Dangerous Liaisons indeed.
In American politics, an October Surprise is an unexpected event that could well influence the outcome of the Presidential election; we’ve had more than one this month.
In New York theater, there have been several October surprises recently, few of them any more welcome – but some of them delightful.
Sex, revenge, betrayal, B-roll. Be seduced by this intimate look at Broadway’s sexiest revival. #LiaisonsBway pic.twitter.com/UH6jNx9tDF
— Les Liaisons (@LiaisonsBway) October 29, 2016
Week in New York Theater Reviews
Quan and Tong meet in a refugee camp in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas in 1975, after the fall of Saigon. He wakes her up from a nightmare about the fate of her loved ones back in Vietnam.
But the scene of her bad dream, which doesn’t occur until the end of Act I, is one of the few directly dark ones in “Vietgone.” Playwright Qui Nguyen and director May Adrales find such richly inventive and entertaining ways to tell the story of these two refugees that the play feels wiped clean of the clichés of both the “immigrant experience” and “the hell of war.”
For the first half of Adam Bock’s “A Life” — before its life-changing coup de theatre — David Hyde Pierce as Nate sits on his Eames sofa and seems to be taking stock of his life….But then something happens….It’s the charming, credible, comical and ultimately chilling performance of David Hyde Pierce that makes ‘A Life’ memorable.”
The Week in New York Theater News
Ars Nova, the off-Broadway theater that developed Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, announced that is filing a lawsuit against Howard Kagan, the musical’s lead Broadway producer, for denying the agreed-upon credit to the theater in the program. (If you look online, you’ll see that Ars Nova is listed 31st out of 32 producers.)
Indecent, Paula Vogel’s play about acontroversial 1920s lesbian/Yiddish play, opens April 18 on Broadway! Although Vogel is a much-admired Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, this will mark her Broadway debut. (Indecent delay!)
The Color Purple, which won the Tony for best musical revival this year, is closing January 8, 2017, after 449 regular & 33 preview performances. Then it goes on tour
It’s official: Glenn Close returns in Sunset Boulevar at The Palace on Broadway for 16 weeks, with a 40-piece orchestra. It opens February 9
Starting in Feb., @OfficialALW will have 4 musicals on Broadway – @PhantomBway, @SoRmusical, @CatsBroadway and @sunsetblvd pic.twitter.com/b2reIQoyvV
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) October 25, 2016
NBC has announced its fifth live musical, which will be broadcast in 2017: Bye,Bye,Birdie, starring Jennifer Lopez.
Great news: 9 plays by @DavidHenryHwang @TheReginaTaylor et al for FREE in @SignatureTheatr lobby 1 on 1 @TheatreForOne Nov 2-21 pic.twitter.com/uRDHrelymm
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) October 24, 2016
For those who don’t Theatre for One, my story when it last came to New York: Theatre for One: The Smallest and Most Unsettling Theater in the World.
Hal Prince’s advice to producers: Think art and ideas, not stars and holograms
Playwrights Realm Theatre production of “The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe returns to Duke on 42d St. Nov 29-Dec 24
Roundabout Theater’s She Loves Me will be on movie screens nationwide December 1, via Fathom Events & Broadway HD
Fathom Events screening of Allegiance with George Takei, Lea Salonga and Telly Leung will be in movie theaters throughout the U.S. on December 13.
The Public Theater’s Under The Radar Festival will feature Will Swenson and Laura Osnes in Frank Loesser’s lost World War II musicals
Brad Oscar, who refers to the over-the-top number “A Musical!” in Something Rotten as “my 10 minutes of gay cardio,” explains the right way and the wrong way to be told your show is closing. (Something Rotten is closing January 2017)
Danny Burstein on his role in Fiddler – “I love Tevye because he puts his children before his religion.” #ATCANYC16 pic.twitter.com/3fUTNmnG0q
— Jessica Goldman (@ApplauseMeter) October 29, 2016
Tour of The Players Club, where actors hang out since 1888.
Hamilton’s Mandy Gonzalez on lessons learned from Bette Midler, idina Menzel and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“I think MFA’s can be great. They can also be a f–king scam”~ @CookieRiverside at @CherryLnTheatre #Masterclass pic.twitter.com/201C3LhOw9
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) October 26, 2016
Stephen Adly Guirgis continues: You’re going to be teaching, writing for film or TV, or serving burgers.Nobody makes a living from playwriting
How he overcomes his”discipline problem” writing:
1 Just sits down and does it
2 Stays sober.”That keeps me alive too”
@NewYorkTheater i stay sober WHEN i’m working. when i’m not, it’s touch and go…
— Stephen Adly Guirgis (@CookieRiverside) October 26, 2016
