All stories by Neil Genzlinger on BroadwayStars

Friday, September 22, 2023

Stephen Gould, Tenor Best Known for Tackling Wagner, Dies at 61 by Neil Genzlinger

He was especially acclaimed for his performances at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany. As his voice developed, he once said, so did his view of how and why to deploy it.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:33AM
Friday, September 15, 2023

Michael McGrath, Tony Winner and ‘Spamalot’ Veteran, Dies at 65 by Neil Genzlinger

He clanged coconuts in the Monty Python stage musical in 2005; seven years later, he won a Tony for “Nice Work if You Can Get It.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:43PM
Friday, September 1, 2023

Franne Lee, Tony Winner Who Also Costumed Coneheads, Dies at 81 by Neil Genzlinger

She worked on “Sweeney Todd” and “Candide” and also on the early seasons of “Saturday Night Live,” contributing to the look of the Blues Brothers and the Killer Bees.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:37PM
Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Tina Howe, Playwright Best Known for ‘Coastal Disturbances,’ Dies at 85 by Neil Genzlinger

She mixed insight and absurdity in a vast body of work that also included “Painting Churches” and “Pride’s Crossing,” both of which were Pulitzer finalists.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:25PM
Sunday, August 20, 2023

Inga Swenson, Who Went From Stage to ‘Benson,’ Dies at 90 by Neil Genzlinger

She had success on Broadway in “110 in the Shade” and other shows, but a later generation knew her from a sitcom.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:07AM
Saturday, August 12, 2023

Tom Jones, Half of Record-Setting ‘Fantasticks’ Team, Dies at 95 by Neil Genzlinger

He wrote the book and lyrics to a little show that opened in 1960 in Greenwich Village and became “the longest-running musical in the universe.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:07PM
Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Michael Boyd, Who Invigorated the Royal Shakespeare Company, Dies at 68 by Neil Genzlinger

He is credited with stabilizing that venerable British troupe while energizing it with ambitious projects including “Matilda the Musical.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:07PM
Thursday, July 20, 2023

Carlin Glynn, Actress Whose Comeback Brought Her a Tony, Dies at 83 by Neil Genzlinger

After putting her career on hold to raise children, she won the part of the madam in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” — and then a statuette hailing her performance.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:19PM
Saturday, May 20, 2023

James de Jongh, Who Put Stories of Slavery Onstage, Dies at 80 by Neil Genzlinger

His play “Do Lord Remember Me,” constructed from interviews with formerly enslaved people in the 1930s, was first staged in 1978 and has been revived multiple times since.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:24PM
Friday, April 14, 2023

Keith Johnstone, Champion of Improvisational Theater, Dies at 90 by Neil Genzlinger

The theatrical games and performance techniques Mr. Johnstone developed became a familiar part of the acting arsenal.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:36PM
Thursday, April 13, 2023

Pierre Lacotte, Choreographer Who Aided a Defection, Dies at 91 by Neil Genzlinger

He befriended Rudolf Nureyev in 1961 while the Kirov Ballet was in Paris and witnessed his headline-making defection at the height of the Cold War.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:55PM
Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Adrian Hall, Who Invigorated Regional Theater, Dies at 95 by Neil Genzlinger

As founding artistic director, he made Trinity Rep in Rhode Island a leader in theatrical innovation. He then made his mark in Dallas as well.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:12PM
Friday, February 10, 2023

Eugene Lee, Set Designer for Broadway and ‘S.N.L.,’ Dies at 83 by Neil Genzlinger

He won Tony Awards for “Wicked” and other shows while also overseeing the sets for the late-night franchise’s fast-paced sketch comedy.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:18PM
Friday, January 27, 2023

Everett Quinton, a Force in Downtown Theater, Dies at 71 by Neil Genzlinger

He took over the Ridiculous Theatrical Company after the death of his partner, Charles Ludlam, in 1987. His specialty was playing women, but his range was wide.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:56AM
Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Frank Galati, Mainstay of Chicago Theater, Dies at 79 by Neil Genzlinger

He brought his adaptation of “The Grapes of Wrath” to Broadway and won Tony Awards. He also directed the long-running hit “Ragtime.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:17PM
Friday, December 30, 2022

Bridgette Wimberly, Playwright and Librettist, Dies at 68 by Neil Genzlinger

She had success with a play about abortion in 2001, and in 2015 wrote the libretto for the opera “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:06PM
Thursday, December 15, 2022

Alice Teirstein, Who Introduced Youths to Dance, Dies at 93 by Neil Genzlinger

She taught for decades at the Fieldston School and founded a free summer dance program open to all students in New York.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:18PM
Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Michael Feingold, Forceful Drama Critic, Dies at 77 by Neil Genzlinger

For decades he wrote about theater in The Village Voice, but he also was a dramaturge and a Tony-nominated translator.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 09:36AM
Friday, November 18, 2022

Michael Butler, Who Brought ‘Hair’ to Broadway, Dies at 95 by Neil Genzlinger

He came from a wealthy family, but he championed the ideas of the counterculture. Journalists called him “the hippie millionaire.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:54AM
Friday, November 4, 2022

Douglas McGrath, Playwright, Filmmaker and Actor, Dies at 64 by Neil Genzlinger

His one-man Off Broadway show, “Everything’s Fine,” directed by John Lithgow, had opened just weeks ago.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:32PM
Friday, October 28, 2022

Seymour Press, a Behind-the-Scenes Fixture on Broadway, Dies at 98 by Neil Genzlinger

He started playing in Broadway orchestras in 1957, and eventually he began recruiting those orchestras as well.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:33PM
Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Lucy Simon, Singer and Broadway Composer, Is Dead at 82 by Neil Genzlinger

She and her sister Carly Simon were a folk duo in the 1960s. Years later, she wrote the Tony-nominated music for “The Secret Garden.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:43PM
Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Jeff Weiss, an Unconventional Theatrical Force, Dies at 82 by Neil Genzlinger

Downtown, he was known for sprawling works and vivid performances, but later in his career he drew praise as an actor in mainstream productions, too.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:37PM
Sunday, October 9, 2022

Kevin Locke, Who Worked to Preserve Lakota Culture, Dies at 68 by Neil Genzlinger

Playing the wooden flute and performing hoop dances, he sought to introduce audiences throughout the nation to Native American traditions.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 02:13PM
Friday, October 7, 2022

Robert Kalfin, Founder of an Adventurous Theater, Dies at 89 by Neil Genzlinger

For two decades, his Chelsea Theater Center was on the cutting edge with productions that could be challenging, baffling or, sometimes, Broadway bound.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:43PM
Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Charles Fuller, Pulitzer Winner for ‘A Soldier’s Play,’ Dies at 83 by Neil Genzlinger

He was the second Black playwright to win the award and later adapted the play into an Oscar-nominated film, “A Soldier’s Story.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:33PM
Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Rita Gardner, an Original ‘Fantasticks’ Star, Is Dead at 87 by Neil Genzlinger

In 1960 she originated the lone female role in an Off Broadway show that became part of theater history thanks to a record-setting run.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 04:43PM
Friday, September 9, 2022

Tina Ramirez, Founder of a Leading Hispanic Dance Troupe, Dies at 92 by Neil Genzlinger

Her company, Ballet Hispánico, performed for audiences across the United States and beyond. It also trained countless dancers.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:46PM
Wednesday, August 3, 2022

George Bartenieff, Fixture of Downtown Theater, Dies at 89 by Neil Genzlinger

A veteran actor, he was also a founder of Theater for the New City and Theater Three Collaborative, Manhattan groups known for experimental productions.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:18AM
Friday, July 8, 2022

Larry Storch, Comic Actor Best Known for ‘F Troop,’ Dies at 99 by Neil Genzlinger

His well-honed comic timing, and the mimicry skills he had developed in nightclubs, served him well on one of the sillier sitcoms of the 1960s.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:07PM

Kenward Elmslie, Poet and Librettist, Dies at 93 by Neil Genzlinger

He collaborated on operas with Jack Beeson and Ned Rorem and published numerous poetry books. Late in life, he was victimized by theft.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 11:18AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards