Elvis Costello and The Attractions

1986-10-21 Elvis Costello and The Attractions

Broadway Theater

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This was my first of many great performances by Elvis.

This was the opening show of Elvis' 1986 run on Broadway. Previous to these shows, I had not heard of any rock bands playing shows in a true Broadway theatre (while the Beacon is on Broadway, it is not in the "theatre district"), and so this was truely a special event.

On the two nights I attended, he played with the original members of the Attractions, including Bruce Thomas on bass. This night was a regular show by the Attractions, while on other nights he did the Spinning Songbook show or played with the Confederates.

I was fortunate to have excellent Orchestra seats for N1.

News coverage of the Broadway run of shows.

News coverage of the Broadway run of shows.

 

1986-10-24 Elvis Costello and The Attractions (Spinning Songbook)

Broadway Theater

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This show took a different format than N1. Elvis would continue to do “Spinning Songbook” shows in later years; to my knowledge this was the first such show. There was a spinning “wheel of fortune” onstage with names of songs, and with some members of the audience having a chance to spin the wheel and/or dance with go-go dancer "Kitty" in a cage onstage. As Wayne Robbins mentions in the review below, the first line of “Accidents Will Happen” provided a perfect opening for this ‘Broadway’ show when the curtain opened. Looking back after seeing many later Costello shows, it was the only time I saw the Attractions in their original form, playing a regular set onstage.

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More news clippings from this run of shows.

More news clippings from this run of shows.