Lindsey Lohan & Paris Hilton To Make Broadway Debuts In ChicagoIt's
official!
Steve On Broadway (SOB) has learned that
Lindsey Lohan and
Paris Hilton are set to make their Great White Way debuts as
Chicago's Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, respectively.
Long known as Broadway's biggest bastion for stunt casting, the now 11 year old revival of
Chicago is the perfect place for these celebrity "actors" to enjoy the footlights of Broadway for the first time.
You can
bet that
I'll be there to
cheer them on.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Lindsey Lohan, Musical, Paris Hilton
Blonde Not Quite Ready To Jump SharkImagine my surprise when one of my dear, regular readers sent me the following from
Us Magazine:
A source says Britney Spears’ ex, 30, may be heading to NYC in September to make his Broadway debut in Legally Blonde, the Tony-nominated musical adaptation of the hit film, Us Weekly reports in its latest issue, on newsstands now.
“He’s so excited!” a Federline source tells Us.
The former backup dancer and aspiring hip-hop artist — who is hitting the gym after packing on “daddy weight,” ex Shar Jackson says — will test his song-and-dance chops in a trio of roles — including the UPS guy who inspires the “bend and snap.”
“This is his chance to show the world what he can do,” says a pal.
And now that he has physical custody, sons Sean, 2, and Jayden, 18 months, might join him in the Big Apple.
“This is his dream and he wants to bring the kids,” says the insider. “Jamie and Lynne [Spears] promised to help him make it work.”
(A rep for the show says he is not scheduled “as of this time.”)
Federline may not be the only star hitting Broadway: New mom Nicole Richie has been approached to star in Chicago.
Then, imagine my even
bigger surprise when reading Chris Caggiano's post yesterday at
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals:
Another sign of the impending apocalypse: US magazine reports that Kevin Federline may be joining the cast of Broadway's Legally Blonde. Presumably as Warner, the part originated by Richard Blake? Or perhaps as the UPS guy that Paulette falls for? Or maybe even the "Is he gay or European?" dude at the trial? Certainly not as Emmet, the good guy who gets the girl, a part originated by the talented Christian Borle?
My surprise wasn't necessarily that
Legally Blonde would actually jump the shark with stunt casting. No. It was that either of these fine people would read
Us Magazine!
So I clicked onto
Us this morning to see what's up. And guess what? Kevin Federline
will not be appearing in
Legally Blonde. Or at least, so they say now.
Impending apocalypse avoided? Well, not if the
Us rumor on Nicole Richie going
Chicago proves true. But let's just say, I'll believe it when I read it somewhere else.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Britney Spears, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals, Jump The Shark, Kevin Federline, Legally Blonde, Nicole Richie, Stunt Casting, Us Magazine
All Of Great White Way Gleams TonightEvery show that had shuttered during the 19-day Broadway stagehands strike will reopen for business this evening.
Without missing a beat last evening, the 11-year old production of
Chicago announced that it is hoping to lure audiences back tonight with
discounted seats offered at just $26.50. If you ask me, all shows should be doing something along those lines and for longer periods of time. Producers need to really roll the red carpet out for the people paying the tickets.
Meanwhile, rescheduled opening nights are in the news:
The Farnsworth Invention will now open on December 3.
August: Osage County's limited, but already extended run opens on December 4.
The Seafarer will open on December 6.
Is He Dead?, which was originally scheduled to open this evening will now open December 9.
The Little Mermaid has now pushed its opening all the way into the New Year to January 10.
The net result is one crazy busy week for critics, especially considering that one of the eight shows that remained opened for business during the strike was
Cymbeline, which officially opens this Sunday, December 2 at Lincoln Center.
I'll be providing my reviews of
The Farnsworth Invention and
Cymbeline over the next week as well.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Lockout, Stagehands, Strike
The Apocalypse Is NearAccording to
New York Post's "Page Six" team,
Tori Spelling and her husband
Dean McDermott are the latest spouses to be offered roles in Broadway's über-stunt-casted production of
Chicago.
Eleven years and going, well, weak.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Chicago (The SOB Revisit) (January 16, 2007)
Revisiting Chicago (January 12, 2007)
Happy Birthday, Chicago! (November 14, 2006)
Usher Out (October 12, 2006)
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: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Dean McDermott, Musical, Stunt Casting, Tori Spelling
Amazing Candor From Amazing KanderAs I hope I've made abundantly clear over the last year of writing Steve On Broadway (SOB), I truly love what the legendary songwriting team of
John Kander and the late
Fred Ebb has bestowed upon the theatre world. Their style, grace and wit have made for enduring and riveting entertainment that will last for generations.
With classics like
Cabaret and
Chicago to lesser known fare like
The Rink to their current Broadway treat
Curtains, I've cherished my opportunities to enjoy the scores that the two have supplied to the Great White Way since 1965. That's when the duo's first collaboration, for
Flora, The Red Menace,
landed on the boards of the
Alvin Theatre and made a bona fide star out of then 19 year old
Liza Minnelli, who took home the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.
Now, in a
Playbill interview, Kander speaks candidly about life without Ebb, as well as his continued efforts to soldier on with material the two started together. In the interview, Kander says: "I mean, I have no pride about all this. I'm enjoying the lyric writing that I'm doing -- that I do with much less confidence (than the music), of course. I would have no compunctions about asking somebody for help."
Help has certainly come to him from
Rupert Holmes, who aided
Curtains on both the score and the book (after the death of
Peter Stone). But according to the Playbill story,
Curtains does not necessarily spell curtains for the slew of shows Kander and Ebb had been writing prior to the former's death.
Still to come:
All About Us (artwork for the production is to the left), based on the Thornton Wilder Pulitzer Prize-winning classic "Skin Of Our Teeth." The musical, with a book by
Joseph Stein (
Fiddler On The Roof), will be produced next month at the
Westport Country Playhouse. The
Gabriel Barre-helmed show features some high-test talent, including
Eartha Kitt,
Shuler Hensley and
Cady Huffman.
The Visit, revised with help from
Terrence McNally from its earlier
Goodman Theatre (Chicago) incarnation, will be produced this fall at the Washington DC-area's
Signature Theatre.
Chita Rivera will reprise the role she originated at the Goodman.
The Minstrel Show, with help from
Susan Stroman and
David Thompson, the latter of whom has collaborated with Kander and Ebb on
Chicago and
Steel Pier.
According to Playbill, Kander describes this as a "vicious" musical that examines racial inequities in the United States during the Great Depression. The Playbill story indicates that the show is "in limbo."
Given that the tuner, quite shockingly, is intended to be presented in blackface, I can't say I'm surprised even if it was close to completion when Fred Ebb passed away. Personally, I hope the conception of this show is being carefully considered so as not to leave a permanent black mark on their otherwise wonderful record of musical success.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for All About Us tickets.Click here for Chicago tickets.Click here for Curtains tickets.Related Stories:Did Curtains Rise On Critics' Reviews? (March 23, 2007)
Curtains Finally Open On New Kander & Ebb Tuner (March 22, 2007)
The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
Laurence Olivier Award Nominations Announced (January 18, 2007)
Chicago (The SOB Revisit) - Ambassador Theatre, New York, NY (January 16, 2007)
Revisiting Chicago (January 12, 2007)
Happy Birthday, Chicago! (November 14, 2006)
Curtains To Rise At Al Hirschfeld Theatre In March (November 3, 2006)
LuPone Likely for London? (November 3, 2006)
Survey Says.... (October 23, 2006)
Did London Critics Care Much For Cabaret Revival? (October 11, 2006)
Cabaret Opens Its West End Doors This Evening (October 10, 2006)
Chita Rivera to Make Return "Visit" in DC (August 25, 2006)
Cabaret's Conservative Casting Choices (August 18, 2006)
Curtains Meets the Critics (August 10, 2006)
Curtains (The SOB Review) – Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center, Los Angeles, CA (August 10, 2006)
Curtains Set to Rise on Curtains Tonight in LA (August 9, 2006)
Curtains Pulls Advance Buzz (August 1, 2006)
Curtains' Calling on Broadway? (July 24, 2006)
Another Cabaret? It Couldn't Please Me More (July 5, 2006)
Kander and Ebb's Curtains Set to Rise in LA This Summer (May 11, 2006)
Labels: All Of Us, Broadway, Cabaret, Chicago The Musical, Curtains, Fred Ebb, John Kander, Musical, Revival, The Minstrel Show, The Rink, The Visit
Chicago (The SOB Revisit) - Ambassador Theatre, New York, NY
**** (out of ****)
If
Bebe Neuwirth could return to Broadway's current longest-running revival, I decided I could, too. So over the past weekend, I made my way back to
Chicago. What a trip!
I had no doubt that Neuwirth would make the journey worthwhile, but I truly expected the musical to show its age. Far from it. That the entire experience still rocks and excites is a huge credit to
Walter Bobbie's exquisite direction, which received a very well-deserved Tony.
It doesn't hurt that
John Lee Beatty's ingeniously spare set design is also stripped down to the bare essentials. It sharpens the focus on the performances by the nimble, agile cast, including exceptional ensemble members. Of course, with
William Ivey Long's sexy costume design, it's impossible to take your eyes off of them.
While the tuner has become infamous in recent years for practically writing the book on shameless stunt-casting, the only real novelty in the production today is that its original Velma Kelly is now portraying Roxie Hart through March 25. But there was never any doubt Neuwirth could pull it off and make it look so beautiful, funny and effortless. The question in my mind was whether the rest of the cast could keep up.
Because the current cast is now filled with solid pros -- like veteran
Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly,
Rob Bartlett who's returned as Amos Hart,
Roz Ryan as "Mama" Morton,
R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine and
Philip Casnoff as Billy Flynn -- audiences are guaranteed an excellent show by troupers who more than hold their own opposite Neuwirth. In fact, Bartlett was perhaps the biggest surprise with his tender, nuanced turn as the nebbish Amos; mining the absolute depths of this supposedly see-through character, he brought a tear to my eye.
Suffice to say that I wouldn't hesitate to strongly recommend a return visit to anyone who has seen Chicago before -- in fact, I was half-tempted to take in the next performance.
And for anyone who has only seen the movie, you owe it to yourself to see the live stage show the way it was really meant to be performed. At least for now, you have the perfect opportunity. Go ahead, make the journey!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories: Labels: Bebe Neuwirth, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting, The SOB Revisit
Revisiting Chicago
Tomorrow, I'm making a trip back to
Chicago. Not the city, mind you, but the longest-running current Broadway revival.
While I've certainly enjoyed the film version over and over, including quite recently, I haven't seen the musical live since 1998.
Now I know I've been somewhat harsh on the production over the past year, particularly as they've resorted to stunt-casting. Though some of their choices have been inspired, many simply have not reflected well on a show that in my humble estimation deserves nothing but the best.
Fortunately for the tuner, they now have it once again in
Bebe Neuwirth, who has rejoined the production through March 25. I'm revisiting
Chicago precisely to experience its glory-day razzle dazzle now that she's returned. Of course, what's truly inspired about her return is that she's now portraying the
other merry murderess, Roxie Hart. Neuwirth took home a Tony for her take on Velma Kelly back in 1997.
Neuwirth will be joined by
Chicago veteran
Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly,
Rob Bartlett as Amos Hart,
Roz Ryan as "Mama" Morton,
R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine and
Philip Casnoff assuming the role of Billy Flynn from
Huey Lewis (Lewis had been scheduled to depart the production on Sunday, but it appears that Casnoff starting his gig two days early).
With musical pros like Neuwirth and Braxton back in the saddle, the show just has to be good. But you can bet I'll provide you with my recap once the curtain falls!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Bebe Neuwirth, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting
Happy Birthday, Chicago!Proving that the second time around
is more fun,
Chicago --Broadway's longest running musical revival -- celebrates its tenth anniversary on the Great White Way.
With 4,164 regular performances under its impressive dance belt, this
John Kander and
Fred Ebb classic about a pair of merry murderesses is slated to razzle dazzle 'em tonight with a very starry observance that will feature both original cast members and a veritable "who's who" parade of replacements.
During its first year on stage at both the
Richard Rodgers Theatre (November 14, 1996-February 9, 1997)
and the
Shubert Theatre (February 11, 1997-January 26, 2003), the
Walter Bobbie-helmed
Chicago took in a total of eight Tony nominations, capturing six of them.
In addition to being named Best Revival of a Musical,
Chicago earned Tonys for
James Naughton (Best Actor in a Musical),
Bebe Neuwirth (Best Actress in a Musical), Best Director, Best Choreography (
Ann Reinking, who also portrayed Roxie Hart) and Best Lighting (
Ken Billington). Other key cast members included
Joel Grey,
Marcia Lewis and
Michael Berresse.
Personally, I'll be making my return to
Chicago in January for my first time since 1998 when Neuwirth returns to the show as Roxie Hart. The Windy City's musical namesake
cotinues to play its open-ended run at Broadway's
Ambassador Theatre.
Happy birthday,
Chicago!This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:Usher Out (October 12, 2006)
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: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival
Usher OutDespite initial plans for R&B crooner/heartthrob
Usher Raymond to extend his time in
Chicago by two weeks (to October 14), those plans have apparently been scuttled by a bad case of strep throat. He has been out of performances since October 6.
Christopher McDonald is once again set to takeover the role of Billy Flynn this coming Sunday (he performed in the role last year), before the 10 year old musical welcomes
Huey Lewis back to the production on November 20.
Here's wishing Usher a speedy recovery.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories: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: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting
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.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
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
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
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
Will Usher Razzle Dazzle 'em?Alright, I know I've already been quite dismissive of the stunt casting of R&B superstar
Usher Raymond (yes,
Raymond! Who knew?) in the nearly decade-old revival of
Chicago, but I'm willing to listen to what anyone else has to say about his performance as Billy Flynn, which begins tonight.
One blogger whose opinion I value is
Chris Caggiano. Chris, who writes
Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals, had this to say after Usher's casting was announced: "I have little doubt that Usher in
Chicago will be very lucrative for the Weisslers. But I have a feeling that his presence will distract people from the show itself. "
Does this 27 year old self-assured crooner have the necessary chops to make for a believable shyster attorney? With all the buzz, including in some positive press like last Friday's
The New York Times story by
Campbell Robertson, there's bound to be some modicum of success.
One thing has already been assured -- tickets are selling at a brisk pace and Usher's entrance into this durable show may attract fresh audiences to Broadway's
Ambassador Theatre; hopefully that will result in a newfound love for the medium of theatre in more than one Usher fan.
I think it was in that spirit that blogger
Stephen Mosher has rightfully asked, "Won't it be funny if Usher is actually good?" Yes, and you can bet that Usher will have the last laugh -- along with the Weisslers!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:We Had It Coming: Chicago's Starry 10th Anniversary (July 26, 2006)
Chicago to Usher in New Billy Flynn (July 14, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting, Usher
We Had It Coming: Chicago's Starry 10th AnniversaryAs previously noted, November 19 marks the 10th anniversary for the celebrated, stunt-casted, Tony-winning revival of
Chicago -- arguably the most enduring, if not endearing, musical ever written by
John Kander and
Fred Ebb. While I've lamented some of the show's recent casting choices, there is a silver lining to the show's longevity....
Perhaps in what amounts to the
best stunt coup of the year, the producers have announced that they'll be bringing back the principals from the original revival cast -- including
Bebe Neuwirth (Velma Kelly) and
Ann Reinking (Roxie Hart).
James Naughton,
Joel Grey and
Marcia Lewis will also be on hand for the special celebration on November 14. For their efforts in
Chicago, Neuwirth took home the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical and Naughton won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical while Reinking won the the Tony for Best Choreography.
Reinking's choreography was, of course, largely styled after that of her former partner
Bob Fosse, who choreographed the original version of
Chicago. Running at the
46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers) for just over two years and 936 performances, that version of
Chicago received 11 Tony Award nominations in 1976, but was completely shut-out from winning any. That compares with the revival's 8 Tony nominations and 7 wins. (Incidentally, it's also interesting to note that Reinking had served as replacement in the original version for Roxie Hart.)
A post-performance gala will benefit
Safe Horizon, a New York based organization devoted to providing support, preventing violence, and promoting justice for victims of crime and abuse, their families and communities. Tickets for the event start from $500 per person. For benefit information, call 212.577.7749.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Chicago tickets.Related Stories:Chicago to Usher in New Billy Flynn (July 14, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival
