‘9 to 5′ Opens on Broadway Tomorrow

The countdown is drawing to a close, and bouts of “workin’ nine to five” are about to be heard ’round the (Broadway) world as Dolly Parton’s film-turned-musical 9 to 5 opens on Broadway’s Marquis Theatre tonight. The female-fronted cast of 9 to 5 (Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty and Allison Janney) is ready to take this secretarial tale of sexism in the workplace to Broadway, and tonight just might be Dolly Parton’s chance to shine, as the country music seductress and composer-lyricist took on the task of translating her 1980 film into the Broadway stage score.

Of her Broadway debut, Parton has said, “I was kinda scared of it… I thought, ‘This is a whole different world to me. I hear these people can just eat you up alive.’ And I thought, ‘Well, I’m not one to be eaten alive without kickin’ and a-fightin’!'” Tonight is where it all gets laid out on the line, as Block, Hilty and Janney are set to be the musical counterparts of 1980’s Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who played the characters of secretaries Judy, Doralee and Violet in 9 to 5 the film. Stay tuned for reviews of this thrilling new musical!

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 30, 2009 - Post a comment

‘Wicked’ Wins Again

Well, sort of. The Broadway musical Wicked has been the top-grossing Broadway production for several weeks now, and the award-winning show at the Gershwin Theatre once again topped the charts this week, pulling in a whopping $1,458,664 in revenue. While the incredible musical dropped in sales from two weeks ago, when it netted $1,524,141 over the course of eight shows at the Gershwin in New York City, this week’s numbers were good enough for Wicked to sit atop the charts once again, making it one of the greatest musicals to hit theaters this year.

The rest of the top five list of top-grossing Broadway productions for the week (April 20-26) included: West Side Story at the Palace Theatre grossing $1,191,832; Billy Elliot: The Musical at Imperial Theatre with $1,158,561; The Lion King at Minskoff Theatre grossing $1,128,044; and Jersey Boys at the August Wilson Theatre with $1,037,565.

Will Wicked hold its reign over all the other Broadway productions next week, or will West Side Story finally conquer it? Will Shrek The Musical make its way back onto the top five? What about Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5? Stay tuned to find out!

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 29, 2009 - Post a comment

‘9 to 5′ Sets Record with Drama Desk Nods

Dolly Parton has struck gold with 9 to 5, and we’re not just talking about the 1980 comedy film of the same name featuring Nashville’s favorite blonde. Parton penned the songs for the current Broadway musical 9 to 5, and the red-hot show has garnered glowing reviews ever since opening in theater on March 30, now gaining even more fame for the several awards the musical is up for in the coming months.

The Drama Desk nominations are in and have recently been released, and 9 to 5 leads the pack with nods for the prestigious awards, also setting a record for the whopping 15 nominations the musical has received. The previous record for Drama Desk nominations was 14, set by five shows including The Secret Garden (1991), Ragtime (1998), The Producers (2001), Hairspray (2003) and The Drowsy Chaperone (2006).

Drama Desk Awards are for Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions, and nominations come into play by a panel of seven members. Winners will be announced on May 17 at the LaGuardia Concert Hall in Lincoln Center, and 9 to 5 is sure to be the star of the show this spring.

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 28, 2009 - Post a comment

REO Speedwagon, Styx Join ‘Rock of Ages’

In a recent move considered impeccable timing by many, classic rock heroes REO Speedwagon and Styx are teaming up with the new musical comedy Rock of Ages, bringing the former’s upcoming Can’t Stop Rockin’ Tour (along with .38 Special) to the big stage for a performance following a show of Rock of Ages. Tonight, Tommy Shaw from Styx and Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon are set to make their Broadway debuts, coming onstage following this evening’s performance of Rock of Ages at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. The duo will perform their newly penned and released single “Can’t Stop Rockin’” at the special encore of Rock of Ages, also promoting their Can’t Stop Rockin’ Tour that kicks off May 13 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Tonight’s performance is a sneak peek for all REO/Styx fans in the audience at Rock of Ages, most of whom are likely rock ‘n’ roll fans of past generations. The REO/Styx performance will be reminiscent of previous tours, such as the Arch Allies Tour, which brought together the two musical powerhouses in 2000. The Can’t Stop Rockin’ Tour runs through the middle of July with performances across the country, ending on July 11 in St. Louis, Missouri.

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 27, 2009 - Post a comment

Broadway Invades ‘Live with Regis and Kelly’

Next week is “On Broadway Week” on ABC’s morning talk show Live with Regis and Kelly, and several performers on the current Broadway circuit will join the two talk hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa each day next week for Broadway-oriented segments on the program. Kicking off the Broadway-infused week of the morning talk show on Monday will be the cast of Disney’s musical Mary Poppins, and the program will include Ripa dressing up as the famous nanny Poppins and learning to fly.

Tuesday, the young and brilliant trio of Billy Elliot: The Musical’s David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish will grace the set of Live with Regis and Kelly, and Wednesday Philbin will host the cast of the rock musical Rock of Ages, where he will join in on a performance of the ‘80s classic “Here I Go Again.” Thursday, the cast of the West Side Story revival will come to the studio and teach Ripa a choreographed dance, and Friday, on the last segment of “On Broadway Week,” Philbin will morph into the ogre Shrek when he visits the cast of Shrek the Musical at the Broadway Theatre in New York City.

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 24, 2009 - Post a comment

Shrek the Musical Going National

The DreamWorks Animation film Shrek was a total crowd-pleaser upon release in 2001, and the musical adaptation of the hilarious animated film has been garnering huge audiences ever since its debut on Broadway in November 2008, continuing to be one of the top-grossing Broadway productions on the musical front today. Perhaps because of this incredible success, it has just been announced that Shrek the Musical is planning to launch its national tour in the summer of 2010, kicking off the string of performances in Chicago at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts’ Oriental Theatre.

In a recent press release, Shrek producer Bill Damaschke made a statement welcoming the 2010 national tour of Shrek the Musical starting in the Windy City, saying, “Chicago is a great theatre town and the perfect city to launch the Shrek the Musical national tour. We feel we are in really good hands with the Broadway In Chicago team who have unmatched experience and success in presenting Broadway musicals. Everyone on the creative team has strong ties to the city of Chicago and is looking forward to getting to work on the touring production.”

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 23, 2009 - Post a comment

‘Spring Awakening’ Ropes in New Generation of Theatergoers

Spring Awakening is not your average Broadway musical. This was obvious from the very first guitar riffs and thundering bass notes of the rock musical when it opened on Broadway in 2006, and now the angst-ridden, sex-driven teenage fan favorite is gaining fame around the world for bringing in theater’s newest type of audience – adolescents. Teens are flocking to theaters to watch the musical production of Spring Awakening, as the production nets very strong similarities to real-life situations in many teens’ lives, and this is causing quite the stir on the Broadway scene.

The storyline of Spring Awakening is based off the 1891 Frank Wedekind play, which outlines the lives of high school-age kids dealing with adolescence and portrays the often-played down subjects of sexuality, strong language and confusion. Tom Hulce, an executive producer of the play, recently made a statement backing up the relevance of Spring Awakening and helping explain its cult following, saying, “It will ever be thus. Here is a story written more than a hundred years ago that feels incredibly contemporary and applicable today. I think it will always resonate, because there is so much personal judgment involved in when and how you empower your sons and daughters.”

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 22, 2009 - Post a comment

‘Broadway Loves the ’80s’ Concert Details Revealed

Forget VH1’s I Love the ‘80s – this is Broadway Loves the ‘80s! The fifth running of the show has just been announced, and Playbill has the skinny on the upcoming Broadway Loves the ‘80s Vol. 5: The Movie Edition concert. Scheduled to be performed on May 10 at New York City’s live music hotspot Joe’s Pub, Broadway Loves the ‘80s will be hosted by political satirist and Broadway performer (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) Mo Rocca.

The one-night special Broadway Loves the ‘80s Vol. 5: The Movie Edition will be directed by Jamie McGonnigal and Marty Thomas, and according to Playbill, this celebration will give viewers the chance to go “back to the big-haired she-boppin ‘80s with a tribute to the totally rad films of the most colorful decade yet.” The show will also have music direction by Ben Cohn and will feature choreography by Lauren Strigari, and this is one performance not to miss out on.

Paying homage to Generation X’s favorite decade, this year’s Broadway Loves the ‘80s will spotlight the incredible vocals of actors/actresses and singers Nick Adams, Todd Buonopane, Danny Calvert, Kristy Cates, Casey Erin Clark, Chris Dilley, Anthony Hollick, Randy Jones, Doug Kreeger, Leslie Kritzer, Chelsea Krombach, Joe Aaron Reid, Brandon Rubendall, Kate Shindle, Marty Thomas, Alysha Umphress and Noah Weisberg.

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 21, 2009 - Post a comment

Films-Turned-Musicals Strike Gold with Outer Critics Circle Awards

Both Billy Elliot and Shrek were huge box-office hits in the 2000s, and now these films-turned-musicals have been burning up the Broadway scene, as well, both earning the top nominations for the Outer Critics Circle Awards, which were announced today. The awards honor the best in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, and both Billy Elliot and Shrek earned 10 nominations each, becoming the top nominees for the 59th annual Outer Critics Circle Awards.

Billy Elliot: The Musical is up for awards including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, Outstanding New Score, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Stephen Daldry), Outstanding Choreographer (Peter Darling), Outstanding Set Design for a Play or Musical (Ian MacNeil), Outstanding Costume Design for Play or Musical (Nicky Gillibrand), Outstanding Lighting Design for Play or Musical (Rick Fisher), Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Gregory Jbara), Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Haydn Gwynne and Carole Shelley) and Special Achievement Award (David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish).

Shrek, on the other hand, is up for Outstanding New Broadway Musical, Outstanding New Score, Outstanding Director of a Musical (Jason Moore), Outstanding Choreographer (Josh Prince), Outstanding Set Design for Play or Musical (Tim Hatley), Outstanding Costume Design (Tim Hatley), Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Brian d’Arcy James), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster) and Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Daniel Breaker, Christopher Sieber).

The 2009 Outer Critics Circle Awards winners will be announced May 11, and winners will partake in an awards dinner on May 21.

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 20, 2009 - Post a comment

‘9 to 5′ Star Block Releases Solo Debut Album

Dolly Parton is the brains behind the musical 9 to 5, based off the 1980 film featuring the bubbly blonde herself, and aside from penning the songs to the new Broadway musical 9 to 5, Parton has also been busy with another musical venture. Lending her vocals to a collaboration from 9 to 5 costar Stephanie J. Block, Parton will guest star on Block’s solo debut recording This Place I Know on the Parton classic “I Will Always Love You.” The album is set to drop on June 2, and several other artists will make cameos on the Block album, as well.

Songs on This Place I Know include “Something Beautiful” (with Stephen Flaherty), “One Day” (with Andrew Lippa), “I Will Always Love You” (with Parton), “Gotta Start Small” (with Deborah Abramson), “15 Pounds (Away from My Love)” (with Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler), “Never Neverland (Fly Away)” (with Scott Alan), “The Hardest Part of Love” (with Steve Marzullo), “Invention” (with Paul Loesel), “Making Good” (with Stephen Schwartz), “Because I Am a Wife” (with Claude-Michel Schonberg), “Smart Women” (with Marvin Hamlisch), “The Human Heart” (with Stephen Flaherty) and “Life Starts Clapping” (with Paul Loesel).

9 to 5 officially opens on Broadway on April 30, starring Allison Janney, Megan Hilty, Marc Kudisch and Block.

To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on April 17, 2009 - Post a comment


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