Steve Sondheim News

In a new entry in the Masterworks Broadway LEGENDS OF BROADWAY web series, Tony-winning director/lyricist Richard Maltby Jr. discusses the inception of the idea through to conception, casting, enaction and reception of the Fats Waller revue AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'.

Today we are talking to a veritable legend in her own time - arguably the most influential and recognizable female stand-up comedian of all time, the one and only Joan Rivers. Opening up and revealing her trademark, impossible-to-top wit all the while, Rivers and I discuss many aspects of her life and career, with a particular focus on her many current projects - most importantly, the third season of her smash hit reality series JOAN & MELISSA: JOAN KNOWS BEST? on WE TV. What will happen when Joan, Melissa and company visit Colonial Williamsburg? What illicitness will they discover on Willie Nelson's former tour bus? Will Joan get arrested for protesting her book being banned at a big retailer? Answers to these questions all will be arrived up on Saturday. In addition to all about JOAN & MELISSA Season Three and the current series-high ratings run of FASHION POLICE, Rivers and I take a look back at many of the remarkable figures she has encountered and worked with over the course of her career - among them: Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Woody Allen and many more - and she generously shares candid backstage stories and remembrances as only she can. Of paramount interest to theatre fans may be the announcement of a revival of her one-woman play SALLY MARR… AND HER ESCORTS, which she will be reviving in a special weekly pop-up theatre space on Broadway later this year. Also, as if all of that were not enough, Joan gives us the 411 on her new uncensored web series, IN BED WITH JOAN, as well as her cute new pet lover's web project, MY FAT PET. Plus, her fashion forecast for 2013 and best current trends, favorite films of awards season, thoughts on Broadway today and her picks for the best shows to see as well as much, much more awaits in this career-spanning conversation!

Today we are talking to a Tony Award-winning Broadway and Hollywood notable all about his terrifically theatrical background - having appeared in musicals ranging from his debut in the ill-fated MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG to his Tony Award-winning work in JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY to most recent role as the artistic director of LA's lauded Reprise! Theatre Company - the one and only Jason Alexander. Expounding upon his big Broadway break in Stephen Sondheim & Harold Prince's MERRILY and what it was like to witness the two titans as they developed the piece, Alexander shares his insights into the art of Broadway and also casts a glance back at his roles in Kander & Ebb's THE RINK, Mel Brooks's THE PRODUCERS and directing Sondheim‘s musicals himself (such as SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE with frequent InDepth InterView participant Kelli O‘Hara). Alexander also opens up about some of his most celebrated dramatic and comedic work to date - to say nothing of the iconic TV dynasty of SEINFELD, we also touch upon the TV movie musicals adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL (with a score by Alan Menken & Lynn Ahrens), co-starring Kelsey Grammer, and Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA, (with fellow InDepth InterView participant Bernadette Peters), as well as his recent appearance on HARRY'S LAW and more. Plus, Alexander outlines his featured role in the forthcoming Christopher Ashley feature film adaptation of the Ahrens & Flaherty musical comedy LUCKY STIFF, the future for a revival of the Richard Rodgers/Martin Charnin Bible-based Moses musical TWO BY TWO (co-starring SMASH's Megan Hilty once again, perhaps?) - and much, much more!

Today we are talking to a breakout Broadway star who has made a name for himself with memorable turns in this century's revivals of Rodgers & Hammerstein's FLOWER DRUM SONG, Stephen Sondheim's PACIFIC OVERTURES and Stephen Schwartz's GODSPELL on Broadway as well as turns in Schwartz's WICKED and Jonathan Larson's RENT in addition to his lauded work on the brand new Broadway-bound tuner ALLEGIANCE, co-starring Lea Salonga and George Takei - and, of course, his easily identifiable uniform-outfitted Warbler on Fox's hit musical dramedy series GLEE - the passionate and gifted Telly Leung! Besides taking a look back at many of his best-loved and most well-remembered roles to date, in this career-spanning conversation Leung and I also dissect the finer points of his new solo album, I'LL COVER YOU, as we look ahead to the splashy release party on December 2 at 54 Below, and he outlines his initial inspiration for the creation of it and recounts the recording process for the unique genre-crossing release. Plus, Leung generously shares some truly thrilling backstage stories involving luminaries such as Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Neil Patrick Harris and more as well as shares his infectious enthusiasm for future endeavors, near and far - after a well-earned vacation in January, that is. All of that and much, much more awaits!

In this chat, actor Cortes Alexander talks about the challenges of doing this play, Dangerous Corner at Crown City Theatre, and his musical work, including how his group The Tonics skyrocketed to fame.

Today we are talking to a Broadway superstar beloved from the time of her breakthrough performance in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim's PASSION nearly twenty years ago all the way to two tremendous revivals in the early 00s - KISS ME, KATE and MAN OF LA MANCHA - to her most recent trio of roles on Broadway, first appearing in the straight drama ENRON, then as the troubled lead character of Diana in the Pulitzer Prize-winning NEXT TO NORMAL, and, most recently, as the tortured Margaret White in the long-awaited New York return of CARRIE - the one and only Marin Mazzie. Recalling many memories of working on the original productions of such seminal musicals as INTO THE WOODS, PASSION, RAGTIME, SPAMALOT and NEXT TO NORMAL with some of Broadway's best and brightest talents, Mazzie expresses her sincere appreciation for the unforgettable shows she has been associated with and opens up about her experiences as both an originator of a role, as in the cases of PASSION and RAGTIME, and also as a replacement star and the challenges that that position poses for a performer. Additionally, Mazzie shares her enthusiasm for the words and music of the Tony Award-winning RAGTIME creators Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, whom she will be saluting alongside a starry assortment of notables on Monday at the NY Pops JOURNEY ON Gala at Carnegie Hall. Plus, Mazzie clues us in on all aspects of her journey with the recent New York reworking and reappraisal of CARRIE and gives us first news on recording the cast album, which is set for a Fall release, as well as news on her second duets album with husband, Jason Danieley and solo album thoughts. All of that and much, much more!

Headlining the most successful entertainment of all time, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Michael Crawford was actually not the first name the creative team considered for the gothic musical undertaking during its creation in the mid-1980s, believe it or not. Steve Harley famously recorded the original single of the title song with composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's muse Sarah Brightman and subsequently starred in the grandiose Ken Russell fever dream music video. While the public and critics alike assumed Harley's bid for the lead role in the gestating show was all but guaranteed after the video debut, it was not meant to be. Master director Hal Prince had his sights set on a British stage and screen star who had made a name with American audiences decades before in the troubled film versions of two Broadway hits - A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM and HELLO, DOLLY! - as well as made a name for himself the world over in the British sitcom SOME MOTHERS DO 'AVE 'EM. Crawford had also cemented his place in the musical theatre with his roles in FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON and BILLY, but it was PHANTOM that would catapult him into the ranks of iconic musical megastar. So, today, let us take a look at what made Michael Crawford's performance in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA so unforgettable as we celebrate this week's US release of the simply spectacular DVD/Blu-ray of the 25th anniversary production mounted late last year at the Royal Albert Hall starring Ramim Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, loving assembled and presented by original lead producer Cameron Mackintosh and featuring a grand finale complete with original PHANTOM cast-members Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford, among a host of other glories.

John Logan, the playwright responsible for the Mark Rothko-inspired 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Play, RED, is also a name familiar to movie buffs around the world who may very well have enjoyed his considerable contributions to cinema - among them, the screenplays for 2000 Best Picture Oscar-winner GLADIATOR (directed by Ridley Scott), Oliver Stone's ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, Martin Scorsese's THE AVIATOR, Tim Burton's film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2008 Golden Globe winner for Best Picture, Musical Or Comedy) and many more. Discussing his collaborations with those lauded directors as well as his work for the stage - going all the way back to his Chicago roots - Logan and I also touch on some of his incredibly exciting upcoming projects - the new Sam Mendes James Bond film, SKYFALL; the Ralph Fiennes-directed adaptation of Shakespeare's CORIOLANUS; Martin Scorsese's critically lauded HUGO, now in theaters; and, Steven Spielberg's forthcoming biopic of LINCOLN, co-written with Tony Kushner and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Additionally, Logan illustrates his appreciation for RED Tony-winning leading man Eddie Redmayne, who also starred in the Kathryn Bigelow-directed HBO pilot of Logan's aborted Broadway-themed musical series, A MIRACULOUS YEAR. All of that, plus early casting ideas for Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett, as well as much, much more!

Stephen Sondheim to Jerry Herman to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Michael John LaChiusa to Kander & Ebb to Dempsey & Rowe, PUTTING IT TOGETHER to MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET on Broadway - the phenomenally gifted co-founder of the Signature Theater is one of the brightest lights in directing today - whether in regional theatre or on Broadway or the West End - and a mere glance at his resume reveals many of the reasons why. Discussing the current production of SUNSET BOULEVARD opening later this month at the Signature, plus a complete rundown of the upcoming Kennedy Center production of FOLLIES, in this, his most comprehensive interview to date, Eric Schaeffer bares all and reveals what makes his productions shine so bright on Broadway and beyond.

In a career that has consisted of everything from voicing Howard the Duck to originating the roles of The Baker in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical INTO THE WOODS and Marvin (and Dr. Mendel) in the FALSETTOS trilogy by William Finn, as well as some DePalma and numerous stage roles in between, Chip Zien is a character actor extraordinaire who now is trying out a new role - that of book writer - in the New York Musical Theater Festival's new musical THE HISTORY OF WAR. Last week we spoke to one of the stars of the show, Max Von Essen, and today we shine some light on the process of bringing the show to the stage as well as a look back at many of the notable film and theatre appearances that Zien has made over his nearly four decades in show business. Working with Stephen Sondheim, William Finn, Dustin Hoffman and Nicolas Cage is just the tip of the iceberg, as Zien also opens up about his unusual career and the many friendships he has built along the way. All that, and what it was like to be at the birth of a brand new Sondheim song written just for him in the form of 'No More' from INTO THE WOODS. Marvin to Mendel, Baker to book writer, Chip Zien is an authority of all the glitters and the gold of having a true collaborative breakthrough as he has had on FALSETTOS, INTO THE WOODS and, now, THE HISTORY OF WAR. Tickets are on sale at the link below! Only three performances left, tonight and tomorrow only!

Last week I conducted an illuminating InDepth InterView with legendary producer and director Harold Prince in which we discussed his singular career, having won more Tony Awards than any other person on the planet for his near one-hundred productions since his start as George Abbott's assistant producer over fifty years ago. He produced such landmark musicals as DAMN YANKEES, THE PAJAMA GAME and WEST SIDE STORY in the 1950s and then went on to become a director in his own right with Kander & Ebb's FLORA, THE RED MENANCE (Liza Minnelli's Broadway debut), CABARET into the Sondheim series of masterpieces in the 1970s - COMPANY, FOLLIES, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, PACIFIC OVERTURES, SWEENEY TODD - bridging into his two biggest commercial successes, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals EVITA and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Celebrating its 23rd year on Broadway in January, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is the most successful entertainment of all time, more than any other musical, television show or even feature film in history. It's a juggernaut like no other and the mystery, magic and majesty that had made the show such a rousing success is thanks to the masterful eye-of-all-eyes, the true master director of the American Theatre, Harold Prince. But, will he be doing the sequel?

Today, in honor of the DVD release of Rob Marshall's film version of the 1982 Tony-winning Best Musical NINE, Maury Yeston was gracious and generous enough to grant me a few hours in which I could ask him intimate questions about his life, career and the future of theatre itself. Not one to mince words, Yeston is a veritable font of knowledge and it became clear during the interview that he may be as gifted and talented in his educational and mentorship skills as he is as a two-time Tony-winning composer and lyricist. His stage musicals include two Tony-winning Best Musicals, NINE and TITANIC, as well as: IN THE BEGINNING, GRAND HOTEL, PHANTOM, and the forthcoming DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, as well as a full-length ballet of TOM SAWYER premiering later this year. From the handwritten letter sent by Katharine Hepburn to Frederico Fellini after seeing the workshop of NINE thirty years ago to this very day when NINE hits DVD, we will take a look at this magnanimous maestro's starry career in this inaugural InDepth InterView. Enjoy!

Longtime collaborators James Lapine and John Weidman announced the renaming of Henry Miller's Theatre to the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. The renaming of the theatre is dedicated to Stephen Sondheim, the greatest and best known artist in American musical theatre on his 80th birthday. The announcement was made at the curtain call following Roundabout Theatre Company's gala performance of the new Broadway musical Sondheim on Sondheim.

This weekend, two-time Tony winner George Hearn is finally making his Encores! debut in Fanny, a 1954 musical.

Prolific composer Stephen Schwartz has delighted us with such musical megahits as Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show and...the most successful show in Broadway history Wicked, which is still playing in New York and on tour internationally and grossing millions of dollars on its souvenirs alone.

Legendary Composer talks about his career, his work and his upcoming book.

According to the musical's bookwriter, Arthur Laurents, the Broadway revival of West Side Story projected for the 2008-09 season will feature a revised score with new songs by the Spring Awakening team of composer Duncan Sheik and lyricist Steven Sater.

n a very special BroadwayWorld exclusive, London reporter Nick Hutson provides a very special Q/A series with the cast and creative team of the highly-anticipated new movie-musical Sweeney Todd! Including Johnny Depp, renown composer Stephen Sondheim; plus Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, and director Tim Burton and Ed Sanders, Jayne Weisner and Jamie Campbell Bower.

On Sunday 16th July, the King?s Head Theatre Islington will present a very special musical tribute Gala to the theatre?s founder, entrepreneur and producer, Dan Crawford who died last July at the age of 62.