Well, it's official. The show that Broadway and BroadwayWorld.com has been eagerly anticipating is officially a SMASH! On December 12, 2011, the Broadway community descended on New York City's glamorous Museum of Modern Art to get their first official look at NBC's upcoming new musical drama series SMASH, which is nothing less than an ongoing love-letter to Broadway. The attendees, from the casts of nearly every show on the Great White Way, were enthralled from start to finish.
After a record-breaking season opening, Lantern Theater Company continues its 18th season with the screwball romantic comedy, Private Lives from British playwright Noël Coward, directed by the Lantern's Associate Artistic Director, Kathryn MacMillan. Known for bringing a fresh perspective to classic productions, Private Lives marks the company's first Coward play, bringing the elegance and sophistication of the golden age of Hollywood to the Lantern's stage during the holiday season.
Not a Broadway season goes by without a soap star dipping their toe in the Chicago pool at the Ambassador Theatre-so well oiled is that bare-bones revival that it was able to survive the placement of Ashlee Simpson. It's become a petri dish for stunt casting experiments. A few blocks north, at the Circle in the Square Theatre, heartthrob Hunter Parish-he gained notoriety for 'playing' dense on Showtime's Weeds-is dancing around as the lord and savior in Godspell. Hunter has been no savior for the Stephen Schwartz musical, or so say the critics. Kara DioGuardi, Christie Brinkley-the stunts go on and on.
Joining Lindsay Duncan (Judith Bliss), Jeremy Northam (Richard Greatham), Kevin R McNally (David Bliss) and Olivia Colman (Myra Arundel) in Howard Davies' production of Noel Coward's Hay Fever are Sam Callis (Sandy Tyrell), Freddie Fox (Simon Bliss), Jenny Galloway (Clara), Amy Morgan (Jackie Coryton) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Sorel Bliss).
In The Book of Mormon, the young Ugandan ingénue sings of a fantasy world she imagines where all the warlords are friendly. And while in J.T. Rogers' intriguing drama of 1980s American foreign policy, Blood and Gifts, Afghan warlord Abdullah Kahn isn't exactly depicted as a saint, the author paints him as a man deeply dedicated to his family and the culture of his people who, like a typical American father, has job-related headaches (trying to secure weapons to defend his soil against the Soviets) and can't understand the music his son listens to (Rod Stewart's 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy' and Tina Turner's 'What's Love Got to Do with It'). As played by Bernard White, he is a humble and patriotic man of dignity.
Shakespeare's okay, Stoppard provides a fine mental workout and Ayckbourn is always good for a serious laugh, but the British playwright who never fails to delight me is the witty and wonderful Noel Coward.
Two-time Tony Award nominee, Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Alan Rickman is making his eagerly-anticipated return to Broadway starring in the World Premiere of SEMINAR, a new comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Peabody Award winner Theresa Rebeck. The show opened on Broadway last week, Sunday, November 20th and Broadway Beat was inside the after party to chat with the company!
Theresa Rebeck provides plenty of mindless fun for the aggressively hip in Seminar, a breezy and enjoyable new comedy that will especially appeal to those who love showing off their urban cultural elitism by laughing very loudly at derogatory references to short stories published in The New Yorker and howling with yuks when a pseudo-intellectual mispronounces Inigo Jones' name while passionately giving a vapid description of the Yaddo artists' colony.
Two-time Tony Award nominee, Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Alan Rickman is making his eagerly-anticipated return to Broadway starring in the World Premiere of SEMINAR, a new comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Peabody Award winner Theresa Rebeck. The show opened on Broadway last night, Sunday, November 20th. Check out photos of the starry opening night arrivals - including appearances by the cast of SMASH - below!
Two-time Tony Award nominee, Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Alan Rickman is making his eagerly-anticipated return to Broadway starring in the World Premiere of SEMINAR, a new comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Peabody Award winner Theresa Rebeck. The show opened on Broadway last night, Sunday, November 20th. BroadwayWorld was on hand throughout the evening and brings you photos from inside the celebratory after party below!
Two-time Tony Award nominee, Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Alan Rickman is making his eagerly-anticipated return to Broadway starring in the World Premiere of SEMINAR, a new comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Peabody Award winner Theresa Rebeck. The show opened on Broadway last night, Sunday, November 20th and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the opening night curtain call!
Produced by Jeffrey Finn, Jill Furman, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Roy Furman, David Ian, David Mirvish, Amy Nauiokas and James Spry, SEMINAR officially opened on Sunday, November 20. What did the critics think? Let's find out...
Produced by Jeffrey Finn, Jill Furman, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Roy Furman, David Ian, David Mirvish, Amy Nauiokas and James Spry, SEMINAR officially opens on Sunday, November 20. Want a sneak peek at the production? Click below!
Tonight's (Thursday) 8pm performance of SEMINAR on Broadway has been cancelled due to the show's star, Alan Rickman, suffering from an acute respiratory infection. He is hopeful to return to the show tomorrow, for their scheduled Friday night performance.
After a record-breaking season opening, Lantern Theater Company continues its 18th season with the screwball romantic comedy, Private Lives from British playwright Noël Coward, directed by the Lantern's Associate Artistic Director, Kathryn MacMillan. Known for bringing a fresh perspective to classic productions, Private Lives marks the company's first Coward play, bringing the elegance and sophistication of the golden age of Hollywood to the Lantern's stage during the holiday season.
Hosts Brooke Shields and Brad Oscar welcomed celebrities, Broadway greats, philanthropy influencers and the New York elite to celebrate the 12th Annual Make Believe on Broadway, on November 14 at the Shubert Theatre. The evening showcased Broadway and Hollywood's brightest stars as they united in a benefit performance on behalf of Only Make Believe, a non-profit that brings the magic of theater to children in hospitals and care facilities.