If I Were You - 1938 - Broadway Articles Page 7

PITTSBURGH – Performing in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1977, Randy Newman, whose music speaks to multiple generations, closes the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's Summer with the Symphony: Today Night Icons series tonight, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Heinz Hall.

Composer George Gershwin had been dead for almost six decades by the time Connor Allston, Lottie Prenevost, J.T. Wood and Morgan Wood were born. Yet the combined power of the voices of that quartet brought back to life the music of Gershwin and his contemporaries in Otterbein University's production of THE ALL NIGHT STRUT.

PITTSBURGH – Performing in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1977, Randy Newman, whose music speaks to multiple generations, closes the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's Summer with the Symphony: Thursday Night Icons series on July 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Heinz Hall.

One of America's most versatile and prolific living composers, Andre Previn, joins Pacific Symphony as the honored guest and focus of the 15th American Composers Festival (ACF). Previn, who has been called one of America's least easily categorized musicians, began his remarkable career as a Hollywood "wunderkind" and a best-selling jazz pianist. Now 86, Previn has received four Academy Awards for his work in film, 10 Grammy Awards for his recordings (plus one more for his Lifetime Achievement), and he is also an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He's held a series of major conducting posts, including the L.A. Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, but now exclusively composes. The concert is led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, whose great admiration for the legend shaped this year's ACF to reveal the scope of Previn's prowess as a composer. 

The Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Broadway Musical Concert Series at Rubicon Theatre Company continues with three concerts celebrating the genius of two of the most prolific and most important writing teams in musical theatre history in a show entitled RODGERS & HART & HAMMERSTEIN.

It was 'out with the old, in with the new' for another of the Franco Zeffirelli productions that were once the Metropolitan Opera's bread and butter, designed for audiences to cheer for the scenery even when the cast might not have been top drawer. This time, the victims of changing times (and administrations) were the twin bill of Mascagni's CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA and Leoncavallo's PAGLIACCI.

Orange County, Calif.-May 11, 2015-One of America's most versatile and prolific living composers, Andre Previn, joins Pacific Symphony as the honored guest and focus of the 15th American Composers Festival (ACF). Previn, who has been called one of America's least easily categorized musicians, began his remarkable career as a Hollywood "wunderkind" and a best-selling jazz pianist. Now 86, Previn has received four Academy Awards for his work in film, 10 Grammy Awards for his recordings (plus one more for his Lifetime Achievement), and he is also an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He's held a series of major conducting posts, including the L.A. Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, but now exclusively composes. The concert is led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, whose great admiration for the legend shaped this year's ACF to reveal the scope of Previn's prowess as a composer. 

The Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Broadway Musical Concert Series at Rubicon Theatre Company continues with three concerts celebrating the genius of two of the most prolific and most important writing teams in musical theatre history in a show entitled RODGERS & HART & HAMMERSTEIN.

Gruden's QB Camp is back for its sixth year this spring, beginning tonight, April 7 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

'If music be the food of love, play on.' Even before the invention of the musical comedy (more on that later), William Shakespeare knew the importance of music in telling stories on stage. For our March feature, my colleague Jeff Walker and I thought that instead of marking the Ides of March with songs about murder, betrayal, and fate, we would focus on the synergy between showtunes and Shakespeare.

On the seventy-eighth anniversary of famed attorney Clarence Darrow's death, this year's annual Darrow symposium today, March 13 explores contemporary activism on the issues of undocumented laborers and immigration. Darrow's attitude is summarized by a quote from a 1929 debate on 'Is Immigration Beneficial?' in which he said, 'I am a foreigner; my people didn't get here until about 1710. They got here, and now I am asked to close the doors to the people who came over on a later ship.'

In a two-reviews-in-one column critiquing shows from last March, my esteemed editor, Stephen Hanks quoted the poet Robert Browning: “A man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?” Hanks pointed out that Browning's famous line is about setting goals, striving, and ambition, all of which are commendable desires. But, alas, in this particular review he felt the two singers in question “fell short.” One of those singers was Shana Farr and the show she has been performing throughout the past year, In The Still of the Night: Music of Noel Coward and Cole Porter. So here we are a year later, immersed in the revelry of the 2015 award season celebrating excellence in cabaret, and Farr's uniquely theatrical homage to Coward and Porter has recently won her the 2015 Bistro Award for “Outstanding Concept Show.” In spite of my editor's previous reservations about this show, he was open to hearing another perspective—whether positive or negative—so off to the Laurie Beechman Theatre I ventured on the last day of February to find out for myself whether Shana's show was truly award-worthy. Sorry, oh editor of mine, but you might have missed the boat on this one.

Below are March's events at Bookworks. For more information visit, bkwrks.com/event.

Below are this week's events at Bookworks. For more information, visit bkwrks.com/event.

On the seventy-eighth anniversary of famed attorney Clarence Darrow's death, this year's annual Darrow symposium on Friday, March 13 explores contemporary activism on the issues of undocumented laborers and immigration. Darrow's attitude is summarized by a quote from a 1929 debate on 'Is Immigration Beneficial?' in which he said, 'I am a foreigner; my people didn't get here until about 1710. They got here, and now I am asked to close the doors to the people who came over on a later ship.'

A rare revival of Rocket to the Moon, the 1938 play by Clifford Odets (AWAKE AND SING, GOLDEN BOY), starring Ned Eisenberg, starts performances tonight at the Theatre at St. Clement's. Directed by Obie and Lucille Lortel Award winner Dan Wackerman (Counsellor-at-Law), Rocket to the Moon will play a limited engagement, opening Monday, February 23rd. Eisenberg graciously sat down and spoke with BroadwayWorld about taking on the role of Ben Stark in this seldom-performed Odets piece, working with Wackerman, and more!

One of the most magical places that I have ever been is Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. It's not a fancy place, just a simple town in which people go about their business, but are always willing to stop and chat about the weather. Grover's Corners is the epitome of a way of life that has long since ceased to exist, if it ever actually did in the first place. However, despite its quantness and surface simplicity, every time I go back to visit, I find more and more depth in the town than I ever remembered being there before. Perhaps this is a simple byproduct of my own aging, but each time I stop by Grover's Corners, I fall more and more in love with this mythical, magical town.

Early in Giselle, the heroine starts picking petals off flowers. Does he love her or does he not? That's very much the way I felt when I went to see the Mikhailovsky Ballet's November 14 performance of Giselle at Lincoln Center's Koch Theatre. I thought the odds were against me. When you have seen the ballet close to 1000 times, some great, some good, and some beyond mention, your spirits don' exactly soar with anticipation. So what can I say after seeing Giselle 1001 times? Welcome back. It's nice to see you in such pristine shape.

The expression “Man About Town”--commonly defined as a socially active, sophisticated man devoted to the pursuit of pleasure by frequenting fashionable nightclubs, theaters, and restaurants--might perfectly describe the persona of Sir Noel Coward. Known for his acerbic wit, flamboyance, and savoir-faire, Sir Noel is an icon in theatrical history as a celebrated playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer. Could there be a better subject to explore during an evening of cabaret? In his recent run of five shows at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, Man About Town: The Wit and Wisdom of Noel Coward, veteran singer/actor/director Eric Michael Gillett proved he was more than up to the task of paying tribute to the legendary Coward.

The State Theatre in PlayhouseSquare is rocking. Rocking with sounds of the likes of Diana Ross, The Supremes, The Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Rocking with a full orchestra, a visually stimulating electronically enhanced production, and the story of Berry Gordy.

Balanchine and Massine on the same program on February 20, 2014? I can't remember that last time I saw that. I wonder if the two would approve. But there is one fundamental difference separating the two choreographers. Balanchine, even 30 years after his death, is still in the forefront of modern ballet choreography, and most of Massine's ballets have fallen into oblivion. To be honest, the only Massine ballets I have seen prior to this were Parade and The Three Cornered Hat, both of which I enjoyed. I'd like to see The Good Natured Ladies, Le Beau Danube, La Boutique Fantasque, Rouge et Noir, Choreartium and Les Presages one of these days, but the chances are very slim. As the old saying goes, keep dreaming.

The Old Globe presents Christopher Durang's Tony Award-winning farce Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which will include Candy Buckley as Masha, Marcia DeBonis as Sonia, Tyler Lansing Weaks as Spike, Allison Layman as Nina, Martin Moran as Vanya, and Haneefah Wood as Cassandra. Jessica Stone will direct, based on the Tony-nominated Broadway direction of Old Globe Associate Artist Nicholas Martin, whose loss on April 30 devastated the theatre world*. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will run today, May 17 - June 22, 2014 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run tonight, May 17 through the 21st. Opening night is May 22 at 8:00 p.m.

The Old Globe today announced the cast of Christopher Durang's Tony Award-winning farce Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, which will include Candy Buckley as Masha, Marcia DeBonis as Sonia, Tyler Lansing Weaks as Spike, Allison Layman as Nina, Martin Moran as Vanya, and Haneefah Wood as Cassandra.

Today, stars of stage and screen reacted to the passing of the stage and screen legend