WAKE UP with BWW 8/15/14 - Neil Patrick Harris Says Farewell, POOR BEHAVIOR Opens, ROCKY Leaves the Ring and More!
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: LES MIZ gets a new 'Javert' tonight, Broadway honors Lauren Bacall, and Sunday sees Neil Patrick Harris's final HEDWIG performance and ROCKY's last match on Broadway but welcomes POOR BEHAVIOR to the off-Broadway lineup!
And take a quick moment to welcome back FINDING NEVERLAND's Laura Michelle Kelly, helping to usher you into the weekend! Congrats on your show opening in Boston, Laura!
Photo by Walter McBride.
THIS WEEKEND'S TOP ITEMS:
- British actor Earl Carpenter joins Broadway's LES MISERABLES as 'Javert' tonight!
- Broadway dims its lights for the second time this week in honor of Lauren Bacall...
- THE BOOK OF MORMON's Matt Doyle returns to 54 Below this evening, plus PIPPIN's Ariana DeBose brings TYPED OUT to the same venue.
- Neil Patrick Harris gets a Sardi's portrait today, so stay tuned for photos! This Sunday is the actor's final performance in HEDWIG on Broadway.
- Also on Sunday, Theresa Rebeck's POOR BEHAVIOR celebrates its opening off-Broadway, and ROCKY pulls its final punches in the Broadway ring.
NEWS YOU MISSED YESTERDAY:
- Stephen Sondheim's new INTO THE WOODS song has been cut from the final version.
- NBC is working on two musical miniseries with Boardwalk Entertainment and Adam Levine...
- Sting and Patti LuPone will lead an LGBT benefit, UPRISING OF LOVE, at the Gershwin.
- CHICAGO is on track to become the second-longest running show in Broadway history!
- Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga will appear on Great Performances in CHEEK TO CHEEK LIVE! this fall.
- Also this fall, look out for a workshop of a new musical from LaChiusa -- THE NINE FATHERS OF ARIEL!
- THE 12, a new rock musical by Robert Schenkkan and Neil Berg, is headed for a Denver premiere in 2015.
- An immersive production of CARRIE is coming to Los Angeles in March!
- Angela Lansbury's BLITHE SPIRIT could be crossing the pond soon.
- And Disney tweeted a tribute to Robin Williams (right), featuring ALADDIN's 'Genie' among the stars...
Broadway Weather Forecast: High of 85 degrees for the weekend. Sunny today and Saturday, but prep for a morning thunderstorm on Sunday (some pathetic fallacy for you -- with NPH leaving and ROCKY closing).
Quote of the Day: In honor of ROCKY's last weekend on Broadway...
At the end of the day, 'Rocky' is a love story, and he could never have reached the final bell without Adrian.
-- Sylvester Stallone (via BrainyQuote)
Video of the Day: Watch ROCKY star Andy Karl perform on Letterman back in May!
And finally, a Happy Birthday shout-out to Jim Dale, who turns 79 today!
Dale began his Broadway career in Scapino, which he adapted, composed music for and starred in. He led Barnum in 1980 and won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical that year. Then came Joe Egg, Me and My Girl, Candide, The Threepenny Opera and most recently, 2012's The Road to Mecca. He just finished a run in his one-man show Just Jim Dale off-Broadway. Dale is also the Grammy-winning narrator of the U.S. audiobook versions of the Harry Potter series.
Photo by Joan Marcus.
See you bright and early on Monday, BroadwayWorld!
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