Saturday, November 27, 2004

[ TS ]  Carol Kane Heads Toronto Wicked cast by Richard Ouzounian

Features:

[ LAT ]  ESSAY
Looking for veins of truth By David Rambo
A playwright hunts for gold by reframing the 1951 musical 'Paint Your Wagon.'

[ B ]  Obscure Recordings: More '60s Off-Broadway by Ken Mandelbaum

[ NYT ]  Broadway's Fondest, Furthest Fan Comes Home By JESSE GREEN
Amon Miyamoto, the first Japanese citizen to direct a Broadway show, adores the American musical as no American could.

[ NYT ]  Where Musical-Makers Audition Their Ideas By ADA CALHOUN
The BMI Workshop is little known except among music-makers, but to those in that rarefied world, it is the Harvard of show tunes.

[ NYT ]  DIRECTIONS | OBSESSION
Chair Persons By SYLVIANE GOLD
David Gordon and Valda Setterfield, who have been using chairs as props for decades, make use of their skill in a new production of Eug�ne Ionesco's play "The Chairs."

[ CST ]  In tune with Disney songbook BY HEDY WEISS
Robert Longbottom was given a rather remarkable blank check when the powers that be at Disney Theatrical Productions approached him just about a year ago.

[ CST ]  Surreal ABBA: Betsy Morgan comes home in 'Mamma Mia!' BY MISHA DAVENPORT

[ LAT ]  ON THE SHELF
Great White Way -- in full color By Lynne Heffley
Broadway show art reveals as much about American culture as it does about the theater.

[ LAT ]  He moves in mysterious ways By Don Shirley
In 'Ouroboros,' the hand of God intervenes in reversed story arcs -- your typical twist from Tom Jacobson.

[ LAT ]  What is the Bourne identity? By Kristin Hohenadel
Bringing a storyteller's vision to projects that often mix dance and theater, Matthew Bourne leaves many people unsure how to label his work � which suits him just fine.

Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features!

[ P-I ]  Rigby's high-flying farewell: Even Peter Pan retires By JOE ADCOCK

[ P-I ]  Director journeys beyond the movie 'The Lion King' for her stage spectacular By CATHERINE FOSTER

[ NHA ]  Richard Chamberlain Scrooges up by Christopher Arnott

Reviews:

[ TB ]  The Hasty Heart
Review by Matthew Murray

[ CU ]  The Hasty Heart

[ TM ]  The Siegel Column
Barbara & Scott enjoy Doubt, Cam Jansen, and cabaret's Andrea Marcovicci and Carolyn Montgomery.

[ NYT ]  CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK
A Rhythmic Soundscape of Lives Caught in Conflict By MARGO JEFFERSON
The hip-hop artist and actor Yuri Lane takes the art of soundscape a step further in "From Tel Aviv to Ramallah."
Plus Nicky Paraiso's "House/Boy."

News:

[ LAT ]  ARTS NOTES
A new reality for American musicals by Don Shirley
Tired of stage musicals inspired by movies and pop catalogs? Maybe reality TV series will be the next fertile source of material.

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: NOVEMBER 27

[ P ]  Vanessa Williams to Be Part of TNT's "Christmas in Washington" Telecast

[ P ]  Brian Bedford Directs and Stars in The School for Scandal in Los Angeles, Nov. 27
posted at 11/27/2004 10:42:14 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Friday, November 26, 2004

[ NYP ]  'ROOF' CAVING IN By MICHAEL RIEDEL
BEFORE Harvey Fierstein begins performances next month in "Fiddler on the Roof," he and his people might want to do a safety check of the show.
There has been a rash of accidents onstage recently, and production sources say safety concerns have become a real issue for the cast and crew.

[ NYP ]  THE STARR REPORT By MICHAEL STARR
Mario Cantone, currently starring in "Laugh Whore," is thinking of taking the show on the road to San Francisco for a one-night-only engagement when he tapes "Laugh Whore" for a Showtime special.

Features:

[ NYT ]  A NIGHT OUT WITH
The 'Fat Pig' Guys: Big Helpings of Denial and Oinks All Round By JESSE McKINLEY
The men from Neil LaBute's new work discuss what they really thought about the way the play depicted male psychology. Their verdict? It's scarily dead on.

[ P ]  DIVA TALK: Chatting with Tony Award Winner Donna McKechnie Plus the City Center Encores! Bash

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
The recent Encores! Bash at City Center was a thrilling lesson in how to do a revue correctly.

[ NJ ]  It's the story of a man named Barry BY PETER FILICHIA
Greg Brady as Charles Dickens?

[ N ]  CELEB INSIDER: Kristin Works and Plays Hard
Tony-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth heads to Houston to spend Thanksgiving with her parents, her brother, sister-in-law and their children. The multi-talented blond can definitely use a little down time.

[ BG ]  Eustis took Trinity in a new direction By Ed Siegel
Departure for Public marks end of an era

[ CST ]  The Abbey controversy rolls along BY KEVIN NANCE

Reviews:

[ NYT ]  TV WEEKEND
Time for the March of the Holiday Specials By ALESSANDRA STANLEY
Not all the holiday specials this weekend are bad: Some are downright horrible, and some are so ghastly they are almost fun to watch.

[ USA ]  This 'Carol' hits the right notes By Robert Bianco
* * * 1/2 out of four

[ LAT ]  Singing the bah humbug away By Paul Brownfield
'A Christmas Carol' as a musical wins you over with songs, special effects and Kelsey Grammer's charisma.

[ TB ]  Dixie's Holiday Tupperware Party
Review by Warren Hoffman

[ NJ ]  Amusing antidote to holiday excess BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
It's possible to defuse any threatening overload of yuletide cheer by visiting Jackie Hoffman and Kristine Zbornik in their gleeful, anti-holiday entertainment, "Together Again for the First Time."

[ TB ]  Charles Grodin's The Right Kind of People More Docudrama than Comedy
San Francisco Review by Richard Connema

[ TB ]  Ibsen�s Ghosts at Cutting Edge of 21st Century Culture Wars
New Jersey Review by Bob Rendell

[ ND ]  Too bad Woody didn't lose this 'Memory' BY GORDON COX

News:

[ LAT ]  L.A. musicals Broadway bound By Don Shirley
Gelbart said the show will have a new name because "Like Jazz" misleadingly implied that it would explain jazz or "attempt to be a documentary. We're a show about jazz artists told in the idiom, rather than being about the subject of jazz."

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: NOVEMBER 26

[ P ]  Chicago Welcomes Bokhour Back to Broadway in January

[ P ]  Mullally and Manilow to Join "Idol"'s Aiken for TV Christmas Special

[ P ]  Schwartz to Celebrate Hanukkah with Songs from Wicked and More

[ P ]  Sheridan's Rivals Share the Beaumont Stage Starting Nov. 26

[ P ]  Twelve Angry Men's Director and Star Appear on NY1's "On Stage," Nov. 27

[ P ]  Theatre Critic Murdered in Stage Version of Nicholas Meyer's Holmes Yarn, The West End Horror, in Florida

[ P ]  Producer Spills About Climb to Great White Way in Falling Off Broadway, Starts Nov. 26

[ P ]  Ghost of Christmas After: The Last Christmas of Ebenezer Scrooge Plays NYC, Nov. 26-Dec. 18

[ P ]  More Fascinating Rhythm: Steve Ross Sings and Plays Porter, Sondheim, Gershwin at 59E59 Theaters, Nov. 26 Dec. 31

[ P ]  Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse Are The Ladies of the Camellias at Yale Rep, Nov. 26

[ P ]  "Theater Talk" Welcomes a Dame Nov. 26

[ P ]  Stages Across the U.S. Prepare for Holiday Season with Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol

[ P ]  Cruz's Anna In The Tropics Starts London Premiere Nov. 25

[ P ]  Paul Sorvino Is Tevye in North Carolina Fiddler on the Roof

[ P ]  Ronald Bryden, Theatre Critic and Literary Adviser, Dead at 77

[ P ]  Sirius Satellite Radio: Blakemore Campaigns for Democracy on "Radio

[ P ]  Musicals Oklahoma! and Grease with Frankie Avalon Get New Stagings in CA

[ P ]  Hello, Young Lovers: Will Ripley and Chase Play Baker's Wife Duo at Paper Mill?
posted at 11/26/2004 08:38:03 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Features:

[ P ]  Cherry Jones: No Doubt About it, She's Not Going Hollywood By Ellis Nassour

[ TS ]  Sondheim Speaks by Richard Ouzounian
America's great composer of musicals lets fly about aging, modern theatre and celebratory events (such as at CanStage) to mark his 75th year

[ B ]  Stage Notes: I Should Tell You: A Rent Rant by Paul Wontorek
Okay, now I'm officially worried about Rent, the feature film adaptation of Broadway's longest running rock opera, set to hit movie theaters a year from now.

[ NYT ]  AN ESSAY
Culture Is Dethroned in World Diplomacy By ALAN RIDING
A recent performance of "Les Mis�rables" at Windsor Castle was reminiscent of a time when culture played a genuine role in meetings between heads of state.

[ TM ]  Loose Lips
Brian Scott Lipton talks with the beauteous Tamyra Gray and the marvelous Elizabeth Marvel. Plus: Once again, it's Stephen Schwartz vs. Jeff Marx and Bobby Lopez!

[ HC ]  God Bless Us, Every One By JEFF RIVERS
Hartford Stage's 'Kid Wrangler' Makes Sure Children Starring In `Christmas Carol' Stay Professional, Remain Safe

[ BS ]  Taking Reigns, Eustis Respects Public's Heritage

[ WP ]  They've Got Musicals By Peter Marks
Catholic U. Wraps First Run In Program to Develop Shows

[ GI ]  Encores! Bash Photos
Note that they don't know Debbie Gravitte and Michael Arden's names.

[ B ]  PHOTO OP: Encores! Throws a Heck of a Bash

[ B ]  PHOTO OP: A Second Hand Memory's Opening Night Bash

[ B ]  PHOTO OP: Doubt's Delightful Opening Night

News:

[ NJ ]  Center stage by Peter Filichia
Dan Lauria, who portrayed the dad in "The Wonder Years" on TV, will return to George Street Playhouse to appear in "The Winning Streak," Lee Blessing's new play.
Plus Rosemarie DeWitt on "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea."

[ B ]  From Fiddler to Fiyero: David Ayers to Step into Wicked

[ B ]  Jane Alexander to Star as Djuna Barnes in What of the Night? at MCC

[ B ]  Will Chase and Alice Ripley Join Cast of The Baker's Wife at Paper Mill

[ HC ]  Political Theater At Trinity; Goodspeed Cancels Show by Frank Rizzo

[ BS ]  Casting Begins on Tharp-Dylan Project
Equity, AGMA Eye Workshop Production

[ BS ]  Daniel Sullivan Tapped for Callaway Award

[ BS ]  Gantner Goes to the Head of P.S. 122

Reviews:

[ B ]  CDs: Learn to Be Lonely by Ken Mandelbaum
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA: SOUNDTRACK (Sony Classical)
RON RAINES: SO IN LOVE WITH BROADWAY (JAY)

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'MARRIAGE'
In a Rarely Seen Gogol, a Reluctant Suitor Is Hard to Suit By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
The characters in the Pearl Theater Company's translation of Gogol's satirical play substitute volume for genuine comedic finesse.

[ SUN ]  No Doubt About "Doubt" by JEREMY McCARTER
If this doesn't transfer to Broadway, I don't know what Broadway's for.

[ B ]  Were Critics Dazzled by Manhattan Theatre Club's Doubt?

[ TB ]  Disney's On the Record
Pittsburgh Review by Ann Miner

[ ND ]  Edna makes us feel gladiolus all over BY GORDON COX

[ HC ]  Whoopi's A Live Wire By MALCOLM JOHNSON
Stage Presence Saves Uneven 'Whoopi!' Even As Political Rant Slows Momentum
posted at 11/25/2004 10:10:39 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

[ NYP ]  HE DID IT CY'S WAY By MICHAEL RIEDEL
NOBODY had more fun sitting at the piano playing a Cy Coleman tune than Cy Coleman.

[ Y ]  Conglom jazzed about opening on Broadway by Robert Hofler, Variety
"Cy's death is untimely, but the circle is complete because he started with jazz," Gelbart said.

[ NYP ]  LIZ SMITH
GOOD NEWS AT LAST for the oft-troubled David Hasselhoff. He is up for the starring role in the Broadway-bound revival of "Paint Your Wagon." The Lerner & Loewe musical tours 26 cities before landing on the old Rialto. The producers � Christopher Allen, D. Constantine Conte and Larry Spellman � also plan a revival of "Call Me Madam," the Irving Berlin show that starred Ethel Merman. Maybe there's a job for Patti LuPone in that one!

[ P ]  Peter Pan To Fly Back to Broadway in Fall 2005; Rigby Says Farewell to the Role

Features:

[ B ]  FIRST PERSON: Beam Me Up, Roxie! by Anne L. Nathan

[ NYT ]  Breaking the Motherhood Drama With a Drama on Motherhood By FELICIA R. LEE
"EVE-olution," a play chronicling motherhood's bumps and triumphs, has successfully targeted its demographic by offering an 11 o'clock matinee.

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
Filichia gives thanks for the contributions that Cy Coleman, Fred Ebb, and Howard Keel made to musical theater.

[ P ]  Remembering Fred Ebb
Such a quiet man, such a multitudinous voice

[ P ]  Straight From the Heart
As she leads a troubled soul to redemption in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean, Tony winner Phylicia Rashad adds another moving portrait of strength and wisdom to her gallery of extraordinary women

[ B ]  Q & A: Phylicia Rashad by Beth Stevens

[ Y ]  Bah! Humbug! Grammer Plays Scrooge By BRIDGET BYRNE, For The Associated Press

[ NYT ]  BOLDFACE NAMES
One Day That Girl Will Write This Column By JOYCE WADLER
Whoopi Goldberg's opening night (second item).

[ LAT ]  CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK
Sometimes 11 votes can add up to '1776' By Don Shirley
The Ovation Awards are intended to tout L.A. theater, yet a little-seen Riverside production walked away with five citations.

[ B ]  Photo Op: A Second Hand Memory's Opening Night Bash

"Doubt" - Reviews:

[ NJ ]  No 'Doubt,' it's a hit BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
Shanley drama is a captivating tale of conflict in a Catholic school

[ Y ]  Shanley's 'Doubt' a Terrific Play By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic
"Doubt" wakes up this slumbering theater season, jolting the audience with a tough, timely story, rich in character, language and ideas.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'DOUBT'
A Nun Who Is Certain, Even if Truth Is Not By BEN BRANTLEY
John Patrick Shanley's play, which involves a clash of wills and generations between a nun and a priest, is tight, absorbing and expertly acted.

[ DN ]  Topical, yes, but don't 'Doubt' play's quality by Howard Kissel
"Doubt" turns headline material into deeply moving drama.

[ ND ]  No doubt, Father, we have our doubts BY LINDA WINER
We don't know whom to believe in "Doubt," the important and engrossing John Patrick Shanley drama that the Manhattan Theatre Club opened last night in its Off-Broadway playhouse. How splendid it feels to be trusted with such passionate, exquisite ambiguity.

[ NYP ]  FIRST-RATE DRAMA, NO 'DOUBT' ABOUT IT By FRANK SCHECK
THE aptly named "Doubt," the latest effort from the prolific John Patrick Shanley, displays a trait all too rare in today's didactic theater: ambiguity.

[ B ]  Doubt
Review by Eric Grode

[ TM ]  Doubt
Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ CU ]  Doubt

[ ATW ]  Shanley's Doubt Scintillating Theater
Review by Andy Propst

Other Reviews:

[ TM ]  Tunes, Tomes, & Videos
The soundtrack of the Phantom of the Opera film isn't likely to supplant the original cast recording in the hearts of Phantom phans.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'BLUES FOR A GRAY SUN'
Finding Empowerment in a Tragic Death By JASON ZINOMAN
The late Spalding Gray's influence can be found throughout this solo show that mixes wrenching personal confessions with acute characterizations of the loudmouths in New York.

[ HC ]  Downbeat Mood In Allen Play By MALCOLM JOHNSON

[ USA ]  Woody Allen's 'Memory' fails him By Elysa Gardner
If Woody Allen has spent as much time in therapy as many of his films would suggest, then his new play, A Second Hand Memory (* *), is a testament to the limited effectiveness of psychoanalysis.

[ VV ]  Feckin' A
The holy family, a wolverine, and a bibulous bunch of Irish by Charlotte Stoudt
Suspicious Package

[ VV ]  Hasek's Hero
A spit-shined Stephen Spinella brings to life the humiliating saga of an upbeat soldier's life by Ed Park

[ VV ]  The People'S Will(y)
With spies on the left, and politicking on the right, Democracy barely has room for ideas by Michael Feingold

[ VV ]  A new Faust's verbal splendors: Ironically lost in non-translation by Michael Feingold

[ VV ]  Sightlines by Michael Feingold
The God of Hell

[ ATU ]  Unsure footing for 'Carol' By MICHAEL ECK
If you've had a hard time picturing Greg Brady as Ebenezer Scrooge, not to worry.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

[ TB ]  NJPAC Cabaret: Time After Time - Karen Akers Returns to Chase Room
Review by Bob Rendell

[ ATW-XM ]  Broadway and Beyond: Some Holiday Week Theater Picks, Part 3

News:

[ NYT ]  Stagehands Reach Deal on Contract By JESSE McKINLEY
After an all-night negotiating session, Broadway's stagehands and producers reached an agreement on a new three-year contract on Tuesday.

[ NYT ]  Arts, Briefly By BEN SISARIO
Robert Wilson (fifth item).

[ CST ]  Theater Notes BY HEDY WEISS
Entertainment lawyer Alan Salzenstein has been named interim managing director of Court Theatre.
He temporarily replaces Diane Claussen, who left for a position at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse earlier this year.

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: NOVEMBER 24

[ P ]  Bernadette Peters Narrates PBS' "Children Will Listen" Documentary

[ P ]  Counterculture Comedian Tommy Chong Enters the Comic Haze of Marijuana-Logues Off-Bway Dec. 7
posted at 11/24/2004 09:34:55 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

News:

[ B ]  Broadway Grosses: Winning Verdict for Men

[ B ]  Tom Wopat Returns to Broadway's Chicago on December 7

[ P ]  Tom Wopat to Return to Broadway's Chicago in December

[ P ]  Cy Coleman's Creative "Greenhouse" Expected to Yield a Number of Blossoms, Including Like Jazz and Pamela's First Musical

[ P ]  Gem of the Ocean Begins Previews on Broadway Nov. 23

[ P ]  U.K. Moviegoers Can Now Purchase Tickets to "Phantom" Film

[ P ]  Will Marsha Mason Be One of the Steel Magnolias?

[ P ]  Sarah Paulson Set for Laura in Lange Glass Menagerie

[ TM ]  Laugh Factory Offers Free Holiday Dinners to Struggling New York Performers

[ TM ]  Tracey Scott Wilson Receives 2004 Kesselring Prize

[ TM ]  Musicals Tonight! Seeks Suggestions for an Apple Tree Replacement

Reviews:

[ B ]  Did Drama Critics Cherish Woody Allen's Second Hand Memory?

[ CU ]  The Penetration Play

[ TM ]  Encores! Bash 2004
Reviewed By: Marc Miller

Features:

[ TM ]  Photo File By: Michael Portantiere
The stars come out to honor Kitty Carlisle Hart and to join in the 2004 Encores! Bash.

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Woody Allen Imparts His Second Hand Memory On Audience Off-Broadway

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Never a Doubt: New Shanley Play Celebrated at MTC, Eyes Broadway Next

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Bway Bound Magnolia Ebersole Joins Others at Encores! Bash Concerts
posted at 11/23/2004 05:28:08 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ P ]  Stagehands Union and Broadway Producers Reach Agreement
Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and The League of American Theatres and Producers reached an agreement in the wee hours Tuesday morning (4:45 AM specifically), it was announced.

[ Y ]  Just Jack by Army Archerd, Variety
'Like Jazz', the musical that bowed at the Mark Taper Forum in L.A., is getting the backing of TransAmerica and will definitely bow on B'way in the fall.
Cy Coleman's funeral (third item); Cathy Rigby (fifth item).

[ Y ]  Crystal rules B'way by Robert Hofler, Variety
All hail Billy Crystal, the new king of Broadway!
His "700 Sundays" took in $635,476 for six previews, pushing the one-man show into the No. 6 slot on the top 10 chart.

[ P ]  Broadway Grosses: Nov. 15-21

[ B ]  Frances Sternhagen in Talk to Join Company of Broadway Magnolias

[ P ]  Will Shanley's Doubt Move to Broadway?

[ N&O ]  Sorvino to bow in N.C. 'Fiddler'

Features:

[ ND ]  A change of character BY BLAKE GREEN
At 53, Richard Thomas has left John Boy far behind; he's playing a German spy

[ TM ]  Rising Stars By: Michael Portantiere
Michele Ragusa shines in She Loves Me at Paper Mill and Keith Nobbs breaks hearts in the Keen Company production of The Hasty Heart.

[ B ]  Fresh Face: Thomas Sadoski by Katie Riegel

[ TB ]  Hooked on Musical Theatre: An Interview with Peter Pan Star Howard McGillin by David-Edward Hughes

[ DN ]  B'way's getting another Whoopin' By CELIA McGEE
Nobody tells Whoopi Goldberg what to do.
Nobody.

[ MTV ]  Rosario Dawson Would Have Resorted To Foul Play To Land 'Rent' Role

[ BS ]  Fill in the Blank
The longest two hours of an actor's life are the two seconds he or she blanks out onstage.

[ INQ ]  Singing and signing By Douglas J. Keating
"Big River" is another odds-beating musical triumph for Deaf West Theatre.

[ B ]  PHOTO OP: Dame Edna Opens with Fanfare

[ B ]  Video: Opening Night: Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance

[ NYer ]  A CRITIC AT LARGE
THE HITMAKER by ROBERT GOTTLIEB
George S. Kaufman.

"A Second Hand Memory" - Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'A SECOND HAND MEMORY'
Woody Allen's Hearts of Darkness, Stuck in Brooklyn By CHARLES ISHERWOOD
Mr. Allen's unrelentingly glum drama at the Atlantic Theater Company about defeated dreamers in 1950's Brooklyn is filled with gloomy clich�s.

[ DN ]  In all seriousness, gotta 'Hand' it to Woody by Howard Kissel
For audiences who assume Allen is supposed to provide laughs, "Memory" will be a disappointment. But the play suggests a new willingness to confront themes like betrayal and the cost of stifled anger, which may yield richer returns down the road.

[ R ]  Review: A Second Hand Memory By Larry Worth (Hollywood Reporter)
It marks Allen's return to top form as a writer and director.

[ NJ ]  Allen's latest reflects state of his career BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
A new and excessively gloomy drama written and staged by Woody Allen, "A Second Hand Memory" turns out to be a third-rate show.

[ Y ]  A Second Hand Memory
Review by David Rooney, Variety
Even by the undistinguished standards of Allen's recent films, this is a pallid effort.

[ B ]  A Second Hand Memory
Review by William Stevenson
The setting and the period, the early 1950s, bring to mind the hilarious scenes of a family living in a house under the Coney Island Cyclone in Allen's Annie Hall. If only A Second Hand Memory had a tenth of the humor of that film.

[ Y ]  'Second Hand Memory' Clunky By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic

[ ATW ]  A Second Hand Memory: Angst in a Brooklyn Family Recalled Tentatively
Review by Andy Propst

[ TM ]  A Second Hand Memory
Reviewed By: David Finkle

Other Reviews:

[ HC ]  Nostalgia, Hilarity Suffuse 'Santaland' By MALCOLM JOHNSON
The sketches by Sedaris, adapted for the stage by director Joe Mantello, are zanily played out at Hartford's TheaterWorks by Andrew Benator, who has previously acted here in "Proof" and "Lobby Hero."

[ DN ]  A 'Carol' that saps holiday spirits by David Bianculli
At the risk of sounding like a humbug, I feel compelled to announce that the new musical version of "A Christmas Carol," starring Kelsey Grammer as Ebenezer Scrooge, is not a triumph.

[ INQ ]  This Bernstein's in constant motion, with musical speech By Douglas J. Keating
"In the beginning were the notes and the notes were with God."
The actor portraying Leonard Bernstein delivers that line in Score, the remarkable one-man show Act II Playhouse is presenting.

[ WP ]  POP MUSIC: Susan Werner, Madeleine Peyroux
The Great American Songbook has proved a renewed source of inspiration in the past few years (Rod Stewart, call your accountant), and the spirits of Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer were alive in sets by Susan Werner and Madeleine Peyroux at the Birchmere on Sunday night.

[ INQ ]  Max Morath: A pianist shares the joys of ragtime By Desmond Ryan

[ NYer ]  SHADOWBOXING by JOHN LAHR
Rage takes the stage.
"Whoopi," "The God of Hell."

[ B ]  Belle Epoque
Review by Edward Karam

[ ATW ]  'night, Mother: Norman's Mother-Daughter Drama Striving for Verity
Review by Andy Propst

[ HC ]  There's Nothing Like Dame Edna By MALCOLM JOHNSON

[ ND ]  Ode to Toulouse-Lautrec paints itself into a corner BY LINDA WINER

[ ND ]  No misfires in war satire BY GORDON COX
You could call "Svejk" a shaggy- dog story, but that would be unfair to the canary and the cat.

[ ATW-XM ]  Broadway and Beyond: Some Holiday Week Theater Picks, Part 2

Other News:

[ B ]  Complete Casting Announced for Lincoln Center's The Rivals

[ NYT ]  Arts, Briefly By BEN SISARIO
Stoppard Out of 'Dark Materials'?

[ Y ]  Sean Patrick Thomas, Donna Murphy
(Variety) � Sean Patrick Thomas ("Save the Last Dance," "Barbershop") and legit pro Donna Murphy ("Wonderful Town," "Passion") have landed gigs in Darren Aronofsky's sci-fi film, "The Fountain."

[ P ]  Lone Star Love Rides Into Town Off-Broadway Nov. 23

[ P ]  MCC and LaBute Deck Thansgiving Table with a Fat Pig, Beginning Nov. 23

[ P ]  Sharon Lawrence Stars in New Version of Lerner and Loewe Musical Paint Your Wagon, Nov. 23
posted at 11/23/2004 10:21:47 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Monday, November 22, 2004

Features:

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Encores! Throws a Bash At City Center with Star-Studded Concerts

[ P ]  PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance; The Gladdie Game and Other Audience Tortures

News:

[ P ]  Bill Pullman Is Blind, Broken Leader in Benefit of Oedipus at Colonus, Dec. 2 in NYC

[ P ]  We're Goin' Hoppin': Dick Clark and Co. Sign Off on American Bandstand - The Musical

[ P ]  Little Women Lyricist Has Musical Commission from Playwrights Horizons

[ P ]  Will Maria Friedman Star in Broadway's Woman in White?

[ P ]  Cady Huffman and Tom Wopat to Star in Durang's Macao in 2005

[ P ]  "Little Women" Novel Gets New Release in Bookstores, With Broadway Cover Design and New Introduction

[ P ]  Chitty to Star Esparza, Dilly, Bosco, Kudisch, Maxwell, Zien and Sella; Box Office Opens Feb. 21

Reviews:

[ TB ]  Hart to Hart: The Metropolitan Opera Guild Honors Kitty Carlisle and Moss Hart
By Jonathan Frank

[ Y ]  A Christmas Carol: The Musical
Review by Brian Lowry, Variety
This is the 37th-best production of "A Christmas Carol" I've ever seen, and probably the third-best musical version behind Albert Finney in "Scrooge" and "Mr. Magoo." And even with those disclaimers, it's still pretty good, which says something about the enduring appeal of Charles Dickens' story.
Thanks to Ann on All That Chat for the link!

[ CU ]  Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance!
posted at 11/22/2004 04:21:07 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Features:

[ B ]  Lady Windermere Sings by Ken Mandelbaum

Reviews:

[ B ]  Were Critics Royally Pleased with Dame Edna's Broadway Return?

[ TB ]  Amy Irving Opens in World Premiere Play Celadine
Review by Bob Rendell

[ CU ]  Celadine

News:

[ P ]  Pinchot Is Servant of Two Lovers in Musical Chasing Nicolette at Prince Music Theater Dec. 4-Jan. 2

[ P ]  Wonderful Town and Good Vibrations Join Thanksgiving Line-Up

[ P ]  Kuhn to Join Broadway's Wicked

[ P ]  Prince to Knight: Christopher Sieber Joins Roundtable of Monty Python's Spamalot

[ P ]  Ben Vereen and Rosie O'Donnell Join All-Star Pippin Concert

[ P ]  Charles Busch to Star in Times Square Angel Dec. 13; Andress Directs

[ P ]  Delta Burke to Star in Broadway's Steel Magnolias; Ebersole, Too

[ B ]  Delta Burke to Star as Truvy in the Upcoming Steel Magnolias
posted at 11/22/2004 01:20:39 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
Remember the days of the theatrical double, triple, and quadruple bill? Filichia does!

[ Y ]  Stagehands give strike OK
(Variety) � The stagehands union rattled its sabers at a Sunday meeting and voted unanimously to authorize its leadership to call a strike against Broadway theaters.

[ NYP ]  LIZ SMITH
We have been nattering on here for some weeks about the revival of Robert Harling's play "Steel Magnolias." Now comes word that Delta Burke (the "Designing Woman" herself) will be in the comedy/drama opening April 4 at a theater yet to be named.

"Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance!" - Reviews:

[ TM ]  Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance!
Reviewed By: Barbara & Scott Siegel
The Girl From Oz -- Dame Edna -- has returned to Broadway, and with a show this riotously funny, she's going to be around for a very long time.

[ DN ]  As always, Edna's a grande Dame by Howard Kissel
Unlike Ensler and Goldberg, who have absorbed all that feminist stuff about minimizing gender differences, Dame Edna is not afraid to be feminine.

[ NYP ]  'DAME' SHAME By CLIVE BARNES
Any blushing violets might want to consider decamping at the intermission � for after a bright-ish first half, Dame Edna and her show nose-dive kamikaze-style into a field of corn.
Not pretty, possums!

[ TB ]  Dame Edna: Back with a Vengeance!
Review by Matthew Murray
After the recent dreary musical offerings Broadway has seen so far this season in Dracula and Brooklyn, this comic and musical kick of the thermostat doesn't come a second too soon.

[ B ]  Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance!
Review by William Stevenson
The only trouble is, for anyone who saw the Tony-winning Dame Edna: The Royal Tour during the 1999-2000 season, it's d�j� vu all over again.

[ Y ]  Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance
Review by David Rooney, Variety
The sharp-wittedness, the keen social satire and timely cultural references keep the persona fresh and spontaneous.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'DAME EDNA: BACK WITH A VENGEANCE!'
Insult Alert: Duck if You Can, Possums By BEN BRANTLEY
In this singing, dancing shrine to herself, Dame Edna proves her stardom by brilliantly exploiting our culture's masochistic obsession with the rich and famous.

[ USA ]  There's nothing like a Dame Edna By Elysa Gardner
* * * � out of four

[ JN ]  The Great Dame By JACQUES LE SOURD

[ Y ]  Dame Edna a Giddy Broadway Delight By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic

[ NJ ]  More of the same Dame BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

[ SUN ]  Absinthe Makes the Art Go Wander by JEREMY McCARTER
Say hello to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. (And to Dame Edna.)

"Belle Epoque" - Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'BELLE EPOQUE'
Nightclub in Daylight Shows Corroded Underside By CHARLES ISHERWOOD
Martha Clarke and Charles L. Mee's ambitious attempt to capture late-19th-century Paris stumbles under the weight of Mr. Mee's wordy, unengaging text.

[ Y ]  Belle Epoque
Review by David Rooney, Variety
"Belle Epoque" lushly evokes the prostitutes, barflies and dancing girls that populate the poster art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, but fails in its broader aim to depict the artist's absinthe-addled psyche, due largely to an overwrought text by Charles L. Mee.

[ NJ ]  Poor people of Paris BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
An often ravishing visual evocation of low-life 1890s Paris, "Belle Epoque" is the stage equivalent of a vintage French postcard -- spicy yet ultimately thin, with little room for words.

[ DN ]  He was born Toulouse by Robert Dominguez
The dance halls, brothels and bars of 1890s Paris come to vibrant life in "Belle Epoque," a spirited dance-theater piece inspired by the life and times and paintings of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

[ NYP ]  TOO LOOSE LAUTREC DANCING AT LINCOLN CENTER By FRANK SCHECK
THERE'S a lot of absinthe drinking onstage at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre these days, and you'd be wise to try and get a hold of some of the sinful liquor yourself if you're planning on taking in this theater piece by Martha Clarke and Charles L. Mee.

[ Y ]  A Haunting Look at Lautrec By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic

Other Reviews:

[ P ]  CHANNELING THEATRE: The First "Cinderella" Returns and Other Holiday Treats

[ ATW ]  Encores! Bash: Celebrating the talents of Arlen, Blitzstein, Fields, Loewe and Styne
Review by Andy Propst

[ NJ ]  Woman of the year BY PETER FILICHIA
George Street comedy portrays a woman of determination

[ WP ]  Arena's 'Earnest,' More Wild Than Wilde By Peter Marks
The miscalculation seems to have been setting director Everett Quinton loose on Wilde.

[ TB ]  Anna in the Tropics
Pittsburgh Review by Ann Miner

[ CU ]  Whoopi

[ ATW ]  Whoopi: Some familiar faces have some new things to say
Review by Andy Propst

Cy Coleman:

[ LAT ]  AN APPRECIATION
Like his songs, he was a classic By Michael Feinstein
At the keyboard, Cy Coleman was on top of the world, whether pounding out jazz or writing a Broadway hit.

[ TS ]  Musical Theatre Loses a Legendary Tunesmith by Richard Ouzounian
When I heard on Friday morning that composer Cy Coleman had passed away, the title of one of his songs from Seesaw sprang to mind: "It's Not Where You Start, It's Where You Finish."

[ NYP ]  CINDY ADAMS
DENZEL HAS SCORED HIS NEW YORK DIGS
Plus "Democracy," and some Cy Coleman memories.

[ USA ]  Broadway's Coleman dies By Elysa Gardner

Features:

[ HC ]  Eustis Goes Public, With Big Plans For New York by Frank Rizzo

[ ND ]  Echoes of laughter BY GORDON COX
Off-Broadway show returns 20 years later, recalling a gifted playwright

[ Y ]  What's in a kiss? by Robert Hofler, Variety
Broadway iconoclasts Georges and Albin are swimming against the tide.

[ NJ ]  All singing, all dancing all Herman BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

[ NJ ]  It hasn't all been 'Milk and Honey'
Jerry Herman reflects briefly on some of his famous shows.

[ BS ]  Suggestions for Volunteering This Holiday Season

[ PTR ]  'On the Record' showcases tunes from the Disney songbook By Alice T. Carter

[ PTR ]  Prolific writer's 'Work Song' pushes City Theatre's limits By Christopher Rawson
Jeffrey Hatcher started out to be an actor; he figures if he'd persevered he'd now be a supporting actor in a rep company.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the last two links.

News:

[ Y ]  Biz up; 'On the Record' 417g
(Variety) � The road joined Broadway in getting a huge boost during Week 24 (Nov. 8-14), as grosses jumped 19.9% to $14,285,502.

[ R ]  Annie Parisse Is Latest 'Law & Order' Prosecutor
Starred Off-Broadway in "The Credeaux Canvas."

[ DN ]  Gregory Mitchell, dancer dies BY JANE H. FURSE
His widow, Cheryl Jones, described Mitchell as someone who "lived life to the fullest" and whose death reflected his dedication during his 30 years as a performer.

[ NYP ]  PAGE SIX
LIZA Minnelli's creepy ex-husband, David Gest, has surfaced in Memphis � with a host of Z-listers to spread the holiday cheer.

[ P ]  Balin and Robinson to Join Avenue Q's Foa for Dec. 6 Concert

[ P ]  Woody Allen Directs His Second Hand Memory, Opening Nov. 22 Off-Broadway

[ P ]  Hello, Dolly! Charles Busch Plays Levi in Reading of The Matchmaker in Boston

[ P ]  Classic Stage Welcomes German Playwrights Lessing, Schiller and Goethe in Special Starry Readings Nov. 22, Dec. 6 & 13

[ P ]  Grammy Winner's Evening at Hirschfeld Theatre to Benefit Actors' Fund

[ P ]  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Tickets Go On Sale Nov. 21

[ P ]  1972 Best Musical Two Gentlemen of Verona Performs in New Concert Version, Nov. 21-22

[ P ]  Encores! Veterans Celebrate at City Center, Nov. 21 and 22

[ ATW-XM ]  Broadway and Beyond: Some Holiday Week Theater Picks, Part 1
posted at 11/22/2004 08:20:57 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