Jeremy Gerard News

The legendary Broadway star, actress/singer Betty Buckley, who is currently co-starring in the Dallas Theatre Center's production of Arsenic and Old Lace, continues her successful Song Interpretation Workshop with a new round of six classes open to new participants in January and February, 2011.

The legendary Broadway star, actress/singer Betty Buckley, who is currently co-starring in the Dallas Theatre Center's production of Arsenic and Old Lace, continues her successful Song Interpretation Workshop with a new round of six classes open to new participants in January and February, 2011.

Theatre critic-turned-blogger John Simon has published his thoughts on the SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK review debacle.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the SPIDER-MAN team has finally weighed in on the controversial early reviews published by Newsday and Bloomberg News last week. Critics form both publications, Linda Winer and Jeremy Gerard suprisingly wrote reviews for SPIDER-MAN:TURN OFF THE DARK five weeks before the much delayed openning night.

Last Tuesday night I went out for some pre-holiday coffee with my good friend, BroadwayWorld Senior Editor Jessica Lewis (Actually we were so engrossed in conversation that we forgot to order coffee.  Sorry, Starbucks.), and naturally the topic of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark came up.  Jessica had seen the show already and I mentioned how comical it was becoming that, with what right now stands as an eight-week preview period, the reviewing press will be attending long after the Internet has helped establish a firm word-of-mouth opinion.

Update: The New York Times has now weighed in on the early reviews of SPIDER-MAN, in which they spoke to Manuela Hoelterhoff, the Executive Editor of Bloomberg News about their decision to review the show early. 'I worried that by the time the show opened,' Ms. Hoelterhoff wrote, 'I might be in a rest home with Jeremy. You know, in India, they teach elephants to fly in less time, while painting pictures and humming a capella.' Jonathan Landman, the Culture Editor of the Times weighs in as well saying that 'It's easy to see why they did it and completely understandable and I admit that we've been tempted. After all, these guys are raking in the cash, charging some people more than $200 a ticket. Still, it's clear that the producers really are making significant changes and a review that's out of date when the show opens isn't all that useful. So we'll wait, but not forever.'

Well, last night Newsday, which normally hides Linda Winer's reviews behind a pay-wall, but made an exception for the sure traffic grabbing piece, published their critics take on SPIDER-MAN, in which she didn't so much express many of her own opinions, as she did talk to audience members. As to why she was not respecting the status quo of waiting for the show to be frozen and to invite critics, as is normal, she cited both the full-price cost of tickets being sold during previews, the multiple delays to opening night and the press attention.

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.

Michael Riedel reported in the New York Post back in mid-November that critic John Simon, has been let go from Bloomberg Media who hired him in 2005 after he was let go from New York Magazine after 36 years. Riedel notes that Bloomberg says he's retiring, while Simon claims he's been let go. Jeremy Gerard and Manuele Hoelterhoff will now be splitting Broadway duties at Bloomberg News. Now, Simon has launched a new web site, http://johnsimon-uncensored.com/ on which he proclaims 'Like a giant tortoise from its shell, I am re-emerging on this web site. Here I will continue, freer and more independent than ever, to dispense my opinions, critiques and enthusiasms about our arts and culture. I hope to be as interdisciplinary as all get-out and separate with might and main what might remain from what must go.' He is also reportedly joining both the Yonkers Tribune and the Westchester Guardian.

Brendan Fraser, star of Broadway's new comedy ELLING, will appear on LX-TV tomorrow, Tuesday, November 23, on WNBC-TV between 5:00pm and 5:30pm.

Brendan Fraser and Denis O'Hare star in ELLING on Broadway with Jennifer Coolidge in ELLING, new comedy from London, directed by Tony Award-winner Doug Hughes. ELLING began performances Tuesday, November 2, opened Sunday, November 21 on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre 243 West 47th Street and will play a strictly limited engagement through March 20, 2011. ELLING is based on the popular original novels by Ingvar Ambjørnsen and adapted for the Oscar nominated film and the stage by Axel Hellstenius and Petter Næss, in a new English adaptation by critically hailed writer Simon Bent. ELLING played the West End and was nominated for the Lawrence Olivier Award for Comedy of the Year.

Michael Riedel reports in the New York Post that critic John Simon, has been let go from Bloomberg Media who hired him in 2005 after he was let go from New York Magazine after 36 years. Riedel notes that Bloomberg says he's retiring, while Simon claims he's been let go. Jeremy Gerard and Manuele Hoelterhoff will now be splitting Broadway duties at Bloomberg News.

ELF opened on Sunday, November 14th at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street). ELF is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Buddy is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and his step-brother doesn't even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern day Christmas classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner ELF!

THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, the exhilarating new Kander & Ebb musical, opens Sunday, October 31 at the Lyceum Theatre (149 West 45th Street). THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS is the final collaboration by musical theatre giants John Kander and Fred Ebb (Chicago, Cabaret). Based on the notorious 'Scottsboro' case in the 1930s (in which nine African-American men were unjustly accused of a terrible crime) this musical explores a fascinating chapter in American history. This production is directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman (The Producers) and features a book by David Thompson (who adapted the script for Chicago's record-breaking revival).

Signature Theatre Company presents the first New York revival of Tony Kushner's ANGELS IN AMERICA: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, directed by Michael Greif. ANGELS IN AMERICA opens Thursday, October 28 at the Peter Norton Space (555 West 42nd Street). The play began previews on September 14. Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, the two parts of ANGELS IN AMERICA, alternate in repertory.

RAIN performs the full range of The Beatles' discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience. From the early days of their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 through Sgt. Pepper and on to the Abbey Road years, RAIN performs it all. The multi-media concert recaptures the era through all phases of The Beatles astounding musical career including Shea Stadium, the psychedelic late 60s and the long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days. A fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups.

The legendary Broadway star, actress/singer Betty Buckley continues her successful Song Interpretation Workshop with a new round of six classes open to new participants in late October 2010.

The legendary Broadway star, actress/singer Betty Buckley continues her successful Song Interpretation Workshop with a new round of six classes open to new participants in late October 2010.

American playwright David Hirson's rollicking 1991 play, LA BÊTE, is a comic tour de force about Elomire (David Hyde Pierce), a high-minded classical dramatist who loves only the theater, and Valere (Mark Rylance), a low-brow street clown who loves only himself. When the fickle princess (Joanna Lumley) decides she's grown weary of Elomire's royal theatre troupe, he and Valere are left fighting for survival as art squares off with ego in a literary showdown for the ages.

The Off Broadway Alliance, the organization of Off Broadway producers, general managers, venue owners, press agents and marketing firms, will hold the fourth in its series of seminars focused on the culture, business and history of Off Broadway. The seminar, titled 'Off Broadway Financials: How To Raise Money and Where To Spend It', will feature producer/general manager Jamie Cesa (Wishful Drinking, Love Janis, 21 Dog Years), producer/general manager Ken Davenport (Oleanna, Blithe Spirit, Altar Boyz), Hugh Hysell, president of HHC Marketing, and producer/entertainment attorney Bruce Lazarus (Blue Man Group, The Lion King, Shakespeare's R&J).