We're Going To Broadway! (Maybe)

The New York TImes 01/07/13

The Midtown Men LIVE in NYC at The Gramercy Theater January 13 by Call Me Adam

The Midtown Men are performing LIVE in NYC at The Gramercy Theater on Sunday, January 13 at 7:30pm. Come join Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, Michael Longoria, and J. Robert Spencer, the fo…

Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman owe ‘Les Miserables’ voices to Chicago trainer

If Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman are hitting all the right notes in the hit film “Les Miserables,” they have one talented Chicago area resident to thank for their vocal prowess. That wo…

Plays go off the grid by Frank Scheck

You can say one thing about this year’s Under the Radar festival: It has something for every attention span. Do you suffer from theater-induced attention-deficit disorder? There are three…

James Earl Jones to star in "Driving Miss Daisy" by Kristen Gelineau

SYDNEY (AP) -- They're starring in a play about a woman reluctant to age and the perils of passing time, but veteran actors James Earl Jones and Angela Lansbury say that life in their 80…

Hottest Articles on BWW from Sunday, Jan. 6

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from Sunday, January 6, 2013.

Steppenwolf cast’s ‘Hat’ trick: Making Guirgis’ lines crackle

HEDY WEISS: An able group of actors including Jimmy Smits make the most of the rapid-fire dialogue in this tragicomedy of very bad manners.

Steppenwolf cast’s ‘Hat’ trick: Making Guirgis’ dialogue crackle

The partially unprintable title of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ “The Mother------ with the Hat” is an easy attention-getter. But it is not nearly as graphic, profane, angry or scatologically …

A Family Affair, on Broadway

To the ever-growing pairs of mother-daughter actress duos, we can now add Laurie Metcalf and her daughter Zoe Perry.

‘Fiesta de los Reyes Magos/The Three Kings Day Celebration’ at Gala Hispanic Theatre by Carolyn Kelemen by Carolyn Kelemen

Three kings, a live donkey and dancers galore add up to a GALA DC celebration Since the annual Fiesta de los Reyes Magos/The Three Kings Day Celebration has become so popular in the DC’s…

Random Straight Guy Symbolizes Musical Theatre’s Branding Problem by CFR Staff

Straight men: not musical theatre's target market.

Broadway Box Office: Weeks 30 - 31: 12.17 - 12.30.2012 by JK

Here's the last two weeks of Broadway Box Office stats.  Click HERE to see how the weekly rankings are calculated. * denotes a production that played 7 weekly performances; + denotes a …

'Smash' musical getting cast album

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- The Broadway show within a show on NBC's "Smash" is getting its own cast album....

Jason Robert Brown's THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY Will Headline Williamstown Theatre Festival, Starring Kelli O'Hara by BroadwayWorld

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, with music from Jason Robert Brown and a book from playwright Marsha Norman, will take a bow at Williamstown Theatre Festival this summer.

PRINCE OF BROADWAY, BIG FISH and More Close in on Investor Goals by BroadwayWorld

With many shows pushing back their Broadway opening nights, PRINCE OF BROADWAY, BIG FISH, THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN and THE MISS FIRECRACKER CONTEST are still on track for their upcoming produc…

Musical Diner Delays Broadway Opening Until the Fall by Andrew Gans and Kenneth Jones

The new Sheryl Crow-Barry Levinson musical Diner, which is based on the movie of the same name and had been scheduled to open on Broadway April 10, has been delayed until the fall, according…

Lyric Opera, Second City make for a mirthful mix

Did you hear the one about the international grand opera company that woke up one day to realize that the world’s greatest improvisational comedy troupe has been located just up the street…

BWW TV Exclusive: OUTSIDE THE BOX - Season 2, Episode 4- John Sloman, Angel Reda, and More! by Outside The Box

Performer John Sloman TVs Mad Men, and Broadway's Big and The Music Man is asked to star in a career-defining role in a new musical. Will he accept the role What is the new musical Stay tune…

INTO THE WOODS Will Not Transfer to Broadway; THE SUNSHINE BOYS Delayed to 2013-14 Season by BroadwayWorld

There has been buzz about the Public's starry INTO THE WOODS making the transition from Shakespeare in the Park to Broadway, as HAIR and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE did in recent seasons, but tod…

DINER, FLASHDANCE and More Delayed Due to Financing by BroadwayWorld

Approximately one in four Broadway shows will be profitable, and in a bid to join those ranks, the producers of several upcoming shows have delayed their opening nights on Broadway to work o…

‘Inflatable Frankenstein’

Scenes from the show by the New York ensemble Radiohole.

I Won an Award! by Tim

More importantly, I received one of my favorite reviews ever, from Stuart Bousel, who created the Stuart Excellence In Bay Area Theater Awards: BEST SHORT PLAY “Play It Again, Friend&#…

Arts, Briefly: Theater Residencies From Emerson College by Compiled By Adam W. Kepler

The Center for the Theater Commons at Emerson College in Boston is set to announce a program to award 14 theater residencies to playwrights in 11 communities across the country.

Arts, Briefly: Primary Stages Announces Season by Compiled By Adam W. Kepler

Primary Stages is to announce on Monday that the world premiere of a new play written by and starring Charles Busch will be among the productions in the 2013-14 season.

Le Salon de Musiques – Los Angeles classical concert review by Pauline Adamek

The fourth of eight concerts of Le Salon de Musiques’ 3rd season, on January 13 2013, will feature J.S. Bach’s Gamba Sonata n.2, Robert Schumann’s Fantasy op 73 Cello & Piano and t…

For Some Shows, Path to Broadway Is Pockmarked by Patrick Healy

For multiple reasons several shows meant for Broadway’s 2012-13 season have been delayed or canceled.

Theater Review: Radiohole’s ‘Inflatable Frankenstein’ at the Kitchen by Ben Brantley

Radiohole’s “Inflatable Frankenstein” is all about the difficulties of the act of creation.

Top 10 Chicago Plays of 2012 by Scotty Zacher

Taking into account the nearly 700 productions that we reviewed this year, here are our picks of the best of the best. Bravo!! (FYI: We’re humbled that the national website Huffington Pos…

Photo Flash: Saturday Intermission Pics, Jan 6, Part 2 - BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Does LES MIS, FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL and More! by BroadwayWorld

BroadwayWorld collected as many of yesterday's evening Saturday Intermission Pics as we could to bring you Part 2 of our January 5th SIP round-up Check out part one HERE.

This Year Let’s Redefine Success by Polly Carl by HowlRound

So it’s New Year’s resolution time and I’m thinking about mine. I’d like to save more money this year. I have this obsession with men’s fashion and too much of my budget is going t…

Tarell McCraney’s Hamlet Is First Step Toward Dream Of A Winter Festival In Miami by Bill Hirschman

By Bill Hirschman “I’m doing all right as long as I don’t pass out.” It’s November and Tarell Alvin McCraney has sandwiched in a trip back to his hometown to prep his January 12 pr…

Steppenwolf cast’s ‘Hat’ trick is making Stephen Adly Guirgis’ dialogue crackle

The partially unprintable title of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ “The Mother------ with the Hat” is an easy attention-getter. But it is not nearly as graphic, profane, angry or scatologically …

Review: (Toronto) Pitch Blond (Next Stage) by The Charlebois Post

Laura Anne Harris (photo credit: Jacklyn Atlas)Blond Not Dumbby Shannon ChristyPitch Blond is an informed attempt to bring back Judy Holliday. It is a 30-minute show that uses audio clips fr…

`Freud's Last Session' lures Hirsch, Cavanagh by Lon Beach Press-Telegram

When the play "Freud's Last Session" opened in a Manhattan YMCA in 2010 it became an unlikely hit, but few could have predicted just how widely seen the session would become. This fictional …

Review: (Montreal) Poutine Masala (Wildside) by The Charlebois Post

Bollywood, Qcby Rebecca UgoliniIf the grey winter landscape has you yearning for a little heat, the Bollywood-inspired dance numbers and light romantic comedy in Poutine Masala might be just…

Chicago Theater Review: ALLOTMENT ANNIE (Strawdog Theater) by Lawrence Bommer

YOU ONLY DIE ONCE One of the great pick-up lines that soldiers and sailors on leave during World War II (and probably the Trojan War too) used to seduce a one-night standee was, “Let’s d…

BWW Interviews: Joanna Ampil Talks Grizabella, CATS 2013 UK/Europe Tour by Oliver Oliveros

London-based stage actress Joanna Ampil seems to have all the luck having Miss Saigon Kim, Jesus Christ Superstar Mary Magdalene, Les Miserables Fantine, and Avenue Q Christmas Eve, among ot…

Review - Murder Ballad at the MTC Off-Broadway by Christopher Caggiano

Dear Reader: With this post, I've finally caught up on my blogging backlog. I've still got some posts in the pipeline (including my Best and Worst Musicals of 2012, as well as my review of P…

Quentin Off-Leash! Part II by Thomas Garvey

Historical fact - or Tarantino fetish?  Or both?Whippings, and the welts they left on the backs of slaves, are a constant motif of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (above, one …

Radiohole Brings The Creature To Life! by Andy Horwitz

Went to The Kitchen Saturday for the opening night of Radiohole’s newest work Inflatable Frankenstein. It was an incredible return to form – or maybe next step – for one …

Theatre review: With Love and a Major Organ can be heart to take by Robert Cushman

Julia Lederer, author of With Love and a Major Organ, has a neat way with a digital simile. So does the young woman she herself plays

Dead Accounts by Broadway's Best Shows

The Kitchen, Drying Out From Sandy, Tries To Move On To Reinvention

The New York Times 01/05/13

In Performance

In this theater video series, actors perform scenes from their shows.

War Horse by Broadway's Best Shows

Peter Pan – review by Lyn Gardner

Bristol Old VicPlay is at the heart of Sally Cookson's version of Peter Pan, set in a derelict space that children have turned into their own Neverland; a place where they can fight pirates …

The Dead – review by Helen Meany

Abbey, DublinNow that James Joyce's work is out of copyright, a number of attempts have been made to dramatise his celebrated short story, The Dead. While beautifully transposed to the scree…

Marcel Duchamp's gift to New York by Judith Mackrell

At the tail end of the 1960s, four giants of the New York avant-garde fell under the spell of the great French artist Marcel Duchamp. The results caused shockwaves. In the runup to a new Bar…

Alena Watters to Perform at DIVA Industry Bar, 1/7 by BroadwayWorld

Marty Thomas presents DIVA is a weekly show at Industry Bar in midtown Manhattan. Featuring a cast of Alexa Green Wicked, Company, Kelly King Babyface, Michael Bolton and Marissa Rosen My Bi…

Why Do Audiences Still Love Godot?

BBC 01/04/13

Photo Flash: OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY at Hampton Theatre Company, 1/10-1/27 by BroadwayWorld

'Other People's Money,' Jerry Sterner's seriously funny play about Wall Street buccaneers and their hapless victims, will be the first production of the new year for the Hampton Theatre Comp…

Do you hear the people “sing”: Les Miserables on film, or the sacrifice of score for stars by Bob Bullen

Russell Crowe: changing notes and taking names as Javert in the film version of “Les Miserables” Oh, Les Miserables. My first exposure to the show was about 18 years ago when I s…

The Last Seder Takes on Alzheimer’s at a Family Gathering by Suzanna Bowling

The Last Seder Takes on Alzheimer’s at a Family Gathering: The Last Seder at Theater Three connects with its audience, many of whom are suffering with a parent or relative with Alzheimer�…

Ode to Anticipation by Wendy Caster

Vivien Leigh, Robert TaylorWaterloo BridgeWhen I was a kid, Sunday was one of the highlights of my week because it included the Sunday NY Times Arts and Leisure section, with its robust and …

BWW Flashback: ELF Wraps Holiday Broadway Run Today by BroadwayWorld

ELF, based upon the hit movie starring Will Ferrell, returned to Broadway this holiday season at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on November 9, 2012. The seasonal production wraps up its 9-week li…

Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis meet. Discuss by Chris Jones

The Off-Broadway play 'Freud's Last Session,' imagining the men conversing, comes to Los Angeles in hopes of getting more theatergoers to join the chat.

Terrence McNally’s Golden Age is More of a Roulade by Suzanna Bowling

Terrence McNally’s Golden Age is More of a Roulade: After seeing Terrence McNally’s new play Golden Age, at City Center produced by Manhattan Theatre Club, I had to do some research beca…

Christopher Plummer: Theatre 'Is Too Goddamned Expensive'

Boston Globe 01/04/12

Fuse Theater Review: “Pippin” Up the Dance by Arts Fuse Editor

When this version of Pippin hits New York, it will be a welcome alternative to the trend among many of the current Broadway musicals to demote dance elements to the background.

New York Theater 2013, First Week. Broadway and Off-Broadway Previews. Social Media On Stage. by Jonathan Mandell

This week in theater includes news about “Wicked,” and about an older musical by the same composer; the longer life of “Peter and the Starcatcher,” a hoped-for life f…

Actors Fund Benefit by Barry

       by Ellis Nassour  Some are calling it "a once in a lifetime event"! It's certainly and definitely an event. On January 14 at 7 P.M. original cast members and creators …

BWW Flashback: DEAD ACCOUNTS, Feat. Katie Holmes & Norbert Leo Butz, Concludes Broadway Run Today by BroadwayWorld

DEAD ACCOUNTS, the new comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist Theresa Rebeck, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, and starring two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz and K…

Chaplin by Broadway's Best Shows

"Pippin" in Cambridge, Mass. by Nancy Grossman

This production of Pippin has so much going for it, it is hard to know where to begin to sing its praises.

BWW TV Exclusive: Lin-Manuel Miranda Uncut Part 2- MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, THE HAMILTON MIXTAPE & More! by Richard Ridge

Broadway favorite Lin-Manuel Miranda is currently being represented on Broadway with Bring It On- for which he is the co-composer and lyricist. In this second part of a two part interview, R…

'Diner' delays Broadway start

Musical now targeting a fall opening

Flashback: CHAPLIN, Starring Rob McClure, Closes on Broadway Today by BroadwayWorld

The new musical CHAPLIN, depicting the life of film icon Charlie Chaplin, concludes its Broadway run today, January 6, at the Barrymore Theatre, after 24 previews and 136 regular performance…

Somersaults, Finborough Theatre, London

This patchy but moving play explores deep themes linking language, culture and identity, writes Sarah Hemming

Legends of Burlesque Tonight! by Trav S.D.

Trav S.D. Rockin’ Da New Vaudevisuals.com Hoodie, Yo! by Trav S.D.

Thanks to the entrepreneurial acumen of Jim Moore (and the fact that I bought it) I am now the proud owner of one of five limited edition Vaudevisuals.com hoodies. I can’t think of a b…

Marilyn Maye with Special Guest Star Houston Person by Magda Katz

Marilyn Maye is breaking attendance records at the Metropolitan Room. I had to return and see her again and I was in for a special surprise. Marilyn’s guest on Saturday night was Houst…

BWW Flashback: Tony Award-Winning WAR HORSE Concludes Broadway Run Today by BroadwayWorld

War Horse, the 2011 Tony Award-winning Best Play and international sensation seen by more than 2 million people worldwide, will conclude its Broadway run today, January 6, 2013, at the Vivia…

Norbert Leo Butz Lets Loose, John Lloyd Young Heads Back to Jersey & Broadway Has a Picnic in This Week’s Datebook by Ryan Gilbert

It's officially January, which means that there's a whole month of resolution making (and breaking) and, of course, exciting Broadway events ahead of us! Read on to see what we'v…

Fuse Theater Review: “Pippin” – A Circus of Arrested Development by Bill Marx

Nervous mainstream audiences could breathe easy, the messy cultural ruckus of the '60s was over: it was ok to find yourself in the suburbs.

Koo Koo the Bird Girl by Trav S.D.

Minnie Woolsey (ca. 1880-1960) was born in Georgia, U.S.A. with a rare condition that caused her to be small in stature with a prominent, bald cranium, a small chin, large ears, and a case o…

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players – The Mikado by Sandi Durell

    By Joel Benjamin January 4th, 2013 The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, under the Artistic and Musical Direction of Albert Bergeret, is presenting “G & S Fest 201…

Tavern of Fine Arts is a win-win for musicians, owners

Central West End spot offers an informal setting for listening to chamber music.

‘We Tiresias’ at Forum Theatre by Mark Dewey by Mark Dewey

Tiresias Speaks Again at Forum Theater The opening scene of We Tiresias poses what appears to be a simple question: What if you could text a couple of your former selves and meet them for a …

Kate Pennoyer by Trav S.D.

In 50 Years in Theatrical Management, impresario M.B. Leavitt referred to Kate Pennoyer as “one of the most prominent of early American dancers”. She specialized in ballet but al…

Meet ‘DC Women’s Theatre Group’ by Evette Jackson by Guest Author

For those that have immersed themselves into the DC theater scene, it doesn’t take long to notice that this city has its own unique voice. Of course we have classic renditions of well-know…

Danny Thomas on Berle by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Danny Thomas (for my full article on this great American entertainer go here). In honor of the day here’s a swell clip from the Berle show. The influence of …

Stars of Slapstick #51: Rowan Atkinson by Trav S.D.

This is one in a series of posts we are producing in connection with our new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, available from Bear Manor Media…

BWW's On This Day - January 6, 2013

Here are the Broadway, Off-Broadway and West End shows which opened on January 6 along with all of the upcoming show openings, closings and special events

Stars of Vaudeville #560: Tom Mix by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of cowboy star Tom Mix (1880-1940). A real life ranch hand and wrangler, he broke into films in 1909 at the Selig Polyscope Company. When that company folded in 1917, h…

Top 10 picks on NY stages for week of Jan. 6, 2013 by Joe Dziemianowicz

1. “The Other Place” (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre) Laurie Metcalf plays a researcher coming undone. 2.

Carl Sandburg: The People Yes by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of the great American poet Carl Sandburg (1878-1967). I am exhilarated by his populism, though time has proven the inefficacy of his socialist beliefs. Sandburg’…

Fred Niblo: Ben Hur by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #280: Fred Niblo (for more on him and his vaudeville background, go here). This one goes out to the Crountess, who only yesterday was drawing pict…

Stars of Slapstick # 50: Phyllis Haver by Trav S.D.

This is one in a series of posts we are producing in connection with our new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, available from Bear Manor Media…

Stars of Vaudeville #559: Henry E. Dixey by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Henry E. Dixey (1859-1943) star of melodrama, musical comedy and vaudeville. A Boston native, he started out at the age of ten in the role of the boy “Peanuts&…

Stars of Vaudeville #558: Adeline Genée by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of Dame Adeline Genée (1878-1970). Born Anina Jensen, the Danish native later took the first name of the admired opera singer Adelina Patti, and the last name of her u…

Chris Colfer's STRUCK BY LIGHTNING Premieres in Theaters Today by Movies News Desk

Tribeca Film, in a partnership with Emerging Pictures, will be bringing Glee star, Chris Colfer's film debut, Struck by Lightning, to theaters nationwide for a one night only special interac…

WAR HORSE Ends Toronto Run Today, January 6 by BroadwayWorld

The Canadian production of The National Theatre of Great Britain's international phenomenon War Horse will conclude its Toronto run today, January 6, 2013 at the Princess of Wales Theatre. T…

Sunday Feature: Dáirine Ní Mheadhra on Ana Sokolović and Svadba - Wedding by The Charlebois Post

Jacqueline WoodleyThe Art of Making Opera with composer Ana Sokolovićby Dáirine Ní Mheadhra(production photos and shot of Ms Mheadra by John Lauener)I’m the co-Artistic Director an…

Sunday Feature: Steven Schipper on Gone With The Wind by The Charlebois Post

(photo credit: grajewski-fotograph inc)On Gumption and Defensesby Steven Schipper, Artistic Director, Royal Manitoba Theatre CentreHere are two items: my remarks to the assembled c…

Sunday Feature: Laura Mullin on AWAKE (Next Stage) by The Charlebois Post

Beryl BainAWAKE and Sing!by Laura Mullin, co-Artistic Director, Expect Theatre / Spark Collective(photos: Steve Carty)Sometimes during rehearsals for AWAKE, Chris Tolley and I will look at e…

PLAYBILL VAULT'S Today In Theatre History: JANUARY 6 by Robert Viagas and Christopher Reichheld and Anne Bradley

1768 Birthday of John Durang (1768-1816), identified by scholars as one of the first American-born professional dancers and actors. Known for his "Dwarf Dance," "Sailor's …

THE SCREENING ROOM: Elf Star Leslie Kritzer (Video) by Playbill Staff

Belter Leslie Kritzer is back on Broadway this holiday season in the return of Elf the musical, which ends another successful Christmas run Jan. 6 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. 

ON THE RECORD: Chaplin, Leap of Faith and Now. Here. This. by Steven Suskin

This week's column discusses the original cast recordings of Broadway's Chaplin and Leap of Faith and Off-Broadway's Now. Here. This.

Silence! Chaplin Takes His Final Bow on Broadway Jan. 6 by Michael Gioia

Chaplin, the Broadway musical depicting the life of screen legend Charlie Chaplin and chronicling the rise and fall of the infamous Little Tramp, plays its final performance Jan. 6…

Interactive Screening of "Glee" Star Chris Colfer's Film Debut, "Struck by Lightning," Offered Jan. 6 by Andrew Gans

Tribeca Film, in a partnership with Emerging Pictures, offers a one-night-only interactive screening of "Glee" star Chris Colfer’s film debut, "Struck by Lightning,"…

Theresa Rebeck's Dead Accounts, With Norbert Leo Butz and Katie Holmes, Closes On Broadway by Adam Hetrick

The Broadway premiere of Theresa Rebeck's latest play Dead Accounts, starring Norbert Leo Butz as a slick New Yorker who returns to his Ohio family to face his suspicious sister and…

Broadway Holiday Run of Elf Concludes Jan. 6 by Adam Hetrick

Broadway's holiday season comes to a conclusion as Elf, the musical comedy based on the 2003 film of the same title about an orphaned human who thinks he's one of Santa's helpers…

Paul Rudd, Michael Shannon, Edward Asner End Search for Grace Jan. 6 by Andrew Gans

Craig Wright's Grace, a four-person darkly comic drama set in Florida that examines the meaning of religion and life, concludes its limited engagement at Broadway's Cort Theatre Jan.…

International Hit War Horse Ends Broadway Run Jan. 6; Toronto Production Also Closes by Adam Hetrick

War Horse, the British epic about a young man and his beloved horse who are swept into the start of the first World War, ends its acclaimed Broadway run Jan. 6 after 718 performances and 33 …