All stories by Peter Filichia on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

NJ Stage: Theater returns to Montclair by Peter Filichia

Apricot Sky Productions will return professional theater to Grove Street in April.

SOURCE: NJ.com at 08:00AM
Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Nothing 'Fishy' about this one-man show by Peter Filichia

Earthy stories are at core of play’s appeal

SOURCE: NJ.com at 06:33PM
Monday, February 20, 2012

The First Hit Broadway Musical from a Movie by Peter Filichia

By Peter Filichia -- These days, we often hear people complain that too many Broadway musicals are made from motion pictures. Actually, the start of that trend can be traced backed to 1953…

SOURCE: Masterworks Broadway at 11:53PM
Friday, February 17, 2012

The Addams Family on Tour: Where Did They Go Right? by Peter Filichia

My hat is off to Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice, Andrew Lippa and Jerry Zaks. When their production of The Addams Family received mediocre reviews and failed to get a Best Musical Tony nomina…

SOURCE: Kritzerland at 01:39PM

PIPPIN Still Has Some Magic to Do by Peter Filichia

Here at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, a word has been changed in the opening number of PIPPIN. Originally in 1972, when the show’s emcee – called The Leading Player – sang �…

SOURCE: Music Theatre International at 10:38AM

New ‘Reparation’ puts a provocative twist on that old question by Peter Filichia

How about renaming Washington state — or even Washington, D.C.? That’s a question that playwright Gino DiIorio has been asking since he started work on his new play, “Reparation.” Th…

SOURCE: NJ.com at 06:15AM
Wednesday, February 15, 2012

NJ Stage bits: Richard Dreyfuss heads to Union by Peter Filichia

Peter Filichia lets us know what's happening on New Jersey stage

SOURCE: NJ.com at 06:45AM
Monday, February 13, 2012

My Funny Valentine’s Day Song by Peter Filichia

By Peter Filichia -- Many of us spent last week looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day cards to give to our beloveds. Some of us bought cards with puffy embossed hearts in the middle…

SOURCE: Masterworks Broadway at 11:59PM
Friday, February 10, 2012

FILICHIA’s FEATURES – John Kander: From “Family” to “Scottsboro” by Peter Filichia

When I met with John Kander on January 29, I didn’t expect him to know the answer to the question I was about to ask. But I put it to him anyway. “Do you know what you were doing 50 year…

SOURCE: Music Theatre International at 12:54PM

Merrily We Roll Along: Yesterday Is Gone by Peter Filichia

There's incredible buzz in the packed City Center until the house lights dim. How quiet the chamber is! What anticipation there is here!

SOURCE: Kritzerland at 08:51AM
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

NJ Stage bits: Something ‘Fishy’ by Peter Filichia

“I like to think of myself as Garrison Keillor of the blues,” says Guy Davis. As a result, Davis has put together a show that tells a great deal about that musical art form in the early-…

SOURCE: NJ.com at 07:50AM
Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Portrait of the artist as a curmudgeon by Peter Filichia

T Charles EricksonBob Ari, right, and Randy Harrison face off as painter Mark Rothko and his assistant in “Red” at the George Street Playhouse. While any actor loves to get exit ap…

SOURCE: NJ.com at 07:50AM

It's the Little Things, the Little Things ... by Peter Filichia

By Peter Filichia -- I received a nice e-mail from Elliot J. Cohen, who’d read my “A Tale of Three Dollys” a few weeks ago. In it, I wondered why Carol Channing on the original Broa…

SOURCE: Masterworks Broadway at 12:47AM
Saturday, February 4, 2012

The First Smash by Peter Filichia

As if you haven't heard, it's a fictional account of people trying to do a musical about Marilyn Monroe. It's not to be confused with the two musicals that dealt with the screen legend in 19…

SOURCE: Kritzerland at 08:32AM
Friday, February 3, 2012

Filichia’s Features: Welcome to the Junior Theater Festival, Part 4 by Peter Filichia

Saturday night, January 14, 2012. Every participant at the Junior Theater Festival has seen at least eight segments compete with MTI’s Jr. musicals.  But eight is not enough. The ballroom…

SOURCE: Music Theatre International at 11:11AM

Randy Harrison's experience playing visual artists should help him in 'Red' by Peter Filichia

Is Randy Harrison getting typecast? For the third time in his professional career, he’ll portray a visual artist. This time, he’s Ken, a fictional assistant to famous painter Mark Rothko…

SOURCE: NJ.com at 07:04AM
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Filichia’s Features: Welcome to the Junior Theater Festival, Part 3 by Peter Filichia

Saturday, Jan. 14 at 1:30 p.m. at the Junior Theater Festival. The students from all 63 schools and after-school musical theater programs have completed their presentations. If the kids were…

SOURCE: Music Theatre International at 11:52AM

NJ Stage bits: 'Fiddler' tuning up by Peter Filichia

Peter Filichia lets us know what's happening on the stage in the garden state

SOURCE: NJ.com at 07:21AM
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

'Veronica's Room' arrives in Morris Township by Peter Filichia

Debra Whitfield stars in "Veronica's Room." Ira Levin didn’t need to use a chain saw in Texas to massacre his audience. The late author of “Rosemary’s Baby,” “The Stepfor…

SOURCE: NJ.com at 07:29AM
Monday, January 30, 2012

Black (Musical Theater) History Month by Peter Filichia

February is, of course, Black History Month. So celebrate each day by playing an African-American’s performance from different cast albums. We have plenty to choose from. Black entertain…

SOURCE: Masterworks Broadway at 11:53PM
Friday, January 27, 2012

January Leftovers by Peter Filichia

Why doesn’t Spider-Man proclaim in its ads that it’s in its “Second Smash Year!”? Or does management feel that it can’t use that line until June, which will be the first anniversar…

SOURCE: Kritzerland at 03:12PM

Filichia Features: Welcome to the Junior Theater Festival, Part 2 by Peter Filichia

When we last left the 63 casts of students participating in this year’s Junior Theater Festival, they were off to one of seven rooms. In each, they’d perform what could be called junior …

SOURCE: Music Theatre International at 02:56PM

NJ Stage: Complex emotions play a big part in 'Jitney' by Peter Filichia

Tony winner Chuck Cooper is starring in a production of the late August Wilson's '70s-set drama in Red Bank.

SOURCE: NJ.com at 08:02AM
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

NJ Stage: Paper Mill Playhouse's 'Boeing-Boeing' by Peter Filichia

The show manages to make a farce out of this pop-a-mole farce.

SOURCE: NJ.com at 08:02AM
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

NJ Stage review: Race, identity and religion mix in 'The Convert' by Peter Filichia

Actress and playwright Danai Gurira's arresting new work has its world premiere in Princeton.

SOURCE: NJ.com at 08:02AM

A Superb Thurber Carnival by Peter Filichia

By Peter Filichia – A Thurber Carnival, the original cast album that Masterworks Broadway is re-issuing this week, could just as easily be called A Character Actors’ Carnival. If you…

SOURCE: Masterworks Broadway at 12:31AM
Monday, January 23, 2012

Filichia Features: Welcome to the Junior Theater Festival Part 1 by Peter Filichia

Nothing’s officially happened yet. It’s 7:40 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, and the stage of the vast MTIShowSpace Theater at Atlanta’s Hotel Renaissance Waverly is empty. But the house it…

SOURCE: Music Theatre International at 11:33AM
Friday, January 20, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012

NJ Stage bits: A premiere and revivals in Cape May by Peter Filichia

Stage critic Peter Filichia lets us know what's happening on New Jersey stages

SOURCE: NJ.com at 07:41AM
Monday, January 16, 2012

A Tale of Three Dollys by Peter Filichia

By Peter Filichia -- Dolly Gallagher Levi has certainly kept her promise. For nearly half a century, she’s been telling us that “Dolly’ll never go away again”-- and she hasn’t, n…

SOURCE: Masterworks Broadway at 11:40PM
Friday, January 13, 2012

It's The Merm's (What?) Birthday by Peter Filichia

To celebrate Ethel Merman's birthday on January 16 - her 105th, 104th or 103rd depending on which Merman scholar you choose to believe -- see her live.

SOURCE: Kritzerland at 01:57PM

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