Holiday Hit Parade on Vashon

This weekend is the perfect time to kick off the holidays with a trip to beautiful Vashon Island -- just a quick 13 minute ferry ride from West Seattle.

It all begins on Friday December 6, with the First Friday Gallery Cruise and the opening of new exhibits at the Vashon Center For The Arts.

Then at 7:30 pm, the highlight of the weekend --

David Armstrong's Broadway Nation Live: "The Story Behind

WHITE CHRISTMAS -- America's Most Popular Song!"

Join me and my special guests Albert Evans, Cayman Ilika, Eric Ankrim, and Chris DiStefano as we tell the story of how this great Irving Berlin song changed the wold of holiday music forever in a fascinating and music filled performance at the Vashon Center For The Arts.

Stay over night and on Saturday, December 6 you can enjoy the

Vashon Artists Holiday Studio Tour from 10am -- 4pm (and also on Sunday)

The charming Santa Parade and Tree Lighting from 5 -- 9 pm

and The Vashon island Chorale's concert "Shepards and Stars"

The perfect holiday weekend!

David Armstrong’s Broadway Nation Live Presents: The Story Behind “White Christmas” – America’s Most

I am so happy to announce this event! Come to the beautiful VASHON CENTER FOR THE ARTS on lovely Vashon Island on December 6 and I will take you inside the creation of the most popular song of all time -- WHITE CHRISTMAS -- and share the story of its creator IRIVNG BERLIN and its godfather, Washington State's own BING CROSBY.

I will be joined by my special guest stars Albert Evans, Cayman Ilika, and Eric Ankrim. With music direction by Chris DiStifano.

I guarrentee a fascinating evening of history, show biz gossip, and classic holiday songs!

And you may want to spend the weekend! The show will be part of the Vashon Winterfest Weekend including the First Friday Gallery Cruise on Friday prior to the performance and the next day is the Santa Parade and Tree Lighting. https://www.vashonchamber.com/winterfest/

All in all, its the perfect way to kick off the holidays!

From My Collection: The Original RAISIN Souvenir Program

This now strangely neglected show was the 1975 TONY Award winner for Best Musical, and I remember loving it.

RAISIN was a very enjoyable and very moving show, with a jazzy, dynamic, evocative score. The book was drawn very faithfully (perhaps too faithfully) from Lorraine Hansberry's great play A Raisin In The Sun. Hansberry had died by then and the script for the musical was adapted by her husband, who also was the show's producer. I do remember feeling that he probably should have trimmed the dialogue more and allowed the terrific songs to carry more of the story.

The cast was incredible, headed by the great Virginia Capers, who received that season's TONY for Best Actress In A Musical, even though she really had more of a supporting role. I still can feel her completely commanding the stage, and as the critic Clive Barnes said -- she was "tremendous in just about every sense of the word. " Just listen to her two songs on the original cast recording and you will get a sense of presence she brought to the show. Joe Morton and Ernestine Jackson were the actual leads, and both were wonderful. Only now looking through this program have I realized that playing the sister in her Broadway debut was a very young Debby Allen, billed here as "Deborah." I do remember that she led a captivating African Dance sequence.

That dance, and the entire show was expertly and innovatively staged by Donald McKayle. With this show he become the first black "Director/Choreographer" of a Broadway musical. He passed away just last year at 87.

Here is a slide show of the entire souvenir playbill:

RAISIN was also, I believe, one of the first Broadway musicals to have been developed at a regional theater. It was first produced at DC's Arena Stage by the legendary Zelda Fichandler.

This is absolutely a show that should be seen again. In the meantime the Original Cast Album captures much of show's power.

If you say "Alexa, play the album RAISIN, original Broadway cast" she will play it for you!