Saturday, June 14, 2003

Features:

[ NYT ]  Gritty Chicago Memories Come to Life on Stage by JODI WILGOREN
Artistic and activist ambitions come together in a Chicago theater group that produces original shows while providing family-like support to its youthful members.

[ NYT ]  IN THE MAGAZINE | QUESTIONS FOR JULES FEIFFER
Playing With History
Interview by DEBORAH SOLOMON
The playwright and cartoonist discusses his new play, the appeal of the 50's and the legacy of the 60's.

[ DN ]  An audience with 'Oz' by ROBERT DOMINGUEZ
At a new series of screenings, the crowd is part of the action

[ P-I ]  Playwright's an inspired writer ... and talker by JOE ADCOCK
Playwright Craig Lucas has a knack for writing works that include emotional extremes.

[ MST ]  Talent Shout: Ernie Hudson
The way Ernie Hudson plays the old hustler Elmore in August Wilson's "King Hedley II" at St. Paul's Penumbra Theatre, you forget that his character is an unreconstructed scalawag.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the last two links.
posted at 6/14/2003 09:29:41 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ P ]  Kander and Ebb Autobiography � "Colored Lights" � Due in Stores in November

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: JUNE 14

[ P ]  Hare and Daldry's Via Dolorosa Released Via DVD/VHS, Aug. 12

[ P ]  St. Crispin's Day, Another Take on Henry V, Begins Rattlestick Perfs June 14

[ P ]  That's Amore: Guettel-Lucas Musical, The Light in the Piazza, Opens in Seattle June 14

[ P ]  Tony-Nommed Bedford Directs and Stars In Stratford Fest's Present Laughter, June 14
posted at 6/14/2003 09:29:02 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Reviews:

[ NJ ]  Abstract play presents realistic characters BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
Performed and staged with quiet excellence, "Savannah Bay" is moody and mysterious piece of grave beauty that opened Tuesday at Classic Stage Company.

[ DN ]  'Broadway' gets a Toni by David Bianculli
'Best' could be better

[ NYT ]  TV REVIEW | 'CHARLIE LAWRENCE'
Washington Monument: He Takes It Personally by ALESSANDRA STANLEY
"Charlie Lawrence," which stars Nathan Lane as an openly gay congressman, does not break new ground.
posted at 6/14/2003 09:28:18 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Friday, June 13, 2003

News:

[ P ]  Expecting Molly Ringwald Exits Broadway's Enchanted April, June 15

[ P ]  "Chicago" Director Rob Marshall May Helm "Memoirs of a Geisha" Film

[ P ]  Movin' Out Scores at NBA Finals; Cavanaugh & Band Perform at Halftime, June 13

[ P ]  Principal Casting Announced for Phantom Film: 16-Year-Old Emmy Rossum is Christine

[ B ]  Leads Confirmed for Phantom of the Opera Film

Features:

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Last Dance: Opening Night

[ B ]  Photo Op: Intrigue with Faye Opens at MCC

[ B ]  Photo Op: American Idol Causes a Ruckus at Rent

[ WP ]  Finally, 'Class' Is in Session by Dan Via
Linda Kline on "A Class Act."

[ SS ]  Finding better plays not far off Broadway by Jack Zink
Off-Broadway venues are spread out citywide and most shows get only modest attention in the mass media. But it becomes more obvious each year that's where the better new plays are found. Increasingly, too, new musical ideas are springing up off-Broadway.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

Reviews:

[ TM ]  The Siegels' Nightlife Notes
The Siegels take in Carol Channing impersonator Richard Skipper, hear tunes by songwriter Ervin Drake, and report on new cabaret rooms.

[ NJ ]  Classy production of a classic work BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
"The Persians" is the earliest surviving drama in Western literature.

[ NJ ]  It's a brain drainer or tongue twizzler BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
Video killed the radio star, as the song goes. And video does pretty badly by TV stars Benjamin Bratt and Julianna Margulies in "Intrigue With Faye."

[ CU ]  Ghosts Review

[ WP ]  'Chicago' Has Legs by Peter Marks
The show, born in the 1970s and resurrected two decades later as a stylish new emblem of an urbane and cynical age, has graduated from Broadway smash to global sensation with its leap from Tony-winning revival to Oscar-validated phenom.

[ WE ]  'Good News!' at Music Theatre - Review BY BUD NORMAN
posted at 6/13/2003 08:27:19 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ P ]  "Think I Can Play This Part": Alan Cumming Cast in "Goodbye Girl" TV Remake

[ P ]  Audra McDonald Joins Lincoln Center's Starry Henry IV

[ B ]  Seldes & Murray to Reunite on NY Stage

[ B ]  Audra McDonald Joins Henry IV Cast at LCT

Reviews:

[ TM ]  Tunes, Tomes, & Videos
Ethan Mordden takes on a tumultuous musical decade and finds glory, heartbreak, and the seeds of a popular art's destruction.

Features:

[ P ]  How Do You Hold a Moonbeam in Your Hand?
Some of them spring from city apartments or New England homes, often with staffs of two or maybe three. But a clutch of tiny companies put out a surprising quantity of today's theatre-related music and books.

[ P ]  DIVA TALK: "Turn" of a Lifetime PLUS Divas Come to the Cabaret
Throughout my 20 or so years of watching the annual Tony Awards telecast, there have been just a handful of performances that have left me completely speechless.
But enough about the kiss... :-)
posted at 6/13/2003 02:15:16 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ B ]  CDs: My Charming Casanova by Ken Mandelbaum
Amy Spanger has been mentioned to take over the role of Hope Cladwell in the Broadway Urinetown.
posted at 6/13/2003 11:16:34 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ MB ]  Guffman Shows Up by John Barry
For an alt-weekly drama critic, his 53rd night of community theater was one night too many.

posted at 6/13/2003 11:10:07 AM by James Marino | Item Link

And the winnder is...

We had 3500+ entries in this year's BroadwayStars Tony Award Contest. Three entries were at the top of the heap with 20 correct of 22. The were: Erich Rosenberg of NYC, Robert Simon of Williamsport, PA and Randy Bartell of Holmdel, NJ. Randy was the first to respond to the tie-breaker email and thus won the $50 gift certificate. Randy, a reader of CASTRECL and true theaterlover, decided to take a $50 gift certificate to Footlight Records rather than Amazon.com. With Footlight's June sale (20% off many titles), Randy will not only get quality, but value too! (No, they did not pay me to say that...)
posted at 6/13/2003 10:15:45 AM by James Marino | Item Link

News:

[ NYP ]  'ANNIE,' GO GET YOUR GUN by MICHAEL RIEDEL
TRINITY Rep, a self- described "populist theater," recently shook things up in sleepy Providence, R.I., with a tough, unsparing and gritty new revival of - I'm not kidding - "Annie."

[ P ]  Kander and Ebb's Skin of Our Teeth Musical Gets NYC Reading June 16
In a major resurfacing of the dormant musical, Skin of Our Teeth, Audra McDonald will play Mrs. Antrobus in a June 16 private reading of the John Kander, Fred Ebb and Joseph Stein show once known as Over and Over.

[ V ]  Kodak gets tuner sked
'Oliver!,' 'Rat Pack,' 'Joseph' to also play
The Kodak Theater, viewed since its inception as a potential home to theatrical road shows, will begin its inaugural theater season Oct. 10 with a three-day run of the production of "The Full Monty" that played the Ahmanson Theater in spring 2002.

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: JUNE 13

[ P ]  PBOL'S THEATRE WEEK IN REVIEW, June 7-13: Hair Today, On to Tomorrow

[ P ]  Love and Hitmen: Once Upon a Time in New Jersey, the Musical, Sung in NYC June 25-30

[ P ]  Whoa, Little Sally! James Barbour Is Lockstock in Bway's Urinetown June 13-July 6

[ NYT ]  Gregory Peck, a Star of Quiet Dignity, Dies at 87 by WILLIAM GRIMES
In a career that spanned half a century, Gregory Peck often played a morally anguished hero who displayed grace under fire.

Features:

[ BG ]  Bright future for a young talent by Maureen Dezell
Playwright and actor Christopher Denham says he doesn't read his own notices. But he came upon a New York Times review of his performance in "'Master Harold' ... and the Boys" serendipitously last week.

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
A panel discussion of original cast recordings prompts Filichia to muse on how OCRs fell from the Top 40.

[ BH ]  Producing results: The stage is music to Mel Brooks' ears by Terry Byrne

[ BH ]  Hub duo invest energies in raising money to stage shows by Terry Byrne
In "The Producers," Mel Brooks' wacky, behind-the-scenes look at Broadway, a longtime loser hatches a scheme with an accountant to sell too many shares in a Broadway show. But in the real world of producing, a scheme like that would never fly.

[ DN ]  Skyline's the limit by CELIA McGEE
Mushiness caveat: Joe DeMarie proposed to his wife on a roof. But that's not why - not directly - he and co-producer Molly Townsend put together SCAPE (Skyline Cooperative Arts Performance Endeavor) and its first production.

[ R ]  Eureka Moment Makes UK Playwright a Millionaire by Paul Majendie
British playwright Catherine Johnson remembers her "eureka moment" as though it were yesterday.
She came up with a plot line for the musical "Mamma Mia," which weaves in 22 of Abba's greatest hits. The show has now grossed more than $500 million from Las Vegas to Tokyo.

[ CSM ]  From tuxedos to 'Tarzan' by Gregory M. Lamb
As a Chinese-American, David Henry Hwang is used to being tugged at by dueling identities.

[ CSM ]  May he show you to your seat? by Gregory M. Lamb
Jay and Cindy Gutterman have faced many ups and downs as theater producers in New York. Their latest off-Broadway show, 'Hank Williams: Lost Highway,' has garnered awards.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the two links above!

Reviews:

[ NYP ]  BEYOND THE PALE by DONALD LYONS
AT 85, Ingmar Bergman brings to the Brooklyn Academy of Music what he claims is the last stage play he'll direct, Ibsen's "Ghosts."

[ ND ]  It's a Privilege, Mr. Bergman by Linda Winer
In his BAM finale, director reinterprets Ibsen's 'Ghosts'

[ DN ]  Bergman's 'Ghosts' isn't all that haunting by Howard Kissel
Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts" is a play about the tragic consequences of things unspoken. Ingmar Bergman has adapted Ibsen's play for our times, in which things are talked to death.

[ ND ]  Lane's Latest Is a Capitol Offense by Noel Holston
Nathan Lane's character in "Charlie Lawrence" is a TV actor-turned-politician whose hit series is said to have run 11 seasons. Lane should be so lucky.

[ NJ ]  Nathan's infamous
WHAT HAS Nathan Lane done to anger the sitcom gods?

[ USA ]  Too bad 'Charlie' won't get ahead by Robert Bianco
Nathan Lane may not have found his TV hit yet, but he's getting warmer.

[ TB ]  Dating Games Review by Matthew Murray

[ CU ]  The Trojan Women Review
posted at 6/13/2003 08:07:06 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Thursday, June 12, 2003

[ NYT ]  ON STAGE AND OFF
Together Again by JESSE MCKINLEY
Marian Seldes and Brian Murray were seen together in Edward Albee's "Play About the Baby" in 2001, a production wherein both got good reviews and also apparently got along. Now, they are going to do it again, this time in a collection of short works by Mr. Albee and some guy named Samuel Beckett.
Plus, Audra McDonald's fall show is revealed!
posted at 6/12/2003 09:25:34 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ B ]  Our Lady of 121st Street to Close June 29

[ B ]  Legendary Actor Gregory Peck Dead at 87

[ B ]  Producers Plan B'way Return for West Side Story

[ B ]  Public Theater Announces 2003-2004 Season

[ P ]  Hollywood Legend Gregory Peck, Who Started on Stage, Dead at 87

[ P ]  Our Lady of 121st Street Ends Off-Broadway Run at Union Square, June 29

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Intrigue With Faye: Opening Night

[ P ]  2003 FringeNYC Shows Will Include Pinafore!, Poseidon! and Poop, Aug. 8-24

[ P ]  A Link to Tarzan: Hairspray's Morrison to Be Part of Disney Musical Workshop

[ P ]  C'est L'Amour: La Bohème, a Risk and a Dream Come True, Closes June 29
posted at 6/12/2003 07:29:30 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ YN ]  Actor Gregory Peck Dies at Age 87, Spokesman Says

[ IBDB ]  Gregory Peck's Broadway Credits

[ B ]  Stage Notes, 06/10/03 by Paul Wontorek

[ B ]  All-male Midsummer Night's Hits the West End

[ P ]  London�s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Gets Sleep July 24

[ P ]  Public Theater's 2003-2004 Season�Featuring Two New Musicals�Announced

[ P ]  Yazbek, O'Brien, Mitchell are Trio of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Musical

[ P ]  Nine Stars and Composer Sign Cast Album in Times Square, June 17

[ P ]  Antonio, Melanie, Chita, Jane and Jewel Appear at Free Broadway Under the Stars Concert Outdoors, June 16

[ P ]  Going Deeper Into Persia: National Actors' Persians Extends

[ P ]  Oscar-Winning "Chicago" to Return to Theatres This Summer, With New Number

[ P ]  Idiot Replaces The Lake at Williamstown Theatre Festival

[ P ]  Vital Theatre Company Is Out From Under It, June 26-July 19

[ P ]  "Lisa Simpson" Brings One-Woman Show to Joe�s Pub June 13

Features:

[ TB ]  From Broadway to the Piazza with Victoria Clark
Interview by David-Edward Hughes

[ B ]  Not on CD: An Update-Part Two by Ken Mandelbaum

Reviews:

[ YN ]  Theater Review: His Girl Friday by Bill Hagerty
LONDON (Hollywood Reporter) - American playwright and screenwriter John Guare ("Six Degrees of Separation") has done a masterly job in fusing together Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's 1928 "The Front Page," the greatest-ever play about newspapers and newspapermen, and Howard Hawks (news)' 1939 movie based on the play, "His Girl Friday."

[ B ]  Were Critics Wicked to Bway-bound Tuner?
posted at 6/12/2003 02:14:44 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ V ]  Trio of tuners piping up
'West Side,' 'Scoundrels,' 'Piazza' go to the White Way
Three big tuners are now in the works for Broadway: one major revival and two originals. The Nederlanders are looking to partner with Kevin McCollum and Jeffrey Seller to bring "West Side Story" to Broadway. No director-choreographer is set.

[ V ]  'Chicago' encore
Re-release with new scene to pump DVD
Miramax, which earlier this year said it would re-release "Confessions of a Dangerous Minds" in August, now plans to return Oscar best pic "Chicago" to theaters in July. In both cases, theatrical re-releases will serve to hype a release of the pic in homevid the next month.

[ V ]  Hollywood heading to B'way by Army Archerd

[ HC ]  `Hedwig' Gets August Booking by Frank Rizzo
With his "Post-mortem on the Tony Awards."

[ NYP ]  THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE 'OZ' by LOU LUMENICK
WATCH out for flying monkeys. The Yellow Brick Road leads straight to West 51st Street beginning tonight, when "Sing-a-Long Wizard of Oz" starts three weekends of performances at the Gershwin Theatre.

[ DN ]  Poor biz kills Luhrmann's 'La Boheme'

Reviews:

[ CCT ]  Musical's wicked good by Pat Craig
'WICKED" is a smart, sassy and wildly different musical look at the Land of Oz.

[ SFC ]  Every witch way by Robert Hurwitt
Spellbinding 'Wicked' a charming vision of Oz, but is a few bricks shy of a road
Thanks to Lois on All That Chat for the reviews above!

[ DN ]  High-tech play is low on drama by Howard Kissel
Kate Robin's "Intrigue With Faye" is a technological skit that has been stretched into a two-act play.

[ NYP ]  TWO FOR THE ROADKILL by DONALD LYONS
This gimmicky and incredible nonsense is a waste of two talented actors.

[ CU ]  Intrigue With Faye Review

[ NJ ]  Abstract play presents realistic characters BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
Performed and staged with quiet excellence, "Savannah Bay" is a moody and mysterious piece of grave beauty that opened Tuesday at Classic Stage Company.

[ TM ]  Ghosts Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ CST ]  The ladies who laugh, lunch and last BY HEDY WEISS
During a recent conversation with Elaine Stritch, I asked the actress what she might take on after she completes her tour of "Elaine Stritch At Liberty."
Reviews of "Elaine Stritch at Liberty" and Samuel Beckett's "Happy Days."

Features:

[ TS ]  The broad in Broadway by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN
Stage doyenne Elaine Stritch strides onto the stage with 2 1/2 hours of spellbinding story and song
Great stories about Jack Kennedy and Noel Coward...

[ BH ]  Outrageous! Wacky world of Amy Sedaris comes to life onstage with `Wigfield' by Robert Nesti

[ DN ]  It's our isle seat on Cuban theater by Robert Dominguez
Most people return from a visit to Cuba with expensive cigars hidden in their luggage. Ferra, the founder and artistic director of INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center in Manhattan, has made three trips to his homeland in the past four years to research Cuban theater.

[ OCR ]  At the masters' feet by LAURA BLEIBERG
An old-fashioned hoofers' musical, '42nd Street' taps to the talent of Busby Berkeley and Gower Champion.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!
posted at 6/12/2003 09:52:47 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Reviews:

[ B ]  Intrigue With Faye
Review by William Stevenson
Without a doubt, the sexiest actors currently sharing a New York stage are Julianna Margulies and Benjamin Bratt.

[ YN ]  'Intrigue' Offers Unique Therapy Session by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic
Lissa and Kean are the most unbearable people off-Broadway. Maybe on Broadway, too.
Even their names grate. Of course, they are also self-centered, neurotic and driven to talk endlessly about their problems.
Yeah, but how sexy are they? :-)

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'INTRIGUE WITH FAYE'
She Talks. He Talks. Let's Go to the Videotape. By BEN BRANTLEY
The wit and satiric flair of the play starring Benjamin Bratt and Julianna Margulies as lovers is confined to the show's videotaped sequences.

[ MN ]  'Wicked' trades 'Oz' whimsy for technical wizardry by Karen D'Souza
Dorothy isn't the only one who thinks there's no place like home. About an hour into "Wicked," in its world premiere at San Francisco's Curran Theatre, this reviewer started to yearn for a pair of ruby slippers.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'GHOSTS'
Bergman Reimagines Ibsen's Haunted Widow by BEN BRANTLEY
The focus on Woman as lover and involuntary killer, played by the ravishing Pernilla August in this reshaped vision of Ibsen's play, is pure Bergman.
posted at 6/12/2003 12:12:29 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ NYT ]  'La Boh�me' Is to Close After 228 Performances by JESSE McKINLEY
The production, which cost about $8.5 million to mount at the Broadway Theater, recouped only about a quarter of that investment.

[ TM ]  La Boh�me to Close on Broadway, June 29

[ B ]  Boh�me to Close June 29 at Broadway Theatre

[ ND ]  Goodbye, Tonys, Hello, New Projects by Gordon Cox
The thrill of winning an award isn't the only topic of discussion backstage at the Tonys. Many Broadway denizens also dropped some hints about their upcoming projects. Here are a few of those tidbits.

[ NYT ]  Beverly Bailis Karp, 72, Movie Producer, Is Dead
In recent years she produced a number of plays Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway.
I couldn't find any credits for her... can anyone help?

[ B ]  Williamstown Replaces Lake with Idiot

[ P ]  Carlin Glynn and "Third Watch" Stars Holed Up in Safe, Off-Bway, June 12-28

[ P ]  Patrick Stewart Is The Master Builder in London Staging, June 12

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: JUNE 12

[ P ]  Not in Kansas Anymore: Sing-A-Long Wizard of Oz Opens June 12 at Gershwin

[ P ]  Veils Removed: Oscar Wilde's Salome: The Reading Closes June 12

[ P ]  New York Theatre Workshop Co-Produces Flow with Hip-Hop Theatre Fest, June 12
posted at 6/12/2003 12:08:03 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Features:

[ TM ]  Friends of Dorothy by: Michael Portantiere
The Wizard of Oz gets the "sing-along" treatment in a Broadway theater.

[ NYT ]  A Novelist Finds Himself Ready to Mine His Own Past by DINITIA SMITH
For years the author Leslie Epstein has remembered his childhood through a kind of golden haze.
His father, Philip, and his uncle Julius were the famously funny, wisecracking identical twins who wrote "Casablanca," "The Man Who Came to Dinner" and "Arsenic and Old Lace."
posted at 6/12/2003 12:04:41 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Wednesday, June 11, 2003

[ P ]  La Boh�me Will Shutter on Broadway June 29
The risky, groundbreaking Broadway staging of Puccini's La Boh�me will close June 29 at the Broadway Theatre, the cast was told June 11.

posted at 6/11/2003 10:08:14 PM by the other James | Item Link

La Boheme to close 6/29. Shocked, shocked I say!
posted at 6/11/2003 06:24:22 PM by James Marino | Item Link

Features:

[ KRON ]  VIDEO: "Wicked" Musical Opens in SF
Thanks to jimnysf on All That Chat for the link!

[ RMN ]  Stand-up support by Lisa Bornstein
Actor Balaban directs one-man 'Addicted' toward New York

[ DP ]  'Brooklyn' is in the blood by John Moore
Fable delights Denver, but N.Y. a tougher 'hood
Thanks to American Theater Web for the two links above!

News:

[ P ]  Anthony Rapp's Hedwig Will Move From Pittsburgh to Hartford, Playing CT Aug. 2-17

[ P ]  Anna Paquin Cast in Cape Cod Reading of Manuscript

[ P ]  Willis, Conlee, Noseworthy, Knowlton Added to Starry Threepenny Opera in Williamstown

[ P ]  Luft and Garland Sing in New Musical Memoir, Songs My Mother Taught Me, July 10-Aug. 3 in L.A.

[ TM ]  Miles White Costume Drawings to be Auctioned

Reviews:

[ TB ]  4 Movie Songs Augment Grease at Paper Mill Review by Bob Rendell

[ CU ]  The Persians Review

[ CU ]  Savannah Bay Review
posted at 6/11/2003 05:24:41 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ P ]  Zanna, Musical About Keeping It Real in a Gay World and Keeping It Gay in the Real World, to Close

[ B ]  Off-B'way's Zanna, Don't! to Close on June 29

[ TM ]  Zanna, Don't! to Close on June 29

[ P ]  Rent Star Jesse L. Martin Hosts Our Time Theatre Benefit Honoring Austin Pendleton, June 11

[ P ]  London Richard III Opens June 11
posted at 6/11/2003 03:35:41 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

This just in: Off-Broadway's Zanna, Don't! to close on June 29. And, get this, it's eyeing a possible Broadway run!
posted at 6/11/2003 01:01:57 PM by Matthew Murray | Item Link

Features:

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
In the press room for the 2003 Tonys, the talk was about everything but the awards at hand.

[ B ]  In Philly, Boston or Baltimo' by Ken Mandelbaum
Time once again to bring up the subject of tryouts and the question of whether or not it's necessary for a show to play an out-of-town engagement prior to Broadway.

News:

[ P ]  �Anything Goes�: Caroline O�Connor is Merman in New Cole Porter Film

[ P ]  Mother-Daughter Prison Drama , Iron, Gets U.S. Premiere by MTC, Oct. 2-Dec. 21

[ P ]  New Hoch, Blessing, Baitz Plays Featured at Ojai Playwrights Conference, July 21-27

[ P ]  George Street Playhouse Season Features Arthur Laurents World Premiere & tick, tick . . . BOOM!

[ P ]  Dame Edna Comes to a City Near You in 2003-2004

[ P ]  Tony Roberts to Host Starry Benefit Concert June 29
posted at 6/11/2003 11:55:14 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ NYP ]  THE STRIFE OF BRIAN by MICHAEL RIEDEL
"VANESSA Redgrave is the most powerful actress I have ever worked with - and I've got the bruises to show it."
That's what Brian Dennehy intended to say about his "Long Day's Journey Into Night" co-star Sunday night when he accepted his Tony for Best Actor in a Play.

[ P ]  Broadway's July 4th Performance Schedule Changes

[ P ]  New York Cabaret Convention to Play Town Hall Oct. 20-26; Starry Schedule Announced
11 Jun

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: JUNE 11

[ P ]  Trust via Satellite: MCC's Intrigue With Faye with Bratt and Margulies Opens, June 11

[ P ]  The Shark Bites: Bobby Darin Show Mack the Knife Begins Off Broadway, June 11

Features:

[ NYTheatre ]  Interview: Michael Boatman of "Master Harold"... and the Boys

[ SFC ]  'Hill Street Blues' star just one of 'The Guys' by G. Allen Johnson
Down-to-earth Spano returns to Berkeley Rep

[ SFE ]  Whiz kid by LESLIE KATZ
Allison Schubert might look like television's Felicity, but among the more notable roles of the young actor's career is a female Yosemite Sam-type character in the original fringe production of "Urinetown."

Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'SAVANNAH BAY'
Women, Embracing Across Generations, Find Life in Memory by BRUCE WEBER
As with just about everything written by Marguerite Duras, her two-character play "Savannah Bay" wears its haunting quality on its sleeve.

[ B ]  Savannah Bay Review by Adam Feldman

[ TM ]  Savannah Bay Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ BH ]  Mismatched `Couple' founders by Robert Nesti
A not-so-funny thing happened on the way to the premiere of ``The Odd Couple'' at the Stoneham Theatre last week: Top-billed Pat Morita dropped out because of health concerns, leaving his co-star, Sherman Hemsley, without a Felix to play off his Oscar.

[ BG ]  Unfortunate timing yields odd 'Couple' by Gina Perille
Talk about letdown.

[ NYP ]  BLACK & WHITE, WITH REDS ALL OVER by DONALD LYONS
'A Bad Friend" is Jules Feiffer's sometimes affecting but ultimately unsuccessful account of a Red-diaper baby - a child of Communists who grows up bombarded with propaganda.

[ YN ]  'A Bad Friend' Recalls McCarthy Era by MICHAEL KUCHWARA
Pity the dissenter in a family of true believers, especially after those beliefs are brutally battered.
posted at 6/11/2003 07:41:14 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Tuesday, June 10, 2003

News:

[ P ]  Roundabout Sets Stewart Caretaker, Brokaw-Helmed Orchard and Threepenny Opera

[ B ]  Roundabout Readies Threepenny for 2004-2005
Well, I just got my ticket for Threepenny at Williamstown, so what do I care? :-)

[ B ]  Casting Complete for Millie National Tour

Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE PERSIANS'
Empire, and the Pride Before a Fall by MARGO JEFFERSON
The new production of Aeschylus's "Persians" at Pace University is more than "relevant" or "timely." It is heart-wrenching and terrifying.

[ CU ]  The Nerd Los Angeles Review

[ VV ]  Playing Politics
Fugard Builds an Allegory; Feiffer Deconstructs the Old Left by Michael Feingold
Athol Fugard's "MASTER HAROLD" . . . and the Boys; Jules Feiffer's A Bad Friend

Features:

[ CO ]  Designer: It was hard not to go overboard with Fierstein's costumes
RALEIGH, N.C. - Former Raleigh resident William Ivey Long, who won his fourth Tony Award on Sunday for designing costumes in "Hairspray," says the hardest part about the show was not going overboard on Harvey Fierstein's clothes.
posted at 6/10/2003 10:28:31 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Matthew, Happy Birthday to you! Since I can't really sing, I'll just type out the words. The cast and crew of BroadwayStars would like to wish Matthew Murray a very Happy Birthday!
posted at 6/10/2003 07:09:13 PM by Susan Heim | Item Link

Features:

[ TM ]  Craig's List by: Brian Scott Lipton
The popular playwright has two world premieres in June -- one in New York and one in Seattle.

[ BSUN ]  'Hairspray' closes the curtain on one generation's troubles by Michael Olesker
Who could have imagined? Forty years ago, if Buddy Deane Committee members thought about Broadway at all, it wasn't New York's Broadway -- it was a bus ride down to Lee's of Broadway, in Fells Point, where the boys bought their pegged pants and their pointy-toe shoes and then strolled around the corner to get their drape haircuts.

[ BS ]  Analyzing the Artistic Process
The American Theatre Wing's Working in the Theatre Seminars

News:

[ TM ]  Broadway In Bryant Park Series Kicks Off on June 16

[ P ]  Medea Director Creates The Angel Project for Lincoln Center Fest, July 1-27

[ P ]  Holgate, Noll, Hewitt Headline Urinetown Tour; Floodgates Open June 24 in San Fran

[ P ]  Marla Schaffel and Burke Moses Are Von Trapps in Sound of Music Tour, Launching July 6

[ P ]  Schedule of Upcoming Broadway Shows

[ P ]  Prince and the Pauper Tix Go for a Song on Friday the 13th: All Seats $13

[ P ]  "Radio Playbill" Previews New B�way Season June 9-15

[ P ]  Final Ratings for Tonys Down from 2002

[ P ]  Chalfant Brings Duras' Savannah Bay to Life, Opening June 10 at NYC's Classic Stage

[ P ]  2033 Jeff Citations for Non-Union Work in Chicago Go to Lifeline, TimeLine, The Hypocrites, Pegasus

[ B ]  Broadway Grosses: Master Shows Muscle
In the week before the Tony Awards, perhaps the biggest hotshot was a show that won't be eligible for the Tonys until 2004, "Master Harold"� and the boys. In its first post-opening week, the drama, which received mostly positive reviews, shot up $66,973.

[ B ]  Rose's Dilemma and Iron Confirmed for MTC

[ TM ]  Louise Pitre to Leave Mamma Mia! In October

Reviews:

[ BG ]  Director makes poetry of two very different plays by Ed Siegel
Michael Wilson, the head of Hartford Stage, currently has two plays on the boards -- Tennessee Williams's ''The Night of the Iguana'' at Hartford and a Tony-nominated adaptation of ''Enchanted April'' on Broadway.

[ CU ]  His Girl Friday London Review
posted at 6/10/2003 05:36:34 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ P ]  Denis O'Hare Cast as Oscar in Workshop of Broadway-Bound Sweet Charity

[ P ]  Karen Ziemba to Star in Regional Dinner Party

[ P ]  Nine's Leveaux and Butterell Tapped for Fiddler, Starting January 2004

[ P ]  Laura Benanti and Scott Foley Join Bway's The Violet Hour

[ B ]  Laura Benanti & Scott Foley Join Violet Hour Cast

[ B ]  Ratings for Tony Telecast Were Down Again

[ P ]  After Mrs. Rochester to Transfer to London�s Duke of York�s Theatre

[ P ]  London to See Two Dreams This Summer

Reviews:

[ TM ]  A Bad Friend Reviewed By: David Finkle
posted at 6/10/2003 01:56:27 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ YN ]  Greenberg's 'Violet Hour' Set for Fall
"The Violet Hour" will star Robert Sean Leonard, Jasmine Guy, Mario Cantone, Laura Benanti and Scott Foley, best known for his role on the television series "Felicity."

[ P ]  Rose's Dilemma, Neil Simon's 33rd Play, Gets Manhattan Theatre Club Berth, Nov. 20

[ P ]  Their Wicked Ways: New Schwartz Musical � with Chenoweth and Menzel � Opens in San Fran June 10

[ P ]  �Saturday Night Live� Alum Heads to the Chatterbox June 12

[ P ]  Louise Pitre to Leave Mamma Mia! in the Fall

Features:

[ B ]  Not on CD: An Update-Part One by Ken Mandelbaum
posted at 6/10/2003 10:51:28 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

The Tonys:

[ NYT ]  'Gypsy' Expected to Survive Tony Snub by ROBIN POGREBIN
Theater veterans predicted "Gypsy," which left Radio City Music Hall empty-handed after the Tony Awards Sunday night, would not suffer at the box office.

[ NYP ]  'SPRAY' WINNERS GAIN EXTRA HOLD by MICHAEL STARR and SUSAN KARLIN
'HAIRSPRAY" stars Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Winokur won Tonys Sunday night - and could use their new Broadway stardom to muscle their sitcoms onto ABC's schedule.

[ NYP ]  CINDY ADAMS
TONY-WINNER O'HARE 'OUT' AND ON HIS WAY

[ NYP ]  LIZ SMITH
RAVES FOR TONYS SHOW

[ G ]  A kiss is still a kiss ... even if it breaks all the rules of primetime television by Gary Younge

[ ND ]  A Coming Out Party at Tonys by Robert Kahn

[ ND ]  Tony Goes Partying by Gordon Cox
After awards ceremony, Broadway's best boogie

[ NYT ]  Slide Show: Tony Night

[ P ]  Tony Wins Signal Good News for Hairspray, Take Me Out, Journey Box Office

[ ST ]  Heady times for 5th Avenue in wake of 'Hairspray's' success By Misha Berson

[ PPG ]  Butler actress enjoys limelight, but briefly by Christopher Rawson
Sunday was Pawk night in midtown Manhattan, as Butler's Michele Pawk won the Tony Award for best featured actress in a play ("Hollywood Arms") and the Pawk table became one of the excited hot spots of the post-Tony dinner and ball.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the two links above, and for the Adam Guettel story below.

Features:

[ P-I ]  A moment with ... Adam Guettel, musical composer

[ WP ]  Backstage: Studio Theatre's 3-for-1 Special by Jane Horwitz
Caitlin Carter and Mamie Duncan-Gibbs of "Chicago" (second item); Jeffrey Hatcher (third item).

"A Bad Friend" - Reviews:

[ NJ ]  Family manifesto BY MICHAEL SOMMER
A Brooklyn teen copes with her parents' radical politics

[ DN ]  McCarthy-era tale just Stalin for time by Howard Kissel
In a program note to "A Bad Friend," Jules Feiffer explains that he was 23 in 1953, at the height of "the domestic Cold War that came to be called McCarthyism."

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'A BAD FRIEND'
Uncle Joe Smiles Down on a Family of Old Lefties by BRUCE WEBER
Jules Feiffer's uneven but gnawingly thoughtful new play resonates with painful nostalgia and honestly appraised personal history.

[ B ]  A Bad Friend Review by William Stevenson

Other Reviews:

[ LAT ]  An assured 'Nerd' by F. Kathleen Foley
At the Colony Theatre, French Stewart adds panache to a fine staging of Larry Shue's broad comedy.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | MARATHON 2003
Take It Easy, Ophelia; A Swim Will Do You Good by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER
Series B, the second portion of Ensemble Studio Theater's 26th annual festival, is an intriguing cornucopia of creativity.

[ NYT ]  CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK
Puppets Mine Unexpected Emotional Territory by BEN BRANTLEY
Basil Twist's custom-made puppets get under your skin in Paula Vogel's ritualistic new drama by the Trinity Repertory Company.

[ NJ ]  Doleful 'Sandpilot' buried in repetition BY PETER FILICHIA
How fitting that "Sandpilot," the new play at Luna Stage in Montclair, should be staged in the round. Ron McLarty's play goes round and round, and where it stops, nobody cares.

[ ATW ]  Review: "Master Harold"

[ ATW ]  Last Minute Revelation Can't Reverse Impatience with Last Dance

[ ATW ]  The Jukebox That is Grease Hits the Stage in NJ

News:

[ CST ]  The Hypocrites, TimeLine Theatre snare the top Jeffs BY HEDY WEISS
Two exceptional revivals--TimeLine Theatre's searing version of "Awake and Sing," the Depression-era classic by Clifford Odets, and the Hypocrites' stunningly stylized version of "Machinal," Sophie Treadwell's 1927 feminist classic about a woman on the edge--were named best dramatic productions of the 2002-03 season Monday night as the Jeff Citations were presented at the Park West.

[ CST ]  New Northlight musical will pair Terkel's text with Berlin's songs

[ P ]  More "Jazz": Chicago Tour Begins June 10 in D.C.

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: JUNE 10

[ P ]  Playwright Garth Wingfield Plays Dating Games, June 10-22

[ P ]  Harlem on Their Minds: New Musical, From My Hometown, Makes NYC Bow June 10

[ P ]  Swedish Swan Song: Ingmar Bergman's Final Stage Effort, Ghosts, Plays BAM June 10-14

[ P ]  Broadway Grosses: June 2-8

[ B ]  The Play What I Wrote to Close on June 15
posted at 6/10/2003 08:14:01 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Monday, June 09, 2003

The Tonys:

[ P ]  Tony Broadcast Ratings Up Slightly From 2002

[ BS ]  Drama Dispatch: June 9, 2003: Tony Tidbits

[ TS ]  Hairspray takes hold of the Tonys by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN
With some comments about what Richard calls "the anti-Canadianism in Dennehy's acceptance speech."

News:

[ TM ]  The Play What I Wrote to Close on June 15

[ P ]  London Comedy The Play What I Wrote to Close on Broadway June 15

[ YN ]  Joyner to Help Promote Black Festival
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Tom Joyner, one of the nation's top-rated radio personalities, plans to help promote the National Black Theatre Festival.

[ P ]  Play Premieres Fill Atlantic Theatre Company 2004 Season Lineup

[ P ]  Memorial for Stage Manager Trey Hunt to Be Held on June 12

[ P ]  Stephen Sondheim Musical Passion Released on DVD/VHS, June 10

[ P ]  Lonny Price to Direct Patti LuPone in Doll at Ravinia

Reviews:

[ TM ]  Grease! New Jersey Review By: Meredith Lee

[ TM ]  Trojan Women: A Love Story Reviewed By: Adam Klasfeld

[ TM ]  Tunes, Tomes, & Videos
Matthew Murray gives a close listen to PS Classics' cast album of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Nine.

Features:

[ BS ]  GAle GAtes Closing, But with Pride and Ever Hope
Although performer-producer Michelle Stern insists that the demise of GAle GAtes et al., the Brooklyn-based experimental theatre company, is "an opportunity to move on," disappointment is evident.

[ BS ]  SDCF Confab Charts New Stage Directions
The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation's annual weekend-long symposiums have become vital, season-ending industry events: one part networking session, one part professional think tank.
posted at 6/9/2003 05:40:56 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ USA ]  Kate Winslet, Sam Mendes marry

posted at 6/9/2003 03:59:31 PM by James Marino | Item Link

Video clips from THE EARLY SHOW...

[ CBS ]  FROG AND TOAD "Get a load of Toad"

[ CBS ]  HAIRSPRAY "Without Love"

[ CBS ]  NINE

[Thanks to Barry for sending the links on to us!]
posted at 6/9/2003 03:23:53 PM by James Marino | Item Link

This just in: The Play What I Wrote will close on Broadway on June 15. (Tony casualty number one? How many more may follow?)
posted at 6/9/2003 02:26:36 PM by Matthew Murray | Item Link

[ CNY ]  Tonys finish third in ratings, early numbers show
Early indications show that Sunday night's broadcast of the Tony Awards drew a similar number of viewers as last year, but that may not be enough to ensure the show a future at CBS
posted at 6/9/2003 02:13:58 PM by James Marino | Item Link

News:

[ B ]  Def Poetry Jam Eyes Edinburgh Fringe Fest

[ P ]  Harvey Fierstein Working on New Musical with John Bucchino

The Tonys:

[ TM ]  A Gay Old Time at the Tonys by: David Finkle

[ B ]  Thank You! Tony Acceptance Speeches

[ B ]  Quotable Quotes: On the Red Carpet

[ B ]  Quotable Quotes: The Tony Ceremony

[ B ]  2003 Tony Awards Telecast Review by Adam Feldman

Reviews:

[ B ]  DVDs: Is This What You Call Love? by Ken Mandelbaum
PASSION (Image Entertainment)

Features:

[ P ]  Meet Broadway's New Audiences
The Broadway of the twenty-first century began to take shape this season.

[ P ]  Opera Goes Broadway Goes Opera
This season, Puccini's La Boh�me was packing them in.
posted at 6/9/2003 12:23:51 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ P ]  Hairspray Composing Team Developing Musical of "Catch Me If You Can" with Spielberg

[ B ]  Shaiman & Wittman to Bring Catch Me to Stage

[ B ]  Nine to Keep Cast Through November
The theater company is looking to recast and run the production indefinitely.

[ P ]  Nine Cast in Talks to Extend Stay on Broadway Through November

[ P ]  Jack O'Brien Hopes London Hit His Girl Friday Will Come to New York

[ P ]  Richard Greenberg Says He's Finished With Baseball as a Drama Subject

[ P ]  Tony Winner Michele Pawk Discusses Part in Sondheim Musical Bounce

THE TONYS - Features:

[ B ]  Which Pundit Had the Clearest Crystal Ball?

[ B ]  Quotable Quotes: 2003 Tony Press Room

[ LAT ]  TELEVISION REVIEW
Selling Broadway to the masses by Don Shirley
The Tonys served as a three-hour pitch for New York and the Great White Way.

[ NYP ]  WILTED ROSE by MICHAEL RIEDEL
Last night, Broadway put a finishing touch on a theater season that has been unusually rich in off-stage drama.

[ NYT ]  Broadway Enjoys Its Moment by JESSE McKINLEY
This year's Tony Awards has proven to be both an awards ceremony and an entertainment show, as reflected in performances by Billy Joel and Bernadette Peters.

[ DN ]  'Hairspray' teases Tony; 'Take Me' hits a triple by Howard Kissel
Big winners are giants in a diminished landscape

[ ND ]  Stars in Tony State of Mind by Robert Kahn
Aussie X-man Hugh Jackman, host of the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall, sat 15 rows back in the audience for most of yesterday morning, cheerfully greeting visitors with a "G'day" or "Nice to see you."

[ DN ]  Fierstein's role can be kind of a drag by PATRICIA O'HAIRE, JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ and ROBERT DOMINGUEZ
Plus Dennehy, Joel etc.

[ R ]  A Gay Night for Many Tony Award Winners by Larry Fine
The 57th Tony Awards show was a big night for gays on Broadway, with top honors going to gay-themed productions and artists relishing the openness that has marked this theatrical season.

[ DN ]  Main St. sees B'way let its 'Hair' down by David Hinckley
As the annual house awards for Broadway theater, last night's 57th Tony Awards provided an evening of fast-paced and jolly good television fun.
But this year, in particular, that isn't the only thing that the home city was looking for.

[ NYP ]  REAL DRAMA TAKES PLACE BEHIND THE SCENES by CINDY ADAMS

[ P ]  Tony Winner Billy Joel Plays One-Date Bus Tour

THE TONYS - Photos:

[ NYP ]  BROADWAY'S BOMBSHELLS by LIBBY CALLAWAY
The biggest Broadway hit of the year may have featured two chunky women in kitschy Pucci gowns, but the outrageous styles of "Hairspray" stars Edna and Tracey Turnblad were nowhere to be found at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday night.

[ NYP ]  Photos: 57th Tony Awards

[ B ]  Photo Op: Tonys 2003: Winners' Circle

[ B ]  Photo Op: Tonys 2003: Stars Shine on the Red Carpet

[ B ]  Photo Op: Tonys 2003: Unforgettable Fashion

[ B ]  Photo Op: Tonys 2003: Classy Couples on the Red Carpet

[ P ]  Tony 2003 Arrivals: Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Edie Falco and Stanley Tucci

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Chita Rivera and Melanie Griffith

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Marissa Jaret Winokur

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Avenue Q''s John Tartaglia and Friends

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Jane Krakowski and Rosie Perez

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Brian Stokes Mitchell and Allyson Tucker

[ P ]  Tony 2003 Arrivals: Melissa Errico and Patrick McEnroe

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Alan Cumming and Bebe Neuwirth

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Joey Fatone

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Eddie Izzard and Victoria Hamilton

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Michelle Pawk and John Dossett

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: John Selya and Ashley Tuttle

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Fiona Shaw and Deborah Warner

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Scott Wittman, Rachelle Rak, Marc Shaiman and John Waters

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Hugh and Deborah Jackman

[ P ]  Tonys 2003 Arrivals: Bernadette Peters

THE TONYS - The Winners:

[ NYT ]  Bright Colors, Dark Reality Define the Year by ROBIN POGREBIN
"Hairspray" proved to be the the right show at the right time, winning eight prizes at the 57th annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall.

[ NJ ]  Big 'do on Broadway BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

[ USA ]  'Hairspray' nets 8 Tonys by Elysa Gardner

[ DN ]  It's a good 'Hair' day by RICHARD HUFF

[ ND ]  Hair's Looking at You! by Blake Green

[ TM ]  Tony Awards Bestowed at Radio City Music Hall

[ B ]  2003 Tony Award Winners Announced

[ P ]  Just the Facts: List of 2003 Tony Award Winners

Other Features:

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
In alphabetical order, Filichia lists the shows and artists that made this theater season memorable.

[ ND ]  Feiffer's Take on McCarthyism by Blake Green
Acerbic cartoonist braves playwriting again, this time for Lincoln Center

Reviews:

[ NYP ]  UPDATED 'TROJAN' A REAL TRAGEDY by DONALD LYONS
THERE are various ways of modernizing Greek tragedy. The best and most exciting is to play the text straight but inject it with a contemporary energy and rage - as Fiona Shaw and Deborah Warner did with their electric "Medea."

[ NJ ]  Paper Mill's 'Grease' won't stir your '50s nostalgia BY PETER FILICHIA

Other News:

[ NYT ]  Karl Genus, 84, Early Television Director by ERIC PACE
Karl Genus was a prolific and versatile early director of television programs, mainly on cultural subjects.

[ IBDB ]  Karl Genus' Broadway Credits

[ P ]  Feldshuh, Kudisch, Barrett and Others Salute 1960 Broadway June 9

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: JUNE 9

[ P ]  Golden Ticket: Musical Avenue Q Broadway Box Office Opens June 9

[ P ]  Red Scare: Lincoln Center Goes Bad, as Feiffer Premiere Opens June 9

[ P ]  Tim Robbins Returns to Off-Broadway's Trumbo, June 9

[ P ]  Aronson's Art Room Gets New England Premiere, June 12

[ P ]  Obie Winner Ty Jones Stars in Classical Theater of Harlem's Macbeth, July 9

[ P ]  Sounds Like Love: Zanna, Don't! Cast Album Gets Recorded June 9

[ P ]  Best of Chicago's Non-Equity Scene Honored June 9 at 2003 Joseph Jefferson Citations Awards

[ P ]  Basil Langton, British Actor Who Worked in London, U.S. and Canada, Dead at 91
posted at 6/9/2003 08:41:07 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Sunday, June 08, 2003

[ P ]  Take Me Out, Hairspray Are Top Winners in 2003 Tony Awards; Long Day's Journey, Nine Also Hot
posted at 6/8/2003 11:29:02 PM by Matthew Murray | Item Link

2003 Tony Award Winners!!!

Best Musical: Hairspray Producers: Margo Lion, Adam Epstein, The Baruch-Viertel-Routh-Frankel Group, James D. Stern/Douglas L. Meyer, Rick Steiner/Frederic H. Mayerson, SEL & GFO, New Line Cinema, Clear Channel Entertainment, A. Gordon/E. McAllister, D. Harris/M. Swinsky, J. & B. Osher

Best Direction of a Musical: Jack O'Brien, Hairspray

Best Book of a Musical: Hairspray Book by: Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan

Best Original Score: Hairspray Music: Marc Shaiman Lyrics: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman

Best Orchestrations: Billy Joel and Stuart Malina, Movin' Out

Best Choreography: Twyla Tharp, Movin' Out

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical: Harvey Fierstein, Hairspray

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Marissa Jaret Winokur, Hairspray

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical: Dick Latessa, Hairspray

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical: Jane Krakowski, Nine The Musical

----
Best Play: Take Me Out Author: Richard Greenberg Producers: Carole Shorenstein Hays, Frederick DeMann, The Donmar Warehouse and The Public Theater

Best Direction of a Play: Joe Mantello, Take Me Out

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play: Brian Dennehy, Long Day's Journey Into Night

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play: Vanessa Redgrave, Long Day's Journey Into Night

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play: Denis O'Hare, Take Me Out

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Michele Pawk, Hollywood Arms

----
Best Scenic Design: Catherine Martin, La Boheme

Best Costume Design: William Ivey Long, Hairspray

Best Lighting Design: Nigel Levings, La Boheme

----
Best Revival of a Play: Long Day's Journey Into Night Producers: David Richenthal, Max Cooper, Eric Falkenstein, Anthony and Charlene Marshall, Darren Bagert, Kara Medoff, Lisa Vioni, Gene Korf

Best Revival of a Musical: Nine The Musical Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Ellen Richard, Julia C. Levy

Best Special Theatrical Event: Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on Broadway Producers: Russell Simmons, Stan Lathan, Jonathan Reinis, Richard Martini, Larry Magid, Allen Spivak, Kimora Lee Simmons, Jeffrey Chartier, Stacy Carter, Island Def Jam Music Group

posted at 6/8/2003 11:00:00 PM by James Marino | Item Link

News:

[ V ]  Canuck fests SARS-struck
Tix sales slide; 'Lion' sets close
Fear of SARS and less-than-stellar critical response to their opening weeks is causing some tense times at Canada's Shaw and Stratford Festivals.

[ V ]  Biz off; 'Journey' hot
Broadway grosses

[ V ]  B.O. rises; 'Wicked' 547g
Road grosses

[ V ]  Noises Off: Summer stocking

Features:

[ WE ]  TO BROADWAY AND BACK BY BUD NORMAN
Music Theatre of Wichita has sent performers on to Broadway and lured some back for the new season.
With quotes from Matt Bogart on his upcoming role in OKLAHOMA!

[ WE ]  'Good News!' opens MTW season BY BUD NORMAN
The current production stars Broadway veterans Hal Davis and Linda Michele as a coach and professor, and the younger players include Julie Hanson, who will head from Wichita shortly after closing to make her Broadway debut in "The Phantom of the Opera."
Thanks to Wayne for the links!
posted at 6/8/2003 04:13:38 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

The Tonys:

[ ND ]  Fast Chat: Chita Rivera by Susan Reiter

[ ND ]  Movin' Well by Blake Green
John Selya puts Twyla Tharp's dances to Billy Joel's music and steps into a nomination

[ ND ]  TAKE5 Before Broadway by Andy Edelstein
Several of Sunday night's Tony Award nominees (airing on WCBS/2 at 8 p.m.) have logged TV time before gaining recognition on stage. Here are five.

[ INQ ]  The musical's the thing by Desmond Ryan
A couple of weeks ago, Tom Meehan, who cowrote the books for the smash-hit musicals The Producers and Hairspray, took a plane to Los Angeles - a destination that says much about the direction of Broadway.

[ DN ]  A call for fresh ideas by Howard Kissel
Tonight's Tonys will remind us that Broadway drama needs urgent new writing

[ NYP ]  KID VS. MAMA IN TONYS WAR by MICHAEL RIEDEL
Broadway is throwing a splashy party - the Tony Awards - tonight, capping a theater season that has been unusually rich in off-stage drama.

[ HC ]  1962: The Last Age Of Innocence by MALCOLM JOHNSON
The year 1962 seemed unremarkable at the time, hardly a benchmark to be celebrated in 2003.
Yet with "Hairspray" poised to win the top Tony award, for best musical, 1962 is here - now and forever, as the "Cats" billboards once touted.

Thanks to American Theater Web for the following Tony stories!

[ DMN ]  Think you know jack about Tony? Try Uncle Barky's trivia test by ED BARK

[ CU ]  Actress nominee is busy, blessed BY CHRISTINE DOLEN
It's a coolish early evening in May, and Jayne Atkinson is running late.

[ SD ]  O'Brien's far from the madding (New York) crowd by ANNE MARIE WELSH

[ CE ]  3 Cincinnati guys could share a Tony by Jackie Demaline

[ IS ]  Performance worthy of a Tony by Peter Szatmary
Ben Davis wasn't nominated for a 2003 Tony Award for his featured role in "La Boheme." Yet the 1993 Lawrence North High School graduate will take one home, anyway.
Includes a picture of him in a show in the fifth grade!

[ IS ]  Operatic experiment went 'terrifically well' by Peter Szatmary
Former Indianapolis resident Ben Davis, who depicts a secondary lead, Marcello, in four performances a week, thinks it has a great chance to beat "Gypsy," "Nine" and "Man of La Mancha" for musical revival because the show takes chances that the more conventional competition doesn't.

Other Features:

[ CST ]  A landmark move BY MARY HOULIHAN
Lookingglass Theatre has become one of Chicago's most respected ensembles, staging imaginative work and slowly building to its latest adventure--a move to a newly renovated performance space in the Water Tower Water Works.

[ CST ]  David and Goliath: The men of 'Race' BY HEDY WEISS
A decade in Hollywood as one of the highest paid actors in television has not spoiled David Schwimmer. He remains the same thoughtful, down-to-earth, quietly confident person that he was 10 years ago, when, still in his 20s, he helped create the Lookingglass Theatre and make it a contender on the Chicago scene.

[ WP ]  A Role With a Better Script by Paula Span
Former NEA Chief Jane Alexander Returns to Town -- and the Stage

[ NYT ]  LETTERS
Photo Blogs; 'Urban Cowboy'; 'The Matrix'
posted at 6/8/2003 03:07:15 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ STARS ]  Photos: Down Memory Lane With The Tony Awards
Photos from the Collection of Ellis Nassour

[ STARS ]  Poignant Tony Memories: Theatre Wing's Isabelle Stevenson and Roy Somlyo Recall Memorable Tony Moments by Ellis Nassour
American Theatre Wing chair Isabelle Stevenson and president Roy Somlyo's Tony Awards memories.

[ STARS ]  Tony Memories, Highs and Lows by Ellis Nassour
From the first national Tony Awards telecast in 1967 right through last year's presentation, there've been many memorable moments - certainly too many to list. But not these with Dorothy Loudon, Patricia Neal, Marian Seldes, Ann Miller and Nine's Mario Fratti. Much more...

posted at 6/8/2003 08:00:00 AM by James Marino | Item Link

Features:

[ NYT ]  Hip-Hop and Musicals: Made for Each Other? by JEREMY McCARTER
Hip-hop theater's fusion of verse and song makes it a kind of natural successor to the traditional musical.

[ NYT ]  Ingmar Bergman's Loud Goodbye by BEN BRANTLEY
Igmar Bergman will say farewell to the theater by staging Ibsen's "Ghosts" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music from Tuesday through Saturday.

[ NYT ]  EXCERPT
'Intrigue With Faye'
"I, the undersigned, do hereby swear to give up lying to others and/or myself for the remaining � what is it? Thirty whatever days of Lent."

[ NYT ]  Santo Loquasto Adds the Afterlife to the Worlds He's Designed by VALERIE GLADSTONE
"It's my job to help create a visual narrative," says Santo Loquasto, the set and costume designer for American Ballet Theater's "HereAfter."

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Hairspray: Dynamite Day on Wall Street

News:

[ P ]  More �Jazz�: Chicago Tour Begins June 10 in D.C.

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: JUNE 8

[ P ]  Big Night on Broadway: 2003 Tony Awards Handed Out June 8

[ P ]  Twentysomethings Wonder What It's All About in Off-Off-Bway's Quiet Homily, June 8-10
posted at 6/8/2003 12:37:20 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

BroadwayStars is powered by Blogger Pro!

[Past News]

BROADWAYSTAR'S FIVE DAY FORECAST

2007-08
Broadway Season

June 28 - Old Acquaintance (AA)

July 10 - Xanadu (Hayes) [Robert Ahrens, Dan Vickery, Tara Smith/B. Swibel and Sarah Murchison/Dale Smith]

Aug 19 - Grease (Atkinson)

Oct 4 - Mauritius (Biltmore) [MTC]

Oct 11 - The Ritz (54)

Oct 18 - Pygmalion (AA)

Oct 25 - A Bronx Tale (Kerr)

Nov 1 - Cyrano de Bergerac (Rodgers)

Nov 4 - Rock 'N' Roll (Jacobs)

Nov 8 - Young Frankenstein (Hilton)

Nov 9 - Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (St. James)

Nov 10: Local One Strike Begins

Nov 28: Local One Strike Ends

Dec 2 - Cymbeline (Beaumont)

Dec 3 - The Farnsworth Invention (Music Box) [Dodger Properties with Steven Spielberg, Dan Cap Productions, Fred Zollo, Latitude Link and the Pelican Group]

Dec 4 - August: Osage County (Imperial) [Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler, Jerry Frankel, Steppenwolf]

Dec 6 - The Seafarer (Booth)

Dec 9 - Is He Dead? (Lyceum)

Dec 16 - The Homecoming (Cort) [Richards, Frankel]

Jan 10 - The Little Mermaid (Lunt)

Jan 15 - The 39 Steps (AA)

Jan 17 - November (Barrymore)

Jan 24 - Come Back, Little Sheba (Biltmore)

Feb 21 - Sunday In The Park With George (54)

Feb 28 - Passing Strange (Belasco)

Mar 6 - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Broadhurst) [Stephen C. Byrd]

Mar 9 - In The Heights (Rodgers)

Mar 27 - Gypsy (St. James)

Mar 29 - Macbeth (Lyceum)

Apr 3 - South Pacific (Beaumont)

Apr 17 - A Catered Affair (Kerr) [Jujamcyn Theaters, Jordan Roth, Harvey Entertainment / Ron Fierstein, Richie Jackson and Daryl Roth]

Apr 24 - Cry Baby (Marquis)

Apr 27 - The Country Girl (Jacobs)

Apr 30 - Thurgood (Booth)

May 1 - Les Liaisons Dangereuses (AA)

May 4 - Boeing-Boeing (Longacre)

May 7 - Top Girls (Biltmore)

TBA - Godspell

2008-09
Broadway Season

Oct 16 - Billy Elliot (Imperial)

Nov 08 - Dividing the Estate (a Shubert theater)

Dec 14 - Shrek: The Musical (Broadway) [DreamWorks]

Talked About
Not Scheduled Yet

TBA - 50 Words

TBA - Addams Family (Elephant Eye)

TBA - American Buffalo

TBA - An American Vaudeville [Farrell, Perloff]

TBA - The Beard of Avon [NYTW]

TBA - Being There [Permut]

TBA - Benny & Joon [MGM]

TBA - Billy Elliot

TBA - Brave New World [Rachunow]

TBA - Breath of Life [Fox]

TBA - Busker Alley [Margot Astrachan, Robert Blume, Kristine Lewis, Jamie Fox, Joanna Kerry & Heather Duke]

TBA - Broomhilda

TBA - Bye Bye Birdie [Niko]

TBA - Camille Claudel [Wildhorn]

TBA - Camelot

TBA - Carmen [Robin DeLevita and The Firm]

TBA - Catch Me If You Can

TBA - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Bob and Harvey Weinstein]

TBA - Cry Baby [Grazer, Gordon, McAllister, Epstein]

TBA - Designing Women [Alexis]

TBA - Don Juan DeMarco [New Line]

TBA - Dreamgirls [Creative Battery]

TBA - Duet

TBA - Equus

TBA - Ever After [Adam Epstein]

TBA - Fallen Angels (Shubert) [Kenwright]

TBA - Farragut North [Richards]

TBA - Father of the Bride

TBA - The Female Of The Species (TBA)

TBA - Fool For Love (AA) [Roundabout]

TBA - Girl Group Time Travelers

TBA - Golden Boy

TBA - Harmony [Guiles, Karslake, Smith, Fishman]

TBA - Hitchcock Blonde

TBA - The Importance Of Being Earnest

TBA - Jerry Springer: The Opera! [Thoday, McKeown]

TBA - Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train (Circle)

TBA - Josephine [Waissman]

TBA - Leap of Faith

TBA - A Little Princess [Ettinger, Dodger]

TBA - Midnight Cowboy [MGM]

TBA - The Minstrel Show - Kander and Ebb and Stroman

TBA - Moonstruck [Pittelman, Azenberg]

TBA - Mourning Becomes Electra [Haber, Boyett]

TBA - Monsoon Wedding

TBA - The Night of the Hunter

TBA - The Opposite of Sex [Namco]

TBA - Orphans

TBA - Pal Joey [Platt]

TBA - Paper Doll

TBA - The Paris Letter

TBA - The Philadelphia Story

TBA - Peter Pan

TBA - Porgy and Bess [Frankel, Viertel, Baruch, Routh, Panter, Tulchin/Bartner]

TBA - The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert

TBA - The Princess Bride

TBA - Princesses [Lane, Comley]

TBA - Poe the Musical

TBA - Rain Man [MGM]

TBA - Robin Hood

TBA - Secondhand Lions

TBA - South Pacific

TBA - Speed-the-Plow

TBA - Stalag 17

TBA - Starry Messenger

TBA - Syncopation

TBA - A Tale Of Two Cities

TBA - Torch Song Trilogy

TBA - Turn of the Century

TBA - West Side Story

TBA - The Wall [Weinstein, Mottola, Waters]

TBA - Will Rogers Follies [Cossette]

TBA - The Wiz [Dodger]

TBA - Zanna [Dalgleish]

This list is compiled from various sources. If you have corrections to the Broadway Season, please contact us.

(none) | 172.71.255.89

NEW!

TICKETS

CHAT

BROADWAY NEWS

NYC AREA NEWS

WEST END

CHICAGO

LA/SF

COLUMNS

PODCAST

MUSIC

RADIO

TV

AWARDS

DATABASE

ROAD HOUSES

REVIEWS

FESTIVALS

SPECIAL

EDUCATION

UNIONS/TRADE

NYC NON-PROFITS

REGIONAL

KEWL

2007-08Broadway Season

2008-09Broadway Season

Talked AboutNot Scheduled Yet

2007-08
Broadway Season

2008-09
Broadway Season

Talked About
Not Scheduled Yet