Featuring book by Neil Simon, "They're Playing Our Song" follows the on-again, off-again romance of one very despondent composer and one very ditzy lyricist, as they try to create their own unique love song. Based on the real-life love affair of the show's composer, Marvin Hamlisch, and the show's lyricist, Carole Bayer-Sager, "They're Playing Our Song," ran 1,082 performances on Broadway.
After Sager and Hamlisch scored an international hit with "Nobody Does It Better" (the theme song from "The Spy Who Loved Me"), they began to work on a new musical based on some surprising subject matter -- their own romantic life -- with the most successful and popular playwright of the era, Neil Simon. They came up with an unusual, new form for a Broadway musical: a chamber musical with two main characters supported by a three-person Greek Chorus.
"They're Playing Our Song" had its world premiere as part of the Center Theatre Group series at the Ahmanson Theatre of the Music Center. It starred comic Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz, who made her Broadway debut in the role and went on to star in Reprise's inaugural season's "Wonderful Town" in 1997.
Carole Bayer Sager has written the lyrics for "Don't Cry Out Loud," "Everything Old is New Again," "Come in From the Rain," "Heartbreaker," and "That's What Friends Are For," and has collaborated with Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Peter Allen, Michael McDonald, and Burt Bacharach. In 1977 she was romantically involved with Marvin Hamlisch. Hamlisch followed winning three Academy Awards in 1973 for "The Way We Were" and the score of "The Sting", with the score for "A Chorus Line" which won nine 1975 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score for Hamlisch and lyricist Edward Kleban.
TimeLine Theatre Company, dedicated to presenting plays inspired by history that connect to today's social and political issues, announces that The How and the Why by Sarah Treem (Netflix's House of Cards, HBO's In Treatment), directed by Keira Fromm and starring Janet Ulrich Brooks and Elizabeth Ledo, will be the third production of its 2013-14 season.
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (BCBC) continues its 2012-2013 Season with An Evening with Lucie Arnaz on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 8pm. Tickets are $36 and can be purchased by phone at 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm), or online at www.BrooklynCenterOnline.org.
Talented triple threat of stage and screen Lucie Arnaz brings her critically acclaimed cabaret 'An Afternoon with Lucie Arnaz' to Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston today, April 21 at 3 p.m. In an exclusive Boston area engagement, the famed daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz sings, shares stories, and demonstrates the musical savvy and comic pizzazz that have established her as a star in her own right for the past 45 years.
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (BCBC) continues its 2012-2013 Season with An Evening with Lucie Arnaz on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 8pm. Tickets are $36 and can be purchased by phone at 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm), or online at www.BrooklynCenterOnline.org.
Talented triple threat of stage and screen Lucie Arnaz brings her critically acclaimed cabaret 'An Afternoon with Lucie Arnaz' to Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston on Sunday, April 21 at 3 p.m. In an exclusive Boston area engagement, the famed daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz sings, shares stories, and demonstrates the musical savvy and comic pizzazz that have established her as a star in her own right for the past 45 years.
Yoshi's San Francisco has announced its events through Apr 30, 2013. Yoshi's San Francisco Live Music & Restaurant is located at 1330 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, Calif.
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (BCBC) continues its 2012-2013 Season with An Evening with Lucie Arnaz on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 8pm. Tickets are $36 and can be purchased by phone at 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm), or online at www.BrooklynCenterOnline.org.
Happy New Year, all! To kick off this brand new year, BroadwayWorld looks ahead at all the upcoming productions slated to take the Broadway stage in 2013!
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!
Last week I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to Tony Award-winning SPRING AWAKENING songwriter Duncan Sheik all about his staggering spate of upcoming stage projects - the musical stage adaptation of the controversial Bret Easton Ellis bestseller AMERICAN PSYCHO, as well as his Steven Sater collaborations on THE NIGHTENGALE, WHISPER HOUSE, MR. CHESS and ALICE included - in addition to all about his upcoming concert appearance on November 23 at the Gramercy Theatre. Additionally, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter also expounded upon his career thus far and we took a look back at some of his favorite scores and composers, as well as the individuals to have the most impact on him and how that has played out in both his theatre and recording career. Plus, Sheik shares exciting exclusive news on the development of the forthcoming film adaptation of SPRING AWAKENING, directed by McG, to potentially begin filming next summer if all goes as planned, as well as opens up with his feelings on GLEE's recent homage to his hit 90s single "Barely Breathing" and his original SPRING AWAKENING leads Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff, as well as news about his upcoming solo album and the many, many stage projects he currently has in development. All of that and much, much more!
GPR Records (Glen Roven, Peter Fitzgerald, Richard Cohen, artistic directors)releases a children's CD of Catherine Zeta-Jones narrating The Runaway Bunny, based on the best selling children's classic by Margaret Wise Brown. Michael Douglas narrates everyone's favorite elephant - The Story of Babar - The Little Elephant, a 1931 classic written by Jean de Brunhoff. Also on the CD will be English Baritone Mark Stone singing Goodnight Moon also by Margaret Wise Brown. The CD, distributed by Naxos, will be released today, November 15th and will be available at www.GPRRecords.com, Amazon, and iTunes.
GPR Records (Glen Roven, Peter Fitzgerald, Richard Cohen, artistic directors) will release a children's CD of Catherine Zeta-Jones narrating The Runaway Bunny, based on the best selling children's classic by Margaret Wise Brown. Michael Douglas narrates everyone's favorite elephant - The Story of Babar - The Little Elephant, a 1931 classic written by Jean de Brunhoff. Also on the CD will be English Baritone Mark Stone singing Goodnight Moon also by Margaret Wise Brown. The CD, distributed by Naxos, will be released on November 15th and will be available at www.GPRRecords.com, Amazon, and iTunes.
Ann Arbor's Professional Theatre, Performance Network, whose award-winning productions have been fulfilling its mission "to provide uncompromising artistic leadership in the region and produce works that engage, challenge and inspire audiences and artists" for years, announces a program that will deepen its ability to serve artists by offering a comprehensive training curriculum designed to provide professional acting and business skills to a wide variety of students.
Forty years after first coming together in 1972, Janis Siegel and The Manhattan Transfer (which includes Tim Hauser, Alan Paul and Cheryl Bentyne) is still going strong. This Thursday night at 54 Below (11pm), Siegel will preview songs from her upcoming CD before she even records them in the studio. In this exclusive interview with BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Columnist Stephen Hanks, one of the country's greatest female jazz singers talks about all the current and upcoming performing projects that have her as busy and productive as ever.
GPR Records will release a recording of Catherine Zeta-Jones narrating The Runaway Bunny, based on the best selling children's classic by Margaret Wise Brown. Also on the CD will be English Baritone Mark Stone singing Goodnight Moon and a special guest superstar narrating Poulenc's Babar, The Elephant. The CD will be released on November 15th, will be available at www.GPRRecords.com, Amazon, and iTunes.
As BroadwayWorld reported earlier today, composer Marvin Hamlisch passed away Monday evening at 68 years old following a brief illness. We celebrate the life and career of the legend below.
San Diego REPertory Theatre (San Diego REP) has finalized the scheduled for an ambitious 37th season that opens with the most significant work of Latino drama in American theatre history continues with six more provocative and eye-opening new American productions.
A Chorus Line, the powerful and emotion-filled musical about the trials and tribulations of forging a life in the theater, will play in Pittsburgh tonight, June 15 through June 24 at the Benedum Center. Directed and choreographed by original A Chorus Line cast member Baayork Lee, this bona fide Broadway hit features an incredible ensemble cast composed of exciting Broadway stars and Pittsburgh CLO veterans.
A Chorus Line, the powerful and emotion-filled musical about the trials and tribulations of forging a life in the theater, will play in Pittsburgh June 15-24 at the Benedum Center. Directed and choreographed by original A Chorus Line cast member Baayork Lee, this bona fide Broadway hit features an incredible ensemble cast composed of exciting Broadway stars and Pittsburgh CLO veterans.
The Public Theater announced today that Tony Award winner Denis O'Hare has been cast as The Baker in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's beloved musical INTO THE WOODS, directed by Timothy Sheader with co-direction by Liam Steel. INTO THE WOODS will be O'Hare's Shakespeare in the Park debut. Previews begin on Monday, July 23 at the Delacorte Theater and continue for five weeks through Saturday, August 25, with an official press opening on Thursday, August 9.
San Diego REPertory Theatre (San Diego REP) has finalized the scheduled for an ambitious 37th season that opens with the most significant work of Latino drama in American theatre history continues with six more provocative and eye-opening new American productions.
San Diego REPertory Theatre (San Diego REP) announces its 37th season that opens with a significant work of Latino drama and continues with six more provocative and eye-opening new American productions. "Our curiosity about the changing world we live in provokes us to look hard and deep for those plays that take us to places we have never been and look at the world through eyes that are not are own," says Sam Woodhouse, co-founder and artistic director, San Diego REP. The search for the productions to be presented during the 2012-2013 season resulted in a collection of seven theatrical events that are about the quest of Americans to become their best selves, individually and together.
The original Broadway cast album of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along is one of those handful of recordings - like Mack and Mabel and Candide - that a musical theatre lover can listen to hundreds of times without hearing a clue as to why the show flopped. The quick answer, and usually the most unfair one, is 'the book.' More often, though, the more complete answer is ambition.
Today, BroadwayWorld is extremely proud to present an extensive conversation with the modern master of the musical theatre himself, Stephen Sondheim, all about the incredibly revealing and thoroughly riveting second volume of his complete collected (and annotated) lyrics (covering 1981-2011) - following last year's superlative FINISHING THE HAT - titled LOOK, I MADE A HAT. With ample insights pertaining to the Pulitzer Prize-winning SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, INTO THE WOODS, ROAD SHOW, THE FROGS and many more, Sondheim and I also discuss some of his Hollywood endeavors - the proposed film adaptation of INTO THE WOODS, as well as the never-produced SINGING OUT LOUD and his Oscar-winning work for Warren Beatty's DICK TRACY - and his affection for - and process of adapting (in the case of WEST SIDE STORY, the CYMBELINE setting in THE FROGS and his recent scoring of the Public Theatre's production of KING LEAR starring Kevin Kline) - the works of William Shakespeare. Additionally, we discuss the upcoming Encores! revival of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, the currently-running revival of FOLLIES starring Bernadette Peters (as well as its brand new cast album), the West End transfer of the Michael Ball/Imelda Staunton-led SWEENEY TODD in the UK and much, much more!
As 'Chicago' celebrates 15 years on Broadway, we profile its longest-running cast member.
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