Last Dance To Last Laugh?Sure, she may no longer be a "
Dancing With The Stars" contestant -- and the oldest one ever at that -- but her Herculean antics on the
ABC series may have earned
Cloris Leachman a second look by
Mel Brooks for his
Young Frankenstein Broadway musical.
Passed over initially because Brooks didn't want her to "
die on stage," Leachman challenged him via her representative Steve Rohr "to three rounds in the ring, and we'll see who's left standing."
What a difference a slice of reality television can make. Leachman is asked about a second crack at
Young Frankenstein in a
Q&A with Newsweek:
Is it true Mel Brooks wants you to reprise your part in Young Frankenstein on Broadway?
Yeah. We're negotiating.
He once said you were so old, he worried you'd die onstage.
He's not worried anymore. Corky [Ballas, her dance partner on the show] threw me around today on "The View," and I thought I was dead when I stood up. I can't tell you—I really thought I died! I thought I was in heaven.
If Brooks manages to bring the 82 year old actress back to the Broadway boards for her first time in nearly 50 years, far from being a neigh-sayer, I'll be happy to plunk down a little spare cash to cheer her on and hear those horses whinny but good.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Cloris Leachman, Dancing With The Stars, Mel Brooks, Musical, Reality Television, Young Frankenstein
Tonight, Grease Is The WordThirty-five years ago,
Grease -- a slightly raunchy little musical about high school lovin' -- opened at Broadway's now defunct
Eden Theatre. Now, a second revival is about to open on the Great White Way at the
Brooks Atkinson Theatre.
This is no longer the same
Grease as the one that opened nearly two generations ago. While the major difference getting the most attention is the method used to cast the 2007 incarnation via a reality television show ("
You're The One That I Want"), the larger departure from the original is its incorporation of music written especially for the
1978 film version.
Among the musical additions are three major hit songs from the summer of '78: "Grease," "Hopelessly Devoted To You" and "You're The One That I Want."
The latter two tunes were written by
John Farrar, who's suddenly enjoying quite a summer on Broadway. While he never had a Rialto credit to his name prior to this year, earlier this young theatrical season, he literally scored success with his contributions to
Xanadu.
But as noted, expect most of the critical response to focus on
Grease's unconventionally cast Danny (
Max Crumm) and Sandy (
Laura Osnes), as well as whether director/choreographer
Kathleen Marshall suffered a major misstep or engineered a stroke of genius. It was just over a year ago when it was first announced that the
Grease revival would be cast via a reality show.
Stay tuned as I provide a critics' capsule tomorrow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Grease tickets.Related Stories:Starring Roles Whether Or Not They're The Ones You Want (August 16, 2007)
Hairspray's Stunt Casting Sticks (August 14, 2007)
Broadway Grosses: Greasing The Skids (August 7, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Max And Laura Go Together (March 26, 2007)
Behind The Grease Paint (March 24, 2007)
Grease: The Ones That I Want (March 22, 2007)
Apparently Grease Is The Word At Ticketmaster (January 9, 2007)
Sandy And Danny: Who Are The Ones You Want? (January 6, 2007)
The Sound Of Praise (November 16, 2006)
It's A Reality: The Sound Of Music Revival Comes Alive In London Tonight (November 15, 2006)
I've Got Chills, They're Multiplying: NBC Reality Show to Cast Grease (August 8, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Grease, John Farrar, Kathleen Marshall, Laura Osnes, Max Crumm, Musical, Opening Night, Reality Television, Revival, Televsion, You're The One That I Want
Where's Oscar The Cat When We REALLY Need Him?According to
Variety,
Andrew Lloyd Webber has inked a deal with the
William Morris Agency in hopes of shepherding
yet another reality television series in search of a new theatrical star.
As I was saying...
...
where is his legendary cat, anyway? Couldn't
Oscar have taken kitty litterties with the contract and spared us all?
No matter what you say, Mr. Lloyd Webber, reality TV casting does
not make theatre "cool."
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Realitet Bita (Swedish For Reality Bites) (July 17, 2007)
Phantom Sequel: So Much For Writing On Otto-Pilot? (June 17, 2007)
West End Boys? (March 26, 2007)
Max And Laura Go Together (March 26, 2007)
Behind The Grease Paint (March 24, 2007)
Grease: The Ones That I Want (March 22, 2007)
The Phantom Of Manhattan? (March 12, 2007)
The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Apparently Grease Is The Word At Ticketmaster (January 9, 2007)
Sandy And Danny: Who Are The Ones You Want? (January 6, 2007)
The Sound Of Praise (November 16, 2006)
It's A Reality: The Sound Of Music Revival Comes Alive In London Tonight (November 15, 2006)
I've Got Chills, They're Multiplying: NBC Reality Show to Cast Grease (August 8, 2006)
Labels: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Reality Television, Television
