Today's birthdays include: Arthur Miller, Evel Knievel, George Wendt, Montgomery Clift and Rita Hayworth.

NYC Taping of Theatre-Themed "Hollywood Squares" Benefits Actors Fund

Theatregoers Sought to Judge 2001 Oliviers

Show-Only Tickets Available to Oct. 30 Cy Feuer Benefit

Marshall’s Life of John Lennon Being Prepped for Bway in Oct. 2001

Musical Theatre Works Launches Resident Writers Program with Celebrity Gala, Oct. 16

SAG/AFTRA and Ad Interests Testify Before City Council

Simon and Azenberg Appear on "Theatre Talk," Oct. 19

Spring Internship Available At Playbill On-Line

Support for Seussical by Peter Filichia

A Marriage Made in Show Business by Peter Filichia

National Theatre's Merchant of Venice, Now Playing Online

Argentine Troupe Revives Heiner Muller's Hamletmachine at BAM, Oct. 18-21. The German play that dares theatergoers to walk out on it.

B'Way B.O. Up, Boosted By 'Proof', 'Allergist'. This year's tally of $11.9 mil passes fall '99 figures.

Mishap for Millie
I wonder where Broadway.com heard about the mirror ball incident... Perhaps over at TalkinBroadway? Credit is probably due. Theatre.com and Playbill do give credit to their sources.

The Rhythm Club Group Sales Presentation. Went to the sales presentation last night and although it is not fair to review on of these things, I must say that two stars are born: Lauren Kennedy and Tim Martin Gleason. Although you may know Lauren already from Broadway's Sunset and Side Show, she has been understudy / standby, where it is hard to really make your mark. She really shined last night. And Tim is making his Broadway debut with charm that filled the Martin Beck (where Kate was off for Monday). With a rockin' band and some good moves, I hope that The Rhythm Club launches a few careers, not to mention that the writers' combined ages is less than... perhaps... Cameron Mackintosh. Happy birthday Mr. Producer.

Bumper stickers spotted in Los Angeles read "Bartlet for President."

Vincent Canby, Prolific Film and Theater Critic for The Times, Is Dead at 76

On this day in 1888, Eugene Gladstone O'Neill, who was regarded as the foremost American playwright of his time, was born. Following his death on Nov. 27, 1953, his obituary appeared in The Times. [Go to obit.] Today's other birthdays include: Angela Lansbury, Tim Robbins, Kellie Martin and Oscar Wilde.
My favorite Oscar Wilde quote is "I like men with a future and women with a past." Theater owes a great deal to Mr. Wilde.

NYC's HourGlass' Second Play Reading Is a Triple, Oct. 16 at the Gershwin Hotel

But Is Hans Christian Andersen Ever Risque? by Sean Patrick Flahaven
Yes, the Dodgers may want to keep going forward with the project. But they have to get through Jo Loesser first, and I am not sure that is going to happen...

Attend The Release Of Sweeney Todd by Sean Patrick Flahaven

London Napoleon to Feature B'way's Anastasia Barzee, Opening London Oct 17, 2000

Craig's Heart: No Stranger to Love and Anger by Randy Gener

Disney Auctions Bows Today In Ebay Pact

Figuring Out Proof

Possible Beautiful Girl by Ken Mandelbaum

Annie Lite by Ken Mandelbaum

Millie reports are starting to come in. I have not heard anything bad. Could be that the productions that were flying under the radar this season are going to be the ones that actually make it in and are the best.

Blind Item Received:

Roundabout's "Almost Holy Person" will not happen in January, but will hold til next Fall, when Kevin Bacon will star, instead of the expected David Morse.

Today's birthdays include: Linda Lavin, Penny Marshall and Sir P. G. Wodehouse.

Neil Simon: It's Great to Be a Playwright, but Oh, the Pain

Theater: Answering a Calling to Make You Believe

Report: Broadway To Get 2001 Hedda Gabler Revival

Ignored or Snubbed? by Peter Filichia

Reuters: Manila Cheers Beloved 'Miss Saigon' Star
What started out as a nice piece for Lea Salonga makes her look like an idiot in the end. I hope she really did not mean what they quoted her as saying.

Broadway.com's front page calendar says "Sunday October 15, 2000: Seussical begins previews at the Richard Rodgers Theater." I can't decide if they scooped everyone else, or if it is just wrong... (of course it is wrong.)

Troika's Grease: I mentioned yesterday that there was an unconfirmed report of a serious incident on the Troika tour. While I still have not received confirmation of the incident, it is true that the actor playing Danny abruptly left the company and his understudy is on while they are having immediate replacement auditions. There must be more to this story.

If They Ran Theatre Like Sports. Yesterday's article by the witty Robert Viagas was supplemented by a reader named Susan. She wrote:

When an actor walked out on stage, his/her theme song of choice would be played

The audience would begin THE WAVE during long, boring scenes."

Last night, Saturday Night Live took a good natured swipe at the delays and events surrounding Seussical.

Today's birthdays include: Roger Moore, Ralph Lauren, Harry Anderson and e. e. cummings.

Deborah Gibson Gets 'Own Little Corner' for Cinderella Tour

Oil City Symphony Returns to NYC With Craver & Murfitt; Open Run Starts Oct. 19

Tentative Production Contract Faces Ratification by Equity and Broadway Producers

PBOL'S THEATRE WEEK IN REVIEW, Oct. 7-13: Millie, Hedda, Martha and Nada

Actors' Union and Broadway Producers Reach Tentative Agreements

Daisy Prince Offers a Sneak Peek of "Musical Theatre Works Live In Concert"

If They Ran Theatre Like Sports

Mulling Over The Merchant of Venice by Peter Filichia

Reader Mail...

Tom Sawyer Open Call:

"Signing in" consisted of signing a contract stating that you weren't affiliated with any union. Of course, most of the auditionees didn't even read this. There were approximately 300 people. Thankfully, the wait was not too long and I found out why. It's as if they don't want you to know the dance since they "taught" it so quickly. It consisted of running back and forth doing several special jumps that the choreographer(s) wanted. More than half of the almost 40 people auditioning at time didn't know it or wound up hitting someone in the face. It was absurd! I would have rather done "The Time Warp"!!

Fiddler preview:

Saw yhe run-thru of FIDDLER tour that might come back to Broadway, and a much more dramatic, moving portrayal of TEVYE is being given by none other than but THEO BIKEL The other major contributor is Sue Cella playing his much younger wife GOLDE....Character actors galore,even the smaller roles are handled beautifully....all who saw this run thru were in tears throughout the second act, leading up to the Jews leaving their homes....hope that when they get to their set in Detroit, their show remains as moving...

Screamers:

Now is the trend of screamers and dancers' on Broadway. With the plethora of 'rock' and 'pop' shows out there, little room is left for people who can actually, God forbid, 'sing'. Case in point: There are men in "Les Mis" who have trained 'legit voices'. While all of the woman in the show have to be intense belters. Men can have a 'real legit voice', and a beautiful sound. Woman nowadays, on the other hand, with little exceptions are the belting, nasal 'screamers' of BWAY. Disturbing double standard?? Nooo....really? James Marino, I would like your opinion on this important issue being discussed out there today.

You don't really want my opinion on screamers, right? This was a troll letter, right? Anyway...

Troika's Grease needs a replacement? I received an email early in the week telling me that there was a gay bashing incident on the Grease tour that resulted in a replacement of a cast member. I could not confirm this, so I have not mentioned it. Anyone out there have any solid information/details?

Saw Lisa Richard's show at Don't Tell Mama last night. Complete with pictures from her high school yearbook, fearless Richard capped the night off with a heartbreaking tune called "I Break So Easily" by Lindy Robbins and Jerry Sternbach. If you are in the 46th Street neighborhood, it is well worth the time to go see Lisa before the clock strikes twelve and she returns to the left coast.