Olivier Nominations Cause a Stir on Broadway

Nominations for this year’s Olivier Awards in London have been announced, and a few of the biggest productions of the year have made a splash as the top nods, including Broadway-bound Enron and Red as well as Spring Awakening and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Spring Awakening, Duncan Sheik’s acclaimed rock musical masterpiece, leads the nominations with seven, and the production is a competitor for one of the night’s biggest awards, Best New Musical. It is also nominated for Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment (Charlotte Wakefield), Best Actor in a Musical or Entertainment (Aneurin Barnard), Best Supporting Performance in a Musical or Entertainment (Iwan Rheon), Best Theatre Choreographer (Matthew Bourne), Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design.

While the edgy musical Spring Awakening is the favorite for the Olivier Awards from nominations, both Enron and Jerusalem are close behind with six nods apiece. This year’s Olivier Awards will commence March 21 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, and the event is sure to draw all the biggest stars from London performances for the most prestigious theater awards show in the UK. Productions ranging from Annie Get Your Gun and A Little Night Music to Sister Act and Hello, Dolly! are some of this year’s contenders, so stick around to see how this year’s Olivier Awards pan out!

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Permalink - Posted in General on February 8, 2010 - Post a comment

‘West Side Story’ Sets National Tour Takeoff Date

West Side Story, a classic American tale of the 1950s, has been a musical success ever since its first Broadway launch in 1957, and this fall it will come full-circle yet again, launching a national tour set for October 2010. The North American tour of West Side Story will commence at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit, Mich. in October, with additional cities being announced over the next few months.

Casting has yet to be announced for the upcoming national tour, but the production will be directed by two-time Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents. Currently playing on Broadway at the Palace Theatre, West Side Story began its 2009 Broadway revival on Feb. 23, 2009, reaping $14 million in just 30 weeks.

West Side Story, a magical production featuring an original score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, has been a Broadway favorite for decades, boasting classic songs like “I Feel Pretty,” “Maria” and “Tonight.” The finger-snapping production is a modern take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and depicts the rivalry between two teenage New York City street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. The 2010 North American tour of West Side Story is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser, and more information will be released soon concerning details of the upcoming run.

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Permalink - Posted in General on February 5, 2010 - Post a comment

Sheik to Bring ‘American Psycho’ to Life

If anyone could turn the 1991 novel and subsequent film American Psycho into a hit musical, it’s Duncan Sheik. The musical mastermind was recently wrapped up with the smash rock musical Spring Awakening, and it’s been rumored that he’s now developing a plan to take American Psycho to the big stage. According to the Los Angeles Times’ Culture Monster, Sheik came up with the idea for an American Psycho musical after re-reading the Bret Easton Ellis novel last summer, as he related, “I came to feel that what some people (including myself) may have seen as an over-the-top literary folly of the early nineties was in fact a pretty timeless tale of alienation and solipsism,” adding, “And, really, what could be more subversive fun than murderous bankers breaking into song?”

Big Love writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is reportedly teaming up with Sheik for the musical version of American Psycho, and we can only hope he casts Christian Bale and Reese Witherspoon back into their original roles from the 2000 film (Bale as Patrick Bateman and Witherspoon as Evelyn Williams). The film featured plenty of ’80s megahits, so expect the same from the musical version and stay tuned to see what comes of another Duncan Sheik original.

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Permalink - Posted in General on February 4, 2010 - Post a comment

‘Avenue Q’ Gets Funky Off-Broadway

It was announced last fall that the x-rated Sesame Street-gone-bad stage production Avenue Q would be closing on Broadway, but right after the announcement the musical “downsized” back to an Off-Broadway venue at the New World Stages, where it currently plays. While Avenue Q lost a little ticket value and a few hundred seats by transferring from the Golden, it is still just as wildly popular as before - or maybe even more so.

Today, Avenue Q is still a red-hot musical, and the addition of a liquor license has done nothing but propel the adult-themed puppet show into Broadway history. Theatergoers (over 21) attending a performance of Avenue Q at New World Stages have the option of consuming alcoholic beverages while watching the performance, as waiters bring drinks into the audience before the show and during intermission. “Avenue Q goes down easily with a couple drinks,” librettist Jeff Whitty said. And he might be right.

With characters like Lucy The Slut and childhood hero Gary Coleman singing songs like “I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today” and “The Internet Is for Porn,” Avenue Q is perhaps the edgiest and most hilarious production on or off the Broadway stage. Its one-of-a-kind nature makes Avenue Q an absolute must-see, and patrons continue lining up to see the famed puppet show - no matter where it plays. After all, as producer Kevin McCollum said, “Avenue Q is the Cher of musicals - we just keep having comeback after comeback!”

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Permalink - Posted in General on February 3, 2010 - Post a comment

A Sneak Peek at This Spring’s Hottest Productions

It looks like it’s not just awards season that’s upon us! Broadway has been collecting some stunning performances over the last several months, and theatergoers most certainly have something to look forward to this spring, as there are many, many much-anticipated productions that will soon be soaring onto the big stage. Here’s the lowdown on upcoming Broadway shows to look out for in the next few months!

Come Fly Away: This Twyla Tharp musical opens March 25, and it’s sure to be a striking show, as the song-and-dance production revolves around the tunes of the magnificent Frank Sinatra. Come Fly Away comes equipped with a 19-piece big band and 15 incredible dancers, making it one red-hot show on the Broadway scene.

The Addams Family: Fingers will be snapping in sync to the tune of The Addams Family’s theme song this spring, as this humorous production begins on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on April 8. The eerie Addams Family comes alive in this show thanks to Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Fester, Grandmama and Lurch, and this musical promises nothing but excitement for all viewers.

Million Dollar Quartet: Opening April 11 at the Nederlander Theatre, Million Dollar Quartet is the story of a famed jam session between rock ‘n’ roll legends Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. With songs like “Great Balls of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ Goin’ On” lighting up the stage, this is a must-see on the theatrical scene this spring.

American Idiot: Anyone watching Sunday’s Grammy Awards got a glimpse of what’s to come in the Green Day-backed musical American Idiot, and it all begins April 20, when the rock musical kicks off on Broadway. American Idiot will perform at the St. James Theatre, and it’s already one of the hottest shows of the upcoming season.

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on February 2, 2010 - Post a comment

‘West Side Story’ Album Snages Grammy Award!

The classic Broadway production West Side Story was a big winner at last night’s 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, as the new cast album of the musical took home the trophy for Best Musical Show Album at the awards show. The album includes the West Side Story cast from the musical’s current Broadway revival, featuring Matt Cavenaugh, Karen Olivo, Cody Green, George Akram and Josefina Scaglione.

To win the Grammy Award, West Side Story beat out the cast albums of Ain’t Misbehavin’, Hair, 9 to 5 The Musical and Shrek the Musical - a huge feat for this Broadway favorite. The track list for the West Side Story cast album is as follows:

Prologue
Jet Song
Something’s Coming
Dance at the Gym
Maria
Tonight
America
Cool
One Hand, One Heart
Tonight (Quintet)
The Rumble
Me Siento Hermosa (I Feel Pretty)
Somewhere
Gee, Officer Krupke
Un Hombre Asi (A Boy Like That)/I Have a Love
Finale

The current hit revival of West Side Story distanced itself from the original by mixing in musical sequences in Spanish, and it looks like this stage musical has officially become one of the best of the year, as a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album solidified its place in the Broadway hall of fame.

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Permalink - Posted in General on February 1, 2010 - Post a comment

Cast of ‘American Idiot’ to Perform at Sunday’s Grammys

Entertainment junkies around the nation have been looking forward to this Sunday for weeks, as Jan. 31 marks the date of the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. While many of the night’s performers for this year’s Grammys were booked months ago, it was just announced that the cast of the upcoming Broadway production American Idiot will perform a piece from the musical on stage during the Grammys.

Set to perform the Green Day song “21 Guns,” a staple in the musical’s soundtrack, the recently-announced cast of the rock musical American Idiot will promote its upcoming Broadway run in front of the entertainment industry’s hottest superstars this Sunday evening.

The musical American Idiot, adapted from the Green Day album of the same name, opened at the Berkeley Repertory last fall, and several actors/actresses from the production have joined the cast for its Broadway debut, which is slated for April 20, 2010. The cast includes John Gallagher Jr., Rebecca Naomi Jones, Tony Vincent, Mary Faber, Christina Sajous, Michael Esper and Stark Sands, and it will be directed by Michael Mayer, who also staged the initial run of American Idiot at the Berkeley Rep. Green Day band members have been very involved in the process and progression of the musical, and they will be on hand this Sunday to perform “21 Guns” alongside the Broadway cast of the upcoming musical.

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Permalink - Posted in General on January 29, 2010 - Post a comment

‘Rent’ Will Play the Hollywood Bowl This Summer

One of the most popular Broadway musicals of the entire 2000s, Rent has turned heads as long as it’s been on the big stage. While the colorful production has been making the rounds on a national tour over the last year, it will strike a chord with West Coast audiences this summer, as it’s been announced that Rent will play at the prestigious Hollywood Bowl this summer.

From Aug. 6-8, the Jonathan Larson musical Rent will storm the stage at the Hollywood Bowl, playing a string of three performances for audiences at the venue. Casting and the creative team for this summer’s three-day rendezvous with Rent will be announced soon, and tickets for the limited engagement of the show are sure go fast.

Rent is an artistically edgy stage musical encompassing the era of AIDS through a set of characters who are artists trying to make a living in New York City. Putting a modern spin on the Giacomo Puccini opera La boheme, Rent touches on homosexuality, AIDS, poverty and the arts in one of the most memorable Broadway productions of the day. Rent premiered on Broadway in 1996 and is a consistently popular show on the theatrical circuit. Though finishing up its national tour run next month, Rent will go out with a bang this August as it lights up the stage at the Hollywood Bowl.

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.

Permalink - Posted in General on January 28, 2010 - Post a comment

Rumors Surface of ‘View from the Bridge’ Extension

Scarlett Johansson’s husband Ryan Reynolds missed his wife’s Broadway debut in the revival of the Arthur Miller play A View from the Bridge, but he will have plenty of time to catch the vivacious actress in her role in the production, if rumors are true. According to The New York Times’ ArtsBeat Blog, talks are already underway concerning an extension of the limited-engagement production.

A View from the Bridge opened earlier this week and garnered a whopping $500,000 in ticket sales in just one day, and now talk is astir that the production, starring Johansson and actor Liev Schreiber, will be extended past its April 4 closing date. A View from the Bridge is officially a hot ticket item at the Cort Theatre, and if it does extend its 14-week run on the big stage it will bump the revival of August Wilson’s Fences, which is set to open at the Cort following A View from the Bridge’s departure, with performances starting April 14.

Fences could move venues if the Johansson/Schreiber-backed View from the Bridge stays on the stage at the Cort Theatre a little bit longer, and if it does agree upon an extension the play could be in the running for a nod in the 2010 Tony Awards, which are announced in early May.

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Permalink - Posted in General on January 27, 2010 - Post a comment

Johansson Stuns Critics in Opening of ‘A View from the Bridge’

The word “perfect” doesn’t often surface when describing a theatrical performance from a critic’s point of view, but that rare seven-letter word was recently uttered while analyzing seductress Scarlett Johansson’s Broadway debut in the Arthur Miller production A View from the Bridge. Johansson marked her first Broadway appearance alongside co-star Liev Schreiber in A View from the Bridge on Sunday, and the glowing performance has earned nothing but praise in the days following the premiere.

Perhaps most noticeably, New York Times journalist Ben Brantley delivered a full-scale celebration of Johansson’s addition to A View from the Bridge in a critique of the play, saying that the actress “melts into her character so thoroughly that her nimbus of celebrity disappears. Her Catherine is a girl on the cusp of womanhood, feeling her way down familiar paths that have suddenly been shrouded in unfamiliar shadows.”

Peter Marks of the Washington Post agreed, saying the biggest surprise achievement of the production “belongs to Johansson, who proves to be capable of far more than collaborating in eyebrow-raising star casting.”

A View from the Bridge is well underway on its 14-week limited engagement at the Cort Theatre, and theatergoers are flocking to see Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber light up the stage as this compelling production makes for one very successful stage revival.

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Permalink - Posted in General on January 26, 2010 - Post a comment


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