Guthrie's Lost In Yonkers Opens TonightMinneapolis may be 1000 miles from Yonkers, New York, but its premier theatre serves as the setting for a revival of
Lost In Yonkers, which opens this evening.
Neil Simon won both a Tony for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize in 1991 for his semi-autobiographical writing about two boys forced to live with their grandmother after their mother's death. Incredibly enough, this marks the first time a Simon play has been presented on the Guthrie stage.
The new Guthrie Theatre production is directed by Gary Gisselman and its cast includes Michael Booth, Dylan Frederick, Ryan Howell,
Rosaleen Linehan, Noah Madoff, Ryan McCartan, Stephen Pelinski, Finnerty Steeves and Suzanne Warmanen.
The show is scheduled to run through November 12. On October 8, Simon himself will take to the stage with Guthrie Director
Joe Dowling in a dialogue about the state of American theatre and playwriting.
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Click here for tickets.Labels: Guthrie, Lost In Yonkers, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Neil Simon, Opening Night, Play, Revival
Were Critics Knocking Wood on Two And Only?Last evening, ventriloquist
Jay Johnson opened for his first time on the Great White Way in
Jay Johnson: The Two And Only at the
Helen Hayes Theatre. Were critics engaged? Ventriloquists aren't your typical Broadway fare, but Johnson's performance appears to have struck on positive nerve.
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times is generally positive, noting, "That vulture has terrific timing, as do the tennis ball, the snake, the chimp and the two wooden fellows -- the sweet-spirited Squeaky and the bilious Bob (also a star of “
Soap”) -- that Mr. Johnson brings to flavorful and various comic life with his antic arm and magic voice box. But it’s that little bit of magic that makes the difference. The crack timing is really nobody’s but Mr. Johnson’s, and yet, when it’s time for a comic payoff, his lips remain set in a placid if slightly rigid half-smile, and your eyes are trained on the yapping bird or the monkey or the beady-eyed wooden kid. The nifty trick of talking without appearing to is what raises Mr. Johnson’s act above the level of mere puppetry to something stranger and marginally more fascinating."
In awarding three out of four stars,
Elysa Gardner of
USA Today echoes some of Brantley's fascination: "Johnson's unabashed fervor ultimately proves as engaging as his skill....(His) reminiscences aren't likely to change your life as the events they summon changed Johnson's. But chances are you'll be happy to indulge him."
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News gushes, "You expect to laugh during a show about a guy who makes a tennis ball speak - and a monkey curse. But you don't anticipate to well up."
Clive Barnes of the
New York Post says, "[A]ll in all, this is a surprising, and extremely funny, one-man show that has a character to it and more than a few characters in it." One wonders why he only gave the show 2 and a half stars.
After noting how creepy he's always found ventriloquists and their dummies,
Variety's
David Rooney admits, "The writing is old-fashioned and the humor a little hoary, but there's a sweet, self-effacing quality to Johnson's unforced stage manner, magnified by his willingness to play second fiddle whenever he has a puppet in hand."
While
Jay Johnson: The Two And Only has an open-ended run, will the critics praise be enough to attract new audiences to this old-fashioned art form? If only Johnson himself could provide a little more word of mouth beyond his dummies.
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Click here for tickets.Related Stories:A Twofer Opening (September 28, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Jay Johnson: The Two And Only, Play
Zimbalist Insults Her Audience
Immediately after the performance of
Tea At Five I saw last evening, playwright Matthew Lombardo and actress
Stephanie Zimbalist participated in what was billed as a post-show “talk back” session hosted by Minneapolis
Star Tribune theatre critic Rohan Preston. It’s safe to say that nearly one third of the audience in the smallish McKnight Theatre stayed for their opportunity to talk about the show. Preston and Lombardo amiably discussed the thoughtful evolution of the play while Zimbalist herself was evolving back to that
lovable actress we all
know and
adore. Right!
Once Zimbalist came back to the stage, she announced that hers was not the only role in the show -- that the audience is the other player. She proceeded to berate the audience saying they were an “oil painting” -- essentially an object that wouldn’t or couldn’t respond to her thespian craft. She then went into a rather boring stemwinder on how she never bothered to see a Katharine Hepburn movie until rather recently, but learned in past weeks that she was related to the great actress.
I’m sorry, Ms. Zimbalist, but you should have realized that with such a sizable portion of your audience remaining for a Q&A that it meant that they did appreciate your wonderful portrayal of this great actress. And you should have allowed for more of them to ask you questions. Yet you chose to insult and demean them to their face. Even more so, you demeaned Katharine Hepburn and yourself. As outstanding as your overall portrayal of this iconic actress may have been, Ms. Zimbalist, perhaps now we know why you’ll never be as great as Katharine Hepburn.
If I were rating this supposed talk-back session, it would have merited no more than one star (despite the best efforts of Preston and Lombardo). Thanks for ruining a perfectly nice evening, Ms. Zimbalist.
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Labels: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Play, Stephanie Zimbalist, Tea At Five, Theatre Discussions
Tea At Five (The SOB Review) – McKnight Theatre, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Saint Paul, MN
*** (out of ****)The late, great Katharine Hepburn remains my favorite actress of all time. I loved her in virtually every film role she ever had thanks to her incredible style, honest wit and often cantankerous spirit. So entering a one-woman show devoted to her instilled me with a brief sense of trepidation, wondering how any actress could adequately portray the woman who arguably was the singular best actress of the 20th century bar none.
During the first act of playwright Matthew Lombardo’s surprisingly revealing look at this grand dame in
Tea At Five -- now touring the country -- I was struck by how much actress
Stephanie Zimbalist reminded me of an actress that I loved from my childhood. Unfortunately, the actress I was reminded of was Lucille Ball in her latter days as Lucy Ricardo -- you know, the Lucy dating from the episodes when the Ricardos and Mertzes moved to Connecticut. Sure, Zimbalist may have mimicked the voice of Hepburn, but I saw red….Lucy red.
That’s too bad considering the wonderful voice Lombardo provided to Zimbalist’s younger Hepburn from her heady days immediately before her “comeback” via “Philadelphia Story.” The actress was considered a has-been flop, and in her Connecticut home, we see Hepburn hoping beyond hope to be cast as Scarlett O’Hara. Along the way, we learn of her romantic dalliances, marriage, abortion and several other issues that left her fodder for the gossip columnists of her time. But most of all, we see the self-doubt that enveloped the once and future great actress (she had already won one Academy Award for “Morning Glory” and would go on to win a record four more throughout her lengthy career).
Fortunately, Zimbalist overcomes the Lucy look in the second act when she so accurately portrays Hepburn in her twilight years -- set 45 years after the first act. Here, Zimbalist is Hepburn, not only in voice and spirit, but also
amazingly in appearance. This most private among stars candidly discusses her family history of suicides and stoicism that helped shape who she was, along with an inside look on her 27 years with the married Spencer Tracy. Here we see the great actress, still full of vim and vigor, yet all alone.
It’s fair to say that no mere mortal actress can take on the storied role of Katharine Hepburn, and it certainly didn’t help that Zimbalist had to win over her audience. But once she did, especially in the second act, you believed you were actually witnessing Kate the great. And that’s no small feat.
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Labels: Katharine Hepburn, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Play, Tea At Five, The SOB Review
A Twofer OpeningIt’s been nearly 30 years since ventriloquist
Jay Johnson first appeared on the television comedy "
Soap." After that program went off the air, I’m willing to bet that it’s the last time the overwhelming majority of audiences saw him.
Perhaps after having seen how the Great White Way is now safe for puppets, thanks in no small measure to the rousing success of
Avenue Q, Johnson is back in the public eye with his dummies -- more than twenty years post-"Soap" -- in a Broadway show of all things. He’s celebrating his fading art form with
Jay Johnson: The Two And Only, opening this evening at the
Helen Hayes Theatre.
The road Johnson has traveled has no doubt been long and winding, and indeed many of his more recent stops have received critical praise. So how will his entry be met by the critics? We’ll find out tomorrow.
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Click here for tickets.Labels: Broadway, Jay Johnson: The Two And Only, Opening Night, Play
Were London Critics Mourning West End Wicked?
In an early cursory review of London media, only one of the three critics I’ve checked seemed to enjoy the London production of Stephen Schwartz’s
Wicked, which opened last night at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.
In saying “Wicked works like a dream,” critic Nicholas de Jongh of the Evening Standard strikes a lone positive note, adding, “the spectacle, the experience of a magical mystery tour through the fantasy land of Oz that takes and holds attention.... Joe Mantello's production expertly marshals this remarkable kaleidoscope of magical shocks, surprises and sensations.”
The Independent’s Paul Taylor admits to the following exchange at the end of the first act: “‘Are you liking it.’ ‘I'm afraid I'm not,’ I replied. There was a ghastly pause. ‘Well everyone else is!’ she barked.” Indeed, Taylor also laments, “I enjoyed very little apart from the delicious Miriam Margolyes, all embonpoint and Barbara Cartland face as Madame Morrible, mistress of the magic academy....The production manages to feel at once overblown and empty.”
Providing only two out of five stars for what he calls an “ersatz show,” The Times’ Benedict Nightingale harrumphs, “…[A]ll becomes a sentimental, politically correct flashback…. Songs bang out, along with iffy lyrics and not-so-witty dialogue.”
Similar criticisms were heard on the American side of the Atlantic and yet the juggernaut that is Wicked continues to captivate audiences three years running. Will the same hold true for the West End’s Wicked? If the conversation Taylor mentions turns into word-of-mouth, then the answer is most likely a resounding, “Yes.”
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Related Stories:
West End Wicked Opens Tonight (September 27, 2006)
Wicked Witch of the West End Takes Flight Tonight (September 7, 2006)
Jaaku or Neikan? Wicked Set for Japanese Translation (July 24, 2006)
Five Times More Wicked (July 17, 2006)
Wicked's West End Witches Update (May 17, 2006)
Worldwide Wicked Casting News (May 5, 2006)
Encore: Spotlight Week Ending April 30, 2006 (April 30, 2006)
Labels: Critics' Capsule, London, Musical, Wicked
Frank(el)ly Talking About The ProducersThis morning's
New York Post touches on the fading phenomenon known as
The Producers, a blockbuster musical that once seemed destined to be the king of Broadway for years on end. Regular readers know that
I've been questioning the long-term survival of the tuner for over a month in light of its serious slide at the box office and seeming inability to attract fresh audiences.
Michael Riedel notes that "A person involved in the show, which opened in the spring of 2001, says there is 'real concern' for its future: Unless business picks up in the fall, the musical could shut down by the end of the year." Riedel says that production sources tell him the $450,000 weekly gross is "not quite enough to cover its running costs."
However, one of the show's producers
Richard Frankel tells Riedel that there is no talk of closing. And when asked about the possibility of stunt casting to infuse new life into the show, Frankel nixes the suggestion explaining, "You have to have highly trained actors in these roles. Weissler-type casting would not work," in reference to
Fran and
Barry Weissler, who have kept
Chicago chugging along for nearly ten years.
Frankel does offer up one tantalizing possibility: the return of
The Producers' original stars
Nathan Lane and
Matthew Broderick. "At some point, if they would like to come back, we would love to have them. They have a standing offer," Frankel tells Riedel.
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Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Rent: 5,492,160 Minutes And Counting (September 25, 2006)
Broadway Box Office Rebounds (September 19, 2006)
Broadway's Biggest Box Office (September 13, 2006)
Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Does Holiday Bounce Provide Second Honeymoon for Wedding Singer? (September 5, 2006)
Is It Close-to-Curtains for The Producers? (August 29, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Musical, The Producers
West End Wicked Opens TonightThis evening marks the greatly anticipated London opening for the immensely popular American musical
Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.
Stateside, critics like
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley weren't overly impressed when it opened on Broadway in October 2003: "'
Wicked' does not, alas, speak hopefully for the future of the Broadway musical," while others like
Elysa Gardner of
USA Today called it a "triumph," saying
Wicked "juggles winning irreverence with thoughtfulness and heart."
Will the British critics call
Wicked wonderful? We'll find out soon enough as the reviews come flying in.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Wicked Witch of the West End Takes Flight Tonight (September 7, 2006)
Jaaku or Neikan? Wicked Set for Japanese Translation (July 24, 2006)
Five Times More Wicked (July 17, 2006)
Wicked's West End Witches Update (May 17, 2006)
Worldwide Wicked Casting News (May 5, 2006)
Encore: Spotlight Week Ending April 30, 2006 (April 30, 2006)
Labels: London, Musical, Opening Night, Wicked
Two High Flying Broadway-Bound Shows Begin TonightTonight marks the first performances for two musicals with trajectories aimed directly at Broadway, despite the fact that they're getting their start in exact opposite ends of the country.
The first,
High Fidelity, has already found a berth on the Great White Way at the
Imperial Theatre and is currently set for a December 7 opening.
High Fidelity begins its tryout performances this evening at Boston's Colonial Theatre. Based on the movie of the same name, this
Walter Bobbie-helmed tuner features music and lyrics by
Tom Kitt and
Amanda Green, book by
David Lindsay-Abaire (this is his first musical) and choreography by
Chris Gattelli. It will star
Will Chase and
Jenn Colella.
The other musical starting previews tonight is the
Des McAnuff revival of
The Wiz at the
La Jolla Playhouse. While there may be no place like home, this "major re-imagining" of
The Wiz has yet to find the appropriate house on Broadway -- something that has dogged this planned production for well over two years. Now that McAnuff is finally getting this production off the ground, will the end result be enough to spin it toward New York? We may have a better sense after the show officially opens in October.
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Click here for High Fidelity tickets.Click here for The Wiz tickets.Related Stories:High Fidelity Tunes In To High Capacity Imperial (August 24, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
The Wiz Cast Set to Ease On Down the Road (July 25, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, High Fidelity, Musical, Revival, San Diego, The Wiz
Rent: 5,492,160 Minutes And CountingIt's been nearly ten and a half years since
Rent --
Jonathan Larson's East Village take on
La Bohème -- opened on Broadway. But is its time running out?
If you look at this past week's box office totals,
Rent is in a class by itself among all musicals, and given the category I'm talking about, that
isn't good. It is the only Broadway tuner to have an average ticket price of under $50. At $49.43, that makes the egalitarian show eminently accessible for most audiences. But with overall box office now selling only 58.6% capacity -- down 6.8% from last week -- can this groundbreaking show remain open?
The only musical playing to less capacity is
The Producers, which saw a week-over-week drop of 4.1% to 50.4%. However, the average ticket price for
Mel Brooks' most successful venture ever on the Great White Way still comes in at $68.65.
Rent and
The Producers are the only two musicals playing to capacities of under 60%.
Of course, both of those productions are doing boffo box office compared with the week's weakest link,
Jay Johnson: The Two And Only, which in its first full week of previews attracted a capacity of only 24.4% with an average ticket price of just $47.80. That certainly doesn't bode well for its opening later this week unless it gets positive notices from the critics.
And for the week's box office champs? In terms of capacity,
Usher's apparently working his magic by ushering
Chicago back to the top (up 3.8% to 101.2% capacity).
Jersey Boys drops to number two (down .1% to 100.7%) with
Wicked right behind (down .5% to 99.7%). In terms of average ticket prices,
Jersey Boys is still tops with $118.67, followed by
Wicked at $95.24 and then
Chicago at $89.36. However, in terms of overall weekly gross,
Wicked remains king with a total take of $1,367,250;
Jersey Boys took in $1,167,994;
The Color Purple was third with $938,537 (
Chicago only ranked eighth with $781,545 in receipts).
Will dwindling numbers for Rent and The Producers spur closing notices anytime soon? Stay tuned.
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Related Stories:
Broadway Box Office Rebounds (September 19, 2006)
Broadway's Biggest Box Office (September 13, 2006)
Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Jay Johnson: The Two And Only, Jersey Boys, Musical, Rent, The Producers, Wicked
The Pillowman: Chicago ReviewsLast evening marked the Chicago premiere of
Martin McDonagh's critically-acclaimed play
The Pillowman -- which won the 2004 Olivier Award for Best Play and was nominated for the 2005 Tony. The decidedly dark play made its Chicago debut at the
Steppenwolf Theatre and met with critical approval from the city's two major papers.
Calling
The Pillowman "brilliant" and "one of the very best plays of the past decade,"
Chicago Tribune's
Chris Jones sounds his disappointment that the show's shock quotient has been diminished in its journey to Chicago: "Many will find the show disturbing, as the playwright intends. But I doubt you will be scared out of your wits or stifling screams. Which is a shame. (
Amy) Morton's production compensates by focusing on powerful acting....(
Yesan) Peyankov could do to be somewhat nastier early on, but once it gets fired up, their relationship makes for some blistering theater. Superbly cast and dominant, (
Tracy) Letts -- who recalls a nastier version of
David Letterman -- fires on every one of his combustible cylinders."
In recommending the play, Chicago Sun-Times critic
Hedy Weiss zeroes-in on Morton's direction and the ensemble's acting. "Morton keeps the willing suspension of belief and the shrewder instinct for disbelief in a state of continual tension....And Peyankov, his head shaved like an egg, brings a winning authenticity to Ariel (no doubt drawing on his own upbringing in communist Bulgaria). He is perfect."
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:
The Pillowman (The SOB Review) - Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL (September 25, 2006)
Steppenwolf's Pillowman Opens Tonight in Chicago (September 24, 2006)
Labels: Chicago, Critics' Capsule, Play, Steppenwolf, The Pillowman
The Pillowman (The SOB Review) - Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL*** (out of ****)You have to hand it to
Martin McDonagh, the estimable young playwright known for conjuring up primarily darker -- read:
violent -- subject matter in his theatrical creations. He’s masterful at building a plotline that is at once both jarring and laugh-out-loud funny. In
The Pillowman, he expertly holds the mirror up to
himself and his own intensely brutal body of work, taking stock of whether his first duty as a storyteller “is to tell a story” or if it’s to take the blame when such stories are irresponsibly mimicked by those who can’t separate fiction from reality.
In
Steppenwolf’s staging of this oft-praised play that opened last night in Chicago, director
Amy Morton takes the audience headlong into a study of good vs. evil where virtually everyone has blood on their hands,
literally.
The Pillowman delves into what happens when police in an unnamed totalitarian state suspect a disturbing link between heinous crimes committed against children and an author whose stories are eerily similar. In a police state, is the author -- with the curious name Katurian Katurian Katurian (played with the right mix of indignation and fear by
Jim True-Frost) -- culpable merely because he conceived such dark tales or did his stories lead him to physically commit the crimes? Are delivered confessions the result of torture or something even deeper?
The Pillowman, as it turns out is not only the name of one of Katurian’s more sympathetic creations who gives comfort to small children on the verge of death, but it also serves as an ample, and ultimately appropriate, metaphor for Katurian himself. As the play progresses through police interrogation, play vignettes within the play and conversations with Katurian’s mentally impaired brother Michal (perfectly played by
Michael Shannon), we learn what horrific circumstances from his own childhood lead him to write such macabre fiction in the first place.
While this is indeed a
grim fairy tale, it is buoyed by brilliant acting and breathtaking direction. In addition to True-Frost and Shannon, there is a delicious good cop/bad cop routine that is ultimately turned on its head by the coupling of the unusually droll
Tracy Letts as Tupolski with the explosive
Yasen Peyankov as Ariel. Both actors are in top form and ideally suited to their roles.
Certainly, this is not a play for the faint of heart, nor is it for one who is easily offended by Christ-like allegories or depictions of evil befalling children. But
The Pillowman offers a chillingly candid look into the mirror of one of today’s most accomplished playwrights and tells its audience that even if we don’t approve of what he’s told us, his stories still deserve to be told, particularly since he's so shockingly good at telling them.
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Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Steppenwolf's Pillowman Opens Tonight in Chicago (September 24, 2006)
Labels: Chicago, Play, Steppenwolf, The Pillowman, The SOB Review
Steppenwolf's Pillowman Opens Tonight in ChicagoThe Pillowman,
Martin McDonagh's disturbing, dark play about a writer who's interrogated about murders that are eerily similar to those in his stories, opens this evening at Chicago's Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre. This production should not be confused with the acclaimed London/Broadway production that snapped up the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2004 and two Tonys for lighting and set design in 2005. Instead, this version is helmed by Steppenwolf ensemble member
Amy Morton and features
Tracy Letts,
Yasen Peyankov and
Jim True-Frost.
Will the play that many view as McDonagh's masterpiece translate well in Chicago? We'll find out tomorrow when the reviews are published. I'll be at this evening's opening and provide you with my personal view tomorrow.
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Click here for tickets.Labels: Chicago, Opening Night, Play, Steppenwolf, The Pillowman
How Pain-Free Did Critics Find The Pain And The Itch?Bruce Norris' dark comedy about affluent white liberal guilt opened last night at New York's
Playwrights Horizons Mainstage Theatre to middling reviews.
Calling
The Pain And The Itch "a carefully constructed story,"
Daily News critic
Joe Dziemianowicz cites "a delicious
Jayne Houdyshell" and notes that the show's "[M]essage isn't all that shocking: Liberals, yes, liberals, just like conservatives, will do anything to protect their self-interests.
Anna D. Shapiro (who helmed the Chicago production) directs with clarity and precision, seamlessly shifting scenes between past and present."
Labeling the show a "funny but tough-to-stomach social satire,"
The New York Times'
Charles Isherwood states that
The Pain And The Itch is, "Carefully plotted (overplotted, actually) and marked by a savage comic flair, it is nevertheless seriously marred by overstatement, a familiar flaw in the work of writers still finding their aesthetic footing."
Variety's
Marilyn Stasio also takes aim at playwright Bruce Norris' writing, noting that he "is skillful at juggling his multiple time frames; he's less so at developing his case against the morally bankrupt know-it-all classes....Not surprisingly, the solid cast does its best work in scenes and snatches of scenes that can stand on their own....Houdyshell brings much-needed intelligence to what is essentially a cartoon version of the clueless mother."
In his review,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes savages the production saying "As metaphors go, few are as unpleasant as the central one in
The Pain and the Itch....While the playwright clearly has serious things on his mind, the characters and situations he's devised here are facile and unconvincing."
The Pain And The Itch is scheduled to play at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage through October 8.
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Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Itching to Open in New York (September 21, 2006)
Houdyshell Itching to Reprise Steppenwolf Role Off-Broadway (July 11, 2006)
The Pain And The Itch Slated for New York Run (June 7, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 24, 2006)
Labels: Critics' Capsule, Off-Broadway, Play, The Pain And The Itch
Suddenly Blythe Danner Is EverywhereI suppose younger adults may be forgiven for thinking of
Blythe Danner merely as
Gwyneth Paltrow's mother
, but for those of us who are a few years (or in my case a generation) older, Paltrow falls in her mother's shadow more than in her footsteps. That's because Danner has enjoyed an amazingly rich, vital career as an accomplished Broadway actress that stretches back to 1968 when she played Sister Marthe in a revival of
Cyrano de Bergerac.
Along the way, this very distinguished actress has been nominated for four Tony Awards:
Butterflies Are Free (1970) -- in which she won for her portrayal of Jill Tanner,
Betrayal (1980),
A Streetcar Named Desire (1988) and
Follies (2001). Despite the fact that
Goldie Hawn captured the role of Jill Tanner for the film version of "
Butterflies Are Free" in 1972 and
Patricia Hodge played Emma in 1983's "
Betrayal," Danner has nevertheless enjoyed a steady stream of film and television roles from the early 70s right up through today, and she's never been better or more high profile.
One of the key reasons why a new, younger audience should have become familiar with her has been her work in the popular "
Meet The Parents" and "
Meet The Fockers" movies with
Ben Stiller and
Robert DeNiro, as well as her Emmy-winning role as Izzy on "
!Huff" with
Hank Azaria. Indeed, just last year, Danner was nominated for three Emmy Awards. Suddenly, Blythe Danner is everywhere -- including back on the stage.
Fortunately for theatregoers, they'll have yet another opportunity to see Danner starting next month in the
Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of
Tennessee Williams'
Suddenly Last Summer. Danner has been cast in the role of Mrs. Venable, described as "an aging widow distraught over the mysterious death of her son."
Mark Brokaw helms the play that also stars
Carla Gugino as the young man's cousin, who raises salacious accusations regarding him.
Like a fine wine, Danner only seems to get better through the years, and we're blessed by additional opportunities to see her shine.
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Click here for tickets. Labels: Blythe Danner, Off-Broadway, Play, Revival, Suddenly Last Summer
Itching to Open in New YorkPlaywright Bruce Norris' black social comedy
The Pain And The Itch -- which had its world premiere a year ago at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre -- will enjoy its official New York debut tonight at the Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theatre. The play won the Jefferson Award for Best New York in 2005, the highest honor for new plays in Chicago.
Norris is renowned for taking audiences on breathtaking journeys things are never what they seem. I've marveled at his excellent works, including
Purple Heart and
The Unmentionables. While I didn't feel
The Pain And The Itch was of quite the same caliber when I saw it during its original run in Chicago, it was primarily because I believed one of the leads was not up to the arduous task of heading the play's highly dysfunctional family. Thankfully, in the New York incarnation, he has been replaced by the wonderfully creepy
Christopher Evan Welch, whom I first saw in
Purple Heart in 2002.
If I had to give you two words for seeing this show, they'd be:
Jayne Houdyshell, who is absolutely brilliant as the grandmother afraid to confront potential abuse issues surrounding her granddaughter. Houdyshell is so believable in this role that she was awarded Chicago's Jefferson Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
As in Chicago, the play is helmed by Anna D. Shapiro. New York performances run through October 8. Will the critics take to this show that ultimately hinges on affluent white guilt? We'll find out tomorrow.
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Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Houdyshell Itching to Reprise Steppenwolf Role Off-Broadway (July 11, 2006)
The Pain And The Itch Slated for New York Run (June 7, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 24, 2006)
Labels: Off-Broadway, Opening Night, Play, Steppenwolf, The Pain And The Itch
Stunt Casting That Has Me ReelingAs I've previously written, I'm more than a little dubious on the merits of stunt casting established theatrical shows. While I can understand the desire of producers to attract new audiences, I see little merit in casting shows with actors who simply don't have the gravitas or appropriate age or chops.
Last night, 70s heartthrob
Donny Osmond took on the role of Gaston in Disney's
Beauty And The Beast. Apparently, it doesn't matter that the guy -- who
over thirty years ago was boasting he was "a little bit rock and roll" -- will turn 50 years old next year. I've always envisioned Gaston as being the young, rugged type. I have nothing against Osmond, and you could argue that his prolific family suggests he's pretty virile, but I find it appalling that he would be portraying a character better suited to someone half his age...like his son Donny Osmond, Jr. To be honest, I'd rather see the elder Osmond play Billy Flynn in
Chicago.
Speaking of which, today it was announced that
The Newsless 56-year-old
Huey Lewis would be returning to that decade-old tuner on November 20 and remain with the show until January 14. During the last two weeks of his upcoming stint, he'll co-star with
Bebe Neuwirth who's set to play Roxie Hart. Thanks to Neuwirth's exciting return, I already have my tickets to see her opposite Lewis' Billy Flynn along with an as-yet-to-be-announced actress in the role of Velma Kelly.
Lewis' return to
Chicago will occur just over a month after
Usher's scheduled departure (Usher has just extended through October 14). Sure the young R&B crooner exudes charm. Even critics were at least impressed by his charisma. But the role of Billy Flynn represents the complete flipside of the Gaston coin. As critics have thankfully noted, Flynn should be inhabited by a much more world-weary, jaded and older type. Not someone half Huey Lewis' age! Maybe Disney could enlist Usher for
Beauty And The Beast. It's just a thought.
Finally, even the British stage isn't immune to stunt casting as we saw earlier this summer with
Patrick Swayze being cast in
Guys And Dolls. It should come as no surprise that the West End staging of
Chicago is once again engaging in the practice, this time with 22-year-old lip-synching extraordinaire
Ashlee Simpson as Roxie Hart. Enough said!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Beauty And The Beast tickets.Click here for Chicago (Broadway) tickets.Click here for Chicago (London) tickets.Related Stories:Bebe's Back to Broadway! (September 6, 2006)
Will Usher Razzle Dazzle 'em? (August 22, 2006)
Does London's Guys and Dolls Still Swayze Critics? (August 19, 2006)
We Had It Coming: Chicago's Starry 10th Anniversary (July 26, 2006)
Chicago to Usher in New Billy Flynn (July 14, 2006)
Swayze Lands London's Detroit Role (June 5, 2006)
Labels: Beauty And The Beast, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Guys And Dolls, London, Stunt Casting
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound?In this morning's
New York Post, theatre critic
Clive Barnes sizes up some of the current prospects for British imports to the Broadway stage. In addition to dutifully noting the eagerly anticipated
Mary Poppins due later this year, along with
Billy Elliot The Musical that will arrive by 2008, Barnes gives props to the ubiquitous
Michael Grandage-helmed productions. Those include two musicals (
Evita and
Guys And Dolls) and one play (
Frost/Nixon). All three have received their share of critical acclaim and box office success across the pond.
Barnes' personal favorite pick for a Broadway transfer is the highly praised revival of
Sunday In The Park With George that graced the London stage earlier this summer, although he doesn't hold as much hope for its arrival on the Great White Way as the aforementioned shows. He also is clearly optimistic about a the chances of
Tom Stoppard's
Rock 'n' Roll drama coming to American shores.
But the show that he thinks has the greatest potential for a Broadway bow is none other than the
Queen-inspired stinker
We Will Rock You -- a
bad jukebox musical that continues to play to UK audiences despite terrible reviews. It should be noted that it has already been produced in the United States at the
Paris Las Vegas, but like so many other theatrical productions hitting Sin City, the show closed much earlier than originally anticipated. Who would have thought Vegas audiences would have shown that much good taste?!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Billy Elliot Set for 2008 Broadway Bow? (September 6, 2006)
Critics Find Frost/Nixon to Be Unimpeachable (August 23, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
Evita to New York: I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You (June 28, 2006)
Sunday in the Park With George Revival Opens in London's West End (May 22, 2006)
Guys and Dolls Imported to Broadway from London? (May 15, 2006)
Rejoice! Gavin Lee to Cross Atlantic for Mary Poppins on Broadway (May 8, 2006)
Labels: Billy Elliot The Musical, Broadway, Evita, Frost/Nixon, Guys And Dolls, London, Mary Poppins, Rock 'n' Roll, Sunday In The Park With George, Transfer, We Will Rock You
Broadway Box Office ReboundsAs predicted, Broadway bounced back
somewhat this past week from the steep decline it experienced the week before. Most shows enjoyed at least a bit of a rebound week-over-week.
Leading the pack in terms of week-over-week capacity increases was
The Wedding Singer with a 17% larger audience than the week before at the
Al Hirschfeld Theatre. That increase brings the tuner's weekly capacity to 69.5%, ahead of such venerable hits as
The Phantom Of The Opera (69.3%),
Hairspray (68.9%),
Rent (65.4%) and
The Producers (which remains in the box office basement with 54.5%).
The other top gainers week-over-week were
Hairspray (increase of 16%),
Beauty And The Beast (increase of 12.3%),
Rent (increase of 11.4%),
The Drowsy Chaperone (increase of 11.1%) and
The Producers (increase of 10.7%). Only two shows experienced drops in their box office:
The Color Purple (down 1.7% to 84.1%) and
Wicked (down a scant .1% to 99.7%). The latter still leads all shows in terms of gross ticket sales at $1,389,174 for the week followed by
Jersey Boys at $1,161,546. Still number one in terms of capacity is
Jersey Boys (100.8%), followed by
Wicked. Talk about a one-two punch.
Not counting shows currently in previews, the productions with the lowest average ticket prices include:
Rent ($50.48),
Beauty And The Beast ($50.58),
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ($61.41),
Hairspray ($63.47),
The Wedding Singer ($65.16),
The Phantom Of The Opera ($66.67),
Avenue Q ($68.44),
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me (69.05) and
The Producers ($69.52).
Still no word on which musical will be the next to depart from the Broadway stage. But my bet remains on an early exit for
The Producers, although barring additional stunt casting,
Rent's days could be numbered.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway's Biggest Box Office (September 13, 2006)
Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Rent, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Producers, The Wedding Singer, Wicked
A Chorus Line Revival Begins Previews TonightIt's been over sixteen years since
A Chorus Line danced its way across a Broadway stage, but tonight marks the first preview for what is arguably the most eagerly anticipated revival of the current theatrical season.
A Chorus Line will take its first bow this evening at the
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.
The
original version, which ran from July 25, 1975 through April 28, 1990 at the
Shubert Theatre helped lift the Great White Way out of the doldrums during one of its most challenging times. Times Square was a seedy place in the mid-70s, and the relevance of Broadway was in doubt. Through
Michael Bennett's innovative direction,
A Chorus Line shifted the paradigm for the Broadway musical, breaking ground on subjects that were previously taboo.
By the time
A Chorus Line closed, it had become the undisputed champ among all-time long-running Broadway shows with a total of 6137 regular performances. Will the first revival of this tuner by
Marvin Hamlisch and
Edward Kleban even come close? The initial tryouts in San Francisco received mixed reviews, so it would appear doubtful at first blush. But nostalgia for the revival runs high. We'll have a better idea of whether lessons were learned in San Francisco when the show officially opens on October 5.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets. Related Stories:A Chorus Line's Casting Announced (April 26, 2006)
Labels: A Chorus Line, Broadway, Musical, Revival
The Loss of Lovette GeorgeLast week, I was very saddened to learn of the untimely passing of a beautiful and brilliant Off-Broadway gem,
Lovette George. George reportedly died of ovarian cancer at the age of 43.
In 2003, I was delighted to have the opportunity to see George in the fabulously funny, acclaimed
York Theatre production of
The Musical of Musicals -- The Musical. The tuner lovingly spoofs musical stylings from
Richard Rodgers and
Oscar Hammerstein II,
Stephen Sondheim,
Jerry Herman,
Andrew Lloyd Webber, and
John Kander and
Fred Ebb. The show repeatedly tells one simple story five times, with each successive take told as if imagined by the aforementioned Broadway songwriting geniuses. For her absolutely wonderful portrayal of The Ingenue, George received a well-deserved Drama Desk nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
The photo above includes castmate Eric Rockwell, Stephen Sondheim, castmate Joanne Bogart and George.
It's always heartbreaking when a talent like Lovette George is taken from us much too early. But for those of us who were fortunate enough to see her perform, warm memories of her contributions to theatre will long be with us. May she rest in peace.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: In Memoriam, Lovette George, Off-Broadway, The Musical Of Musicals: The Musical
Eve of a New Broadway Role for Kristin ChenowethIt's been nearly three years since Tony Award-winning actress
Kristin Chenoweth last opened in a Broadway show, but what a role that was! Chenoweth floated into our hearts -- via bubble -- as Glinda in the musical juggernaut known as
Wicked.
Now comes news that Chenoweth will be headlining the very first Great White Way revival of
The Apple Tree as Eve (as in Adam and...).
Gary Griffin (
The Color Purple) will direct the
Roundabout Theatre Company musical, which will make its bow at
Studio 54 beginning November 28 with a December 14 opening.
This won't be Chenoweth's first crack at Eve -- she took on the role via
City Center's "Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert" with co-stars
Michael Cerveris and
Malcolm Gets. No word yet on who whether either will reprise their roles for the new production.
The
Jerry Bock/
Sheldon Harnick tuner last graced a Broadway stage during its 463 performance run at the
Shubert Theatre from October, 1966-November 1967. That production received seven Tony nominations and landed
Barbara Harris a Tony for the role Chenoweth will assume.
Will it work the same magic for Broadway's favorite bubbly blond? I'm not sure, but you can bet I'll do my best to be in the audience for this one.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Kristen Chenoweth, Musical, Revival, The Apple Tree, Wicked
Boys: Broadway's Biggest Box OfficeYesterday, I discussed the precipitous drop at Broadway's box office for a large cross section of major hit shows, but I neglected to note the relatively few success stories.
The biggest boffo show to buck last week's downward trend was the Tony Award winning Best Musical
Jersey Boys, which continues to sell beyond capacity at 100.7%. With a standing-room-only crowd in the 1222-seat
August Wilson Theatre,
Jersey Boys actually posted a .2%
gain over the previous week (the only other show to enjoy an increase in audience was the now departed
Kiki & Herb: Alive On Broadway -- up 6.6% to a closing capacity of 55.9% in the relatively small 586-seat
Helen Hayes Theatre). What's more,
Jersey Boys boasts the only average ticket price
over $100 at $119.15.
Wicked, of course,
continues to pack them in at the cavernous
George Gershwin Theatre. Despite the fact that its capacity was off by .2% last week, it was still playing to a capacity of 99.8%. That translated into the week's highest gross at $1,376,769 compared to
Jersey Boys' impressive second place finish at $1,173,290. But look below those numbers and consider that
Wicked has about 600
more seats to fill each night and has a considerably lower average ticket price ($95.34).
Thus, the past week's true box office champ in a technical knock-out has to be
Jersey Boys, which shows no sign of waning.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Jersey Boys tickets.Click here for Wicked tickets.Related Stories:Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Jersey Boys, Kiki And Herb, Kiki And Herb: Alive On Broadway, Wicked
Fall At Broadway's Box OfficeThe week after Labor Day traditionally marks a decline at the box office for many Broadway shows. But this year, the decline was decidedly more pronounced and steeper than a year ago.
Last year at this time, five shows were playing to less than 50% capacity. Compare that to this year where just one show --
The Producers -- is playing to less than 50% capacity and you'd think that all is well on Broadway. But drill down a little deeper on the information and you'll find that in the last week, eight major hit shows have plummeted by 20% or more in capacity from one week to the next (no show dropped by more than 20% last year). The biggest drops came from:
Of these shows,
The Phantom Of The Opera and
Beauty And The Beast are actually
outperforming their box office capacities from one year ago of 59.9% and 52.5%, respectively. During the following week last year, most Broadway shows ultimately enjoyed a week over week rebound. A cursory review of previous years shows a similar box office rebound.
Will the same trend manifest itself this year? Or are the celebrated runs for shows like
Hairspray,
Rent and
The Producers nearly over?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Hairspray, Rent, The Producers
9/11: Never ForgetFive years ago this morning, I was driving to my office slightly exhausted from having had little sleep the night before -- I had arrived late the evening of September 10th on a delayed flight from Vancouver. I was also somewhat agitated because I was running late and knew I had a significant amount of work to plow through before heading back to the airport in the afternoon to catch a flight to Atlanta. Little did I know that there would be little sleep for me during the weeks ahead.
As I neared my office, I heard reports on the radio of a plane crashing into one of the World Trade Center towers. I immediately thought it must have been a small errant plane similar to that which crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building back in 1945 (in that case,
dense fog contributed to the crash of a B-25 twin-engine bomber). Never for a moment did I even fathom that it was anything more serious. After all, I was thinking if the Empire State Building could withstand a crash of a small plane, so could the World Trade Center.
Once at my office building (actually part of its own unique twin tower design), I rode up the elevator to my floor and overheard two men discussing the crash. I posited my thoughts vis-à-vis the Empire State Building crash and suggested it probably was nothing to worry about. After entering my office and turning on my computer, I received a frantic call from Rusty -- one of my colleagues -- who breathlessly said, "Steve, they've hit the second tower!" I was in disbelief. I said, "Are you sure?" and she said that they just saw it on CNN.
I immediately ran down the hall to the office of our company president and found a half dozen colleagues gathered around the television watching in shock and dismay -- they had just witnessed the second plane hit the second World Trade Center tower. As riveted as I was by the coverage, I knew I had to get back to my desk to begin the task of communicating with our offices throughout the United States (as a public relations director for a large travel company, I realized at that moment that the events unfolding before our eyes would have a dramatic impact on everything that constituted our livelihood).
Sadly, the grim news just continued getting worse with word of another plane crashing into the Pentagon and yet another somewhere in Pennsylvania. We couldn't help but wonder what would happen next and where this would all end. Were we even safe being in our office building?
Suffice to say that I never made it to Atlanta that afternoon. It didn't take long before we made the decision to indefinitely postpone the trade event that had been scheduled for the remainder of the week. But even if we hadn't made that decision, it would have been made for us when the U.S. Government shut down the nation's air system -- at first for a few hours, then for a day and then for what seemed like an eternity.
With the steady stream of communications going out to our offices throughout the rest of the day, as well as an unusually high call volume from journalists wanting our take on the impact that these attacks would have on travel, it dawned on me that this heinous attack just might mean the end of travel as we knew it -- and quite possibly the end of my job. Still, I labored on through the late hours that evening, stopping every so often as I attempted to get through to my friends living in New York and Washington to make sure they were all accounted for (it was nearly impossible to get through to either city, but eventually, I learned that each was indeed safe).
My life took on a surreal existence over the next several weeks as I would arrive at work early in the morning only to find myself dealing with endless media calls wanting to know the latest impact on travel, and then I would take care of my
normal responsibilities as best I could from about 6 pm through midnight. I even half-joked to my boss that if they would bring a bed in for me, I could save the wasted gas I was using simply to sleep only a few hours each night.
Of course, we know now that travel eventually rebounded. I didn't lose my job, but I know of many individuals who did. But even they were fortunate in comparison to the thousands of families who had to endure such an immense loss that fateful September 11.
Can it really be that five years have so quickly passed since the horrific events of 9/11 unfolded before our eyes? Like nearly every other American, I was profoundly shocked, saddened and outraged that such a vile attack could conceivably be made on our soil taking thousands of innocent lives -- not only American lives, but those of nationals from scores of other countries from around the globe.
Despite not losing any loved ones, I felt an incredible sense of loss like I had never before experienced. Perhaps it was a loss of innocence -- my naïveté kept me from even considering that America and everything it stood for could be so virulently hated and despised. Yet now, five years later, I fear that too many Americans have forgotten that in addition to nearly 3,000 lives being mercilessly snuffed out, our culture and way of living were attacked as well.
We must never forget what happened that day five years ago. And while we have not suffered another devastating day on American soil, we must remain vigilant -- not only against those from the outside who want nothing more than to destroy our country, but also against those within who would attempt to chip away at our freedoms. For if the latter are successful, then the 9/11 terrorists really will have won, haven't they?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 9/11, Freedom Of Speech, Special Messages
Will Third Time on Broadway Yield Tony Charm for Hoffman?One of the most arguably versatile actors of our age is reportedly ready to return to Broadway for his third time. Academy Award winner and two-time Tony nominee
Philip Seymour Hoffmann will make his way back to the Great White Way to star in
Michael Weller's
50 Words.
Hoffman previously tread the boards in acclaimed performances in
True West (2000) and
Long Day's Journey Into Night (2003); he was Tony nominated for his roles in both plays. I had an opportunity to see the latter -- the heartbreaking, Tony Award-winning revival of
Eugene O'Neill's most autobiographical work. The much-praised production famously starred
Vanessa Redgrave and
Brian Dennehy along with
Robert Sean Leonard. All gave magnificent, nuanced performances.
Hoffman will reportedly make his return once his enormously busy schedule frees up. I have no doubt it will be worth the wait.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 50 Words, Broadway, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Philip Seymour Hoffmann, Play
Walking With Music: Kitty Carlisle Hart to Perform at Feinstein'sThis past Sunday marked the 96th birthday of theatre and society maven
Kitty Carlisle Hart. Not one to let any
moss grow under her feet (sorry, pun intended) the legendary actress and singer will celebrate her birthday with five performances of
Walking With Music at Feinstein's at the Regency in New York from September 26-30.
Last month,
I was thrilled to take in her performance in North Hollywood, CA where I also had the honor and privilege of meeting her after the performance (that's where I snapped the photo of her that appears above). She's a gorgeous gem who glistens with brilliant stories and captivates with song.
As one of the last remaining links to the Golden Age of Broadway Musicals, as well as such greats as
Irving Berlin,
George Gershwin and
Cole Porter, I strongly recommend that anyone with love for musical theatre should make every effort to catch her at Feinstein's later this month.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
For information on tickets, please call 212.339.4095.Related Stories:An American Icon: Kitty Carlisle Hart (The SOB Review) - El Portal Theatre, North Hollywood, CA (August 7, 2006)
Will It Play in Peoria? How About Iowa? (July 24, 2006)
American Theatre Icon Kitty Carlisle Hart to Perform in North Hollywood (June 26, 2006)
Labels: Feinstein's At The Regency, First Word On New Show, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Off-Broadway, Revue
Wicked Witch of the West End Takes Flight TonightAt long last, tonight marks the much-anticipated first night of London previews for
Wicked with
Idina Menzel (above) reprising her Tony Award-winning portrayal of Elphaba, the misunderstood green girl who goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West.
Wicked is making its bow at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, which, by the way, is
not in the same Leicester Square/Soho/Covent Garden vicinity as most other
West End theatres save the Victoria Palace where
Billy Elliot The Musical is playing. As the theatre's name suggests, it is situated directly across from London's Victoria Station.
Menzel will be joined by
Helen Dallimore as Glinda,
Adam Garcia as Fiyero,
Nigel Planer as The Wizard,
Miriam Margolyes as Madame Morrible,
Katie Rowley Jones as Nessarose and
James Gillan as Boq. As on Broadway, in Chicago and on tour throughout the United States,
Wicked continues to be helmed by
Joe Mantello.
You can bet I'll be tracking London-based blogs to see what kind of buzz is building there in the lead up to the September 27 opening night.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Jaaku or Neikan? Wicked Set for Japanese Translation (July 24, 2006)
Five Times More Wicked (July 17, 2006)
Wicked's West End Witches Update (May 17, 2006)
Worldwide Wicked Casting News (May 5, 2006)
Encore: Spotlight Week Ending April 30, 2006 (April 30, 2006)
Labels: London, Musical, Opening Night, Wicked
Bebe's Back to Broadway!Forget
everything I've said about putting a knife in
Chicago. Now that it's been announced that
Bebe Neuwirth is making a three month-long return to the venerable revival, I hope I'm forgiven for my premature plea to end the show, which was based on all the stunt casting for which the show has become synonymous.
In a welcome bit of
inspired casting, Neuwirth will now take on the role of Roxie Hart. Neuwirth orginally portrayed Velma Kelly when the revival opened in 1996 and won a Tony for her efforts.
Neuwirth's return will come a couple months after the Broadway tuner officially celebrates its 10th year back on the Great White Way. She is scheduled to begin performances on December 31 and remain with the show through March 25.
Although I've had two outstanding opportunities to see Neuwirth in two Off-Broadway shows (
Woody Allen's
Writer's Block in 2003 and
Kurt Weill's
Here Lies Jenny in 2004), I completely missed out on seeing her razzle-dazzle 'em in
Chicago the first time around. You can bet I'll make a point out of seeing her triumphant return.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Will Usher Razzle Dazzle 'em? (August 22, 2006)
We Had It Coming: Chicago's Starry 10th Anniversary (July 26, 2006)
Chicago to Usher in New Billy Flynn (July 14, 2006)
Labels: Bebe Neuwirth, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival
Billy Elliot Set for 2008 Broadway Bow?According to Michael Riedel in this morning's
New York Post,
Billy Elliot The Musical is
almost officially Broadway-bound. Riedel states, "The finishing touches have just been put on a deal to bring the
Elton John musical to the
Imperial Theatre in the fall of 2008."
After having opened last year in London to widespread critical praise (including from
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley),
Billy Elliot The Musical received the Olivier Award for Best Musical for 2006. I saw the show last November and
ranked it among the top ten shows I saw during the 2005-06 Theatrical Season.
Despite all the enthusiasm including mine, the nagging question remains whether this decidedly British story -- complete with sometimes hard-to-understand English slang -- can be easily imported to Broadway (after so many trips to the UK, I personally didn't have too much difficulty understanding the accents, but I can certainly see how many discriminating American ears may not comprehend the dialogue quite as well). Riedel says the production team is polishing up the show, and he quotes producer Eric Fellner, who states bluntly, "It is quite daunting, taking this quintessentially British show to Broadway. We are not altering the location or the character of the piece. We just want to make sure the Britishness travels."
Speaking of travel, should the Imperial Theatre's next occupant --
High Fidelity -- soar, it will need to take flight to another theatre a little more than a year and a half into its run to make way for
Billy Elliot.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets to Billy Elliot The Musical - London. Related Stories:High Fidelity Tunes In To High Capacity Imperial (August 24, 2006)
Remembrances of London’s 7/7 (July 7, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #8 - Billy Elliot The Musical (Victoria Palace Theatre, London, UK) (May 18, 2006)
Billy Elliot in Triplicate on First Birthday (May 9, 2006)
Labels: Billy Elliot The Musical, Broadway, London, Musical, Transfer
Does Holiday Bounce Provide Second Honeymoon for Wedding Singer?Holiday weekends typically provide a huge box office boost for many a Broadway show, particularly as tourists converge on the Big Apple in force. This Labor Day weekend appears to be no exception as all but five Broadway shows enjoyed increased attendance.
With the weekend closings of
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,
Sweeney Todd and
The Lieutenant Of Inishmore, it's not surprising that each went out with a bang with weekly capacities logging in at 80.6%, 84.3% and 73%, respectively. Among those shows,
Sweeney Todd had the smallest week over week increase at 7%.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels saw an increase of 11.3%, while
The Lieutenant Of Inishmore skyrocketed an amazing 24.6%.
As previously noted here, the speculation continues on which musical will be the next to vacate one of Broadway's larger venues. While many have been betting that
The Wedding Singer will be next, I'm placing my money on
The Producers, and this week's box office underscores my rationale. Yes, the latter improved week over week by 4.5% to come in at 62.4% capacity, but the former saw a large bump of 14.8% to enjoy a capacity of 71.7% -- better than
any other show that survived the weekend.
What's more, there's still some buzz left in
The Wedding Singer, considering its recent casting announcement (OK, so I personally had never heard of
Constantine Maroulis since I don't watch "
American Idol," but since the television show resonates with virtually every demographic out there, his addition is likely to spur interest
somewhere).
One similarity with
The Producers is that
The Wedding Singer is now offering huge discounts of up to $50 off on tickets purchased through October 29. Tickets for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are reduced to $61.25, and $66.25 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays by using promotion code
WS24PBE.
Will it be enough to outlast
The Producers? I think it could be just the ticket.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Wedding Singer tickets.Related Stories:Going: Three for Three (September 5, 2006)
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Musical, Stunt Casting, The Producers, The Wedding Singer
Going: Three for ThreeIn the midst of this past Labor Day weekend, three Broadway shows concluded their runs on September third.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,
Sweeney Todd and
The Lieutenant Of Inishmore were each successful either as popular favorites or for critical acclaim.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels seemed to fit squarely into the first camp, although once
Jonathan Pryce signed-on, it seemed to catch favor with critics taking a second look. Of course, no one had anything but praise for
Norbert Leo Butz, who took home a Tony for his extraordinary efforts. Personally, I loved the show from the get-go and
ranked it among my top five shows from the 2004-05 Theatrical Season. All totaled,
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels played 666 regular performances at the
Imperial Theatre.
While critically-acclaimed,
Sweeney Todd couldn't sustain public interest despite the fact that it had a superb cast (
Michael Cerveris and
Patti LuPone) throughout its 349 regular performances at the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Personally, I enjoyed immensely the unique staging of this
Stephen Sondheim masterpiece in which each of the cast members did double duty as the orchestra. I was a bit disheartened that it never really caught fire as well as its failure to win the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. Overall, with its inspired direction, wonderful orchestrations and excellent cast, I
ranked it among my top ten for the 2005-06 Theatrical Season.
Finally, the one show that closed that I didn't have an opportunity to see was the dark comedy
The Lieutenant Of Inishmore, which closed at the
Lyceum Theatre after just 142 regular performances. Despite the critical buzz, it was completely ignored on Tony night in favor of
The History Boys, which for the time being now stands as the only
play left on Broadway.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, of course, lives on and is already touring.
Sweeney Todd will soon follow. No word yet on the afterlife for
The Lieutenant Of Inishmore, but don't be surprised to see regional theatres resurrecting it for local productions.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels tour tickets.Related Stories:Lieutenant of Inishmore to Lay Down Arms September 3 (August 24, 2006)
The Latest "Dirt" From the Road (August 21, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
The Reckoning: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels to Close in September (August 17, 2006)
Down and Dirty in Seattle (August 4, 2006)
Sweeney Todd's Close Shave: LuPone and Cerveris to Stay Put Through Thanksgiving (June 27, 2006)
Star Rising: Nicole Van Giesen (June 26, 2006)
Great Scott...She's Back! Sherie René Scott Returns to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (June 21, 2006)
Butz and Pryce Flee the Scene on July 16 (June 5, 2006)
Wicked Becomes Broadway's 8th Overall Cumulative Grosser Among Current Hits (June 2, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Lucie Arnaz Plays Omaha Chic in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (May 23, 2006)
O-Kaye Given to Temporary LuPone Replacement (May 18, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #10 - Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY) (May 15, 2006)
Three Critics' Blood Pressure Soars in Reviews of The Lieutenant of Inishmore (May 4, 2006)
Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore Completes Broadway Transfer (May 3, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Musical, Play, Revival, Sweeney Todd, The Lieutenant Of Inishmore
