Two shows are opening on Broadway this coming week, the middle of the summer: “Bring It On: The Musical” on Wednesday and “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth” on Thursday. This past week in New York theater had its own kind of cheerleading and prizefighting.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sitcom Monday:
Edward Albee, Stephen Sondheim, Tony Kushner, and more than 500 other people have signed this letter by Jon Robin Baitz supporting playwright David Adjmi, whose play “3C,” a spoof of “Three’s Company,” ran recently at Rattlestick Theater. “Mr Adjmi has received a threatening “Protest Letter” from the law firm of Kenyon & Kenyon, which represents DLT Entertainment, the owners of the long defunct TV sitcom Three’s Company. The letter accuses him of copyright infringement….”
Inclement weather has bumped the first preview of Into the Woods at Shakespeare in the Park from today to tomorrow.
TV sitcom Green Acres (1965-71; Eddie Albert,Eva Gabor) turning into Broadway-aimed musical.
What’s next, Gomer Pyle the musical? Gilligan’s Island the Musical? McHale’s Navy the musical? My Mother The Car? What 60’s sitcoms could be adapted for Broadway?
Jeff Kyler (@JKsTheatreScene): Gilligan’s Island already has been made into a musical. Playbill calls it Broadway-aimed.
Robert John Garcia (@GarciaRobert) I saw a tour of Gilligan’s Island the musical and it was very bad. I would love to see Bewitched!
Sandra Doshner Car 54 – the story’s already in the theme song.
Linda Essig (@LindaInPhoenix): F-troop. Also, All in The Family, but only if developed by the creators of Next to Normal.
Meryl Wheeler (@MamaMeryl) :Oooh, can we please have The Patty Duke Show on Broadway w/the Olsen Twins as Patty and Cathy? “Cousins, identical cousins”
Marie Just Marie (@d3sk_ Laverne & Shirley
Linda Essig: I was joking about F-troop, but Laverne and Shirley would work.
My review Dogfight at Second Stages
Well-staged and wonderfully acted by a 11-member cast that includes stand-out Lindsay Mendez as Rose, “Dogfight” as a musical deserves attention. So much veteran talent is involved in creating this stage adaptation, and it shows – swift, competent direction by Joe Montello (Wicked, Assassins), well-integrated, muscular choreography by Chris Gattelli (Newsies), an interesting two-tiered set and apt costume design by David Zinn (Seminar, Other Desert Cities). But it is the newcomers that have generated the most excitement for this chamber musical: composer-lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and librettist Peter Duchan. And it is their work with which I have the most problems, especially Duchan’s whose book tries to be faithful to both the letter and the spirit of the film, which starred Lili Taylor and River Phoenix, who died two years later.
Harvey Fierstein @HarveyFierstein They asked me to play me in SMASH. Do I have the required range. I’ve heard I’m quite brilliant.
The Drama League Theater Center opens later this year at 32 Sixth Ave (Tribeca), with focus on education,though some play readings
Working, Stephen Schwartz’s 1978 adaptation of Studs Terkel bestseller, with new material by Linn Manuel Miranda, will be presented at Primary Stages Dec 1-30Working deserves new life. Lasted 3 weeks,but got 5 Tony noms,& includes the only songs James Taylor has written for the theater
Why aren’t more theatermakers theater critics, asks director Sherri Kronfeld on Howlround.
Robert Falls (@RobertFalls201): Isn’t it simple? We endure enuff criticism, do we need it from colleagues? And painful to consider publicly criticizing other artists.
Tony Adams (@halcyontony) Criticism isn’t (shouldn’t be) negative by default though.
Rob Weinert-Kendt It’s not but has to be free to go there.
Christopher Shinn (@Chris_Shinn) Only way we grow is by contemplating critiques,whether from others or oneself.Theater artists need to work on this
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Ghost will play its final performance on Sat, Aug 18,after 39 previews & 136 regular performances.
Lindsay Albright (@Lindsay1086) That is not right!!! This show is amazing
Complete list of nominations for the New York Independent Theater Awards @NYITAwards, honoring the best Off-Off Broadway
First Tweets since her injury on the set of The Good Wife:
To all my fans: thank you for support and love! Doin better everyday. More to come when im Able!
— Kristin Chenoweth (@KChenoweth) July 24, 2012
Sounds dramatic: but im thankful to be here. I love this life! And am grateful! GoodnIght XO
— Kristin Chenoweth (@KChenoweth) July 25, 2012
Harrison,TX:Three Plays by Horton Foote plays,directed by Pam MacKinnon (Clybourne Park) tonight through September 1 at Primary Stages
Kennedy,remake of Allan Jay Friedman’s 1983 musical One Shining Moment,aims for Bway in Nov 2013 (50 years after assassination)
Danny DeVito may finally make his Broadway debut, in The Sunshine Boys, currently playing in London, with co-star Richard Griffiths
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
I am really sorry for this firestorm.For my words, for responses, for the chaos.I am so sorry.I had NO idea this would turn into this.
— morgan james (@morganajames) July 25, 2012
Into The Woods First Preview: Attack on Attack by Morgan James, updated with counterattack, defense and then her apologies
Teal Wicks (Wicked) to join Constantine Maroulis and Deborah Cox in the revival of Frank Wildhorn’s “Jekyll and Hyde” aiming for Broadway in April 2013
Returning to Wicked as Fiyero: Kyle Dean Massey
Dani Guitelman (@bookworm455): And I legit just told someone last night I had no interest in seeing @Wicked_Musical again. Damn you @kyledeanmassey!
Mark your calendars: Broadway on Broadway,free concert glimpsing new season (and old favorites), will be held Sun. Sept 9,11:30 am
“God,I think I’ve got it!/I think I’ve got it!/I knew he liked me all the time!”~A Chorus Line,opened on Bway on this date in 1975
My favorite Chorus Line song: Nothing
” So I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
To see how an ice cream felt
Yes, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
And I tried to melt
…Nothing!”
Blake Ross (@PlaybillBlake): Mine? “It was an Indian chief and he’d say, ‘Maggie, do you wanna dance? And I’d say, ‘Daddy, I would love to’
Thursday, July 26, 2012
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
~George Bernard Shaw, 156 years old today
Shaw BEGAN as theater critic and “decided to write plays in order to illustrate his criticism of the English stage,” according to his biography on the Nobel Prize website.
He is the only writer awarded both the Nobel Prize for Literature and an Oscar, wrote 63 plays, far more than Shakespeare (lived 41 years longer)
jleviknapp (@jleviknapp): Thanks @newyorktheater I just read a bunch of Shaw quotes and feel much smarter than I did when I woke up.
A Christmas Story, musical by team who wrote Dogfight, will run Nov 5-Dec 30 at Lunt-Fontanne (theater where Ghost ends Aug 18.)
Welcome to the world George Matthew, newborn son of Jenny Powers (Grease etc) and Matt Cavenaugh (West Side Story).
Broadway in Bryant Park
The Fantasticks – including speech by John Davidson, interview with Aaron Carter, the pre-Bieber Bieber, and the song “Soon It’s Gonna Rain”
My Boyfriend’s Back
My Eyes Adored You
Walk Like A Man
Excerpt from performance by Voca People, those weird white people
Friday, June 27, 2012
Henry Winkler and Cheyenne Jackson set to play porn stars in David West Read’s ‘The Performers. Opens Bway Nov 14 at Longacre
I’m not sure which is more shocking, that there’s some story about porn actors coming to Broadway, or Henry Winkler stars in it.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Innovative choreographer Bob Fosse (1927-1987) winner of 9 Tony Awards,is on a new stamp issued today by the U.S. Postal Service stamps http://bit.ly/PNFpK1 to mark National Dance Day
Three other innovative choreographers are on postage stamps released today – Jose Limon, Katherine Dunham and Isadora Duncan.While all are best-known for pioneering in modern dance, all three performed on Broadway.
Matilda, London’s hit, is officially a Broadway show now that it has its own Twitter feed: @MatildaBroadway. Arriving March, 2013.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Which plays or musicals that have #horrified some preview theatergoers have gone on to great success?
Marie just Marie: HELLO, DOLLY! evidently received horrid reviews for its premiere. Carol Channing talks about it in her documentary.
Robert Falls: MOVIN’ OUT in Chicago previews – Tharp did remarkable work & turned it into a hit
Those of us who missed (snubbed by) Lincoln Center can still see the / Uncle Vanya that continues at Soho Rep through August 26th. We can also eat at Uncle Vanya
