The Public To Transfer Merchant
If you're among the throngs of disappointed theatregoers who has been unable to get free tickets to see
The Merchant Of Venice in Central Park this summer, you can breathe a little easier.
While it won't necessarily cost you a pound of flesh, these tickets certainly won't be free. After weeks of speculation, the
Public Theater just announced it's transferring
William Shakespeare's
The Merchant Of Venice to Broadway this fall. Directed by
Daniel Sullivan, this production famously stars
Al Pacino as Shylock.
The
Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) lists a total of
49 previous New York City productions stetching all the way back to
1768 for what is arguably The Bard's most controversial play. It's particularly provocative due to its depiction of the eponymous character and the ongoing debate over whether that
characterization is anti-Semitic. (The play certainly gave me pause when
I saw it for my first time a few years ago.)
Perhaps that's why it's been nearly 20 years since the last Broadway revival of
The Merchant Of Venice.
That Tony-nominated revival opened on December 19, 1989, at the
46th Street Theatre (now Richard Rodgers Theatre) and played 84 regular performances. Directed by
Peter Hall, starred
Dustin Hoffman as Shylock and
Geraldine James as Portia. Hall, Hoffman and James would each earn Tony nods for their work.
The Public will produce this transfer at Broadway's
Broadhurst Theatre, a considerably smaller space than Central Park's Delacorte Theatre. The limited run's performances will commence October 19 and conclude January 9, 2011.
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.Labels: Al Pacino, Daniel Sullivan, First Word On New Show, Play, Public Theater, Revival, The Merchant Of Venice, William Shakespeare
Bloody Bloody BroadwayYesterday,
it was confirmed that the acclaimed emo-rock musical from
Alex Timbers (book and direction) and
Michael Friedman (score) about the United States'
seventh President is coming to Broadway's
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in September.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson enjoyed its
world premiere at the
Kirk Douglas Theatre (Culver City, CA) in January 2008. After launching there, it became a smash hit at New York's
Public Theatre where it concluded an extended run late last month. In fact, it was the venue's
highest-grossing show ever.
LA's Center Theatre Group
describes the show as follows (take a look at this
link for an amusing promo video):
Shootouts, smallpox and scalpings—growing up on the American Frontier was killer! Hoping to kick some British butt and bitch-slap the Spaniards, thirteen-year old Andrew Jackson joins the Army and grows up to become America’s first populist president and greatest rock star since George Washington.
A fast-paced irreverent rock musical about the country we live in and the leaders we choose. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson redefines America’s seventh president, a pioneer of humble stock who invented the Democratic Party, moved Indians west, and played a kick-ass guitar.
Benjamin Walker will reprise his turn as Andrew Jackson, after
turning down a role in Fox's "
X-Men: First Class." Hollywood's loss is New York's gain. Walker last trod Broadway's boards as Le Chevalier Danceny in the 2008 revival of
Les Liaisons Dangereuses. The actor has been attached to
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson from the start.
After missing the show during its Public run, I'm looking forward to seeing it on Broadway. Only wish some innovative ticketing scheme could be implemented where all you'd have to pay is
$20. After all, why not trade one Andrew Jackson for another?
Previews begin September 21 with an opening date of October 13.
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.Labels: Alex Timbers, Andrew Jackson, Benjamin Walker, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Broadway, First Word On New Show, Michael Friedman, Musical, Public Theater
Road Show (The SOB Review) - The Public Theater, New York, New York
*** (out of ****)Just when you may have thought everyone either loved or hated the latest revision to
Stephen Sondheim's ever-gestating musical, currently called
Road Show, I'm here to tell you that I merely liked
John Doyle's interpretation.
But that's infinitely better than where my own personal journey began with this
Road Show. Just over five years ago, I took in the overbloated
Goodman Theatre production of the tuner's precursor of
Bounce in Chicago, which included a major love storyline barely hinted at in the streamlined
Public Theater staging.
With
John Weidman's book and Sondheim's
Assassinsesque score substantially whittled, Doyle's decidedly darker direction ironically gives
Road Show its, er, bounce. It doesn't hurt that the largely comic verve in Chicago has been replaced by a more serious, sinister examination of
Addison and
Wilson Mizner, the real-life brothers who sought fame and fortune (the former was credited with launching a "Florida Renaissance" via his architecture in Palm Beach and Boca Raton, while the latter wrote three Broadway shows staged between 1909 and 1912). Set against another troubling economic time, Doyle mines the material to maximum cautionary impact, including through his own ingenious scenic design.
In the single best performances I've yet to see from frequent Sondheim interpreters
Michael Cerveris and
Alexander Gemignani, the actors offer measured portrayals of Wilson's greedy self-destruction and Addison's yearning to rise above it, respectively. While Gemignani wrings pathos from his Addison, Cerveris' Wilson is purely and perfectly pathetic ... and highly entertaining.
Will
Road Show someday find its place among the most revered in Sondheim's canon? While it's nowhere near that, yet, it's certainly come a long way.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Alexander Gemignani, Bounce, John Doyle, John Weidman, Michael Cerveris, Musical, New York City, Off-Broadway, Public Theater, Road Show, Stephen Sondheim, The SOB Review
As Public Hair Recedes From Central Park, It Will Grow Anew On BroadwayIf you're like me and simply won't have the opportunity to take in the
Public Theater's free
Shakespeare in the Park production of
Hair, you'll be happy to know that you'll have a second chance to see it in 2009. But this time, it will cost you.
Just three days before its final September 14 performance at
Central Park's
Delacorte Theatre, it's been
announced that the revival of the "American Tribal Love-Rock Musical" will shift to Broadway early next year. No word yet on casting, but I'm sure it's hoped that
Jonathan Groff will once again reprise the role of Berger.
CORRECTION: Groff (briefly) had the role of Claude. Thanks to readers for pointing that out.Originally produced Off-Broadway, the show by
Gerome Ragni,
James Rado and
Galt MacDermot rocked the Great White Way quite literally when
it was transferred to Rialto's
Biltmore Theatre in April 1968. With a cast that featured
Diane Keaton,
Melba Moore and the late
Paul Jabara, the original production only received two 1969 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical (it would lose to
1776). But the production would enjoy 1,750 performances until it shuttered on July 1, 1972.
The only
Broadway revival opened a mere five years later at the same theatre, but only lasted 43 performances.
I've only seen one production of
Hair, and it seemed stuck in a time warp. While the show was downright shocking to 1968 mores, I confess that by the time I saw it, there was no urgency left to any of its messages (of course, I venture that I may have seen it differently against today's backdrop of the Iraq War).
Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing why this particular incarnation enjoyed extension after extension. Let the sunshine in, indeed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Public Theatre's ticket information for remaining Central Park performances. Labels: First Word On New Show, Hair, Jonathan Groff, Musical, Public Theater, Revival, Shakespeare In The Park, Transfer
Stranger Things Have Happened!You heard it here first!
As
I reported here on Tuesday,
Passing Strange will transfer to Broadway this February. Now the news is official. The rock musical by Mark Stewart (aka
Stew) and
Heidi Rodewald will open at the
Belasco Theatre on February 28,2008; previews begin February 2.
Passing Strange is a collaboration between
The Public Theater and the
Berkeley Rep. It played an extended run in the Big Apple over the summer before moving to California. Now it will fill the space suddenly made available after the
strange passing of Lonestar Love.
The entire Off-Broadway cast will transfer, including
de'Adre Aziza,
Daniel Breaker,
Eisa Davis,
Colman Domingo,
Chad Goodridge,
Rebecca Naomi Jones and Stew. Rodewald will be among the musicians on stage.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Passing Strange To Broadway? (October 16, 2007)
Labels: Berkeley Rep, Broadway, First Word On New Show, Passing Strange, Public Theater, Stew
Passing Strange To Broadway?I'm hearing through the grapevine that Mark Stewart (aka
Stew) and
Heidi Rodewald's rock musical
Passing Strange is heading for Broadway in February 2008 and that an announcement is imminent.
Passing Strange -- a collaboration between
The Public Theater and the
Berkeley Rep -- played New York this past summer and was extended by four weeks before moving on to the Left Coast.
The autobiographical piece centers on Stew, "a young black bohemian in search of self and home who charts a course for 'the real' through sex, drugs, and rock and roll."
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Berkeley Rep, Broadway, First Word On New Show, Passing Strange, Public Theater, Rumor, Stew
The Most Farfetched Tony BounceLess than one week after his production of
Company won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical,
John Doyle is himself a hot property.
In addition to having already lined up a directing gig for the new Broadway-bound
Harvey Fierstein musical
A Catered Affair, which will world premiere at San Diego's
Old Globe Theatre this September, Doyle is "likely" to stage a
Public Theater mounting of
Stephen Sondheim's
Bounce next spring,
according to New York Post's Michael Riedel.
In his story, Riedel duly notes the troubled past of the tuner, but explains:
Sondheim and (John) Weidman (who wrote the show's book) have been unwilling to let Bounce die. They get together fairly often at Sondheim's Turtle Bay townhouse to work on the show, and last year the Public staged a private reading of their latest draft. Weidman recently told friends that he and Sondheim believe they've finally solved the show's problems, and that Bounce deserves a New York production.
Riedel says a Broadway transfer is eyed if the reviews are favorable.
I may be one of the few who actually saw the last incarnation of
Bounce, taking in its 2003 Chicago
Goodman Theatre mounting with
Hal Prince at the helm. To be honest, while not exactly the best Sondheim work I've ever seen, it certainly wasn't as bad as its notoriety has made it out to be. Its factually-based story on the rise and fall of Addison and Wilson Mizner held plenty of promise.
Two summers ago, while at Chicagoland's
Ravinia Festival for a special concert performance of Sondheim's
bona fide Broadway flop
Anyone Can Whistle (Ravinia's terrific staging included
Patti LuPone,
Audra McDonald and
Michael Cerveris), I was heartened by a pre-performance discussion with the great composer himself in which he indicated that the saga of
Bounce was far from over. He indicated that he was working to bring the troubled tuner back to his original vision.
If today's Riedel column is any indication, perhaps
Bounce is finally ready to be propelled to theatre's main stage on Broadway. Let's hope so.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Catered Affair, Anyone Can Whistle, Bounce, Broadway, Chicago, Company, Goodman Theatre, John Doyle, Off-Broadway, Public Theater, Ravinia, Stephen Sondheim
Full DisclosureThe latest issue of
Time Out New York offers a look inside spring theatre in the Big Apple, along with "Insider's advice and shows you don't want to miss."
Along with that is a must-read story -- "
20 Dirty Secrets About NY Theater" -- reported by David Cote, Adam Feldman, Kirk Miller and Robert Simonson. It's especially handy for first-time theatregoers.
Naturally, one of those dirty secrets that caught my eye was #3: "Beware the blogotainmercial." Here's the sound advice that was purveyed:
You know that clever theater blog you bookmarked, the one with inside dope on the edgiest shows and artists? Be careful -- it might be a PR tool. Marketing departments have offered drama bloggers free seats to write about hipster-skewing plays such as Pig Farm and Dying City. Mind you, theaters don’t demand positive write-ups; they just want the cool-kid buzz. Blogs to trust: George Hunka’s Superfluities, Isaac Butler’s Parabasis and Jaime’s Surplus.
I was especially pleased to see two of my personal favorite theatre bloggers listed among
TONY's list of
Theater Blogs to Bookmark, including Garrett Eisler's always insightful
The Playgoer and Rocco's hilariously funny
What's Good/What Blows In New York Theatre. Both are very deserving of the recognition they've received.
The charges that bloggers are being used as PR tools is certainly nothing new, yet they continue to serve as an excellent
caveat emptor for anyone googling through the Internet, particularly those trying to find out whether buzz is for real or merely whipped up to support a show.
With that in mind, I want to provide you, my dear readers, with full disclosure about who I am. I originally had planned to write much of this on the rapidly approaching first anniversary of Steve On Broadway, but now seems like the perfect time.
Aside from being a financial donor to Chicago's exceptional
Steppenwolf Theatre for the past three years and to New York's
Public Theatre last year, I have absolutely no connection to any theatre (I resigned my volunteer position as one of Steppenwolf's Auxiliary Council Board of Governors, which also requires being a donor, midway through last year; however, while a member, I always provided full disclosure of that role with every review I offered on Steppenwolf productions).
I am not -- nor have I ever been -- an actor, a playwright, a director, a producer, a composer, a musician, a designer or any of the myriad behind-the-scenes activities that come to mind with the stage. Not even an usher, coat check or any of the other functions associated with a theatre. I'm not even a teacher. However, I greatly admire those who have chosen those vocations because they help make theatre what it is.
You should know that I do not have my sights set on being anything more than what I am right now:
I am purely an audience member. And with the exception of two shows over the last year where I accepted gratis tickets (no, they weren't for
Pig Farm or
Dying City, but instead for shows I would have reviewed the same regardless), I paid for each and every ticket (in most cases it was actually
two tickets) for the productions I've reviewed. You may ask "Why?"
Well, it all comes down to this. I love live theatre as an artform. And the civic-minded side of me believes in the necessity of supporting the performing arts. The rush of seeing writers' words come roaring to life by a breathtaking array of actors gives me the same kind of high that chocolate offers others.
The shows I choose to see are ones that genuinely pique my interest -- I go hoping I'll enjoy the performances or at least find something to admire. I never go because I want to disparage a production. Now that I'm nearly a year into writing Steve On Broadway, I also go because I'm hoping that I can inspire non-theatregoers to check out this wonderfully enduring, vital artform. Thus, I write this blog as my own personal diary of what I like about theatre, and occasionally what I don't.
As alluded to in my "About Me" section, I have personally been involved in public relations. But you should know that I handle PR in the
travel business for one company with which I'm extremely proud to be associated. Only thing is, I don't find it appropriate for me to use this vehicle to promote that company (after all, this is
not a travel blog). I've completely refrained from mentioning the company during my first year of writing Steve On Broadway and pledge to never write about it in this space.
I'm passionate about theatre. I appreciate the trust that many of you have placed in me to give it to you straight and honest.
As
I stated last April, three posts into Steve On Broadway:
Starting a new blog -- my very first -- is more than a little daunting. But I'm relying on old friends, and complete strangers, to keep me honest in my assessments. I'm looking for real dialogue with those of you who enjoy the entire theatrical experience as much as I do. So regardless of what you think of this site, I invite you to post your comments.
While I'm known to be a bit of an SOB (thus Steve On Broadway), this site has a few simple ground rules. First, we don't need to be vulgar to make our points. Instead, we'll engage in polite discourse on a topic -- theatre -- on which we're unmistakably passionate. We may not like a particular actor, actress, playwright, composer or director, but we'll not take the low road with our comments. Instead, we'll engage in true critical analysis that aims to be thought-provoking and stimulating.
So go ahead, post your comments and let the critical analysis begin!
I can only hope I've achieved what I set out to do. Thank you for your trust, and thank you for continuing the dialogue!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Broadway, Musical, Play, Public Theater, Steppenwolf
Good Greif, Rocco's Right
If you've ever taken a sidelong view of Steve On Broadway, you'll certainly have noticed that I proudly display my Daily Reads.
Last week, Rocco scooped virtually every
mainstream theatre site known to man to report that
Michael Greif will be helming
Romeo And Juliet next summer during the Public Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park festival. Rocco got the scoop after learning that a casting notice had been posted. As usual, that news led to some clever and acerbic musings regarding who might actually be cast.
Romeo And Juliet will be presented at the Delacorte Theatre from June 5-July 8. Cheers to Rocco for having the first word on the new show. Now let's pray that the stunt-casting is limited.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, First Word On New Show, New York State, Off-Broadway, Play, Public Theater, Revival
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #6: Meryl StreepIntroduction: Throughout the course of 2006, I've had many incredible opportunities to see some of the best actors, singers and dancers of our time perform live on the stage. Rather than recap the best shows of the year (which I'll do at the close of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season), I'm devoting the last six days of the calendar year to those live performances that have stayed with me throughout the year.Meryl Streep has had nothing short of a spectacular year both on the stage and in film. But it's her singular performance in this past summer's Public Theater production of
Mother Courage And Her Children that merits a place on
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations of '06 list.
Here's
what I had to say about her performance in August:
Not surprising was how easily Meryl Streep can captivate, thus making the three-hour running time breeze by. Indeed, whenever this icon of American acting brilliance is on the stage, she's firmly in command. Given the complexity of her title character, who makes unrepentantly ill-fated choices for her family -- particularly as the hard-nosed business woman making a profit from the death and destruction all around her -- there are few actresses who could pull off the phenomenal feat Streep accomplishes. And did I mention she can sing?
Here's toasting a triumphant Meryl Streep!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Mother Courage And Her Children (The SOB Review) – Delacorte Theater, New York, NY (August 28, 2006)Labels: Meryl Streep, Mother Courage And Her Children, Musical, Off-Broadway, Play, Public Theater, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06
Mother Courage And Her Children (The SOB Review) – Delacorte Theater, New York, NY*** (out of ****)One thing is certain in the stunning, if sometimes uneven,
Tony Kushner adaptation of
Bertolt Brecht’s
Mother Courage And Her Children. It provides so many surprises on so many creative levels that it’s hard to believe that this is ostensibly a
free production. Instead of the bitter drama I was expecting, Kushner serves up an astoundingly humorous and disarmingly
musical depiction of how and why ordinary people support war.
Thanks in part to the direction of
George C. Wolfe, as well as Kushner’s reworking of this modern anti-war classic -- based on the Thirty Years War of the 1600s --
Mother Courage And Her Children resonates with ample allegories to America’s own ongoing, seemingly endless military conflicts in an altogether human, profoundly personal fashion.
Most astonishing to me was the level to which Kushner and musical collaborator
Jeanine Tesori have turned this into a well-orchestrated musical -- with memorable tunes I found humming to myself after departing Central Park’s
Delacorte Theater. Additionally,
Paul Gallo’s elaborate lighting design and
Riccardo Hernández’s rugged set design help to practically pull the audience into the action.
Not surprising was how easily
Meryl Streep can captivate, thus making the three-hour running time breeze by. Indeed, whenever this icon of American acting brilliance is on the stage, she's firmly in command. Given the complexity of her title character, who makes unrepentantly ill-fated choices for her family -- particularly as the hard-nosed business woman making a profit from the death and destruction all around her -- there are few actresses who could pull off the phenomenal feat Streep accomplishes. And did I mention she can sing?
In a wonderful supporting turn,
Kevin Kline provides Courage with affection and an urgent sense of hope when the tide has turned against her. Standout performances were also delivered by
Jenifer Lewis as Yvette -- an earthy, bawdy Belgian -- and
Frederick Weller as Courage’s all-too brave soldiering son Eilif. Also deserving of special mention is
Alexandria Wailes who expertly portrayed Courage's mute daughter Kattrin with heartbreaking beauty.
As mentioned above,
Mother Courage is an uneven production. At its best, the show is breathtakingly excellent. But given the sheer enormity of the production, there are long pauses where the show is disjointedly incoherent, and its often heavy-handed demagoguery sometimes backfires.
However, on the whole, if you want to catch a performance that will be the talk of New York theatre for years to come, make every effort to see Meryl Streep in her own courageous journey.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Did Critics Think This Mother of All War Plays Lived Up to the Courage of Its Convictions? (August 22, 2006)
Public Theater's Mother Courage Opens Tonight in Central Park (August 21, 2006)
Walken Away from Public Courage (July 13, 2006)
Public Theater's 2006 Shakespeare in the Park Officially Starts (June 30, 2006)
The Public Theater at 50 (June 5, 2006)
Labels: Meryl Streep, Mother Courage And Her Children, Off-Broadway, Public Theater, The SOB Review
Did Critics Think This Mother of All War Plays Lived Up to the Courage of Its Convictions?Fresh on the heels of Chicago's theatrical event of the year (
Gypsy) comes New York's response in the form of
Mother Courage And Her Children, which opened last night at Central Park's
Delacourte Theater. I say "response" because this is shaping up to be the Big Apple's biggest "must-see" show in years, despite critical response that runs the gamut.
Clive Barnes of
New York Post opines that "...[A] production this ambitious and worthy is simply not to be missed, even if you do have to camp out overnight to snare a ticket." Of
Meryl Streep, Barnes heaps on the praise saying she, "[R]egisters yet another triumph as
Mother Courage....[S]he gives a vibrant, powerful and highly entertaining performance that's compelling from start to finish -- and even gets a chance to sing onstage again, for the first time in years."
In providing an enthusiastic 3 1/2 stars out of 4,
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner effuses, "[J]ust the chance to see an enduringly great star in an enduringly great play is worth the wait on line for tickets."
Calling
Tony Kushner's adaptation of
Mother Courage "uneven," the labored review by
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times pointedly asserts that the play "is one of those great plays that almost never play great -- at least, not in English." While Brantley says that Streep's performance in the titular role rarely coheres, he acknowledges that "Ms. Streep finds her best Brechtian self in song. 'The Song of the Great Capitulation,' which
Mother Courage sings at the end of the first act, is one of the most artful and intense musical performances to be found on a New York stage, as Ms. Streep flutters, fights and wallows her way through her character’s philosophy of life. Desperation, cynicism, passion that should have died long ago but still flickers against the odds: all this is implied in every gesture, every note. For one luminous moment, you understand what this play is meant to be."
Variety's
David Rooney calls Streep "[R]iveting. This is a full-bodied, swaggering characterization, emboldened by fierce intelligence, quicksilver emotional shifts, inexhaustible physicality and, most of all, sly humor....But inevitably, it's Streep who dominates every scene, her control, focus and energy never faltering in a performance made of both broad strokes and the most nuanced of insights, of wicked comic asides and flashes of pain beneath the bravado."
Contrast that with the characterization of Streep's performance as a "bit of a letdown" offered by the New York
Daily News'
Joe Dziemianowicz, who laments, "
Mother Courage is by design episodic and repetitive, so it's a challenge to make it energizing, not exhausting. This one teeters more to the latter due to a meandering adaptation and long, insistent songs, which make for an epic-length (three-hour) evening."
I'll let you know my personal opinion after I take in this
free Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park performance over the upcoming weekend.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Related Stories:Public Theater's Mother Courage Opens Tonight in Central Park (August 21, 2006)
Walken Away from Public Courage (July 13, 2006)
Public Theater's 2006 Shakespeare in the Park Officially Starts (June 30, 2006)
The Public Theater at 50 (June 5, 2006)
Labels: Critics' Capsule, Meryl Streep, Mother Courage And Her Children, Musical, Off-Broadway, Public Theater, Revival
Public Theater's Mother Courage Opens Tonight in Central ParkTonight marks the official "world premiere" of
Tony Kushner's adaptation of the classic
Bertolt Brecht anti-war drama
Mother Courage and Her Children at Central Park's
Delacorte Theater. Not since
Meryl Streep graced New York's unique outdoor venue has there been such an outpouring of interest in the
Public Theater's
free Shakespeare in the Park performances. It's no coincidence that this latest production also stars Streep -- who in
Mother Courage's titular role seeks to make a profit from the same Thirty Years War that is killing her children.
The
George C. Wolfe-helmed production of
Mother Courage and Her Children will be performed through September 3. In addition to Streep, the cast includes
Kevin Kline,
Jack Noseworthy,
Austin Pendleton and
Frederick Weller.
The New York Times' Manny Fernandez yesterday painted an interesting perspective on the secondary drama being played out each evening in the line that's been forming in Central Park among those seeking the coveted event tickets.
For anyone traveling into New York from out of town with hopes of seeing the play, perhaps the best bet is to make a 100% tax deductible donation to the Public Theater of $150 per ticket. The
Public Theater notes that "To help underwrite production expenses and to make it possible for those who cannot wait in line to attend the theater, a specific (but limited) number of seats in alternate rows are made available to contributors for each performance. Tickets for contributors are reserved and are received in advance by mail."
Tomorrow, I'll be reporting on how the critics weigh in on this theatrical event.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Related Stories:Walken Away from Public Courage (July 13, 2006)
Public Theater's 2006 Shakespeare in the Park Officially Starts (June 30, 2006)
The Public Theater at 50 (June 5, 2006)
Labels: Meryl Streep, Mother Courage And Her Children, Musical, Off-Broadway, Opening Night, Public Theater
Public Theater's 2006 Shakespeare in the Park Officially StartsThis week marked the official start to the 2006 "Shakespeare in the Park" performances staged by New York's acclaimed Public Theater. Joseph Papp began the tradition for millions of New Yorkers back in 1962 at Central Park's Delacorte Theater.
Macbeth is the season's first production and will be followed by
Mother Courage and Her Children.
Despite some critical misgivings over Moisés Kaufman's direction of The Bard's
Macbeth, there's little surprise that Liev Schreiber has been lauded for his portrayal of the title role.
Macbeth will continue through July 9 with all performances scheduled for 8:30 pm.
The next production to play at the Delacorte Theater will be the "world premiere" of playwright Tony Kushner's adaptation of
Mother Courage and Her Children, a seminal work by Bertolt Brecht. Running from August 8 through September 3, this George C. Wolfe-helmed production will feature one of the year's most dazzling array of actors, starting with Meryl Streep and Christopher Walken, and featuring such standouts as Austin Pendleton and Jack Noseworthy. The survival tale follows Mother Courage (Streep) during the course of a devastating war that is claiming the lives of her children.
Free Tickets for both shows may be obtained
on the day of the performance starting at 1 pm at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park or from 1 to 3 pm at The Public Theater's box office located at 425 Lafayette Street.
Finally, in related news, the Public Theater has announced that Kevin Kline will assume the titular role of
King Lear slated for this fall.
Click here for more ticket information.Labels: Meryl Streep, Off-Broadway, Public Theater
The Public Theater at 50Last Thursday, The Public Theater in New York announced exciting details of its 2006-07 season that includes its original touchstone -- Shakespeare -- along with new works by some of the most exciting playwrights of our time, including Neil LaBute, Suzan-Lori Parks and my personal favorite, Craig Lucas. With superb acting talent featuring Kevin Kline, Brian Dennehy, Ed Harris and the previously announced Philip Seymour Hoffman (LABrynth's
Jack Goes Boating), it's clear that The Public is kicking off its 51st year in style.
Currently home to the acclaimed production
Stuff Happens, The Public Theater was founded 50 years ago as the Shakespeare Workshop by Joseph Papp, who also started the renowned New York Shakespeare Festival in 1954. Thanks to his magnificent vision, New Yorkers from all walks of life have been able to enjoy free stagings of Shakespeare in Central Park -- a tradition that continues to this day. As a lasting legacy to Papp, today's The Public Theater "continues to be dedicated to achieving artistic excellence and developing an American theatre that is accessible and relevant to all people."
Productions from The Public Theater have collectively won 38 Tony Awards, 135 Obies, 37 Drama Desk Awards, 18 Lucille Lortel Awards and 4 Pulitzer Prizes. The Public was the launching pad for 49 Broadway shows including such critically-acclaimed hits as
That Championship Season,
A Chorus Line,
The Pirates of Penzance,
Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk,
Topdog/Underdog,
Elaine Stritch at Liberty,
Take Me Out and
Caroline, Or Change.
First up this fall will be Kevin Kline in a yet-to-be-announced Shakepeare play directed by the venerable James Lapine. There is already much speculation over which of The Bard's classics will be mined by Kline and Lapine (Kline has previously appeared at The Public in such productions as
Richard III,
Much Ado About Nothing,
Henry V, and two version of
Hamlet).
Liev Schreiber and Meryl Streep each will perform this summer as part of The Public's Shakespeare in the Park productions, while Brian Dennehy will make his debut next summer in the revered program.
Among the other offerings:
- Wrecks by Neil LaBute with Ed Harris (U.S. premiere) in October, 2006
- Durango by Julia Cho (World premiere) in November, 2006
- Emergence-SEE! by Daniel Beaty (New York premiere) in November, 2006
- Passing Strange by Stew in collaboration with Heidi Rodewald (World premiere) in January, 2007
- The Singing Forest by Craig Lucas (New York premiere) in Spring, 2007
- 365 Days / 365 Plays by Suzan-Lori Parks (New York premiere)
This would be an exceptional year to venture Off-Broadway and downtown -- or to Central Park -- for The Public Theater's offerings.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.
Related Stories:
Casting Call (Week Ending May 21, 2006) (May 21, 2006)
Labels: Anniversary, Craig Lucas, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, Off-Broadway, Public Theater, Stuff Happens
