Wanted - 1928 - Broadway Articles Page 8

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.

BroadwayWorld.com has learned details about a recent reading of the Guthrie Theatre's upcoming production of ROMAN HOLIDAY in Minneapolis. Starring in the reading, directed by John Miller-Stephany were Laura Osnes as Princess Ann and John Behlmann as Joe Bradley. They rest of the reading cast featured many of the area's top local talent. We're told that the reading went quite well, and that the song choices, which of course include some of Porter's biggest hits like 'Easy to Love,' 'Begin the Beguine,' 'Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye' and 'Riding High' also included many rarely heard gems that 'fit perfectly into the story.' Also in attendance for the staged reading were book writer Paul Blake and other members of the creative team.

Legendary television writer/producer and composer Samuel Denoff died July 8, 2011 at his home in Brentwood, California. He was 83 and suffered from Alzheimers' Disease. Services will be held Monday July 11 at 11AM at the Groman mortuary at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills, California.

Every apartment window offers glimpses of the lives inside. In the dramatic anthology Night Windows, The Shelter presents three one-act works each with a nocturnal look at the inhabitants of one apartment at different places in time: people forced to face a moment of great change, whether they want to or not. Based on Edward Hopper's famous and haunting painting of the same name, Night Windows will be performed at the WorkShop Theater Company's Main Stage venue, located at 312 West 36th Street. Members of the press are invited as of the May 6th performance.

Every apartment window offers glimpses of the lives inside. In the dramatic anthology Night Windows, The Shelter presents three one-act works each with a nocturnal look at the inhabitants of one apartment at different places in time: people forced to face a moment of great change, whether they want to or not. Based on Edward Hopper's famous and haunting painting of the same name, Night Windows will be performed at the WorkShop Theater Company's Main Stage venue, located at 312 West 36th Street.

Every apartment window offers glimpses of the lives inside. In the dramatic anthology Night Windows, The Shelter presents three one-act works each with a nocturnal look at the inhabitants of one apartment at different places in time: people forced to face a moment of great change, whether they want to or not. Based on Edward Hopper's famous and haunting painting of the same name, Night Windows will be performed at the WorkShop Theater Company's Main Stage venue, located at 312 West 36th Street. Members of the press are invited as of the May 6th performance.

Every apartment window offers glimpses of the lives inside. In the dramatic anthology Night Windows, The Shelter presents three one-act works each with a nocturnal look at the inhabitants of one apartment at different places in time: people forced to face a moment of great change, whether they want to or not. Based on Edward Hopper's famous and haunting painting of the same name, Night Windows will be performed at the WorkShop Theater Company's Main Stage venue, located at 312 West 36th Street.

TimeLine Theatre Company presents The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling, April 16 - June 12, 2011 (previews April 12 through April 15) at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. Press Opening performances are Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m.

Northern Stage (formerly Newcastle Playhouse) and Sheffield Theatres today announce their first collaboration, a new production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". The production will be directed by Northern Stage's Artistic Director Erica Whyman. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" will play at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre (Wednesday 16 March - Thursday 7 April) and then continue to Northern Stage (Tuesday 12 April - Saturday 30 April).

TimeLine Theatre Company presents The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, directed by TimeLine Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling, April 16 - June 12, 2011 (previews April 12 through April 15) at TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago. Press Opening performances are Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m.

Northern Stage (formerly Newcastle Playhouse) and Sheffield Theatres today announce their first collaboration, a new production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". The production will be directed by Northern Stage's Artistic Director Erica Whyman. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" will play at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre (Wednesday 16 March - Thursday 7 April) and then continue to Northern Stage (Tuesday 12 April - Saturday 30 April).

Everything's coming up Warhol this spring at Indiana University, with films, events and an IU Art Museum exhibition devoted to contemporary art and pop culture icon Andy Warhol.

Everything's coming up Warhol this spring at Indiana University, with films, events and an IU Art Museum exhibition devoted to contemporary art and pop culture icon Andy Warhol.

Northern Stage (formerly Newcastle Playhouse) and Sheffield Theatres today announce their first collaboration, a new production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". The production will be directed by Northern Stage's Artistic Director Erica Whyman. "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" will play at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre (Wednesday 16 March - Thursday 7 April) and then continue to Northern Stage (Tuesday 12 April - Saturday 30 April).

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter joins the New York Philharmonic in the 2010-11 season as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence. In this role she will perform three concerts with the Orchestra, conducted by Alan Gilbert, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Michael Francis (in his Philharmonic debut); two chamber concerts - with violist Yuri Bashmet and cellist Lynn Harrell in the first - and double bass player Roman Patkoló and Philharmonic musicians in the second; and a recital with her long-time collaborator, pianist Lambert Orkis. Ms. Mutter's programs will reflect a mix of eras, offering established violin repertoire alongside new works.

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter joins the New York Philharmonic in the 2010-11 season as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence. In this role she will perform three concerts with the Orchestra, conducted by Alan Gilbert, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Michael Francis (in his Philharmonic debut); two chamber concerts - with violist Yuri Bashmet and cellist Lynn Harrell in the first - and double bass player Roman Patkoló and Philharmonic musicians in the second; and a recital with her long-time collaborator, pianist Lambert Orkis. Ms. Mutter's programs will reflect a mix of eras, offering established violin repertoire alongside new works.

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter joins the New York Philharmonic in the 2010-11 season as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence. In this role she will perform three concerts with the Orchestra, conducted by Alan Gilbert, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Michael Francis (in his Philharmonic debut); two chamber concerts - with violist Yuri Bashmet and cellist Lynn Harrell in the first - and double bass player Roman Patkoló and Philharmonic musicians in the second; and a recital with her long-time collaborator, pianist Lambert Orkis. Ms. Mutter's programs will reflect a mix of eras, offering established violin repertoire alongside new works.

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter joins the New York Philharmonic in the 2010-11 season as The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence. In this role she will perform three concerts with the Orchestra, conducted by Alan Gilbert, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Michael Francis (in his Philharmonic debut); two chamber concerts - with violist Yuri Bashmet and cellist Lynn Harrell in the first - and double bass player Roman Patkoló and Philharmonic musicians in the second; and a recital with her long-time collaborator, pianist Lambert Orkis. Ms. Mutter's programs will reflect a mix of eras, offering established violin repertoire alongside new works.

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?

The award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company will be auditioning in Cape May on Friday, April 23, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The call will be at the theater's venue, The First Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes St., Cape May, NJ. Sign-up for this audition day begins at 10:00 AM and continues through 6:55 PM, with a meal-break from 2:30-3:30 PM. Non-union actors will be seen as long as no Equity actors are kept waiting.

Just in - NEXT TO NORMAL has one the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama! As per the official Pulitzer's web site: For a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

The 2010 Pulitzer Prizewinners and Nominated Finalists in all categories will be announced on April 12, 2010 at 3 p.m. Eastern daylight time. Finalists are not announced in advance. The 2010 Prizes are awarded for work published, produced or premiered in 2009.

Glorious! is based on the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the legendary New York heiress and socialite who wanted to be a great operatic diva despite having one of the worst singing voices in history.

Glorious! is based on the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the legendary New York heiress and socialite who wanted to be a great operatic diva despite having one of the worst singing voices in history.

Glorious! is based on the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the legendary New York heiress and socialite who wanted to be a great operatic diva despite having one of the worst singing voices in history.