WAKE UP with BWW 1/30/2015 - BROOKLYNITE, THE NETHER, PHANTOM at 27 and More!
By: Jessica Showers Jan. 30, 2015
Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: BROOKLYNITE begins off-Broadway, THE NETHER starts at the Duke of York's in London, and PHANTOM marks 27 years on the Great White Way!
Next up in our series of stars introducing BWW's morning feature is Andrew Lippa (portrait by Walter McBride), composer and lyricist behind JOHN & JEN, as well as I AM HARVEY MILK, BIG FISH, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE WILD PARTY, YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN and more!
Photo by Walter McBride
TODAY'S TOP ITEMS:
- Vineyard Theatre's BROOKLYNITE begins off-Broadway tonight!
- CHESTER BAILEY gets a free reading today at Irish Rep.
- Danai Gurira's FAMILIAR World Premiere starts tonight at Yale Rep...
- Jennifer Haley's THE NETHER begins performances in the West End!
- Tune in to "LIVE" this morning to see CONSTELLATIONS star Ruth Wilson.
- And 'PHANTOM' marks 27 years on Broadway in a rescheduled celebration this weekend, so stay tuned for coverage!
NEWS YOU MISSED YESTERDAY:
- Jim Parsons is returning to Broadway in AN ACT OF GOD this spring!
- Amanda Seyfried will make her off-Broadway debut in Neil LaBute's THE WAY WE GET BY!
- Brian Stokes Mitchell and more are set for BROADWAY BACKWARDS 2015...
- Shakespeare in the Park 2015 will feature Sam Waterston in THE TEMPEST, and CYMBELINE!
- IT'S ONLY A PLAY is booking through June on Broadway.
- The IF/THEN National Tour will launch in Denver this fall!
- Kerry Butler will star as 'Hillary' in CLINTON THE MUSICAL.
- Kenneth Branagh is launching his own West End company, plus taking MACBETH to London and the big screen!
- Michael Arden, Patrick Page and Ciara Renee will reprise their roles in 'HUNCHBACK' at Paper Mill this spring.
- And we got a sneak peek (right) at the cast of Encores! LADY BE GOOD!
Broadway Weather Forecast: Light snow this morning with a high of 38 degrees. Cold, windy and clear on Saturday but expect snow on Sunday night.
Quote of the Day: A word from birthday girl Vanessa Redgrave...
"Theater and poetry were what helped people stay alive and want to go on living."
-- Vanessa Redgrave (via BrainyQuote)
What we're looking forward to listening to: The new SIDE SHOW cast recording, out next month. Pre-order your copy now!
Video of the Day: To celebrate 27 years of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, watch Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman perform at the 1988 Tony Awards!
And a Happy Birthday shout-out to Vanessa Redgrave, who turns 78 today!
Redgrave last starred on Broadway in Driving Miss Daisy. Before that, she appeared in The Year of Magical Thinking, which won her a Tony in 2007, and Long Day's Journey Into Night, which nabbed her a Tony and a Drama Desk in 2003. Her other Broadway credits include Orpheus Descending and The Lady from the Sea. Redgrave started her career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and went on to win an Olivier for her performance in the West End's Aspern Papers. Redgrave won an Oscar for Julia in 1977 and was nominated for her performances in Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment, Isadora, Mary, Queen of Scots, The Bostonians and Howards End. More recently, Redgrave has appeared on the big screen in Atonement, Coriolanus and Lee Daniels' The Butler.
Photo by Sandra Coudert
See you bright and early on Monday, BroadwayWorld!
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