USA TODAY MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 LIFE 11B ON THE ROAD AGAIN MOODY BLUES SPOTLIGHT ON ARTISTS ON TOUR Chenoweth provides steam on this train Vets gear up for 26 Star power keeps ‘Twentieth’ chugging nights in white satin ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY eeee Starring Kristin Chenoweth, Peter Gallagher Brian Mansfield American Airlines Theatre USA TODAY NEW YORK When the Cy Cole- BACK WITH THE BLUES. The set man/Betty Comden/Adolph list for the Moody Blues’ upcom- Green musical On the Twentieth ing 26-date North American tour Century opened on Broadway in launching Thursday in Worces- February 1978, Kristin Cheno- ter, Mass., will highlight later ma- weth was not yet 10 years old. Yet terial in addition to ’60s and ’70s you could easily mis- favorites such as Nights in White THEATER take Roundabout REVIEW Satin, Ride My See-Saw and I’m ELYSA Theatre Company’s Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll GARDNER fizzy, fabulous new Band). Singer Justin Hayward, revival as a custom bassist John Lodge and founding Chenoweth vehicle, drummer Graeme Edge are tour- tailor-made to accommodate her ing in support of an eight-disc unique combination of talents. box set, The Polydor Years 1986- Set in the early ’30s, Century 1992, released in November. “I follows Lily Garland, nee Mildred think it’ll influence our show, or Plotka, a gawky pianist-turned- JOAN MARCUS certainly the first half of our glamorous stage star-turned- Oscar (Peter Gallagher) is show,” Hayward says. “We’ll put fussy Hollywood diva, on a luxury hoping to work with Lily more emphasis on things like coach from Chicago to New York. (Kristin Chenoweth) again. Wildest Dreams, I Know You’re The role was introduced on Out There Somewhere and The Broadway by Madeline Kahn, recovery by a preview perfor- Other Side of Life.” one of Chenoweth’s heroines; mance several nights ago, you months later, after Kahn depart- certainly couldn’t tell. His voice BYGONE DAYS. The Polydor “We played MOODY BLUES ed the production, Lily launched and presence robust, his comic Years box includes two concert Justin Hayward, the career of Judy Kaye, who timing flawless, the actor made all recordings, one from Cleveland second fiddle left, Graeme impressed critics with her wide, the arrogance and desperation of in 1986, the other a 1992 album to Road Runner.” Edge and John fluid, operatic singing voice and his character — Lily’s flamboyant made with the Colorado Sym- Lodge launch a comic prowess. mentor and former lover, the John Lodge, on an interrupted show North American phony Orchestra at Red Rocks in the early days Chenoweth brings to Lily, now-bankrupt theater producer Amphitheatre near Denver. “It tour Thursday. along with those requisites, the Oscar Jae — delightfully was the idea of a local promoter girlish goofiness, feline sexuality entertaining. who assumed we had always and gleaming, chirping soprano — As Oscar pursues Lily on the worked with orchestras,” Hay- ways go smoothly. In the first a flute to the show. “Can you be- higher and brighter than Kaye’s — train, hoping to convince her to ward says. While the group had seconds of opening number lieve there was someone in the that have made her one of her work with him again, his biggest used orchestral interludes on Tuesday Afternoon at New York’s front row with a flute?” Lodge generation’s most distinctive mu- obstacle is her new beau, an as- 1967’s Days of Future Passed, Fillmore East, the notoriously says. “He passed it up, and Ray sical-theater talents. At 46, Che- piring young actor and preening which includes signature hit temperamental Mellotron key- played his flute all night.” noweth lends both an ingenue’s peacock named Bruce Granit. Nights in White Satin, those had board went on the fritz, leaving exuberance and a knowing wit to Bruce is played by a hilarious An- been recorded separately by clas- then-keyboardist Mike Pinder BEYOND THE BLUES HORIZON. production numbers that require dy Karl, who last flexed his mus- sical ensembles, without the trying to repair it while the house In May, Lodge will release 10,000 her to juggle virtual arias with hy- cles in the title role of last band there. Until the Red Rocks ran a psychedelic light show Light Years Ago, his first solo al- perkinetic dance routines. season’s musical Rocky. Here Karl show, the Moody Blues had never and cartoons to keep the audi- bum in 38 years. Hayward has a Yet while Lily may well be the applies his athletic prowess to performed with an orchestra. “It ence engaged. “So we played solo concert special that recently role of Chenoweth’s career, this physical comedy, and reveals this took a lot of organizing and re- second fiddle to Road Runner,” began airing on PBS stations, and Century, which opened Sunday, is particular he-man as an eete hearsing,” Hayward says, “but it Lodge says. he plans a summer solo tour after by no means her triumph alone. buoon, to sidesplitting eect. was very fulfilling and a mile- the Moody Blues run. “I don’t In this production, directed with The ever-reliable Mark Linn- stone in our career.” AUDIENCES COME PREPARED. think I could do one without the giddy virtuosity by Scott Ellis, ev- Baker and Michael McGrath are At an early show in Philadelphia, other now,” he says. “The solo ery player seems perfectly cast — predictably winning as Oscar’s BLAME WILE E. COYOTE. Hay- then-flute player Ray Thomas show is quiet, acoustic, with a starting with the leading man, Pe- long-suering colleagues, and ward and Lodge joined the group made a wrong turn as he took the couple of wonderful players. You ter Gallagher, whose recent strug- Mary Louise Wilson is given an in 1966 during a lineup reshuf- stage and fell, injuring his leg and can hear every nuance. That’s the gle with a sinus infection delayed inspired turn as a pious old lady fling and played their first U.S. breaking his flute. A plea went perfect balance to the big pro- the opening by a few days. on board who may be either a shows in 1968. Things didn’t al- out to see if anyone had brought duction that is the Moodies.” If Gallagher hadn’t made a full tycoon or a lunatic. Report puzzle problems to us at PUZZLES [email protected] or 1-800-872-7073 CROSSWORD WORD ROUNDUP JAMBULANCEPB EDITED Timothy Parker By David L. 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