LuPone, has also been busy since her On the Verge days.  She has starred in the New York Philharmonic's Company, and has been all over town passing the torch!

As Joanne in Company

Reno Sweeney, meet Reno Sweeney!

Patti backstage with Sutton Foster

Maria Callas, meet Maris Callas!

Patti backstage with Tyne Daly

Anything Goes: Broadway legends, meet

soon-to-be Broadway legends!

Sutton, Patti, Joel, and Colin

Rate this blog below, leaving your comments here, by email at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or by Tweeting me!

Jeff

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