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Saturday, March 27, 2004 Reviews: [ B ] The Gershwins' Split Personality by Ken Mandelbaum Review: Encores!' Pardon My English [ NYP ] 'ENGLISH' REVIVAL TOWER OF BABBLE by DONALD LYONS NOT even the Gershwins could save "Pardon My English," the 1933 musical that Encores! is reviving this weekend. [ Y ] Silly 'Pardon My English' Resurrected by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic It's exactly the kind of musical this annual City Center series should be attempting, and this spritzy, delightful resuscitation after more than 70 years of neglect is well-deserved. [ ND ] Pardonable piffle with a Gershwin score BY GORDON COX Perhaps appropriately for a musical in which amnesia figures prominently, there's not a single memorable flash of wit in "Pardon My English." But the show seems so well aware of its status as an insubstantial trifle that it's easy to pardon it. [ NYT ] Springtime for Dresden in a Bubbly Era of Inhibition by BEN BRANTLEY The Encores! production of the failed 1933 George and Ira Gershwin musical is an act of sweet redemption that luxuriates in the joys of being stupid. [ TM ] Pardon My English Reviewed By: David Finkle [ NJ ] Lost Gershwin gem is madcap delight BY MICHAEL SOMMERS [ BG ] Gay themes take center stage at Huntington and Black Box by James Reed Features: [ NYT ] The Sly Fox of 'The Sly Fox' by EMILY NUSSBAUM Larry Gelbart scored a comic hit in 1976 with "Sly Fox," an adaptation of Ben Jonson's satire. Now, he talks about his black comedy of greed and how it plays in 2004. [ NYT ] From Comic to Curious Daughter by LIESL SCHILLINGER Wendy Spero's "Who's Your Daddy" tells the story of a spirited young woman who only begins to understand the loss of her father when her boss becomes a father himself. [ NYT ] Excerpt: 'Who's Your Daddy?' [ WP ] 45 Years Ago, a 'Raisin' to Cheer by Wil Haygood Revival of Hansberry Play Stirs Memories of a Racial Milestone [ ND ] 'Raisin' issues in P. Didy's music by Genetta M. Adams [ BS ] Accidental Nostalgia While Seeking Eden Crushing a wintergreen Altoid between his molars, our intrepid Theatregeek once again lunges out into the night to find the best of NYC's alt-stage performers... [ BS ] Due Diligence Is Demanded Sure, it may seem like divine providence when a talent scout notices your youngster at the mall, but separating out the lemons from the legitimate is vital for parents. Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features! [ SS ] Wopat has survived his Hazzard duty by Kyle Lawson [ CCT ] S.F. is vital character in 'Time of Your Life' by PAT CRAIG Tina Landau interview. [ LCJ ] 'Springtime' for Brooks by TAMARA IKENBERG Mel on "The Passion of the Christ." [ PPG ] Gorshin goes home by Christopher Rawson Native son takes a ride through the old neighborhoods News: [ BG ] Wellesley cancels 'Cardinal' production by Catherine Foster "Sin: A Cardinal Deposed," a play about the sex-abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church, will not be staged at Wellesley College in May. [ B ] Less Time to See More; Solo Show Closes 4/18 [ Y ] Christie's 'Mousetrap' Reaches Milestone by MATT WOLF, Associated Press Writer Agatha Christie's seemingly immortal play "The Mousetrap" passed yet another milestone, clocking 30 consecutive years in the same London theater. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 27 [ P ] London Les Miz Ends 18-Year Run at Palace March 27; Moves on to Queen's [ P ] Mulgrew and Seldes are Cavendish Women in L.A.'s The Royal Family, March 27 posted at 3/27/2004 08:45:47 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Friday, March 26, 2004 [ R ] 'Law & Order' Losing Veteran Jerry Orbach - Sources posted at 3/26/2004 05:38:04 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ ND ] Mining a historical lode of greed BY BLAKE GREEN 'Sly Fox' is back, with Richard Dreyfuss as a wealthy con man leading a pack of schemers. It's set in the gold rush days - of yesteryear [ ND ] INTERVIEW: Barbara Cook returns to scene of a hit BY KARIN LIPSON [ ND ] GLOBAL TEATRICS BY STEVE DOLLAR Ethnic performing arts companies bring a multicultural time-and-place warp to stages all over the city [ B ] Video: In Rehearsals With Bombay Dreams [ B ] Video: L'Chaim! A New Fiddler! [ B ] Video: Drowning Crow Bash News: [ ND ] Casts seek equity to avoid a strike BY ELIZABETH SANGER Contract talks set to start months early to avoid walkout. Major issue is pay parity for actors performing in national tours [ TM ] A Majestic Memorial Service for Uta Hagen [ P ] Ken Urban Play I (Heart) Kant Receives Reading April 5 [ P ] Arthur Laurents Honored at 23rd Annual William Inge Festival, April 21-24 [ P ] Lloyd Webber Gives Old Chum Mackintosh Big Present [ P ] PBOL'S THEATRE WEEK IN REVIEW, March 20-26: Musical Horizons [ P ] Don't Put Your Mother on the Stage: Playwright Kron Competes With "Mom" in World Premiere of Well [ P ] He's Your Man: George Michael Considering Wham! Stage Musical [ P ] B.J. Crosby Stars in New King Stag at Yale Repertory Theatre, March 26-April 17 [ P ] Musicals in Mufti Presents Fanny March 26-28 [ P ] Hurricane Opens at London's Arts Prior to New York Run [ P ] NJ Rep Serves Lemonade in East Coast Premiere, April 23-June 6 [ P ] Aquila's Othello Gets Modern Setting, With Actors and Audience Commingling, May 18-June 27 [ P ] With a Song in Its Heart, New Philly Troupe Focuses on Resident Cabaret Artists and New Hybrid Musicals [ B ] Journey's End to Change West End Houses posted at 3/26/2004 04:38:45 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Reviews: [ TB ] Pardon My English Review by Matthew Murray [ TM ] The Siegel Column Barbara & Scott like Johnny Guitar quite a lot but think less of More -- and they adore the Callaway sisters' show at Feinstein's. News: [ P ] Masada Musical to Open on Broadway in December 2004 [ P ] Michael Hastings� Calico to Close in London April 3 [ P ] Sills, Jbara and Anderson Part of 5,000 Fingers Musical Reading [ P ] Atlantic Theater Has David Mamet, Woody Allen, Chekhov, Donaghy, Howe and Ionesco in 2004-05 [ P ] Casting Announced for Cy Coleman's I Love My Wife at Helen Hayes [ P ] Julie Wilson to Open New Manhattan Cabaret, The Hideaway Room, with I'm Still Here [ P ] Tim Robbins' Embedded Extends Again, to April 25 [ P ] Tony Winner Redgrave to Star in Kennedy Center's Hecuba posted at 3/26/2004 11:27:20 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link "Twentieth Century": [ B ] Photo Op: Twentieth Century Arrives on Broadway [ NYT ] Video: Scenes From 'Twentieth Century' [ B ] Were Critics On Board for Twentieth Century? [ B ] Twentieth Century Review by Eric Grode Thanks in no small part to the strenuous efforts of Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche, this warhorse still has some life in it. [ TM ] Twentieth Century Reviewed By: David Finkle This is a swell Twentieth Century for the 21st century. [ TB ] Twentieth Century Review by Matthew Murray All aboard! Next stop: Mediocrity! [ Y ] 'Twentieth' a Strained Production by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic [ ND ] Oodles of luxe, but oh so last century BY LINDA WINER [ USA ] 'Twentieth Century' chugs right along by Elysa Gardner * * � out of four [ WP ] This 'Twentieth Century' Gives Comedy a Wide Berthby Peter Marks After two hours of silly shenanigans on Jaffe's zany Pullman car, you feel you've been jostled a bit but never transported. If only more of the comedy had found a place in first class. [ DN ] This 'Twentieth Century' veers off the laugh track by Howard Kissel The production is amusing, but the comedy has yet to jell. [ HC ] 'Twentieth Century' Gets 21st-Century Update by MALCOLM JOHNSON Roundabout Dusts Off 1932 Play, Invigorates It With A New Level Of Hilarity [ R ] Theater Review: Twentieth Century by Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter Disappointingly lacking in fizz, the production doesn't quite do anything dramatically wrong, but neither does it do anything particularly right. [ NJ ] Second bananas provide all the appeal BY MICHAEL SOMMERS Not since Melanie Griffith's "Chicago" chorus boys have performers toiled so mightily as the "Twentieth Century" company -- the featured players energetically support not-so-hot headliners Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche for nearly two hours and never break a sweat. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'TWENTIETH CENTURY' Three Egos, Two Stars, One War by BEN BRANTLEY This fitful revival of Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's portrait of battling theatrical egos feels stalled in the 1930's. [ NYP ] CAST IS RAIL GOOD by CLIVE BARNES The revival, cannily directed by Walter Bobbie, enshrines two glorious star performances from Anne Heche and, particularly, Alec Baldwin. So it's fun - spasmodically. [ ATW ] Broadway and Beyond: Not All Curves on Gorgeous Twentieth Century Smooth XM Satellite Radio Other Reviews: [ NYT ] Cabaret in Review by STEPHEN HOLDEN "Relative Harmony" at Feinstein's is a robust vocal showcase for Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway; Maude Maggart sketches a rich portrait of the roaring 20's at Danny's Skylight Room. [ NYP ] TREK FROM SHTETL: 3 GENERATIONS SHOW METTLE by DONALD LYONS "FROM Door to Door" is a tale of progress from shtetl to suburbia, a story of three generations of Jewish women. [ MH ] Small-scale 'My Fair Lady' scores big on pleasure BY CHRISTINE DOLEN Thanks to American Theater Web for the link. [ ATW ] Broadway and Beyond:Looks at 3 New CD Releases 'Sherry!', Rebecca Luker, 'On Richard Rodgers' Piano' XM Satellite Radio News: [ P ] Wildhorn's Dracula, the Musical, Wings to Broadway's Belasco July 12, Opening Aug. 5 [ TM ] Dracula, The Musical to Open on Broadway in August 2004 [ B ] Wildhorn's Dracula Sets Dates for B'way Bow [ P ] Uta Hagen Remembered as Inspiration and Role Model at New York Memorial [ NYT ] ON STAGE AND OFF No Time for Nerves by JASON ZINOMAN Jane Adams in "Match"; a possible transfer for "Frozen"; Woody Allen and David Mamet. [ B ] Allen & Mamet Works Headline Atlantic Season [ B ] Redgrave to Star in Hecuba at the Kennedy Ctr. [ BBC ] NI writer sued over hit play Belfast playwright Marie Jones is being sued for a share of the profits of her hit play Stones in his Pockets. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 26 [ P ] Elvis Presley-Inspired Musical Jailhouse Rock Opens in London, March 26 [ P ] LAByrinth and Public Present Guinea Pig Solo, April 20, Starring Ortiz [ P ] Auburn's Journals Tack on Another Chapter; Play Extends to April 18 [ P ] Goodman Proof Get Third Robert in Phillip Edward VanLear [ P ] Anne Washburn's The Internationalist Is New Troupe's First Work, Off-Bway April 17-May 8 Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Filichia reads your e-mails about tough cast recording finds and recollects what he paid for LPs back in the day. [ NJ ] Actress is candid about life's trade-offs BY PETER FILICHIA Until she got the part in "Candida," Kate Forbes thought George Bernard Shaw was old hat. [ DN ] Decades later, still Cook-ing by HOWARD KISSEL The 76-year-old Barbara Cook is back on Broadway. [ DN ] Now, a hero of note by ROBERT DOMINGUEZ The story of Holocaust hero Raoul Wallenberg is coming to the stage - as a musical. [ P ] DIVA TALK: Here Come the Callaways�Liz and Ann, That Is! [ B ] First Person: Shaking the Family Tree by James Sherman [ B ] Photo Op: A Dashing Opening for From Door to Door [ CT ] For one night only, Terkel does Trumbo by Chris Jones [ LADN ] A man, a life, a new play: A tribute to James Stewart by Martin S. Gonzalez [ RMN ] Man or Merman? by Lisa Bornstein 'Varla Jean' actor finds that actresses have more fun Thanks to American Theater Web for the two links above. [ BG ] Troupe finds treasure in Dresser by Catherine Foster Charles Towers, artistic director of Merrimack Repertory Theatre, likes Richard Dresser's plays so much he scheduled not one but three of them over last season and this. [ BH ] 'The Sweepers' brushes aside Italian-American stereotyping posted at 3/26/2004 08:50:43 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Thursday, March 25, 2004 Features: [ B ] Fresh Face: Matt Caplan by Katie Riegel [ P ] PHOTO CALL: New Play Goes From Door to Door to Off-Broadway Reviews: [ B ] CDs: '53 London by Ken Mandelbaum WISH YOU WERE HERE / PAINT YOUR WAGON / GUYS AND DOLLS (Sepia) [ TB ] The Wild Party Philadelphia Review by Warren Hoffman News: [ B ] Brooke Tansley is Hairspray's Next Penny [ B ] Twentieth Century Extends Through June 6 [ B ] Cast Announced for Off-B'way's Guinea Pig Solo [ TM ] 2004 Easter Bonnet Competition Set for April 19 and 20 [ P ] bridge and tunnel Star Sarah Jones Featured on CBS News Sunday Morning, March 28 [ P ] Sam Waterston to Star in Stoppard's Travesties at Long Wharf in 2005 [ P ] Make a Miracle: Noah Racey Stars in Goodspeed Revival of Where's Charley? [ P ] Queen Musical, We Will Rock You, Makes North American Debut in Vegas; Toronto Gets Canadian Bow [ P ] Mrs. Farnsworth Cancels Performances While Lithgow Mourns Father [ B ] Farnsworth Canceled Due to Arthur Lithgow's Death posted at 3/25/2004 04:17:33 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ BBC ] George Michael mulls Wham musical posted at 3/25/2004 01:57:59 PM by James Marino | Item Link bruceb on All That Chat reports that MRS. FARNSWORTH is cancelled for today and tomorrow so that John Lithgow can attend his father's funeral. (See links below for Arthur Lithgow's obituary.) Also, Frank Rizzo's column today reports the passing of Hartney Arthur, producer, director, agent and former executive director of Theatre Communications Group. [ IBDB ] Hartney Arthur's Broadway Credits [ P ] Arthur W. Lithgow, Regional Actor and Director Who Ran McCarter Thatre and Antioch Shakes Fest, Dead at 88 [ B ] Esbjornson Steps in as Normal Heart Director [ TM ] Esbjornson Takes Over Direction of The Normal Heart [ P ] David Esbjornson Named New Director of Worth Street Revival of Normal Heart [ P ] Picks of the Month Series Celebrates New CDs at Dillon's April 4 [ P ] "Spotlight" Series Continues with Broadway Understudies and Assassins' Gemignani [ P ] Chicago's Neuwirth Is Neuwirth in March 25 "Will & Grace" [ P ] Complete Casting Announced for North Shore's Kiss Me, Kate [ P ] Bart and Beach Set for Producers Film; Ferrell in Negotiations posted at 3/25/2004 12:09:41 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ WJN ] Bargains abound at TDF Web site The Theatre Development Fund website is www.TDF.org. posted at 3/25/2004 09:36:49 AM by James Marino | Item Link News: [ NYT ] Arthur Lithgow, 88, Stage Actor Who Led Regional Companies, Dies by CHRISTOPHER LEHMANN-HAUPT Arthur Lithgow was a producer and director who was a pioneer in American regional theater, specializing in Shakespeare. [ IBDB ] Arthur Lithgow's Broadway Credits [ B ] Producers Film: Ferrell in Talks, Bart & Beach Set [ HC ] Sam Waterston to star in 'Travesties' at Long Wharf by Frank Rizzo [ DN ] The 411 by REBECCA LOUIE, BREANNE HELDMAN, JAWN MURRAY and BEN WIDDICOMBE Tony winner Charles S. Dutton is still bitter over Broadway almost a year after the revival of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" closed. Fifth item. Thanks to keran on All That Chat for the information. [ ND ] Taking direction from teenagers by Gordon Cox The actor David Strathairn has appeared on Broadway ("Salome"), Off-Broadway ("The Winter's Tale" at Classic Stage), in films ("Blue Car") and on television (the 2002 remake of "Lathe of Heaven"). And he recently found himself under the direction of a 17-year-old tyro named Aime Kelly. [ NJ ] Center stage by Peter Filichia The guy in 'Dolls' [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 25 [ P ] Tina Howe's Pride's Crossing Gets NYC Revival at T. Schreiber Studio, March 25-April 18 [ P ] PLAYBILL ARCHIVES: Twentieth Century � 1932 [ P ] Baldwin and Heche Pull Into the Broadway Station With New Twentieth Century, Opening March 25 [ P ] Getting to Know You, Homage to the Ladies of Summer Stock, Premieres at Dayton's Human Race March 25 [ P ] Almeida Puts Dogme�s Festen On London Stage March 25 [ P ] New Stars Take On Matt & Ben Off-Broadway at P.S. 122, March 25 [ P ] With Help from Dodgers, L.A. Musical, Bare, Gets Off-Bway Run Starting March 25; Does It Have Legs? Features: [ TM ] Loose Lips by: Brian Scott Lipton Dan Lauria is all Ears, Carolee Carmello is making a Baby, and Mercedes Ruehl will soon have A View From the Bridge. [ NYP ] CINDY ADAMS Alec Baldwin interview (third item). [ CST ] From the directors' chairs Chat with two talented Chicago directors -- William Brown and Dexter Bullard -- and you will discover two radically different approaches to the theater. [ BSUN ] Playwright inspired by life of folk singer by Carl Schoettler [ NYT ] An Operetta Has an 'Alt-Country' Flavor by RANDY KENNEDY "Accidental Nostalgia," an alt-country operetta created by Cynthia Hopkins, adds two new topics to the genre's list: amnesia and incest. Reviews: [ NYT ] POP REVIEW | LYRICS AND LYRICISTS That Lyricist With a Brain, a Heart . . . and the Noive by STEPHEN HOLDEN [ DN ] Show and sell, Off-Broadway by Howard Kissel The astonishing thing about New York theater in the last six months is the volume of plays produced as commercial ventures, rather than the "pigs in a poke" presented by not-for-profit companies. [ NJ ] A nice little show: Three generations of women work hard on feel-good comedy-drama BY MICHAEL SOMMERS "From Door to Door," a new play about three generations of middle-class Jewish women, is like plunging into a bowl of your grandma's chicken noodle soup. [ NYP ] 'FROZEN' LEAVES YOU COLD By DONALD LYONS [ NJ ] 'Johnny Guitar' is out of tune BY MICHAEL SOMMERS [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'MORE' What Do I Want? It's Just One Word by MARGO JEFFERSON Anyone who sees "More" probably knows Yeardley Smith as the voice of Lisa Simpson. But Ms. Smith is a charming actress in her own skin and a smart, complicated woman. [ TB ] tick, tick ... BOOM! and The Fastest Woman Alive New Jersey Reviews by Bob Rendell posted at 3/25/2004 07:33:42 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Wednesday, March 24, 2004 [ NYT ] Now Playing Off Broadway, Virtual-Music War by JESSE McKINLEY David Weinstein, composer of "The Joys of Sex," is using a virtual orchestra machine in the show, but a union objects. posted at 3/24/2004 09:16:50 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ B ] Stage Notes: 03/24/04 by Paul Wontorek Open Heart; Dogville; the readers respond. [ B ] Photo Op: A Peek at Paper Mill's New Baby [ B ] Photo Op: A Hot Time in the Old Town with Johnny Guitar Reviews: [ B ] From Door to Door Review by Eric Grode [ B ] The Journals of Mihail Sebastian Review by Ron Lasko [ TM ] Tunes, Tomes, & Videos It's grand to have Kurt Weill's The Firebrand of Florence complete on CD, but the casting is haphazard and the work itself quite strange. News: [ B ] Cast Set for Shinn Play; Williams Withdraws Dawson's Creek alum Michelle Williams has left the upcoming Vineyard Theatre production of Christopher Shinn's Where Do We Live to pursue another project. Newcomer Jessica Chastain is replacing Williams in the mounting. [ P ] Cast Set for Christopher Shinn's Where Do We Live Off-Broadway, April 21-May 30 [ TM ] Julie Wilson to Inaugurate The Hideway Room on April 2 [ P ] Cruz, Leight, Wilson Among Finalists for Regional Steinberg New Play Award [ P ] Oregon Shakes Will Stage Arturo and Catherine, World Premiere by Kentucky Cycle Playwright, in 2005 posted at 3/24/2004 08:01:26 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ TM ] Gun Song by: Michael Portantiere Neil Patrick Harris draws a bead on his dual roles in Assassins. [ B ] Obscure Recordings: Chu Chem and Ain't Broadway Grand by Ken Mandelbaum [ B ] Photo Op: Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson Visit Avenue Q [ B ] Photo Op: A Cozy Fete for Yeardley Smith's More [ P ] PHOTO CALL: TV's Lisa Simpson Wants More in New Solo Show [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Johnny Guitar Strums and Hums His Way to Opening Night [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Broadway's Best Rehearsing for Paper Mill's Baby Reviews: [ TM ] The Siegel Column The Siegels scrutizine Sweeney Todd at City Opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream at BAM, and Melissa Errico at The Oak Room. News: [ B ] Grov� to Headline Bye Bye Birdie at Encores! [ B ] Casting Set for Chinese Friends at Playwrights [ P ] Spalding Gray Memorial Set for Vivian Beaumont on April 13 [ P ] Nobel Prize-Winning Russian Love Story to Become New Musical Doctor Zhivago More music than "Lara's Theme" will be part of the developing musical stage adaptation of Doctor Zhivago which will combine the talents of Michael Weller, Lucy Simon, Michael Korie, Amy Powers and La Jolla Playhouse artistic director Des McAnuff. [ P ] Luckinbill Is Patriarch in Baitz's Political Thriller, Chinese Friends, Premiering April 30 in NYC [ P ] Robert Sean Leonard Is Kenneth Talley, Jr. Again in Los Angeles Run of Fifth of July [ P ] It Takes a Village: Will Robin Hood, the Musical, Premiere in Pacific Northwest? [ P ] Queen of Country S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E-S in New Musical, Play It by Heart, Slated for Pacific Northwest in 2005 [ P ] Superpowers Conferred on adobe theatre company, April 21 [ P ] Chicago Shakespeare Theatre Offers Triple Dose of Bard and Return of Griffin in 2004-05 [ P ] Suddenly Last Summer � with Diana Rigg and Victoria Hamilton � to Play London in May [ P ] Carol Channing and Glen Roven Reteam for Autobiographical Show April 11 and 12 [ P ] McGowan, Bogart, Schramm and Vidnovic to Star in York's Fanny; Complete Cast Announced [ P ] Disney's Schumacher and Wife's Wright and Kaufman Guest on March 26 "Theater Talk" [ P ] Casts of Wicked and Rent to Sing for Broadway Cares posted at 3/24/2004 04:06:18 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Filichia describes his 14-year search for one of the most elusive of all cast recordings. [ P ] Assassins Shooting Gallery: Kuhn as Zangara and Cerveris as Booth In the weeks leading up to the show's Broadway debut, Playbill On-Line will take an exclusive look at Assassins, focusing on all nine major characters and the actors who portray them. [ NYT ] BOLDFACE NAMES So That's Why We Haven't Inked Any Deals by JOYCE WADLER Liza Minnelli and Nathan Lane at a charity event. [ TB ] 20 Questions with David Arisco South Florida Feature by Kevin Johnson News: [ P ] London�s Bombay Dreams to Close June 2004 [ B ] West End Bombay Dreams to Close June 13 [ NYT ] New Theater for Brooklyn Arts District by GLENN COLLINS A $22 million, 299-seat theater designed by the architects Frank Gehry and Hugh Hardy is expected to be the newest ornament of a growing cultural district in Brooklyn. [ NYP ] CINDY ADAMS KATHIE Lee Gifford may be coming to Broadway. She's written a musical, "The Family Under the Bridge." Second item. [ BH ] Fasten your seat belts for a campy night The classic film "All About Eve" is set to get queer-eyed this August with a staged reading of Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Oscar-winning script to benefit the Provincetown Theatre Company. Local favorite Ryan Landry will play the Bette Davis role of Margo Channing, film director John Waters ("Hairspray") as the acidic critic Addison DeWitt... [ PTR ] Irish and Classical Theatre builds on actors' local following by Alice T. Carter Brian Bedford. Thanks to American Theater Web for the link! [ P ] Graham�s Coyote and Shear�s Dirty Blonde Set for London Debuts [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 24 [ P ] Annabella Sciorra Stars in World Premiere of Roar, Starting Off-Broadway March 24 [ P ] Bill Irwin Conjures the Ghost of American Clown, Mr. Fox, for Off-Bway's Signature [ P ] Jewish Mothers and Daughters Learn from Each Other in Off-Bway's From Door to Door, Opening March 24 [ P ] Anthony Holds and Kate Baldwin Embrace and Explore Last 5 Years in St. Louis, March 24-April 18 [ P ] Sin: A Cardinal Deposed Is a Hit Docu-Drama in Chicago, Poised for a Wide Regional Life "Johnny Guitar" - Reviews: [ NYP ] 'JOHNNY' ON THE SPOT by DONALD LYONS Granted, "Johnny Guitar" isn't Wagner, but it does capture some of that drive, that excess and that demented beauty. Bravo! [ TB ] Johnny Guitar Review by Matthew Murray Remember the days when musical comedies derived their humor from characters and situations? [ Y ] 'Johnny Guitar' Is Campy by MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic This one-joke musical, on view at off-Broadway's Century Center, might work fine as a 10-minute sketch on the old "Carol Burnett Show," especially if Burnett got to play Vienna, the hard-boiled saloon keeper with a hankerin' for the title character, who, as the song goes, "was a tall man, and, as I hear it, all man." [ ATW ] Johnny Guitar Has Fun With Western Cult Flick, One Wants More Though Review by Andy Propst [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'JOHNNY GUITAR' A Woman With a Past, a Pistol and No Petticoats by BEN BRANTLEY Nicholas Ray's fever dream of a movie from 1954 has been translated into a downright cozy pocket musical at the Century Center for the Performing Arts. [ TM ] Johnny Guitar Reviewed By: David Finkle [ CU ] Johnny Guitar [ B ] Johnny Guitar Review by William Stevenson [ SUN ] Objects in Mirror by JEREMY McCARTER Varieties of self-regard in "Mihail Sebastian", "Johnny Guitar", and "More". "The Journals of Mihail Sebastian" - Reviews: [ NJ ] Hellish memories: One-man show chronicles nation's descent into 'uncontrolled bestiality' of Nazi regime BY MICHAEL SOMMERS [ ND ] Review: "The Journals of Mihail Sebastian" BY GORDON COX Adaptor David Auburn endows the show with the same carefully modulated accessibility that he gave to "Proof," for which he won both a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize in 2001. [ TM ] The Journals of Mihail Sebastian Reviewed By: David Finkle Other Reviews: [ NJ ] Spunky lady's tale makes fast takeoff BY PETER FILICHIA There's that famous episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" where Lou Grant is interviewing Miss Richards and tells her, "You've got spunk," before adding, "I hate spunk." [ NYT ] MOVIE REVIEW | 'EVERYDAY PEOPLE' Elegy for a Local Restaurant by ELVIS MITCHELL Jim McKay's ensemble drama, the opening feature in the annual New Directors/New Films series, has a roaming, lived-in quality. With Jordan Gelber, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Reg. E. Cathey and Erin Dilly. [ VV ] The Joy of Operating Manuals New Kitchen musical celebrates the poetry of instructions for outmoded appliances by Ed Park The Slug Bearers Of Kayrol Island, Or The Friends Of Dr. Rushower [ VV ] Dude Mechanicals Propeller's male cast dreams of old-fashioned innovation by Tom Sellar [ VV ] Icy New Hypothesis: Aberrant Biology is Criminal Destiny by Charles McNulty Frozen [ VV ] Stage Gems Black-and-white movie madness invades Off-Broadway by Francine Russo [ VV ] Sightlines by David Ng Wave [ ATW ] Not Waving but Drowning Review by Laura Shea posted at 3/24/2004 09:57:44 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Tuesday, March 23, 2004 [ P ] Kelly McGillis Is Lady Macbeth in 2004-05 Season of DC's Shakespeare Theatre; Dixie Carter Goes Wilde [ P ] Benanti and Bell Join NYC Opera Cast Members for Los Angeles Run, July 7-21 [ P ] Berkshire Fest Has Floyd Collins, Three World Premieres in 2004 [ P ] Kline, Redgrave, Parker, Kushner, Streep Read at "Poetry and The Creative Mind," April 6 [ P ] "Soap" Star Jay Johnson Explores Ventriloquism at Atlantic Theater Co. in The Two and Only, Starting May 4 [ P ] August Wilson's Radio Golf Set for 2005 at Los Angeles's Mark Taper Forum [ P ] Zimmerman's Secret, Mee's Fêtes and Jonestown Set for Berkeley Rep 2004-05 [ P ] Public Theater's Biro to Begin April 6; Opening Is April 18 [ P ] Michael Weller's What the Night Is For Set for U.S. Debut at Laguna Playhouse, March 30-May 2 [ P ] Hairspray's Winokur and "Six Feet Under"'s Ambrose Join All-Star "SunsetBoulevard" Reading [ P ] Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy Announced for Bway's 42nd Street, Starting May 7 [ P ] Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel Wins 2004 Francesca Primus Prize [ P ] Cat On a Hot Tin Roof Co-Star Is Nathan Detroit in Paper Mill Guys and Dolls [ B ] Tickets Now on Sale for Stoppard's Jumpers [ B ] Dates Set for Jones & Cassidy in 42nd Street [ B ] The Two and Only Set for the Atlantic in May [ TM ] Controversial Acting Teacher Eric Morris to Visit NYC [ TM ] Kaufman Center to Celebrate Finn, Strouse, and New Musicals at Merkin Hall posted at 3/23/2004 04:22:16 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ B ] Q&A: Barbara Cook by Kathy Henderson [ B ] Photo Op: Scary Spice Checks Out Her New Digs Reviews: [ B ] DVDs: Ice Capades by Ken Mandelbaum HANS BRINKER (Kultur) News: [ P ] Windy City's Neo-Futurists Bite Into Big Apple With Brooklyn Run of Too Much Light..., Starting April 2 [ P ] Michael Ball Offers U.S. Concerts May 14 and 15 [ P ] Buckley, Esparza, De Rosa, Dixon, Metz and Ferguson Sing Bill Finn Songs March 29 [ P ] Aida Celebrates Four Years on Broadway March 23 [ P ] Artists Showcase Series Feature Evening of Song April 4; New Play by Avenue Q's Jeff Whitty May 2 [ P ] Rebecca Luker Signs Her New CD, "Leaving Home," in Theatre District March 24 [ P ] Guthrie 2004-2005 Season Includes World Premiere Lee Blessing Play, Shakespeare, Shaw and She Loves Me posted at 3/23/2004 12:08:22 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link "More" - Reviews: [ NJ ] Monologue offers too many purging tips BY MICHAEL SOMMERS [ ATW ] A Difficult Search for More by the Voice of Lisa Simpson Review by Andy Propst [ TB ] Yeardley Smith: More Review by Matthew Murray [ CU ] More [ B ] More Review by William Stevenson [ TM ] More Reviewed By: Dan Bacalzo Other Reviews: [ O ] Submerging the star by BOB HICKS William Hurt buries movie roots to be a farmer in "The Drawer Boy" [ SS ] Two mourners spar over the wife and lover they shared by Jack Zink Two fine actors fit into a pair of equally fine roles at the Coconut Grove Playhouse for Halpern & Johnson, a play that is unfortunately less than the sum of its parts. With Hal Linden and Brian Murray. Thanks to American Theater Web for the two links above! [ NJ ] Strindberg Dixie style: Two River troupe fails to exploit possibilities of transporting 'Miss Julie' to Civil War South BY PETER FILICHIA [ TB ] The Great Ostrovsky and Tooth and Claw Philadelphia Reviews by Warren Hoffman [ NYT ] MUSIC REVIEW | NEW YORK CITY OPERA O'Neill's Dysfunctional Clan Sings Its Incest, Suicide and Murder by ANTHONY TOMMASINI This version of Marvin David Levy's "Mourning Becomes Electra" is a kicking, screaming contemporary opera that deserves a future. [ DN ] 'Electra' recharged by Howard Kissel [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'WAVE' Shooting the Television, Dreaming the Dream by MARGO JEFFERSON Sung Rno's new play based on Medea at the Ohio Theater is generously inventive and vaults past the confines of its adaptation. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'OPEN HEART' Words Can Never Harm Him, But Cardiac Arrest Can by NEIL GENZLINGER With nothing new to say, Robby Benson's play about workaholism at the Cherry Lane Theater has a tired heart, but some good songs make the time pass quickly. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'SILENT LAUGHTER' Just Like a Night at the Loew's Paradise by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER The affectionate homage to the heyday of silent film comedy at the Lamb's Theater is amusing, but could use a potent injection of inspired originality. [ TB ] The Underpants Los Angeles Review by Sharon Perlmutter [ ATW ] Hall's Delightful 'Dream' - Simple and Sexy Review by Andy Propst [ ATW ] tick, tick...BOOM! - a Composer Comes to Quarter-Life Crossroads Review by Andy Propst [ ATW ] Broadway and Beyond: Code Blues Mini-tour of 'It Ain't Nothin'', 'Cookin' at the Cookery' in Denver, 'Three Mo' Divas' in San Diego XM Satellite Radio Features: [ BG ] Repercussions of 'Sin' by Ed Siegel Law's words frame gut-wrenching play [ BG ] A series of accidents brings 'Sin' to Boston by Ed Siegel [ ND ] 'CAUSE CELEB!': True star confessions BY MICHAEL J. WOODS Readings of celebrity bios draw standing room crowds [ TM ] A Closer Look at...Philadelphia J. Cooper Robb examines the history of Philly's theater community and comments on current productions. [ DFP ] ALWAYS GONNA DANCE: Broadway's hottest choreographer got his start as a kid in Paw Paw BY MARTIN F. KOHN Jerry Mitchell. Thanks to American Theater Web for the link! [ LAT ] Still resonant by Mike Boehm Michael Weller, whose plays in the 1970s reflected the mores of his generation, continues his success in a quiet fashion. News: [ NYT ] Lynn L. Seidler, Director of Shubert Arts Foundation, Dies at 67 Lynn L. Seidler became the foundation's first director in 1975, and turned it into one of the largest grant-making institutions for the arts in the country. [ NYT ] Brian Maxwell, 51, Marathoner Who Created Energy Bar, Dies Brian Maxwell created the PowerBar in his kitchen to improve his performance, and started a sports nutrition revolution in the process. And made long rehearsals possible! [ B ] Pop Star Drew Lachey to Join Broadway's Rent [ B ] Broadway Grosses: Blooming Spring Broadway welcomed spring (if not spring-like weather) with most shows up from the week before. And numbers were stellar when compared to the same week last season--30,376 more people attended shows for a total paid attendance figure of 237,777. [ P ] Broadway Grosses: March 15-21 [ NYP ] 'ALICE' ON 'THE O.C.' HOLY Moses - TV's "Alice" will celebrate Passover on "The O.C." [ WP ] Michael Kahn Pursues a New Macbeth by Jane Horwitz News about Mary Zimmerman, Dixie Carter, Nancy Robinette, Tessa Auberjonois, Ricky Jay, Stephen Lang, Stacy Keach... [ P ] Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway Bring Relative Harmony to NYC, March 23-April 3 [ P ] Keen Company and David Auburn Open Mihail Sebastian's Journals, March 23 [ P ] Charlotte Jones�s The Dark Opens at London�s Donmar, March 23 [ P ] Robert Lindsey Nassif's Award-Winning Opal Heard in NYC Readings March 23-24 [ P ] Goodnight, Vienna: Johnny Guitar Musical Opens Off-Broadway March 23 [ ATW ] Broadway and Beyond: News Round-Up 'Prymate'; 'Spamalot', 'Scoundrels' and more... XM Satellite Radio posted at 3/23/2004 08:16:15 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Monday, March 22, 2004 Reviews: [ ND ] The anguish behind Lisa's voice BY LINDA WINER "If I were a word," Yeardley Smith says of her lifelong compulsions, "I would be 'more.'" And if this show could have a request, it should be "better." [ NYer ] STUCK by HILTON ALS �Frozen� and �Embedded.� [ TM ] wAve Reviewed By: David Finkle [ CU ] wAve News: [ Z ] Joey Pants Close to Donning Scrubs for CBS Pilot TV pilot news, including one for Hairspray's Chester Gregory II. [ BBC ] Dead body wanted to star in show A theatre group is looking to cast a dead body in the leading role of its next production. Thanks to leeinlondon on All That Chat for the link. [ BS ] Strasberg Widow Adds Voice in Attempt to Save White Barn [ P ] Wonderful Town Vocal Selections Available for First Time in 40 Years [ P ] John Cullum and Son to Act in The Dresser in Tennessee Production; New York May Be Next [ P ] Julia Jordan's Boy Set for World Premiere Off-Broadway, Starting May 5 [ P ] Harlem, When It Sizzles: Funkentine Musical Gets NYC Readings March 29-30 [ P ] Houston's Theatre Under the Stars Forecasts Rain, Hair, Anything Goes and More in 2004-05 [ P ] Stage Version of Movie Musical "White Christmas" to Call San Francisco Home for the Holidays Features: [ BS ] Theatre Artists Find a Haven in the Hinterlands "The William Inge Center for the Arts is a bizarre -- perhaps unique -- blending of theatre professionals and small town America," asserts artistic director Peter Ellenstein. [ BS ] Let's Go to the Videotape Athletes review game tapes and executives employ training videos, so why shouldn't actors and other performers use the same strategy? posted at 3/22/2004 05:14:14 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ B ] The Critics Take Aim at Assassins---Part Two by Ken Mandelbaum [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Silent Laughter Falls Across NYC [ P ] PHOTO CALL: MCC Chills Off-Broadway with Opening of Frozen News: [ P ] Ministry of Progress Discontinues Office Hours March 28 Ministry of Progress, the new musical about "an ordinary man who does an extraordinary thing," will cease performances on March 28. [ P ] Musical, Bare, Sings of Being Catholic, Teen-Age and Full of Questions; Off-Bway Run Begins March 25 [ P ] F.Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Musical to Premiere in London [ P ] We Will Rock You, Last Empress, Rat Pack and Wicked Announced for Toronto 2004-05 [ P ] Twentieth Century Earthshaker Baldwin Appears on NBC's "Today Show," March 12 [ P ] Kermit, Pamela's First Musical, Rhythm Club Songs Play at My New York Benefit, March 29 [ P ] Simons Callow and Gray Together on New Play [ P ] Pulitzer-Winner Auburn and New Wonderful Town Cast Album on "Radio Playbill" March 22-April 4 [ P ] James Naughton Joins Cast of Broadway's Prymate [ B ] Come Hither! Tix on Sale for The Joys of Sex [ B ] Holy Terror Replaces Calico in the West End [ TM ] Dodgers Prepare New Theater Complex for Fall Opening posted at 3/22/2004 03:28:21 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Who's the reigning King of Musical Theater? Filichia's answer may surprise you. [ TS ] Either Hugh will do by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN Aussie actor displays impressive versatility; Plays both Wolverine and Peter Allen well [ BH ] Going nuts: Actor Will Peebles gets in deep in `Donnie Darko' adaptation by Tenley Woodman Reviews: [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'GREAT MEN OF GOSPEL' The Reason Why I Sing: Divining a Music's Roots by NEIL GENZLINGER The show at the Henry Street Settlement is a pleasant enough survey of gospel music, but it would be a better show if it were truer to its title. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'MY KITCHEN WARS' Slicing and Dicing With Razors, and Emotional Housecleaning by ANITA GATES While some of the sharpness of Betty Fussell's book has made it into the script, Dorothy Lyman's portrayal of Ms. Fussell at the 78th Street Theater Lab is a dud. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'THICKER THAN WATER 2004' From a Nasty Love Triangle to Young, Fresh-Faced Love by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER The plays at the Ensemble Studio Theater are fast, frequently funny and extremely well-acted: in short and literally, a collective delight. [ NJ ] Taking the lead, stealing the show BY PETER FILICHIA Young actor makes his mark in musical at the George Street Playhouse [ INQ ] French icons, English accent by Douglas J. Keating The British-Canadian actor Douglas Campbell and his wife, actress Moira Wylie, are putting on quite an acting exhibition these days in T�te-a-T�te, a play at the Bristol Riverside Theatre about Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir during Sartre's final days. [ TB ] Ordet Review by Warren Hoffman [ TB ] Dreams This Way: The Best of Raw Impressions Music Theatre Review by Matthew Murray [ TB ] My Fair Lady Southern Florida Review by Kevin Johnson With Amanda Watkins and Neal Benari. [ NYT ] NEW CD'S Listening to Bernstein Through Inventive Ears by BEN RATLIFF The Bill Charlap Trio's revisions of Leonard Bernstein's music are level, witty, symmetrical; The Claudia Quintet's music provides a mellow feel. News: [ WP ] Worries About Suitability Knock '1776' From Curriculum by S. Mitra Kalita The film version of "1776," about the crafting of the Declaration of Independence, has been banned in Fairfax County middle schools because of sexual innuendo. [ BG ] Rivera praises high-steppers by Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan Broadway legend Chita Rivera was at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Saturday, but the (dance) shoes were on the other feet. [ P ] Gavin Creel and Billy Porter to Sing Scott Alan Tunes April 11 [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 22 [ P ] Composer Andrew Lippa to Offer Four-Week Songwriting Workshop [ P ] Getting to Know You, Homage to the Ladies of Summer Stock, Premieres at Dayton's Human Race March 25 [ P ] Judd Hirsch, Martha Plimpton Start New Drama Sixteen Wounded at Broadway's Kerr, March 22 [ P ] Kushner and Bloom Discuss Theatre and Religion at NYU in Benefit for Classic Stage March 22 [ P ] Lunt-Fontanne Vehicle, Idiot's Delight, Gets Rare Revival Off-Broadway, April 15-May 1 [ P ] New Camille Claudel Musical, M. Claudel, Sculpted in March 22 Readings in NYC; LaManna & Kitt Sing [ P ] More Than Just "Simpsons" Star Goes Solo Off-Broadway, March 22 posted at 3/22/2004 07:38:08 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Sunday, March 21, 2004 Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features! [ SD ] American master by Anne Marie Welsh Arthur Miller is here for the West Coast premiere of "Resurrection Blues." [ PTR ] Former Pittsburgh resident Kathleen Marshall undertakes two Broadway shows by Ed Blank [ DC ] 'Hairspray' star puts a lot of herself into the role by Mark Collins Carly Jibson loves to order cheeseburgers. And she likes them served with french fries and ranch dressing. [ DP ] Revenge of the fat girl by John Moore With the hip 'Hairspray,' chubby gals finally get their chance to steal the show [ DP ] What happens when Fierstein leaves? by John Moore Producers worried, but Vilanch stays put [ PPG ] Spaulding Gray left a lasting impression in Pittsburgh by Don Marinelli It's "Spalding," Don... Features: [ B ] Photo Op: Liza Minnelli Visits an Old Friend in Oz [ HC ] The Older Woman Kelly McGillis Graduates To More Mature Roles, And Now She's Mrs. Robinson by FRANK RIZZO "I would love to give you a line of b.s. that I've made every choice that I've made because of artistic blah blah blah blah. But the truth is, this is how I make my living; this is how I feed myself, my family, how I'm going to put my kids through school." [ HC ] Will The 'King' Dethrone Other Arts Groups? by Frank Rizzo The "Lion" has landed. [ DN ] Denis Hamill's Show People: Plays for the people 'Sopranos' star Michael Imperioli launches a theater for new writers telling accessible stories [ TS ] Stars align for Lipton to flip Broadway flop by RICHARD OUZOUNIAN How do you get inside the man who's Inside The Actors Studio? [ ND ] One sure thing: 'Magic Flute' will not be a reality show by JUSTIN DAVIDSON When director Julie Taymor of "The Lion King" and "Frida" fame makes her Metropolitan Opera debut doing Mozart's "The Magic Flute" next season, she'll save the puppets for the opera's menagerie of animals and birds. [ NYT ] Tinkering Becomes 'Electra' by DAVID MERMELSTEIN The American composer Marvin David Levy's opera "Mourning Becomes Electra" returns to New York after 36 years and a lot of work. Reviews: [ P ] ON THE RECORD: Wish You Were Here and Love from Judy This week's column discusses three British cast albums from the early 1950's, the West End transfers of Harold Rome's Wish You Were Here and Lerner and Loewe's Paint Your Wagon, as well as Hugh Martin's written-for-London musical Love from Judy. [ NJ ] Silence of the hams BY MICHAEL SOMMERS No-dialogue slapstick delivers some comic relief in grim times News: [ NYP ] DIRTY POLITICS by GERSH KUNTZMAN Talk about strange bedfellows - a mild-mannered, 67-year-old Brooklyn congressman has written a rap play that explores male sexuality and monogamy. [ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 21 [ P ] Reprise! Celebrates Gershwin with All-Star Concert March 21 [ P ] Tartaglia's "Broadway Spotlight" Sells Out; Second Concert Added for Avenue Q Star [ P ] Off-Broadway Theatre Company to Offer Shakespeare � For Kids posted at 3/21/2004 10:25:51 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link BroadwayStars is powered by Blogger Pro! [Past News] |
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