Starry Driving Miss Daisy Steers Toward Great White Way
No sooner do I post my story on all the plays and musicals that have been confirmed for Broadway this next season and up pops another new show. Well, perhaps not exactly "new."
Directed by David Esbjornson, this revival will be Miss Daisy's first trip ever down Broadway, after having first appeared 23 years ago at Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons with Dana Ivey and Morgan Freeman.
The one and only time I caught Driving Miss Daisy on stage came in 1988 when I experienced the play in London. I'll never forget that incredible evening with the late Dame Wendy Hiller portraying Daisy Werthan opposite a young Clarke Peters as her chauffeur and companion Hoke Colburn. Presented as a three-hander, the stage was virtually bear save for some folding chairs lined up in lieu of car seats. Hiller and Peters didn't need any props to power their story of enduring friendship forward. They were simply magnificent, and it was a night at the theatre unlike any other I've ever enjoyed.
If I have any quibble with yesterday's announcement, it's that James Earl Jones is six years older than Vanessa Redgrave. The entire play's premise is built around Miss Daisy being too old to drive herself, let alone by someone on the cusp of turning 80. That Jones is now six years older than Morgan Freeman, who had just turned 50 when he first took to the wheel of the 1987 Off-Broadway production, makes me wonder how exactly Esbjornson will conceive his Hoke. But given how much I admire both Redgrave and Jones, you can bet that I'm looking forward to seeing this production.
Slated to being previews at the John Golden Theatre on October 7, Driving Miss Daisy will open on October 25. The limited engagement will conclude its run January 29, 2011.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
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Today, I give you a list of 14 shows that producers have indicated are heading to the Great White Way this season, but these shows have not yet secured theatres or specific dates.
Again, just like yesterday, the caveat is that some may never arrive.
Here are the fourteen shows that may (or may not) have a life on Broadway this next year:
Neither theatre nor dates have been announced for the revival.
Betty Boop
In November 2008, it was announced that composer David Foster was at work on a score for a musical version of that wide-eyed animated beauty Betty Boop. Last we heard, Oscar Williams and Sally Robinson were writing the book.
Neither venue nor dates have been announced, but it was initially reported that the musical would be ready for this upcoming season at a Nederlander Theatre.
In April, it was announced that Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman's musical version of the film was Broadway bound for a Spring 2011 berth. But with director Jack O'Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell still at work on Love Never Dies, the question of whether they'll be able to roll out two shows simultaneously may very well be worth $64,000.
Neither venue nor dates have been announced for Catch Me If You Can.
Godspell
Although a revival for Stephen Schwartz's musical Godspellwas initially planned and then dropped for the 2008-09 Theatrical Season, it was announced last December that producer Ken Davenport would now bring that "postponed" version to Broadway sometime this fall. Director Daniel Goldstein remains attached to the upcoming production.
Neither venue nor dates have been announced.
Hedwig And The Angry Inch
This past March, it was announced that John Cameron Mitchell's cult camp classic musical about an East German transexual rocker would finally find its way to the Great White Way. Mitchell is expected to reprise the role he first created at New York's Jane Street Theatre twelve years ago.
No venue has been confirmed, but the announcement indicated that the musical could be produced yet this fall.
After first premiering in Sydney nearly four years ago (where I saw and enjoyed it), this musical version of the film with music moved on to London and is now slated to come to Broadway by way of Toronto.
Producers have not yet announced a Main Stem venue or dates (other than to say "Spring 2011"), but they have secured Will Swenson (Hair) as Tick to play opposite Tony Sheldon's extraordinary Bernadette.
Over two years have passed since I first wrote about this long-gestating musical version of the 1992 film. More than a year has passed since it was reported that Joe Nichols would be Pure Country's leading man (although his name no longer appears on the tuner's Web site -- only country superstar Lorrie Morgan's is listed for castmembers). But as recently as December, it was announced that Warren Carlyle would choreograph the Broadway show.
The stage musical version of Whoopi Goldberg's hit film that originated at the Pasedena Playhouse in 2006 is now Broadway-bound in Spring 2011. While the woman born as Caryn Elaine Johnson will retain her production credit as she has in the current London version, Jerry Zaks is being brought in to direct the Main Stem incarnation. No word yet on casting.
Reports have indicated that producers will bring Yank! to Broadway during the 2010-11 Theatrical Season with David Cromer announced as its director. Yank! is a new musical about love in the trenches of World War II and will likely feature Bobby Steggert reprising his Off-Broadway turn.
Playbill still lists You Can't Take It With You as an open-ended production scheduled to begin Broadway previews November 5 and open November 14, 2010. But this has to be among the biggest question marks of the season.
So, dear readers, which of these shows do you hope comes to fruition?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending June 27, 2010
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending June 27, 2010
If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the week ending June 27, 2010:
4:30 pm June 27 - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, PROMISESx2, FENCES, JERSEY BOYS, BILLY ELLIOT, MARY POPPINS each have $1MM+ weeks
4:32 pm June 28 - WICKED remains #1 at Broadway box office grossing $1,641,718 last week. Average ticket price: $113.44. 100% capacity.
4:33 pm June 28 - LION KING last week's #2 show grossing $1,551,798 on Broadway playing to 100.1% capacity. Average ticket price: $115.59
4:34 pm June 28 - FENCES remains Broadway's top grossing play: $1,138,982.Also highest average ticket: $129.89 & highest capacity: 101.6%
4:35 pm June 28 - NEXT FALL had Broadway's lowest weekly gross: $180,317. Average ticket price: $59.24. Playing to 64.6% capacity.
4:36 pm June 28 - RACE has week's lowest capacity 46.6% & lowest average ticket price $51.95. Grosses $204,944 Will show close early?
4:37 pm June 28 - Just-closed HAIR goes off with bangs! Grosses $712,008 playing to 85.3% capacity up 15.2%. Highest over week over week
4:38 pm June 28 - FELA! has week's biggest capacity decrease of 4.1% to 88.2%. Grosses $588,286. Average tickets priced $80.99
4:39 pm June 28 - FELA! and RACE are only two Broadway shows last week to lose capacity. Overall, a very strong week at box office.
4:40 pm June 28 - Despite the critics, both ADDAMS FAMILY and PROMISES PROMISES are building audiences. Each earned $1.3 million+
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
(Dear Readers: To view the most current and up-to-the-minute list, please click here.)
When the final curtain came down on the 2010 Tony Awards, so did the curtain on Broadway's 2009-10 Theatrical Season.
Sure, there's still a whole host of shows you can -- and should -- still see from last season (and before), but it's finally time to think toward the future.
What shows are opening on Broadway during the upcoming year? By my count, there are already 21 plays, musicals and special theatrical events ready to hit the Great White Way. There's an unusually high preponderance of openings scheduled for this fall, leaving me to wonder how long Tony's memory will be next June.
While it's entirely possible that more than one of the following plays or musicals that have already been confirmed for the 2010-11 Theatrical Season may ultimately never materialize, here's the early list of what is currently scheduled to open:
Harry Connick, Jr. returns to Broadway for his first time since appearing in The Pajama Game four years ago. This time, it's all Harry, all the time. In concert. On Broadway.
Performances begin July 15 and are only scheduled through July 29, 2010. But this gig has already been extended.
Cherry Jones finally returns to Broadway in Doug Hughes' revival of the enduring George Bernard Shaw work. The play centers on the lengths one mother goes toward keep her daughter comfortable.
Previews begin September 3, although an opening night has yet to be scheduled. The limited run is slated to conclude on December 5, 2010.
The single best show I saw all last season is now coming to Broadway. Kneehigh Theatre's production of Noël Coward's Brief Encounter defies any neat description as it seamlessly incorporates both music and a stunning projection design. After seeing this show, I'll defy you to tell me a Tony Award for projection design isn't finally in order.
Previews begin September 10 and it opens September 28. The limited run is currently scheduled through December 5, 2010.
Manhattan Theatre Club transfers Lee Hall's lauded play and its London cast. Helmed by Max Roberts, The Pitmen Painters focuses on poor coal miners who become celebrated for their paintings.
Previews begin September 14, with an opening night slated for September 30. The limited run is scheduled through December 12, 2010.
Slated to being previews at the John Golden Theatre on October 7, Driving Miss Daisy will open on October 25. The limited engagement will conclude its run January 29, 2011.
John Kander and the late Fred Ebb's "new" musical about the injustices young African-American men face when arrested for crimes against white women in Alabama. The tuner is directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. (I'm so excited about this show that I'll be catching its out of town tryout.)
Previews for this open-ended show begin October 7, 2010 with opening night scheduled for October 31, 2010.
UPDATE: Previews had been scheduled to begin for this open-ended run begin October 8; opening night is slated for November 7. On July 9, it was announced that the show has been postponed to Spring 2011 at a "Shubert theatre to be announced."
The Beatles-tribute band Rain brings its concert show to Broadway. Shows like this and Connick's will make you wonder why they don't just bring back the Special Event Tony.
Previews begin October 19 and the show opens October 26, 2010. The limited run is scheduled through January 2, 2011.
After a celebrated West Coast run of his new adventure with his "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" cohorts, Pee-Wee Herman (a/k/aPaul Reubens) is seeking to complete his comeback (and Reubens' career rehabilitation).
Previews begin October 26, and the show opens November 11, 2010. Currently, the very limited run is slated to close December 5, 2010.
Under the direction of Casey Nicholaw, this limited run is currently scheduled to begin previews on November 2 and open November 10. The musical will then conclude on January 2, 2011.
Given this show's notorious tabloid life to date, its inclusion on this list may seem dubious at best. But U2 manager Paul McGuinness was quoted by a Dublin paper just this past Friday saying Julie Taymor's beleaguered production would still arrive this year.
McGuinness says the musical from Paul David Hewson and David Howell Evans -- better known, respectively, as Bono and The Edge -- will open in November, so the production makes my list. Just don't hold your breath.
Lincoln Center brings the highly-anticipated and acclaimed London production of War Horse to Broadway. The World War I tale of a man and his horse is brought to life through puppetry and music.
Previews are set to begin on March 17, 2011. Open night is scheduled for April 14, 2010.
So, dear readers, which of these shows has you most excited?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
It really is a must-see if you're in London. But even if you're nowhere near the UK this summer, you now have an opportunity to see it without having to travel there.
London Assurance may very well be coming to a theatre near you as early as June 28 as NT Live begins screening this sterling production to approximately 200 venues throughout the world, including cinemas and legitimate theatres.
I'll be taking in a screening in the comfort of one of my favorite theatres mid-July.
Go here to see full listing of international venues where you can see London Assurance (or here for all listing in the United States).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
If you're among my regular Steve On Broadway (SOB) readers, surely by now you know that the Broadway musical Wicked rates as the tuner the Love Of My Life (LOML) and I have adopted as "Our Show."
While some couples have their song, we have our musical. And we make no apologies for it whatsoever.
If you've ever wondered what a major international blockbuster this show has become, consider this -- worldwide, Wicked has grossed over $1.9 billion and it has entertained more than 24 million people, who have seen it in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and Australia. Soon, it will also be seen in Finland and Denmark.
While the musical has that tagline, "So much happened before Dorothy dropped in," so much has happened with Wicked since I last wrote about the show late last year. Here's a rundown on Wicked's global reach, where it is currently playing and where it will be performing:
Wicked - Broadway Gershwin Theatre - New York, New York
After opening October 30, 2003, to mixed reviews, the original production of Wicked is still going strong.
Not only does it regularly rank as the top grossing Broadway show week after week, but after more than six and a half years, it's also one of those rare shows that still sells every single seat.
Tonight, it will have played its 2755th performance, and it ranks as the 18th longest running show in Broadway history. By year's end, it will eclipse Hello, Dolly! currently in 17th place.
From my own tally, my LOML and I have seen the show on Broadway at least six times, most recently about a year ago when I found the musical still in tiptop shape.
Wicked - San Francisco Orpheum Theatre - San Francisco, California
Once the Los Angeles sitdown production closed January 11, 2009, after 791 performances, the company moved up the coast to San Francisco, which was home to the initial Broadway tryout that opened June 10, 2003.
The San Francisco sitdown production opened February 6, 2009, and is currently slated to close on September 5, 2010, after playing a total of 672 regular performances.
While my LOML and I never saw the show in LA, we enjoyed a performance at San Francisco's Orpheum last September when Patty Duke was portraying Madame Morrible.
The two national touring companies of Wicked are still going strong, typically pulling into a major city (and many second-tier cities) for an entire month.
Currently, the tour schedule for two companies run through next summer in Omaha and Washington, DC.
To date, I've seen the touring companies perform four times: once in Chicago (not counting all the times I subsequently saw its sitdown production there), twice in Minneapolis and one more time in Des Moines.
While the touring company doesn't come with all the bells and whistles of the Broadway or other sitdown productions, the stagecraft ranks among the best I've ever seen in any touring show, and the casts are every bit as good as you'll find anywhere.
Wicked - London Apollo Victoria Theatre, London, United Kingdom
As the first international production Wicked to open, this production was voted "Most Popular Show" by audiences earlier this year in a special Olivier Award category.
The West End incarnation of Wicked opened September 27, 2006, and enjoyed its 1500th performance on April 23, 2010. The show is currently booking through April 30, 2011.
My LOML and I caught a performance in April 2007. Of all our Wicked experiences, this ranked as the weakest of the bunch. But I readily admit it could have just been an off-performance.
The first foreign-language version of Wicked opened June 17, 2007, at Tokyo's Shiki Theatre. The Japanese-language production closed September 6, 2009, before transferring to Osaka, where it opened October 11, 2009. The show is still playing.
At the close of 2007, my LOML and I journeyed to see the Tokyo production. If you've never seen an American musical in a different language, it's quite a unique experience. Fortunately, since we already knew the show backwards and forwards, we had little difficulty following it. Since that time, we've purchased the Japanese language cast recording, and it's a real hoot to listen to.
On November 15, 2007, the second non-English language production of Wicked opened.
This time, Wicked - Die Hexen von Oz (or "The Witches of Oz) was produced entirely in German at Stuttgart's Palladium Theater. After closing January 29, 2010, it transferred to Oberhausen's Metronom Theater, where it opened March 9 and is still performing.
For the first time in our Wicked experience, my LOML and I enjoyed front-row seats when taking in the Stuttgart production over Thanksgiving 2007. We thought this incarnation had some of the best talent we had ever seen in the show, and when the cast recording was issued that December, we couldn't resist in purchasing it immediately.
Wicked - Sydney Capitol Theatre - Sydney, Australia
Given Australians' penchant for calling their nation "Oz," it was inevitable that Wicked would find its way there.
On July 12, 2008, Wicked opened at Melbourne's Regent Theatre. As the musical's fourth international production, it played there through August 9, 2009, having enjoyed 464 performances.
On September 12, 2009, Wicked opened in Sydney, where it continues to play at the Capitol Theatre and breaking records as the venue's highest grossing musical. While the show is currently slated to close exactly one year after it opened (September 12, 2010), it will continue to live on Down Under. My LOML and I will see the production on the evening of August 18.
In January 2011, Wicked will transfer to Brisbane's Lyric Theatre, followed by an April 2011 opening at Adelaide's Festival Theatre.
Wicked - Helsinki Helsingin Kaupungin Teatteri - Helsinki, Finland
On August 26, 2010, the first non-replicated production of Wicked premieres in Helsinki of all places.
Non-replicated essentially means it will be staged differently than the Broadway original with its own production and creative team. And it will be mounted in Finnish.
Currently, this production of Wicked is selling tickets through December 31, 2010.
Beginning in January 2011, the second non-replicated production of Wicked takes root, this time in Denmark. Currently, Wicked - Heksene Fra Oz is scheduled through May 2011. This production will be in Danish.
To date, my LOML and I have made over 20 visits to Wicked beginning with our first time at the Gershwin on November 1, 2003. Since then, we've seen the show in nine different venues in five different countries.
Where in the world will our fascination with Wicked take us next? Only the time dragon clock knows for sure.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
While promoting her upcoming book, "Patti LuPone: A Memoir," the acclaimed actress discussed her experiences in live theatre. To view the nearly 37 minute-long video, click here.
Her discussion is an insightful and fascinating study on everything from her opinions on what it takes to be a great actresse vs. merely a "performer" to how movie musicals stack up against the original stage musicals.
Patti LuPone's autobiography is due out this coming September 14 from Harmony Books and promises to be one of the best reads of the year for any theatre.
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
Next Fall walked away from the Tonys with no wins, yet the show was already stumbling and falling at the box office with weeks of very low sales in what is Broadway's tiniest house.
While my prediction came true, I don't relish it for one moment -- even for a show I didn't much care for -- because it means that the play's hard-working actors and crew won't have jobs. But the blow here is particularly hard.
Next Fall cost about $2 million to mount, and one of its lead producers, Richard Willis, said that the show will close at a total loss to its producers and investors.
Among those producers were Elton John and David Furnish, whose names were often included above the title.
Maybe if the show weren't so cliché-ridden or preachy, ironically about how narrow-minded people of faith purportedly are, it could have attracted a much wider audience.
Next Fall will close on July 4 after 26 previews and 132 regular performances.
Broadway Box Office Tweets - Week Ending June 20, 2010
If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that each Monday, I offer my quick analysis of each preceding week's box office on Broadway.
The week after the Tony Awards is always telling because it demonstrates which shows gained from the broadcast and which ones sadly did not.
For your viewing pleasure, here are my tweets in chronological order for the week ending June 20, 2010:
4:30 pm June 20 - Broadway box office totals are up slightly over last week. Grosses $21,957,198
4:31 pm June 20 - WICKED, LION KING, ADDAMS FAMILY, PROMISES PROMISES, FENCES, BILLY ELLIOT & JERSEY BOYS each gross $1 million+
4:32 pm June 20 - Sold-out WICKED week's top grossing show on Broadway pulling in $1,620,876. Average ticket price: $112.00
4:33 pm June 20 - FENCES continues breaking records at Broadway's Cort grossing $1,135,974 with average ticket now priced at $129.53
4:34 pm June 20 - As week's top grossing play FENCES also hits capacity home run as week's highest at 101.6%. Lots of standing room only
4:35 pm June 20 - Week's highest average ticket price: $130.50-A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC bid farewell to Catherine Zeta-Jones/Angela Lansbury
4:36 pm June 20 - Grossing $950,296, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC played to 97.8% capacity last week.
4:37 pm June 20 - NEXT FALL was week's lowest grossing Broadway show: $154,207. Average ticket price: $55.31 on 59.2% capacity
4:38 pm June 20 - EVERYDAY RAPTURE had week's lowest average ticket price on Broadway: $52.99. Grosses $213,249 on 68% capacity
4:39 pm June 20 - RACE had week's lowest capacity on Broadway: 47.6%. Grosses $253,436 with average tickets priced $62.97
4:40 pm June 20 - Tony Best Musical MEMPHIS enjoys box office bump: Grosses $835,071. Up over $135K week over week. Capacity at 86.5%
4:41 pm June 20 - Tony Best Musical Revival LA CAGE gets slight bump: $687,825 gross. Capacity up 3.5% to 86.5%. Av tix priced $94.02
4:42 pm June 20 - Tony Best Play RED capacity decreases to 98.9% but increases gross by nearly $130K to $666,618. Av tix priced $104.78
4:43 pm June 20 - PROMISES PROMISES gets biggest Tony bump as capacity increases 9% to 97.2%. Grosses $1,237,426. Av tix priced $91.06
4:45 pm June 20 - COME FLY AWAY has week's biggest drop in capacity down 13.2% to just 52.3%. Grosses $667,096. Av tix priced $99.02
Feel free to comment and let me know if you're surprised by any of these results.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
Now it's been confirmed that Deanna Dunagan and Rondi Reed will reprise their magnificent Tony-winning turns as Violet Weston and Mattie Fae Aiken, respectively, one more time at the Sydney Theatre Company's Main Stage.
Other casting includes Molly Ranson (Jean Fordham) who was a Broadway replacement in the role of Jean Fordham, and three members of the London cast: Chelcie Ross (Beverly Weston), Paul Vincent O'Connor (Charlie Aiken) and Gary Cole (Steve Heidebrecht). As Little Charles, only Gary Wilmes is completely new to the cast.
Wilmes replaces Ian Barford, husband of August: Osage County director Anna D. Shapiro. Not only will Barford will tend to his fatherly duties back home while Shapiro once again shapes the show in Sydney, but Steppenwolf audiences will see him on their boards again this September in Detroitalongside Laurie Metcalf.
August: Osage County begins performances at the Sydney Theatre Company August 13 with previews on August 14 and 16. The play opens Down Under on August 17 and performances are currently scheduled through September 25.
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles Limited run extended through May 31, 2011 (Show will go on hiatus starting January 15 and reopen at Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8)
Rock Of Ages - Open-ended run (Show will go on hiatus starting January 9 and reopen at Helen Hayes Theatre in March)
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
Starry Driving Miss Daisy Steers Toward Great White Way
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Sister Act
The Book of Mormon
The Mountaintop
Yank!
Mrs. Warren's Profession
The Pitmen Painters
A Life in the Theatre (Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre)
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles
The Pee-Wee Herman Show
Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark
The Importance Of Being Earnest
Love Never Dies
Wicked
Wicked
Wicked
Wicked
Wicked
