Top Stories You Missed on BWW This Weekend

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, February 12, 2012 - Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Merrily We Roll Along, City Center, New York

Brendan Lemon relishes an affecting, musically satisfying production of Furth and Sondheim’s 1981 musical

Merrily We Roll Along, City Center, New York

Brendan Lemon relishes an affecting, musically satisfying production of Furth and Sondheim's 1981 musical

Contest: Win Tickets to Silence! The Musical by Linda

If you didn't win my last contest for tickets to Silence! The Musical--The Unauthorized Parody of The Silence of The Lambs at The 9th Space Theatre at Performance Space 122, you're in luck. …

Mom-entously original by James Jorden

No tenors, no arias, no orchestra pit, no plot. Can “You, My Mother”really be called an opera? Yes, it can! Despite the lack of traditional trappings, this new work by downtown troupe Tw…

Monday, February 13, 2012

Prescription Thursday. I lie face up in my acupuncturist's middle room. We chat.A: Isn't it coming up on the year anniversary...of when your friend told you...Is that right? No, he told me …

Assistance by Mondschein

"Assistance" at Playwrights Horizons, February 9, 2012 Traveling familiar ground, the latest offering at the very consistent Playwrights Horizons is Leslye Headland's Assistance, …

Athleticism, gutsiness lift 'Visceral' dance

REVIEW: Choreography occasionally induced gasps.

Will and Anthony Nunziata Debut CD: Make Someone Happy by Adaumbelle

Review: With a modern sound, Will and Anthony Nunziata's debut CD, "Make Someone Happy," is a delightful preservation of music. From the Great American Songbook to Broadway classics to conte…

Overstuffed ‘Whales’ not a day at the beach by Frank Scheck

When Rinde Eckert’s “Moby-Dick”-themed “And God Created Great Whales” premiered in 2000, it racked up rave reviews and many awards, and went on to several revivals. Well, call me I…

Review: And God Created Great Whales by Dan Bacalzo

Rinde Eckert's richly conceived work, about a composer suffering memory loss, is a stunning piece of music-theater.

Review: Tokio Confidential by Brian Scott Lipton

Jill Paice gives a luminous performance as an American war widow in 19th-century Japan in Eric Schorr's extremely unusual chamber musical.

Review: I Killed My Mother by Andy Buck

Melissa Lorraine Hawkins gives an intense performance as an orphan girl abandoned in Romania.

Review: A Map of Virtue by Chris Kompanek

Erin Courtney's ultimately frustrating one-act benefits from well-drawn characters and strong performances.

ART + CRITICISM: Defending Your Work pt. 2 by Guy Yedwab

Mike Daisey continues to fight for his work to make its proper impact -- in this case, by challenging NYTimes Tech Columnist David Pogue to come engage more deeply with his work.

LEGAL COMMENTARY/QUOTE OF THE DAY II by Guy Yedwab

A little icing on the legal cake: buried in SCOTUSBlog's run-down on a ruling whether law requiring the losing party to pay for the cost of an interpreter applies to translation fees: It’…

House sells out 'Houdini'; adds shows, preps for Miami by Chris Jones

The House Theatre said Sunday that it had sold out its entire scheduled run of "Death and Harry Houdini" within five days of opening and now planned to add another month of shows at the Chop…

LEGAL COMMENTARY/QUOTE OF THE DAY by Guy Yedwab

Here's Garrett Epps, in The American Prospect, describing the broader legal implications in the Ninth Circuit Court's decision to uphold the invalidation of Proposition 8: “It’s always…

Theater's Newest Act Is HD

The success of the Metropolitan Opera's HD broadcasts in cinemas around the world has some New York theater producers seeking similar returns.

SET LIST, 2/4/12, WINTER PARK FL. by Jason Robert Brown

The awesome folks at Starving Artists Studios in Orlando, FL brought me down South for a concert and masterclass, and I brought along Gary Sieger, my longtime guitarist, because his entire f…

Spectacular Backstage Things with Godspell's Nick Blaemire & George Salazar by Lucky and The Mick

Spectacular Backstage Things with Godspell's Nick Blaemire & George Salazar The Craptacular takes an exclusive backstage tour with Godspell stars Nick Blaemire and George Salazar. T…

Spectacular Backstage Things with Godspell's Nick Blaemire & George Salazar by Lucky and The Mick

FRIGID Festival Interview - Sandrine Lafond of "Little Lady" by Byrne Harrison

By Byrne Harrison Sandrine Lafond was born in France where she started dancing at five years old. She attended the prestigious Rosella Hightower Dance School in Cannes. A gypsy at…

Review: Unnecessary Farce (First Folio Theatre) by Scotty Zacher

*Unnecessary Farce* certainly isn’t food for thought, but its unsophisticated charm is a good taste of unabashedly crude comedy done right. And if madcap comedies aren't your thing, it's w…

La Traviata (New York City Opera) by Robert Walport

The debacle that has been the New York City Opera (NYCO) over the last year is scarcely worth repeating, but for any who don't know, the very fact that this performance of "La Traviata" at t…

More Advice from Schumacher by Scott Walters

From Good Work (p 205): In the question periods after his talks, Schumacher would invariably get asked by someone in the audience, "But what can I do?" His simple answer was "Do t…

Wasn't It Romantic? The Phantom of the Opera Hits Performance No. 10,000; Playbill Goes Backstage by Harry Haun

Playbill was at the Feb. 11 matinee at Broadway's Majestic Theatre for the 10,000th performance of The Phantom of the Opera. Hear what the cast and creatives had to say.

Theater Review: ‘Samuel & Alasdair,’ From Mad Ones, at New Ohio Theater by Rachel Saltz

“Samuel & Alasdair” is the story of a robot holocaust in 1959 and four intrepid Russians in the 21st century who broadcast bits of American culture to keep it alive.

The Book of Mormon, Tony Bennett's Duets II Win Grammy Awards by Brian Scott Lipton

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of The Book of Mormon, by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Robert Lopez, and Tony Bennett's Duets II have been announced as winners of the 54th Annual Gram…

FRIGID Festival Interview - Suzen Murakoshi of "Breathe Love Repeat" by Byrne Harrison

By Byrne Harrison Suzen Murakoshi was born in Aiea, Hawaii, and received an MFA from the New School Drama School in Playwriting and Acting. She has had her work performed at La MaMa, ETC, th…

Scott Rudin hits the EGOT jackpot by Gold Derby

It's been 10 years since anyone joined the pantheon of people who've won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), but now Scott Rudin is among the immortals who include Mel Brooks, John…

Tony Bennett, Book of Mormon Win Grammy Awards; Performers to Include Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys by Brian Scott Lipton

the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The Grammy Awards show, during which many other winners will be...

Grammy awards: the classical winners

This year, the classical music Grammy awards weren’t a part of the big pop-oriented Sunday night show. Instead, there was a special early ceremony, viewable online, for the newly downsized…

Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer, Meryl Streep Win BAFTA Awards by Brian Scott Lipton

The 2012 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) were presented in a ceremony on February 12 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, hosted by Stephen Fry. Best Film was awarded to The Artist…

The Twin Cities: How Are Theater Artists Living in the Livable Twin Cities? by Cory Hinkle by HowlRound

The Twin Cities’ theater scene is a confounding community to be a part of. On the one hand, there are many unbelievably positive things about living as an artist in Minneapolis and St. Pa…

New York City Ballet Triple Bill (Interplay/Seven Deadly/Vienna Waltzes) by Robert Walport

The New York City Ballet (NYCB) do a remarkable selection of ballets in every short season but the rhyme or reason of their ordering makes little sense. The decision to schedule "The Seven D…

Stephen Schwartz on Whitney Houston's Death: 'Shocked and Saddened' by BroadwayWorld

In 1998, composer Stephen Schwartz wrote When You Believe, performed by Houston and Mariah Carey for the DreamWorks animated film The Prince of Egypt. The song was awarded the Academy Award …

Fuse Theater Review: An Underwhelming Staging of “Wit” by Arts Fuse Editor

Although I was disappointed in this Manhattan Theatre Club production, I am, however, very glad to have seen "Wit" -- it is a contemporary classic.

Grammy Awards 2012: 'Book of Mormon' wins for musical theater by David Ng

"The Book of Mormon" wins a 2012 Grammy Award Sunday for musical theater album.

Review: The Foreigner (Provision Theater) by Scotty Zacher

There is a lot to love about The Foreigner. It’s cuddly entertainment with a lingering message to be kind. With excellent acting, directing and design, this show is definitely a must-see.…

Arden spins a winner by Peter Dobrin

Some Play: A stage adaptation of E.B. White's Charlotte's Web, closing Sunday, has become the Arden Theatre Company's biggest hit ever.

Book of Mormon Wins Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album by Kenneth Jones

The Broadway cast recording of the musical The Book of Mormon won the 2012 Grammy Award in the category of Best Musical Theater Album, formerly called Best Show Album. The 54th annual Grammy…

Potter parody brings fun, Quidditch to a live audience by Dave McGinn

Potted Potter condenses the series’ seven books into 70 minutes of wild entertainment

TheatreScene: February 12, 2012 by JK

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO CAST YOUR VOTE FOR ROUND 3 OF HOT/HOTTERAND THIS MONTH'S BROADWAY POLL (BOTH TO YOUR LEFT)!BROADWAY MILESTONE:BROADWAY RUMOR OF THE WEEK:How long will it be befo…

Book of Mormon Wins Grammy Award for Best Show Album by Kenneth Jones

The Broadway cast recording of the musical The Book of Mormon won the 2012 Grammy Award in the category of Best Show Album. The 54th annual Grammys, for excellence in the recording industry,…

Photo Coverage: Remembering Whitney Houston by Walter McBride

A rep for singer Whitney Houston announced to the Associated Press that Houston died yesterday at age 48. The singer died in her room at the Beverly Hilton hotel, where she was for Clive Dav…

Judith Mackrell on star-rating reviews by Judith Mackrell

Who do I write for: dancers or audiences?A disturbing but fascinating precedent was set last June, when the New York magazine Village Voice "let go" of its distinguished critic Deborah Jowit…

AUDIO: First Listen- Katherine McPhee & Megan Hilty Sing 'Call Me' & 'Crazy Dreams' on 2nd Episode of SMASH! by Stage Tube

On the February 13th episode of NBC's new musical drama series SMASH entitled 'Callbacks', Ivy Megan Hilty and Karen Katharine McPhee jump through hoops for the brilliant but temperamental d…

The 2012 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album Goes to THE BOOK OF MORMON! by BroadwayWorld

The 2012 Grammy Awards are tonight, and the nominees for Best Musical Theater Album were THE BOOK OF MORMON, ANYTHING GOES, and HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING.

Alan Menken and Glenn Slater Receive Grammy Award for TANGLED's 'I See the Light' by BroadwayWorld

The 2012 Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded to composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater.

Review: "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Jim Rutter

Kurt Vonnegut grappled fatalistically with the horrors of World War II in his 1969 sci-fi novel "Slaughterhouse-Five" -- and Eric Simonson’s stage adaptation at Curio Theatre Company abso…

Review: "Lincoln Luck" by Merilyn Jackson

Abe Lincoln had an irksome dream that he’d be assassinated just two weeks before he actually was. Dancer Lindsay Browning and her father, actor David Browning, collaborated in a dance thea…

Review: "Tennessee's Last Cutain" by Jim Rutter

A new creative work that attempts to dramatize playwright Tennessee Williams' final moments must transcend available information., says critic Jim Rutter. The solid production at South Cam…

Virginia Opera's robust staging of Philip Glass' 'Orphee'

A daring artistic move, stunning production moves to Richmond this weekend.

Slogan by Scott Walters

Being creative is better than buying creative.

Musicals Suggest Models for Teamwork by Duane Kelly

What are the optimum conditions for creative output, particularly as regards working solo or in a group? (David Licata in a recent post praises artist residencies for the fertile conditions …

Victorian secrets meet Wilde's wit

A blackmailed politician is fortunate to have a best friend like Lord Goring in the smart Oscar Wilde comedy.

Review: Chester and the Unbearable Burden (Six Hours Short Productions) by Scotty Zacher

Ben Fort’s script wisely avoids the obvious jokes encompassing the Harry Potter franchise, aiming instead for a yarn that places itself in a slightly askew and a little more deviant world …

ArtsBeat: Cabaret Group Creates a Houston Tribute on the Fly by Patrick Healy

As the M.C. of "Icons" exited the stage, Ms. Houston's rendition of "I Will Always Love You" played over the sound system.

Hot and jazzy — Chantz Powell in performance by Pauline Adamek

Currently tearing up the tap-dance floor, late night on Saturdays in Vitello’s downstairs back bar in Studio City, is a triple-threat phenomenon named Chantz Powell. Immaculately bedecked …

Brooklyn Rider’s “Seven Steps” by Andy Horwitz

Indie-Classical string quartet Brooklyn Rider brings the goods, rocking Beethoven and more on their 4th release, available online February 21st and in a limited edition vinyl pressing.

Opera review: Placido Domingo in L.A. Opera's 'Simon Boccanegra' by Chris Pasles

Plácido Domingo sings the title role of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra" at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A review of the performance.

An engaging story of human migration — Deep Ancestry at the Broad by Pauline Adamek

On February 16, 2012, for one night only, The Broad Stage and National Geographic present Deep Ancestry, its most ambitious project in their 120-year history. Explorer-in-Residence Spencer W…

Revenge of the Muppets by Kirsty Lang

From Kermit to War Horse, low-tech artistry is putting the digitally enhanced in its placeWe've all heard of ageing rock stars making a comeback, but what's with the Muppets? Kermit the…

What's German for funny? by Philip Oltermann

What makes Germans laugh – and why is it so different from what amuses the British? The answer may lie in a slapstick English comedy that became a TV favourite in GermanyThe sketch is call…

Nellie Tinder’s “Evelyn” at Bushwick Starr by Andy Horwitz

Nellie Tinder presents Evelyn at The Bushwick Starr, starting February 22.

Absent Friends, Harold Pinter Theatre, London

Sarah Hemming relishes a painfully good revival of Ayckbourn's bleak comedy

Absent Friends, Harold Pinter Theatre, London

Sarah Hemming relishes a painfully good revival of Ayckbourn’s bleak comedy

Meg Stuart “Blessed”, belatedly by Andy Horwitz

Andy's belated write-up of Meg Stuart/Damaged Goods and EIRA's presentation of BLESSED at NYLA.

Advice to the Young Actor - Warning To Playwrights by Art

More funny acting advice here.  From the mind of Constantine Ersatz, working from his top secret acting studio in Manhattan.The Mirror Up To Nature - Boston Theater and Beyond

Of war and truth by Naila Francis

It is essentially a love story. This Donald Margulies has insisted, and this Bud Martin echoes as he contemplates the ethical questions rippling through “Time Stands Still,” a play that …

Opera Colorado's "Marriage of Figaro" will make you think about love by Ray Mark Rinaldi

Scored by an Austrian, set in Spain, sung in Italian, and based on a French play, no opera could be more European than Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro," and yet there's a reason it is the m…

This week's cultural highlights: The Recruiting Officer and Picasso

Our critics' picks of this week's openings, plus your last chance to see and what to book nowOpening this weekTheatre• Reasons to be CheerfulRaucous, rude and really rather joyful, the Gra…

The Furies – review by Lyn Gardner

Old Vic Tunnels, LondonOut of the darkness comes a voice: high-pitched, eerie, almost like a keen. That's the starting point for Kindle Theatre's 60-minute exploration of rage and revenge, w…

We by Scott Walters

I am reading an anthology of speeches made by E. F. Schumacher which were gathered together under the title Good Work. He writes: One of the greatest confusions, in most discussions, is the …

Mark Consuelos, Carrie Ann Inaba, Matthew Morrison to Co-Host Live! With Kelly by Brian Scott Lipton

Tony Award nominee and Glee star Matthew Morrison will be among Kelly Ripa's co-hosts on Live! With Kelly when the syndicated show broadcasts from Hawaii during the week of February 20-…

Boston Lyric Opera lights up The Lighthouse by Thomas Garvey

Alone in The Lighthouse - photos: Erik JacobsOpera is meant to be a synthesis of every art form, but most opera lovers care about one thing and one thing only: the star voices at the center …

Photo Coverage: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Celebrates 10,000 Performances! by Genevieve Rafter Keddy

The longest-running show in Broadway history, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, offered its 10,000th performance yesterday at 2 PM as a special benefit for The Actors Fund.

Whitney Houston Sings “Home” from THE WIZ by Boneau/Bryan-Brown

This was her first television appearance ever. She was 21 years old when she performed this number.

Photo Coverage: Elaine Paige Performs for Lincoln Center's AMERICAN SONGBOOK Series! by Peter James Zielinski

Paige took on some of her greatest hits from CATS, EVITA and more in her first show for the American Songbook series - check out photos from last night's concert below

The Secrets To Lighting Up The Stage

Irish Times 02/10/12

Sondheim's 'Merrily' Is Rolling Back Toward Broadway - Maybe

Los Angeles Times 02/12/12

"Next Fall" at Bethesda's Round House Theatre by Susan Berlin

"Next Fall" is a beautifully written, delicate play about big things - love, family, and life itself - and director Mark Ramont Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland, brings it to life w…

Review: Frustration (Frustra-Azioni) by Jake Orr

Dario D’Ambrosi, an Italian performance artist, has had little exposure to UK audiences before now. His work slips between the cracks of theatre, art and performance, and is perhaps an…

"Museum" and "Heeere's Tony!" in Philadelphia by Tim Dunleavy

Tina Howe's Museum is a play that doesn't really have a plot - there's no action, no big conflict, no resolution, and no logical conclusion - but what it does have more than makes up for wha…

BWW TV Exclusive: Seth's Broadway Chatterbox With PORGY & BESS' Joshua Henry, NaTasha Yvette Williams and Nikki Renee Daniels! by BroadwayWorld TV

After a year and a half hiatus, Seth Rudetsky's famed Seth's Broadway Chatterbox has returned to Don't Tell Mama. Seth's Broadway Chatterbox includes interviews and performances by noted Bro…

"Good Goods" Premieres at Yale Rep by Fred Sokol

Directed by Tina Landau, the production is sometimes striking and sometimes convoluted. One leaves the theater thinking about Anderson's atypical characters and possible future ramifications…

Review: Private Romeo by Deirdre Donovan

A new all-male Romeo and Juliet movie .

Review: Tokio Confidential at curtainup.com by Simon Saltzman

Eric Schorr has found a provocative subject within the age-old art of tattooing the human body upon which to create a hair-raising (no pun intended) dramatic theme

The Sunday Giveaway: 2 Tickets to Venus In Fur by Ken Davenport

She's baaaaaaack. And when I say She, I mean, the actress that is the reason this show even opened on Broadway in the first place. Not too long after the critics drooled all over Nina Ariand…

"American Idiot" Tour by John Olson

I'm thinking the greater gift of "American Idiot" is to introduce musical theater audiences to the songs of Green Day, rather than bringing rock lovers to Broadway.

Review: Le nozze di Figaro ****

The reputation of Le nozze di Figaro as ‘the perfect opera’  has always struck me as open to question. Musically it is a miracle, to be sure, but dramatically its slender pl…

F. Murray Abraham Unlocks the Secrets of the Universe as Galileo Opens Off-Broadway by Broadway.com

Scientific revolution is in the air as the Classic Stage Company production of Bertolt Brecht’s Galileo opens off-Broadway on February 12, starring Academy Award winner F. Murray Abrah…

Actor Philip Bruns Dies at 80 by BroadwayWorld

According to published reports, actor Philip Bruns has died at the age of 80. It has been reported that he died of natural causes on Wednesday, February 8th.

Message in a Cabaret Show: Rosemary Loar’s Ode to Sting by Sandi Durell

  Reviewed By: Stephen Hanks   I’ve been stung by Rosemary Loar. It’s not the kind that causes any discomfort, but it has left a mark. Loar has made me view the music of Gordon…

Cure forDownton Abbey withdrawal : The Grand by Elyse Sommer

Fans of Downton Abbey take heart: Instead of succumbing to withdrawal pains when the last of the current series ends, you might want to consider another upstairs/downstairs costume drama, …

Gold Digger BTS by MatthewMorrison.net

Gold Digger BTS From: matthewmorrisonnet Views: 166 11 ratings Time: 02:07 More in People & Blogs

Jane Lynch Signs on to 'A.C.O.D' Film by BroadwayWorld

According to Deadline.com, GLEE's Jane Lynch has been cast in the indie film 'A.C.O.D'. She will co-star with previously cast Richard Jenkins and Adam Scott. The film is written by Stuart Zi…

Look Back in Anger by Theasy.com

Laura Pels Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, Off Broadway By Regina Robbins BOTTOM LINE: A good, not great, production of a groundbreaking British post-war drama; the play is requi…

Joshua Bergasse, Choreographer for NBC’s ‘Smash’ by Rebecca Milzoff

It would be wrong, though, to overlook Mr. Bergasse, perhaps the busiest man on “Smash,” whom Ms. Rebeck calls the show’s “secret weapon.”

NY Review: 'The Threepenny Opera' by Clifford Lee Johnson III

This production of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's classic 1928 show turns out to be an accessible entertainment and one of the most enjoyable musicals around.

Stars pay tribute to Whitney Houston while her body lies in hotel above by Richard Ouzounian

Whitney Houston body lay in a room of the Beverly Hilton where she died Saturday while the greats of the music industry gathered in the ballroom. “Whitney’s voice was unlike any other,�…

2012 Grammy Awards Air Tonight on CBS; Tune In for Pre-Telecast for Best Theatre Album at 1PM! by BroadwayWorld

The 2012 Grammy Awards will be broadcast this Sunday night, February 12 at 8pm on CBS, and nominees for Best Musical Theater Album this year are THE BOOK OF MORMON, ANYTHING GOES, and HOW TO…

Tony Bennett, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Reba McEntire to Appear at Grammy Awards by Brian Scott Lipton

An updated list of performers and presenters has been announced for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 12 and aired live on CBS. LL Co…

Marie Lloyd by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of the great English music hall star Marie Lloyd (for her full bio go here). Now here is the little dear performing “When I Take My Morning Promenade”: To f…

Stars of Vaudeville #441: Anna Pavlova by Trav S.D.

The extent of vaudeville’s power and cultural reach can be attested to by the fact that the greatest names in every performing arts field were booked for its stages: Sarah Bernhardt fr…

Stars of Vaudeville #440: Joseph E. Howard by Trav S.D.

Joe Howard (born this day in 1867) started out as a kid performing in Bowery concert saloons, writing and singing his own songs. Later he brought these skills with him into vaudeville, where…

NY Review: 'I Killed My Mother' by Nicole Villeneuve

Featuring a star turn by Melissa Hawkins, Andras Visky's fictionalized account of Romania in the grip of Nicolae Ceausescu retains the rawness and poignancy of a memoir.

Feature: Michael E. Knight Calculates The Cost by Brian Scott Lipton

The Daytime Emmy Award winner discusses his return to the stage in the Blank Theatre's production of The Cost of the Erection.

VIDEO FLASH: Hugh Panaro Performs From Phantom on CBS Saturday Morning by Brian Scott Lipton

On the February 11 edition of CBS Saturday Morning, actor Hugh Panaro, who plays the title role in Broadway's Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre, performed the showstopping nu…

PHOTO CALL: Gloria Estefan Visits Priscilla Queen of the Desert by Joseph Marzullo

Grammy Award winner Gloria Estefan visited Broadway's Priscilla Queen of the Desert on Feb 10.

Abraham Lincoln by Trav S.D.

Today is the Great Emancipator’s birthday. In honor thereof, we present one of our favorite movies, D.W. Griffith’s beautiful, bizarre Abraham Lincoln, one of only two talkies th…

NY Review: 'A Map of Virtue' by Jason Fitzgerald

Just the right measure of quirk and psychodrama, buoyed by a smart and sharp production, makes Erin Courtney's new play the best 13P offering in years.

NY Review: 'Lost on the Natchez Trace' by Ron Cohen

A slave auctioneer meets a runaway slave in a desolate swampland in this ultimately powerful two-hander, reminding us of the horrors of slavery and man's potential for inhumanity to man.

BWW's On This Day - February 12, 2012

Here are the Broadway, Off-Broadway and West End shows which opened on February 12 along with all of the upcoming show openings, closings and special events

NY Review: 'And God Created Whales' by David A. Rosenberg

Rinde Eckert's aching adaptation of "Moby Dick," which Herman Melville himself described as his "wicked book," maintains much of its original power, although its focus has softened.

2012 Grammys: 'Mormon' creator ready for big night by Joe Dziemianowicz

A cut on the original cast recording (don’t call it a soundtrack!) of “The Book of Mormon” is a cheery little tune called “I Am Here for You.” Native New Yorker Robert Lopez will b…

Steven Reineke by Adaumbelle

"Call Me Adam" chats with Steven Reineke, one of the nation’s most sought-after pops conductors, composers, and arrangers. Here we discuss his upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall on March 16…

TV ads take 30 seconds to hawk Broadway by Joe Dziemianowicz

I’ve seen a lot of Stockard Channing at the gym lately. Not on an adjacent treadmill or stair-climber, but on the overhead TVs, where ads for her play “Other Desert Cities” have been r…

Nathan Lane, Barbara Cook, Donna Murphy Set for TheatreWorks Gala Tonight by BroadwayWorld

Theatreworks USA celebrates its 50th Anniversary tonight at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square North.

Brian Skerry Hosts Ocean Soul Lecture at the Byham Theater 2/12 by Bww News Desk

National Geographic Live Ocean Soul with Underwater Photographer Brian Skerry will be held Sunday, February 12, 2012, at 400 p.m, Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street.

NY Review: 'Tokio Confidential' by Erik Haagensen

Author-composer Eric Shorr's artistic reach falls considerably short of his grasp in this thinly written, musically derivative, and ultimately dramatically preposterous new culture-clash m…

Lyric Opera’s ‘Show Boat’ emerges out of the past

There is something indescribably exciting about works of art created at crucial transitional moments in history — works that magically bridge the spirit of the traditional with the contemp…

Ed Harris, Amy Madigan go South in Beth Henley's 'The Jacksonian' by Sean Mitchell, Special To The Los Angeles Times

The actors star as a separated couple in 1964 Jackson, Miss., in the world premiere at Geffen Playhouse.The late Robert Altman, while he was making a movie of Sam Shepard's play "Fool for Lo…

Clint Campbell, Jennifer Cote, Charles Siebert Set for 6th Street Playhouse's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Brian Scott Lipton

Stage and television star Charles Siebert will play Big Daddy in Santa Rosa's 6th Street Playhouse's production of Tennessee Williams' 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Cat o…

theartsdesk Q&A: Actor Zach Braff by Jasper Rees

Zach Braff (b 1975) is overwhelmingly known as the star of Scrubs, the hugely popular American hospital comedy which came with a side order of surrealism. But fans of low-budget indie cinema…

Istvan Csurka, Hungarian Politician, Dies at 77 by Douglas Martin

Mr. Csurka, the founder of a far-right political party and a fierce anti-Semite, appealed to older Hungarians with his evocation of the nation’s glory days before World War I.

Carrie by Robert Walport

Yes you read it right. Someone has had the nerve to resurrect "Carrie: The Musical", a byword in musical theatre punchlines. The history of this piece is so awful it beggars belief, so massi…

Groundlings Zombie Apocalypse to Begin Run on February 17 by Brian Scott Lipton

Groundlings Zombie Apocalypse, the latest outing from the famed sketch comedy troupe, will run February 17-April 21 at The Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles. The production will be directed…

Mamet drama takes on race, sex at the Rep

"All drama is about lies," writer David Mamet has said. His play "Race," which opened on Friday at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, makes that point vividly as it takes on two topics Amer…

Symphony's 2012-13 season has a Viennese theme

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's 2012-13 season, music director David Robertson's eighth with the SLSO, offers a mix of the standard and the unusual.

Bach at the Sem returns

Bach at the Sem returns • When Robert Bergt, founder and director of Bach at the Sem and its resident musical ensemble, the American Kantorei, died last summer, there was concern that his …

Opera singer Kendall Gladen comes home, and helps students

FLORISSANT • Kendall Gladen spent the week giving back to her hometown.

The Abominable Showman, February 12, 2012 by The Charlebois Post

Go WestCanada’s most famous transsexual Nina Arsenault brings her critically-hailed one-transwoman show The Silicone Diaries to Vancouverby Richard Burnett (all photos courtesy Nina Arsena…

Sunday Read: First Person: Dan Bray on The Jew of Malta by The Charlebois Post

Dealing With an Unfortunate ReputationVile Passéist brings Marlowe to Winterby Dan BrayIn many ways, the Jewish community’s eventual acceptance into 19th-century society must have been mo…

Julie Carpenter Sylvester by League of Professional Theatre Women

Performer/General Manager New York, New York USA Where do you look for inspiration? I look for inspiration in other peoples’ successes; a great play, a fabulous performance or a fun ev…

Dancing partners: At Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Cupid's arrow strikes more than usual

With all the romance in the air this Valentine's season, it's hard not to long for a loved one to be near. For about a dozen dancers with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, that wish is fulfilled ye…

THE LEADING MEN: Colin Donnell of Merrily We Roll Along and Anything Goes by Kenneth Jones

Colin Donnell is taking a break from playing Billy Crocker in Broadway's Anything Goes to explore the complexities of Merrily We Roll Along in an Encores! concert.

PHOTO CALL: First Look At Lyric Opera of Chicago's Show Boat by Joseph Marzullo

The Lyric Opera of Chicago's new production of Show Boat, the 1927 musical drama that was a watershed in American theatre, plays Feb. 12-March 17 at The Civic Opera House. Opera and conc…

THE DVD SHELF: "Anonymous," "Shakespeare in Love," "A Star Is Born," "Nothing Sacred," "Tall Story" by Steven Suskin

This month's column looks at Shakespeare on screen in "Anonymous" and "Shakespeare in Love"; newly-mastered releases of David O. Selznick's "A Star Is Born&q…

Review: THE WILD FINISH by Richard Hinojosa

The road to discovering one’s roots can be filled with as much surprise as enlightenment. It is, however, no surprise that Monica Hunken's road to discovery is an incredible journey pr…

Review: TOKIO CONFIDENTIAL by David Gordon

I'm still scratching my head over Tokio Confidential, Eric Schorr's baffling yet intermittently entrancing new musical directed by Johanna McKeon at Atlantic Stage 2. "Bonkers, but interesti…

Person of interest: Karla Boos of Quantum Theatre

Karla Boos is the Bedouin of Pittsburgh's live theater scene. As founder and artistic director of the 22-year-old Quantum Theatre, she unpacks her metaphorical tent in nontraditional setting…

Tour of Les Miz, in Revised 25th Anniversary Version, Hits 500th Performance by Kenneth Jones

The U.S. tour of Cameron Mackintosh's new 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables will celebrate its 500th performance 2 PM Feb. 12 at the Straz Center in Tampa, FL.

Laura Osnes, Erin Mackey and More Join Robert Creighton For Metropolitan Room Concerts Beginning Feb. 12 by Michael Gioia

Robert Creighton, who currently plays the Purser in the Tony Award-winning revival of Anything Goes, celebrates the release of his debut album, "Ain't We Got Fun!," Feb. 12-13 …

Reynolds Price's New Music Trilogy Begins Feb. 12 at Greensboro's Triad by Michael Gioia

Greensboro's Triad Stage presents North Carolina native Reynolds Price's entire New Music trilogy — for the second time since they were written — in two parts from Feb. 1…

Francesca Zambello's Show Boat, With Ashley Brown, Nathan Gunn, Alyson Cambridge, Begins in Chicago Feb. 12 by Kenneth Jones

The Lyric Opera of Chicago's new production of Show Boat, the 1927 musical drama that was a watershed in American theatre, plays Feb. 12-March 17 at The Civic Opera House. Opera and conc…

Lost on the Natchez Trace, Tale of Slavery and Salvation, Opens Feb. 12 in World Premiere by Kenneth Jones

A compromised slave auctioneer alone in the Mississippi swamps is at the mercy of a runaway slave in the world premiere of Jan Buttram's Lost on the Natchez Trace, opening Feb. 12 in an …

Theatreworks USA 50th Anniversary Celebration, With Nathan Lane, Elaine Stritch, Sara Ramirez, Presented Feb. 12 by Andrew Gans

Theatreworks USA, the nation's leading not-for-profit professional theatre for family audiences, presents its 50th Anniversary Celebration gala Feb. 12 at NYU Skirball Center for the Per…

Peter Land's Now or Never Plays the York Theatre Company Beginning Feb. 12; Gillian Lynne Directs by Andrew Gans

West End and Broadway actor Peter Land, recently seen in the York Theatre Company's Mufti production of Oh, Coward!, returns there Feb. 12 with his new solo show, Now or Never, an explos…

Review: AND GOD CREATED GREAT WHALES by J. Scott Reynolds

Any adaptive treatment of Moby-Dick has a beast to contend with equal to the novel's monstrous namesake. The chapter-length ruminations, the Homeric cataloguing of whales and whale-parts, an…