BroadwayStars.com


9/1/00		The news of the day is that Fynsworth Alley is open with a snazzy website and many clever areas that make the website an interesting place to visit even if you are not going to buy anything (maybe because you own them all?). You should definitely go to the "contest" section for baby pics of many of the performers from the first CD. Absolutely nothing else happened in Broadway yesterday. (Unless the US Open is rained out, and then I will come back and figure out something to write.)

8/31/00		One, singular sensation, every little record he makes. Tomorrow, tomorrow Fynsworth Fever is tomorrow, you're only a day, a--way! Today's birthdays include: Alan Jay Lerner, Itzhak Perlman, James Coburn, Debbie Gibson (the New York Times must not have gotten the 'Deborah' memo.) and John Neville Keynes. Sondheim Speaks Preview V: Bialystock and Bloom Final Bryant Park Series to Feature Cast Members from Godspell and Stomp, Aug. 31 Diggs, Menzel Arrive at Destination Groove For BC/EFA Benefit Sept. 11 Karen Mason Plays Six-Week Run at Arci's Place, Sept. 6- Oct. 15 SFX Owner Clear Channel Wraps AMFM Deal, Making World's Largest Out-of Home Media Co., Aug. 30 Goodspeed Moves Summer of '42 to Dayton, OH, Oct. 10-22 Rocky Horror Show to Open at Bway's Circle Nov. 15 Instead of Halloween Cats Holds Garage Sale and Auction, Sept. 16 Sing-A-Long Sound of Music Offers Free Tickets to Premiere, Sept. 6 Something Good at The Sound of Music by Peter Filichia You MUST be joking me...

8/30/00		Two is appropriate since Duets was one of Bruce Kimmel's most successful CDs at Varese. With Alice and Emily, along with all their friends on the new Sondheim CD, perhaps this could be the biggest CD yet. Two days from now: Fynsworth Fever is Sept 1. You only have until Sunday to see The Laramie Project. Please do not miss this show. Down the Path to the Minetta Lane Lorna's Here by Ken Mandelbaum Ken is mentioning that Catherine Zuber is out and William Ivey Long is in as costume designer for Seussical. Really?! (The best thing in this article is that really cute pic of Ruthie...) 'Doctor' Pulls Plug. The first head has rolled in Whoville.Costume designer Catherine Zuber was let go from "Seussical, The Musical" just days before the highly anticipated new musical played its first preview Sunday night in Boston. Post says advance at $800,000 before Sunday's show. Uh oh. Performance Schedule Issued for Rocky Horror at Bway's Circle, Starting Oct. 20 So it is going to be a Halloween opening after all? Marshall, Shaiman to Bring Hairspray to Bway; Target Fall 2001 PHOTO CALL: Happy B-day, Deborah!: Gibson Celebrates 30 With Kudisch, Williams Radio Stations Divested, SFX Owner Clear Channel Awaits Final Nod From Courts to Close AMFM Deal Hasselhoff Sets Halloween Opening for His Jekyll & Hyde Stint. Talk about scary: The "Baywatch" star is the latest to flip his wig in the long-running Broadway musical. Best teaser of the day! Noise/Funk Team Unveils Slavery Musical Sept. 19 A Real Production of The Cradle Will Rock by Peter Filichia Matt Bogart is Smokin’! The “white guy” in the Broadway Television Network’s premiere presentation, Smokey Joe’s Café, has starred in four Broadway shows in less than two years. An intimate chat with the new Bogie. Okay, here is a question that was asked of me.... and trust me, it is an area I am not a specialist in... CATS recordings: Do you know or does anyone know how I could find out the differences (between the NY and London Recordings). I remember Mugojerrie and Rumpleteezer's tune is different but I can vaguely remember some other nuances when the Bway cd came out..thanks for your help. Can anyone help out this poor soul? Hey, did you know that Cabaret is not an art form? That's what someone who claims to be "in the biz" says. I would love to get them in a room with Karen Mason, Judi Connelli and Betty Buckley and have this fool say that. We would sell more tickets than The Wild Party. But I guess that would not be hard to do! We were all wondering where Mayo was these days....

8/29/00		Three is the magic number. You can catch Fynsworth Fever on Sept 1. Today's birthdays include Ingrid Bergman, Elliott Gould, Mark Morris, Rebecca DeMornay and Dinah Washington. CDs: I Must Be Dreaming by Ken Mandelbaum I usually do not include CD reviews of Ken's here, but as this one is a review of Fynsworth's new Sondheim CD, I figured it was worth a mention. UPDATE: Follies Casting Broadway on Sunset Conference Features Taymor, LaChiusa, Egan Sept. 23-24 Rob Marshall Wins Emmy Award for "Annie" B'Way's Skinny Dip. Box office falls for week but still outpaces '99 Old Pro's Share Spotlight With Debutantes in 2000-01 Broadway Season Readings Are Fundamental by Peter Filichia Could it be, It's not really fine? After all, She was hired to design And through the months, she worked late often, Only for her to be lost in Boston. So with that I end my little song, And wish the best to William Ivey Long...

8/28/00		Four Fynsworth Fever. Sept 1. The chatters over at Sondheim.com have put their pretty little hands on an advance copy of Fynsworth Alley's first release, and the reviews are very good... Today's birthdays include Donald O'Connor, Lou Piniella, Alice Playten and Leo Tolstoy. On Aug. 28, 1963, 200,000 people participated in a peaceful civil rights rally in Washington, D.C., where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. (Go to article.) Talk about a massive political and social movement in our history. Why has no one ever adapted this wonderful story for Broadway? Update: Okay there was an adaptation: SELMA, based on the life of Dr. M. L. King. I don't know this show. But it merits a trip to Footlight Records... Ran into the beautiful and talented Paige Price this morning. She is on an Equity committee that negotiations with the League et al for the new production contract. Great way to spend your day off. Not! San Francisco Gate: ACT's Flight of Fancy `Hans Christian Andersen' soars with Martha Clarke's choreography That's Frank Loesser's Han Christian Andersen. (Thanks Mermaniac.) RSC announces their Secret Garden cast. How come I feel that many people are going to click over to Priceline.com to be booking flights over there? (Thanks Lorraine!) Steenburgen to Begin in August There is Broadway.com breaking news again! [We talked about it on August 20th...] Sir John in Love by Ken Mandelbaum Ken officially writes off The Visit for this season. Follies Casting: What We've Heard Ain't Nothin' Is Somethin': Blues Revue Re-Opens, Now on 42nd Street, Aug. 28 Eric Krebs moves two blocks east... Showtime Plans to Air Flockhart Bash on TV, Aug. 28 by Randy Gener Overall, this is nothing new, but I included it because Randy Gener offers "the theatrical skinny on Flockhart..." I was not sure if that was funny or in bad taste. Maybe both. Nanette Fabray Returns to the Stage in San Francisco Pippin Aug. 29 We love Nanette Fabray. Not only that, but we love saying "Nanette Fabray". Over and over. I was asked if I have mentioned Theatermania's deal with NBC on BroadwayStars. The answer is: No. What deal? Do tell... There is this imp who makes me sad. Does not know their place and can't find their way out of the proverbial PR bag. Aside from not having a decent idea in their head, they do damage to everything they touch -- from the Post to radio to reviews. How sad. Just leave already. You will do less damage in the middle of nowhere. Off: If yesterday is any indication, this is going to be a really long college football season...

8/27/00		Five is a pretty famous number. There was the Jackson Five, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and now -- there are only five days left until Fynsworth Alley opens up! Today's birthdays include: Paul Reubens, Tuesday Weld and Mother Teresa 'Youngsters' Reach Broadway Bearing Gifts: Musical Scores All Together Now: The Hills Are Still Alive ... I wrote about the Sing-A-Long Sound of Music when I was in London in February. It has finally come across the pond and audiences early reactions are as strong as a producer would like. Here is one email I received: "I went to the first "preview" NYC "Sing-a- Long Sound of Music" Friday night. WHAT A BLAST! I wasn't sure when I first walked in...prop bags... nuns...grown men in lederhosen...I won't give it away...you get the idea. Only drawback....I wish they had given us whistles in the propbag! Luckily (wink, wink) I had my own....." And it goes to show you, we were worried about the condition of Circle in the Square after Rocky Horror... Watching the Audience. Michael John LaChiusa, the music man behind Broadway's The Wild Party and Marie Christine, looks at who's listening. Everybody watch out, Theatermania is getting better every day. CA's McCoy Rigby Entertainment Announces 2000-2001 Season Oh, the Places You'll Go! Boston Tryout of Seussical Starts Aug. 27 The Biggest Hits from the Biggest Flops by Peter Filichia The (Temporary) Return of Sex Comedy by Peter Filichia Talkin Broadway's "All That Chat" message board is back in business. Word has it that they are going to install new software that supports more traffic. The traffic spike last week after national press coverage caused the board to become overwhelmed. There is an interesting discussion going on over at RATM about orchestras getting smaller and smaller on tours. There is a claim that an Equity Evita tour is going out with a four piece orchestra and synth. I don't know who will be more annoyed, the audiences or AFM. Jane Eyre is gearing up for the Broadway opening. Their website is in beta and is accepting signups for their newsletter. You can find it at www.janeeyreonbroadway.com.

8/26/00		Remember, only six days left until Fynsworth Alley opens up! Today's birthdays include: Michael Jeter, Macaulay Culkin and Christopher Isherwood. For 'Saigon,' the Light at the End Oh, Forget the Money. Let's Dress Up and Play! SFX Parent Company Clear Channel Says AMFM Deal Closing Imminent Admittedly, I do not walk on 42nd Street a lot, but last night I did transverse from 7th to 8th Avenues, and SFX has a small little sign announcing their new home... right next to the New Amsterdam. Do it make you nervous that they are right next to each other? Andrew Barrett's In Sarajevo Gets Reading at NYTW, Sept. 11 and 12 Who knew? Andrew was formerly at The Broadway Theatre Archive (who is owned by Broadway Digital Entertainment). In a true artist move, Andrew opts to create new works rather than preserve old ones! Lets hear it for multi-talented people! Congrats. Mouse To Scamper Into Cell Phones Disney is getting into the wireless / communications / high bandwidth business. That's an interesting way to push your content... Bye Bye Begley by Peter Filichia JCS Makes Light of Final Days Preview IV: Swing Kids by Ken Mandelbaum Toronto Star: Fiddler team ended on a sour note by Richard Ouzounian The friendship of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.

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