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Rogue Music hits mark with Broadway mix Five cast members take their audience on a tour of some favorite musicals and lesser-known tunes Rogue Music Theatre's first show of 2002 could be titled "The Best of Broadway That You May Not Have Heard Before." The 26-song revue features a few familiar tunes from shows like "West Side Story" and "South Pacific," but many others that are lesser known, from shows like "Pacific Overtures" and "Merrily We Roll Along." Unless you're a true musical theater buff, at least half the material likely will sound fresh. And that can be a plus. The show is not just a trip to nostalgia. It offers a cross-section of interesting material, well performed by a cast of five, backed by five musicians. "Rogue Music Theatre Celebrates 20 Years: The Best of Broadway" opened Saturday night in Medford. Two more performances remain, in Ashland Thursday and Grants Pass Saturday. Although based in Grants Pass, Rogue Music Theatre has worked in recent years for a more Rogue Valley-wide presence, so the three-city tour is appropriate. Artistic Director Richard Jessup introduces this revue as a mix of past, present and future, songs from musicals the group has produced in the past and hopes to do in the future. The first act is called "A Night in the City," the second "What Was, What Will Be, What Might Have Been." The numbers are performed by Priscilla Quinby, Louise McCabe, Tom Prislac, Wade McCollum and Jeris Shafer. The five appear together occasionally, but for the most part they work in twos, threes and fours, and each gets at least one opportunity for an impressive solo. On opening night at the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater, the show seemed to get off to a slow start but gradually built and kicked into high gear in the second act. I especially liked the number "Someone in a Tree" from "Pacific Overtures" with its unusual music and precision. Quinby shines in solos like "So Many People" and "What More Do I Need?," also the more familiar "If I Loved You" from "Carousel." McCabe displays strong vocal talent in songs like "The Miller's Son" and comedy in "The Worst Pies in London," the latter from "Sweeney Todd," which Rogue Music did in 1996. Prislac is effective with "This Nearly Was Mine" from "South Pacific." McCollum excels in several numbers, including "House of Marcus Lycus" from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." One number is strictly dance, with McCollum and Quinby in a ballet to a medley of "West Side Story" tunes. Eric Nordin serves as musical director for this show and plays the piano. The program lists the other musicians as Jason Hoopes on bass, Ben Engen on drums, Steve Daggett on guitar and David Weck on synthesizer, although there was a different drummer on opening night. The show is done in concert style, with minimal props, but lots of costuming and frequent costume changes. Another nice touch is the display of New York photos on a screen at the back of the stage. There's a different view for each number, most in black and white, a few in color. And, yes, on occasion you can see what appear to be the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Reach editor and columnist Cleve Twitchell at 776-4486, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.