Recently in Great White Way Category

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.

Damnable Yankees!

Okay, that is the best pun I have heard in a very long time. And "Damn Those Damnable Yankees" is a fabulously funny number in IRON CURTAIN, a hilarious new show with book by Susan DiLallo, music by Stephen Weiner, and lyrics by Peter Mills. I saw IRON CURTAIN (guys, the show deserves a better name!) at First Stage as part of the Village Theatre Originals series -- two weeks of rehearsals and the actors are on book. However, IRON CURTAIN was pretty much blocked and choreographed, so you really got a good feel for the show's potential.

From the Village Theatre website:

"This side-splitting musical comedy takes place during the Cold War era. Meet Yengenyi Onanov and Sergei Schmearnov who work for the Ministry of Musical Persuasion in the Soviet Union. When the Soviets set out to create a great Broadway musical, they decide that they'll need to bring in some real New York writers — by force, if necessary. Enter Howard and Murray, two aspiring musical theatre writers, who have just had another musical rejected and are on the brink of throwing in the towel. Kidnapped, taken to Moscow, and forced to fix what could possibly be the worst musical ever written, these two characters suddenly find themselves working under the gun, literally!"

The book is hilarious with the puns and physical comedy coming fast and furious, and the music and lyrics take full advantage of the brilliant premise. I mean, what is funnier than Russians trying to do musical theatre? And of course, as always, the Village Theatre puts together an A list cast of actors who really deliver the goods. As a writer, it is very satisfying to workshop your material with really good, experienced and talented performers.

Next stop for IRON CURTAIN is the prestigious O'Neill National Musical Theatre Conference in Connecticut in July.

After that? I wouldn't be surprised to see those Reds on the Great White Way!

Note: By Suzy Conn

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

Yay!! The 2008 Tony Awards aired Sunday, June 15th, and I thought enormous improvement had been made from last year's show. Whoopi Goldberg was the host, and I thought she did a pretty good job. However, nobody will ever beat Hugh Jackman, but what can you do? The program was obviously created to be more interesting and user-friendly, with more singing and less of the "boring" awards (I definitely do not consider them boring, but things such as scenic design, costume design, and even play revival were given before the broadcast).

Final Awards Tally:

South Pacific - 7

August: Osage County - 5

In the Heights - 4

Gypsy - 3

Boeing-Boeing - 2

The 39 Steps - 2

Les Liaisons Dangereuses - 1

Passing Strange - 1

The Seafarer - 1

Mad props to South Pacific, which took home Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Paulo Szot), Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical, and Best Direction of a Musical. Bartlett Sher was the award-winning director of this successful revival, and has been the Artistic Director of the Intiman Theatre here in Seattle since 2000. Represent!

Best speeches of the night would have to go to Laura Benanti for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Mark Rylance for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Lin-Manuel Miranda for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre, and Patti LuPone for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. These winners, as well as all the others, completely deserved their Tonys and had inspirational, funny, or just plain cool speeches to boot! Great job, guys!

Stephen Sondheim received the Lifetime Achievement Award, but wasn't there to accept it. HUH?!?!? According to a quote from Mandy Patinkin in the Chicago Sun-Times, Sondheim is a "shy man." Really though? Dude, if you're going to be getting an award of this magnitude, at least be there to accept it. Although, I gotta admit that I did enjoy his heartfelt speech, and Patinkin's facial hair. :-)

Have to say that my favorite performance of the evening was Megan Mullally's "Deep Love" from Young Frankenstein. I saw her in that show when it did its pre-Broadway tryout here in Seattle, but I don't think her performance will ever get old for me. She is just so fantastic, with an amazing voice and incredible charisma. I also enjoyed the selection from In The Heights, and loved seeing Cheyenne Jackson in the Xanadu number!

Well, I know that I may be quite alone in this statement, but I did enjoy this year's Tony Awards. Most of the speeches were interesting, and there were some really great performances. I really want to see In the Heights now, because I thought it was pretty fantastic! I also want to see Xanadu, Little Mermaid, Gypsy, and South Pacific! I believe the only appropriate response to this evening would be "Oh, What a Night!" (I know, I know...)

My oldest daughter is involved with a great theatre group at The Village Theatre in Issaquah (not as far away as it sounds, and home of the awesome XXX Root Beer diner and Boem's chocolates; well worth the drive!). As a result I went to see a really fun show, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, that played at the Village Theatre from September 19 through October 28 at the Francis J. Gaudette Theatre (that's what the mainstage is called).

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET has a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, with musical arrangement (of classic rock and roll songs) by Chuck Mead.

The synopsis from the program:

"This incredible musical, inspired by an actual event, will take you back to the place where rock-n-roll was born! On December 4, 1956 at Sun Studios in Memphis, a twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley together for one night of music that made history. These four legends-to-be and the "Father of Rock-n-Roll", Sam Phillips, who discovered them all, united for an impromptu recording session that would be one for the ages. The musicians played, talked, played, joked, played, argued and played all night -- and were quickly christened the "Million Dollar Quartet". Part jam session, part bull session, and chock full of rock-n-roll classics from the 50s, this unforgettable new musical will have you dancing in the aisles."

In addition to those five men mentioned, Elvis's girlfriend, "Dyanne" appears, as does Jay Perkins (Carl's brother) playing the bass and "the Drummer" (poor drummers, they don't even merit a name! Quick question: What do you call a drummer who's broken up with his girlfriend? Answer: Homeless...)

What made this show fun was the music and the musicianship. Great songs played and sung really well -- hard to beat for a fun night. The characterizations were done (not overdone) nicely too. My favorite was Rob Lyons at Carl Perkins, probably the least well known of the Million Dollar Quartet. I've seen only a couple of 1990s country videos in which Carl Perkins performed, and Rob Lyons totally captured him. Levi Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis was crazy fantastic on the piano, playing hits such as "Great Balls of Fire". Johnny Cash was played by Lance Guest, Elvis was played by Dane Stokinger, Sam Phillips by Matt Wolfe, and Dyanne by Jessica Skerritt. What a great ensemble!

The only negative of the evening was reported by my husband (after he took out his ear plugs) who sat on the other side of the theatre (we got last minute tickets) where the sound appeared to be amplified to an uncomfortable level. On my side of the theatre the sound was great. Go figure. This is the only show I've seen at the Village theatre so I don't know if it was a one time thing, or a chronic sound issue.

I wouldn't have predicted having such a good time, but I was standing and clapping by the end of it.

Those kids and their rock-n-roll!

 

It's alive!

I'm so excited cuz I'm going to be in Seattle in August so I can see the pre-Broadway tryout for YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN! Lots of my fav actors are in it - Roger Bart, Megan Mullally, Andrea Martin, Christopher Fitzgerald, Sutton Foster - I can't wait!

From this article in Playbill:

"Casting is complete for Mel Brooks' new Broadway-bound musical,Young Frankenstein, which will come alive in Seattle in August prior to a fall Broadway bow.

The production stars Roger Bart (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein), Megan Mullally (Elizabeth), Sutton Foster (Inga), Shuler Hensley (The Monster), Andrea Martin (Frau Blucher), Fred Applegate (Kemp) and Christopher Fitzgerald (Igor), with an ensemble to include Heather Ayers, Jim Borstelmann, Paul Castree, Jen Lee Crowl, Jack Doyle, James Gray, Amy Heggins, Eric Jackson, Kristin Marie Johnson, Renee Feder, Matthew LaBanca, Kevin Ligon, Barrett Martin, Linda Mugleston, Christina Marie Norrup, Justin Patterson, Brian Shepard, Sarrah Strimel, Craig Waletzko and Courtney Young.

The musical based on Brooks' Academy Award-nominated film comedy has book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan, music and lyrics by Brooks, direction and choreography by Susan Stroman.

Musical supervision is by Glen Kelly, who helped make Brooks' words and music in The Producers soar to Tony-winning effect.

Opening at Broadway's Hilton Theatre will be Nov. 8 following previews that start Oct. 11.

The world premiere engagement runs Aug. 7-Sept. 1 at Seattle's Paramount Theatre.

Robert F.X. Sillerman and Mel Brooks present new musical from the creative team of the 12-time Tony Award winning smash The Producers. They are obviously hoping lightning strikes twice.

According to the producers, "Based on the Oscar-nominated smash hit 1974 film, Young Frankenstein is the wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Mary Shelley classic from the comic genius of Mel Brooks. When Frederick Frankenstein, an esteemed New York brain surgeon and professor, inherits a castle and laboratory in Transylvania from his grandfather, deranged genius Victor Von Frankenstein, he faces a dilemma. Does he continue to run from his family's tortured past or does he stay in Transylvania to carry on his grandfather's mad experiments reanimating the dead and, in the process, fall in love with his sexy lab assistant Inga?"

The show is set "in the forbidding Castle Frankenstein and the foggy moors of Transylvania Heights." The song titles include "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and the unforgettable treatment of Irving Berlin's "Puttin' On the Ritz."

Tickets for Broadway will go on sale July 15. For information, visit http://www.YoungFrankensteinTheMusical.com.

I'm so glad Jay Johnson's Tony-nominated show, JAY JOHNSON: THE TWO AND ONLY! is on tour (perhaps a Canadian date might be in the cards?) I still think about that show (see my previous posts here and here), and now at least I have a chance to take my kids to see it. What's also really cool is that the original "Bob" from Soap is now in the Smithsonian Institute along with Charlie McCarthy, Jerry Mahoney, and Kermit the Frog!

According to this article from Playbill:

Jay Johnson, whose solo show Jay Johnson: The Two and Only! was nominated for a 2007 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event, hopes to eventually bring his acclaimed production back to New York.

The show, which celebrates the art of ventriloquism, will kick off a national tour in Ithaca, NY, in October. "We're going to start in the fall, start small, work up," Johnson told Playbill.com at the annual Tony nominees press reception. "I hope someday to come back and play New York again for some time."

Johnson, who is perhaps best known for his several-year stint on the award-winning ABC series "Soap," says his Broadway run was something he never really expected. "It seemed to be out of my reach, just as a Tony nomination might have been at the time," he says. "I just wanted to perform in theatres rather than clubs. I wanted that theatrical experience rather than the supper-club experience. So that was my goal, [but] to get to perform at the apex of that venue was great.

"Just to walk on [to a Broadway] stage and to know how many people have walked on that stage [before you]," he adds, "there's nothing like that feeling, and you are absolutely a part of it."

The Two and Only!, which opened at the Helen Hayes Theatre in September 2006 after an acclaimed Off-Broadway run, featured several "co-stars": Amigo, Darwin, Long John La Feat, Nethernore -- the Bird of Death, Spaulding, Arthur Drew, Jackie and Ga Ga, Squeaky and Bob. The latter, the infamous sidekick of the famed ventriloquist, was recently acquired by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

"There was an original Bob that we used on 'Soap,'" Johnson explains, "and later we had a duplicate made that was a little bit better, so that particular Bob was used for a couple of years on the show. You wouldn't recognize the difference because it's mainly mechanics that we changed, but that original Bob went into the Smithsonian Institute [May 15]. He will sit with Charlie McCarthy and Jerry Mahoney and Kermit the Frog. . . . That is -- as incredible as this [Tony] experience has been -- a whole other incredible experience."

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