Saturday, March 06, 2004

[ AFM ] THE FACTS BEHIND THE PRODUCERS� LIES THAT APPEARED IN TODAY�S [ed: yesterday March5th] NEW YORK POST
The American Federation of Musicians, Local 802, responds to charges made by the producers of Fiddler on the Roof in Michael Riedel's column in yesterday's New York Post.

[ TS ]  Crowd calls it: Simply bewitching by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN
Why Wicked is such a big hit.

[ B ]  Stage Notes by Paul Wontorek

[ P ]  Broadway By the Year Welcomes Never Gonna Dance Stars

[ P ]  Evening of New Music Presented March 15 at Joe's Pub

[ P ]  Brad Oscar Featured in New Musical By Bat Boy's Laurence O'Keefe

[ V ]  Beehive restyled
New Line gives 'Hairspray' another spritz

[ V ]  Jackman back to host Tonys
Win for host could push 'Boy' grosses back to 100%

[ V ]  Williamstown slates anni season
'Dream,' 'Design,' 'Cherry' among pre-renovation plays

[ V ]  South goes 'Purple'�
B'Way-bound tuner skedded to open Alliance's 2004-05 season

[ TM ]  Photo File by Joseph Marzullo and Michael Portantiere
King Lear opens at Lincoln Center, the American Theatre Wing hosts a cocktail reception at Planet Hollywood, and celebs attend the AMPAS Oscar party at Le Cirque.

[ B ]  Photo Op: A Party Fit for King Lear!
Photos by Bruce Glikas for Broadway.com

[ NYT ]  Alec Baldwin Learns to Harness His Inner Bloviator by MELENA Z. RYZIK
Like the character he plays in "Twentieth Century," Alec Baldwin is trying to reassert himself as a leading man after a slump.

We heard from many people yesterday that they could not see yesterday's update. We are looking into it. Hopefully you can see today's update. Thanks for the notes.
posted at 3/6/2004 08:24:07 AM by James Marino | Item Link

Friday, March 05, 2004

[ TS ]  Lear has royal night on Broadway by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN

[ TB ]  King Lear Theatre Review by Matthew Murray

[ V ]  King Lear By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'KING LEAR'
A Fiery Fall Into the Abyss, Unknowing and Unknown by BEN BRANTLEY
Christopher Plummer is giving the performance of a lifetime in the title role of "King Lear" at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center.

[ NYP ]  LESS SHARP THAN A SERPENT'S TOOTH by DONALD LYONS
HE'S a seemingly strong, sensible man, this haughty monarch of pagan England, full of ideas about how the world should be run.

[ DN ]  A 'Lear' both sinned against & sinning by Howard Kissel
Why do we go to "King Lear" - or, for that matter, any play by Shakespeare - when we could stay home and read it, which has the advantage of letting us look up difficult words or phrases in the footnotes?

[ SUN ]  Shrinking Lear by JEREMY McCARTER
Jonathan Miller has directed "King Lear" in a box, as it were--a small, dark one.

[ NYP ]  Jesse (McKinley) Gets a Costly Makeover

[ NYP ]  DEATH BE NOT PROUD by MICHAEL RIEDEL
FOR the glittering first-night audience at "Fiddler on the Roof" last week, the sudden death of Jerome Robbins' sister just before the curtain went up was a terrible tragedy.

[ NYP ]  SNOW-BORED 'WINTERTIME' by DONALD LYONS
'WINTERTIME" is like a Mozart opera minus the music and without the lyrics. Charles L. Mee - known for such mythical updates as "Big Love" (which brought Aeschylus' "Choephori" to Vietnam) and "True Love" (which set Euripides' "Phaedra" in a garage) - likes to play clumsy games with the classics

[ NYP ]  ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE, EVEN A SMALL ONE by BARBARA HOFFMAN
You may know them from TV and movies. Now Lisa Simpson, the Karate Kid and a Soprano are live on stage . . . very small stages

[ NYT ]  ON STAGE AND OFF
Looking Ahead to Williamstown by JASON ZINOMAN
The comic and playwright Lewis Black will host the Williamstown Theater Festival's intriguing 50th-anniversary season, June 23 to Aug. 22.

[ B ]  Were Critics Mad for King Lear with Plummer?

[ B ]  B'way-Bound Color Purple to Try Out in Atlanta

[ B ]  Williamstown Fest Readies Starry 50th Season

[ B ]  Sly Fox Delays Broadway Previews by One Day

[ B ]  Hugh Jackman to Return as Tony Host for 2004

[ B ]  Twentieth Century Extends Before It Opens

[ B ]  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Lands at Ford in 2005

[ P ]  PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: At King Lear, Hair Care, Shakespeare and Stars

[ P ]  Kander & Ebb Musical Alumni Gere, Rivera, Minnelli, More Honor Duo at Roundabout Gala, April 26

[ P ]  Johnny Guitar Didn't Strum March 4; Tech Issues Delay Previews 'Til March 9

[ P ]  Williamstown 2004 Festival Features McDonald and New LaChiusa, McNally, Rebeck, Nelson

[ P ]  Producer Manny Kladitis Giving Birdie Its Wings in Bway-Bound Revival in 2004-05

[ P ]  Sly Fox Moves Broadway Start to March 13; Boston Run Ends March 7

[ P ]  The Color Purple Musical Gets World Premiere at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre

[ P ]  Charles Strouse Writing a New Musical, You Never Know, in Development with Trinity Rep

[ P ]  Hugh Jackman to Host 2004 Tony Awards

[ P ]  Longer Layover: Record-Breaking Tickets Sales Extend Twentieth Century to May 30

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Theatre Critics Gather for Drinks, Conversation

[ P ]  Robby Benson's Musical Open Heart Begins Performances March 4

[ P ]  Full Monty's Yazbek Lends American Sensibility to Bombay Dreams

[ P ]  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to Fly Into Broadway's Ford Center in March 2005

[ TM ]  Williamstown Theatre Festival Announces 2004 Season

[ TM ]  King Lear Reviewed by David Finkle

[ TM ]  Tunes, Tomes, & Videos: A Little Bit in Love by Matthew Murray

[ TM ]  You Can Judge a Book by Its Cover by Peter Filichia
posted at 3/5/2004 01:23:39 PM by James Marino | Item Link

Thursday, March 04, 2004

[ BS ]  Product Placement Possible?
B'way, OB Face New Marketing Approaches

[ BS ]  Quintet of Venues Rising, Falling, Reviving

[ BS ]  Arts Day Rally Set for March 9
Advocates Will Gather in Albany to Urge $4M Increase

[ BS ]  IATSE, League Approve Pacts for Tour Shows

[ BS ]  Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Unites Summertime Conferences
posted at 3/4/2004 03:23:42 PM by James Marino | Item Link

[ DP ]  'Millie' tour keeps couple together by John Moore
Star, chorus dancer thrive on road life

[ SUN ]  Eros, Thanatos, an Overdose by JEREMY McCARTER
The intellectual vaudeville of "Wintertime", plus "Bug" and "Moonlight Room"

[ SUN ]  Zeroing Out by JEREMY McCARTER
Would Zero Mostel get a gig today?

[ TM ]   Dames by the Dozen by Michael Portantiere
We've got photos galore from Nothing Like a Dame 2004.

[ B ]  Tony Winner 42nd Street to Close Jan. 2, 2005

[ B ]  Yazbek Contributes Quietly to Bombay Dreams

[ B ]  Winokur Lands Furst Sitcom; LA Hairspray Next?

[ B ]  New Strouse Musical Men to Play Coconut Grove

[ B ]  Drama Dept. Cancels Planned Spring Musicals

[ B ]  Miller & Zimmerman to Debut Work at Goodman

[ B ]  Ensler to Workshop The Good Body in Seattle

[ P ]  Mamma Mia! Celebrates 1,000th Performance March 4

[ P ]  Fools and Children: Plummer's Raging King Lear Opens at the Beaumont March 4

[ P ]  Johnny Gets His Guitar March 4, as Horse Opera Turned Musical Begins Off-Broadway Run

[ P ]  Anthony John Lizzul, Character Actor and Fixture at Off-Off-Broadway's Vortex Theatre, Dead at 48
I worked with Tony a few years ago. He had an incredible passion for his work, and although he gave some a hard time, he really loved everyone. This is a loss that came too soon.

[ P ]  Bye, Bye, Lullaby: 42nd Street Revival Will Close Jan. 2, 2005
The old "9 month closing notice"... lets see on the horizon -- what is that show making it's way to the Ford next year? Could that be a car flying over the Atlantic?

[ P ]  Golden Boys? Charles Strouse Musical, Real Men, Gets World Premiere at Coconut Grove in 2004-05

[ P ]  Lloyd Webber Offers Sneak Peek at Bombay Dreams

[ P ]  Ruehl, Gasteyer and Arias Land Roles in TV Pilots
I remember watching paint dry and thinking it was more interesting than Yancey in LaChiusa's The Wild Party.

[ P ]  Neil Simon Receives Kidney from Publicist Bill Evans in March 2 Operation

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Dame Concert Shows There's Nothing Like Charity

[ V ]  Berkshire skeds preems
'Alabama Sky,' 'Heartbreak House' among slated prod'ns

[ V ]  Dead end for '42nd Street'
West End's 'Bang' expected to take residence at Ford in 2005

[ V ]  Simon recovers from kidney transplant

[ NYP ]  LOON SERVICE by DONALD LYONS
Shannon Cochran makes a very sexy desperado.
posted at 3/4/2004 09:29:19 AM by James Marino | Item Link

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

[ WNYC ] Master of Puppets -- New York composer/lyricist Adam Guettel
Thanks to "davei2000" over at Talkin'Broadway's All That Chat for pointing the link out!
posted at 3/3/2004 03:23:18 PM by James Marino | Item Link

[ NYP ]  Clash of Kings by Michael Riedel

Wild card: Simon Russell Beale for his role in an upcoming revival of "Jumpers," directed by my friend David Leveaux.What's the saying? "With friends like that..."

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'WINTERTIME'
New Year's Revolutions: Doors Slam, Clothes Drop by BEN BRANTLEY
Marsha Mason has been translated into an oozing, ripe pomodoro for Charles L. Mee's latest excursion into the wacked-out wonderland of love.

[ NYT ]  Neil Simon Receives Kidney Donated by His Publicist
The playwright Neil Simon, who has been increasingly debilitated by kidney problems in recent years, received a kidney on Tuesday from his longtime friend and publicist, Bill Evans.
That just proves it. A publicist on Broadway *is* the hardest job!

[ B ]  Judd-less Cat to Close One Week Early, 3/7

[ B ]  Roundabout to Present Steven Dietz's Fiction

[ P ]  Two Eggheads Sitting Around Talking: Foreman and Shawn Discuss Theatre, March 3

[ P ]  Long Island's Theatre Three Offers Half Dozen Play Premieres, March 3-27

[ P ]  Anne Bobby Goes West in Off-Broadway's That Woman, March 3-13

[ P ]  New Arthur Miller Play, Finishing the Picture, to Premiere at Goodman Theatre in Fall

[ P ]  Steven Dietz's Fiction Slated to Play Off-Broadway's Laura Pels in Summer

[ P ]  Bway Revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Will End Its Run Early, Closing March 7

[ P ]  Broadway Grosses: February 23-29

[ P ]  They Wanted To Be in Rent, Now They'll See It, Audition for It, and Appear on "Good Morning America"

[ TM ]  Lincoln Center Hosts Platform Discussion With A.R. Gurney

[ TM ]  AWOL Project Seeks New Musicals for Readings

[ TM ]  Broadway's Super Tuesdays by Peter Filichia

[ V ]  Lincoln Center fest sets legit
'Elephant,' 'Shosha,' 'Frogs' among slated prod'ns

[ V ]  The 1940s roar during Kennedy Center season
'Don Quixote,' 'Appalachian Spring,' pix skedded

[ V ]  Confabs double up at O'Neill
Combined events to run July 4 to 31

[ V ]  'Fiddler' director, scribe get physical over column
Scuffle erupts over 'de-Jewed,' 'ethnic cleansing' opines
I've been thinking a lot about what movies could be turned into musicals. How about the Brad Pitt / Ed Norton pic, 'Fight Club'? Who could direct? Who could star in it? Hmmm....

[ TS ]  Plummer's life `just like Lear' by Richard Ouzonian
Hopes career is remembered for more than role in The Sound Of Music as Capt. Von Trapp

posted at 3/3/2004 09:25:55 AM by James Marino | Item Link

Tuesday, March 02, 2004

[ TB ]  Cat... closing
Looks like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof could not make it without Ashley...
posted at 3/2/2004 05:32:05 PM by James Marino | Item Link

With the sweep at the Oscars by The Lord of the Rings (the movie!), it is time to revisit the plans in London to mount... The Lord of the Rings -- The Musical. Yes, this is serious. Perhaps we should start picking a dream cast? How about Patrick Wilson as Frodo and Michael Riedel as Gollum? Please do send on your suggestions.

posted at 3/2/2004 02:30:59 PM by James Marino | Item Link

Features:

[ B ]  Q & A: 3/2/04 by Ken Mandelbaum

[ B ]  Photo Op: A Milestone for Mamma Mia!

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Irwin, Vogel, Pels, and Haimes Gather at Roundabout's New Steinberg Center

Reviews:

[ TM ]  The Siegel Column
Reports on A.R. Gurney's Big Bill, Nicky Silver's Beautiful Child, Cady Huffman's new movie, and Leslie Orifino's cabaret act.

News:

[ P ]  Second Stage and MTC to Present Parker in Reckless, Sept. 22

[ B ]  Reckless with Parker Sets Fall Dates at Biltmore

[ P ]  Cast Set for Sciorra-Choudhury Roar Off-Broadway at The New Group, March 22-May 8

[ P ]  Jerome Lawrence, Inherit the Wind Playwright, Dead at 88

[ B ]  Playwright Jerome Lawrence Dead at 88
posted at 3/2/2004 12:45:05 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ NYP ]  PAGE SIX
THE Post's Broadway bomb thrower, Michael Riedel, ended up on the floor at the opening night party for "Fiddler on the Roof" last week.

[ NYT ]  Jerome Lawrence, 88, Author of Stage Hit 'Inherit the Wind', Dies by BEN SISARIO
Mr. Lawrence was a playwright and theater director whose plays include the classic courtroom drama "Inherit the Wind."

[ IBDB ]  Jerome Lawrence's Broadway Credits

[ Y ]  Reiner Has New 'Life' in NBC Comedy
Rob Reiner has added acting to his duties as executive producer and director of NBC's comedy pilot "Everyday Life," with Oscar winner Mercedes Ruehl tapped to play his wife.

[ NYP ]  SPALDING'S FAMILY WAITS AND HOPES
Police said they have received 36 tips since Gray's disappearance Jan. 10, including several from reliable witnesses who believe they saw him on a Staten Island Ferry the night he vanished.

[ NYP ]  CULTURE SHOCK AS S.I. ARTS HONCHO FIRED
The Staten Island arts scene is in a major uproar after the head of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center was asked to resign - and nobody seems to know why.

[ INQ ]  Inqlings by Michael Klein
Jerry Herman and Carol Channing (fifth item).

[ NYP ]  THE STARR REPORT by MICHAEL STARR
Brooklyn native Tony Danza will find himself back in his old stomping grounds next season now that Buena Vista has announced that "The Tony Danza Show" will air live from New York when it kicks off in the fall.

[ WP ]  Backstage: 'Joe Turner': Wilson's Work Of Faithby Jane Horwitz
Stephen Sondheim came to see Signature Theatre's "Allegro" last Thursday.
Last item.

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: MARCH 2

[ P ]  Denis O'Hare to Read Soldier's Letters at Anti-War Group Benefit March 2

[ P ]  A Musical and a Makeover Get Spotlight on March 2 "Queer Eye"

[ P ]  Off-Broadway Forecast Is Snow as Wintertime with Marsha Mason Opens, March 2

[ P ]  New Greenberg, Lucas, Ruhl Plays Set for Pacific Playwrights Festival at South Coast Rep, May 7-9

[ P ]  Creator Eric Idle Talks of Monty Python's Spamalot Quest From Film to Musical

[ P ]  Bernadette Peters and Gypsy Cast to Sign CDs March 10

[ TM ]  Tony Winner John Randolph Dies at 88

Features:

[ B ]  Q&A: Anna Paquin by Cara Joy David

[ DP ]  'Millie' tour keeps couple together by John Moore
Star, chorus dancer thrive on road life
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link.

[ BH ]  Mom, son consider themselves at home with 'Oliver!' by Robert Nesti

[ LAT ]  Project is fueled by a one-track mind-set by Josh Getlin
A long ride on a New York subway is where the scripts and songs of the 'A Train Plays,' part of an instant-turnaround theater movement, are born and quickly raised.

"The Moonlight Room" - Reviews:

[ ATW ]  Two Teens Seek Solace and Comfort in The Moonlight Room
Review by Andy Propst

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE MOONLIGHT ROOM'
Facing Life and Fearing Death Deep in a Complicated Night by BRUCE WEBER
The first play by Tristine Skyler depicts a slice of New York that theatergoers will recognize as authentic.

[ CU ]  The Moonlight Room

[ TB ]  The Moonlight Room
Review by Matthew Murray

David Mamet's "Dr. Faustus" � Reviews (thanks to American Theater Web for the links):

[ CCT ]  'Faustus' showcases Mamet's way with words by Pat Craig

[ MN ]  Mamet doesn't quite find the heat in 'Dr. Faustus' by Karen D'Souza

[ SFC ]  It diverts you a bit, this play by Mamet that tries to wrestle with words and big questions by Robert Hurwitt

Other Reviews:

[ Y ]  Paranoia Gets 'Bug' All Bothered by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic
Welcome to "Bug," Tracy Letts' thoroughly outrageous and thoroughly entertaining play, a blue-collar thriller that requires suspension not only of disbelief but good taste as well.

[ CU ]  Bug

[ ATW ]  Big Bill: A Sadly Vacillating Tennis Star
Review by Andy Propst

[ LAT ]  Right timing for born-again sketches by Don Shirley
In strong performances, Kathy Najimy and Mo Gaffney resurrect their winning material from decades past.
posted at 3/2/2004 07:49:31 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Monday, March 01, 2004

I got this blind item a few hours ago. I just stopped laughing for enough time to post it:

Seen at ANGUS: What little sniveling muckraker paperboy ate the knuckle sandwich of a Broadway director, after the loathed typist whined the director's casting wasn't kosher?I have *absolutely no idea* who they mean! On another unrelated front, we should have a Riedel-watch. Perhaps even a Riedel-cam?
posted at 3/1/2004 04:33:07 PM by James Marino | Item Link

Features:

[ P ]  THE LEADING MEN: All I Ask of Hugh by Wayman Wong
March 21 isn�t here yet, but it might as well as be spring with these "Leading Men" to brighten our days: Hugh Panaro (The Phantom of the Opera), David Osmond (Cast Party) and Marcus Simeone (Cat on a Leash).

[ TM ]  Paigeing Mrs. Lovett by: David Finkle
British musical theater luminary Elaine Paige co-stars in the New York City Opera production of Sweeney Todd.

[ B ]  Photo Op: Liza Meets Millie

Reviews:

[ B ]  DVDs: Lonely Ladies by Ken Mandelbaum
PATRICIA ROUTLEDGE: THREE PORTRAITS (Warner Home Video)

[ TM ]  The Roaring Girle
Reviewed By: Dan Bacalzo

[ TM ]  Bug
Reviewed By: Dan Bacalzo

News:

[ B ]  The Goat Jumps from Almeida to the West End

[ P ]  Democracy and The Goat Set for West End Transfers

[ P ]  David Edgar Focuses on a Continental Divide and Blair's England

[ P ]  Foster, Murney, Kennedy, Kimball and Dokuchitz Part of March 8 Purim Story

[ P ]  John Randolph, Tony-Winning Character Actor, Dead at 88

[ P ]  Cunningham and Reddy Join Kennedy Center's Cat Cast

[ P ]  Gant Gaither, Broadway Producer, Is Dead at 86

[ P ]  Follies' Evans Heads to the Chatterbox March 4

[ P ]  "Lord of the Rings" Sweeps 76th Annual Academy Awards

[ P ]  Paul Schoeffler Set to Replace Broadway-Bound Michael Cerveris in Wintertime

[ P ]  New Rudnick Comedy Valhalla Descends Early; To Close Off-Broadway March 21

[ TM ]  Uta Hagen Memorial Set for March 25 at Majestic Theatre
posted at 3/1/2004 02:49:32 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Features:

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
People who worked with Sondheim and Prince are guest lecturers in a college musical theater course.

News:

[ ND ]  LONG ISLAND CITY: Hoping the show will go on BY TANIA PADGETT
Businesses catering to the theater and film industries are feeling squeezed by rezoning and real estate prices

[ NYT ]  Gant Gaither, 86, Producer With Second Career as Artist, Dies by WOLFGANG SAXON
Gant Gaither was a busy Broadway producer in the 1950's who later found his niche as an artist, his first calling.

[ IBDB ]  Gant Gaither's Broadway Credits

[ INQ ]  Janet's out, but it's still stormy weather for Horne film by Gail Shister
With or without Janet Jackson, ABC's Lena Horne movie is virtually dead, executive producer Craig Zadan says.

[ NJ ]  Center stage by Peter Filichia
Charles Busch interview (last item).

[ NYP ]  PAGE SIX
MARY J. Blige's turn as a rescued death-row prisoner in "The Exonerated" at the Bleecker Street Theater may be making her fans happy, but it's driving local residents nuts.

[ Y ]  'Law & Order' Cop Merkerson Leads 'Lackawanna'

[ V ]  B.O. off; 'Boheme' $1.1 mil
Road grosses

[ V ]  B.O. up; 'Roof' 731g
Broadway grosses

[ P ]  Off-Broadway's NTUSA Makes More Head Way as Brooklyn Play Extends to March 14

[ P ]  Nothing Like a Dame Boasts Foster, Menzel, McDonald, Murphy, Neuwirth, Rivera and More March 1

[ P ]  She'll Reach for the Gun . . . Again: d'Amboise Returns to Chicago March 1

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: MARCH 1

[ P ]  Sin of the Fathers: Docudrama Recounts Cardinal Law's Scandal Testimony, Starting March 1 in Chicago

[ P ]  Liz McCartney Gets Conical (and Comical) Hairdo in Bway's Millie Starting March 1

[ P ]  Moonlight Becomes Theatre Row, as Worth Street Success Reopens March 1

[ P ]  Black 2 Broadway Benefit Concert, With Tony Winner Lillias White,Held March 1

[ P ]  "Simpsons" Star Yeardley Smith Gives More to Off-Broadway, March 1

"Bug" - Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'BUG'
Down and Out (and Itchy and Scratchy) in Oklahoma by BEN BRANTLEY
Tracy Letts's obscenely exciting play about a man, a woman and a lot of tiny critters at the Barrow Street Theater has expert timing and a smashing cast.

[ B ]  Bug
Review by Ron Lasko
Anyone who laments the lack of originality in the theater these days should immediately race to the Barrow Street Theater to catch Bug, a quirky new black comedy by Tracy Letts.

[ NJ ]  Trash gives edge to thriller BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
Opening yesterday at the 199-seat Barrow Street Theatre near Sheridan Square, "Bug" looks like a ticking cult hit ready to explode.

[ TB ]  Bug
Review by Matthew Murray

Other Reviews:

[ NJ ]  Teach your grandchildren well BY PETER FILICHIA
Hundreds of plays have been written about mothers and daughters, and thousands have chronicled the problems between fathers and sons.
So playwright Peter Hays decided to skip a generation in his often engrossing drama, "Foreign Exchange."

[ ND ]  Sound and fury can't rise above a low roar BY GORDON COX
A lively, playful intelligence energizes "The Roaring Girle," a free-wheeling adaptation of a little-known 1611 comedy in which Jacobean drama and contemporary society crash-land onstage with comic gracelessness.

[ TB ]  Lend Me a Tenor
Florida Review by Matthew MacDermid
With Shelly Burch.

[ NYer ]  BITTERSWEET by JOHN LAHR
�Fiddler on the Roof� and �Bridge and Tunnel.�

[ TB ]  Summer and Smoke
Review by Matthew Murray

[ CU ]  The Wild Duck

[ CU ]  The Chosen

[ CU ]  When Harry Met Sally
posted at 3/1/2004 07:47:55 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Sunday, February 29, 2004

[ STARS ]  SUSAN WERNER
I Can't Be New

On March 9th, Susan Werner's new CD, I Can't Be New, will be released on Koch Records. She will soon be making appearances on NPR's Friday Morning Edition and Mountain Stage.
I have long believed that Susan Werner is one of America's finest songwriters and performers; perhaps that's why I've seen her in concert nearly forty times over the past eleven years! She never fails to amaze, delight and inspire; just when you think that no one could come up with a better song than the one she's just sung, she'll prove you wrong by topping herself.
Read the press release at the link above, and listen to the samples from her new album at Amazon.com, where you can also pre-order the CD. Then ask yourself the question that's been puzzling me for years: "Why isn't every cabaret singer in New York singing these songs?"
Susan Werner performs two shows at Joe's Pub in New York City on Saturday, March 13.
posted at 2/29/2004 10:33:33 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Features:

[ P ]  STAGE TO SCREEN: Will the Silver Screen Go "Plaid?" and The Best of 2003

[ WP ]  Appreciation: The Man Who Brought Judas to Life by Hank Stuever
Carl Anderson.

[ CE ]  'Blue' director juggles several projects by Jackie Demaline
The quote of the week comes from Kenny Leon, who is juggling April's Broadway opening of A Raisin in the Sun (sure to be a headline grabber with headliner Sean "P. Diddy" Combs), upcoming plans for his own True Colors theatre company, preparation for the world premiere of the opera Margaret Garner in 2005 with this week's regional premiere of Blue at Playhouse in the Park.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

[ BG ]  The piano man meets the choreographer by Joan Anderman
Billy Joel had received the call before, plenty of times, from major Hollywood producers and respected television writers and a few anonymous wannabes.

[ BG ]  Tour makes a big production out of 'Oliver!' by Catherine Foster
Eight times a week, 11-year-old Mattapoisett native Koby Williamson puts on rags and turns into a 19th-century urchin who sings about "food, glorious food." He's joined onstage by 16 other children, who are making their way around the country on a tour of "Oliver!"

[ ND ]  Fast Chat: Ralph Macchio by Steve Dollar

[ NJ ]  Another serving of 37-year-old 'Sherry!' BY PETER FILICHIA
It isn't every Broadway musical that waits 37 years to get a cast album.

[ CST ]  The Riddler on a stand-up kind of guy BY HEDY WEISS
The difference between acting and impersonation may be subtle, but it is formidable. What is so impressive about Frank Gorshin's performance in "Say Goodnight, Gracie" -- the 90-minute one-man show about the life and times of comedian George Burns -- is the way the actor manages to so seamlessly fuse both approaches to characterization.

[ ND ]  OUTINGS: Sharing credit and the stage by CARL MACGOWAN
Ren�e Taylor and Joseph Bologna in "It Had To Be You," at Queens Theatre in the Park.

News:

[ NYT ]  Weddings & Celebrations: Agn�s Dunogu�, Jason Zinoman
The bridegroom, 28, contributes the "On Stage and Off" column of The New York Times.

[ NYP ]  PAGE SIX
AT least one audience member was blown away by Mary J. Blige's stage debut in the heartwrenching play "The Exonerated" last week.

[ P ]  Talk Show Watch: Anne Heche on "Letterman," Anna Paquin on "Daly"

[ P ]  Tickets Now on Sale for London Production of Mary Poppins

[ P ]  Billy Crystal, with Marc Shaiman Assist, Hosts 76th Annual Academy Awards Feb. 29

[ P ]  Bock Play Takes Flight Out of Theatre Feb. 29

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: FEBRUARY 29

[ P ]  Humana Festival of New American Plays Begins Feb. 29 in Louisville

[ P ]  February Thaw: Retreat from Moscow Closes on Broadway Feb. 29

[ P ]  The Civilians and Its Ladies Exit Off-Broadway's Chashama Feb. 29

[ P ]  Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick on "Radio Playbill" March 1-14

Reviews:

[ TM ]  A Pound on Demand / Hughie
Providence Review By: Sandy MacDonald

[ TS ]  Fiddler best when it sticks with tradition by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN
In a misguided desire to be more "universal," this production has lost much of its original pungency by becoming too gentle as well as too gentile.

[ INQ ]  'Fiddler on the Roof' gets surefooted revival by Desmond Ryan

[ OCR ]  This 'Plaid' earns its stripes by ERIC MARCHESE
La Mirada staging of popular musical 'Forever Plaid' is a tuneful, nostalgic and poignant tribute to life's also-rans.
With David Engel.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

[ DN ]  Jonno's journey By DAVID HINCKLEY
Book Review: Radio star Jonathan Schwartz recalls his sometimes glorious youth
posted at 2/29/2004 10:29:11 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