aradia22 May 26, 2015 Author Share May 26, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Again, nothing much today. I'm getting to this so late because I was out at a concert. The opening act was Parlour Tricks followed by Cookies with Oh Land as the main act. I'm kind of into Parlour Tricks. It was a small crowd when they opened but I'm looking forward to the release of their album June 23. I could leave Cookies. They jammed well but the songs were super repetitive and for the most part went on far too long. Oh Land was amazing. I've seen her once before. I think she was slightly better then only because the stage was bigger so she could move around more but I still had a fantastic time. Happy Memorial Day! Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Soho Rep presents the world premiere of 10 out of 12, by Anne Washburn Link to comment
aradia22 May 27, 2015 Author Share May 27, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: I got my ticket for The Other Mozart. I was hemming and hawing but goldstar sent me a $10 off code so with the $28 discount price that's only $18. All the word of mouth has been positive. I'm just nervous about a one-woman show. And the clips haven't been very inspiring. But we'll see. I'll report back. I'm planning to check out Stars in the Alley tomorrow but it'll depend on how early I want to get up on my day off. I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) Jill Santoriello, whose musical version of A Tale of Two Cities is currently receiving a full scale-production in Wichita, TX, is also at work on a new musical about the life of X-ray technician Carl Tanzler's odd love story with a Cuban patient named Elena Hoyos titled It Happened in Key West. Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS) The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced May 26 the Nominating Committee for the 2015-2016 Broadway season. Reviews of the revival of Maury Yeston and Peter Stone's Titanic at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Complete casting has been announced for the Muny's upcoming production of My Fair Lady, which will play the St. Louis venue June 15-21. Additional casting for King Charles III, which will begin previews Oct. 10 prior to an official opening Nov. 1 at the Music Box Theatre. Joining the previously announced Tim Pigott-Smith as the imagined King Charles III will be Oliver Chris as William, Richard Goulding as Harry, Adam James as Mr. Evans, Margot Leicester as Camilla, Miles Richardson as James Reiss, Tom Robertson as Couttsey and other roles, Sally Scott as Sarah and other roles, Tafline Steen as Jess and Lydia Wilson as Kate. Exclusive pre-sale for Audience Rewards members begins today, May 26. General on sale will begin June 1 with tickets available on Telecharge.com. (Cape Cod) Simon Jones has been cast alongside JoAnne Worley in The Cape Playhouse's summer staging of The Drowsy Chaperone. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Sierra Boggess and Steven Pasquale have been announced as the guest artists set to kick off the New York Pops' 2015-16 season Oct. 9 at Carnegie Hall. Jeremy Jordan and Betsy Wolfe have also joined the line-up and will be featured in a show in March 2016. (Woo. Even happier about my subscription now.) Feast Productions will present a concert performance of the new electro-pop musical Coming to Bad Ends June 1 at 42West. Based on the novel "Mysteries" by Knut Hamsun, Coming to Bad Ends features a book and lyrics by John Aldous with music by Lucas Segall. Songwriter Michael Mott will offer a free concert of his pop music June 1 at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City. The 8 PM concert will include performances from Loren Allred (NBC's "The Voice"), Ashley Loren (Fox's "American Idol"), Lindsay Rider (Fox's "American Idol") and Tim Young (Next to Normal). A Musical (MUSICALS) The fifth Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof will open Dec. 17 at the Broadway Theatre. An Equity casting notice had previously reported that the revival would open on Broadway Jan. 10, 2016. The show's start date remains Nov. 17 with rehearsals beginning Sept. 28.It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) Roundabout Theatre Company, in association with Ryan Murphy, will produce a Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, which will begin previews March 31, 2016, at the American Airlines Theatre, officially opening April 19. Jessica Lange will play Mary Tyrone, Gabriel Byrne will play James Tyrone, and John Gallagher Jr. will play Edmund Tyrone.One Song Glory (ALBUMS) A track list has been announced for the upcoming An American in Paris cast album.I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) Helen Mirren's performance as Queen Elizabeth II in Peter Morgan's The Audience will be broadcast as a special event in selected movie theatres June 25. For more information and to order tickets, visit Fathomevents.com.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Harold Prince will join former New York Times critic Frank Rich May 28 to discuss the work of late Broadway caricaturist (and theatre namesake) Al Hirschfeld. The talk is being held in connection with "The Hirschfeld Century: The Art of Al Hirschfeld," an exhibition that opened at the The New-York Historical Society May 20. On view through Oct. 12, "The Hirschfeld Century: The Art of Al Hirschfeld" features over 100 original drawings from the artist's early work for Hollywood studios to his last drawings for the New York Times. (I had not heard about this. I will try to go and report back.) The Opera Theatre of Saint Louis has announced its 2016 festival season, and included in the bill is the world premiere of Shalimar the Clown by Jack Perla and Pulitzer finalist Rajiv Joseph. The new opera is adapted from the popular novel of the same name by Salman Rushdie. California's La Jolla Playhouse has announced that it will present Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, in which Felder brings to the stage the real-life story of famed American composer Irving Berlin. Directed by Trevor Hay and written and starring Felder, performances are set to run Dec. 16, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016. Link to comment
aradia22 May 27, 2015 Author Share May 27, 2015 (edited) Theatre News Roundup: I did not end up going to Stars in the Alley but because of the world we live in most if not all of the performances were recorded and already posted online. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) The 53rd season of Shakespeare in the Park kicks off May 27 with The Tempest, starring Sam Waterston. Performances will play through July 5 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. An official opening night is slated for June 16. I Heard It Through The Grapevine (RUMORS) Colin Firth cast in My Fair Lady revival on Broadway. (Whaaa? Count me definitely intrigued.) I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT) A workshop of a new musical about late talk-show host Johnny Carson, Carson — The Musical, will be held in Manhattan in September.I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Danielle Brooks, known for her role as Taystee on the Netflix series "Orange Is the New Black," will star as Sofia in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, producers announced May 27. The Public Theater has announced further casting for its Shakespeare in the Park staging of Cymbeline, starring previously announced Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe. Raúl Esparza will play Lachimo, and Broadway vet Patrick Page has been cast in the title role. Full cast and ticketing information have been announced for the forthcoming new Broadway musical Allegiance. As previously announced, the show will star Takei as Sam Kimura/Ojii San; Salonga as Kei Kimura; and Leung as Sammy Kimura. The three stars will be joined by Katie Rose Clarke as Hannah Campbell, Michael K. Lee as Frankie Suzuki, Christopheren Nomura as Tatsuo Kimura and Greg Watanabe as Mike Masaoka. Ensemble listed at link. Tickets will be available as follows: On May 28 tickets will be available to Allegiance Priority Access Pass holders. On June 1 at 10 AM (ET) Audience Rewards pre-sale begins. On June 5 at 10 AM (ET) tickets will go on sale to the general public via Telecharge.com (212-239-6200).The show is scheduled to begin previews Oct. 6 at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street) prior to an official opening Nov. 8. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Stephen Sondheim, James Lapine and cast and creative members from the 1987 Tony-winning production of Into the Woods will reunite June 21 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. At two panel discussions (held at 2 PM and 7 PM), moderated by Mo Rocca, cast and creative team members will discuss what happened in the woods and talk to audiences about their own "ever afters." It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) Three Off-Broadway shows have announced extensions due to high ticket demand: The Way We Get By starring Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski, Labyrinth Theater Company's production of Nice Girl, and Soho Rep's 10 out of 12 by Anne Washburn. The Way We Get By is now playing through June 21 at Second Stage Theatre. Nice Girl will now run through June 14 at the Bank Street Theatre. 10 out of 12 is now running through July 5.One Song Glory (ALBUMS) Despite a brief run of only 49 performances, the new musical Doctor Zhivago will receive an original Broadway cast recording. The cast will reunite May 28 to record the original Broadway cast album for Broadway Records. (Woo! Yes, yes, yes! I expect you to all get this album. Or at least listen to it. I got swept up and pre-ordered. Almost $20 with shipping for a CD. I've lost my mind.) Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Playbill.com has learned what several of the Broadway productions will perform June 7 at the Tony Awards. Jimmy Smits has been hired to star in Baz Luhrmann's musical Netflix TV series, "The Get Down," about the birth of the hip-hop movement. Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Seth Rudetsky will celebrate his new book, "Seth's Broadway Diary," June 3 at the Tony Awards Pop-Up Shop, which is located at the Paramount Hotel near Times Square. Sam Shepard was arrested May 25 in Santa Fe, NM, under the suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Edited May 27, 2015 by aradia22 Link to comment
Rick Kitchen May 28, 2015 Share May 28, 2015 Keke Palmer has been cast as Marty in Fox's live Grease. Link to comment
aradia22 May 29, 2015 Author Share May 29, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: I've got lots of events coming up so I'm not too bothered about what I'll be doing on my day off tomorrow. I do kind of want to catch The Visit at some point though. Also, mainly directed towards Rinaldo, are there any resources you recommend (besides wikipedia) for giving a brief overview of operas without giving away the entire story. I don't mind so-called "spoilers" but I don't want the whole plot laid out for me. We get Opera News where I work and I like the little features they do highlighting a different opera each month. So far I've read the one for Tannhauser and Tosca. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) The new Broadway comedy An Act of God starring Jim Parsons in the role of God, officially opens on Broadway May 28 at Studio 54. The York Theatre Company's production of the new musical Cagney officially opens May 28 at 7 PM following previews that began May 19 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's. Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS) Act of God Reviews I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Glenne Headly will take over the role of Brenda Drexel (originated by Rita Wilson) in Larry David's Broadway comedy, Fish in the Dark, for a limited run starting June 9, the same day Jason Alexander joins the cast. Complete casting has been announced for The Muny production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, which will play the St. Louis venue July 13-19. Betty Buckley will star in a production of Grey Gardens this summer at the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. Buckley will play the role of Big Edie with Rachel York as Little Edie Bouvier Beale. (Interested... but not going to Sag Harbor.) California Musical Theatre has announced casting for its famed Music Circus season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion in Sacramento, CA. The the season includes My Fair Lady (June 9-14), Big River (June 23-28), Bye Bye Birdie (July 7-12), Peter Pan (July 21-26), West Side Story (Aug. 4-9) and Hair (Aug. 18-23). Tony Award-winning producer Hugh Hysell is set to join the cast of Perfect Crime Off-Broadway. He is tapped to play the role of Lionel McAuley. Houston's Theatre Under the Stars Underground has announced casting for its final show of the season, the musical comedy First Date. Broadway actor A.J. Shively will play the lead role of Aaron for the June 11-21 production. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) The Vulture Festival will present a Broadway Brunch May 31 at Milk Studios in Manhattan. Hosted by Susan Blackwell, the morning will feature Jefferson Mays, Sarah Stiles, Brad Oscar, Christian Borle, Scarlett Strallen and Geneva Carr. The event begins at 10:30 AM and continues through noon. Hundreds of public school performers from across the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan are scheduled to take part in "Broadway Junior," a concert of classic show tunes from great musicals, hosted by Mary Page Nance of Broadway's Finding Neverland, June 2 at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College. Broadway's Greatest Diva Anthems, a new concert will make its premiere June 6 at 8 PM in the Fradd Theater in Fire Island Pines on Fire Island, NY. The evening will feature Brenda Braxton, Erin Davie, Kate Rockwell and Lauren Molina, who will be backed by a live band. Songwriters Sam Carner and Derek Gregor will release their first album, featuring Broadway singers Tituss Burgess, Jeremy Jordan, Natalie Weiss and more, June 15. Entitled "Carner & Gregor One," the album will feature an eclectic blend of styles and include material from a range of their projects. In celebration of the album release, Carner and Gregor will host a $1 concert at (le) Poisson Rouge June 15 at 7 PM. The concert will feature songs from the album, along with songs from other Carner and Gregor projects, including several premieres. The concert cast will feature Sarah Stiles, Derek Klena, Natalie Weiss, Lilli Cooper, Teal Wicks, Stephen C. Anthony and Andrew Kober, among others. A Musical (MUSICALS) The Prince of Broadway, the stage project that takes audiences through the numerous award-winning productions created by director-producer Harold Prince (Cabaret, The Phantom of the Opera, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Sweeney Todd), will have its world premiere at Japan's Theatre Orb in Tokyo Oct. 23, according to the theatre's website. The website lists the following for the cast: Shuler Hensley, Ramin Karimloo, Nancy Opel, Kaley Ann Voorhees, Reon Yuzuki and others. (How do the rights for this musical even work?) It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) Steppenwolf Theatre has announced the line-up of playwrights slated for its 10th annual First Look program, a series of readings that develop new plays for future production at Steppenwolf and other theatres. Annaleigh Ashford will return to Broadway playing an adorable pooch in A.R. Gurney's comedy, Sylvia, this September. She will co-star with Julie White. One Song Glory (ALBUMS) Laura Bell Bundy, a Tony nominee for her performance in the musical version of Legally Blonde, will release her latest solo recording next month.I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) "Julie Taymor's A Midsummer Night's Dream," that was filmed before a live audience during its 2014 run at Theatre For A New Audience in Brooklyn, will be screened June 22 at selected cinemas across the U.S.Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Keke Palmer has joined the cast of the FOX-TV broadcast of Grease: Live! planned for Jan. 31, 2016. She will play Marty Maraschino, one of the Pink Ladies, alongside the previously announced Julianne Hough (as Sandy) and Vanessa Hudgens (as Rizzo). (Yeah, really not looking forward to this.) Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Jonathan Groff, Billy Porter and "Smash" showrunner Joshua Safran are among the artists who have joined the lineup of participants for the first-ever BroadwayCon. Also joining the list of participants are Ann Harada, Tony and Pulitzer-winning songwriters Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, producer Barbara Whitman and casting director Bernard Telsey. The initial batch of tickets went on sale March 15. The second batch of tickets go on sale July 18, with the third and final batch released on Oct. 17. (Eh. Still not seeing this as a must-attend event.) Link to comment
Rinaldo May 29, 2015 Share May 29, 2015 mainly directed towards Rinaldo, are there any resources you recommend (besides wikipedia) for giving a brief overview of operas without giving away the entire story. I don't mind so-called "spoilers" but I don't want the whole plot laid out for me. We get Opera News where I work and I like the little features they do highlighting a different opera each month. So far I've read the one for Tannhauser and Tosca. That's kind of a stumper, as most material about opera assumes that everybody knows the story and doesn't care; there's no concept of a "spoiler" for repertoire that's been around for a century or two. So... maybe your best bet would be the Opera News website itself, which has extensive archives that you can search (I think anyone can search them without a subscription). Also, adjacent to that is the site for the Metropolitan Opera, which has brief info about the titles in the upcoming season. Beyond that... maybe others here will know more. 1 Link to comment
Charlie Baker May 29, 2015 Share May 29, 2015 Yes, Tony Awards are upon us, almost. I suppose there will be the usual griping about the show itself, apart from the awards. I've certainly done my share. But the Tony show has also provided a lot of great moments on TV, and for people who would never get to see the shows live, like me as a kid, they are invaluable. Here's a collection of some: http://www.vogue.com/13263096/best-tony-awards-performances/ And I will hasten to agree with the person who posted this on another message board, they should have included the Michael Jeter-lead showstopper from Grand Hotel. I wish I could be some help with the opera question, but nope. Link to comment
ratgirlagogo May 29, 2015 Share May 29, 2015 are there any resources you recommend (besides wikipedia) for giving a brief overview of operas without giving away the entire story. I don't mind so-called "spoilers" but I don't want the whole plot laid out for me Like Rinaldo I find this one a bit of a stumper. I assume you're aware of Kobbe's Opera Book and don't want that? http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40540 Honestly in all my years as a librarian I don't think I've ever had anyone ask me for an incomplete synopsis of a classic work. They always ask for a brief precis of the entire story and things like Kobbe's and Masterplots are what I use all the time. Link to comment
Wilson Cat May 29, 2015 Share May 29, 2015 Oh where has this topic been?!? Since Ivy Lynn made me a permanent member of "TEAM IVY", and SMASH reminded me of those glory days when we lived in NYC so many years ago in a walk-up studio with cockroaches as pets, rats on the fire-escape, a Murphy bed, a port-a-crib and wow! a 2nd baby somehow showed up, oh, and NO car. But we somehow managed to scrimp and save and go see Broadway musicals. Then we moved across the country and got caught up in raising a family and forgot about the glory of musical theatre until SMASH. So anyway.... Just returned from a 4 night 4 show Broadway Blitz in the old stomping grounds. We saw SOMETHING ROTTEN, FUN HOME, ON THE TOWN, and at the last minute picked up MATILDA when 'Dr Zhivago' abruptly closed. Each show could get it's own post, but in the interest of brevity I'll try to be succinct. SOMETHING ROTTEN is every bit the smash hit it has been billed as being. And there is that fun SMASH connection with Christian Borle and Brian D'Arcy James. Both are wonderful and the audience loved it. FUN HOME is beautifully done, and be prepared. This show should warn audience members they may need a kleenex. Or a few. Sydney Lucas, the little girl who plays young Alison, is simply breathtaking. She steals the show. MATILDA is fun, but by now has been talked about for more than a season, and was merely a fill-in for Dr. Zhivago. Loved it, just don't have a lot more to say about it. So I save the best for last. ON THE TOWN is SO good that I would tell anyone who only has time for one show on Broadway that this one is too awesome to miss. Another SMASH connection, Joshua Bergasse's choreography somehow resulted in dancers who at times appeared to be floating. Megan Fairchild, a principal from the NYC Ballet, as Ivy was wonderful. Tony Yasbeck, the other link to SMASH, was perfect. I LOVED THIS SHOW!!!!! Also enjoying home-town theater (Seattle) with outstanding offerings through the Fifth Avenue and through Seattle Theatre Group. Have seen fabulous productions of Phantom of the Opera, Jacques Brel, and the brand new maybe-going-to-Broadway JASPER IN DEADLAND at the Fifth Avenue. In fact SOMETHING ROTTEN was in development at the 5th Avenue until the St James Theatre opened in NY with the closing of SIDE SHOW. They are now developing another possibly bound-for-Broadway show in the coming season, called WATERFALL. Bottom line.......go see ON THE TOWN. You will love it. 2 Link to comment
aradia22 May 29, 2015 Author Share May 29, 2015 Thanks for trying to help, guys. I think I'll just keep reading those features in Opera News and hope they get to most of the operas for next season. I've already got my tentative Met Live in HD List: Il Trovatore, Tannhauser, Lulu, Les Pecheurs de Perles, Turandot, Manon Lescaut, and Madama Butterfly. By the way, thanks for the reminder, Charlie. Just so we're all set, I started a Tony awards thread. http://forums.previously.tv/topic/27113-2015-tony-awards/ Welcome, Wilson Cat! Team Karen. ;) Thanks for giving us your reviews. And do keep us apprised of your thoughts on Waterfall if you decide to go. I'm very interested in that one. Link to comment
aradia22 May 29, 2015 Author Share May 29, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: I did a lot of errands and lot of shopping (probably too much) today instead of seeing anything on Broadway. I did go to the library and finally get a card (I live in the city but I've had a card from my house in the suburbs for years). I probably got more books than I can read but the first book... Alan Cumming's Not My Father's Son is something I can probably finish in a day or two. I breeze through celebrity autobiographies. I need to take a break from trying to read Virginia Woolf. My brain cannot follow it at all by the end of the night when I'm trying to lull myself to sleep. I'm still not entirely happy with the headings "I Wanna Be a Producer," "A Musical," and "One Song Glory." Suggestions are welcome. For the "IN DEVELOPMENT" heading I'd like something more like "work in progress" or something about trying to get it right. Also, I'd still like a heading for California since there's a lot of California news. Closed for Renovations (CANCELLATIONS) Roger Rees, who stars as Anton Schell in The Visit, has officially taken a leave from the Kander and Ebb musical. Producer Tom Kirdahy issued a statement May 29 that reads, "Roger Rees is undergoing a treatment for a medical condition and while the prognosis is bright, he's currently unable to perform in the show. He'll be back onstage as soon as he can and we can't wait to welcome him back." (This is very sad. Without knowing what his condition is, I don't want to naively wish him a speedy recovery but I do wish him the best. BWW has been predicting the close of The Visit for ages but hopefully he'll be able to return to the role before that happens... if it indeed does. I mean, Honeymoon in Vegas hung on.) Signature Theatre has announced that due to a recent car-related incident and subsequent injury, Sahr Ngaujah will not be returning to the role of Jonathan in the world premiere of The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek. I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT) Texas' Water Tower Theatre has announced that its 2015-16 season will feature the world premiere of Creep, Dallas playwright Donald Fowler's original thriller musical based on the legend of Jack the Ripper. A.C.T.'s Geary Theater will stage the American premiere of Call Me Miss Birds Eye: A Celebration of Ethel Merman, a musical revue. Set to begin performances July 8 for a pre-Broadway run, the show, written by Jack Tinker and starring Denise Wharmby as Merman, will continue through July 19. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Alex Brightman will star as the teacher at the center of Broadway's School of Rock according to the New York Times.As previously announced, the world premiere of School of Rock — The Musical will begin Nov. 2 at the Winter Garden Theatre. (Not to read too much into this, it does seem like they're going in a different direction then from the movie.) Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Kathleen Marshall, James Naughton and Billy Stritch are among the hosts who will organize and present concerts as part of the 92nd Street Y's 2016 Lyrics & Lyricists season. Subscriptions to the five-concert series running from January to May are on sale now, starting at $290. Individual tickets start at $58 and go on sale August 3 (I've become a fan of the series but I've also come to realize that they don't always hit it out of the park. I'm into the first and last events of the season. I'm not completely sold on the others. It'll depend what performers they get.) Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre's 36th anniversary gala celebration, honoring Select Equity Group Foundation and Uganda Project co-founders Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews, will be held June 1 at 583 Park Avenue. List of performers and attendees at the link. A Musical (MUSICALS) These productions were previously reported on in past TNR's but I'm just keeping you updated on their progress. Emily Padgett leads the cast of of Waterfall, a new romantic musical starting previews today for its world premiere at Pasadena Playhouse. Come from Away, inspired by the story of a small town hosting people on Sept. 11, begins its world-premiere production at California's La Jolla Playhouse May 29. Stanford University's Department of Theater & Performance Studies (TAPS) concludes its 2014-15 season with a re-imagined production of Evita. This production of Evita features a representation of Eva Perón (called Santa Evita) whose purpose is to "reclaim her own legacy." Instead of the critique on Eva's life being told through one person (the everyday man Che), this production attempts to balance that dialogue (and the issues with a male narrator being the final word on a heroine's legitimacy as a female figure) by putting a second version of Eva into the piece to defend her choices with transcendent perspective equal to Che's. Director Sammi Cannold has not added any dialogue to the production, but has split the central character in half. Santa Evita portrays Eva's direct interaction with Che, while Eva Perón is the character immersed in Evita's story. (This sounds complicated and not very successful.) One Song Glory (ALBUMS) The original Broadway cast recording of Something Rotten! is now streaming live free of charge.Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) James Monroe Iglehart will join WABC-TV’s Michelle Charlesworth to host the local New York TV station's "Broadway Backstage: Spring Preview," featuring performances from Something Rotten!, Gigi, Airline Highway and other major shows of 2015. The 30-minute special will air in the NY metropolitan area on WABC-7 beginning May 30 at 7 PM ET. Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) "LIVE! From the Red Carpet," a live-streamed Tony Awards red carpet special, will be hosted by Darren Criss and Laura Osnes. The 2-hour, 30-minute special will air 5:30-8 PM ET on TonyAwards.com, CBS.com, Playbill.com and TimeOut.com. Criss and Osnes will be joined by George Takei, serving as the live stream’s official fan correspondent; Randi Zuckerberg as the tech/social correspondent; Playbill.com editor-in-chief Blake Ross as the theatre correspondent; and Emilio Sosa as the fashion correspondent. Cute Tony-themed song set to Welcome to the Renaissance and performed by the cast of Something Rotten A limited extra block of tickets, priced $300-$500, to the 69th Annual Tony Awards were placed on sale May 29. They can be ordered by visiting TonyAwards.com. Link to comment
Milburn Stone May 30, 2015 Share May 30, 2015 The subject of opera reminds me to say something that’s been on my mind. I know nothing about opera (but I know what I like, to use the ancient phrase). Because I know nothing about opera, I know better than to express opinions about it. Just because I like Puccini more than Verdi, you won’t find me denigrating Verdi. I’d never evaluate Verdi based purely on subjective grounds, when the received opinion about him, shared by people with a knowledge and appreciation of Italian opera, is that he was one of the greats. I suppose what I’m saying is that not everyone is entitled to an opinion about everything, and I know the limits of what I am and am not entitled to have an opinion about. In the world of the symphony, if you don’t see what’s so special about Beethoven’s Ninth, don’t mess with it. (To paraphrase the immortal Fats Waller.) Or keep your mouth shut until the day arrives when you do understand what’s special about it, and can intelligently discuss the comparative merits of various interpretations. Iconoclasm is all well and good, but some common ground of judgment based in knowledge and experience is necessary to distinguish an opinion worthy of respect from mere trolling. In the world of musical theater, someone who proclaims “I don’t get the deal with Richard Rodgers” (to pick an imaginary example) identifies himself merely as someone with more listening to do and less speaking. For analogous reasons, I stay away from expressing subjective reactions to opera, field hockey, and cardiology. Or is this opinion all wet? 2 Link to comment
aradia22 May 30, 2015 Author Share May 30, 2015 @Milburn Well, obviously I'm biased because I've specifically found and created corners of the internet where I can share my opinions fairly freely. I would change the parameters of your argument to say that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but everyone isn't entitled to an audience. Yes, sometimes I want to engage in a conversation but other times I just want to get my thoughts out there. I'm perfectly fine with the fact that no one is obligated to read or respond to those thoughts. Except for my recaps. You should totally read my recaps because it boosts my self esteem. ;) No, but really, I think there's value to work that can reach across barriers of age and class and knowledge and expertise. There's also value in work that can't but I guess I'm not that opposed to a child voicing an opinion on Beethoven’s Ninth. That doesn't mean the child's opinion is more right or wrong than the scholar's. I guess I'm also opposed to the idea that a work can achieve such a venerable status that it's completely beyond critique or reproach. As for trolling, I think that's another matter entirely. If I did, for example, dislike Richard Rodger's I wouldn't go shouting about it in every conversation and trying to convince everyone that I was right. Link to comment
aradia22 May 31, 2015 Author Share May 31, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Hello dears, I am just back from The Other Mozart. I think it's going to take me some time to digest it so I'll wait to give you my thoughts. In general, it was good not great. Certainly better than most amateur theatre. I probably wouldn't see it again unless I was with someone but I might. By the way, I'm almost done with the Scandalous cast album. There are certainly parts of it that I like. Why Can't I is a pretty decent song. But the vast majority of it inspires a "were you guys really serious about this" reaction. Like The Pirate Queen, listening to the album I can immediately see why it wasn't a hit. I'm really not into the character of Robert Semple or the actor's singing. I have some issues with Carolee Carmello's singing as well but it's hard to fault her when she's carrying so much of the show. A Musical (MUSICALS) Alice Ripley is set to appear in a brand new night of music titled EVERYBODY'S TALKIN': THE MUSIC OF HARRY NILSSON alongside Gregory Jbara at San Diego Rep this month. Steve Gunderson and Javier Velasco have "crafted Nilsson's repertoire into a song cycle that explores the journey from innocence to adulthood, through the many stages of life and love."We Open in Venice, We Next Play Verona (TOURS) Idina Menzel: World Tour 2015 kicks off May 30 at the Olympic Hall in Seoul, Korea.A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) Performances begin tonight for A Damsel in Distress, a stage version of the 1937 film of the same name with songs by Ira and George Gershwin at Chichester Festival Theatre, prior to an official opening June 10, for a run through June 27. The musical has a book by Jeremy Sams and Robert Hudson, based on the novel by P.G. Wodehouse and the play by P.G. Wodehouse and Ian Hay. Bringing together a world-weary American composer (played by Fleeshman), a beautiful and irrepressible English socialite, a fierce aunt and other eccentric characters, the action moves from the glamour of London's Savoy Theatre to the charm of a castle in the country.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) It Shoulda Been You will end with an even bigger surprise than usual on Saturday. Following the May 30 matinee performance, Connecticut couple Matt Harter and Jordan Reuck will exchange vows before the entire company and audience at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. At previous performances of It Shoulda Been You, audiences have been witness to several surprise proposals, but this will mark the show's first wedding. Fuerza Bruta partners with the New York City nightclub Webster Hall to host DJ Nights following every Friday late-night performance this summer. The series begins this evening at 9:30pm at the Daryl Roth Theatre. The DJs will be hand selected by Webster Hall and will play a special extended 20-30-minute dance set during the performance. Admission to Webster Hall is free to all Fuerza Bruta ticket holders on the night they attend the performance. Schmackary's, New York's uniquely gourmet cookie company, hosted its 3rd annual BROADWAY BAKES event May 25-29, 2015. Over twenty of the biggest names on Broadway joined together to work behind the counter at Schmackary's selling delicious, freshly-baked cookies to the public in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Al Pacino has officially left the upcoming stage adaptation of Knut Hamsun's HUNGER. The Academy Award-winner says he made the decision to drop the show produced by the Aveny-T theatre in Copenhagen, in which he was playing the narrator, because Hamsun was an avid Hitler and Nazi supporter. Link to comment
Rinaldo May 31, 2015 Share May 31, 2015 I suppose what I’m saying is that not everyone is entitled to an opinion about everything, and I know the limits of what I am and am not entitled to have an opinion about. In the world of the symphony, if you don’t see what’s so special about Beethoven’s Ninth, don’t mess with it. (To paraphrase the immortal Fats Waller.) Or keep your mouth shut until the day arrives when you do understand what’s special about it, and can intelligently discuss the comparative merits of various interpretations. Milburn Stone, I agree with the substance of your opinion (as an occasional critic-for-pay, in the world of opera among other things, I've thought about such issues often); but I would put it this way: Everyone is entitled to have an opinion, but nobody's entitled to respect for that opinion. That has to be earned. You (a general "you") can say what you want, and then I can say that it's garbage -- or more pertinently to this point, I can say that you don't know enough about the subject to know what is and isn't good. (I won't always say it, of course, because there are many situations in which courtesy is more important, but I could.) 3 Link to comment
Rinaldo May 31, 2015 Share May 31, 2015 I went to the opening night of Bucks County Playhouse's production of Company last night, and was very pleased I did. (I must have seen a dozen productions of this show by now, going back to the original.) Hunter Foster may have had a few too many "find a different concept for this scene" director's ideas, but he did really excellent work getting detailed and absorbing interplay among all the characters -- something often neglected in this musical in favor of broad strokes. The cast was good, with a few quite outstanding performances: Justin Guarini, magnetic and charming as Bobby, and really beautifully sung. Jennifer Cody, a surprising choice for Sarah but a completely convincing one. Newcomer (not-yet-Equity) Chelsea Emma Franko, mostly just a big expansive voice as Marta -- but what a voice! And most especially Kate Wetherhead (creator and star of the fabulous web series Submissions Only, which I hope everyone here knows) as Amy. Every line, every word, every note, combined and balanced and focused into a funny, searing, amazing through-line like few I've ever seen in anything. Her one big scene left the audience stunned, and secured a genuinely spontaneous round of applause when she left the stage (from me, too, and I ordinarily never do that; I may have "whoo!"ed when she finished her song too, but don't tell anyone). She goes right into my All-time Top Acting Performances I've Seen shortlist. 4 Link to comment
ratgirlagogo May 31, 2015 Share May 31, 2015 Everyone is entitled to have an opinion, but nobody's entitled to respect for that opinion. That has to be earned. Agreed. Link to comment
Charlie Baker May 31, 2015 Share May 31, 2015 You whoo-ed, Rinaldo? Shocking! :-) Thanks very much for the report. Link to comment
Rinaldo May 31, 2015 Share May 31, 2015 You whoo-ed, Rinaldo? Shocking! :-) I know. I'm so ashamed. (I'm pretty sure it was drowned out by everyone else clapping and stomping at the same time, but still.) Let's just keep it among ourselves, OK? 1 Link to comment
dbklmt May 31, 2015 Share May 31, 2015 Discovered this forum thanks to Wilson Cat and enjoyed perusing and reading all 18 pages of posts that have been made. Special thanks to aradia22 for all the great information and insight to theatrical productions. This is one forum here that I will be visiting daily: Applause! Applause. As posted by aradia22 Come from Away opened last night in previews at the La Jolla Playhouse. Come From Away is an original, rock-inspired world-premiere musical based on the true story of when the isolated town of Gander, Newfoundland played host to the world. What started as an average day in a small town turned into an international sleepover when 38 planes were diverted to Gander on September 11, 2001. Undaunted by culture clashes and language barriers, the spirited town cheered the stranded travelers with music, an open bar and the recognition that we’re all part of a global family. I'm heading to San Diego to see tonight's 2nd preview and will post tomorrow my thoughts on this new musical. 2 Link to comment
aradia22 May 31, 2015 Author Share May 31, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Welcome, dbklmt! It's always nice to have a new name on the board. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) The Paper Mill Playhouse world-premiere musical Ever After officially opens May 31 at 7 PM following previews that began May 21.Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) First week of June cabaret roundupIt’s Only a Play (PLAYS) The Broadway production of David Hare's Skylight has recouped its entire original investment, producers announced May 31.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) A young Norwalk, Connecticut couple Matt Harter and his fiancée Jordan Reuck wed on stage at It Shoulda Been You playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, May 30. Photos at the link. Link to comment
aradia22 May 31, 2015 Author Share May 31, 2015 So.. The Other Mozart. Spoilers but also, real life so I'm not going to use the spoiler feature to hide anything. You have been warned. I kind of want to organize my thoughts into a proper review but I know I'm not going to have time for that so you get scattered. Again, I kind of want to see it again but it wasn't a revelatory experience. I feel like I have to adjust my standards because I don't generally react the same way to plays and musicals. There was an... ignobility to the production that I kept resisting though it worked in a way. That is, you're sitting in this very small space and it's hot and you're sitting on these little folding chairs and you feel like the character should either be lower than you (like an arena/amphitheatre) or raised up on a stage. And yet it kind of works with the story of this sister of Mozart who isn't lauded and who is mostly forgotten who in the beginning of the play has to fight to stop you from leaving and forgetting her again. The one thing that I do think they could change without losing this atmosphere is the dress. I was underwhelmed. I mean, I thought the way she was able to use the dress and the props was very creative but the actual fabric and design of the dress (not the corset but the skirt) was underwhelming. It didn't communicate anything. She talks in the play about how they bought clothes beyond their means to fit in among the aristocracy they played music for and her peasant dresses in Salzberg. I couldn't tell what the dress was made of but it seemed like tulle and not muslin but some similarly cheap fabric, maybe like a synthetic silk. For example, they could have gone with a court dress like a damask or something with heavy embroidery and it could either be in good condition or it could be tattered or old with clear signs of repair. Because the dress almost functions as a set I wish it said more about the character and her life and circumstances. As for the play itself, it took a lot of focus. I know people complained about Ken Watanabe's diction and I had no problem with it. I had a bit of a problem with Sylvia Milo at first. I understood every word but I had to work a little harder and it created a bit of a remove. The way I would explain it is with Ken, you can miss a bit of what the king is saying and still understand the story. With her, every word is important because she's telling you the story. It took me about 5 minutes to get into the play for both reasons. I was working hard to understand her and stay engaged and it starts off very straightforward. It's someone telling you the story and it's hard to connect to that. I mean, it was like "we went here. And we did this." etc. I don't know if I just became accustomed to it or the rest of the piece was stronger but after those first few minutes I began to get into it. She's charming as Nannerl. I would compare it a bit to Norma Shearer as Marie Antoinette. I think her voice is naturally pitched a little low but she throws it and puts on a bit of an affectation to seem younger. It doesn't work at first but you start to get drawn into it and believe it. I wouldn't say it's a tour de force performance but it's very competent, especially since she's carrying the whole thing as a one-woman show. There's a bit of humor. There are parts that break your heart. There are parts that make you angry. She really does a good job making Nannerl's life compelling. I would say that one weakness is the lack of structure. It's really not that experimental or strange but it's not arranged in that three act structure. She definitely has a focus and it's definitely a feminist piece but it lacks that problem-resolution that grounds you. It stays interesting but you kind of have that... where is this going feeling at times. It goes through her life without forcing it into a narrative. There are threads though. She craves her father's approval and yet it all goes to her brother. She has an early interest in music but is told she can't play until she's older because her fingers are too short but then when she starts lessons her younger brother also gets to start in spite of his short fingers. He praises her but then forgets her in his letters and forgets her as his attention turns to her brother. This is resolved later when he gets sick and she plays for him and he realizes how far she has progressed on her own. There's a through line about the expectations for a woman's life. Milo pulls in Rousseau and Kant but it's largely the mother who plays that role telling her that her life should be about being a wife and mother and pushing her to learn domestic tasks. Her mother doesn't want her to travel and later when her mother dies, her father feels that the mother was right and tries to marry her off. She is in love with a man who I think is in the army and who appreciates her music but he cannot marry her and keep his position so she instead marries a baron with 5 children. She's stuck in the wilderness with a room only big enough for herself and her harpsichord and she plays for 3 hours a day. She has a son and leaves him with her father and her old beau (I think his name was Franz?) visits her son every day. She has two more children but one dies early and the other daughter dies at 16. Here's another weakness. It's fairly strong when you deal with young Nannerl but as she gets older I feel like there's a depth missing. You can read into it but either the play needs to be longer or you need another medium to successfully communicate these parts of her life. There's only so much you can get by hearing one voice. And most of the dialogue she puts in (where she plays multiple characters) is in the middle. You see the story of this young girl from a small town who from a young age is shown the world touring with her father and brother. She's exposed to adventure and excitement and also ideas and culture and then she's forced back into this stifling prison. There's a quote that paraphrasing women shouldn't be exposed to the world so they'll be more content to be caged. Nannerl is taught that there can be more to expect and so of course she's dissatisfied. There's a reoccurring figure of a wealthy single woman who does just get to play her music bringing up class issues. Also, Saint Cecilia comes up again and again. There is a real range to Milo's performance. She is bubbly and excitable. She is depressed and frustrated. She is vomiting and crying when she is forced to stop touring. She rails and screams in anger. There's so much to get across. I think there are strengths to the writing while it's still not the strongest piece of writing. That is, there aren't many beautifully crafted phrases I remember but the way she tackles this entire life and all these pieces of information and ideas is admirable. Lastly there's her relationship with her brother. You see the typical older/younger sibling relationship and her frustration because as a boy he has so much more opportunity. You see how she's made dependent on him when he's off in Vienna and not living up to their expectations to find a paid position at court. You see her frustrations with him being a bit of an idiot. There's also a recurring theme of her telling people she's just her brother's pupil though Milo makes a strong argument that she wasn't, that they learned together and her skill at times exceeded his, and that she was a strong composer and orchestrator in her own right. She creates a complex figure with a rich story but it's hard to find all the depth I think the story deserves in about an hour and 15 minutes. The production tours and I'd urge you to see it if you can. I'm glad I was able to catch it this time since I missed it at HERE. Link to comment
Wilson Cat June 1, 2015 Share June 1, 2015 Does anyone have the inside scoop into the Broadway project that Megan Hilty alludes to here: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/21/us/ap-us-theater-qa-megan-hilty.html I'm guessing it might be a full Broadway verion of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, simply because she has said many times it is her 'dream' to do that show (originally an Encores! presentation for which Ben Brantley waxed rhapsodic about Megan's Lorelei) on the Great White Way. But who knows? Thanks DBKLMT for As posted by aradia22 Come from Away opened last night in previews at the La Jolla Playhouse. Come From Away is an original, rock-inspired world-premiere musical based on the true story of when the isolated town of Gander, Newfoundland played host to the world. What started as an average day in a small town turned into an international sleepover when 38 planes were diverted to Gander on September 11, 2001. Undaunted by culture clashes and language barriers, the spirited town cheered the stranded travelers with music, an open bar and the recognition that we’re all part of a global family. This show is going to be a rare musical for the Seattle Reperatory Theatre in late Fall. Will pick up tickets as soon as they go on sale to the general public. Can't subscribe because our schedule is already loaded with dual memberships at Fifth Avenue and at Seattle Theatre Group (Paramount) for 2015-16 and the old bank account is already groaning. So is the calendar. Traveling to Paris in November. Anyone know about a good online listing for musical theatre there? Top of my Wish List would be an en francais presentation of Jacques Brel is Alive.... Saw a listing for CATS at the time we'll be there, but hate to say I do not love that show. Sorry, Wilson. Nothing personal, I do love you. Link to comment
Rinaldo June 1, 2015 Share June 1, 2015 Here's a review of the Bucks County Playhouse Company by my companion at opening night. (David's a longtime friend, but I still think I can objectively say that his blog is well worth subscribing to, if you like lively writing about the performing arts, live and otherwise.) Link to comment
aradia22 June 2, 2015 Author Share June 2, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: So... I spent a crazy amount on dresses today. I feel like I've put it out of my mind so I don't have to confront the crazy amount of money I just spent. Entirely unrelated... I'm thinking about going to a Colbie Caillat concert. I LOVE her songs but she's one of those performers that I don't think will sound that great live, especially not in a big concert way since she's more of a traditional singer/songwriter. Tickets are $34. What do you think? Should I risk it? I Wanna Be A Producer (IN THE WORKS) Sag Harbor's Bay Street Theater will present a concert reading of the first act of The Prince of Egypt, a new stage adaptation of the animated 1998 film by Wicked composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. The reading will star Broadway actors Aaron Lazar and Norm Lewis. (Oooh! Super interested in this. I mean the movie doesn't thrill me but the soundtrack is fantastic. I hope they have the rights to the Hans Zimmer stuff too. I love When You Believe, of course, but Deliver Us is one of my other favorites from that soundtrack.) Staged concert versions of School of Rock will be presented at New York's Gramercy Theater this month. A group of theatregoers — selected from databases of both the Shubert and Nederlander Organizations — received invitations to these performances via email. Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS) Drama Desk Award Winners AnnouncedI Hope I Get It (CASTING) Brandy Norwood has extended her engagement in Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre. Originally scheduled for an eight-week limited engagement through June 21, the singing actress will now continue through Aug. 2. (Note: Norwood will not perform June 22-23 and June 27-28.) (Hooray! I have more time to see the show now.) (In a previous TNR, but here's your reminder.) Chicago welcomes the return of Marco Zunino in the role of Billy Flynn June 1 through 14 only. Zunino previously played the role on Broadway in 2012. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Voices for the Voiceless: Stars For Foster Kids, featuring a host of Broadway favorites, will be presented June 29 at 7 PM at the St. James Theatre, 246 West 44th Street. It will be Movin' Out star Michael Cavanaugh rather than Tony winners Sutton Foster or Audra McDonald, who will join the Boston Pops for evenings at Symphony Hall June 2-3. (Oh, lord. Get it together.) Manhattan's Drama Book Shop will host a panel discussion on the life and career of late stage and screen legend Madeline Kahn June 11 moderated by author William V. Madison. Madison is the writer of the new biography about the star "Madeline Kahn: Being the Music • A Life." It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) 59E59 Theaters have announced the line-up for their 9th annual Summer Shorts festival by Throughline ArtistsThey Mean Chicago, Illinois (CHICAGO NEWS) Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater has announced that its annual Ignition Festival of New Plays will feature Confessions of a P.I.M.P, a monologue play featuring song, dance and spoken word, written and performed by Tony nominee André De Shields.Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Stephen Oremus will serve as music director, orchestrator and co-producer of the music for NBC's upcoming live television production of The Wiz, which is scheduled for Dec. 3. Also added to the creative team for The Wiz Live! are Fatima Robinson ("Dreamgirls"), who will choreograph the production, and Harvey Mason Jr. ("Dreamgirls," "Pitch Perfect 2"), who will serve as music producer. Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) The box office at the Nederlander Theatre, soon to be home to the new Broadway musical Amazing Grace, opens for business June 1. The new musical, which played a sold-out world premiere in Chicago, will arrive on Broadway June 25 at the Nederlander (208 West 41st Street). Playbill.com's 30 Days of Pride initiative returns June 1, celebrating LGBTQ Pride within the theatre comminity. All of Broadway is going rainbow again this year to commemorate Playbill Pride 2015. Flip through the photo gallery to see all of this year's #PlaybillPride covers. Link to comment
Kris223 June 2, 2015 Share June 2, 2015 A few belated comments on It Shoulda Been You. I really liked it. They're not breaking any new ground here, but the actors were great and it was a fun show. There was a proposal at the performance I went to (which I'm not really a fan of), and it was really cute watching the actors on stage while it was happening. Link to comment
dbklmt June 2, 2015 Share June 2, 2015 (edited) I went to the La Jolla Playhouse on Sunday evening to see what was the 2nd preview of the World Premiere Musical, "Come From Away" based on true-life events that occurred on September 11, 2001 when 38 jetliners carrying thousands of people from around the world descended on Gander, Newfoundland. It's in the smaller Potiker Theatre in the La Jolla Playhouse theatre complex. The staging was minimal with trees native to Newfoundland on the left and right sides of the stage with the 8 piece orchestra utilizing many types of musical instruments from around the world sitting at the back on the left side of the stage. The stage was empty with a circle flooring that moved when needed. There was a cast of 12 who performed at least two roles, one of the Newfoundlanders and one of the twelve passengers from around the world. The show was performed without an intermission and ran just under 1:40. Cast included: Petrina Bromley, a Canadian who played Bonnie, the Newfoundlander who was worried about the animals stranded on the plane. Very Good! Geno Carr to be seen in Allegiance in the Fall on Broadway as Oz Jenn Colella as Beverly who was the pilot of a Lufthanser flight stranded in Gander. She was GR8 just as she was when she played the evil Hedda Hopper in "Chaplin" that got its start at the La Jolla Playhouse. Her song "Me and the Sky" with other female cast members about being a woman in a man's field was my favorite in the show! Had a nice chat with her after the show. Chad Kimball as Colin 1 which was one part of a Gay coupling on the plane and also as the school bus driver who allowed the school busses to be used to take the stranded passengers to wherever they would be staying during their stay in Gander. Looked and sounded great. His "Prayer" with Caesar Samayoa, Q. Smith and Astrid Van Wieren was one of the more poignant moments and got the biggest applause of the night. My friend who went with me knows Chad so we had a very long talk with him after the show and I had the chance to tell him that I was there when he performed in Memphis for Mrs. Obama and their family and friends on Sunday, March 21st, 2010. I even bought one of the BCEFA broken records they sold with Chad and Montego's autographs that's in a framed collage hanging on my wall in my office as I type this. He told me the story which I've heard before that he wasn't going to perform that day as he had back issues but was told to perform when the First Lady and family were going to be in the audience. He said that it was a wonderful day but that he really was in great pain when he performed. Joel Hatch who has been seen on Broadway in Annie and Billy Elliot and in many regional productions played Claude, the mayor of Gander. He led the 1st numbers, "You Are Here" and "Welcome to Newfoundland" which was a great beginning to the show. Rodney Hicks who was in "The Scottsboro Boys" on Broadway was one of the standouts in this ensemble cast. He played all the people of color on the planes and when the heavy religious overtones were needed. Lee MacDougall who I remember as the Cowardly Lion from the recently Canadian touring company of Andrew Lloyd Webber's the Wizard of Oz" played Nick, an elderly single male airplane passenger who would bond with Diane played by Sharon Wheatley during their stay in Gander. Their duet, Stop the World was another good musical moment. Allison Spratt Pearce played Janice the TV reporter. Her Broadway credits include Curtains, Cry-Baby and Good Vibration. Caesar Samayoa who was on Broadway in Sister Act and the Pee Wee Herman Show played Colin2, the other half of the Gay couple but he also got to play the ethnic roles on the plane especially the Muslim characters. Q. Smith who I loved in the touring company of Mary Poppins played Lana, the stewardess on the plane and other African American passengers/townspeople. Her voice was dynamic and it stood out especially in that religious number with Chad, "Prayer". Astrid Van Wieren, a Canadian actress who is from Newfoundland was perfect as Beulah who worked at the school where many of the displaced passengers would spend their time when they finally got off the plane. Sharon Wheatley played Diane, a divorced mother returning to Texas from London after visiting her son and meets Nick, the single elderly passenger sitting next to her on their plane. She has many Broadway credits: Les Miz, Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Avenue Q in Las Vegas. For me I know her from her wonderful Smash blogs that she wrote online at http://www.sharonwheatley.com/ Two years ago she and her family moved to San Diego where her husband Rob is now the head of the San Diego State Theatre Arts department. I wondered if I would ever see her at the Old Globe, San Diego Rep or the La Jolla Playhouse and when I discovered that she was going to be in this musical I bought my ticket; she didn't disappoint. She had a very nice voice and was perfect in her portrayal of Diane. She had two of the really good numbers "Costume Party" which she performed with Jenn Colella and the duet I mentioned earlier with Nick, "Stop the World". When the play was over we waited for her to come out and after she spent some time with her husband and their beautiful young daughter, Beatrix my friend and I had a very long talk with her about Smash and her husband's involvement with the San Diego State Theatre Arts Program. I asked her about any future plans for this show and she said they had a plan. As already mentioned by Wilson Cat it will be transferring to Seattle Rep in November. There is talk about opening in Toronto and at the Kennedy Center so this show has life. It has good music especially the world wide sound incorporated by the orchestra. It would work best in a small theatre but probably Off Broadway and then if it succeeds could transfer to Broadway. For a 2nd preview it was really good but I'll be back at the end of the run as I did with the Hunchback of Notre Dame to see what changes they made. And there will be many as told to us by the Managing Director, Michael S. Rosenberg when he joined us when we were talking with Sharon. *** 1/2 out of **** Next up at the La Jolla Playhouse is the new musical by Robert Lopez and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Up Here from July 28-September 6. Can't wait to see this. Edited June 2, 2015 by dbklmt Link to comment
aradia22 June 2, 2015 Author Share June 2, 2015 Thanks for the update, dbklmt. My friend who went with me knows Chad I will refrain from giving my opinions of his voice then. He played all the people of color on the planes and when the heavy religious overtones were needed. Erp. All of them? What did you think of Hunchback? It seemed like a lot of the people admired the music but not the direction. There were also complaints/justifications back and forth about the relative "darkness" of the show. Link to comment
dbklmt June 3, 2015 Share June 3, 2015 (edited) "I will refrain from giving my opinions of his voice then."I know people have complained about his voice, but you need to remember that he played that role for a LONG TIME when he created it at La Jolla, then moved to Seattle and finally to Broadway. His voice choices were not good and that came home to roost as time went by. Even worse were the body choices for the character that he made, I presume chosen by the director; they really came home to harm him physically. I can assure you that if you had heard his rendition of "Prayer" it would have wiped out those "Memphis" memories.Another Broadway star Alice Ripley who destroyed her voice is currently in San Diego with Gregory Jbarra (Billy Elliot) at the San Diego Rep starring in Everybody's Talking: the music of Harry Nilsson. Going to see this and can't wait to see if her voice has returned to normal. "Erp. All of them?"He played the male characters that were black on the airplane: one was a refugee from an African country and another was an African American passenger who was Muslim. "What did you think of Hunchback? It seemed like a lot of the people admired the music but not the direction. There were also complaints/justifications back and forth about the relative "darkness" of the show." I liked it and saw it twice. The first time was the 2nd preview and the 2nd time was the final show. What a difference there was in the final show from what I saw the first time. Here is the first post that I made at Broadway World of what I saw where there were people who loved it and people who hated it. Many wanted it to be more like the Disney movie or the one from Germany. I was very pleased that they went the way of the book with its darkness that aimed for an adult audience. I was there tonight for the 2nd preview. The lady who spoke before the show said that there were many new changes that had been made for this evening's performance including a new song, but since I didn't see the 1st preview and it looked like the song list in my program hadn't changed I have no idea which was the new song. The big news was that Michael Arden was NOT on as Quasimodo. Instead we had a male swing, Julian Decker who was very young. He's a 2014 graduate of the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and only had four professional listings for shows at The Muny. That being said he was good, but I'll admit I was very disappointed that Michael was not on this evening. (The deaf element that Michael Arden used in the show was not there the first time and I was blown away when he used it in the last show that I saw!) The cast was very good: For me Patrick Page was the star of this show and his Frollo was on stage much more than Quasimodo. I wasn't a fan of Andrew Samonsky when I saw him in South Pacific at the Lincoln Center, but I really enjoyed him in his role as Captain Phoebus de Martin. I have never seen Clara Rene until tonight and she was superb as Esmerelda. As someone else said earlier she was born to play Esmerelda. She had great chemistry with Andrew Samonsky and hopefully it's the same with Michael Arden. I really loved her "God Help the Outcasts" and "The Tavern Song (Thai Mol Piyas)". Erik Liberman was very good as Clopin Trouillerfou but I agree with the Broadway World posters that he was underused. The Choral Ensemble: SACRA/PROFANA were superb. It was fun to watch them before the show begin walking two by two with music folders onto the stage and then put on their robes and sit in the choral pews in the Notre Dame Cathedral. (By the last show this was gone and they all entered on stage to sit in the cathedral) The set is the biggest thing I've ever seen them do at La Jolla Playhouse. Notre Dame is perfect just how I remember it when I visited dark and gloomy and fits the mood of this musical. The Bells of Notre Dame which opens the show was incredible and when they lowered them to chime it was a WOW moment for me and the audience. (Know people criticized this but I liked the set and don't give a hoot about having some Disney-type spectacular set.) There is absolutely no humor in this musical until the 2nd act when Saint Aphrodisius appears in "Flight Into Egypt". The audience loved it and that song got some of the biggest applause in the show. (By the finale it was still the only humorous scene in the play and still got huge applause.) I liked the use of people as the gargoyles and for me it worked although no humor with them as I guess there was in the movie which I've never seen. Can't believe how many Wicked musical orchestrations there were in songs. One of them and don't know which one it was could have been right out of "No One Mourns the Wicked". I thought Menken wrote all the music but Stephen Schwartz must be writing some too because there were many Schwartz like Wicked touches in the orchestrations. Another negative for me was some lyrics were right out of Wicked such as "No Deeds Goes Unpunished" in reference to Frollo. It needs to go. The death scene and I won't say who was really BaaD. Someone earlier said at their show there wasn't a dry eye in the house. At mine I saw no one crying and I was laughing to myself during that scene; that scene needs to be reworked. (It still hadn't improved by the finale and as the Managing Director for LJP told me it got only darker at Papermill.) The powers to be in the show: Stephen Schwartz with his brown briefcase that I've seen him carry before; Alan Menken and the book writer, Peter Parnall were in the row right in front of me to my right. For a show that has only had two performances it's in really good shape and it can only get better. I'm looking forward to seeing it near the end of the run to see what changes they'll make and hopefully to see Michael Arden. (He was MAGNIFICENT as was Patrick Page.) Sorry to see that it won't be transferring to Broadway, but I'm very happy that there will be a cast recording which I will buy because the music was absolutely stunning! Know you asked about "Pride and Prejudice: the Musical" when it played at La Mirada Theatre. If you're still interested I'll post my thoughts but in contrast to "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Come Fly Home" it was very inferior. Know that La Mirada has plans for this to tour as their "Jekyll and Hyde" did to hopefully surface on Broadway, but I'll be shocked if it happens. Edited June 3, 2015 by dbklmt 1 Link to comment
aradia22 June 3, 2015 Author Share June 3, 2015 (edited) @dbklmt I can't remember if P&P or S&S was the Austen musical that I thought sounded better. Whichever one had the framing device was the one I didn't have much faith in. I never saw Memphis. I just listened to the album. I wasn't that impressed with the songs and I really wasn't thrilled with Chad Kimball's voice. Underground is great though and Montego sounded fantastic. Re: Come From Away Oh, good. I don't know why but I was picturing a gentleman's guide situation but where the only two black actors had to play ten characters each. I liked Andrew Samonsky in South Pacific but from the Live from Lincoln Center I think I would have preferred Matthew Morrison. Andrew was a more believable soldier and had a harder edge but I'm not sure that entirely fits the character in the show. Hunchback the movie like many animated Disney movies is worth watching at least once. I'll admit I don't really know Stephen Schwartz's shows aside from Wicked. There are quite a few lyrical weaknesses in that score. The brilliant songs are brilliant and the others... could have used a few more revisions. Edited June 3, 2015 by aradia22 Link to comment
aradia22 June 3, 2015 Author Share June 3, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Sorry for the late TNR, darlings! I went to see Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas at a small venue in Brooklyn. They were fantastic. Well, the band (not Jessica but the actual band) wasn't that great at singing but other than that it was a good show. They sound more polished on the albums but in person it's definitely a rock show and I don't really know how to... be... at a rock show. But she had a lot of energy in spite of her cold. I have also had a miserable day of being sick so I wasn't as into it as I might have been otherwise but it was nice to be able to forget about my nausea and the gloomy, rainy weather for an hour or so. I hope you had a better time of things wherever you all are. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) The New Group's world premiere of The Spoils by Jesse Eisenberg officially opens June 2 following previews that began May 5 at The New Group at The Pershing Square Signature Center.I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT) An Equity showcase of a new musical, titled Hef, will be presented in Manhattan in August, according to an Equity casting notice. The musical, which is set in Chicago during the 1950s, '60s and early '70s, spotlights the relationship between Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and his assistant Bobbie Arnstein, who committed suicide in 1975. CBS Consumer Products announced that it is planning stage shows based on "The Brady Bunch" and "Cheers," along with the children's book "Corduroy." I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Complete casting has been announced for The Muny's upcoming production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, which will play the St. Louis venue July 29-Aug. 7.I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS) A musical version of the 1999 film "Fight Club," which starred Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, is currently under discussion, according to the Wall Street Journal.A Musical (MUSICALS) Dames at Sea, the Off-Broadway musical that helped launch the career of Tony winner Bernadette Peters, will set sail on Broadway beginning Sept. 24 prior to an official opening Oct. 22 at Broadway's Helen Hayes Theatre. The show will directed and choreographed by three-time Tony nominee Randy Skinner. (How should I feel about this? I know nothing about this show. It seems to be following the trend of dance-heavy throwback shows like On the Town and An American in Paris. Randy Skinner's involvement is encouraging after that concert at 92Y.) The North Shore Music Theatre production of Dreamgirls plays the Massachusetts venue June 2-14 with an official opening June 3. It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) St. Ann's Warehouse has announced the line-up for its inaugural season in its new home on Brooklyn's waterfront. Included in the slate: Mark Rylance in the New York premiere of Nice Fish; Young Vic's production of A Streetcar Named Desire starring Gillian Anderson and Ben Foster; and Donmar Warehouse's all-female re-imagining of Henry IV. (I've never gotten into Tennessee Williams but Streetcar jumps out as the most interesting of the three.) One Song Glory (ALBUMS) Judy Kuhn's latest album "Rodgers, Rodgers & Guettel" and "The First Time..." – a new solo debut album from Nicholas Rodriguez – are released June 2 from PS Classics. The original Broadway cast recording of Something Rotten! is available June 2 for digital download from Ghostlight Records. The album will be released in stores July 17. The Golden Apple, the rarely-seen 1954 musical by John Latouche and Jerome Moross that produced the single "Lazy Afternoon," is released June 2 in its first-ever, full-length cast album featuring nearly 90 minutes of previously unrecorded material. They Mean Chicago, Illinois (CHICAGO NEWS) On Your Feet! begins its pre-Broadway engagement June 2 at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago and continues through July 5 (opening night is June 17). A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) The new season at London's Donmar Warehouse is to feature Abi Morgan's Splendour in its first major London run, the U.K. premiere of Christopher Shinn's Teddy Ferrara and the 30th anniversary revival of Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, with a cast headlined by Michelle Dockery (best known as Lady Mary Crawley in TV's "Downton Abbey"), Tony winner Janet McTeer and Dominic West ("The Wire").Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) "Larry Kramer In Love & Anger," a new documentary film debuts June 29th on HBO to mark Kramer’s 80th birthday. 1 Link to comment
dbklmt June 3, 2015 Share June 3, 2015 (edited) @dbklmt I can't remember if P&P or S&S was the Austen musical that I thought sounded better. Whichever one had the framing device was the one I didn't have much faith in. Pride & Prejudice: the Musical in La Mirada was told through the eyes of Jane Austen. Bets Malone who was an original Marvelous Wonderettes played Jane Austen and was very good. She was looking for a new novel to follow her 1st hit Sense and Sensibility and returns to rewrite one she wrote earlier. It was very clever that she interacted with her characters in the book and it worked. The staging was okay, but nothing spectacular. The folk dances done were good. The music by Warren Baker & Amanda Jacobs was okay and reflective of the time period of the story although for me I couldn't recall any that really stood out.. Costumes were very nice, the best element of the production for me. The cast which had lots of unknowns which was what La Mirada wanted in casting if it toured were good with the standouts for me being Patricia Noonan who played Elizabeth Bennett, Eddie Egan who played Mr. Bingley and Jeff Skowron, a Broadway vet who has made a good career in musical theatre in SoCal as Mr. Collins As I said it has aspirations for Broadway but it has a long way to go to ever reach the Great White Way. ETA this video from Facebook of 6 in the cast (Chad Kimball, Astrid Van Wieren, Sharon Wheatley, Geno Carr, Petrina Bromley and Michael Turner, the male u/s) singing the National Anthem at the Padres/Mets game on Monday night, June 1st. Hopefully you're on FB to view it. https://www.facebook.com/irenecarl/videos/vb.538200246/10155601759720247/?type=2&theater Edited June 3, 2015 by dbklmt Link to comment
aradia22 June 3, 2015 Author Share June 3, 2015 It was very clever that she interacted with her characters in the book and it worked. I'm surprised that you say that because not knowing anything else about the show that's the thing that has me convinced it can't be that good. Such an awkward framing device. Link to comment
Rinaldo June 3, 2015 Share June 3, 2015 The Golden Apple, the rarely-seen 1954 musical by John Latouche and Jerome Moross that produced the single "Lazy Afternoon," is released June 2 in its first-ever, full-length cast album featuring nearly 90 minutes of previously unrecorded material. I thought I had posted about this a couple of weeks ago when it went on sale directly from its label PS Classics, but I clearly didn't. Anyway, for decades I've been pushing The Golden Apple to friends and students interested in musical theater, and now we have aural evidence to support me. It's a musically continuous, all-sung (but no recitative! it's all in song forms) bit of Americana that retells the Iliad and Odyssey -- but unpretentiously and humorously. It takes place in Washington state c. 1900, near its Mt. Olympus. In Act I, traveling salesman Mr. Paris judges between three local ladies' cakes and absconds with restless Helen (that's when she sings "Lazy Afternoon"). In Act II, Ulysses and his friends find her in the big city, but then get lost in a long series of adventures, and finally he returns to Penelope. It's all inspired and unique. Link to comment
aradia22 June 3, 2015 Author Share June 3, 2015 TNR coming tonight but for now, Alan Menken interview livestreaming. Link to comment
aradia22 June 4, 2015 Author Share June 4, 2015 (edited) Theatre News Roundup: The livestream with Alan Menken was a lot of fun. I wish I could have gone in person but I'm worse today, not better. One day. One day I'll meet him. I have my issues with Galavant and Enchanted and Tangled but it's no wonder they don't quite match up to some of his other material when you hear him talk about how many projects he's juggling simultaneously. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Manhattan Theatre Club's premiere of Heisenberg officially opens June 2 following previews that began May 19. The Twentieth-Century Way, a drama exploring homosexuality in 1914 Los Angeles, officially opens at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre June 3 following previews that began May 28. Closed for Renovations (CANCELLATIONS) Roundabout Theatre has cancelled the June 3 matinee preview performance of Significant Other, due to an ill cast member. Performances are scheduled to resume the evening of June 3.Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS) London press reviews for The Elephant Man with Bradley Cooper were published on Monday.I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Benjamin Walker, who starred in the title role of Broadway's Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, will reportedly play serial killer Patrick Bateman in the Broadway debut of American Psycho, according to Showbiz411.com. Tonya Pinkins will star in the title role of Classic Stage Company's upcoming Off-Broadway production of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children. Performances are currently scheduled for Dec. 7-Jan. 24, 2016. (Didn't we already talk about this? Playbill doesn't proofread so I wouldn't be surprised if they unintentionally put out repeat stories.) I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS) Most of the projects Menken mentioned in the livestream are things that have been in past TNR's. The Mrs. Doubtfire musical, Galavant season 2, the movie with Josh Gad and Stephen Schwartz, A Bronx Tale at Papermill, and the possible show with Audra McDonald. He talked a little bit about the three songs he wrote with Tim Rice for the new Beauty and the Beast movie. There's a new song for the Beast about how he loves Belle (I think later in the movie) and a song for the servants as they're going to bed. Also, apparently next year Encores (probably Encores Off Center) is going to do a production of Rosewater, an early Menken/Ashman collaboration based on a work by Kurt Vonnegut. There will also be an animated movie written by Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill called Sausage Party.One Song Glory (ALBUMS) Paper Mill Playhouse's recent production of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, based on the novel by Victor Hugo and the Disney animated film, will get a cast recording.We Open in Venice, We Next Play Verona (TOURS) The Last Ship will play several Scandinavian venues over the next two years. The musical will play Oslo in 2016 and Stockholm and Helsinki in 2017, according to the New York Times. Each country will perform the musical in its native language.Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Alan Menken is writing the score to a new animated TV adaptation of "Tangled," based on the Grimm fairytale "Rapunzel," Time magazine reports. The TV version, which will be set in time between the original film and its animated short sequel, "Tangled Ever After," is scheduled to debut in 2017.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Brandy expressed her hope of being cast as Dorothy in The Wiz The Greenwich Village venue SubCulture will present the New York premiere of Surviving Twin, written and performed by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III. In the show, he combines his own songs with spoken-word extracts from his late father's columns written for Life magazine. Some confusion about whether the new London revival of Miss Saigon will be filmed. Apparently they've made another documentary about the process though. Edited June 4, 2015 by aradia22 Link to comment
Milburn Stone June 4, 2015 Share June 4, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: The livestream with Alan Menken was a lot of fun. I wish I could have gone in person but I'm worse today, not better. Sorry to hear you're not feeling well, aradia. Hope you feel better soon. 1 Link to comment
aradia22 June 5, 2015 Author Share June 5, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Still home sick. I'm listening to The Secret Garden album for the first time. Was it a hit? At least where I am now it's very... um... maybe it's an acquired taste? There's some haunting pretty melodies and vocals but also a lot of distance in the storytelling. I'm losing a lot of the lyrics. The music lacks the more populist appeal of other scores. The Secret Garden isn't one of those stories I know like the back of my hand but there seems to be an unnecessary level of involvement from the ensemble. I think there's also a part of me that's unused to hearing voices with "character" as much on Broadway albums. I'm on "Fine White Horse" now. I'm starting to warm up to it. As I'm finishing up the TNR I've reached "Storm I." Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Manhattan Theatre Club's New York premiere of Melissa Ross' Of Good Stock begins performances June 4, featuring Alicia Silverstone and direction by artistic director Lynne Meadow.I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Christian Slater will star as Sir Galahad in The Hollywood Bowl’s upcoming production of Monty Python's Spamalot which will be presented July 31-Aug. 2. (Texas?) Having finished up playing Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway last season, Mary Michael Patterson will take on the role of Cosette in Casa Mañana's upcoming production of Les Misérables. Brush Up Your Shakespeare (SHAKESPEARE) Steve Guttenberg is making his Shakespearean debut as Earl of Northumberland in Hudson Warehouse's free June 4-28 production of Henry 4.1 at The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, in Riverside Park. L.A.'s Rockwell Table and Stage gives 80's rock twist to Romeo & Juliet: Love is a Battlefield, featuring the songs of Pat Benatar, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston and others. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) The Witches, a Cabaret, a benefit performance to support Theatre Workshop, will be held July 20-21 at the Bennett Hall Stage in Nantucket. The evening will feature former Wicked cast members Dee Roscioli (Elphaba on Broadway and first national tour), Patti Murin (Glinda, first national tour) and Jenna Leigh Green (Nessarose on Broadway and first national tour). It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) A performance of excerpts from a newly discovered, unfinished play by Thornton Wilder, set in Capri and titled Villa Rhabani, will be a highlight of the second International Thornton Wilder Conference which is drawing leading academics and theatre professionals to Newport, RI June 11-13 for a study of the playwright's works.I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) "The von Trapp Family – A Life of Music," a new film from Dutch filmmaker Ben Verbong based on Agathe von Trapp's autobiography, promises to tell the story behind the Sound of Music legend. Disney has planned an adaptation of the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence from the 1941 film "Fantasia," according to the Hollywood Reporter. (I don't really have feelings about this. It's not like a live action princess movie. And look what they did with The Sorceror's Apprentice. But then look what they did with a theme park ride... Pirates of the Caribbean.) Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) The fifth Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof will begin previews at the Broadway Theatre Nov. 12, five days earlier than previously announced. L.A.'s Kirk Douglas Theatre has announced that its 12th season will feature the West Coast premiere of Kansas City Choir Boy, the musical collaboration between Todd Almond (Iowa) and rock icon Courtney Love which premiered at New York City's HERE earlier this year. Jeanna de Waal, who replaced Annaleigh Ashford as Lauren in the Broadway production of Kinky Boots, will join fellow Broadway stars Justin Guarini and Deborah Cox in hosting the seventh annual simulcast of the Tony Awards, June 7, on a giant screen in Times Square. Link to comment
Rinaldo June 5, 2015 Share June 5, 2015 The Secret Garden is one of the rare Broadway scores that I just became besotted with (the main example since was The Light in the Piazza). I saw the show three times over the course of its run, and was always sucked in by the production's visual beauty and the score's musical beauty. I'm not entirely happy with the cast recording, as for my taste it includes too much dialogue at the expense of more music it should have included (the preludes to both acts are missing, some numbers are heard in shortened form, and even the exit music was a special treat). But the vocal level is very high, especially Rebecca Luker sounding unearthly beautiful in the first role she got to create. Lucy Simon created such a fine score here, it's a shame we haven't had more from her since. 1 Link to comment
aradia22 June 5, 2015 Author Share June 5, 2015 (edited) Lucy Simon created such a fine score here, it's a shame we haven't had more from her since. Doctor Zhivago! (Throughout the show, these and other songs are sung by a chorus of ghosts, referred to in the libretto as "dreamers," who serve as narrators and Greek chorus for the action.) I got curious. All the voices on The Secret Garden album make more sense now. I agree Rebecca Luker sounds fantastic. Edited June 5, 2015 by aradia22 Link to comment
Charlie Baker June 5, 2015 Share June 5, 2015 I enjoyed The Secret Garden very much. It was lovely to look at and I was very emotionally involved in the story--and Daisy Eagan was one of the least affected child performers I've ever seen and carried the show. The whole cast was very gifted. The score is strong. "Hold On" is one of my favorites, and then there's "Lily's Eyes," a stand out male duet, the likes of which you don't often find in a musical, unlike opera. 1 Link to comment
Rinaldo June 5, 2015 Share June 5, 2015 A friend of mine was in a regional try-out of The Secret Garden a couple of years before it played B'way, and with a different cast. She told me that in that version the dramatic obstacles came from some of the characters conniving: the brother, the doctor, the housekeeper, etc. (There was even a rather operatic ensemble for those characters.) They then realized that this was wrong & irrelevant, and that the obstacles had to come from people's memories and obsessions preventing them from seeing what they should -- as they do in life. And that's where all the "shadows" came in. Link to comment
dbklmt June 5, 2015 Share June 5, 2015 Love these photos from Facebook of musical moments from Come Fly Away. Still get goose bumps when I think of "Prayer" with Chad Kimball, Q. Smith and Astrid Van Wieren. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153357448085941.1073741912.36399090940&type=1 Link to comment
aradia22 June 6, 2015 Author Share June 6, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: Feeling better. Almost 100%. Random question. You know how sometimes when you write something and then you try to edit it and end up writing over the earlier text? That's happening right now as I'm putting together this TNR. Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Marcy Lovitch's Office Politics begins performances June 5 at the June Havoc Theatre. Opening night is scheduled for June 11 at 7:30 PM. I Hope I Get It (CASTING) Judy Blazer will join the cast of the A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder June 30 in the role of the mysterious Miss Shingle. She will succeed Carole Shelley, who will play her final performance June 28. Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC) Harlem Stage is currently presenting Notes of a Native Song by Tony-winning composer and performer Stew. The concert features a live mix of songs, text and video inspired by James Baldwin's work and legacy.It’s Only a Play (PLAYS) (Georgia) Serenbe Playhouse's presents a site-specific production of The Secret Garden written by playwright Rachel Teagle. The Secret Garden, will play from May 29-Aug. 2. The Pittsburgh premiere of Jonathan Tolins' one-man comedy Buyer & Cellar, starring actor Tom Lenk, officially opens June 5. A Foggy Day in London Town (UK NEWS) The Smallest Show on Earth, a new musical based on the 1957 film of the same name that is known as "Big Time Operators" in the U.S. (starring Peter Sellers, Margaret Rutherford, Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna), has been created using established songs by Irving Berlin, and will begin performances at Colchester's Mercury Theatre Sept. 25 for performances through Oct. 10, prior to a tour to Coventry, High Wycombe, Glasgow, Plymouth, Crewe, Swansea and Malvern. Beverley Knight will star as Grizabella when Cats returns to the London Palladium, beginning performance Oct. 23 for a ten-week run through Jan. 2, 2016. Casting has been announced for the opening productions of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's season at the West End's Garrick Theatre Nikolai Foster, the incoming new artistic director of Leicester's Curve Theatre, has announced his first season at the helm, which will see him directing new productions of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, Roald Dahl's The Witches and Richard Greenberg's Broadway version of Breakfast at Tiffany's, the latter of which will star Pixie Lott as Holly Golightly. James Fox is to return to the West End stage with his actor son Jack Fox to play father and son in Dear Lupin, a stage version of the correspondence that passed between journalist and writer Roger Mortimer and his son Charlie, beginning performances July 30 at the Apollo Theatre, prior to an official opening Aug. 3, for a run through Sept. 19. I Want to Go to Hollywood (MOVIE NEWS) Dave Chapelle has joined the cast of Spike Lee's new musical film "Chiraq," according to the director's Instagram account. A musical comedy drama written and directed by Lee, the film will explore street and gun violence in the Windy City. It has also been reported to be a musical adaptation of the ancient Greek comedy LysistrataLet Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) Jim Parsons will appear on the Bravo series "Inside the Actors Studio June 18 at 8 PM ET. Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Tickets for Al Pacino's return to Broadway in China Doll, the new play David Mamet wrote for him, will go on sale to the general public June 6. Larry David's comedy Fish in the Dark, which gets a new star June 9 with the arrival of "Seinfeld" actor Jason Alexander, has announced its general rush policy. Rush tickets are $35 each and are limited to two tickets per customer. Link to comment
aradia22 June 6, 2015 Author Share June 6, 2015 Theatre News Roundup: I will see you on the Tony Awards topic tomorrow night! Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS) Patti LuPone stars as a headstrong community theatre diva in the Off-Broadway world premiere of Douglas Carter Beane's semi-autobiographical play Shows for Days, which also features Michael Urie as the playwright's impressionable and wide-eyed alter ego. Previews begin June 6 at Lincoln Center Theater.The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS) The off-Broadway run of Clinton The Musical, now playing at New World Stages, has announced that it will end its run on June 21 after 15 previews and 86 performances. Clinton The Musical recently recorded its original cast album with Sh-K-Boom Records which will be release later this year. Producers are currently in discussion to bring Clinton The Musical on the road and to London's West End.I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS) Amy Sherman-Palladino announced today at Entertainment Weekly's panel at the ATX Festival that she is adapting a movie into a musical. "I'm writing the book to a musical right now," she said. Sherman-Palladino said the show would be totally new- at least to American audiences. "It's based on a movie that nobody would've seen because it's not an American and it's nothing like it... It's original. I'm just gonna say that." Let Me Be Your Star (TV NEWS) CBS 2 New York airs its annual Tony Awards preview special, "At the Tonys With Dana Tyler," June 6 beginning at 7 PM ET; check local listings.Stop! Wait! What?! (EVERYTHING ELSE) Tickets for the fifth Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, starring five-time Tony Award nominee Danny Burstein, go on sale June 6 at 10 AM. Performances will begin Nov. 12 at the Broadway Theatre. Tickets for Al Pacino's return to Broadway in China Doll, the new play that Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet wrote for him, go on sale to the general public June 6. Link to comment
Sara2009 June 7, 2015 Share June 7, 2015 Has anyone seen " An American In Paris" yet? Link to comment
aradia22 June 7, 2015 Author Share June 7, 2015 So, I'm actually still sick which is wonderful but that will not stop me from celebrating the Tony's with you tonight. Here is the thread just as a reminder. The TNR will be on hold for a day as I'll probably be busy over there. Link to comment
DisneyBoy June 8, 2015 Share June 8, 2015 Anyone else skipping the Tonys on purpose? I haven't seen ANY of the shows and kinda of want to watch it after I have, so I won't be spoiled by the performances between the handing out of the awards. How long is Chita doing The Visit? I've got to see that! Link to comment
Rick Kitchen June 8, 2015 Share June 8, 2015 Beth Behrs and Matt Doyle went to prom together when they were in high school and they're attending the Tonys together. Link to comment
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