The Broadway Maven's Spectacular Summer
The Broadway Maven's Spectacular SummerComing up: Hamilton, June Pride series, plus next week's Spring MARQUEE CrosswordDear MARQUEE Subscriber: The MARQUEE Spring Crossword Puzzle originally scheduled for this week will appear next Wednesday, so last Monday’s bonus issue will serve as this week’s installment of MARQUEE. Here are some upcoming announcements for The Broadway Maven, along with a Last Blast at the bottom of the issue. Join music educator Mateo Chavez Lewis Monday, June 1 for two FREE classes on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash-hit, Tony-winning musical Hamilton. These hour-long classes are offered at Noon and 7 pm ET, and your registration means you can come to both! How musically intricate is the score? How many motifs does Miranda layer together? Was there any music Miranda had to burn? These questions and more are answered in this FREE online class, so why not join us! Join the combined faculty of The Broadway Maven for FIVE different classes celebrating the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month. You’ll come away with tidbits, tales, and analysis from some of Broadway’s famous countercultural musicals. Each faculty member offers something different and it’s a great chance to try out the number of classes that The Broadway Maven has to offer! These classes are offered every Tuesday in June at Noon ET on Zoom, running from June 2 to June 30. Each class is one hour long. Here’s the schedule: Tuesday, June 2: Falsettos Co-taught by The Broadway Maven, David Benkof, and senior co-host Max Clark, this class explores William Finn’s study in manhood through it’s lyrical character development. Also enjoy the dispute between Max and David between thinking the musical is perfect or the exact opposite. Tuesday, June 9: La Cage aux Folles Taught by UW Professor David Armstrong, this class dives into the drag musical as well as other musicals exploring homosexuality on stage during the 1970s and 80s. Tuesday, June 16: Fun Home Take a trip to the “Fun Home” with a musical centering growing up lesbian and an estranged relationship with the protagonist’s closeted father. Tuesday, June 23: A Strange Loop Taught by music educator Mateo Chavez Lewis, this class pulls the semi-autobiographical rock score about a “fat, black, and queer” young man exploring his desires, passions, and what he really wants to do with his life. Tuesday, June 30: The Rocky Horror Show Taught by David Benkof, this class looks at the recently revived cult-classic and the mind of Richard O’Brien who thought to put the outrageous on stage. Each class is offered ONCE at NOON ET. Reserve your spot today! Current Broadway Maven Members do NOT need to register as the course is included with your Membership. For $25, you’re receiving access to these five expert-led classes, but that’s not all! For one month, you’ll be able to enjoy everything that Broadway Maven Members do including a class on Annie, Get Your Gun, a Tony Awards Watch Party, Hamilton, and more! You can view the full calendar at thebroadwaymaven.com. Join The Broadway Maven! Nowhere else online brims with this much Broadway content, and certainly not for so little (Membership is $25 a month for 5-15 compelling classes). Purchase a monthly or an annual plan. Cancel at any time. Sign up here: Broadway Maven Members get the Friday Blast once a week filled with Members-only goodies. It’s the easiest way to get links for upcoming classes. This week's Friday Blast contains: a Youtube quiz on lessons from Broadway shows, a Bonus Blast on Oliver! and Kinky Boots, and the Archive clips reel of the week from Little Shop of Horrors. Note: A full calendar of upcoming classes is always available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.• Monday, May 25 Introduction to Broadway with David Armstrong, Noon ET (part of an 8-week course, registration closed) • Monday, June 1 Hamilton with Mateo Chavez Lewis, Noon and 7 pm ET (FREE, register HERE) • Tuesday, June 2 Falsettos, Noon ET ($25 for a five-part Pride Series; Register HERE) • Sunday, June 7 Tonys Watch Party, time TBA (MEMBERS ONLY) • Tuesday, June 9 La Cage Aux Folles, Noon ET ($25 for a five-part Pride Series; Register HERE) • Tuesday, June 16 Fun Home, Noon ET ($25 for a five-part Pride Series; Register HERE) BROADWAY BLAST: In Avenue Q, Lucy the Slut belts out the torch song “Special,” swaying and seducing her way through lyrics that insist she deserves to be adored. But listen closely to her final cry—“for me… for me… for me!”—and you’ll hear a Broadway echo: it’s the same desperate rhythm as “Rose’s Turn,” the show-stopping climax of Gypsy. That’s no accident. Lucy’s name even echoes “Louise,” the real name of Gypsy Rose Lee. Like Rose, Lucy is a creature of showbiz—made of hunger, persona, and performance. She’s more than a joke—she’s a diva in felt. And Avenue Q, for all its raunch and snark, knows its lineage. The Broadway Maven is a vibrant educational community that helps its members think more deeply about musical theater. We offer 5-15 classes a month for just $25. We also foster enthusiasm for Broadway through the FREE weekly Substack newsletter MARQUEE and host an expansive YouTube channel. It’s your home for Broadway appreciation. Contact The Broadway Maven at DavidBenkof@gmail.com. |




