Broadway
Theatre News: Linda Lavin, Sesame Street the Musical, Immense Joy, The Acting Company, Tony Award-winning producer Carl Moellenberg and Weightless
I am late on this news, but better late than never. The world premiere of You Will Get Sick, a new play by Noah Diaz directed by Tony Award nominee Sam Pinkleton.
The cast includes Marinda Anderson, Daniel K. Isaac, Linda Lavin, Nate Miller, and Dario Ladani Sanchez all of whom are making their Roundabout Theatre Company debuts.
You Will Get Sick begins preview performances on Friday, October 14, 2022 and opens officially on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street). This is a limited engagement through Sunday, December 11, 2022.
Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics’ and Helen Hayes Award winner Linda Lavin (Broadway Bound) returns to the stage having previously also starred on Broadway in The Lyons, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, The Last of the Red Hot Lover, The Diary of Anne Frank among many other Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Marinda Anderson was recently seen on TV in “New Amsterdam,” “High Maintenance” and “Gotham.” Daniel K. Isaac is known for his role as ‘Ben Kim’ in Showtime’s “Billions” and is also the playwright of Once Upon a (Korean) Time which will make its world premiere this fall off-Broadway at La Mama’s Ellen Stewart Theatre. Nate Miller’s recent stage credit was in the 2017 production of Junk at Lincoln Center Theater and Dario Ladani Sanchez was last seen last season in Selling Kabul at Playwrights Horizons.
Pinkleton makes his Roundabout directing debut on this new play. Some of his recent work as director includes a party adaptation of Head Over Heels with Jenny Koons at Pasadena Playhouse and the Liz Swados’ youth-powered civic spectacular Runaways at City Center Encores and Shakespeare In The Park. He is a Tony nominated choreographer, movement director and creative director having worked on a number of productions on and off-Broadway. In You Will Get Sick, he reunites with Linda Lavin, with whom he last worked, having served as the assistant director for The Lyons.
Diaz wrote You Will Get Sick in 2018 while in graduate school at Yale School of Drama. In the play, a young man is shocked to receive a life-changing diagnosis. Overwhelmed, he turns to a stranger for help, hiring an older woman to break the news to his family and friends – thus setting into motion a series of events that will profoundly reshape both of their lives. This humane and piercing new play is a testament to the great challenges – and extraordinary joys – that come from having a body.
Rockefeller Productions, a leader in quality family entertainment, and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind the iconic Sesame Street, announce that the world premiere of the new Sesame Street the Musical will feature new songs written by three of Broadway and the music industry’s brightest composers, Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, Almost Famous), Helen Park (KPOP), and Nate Edmondson (Disney’s Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation). A new teaser trailer for the show has also been released today featuring characters seen in the production. Sesame Street the Musical will take to the stage in New York starting on Thursday, September 8, 2022, through Thursday, November 27, 2022, with an opening night set for Monday, September 19. Performances will take place at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). For all ticketing and further information please go to www.sesamestreetmusical.com.
“Sesame Street’s” very own Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Grover, Rosita, Bert, Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Gabrielle, and a host of Honkers, Martians, and other favorites will appear onstage in their very own musical. Filled with live puppetry, iconic songs fans know and love, new compositions by Kitt, Park, and Edmondson, and special celebrity guest stars, this production is designed for both the young and the young-at-heart, including things for fans of all ages. The show is written, directed, and produced by Jonathan Rockefeller.
The Tank presents Immense Joy, a new work devised and directed by downtown luminary Anna Kohler in collaboration with performers Natalia de Campos, Justin Gordon, John Hagan, Fabio Tavares, and associate director Caleb Hammond. The piece was inspired by the writings of the Brazilian author Clarise Lispector. In Kohler’s interpretation, the literary material intertwines with personal remembrances and manifestos, the physical reality encounters its own recorded image, and the titular “immense joy” clashes with deep sadness and irony as the performers guide the audiences through a series of multimedia vignettes as poetic and chaotic as life itself. The performances run from September 8 thru 18, 2022 at The Tank (312 W 36th Street, 1st Floor, New York NY 10018). Tickets (starting at $15, with pay-what-you-can ticket tiers) can be purchased at https://thetanknyc.org/calendar-1/2022/7/26/immense-joy.
Toree Alexandre as Juliet/Constance, Christopher Then as Romeo/Aramis, Travis Raeburn as Mercutio/Porthos, Darius Deon as Tybalt/D’Artagnan, William Oliver Watkins as Lord Capulet/Rochefort, Caro Zeller as Lady Montague/Anne, Zoe Anastassiou as Nurse/Lady Lannoy, Eunice Woods as Lady Capulet/Milady, Max Antonio Gonzalez as Paris/Buckingham, and Sonny James Lira as Prince/Louis
Photographed by Carol Rosegg
The Acting Company’s Artistic Director Kent Gash and Managing Director Erik Schroeder are pleased to announce casting for the national tours of The Three Musketeers and Romeo and Juliet launching in New York City and playing over 27 engagements in 16 states.The Three MusketeersWorld Premiere AdaptationWritten by Kirsten ChildsFrom the Novel by Alexandre DumasDirected by Kent GashThis world premiere adaptation commissioned by The Acting Company will draw inspiration from an astonishing secret—that Dumas’ father, General Alex Dumas, was the highest-ranking person of Color in a Western military until our own time. The Three Musketeers will tour nationally in 2022, this adaptation will shed new light on this swashbuckling adventure and give a favorite story new importance. An inspiring tale filled with laughter and adventure, The Three Musketeers is a reminder to all that courage, honesty, and valour can change the world.Gash says of the production, “What excites me about The Three Musketeers is that it is a raucous, dynamic, visceral, exciting production boys sort of growing up into being men and how we need to ultimately take responsibility for each other. It’s so much about brotherhood and honor and care and then it is just a great adventure story. And I’m really excited that we are adding the perspective of Dumas, the author, who was of Haitian descent. I think people don’t always know that The Three Musketeers springs from a Black imagination. And so I’m really excited to bring that additional layer of dynamic and cultural integrity into the story. Romeo and JulietWritten by William ShakespeareDirected by Leah C. GardinerWilliam Shakespeare’s iconic and timeless Romeo and Juliet is one of the greatest love stories in literature. The gripping drama spun out of the ancient grudge between two families makes Romeo and Juliet as relevant to modern society as it was to audiences four centuries ago. The star-crossed lovers follow their passion to the ultimate tragic end. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare offers some of the most glorious poetry ever written, spoken by complex and memorable characters, establishing the standard for all love stories written since. With gorgeous costumes and music, enchanting parties, moonlit nights, dank graveyards, and blood-strewn streets, The Acting Company’s fresh production breathes new life into this enduring tale.TOUR SCHEDULE
- Queens Theater, Corona, NY, October 13 to 16 – These preview presentations of The Three Musketeers and Romeo and Juliet are in preparation for the upcoming New York premiere at the New Victory Theater on 42nd Street running November 11-27, 2022, www.newvictory.org.
- Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, New Bedford, MA, October 20
- New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ, October 25 to 26*
- KCP Presents Performing Arts Series, St. Johnsbury, VT, October 27 to 28
- J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts, Lindenwood University, St. Charles, MO, November 1 to 2*
- Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, November 3
- New Victory Theater, New York, NY, November 11 to 27
- State Theatre New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, January 25*
- Hampton Arts / The American Theatre, Hampton, VA, January 27
- Center for the Arts, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, January 28
- Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, Clinton Township, MI, February 2
- Hope College, Holland, MI, February 3
- Jasper Community Arts Commission, Jasper, IN, February 5
- University of Dubuque, Dubuque, IA, February 7
- Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, February 9
- Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, CO, February 14
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, February 18 to 19
- Lakewood Cultural Center, Lakewood, CO, February 22 to 23
- University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, February 24
- WYO Theatre, Sheridan, WY, February 26
- Alberta Bair Theater, Billings, MT, February 28
- Helena Civic Center, Helena, MT, March 2
- Idaho Falls Arts Council / Colonial Theater, Idaho Falls, ID, March 4
- Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, Big Sky, MT, March 5-6
- Capitol Theatre, Yakima, WA, March 9 to 10
- Columbia Theatre Association, Longview, WA, March 11
- Admiral Theatre, Bremerton, WA, March 12*Indicates engagements with only student matinees (no public ticketed performances).
Under the new leadership of Artistic Director Kent Gash and Managing Director Erik Schroeder, The Acting Company brings professional productions and education programs, in-school residencies and teacher training workshops to thousands of audience members and students in underserved communities and schools each year. Founded by John Houseman and Margot Harley, the company seeks to develop emerging actors and build enthusiastic, knowledgeable audiences for the theater in towns across the United States. The Acting Company launched the careers of nearly 500 actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Mary Lou Rosato, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, Lorraine Toussaint, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, Lisa Banes, Jeffrey Wright, Hamish Linklater, Jesse L. Martin, Roslyn Ruff, Jimonn Cole and Kelley Curran.Over 5,000 students in New York City and across the country benefit from The Acting Company’s in-school residencies and educator workshops every year. Annually, over 30,000 audience members see an Acting Company production across the country who otherwise lack access to professional classical theatre.www.theactingcompany.org Follow The Acting Company on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Tony Award-winning producer Carl Moellenberg‘s memoir, Broadway and Spirituality as a Path to Survival, will be released on Saturday, October 1, 2022, by Imagine and Wonder. It is now available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and others.
Moellenberg’s story is one of overcoming enormous obstacles and changing course to find his passion and true self to live joyously as a long-term survivor. It is a journey of many transformations: from Midwestern boy most interested in music to a fast-paced Wall Street career; from investment banking to becoming a 13-time Tony Award-winner on Broadway; from overcoming several death-defying crises by finding healing, inspiration from a higher-being and deeper spirituality. Moellenberg hopes his story will inspire others who face seemingly overwhelming obstacles to find their passion, reason to live, and to find love.
Moellenberg grew up in Ohio and then transitioned to the world of NYC financial institutions for 19 years. A combination of passion for music and serious health issues and spiritual inspiration caused him to jettison that life for producing theater on Broadway. Since that most joyful life-changing decision, he now has produced over 70 shows worldwide and won 13 Tony awards. His incredible path was accomplished despite multiple threats to his survival which were warded off by his passion for Broadway, newfound healing practices, spirituality, and love.
WP Theater (Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty, Managing Director Michael Sag), are thrilled to announce that Weightless will play a limited engagement from September 17 – October 16, 2022 at WP Theater (2162 Broadway), with support from piece by piece productions. The off-Broadway stage premiere of this soaring and dynamic indie rock musical follows the smash success of Weightless on screen, which was reconceived for film and live-streamed by WP in a limited run in 2021. Featuring the propulsive and intimate musical storytelling of Bay Area indie rock band The Kilbanes – headlined by married songwriting and performing duo Kate Kilbane and Dan Moses – the production will be directed by Tamilla Woodward (Assoc., Hadestown; WP’s Where We Stand), and choreographed by nicHi Douglas (Assoc., Girl From The North Country). Opening Night will take place on September 29, 2022.
Sisterhood. Love. Vengeance. Flight. Inspired by a tale from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Weightlesstells the story of two deeply devoted sisters, Procne and Philomela. Separated by circumstance, they must travel across worlds—facing devastating sacrifice and divine intervention—in order to reunite. The Kilbanes’ Weightless is a theatrical concept album driven by a deeply moving narrative, which weaves ancient myth with indie rock; the band and the cast are one and the same, blurring the line between actors and musicians, as well as between musical theater and rock concert.
Starring alongside Kilbane (Procne/Bass) and Moses (Keyboards/Chorus) in the Off-Broadway stage premiere of Weightless are Lila Blue (Philomela), Kofy Brown (Iris/Percussion), Dan Harris(Percussion), and Joshua Pollock (Tereus/Guitar), all of whom reprise their roles from the 2021 film version. Set Design is by Peiyi Wong (Broadbend, Arkansas), Costume Design is by Dina El-Aziz (The Vagrant Trilogy), Lighting Design is by Stacey Derosier (sandblasted, Fat Ham), Sound Design is by Joanna Lynn Staub (Hatef*ck; Assoc.: Angels in America), and Projection Design is by Johnny Moreno (For All The Women Who Thought They Were Mad, Paper Piece). The Production Stage Manager is Ralph Stan Lee. Weightless is produced with support from piece by piece productions.
The world premiere of Weightless was developed and produced by Z Space (Lisa Steindler, Executive Artistic Director) and piece by piece productions in March 2018 at Z Space in San Francisco. In 2019, it played at A.C.T. in San Francisco, and BRIC House in Brooklyn as part of the Public Theater’s Under the Radar festival. In these early iterations, the New York Times hailed the show for its “well-crafted form, and its spoken dialogue which melds beautifully with the propulsive score. Weightless is an accomplished work, and an entertaining one.” The San Francisco Chroniclewrote, “The Kilbanes could fly endlessly into space on a single, hypnotically executed chord…to watch this show is to be reanimated with a childlike sense that our choices have magical origins and magical ripple effects.” Following the piece’s extensive further development with director Tamilla Woodard, including at TheaterSquared as part of the Arkansas New Play Festival, WP Theater filmed the show at CalShakes, a spectacular outdoor amphitheater in the Bay Area, and streamed it online May-June of 2021. The Kilbanes’ subsequent release of the Weightless album, can be heard on Spotify and other streaming services.
Tickets are now available at www.WPtheater.org. The ticket range is $39-89.
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 51st 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 4th longest-running show in Broadway history, and will celebrate its 20th Anniversary on Broadway this October 30th.
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 27th 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.
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!
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
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.
Stewart F, Lane and Bonnie Comley
Bonnie Comley
Heather A. Hitchens and Bill Berlin
J, Harrion Ghee and Kenny Nunez
L. Morgan Lee
Julie White
Norm Lewis
Adriane Lenox and Zane Mark
Adriane Lenox
Jason Michael Webb
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Norm Lewis and Zane Mark
Norm Lewis, Adriane Lenox and Zane Mark
CeCe Black
Julie Halston and Richard Hester
Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Kate Wilson, Jane Krakowski
Julie Halston and David Rockwell
Jane Krakowski
David Rockwell
Ruben Santiago-Hudson and James Latus
Kenny Leon
Jack Waddell and Brandon Victor Dixon
Justin Guarini
Justin David Sullivan
LaTanya Richardson Jackson
LaTanya Richardson Jackson
LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Beverly Jenkins
Frank DiLella
Robyn Coles, Beverly Jenkins, LaTanya Richardson Jackson and John Kristiansen
Binta Niambi and David Henry Hwang
Danielle Brooks
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kate Wilson and Danielle Brooks
Kate Wilson and Danielle Brooks
Ariana DeBose
Melissa Etheridge and Rebecca McBee
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge and Linda Wallem
Ariana DeBose, Kenny Nunez
Shoshana Bean and Jey Moore
Adrienne Warren
Patti LuPone
Leigh Silverman
Justin Guarini and Salisha Thomas
Kelli O’Hara and Erica Tuchman
Tituss Burgess
LaTanya Richardson Jackson and J. Harrison Ghee
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Luz Towns-Miranda and Luis A. Miranda, Jr.
Danielle Brooks,Thomas Kail, LaTanya Richardson
STRIKE UPDATE— (Via TV Line) “9-1-1, what’s your TV emergency?” The dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes need to be resolved by the end of this month if scripted primetime fare such as 9-1-1: Lone Star and The Cleaning Lady are to return with new episodes in the 2023-24 TV season, says Fox entertainment president Michael Thorn.
When last we tuned in, 29 days ago, the WGA had countered the AMPTP’s latest offer; no next meeting has been scheduled. Things are proceeding even slower on the SAG-AFTRA front. Sources tell TVLine that it will take scripted shows roughly eight weeks to get back into production once the strikes are resolved.
“You’re going get to a point in the fall, in the late fall, where it’s going to be very hard to launch [scripted shows] within the traditional TV viewing season,” Thorn told our sister site Deadline.
If the strikes are resolved later than October 1, that’s where difficult scheduling decisions will have to be made.
“If that means the [delayed scripted] show could work and succeed in the summer [of 2024], great,” Thorn said. Or, “If it’s better to wait for the fall and use football and sports” to promote/launch scripted seasons, “we’ll do that.
“You could use October 1 as the date” by which the writer and actor strikes need to be settled,” Thorn added. “Every show is different but sometimes when you’re staring at a May launch date, you always wonder, ‘Is that the best time?’” to premiere a season/series
Fox’s fall TV slate features one full night of scripted animated fare (on Sundays), while the rest of the week is rife with multiple Gordon Ramsay cooking competitions, new seasons of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, Name That Tune and The Masked Singer, 9-1-1: Lone Star reruns, the new, David Spade-hosted Snake Oil game show, and, of course, Friday Night SmackDown.
But whenever the magical day comes for live-action scripted fare to return to our screens, “we’re going to return those shows with vigor,” Thorn avowed. “We really pride ourselves on ‘less is more’ and we were fortunate to be able to really put our money where our mouth is in that regard. When we return, Animal Control is going to get the full backing of this far-reaching platform [as will] John Wells’ new show, Rescue: Hi-Surf, when we launch it.”
Several columns back we posited that the strike might just be settled by Labor Day .. and we were lambasted with emails from a scattering of actors, writers and below-the-line talent that it would not be. They were right. As Gordon Gekko said, greed is good. Is it? Let’s all make nice and good back to work.
SHORT TAKES — As you may know the Toronto Film Festival has been going on and the two films that have received the most buzz are the Paul-Simon/Alex Gibey doc,
Michael Keaton
In Restless Dreams and Knox Goes Away starring Michael Keaton, who also directs, with Al Pacino, can’t wait to see both. Bravo! …The latest episode of Hulu’s Only Murders In The Building was just OK. So far, this third season has totally underwhelmed us. We said a few columns back it was most likely due to the fact that Martin hasn’t written any of the episodes so far. Why? I have no idea. Matthew Broderick played himself, but with a little more anxiety than usual, but the real highlight of this episode was a video-phone call between Martin Short and Mel Brooks. Irresistibly funny … Hard to believe that it’s the 25th anniversary of MTV’s ground-breaking TRL Live (Total Request Live).
Carson Daly
Carson Daly did a nice remembrance on Thursday’s Today Show, even citing John Norris and Kurt Loder, who were key correspondents. They taped many of the shows at NYC’s long-gone Palladium (now an NYU dorm), but many, many memories come to mind; Hall & Oates rehearsing in their dressing room
Debbie Gibson at Z100 on The Morning Zoo
and running into Debbie Gibson is one. Daly pointed out -and rightly so- TRL was a fan-driven show, where viewers had to request what to hear. These days I guess it’s just a download. Much missed for sure …
Carrie Underwood
Funny watching Carrie Underwood this morning; as she she reminded me so much of Shania Twain. from the music, to her visuals. As always, her “Before He Cheats” is tremendous and a big crowd pleaser … It’s a funny world for sure.
RL Stine
When RL Stine’s Goosebumpsfirst debuted in 1992, it was heralded as refreshingly new, both for the kid-demo and its brilliance. There were a few attempts at a series (even with Stine introducing them) and even a movie in 2015 that did just so-so. Now, with Netflix’s Stranger Things having hit a home run, Disney+ is starting a series, with Justin Long, that appears to veer dangerously close to Stranger Things. Also, oddly enough, Stine does not appear to be involved with it. He says: “I wish I knew something about it. I’m not in the loop. It looked to me like they weren’t going to do an anthology show. They were going to do something different that was some kind of continuing story. That’s what it appeared. But I have no information about it.” It begins on October 31. Have a look at the trailer:
Seeing Here Lies Love Saturday night, can’t wait …
Mary Wilson and Bernie Taupin
Great Bernie Taupin interview on NY Live with Sara Gore. They’re friends, so the interview as sensational. Check it out:
Love Bernie and Sara! …Happy Bday Randy Jones and Amy Billings!
NAMES IN THE NEWS —Andrew Sandoval; Jacqueline Boyd; Alison Martino; Robert Funaro; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Roy Trakin; Daryl Estrea; Glenn Gretlund; Jane Blunkell; Roger Friedman; Felix Cavaliere; Dan Mapp; Jim Kerr; Sam Rubin; Liz White; Grace Mendoza; Roy Trakin; and ZIGGY!
On September 18th at 7:00 PM at The Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, Voices: Stars for Foster Kids a musical benefit for You Gotta Believe, a NYC organization specializing in helping older foster youth find permanent, loving families will take place. Hosted by SiriusXM’s Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, expect a plethora of Broadway stars and performers, who will come together to celebrate the power of love and family.
Performers include; Rosie Perez, Bellamy Young, Ta’ Nika Gibson, Charlotte d’Amboise and Terrence Mann, Sharon Catherine Brown, Griffin Matthews and Matt Gould, Krysta Rodriguez, Anika Larsen, Norm Lewis, Gracie McGraw, Patina Miller, Brenda Braxton
The Glorious Corner
White Wine for Summer Send Off
How to Get Your Fall Fabulous Face with Masktini
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Out of Town3 days agoThe Master Plan Unravels Brilliantly and Hilariously at Crow’s Theatre Toronto
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Off Broadway4 days ago
Off-Broadway’s Muddy and Flat “Pay the Writer”
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Events1 day ago
A Fun Night at Dave and Buster’s 42nd Street
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Events4 days ago
Dîner en Blanc Returns to New York City in Epic Fashion
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Entertainment1 day ago
Beatles Brunch at City Winery Where Strawberry Fields Lives Forever
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Broadway1 day ago
Theatre News: Wicked, The Wiz, Hypnotique, Female Troubles and Love In The Time Of Crazy
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Out of Town3 days ago
Opening Night Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
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Events4 days ago
Delmonico’s Revival Honored with Star-Studded Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
