Sergio Trujillo News

The new musical THE ADDAMS FAMILY, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will make its pre-Broadway world premiere in Chicago.

The new musical THE ADDAMS FAMILY, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will begin previews Friday, November 13 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre (24 West Randolph Street) in Chicago, prior to its world premiere Wednesday, December 9.

From Show Boat to Finian's Rainbow to Ragtime to Hairspray the racial divide between white America and Americans of African decent has been one of the richest resources for both Broadway musical dramas and musical comedies. And a popular theme of such musicals has been the assimilation of African-American music into the white mainstream. The latest to tackle this topic, Memphis, certainly wouldn't look like the best of the lot on paper, but on stage the gritty sincerity of Joe DiPietro's book coupled with David Bryan's infectiously melodic compositions (they collaborated on the lyrics), under Christopher Ashley's dynamic staging, frequently threaten to tear the roof off of the Shubert Theatre.

The new musical THE ADDAMS FAMILY, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will begin previews Friday, November 13 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre (24 West Randolph Street) in Chicago, prior to its world premiere Wednesday, December 9.

Acclaimed photographer Mark Seliger, who has shot more than 100 Rolling Stone covers and multiple Vanity Fair covers, shot the first ever 'family' portrait of THE ADDAMS FAMILY on October 1 for Vanity Fair. The 'altogether ooky' photo can be found in the December issue of Vanity Fair! You can watch a behind the scenes video of the photo shoot right here on STAGE TUBE!

Beginning Friday, November 13, the producers of THE ADDAMS FAMILY will offer twelve (12) student tickets per performance for $25. Student tickets for the pre-Broadway world premiere of THE ADDAMS FAMILY will be available on the day of the show only, beginning at 10:00 am, and will be sold only at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre Box Office (24 W. Randolph St.). Limit of two tickets per customer presenting a valid student ID. Student tickets are in partial view box seat locations and are available for all performances except Wednesday, December 9, 2009.

Tune in to NY-1's 'On Stage' this weekend to watch a segment on the global success of the smash hit JERSEY BOYS. The Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning musical is playing to sold-out houses on 3 continents with 7 productions worldwide: New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne, Las Vegas, Chicago and the US Tour.

Tune in to NY-1's 'On Stage' this weekend to watch a segment on the global success of the smash hit JERSEY BOYS. The Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning musical is playing to sold-out houses on 3 continents with 7 productions worldwide: New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne, Las Vegas, Chicago and the US Tour.

Tune in to NY-1's 'On Stage' this weekend to watch a segment on the global success of the smash hit JERSEY BOYS. The Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning musical is playing to sold-out houses on 3 continents with 7 productions worldwide: New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne, Las Vegas, Chicago and the US Tour.

Today, November 6, is one of celebration for JERSEY BOYS everywhere. Four years ago to the day, the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning monster hit musical opened on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre, launching an international empire. The famous foursome will also be celebrating the Yankees World Series win this week with a special performance at City Hall between 12pm & 1pm.

Tickets will go on sale Friday, Nov. 6 for the Charlotte premiere engagement of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, playing the Belk Theater March 31 - April 18, 2010.

The Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning smash musical JERSEY BOYS, celebrates four stars (*The London Times), Four Seasons and four years on Broadway Friday, November 6.

Acclaimed photographer Mark Seliger, who has shot more than 100 Rolling Stone covers and multiple Vanity Fair covers, shot the first ever 'family' portrait of THE ADDAMS FAMILY on October 1 for Vanity Fair. The 'altogether ooky' photo can be found in the December issue of Vanity Fair!

Montego Glover, who can currently be seen playing the role of Felicia Farrell on Broadway in the new musical MEMPHIS, will take part in the weekly talk show 'Seth's Broadway Chatterbox' on November 5th.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Young Frankenstein,' 'The Addams Family,' 'South Pacific,' 'In the Heights,' more.....

Michael Dale's review of Memphis, the new Broadway musical. The verdict is positive: Memphis is bursting with gutsy story-telling, convincing performances and exhilarating moments that more than make up for a bit of predictability.

The opposites attracting plot is probably as old as romantic comedy itself, but even if Rooms: a rock romance follows familiar paths, the Paul Scott Goodman (book/music/lyrics) and Miriam Gordon (book) two-person musical is such a buoyant, funny and upbeat affair that the clichés of the story are conquered by the cleverness and exuberance with which the story is told. Under Scott Schwartz's swift and breezy direction, the 90-minute one-act scoots the audience along on an immensely enjoyable ride.

Musical theatre, at least in the popular denominations practiced here in Gotham, has long been known to preach a message of gay rights to an eagerly accepting congregation, and those who would deny the natural occurrence or the legal acceptance of homosexuality have been generally depicted as hateful, ignorant or, at the very gentlest, misguided. Now we have Saved, a buoyant new musical that tackles issues of friendship, trust and adolescent homosexuality among students at a Christian high school. And while I wouldn't say its message of 'love the judgmental, hate the judgment' would be completely appreciated by those who would fight for what they believe to be the sanctity of marriage, Saved removes the satirical fangs of its source 2004 movie and comes out a musical that can celebrate gay acceptance without making those who put their faith in a church that preaches otherwise look completely heartless or foolish. For all its snap and cleverness, Saved is refreshingly square in that, aside from a few spurts of adolescent nastiness, it depicts a community where everyone is truly concerned with what they believe to be the well-being of their neighbor.

As the 21st Century chugs along toward completing its first decade, perhaps Broadway's new role in American theatre with emerge as the place where talented composers and lyricists with interesting projects will premiere their less-inspired shows while their exciting, adventurous and better-written work continues to hide in the under-publicized shadows of Off- and Off-Off Broadway, festivals and the occasional cabaret appearance.  Just as Legally Blonde, the Broadway debut of composer/lyricists Lawrence O'Keefe (Bat Boy, Sarah, Plain and Tall) and Nell Benjamin (Pirates!, Sarah, Plain and Tall) doesn't match the quality of their Off-Broadway and regional work, last season composer Tom Kitt made his first main stem appearance with the catchy-tuned and enjoyable, but not especially notable, High Fidelity while musical theatre lovers in the know were anxiously awaiting a production of Feeling Electric, his substantially superior collaboration with bookwriter/lyricist Brian Yorkey, first seen at the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Monday, November 2, 2009.