Broadway

Broadway and Theatre News: Laurie Metcalf, John Lithgow, Hillary and Clinton, The 24 Hour Plays

Published

5 years ago

October 5, 2018

Producer Scott Rudin announced today that two-time Tony Award winner and three-time Emmy Award winner Laurie Metcalf, and two-time Tony Award winner and six-time Emmy Award winner John Lithgow, will return to Broadway to star in Hillary and Clinton, a new play by Tony nominee Lucas Hnath (author of A Doll’s House, Part 2 – newly minted as this year’s most produced play in America). Directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello, previews begin March 16, 2019, ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at a Broadway theater to be announced.

Behind closed doors in the state of New Hampshire during the early days of 2008, a former First Lady named Hillary (Metcalf) is in a desperate bid to save her troubled campaign for President of the United States. Her husband, Bill (Lithgow), sees things one way; her campaign manager, Mark, sees things another. If any of this sounds familiar, don’t be fooled; in a universe of infinite possibilities, anything that can happen, will.

In Hillary and Clinton, Lucas Hnath examines the politics of marriage, gender roles, and the limitations of experience and inevitability in this profoundly timely look at an American dynasty in crisis.

The creative team includes Chloe Lamford (Set Design), Tony and Academy Award winner Ann Roth (Costume Design), and Tony Award winner Hugh Vanstone (Lighting Design).]

Laurie Metcalf (Hillary) received the 2018 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play for Three Tall Women and a 2017 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for A Doll’s House, Part 2. She has also received Tony nominations for Misery, The Other Place, and November. Metcalf received three Emmy Awards for her work on the television series “Roseanne,” and Emmy nominations for “3^rd Rock From the Sun,” “Monk,” “Desperate Housewives,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Getting On,” and “Horace and Pete.” She will be seen in the upcoming television series, “The Conners.” Films include Lady Bird (National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress, Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture), Desperately Seeking Susan, Leaving Las Vegas, Uncle Buck, JFK, Internal Affairs, and the Toy Story series. She is an original member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago.

John Lithgow (Bill) is a two-time Tony Award and six-time Emmy Award-winning actor who has been a major presence in theater, television, and film for over 40 years. Broadway credits include John Lithgow: Stories By Heart, A Delicate Balance, The Columnist (Tony Award nomination), All My Sons, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony nomination), The Retreat From Moscow, Sweet Smell of Success (Tony), M. Butterfly (Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations), The Front Page, Requiem for a Heavyweight (Tony nomination and Drama Desk Award), Beyond Therapy, Division Street, Bedroom Farce, Spokesong, Once in a Lifetime, Anna Christie, Comedians, Boy Meets Girl, Secret Service, A Memory of Two Mondays / 27 Wagons Full of Cotton, Trelawny of the “Wells,” My Fat Friend, and The Changing Room (Tony and Drama Desk Awards). For his work on television, Lithgow has 11 Emmy Award nominations, winning six, most notably for the Netflix series “The Crown,” Showtime’s “Dexter” and NBC’s “3^rd Rock From the Sun.” He has shot over 40 major films and was nominated for Academy Awards for both The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment. He has played principal roles in the U.K. at the National Theatre and the RSC; danced with the New York City Ballet; performed at Carnegie Hall and with a dozen American orchestras; created nine picture books and three albums for kids; written a memoir; and recently co-created a crossword puzzle for the New York Times. Such variety has won him a place in the Theater Hall of Fame, a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame and membership in the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Lucas Hnath (Playwright) received a 2017 Tony Award nomination for Best Play with A Doll’s House, Part 2, this year’s most produced play in America. Hnath’s plays include Red Speedo, The Christians, A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, Isaac’s Eye, and Death Tax. He has been produced on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre, Off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, Soho Rep, and Ensemble Studio Theatre. His plays have been produced nationally and internationally with premieres at the Humana Festival of New Plays, Victory Gardens, and South Coast Rep. He has been a resident playwright at New Dramatists since 2011. Awards: Kesselring Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship, Whiting Award, two Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award Citations, Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Play, an Obie, and the Windham-Campbell Literary Prize.

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The 24 Hour Plays announced their cast and creative team for The 24 Hour Musicals premiere Broadway event, in partnership with The Lillys. The 24 Hour Musicals will take place on Monday, October 29^th at 8 PM at the American Airlines Theatre in Times Square.

The 24 Hour Musicals will feature four brand new musicals written and performed in the span of just 24 hours. This year’s musicals will be directed by Carolyn Cantor, Kathleen Marshall, Robert O’Hara and Kate Whoriskey; and will be written and composed by: Aimee Mann, Ashley Nicole Black, Amanda Green, Kirsten Childs, Jonathan Marc Sherman and Rona Siddiqui.

The 24 Hour Musicals on Broadway will feature performances by: Bebe Neuwirth, John Mulaney, Dee Roscioli, Jackie Cruz, Jordan Roth, Lea DeLaria, Jose Llana, Kate Rockwell, Miriam Shor, Molly Ringwald, Norm Lewis, Patti Murin, Savion Glover, Will Swenson and others. Zac Zinger will lead the orchestra for the evening and Sarah O’Gleby and Rick & Jeff Kuperman are choreographers. Additional names to be announced in the coming weeks.

The marathon process for The 24 Hour Musicals begins at 9 PM the night before the performance. Writers, composers, directors, choreographers, actors, music directors, musicians and production staff—many of whom have never worked with or met each other before—gather for an orientation where they are asked to share one costume piece, one prop, a special skill, and to reveal something that they have always wanted to do on stage, as well as some singing and dancing. At 11 PM, the composers and writers get to work crafting 15-20 minute musicals overnight; at 9 AM the next morning, the actors receive their roles and the directors, choreographers and musicians arrive to begin rehearsal. Less than 12 hours later, they must be ready to perform in front of a live audience.

The evening will benefit The Lillys’ work supporting women in theater and promoting gender parity, as well as The 24 Hour Plays’ programs, including The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals (a professional intensive for young artists). It will also pay homage to the women who are changing the landscape of American Theatre, through appearances by Lynn Nottage, Lisa Kron, Stacey Mindich, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Todd London and Sarah Ruhl.

Tickets for The 24 Hour Musicals on Broadway are available for purchase at

www.24hourplays.com or by calling (212) 868-4444. Premium tickets are available that include a cast and VIP afterparty, as well as event sponsorship opportunities at www.24hourplays.com/sponsorship .

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Twenty years later, in a country shaken by political unrest and the fight for gender equality, we’re still living with the legacy of the Clinton presidency. The 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton rocked the country to its core and set the stage for the next two decades of polarization and controversy in America. Now, a new episode of Smithsonian Channel’s critically acclaimed THE LOST TAPES relives the scandal, using only contemporary film and audio to allow viewers to experience history without comment. The hour-long episode delves into the collective memory of America to pose the question: At a time when everyone took a side, would you take the same one now? The Lost Tapes: Clinton Impeachment airs Monday, October 29 at 9 PM ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

The Lost Tapes: Clinton Impeachment combines the relentless energy of the early days of the 24/7 news cycle with exclusive, never-before-televised recordings from historian Taylor Branch. Branch, the president’s interviewer and confidant, documented his thoughts after late-night sessions at the White House, capturing his impression of Clinton’s mindset and offering an insider’s perspective as scandal threatened to consume the Presidency. Clips pulled from news broadcasts and interviews highlight the infamous twists and dramatic forgotten moments of the scandal, including familiar faces, from Matt Lauer to Jeff Sessions, Bernie Sanders and the current President of the United States, Donald Trump. This unique blend of sources brings to life a startlingly familiar era in American history and a story that still lingers over the national conversation surrounding leadership, gender politics and ethics in public life.

In 1998, Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr requested permission to widen the scope of his Whitewater investigation to include whether the President had lied under oath in his deposition for Paula Jones’ sexual harassment lawsuit. After a federal court dismissed Jones’ suit, her lawyers appealed and submitted a list of other alleged victims of Clinton’s harassment, including White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Both Lewinsky and Clinton denied under oath that they had a sexual relationship, but the evidence indicated otherwise, leading Starr to investigate the possibility that Clinton had committed perjury. After receiving immunity, Lewinsky turned over evidence of the affair, and the President admitted he had indeed had inappropriate relations with her. In December 1998, the House of Representatives – led by Republican Newt Gingrich – voted to issue Articles of Impeachment, but on February 12, 1999, the Senate acquitted Clinton on all charges, 17 votes shy of removing him from office.

The Lost Tapes series is produced by Tom Jennings and Rob Kirk of 1895 Films. Executive producers for Smithsonian Channel are John Cavanagh, David Royle and Charles Poe.

Smithsonian Channel™, owned by Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, is where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing factual entertainment, available in HD and 4K Ultra HD across multiple platforms. Smithsonian Channel, winner of Emmy® and Peabody awards for its programming, combines the storytelling prowess of SHOWTIME® with the unmatched resources and rich traditions of the Smithsonian, to create programming that shines new light on popular genres such as air and space, history, science, nature and pop culture. Among the network’s offerings are series including Aerial America, America in Color, The Lost Tapes, Mighty Ships, Million Dollar American Princesses, The Pacific War in Color and Air Disasters, as well as critically-acclaimed specials that include The Coronation, The Mountain Lion and Me, Earth from Outer Space and Titanoboa: Monster Snake. Smithsonian Networks also operates Smithsonian Earth(TM), through SN Digital LLC., a new subscription video streaming service delivering spectacular original nature and wildlife content. To learn more, go to www.smithsonianchannel.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Suzanna Bowling

Suzanna, co-owns and publishes the newspaper Times Square Chronicles or T2C. At one point a working actress, she has performed in numerous productions in film, TV, cabaret, opera and theatre. She has performed at The New Orleans Jazz festival, The United Nations and Carnegie Hall. She has a screenplay and a TV show in the works, which she developed with her mentor and friend the late Arthur Herzog. She is a proud member of the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle and was a nominator. Email: suzanna@t2conline.com

Broadway

Melissa Etherridge My Window A Rock Goddess Spiritual Journey

Published

1 day ago

September 30, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

Oscar and Grammy winner Melissa Etheridge’s autobiographical musical My Window is an informative, riveting, raw, intimate and musically thrilling alsmost 3 hours of entertainment. With 22 albums to her name, Etheridge is a female rock goddess and is on par with Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Ann Wilson, Grace Slick, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, Debbie Harry and the incomparable Janis Joplin.

I originally saw this show when it opened at New World Stages almost a year ago and Etheridge’s theatrical solo show has only gotten better and tighter. She invites theatergoers into an exhilarating evening of storytelling and music. Starting with her birth, we learn about her childhood in Kansas, groundbreaking career highlights, coming out, her lovers, the drugs she has taken, her spiritual journey, her wives, her kids, cancer and what makes Melissa who she is. She is charming, revealing, illuminating as she bares her heart & soul to all who attend.

Photo by Jenny Anderson

In between learning about this bluesy warrior are her confessional lyrics, the raspy, smoky vocals and classics numbers like “Like The Way I Do,” “Twisted Off To Paradise,”“I’m the Only One,” “Come to My Window,” “I Want to Come Over”.

Photo by Jenny Anderson

Winning a tiny trophy gave way to winning a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocalist in 1998 and again in 1995. Before that in 1993 Etheridge came out publicly, early on in her career. In 2005 Etheridge took the Grammy stage after having cancer to join in a tribute to Janis Joplin. She appeared hairless. Etheridge also won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2007 for “I Need To Wake Up” for the film “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Photo by Jenny Anderson

It turns out Etheridge has always loved musical theatre, as she treated us to a wonderful rendition of “On Broadway.” She did make her Broadway debut in a weeklong stint as St. Jimmy in Green Day’s American Idiot in 2011, but she doesn’t talk about that.

Melissa Etheridge My Window, is wonderfully is written by Etheridge with additional material by Linda Wallem-Etheridge (“Nurse Jackie” showrunner, “That ’70s Show”). The direction by Amy Tinkham is succent and well done.

Everything about this production is well done from the scenic design by Bruce Rodgers, lighting design by Abigail Rosen Holmes, fabulous projection design by Olivia Sebesky and the sound design by Shannon Salmon, which keeps this show clear and clean.

Kate Owens is hysterical as the Roadie/ Stage Manager. This little girl is a star in the making with her rubber face and facial expressions galore. She adds to this show immensely and I definitely want to see more of what she can do.

This is a must see show for anyone LGBTQIA. The message is positive and life affirming. This is a women who owns her talent, charisma and choices, which makes this a joy to watch.

Photo by Jenny Anderson

Melissa Etheridge My Window: Circle In The Square, 235 West 50th Street. Closes November 19th.

Broadway

Barry Manilow’s and Bruce Sussman’s Harmony Meets The Press Part 2

Published

2 days ago

September 29, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

Yesterday we told you how the cast and creative’s met the press.

The cast and creatives

In today’s edition hear director Warren Carlyle, Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman describe their show.

Then it was a treat as the cast sang 5 songs from the show. Including “Harmony,” Hungarian Rhapsody,” “Where You Go’ and “Stars in the Night.”

Hear The Harmonists Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman and Steven Telsey, along with Chip Zien, Sierra Boggess and Julie Benko.

The hit song of the show will be the gorgeous ballad “Every Single Day” sung by Danny Kornfeld.

Harmony begins previews at the Barrymore Theatre on Wednesday, October 18, ahead of a Monday, November 13 official opening night.

Photo’s by Genevieve Rafter Keddy

Broadway

The Glorious Corner

Published

2 days ago

September 29, 2023

G. H. HARDING

G.H. Harding

JESSE L MARTIN — We caught the debut of Jesse L. Martin’s The Irrational Monday night and really enjoyed it. I’ve been aware of Jesse since his role in Broadway’s Rent and he’s really tremendous. He was great on Law & Order as Ed Green (10 years and 9 seasons); and his role on the CW’s The Flash (as Joe West) was simply terrific.

The show, based on the book by Dan Ariely and created by Arika Mittman, certainly reminds one of The Mentalist or Instinct. This first case isn’t wondrous by any means, but Martin’s charisma carries it all through.

Lauren Holly (NCIS) is in it too, thought her one-scene was over and out in a flash.

I hear the third episode of the show is magnificent, so stay tuned. Don Johnson said many years ago that Don Johnson was made for TV … so is Martin!

Will Swenson and Neil Diamond

SWENSON OUT — (per Deadline) Will Swenson will play his final performance as Neil Diamond in Broadway’s A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical on Sunday, Oct. 29, producers announced today.

A replacement for the starring role will be announced at a future date.

“It’s been the thrill of a lifetime to get to stand in Neil’s shoes,” Swenson said in a statement. “It’s been such an incredible honor to get to know Neil, to tell his powerful story, and bring his amazing songs to Broadway audiences every night. I’m immensely proud of the moving, beautiful show we made. I will miss it very much.”

A reason for Swenson’s departure was not disclosed, but his planned departure date suggests a year-long contract coming to a close: He and the bio-musical began previews at the Broadhurst Theatre last Nov. 2 (official opening was Dec. 4).

“Making A Beautiful Noise with Will Swenson was a deep and wonderful experience,” said director Michael Mayer. “The true affection he has for Neil’s work and life is palpable in every aspect of his tremendous performance. I will miss him terribly, of course, but will always treasure our time together, and very much look forward to the next show we do.”

Swenson has been one of Broadway’s go-to leading men since his breakthrough performance in 2009’s Hair, and he has since starred on the New York stage in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Little Miss Sunshine, Waitress and Assassins, among many other shows.

In addition to Swenson, the cast of A Beautiful Noise features a principal cast of Mark Jacoby as the aged Neil Diamond, Robyn Hurder and Shirine Babb.

The musical includes a score of Diamond’s hits, a book by Anthony McCarten, direction by Mayer, and choreography by Steven Hoggett.

He’s pretty tremendous as Diamond. I didn’t see the show straight away, but absolutely loved it when I did. His exit of kind of short notice … but let’s see what happens.

SHORT TAKES — How about those snappy new graphics for NBC’s Today Show. Introduced a week ago, they certainly look more relevant and certainly more fun. They did the same for Nightly News a week ago. Per TVNewser:The network said the decision to unveil a new logo and graphics for Nightly was made as a way of appealing to younger viewers who primarily consume news using digital media. It’s safe to assume is true for Today, the youngest-skewing of the linear morning shows that boasts a robust digital presence. Here’s their whole story:

https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/nbcs-today-unveils-new-graphics-package/535209/#:~:text=The%20new%20design%20highlights%20the,effects%20as%20the%20previous%20design%20%E2%80%A6

The Rolling Stones

The next Rolling Stones single, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” is tremendous. Mick hasn’t sounded this good in years and Lady Gaga is an added treat. Magnificent! Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEJd5xtbEPY …

Donnie Kehr

Donnie Kehr and Cori Gardner’s Rockers On Broadway (their 30th edition) is coming up on Monday, October 16 at SONY Hall.

Debbie Gibson

Joining honoree Melissa Etheridge will be KT Tunstall and Debbie Gibson, Simon Kirke, Dan Finnerty and Ty Taylor … Happy Bday Chuck Taylor!

NAMES IN THE NEWS –— Anthony Noto; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Paul Lester; Ian Harrison; Magda Katz; Pete Townshend; Miko Blanco; Brad LeBeau; Mal Evans; Derek Taylor; Andrew Sandoval; Rick Rubin; Bill Adler; Cory Robbins; Manny Bella; Race Taylor; Scott Shannon; Buddy Blanch; Steve Walter; Benny Harrison; and BELLA!

Broadway

Theatre News: Here We Are, Some Like It Hot, A Beautiful Noise, All The Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented The Villain and The Laramie Project

Published

2 days ago

September 29, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

The curtain rose last tonight on the first performance of the final Stephen Sondheim musical. Here We Are, the new musical from David Ives and Sondheim, is on stage at The Shed’s Griffin Theater (545 W. 30^th Street), with an Opening Night on Sunday, October 22, for 15 weeks only.

Directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello, the cast of Here We Are will feature Francois Battiste, Tracie Bennett, Bobby Cannavale, Micaela Diamond, Amber Gray, Jin Ha, Rachel Bay Jones, Denis O’Hare, Steven Pasquale, David Hyde Pierce, and Jeremy Shamos. The understudies for Here We Are are Adante Carter, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Bradley Dean, Mehry Eslaminia, Adam Harrington, and Bligh Voth.

Here We Are is inspired by two films, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and The Exterminating Angel, by Luis Buñuel.

Here We Are will include choreography by Sam Pinkleton, set design and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Tom Gibbons, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, musical supervision and additional arrangements by Alexander Gemignani, hair & make-up design by Wigmaker Associates, and casting by The Telsey Office.

Tickets are on sale on TheShed.org.

For each performance, a limited number of $25 tickets will be available via a weekly lottery, which will open for entries on the TodayTix app each Sunday at 12:01 AM for the coming week’s performances and will close at 12:00 PM on the day before each performance. Winners will be notified by push notification and email between 1 – 4 PM on the day before their selected show, and will have 30 minutes to claim their tickets in the app. Entrants may request 1 or 2 tickets, and entry is free and open to all.

Via TodayTix’s mobile rush program, a limited number of $40 same-day rush tickets will be available for that day’s performance of Here We Are at 9:00 AM each day on a first-come, first-served basis. Users can download the app and “unlock” rush tickets by sharing the program on social media ahead of their desired performance day.

The most award-winning musical of the 2022-2023 season, Some Like It Hot, will play for 13 more weeks through Saturday, December 30, 2023, at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre (225 West 44^th Street) before launching a national tour and West End production.

Awarded Best Musical by The Drama League, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle, Some Like It Hot received over 20+ major awards throughout the 2022-2023 season, including four Tony Awards for Best Lead Actor in a Musical (J. Harrison Ghee), Best Choreography (Casey Nicholaw), Best Orchestrations (Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter) and Best Costumes in a Musical (Gregg Barnes). J. Harrison Ghee made history as the first non-binary performer to take home the Tony Award in their category.

A national tour will launch in September 2024 and a West End production will follow in 2025, produced by The Shubert Organization and Neil Meron in partnership with Ambassador Theatre Group.

At the time of the final performance, the production will have played the Shubert Theatre for over a year, for a total of 483 performances.

Will Swenson and the cast. Photo by Julieta Cervantes.

Will Swenson, who is electrifying audiences with his star turn in A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical, will play his final performance as ‘Neil Diamond – Then’ at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44^th Street) on Sunday, October 29. Casting for the role of ‘Neil Diamond – Then’ will be announced at a future date.

The unofficial commencement of “spooky season” takes place this Friday, September 29, when Tony Award® Nominee and Grammy Award® Winner Patrick Page returns to the New York stage in All The Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented The Villain, a new work created and performed by Mr. Page, based on the villains of William Shakespeare. Directed by Simon Godwin, the solo show will play the DR2 Theatre (103 E 15^th Street) beginning Friday, September 29, with an Opening Night set for Monday, October 16, for 14 weeks only.

Tickets are now available at allthedevilsplay.com, Telecharge or by visiting the DR2 Theatre box office (103 E 15^th Street).

Julie White

Julie White and Brandon Uranowitz will join Ato Blankson-Wood in a staged benefit reading of The Laramie Project. Moises Kaufman and the Members of Tectonic Theatre Project’s The Laramie Project, will bedirected by Dustin Wills (Wolf Play, Wet Brain). The event, which will raise funds to support the work of The Trevor Project, will take place on Monday, October 16^th at 7:00 PM at Peter Norton Symphony Space, and is being produced by District Productions. Additional casting is soon to be announced. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.symphonyspace.org/events/vp-the-laramie-project-a-benefit-staged-reading

Broadway

Barry Manilow’s and Bruce Sussman’s Harmony Meets The Press

Published

3 days ago

September 28, 2023

Genevieve Rafter Keddy

Harmony, has been in rehearsals for 3 weeks and yesterday morning, they meet the press.

Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow, wrote the original music.

Bruce Sussman

Bruce Sussman, who wrote the book and lyrics

Warren Carlyle

director/choreographer Warren Carlyle

Ken Davenport

and producer Ken Davenport started the show off to a harmonious roll. Harmony begins previews Wednesday, October 18, ahead of a Monday, November 13 official opening night.