Today's birthdays include: Robert Redford, Shelley Winters, Madeleine Stowe and Christian Slater.

Paper Mill Ends Rumor Mill

NY State Theatre Institute Will Send Musical, Tale of Cinderella, on Tour in 2001

Broadway Digital Entertainment Makes Exec Appointments in Licensing, E-Commerce and Licensing
This long awaited announcement of Toby Simkin's move (among others). I wonder if Theatre.com will cover this?

Begging to Differ with Beggar on Horseback by Peter Filichia

If you do have the means, I highly recommend it...

Today's birthdays include: Robert De Niro and Mae West.

Darrin Baker Helms Little By Little in PA, Aug. 20-26; Two More Stagings Set

New York City Mayor Giuliani Proclaims "Swing Week," Through Aug. 20
I want to see Wally Rubin leading the dance classes!

CBS Sticks with Tonys, but Will Reduce Pressure and Opt for Purist Format
I have not seen such a poor vote of confidence since Ovitz dethroned Garth. The Tonys should ditch CBS. It is time to rethink the Tony Awards broadcast. With Broadway Television Network and Broadway Digital Entertainment packaging Broadway to Middle America, there would be more than enough ways to create a new Tony Awards. But don't let this thing die and have CBS give a death kiss to these awards. Desperation on the part of the Tony Awards is such an unattractive characteristic.

Riverdance Adds Aug. 20 Charity Show in Dublin
Is it too much to wish for? Even two weeks earlier than Labor Day would be great!

Rudetsky's NYC Cabaret Chatterbox to Get Graff-ic, Aug. 17

Deborah Gibson Co-Hosts BTN's Smokey Joe's Cafe, Sept. 10
Okay, can we just have a list of who ISN'T hosting this event? What are we up to, five hosts now?

The World's Fair Musical by Peter Filichia

Stroman Tunes Up 'Raquin'. Zola classic to get Connick touch.
Still would like to see Harry Connick in Pal Joey.

BIG news!!!
Little Audras abound in the future...

The Broadway Inspirational Voices (formerly The Broadway Gospel Choir), lead by Michael McElroy, has been laying low... but I think that we will hear from them soon... :-) I can't wait (for the day...).

Blind Item Received:

A recent Oscar winner is trying to book the Lucille Lortel for a play starring his very good friend (VERY good friend), and the Lortel is where "Crumple Zone" wants to go. The other play got okay notices, but the BIG star is being persistent. "Crumple Zone" would fill the place, the baseball play wouldn't.

Any ideas?
Okay, so a lot of you had ideas. All the same I may add! Kevin Spacey bringing in Cobb to the Lortel. The catch? Any show that plays at the Lortel must be a fully NONPROFIT production, according to Ms Lortel's will... Is Spacey 501-C-3?

Riverdance... now that's a good idea.

Jane Krakowski has been set to star opposite Douglas Sills in Encore's production of Mack and Mabel in Los Angeles Nov 9- 19. Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman.

That would be the Reprise! series @ UCLA's Freud Playhouse. (What a great website they have.) The Encores! series is in NYC.

Roundabout's Follies to go into the Belasco.

Today's birthdays include: Frank Gifford, Kathie Lee Gifford, Julie Newmar, Carole Shelley, Lesley Ann Warren, Angela Bassett and Timothy Hutton.

Shirley MacLaine is Reading The Visit

CT's Summer of 42 Will Linger 'Til After Labor Day, to Sept. 10

Broadway's Christiane Noll Opens at Arci's Place Aug. 15

Summer-Fall 2000 Broadway Season Schedule

Soho Rep Premieres New Plays by Wellman, Maxwell in 2000-01

Good Times Are Here to Stay by Peter Filichia

Planning for Success by Ken Mandelbaum

Bill Bumps Bierko
Maybe the Music Man producers can sue the DNC -- kind of like the Ain't Nothing But The Blues producers sued the Tony Awards. It's the same thing right?

B'way Tuners Beat Heat And Sell Seats. Attendance, receipts outpace '99

'West Wing' Producer Gives Back Family TV Award

Today's birthday's include: Jim Dale and Debra Messing.

The Toronto Star: Drabinsky to produce cultural weekends. Singer Judy Collins will open series at Muskoka resort.
Is that like the Catskills of Canada?

Anastasia Barzee checks in from London with some news. She is working on a new musical to open Oct.17 in the West End at the Shaftsbury Theatre. The musical is Napoleon and she will be playing Joephine...check out the website -- NapoleonTheMusical.com

Corbin Bernsen Bows Out Of "The Sound Of Music" ... Cancelled In Toronto

Broadway Radio Hour
Some more insight to the kickoff of Fynsworth Alley.

Karen Mason is featured in an award-winning short film by Joseph Moran. Ms. Mason plays ‘Judge Loretta Sansone’ in the comedy which has been earning raves at film festivals all over the country. The film recently won the Silver Award in Comedy at the WorldFest in Houston competing against features, animation and television in addition to short films. On September 9, 2000, “SLEEPING DOGS LIE” will be screened at the Clearview Cinemas, 239 East 59th Street (in Manhattan) at 4:00 PM as part of the Brooklyn Film Festival.

A Yiddish H.M.S. Pinafore? by Peter Filichia

No Halloween Opening for Rocky Horror
And this shocks you because....

Music Man Cast Will Blare '76 Trombones' at Dems Convention, Aug. 14

Stephen Schwartz Writing Stage Musical Based on Oz-Themed Novel, 'Wicked'

Culture Notes: A Musical First

BTA: Miller, Molière, and More by Ken Mandelbaum

Hey has anyone heard about Bernadette doing Gypsy in London next year? It seems as though I missed this one. Maybe I can go to London to work on this one too and end up paying for the whole production! (see: Sweeney Todd Concert in London if you are interested and don't understand...)

There are lots of people talking about Toby Simkin leaving Theatre.com for BroadwayArchive.com. I heard about it weeks ago, but now the news is popping up in Production Notes (yesterday) and over at TalkinBroadway. Neither Theatre.com or BroadwayArchive have made a comment yet. Any confirmation? Will I still get my Seussical opening night tickets? Inquiring minds want to know!

I mentioned last week that Des McAnuff was back at La Jolla and wondered aloud how it would affect Dodger. Here is an interesting blind item I received:

"Here's how McAnuff at LaJolla affects Dodger. Dodgers and SFX (nee PACE) did not have a happy experience together on TOMMY, which is why they haven't worked together since. They are trying it again, however, set to co-produce Frank Wildhorn's DRACULA, which will be directed by none other than....Des McAnuff... Think there will be a LaJolla try-out? Stay tuned..."

That's interesting! Although, wasn't Des involved in H2$ after that? I don't really remember... Thanks to whoever sent it.

Another Blind Item emailer asks:

"Heard that Stagebill was bought by a major web player. Is it true?"

It would not surprise me. In March of 1999, I mentioned a Variety article about Playbill vs Stagebill. Since then, Stagebill was taken over by the former editor of Variety, I think that was in April or so... and then there was a site redesign in July.

Oh, and about the Seussical press day video on Broadway.com, to whoever wrote the snide blind email about my comments: I was right, you were wrong. Bitter and jealous? If you only knew small person... Perhaps you should do some investigation before you write. And if you want to stop hiding behind screen names on Talkin Broadway and blind emails, it may give you a little bit more credit. There will always be small and uninformed people like you. Oh well.

Note: I was gone for the weekend making meatballs with my dad in AC. It was a great time. The downside to that is now I am 200-300 emails behind. I will try to respond to the ones that need responding to in the early part of the week. Thanks for your patience.

And mea culpa and congrats to Olli, who's birthday I missed yesterday!

Rap, Rock and Rumba With the Old Tunes

Put Through the Mill, Yet Gilbert and Sullivan Still

A Shot in the Play by Peter Filichia

Recording Witches by Ken Mandelbaum

A Treat for Theatregoers

Rawls and Mrs. Jones

There is a new issue of Production Notes.

Toronto Star: Tartuffe no goof: the proof.
Richard Ouzounian, the Theatre Critic for the Toronto Star, has some fun with his review of Tartuffe.

Blind item: So, guess who's replaced Richard Greenberg as the book writer for "Royal Family of Broadway"? The Kaufmann estate hated the old book, now the new book is being written by James Lapine.

CT's O'Neill Center Finishes Up 23rd Music Theatre Conference This Weekend

Calling All Cats: Last Sat Mat to Be Cats Cast Cabal, Sept. 9

Booth Is the Place for Tomlin's Search for Signs..., Beginning Nov. 11