Saturday, October 05, 2002

News:

[ BSUN ]  Apparent deal lets the show go on
A tentative contract was reached at 7:30 p.m. between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Clear Channel Entertainment, which manages the Mechanic. That let the show go on, albeit about a half-hour late, with minimal costume changes.

[ INQ ]  Freedom Theater is back in business by Douglas J. Keating
Phila.'s top black performing arts institution still faces money concerns. It plans classes and shows.

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Reviews Are In: Irwin, Field Get Albee's Goat

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: The Proof Is in The Goat

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Tony and Tune at The Goat

[ P ]  Museum of TV & Radio Offers Two Versions of Billy Budd in October

[ P ]  It Ain't Hamlet, But Spider-Man Tour Has an Equity Cast, Ready to Spin Oct. 9

[ P ]  "Queer as Folk" Writer Jonathan Tolins to Unveil Latest Play in 2003

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Emily Skinner Finds a Butter and Egg Man

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Lehman's Cigar Salutes The Butter and Egg Man

[ P ]  After Marty, Will Strouse and Adams' American Tragedy Musical Land?

[ P ]  South Coast Rep Dedicates New Theatre Center Oct. 5

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: OCTOBER 5

[ TM ]  Trent Armand Kendall of Into the Woods to Perform at The Cutting Room on November 7

Features:

[ DN ]  Bloom with a view by HUGH SON
David Henry Hwang rewrites 'Flower Drum Song' in new image

[ TM ]  Tunes and Tomes
Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon takes a bite out of musical theater, with spooktacular results.

[ BS ]  'Baby Jane' Musical Debuts in Texas

[ LAT ]  Within A Noise Within by DON SHIRLEY
As three productions are mounted simultaneously, running the classical theater company is no easy task.

[ LAT ]  O.C. Dramatists' Napkin Jotting Becomes Proud Premiere Tonight by MIKE ANTON
Today, as the curtain rises on a $19-million, 38,000-square-foot expansion of South Coast Repertory's Costa Mesa home, the acclaimed theater's founders are living proof that being successful in the business of art requires mastering the art of business.

[ B ]  Photo Op: A New Old Lady Off-B'way

[ B ]  Photo Op: Sally Field and Bill Irwin's Opening Night in The Goat

[ B ]  Photo Op: Opening Night of The World Over

[ B ]  Photo Op: The IT Girl Album Release Bash

[ BS ]  Plays for Living: Drama Interactive by Tom Penketh
In its 60th year and boasting a list of past performers that includes Katharine Hepburn, Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn, PFL stages interactive 30-minute dramas that attempt to engage the audience on issues that directly affect their lives.

[ BS ]  The A.R.T. of TRU Cooperation by Mark Dundas Wood
OOB Theatre Companies Discuss Sharing Resources and Strategies

Reviews:

[ TB ]  Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Review by Jonathan Frank

[ BG ]  Molina's 'Bram' lacks magic by Matthew Gilbert
Somebody in Hollywood is absolutely convinced that Alfred Molina should be a sitcom star. That same somebody is probably the whiz-brain who once cast Debra Messing as Mary Magdalene, and who is probably harboring a great wish to make Julia Louis-Dreyfus into Mother Teresa.

[ LAT ]  Bollywood Meets Lloyd Webber by DARYL H. MILLER
The canny composer's production of 'Bombay Dreams' is the pick of the latest litter of musical theater CDs.
posted at 10/5/2002 09:17:59 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Friday, October 04, 2002

News:

[ P ]  Tim Robbins, Adam Smith Pen Freak-Filled Alagazam for L.A.'s Actors Gang Oct. 11

[ P ]  42nd Street Tour Troupe Cancels Oct. 4-6 Perfs in MD, Citing Danger and Local Strike

[ P ]  PBOL'S THEATRE WEEK IN REVIEW, Sept. 28-Oct. 4: The End of the Play

[ P ]  Arsenic Heads to London's Savoy with 'Seinfeld' Star Richards

[ B ]  Spalding Gray's Black Spot Canceled at P.S. 122

Reviews:

[ TM ]  My Old Lady Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ TB ]  The Exonerated and The Guys Los Angeles Reviews by Sharon Perlmutter

Features:

[ B ]  Photo Op: The Butter and Egg Man's Opening Night

[ TM ]  A Milestone for Young Playwrights Inc. by: Leslie (Hoban) Blake
The program that Stephen Sondheim wrought 21 years ago is going stronger than ever.

[ TM ]  Cabaret Notes
Marnie Baumer is wonderfully animated in her new show at Don't Tell Mama.

[ YN ]  Carol Channing writes memoirs with just a little bit of luck by BOB THOMAS, Associated Press

Thanks to American Theater Web for the following features!

[ OCR ]  It's solid gold for Musical Theatre West by ERIC MARCHESE
The venerated troupe will throw a gala at the Carpenter Center with star-studded highlights of its first 50 years.

[ PTR ]  A star still shines by Alice T. Carter
At age 54, Bernadette Peters is in the prime of her life.
posted at 10/4/2002 05:35:46 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ B ]  Multiple Salomes by Ken Mandelbaum
Kate Burton has been mentioned for the role of Charlotte in New York City Opera's revival of A Little Night Music.

[ B ]  Lloyd Richards Honored with 2002-2003 Gish Prize

[ P ]  DIVA TALK: Les Miz Thoughts, Andreas on CD, Channing's Tome & MORE!

[ P ]  Spalding Gray's Black Spot Canceled as Monologuist Enters Hospital

[ P ]  The Road to Oz Leads to the Imperial; Musical to Open Oct. 16, 2003

[ NYT ]  Corrections
An article in The Arts yesterday about the announcement of a closing date of March 15, 2003, for the long-running musical "Les Misérables" misstated the period in which it is set.

Features:

[ NYT ]  BOLDFACE NAMES
Shirley MacLaine visits "Hairspray" (second item).
Thanks to Drum1870 on All That Chat for the link!
posted at 10/4/2002 01:29:14 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ NYP ]  PAGE SIX
MASTER monologist Spalding Gray checked into a Manhattan mental hospital for depression this week after he tried to jump off a bridge in the Hamptons.

[ NYT ]  ON STAGE AND OFF
A $115 Ticket Off Broadway by JESSE MCKINLEY
The National Actors Theater will charge $65 a ticket and a mandatory $50 membership fee for their all-star production of Bertolt Brecht's "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui."

[ NYP ]  STILL FLYING HIGH by MICHAEL RIEDEL
NOW that "Les Miserables" is closing, "The Phantom of the Opera" is the last of the British mega-musicals left on Broadway.

[ NYT ]  Bruce Paltrow, Producer and Director of 'St. Elsewhere,' Dies at 58 by RICK LYMAN
Bruce Paltrow was a producer and director who strove to incorporate social themes into his television series, most notably "The White Shadow'' and "St. Elsewhere."

[ B ]  Jackman in The Boy From Oz Set for Imperial

[ B ]  A-List Talent on Board for New Reading Series

[ B ]  Starry Salome Set for St. Anne's Warehouse

[ B ]  Additional Cast Invited to Dinner at Eight

[ B ]  Abigail's Party Transfers to the West End

[ P ]  To Russian with Love: Kander and Ebb's Chicago Debuts on Russian Stage Oct. 4

[ P ]  Rudnick's Latest, Valhalla, to Get Workshop at NYTW

[ P ]  Bruce Paltrow, TV Director-Producer, Husband of Blythe Danner, Dead at 58

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Seussical On Tour: The Cat(hy) in the Hat

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Seussical On Tour: Horton Loves a Bird

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Seussical On Tour: All the Whos Down in Whoville

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Seussical On Tour: Bang the Hat Slowly

[ P ]  PLAYBILL ARCHIVES: Les Misérables — 1987

[ P ]  Tickets Still Available for Oct. 21 Sondheim Bash; Some Songs Announced

[ P ]  Houston's Alley Views Frame 312 in JFK Conspiracy Drama Oct. 25-Nov. 24

[ P ]  Feeling Electric, Butz and Larsen Sing Electro-Shock Therapy Musical Oct. 7

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Glenn Close's A Streetcar Named Desire: Stella and Blanche

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Glenn Close's A Streetcar Named Desire: Blanche and Stanley

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: OCTOBER 4

[ CST ]  Top Siddons awards go to Rivera, Fry

[ NJ ]  New home for Luna stage BY PETER FILICHIA
Turning an old, 10,000-square-foot public service building in Montclair into a couple of theaters for Luna Stage wasn't easy.

[ NJ ]  George Street loses managing director BY PEGGY McGLONE
George Street Playhouse managing director Michael Stotts is leaving the New Brunswick theater to assume the same position at the nationally-known Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Conn.

[ NJ ]  African Globe benefit in Newark

Reviews – "My Old Lady":

[ NYP ]  3 GREAT PERFORMANCES SAVE 'OLD' PLOT by DONALD LYONS
'MY Old Lady" is a nice, old-fashioned play with juicy parts for its three stars and a plot that doesn't make sense but at least doesn't interfere with the acting.

[ ND ]  She Still Has Paris by Gordon Cox
Three solid performances help 'My Old Lady' live on

[ DN ]  War on the home front by Howard Kissel
Israel Horovitz's captivating new play, "My Old Lady," is based on a curious French law.

[ NJ ]  Splendid staging cloaks empty drama BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

[ B ]  My Old Lady Review by Adam Feldman

Reviews – "Medea":

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'MEDEA'
An Ancient Tragedy Fit for the World of Today by BEN BRANTLEY
Fiona Shaw brilliantly portrays Greek tragedy's most vengeful woman in the Abbey Theater's thrilling production set in the dawning years of the 21st century.

[ ND ]  As It Should Be, a ‘Medea’ as Grisly as the News by Linda Winer

[ NYP ]  ATHENIAN TRAGEDY IMPORTED IN SEXY SPLENDOR by DONALD LYONS
SEX! Jealousy! Murder! Dark glasses! Swimming pools! Euripides' "Medea" has never looked so smoldering, so wired, so raw as in the Brooklyn Academy of Music production director Deborah Warner has just brought from Dublin's Abbey Theatre.

Other Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE BUTTER AND EGG MAN'
George S. Kaufman's Jet-Paced Solo Flight by BRUCE WEBER
This fond and giddy sendup of the theater business that landed on Broadway in 1925 has been valiantly resurrected by the Atlantic Theater Company.

[ TM ]  The Butter and Egg Man Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ NYT ]  CABARET REVIEW | 'HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD'
Those Great Movie Songs by STEPHEN HOLDEN
Richard Whiting and Johnny Mercer's barbed ode to Tinseltown captures the loony magnetism of the place with an acute sense of the absurd.

[ USA ]  'Bram and Alice': Get me rewrite! by Robert Bianco
In wasted support, Bram squanders the talents of two Broadway stars: Roger Bart of The Producers and Katie Finneran, whose Tony-winning turn in Noises Off was one of the funniest twists on a dumb ingénue I have ever seen.

[ NYP ]  DAD LUSTS FOR DAUGHTER. VERY FUNNY by LINDA STASI
THE whole idea of "Bram And Alice" sounded so smarmy I knew I'd hate it. Since I'm not - repeat not - Miss Cleo, I was wrong.
It is not smarmy and it is funny.

Features:

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary: Stop and Remember Stop the World
In 1962, a ''new-style musical'' from London by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse became a surprise hit on Broadway

[ BS ]  Off-Broadway Bounces Back
The terrorist attack of Sept. 11 had a devastating effect on all New York theatre, but particularly on Off-Broadway and especially those below 14th Street. Since that time, the scene has brightened.
posted at 10/4/2002 08:31:55 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Thursday, October 03, 2002

News:

[ P ]  Tuesdays with Morrie to Begin Previews Off-Broadway Nov. 1

[ P ]  Claudia Shear Adaptation of Coward Musical Sail Away to Get Reading at NYTW

[ P ]  Skinner and Jennings Invited for Dinner at Eight at LCT

[ HC ]  Out With The Old, In With The New At Long Wharf by FRANK RIZZO
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

Features:

[ B ]  Photo Op: Merrily We Roll Along Original Cast Reunion Concert

[ B ]  Photo Op: Liza's Back with a B!

[ PPG ]  On Stage: 'Producers' stars say show was hard fun by Christopher Rawson
It's time to bid farewell to the stars of "The Producers," Lewis J. Stadlen (Max) and Don Stephenson (Leo), based on brief chats as they were leaving after entertaining Pittsburgh for three weeks in the national premiere of the road company.
But first, some "Producers" trivia to add to the flap about that disappearing/reappearing f-word.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

Reviews:

[ BSUN ]  Cast proves the show must go on by J. Wynn Rousuck
Part of the thrill of live theater is that it's a little different each night. But Tuesday's opening performance of 42nd Street at the Mechanic Theatre differed more than most.
No one who attended that performance is likely to forget it - and not just because of the crackerjack, show-must-go-on spirit of the cast.
posted at 10/3/2002 05:40:04 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ YN ]  TV, Movie Producer Bruce Paltrow Dies by TOM RACHMAN
ROME (AP) - Bruce Paltrow, producer and director of "St. Elsewhere" and patriarch of a show business family that includes Oscar-winning daughter Gwyneth Paltrow, has died in Italy. He was 58.
Last year I was standing at the Belasco Theatre's bar during intermission at "Follies" when I saw Mr. Paltrow standing next to me. I decided to thank him for his brilliant work on "St. Elsewhere," my favorite TV drama ever -- but I didn't have the guts. Another of my great regrets...

[ P ]  Casting Complete for Paper Mill Annie; Perfs. Begin Oct. 30

[ P ]  Hwang Honored at Oct. 24 Concert Celebrating Asian Artists; Almedilla, Brown, Rapp Perform

[ B ]  Bogart & Menzel Enter the Spotlight October 7

Reviews:

[ TB ]  Three Comedies at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Reviews by Richard Connema
posted at 10/3/2002 03:35:49 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ P ]  Stroman's Contact Dances Into London's Queen's Theatre

[ P ]  Abigail to 'Party' at London's New Ambassador's Theatre

[ P ]  Nothin' Like a Dame: Maggie Smith and Judi Dench Open in West End Breath of Life Oct. 3

[ P ]  Al Pacino Goes From Ui to Salome and Oedipus

[ P ]  Kushner, Tesori and Wolfe's Caroline Musical Gets Workshop Starting Oct. 14

[ P ]  Liev Schreiber Joins Sigourney Weaver in Neil LaBute's Mercy Seat at MCC, Nov. 26-Jan. 12

[ P ]  Karen Ziemba to Reprise Her Hartford Beatrice at D.C. Theatre

[ P ]  Adam Pascal to Leave Aida June 2003

[ P ]  Paper Doll Now Eyeing Spring 2003 Broadway Bow; Drescher Out

[ B ]  Liev Schreiber to Star in LaBute's Mercy Seat

Reviews:

[ B ]  CDs: Audra and Mandy by Ken Mandelbaum
posted at 10/3/2002 12:34:25 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ YN ]  Pacino Unveils 'Salome' by Robert Hofler
Al Pacino is on a theater roll in Gotham.

[ V ]  SCHREIBER TAKES 'SEAT' FOR LABUTE
Liev Schreiber will join Sigourney Weaver in Neil LaBute's new play "The Mercy Seat."

[ NYT ]  'Les Misérables' to Close in March by JESSE McKINLEY
After 16 years of barricade storming and anthem humming, "Les Misérables" will close next March.

[ NYP ]  LES FINI by MICHAEL RIEDEL
'LES Miserables" - the second-longest-running show in Broadway history - will play its final performance March 15, 2003, its producer Cameron Mackintosh said yesterday.

[ TM ]  Sternhagen, Seldes, et al. to Appear in Staged Reading of A Place at Forest Lawn by Luke Yankee

[ ND ]  PLAY BY PLAY
A New Kind of Ticket May Be Heading to B'way by GORDON COX

[ NJ ]  Double booking for Patinkin by Peter Filichia
If it's Saturday, it must be Sondheim in Princeton.

[ P ]  Theatre Celebrities Appear at Barnes and Noble Books Signings in September and October

[ P ]  My Old Lady Opens at the Promenade Oct. 3

[ P ]  The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui With Al Pacino Opens Oct. 3

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: They're 'It' Girls!

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Cast Travels The World Over for Opening

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: A Man of No Importance: Alfie Byrne Is a Man of No Importance

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: A Man of No Importance: 'The Streets of Dublin'

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: A Man of No Importance: Alfie and Oscar

[ P ]  Zimmerman and Glass Guest on Special "Theater Talk" Broadcast Oct. 5

[ P ]  Mamma Mia! Celebrates Five Milestones in October

[ P ]  L.A Theatre Works Reads Galati's Grapes of Wrath With Cromwell Oct. 16-20

[ P ]  Think Pink: Songwriter Roger Edens Heard in Return of NYC Cabaret Show, Oct. 7

[ P ]  Chicago Casting Directors Offer Casting Master Class, Oct. 26 & Nov. 17

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: OCTOBER 3

Reviews – "The Butter and Egg Man":

[ DN ]  A Jazz Age riff by Kaufman still produces laughs by ROBERT DOMINGUEZ
Despite stock characters, archaic slang and smart-alecky humor better suited to Jazz Age sensibilities, the sell-by date has yet to expire on "The Butter and Egg Man," George S. Kaufman's 1925 comedy about a Midwestern rube yearning to become a Broadway producer.

[ NYP ]  KAUFMAN WELL EGGS-ECUTED by DONALD LYONS

[ ND ]  'Butter and Egg Man' No Longer Delivers by Linda Winer

[ NJ ]  'Butter and Egg' slips on staging BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

[ B ]  The Butter and Egg Man Review by William Stevenson

Other Reviews:

[ LAT ]  CABARET REVIEW
Polly Bergen Pours Voice, Heart Into Songs by DAVID C. NICHOLS
The stage veteran's magnificent cabaret turn is galvanized by humor and a palpable love of performance.

[ ND ]  Buried in Muddle by Gordon Cox
Beckett revival has humor but lacks power

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'OUR LADY OF 121ST STREET'
Throwing a Hissy Fit to Ease the Pain by BRUCE WEBER
In Stephen Adly Guirgis's scorching comedy, the writing and acting are generally so good that you almost don't notice that the dramatic premise is of the hoariest stripe: it's a reunion.

[ NYT ]  OPERA REVIEW | 'GALILEO GALILEI'
A Heretical Astronomer Rethinking His Revolution by ALLAN KOZINN
Philip Glass's 18th opera, which is notably fresher than his last few operas, presents Galileo's story in reverse chronology; it is the operatic equivalent of the film "Memento."

Features:

[ HC ]  Is ShowMusic Magazine About To Lose Its Voice? by Frank Rizzo
Thanks to ElleWhy on All That Chat for the link!

[ TB ]  What's New on the Rialto? Interview with Sherie Rene Scott by Jonathan Frank
posted at 10/3/2002 07:52:39 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Wednesday, October 02, 2002

News:

[ B ]  Les Miserables to Close on B'way After 16 Years
Broadway's second longest-running show in history, Les Miserables, will vacate the Imperial Theatre on March 15, 2003. The acclaimed production, directed by John Caird and Trevor Nunn, will have played 6,612 Broadway performances.

[ B ]  Broadway Grosses: Here's to You, Ms. Turner

[ B ]  Final Casting for CSC's Ghosts Announced

[ P ]  Bulletin: Broadway's Les Miz Closing March 15, 2003

[ P ]  Bryggman, Kelly Join Irving in Classic Stage's Ghosts Oct. 31-Dec. 8

Reviews:

[ TM ]  It's Better With a Band Reviewed By: Michael Portantiere
It's almost enough to make you want to move to Philadelphia.
Watch it, bucko...
I saw this show on Saturday night, and it's excellent, even if it is overpriced for a show that's only 80 minutes long. The songs from the upcoming Zippel/Menken musical "Buzz" are particularly noteworthy. This show has been extended through Sunday, so see it if you can.
posted at 10/2/2002 05:39:31 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ B ]  Emily Skinner Joins the Table for Dinner at Eight

[ B ]  Barrowman and Triplett Star in Anything Goes

[ P ]  Home Fires Still Burning Inside, Ricky Ian Gordon Pens Musical About His Family

[ P ]  The Fourth Season Begins at the Vineyard Oct. 31 With Hecht, Hinkle

[ P ]  Perrineau, Ivanek, Fitzgerald Star in Atlantic's Blue/Orange, Nov. 6

[ P ]  Carol Channing Autobiography Due in Stores Oct. 15; Book Signings Scheduled

[ P ]  Jacques Steinberg to Be New Times Theatre Columnist
posted at 10/2/2002 04:19:27 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ P ]  We Will Rock You Extends Engagement at U.K.'s Dominion Theatre

[ P ]  Grease Slides Into London's Victoria Palace Oct. 2

[ P ]  Award-winning Ricky Gervais On West End Stage in Jan. 2003

[ P ]  Rory Bremner Opens at London's Albery Oct. 2

[ P ]  Fans Invited to Chicago Taping on Oct. 3; CBS Broadcast Date is Oct. 4

[ P ]  Ripley, Callaway, Barrowman and Raines Headline Bway Showstoppers Concert

[ P ]  Divas Line Up for 12th Annual "Divas . . . Simply Singing!" Concert, Oct. 26

[ P ]  Billy Porter Featured in Premiere Comedy Going Native at CT's Long Wharf Oct. 23-Nov. 24

Features:

[ B ]  Merrily Memories by Ken Mandelbaum

Reviews:

[ TM ]  Our Lady of 121st Street Reviewed By: Dan Bacalzo
posted at 10/2/2002 01:07:43 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

News:

[ NYP ]  GIDGET GOOSES 'GOAT' by MICHAEL RIEDEL
THEY like her. They really like her. Sally Field must have had fun reading the papers Monday morning, the day after she made her Broadway debut in Edward Albee's "The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?"

[ NYP ]  LIZ SMITH
"Imaginary Friends."

[ ND ]  Arts Center Plan Eyes for Chinatown by Curtis L. Taylor

[ P ]  Move Aside Urinetown: Side Show Creator Presents POOP: The Musical, Oct. 10

[ P ]  Atlantic Serves Up Butter and Egg Oct. 2, as Kaufman Comedy Opens

[ P ]  Redgrave General From America Completes Casting for Oct. 11 Houston Bow

[ P ]  "Liza & David" to Premiere on VH1 November 30

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Jazz Hands: Jolson Takes His Bow

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Jolson & Company

[ P ]  Broadway Walk of Stars Launches Oct. 10 with Honoree Carol Channing

[ P ]  New Season of "Working in the Theatre" Seminars Offers "Theatre at Its Best"

[ P ]  Thoroughly Modern Millie Stars Take Part in Tree of Life Gala Nov. 11

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: OCTOBER 2

Features:

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
Filichia is moved and exhilarated by the original cast reunion concert of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along.

[ P ]  PLAYBILL ON-LINE'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER with David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang, best known as the Tony-winning playwright of M. Butterfly, is no stranger to musicals, having contributed to the book of Aida. But for his latest musical project, Flower Drum Song, his heart is more deeply invested.

[ BH ]  Tapping into 'da funk: Dance sensation Savion Glover revels in making new `Noise' by Robert Nesti

[ PEOPLE ]  WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Broadway star, R&B queen has new album, baby
Late-night feedings and diaper changes aren't exactly the stuff that normally inspires a career, but Stephanie Mills would tell you differently.
See her at Seth's Chatterbox Thursday night!

[ CBS ]  Top Ten Ways The World Would Be Different If Barbra Streisand Were President

Reviews – "Evolution":

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'EVOLUTION'
Satirizing the Hollywood Way of Art by BRUCE WEBER
Jonathan Marc Sherman's attempt to spin a darkly comic decline-of-civilization parable alternately feels pretentious and tired.

[ DN ]  Vidiot's delight: A tale of the tube by ROBERT DOMINGUEZ
Taking potshots at television for being a creative wasteland can make for all too easy, and hardly original, satire. Yet "Evolution," a fast-paced, sharply written morality tale by Jonathan Marc Sherman, puts a fresh, funny spin on the subject.

Reviews – "The World Over":

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE WORLD OVER'
Danger in a Fairy Tale Taken Seriously by BEN BRANTLEY
An earnestly whimsical new play by Keith Bunin about a man whose whole life is destroyed by a nursery story.

[ NYP ]  PASS OVER 'WORLD' by DONALD LYONS
FABLES, when dramatized, need something extra. On stage, "Candide" and "Once Upon a Mattress" had satire, comedy and music.

[ DN ]  A stranger in strange lands by HOWARD KISSEL
Keith Bunin's "The World Over" could not be more of a contrast to last year's "The Credeaux Canvas," his play about the ethical dilemmas of being an artist.

[ ND ]  A Story Gleefully All Over the Map by Gordon Cox
The majority of contemporary playwriting can leave some theatergoers (including this one) starving for narrative, so it's refreshing, with "The World Over," to come across a new play that's plainly interested in telling a good story.

[ B ]  The World Over Review by Adam Feldman

Other Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE DARK KALAMAZOO'
A Foreigner Even Where Her Roots Are Buried by NEIL GENZLINGER
Oni Faida Lampley covers a lot of ground, in several senses, in "The Dark Kalamazoo," a one-woman show that is something like watching your in-laws' vacation videos.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'HAPPY DAYS'
Beckett's Earthy Idea of Optimism by BEN BRANTLEY
There is an undeniable thrill in seeing the pile of earth in which the chatty heroine of "Happy Days" is imprisoned rebuilt on the stage where it was first seen 41 years ago.

[ USA ]  'Burn This' can't quite ignite an emotional spark by Elysa Gardner

[ USA ]  'Little Ham' means well, but it's not well done by Elysa Gardner

[ TB ]  The Emissary Los Angeles Review by Sharon Perlmutter
posted at 10/2/2002 08:51:28 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Tuesday, October 01, 2002

News:

[ B ]  King Hedley II Readies for UK Premiere

[ B ]  Goranson and Hinkle Join The Fourth Sister

[ B ]  Arturo Ui Extends Downtown; Considers Move

[ B ]  Cast Set for Blue/Orange at the Atlantic

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Merrily We Roll Along: Old Friends Bow

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Merrily We Roll Along: Jason Alexander Speaks

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Merrily We Roll Along: Reunited Sondheim and Prince

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Merrily We Roll Along: Price and Producer

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Merrily We Roll Along: (Another) Price and Walton

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Merrily We Roll Along: The Other Merrily!

[ P ]  "Sopranos" Star Sigler Joins Beauty and the Beast Cast Oct. 1

[ P ]  Boy George Returns to West End Taboo in November

[ TM ]  Memorial for Betsy Friday, Performer Turned Producer, to be Held on October 3

Features:

[ BSUN ]  Pure Broadway by J. Wynn Rousuck
Mark Bramble's experience as co-author of '42nd Street' reads like a story for the stage. This week, it comes full circle.

[ TM ]  Follow Spot
Dudu Fisher, a former Jean Valjean, returns to NYC in a new one-man show.

[ TM ]  Cabaret Notes
Songwriters Goldrich & Heisler celebrate the comedy of love at Don't Tell Mama.

[ BR ]  Distinguished playwright has a return engagement by ROBERT FELDBERG
Israel Horovitz has been a constant presence in New York theater.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

Reviews:

[ NJ ]  Novel idea devolves into clichéd muck by MICHAEL SOMMERS
"Evolution."

[ ND ]  'Evolution' Proves Survival of a Prodigy by Linda Winer
With gleeful abandon, a playwright delves into trash history

[ ND ]  A Magic 'Junebug' by Sylviane Gold
Symphony is a circus of the imagination

[ TNY ]  HAM, INTERRUPTED by HILTON ALS
Langston Hughes—the musical.

[ VV ]  TWICE-TOLD TALES by Michael Feingold
The World Over by Keith Bunin; Happy Days by Samuel Beckett; The Goat by Edward Albee

[ VV ]  ONWARD CHRISTIAN SPECIAL FORCES by Tom Sellar
Trueblinka by Adam Rapp

[ TB ]  Sound Advice, 10/1/02 by Jonathan Frank
posted at 10/1/2002 05:43:24 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Hey buddy, can you spare a dime?
It seem that hard times on Lafayette Street have led to austere financial decisions. Does anyone know The Public's policy on outside employment? One rumor is that long time employees are being told that if they take work outside of The Public to subsidize their slashed salaries, then they need to DEDUCT those earnings from their Public Theater pay check. Is this true? If so, does it apply to everyone at The Public? Hmmm....

On another note, I think that Broadway should capitalize on the new New York City Parking Violations fines. A parking ticket will now cost you $105. This leaves Broadway open to a marketing opportunity: "Go to a Broadway show where the tickets are less expensive than a parking ticket..."

Naah... It probably woul