In the winter of 2004, TRANSPORT GROUP inaugurated
An Evening With… This series consists of one-on-one conversations with New York’s finest theatre talent, hosted by TRANSPORT GROUP's Artistic Director, Jack Cummings III.
An Evening With Michael John LaChiusa
February 2004
Exploring 5-time Tony nominee Michael John LaChiusa’s (librettist, composer, and lyricist) five major works (Marie Christine, First Lady Suite, Hello Again, Little Fish, and The Wild Party), Jack Cummings III delved into one of the most progressive minds working in the theatre today.
Original cast members of Michael John’s works were invited to perform the songs that they originated.
These performers and songs included:
Maureen Moore: “The Smallest Thing” (First Lady Suite)
Alice Playten: “My Husband is an Army Man” (First Lady Suite)
Carolee Carmello: “Tom” (Hello Again)
Michele Pawk: “Mistress of the Senator” (Hello Again)
John Dossett: “The Bed Was Not My Own” (Hello Again)
Mary Testa: “Paradise is Burning Down” (Marie Christine)
Marc Kudisch: “Breeezin’ Through Another Day” (The Wild Party)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson: “Little Fish” (Little Fish)
Barbara Walsh: “How Much Love?” (Requiem for William)
(note: this song was originated by Lovette George)
An Evening With Jeanine Tesori
February 2005
Jeanine Tesori is the thrice Tony Award nominated composer of some of the most important new American musicals of our period. This 90 minute in-depth question and answer session was a huge success as Jeanine took the audience through the creation of her major works including Thoroughly Modern Millie, Violet, Caroline, or Change, and Twelfth Night.
Original cast members of Jeanine’s works were invited to perform the songs that they originated.
These performers and songs included:
Paul Stovall: “Let it Sing” (Violet)
(note: this song was originated by Michael McElroy)
Amanda Posner: “Lay Down Your Head” (Violet)
(note: this song was originated by Lauren Ward)
Jessica Grové: “Not For The Life Of Me”
(Thoroughly Modern Millie)
(note: this song was originated by Sutton Foster)
Matt Cavenaugh: “What Do I Need With Love”
(Thoroughly Modern Millie)
(note: this song was originated by Gavin Creel)
Chuck Cooper: “The Bus” (Caroline, or Change)
Anika Noni Rose: “I Hate The Bus” (Caroline, or Change)
Tonya Pinkins: “Lot’s Wife” (Caroline, or Change)
An Evening With John Doyle
June 2006
John Doyle won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical for his groundbreaking revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, most noted for the actors doubling as the orchestra. Jack Cummings III spoke with Mr. Doyle regarding his unique approach to musicals as well as speaking to 2006 Tony nominee Manoel Felciano (Toby in Sweeney Todd) and Drama Desk Award winner Mary-Mitchell Campbell, orchestrator for Mr. Doyle’s Broadway revival of Sondheim’s Company.
The evening with Mr. Doyle was filmed for preservation by The New York Performing Arts Library’s Theatre on Film and Tape Archive located at Lincoln Center.
An Evening With Tommy Tune
June 2007
Broadway legend Tommy Tune is a 9-time Tony Award-winning actor, director, and choreograher. Mr. Tune's credits inlcude Nine, Grand Hotel, Cloud Nine, My One and Only, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, and The Will Rogers Follies. Jack Cummings III spoke with Mr. Tune regarding his amazing career and groundbreaking work both on and off Broadway.
The evening with Mr. Tune was filmed for preservation by Transport Group and donated to The New York Performing Arts Library’s Theatre on Film and Tape Archive located at Lincoln Center.
An Evening With...The Boys in the Band by Mart Crowley
June 2008
The Boys in the Band was the first commercially successful play to reveal gay life to mainstream America in 1968.
This all-star concert reading was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Michael Feingold with the author Mart Crowley, original cast members Peter White and Larry Luckinbill, and noted Vanity Fair writer, novelist, and producer of the film version of The Boys in the Band, Dominick Dunne.
The all-star cast included DAVID GREENSPAN (OBIE winner for the 1997 revival), MALCOM GETS (Tony nominee forAmour), CHRISTOPHER INNVAR (title role in Floyd Collins),BARRETT FOA (Avenue Q), NORM LEWIS (The Little Mermaid), MANOEL FELCIANO (Tony nominee for John Doyle's Sweeney Todd), JOHN WELLMANN (TG's The Audience), JONATHAN HAMMOND (TG's Marcy in the Galaxy), and PATRICK BOLL (TG's The Dark at the Top of the Stairs).
