“Life is a mercurial thing; it goes up, it goes down,” the Tony winning performer Chuck Cooper told me in an impromptu sidewalk interview this past week — a week that all by itself illustrated his point. The community was in the midst of mourning the death of Cirque performer Sarah Guyard Guillot when we learned of the sudden death of Glee performer Cory Monteith.
But there were all sorts of other reminders of the particular joy that comes from a life as a theater lover — which is to say, both theater makers and theatergoers. I write about the show, “She Loves Me,” that first got me on stage (in middle school) and what happened when I saw it again at Caramoor festival this summer.
This is a week I finally figured out how to use my video camera, and went crazy with it. Below are videos (or links to videos) of 1. Broadway in Bryant Park performances from “Pippin,” “Cinderella,” “Stomp,” and “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.” 2. Video interviews with Ann Harada, currently in “Cinderella”, and 3. Chuck Cooper, soon in “Romeo and Juliet.” 3. Broadway Barks.
The Week in New York Theater
Monday, July 8, 2013
New York Theatre Musical Festival opens, running through July 28th. Preview of ten of the shows.
The Trip to Bountiful with Cicely Tyson has been extended through October 9, 2013
The New York Philharmonic will perform Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd with Bryn Terfell next season, March 5-8, 2014. 13
Did disappointing Tonys affect Matilda at the box office? NO. It’s sold out (100%) every week since. The average ticket price has now climbed to $114.
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Tony-winning 1997 musical Titanic will get a one-night only concert at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall Feb 17, 2014. Cast TBA
Stephen Schwartz is working on “Schikaneder,” a German-language musical about Mozart’s librettist,aiming for Vienna 2015. #NotWicked
“For Sasoun” pays tribute to Cirque de Soleil artist/mother/teacher Sarah “Sasoun” Guyard-Guillot who died at 31
The accidental death is the latest of the troubles plaguing Cirque
Miss the PBS documentary “Annie: It’s the Hard-Knock Life, From Script to Stage“? The full hour-long documentary is now online
Even if my career doesn’t go well as an actress, I’ll always have academics. But this has always been my dream~Junah, age 9
Best boy–>girl pickup line, says Mary McCabe (@Purpleviolin91):
I like musicals
and I’m straight
and I’ll sing with you
Sean Bryan @seanjbryan: I fulfill the first two, but I really shouldn’t sing. That’ll end the relationship fast.
She Loves Me, The Musical That Changed Our Lives
For the first time in its 68-year history, the Caramoor Summer Music Festival, located some 45 miles north of New York City’s theater district, decided to present a complete Broadway musical and cast top-notch Broadway performers. The festival chose “She Loves Me,” which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. I had not seen “She Loves Me” since I was cast as the lead ..in the I.S. 70 production
Robert LoBiondo @Bobster427 I love it too (performed at NYU)
Alexandra Silber @alsilbs (one of the stars of She Loves Me) Very sweet. We had such an amazing time.
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Cher or Mother Teresa? Whose life story should be on Broadway? (So far, Cher is leading.)
Before the parade passes by
I’ve gotta get some life back into my life~
Happy 82nd birthday Jerry Herman (Hello,Dolly; Mame etc)
My review of Monkey Journey To The West
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Broadway in Bryant Park
Ann Harada sings from Cinderella, and talks about her career (Smash, the 10th anniversary of Avenue Q)
Three songs from the Off-Broadway musical “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812”
Stomp
Gwydion Suilebhan sums up Howlround chat about art and technology: Greek root of technology ( “techne”) MEANS art.
Kickstarter gave more arts-related grants last year ($300+ million) than did the National Endowment for the Arts ($146 million)
NYC audiences “appreciates a good show – and show healthy enthusiasm for a bad one,too”~ envious Aussie critic
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Peter Pan is hot. Peter Pan and the Starcatcher is still at New World Stages, and TWO Peter Pan musicals are reportedlyaiming for Broadway, says NYP: Finding Neverland, based on the Johnny Depp movie, and Fly, a musical with a book by Rajiv Joseph, who wrote the play “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” starring Robin Williams.
Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, Sony & Universal all have screen-to-Broadway operations. Now 20th Century Fox will too… Now 20th Century Fox is partnering with Kevin McCollum (Rent, @AvenueQMusical, @MotownMusical) to turn its movies into Broadway musicals Lots of talk of what 20th Century Fox movie would make a good musical. Ice Age could work. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, not.
Itamar Moses on why there’s no Reality Theater: “You can’t put nonactors onstage w/ no script…It’s easier to forget a camera” than it is the people in an audience
Tony Kushner: Musicals should not be about success alone,they can (citing Auden) “sing of human unsuccess/in a rapture of distress”
Tony Winner Chuck Cooper On What It Takes
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15th annual Broadway Barks
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R.I.P. Cory Monteith: Video Remembrance. Nine videos of him singing, acting, and answering questions in interviews.
I just found you and i love your blog. Not sure how i have missed this. I just ended a 30 year career of teaching theatre. That means i can come to NY more often now.
Thanks! What did you teach specifically, and where?