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BWW Review: Unexpectedly Entertaining BULLETS OVER BROADWAY Spray Like Confetti

As Helen Sinclair (Emma Stratton) holds her hand over playwright David Shayne's (Michael Williams) mouth (picture above), fans of the 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway are bound to chuckle as they remember the famously unforgettable line spoken by the movie's Helen Sinclair Oscar winner Dianne Weist, 'Don't speak!' Weist, Jennifer Tilly as Olive and Chaz Palminteri as Cheech stole the brilliant film, so when I heard a couple of years ago that they were rehashing this for a Broadway musical, my reaction was 'Sacrilege! Why? Don't tamper with perfection!' Well, they didn't listen to me, obviously, as the musical went forward, and for some sketchy reasons, was a flop on Broadway. Let me tell you, as reluctant as I was to see the musical now onstage at the Pantages through January 24, I am glad I did, for it is actually quite good, with mostly sparkling performances, ingenious choreography recreated from Susan Stroman's original, fabulous costumes by William Ivey Long...and it's faithful to the film. No one dared to touch Woody Allen's uncannily sharp plot, dialogue and laugh lines. Yes, it could have an original score, but what is accomplished with the old standards aiding in moving the story forward, kind of like in Mamma Mia, works damn well. It's fun, ear and eye-filling entertainment!

BWW Interview: Jemma Jane About Her Role as Olive in the BULLETS OVER BROADWAY Tour

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY became a screwball Broadway musical comedy in 2014, written by Woody Allen (adapted from his film) and directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. The production, which consists of songs adapted from those popular in the Roaring Twenties, was nominated for six Tony awards. The BULLETS national tour will stop at Riverside's Fox Performing Arts Center for one show on the evening of Wednesday, January 27, 2016. BWW spoke to Jemma Jane, who plays Olive.

BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL to Return to San Francisco; Tickets on Sale Today

Producers Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing announce that the Tony & Grammy Award-winning Broadway hit BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, about the early life and career of the legendary and groundbreaking singer/songwriter, will return to San Francisco after its pre-Broadway premiere in 2013 to the SHN Orpheum Theatre for six weeks August 9 - September 18. Tickets go on sale to the general public today, December 11 at 10am, through shnsf.com and 888-746-1799.

BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL to Return to San Francisco; Tickets on Sale Friday

Producers Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing announce that the Tony & Grammy Award-winning Broadway hit BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, about the early life and career of the legendary and groundbreaking singer/songwriter, will return to San Francisco after its pre-Broadway premiere in 2013 to the SHN Orpheum Theatre for six weeks August 9 - September 18. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 11 at 10am, through shnsf.com and 888-746-1799.

BWW Review: BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL A Sight (and Sound) to Behold

The Chicago engagement of the first national tour of BEAUTIFUL--THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL rightfully earns the show's title. This entertaining and emotional production delivers tons of heart and talent at the Oriental Theatre. This engagement also signals the homecoming for lead Abby Mueller in the role of Carole King. Mueller grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and she has big shoes to fill in this role--her younger sister, Jessie, won the 2014 Tony Award for originating the same role on Broadway. There's no cause for concern, though, as Mueller, and the rest of the touring production's cast, deliver big-time. As King, Mueller provides the emotional and musical center of this production--and it is sheer pleasure to listen to her dive into some of the singer-songwriter's greatest hits.

Tickets to BULLETS OVER BROADWAY at The Orpheum on Sale 12/18

The Orpheum Theatre announced today that individual tickets for the Memphis premiere of BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, written by Woody Allen and based on the screenplay by Allen and Douglas McGrath (Beautiful) for the 1994 film, will go on sale Friday, December 18 at 10:00 AM.

CRITIC'S CHOICE: Get Ahead of the Holiday Rush

Turkeys are on-sale at your local supermarket, so there's no better way to know Thanksgiving is just around the corner - yep, less than two weeks away! - which means that local theater companies will be unleashing their holiday season productions with enough productions of A Christmas Story (both the musical and the play), It's A Wonderful Life and Ebenezer Scrooge-led shows that you could shake a stick at!

BWW Review: BULLETS OVER BROADWAY is Boffo in Music City

Gimme a chorus line of gorgeous girls with gams up to here, a tap-dancing mob of darkly handsome wise guys, a serious lady of the theater whose teeth marks may be found all around a stage set - place them amid a whimsical and altogether unbelievable plot as thin as the best of the old-time movie musicals, complete with a score of tuneful hits from the jazz age, then throw 'em a laugh-out-loud funny script by Woody Allen - and I am in musical theater nirvana.

BWW Review: BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL is Some Kind of Wonderful

The U.S. National Tour of BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL plays a two-week engagement at the Boston Opera House. Focusing on King's early life and career, the good-time time machine rolls out the incredible string of hits written by the composing teams of Carole King/Gerry Goffin and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil. Abby Mueller is a standout in the role of the music industry icon and BEAUTIFUL excels as a musical journey.

Nashville Theater Calendar 11/09/15

Thus, we are happy to present the return of one our most popular features: The Nashville Theater Calendar, a comprehensive - maybe even exhaustive (lord knows we're exhausted from putting it together, gathering all the info from all over the interwebs!) - listing of theatrical openings for the 2015/16 season. We'll update the calendar every Monday, clearing out the shows that have closed and adding additional information on the shows still to come. Something's missing? That's an easy fix: just send us a message here, on Facebook, or by email at jeffreyellis37215@att.com.

CRITICS CHOICE: We Could Make Believe

Halloween's all done in, there are still three weeks ahead before we officially give thanks, and Christmas - and all its accompanying frenzy and frivolity - is about seven weeks away! So what's there to do for all the theatrical types jonesing for a trip to make believe? Plenty! Theater companies all over middle Tennessee are showing off their best and brightest, with a number of eagerly anticipated shows opening this weekend and/or continuing from their earlier opening nights and next Tuesday there's a sparkling new Broadway musical swinging through Music City to entertain you…

Nashville Theater Calendar 11/02/15

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

BEAUTIFUL National Tour, Starring Abby Mueller, Stops at the Benedum Center Tonight

Producers Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing announced this week that Abby Mueller has nabbed the title role in the First National Tour of BEAUTIFUL -- THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, the smash hit musical about the early life and career of the legendary and groundbreaking singer/songwriter. Mueller's sister, Jessie Mueller, won the Tony Award in 2014 Best Actress in a Musical her portrayal of King in the show's Broadway production.

Nashville Theater Calendar 10/26/15

Sometimes it seems there is so much theater happening that it's difficult to keep track of it all. From personal experience, despite all the datebooks, smart phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops...it's hard to keep everything straight in this wacky business of the show.

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY Premiers at Schuster Center

Victoria Theatre Association welcomes the show-stopping Broadway musical BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, Nov. 3-8, 2015 at the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, as part of the 2015-2016 Premier Health Broadway Series.

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