In yet another nod to the Great White Way, "The Simpsons" used this year's holiday episode to pay tribute to this season's biggest Broadway hit, Wicked.
Makes me wonder what took "The Simpsons" creators so long!
In keeping with the 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.
In keeping with the 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 directly in exchange for this post.
Tony Winner Rondi Reed Returns To Prime Time TV Tonight
If you're like me and have enjoyed the relative abundance of Broadway/theatre folks on television lately, you may have been enjoying seeing Tony-winning actress Swoosie Kurtz blissfully playing against type as Joyce, the sexpot mother of Molly Flynn on CBS' new hit comedy "Mike & Molly."
This evening, Rondi Reed, who won our hearts and a very well-deserved Tony as Mattie Fae Aiken in August: Osage Countymakes her debut on the series as Mike's mom Peggy.
CBS describes tonight's episode as follows:
When Mike invites Molly over to his apartment, his plans for romance are interrupted by an untimely call from his mom, Peggy on the next episode of "Mike & Molly."
But this short teaser has left me, well, breathless:
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.
Were you in last evening's television audience for the live edition of "30 Rock"? If so, you saw one of two very different intros. Each one featured a prominent Broadway Baby.
Those of us watching the East Coast version were treated to this opening from Jane Krakowski:
Those on the West Coast saw this rendition from Cheyenne Jackson:
So, dear readers, which one do you prefer? Please tell me by voting in this poll:
If you saw last night's episode, you'll also have heard reference to Irene Ryan "dying" on stage in Pippin. For the record, the late actress most of us know as Granny from "The Beverly Hillbillies" suffered a stroke during a 1972 performance on Pippin, and she died weeks later.
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.
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.
Last Sunday evening while I was stilling coming down from this, Fox season premiered "The Simpsons." Now ranking as American television's all-time longest running comedy series, "The Simpsons" is now in its 22nd season.
As arguably prime time television's premier satirists, the writers for "The Simpsons" used Sunday's episode to send up Broadway in one fell swoop, thanks to Lisa Simpson and her friends. Practically faster than you can say "Great White Way," Mame,Angels In America- Perestroika (yes, Perestroika specifically), Betty Comden, Elaine Stritch and Andrew Lloyd Webber are all conjured up in a few blissful moments that any Broadway fan should appreciate.
Is it just me, or are we starting to see a true renaissance of Broadway references included in the Hollywood-branded pop culture?
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.
Since I'm such an avid fan and ardent supporter of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that I'm excited to see another Steppenwolf ensemble member, Martha Plimpton, in the premiere of her new FOX comedy series, "Raising Hope." Like "Detroit 1-8-7," "Raising Hope" also starts this evening.
Is there nothing Martha Plimpton cannot do? First, as the wine-swilling pontifica-ting, pompous Pope Joan and then as an English teen, both as part of Caryl Churchill's Top Girls, she was simply mindblowing.
But as Gladys Bumps in the current Broadway revival of Pal Joey, Plimpton proves nothing short of a complete revelation. We already knew this Tony-nominated actress had the dramatic chops, but who knew she also possesses such an sensational singing voice? Her "Zip" alone is worth the price of admission. Along with her sly moves, it truly does appear that there's nothing Plimpton can't do.
So why not television as a series regular?
On "Raising Hope," Plimpton stars as a new grandmother, Virginia Chance. On the TV series' official site, Plimpton answers a Q&A. In addition to rating her own parents "on a scale from Jimmy to June Cleaver," Plimpton says that if she were writing an episode of the show, she said, "I think it'll be essential that Virginia end up in sequins with dancing boys in tight thongs."
I'll be tuning in this evening for pure Plimpton, with or without those dancing boys.
"Raising Hope" premieres on FOX tonight at 9 p.m./8 p.m. Central.
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
Broadway Served As Detour On Road To Detroit From Chicago
While I don't ordinarily write much about television, I'll be tuning in this evening to ABC as it premieres its gritty new cop drama "Detroit 1-8-7."
Regular readers of Steve On Broadway (SOB) probably already know my overriding reason for watching. It's because the new series stars Jon Michael Hill, a Steppenwolf ensemble member and Tony nominee earlier this year for his incredible performance in Superior Donuts. Among the many things I said in advance of his Broadway debut last fall, I advised:
Now, with the transfer of Superior Donuts, New Yorkers will get to know one of the Windy City's formerly best kept secrets. Now that the word is out that Jon Michael Hill is coming to Broadway, do yourself a favor and see him early to get those bragging rights for you'll be seeing a true star of tomorrow shine today.
Of course, by tuning in to "Detroit 1-8-7" tonight, you'll have further bragging rights for seeing this "true star of tomorrow" in his ascent, now before a national audience. Hill will be portraying Lt. Damon Washington, described by ABC as follows:
Change is coming for Damon Washington. This homegrown kid is making a career change by becoming a homicide detective and he'll be making diaper changes as a brand new daddy. He has a solid track record on the beat and brings his enthusiasm to prove his keep in homicide. Washington anxiously awaits the "baby call" during his first day chasing down killers. His spirit and eagerness serve as a nice compliment to his resourcefulness and smarts.
Washington has to quickly adapt the art of balancing his personal and professional lives. His struggles growing up in Detroit will hopefully prep him for the growing pains he'll get on the job and in his marriage.
We're confident he'll learn and mature with a little guidance. We're just wondering if that'll come from his new partner, Louis Fitch. Time will tell if Washington has what it takes to earn Fitch's respect. We'll also get to see if his positive spirit rubs off on his hardened partner.
Personally, there's no doubt in my mind that in making his auspicious television debut in such a vital, promising role, Jon Michael Hill's name is on the precipice of household status. And deservedly so.
Just remember, for many of you, you first read his name here, just over four years ago.
"Detroit 1-8-7" airs on ABC at 10 p.m./9 p.m. Central.
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.
After taking television -- and even this year's Tony Awards -- by storm, with severalBroadwaystars suddenly becoming household names in the process, "Glee" just might be coming to the Great White Way.
According to New York's Daily News' Gatecrasher Frank DiGiacomo:
New York Gleeks -- and all you tourists -- will be happy to know Ryan Murphy is getting closer to bringing a theatrical version of "Glee" to Broadway.
At Tuesday night's premiere of "Eat Pray Love," which Murphy directed and co-wrote, he told us that a Broadway adaptation of his smash TV series is "definitely" happening. "I'm auditioning people now," Murphy said at the Ziegfeld Theatre, where the premiere took place. Alas, he declined to give us any leads on whom he might cast. (Lea Michele, anyone?) "I don't know just yet," he said. "You'll see."
While this may be the first time I've mentioned "Glee" in this space, make no mistake that I'm a die-hard fan of the television show. Just when the tuneful comedy looks like it's going to derail into a huge train wreck, Murphy has a way of effectively pulling it back from the brink. He succeeds in mining depths where you wouldn't expect to find any. It's hardly a one-note wonder.
Additionally, I've loved the fact that Murphy has also used countless Broadway actors to populate his series. And it's been pretty wonderful hearing showtunes from some of the Great White Way's greatest musicals being delivered to a whole new audience.
But could a Broadway version of "Glee" be too much of a good thing?
I have no doubt that Murphy is capable of constructing a solid show. He's already demonstrated he's an incredibly gifted writer. But the devices he's used to stage each production number within his TV show borrows exclusively from time-worn pop and Broadway catalogs. Would a "Glee" musical come fresh with its very own score?
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.
By now, dear readers, you surely know that Gypsy ranks as my all-time favorite musical.
Imagine my delight in stumbling upon this nugget from 1959's "What's My Line?" as Gypsy Rose Lee herself -- a Broadway performer in her own right -- appears as the "mystery guest" just days after the original production opened on the Great White Way with Ethel Merman.
Miss Lee explains, "When you've lost all your marbles, you're a stripteaser!"
The show's venerable moderator John Charles Daly (who also served as ABC News' anchor at the same time) explains how Gypsy "threatens to outdo even My Fair Lady." In my humble estimation some 51 years later, it has done managed that and more.
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.
Getting Into Tony Mood: Ovation TV's Music Of The Night
If you're looking to continue your Broadway fix, even from the comfort of your living room, you're in luck.
Aside from this coming Sunday's televised Tony Awards on CBS (the Tiffany network is also airing the hour-long 2009 Visa Signature Concert at various times across the country), cable's Ovation TV network deserves a hearty round of applause for its programming over the next couple weeks.
Kicking off its salute to Broadway musicals, Ovation TV will present "Mr. Prince" at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 6. "Mr. Prince" is an original Ovation TV special honoring the Great White Way's greatest living impresario, Harold Prince. The special not only features the legendary director and producer himself, but also a starry line-up, including Carol Burnett, Michael Cerveris, Joel Grey, Dean Jones, Angela Lansbury, Arthur Laurents, Mandy Patinkin, Chita Rivera and Stephen Sondheim. Incredibly enough, this is billed as Hal Prince's "first-ever television profile."
As part of its Broadway musical salute, Ovation TV will also feature productions of many of the shows Prince helped create along with other Broadway classics as part of "The Music Of The Night," celebrating the Great White Way's darker side "where phantoms, murders and con men rule."
Programs include: • "Cabaret"(1972) Bob Fosse’s film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical centers on a Berlin cabaret in 1931, during the rise of Nazism. Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey won Oscars for their performances. This also ranks as one of my favorite movies of all time.
• "A Chorus Line" (1985) Auditionees for a Broadway chorus line reveal their innermost thoughts and emotions in song and dance before a hard-boiled director. Based on the Tony Award-winning play, which also won the Pulitzer Prize. Starring Michael Douglas.
• "New York, New York" (1977) Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese teams with Academy Award winners Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro in this splashy, flashy musical spectacle celebrating the glorious days of the Big Band Era in the Big Apple.
• "Victor/Victoria" (1995) Filmed on the Broadway stage, this musical tells the story of out-of work singer Victoria who transforms into “Victor,” an overnight singing sensation in Paris. While I prefer the original Academy Award-nominated film from 1982, seeing Victor/Victoria on Broadway provided my only chance to see Julie Andrews perform live, along with my first opportunity to see current Tony nominee Gregory Jbara.
• "Music Man" (2002) A fresh update on the classic story of a con man who tries to take advantage of a conservative Midwestern town. Starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth.
• "Annie: Life After Tomorrow" (2006) A documentary about several of the woman who have played the acclaimed part of Annie and what became of their lives after such an important role. Featuring Sarah Jessica Parker, one star I'm still hoping to see live on stage someday, if not tomorrow.
To learn how to access Ovation TV in your area, click here. For Ovation TV's schedule, click here. Happy viewing!
Regis: Would you like to do Broadway here in New York? Daniel: I would, I'd love to, yeah. Kelly: No kidding?! Daniel: Yeah. I would. Kelly: And you think that's something that might be in your future? Daniel: Um, it could be. I would, I mean I'd like to make that happen. Kelly: It would be great for Broadway. Daniel: It would be great for me.
The Flight Of The Conchords (The SOB Review) - Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
** (out of ****)
If you're a regular reader, you'll know that I'm not one to see much in the way of television. But when I find a show that truly resonates with me, I try my best to watch it religiously.
Such is that case for one of my more recent favorite television discoveries, HBO's inspired "The Flight Of The Conchords" series that stars New Zealand's "fourth most popular folk parody duo" Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie as the eponymous band making their way in New York (the other night during their 2+ hour performance in Minneapolis, I learned that even a duo can be called a band -- after all, even a solitary person can be a "one-man band").
Like a great Gotham musical, each half hour episode offers a perfect blend of comedy that ingeniously segues into Jermaine and/or Bret breaking into song. Their ironic sense of humor and timing is captured in a truly brilliant and entertaining fashion.
What made the show even more appealing to a theatregoer like me was that it offered my first real opportunity to see Broadway actress Sutton Foster perform (until Young Frankenstein, I had been zero for three in my repeated attempts to see her on the Great White Way) -- and as Coko, Foster offers an egalitarian performance sans any trace of glamor that you'd swear she checked her ego at the door. I've also enjoyed the FOTC's superfan Mel (Kristen Schaal, now a regular on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"), who singlehandedly underscores how at its etymological root, "fan" was most definitely derived from "fanatic."
Oh that seeing this dimeric duo in person would take me away. Instead, I learned that these latter-day not-ready-for-primetime-players' material is much better suited toward television.
Instead of soaring, The Flight Of The Conchords actually came perilously close to crashing and burning during their gig that mixed their satirical set of songs with often labored interstitial comedy bits. In fact, at one point, Brit even said, "I think we've been derailed" when they virtually lost control of their show to a considerable slice of the audience. Much to my horror and chagrin, somehow, members of the crowd began to think they were part of the performance. Instead of ignoring the obnoxious and even belligerent cat calls, the duo's improvised response only seemed to encourage more of the same.
Yes, some of their reactions were indeed funny, particularly after one female fan yelled, "I want to marry you" to which Jermaine and Brit mused about the potential for marrying the entire audience. However, they had tremendous difficulty getting back on track. It didn't help matters that the duo kept dropping almost everything from their set list to musical instruments, as well as Brit knocking over his microphone into the front-row. The unfortunate effect was that they seemed ill-prepared to cope with this Minneapolis mob. And make no mistake, that's exactly what The Flight Of The Conchords were dealing with.
Fortunately, the musical highlights helped to quiet the crowd a bit. Inspired tunes like "The Most Beautiful Girl In The Room," "Business Time," "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros," "Inner City Pressure," and their tribute to David Bowie were all included in their set. As an added bonus, they managed to come back to the stage for an encore consisting of three tunes -- that, despite Bret's repeated notice that they were running out of time thanks to the audience's ridiculously rude antics.
I'm not sure how audiences throughout the rest of the United States will respond to The Flight Of The Conchords, but I can only hope they'll at least allow the duo they came to see get their act off the ground.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here to see a list of upcoming performance dates.
During Adams' appearance, Letterman asked her how she got her start. She replied, in part:
I worked at a place called Chanhassen (Dinner Theatres)...which is like the Cadillac of dinner theatres. And I've workd in the Pinto of dinner theatres, so I know.
Those Pintos must really be awful. I've been to that so-called Cadillac a couple times, and let me just say it's sorely in need of a tune-up, oil change, realignment and perhaps even a new chassis. Incidentally, it's also the same theatre where Laura Osnes -- the "You're The One That I Want" star of Broadway's current revival of Grease -- originally portrayed Sandy.
Earlier this morning at Minneapolis' Guthrie, I was among those catching a sneak peek at the theatre's upcoming musical adaptation of Ingalls Wilder's beloved tomes.
Now, before you even attempt a groan, let me just say that whatever you or the critics (or even I) have said about Zambello's current Broadway work, she deserves enormous credit for assembling a first-rate team of three other accomplished women: noted opera librettist Donna Dinovelli (far left), Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman (middle) and Tony-winning writer Rachel Sheinkin (right) of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Beefame. Expect Sheinkin to inject this Little House with plenty of humor, most likely through the comic foil identified by Zambello: Nellie Oleson.
While even Zambello notes that it is "a rare thing for a musical" to truly enjoy the artistic vision of so many female collaborators, it certainly seems like a natural to me that this fundamentally feminine story centered on Minnesotan "Manifest Destiny" shouldn't come alive any other way. Expect this to be focused more on Ingalls Wilder's series of nine books rather than on the ten year run of the NBC television series.
During the half hour preview, three songs from the musical were performed, including "I'll Be Your Eyes," "I'm Old Enough," and "Dance in the Wind." While it's rather difficult to judge any of the tunes without the appropriate context, the third certainly soared the highest as a lovely duet between the actors portraying Laura and her fiancé Almanzo.
Single tickets for Little House On The Prairie - The Musical go on sale Friday, June 27 and will be priced from $29 to $75. And imagine this, the musical will be performing straight through the Republican National Convention being held in St. Paul. Guess for the GOP, it can't get any more wholesome that this.
...ABC for enabling thousands of visitors to its "Good Morning America" set -- at the corner of Broadway and West 44th Street in the heart of Times Square -- not only to see all of next year's Academy Award statuettes, but especially for allowing us to get up close and personal with one.
Even though they were tethered down, I have to admit to enjoying my only opportunity to actually hold a real Oscar. I mean, how could I resist?!
Forgive me for not wearing appropriate attire and forgetting to thank you.
The 80th Annual Academy Awards will be presented on ABC live from Hollywood beginning this evening at 8 p.m. EST. Now, if only I had seen a quarter as many films as I saw stage shows over this past year, I might have a better handle on the winners...
This was the very production that earned last year's Tony for Best Revival of a Musical shortly before closing. I have to say that I enjoyed reliving the experience I had last year -- additionally, I was a bit surprised in re-reading my three-star SOB Review from almost exactly one year ago to see that I still completely agree with my initial assessment.
Watching the televised performance was an opportunity to see the show from all angles, including the back of the stage. While Doyle's production is good, it isn't quite great. It's rather uneven, and that's exemplified in the disparity between the unqualified thrill offered by Raúl Esparza's smoldering Bobby and the overly flat performance by Barbara Walsh as Joanne.
One plucky delight whom I had not previously mentioned is Angel Desai as Marta. Seeing her shine once again has me hoping this spitfire will be treading Broadway's boards sometime soon.
If you caught the performance on television, please let me know what you thought.
Unless there's a connection to live stage productions, I don't typically write about film or television as a rule. But since rules are made to be broken, I'm making an exception.
If you live in the New York City area and don't want to brave the freezing temperatures outside over the weekend, may I kindly suggest for your viewing pleasure watching Thirteen/WNET-TV at 11:30 p.m. Saturday night for a quirky little award-winning gem of an indie flick called, "Two Harbors"?
Written and directed by a very unassuming, and downright polite, auteur named James Vculek -- who, by the way, in his spare time does run a fledgling little theatre company in Minneapolis called Partizan Theatre -- this 2005 black and white film is "based on a true story" of "an obsessed sci-fi collecter uses an impressionable young woman in an attempt to lure aliens to earth, with tragic results."
An audience favorite at over two dozen different film festivals from coast-to-coast, as well as Down Under and our neighbor to the north, Two Harbors' many honors include:
2005 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (Best Feature)
2005 Milwaukee International Film Festival (Best Feature)
2006 Eugene International Film Festival (Best Feature)
2006 Victoria (Australia) Festival of Motion Image (Best Feature)
2006 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival (Silver Eddy Award)
2006 Winnipeg International Film Festival (Best Actor - Alex Cole)
2005 Austin Film Festival (Honorable Mention)
2006 Rural Route Film Festival (NYC) (Honorable Mention)
2006 SoCal Film Festival (Huntington Beach CA) (Honorable Mention)
If you need a little more prodding, here's the promotion on Thirteen/WNET:
Here's the original trailer for the film:
I had the good fortune to be on-hand for the very first screening of this film and have since made a trip to Milwaukee to see it at the city's iconic new art museum when "Two Harbors" won "Best Feature" at the Milwaukee Film Festival.
When it comes to broadcast television, I don't have many opportunities to sit down in front of my TV set. But when I do, I have to admit that a very guilty pleasure of mine is to watch NBC's "Deal Or No Deal."
Aside from the fact that I typically work long hours -- the last couple weeks have had me clocking in at close to 100 hours each -- I'm overruled in my own castle when it comes to watching this particular show.
So tonight, while I'm home alone on a night on which I actually arrived home before 8 p.m., imagine my very pleasant surprise to find Mary Banford -- a contestant who's apparently as big of a musical theatre fan as me.
Mary reached a magic moment -- having already gone through nearly all the cases containing big money -- when host Howie Mandell upped the ante in a way that only a musical theatre fan could appreciate. He brought out Megan Hilty, who proudly portrays Glinda in the Los Angeles sitdown production of Wicked.
Hilty provided one enticing offer: a chance to appear alongside her in the LA Wicked, a limo ride directly from the show to a performance to see the show and the actual wand she has used to portray Glinda the Good -- oh, and a mere $50,000 in cash.
While I won't spoil this for those on the West Coast, suffice it to say that this musical theatre aficianado would have gladly given up the game of chance for the chance to land on the Pantages Theatre in one of my personal favorite stage musicals.
At a time when there's precious little new stuff on the boob tube, thanks to the ongoing screenwriters strike, it's great to see Wicked continuing to break through via the shows still standing. Yet it hardly needs it given its nearly sold-out status everywhere it plays.
Last month, Legally Blondelanded in its entirety on MTV recently and caught the attention of 1.27 million viewers during its initial broadcast alone. While it didn't experience any significant upward bump at the box office -- yet -- it certainly counts as an ingenious way of reaching out to a potent new (read: young) audience.
But that remarkable cross promotion may be eclipsed tonight as ABC's popular "Ugly Betty" features the über-popular Wicked within its storyline in an episode entitled, "Something Wicked This Way Comes." The hour-long weekly comedy attracts audiences of over 14 million viewers, including a substantial number in the target audience.
In Thursday’s episode, Betty Suarez, played by America Ferrera, heads out to the hugely popular musical with her beau Henry, played by Christopher Gorham.
“This is a date, or what is supposed to be a date between Henry and Betty to come and see Wicked,” Gorham explained of the episode. “Of course, things end up going awry and Henry and Betty end up on stage, so it’s amazing.”
Tonight's episode features Eden Espinosa (Elphaba), Megan Hilty (Glinda) and Kristoffer Cusick (Fiyero) from the current Los Angeles sitdown production of Wicked. The LA production opened in February.
While I'm the furthest thing to any of these show's much sought-after demographic, you can bet I'll be tuning in. Nevertheless, my hunch is that ticket sales for each of the Wicked productions will spike after tonight's broadcast among the age groups they're seeking.
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles Limited run extended through May 31, 2011 (Show will go on hiatus starting January 15 and reopen at Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8)
Rock Of Ages - Open-ended run (Show will go on hiatus starting January 9 and reopen at Helen Hayes Theatre in March)
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
