Theatre

Peter Pan

History of Peter Pan: the Story Behind the 70-Year-Old Disney Classic

By billpetro / February 5, 2023 /

HISTORY OF PETER PAN All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.   So begins my favorite Walt Disney animated movie, Peter Pan, which debuted 70 years ago today on February 5, 1953. The original movie poster said: “It will live in your heart forever!” …and indeed, it has. Why was…

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Mozart

History of Mozart: today’s his birthday

By billpetro / January 27, 2023 /

HISTORY OF MOZART Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, but he was baptized under the name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart.   What’s In A Name? When he was an adult, he referred to himself as “Wolfgang Amadè Mozart,” signing his marriage certificate that way. His baptismal name was Latinized, as was…

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TheNutcracker

History of The Nutcracker: the Ballet That’s a Christmas Tradition

By billpetro / December 18, 2022 /

HISTORY OF THE NUTCRACKER: THE BALLET THAT’S A CHRISTMAS TRADITION On December 18, 1892, The Nutcracker premiered at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, a week before Christmas.   Nutcracker Popularity The Nutcracker has had such an enduring influence on the celebration of Christmas for over a century that no one even notices…

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Hamilton -- The Musical

History of Hamilton – The Musical

By billpetro / July 3, 2020 /

HISTORY OF HAMILTON – THE MUSICAL Hamilton – The Musical, how accurate historically is the recent Broadway blockbuster, currently available on Disney+ TV?  It’s based on the 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, but does Hamilton – The Musical compare favorably to the actual history?   The Set-Up As an aficionado of musical…

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Philadelphia Story

Theatre Review: The Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic in London

By billpetro / August 21, 2005 /

Theatre Review: The Philadelphia Story at the Old Vic in London Sometimes you meet famous people when you attend the theatre in London — I did at a recent performance in early June. I attended the new London version of The Philadelphia Story, which though most people know by the Katharine Hepburn-Cary Grant movie, was…

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