Underrated Broadway Musicals

Joann Baney is a successful educator and business leader with nearly 20 years of experience. A graduate of the University of Chicago, she teaches courses at Columbia University and provides business communication consulting as the owner and vice president of the Professional Development Company. In her free time, Joann Baney enjoys attending the theater and is particularly fond of Broadway productions.

Over the years, Broadway has hosted many well-known musicals, from the Lion King to Wicked. However, there are plenty of underrated musicals that have graced the Broadway stages. Below are just a few examples:

- Miss Saigon - Written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, who are best known for the musical tragedy Les Misérables, Miss Saigon tells another tragic story. It follows a native of Vietnam and an American soldier through their story of love.

- Ragtime - Despite its 1998 Best Musical nomination, Ragtime is often overlooked in by theatergoers. The musical tells the story of a group of African Americans, American upper-class, and European immigrants. Taking place in the early 20th century, it serves as a unique glimpse into history.

- Light in the Piazza - Based on Elizabeth Spencer’s book, the Light in the Piazza musical was written by Adam Guettel. It blends Italian and opera-style music. Viewers are told the story of a mother and daughter who travel to Italy. When the daughter falls in love with a local, the family’s trip becomes more complicated.

- The Drowsy Chaperone - A parody of musicals, this comedy features a classic Broadway feel accompanied by catchy music and dances. It follows a man as he leads the audience through backstage and onstage antics at a musical show called The Drowsy Chaperone.

St. Bart's Players - New York’s Oldest Community Theater Group

Joann Baney is a Columbia University associate professor and the cofounder of the Professional Development Company, Inc., in which role she provides clients with custom communications training. An avid theatergoer in her free time, Joann Baney has joined the St. Bart's Players in performances of classic musicals such as Damn Yankees and Kiss Me, Kate.

New York City’s oldest community theater group, the St. Bart's Players was formed in 1927 and maintains a reputation for giving some of the city’s finest off-off-Broadway performances. With professional designers, directors, and musicians helping shape productions, the group is, at its core, volunteer driven. Volunteer members handle the lighting, the sound, props, and theater operations, and they form the cast of each production.

The theatrical group maintains a home base at the historic St. Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan and produces two main-stage musicals and a play each year. The 2015 season began with Broadway Broads: The Madcap Madams of Musical Comedy and culminated in the well-received farce Don't Dress for Dinner.

Malala’s Campaign Inspires a New Girls’ Education Emphasis in India

As a professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Joann Baney teaches a communications course. Joann Baney also supports the Malala Fund, an organization that works to ensure that girls around the world have access to a quality education through grade 12. In November of 2015, the efforts of the organization, led by a Pakistani teen who was seriously injured by the Taliban, achieved a remarkable milestone.

The education minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra, inspired by Malala’s story, publicly announced girls’ access to education as a statewide priority. Vinod Tawde made the announcement at a Mumbai event that brought together girls from diverse backgrounds, including orphaned children, survivors of rape, and those living in Maharashtra slums.

The impact of this policy-level attention on girls’ education has the potential to be significant. Approximately 8 million school-age girls statewide are no longer pursuing education. In all of India, nearly 50 percent of girls do not attend secondary school. A major goal of this initiative is to empower girls, in a country where only 25 percent of women are members of the workforce.

Bogota, Colombia’s Gold Artifact-Focused Museo del Oro

Joann Baney is a respected New York entrepreneur and Columbia University associate professor who teaches a communications course at the School of International and Public Affairs. Joann Baney has traveled extensively to locations as diverse as Tblisi, Georgia, and Bogota, Colombia.

Colombia’s capital and largest city, Bogota is a culturally vibrant city that features colonial and modern architecture and includes unique sights such as the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum). Reflecting the high level of metalworking craftsmanship in pre-Hispanic cultures, the museum contains approximately 13,000 gold objects, as well as 20,000 clay and stone artifacts. These pieces come from ancient civilizations such as the Tayrona, Quimbaya, Calima, and Sinú.

Many museum displays give detailed explanations of how gold-hewn representations of mixed animals, such as jaguars and frogs, were utilized in worship settings. On the third floor, an “offering” room offers a multidimensional perspective on the ritual use of tunjos, or gold offerings that were typically in the form of warriors. Many of these offerings were recovered from the bottom of the Laguna de Guatavita. One of the most noteworthy artifacts, the Balsa Muisca, was unearthed in a nearby town and takes the form of a ceremonial gold boat.                            

Damn Yankees - A Smash Comedic Broadway Hit about Baseball

An associate professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Joann Baney has a longstanding interest in theater. Joann Baney has participated in off-Broadway revivals with the St. Barts theater group, performing well-loved musicals such as Kiss Me, Kate and Damn Yankees.

Initially produced at the 46th Street Theatre in 1955, the latter show features lyrics and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. It stands out as the only successful musical comedy to depict America’s past and is based on Douglass Wallop and George Abbott’s book titled The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant.

The story concerns middle-aged, happily married Washington Senators fan Joe, who signs a bargain with the devil for his soul in order for his hapless team to win the World Series. Suddenly, Joe becomes several years younger and gains magically enhanced athletic prowess that drives his team to victory. Comedic mishaps, including involvement with the seductive witch, Lola, ensue. The inevitable result is that Joe regains his soul and wife, and his beloved Senators fall just short once again. The musical was a smash hit and earned status as one of a select few to attain more than 1,000 performances.

ChildFund International's Childhood and Youth Programs Provide Hope

The co-owner and vice president of the Professional Development Company, Inc., Joann Baney was named the honorary battalion chief of the New York City Fire Department in 2014. In addition to her professional career, Joann Baney gives back to a number of charitable organizations, including ChildFund International.

Dedicated to helping children affected by poverty, ChildFund International was the first organization to use a sponsorship model allowing people to support a single child. Founded in 1938, ChildFund continues to work with local communities and families and provide immediate relief in the face of droughts, hurricanes, or wars. With a presence in 30 countries throughout the world, it has separate programs for infants, children, and youth, ensuring a focus on each group’s development and long-term goals.

For children from birth to 5 years of age, ChildFund’s infant programs address many different aspects of the early years of their lives, from nutrition and health to child protection and education. With programs in countries such as Senegal, India, Bolivia, and Ecuador, ChildFund educates caregivers and parents in childrearing and spearheads initiatives to provide sanitation and safe water.

Designed for children 6 to 14 years old, ChildFund’s primary school and adolescent programs operate in countries such as Timor-Leste, Mozambique, and Honduras. Taking a whole-life approach to children, these programs ensure economic security for caregivers, promote literacy and education, and provide access to necessary health services.

ChildFund’s youth programs, for those aged 15 to 24, focus on ensuring living wage employment in a non-exploitative environment and providing the tools for a healthy sexual and reproductive life. Through these programs, ChildFund hopes to give youth the chance to create positive differences in their communities and forge a prosperous adulthood.                            

Analyzing an Audience before a Presentation

Joann Baney cofounded the Professional Development Company, Inc., a firm that offers consulting services in the field of communications. Additionally, Joann Baney coaches others on strategies for success in workplace communications. One important workplace communication area focuses on how to give an effective presentation.

The ability to reach others and convey an idea clearly to a group of people is an important skill in a work environment. However, to communicate as well as possible, a person should prepare and consider how he or she will present the main ideas. Audience analysis makes up a key part of this preparation and should inform the presentation strategy.

At the rudimentary level, the presenter should consider who the members of the audience will be. Pertinent audience member details include level of expertise on the subject matter and their likely attitude toward the ideas being presented.

From there, the presenter might consider more in-depth factors related to the audience. Such considerations can include what type of supporting materials the audience might require, as well as their likely expectations for the presentation. Even factors such as the timing of the presentation are important. For instance, audience members might have just listened to another speaker, a factor that could influence their receptiveness toward subsequent presentations. By taking all this into account, a presenter can develop a plan for persuasive and effective communication.