The Cast of SMASH Reunites in Broadway BOMBSHELL Benefit Tonight
by TV News Desk
- Jun 8, 2015
The concert presentation of the musical created within the NBC TV series 'Smash,' created by Theresa Rebeck, Bombshell, with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, directed by Joshua Bergasse and Scott Wittman with choreography by Joshua Bergasse and music direction by Marc Shaiman, a one-night only landmark event benefitting The Actors Fund, takes place this evening, June 8, 2015 at The Minskoff Theatre (1515 Broadway).
Chita Rivera & Daryl Roth Honored at Lilly Awards Tonight; Lisa D'Amour, Shakina Nayfack Among Winners
by BWW News Desk
- Jun 1, 2015
The 2015 winners of the Lilly Awards, celebrating and honoring women of distinction in American theater, were recently announced by The Lilly Awards Foundation. The winners will be celebrated at the 6th Annual Lilly Awards Ceremony tonight, June 1, 2015 beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd Street) and hosted by double 2015 Tony Award nominee Lisa Kron (Fun Home).
BWW Reviews: Circuit's SEMINAR Should Be Required Viewing
by Joseph Baker
- Jun 1, 2015
There's something intrinsically dramatic about a formidable artist/instructor who, because of whatever circumstances, finds that he or she has to step down a rung on the ladder of fame in order not to slip from that ladder altogether. It isn't necessarily a new theme that Theresa Rebeck tackles in the acid-etched comedy SEMINAR, directed by Irene Crist and currently running at Circuit Playhouse. While watching it, I was reminded of other works dealing with artists who, out of necessity, must share their genius (and sharpen their verbal talons) on eager, ambitious upstarts. Not too long ago, there was a production of John Logan's RED, about the artist Mark Rothko and his fictional assistant. Nor should we forget Terrence McNally's MASTER CLASS, with diva Maria Callas holding a voice master class with students trembling under her aura. Other, similar (if fictional) titles leap to mind: Consider that holy terror from THE PAPER CHASE, 'Professor Kingsfield' (John Houseman), intimidating Timothy Bottoms' frustrated law student. To these master instructors we can now add the imperious 'Leonard' (deliciously played by Michael Detroit, who, as a real-life instructor, has an innate understanding of the interplay between teacher and student), a famous novelist who has been to the well of inspiration once too often and is now (for $5000 per student) reluctantly willing to train his weary eyes on material that more often than not elicits blistering barbs of criticism; and a varied and pretentious lot they are - the affluent 'Kate' (whose spacious and expensive apartment furnishes the setting for the seminar meetings, and whose six-year struggle with a story is rather like a plane that bumps along a runway and can't quite take flight); the name-dropping 'Douglas,' who has written something fit for THE NEW YORKER (ordinarily an impressive feat - except when Leonard derides its 'detached intelligence'); the opportunistic 'Izzy,' who isn't beyond parlaying her particular affinity for sex into a form of self-promotion; and, finally, the disproving 'Martin,' whose intellectual probity causes him to roll his eyes at the pretentiousness of people like Douglas.
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