One of the most popular stories of the year so far, the unexpected announcement of a special one night only charity concert performance of a fan favorite musical-within-the-series from NBC's musical series SMASH, BOMBSHELL, to benefit the Actors Fund, is already a huge hit here on BroadwayWorld, and, now we bring you an exclusive chat with two elemental figures in the creation of the project, songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, all about the hotly anticipated evening. As part of our conversation, Shaiman and Wittman offer up a slew of new details on what plans are currently in place for the unprecedented SMASH reunion as well as shares first reactions to the wildly successful Kickstarter campaign that has already racked up more the $230,000 in donations in only a few short days, having begun with a goal of $50,000 when the event was first announced last week. Additionally, Shaiman and Wittman parse the finer points of the BOMBSHELL score and outline what fans can expect from the songstack on the evening as well as preliminary staging and presentational plans and also what the momentum engendered by BOMBSHELL could lead to in the future, near and far. Plus, Shaiman and Wittman comment on the recent rousing performance of SMASH standout 'I Can't Let Go' performed by Jennifer Hudson on the 2015 Academy Awards. All of that and much, much more!
One of the most popular stories of the year so far, the unexpected announcement of a special one night only charity concert performance of a fan favorite musical-within-the-series from NBC's musical series SMASH, BOMBSHELL, to benefit the Actors Fund, is already a huge hit here on BroadwayWorld, and, now we bring you an exclusive chat with an elemental figure in The Actors Fund, producer Tim Pinckney, all about the hotly anticipated evening. As part of our conversation, Pinckney offers up new details on what plans are currently in place for the unprecedented SMASH reunion as well as shares first reactions to the wildly successful Kickstarter campaign that has already racked up more the $230,000 in donations in less than a week, having begun with a goal of $50,000 when the event was first announced last week. Additionally, Pinckney looks back at some previous Actors Fund special events such as HAIR and DREAMGIRLS and how the exultant reaction to this recent announcement compares to the hubbub surrounding those starry affairs - and what the momentum engendered by BOMBSHELL could lead to in the future. All of that and much, much more!
It's been a little over a week since our big Broadway opening for ON THE TOWN on October 16, and I'm still aglow from the sheer magnitude of opening night. So many loved ones and proud supporters of our show were in the audience, which included celebrities that run the gamut of film, TV, and theater.
The new Broadway revival of On The Town, directed by John Rando (Tony Award for Urinetown) and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse (Emmy Award winner for 'Smash') officially opens tonight, Thursday, October 16, 2014 at Broadway's Lyric Theatre (213 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036). BroadwayWorld wants you to get to know the talented cast of Broadway's latest revival. Meet the company below!
Last Thursday, we officially "froze" the show, which means that we are finished with any major changes. We continue to receive notes before our performances. However, the choreography, set changes, music, and our script will adhere to Thursday night's version--our final draft, so to speak. This way, we get to marinate in the show a bit while previews continue and then the October 16 opening arrives. Also, it gives the press a chance to see it ahead of time.
I have been so impressed by the tremendous support and camaraderie in the Broadway community. Many from across the theater spectrum already have come to enjoy ON THE TOWN in previews. It's been inspiring to see cast members and creatives from WICKED, IF/THEN, PIPPIN, NEWSIES, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, LITTLE DANCER, NBC's live telecast of PETER PAN, and so many others in our community excited and eager to show their support. We can always tell when our audiences are speckled with others who work on the 'Great White Way'. From the moment the house lights dim, a friendly buzz radiates onto the stage.
We just finished our first full week of previews!!! After our shows here at ON THE TOWN, there is always a crowd of fans by our stage door anxious to get their programs signed by the cast and eager to share with us their favorite aspects of the show. For most, the top of their list is the dancing.
One of the wonderful things about live theater is that each audience member's experience is different. For me, a favorite aspect of live theater is its ability to suspend disbelief and to transport the audience to the world being presented onstage. When it's done well, immersion into the story-telling and production can make the audience forget, at least for a moment, that they are watching a bunch of actors in a play. The experience envelopes them, and before long the audience is crying and laughing along with the characters on the stage.
Things are moving along so quickly as the first preview performance of On The Town (September 20) approaches. We have completed teching almost half of our show. One of my favorite songs in the show is 'Lonely Town', performed by Tony Yazbeck (as the sailor Gabey). Tony's voice is hauntingly gorgeous, and the accompanying duet danced by Kristine Covillo and Stephen Hanna is stunning. On The Town is such a comedic show, so it is a refreshing change of pace when we get to the 'Lonely Town' number. I dressed up my dogs, Hugo and Banjo, in sailor outfits and took pictures of them. Enjoy. I imagine them howling out this tune while they are home alone.
Along with my Broadway debut in 'On the Town', I'm thrilled to be making my blogging debut. You can expect to hear about all the exciting happenings with our show leading up to our big opening night on October 16th. This has been an incredible journey. An exhilarating three-week whirlwind of rehearsals has led us to our first week of tech! We pretty much attempted our first stop and start run through of our show by the middle of our second week of rehearsals. The remainder of the time, our director John Rando and choreographer Josh Bergasse chipped at the bit, getting the show in tip top shape before we got into the theatre.
Yazbeck, who is currently in rehearsals for a concert version of KISS ME KATE at London's Royal Albert Hall, recently took the time to chat with BroadwayWorld about the concerts, preparing for ON THE TOWN, and much more. Check out the full interview below!
Critically acclaimed choreographers Larry Keigwin and Jerry Mitchell will host the 20th Anniversary of Fire Island Dance Festival (#fidance), the most anticipated cultural event of the season on Fire Island. Some of the most-talked-about dancers and dance companies will perform an exciting mix of Broadway, ballet, Hawaiian and modern dance today, July 18-20.
Critically acclaimed choreographers Larry Keigwin and Jerry Mitchell will host the 20th Anniversary of Fire Island Dance Festival (#fidance), the most anticipated cultural event of the season on Fire Island. Some of the most-talked-about dancers and dance companies will perform an exciting mix of Broadway, ballet, Hawaiian and modern dance July 18-20. Since its humble beginnings in 1995 with seven dancers on a makeshift stage, the festival has grown to become the charitable event of the summer in Fire Island Pines, raising more than $3.3 million. The festival is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
This week's SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE had a very Broadway feel to it with Josh Bergasse, the choreographer of the upcoming ON THE TOWN revival, staging a Top-20 routine to the show's anthem 'New York, New York' (the one by Bernstein, Comden, and Green, not Kander and Ebb). As we learned last week, this season's winner will earn a spot in the musical's ensemble. While some people, including @Actor_Friend, don't like this idea, remember, the last network show to give away roles on Broadway brought us Laura Osnes, so let's reserve judgment, just in case a reality show brings us more Broadway royalty this time.
Critically acclaimed choreographers Larry Keigwin and Jerry Mitchell will host the 20th Anniversary of Fire Island Dance Festival (#fidance), the most anticipated cultural event of the season on Fire Island. Some of the most-talked-about dancers and dance companies will perform an exciting mix of Broadway, ballet, Hawaiian and modern dance July 18-20.
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