Taking a (relatively) big bite of Off-Broadway is not always an option for me during the seasons known for prime-time Broadway openings (spring and fall). So I've initiated a personal "mid-to-late-August" policy of hitting the Off-Broadway circuit to check out non-festival (sorry Fringe) shows that spark my interest.  Here's are the first two (both running through September 4^th) in my  rundown of the productions that have recently intrigued me.

Secrets of the Trade

Seduced by the cast, which includes John Glover - whose work I've admired on an ongoing basis and whom I met briefly backstage when he was starring in The Drowsy Chaperone -- and Amy Aquino, veteran of practically every TV show produced over the past two decades starting with Brooklyn Bridge in the early '90s. Never having seen Aquino on the stage, I was anxious to see her in the flesh in the intimate setting of 59E59 Theatres where Primary Stages has mounted the show. 

Additionally, Noah Robbins, who gave a wonderful, albeit short-lived performance, in last year's Brighton Beach Memoirs on Broadway, plays the lynchpin role of Andrew Lipman, the theatre hopeful who becomes ensnared in noted writer/director Martin Kerner's (Glover) web of show biz success and egotistic complacency.

Rounding out the cast is Bill Brouchturp another TV veteran (Dexter; Without a Trace; Dharma & Greg) best known for his seven seasons playing John Irvin on NYPD Blue  and Mark Nelson,  who I remember vividly (and fondly) from his Obie Award-winning performance in Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile.

Robbins, well-suited for the early scenes where his character is 16 and blissfully agog at the mere idea of crossing paths with Kerner, is so youthful that he never reaches the physical maturity/bearing necessary for the latter scenes where he's supposedly in his mid-20s. This is the only aspect of the show that bothered me, however, and everyone involved was right on the money in terms of characterizations.

Brouchturp's role is that of Kerner's been-there-done-that-seen-it-all assistant Bradley, while Aquino and Nelson play Andrew's parents, Joanne and Peter.  It's Glover, however, who commandeers the spotlight as Andrew's on again-off again mentor.

The script by Jonathan Tolins (The Twilight of the Golds) has a couple of neat twists, but basically it's a coming-of-age/coming-out-of-the-closet saga that is both familiar and earnest.  I'd see it again in a heartbeat.  primarystages.org

Colin Quinn: Long Story Short

Solo shows that make it to Off-Broadway are frequently autobiographical and often involve a cavalcade of characters from the performer-playwright's past. Colin Quinn doesn't visit ye olde family homestead or even mom and pop for that matter - unless you count mankind/centuries of homosapiens as kith and kin - and after laughing my way through his irreverent, politically scathing history of the world, I have to say, I sort of do.

The 75-minute show is presented (more-or-less) as non-stop stand-up - chair on the side -- with multiple maps and projected graphics to ensure theatergoers have at least a basic sense of time and place. The show has few boundaries... even geographically.  And to Quinn's credit, he doesn't set up a faux classroom situation with the audience playing passive students. He's just there to bombard us with hilarity via the evolution of civilizations. Still, you walk away edified whether you know it or not.

Quinn - a veteran of Saturday Night Live and the MTV game show Remote Control - has little to no compunction about sticking a subtly sharpened pin into all things politically correct. In short, he's a major comedy player who should not be missed.

Oh, and did I mention who directed Long Story Short?  In the program is his bio, in its entirety, reads:

            JERRY SEINFELD

            (Director)

            Jerry Seinfeld is a comedian who resides in New York City with his wife

and three children.

colinquinnlongstoryshort.com

Posted on Monday, August 23, 2010 @ 03:11 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Off-Broadway

I confess: I am, at the moment, locked into serious nostalgia, and it's all wrapped up in having to say goodbye to one of my most cherished Broadway experiences ever -- certainly since I began covering theatre in New York close to 20 years ago. The show in question is the Lincoln Center revival of South Pacific which I recently saw one-last time at the Vivian Beaumont before it ends its run.  The incentive came from my overwhelming desire to relive the awesome chemistry between Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot - the revival's original Nellie Forbush and Emile de Becque. Both actors returned to the show for its handful of final performances before it closes this weekend.

I saw the show with Kellie and Paulo when it opened. They shared the stage with Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary and Danny Burstein as Luther Billis, who have remained with the show since its 2008. Getting to see them again was a major bonus as well.

Watching the show this time, however - knowing it would soon be just theatrical (albeit a wonderful) memory - I was moved to tears, and that's saying something: I've sat dry-eyed for some of the stage's most emotional scenes.

The long run has given the production a burnished richness that radiates from the orchestra to the stage with O'Hara and Szot leaving an elegant 21^st-century legacy that equals the power of the show's original two Broadway stars: Enzio Pinza and Mary Martin.

Growing up in Ohio, the original album was - don't ask me why - the only musical album my New Yorker parents had saved from their Broadway going days. And I played it to excess in the years leading up to my eventual rock 'n roll obsession, memorizing every note, every lyric, every vocal nuance. When the inevitable words spoken by my kid cronies -- "let's put on a show" - were spoken, I made it clear my number would be "Honey Bun" (a cappella - we were limited in resources and I was too much the 9-year-old diva to even consider lip synching).

Naturally, the years that followed marked countless amateur productions of the show and a somewhat creepy viewing of the film at a revival house one New Year's Eve. But LCT's South Pacific redeemed my feelings about the show 1,000 times over. It will be missed no just by me, but by anyone with a profound love for classic musical theatre at its most exquisite.

(If you haven't seen South Pacific during its Broadway run I urge you to make the effort over these last few days. The last performance is set for this Sunday, August 22^nd.

lct.org

Posted on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 @ 04:16 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

The latest news from Broadway's powers that be is pretty darn exciting.  First off, The Merchant of Venice that brought Al Pacino back to the New York stage by way of the Delacorte this summer, is heading to Broadway (briefly - I mean, after all, we can't hog Al forever - Hollywood beckons) this fall/winter. The Public Theatre production - with many of the well-reviewed cast in tow (including Byron Jennings as the title character and Lily Rabe as Portia) - is set to begin performances on October 19^th and will continue through January 9^th at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre. Excellent news for anyone who missed Pacino's interpretation of Shylock in the open air.

Other star-spangled fall news involves the musical adaptation of Pedro Almodovar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown that will star Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Sherie Rene Scott and Danny Burstein. And if the main cast members aren't temptation enough, the show is being directed by Bartlett Sher (who directed Burstein in South Pacific).

OFF-OFF THE THEATRICAL DEEP END

Off-Off Broadway - or OOFF, as I sometimes refer to it in contrast to OOB the seemingly accepted abbreviation - fascinates me with its brash creativity and bold willingness to frequently go where Broadway and Off-Broadway dare not go (due to producer limitations and fearless young playwrights, actors and directors).

I don't get to Off-Broadway very often - I am, for all intents and purposes, a one-woman show, so when I'm not "doing" Broadway with the occasional Off-Broadway field trip, I tend to take it on the lam. And yet, in the scheme of things, the picture if you will, Off-Off is where my heart lies. Mid-year resolution: get off my keister and catch up on the neuvo-cool offerings that have yet to hit the big time. The upcoming 14^th Annual New York InternationaL Fringe Festival - a gluttonous two weeks of the good, the groovy, the bad, the bizarre and the randy of Off-Off launching August 13^th  will, I think, be my impetus. The gods of theatre willing.

And as I rev up my rotor tale for this dandy multi-arts event (200 productions representing 18 U.S. states and 12 countries), I will be selective. After all, I'm not a masochist... anymore.

In preparation, for catching up on Off-Off (and I hereby promise to go beyond the Fringe), I dipped into my relatively recent archives and discovered The New York Innovative Theatre Foundation's "Demographic Study of Off-Off-Broadway Practitioners" findings.

The study, conducted during September 2007 through February 2009, recorded and analyzed the specific population characteristics of the artists working in New York's Off-Off-Broadway theatre sector and the findings are eye-opening, including such tidbits as:

• 85% of the OOB population holds a college degree (58% higher than the national average)
• 68% of respondents are age 21-40
• 53% of respondents are female
• Income level of Off-Off-Broadway artists is near the national average, and slightly below the NY state average
• 91% of respondents live in New York City, PLUS...

--The reported birthplace of respondents includes all 50 states and 81 different countries. 24% of respondents reported that they are native to the state of New York, while 67% noted being born in a different state. 365 or 9% of respondents noted that they were born in a foreign country.

I highly recommend checking out the entire stata-thon at nyitawards.com/survey/oobdemographics.pdf.

Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 @ 10:12 AM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

Zeroing in on the New York Times Style page on Sunday morning (7/11/10 if you must know), a full-length photo of "model, actress and founder of the Lemlem clothing line, Liya Kebede" enticed my eye. Yes, she's beautiful (the model part of the equation pretty much guarantees that), but considering my beat, it's the actress end that really hit me since she starred in the well-received 2009 film based on Desert Flower, the autobiography by Somalia-born supermodel Waris Dirie and had bit parts in The Good Shephard and Lords of War.

So I read on, skimming the Q&A's about "What I'm Wearing Now;" "Style Credo," Recent Purchases," and "What I'm Packing for My Trip to Turkey."  This is fashionista stuff and, as much as I like clothes (particularly those that don't make me look fat), it was the last tidbit in the article's laundry list - "Current Obsession" - that grabbed me: it homed in on theatre.

Kebebe's obession du jour is apparently the Broadway musical Fela! Her quote read: "The clothing, the music, the dancing - so incredibly fantastic. I've seen it three times. I want to go again, but I'm too embarrassed."

Like you can see a Broadway show you love too much! Got any statistics how often some fans have seen Wicked since it opened?  And what about Billy Elliott (I have an out-of-town friend who sees it every time she comes to New York - at least twice a year). And I won't begin to elaborate on the number of Chicago programs floating around my apartment. In fact, pick a show, any show with long-running chops, and you'll find four or more visits are not unique.

And Fela! just happens to be a massive triple threat of a show: historic, groundbreaking and stunning. Not a weak link in the production. The muscular dancers' bodies, awesome performances and deft multi-layered script tracking the bigger-than-life life story of African composer-musician-political activist-bigamist Fela Kuti, should be more than enough incentive to throw caution to wind and return whenever your schedule and budget allows.

So, Ms. Kebede, blush not. Rather, see it again, and again, and again... revel in it.... bring your family... bring your friends... talk it up to Lemlem clients and customers.  Broadway needs fans and followers and moral support. And, on a stylistic note, you personally are in excellent shape to make repeat visits. After all, you have the wardrobe to make each performance a super sartorial event.

For more information on the show go to Felaonbroadway.com

Posted on Monday, July 12, 2010 @ 10:30 AM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

FREE "PARKING"

You've got your 2010 Shakespeare in the Park - an "in rep" do-si-do of The Merchant of Venice (with Al Pacino as Shylock) and the less-produced thus all-the-more-enticing The Winter's Tale. As a rare "in rep" summer offering, many of the actors will be doing double duty by appearing in both plays. And, although Pacino won't be "Wintering" at the Delacorte, fans of Rent, Law & Order, and male hotties in general will be privy to Jesse L. Martin who will be appearing in both. Get the lowdown on obtaining tickets (free!), casting, and playing schedule by visiting www.shakespeareinthepark.org. FYI: This annual Public Theater outing will end August 1^st.

HOT OFF THE PRESSES

Starting June 30th, the cast of one of my favorite Off-Broadway shows -- Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore - will welcome two new cast members: Haylie Duff (Napoleon Dynamite; Hairspray) and Ashley Austin Morris (Die Mommie Die). Duff and Austin Morris join veteran actors Penny Fuller (Dividing the Estate), Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue) and Myra Lucretia Taylor (Broadway's Nine), thus making a first, second or third visit to this revolving-door hit a major lure. (The aforementioned cast is scheduled to stay with the show through Sunday, July 25.) www.LoveLossOnStage.com

STUDENT BONUS

Kid power, theatre-style hits the big time with the launch of  StudentRush.org

Here's the deal: the website cited above is a major breakthrough for student tickets, pre-curtain lottery seats, standing room tickets, and all other discounted theater tickets, will officially launch  July 1st. 

Young people with limited budgets who crave live theater can now tap into the latest (and totally pragmatic) creation of veteran theatrical producer and professor Eric Krebs.

Free to subscribers, the site will also provide instant updates, special offers, and more on Twitter at www.twitter.com/StudentrushNYC and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Studentrush.org.

Notes Krebs, "I have been threatening to start this site for 20 years. I am constantly asked by students how to get moderately priced tickets for theater, music, ballet, opera, and other events.  Introducing young people to live theater has been one of the continuing missions of my life.  We must do everything we can to encourage the next generation of theatergoers."  

In addition to information about tickets to live performances, STUDENTRUSH.ORG will provide information regarding museum student discounts and free admission times, audience seats for television shows, and general info on film, alternative performance spaces, and free events that have reduced price or free admission to students and others of limited means.

For more information, visit the website or call 212-967-2648.

RECENT "PAST TENSE"

Two-time Golden Globe/ three-time Emmy Award-winner Edie Falco, whose latest Off-Broadway show, This Wide Night (a breathtaking two-person drama with Alison Pill) closed last Sunday, was honored a week ago with one of Sardi's legendary caricatures. Stop by for dinner or a drink and check out the former Carmella Soprano/current Nurse Jackie "hanging" out on the wall!

Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2010 @ 11:17 AM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

As fabulous and annual as the Tony Awards may be - and the 2010 telecast was extremely fabulous and brisk - they do tend to usurp the timely theatrical news bubbling away in my "Blog Hold" file.  So my dear stage-obsessed Cats and Kittens (I'm feeling a little '50s retro this am thanks to a weekend spent slathered in vintage sitcoms and one too many Net Flix from the days of wine, roses and Cold War neuroses), I present several recent/upcoming cast changes and a mini-roster of fall arrivals.

Casting

AVENUE Q:  Back in the show in its Off-Broadway incarnation is Jennifer Barnhart - the original company member who performed with the show for over seven years from the very beginning at the Vineyard Theatre through its entire run on Broadway.

CHICAGO: Heating up the summer run are a couple of back-to-back Billy Flynns of note: Colman Domingo (The Scottsboro Boys, Passing Strange) is the current the swoon-causing defense lawyer at the Ambassador Theatre (thru 7/18) at which point he'll be replaced by veteran Flynn, John "J. Peterman" O'Hurley (and host of Family Feud) thru August 29^th.

OUR TOWN: David Cromer's practically legendary oft-extended production of the Thornton Wilder classic Our Town playing at the Barrow Street Theatre will be welcoming a new Stage Manager from July 6th thru August 1st: Oscar-winner Helen Hunt. The casting of a woman in a role typically played by a man (Paul Newman on Broadway, springs to mind), is both an unconventional and intriguing move, to say the least. Hunt follows another celebrity who took over the roles a couple months ago - Michael McKean, whose final performance will be July 4th. FYI: Hunt appeared as Emily in the Tony Award-winning 1988-1989 Lincoln Center production that featured Spalding Gray as Stage Manger.

Coming This Fall

ANGELS IN AMERICA: Playwright Tony Kushner's Pulitzer & Tony Award-winning epic is set to begin previews on September 14^th at Off-Broadway's Signature Theatre Company, thereby launching the theatre's 20th anniversary season.   This first New York revival will be directed by Michael Greif, who notes:  "Mounting Tony's exquisite play in the intimate Signature Theatre will be an extraordinary challenge but will offer even more extraordinary rewards."  www.SignatureTheatre.org

Speaking of Signature, the company's much anticipated new permanent home, Signature Center, now under construction for a 2012 debut (part of Related Companies' mixed-use development on 42nd St. & 10th Ave.) has been designed by internationally acclaimed architect Frank Gehry. Expect some major media coverage as the opening approaches. 

A LIFE IN THE THEATRE: Sir Patrick Stewart, the Brit who gave the world Captain Pickard, will return to the New York stage late in October the Broadway premiere of David Mamet's A Life in the Theatre as "Robert" - a role he previously played at London 's Apollo Theatre to critical acclaim. T.R. Knight (Grey's Anatomy) costars as "John." Directing: Neil Pepe, who also helmed the revival of Mamet's Speed-The-Plow on Broadway last season. The production, set to begin previews on September 23^rd at the Gerald Schoenfel Theatre, will be produced by  Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Steve Traxler, the designated lead producers for all things Mamet, including Broadway's current production of Race.

LOMBARDI: Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years) will play Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre (previews begin September 23^rd  for an October 21^st opening.) Even as I type, Lauria is in Green Bay, Wisconsin, researching the title character's home and haunts. For the record, Lauria is no stranger to the gridiron, having been a former football coach himself. He began acting while attending college on a football scholarship. 

On the producing end, Tony Ponturo and Fran Kirmser have partnered with the National Football League (marking its first Broadway venture). Notes NFL VP of Entertainment Marketing and Promotions, Tracy Perlman: "Football and Broadway are both iconic American forms of entertainment, and the NFL is proud to bring these two unique and passionate audiences together under one roof. Lombardi's charisma and coaching style were legendary - and intensely theatrical.  Football fans will learn more about the dramatic private life of the sports hero for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named, and Broadway audiences will be captivated by the story of a family chasing the American dream."  Actor Judith Light (Law & Order SVU and Who's the Boss) costars. lombardibroadway.com, twitter.com/LombardiPlay.

THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW: Kid camp comes to Broadway with this new show based on the Saturday morning TV phenom, Pee-wee's Playhouse. Reuniting Pee-wee (Paul Reubens) with many of the original characters -- from Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, Pterri the Pterodactyl, Jambi the Genie to Chairry -- the new production laced with "subversive humor and childlike wonder" offers up 90-minutes of silliness on steroids. The limited 48-performance run at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre previews October 26th, opens November 11th, and closes on December 5th.

RAIN: Before Boomers can go into a total funk following the closing of Hair on Broadway on June 27th, take heart: RAIN - A Tribute to The Beatles On Broadway is slated to play a limited 11-week engagement this fall at the Neil Simon Theatre, a performance dedicated to "the full range of The Beatles' discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience. From the early days of their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 through Sgt. Pepper and on to the Abbey Road"  Previews begin October 19^th for a October 26^th opening (through January 2^nd). raintribute.com

THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS: Following a sold-out run at Off-Broadway's Vineyard Theatre, this hit Kander & Ebb musical, with book by David Thompson and direction/choreography is by five-time Tony Award-winner Susan Stroman (The Producers), begins previews at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre on October 7^th, and opens on October 31^st.  ScottsboroMusical.com

Posted on Monday, June 21, 2010 @ 11:58 AM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Best in Show: 

Memphis (musical); Red (play); La Cage aux Folles (musical revival); Fences (play revival).

[FYI: I predicted the lot of them, with the exception of Memphis, which turned into the evening's musical force majeure. My heart was rooting for American Idiot, but it's a taste thing - and evidently a script thing, and American Idiot did come up short in that department. Still I do love a) Green Day's edgy oeuvre and b) the blissfully sense-altering scenic design by Christine Jones (which, thankfully, did pick up the Tony).]

Hollywood Royalty Reigned:

Catherine Zeta-Jones - Best Actress in a Musical (A Little Night Music)

Denzel Washington - Best Actor in Play (Fences)

Viola Davis - Best Actress in a Play (Fences) [okay, not quite royalty yet, but known for

film and well on her way to stardom]

Scarlett Johansson - Best Featured Actress in a Play (A View from the Bridge)

Those Best Known for Their Stage Accomplishments:

Douglas Hodges - Best Actor in a Musical (La Cage aux Folles)

Katie Finneran - Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Promises, Promises)

Eddie Redmayne - Best Featured Actor in a Play (Red)

Levi Kreis - Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Million Dollar Quartet)

Notice anything interesting here?  Well aside from Davis and Washington (the first African-American actors to take these awards in a single year), there are no duplications here...  eight actors, seven different productions. All good choices (granted Zeta-Jones did scoop favorite Montego Glover in Memphis, but in the end Memphis cleaned everybody's musical clock, Ms. Glover is young and will win a Tony  sometime in the future, and Zeta-Jones is a lovely presence who had lovely things to say about Angela Lansbury (but then, who doesn't?).

HD TV & Me                                         

So here I am hugging my laptop as Tony Night 2010 unfolds... not watching the pre-show from the expanse of empty folding chairs at Times Square (LIVE SIMULCAST!) thanks to pre-show rain that put the kibosh on all but a handful of umbrella wielding fans.... or, as Roma Torre noted, "The wettest red carpet ever," Happily, by eight, the rain abated and theatre devotees were positioning themselves to "soak up" the real deal.

Still the best aspect of the live Red Carpet portion of the pre-show -starting at 6 pm and hosted by Roma Torre and Donna Karger on Channel 1 was their back-and-forth-seize-the-celeb interviews. And, while it was choppy and predictably embarrassing in part, overall it was fun with some cool coupling and triplings of nominees - in several cases, competitors in the same category (Katie Finneran and Lillias White, e.g.). Very creative, with extra points for giving the celebs time to actually make comments.

The Creative Awards Hosted on NY1:

Karen Olivio (West Side Story) and Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot). Karen on crutches (no explanation as to why); and some really weird (make that odious) music choices ushering winners to the stage (i.e.: Red-Award for Best Set played to stage with music from the film Meet Me in St. Louis;  Fela!'s Award for best sound played to the a tune from Man of La Mancha. I get the idea they needed pre-taped music, what I don't get is the Twilight Zone inappropriateness of the selections. Clearly, someone had spent a little too much time at the rum candy.

Highlight of the Creative Awards: Marian Seldes who, upon being presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award (Alan Ayckbourne got one, too), feigned a shocked expression (beautifully) and walked off stage without uttering a word.

The last portion of the Creative Awards also was also nicely done with its tongue-in-cheek dialogue cautioning winners not to exceed their face-time limit; reminding losers to smile benignly;  and nudging  everyone to be kind to unsung heroes of the evening: volunteer seat fillers. Nicely done....                          

Now On to the Main Event:

OPENING NUMBER: Two thumbs up for this seamless medley of numbers from the musical nominees culminating with a Green Day head-banging finale... how great is that? And kudos galore to whoever thought of having Tony Night 2010 host, Sean Hayes, kick off the evening playing a classical piano riff (FYI: Hayes is, in fact, a a classical pianist), only to morph into a piano duet with Million Dollar Quartet's Levi Kreis (as Jerry Lee Lewis).

OPENING MONOLOGUE: Deftly self referential, mildly snarky (political digs always welcome), not verbose  - and, dare I say it: funny!

Additional points for not breaking for commercial after the intro with Best Supporting Actress (Scarlett Johansson for A View from the Bridge) handed out before the break.  And, post break points for La Cage's Douglas Hodges' (in tasteful drag) decision to work the audience during "The Best if Times" [a nostalgic tip of the hat to the small 200-seat Brit houses in which he launched his cross dressing role - despite the fact that Radio City Music Hall seats 5,000.] Bonus: The Cagelles dancing down the aisles.

Also a Zip-Zip Huzzah for the back to back handing out of the awards Best Play, Red; Best Musical: La Cage au Folles. Things kept rolling along without a lull or overly verbose "thank-yous" - best ever flow and dyna-flow I can remember. Problems? Volume was low (had to really crank it up to hear the show and commercials, as a result, blared); the occasional wrong name pasted under a star or sloppy musical overlap.... But these are petty complaints.

This Year's Tony Production Should Be a Template for All Award Shows:

Minimal lowbrow presenter banter; tasteful and well-timed adieu to the theatrical departed; and a very, very interesting collection of stars in the non-nominee category.

I mean,  Helen Mirren, Racquel Welch, Daniel Radcliffe, Laura Bell Bundy, Michael Douglas --  and Jon Bon Jovi (streamed live from London, giving his "mate" David Bryan and the whole Memphis crew good-luck wishes).

And then my favorite coupling at the podium: David Hyde Pierce (coming this fall in La Bete) and Kelsey Grammer (La Cage) announcing Katie Finneran's much deserved win in Promises, Promises.

In short, I wasn't bored, wasn't annoyed and, on the whole, thoroughly entertained whether or not I agreed with the voters. And there were no embarrassing fashion statements.

Also worth noting: Heavy promoting of future Broadway productions (more than I can ever recall) from the aforementioned La Bete to the return of Time Stands Still this fall to Lea Michele reprising her Glee belt-a-thon of "Don't Rain on My Parade" (will she sign on to play Fanny Brice in the 2012 revival? good bet) to Sean Hayes appearing at different points as Spiderman (a heads-up to the mega-delayed musical Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark, now set for this fall) and Little Orphan Annie (a 2012 revival of Annie was announced this past week).

Posted on Monday, June 14, 2010 @ 12:23 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

Just a blog ago we reported that Alice Ripley and Brian d'Arcy James were exiting the roles of married couple Diana and Dan Goodman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical, Next to Normal. Since that posting, news of their replacements has been announced: Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley -- who also happen to be an official Mrs. and Mr. in real life.

          Mazzie, who recently found herself at large after the London import Enron bit the Broadway dust after only a few weeks, is a powerful stage presence. I still have vivid memories of her as Lilli/Katherine in Kiss Me Kate opposite Brian Stokes Mitchell -- whom she had previously appeared with in the original production of Ragtime. Both shows netted her Tony nominations, as did her performance in Sondheim's Passion.

          Danieley, you may recall, last appeared on Broadway in Kander & Ebb's Curtains, and was one of the stars of 2000's The Full Monty (a fabulous musical that had 10 Tony nominations and the misfortune to be up against Mel Brooks' juggernaut, The Producers that took every statuette in sight). And here's an interesting side note, appearing with Danieley in The Full Monty was Emily Skinner, who had played Alice Ripley's Siamese twin in the Broadway musical Side Show.

          All in all, having a married couple as Dan and Diana, is a pretty cool idea (this is the first time Mazzie and Danieley have played spouses on stage). For future reference, I'd like to throw out two more couples with serious Broadway musical experience for consideration:  Danny Burstein (South Pacific; The Drowsy Chaperone) and wife Rebecca Luker (Mary Poppins; The Music Man; Sound of Music) and Carolee Carmello (The Addams Family; Mamma Mia!; Lestat) and husband Gregg Edelman (1776; Wonderful Town; A Tale of Two Cities). Oh, yes, just to keep the coincidence fountain flowing, Edelman was also in the cast of Passion with Mazzie.

          Moving along to some breaking news, the stunning revival of Sondheim's (there's that name again!) A Little Night Music with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury that was slated to close on June 20^th will be re-emerging less than a month later (July 13^th, to be exact) with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch stepping into the roles of Desirée Armfeldt and Madame Armfeldt, respectively. The theatre - that would be the Walter Kerr - will be dark until the new stars begin performances.

          Highly recommended Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre (if, you can score tickets to this sell-out before it closes next Sunday, 6/13): The Metal Children starring Billy Crudup. This dark and compelling work, written by Adam Rapp, has several interesting similarities to The Pillowman, Martin McDonagh's 2005 Tony-nominated play. In both, Crudup plays a writer, somewhat at odds with his environment, and unaware that his works have had a life-altering, if not violent, impact on others. Both plays also deal with censorship and feature a galaxy of eccentric and touching supporting characters.

          That said, Rapp finesses his audience throughout The Metal Children, drawing you into a semi-surreal world of misfits and the misbegotten. Crudup is certainly up to the challenge... and not just because of The Pillowman parallels, but rather because his instincts for these sorts of characters are so strong. It's a shame the run is so limited - this production has a lot to say on a variety of levels, both passive and aggressive.

Posted on Tuesday, June 08, 2010 @ 10:22 AM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

  As a follow up to my last blog, two more Broadway shows have posted closing dates: Collected Stories starring Linda Lavin will play its last performance on Sunday, June 13^th while Lend Me a Tenor starring Anthony LaPaglia, Tony Shalhoub and Tony-nominee Jan Maxwell will be bowing out on August 15^th. Both productions are first-rate and I highly recommend you see them while you still can.

  Michael McKean whose most recent Broadway credits include stellar turns in Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts, the hit revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming and the musical blockbuster, The Pajama Game, is returning in David Cromer's highly lauded Off-Broadway production of Our Town.  Even if you've seen the show multiple times, McKean's presence warrants another visit. He begins performance on June 2^nd. And for the record, I personally have lost count of the number of extensions this production has put into play, but the last closing date of June 27^th has been pushed to September 12^th.  Just a guess, but I don't anticipate that marks the end.  ourtownoffbroadway.com

  Alice Ripley is exiting the Pulitzer-Prize/Tony Award-winning rock musical Next to Normal on July 18^th to share her Tony-winning performance with audiences in 36 cities across North America, starting in L.A. in late September. In the central role of Diana, a mother riding the wave of a mental tsunami while trying to keep her family physically and emotionally intact, Ripley has given her all to the show since it began its journey to Broadway via a workshop at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre in 2007.  Grab the opportunity to see her on Broadway before she departs. INCIDENTALLY: Brian D'Arcy James, who played the role of Diana's husband, Dan, in the 2008 Off-Broadway production rejoined the show on May 17^th will also be leaving the cast on July 18^th.  His follow-up however, will be the Broadway remounting of the critically-acclaimed Time Stands Still with former castmates Laura Linney and Eric Bogosian in September. Christina Ricci will be replacing Alicia Silverstone as the youngest member of the four-character cast.  AS FOR NEXT TO NORMAL: actors moving into Ripley and D'Arcy James' roles have yet to be announced.

  Speaking of D'Arcy James, his former Shrek costar, Tony-winner Sutton Foster is opting - at least briefly - for the cabaret route at the iconic Café Carlyle. Her show, Sutton Foster at The Carlyle is set for a two week run from June 15^th through the 26^th, and will include "an eclectic evening... of standards, songs from the worlds of pop and Broadway, and selections from her debut album, 'Wish." She'lll be accompanied by music director Michael Rafter on the piano and Kevin Kuhn on guitar. thecarlyle.com.

Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2010 @ 05:22 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

To quote Madeline Kahn in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles -- she speaking of cowboys, me speaking of Broadway shows -- "They're always coming and going and going and coming... and always too soon." 

Granted, my cockeyed optimism -- I so hate to watch the summer exodus of shows I have come to love and respect - generally trumps any wariness I may have regarding any announced upcoming shows that fall into the "Oh, please, God, not another revival of that!," and "What in the name of Edward Albee could they possibly be thinking?," cracker barrel. But, not being a producer with costs to cover, I defer to all decisions based on bottom lines.

THE GOINGS:

The last week or so - including yesterday - has not only been filled with confirmations of Broadway's previously announced summer closings (some, admittedly, limited runs), it has also added to the list. And I need hardly point out that the day after the Tony Awards (that will 6/14/10), several more shows will be leaving the Great White Way wrapped in defeat and/or disappointment.

But why jump the theatrical gun?  Let's stick to the scheduled-to-depart:

JUNE 6^th:

         A Behanding in Spokane Featuring a brilliant, Tony-nominated performance by Christopher Walken. This was a limited run, no doubt because Walken-- and his glorious duffle bag of idiosyncrasies -- is in increasing demand.

            God of Carnage With its third Broadway cast -- Jeff Daniels, Janet McTeer, Dylan Baker & Lucy Liu - is calling it quits even before the originally posted closing date of June 27^th. Not for lack of talent, mind you, just Summer Slump 101.

JUNE 20^th:   

           A Little Night Music This just posted. Sigh. Good-bye Lansbury & Zeta-Jones (both Tony-nominees), you and your fellow cast members were awesome.

JUNE 27^th: 

         Red Another limited run. This one with two killer performances by actors Alfred Molina & Eddie Redmayne, adding up to two Tony nominations: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play and a Featured Actor in a play, respectively.

        Sondheim on Sondheim The Tony nominee for this part-musical review/part-documenatry is diva Barbara Cook, known for her interpretation of Sondheim - although other cast members (most notably, Vanessa Williams and Tom Wopat were certainly worthy . Like most Roundabout productions, S on S entered the fray with an assigned cut-off date.

JULY 11^th:  

        Everyday Rapture One heck of a replacement for Roundabout's thwarted Lips Together, Teeth Apart Sherie Rene Scott's Off-Broadway should not be missed before its short run -- yes, limited! --ends. Also worth noting: the show's CD is dynamite: highly recommended!

            Fences Like there's a snowball's chance in hell that leading man Denzel Washington would be able to commit to an open run.  Washington, his leading lady, Viola Davis, and featured actor Stephen McKinley Henderson are all up for Tonys & this could be an acting trifecta come 6/13.

AUGUST 22^nd: 

     South Pacific Oh, this incomparable revival - originally a limited run that ran amok once audiences caught on to its overall wonderfulness --  will be missed when it bows out after two & half years. Plus factor: the production's original Emile de Beque - Paulo Szot - is back in the show for its last --summer!-- months.

 AUGUST 23^rd: 

     Race  David Alan Grier  is up for a Tony - very deserved.  Meanwhile, before the month of June is out, Mamet hit will have three new cast members to finish out the run (which has been extended due to audience demand). Here's the rundown: Afton C. Williamson will replace Kerry Washington on 6/15;  and starting 6/21 Eddie Izzard will take over for James Spader, while Dennis Haysbert will step in for Grier. Richard Thomas will continue in his role through closing night.

On the horizon: THE COMINGS.

Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 @ 01:53 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

For the first time in the several years I've been covering Tony nominations, I find myself obsessing over the numbers - delivered via press release by the PR folk hired by the The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing - together, the Tony equivalent to the Oscars' Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

(Granted, I'm writing this the day after seeing Enron on Broadway - a show that bombards theatergoers with numerical visuals throughout. Color me brainwashed.)

Nevertheless, the figures orbiting the 2010 Tony Award Nominations do have an a trenchant allure all their own:

64: Number of years the Antoinette Perry Awards have been distributed

40: Number of Broadway theatres eligible for consideration during the 2010-2011

     season

26: Competitive categories

729: Voters (members of the theatrical community), and finally.....

The official tally of Tony nominations -- by production.

Fela! - 11

La Cage aux Folles - 11

Fences - 10

Memphis - 8

Ragtime - 7

Red - 7

A View from the Bridge - 6

The Royal Family - 5

Enron - 4

A Little Night Music - 4

Promises, Promises - 4

American Idiot - 3

Finian's Rainbow - 3

In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play - 3

Lend Me a Tenor - 3

Million Dollar Quartet - 3

The Addams Family - 2

Come Fly Away - 2

Everyday Rapture - 2

Hamlet - 2

Next Fall - 2

Time Stands Still - 2

A Behanding in Spokane - 1

Collected Stories - 1

Looped - 1

Present Laughter - 1

Race - 1

Superior Donuts - 1

For currently running shows, these numbers will become critical selling points as the clock ticks down to Sunday, June 13^th, 8 to 11 pm (EST).

Whether or not you or I agree with these nominations is irrelevant, as it's the 729 whose opinion counts. They're Broadway's Electoral College and theirs is the final word. If we disagree - and of course we do in more than one instance - we can blog and/or our complaints without restraint. It's the 21^st-century way.

As someone with a weakness for plays vs. musicals (although I readily confess that half a dozen of this season's musicals managed to blow me away), I'm delighted to see that five of the top 11 nominees are plays... and that one glorious musical that departed all too soon -- Ragtime - is among the top five.

As for the nominees... well, cast your own votes. They're listed on TonyAwards.com  But be advised: in many cases, the competition is heavy duty. For example, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play is a totally unpredictable crapshoot: Jude Law (Hamlet); Alfred Molina (Red); Live Schreiber, (A View from the Bridge); Christopher Walken, (A Behanding in Spokane); and Denzel Washington (Fences).

Ah, but who doesn't love a s unpredictable crapshoot?

Posted on Wednesday, May 05, 2010 @ 03:36 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

Round I: Broadway Casualties

          April 4^th -- Easter Sunday, no less -- both All About Me and the first Broadway revival of The Miracle Worker are heading out. And granted, while I feel bad about saying good-bye to Dame Edna and Michael Feinstein, All About Me was not without problems - and I'm not all that sure the critics who put it to rest were all that astute about the reasons.

The general consensus was the contrived tiff-off between two diverse talents caused its early demise, but in my opinion the damning factors were a) yes, the execution of the contrived set up, and b) the overwrought banter between two over-the-top personalities - scarily reminiscent of the pre-packaged, back-and-forth made ubiquitous by celebrity presenters on every awards show to hit the air.

I can't imagine where Christopher Durang - one of my favorite playwrights, incidentally -- was thinking, and have my own thoughts on what would have made production work, but all this is water under the bridge, the show will be gone taking with it some gloriously funny moments and bunches upon bunches of gladiolas.

As for The Miracle Worker, I get that the producers were backed into a make-or-break fiscal decision, but this show deserved far, far better. Conceptually, the big critical guns shot it down - which ultimately kept audiences away. This upsets me no end given the fact that the production was both imaginative and featured beautiful performances from everyone involved, particularly Alison Pill as Annie Sullivan, Abigail Breslin as Helen Keller and Jennifer Morrison as Helen's mother, Kate. Sadly, its closing also puts the kibosh on potential attendance young audiences and school groups, and I mourn its loss on this level as well.

Round II: Roundabout Triage

          Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Terrence McNally's Lips Together, Teeth Apart, slated to debut at the American Airlines Theatre on April 9^th, took a header into the theatrical terra incognito before it opened thanks to that old standby, "artistic differences." Evidently, Megan Mullally (Young Frankenstein, Will & Grace) appealed to director Joe Mantello to dump costar Patton Oswalt (King of Queens) who, she felt was not up to snuff. Montello, disagreed, contending Oswalt was more than en route to snuff, at which point Mullally opted to take it on the lam rather than damage her professional stage cred. With previews looming and no Mullally, Roundabout's artistic director, Todd Haimes, announced the show was a no-go. 

          Enter Everyday Rapture, the critically acclaimed musical by Dick Scanlan & Sherie Rene Scott and directed by Michael Mayer, that premiered Off-Broadway at Second Stage in May of 2009 to rave reviews and two extensions.

          Called "Sensational! One of the year's most extravagantly entertaining new musicals," by the New York Times, Everyday Rapture will begin previews at the American Airlines Theatre on April 19^th and officially open ten days later. The final production of Roundabout's 2009-2010 season, the production is a limited engagement through July 11^th. [www.roundabouttheatre.org]

          Starring Ms. Scott, (The Little Mermaid, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Everyday Rapture "is the story of a young woman's psycho-sexual-spiritual journey on the rocky path that separates her mostly Mennonite past from her mostly Manhattan future. Her life takes her from the cornfields of Kansas to the clover fields of New York (with a disturbing detour through YouTube)."  The score boasts songs made famous by David Byrne, Roberta Flack, Mister Rogers, The Supremes, Tom Waits, U2 and Judy Garland.

Missed it Off-Broadway, can't wait to see it on Broadway - I mean, come on, what's not to love?  For full details and tickets visit www.roundabouttheatre.org.

Posted on Friday, April 02, 2010 @ 01:08 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

VELOCITY on 42^nd STREET

March into early April has been Fast Times at New Victory High - ok New Victory Theatre --  where audiences have been getting more than a little PDQ bang for their bucks. It started with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) that ran (literally!) from March 5^th through the 14^th serving up an hour and 40 minutes of the condensed Bard-a-thon known for its mania and mirth.  But that's history (again, literally).

Last Friday, another pedal-to-metal production was launched at the New Vic: Circa's 46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes - only this time all things literary (with the exception of an ingenious romp featuring the Periodic Table) have been tossed aside in favor of a fast-paced, four-person physical fun fest squishing 46 clever, hilarious, graceful, ridiculous, dangerous and demented circus/sideshow acts into three-quarters of an hour.

The performers - Darcy Grant, Emma McGovern, Emma Serjeant and Lewis West -- are young, attractive, fit, fearless and seemingly made of flesh, bone, rubber, and Silly Putty. Their troupe, Circa, is based in Brisbane, so one assumes they are Aussies (they do have the sort of English accents Americans are suckers for), but I could be wrong. Regardless, they're charmers who juggle, tumble, clown, balance stuff, skip rope on a unicycle, dangle seductively from a lush swath of red fabric, and tap dance on bubble wrap.

And yes, in the end, they did wrap things up in 45 minutes (a digital clock upstage center "kept them honest") but the show is 60 minutes thanks to a giddy break midway in which playtime is extended to the audience (and no, I'm not going to give you hint... see it for yourself).

For kids and adults - no distinction, actually - through April 4^th.  New Victory.org.

SEEING RED

Eddie Redmayne, who is currently reprising his Donmar Warehouse performance as Ken, Mark Rothko's young assistant in Red on Broadway, just picked up the 2010 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

The Olivier - Britain's version of a Tony Award - gives a boost of street cred to Redmayne, an actor not all that known to U.S. audiences, despite appearances in such films as Black Death, The Yellow Handkerchief, Glorious 39, Savage Grace, The Other Boleyn Girl, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Good Shepherd, and Like Minds.

Redmayne's appearance at the Golden Theatre is juxtaposed against that of Alfred Molina (Rothko), whose prior Broadway work includes originating the role of Tevye in the revival of Fiddler on the Roof and a leading role in Art. His onscreen resume, too,  is as eclectic as them come, running the gamut from Boogie Nights and Spider Man 2 to Frida a (in which he played another artist, Diego Rivera), and Anna Karenina.

And while Red is still in previews (it officially opens on April 1^st) - it looks like a shoe-in hit during it's limited 15-week run, thanks to a January review of the London production from make-or-break New York Times critic Ben Brantley, in which he declared "Red is staged and acted with such fierce conviction that it never lets you look away " and  "Mr. Molina has visceral intensity. Mr. Redmayne is a star in the making."

redonbroadway.com

Posted on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 @ 10:19 AM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

            I'm not going to go into laborious gushing on this one: it's wonderfully acted (original cast intact) and a provocative mini masterpiece that zeroes in on a vital shard of gay history unknown to many/most people. See it and learn (but leave the kids at home).

            Story line in a nutshell: A romantic relationship grows between two complex individuals:  married communist Harry Hay (Thomas Jay Ryan) and Viennese refugee and designer Rudi Gernreich (Michael Urie) as they work to establish the first U.S. gay rights organization. Indeed the show offers a theatrical portait of the actual men who joined Hay and Gernreich in founding the Mattachine Society:  Chuck Rowland (Arnie Burton), Bob Hull (Matthew Sheneck) , and Dale Jennings (Sam Breslin Wright), along with other notable figures from the world of fashion and film - all portrayed by the versatile Burton, Sheneck and Wright.

            The play - written by Jon Marans - was one of those rare Off-Broadway sell-out phenoms playwrights and producers dream about in 2009. Thankfully, after the statute of limitations ran out at its original digs, The Temperamentals was given a permanent home at New World Stages where the savviest of theatergoers snare their tickets for Monday nights when an impressive array of actors, activists, playwrights, politicos, etc. gather for a panel discussion. 

            Each of these "Talkout Mondays" - which, confessionally, I've yet to attend but have on my must-check-out radar - have been attracting a devastatingly cool cross-section of guests. On March 1st, for example, playwright/screenwriter/activist Larry Kramer (The Normal Heart; Women in Love) shared the stage with playwright/screenwriter/author Paul Rudnick (Jeffrey; In & Out; The Stepford Wives); and this coming Monday (March 15th) the panelists will include Bill C Davis (playwright), Tim Viola (activist, BC/EFA) and Broadway Impact co-founders: Gavin Creel (star of Hair), Rory O'Malley & Jenny Kanelos.

  Here's the lineup for the next several Mondays:

March 23: Charles Kaiser (author of The Gay Metropolis, the landmark history of gay life in America) and John Loughery (author of "The Other Side of Silence" which has a chapter about Hay and the era); and

March 29: Elizabeth Ashley (actress) and Michael Wilson (director)

April 5:  Tony & Emmy-winning actor David Hyde Pierce (Curtains; Frasier) and Brian Hargrove (TV executive, writer, producer) 

April 12:  David Mixner (civil rights activist and best-selling author: Stranger Among Friends; Brave Journeys: Profiles in Gay and Lesbian Courage) 

Future confirmed panelists include Marle Becker (gay activist, "Out FM" radio program); groundbreaking actor/playwright Charles Busch (Vampire Lesbians of Sodom; The Tale of the Allergist's Wife); author David Carter  ("Stonewall-The Riot That Sparked The Revolution," soon to be made into a PBS special); author Charles Kaiser (The Gay Metropolis, the landmark history of gay life in America); Frank Kameny (head of the D.C. Mattachine Society who was fired in 1957 as an astrophysicist for being gay); producer Tom Kirdahy (Ragtime; Deuce); former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey; Terrence McNally (multiple Tony-winning playwright: Kiss of the Spider Woman; Love! Valour! Compassion!; Master Class; Ragtime);  Daryl Roth (producer of six Pulitzer Prize winning plays); and  David Rothenberg (political activist, Fortune Society, WBAI Radio).      

For scheduled guests on or closer to the date, visit www.thetemperamentals.com.

Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2010 @ 12:47 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Off-Broadway

In terms of life, the universe and theatre my motto is "different is good." So you'd think I'd be thrilled about the passing of the torch at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater. And I am... really... truly... sort of.  Okay, I'm torn.

The production set to begin previews on October 21^st  (opening November 18^th)  is A Free Man of Color - a new play by John Guare. How great is this? I mean Guare and Lincoln Center Theatre are forever linked in the most idyllic of ways -- his The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, Four Baboons Adoring The Sun and Chaucer in Rome, were all mounted there, and with the exception of Chaucer..., they each received Best Play Tony nominations.

This latest Guare, described as "a freewheeling epic set in 1802 New Orleans" has a wealthy Don Juan "of color" at its central character, so it's not hard to let one's imagination run creatively amok when mulling over casting potential. (You can bet I'm looking forward to that press release.)

Still, bringing in the latest Guare means losing a two-year old classic: LCT's staggeringly awesome revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific, directed by Bartlett Sher. According to the powers that be, the Tony-winning production will end its record-breaking run at the Vivian Beaumont at the August 22^nd Sunday matinee. And I can't imagine that it was an easy decision to cut the musical -- a frequent sell-out -- loose. The longest-running Broadway revival of any Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, the show will have played 1,000 performances and 37 previews by the time it sails off.

Having seen South Pacific, twice, I am in a sort of mourning state at the prospect of its leaving. I understand LCT is currently laying plans for staging the production in London and Australia, but that doesn't assuage me much. I know, I'm projecting -- I still have half a year to see it a few more times - and I will.  I definitely need to get it out of my system if I'm going to be able to turn my attention to Guare... and new... and very, very different. And yet, I doubt I'll be able to totally Wash that Musical Right Out of My Hair. Ah, well, there's always the CD.

            Further down the Vivian Beaumont road -- that would be spring 2011 -- comes the American premiere of War Horse - a work adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford after a novel by Michael Morpurgo. Directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, the show features life-sized puppet horses, and reunites the London production's original design team which includes puppetry by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company. 

Incidentally, after two sell-out runs at the National Theatre, the show moved to London's West End in March, 2009 where it continues to play to capacity houses. As for its NYC debut, the show is set to begin previews on March 17, 2011 for an April 14^th opening.

     And in case you haven't heard, it appears another coveted London import may well be heading to Broadway: Evita, starring Elena Roger in the title role. Roger -- the Argentine actress who had British critics swooning when the musical opened at London's Adelphi Theatre in June of 2006.  Nothing definite here, but fingers crossed as this would mark the first Broadway revival of the multi-Tony-winning musical since 1980 when it sent Patti LuPone's career off into the stratosphere.

As for the role of Che Guevara (Mandy Patinkin, as you may recall, was cast opposite LuPone), there has been some buzz citing Ricky Martin, but again, nothing definite so we'll have to wait and see whether the pop icon will be Livin' La Vida Loca on the Great White Way... or not.

Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2010 @ 05:31 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

The Who:  Desperately wish I had someone named Tommy to lead off with, but alas, I do not. What I do have is the most current cast of one of my favorite Off-Broadway shows:  Love, Loss & What I Wore. 

          So far, the revolving door format has been good to theatergoers.... Especially those of us who appreciate a return visit to check out just how the new blood is handling Nora & Delia Ephron's engaging theatrical salute to Ilene Beckerman's best-selling book (featuring ingenious illustrations which are recreated for the stage).

          The February line-up of actors is quite dandy:  Janeane Garofalo, Joanna Gleason, Carol Kane, June Diane Raphael and Carolyn Rhea - a gathering that pretty much ensure the comic timing will head for the fashionista jugular. And in the event that February slips through you theatre-going fingers, March is also worth a visit or three as it marks the return of original cast member Rosie O'Donnell, who delivers a emotional first persona monologue about her late mom that I guarantee you won't forget anytime soon. (Her mother's housecoat is emblazoned on my subconscious and never fails to conjure visions of own late mother, whose ubiquitous black slip will haunt my memories forever.) O'Donnell costars will include Didi Conn, Fran Drescher and Natasha Lyonne.

New to Chicago: Three-time Grammy-winner Michelle Williams recently stepped into Roxie Hart's purloined silver Mary Janes (too bad, Velma!), and rumor has it, she's tearing up the stage at the Ambassador Theatre where the long-running musical continues to razzle-dazzle. Williams who played Roxie to critical kudos in London last year, is an alumna of Destiny's Child and made her Broadway debut in 2003 when she replaced Toni (six Grammy's so far) Braxton in Aida.

The What: An "Unprecedented digital initiative" from the innovative videophobes at Hair (2009's Tony-winning musical revival).  As you may know, the show concludes with the cast inviting audience members onstage to sing, dance and groove in a "massive communal dance party."  Swell in and of itself, but now, in the notoriously psychedelic month of February, this simple gesture of camaraderie has expanded to include the digital recording of the nightly madcap Bacchanal with the footage posted on Hair's official website: www.HairBroadway.com.

          Audience members who have yet to embrace their 15 minutes of fame can find and tag themselves AND share their video moment with friends, family and unwitting strangers via email, Facebook and Twitter. Past videos will be archived and remain on Hair's website. My recommendation: dress appropriately in vintage bellbottoms, tie-dyed T's and fringed vests.

The Yadda, Yadda: 

Rocket Man:  Latest Next Fall Producer Man: Elton John and David Furnish have joined the producing team of playwright Georffrey Nauffts' (Naked Angels) Next Fall - a sell-out Off-Broadway which will debut at the Helen Hayes on February 16^th (opening 3/11). A provocative look at faith and commitment in a long-term gay relationship, the show stars Patrick Breen, Maddie Corman, Sean Dugan, Patrick Heusinger, Connie Ray and Cotter Smith as Butch.

          After signing on, John and Furnish stated (although probably not simultaneously),  "We are excited to join the team bringing Geoffrey Nauffts' extraordinary play to Broadway. After fulfilling experiences bringing new musicals to the stage, it was seeing this inspiring and timely new work that attracted us to take on our first play. As we continue to collaborate together on the score for the new film Showstopper, we are thrilled to extend our working relationship with Geoffrey Nauffts and Anthony Barrile to the stage."

Posted on Monday, February 08, 2010 @ 03:11 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

First up drama: A View from the Bridge

I know, an Arthur Miller revival on Broadway is pretty much a given. Sooner or later a salesman will die, all my sons will gather, a crucible will ignite and a new generation of theatergoers will check out the view from the bridge. But as long as directors get the casting right, this is a big fat plus for lovers of great American literature. After all, Miller is the sounding board for the Everyman/woman in all of us, even if the decade unraveling onstage is long gone.

And so we have the edition, a revival of Miller's A View from the Bridge currently running at the Cort Theatre. The NY Time's make-or-break-critic Ben Brantley has already given it a bunch of techno color praise, as have other high profile reviewers around town. They do not exaggerate. This is a production to be cherished on many levels, starting with Gregory Mosher's deft directorial take that subtly escorts us from the mundane to the tragic.

 High Point: The three key characters:

Eddie Carbone (Liev Schreiber) - 1950's Brooklyn longshoreman sitting on a hand grenade of daily grind and misshapen desire. One of American theatre's most finely-tuned talents, Schreiber fleshes out Eddie's humanity while whittling away at the raw nerve positioned just beneath the skin. We're talking Tony here. 

Beatrice Carbone (Jessica Hecht) - Blue-collar housewife grappling with reality, neglect and the sort of womanly intuition that breaks hearts. Hecht (a recent casualty of the  excellent, albeit truncated, Broadway run of Brighton Beach Memoirs), nails it all... the accent, the fear, the longing. Her pragmatic counterpoint to Eddie's testosterone-driving ego is, ultimately, the soul of the show.

Catherine (Scarlett Johansson) - Eddie's 17-year-old niece who has lived with the couple since childhood and is tentatively crossing the line to adulthood. With her trademark strawberry blonde hidden under a dark wig, Johannson's movie star persona eluded most of the audience for her first several minutes onstage. Understated, with a lovely stage presence and a flawless chemistry with Hecht and Schreiber, the actress is more than a little impressive in her Broadway debut.

The last production of View took place 12 years ago and was amazing in its own right - Anthony LaPaglia, Allison Janney and the late Brittany Murphy. A friend recently suggested her memories of that version were so vivid and wonderful she thought she would skip this one.

She would be wrong... very wrong... to do so. I convinced her to take the leap. I hope I've done the same for you.

Second up: A Sweet Deal "On the House"

Anyone wishing to bang the buck boldly need only log onto nycgo.com/onthehouse, an email hotline launched just this week to give theatergoers a substantial break during the month of February.

The Skinny: From February 8^th through the 28^th, the pro-active tourism/marketing arm of the city NYC & Company, is once again offering On the House, a three-week promotion making available two-for-one Off-Broadway theatre tickets for the following 25 Off-Broadway shows:  

A Lie of the Mind, Ages of the Moon, Avenue Q, Awesome 80s Prom, Candida, Circumcise Me, Clybourne Park, Equivocation, The Fantasticks, Fuerza Bruta: Look Up, The Gazillion Bubble Show, Happy Now?, MazelTov Cocktail, Measure for Measure, Mr. & Mrs. Fitch (with John Lithgow), Naked Boys Singing!, Perfect Crime, The Pride, The Scottsboro Boys, Signs of Life, STOMP, The Tempermentals, Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers, Venus in Fur and Yank!

And while I haven't seen every production listed above (although I might take this as a cue to fill in the gaps) I do have my favorites, including Avenue Q, Fuerza Bruta and a show I just caught last week, Venus in Fur, a tantalizingly sexual two-person dark comedy by one of my favorite playwrights, David Ives. It also happens to be directed by multi-award winner Walter Bobbie, a frequent Ives collaborator. For the record, the two relative newcomers who make up the cast, Nina Arianda and Wes Bentley, are exceptional. Ms. Arianda in particular is an actor with a potentially brilliant future ahead -- you'll want to say you saw her here first! 

Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 @ 12:14 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

I've been sitting on two interesting bits of theatre casting info.  Here they are, short and sweet...

One Shot Deal at The Minskoff: On eThursday, January 14th Whoopi Goldberg was scheduled to be making  surprise cameos appearances in The Lion King. But don't despair if you love Whoopi and missed it. The View will have its camera's positioned to capture the performance for a feature slated to run sometime this week.

    Goldberg, who serves as one of the moderators on The View, is no stranger to The Lion King having originated the voice of Shenzi the Hyena in the 1994 Disney animated feature. As Flounder said in Animal House, "This is gonna be great!"

Tales of South Pacific:  Paulo Szot, who originated the role of Emile de Beque in the long running Lincoln Center hit, will be leaving the show on January 24^th. The good news in his replacement from February 2^nd thru March 21st is David Pittsinger, the same critically-acclaimed Bass-Baritone that covered for him last winter and spring when Szot was off fulfilling international operatic commitments.  And guess what?  Szot's leave of absence is for the same reason - only this time, he'll be remaining on the same Lincoln Center campus as South Pacific. He's preparing for his Metropolitan Opera debut in the new production of Shostakovich's The Nose. He'll return to Nellie Forbush and the Vivian Beaumont on March 30^th.  [For the record, William Michals - who I recently saw & loved in the role -- will be playing de Beque for all non-Pittsinger performances during the two month period.]

Posted on Thursday, January 14, 2010 @ 12:58 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion

Browse: Broadway

If you read my last blog, you'll know that the revival of Ragtime had a special place in my heart - and that it was on life support well before Dick Clark ushered us in to 2010. Thus, when the announcement came down that the simultaneously pragmatic and skittish producers were pulling the plug this coming Sunday (January 10^th) I can't say I was surprised. Still, it does put a severe dent in any New Year's optimism I might be harboring.

And it's not just Ragtime. Last Sunday Shrek and Superior Donuts bit the Broadway dust, while the 10^th also bodes terminal for The 39 Steps, Burn the Floor, and In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play. Before the month is over, we'll also be bon-voyaging Finian's Rainbow, Wishful Drinking and Bye Bye Birdie - an unusually hefty load, even by traditionally cut-throat January standards.

Granted, Wishful Drinking was a limited engagement and, in the scheme of things, The 39 Steps and Shrek had respectable runs. All the same, as a lover of theatre in all its diverse manifestations, I am not happy.  I truly wish there were a clear-cut solution to keeping good shows afloat during the desperate days. But it seems survival options have dwindled to a) deep-pocketed/bullish producers and b) big name Hollywood stars willing to sacrifice the megabucks for a longer-than-minimal Broadway stint.

The situation leaves me forecasting a future filled with increasingly limited-run Broadway bookings and fewer and fewer plays and musicals with no celebrity ballast.

That said, I'd give anything to be proven wrong.

And while I'm venting - actually pretty therapeutic in lieu of the new decade beneath my wings - I'd like to point out something that's bothered me ever since we learned of actress Brittany Murphy's death on December 20^th of last year.

There was little to no mention of Murphy's Broadway debut in the Tony-winning 1998 revival of Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge, particularly in lieu of the fact that another Broadway revival - the first since then - is currently taking place at the Cort Theatre with Liev Shreiber and Scarlett Johansson in the roles of Eddie and Catherine.

I haven't as yet seen the current production. But I did see Brittany Murphy's performance as Catherine opposite Anthony LaPaglia and loved it. She was earthy and accessible and, at 21, a more believable teenaged Catherine than I'd seen in the part. In fact, even though she was overshadowed award-wise by LaPaglia and Allison Janney, who played Beatrice, it's Murphy's unique take on the role that stands out in my mind. For an actress who cut her teeth on TV and film from the age of 14, she was a revelation on stage. You'd think someone - or Wikipedia, hello? - would have credited her first and only Broadway appearance.

Posted on Tuesday, January 05, 2010 @ 04:29 PM | 0 replies Start the Discussion