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[ RADIO ] This Week on Broadway for Mar. 9, 2010: Love Sometimes Dies

Peter Filichia, James Marino, and Matthew Murray discuss A Behanding in Spokane, The Miracle Worker, Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers—A Radio Play, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies, Anything Goes at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, the appeal of Ethel Merman, and more!

Posted by Matthew Murray at 1:11 PM | Item Link

[ NYP ] 'God' of a different color by Michael Riedel

All-black 'Carnage' may sell more tix

[ NYT ] 'Miracle Worker' Keeps the Faith By PATRICK HEALY

[ TM ] Evan Rachel Wood Departs Forthcoming Spider-Man Broadway Musical

[ B ] Evan Rachel Wood and Broadway's Spider-Man Part Ways

[ P ] Evan Rachel Wood Won't Swing With Broadway's Spider-Man

[ LAT ] In New York, Variety stage critic's departure is seen as 'a great loss to the theater community' by Karen Wada

[ LAT ] Variety lays an egg: Is firing its critics really 'economic reality'? by Patrick Goldstein

[ CT ] Letts, Morton in 'Virginia Woolf,' 'Sex With Strangers' at Steppenwolf for 2010-11 season by Chris Jones

[ CST ] Steppenwolf Theatre announces its 2010-2011 season BY HEDY WEISS

[ B ] Amy Morton and Tracy Letts to Star in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre

[ TM ] Tracy Letts, Amy Morton, Sally Murphy, et al. Set for Steppenwolf's 2010-2011 Season

[ P ] Morton and Letts Will Be George and Martha in Virginia Woolf for Steppenwolf; Season Announced

[ BN ] Warren Spector Seeks $7 Million for Expanding Public Theater By Philip Boroff

[ TM ] Public Theater Formally Announces Renovation Plans

[ B ] Photo Op: Stars Help the Public Theater Break Ground on Massive New Makeover

[ P ] Rhodes to Direct Broadway Bares XX: Strip-opoly

[ B ] Broadway Bares Announces Date and 2010 Theme: Strip-opoly

[ TM ] Broadway Bares to Present "Strip-opoly" and New Editions of Solo Strips

[ TM ] Ming Cho Lee, Albert Wolsky, et al. to Receive Irene Sharaff Awards

[ P ] Wolsky, Lee, Vietti and Ridge Are Sharaff Design Award Recipients

[ TM ] Simon McBurney, Bill T. Jones, Yukio Ninagawa, Ivo van Hove, et al. Set for Lincoln Center Festival

[ P ] Shows by Jones, McBurney, Van Hove and More Announced for 2010 Lincoln Center Festival

[ P ] Watts to Join Cast of Off-Broadway's The Fantasticks

[ TM ] Craig Bierko, Julia Murney, Brad Oscar, et al. to Join Valley of the Dolls Benefit Performance

[ P ] Anderson, Bierko, Halston, Murney and More Join "Valley of the Dolls" Reading

[ P ] Peter Hall's Revival of Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce Will Transfer to West End's Duke of York's Theatre

[ TM ] Nigel Gore, Rocco Sisto, John Douglas Thompson, et al. Set for Shakespeare & Company's 2010 Season

[ P ] San Jose Rep Hopes to Weather Financial Hardship

[ P ] Abingdon Theatre Company to Present Real-Life Shavian Romance, Engaging Shaw; Cast Announced

[ TM ] Amazing Race Winner Reichen Lehmkuhl to Star in My Big Gay Italian Wedding

[ TM ] Diana DeGarmo and Hair Cast Participate in Love Out Loud Fundraising Auction

[ TM ] Holly Twyford, Jay Sullivan to Reprise Roles for Two River's Orestes A Tragic Romp

[ TM ] Kate Shindle, Shayna Steele to Lead Broadway Impact's New York City Marathon Team

[ TM ] Hair Cast Members to Perform at U.K.'s Latitude Festival in July

[ P ] Connington Brings Oates' Zombie to Life in NYC Starting March 10

[ P ] Lage, Early and Frey Will Grasp Dead Man's Hand in NYC Reading

[ TM ] PHOTO FLASH: Lucy Liu, Liev Schreiber Attend Robert Whitehead Award Presentation

[ TM ] PHOTO FLASH: Ace Young and New Cast of Hair at First Broadway Performance

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[ TIMES ] Mastermind behind 'guerrilla campaign' to destroy sequel emerges from dark by Penny Wark

[ NYT ] Down Once More to the Dungeon: The Phantom Prepares for His Return By DAVE ITZKOFF

[ NYP ] Zombie love by Elisabeth Vincentelli

[ LVS ] Sierra Boggess set for world premiere of Love Never Dies in London By Robin Leach

[ NPR ] Phantom Sequel Argues That 'Love Never Dies' by Jeff Lunden

[ CBS ] Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Never Dies"

Neil Sean: Long-Awaited "Phantom" Sequel's Premier Pleases London Audience, That's Enough for Lord Webber

[ NYT ] Slide Show: 'Love Never Dies'

[ B ] Photo Op: Phantom Lives On As Love Never Dies Lights Up London on Opening Night

[ P ] Love Never Dies Launches Coney Island Experience

[ WOS ] Love Never Dies - Review by Michael Coveney (*****)

Phantom "phans" and bloggers who have been bitterly pronouncing their rights in the original should instead be counting their lucky stars we have one genius at least in the British musical theatre who, virtually single-handed, is keeping the genre alive and creating new landmarks.

[ I ] First Night: Love Never Dies, Adelphi Theatre, London (*****)

'Phans' of the original are outraged that Andrew Lloyd Webber has written a sequel to the most successful musical of all time. But Love Never Dies - which opens in London tonight - is phabulous, says Paul Taylor

[ T ] Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre, review By Charles Spencer (****)

Love Never dies is Andrew Lloyd Webber's finest show since the original Phantom of the Opera.

[ G ] Love Never Dies (***)

The design, direction and performances are good, but Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom sequel lacks narrative tension, writes Michael Billington

[ MAIL ] Stodgy Phantom sequel not quite a hit... but Lloyd Webber's operatic music lifts it to a higher plane By Quentin Letts

[ BN ] Phantom's Love Gets Messy in Sequel 'Love Never Dies': Review by Warwick Thompson (***)

[ STAGE ] Love Never Dies - Review by Matthew Hemley

I suspect Love Never Dies will undergo several changes over the next few months and it will probably make these before it opens on Broadway later this year, where the show's American setting will undoubtedly boost its appeal. But until then, Love Never Dies, unlike The Phantom of the Opera itself, will remain a once is enough show, though not the car crash some had been forecasting.

[ SUN ] Opera Phans By BILL HAGERTY

Sets and special effects cannot be faulted, the singing is terrific. Director Jack O'Brien cranks up the melodramatic tension to a stunning ending. But phantastic? Afraid not.

[ NYT ] Same Phantom, Different Spirit By BEN BRANTLEY

Andrew Lloyd Webber's belated sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera" feels as eager to be walloped as a clown in a carnival dunking booth.

[ TM ] Love Never Dies
Reviewed by: Natasha Tripney

This muddled sequel to The Phantom of the Opera is unlikely to please that musical's fans or attract new audiences.

[ TIMES ] Love Never Dies at the Adelphi, London - Review by Benedict Nightingale (**)

[ ES ] Love never dies...it just fades away By Henry Hitchings (**)

[ NYT ] Love May Die but Its Phantoms Play Enduring Roles in London By MATT WOLF

Temperatures rise in "Ghosts" and irony betrays "Sweet Nothings," as Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Never Dies" opens.

Posted by Tim Dunleavy at 11:45 AM | Item Link

[ TM ] Peter Filichia's Diary: I'm Not Annie Get Your Gun Shy

[ MWB ] What Cast Albums Give That Soundtracks Don't, Part II

[ CFR ] A Vision: Arena Stage Permitting Tweeting During Performances?

Do institutional theaters, asks one prominent arts marketer, "expect audiences to disconnect and remain in a dome of silence"?

[ TONY ] Q&A: Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes By Raven Snook; Photographs by Dale May

The stars of Promises, Promises on drinking, American Idol and tweeting on Ambien.

[ NY ] Jeff Daniels on Switching Roles in God of Carnage and Getting in Hockey Brawls

[ P ] CELEB PlayBlogger John Tartaglia: March 9

[ JSTGY ] Quick Q&A: Sam Underwood by Patrick Lee

Playing Marchbanks opposite Melissa Errico in "Candida" at Irish Rep

[ T ] Simon Russell Beale and Fiona Shaw interview for London Assurance By Dominic Cavendish

Two of theatre's biggest stars have rarely shared a stage, which is why they're so delighted to be starring together at the National.

[ G ] Simon Russell Beale: A question of character

Some actors merely learn a role; Simon Russell Beale lets it engulf him completely - which can be painful. But he wouldn't have it any other way, he tells Aida Edemariam

[ P ] PLAYBILL.COM'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER With Terrence McNally

Terrence McNally has been writing plays for 45 years. So the only surprising thing about the current festival of his work at the Kennedy Center is that it's taken this long for one to happen.

[ P ] A Day in the Life of Abigail Breslin

Abigail Breslin, currently starring as Helen Keller in Broadway's The Miracle Worker, gives Playbill.com a peek at the hours leading up to her first preview.

[ P ] Anika Noni Rose Gets Ready for the Oscars in Special Online Video

[ CFR ] ART/NY Mobilizing Against Bloomberg Arts-Funding Cuts

If the community cannot get its act together, who will it blame if Bloomberg guts culture funding? Itself.

[ CFR ] 5 Questions I've Never Been Asked: Matthew Freeman

Says the "Glee Club" playwright, ""We just know that you're either on the team, or you're not, you're either for the team, or you're on your own."

[ WP ] Backstage: 'The Light in the Piazza' at Arena; Sherri Edelen in 'Sweeney Todd' By Jane Horwitz

[ B ] Videos: Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams and More Chat About Sondheim on Sondheim

[ B ] Normal Life Video Blog with Kyle Dean Massey #10: Getting High (Above the Booth Theatre)

[ P ] PHOTO CALL: Inner Voices: Solo Musicals With Blazer and Blickenstaff

[ P ] PHOTO CALL: Looped on Broadway

[ TM ] PHOTO FLASH: Broadway's Fela! Records Cast Album; Release Date Set for June 8

[ P ] MARQUEE VALUE: American Idiot at the St. James Theatre

Posted by Tim Dunleavy at 11:03 AM | Item Link

[ B ] Before Opening, The Scottsboro Boys Extends for Two Weeks at the Vineyard Theatre

[ TM ] Scottsboro Boys Extends at the Vineyard Through April 18

[ P ] Kander and Ebb's Scottsboro Boys Extended Off-Broadway

[ P ] Scottsboro Boys, Kander & Ebb Musical About an American Shame, Opens Off-Broadway

[ TM ] Total Kander By: Tristan Fuge and Brian Scott Lipton

Liza Minnelli, Kristin Chenoweth, David Hyde Pierce, Chita Rivera, Karen Ziemba, Debra Monk, John Cullum, Mario Cantone, Norm Lewis, and more stars come out for the Vineyard Theatre's benefit salute to composer John Kander.

[ B ] Photo Op: All Hail John Kander! The Stars Come Out to Salute a Broadway Legend

[ P ] PHOTO CALL: Vineyard Theatre Gala Honors Kander and Ebb

[ LAT ] L.A. Theatre Works to open 'Top Secret' in New York and 'RFK' at the Skirball Cultural Center by Karen Wada

[ NYP ] Scoop up this one about the Pentagon Papers By FRANK SCHECK (***)

[ TM ] Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers
Reviewed by: Barbara & Scott Siegel

Geoffrey Cowan and Leroy Aarons' crackling drama about the publication of the controversial documents receives a brilliantly acted production at New York Theatre Workshop.

[ NJNR ] 'Top Secret' Pentagon Papers story gets staged as a radio play BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

By wisely devising "Top Secret" as a radio play with the actors seemingly reading from scripts, the authors and director create a distancing effect that gives both fluidity and credence to their chronicle, which might not seem quite so compelling were it weighed down by more realistic production values.

[ YN ] 'Top Secret' lifts veil on Pentagon Papers fight By PETER SANTILLI, Associated Press Writer

The "write what you know" maxim couldn't be more apropos in this case, evidenced by Cowan and Aarons' clear presentation of the facts and splendidly nuanced dialogue, which consistently rings true.

[ V ] Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers
Review by Sam Thielman

Nixon-era radio drama has a lot going for it.

[ CU ] Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers

To add show biz muscle to this docu-drama, director John Rubinstein has assembled close to a dozen well-credentialed thespians to inhabit the real life role models.

[ NYT ] Fighting a War of Words About a Lot of Words About a War By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

While "Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers" offers a cogent, informative peek into a historic chapter in 20th-century journalism, as an evening of theater it is static.

[ BS ] Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers - Reviewed by ERIK HAAGENSEN

The undeniably dramatic true story of a great struggle for American freedom of the press seems awfully dry, coming across as theater that's good for you rather than good theater.

[ TB ] Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers
Review by Matthew Murray

If you find your eyelids drooping during this new production at New York Theatre Workshop, don't blame any turkey you might have eaten at your pre-show repast - the culprit is undoubtedly tryptophan of a marginally more theatrical kind.

[ NYT ] Regarding 'The Nose': And the Eye, and the Ear

Today on ArtsBeat three New York Times critics - Anthony Tommasini, chief classical music critic; Roberta Smith, art critic; and Dwight Garner, book critic - are discussing the music, the art and the literary threads of "The Nose."

[ NYT ] Regarding 'The Nose': Kovalyov Gets Some Love

[ NYT ] Regarding 'The Nose': Consider the Prig

[ NYT ] Regarding 'The Nose': Distraction From the Music (in a Good Way)

[ NYT ] Regarding 'The Nose': Whose Nose Is It, Anyway?

[ NYT ] Regarding 'The Nose': And Taymor, and Mozart

[ P ] PHOTO CALL: When the Rain Stops Falling Opens Off-Broadway

[ EW ] When the Rain Stops Falling (2010)
Reviewed by Tanner Stransky (B-)

[ NYT ] Caricatured Commentary: Minstrel Meets Modern By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

"Neighbors" is a simultaneously overheated and undercooked new play that sacrifices cogency and meaning for pure sensation.

[ TM ] Lenin's Embalmers
Reviewed by: Andy Propst

A top-notch ensemble enlivens Vern Thiessen's mostly merry fantasy about life in the early days of the USSR.

[ BS ] Lenin's Embalmers - Reviewed by KARL LEVETT

Playwright Vern Thiessen cleverly plays with history in this entertaining tale of the two Soviet scientists who in 1924 successfully embalmed the body of Lenin-forever.

[ VV ] Equivocation and The Tempest Show a Weak Will; The Miracle Worker Works No Wonders By Michael Feingold

[ VV ] The Duchess of Malfi and A Behanding in Spokane By Alexis Soloski

John Webster and Martin McDonagh seek some revenge

[ VV ] Living in a Musical Hoofs Into TNC By Leslie Minora

[ PW ] Family Feud By J. Cooper Robb

The Arden Theatre Company continues their season with director Matt Pfeiffer's exhilarating production of Romeo and Juliet.

[ BSR ] Romeo and Juliet: The dream and the nightmare by JIM RUTTER

Matt Pfeiffer's direction of the Arden's Romeo and Juliet bathes us in emotional intensity. He also strips the young lovers' tragedy of any romance in order to cast a disapproving glare on Shakespeare's text itself.

Posted by Tim Dunleavy at 8:56 AM | Item Link

[ HC ] Oh, Mommy! Randy Graff in "Motherhood Out Loud" at Hartford Stage on Crutches By Frank Rizzo

[ P ] CHART TOPPERS: Best-Selling Theatre Recordings

[ TM ] American Idiot Receives 12 San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Nominations

[ TM ] Mark Horowitz, Peter Marks, Eric Schaeffer, et al. Set for Signature Theatre's Sondheim Birthday Weekend

[ TM ] Sutton Foster to Bring Solo Show to Berkshire Theatre Festival

[ P ] Berkshire Theatre Festival to Spend An Evening with Sutton Foster

[ P ] Kushner to Deliver SVA Commencement Address

[ P ] Backwards in High Heels and African-American Trip to Bountiful on Cleveland Play House Bill

[ P ] Hunt-Ballard Will Be Mary Poppins in Australia; Lee, Quast, Byrne Also Cast

[ P ] Wojewodski to Direct Beckett's Endgame at Dallas' Undermain Theatre; Casting Announced

[ P ] Goodman Musical Rooms Will Get Philly Premiere in April

[ TM ] Dennis Miller to Play Vegas' Orleans Showroom

[ TM ] Steve Martin to Perform An Evening of Bluegrass and Banjo at Hennepin Theatre Trust's State Theatre

[ TM ] Lainie Kazan to Guest Star on FOX's 'Til Death

[ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 10

[ P ] Daradich and Peluso Join Wicked Tour March 10

[ P ] Barlow's The 39 Steps Opens at the Alley Theatre March 10

[ P ] Carrasco and Valdez Enjoy Sunsets and Margaritas at Theatreworks, Starting March 10

[ P ] Hangman School for Girls Makes World Premiere March 10

[ P ] Language Rooms, Dark Comedy About a Mysterious Workplace, Gets World Premiere March 10 in PA

[ P ] Maura Tierney, Frances McDormand and More Revive Wooster Group's North Atlantic in NYC March 10

[ TM ] John Malkovich, Rufus Wainwright, et al. Set for Luminato Festival

[ TM ] Jenn Gambatese, Kevin Earley to Star in Goodspeed's Annie Get Your Gun

[ P ] Graae, Margherita, Carpenter, Ojeda and Solomon Will See What I Wanna See at the Blank

[ NYT ] For New York City Opera Season, Bernstein, Strauss and New Works By DANIEL J. WAKIN

The struggling New York City Opera, operating with a slender financial cushion, announced plans on Tuesday for another stripped down, five-production season.

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[ P ] View From the Bridge Recoups Investment

[ TM ] A View From the Bridge, Starring Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson, Recoups on Broadway

[ NYT ] 'A View From the Bridge' Recoups Investment By PATRICK HEALY

[ TM ] Kristin Chenoweth, Lauren Flanigan, Lou Reed, et al. Set for New York City Opera's 2010-2011 Season

[ P ] Schwartz's Séance on a Wet Afternoon, Chenoweth and Esparza Set for NYCO Season

[ TM ] Melissa Manchester, Jeff McCarthy, Bobby Steggert, et al. Set for Broadway Musicals of 1948

[ P ] Broadway Musicals of 1948 to Feature Manchester, McCarthy, Steggert, Grisetti

[ TS ] Luminato lands John Malkovich in quirky play By Martin Knelman

Star to play Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger in North American debut of The Infernal Comedy

[ TM ] Flashdance - The Musical to Open in West End in September

[ TM ] Stephen Campbell Moore, David Suchet, Zoë Wanamaker et al. Set for West End All My Sons

[ P ] West End's All My Sons Announces Further Casting

[ B ] Additional Casting Announced for London Revival of All My Sons

[ P ] Earley, McDonald, Watson, Nichols, Stock Will Join Gambatese in Goodspeed's Annie Get Your Gun

[ TM ] Glee Concert Tour With Lea Michele Adds Fourth NYC Show

[ NYT ] Advertising
Good Housekeeping Puts on a Show to Celebrate Women By STUART ELLIOTT

The show, to be staged at the New York City Center, reflects efforts by media companies to go beyond traditional realms of the printed page or TV set.

[ TM ] Kristen Bell, Fran Drescher, Kelli O'Hara, Meryl Streep, et al. Set for Shine On Benefit

[ G ] What are theatrical previews for? by Lyn Gardner

Andrew Lloyd Webber is furious that bloggers have been 'reviewing' previews of his new show. Does he have reason to be angry?

[ CT ] In stories and little revelations, Sondheim gives a master class in the American musical by Chris Jones

[ A ] Sean Hayes: I Am Who I Am By Ari Karpel

Step back, Jack: The man who played TV's iconic and over-the-top sidekick steps out of the shadow of his famous character to speak for the first time about living openly, his contribution to the gay movement, and his much-anticipated Broadway debut.

[ B ] Promises, Promises Star Sean Hayes Comes Out in The Advocate

[ TDF ] TDF Video: How to Design a Broadway Poster

A Step-By-Step Guide from Broadway's Premier Poster Artist

[ TIMES ] War! Huh! What is it good for? Must all war plays be anti-war? by David Aaronovitch

Well, a feast of cracking drama, for a start. But must all war plays be anti-war? Can't a play be thought-provoking without taking an entrenched view?

[ NYT ] Ask a Theater Historian By ERIK PIEPENBURG

[ P ] ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE: "I'll Be Seeing You" . . . in Wicked By Seth Rudetsky

[ INQ ] No grim fairy tale By Howard Shapiro

"Happily Ever After" is not only the title of Mary Martello's first play, but the upbeat theme of her more than 50 years in the theater.

[ LX-TV ] 1STLOOK

Video: Backstage in Chicago with Blake Hammond of "Billy Elliot" and Erin Maguire of "The 101 Dalmatians Musical."

[ P ] Is Liev Schreiber Fit for Jimmy Kimmel's "Handsome Men's Club?"

[ P ] CELEB PlayBlogger John Tartaglia: March 8

Tartaglia will blog all week; his first entry follows...

[ LAT ] Dispatch from New York: 'The Subject Was Roses' and its original L.A. angels by James C. Taylor

The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is set entirely in New York (and is filled with Gotham references and dialects), but without Los Angeles, it's possible that Frank D. Gilroy's American classic would have never reached the stage.

[ LAT ] Ken Takemoto: East West Players' Mr. Fix-It By Karen Wada

The troupe relies on its prop master to provide the perfect piece. Hey, what's in that Dumpster?

[ TB ] An Interview with Michael Rupert by David-Edward Hughes

[ TM ] Video: Jennifer Morrison: Hard Worker

The star of the hit series House discusses her role as Kate Keller in the Broadway revival of The Miracle Worker, her possible return to television, and dealing with her fans.

[ NYP ] The Broadway-est Law & Order ever? by Elisabeth Vincentelli

[ B ] Ask a Star Video: Chicago Star Michelle Williams on Beyonce, Broadway and What She Finds Bootylicious

[ B ] First Person: Clybourne Park Star Jeremy Shamos on Riding the Wave of Audience Laughter

[ B ] Videos: Rockin' Out In Rehearsal with Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet

[ BG ] With 'Becky Shaw,' a happy reunion By Christopher Wallenberg

Director, playwright bring comedy to Huntington

[ BR ] Dame Edna's back on Broadway, making nice with Michael Feinstein By ROBERT FELDBERG

The unanticipated result of my joint interview with Dame Edna and Michael Feinstein got me thinking.
Is it unfair to expect an entertainer to be "on" when he's off stage?

[ B ] Q&A: Michael Feinstein Tells All About Singing & Sparring with Dame Edna

[ G ] 'There is a rage within me'

Tom Murphy caused a storm with a play that savaged the Catholic church. Now he's reviving it. He tells John O'Mahoney what fuels his writing

[ G ] Portrait of the artist: Imogen Stubbs, actor
Interview by Laura Barnett

'I would love to have had a career like Kate Winslet's - but the chance never came my way'

[ DN ] Death by Hollywood: Fallen Broadway star Peg Entwistle's suicide BY David J. Krajicek

A woman hiking in Hollywood's Beachwood Canyon in the ebbing days of summer 1932 happened upon a lady's shoe.

[ B ] Photo Op: First Look! Dylan Baker, Jeff Daniels, Lucy Liu and Janet McTeer Enter Broadway's Carnage

[ P ] PHOTO CALL: Daniels, McTeer, Baker and Liu in God of Carnage

[ B ] Say Cheese! The Addams Family Gets Ready for Broadway with Portrait

[ B ] Photo Op: Peace, Love and Tears: Hair's Pond-Hopping Hippies Give Their Last Broadway Bow

[ P ] PHOTO CALL: Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers Plays Off-Broadway

[ TM ] PHOTO FLASH: UK Billy Elliot Boys Visit Prime Minister Gordon Brown

[ B ] A New Argentina! Evita Wins Vote for Most-Wanted Lloyd Webber Musical

[ TDF ] The Perfect Room for a "Behanding" By MARK BLANKENSHIP

Designer Scott Pask creates the look of "A Behanding in Spokane"

[ P ] PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Zoe Kazan

Zoe Kazan - star of the new Broadway play A Behanding in Spokane - fills out Playbill.com's questionnaire with random facts, backstage trivia and pop culture tidbits.

[ NYer ] Underhanded by Hilton Als

Martin McDonagh's slap in the face.

Posted by Tim Dunleavy at 1:26 PM | Item Link

[ NYT ] Five Questions About 'When the Rain Stops Falling' By ERIK PIEPENBURG

Andrew Bovell answers questions about Lincoln Center Theater's production of his play, which follows several generations of the same family from London to Australia.

[ B ] Videos: Enter the Mysterious World of When the Rain Stops Falling at Lincoln Center Theater

[ V ] When the Rain Stops Falling
Review by David Rooney

As intimate as it is apocalyptic, the epic drama is given searing lucidity in David Cromer's insightful production for Lincoln Center Theater.

[ TM ] When the Rain Stops Falling
Reviewed by: Dan Bacalzo

Andrew Bovell's poetic and disturbing new drama looks at the ties that both bind and unravel a family across four generations.

[ ND ] A flood of emotions in 'When the Rain Stops Falling' By LINDA WINER

A helpful family tree is diagrammed in the printed program of "When the Rain Stops Falling." But I hope nobody reads it until after Andrew Bovell's altogether extraordinary drama has been allowed to weave its own dark, apocalyptically human mysteries at Lincoln Center's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater.

[ YN ] 'Rain' expertly examines the question 'Who Am I?' By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic

If at first the play seems more murky than marvelous, don't give up. The clouds will lift, thanks to the superbly realized Lincoln Center Theater production, directed by David Cromer, and featuring a fine ensemble cast that includes Michael Siberry, Mary Beth Hurt and Victoria Clark.

[ NYP ] Cryptic tale not just another fish story by Elisabeth Vincentelli (***)

[ NYT ] Fish Soup and Bad Weather, Across the Decades By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

Andrew Bovell's "When the Rain Stops Falling" is a fitfully moving but diagrammatic play about the long legacy of unnatural acts.

[ TB ] When the Rain Stops Falling
Review by Matthew Murray

One must wonder, would his usual magic translate to a play whose intense difficultness propels it constantly toward mediocrity? Based on what Cromer does with When the Rain Stops Falling, the answer is an unequivocal yes.

[ BS ] When the Rain Stops Falling - Reviewed by DAVID SHEWARD

Contrived plotting mars this tale of multigenerational misery in an Anglo-Australian clan, but David Cromer's direction and a sterling ensemble keep it from being a total washout.

[ NJNR ] 'When the Rain Stops Falling' explores our missing links BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

"When the Rain Stops Falling" ultimately proves to be a terribly gloomy two hours with scant uplift aside from the poignant realization that fleeing one's past is a natural passage of life.

[ BN ] Slurping Soup, Shaking Umbrellas Make "Rain" Slog: John Simon (*)

[ P ] PHOTO CALL: Shaw's Candida at Irish Rep

[ OOB ] Candida - Review by Matt Windman

The Irish Repertory Theatre's thoroughly engaging and perfectly cast revival, as directed by Broadway set designer Tony Walton, is truly as good as it gets.

[ TE ] Candida at the Irish Rep - Reviewed by OSCAR E. MOORE

[ TB ] Candida
Review by Matthew Murray

She looks, sounds, and behaves exactly like what Candida must: a woman every man wants and that every woman wants to be. But, ultimately, she belongs to herself and will make her own choices. Walton's Candida would be better if every other character could marshal that same kind of theatrical independence.

[ V ] Candida
Review by Sam Thielman

Less general direction from helmer Tony Walton might have helped, but against recent revivals like the Pearl's "Misalliance," "Candida" feels like a minor curiosity.

[ CU ] Sweet Nothings

David Harrower's new translation of Arthur Schnitzler's 1895 play at the Old Vic

[ STAGE ] Sweet Nothings by Aleks Sierz

This feels like the most thrilling revival on the London stage.

[ FT ] Sweet Nothings, Young Vic, London
Review By Sarah Hemming (****)

[ TIMES ] Sweet Nothings at the Young Vic, SE1 by Benedict Nightingale (****)

Luc Bondy's handling of the first act is a masterclass in how to breathe life into a scene that takes far too long

[ G ] Sweet Nothings - Review by Michael Billington (****)

[ ES ] Poseur's progress in Sweet Nothings By Henry Hitchings (***)

[ WOS ] Sweet Nothings - Review by Michael Coveney

Sweet Nothings isn't a patch on the David Hare/Sam Mendes treatment of La Ronde as The Blue Room in 1998.

[ TB ] Defending The Caveman
Review by Matthew Murray

Becker's dividing the human race into hunters (men, who these days wield remote controls as their weapon of choice) and gatherers (women, now more of information than of nuts and berries) is still accurate, but seems a bit... tame? flat? hoary? Take your pick.

[ NYT ] Sometimes Brothers Can Be Too Protective of a Sister By JASON ZINOMAN

The Red Bull Theater's muddled production of John Webster's "Duchess of Malfi" appears in the process of being explored rather than already discovered.

[ V ] The Nose

"The Nose," makes its overdue Met debut in a dazzling production.

[ NYP ] Breath of fresh air by James Jorden

The Met's new production of "The Nose" should be a hit with everyone except headline writers.

[ NYT ] Oedipus Has iPhone (and Rage) By KEN JAWOROWSKI

In "Blind," the playwright Craig Wright has embarked on a modern retelling of the Oedipus story, but it's never clear why he's doing it.

[ BS ] Norma Doesmen - Reviewed by MARK PEIKERT

This infantile spoof of "Sunset Boulevard" aims for the lowest common denominator.

[ TE ] Norma Doesmen - Reviewed by OSCAR E. MOORE

Sexual jokes can only go so far to help a limp script in two acts of utter nonsense.

[ TM ] Neighbors
Reviewed by: Andy Propst

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' audacious new play explores racial stereotypes.

[ NYT ] Her Thoroughly Modern Music Inspired by Gospel and Opera By STEPHEN HOLDEN

Jeanine Tesori, as part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series, was the host of an autobiographical extravaganza at the Allen Room.

[ TE ] Mabou Mines' FINN at NYU - Reviewed by OSCAR E. MOORE

Some of the videos are quite vivid and interesting. The story isn't. It's complicated to the point of not caring.

[ TE ] Zero Hour - Reviewed by OSCAR E. MOORE

For those skeptics who do not believe in reincarnation, buy a ticket to see Mr. Brochu and you will instantly become a believer.

[ OOB ] The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) - Review by Matt Windman

[ G ] Hedda Gabler (****)

Adrian Noble's traditional revival pitches things just right in putting Rosamund Pike's magnificent Hedda centre-stage, writes Lyn Gardner

[ INQ ] The playwright turns actor in Act II's 'Any Given Monday' By Howard Shapiro

[ CU ] Private Lives

It's almost impossible to remember that this was written so long ago because the skill with which Coward draws the bickering and squabbling of a once married couple seems to stand for all time

[ TB ] Beauty of the Father, Doubt and Sutton Foster
San Francisco Reviews by Richard Connema

[ P ] Cutting Costs, Variety Pushes Out Theatre Critic and Editor David Rooney

The iceberg of serious, informed theatrical criticism lost another chunk March 8 when the entertainment trade paper Variety eliminated the job of chief theatre critic David Rooney.

[ LAT ] Obituary: Sandy Kenyon

[ IBDB ] Sandy Kenyon's Broadway Credits

[ TM ] Metropolitan Opera Star Philip Langridge Dies at 70

[ G ] David Giles obituary by Philip Purser

TV director whose work ranged from Shakespeare to soap opera

[ TM ] Roger Allam, Oliver Cotton, Jamie Parker, et al. Set for Shakespeare Globe's Henry IV

[ TM ] Jason Graae, Lesli Margherita, Perry Ojeda, et al. Set for Blank's See What I Wanna See

[ TM ] Michael Feinstein, Mitzi Gaynor, Elaine Stritch, Tovah Feldshuh, et al. to Be Honored at Bistro Awards Gala

[ P ] Stritch, Cumming, Callaway, Ebersole and More are Bistro Awards Winners

[ TM ] Harvey Fierstein, Liza Minnelli to Host Kennedy Center Gala

[ P ] Minnelli and Fierstein to Host Kennedy Center Gala Honoring Stevens

[ P ] Laurence Fishburne's Riff Raff to Receive U.K. Premiere at London's Arcola Theatre

[ P ] Jerry Seinfeld Live! to Benefit Reprise Theatre Company

[ TM ] Jason Alexander and Jerry Seinfeld Set for April 8 Reprise Benefit

[ LAT ] Jerry Seinfeld to do stand-up comedy benefit for Reprise Theatre Company

[ HC ] Mark Lamos To Direct New York City Opera Before "She Loves Me" By Frank Rizzo

[ INQ ] Inqlings: Temple play picked for D.C. By Michael Klein

[ BG ] North Shore Musical Theatre takes popular approach to comeback season By Geoff Edgers

[ TM ] North Shore Music Theatre Returns Under New Leadership, Announces 2010 Season

[ TM ] Karen Ziemba to Perform at Long Wharf's 2010 Gala

[ P ] Ziemba to Sing at Long Wharf Gala

[ P ] Humana Fest to Present Rude Mechs' The Method Gun

[ P ] Broadway Sessions Welcomes Yank! Star Moauro

[ P ] Brady and Mack to Appear in Gallery Players' The Crucible

[ TM ] Ben Vereen to Host Jazz at Lincoln Center's The Music of Fats Waller

[ P ] Markham, Murray and Frasier Join Improv Cast of LMAO

[ TM ] Gavin Creel, Bill C. Davis, et al. Set for Temperamentals Talkback on March 15

[ P ] Just a Piano Open Mic: A 2nd Benefit For Haiti to Feature Nixon, Williams, Floyd, Ellington

[ P ] Out of the Ensemble to Feature Kelso, Mansfield, Salvador, Stewart and Stowe

[ P ] Clements Will Usher in Salesman, Cabaret, Bovell, McGrath, Murray-Smith and More at Milwaukee Rep in 2010-11

[ TM ] Alan Rickman Set for April 27 BAM Artist Talk on Creditors

[ TM ] Anika Noni Rose to Headline A.C.T.'s Crystal Ball Gala

[ TM ] Sinead Cusack, Michael Gambon, Mark Rylance, Kevin Spacey, et al. Set for WE ARE ONE Benefit

[ P ] Bohmer, Kushnier, Clayton, Lewis and More Set for Concert of New Rock Musical The 12

[ TM ] Terrence Howard, Patrick Wilson Set for The Ledge Film

[ P ] Today In Theatre History: MARCH 9

[ P ] Steppenwolf's Buffalo, with Tracy Letts, Begins McCarter Run March 9

[ P ] Broadway's Hair Welcomes DeGarmo, Young, Riabko and Bayardelle March 9

[ P ] Altman's Sin Plays Baruch Performing Arts Center Starting March 9

[ P ] Stuart Thompson Receives CTI's Robert Whitehead Award March 9

[ P ] Mecca and Perlman Go 'Round The Rink March 9-21

[ P ] Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies Opens in London March 9

[ P ] Larson Grants, Honoring Lerman, Maté, Kooman and Dimond, Handed Out March 9

[ P ] Top Secret, Drama of the Pentagon Papers, Opens in NYC; Pine, Bryggman, Strauss and More Star

[ P ] Cast Album of Love Never Dies, the Phantom Followup, Gets March 9 Release

[ B ] Cheyenne Jackson Lands New ABC Pilot It Takes a Village

[ TM ] Christopher Fitzgerald, Judy Gold, Jessica Hecht, Campbell Scott, et al. Set for Williamstown Theatre Festival

[ TM ] Broadway's Fela! to Record Cast Album Today; Release Date Set for June 8

[ TM ] Red Bull Theater's The Duchess of Malfi Extends Through March 28

[ TM ] Jonathan Reynolds' Girls In Trouble Extends Through March 21 at The Flea Theater

[ TM ] Emily Padgett, Derek St. Pierre, Katie Webber to Join Broadway's Rock of Ages

[ B ] Emily Padgett to Replace Kerry Butler in Rock of Ages

[ TM ] Frank Wildhorn Musical Bonnie & Clyde to Play Asolo Rep in November; Season Announced

[ TM ] Sean Graney, Sarah Ruhl, Jessica Thebus, et al. Set for Court Theatre's 2010-2011 Season

[ TM ] Glenn Davis, Arian Moayed, Kevin Tighe, et al. Set for Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

[ TM ] Patti LuPone to Perform The Seven Deadly Sins with NYC Ballet, Lynne Taylor-Corbett Choreographs

[ TM ] Jacob Clemente to Play Title Role in Broadway's Billy Elliot

[ B ] Jacob Clemente Will Be Broadway's Newest Billy Elliot

[ TM ] Michael Arden, Christiane Noll, et al. to Join Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty at Lyrics & Lyricists Downtown

[ NYT ] A $15.2 Million Week for Broadway By PATRICK HEALY

[ V ] Broadway sales up slightly

After some tough winter months, Broadway sales picked up a bit last week, as they usually do around this time.

[ B ] Broadway Grosses: The View Remains Lovely During Pre-Spring B.O. Lull

[ P ] CHART TOPPERS: Top-Grossing Broadway Productions, Week of March 1-7

[ NYT ] Nan Martin, an Actress Known for Her Strong Roles, Dies at 82 By WILLIAM GRIMES

Ms. Martin was a veteran stage, television and film actress whose Broadway credits include "J.B." and "Under the Yum-Yum Tree" and who played Ali McGraw's snooty mother in the film "Goodbye, Columbus."

[ TM ] 82nd Annual Academy Awards Are Presented

[ P ] "The Hurt Locker" Takes Top Honors at 82nd Academy Awards

[ P ] From Stage to Screens, "Hurt Locker" Stars Are in Oscar Spotlight

[ P ] Neil Patrick Harris Sings on Academy Awards (video)

Posted by Tim Dunleavy at 12:55 PM | Item Link

[ TONY ] David Rooney Is Out at Variety

The critical bloodletting continues with the news today that the once-respectable trade publication Variety has let go two of its most prominent critics: theater reviewer David Rooney and film reviewer Todd McCarthy.

I'm truly shocked by this. I don't know him quite as well as I wish I did, but from the interactions I've had with David Rooney, he's seemed like a very thoughtful, helpful, and genuine human being. And I always enjoyed reading the things He had to say. I just saw him at Next Fall this past weekend, as well. I feel terrible that this has happened to him, and I hope he gets back on his feet soon. What this means for Variety's other freelance writers (Sam Thielman and Marilyn Stasio) I have no idea, but it is a tremendous loss any time a major publication loses its primary authorative voice, especially one that writes about a theatre, where those qualities aren't just nice to have—they're essential.

Posted by Matthew Murray at 8:05 PM | Item Link

[ STARS ] Thinking About Yank!, by Michael Portantiere

Notes on the Brokeback Mountain of musicals. Plus: The Finian's Rainbow revival lives on via CD.

Posted by Matthew Murray at 8:04 PM | Item Link

[ P ] Broadway Grosses: March 1-7

Not a single show at or over 100% for the week. Wow.

[ P ] Paice, Luker, Dvorsky and Petkoff Set for Enchanted April Musical Reading

[ P ] Butler and Lenk to Depart Rock of Ages; Padgett, St. Pierre and Webber in the Wings

[ P ] LuPone to Sing Seven Deadly Sins for New York City Ballet

[ P ] Cast Announced for David Ives' "Translaptation" of Corneille's The Liar in DC

[ P ] Wildhorn's Bonnie & Clyde Musical Will Play Florida Before Broadway; Asolo Announces Season

[ P ] Clemente Will Be Billy Elliot's Newest Title Player

[ P ] Dallas Theater Center Stages LaBute's Beauty Plays Trilogy

[ P ] Arden, Darrington, Lewis-Evans and Noll Set for 92YTribeca's Ahrens and Flaherty Event

Posted by Matthew Murray at 7:54 PM | Item Link

[ P ] When the Rain Stops Falling, with Clark, Hurt, Topol, and Blumberg, Opens Off-Broadway

[ P ] Grossman, Hall, and Poole Will Workshop Christmas Memory in Dayton

[ P ] Gershwin's Porgy and Bess Will Get Fresh Staging at Chicago's Court Theatre; Season Announced

[ P ] Girls in Trouble, Controversial Play About Abortion, Gets Extra Week; Talkbacks Announced

[ P ] Hammond Will Be Dr. Knock for the Mint Off-Broadway

[ P ] Bengal Tiger Will Return to L.A., But in a Bigger Cage—Mark Taper Forum

[ P ] Webster's The Duchess of Malfi Extends Off-Broadway Run

[ P ] Fela! Company Records Cast Album March 8; CD Due in June

[ P ] Williamstown Season to Feature Works by Sondheim, Wilder, Herzog, Gold, and Smart

[ P ] Brokaw Directs Premiere of Award-Winning Language Archive in CA; Cast Announced

[ P ] Lucie Arnaz Has Full Plate With New CD, Ballroom Reading, and CD Signing

[ P ] 9 to 5, Guys and Dolls, Next to Normal, and Christmas Story: The Musical to Play 5th Avenue Theatre

[ P ] London's Olivier Awards to Be Broadcast Live on BBC Radio 2, Plus Webcast

[ P ] Cheyenne Jackson Lands Role in ABC Pilot

[ P ] Anthony Rapp to Direct Benefit Reading of New Musical Born Blue

[ P ] North Shore Music Theatre to Relaunch with Gypsy; Season Announced

[ P ] Photo Call

British Billys Meet Prime Minister

[ P ] Photo Call

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

News:

Features:

"Love Never Dies" - Features:

"Love Never Dies" - Reviews:

This Morning's Peter Filichia:

Features:

Kander and Ebb:

"Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers":

"The Nose":

"When the Rain Stops Falling":

Other Reviews:

News:

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Features:

"A Behanding in Spokane":

"When the Rain Stops Falling":

"Candida":

"Sweet Nothings":

Other Reviews:

News:

The Academy Awards:

Monday, March 8, 2010

Some more news:

And a few extra photo features:

This morning's Peter Filichia:

This morning's news:

This morning's reviews of Candida:

This morning's reviews of Zero Hour:

This morning's reviews of A Life in Three Acts:

This morning's reviews of Neighbors

This morning's other reviews: