The New York Philharmonic will present SONDHEIM: The Birthday Concert on March 15 and Tuesday, March 16, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. This celebration of the 80th birthday of the great Broadway and film composer/lyricist will include his most enduring orchestral music and songs - performed, in some cases, by the stars of the original Broadway cast productions - in addition to rarely-heard material. Joining the celebration will be (in alphabetical order) Michael Cerveris, Victoria Clark, Jason Danieley, Nathan Gunn, George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, and others to be announced, including surprise guests. Paul Gemignani, Mr. Sondheim's longtime collaborator, will conduct the New York Philharmonic; Lonny Price is the director; and Mr. Price and Matt Cowart are the producers.
Tarell Alvin McCraney's The Brother/Sister Plays have officially launched at the Public Theater. The series Part 2, The Brothers Size and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, directed by Robert O'Hara, began previews on October 21. Part 1, In the red and Brown Water, hits the stage. Tina Landau directs. McCraney, one of America's most acclaimed young writers, returns to The Public to complete his trilogy following the success of The Brothers Size in 2007. Performances will run through December 13.
The world premiere of Rajiv Joseph's (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) Gruesome Playground Injuries features Selma Blair (Hellboy, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Storytelling, Legally Blonde, NBC's Kath & Kim) playing Kayleen and Brad Fleischer (Center Theatre Group's premiere of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Broadway's Coram Boy, Off Broadway's Streamers) playing Doug.
Erich Steinbock, Managing Director of The Carlyle Hotel, announced today the return of resident leading lady, Elaine Stritch, to the Café Carlyle in an all-new show: 'At Home At The Carlyle: Elaine Stritch Singin' Sondheim. . . One Song At A Time.' The strictly limited engagement will play the month of January 2010, at the legendary nightspot, with opening night set for Tuesday, January 5 (through January 30).
The Tony Award® nominated hit musical IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS, the new stage reinvention of the beloved classic film, returns to Broadway at the Marquis Theatre this holiday season for 61 performances only - guaranteeing New York a white Christmas!
Shubert Organization Chairman Philip J. Smith and President Robert E. Wankel have intervened in the ever growing public feud between Michael Feinstein's All About Me and Dame Edna: It's All About Me.
'The Pee-wee Herman Show,' starring Paul Reubens, will begin a limited engagement starting January 12, 2010, at Club Nokia @ LA Live. This theatrical production is rated PG!
While theatre insiders are speculating quite heavily that this current 'feud' between Michael Feinstein and Dame Edna is just a hoax and that the two will soon announce that they'll be performing together, Michael Feinstein has released a new statement regarding the recent statements surrounding the announcement of his new Broadway entertainment All About Me.
Producer John Breglio and the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. will bring Broadway uptown for four weeks only with Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, prior to the national tour of the new production of the groundbreaking musical. The national tour of Dreamgirls will kick-off at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater (253 West 125 Street) beginning previews Saturday, November 7, 2009, and opening Sunday, November 22, 2009, for 4 weeks only, through Sunday December, 6, 2009.
Following enthusiastic reviews, The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will extend the world premiere of IDIOT SAVANT, written and directed by Richard Foreman, through Sunday, December 20. Presented in association with Ontological-Hysteric Theater, IDIOT SAVANT began previews October 27 and was originally scheduled to close on Sunday, December 13.
Producer John Breglio and the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. will bring Broadway uptown for four weeks only with Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, prior to the national tour of the new production of the groundbreaking musical. The national tour of Dreamgirls will kick-off at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater (253 West 125 Street) beginning previews Saturday, November 7, 2009, and opening Sunday, November 22, 2009, for 4 weeks only, through Sunday December, 6, 2009.
Tarell Alvin McCraney's The Brother/Sister Plays have officially launched at the Public Theater. The series Part 2, The Brothers Size and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, directed by Robert O'Hara, began previews on October 21. Tonight Part 1, In the red and Brown Water, hits the stage. Tina Landau directs. McCraney, one of America's most acclaimed young writers, returns to The Public to complete his trilogy following the success of The Brothers Size in 2007. Official opening night it November 17. Performances will run through December 13.
Presented in association with Ontological-Hysteric Theater, previews for IDIOT SAVANT ran through November 3. The show opened officially last night, Wednesday, November 4 and runs through Sunday, December 13.
Michael Feinstein's upcoming Broadway show ALL ABOUT ME will begin performances on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 in preparation for a Tuesday, March 30th opening, at a Shubert Theater to be announced.
Producer John Breglio and the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. will bring Broadway uptown for four weeks only with Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, prior to the national tour of the new production of the groundbreaking musical. The national tour of Dreamgirls will kick-off at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater (253 West 125 Street) beginning previews Saturday, November 7, 2009, and opening Sunday, November 22, 2009, for 4 weeks only, through Sunday December, 6, 2009.
Presented in association with Ontological-Hysteric Theater, previews for IDIOT SAVANT continue through November 3. The show opens officially tonight, Wednesday, November 4 and runs through Sunday, December 13.
On Monday night Christine Pedi will be receiving a New York Nightlife Award for Great Dames, her 2007 salute to notable ladies of the stage and screen. But as award-worthy as that cabaret show was, her latest, Now I Have Everything: The Lyrics of Sheldon Harnick, is even better. This is a master class in musical theatre acting and a heck of an entertaining night out.
One of the unique and cherished aspects of the musical theatre is how the preceding plot and character development can allow a musical moment to achieve ethereal heights that establish a triumvirate of joyful feeling between audience, performer and character. Take, for example, Amalia Balash's dizzying high note at the end of 'Vanilla Ice Cream,' which is not just a showy moment for the actress playing the role, but a release of amazed emotions caused by a simple act of kindness. Or the wacky exuberance of the impromptu tango that follows Eliza Doolittle's mastery of the proper pronunciation of an Iberian precipitation phenomenon.
I just got back from Avery Fisher Hall, where Frank Rich was partaking in a fireside chat (sans fireside) with Stephen Sondheim. I scribbled down as much as I could from the 90 minute conversation. Some of the more interesting topics included the inability for most theatre critics to critique the music in a musical and the greater gratification Sondheim gets from composition than lyric writing because of the way language can restrict him from expressing exactly what he wants to say. ('There are very few lyrics that are perfect lyrics.') I wish there was more time to discuss his observation that Jerry Bock's music has the same edginess as Fred Ebb's lyrics and John Kander's outpouring of music matches Sheldon Harnick's elegant lyrics, giving great dramatic tension to the songs of both teams.
