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Saturday, February 22, 2003 The New York Times Spring Theater Preview Section: [ NYT ] ROUNDTABLE Why Stage O'Neill Again? 'To Hear the Truth Again' Brian Dennehey, Vanessa Redgrave, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Sean Leonard and Robert Falls discuss their upcoming production of "Long Day's Journey Into Night." [ NYT ] HEADLINER A Movie Star Takes the Stage, Bowing to Fellini by MATTHEW GUREWITSCH In his Broadway debut in a revival of "Nine," Antonio Banderas is the male center of a female universe. He sings, too. [ NYT ] IN TIMES LIKE THESE Yes, Theater Is Important by KENNETH LONERGAN The theater serves as a kind of public imagination, or a place where imaginations can meet. [ NYT ] IN TIMES LIKE THESE Looking for a Conscience by ARTHUR MILLER It may be just an old man's silliness, but I do find myself wondering about Broadway's relevance to the life of this world now. [ NYT ] IN TIMES LIKE THESE Where You and I Become Us by WENDY WASSERSTEIN There is nothing like the catharsis of theater in times of high anxiety. There is also nothing as humane as sharing a laugh with strangers in the dark. [ NYT ] STATE OF THE ART Fabulous? Certainly. An Invalid? Maybe Not. by ROBIN POGREBIN New York theater has reasons to moan this season, but it's showing signs of unexpected vitality, both on stages and at construction sites. [ NYT ] POLITICAL THEATER An Englishman's Accent on America by MATT WOLF "Continental Divide," a two-play epic about American politics by the English playwright David Edgar, is meant for an American audience. [ NYT ] FOR CHILDREN Beyond Fuzzy Animal Suits, All the Way to Art by SYLVIANE GOLD Theater for young audiences is a growth industry. The content is getting more grown-up, too. [ NYT ] Political Theater: Fighting Irish (On the Side of the King) "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme." [ NYT ] Political Theater: At the Intersection of Ruler and Ruled "The Feast of the Goat." [ NYT ] Performance: If the Nurse Resembles Warhol, There's a Reason Julee Cruise in "Radiant Baby." [ NYT ] Performance: A 10-Year-Old Trouper With an Inner Wild Child Skye McCole Bartusiak in "The Miracle Worker." [ NYT ] Performance: Class Clown Makes Good, Quietly Anthony Mackie in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." [ NYT ] Performance: Just Another Ithaca-Educated Bronco Buster Matt Cavenaugh in "Urban Cowboy." [ NYT ] Performance: Self-Consciousness Strikes Out Daniel Sunjata in "Take Me Out." [ NYT ] ANNOTATED LISTINGS A Singing Proust, a Mechanical Bull and 'Gypsy,' Too A preview of New York stage openings, February through July. posted at 2/22/2003 06:59:50 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ NYO ] Les Mis�rable Producer? With Les Mis�rables scheduled to close on May 18 after 16 years on Broadway, some eagle-eyed observers of the musical find it odd that actor J. Mark McVey�who has played the lead role of Jean Valjean longer than anyone else associated with the New York production�will be departing the play on Feb. 23. They find it even odder that Mr. McVey will be replaced by a virtual unknown for the last three months of performances. Thanks to Bobster for the link. [ YN ] Patty Duke Visits 'Miracle Worker' Cast [ CU ] High Priest of California Review posted at 2/22/2003 01:09:08 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ DN ] B'way musicians plan strike vote By PATRICIA O'HAIRE The union representing the 325 musicians who play for Broadway musicals has scheduled a strike vote for next Saturday if no new agreement has been reached with the League of Broadway Theaters and Producers. [ KCS ] Musicians grouse over orchestra-less Grammys by AARON BARNHART [ INQ ] 'Allergist's Wife' tickets discounted by Douglas J. Keating Because of poor ticket sales to The Tale of the Allergist's Wife attributed to last week's snowstorm, the Forrest Theatre has taken the unusual step of offering discounts of up to $25 on tickets to most performances. [ B ] Flower Drum Song to Close on March 16 [ B ] Ebersole, Mahaffey & Wehle Join Talking Heads [ B ] Norbert Leo Butz to Ride in Off-B'way's Buicks [ P ] Bloom Off: Flower Drum Song to Close March 16 [ P ] Hairspray Star Returns to the Solo Spot, March 17 and 24 [ P ] Suddenly Ellen: Little Shop of Horrors Star Offers Joe's Pub Concerts Feb. 22-24 [ P ] Musical Marty with John C. Reilly Coming to Broadway Next Season The musical which premiered at Boston's Huntington Theatre Company will once again star John C. Reilly. [ P ] Equity Donates Funds to Help Seattle's Ailing A Contemporary Theatre [ P ] Norbert Leo Butz Stars in New Play Buicks Off-Broadway, Feb. 28-March 30 [ P ] Swan Lake's Adam Cooper Dances Into London's Festival Hall Adam Cooper will be star in the Leicester Haymarket production (co produced by Raymond Gubbay) of On Your Toes at the Royal Festival Hall this summer. [ P ] PBOL'S THEATER WEEK IN REVIEW, Feb. 15-21: No More Room at the Inn [ BS ] AEA Extends Smoke-Haze Regs to Most Pacts [ BS ] Icon of S. Africa Theater Says He Is HIV-Positive [ ATW ] Walter Gidaly, Theatrical Producer and Attorney, Dies at 75 Features: [ HHW ] Interview: Brent Barrett [ LAT ] An artist's radiance redeemed by Patrick Pacheco A musical traces '80s sensation Keith Haring through days of feverish self-indulgence to a discovery of salvation. [ LAT ] It�s Sundance to Shakespeare for SCR vet by Mike Boehm Director Mark Rucker�s career in movies is percolating, but for now �The Two Gentlemen of Verona� beckons. [ TS ] Spacey thrives on `difficult' by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN Impressive career marked by series of complex characters [ BS ] The British Alternative Back Stage met with leading actors from both the RSC and the National to talk to them about their experiences working in a repertory company. [ SFE ] Meeting Mel Brooks BY JAN WAHL Thanks to American Theater Web for the link! Reviews: [ TM ] The Siegels' Nightlife Notes 19-year old singer-pianist Peter Cincotti dazzles in his return engagement at the Oak Room. [ TM ] Tunes, Tomes, & Videos Matthew Murray reviews the world premiere recording of Michael John LaChiusa's presidential musical, First Lady Suite. [ CU ] Sleeping With Straight Men Review [ WP ] 'Kimberly Akimbo': Fresh Face With a Wrinkle by Peter Marks posted at 2/22/2003 12:17:39 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Friday, February 21, 2003 This just in: According to a press release, the Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song will close after the performance on March 16. posted at 2/21/2003 08:33:29 PM by Matthew Murray | Item Link Word has it the FIDDLER OF THE ROOF ABC movie has been put on hold indefinitely due to the impending war. As well, they could not get insurance since the shoot location was going to be in Prague. They also had security issues... posted at 2/21/2003 03:10:50 PM by James Marino | Item Link [ B ] CDs: Divas on Broadway by Ken Mandelbaum For tomorrow's reading of Disney's The Little Mermaid, directed by casting director Jay Binder, add to the names (Kerry Butler, Patrick Quinn) previously announced here those of Gavin Creel as Prince Eric, Emily Skinner as Ursula, and Joe Farrell (Encores!' The Pajama Game, Goodspeed's King of Hearts and A Little Night Music, Titanic first national tour) as Louis. [ P ] DIVA TALK: Tribute to a "New York Romance"; Linda Eder at Carnegie and a Diva Debut [ P ] Breath of Life Will Be One Dame Short When It Arrives on Broadway [ P ] West End Mamma Mia! Announces Cast Changes [ P ] Ma Rainey's "Tom Joyner Night" Features Post-Performance Chat with Whoopi & Cast posted at 2/21/2003 12:12:02 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ V ] Strike-wary B'way tuners employ virtual orchestras - Local 802 takes steps toward stoppage By ROBERT HOFLER The Broadway companies of "Les Miserables" and "The Phantom of the Opera" are set to hold studio rehearsals next week with so-called virtual orchestras -- a new technology that offers musical accompaniment in place of live musicians. posted at 2/21/2003 09:45:59 AM by Matthew Murray | Item Link News: [ NYP ] KICK THE CANNED by MICHAEL RIEDEL BROADWAY producers, having swaggered their way out on a limb in their rancorous negotiations with the musicians' union, are quietly looking for a way to crawl back to the treehouse. [ NYT ] ON STAGE AND OFF Dramatic Homecoming by JESSE MCKINLEY The Signature Theater Company alumnus James Van Der Beek returns with the New York premiere of another work by Lanford Wilson: "Rain Dance." [ NYT ] Tanya Moiseiwitsch, 88, Designer Who Made Thrust Stages Popular, Is Dead Tanya Moiseiwitsch was a stage designer who influenced the shape of modern theater stages based on the thrust style from Shakespeare's era. [ LAT ] Mideast blues in middle America by David Lamb Canceled after charges of bias, a fact-based play about Palestinian and Israeli teens gets a reading. [ YN ] Broadway Shows Collide on Opening Night by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Writer Another openin', another show. And another show. [ B ] Van Der Beek to Star in Signature's Rain Dance [ B ] Maggie Smith to Bring Life to NY; Dench Declines [ YN ] Alfred Molina Nabs Spidey Villain Role [ P ] Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 21 [ P ] Tickets for Finn's Elegies at Lincoln Center Go on Sale Feb. 21 [ P ] '80s Pop Star Deborah Gibson Joins Cast of Broadway's Cabaret Feb. 21 [ P ] Flea Theatre Premiere of Gurney's O Jerusalem Extended to April 19; Perfs Begin Feb. 26 [ P ] "Dawson's Creek"'s James Van Der Beek to Star in Signature's Rain Dance Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Filichia looks at a theater book written in a time when Wilder was risqu�, Rodgers was nice, and Olivier was young. [ BH ] Entitled: John Henry Redwood writes about strength and survival by Terry Byrne [ G ] Kramer: the Camden years As Seinfeld's nutso neighbour, Michael Richards earned $1m a show and lived in California. Now he's got a flat in London and a part in a hoary old play. He tells Stuart Jeffries why he's happier than ever [ CSM ] A golden couple gives back to the arts community by Gloria Goodale Ask veteran actress and writer Ruby Dee what she is proudest of in her lengthy career, and she says it is the choice she and her husband, Ossie Davis, made for their golden wedding anniversary celebration. Reviews � "Dublin Carol": [ DN ] Pain preserved in alcohol by Robert Dominguez Irish playwright Conor McPherson crafts a subtle and sympathetic portrait of an alcoholic in "Dublin Carol," a melancholy tale of a middle-aged man confronting the ghosts of his destructive past on Christmas Eve. [ ND ] Small Talk and Silences In a Bit O' Storytelling by Gordon Cox Once again, McPherson shows off his generous sensitivity to the slight tics and minor dislocations of everyday speech, in an acutely observed production that he also directed. But despite rewardingly unforced work from three strong actors, the emotional undercurrents in the script can feel so buried that they often seem hardly there at all. [ NYP ] DOWN-AND-OUT DUBLINERS DOOMED TO SAD FATE by DONALD LYONS TO playwright Conor McPherson's jaundiced eye, Dublin is a city of the lost and the screwed-up and the drunk. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'DUBLIN CAROL' When Talk Is the Cure for the Morning After by BEN BRANTLEY Conor McPherson's brooding play capitalizes on that long, lovely and painful tradition in Irish literature of tales told by drinkers. [ NJ ] 'Dublin' drama is quietly poignant BY MICHAEL SOMMERS [ YN ] `Dublin Carol': Rich, Rueful Meditation by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic [ B ] Dublin Carol Review by Adam Feldman Anyone forming an opinion of Ireland on the basis of the theater it has exported might conclude that there is not now, nor has there ever been, a single happy person in the history of the Emerald Isle. [ TM ] Dublin Carol Reviewed By: Philip Hopkins [ CU ] Dublin Carol Review by Elyse Sommer [ ATW ] Dublin Carol: Beginning to Confront Too Many Mornings After Other Reviews: [ YN ] `Bohemes' Battle on Broadway Stages by RONALD BLUM, Associated Press Writer Baz Luhrmann's production of "La Boheme" has a little competition now: from Franco Zeffirelli's more traditional version at the Metropolitan Opera, less than a mile up Broadway. [ WP ] Illuminated Chekhov by Peter Marks At the Brooklyn Academy of Music, 'Uncle Vanya' Comes Brilliantly to Life [ LAT ] THEATER BEAT Reviews, including "Minor Holidays" with Scott Caan and "Reunion in Prague" with Hildy Brooks. [ NYT ] CABARET REVIEW | PETER CINCOTTI A Balladeer Old Beyond His Years by STEPHEN HOLDEN The gifted 19-year-old singer and pianist belongs to a highly select group of younger pop-jazz traditionalists who play the piano and sing equally well. Hmm, Dublin Carol... wasn't she in "No Strings"? ;-) posted at 2/21/2003 08:53:46 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Thursday, February 20, 2003 [ P ] Larry Drake Exits Polish Joke, Richard Ziman Picks Up Punchline at MTC [ P ] Second Stage Postpones Craig Lucas' Reckless to Next Season [ P ] Has Fallen Angels Fallen Off Broadway 2002-03 Roster? [ P ] PHOTO CALL: House of Flowers: Closing Night [ B ] Second Stage Delays Production of Reckless [ TM ] Celebrate Black History Month With Ma Rainey and Tom Joyner, February 25 posted at 2/20/2003 06:33:11 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ P ] Roundabout's Master Harold Due at Shubert House in March [ P ] Ian McKellen Returns to the London Stage in Dance of Death [ P ] Tom Stoppard's Mammoth Trilogy The Coast of Utopia to Reach Lincoln Center in 2005 [ P ] Board Members Keep Seattle's ACT Afloat, But Ailing Theatre Still Needs Financial Help [ P ] NMTN Offers Readings of Dorian Gray and Two Freudian Musicals in NYC in 2003 [ P ] Composers and Orchestrators Line Up Behind Musicians' Union [ B ] Alexandra Jay Steps into London's Mamma Mia! [ TM ] Tanya Moiseiwitsch, Stratford Festival of Canada Designer, Dead at 88 Features: [ TM ] All Over the Map by: Dan Bacalzo Getting Wounded in New Haven, Making a Best Friend in Dallas, and Taking a Nuevo Look at San Diego. posted at 2/20/2003 04:09:02 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ B ] Night Music Memories by Ken Mandelbaum Mariette Hartley will be the next Fraulein Schneider in the Broadway Cabaret. Hartley's musical credits include Mame and A Little Night Music. OK, now we need James Garner as Herr Schultz! [ P ] Talking Heads Begin Talking at Off-Broadway's Minetta Lane, March 22 [ P ] Flower Drum Song Will Have a National Tour; 2004 Houston Dates Announced [ P ] Noises Off's Finneran Cast in New FOX-TV Pilot Reviews: [ TM ] High Priest of California Reviewed By: David Finkle posted at 2/20/2003 12:44:08 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ YN ] Larroquette, Reuben Cast Their Lots in Pilot Deals Caroline Dhavernas ("Lost and Delirious") and Kate Finneran ("Noises Off" on Broadway) have nabbed lead roles in Fox's untitled drama pilot, formerly known as "Maid of the Mist," from Todd Holland ("Malcolm in the Middle") and Bryan Fuller ("Star Trek: Voyager"). Dhavernas will portray a woman to whom inanimate figures offer cryptic information on how she can intervene in the lives of others. Finneran will portray her overachieving sister. posted at 2/20/2003 09:01:32 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ NYP ] LIZ SMITH It will be "The West Wing's" glamorous first lady, Stockard Channing, who'll play Margo Channing in the March 30 one-night-only stage "revival" of "All About Eve" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Hollywood. Plus news on "Paper Doll," which Liz says will open April 22 in New York. (At which theater?) [ NYT ] Seattle Theater in Peril as Money Runs Out by JESSE McKINLEY Officials at A Contemporary Theater are trying to fix a financial crisis that could shut their 38-year-old nonprofit theater. [ NYT ] Some States Propose End to Arts Spending by STEPHEN KINZER Faced with daunting fiscal challenges, Arizona, New Jersey and Missouri may eliminate arts budgets altogether. [ NYT ] Letters: Future of New York Theater: Students [ R ] Broadway Does Flurry of Biz During Storm by Robert Hofler NEW YORK (Variety) - The shows not only went on in true Broadway tradition, some of them actually sold out! [ ND ] Winter of Their Content: The Shows Do Go On by GORDON COX The productions that went on despite the snow were rewarded with surprisingly strong attendance. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 20 [ P ] Debra Monk Heads to the Chatterbox Feb. 20 [ P ] Casting Now Complete for Rebecca Luker-Patrick Cassidy She Loves Me at Reprise! [ P ] Murney, Butz, Testa Plus Mom Newman Celebrate Amanda Green's New CD at March 17 Concert [ P ] 50th Anniversary The Trip to Bountiful Staging at Hartford Begins Feb. 20 [ P ] Puppets Take Manhattan: New Musical Avenue Q Begins Off-Broadway, Feb. 20 [ P ] McPherson's Dublin Carol�with Nobbs, Norton & O'Malley�Opens Feb. 20 [ P ] Jay Tarses Exposes Man in His Underwear, in Reading at Florida Stage Feb. 24 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Dublin Carol: The Bottle and the Damage Done [ B ] Life x 3 & Urban Cowboy to Open on Same Night [ NYP ] JUDD UP ON THE 'ROOF' ASHLEY Judd would rather play Maggie the Cat than Catwoman. The actress passed up the chance to star in another Batman sequel to make her Broadway debut this fall in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Features: [ P ] Sons of War A tragic battle is recalled in Frank McGuinness's powerful Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme. [ DN ] Fusing old & new Latin by Robert Dominguez "Latin Heat" - a new musical that takes audiences through the history of Latin music and dance - doesn't stop at traditional Afro-Caribbean, mambo, salsa and merengue numbers. [ HC ] Start Spreading The News by FRANK RIZZO Hartford-Born Stage Productions Finding Their Way To Broadway [ HC ] CD Of Writer's Musical Adaptation Up For Grammy Award Sunday by GARY LIBOW Reviews: [ NYP ] SHAW'S 'HEARTBREAK HOUSE' IS STILL STURDY by DONALD LYONS IN the 1890s and 1900s, Shaw took the English drawing-room comedy and blew it up by the force of his ideas. [ NYT ] POETRY REVIEW Ambiguity Is a Guest at a Readers' Evening by KELEFA SANNEH In "Poems Not Fit for the White House," poets like Sharon Olds expressed their opposition to an attack on Iraq. An evening of poetry featuring Mos Def and Arthur Miller. (Now there's a sentence I never thought I'd write.) [ NJ ] Lurid 'High Priest' ready for last rites BY MICHAEL SOMMERS "High Priest of California" is one of 29th Street Rep's duds. posted at 2/20/2003 08:53:49 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Wednesday, February 19, 2003 Features: [ ND ] Law & Order, Song & Dance by Blake Green 'Det.' Orbach is to be cited for his years in theater An interview. News: [ B ] B.J. Crosby Will Be Chicago's New Mama [ TM ] Free Reading of Free Fall, New Musical by Ellison, Biering, and Linser, March 10 and 11 [ B ] Shuler to Succeed Daykin as Head of City Center Reviews: [ TB ] Little Fish Review by Matthew Murray posted at 2/19/2003 09:28:52 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ TM ] CSC to Present Michael Torke and Kelli O'Hara in Concert [ P ] Am-Bush: Hit Hoppe Play A New War Gets Boston Berth March 7 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: TKTS on the Great White Way ... Literally [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Cabaret: Deborah Gibson as Sally Bowles [ P ] Heidi Grant Murphy Sings Sondheim, Ahrens, Flaherty, Yeston and More on "Times Like This" CD Reviews: [ ATW ] A Trip Through Broadway's Musical Attic Yields Treasures of 1925 [ ATW ] Heartbreak House Review posted at 2/19/2003 05:56:53 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ B ] Q&A: Philip Seymour Hoffman by Kathy Henderson [ TM ] In Dublin's Fair City... by: Diane Snyder Conor McPherson discusses the American premiere of his Dublin Carol. News: [ B ] Will Equity Relinquish Control of Movin' Out? [ B ] Branagh to Star in Edmond at the National [ P ] Crossley Discusses Roles in National's Anything Goes & Love's Labour's Lost [ P ] Kenneth Branagh to Star in Mamet Play at London's National [ P ] AGMA and Equity Battle for Jurisdiction Over Broadway's Movin' Out [ P ] Report: Dare Her�Eartha Kitt to Star in Life-Story Stage Musical [ P ] Tanya Moiseiwitsch, Designer Who Laid Stratford Fest's Planks With Passion, Dead at 88 [ P ] From Catwoman to Maggie the Cat: Ashley Judd to Bow on Bway in the Fall [ P ] Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stephen Adly Guirgis Talkback at Our Lady, Feb. 19 and 25 posted at 2/19/2003 03:14:09 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ B ] CDs: Pretty Music by Ken Mandelbaum LAUREN KENNEDY: SONGS OF JASON ROBERT BROWN (PS Classics) ANNA KARENINA: THE AUDIO MUSICAL (LML) [ B ] Enchanted April Lands at Ethel Barrymore [ P ] Enchanted April to Dawn in Barrymore; Cast Finalized posted at 2/19/2003 12:31:14 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ NYT ] A Former Dancer Is Picked to Lead City Center by JESSE McKINLEY Arlene Shuler, a former dancer with vast experience in private and public philanthropies, was named the president and chief executive of City Center. [ NYP ] BANDING TOGETHER by MICHAEL RIEDEL IN their battle to eliminate so-called "minimums" from Broadway orchestra pits, theater producers are shunning cost-cutting arguments in favor of "artistic" ones. [ V ] Judd scratches 'Cat' for 'Cat' WB pic's delay leads thesp to White Way Ashley Judd will make her Broadway debut this fall as Maggie in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." [ YN ] "Century City" casts up Ioan Gruffudd, Eric Schaeffer, Viola Davis and Kristin Lehman are traveling to "Century City," filling four of the six regular roles on the CBS drama pilot. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 19 [ P ] Neapolitan-Flavored Romeo & Bernadette Begins Singing Brooklynese in NJ Feb. 19 [ P ] Falsettos, with Michael Rupert and Chip Zien, Featured in L.A. Theatre Works Season [ P ] Ruehl, Chalfant, Lahti, Stoltz Perform as Part of Anti-War Lysistrata Project, March 3 [ P ] Miller of "All My Children" Replaces Ivey in Claudia Allen's Unspoken Prayers, for Victory Gardens [ P ] Anouilh's Eurydice Rewrites the Classic Myth and TACT Passes It Along, March 3-10 [ P ] Gay Brothers Compete in New NYC Play, Red and Tan Line, March 6-23 [ P ] Composer-Lyricist Rusty Magee, Who Gave The Green Heart Its Beat, Dead at 47 Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Filichia hears Ethel Merman's disco CD and thinks of other times when musical theater and disco have collided. [ LAT ] Writing plays can be the best revenge by Don Shirley Beginning playwrights are told to "write what you know," and in this town, that often means the search for Hollywood fame. [ B ] First Person: Midwestern State of Mind by Jack Cummings III "Requiem for William." [ NYT ] HoJo's to Go? Say It Ain't So by WILLIAM GRIMES With the threat of no more Howard Johnson's in all of New York City, a restaurant critic makes a pilgrimage. Reviews: [ NJ ] Mistrial BY PETER FILICHIA Why don't they just give up? Cy Coleman, who has written many a glorious Broadway score ("Sweet Charity," "City of Angels") and A.E. Hotchner, the distinguished Hemingway authority, have once again recycled a musical they've been working on for 15 years. [ DN ] Round & 'Ronde' they go by Robert Dominguez It's no wonder Sigmund Freud was a great admirer of Arthur Schnitzler. The philandering, guilt, hypocrisy and narcissism that fuel "Far and Wide," a nicely realized adaptation of Schnitzler's 1911 drama "Das Weite Land," is the stuff that put a spark to Freud's cigar. [ DN ] Many warm regards to B'way, 1925 by Howard Kissel "Broadway by the Year," the Town Hall series that picks a year and samples its musical offerings, began this season Monday night following a blizzard - by looking at the 200 shows that opened on Broadway in 1925. [ NYT ] THEATER IN REVIEW: Recent Plays 'Bitter Bierce, or the Friction We Call Grief'; 'The Typographer's Dream'; 'Sleeping With Straight Men'; 'Helen, Queen of Sparta' Welcome to the world, Brendan Hoag! Love, Uncle Tim. posted at 2/19/2003 07:47:18 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Tuesday, February 18, 2003 News: [ * ] Rusty Magee, 1955-2003 R.I.P. Thanks to Ann on All That Chat for the news. [ B ] Broadway Grosses: Out with a Splash While some Broadway shows close without much fanfare, others benefit from audiences taking advantage of a last chance to catch them. Imaginary Friends filled the Barrymore Theatre to only 50.65% capacity on average in its final week, but Metamorphoses was at a stellar 93.77% capacity at the Circle in the Square. [ B ] Gary Beach to Play Roger DeBris in L.A. [ B ] The Story Added to Public's 2003-2004 Season [ TM ] Dorian Gray, Dora, and Dreams to be Presented in NMTN's New Musicals Series [ P ] Radiant Baby's Birthday Is March 2 at Public Theater [ P ] Broadway Grosses: Feb. 10-16 [ P ] Gary Beach's DeBris To Fill Pantages Theatre in L.A. Run of Producers Features: [ BS ] Moving Emotionally from Speech to Song As the recent reviews of "Moulin Rouge" and "Chicago" have made clear, it has become commonplace wisdom that today's film musicals cannot work if songs arise naturally and directly out of dialogue. [ BS ] Carry That Wait Audition waiting rooms can be the most uncomfortable places on earth--but there are ways to make it better for all of us. [ B ] Photo Op: Straight Men Arrives Off-Broadway [ B ] Photo Op: House of Flowers Opens a New Encores! Season [ TM ] Photo File Matt Cavenaugh, John McDaniel, Sandy Duncan, Christopher Sieber, and other Broadway folks are caught by the cameras. Reviews: [ VV ] LONELY CROWDS by Michael Feingold Two Shows About New Yorkers in Groups Suggest They Might Be Happier Left Alone Little Fish by Michael John LaChiusa; The Last Sunday in June by Jonathan Tolins [ TM ] Far and Wide Reviewed By: David Finkle [ CU ] Far and Wide Review [ CU ] Raisin Los Angeles Review by Jana J. Monji [ TM ] Requiem for William Reviewed By: David Finkle posted at 2/18/2003 08:04:23 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ TM ] Walton, Carmello, and Pittu Bless Mr. Rosewater at Cooper Union, March 7 [ P ] Over 13 Million Watched Disney's "Music Man" Sunday Night The folks of River City, Iowa, were no match for the citizens of Springfield Sunday night. [ P ] New Samuel Beckett Theatre Prize Announced [ P ] Nia Vardalos, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin Star in CBS' "My Big Fat Greek Life," Debuts Feb. 24 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Little Fish: Pool Party [ P ] Broadway to Continue Tuesdays at 7 Concept [ P ] New Brooklyn Musical to World Premiere in Denver in Spring 2003 posted at 2/18/2003 03:15:54 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Reviews: [ B ] The Fourth TV Kate by Ken Mandelbaum Review: KISS ME, KATE News: [ B ] TV's Music Man Garners Respectable Ratings [ B ] Brenda Braxton Is Chicago's Next Velma Kelly [ P ] Smokey Joe's Cafe's Brenda Braxton Is Chicago Bound [ P ] Digging Out of the Snow, Broadway Back in Business Feb. 18, But What About the Commute? [ P ] John McDaniel to Serve as Taboo's Musical Director [ P ] "Chicago" Remains in Third Place at Box Office for Holiday Weekend [ P ] Oscar OK: Theatre-Film Actor O'Toole Decides to Accept Honorary Oscar [ P ] Linda Eder Does Broadway Her Way: New CD Released Feb. 18; Carnegie Hall Feb. 19 posted at 2/18/2003 01:05:14 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ NYT ] Broadway Stars, Out a Bit Early by JAMES BARRON Broadway producers decided to raise the curtain an hour earlier than usual on Tuesdays, figuring that the theater crowd no longer keeps hours that are Runyonesque. [ NJ ] A festival becomes the Shakespeare Theatre BY PETER FILICHIA As Shakespeare once said, "What's in a name?" Reviews: [ NYP ] RAZZLE DAZZLER by CLIVE BARNES 'CHICAGO" has played more than 2,500 performances, but it's as fresh as a show that opened last week. [ NYP ] FABULOUS 'FAR' HAS WIDE APPEAL by DONALD LYONS IMAGINE Chekhov as an Austrian. Such is the work of Arthur Schnitzler, a major playwright whose work is only now being adequately discovered. [ ATW ] Disparate Acting Styles Mar Far and Wide at Mint [ ATW ] Sleeping with Straight Men at Maverick Play Based on Talk Show Murder Offends [ ATW ] A Woman's Touch Enlivens The Tempest [ WP ] 'Benchley': Seeing a Famous Forebear Whole by Dolores Gregory You get much more out of the theater if you sit facing the stage. -- Robert Benchley News: [ CST ] Soap Star Replaces Judith Ivey in Victory Gardens Premiere [ V ] BIZ WEATHERING BLIZZARD Snow & show both go on as Gotham chills The "Daredevil" B.O. wasn't the only casualty of Mother Nature's splashy East Coast tour. Broadway's "Phantom of the Opera" missed a perf for just the second time in 15 years, power outages cut TV ratings, and today's high-profile USC confab on media ownership rules has been canceled. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 18 [ P ] Proustian Music: Nelson & Gordon's Albertine Christens Horizons' New Home [ P ] It's Today! Jerry Herman's Showtune Begins Off Bway Run Feb. 18 [ P ] Our Lady of 121st Street Begins at Off-Broadway's Union Square, Feb. 18 [ P ] LAByrinth Theatre Company Premieres Shanley's Dirty Story, Feb. 18-March 30 [ P ] Middle-East-Themed Paradise Gets Reading Cincinnati Playhouse, Feb. 18 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: The Lysistrata Project: Theatrical Dissent [ P ] U.S. Premiere of Revised Anyone Can Whistle Begins Feb. 18 in L.A. [ P ] A Ghostly Lady Conjures the Songs of Old Cuba, in Off-Bway Musical, Havana Under the Sea, Feb. 28 [ P ] Prodigal's Off-Bway Cast Album Due in May posted at 2/18/2003 07:08:14 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Monday, February 17, 2003 Congratulations to Ruthie Henshall and Tim Howar on the birth of their baby girl, born yesterday, February 16th, at 8:24 AM! (And thanks to Robbie for the news.) posted at 2/17/2003 07:26:58 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ TM ] Blizzard of 2003 Forces Cancellation or Postponement of NYC Shows and Events TheaterMania's Scott Siegel informs us that "The Broadway Musicals of 1925," the latest presentation of the Broadway by the Year series at The Town Hall, will go on as scheduled tonight at 8pm. [ P ] Snowed In: Phantom and Select Off-Broadway Shows Cancel Feb. 17 Performances; Other Broadway Shows Will Perform [ P ] Buried by Snow: Broadway Bears VI Auction Postponed [ TM ] MacDermot, Zippel, Blumenkrantz, and Others to Appear in "New Mondays" Series [ TM ] Schwartz's Captain Louie to Set Sail in the ASCAP Living Room, March 3 & 4 Reviews: [ B ] CDs: Taking Flight With Jackie, Eleanor, and Mamie by Ken Mandelbaum FIRST LADY SUITE (PS Classics) [ TM ] Heartbreak House Reviewed By: David Finkle posted at 2/17/2003 12:22:51 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Reviews: [ NJ ] 'Tempest,' tossed BY PETER FILICHIA McCarter's Mann bends genders to update Shakespeare for today [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Filichia renders his verdict on the new Music Man, starring Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | '110 IN THE SHADE' Con Man, Lonely Woman and Love Swirling on the Prairie by BEN BRANTLEY In "110 in the Shade," the Signature Theater in Virginia finds the passion in the plain, and a musical complexity in its seemingly forthright tunes. [ DN ] Off-B'way Danny Rose is a riot by Robert Dominguez Woody Allen should see "Who Killed Woody Allen?" a raucous, silly and consistently hilarious show biz sendup that unfolds as a Hollywood whodunit. [ TB ] Heartbreak House Review by Matthew Murray [ B ] Sleeping with Straight Men Review by Adam Feldman News: [ V ] Broadway in grip of gripes Fractious mood spreads as bitter winter continues Maybe everyone's trying to keep warm during the chilly winter, but Broadway is all of a sudden awash in heated arguments. The producers and the musicians' union are exchanging public salvos over their upcoming contract negotiations. [ NYT ] Letters: Use Your Cellphone? Not in This Theater [ NYP ] PAGE SIX HARVEY Fierstein's "Hairspray" troupers are getting a special treat for never missing a performance: a steak dinner. Seventh item. [ NYP ] LIZ SMITH All about stage [ P ] Bear Necessity: Glittery Broadway Bears VI Auction Held Feb. 17 [ P ] Singing Snoopy Returns to West End Feb. 17 [ P ] Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 17 [ P ] Way Ahead: Jana Robbins Sings Cy Coleman Prior to Allergist's Wife Run in Philly Feb. 17 [ P ] Hopkins and Waara Join Cast of Reprise! She Loves Me [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Tom Stoppard Honored at 35th Annual Literary Award Dinner [ P ] Hilberry's Tony Schmidt is Michigan Meadow Brook's New "Artistic Advisor" [ P ] Latest Poetry Jam in NYC Is Off-Bway Revival of for colored girls, Feb. 19-March 16 [ P ] Melba Moore Is Motown Singer's Mom in Musical Jackie Wilson Story, Beginning April 3 at Famed Apollo posted at 2/17/2003 07:11:21 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Sunday, February 16, 2003 Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features! [ OCR ] Ingenue to educator by PAUL HODGINS Susan Egan, who has placed her showbiz career on hold to help run the Orange County High School of the Arts, talks about her experience halfway through her one-year appointment. [ OCR ] Arts school sings fiscal blues by PAUL HODGINS Susan Egan could not have taken the reins at a more turbulent moment in the history of the Orange County High School of the Arts. [ DP ] Reborn Civic debuts Broadway-bound 'Brooklyn' by John Moore The Denver Civic Theatre will reopen April 30 with a pre-Broadway tuneup of the world premiere musical "Brooklyn," which is slated to open in New York on Sept. 14. Features: [ BSUN ] Baltimore's ambassador in 'Hairspray' by J. Wynn Rousuck Carver graduate Eric Anthony brings his energy to Broadway show [ DN ] Mother of the blues by David Hinckley Time to remember that Ma Rainey's musical offspring are everywhere [ USAW ] Mr. Razzle-Dazzle by Kenya Hunt Director Rob Marshall did Bob Fosse one better, taking the legend's "Chicago" and reimagining it for the screen. Thanks to Ann on All That Chat for the link! [ NYT ] A Night Out With: Laura Linney, on the Seamy Side of Nice by DAVE ITZKOFF Laura Linney hardly touched her French fries or her glass of chardonnay: she was just too excited about seeing "Debbie Does Dallas," the Off Broadway show based on the 1978 stag film. [ WP ] The Uncommon Decency Behind Wilder's Books by Philip Kennicott Beyond Grover's Corners Platitudes Lies Something Deeper, for Goodness' Sake [ HC ] Long Wharf Dares To Show A Violent World As It Is by Frank Rizzo A bomb went off during a performance of "Sixteen Wounded" at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven the other night. Not to worry. It was part of Eliam Kraiem's play about a Jewish baker in Holland and his Palestinian apprentice, who is a terrorist-in-hiding. [ BG ] LETTERS AND COMMENTARY: Miller time I had the pleasure of seeing Annette Miller as Golda Meir. Miller is the play and gives an astounding performance. I was so disappointed and almost disgusted to read in Catherine Foster's piece that Meir is to be played by Tovah Feldshuh in the New York production. Reviews: [ TB ] Christine Ebersole In Marin Review by Richard Connema posted at 2/16/2003 06:13:41 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ LAT ] A Sondheim overhaul by Mike Boehm In 1964, Stephen Sondheim suffered his worst Broadway flop ever with 'Anyone Can Whistle.' Will a revised version fly in 2003? [ NYT ] Who's That? Well, Now He's the Star by MATTHEW GUREWITSCH With or without a drum roll from the media, audiences know star power when they see it, and they see it in Brent Barrett. [ NYT ] The Music Men, Bringing Broadway to the Screen by MICHELE WILLENS From their television productions of "Gypsy" to "The Music Man" to "Fiddler on the Roof," Neil Meron and Craig Zadan have stayed true to their calling. [ YN ] Spirit of `The Music Man' lives on in the town that was the model for 'River City' by MIRANDA LEITSINGER, Associated Press Writer [ NYT ] 'Radiant Baby': Dancing All Night, Writing All Day by BARRY SINGER Debra Barsha's musical about Keith Haring in the disco era is based on experience: her own. [ NYT ] Frielizing Chekhov to Widen His Appeal by WILBORN HAMPTON It is hard to imagine a contemporary playwright better suited to adapting Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" for modern audiences than Brian Friel. [ NYT ] The Subject Is Fear and the Excesses It Breeds by MERVYN ROTHSTEIN In Conor McPherson's "Dublin Carol," a middle-aged employee of a funeral home in Dublin has destroyed much of his life through drinking. [ LAT ] Child's play in a war zone by Diane Haithman Geraldine Hughes reached deep into her impoverished Irish childhood to create 'Belfast Blues.' [ NYT ] The Death Penalty: Views of a Witness for the Prosecution by ADAM LIPTAK An ex-U.S. Attorney on "The Exonerated." [ TS ] The scary side of smitten by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN Interview with Rebecca Gilman ("Boy Gets Girl"). Reviews � "House of Flowers": [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'HOUSE OF FLOWERS' Those Sunny Brothels Where Sin Has No Sting by BEN BRANTLEY "House of Flowers" never builds up much steam, and you can see why a Broadway accustomed to knock-'em-dead showmanship from its musicals would never have fully embraced it. [ B ] Has I Let You Down? by Ken Mandelbaum Review: HOUSE OF FLOWERS [ ND ] 'Flowers' Delivers No Valentines by Gordon Cox Thanks in part to its fragmented remnants and to stories of its tempestuous development, "House of Flowers" had begun to take on the sheen of a misplaced classic, as it languished unperformed for most of the past 50 years. Turns out we haven't been missing all that much. [ YN ] 'House of Flowers' is Sweet-Scented by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic If only the book were as fragrant as the music, the show � a flop on Broadway during the 1954-55 season � would be a major rediscovery. It's not. And the musical isn't helped much by the middlin' production it has received from "Encores!" at its City Center home. [ DN ] Uninspired reprise of 'House' hardly worth the brothel by Howard Kissel "House of Flowers," a flop in the 1954-55 Broadway season that produced several pop standards, is exactly the sort of show City Center Encores! should be doing. If only they had done this one better. Other Reviews: [ NYT ] 'Ridiculous!': Anything Goes by BEVYA ROSTEN Playwright, actor, and director, iconoclast among iconoclasts, Charles Ludlam was revolutionizing downtown New York culture in the 1970's with his gender-bending and outrageous theatrical sendups long before terms like ''gender bending'' were common. [ TM ] Tunes, Tomes, & Videos The latest edition of the Plays and Playwrights series features some of the best work on the Off-Off Broadway scene. [ TB ] Barbara Cook in Mostly Sondheim Pittsburgh Review by Ann Miner [ NYP ] HE'S A HONKY-TONK GILL by DAN AQUILANTE You could not have watched Gill perform at this jewel box theater in Manhattan and not rank him as one of the top performers - of any genre - in American music. On Saturday, I saw "House of Flowers" in the afternoon and Vince Gill in the evening. Sometimes life is good. News: [ LAT ] Egan says no to Seattle job by Mike Boehm Taper director cites fiscal problems that undercut plans for artistic innovations. [ TM ] Actors' Equity Supports NYC Cell Phone Ban [ P ] 42nd Street's Wopat Offers Chicago Concerts March 21 & 22 [ P ] CHANNELING THEATRE: A Chat with Theatre Veteran Jerry Orbach [ P ] PHOTO CALL: I Am My Own Wife: Playing Dress Up [ P ] Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 16 [ P ] Hear Grammy Cast Album Nominees on "Radio Playbill" Feb. 17-22 [ P ] Reflections on Ovid: Zimmerman's Metamorphoses Closes on Broadway, Feb. 16 [ P ] The End:Ephron's Literary Drama, Imaginary Friends, Closes on Broadway, Feb. 16 [ P ] Miracle Worker Tix On Sale Starting Feb. 16 [ P ] Infertility � The Musical That's Hard to Conceive Makes Debut in NYC Cabaret [ P ] Talk Show Watch: Rosie Perez on "Leno" and "Kilborn", [ P ] McBroom, Graae and Ball Team Up for Reprise! Benefit March 24 [ P ] More Rhapsody: Seth Rudetsky's GLAAD-Nominated Show Reopens at Actors Playhouse [ P ] "The Playwright's Guidebook" Hits Stores in March [ P ] Piano Man: McDaniel Goes Solo Feb. 15 and 16 at Public Theater's Joe's Pub [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Lawyers, Lovers and Lunatics: Cy Coleman Love Songs and Litigation [ P ] Today In Theatre History: FEBRUARY 15 [ P ] Debbie Does Dallas, That Off-Bway Guilty Pleasure, Closes Feb. 15 [ P ] Before He Gets Wicked, Stephen Schwartz Sees Musical Captain Louie Read in NYC posted at 2/16/2003 02:02:32 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link BroadwayStars is powered by Blogger Pro! [Past News] |
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