Tonight, August 20th, will see an 11:30PM performance of Don’t Quit Your Night Job at The Julia Miles Theater. The variety show of music, sketches, and improv has already been a hit at Joe’s Pub and the Zipper Factory Theater, and tonight it steps up with a killer cast of Broadway stalwarts, like Sutton Foster (Tony Award winner, currently in Shrek: The Musical), Karen Olivo (Anita in West Side Story, recently publicly courted by Prince), Marc Kudisch (Broadway leading man and ex husband of Kristin Chenoweth), Brian D’Arcy James, and Martha Plimpton, to name a few.
Speaking of Sutton Foster, her almost-as-successful brother, Hunter Foster (what a family!) will be one of four cast members in the New York premiere of Ordinary Days, presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Roundabout Underground from October 2 to December 13.
Star of stage and screen John Lithgow will join fellow Tony winner Jennifer Ehle for the off-Broadway production of Mr. and Mrs. Fitch, beginning previews January 26 at the Second Stage Theater. Written by Douglas Carter Beane, the play tells the story of two gossip columnists who learn just how meaningless celebrity is.
Only a few shows can be dragged on as long as Rent and still be welcome, relevant, and poweful. The current tour, starring Rent originals (and greats!) Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, will tour into January 2010. So there’s still time, look and see if it’s coming near you! If you haven’t seen Rapp and Pascal, you haven’t seen Rent.
August 20th, 2009 by Courtney Iseman | Posted in Broadway, Entertainment News | Comments (0)
Broadway star gossip for once instead of Hollywood gossip? Why not? There’s a void in gossip for us theatre geeks. Where can we find out the goings on of stage rather than screen for once? We may be a smaller population, but we know our Broadway shows and actors, and we want to know the news.
The Bye Bye Birdie revival’s preview tickets go on sale today, and they’re doing something really cool. At noon, $10.00 tickets go on sale. $10.00! For a Broadway show! That’s absolutely unheard of, and it’s absolutely awesome of the producers to do, since so many people can’t afford Broadway tickets due to the ever inflating cost. This is your chance! And it’s thanks to Bank of America, by the way. Furthermore, Conrad Birdie himself, Nolan Gerard Funk (real name?) with composer Charles Strouse and lyricist Lee Adams will greet humble ticket seekers! Sweet.
Already having performed the role in London, Jerry Springer will play the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago from August 18 to September 6, exlcuding Mondays. He’ll get to sing “Razzle, Dazzle,” which may as well be the theme song for his career.
There is a god! Production on Julie Taymor’s Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark has been stopped! It’s due to a cash flow problem. What?! Backers aren’t lining up to throw their money at a musical about a comic book hero, flitting across the stage in his pajamas? Shocking! Even with the bubbly and glowing Evan Rachel Wood as Mary Jane? Injustice! Well, seriously, what is an injustice is that the pause is just that, a pause, and will reportedly not affect the scheduled preview start-up date of February 25, 2010. Holy Broadway Mockery, Batman.
This seems controversial…The Columbine Project, the story of you guessed it, started previews off-Broadway July 27. This is one of those things that could be really good and profound, or it could be awful and exploitative. Let’s hope it’s the former, so playwright Paul Anthony Storiale walks away with some respect and credibility.
High Fidelity, the stage version of the John Cusack movie, didn’t fare too well on Broadway. But, hopefully it will see a better fate in Chicago, appropos since that’s where the story takes place. So, maybe audiences will feel a special bond with it. The show will run from August 17 to October 11 at the Pipers Alley Theater.
August 10th, 2009 by Courtney Iseman | Posted in Broadway | Comments (0)
Aaron Tveit, Alice Ripley, and J. Robert Spencer in Next to Normal
When you’re visiting New York City, seeing a Broadway show is a must-do on your list of the ultimate New York experiences. Even if you’re living in the NYC area, you may not have cracked into the theatre scene. No matter what the case, finding the show you want to see can be overwhelming. Shows are expensive; you don’t want to just see the first show you hear some good things about.
There is always that handful of shows that are big, dazzling blockbusters, and they’re the draw for tourists, since those are the ones you know about even if you’re not from New York. But these may not be the shows for you. Why not be a little adventurous and see something a little more edgy, obscure, and/or daring? Why not impress everyone with your New York smarts and theater prowess? Most importantly, why not see something exciting that you’ll really love? Read about each show and just skip the ones you always see on TV. Here are just three of the many that are waiting for you.
Next to Normal
This musical goes where many musicals are afraid to go by looking at the modern suburban family at a time of crisis. This isn’t your perfect musical comedy family. This is a real, relatable, raw family, dealing with issues like Bipolar Disorder. It’s all set to an insanely catchy, rocking, moving, and gripping score along the lines of Rent pop rock. Parents Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer are seasoned Broadway stars known for their insane talents. http://www.broadway.com/Next-to-Normal/broadway_show/552478
August: Osage County
This is not your typical family play. August is known for its no holds barred look at Southern family, the Wetsons. This is some family reunion: everyone’s got a problem, and you’re along for the ride. And isn’t that more like real life? Everyone in your family has secrets and dysfunctions. Watch some reality here, sometimes so real it might be uncomfortable, but the incredible acting makes the evening an unforgettable, moving experience that will make you think and feel more than any other song and dance show. http://www.broadway.com/August-Osage-County/broadway_show/562170
Finian’s Rainbow
This is a classic revival, the story of an Irishman, Finian, and his daughter, Sharon, who arrive in the fictional American state “Missitucky” to bury a stolen pot of gold that they believe will then multiply. Trouble is, they’ve been followed by the gold’s owner, Og the leprechaun, all the way from Ireland. It sounds silly, but Finian’s Rainbow is done with a whimsical, fun, romantic, tongue in cheek tone that allows you to forget all your problems and escape to this sweet, dreamy world. And the music is just stunning. Beautiful, ever so sweet, and catchy.
June 22nd, 2009 by admin | Posted in Broadway | Comments (0)
If there is one thing you must do when you visit New York City, it is seeing a live show. Whether it’s the biggest hit on Broadway, or a student performance from the School of American Ballet, there is something for everyone.
Broadway will always be my passion. The moment the lights go down and the curtains go up, I am jittery with excitement. Even if it is a show I am unfamiliar with, the stories are always well-written, the characters perfectly embodied and the sets spectacular.
Live theater for me, as does seeing a movie or going to a concert, helps me to escape the stress of the real world. For two or three hours, I can be transported to another world, and broaden my mind through the creative arts.
Over the years, Broadway has become much more family-friendly. Disney’s presence has expanded to include “Beauty and the Beast”, “Tarzan” and “Mary Poppins.” But most recently on my way to work, I’ve been met with posters for a “Go, Diego, Go Live!” Having seen a few episodes of the bilingual children’s show myself, I can see the attraction and fascination. I can only imagine the excitement of children as they see and sing along to their favorite television character.
For those who want to move away from the chaos of Times Square, Lincoln Center has a great variety of live performances, and I am looking to take advantage. Ballets, operas and live orchestra concerts are just a few offerings to discover.
New York City has such a diverse assortment of performance art, that after living in this city for two-and-a-half years, I need to start experiencing some of it. From Broadway to Brooklyn, musicals to comedy shows, New York City has a wealth of live shows that are ripe for the picking. Because each show commands such discipline and training, perfection and precision, there is no doubt you will enjoy each and every show you see.
Karen J. Quan
(photo credit: thomashawk)
April 15th, 2009 by admin | Posted in Broadway | Comments (0)
Jennifer Garner graced the stage last year in an impressive run in the Broadway production of “Cyrano de Bergerac”. Megan Mullally is currently performing on the Great White Way’s “Young Frankenstein.” And “Dancing With the Stars” contestant Mario Lopez will soon take the lead in “A Chorus Line.” So now, what’s the latest buzz on Broadway? Actress and fashionista Katie Holmes could soon make her way to the Big Apple for her own Broadway debut.
Officially reported as “in final negotiations,” rumors are swirling that that Katie Holmes will join veteran actors John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest in Arthur Miller’s post-World War II drama “All My Sons.” Her first stage performance since high school, Holmes would transition from a movie set to a theater set and perform for a live audience six days a week.
Whether or not this is a publicity stunt or her burning desire to conquer the stage, I am willing to give Katie Holmes a chance. Performing on stage is a true discipline and art in its purest forms. In addition to staying in character, actors must learn their cues, the set and the projection they’ll need to fill the entire theater. They also must connect with the entire audience. There are no second chances and no double takes. If you flub a line, there’s no going back. But perhaps she’s turning a new leaf and looking for a new challenge. Having already proven she’s motivated and accomplished (she trained and completed the New York Marathon last year), Katie Holmes may soon get her chance to prove critics wrong and show the world what a real thespian she can be.
Karen J. Quan
(photo credit: shiftingpoint)
April 13th, 2009 by admin | Posted in Broadway | Comments (0)
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