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Saturday, March 29, 2003 [ B ] Yee Haw! Urban Cowboy Stays Open After All [ TM ] A Last-Minute Reprieve: Urban Cowboy to Continue Performances While wonderful for the cast and crew, who will get to stay employed at least a while longer, does this make smart business sense? Do the producers really think they'll be able to attract audiences now? Of course, with the free publicity they've gotten from all of this, who knows, but it still strikes me as an extraordinarily risky proposition. posted at 3/29/2003 11:15:24 PM by Matthew Murray | Item Link Blind item: My Life With Albertine will be recording its cast album this Tuesday (no fooling!) to be released on PS Classics. posted at 3/29/2003 11:27:35 AM by Matthew Murray | Item Link "The New Moon" - Reviews: [ DN ] Let's hear it for a smooth operetta by Howard Kissel Through Sunday night, the best show in town, hands down, is the City Center Encores! concert version of Sigmund Romberg's 1928 "The New Moon," which yielded such songs as "Lover, Come Back to Me," "Stout-hearted Men" and "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise." [ ND ] An Encores! So Hokey, It's Swell by Gordon Cox [ NYT ] OPERETTA REVIEW | 'THE NEW MOON' Much Silliness in a Gilt Frame by ANNE MIDGETTE City Center Encores! presents "The New Moon," the first operetta it has offered in its 10-year history, in a gilt frame. [ NJ ] Operetta lives again BY MICHAEL SOMMERS A resplendent concert staging of "The New Moon" packs a swooning Sigmund Romberg score and features an unexpectedly contemporary punch to its finale. Other Reviews: [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'BEXLEY, OH(!)' Garden-Variety Suburb, an Odd Place to Grow Up by BRUCE WEBER In the autobiographical one-woman show "Bexley, OH(!)" Prudence Wright Holmes takes her turn directing potshots at the accepted values of the 1950's and their essential hypocrisy. [ TB ] Ten Unknowns Los Angeles Review by Sharon Perlmutter [ TB ] 1776 and 42nd Street Washington Reviews by Tracy Lyon Features: [ ND ] Mad About 'Life' by Blake Green Helen Hunt, taking 'a wild ride,' returns to Broadway as a trendy urban wife [ LAT ] 'The rain in Spain ...' by Hugh Hart What if you've got a role as a Brit but you were raised in Burbank? Speech and voice consultant Pamela Vanderway helps performers -- don't ahsk who -- get from 'what' to 'wot.' [ NYT ] An Irish Play Seeks to Ease the Pain of Child Abuse Survivors by BRIAN LAVERY A chaotic and cathartic one-man play by Gerard Mannix Flynn, a survivor of sexual abuse by a priest, tells the story of one man's troubled life. [ TM ] Tunes, Tomes, & Videos Charles Wright reviews Cy Feuer's new memoir, which is full of anecdotes about such hits as Guys and Dolls and Can-Can. [ ND ] Slide Show: Celebs At 'Urban Cowboy' Premiere [ B ] Quotable Quotes: Gabbing with Urban Cowboy We are nothing if not timely... News: [ B ] Uggams and Borle Set For Leads in Millie [ NJ ] George St. picks new manager BY PEGGY McGLONE [ LAT ] SCR announces children's series by Mike Boehm South Coast Repertory's first "Theatre for Young Audiences" series -- an attempt to instill the playgoing habit in kids via productions using professional casts and established designers -- will feature a new, musical adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" as well as a 1980s-vintage musical version of "The Emperor's New Clothes" that was the first professional effort by the Tony-winning team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty ("Ragtime"). [ ND ] Broadway Delay by Blake Green 'Miracle Worker' revival 'not ready' [ DN ] 'Miracle' not working; B'way date canceled [ NYT ] Revival of 'Miracle Worker' Postponed [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 29 [ P ] Liz Callaway to Host Richard Rodgers: Giving Back April 28 [ P ] BETTY RULES No Longer, Off-Broadway Show Closes March 30; Tour and CD Likely [ P ] Broadway Close Up Salutes Richard Rodgers With April 26 Concert [ P ] Joe Egg Star Eddie Izzard to Launch Sexie New International Tour in July posted at 3/29/2003 08:46:28 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Friday, March 28, 2003 [ B ] Urban Cowboy to Close After Four Performances Must have been the mechanical bull! [ P ] Just-Opened Urban Cowboy to Close on Broadway March 29 posted at 3/28/2003 07:49:23 PM by Susan Heim | Item Link [ Z ] ABC's 'Hench' Keeps It in the Family In other pilots, Audra McDonald ("Mister Sterling") has replaced Theresa Randle as one of the leads in the CBS drama "Violent Crime." McDonald, a three-time Tony Award winner, will play a Boston detective partnered with Jennifer Esposito. The article also notes that Molly Ephraim (recently Red Riding Hood in "Into the Woods") has joined the Craig Bierko/Tracy Pollan pilot. [ P ] Bulletin: Miracle Worker Shuts Down After NC Tryout; Bway Plan Being Reworked [ R ] 'Chicago' Guys Fancy New 'Footloose' by Michael Fleming NEW YORK (Variety) - "Chicago" executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are set to turn loose a new "Footloose." Paramount has made a deal with the duo to reinvent the 1984 hit as a full-scale musical. [ B ] Leslie Kritzer to Shine in B'way Spotlight April 7 [ P ] Durang-Penned Donna McKechnie: Inside The Music Plays L.A., April 12-May 11 [ P ] NY Theatre Workshop Teams with Hip-Hop Theater Fest For Flow, June 11-July 20 [ P ] Guare, Howe, Linney, Kim Featured in Ensemble Studio Theater One-Act Marathon, May 7 [ P ] Drama League Awards Set for May 9; Noms Announced April 28 [ P ] Husband and Wife Robins and Cuccioli Play Marrieds in Dietz Premiere, Fiction, in NJ March 28 posted at 3/28/2003 05:32:39 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ B ] Miracle Worker Will Not Play B'way This Season posted at 3/28/2003 03:46:17 PM by Matthew Murray | Item Link Reviews: [ TM ] The New Moon Reviewed By: Marc Miller [ TB ] Pins and Needles in Concert Review by Matthew Murray posted at 3/28/2003 02:46:19 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ P ] Paul Zindel, Pulitzer-Winning Playwright of Effects of Gamma Rays, Dead at 66 [ B ] Pulitzer-Winning Playwright Zindel Dead at 66 [ IBDB ] Paul Zindel's Broadway Credits [ B ] CDs: Five from Nine and Fifteen More by Ken Mandelbaum Patrick Wilson has been mentioned for the role of Raoul in the film version of The Phantom of the Opera. Wilson has several associations with Phantom stage producer Cameron Mackintosh: Oklahoma! on Broadway and Carousel and Miss Saigon on tour. [ B ] Complete Cast Announced for Rain Dance [ P ] London�s Zipp! to Close [ P ] Shirley Anne Field Returns to London Stage [ P ] Choreographer Farah Khan Is LivingBombay Dreams in London [ P ] Sold: Buicks Starring Norbert Leo Butz Closes in NYC, March 30 [ P ] PBOL'S THEATRE WEEK IN REVIEW, March 22-28: Suddenly, Everyone's Kind of Town [ B ] Gutierrez to Helm DC's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof [ B ] Avenue Q Extends Run at the Vineyard to 4/27 [ P ] Ed Harris Begins as First Trumbo in Starry Rotating Cast in NYC, March 31 [ P ] DIVA TALK: Buckley's Elegies Plus Blasts from the Past [ P ] Gutierrez Replaces Caldwell as Cat Director at Kennedy Center [ P ] Puppet Musical Avenue Q Extends Off-Broadway to April 27 [ P ] New Amsterdam Theatre to Host 17th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition [ P ] 2003 MAC Nominee Offers Duplex Concerts April 11 and 25 Features: [ TM ] The Siegels' Nightlife Notes With the closing of Judy's Chelsea, the Siegels issue a health report on cabaret life in New York City and offer some suggestions. posted at 3/28/2003 02:43:55 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ CST ] Harris to play an apt role while healing from stroke BY HEDY WEISS It has been two years since Julie Harris suffered a stroke during her run in Claudia Allen's play "Fossils" at Victory Gardens Theatre. Now the Tony Award winner is making plans to return to the theater's stage during its 2003-04 season. [ NYT ] ON STAGE AND OFF Short Form, Big Names by JESSE MCKINLEY This year's short play marathon at the Ensemble Studio Theater will showcase new plays by John Guare, Tina Howe, Romulus Linney and Susan Kim. [ R ] Broadway Offers Escape for Some of the War-Weary by Larry Fine Actress Linda Hart said she and other cast members from the Broadway show "Hairspray" were concerned last week about how the war in Iraq might affect their hit musical. [ NYP ] OSCAR WINNER'S 'QUEEN' FOR DAY by DON KAPLAN VH1 is giving Queen Latifah the royal treatment this Sunday in a rush-rush documentary put together in less than a week. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 28 [ P ] Hot Classical Theatre of Harlem Hops a Locomotive, March 28 [ P ] 2003 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards Presented March 28 in NYC [ P ] Stone Cold Dead Serious Comes Alive, as Off-Broadway Play Opens April 7 Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary From "Alfie" to The Odd Couple theme, movie versions of plays have given us some great tunes. [ NJ ] Survivor to attend debut of play about Holocaust BY PETER FILICHIA Friday night will be one of the most exciting times in Wendy Kesselman's life. The opening of "The Last Bridge," her new play at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, is only part of the thrill. [ BH ] An intimate sound: Hearing cabaret's growing appeal by Sarah Rodman [ B ] Photo Op: Yee-Haw! Urban Cowboy Open on B'way [ B ] Video: April Comes Early [ B ] Video: Brixton's Broadway Bow [ BR ] The right way to go wrong in Camelot by ERIC ZENGOTA At Paper Mill. [ CSM ] Theater of one by Gregory M. Lamb One-man shows are perhaps the toughest act in theater. But these performers say one isn't the loneliest number. Thanks to American Theater Web for the two links above. "Urban Cowboy" - Reviews: [ B ] Did Critics Find Urban Cowboy Worth the Ride? [ ND ] This Bud's Not for You by Linda Winer 'Urban Cowboy' and its mechanical bull steer wide of romance [ NYP ] BULL-Y FOR 'COWBOY' by CLIVE BARNES BOY gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back - all this and a whole lot of mechanical bull. [ DN ] Corny musical is a load of bull by Howard Kissel [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'URBAN COWBOY' Just Guys and Gals Lookin' for Love by BEN BRANTLEY The implicit pitch behind "Urban Cowboy: The Musical" is that it's possible to be vulgar and bland at the same time. [ NJ ] 'Urban Cowboy' musical hits Broadway BY MICHAEL SOMMERS A movie retooled as a stage tuner, "Urban Cowboy" may find a profitable life elsewhere but the attraction that opened yesterday at the Broadhurst is merely a shabby country cousin to a real Broadway musical. [ R ] "Urban Cowboy" brings more bull to Broadway by Charles Isherwood NEW YORK (Variety) - You might have thought there was enough mechanical bull on Broadway already. Apparently you'd be wrong. [ YN ] `Urban Cowboy' Musical Hits Broadway by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic The production, which opened Thursday at the Broadhurst Theatre, has more grits than grit, an often simplistic and cartoonish Southern-fried sensibility that flattens the characters as well as a story that's already skimpy at best. [ TM ] Urban Cowboy Reviewed By: David Finkle Other Reviews: [ WP ] Folger's 'Elizabeth,' Quicksilver And Gold by Peter Marks In the closing moments of Folger Theatre's "Elizabeth the Queen," Michael Learned sinks back into the throne and lets out a small, anguished gasp. You can hear all of the monarch's conflicting emotions in that one breath: revulsion, regret, relief. [ LAT ] 'Ten' illuminates fickle art world's flip side by Sean Mitchell A fine performance by veteran Stacy Keach helps to drive the play, but its conclusion doesn't satisfy. [ LAT ] Examining the geopolitical landscape by F. Kathleen Foley "Mayhem" posits the dangers of detachment in perilous times. With Megan Mullally. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'ELEGIES' Departed Friends Vibrantly Recalled in Song by STEPHEN HOLDEN William Finn presents deeply personal valentines to friends who have died in lyrics that remember them in all their quirky vitality. [ ND ] No Cheatin' on Songs In Heartbreak 'Hank' by Gordon Cox [ NYP ] HANK FOR THE MEMORIES by DAN AQUILANTE [ DN ] Declaiming the moral high ground by Robert Dominguez Playwright A.R. Gurney uses the Sept. 11 attacks to climb on his soapbox about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in "O Jerusalem," a heavy-handed political drama with a generous amount of humor and a rather simplistic message. Can't we all just get along? [ NYP ] MONSTER'S BALL FROM MOLIERE by DONALD LYONS IN "Don Juan," one of his oddest, most perverse plays, Moliere created a wicked central figure more compelling than the fools and fops around him. [ DN ] Arlen sung with ardor by Howard Kissel One of the stories that KT Sullivan tells in her tribute to Harold Arlen - in the Oak Room of the Algonquin - is how Ira Gershwin was partly responsible for Arlen's most famous song, "Over the Rainbow." posted at 3/28/2003 08:02:10 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Thursday, March 27, 2003 Reviews: [ TB ] Urban Cowboy Review by Matthew Murray [ B ] Lookin' for Songs in All the Wrong Places by Ken Mandelbaum Review: URBAN COWBOY One has to give Urban Cowboy credit for managing to open. But this dismal mistake of a show hardly seems worth all the trouble. Perhaps it's time to stop making Travolta pictures into stage musicals. Wasn't he also in Carrie? Features: [ B ] Fresh Face: Matt Cavenaugh by Katie Riegel Age: "For some reason [producer] Chase [Mishkin] keeps telling people that I'm 21 but I'm not, I'm 24!" [ TM ] Legit Goes Lite in London by: Mark Shenton The West End's musicals outnumber straight plays 23 to 14 -- and most of those 14 aren't really plays. [ B ] Photo Op: Paper Mill Preps a New Camelot [ B ] Photo Op: Hank Williams on 42nd Street [ B ] Photo Op: Rosie Perez Joins the Immortals at Sardi's News: [ B ] Vieira to Make One-Night-Only Debut in Millie [ TM ] Hart and Schneider to Headline "Tales & Tunes" Benefit [ TM ] A.C.T. Announces 2003-2004 Season [ B ] Zipp! Closes; Leaves Set for West End [ B ] Liza Tarbuck Joins ABSOLUTELY! (Perhaps) Cast [ B ] Cavett & Durning to Star in Harvey in Boston [ P ] Babes in Arms: Joan Roberts of 1943's Oklahoma! Stars in Long Island High School Show, March 28-29 [ P ] Harvey, Millie, Chicago, Oliver, Starlight Headline Boston's Next Wang Season [ P ] Broadway Show League Begins Season April 17 [ P ] Espinosa, Deklin, Jennings, Keller and Olivo Cast in Bway-Bound Brooklyn [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Hank Williams: Lost Highway: Opening Night [ P ] Vivian Reed Joins Lillias White, Pam Isaacs, Rob Evan and More in Bubbling Benefit March 31 [ P ] Oliver! Tour Will Be Non-Equity; U.S. Launch of Mendes/Mackintosh Rewrite Is Nov. 11 [ P ] Bogosian Directs Ames at P.S. 122, May 1-25 [ P ] Cullum and Langella Guest Spots on "Law & Order: SVU" Rescheduled for March 28, April 4 [ P ] New Musical Can't Help Falling in Love Featuring Elvis Songs Headed for Broadway [ P ] I Love You, You're Perfect Team Bring New Musical The Thing About Men Off-Broadway [ P ] Original Broadway Cast Album of Jesus Christ Superstar Makes CD Debut April 1 [ P ] London Ragtime Announces Four-Month Extension [ P ] Dawn French Draws Out Divorce in West End Play [ P ] Calling All Gracies: Say Goodnight, Gracie Offers Free Thursday Tix to Namesakes [ P ] Barbara Cook Offers New Concert at Kennedy Center Summer 2003 [ P ] Drama Desk Awards to Be Held May 18; Noms Announced May 1 [ P ] Sutton Foster, Molly Ringwald and Others Take Part in Macys �Greetings from Broadway� March 27 [ P ] Butler, Porter, Martin, Rubin-Vega & Wilson Sing in April 7 Benefit [ P ] Bernadette Peters Gypsy Announces Student Rush-Ticket Policy posted at 3/27/2003 08:02:22 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ NYT ] Eddie Jaffe, the Press Agent of Broadway, Is Dead at 89 by RALPH BLUMENTHAL Eddie Jaffe, legendary for his lost causes, chutzpah and angst, all but made Broadway his alias and held that the best kind of promotion was self-promotion. [ BG ] 'Harvey,' 'Millie' lead Wang Center's season by Maureen Dezell Mary Chase's Pulitzer-winning comedy, ''Harvey,'' ran for four years on Broadway before it hit the big screen, and it is being revived in a new production starring Dick Cavett and Charles Durning and directed by Charles Nelson Reilly. It comes to the Wang Center's Shubert Theatre Sept. 10. [ NYP ] OPERA TALK by BARBARA HOFFMAN YOU'VE seen them on "Frasier" - now hear them with the Phil. David Hyde Pierce and Harriet Harris, best known as Dr. Niles Crane and Frasier's bloodthirsty agent, Bebe, will make their New York Philharmonic debuts in Berlioz's opera "Beatrice et Benedict," based on Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." [ NYP ] THE STARR REPORT "Law & Order" star Jesse L. Martin will be among the headliners in the second annual "Cabaret Night" April 7 at the Hudson Theater in the Millennium Hotel. Second item. [ NYP ] CINDY ADAMS PRODUCER Marty Richards, who won an Oscar for "Chicago." Even I'm sick of writing about him. Third item. [ ND ] So Far, War Hasn't Cast Too Long a Shadow by Gordon Cox The Great White Way, already pummeled by a rough winter and a strike by musicians, seems to have made it through the opening salvos of battle without disaster. [ P ] Olympia Dukakis and Tina Landau Featured in Next Season at San Francisco's ACT [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 27 [ P ] Stars of Zanna, Don�t! Head to Chatterbox March 27 [ P ] Lookin' For Love: Musical Urban Cowboy Opens on Broadway, March 27 [ P ] Noll, Abraham, Ward and Moses Shine Under Encores! New Moon, March 27-30 [ P ] Mason and Walton Sing Rome's Pins and Needles in NYC Concert, March 27-31 [ P ] New Latino All-Male Taming of the Shrew Opens at Yale Rep, March 27 Features: [ NYT ] PUBLIC LIVES Back on Broadway and, at 84, Lusting for a Tony by ROBIN FINN SID RAMIN and the Academy Award he won in 1961 for the musical adaptation of "West Side Story," have something swell in common: neither looks anything near his age. [ NYP ] URBAN ROUGH RIDER by BARBARA HOFFMAN IT'S all about the bull. Anyone who's seen the movie "Urban Cowboy" remembers how Debra Winger looked riding that mechanical monster to a flushed, sweaty finish. [ DN ] Top Latino playwrights put the lines in the 'Coconut' by Robert Dominguez There's one less play being presented at this year's "Songs From Coconut Hill," a Latino theater festival that had its inaugural run last year. Yet the festival has hardly taken a step backward. [ NJ ] Center stage by Peter Filichia Two years ago, when singer Barbara Cook was looking for ideas for a one-woman concert, she and her musical director, Wally Harper, decided on a Stephen Sondheim evening. [ B ] Photo Op: Elegies Opens at Lincoln Center [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Broadway Bears VI: Bear Necessities Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features! [ SD ] Patti LuPone offers one from the 'Heart' by Preston Turegano [ SFC ] Ted Lange sails past 'Love Boat' by Jesse Hamlin [ CSM ] Drama unfolds in the life of a burlesque theater by Gregory M. Lamb The old Gaiety was one of 15 theaters to grace Boston's Washington Street. Today, the auditorium is abandoned but intact, and an 11th-hour effort to restore it - rather than raze it for housing - is under way. "Golda's Balcony" - Reviews: [ NYP ] PORTRAYAL OF ISRAELI LEADER GOOD AS 'GOLDA' by DONALD LYONS THE theater of celebrity impersonation grinds on. George Burns, Katharine Hepburn - and now Golda Meir, the famously tough Israeli prime minister, is stalking about in the one-person "Golda's Balcony." [ DN ] Living the Golda years by Robert Dominguez Tovah Feldshuh goes the extra mile to physically resemble Golda Meir in "Golda's Balcony," a beautifully acted one-woman show about the Israeli prime minister. Yet it really isn't necessary. [ ATW ] Feldshuh Triumphs as Golda [ TB ] Golda's Balcony Review by Matthew Murray [ CU ] Golda's Balcony Review [ B ] Golda's Balcony Review by Adam Feldman [ TM ] Golda's Balcony Reviewed By: Philip Hopkins Other Reviews: [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'BUICKS' A Midlife Crisis Exceeding the Speed Limit by BRUCE WEBER Julian Sheppard's "Buicks" is a road movie masquerading as a play. [ NYT ] In Performance Reviews of the Se�n Curran Company, Jane Monheit and a program at Feinstein's at the Regency with Jimmy Webb, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. [ LAT ] Donna McKechnie's still at the top of her game by David C. Nichols The Tony-winning Broadway star of �A Chorus Line� brings professionalism and pizazz to the stage. [ TB ] Iphigenia Review by Matthew Murray [ YN ] 'Zanna Don't' Is a Modern-Day Fairy Tale by JUSTIN GLANVILLE Who knew a musical could be so hip and so gosh-darn earnest at once? [ DMN ] Review: 'Life With Albertine' a lovely affair by LAWSON TAITTE This intimate musical is as piercing as beluga, as rich as the best foie gras. Of course, New York has evolved to the point that there are caviar shops all over town. It's a shame that its theatrical taste hasn't advanced as quickly as its culinary kind. Thanks to American Theater Web for the link. [ ATW ] CDs: Broadway Musical Tweaks the 'New' Medium of Television posted at 3/27/2003 10:05:04 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Wednesday, March 26, 2003 Features: [ LADN ] They love her! by Evan Henerson The ringlets and high collars of so many period-musical leading ladies are absent. Rebecca Luker, her blond hair straight and shoulder length, the hint of a drawl betraying her Alabama roots, could be anybody's present-day girl next door. [ OCR ] Tough guy with heart by PAUL HODGINS Stacy Keach takes on a role that seems perfectly suited to his brand of American-style masculinity in "Ten Unknowns." Thanks to American Theater Web for the two links above. [ P ] PLAYBILL ON-LINE'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER with Matthew Warchus Director Matthew Warchus has made significant impressions (of varying complexion) on the New York theatregoing public. News: [ B ] Stadlen & Stephenson to Join B'way Producers Broadway.com has learned that The Producers tour star Lewis J. Stadlen will step into the role of Max Bialystock in the Broadway production at the end of April, when current lead Brad Oscar departs to begin rehearsals for the second national tour of hit tuner. Stadlen's current national tour co-star Don Stephenson will join him on the Great White Way the next month, following the departure of Roger Bart. [ P ] La Bohème Matinee Scuttled by Con Ed Problem March 26; Perfs Resume in Evening The March 26 matinee of Broadway's La Bohème was canceled shortly before curtain following a Consolidated Edison emergency that apparently involved a manhole explosion. [ B ] Dream a Little Dream Delays Start Again [ B ] Coco to Make B'way Debut as Chowsie in Gypsy [ B ] Manhole Explosion Mars Boh�me Matinee [ P ] Dream A Little Dream A Little Later: Mamas and Papas Musical Delays First Perf [ P ] Film Stars Moreno and Chakiris Sign New "West Side Story" DVD Box Set in NYC, April 2 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Elegies: Opening Night [ P ] Timothy West: The Challenge of King Lear [ P ] Sinatra Sings on at the Haymarket [ P ] Tovah Feldshuh Goes for the Golda at Off-Broadway's MET March 26 [ P ] New Tour of Chicago Launches June 10 in DC; Will Melanie Griffith Join Bway Troupe? [ TM ] Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim at NJPAC for One Night Only, March 28 [ TM ] Broadway-Themed Window Designs at Macy's Kick Off "Greetings From Broadway" Tribute, March 27 [ ATW ] Herman, Hartley, Rudetsky to Appear 'On Broadway' with XM Radio This Week Reviews: [ ATW ] Zanna: Neither a 'Do' nor a 'Don't' [ CU ] Ragtime London Review [ ATW ] Bayview Records' Call It Love Features Obscure as Well as Well-Known Tunes from The Boy Friend's Sandy Wilson posted at 3/26/2003 05:47:44 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ P ] Sweet Charity Postponed as Search for New Creative Team Continues [ P ] Good Goody Girl: Darcie Roberts Is Millie on Tour; Reichard Is Jimmy, Pam Isaacs Is Muzzy [ P ] Report: New Line Cinema Eyeing a Film of Hairspray [ P ] Manhattan Cabaret and Piano Bar Judy's Chelsea to Close March 29 [ P ] Report: Mark Ruffalo Cast as Brick in Upcoming Broadway Cat Reviews: [ B ] CDs: The Master in the Desert by Ken Mandelbaum NOEL COWARD AT LAS VEGAS & IN NEW YORK (DRG) [ TB ] She Loves Me Los Angeles Review by Sharon Perlmutter Features: [ B ] Photo Op: Broadway's Annual Bear Hug [ TB ] What's New on the Rialto: Hank Williams: Lost Highway moves to Little Shubert by Nancy Rosati posted at 3/26/2003 01:01:10 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ DN ] Read Swank's lips, from sci-fi to B'way by JOE NEUMAIER Hilary Swank's mouth should have its own Screen Actors Guild card. [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary The Jewish Rep resurrects Pins and Needles, and so Filichia explains the history of this political musical revue. [ BS ] No Holds Bard: Women Using Shakespeare to Forge New Works In an age when self-developed theatrical projects are great ways for young performers to make their mark, women are increasingly turning to Shakespeare for inspiration. News: [ B ] George Dubya Heading to the West End [ NYP ] CINDY ADAMS A way for Melanie to keep an eye on hubby [ NYP ] LIZ SMITH NEW LINE Cinema is hot to follow in the huge footsteps of Harvey "Chicago" Weinstein and bring the Tony-winning Broadway hit "Hairspray" to the screen. They'd like to do this sooner rather than later; in other words, while the musical is still a big hit on Broadway. Last item. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 26 [ P ] Lost Highway Is Found Again, as Hit Hank Williams Show Reopens Off-Broadway, March 26 [ P ] Matthew Warchus to Direct Film of Jeffrey Hatcher Play [ P ] Refreshed and Ready, Musical What Makes Sammy Run? Gets Concert Run March 26-29 [ P ] Broadway Bears IV Raises $116,495; Lion King Bear Alone Nets $10,000 Reviews: [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'ROSES IN DECEMBER' The Many Ways to Say No by ANITA GATES A grumpy, reclusive author and employee of an alumni affairs office battle through the mail in Victor L. Cahn's witty but oddly soothing epistolary play. [ ND ] Wheel of Life, Through a Cycle of Songs by Linda Winer On Sundays and Mondays - when the World War I drama currently at the Newhouse is dark - the Lincoln Center Theater is rolling out a piano, setting out a circle of mismatched chairs and a few oriental rugs for "Elegies: A Song Cycle" - an uneven concert of funny-sad, beautifully performed songs about dead friends, lost rituals and long-lost dogs. [ DN ] Don wan, revisited by Howard Kissel We think of Don Juan as a serial seducer. In the 17th century, however, his sin was blasphemy. The shock of Moli�re's 1665 "Don Juan" lies in the fact that a man who has only contempt for God feigns piety to disarm his enemies. [ NYP ] TOO LONG 'NIGHT by DONALD LYONS BEFORE Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" got him into hot water with the Ayatollah, there was "Midnight's Children" - Rushdie's epic, crowded, comic, violent novel about Indian independence. [ VV ] BOYS IN THE ADULTHOOD by Michael Feingold Pop-Rock Sounds Console Those Growing Up, or Refusing To Zanna, Don't!; Avenue Q [ USA ] Another Hester, a different 'A' by Elysa Gardner posted at 3/26/2003 07:38:41 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Tuesday, March 25, 2003 News: [ B ] Melanie Griffith in Talks For B'way's Roxie Hart If all goes as planned, she will take over the role of the merry murderess in the hit revival after the departure of current Roxie, Belle Calaway, who is presently contracted through April 13. And here's some news about Melanie's mom... [ Z ] ABC Adds Tenants to '111 Gramercy Park' Tippi Hedren, probably best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," and "Cabaret" Oscar winner Joel Grey will play tenants at a posh New York apartment building in the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The cast also includes Jaleel White ("Family Matters"), Joanna Going, Frank Langella ("The Beast") and Brittany Daniel ("That '80s Show"). [ P ] Alchemists, New Musical by Larson Recipient Peter Mills, Debuts April 26 in NYC [ P ] Nymphomania in New York; Dear Prudence Begins at Rattlestick, March 27-April 20 Features: [ B ] Fresh Face: David Eigenberg by Paul Wontorek [ TM ] Photo File Nathan Lane, Marian Seldes, Russell Simmons, Bryan Batt, and the Broadway Bears star in our latest photo roundup. [ CPD ] 'Full Monty' composer bares all by Tony Brown Reviews: [ SS ] Dance Lessons pirouettes through emotional range by Jack Zink Rue McClanahan remains spry enough to be a Golden Girl, and Mark Hamill has reached the cusp of Golden Boyhood. That's a perfect match for a comically poignant duet at the Coconut Grove Playhouse called Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. [ MH ] 'Dance Lessons' takes steps to comfort by Christine Dolen No, it's not going to advance the art form nor get critics gushing. But given the modest payroll and the play's crowd-pleasing ability, it's likely to have a future in theaters all over America. Thanks to American Theater Web for the links to the two reviews and the Full Monty article above. [ CU ] Don Juan Review [ TB ] The Lion King Cincinnati Review by Scott Cain [ ATW ] Talk of God on NYC Stages: Iphigenia, Gospel of John posted at 3/25/2003 05:47:34 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ B ] Broadway Grosses: New Blood With new shows up and running, Broadway held firm despite news of war. Nine, in only four preview performances, filled the Eugene O'Neill to 93.45% capacity on average and made a substantial $356,220. [ P ] Broadway Grosses: March 17-23 [ P ] Downtown Theatres To Become Part of New East Fourth Street Cultural District [ P ] Peggy Conklin, Broadway Actress in Mid-Century, Dead [ P ] Off-Bway's Lucille Lortel Award Nominees Announced April 2; Ceremony May 5 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Don Juan: Opening Night [ P ] NBC and BRAVO Nab Television Rights to "Chicago," Set to Air November 2005 [ B ] Michael McCarthy Set as Lez Miz's Final Javert posted at 3/25/2003 03:11:09 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ B ] Pioneer Woman Without a Frontier by Ken Mandelbaum As I begin a series of articles on Gypsy leading up to the opening of the new Broadway production, I feel compelled to start with Merman, even though the show began with Gypsy Rose Lee's highly amusing memoir, in which both Merman and producer David Merrick saw possibilities for a stage musical. [ USA ] New musicals ready to bust out by Susan Wloszczyna Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein says a movie remake of Guys and Dolls will be out in two years from the producers of Chicago. And The Music of the Night will soon see the light of day. News: [ P ] Alexander and Short Join Producers Tour in San Fran, April 21-26 Before L.A. Sitdown [ P ] Irish Actor Michael McCarthy Is Final Javert of Les Miz, Starting May 6 [ P ] Michigan's BoarsHead Theater Snags Respected Director Geoffrey Sherman to Run the Show [ P ] Vincent on Broadway Now Selling Through June 8 Reviews: [ TB ] Jesus Christ Superstar: The new "Rock Musical-Comedy" Philadelphia Review by Pati Buehler posted at 3/25/2003 12:38:07 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ * ] Broadway Sings On Park Avenue Concert to benefit The Marcia Shew Fund for Children Affected and Infected by the AIDS Crisis will be held on March 30th. posted at 3/25/2003 08:54:51 AM by James Marino | Item Link "Chicago": [ CST ] 'Chicago' coming back to Chicago's Shubert Kander & Ebb's original "Chicago" will play Sept. 9-21 at the Shubert Theatre, replacing "Frankie & Johnnie in the Clair de Lune." Meanwhile, the production of "Sweet Charity" starring Marisa Tomei has been postponed indefinitely. [ DN ] Inner Tube NBC's in the big picture with 'Chicago' rights [ USA ] Pssstttt! 'Chicago' has a secret past! by Andy Seiler Chicago's Oscar win on Sunday was no surprise. But the story behind the show and its original creator is full of intrigue. [ BG ] LIFE IN THE POP LANE Casting aspersions on the future of movie musicals by Renee Graham [ YN ] 'Chicago' Could Lead Musicals Trend by ANTHONY BREZNICAN, AP Entertainment Writer Peter O'Toole, who received an honorary Oscar on Sunday for his career spanning more than 40 years, suggested there would be little room for him in modern movie musicals. He starred in two flops that led to the genre's decline � 1969's "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" and 1972's "Man of La Mancha." "All I know is that if I'm in it, then you'll be bankrupt," he joked. posted at 3/25/2003 08:46:58 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ V ] NO SLACK FROM IRAQ ON B'WAY 'Nine,' 'Urban' give legit B.O. a boost Maybe you can watch only so much TV war coverage. Unlike the onset of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Broadway did not suffer from the Iraq attack. Instead of the 20% drop seen 12 years ago, Broadway box office actually rose $881,206, or 3.25%, last week. [ NYT ] Peggy Conklin, Actress on Broadway, Is Dead at 96 Peggy Conklin, who found early success in "The Petrified Forest" in 1936 and followed it with a variety of dramatic and comic roles on Broadway, died last Tuesday. [ IBDB ] Peggy Conklin's Broadway Credits [ V ] B'WAY WILL FALL IN 'LOVE' WITH ELVIS Event is 'first step' for Ashley-directed legiter Elvis Presley's first book musical moves ever closer to Broadway. Legit insiders attended a first reading of "Can't Help Falling in Love" Monday night at the Westside Theater, with another performance to follow today. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 25 [ P ] Kesselman's The Last Bridge to World Premiere at NJ's George Street [ P ] Coward Sings Coward in Re-Release of '50s Discs, "At Las Vegas" and "In New York," March 25 [ P ] Original Little Mary Sunshine Heads Rotating Cast in Blackout, April 10-May 18 [ P ] South Coast Rep Plays World Premiere of Nottage's Intimate Apparel, April 11-May 18 [ P ] Public Theater Unleashes Fringe-Born As You Like It Beginning March 25 [ P ] Michael Cerveris Joins Fifth of July Off-Broadway, March 25 [ P ] Little Sally Comes Home: Spencer Kayden Returns to Urinetown, March 25 [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Life x 3:Helen Hunt and John Turturro [ P ] "Maury Yeston Songbook" CD Sales Begin March 25; Buckley, Ripley, Benanti Sing Features: [ WP ] For Eric Schaeffer, A Rescue Mission by Jane Horwitz Director to Redo Problematic Rodgers-Hammerstein Show [ P ] Sir Cameron Mackintosh Chats About New West End Sliding Ticket Prices Sir Cameron Mackintosh is Britain�s best-known producer. Now he�s leading the way � again � in marketing musicals. [ DN ] 9/11 drama in a new 'Guys' by CELIA McGEE Every time director Jim Simpson and wife Sigourney Weaver show "The Guys" � their movie about a New York City fire captain burdened with writing eulogies for his men lost at the World Trade Center � they find people who have been too busy or too scared to cry. [ B ] Photo Op: Mr. & Mrs. Broderick Catch The Play "Midnight's Children" - Reviews: [ DN ] Rushdie tale so instructive, unfortunately by Howard Kissel College students are resigned to accepting boredom as part of their fate, making them the most likely audience for a three-hour-and-two-minute presentation of historical references, documentary footage and occasional intellectual flights with no emotional center. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN' An Abundance of Plot, Flashes and Videos by BEN BRANTLEY In its translation to the stage, Salman Rushdie's celebrated novel has been subjected to unusual form of surgery whereby magic is cut out as if it were a tumor. [ TM ] Midnight's Children Reviewed By: David Finkle "Elegies: A Song Cycle" - Reviews: [ NJ ] Poignant songs salute the dead BY MICHAEL SOMMERS Betty Buckley, Carolee Carmello and Michael Rupert are among the superb artists illuminating a new collection of mostly pensive songs regarding people, well known or otherwise, who have passed away in recent years. [ DN ] Thin Finn revue offers rhymes without reason by Howard Kissel If this is the first you're hearing about William Finn's revue "Elegies," trust me, it's not for you. [ YN ] 'Elegies' Remembers Friends in Song by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic "Elegies: A Song Cycle by William Finn" is an odd musical memorial service. [ B ] Elegies: A Song Cycle Review by Adam Feldman [ TM ] Elegies: A Song Cycle Reviewed By: David Finkle posted at 3/25/2003 08:41:47 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Monday, March 24, 2003 Reviews: [ B ] Swank in Miracle Worker Faces Charlotte Critics News: [ P ] Nine Star Laura Benanti Recovers from Surgery Laura Benanti, the Tony-nominated, erstwhile star of Broadway's Into the Woods who is currently featured in Nine, recently underwent cervical spine surgery for a herniated disc pressing against her spinal cord, Playbill On-Line has learned. [ P ] Goodman Theater Gets a Gem of a Cast for Wilson Play; Begins April 18 [ P ] New Kathleen Turner Comedy Highlights Alliance's New Season in Atlanta [ TM ] Pay What You Can to See She Stoops to Comedy at Playwrights Horizons on April 3 [ TM ] Judy's Chelsea to Close Its Doors on March 29 Features: [ B ] Q&A: Kate Mulgrew by Melissa Rose Bernardo [ TM ] All Over the Map by: Dan Bacalzo A Drawer Boy in Pittsburgh, a Patriot in L.A., and Unspoken Prayers in Chicago [ BS ] The Business of Showcase Actors' showcases tend to get a bad rap in Los Angeles. There is one shining exception: Beverly Winwood Presents the Actors Showcase has enjoyed a healthy L.A. run of packed audiences for close to a year without any sign of stopping. [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Zanna, Don't: Opening Night posted at 3/24/2003 06:27:22 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ B ] Vincent in Brixton Extends B'way Engagement The play, originally scheduled to close on May 4, will now end its run at the Golden Theatre on June 8. [ B ] Will Pacino Take Arturo Ui to London Stage? [ P ] Jerry Herman and Showtune Cast Sing on "Radio Playbill" March 25-31 [ TM ] Don Juan Reviewed By: David Finkle posted at 3/24/2003 02:30:30 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ B ] CDs: R&H at the Lane by Ken Mandelbaum [ B ] Funnyman Jay Thomas Joins Woody Allen Play [ P ] Royal Shakespeare Company Heads for London�s Old Vic [ P ] Stephen Sondheim�s Jaguar Back Up for Auction at E-bay [ P ] Jay Thomas Added to Woody Allen's Block at Atlantic Theater Company [ P ] Millie�s Sutton Foster to Sing at May 4 Benefit for Michigan Theatre [ P ] Nothing Like a Dame: Edna to Continue U.S. Tour of A Night with Dame Edna [ P ] 9/11-Themed Play, That Day in September, Makes N.Y. Premiere April 9 [ P ] Complete Casting for Pacino Salome Announced posted at 3/24/2003 12:10:46 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link The Oscars: [ NYT ] 'Chicago' Is Big Oscar Winner, but 'Pianist' Surprises Hollywood by RICK LYMAN "Chicago" won best picture and five other awards, but the biggest surprises were Oscars for Adrien Brody and Roman Polanski for "The Pianist," Mr. Polanski's Holocaust drama. [ CST ] Sweet home 'Chicago' takes 6 Oscars BY ROGERT EBERT [ YN ] Archerd: Ovation overload at Oscars by Army Archerd [ B ] Chicago Wins Six Oscars, Including Best Picture [ P ] �Chicago� Wins Oscar for Best Picture [ NYT ] The 2003 Oscar Winners posted at 3/24/2003 07:47:43 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ ND ] Snappy Comeback Comic returns to LI for a gay old time by Peter Goodman It's wall-to-wall in the back room at Don't Tell Mama; the walls seem to be shaking from the uproar, the hysteria, the sheer over-the-top joy of the crowd. Perched atop a bar stool on the small stage, one hand holding a mike, the other buried in the pocket of his sweatshirt, Nathan Lane is convulsing with laughter. "I've now become your straight man," he says. "It's come to this." The star is Seth Rudetsky. Seth Rudetsky cracking wise. Seth Rudetsky the celebrity interviewer. It's his show "Seth's Broadway Chatterbox." Seth Rudetsky! [ ND ] Bumpy Ride by Tania Padgett Financial struggles can make Broadway producers' heads spin [ ND ] Live at Apollo, Rushdie, by Shakespeare by Blake Green 'Midnight's Children' is reborn onstage with a multinational cast [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Filichia drags himself to Boston to sample the Hasty Pudding Show, Harvard's annual musical event. Reviews: [ ATW ] A Muddled Don Juan [ TB ] Don Juan Review by Matthew Murray [ NJ ] Lively 'Bright Ideas' has dim moments BY PETER FILICHIA [ NYP ] IRISH 'FOLEY' SQUARE SHOOTER by DONALD LYONS ONE of the most exciting and innovative forms new Irish theater has found for itself is the dramatic monologue - an autobiographical confession in which a character comes before us to tell us how his or her life has taken this twisty shape. [ CU ] The Last Five Years Philadelphia Review [ ATW ] Shanley's Wickedly Funny Dirty Story Lacerates [ ATW ] A Slim Volume, Notes on Directing Provides Valuable Advice News: [ P ] "Bear" Necessities: Broadway Bears VI Benefit Held March 24 [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 24 [ P ] Crossing Over: Jonathan Tolins Discusses Last Sunday in June March 24 [ P ] William Finn Revue Elegies Opens at Lincoln Center March 24 [ P ] Two Sunset Boulevard Norma Desmonds Head to Town Hall [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Broadway Bears Preview: Gary Beach in The Producers posted at 3/24/2003 07:42:48 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Sunday, March 23, 2003 The results are in, and the film version of the Kander and Ebb stage musical Chicago has won six Academy Awards! They are:
posted at 3/23/2003 11:56:03 PM by Matthew Murray | Item Link "Chicago": [ CST ] The truth behind 'Chicago' BY ANNIE SWEENEY Gin and jazz--that part they got right. But unlike the movies, Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner didn't exactly Charleston their way to a happy ending. [ LAT ] Let there be light by Alina Tugend Longtime partners Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer use their theatrical lighting skills to give 'em the old razzle-dazzle in 'Chicago.' [ NYT ] They Both Reached for the Gun by FRANK RICH For history's sake, the press conference scene in "Chicago" should be paired on the DVD with George W. Bush's press conference of March 6, 2003. [ P ] 75th Anniversary Academy Awards Held March 23: �Chicago� Up for Best Picture Features: [ ND ] Where East Meets West by Blake Green Aaron Latham brings 'Urban Cowboy' to Broadway - and that's no mechanical bull [ NYT ] A Day in the Death of a Once Glorious Career by BENEDICT NIGHTINGALE PETER NICHOLS is a genial man and a genuinely funny playwright, but he is about as optimistic as the Ancient Mariner or the sort of Beckett character who lives in a trash can. [ NYT ] The Magic of Ancient Japan Onstage by CAROL MARTIN Within the realm of myth a certain kind of truth can be revealed. So believes the Japanese director Satoshi Miyagi, whose production of "The Castle Tower" will have its American premiere Thursday through Saturday at the Japan Society in New York. [ INQ ] Charles Mee: Steal this play; I did by Douglas J. Keating [ ND ] Cy Coleman And Friends to Visit Hofstra by Peter Goodman [ PPH ] Longbottom in a good place by MARY SNELL The Maine native continues to write his success story on Broadway. [ NYT ] Slide Show: B-List Actresses A sidebar to today's Times Style section article on B Movies. Worth checking out for the photo of John Barrowman in "Shark Attack 3: Megalodon." (I haven't seen that movie; I hear that if you haven't seen "Shark Attack 1" and "Shark Attack 2," you feel like you missed so much...) Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features! [ PPG ] Audiences connect with Stroman's innovative choreography by Christopher Rawson "I love it when good things happen to good people, someone who's made you laugh," says Susan Stroman. She was reflecting on performers with whom she's worked, but who on Broadway has recently made more people laugh than Stroman herself? She's the hottest director-choreographer going. [ PPG ] Yellow Dress transforms Pittsburgh's Dunn by Christopher Rawson News: [ NYT ] A Block of Fabled Theaters May Get an Extended Run by KELLY CROW Nonprofit theaters are often long on daydreams, short on windfalls. But not this time. [ LAT ] Cornerstone loses a co-founder by Don Shirley Alison Carey, who co-founded Cornerstone Theater with Bill Rauch in the mid-'80s and has recently been its resident playwright, has left the company "because I had to make more money," she said. [ P ] Talk Show Watch: Antonio Banderas on "Today", Hilary Swank on "Leno" [ P ] ON THE RECORD: Best Foot Forward, Good News and The Girl Most Likely [ P ] Aida Celebrates Three Years on Broadway March 23 [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 23 [ P ] Stars of Zanna, Don�t! Head to Chatterbox March 27 [ P ] Dance Show Burn the Floor Tours U.S. & Canada; TV Appearance Also [ P ] Robert Sean Leonard Exits Fifth of July March 23; Cerveris Steps In March 25 posted at 3/23/2003 09:25:18 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link BroadwayStars is powered by Blogger Pro! [Past News] |
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