They're A Little Bit Broadway: Donny & Marie To Bring Christmas Show To Great White Way
Late yesterday,
The New York Times confirmed that
Donny and
Marie Osmond will deck the halls of the
Marquis Theatre with their own special blend of holiday cheer. With those pearly whites, they'll put their own spin on the Great White Way via
Donny & Marie - A Broadway Christmas.
The singing siblings already possess Broadway musical credits. Donny Osmond made his Rialto debut in the failed 1982 revival of
Little Johnny Jones before taking on the role of Gaston in
Beauty And The Beast in 2006. Marie Osmond served as one of the replacements for
Donna Murphy in the last revival of
The King And I in the late 90s.
Donny Osmond's
website describes the show as follows:
In the holiday tradition of the “Osmond Family Christmas” television specials, Donny and Marie invite you and your family to join them to celebrate the joy of the season in true Osmond fashion, in person, as the pair share a Broadway stage for the first time. With their trademark show-stopping Christmas production numbers, Donny & Marie - A Broadway Christmas features your favorite hits mixed with the irresistible chemistry that made them international stars.
2008 marked the 50th anniversary for the Osmonds as a performing family.
The 12 performance run of Donny & Marie: A Broadway Christmas is scheduled to begin on December 9 before dashing through the snow on December 19. Tickets go on sale this morning at 10 a.m. EDT. UPDATE: The show has now been extended through December 30, 2010.
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: Broadway, Donny And Marie - A Broadway Christmas, Donny Osmond, First Word On New Show, Holiday, Marie Osmond, Revue, Special Theatrical Event
Burning Broadway's BoardsYes, it's still illegal to shout "Fire" in a crowded theatre.
But that won't stop producer
Harley Medcalf from mounting his
Burn The Floor Ballroom dance spectacular at Broadway's
Lyceum Theatre next month for a twelve week limited engagement.
Burn The Floor comes hot on the heels of the sudden departure of
reasons to be pretty, which posted its closing notice for this Sunday after going home empty-handed from the Tony Awards.
If you're a fan of the popular
ABC television program "
Dancing With The Stars," chances are you'll enjoy this show, which mixes Ballroom and Latin dancing. The promotion for the show labels it "Ballroom dance with a sexy 21st Century edge."
Choreographed by
Anthony van Laast of
Mamma Mia! fame, the show has toured around the world, including here in the United States at Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Florida's Busch Gardens.
Medcalf provides
the history of
Burn The Floor:
The original idea of Burn the Floor came in a burst of color and energy. I was witness to a scintillating display of Ballroom and Latin dancing at Sir Elton John’s 50th birthday celebration at the Hammersmith Palais Ballroom, London in 1997. In the midst of a glamorous costumed evening, Sir Elton, the ultimate host, the party in full swing, 16 young energetic dancers mesmerized the packed room in a 10 minute dance display. For me it was just the spark of an idea then.
I was soon to meet and discover the Ballroom dance world, its people with their intensity, commitment, discipline and work ethic. These ideas would become my inspiration. It was the dancers themselves that provided the real motivation, their good nature, openness and sheer talent combined with a burning passion and love of dance.
Whether or not this burst of energy is enough to light Broadway on fire this summer remains to be seen, but as a
fellow theatre blogger quipped to me, "at least it's a tenant for the underused Longacre."
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anthony van Laast, Broadway, Burn The Floor, Choreography, Dancing With The Stars, First Word On New Show, Harley Medcalf, Special Theatrical Event
Liza With A "D," Needs "R & R"Just one week into her triumphant return to the Great White Way,
Liza Minnelli has been ordered to sit out tonight's performance of her
Liza's At The Palace...! due to dehydration.
According to an
official statement:
Due to health reasons and doctor’s orders, Liza Minnelli will not perform Liza’s At The Palace...! this evening. Co-producer John Scher stated, “This past opening week has been a marathon run for Liza -- which unfortunately has led her to dehydration and her doctor has insisted she get some extra rest. Liza will return for the show’s next scheduled performance on Friday, Dec 12th (8PM).”
Ticket-holders can exchange their tickets for any future scheduled performance.
Fortunately for Liza fans, when one closet door closes, another opens. Shortly after this announcement was made,
Playbill confirmed that Minnelli is adding another week of performances on to her already extended Broadway show.
Liza's At The Palace...! will now run through January 4, 2009.
While I have yet to post my own SOB Review, I was in the audience Saturday evening and can tell you that I have never seen a performer give her all like this legendary icon has. She's already stated that she's lost over 30 pounds since beginning work on the show, and given the amount that I saw her sweat (exceedingly profusely) from my third row seat, I can tell you that I'm not surprised in the least that she's a wee bit dehydrated.
Here's wishing Ms. Minnelli a healthy and speedy recovery.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Liza Minnelli, Liza's At The Palace, Out Sick, Revue, Special Theatrical Event
Did Slava Have Critics Thinking There's No Business Like Snow Business?Yesterday, Russian clown
Slava Polunin -- known for his fluffy white stuff play -- finally had his Great White Way day. His
Slava's Snowshow opened at Broadway's
Helen Hayes Theatre under
Victor Kramer's direction. Reviews ran the gamut, with most criticism lodged against the steep ticket prices for the 90-minute show that includes an intermission.
Admitting that his "soul swooned slowly as I heard the snow falling faintly through the universe of the Helen Hayes,"
Charles Isherwood of
The New York Times was smitten: [T]he show has retained the feel of a handmade diversion, modest in its means but powerful in its ability to induce waves of giggles and sighs of pleasure.... Let’s just say if I were charged with the entertainment of children under 10 and had a Broadway budget at my disposal, this would be the show I’d favor. It does not stun children with spectacle but fires their imaginations and gives them a savory taste of the sensory pleasures of live entertainment without forcing too much unsettling clown intimacy on the adults in the audience."
Despite whispering that "some of the magic has evaporated" since it's Off-Broadway incarnation,
Variety's
Marilyn Stasio offers more than flurries of praise: "[F]or all the fun of dodging giant beachballs and pelting your neighbor with tissue paper snowflakes, something more is going on in this show, which Slava used to take into remote parts of the Soviet Union during the Cold War years. Something that has to do with the eternal power of laughter and the sheer endurance of the Everyman clown. To be sure, some of that existential humanism survives in this new, spiffed-up version of
Slava's Snowshow, often in quiet moments. Like the endearing old routine in which a lonely clown (the great Slava himself, in the signature yellow clown suit that makes him look like a big chicken) cuddles up to an empty coat hanging on a coatrack. Or the metaphysical moment of an angry clown contemplating his role on a silently spinning planet."
Calling "it an ingenious amusement" and "sure to bring out your inner child,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News nevertheless awards just three out of five stars: "It alternately makes you feel like you're in a fun house, shaken snow globe and a smooth-riding clown car.... This clutch of clowns is adorable, never scary, even when a tot with a loud laugh gets carried off.... Too bad the $111.50 price for most tickets -- twice as steep as the 80-minute show should charge -- brings out my inner Grinch."
Also complaining about the steep prices,
New York Post's
Barbara Hoffman gives the show just two out of four stars: "Back then, it seemed sort of charming. Back then, it wasn't $69 to $111 a ticket -- for less than 90 minutes, with an intermission. With apologies to Woody Allen -- the show is irritating! And so short!... Now and then, though, there are some beautiful images - fleeting, Fellini-like scenes that are at once funny and sad."
Concluding by noting how he's still asking himself, "omigod, what's going on here
?" Philadelphia Inquirer's
Howard Shapiro said this would have worked better in a Fringe Festival than Broadway: " So call me a banana-peel Neanderthal and send me to my cave (mind the peels), but while I admire the performances in
Slava's Snowshow, I found it strange and unconvincing in a Broadway house, even the smallish Helen Hayes Theatre."
A dear friend of mine, whose opinion I value, saw the show Saturday and told me that it is, "Charming, inventive, possibly unique. And funny, funny, funny."
Audiences will have to decide for themselves if the price is worthwhile, but they'll only have until January 4 to contemplate since the limited run ends then.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Revue, Slava Polunin, Slava's Snowshow, Special Theatrical Event
Liza's At The Palace...! (The SOB Review) - Palace Theatre, New York, NY*** (out of ****)Want to see an honest-to-goodness legendary trouper who feeds off her audience, not only as if it were an intimate gathering, but more importantly, as if they were always destined to be together? Then you can't afford to miss the one and only
Liza Minnelli in
Liza's At The Palace...!Sure, much has been written about how this icon doesn't quite hit all the notes the way she used to, or how she occasionally slurs her speech (today it's Liza with a zshee), or how she moves a bit wobbly (no doubt thanks to two new hips and a knee). But I can tell you that I've never seen a performer give it her all -- and then some, and then some more -- quite the way Liza Minnelli does. This
Oscar,
Tony,
Emmy and (special)
Grammy winner does it with such enormous heart and humanity, you find yourself pulling for her every step of the way.
With her second act paean to her real-life Godmother
Kay Thompson, Ms. Minnelli recreates the "
Eloise" writer's nightclub act from days long gone by. Thompson originally performed with the
Williams Brothers, but director and choreographer
Ron Lewis captures their essence with
Cortes Alexander,
Jim Caruso,
Tiger Martina and
Johnny Rodgers in rousing and gleeful, if old-fashioned, spirit. In fact,
Billy Stritch and
David Zippel's musical stylings filled my head with memories of listening to my grandmother's stereo, as well as those dated television variety shows from the earliest days of my youth. Ms. Minnelli's enthralling show captures this snapshot of another time brilliantly and enthusiastically.
Aside from her self-deprecating stories, including an ultimately bittersweet one involving three closets, there were two points during her performance that left me choked up. The first occurred near the end of the first act when she sang "Cabaret" and uttered a revised line about "going like Elsie." The second came when Ms. Minnelli performed her final encore with a holiday homage to her mother, the late
Judy Garland. While I can't give it away, it was a glorious way to send her adoring audience out onto a snowy Broadway on a cherished high note.
Supposedly, they don't do shows like this anymore. But thankfully, Liza Minnelli does.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Cabaret, Judy Garland, Kay Thompson, Liza Minnelli, Liza's At The Palace, Revue, Special Theatrical Event, The SOB Review
Cirque Critiques: Dreamy Or Night-mares?Last evening,
Neil Goldberg's
Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy opened at Rialto's
Broadway Theatre. Not to be confused with
Cirque du Soleil, this limited run production features choreography from
Tara Jeanne Vallee and a company of acrobats, aerialists, contortionists, jugglers and musicians.
Critics offered middling reviews overall.
Calling the show "harmless fun (that) should prove catnip to the hordes of entertainment-starved family tourists who invade Manhattan every summer,"
New York Post's
Frank Scheck's two-and-a-half star review compares with Cirque du Soleil: "[Y]ou'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart. Like its Canadian rival, this Cirque -- while it lacks the imagination of Soleil -- boasts dazzling circus acts in a highly theatrical presentation replete with elaborate scenery and wall-to-wall music.... Accompanying them is the by-now obligatory New Age-style musical score, most of it pre-recorded except for the overly frequent vocalizing of Mother Nature (Jill Diane) and the live violin playing of Soultree (Jared Burnett), a shirtless artist who clearly spends as much time doing abdominal crunches as he does practicing arpeggios."
Noting that this "finely polished production" is "not as overtly sexy or ambitiously arty" as Cirque du Soleil,
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News awards three out of five stars: "
Jungle Fantasy has its own smiling, family-friendly vibe.... Goldberg keeps the action flowing and dynamic. There's always a lot to see. And hear. Though the disco-driven music is piped in -- worth noting and grousing about -- it's enhanced by three Americans.... For light summer entertainment, this is a
Fantasy worth indulging."
Advising that
Cirque Dreams is "ideally suited for children ages 6 to 12 with an advanced interest in either jungle fauna, gymnastics or sequins,"
Charles Isherwood of
The New York Times squarely lands his review on place in the middle: "...the production deploys its well-drilled army of aerialists, contortionists, jugglers and gymnasts around a slender vine of story.... I must admit that the fascination of this ensemble never palled for me. And it proved useful in distracting me from the songs Ms. Diane was singing, most of which featured lyrics (by Jill Winters) of wince-making inanity.... Tastefulness, obviously, is not among the pronounced assets of
Cirque Dreams. But the show’s low-tech simplicity is endearing.... The acts are sometimes standard, sometimes inspired variations on acrobatics and aerial gymnastics, juggling and balancing and limb twisting. They are performed with the usual daredevil panache and ouch-that-must-kill elasticity by the assembled international hordes."
Deeming it a "two-hour spectacle, geared primarily toward children and patient parents," Bloomberg's
John Simon takes aim at the "generic" nature of the show: "As created and directed by Neil Goldberg,
Cirque Dreams' lacks the sophistication of Cirque du Soleil. Anyone who has seen the $165 million battle-adventure
Ka or the Beatles-infused
Love, both playing in custom-built theaters in Las Vegas, will be disappointed by this earthbound Cirque du Syosset. That said, the cast is able. The stunts, if you haven't seen them in other shows, are impressive. All cirques are not created equal, but
Cirque Dreams does provide a mild, family-friendly diversion."
Proclaiming this show as "an all-natural way for kids to replicate Seth Rogen's mushroom-induced Cirque du Soleil freak-out in 'Knocked Up,'"
Eric Grode of The New York Sun inevitably compares this troupe with its better known rival: "The main difference is a noticeable gap in musical quality. Cirque du Soleil has elevated its game musically of late, most notably with its Beatles-themed
Love. But even its most banal New Agey noodlings compare favorably to the appalling
Jungle Fantasy score by Jill Winter and a half-dozen co-writers. As Mother Nature, the melismatic-at-all-costs Jill Diane handles the vocals with considerably more exertion than inspiration, while the consistently vapid lyrics inspire envy for the audience members who speak one of those other 10 languages.... Everything rides on the physical feats, and the vast majority of those in
Jungle Fantasy are daring enough and clever enough to captivate audiences of all ages without overstaying their welcome."
Concluding his review with a line from
The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie: "For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like,"
Variety's
David Rooney offers the most visceral critique: "The interchangeable songs by Cirque Prods. musical director Jill Winters have titles like 'Eyes Wide Open,' 'You Can Grow Too,' 'Courage' and 'Strange Things,' but their words are pure nonsense. With vocalist Diane cranking up the dark sensuality and fierce enunciation in apparent homage to Shirley Bassey’s Bond themes, it’s merciful that long stretches of lyrics are incomprehensible over the disco-Muzak-meets-funked-up-faux-classical score....
Jungle Fantasy is not as pretentious as the worst of Cirque du Soleil, but it’s not as sophisticated either; the key word here is 'busy.'... But the three-ring circus tradition of simultaneous acts works less efficiently on a proscenium stage. Often the effect is of chaotic overkill when the main attraction is competing for focus with cancan-dancing bees, bustier-clad zebras, faux-balletic butterflies, goofy emus, a unicorn or even the versatile antics of Balestracci, who gets in on most of the acts."
Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy plays the Broadway Theatre through August 24 before heading out this November on a 39-city tour of North America.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Not Cirque Du Soleil: Cirque Dreams Opens On Broadway (June 26, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Labels: Broadway, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, Cirque du Soleil, Critics' Capsule, Neil Goldberg, Special Theatrical Event
Not Cirque Du Soleil: Cirque Dreams Opens On BroadwayWell, I'll be a monkey foot manipulator percushroomist!
Those and other wild characters springing from the imagination of impresario
Neil Goldberg will be on full display as
Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy opens at the Great White Way's
Broadway Theatre.
It should be noted that this show
is not in any way associated with the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil.
The limited engagement opening tonight is scheduled to run through August 24 before heading out on a tour of Canada and the United States.
Choreographed by
Tara Jeanne Vallee,
Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy boasts a company of 25 acrobats, aerialists, contortionists, jugglers and musicians. The cast includes
Uranmandakh Amarsanaa (Contorting Lizard and Aerial Bird),
Marcello Balestracci (Adventurer),
Jared Burnett (Soultree Violinist),
Zachary Carroll (Jungleboy),
Jill Diane (Mother Nature),
Lauren Diblasi (Bee and Ensemble),
Iryna Dmytruk (Bee and Ensemble),
Ruslan Dmytruk (Frog Juggler),
Ivan Dotsenko (Trapeze Owl),
Vladimir Dovgan (Balancing Giraffe and Snake Roller),
Nataliya Egorova (Monkey Foot Manipulator),
Judah Frank (Unicorn and Ensemble),
Buyankhishig Ganbaatar (Aerial Bird and Contorting Lizard),
Erdenesuvd Ganbaatar (Aerial Bird and Contorting Lizard),
Stefka Iordanova (Blackbird Hairialist),
Denys Kucher (Vine Swinger),
Vitalii Lykov (Vine Swinger),
Lee Miller (Percushroomist),
Odgerel Oyunbaatar (Contorting Lizard and Aerial Bird),
Sergey Parshin (Butterflyer and Jungle King),
Pavel Pozdnyakov (Jungle King and Ensemble),
Glenn Rogers (Jungleboy),
Naomi Sampson (Butterflyer and Ensemble),
Konstantin Serov (Emu and Ensemble),
Carly Sheridan (Trapeze Owl),
Serguei Slavski (Jungle King and Monkey Manipulator),
Alexander Tolstikov (Jungle King and Monkey Manipulator) and
Anatoliy Yeniy (Balancing Giraffe).
Will critics proclaim this a production fulfilling their wildest dreams, or will their reviews be downright nightmarish? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Labels: Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Productions, Opening Night, Special Theatrical Event
Broadway: What's NextNow that the Tonys are history, it's time to focus on all the plays and musicals set for Broadway's 2008-09 Theatrical Season.
According to my count, there are a total of 19 shows that have either confirmed berths on the Great White Way or announced plans for the upcoming year. They include six new musicals, two of which can be deemed completely original (imagine that -- not based on
anything, including a movie); four revivals of musicals; five revivals of plays; and -- most shocking given that the past year on Broadway was all about the plays -- only three new ones have been announced.
The 19th production is a most curious one. Let's place this one squarely in the Special Theatrical Event category since it certainly can't be considered a musical or play.
Already in previews,
Neil Goldberg's
Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy gives the impression of being a
Cirque du Soleil wannabe with its cast of 25 acrobats, aerialists, contortionists, jugglers and musicians all jostling for position.
Cirque Dreams is set to open June 26 at the
Broadway Theatre for a limited run through August 24 before heading out this November on a 39-city tour of North America.
Guess Goldberg must be figuring if he can get enough press on his Rialto venture, folks will be lining up across Canada and the United States to see the upcoming tour.
The production of
Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy is described as:
...an exotic encounter inspired by nature’s unpredictable creations that are brought to life by an international cast of 25 soaring aerialists, spine-bending contortionists, acrobats, jugglers and musicians.
The astounding feats performed in this action packed Cirque Dream are enhanced with over 150 spectacular costumes and set in a fantastical jungle ignited by striking visual effects. From the breathtaking aerial ballet of butterflies to the balancing giraffes, gigantic flowers and trees, this world-class explosion of athleticism, theatre and imagination will exhilarate the entire family.
In the ongoing tradition of extravagant touring shows, Neil Goldberg and Cirque Productions continue to blend European artistry with circus and Broadway theatrics in a dramatic fashion that transcends imagination and leaves its’ narration to the eyes of the beholder making Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy a Broadway first.
To be honest, I have never heard of Goldberg or the Pompano Beach (Florida)-based
Cirque Productions. Somehow, just somehow, they've managed to be eclipsed by the nearly quarter century old Cirque du Soleil.
Call me a cynic, but isn't
Cirque Dreams just a brazen attempt to cash in on the "Cirque" craze among unsuspecting theatregoers? Not to take anything away from Goldberg's performers, whom I'm sure are talented, but I'll bet many a ticket buyer will automatically assume this is a genuine Cirque du Soleil production.
Despite what the
courts may have ruled, isn't the rather transparent goal here to be able to usurp the good name Cirque du Soleil has established by now being able to market the announced tour as "seen on Broadway"? Am I wrong here?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy, Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Productions, Special Theatrical Event
Radio City Christmas Spectacular (The SOB Review) - Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY***1/2 (out of ****)Practically daring the kid-at-heart in everyone not to come out,
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is one of those unabashedly cheery paeans to the true meaning of Christmas that stupefies with its exhilarating pace. And darned if it doesn't succeed.
Thanks to
Linda Haberman's whiz-bang wizardry -- she's responsible for conception, direction
and choreography --
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is an eye-popping, breathtaking 90-minute variety show that simply refuses to slow down -- except perhaps for the glorious finale of the beloved and legendary "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" when the
Rockettes gradually topple like dominos.
It's been at least a dozen years since I last took in one of
Radio City Music Hall's most enduring spectacles, but with its diamond anniversary celebration coupled with the current Broadway stagehands strike, it was a no-brainer when opting to venture from the theatre district between 7th and 8th Avenues over to 6th Avenue to enjoy the festivities. And enjoy them I did like a gleeful little schoolboy regaining my lost innocence.
Replete with a magical Santa (lovingly portrayed by
Charles Edward Hall) in duplicate no less, the seemingly inexhaustable and ever-smiling Rockettes (in a half dozen numbers, including my favorite, "The Twelve Days of Christmas") and the trademark living nativity scene, the
Spectacular remains pretty much the way I remembered it. But sure enough, with one old-fashioned magical moment after another, it managed to make me feel like a kid again.
Visually enchanting, whether watching the aforementioned scenes or the stunning 3-D animation of Santa's sleigh flying around the landmarks of New York City, or even hitching a ride with the Rockettes on their double decker bus as they tour the Big Apple (thanks to an amazing LED video design), there's almost too much to look at on New York City's largest stage.
Unapologetically Christmas, the
Spectacular is all about spreading holiday cheer. And in these days where conflict is gripping the world and most of the Great White Way, it's great to know that a little peace on earth is less than a smile (and one long block) away.
Radio City Christmas Spectacular is performed several times each day through December 30.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Musical, Off-Broadway, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Radio City Music Hall, Rockettes, Special Theatrical Event, The SOB Review
Union Of The Snake? Duran Duran Moves Remainder Of Broadway Gig To RoselandIf you're
Duran Duran fan pleading, "Please, please tell me now, is there something I should know," you'll want to know that the remainder of the band's limited-run
Duran Duran: Red Carpet Massacre has been transferred from Broadway's Ethel Barrymore Theatre to the Roseland Ballroom, effective immediately.
The shift becomes the first casualty of sorts of the stagehands strike.
Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) initiated its strike yesterday against
The League of American Theatres and Producers, which includes the Barrymore Theatre.
The
band states on its Web site:
Fans with tickets to see any one of Duran Duran’s last three Broadway shows (November 10 (last night), 12 or 13), can now see the band perform at the Roseland Ballroom, just a few blocks from the original location, on Monday 12th or Tuesday 13th of this coming week. All tickets for Monday and Tuesday’s shows will be honored on the nights that they were originally issued for. Tickets for Saturday night’s show (the 10th) will be honored on either Monday or Tuesday. All fans will need to bring their original tickets with them in order to enter the new venue. Fans with tickets held at the Barrymore Theatre box office (which is currently closed due the strike) will need to come with proof of purchase to the Roseland Box Office where duplicate tickets will be available.
Duran Duran have spent the last 24 hours, since news of the Broadway strike action forced them to postpone last night’s show, trying to find a new location in which to present what has been one of the best reviewed shows of their career. Finally, early this morning confirmation came that the events previously slated to take place at the Roseland Ballroom could be moved and the band and crew started work on putting together a new show for this venue.
With picket-lines stopping the band from removing all of their production from the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, where they were coming to the end of a two week residency that started on November 1 and was slated to finish on the 13th - the eve of the release of their new album ‘Red Carpet Massacre’, the band are working around the clock to design and re-program a show for Roseland that will showcase their new record (which they are playing in its entirety) along with many of the hits.
Band members, Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor are hoping that fans who have booked tickets for the Broadway events will be relieved that the concerts are still going ahead, even though the production will be somewhat less elaborate than originally planned now.
Doors for the show will be at 8 pm. The show will start at 9 pm.
While this is not likely to be viewed favorably by the union, strike one for the fans.
Other than this change, the only Broadway shows not impacted by the strike are:Cymbeline at the
Vivian Beaumont Theatre (Lincoln Center, review not posted)
Mary Poppins at the
New Amsterdam Theatre (click
here for The SOB Review)
Mauritius at the
Biltmore Theatre (click
here for The SOB Review)
Pygmalion at the
American Airlines TheatreStudio 54 (click
here for The SOB Review)
The Ritz at
Studio 54 (click
here for The SOB Review)
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the
Circle In The Square Theatre (Click
here for The SOB Review of the Chicago production)
Xanadu at the
Helen Hayes Theatre (click
here for The SOB Review)
Young Frankenstein at the
Hilton Theatre (click
here for The SOB Preview from Seattle)
Don't forget that there's also a wide selection of
Off-Broadway and
Off-Off-Broadway shows from which to choose, as well as the 75th
Radio City Christmas Spectacular and cabaret acts ranging from the sublime Broadway legend
Chita Rivera at
Feinstein's at the Regency to the ridiculously hard-working men and women at
Don't Tell Mama.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Duran Duran ticket information.Related Stories:Strike: Day Two (November 11, 2007)
Save A Prayer For The Morning After: Duran Duran "Opens" On Broadway Tonight (November 1, 2007)
Former Wild Boys Come To Broadway (September 28, 2007)
Labels: Duran Duran, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, League of American Theatres and Producers, Local One, Red Carpet Massacre, Special Theatrical Event, Stagehands, Strike, Transfer
Save A Prayer For The Morning After: Duran Duran "Opens" On Broadway TonightThis evening marks the Broadway debut for
Duran Duran: Red Carpet Massacre at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The 80s supergroup will perform for over two hours a night on November 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13
Band members
Simon LeBon,
Nick Rhodes,
John Taylor and
Roger Taylor each collect a Great White Way credit as they "take audiences in this historic thousand-capacity venue on a musical journey, presenting their new record in its entirety, as well as classics such as ‘Rio,’ ‘Save A Prayer,’ 'Hungry Like The Wolf’ and ‘Ordinary World.’"
Promising "magnificent production values and a completely new stage show," this two week gig is in support of the band's new recording that comes out on November 13.
Does anyone know whether Ben Brantley will be reviewing this one?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Former Wild Boys Come To Broadway (September 28, 2007)
Labels: Duran Duran, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, First Word On New Show, Jukebox Musical, Musical, Opening Night, Special Theatrical Event
Were Critics Cheering Bronx Tale?Last evening, the 2007-08 Theatrical Season's first solo show opened at Broadway's
Walter Kerr Theatre. Directed by
Jerry Zaks,
A Bronx Tale is told by
Chazz Palminteri as he recalls his youth. Critics were lukewarm to positive.
Proclaiming it "enormously entertaining,"
Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press is pretty enthusiastic: "Theater these days is awash in one-person shows, but what makes this one particularly effective is its ability to conjure up a specific time and place, not to mention a parade of appealing characters, even if some are a little less than reputable....The craggy Palminteri, nattily dressed in gray slacks and a blue shirt, has a disarmingly simple way of bringing these people to life."
Despite what he characterizes as a "highly melodramatic climax,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News offers a mostly upbeat review: "There's a familiar mean-streets morality tale here. But Palminteri writes with vivid detail that makes the past come alive. Under Jerry Zaks' smooth direction (except for some maudlin music designed to pull heartstrings), Palminteri acts with gusto and bravado."
"A warm-hearted memoir" is how
Charles Isherwood of
The New York Times describes the tale: "As he strides across the stage with a lively gait, nimbly sliding from one role to another, he exudes a moment-to-moment engagement that suggests that this revival is not a lazy ego trip but a rejuvenating act of faith in the complementary powers of acting and storytelling....
A Bronx Tale may not possess the emotional breadth or sophistication of “The Sopranos.” But, appealingly, it lacks that show’s brutality too."
Downplaying this as "a harmless 90 minutes,"
Linda Winer of Newsday damns with faint praise: "A Bronx Tale," which opened last night at the Walter Kerr Theatre, is a walk down memory lane of what was already a walk down memory lane. Palminteri is a fine mimic and re-creates all the people who shaped his life with the confidence and affection of the man who lived it."
While noting that it's "mildly entertaining and impressively acted,"
David Rooney of
Variety offers a mixed assessment: "Charming or chilling, the recollections in
A Bronx Tale are touched by affection, sentimentality and the poignant distance of time. If the solo show is not exactly robust theater, it nonetheless gets by on the writer-actor's strong personal connection to the semi-autobiographical material."
In his two-star review,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes was hardly moved: "Palminteri is more a journeyman actor who has painted himself into a virtuoso corner. After a rather stilted start, he warms to the task, though some of his characters still seem more credible than others. Just how autobiographical and unadorned his tale is, I'm not sure - certainly, the long arm of coincidence is pulled like elastic, and the bile of life is much sweetened by the sugar of sentimentality."
A Bronx Tale performs at the Walter Kerr Theatre through February 10.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Related Stories:A Bronx Tale (The SOB Review) (October26, 2007)
Bronx Boy Takes Bite Out Of Big Apple Tonight (October 25, 2007)
Bronx Tale Set To Begin Anew In Manhattan (August 8, 2007)
Labels: A Bronx Tale, Broadway, Chazz Palminteri, Critics' Capsule, Jerry Zaks, Play, Revival, Special Theatrical Event
Bronx Boy Takes Bite Out Of Big Apple TonightNobody ever said it was a straight path from the Bronx to Manhattan. Just ask
Chazz Palminteri.
Eighteen long years after his Off-Broadway sensation
A Bronx Tale first appeared before making a 2700 mile westward trajectory to Los Angeles -- and another 14 years after his one man show was turned into a
feature film by
Robert DeNiro -- Palminteri's coming of age story finally arrives on the Great White Way.
Opening tonight at the
Walter Kerr Theatre under the direction of
Jerry Zaks, Palminteri will single-handedly bring 18 characters from his youth to life.
Will the critics deliver a Bronx cheer? Find out tomorrow as I provide a critics' capsule along with my own SOB Review.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Related Stories:Bronx Tale Set To Begin Anew In Manhattan (August 8, 2007)
Labels: A Bronx Tale, Chazz Palminteri, Film, One Man Show, Opening Night, Play, Revival, Special Theatrical Event
Former Wild Boys Come To BroadwayAnd now for something completely different....
80s pop supergroup
Duran Duran will play a series of "two hour" concerts at Broadway's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre for two weeks this November to "celebrate" the launch of their new album
Red Carpet Massacre.
According to their site, "Duran Duran are developing a unique show that will see them performing not only their innumerable hits from the past 29 years but also the whole of their new record and a special electro set that promises to delight their loyal army of fans."
Promising "magnificent production values," tickets will be offered first to Citi cardmembers on Monday. They won't be cheap, either. Tickets start at $75 and run up to $150 per seat, not including applicable fees).
Does this count as the ultimate jukebox musical? Please, please tell me now!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Duran Duran, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, First Word On New Show, Jukebox Musical, Musical, Special Theatrical Event
Mystère (The SOB Review) - Mystère Theatre, Treasure Island, Las Vegas, NV**1/2 (out of ****)Now that I've seen all five of the famed
Cirque du Soleil shows currently playing to packed houses in Las Vegas, it may surprise you to know that the longest-running of the bunch is the very last one I've seen. It also rates as the least among them.
Mystère has been playing for nearly 15 years at the
Treasure Island Las Vegas. While it certainly possesses many of the key characteristics that now define the sensuously surreal circus based in Montreal,
Mystère comes across merely as Cirque du Soleil 101. It shows its age, yet serves as a pretty primer for anyone not already acquainted with its robust selection of shows.
With its stern ringleader (Marek Haczkiewicz) and affable clown (Brian Dewhurst), this Cirque du Soleil spectacle certainly has the most circus-like feel of any of the company's Vegas selections. And thanks to the hilarious antics of Dewhurst and François DuPuis (as a larger than life baby) -- complete with audience participation -- it's one of the more roundly amusing offerings.
There are also two key trademark Cirque du Soleli performances that are unlike the other four Vegas shows. One is from Paul Bowler, who becomes one with a giant aerial cube in the air, twirling within it as it dangles high above the stage until he lands with it, only to spin the box in a dazzling, illuminating display. The other is downright -- or should I say upright? --
Busby Berkeleyesque as a half dozen performers captivate from above with their synchronized highwire bungees that's nothing short of jawdropping.
The rest is a healthy mix of amazing acrobatics, including two hair-denuded brothers maneuvering their bodies in a painful looking hand and body balancing act performed on a rotating dome. Is it mesmerizing? Sure, but if you've seen other Cirque du Soleil shows, you're likely to find this a retread.
Back in the day, I have no doubt that
Mystère was groundbreaking. It undoubtedly helped set the standard by which Cirque du Soleil is judged today. And to the company's credit, they've continually built on each successive hit.
Yet, aside from the humor and a couple of the aforementioned high flying acts, to see it
after each of its younger Vegas siblings is a bit of a letdown. Even many of its cast members appear to be getting soft around the middle, no doubt contributing to some of the reckless lack of precision I witnessed during
Mystère's Korean plank trampoline routine.
There is just no comparison to the more superior and fantastic
O, which uses death-cheating water trickery, or
KÀ, a gravity-defying epic story -- both of these shows employ many similar acts that are significantly better and demonstrate the extraordinary evolution of Cirque du Soleil. And as I noted a couple days ago, each of those pales in comparison to the excellent, mindblowing production of
The Beatles Love.
Given the pricey tickets, I can really only recommend you see this show if you haven't seen the others, and that's with the caveat that money is not an issue. After all, why would you want an old-school
Sony Walkman if you could have an
iPod for about the same price?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Related Stories:The Beatles Love (The SOB Review) (September 11, 2007)
Flashback: Best of 2000-01 (May 23, 2006)
Labels: Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas, Musical, Mystère, Special Theatrical Event
The Beatles Love (The SOB Review) - Love Theatre, Mirage, Las Vegas, NV**** (out of ****)Last night, on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, I found myself seeking out some inner peace. In the excellent, mind-blowing
The Beatles Love, I found that all you need is love.
Finding myself overcome with a sensory overload I haven't experienced since visiting Nepal eleven years ago, this wild ride transports to another time and place with the most frenetic pacing I've seen since the first 20 minutes or so of
Baz Luhrmann's "
Moulin Rouge!" extravaganza. But just like that exhilarating silver screen opening, this exquisite showcase for the catalogue of
The Beatles ultimately settles down, finally enabling you to catch your breath, even if for a moment.
Classic tunes from The Beatles are brought to life in a most magical way, incorporating the themes and emotions behind each one, whether it's encapsulating the melancholy of "Eleanor Rigby" or the psychadelic sparkle of "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds." Since I'm a Beatlesmaniac, I was entranced throughout the entire production, but renditions of "Rock And Roll Run," "Help" and "Revolution" certainly epitomize who these four lads from Liverpool were and what they came to represent.
By far the best
Cirque du Soleil production I have yet to witness -- and I've now seen four of their five Vegas shows with the fifth coming tonight --
The Beatles Love even manages to blow my previous favorite
O out of the water. Nobody does beautiful spectacle
anywhere quite the way Cirque du Soleil does (Disney, why
aren't you paying attention??).
Credit
Guy Laliberté and Dominic Champagne for creating this truly magical mystery tour, along with Jean Rabasse (set design), Yves Aucoin (lighting design), Philippe Guilottet (costumer design), Jonathan Deans (sound design, including speakers within each seat) and Francis Laporte (a projection design that incorporated John, Paul, George and Ringo). It would serve Broadway choreographers to take a look or two at Dave St. Pierre's stunning work.
While "Viva Las Vegas" may have been Elvis' ode to Sin City, it's the Fab Four (and the creative team behind
The Beatles Love) who are breathing exciting new life into Vegas. As the show closed with "All You Need Is Love," I found myself wishing for just a little more love. Perhaps I've finally found my reason for returning to Las Vegas.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:Becoming SOL (September 10, 2007)
Critics: True Spectacle for the Senses and Beatles' Fans (July 1, 2006)
The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil Opens in Vegas Tonight (June 30, 2006)
Labels: Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas, Musical, Special Theatrical Event, Spectacle, The Beatles, The Beatles Love, The SOB Review
Jon Stewart (The SOB Review) - Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
***1/2 (out of ****)
He may be America's premier purveyor of "fake" news, but comedian
Jon Stewart and his uniformly funny stand-up routine are 100% genuine and clearly from the heart.
And surprise! Without accompaniment of written notes that have almost become de rigueur for many comedians, Stewart delivers an authentic 95-minute performance that transforms him from
Comedy Central's top commodity into a satirist with incredible humanity and compassion. In essence, he becomes a de facto "Every Man" for our 21st Century.
Sure, he warms up by serving tasty punchlines his television audience has already heard, including observations on last week's GOP presidential debates and the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But once he really gets going, he proffers surprising insights on everything from global warming to gay rights to God's "chosen people." He even shares his common sense solutions for preventing further Columbines.
While "
The Daily Show" certainly provides Stewart with a prized bully pulpit, he wisely uses his stage performance to burnish his growing reputation as America's most articulate, thoughtful and stimulating humorist since the days of
Will Rogers. With a certifiably hopeful eye on the future, Stewart's routine made
me stand up... and cheer.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Comedy, Jon Stewart, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Special Theatrical Event
They're A Little Bit Broadway: Donny & Marie To Bring Christmas Show To Great White Way
