Saturday, November 08, 2003

[ NYT ]  'Town' Cancels Performances
The cancellations recall the business troubles the current Broadway revival of "Gypsy" faced early on, when its star, Bernadette Peters, was absent because of illness. But Roger Berlind, one of the producers of "Wonderful Town," said this was a very different case. "This is just a one-time occurrence," he said. "It's pretty darn expensive. But it's worth it to make sure Donna's in good shape."

Features:

[ NYT ]  Uncovering the Humor in Pinter's Pawn-and-Catalyst Caretaker by MEL GUSSOW
Patrick Stewart's role as Davies in "The Caretaker" is socially and culturally removed from other Stewart characters, but emotionally there is a connection to past roles.

[ ND ]  Constant Chameleon by Gordon Cox
Boy George, subject and star of the new musical 'Taboo,' continues to redefine himself

[ ND ]  The White Way to Yellow by Blake Green
Doing the expected isn't something that remotely interests Rosie O'Donnell - from naming her children ("after no one I ever met") to producing a Broadway show. In her offices high above Times Square, the former television talk show host and magazine editor is wearing casual, paint-flecked togs more reflective of her artist's studio back home in New Jersey than 1 Canvas Productions, her company whose first project is the flashy new Broadway musical "Taboo."

[ LAT ]  The stage mother from ... by Patrick Pacheco
Rosie O'Donnell has sunk $10 million into 'Taboo,' so she's entitled to yell a bit, no? Not that she intends to.

[ BSUN ]  Latest Sondheim creation bouncing right along by Mary Carole McCauley
Audience reaction affecting 'Bounce,' a musical with built-in flexibility
In that case, they should be listening to me very closely in seat E-21 of the balcony this afternoon...

[ TM ]  Photo File by: Michael Portantiere and Joseph Marzullo
The one and only Carol Channing stars in this look at recent New York openings and special events.

[ P ]  DIVA TALK: Mary Cleere Haran Chats About Lincoln Center, The Boy From Oz on Disc PLUS News of LuPone and Streisand

[ BS ]  Getting 'Frankie' Made
A couple turns a bumpy theatrical ride into a smooth-sailing film.

[ HC ]  Worldviews Through Unique Lenses by ANDRE BOWSER
Forum Speakers Share Perspectives
Julie Taymor.

[ LAT ]  A Jewish cultural gem by Sonya Yee
After Hitler annexed Austria in 1938, the Nestroyhof theater in Vienna was boarded up. Can it be revived?

Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features!

[ CCT ]  Diva persona fits ZinZanni actress by PAT CRAIG
Liliane Montevecchi.

[ MST ]  Road clip: 'Mamma Mia!' star returning to Twin Cities to tool around her formative years by Rohan Preston
Ellen Harvey.

[ MST ]  Suzan-Lori Parks takes life easy on top by Graydon Royce

News:

[ NYT ]  John Gleason, Whose Lights Colored the Stage in New Ways, Dies at 62 by NORA KRUG
John Gleason was a lighting designer and teacher who developed new ways to use color in theatrical productions, including "The Great White Hope" and "Lorelei."

[ IBDB ]  John Gleason's Broadway Credits

[ TM ]  49th Annual Obie Awards Judges Announced

[ B ]  Comic Solo Show Addicted to Open in January

[ B ]  Lypsinka! As I Lay Lip-Synching to Close Jan. 4

[ B ]  MTC Adds Joe Hortua's More to Season Lineup

[ Z ]  Rickman, Mos Def Find 'Lord' for HBO

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: NOVEMBER 8

[ P ]  Little Shop of Horrors Star Heads to the Chatterbox Nov. 13

[ P ]  Sing Out!The Karaoke Show by Donkey Team Starts in New York City, Nov. 8

[ P ]  William Swetland, Respected Actor Who Made a Career at Long Wharf, Dead at 90

[ P ]  Will Gartshore Is Hero of Revised Allegro, the R&H Experiment Being Retested by DiPietro & Schaeffer

[ P ]  Megan Mullally Makes Chicago-Area Concert Appearances to Benefit Skokie's Northlight Theatre Nov. 22

[ P ]  Little Shop's Butler to Sing on "Weekend Today"

[ P ]  Comedy Gals Kathy and Mo Have Afterbirth Off-Broadway in June

[ P ]  Lypsinka to End Off-Broadway Run of As I Lay Lip Synching, Jan. 4

[ P ]  Ayvazian Stars in Her Anti-War-Themed Play, Lovely Day, at Pittsburgh City Theatre; Opens Nov. 7

[ P ]  Andrew Gans to Sing The Story Book at Don't Tell Mama Dec. 29 and 30

[ P ]  PBOL'S THEATRE WEEK IN REVIEW, Nov. 1-7: Rosie the Riveting

[ P ]  Primary Stages and Hairspray Cast Members Honor Harvey Fierstein, Nov. 10

[ P ]  Audra McDonald and Brent Barrett Featured in PBS Wonderful Town Concert

Reviews:

[ NJ ]  'Color Me Dark' a bright sign for Crossroads BY PETER FILICHIA

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'SINGULAR SENSATIONS'
Back Where She Belongs: Carol Channing Reminisces by MARGO JEFFERSON

[ TM ]  The Siegel Column
Barbara & Scott in praise of Wicked, in despair over Six Dance Lessons, and in harmony with Connie Pachl and Bill Daugherty.

[ TM ]  Like I Say
Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ CU ]  Wicked
Review
posted at 11/8/2003 09:08:55 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ ND ]  Still Down to Eartha by Michael Bracken
'Just give me a minute to strip," said Eartha Kitt, wiggling her slinky body from side to side, wearing only a black teddy and heels.
posted at 11/8/2003 07:40:07 AM by James Marino | Item Link

Friday, November 07, 2003

[ P ]  Wonderful Town Cancels Weekend Performances as Murphy Illness Persists
Producers of the new revival of Wonderful Town have canceled its Nov. 7-9 performances, according to a spokesman for the show. Star Donna Murphy, who has the flu, has been advised by her physician not to perform.

[ B ]  Murphy's Flu Causes Town Delay to Continue
posted at 11/7/2003 07:54:56 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ P ]  Wonderful Town Cancels Nov. 7 Performance as Murphy Illness Persists
And Michael Dale just posted the following on All That Chat:
"Just got an email from TDF saying my Saturday night ticket for Wonderful Town will be refunded due performance cancellation."

[ B ]  DVDs: Tony Gems by Ken Mandelbaum
Mentioned for the cast of the Fiddler on the Roof revival: Tricia Paoluccio as Chava and David Ayers as Fyedka.
DVD: BROADWAY'S LOST TREASURES (Acorn Media)

[ P ]  Cole Porter Expert Judith Brown Charged With Murder
Breaking news � reported here on BroadwayStars only nine days ago...
posted at 11/7/2003 06:08:32 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ SS ]  Kate Mulgrew goes through rigorous schedule to play Katherine Hepburn by Jack Zink
And a few reviews to go along with the above feature...
Mulgrew channels Hepburn
Two Kates just great: Hepburn show soars
posted at 11/7/2003 05:23:38 PM by James Marino | Item Link

[ BS ]  Houghton Resigns O'Neill by Leonard Jacobs
Playwrights Confab Proceeding; Open Submissions Doubtful
We missed this the other day. Back Stage beat the New York Times to this by a few days.

[ STARS ]  ROBERT CUCCIOLI: HE'S CAPTAIN VON TRAPP AND BACK FROM A JOURNEY OF SELF-DISCOVERY by ELLIS NASSOUR
He didn't stand out in the crowd. Robert Cuccioli was missing something: that incredible maim of hair from Jekyll & Hyde. That look wouldn't exactly do playing Captain Von Trapp in Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music at Paper Mill.

[ STARS ]  SINGULAR SENSATIONS FEATURES TONY-WINNER DONNA McKECHNIE by ELLIS NASSOUR
EVERY WEEK A NEW STAR! brags Singular Sensations, the series of intimate conversations and songs from "legendary" stars. Dancer extraordinaire Donna McKechnie will be in the catbird seat this week [November 10-16]. She will follow the unstoppable Carol Channing, appearing through Sunday.

[ SUN ]  Weird Science by JEREMY McCARTER
Certainly you should see "The Violet Hour." You may not like it much � I wasn't crazy about it myself � but still it's worth seeing. It marks the latest creative departure for Richard Greenberg, who again proves himself to be one of the most gifted and intellectually restless playwrights around.
posted at 11/7/2003 10:58:47 AM by James Marino | Item Link

[ NYP ]  GEORGE'S 2 CENTS ON 'TABOO' TURMOIL by MICHAEL RIEDEL
BOY George is becoming a regular contributor to The Post!
Yesterday, he shot off a letter to me in response to my column about his refusal to allow O'Donnell to bring in a new director for "Taboo."

[ NYT ]  ON STAGE AND OFF
Banking on a New Play by JASON ZINOMAN
Ray Liotta is to play a thoughtful cop in Stephen Belber's new work on Broadway in the spring.

[ B ]  Ray Liotta to Star in Belber's Match on Broadway

[ V ]  Bonus for 'Hairspray' originals
Payments were negotiated in 2000 contract
Actors Equity has announced that a $31,000 recoupment bonus has been paid to 31 cast members and stage managers of the original production of "Hairspray."

"The Violet Hour":

[ B ]  Photo Op: The Violet Hour Offers Regal Return to Biltmore

[ B ]  Did Critics Bask in Glow of MTC's Violet Hour?

[ YN ]  Present, Future Collide in 'Violet Hour' by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic
"The Violet Hour" is a well-crafted play filled with wonder, a celebration of possibility and anticipation of things to come.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE VIOLET HOUR'
Jazz Generation Sees the Future: It's Not Cool by BEN BRANTLEY
The new Richard Greenberg production, except for the invaluable Robert Sean Leonard, is a case of what happens when bad casting happens to good plays.

[ B ]  The Violet Hour
Review by William Stevenson
First the good news: The Manhattan Theatre Club's newly renovated Biltmore Theatre is gorgeous, with comfortable seats, great sightlines and beautifully restored details. Now the bad news: MTC's inaugural production there, Richard Greenberg's The Violet Hour, is a mess.

[ CT ]  'Hour' doesn't add up by Michael Phillips
Chicago audiences got a look at "The Violet Hour" earlier this year, by way of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's fine staging. That one had it all over the MTC Biltmore production.

[ DN ]  Time drags in 'Hour' by Howard Kissel
Manhattan Theater Club has refurbished the Biltmore Theater splendidly. So what's puzzling is why a play as messy as Richard Greenberg's "The Violet Hour" was chosen for its inaugural run.

[ NYP ]  'VIOLET HOUR' IS A BIG WASTE OF TIME by CLIVE BARNES

[ HC ]  Time Machine, With Wit by MALCOLM JOHNSON
Greenberg has brilliantly blended his roman � clef with science fiction somewhat reminiscent of John Cheever's "The Enormous Radio."

[ ATW ]  Screwball Comedy? Existential Sci Fi? The Violet Hour Intrigues
Review by Andy Propst

[ USA ]  Mystery, humanity color 'Violet Hour' by Elysa Gardner

[ TB ]  The Violet Hour
Review by Matthew Murray

[ TM ]  The Violet Hour
Reviewed By: David Finkle

Other Reviews:

[ NYT ]  NEXT WAVE FESTIVAL REVIEW | 'HANGING MAN'
Suicidal Man and a World, in a State of Suspension by BRUCE WEBER
This wry rumination on death and the purpose of art by the British troupe Improbable Theater is visually striking and often quite funny.

[ TM ]  The Hanging Man
Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ CU ]  Like I Say
Review

[ B ]  Like I Say
Review by Ron Lasko

[ TM ]  Private Jokes, Public Places
Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ ATW ]  Private Jokes, Public Spaces: Architecture as Battle Ground
Review by Andy Propst

[ CU ]  Private Jokes, Public Spaces
Review

[ ATW ]  As I Lay Lip-synching: The Hilarity Goes On
Review by Andy Propst

[ CU ]  Lypsinka: As I Lay Lip-synching
Review

[ LAT ]  It's always a good time at 'La Cage' by David C. Nichols
Musical Theatre West's revival of the transvestite romp offers two breakout leads.

[ OCR ]  Glitz and heart gild this 'Cage' by ERIC MARCHESE
The glitter of a large-scale Long Beach staging can't obscure the 1983 musical's message of tolerance.

[ CU ]  Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
Review

[ ATW ]  Charm School Needed for 'Dance Lessons'
Review by Andy Propst

[ TM ]  Tunes, Tomes, & Videos
Matthew Murray finds himself enjoying the cast album of the Little Shop of Horrors revival much more than the production itself.

Features:

[ B ]  Q&A: Bernadette Peters by Melissa Rose Bernardo

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
Filichia's there with rhymes for "Astaire," and with grace he tries to rhyme "Racey."

[ NJ ]  Long struggle with 'Dragons' BY PETER FILICHIA
Sheldon Harnick ("Fiorello!" "Fiddler on the Roof") finds himself in an unfamiliar position with his musical "Dragons," which begins a five-week run on Thursday at Luna Stage Company in Montclair.

[ BG ]  Melancholy weighs on soul of 'Porgy and Bess' by Richard Dyer
The production of "Porgy and Bess" at the Cutler Majestic Theatre last week was a respectable touring effort, but it left in its wake melancholy thoughts about all the talented African-American singers who have spent too many years in this piece because of the lack of opportunities elsewhere.

[ NJ ]  A most original floral species named Lily BY STEVE HEDGPETH
If anyone ever had any doubts, it's now official -- Lily Tomlin is an American classic.

[ B ]  Photo Op: A Divine Designing Reunion for Delta & Dixie

[ B ]  Photo Op: A Festive Christmas Party

[ BH ]  The (cheap) play's the thing: How to see a show for not a lot of dough by Robert Nesti

[ BH ]  Show bargains by Robert Nesti

[ CT ]  'Nickel' offers its two cents on social policy by Web Behrens

[ CST ]  Low-wage tale makes for high drama by Mary Houlihan

[ BS ]  Bob Kingdom: Embodying Dylan Thomas
"When people ask me if I'm nervous before I go on, I say, 'No. Dylan Thomas may be nervous, but I'm not.'" So asserts Welsh-born actor Bob Kingdom.

[ BS ]  Fueling the Creative Process
Once again, the American Theatre Wing corralled top theatrical professionals for a dynamic three days of seminars.

Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features!

[ RFT ]  The Accidental Actress BY DENNIS BROWN
Linda Stephens comes full circle with My Fair Lady

[ BR ]  Leaving Rhoda for Pearl S. Buck by JIM BECKERMAN

News:

[ NYP ]  PAGE SIX
BETTY Buckley got a standing ovation at Feinstein's at the Regency the other night from the likes of Don Johnson and his San Francisco-born wife, Kelly Phleger...

[ B ]  Kathy and Mo to Return to Off-Broadway in June

[ B ]  Murphy Out of Town Due to Health Concerns

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: NOVEMBER 7

[ P ]  My Big Gay Italian Wedding Begins Previews Nov. 7

[ P ]  Rod Stewart Rocks London Theatreland with Tonight's the Night, Nov. 7

[ P ]  Jacques Brel Alive and Well Inaugurates New Theatre in Boston, Nov. 6

[ P ]  Scarlett Fever: Vivien Leigh � The Last Press Conference Gets NYC Premiere, to Nov. 12

[ P ]  Village Voice Obie Award Judges for 2003-04 Announced

[ P ]  deRoy's Annual Birthday Bash Features Gold, Burrell, Andersen and More

[ P ]  Public and LAByrinth to Co-Produce Guinea Pig Solo in Spring

[ P ]  Ed Norton to Star in Reading of New McBride Musical The Nitpicker, Dec. 4
With the VERY cool Laura Cantrell.
posted at 11/7/2003 08:17:19 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Thursday, November 06, 2003

Reviews:

[ ND ]  Broadway Review: "The Violet Hour" by Linda Winer
This is the beguiling world of "The Violet Hour," Richard Greenberg's rich, if a bit thin, time-machine tragicomedy, which opens the Manhattan Theatre Club's new Broadway wing Thursday night.

[ TB ]  Miss Saigon Lands at NJPAC
Review by Bob Rendell

[ TB ]  On the Twentieth Century Continues Its Journey to American Musical Theatre of San Jose
Review by Richard Connema

News:

[ P ]  Wonderful Town Cancels Nov. 6 Performance

[ P ]  Albee Actor Stephen Rowe Brings Stand-Up Mark to St. John, Nov. 10

[ P ]  "The Matrix" Creates One Oracle Between Two Having Our Say Sisters
In an ironic and satisfyingly symmetrical piece of casting, Mary Alice has replaced the late Gloria Foster as The Oracle in "The Matrix Revolutions," the last installment inThe Matrix" film trilogy of science fiction epics.

Features:

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Judd and Cast Raise the Roof for Cat Opening
posted at 11/6/2003 02:53:48 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Features:

[ P ]  Greenberg's Grape Period
The Violet Hour explores the effect that one decision can make, a subject both familiar and fascinating to playwright Richard Greenberg

[ B ]  Q & A: 11/6/03 by Ken Mandelbaum

[ B ]  Fresh Face: Jenny Fellner by Cara Joy David
Age: "I am really 24."

News:

[ P ]  Billy Dee Williams Stars in If These Hips Could Talk, Nov. 11-15

[ P ]  Barbra Streisand Ebay Auctions to Benefit Charities

[ P ]  "Theater Talk" Welcomes Chapin, Seldes and Murray Nov. 7

[ P ]  Taboo's O'Donnell Guests on "Oprah" Nov. 6
posted at 11/6/2003 11:53:51 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Features:

[ DN ]  The 11-year-old who reigns in 'Oz' by PATRICIA O'HAIRE
If anyone can steal the spotlight from the blazing Aussie Hugh Jackman, it's 11-year-old hoofer Mitchel David Federan from Solon, Ohio.

[ ND ]  Still Down to Eartha by Michael Bracken
The sexy septuagenarian is ready with a quip and a strip

[ ND ]  Taboo Photo Gallery

News:

[ NYP ]  PAGE SIX
ERRATIC actress Jasmine Guy - whose onstage breakdown in Broadway's "The Violet Hour" was first reported by The Post's Michael Riedel - is finally telling her version of events.

[ P ]  Life and Art Collide as Actress Playing Nurse in Bway's Cat Responds to Ailing Theatregoer
Instead of "Is there a doctor in the house?," house management at Broadway's Music Box the night of Nov. 5 asked, "Is there a nurse backstage?"

[ ND ]  Tinkering With a 'Taboo' by Gordon Cox
Plus items on "Bounce" and Kyle MacLachlan.

[ INQ ]  Inqlings | 'Urinetown' has a brush with Bush by Michael Klein

[ NJ ]  Center stage by Peter Filichia
Billy Dee Williams, who rose to prominence as Diana Ross' lover in "Lady Sings the Blues," is about to hear four ladies sing the blues.

[ CST ]  The Jeffs revisited: Smaller Equity companies flex muscles BY HEDY WEISS

[ HC ]  Veteran Long Wharf actor dies at 90 by Frank Rizzo
Character actor William Swetland, who performed at New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre and on Broadway for years, died Friday at his Branford home.
Plus items on James Bundy and Linda Eder.

[ FW ]  Playwright Albee in spotlight at awards session by Mark Lowry
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link.

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: NOVEMBER 6

[ P ]  Biltmore Gets First Opening Night in 16 Years With The Violet Hour, Nov. 6

[ P ]  Abelard and Heloise, the Musical, Gets NYC Readings With Robert Evan Nov. 6-11

[ P ]  Valerie Harper Is Pearl S. Buck in Heaven Nov. 6-9 in Queens; Nyack and White Plains Next

[ P ]  California Gubernatorial Race Heats Up in World Premiere Drama, Continental Divide, Nov. 6-Dec. 2

[ P ]  The Other Calloway Gets Her Moment in Blanche and Her Joy Boys, Nov. 12-Dec. 14

[ P ]  Broadway Celebrities Help "Blue Jeans for Genes" Online Benefit Auction, Nov. 10-17

[ P ]  Sheldon Harnick's Musical, Dragons, Gets Professional Premiere in NJ, Nov. 13-Dec. 21

[ NYT ]  'Omnium Gatherum' to Close Nov. 30

Reviews:

[ NJ ]  Don't miss this 'Miss': Talented cast led by Jennifer Paz propels tragic 'Saigon' musical BY PETER FILICHIA

[ YN ]  'Singular Sensations' Showcases Stars by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic

[ B ]  Lypsinka! As I Lay Lip-Synching
Review by William Stevenson

[ DN ]  Family tree & so wooden by Howard Kissel
Like its title, Paula Vogel's "The Long Christmas Ride Home" is a cumbersome parody of "The Long Christmas Dinner," a 1931 one-act play by Thornton Wilder.
posted at 11/6/2003 07:48:22 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Wednesday, November 05, 2003

Features:

[ B ]  Stage Notes: 11/05/03 by Paul Wontorek
Sexaholix; Wicked; Nine.

[ P ]  PLAYBILL ON-LINE'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER with Marc Kudisch
Marc Kudisch, who has not yet broken away from the theatre to have a profound TV or film career, is in the tradition of leading men like Alfred Drake and John Raitt.

[ B ]  First Person: Lyp Service by John Epperson

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Vogel and Brokaw Raise a Glass to a Long Run for Christmas Ride

News:

[ P ]  Bounce Will Get a Two-Day Recording Session for Cast Album, Nov. 10-11

[ P ]  Beverly Hills' Historic Canon Theatre to Close Its Doors to Make Way for Hotel

[ P ]  Good Vibrations: Richard Dresser Pens Libretto for Musical With Songs by The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson

[ P ]  Thoroughly Modern Millie Star to Sign Solo CD Nov. 7

[ P ]  Abingdon's Beyond Recognition, a Tale of Brutality, Ends Earlier Than Expected

[ P ]  Shop Girl Makes Good: Musical Hello...Hello Echoes Again in Toronto Nov. 5-Dec. 14

[ B ]  Journey's End Revival Set for January in London
posted at 11/5/2003 05:05:28 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ NYP ]  IT'S TRIAL & ERROR by MICHAEL RIEDEL
SWAMPED by her trial and thwarted by a star who will not let her bring in a new director, Rosie O'Donnell has lost control of "Taboo," her $10 million Broadway musical that is headed for almost certain disaster.

[ NYT ]  William Swetland, Actor Who Played Stalwart Men, Dies at 90 by BEN SISARIO
William Swetland, a venerable character actor on Broadway and in regional theater, specialized in stalwart, older roles.

[ IBDB ]  William Swetland's Broadway Credits

[ BH ]  Racket ceases at 'Stomp'

[ NJ ]  New Jersey theaters applaud supporters BY PETER FILICHIA
The 15th Annual Applause Awards held in New Brunswick on Monday night once again brought together New Jersey's theater community and those who help keep it a strong, viable artistic force.

[ NJ ]  Original Max and Leo ready for encore BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
According to Frankel, Broderick himself contacted the producers of "The Producers" last summer, saying that he and Lane would be free from other commitments to perform again in early 2004.

[ DN ]  Original 'Producers' to come back Dec. 30 by JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ

[ P ]  Peil and Bryggman Head Cast of Reddin's Frame 312, Nov. 26-Jan. 11

[ P ]  Last Weeks Announced for Darkly Funny Omnium Gatherum; Play of Ideas Closes Nov. 30

[ P ]  Cuccioli, Finley and Vig Part of Broadway Salutes Concert

[ P ]  Nine, Mamma Mia!, Fame and Wonderful Town Featured on CBS Thanksgiving Telecast

[ P ]  Songs by Kander, Ebb, Harnick and Shire Get World Premieres in Voigt's Christmas Concert Dec. 7

[ P ]  Off-Broadway Stars Head to the Chatterbox Nov. 6

[ TM ]  London Evening Standard Award Nominations Announced

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: NOVEMBER 5

[ P ]  Stritch, Kander and Ebb to Be Named Living Landmarks Nov. 5

[ P ]  Stephen Adly Guirgis Plays Available Nov. 5

[ P ]  Sister Act: Murphy, Westfeldt, Edelman Move to a Wonderful Town, Nov. 5

[ P ]  Architecture Constructs Comedy Private Jokes, Public Places, Opening Nov. 5

[ P ]  Life Is a Drag as Lypsinka Opens New Show As I Lay Lip Synching Off-Broadway, Nov. 5

Features:

[ B ]  Random Notes on This and That: 11/5/03 by Ken Mandelbaum
I was interested to read that on December 22, PBS's "Great Performances" series will televise "Wonderful Town" in Concert.

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
Filichia just can't keep it inside any longer -- he has to tell you how Urinetown is holding up.

[ DN ]  Valerie Harper's cultured Pearl by MAXINE SIMPSON
Star to shine in one-woman show in the park

[ ND ]  At Stalin�s Hands by Liam Pleven
A gulag survivor�s tale sheds dramatic light on the Soviet dictator who shaped an era of brutal repression - even as he helped defeat Hitler

[ TB ]  Stephen Mosher and The Sweater Book
Interview by Jonathan Frank

[ BH ]  Living out a legend: Cab Calloway's daughter blazes own trail with musical revue by Terry Byrne

[ BH ]  Hailing Cab by Terry Byrne

Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features!

[ FW ]  Albee chats about the perils of playwriting by Mark Lowry

[ CPD ]  Small cities helped make 'Millie' a hit by Tony Brown
One of the producers of the Broadway show (as well as the national company and the London version) calls itself the Independent Presenters Network, or IPN, a group of about 40 nonprofit performing arts centers and commercial venues across the country.

[ TO ]  The Garden Stage by: Stuart Duncan
Our theater critic notes the intriguing changes on New Jersey stages during the past 25 years.

"The Long Christmas Ride Home: - Reviews:

[ NJ ]  Sorrow arrives at Christmas time BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
Elegantly written and staged -- and almost unbearably sorrowful -- the play opened yesterday at the Vineyard Theatre, which premiered Vogel's 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning "How I Learned to Drive."

[ ATW ]  Puppetry, Staging Make 'Long Ride' More Magical Than Insightful
Review by Andy Propst

[ TM ]  The Long Christmas Ride Home
Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ B ]  The Long Christmas Ride Home
Review by Jessica Branch

[ CU ]  The Long Christmas Ride Home
Review

Other Reviews:

[ ND ]  Teens Waiting for Good Dialogue by Gordon Cox
'The Moonlight Room" has something important on its mind.

[ NYT ]  Recent Plays
'The Colleen Bawn' and 'Silver Nitrate.'

[ BG ]  New 'West Side Story' gets life from its cast by Ed Siegel

[ LADN ]  A stage filled with the spectacular by John Farrell
Wonderful dance numbers, costumes and plenty of songs in 'La Cage'
With David Engel.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!
posted at 11/5/2003 11:42:42 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Tuesday, November 04, 2003

"The Long Christmas Ride Home" - Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE LONG CHRISTMAS RIDE HOME'
To Grandmother's House We Go (With Baggage) by BEN BRANTLEY
Paula Vogel means her play to be a religious experience in the way that a Christmas Mass might be for committed Roman Catholics: an exalted communal ritual of redemption and solace.
And darned if this creatively questing playwright � helped by what may well be the most visually exquisite production of the season � doesn't at least partly succeed.

[ YN ]  Play Offers Ride Through Christmases Past by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic
Playwright Paula Vogel and director Mark Brokaw � with an assist from puppeteer Basil Twist � have come up with a novel, visually stunning way of telling a melancholy tale, one grounded in traditions and experiences most sane people strive to avoid: the annual Yuletide gathering of relatives.

[ ND ]  When the Holiday Spirit Is Tragic by Linda Winer

[ TB ]  The Long Christmas Ride Home
Review by Matthew Murray

Other Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE MOONLIGHT ROOM'
Youth and Sadness in a Hospital Waiting Room by BRUCE WEBER
Well, maybe youth isn't always wasted on the young. That's the exciting news emanating from the tiny Worth Street Theater in TriBeCa, where "The Moonlight Room," a first play by Tristine Skyler, 32, is announcing the arrival of a precocious talent.

[ MN ]  AMT cast has a ball with retro comedy by Mark de la Vina
"On The Twentieth Century," with JoAnne Worley, Judith Blazer, Mark Jacoby, Jamie Torcellini and Edward Staudenmayer.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

[ YN ]  'Tatjana in Color' Shows Disillusionment by PETER SANTILLI, Associated Press Writer

[ VV ]  Green Witch, Mean Time
Both on and Off-Broadway, new musicals suffer from severe multiple personality disorder by Michael Feingold
Wicked; Wilder

[ VV ]  Amateur Night in Dixie: Cat Proves It Has Nine Lives by Michael Feingold
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

[ VV ]  Picturing Lolita
Painter Egon Schiele serves jail time over his jailbait muse by Alexis Soloski
Tatjana in Color

[ ATW ]  Best Intentions Can't Make This 'Merchant' Provocative
Review by Andy Propst

[ ATW ]  Retreat from Moscow Dated Divorce Drama
Review by Andy Propst

Features:

[ B ]  Q&A: Ned Beatty by Beth Stevens

[ B ]  Photo Op: Deborah Gibson Makes a Splash with Colored Lights

[ B ]  Photo Op: Stars Shine for Only Make Believe Benefit

[ B ]  Photo Op: A Divine Debut for Singular Sensations

[ BS ]  What Becomes a Gay Icon Most? by Leonard Jacobs
Marilyn Sokol Discusses Her Role in 'Closet Chronicles'

News:

[ NYT ]  Original Stars Returning to 'Producers,' at a Price by JESSE McKINLEY
Let the schmoozing, begging and finagling begin. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are returning to "The Producers."

[ TM ]  The Kings of Broadway: Lane, Broderick, Oscar, and Bart to Return to The Producers on December 30

[ B ]  Richard H. Blake Is Hairspray's New Link Larkin

[ B ]  Off-Broadway's Omnium Gatherum to Close 11/30

[ P ]  Esterman Is Bernhardt and Payton-Wright Is Duse in Duet Off Broadway, Nov. 18

[ P ]  Violet Hour's Mario Cantone Set for Musical Assassins on Broadway

[ P ]  Piazza's Pasquale Part of "Rescue Me" Pilot

[ P ]  Musical of Musicals, Offering Same Story in Five Song Styles, Opens York Season Dec. 2

[ P ]  Rothenberg Drops Last Name Off-Broadway Nov. 17

[ TM ]  Charles Busch Will Be Auntie Mame in All-Star Reading
posted at 11/4/2003 10:15:32 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Features:

[ TM ]  All Over the Map by: Dan Bacalzo
a.m. Sunday in Baltimore, Trolls in Denver, and But Can He Dance? in San Diego

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Still a Sensation, Channing Shines Once More

News:

[ B ]  Cerveris Cast as John Wilkes Booth in Assassins

[ B ]  Richard Kind Among Jeff Award Winners

[ B ]  Evening Standard Award Nominations Announced

[ P ]  The Song Is Him: "The Complete Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II" in the Works

[ P ]  Amy Irving, Ruth Maleczcech Read Egloff's Phaedra for Off-Bway's Red Bull Troupe, Nov. 16

[ P ]  Court Orders New Story and Play Credit for Taboo Writer Busch's "Die Mommie Die!"

[ P ]  Calista Flockhart to Take on a London Lead?

[ P ]  Branagh, Atkins and Democracy Nominated for Evening Standard Awards

[ P ]  Josh Kornbluth's Brings Latest, Love & Taxes, to Off-Broadway, Dec. 4

[ P ]  Proof Tony Nominee Cast in New Drama a.m. Sunday

[ P ]  Laguna Playhouse Brings The Romance of Magno Rubio to California, Nov. 4-Dec. 7
posted at 11/4/2003 04:15:30 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ B ]  CDs: More '60s Hits Go Deluxe by Ken Mandelbaum
Latest names mentioned for the cast of the new Broadway Fiddler on the Roof: Barbara Barrie (Company) as Yente and Yusef Bulos as the Rabbi.
CDs: HOW TO SUCCEED.../HAIR (Victor)

[ TM ]  The Siegel Column
Another look at The Retreat From Moscow, plus reviews of Steven Ray Watkins at Mama Rose and Paula West at the Oak Room.

News:

[ B ]  Broadway Grosses: Sickness and Health
Box offices had a bumpy week with long-runners losing: The Producers fell $125,585 to come in at $779,514 and Thoroughly Modern Millie dropped $151,722 to gross $492,801. Newer shows also showed signs of strain.

[ B ]  Broderick & Lane Confirmed for Producers Return

[ P ]  Streep and Richards Honored at Actors' Fund "Razzle Dazzle" Gala

[ P ]  Broadway Tree Lighting Ceremony Set for December 10

[ P ]  Lane and Broderick Return to Producers Dec. 30 for 112 Perfs; Tix On Sale Nov. 16

[ P ]  Simply Barbra Welcomes Foa and DeJesus During Mama Rose's Engagement

[ P ]  Chicago Jeff Awards Go to Richard Kind, Marc Robin, Cider House Rules, Singin' in the Rain

[ P ]  Signature's Schaeffer to Direct Disney's Snow White Musical

[ P ]  Mariah Carey to Glitter In West End

[ P ]  Mel Gussow Conversation With Arthur Miller Rescheduled
posted at 11/4/2003 12:37:49 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

More Bounce reviews

[ SUN ]  Mediocrity Tonight by JEREMY McCARTER

[ WP ]  Simply Sondheim
The Musical Master's First in Nine Years Just Doesn't Have the Old 'Bounce' by Peter Marks
posted at 11/4/2003 09:13:39 AM by James Marino | Item Link

Features:

[ ND ]  Greenberg Learns To Live With Life�s Messes by Blake Green
"It's been a turbulent few weeks, but I've become philosophical in my old age," says Richard Greenberg - and the playwright isn't even talking about "The Violet Hour," his problem-fraught production that's in previews at Broadway's Biltmore Theatre.

[ DN ]  Mason proves he's not all talk by DAVID HINCKLEY
Zinging and Singing: Jackie Mason has a revue coming to Broadway.

[ BH ]  Something to crow about: 'Gulls' creator and star meet their muse, Tippi Hedren by Robert Nesti

Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features!

[ BEE ]  Rewriting Rodgers & Hammerstein by Marcus Crowder
How David Henry Hwang modernized 'Flower Drum Song'

[ DFP ]  Give his regards to Broadway, and send his mail to metro Detroit BY MARTIN F. KOHN
Ron Seykell: New York cabaret star comes home to teach theater and dance

[ MH ]  From the Limbo Lounge to Broadway BY CHRISTINE DOLEN
Charles Busch as himself.

News:

[ NYP ]  PAGE SIX
LOS Angeles Federal Court is labeling "Die Mommy Die!" director Charles Busch a plagiarist.

[ YN ]  Jenna Elfman Delays Her Broadway Debut
Elfman says she was hired after Stamos and had less time to learn the music so she asked that her Broadway debut be delayed for a bit. She says she doesn't know when she'll join the show.
Uh huh...

[ V ]  'Wicked' clicks in preem
Weekend perfs sold out for U Pix-backed legiter

[ V ]  Curtain falls on the Canon
'Kathy & Mo' to send off theater; hotel to occupy space

[ V ]  Schaeffer plays in 'Snow'
Scribe Cloud brings animated pic to stage with tuner

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: NOVEMBER 4

[ P ]  Midsummer, Imagined by Lamos, Begins at DC Shakespeare Theatre Nov. 4

[ P ]  Tropics Heats up Broadway, as Pulitzer's Choice Makes New York Debut

[ P ]  Pulitzer Winner Vogel Returns to Off-Broadway with a New Ride, Opening Nov. 4

[ P ]  Touched by an Angel: Bobbi Boland, with Farrah Fawcett, Crowns Broadway Nov. 4

[ P ]  Tony Blair�s Lieutenants on Trial at London�s Tricycle Theatre

[ P ]  Watford and Alexander Take a Swing at Bway's Take Me Out Starting Nov. 4

[ P ]  Broadway Grosses: October 27 - November 2

[ P ]  Stamos, Krakowski, Nixon, Kurtz "Just Dance" at Roundabout Education Benefit, Nov. 10

[ P ]  Elton John and Bernie Taupin's Vampire Lestat Tests Its Wings in Private NYC Reading

[ P ]  Movin' Out National Tour Gets Its Piano Man from Broadway Cast

[ P ]  Judith Ivey's Women on Fire Jumps to Longer Off-Broadway Run, Nov. 11-Dec. 21

"Bounce":

[ WP ]  Stephen Sondheim's Baby 'Bounce'
The rubbernecking in the lobby of the Kennedy Center Thursday night was all about studmuffin George Clooney, who was filming for his HBO show, "K Street." The boy is cute, but the real eyeful was later upstairs, where serious theater fans got a gander at Broadway legends Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince.

[ DN ]  Capital Ideal: Sondheim gets an added 'Bounce' by Howard Kissel
For the first time in ages, I left a new musical humming a tune.

[ TB ]  Bounce
Review by Matthew Murray
Those waiting for the next great Stephen Sondheim musical will have to wait a bit longer.

[ ND ]  A Little 'Bounce' for the Theater by Linda Winer
Sondheim's 'Bounce' sings of Florida's legendary Mizners

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof":

[ NYT ]  BOLD FACE NAMES
Neediest Cases by JOYCE WADLER
Before the opening of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" at the Music Box Theater on Sunday night, MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG was talking about the importance of the theater to the New York City economy and joking that down at City Hall they sometimes called him BIG DADDY.

[ NYP ]  CINDY ADAMS
MIKE DAZZLES THEATER CROWD AT 'CAT' OPENING
Plus Ellen Burstyn.

[ WP ]  'Hot Tin Roof,' With Three Slips Showing by Peter Marks
Nice kitty.
Indeed, Maggie the Cat has never seemed quite as tame as in the prim performance delivered by Ashley Judd in the intermittently inspired revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" that opened last night at the Music Box Theatre.

[ NYer ]  BITCHES AND WITCHES by JOHN LAHR
Ulterior motives in �Cat on a Hot Tin Roof� and �Wicked.�

Other Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'FOREIGN AIDS'
From South Africa, Satire That Won't Close Saturday by MARGO JEFFERSON
Performer Pieter-Dirk Uys uses imagination and craft to toss facts, stories and images about AIDS in South Africa in his one-man show.

[ ATW ]  Childhoods Hidden in a Locker at American Storage
Review by Andy Propst

[ TB ]  American Storage
Review by Matthew Murray

[ NJ ]  'Sound' production BY CHARLES PAIKERT
Paper Mill scales Alpine theatrical heights with classic musical

[ ATW ]  The Sound of Music: Finding Relief in the Hills
Review by Andy Propst

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'TATJANA IN COLOR'
A 12-Year-Old Nude Model Negotiating Adolescence by BRUCE WEBER
Julia Jordan's use of a historical drama to portray the confusions of adolescence is an alluring, complex and thoughtful setup.

[ USA ]  'Dance Lessons' lacks sole by Elysa Gardner

[ ATW ]  Deluxe CDs for Hair and 'How to Succeed. . .' From Victor Arrive in Stores Nov. 4
CD Reviews by Andy Propst
posted at 11/4/2003 07:53:11 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Monday, November 03, 2003

[ STARS ]  GREAT JOY! A Holiday Celebration From Broadway
Presented by The Actors' Fund of America In Association with Sh-K-Boom Records. Monday, December 15th, 2003 - 7pm @ The New Amsterdam Theatre

posted at 11/3/2003 11:06:42 PM by James Marino | Item Link

News:

[ B ]  Judith Ivey Headlines Women on Fire Off-B'way

[ TM ]  Broadway's Urinetown to Close on January 18

[ TM ]  Razzle Dazzle 'Em: Richards and Streep to Be Honored at Actors' Fund Gala

[ P ]  Carrie's Love Brings Holiday Concerts to NYC Dec. 19 and 20; Crosby Is Special Guest

[ P ]  London's Greenwich Theatre Opens �White-Knuckle� Othello

[ P ]  Stram, Morrison, Ferguson Announced for Premiere of Polly Pen Musical, Embarrassments
Henry Stram will play novelist Henry James in Embarrassments, the new Polly Pen-Laurence Klavan musical about a pivotal moment in the writer's life, premiering at Philadelphia's Wilma Theater Nov. 26.

[ P ]  You Are Now Leaving, Urinetown; Musical Hit Will Close Jan. 18, 2004

[ P ]  Love Jokes, One-Woman Musical Show, Plays Astoria Theatre Nov. 14-23

[ P ]  Caretaker Star Kyle MacLachlan Appears on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," Nov. 3

[ P ]  Playwrights People Staff at "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"

[ P ]  New Musical Johnny Guitar to Ride Into Off-Broadway in 2004

[ P ]  Wicked and Boy From Oz Featured on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The 77th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, Nov. 27, will feature performances from four Broadway musicals.

[ P ]  Harmony Starts Dec. 2 in Philadelphia, a Week Later Than Expected

[ P ]  Kaye, Callaway and Aronson are Leading Ladies of Broadway Nov. 10

[ P ]  Lane, LuPone, Rivera, Neuwirth and Dozens More Set for Great Joy! Holiday Concert

[ P ]  Drood Star Heads to Feinstein's at the Regency, Nov. 11-15

Reviews:

[ TM ]  The Sound of Music
New Jersey Review By: Matthew Murray

[ TB ]  The Sound of Music and Othello
Reviews by Bob Rendell
posted at 11/3/2003 04:08:11 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ B ]  Broadway's Urinetown to Close on January 18

[ B ]  Pre-B'way Harmony Delays a Week in Philly
Performances of the pre-Broadway tryout of Harmony at Philadelphia's Forrest Theatre will begin a week later than previously announced. The show will now get underway on December 2 because of "delays in construction and delivery of the show's physical production," according to a production statement.

[ B ]  Did Critics Purr Over Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?

[ B ]  My Sisters Eileen by Ken Mandelbaum
posted at 11/3/2003 12:34:43 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ LAT ]  Mixed Signals at Clear Channel

The following two links are The New York Sun reviews of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Wicked. We hope that more of The Sun's reviews will be available online.

[ SUN ]  Another Empty Temple by JEREMY McCARTER

[ SUN ]  The Golden Girls by JEREMY McCARTER
posted at 11/3/2003 11:12:42 AM by James Marino | Item Link

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof":

[ B ]  Photo Op: A Fancy Fete for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

[ YN ]  Ned Beatty Tackles Big Daddy in 'Cat' by PETER SANTILLI, Associated Press Writer
Interview.

[ DN ]  'Cat': Down-home Southern hostility by Howard Kissel
As always in Williams, work, there is a sardonic, angry humor, which comes through here. But there are not enough quiet moments that would help us accept these people as worthy of our sympathy.

[ YN ]  A Languid 'Cat' Sparked by Beatty's Daddy by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic
Maggie and Brick should be at the center of any "Cat." Here, in the uneven performances of Ashley Judd and Jason Patric, they are not.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF'
Big Daddy's Ego Defies Death and His Family by BEN BRANTLEY
Ned Beatty's scrupulously detailed acting as the Southern patriarch Big Daddy rules the revival of Tennessee Williams's drama at the Music Box Theater.

[ HC ]  'Cat' Revival Is A Study In Conflict by MALCOLM JOHNSON
In this case, the title is deceiving.

[ NYP ]  A HOT 'CAT' by CLIVE BARNES
Anthony Page's searching and smoothly stylized staging is graced by three outstanding performances from Ashley Judd, Jason Patric - looking extraordinarily like the young Warren Beatty - and Ned Beatty, just looking extraordinarily like Ned Beatty.

[ NJ ]  Clawless BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
This 'Cat' prowls along a tepid tin roof

[ ND ]  A Flawed 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof' by Linda Winer

[ USA ]  This 'Cat' needs teeth by Elysa Gardner

[ TB ]  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Review by Matthew Murray
It's always a bit rare in November to find the air as cold inside a theater as outside. At the Music Box, where a revival of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof just opened, that seems to be exactly the case.

[ TM ]  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ B ]  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Review by Eric Grode

Other Reviews:

[ NYP ]  THE ONLY BOUNCE IN 'BOUNCE' IS SONDHEIM by CLIVE BARNES
Well, at least it's Sondheim. And sometimes very good Sondheim.

[ USA ]  'Bounce' fails to really fly by Elysa Gardner

[ NJ ]  An 'Othello' well worth waiting for BY CHARLES PAIKERT

[ CT ]  The upbeat goes on at tribute to musicals by Howard Reich
"Lucky to Be Three: A Musical Celebration of Bernstein, Comden and Green" with Jason Graae, Sylvia McNair, Judy Kaye, Phyllis Newman, and Amanda Green.

News:

[ NYP ]  BOY, HE'S MAD NOW by BILL HOFFMANN
Rosie O'Donnell's pal and "Taboo" star Boy George wrote The Post to blast a lawyer's claims about them.

[ NYP ]  CINDY ADAMS
Boy George; Mark Hamill.

[ NYP ]  LIZ SMITH
Rosie; "Angels In America."

[ V ]  B.O. even; 'Oz' 829g
Broadway grosses

[ P ]  Broadway's Thanksgiving Week Performance Schedule

[ P ]  Carol Channing Is One Singular Sensation Nov. 3-9 at Village Theatre

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: NOVEMBER 3

[ P ]  Food for Thought Serves Up Bosco and Gillette Nov. 3

[ P ]  Alan Campbell Joins Only Make Believe Benefit; Song Line-Up Announced

[ P ]  Cariou and Robards Read Lee Blessing's Winning Streak in NYC Nov. 3

[ P ]  Mop Boy Wants to Be Funk's Top Boy in Funkentine Rapture Musical; NYC Readings Are Nov. 3-4

Features:

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
Who puts his hand in and coaxes the blues right out of the horn? Hello, Jerry Herman!

[ NEXT ]  FREAK SHOW by: John Polly
Take one androgynous 80s pop icon. Mix in one downtown New York drag legend-turned-playwright. Stir it up with America's brashest out lesbian comic, and you've got the recipe for the Broadway story of the year, Taboo.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

[ V ]  Scribes fear shrinking feeling
Playwrights lament limit on opportunities
Philadelphia Theater Co. dramaturg Michele Volansky calls them tree frogs -- playwrights lurking about, desperately waiting for a theater to scoop them up and give them a home.
posted at 11/3/2003 07:54:12 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Sunday, November 02, 2003

Features:

[ CT ]  Brooks never wants to grow up by Chris Jones
The neurotic, irrepressible Mel Brooks sat in his office in Culver City last week, kvetching about the mixed critical response in Chicago to the current tour of "The Producers," revealing his secrets for musical comedy and performing exclusive extracts from "Young Frankenstein." The 1974 cult cinematic classic about the regenerative grandson of Baron von Frankenstein is Brooks' latest Broadway spoof in progress--the author said he hopes the stage musical version will star Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth.

[ NYT ]  The Case of the Incredible Shrinking Blockbuster by JESSE MCKINLEY
"The Producers" has gone from megahit to underachiever. Was it the casting? The pricing? The audience? A whodunit.

[ NYT ]  The Alien Emperor of 80's London by FIACHRA GIBBONS
In his new musical, "Taboo," Boy George plays Leigh Bowery, the gender-bending Australian exile at the center of London's decadent New Romantic movement.

[ NYT ]  Slide Show: The Guises of Leigh Bowery

[ NYT ]  EXCERPT
Revising 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'
Tennessee Williams revamped the third act of his play at the request of the original director, Elia Kazan, and then partly restored the script for a revival.

[ NYT ]  Julia Jordan Beats the Odds, Then Beats Them Again by JASON ZINOMAN
As Julia Jordan knows, an unknown female playwright receiving four New York productions in one year doesn't happen very often.

[ NJ ]  A Rosie beginning on Broadway BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
O'Donnell dons producer's hat for Boy George musical

[ BG ]  In Worcester, 'Stones' paves the way for a new performing arts center by Catherine Foster

Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features!

[ OCR ]  Don't count fine-arts critics out by PAUL HODGINS
Last Sunday, two events got me thinking about the state of my profession.

[ PPG ]  Shakespearean company brings an original 'Twelfth Night' to Pittsburgh by Christopher Rawson
LONDON -- Mark Rylance doesn't like the label "authentic."

[ PPG ]  Opposites are attractive in Rylance's personality by Christopher Rawson

[ CE ]  Creator of 'Metamorphoses' to explain herself at Playhouse by Jackie Demaline

Reviews:

[ B ]  Critics Take in D.C. Engagement of Bounce

[ CT ]  'Bounce' gets slight lift in D.C. by Michael Phillips
Well, it's better. Its celebrated creators have made some astute small-to-midsize changes since the Goodman Theatre tryout earlier this year. "Bounce" has more zip to it now, here at the Kennedy Center.
Or was it just George Clooney's fabulous stardom rubbing off on Thursday's performance?

[ CT ]  Brick road leads to mediocre musicals by Michael Phillips

[ P ]  ON THE RECORD: Seventh Heaven, Barbara Cook and Kander & Ebb
This week's column examines a recording of the 1955 musical Seventh Heaven, Barbara Cook's first Christmas disc and a new tome featuring in-depth interviews with John Kander and Fred Ebb.

[ NHR ]  In �Brooklyn,� a rarity dusted off and polished by E. Kyle Minor
According to Goodspeed, this obscure piece of musical Americana has not been professionally produced in 25 years. To the average theatergoer, that is small wonder.

News:

[ P ]  Talk Show Watch: Jackman and O'Donnell on "The View," Judd on "Letterman"

[ P ]  Broadway's Christmas Week Performance Schedule

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: NOVEMBER 2

[ P ]  Judd, Patric and Beatty Raise the Roof on Broadway, Nov. 2

[ P ]  "Radio Playbill" Broadcasts From Inside the Biltmore Theatre, Nov. 3-15

[ P ]  Ulla-La! Producers' Blonde Bombshells Shift Starting Nov. 2

[ P ]  Loomer Drama Living Out Closes Off-Broadway Nov. 2; Broadway Next?
posted at 11/2/2003 10:45:12 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

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[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.

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2007-08Broadway Season

2008-09Broadway Season

Talked AboutNot Scheduled Yet

2007-08
Broadway Season

2008-09
Broadway Season

Talked About
Not Scheduled Yet