Last night, May 23, the 2011 Drama Desk Awards Ceremony took place at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan. The Book of Mormon, Anything Goes, War Horse and The Normal Heart were the night's big winners, with favorites Sutton Foster, Norbert Leo Butz, Bobby Cannavale, Frances McDormand, Laura Benanti, John Larroquette, Brian Bedford and Edie Falco taking home the evening's top performance honors. The Awards ceremony was hosted by Harvey Fierstein. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the evening's starry opening red carpet and brings you Part 2 of our complete photo coverage below!
First introduced to locals here in Southern California back in 2008 during its pre-Broadway tryouts at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, the 1st National Tour of the retooled 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL has arrived in Orange County for a week of shows ending May 10 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Zippier and more compact than its previous stage incarnations, the show--featuring original songs written by Dolly Parton--takes the original hit 1980 film comedy and repurposes it into a cute, charming musical about the struggles of women in a male-dominated workplace.
Lynn Nottage's critically acclaimed world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, has extended a second time, for two weeks through June 12 at Second Stage Theatre (305 West 43rd street). Directed by Jo Bonney, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009. For ticket information, please call the Second Stage Box Office at 212-246-4422 or visit the company's website, www.2ST.com.
BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK opened to critical acclaim on Monday, May 9th. Elisabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post called the play, "A DAZZLING, WILDLY ENTERTAINING COMEDY ABOUT RACIAL IDENTITY IN HOLLYWOOD" and Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News dubbed it, "AN ENORMOUSLY ENTERTAINING COMEDY." Terry Teachout of the Wall Street Journal called Vera Stark, "A SHARP-TOOTHED, INGENIOUSLY CONSTRUCTED COMEDY," while Roma Torre of New York 1 News raved, "BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK IS AN INCREDIBLE PIECE OF WORK - A LAUGH RIOT IN THE FIRST HALF FOLLOWED BY SCINTILLATING SOCIAL COMMENTARY IN THE SECOND -- IT ALL ADDS UP TO AN INCOMPORABLE GEM!"
BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK features Stephanie J. Block, Tony Award-nominee Daniel Breaker, Tony Award-nominee David Garrison, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Kevin Isola, Tony Award nominee Sanaa Lathan, and Tony Award-winner Karen Olivo.
In this new comedy, Lynn Nottage draws upon the screwball films of the 1930's to take a funny and irreverent look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is a seventy year journey through the life of Vera Stark (Sanaa Lathan), a headstrong African-American maid and budding actress, and her tangled relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood star (Stephanie J. Block) desperately grasping to hold on to her career. When circumstances collide and both women land roles in the same Southern epic, the story behind the cameras leaves Vera with a surprising and controversial legacy scholars will debate for years to come.
Lynn Nottage's world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, already extended one week through May 29 at Second Stage Theatre, opens tonight, May 9. Directed by Jo Bonney, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009. For ticket information, please call the Second Stage Box Office at 212-246-4422 or visit the company's website, www.2ST.com.
BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK features Stephanie J. Block, Tony Award-nominee Daniel Breaker, Tony Award-nominee David Garrison, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Kevin Isola, Tony Award nominee Sanaa Lathan, and Tony Award-winner Karen Olivo. Let's see what the critics had to say!
Lynn Nottage's world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, already extended one week through May 29 at Second Stage Theatre, and opened last night, May 9. Directed by Jo Bonney, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009. For ticket information, please call the Second Stage Box Office at 212-246-4422 or visit the company's website, www.2ST.com.
While older plays can often be interpreted to suit modern tastes and standards, films serve as permanent records of the public attitudes of their times; particularly when considering the ways ethnic minorities were portrayed. Many a fine film from long ago can contain moments that strike the modern eye as racist, even in cases where the intention was to be racially sensitive. In the case of black actors from early Hollywood, we can admire the talent of the likes of Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, Butterfly McQueen and Stepin Fetchit and say they opened door for others, but many have argued that their success came from demeaning their race as a whole by taking the types of roles that were within the white viewers' comfort zones.
Lynn Nottage's world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, already extended one week through May 29 at Second Stage Theatre, opens tonight, May 9. Directed by Jo Bonney, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009. For ticket information, please call the Second Stage Box Office at 212-246-4422 or visit the company's website, www.2ST.com.
National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) held its Annual Chairman's Awards Gala and benefit last night (Monday, May 2) at the St. Regis New York hotel, raising more than $320,000 for new American theatre. This year, NCTF Chairman James S Turley, Chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young, honored Oscar and Tony Award-winner Joel Grey (on Broadway this season in Anything Goes and director of Broadway's The Normal Heart), recipient of the Theater Artist Award, presented to Mr. Grey by Anything Goes director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall; Charles Dillingham (Managing Director, Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles), recipient of the Theater Professional Award, presented by Benjamin Moore (Managing Director of Seattle Repertory Theatre) and Richard Thomas (Race on Broadway and The Public's Timon of Athens); and BNY Mellon, recipient of the Corporate Leadership Award, presented by Tony Award-winning stage and film actress Anika Noni Rose. All net proceeds of the event will be distributed as the NCTF/BNY MELLON FUND FOR NEW AMERICAN THEATRE.
With Annie returning to Broadway in 2012, Broadway Artists Alliance of New York City was pleased to present the first of several Annie-themed master classes on April 17th. 25 eager and very talented young ladies participated in a full day of triple threat training, including scene study, song interpretation, and learning choreography from a production number in the show.
National Corporate Theatre Fund (NCTF) will hold its Annual Chairman's Awards Gala and benefit on Monday, May 2 at the St. Regis New York hotel (2 East 55th Street at Fifth Avenue). This year, NCTF Chairman James S Turley, Chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young, will honor Oscar and Tony Award-winner Joel Grey (on Broadway this season inAnything Goes and director of The Normal Heart), recipient of the Theater Artist Award, presented by Anything Goes director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall; Charles Dillingham (Managing Director, Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles), recipient of the Theater Professional Award, presented by Benjamin Moore (Managing Director of Seattle Repertory Theatre) and Richard Thomas (Race on Broadway and The Public's Timon of Athens); and BNY Mellon, recipient of the Corporate Leadership Award, presented by Tony Award-winning stage and film actress Anika Noni Rose. All net proceeds of the event will be distributed as the NCTF/BNY MELLON FUND FOR NEW AMERICAN THEATRE.
Although still in previews, Lynn Nottage's world premiere comedy, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK, has extended one week through May 29 at Second Stage Theatre (305 West 43rd street). Directed by Jo Bonney, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is Ms. Nottage's first play to be produced in New York since she won the Pulitzer Prize for Ruined in 2009. The production will officially open on Monday, May 9. For ticket information, please call the Second Stage Box Office at 212-246-4422 or visit the company's website, www.2ST.com.
Broadway's Rex Smith (Grease, The Pirates of Penzance) and Kamilah Marshall (Hairspray, Rent) join Carol Channing and the previously announced Eric Kunze (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables), Krysta Rodriguez (The Addams Family, In The Heights) and Tony-Nominated Jonelle Allen (Two Gentlemen of Verona) in BACK WHERE YOU BELONG - a benefit concert celebrating Carol Channing's 90th Birthday, April 16 at The Heritage Forum Theatre of Anaheim.
Broadway's Rex Smith (Grease, The Pirates of Penzance) and Kamilah Marshall (Hairspray, Rent) join Carol Channing and the previously announced Eric Kunze (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables), Krysta Rodriguez (The Addams Family, In The Heights) and Tony-Nominated Jonelle Allen (Two Gentlemen of Verona) in BACK WHERE YOU BELONG - a benefit concert celebrating Carol Channing's 90th Birthday, April 16 at The Heritage Forum Theatre of Anaheim.
Sebastian Arcelus, Rebecca Luker, Rob McClure, Howard McGillin, Jill Paice and Lauren Worsham led Frank Loesser's Where's Charley?, the final New York City Center Encores! production of the 2010-11. Where's Charley?, based on BranDon Thomas' Charley's Aunt, has a book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The show, which ran March 17 - 20, was directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Alex Sanchez with music direction by Rob Berman.
Broadway's Carol Channing, Eric Kunze (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables), Krysta Rodriguez (The Addams Family, In The Heights) and Tony-Nominated Jonelle Allen (Two Gentlemen of Verona) join Musical Theatre University's "Kids Next Door" in BACK WHERE YOU BELONG - a benefit concert celebrating Carol Channing's 90th Birthday, April 16 at The Heritage Forum Theatre of Anaheim.
