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Saturday, March 22, 2003 [ Z ] Brewster Plays a 'Snob' for FOX Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole will play the mother of "Kid Mayor" in The WB's comedy about a 19-year-old who becomes mayor of his small town. posted at 3/22/2003 01:01:28 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ LAT ] Legacies and loss by Jon Robin Baitz With his 'Ten Unknowns' set to open at the Taper, Jon Robin Baitz reflects on the struggle against the inevitable in life and in art. Reviews: [ NYT ] Theater in Review Reviews of "Frederick Douglass at Mother A.M.E. Zion," "24 Evenings of Wit and Wisdom" at the Arclight Theater and "Killing Louise" at CAP 21 Theater. [ CU ] Killing Louise Review [ CU ] The Blacks Review [ INQ ] Century-old tale of fiscal misdeeds is quite timely by Desmond Ryan The Voysey Inheritance isn't produced often and deserves to be much better known. I saw this last weekend. It's an excellent production, with superb performances by Paxton Whitehead and Blair Williams. [ P-D ] Billy Dee Williams vehicle badly needs a "Maintenance Man" by JUDY NEWMARK Thanks to American Theater Web for the link! News: [ P ] Movin' Out in Motown: Joel-Tharp Work Launches Tour in Detroit, Jan. 2004 [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 22 [ P ] Redgrave, Ebersole and Other Talking Heads Begin Yakking Off-Broadway, March 22 [ P ] Love! Valour! Compassion! Star Cast in ABC Pilot [ P ] Marking 400th Anniversary of Virgin's Reign, Michael Learned Is Elizabeth the Queen at DC's Folger [ P ] Eric Bogosian's Revised Humpty Dumpty Plays San Jose Rep, March 22-April 20 [ P ] Neil Simon's Rose and Walsh Ends at Geffen; Is NYC in the Future? [ P ] Be Blue! Off-Broadway's Blue Man Group Holds Open Audition, March 24 [ TM ] WHAT Holds Auditions for 2003 Season God bless Kevin Willis. He left this world too early. posted at 3/22/2003 11:36:46 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Friday, March 21, 2003 News: [ B ] Pawk Replaces Prince in Sondheim's Bounce Michele Pawk, not Faith Prince as previously announced, will be the leading lady in The Goodman Theatre production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Bounce. Gavin Creel, Herndon Lackey and Jane Powell are also joining the cast that already included leads Richard Kind and Howard McGillin. [ P ] Pawk, Powell, Lackey, Creel Join Cast of Bounce; Tix Go on Sale March 24 [ P ] Man of No Importance Cast Album Gets April 8 Release [ P ] Bryggman, Hadary and Maxwell Have A Bad Friend, Beginning Off-Broadway May 15 [ P ] Pan Am 103 Explosion Inspires Women of Lockerbie Play in NYC, March 22-May 11 [ P ] World Premiere of Tom Donaghy's Eden Lane Completes La Jolla's 2003 Season [ B ] 2003 Lucille Lortel Awards Set for April 2 [ TM ] Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater Holds Auditions For 2003 Season [ BS ] A Strike Ended Leaves Memory and Memorandum Patrick Quinn, Actors' Equity Association's national president, says he'll always remember the experience of the "Les Miserables" cast as they picketed during the recent Broadway musicians' strike. Reviews: [ OCR ] 'She Loves Me' still charms by PAUL HODGINS A delicious near-classic gets its due with a star-studded cast and a set that forsakes the Reprise! series' 'bare bones' roots. Thanks to American Theater Web for the link! [ TM ] The Siegels' Nightlife Notes Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., and Jimmy Webb hearken back to their days with The Fifth Dimension in a new show at Feinstein's at the Regency. Features: [ BS ] New Perspectives the Evolving Image of Ethnic/Racial Minorities in Theatre This week, Back Stage takes a look at the depiction of certain ethnic/racial minorities on stage and talks with high-level players in each group. posted at 3/21/2003 05:45:19 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ P ] Cast Announced for Goodspeed's Me and My Girl, April 25-July 5 [ P ] BBC Television to Broadcast Vincent in Brixton March 23 [ P ] TV's Michael Boatman and New Master Harold Begin on Broadway May 6 [ P ] London�s Simply Heavenly Musical Extends [ P ] London�s National Theatre Responds to War [ P ] Jessica Molaskey Sings Peggy Lee, Pizzarelli and More on New Album, "A Good Day" Reviews: [ TM ] Tunes, Tomes, & Videos Fred Hauser and Russell Reich offer some tips for directors in a new book from RCR Creative Press. posted at 3/21/2003 02:33:37 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ TM ] Lookin' for Love by: Jim Caruso Matt Cavenaugh and Jenn Colella set off sparks in Urban Cowboy. [ B ] Contini Submits by Ken Mandelbaum More on "Nine." [ B ] Photo Op: At the Zanna, Don't! Opening Night Bash News: [ B ] Cast Announced for Bad Friend at Lincoln Center [ B ] Michael Boatman Added to Master Harold Cast [ P ] Sir Richard Eyre to Direct Stage Mary Poppins [ P ] Hit Comedy, Beau Jest, Is Now a Musical, Aiming for South Florida Start [ P ] PBOL'S THEATRE WEEK IN REVIEW, March 16-21: The Battle of Broadway, Part II? [ P ] DIVA TALK: Backstage with Bernadette, More �Idol� Ponderings [ P ] Report: Comedian Bill Maher to Bring Show to Broadway, April 29 Reviews: [ TB ] God & Mr. Smith Review by Matthew Murray [ TB ] Sound Advice 3-21-03 by Jonathan Frank posted at 3/21/2003 12:16:13 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ B ] Bill Maher to Bring Victory to Broadway's Virginia [ B ] Roundabout to Present Deaf West Big River [ NYT ] ON STAGE AND OFF From TV to Theater by JESSE MCKINLEY Effects of War On Neverland. [ NYP ] PLAGUES ON THE HOUSES by MICHAEL RIEDEL FIRST a strike, now a war. What's next? Locusts? Broadway's certainly had its share of troubles this winter. But - and this may be the industry doing its best to put on a happy face - theater people say things aren't as bleak as they could be. Yet. [ P ] Martin, Errico, Buckley Sing Threepenny Opera and Patinkin Is Enemy at Williamstown in 2003 In a move to make the Broadway musicians union pant, Threepenny Opera will boast an orchestra 60 players strong. The Adams Theatre has only 520 seats... that should be amazing! [ DN ] It's Second City to none by Jami Bernard 'Chicago' is the best bet to dance all over the Best Picture competition [ R ] SAG Tells Members to Avoid Non-Equity Tours [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 21 [ P ] The Grand Canal Meets The Great White Way: Banderas Nine Begins, March 21 [ P ] August Wilson Honored By New Dramatists May 13; Goldberg and Mitchell on Hand [ P ] Motherhood, Murder and Mercy Merge in Chicago World Premiere, Unspoken Prayers, March 21 [ P ] Midnight's Children, Rushdie's Magical Tale of India and Its Heirs, Plays NYC March 21-30 Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Filichia details the history of the now-forgotten Broadway musical What Makes Sammy Run? [ NJ ] Playwright sees the 'Fiction' behind every person's 'truth' BY PETER FILICHIA So how many husbands and wives out there would allow their spouses to read their diaries? Two do in Steven Dietz's "Fiction," which starts previews on Tuesday at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, prior to opening on March 28. [ BR ] The man behind the trumpet by IAN SPELLING The pouring sweat, rolling eyes, ear-to-ear grin, and omnipresent trumpet - such are the trademarks of Louis Armstrong, entertainer extraordinaire and subject of the new musical "Ambassador Satch: The Life and Times of Louis Armstrong." Thanks to American Theater Web for the link! posted at 3/21/2003 07:58:22 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Reviews � "Zanna, Don't!": [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'ZANNA, DON'T!' With Love for All (Even Those Heteros) by BRUCE WEBER In the world of this chirpy Off Broadway musical, homosexuality is the norm, and heterosexual love is the kind that dare not speak its name. [ NJ ] Social promotion forgives musical satire's deficiencies BY MICHAEL SOMMERS One terribly cutesy-poo little tuner, "Zanna, Don't!" somehow earned sufficient encouragement during its off-off-Broadway showcase last October to venture a regular off-Broadway engagement. [ NYP ] NOT A PLEASURE DOME IN SIGHT by DONALD LYONS FANTASY needs charm, romance, wit - but almost all are missing from "Zanna, Don't!" [ TM ] Zanna, Don't! Reviewed By: Michael Portantiere [ DN ] Theater Digest Our reviewers Howard Kissel & Robert Dominguez look over new productions "Buicks," "Zanna, Don't!" and "Polish Joke." Other Reviews: [ LAT ] A revival as sweet as tale's love and ice cream by Daryl H. Miller Reprise! pays attention to the original details in an effervescent version of "She Loves Me." [ R ] Romance Lacks Chemistry in 'She Loves Me' by Joel Hirschhorn HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Leads Scott Waara and Rebecca Luker don't click as a romantic duo; the production should be more properly named "She Likes Me." [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'HASHIRIGAKI' A Language Newly Made by BRUCE WEBER The bewitching and eclectic spirit of Heiner Goebbels's mystifying theatrical tone poem can make you feel fluent in a new language. [ NJ ] Puppets brought to you by the letter Q BY MICHAEL SOMMERS Have you ever watched a show while practically everyone else laughs their heads off -- and somehow you don't get it? [ YN ] 'Avenue Q' Is Slyly Irreverent Musical by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic [ CU ] Avenue Q Review [ CU ] The Producers Review posted at 3/21/2003 07:52:18 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Thursday, March 20, 2003 The Roundabout will have an industry-only reading on March 27 for Nan Knighton's new comedy, MAN WITH TWO HEARTS FOUND ON MOON. The cast will feature: Swoosie Kurtz as Josie Neil Patrick Harris as Harry Marc Kudisch as Lee and David Cromwell as Fritz. posted at 3/20/2003 09:03:34 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ P ] Hallelujah, Baby! Leslie Uggams Expected to Join Millie on Broadway [ B ] Leslie Uggams In Talks to Be Millie's New Muzzy [ B ] Zanna, Don't! Review by William Stevenson posted at 3/20/2003 07:41:55 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ B ] Award-Winning Team Set for Mary Poppins Broadway.com has learned the creative team for the highly anticipated Mary Poppins stage musical. Renowned director Richard Eyre will helm the production, Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes will write the book and songwriting team George Stiles and Anthony Drewe will supplement the film's score with new material. [ P ] Westport Country Playhouse 2003 Line-Up Has Coward, Miller and More [ P ] Martin's Underpants and Bogart Midsummer Fill San Jose Rep Season Features: [ P ] Country Boy Jason Petty Makes Good in Big City with Hank Williams Nashville native Jason Petty, the star of the hit Off-Broadway show Hank Williams: Lost Highway, may be a new face to the New York theatre community, but his roots in the country go far back, before there was such a thing as Broadway or Off-Broadway. posted at 3/20/2003 05:30:13 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ P ] Rainey Days: Wilson�s Ma Rainey�s Black Bottom to Close April 6 [ B ] Ma Rainey's Black Bottom to Close on April 6 [ P ] Frankie and Johnny Plays Detroit in September; Stars Expected for Developing Tour [ P ] As War Begins, Broadway Braces for Possible Hit on Business [ P ] Ford Davies and Plowright to Star at London�s Wyndham's Theatre [ P ] Coward Sings Coward in Re-Release of '50s Discs, "At Las Vegas" and "In New York," March 25 [ P ] Man of No Importance to Make London Premiere [ P ] Ruthie Henshall to Return to West End Chicago [ P ] Urban Cowboy, Aida, Millie, Chicago and Others Offer Performances for Hearing Impaired [ P ] Laurie Beechman Theatre Premieres New Musical Revue, From Where I Stand [ P ] Reprise! Announces 2003-2004 Concert Season; Includes Sondheim�s Company [ P ] Transplanted Heart Links Characters in Toronto World Premiere, Domino Heart, March 20 [ B ] London Critics Weigh In on Ragtime [ B ] Babes, Kismet & Company Set for Reprise! posted at 3/20/2003 02:57:50 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ TM ] Louis Will Never Go Away Again! by: Michael Portantiere Andr� De Shields plays the legendary Louis Armstrong in Ambassador Satch. [ B ] Photo Op: Partying With the People on Avenue Q posted at 3/20/2003 02:53:29 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ B ] Feuer and Martin Present by Ken Mandelbaum Daniel Reichard, who was recently seen as Keith Haring in Radiant Baby, has been mentioned for the role of Jimmy Smith in the upcoming first national tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Previously mentioned for the title role on the tour is Darcie Roberts. [ V ] BOMBS WILL HIT BOX OFFICE, BROADWAY Fallout could be worse than Gulf War for many reasons Now that the bombs are dropping, turnstiles are sure to slow down at the multiplexes, on Broadway and in concert halls. But exactly how far receipts fall and for how long is hard to pinpoint. [ YN ] Archerd: Steve Martin's musings on Iraq by Army Archerd Mel Brooks is busy on the small screen guesting (three times) in HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." In the storyline, Brooks tries to convince Larry David to play the lead in "The Producers" on B'way. Fourth item. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 20 [ P ] Obie-Winning Playwright Unveils Latest Work, Suitcase, at Soho Rep, March 20-21 [ P ] Avery Brooks Stars as King Lear in Yale Rep 2003-04 Season [ P ] Hey, Zanna! Musical Fairy Tale, Zanna, Don't! Opens March 20 in NYC [ P ] Off-Broadway's MET Offers Subscribers Talking Head in Lieu of Postponed Providence [ P ] Starry Three Sisters Begins London Previews March 20 [ P ] Urinetown Star John Cullum Guest Stars on NBC's "Law and Order: SVU," March 21 [ TM ] UJA-Federation to Honor Christine Lahti and Matthew Blank, April 10 [ NYT ] Robert Leonard, a Creator of Ticketmaster, Dies at 70 by WOLFGANG SAXON Robert Anthony Leonard's technical expertise and marketing prowess helped create the worldwide machine that opens doors to over 150,000 events a year. [ ST ] Body found in river is that of magazine editor, theater director Authorities in St. Paul have positively identified a body found in the Mississippi River on Monday morning as that of Tim Lee, a journalist and theater artist who had been missing since Oct. 28. Features: [ NYT ] PUBLIC LIVES After a Broadway Strike, the Roar of the Crowd by ROBIN FINN Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theaters and Producers, is in full recovery mode. [ NYP ] HOOP-DE-DO by BARBARA HOFFMAN HE'S battled evil in "Schindler's List," "Star Wars" and "The Crucible" - but Liam Neeson has never seemed braver than last week on Broadway. [ LAT ] His own room by Don Heckman Michael Feinstein's new cabaret in Hollywood offers elegant songs and surroundings. [ TS ] True nature of showbiz behind origins of Chicago by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN John Kander and Fred Ebb are the men responsible for all the songs heard on screen and Ebb (together with Bob Fosse) co-authored the script for the 1975 stage version as well. Now, basking in the success of their baby, the two Broadway veterans are eager to unwind in a midtown hotel suite and talk about how it all happened. Thanks for the link to Richard, who writes: "Some copy editor changed Bill Condon to Richard Condon, but other than that, I think it's full of good stuff!" [ B ] Photo Op: Toasting MTC's New Polish Joke Reviews � "Avenue Q": [ NYP ] 'Q' IS FOR QUITE THE WONDERFUL SHOW by DONALD LYONS 'AVENUE Q' is something new! The look and feel of the Muppets meet the wit and texture of "West Side Story" in this smart, funny urban musical. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'AVENUE Q' It's a Lovely Day in an Adult Neighborhood by BEN BRANTLEY A canny show that applies the learning-is-fun attitude of children's educational television to the R-rated situations of post-collegiate life in the big city. [ ATW ] Avenue Q Has Puppets with Life's Harder Truths [ TM ] Avenue Q Reviewed By: Philip Hopkins [ TB ] Avenue Q Review by Matthew Murray [ B ] Avenue Q Review by Adam Feldman Other Reviews: [ ATW ] None of the Above Beguiling Comedy [ TB ] None Of The Above Review by Matthew Murray [ NYP ] SAY NO TO 'O' by DONALD LYONS POLITICAL tracts dressed up as plays never work. Case in point: Flea Theater's production of A.R. Gurney's "O Jerusalem." [ NJ ] Gurney tackles the Middle East BY MICHAEL SOMMERS Like George Bernard Shaw, A.R. Gurney is growing freer in his playwriting form as he gets older. [ INQ ] What this show lacks is a true superstar by Douglas J. Keating The first reaction to the touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Merriam Theater is bemusement. [ BSUN ] '1776' hits usual patriotic notes by J. Wynn Rousuck Ford revival sparks no revolutions posted at 3/20/2003 09:57:14 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Wednesday, March 19, 2003 Features: [ B ] Photo Op: A Revolving Door of Stars at The Play What I Wrote [ B ] First Person: This Column Brought to You by the Letter Q by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx [ BS ] West End Sees Revival A recent visit to London's West End amply demonstrated that it still boasts a theatrical vitality and variety that its counterpart in New York can only envy. News: [ P ] One Man Nearly Goes Under in Queens in New Solo Broad Channel, April 10 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Polish Joke: Opening Night [ P ] Star of Revival�s First Cast Returns to Broadway�s Chicago [ P ] Def Poetry Jam Cast Join Simmons at Barnes & Noble Appearance, March 21 [ P ] Maria Friedman Chats About Her Role in London Ragtime [ P ] From "8 1/2" to Nine: Yeston-Kopit's Musical Inspiration Honored at Film Forum [ P ] Get Your Head Shrunk: Psychotherapy Live Begins Off-Broadway, March 21 [ B ] Chicago's First Mary Sunshine Sabella Returns [ B ] New Cast Joins Abigail's Party in London [ TM ] TACT Schedules 10th Anniversary Gala, April 14 [ TM ] New Dramatists to Honor August Wilson Reviews: [ TM ] 1776 Reviewed By: Michael Toscano [ CU ] Polish Joke Review posted at 3/19/2003 05:54:38 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ B ] Lessons of the Season 4 by Ken Mandelbaum News: [ B ] Plowright in ABSOLUTELY! (Perhaps) Lands at Wyndham's [ P ] L. Scott Caldwell and Caroline Goodall Star in L.A.T.W.'s Going To St. Ives, March 26-30 [ P ] Bernadette Peters Gypsy to Be Preserved on CD [ P ] King of Old Broadway Visits The Play What I Wrote Nathan Lane made his first Broadway appearance since leaving The Producers as the surprise guest at the March 18 performance of the Broadway comedy The Play What I Wrote. [ P ] Kesselman�s The Last Bridge to World Premiere at NJ�s George Street [ P ] PBS' "Theater Talk" Analyzes Recent Musicians Strike, March 21 [ P ] Zellweger Moves On, But �Chicago��s Zeta-Jones & Latifah Will Sing at Oscars [ P ] Complete Casting Announced for Guthrie�s Three Sisters posted at 3/19/2003 12:43:09 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ YN ] Redgrave Receives Breast Cancer Treatment Lynn Redgrave, who begins preview performances Saturday in the off-Broadway play "Talking Heads," has undergone treatment for breast cancer. [ NYP ] BOHEME'S AWAY! by MICHAEL RIEDEL IS "La Boheme" going La Bust? Despite critical hosannas, Hollywood-style hype and sexy marketing, Baz Luhrmann's souped-up staging of the great Puccini tearjerker is about as strong at the box office as poor Mimi is in the third act. [ LAT ] Zeta-Jones, Latifah dueting Zeta-Jones, more than eight months' pregnant, and Latifah will be joined on stage by more than a dozen dancers in a sequence choreographed by "Chicago" director Rob Marshall and John DeLuca. [ NYP ] THE STARR REPORT by MICHAEL STARR John Travolta starring in the Oscar- nominated movie "Chicago"? Hey - it could've happened. In fact, "Chicago" isn't the only movie that Travolta passed on - and that his pal, Richard Gere, later accepted. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 19 [ P ] Brought To You by the Letter Q: Puppet Musical Avenue Q Opens Off-Broadway, March 19 [ P ] New Music: Freshly Reconceived Ragtime Opens in London March 19 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Ragtime: Back to Before [ P ] Paxton Whitehead Stars in Philly Voysey Inheritance, Opening March 19 posted at 3/19/2003 08:06:14 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ NYT ] 'Chicago' Is a Hit After Feuds by RICK LYMAN The grueling struggle to transform "Chicago" from a Broadway musical into an improbable Hollywood hit was filled with squabbles, meddlings and miscalculations. [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Filichia visits a New Jersey high school to take in its production of the musical Working. [ LAT ] Still a take-charge kind of guy by Don Shirley Bill Bushnell is back in town to direct a play. His life has taken some unusual turns since his days in charge of the L.A. Theatre Center. Reviews � "Polish Joke": [ ND ] 'Polish Joke' Needs A Bit More Wattage by Gordon Cox [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'POLISH JOKE' Lessons From a Meatheaded Uncle Spawn an Identity Crisis by BRUCE WEBER There's a sophomoric, autobiographical earnestness beneath the striven-for ditzy hilarity on the surface of this play by David Ives. [ NJ ] Equal-opportunity offender BY MICHAEL SOMMERS 'Polish Joke' pokes fun at all ethnic groups between long stretches of filler [ NYP ] FINE CAST AND DIRECTOR ADD POLISH TO 'JOKE' by DONALD LYONS ONE of the zaniest playwrights around has also become one of the savviest. David Ives - best known for short, surreal plays, one of which featured Trotsky philosophizing with a hatchet stuck in his head - has a new play out, "Polish Joke," in which farce matures into a sassy, sad sort of wisdom. [ TM ] Polish Joke Reviewed By: David Finkle [ ATW ] Polish Joke: Have You Heard the One About. . .? Leads to Questions [ VV ] PARTIAL BIRTHS by Michael Feingold Parks Faces Tragedy; Ives Masks Comedy Suzan-Lori Parks's Fucking A and David Ives's Polish Joke Reviews � "O Jerusalem": [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'O JERUSALEM' Oil Man Pumps His Soul by BEN BRANTLEY A.R. Gurney has made a sincere, awkward attempt to wrestle with the ever-intensifying crisis in the Middle East. [ CU ] O Jerusalem Review [ TM ] O Jerusalem Reviewed By: Dan Bacalzo [ VV ] OBSERVANCE OF THINGS CURRENT by Alisa Solomon A.R. Gurney's Mideast Crisis; a Proust Tuner O Jerusalem and My Life With Albertine Other Reviews: [ WP ] A Zesty Course in Human Events by Peter Marks To see "1776" at Ford's Theatre is to realize afresh how far from a museum piece its creators, the composer Sherman Edwards and the book writer Peter Stone, sought to make it. [ CU ] Cesar and Ruben Review [ VV ] Sightlines String Fever; Alma and Mrs. Woolf; Bexley, OH (!), or, Two Tales of One City [ ATW ] Broadway by the Year Topicality, Timelessness [ ATW ] CDs: Music Behind Broadway by the Year - Pavilion's R&H, Gershwin, etc. [ ATW ] CDs: Music Behind Broadway by the Year - DRG's Coward posted at 3/19/2003 07:52:24 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Features: [ B ] Photo Op: A Fete for Albertine News: [ B ] Frances Sternhagen Joins Talking Heads Line-Up [ P ] Sternhagen Will Star in Seventh Talking Heads Play, Added to Off-Bway Acts in May [ P ] Seattle's 5th Ave. Gets Flower Drum, Millie and New Musical Next Season Reviews: [ B ] Polish Joke Review by William Stevenson [ B ] O Jerusalem Review by William Stevenson posted at 3/18/2003 08:32:53 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ Z ] Scott Wolf Signs on to CBS Pilot [ P ] Adam Rapp Is Stone Cold Dead Serious Off-Broadway, March 28-April 7 [ P ] Avery Brooks Stars as King Lear in Yale Rep 2003-04 Season [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Broadway Bears Preview: Sandra Allen in Flower Drum Song [ P ] Nederlanders May Buy Baseball's California Angels [ P ] "Chicago" Movie is Critics' Odds Favorite to Win Academy Awards [ P ] Nancy Travis Is Hunted in Geffen's Boy Gets Girl, April 1-May 11 [ P ] Berkshire Fest Has Chamberlain, Schwartz, New Looks at Assassins, The Who's Tommy [ P ] Sandra Tsing Loh's I Worry Catalogs Modern Woes, From Dow Jones to Duct Tape, in DC [ P ] Tomorrow Belongs to Me: Cabaret Turns Five on Broadway, March 19 Features: [ NY ] Hey, Mr. Producer by Meryl Gordon As Chicago moves into the home stretch of its Oscar campaign, Marty Richards recalls his life as a starstruck producer, his loving marriage to an American heiress who knew he was gay, and the 27 high-flying years (those Gin Lane parties!) it took for his Broadway hit to triumph on the silver screen. posted at 3/18/2003 05:17:57 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ B ] Complete Cast Set for Wicked's SF Tryout [ B ] Broadway Grosses: And The Bands Played On [ P ] Broadway Grosses: March 10-16 [ P ] Wicked Casting Announced for Pre-Bway Run in San Fran, May 28-June 29 [ P ] MN's Guthrie Theater Announces 2003-04 Season Features: [ TM ] Follow Spot: Daphne Rubin-Vega by: Michael Buckley The original Mimi in Rent plays Canary Mary in Fucking A. posted at 3/18/2003 02:54:54 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ B ] DVDs: Sherry! by Ken Mandelbaum Next Monday and Tuesday, there will be readings of Can't Help Falling in Love, billed as "a new musical inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley." The book is by Joe DiPietro, and the direction is by Christopher Ashley. The cast will include Sandy Binion, Kevin Cahoon (Ashley's Broadway Rocky Horror Show), Jarrod Emick (Rocky), Ana Gasteyer (Rocky), Leah Hocking, Ashton Holmes, Nikki M. James, Celia Keenan-Bolger (Ashley's Kennedy Center Sweeney Todd), Ron Orbach, and Billy Porter. [ P ] Edward Colton, Theatrical Lawyer Whose Dotted Line Became an Industry Standard, Dead at 97 posted at 3/18/2003 12:07:54 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ NYT ] It's Broadway. Well, Virtually. By BRUCE WEBER Virtual orchestras and other methods of streamlining a musical production are already common in touring companies. [ INQ ] Working for a song by David Patrick Stearns Shortly after composer Jason Robert Brown won the Tony Award for the Broadway musical Parade, his telephone answering machine carried a sardonic message: "You can find me flipping burgers at White Castle." [ BH ] Linda Eder gives regards to Broadway by Robert Nesti [ B ] Q&A: Maury Yeston by Kathy Henderson [ P ] Baz Boys & Girls Baz Luhrmann's La Boh�me boasts three pairs of talented leads who have been swept into the limelight from all over the world. [ B ] Photo Op: Parks' Scarlet New Show Opens at the Public posted at 3/18/2003 07:59:21 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ WP ] Backstage A Zoe Show: Caldwell To Direct 'Hot Tin Roof' by Jane Horwitz The board of trustees of Ford's Theatre has named Brian Laczko acting executive producer of the historic 10th Street NW venue. Formerly the theater's managing director, Laczko will take over most of the duties performed by Ford's grande dame, Frankie Hewitt, until her death by cancer last month. Second item. [ V ] B'WAY'S MARCH MORE LAMB THAN LION Paid attendance is off 30,000 from a year ago After setting B.O. records throughout the cold winter of 2002-03, Broadway has nothing to brag about this March. In fact, there has been little good news after the big bounty of Valentine's Day weekend. [ V ] BIZ STEADY; '42ND' 898G Road grosses held firm during Week 41 (March 3-9), as the 20 shows re-porting took in $13,593,492, a small rise of 3% from the prior frame. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 18 [ P ] Byron Jennings Stars in Theatre For A New Audience's Don Juan, March 18-April 13 [ P ] She Loves Me Begins Reprise! Performances March 18 [ P ] Cary Elwes and Brooke Shields Join Off-Broadway's Exonerated, March 18-30 [ P ] The One About the Polish Guy: Ives' Polish Joke Opens March 18 [ P ] A.R. Gurney's O Jerusalem Opens at The Flea Theatre, March 18 [ P ] Hamill and McClanahan Share Dance Lessons in FL March 18-April 13, Prior to NYC [ P ] Pan Am Flight 103 Play The Women Of Lockerbie Delays First Preview to March 22 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Opening Night for New Susan-Lori Parks Play [ B ] Fucking A Extends One Week to April 6 [ B ] Gary Griffin Preps Romeo & Juliet for Chicago Shakespeare Reviews: [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'TEA AT FIVE' Two Snapshots of a Hollywood Legend at Home by BRUCE WEBER Starring Kate Mulgrew, Matthew Lombardo's one-woman show based on Katharine Hepburn's life tries to give us a look behind the steely facade. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'HOLD PLEASE' Meanwhile, Back at the Office, There's Sex by BRUCE WEBER In this muddled comedy, the playwright Annie Weisman has something on her mind about about women in the workplace. [ NYT ] In Performance KT Sullivan, Algonquin Hotel [ TM ] Buicks Reviewed By: David Finkle [ DN ] A scarlet letter and a blue title by Robert Dominguez In "F-- A," playwright Suzan-Lori Parks' take on "The Scarlet Letter," Hester carries a flaming red "A" on her chest - except it's been branded into her skin. [ NJ ] Prizewinner's next not an 'A' effort BY MICHAEL SOMMERS [ B ] Fucking A Review by Adam Feldman One is left with the feeling that the play, which Parks has been developing for years, has not yet come to term, and that its production at the Public amounts to only a partial birth. posted at 3/18/2003 07:57:37 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Monday, March 17, 2003 News: [ B ] Henshall May Play Velma in West End Chicago [ P ] Striking Actors to Receive Benefits for Lost Work [ P ] New Suzan-Lori Parks Play Gets an A: Public Theater Drama Extends [ TM ] MAC Wants You to Name That Tune! Reviews: [ CU ] Fucking A Review [ YN ] Parks' Play a Revenge Tragedy by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic The profanity laced title of Suzan-Lori Parks' revenge tragedy is more of a distraction than anything else. [ NYTC ] My Life with Albertine Review by Martin Denton Features: [ TB ] Amanda Green Interview by Joanthan Frank [ YN ] Swank Performs in 'The Miracle Worker' CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Hilary Swank would like to see the Edward Hopper exhibit at the Mint Museum of Art while she's in Charlotte performing in Broadway-bound revival of "The Miracle Worker." posted at 3/17/2003 05:19:55 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ B ] Photo Op: Billy Joel Checks In on Movin' Out News: [ B ] CDs: Merman Shows Without Merman by Ken Mandelbaum Sutton Foster was unable to do the Manhattan Theater Club reading of The Witches of Eastwick, so Jennifer Laura Thompson joined Emily Skinner and Carolee Carmello in the title roles. James Barbour was Darryl Van Horne, in place of Douglas Sills, who was also unable to appear. [ B ] Allegro, 20th Century & Sobule Set for Signature [ B ] Roses in December Extends through April 20 [ B ] B'way-Bound Paper Doll Faces CT Critics [ P ] Pamela's First Musical Reading Has Carmello, Edelman, Lee and Roberts, Starting March 17 [ P ] Hammerstein Stages Rare Sartre Play, Off-Broadway, March 26-April 19 [ P ] Ragtime Roars Into London�s Piccadilly March 19 [ P ] Roses to Bloom Off-Broadway Through April 20 [ P ] Small-Time Agent Wants To Be a Big Doolie in NYC Reading March 17 [ TM ] Auditions for Apollo Theater Amateur Night to be Held in Bridgeport, CT [ TM ] Full Cast Announced for The New Moon at Encores! posted at 3/17/2003 03:37:32 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ P ] Hairspray Star Cast in FOX TV Pilot Kerry Butler, who is currently starring as Penny Pingleton in this season's runaway hit, Hairspray, has been cast in a new FOX TV pilot. [ Z ] Bierko Finds 'Home' at ABC, Haley Home in 'NH' In February, ABC recruited Matthew Broderick to topline "The Music Man," but in the fall the network will bring in Broadway's "Music Man" star to lead a sitcom. Thanks to MockingbirdGirl on All That Chat for the link! [ B ] Mandy Gonzalez to Star as Aida's New Amneris [ P ] Tickets for Pacino�s Salome Go On Sale March 28 [ P ] Lillias White, Debbie Allen, B.J. Crosby Honor Bway's Black Beauties in March 17 Benefit [ P ] Married Thesps Gerroll and Kalember Play Chekhov and Wife at MTC, March 17 [ P ] Peters Replaces Pellow in Broadway�s Chicago [ P ] Broadway May Bare It All: BC/EFA Fundraiser Aims for Open-ended Run [ P ] Lauren Kennedy and Jason Robert Brown Offer CD Signing in NYC March 18 [ P ] Amour�s Legrand Joins Bergman & Austin at Feinstein�s, April 1-12 posted at 3/17/2003 12:18:17 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Which Irish-themed cast album should you listen to on St. Patrick's Day? Filichia recommends Donnybrook! [ DN ] Pop's smooth operators by JIM FARBER New wave of singers strikes a soothing chord with older listeners posted at 3/17/2003 08:42:02 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ CST ] Second City titters over titles [ NYP ] CINDY ADAMS LAST WEEK, when Liza Minnelli re- entered rehab, what whizzed around quickly was that husband David Gest's tune was, "You take the high road and I'll take the low road." [ P ] Erin Go Bragh! Hickey Stars in MacIntyre's Gallant John-Joe at Irish Arts, March 17 [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 17 [ P ] Two Be-Witch-ing Performances: Peters and Williams Nominated for Daytime Emmys [ P ] Donna Bullock Is Beatrice and Robert Cuccioli a Director at NJ Shakes in 2003 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Elegies: Michael Rupert & Betty Buckley [ P ] LaChanze Brings Soaring Voice to Barnstormer Reading March 17 [ P ] In Uncertain Times, 1776 Revived at Ford's Theatre in DC, Opening March 17 Reviews - "Fucking A": [ ND ] Parks' Gritty 'A' Is Letter-Perfect by Linda Winer "-- A," starring the formidable S. Epatha Merkerson and the magnificent Mos Def, is a powerful, altogether original piece of epic theater - heavily plotted, deeply felt and blithely uninterested in the seductions of another commercial transfer. [ NYP ] 'SCARLET' CURSE by DONALD LYONS SCREWBALL adaptations of "The Scarlet Letter" obviously have the curse of Nathaniel Hawthorne hovering over them. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | '... A' A Woman Named Hester, Wearing a Familiar Letter by BEN BRANTLEY This adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter" offers further testimony to the intellectual suppleness of Suzan-Lori Parks. [ TM ] Fucking A Reviewed By: David Finkle This year's Suzan-Lori Parks play, Fucking A, makes last year's Suzan-Lori Parks play, Topdog/Underdog, look like a Pulitzer Prize winner. No, wait a minute; Topdog/Underdog actually did win last year's Pulitzer, thereby earning an honor that has not been a particularly reliable indicator of dramaturgical excellence over the years. [ TB ] Fucking A Review by Matthew Murray Other Reviews: [ LAT ] A labor of (too much) love by F. Kathleen Foley Ed Begley Jr. reveres the memory of UFW leader Cesar Chavez, and that hurts his play about the legend. [ NJ ] One-acters a platform for the human spirit BY PETER FILICHIA Eric H. Weinberger is becoming the master of the monologue, and a champion at writing character studies. [ TM ] Tunes, Tomes, & Videos Michael Portantiere reviews the Broadway Theatre Archive's DVD release of the definitive film version of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, starring Katharine Hepburn. posted at 3/17/2003 08:41:11 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Sunday, March 16, 2003 [ NJ ] Governor seeks to restore some arts funding to budget An outcry over Gov. James E. McGreevey's plan to cut all arts funding from the next state budget has prompted his decision to try and restore some of the money, according to a published report. [ B ] Video: Take Me Out Hits the Big League posted at 3/16/2003 11:48:53 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features! [ OCR ] Falling in love with 'Loves' by PAUL HODGINS Rebecca Luker stars in the best musical you've probably never heard. [ OCR ] On stage as well as on screen Paul Hodgins' theater column looks at the stage backgrounds of Oscar nominees. Other Features: [ ND ] Caught in The Draft by Blake Green 'The Play What I Wrote,' a hit comedy from London, is a play what they love to be in [ DN ] Bringing us sunshine BY ELLEN TUMPOSKY Mike Nichols imports play inspired by legendary British comedy duo [ NYT ] Tough-Minded Playwright Chooses a Title Tough to Ignore by DINITIA SMITH First question to Suzan-Lori Parks: Why give your new play a title that no mainstream newspaper is ever going to print? [ NYT ] Always a Lioness, Protecting Her Beloved Israel by SHIMON PERES Shimon Peres remembers Golda Meir, who is the subject of a one-woman play by William Gibson which will have its New York premiere at the end of March. [ NYT ] Puppets Not Suitable for Children by JONATHAN MANDELL "Avenue Q," a musical about young people struggling to make it in New York City, "contains full puppet nudity." [ NYT ] Call Him What You Will, He's Too Busy to Be Bothered by JOHN ROCKWELL Heiner Goebbels is proud of the jurisdictional confusion he provokes. Are his works theater? Music? (Classical? Rock? Jazz?) Or music theater? [ P ] CHANNELING THEATRE: Kate Mulgrew and Bobby Cannavale Chat About Stage and TV [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Elegies: Betty Buckley & Carolee Carmello Reviews: [ NHR ] �Paper Doll� doesn�t do justice to popular author by E. Kyle Minor Thanks to American Theater Web for the link. News: [ TM ] McBroom, Ball, and Graae to Offer "An Evening With Comedy and Music" for L.A. Reprise! [ NYP ] LIZ SMITH IT WAS A THRILL to be part of Stephen Sondheim night at the New York State Theater in Lincoln Center. [ ND ] After Settlement, Still Unsettled by Linda Winer Relaxed, finally, about the future of Broadway? Feeling comforted by the weary but festive show-must-go- on solidarity displayed Tuesday when leaders of the musicians union and the Broadway producers league announced the end of the bitter four-day strike? [ HC ] Lessons Learned From The Musicians' Strike by Frank Rizzo At the end of Tuesday's show of "Hairspray," actor Harvey Fierstein summoned the orchestra to the stage and told a cheering crowd, "Without them, we could all stay home and play video games." [ P ] Talk Show Watch: Mary Bond Davis, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio on "Caroline Rhea" [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 16 [ P ] New Drama from Suzan-Lori Parks Opens at Off-Broadway's Public Theater March 16 [ P ] �Love, Look Away�: Flower Drum Song Ends Broadway Run March 16 [ P ] Guirgis and Rebeck Featured in Latest 24-Hour Plays, March 31 [ P ] Zoe Caldwell Was Surprise Guest at March 14 Play What I Wrote posted at 3/16/2003 09:19:35 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link BroadwayStars is powered by Blogger Pro! [Past News] |
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