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Saturday, December 18, 2004 Features: [ NYT ] Broadway's No-Show Business By CHARLES ISHERWOOD More and more, stars on the Broadway marquee aren't bothering to show up onstage. [ WP ] August Wilson, Man of the Decades By Peter Marks As the Playwright's Century Series Winds Down, More Voices Pipe Up [ NYT ] The Lord of the Ring By JESSE McKINLEY While creating the lives of black families onstage, August Wilson has created another family - made up of actors, largely black, who have repeatedly filled roles in his plays. [ NYT ] On Stage and Off, the Mystery of Willy Brandt By HUGH EAKIN Michael Frayn's "Democracy," which explores the chancellor's resignation in 1974, has overlapped with a fresh debate in Germany. [ NYT ] The New Hudson River School By ADA CALHOUN Drag shows and dance parties at a renovated 1890's department store are part of a thriving cultural scene in Hudson, N.Y. [ NYT ] DIRECTIONS | FEAT The Theater Without a Stage By JESSE McKINLEY The Durst group has decided to build a new $30 million theater while keeping the 86-year-old facade of Henry Miller's Theater intact. [ LAT ] Only tapering off By Mike Boehm Theater dynamo Gordon Davidson may be prepared to move out of his impresario role, but leave the stage behind? That's not in the program. [ LAT ] 'Think you got me pigeonholed?' By Don Shirley Gordon Davidson opened the Mark Taper Forum with his staging of "The Devils," a glance at 17th century Catholic clergy and their sexual fantasies. Since then, he has presided over more than 500 productions, plus nearly 800 workshops, readings and one-night events. Here are reminiscences about some of the shows. [ LAT ] THE PASSIONS OF 2004 | THEATER Stinkers, loincloths and saucy puppets Politics and "Hairspray" mixed with Moses and naughty puppets. Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features! [ MST ] Getting it 'On the Record' by Rohan Preston [ SS ] Two Broadway pros lead return of The Great American Follies By Jack Zink Robert Morse and Michele Lee, legends of Broadway's Golden Age celebrated so sweetly in recent landmark documentaries, are mugging for the camera on the Parker Playhouse stage in Fort Lauderdale. Reviews: [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'SANTA MEETS THE ICE DRAGON' Santa Meets a Dragon Leaking Air By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER [ IBA ] 'Once Upon a Mattress' there was the amazing Delaria By Chad Jones Thanks to Wayne for the link! News: [ P ] Hopkins to Replace Skinner in Tour of Disney's On the Record [ CST ] 'Wicked' offers new block of tickets for Chicago run [ TM ] DDCF Announces $3.5 Million in Endowment Grants [ P ] Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 18 [ P ] Second Annual Comedy Cares Set for Jan. 24, 2005 [ P ] Taboo Star to Belt at the Belt Theatre Dec. 18 [ P ] Christy Carlson Romano Is Beauty Again, This Time for Theater of the Stars in Atlanta posted at 12/18/2004 11:36:22 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Friday, December 17, 2004 News: [ B ] 'night, Mother to Close Early; Norman Drama Ends 1/9 [ P ] Falco-Blethyn 'night, Mother to Close on Jan. 9 [ P ] Atlantic 453 Stages Weitzman's Arrangements With Grenfell, Kunken, Murney, Jan. 12-30, 2005 Features: [ P ] Dance, Dance, Dance The Beach Boys meet Broadway in Good Vibrations, choreographer John Carrafa's directorial debut [ P ] PHOTO CALL: R-e-h-e-a-r-s-a-l-s for Finn's Spelling Bee Underway at Second Stage [ P ] PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: The Rivals: Hustling and Bustling posted at 12/17/2004 03:57:07 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link "Mary Poppins": [ B ] DVDs: 17 Cherry Tree Lane by Ken Mandelbaum MARY POPPINS (Disney) [ P ] PBOL'S THEATRE WEEK IN REVIEW, Dec. 11-17: Hellza-Poppins The theatre got a new blockbuster for Christmas. [ P ] Massive Box-Office Advance in Poppins' Carpet Bag [ P ] At the Almeida: Eve Best, Lisa Dillon and Iain Glen to Star in Eyre�s Hedda; Rufus Norris to Direct Blood Wedding He may have a huge money-maker on his hands with Mary Poppins, but that doesn�t mean director Richard Eyre is planning to take things more easily. Reviews: [ B ] Did Critics Think Lincoln Center's The Rivals is a Revelation? [ SUN ] Sheridan in Love (and War) by JEREMY McCARTER Think of Sheridan as the anti-O'Neill. [ CU ] After the Ball [ TB ] Lea DeLaria is a Loving Dynamo in Once Upon a Mattress San Francisco Review by Richard Connema Features: [ TM ] All Over the Map By: Dan Bacalzo and Adam Klasfeld Sugar Plum Fairy in San Jos�, La Pastorela de los Inmigrantes in San Diego, and Who's Afraid of the Virgin Mary? in Boston [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Russell, McCarthy Ridicule Piven's Fat Pig at Off-Bway Opening News: [ B ] Ying Tong to Replace Sweeney Todd at London's New Ambassadors Theatre [ P ] Full Casting Announced for London's Billy Elliot � The Musical [ P ] Nathan Lane Misses London Producers Performance Due to Bad Back [ P ] Broadway Bears 8 � Hosted by Bryan Batt � Set for February 2005 [ P ] CBS to Broadcast "Kennedy Center Honors" Dec. 21; Tony Winners McDonald and Headley Perform [ P ] Judy Kaye, Jason Graae and More Featured in New York Festival of Song [ P ] Tunes from Woman in White Featured in Kennedy Center Lloyd Webber Evening; Complete Song List Announced posted at 12/17/2004 01:49:06 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ NYT ] Finding Homosexual Threads in Lincoln's Legend By DINITIA SMITH "I don't think Lincoln was gay. Come on, a guy goes to the theater ONE TIME..." - Jay Leno "Mary Poppins": [ NYP ] THIS NANNY IS UNCANNY By MICHAEL RIEDEL [ DN ] 'Poppins' off to a flying start in London By JAMES INVERNE [ NYT ] Arts, Briefly By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Still putting off your Christmas shopping? Filichia has some more ideas for the theatergoer in your life. [ P ] DIVA TALK: Chatting with Souvenir Star Judy Kaye, Alice Ripley On High and News of Cook and Moore [ LAT ] Keeping Track of the Scores By Josh Getlin Musician Michael Feinstein is on a mission to keep what remains of the golden age of American song out of the trash heap. "The Rivals" - Reviews: [ ND ] 'The Rivals' delights: dash and fine foolery BY LINDA WINER [ JN ] 'Rivals' cutting corners By JACQUES LE SOURD This is the first time we've noted a Lincoln Center production that seems to be pinching pennies. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'THE RIVALS' Sheridan's Malaprop and Friends By CHARLES ISHERWOOD Despite a zesty cast and a first-class production from Lincoln Center Theater, "The Rivals" is one of those classics that require reserves of patience and fortitude. [ USA ] 'Rivals' has few equals when it comes to laughs By Elysa Gardner * * * out of four [ DN ] It 'Rivals' some of N.Y. theater's best by Howard Kissel Most delicious are Emily Bergl and Carrie Preston as two young ladies in love, one the victim of too much sentimental reading, the other more hardheaded and worldly. [ NYP ] OLD PLAY GIVEN NEW LIFE AT LINCOLN CENTER By CLIVE BARNES "The Rivals" is must-see theater. [ HC ] Unrivaled On Broadway By MALCOLM JOHNSON Sheridan's 'Rivals' Lively Under Lamos' Direction [ Y ] 'Rivals' All About Language, Love By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic Lamos has done an exemplary job in clarifying the complicated, often confusing plot, which throws a lot of exposition at the audience in the play's opening scenes. [ NJ ] 18th-century comedy ages well BY MICHAEL SOMMERS [ TB ] The Rivals Review by Matthew Murray [ B ] The Rivals Review by Eric Grode [ TM ] The Rivals Reviewed By: David Finkle "Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit" - Reviews: [ TB ] Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit Review by Matthew Murray After over 20 years of skewering Broadway shows, songs, and personalities, Gerard Alessandrini has now set his sights on audiences. [ Y ] 'Forbidden Broadway' Not As Sharp By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic [ ATW ] Forbidden Broadway Sends Out a Special Victims Unit for B'way Review by Andy Propst [ B ] Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit Review by William Stevenson [ TM ] Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit Reviewed By: Marc Miller "After the Ball" - Reviews: [ TB ] Noel Coward's After the Ball Review by Matthew Murray No�l Coward's musicalization of Oscar Wilde's play Lady Windermere's Fan has been edited and adapted by Barry Day, who alone is responsible for the most entertainment the show is able to generate: his program notes. [ NJ ] No fan of 'Lady Windermere' BY MICHAEL SOMMERS Rarely produced 'After the Ball' does little to enhance Oscar Wilde book [ ATW ] Wilde and Coward Joined in After the Ball Review by Andy Propst [ TM ] After the Ball Reviewed By: David Finkle [ B ] After the Ball Review by William Stevenson Other Reviews: [ NJ ] It's a wonderful adaptation BY PETER FILICHIA 12 Miles West's 'Merry Christmas, George Bailey' earns its wings [ TB ] Rattlesnake Review by Lindsey Wilson The raw and menacing new play by Fred Pezzulli has assembled that rare combination of fluid set design, timeless costuming, dead-on lighting, and brilliant acting. [ ND ] Shakespeare gets his rhythm and grooves back BY GORDON COX [ TM ] The Siegel Column Barbara & Scott on La Cage aux Folles, Gem of the Ocean, and Michael Feinstein at -- where else? -- Feinstein's! [ ATW-XM ] Broadway and Beyond: Two Broadway Recommendations: Democracy, 'Overtures' [ ATW ] Magic, History, a Little Self-Help All Found in Phenomena Review by Andy Propst "A Number": [ NYT ] THEATER NOTEBOOK A Play Without Instructions Morphs Into Another By MEL GUSSOW Like most playwrights, Caryl Churchill filled her early plays with stage directions. Increasingly, however, she has pared her plays to the dialogue. [ WP ] Caryl Churchill's 'A Number': Family Tragedy in a Petri Dish By Peter Marks [ P ] Tickets to Off-Broadway's A Number Now On Sale Through Feb. 13; Shepard Not Extending [ B ] Caryl Churchill's A Number Extends at New York Theatre Workshop News: [ P ] Playbill On-Line Picks the Top Theatre Stories of 2004 [ Y ] Showtime Cultivating 'Weeds' By Nellie Andreeva (Hollywood Reporter) The pay cable network has given a 10-episode order to an envelope-pushing comedy series about a housewife-turned-pot dealer starring Mary-Louise Parker. [ NYT ] Henny Backus, 93, an Actress and Author With Husband Jim, Dies By JENNIFER BAYOT [ IBDB ] Henrietta Kaye (a.k.a. Henny Backus) - Broadway Credits [ NYT ] G. S. Rattner, Paint Maker and Writer, Dies at 82 George S. Rattner, a paint manufacturer and an Off Broadway playwright, wrote nine plays produced at theaters in New York and elsewhere. [ B ] Neil LaBute's Fat Pig Extends Through February 5 [ P ] Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 17 [ P ] Phoenix Theatre Ensemble Launches Inaugural Production, The Trial, Dec. 17 [ P ] On the Steps of the Palace: Linda Eder Sings at Famed Broadway Theatre Dec. 17 and 18 [ P ] GrooveLily's Musical, Striking 12, Gets Live Cast Album Coinciding With Holidays and TheatreWorks Run [ P ] Casting Announced for Christopher Shinn's On the Mountain , at Playwrights Horizons Feb. 4-March 13, 2005(16 Dec [ P ] Vilanch, Cavenaugh and von Essen Join Gets as Scrooge in A Queer Carol, Dec. 20 More Features: [ CST ] 'Shook Up' world melds Bard with the King's music BY MIRIAM DI NUNZIO "It's an Elvis-like myth told through Shakespeare's greatest comedies," said Cheyenne Jackson, who stars as the bad boy, swivel-hipped Chad. [ BS ] 'Phantom' Takes Journey from Stage to Screen The new film "The Phantom of the Opera," scheduled to open nationwide on Jan. 21, is just that -- a film, stresses producer, composer, and co-screenwriter Andrew Lloyd Webber. [ CSM ] Pop culture sizes up the weight issue By Kim Campbell "Fat Pig." Thanks to American Theater Web for the link. [ DN ] Taking act to new 'Heights' By REBECCA LOUIE Manuel Miranda, a 24-year-old playwright/actor/rapper from Inwood is hard at work on "In the Heights," a hip-hop salsa musical set in Washington Heights. [ BS ] Burlesque's "Pat & Vanna" Four years ago, Fred Kahl decided he needed to make some "good, clean fun." But Kahl -- better known in the New Burlesque community as "The Great Fredini" -- has more of a Blue State definition of those words. [ BH ] Theater's man of the year: The Huntington's Michael Maso By Terry Byrne posted at 12/17/2004 08:07:16 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Thursday, December 16, 2004 "Fat Pig": [ P ] This Little Piggy Went to Market: LaBute's Fat Pig Extends [ B ] PHOTO OP: A Phat Party for MCC's Fat Pig [ B ] Did New York Critics Eat Up Off-Broadway's Fat Pig? Reviews: [ B ] Were Critics Wooed by the World Premiere of The Paris Letter? News: [ P ] Danny Glover Appears in Closing Show of Off-Broadway's Guantánamo, Dec. 19 [ P ] Michael Arden to Star in Reprise! Mounting of Pippin; Complete Casting Announced [ P ] Moises Kaufman Project, One Arm, Eyes New York Berth [ P ] TDF Offers TKTS Gift Certificates for the Holiday Ticket Buyer [ P ] U.S. Premiere of Noel Coward's After the Ball Opens Dec. 16 at NYC's Irish Rep [ P ] "Angels in America," Tony Awards and "Broadway: The American Musical" Vie for Writers Guild Awards [ P ] Kiki-less Pianoman Hosts"Herb's Unholy Night" Toasting Will Die For You CD Release posted at 12/16/2004 04:46:21 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Reviews: [ B ] Did Mary Poppins Fly with London Theater Critics? [ R ] Critics Rave as Mary Poppins Takes to the Stage By Paul Majendie "A star is born," declared The Evening Standard. [ CU ] Fat Pig [ SUN ] Superego-Size Me by JEREMY McCARTER Neil LaBute balloons up, Needcompany gets down. News: [ P ] Ticketbuyer Desire Fuels Third Extension of MET Play [ P ] Text of Democracy Now in Bookstores [ P ] Piazza's Clark and Hairspray's Morrison Join Kitchen Sink Benefit [ P ] Urinetown's Rando to Direct Feature Film About "The College Experience" [ P ] Hairspray's Winokur Teams with Klein for ABC Comedy Project [ P ] "Theater Talk" Spotlights "Phantom" Film Dec. 17 [ P ] Dracula Star Heads to the Chatterbox Dec. 16 posted at 12/16/2004 01:20:06 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ Y ] 'Mary Poppins' Makes London Stage Debut By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer [ USA ] 12 Days of Celebrity Christmas: Kristin Chenoweth [ BS ] On the Road Again Touring can be hard on relationships among cast members in just the way extensive traveling can compromise friendships and even marriages. [ LAT ] MY FAVORITE WEEKEND: Maripat Donovan By Robin Rauzi Everything's coming up rosaries for the "Late Nite Catechism" star. "Fat Pig" - Reviews: [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'FAT PIG' She's Fat, He's a Man. Can They Find Love? By BEN BRANTLEY This confrontationally titled show about a man who falls for an overweight librarian is the most emotionally engaging and unsettling of Neil LaBute's plays since "Bash." [ DN ] She's a sow, he's sheepish by Howard Kissel LaBute's play succeeds in the perverse goal he sets. It is, for most of the evening, giddily entertaining, but when it ends you are overcome by a sense of poignancy and awkwardness. [ NJ ] Something about the way she looks BY MICHAEL SOMMERS Who wants to spend time with such people? [ ND ] Finding acceptance is no small matter BY LINDA WINER The shock of the evening is how shockingly cautious it is. "Fat Pig" is a title with a play on it, rather than the other way around. [ Y ] 'Fat Pig' Raises Question of Size By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic He is a tough-minded writer, and the sardonic dialogue, an odd combination of funny and unpleasant, crackles with a theatricality that rarely flags under Jo Bonney's icy, precise direction. [ R ] Review: Fat Pig By Alexis Greene It's not that Helen is fat; it's that she's uninteresting. [ ATW ] Societal Ugliness Ravages Romance of Fat Pig Review by Andy Propst [ TM ] Fat Pig Reviewed By: Dan Bacalzo [ B ] Fat Pig Review by Edward Karam Other Reviews: [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'THE PARIS LETTER' The Heavy Toll of Sexual Repression By CHARLES ISHERWOOD The temporal and dramatic scope of Jon Robin Baitz's knotty new play is not matched by depth of feeling or nuanced characterization. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'ISABELLA'S ROOM' A Loose Memoir of Song, Dance and Image By MARGO JEFFERSON The music and dance of this new theater piece by the Needcompany of Belgium have a bland sweetness. Instead of deepening our feelings, they dilute them. [ WP ] An Unshakable 'Doubt' By Peter Marks "Doubt" is a reminder that there's life yet in the well-made play. [ ND ] Dickens dark, light and reimagined BY STEVE PARKS [ ND ] 'Merm' revival with a Broadway blast BY STEVE PARKS News: [ V ] Legit helmer Rando going to 'College' Story centers on broke socialite at daughter's university Broadway director John Rando ("Urinetown") has agreed to helm campus comedy "The College Experience" for Warner Bros. with Adam Schroeder and Geri Robert producing. [ HC ] Hartford Stage Casts 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof' by Frank Rizzo William "Biff" McGuire, most recently seen off-Broadway in Horton Foote's "The Day Emily Married," will play Big Daddy in Hartford Stage's production of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." [ B ] Off-Broadway's Lone Star Love Extends Through February 6 [ NYT ] Arts, Briefly By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER The Public Theater's Gain [ LAT ] State Board Gives $35 Million to Cultural Groups By Dan Morain Dozens of projects, which include those pushed by lawmakers and panel members, win grants. L.A.'s Latino Theater gets $4 million. [ NJ ] Center stage by Peter Filichia Two for 'Tenor' [ P ] Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 16 [ P ] Duel of Wits: Sheridan's The Rivals Opens at Vivian Beaumont Dec. 16 [ P ] Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit Opens Off-Broadway Dec. 16 [ P ] Will There Be a Recording of Dracula the Musical ? [ P ] Primary Stages Revives Freud-Jung Love Triangle Drama Sabina Off-Broadway [ P ] Eve Ensler's The Good Body to Shutter Even Earlier Than Planned [ ATW-XM ] Broadway and Beyond: Some Holiday Theatergoing Ideas posted at 12/16/2004 08:29:47 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Wednesday, December 15, 2004 [ B ] Eve Ensler's The Good Body to End Run December 19 [ B ] Off-Broadway Hit Bug to Close January 30 [ P ] Bug to Close Off-Broadway on Jan. 30, 2005 [ P ] Jeff Daniels' New Comedy, Norma & Wanda, Is Tale of Sibling Revelry, Starting Jan. 20 in Michigan [ P ] PBS Salutes "Bill Irwin, Clown Prince" � with Taymor, Williams and Guare � Dec. 15 posted at 12/15/2004 04:16:53 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Features: [ T ] Down to his last half billion He owns 13 West End theatres, five homes and rights to the world's biggest-selling musical, which has just been made into a film. So why does Andrew Lloyd Webber claim to be feeling the pinch? Thanks to Andy at American Theater Web for the link! [ TB ] A Dressing Room Conversation with Patrick Cassidy by John Garcia Reviews: [ B ] CDs: Some of Us Belong to the Stars by Ken Mandelbaum BILLY (Sony Music) [ TB ] Chasing Nicolette Review by Tim Dunleavy News: [ NYT ] Concert Canceled Over Use of Electronic Musicmaker By DANIEL J. WAKIN The Opera Company of Brooklyn canceled a concert Tuesday after the New York musicians' union threatened a protest against the use of an electronic musicmaker. [ B ] Chicago Welcomes Back Brent Barrett and Charlotte d'Amboise [ P ] Brent Barrett to Return to Broadway's Chicago in January 2005 [ P ] Sean Connery, Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave and Others Pledge Cameos for London Romeo and Juliet [ P ] Big D in Big D: Menken & Rice's King David Gets First Staging Since NYC, Dec. 15-19 [ P ] Barbara Cook Returns to the Carlyle in 2005 [ P ] New and Vintage Andrea Marcovicci Recordings Now Available [ P ] Lippa and Wicked's Chenoweth Team for New Year's Eve Concert [ P ] Gettelfinger, Daniels, Campbell and Fraser Join Dec. 19 Miracle on Lafayette Benefit [ P ] Wicked's Schwartz and La Cage's Herman Part of Kennedy Center's A Century of American Musical Theater [ P ] "Taylor, the Latte Boy" Creators Sing at MAC/ASCAP Songwriters' Showcase; Ross Is Special Guest posted at 12/15/2004 01:16:46 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ NYP ] FANGS FOR NOTHING, FRANK By MICHAEL RIEDEL THE bad guy in "Dracula" these days is not its blood-sucking title character but its penny-pinching composer, Frank Wildhorn. [ B ] Marsha Mason Takes on Ouiser in B'way's Upcoming Steel Magnolias Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary This year's Drama League holiday luncheon panel discussion featured guests who all hail from the same part of town. [ LAT ] Carrying a load By Greg Braxton Single mom Tonya Pinkins juggles an L.A. musical and a N.Y. soap. Whew. [ C ] Mario Cantone goes from Sex and the City to a one-man show on Broadway by Desmond Butler, Associated Press [ BS ] Elizabeth Marvel: Telling Woody Allen's Tale [ BS ] Elaine Stritch Reviews Her Colorful Career Reviews: [ INQ ] Funny, tuneful: What more can you ask? By Douglas J. Keating Now comes Chasing Nicolette. A Funny Thing and The Producers are fast company to travel in, but this new show at the Prince Music Theater more than keeps up. It is a consistently funny, sometimes hilarious, entertainment. [ NJ ] Theater world laughs at itself on 42nd St. BY MICHAEL SOMMERS Back for the 20-something-eth time, the newest edition of "Forbidden Broadway" is dubbed "Special Victims Unit," and starts with a bang as a 30-year-old Annie Warbucks and Sandy are found dead. [ NJ ] Fractured fairy tale BY PETER FILICHIA What Exit? troupe's gender-bending twist on classic tale is a real gas [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'BEST OF BOTH WORLDS' Who Needs Dialogue? Shakespeare the Musical By NEIL GENZLINGER The creators of this rousing, proudly frivolous musical have taken Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" and achieved a sort of hypnotic effect. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'PYGMALION' The English Tongue, Defiled and Defended By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON Despite a few accents that even Henry Higgins would have trouble placing, this production is a reliable visit to familiar territory. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'FRANKENSTEIN' Reviving the Chill in a Familiar Monster Tale By JASON ZINOMAN An imaginative young company called the Flying Machine has brought this tale of scientific hubris vividly back to life. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'FALLING OFF BROADWAY' So He Got Off the Couch and Into a One-Man Show By JASON ZINOMAN A show about the travails of working as a Broadway producer could make juicy entertainment. But David Black's story comes off as strangely timid. [ Y ] 'Pieces' Examines Issue of Beauty By PETER SANTILLI, Associated Press Writer [ VV ] Playing Close to the Vest, Churchill's Number Clones Dramaturgic Perplexities by Michael Feingold A Number [ VV ] Chuppah Blues Two Jewish comedies pit romantic love against tradition by Alisa Solomon Modern Orthodox; Di Kaprizne Kalemoyd/A Novel Romance [ VV ] Unquiet Spirits In the first play of August Wilson's cycle, familiar patterns take on newly articulate flesh by Michael Feingold Gem of the Ocean [ VV ] One-Handers Charles McNulty examines the phenomenon of stars theatrically pleasuring themselves on Broadway [ DN ] Spacey's Darin' effort lacks bite by David Hinckley Last night at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater, Spacey played a Darin-style nightclub show. [ NYP ] TRIBUTE A BIT SPACEY By DAN AQUILANTE [ NYP ] LIZ SMITH "The Phantom of the Opera." News: [ NYT ] Arts, Briefly By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER Food for Thought. [ P ] Broadway Featured on Dec. 15 Edition of "Jeopardy!" [ P ] Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 15 [ P ] Mary Poppins Opens in London Dec. 15; Producer Mackintosh and Songwriters Styles and Drewe Chat [ P ] Neil LaBute Weighs Weight Issue in MCC Drama Fat Pig, Opening Dec. 15 [ TM ] Malcolm Gets to Star in One-Night-Only Performance of A Queer Carol at LGBT Center [ R ] Barry Manilow Signs Long-Term Las Vegas Deal [ ATW-XM ] Broadway and Beyond: NYC Casting News - 'McReele', MTC, and 'South Pacific' posted at 12/15/2004 07:46:55 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Tuesday, December 14, 2004 Features: [ TM ] "Hath Not a Jew Eyes?" By: Barbara & Scott Siegel Al Pacino talks with Barbara & Scott Siegel about his role of Shylock in the new film version of The Merchant of Venice. [ B ] FRESH FACE As the mysterious Citizen Barlow, newcomer John Earl Jelks is making waves in Broadway's Gem of the Ocean. [ B ] Q&A: B.D. Wong by Kathy Henderson [ P ] PHOTO CALL: McCarthy and Russell Try to Convince Piven He's Dating a Fat Pig at the Lucille Lortel [ P ] PHOTO CALL: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Mary Poppins Nears Her West End Bow on Dec. 15 Reviews: [ TM ] The Clean House Philadelphia Review By: J. Cooper Robb [ TB ] A Year with Frog and Toad Philadelphia Review by Tim Dunleavy I had a little help on this review... :-) News: [ P ] Report: "Chicago" Producer Planning Movie Musical for La Cage aux Folles [ B ] Coen and Crane's Epic Proportions to Get the Hollywood Treatment [ P ] Julie Harris to Be Presenter at Hall of Fame Ceremony Jan. 24 [ P ] Barrage Brings Music Stagework Vagabond Tales to Boston, Dec.14 [ P ] Gilman's The Sweetest Swing in Baseball On Deck at San Francisco's Magic Theatre [ P ] K.I. From "Crime" Debuts in New York at Freight Entrance/Chashama Theatre [ P ] Albee, McNally, Hwang and More Discuss Political Plays and Non-Traditional Casting at Dec. 15 Panel [ P ] "Brooklyn the Musical � Live!" CD Now in Stores [ P ] Brooklyn Offers Actors' Fund Performance in January 2005 [ P ] Founding Chicago City Limits Cast Members to Return for New Year's Eve Shows [ P ] Rent's Pascal to Play Knitting Factory Dec. 29 [ P ] Ute Lemper Brings Blood & Feathers to NYC in January 2005 [ P ] Zanna and "Queer Eye" Star Jai Rodriguez is Xposed at Jan. 31 Concert [ P ] Tickets Now on Sale for Melba Moore's Lincoln Center Holiday Concerts [ B ] Broadway Grosses: Cherry on Top of Sundays [ B ] Donmar's Guys and Dolls, Starring Ewan McGregor, to Land at the Piccadilly [ B ] Lily Rabe Joins Cast of Upcoming Steel Magnolias posted at 12/14/2004 05:24:47 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ P ] Andrea Martin Is Golde in Fiddler, Opposite Fierstein, Starting Jan. 4, 2005 [ B ] Andrea Martin Set as Fiddler on the Roof's New Golde [ G ] Obituary: Robert Dh�ry by Ronald Bergan West End theatre-goers who were around in the mid-1950s are likely to remember a hit French revue called La Plume De Ma Tante, which entertained audiences at the Garrick Theatre for three years, before being equally successful in New York. The show's creator, director and star was Robert Dh�ry, who has died aged 83. Thanks to American Theater Web for the link. [ B ] Robert Dh�ry's Broadway Credits [ P ] Rabe Joins Cast of Broadway's Steel Magnolias [ NYP ] LIZ SMITH Lily Rabe; Barbra Streisand; Linda Eder. [ B ] Off-B'way to Lose the Houseman and Fairbanks Theatres [ P ] Broadway Grosses: Dec.. 6-12 [ P ] Malcolm Gets Stars in A Queer Carol Benefit in New York City, Dec. 20 [ P ] Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 14 [ P ] Mary Testa and Alison Fraser to Co-Star in George Street's Lend Me a Tenor [ P ] Off-Broadway's The Last Days of Judas Iscariot Gets Its Pontius Pilate and More [ P ] Christian Crusaders of the 13th-Century Struggle in World-Premiere of The Vow, in Chicago Feb. 12, 2005 [ P ] Belluso, Tolan, Corthron, Bock, Moore, Brown Are Humana Festival Playwrights in 2005 [ NYT ] Arts, Briefly By BEN SISARIO 'Producers' Wins In London [ V ] An 'Epic' undertaking Landis to direct Off Broadway adaptation Features: [ DN ] Post-'Felicity,' trying cruelty on for size By CELIA McGEE Recent transplant Keri Russell stars in Neil LeBute's new play. [ WP ] Backstage: For Laurents, Time to Revise & Shine By Jane Horwitz [ SUN ] A More Considered Malaprop BY ROBERT SIMONSON A Chat With the Actress Dana Ivey [ P ] R-E-S-P-E-C-T La Cage aux Folles, that big, bold, raucous musical about family values, is at heart a gentle look at love and devotion [ P ] A Life in the Theatre: Stage Manager Jack Gianino Stage professionals look back at decades of devotion to their craft [ Y ] 'Mary Poppins' Gets a Makeover in New DVD By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer [ B ] PHOTO OP: Tony Danza Visits Under the Bridge "The Phantom of the Opera": [ USA ] Here's the substance on 'Phantom' bash By Donna Freydkin [ B ] PHOTO OP: Phantom Film Premieres at Ziegfeld [ ATW ] Revisiting 'Phantom' on Broadway - Enormously Satisfying Review by Andy Propst [ NYP ] PAGE SIX 'PHANTOM' FLOP Reviews: [ LAT ] When U.S. destinies are made manifest By Don Shirley Jon Robin Baitz peels away delusions in his involving new drama 'The Paris Letter.' [ R ] Review: The Paris Letter By Ed Kaufman [ ATW ] An Oddity for the Holidays: A Gorgeously Staged Frankenstein Review by Andy Propst [ ND ] Shelley's 'Frankenstein' gets physical BY GORDON COX [ CU ] Chasing Nicolette [ TB ] Vital Signs: New Works Festival, Series Two Review by Lindsey Wilson [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'A LIKELY STORY' Five Characters in Search of the Art of Quirkiness By PHOEBE HOBAN David Cale has the flexible body language to embody convincingly a range of personalities. But as a performer he's more milquetoast than razzle-dazzle. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'AGA-BOOM' Clowns With Mops, Seeking Amateur Equestrians By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER The show offers masterly clowning with echoes of "Cirque du Soleil" and "Slava's Snowshow" without forfeiting claim to its own winning originality. [ NJ ] 'Beguiled' is no enchanted evening BY PETER FILICHIA [ ATW ] 700 Sundays: Crystal's Comedic Stroll Down Memory Lane Review by Andy Propst [ ATW ] Best of Both Worlds: Musicalized The Winter's Tale Review by Andy Propst [ ATW-XM ] Broadway and Beyond: Chekhov, Williams, Alongside New Work to Be Found at Steppenwolf [ TB ] Tennessee Williams� One Arm Chicago Review by John Olson [ CST ] Finding your way in a new world BY HEDY WEISS There is something particularly lovely and deep about "The Immigrant," the new musical by playwright Mark Harelik and his collaborators Sarah Knapp (lyricist) and Steven M. Alper (composer) that received its Chicago premiere this weekend at Northlight Theatre (a co-production with the Arizona Theatre Company). [ NYP ] NOT ALL 'PIECES' CREATED EQUAL By FRANK SCHECK THOSE of us not blessed with the gift of physical perfection may not find much to relate to in this collection of monologues by a dozen gorgeous women about the burdens of their looks. [ NYT ] NEW DVD'S 'The Return of the King,' 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Yakuza Papers' By DAVE KEHR posted at 12/14/2004 10:34:22 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Monday, December 13, 2004 Features: [ B ] Looking Back: '65-'66 by Ken Mandelbaum News: [ P ] Terrence Mann Tapped for Broadway's Upcoming Lennon Musical [ B ] Will Chase Tapped for Broadway's Lennon Tuner [ P ] Annual S.T.A.G.E. Concert to Present the Works of Hamlisch and Warren [ P ] Broadway's Falco, Lachey and Avenue Q Help Old Navy Attempt for Guinness Carol Record [ P ] Shakespeare Theatre Announces Complete Cast of Lorenzaccio in DC; Cuccioli & Carlson are De Medicis [ P ] Julie Cho's BFE Wins 2004 Weissberger Award [ P ] Cast for World Premiere Broadway Engagement of Brooklyn Boy Confirmed [ P ] PBS to Broadcast LuPone-McDonald-Cerveris Passion in March 2005 [ B ] Evening Standard Crowns The Producers King of the West End [ B ] Phantom and Closer Pick Up Golden Globe Noms [ ATW-XM ] Broadway and Beyond: News of Tours Nationwide [ ATW-XM ] Broadway and Beyond: Some Holiday Gift Ideas Reviews: [ TM ] Frankenstein Reviewed By: Dan Bacalzo [ TM ] Fefu and Her Friends Reviewed By: Adam Klasfeld [ USA ] After 47 years, 'Cinderella' is back at the ball posted at 12/13/2004 04:31:05 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link News: [ P ] The Producers, Alan Bennett and Judi Dench Among Evening Standard Award Winners [ P ] 62nd Annual Golden Globe Nominations Announced; "Closer" Receives 5 Noms, "Phantom" 3 [ P ] Whoopi Goldberg Expected Back in Show on Dec. 15 [ P ] Women of We're Still Hot, the Musical, are "Menopositive"; Canadian Hit Makes U.S. Debut Jan. 5 [ P ] LaBute's "Autobahn" Hits Bookstores Jan. 2005 [ P ] De Shields Is Black By Popular Demand Feb. 7 and 14 [ P ] Phoenix Theatre Ensemble Launches Inaugural Production, The Trial, Dec. 17 [ P ] Naked Boys Stopped From Singing in Atlanta Reviews: [ CU ] Pygmalion [ SFC ] Lea DeLaria brings down the house in 'Mattress' revival by Robert Hurwitt Thanks to Wayne for the link! posted at 12/13/2004 01:28:30 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link [ B ] Shoshana Bean to Play Green Girl Elphaba in Wicked Starting 1/11 [ P ] Shoshana Bean to Replace Idina Menzel in Wicked Jan. 11 Features: [ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary Wracking your brain to choose holiday presents that won't strike the wrong note? Here are some suggestions. [ TM ] Loose Lips By: Brian Scott Lipton Kathie Lee's first musical! Plus: Ron Bohmer returns to Forbidden Broadway and Al Gore sees Gem of the Ocean. [ NYP ] GUYS AS DOLLS By BARBARA HOFFMAN BEAUTY takes its toll � just ask the all-male chorus line of "La Cage aux Folles." [ NYP ] THE STUFF OF PRESTO CHANGE-O By BARBARA HOFFMAN HERE'S what it takes each week to turn a dozen guys into showgirls at "La Cage aux Folles." [ NYP ] LIZ SMITH La Cage; Billy Crystal. [ BSUN ] Richard Chamberlain finds holiday spirit in Hampden By J. Wynn Rousuck [ CST ] AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT... By Chris Jones We posted a link to this fine "Spamalot" article last week when it ran in the LA Times. Here's a better link - you have to register, but at least you don't have to pay! Reviews: [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'WHITE CHRISTMAS' May Your Days Be Filled With Tap Extravaganzas By CHARLES ISHERWOOD [ INQ ] Kevin Spacey sings Bobby Darin, mostly his own way By A.D. Amorosi "I don't do this for a living," Spacey said, apologetically. No kidding. [ NJ ] The Christmas story that never gets old BY PETER FILICHIA New Ebenezer Scrooge. Same standard of excellence. [ B ] Pieces (of Ass) Review by William Stevenson [ Y ] Frankenstein Review by Marilyn Stasio, Variety News: [ Y ] Atlanta Police Shut Down Nude Musical "Naked Boys Singing." [ NYT ] The Kid Stays in His Home, Dressed in PJ's, With a Live Mike By JEFF LEEDS Robert Evans, unabashed Hollywood bad boy, has a Sirius satellite radio gig. How will he have time to do a Broadway show too? Hmm... [ TM ] New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend Set for January 7-9 [ NYT ] Arts, Briefly By BEN SISARIO [ P ] Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 13 [ P ] Karen Mason Is Comin' to Town with Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! Dec. 13 [ P ] Hayden, Arkin and Soule are Paris Bound in Dec. 13 Benefit [ P ] Baldwin, Perez, Shannon and Schreiber Read Sedaris' "Christmas" Stories, Dec. 13 [ P ] Museum Celebrates Late Tony-Winning Costume Designer [ P ] Lucy Thurber's The Bottom of the World Gets Reading at Public Dec. 13 [ P ] Tracy Shayne Begins Brief Chicago Stint Dec. 13 [ P ] Freshened Wonderful Town CD, with Brooke Shields, Appears Dec. 13 posted at 12/13/2004 07:45:17 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link Sunday, December 12, 2004 "The Phantom of the Opera": [ STARS ] THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA -- DOES THE FILM ADAPTATION WORK? by ELLIS NASSOUR Will the film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera capture and enthrall you? Will it have you wishing you were there again or drive you to the point of no return? It depends... That chandelier is still there - but it doesn't steal the show. That honor goes to Minnie Driver as opera diva La Carlotta. [ B ] Stage Notes: Sing, My Angel of Music! by Paul Wontorek Stage Notes goes to the movies with reviews of the Phantom film and other offerings of interest to stage fans. [ LAT ] CLASSIC REELS The many phases and faces of the 'Phantom' By Kevin Thomas [ P ] World's Longest-Running Phantom to Release Solo CD in January; TV Appearances, Too Features: [ NYT ] The Broadway Play Is Getting the Hook. So What? By JESSE McKINLEY The dwindling number of new Broadway plays has caused wringing of hands along the Great White Way. But exactly what is being lost is unclear. [ Y ] Learning experience by Mark Blankenship, Variety With the likes of August Wilson struggling for Broadway's affection and countless scripts languishing in staged-reading hell, the American play is in trouble. [ Y ] Critical response by Robert Hofler, Variety According to the critical consensus of Gotham's theater reviewers, the greatest talent of the musical theater is 1) Stephen Sondheim, 2) Mel Brooks, 3) Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, 4) Abba. If you guessed Sondheim, you are wrong, according to critical consensus. [ WP ] Creating Creative Spaces Area Theaters Shape the Future With Homes Intended to Give Their Art an Added Dimension By Nelson Pressley Bigger bathrooms, better bars: Rest assured that the creature comforts will be delivered in style as an unprecedented wave of new theaters sweeps across the region. [ CST ] Mike Nichols' rules for directing a musical BY HEDY WEISS [ CST ] Hollis Resnik off the road but still an 'Immigrant' BY HEDY WEISS [ BS ] Stitches in Time Welcome to the world of the wardrobe supervisor, a largely unsung, behind-the-scenes practitioner and member of a little-known subculture. [ NYT ] NEW JERSEY From 'Saturday Night Live' to '700 Sundays' By JILL P. CAPUZZO Alan Zweibel is helping a friend, Billy Crystal. [ NYT ] The Playwright Rewriting Latino Theater By LIESL SCHILLINGER Eduardo Machado hopes to broaden his influence on the American stage as the new artistic director of the Hispanic theater company Intar. [ NYT ] The Crucifixion That Also Cures Epilepsy By ZACHARY PINCUS-ROTH Dario D'Ambrosi, who portrayed the Roman soldier who flogs Jesus in Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ," is staging his own version of the story. [ NYT ] DIRECTIONS | REPRISE Shogun's Mom: Older and Wilier By MELENA RYZIK Alvin Y.F. Ing is reprising his role as the Shogun's mother in "Pacific Overtures" 28 years after the show originally opened. [ ND ] FAST CHAT: Tommy Chong by Gordon Cox [ CT ] John Logan's epic journey to Hollywood By Sid Smith MALIBU -- Actor-director Frank Galati tells the quintessential John Logan anecdote. [ LAT ] Filling Screens With Life's Inspiration By Robert J. Lopez A playwright who's seen her share of Hollywood rejection assists other Latina filmmakers at her Casa 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights. [ Y ] London Producers Hope Poppins Works Magic By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer [ ND ] Chocolate Factory finds its home sweet home BY STEVE DOLLAR [ HC ] International Festival Deserves Financial Support From State by Frank Rizzo [ P ] PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: La Cage aux Folles: Boas Will Be Boas Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features! [ P-I ] Village stage is set for merry new adventures of Robin Hood By JOE ADCOCK According to Martin Charnin, ideas for Broadway musicals come "out of the blue." Not long ago, the blue came up with the inspiration for "Robin Hood: the Legend Continues." [ CE ] Ashley Brown: 'Record' start propels CCM grad to spotlight By Jackie Demaline We knew she'd be a star. We just didn't know she'd be a star this fast. [ HChron ] Articulating a role in 'Singin' in the Rain' By EVERETT EVANS Rachel deBenedet revels in the role, one of the funniest ever written, in TUTS' current stage adaptation of the beloved MGM movie musical. [ OT ] Delaria climbs atop 'Mattress'; 'Daniel' back to church [ OT ] 'Out' fielder By Chad Jones How playwright Greenberg came out-- as baseball fan [ BEE ] 'Waitin' was worth it By Marcus Crowder Local playwright's work scores off-Broadway Reviews: [ NYT ] CABARET REVIEW | 'COUP DE GRAAE' Wit and Song From a Jack-in-the-Box Jack-of-All-Trades By STEPHEN HOLDEN With biting saracasm and an impressive singing voice, Jason Graae tells his personal tale of a performer in perpetual motion. [ LAT ] Jackie Mason: 'Freshly Squeezed,' stale taste By Don Shirley Not that he cared about the opinion of L.A. audiences or critics � "I'm leaving town; it's your problem" if we don't like him, he said. He expressed great anxiety, however, over whether the New York Times critic will like him when he opens this show on Broadway next year. [ NYT ] CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK On the Home Front, the Personal Becomes Theatrical (and Political, Too) By MARGO JEFFERSON Two new plays take different routes to what Arthur Miller so beautifully called the radical politics of the spirit. [ NYT ] THEATER REVIEW | 'BOKAN, THE BAD HEARTED' A Spirited Struggle of Man and Puppet By NEIL GENZLINGER The Jim Henson Foundation helped to finance this new puppet-dance work by Federico Restrepo, but this vivid piece is a long way from Kermit. [ TB ] A Likely Story Theatre Review by Matthew Murray [ WP ] Recordings 'Mass' Education: Revisiting Bernstein's Gem By Joseph McLellan [ P ] ON THE RECORD: Holiday Gift List [ CU ] Lone Star Love [ CU ] Gem of the Ocean [ LAT ] Torrid rumor, timeless humor By Daryl H. Miller Sharp portrayals attend a brisk 'School for Scandal' about ills not limited to its century. [ DN ] It's a jolly good read, Jeeves BY HOWARD KISSEL Robert McCrum has written a topping P.G. Wodehouse bio [ CST ] Book worth 101 musical memories News: [ BSUN ] Downtown Mechanic Theatre to be sold by founder's estate By Edward Gunts Landmark: Overshadowed by bigger venues, the Charles Center facility has been dormant. [ BBC ] Children banned from Mary Poppins Producers have defended their decision to deter under-sevens from performances of children's musical Mary Poppins. [ Y ] Biz down; 'Scrooge' 317g Road grosses fell 7.5% to $12,167,023 during Week 27 (Nov. 29-Dec. 5) despite one extra show on the boards, as 12 of 19 returning shows saw grosses decrease. [ CST ] Victory Gardens export 'Trying' to close BY HEDY WEISS [ B ] Chad Kimball to do Lennon; Chuck Cooper in Talks [ P ] Barefoot in the Park Expected on Broadway in 2005-06 The new Scott Elliott-directed production of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, once expected for Broadway in spring 2005, will instead arrive in the 2005-06 season, a spokesman confirmed. [ P ] Will Hunter Foster Board Mister Roberts at Kennedy Center? [ P ] Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 12 [ P ] Sirius Satellite Radio: Broadway's Fractured "Carols" on "Radio Playbill" [ P ] Edie Falco of 'night, Mother Appears on "The View" Dec. 13 [ P ] Eartha Kitt Stars in Expectations, a New Play About a Trio of Ladies, at Stamford Center Jan. 18-30 [ P ] Neil Patrick Harris, Ron Rifkin and Co. Open The Paris Letter in Los Angeles, Dec. 12 [ P ] Callaway Award Winners Perform in Pearl's Bernarda Alba, Jan. 8 [ P ] Michael Rupert One of the Real Men of New Charles Strouse Musical in Miami [ P ] Broadway Troupes Ask Theatregoers to Help Santa Fulfill Wishes of Families in Need [ P ] 13P Collective To Premiere Rob Handel's D.C. Sex-Scandal Play, Aphrodisiac, in NYC Jan. 7-30 [ P ] Playwrights Kushner, Mee and Fondakowski Talk at Berkeley Rep "Page to Stage" Events in 2005 [ P ] Schwartz to Celebrate Hanukkah with Songs from Wicked and More Stephen Schwartz, composer of the hit musical Wicked, will celebrate the sixth night of Hanukkah Dec. 12 at the Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park, PA. My home town! posted at 12/12/2004 10:33:58 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link BroadwayStars is powered by Blogger Pro! [Past News] |
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