Norman Jewison News

'SING YOUR SONG,' CHRONICLING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EXTRAORDINARY ENTERTAINER AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST HARRY BELAFONTE, DEBUTS OCT. 17, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

Today, in an extension of the FLASH FRIDAY column, we are sharpening our focus on the six upcoming revivals of musicals that are soon to hit the boards in the next few months (post-FOLLIES) and battle it out for the Best Revival as the Broadway season heats up just when the weather begins to cool: the classic Jule Styne/Bob Merrill musical that originally starred that star-of-stars, Barbra Streisand - FUNNY GIRL; the groundbreaking rock opera that rewrote the theatrical rulebook thanks to young creators Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR; the hippie, flower child take on the Christ story covering some similar Biblical ground to that of SUPERSTAR, with this one being the composing debut of WICKED songwriter Stephen Schwartz - GODSPELL; another Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice collaboration that won seven Tony Awards and acted as the vehicle for Patti LuPone's blazing Broadway debut in a starring role - EVITA; the significantly reworked, revised and rewritten new version of the beautifully scored time-travel musical by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner, this time starring a male movie star crooner - ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER; and, the landmark American opera composed by the Gershwins with DuBose Haywerd - PORGY & BESS. While each and every one of these entities has a huge hit song or two that nearly everyone on the planet knows by heart - "Don't Rain On My Parade", "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Day By Day", "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "On A Clear Day…" and 'Summertime' included - each of these revivals also comes after a film version (or two) that, in more than a few of these cases, will be relatively difficult to top as far as expectations of many audience members undoubtedly will go. So, by taking a listen to the smash hit crossover songs from these musicals as well as looking at their respective film version's trailers - as well as a couple of surprises, too - perhaps we can glean some insight into what makes these generally pretty terrific properties so well worth reviving on Broadway, here, now, today, in 2011. Furthermore, all of this crystal ball commentary is not even taking into account the starry assortment of performers that have already been announced for these productions so far - especially with FUNNY GIRL's Lauren Ambrose and Bobby Cannavale, GODSPELL's Hunter Parrish, SUPERSTAR's lauded Josh Young, EVITA's Ricky Martin and Michael Cerveris, PORGY's Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald, as well as the leading man in what was once a leading lady's role (that of Barbara Harris) in ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, Harry Connick, Jr.! What a tight race it is turning out to be for these new productions, particularly come Tony time in June! With rock to rhumba and borscht belt comedy to messianic hosannas and even full-out opera, seemingly every conceivable customer base is more than covered by this packed, potentially, well, awesome, season of shows - and many Broadway babies around BroadwayWorld are undoubtedly looking most forward to these six forthcoming revivals - with particularly good reason given the relative dearth of new musicals announced so far. So, let these revivals revive your flagging spirits as we leap into the 2011-2012 season with this comprehensive prospective and retrospective all about what makes them work so well in the first place and so worthy of another look!

'SING YOUR SONG,' CHRONICLING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EXTRAORDINARY ENTERTAINER AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST HARRY BELAFONTE, DEBUTS OCT. 17, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning writer/director Oliver Stone (Platoon, Wall Street), Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated and Emmy Award winning Actress Lily Tomlin (9 to 5, Nashville), Golden Globe nominated and Emmy and Tony award-winning actress Ellen Barkin (The Big Easy, Ocean's 13) and actor James Marsden (X-Men, Hairspray) have been set to be honored as part of the 14th Annual Savannah Film Festival, which will take place from October 29th to November 5th.

The new Brazilian production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (the first one was in the sixties) is a joy which makes Brazilian theatre profissionals proud of it. After COMPANY, AVENUE Q, SPRING AWAKENING, THE SOUND OF MUSIC,GYPSY and HAIR (all suberbs) Möeller and Botelho with this wonderful FIDDLER reached a point of no return: they have put Brazilian production and artistics values of Broadway musicals in a state of perfection that only the original and legendary ones can be compared.

Ute Lemper, international chanteuse and Broadway star ('Chicago') teams up with downtown impresario Earl Dax ('Joey Arias in Concert,' 'Weimar New York') to present the full scale version of 'Ute Lemper: The Bukowski Project.'

Ute Lemper, international chanteuse and Broadway star ('Chicago') teams up with downtown impresario Earl Dax ('Joey Arias in Concert,' 'Weimar New York') to present the full scale version of 'Ute Lemper: The Bukowski Project.'

Ute Lemper, international chanteuse and Broadway star ('Chicago') teams up with downtown impresario Earl Dax ('Joey Arias in Concert,' 'Weimar New York') to present the full scale version of 'Ute Lemper: The Bukowski Project.'

The New York Choral Society will celebrate its 52nd Anniversary with a Spring Gala, on April 6 at The National Arts Club.

Legendary French pianist and composer Michel Legrand will return to the Blue Note for a series of concerts with his trio from March 29 - April 3. Legrand is best known for his film scores - Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Thomas Crown Affair and the theme song from Yentl are among the highlights - but they tend to overshadow his extensive work as a jazz arranger/composer and pianist.

The New York Choral Society will celebrate its 52nd Anniversary with a Spring Gala, on April 6 at The National Arts Club.

Legendary French pianist and composer Michel Legrand will return to the Blue Note for a series of concerts with his trio from March 29 - April 3. Legrand is best known for his film scores - Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Thomas Crown Affair and the theme song from Yentl are among the highlights - but they tend to overshadow his extensive work as a jazz arranger/composer and pianist.

Ute Lemper, international chanteuse and Broadway star ('Chicago') teams up with downtown impresario Earl Dax ('Joey Arias in Concert,' 'Weimar New York') to present the full scale version of 'Ute Lemper: The Bukowski Project.'

Ute Lemper, international chanteuse and Broadway star ('Chicago') teams up with downtown impresario Earl Dax ('Joey Arias in Concert,' 'Weimar New York') to present the full scale version of 'Ute Lemper: The Bukowski Project.'

Legendary French pianist and composer Michel Legrand will return to the Blue Note for a series of concerts with his trio from March 29 - April 3. Legrand is best known for his film scores - Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Thomas Crown Affair and the theme song from Yentl are among the highlights - but they tend to overshadow his extensive work as a jazz arranger/composer and pianist.

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres will produce another new show on its Main Stage with JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. The groundbreaking theatrical masterpiece will run two weeks of previews from Friday, February 4 -17, with grand opening festivities on Friday, July 18. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is slated to run through July 30, 2011. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is presented by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres will produce another new show on its Main Stage with JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. The groundbreaking theatrical masterpiece will run two weeks of previews from Friday, February 4 -17, with grand opening festivities on Friday, July 18. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is slated to run through July 30, 2011. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is presented by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Today we are taking a look and a listen to the biggest and brightest Broadway beacons of the year that was, all amidst the dismal landscape of the Street as we now know it, though I won't name names or titles (hyphenated or otherwise). Between the ultimate diva triptych of Barbra, Liza and Cher each releasing not only new albums in 2010, but also DVDs of their work - and, in Cher's case, a smash-hit big-screen original movie musical, BURLESQUE, to the stars-on-the-rise of two leading men of far off shores - Stuart Matthew Price and David Campbell. In a year with far too few new cast albums, these solo albums certainly shine with lots of luster. On Broadway it might have been the year of epic disaster, but on record we may be able to find the Broadway we knew and loved once in any number of these highly-recommended releases. Oh, yeah - and Sondheim, too!

On Wednesday, November 10, 2010, the Toronto Centre for the Arts launches Out of Character: Intimate Portraits of Stage Stars, a five-part series that features some of Canada's most revered theatrical talent performing unplugged at the intimate George Weston Recital Hall, a venue renowned for its outstanding acoustics. Jackie Richardson, Len Cariou, Michael Burgess, Valerie Boyle, and Rebecca Caine have starred in major theatrical productions throughout North America - in Out of Character: Intimate Portraits of Stage Stars each of these immense theatrical talents will perform songs, monologues and stories, accompanied by musical director David Warrack.

On Wednesday, November 10, 2010, the Toronto Centre for the Arts launches Out of Character: Intimate Portraits of Stage Stars, a five-part series that features some of Canada's most revered theatrical talent performing unplugged at the intimate George Weston Recital Hall, a venue renowned for its outstanding acoustics. Jackie Richardson, Len Cariou, Michael Burgess, Valerie Boyle, and Rebecca Caine have starred in major theatrical productions throughout North America - in Out of Character: Intimate Portraits of Stage Stars each of these immense theatrical talents will perform songs, monologues and stories, accompanied by musical director David Warrack.