SilverShadow March 19, 2015 Share March 19, 2015 Also, I know I've brought this up before but... maybe it was just too cold but I miss people dressing up for the theatre. It doesn't have to be a dress for the ladies but I swear people wouldn't even show up to work they do for the theatre sometimes. I get that it's a form of entertainment but it's not the same as going to the movies. I often wish I could be dressier than I am, but since I often spend the day walking around, heels and a short skirt in November or February are just not a thing that's happening. Link to comment
aradia22 March 19, 2015 Author Share March 19, 2015 I often wish I could be dressier than I am, but since I often spend the day walking around, heels and a short skirt in November or February are just not a thing that's happening. To me, the guys have no excuse. I'm not saying show up in a tux but it's not a stretch with men's fashion to find something comfortable that could be at least a little dressy. Link to comment
aradia22 March 20, 2015 Author Share March 20, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Double Stuffed Edition (3/18-3/19) OK, enough of my curmudgeonly rumblings. I just seem to have gone to a string of shows that don't fill me with the magic of theatre and it's made me grumpy. I didn't use it today but starting tomorrow we'll have a new heading. "It's Only a Play" for all the play news that doesn't fit anywhere else (casting, openings, Shakespeare, etc.). Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Keith Carradine and Alexandra Socha co-star in the New York City Center Encores! staging of the 1951 Lerner and Loewe musical Paint Your Wagon, which is presented March 18-22. The new Broadway production of Gigi, starring Vanessa Hudgens in the title role, begins previews March 19, prior to an official opening April 8, at the Neil Simon Theatre. The first Broadway revival of Wendy Wasserstein's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Heidi Chronicles, following the life of feminist art historian Heidi Holland, opens at the Music Box Theatre March 19 following previews that began Feb. 23. The Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and Women's Project Theater present the world premiere of The Undeniable Sound of Right Now, written by Laura Eason. Performances begin March 19 Off-Broadway. Directed by Kirsten Kelly, the new play will open April 2. The cast includes Daniel Abeles, Jeb Brown, Chris Kipniak, Brian Miskell, Margo Seibert, and Lusia Strus. The musical Disenchanted!, which pokes fun at the world of fairtytale princesses, begins its open-ended run Off-Broadway March 19. I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) Tony Award-winning producer and Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons is developing a new stage musical that will feature hip-hop hits spanning the mid-1980s to the turn of the millennium. Titled The Scenario, the musical is aiming for a 2016 New York City premiere. John Anastasi's new play in-between will receive a private industry reading, directed by Kate Whoriskey. in-between "is a story of a committed couple who are forced to answer the question, 'Why do we love who we love?' Facing the life altering choices the modern world offers and examines what happens when a person's happiness and sense of self is pitted against one's commitment to another." Anne Rice's 1982 novel "Cry to Heaven," set within the operatic world of the male castrati in 18th century Italy, is in development as a new stage musical by Academy Award-nominated composer Matthew Wilder ("Mulan," Princesses). Brush Up Your Shakespeare (SHAKESPEARE) The Public Theater has announced further casting for its annual Shakespeare in the Park productions. Featured are Jesse Tyler Ferguson (On the Town) as well as Hamish Linklater (Seminar) and Lily Rabe, who return after appearing in last summer's production of Much Ado About Nothing. Ferguson is slated to play Trinculo in The Tempest, while Linklater and Rabe will team up again on Cymbeline to play Posthumus Leonatus/Cloten and Imogen, respectively. The Tempest will be directed by Tony nominee Michael Greif and will play May 27-July 5 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. An official opening night is slated for June 16. Cymbeline is set to play July 23-August 23, with an official opening night August 10. (I will be trying for tickets to both of these... obviously.) Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Laura Benanti and Lena Hall are among the Broadway talent who will be featured in the Broadway Sings Tori benefit concert April 20, celebrating the music of eight-time Grammy nominee Tori Amos. Proceeds from the event, held at Le Poisson Rouge, will benefit RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, America's largest anti-sexual organization. Another Opening, Another Robe, an evening celebrating Broadway's Gypsy Robe recipients, will be held March 30 at The Laurie Beechman Theatre at the West Bank Café. The 7 PM concert will feature James Dybas (The Scarlet Pimpernel, Pacific Overtures), Jess LeProtto (On the Town, Newsies), Arbender J. Robinson (Les Misérables, Beautiful, Hair) and Megan Sikora (Curtains, How to Succeed…, Dracula). The Broadway’s Future Songbook Series--presented by Arts and Artists at St. Paul--will continue March 30 in the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library branch at Lincoln Center. Christina DeCicco, Adam Kantor, and Christiane Noll will celebrate the work of composer-lyricist Andrew Lippa March 23 at the Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row. Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan, Bring It On star Adrienne Warren and more will join songwriter Michael Mott April 7 at 54 Below for an evening of his original music entitled That Was Then, This Is How. One Song Glory (ALBUMS) A mini-cast album of the Broadway-aimed musical Allegiance, starring Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, George Takei and Telly Leung, is available for digital download. The album was released in 2013, based on early readings of the show. (Not sure why this is news but I don't run a website that needs click bait.) Chilina Kennedy, who recently took over the role of Carole King in the Tony Award-winning production of Beautiful, will release her debut album, "What You Find in A Bottle," April 14. They Mean Chicago, Illinois (CHICAGO NEWS) Chicago's Lifeline Theatre has announced its 2015-16 season, which will include three MainStage productions, notably a new musical version of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. The Victory Gardens Theater has announced that its 2015-16 season will include two world premieres by playwrights Sarah Gubbins and Lucas Hnath. A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) Julie Atherton is to star as Janet in Shock Treatment, the stage version of Richard O'Brien's film sequel to The Rocky Horror Show, beginning performances at London's King's Head April 17, prior to an official opening April 21, for a run through June 6. A series of concert performances of the 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity will bed presented at London's Cadogan Hall near Sloane Square in Chelsea, beginning performances Aug. 19 for a run of six performances only through Aug. 22. Denise van Outen will play the title role, with Michael Xavier (as Charlie/Vittorio Vidal/Oscar Lindquist), Kerry Ellis (as Helene) and Kimberley Walsh (as Nickie). I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) "The Sound of Music," the classic movie musical based on Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic Broadway musical, will return to selected cinemas nationally on April 19 and 22. Tickets went on sale today at the website of Fathom Event. "She's The Best Thing In It," a documentary about Tony Award-winning actress Mary Louise Wilson, is screened at SXSW Film Festival. Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Marissa Jaret Winokur has joined Megan Hilty in Judah Miller's comedy pilot for ABC, according to Deadline.com. "Larry Kramer In Love & Anger," a new documentary film about the gay rights and health activist who authored the Tony-winning Broadway play The Normal Heart, will debut this June on HBO to mark Kramer’s 80th birthday. Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) The general rush ticket policy has been announced for the new Broadway revival of Gigi, starring Vanessa Hudgens, which begins Broadway previews March 19 at the Neil Simon Theatre. A limited number of $30 general rush tickets will be available at the Neil Simon Theatre box-office for day-of performances. The tickets, limited to two per person and subject to availability, will go on sale three hours prior to the performance. The Neil Simon Theatre is located at 250 West 52nd Street. The Broadway productions of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Wolf Hall: Parts 1 & 2 have announced that a same day general rush will be available at the box office of the Winter Garden Theatre, where the show will begin performances March 20. The official opening is set for April 9.Starting Sunday, March 22 the box office is open on Sundays from 11 AM to 7pm, and Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 8:30 PM. (No idea what the rush tickets cost.) The 60th annual OBIE Awards, celebrating excellence in theatre Off-Broadway, are now on sale. The ceremony, co-presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Village Voice, will be held at Webster Hall in New York City on May 18. Just days after the closing of its sold-out Broadway hit Constellations, Manhattan Theatre Club announced it will present the American premiere of the Nick Payne's Incognito Off-Broadway next season. The brain of physicist Albert Einstein is stolen in Nick Payne’s drama about “memory and identity” which will begin previews May 3, 2016, with an official opening set for May 24 at the New York City Center – Stage I. Manhattan Theatre Club will present the world-premiere Nick Jones play Important Hats of the Twentieth Century about a fashion designer that begins previews Nov. 10 and officially opens Nov. 23 at the Studio at Stage II Theatre at City Center. Tony Award-winning Caroline, or Change co-stars Tonya Pinkins and Anika Noni Rose will reunite for a one-night-only benefit presentation of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage's Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine. Tony-winning director Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun, Fences) will direct the benefit for the non-profit arts education organization Opening Act. Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine will be presented at New World Stages. Forever, a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith that explores family and heritage, will be presented at the New York Theatre Workshop. Previews will begin on April 22 and the play will officially open May 4. The production is created and performed by Orlandersmith and directed by Neel Keller. The Lincoln Center Theater will present Kill Floor by award-winning new playwright Abe Koogler and to be directed by Lila Neugebauer (4000 Miles), the first LCT3 world premiere production of the 2015-16 season. Performances will run Oct. 3-Nov. 15 with an official opening night slated for Oct. 19. In Kill Floor, Andy has just returned to her son and hometown after a three-year stint in prison. She takes a job at the local slaughterhouse while at the same time trying to mend the relationship with her 15-year old son, B, an avid vegetarian. Lincoln Center Theater has announced that the first production of its 2015-16 season will be Peter Parnell's Dada Woof Papa Hot, a play that asks the question: are the challenges of gay dads the same as those of straight dads? performances will begin Oct. 15 with an opening night slated for Nov. 9 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. Jason Gotay and Madeline Trumble will star in LMNOP – A New Muzical, a story in which letters fall from the sky and a town's vocabulary is compromised, beginning April 7 at TUTS Underground, the developmental theatre at Theatre Under the Stars in Texas. Laugh, a new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley, is getting its world-premiere production at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. The production, which officially opened March 15 following previews that began March 11, is directed by David Schweizer. It continues through April 19. The cast includes Helen Cespedes, Creed Garnick, Evan Zes, Jacob Ming-Trent, Emily Townley and Felicia Curry. "The West. The 1920s. Mabel's had a hard few weeks. A dynamite accident at a gold mine has left her wealthy but orphaned, and she's shipped off to a calculating aunt whose nephew is charged with seducing her to control Mabel's fortune. This hapless courtship reveals a shared love of silent movies and a plan for greater things. A story of mishaps and moxie, the romance of Hollywood and ultimately a Hollywood-caliber romance. A world-premiere slapstick comedy." Maryland's Olney Theatre Center is making plans for an intimate, "chamber-sized" staging of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice hit Evita, as well as a new version of Carmen adapted by Tony nominee Moisés Kaufman, according to the Washington Post. Penn & Teller will bring the provocative New Vaudeville magician team back to Broadway for a six-week stand at the Marquis Theatre, July 7-Aug. 16. Tickets go on sale April 16 via Ticketmaster, 877-250-2929. Opening night is TBA. Link to comment
aradia22 March 20, 2015 Author Share March 20, 2015 (edited) Voice Lesson update. I've put aside the song from Annie Get Your Gun and started work on Someone To Watch Over Me. I feel like I'm in a much better place with this song. Theatre News Roundup Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) The London productions of Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies, based on the history novels by Hilary Mantel about Henry VIII, arrive on Broadway March 20 at the Winter Garden Theatre. Titled Wolf Hall, Parts 1 and 2 for American audiences, the production features the entire original London cast. The Kindling Theater Company and Apartment 10C Productions present the world premiere of Leave Me Green by Lisi DeHaas beginning March 20. Playwrights Horizons' world premiere of the new musical play Iowa begins previews March 20, featuring Broadway actor Lee Sellars playing various roles, including that of a pony. I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) Tony Award-winning entertainer Ben Vereen is developing a new one-man show for Broadway, which he hopes to bring to the stage in early 2016. An industry reading of the new musical Divided will be presented at the Theatre at the 14th Street Y March 25. Divided is described as "a post-Civil War story of young love and old prejudice. When young Bridget O’Neill discovers a packet of letters in her Aunt Maude’s trunk, she begins a quest to learn the story of her Southern mother and Northern father. The truth separates her from her fiancé, Danny Sullivan, and the Irish Catholic community that has embraced her. In the end, as fire consumes Boston in much the same way it consumed the South, the prejudice of the past must be put aside to make way for the future." Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS) There are many, many reviews of The Heidi Chronicles for you to read. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Paper Mill Playhouse has announced complete casting for the world-premiere musical Ever After, which will begin previews at the New Jersey venue May 21 for a limited engagement through June 21. The cast will be headed by two-time Tony winner Christine Ebersole as Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent, Tony Award nominee Tony Sheldon as Leonardo da Vinci, Emmy Award winner Charles Shaugnessy as King Francis, James Synder as Prince Henry and Drama Desk Award nominee Margo Seibert as Danielle de Barbarac. (OH MY GOD. This is the most I've ever wanted to go to New Jersey.) I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS) A new version of Romeo and Juliet may be headed to the silver screen. Deadline.com reports that Sony has acquired the rights to "Verona," which features a script penned by Neil Widener and Gavin James. (There was just another movie with Hailee Steinfeld.) Lin-Manuel Miranda's new musical Hamilton has sold a hefty $6.5 million in tickets in the 11 days since the box office opened, according to a report in The New York Times. The Times quoted lead producer Jeffrey Seller in giving the figure, adding that he has another $4 million worth of orders from groups. Tickets went on sale March 1. Mean Girls musical hints Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Ars Nova has announced the lineup for Bridget Everett Gets F*cked by Ars Nova at Stage 48, a benefit concert featuring tributes, roasts and send-up performances from celebrity guests and downtown cabaret artist Everett herself.A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) Marcus Collins is to join the cast of The West End Men, as the mutating boy band of West End actors embarks on a new U.K tour, beginning performances May 24 at Milton Keynes Theatre and then visiting theatres around the country through June 14. Dianna Agron and Stephen Wight will take on the roles of Dahlia and Lee McQueen, respectively, in the world premiere of James Phillips’s play McQueen. Mother-daughter duo Tony and Oscar winner Judi Dench and Finty Williams, Broadway alums Paul Chahidi and Hadley Fraser, Catherine Tate and more will star in The Vote. Set in a fictional London polling station, the play, written by Finding Neverland’s James Graham, dramatizes the final ninety minutes before the polls close in this year’s U.K. General Election. There will be two weeks of performances at the Donmar Theatre from April 24 through May 6 in the run-up to a live TV broadcast on May 7 (the day the Brits go to the polls). Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir Ian McKellen will star in a new TV adaptation of Sir Ronald Harwood's The Dresser for the BBC this fall and on the Starz network in 2016, according to Deadline Hollywood.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) A portion of the tickets for the first three previews of Joe DiPietro’s new Broadway comedy Living on Love will be priced at $19.57, a nod to the setting for the play, 1957 New York City. Actual letters written by American troops and their loved ones form the basis of If All the Sky Were Paper, premiering May 21-22 at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater as part of its celebration of Memorial Day. Mamie Gummer and Gary Cole star in Andrew Carroll's drama, directed by John Benitz. (Pennsylvania) Justin Guarini will return to Bucks County Playhouse as Bobby in Company which will be presented May 29-June 21. Artistic director James Bundy and managing director Victoria Nolan have announced Yale Repertory Theatre's 2015–16 season, which will boast three world premieres — including one by Paula Vogel — and two classics. The season opens with three world premieres: Indecent, created by Yale Rep’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Playwright-in-Residence Paula Vogel and director Rebecca Taichman; Peerless, a contemporary comedy by Jiehae Park, directed by Margot Bordelon; and The Moors, a new comedy by Jen Silverman, directed by Jackson Gay. If by some horrible chance I don't like this revival of The King and I, at least the costumes are gorgeous. Edited March 20, 2015 by aradia22 Link to comment
aradia22 March 22, 2015 Author Share March 22, 2015 Hello my loves, No TNR tonight because I was at Paint Your Wagon. We'll just have another Double Stuffed edition tomorrow. So... Paint Your Wagon. These are my immediate thoughts. I sat in the center of the balcony in one of the first few rows. I was able to move over because the balcony wasn't that well sold. The view was great and the sound was great. So the sound first. I loved having the orchestra on stage and they sounded amazing. THESE are the violins I have been wanting. Is this so much to ask for? I thought the cast was pretty solid across the board though I had slight issues with some aspects of the performances. I thought Keith Carradine's voice was almost too pretty on Elisa. That is, he lost the accent he kept on Wandrin Star. Alexandra Socha was great but during How Can I Wait, I thought she sounded a bit awkward on the "dialect" written into the lyrics. You know, "himself" and all that. Because she didn't really have an accent otherwise. To me, Justin Guarini was the biggest letdown. Not because he was terrible but because I can imagine it sounding better and really being special. The male choral/ensemble vocals were gorgeous and I don't usually like those. The costumes were gorgeous. I was not expecting all the dancing but I enjoyed it. Even the first male ballet... even if it didn't seem super plot-motivated. Just the first one I mean, the rest of the dances made sense in the context of the show. The show felt like an odd mash up of Oklahoma (setting) and South Pacific (plot). OK, I'm being kicked off the computer. Possibly more tomorrow. Link to comment
DisneyBoy March 22, 2015 Share March 22, 2015 (edited) Disenchanted! sounds awesome. Cool title and concept. It could stink of course, but I'll look forward to hearing more. I'm suddenly VERY much wanting to get to NYC for some shows. Between On The Town, On The 20th Century, Hamilton, Fun Home, Curious Incident of the Dog, Gentleman's Guide, Zhivago, King and I and The Visit...there's no way I could afford it, LOL. But a guy can dream, right? Can't believe they put a flying Jesus in Carrie. You need to pick and choose the stunts in that show... I'm going to watch a bootleg of Lestat now. Anyone here seen that show? Will I be weirded out by it, or pleasantly surprised? Edited March 22, 2015 by DisneyBoy Link to comment
Milburn Stone March 22, 2015 Share March 22, 2015 (edited) Also, I know I've brought this up before but... maybe it was just too cold but I miss people dressing up for the theatre. It doesn't have to be a dress for the ladies but I swear people wouldn't even show up to work they do for the theatre sometimes. I get that it's a form of entertainment but it's not the same as going to the movies. We often disagree, but on this I'm with you 1000%. Theater is an act of communication between audience and actors, the communication going both ways. Dressing like a slob when the actors and creators have gone to such lengths to reach out to you is like--well, like eating Milk Duds when the actors and creators have gone to such lengths to reach out to you. Which also ought to be banned. Edited March 22, 2015 by Milburn Stone Link to comment
Rinaldo March 22, 2015 Share March 22, 2015 Back from NYC. I saw a matinee of The King and I. They've been previewing only a week, it may change a lot before opening, so I'm going to opt out of commenting on it. Paint Your Wagon at Encores! was glorious. It's the sort of "big" 1950s show they're uniquely equipped to do, and I've been waiting a long time for them to get to it. They knew best though, because this cast couldn't have been right for it till just about this year (not that it was planned that way, of course), and I can't pick a single nit with it. Keith Carradine has just the low-key old-codger charm for Ben Rumson, as well as being an excellent actor and singer. Alexandra Socha and Nathaniel Hackmann ideally embody the tomboy daughter who grows into a lady, and the restless miner who releases his frustrations in "They Call the Wind Maria." But the gem of the cast was Justin Guarini, who my companion and I agreed was one of the finest individual performances in the 22 years of Encores! (and yes, we've been there from the beginning). A sweet, beautifully focused and placed semi-tenor of just the type called for by so many juvenile second leads of that period (Mr. Snow, Lt. Cable, Marius in Fanny -- I want to hear him do all of them), musical good judgment that kept his delivery both eloquent and musically tasteful. Plus he looks good and can act. Good taste and balance were the hallmarks of Marc Bruni's direction. Everything achieved its best effect without being overplayed or hyped up. At the end, I felt elated and privileged to have been there. (At intermission, when my friend and I normally wait a moment to gauge and evaluate our reactions, we just turned to each other the moment the lights came up and simultaneously said "Wow!") This is why I keep going to Encores! -- the experiences like this that I'll never forget. It's very good news that they're making a cast recording. Link to comment
aradia22 March 22, 2015 Author Share March 22, 2015 Disenchanted! sounds awesome. Cool title and concept. It could stink of course, but I'll look forward to hearing more. The reviews I've read have not been great. It seems like the same lazy schlock that relies on crass humor to lampoon Disney princesses. I think if you're going to mock something, you better be making salient points. I like satire that's smarter than the thing it's critiquing. I'm suddenly VERY much wanting to get to NYC for some shows. Between On The Town, On The 20th Century, Hamilton, Fun Home, Curious Incident of the Dog, Gentleman's Guide, Zhivago, King and I and The Visit...there's no way I could afford it, LOL. But a guy can dream, right? Come! Try some lotteries. Rush! TKTS/TDF! Can't believe they put a flying Jesus in Carrie. You need to pick and choose the stunts in that show... Whaaaa??? Was that in one of the articles I linked? I don't always read the whole articles for TNR. Link to comment
aradia22 March 22, 2015 Author Share March 22, 2015 While I disagree on Justin Guarini, I wanted to clarify (now that I'm not in the mad rush of last night) that I thoroughly enjoyed Paint Your Wagon at Encores. I'm very glad to hear they're making a recording. A lot of the last few things I've seen whether concerts or Broadway shows have been a bit of a letdown and while I had issues with this production, the issues I named were my only issues. Aside from them, this is the first time in a while that I got that rush. I know it might sound silly but a really good production gives me that "theatre is magical!" feeling and I can always tell when I'm really into something because I actually get goosebumps. I got goosebumps last night. Really, I would go back again tonight if that weren't insane. Off topic, this is becoming the year of can-can dancing for me. Is it just the shows I'm picking or do choreographers just love the Can Can all of a sudden. The Merry Widow. On the Twentieth Century. Paint Your Wagon. Cabaret? I feel like I'm forgetting more... Back from NYC. I saw a matinee of The King and I. They've been previewing only a week, it may change a lot before opening, so I'm going to opt out of commenting on it. Just realized (or maybe I forgot it) that I'll be going April 1 while they're still in previews. Opening is April 16. Hopefully they'll be more or less settled into the show by then. Of course if I'm really mad about it I could always try their student rush later in the run. Link to comment
Charlie Baker March 22, 2015 Share March 22, 2015 Well, Rinaldo, you've somewhat roused my curiosity about The King and I, a production that I wasn't thinking about rushing to seeing. And thank you, and Aradia22 for the Paint Your Wagon reports. Which I won't get to see. Sigh. It's intriguing that Justin Guarini will be playing Bobby in Company, all right. Which brings me to the fact that today is Stephen Sondheim's eighty-fifth birthday. And Andrew Lloyd Webber's sixty-seventh. Link to comment
Rick Kitchen March 22, 2015 Share March 22, 2015 Anne Rice's 1982 novel "Cry to Heaven," set within the operatic world of the male castrati in 18th century Italy, is in development as a new stage musical by Academy Award-nominated composer Matthew Wilder ("Mulan," Princesses). Casting in that is going to be interesting. I assume they'll have to find a counter-tenor. With "Glee" ending, Chris Colfer is available... Please don't go with a female actor in the role. 1 Link to comment
aradia22 March 23, 2015 Author Share March 23, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Double Stuffed Edition (We'll do this every time I go out for a concert or show... which contrary to the evidence of this last month is generally not that often... and I'm too tired or can't get access to the computer to do the write up.) Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Camp Kappawanna, a new family musical inspired by memories of summer camp, receives its New York premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company beginning March 21. The musical features music and lyrics by Lisa Loeb, Michelle Lewis and Dan Petty. The musical plays every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 AM, with two weekday performances April 8 and April 10 at 10:30 AM. (I like some of her songs but this seems like a kiddie musical.) That Bachelorette Show!, which is billed as "a brand-new interactive parody of America's favorite reality romance shows," begins performances March 21 at 42West. One Song Glory (ALBUMS) As we've already discussed, the current revival of Lerner and Loewe's Paint Your Wagon will be recorded and released as a cast album. (Hooray!) DMI Records will release the cast recording of the Broadway revival of Gigi, which is currently in previews at the Neil Simon Theatre prior to an official opening April 8. A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) Full casting has been announced for Maria Friedman's new production of High Society, beginning performances April 30 at London's Old Vic Theatre prior to an official opening May 14.I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) Sony Pictures will produce the film version of the award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which concerns the early life and career of the groundbreaking singer/songwriter, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film adaptation will be produced by Oscar winner Tom Hanks and his business partner Gary Goetzman as well as Paul Blake, who is the lead producer of the Broadway musical, which continues at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. (This feels like a throwaway to me. Not Jersey Boys, but definitely something I'll watch on Netflix. It could be wildly successful but it'll still be something I watch on Netflix.) Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Something Rotten!, the new Broadway musical that pokes fun at the world of Shakespeare, has announced its policies for distributing discounted rush tickets online, and a daily discount lottery. Lottery tickets $25; General Rush tickets $35 Cleveland Play House, which bills itself as the first professional regional theatre in the U.S., unveiled its 100th anniversary season March 21, including the world premiere of A Comedy of Tenors, a new play by Ken Ludwig using characters from his 1989 Cleveland-set Broadway hit, Lend Me a Tenor. The season also includes the classics The Crucible and Little Shop of Horrors, and non-subscription productions of Steel Magnolias and A Christmas Story, among other titles. Link to comment
Rinaldo March 23, 2015 Share March 23, 2015 Casting in [Cry To Heaven] is going to be interesting. I assume they'll have to find a counter-tenor. With "Glee" ending, Chris Colfer is available... Please don't go with a female actor in the role. I'm sure the latter thought has never crossed their minds. The world is full of good operatic countertenors these days. One of them ought to be able to act. I'm planning to see that Company. Bucks County isn't that far from me. And though I wouldn't initially have thought of Guarini for Bobby, he's just the right age, and I'm now obsessed with wanting to see/hear him in other classic musical theater roles. The Paint Your Wagon recording will be especially valuable because the OCR recording was so minimal. It omitted three songs, the overture, and all the dance music. (The latter was of course never recorded in that era, but it all deserves to be heard.) And the current cast is more than a match for the original, which almost never happens. Link to comment
Babalu March 23, 2015 Share March 23, 2015 I'm butting in to add my $0.02 about Justin Guarini. Rinaldo - I know you enjoyed him very much in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, as well as Paint Your Wagon. I saw Women on the Verge as well and was familiar with Justin's name, but I don't watch American Idol and had had no exposure to his voice. To me, he was one of the weak links, along with d'Adre Aziza. However, I was there the very first preview night - which was, in fact, the very first night the cast performed the whole play due to technical difficulties the day before. Bartlett Sher even came on stage beforehand to explain this and ask for our indulgence, which I was happy to give, even though there were a few remaining glitches. So - it's very possible that Justin grew into the role later in the brief run. Or it could be that our tastes just differ in his regard. I will enthusiastically second your opinion that Laura Benanti stole the show; my MVP runner-up is Danny Burstein. Link to comment
aradia22 March 24, 2015 Author Share March 24, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: I still can't get Paint Your Wagon out of my head. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Something Rotten!, a new musical comedy begins Broadway previews March 23 at the St. James Theatre. (Lots of buzz on this on BWW. I'm going to try to see almost everything this season but I'm trying to not get too hyped for this one before any actual reviews or word of mouth from people who've actually seen the show.) Ars Nova has completely transformed its space for the world premiere of Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl (American Hero). The play officially opens March 23 Off-Broadway. I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) Producers have announced plans to produce Trip of Love, a musical dance revue set to 25 hit songs of the 1960s, this fall Off-Broadway. Created, directed and choreographed by James Walski, Trip of Love will begin previews in September and open in October at the Little Shubert Theatre on New York's Theatre Row on West 42nd Street. Trip of Love had its world premiere at the Theatre Brava! in Osaka, Japan. The score includes "Blowin’ In The Wind,” “Born To Be Wild,” “California Dreamin’,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’,” “White Rabbit,” “You Don’t Own Me” and many more, performed by a 23-member cast and a 10-piece orchestra. (Huh. Well, I like those songs. But is there a story?) Erin Davie will lead the cast of an industry reading of Paul Eiseman's "new 1950's musical" Galactic Cigarettes Presents: It’s Your World. Davie will play Jenny Wilson, a shy Manhattan gal who is invited on to a television quiz show along with married school teacher and Korea vet, Brian Stanley. Sponsored by a large cigarette company, the popular show provides everyday, regular folks the possibility of winning $100,000. According to press notes, "The musical chronicles their initial enchantment with the show and the fame bestowed upon them until... they find out all is not as it seems to be. While comically satirizing America in the 50’s with lavish production numbers and commercial jingles, Galactic Cigarettes Presents: It’s Your World also poses a Faustian moral dilemma: How far will decent, hardworking, honest people go to win a piece of the American Dream?" (It's not really coming across like a classic musical that's built to last but the music could be good.) Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) 54 Below Sings: The Life, featuring songs from the 1977 musical, will be presented May 17 at 54 Below nightclub in New York. It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) Irish Repertory Theatre will present the New York premiere of Nate Rufus Edelman’s The Belle of Belfast, featuring Patricia Conolly. Performances will run April 15 through June 7 at the DR2 Theatre with an official opening night slated for April 23. Set in 1985 in Belfast, Ireland, The Belle of Belfast is centered on fiery Anne Malloy who drinks and smokes her days away with her chubby best friend. When Anne turns to her parish priest for comfort, her troubles begin to increase. It is billed as a "wry and bittersweet portrait of a city at war." One Song Glory (ALBUMS) In addition to the recently announced planned recording of the City Center Encores! production of Paint Your Wagon, the Encores! mounting of George and Ira Gershwin's Lady, Be Good, which played the famed Manhattan venue Feb. 4-8, will also be preserved. The cast of the limited engagement will head into the recording studio in May, according to a City Center spokesperson. Sh-K-Boom will release the CD on a date to be announced. (Hooray! This is fantastic news. Even though I opted out of seeing the show, I'll be interested to hear this. Though I'm less inclined to shell out for it compared to Paint Your Wagon if it doesn't end up at the library or on Spotify.) In news that should shock no one, Roundabout Theatre Company announced that PS Classics will record the cast album of the Broadway revival of On the Twentieth Century, starring Kristin Chenoweth, March 23. It will be released May 19. (But NOT The Apple Tree!?! I know. I need to let it go.) They Mean Chicago, Illinois (CHICAGO NEWS) Chicago dance company The Seldoms presents a contemporary dance piece inspired by Lyndon Baines Johnson. Power Goes uses dance theatre and a blend of spoken word, sound design and video projection to examine how power is performed. Power Goes began March 20 and continues through March 29 at MCA Stage, Chicago. A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) The Girls, a new musical adaptation of the 2003 Tim Firth film and subsequent London stage play "Calendar Girls," will premiere in the U.K. this fall featuring a score by Finding Neverland songwriter Gary Barlow. Final casting has been confirmed for previously announced Follies in Concert performance, to be held April 28 for two performances only at London's Royal Albert Hall. Betty Buckley has now joined the line-up to play Carlotta Campion, with Lorna Luft replacing the originally announced Jennifer Coolidge as Hattie Walker. Also newly announced are Peter Polycarpou as Buddy Plummer, opposite the previously announced Ruthie Henshall as his wife Sally Durant Plummer; Alexander Hanson as Benjamin Stone and Christine Baranski as Phyllis Rogers Stone. I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) The Disney Beauty and the Beast movie musical will be released March 17, 2017. So... get excited?Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Zachary Levi, who was seen on Broadway in the 2013 musical First Date, has inked a first-look deal with Universal TV to create a musical comedy series, according to Deadline.com. Penned by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont and executive-produced by Levi and Eva Longoria, "Tuned" was previously described as a "musical half-hour about an ambitious New Yorker … whose life is upended by sudden musical hallucinations. While these vivid hallucinations threaten to completely derail his enviable life, he’ll eventually realize that they might lead him on a more fulfilling journey." (Was that the premise of Eli Stone? I never watched it.) Krysta Rodriguez will join the second season of ABC Family's "Chasing Life." According to Variety, Rodriguez will play the recurring role of Vanessa, a fellow cancer patient whom April (Italia Ricci) meets in the hospital. Rodriguez's character gets April thinking about her identity beyond being a journalist. Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) The new Broadway play Hand To God is offering a limited number of preview tickets March 23 through April 6, for sale at $37.50. The tickets, for selected mezzanine seats only, go on sale Monday, March 23, and must be purchased during a limited one-week on-sale window (through 11 PM Sunday, March 29). There is also a limit of 4 tickets per purchase. Link to comment
aradia22 March 25, 2015 Author Share March 25, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Sorry we're late again today. I'm not feeling great. I can't tell if I'm sick or it's just allergies. We haven't talked about it in a while but how does everyone who reads the roundup feel about the headings as they're laid out right now? Is it helpful? Too confusing? Would you like more headings... fewer headings? Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Tessa Ferrer, Grantham Coleman, and Michael Stahl-David star in Tracey Scott Wilson's Buzzer, which begins March 24 at the Public Theater Off-Broadway. Buzzer, about racial tensions in Brooklyn, will run through April 26 at the Public's Martinson Theater. Closed for Renovations (CANCELLATIONS) The Broadway revival of Skylight, which is currently in previews, will be dark the week of April 14-19 so the cast can fulfill prior commitments, including co-star Carey Mulligan's pre-arranged break to promote her new film, "Far From the Madding Crowd." (Side note: They filmed another version of FFTMC? I was going to watch the Julie Christie version on TCM but I passed seeing the running time and the credits.)I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) An industry reading of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, a new musical based on his best-seller about a man who "comes unstuck in time," will be presented April 7 at 3 PM in the Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theater Center. Playbill.com has learned that the retooled production of the musical spectacle King Kong, which is looking towards a New York run, will be directed by Eric Schaeffer. The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT, announced March 24 that 17-year-old playwright-in-residence Noah Altshuler will adapt Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" for the stage, with an eye towards Broadway. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Chicago will welcome Grammy Award winner Brandy Norwood to the Ambassador Theatre beginning April 28. She will be making her Broadway debut in the role of Roxie Hart. She will play an eight-week limited engagement through June 21. (She doesn't have the best voice but given the number of times I watched my VHS copy of her version of R&H's Cinderella, I can't say I'm not a little excited.) Signature Theatre has announced casting for the world premiere of The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek, written and directed by Athol Fugard. The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek explores the history of apartheid and will tell the story of aging farmer and artist Nukain, played by Leon Addison Brown. Brown's character is inspired by the real life of South African artist Nukain Mabusa. Performances will run April 21-May 31 with an official opening night scheduled for May 11. The cast will also feature Bianca Amato, Caleb McLaughlin and Sahr Ngaujah. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Stars in the Alley, a free outdoor concert presented by The Broadway League, will be offered May 27 beginning at 10:30 AM in Shubert Alley, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue and 44th and 45th Streets. The 90-minute concert, which celebrates the end of the 2014-15 season, will feature performances from the current Broadway season as well as songs from long-running shows. The Brooklyn Academy of Music will present Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon, a multimedia concert spectacle by the Ensemble for the Romantic Century. ERC's show combines drama, video, and the music of Chausson, Stephen Foster, Gottschalk, and Chaminade. Performances will run April 8-12 at BAM Fishman Space. It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) Long Beach's International City Theatre will present Abigail/1702, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's new play, described as a sequel to Arthur Miller's classic witchhunt drama, The Crucible. The show, which premiered in 2012 as part of the New York Stage and Film's 2012 Powerhouse season, will begin April 29 with an official opening set for May 1. Abigail/1702 follows the life of Miller's infamous seductress, a decade after she claimed to have danced with the devil in Salem, MA. In the fictional continuation, Abigail has been living in a village near Boston under a new name and with a past that is catching up with her. (I don't think I've ever brought this up before... but I REALLY hate The Crucible.) One Song Glory (ALBUMS) Ghostlight Records releases the cast album of the world-premiere acclaimed musical The Fortress of Solitude online and in stores March 24. The Off-Broadway production Nevermore – The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe is set to release an original cast album in June. We Open in Venice, We Next Play Verona (TOURS) Roundabout Theatre Company will launch a national tour of Cabaret, which will premiere in Providence, RI, at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Performances will begin Jan. 26, 2016, prior to an official opening Jan. 28, 2016.A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) Casting has been announced for the previously announced new production of Alan Aycbkourn's Communicating Doors, at London's Menier Chocolate Factory beginning performances May 7 prior to an official opening May 13, for a run through June 27. Rachel Tucker, Imogen Stubbs, David Bamber, Lucy Briggs-Owen and Matthew Cottle will star. In the play, a hired dominatrix flees for her life through a hotel communicating door only to find herself 20 years in the past. I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) The Kenneth Branagh Macbeth, which originated at the 2013 Manchester International Festival and was subsequently staged in Manhattan at the Park Avenue Armory, may be heading to the silver screen. Martin Scorsese in talks to direct. Bradley Cooper, the recent headliner of the Broadway revival of The Elephant Man, may direct and star opposite Grammy Award winner Beyoncé Knowles in a film remake of "A Star Is Born" for Warner Bros, according to Deadline.com. (I seriously thought this was a joke when I clicked on the link. Tell me this is a joke.) Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Broadway fave Condola Rashad is in the money—the two-time Tony nominee's previously reported pilot Billions, headlined by stage and screen stars Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti, has been picked up! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Showtime has ordered 12 episodes of the hour-long financial drama. The series is set to start production in New York later this year and air in 2016.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) The digital ticket lottery policy has been announced for the Broadway revival of Gigi, starring Vanessa Hudgens, which is now in Broadway previews at the Neil Simon Theatre. It is scheduled to open April 8. Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, March 25 and running through Tuesday, April 7 only, a limited number of tickets will be sold to winners of a daily digital lottery drawing. Tickets cost $30 and limited to two per person. Winners will be notified by email at 12:30 PM on the day of the performance, for evening shows, and at 12:30 PM the day before for matinees. Julie Andrews announced plans to publish a follow-up to her 2008 memoir "Home," which will include behind-the-scenes stories from such iconic films as "The Sound of Music," "Mary Poppins," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Victor/Victoria" and more, according to the Associated Press. Motown director Charles Randolph-Wright has been announced to direct the world-premiere stage musical Born for This: The BeBe Winans Story at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA. The gospel musical, slated to run Jan. 20-Feb. 14, 2016, was announced as part of the Alliance's 2015-16 season. The Republic in Orlando... something about gaming... I'm too tired for this. Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre presents Liberace!, a solo show by Brent Hazelton that celebrates the iconic showman's work and life. Beginning March 24, performances will run through April 12 at the theatre's Independence Studio 3, starring Jack Forbes as the title pianist and singer. Link to comment
ebk57 March 25, 2015 Share March 25, 2015 I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) Bradley Cooper, the recent headliner of the Broadway revival of The Elephant Man, may direct and star opposite Grammy Award winner Beyoncé Knowles in a film remake of "A Star Is Born" for Warner Bros, according to Deadline.com. (I seriously thought this was a joke when I clicked on the link. Tell me this is a joke.) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! That is all. Aradia, I read the roundup every day and appreciate your effort. It's great as is. Thanks...and hope you feel better! 2 Link to comment
aradia22 March 25, 2015 Author Share March 25, 2015 Extra story I found while haunting the BWW boards. Hoot/Wisdom also recently released the premier recording of Three American Pieces, a piano composition written by three-time Tony Award winner Charles Strouse. The composition was performed by Heather Coltman, D.M.A., dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters Link to comment
Rinaldo March 25, 2015 Share March 25, 2015 Here's a blog review of the Encores! Paint Your Wagon. I should disclose that the writer is my co-subscriber to the series -- we joke that we're required to stay friends, because our adjoining seats link us for life. (It's been 22 years now.) We don't always have the same reaction, but we did this time. Link to comment
Charlie Baker March 25, 2015 Share March 25, 2015 aradia22, I too like the current format of the round-up. Hope you're feeling better--I may be feeling some allergic effects myself. I'm glad Julie Andrews has decided on another volume of memoirs. When the first one, Home, came out, I recall her saying in interviews that most of the details of her life post-Poppins (after what's covered in Home) was widely available, and she didn't know if there was a reason to write about those years herself. The first book is excellent, and has much information about her theater years. She writes very well--and has published many childrens' books over many years. 1 Link to comment
Snow Apple March 25, 2015 Share March 25, 2015 aradia22, I just found this thread a little while ago and I love reading your roundups. Thank you for doing them. 2 Link to comment
aradia22 March 25, 2015 Author Share March 25, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Aw, thanks, guys. I'm glad you're all enjoying the TNR. Again, I most likely won't have access to a computer while I'm on vacation in April so please message me if someone else wants to take over for a week or so while I'm away. Random question... any thoughts on The Visit? It wasn't really on my radar but they've been making more noise lately and it's got my interest... mainly for talent involved but sure, if I can get a discount ticket, I'll take a chance on it knowing nothing about it. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Clinton The Musical begins previews at New World Stages March 25, prior to an official opening slated for April 9.The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS) The Off-Broadway revival of The Fantasticks, still the longest-running musical in world history and the longest-running play of any kind in American history, has announced that it will close in May. The little musical about a Boy, a Girl and the wall that separates them will close May 3, the 55th anniversary of the opening of the show in 1960. All the other shows that are closing. Mainly plays... plus Cabaret and Brooklynite. Closed for Renovations (CANCELLATIONS/ABSENCES) Ramin Karimloo will take a vacation from Les Miserables July 27-Aug. 3 and his final performance will be Aug. 30. I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) The York Theatre Company continues its Development Lab Series with a new musical inspired by "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Lord Tom features a book by Kimberly Vaughn and Stanley Jay Gelber, and music & lyrics by Gelber. The Broadway cast will be lead by Tony nominee Phillip Boykin. There will be five performances only, from April 13 through April 17. Annie Golden will star as herself in the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat private staged reading of Annie Golden: Bounty Hunter, Yo!, by Joe Iconis, Lance Rubin and Jason SweetTooth Williams on March 28 in New York. Golden will play a down-and-out Broadway star who is sick of competing for prime roles with younger actresses. Her life is changed when, following a ninja ambush on her apartment, she is thrown into the world of bounty hunting. On a mission through the jungle, she is suddenly faced with the challenge of saving theatre itself. Francesca Williams, the niece of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams, is currently working on a play that more deeply delves into the life of her late Aunt Rose (who was the inspiration for the character of Laura in Glass Menagerie), who eventually underwent a lobotomy. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Mitchell Brunings had landed the title role of the late reggae star Bob Marley in the world premiere production of the musical biography Marley at Center Stage, the State Theater of Maryland. With a book and direction by Center Stage artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, Marley will be presented May 6-June 14, the final production of Center Stage's 2014-15 season. The Astoria Performing Arts Center will present Merrily We Roll Along. Performances will run April 30 through May 23 with an official opening night May 8. The cast will feature Alex Akin, Ally Bonino, Joe Bowen, LilyAnn Carlson, Joanna Carpenter, Christopher Darrin, Audrey Heffernan Meyer, Luke Hoback, Greg Horton, Kevin Ray Johnson, Jack Mosbacher, Jay Paranada, Nicholas Park, Jason Pintar, Rachel Rhodes-Devey, Anne Wechsler and Matt Welsh. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Tony Award winner Betty Buckley will return to Joe's Pub May 28-31. Her newest show is titled Dark Blue-Eyed Blues. The Wedding Singer Reunion Concert, featuring songs from the Tony-nominated 2006 musical, will be presented at 54 Below April 19. Broadway Sings Bruno Mars, the eighth installment of the Broadway Sings… concert series, will feature new arrangements of music by Bruno Mars and will be held May 17 at 42West. (This is one step away from Smash being real. Oh, that terrible, terrible fake Bruno Mars musical.) It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) Casting and dates are now set for the previously announced world premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Gloria. The off-Broadway production will feature Kyle Beltran, Jeanine Serralles, Jennifer Kim, Catherine Combs, Mike Crane and Ryan Spahn. Performances will begin at the Vineyard Theatre on May 28, with opening night set for June 15. The new play follows an ambitious group of editorial assistants at a famed Manhattan magazine—each hoping for a book deal before they turn 30. When an unexpected event shatters life as they've known it, the stakes for who will get to tell their story becomes higher than ever. Josh Ellis, a Broadway press agent active mainly from 1973 to 1992, will make his Off-Broadway debut as an actor and playwright with a staged reading of his solo show Call My Publicist! The Starry Education of a Broadway Press Agent. INTAR Theatre will present the New York premiere of Se Llama Cristina, a play in English, by award-winning playwright and poet Octavio Solís. Performances will run April 3 through May 3, with an official opening night slated for April 13 at INTAR’s theatre space in Hell's Kitchen. The play is described as a "multi-layered fever dream in which a young man and woman wake up in a strange room, and must piece together their past identities and relationship." (And this is why I generally don't go see plays that I'm not sent to review/get to see for free.) One Song Glory (ALBUMS) The album for the Imelda Staunton version of Gypsy will go on sale in the theatre April 15 (opening night) with retail sales beginning April 27.A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) The Royal Shakespeare Company have formalised a return to their former home at London's Barbican Centre, where they were formerly an original founding resident company, which they will once again call their London home for the next five years. The RSC previously returned to the Barbican for productions of Richard II and last year for Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2. Now they will revive these productions as part of a season that also includes Henry V, to launch Shakespeare's 400th Anniversary year by bringing together his greatest tetralogy of History Plays and presenting them in repertoire.I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) The music-themed feature film "Sugar," featuring Tony Award winner Alice Ripley, is nearly complete. The film is currently scheduled for an August release.Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) HBO’s Looking will not return for a third season. HBO will produce a special to serve as a "final chapter" for the series and to tie up loose ends from the second season. (This is not super surprising with the weak ratings. Even a subscription service probably wants better ratings, especially since this isn't a show with a fervent fan base. It also makes it more likely that Groff will transfer with Hamilton to Broadway.) Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Alexandra Jacobs, a fashion critic and feature writer for the New York Times, will pen a biography of Tony and Emmy Award winner Elaine Stritch. Jujamcyn Theaters and True Colors Theatre Company announced the 7th Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition will take place 7 PM May 4 at the August Wilson Theatre. The event, which is free and open to the public, features high school students from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, Portland and Seattle performing monologues by the late American playwright. Link to comment
ancslove March 26, 2015 Share March 26, 2015 You know, I thought Renee Zellweger's voice as Roxie sounded oddly like Brandy's. It's nice to see non-traditional and colorblind casting spreading to more shows. Link to comment
aradia22 March 26, 2015 Author Share March 26, 2015 I am a very grumpy bunny right now. I was going to go to a Goodreads screening of Younger uptown but it looks like I'm going to be stuck at work way too late to take the train and make it all the way there on time. Sigh... At least I can conserve my energy to try to wake up early tomorrow for the Chicago rush. I feel like getting there at 8:00 am should be fine. 7:00 am is a little too ridiculous, especially if it's going to rain. Link to comment
aradia22 March 27, 2015 Author Share March 27, 2015 Theatre News Roundup Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Chita Rivera stars as a wealthy widow seeking revenge and a last brush with romance in The Visit, the new Kander and Ebb musical that makes its long-awaited Broadway debut March 26 at the Lyceum Theatre. New York Spring Spectacular, the new multi-media Rockettes stage production, officially opens March 26 at Radio City Music Hall. The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS) James Lecesne's solo play The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey will end its downtown run at Dixon Place as scheduled on March 28.Closed for Renovations (CANCELLATIONS) An explosion and fire that heavily damaged buildings at 121 and 123 Second Ave. between 7th Street and St. Marks Place in New York's Greenwich Village has prompted the cancellation of tonight's performance of Stomp at the Orpheum Theatre across the street at 126 Second Avenue, and all shows at the Public Theater, including the hit Hamilton, a few blocks away.I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) The world premiere of Erik Johannes von Ramsom's GRINDR The Opera will receive a staged reading on April 7 and 9 in New York. Carmencita Jones, a newly revised bilingual adaptation of Carmen Jones, which was first workshopped in Havana, Cuba last summer, receives a New York reading March 26 in anticipation of a 2016 London premiere. Glenn Slater (Booo) will workshop a new musical, Beatsville, set in the world of 1950s beatniks, March 26-29. The workshop will be presented by NYU Steinhardt’s Program in Vocal Performance in the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions. James Valletti, Stephenie Skyllas and Hunter Chancellor present invitation-only readings of Rubble, a comedy written by Mike Reiss, March 26 at 4 PM and March 27 at 1 PM and 5 PM. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Jason Alexander will replace Larry David in the Broadway hit Fish in the Dark when David finishes his scheduled run on June 7. The production, which was scheduled to close on that date, will now extend through July 19. (But when will he sing again?) Jennifer Kim has been cast in the world premiere of Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Performances will begin May 28 with an official opening slated for June 15. Casting for Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon: Jonathan Hadary will play Jules Verne; Jayne Atkinson plays Honorine Verne; and Samatha Hill will play Nellie Bly. Casting has been announced for North Carolina Theatre's upcoming production of Next to Normal, which will be presented May 1-10. The cast will feature Lauren Kennedy as Diana, Charlie Pollock as Dan, Mike Schwitter as Gabe, English Bernhardt as Natalie, Ben Fankhauser as Henry and Charlie Brady as Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Two-time Tony Award nominee Robin De Jesus will explore why learning, growing up, turning 30 and "becoming a better person sucks" in #TheStruggleIsReal, his new solo show that will be held May 4 at 54 Below.It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) New York's Public Theater has announced complete casting for its Lab production of Toast, the new play by Lemon Andersen. Leading the cast will be Keith David. Performances are set to begin April 21 and run through May 10, with an official opening night set for May 5. The play weaves characters from black oral narratives into a story that takes place inside Attica prison during the 1971 uprising. Keith will play legendary inmate Dolomite who becomes the unlikely figure to his cellmates: folklore heroes like Jesse James, Hobo Ben, Annabelle Jones, Stackolee and Hard Rock. Dolomite is faced with the challenge of chosing to riot for his rights or his promised freedom. The play honors the spoken word narratives recited in pool halls, bars and prisons by generations of black poets. Masterworks Theater Company has announced a racially diverse cast for its production of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. Amongst the cast are Saundra Santiago and Richard Prioleau. Performances are set to begin May 8 and continue through May 30, with an official opening night slated for May 14 at the 47th Street Theatre in New York. Off-Broadway's Signature Theatre has announced its 2015-16 season at the Pershing Square Signature Center. Included in the line-up for the 25th anniversary season is a world premiere from Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Baker, the first play in her Signature Theatre residency. Martha Clarke and Alfred Uhry's acclaimed Angel Reapers is also slated for the new season. One Song Glory (ALBUMS) Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, featuring a score by Tony-nominated songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and a book by Timothy Allen McDonald, has been acquired for licensing in the Theatre For Young Audiences (TYA) student and community theatre markets by Music Theatre International (MTI). The album for the musical will be available to the public in April. The recording features Megan Hilty (Ladybug), Christian Borle (Grasshopper), Brian d'Arcy James (Centipede), Jackie Hoffman (Spiker), Mary Testa (Sponge), Luca Padovan (James), Marc Kudisch (Ladahlord), Daniel Breaker (Earthworm) and Sarah Stiles (Spider).They Mean Chicago, Illinois (CHICAGO NEWS) Chicago's Griffin Theatre Company will present Conor McPherson's The Birds, adapted from Daphne du Maurier's short story, which was the basis for the classic Alfred Hitchcock film. Performances will run June 6-July 19 at the Theater Wit. A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) Al Pacino is to reprise An Evening with Al Pacino at London's Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, west London, May 22, having previously presented the show at the London Palladium in 2013.I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) Lea Michele has jumped onto a new project, a "road trip sex comedy" titled "The Layover," to be directed by William H. Macy. Michele will star opposite Kate Upton in the film, which has a script by David Hornsby and Lance Krall. "Michele and Upton play a pair of lifelong best friends who decide to avoid their problems by taking a vacation only to find that their plane has been rerouted due to a hurricane warning. To make matters worse, the two friends find themselves battling for the same guy during an extended layover in St. Louis." (I would like to support the actors I've liked in other shows/movies but they keep picking terrible projects.) Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) The rush policy has been announced for the Broadway premiere of the new musical Doctor Zhivago, which stars Tam Mutu, Kelli Barrett, Tom Hewitt and Paul Nolan and begins performances March 27 at the Broadway Theatre. Producers have announced a "$35 Under 30" rush ticket policy: A limited number of $35 tickets (including a $2 facility fee) for patrons ages 30 and under will be available for each performance when the box office opens for that day’s performance(s) with valid photo identification. Patrons are limited to two tickets per person. Fun Home has announced an exclusive mobile lottery partnership with TodayTix. The entry period will begin each day at midnight and continue until winners are notified via push notification three to four hours before the selected performance begins. Winners will be offered the opportunity to purchase either one or two $32 tickets and can pick up them up from the box office. Lottery tickets and seat locations are subject to availability. Theatre Now New York has announced that it is now accepting submissions for the 2015-16 Sound Bites 10-minute musical theatre festival. The festival offers composers, lyricists and librettists the opportunity to showcase their work in front of theatre-goers and industry professionals. Murder Ballad will be given its New Jersey premiere at an Irish Pub in Hoboken. Link to comment
Julia March 27, 2015 Share March 27, 2015 Only tangentially anywhere near on topic, the building that exploded was around the corner from my dorm when I was at NYU. I'm just really grateful that B&H Dairy is OK. Link to comment
aradia22 March 27, 2015 Author Share March 27, 2015 Update on the Chicago situation. I was second in line for rush but there were no rush tickets. I got a standing room ticket instead for $27. It's amazing to me that Chicago is selling so well they need standing room (but maybe they just weren't releasing the open seats in the house for rush). There may not be a TNR tonight depending on how tired I am when I get back. Link to comment
ebk57 March 27, 2015 Share March 27, 2015 Update on the Chicago situation. I was second in line for rush but there were no rush tickets. I got a standing room ticket instead for $27. It's amazing to me that Chicago is selling so well they need standing room (but maybe they just weren't releasing the open seats in the house for rush). There may not be a TNR tonight depending on how tired I am when I get back. That is amazing. Are you going to see it because of someone in the cast? Or have you not seen it before and decided today's the day...? Most of the shows I saw during my misspent youth were seen on my feet in the back of the orchestra. But I paid around $5 a show. I don't know what I would have done if it had been any more expensive. Link to comment
aradia22 March 27, 2015 Author Share March 27, 2015 @ebk57 I've never seen it. I've never really had a desire to see it because for years they were casting people like Ashlee Simpson. But I think Jennifer Nettles has one of the best voices in country music right now and so even though I'm not sure if I see her as Roxie, I will stand for two hours to see how she does. I'm quite happy with the movie version. I used to watch it over and over when I first got the DVD and eventually got over Renee Zellwegger... not being the greatest. Depending on how the show is tonight I might go back and see Brandy just because I love that R&H Cinderella movie she did. Oh, and I checked telecharge. They totally have a bunch of tickets all over the theatre. I don't know why they didn't sell them as rush but maybe they think they'll sell before curtain. So cruel! Don't torture me with these stories of $5 tickets! ;) And now I'm going to take a nap because I couldn't sleep last night and woke up ridiculously early (for me) for that stage door. Link to comment
aradia22 March 28, 2015 Author Share March 28, 2015 Sorry for not checking in last night. My desktop computer has been freaking out lately. OK, first things first. Chicago review. This was my first time in the Ambassador because the Chicago revival has been running for so long and I've never seen it. It's a pretty enough theatre with all that molding but the ceiling REALLY needs to be repaired and it could probably use a good cleaning and a new paint job as well. When I took my place at standing room they directed us up to the mezzanine and told us to sit wherever there was a free seat so I choose the left front mezzanine. I missed a little bit of whatever happened upstage left but otherwise it was a great seat. The show started off a bit lackluster. All That Jazz is one of my favorite numbers and it came off slow and measured. It was a combination of the choreography and the music. The pacing just seemed off for the musical numbers and all the jokes... resulting in most of the jokes not landing. I'd say they were at 30% of the jokes landing at the beginning. Jennifer and Carly were doing a good job as Roxie and Velma but not a great job. Jennifer played it very bright (like peppy) and dumb and Carly was a little too over the top throwing her voice out from time to time both singing and speaking. Another favorite number... Cell Block Tango fell flat with almost all the women coming off very cartoony and the choreography again feeling... sluggish. Then Natasha Yvette Williams came on and was flawless and things took a turn. I kind of refocused my expectations from that point on. The actor playing Billy also sounded fantastic. The Mary Sunshine number was a bit odd. The voice really didn't seem like it was coming from that actor though he did a good job of playing it otherwise. We Both Reached for the Gun was a strong number that gave the show a lot of energy. I felt like the ensemble woke up at that point and started to hit the choreography a little harder. Roxie was also a good number because it was largely carried by Jennifer and I feel like she had the energy of someone making her Broadway debut. That's one thing that can be said for hiring new name talent instead of letting people develop characters over a long run, it doesn't feel stale. I was missing John C. Reilly when watching the actor playing Amos. John C. Reilly seemed very human while this Amos was more clearly a joke. But then he won me over with Mister Cellophane. And the crowd was in love with him. I thought Carly had a lot of nice moments throughout the show. The ones I expected to enjoy... All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango, I Can't Do It Alone were a little underwhelming. The ones I didn't expect anything from, mostly in the second act... I Know a Girl, When Velma Takes the Stand, Class... I enjoyed. And of course you have to make allowances for her doing the whole show (8 times a week) while in a movie they'd only have to shoot one scene at a time. Jennifer Nettles had a winning quality and I think she was fun and engaged but again, her Roxie lacked depth. I would like to see her act again if she could find the right project but I didn't see enough to convince me that she's a fabulous actress, just a competent one. She was incredibly sweet at the stage door, though. Overall, I enjoyed the show. I think at this point you have to let go of it being a Broadway show and instead think of it as any other staple of New York tourism. It's more concert-like than the movie without much flow or much of a book from musical number to musical number. The movie creates more tension and has higher stakes. Velma seems more famous and so she has farther to fall. You're more aware of the threat of punishment and hanging. The show never really gets there until late in the second act. If I'm comparing them, Cabaret is definitely stronger in that regard. Link to comment
aradia22 March 28, 2015 Author Share March 28, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Double Stuffed Edition. Listening to the Aladdin OBC album while writing this. Adam Jacobs has some nice moments. I can tell even through the recording how great James Monroe Iglehardt is. Courtney's not that great. I think I'll need another few listens to decide how I feel about the new songs/lyrics. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) The Broadway premiere of the new musical Doctor Zhivago begins performances March 27 at the Broadway Theatre. Fun Home arrives on Broadway March 27 at Circle in the Square in a new in-the-round staging. The Classic Stage Company's production of Hamlet, starring Peter Sarsgaard, begins performances March 27 with an official opening scheduled for April 15. Closed for Renovations (CANCELLATIONS) All shows at the Public Theater in New York's Greenwich Village, including the acclaimed new musical Hamilton, resume performances March 27 in the aftermath of a nearby explosion and fire that filled the neighborhood with smoke March 26. However the Off-Broadway show Stomp announced that it will cancel all performances through Sunday at the Orpheum Theatre, directly across the street from the disaster site.Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS) Reviews for The New York Spring Spectacular I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Melissa Van Der Schyff will play the role of Elsie Hickam in the developmental run of the new musical Rocket Boys, which will play Atlanta's Legacy Theatre April 17-May 10. Rocket Boys, according to press notes, concerns a "misfit coal-miner’s son who recruits some skeptical friends to join him in his quest to build rockets and conquer space."Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Seasons of Broadway — an evening of hit songs and personal backstage anecdotes — will be presented March 30 at BB King’s Blues Club and Grill in New York City. The 7:30 PM concert, which celebrates the diversity of Broadway and the powerful impact it has had beyond the theatre, will feature the talents of Adam Pascal, Telly Leung, Mandy Gonzalez, Marcus Paul James, Lindsay Mendez, and Eden Espinosa. One Song Glory (ALBUMS) The Off-Broadway revival of Andrew Lippa's musical John & Jen closes April 4, but two days later will head into the recording studio to make a new cast album of the 1995 musical.We Open in Venice, We Next Play Verona (TOURS) The complete itinerary has been announced for Idina Menzel: World Tour 2015, which kicks off May 30 at the Olympic Hall in Seoul, Korea.They Mean Chicago, Illinois (CHICAGO NEWS) Chicago Shakespeare Theater has announced its 2015-16 season. Included in the new season line-up are a musical re-imagining of The Tempest featuring music by Tom Waits, an adaptation of the Disney classic The Little Mermaid and the world premiere of artistic director Barbara Gaines' two six-hour Shakespeare cycle-plays, decades in the making.I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) Audra McDonald is in final negotiations to come aboard Disney's forthcoming live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, according to the Hollywood Reporter. She would join a cast as Garderobe, the singing wardrobe closet. (I can see it.) Menken and Rice will also write new songs to be featured in the film. Sony Picture Home Entertainment has announced details of the special features that will be included in the April 2 Blu-ray release of its hit 1972 film adaptation of the Tony-winning 1969 musical 1776, starring William Daniels. The Blu-ray release will include a Director's Cut of the film, according to a release, which will include deleted scenes, alternate versions of some scenes, and lines from the Broadway script that were dropped from the film, plus the song "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men," which was also cut from the original release. Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Andy Samberg will host the Emmy's Sept. 20 beginning at 8 PM ET on Fox.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Off-Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company has announced its 30th anniversary 2015-16 season. Included in the slate is the world premiere of The Band's Visit. The musical will feature a book by Itamar Moses, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Harold Prince. The Atlantic's season will kick off in the fall of 2015 with a revival of Cloud Nine. Next up will be another new musical, the New York premiere of Yale Repertory's acclaimed production of These Paper Bullets! by Rolin Jones and Billie Joe Armstrong. The new year will see the final installment of Dominique Morisseau's Detroit trilogy, with the world premiere of Skeleton Crew. Slated for May is the Off-Broadway premiere of The Purple Lights of Joppa Illinois, written and directed by Adam Rapp. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is presenting the world premiere of the new rock musical The 12, which features book and lyrics by Robert Schenkkan and music and lyrics by Neil Berg. Performances begin March 27 prior to an official opening April 3. Seattle Repertory Theatre presents Lizard Boy, a world-premiere rock musical written and performed by Seattle native Justin Huertas, March 27-May 2 on the Leo K. Theatre Stage. The box office offically opened March 27 for the Off-Broadway return of Patrick Barlow's Tony Award-nominated comedy 39 Steps. The production is offering a special promotion: $39 tickets for the first 39 performances. Performances are set to begin April 1, prior to an official opening April 13, at the Union Square Theatre. The cast of 39 Steps will feature original Broadway cast member Arnie Burton as Clown #2, as well as Billy Carter as Clown #1, Broadway vet Robert Petkoff as the dashing hero Richard Hannay, and Brittany Vicars as Pamela/Annabella/Margaret in her New York City stage debut. Link to comment
aradia22 March 29, 2015 Author Share March 29, 2015 Question: Anna was really ahead of her time...Kelli O'Hara: Amazingly so. The more I read about her as a person, a historical person, the more I discover about her: what happened before, what happened after Siam. This whole musical is one thing because it's based off the book by Margaret Landon about this British schoolteacher, and Margaret Landon was a missionary, so it was based off [who she] thought Anna was. This is our job to play, but this other book that's come out about Anna, "Bombay Anna," by a woman named Susan Morgan, it's all about the real Anna Leonowens. I can read this and I can know who she is and who she was and it colors the show and my performance of her so much, because she, actually, invented herself. She was not British. She was of mixed race. It's an interesting thing to know just how strong she was. She did it out of the fact that she was a widow and she had two children and she had to support herself and she wouldn't have been hired otherwise, and what she did was incredibly bold. She went headfirst into many, many parts of the world. She became really strong in America, in Canada, in Russia, in Siam, different parts of India, Australia. She was amazing. I'll be interested to see if I can pick up on any of this in Kelli's performance when I see the show next week. Link to comment
Rick Kitchen March 29, 2015 Share March 29, 2015 Broadway Backwards 2015: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtHnJHHPnhP9FGv8vdUPi4fE8w3f4s2wx https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtHnJHHPnhP_hWpLKxuKHxnxlS4ibnQC4 I love the Cell Block Tango. 2 Link to comment
aradia22 March 30, 2015 Author Share March 30, 2015 Thanks, Rick. I got a kick of out that. I wish we could get longer versions of a few numbers like Lilias White's Some Enchanted Evening. I don't know if it's just my natural love of R&H but I tend to enjoy those gender flips more. Maybe it's just that they tend to work in different keys. Also, Hunchback will be closing soon at Papermill. Did anyone see it and forget to mention it? It could always transfer but I think this one might have trouble drawing the family crowds of the other Disney shows. And if I remember correctly, Hunchback was one of the weaker performers (amongst the Disney Renaissance animated movies) at the box office. OK. Theatre News Roundup time. The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS) The Broadway remount of Cabaret plays its final performance March 29 at Studio 54. The New World Stages production of Nevermore - The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe plays its final performance Off-Broadway March 29 at 3 PM. The Lion plays its final performance at the Lynn Redgrave Theater at Culture Project March 29 at 3 PM. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Starting March 30, Paige Davis and Amra-Faye Wright are back in Chicago. Davis will reprise her performance as Roxie Hart through April 27. Wright will work the boards for longer as—surprise, surprise!—Velma Kelly; she’s there through July 26.They Mean Chicago, Illinois (CHICAGO NEWS) The Upstairs Concierge, presented by Goodman Theatre, begins its run tonight. Performances will run through April 26.A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) London's Shakespeare in Love, after previously announcing it would shutter in April, has set its last performance for April 18 at the Noël Coward Theatre. At time of closing, the acclaimed show will have played more than 330 performances since its premiere in 2014. No word yet on whether the production is still Broadway-aimed. (Is Harvey Weinstein still attached to this? With the way he's muscling into Broadway, it could happen.) Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Reminders that Younger premieres March 31 on TVLand while Billy Porter's special airs April 3 on PBSStop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) To celebrate Women's History Month, Playbill.com looks at 11 women who changed the theatre industry by breaking new ground. Click through to read about a few of the women who were game-changers in theatre. (I hate these clickbait multiple page formats even more than slideshows but I'm ignoring it because of the subject.) The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) announced the winners of its 2015 awards, given March 26. Link to comment
aradia22 March 31, 2015 Author Share March 31, 2015 I didn't think I could get to that NYPL concert early enough to snag a ticket so I just stayed at work. Also, I just checked my email and the 92Y event with Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher will now NOT feature musical performances which is highly disappointing. Theatre News Roundup I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) Nerds, the new musical about tech giants Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, will have a developmental lab April 16-17 in New York City, producer Carl Levin confirmed to Playbill.com. Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey are at work on two stage adaptations: Freaky Friday and Magic Mike. A developmental lab of Freaky Friday — based on the Disney films and the novel by Mary Rodgers — will be held March 31-April 10 and is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. The new musical features music by Kitt and lyrics by Yorkey, with a book by Bridget Carpenter. Christopher Ashley directs. As for Magic Mike, in the spirit of The Full Monty, the guys will sing and strip, but book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark) found a chance for the women in the story to get their turn taking some clothes off. A private reading of the first act will be held in the spring for the musical's producers. Denver Center for the Performing Arts is presenting Kemp Powers' One Night in Miami…, a new play that imagines what occurred the night of Cassius Clay's historic win Sonny Liston and an after-fight celebration that included Malcom X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Andrea McArdle will star in The Media Theatre's production of the classic Jerry Herman musical Hello, Dolly! later this spring.I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS) On a recent broadcast of NY1 Onstage, LaGravenese told host Frank DiLella, "I just finished doing a rewrite of Gypsy for [barbra] Streisand, so that's my number one favorite musical, so hopefully that's going to get done."Brush Up Your Shakespeare (SHAKESPEARE) The Public Theater has announced that its Mobile Shakespeare Unit will bring a free touring production of Macbeth to audiences who have limited or no access to the arts by visiting prisons, homeless shelters and other community venues in the five boroughs of New York City. The tour, scheduled for April 24 through May 14, will include stops at the theatre's Public Works community partner venues: Brownsville Recreation Center in Brooklyn, Fortune Society in Queens and DreamYard Project in the Bronx. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) MCC Theater hosts its annual Miscast gala March 30 featuring an all-star cast.It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) Annie Baker's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama The Flick will return Off-Broadway to the Barrow Street Theatre May 5, with opening night set for May 28. The cast and creative team from the original 2013 Playwrights Horizons run will return for the remounting. Ars Nova has announced a two-week extension for Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl, helmed by OBIE Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin. The play officially opened March 23 Off-Broadway and will now continue through April 25. Performances were originally set to conclude April 11. One Song Glory (ALBUMS) PS Classics' cast recording of the Roundabout Theatre Company's critically acclaimed revival of On the Twentieth Century, starring Kristin Chenoweth, will be a two-CD set. (Oh, sure. But no recording of The Apple Tree. Let's face it... I'm never going to let this go.) A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) Bryn Terfel and Emma Thompson reprise the roles they performed in a semi-staged production of Sweeney Todd at the London Coliseum beginning March 30.Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) NBC will debut a new live television production of The Wiz Dec. 3, Robert Greenblatt, chairman, NBC Entertainment, announced March 30. Cirque du Soleil's new stage theatrical division will co-produce the live TV event and then present it as a major Broadway revival for the 2016-17 season. Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon will stage both the television production and Broadway revival in collaboration with Tony winner Harvey Fierstein, who will contribute new material to the original Broadway book by William F. Brown. Ciara Renée will make her TV debut in the CW’s proposed Arrow/Flash spinoff series. Deadline reports that she will play Hawkgirl, aka Kendra Saunders, a young woman who is starting to realize that she has been repeatedly reincarnated over the centuries. When aggravated, she grows wings and taps into her previous ancient warrior identity. (So no Hunchback on Broadway then?) I Want To Go To Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) Hot off the heels of Cinderella, Disney has its eyes on another animated film to retell in a live-action blockbuster. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has added Mulan to its list of live-action projects, having bought a script penned by writing team Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek. No word yet whether the live remake will showcase the songs from the originalStop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Tituss Burgess and Cristin Milioti will appear in the seventh 24 Hour Musicals on April 13. (I couldn't figure out where else to put this.) Artistic director Eric Schaeffer has announced the full lineup for Signature Theatre's 2015-16 season. The upcoming season at the Arlington. VA, venue will feature Sondheim's Road Show, the world premiere of two musicals, Cake Off and Girlstar; the DC premieres of Annie Baker’s 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner The Flick and Bathsheba Doran’s The Mystery of Love & Sex; the return of John Dempsey and Dana Rowe’s The Fix, the politically themed musical first seen at the Signature in 1998; and new stagings of West Side Story and La Cage aux Folles. Theater for the New City, located at 155 First Avenue at 9th Street, is offering free clothing from its costume collection, that is, "costume" plain clothes including coats and jackets, to their neighbors displaced by the explosion. New York's Flea Theater has announced that Niegel Smith, a director and performance artist who has worked extensively on and Off-Broadway, will assume the role of artistic director on May 18. As well as concluding the 2015-16 season, Smith will be in charge of planning the theatre's inaugural season in their new three-theatre performing arts complex at 20 Thomas Street, in the fall of 2016. Link to comment
DisneyBoy March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 (edited) Whaaaa??? Was that in one of the articles I linked? I don't always read the whole articles for TNR. Whoops - sorry to be giving away spoilers. From what I've heard, he descends on a cross from the ceiling during "Evening Prayers"...or possibly the post-abuse forgiveness scene. Either way - sounds about logical as the Aztec staircase. Mulan as a a feature film has serious potential - if done by someone other than Disney. I don't need to see a live action musical version. I think the legend should be the focus, and keeping truer to the realities of the character's life and war would make more of an impression. Mulan was never one of the more successful Disney films, and I see room for improvement. Audra as Madamme De La Grande Bou....um...Garderobe is it? Well either way, she would be fine. Wonder who will play Mrs. Potts, though. Sad to hear Chicago is so lacklustre. Years ago now I chatted with a woman and her daughter on the train in NY, fresh from the show and they raved it was better than the movie. I was momentarily tempted to check it out. I was really counting on Hunchback making it to Broadway...but maybe it if takes another few months they'll update the set. I haven't watched ANYTHING from this show to keep myself fresh for seeing it, but the look of the set underwhelms. It feels like a clubhouse or Gaston's pub or something. I'd like to see more of a Norma Desmond house look to it on the stage - big and grand. Hope that happens. This quote from New York Daily News makes me sad: "Hunchback” is intended for regional runs and for licensing — a logical direction for this bell-ringer to be swinging. Why can't it aim higher? Were they serious hedging their bets with the budget and scope because they wanted this production to be rustic and "just good enough" to become a go-to for regional theatres? I always felt the movie's music was Broadway in size and passion. This kind of logic may make financial sense, given the times, but it leaves me sad. Disney has money to burn, right? Burn some here! Lord knows it stands more of a chance than Tarzan... Edited March 31, 2015 by DisneyBoy Link to comment
DisneyBoy March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 (edited) Okay...I watched through the Side Show La Jolla bootleg and am rather glad I didn't rush over to NY to catch it before it closed. It seems like a lot of what was added to the show didn't really fix the problems with it. I did seriously enjoy the flashbacks to the doctor's visits and the introduction of Sir, as well as the use of "I Will Never Leave You" - it always did sound much more like a children's song. In fact that's the only "new" portion of the show I thought really worked. I really didn't know what to think of the actor playing Terry. He seemed really indifferent to the role from the get-go, like it was just a job and he was going through the paces. In his second-act "conversation in my mind" number, he finally seemed to lighten up a bit while dancing with Daisy, but the rest of the time he hardly seemed to be in love with her. The original actor did a MUCH better job conveying the torn businessman type. Buddy here was gay because....it fleshed things out more? Nope. He still doesn't want to marry Violet. But now we can say "he's gay!" ??? Was this something they'd wanted to have said explicitly in the original show but because it was the '90s, they were nervous?? Anyhow, he was also lacklustre compared to Panaro, not that I was too attached to Panaro's version either. Jake in this show strutted his stuff in a very modern fashion. His body language and gestures were very current, like the actor wasn't trying to put himself back in the time period at all. His voice was great, but I remain baffled as to Jake's purpose in the show. He's a strange "victim" character who adds nothing, and I had far less sympathy for him than I did Norm Lewis. Norm was sweet. It took me a very long time to warm up slightly to the actor playing Sir. By the end of the show, when he popped back up to sell his book, I was a bit more interested, but not much. I thought it was nice to see the former Freaks get a happy ending and factor into the wedding... ...but by and large, I was irritated. This show COULD be fascinating, but it seems afraid to focus on more of the Hilton sisters' lives. There is TONS of great material there. The new set did - as one person said - look both cheap and expensive at once. The highlight of the show were the leading ladies, who for my money gave better performances than Ripley and Skinner (was that her name?) They were vulnerable, far less stylized and much more natural. I could hear them listening to each other's singing and not just belting their faces off. They seemed much more in tune to being twins from a sheltered, abusive background. I think a Tony nod would be deserved. And I didn't care for the choice to make the Freaks actually disfigured, etc. I thought the original show made a much stronger point by having them be playing into the "freak" label, with Daisy and Violet as the actual stars. It was like they thought the show needed a slight facelift when what it needed was transplant surgery. I hope it gets a third chance on Broadway sometime in my lifetime. With 45% new material, keeping what little worked from the first two versions. Anyone else feel the same as me? Did the show significantly change once it moved to Broadway? Edited March 31, 2015 by DisneyBoy Link to comment
aradia22 March 31, 2015 Author Share March 31, 2015 Mulan as a a feature film has serious potential - if done by someone other than Disney. I don't need to see a live action musical version. I think the legend should be the focus, and keeping truer to the realities of the character's life and war would make more of an impression. Mulan was never one of the more successful Disney films, and I see room for improvement. See, I think there are probably already Mulan films out there in the style that this story should be told. They're just not popular with mainstream American audiences because they're probably not in English. I think the one thing Disney might have going for it is to really push that female empowerment angle (as they apparently have been doing in a lot of their recent movies if the champions and haters are to be believed... though I kind of just feel like they're just movies that have female protagonists who do stuff and we shouldn't find this so shocking). I also don't really feel like I need the musical numbers, though I wouldn't hate it if they used some of it for the underscoring. Maybe cut the matchmaker thing in the beginning but keep Reflection and I'll Make a Man Out of You preserved in the underscoring. That kind of thing. But yeah, this feels unnecessary. As you go into the later Disney canon you run into stories that could use live action treatments but you lose any reason for them to be Disney movies. Sad to hear Chicago is so lacklustre. Years ago now I chatted with a woman and her daughter on the train in NY, fresh from the show and they raved it was better than the movie. I was momentarily tempted to check it out. I mean, I'm still considering going back for Brandy but at this point it really does seem like a star vehicle for people who want to make their Broadway debuts without the commitment of a new show... or even a revival. And also, you don't really have to find the character as it's very presentational acting/storytelling for the most part. I'm glad the movie went with the vaudeville device that's apparently from the original production because it makes much more sense. If one of your favorite singers or actors is in it, I wouldn't discourage you from going as long as you know what you're getting into. I agree with you on Hunchback having a large scope and really needing to be a spectacle. I think it's easier to invest in an Aladdin type spectacle that's more likely to bring in a family audience. Again, I think is like Les Mis and the 80's British musicals and that time seems to have passed on Broadway with those shows pulling in people who already like the material. Also, all the changes they have made for Broadway have seemed to work towards cutting out that family audience and I don't know if it even has the lightness of Phantom or Les Mis which for all of their weird or dramatic elements still have core melodramatic love stories to latch onto. Okay...I watched through the Side Show La Jolla bootleg and am rather glad I didn't rush over to NY to catch it before it closed. I agree that the changes didn't actually fix the problems. They were too tied to the material when it needed a REAL overhaul. I would agree about Terry as well. You can go back and read my thoughts but while he's very handsome I didn't get much from the character. He was a weird villain. Not much of anything. Yes, no point in Buddy being gay. I didn't find Jake modern but as I said, David St. Louis wasn't really emoting much when he wasn't the focus of a scene. He does come off as an unsatisfying add-on, I believe because they refused to make Violet more of a villain. And yes, I agree that the show should be more about these actual women than the show they originally wrote and can't seem to let go of. Link to comment
choclatechip45 March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 Honeymoon in Vegas is closing April 5th. http://www.broadway.com/buzz/178675/last-bets-honeymoon-in-vegas-starring-rob-mcclure-tony-danza-sets-broadway-closing-date/ Link to comment
aradia22 April 1, 2015 Author Share April 1, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: OK, for real now. I'm going on vacation in a few weeks. Does anyone want to take over TNR while I'm gone? Also, I'm finally seeing The King and I tomorrow night. I'm trying to set my expectations at a reasonable level while spending most of tonight and tomorrow getting all gussied up. :) The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS) Well, it finally happened. Honeymoon in Vegas will play its final performance at Broadway's Nederlander Theater April 5.Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS) Reviews for Younger premiering tonight on TVLandI Hope I Get It (CASTING) T.R. Knight joins the cast of It's Only a Play March 31 — the same day that Nathan Lane returns to the cast. Complete casting has been announced for the industry reading of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five which will be presented April 7 at 3 PM in the Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theater Center. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Broadway faves Laura Benanti, James Snyder, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Victor Garber have joined the previously reported all-star lineup of the New York Pops’ 32nd Birthday Gala. Honoring super-talented siblings Kathleen Marshall and Rob Marshall, the event will take place on May 4 at Carnegie Hall. (I was going to get a ticket seeing that they had started selling a bunch of partial view seats around $30 but it's on the same night I'm going to 92Y and I can't get rid of that ticket unless I give it to someone else. Plus, I've been disappointed by the NY Pops in the past and I kind of want to see this 92Y show focusing on Irving Berlin. Am I crazy? Should I just sell the ticket and snag a Carnegie Hall ticket while I can?) Tom Kitt and Jennifer Damiano and Bryce Pinkham are among the artists set to perform in a benefit concert for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital April 6 at the Highline Ballroom. Leslie Odom, Jr. will host a concert to celebrate the 15th anniversary for the Classical Theatre of Harlem on April 13. The benefit event will include an appearance by Patina Miller and feature a performance from the off-Broadway-bound tuner Witness Uganda. Molly Pope has announced the return of her concert show, Molly Pope Likes Your Status, to play Friday nights at the Duplex cabaret in New York's Greenwich Village, April 10 through June 12. It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) The Acting Company's newly commissioned adaptation of Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is being presented in repertory with the William Shakespeare classic Macbeth April 1-12 at Off-Broadway’s Pearl Theater. Yankee is offered 8 PM April 1, 6:30 PM April 2, 8 PM April 3, 8 PM April 10, 2 and 8 PM April 11 and 3 PM April 12. Show times for Macbeth are 2 PM and 8 PM April 4, 8 PM April 7, 2 PM and 8 PM April 8 and 8 PM April 9. Kevin Kline will talk about Shakespeare following the 8 PM April 8 performance of Macbeth. Tickets are now on sale to see screen star Amanda Seyfried make her off-Broadway debut in Neil LaBute’s The Way We Get By. MCC Theater has announced the cast for the world premiere of Permission by Hand to God playwright Robert Askins. In the lead roles will be Justin Bartha and Elizabeth Reaser. Directed by Alex Timbers, performances are set to run April 29-June 7 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with an official opening night set for May 19. The play is about a couple who make the real-life practice of Christian Domestic Discipline the foundation of their marriage. Original cast members from the 2005 New Group production of David Rabe's drama Hurlyburly will reunite for one performance, 6 PM April 26, as a benefit for the Off-Broadway company The New Group. Among those scheduled to perform: Bobby Cannavale, Josh Hamilton, Ethan Hawke, Parker Posey and Wallace Shawn. Linda Lavin will return to Broadway this December in Our Mother's Brief Affair, a new play by Richard Greenberg. Previews are scheduled to begin at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre Dec. 28, with an opening set for Jan. 20, 2016. "On the verge of death for the umpteenth time, Anna (Linda Lavin) makes a shocking confession to her grown children: an affair from her past that just might have resonance beyond the family. But how much of what she says is true? While her children try to separate fact from fiction, Anna fights for a legacy she can be proud of." They Mean Chicago, Illinois (CHICAGO NEWS) Route 66 Theatre Company has announced its 2015-16 season will include three Chicago premieres and a new world premiere developed through the inaugural play workshop.A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) Tom Morton-Smith's Oppenheimer transfers to the West End's Vaudeville Theatre, officially opening March 31 following previews that began March 27, direct from its recent world-premiere run at Stratford-upon-Avon's Swan Theatre.Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Produced by Ovation Studios and 1895 Films, "Ford’s Theatre: America’s Playhouse" will make its premiere April 14 at 10 PM ET on Ovation; check local listings for times elsewhere.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) FINALLY! The rush policy has been announced for The Visit. Rush tickets, costing $30 apiece, will be sold on the day of the performance, as soon as the box office opens. One ticket per valid student ID. Tickets are subject to availability and a valid student ID must be presented for ticket purchased. All prices include a $2 facilities fee. Credit cards and cash may be used. Mia Michaels will choreograph Sara Bareilles' musical Waitress. Link to comment
DisneyBoy April 1, 2015 Share April 1, 2015 See, I think there are probably already Mulan films out there in the style that this story should be told. They're just not popular with mainstream American audiences because they're probably not in English. Fair point. Please point me in the direction of one that you like - I'd be willing to check it out! ...I believe because they refused to make Violet more of a villain. Why would Violet be a villain? Just your take, or something based on fact? I agree with you on Hunchback having a large scope and really needing to be a spectacle. I think it's easier to invest in an Aladdin type spectacle that's more likely to bring in a family audience. Again, I think is like Les Mis and the 80's British musicals and that time seems to have passed on Broadway with those shows pulling in people who already like the material. Also, all the changes they have made for Broadway have seemed to work towards cutting out that family audience and I don't know if it even has the lightness of Phantom or Les Mis which for all of their weird or dramatic elements still have core melodramatic love stories to latch onto. So they've made it darker then? That could work out really well...yet there doesn't seem to be too much excitement about this show in general. I would think a darker Disney movie on Broadway along the lines of Les Mis and Phantom would have a BIG pull. Wonder why the hype just isn't there around this one. Too soon after Aladdin? Link to comment
aradia22 April 1, 2015 Author Share April 1, 2015 I heard about this on the BWW boards as someone at Doctor Zhivago screaming hysterically. Amazingly, Seth Meyer's parents were there and gave him a report. He's not the best comedian, but stick with the story... because it's such an anomaly for theatre performances nowadays. Link to comment
aradia22 April 1, 2015 Author Share April 1, 2015 Why would Violet be a villain? Just your take, or something based on fact? Oh, it's just that Jake is in love with her and she doesn't feel the same way. Or does she? I think it's kind of wishy washy. You're not really sure if she's telling the truth when she says she's never thought about him that way or if she is just too afraid to be with him because she's afraid of being shunned for being in an interracial relationship. Or maybe there's some of her own racism in there and not just what people would say as she explains it. I think if you're going to force in this invented character, you need to give it more depth. The creators seem afraid of letting Violet admit to her own racism and afraid of letting her actually be a little in love with Jake but willing to turn her back on it to be in this false relationship because she's in love with the idea of belonging and also being a wife and mother. They could make a stronger indictment of the pressure to conform and also the influence of this ideal of femininity but they stop short. It's not that Violet has to be a villain but like every other plotline in the story, it lacks the depth that it could have. Like you, I've stayed away from too many Hunchback spoilers but from what I've read on BWW they have made it darker. I think they heavily imply that Quasimodo is deaf. There are actual deaths in this version, unlike the movie. Frollo is apparently even more of a creeper towards Esmeralda and more abusive towards Quasimodo. And also for the tone, the gargoyles are gone and there's a lot of choral singing in the style of a Catholic mass. There's probably more but again, I stayed away from a lot of the discussion thinking it would come to Broadway. Link to comment
aradia22 April 1, 2015 Author Share April 1, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Doing this in a bit of a rush so I can get ready for The King and I. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Living on Love begins previews at Broadway's Longacre Theatre 8 PM April 1 prior to an official opening April 20. The Off-Broadway return of Patrick Barlow's 39 Steps begins performances April 1 prior to an official opening April 13 at the Union Square Theatre. Lisa D’Amour's Airline Highway begins performances on Broadway April 1 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Animal Parts presents Revenge of the Popinjay at Dixon Place in downtown New York beginning April 1. Macbeth: The Unsex Me Here Project begins April 1. Seattle Repertory Theatre's production of Lizard Boy officially opens April 1 on the Leo K. Theatre Stage. Closed for Renovations (CANCELLATIONS) George Brant's Grounded, starring Anne Hathaway, has pushed back its official off-Broadway opening night to April 26; the date had previously been set for April 23. The show will still begin previews on April 7.I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Lindsay Mendez has joined the cast of Significant Other, a new comedy from acclaimed Bad Jews playwright Joshua Harmon. Roundabout Theatre Company is producing the world premiere Off-Broadway, with previews starting May 21 and an official opening night June 18. Complete casting has been announced for American Conservatory Theater's upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s A Little Night Music, which will play the Geary stage May 20–June 14. I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS) Holland Taylor, who was Tony-nominated for her portrayal of Governor Ann Richards in her solo play Ann, plans to play the part again — and have it filmed.Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Jane Lynch will play Joe's Pub in September. See Jane Sing!, featuring the "Glee" star, will be offered Sept. 17-20. Show times are 7 PM and 9:30 PM nightly.We Open in Venice, We Next Play Verona (TOURS) A non-Equity tour of the new musical Bullets Over Broadway will launch in Cleveland, OH, at Playhouse Square with performances beginning Oct. 6.A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) Casting has been confirmed for the previously announced new produtions of Peter Pan, The Seagull and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers that will play in turn at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in London this summer.Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Netflix has renewed Bloodline, starring Broadway faves Norbert Leo Butz, Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini and Sissy Spacek, for a second season.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Now in its 17th year, Musicals Tonight! the Off-Broadway company dedicated to reviving "neglected" musicals, has announced its 2015-16 season. On tap will a revival of the 1937 Richard Rodgers musical Babes in Arms, the Gerswhins' Oh, Kay!, Cole Porter's Out of This World, as well as Wonderful Town, which features music by Leonard Bernstein. Tickets are now on sale to see the world premiere of Jesse Eisenberg’s The Spoils. The New Group production will begin performances off-Broadway on May 5. Opening night is set for June 2 at The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at the Pershing Square Signature Center. Boston's Huntington Theatre Company has announced that their 2015-16 season will feature four world premieres including a play performed in sign language by Tony nominee Craig Lucas, a classic Stephen Sondheim musical, the Pulitzer-winning Broadway play Disgraced and a one-man-show about playwright August Wilson. Exclusive Tony Awards merchandise will be available starting April 2 in a special pop-up store located at the Paramount Hotel in the middle of the Times Square theatre district at 235 West 46th Street in Manhattan, just a few blocks from the site of this year's Tony ceremony, Radio City Music Hall. The Tony Awards Pop-Up Shop will be open to the public 11 AM to 8 PM seven days a week, from April 2 through the day of the Tony ceremony, June 7. Merchandise will include t-shirts, pins, posters, mugs, sweatshirts, onesies, hats, binoculars, umbrellas and more. The store will also have merchandise available from Tony-eligible shows from the 2014-2015 Broadway season. Tony Awards memorabilia celebrating the last 69 years of the awards will also be on display. Following last year's sold-out program, the Broadway Teachers Workshop returns with a series of master classes and events featuring a host of Broadway talent including Chita Rivera, Tony Danza, Christian Borle and John Cariani among others. The Broadway Teachers Workshop is a three-day intensive program. Participants will have the opportunity to attend four Broadway shows (The King and I, An American in Paris, Something Rotten and Kinky Boots), cast discussions, eight workshops and masterclasses with Broadway performers, creative teams and production staff. It is aimed at middle-school, high school and college teachers and directors to facilitate the exchange of ideas and education. Link to comment
aradia22 April 2, 2015 Author Share April 2, 2015 Hello darlings! I got back very late last night. Not just because of the stage door but because The King and I (unless they make more cuts during previews) is super long right now. My LincTix seat was excellent. I was in the front row on the left side (audience) of the stage. I think I missed a little bit as obviously the actors weren't always playing to me but it wasn't like I missed a ton of the action. I would really like to go back just to experience it from the middle of the house. It seems like an odd move though for large parts of the story to play to the center rows with the way the house is built. Whatever. The ship was a fun set piece. It definitely starts off dramatically with the sail dropping down. I'm not sure how I feel about the smoke. I kind of got a scent from the smoke that made it feel a little atmospheric but then I got distracted wondering if the smoke would poison me and a few people around me were coughing. This first scene is the one where sitting on the left is really a problem because the ship is so big and I think unless you're really towards the back rows in the orchestra on the side, you're not going to see much even craning your neck. I always talk about the string section and this time I was basically seated on top of them. However, I didn't really notice the orchestra that much, particularly during musical passages with lyrics but really through most of the show. I don't know if I was overwhelmed by the rest of the production or if my seat wasn't the best position to listen to the orchestra or I don't know... some other reason but I was really only cognizant of them during the overture and entr'acte. And of course applauding at the end. As a general point, I don't think anyone was mic-ed and sometimes the vocals were very quiet. If I could barely hear them that close to the performers I wonder what it sounded like in the rest of the house. I think Kelly was the biggest disappointment in that regard. I know she must be conserving her voice for the entire show and all the performances she has during the week but having her pace herself like that doesn't make for the most thrilling viewing experience. I wanted that first I Whistle a Happy Tune to be bright and sprightly and it was so quiet. I had similar complaints through a lot of the songs. I thought Getting to Know You was a high point and there was another number I enjoyed. Maybe Hello Young Lovers? I think the actress playing Tuptim has a beautiful soprano voice, especially on those held out high notes. I did think she was a bit too forceful. I'll get to this more later, but I think there was an imbalance with Tuptim and Anna and the King in this production. Her lover (who plays Oliver on How to Get Away with Murder) was OK but not as much of a match for her as I would have hoped for. I also wasn't that invested in their love story. And I don't know what it was but I kind of forgot that Anna was helping them beyond them saying it every so often. I don't know if they cut something but when the lyric came back later "Don't cry, young lovers, whatever you do. Don't cry because I'm alone [...] I've had a love of my own" I thought, when did they ever have that conversation? The children are so adorable! Oh my God. I'm too young for a maternal instinct to be kicking in but they were so cute! They didn't seem like super professional stage kids but I think they also did a nice job of staying engaged in the scenes they were in. I think Ken Watanabe did a fine job. As for the comments about being not understanding him, I lost a few lyrics in A Puzzlement and a bit later but I also lost a few lyrics with Kelly so... yeah. I didn't have a problem with his accent. I'm not sure how I feel about his singing though. I can't tell if it was the accent throwing me off and he actually has a pleasant voice or if he's not a great singer. I'd have to listen to it again because I was focused on what he was singing and not so much how he was singing it. There were moments when I stepped out of the song to listen and I did find his voice pleasant. Overall, I found his interpretation of the King much sweeter and kinder and funnier than the other ones that I've seen. He's not doing Yul Brynner. He's doing his own thing. This is probably a good a point as any to bring up the main weakness for me, which is the imbalance. While I liked Ken Watanabe's King, I think he came across as too weak. He was a very warm and likable and funny but he seemed too easily confused and willing to admit to not knowing things and later when he got sick it didn't seem like such a shock. Compare that to Anna who kind of seems a little cold. I think Kelli was best with the children and she seemed to like the King but I never really got that romantic angle. I wish she'd played that up more. And I could not see her bringing any of the real life Anna to the role. I wanted her to be scrappier, someone indulging in deception to make a life for herself but while I think she wasn't the super prim and proper British lady I think she wasn't pushing enough. Tuptim's story fell a little flat because I wasn't really connecting to her love for Lun Tha and the King wasn't so domineering and so I didn't really feel her plight. It's like the Cinderella argument where people talk about how she's so passive for not leaving. I recognized that Tuptim didn't always have the option of escape and that was a desperate chance/last resort but she also didn't seem that deeply unhappy. Also, there wasn't much a of journey there. She showed up feeling one way. She ended the story that way. I think it's a stronger choice when reading Uncle Tom's Cabin and having the support of Anna, etc. gives her the confidence and knowledge to break free. I don't know if they softened the King or made the female characters more vibrant to make it feel more modern but creates this weird imbalance. And there are also no villains or threats. At least not meaningful ones. The advisor doesn't come across as a villain, either as a traitor (which he is in some versions) or even really as a hindrance to Anna. He's really sympathetic. He doesn't do that much to get in her way and you do feel like she ruined the king. The British are SO not a threat in this production. I looked over, the actors are barely reacting during the play. Edward sort of flirts with Anna but it doesn't really do much and again, she doesn't seem that into the King either so I wasn't really moved by a love triangle or anything. Speaking of Uncle Tom's Cabin, I read a few excerpts in college. This is the first time since then that I've seen any iteration of The King and I. I loved seeing it staged. That was one of the big production numbers I really enjoyed. From what I remember, Tuptim's interpretation is faithful in the beginning but the end is different. The ending is very brutal. Now to what I didn't have any problems enjoying... Ruthie Ann Miles. Forget Kelli O'Hara. Forget Ken Watanabe. I think Ruthie as Lady Thiang was the star of this production. She was always engaged and always feeling things deeply. I could always look over to her and know what she was feeling. I thought her Something Wonderful was very powerful and of everyone I believed in her love. Also, I LOVED the costumes. I could stare at those costumes ALL DAY. ALL DAY. I know there have been some complaints about the set. It kind of made me think of some opera sets. There were times when I wished for more but I didn't have major problems with the staging. It didn't feel spartan to me. I think you get the pieces you need to communicate the setting. Maybe they could do more for the garden scenes with Lun Tha and Tuptim and a few things like that but I was fine with the rest of it. I will say that I don't know how the theatre is built but if they're using walking through the audience as a gimmick it loses its effect pretty quickly. OK. Whew. I know that was a lot. Those are all the things that occurred to me at the moment. I may have more to say later. I really do want to go back but I don't know if I can secure a ticket. They're selling out. Also, sadly I heard that Kelli O'Hara stopped stage dooring because she was mobbed one night. Link to comment
aradia22 April 2, 2015 Author Share April 2, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: I'm going to try and get out of this The King and I haze and try for Hedwig tickets tomorrow either through TKTS or the lottery. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) The Broadway production of David Hare's Skylight, starring Carey Mulligan, Bill Nighy and Matthew Beard — who re-create their London performances — officially opens April 2 at the John Golden Theatre. The world premiere of The Undeniable Sound of Right Now, written by Laura Eason officially opens April 2, following previews that began March 19. My Name Is Rachel Corrie begins performances April 2 at Culture Project’s Lynn Redgrave Theater. Daily Life Everlasting, the new work penned by Charles Mee about a group of characters who find themselves at a party in search of true love, begins April 2. Daily Life Everlasting will run through April 19 at La Mama's Ellen Stewart Theater. The show features original songs by Obie winner Heather Christian. Closed for Renovations (CANCELLATIONS) Javier Muñoz, who understudies lead actor Lin-Manuel Miranda in his Off-Broadway musical Hamilton, may be stepping in weekly at The Public Theater. This morning, Miranda tweeted that Muñoz (who also understudied him in Broadway's In the Heights) will go on as Alexander Hamilton April 3 and April 8. The new Broadway musical Doctor Zhivago was forced to cancel its April 2 evening performance after leading man Tam Mutu fell ill. Representatives for the production announced the last-minute cancellation shortly after 5 PM, stating that Mutu's understudy had not had sufficient rehearsal time. The production has played only three performances. Performances will resume Friday, April 3 at 8 PM. Mutu's understudy is currently being rehearsed in the event that he will need to go on for tomorrow evening's performance. Rita Wilson, who plays the role of Brenda Drexel — wife of Larry David's Norman Drexel — is currently on medical leave from David's new Broadway comedy Fish in the Dark. According to a show spokesperson, Wilson is taking a brief medical leave, and planning on returning to the play at the Cort Theatre May 5. Until her return, the role of Brenda is being played by actress Glenne Headly. I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) The New York Theatre Workshop has announced the world premiere of Lazarus by David Bowie and playwright Enda Walsh (Once). The Off-Broadway production is inspired by Walter Tevis' 1963 novel "The Man Who Fell to Earth" and will be directed by Ivo Van Hove. Lazarus centers on the character of Thomas Newton, portrayed by Bowie in the 1976 screen adaptation directed by Nicolas Roeg. The NYTW production will feature songs specially composed by Bowie as well as new arrangements of previously recorded songs. Do You Want What I've Got? A Craigslist Cantata will receive its first industry reading in New York City April 13. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Casting has been announced for the Goodspeed Musicals production of Theory of Relativity, a new musical from the writers of The Story of My Life. Theory of Relativity will play the Connecticut venue May 7-31 at The Norma Terris Theatre. "Through a seemingly unrelated collection of songs, scenes and monologues, [the musical] introduces a compelling array of characters experiencing the joys and heartbreaks, the liaisons and losses, the inevitability and the wonder of human connection." (Because telling a coherent, cohesive narrative is too hard... jk.) Signature Theatre has announced that Kristine Nielsen is among the cast for their production of resident playwright A.R Gurney's coming-of-age story What I Did Last Summer Off-Broadway this month. What I Did Last Summer follows 14-year-old Charlie and his mother Grace, as they attempt to enjoy their vacation at their lake house in the summer of 1945. When Charlie befriends the town misfit, the family must confront society's expectations and the concept of conformity. I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS) Groundhog Day, the new musical from Tim Minchin and Danny Rubin, has set a Broadway opening date. According to The New York Times, opening night will be March 9, 2016, at a theatre to be announced. American Psycho, the new musical by Duncan Sheik and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa may arrive spring 2016. According to an Equity casting notice, producers David Johnson, Jesse Singer, Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel are targeting a mid-February 2016 Broadway arrival, with an opening around mid-March. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Patti Lupone plays 54 Below April 2 in The Lady with the Torch through April 14. Karen Olivo performs in concert at the George Street Playhouse April 2. The 54 Sings series will continue May 24 with Grand Hotel: The 25th Anniversary Concert. The 7 PM and 9:30 PM concerts will feature original cast members Liliane Montevecchi, Karen Akers, David Jackson and David White. Walter Willison, also a member of the original cast, will direct and host the evening. It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) Dates are now firm for Al Pacino's return to Broadway in China Doll, the new play that David Mamet wrote for him. China Doll, a two-character play that follows a billionaire named Mickey Ross — who has just bought an airplane for his young fiancée as he prepares to go into semi-retirement — is scheduled to begin previews Oct. 20 at the Schoenfeld Theatre ahead of a Nov. 19 opening.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Nominations for the 30th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards, recognizing the best in Off-Broadway theatre, were announced. Nine-time Tony Award winner Tommy Tune will get to take home another on June 7. The dancer/director/choreographer was named recipient of a Lifetime Achievement honor. Alan Menken andGlenn Slater are writing new songs for Tangled, which is set to premiere aboard the Disney Magic cruise ship's voyage to the Bahamas on Nov. 11. Entertainment Weekly reports that they will write three new songs to add to the existing score of the 2010 animated film. Link to comment
Rinaldo April 3, 2015 Share April 3, 2015 As a general point, I don't think anyone was mic-ed and sometimes the vocals were very quiet. If I could barely hear them that close to the performers I wonder what it sounded like in the rest of the house. I think Kelly was the biggest disappointment in that regard. I know she must be conserving her voice for the entire show and all the performances she has during the week but having her pace herself like that doesn't make for the most thrilling viewing experience. It's a sure thing, 100%, that any Broadway (or off-Broadway) musical in the last... let's say 60 years is amplified. Since about 1970 everyone is individually mic'd. But I think I understand what happened from your perspective, given your position in the front row. Especially in the Beaumont, you're actually in front of the speakers that get the sound to the rest of the audience. So you're getting "live" sound from people who are modulating their singing (taking it easy, in essence) for the mice. But you're not getting the benefit of the mics. I had a similar experience in the front row of the Last Five Years revival: Adam Kantor came through fine because he was usually agitated and projecting, but Betsy Wolfe was sometimes hard to hear. Seating in the Beaumont is unusually tricky anyway, given the extended thrust stage with a proscenium and more stage behind. After a couple bad experiences, I would never sit on the side again (the online floor plans make those look farther forward than they are), both for the sound and the fact that I miss anything not out on the thrust. It was a challenge with this one to find anything not on the side. I heard the show was running long (3.5 hours) at the first previews, but after a week (which is when I saw it) they'd gotten it down to 3 hours, which is about how long The King and I should run -- it's been the running time of every production of it I've seen, including two completely uncut ones (which this is not). Anyway, I'm glad you saw it, and glad to read your reactions. 1 Link to comment
aradia22 April 3, 2015 Author Share April 3, 2015 (edited) It's a sure thing, 100%, that any Broadway (or off-Broadway) musical in the last... let's say 60 years is amplified. Since about 1970 everyone is individually mic'd. But I think I understand what happened from your perspective, given your position in the front row. Especially in the Beaumont, you're actually in front of the speakers that get the sound to the rest of the audience. So you're getting "live" sound from people who are modulating their singing (taking it easy, in essence) for the mice. But you're not getting the benefit of the mics. Ahhh. That makes a lot of sense. I definitely want to see the show again now. Two things I remembered that I wanted to add. I think a lot of the jokes/humor lands with this production. It's just nice to get that reassurance that material doesn't have to age badly. Sometimes it's just the energy with which you deliver it. (See: Chicago, pacing problems) Secondly, the show did make me tear up at least three times, sometimes from the force of the scene if not the whole narrative. That reprise of Whistle a Happy Tune definitely got me. So again, it was nice to watch an emotionally affecting piece of theatre and not something I looked on dispassionately. I was beginning to think I was a robot but no, it can happen when they do it right. Edited April 3, 2015 by aradia22 Link to comment
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