The Boys Are Back - Bandstand: The Broadway Musical

This a beautiful masterpiece of musicals and its so sad it barely had a life on broadway because this is the most amazing musical I had the honor to watch going in bind to the cinemas when it was released for a limited time, not know what this musical was about nor hearing the songs but holy moly I was blown away!

This splendid musical is filmed right from the stage and I mean filmed RIGHT. The camera catches the amazing dance moves and swoops in for close ups that speak volumes. I think you get a better view than you would in the live audience. This is a dance show. I would guess that more than 80% of the show is choreographed. The subtle use of the team of backup dancers to show us the weight of the men who didn't make it home that they guys carry with them is both heartbreaking and beautiful. Every scene change is another mini dance number. It is a joy to experience this musical. I saw this in a movie theater as part of Fathom events and have been searching for it ever since. Broadway on Demand made it available for Memorial Day and it was the perfect date to see it again. The cast is uniformly amazing. I was gobsmacked at the preview feature that showed that most of the guys in the band were not primarily actors. The guys in the band are all playing their own instruments on stage. Fun trivia: When Donnie and Julia sing into the period microphones, they are actually using those mics, not their wig mics. The story is a young returning vet, Donnie Novitsky, who puts together a band of other vets to win a radio contest. His best buddy, who didn't make it back, asked him to look out for his widow Julia. Donnie discovers her amazing voice and she joins the band. The band, with a lot of help from the good folks of Cleveland, make it to the big contest. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I will warn you to have tissues handy. And honestly, if the Cleveland city fathers don't make the song about Cleveland their city anthem, they deserve to have the Cuyahoga catch on fire again. (Just kiddin').

Bandstand excels on every level. The plot is totally believable. Music is superb. Cast couldn't be better. Orchestrations not only appropriate post swing era, but performed with ultimate precision. As a working musician for more than 50 years I can attest to the accurate casting of the band on stage. They were great characters and very close to real life musicians I've known and with whom I loved working. The lead voices are superb, likeable and meet the challenge of range and style with warmth and precision. Chorus parts are among the best I've heard.The choreography is almost non-stop action and well deserving of the Tony it received. This show packs an emotional punch relatable to veterans of all wars. Release this on video and I'll own a copy immediately. Bravo to everyone involved.

I admit $20 seemed like a lot, but after seeing the movie, it was well worth it. The whole film was enriched with pure and raw emtions. "Right This Way" (Act I finale) brought me to tears with the last chord, as well as "Welcome Home". I hope this is released on Netflix so more people can experience it.

This was a special Fathom two-night showing. Though no longer currently available, Bandstand will probably show up soon on Amazon Prime or something like that like Newsies did.

This was a recording, not to be confused with a film adaptation, of the Broadway musical featuring the original cast. Bandstand is about a group of recently returned WWII veterans and a war widow forming a band and entering a nation-wide contest.

This isn't a powerhouse like Wicked or Hamilton, but I wished it was more publicly known as it is pretty good. It contains well-written message about how the returning GIs were just generally expected to pick up their lives and forget the horrors of war without any support. The contest, though it doesn't sound that monumental, represents these men's emotional struggle for a little respect for what they went through. The musical isn't a downer if that's what you're wondering about. It mingles the dark underbelly with a clever, funny script. Now, I can see some people bothered that they'd treat a serious subject in a less old-fashioned, good-natured musical format. If you prefer a more direct and consistent dramatic tone like Les Miserables or Miss Saigon, this musical won't be for you. But, I personally liked that they delivered a point while not driving it home and just having fun.

Good cast, good singers. It helps that the supporting members of the band, though not nearly having enough time as the two leads, had distinctive characters and issues.

Bandstand has a pretty strong score, capturing that old 40's bandstand feel but still having all the songs feel unique. There are some really dramatic heart-tuggers here.

Overall, a very effective experience.