Baltimore/Washington Backstage - Sept. 18, 2006

Broadway is finally making it back to network television.

 

 

 

"The Today Show" featured two songs from "Tarzan" on Saturday morning, I believe the FIRST time these songs were sung without composer Phil Collins. Performing were Josh Strickland, Jenn Gambatese, Merle Dandridge and Chester Gregory II. They performed "You'll Be in My Heart", "For the First Time", and "Who Better than Me".

 

 

 

I wanted to get the spelling correct of the young actress who was selected LIVE on
"The Today Show" last week to be a "WHO" in "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!-The Musical". The lovely young actress was Brianna Gentilella. You will hear much about her in the future. The show opens at the Hilton Theater Oct. 25^th and runs till  January 7. Joining the cast is two time Tony winner John Cullum.

 

 

 

"Breakfast with the Arts" on  A&E on Sunday featured two Off-Broadway shows: the return of "The Fantasticks" with co-author Tom Jones and Burke Moses singing the hit "Try to Remember" and two songs from the Off-Broadway musical "Shout! The Mod Musical", which salutes London in the sixties with the songs "Downtown"  and "To Sir With Love".

 

 

 

Also on Sunday morning, CBS Sunday morning did a segment on Martin Short and his new Broadway  production, "Fame Becomes Me". And if you like Short, he'll be on Regis Tuesday morning, Sept. 19.

 

 

 

"The View" last week had "The Drowsy Chaperone" (with Bob Martin and the amazing Beth Leavel) and the cast of  "The Wedding Singer". Each member of the audience received free tickets to both shows. Great to have Rosie back on national television plugging Broadway.

 

 

 

Even the new Megan Mullally Show started with a five-minute segment from the musical "Hair" with new lyrics and a most unusual chorus of seven dancers. She also has a small band.

 

On Wednesday, ABC's "Good Morning America" will feature a performance of the Broadway cast of  "A Chorus Line".

 

Broadway actors are showing up on network television more than ever. Here are just a few examples: "Justice" on Fox with Victor Garber, "Men in Trees" with Anne Heche (I love this show), "The Class" with Sam Harris (remember him in "Joseph" at the Lyric Opera House?), "Studio 60" with Donna Murphy, "Brothers and Sisters" with Calista Flockhart and Ron Rifkin), "Betty the Ugly" with Vanessa L. Williams, "30 Rock" with Jane Krakowski,  "20 Good Years" with John Lithgow, and "Day Break" with Taye Diggs.

 

 

 

Locally, MPT's "Artworks This Work" featured Artistic Director Michael Kahn from Washington's DC Shakespeare Theatre. But the highlight was an interview with Vivienne Shub and her sister Naomi Greenberg-Slovin. Greenberg-Slovin has written a play "The Cone Sister" which stars her sister about the Baltimore art collectors, Etta and Claribel Cone who amassed in incredible art collection which thankfully you can see at the Baltimore Museum Art.  Shub did a short-reading of the play and was remarkable. Hopefully, this will be viewed again.

 

 

 

But, if you missed the short televised segment. You can see Shub, the first lady of Baltimore theater, in person at the Everyman Theatre Mondays and Tuesdays through October.10. This has become a HOT ticket…so get your tickets NOW. Call 410-752-2208.

You can read a great article about this "Sister Act"  by Mary Carole McCauley in The Sunday Sun (Sept. 17).

 

 

 

You may recall my prediction of Disney's huge television hit "High School Musical" making it to Broadway. Well, while it's not there yet, its first Equity production will occur at Atlanta's Theater of the Stars in January. 

 

 

 

I can't recall any recent theater I have seen that concerned individuals with bipolar disorder, which is also known as manic-depressive illness. Who have thought I'd see two shows in two days that concerned this brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function.

 

 

 

Both the Everyman and Olney Theatre Center are presenting two wonderful productions that deal with this subject.

 

 

 

Everyman is presenting "Opus" which concerns a string quartet preparing to perform Beethoven's "Opus 131" at the White House. This is a must see production and you have until October 15. 410-752-2208.

 

 

 

The OTC is presenting the World Premiere of "In the Mood" which deals with an Under Secretary of State and his attempts at peace in the Middle East while keeping his marriage together.  The wonderful dramaturgy department there lists numerous famous people who have endured bipolar disorder. The list includes Napoleon, Sigmund Freud, Cary Grant, Mozart, Ilie Nastase, Rod Steiger, Jonathan Winters and Abraham Lincoln.

You have until Sept. 24 to see this fascinating production. 301-924-3400.

 

 

 

Center Stage this week has their opening night of Chekhov's "The Three Sisters". Artistic Director Irene Lewis begins her 16^th year at the helm. Can't believe it's been that long! Lewis states "This is the only one of Chekhov's major plays that I have never directed."

 

 

 

I noticed that Tony nominated choreographer John Carrafa is a part of the production team. Carrafa was responsible for the dancing in the Broadway productions of both "Urinetown" and "Into The Woods". He also directed "Good Vibrations". He'll be heading to New Haven after opening night to work on the Yale Repertory Theatres' production of Sarah Ruhl's "Eurydice" which opens Sept. 22.

 

 

 

Also opening this week is "The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at the Hippodrome. It plays until Oct. 1. Call 410-547-SEAT.

Both the Hippodrome and The Kennedy Center are presenting "Twelve Angry Men".

It starts at the DC venue Oct. 3-22 and in Baltimore immediately thereafter from Oct. 24 to Nov. 5.

 

 

 

The Kennedy Center's "Lunchtime Look-In" series which features a question-and-answer session with cast members will occur on Oct. 11 in the Terrace Gallery at noon. Tickets cost $12  for this program.  Visit www.kennedy-center.org.

 

 

 

If the Kennedy Center can have a program, wouldn't it be great for the Hippodrome to launch a similar program?  This could be a success since the Hippodrome is so much closer to the downtown business district than the Kennedy Center is in DC.  And the University of Maryland Law School is only a block away.

I highly recommend the Arena Stage production of "Cabaret" I am not embarrassed to say brought me to tears. It starts the amazing Meg Gillentine (you may remember her from "Pajama Game" at Center Stage or "Damn Yankees" at the Arena last year). Take a look at J. Wynn Rousuck's review in the Sun today. My review to post shortly. The musical ends Oct. 29. DO NOT MISS THIS!!!  Visit www.arenastage.org.

 

 

 

Can't wait to see the Irish play "Stones in His Pockets" at the Rep Stage in Columbia. It runs Sept. 22 to Oct. 8.  This could be one of the funniest plays you'll see this year.

Call 410-772-4900.

 

 

 

For comments, cgshubow@broadwayworld.com