Singer brings Great White Way to Naperville
By Annie Alleman For Sun-Times Media February 21, 2013 9:54AM
David Burnham will perform at NCC on Feb. 24. | Courtesy of NCC
David Burnham
♦ Feb. 24
♦ Madden Theatre, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville
♦ Tickets, $30-$35
♦ (630) 637-7469
Northcentralcollege.edu/showtix
Maps
Updated: February 22, 2013 10:09AM
A world-renown cabaret singer presents a show that is sure to thrill Naperville Broadway lovers.
Award-winning singer and actor David Burnham presents “Mostly Broadway” at 6 p.m. Feb. 24 at North Central College’s Madden Theatre.
Burnham gained national recognition when he replaced Donny Osmond as Joseph in the national tour of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” In Chicago, he originated the role of Charlie in the world-premiere stage adaptation of “Peggy Sue Got Married,” and he starred as Peter in the national touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
“It’s a really fun show that I’ve had the privilege of taking around the country the past two years, and it chronicles my Broadway career as well as other aspects of Broadway,” Burnham said. “It’s a lot of fun and it’s been well-received, and I’m having a great time doing it.”
His Broadway stage credits include the role of Fiyero in “Wicked,” and he was a member of the original Broadway cast of the musical “The Light in the Piazza,” which earned six Tony Awards.
“Mostly Broadway” features songs from classic and modern Broadway, including such hits as “As Long As You’re Mine” from “Wicked,” “Love to Me” from “The Light in the Piazza,” “Feeling Good” from “Roar of the Greasepaint” and “I Have Dreamed” from “The King and I.”
“It’s all personal stories connected to my life and my career,” he said. “For instance … there’s a little ‘Joseph’ section, and I tell that story about how I got the job and what it was like to work with Donny Osmond.”
On film, Burnham provided the singing voice of Prince Chululongkorn in Warner Brothers’ “The King and I” and can be heard as Willy in Disney’s “Home on the Range.”
“I actually have a doll — I’m a musical theater action figure,” he said of his role as the Prince. “So I show the doll and tell a funny story and sing a little bit of the song from the movie I was in.
“There’s a ‘Wicked’ section,” he said. “I tell stories about that and sing some of the music from the show and actually go back in time and talk about the inspiration, which was ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ It’s informative, but also a lot of fun; a lot of light-heartedness. And there are some tear-jerking moments, too. I like to run the gamut of emotions.”
He put the show together with director Tim Sawyer and his musical director, Mark Vogel, who also plays the piano and sings duets on the tour with him.
“He comes from the world of television and film, and I come from the world of Broadway,” he said.
It took about two years to put the show together, and yet Burnham finds himself constantly adding material to stay current.
“We’re always tweaking it and making it better and better,” he said.
He plans to be on the road with this tour for the foreseeable future. He’s also promoting his most recent album, which came out in 2012, called “One Day.”
“Then I go back into the studio and start recording a Christmas album, which will be a lot of fun,” he said.
Audiences should expect big singing, some laughs and some truthful, honest storytelling, he said.
“It’s a fun show, and I love bringing it all around the country,” he said. “I’m thrilled to come to Naperville.”
