Recently in American Theatre Category

Wow, that was really cool.

On Sunday night, I went to the 8pm showing of 14/48 - the world's quickest theater festival. The two-hour event included 7 plays that all fell under the same theme: Off the Deep End. That morning was when the directors, actors, and design were selected. Each show was scored, teched, and premiered in the same day. Saturday followed the same procedure (however, the theme was revenge). Therefore, by the end of the weekend, this ensemble of performers, directors, theatre people, etc. had produced 14 brand new plays in 48 hours.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. The entire experience was really cool, and all around the plays were very well-written. The actors were all very talented, and I was surprised at how complete the sets were considering each play had only been written the night before. I would have to say my favorite pieces were The Story of Bacon (written by Alex Harris) and Deep Blue (written by Celene Ramadan, and also in which my Last Exit director and Urinetown choreographer, Kathryn Van Meter, performed - holla! =P). In between each play the 14/48 band performed songs relevant to the evening, previous play, or next play.

14/48 will be happening again next weekend, July 26-27, at the Seattle Center House Theater. I recommend buying tickets in advance, because then you're set (yes, there was a pretty good crowd there) and they're cheaper. Visit brownpapertickets.com for details. Just because it happens real fast, doesn't mean it isn't real theater!

Or, [title of show] is opening on Broadway tonight peeps!!

Goodness gracious, I fell in love with this show the first time I saw it at the Vineyard Theatre in 2006 (so long ago, goodness). It was so creative, funny, and original, with fantastic talent and heart. Now, I can't believe that it's opening on Broadway. Holy peanut butter. I mean, oh my god.

I feel so happy for everyone involved in [title of show], especially Hunter, Heidi, Jeff, and Michael who accepted my Facebook friend request. =D Just kidding, everyone who has made this show what it is now rox. I couldn't find Susan on FB, so props to her. She rox extra hard. :D

I've read the blog every day for the past forever, which has kept me interested and excited about the show and its future. There's a really cool article here about [title of show]'s evolution through the Webnets... Check it out.

There's also a nice article about the opening on Playbill.com, here. It talks about the show's history, and what the show is "about." And stuffs like that.

So, just wanted to give a shout-out to everyone at [title of show] (=P). Have fun tonight, and congratulations!

What is it with the Northwest and South Pacific all of a sudden?

First Bartlett Sher, Artistic Director of the Intiman goes and wins a Tony for directing SOUTH PACIFIC at Lincoln Centre, and then I hear about my friend Jenny McMurray starring as Nellie in SOUTH PACIFIC at the Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theatre!

I met Jenny back when we both lived in Toronto when she appeared in the very first reading of PLANE CRAZY at the Poor George Theatre. Now as fate would have it, we are both living in Seattle! Small world, isn't it? And the director of that first workshop, Sam Berger, will soon be moving to Vancouver! But I digress…

The Snoqualmie Falls Theatre is an outdoor theatre that sounds like an absolute blast, complete with BBQ dinner! I remember I went to see PETER PAN at the Forest Theatre in Carmel and had a really magical evening, so I imagine it will some enchanted evening when I see SOUTH PACIFIC outdoors!

Here's the 411 on the show (click on the smiley for the offish website - :D ):

What: "South Pacific"

Where: Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theatre

When: July 19 - August 31,

Saturdays at 3pm & 8pm, Sundays at 3pm

I've been commissioned to write next spring's AMT (Adventure Musical Theatre) show for the 5th Avenue Theatre. I'm really excited about this project because I had a blast working on this year's show, NORTHWEST BOOKSHELF 2, which incorporated two of my pieces, LARRY GETS LOST IN SEATTLE, and DAISY THE FIRECOW. I also had the great pleasure of attending a number of performances at elementary schools around Seattle. It was so incredibly rewarding to sit and watch the kids watch the show. Everyone should visit a school during one of these performances, and then they'd realize how important musical theatre is to education. In case your school missed it, they are touring NORTHWEST BOOKSHELF 2 again, this fall. Check out the 5th Avenue's website for more information.

When the 5th Avenue Theatre approached me about writing a musical about "the Mercer Girls" I was immediately interested. After all, who didn't love Bobby Sherman in "Here Come The Brides", that cheesy tv series supposedly based on the story of the Mercer Girls. And Perry Como singing "Seattle" as the theme song was a total plus! Turns out, it wasn't totally historically accurate! Well knock me over with a feather!

Needless to say I spent a great deal of time researching the Mercer Girls, ordering out of print books from Amazon, and renewing books from the Library several times over. It really is an incredible story, especially when you realize a) how young these women were, and b) how different life on the two coasts really was. It wasn't the same as flying from New York to L.A.!

One particular woman, Elizabeth Ordway, was especially interesting to me. She was a true suffragette, and didn't let the fact that she was an unmarried woman get in her way of pretty much shaping education in the Northwest. Of course, she often used her initials, L. M. Ordway, so that people wouldn't know she was a woman!

And Asa Shinn Mercer was quite the character. We sometimes forget that the government hasn't always been involved in everything aspect of our lives. Back in the 1860s, sometimes you just had to go and "do it" if you wanted to get it done! And Mercer was definitely a "don't ask permission now, beg forgiveness later" type of guy.

We're doing a table read in August, and a workshop in September, and starting rehearsals January 2009! Hmmm, I wonder if Bobby Sherman is available…

I'll keep you posted!

From the 5th Avenue Theatre website:

A Brand New Musical... THE MERCER GIRLS

February 2-May 29, 2009

On May 16, 1864, the first eleven "Mercer Girls" reached Seattle. The women were recruited by University of Washington President Asa Shinn Mercer and sailed to the Puget Sound area from the East Coast to work as teachers and to increase the population of women in the Washington Territory. The cost of the trip was $250 and the people of Seattle were eager to welcome the women into their community while finding them new homes and jobs in various schools. The women were full of hope and aspiration, but life in the new city was often difficult. This original musical follows the journey of the Mercer Girls and their experiences in the fast growing town of Seattle.

Your students will travel on an unforgettable journey from Massachusetts to Washington during a time when the city of Seattle was new and hopes were high. Enjoy a lively, entertaining musical and learn about the women who became the teachers, as well as the wives, mothers and grandmothers of the founding families of the Puget Sound area.

Time

50 minute performance, plus a 5-minute question-and-answer period.

Audience size

Maximum attendance is 300 students per performance. For a larger number of students, schools must book a double performance.

Cost

Western Washington locations: 
Single Performance - $600 
Double Performance - $800

Outside Western Washington locations: 
Single Performance - $875* 
Double Performance - $1,150*

Payment may be made in advance or at the time of the performance. 
* Share the news! Get another school in your area to book a show and receive a $100 discount! Book both Northwest Bookshelf 2 and Mercer Girls and receive a $150 discount.

To schedule a performance

The AMT Touring Company visits schools throughout Western Washington, and in select locations throughout Central and Eastern Washington. For more information and to book a performance, please call 206.625.1418 or email educationprograms@5thavenue.org. Available dates fill fast, so we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible.

Ohmegee. On Saturday night, I went to the second-to-last performance of Zanna, Don't! at the Poncho Forum at Seattle Repertory Theatre (in/right beside the Seattle Center) and I LOVED IT!!!! The cast (Casey Craig as Zanna, Bill Williams as Steve, Sarah Davis as Kate, Mackenzie Miller as Mike, Diana Huey as Roberta, Don Darryl Rivera as Tank etc., Lindsey Hedberg as Candi etc., and Arthur Allen as Arvin etc.) was freakin' AWESOME. Everyone had really good voices and crantastic acting chops.

The show itself was hilarious and super fun. The story takes place in a high school in a world where being gay is normal and being straight is unacceptable. Zanna is a matchmaker who is open-minded, optimistic, and selfless. The one-act tells a tale about prejudice, love, and acceptance, while also making you laugh your face off.

Zanna, Don't! was originally produced Off-Broadway by Jack M. Dalgleish in association with Stephanie A. Joel. The New York premiere was presented by Amas Musical Theatre: Rosetta Le Noire, Founder; Donna Trinkoff, Producing Director. This Seattle premiere was directed/choreographed by Brandon Ivie, musical directed by Mark Rabe, and presented by the Contemporary Classics: Artistic Director, Brandon Ivie; Managing Director, Robert J. Aguilar; Production Manager, Danielle Franich.

I'm very sad that I couldn't see the show earlier, so I could tell you all to buy tickets, but alas the show is over. However, it closed to a (well-deserved) sold-out house. This show was so good, I believe my life would have been a little bit less if I hadn't seen it. Toodles! :D

Oh my god. I have always been a huge fan of [title of show] ever since I saw it at the Vineyard Theatre. Actually, probably since my mom came home from the NYMF in 2004 and went on and on about how funny it was =) Their first BROADWAY preview is tomorrow (omg) and I wish I was there!!!!!!!! Well, I'm there in spirit (freaky) and I fully intend on seeing [tos] on B'way!!!!! Yay!

I have to deeply apologize for the lack of posts lately, but we don't have air conditioning so the room containing my computer has been 90˚ for the past couple of days. It's starting to cool down, so I'm going to be posting regularly again :D

Sooo, apparently, John Lloyd Young (Tony-award winner for Jersey Boys, one of the best musicals eva!!) will be heading the cast of the new musical MYTH, in a staged reading at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford this week!

From Courant.com's article on this joyful news:

Pamela Myers, Marva Hicks, Paul Oakley Stovall, Wes Taylor, Maureen Silliman, Deborah Lew, Dylan Collins, Dane DeHaan, Brandon Espinoza and William Parry are also featured in the John Mercurio musical, which runs Sunday to July 5. Jeremy Dobrish directs.

If you're in town, you should def check it out!!! I wish I could but this week is our family's "staycation!" Don't forget to check out Iron Curtain as well, which will also be performing as part of this National Music Theater Conference (July 12 to 19).

W00H00! This made me extremely happy. An article on Playbill.com says that Ashley Spencer and Derek Keeling will probably be the replacement Danny and Sandy in Grease on Broadway after Max Crumm and Laura Osnes have run their course! Now, all four of these actors were a part of the reality TV show "Grease: You're the One that I Want!" and Laura and Max were the winners. Spencer came in second place, and Keeling was a runner-up. However, they had been my favorites all along! Apparently, they will begin performances July 22.

Now, this information hasn't been officially announced by the producers of the Grease Broadway revival, but The Repository reported the happy news today. Ashley is already on Broadway currently, playing Amber in Hairspray, and Derek was featured in the pre-Broadway tryout of A Tale of Two Cities.

Sooo, check it out! It's going to be awesome.

Yes, I enjoyed the Tonys this year. I even did the "who I want to win" and "who I think will win" ballot from Tonyawards.com. It was actually surprising how many of my predictions were correct, even though I hadn't seen any of the shows this season! If you read the trades, you can pretty much guess who is going to win. South Pacific anyone? In the Heights? Yup.

But I still have three lingering questions about this year's show:

1. What was Kristin Chenoweth giggling at? (That she has a steady TV gig this fall on Pushing Daisies and Idina Menzel doesn't?)

2. Why didn't Stephen Sondheim show up to receive his Lifetime Achievement award? (I mean, come on…)

3. How could they possibly think it was the right thing to do to eliminate the "Best Book of a Musical" and "Best Revival of a Play" from the tv show? As a musical book writer who is always being told "the book is the most important thing" in a musical, I was offended. I honestly could have done without quite so many goofy musical bits with Whoopi Goldberg, if it meant we could see those awards as part of the telecast.

I thought this official statement from the Dramatists Guild said it very well:

DRAMATISTS GUILD STATEMENT ON THE TONY AWARDS

On Sunday night of June 15, the annual celebration and commendation of this year’s Broadway theatre season was celebrated at the Tony Awards hosted by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. While we gratefully acknowledge the program time spent on how playwrights construct their dramatic ideas (and the mention of all four playwrights’ names), we are concerned (and have expressed our concern) that the awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play were relegated to pre-televised programming. Council President John Weidman maintains, “The theatre is an art form which is driven by writers. Nothing exists before the script. So when theatre awards are given out, it’s appropriate that the writing awards should take first position. Even acknowledging the enormous time pressures on the producers of the Tony Award broadcast, Best Book of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play belong live, on the air.”

Actually, I do have a fourth question:

4. When will Hugh Jackman host the Tonys again?

Note: By Suzy Conn

Okay, I know that this happened more than one week ago, but I thought that it deserved a mention on BlogwayBaby because it was such a spectacular evening. The 2008 5th Ave High School Musical Awards were held on June 9, 2008, at Benaroya Hall. Usually the awards are held at the 5th Ave Theatre itself, but because of preparations for Shrek (w00t w00t), this was impossible. However, this definitely did not dampen the spirits of the students in the audience, whose screaming was always louder than the orchestra or microphones!

I was there to support my friends who had been nominated and Mercer Island High School's production of Bat Boy the Musical! We were seated in row G so the camera would sometimes pan over us (the awards appeared on television)! That was pretty cool, but my favorite parts of the evening were probably when the leading actor and actress nominees performed a little bit of one of their songs from their show. Mia Yoshida as Kim in Lewis and Clark High School's Miss Saigon, Danny Lindgren as Nobel, et al in Kentridge High School's Little Me, and Devon Uy as Tevye in Stanwood High School's Fiddler on the Roof were the final winners in these two categories, but good job to everyone else who was nominated or had an honorable mention!

The award for Outstanding Overall Musical Production went to Woodinville High School for their production of Good News, but I thought that all of the nominees for this category were worthy. From Mack and Mabel to Miss Saigon to Seussical, the performances of each nominated school got me even more interested in doing a show in high school next year! I'm definitely looking forward to being a part of a show and going to the High School Musical awards! I've been told by some of my friends who were in nominated shows that going to the awards is the best part of doing a high school show! From what I saw that night, most of the students present would agree with that statement. :-)