Meet The CriticThanks to
New York Post's
Michael Riedel, we not only have the first word (and positive one at that) on the upcoming
Addams Family musical, but we also now know that
Time Out New York's relatively youthful-looking Arts and Entertainment Editor
Elisabeth Vincentelli is the new chief drama critic for the
New York Post.
We should all be pleased that the
New York Post is even opting to replace the late
Clive Barnes at all, given all the turmoil at other news outlets, as Leonard Jacobs at
The Clyde Fitch Report has been chronicling quite dutifully over the past year.
Here's Ms. Vincentelli's bio, as provided by the
Center for Communication:
Elisabeth Vincentelli is arts & entertainment editor at Time Out New York, where she started as music editor. At TONY, she oversees most of what doesn’t involve eating, drinking or shopping. She also contributes freelance pieces to The New York Times, Slate, The Believer, The Wire and The Village Voice (back when it meant something). Her book "Abba Gold" came out a couple of years ago; in the intervening years, she’s developed a passion for extreme black metal and can be seen headbanging at BB King’s on a regular basis.
Oh yes…because the world needed another blog, she comments on theater, dance, film, music, books -- pretty much whatever strikes her fancy, really -- at determineddilettante.blogspot.com.
One can only wonder whether the
Post will be determined to let her blog continue.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Addams Family, Clive Barnes, Determined Dilettante, Elisabeth Vincentelli, Michael Riedel, New York Post
Blackbird (The SOB Review) – Studio Theatre, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
*** (out of ****)Ever since that initial conversation I had with my parents in my earliest years about not taking candy from strangers, along with my mother’s admission that she could not stand actor
James Mason simply because she could not separate him from his sinister role in "
Lolita," the subject of pedophilia has always creeped me out.
Even as a teen, I was struck by the case of director
Roman Polanski, who to this day remains a fugitive from justice after having plead guilty in 1977 to unlawful sexual acts with a thirteen year old girl.
So making matters infinitely creepier when finally taking in a mounting of
David Harrower’s harrowing
Blackbird -- this one at the
St. Louis Repertory Theatre -- is that this production’s juvenile offender Ray (a perfectly chilling
Christopher Oden) bears more than just a little resemblance to Polanski. Director
Amy Saltz could not have found a better actor to tackle this difficult, nuanced role.
Years earlier as a 40 year old, Ray had succumbed to the seemingly wily temptations of the twelve year old Una. Now, having relocated and establishing a new identity and family, the hunter becomes the hunted as Ray is unexpectedly visited by the adult Una (an astounding and equally complex
Carmen Goodine), seeking to confront him.
Blackbird is built around their
tête-à-tête, which becomes heated and emotional with surprising results.
The questions in
Blackbird ultimately hinge on whether minors really have the clarity of judgment to engage in sexual relationships without longterm consequences. Can they truly understand and appreciate what they are doing? And no matter how sexually precocious a minor may seem, don't adults still have a responsibility to maintain clarity of thought and mind particularly because minors do not?
Given the psychological mess Una ultimately proves to be, Harrower's provocative answers appear to be that there's a reason why minors are considered such. With the excellent performances offered by Oden and Goodine, all creepiness aside, I recommend this show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blackbird, Carmen Goodine, Christopher Oden, David Harrower, Play, St. Louis, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, The SOB Review
In Lieu...Forgive me, dear readers, for not posting a regular item today. Due to a death in my family, I've spent the last 24 hours in Seattle and will be heading home on a red-eye, so a post tomorrow is rather unlikely.
But because I have caught up on a few of my favorite theatre blogs, I'm more than happy to redirect you to some that captured my attention this evening:
SarahB at
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment manages to make the Great White Way seem, well, substantially less dark or stark. Thanks to her camera in hand, she's providing actual snapshots of the bright lights to come to Broadway.
Then there's Vance at
Tapeworthy, who sums up countless shows he's considering seeing as he traverses the North American continent ... and then some.
Finally, check out
Modern Fabulousity's outstanding compendium of Broadway's coming attractions.
Oh, and since immitation is the most sincere form of flattery, I've been
really digging what Leonard Jacobs has been doing in summarizing the best (and worst?) of theatre blogging over at
The Clyde Fitch Report.
See you soon.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment, Blogs, Broadway, Modern Fabulousity, Tapeworthy, The Clyde Fitch Report
Rondi Reed: The Yellow Brick Road From Wicked To August: Osage CountyFor those of you whom have wondered aloud about my admitted fixation with the wildly disparate
Wicked and
August: Osage County, I give you quotes from the Tony-winning actress who successfully straddles and connects the two divergent productions.
In a
Chicago Sun-Times story on the close of the Windy City's sitdown staging of
Wicked, after its sold-out 1500th performance,
Rondi Reed -- the
Steppenwolf ensemble member who originated the role of Madame Morrible there, but who is best known to Broadway audiences as Aunt Mattie Fae Aiken in
August: Osage County -- had this to say:
Wicked has been unlike anything else I have experienced in my career so far -- one of the best things that ever happened to me.... It is, of course, a project of huge proportions and big budgets. And I learned so much, about so many things, in ways I never dreamed possible. To be a part of that theatrical juggernaut is something that comes along once in a blue moon. I had never done such a long run before, either -- never been asked to be so consistent, so disciplined, have the kind of stamina and heart it takes to play on that level. You are responsible not just to yourself, but to the other 125 people who show up for each performance behind the scenes -- in the orchestra pit, the wardrobe room, the sound board, the management office, the ones pulling the ropes, making it all happen and making it seem like magic in the process.
To the audience -- and odds are there is someone out there who has never seen a live show before -- this is the moment it happens. A husband who said he hated musicals and was dragged along got swept up in the story. Or four generations of one family who came to see the show together for Christmas used it to celebrate their mom's victory over cancer. And oddly enough, doing Wicked in the 2,200-seat Oriental prepared me for August, so that a Broadway theater didn't overwhelm me. It taught me about the size of performance needed to reach the back rows and still maintain integrity.
So for all you naysayers out there, I couldn't be happier that this actor's actor has such affection for
Wicked. No wonder she'll be returning to Broadway this spring as Madame Morrible in the tuner that's not only defying gravity, but also defying the odds at the otherwise dismal
Great White Way box office (hat tip to
Gratuitous Violins).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Broadway, Chicago, Closings, Musical, Rondi Reed, Wicked
Did Critics Think This Revival Has Hedda Steam?Yesterday, the latest Broadway revival of
Henrik Ibsen's
Hedda Gabler opened at the
American Airlines Theatre.
Ian Rickson helms
Christopher Shinn's new adaptation of the classic work. The production stars
Mary-Louise Parker in the title role, along with
Michael Cerveris,
Paul Sparks,
Peter Stormare,
Helen Carey,
Lois Markle and
Ana Reeder.
Critics' reviews were uniformly negative.
Asking rhetorically, "Who would do such a thing?"
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times compares this piece to '
Twilight' in his pan: "That affectless, amateurish acting I’d been seeing onstage, with its flat-line readings and saggy pauses, was all in the name of creating the illusion of people already dead.... That (Rickson) is now responsible for one of the worst revivals I have ever, ever seen has me flummoxed. Mr. Rickson’s
Seagull was a fluidly integrated production in which everyone seemed to exist in the same moment and in the same universe. With this
Hedda it’s not just that everyone is bad. It’s that they’re all bad in their own, different ways. At times you feel that because of some confusing detours in the back alleys of Broadway, actors who were meant to be in -- I dunno, anything from
Grease to
Equus -- showed up at the wrong place."
Lamenting that the revival "is an aggressively contemporary take on the play, but one whose insights seem more perverse than illuminating,"
Variety's
David Rooney front loads his review with a dire assessment: "Mary-Louise Parker's interpretation of
Hedda Gabler was probably always going to be a little wacky, but in the Roundabout revival she's the loopiest of a fairly off-kilter bunch. Using a disappointingly blunt new adaptation by Christopher Shinn, this is a production so doused in glum eccentricities that Ibsen's terminally bored neurotic has already reached the apex of her caged desperation before a line of dialogue has even been spoken. And while there's entertainment to be had from Parker's curt sarcasm and nutty double-takes, too many perplexing choices make the great play unaffecting and the irrational actions of its self-destructive antiheroine unsurprising."
Regretting that "two big hurdles blocked (Parker's) path this time: the adaptation and the direction," Bloomberg's
John Simon is outraged: "Why is it deemed necessary for minor American playwrights to adapt masterpieces whose status is owed precisely to their timelessness and universality? ... Ian Rickson, a British director who already did serious current damage to
The Seagull, now gets to wreak havoc on another masterwork. Rickson’s people do not behave like proper, staid, 19th-century Scandinavians, the source, in large part, of Hedda’s ennui. Rather, they carry on like hot-blooded Sicilians storming through '
Cavalleria Rusticana' minus the music.... There are moments when Parker’s charm and talent keep Hedda afloat, but all too often she drowns in misdirection."
Quipping that this revival "is too contemporary by half,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News only awards two out of five stars: "Nuance seems to have flown the coop.... But there's no sense of her psychology. Hopeless? Helpless? Repressed? Bored? ... Parker... is an unpredictable actress, and that's what makes her so exciting. But in this outing, she's got two switches: seethe and boil over."
Concluding that "Ibsen deserves better. So do we,"
New York Post's
Barbara Hoffman piles on in her two-out-of-four star review: "(Parker's) sultry star turn in Ibsen's 1890 shocker is the only reason, really, to see the uneven revival that opened last night at the Roundabout. The fault lies not in its stars -- well, partly ... -- but in Christopher Shinn's tin-eared adaptation.... (The) playwright has given Hedda some terrifically bitchy zingers (this is the rare Ibsen production that keeps 'em laughing), (but) he's lost much of the music along the way. His is a clunkier, more contemporary
Gabler."
Noting "wow, is it ever weird. Unfortunately, it is also not interesting-and really not good at all,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer blasts the production: "Parker, a thoroughly modern theater creature before she became the world's favorite pot-selling mom in '
Weeds,' has many fascinating qualities. What we learn from the
Roundabout Theatre Company's revival, alas, is that period versatility is not one of them. At least as disappointing, and perhaps more surprising, is the awkward staging by Ian Rickson.... Except for a couple of erotic flourishes -- including a nonsensical opening shot of Parker's bare butt and breast -- this is a stodgy and straightforward version of the Ibsen's pioneering mad-housewife classic."
This is one case in which I fully agreed with the consensus. While I profess to be a longtime fan of Ms. Parker's and have thoroughly enjoyed some of her previous stage work, her portrayal of
Hedda Gabler left me cold. You may find my
SOB Review by clicking
here.
Roundabout Theatre Company's mounting of
Hedda Gabler is currently slated to run through March 29.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Christopher Shinn, Critics' Capsule, Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen, Ian Rickson, Mary-Louise Parker, Michael Cerveris, Play, Revival
Hedda Gabler (The SOB Review) - Roundabout Theatre Company, American Airlines Theatre, New York, New York** (out of ****)You want to know the craziest thing about the latest revival of
Henrik Ibsen's
Hedda Gabler as directed by
Ian Rickson?
Surpringly, it’s not the wide, glassy-eyed deer in the headlights portrayal of the eponymous character by
Mary-Louise Parker, which, by the way, seems more like an extremely strung out page taken from her long-running Showtime hit “Weeds.” In fact, because
Hildegard Bechtler's lackluster set design includes a sparsely-appointed room, Parker continually appears desperately in search of more scenery to chew.
Nor is it that sad irony of this most vain mistress of seduction appearing to be more of a vanity project for the gifted Parker, especially given the sheer number of New York revivals of
Hedda Gabler staged over the past 15 years.
No, the craziest thing about this
Hedda Gabler is that the only fate worse than a serious misfire of squandered talent and classic script on the stage is Rickson’s tragically self-inflicted shot that comes close to fatally undermining this great work. While
Christopher Shinn’s new adaptation must bear some of the responsibility, it’s the director who can’t quite dodge his own bullet.
Indeed, it is Rickson’s
second Broadway outing in a row in which a leading character is done in by acute miscalculations on the part of both director and actor alike. Just as his revival of
The Seagull was thrown seriously off kilter by the egregiously miscast
Peter Sarsgaard as Trigorin -- a role fundamentally demanding a halfway decent striking man with at least some modicum of charm-- so, too, is this
Hedda Gabler so certifiably imbalanced that you can’t understand why any man would find her attractive.
There’s no pretense of nuance in Parker’s possessed performance. Because of that, not even the usually dependable
Michael Cerveris as her husband, a mousy Jorgen Tesman, can salvage this production. While the rest of the ensemble is capable, only
Ana Reeder as Thea Elvsted completely acquits herself.
If you're waiting for the right time to see
Hedda Gabler, you'll have to wait a little longer.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Ana Reeder, Broadway, Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen, Ian Rickson, Mary-Louise Parker, Michael Cerveris, Play, Revival, The SOB Review
Latest Gabler Gamble Opens On BroadwayPerhaps it's because the title character provides such an amazing opportunity for actresses to show their moxie that
Henrik Ibsen's
Hedda Gabler is opening on Broadway -- this evening -- for an astounding
19th time.
Coming just eight relatively short years after
Kate Burton's celebrated, Tony-nominated turn as Hedda -- and just three after
Cate Blanchett famously packed a pistol across the East River in
Brooklyn -- now
Mary-Louise Parker is sinking her teeth into the role of Sweden's coveted temptress.
Directed by
Ian Rickson,
Roundabout Theatre Company is presenting this latest incarnation with fresh adaptation from
Christopher Shinn. The ensemble includes
Michael Cerveris as Jorgen Tesman,
Paul Sparks as Ejlert Lovborg,
Peter Stormare as Judge Brack,
Helen Carey as Miss Juliane Tesman,
Lois Markle as Berte, and
Ana Reeder as Thea Elvsted.
Will critics hail this latest revival? Find out tomorrow as I not only provide my critics' capsule, but my own SOB Review.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Ana Reeder, Broadway, Cate Blanchett, Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen, Ian Rickson, Mary-Louise Parker, Michael Cerveris, Opening Night, Paul Sparks, Peter Stormare, Play, Revival
Sounds Like A Plan: Critics Review Greenberg PlayLast night, the
Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) revival of
Richard Greenberg's
The American Plan opened at Broadway's
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Helmed by
David Grindley, the play about potential love on a Catskill lake stars
Mercedes Ruehl,
Lily Rabe,
Kieran Campion,
Austin Lysy and
Brenda Pressley.
Critics were across the dock on this one.
Praising it as "an elegant and incisive 1990 play that has been given the revival it deserves,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley waxes rhapsodic: "People rarely talk about doing or having done things in the precisely and exquisitely written
American Plan; instead they speak of what happened to them.... Out of such innately inactive types Mr. Greenberg has woven a drama that crackles with friction and a muted suspense, stoked by the throb of stifled desires.... But what this production brings out so beautifully is how Mr. Greenberg ... combines novelistic nuance with theatrical flash. There probably isn’t a more consciously literary play on the boards in Manhattan now (well, from the past century, anyway) than
The American Plan, which is as precisely patterned as a sonnet by
Milton. Yet Mr. Grindley and his cast make the play as engaging as a potboiling soap opera."
Concluding that
The American Plan "is written with characteristic eloquence, and beautifully played,"
Elysa Gardner of
USA Today provides three and a half (out of four) stars: "Though Greenberg's breezy facility with language can run the risk of being mistaken for glibness, Plan deals unflinchingly with some dense, bitter truths: the selfishness of a mother's love, the convenience of lies and half-truths, the cruelly arbitrary nature of catastrophic events.... Ruehl brings great style and compassion to Eva. But the real star of this production is Rabe, who continues to blossom into one of the most beguiling stage actresses of her generation."
Deeming this a "delicate" revival,"
Variety's
David Rooney practically tip-toes around his own review without really sticking his foot in the water: "If the play's themes don't crystallize as swiftly or satisfyingly as they should, it's nonetheless an absorbing reflection on relationships carved out of disappointment and resignation in an era immediately before nonconformity became a more available option.... Much of the low-key tension in the characters' interplay, teased out with a gentle but coaxing hand by director David Grindley, stems from their exertions to keep up a facade or to lock in the elements that will allow them to construct one.... Even if there's something naggingly insubstantial about the minor-key play ... the acerbic wit of Greenberg's dialogue and the frequent acuity of his psychological insights keep it engrossing."
Calling it a "thoughtful but slow-moving play,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News awards three out of five stars: "(Grindley's) staging is straightforward and clear, but repetitive. After each scene, the dock rotates behind a sweeping curtain. The constant 'here we spin again' gets dull. The performances, fortunately, never do. Campion, Pressley and a particularly fine Lysy bring nuance to their roles. In presence and performance, Tony- and Oscar-winner Ruehl is big and bold.... [T]his is (Rabe's) finest, most complex performance so far."
Complaining that "there's too much talk, too little action,"
New York Post's
Barbara Hoffman gives away too much of the plot in her two and a half (out of four) star review: "[T]he real dance in Richard Greenberg's intermittently intriguing 1990 play is the tango between a domineering mother and her delicate daughter. Think
The Glass Menagerie and
The Light in the Piazza, in the looming shadow of (spoiler alert!) '
Brokeback Mountain.' Ruehl, one of our great stage actresses, makes Eva a force of nature. But even as she gleefully extols the excesses across the lake ... she's constrained by an ungainly German accent. It's like seeing a beautiful woman who's been zipped into a fat suit and can't get out. You wish someone had sprung for a dialog coach."
Lamenting that "
American Plan doesn't add up to much more than a social study about the oppression of a wide assortment of tyrannies,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer is engaged, but otherwise dismissive: "The Manhattan Theatre Club ... has revived it in the company's Broadway venue as a vehicle for the compulsively watchable Mercedes Ruehl and Lily Rabe.... And the production, directed by David Grindley ... doesn't always help us sort out the unknowable from the unbelievable in these complicated people.... And Brenda Pressley is quietly shattering as the black maid-companion, a woman who isn't quite family but who has given up her entire life to facilitate someone else's. There is a play in this unexplored character, perhaps more compelling than this one."
I'll be seeing the production in February and will weigh in with my own SOB Review. The limited run is scheduled through March 15.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, David Grindley, Kieran Campion, Lily Rabe, Manhattan Theatre Club, Mercedes Ruehl, Play, Revival, Richard Greenberg, The American Plan
LuPWNed!While
an inevitable audio recording (who do
they think they are??) of
Patti LuPone's now notorious penultimate performance of "Rose's Turn" has finally surfaced on YouTube -- making me really question
my short-term memory -- it's this
hilarious/frightening remix version that finally had me laughing.
Hat tip to
Theatre Aficionado At Large.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Cell Phone, Gypsy, Law, Patti LuPone, Photo, Stopping the Show, Theatre Etiquette
On The Menu Tonight: Greenberg's American Plan OpensTonight, the
Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) revival of its 1990 Off-Broadway play
The American Plan has its opening night at the
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, MTC's Broadway venue.
The American Plan was written by Tony-winning playwright
Richard Greenberg, who is also represented on Broadway this season via the revised book in the
Roundabout Theatre Company production of
Pal Joey. Tony-winning director
David Grindley helms this revival starring
Mercedes Ruehl,
Lily Rabe and
Kieran Campion, along with
Austin Lysy and
Brenda Pressley.
As
I noted last July, I am a fan of Greenberg's work. As such, I am looking forward to seeing this production in part because of his longtime collaboration with MTC, which has produced eight of his works, but also because I'm looking forward to seeing Ruehl and Rabe perform.
While I won't be taking in the production until February, I'll provide my critics' capsule tomorrow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, David Grindley, Kieran Campion, Lily Rabe, Manhattan Theatre Club, Mercedes Ruehl, Opening Night, Play, Revival, Richard Greenberg
Avenue Q: Apparently No Final Winner For NowGeorge W. Bush is no longer the U.S. President. But for now,
Avenue Q is simply replacing his name in the musical's final tune "For Now" with a test of four possible substitutes. They include:
Recession!
Prop 8!
This show!
Mother-in-law!
Yawn.
With the possible exception of the self-deprecating "This show!" none of the tryout lyrics have the brilliant snarkiness that the original lyric had.
As you may recall, the tuner's producers staged a little contest last month among fans to seek a replacement lyric. According to
Playbill, the production received over 2,000 entries. The judges --
Robert Lopez,
Jeff Marx and
Jeff Whitty, as well as the show's producers -- have settled on the four finalists. Those lyrics will be tested over several performances to "gauge the response and audience reaction."
Perhaps I'm quibbling here, but doesn't announcing what they are in advance undermine the potential hilarity of each? Part of the fun in seeing
Avenue Q for my first time back in 2002 was hearing that inspired, and at the time, somewhat subversive line without any indication it was even coming.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Avenue Q, Barack Obama, Contest, George W. Bush, Jeff Marx, Jeff Whitty, Robert Lopez
Hail To The ChiefIs there really any other news story today besides
Barack Obama becoming our 44th President?
If you're reading this, chances are you're not in Washington DC today. If you are,
this link might prove helpful. For the rest of us, you'll want to watch history as it unfolds, either
online or on
television.
I've rarely hoped or prayed more than I am today that Barack Obama has the wisdom, temperament and judgment to be an outstanding leader. We all need him to be a success.
Godspeed, Mr. President.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Barack Obama, Inauguration, Special Messages
Realizing The DreamTalk about sweet serendipity.
Today, we honor the memory of
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the late, slain leader's eponymous
national holiday.
Tomorrow, the nation will come together once again in one of our most quintessential and cherished of American phenomena as we witness the peaceful transfer of the power of the
U.S. Presidency. Only on this distinguished occasion, the day captures the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. with the inauguration of
Barack Obama as our 44th President.
It's quite likely that tomorrow would not have been possible, at least not so soon, had it not been for the valiant struggle as epitomized by the man we honor today.
In his
landmark 1963 speech on the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial -- not far from where a
new memorial is being erected in his honor -- Dr. King dared to dream what had sadly seemed impossibly out of reach:
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
As a
new CNN poll seems to indicate, America is on the threshold of a new day. Our nation has grown dramatically, not just over the last 45 years since that speech was delivered, but incredibly just over the last year. With the inauguration of President-Elect Obama, grown black men and black women are joining hands with grown white men and white women, along with men and women, boys and girls, of every color of the spectrum, as sisters and brothers.
While it's undeniable that there's still essential work to be done to further fortify the bridge that crosses our racial divide, we can rejoice that a strong bridge has been built in the first place, and it's been built on a sturdy foundation of hope and freedom.
One can only wonder just how proud Dr. King would have been of his country.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Civil Rights, In Memoriam, Martin Luther King Jr., Special Messages, Washington DC
Going ... Gone (Part III)Of all thirteen Broadway shows that are closing this month (actually fourteen if you count the January 31 closing for the limited run of
Soul Of Shaolin), perhaps the most bittersweet of all is the shuttering of the Best Musical of 2007,
Spring Awakening.
After all,
Steven Sater and
Duncan Sheik's musical was not only supposed to draw in an entire new generation of theatregoers with its edgy, anachronistic view of 19th Century sexual awakening, but it was to keep them coming back.
But take heart. Not only is the
North American tour in full bloom (it's
currently playing Houston), but
Music Theatre International (MTI)
has acquired the rights to the tuner, meaning that it will be licensing the show to regional theatres. While
Spring Awakening is currently "restricted" for such licensing, if you are among those wishing to produce the show, you can click
here to be among the first to receive a special e-mail notifying you that it's become available.
Spring Awakening will also flower internationally.
Expect productions in
London (opening next month), Vienna, Toronto, Helsinki, Seoul and
The Philippines.
I'll be taking in an upcoming leg of the current North American tour and will report on whether or not
Spring Awakening's seedling has continued to flourish and grow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Closings, Duncan Sheik, London, Musical, Spring Awakening, Steven Sater, Touring Production
Did Critics Find Heart In Soul?Last evening,
Soul Of Shaolin opened at Broadway's
Marquis Theatre. The kung fu spectacular is produced by
Nederlander Worldwide and the
Eastern Shanghai Cultural Film and Television Group as the first offering from their joint
China On Broadway enterprise.
Critics' reviews ran the gamut, although there were no outright pans.
Readily admitting that he was "there to see some serious butt-kicking," it may come as no surprise that
Frank Scheck of
New York Post would offer the best notices with three out of four stars: "[I]t's mainly an excuse for the impressive performers ... to provide a dazzling display of their skills, many involving staffs and sabers, but mostly their masterful control of their own bodies. The athleticism on display is truly amazing, performed by everyone from small children to one particularly charismatic one-armed master.... Director Liu Tongbiao has choreographed the proceedings with a precision that would put the
Rockettes to shame. It all culminates in a final raucous battle, and the most athletic curtain calls probably ever seen on a Broadway stage."
Comparing the show to "Bruce Lee -- with more noble aspirations," the Associated Press'
Michael Kuchwara offers a mostly positive review, noting the show: "...is a striking mixture of sentiment and strength, a soap-tinged, martial-arts tale of a devoted mother and her virtue-seeking son.... The suppleness of the cast is amazing... Subtlety is not apparent in the musical soundtrack either, an odd mixture of soupy Hollywood-style movie music -- that telegraphs emotions -- mixed with more traditional Chinese sounds. Yet it is the demanding physicality in the show that counts. That movement celebrates an intense kind of discipline that borders on the spiritual and proves to be surprisingly sturdy Broadway entertainment."
Concluding that "
Soul of Shaolin ultimately seems a pretty cheap enterprise,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley offers a middling to negative review: "The three performers who play the main character, Hui Guang, impress with their contortionist feats and physical prowess.... Much of it is schlocky; for long stretches it sounds as if someone loaded up the world’s most bombastic movie soundtracks on an iPod and then pressed the shuffle button. The passages of more relaxed indigenous music come as a big relief."
Rating the show with "Martial arts: 10. Magic: 3,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News rounds down by awarding two out of five stars: "Some kung-fu moves will make your head spin. When these performers launch into the air and whirl nearly horizontal to the ground, it's no '
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' special effect. Unfortunately, cheesy sets and choppy staging choices undermine the highs. Lights and piped-in music don't seamlessly fade and bridge scenes. They slam off, like someone hitting the brakes to avoid a car crash."
Lamenting this as a "rushed, expertly trained assault that leaves you slightly confused afterward,"
Variety's
David Rooney echoes the sentiments that this show is not ready for the Great White Way's prime time: "In the rare instances when the show communicates with utter clarity, it succeeds by speaking a universal language of one-upmanship and pratfalls. During those moments, we have to watch the individual performers to get the joke... [M]ore than once a performer has a look in his eyes that says unmistakably, 'Where am I supposed to be standing, again?' There are other amateurish mistakes, too, including notably loud backstage chatter that overpowers the piped-in score in the final moments. That would be less of a loss if the show's credo wasn't discipline, discipline, discipline."
Soul Of Shaolin runs through the end of this month at the Marquis Theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, China On Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Soul Of Shaolin, Spectacle
Bondway? James Bondway?All I can say is thank goodness
someone has time to catch up on daytime television.
Otherwise we'd have completely missed the following exchange
Regis Philbin and
Kelly Ripa had yesterday with
Daniel Craig as they bonded on their
eponymous TV show:
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.
It would be a Great White Way, indeed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment, Broadway, Daniel Craig, Kelly Ripa, Live With Regis And Kelly, Regis Philbin, Television
Soul Opens In Heart Of Broadway
Despite the dozen Broadway shows that have already closed this year, one
new show is actually opening this evening. Granted, this limited run show is not your typical Great White Way fare, but it is an opening nevertheless.
Produced by
Nederlander Worldwide and the
Eastern Shanghai Cultural Film and Television Group, which have come together in a unique partnership named
China On Broadway,
Soul Of Shaolin is the latest short-term resident of the Main Stem's
Marquis Theatre.
Featured during the
2008 Beijing Olympic Games,
Soul Of Shaolin is described as:
...a breathtaking new Chinese martial arts spectacle that tells the story of a boy named Hui Guang who is separated from his mother by war. Hui Guang is found and taken in by the legendary monks of the Shaolin temple and raised among them. As he becomes a man, Hui Guang becomes an accomplished master of Shaolin Kung Fu and embarks on a spectacular journey of self-discovery.
Soul Of Shaolin features 33 Chinese nationals highly skilled in Shaolin Kung Fu, the astounding martial art featured in such blockbuster films as "Fearless" (starring international superstar Jet Li) and "Shaolin Soccer." This amazing show blends the fantastic display of Shaolin Kung Fu with the rich history and tradition of the Chinese people. Created by world-class artists from Chinese theatre, opera and ballet, Soul Of Shaolin is dazzling entertainment your whole family will remember forever.
Soul Of Shaolin takes place during wartime in Chinese history. Hui Guang, a child who was separated from his mother, was found by a Kung Fu monk from Shaolin Temple and brought back to the temple. As Hui Guang grows up under the care of the monks, he is instructed in the unique ways Shaolin Kung Fu and the daily practicing of Kung Fu skills.
The partnership of China On Broadway will be developing and producing live stage productions globally. The current plan is for China On Broadway to produce one theatrical event each year to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Performances of
Soul Of Shaolin run through January 31, 2009.
Will critics find this their cup of tea or will they say phooey? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, China On Broadway, Opening Night, Soul Of Shaolin, Spectacle
August To Launch Summer Tour In DenverSomehow, this little piece of
news from Sunday escaped me.
Guess I was still a little verklempt from
Patti LuPone's
showstopping performance of "Rose's Turn" to take notice (
New York Post's Michael Riedel
writes about extreme phototaking today).
But if you're looking forward to seeing a leg of the upcoming
national tour of the 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Play
August: Osage County, it's worth noting that the Playbill story is
already obsolete in announcing that the tour will launch in San Francisco this August.
It won't.
According to the
A:OC Web site, the August 11 - September 6 San Francisco dates at the
Curran Theatre will actually be
preceded by the official tour launch in Denver at the lovely
Ellie Caulkins Opera House on July 24.
Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play is scheduled to run there through August 8.
Casting for the tour has yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, if you're one of my readers from Down Under, it's worth noting that the
Melbourne Theatre Company will be staging its own version of
August: Osage County beginning May 23, 2009 through June 27. As far as I know, this will mark the first time the show is not being produced in association with the original Steppenwolf mounting.
Former
Sydney Theatre Company Artistic Director
Robyn Nevin will star as Violet Weston. American audiences may recall that she directed
Cate Blanchett in the excellent 2005
Brooklyn Academy of Music mounting of
Hedda Gabler.
Nevin will be joined by Jane Menelaus, Robert Menzies, Deidre Rubenstein and Michael Robinson, among others. This production will be directed by Kellie Jones with
Simon Phillips serving as creative director. Take a look at the theatre company's promotional design for the show above -- they've certainly captured the essence of the play in the above artwork.
Finally, no
Chris, I have no plans to fly to Australia.
Yet.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Australia, Denver, Melbourne, Play, San Francisco, Touring Production, Tracy Letts
Rush To Enter The ExitJust when it seemed as though nothing more absurd could occur on the Great White Way than a dozen shows closing all at once comes word that an Australian revival of
Eugene Ionesco's
Exit the King will essentially transfer to Broadway this March.
Directed once again by Neil Armfield, the production that graced Sydney's
Belvoir St. Theatre will feature Academy Award-winning Aussie actor
Geoffrey Rush reprising the title role. But this incarnation will also mark the return to the Broadway boards for
Susan Sarandon after 37 years.
UPDATED (1.15.09, 7:35 p.m. EST): Just announced today are the exciting additions of Lauren Ambrose and Andrea Martin. This seals the deal for me. Absurd or not, I'm going!
Exit The King was first (and last) mounted in a Main Stem theatre all the way back in 1968 when it played a mere 47 performances. Its cast was comprised of
Patricia Conolly,
Richard Easton,
Eva Le Gallienne,
Nicholas Martin,
Pamela Payton-Wright and
Richard Woods.
The revival of
Exit The King is scheduled to begin previews at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 7. The limited engagement will open on March 26 and run through June 14.
If absurdist works are your cup of tea, this will be your year. In addition to
Enter The King, Roundabout Theatre Company will stage
Samuel Beckett's
Waiting For Godot beginning in April at Broadway's
Studio 54. Far from absurd, an amazing quartet of actors --
Bill Irwin,
Nathan Lane,
John Goodman and
David Strathairn -- are set to star.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Eugene Ionesco, Exit The King, First Word On New Show, Geoffrey Rush, Neil Armfield, Play, Revival, Susan Sarandon
Patti's Turn: Lettin' LooseAs noted here yesterday,
Patti LuPone actually stopped
cold the second-to-last per-formance of
Gypsy after catching one boneheaded audience member taking photos
during "Rose's Turn" (as opposed to the one above that I took in a whirl of excitement upon her exit from the
St. James Theatre Saturday evening).
As promised yesterday, here's my full recollection of what transpired, along with a few thoughts in retrospect.
Just prior to the onset of "Rose's Turn," during that wonderful final dust-up dressing room scene between Rose and Gypsy (
Laura Benanti), a cell phone rang ...
loudly ... from somewhere in the audience. While there's
never a good time for a cell phone to ring, this was obviously a particularly inopportune moment as LuPone's Rose had just bitterly knocked most of the contents of Gypsy's dressing room table to the floor as required for the scene.
Then that phone went off. LuPone and Benanti froze until the offending phone stopped ringing. But it was evident that the two actresses were far from pleased. As the two actresses were picking up the pieces of their argument, literally and figuratively, a visibly annoyed Benanti threw the prop telephone receiver at the phone's base. Rather appropriate, given the offense. Sadly, the climactic scene had been severely compromised, if not ruined, thanks to some careless, inconsiderate putz who didn't bother to turn his/her phone off.
So with that necessary piece of background, LuPone was set to begin the showstopping "Rose's Turn" number just moments later for her penultimate time. If you're a theatre lover, you know that this is the tune that seals the deal and makes the show what it is. It requires the artist to summon every ounce of countless emotions that have been bubbling beneath the surface to the top. Rose needs to be absolutely fierce.
Right as LuPone was getting revved up, something snapped. Suddenly appearing knocked a little off-balance (perhaps from a flash, although I personally didn't see one), LuPone threw up her arms in seething rage and demanded the orchestra
and to some unknown person to "Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop taking pictures
right now!"
LuPone looked straight into the far reaches of the orchesta section and began jabbing her finger toward the offender shouting, "Who do you think you are? How
dare you! Who do you think you are?"
She continued to rebuke this person saying it was the
third time she had seen him/her take a photo and that she refused to go on with the show unless he/she was removed from the audience. "Get 'em out of here," she inveighed repeatedly. LuPone proceeded to stand off to the side of the stage until someone gave the "all clear" that the offender was removed.
LuPone came back center stage, still clearly disgusted, but offering that she simply could not understand why people attending theatre these days display such little respect and don't know how to be polite. Then, in transition, she charitably declared, "And all of you, every single one of you, except for that person, has respect, and I and the rest of this company appreciate it."
With that, LuPone took a few paces back, put on the smock she dons at the beginning of the scene, took one very deep breath to recompose herself and regain the moment -- with the audience on its feet, giving her a standing O -- and proceeded with "Rose's Turn" once more from the top. After she concluded "Rose's Turn," the crowd was back on its feet.
As regular readers know, I have grown so incredibly weary of audience members treating theatres as their own personal living rooms. The beauty of seeing live theatre is the communal experience of witnessing artists provide unique performances that can never be exactly the same from one night to the next. There is a trust we must have with each other to be respectful and well-mannered.
But there's also a trust and bond we have with the artists themselves -- who, by the way, can actually hear us and see us -- that becomes violated whenever we rustle through paper and plastic bags or talk above whispers or engage in any of the other nuisances that serve to undermine a performance. It also becomes a violation of
law when we decide we're above those laws by letting our cell phones chime or taking photos when it's actually an infringement of copyrights.
It's extraordinarily rare for performers to take the dramatic step of chastising an audience member the way Patti LuPone did. Personally, I had never seen it before, but I know of a few isolated incidents that have since become the stuff of legends. In this case, as I see it, the offender got his/her comeuppance as if it was on behalf of all the other self-absorbed, inconsiderate jerks I've ever seen devalue a performance because they thought they were above it all.
In retrospect, I don't blame Patti LuPone for finally being pushed to say "enough." She has been an outspoken champion for better theatre etiquette for a long time, although usually via off-stage interviews.
If anyone thinks she ruined Saturday night's performance, I submit to you that if theatre management had dealt with all the egregious infractions of their own stated rules more vigorously, individuals would not flaunt them with growing frequency. Those rules -- and the law -- must be enforced. But at the St. James, it was clear that the ushers were not properly empowered to do so. So Ms. LuPone, in order to salvage the performance
on behalf of the audience took the unusual step of taking matters into her own hands.
Yes, by stopping the show, LuPone really changed the atmosphere, but I would also argue that she really
charged the atmosphere as well, making this "Rose's Turn" all the more of a truly fierce
tour de force. If nothing else, Patti LuPone offered one performance that everyone in that particular audience will remember and talk about for the rest of their lives.
UPDATED (1.12.08, 7:15 p.m. EST): In a rather bizarre twist,
Broadway & Me tells us now that it was all a huge misunderstanding.
B&M notes:
Now I hear from an insider who was there that the whole incident was a simple misunderstanding. It seems that Patti had a photographer following her around backstage for several days doing a magazine article about her and the poor fella went around front to document some of her iconic moments in the show. And says my source, "That was the person she had thrown out! She forgot he was there!"
As Broadway & Me has so eloquently stated, "How can you not love Broadway?"
This story was updated on 1.23.08.This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Cell Phone, Gypsy, Law, Patti LuPone, Photo, Stopping the Show, Theatre Etiquette
SNL Gives Its Regards To BroadwayEvidently, while this hilarious little summit to save Broadway was taking place at the mock
Sardi's, I was down 44th Street at
Angus McIndoe, still coming down from the second-to-last performance of
Gypsy.
Here, the Phantom is played with relish by "
Saturday Night Live" regular
Jason Sudeikis, who happens to be the scion of my longtime friends Kathy and Dan from Kansas City. To say they're proud of their talented son would be an enormous understatement. I can't help but wonder if Jason will ever consider following his
real-life uncle onto Broadway's boards.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Jason Sudeikis, Saturday Night Live, Summit to Save Broadway
Going, Going, Going ... Gone (Part II)One week ago today,
I took note of Charles Isherwood's bittersweet
story that almost served as a plea to get out and see your favorite shows before they close. That same day, nine Broadway shows closed.
Today, we'll bid adieu to yet another three Main Stem productions, including
one that earned the Tony for Best Musical just four years ago and
another that earned its
three principal cast members Tonys for their exceptional acting.
Today is your last chance to see the following three shows:
All My Sons. Going. No word yet (as of this writing) on whether a tour will ensue.
Gypsy. Going. While rumors had run rampant that a West End transfer might take place -- at least for its star
Patti LuPone -- there's been no official word as of late. For that reason alone, I revisited the
St. James Theatre last night to catch the second to last performance on the Great White Way. WOW!
I will discuss just a little later how Ms. LuPone stopped the show twice -- once when the audience gave her a standing O upon the conclusion of her rendition of "Rose's Turn," but also
during the same tune when she stopped the orchestra because some idiot in the audience had the bad manners to be taking at least three photos (by her count) of her performance.
After rebuking the offender by saying, "How dare you?" among other fourth wall-breaking chastisements, Ms. LuPone had the jerk kicked out and then started the tune all over, to great applause. This marked the first time I had ever seen an artist stop a show because of an audience member's complete lack of manners.
If you're attending Sunday's final performance and think you can get away with taking a photo, be forewarned!
Monty Python's Spamalot. Going. And if you were toying with traveling to London to see the
West End mounting, you'll have to rethink that strategy as the show closed there on January 3 (the abbreviated
Las Vegas staging already closed last summer). But the
North American tour continues. You can catch its last
South Bend (IN) performance today; from there, the tour moves on to
Peoria (insert your
obvious joke here) and then to
Chicago.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: All My Sons, Broadway, Closings, Gypsy, Monty Python's Spamalot, Patti LuPone, Rumor, Touring Production
Movin' On Up!If you're like me, you may have wondered just how far into the spring eligibility for Tony nominations could possibly be pushed.
After all, last year,
four very different shows opened in May for Tony consideration.
One of them was ruled ineligible because it closed after opening night, meaning Tony voters would not have an opportunity to judge it.
Today comes a little sanity as the
official calendar for the 2008-09 Theatrical Season was announced.
Now, all Broadway shows must open on or prior to April 30 in order to be eligible for this year's Tony Awards. The nominations will be announced May 5, which contrasts with last year's
May 12 announcements. Then, the 63rd Annual Tony Awards will honor Broadway's best the evening of June 7 (
last year's event was June 15).
Personally, I am pleased that the Tony Administration Committee has reined in the timing. At the rate they were going, I half expected the Tonys to be handed out during the Fourth of July holiday, and that would have made me downright wheezy.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Tony Awards, Tony Calendar, Tony Eligibility, Tony Nominations
Frost/Nixon (The SOB Revisit) - State Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota*1/2 (out of ****)You'd think that all the ongoing Oscar buzz generated by the
film progeny of Broadway's
Frost/Nixon would be enough to place everyone associated with the
current national tour squarely on their "A" game.
With stage director
Michael Grandage apparently phoning it in with a lackluster ineffectual cast, I'm sorry to say that you'd be very wrong.
Granted, I just saw the silver screen incarnation over the past two weeks, and yes,
I thought it better than the original Broadway mounting (see my 2007 SOB Review
here). But this touring production pales dramatically in every sense of the word and is likely to disappoint the throngs of filmgoers who have been inspired to seek out the source material. If ever I doubted the extraordinary ability of
Frank Langella and
Michael Sheen to rise above
Peter Morgan's script, those doubts have forever been put to rest, even as the current cast sinks beneath it.
First and foremost,
Stacy Keach is just plain wrong as
Richard Nixon. Keach is a distinguished actor, to be sure, but he only rarely achieves any of the Nixonian cadences and posturing Langella effortlessly mastered. Sure, Langella may only bear a fleeting approximation to Nixon, but he had me believing. Even
Bob Ari, the actor who portrays
Robert Zelnick doing a Nixon impersonation is better (Ari also understudies Keach, after having understudied Langella on Broadway). The overly robust Keach, on the other hand, doesn't even seem to try, instead eerily coming off more like the personification of
Peter Griffin of television's "
Family Guy."
Speaking of cartoonish performances,
Alan Cox as
David Frost infuses his characterization with a mad dash of
Austin Powers. Sadly, to say that he gives the best performance of the evening is not saying much.
Perhaps the worst is the laughably miscast
Brian Sgambati as
James Reston, a narrative role intended to provide an undercurrent of moral and righteous indigation. However, Sgambati's Reston is merely a boy scout, exhibiting an inappropriately earnest gee-whiz half smile that makes questioning of whether Frost should work with this "loose cannon" completely incongruous -- loose marble is more like it.
Do yourself a favor, save your loose change and go see the far superior film version of "Frost/Nixon" with Langella and Sheen in lieu of the impeachable tour. It's one of the few times I've ever recommended a silver screen incarnation over a live stage show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Alan Cox, Brian Sgambati, David Frost, Film, Frost/Nixon, Michael Grandage, Peter Morgan, Play, Richard Nixon, Stacy Keach, The SOB Revisit, Touring Production
Second Chance: Broadway's Cyrano Revival On PBSIf you weren't able to catch the mostly captivating 2007 Broadway revival of
Edmond Rostand's classic
Cyrano de Bergerac, you'll have your opportunity this evening when
PBS broadcasts the
David Leveaux-helmed translation from
Anthony Burgess as part of its "
Great Performances" series.
The main attraction here is clearly
Kevin Kline. Regular readers may recall that I singled out his extraordinary turn in the title role for high praise in my November 6, 2007
SOB Review:
Kline firmly centers the show with his nuanced and understated performance that's breathtaking to behold. Seemingly without effort, he manages one of those rare spine-tingling feats of the stage...
While I wasn't exactly enamored with
Jennifer Garner's Broadway debut, I still gave the show three out of four stars, as well as props to the film and television actress for her critically important final scene. And in a bit of serendipity, the
actress just became a mother yet again just yesterday.
With Kline's "Great Performance" in mind, I would certainly recommend this for your viewing pleasure. PBS' "Great Performances" is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. EST, but be sure to check your local television listings.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Cyrano de Bergerac, David Leveaux, Edmond Rostand, Great Performances, Jennifer Garner, Kevin Kline, PBS, Play, Revival
Lay Down SallyHearing
Eric Clapton's 1977 tune "
Lay Down Sally" on my way to work this morning brought a huge smile to my face. I realized it was the first time I had actually heard it
in full since seeing
Tracy Letts'
August: Osage County.
Given that the first track from the same landmark Clapton album "
Slowhand" is "
Cocaine," I had a sudden epiphany this morning for why Violet Weston might have such an affinity for his work.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Broadway, Cocaine, Eric Clapton, Lay Down Sally, Steppenwolf
Does This Make Me Look Fat?Maybe there's hope for me yet as the upcoming production of
Neil LaBute's
reasons to be pretty is looking for average Joes and Josephines for
its ad campaign.
Sounds as inspired as if on the wings of a
Dove.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Ad Campaign, Broadway, Neil LaBute, Open Casting Call, Reasons To Be Pretty, Terry Kinney
Going, Going, Going, Going, Going, Going, Going, Going, Going...Gone!Charles Isherwood's downright
nostalgic piece in this morning's edition of
The New York Times serves as an excellent reminder that today's your last chance to see nine of the thirteen Broadway shows slated to close during January 2009.
Boeing-Boeing. Going. But a
45-week national tour is planned for take-off sometime this year.
Dividing The Estate. Going. But subtracting
Elizabeth Ashley from the cast, the ensemble will transfer to the
Hartford Stage in Connecticut come May.
Grease. Going. But the ongoing
North American tour with
Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel is about to play Chicago's Auditorium Theatre.
Hairspray. Going. But the Award-winning
London staging is going strong. Oh, and there's the sticky
non-Equity tour that's about to play such markets as Terre Haute (IN), Kalamazoo (MI) and Wabash (IN) for one nights only, but it does not share the Broadway credits (including direction, choreography or elaborate set designs) or talent.
Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Going. But producer
Kevin McCollum "
would love to bring the show back to Broadway" in the future, and the show will continue to live on during future holiday seasons throughout North America.
Liza's At The Palace...! Going. What?! You expected
more?! After two extensions??
Slava's Snowshow. Going.
13. Going. But there's "much interest in a
national and international tour," according to lead producer
Bob Boyett.
Young Frankenstein. Going. But
a tour is planned for this fall.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Boeing-Boeing, Broadway, Closings, Dividing The Estate, Grease, Hairspray, Liza's At The Palace, Slava's Snowshow, White Christmas, Young Frankenstein
Get Ready For Carnage On BroadwayNo, I'm not talking about all hell breaking loose once all the myriad shows have closed on the Great White Way over the next week and a half.
Instead, I'm talking about the upcoming Broadway berth of
Yasmina Reza's wickedly funny and downright, um, visceral
God Of Carnage descending upon a Rialto stage later this spring.
According to
Baz Bamigboye of London's Daily Mail, the Main Stem incarnation will star
Jeff Daniels,
Hope Davis,
Marcia Gay Harden and
James Gandolfini.
After having enjoyed the West End mounting (which included what the West End Whingers have graciously named the "
year's best vomiting scene"), I'll be anxiously awaiting the new staging.
And with this cast, so should you.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, First Word On New Show, God Of Carnage, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, London, Marcia Gay Harden, Yasmina Reza
Happy New Year!Here's wishing you and your family and friends a very happy, healthy and -- dare I say it?! -- prosperous 2008!
And here's to great live theatre throughout the year, wherever you are!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: New Year's, Special Messages
