Newsies Heading to Broadway

Everyone is waiting for this one!

This show is probably gonna be awesome.  I was so happy to see this write up on Jezebel.  I'd say they nailed it.  And it led me to this.  Spot Collins! Brooklyn forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman in "Can you get that"

Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman are currently staring in A Steady Rain, on Broadway. And this lucky, albeit disrespectful, theatre goer caught an ad lib mother load the other night. Jackman visibly loses focus when a cell phone begins to buzz loudly, and requests that the theatre patron please answer the phone. Unfortunately our rude theatre-goer does not respond to Jackman's request and the phone continues to buzz. Eventually the vibrating becomes so distracting that even Daniel Craig gets in on the act and we have a truly live theatre moment. Check it out.



I think videos like this bring up an interesting question for theatre followers. Are these videos, which themselves are very disrespectful of the actors and production team, worth posting? On the one hand to see an audience member berated for their inappropriate behaviour is highly entertaining, and actually informative. Because truthfully cell phones and proper phone etiquette have been around long enough for incidents like this to not occur. But, on the other, the act of watching pirated theatre videos only perpetuates unseemly audience behaviour. And so, while we at EAP will probably continue to post them, because they are news worthy and hilarious - I would say as someone who would NEVER record a professional production in this manner, that doing so offends the production and takes away from the intimate quality theatre affords. Every experience in the theatre is unique, including the one above. Is it fair to record that moment? Theatre in its nature is for the individuals present and them alone. By bootlegging live theatre you not only water down the experience, because let's face theatre on film is yucky usually, you rob the audience, actors and crew of what's theres' in a profoundly deceitful way. That's just my opinion. What's yours?

Gawker does a NYC theatre round-up

I read Gawker quite a bit, because I find so much of their stuff to be hilarious, and wit is a welcomed addition to news reporting. But today I was pleasantly surprised to see Richard had done a theatre round-up. It isn't very in-depth but it is great to see Broadway and all the recent star power on the Great White Way getting so much press. Click here to see Gawker's theatre round-up.

The reviews of the revival of Guys and Dolls is in ...

Guys and Dolls, one of everybodies all-time favourites has been revived for Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre. And according to Ben Brantley, who I almost always agree with, it sucks. This is bad news for me, because I never got to see the Nathan Lane, Faith Prince revival of the early 90's, which was revered, and I had been hoping I'd get to see this one. But now I am not sure it's worth the $90 + a ticket. Click the link to read the full review. Even the Globe and Mail's J. Kelly Nestruck reviewed G and D, he also thought it lacked chemistry and heart. Click here to read his review. Richard Ouzounian's review for The Star is here.

And yes, that is Lauren Graham, of TV's Gilmore Girls as Adelaide. Image courtesy of the New York Times.

Sad News For The Story of My Life

From Richard Ouzounian's piece in today's Star -

"The Story of My Life, the musical written by Torontonians Neil Bartram and Brian Hill, closed on Broadway on Sunday afternoon after only five performances.

The two-character story about the lifelong friendship between two men was first produced by the Canadian Stage Company in 2006.

Virtually all of the New York reviews of the show, which opened on Thursday night, were extremely negative, with words like 'flavourless,' 'shopworn' and 'sentimental' being used by critics from the major Manhattan dailies. It's expected to lose all of its $5 million budget."

So sad.

Richard also got around to reviewing Janna Polzin as Maria in The Sound of Music. As I have mentioned on the blog I have heard nothing but positive things about her performances and I was actually a bit disappointed to see Elicia, although she was wonderful. I am glad to see that Janna is finally getting some much deserved publicity.

Check this out

Another Canadian musical makes it to Broadway. I mean Neil Bartram and Brain Hill are expats, but they still love Canada, or so they say. Check it out.

Boy I'd Love to see this

Buoyant Broadway

Despite the recent onslaught of closures on Broadway, things, both here in Toronto, and south of the border appear to be stable, if not going strong. Yes, there have been setbacks, Rob Roy being the saddest in my opinion. But if one takes a look at the theatre call sheets there are still plenty of shows to go see. And prices have dropped to the point that we all might be able to go back to the theatre. Of course there are still signs of weakness. There are a lot more revivals planned for 2009, and a lot of new stuff that isn't actually new. And runs of new productions are being scheduled for conservatively short runs. But in my opinion even those negatives are positives, because it means that the theatre world has adapted to the current marketplace, rather than trying to defy it. Investors are being smart right now in recognizing that good quality standards are going to keep the industry afloat until capital returns for risky investments. It also means that new projects that get the green light are going to have to be worth it, and well done. That in turn means that we wont be seeing over-the-top junk, (ehm Tale of Two Cities.) Theatre might be able, in these lean times, to be more creative. Limitations often provide the best opportunity for creativity, so I for one am excited about this season of theatre.

OMG Patti is so fierce

This might be even better than when she stared the audience down for the incessant phone calls.



I only want to be a DIVA if I can be just like Patti.

"Call Cutta in a Box"

check out this UrbanEye video about this new theatre piece premiering at the Goethe-Institut in New York. Sounds really cool.

Briefs

First up, Pal Joey, the 1940 musical about a Chicago hoofer who keeps reaching for the big time - while breaking many female hearts along the way - opens Dec. 18 in a new version put together by Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54.

Pal Joey is a limited engagement through Feb. 15, 2009. The musical is produced in association with Marc Platt.

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Emmy Award winner Jeremy Piven has abruptly (and... for some reason I saw this one coming) departed the acclaimed revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow, citing high levels of mercury, according to Variety.

Piven, who has already missed a few performances of the revival, informed the show's producers that his ill health is due to a high mercury count.

Playwright Mamet told Daily Variety, "I talked to Jeremy on the phone and he told me that he discovered that he had a very high level of mercury. So my understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer."

Susan Blackwell workshop

Playbill.com is reporting that one of my favorite [tos]ers Susan Blackwell is giving a one day creativity workshop in New York in January. How I hope that fits into my schedule. I would die to meet her, especially since Justin already did. Check out the article here.

Patti's show closes early in NYC

Sad news arrived this morning from New York as yet another musical will be closing early. Gypsy, starring Patti LuPone is now scheduled to close well over a month prior to the original announced day, Andrew Gans of playbill.com explains:

"The current revival of Gypsy — starring Tony Award winners Patti LuPone, Boyd Gaines and Laura Benanti and directed by its librettist, Arthur Laurents — will now end its run at the St. James Theatre Jan. 11, 2009, rather than the previously announced March 1, 2009.

In a statement producer Roger Berlind said, "Though we originally announced that Gypsy would play its final performance on March 1, 2009, due to these uncertain financial times my partners and I have made the difficult decision to close instead on January 11, 2009."

When it closes, the production will have played a total of 27 previews and 332 regular performances.

The Broadway production of Gypsy won three 2008 Tony Awards: for stars LuPone, Benanti and Gaines."

Troubles on Broadway

I woke up this morning and like almost every morning I visited the nytimes.com theatre section, where I found a great article on the economic woes of Broadway, and more specifically, the woes of Young Frankenstein.

There has been a legitimate amount of fear running through Broadway recently, as every week there seems to be a new announcement of a show closing. The overwhelming fear as of late comes from news of shocking closings, especially from shows that have just opened and days later announce their demise. Last week, American Buffalo with Haley Joel Osment, John Leguizamo and Cedric the Entertainer opened and unexpectedly closed in the matter of 7 days. 13 and Spamelot both announced their closing dates over the past few days.

Check out the article that explains how arrogance was the largest problem when it came to Young Frankenstein and its demise.

Click on the link below:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/theater/25fran.html?ref=theater

Apollo Theatre to hold premiere of 'Dreamgirls'

The upcoming national tour of the Henry Krieger-Tom Eyen Motown musical, Dreamgirls, will premiere at Harlem's historic Apollo Theater in November 2009.

Robert Longbottom will direct and co-choreograph the national tour.

Producers of the national tour will hold auditions for Dreamgirls' central trio of The Dreams, including the roles of Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White, on Nov. 22 at the Apollo Theatre

Producer John Breglio released a statement regarding the decision. "The opening scene in Dreamgirls takes place in the legendary Apollo Theater, so it is only fitting that we are launching the national tour at this historic venue. The prospect that we may discover the new Dreams at the Apollo, where so many stars were discovered, just adds to our excitement in bringing this great musical back to the stage."

Tickets for Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater go on sale Jan. 26, 2009, at 10 AM via Ticketmaster.com and the Apollo Theater box office.

Minnelli will appear on 'Rosie Live'

Very exciting news from New York yesterday as it was announced that Liza Minnelli will appear on the premiere taping of the upcoming variety show Rosie Live. Liza Minnelli is currently in New York rehearsing her scheduled December 3rd return to Broadway in a limited run of Liza's at the Palace . . .!

TVweek.com is reporting that Minnelli, Kathy Griffin, Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski, Ne-Yo and singer Alanis Morissette are the guests for the NBC variety special, which will air Nov. 26 at 9 PM ET live from New York's Little Shubert Theatre.

Rosie Live, according to a previous NBC press release, will feature "a topical monologue, musical production numbers and hilarious comedy sketches." The program is produced by Universal Media Studios in association with KidRo Productions. O'Donnell and David Friedman are the executive producers.

This is VERY, VERY exciting.