New York City: August 2008 Archives
One Singular Sensation! (lol tis a bit overused but WHATEVS)
Last week I saw the Saturday matinee performance of A CHORUS LINE's national tour at the Paramount Theatre. It was CRAMAZING! Oh my goodness, I think this was the best production of CHORUS LINE that I've ever seen. This tour opened in Denver, CO at the Buell Theatre on May 4, 2008. Seattle is the 5th stop on the tour.
The cast was stellar. Of course, my favorite was Hollie Howard as Maggie - see her bio here (scroll down). Notice how under "Favorites" there's the one, the only PLANE CRAZY! She was also fantastic as Holly Banks in the NYMF 2005 production of PLANE CRAZY. Other favorites included Jessica Latshaw as Kristine, Colt Prattes as Al and u/s Mike, Clyde Alves as Mike, Gabrielle Ruiz as Diana, and Kevin Santos as Paul! However, everyone was really good and brought a new dimension to their character that I had never seen in any A CHORUS LINE production before.
The set was the same as the Broadway revival that I saw in New York (which closes today... tear). Simple yet powerful. The choreography was old school CHORUS LINE (well of course) and... everything was just fabola. Paul's speech moved me (and my dad, the fantastic Microsoft employee and avid theatre fan Grad Conn) more than ever before, and What I Did For Love was even more poignant with Gabrielle Ruiz's spectacular performance as Diana Morales... who coincidentally sings my favorite song in the show, Nothing.
In conclusion, WOW. I would definitely count this show as one of my favorite theatre experiences ever, and you should definitely check it out if it's coming to a theatre near you! Check out the tour schedule here.
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As previously announced, the new Broadway production of the landmark musical West Side Story, directed by librettist Arthur Laurents, will begin previews Feb. 23, 2009, at a Nederlander theatre to be announced.
The revival — produced by Kevin McCollum, James L. Nederlander and Jeffrey Seller — will officially open on Broadway March 19, 2009, according to an Aug. 8 press announcement.
A pre-Broadway engagement will play Dec. 16, 2008-Jan. 17, 2009, at Washington, DC's National Theatre, where the musical made its world premiere in 1957.
The production "will introduce the unprecedented element of selectively weaving Spanish throughout both the book and songs," according to a July 16 announcement.
Laurents, who earned solid reviews (and a 2008 Tony nomination) for staging the current Broadway run of Gypsy, stated, "This show will be radically different from any other production of West Side Story ever done. The musical theatre and cultural conventions of 1957 made it next to impossible for the characters to have authenticity. Every member of both gangs was always a potential killer even then. Now they actually will be. Only Tony and Maria try to live in a different world…"
Another one that I missed at the 5th Avenue Theatre - apparently last year's production was amazing. Unfortunately, had not moved yet. *sigh* And even though I always say that I hope to see this whenever I post something on the blog (see these previous posts lol!), I REALLY want to see this. West Side Story is an awesome show - the music and lyrics are beautiful and the story has managed to touch the hearts of many generations. So, get excited y'all!
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Complete casting has been announced for the Broadway revival ofEquus, which co-stars the previously announced Daniel Radcliffe, Tony and Olivier Award winner Richard Griffiths and stage and screen veteran Kate Mulgrew.
The limited engagement of Peter Shaffer's Tony Award-winning play is scheduled to begin previews Sept. 5 at the Broadhurst Theatre prior to an official opening Sept. 25. The production will run through Feb. 8, 2009.
Radcliffe and Griffiths — who played to sold-out crowds in the London Equusrevival — will reprise their work for Broadway audiences. Radcliffe will star as Alan Strang with Griffiths as Dr. Martin Dysart. Ever-busy stage and screen actress Mulgrew will play Hesther Saloman, the role created on Broadway by Marian Seldes in 1974.
Newcomers to the cast include Anna Camp (The Country Girl), Carolyn McCormick (The Dinner Party, "Law & Order"), Lorenzo Pisoni (Henry IV), T. Ryder Smith (Dead Man's Cell Phone, She Stoops to Comedy), Graeme Malcolm (Translations, Aida) and Sandra Shipley (Pygmalion, Retreat from Moscow) with Collin Baja, Tyrone Jackson, Spencer Liff, Adesola Osakalumi and Marc Spaulding.
So this looks interesting. I mean, everybody loves Daniel Radcliffe. Pshaw! =D It's nice that they're sharing the London Equus revival love with the American audience in New York. However, this Broadway revival starts pretty soon and only plays until February 8, 2009, (okay that's a pretty long run, but time goes by quite quickly these days) so if I were you I'd get my ducks in a row... :-)
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Take a backstage look at Forbidden Broadway: Dances with the Stars, the latest edition of off-Broadway's most popular musical comedy!
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Click here for this month's THE LEADING MEN on Playbill, which features Derek Keeling, Hunter Bell, and Dennis Parlato. Derek Keeling is currently starring as Danny in Grease on Broadway right now (see my previous post). Hunter Bell is, of course, in [title of show] on Broadway, and Dennis Parlato is reprising his role as El Gallo in The Fantasticks at the Snapple Theatre. We love you all =)
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Super funny Broadway(!!!) Two Nobodies in New York Montage from our fave [title of show]! I'll be there soon guys (I hope... :S) In the meantime, all of you faithful readers should go buy tickets now!
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Snow is expected on Broadway this fall.Irving Berlin's White Christmas, the stage musical packaged by a Broadway creative team since 2004 for such major markets as Los Angeles, Boston, Toronto and San Francisco, will make its Broadway debut this fall, producer Kevin McCollum announced Aug. 4.
White Christmas, directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Tony nominee and 42nd Street's Randy Skinner, will begin a limited engagement at the Marquis Theatre Nov. 14 and will continue to Jan. 4, 2009. Opening-night date, schedule and casting information will be announced shortly.
I love the movie White Christmas - who doesn't? - but I've never seen it on stage. The 5th Avenue Theatre had a production in 2006 that I missed, as I was still living in Toronto. However, I'm going to try to see this one because it's a limited run! I love Christmas haha :D
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Check out this ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE on Playbill written by Seth Rudetsky about Autumn and Bailey (of Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods fame) and [title of show]!
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Starting this Tuesday, August 5, the A Chorus Line national tour will open at the Paramount Theatre as part of its Broadway Across America series (I saw Avenue Q there in June). I saw the 2006 Broadway revival when I was last in New York (agh too long ago), and I've seen various community theatre productions + the movie. I love this show, it is so funny, smart, and fabola. I can't wait to see it.
There's a cool article in the Seattle Times that tells you more about the show and its revival, etc...
Extra bonus - long time friend of the show, (and by the show I mean PLANE CRAZY, as she played Holly Banks in Plane Crazy's NYMF production), Hollie Howard is starring as Maggie in the national tour! Yay, happiness! She is just amazing. Talk about your triple threat! And on top of that, she has the best head shot in the world. I can't wait to see Hollie in the show!
For ticket information, visit here. Quickly, A Chorus Line will only be at the Paramount Theatre until August 10!!! =S
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Check out Megan Mullally's report on her year as Elizabeth in Young Frankenstein on Broadway.com! She is just so fantastic - I saw her in the pre-Broadway tryout of the show at the Paramount Theatre, and she has a cramazing voice. I also loved her as Karen Walker in Will & Grace. I mean, who didn't? Yay Megan! =D
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Everybody loves [title of show]! I wish I had been at Borders when the [tos] gang was there singing and signing up a storm! However, here is some photo coverage on BroadwayWorld that I think captures the event well... Check it out =)
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