Broadway
How Are We Coping With Self Isolation: Insight From Around the Country And The World With Stephen Carlile
Stephen Carlile trained at Guildford School Of Acting. Up until COVID – 19 he was playing Scar in The Lion King on Broadway for the 20th anniversary.
Previously, he starred as Nick (Father Christmas) in Eoin Colfer’s Noël at The National Opera House in Ireland. The Go Between in the West End, playing Lord Trimingham, Mr. Darling and Captain Hook in the 360 production of Peter Pan touring the United States, Scar in the original UK touring production of The Lion King, The Go Between (West Yorkshire Playhouse) Mark Darcy in a studio/workshop production of the new musical Bridget Jones’s Diary, Magaldi in the European tour of Evita, Orsino in Twelfth Night for Creation Theatre Company and was the lead Tenor singing ‘Springtime for Hitler’ in the original London cast of The Producers (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane).
He sang a glorious Freddy Eynsford-Hill in the Cameron Mackintosh /National Theatre’s production of My Fair Lady, Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest (Jermyn Street), Gentleman Starkey in Peter Pan (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Todd in Don Giovanni (New Vic Theatre), Dickie in Next Door’s Baby (Orange Tree, Richmond), Ned Scott in Park Avenue (Lilian Bayliss Theatre), Tin Man in Wizard of Oz (New Vic Theatre), Harold Stinker Pinker in By Jeeves (Eastbourne/Tour), Frederick in Pirates of Penzance (Orange Tree, Richmond), The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), Harry Lytton in Over My Shoulder (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford/tour) and Snoopy in Snoopy! The Musical (Jermyn Street Theatre),
Stephen was Young English Lord in Brideshead Revisited for Miramax Pictures.
He has recorded many of the shows he was in plus The Postman and the Poet (Jay Records), Next Door’s Baby and Silk (Judd Music Ltd), Boscobel and Night in the Ukraine (BBC Radio 4), Doctor Who (BBC/Big Finish), Songs From Jesus Christ Superstar (Jay Records), Vanity Fair and Over My Shoulder (TER Records).
As Co-Director of Morning Vicar Productions, Stephen produced the West End revival of Snoopy the Musical at the New Players Theatre.
T2C: How are you dealing with home containment?
Stephen Carlile: I know that for some people this period of time has brought grief, pain and fear. I feel very lucky that, so far at least, I have been able to enjoy time safe at home with my wife and dog.
T2C: What would you say is the difference of being in self lockdown between NYC and London?
Stephen Carlile: I’m a British actor living in New York City. I live in a high-rise apartment building in Hell’s Kitchen. My neighbourhood in London is much less densely populated – the housing is mainly Victorian terraces.Where I am in Manhattan there are thousands of us, piled on top of one another in just one block. That might make you think that I’d rather be in London. But, strange though it may seem in a time of social distancing, I have loved the feeling of community that has come from being close to so many of my neighbours. When we clap at 7pm, I am buoyed by the sound of a crowd of people whooping, cheering and banging frying pans for our heroic essential workers.
T2C: What have you been able to accomplish in this time?
Stephen Carlile: I have really valued having the time to stay creative and work on new skills. I’ve picked up a paintbrush and taken an online painting course. I just never used to allow myself the time to do things like that before.
T2C: What has this time stopped you from accomplishing?
Stephen Carlile: A simple answer to this question is – my driver’s license. I have one in the UK, and I had just taken my theory test for my NY license when lockdown happened. This is one of my biggest regrets. I wish I had done it sooner! I dream of being able to go for a drive and feel that freedom.
T2C: What kind of emotions does this time bringing out of you?
Stephen Carlile: Like so many of us I am truly riding the “Corona-Coaster”. I can feel productive and energised one moment and then I get a jolt reminding me how much devastation and pain there is, just outside my window really. It can be hard to reconcile the small thing you are focusing on in your apartment – baking bread for example – with suddenly hearing a snapshot of tragedy on the news. I’ve found that devoting some time each day to think about those who are grieving has really helped. Trying to ignore the reality of the situation and “stay positive” all the time didn’t feel truthful to me.
T2C: If you were to equate this time to a song or song cycle what would it be?
Stephen Carlile: After every 7pm “clap” two of our neighbors, who live in the apartment building opposite us, play a song on their saxophone and trumpet. One night, when the sun was low in the sky, they played Louis’ Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World. I’ll never forget it. I think this time has brought everything into focus – small acts of kindness and generosity seem even more beautiful now. It really is a wonderful world and I hope we never take it for granted again.
T2C: What message would you like to give the world right now?
Stephen Carlile: That crisis brings out kindness. We are seeing it everywhere, right? Teenagers delivering food to the elderly, our neighbour who leaves writes a new, hopeful quote on a board outside her door for us to see everyday. It’s so wonderful to be reminded that as a species we are, in general, programmed to help each other.The anthropologist Margaret Mead said that she considered the first sign of civilization in our culture to be, not tools or religious artefacts, but that 15,000 years ago a fractured femur bone was found at an archaeological site – and that fracture had healed. Animals who break their leg, die. A femur bone can take 6 weeks to heal. This means that someone cared for another person – brought them food and water and kept them safe for six weeks. Looking after another person instead of just focusing on your own survival – that’s what Margaret Mead thought civilization was. And we are seeing evidence of that humanity every day right now.
T2C: What is the first thing you will do when we are no longer self-quarantined?
Stephen Carlile: I dream of the day I get to see my family in the U.K. again.
T2C: What are the things that are getting you through this time?
Stephen Carlile: Exercise is keeping me sane. I suppose I’ve always known this in theory, but lockdown has made me so grateful to have a healthy body that I can move in all of these ways.
T2C: What haven’t we asked you that you would like to say?
Stephen Carlile: I think New Yorkers have a reputation for being tough, direct and maybe even a little rude at times. And hey – that can be true, and I kind of love them for that. But I want to say that I will never forget the kindness, love and generosity that I have seen from New Yorkers during this pandemic.
For more information on Stephen please visit www.colekitchenn.com
Twitter @carlilestephen/ Instagram carlile1
Broadway
Theatre News: Doubt: A Parable, Here Lies Love, Prayer for the French Republic, Eisenhower and Hell’s Kitchen
Tyne Daly and Liev Schreiber will star in a revival of Doubt: A Parable on Broadway. The production is to begin performances next February at the American Airlines Theater.
The new production is produced by the Roundabout Theater Company, and will be directed by Scott Ellis, who has been serving as the nonprofit’s interim artistic director since the death of artistic director Todd Haimes in April.
The play, by John Patrick Shanley, is about a nun who suspects a priest has sexually abused a student at a Catholic school. In 2005, the year it first opened on Broadway, it won both the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony Award for best play; it was later adapted into a film and an opera.
Daly, who will play the nun who serves as the school principal, and Schreiber, who will play the parish priest, are both Tony winners. Daly, is known for her role in “Cagney & Lacey”. She won the 1990 Tony Award for her portrayal as Mama Rose in the revival of Gypsy. Schreiber, is the star of Showtime’s “Ray Donovan.” He won a Tony Award in 2005 for a revival of Glengarry Glen Ross.
Doubt is one of three plays to be staged by Roundabout this coming season. The others are I Need That, a new play by Theresa Rebek starring Danny DeVito alongside his daughter, Lucy, and Home, a 1979 revival, directed by Kenny Leon, by Samm-Art Williams.
David Byrne, Fatboy Slim and Here Lies Love are causing controversy with their July Broadway debut. The show’s extensive use of prerecorded music has the American Federation of Musicians’ Local 802, up in arms. The Local’s Broadway musical contract stipulate that productions employ 19 live musicians.
In response to the union’s concerns, Byrne and the show’s PR team released a statement on Instagram to lay out the production’s revolutionary format and genre-bending originality. Here Lies Love is not a traditional Broadway musical. The music is drawn outside of the traditional music genre. The performance of the live vocals to pre-recorded, artificial tracks is paramount to its artistic concept. Production has ripped out the seats in the theater and built a dance floor. There is no longer a proscenium stage. The Broadway Theater has been transformed into a nightclub, with every theatergoer immersed in the experience.
Here Lies Love is on Broadway because Broadway must support boundary-pushing creative work. Broadway is also the venue for a well conceived, high-quality show that highlights the valued traditions of specific cultures whose stories have never been on its stages. Here Lies Love does not believe in artistic gatekeepers. Here Lies Love believes in a Broadway for everyone, where new creative forms push the medium and create new traditions and audiences.
I saw Here Lies Love at The Public and not sure what kind of fast talking this is, but this statement rings false and full of how can we cut the costs while sticking it to the audience.
Photo by Murphymade
Prayer for the French Republic, by Joshua Harmon is coming to Broadway this season.This award-winning Off Broadway production played to rave reviews at The Manhattan Theatre Club. The production was the winner of the 2022 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play. Broadway performances will begin previews on Tuesday, December 19, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, with an official opening night on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. David Cromer directs.
Off Broadway: Tony winner John Rubinstein starts previews June 13 at St. Clement’s in one-man show Eisenhower.
Alicia Keys’ musical Hell’s Kitchen will run at The Public Theater from October 24 – December 10, starring Shoshana Bean. Inspired by Keys’ own life, the new musical features an original score by the 15-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, with a book by Kristoffer Diaz. Hell’s Kitchen will be directed by Michael Greif and choreographed by Camille A. Brown.
Leading the cast will be Maleah Joi Moon as Ali, opposite Bean as Ali’s mother Jersey, with Brandon Victor Dixon as Ali’s father Davis, Chad Carstarphen as Ray, Vanessa Ferguson as Tiny, Crystal Monee Hall as Crystal, Chris Lee as Knuck, Jackie Leon as Jessica, Kecia Lewis as Ali’s piano teacher Miss Liza Jane, Mariand Torres as Maria, and Lamont Walker II as Riq.
Completing the cast are Reid Clarke, Chloe Davis, Nico DeJesus, Timothy L. Edwards, Raechelle Manalo, Sarah Parker, and Niki Saludez, with understudies Badia Farha, Gianna Harris, Onyxx Noel, William Roberson, and Donna Vivino.
The musical is described as a coming-of-age story set in a cramped apartment in the neighborhood of the title near Times Square, where 17-year-old Ali is desperate to get her piece of the New York dream. Ali’s mother is just as determined to protect her daughter from the same mistakes she made. When Ali falls for a talented young drummer, both mother and daughter must face hard truths about race, defiance, and growing up.
The production has set design by Robert Brill, costumes by Dede Ayite, lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Gareth Owens, and projection design by Peter Nigrini.
The countdown is on and the winners of the 2022/2023 season will be announced in a live televised ceremony on Sunday, June 11.
Here is who we think will win and who should.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
The Nominees
Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo
Lorna Courtney, & Juliet
Micaela Diamond, Parade
This to us is a no brainer … Victoria Clark performance has stood out since she brought Kimberly Akimbo to life off-Broadway in 2021. Though Annaleigh is a terrific performer this is Victoria’s year.
Will Win: Victoria Clark
Should Win: Victoria Clark
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
The Nominees
Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot
J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot
Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Brian d’Arcy James, Into the Woods
Ben Platt, Parade
Colton Ryan, New York, New York
This is another no brainer J. Harrison Ghee gives a textured layered performance. Ben Platt and Josh Groban cancel each other out, though both are riveting performances.
Will win: J. Harrison Ghee
Should win: J. Harrison Ghee
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
The Nominees
Julia Lester, Into the Woods
Ruthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo
NaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot
Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet
Bonnie Milligan took the theatre community by storm in Head Over Heels, but it was not her time. This year Milligan commands the stage and you definitely remember her performance.
Will win: Bonnie Milligan
Should win: Bonnie Milligan
Alex Newell photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
The Nominees
Kevin Cahoon, Shucked
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like It Hot
Jordan Donica, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Alex Newell, Shucked
Many think Alex Newell was snubbed in 2018 for his performance in Once on This Island. Newell gets standing ovations over at Shucked for “Independently Owned” and they are well deserved. Kevin Del Aguila to me was a breath of fresh air and made me love his performance not once, but twice.
Will win: Alex Newell
Should win:Kevin Del Aguila
Broadway
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Summer Soirée With Barry Manilow, Julie Benko, Adam B. Shapiro, Michael Zegen and More
On June 19 the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Summer Soirée at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers is set to impress. Adam B. Shapiro (from the cast of the award winning Fiddler on The Roof in Yiddish), will be the Master of Ceremonies The celebrity address will be by Michael Zegen, co-star of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” with a special performance by Julie Benko, the sensational breakout star of Broadway’s Funny Girl. Benko has joined the cast of Harmony coming to Broadway this fall.
Musical Moments from NYTF’s Upcoming Season including a performance by Danny Kornfeld from Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s Broadway Bound New Musical ‘Harmony’
The evening will also feature performances from artists who have been part of NYTF’s stellar productions, including a special appearance by The Mameles, whose singing trio – Maya Jacobson, Raquel Nobile and Jodi Snyder – met while starring in Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.
Throughout the night, attendees also will be treated to performances by: Dani Apple, Joanne H. Borts, Aaron Diskin, Brian Glassman, Sophie Knapp, Annette Ezekiel Kogan, Yosef Kogan, Frank London, Avram Mlotek, Jenny Romaine, Rachel Yucht, Avi Fox-Rosen, Ilya Shneyveys, Dmitri Zisl Slepovitch, and Matt Temkin and the Schechter Bergen Children’s Chorus
Indulge in a delightful cocktail reception followed by an exquisite dinner as you prepare to be dazzled with exclusive previews of musical moments from NYTF’s upcoming 2023-2024 Season.
Levi Holloway’s Grey House is a mental mind bend. It tries to come off as a haunted thriller with blackouts galore, moments left hanging, loud noises and flashes in the dark of dead things, but deep down it is a lot more than that. The script lacking in text, takes awhile to figure out the ins and outs.
Colby Kipnes, Laurie Metcalf, Sophia Anne Caruso, Millicent Simmonds, Alyssa Emily Marvin, Tatiana Maslany, Eamon Patrick O’Connell Photo by MurphyMade
We starts off as a blizzard rages outside, four feral teenage girls, a young boy (Eamon Patrick O’Connell) and their mother Raleigh (Laurie Metcalf), who is asleep on the couch or is she passed out, entertain themselves. There is Bernie (Millicent Simmonds) who is deaf, a cynical Marlow (Sophia Anne Caruso), the unpredictable Squirrel (Colby Kipnes), and the sweet A1656 (Alyssa Emily Marvin). The girls do what looks like a spell, as a car crashes bringing in Max (Clare Karpen, standing in for Tatiana Maslany) and Henry (Paul Sparks). From the beginning you know nothing good is going to happen.
Paul Sparks, Cyndi Coyne Photo by MurphyMade
Henry called Hank by the girls has broken his ankle and is given “moonshine” for the pain. The refrigerator mysteriously offers this liquid when it feels like it. Henry becomes addicted to the liquid as he encounters first Squirrel, then The Ancient (Cyndi Coyne).
Millicent Simmonds, Laurie Metcalf Photo by MurphyMade
In the meantime Max is manipulated into playing games with these strange children, as Raleigh throws caustic asides and distain to her.
As Henry gets more and more into his “moonshine” addiction he becomes the men who have abused all the inhabitants of this purgatory. The house it turns out is a cross over between heaven and hell or is it way station where karma is played out? It is a surprisingly that this play is written by a man, because at the crux of this play is men will always hurt, disappoint and destroy the female gender.
Director Joe Mantello (Wicked) has used set designer Scott Pask, sound designer Tom Gibbons and lighting designer Natasha Katz to make Grey House a living breathing entity that haunts from within. His cast is uniformly excellent with Sophia Anne Caruso bringing yet another haunting performance to life with a scalding clarity. Metcalf brings to mind every Stephen King novel and gives a masterclass in acting. Karpen gives us a women who is lost in mourning due to her father just passing and a long-dead sister whom she loved. We see the weight put upon her that ultimately binds her to this place. Sparks is the epitome of a week man who fight is within himself.
This play leaves more questions than answers that are left to the audience to figure out. At the heart of this story is grief and how we are trapped and make our own prisons instead of moving to the light.
Grey House: Lyceum Theatre, 149 W 45th Street, through September 23rd.
My View: Clint Holmes Is In Town!
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Theatre News: Doubt: A Parable, Here Lies Love, Prayer for the French Republic, Eisenhower and Hell’s Kitchen
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