Mister Matt, you're right, and it's not even that I dislike Lloyd Webber that much. It's just that I personally find Riedel so odious, and his ass-kissing of the financially successful theatre power players disgusts me even more.
As I've said before, he doesn't like the theatre. He doesn't respect theatre people-- unless they make a lot of money. He's a troll. He should stick to right-wing talk radio for good now.
I'll believe Loopin' the Loop. There are some people in the theatre with waning relevancy who ae obsessed with what's "hot" and commercial success. Forget artistry. Forget undersung talent or looking beyond box office. That's all that matters. Sir Andrew isn't the only one. Ah well. That's showbiz, kids.
Besides, if Lenk is going to do any production of a not very good musical with some worthy elements, it should be NEW GIRL IN TOWN at Encores! someday.
I know this is going to come off as unkind, but optics hell. Lonergan was trying to focus on his work and his play in previews. The rest of the audience deserved no interruptions-- not to mention the actors and the rest of the creative staff. Mr. Longergan could have said whatever he wanted. In his position, I would have been just as annoyed.
A lot of Broadway audiences don't seem to give a sh*t anymore. People complain about younger people in their 20s and 30s,
Elaine May is a pioneer. In this era of #MeToo, not that Ms. May was a victim of sexual assault (I don't THINK), any supporter of that movement with a brain and a sense of history ought to be licking the sidewalk in front of her.
And should she win the Tony (let's not get ahead of ourselves, though), one hopes the speech will be good as this one. Or the others she's given in tribute to Mike Nichols, also out there on YouTube...
I actually ran into Lonnergan on my way out and just said "Thank you", briefly explained my circumstance, and he offered his sympathy and thanks for telling him. I didn't know what else to say. If I had bumped into Elaine May, I would have alternated between crying and profound fan-dom weirdness.
Both Jordan and Addison are correct. If you've been there, or are there, it's astounding. And gutting.
I don't post her often anymore, and I think with good reason, because other than the typically smart Jordan, I don't know what ANY of you are talking about.
There can be some kinks worked out. The transitions are pleasant, at best. Everyone will grow into their parts more fully, despite being quite good (Hedges, Cromer, Cera) to quite excellent (Allen). But the play gutted me. I don't know if any of you have actually dealt with deteriorating family members, wh
That original production was incredible and, for me, will not be topped. I saw the lovely production in Sag Harbor, but I kept thinking how much I missed how it was done originally.
My god. It's been 12 years! I guess it wouldn't hurt to revive it.
castlestreet said: I agree with jv92, that the concept albums were some of his very best work...
...Flawed, difficult to work with, and of course - held on too long to his career past his prime. But doesn’t that describe the vast majority of the true greats in showbiz?"
Oh, of course!
By the time he was making those records at Capitol, his star had quickly fallen and he needed to reinvent himself. I don'
He rewrote both the opening melodic phrase and the end of the lyric of "New York, New York" to suit his ridiculous ego. 'Nuff said.
There are Sinatra recordings I love. There are Sinatra recordings I hate. His "concept records" at Capitol from the mid 1950s are his best work. It all went downhill after.
GeorgeandDot said: "Just a really rude comment on Umphress, who is super gorgeous and curvy in all the right places. She's a great performer and it sucks to me that her entire performance is basically ignored to focus on the shape of her body as if it is her only defining factor. Can we stop acting like actors need to look a certain way? Can't we just have humans onstage telling human stories? I like seeing curvy, plus-sized, and overweight actors onstage because they have st
What I find more offensive and upsetting is that Ben Vereen was there opening night posing for pictures and smiling and making jazz hands after his disgusting behavior during the production of HAIR he directed in Florida recently. That's okay now?
And bk is right. Not that I condone Mr. Simon's attacks on the physical attributes of actresses, but he said Liza had the face of a beagle and commented on Madeline Kahn's breast size in print. They went o
I recall some of you on this board partaking in the "Good thing Bob Fosse isn't alive during #MeToo" nonsense, which is fine, but wrong, and not helping victims of sexual abuse in the theatre. Plus, we could use someone like Bob Fosse... or at least someone who behaved the way Bob Fosse did in auditions. There are the stories of Fosse kindly explaining to rejected performers WHY he was rejecting them, wishing them we
The circumstances of this man's death, and recollections of that last rehearsal, horrify me. The more I wade slowly into this industry, and the more I learn about the behavior of certain high-powered individuals in it, I feel deeply cynical, disillusioned and frustrated that such behavior is either sanctioned or ignored. I certainly won't partake in it. I hope Equity does indeed investigate CHICAGO's stage management and the actions of its director, Walter Bobbie. From reading abo
If she does consider a revival of a classic, how about THE VISIT (the Duerrenmatt play, not the K&E musical) with Kevin Kline as Schill? Even as a Shakespeare in the Park summer production? I am dying to see her play that brilliant,, glamorous old lady.
Sounds rather liked how he staged PASSION (with some curtains, if I recall correctly). I loved that production. PACIFIC OVERTURES... not so much. However, now I'm looking forward to this. It should be more than a curiosity. It got fabulous reviews in 1945 and may have even gotten the general public more interested in grand opera, as they were for those post-war years. (Lenny B. may have helped, too.) Hammerstein's lyrics and text-- they cannot be called a "translation" becau
I don't think a TV performance would have captured the essence or the magic of that performance. The cast album certainly didn't, unfortunately. You had to be there. Clips or an awards show or talk show performance wouldn't have been the same. It's like Jolson or Garland post-Metro (though she comes across well enough on TV) or the original company of A CHORUS LINE. You just had to see it to believe it, I suppose. I'm sorry you're disappointed that you missed
The new (wonderful) HOWARD documentary directed by Don Hahn makes it very clear that Howard and Marvin Hamlisch did not get along. Hamlisch behaved like a pompous egomaniac with no sense of theatre or character development, and Ashman, usually in control at the WPA (where LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS originated and where he was artistic director for a long time), was treated poorly and condescendingly. The producers were inexperienced. More experienced hands like "The Shuberts" and David
NEW GIRL IN TOWN with Katrina Lenk is the new Encores! dream show I'm going to start campaigning for.
Despite some very charming songs and great opportunities for a talented choreographer, it's not a very good show, and therefore PERFECT for Encores!. And I think Lenk is special enough to tackle a role the very special Gwen Verdon originated.
