The conceit behind BROADWAY BACKWARDS 3 was not new to me: boys do girl songs, girls do boy songs. But to my surprise, it went a lot deeper than that. This was a benefit for the GLBT Community Center, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. And tonight marked the first time BROADWAY BACKWARDS had been performed literally on Broadway, now at the Roundabout's Selwyn Theater (I've decided not to call it the American Airlines Theater anymore. Too disgusted by the title.)
As the cast (and host Seth Rudetsky explained), the purpose of the evening went far beyond the novelty of gender switching. As Rudetsky pointed out, in spite of our familiarity with LA CAGE, FALSETTOS, and RENT, there are very few gay musicals. And tonight was about gay men and women taking possession of the songs they grew up with.
So while there were many comic moments, the night was pretty sober and serious for the most part. And with the exception of a god-awful opening number with Sandy Duncan (she wasn't bad, it was a bad concept), the night featured some pretty great performances. In particular, Tituss Burgess gave the most genuinely emotional performance of "Maybe This Time" I've ever seen.
Here's the rundown. The text comes from ATC, but was edited to correct a few details.
ACT ONE
Liz Callaway- Pretty Women (Sweeney Todd)
Kerry Butler- When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love (Finian's Rainbow)
Charles Busch- The Music That Makes Me Dance (Funny Girl)
Jenn Colella and Michelle Blakely- Hello Little Girl (Into the Woods) (Jen was Red and Michelle was the wolf)
Julie Halston, Ann Harada, Kathryn Kendall and Charis Leos- Everybody Ought to Have a Maid (Forum)
David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris- Take Me or Leave Me (Rent) (David was Maureen and Neil was Joanne)
Karen Mason- I Loved You Once in Silence/How to Handle a Woman (Camelot)
Gary Beach- 50 Percent (Ballroom)
Aaron Lazar and Tony Yazbeck- A boy Like That/I Have a Love (West Side Story) (Aaron was Anita, Tony was Maria)
Sierra Boggess- Kiss the Girl (Little Mermaid) (Jessica Lee Goldyn played the girl she kissed)
ACT TWO
Girls of Spring Awakening- Bitch of Living (Lilli Cooper as Moritz and Remy Zaken as Melchior)
TASTiSKANK- a song that I assume they wrote for this, about being "lesbos"
Malcom Gets- Dancing on the Ceiling (Evergreen) (Tony Yazbeck was his dance partner)
Jose Llana, Brooks Ashmanskas, and Gavin Creel- I Want it All (Baby)
Len Cariou- Send in the Clowns (A Little Night Music)
Ensemble men- I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair (South Pacific)
Lainie Kazan- The Gal That Got Away (A Star is Born)
Andrea McArdle and Ensemble women- All I Care About Is Love (Chicago)
Titus Burgess- Maybe This Time (Cabaret)
Anthony Rapp, Cheyenne Jackson, and Ensemble- Suddenly Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors)