Hair - 2008 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 3

Performances are now underway for the Broadway premiere of The Queen of Versailles. Previews begin on October 8. Meet the cast of The Queen of Versailles here and read bios of the show's stars and cast!

Producers have announced in-person rush, digital rush, and digital lottery policies for the Broadway premiere of The Queen of Versailles. Learn more about how to get tickets here!

The Queen of Versailles will release its Original Broadway Cast Recording. The first single “Caviar Dreams,” performed by Tony and Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth and the cast, is available now.

BroadwayWorld talks to Brian Copeland about 'The Waiting Period,' his searingly honest and surprisingly humorous life-saving solo show which will have its 500th performance September 20th at The Marsh Berkeley, coincidingBrian Copeland could easily point to any number of impressive achievements from his multi-faceted career. As a standup comic, he’s opened for icons like Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson. His seminal theater piece Not a Genuine Black Man still reigns as the longest-running solo show in San Francisco theater history. For 5 years, he co-hosted KTVUs Mornings on 2, and for 27 years hosted his own radio program on KGO. Related to the latter, he will be inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame next month, something of which he is particularly proud. But – if you ask him “What is the most worthwhile thing you’ve ever done?” he answers without hesitation, “The Waiting Period,” because it has actually saved people’s lives. I spoke with him recently to learn more about this uniquely impactful solo theater piece, which will mark its 500th performance on September 20th at The Marsh Berkeley. As has become standard practice for The Waiting Period, tickets are free of charge. Based on his personal experience, the piece is an exploration of depression and suicidal ideation, its title referring to the state-mandated 10 ten days that must elapse between purchasing a gun and taking possession of it. For Copeland, those ten days were literally a lifesaver, and so he felt compelled to share his story. Although he’d long struggled with depression, back in 2008 he was faced with an unimaginable chain of events that was more than he could handle. Within a short time, the grandmother who’d raised him died of a stroke, his wife announced out of the blue that she wanted a divorce, and he got into a horrific accident that totaled his car and necessitated spinal cord surgery, putting on his couch in a neck brace for three months, popping Vicodin. Thoughts of suicide became inescapable so he purchased a TomCat, planning to use it to end his life. Against all odds, he managed to “white-knuckle it” through the waiting period while the most acute aspects of his depression lifted just enough to stop him from killing himself. But, as Copeland says, “The thing about depression is it’s never cured – it’s better, it’s worse, it’s manageable, there are times when it’s absent - but it’s always a hair trigger away from something, from some catastrophe or some chemical imbalance.” Once the fog had lifted at least temporarily, he seriously started rethinking his experience as someone who believes in finding reasons for things. During that period, a young man within Copeland’s circle committed suicide at the age of fifteen and Robin Williams killed himself as well, although the complicating factor of Lewy Body Dementia had not been made public at that time. Copeland took those incidents like a blow to the solar plexus and began to explore what he could personally do to help prevent such tragedies. He was encouraged to bring his own struggles to light by his publicist, who happened to have represented film icon Rock Hudson in 1985 when the actor announced to the world that he had AIDS, thereby removing some of the stigma from that disease. The publicist suggested to Copeland that by going public with his story maybe he could do the same thing for depression and suicidal ideation. Copeland had received his mission. Collaborating with the Bay Area’s guru of solo performance, David Ford, Copeland set out to “create a show about depression that wasn’t depressing,” making sure to include enough reality-based humor to draw audiences in and counterbalance the heaviness of the topic. As he puts it, “the comedy makes the drama much more impactful, and the drama makes the comedy funnier because it’s a release.” The Waiting Period opened at The Marsh in 2012 and became an instant sensation, winning awards and getting extended multiple times. After a year or so, Copeland realized he couldn’t keep performing the show on a regular basis because it required him relive some very dark and harrowing episodes. But he felt he could continue to do the show on an occasional basis, maybe twice a month or so, without seriously endangering his own mental health. He also talked to Stephanie Weisman, artistic director of The Marsh, about making the show free of charge to audiences so that cost wouldn’t be a barrier to attending. Weisman readily agreed to having a GoFundMe campaign was set up to cover basic production costs like theater staffing. Copeland and his publicist then placed calls to various industry contacts and were stunned by the outpouring of support from celebrities like Glenn Close, Ed Asner and Lucie Arnaz, whose lives had been personally touched by depression and suicide. Fast forward to 2025, and Copeland is now embarking on the 500th performance of The Waiting Period on September 20th, timed to coincide with Suicide Prevention Month. Copeland remains committed to continuing to do the show because he knows the profound impact it’s had on the lives of so many people, from the letters he’s received and follow-up conversations he’s had. Just one example: a woman planned to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge one Sunday morning and stopped off at her favorite café enroute to savor one last coffee and pastry before ending her life. She noticed the San Francisco Chronicle “pink” section lying on her table and thumbed through it while finishing her coffee. It happened to contain a brief article about The Waiting Period that noted a performance would be happening that very afternoon. She was intrigued enough to alter her plan - slightly. She decided to flip a coin and if it came up heads, she would proceed straight to the bridge; if it came up tails, she would go see Copeland’s show first. It came up tails, and so she went to see The Waiting Period, the core message of which is “If you’re thinking of doing some kind of harm to yourself, tell someone first.” When the play was over, she remained in her seat crying for another twenty minutes, then called her sister to tell her what she was thinking of doing, and her sister got her help. Or there’s the story of a woman who struggled with depression and her husband always wondered why she couldn’t just lighten up and smell the roses. She basically dragged him to The Waiting Period, and afterwards he said to her, “That’s what you’ve been going through? I had no idea.” And that’s the thing with depression: it is so misunderstood. It’s not something that can be cured by thinking happy thoughts. As Copeland says, “You know, we’re dealing with a disease, and yet people are ashamed of it. There’s such shame and stigma attached to it, and I want people to know they have nothing to be ashamed of, any more than if you had Lou Gehrig’s Disease or muscular dystrophy or cancer. You wouldn’t be ashamed of those afflictions. And the world, society, would be a lot more sympathetic.” As a comedian and talk show host, i.e. someone who earns his living projecting amiability and cheerfulness, Copeland makes a perfect communicator for that message. If someone as seemingly light-hearted as him can suffer from depression, then it can truly happen to anyone. When he started debuted The Waiting Period in 2012, some people were quite surprised to learn that he’d ever wanted to kill himself. And yet, what sticks with him most over the years is the number of people who’ve approached him after a performance and whispered in his ear that they, too, are “one of us,” as Copeland refers to those who experience acute depression. Some of them are people Copeland knows well and are in the public eye, people he says you would never guess struggled with the disease. Toward the conclusion of our conversation, Copeland tells me, “If there’s nothing else at all worthwhile I’ve done while I was here, at least there are a couple of people walking around who might not be here.” I tell him that’s a statement most of us can’t make, myself included, and he responds, “You don’t know that. That’s the thing. I’m fortunate enough that I’m in a position where people are able to reach out and tell me. But you don’t know who you told to have a nice day to, who were planning on doing something and ended up not because of your kindness, you know, in tipping the barista and saying they did a good job one day when they thought they were worthless and were going to do something right after they got off work. There are stories like that, and those stories are real.” (Header photo of Brian Copeland by Joan Marcus) --- The Waiting Period will play its 500th performance 5:00pm, Saturday, September 20 at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. Additional dates are soon to be announced. Thanks to the support of generous donors, general admission tickets are FREE. Supporters may donate $50/$100 for reserved seats, funds which make it possible for others to see the show at no cost. To order free tickets or reserve seats, please visit themarsh.org. with National Suicide Prevention Month.

Sherie Rene Scott, who is the standby for the role of 'Jackie' in The Queen of Versailles on Broadway, has announced upcoming dates in which she will step into the role. 

Rehearsals are officially underway for The Queen of Versailles! The new musical, with music by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Lindsey Ferrentino, will begin previews October 8 ahead of an official opening night November 9. Check out photos from inside the first day of rehearsals here!

In 'The Life of a Showgirl,' Taylor Swift is tapping into a rich history of showbiz and glamor from days gone by. As we prepare for Swift’s new album, which arrives in October, we have compiled a list of some of the brightest Broadway showgirls that Mackie has costumed over the years, from Barbra Streisand to Bernadette Peters.

Master Voices will present a concert production of Sweet Smell of Success in November starring Raúl Esparza and Lizzy McAlpine. Esparza will play J.J. Hunsecker, with Floyd Collins alum McAlpine playing Susan.

Kristin Chenoweth and F. Murray Abraham will lead The Queen of Versailles on Broadway, beginning previews October 8 at the St. James Theatre. The complete principal cast from the Boston pre-Broadway run will return, with direction by Michael Arden and a score by Stephen Schwartz.

An Evening with Eartha Kitt Live! A special cabaret entertainment will be coming to the Velvet Martini Lounge on August 20 at 8:00 pm. The doors will open at 6:30 pm for cocktails and dinner. 

On Thursday, CBS News journalist Gayle King, along with Oprah Daily creative director Adam Glassman, made their Broadway debuts in The Lion King, appearing in the opening number of the hit musical. Watch footage from rehearsals and the performance here!

Tony Award winners Sutton Foster (“Anything Goes,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie”) and Kelli O’Hara (“The King and I”) – each acclaimed as a Broadway performer and song-and-dance artist of the first order – are also known for solo concert appearances.

Taraji P. Henson and Cedric “The Entertainer” will star in a new production of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone on Broadway. Learn more about the upcoming production here!

Lyn Paul will join the UK and Ireland tour of MARY POPPINS, as Bird Woman from Tuesday 18 November 2025.  Lyn joins the company in Milton Keynes Theatre.

See some of the biggest names performing at cabaret venues this month - at a range of budget points. See stars including the original Mark and Roger from RENT (Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp), Laverne Cox, jazz stars, comedians and more.

Kristin Chenoweth-led The Queen of Versailles has released a new video to celebrate the box office opening. The show opens this November. Learn more and watch the video here!

Be enchanted!  Disney’s 'The Little Mermaid' at Paper Mill Playhouse (PMP) tantalizes the imagination with its star-studded cast, elaborate production quality, and fantastic story.

The Queen of Versailles, starring Kristin Chenoweth and F. Murray Abraham, has announced its on sale dates. The show begins performances in October. Learn more here!

The new musical Goddess can currently be seen in its New York premiere production at the Public Theater on Lafayette Street. Directed by the Public’s associate artistic director and resident director Saheem Ali, who is currently Tony Award-nominated for directing Buena Vista Social Club, Goddess is playing at the Public’s largest space by capacity, the Newman Theatre.

We took a look at which 2025 Tony nominees have won at least a Tony or two (or eight!) - amongst them, they've gathered a total 77 awards. Check out who'll be looking to add even more hardware to their Tony shelf at this year's ceremony.

His beginnings were as a chorus boy in Hollywood movie musicals of the 1950s, in classic films like There's No Business Like Show Business, Brigadoon, White Christmas, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. With his thatch of jet-black hair, George Chakiris was highly visible behind Cyd Charisse, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Mitzi Gaynor, Donald O'Connor, Danny Kaye, Marilyn Monroe and Debbie Reynolds.

Three of this season’s plays and two of this season’s musicals are already getting revived for the second or third time this century! Twenty-five years into the 21st century and Broadway has already seen multiple revivals of Glengarry Glen Ross, Our Town, Romeo and Juliet, Gypsy, and Sunset Boulevard. 

I have had a couple of run-ins. I've been married three times. I have three kids that I know of. I was doing things and I never thought I would be a Tupperware lady. I was doing things that normally weren't panning out from where I was from. My mama said, “I'm not pretty enough to work at this strip club!”

The play Liberation which is currently playing at Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre off-Broadway features nudity. How often do plays and musicals feature nudity on stage? We're breaking it down!

This time, the reader question was: How Often Do Broadway Musicals Tackle the Topic of War? There are actually many musicals about war in the canon. The rare feat of Operation Mincemeat lies in its tone. The show is a fast-paced, zany, comedic take on a mission that used a dead body to mislead the Axis forces, leading to the successful Allied invasion of Sicily.