100 years of broadway

A Broadway musical performer has a skill set like no one else in art or entertainment.  Not only are they able to sing, act, and oftentimes dance, they have developed the capacity to project voice, feeling, and gesture in spaces large and small with an electric energy that leaves an audience knowing they’ve been in the presence of a professional.  
The Broadway veteran has the timing of a Rooney, the depth of a Streep, the personality of a Minelli. The performance of a musical is an Olympic event of concentration and physical commitment. The number of artists who make it to Broadway is small compared to those who aspire to be there.  Nonetheless, the Clayton Center will have five of those accomplished entertainers in Neil Berg’s “100 Years of Broadway,” on its Nita Eckles West Stage in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre on Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.
Neil Berg, composer, lyricist, pianist, and impresario, has assembled a cast of leading Broadway actors not only to sing, but to recreate characters and scenes as well.  In many cases, this will come naturally to the stars because they will be performing characters and songs they have done in Broadway presentations.  Berg’s production has been voted the number one touring concert in the country.
In bringing these five dynamic professionals to the Clayton Center, Neil Berg certainly puts them in one of the best halls they have ever sung in.  The theatre already renowned for its exceptional acoustics, manages to be both intimate and expansive at the same time, so no audience member feels far removed from the performers.
Over twenty songs from almost as many different shows make up the program.  Currently scheduled, though subject to minor changes, are such classics as “All That Jazz,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Memory,”  “Old Man River,” “Something’s Coming,” “Over the Rainbow,”  “Phantom of the Opera” and “Impossible Dream.”  
The singers are accompanied on stage by a live professional band from New York, headed up by Neil Berg himself.
Ticket prices range between $34 and $28, with senior and student discounts available.  Those wishing to attend a number of shows throughout the season can get as much as a 25 percent discount, depending on the number of performances they choose.  To buy tickets for Neil Berg’s “100 Years of Broadway” only, the purchase can be made online at www.claytonartscenter.com.  Single tickets or season packages can be bought by going by or calling the Clayton Center box office (865) 981-8590.