Green Day Will Record Song with ‘American Idiot’ Cast
Mainstream rock band Green Day has been in the limelight for more than just their hit music lately, and the group’s rock-infused musical American Idiot is on the rise, as well, recently announcing plans to hit the Broadway stage in the near future. This week, the band announced another new project of sorts relating to their smash rock musical, confirming they’ve been in the studio recently with the cast of American Idiot, where they’re recording a new version of their current hit song “21 Guns.”
The current studio recording of “21 Guns” is being produced by Green day vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, also featuring the band’s bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool. The single is set for release at the end of November, and a video for the song will also be made available soon.
The cast of American Idiot included on this “21 Guns” ordeal includes Jon Gallagher Jr. (”Johnny”), Matt Caplan (”Tunny”), Michael Esper (”Will”), Tony Vincent (”St. Jimmy”), Mary Faber (”Heather”), Rebecca Naomi Jones (”Whatsername”) and Christina Sajous (”Extraordinary Girl”). American Idiot closed at the Berkeley Rep on Nov. 15, but has upcoming plans for Broadway in the near future.
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Music Moguls Jay-Z, Will Smith Back Fela Musical
The Broadway production Fela! opens next Monday night (Nov. 23) on Broadway, and there have been some surprise last-minute celebrity endorsements coming at this colorful musical, which takes aim at highlighting the life and musical impact of Afrobeat musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Jay-Z, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have all signed on as co-producers of the upcoming Fela! musical, meaning that the production will likely garner a huge wave of success upon its premiere.
Of the recently-announced celebrity involvement with the upcoming Fela!, Kuti’s former co-manager Rikki Stein said, “There’s going to be an enormous incentive for people to investigate Fela when they know that Jay-Z and Will Smith are all rabid vans. It’s a sign that the underground is moving overground.” Fela! debuted off-Broadway in 2008 and collected extremely positive praise upon arrival, and now the production will come steamrolling into the Eugene O’Neill Theatre next week, where it is all but guaranteed to do the same.
This heartfelt musical about Fela Kuti’s passion for music and eventual legacy features many of Fela’s famed Afrobeat tunes in the Broadway musical, and the inspiring production is projected to be one of the most popular Broadway shows of the season.
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Craig, Jackman Add One More Date for ‘A Steady Rain’
Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig have led the stage in one of the most popular Broadway shows of the season, and their limited run of the Keith Huff-penned play A Steady Rain will come to an end in early December - but not without a blowout curtain call. The 14-week limited engagement of the record-setting A Steady Rain opened on Sept. 29, and now the production has announced the addition of one final performance, set to take place on Dec. 6 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.
This final performance of the Jackman and Craig Broadway play has been added to the schedule as a benefit for New Yorkers for Children and NYCPBA Widows’ & Children’s Fund, and all proceeds from the evening will go toward the two charities. New Yorkers for Children (NYFC) is a non-profit organization that focuses on helping children in New York City foster care, while the NYCPBA Widows’ & Children’s Fund gives aid to widows, widowers and dependants of police officers who have fallen in the line of duty.
Tickets for the last performance of A Steady Rain go on sale this Friday, Nov. 20, at 9 a.m., and this show is all but guaranteed to be a sell-out.
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‘God of Carnage’ Makes Cast Changes
The Broadway crowd-pleaser God of Carnage has been one of the most-watched productions of the year as it has taken reign over the Bernard Jacobs Theatre, and this week there have been some pretty crucial changes to Yasmina Reza’s hit stage comedy. The Tony Award-winning God of Carnage has since last year featured original cast members Marcia Gay Harden, James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels and Hope Davis, but starting today, Nov. 17, there will be four different faces taking over the actors’ and actresses’ respected roles in the production.
Joining the cast of God of Carnage starting today, original London cast member Ken Stott resumes his role as Michael in the production with Christine Lahti taking over in the role of his wife, Veronica. The other new couple to take over for the departed cast members includes Annie Potts and Jimmy Smits, who will conquer the roles of Annette and Alan in the production.
God of Carnage has been a Broadway favorite ever since its debut on the big stage from London this past Feb. 28 (and official opening of Mar. 22), and tickets are on sale now for performances at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre, now selling tickets for God of Carnage shows running through June 20, 2010.
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Simpson-Wentz Joins Broadway Cast of ‘Chicago’
Pop star and musical vixen Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is soon to give the Broadway run of Chicago a much-needed publicity boost, as the famed sister of Jessica Simpson and wife of Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz has just been announced to take the lead role as Roxie Hart in the Broadway production of Chicago later this month. Simpson-Wentz debuted as Hart in the recent London production of Chicago, and now she’ll make her way to New York in the same role.
“I’m honored to be reprising my role as Roxie Hart, returning to the stage and joining this amazing cast,” the pop star said in a recent press release. “Being on Broadway is a childhood dream come true.” Ashlee Simpson-Wentz will lead the way for Chicago as it thunders onto the stage at the Ambassador Theatre starting Nov. 30, running through Feb. 7, 2010.
While she’s new to the Broadway scene, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz is no stranger to the spotlight. Her vocal career includes several top-charting singles and albums in the pop industry, including Autobiography (2004), I Am Me (2005) and Bittersweet World (2008). Her acting career includes stints on 7th Heaven, The Ashlee Simpson Show and the newly-revived Melrose Place.
To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.
‘White Christmas’ Plays the Marquis Theatre Starting Tonight!
The holiday classic Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is a Christmastime favorite each and every year, and this season’s production of the famed Broadway musical will begin previews tonight, Nov. 13, at the Marquis Theatre. Starring James Clow, Mara Davi, Melissa Errico and Tony Yazbeck, White Christmas will have an official opening date of Nov. 22 and will run through Jan. 3, 2010.
The 2009 company of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas features direction by Walter Bobbie and choreography by Randy Skinner, and the production is all about two men putting on a show at a Vermont inn. The merry show of romance and Christmastime cheer was originally taken from Irving Berlin’s hit song “White Christmas” in 1940, made popular by Bing Crosby and the musical motion picture of the same name in 1954. White Christmas the musical started heating up the theatrical scene in 2004 with a national tour, and it has been an absolute crowd-pleaser ever since, rocketing right into 2010 with the famed holiday production.
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas made its Broadway debut in 2008, and now it will continue onward with the newfound tradition, hopefully making it an annual event on the big stage.
To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.
Is ‘American Idiot’ Broadway Bound?
The Green Day-themed musical American Idiot has been a huge crowd-pleaser this year at the Berkeley Repertory, and there have been rumblings in the theatrical world lately that this rock musical will soon be gracing the Broadway stages with its rousing antics, as well. The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week that all signs point to American Idiot jumping to Broadway in the near future, as a casting notice has been put out in New York for the production. It seems as if it’s inevitable that this Green Day rock musical will grace the big stage with its presence, but the big question now is when.
American Idiot, the musical based on Green Day’s 2004 studio album of the same name, will close on Nov. 15 at the Berkeley Repertory Theater after an extended world premiere, making it fully plausible to leap to Broadway soon thereafter. Spokesman Michael Hartman remained mysterious in talking dates for the musical to head for the Big Apple, saying, “There is a Broadway future for the show, but at this time no dates or theater are confirmed.” American Idiot is the most successful show to ever play at the Berkeley Rep, and it’s sure to be one of the most-anticipated productions of the year on Broadway, as well.
To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.
August Wilson Revival Snags Film Star Washington
The August Wilson play Fences has been announced to soon take the big stage as a Broadway revival, and the project will be headed by none other than two-time Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington. Washington will take the lead role in Fences as tough-guy Troy Maxson, and the August Wilson production is currently slated for an opening date of April 2010. Washington has signed on to a 14-week run lasting until mid-July 2010, and his involvement in the play is sure to draw throngs of crowds to the Broadway stage to catch a glimpse of the popular actor.
Denzel Washington is best-known for his roles in several major motion pictures, including huge money-makers like Training Day, Glory, The Hurricane, Malcom X, Freedom, American Gangster, John Q, Remember the Titans and several more. Washington, who also hit the big stage in 2005 with the remake of Julius Caesar, will now try his hand at the August Wilson classic Fences, which is part of the African American playwright’s 10-play cycle outlining 20th century African American culture. Fences will take theatergoers back to the ’50s, as main character Troy Maxson (Washington) endures a major inner struggle in accepting his life as a garbage man. Look for more details on the upcoming run of Fences to be released soon!
To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.
Lombardi-Inspired Play is Headed to Broadway!
The great Vince Lombardi was one of the most respected American football coaches of all time, and now his legacy is going on to shine, as he’ll be the next subject to appear on the Broadway stage. Lombardi, a new play regarding the life and times of this inspirational football figure, is set to tackle Broadway starting in the fall of 2010, when the play will premiere on the Broadway stage.
Lombardi was written by Eric Simonson and is based on the David Maraniss biography of Vince Lombardi, and while its Broadway debut will commence next fall, some viewers have already snagged a sneak peek of the production, as the similarly-titled play Lombardi/The Only Thing played at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin in 2007.
Many of the details of the upcoming Lombardi project are yet to be announced, but producers Tony Ponturo and Fran Kirmser will unveil casting, production and a detailed schedule in the upcoming months. Of the idea for a Lombardi-themed production, Ponturo said, “Sometimes we need to go back in our history to learn lessons for today. Vince Lombardi’s name is on the Super Bowl trophy, but many young people do not know the story of this man. In a time where people continue to look for the shortcuts to success, Vince Lombardi’s story teaches that hard work, discipline, respect and time are the elements needed to succeed.” Lombardi is sure to be a crowd-pleaser among the Broadway masses, so stick around for more to come on the exciting production!
To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.
‘Spider-Man’ Could be Off for Good
The Julie Taymor project Spider-Man has had more problems with its initial inception than ever could have been imagined, and now the financially-struggling production could be called off for good. The Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark musical has been in the works for quite some time, but the production’s proposed $52 million price tag is quite possibly enough to put the brakes on the musical for now - and, possibly, for good.
The New York Times reported yesterday that director Julie Taymor is scheduled to have a meeting today concerning the future of the Spider-Man musical, and she’s expected to announce a delay on rehearsals for the musical, should it continue onward with production. A big problem hounding the musical is that, once the financial turmoil with the musical is figured out, the delay could put a damper on rehearsal time for the intricate production, causing the show to miss an April 29 start date, which is the deadline for Tony Award nominations. If Spider-Man misses this deadline, it would be better off opening later, anyway.
The Hilton Theater has already begun stage work for the musical, however, and this could incur a hefty financial penalty for the musical if cancels its scheduled run there. As of now, Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark is still slated to begin previews on Feb. 25 with an opening date in March, but that could all change today after Taymor’s meeting with the creative team of the musical.
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