August is a time for Broadway closings — Fela (Aug 4), Memphis and Harvey (Sun Aug 5) Ghost (Aug 18), Sister Act (Aug 26th) — but this week, two shows actually opened on Broadway, which is unusual.
Monday, July 30, 2012
The Public Theater is presenting Into The Woods in a “special family-friendly matinee” August 22 at 3 p.m. at Delacorte in Central Park
Isaac Butler (@parabasis): Is it missing the second act?
The Public Theater (@PublicTheaterNY): Correct, it’s Act 1 only.
Isaac Butler: Wow, I called it.
By the time Memphis closes on August 5, it will have recouped its $12 million investment. Only took 1,166 performances!
Will Chase takes over for Matthew Broderick in Nice Work If You Can Get It Aug. 21- 26
Blake Ross (@PlaybillBlake): On hiatus from the Bruno Mars musical at LaMaMa. (a reference to Chase’s character in “Smash”)
First Janis Joplin, now Fellini’s wife:Tony winner Nina Arianda will play Giulietta Masina in new *film* “Fellini Black and White
29 seconds of boring video of the on-location shoot
Leslie Odom Jr. (@leslieodomjr): Cover blown. 🙂
Jonathan Mandell (@NewYorkTheater): Even the back of your head is distinctive! Do you know when this episode will air?
Leslie Odom Jr.: This is a scene with a cameo from a returning favorite character (probably shouldn’t mention who) from 2nd episode of 2nd season.
(BROADWAY) SONG OF LIFE
What song from a Broadway musical best sums up your life (or your personality)?
Shoshana Greenberg ( @Vmarshmellow): “Anyone Can Whistle” because I can’t.
“@Quotergal”: I’d *like* it to be “The Last Midnight” from INTO THE WOODS but “I’m Still Here” from FOLLIES more accurate. ; ]
Lacey Avionics (@alickzandria): Popular from Wicked. Just kidding. Probably “Schadenfreude” from Avenue Q 🙂
(Broadway star–>) Stephanie Beach ( @StephanieJBeach): At the risk of sounding clichéd, “Defying Gravity.”
Robert Gonzales Jr. (@argeejay_nyc): Feels like “Another Hundred People” but usually “Everybody Says Don’t
“Opera Mouth” (@operamouth) What I did for Love (Chorus Line)
“JJJ” (@Jonjarjo): The Impossible Dream (Man of La Mancha) & Believe In Yourself (The Wiz)
Liz ( @landwarsinasia): This week I’m “Not for the Life of Me” from Thoroughly Modern Millie… but that will change when my plucky streak runs out.
Joshua Bastian Cole (@jbastiancole): At the moment, “I Hope I Get It” – A Chorus Line
Michael Kimmel (@Mkimml): Totally Fucked from Spring Awakening
—
INTO THE WOODS in the park was beautiful!! I think I just moved it to my number one fav musical. Always a close battle with Sweeney.
— Rory O’Malley (@RoryOMalley) July 31, 2012
@newyorktheater into woods, Sweeney, Sunday, ragtime, and sound of music, evita,secret garden…. Les miz was my first show. Gotta love it— Rory O’Malley (@RoryOMalley) July 31, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
End of the Rainbow, about the final days of Judy Garland, will play its final performance on Broadway on August 19th.
Aiming for Bway in 2013: I Will, I Can, new musical based loosely on Sammy Davis, Jr., composed by Patrick William (Breaking Away)
Best of the New York Musical Theater Festival “A Letter to Harvey Milk” and “Baby Case” (based on the Lindbergh baby abduction) dominating the awards
Economic reasons for the embargo on (professional) reviews.
Why must reviews wait until a show “opens”? Otherwise,says legendary producer Manny Azenberg,the misery of bad reviews is too spread out; it would be “like getting operated on every day.”
Another legendary producer, Roger Berlind, says that it’s easier for audiences to disseminate their opinions during previews, which he thinks “can be destructive to the process.” But, he said, “nobody pays much attention to the bloggers anyway
Diep Tran (@diepthought): I laugh these days every time I hear some1 say “no one listens to bloggers.” They don’t spend enough time online
Rob Weinert-Kendt (@RobKendt ):”They don’t spend enough time online” is a terrible putdown. In sane world that would be a compliment.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Gore Vidal, erudite author and irritant, gadfly and elegant elitist, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, activist, has died at age 86.
His play, “The Best Man,” is currently running at the Gerald Schoenfeld until September 9th.
“I’m never surprised by bad behavior; I expect it.”
“The hatred Americans have for their own government is pathological, if understandable”
“All in all, I would not have missed this century for the world”
—
Two Wallace Shawn plays will be presented at the Public Theater in 2013: Designated Mourner and Grasses of 1000 Colors, both directed by Andre Gregory. Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory have collaborated together for 40 years, as writer and director. They also starred together in the film My Dinner with Andre
Mac Rogers (@macwrites): I’m basically counting the hours for this.
Launching today: The Lit Fund, created by some 60 NY theaters to support NY independent theater
My review of Bring It On!
“FDR was a cheerleader….Madonna was a cheerleader…Michael Jordan was a cheerleader,” sing the cast of “Bring It On,” a musical based on a movie about two competing high school cheerleading squads, adapted by some of the talent behind “Next To Normal,” “Avenue Q” and “In The Heights.”
The first surprise of “Bring It On The Musical,” which played a long national tour before now opening at the St. James Theater for 12 weeks, is that people as awesome as Tony winners Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tom Kitt were drawn to remake a largely forgettable film that spawned four direct-to-video sequels….The second surprise:
“Bring It On The Musical,” though overly long and inevitably formulaic, works as a kind of summer entertainment, by building on the strengths of the original movie, and avoiding some of its flaws.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Olympic gymnast @DanellJLeyva, who’s 20, blunt-spoken and hot, won a bronze medal.He reportedly wants to act in Broadway musicals.
BROADWAY IN BRYANT PARK
The Craze from One Man, Two Guvnors
Mike Tyson Undisputed Truth Theater Review roundup
Friday, August 3, 2012
Will Slings & Arrows live again? An update
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Street Theater Series: Schuyler Howland, a theatrical and film make-up artist turned street accordion player in order to pay the rent: “A lot of theater companies want a make-up artist who also knows hairstyling, which cuts down the jobs I can for after by 90 percent.”
Sunday, August 5, 2012
It’s
