How does Season 2B of GLEE stack up against the first season and a half of the show? Did Gwyneth make 'Sexy' truly titillating and tremendous? Has GLEE finally found its rhythm and found a way to contain the unyielding beast it is? The method to the madness and more in this analysis of Season 2B so far (from post-Super Bowl 'Sue Sylvester Shuffle' all the way up to Tuesday's 'Sexy') and, of course, the Top Ten songs you need to download right now - after all, the song downloads are what make it unique (and uniquely successful) and have helped it to become an entertainment institution rather than just a little TV show.
Today we are talking to one of the biggest and youngest sensations of the season, Al Pacino's highly-lauded Portia to his Shylock in the sold-out MERCHANT OF VENICE, as well as a recurring star on THE GOOD WIFE and MEDIUM - following an unforgettable appearance on NIP/TUCK last year - this year's recipient of USA's CHARACTER APPROVED Award for Theatre, Lily Rabe. In this enlivened discussion, Rabe and I dissect her work on stages and screens large and small as well as what the future holds for her on Broadway, in Hollywood and beyond - including starring in a new independent film, LETTERS TO THE BIG MAN, and a revival of A DOLL'S HOUSE co-starring Hamish Linklater at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Last night's MusiCares event broke all records with their tribute to the 2011 Person of the Year - Barbra Streisand. Here's who sang what and some photos of Broadway talent at the star-studded event. Stay tuned for more coverage later this weekend of all things theatre-related at the Grammys!
On Twitter Watch, Matt_Morrison wrote 'Matt_Morrison
rehearsing with @kchenoweth for the performance tonight http://twitpic.com/3yrop8
3 minutes ago
Matt_Morrison
Honored to be performing tonight at the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute to Barbra Streisand
5 hours ago '
With the biggest budget in the history of the mega-hit GLEE - all-too-befitting of the post-Super Bowl expectation-heavy extravaganza, whatever the network or entity - how did the highly-awaited return of the hottest show on TV fare in its raptly anticipated - making the most vociferous among the gleeks near-rapacious - super-duper Sunday special edition and how did it score across the board? How does it measure up to the massively successful Season One and the best of the best of the rest? What about side-by-side with Season Two? See why 'The Sue Sylvester Shuffle' was a Super Bowl stunner or a lamentable loser of a let-down in this play-by-play recap of the biggest (ostensibly) Broadway-related event of 2011 - at least until the Tony Awards in the Spring; not counting SPIDER-MAN (but that isn't a 'musical' anyway, right?). See who scored big and see if anyone fumbled - and who, at the end of the game, made the stadium truly rock.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & UPRIGHT CABARET are thrilled to announce American Idol star Frenchie Davis will appear in the second show of their second season, SWEET SOUL MUSIC! SWEET SOUL MUSIC will feature the music of Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight, under the musical direction of Gerald Sternbach.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & UPRIGHT CABARET are thrilled to announce the remaining performers for its second show of their season, SWEET SOUL MUSIC, which will include Tony Award-nominee Brandon Victor Dixon (Broadway: The Color Purple, The Scottsboro Boys), & Leslie Odom, Jr. (Broadway: Rent, Jersey Boys, Regional: Leap of Faith opposite Brooke Shields), with the previously announced American Idol star Frenchie Davis, performing the music of RAY CHARLES, MARVIN GAYE and GLADYS KNIGHT, and their own selections, under the musical direction of Todd Schroeder, in a one night only concert - SWEET SOUL MUSIC. SWEET SOUL MUSIC will perform on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at 7:30PM at the NEW Cabaret Lounge at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada.
Upright Cabaret is thrilled to announce the performers for their second 'American Icons' concert at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks. Grammy Award-nominee and American Idol finalist Frenchie Davis (American Idol Season 2, Broadway: RENT, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', DREAMGIRLS), Ty Taylor (CBS' Rockstar INXS, Broadway: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, CATS, GREASE; PIPPIN at the Mark Taper Forum, CHESS at Reprise Theatre Company, front man of raw soul band 'Vintage Trouble') and Von Smith (American Idol Season 8) as Upright Cabaret expands their unique, one-of-a-kind cabaret experience to Thousand Oaks!
UPRIGHT CABARET is thrilled to announce the performers for their second "American Icons" concert at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks.
UPRIGHT CABARET is thrilled to announce the performers for their second "American Icons" concert at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & UPRIGHT CABARET are thrilled to announce the remaining performers for its second show of their season, SWEET SOUL MUSIC, which will include Tony Award-nominee Brandon Victor Dixon (Broadway: The Color Purple, The Scottsboro Boys), & Leslie Odom, Jr. (Broadway: Rent, Jersey Boys, Regional: Leap of Faith opposite Brooke Shields), with the previously announced American Idol star Frenchie Davis, performing the music of RAY CHARLES, MARVIN GAYE and GLADYS KNIGHT, and their own selections, under the musical direction of Todd Schroeder, in a one night only concert - SWEET SOUL MUSIC.
UPRIGHT CABARET is thrilled to announce the performers for their second "American Icons" concert at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks.
UPRIGHT CABARET is thrilled to announce the performers for their second "American Icons" concert at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks.
Upright Cabaret is thrilled to announce the performers for their second 'American Icons' concert at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks. Grammy Award-nominee and American Idol finalist Frenchie Davis (American Idol Season 2, Broadway: RENT, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', DREAMGIRLS), Ty Taylor (CBS' Rockstar INXS, Broadway: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, CATS, GREASE; PIPPIN at the Mark Taper Forum, CHESS at Reprise Theatre Company, front man of raw soul band 'Vintage Trouble') and Von Smith (American Idol Season 8) as Upright Cabaret expands their unique, one-of-a-kind cabaret experience to Thousand Oaks!
Over the course of our ninety minute conversation earlier this week, Tony-winning Broadway star Alice Ripley was kind enough to open up about her role in the phenomenon of the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL, which is now kicking off a US Tour beginning in Los Angeles, as well as offer thoughts on many of her significant stage roles that she has taken on over the course of her impressive and varied career. Pete Townshend and THE WHO'S TOMMY to Andrew Lloyd Webber and SUNSET BOULEVARD and TELL ME ON A SUNDAY, to Sondheim with COMPANY (as the greatest Amy of all time), and even a turn in ROCKY HORROR; Alice Ripley has seemingly done it all, and her passion, dedication and insight into her craft are amply evident in both her studied performances on stage as well as in discussing the art of acting in musical theatre in conversation and what she has taken as her inspirations to play Diana Goodman, ranging from Albee to O'Neill to actors like Cynthia Nixon, Toni Collette and more. In this portion of her most comprehensive interview to date, BroadwayWorld is proud to present Part I of InDepth InterView: Alice Ripley.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & UPRIGHT CABARET are thrilled to announce American Idol star Frenchie Davis will appear in the second show of their second season, SWEET SOUL MUSIC! SWEET SOUL MUSIC will feature the music of Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight, under the musical direction of Gerald Sternbach.
Today we are taking a look and a listen to the winter finale of Fox's hit musical comedy series GLEE and its accompanying soundtrack, GLEE: THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM, both of which premiered this week. 'Tis the season for all good GLEE gifts and if a special Christmas episode - 'A Very Glee Christmas' - just wasn't enough, then the two recently released soundtrack albums can surely fuel your fire until the post-Superbowl special episode in the new year!
What has made Season Two of GLEE must-see TV above all else? Who is the newest star soon to soar to the loftiest heights? Who has 'it' in a cast of ver-it-able all-consuming it-itis? Clue A: In just two performances and a handful of scenes in a couple of appearances he has made his star power shine, and on last night's especially strong episode of the wildly inconsistent second season of GLEE it is now safe to say that by any measure whatsoever a blazing star has been born, by any measure of Broadway, Hollywood, or anywhere else. Clue B: Find out what his name is, what songs to download, and some recent glimpses of his sure-to-be meteoric rise to global fame in the very near future in the content below. Clue C: 'Teenage Dream' and 'Hey, Soul Sister' are merely the humble beginnings of... Darren Criss, Superstar.
Today, we are talking to the versatile and multi-talented Tony-winning actor who has recently found television superstardom following his turn as the Russell Edgington, King of the Tennessee Vampires, on HBO's hit series TRUE BLOOD, but he has also proven himself to be equally at home on the big screen - as can be clearly seen in his impressive turns in 21 GRAMS, GARDEN STATE, CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, MILK and more. Discussing his penchant for the dark side as well as his musical comedy side - such as his unforgettable performance in Joe Mantello's ASSASSINS and opposite Christina Applegate in the recent revival of SWEET CHARITY - Denis O'Hare makes clear his adoration for the theatrical form and his undying - make that undead - devotion to his craft. This extensive chat certainly gives us a lot of grist and meat to chew on. Be sure to catch O'Hare eight times a week on Broadway in ELLING, which opens today.
I recently had the opportunity to lead the original Tony-winning star of MISS SAIGON - as well as the voice of the animated heroines of Disney classics ALADDIN and MULAN - in a look back at her astounding career, covering everything from MISS SAIGON to her new forthcoming original musical ALLEGIANCE co-starring George Takei: Ms. Lea Salonga. In speaking with the iconic boundary-breaking Broadway leading lady, we also touched upon all things LES MIZ - everything from LES MISERABLES onstage, the 10th Anniversary Dream Cast to, now: the 25th Anniversary 02 Concert Experience! Don't miss Lea alongside stage veterans Norm Lewis, Ramin Karimloo and pop superstar Nick Jonas in the truly spectacular concert presentation of the world's most beloved musical as it is released in movie theaters for one night only on November 17th in anticipation of its worldwide release on DVD and Blu-Ray early next year! Plus, in this exclusive conversation, Lea shares her thoughts on GLEE and her wish to duet with new GLEE cast member Charice, plus memories of the concert event of the past century, HEY! MR. PRODUCER, and much, much more!
