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Friday, December 10, 2004

News:

[ P ]  American Buffalo Will Not Graze on Broadway This Season 

[ B ]  Rebecca Gayheart to Star as Shelby in Steel Magnolias

[ TM ]  Broadway Pitches In to Help Operation Santa Claus

[ TM ]  Bacall, Baldwin, et al. Slated for Drama League Salute to Comden and Green

[ P ]  Billy Porter's Ghetto Superstar to Open at Public on Feb. 28

[ P ]  Spiro, Godley and Corduner to Star in New Mike Leigh Play in London


Reviews:

[ TM ]  The Siegel Column
Reviews of Souvenir at the York, Brooke Shields in Wonderful Town, and cabaret acts by Baby Jane Dexter and Jason Graae.

[ CU ]  A Number

posted at 12/10/2004 03:41:04 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link



Rumor has it that Rebecca Gayheart has been cast as Shelby for STEEL MAGNOLIAS.
posted at 12/10/2004 12:21:22 PM by James Marino | Item Link



[ B ]  CDs: American Musicals in London by Ken Mandelbaum
A Year with Frog and Toad has been taped for DVD release.
CD: BAT BOY (The Angel Recording Company)
CD: NO STRINGS (Must Close Saturday)

[ B ]  Wagons Ho! by Joanna Gleason
The final chapter.

[ B ]  PHOTO OP: A Starry Party for A Number

Reviews:

[ B ]  Were Critics Tickled Pink by the La Cage aux Folles Revival?

[ TB ]  Sound Advice: DVD and CD Reviews by Jonathan Frank


News:

[ P ]  Musical of Musicals�The Musical! to Reopen at Dodger Stages

[ P ]  McNally's Corpus Christi Ignites Protest in Scotland

[ P ]  Esparza, Cerveris, Baranski, Gleason and More Set for Wall to Wall Sondheim

[ P ]  London's Mary Poppins Sets Age Limits for Theatregoers

[ P ]  Murney, Colella, Morrison and More to Join Composer Stitt for Dec. 27 Concert

[ B ]  Nicole Kidman Withdraws from The Producers Movie

[ P ]  Nicole Kidman Withdraws from "Producers" Film

posted at 12/10/2004 12:14:22 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link



[ Y ]  Movie Review: The Phantom of the Opera by Derek Elley, Variety

[ Y ]  Kidman tunes out tuner by Ian Mohr (Variety)

Nicole Kidman is dropping out of Mel Brooks' bigscreen adaptation of legit tuner "The Producers," so Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane will have to put out a new help-wanted ad for a thesp to play their loopy secretary.

[ NYP ]  STAR LITE EXPRESS By MICHAEL RIEDEL
How do you make sure a big movie star with scant stage experience who wants to do your play won't be a complete embarrassment on stage?

"La Cage aux Folles" - Reviews:

[ DN ]  'Folles' revival's far from a drag by Howard Kissel
It has been given a loving, heartwarming revival.

[ Y ]  La Cage aux Folles
Review by David Rooney, Variety

Mystifyingly, for a show with a book by the outspokenly gay-political Harvey Fierstein, this glitzy Broadway revival plays like a pre-"Will and Grace" relic, lobbed onto the stage as if in a cultural vacuum.

[ NJ ]  No longer a novelty and a bit of a drag BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
For viewers who might not demand the best of times -- certainly that mediocre revival of "42nd Street" has drawn audiences for more than three years -- this substandard "La Cage aux Folles" may well offer a pleasant one.

[ TB ]  La Cage aux Folles
Review by Matthew Murray

Nothing dulls faster than a knife that wasn't that sharp to begin with. It should come as no surprise, then, that the revival of La Cage aux Folles that just opened at the Marquis not only doesn't cut deeply, it doesn't even break the skin.

[ NYP ]  STILL A GAY OL' TIME By CLIVE BARNES
JUST like Dolly, it's nice to see "La Cage aux Folles" back where it belongs � on Broadway.

[ B ]  St. Tropez Revisited by Ken Mandelbaum
Review: La Cage aux Folles

This new production has a hard time locating the heart of the piece, and fails to scale the heights of the original.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'LA CAGE AUX FOLLES'
Family Guys Who Are What They Are By BEN BRANTLEY

Even the most convention-bound theatergoers will remain shock-free through this alternately garish and pallid revival of Jerry Herman's 1983 musical.

[ ND ]  Dragging out a crowd-pleaser once again BY LINDA WINER
Don't complain to this corner that the revival, which opened last night at the Marquis Theatre, is pass�. With apologies to the show's famous anthem, it is what it is, and that is what it's always been: a middle-of-the-road, '60s crowd-pleaser in drag.

[ WP ]  'La Cage': Yesteryear's Daring Outfit Still Wears Well By Peter Marks
It boasts an entire kick line of male showgirls, plus Gary Beach, who when crooning here in a puffy blond flip and flowing outfits bears a striking resemblance to Barbara Cook. (Sincerest apologies to you, Miss Cook.)

[ Y ]  'La Cage' Back on Broadway By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic
Director Jerry Zaks has pitched things way too frantically from the get-go, with the musical exhausting its emotions quickly, especially in the show's plot-heavy first act.

[ SUN ]  Gaiety, Forced & Otherwise by JEREMY McCARTER
"La Cage Aux Folles" is so timely it feels antique.

[ HC ]  'La Cage Aux Folles' Revival Suberb, And Timely By MALCOLM JOHNSON
Gary Beach Leads Excellent Cast, And Dancers Dazzle In Show That Makes Sharp Point In Morality Debate

[ USA ]  'La Cage Aux Folles' struts its stuff anew By Elysa Gardner
* * * � out of four

[ JN ]  "La Cage" with a thud By JACQUES LE SOURD

[ BR ]  Revival has glitz, glamour and heart By ROBERT FELDBERG

[ NYT ]  Slide Show: La Cage aux Folles


Other Reviews:

[ Y ]  Jackie Mason Freshly Squeezed

[ Y ]  School for Scandal

Director Brian Bedford (who also plays Sir Peter Teazle) has assembled a group of peerless farceurs who understand and milk every laugh from the material.

[ Y ]  One Arm

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'CUL-DE-SAC'
The Means of a Dead End By JASON ZINOMAN

Daniel MacIvor builds a dry and dread-filled puzzle of a play around one bump in the night.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'RATTLESNAKE'
There's Melodrama at the Whorehouse By JASON ZINOMAN

Fred Pezzulli's "Rattlesnake" is an overcooked and recycled soap opera of a play about a flirtatious prostitute with a heart of gold.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE LAST CHRISTMAS OF EBENEZER SCROOGE'
Making Things Right With Tiny Tim By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER

The question of what happened to Ebenezer Scrooge is addressed and answered to thoughtful and moving effect in this dramatic reading.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'IT'S KARATE, KID!: THE MUSICAL'
The Martial Arts Need Showtunes, Too By NEIL GENZLINGER

Travis Kramer has taken the uplifting story of the 1984 film "The Karate Kid" and done sadistic surgery on it.

[ INQ ]  'The Clean House' is a really good thing By Desmond Ryan

[ WP ]  Twenty-Three Skidoo: 'Modern Millie' Doesn't Dance By Peter Marks

Call it Millie's First Law: A lousy movie usually makes a lousy musical.

[ NYT ]  MUSIC REVIEW | MICHAEL FEINSTEIN
A Wistful Holiday Ballad That Almost Got Away By STEPHEN HOLDEN

Mr. Feinstein's juicy songwriting tidbits and his velvety interpretation of pop-jazz standards make for an entertaining show.

[ CU ]  700 Sundays

[ NYP ]  BARD'S IN A TWO-STEP By FRANK SCHECK

"Kiss Me, Kate" and "West Side Story" aside, modern updates of Shakespeare are usually laborious, and this musical, despite lots of rambunctious high spirits, is no exception.

Features:

[ P ]  DIVA TALK: Chatting with Under the Bridge's Florence Lacey Plus News of McKechnie and White

[ NYT ]  Lots of Verve in a 'West Side Story' Produced on Its Own Turf By JAMES BARRON

"West Side Story" is being staged at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts, in the kind of neighborhood in which the play was set.

[ BSUN ]  The way he is By J. Wynn Rousuck
As the wordsmith behind such hits as 'West Side Story' and 'The Way We Were,' Arthur Laurents is as anonymous as his work is renowned.

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
How will the youth of today respond to Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Skin of Our Teeth?

[ NJ ]  Art imitates life for this Scrooge BY PETER FILICHIA
'Bah-humbug' attitude is hauntingly familiar to 'A Christmas Carol' star

[ LAT ]  Wild knights on Broadway? By Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
Eric Idle picks up the 'Holy Grail' gauntlet in the new musical 'Spamalot.' He's betting a 20-year Python absence has made fans' hearts grow fonder.

[ LAT ]  A full diet of sacred cows By John Horn
'Fat Pig' fits perfectly into provocative playwright Neil LaBute's body of work. This time his targets are self-image and stereotypes.

[ OCR ]  Dodging tough questions By PAUL HODGINS
'The Paris Letter' looks at the terrible consequences of people with power being untrue to themselves.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

[ BS ]  Tackling a Potential Caricature: The Many Faces of Shylock

[ INQ ]  Prize aids a quirky playwright By Douglas J. Keating

Heard a good Brazilian joke lately? Sarah Ruhl might like to hear it.

[ BH ]  This Jewish girl puts the 'oy' in 'Oh, boy' By Christopher Blagg

[ BH ]  Bravo! Gift ideas for the theater lover By Terry Byrne


News:

[ LAT ]  'Doubt' still a go in Pasadena by Don Shirley
Producers of new plays on Broadway usually carve out periods of exclusivity, when the play can be seen only on Broadway. But Pasadena Playhouse's production of John Patrick Shanley's "Doubt," slated to open March 11 and play through April 10, will continue as scheduled...

[ B ]  Danao, Gonzalez, Harriell, Narayan & Potts Eye Lennon

[ Y ]  Wayne Brady, NBC Go to Work on Legal Comedy

[ Y ]  First Stage hosts one-act contest

Scribes David Rambo and Judi Ann Mason are among judges for First Stage Theater's one-act play contest, with the winner to be chosen Saturday.

[ NYT ]  Arts, Briefly By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER
The Cafe Carlyle's new season (last item).

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 10

[ P ]  Marian Seldes Stars in Dec. 10 Reading of Pinter's The Room

[ P ]  Merry Men Reach Middle Age in Meehan and Charnin's Robin Hood Musical, Premiering in Seattle Dec. 10-23

[ P ]  Randy Weeks Will Succeed Lester Ward as President and COO of Denver Center for the Performing Arts

[ P ]  Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation Announces Broadway Tickets Program

[ P ]  Broadway's Taylors Star in World Premiere of Charlayne Woodard's Flight in L.A.

posted at 12/10/2004 08:08:52 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Thursday, December 09, 2004

News:

[ P ]  The Mambo Kings to Play the Broadway Theatre

[ B ]  Musical Version of The Mambo Kings Books the Broadway Theatre

[ P ]  Julia Said "Ha!": Sweeney's Letting Go of God World Premiere Extends Again to Jan. 23

[ P ]  Kiki-less Herb Celebrates Will Die For You CD Release at "Unholy Night"

[ P ]  Howes, Lawrence, Neal and Powell Join McKay for Dec. 9 "Broadway: The Golden Age" Signing

[ P ]  Chicago Shakespeare Theatre to Stage Measure for Measure, Jan. 7-March 20

[ P ]  Mary Louise Wilson Stars in Huntington Theatre's The Rivals Romp in Boston

[ P ]  New Foreman Piece, The Gods Are Pounding My Head, to Begin Off-Broadway Jan. 6

[ P ]  National Actors Theatre Presents Free Iguana Reading with Baldwin, Ivey and Robins Dec. 12

[ P ]  Chicago's Caroline O'Connor to Play Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow

[ P ]  Former Aida Star Lands Morning Radio Gig

[ P ]  Lamos to Direct Renaissance Muse with Frozen's Robins

[ P ]  McArdle Family Celebrates Holidays at Odette's Dec. 10-12

[ TM ]  Hayden, Arkin, and Soule are Paris Bound on December 13

[ TM ]  Znidarsic to Present Free Holiday Songbook Event at Donnell Library Theater

[ P ]  Mark Arvin, a Dancer at Home in Ballet or Broadway, Dead at 40


Reviews:

[ TB ]  The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Review by Scott Miller

[ B ]  Did Critics Have a Foot-Stompin' Good Time at Lone Star Love?


Features:

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: The Texas Lone Star Attracts Some Love With Opening of Off-Broadway Musical, Dec. 8

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Duffy Square Begins to Look a Lot Like Christmas As Broadway TreeIs Lit

[ B ]  PHOTO OP: Bright Lights, Big Tree! Lighting Up the B'way Holiday Tree!

posted at 12/9/2004 04:33:15 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link



[ G ]  'We have to protect people'
President Bush wants 'pro-homosexual' drama banned. Gary Taylor meets the politician in charge of making it happen
Thanks to Andy at American Theater Web for the link.

One of our readers wrote in to point out:
    1) It's an interview with a small-time state politician who's been invited to the White House because he's a Republican. This is known as "politics."
    2) The proposal is state legislation in Alabama and has nothing to do with President Bush.
    3) The proposal doesn't ban anything, it just refuses to fund some things with government money.
There are a few key things that I would like to point out:
* BroadwayStars.com does not write headlines and ledes. When we do editorialize, it is marked in red.
* People judge you by the company you keep. If W is inviting this backward redneck to the White House five times, chances are they believe the same thing.
* Federal Legislation usually gets tested at the state level first. And this is no more than reducing funding for the arts at the state level because the NEA is for all intents and purposes, dead.
* Refusing to fund with goverment money (nee: our money) based on 'objectional' content is censorship.

Thanks for writing.
- James Marino


Features:

[ B ]  Q&A: Gary Beach by Kathy Henderson
Speaking of 'pro-homosexual' drama...

[ P ]  PLAYBILL ARCHIVES: La Cage aux Folles � 1983

[ NYT ]  Impresario Doubles as Cultural Savior By TODD S. PURDUM

Michael M. Kaiser has made a minor art form of turning around troubled cultural institutions, including, most recently, the Dance Theater of Harlem.

[ LAT ]  Parsons' resurrection By Jeff Miller
When Gram Parson's daughter saw 'Jesus Pill,' it evoked images of her dad. Now she's engaged to its writer.

[ BH ]  The Gang's all here from Tim Robbins' actors guild By Terry Byrne

[ B ]  PHOTO OP: Gypsy of the Year Raises Funds and Spirits


"Lone Star Love" - Reviews:

[ Y ]  'Lone Star Love' Has Charm By LISA TOLIN, Associated Press Writer
Sure, the idea of setting the Bard to country music sounds counterintuitive. But with charming songs from the Red Clay Ramblers and the sure direction of Michael Bogdanov, the plucky cast pulls it off.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'LONE STAR LOVE'
Shakespeare Doesn't Need All That There Fancy Talk By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

Corn and sugar turn out to be essential ingredients in this sweet-tempered, cheerfully hokey musical adaptation of "The Merry Wives of Windsor."

[ TB ]  Lone Star Love or, the Merry Wives of Windsor, Texas
Review by Matthew Murray

It might be time to call for a moratorium on western-themed musicals.

[ TM ]  Lone Star Love
Reviewed By: Barbara & Scott Siegel

Why anyone would want to do a parody musical of this particular play is hard to fathom.

[ Y ]  Lone Star Love
Review by Steven Oxman, Variety

All the skill and Southern hospitality can't correct the show's fundamental misconception: The tone of story and song never fuse but work in counterpoint.

[ ND ]  Deep in the Bard of 'Texas' BY GORDON COX
Under Michael Bogdanov's direction, the appealing cast can't quite squelch the feeling that this production takes longer to tell the story of "The Merry Wives of Windsor" than Shakespeare did.

[ ATW ]  Lone Star Love: The Bard's Comedy Transported to Texas
Review by Andy Propst

[ B ]  Lone Star Love
Review by Edward Karam


Other Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'A NOVEL ROMANCE'
Oy, Such Meshugas! Can't She Marry a Nice Jewish Man? By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER

This amusing, lightweight, broadly comic satire is performed in a zesty old-fashioned style at the Folksbiene Yiddish Theater.

[ ATW ]  Fefu and Her Friends: Women Seen Darkly
Review by Andy Propst

[ TM ]  Tunes, Tomes, & Videos

Charles Wright finds Robert Viagas's new guide to New York theater a compact yet comprehensive and useful resource.

[ NYT ]  CABARET REVIEW | 'STEVE ROSS STARS'
Astaire Style With Wry Asides By STEPHEN HOLDEN

Steve Ross takes the standards of the 1930's and 40's at face value until the self-conscious moment he pauses to notice what's underneath.

[ NJ ]  Modern Orthodox BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
As he continues to develop his craft, Goldfarb remains a playwright to watch.

[ CU ]  Souvenir

[ NYP ]  'NUMBER' DOESN'T ADD UP By FRANK SCHECK

[ ND ]  Scourge lite: Reviving a comedy of death BY LINDA WINER

Ever since its brief run in 1992, "The Baltimore Waltz" has been one of those experiences that makes people who bond over theater memories get misty.

News:

[ B ]  Cate Blanchett to Star in Hedda Gabler at BAM in 2006

[ P ]  Cate Blanchett to Be Hedda Gabler at BAM in 2006

[ HC ]  When The Mooning Is In The Seventh House by Frank Rizzo

Nudity in 'Hair' still raises hackles, 36 years after seminal rock musical made debut

[ NJ ]  Center stage by Peter Filichia
Finally, Celeste Holm is getting her chance at ballet.

[ NYT ]  Arts, Briefly By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER
Broadway Bloodletting

[ DN ]  Newsline
Opening and closing nights

[ P ]  Baby, It's Cold Outside: Holiday Clearance Sees Flurry of Broadway and Off-Broadway Closings

[ P ]  Trying, Joanna Glass' Award-Winning New Play, Will End Off-Bway Run Jan. 2, 2005

[ B ]  Julius Caesar, Starring Denzel Washington, Sets B'way Dates

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 9

[ P ]  Tanned, Rested and Ready, La Cage aux Folles Promises "Best of Times," Opening Dec. 9

[ P ]  Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright Extended at Pittsburgh City Theatre

[ P ]  Joanna Camp and Richard Hock Win Equity's Callaway Awards

[ ATW-XM ]  Broadway and Beyond: Coleman and Ebb Musicals Might Still Reach the Stage

posted at 12/9/2004 08:41:24 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

News:

[ B ]  Joanna McClelland Glass' Trying to Close at the Promenade

[ B ]  Basil Twist's Symphonie Fantastique to Close Off-Broadway

[ P ]  Symphonie Fantastique Comes Up for Air as Off-Broadway Show Sets Jan. 2 Closing

[ P ]  Denzel Washington Julius Caesar to Open April 3

[ P ]  Mr. Sunday Night:Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays Rakes in Big Box Office Since Opening

[ P ]  Donna McKechnie to Bring Gypsy in My Soul to NYC

[ B ]  Gypsy of the Year Raises $2,754,631 for Broadway Cares


Reviews:

[ CU ]  Modern Orthodox

Features:

[ B ]  Photo Op: Mazel Tov! Modern Orthodox Opens

[ TM ]  Gypsy Magic By: Michael Portantiere

The 2004 Gypsy of the Year competition raises nearly $2.8 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: Neil Simon Theatre Is Taken Over by Gypsies at Popular Yearly Event

[ B ]  Wagons Ho! by Joanna Gleason (updated)

What a great series!

posted at 12/8/2004 03:54:58 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link



Features:

[ P ]  PLAYBILL ON-LINE'S BRIEF ENCOUNTER with Fritz Weaver
You wouldn't think the man currently sketching a masterly performance as a patrician curmudgeon in the Off-Broadway drama Trying has also been the star of two Broadway musicals, Baker Street and All American.

[ B ]  Video: Opening Night: Gem of the Ocean

Reviews:

[ SUN ]  My Three Dozen Sons by JEREMY McCARTER
Caryl Churchill is a 66-year-old publicity-shy barrister's wife who writes some of the most punk-rock plays in the English language.

[ TM ]  A Number
Reviewed By: Dan Bacalzo

[ TB ]  Paint Your Wagon
Los Angeles Review by Sharon Perlmutter


News:

[ P ]  Ludwig's Twentieth Century with Harriet Harris Pulls Into Los Angeles, Dec. 8-12

[ P ]  Alabama Shakespeare's Thompson Is New Artistic Director For Tony-Honored Denver Center

[ P ]  Max Stafford-Clark Uses Airline-Style Ticketing for Macbeth

[ P ]  Hayden, Arkin and Soule are Paris Bound in Dec. 13 Benefit

[ P ]  Woman in White's Michael Crawford Wins Stage Award

[ P ]  Kennedy Center Launches "Voices of the Arts" Series with Conlon, Stroman and Lithgow

[ P ]  Dame Edna, Whoopi Goldberg and Susan Stroman Part of Times' Arts & Leisure Weekend

[ P ]  Michael French and Josefina Gabrielle to Join London Chicago

[ TM ]  Broadway Dancer Mark Arvin Dies at 40

[ TM ]  Dracula, the Musical to Close on January 2

[ B ]  Steel Magnolias to Bloom at Broadway's Lyceum Starting 3/15

[ P ]  Lyceum Theatre Will Be Hothouse for Steel Magnolias

[ B ]  Eve Ensler's The Good Body to Shutter on January 2

[ P ]  The Good Body Shuts Down Early on Broadway; Ensler Debut Ends Jan. 2

[ P ]  Eve-Olution � with "Cosby" Star Le Beauf � to Close Dec. 12

posted at 12/8/2004 01:51:53 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link



[ NYP ]  PRECIOUS CRYSTAL By MICHAEL RIEDEL
IN a season full of misfires, at last a hit.
According to this article, "The Good Body" has posted a closing notice.

[ CBS ]  60 MINUTES
Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey joins Correspondent Lesley Stahl for an interview on 60 Minutes Wednesday.
Thanks to Robin for the link!

[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
Columbia House categorizes its films as "for him" or "for her," but shouldn't musicals be for everybody?

"A Number" - Reviews:

[ DN ]  Acting expands slim 'Number' by Howard Kissel
As a play, "A Number" is not satisfying. As an acting exercise, it's fascinating.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'A NUMBER'
My 3 Sons: Cloning's Unexpected Results By BEN BRANTLEY

Caryl Churchill's stunning new play is a gripping dramatic consideration of what happens in a world where people can be cloned.

[ ND ]  Cloning tale has an identity all its own BY LINDA WINER

[ Y ]  Churchill's 'A Number' Intriguing By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic

[ NJ ]  Disappointing return for Shepard BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

[ B ]  A Number
Review by Eric Grode

[ Y ]  A Number
Review by David Rooney, Variety


Other Reviews:

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'A TALE OF A TIGER'
Plumbing the Surprising Depth of the Milk of Tiger Kindness By MIRIAM HORN

Ami Dayan, an Israeli-American, brings a wan new-age spirituality to this one-man show adapted from a play by the Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo.

[ ND ]  He's a (ba-bump!) gefilte fish out of water BY GORDON COX
"Modern Orthodox" may be a shade smarter and a bit wittier than your average sitcom, but it would still be right at home in predictable prime time.

[ Y ]  By the Bog of Cats
Review by Matt Wolf, Variety

One has to commend Holly Hunter: Her perf is nothing if not brave, however bizarre the context for it.

[ Y ]  Ella Fitzgerald -- First Lady of Song
Review by Robert L. Daniels, Variety

A startling goof finds the last name of Richard Rodgers emblazoned in large letters minus the "d." Oops!

[ TM ]  Souvenir
Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ VV ]  In More Than One Sense, a Star Is Reborn by Michael Feingold

Souvenir

[ VV ]  Under Eastern Eyes
When a Japanese director meets a Sondheim musical, the results are so East they're West by Michael Feingold

Pacific Overtures

[ VV ]  Waltzing on the Bright Side, Brokaw's Baltimore Dodges the Darkness by Michael Feingold
The Baltimore Waltz

[ VV ]  Sitting Bull
Veteran dance-theater duo plays fast and loose with Ionesco by Tom Sellar

The Chairs

[ VV ]  Too Close for Comfort
The family romance turns homoerotic in Nelson's new play by Charles McNulty

Rodney's Wife

[ ATW ]  ATW Holiday Gift Guide 2005: B'way History on Film, a Narrative and Lyrical
Reviews by Andy Propst


Features:

[ DN ]  Wong: It's a B'way occasion for Asians By REBECCA LOUIE
"There aren't a lot of plays where we get to feel this dignified." - B.D. Wong

[ NYT ]  Celebrating Mexican Life in New York By JULIE SALAMON
A monthlong festival called MexicoNow has highlighted the challenges of defining cultural identity.

[ BS ]  Cleavant Derricks: Belatedly Back on Broadway

[ P ]  A People Person

The characters who spring from the fertile mind of Whoopi Goldberg strut the boards once again as the actress returns to Broadway in Whoopi, an updated version of her acclaimed one-woman show

[ BS ]  Church Abuse: Theatre Artists Go For the Ambiguous
Perhaps the most striking thing about "Doubt," John Patrick Shanley's new play, is the 2004 lens through which a contemporary audience views the work and, in so doing, distorts what emerges on stage -- or at least it seems so to this viewer.

[ LAT ]  The Web of lies By Rob Kendt
"Urgent and Confidential: Dean Cameron's Nigerian Spam Scam Scam" turns the tables on a well-known internet scam.

[ ATW-XM ]  Broadway and Beyond: 3 Holiday Choices in Arkansas, Washington and California

[ CU ]  Letting Go of God
Los Angeles Review By Laura Hitchcock


News:

[ Y ]  'Steel Magnolias' adds to B'way bustle by Robert Hofler, Variety
The revival of "Steel Magnolias" has secured the Lyceum Theater for a run beginning in March.

[ Y ]  'Dreams,' 'Drac' drop

[ NYP ]  PAGE SIX

LIZA TRYING TO EVICT STEPMOM

[ NYP ]  WAKE UP WITH A MONKEE
The '60s rock-and-roller and star of TV's "The Monkees," who recently appeared in Broadway's "AIDA," becomes Harry Harrison's permanent replacement on Jan. 10.

[ DN ]  WCBS Monkees with morning slot By DAVID HINCKLEY

[ DN ]  Star hosts can sizzle or fizzle By DAVID HINCKLEY

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 8

[ P ]  Off-Broadway's Lone Star Love Opens Deep in the Heart of Windsor, Dec. 8

[ P ]  Dec. 8 Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony to Feature Edna, Shields, Carmello, Edelman and Q Folk

posted at 12/8/2004 07:51:32 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

[ P ]  Bombay Dreams Will Close Jan. 1, 2005, But National Tour To Spring Like a Fountain in 2005-06

[ B ]  Broadway's Bombay Dreams to Close on New Year's Day

[ TM ]  Bombay Dreams to Close on January 1

[ B ]  Dracula to Close on January 2 at B'way's Belasco Theatre

[ B ]  Video: Opening Night: 700 Sundays

posted at 12/7/2004 08:26:53 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link



[ HChron ]  Obituary: Mark Arvin, Houston Ballet's 'Bugle Boy,' Broadway dancer By MOLLY GLENTZER
Mark Arvin, Houston Ballet's original "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and a Broadway dancer who had been comatose since December 2002, died Sunday night in Dallas. He was 40.
Many thanks to the person who sent in this link via our suggestion box.

[ IBDB ]  Mark Arvin's Broadway Credits

[ P ]  Dracula, Caught in the Daylight, Will Close Jan. 2, 2005

[ P ]  "Gypsy of the Year" Performances Poke Broadway in the Eye; Officer Lockstock and Little Sally Weigh In

The satirical knives were out at the 16th annual "Gypsy of the Year" competition, with Donna Murphy's frequent absences from Wonderful Town a cherished target.

[ P ]  Wicked, Lion King Take Top Honors in 2004 Gypsy of the Year

Features:

[ B ]  Fresh Face: Michael Benjamin Washington by Matt Gibson

[ TM ]  The West End's Musical Recovery By: Mark Shenton

After a bleak summer, London's legit scene has bounced back, propelled by a major crop of musicals.

[ TB ]  An Interview with Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan, Director and Playwright of Robin Hood-The Legend Continues, by David-Edward Hughes

[ P ]  PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: Gem of the Ocean: A Rough Crossing to a Safe Harbor


News:

[ B ]  Off-Broadway's Eve-olution to Shutter on December 12

[ B ]  Royal Shakespeare Company to Transfer Three Shows to the West End

[ B ]  Broadway Grosses: Solo Shows Soar

[ Y ]  Crystal's One-Man Show Takes in $600K

On Monday, the day after its opening, Billy Crystal's "700 Sundays" took in $600,000 at the box office, pushing the advance for the comedian's autobiographical one-man show to over $8 million.

[ P ]  Dame Edna Struts Her Stuff on "The View" Dec. 8

[ P ]  Albee: New Play Peter and Jerry Will Hit Off-Broadway in Fall 2005

[ P ]  Hays and MTC Will Take Shanley's Doubt to Broadway in Spring 2005

[ P ]  Bea's Niece, David Gow's New Play About a Novelist in Transition, Gets Toronto Premiere Dec. 28

[ P ]  Stephen Schwartz Elected to ASCAP Board, Filling Seat Left Vacant By Cy Coleman

[ P ]  London's Royal Court Announces New Season

[ P ]  Lea Salonga to Launch Concert Tour on Feb. 12, 2005

[ P ]  A Crumbing Cottage in the Berkshires Sets Scene for World Premiere Ice Glen, Dec. 7 at Florida Stage

[ B ]  2004 Grammy Musical Show Album Nominees Announced


Reviews:

[ CU ]  Fefu and Her Friends

posted at 12/7/2004 07:07:10 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link



Take a bite out of this: Dracula closes 1/2/05
posted at 12/7/2004 04:13:46 PM by James Marino | Item Link



[ NYT ]  Plays Without Music Find Broadway Harsh By JESSE McKINLEY
Whether this season's meager collection of new plays is simply a quirk of scheduling or the beginning of a larger trend is uncertain.

[ B ]  Broadway Star Daphne Rubin-Vega Welcomes Baby Boy

"Gem of the Ocean" - Reviews:

[ B ]  Did Critics Think August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean is a Jewel?

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'GEM OF THE OCEAN'
Sailing Into Collective Memory By BEN BRANTLEY

Theatergoers who have followed August Wilson's career will find in his grandly evangelical new play a touchstone for everything else he has written.

[ SUN ]  Fantastical Voyage by JEREMY McCARTER
If you ever meet August Wilson, and you ask him how his day was, and he begins to tell you, commit the answer to paper.

[ DN ]  'Ocean' peers deeply into slavery's legacy by Howard Kissel
At times, the play seems strained in its effort to sound so many notes, but in Leon's gifted hands, the actors give Wilson's noble vision a luminous aura.

[ WP ]  The Emancipation Meditation By Peter Marks
Even if "Gem of the Ocean" is a stately sort of work -- it feels at times a bit, well, educational, like a filmstrip in eighth-grade social studies -- it remains a worthy event, and its placement at the start of the Wilson Century Tour gives it a vital role in an extraordinary venture.

[ USA ]  At 285, Ester is a rare 'Gem' By Elysa Gardner
* * * out of four

[ HC ]  August Wilson's 9th In Series Is A Sparkling 'Gem' By MALCOLM JOHNSON
"Gem" ranks near the top of Wilson's plays.

[ NJ ]  Not quite see-worthy BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
Wilson's 'Gem' needs polish to work as series opener

[ JN ]  A stage 'Gem' By JACQUES LE SOURD
This may indeed be the Wilson play that has the strongest emotional pull.

[ NYP ]  GLOWING PERFORMANCES FROM A 'GEM' OF A CAST By CLIVE BARNES

[ Y ]  'Gem of the Ocean' Impressive By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic

[ Y ]  Gem of the Ocean
Review by David Rooney, Variety

[ TB ]  Gem of the Ocean
Review by Matthew Murray

[ B ]  Gem of the Ocean
Review by Eric Grode

[ TM ]  Gem of the Ocean
Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ PPG ]  August Wilson talks about bringing the ninth in his cycle of plays to Broadway By Christopher Rawson

Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

"Modern Orthodox" - Reviews:

[ B ]  Were Critics Moved by Off-Broadway's Modern Orthodox?

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'MODERN ORTHODOX'
They've Got Those Upper West Side, Not Jewish Enough Blues By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

In Daniel Goldfarb's snappy if superficial new romantic comedy, a young Jewish couple are provoked to question their commitment to each other.

[ TB ]  Modern Orthodox
Review by Matthew Murray

If the good news is that Modern Orthodox is accessible to everyone, the bad news is that it's ultimately unsatisfying as both theatre and comedy.

[ NYP ]  'MODERN' TALE OF HANNAH AND HER MISTERS By FRANK SCHECK
SOME plays can be very funny without being particularly good.

[ Y ]  'Modern Orthodox' a Potent Comedy By PETER SANTILLI, Associated Press Writer

[ DN ]  'Orthodox' sitcom gags do not a stage play make by Howard Kissel

[ B ]  Modern Orthodox
Review by Edward Karam

[ Y ]  Modern Orthodox
Review by Marilyn Stasio, Variety

[ ATW ]  Modern Orthodox Amiable When It Could Be Cutting
Review by Andy Propst

[ TM ]  Modern Orthodox
Reviewed By: David Finkle


Other Reviews:

[ CST ]  Director finds Williams magic in 'One Arm' BY HEDY WEISS
Adapter-director Moises Kaufman, whose previous efforts include the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit "I Am My Own Wife" and "The Laramie Project," has crafted a riveting, poetic, flesh-and-blood stage adaptation from Williams' work.

[ CT ]  Williams' 'One Arm' packs a punch of pulp By Michael Phillips

[ Y ]  Review: A Number By Alexis Greene (Hollywood Reporter)

Sadly, this highly anticipated off-Broadway pairing proves disappointing.

[ TB ]  Vital Signs: New Works Festival, Series One
Review by Lindsey Wilson

Sometimes you�ve got to take the good with the bad.

[ NJ ]  An out-of-body portrait of Ella BY PETER FILICHIA
Freda Payne makes "Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song" worth seeing and hearing.

[ ATW ]  Falling Off Broadway: A Picaresque Life Told Haltingly
Review by Andy Propst

[ ATW ]  Baltimore Waltz: Running from Illness, Not as Merrily as One Might Hope
Review by Andy Propst

[ ATW ]  The Gorgeous Dreamscape of Belle Epoque
Review by Andy Propst

[ Y ]  Illyria
Review by Robert L. Daniels, Variety

[ HC ]  Billy Crystal's 'Sundays' Is Funny And Heartfelt By MALCOLM JOHNSON

[ CU ]  Pacific Overtures

[ NYT ]  MUSIC REVIEW | ORPHEUS AND UTE LEMPER
Wilkommen to the Cabaret, and a Journey Through Time By ANNE MIDGETTE


Features:

[ CCT ]  Scenes from a friendship By Pat Craig
Lois Grandi and Meredith Patterson embrace in front of the alley leading to the Curran Theatre's stage door.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link!

[ WP ]  Backstage: For 'Anne Frank's' Sloan, Loss That's All Too Real By Jane Horwitz
Gregory Mitchell, the actor and dancer who died after he had a heart attack onstage at the Kennedy Center, was a fellow New York theater veteran and godfather to Sloan's daughter, Julia.

[ NYP ]  CHONG AND BONG By FRANK SCHECK
TALK about typecasting.

[ BS ]  Now and Forever
The Broadway Theatre Archive keeps great theatrical performances alive.

[ NYT ]  Multimedia Feature: From Sketch to Stage: 'Reckless'
Allen Moyer, the set designer for the Broadway production of "Reckless," explains how he was inspired by Norman Rockwell, snow globes and "Let's Make a Deal."

[ NY ]  How to Fix: The Rock Musical By Boris Kachka

[ BH ]  Just for kicks: Rockette-for-a-day steps out with the Radio City Music Hall pros By Tenley Woodman

[ P ]  PLAYBILL ON OPENING NIGHT: 700 Sundays: A Mensch for All Seasons

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: The Round Table Is Adorned With Spam, Lots of It, at the Box Office Opening for Spamalot

[ B ]  Photo Op: A Lotta Spam at Spamalot

[ B ]  Photo Op: Another Sunday in the Life of Billy Crystal


News:

[ P ]  Broadway Grosses: Nov. 29 - Dec. 5

[ P ]  Anthony Sher�s Primo May Visit Broadway after Touring South Africa and Hampstead

[ BSUN ]  Party Manners By Ellen Gamerman

Hollywood and Washington meet at the Kennedy Center Honors with a little glitz and a lot of diplomacy.

[ B ]  British TV Star Michael French to Join the West End's Chicago

[ TM ]  Old Globe Announces 70th Anniversary Season

[ NYT ]  Arts, Briefly By BEN SISARIO
Lennon Songs for New Musical; A Gift From the Boss

[ P ]  Lennon Musical to Include Unknown Songs by Beatle

[ P ]  Cast Albums for Avenue Q, Assassins, Boy From Oz, Wicked, Wonderful Town All Grammy Nommed

[ P ]  Bond, Caruso, Feldman, Hall and Officer to Star in Capote's A Christmas Memory

[ P ]  Lillias White Joins Cast of Reba McEntire-Brian Stokes Mitchell South Pacific

[ P ]  Anthony Mackie to Star in Newly Titled Belber Play, McReele, in January

[ P ]  Los Angeles Premiere of Floyd Collins Set for February 2005; Casting Announced

[ P ]  Karen Mason Brings Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! to Birdland Dec. 13

[ P ]  Bateman, Bobby, Lavine and More Featured in Free Reading of New Christmas Musical Revue

[ P ]  Broadway Divas Sing Dec. 22 for Actors' Fund Benefit

[ P ]  Today in Theatre History: DECEMBER 7

[ P ]  Tom Wopat Returns to Broadway's Chicago Dec. 7

[ P ]  Sing Out, Sisters! Little Women, the Musical, Begins Broadway Previews Dec. 7

[ P ]  Lady Windermere, I Presume? Noel Coward's After the Ball Gets U.S. Premiere Dec. 7; Tony Walton Directs

[ P ]  Comedian Tommy Chong Enters the Comic Haze of Marijuana-Logues Off-Bway Dec. 7

[ P ]  Father and Son and Son...: Sam Shepard and Dallas Roberts Star in Churchill's A Number

[ P ]  Jane Alexander to Star in What of the Night at MCC in March

[ P ]  Gareth Armstrong's Shylock Re-Opens NYC's Perry Street Theatre Jan. 21, 2005

[ P ]  Harelik, Cohenour and Design Team Confirmed for Piazza

[ P ]  Steinem, Flanders, Stiles and Rossellini Talk Back with The Good Body Audiences

posted at 12/7/2004 01:10:21 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Monday, December 06, 2004

News:

[ P ]  Hitchcock Blonde Postpones Broadway Debut to Fall 2005

[ P ]  Ann Landers and Scarlet O'Hara Headline Old Globe Summer as 1935 Inaugural Bard Trio Return


Features:

[ TM ]  Billy Takes Broadway By: Joseph Marzullo
The celebs turn out in force as Billy Crystal's one-man show 700 Sundays opens.

[ P ]  PHOTO CALL: The Round Table Is Adorned With Spam, Lots of It, at the Box Office Opening for Spamalot

Reviews:

[ CU ]  It's Karate, Kid!

[ CU ]  Tale of a Tiger

[ CU ]  Ilyria

posted at 12/6/2004 03:54:28 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link



Features:

[ B ]  Q & A: 12/6/04 by Ken Mandelbaum

[ B ]  Wagons Ho! by Joanna Gleason (updated)


News:

[ P ]  Douglas Sills Set for MTC's Moonlight and Magnolias

[ B ]  Cast Set for Moonlight and Magnolias at Manhattan Theatre Club

[ P ]  Polly Draper Replaces Dana Reeve in Broadway's Brooklyn Boy

[ B ]  Polly Draper Replaces Dana Reeve in Broadway's Brooklyn Boy

[ P ]  Victoria Wood�s Acorn Antiques Sets New High for West End Ticket Prices

[ P ]  The Four Seasons Musical Jersey Boys Debut Extends Again to Jan. 16

[ P ]  Jekyll's Evan and Vampires' Gonzalez to Sing Jim Steinman Songs Jan. 30-31

[ P ]  Free Reading of Bragen's Spuyten Duyvil Presented Dec. 8

[ P ]  Ziemba, McLane, Baldwin and Jutsun Featured in "Alternative Torch" Dec. 6

[ P ]  Neil Patrick Harris, Ron Rifkin Deliver The Paris Letter; World Premiere Baitz Begins in CA


Reviews:

[ B ]  Were Critics Jazzed about Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays?

[ SUN ]  Crystal in Clover by JEREMY McCARTER

Funny people tend to hail from unfunny places.

[ CU ]  The Baltimore Waltz

[ TB ]  Illyria: Musical Twelfth Night Provides Grand Finale for Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Season
Review by Bob Rendell

posted at 12/6/2004 01:17:31 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link



[ TM ]  Peter Filichia's Diary
Here's love from Peter Filichia, who's preparing his holiday card mailing list.

"700 Sundays" - Reviews:

[ NYP ]  BILLY B'WAY HERO By CLIVE BARNES
This is acting at its peak; it's masterful. Come back to Broadway any time, Mr. Crystal. You own the street.

[ TB ]  Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays
Review by Matthew Murray

Were it not for Hugh Jackman's taking the town by storm last season, this would be the most auspicious and energetic Broadway debut for an established performer in years.

[ WP ]  In '700 Sundays,' Crystal's Shtick Gets Shtuck By Peter Marks
For about half of "700 Sundays" -- oh, say, around 350 of them -- Billy Crystal takes very good care of you.

[ B ]  700 Sundays
Review by William Stevenson

I found Crystal to be just as entertaining as he has been as an eight-time host of the Academy Awards--in the first act. In the second act, unfortunately, he lays on the pathos a little too thick.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | '700 SUNDAYS'
My Family Values, City Slickers By BEN BRANTLEY

Billy Crystal's long, sentimental show about growing up on Long Island is the most unabashed paean to family values outside of a Hallmark shop.

[ TM ]  700 Sundays
Reviewed By: Barbara & Scott Siegel

We feel confident writing that Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays is the funniest Broadway show about death and grieving that you will ever see.

[ DN ]  His affection is Crystal-clear by Howard Kissel
"700 Sundays" is a brave portrait of an eccentric, endearing family. It is hilarious and unexpectedly touching.

[ ND ]  Family as a fine art BY LINDA WINER
Billy Crystal's ode to his father makes memorable theater of a Long Beach living room

[ USA ]  Crystal's sentimental 'Sundays' By Elysa Gardner
* * * out of four

[ Y ]  Crystal's 'Sundays' Hilarious By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Critic

[ NJ ]  Crystal's childhood memories sparkle in one-man show BY MICHAEL SOMMERS


"The Baltimore Waltz" - Reviews:

[ NYP ]  LAUGH AND DEATH By FRANK SCHECK
PAULA Vogel's 1992 play was inspired by the death of her brother of AIDS, and the most moving aspect of this revival by the Signature Theatre Company is that it is no less relevant today than it was back then.

[ NYT ]  THEATER REVIEW | 'THE BALTIMORE WALTZ'
Death-Defying Fantasy Fueled by Love By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

As emotion surrounding the AIDS epidemic has inevitably cooled, Paula Vogel's play must stand up to less emotionally inflected scrutiny and, sadly, it often sags.

[ NJ ]  Madcap fantasy masks tale of death BY MICHAEL SOMMERS

[ Y ]  Vogel's 'Waltz' Hasn't Aged Well By JUSTIN BERGMAN, Associated Press Writer

[ TM ]  The Baltimore Waltz
Reviewed By: David Finkle

[ TB ]  The Baltimore Waltz
Review by Matthew Murray

[ Y ]  The Baltimore Waltz
Review by Marilyn Stasio, Variety


Other Reviews:

[ TB ]  Falling Off Broadway
Review by Matthew Murray

[ CU ]  Falling Off Broadway

[ Y ]  Falling Off Broadway
Review by Gabrielle Mitchell-Marell, Variety

[ NJ ]  Doing right by the Bard BY PETER FILICHIA

A half-dozen tunes does not a full musical make, so thank heaven for Peter Mills, who came in to finish the job -- and did it beautifully. The results can now be seen in a smash hit called "Illyria" at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey.

The Kennedy Center Honors:

[ DN ]  Ossie, Ruby honored BY DAVE GOLDINER
Courageous couple among 6 in tribute at Kennedy Center

[ WP ]  Politicians and Celebrities, Making Sweet Music Together By Jennifer Frey

[ WP ]  Starry, Starry Night By Lynne Duke

For the Toasts of the Town, A Round of Acclamation

[ USA ]  At Kennedy Center, politics asideBy C�sar G. Soriano

[ USA ]  The arts are the stars at Kennedy Center gala By C�sar G. Soriano

[ NYT ]  Kennedy Center Salutes Six Artists By JOHN FILES


News:

[ NYP ]  SHOW GOES ON FOR 'WICKED' COOL IDINA By JOTHAM SEDERSTROM

[ Y ]  Hiatus puts crimp on B.O.

(Variety) � Road grosses fell 13.2% to $13,158,251 during Week 26 (Nov. 22-28).

[ Y ]  Reddin, Forsman take '24 Hour' jobs

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 6

[ P ]  Ringwald, Biggs, Harris and Bierko Open in Modern Orthodox Dec. 6

[ P ]  Gem of the Ocean Docks on Broadway as August Wilson Play Opens Dec. 6

[ P ]  Sugar Babies Creator Ralph G. Allen to Be Remembered at Dec. 6 Memorial in NYC

[ P ]  Playwrights Wasserstein and Rudnick Team for Feb. 16 Event

[ P ]  Hairspray Star to Enter the "Broadway Spotlight" Jan. 10

[ P ]  Jason Graae Begins Run in One-Man Show at Helen's Dec. 6

[ P ]  Mary Poppins Begins London Previews Dec. 6

[ P ]  Broadway Gypsies Compete in Annual BC/EFA Fundraiser Dec. 6 and 7

posted at 12/6/2004 08:08:52 AM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

Sunday, December 05, 2004

[ NYP ]  B'WAY BIGOT DRAMA By PHILIP MESSING, MICHAEL RIEDEL and HASANI GITTENS
A letter-writing racist mailed a hate-filled death threat to actor Taye Diggs, threatening "burn" and "castrate" the African-American actor because of his interracial marriage to Broadway star Idina Menzel, police sources said.

[ ST ]  Broadway team takes aim at "Robin Hood" By Misha Berson
Composer Peter Sipos, lyricist-director Martin Charnin and writer Thomas Meehan are working together on a musical version of "Robin Hood," having a first run at Village Theatre in Issaquah.
Thanks to American Theater Web for the link.

Features:

[ P ]  STAGE TO SCREEN: Getting "Closer"

[ LAT ]  Epic extravaganza By David Gritten

Michael Crawford? Much too old. The chandelier? Falling in a blaze of glory. After 15 years, 'Phantom of the Opera' moves from the stage to the big screen.

[ DN ]  A maid, a man, his mask and his organ by Henry Cabot Beck
How will "The Phantom of the Opera," opening Dec. 22, stack up against the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical on which it's based and the various movie versions of Gaston Leroux's 1910 Gothic horror-romance novel?

[ NYP ]  LIZ SMITH
Larry Gelbart on Cy Coleman.

[ NYT ]  ASTORIA
The 'My Girl' Girl, Now Grown, Sets Off to Chase Her Muse Again By JEFF VANDAM

In the basement basketball court of the Presbyterian Church of Astoria in Queens, Anna Chlumsky was restarting her acting career as Isabella, the virginal young heroine of Shakespeare's dark comedy "Measure for Measure."

[ ND ]  Echoes of a great big voice by CARL MACGOWAN
What: "Ethel Merman's Broadway," at Queens Theatre in the Park.
Why: She's been singing the late musical-comedy star's songs for 17 years, but growing up, Rita McKenzie was no fan of the brassy Broadway legend.

[ BG ]  'Embedded' aims to take viewers on a wild and informative ride By Louise Kennedy

Thanks to American Theater Web for the following articles:

[ SD ]  For Globe's 70th, a birthday bash, and more By Jennifer de Poyen
A new play about Ann Landers, a comedy about the making of "Gone With the Wind," a 90th birthday party for Craig Noel, and three Shakespeare plays from the theater's inaugural year are highlights of the Old Globe's 70th summer season, to be announced today by artistic director Jack O'Brien and executive director Louis G. Spisto.

[ HT ]  Touring production of 'Phantom' returns just in time for screen version By JAY HANDELMAN

[ OCR ]  Flecks instead of nuggets By PAUL HODGINS

A new version of 'Paint Your Wagon' solves some of the 1951 gold-rush musical's problems but creates a few fresh ones.

News:

[ NYT ]  Frances Chaney Dies at 89; Rising Star Blacklisted Along With Lardner By JENNIFER BAYOT
Frances Chaney was a radio star whose budding film career was stifled after she and her husband, Ring Lardner Jr., were placed on a Hollywood blacklist.

[ IBDB ]  Frances Chaney's Broadway Credits

[ WP ]  A Holiday Gift for the Kennedy Center By Jacqueline Trescott

Chairman Donates $10 Million to Theater Programs

[ B ]  La Jolla Playhouse Extends Jersey Boys Through January 16

[ P ]  Today In Theatre History: DECEMBER 5

[ P ]  Paula Vogel's Baltimore Waltz Opens Dec. 5 at Signature; Mark Brokaw Directs

[ P ]  New Show Tunes Emerge in Men's Songbook Cabaret Dec. 5 at NYC's Opia

[ P ]  Sam Harris Books Joe's Pub Gig in January

[ P ]  Tell Me on a Sunday: Crystal Reminisces About Days with Dad in 700 Sundays

[ P ]  Seth Rudetsky Scores a Coup for Dec. 9 Chatterbox

[ P ]  First-Ever Rebroadcast of Julie Andrews "Cinderella" Airs on WNET/Thirteen Dec. 5


Reviews:

[ BG ]  Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical 'Cinderella' story returns By Catherine Foster
Probably those who will get the most out of it will be those who saw the original special, Julie Andrews fans, or old television buffs. But younger audiences, used to color, clarity, and quick takes, may react like the three little girls at my house, ages 6 through 9, who fled after five minutes.

[ CU ]  By the Bog of Cats

[ CU ]  A Second Hand Memory

[ ND ]  Watching absurdity unfold, chair by chair BY GORDON COX

[ HC ]  HOLIDAY GIFTS: CRITICS PICKS
Theater By FRANK RIZZO

Broadway is having a heck of a 100th birthday.

[ NYP ]  NEW BIO GOT IT, BY JEEVES! By ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST

[ NYT ]  'Wodehouse': The Great Escapist By CHARLES McGRATH

posted at 12/5/2004 01:15:34 PM by Tim Dunleavy | Item Link

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[Past News]
 
     
BROADWAYSTAR'S FIVE DAY FORECAST


2007-08
Broadway Season

June 28 - Old Acquaintance (AA)

July 10 - Xanadu (Hayes) [Robert Ahrens, Dan Vickery, Tara Smith/B. Swibel and Sarah Murchison/Dale Smith]

Aug 19 - Grease (Atkinson)

Oct 4 - Mauritius (Biltmore) [MTC]

Oct 11 - The Ritz (54)

Oct 18 - Pygmalion (AA)

Oct 25 - A Bronx Tale (Kerr)

Nov 1 - Cyrano de Bergerac (Rodgers)

Nov 4 - Rock 'N' Roll (Jacobs)

Nov 8 - Young Frankenstein (Hilton)

Nov 9 - Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (St. James)

Nov 10: Local One Strike Begins

Nov 28: Local One Strike Ends

Dec 2 - Cymbeline (Beaumont)

Dec 3 - The Farnsworth Invention (Music Box) [Dodger Properties with Steven Spielberg, Dan Cap Productions, Fred Zollo, Latitude Link and the Pelican Group]

Dec 4 - August: Osage County (Imperial) [Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler, Jerry Frankel, Steppenwolf]

Dec 6 - The Seafarer (Booth)

Dec 9 - Is He Dead? (Lyceum)

Dec 16 - The Homecoming (Cort) [Richards, Frankel]

Jan 10 - The Little Mermaid (Lunt)

Jan 15 - The 39 Steps (AA)

Jan 17 - November (Barrymore)

Jan 24 - Come Back, Little Sheba (Biltmore)

Feb 21 - Sunday In The Park With George (54)

Feb 28 - Passing Strange (Belasco)

Mar 6 - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Broadhurst) [Stephen C. Byrd]

Mar 9 - In The Heights (Rodgers)

Mar 27 - Gypsy (St. James)

Mar 29 - Macbeth (Lyceum)

Apr 3 - South Pacific (Beaumont)

Apr 17 - A Catered Affair (Kerr) [Jujamcyn Theaters, Jordan Roth, Harvey Entertainment / Ron Fierstein, Richie Jackson and Daryl Roth]

Apr 24 - Cry Baby (Marquis)

Apr 27 - The Country Girl (Jacobs)

Apr 30 - Thurgood (Booth)

May 1 - Les Liaisons Dangereuses (AA)

May 4 - Boeing-Boeing (Longacre)

May 7 - Top Girls (Biltmore)

TBA - Godspell

2008-09
Broadway Season

Oct 16 - Billy Elliot (Imperial)

Nov 08 - Dividing the Estate (a Shubert theater)

Dec 14 - Shrek: The Musical (Broadway) [DreamWorks]

Talked About
Not Scheduled Yet

TBA - 50 Words

TBA - Addams Family (Elephant Eye)

TBA - American Buffalo

TBA - An American Vaudeville [Farrell, Perloff]

TBA - The Beard of Avon [NYTW]

TBA - Being There [Permut]

TBA - Benny & Joon [MGM]

TBA - Billy Elliot

TBA - Brave New World [Rachunow]

TBA - Breath of Life [Fox]

TBA - Busker Alley [Margot Astrachan, Robert Blume, Kristine Lewis, Jamie Fox, Joanna Kerry & Heather Duke]

TBA - Broomhilda

TBA - Bye Bye Birdie [Niko]

TBA - Camille Claudel [Wildhorn]

TBA - Camelot

TBA - Carmen [Robin DeLevita and The Firm]

TBA - Catch Me If You Can

TBA - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Bob and Harvey Weinstein]

TBA - Cry Baby [Grazer, Gordon, McAllister, Epstein]

TBA - Designing Women [Alexis]

TBA - Don Juan DeMarco [New Line]

TBA - Dreamgirls [Creative Battery]

TBA - Duet

TBA - Equus

TBA - Ever After [Adam Epstein]

TBA - Fallen Angels (Shubert) [Kenwright]

TBA - Farragut North [Richards]

TBA - Father of the Bride

TBA - The Female Of The Species (TBA)

TBA - Fool For Love (AA) [Roundabout]

TBA - Girl Group Time Travelers

TBA - Golden Boy

TBA - Harmony [Guiles, Karslake, Smith, Fishman]

TBA - Hitchcock Blonde

TBA - The Importance Of Being Earnest

TBA - Jerry Springer: The Opera! [Thoday, McKeown]

TBA - Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train (Circle)

TBA - Josephine [Waissman]

TBA - Leap of Faith

TBA - A Little Princess [Ettinger, Dodger]

TBA - Midnight Cowboy [MGM]

TBA - The Minstrel Show - Kander and Ebb and Stroman

TBA - Moonstruck [Pittelman, Azenberg]

TBA - Mourning Becomes Electra [Haber, Boyett]

TBA - Monsoon Wedding

TBA - The Night of the Hunter

TBA - The Opposite of Sex [Namco]

TBA - Orphans

TBA - Pal Joey [Platt]

TBA - Paper Doll

TBA - The Paris Letter

TBA - The Philadelphia Story

TBA - Peter Pan

TBA - Porgy and Bess [Frankel, Viertel, Baruch, Routh, Panter, Tulchin/Bartner]

TBA - The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert

TBA - The Princess Bride

TBA - Princesses [Lane, Comley]

TBA - Poe the Musical

TBA - Rain Man [MGM]

TBA - Robin Hood

TBA - Secondhand Lions

TBA - South Pacific

TBA - Speed-the-Plow

TBA - Stalag 17

TBA - Starry Messenger

TBA - Syncopation

TBA - A Tale Of Two Cities

TBA - Torch Song Trilogy

TBA - Turn of the Century

TBA - West Side Story

TBA - The Wall [Weinstein, Mottola, Waters]

TBA - Will Rogers Follies [Cossette]

TBA - The Wiz [Dodger]

TBA - Zanna [Dalgleish]

This list is compiled from various sources. If you have corrections to the Broadway Season, please contact us.

 
   


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