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Theatre News: Golden Globe Awards, The 76th Annual Tony Awards, It’s a Wonderful Life, Ain’t No More, Cabaret and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

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On Dec. 12, the nominees for the 80th Golden Globe Awards were announced with many Broadway performers among the nominees. Here is the performers nominated that have been on Broadway:

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama Laura Linney, “Ozark”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Andrew Garfield, “Under the Banner of Heaven” and Sebastian Stan, “Pam & Tommy”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Jessica Chastain, “George & Tammy” and Amanda Seyfried, “The Dropout”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical-Comedy or Drama Television Series Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building” and Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Film

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Direction – Motion Picture Baz Luhrmann, “Elvis” and  Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Brendan Gleeson, “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin” and Eddie Redmayne, “The Good Nurse”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture Carey Mulligan, “She Said”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Daniel Craig, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” and Ralph Fiennes, “The Menu”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Hugh Jackman, “The Son,” Bill Nighy, “Living” and Jeremy Pope, “The Inspection”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Cate Blanchett, “TÁR”, Viola Davis, “The Woman King” and Michelle Williams, “The Fabelmans”

CBS presents “The 76th Annual Tony Awards,” will broadcast live for the first time from the United Palace in New York City on Sunday, June 11, 2023, on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+*. The Tony Awards eligibility cut-off date for the 2022-2023 season is Thursday, April 27, 2023 for all Broadway productions which meet all eligibility requirements.  Nominations for the 2023 Tony Awards will be announced on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

The United Palace is located at 4140 Broadway near 177th street. The place opened in 1930 as one of five Loew’s “Wonder Theatres,” premiere vaudeville and movie houses located in four boroughs and New Jersey.  With nearly 3,400 seats the United Palace is Manhattan’s 4th largest theatre, and hosts concerts, movie premieres, film shoots, and other events.  The United Palace serves the Washington Heights community by showcasing the performing and visual art of local artists – many of them school children  and housing the non-profit Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance.

Donna Lynne Champlin as George Bailey, Sherry D. Boone as Mary Hatch Photo by Photos by Grace Copeland

Last night It’s a Wonderful Life played at The Sheen Center for one night only as a benefit for the Transport Theatre Company. OBIE Winner Donna Lynne Champlin starred as George Bailey. The film was adapted by Joe Landry, with Original Music by Carmel Dean and Ted Shen. Directed by Jack Cummings III.

Mary Owen, daughter of It’s a Wonderful Life star Donna Reed, Jack Cummings III, Artistic Director Photos by Grace Copeland

Mary Testa as Henry F. Potter Photos by Grace Copeland

Barbara Andres as Mr. Gower, Jennifer Piech as Young George Photos by Grace Copeland

Barbara Walsh as Ma Bailey Photos by Grace Copeland

Chris Innvar as Pa Bailey Photos by Grace Copeland

Nick Westrate as Violet Bick Photos by Grace Copeland

Michael Mastro as Uncle Billy Photos by Grace Copeland

Maryann Plunkett as Clarence, Francesca James as Joseph Photos by Grace Copeland

The cast Photos by Grace Copeland

Last week, it was announced by producer Lee Daniels that the history-making and critically-acclaimed Broadway production of Jordan E. Cooper’s Ain’t No Mo’ will play its final performance on Broadway on Sunday, December 18 at the Belasco Theatre (111 W 44th St.). Jordan E. Cooper, the youngest Black American playwright in the history of Broadway, penned an open letter and has launched the #saveAINTNOMO campaign in efforts to prolong the show’s run and boost ticket sales.

Numerous notable names have joined in to support Ain’t No Mo’. An “After the Flight” Talkback hosted by co-producer Lena Waithe will take place today, Tuesday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. Plus, co-producer RuPaul will host a special performance on Thursday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m. Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have bought out a performance this week to show their support.

  Barrington Stage Company (BSC) (Alan Paul, Artistic Director) is pleased to announce that a new production of Cabaret, the Tony Award-winning musical masterwork, will open the theatre’s 2023 season on the Boyd-Quinson Stage (30 Union Street). The production will play from Wednesday, June 14-Saturday, July 8, 2o23, with opening night scheduled for June 18, 2023.  Cabaret will be directed by Alan Paul, BSC’s new Artistic Director, who succeeds Founding Artistic Director Julianne Boyd following her retirement earlier this year. The production marks Mr. Paul’s first show for BSC. Six additional shows for the 2023 season will be announced in coming weeks. Widely regarded as one of the great musicals of the 20th century, Cabaret originally opened in 1966, produced and directed by Harold Prince. Cabaret, with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and book by Joe Masteroff, is based on the play I Am a Camera by John Van Druten and The Berlin Storiesby Christopher Isherwood. In 1967, Cabaret won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The 1972 film version, directed by Bob Fosse, won eight Academy Awards. Cabaret has been revived on Broadway in 1987, 1998 and 2014, and a new production currently playing in London’s West End, won eight Olivier Awards.

Ruth Stage has announced that their provocative and controversial modern staging of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, returning to New York City in early 2023, will star Courtney Henggeler in the central role of “Maggie the Cat.” This will mark Henggeler’s Off-Broadway and New York City stage debut.

Directed by Joe Rosario, the Off Broadway premiere of the Tennessee Williams masterpiece, concluded its run on August the 14thplaying to sold out audiences and standing ovations. On the heels of the show’s success, the Tennessee Williams estate has issued an unprecedented re-engagement license to the maverick theatre group. Ruth Stage’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will return to the Theatre at St. Clement’s (423 W 46th St.) and play for an additional 42 performances with previews beginning on Friday February 24th 2023. Opening night is scheduled for Sunday March 5th, 2023. The production will close on Friday night March 31st, 2023.

Tennessee Williams’ sultry, southern storm of a play about greed, deceit, self-delusion, sexual desire and repression, homophobia, sexism, and the looming specter of death won the Pulitzer Prize in 1955. Ruth Stage’s modern and haunting interpretation is set in an estate in the Mississippi Delta of Big Daddy Pollitt, a wealthy cotton tycoon. The play examines the relationships among members of Big Daddy’s highly dysfunctional family, primarily between his son Brick and Maggie the Cat, Brick’s wife.

Henggeler is a series regular on the global hit Netflix series, Cobra Kai, portraying ‘Amanda LaRusso’, opposite Ralph Macchio’s ‘Daniel LaRusso’, in the Emmy-nominated television sequel to the iconic Karate Kid films, which recently aired its fifth season. The Long Island native will next star opposite Joel Edgerton in George Clooney’s upcoming directorial effort, The Boys in the Boat, a feature film based on the best-selling book which tells the true story of the University of Washington men’s rowing team, who stunned the world by competing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Henggeler is represented by Gersh, Teitelbaum Artists Group and ID PR.

Henggeler joins Matt de Rogatis who will reprise his critically acclaimed role as “Brick” in the new Ruth Stage production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Matt Imhoff will be returning as the production’s set designer and Christian Specht has been added to the design team as the production’s lighting designer.

 

                               

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

Ken Fallin’s Broadway: A Dolls House: Arian Moayed and Jessica Chastain

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I went with T2C’s editor to A Dolls House, which inspired this caricature. You can read Suzanna’s review of the show here.

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T2C Sends Our Prayers to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lea Michele

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Saturday, March 25, 2023

 A Statement From Andrew Lloyd Webber

 I am shattered to have to announce that my beloved elder son Nick died a few hours ago in Basingstoke Hospital. His whole family is gathered together and we are all totally bereft. 

 Thank you for all your thoughts during this difficult time.

The 75-year-old Oscar-winning composer son Nicholas followed in his father’s footsteps and was a successful composer in his own right, having written Fat Friends The Musical. He was married to musician Polly Wiltshire, who appeared on the soundtrack of his father’s 2019 movie Cats.

During his career, Nicholas also scored music for an adaption of The Little Prince as well as composing numerous TV and film scores, including for the BBC1 drama Loves, Lies, and Records.

Nicholas previously spoke about making his own way in the theatre world away from his famous family name in a 2011 unearthed interview.

He said he wanted to be ‘judged on his own merits’ so dropped his surname when working to see what the reaction would be.

Our hearts and prayers go out to his family.

Also on Saturday Lea Michele updated her fans on the status of her two-year-old’s health via her Instagram  after he was hospitalized earlier this week.  Her son Ever was in the hospital, but is now out due to a ‘scary health issue. She posted a picture backstage in her dressing room ahead of her Broadway performance in Funny Girl. Lea had been out to focus on her family.

“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for just so much love and support this week. I really really appreciated it”.

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Parade: A Musical That Asks Us Do We Have The Eyes And Ears To See.

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Micaela Diamond and Ben Platt Photo by Joan Marcus

I have always loved Jason Robert Brown’s score for Parade. “You Don’t Know This Man,” “This Is Not Over Yet” and the wonderfully romantic “All the Wasted Time” are just the tip of the iceberg for music that stirs your soul and tells a tale of heartbreak. There is a reason this score won the Tony Award in 1999.

Ben Platt Photo By Joan Marcus

The musical now playing on Broadway dramatizes the 1913 trial of Jewish factory manager Leo Frank (Ben Platt), who was accused and convicted of raping and murdering a thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan (Erin Rose Doyle). The trial was sensationalized by the media, newspaper reporter Britt Craig (Jay Armstrong Johnson) and Tom Watson (Manoel Feliciano), an extremist right-wing newspaper aroused antisemitic tensions in Atlanta and the U.S. state of Georgia. When Frank’s death sentence is commuted to life in prison thanks to his wife Lucille (Micaela Diamond), Leo was transferred to a prison in Milledgeville, Georgia, where a lynching party seized and kidnapped him. Frank was taken to Phagan’s hometown of Marietta, Georgia, and he was hanged from an oak tree. 

Erin Rose Doyle, Photo by Joan Marcus

The telling of this horrid true tale begins with the lush ode to the South in “The Old Red Hills of Home.” Leo has just moved from Brooklyn to in Marietta, where his wife is from and he has been given the job as as a manager at the National Pencil Co. He feels out of place as he sings “I thought that Jews were Jews, but I was wrong!” On Confederate Memorial Day as Lucille plans a picnic, Leo goes to work. In the meantime Mary goes to collect her pay from the pencil factory. The next day Leo is arrested on suspicion of killing Mary, whose body is found in the building. The police also suspect Newt Lee (Eddie Cooper), the African-American night watchman who discovered the body, but he inadvertently directs Starnes’ suspicion to Leo.

Across town, reporter Britt Craig see this story as (“Big News”). Mary’s suitor Frankie Epps (Jake Pederson), swears revenge on Mary’s killer, as does the reporter Watson. Governor John Slaton (Sean Allan Krill) pressures the local prosecutor Hugh Dorsey (the terrific smarmy Paul Alexander Nolan) to get to the bottom of the whole affair. Dorsey, an ambitious politician sees Leo as he ticket to being the Governor and though there are other suspects, he willfully ignores them and goes after Leo.

Sophia Manicone, Emily Rose DeMartino, Ashlyn Maddox Photo By Joan Marcus

The trial of Leo Frank is presided over by Judge Roan (Howard McMillan). A series of witnesses, give trumped up evidence which was clearly is fed to them by Dorsey. Frankie testifies, falsely, that Mary said Leo “looks at her funny.” Her three teenage co-workers, Lola, Essie and Monteen (Sophia Manicone, Emily Rose DeMartino, Ashlyn Maddox), collaborate hauntingly as they harmonize their testimony  (“The Factory Girls”). In a fantasy sequence, Leo becomes the lecherous seducer (“Come Up to My Office”). Testimony is heard from Mary’s mother (Kelli Barrett ) (“My Child Will Forgive Me”) and Minnie McKnight (Danielle Lee Greaves)before the prosecution’s star witness, Jim Conley (Alex Joseph Grayson ), takes the stand. He claims that he witnessed the murder and helped Leo conceal the crime (“That’s What He Said”). Leo is given the opportunity to deliver a statement (“It’s Hard to Speak My Heart”), but it is not enough. He is found guilty and sentenced to hang. The crowd breaks out into a jubilant circus.

Alex Joseph Grayson Photo by Joan Marcus

Act 1, is not as strong as it should have been. I have attended three different incarnations, the last being with Jeremy Jordan as Leo and Joshua Henry as Jim in 2015. Part of the problem is Michael Arden’s direction. Instead of allowing his performers to act, he has them pantomime, as the solo goes forth. “Come Up to My Office” was not as haunting as in past productions. The same can be said of “That’s What He Said”. Who’s stands out in the first act is Jake Pederson as Frankie and Charlie Webb as the Young Soldier who sings “The Old Red Hills of Home.”

Micaela Diamond and Ben Platt Photo by Joan Marcus

In Act 2, Lucille finds Governor Slaton at a party (the hypnotic “Pretty Music” sung wonderfully by Krill) and advocates for Leo. Watson approaches Dorsey and tells him he will support his bid for governor, as Judge Roan also offers his support. The governor agrees to re-open the case, as Leo and Lucille find hope. Slaton realizes what we all knew that the witnesses were coerced and lied and that Dorsey is at the helm. He agrees to commute Leo’s sentence to life in prison in Milledgeville, Georgia, which ends his political career. The citizens of Marietta, led by Dorsey and Watson, are enraged and riot. Leo is transferred to a prison work-farm. Lucille visits, and he realizes his deep love for his wife and how much he has underestimated her (“All the Wasted Time”). With hope in full blaze Lucille leaves as a party masked men kidnap Leo and take him to Marietta. They demand he confess and hang him from an oak tree.

Paul Alexander Nolan, Howard McMillan Photo By Joan Marcus

In Act Two Parade comes together with heart and soul. Diamond, who shines brightly through out the piece is radiant, and her duets with Platt are romantic and devastating. Platt comes into his own and his huge following is thrilled to be seeing him live. Alex Joseph Grayson’s also nails his Second Act songs.

Dane Laffrey’s set works well with the lighting by Heather Gilbert.


Frank’s case was reopened in 2019 and is still ongoing.

Parade has multiple messages and the question is will audiences absorb it. I am so glad this show is on Broadway, making us think and see. This is a must see.

Parade: Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 242 W 45th Street.

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