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!
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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!
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‘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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Rebeck’s ‘The Understudy’ Begins Off-Broadway Tonight!
Fans of the ’80s teen television show Saved by the Bell will have all eyes on “Zack Morris” (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) tonight as his newest acting role in the Theresa Rebeck production The Understudy premieres Off-Broadway. The play about show business and washed-up actors in the entertainment industry began previews last month at the Laura Pels Theatre in New York starting Oct. 9, and tonight, Nov. 5, will mark the official opening date for the current production.
The Understudy is slated to run a limited engagement through Jan. 3, 2010, and the Gosselaar-fronted production also features Tony Award-winning actress Julie White (The Little Dog Laughed), along with Justin Kirk (Weeds). The play is directed by Scott Ellis, and this Rebeck comedy is expected to fare relatively well on the big stage.
Theresa Rebeck’s hilarious play The Understudy first made its world premiere in July 2008, as the Ellis-directed play debuted at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. It’s been an absolute crowd-pleaser on the theatrical scene ever since, and tonight the play will begin what’s sure to be an enthusiastic run Off-Broadway at the famed Laura Pels Theatre.
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Shifts Take Place at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre
It’s in with the new and out with the old, as Broadway productions such as the electrifying Million Dollar Quartet are moving in on the Broadway stages and scripts of older days such as Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs seem to be productions of the past. That’s the case this week, at least, as the revival of Brighton Beach Memoirs, after receiving rave reviews, shut down after only nine performances at the Nederlander Theatre. The production failed to garner big audiences, and after a disappointing run on the Broadway stage it has been pulled.
On the other hand, another production will soon be making its way to the big stage at the Nederlander: Million Dollar Quartet. The dynamic musical about a recording session between Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins has just been announced as the newest occupant of the Nederlander Theatre, set to take the Broadway stage starting March 13, 2010. The musical is now playing at the Apollo Theatre in Chicago, and its official opening date on Broadway will be in April of 2010. Casting for the Broadway run of Million Dollar Quartet has yet to be announced, but this rock ‘n’ roll-based production is expected to draw in bigger crowds than Brighton Beach Memoirs did - at least that’s the hope for the upcoming occupant of the Nederlander.
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West End’s ‘Shawshank Redemption’ Sets Closing Date
The stage adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel The Shawshank Redemption has been blazing a path through the West End at the Wyndham Theatre for more than a month, but an official closing date has been set for the U.K. production. On Sun., Nov. 29, the Owen O’Neill/Dave Johns play The Shawshank Redmption will close its curtain at the Wyndham Theatre, having played 100 performances by its closing date.
The West End production of The Shawshank Redemption began previews on Sept. 4, 2009 with an opening date of Sept. 13, and the play had an initial closing date of Feb. 10, 2010. The production is a close fit to the 1994 film of the same name featuring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, and its stage adaptation first premiered earlier this year on May 14, when The Shawshank Redemption came to Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre and sparked rave reviews with starring actors Kevin Anderson and Reg E. Cathey leading the way. Shawshank Redemption is the story of two incarcerated men finding salvation, and the plot-twisting production has been an absolute gem on screen and, now, on stage. Will The Shawshank Redemption soon land on Broadway? Stay tuned to find out!
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Top-Grossing Productions of the Week
The numbers are out for ticket sales during the last week of October on Broadway, and it should be no surprise to theatergoers that, once again, Wicked takes the top honors, grossing $1,489,598 for the week ending Nov. 1. Wicked outsold all other Broadway productions last week, keeping the exciting musical atop the most popular Broadway shows currently on the scene. Now playing at the Gershwin, Wicked’s numbers are down from $1,525,772 the previous week, but its numbers are still good enough to hold weight above the rest.
Other productions grossing more than $1 million last week also included Billy Elliot: The Musical at the Imperial ($1,357,268), A Steady Rain at the Schoenfeld ($1,187,455), The Lion King at the Minskoff ($1,136,368) and Jersey Boys at August Wilson ($1,112,351). The Broadway numbers for the week combined for a grand total of $18,302,315, down from $20,654,738 total the previous week but still holding on strong through ticket sales. What will November bring to the Broadway realm? Stay tuned to find out, as there are several exciting productions gracing the stages in New York City this month!
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Happy ‘Wicked’ Day!
In honor of the smash musical Wicked’s sixth anniversary on Broadway, today has been dubbed “Wicked Day” in the New York area, as promoters of the production have corralled fans into several Wicked-inspired parties in mass celebration of the musical. There are several parties around the New York area that are taking place this weekend in hopes of sparking a global “Wicked Day,” and fans of the musical are also being encouraged to “go green” as a symbol of the color green in Wicked, with a special promotion on http://www.wickedday.com/greenforgood.php.
Wicked is as a prequel of sorts to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the 1900 L. Frank Baum classic and subsequent 1939 film. The production boasts to be “the untold story of the witches of Oz,” namely the emerald-skinned character Elphaba, later known as the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical Wicked was adapted with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, and the production first hit the Broadway stages in October of 2003, becoming a global attraction immediately upon arrival. Wicked has since gone ’round the world and is now one of the current best-selling Broadway musicals on the scene, making its sixth anniversary something to celebrate.
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‘Finian’s Rainbow’ to Begin on Broadway Tonight!
The 1947 show tune-friendly musical Finian’s Rainbow will find a new home on Broadway starting this weekend, as the Broadway revival of this American classic will officially open tonight, Oct. 29, at the St. James Theatre. The production will feature Jim Norton (Finian McLonergan), Chuck Cooper (Bill Rawkins), Kate Baldwin (Sharon McLonergan), Christopher Fitzgerald (Og), Cheyenne Jackson (Woody Mahoney), Terri White (Dottie) and more, and this will mark the first time since 1960 that Finian’s Rainbow has been revived on Broadway.
Featuring music by Burton Lane and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg and book by Harburg and Fred Saidy, Finian’s Rainbow is a musical packed full of show tunes that tackles the topic of Irish immigrants following the American dream. The musical first debuted on Broadway in 1947 and has been a sporadic hit on the scene ever since, though the last inception of Finian’s Rainbow was in 1960, when a revival of the production played 12 performances at the 46th Street Theatre. Previews for the current run of Finian’s Rainbow began at St. James on Oct. 8, and the production will officially open tonight.
To get Broadway tickets, go to StubHub.
Jackman, Hugh Partake in Charity Auction
Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig are the two hunky actors starring in the current Broadway production A Steady Rain, and their roles in the popular play have sold tons of tickets so far. Aside from their acting in A Steady Rain, however, Jackman and Craig have also been involved in another Broadway endeavor -Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The two actors recently auctioned the shirts off their backs (literally) for the charity, taking time off after a recent performance to hold an auction to benefit the BC/EFA.
After a performance of A Steady Rain on Oct. 23, Jackman and Craig auctioned off and signed the shirts they were wearing to the highest bidders during the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids event, each actor selling his t-shirt for a whopping $5,000. The duo also took pictures with 20 audience members for $1,000 each, and other A Steady Rain posters and memorabilia were auctioned off, as well, bringing the total in auction proceeds to a one-night record of $38,900. The money raised from the Hugh Jackman/Daniel Craig auction will go to an upcoming Gypsy of the Year event for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and in the meantime Craig and Jackman will continue drawing in audiences to see A Steady Rain onstage at the Schoenfeld Theatre.
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