Jeremy Gerard News

The legendary Broadway star, actress/singer Betty Buckley will offer her successful Song Interpretation Workshop with a round of six classes open to participants in May 2011. The Fort Worth native will assist aspiring artists, educators and experienced performers in the craft of singing, acting and storytelling.

SISTER ACT began preview performances March 24 and opens tonight Wednesday, April 20, 2011. SISTER ACT features an original score with music by multi-Academy, Grammy and Golden Globe Award-winning composer Alan Menken, lyrics by Tony Award-nominee Glenn Slater, a book by multi-Emmy Award winners Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, and additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane. Directed on Broadway by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks , the production features choreography by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Anthony Van Laast and is based on the Touchstone Pictures motion picture Sister Act written by Joseph Howard.

At the outbreak of World War I, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. He's soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. But Albert (played by Seth Numrich) cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a mission to find him and bring him home. Did the show bring home accolades? Find out now!

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN opened on Broadway Sunday, April 10, 2011 at the Neil Simon Theatre. This new musical, created by a team of Tony winners, features a book by Terrence McNally, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, choreography by Jerry Mitchell and is directed by Jack O'Brien. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is based on the book and hit 2002 DreamWorks film of the same name directed by Stephen Spielberg with screenplay by Jeff Nathanson and book by Frank Abagnale, Jr.

Roundabout Theatre Company's (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) new Broadway production of Anything Goes, starring Tony Award winner Sutton Foster as 'Reno Sweeney' and Tony and Academy Award winner Joel Grey as 'Moonface Martin,' opens on Broadway tonight, Thursday, April 7th at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING opened on Sunday, March 27, 2011, at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre. So did the critics fall in love with the 50th Anniversary production of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING? Let's find out...

Following rave reviews and due to popular demand, Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) has announced a two-week extension of its critically-acclaimed World Premiere production of KIN, a new play by Bathsheba Doran.

Leguizamo takes audiences from his adolescent memories in Queens to the early days of his acting career during the outrageous 80s avant-garde theatre scene, and on to the sets of major motion pictures and his roles opposite some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Did the exciting story behind GHETTO KLOWN leave critics just as excited about the show? Find out now!

Following smash hit productions in Australia, London and Toronto, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL began previews on Broadway on February 28 and opened on March 20th. PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL stars Tony Award® nominee Will Swenson, Olivier Award nominee Tony Sheldon and Nick Adams as the trio of friends on a heart-warming, uplifting road trip of a lifetime who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed.

ARCADIA arrives on Broadway from the West End where this production became an instant sold out hit in 2009 and was deemed 'Stoppard's most brilliant play' (The Observer), 'one of the most exquisite plays of the 20th century' (The Independent), and 'sexy, sophisticated, and killingly funny.' (The Evening Standard). Did it receive the same warm welcome on Broadway? Find out here!

Talking to Don Imus this morning, legendary New York Times writer (and soon to be New York Magazine writer) Frank Rich said 'There is no way to fix a show this far into previews, according to Broadway history... it's a fool's errand at this point, if you know, follow history.' That said however, he also revealed that he has not seen the show, which has been in previews for months, because 'life is too short.'

We're told that the cast today will be meeting with Actors Equity to explore their options and union protection. Many of the cast are up in arms since they've been rehearsing the show now since August of 2010 (or earlier) with much exhaustion and no end in site. Jeremy Gerard at Bloomberg News is the first with more details on what will be cut from the show, and what changes will occur during the show's as of yet unannounced shutdown. He reports that the Julie Taymor creation of Arachne will be heavily cut down, with her scenes being minimized and cut entirely, along with the song 'Deeply Furious' in which she and her minions go shopping for shoes, also said to be a Taymor favorite. Also on the chopping block? The Green Goblin's Act I death scene, which will make his Act II appearance more logical. We're told that he'll be getting a big new Act II opening number as well.

A production source tells us that an official company meeting has been called for tonight at 7pm at the Foxwoods Theatre for all the SPIDER-MAN cast and crew to hear the news officially from producer Michael Cohl before an announcement is revealed to the press and public regarding the show's future. We're told that neither Bono, nor The Edge are expected to be there, and aside from Cohl, it's not been revealed what current, or future creative team members might be in attendance.

THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON officially opened on Broadwa omn, March 6, starring Brian Cox, Jim Gaffigan, Chris Noth,Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland. Jason Miller's Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON is directed by Gregory Mosher and plays at the Bernard B Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45TH Street). This is a limited engagement through Sunday, May 29th, 2011.

The Manhattan Theatre Club world premiere production of GOOD PEOPLE, a new American play by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan opened today, March 3 at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street). BroadwayWorld brings you selections from the reviews below!

According to the New York Times this weekend, another delay in the opening of SPIDER-MAN: TURN OF THE DARK may be imminent. A sixth postponement is being considered by the producers of the $65 million musical.

BroadwayWorld.com was the first to report that multiple critics from major newspapers have indeed purchased tickets in recent days to SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark, and they have come out in force. All but a few papers have filed reviews timed to tonight's performance which was, until the most recent delay, scheduled to be the show's opening night. Here are all the reviews for SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark to date and we'll keep updating as new ones come in.

Here's what Jeremy Gerard had to say for Bloomberg:'Preview number 65 was no improvement over number 30. In fact, it was worse. After all this expenditure of talent and money, 'Spider- Man' is probably unfixable because too much has gone into making humans fly, which is not what they are good at. It imitates poorly what the 'Spider-Man' movies do brilliantly with computer graphics -- and without putting live actors in jeopardy.

Jackie Hoffman's JACKIE FIVE-OH! has opened to rave reviews and extended its run at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street) through January 17.

Back at Christmas, Newsday and Bloomberg were the first publications to release reviews of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, despite the fact that the show is not set to open until next month. But, in the words of Newsday critic Linda Winer: 'After four premiere push-backs (now to Feb. 7), four high-profile injuries, 19 previews at full price ($75-$150, almost double through brokers), and public investigations by state and federal safety agencies, it seems that critics are now the only interested parties who can't see the bride before the wedding.' Both the Newsday and Bloomberg reviews were lukewarm, with Bloomberg critic Jeremy Gerard noting: On the evidence of what I saw, the second act still has yet to be completed. We might expect more of a show that has been in the works for almost nine years.'