Broadway Series Brings Plenty Of Fun

The Best of Broadway’s newly announced season has some pleasant surprises.

And I say this even though the series may be a little heavy on Andrew Lloyd Webber. Two of the four shows are Lloyd Webber shows. However, even non-fans of the British Blockbuster Machine can get excited about the first Lloyd Webber show:

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sept. 26-29 - This will be the biggest musical ever to hit Spokane, according to the Best of Broadway folks. Yes, even bigger, in sheer numbers of semitrucks, than “Les Miserables.” This is the touring version of the recent Broadway revival, which was nothing less than eye-popping in terms of sets, costumes and special effects. Sam Harris, who recently made his Broadway debut in “Grease,” will be the star.

42nd Street, Feb. 19-22 - This 1930’s-style musical, based on the 1933 movie, is a classic singin’-dancin’ extravaganza. This story about a chorus girl who becomes an overnight star features such classic songs as “Lullaby of Broadway” and “Shuffle Off to Buffalo.” I guess you might call it a big Broadway hit - it ran for 10 years, the entire decade of the 1980s.

Crazy For You, April 1-4, 1996 - George and Ira Gershwin are gone, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have themselves a “new” musical. This musical features a new boy-meetsgirl love story, built around classic Gershwin songs such as “Who Could Ask For Anything More?” This show was an immediate sensation when it debuted three years ago, and is still packing them in on Broadway. As a devoted Gershwin fan, this is the show that I’m looking forward to the most.

The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, April 29-May 2, 1996 - A 35-piece orchestra and 12 singers doing selections from “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Cats,” “Evita” and “Starlight Express.”

The series is now open for subscriptions, at $128 a pop, by calling 325-SEAT or 1-800-325-SEAT. Individual shows won’t be on sale until later (July for “Joseph” and September for the rest).

There are also two optional shows, which were not included in the subscriber package because they are one-night only shows. The first is “A Christmas Carol,” Nov. 29, the same production which has come through Spokane in past years. The other is “Beauty and the Beast,” Jan. 13, (not to be confused with the big Disney spectacle on Broadway). Those can be added to your subscription if you wish.

All shows are in the Opera House.

Pray for ‘Grace’

Just when I thought the ratings couldn’t get any worse for NBC’s locally filmed “Amazing Grace,” the ratings went and got worse.

The third episode of this Patty Duke series finished 86th among 100 prime-time shows, down from 78th the week before. Most of the shows below it are either on Fox, the new Paramount network or the new Warner Bros. network. Only one Big Three network show finished worse, “Double Rush” on CBS, which finished 89th.

Obviously, the people at “Amazing Grace” are not pleased.

“We had a target share that we were going for,” said Nunzio de Filippis, assistant to the executive producer. “We were hoping for a 15 share. We got a 15 in the opening episode, but it was 10 in the last two.”

A decision on whether the show will be picked up for fall will come after the sixth episode is aired - maybe, in this case, mere seconds after the sixth episode is aired.

To heap even more indignity on “Amazing Grace,” the season-long ratings were also released this week. Based on average rating per episode, “Amazing Grace” finished 124th among 142 prime-time shows. Only “Burke’s Law” did worse among Big Three network series.

New arena nickname

The Inlander’s reader poll earlier this month asked for new nicknames for the new arena. The somewhat unimaginative winner was The New Barn, but some of the runners-up were better: The Can, The Tin Can and the Spo-Can.

Which got me thinking. I looked at the building and I couldn’t help but be reminded of one of my favorite tinned-meat products. So I think we should call it The Spam Can.

Think about it. It’s the right shape, and it even works as an acronym: The Spokane Arena and Mega-barn.

The Bickel goodbye

I had a feeling that The Spokesman-Review’s Tuesday story about talk radio host Jim Bickel quitting KXLY-AM would be of considerable local interest. He’s a well-known name, and he made his announcement on the air in dramatic fashion.

What I didn’t realize is that this would be considered national news. The story was picked up by the Associated Press and run all over the country.

I talked to him last week, and he had not changed his mind about quitting, despite an outpouring of support. He had been thinking about quitting even before that to be able to spend more time at his business, Bickel’s Cafe at the Flour Mill.

KXLY anchor shuffle

With the addition of an 11:30 a.m. news show, KXLY-4 has shuffled its anchor lineup.

Karen Kelly and Rob Daugherty are anchoring the 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. broadcasts. Daugherty and Marianne Mishima anchor the 6 p.m. broadcast, and Mishima alone anchors the 11 p.m. broadcast.

The search is on for a fourth anchor to share the 11 p.m. broadcast.

‘The Misanthrope’

Interplayers, Spokane’s resident professional theater, has announced its final show of the season.

It will be Moliere’s classic “The Misanthrope,” in a translation that sets this 1666 play in present-day Hollywood.

It will run May 26 through June 17. Call 455-PLAY for tickets and information.

Part Two of ‘Angels’

The second half of the two-part theatrical blockbuster “Angels In America” opens May 12 at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle.

The first part last fall proved to be a stunner, and plenty of local theatergoers will no doubt be heading to the second part, sub-titled “Perestroika.”

By the way, the first part, “Millennium Approaches,” will be repeated beginning June 24, and the two parts will then run in rotation until July 23.

For tickets, call the Intiman box office, (206) 626-0782.

KREM news director

Ron Comings, fresh from WITN of Greenville, S.C., arrived in town last week as KREM-2’s news director.

Comings, a 23-year veteran of TV news, said that he is still familiarizing himself with the station and with the market, but that “there will be some changes” coming at the station.

Public broadcasting update

Here’s an update on the public broadcasting funding situation: The House bill would cut the Corporation for Public Broadcasting 15 percent in 1996 and another 30 percent in 1997. The Senate bill would cut only about 9 percent each year. A conference committee will reconcile those two bills, and public broadcasting officials believe that the Senate version will largely prevail because of polls showing public support of funding.

Public support has also been evident in pledge drives. KPBX-FM concluded its local fund drive earlier this month, and it met its ambitious goal of raising $195,000. The drive did especially well at acquiring new members.

This bodes well for the future of the most informative, the most literate and the most intelligent radio station in Spokane.

(No, Richard Clear, we’re not talking about yours.)

Allegro’s new season

Allegro, the Spokane classical music series subtitled “Baroque and Beyond,” has announced its new season.

It will begin on Oct. 10 with a program called “Sounds of Spain” and include everything from castanets to Scarlatti.

Next will be “Viva Mozart!” on Nov. 14, with guest violinist Ingrid Matthews.

The traditional “Roses and Lace” concert will be held on Valentine’s Day.

Then, on March 19, it will be “Music In a Richer Vein,” featuring music from Helena, Mont. during its Gold Rush era.

Series tickets are on sale now. Call 455-6865 for information or a free brochure.

Elvis photos

Do you have any photos from one of the Elvis concerts at the Spokane Coliseum? Either the 1973 concert or the 1976 concert?

Call me at 459-5493 and leave a message on my voice mail. We would like to find some good photos to use with an upcoming story about Elvis in the Coliseum.