Christa Moore News

'Let's see if we can do this without a microphone,' peeped Jo Sullivan Loesser, as she prepared to fill the 1,495-seat Town Hall with 'Somebody, Somewhere,' which she introduced in the 1956 original Broadway production of The Most Happy Fella.  While the age of the widow of the great Frank Loesser is a fact you'll not find via Google, let's just say she's a few decades beyond the point where audiences would expect to hear such lovely, expressive and, yes, loud soprano tones from an unamplified voice.  The house, still and silent for those few minutes of bliss, finally erupted with appreciative cheers for the brief reminder of a time when all Broadway musicals were sung that way.

Yesterday, October 17, The Town Hall presented Broadway Originals. The afternoon featured songs and memories with performers reprising songs they introduced either in the original Broadway production or revival. This three-concert series, written and hosted by Scott Siegel for THE TOWN HALL, took place over one weekend and included Broadway Melody Makers on Friday, October 15th and Betty Buckley in Concert on Saturday, October 16 at 8PM.

Judy Kaye Completes the Cast of Broadway Melody Makers on October 15th forTHE TOWN HALL'SAnnual Broadway Cabaret FestivalOctober 15th, 16th and 17th Tony Award ® winner Judy Kaye (Phantom, Souvenir, Mama Mia) completes the cast of THE TOWN HALL's Broadway Melody Makers on Friday, October 15th.

Judy Kaye Completes the Cast of Broadway Melody Makers on October 15th forTHE TOWN HALL'SAnnual Broadway Cabaret FestivalOctober 15th, 16th and 17th Tony Award ® winner Judy Kaye (Phantom, Souvenir, Mama Mia) completes the cast of THE TOWN HALL's Broadway Melody Makers on Friday, October 15th.

Alice Ripley, Tony Award®-winner for her starring role in Next to Normal, and Michael Cerveris, Tony Award®-winner for Assasins and 4-time Tony Award® nominee, join the cast of THE TOWN HALL's Broadway Melody Makers on Friday, October 15th. The evening celebrates legendary composers of The Great White Way and is the first concert in THE TOWN HALL's 5th Annual Broadway Cabaret Festival. This three-concert series, written and hosted by Scott Siegel for THE TOWN HALL, takes place over one weekend and includes Betty Buckley in Concert on Saturday, October 16 at 8PM and Broadway Originals on Sunday, October 17th at 3PM. Tickets are $55 and $50 at Ticketmaster.com, (800) 982-2787, or at The Town Hall Box Office (123 West 43rd Street) between noon and 6PM (except Sundays), 212-840-2824. For more information, visit www.the-townhall-nyc.org.

On Saturday, August 29, the company of the 1989 Broadway revival of GYPSY got together for a 20-year reunion at Sardi's on West 44th Street. The production -- starring Tony Award-winner Tyne Daly, Jonathan Hadary and Christa Moore -- received Tony and Drama Desk awards for best revival, running from October 1989 through June 1991.