Broadway

The Glorious Corner

Published

5 months ago

May 8, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

G.H. Harding

COSTNER’S KARMA — I’ve always enjoyed Kevin Costner’s work; from 1987’s No Way Out; toField of Dreams; The Untouchables; The Bodyguard; Tin Cup; Bull Durham; Dance with Wolves; and 2016’s

Hidden Figures (which was a gem of a movie) … his work has always been exemplary for sure.

I started watching Yellowstone a few seasons ago and instantly loved it. His portrayal of ranch-owner John Dutton was in a word, perfect. To me, it encapsulated most of his other roles. To me, Costner’s integrity always showed through and when word came down of friction between him and Yellowstone-creator Taylor Sheridan, I knew the outcome would not be good.

Season 5/Part 2, will be the final season of the show and Costner may not appear in every episode. He’s back however, to do a major-series called Horizons.And, this week it was announced that his wife was filing for divorce after 19 years. I wasn’t there, so I can’t really comment other to say, it’s not great news for sure.

He was sensational on Yellowstone and the show itself (a canny, updated mix of Dallas and Dynastyfor you older readers) worked perfectly and the actors just sensational. Suffice to say, BIG boots to fill.

WGA STRIKE UPDATE — Being a writer, you know immediately where I stand as the second week of the WGA Strike begins. In case you’re not aware or haven’t closely followed what’s been going on, here it is: The powers that be don’t want to pay the writers for the streaming work as they should be paid. A closely held secret is that the actor’s don’t get residuals from the streaming channels and neither do they get paid as much as with the networks.

That said, if you as an actor, can do two streaming-shows, that’s like being on a networks series – maybe not as much, but close to it.

The strike has already affected not only the late night chart shows, but also Neflix’s Stranger Things and NBC’s Saturday Night Live. In a strong sign of solidarity, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon have continued to pay their staffs and crew. Face it, the high profile writers aren’t going to really get hurt, it’s the below the line employees who always get burnt the most.

The strike will be settled shortly – it has to for Hollywood to continue. Sad that it even happened, but that’s where the country is right now … and, yes, even Hollywood.

SHORT TAKES — CBS’ So Help Me Todd,starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Austin has been one of the true hits of the past TV season. Part drama, part comedy, it works terrifically well. When this show was first announced, Geena Davis was to take the lead role of Margaret Wright, but soon exited. I must admit when I read that Harden had replaced her, I wondered as I’d never really seen Harden do comedy. Well, the good news is she’s just brilliant. The writing is crisp and sharp and the cast is just terrific. Austin, who I’d never heard of before is part-Robin Williams, part Martin Short and simply terrific. In one scene, he’s crawling around an office shaft-way and mutters some of the exact lines that Bruce Willis did in Die Hard, when he was crawling about. If you haven’t seen it yet, your owe yourself the opportunity …

Dave Mason

June 30 is the “new” date for the release of Dave Mason’s biography Only You Know & I Know (BMG). It’s been delayed several times and I wonder why. He’s been back on the road and the reviews of his shows have been fantastic. Stay tuned …

Donnie Kehr

Sunday, June 4, Donnie Kehr will perform at The Cutting Room his new album Beautiful Strange …

Dancin’

We saw two Broadway presentations: Dancin’ the Bob Fosse tribute which was just spectacular and Fat Ham, which looked great but I have absolutely no idea what it was about. Dancin’,which just posted a closing notice this week, is a gem of a play and sadly, never really broke through. Ham, which receiver a TONY nom for lighting, had some funny moments, but was really nothing more than an outside barbecue family; which almost always is a recipe for disaster. The ending has the cast in a simulated disco (with great lighting!) singing a raucous disco number. Confusing for sure … Lionel Richie and Katy Perry were the main musical entertainment at the weekend’s King Charles coronation. Odd choices for sure. I wouldn’t have thought King Charles as a “Brick House” fan. Where was Elton, Mick, Paul or Rod? … Keifer Sutherland’s Rabbit Hole series on Paramount+ ended this past week with nary a whisper. I would have loved to have seen it … And, while we’ve already referenced Taylor Sheridan, apparently he’s working on a series with Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldana called Special Ops: Lioness. Man, does this guy ever sleep? … HAPPY BDAY Kurt Loder; Rich Dart and George Clooney.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Brad Balfour; Jodi Ritzen; Don Preston; Kent Denmark; Scott Anderson; Stephanie Shepherd; Mike Greenly; Tony Moran; Bobby Shaw; Eddie O’Loughlin; Monica Lynch; Ray Caviano; Steve Walter; Peter Abraham; Anne Leighton; Pat Prince; Dave Adelson; Lenny Beer; Mitch Kanner; Thomas Silverman; Amanda Naylor; Lush Ice; and BELLA!

Related Topics:DANCIN'Dave Mason Donnie Kehr G.H. Harding Kevin Costner New So Help Me Todd WGA Strike

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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

Get Ready For The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction

Published

1 day ago

September 26, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

The biggest day for Broadway fans returns to New York City’s Theater District on Sunday, October 1. The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction unites all theater fans – whether they’re onstage, behind the scenes or in the audience – in their hunt for Broadway-themed treasures, unique experiences and theater magic.

Theater lovers of every kind will have the opportunity to take home one-of-a-kind mementos and autographed collectibles and bid on exclusive Broadway experiences and items including props, costume pieces, opening night theater packages and more.

The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction will run from 10 am – 7 pm with tables on West 44th and West 45th Streets, the silent auction in Shubert Alley and the live grand auction wrapping up the day in the Times Square pedestrian plaza between 45th and 46th Streets.

Treasure-filled tables from Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, theater owners and producing organizations, unions, guilds, marketing groups, ticket agencies, concessionaires and fan clubs will line West 44th and West 45th Streets. The shows set to have tables the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction are & Juliet; Aladdin; Back to the Future: The Musical; A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical; Hadestown; Hamilton; Here Lies Love; The Lion King; Kimberly Akimbo; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; Six; Some Like It Hot; Sweeney Todd and Wicked, plus special tables honoring The Phantom of the Opera and the 40th anniversary of the original cast of La Cage aux Folles.

Broadway

Sunday’s Broadway Forever Concert Postponed Until October 15

Published

4 days ago

September 23, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

Today, Broadway Forever announced that the Sunday, September 24^th concert will be postponed to Sunday, October 15^th at 11:00AM due to expected severe weather in New York City. The Sunday, October 15^th concert will take place at Lou Gehrig Plaza in the Bronx (East 161st Street, Grandview Place).

A complete line up of appearances and performances will be announced soon.

For the second consecutive year, NY Forever, in partnership with City National Bank, the New York City Department of Transportation and 161^st Street Business Improvement District presents Broadway Forever,empowering New Yorkers across the city to build a better city for all.

Fans will have the opportunity to sign up for future community service opportunities in all five boroughs, which will be coordinated by New York Cares and their partner organizations.

Broadway stars performing throughout New York City celebrate the creativity and resilience that is intrinsic to the city – and provide an opportunity to recognize the volunteers and community organizers who work hard to make New York a better place. The concerts will bring Broadway entertainment to DOT’s Public Space Programming, a city initiative that brings free activities to public spaces.

The events are produced and staged by 6W Entertainment, with additional support from New York Cares and the Times Square Alliance.

For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at cnb.com.

Broadway

Theatre News: Wicked, The Wiz, Hypnotique, Female Troubles and Love In The Time Of Crazy

Published

6 days ago

September 21, 2023

Suzanna Bowling

Broadway’s blockbuster Wicked, in partnership with National Day Calendar, has announced that October 30 will officially become National Wicked Day, in honor of the hit Broadway musical’s debut at the Gershwin Theatre (245 West 51^st Street) on October 30, 2003.

This marks the first time that a Broadway show will have its own official day in the National Day Calendar. With this inclusion, Wicked joins some of the most recognizable National Day celebrations, including National Barbie Day, National Star Trek Day, National Scrabble Day, National Winnie the Pooh Day, and National Teacher Appreciate Day, among others.

Read the official announcement HERE.

Currently Wicked 4^th longest-running show in Broadway history, and will celebrate its 20^th Anniversary on Broadway this October 30^th.

The Broadway production of Wicked currently features Alyssa Fox as Elphaba, McKenzie Kurtz as Glinda, John Dossett as The Wizard, Michele Pawk as Madame Morrible, Jordan Litz as Fiyero, Jake Pedersen as Boq, Kimber Elayne Sprawl as Nessarose, and William Youmans as Doctor Dillamond.

Adam Blackstone

Emmy Award^®-winning music director and Grammy Award^®-winning writer, Adam Blackstone, joins the creative team as Dance Music Arranger for the revival of The Wiz. The Wiz will launch a national tour on September 23, 2023 in Baltimore, MD before returning to Broadway for a limited engagement in the 2023/24 season.

Adam Blackstone

“Joining The Wiz’s creative team has been a very surreal moment. I remember watching the film on VHS daily for years, wondering how it sounded so incredible, how MJ transformed into the Scarecrow, and the score and orchestrations truly told a story all of its own. Fast forward to today, I get to musically partner with Terence Vaughn and reunite with my brother, super choreographer and creative director JaQuel Knight, and explore our own interpretation for a revival of this masterpiece. I am excited and look forward to this body of work changing lives, just like it did for me in the 80’s!” stated Adam Blackstone.

The cast will include previously announced Wayne Brady to lead the production as the Wiz on Broadway in Spring of 2024, San Francisco (January 16 – February 11, 2024) at the Golden Gate Theatre, and Los Angeles (February 13 – March 3, 2024) at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Alan Mingo Jr. will star in the role of the Wiz in the following cities of The Wiz National Tour this fall, kicking off with the tour launch in Baltimore, including Cleveland, OH, Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, PA, Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, Chicago, IL, Des Moines, IA, Tempe, AZ and San Diego, CA.

The cast will also feature Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Deborah Cox as Glinda and Melody A. Betts as Aunt Em and Evillene, Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion, Phillip Johnson Richardson as the Tinman, and Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow. The Wiz ensemble includes Maya Bowles, Shayla Alayre Caldwell, Jay Copeland, Allyson Kaye Daniel, Judith Franklin, George, Collin Heyward, Amber Jackson, Jackson, Jones, Jones, Kindle, Mariah Lyttle, Kareem Marsh, Anthony Murphy, Rae, Matthew Sims Jr, Avilon Trust Tate, Keenan D. Washington, and Timothy Wilson.

The production will include ‘Everybody Rejoice’ music and lyrics by Luther Vandross, as well as the ‘Emerald City Ballet’ with music by Timothy Graphenreed.

The McKittrick Hotel (530 West 27^th Street, NYC), home of Sleep No More, announced the opening of Hypnotique – A Late Night Sultry Spectacle. Performances have been extended on Friday and Saturday nights through October 14, 2023. The all-new Hypnotique revue offers a unique after-dark experience that envelops you. Audiences are captivated by spontaneous performances and mesmerizing dancers, accompanied by daring sonic soundscapes in a surreal ambiance in The Club Car.

The cast features Chloé Lexia Worthington, Courtney Sauls, Fabricio Seraphin, Haley Bjorn, Jacob Nahor, Jesseca Scott, Maurice Ivy, Maya Kitayama, Samantha Greenlund, Victoria Edwards, and swings Alex Sturtevant, Cameron Arnold, Kennedy Adams, and Stacey Badgett Jr..

Cocktails inspired by the experience, including the signature Hypnotonique (an electrifying punch made with cucumber-infused vodka, elderflower liqueur, and grapefruit juice), are available from The Club Car’s bar.

Performances are offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30PM. General Admission tickets with standing room are currently priced from $65 per person.

Kevin Del Aguila and the cast Photos by Marc J. Franklin

Two industry readings for Female Troubles, an original musical comedy, will happen next week at Open Jar Studios. Female Troubles is a completely original musical comedy featuring lyrics by two-time Tony Award nominated and Grammy Award nominated songwriter Amanda Green (Mr. Saturday Night, Hands On A Hardbody, Bring It On), music by three-time Emmy Award nominee Curtis Moore (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), book by Emmy Award-winning writers Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittenden (“Veep,” “Arrested Development,” “Seinfeld,” “The Simpsons,” “HouseBroken”) and directed by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Disney’s Newsies, My Fair Lady, “Schmigadoon,” “Schmicago”).

Lesli Margherita

The cast for the readings will includeKrystina Alabado, Kevin Del Aguila, Amanda Green, Lilli Cooper, Lillias White, Lesli Margherita, Ryann Redmond, Kate Rockwell, Matt Saldivar, Alanna Saunders, Trent Saunders, Jake Swain, Sav Souza, Rachel Stern and Frank Viveros. In Female Troubles, Elinor Benton finds herself surprisingly and undeniably “knocked up” — and, since she’s unmarried and this is 19th century England, she has a very big dilemma. Facing ruin, she and her girlfriends embark on a raucous journey to find the one notorious woman who can help them with their “female troubles.” Their misadventures change the course of each of their lives. This uproarious musical comedy asks the trenchant question “Can you believe this sh*t is still happening in 1810?”

I attended the reading of Love In The Time Of Crazy withbook and lyrics by Peter Kellogg (Outer Critics Winner for Desperate Measures), music by Stephen Weiner (two-time Richard Rodgers Award winner) and David Hancock Turner (orchestrator for Desperate Measures and Penelope), directed by Lauren Molina (Desperate Measures ). The cast stared Philippe Arroyo, Stephen DeRosa, Robin Dunavant, David Merino, Josh Lamon, Roe Hartrampf and Alexis Cofield .

Look for more from this tuneful musical that actually has you leaving humming the songs. The cast was terrific, the direction sublime and the show ready to move.

Love in the Time of Crazy is a riot, but, you know, in a good way.

Broadway

The Glorious Corner

Published

1 week ago

September 19, 2023

G. H. HARDING

G.H. Harding

WENNER TAKES A DOWN —Jann Wenner always speaks his mind and this week he may have overstepped just a bit. In an interview that ran in the New York Times about his new book called Masters, he quite openly said that there were no black or R&B artists in it, because they were not able to articulate properly. I know, I felt the same way reading that. Minutes later, he was let go by the board of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which he helped start with Ahmet Ertegun way back in 1983.

Ahmet Ertegun

His Like A Rolling Stone autobiography book was quite an indulgent read last year, but Wenner has in the last several years suffered several health set backs and it was pointed out that he may not be in his right mind. Still, he should have spoken way more carefully. I’ve known Wenner for decades and trust me, he feels he’s way entitled, and that said, you can rest assured that there were dozens and dozens of people (and former employees) waiting to take him down.

The sad fact is that most of the accusations are true. That said, let’s face it Rolling Stone magazine in it’s heyday was a miraculous outlet for so much music and terrific journalism – from Ben Fong-Torres to Hunter Thompson and Jann himself .. it was distinguished. Now, he may have killed it all.

Rolling Stine magazine Monday posted this – essentially disowning his from the magazine: “Jann Wenner’s recent statements to the New York Times do not represent the values and practices of today’s Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner has not been directly involved in our operations since 2019. Our purpose, especially since his departure, has been to tell stories that reflect the diversity of voices and experiences that shape our world. At Rolling Stone’s core is the understanding that music above all can bring us together, not divide us.”

Here’s the report from Deadline: https://deadline.com/2023/09/jann-wenner-removed-rock-and-roll-hall-fame-foundation-board-1235548690/comment-page-1/#comment-3858649

FILE – Drew Barrymore attends the Time100 Gala, celebrating the 100 most influential people in the world, at Frederick P. Rose Hall, April 26, 2023, in New York. The National Book Awards dropped Barrymore as the host for this year’s ceremony, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, a day after her talk show taped its first episode since the Hollywood writers strike began. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

DREW’S BLUES — Boy, what did Drew Barrymore ever do to deserve the treatment she’s been through with the media. Sure, her ideas to bring back her daily-chat fest was a good one, for the right reasons, but everyone from Rosie O;’Donnell to the trade papers have bounced on her like madmen. I never met her, don’t hate her, but really … let’s get back to something real, like these Russell Brand-accusations!

SHORT TAKES — We finally caught David Bryne and Fatboy Slim’s Here Lies Love and absolutely loved it. I remember it well when it premiered at the Public Theater way back when and knew they were trying to get it to Broadway. Honestly, I never thought twice about the Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos story, but the play was riveting then and it remains now. They’ve outfitted NYC’s magnificent Broadway Theater with disco-balls galore and club-lighting and the immersive experience is terrific. Here’s a great re-cap of the play’s evolution from Theatre Guide: https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/how-the-music-of-here-lies-love-evolved-on-the-way-to-broadway …

Chris Carter and Micky Dolenz – Breakfast With The Beatles

Micky Dolenz appeared on Sunday’s Breakfast With The Beatles with Chris Carter (on KLOS) and talked about his new Dolenz Sings R.E.M. on Glenn Gretlund’s 7a Records. He also talked about his time with The Beatles and John Lennon. Carter also played a mash-up of Monkees and Beatle-songs which was done in England and it was superb. Here’s a shot from the event at LA’s Hard Rock Cafe on Highland and Hollywood Blvd. … SIGHTING: PR-pasha David Salidor and Benny Harrison at Monday’s Cutting Room tribute to Burt Bacharach … RIP Sammy Ash …

Jimmy Buffet

I’ve been thinking the best way to describe Jimmy Buffet and I saw this headline in LA Magazine: leisure evangelist– and it fits perfectly …

Happy Bday Donnie Kehr and Richard Branciforte.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Dan Mapp; Brad Auerbach; James Clash: Robbie Robertson; Carol Ruth Weber; Randy Alexander; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Andrew Gans; Kathy Brown; Roger Clark; Chris Boneau; Tricia Daniels; Dan Zelinski; Benny Harrison; Steve Walter; Gil Friesen; Donna Dolenz; Dan Mapp; Brad Auerbach; James Clash; and ZIGGY!

Broadway

Inside the 2023 American Theatre Wing Gala

Published

1 week ago

September 19, 2023

Genevieve Rafter Keddy

The American Theatre Wing 2023 Gala Celebration was held last night, September 11, 2023 at Cipriani 42nd Street. Performers incldued Oscar nominee & Tony Award winner Leslie Odom Jr., Grammy Award-winning rock icon Melissa Etheridge, Emmy nominee Tituss Burgess, “American Idol” star and Broadway favorite Justin Guarini, Tony Award winner LaChanze, Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper, and Tony Award nominees Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, Judy Kuhn, Lilli Cooper, and Eddie Cooper.

LaChanze and Norm Lewis

La Chanze and Dr. Michael J. Pitman

La Chanze

Felix Cisneros and Heather A. Hitchens

LaChanze, Heather A. Hitchens

Chuck Cooper, Lilli Cooper, Sara Jayne Darneille and Eddie Cooper

The Gala honored “Unsung Heroes of the Theatre Industry.” From dressers who execute seamless quick changes between scenes, to understudies and swings who go into a show with little to no notice and don’t miss a beat, to makeup artists responsible for the flawless faces seen on stage, and so many more vital contributors to the theatrical art form, the 2023 Gala celebrates members of the theatrical community who don’t often get the recognition they deserve.