Tuesday, May 31, 2011

How British a Tony Nominee Can Be

2011 Tony-nominated playwright Jez Butterworth, whose play Jerusalem is currently playing on Broadway, wrote an article for Broadway.com in which he talks about the creation of his quirky, British creation. Check out the link to read more!



http://www.broadway.com/shows/jerusalem/buzz/156573/jerusalem-playwright-jez-butterworth-on-the-englishness-of-his-work-the-tonys-and-writing-for-mark-rylance/

Monday, May 30, 2011

Celebrities on Broadway: A Thought Provoking Debate

Ben Brantley has written an article (whose text I have copied here and which can be found at http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/theater-talkback-stage-resuscitation-for-career-challenged-celebrities/?ref=theater) about celebrities on Broadway as a vehicle to resurrect a faltering career and a means to sell extra tickets. Read the article below, or by following the link I posted above, and leave your comments about this phenomenon and who you think should (or should NOT) come to Broadway and in what role.


Theater Talkback: Stage Resuscitation for Career-Challenged Celebrities
Ben Brantley

While you theater-going butterflies out there keep nattering on about the Tonys — who will win, who should win, and so on — I have been focused on an issue of far greater momentousness and urgency. That’s the shameful squandering on Broadway of what our country would seem to believe is our most valued (and infinitely exploitable) natural resource: our celebrities.

It has become a fact of cultural life in New York that a theater producer in search of big box office will seek out a famous person, regardless of his or her talents or credentials. Famous people of all stripes are returning the compliment by looking to Broadway to rejuvenate their careers, enhance their artistic credibility and pitch woo to audiences that may have ceased to believe in their existence.

The results of such marriages of stage and stardom have not always been ideal, as this past season alone can testify. (Why give Robin Williams a theater and then ask him to underact? Who thought it was a good idea to make the musically challenged Daniel Radcliffe sing and dance?)

In hopes of averting such missteps in the seasons to come, I am proposing a little list that matches stars in search of redemption with roles tailor-made to their particular skills and images. Yes, I know that the bountiful producers Fran and Barry Weissler continue to provide many homeless celebrities with the shelter of their deathless revival of “Chicago,” and that we can expect Britney, J. Lo and Gwen eventually to follow in the pseudo-dancing footsteps of Melanie Griffith, Ashlee Simpson and Christie Brinkley. But perhaps the Weisslers and their producing kin might want to consider some of the following options as well.

Lindsay Lohan: This undeniably talented (and for all intents and purposes, former) film actress poses a special challenge. Her only recent work appears to have been as a paparazzi model and professional partygoer, and a big, line-laden dramatic part like Blanche DuBois might be too onerous to start with. So why not put her in the Broadway premiere of “Finishing the Picture,” a late-career Arthur Miller play inspired by the travails of making a movie (“The Misfits”) with his wife Marilyn Monroe? Having seen a production of this play in Chicago, I can testify that the Marilyn part requires only that the actress playing her be willing to appear asleep and stupefied and, briefly, to walk across the stage naked. For Ms. Lohan, who credibly impersonated Marilyn for a New York magazine photo shoot, this ought to be a cinch. Should an eight-performance week prove too taxing, I suggest Paris Hilton for matinees.

Mel Gibson: The adverse-publicity-choked Mr. Gibson comes with a built-in bonus — he has Shakespeare in his past. (Surely you haven’t forgotten that he played the title role in the Franco Zeffirelli “Hamlet.”) So it seems a natural for the notoriously explosive Mr. Gibson to take on the angriest and most addled of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, the bloody avenger named Titus Andronicus. That the play is set in ancient Rome should also prove an asset to Mr. Gibson, whose affection for really old times and dead languages has been evident in the films “The Passion of the Christ” and “Apocalypto,” both of which he directed. Tuesday night performances, perhaps, could be in Latin.

Charlie Sheen: If he were 10 or 15 years younger (or at least looked like he was), Mr. Sheen would be perfect as the splenetic, screed-spouting anti-hero of John Osborne’s “Look Back in Anger.” As it is, I can see him doing beautifully by the splenetic, screed-spouting shock jock of Eric Bogosian’s “Talk Radio,” a fame-warped character who is described as having looked in the mirror and seen the face of God.

Mick Jagger: I know he doesn’t need the work. But since Keith Richards has been catapulted into the ether of literary distinction with his memoir, “Life,” Mr. Jagger might want to claim his own turf in the land of high culture. For him, I suggest another creation from Osborne: Archie Rice, the aging, cynical music hall song-and-dance man of “The Entertainer,” who is both addicted to and contemptuous of life on the stage and the people who come to see him there. It will be hard work, displacing memories of Laurence Olivier, who created the part on stage and screen, but the weathered showboat that is Mr. Jagger seems a highly likely candidate.

Lady Gaga: O.K., she sure doesn’t need the work either. But who these days could better bring over-the-top Ziegfeld-style glamour back to Broadway? And who better to update everybody’s favorite (but slightly creaky) eccentric relative, Auntie Mame? Just think of the costume opportunities provided by a post-modern 21st-century version of the musical “Mame!” Her ladyship may be a tad young for a role portrayed by Angela Lansbury (and Ginger Rogers and Ann Miller) onstage (and, less fortunately, Lucille Ball on film). But the role of madcap spiritual godmother to little misfit monsters everywhere is one that Lady Gaga already has down cold.

And here I stop, and turn the floor over to your suggestions for Broadway debuts for the famous and infamous. Please note that I have gallantly left Arnold Schwarzenegger untouched.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

From Insanity to Music

Pedro Almodovar's film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown definitely has a bizarre streak running through it. And for David Yazbek, the composer of the musical that film inspired, that seems to have done just the trick. Yazbek received his third Tony nomination for the show's score (after previous nominations for his scores to 2001's The Full Monty and 2005's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and recently spoke with Playbill.com about his experiences with the film and his process for writing the show. Enjoy!

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151298-Almodvars-Drama-Became-Music-for-Tony-Nominee-David-Yazbek

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Three fascinating profiles have appeared in this weekend's New York Times. The articles profile three of this year's Tony-nominated actors and the roads each took in getting to their current Broadway role. The first article is about Nina Arianda, a Best Actress in a Play nominee for her Broadway debut in the revival of Born yesterday. The next two are about actors up for the Best Actor in a Play Tony -- Joe Mantello (starring in the revival of The Normal Heart) and Bobby Cannavale (starring in The Motherfucker With the Hat). Check out the articles below.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/theater/nina-arianda-a-rising-star-in-born-yesterday.html?_r=1&ref=theater


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/theater/theaterspecial/joe-mantellos-heartfelt-return-to-acting.html?ref=theater


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/theater/theaterspecial/bobby-cannavale-puts-his-all-into-a-hard-hitting-role.html?ref=theater

Friday, May 27, 2011

What Arthur Laurents Left Behind

Arthur Laurents, the Tony-winning author and director who died on May 5th, has certainly left quite the legacy. But now, that legacy is growing. A new film version of his most famous musical, Gypsy, which had been discussed in the media for being on then off then on again, now looks like it is back on and will star Barbara Streisand in her first movie musical leading role since 1983's Yentl. Mr. Laurents had also recently completed his final memoir, The Rest of the Story, as well as a new play, The Last Time We Saw Paris. Check out the full article in the New York Times.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/theater/before-death-laurentss-was-working-on-new-gypsy-film.html?_r=1&ref=theater

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Godspell Sets Dates for Revival

A highly anticipated revival of Stephen Schwartz's Godspell has set production dates. The show will play the Circle in the Square Theatre with previews beginning on October 13th and an opening night set for November 7th. The production will be directed by Daniel Goldstein. A revival of the show was slated to open on Broadway in 2008 starring Diana DiGarmo and Gavin Creel, also to be directed by Goldstein. The show will reunite the creative team from a 2006 Paper Mill Play House production directed by Goldstein, including choreographer Christopher Gattelli, set designer David Korins, costume designer Miranda Hoffman, lighting designer Ben Stanton and sound designer Mike Farfalla. As an interesting side note, upstairs from the revival of Godspell, another Stephen Schwartz musical, Wicked, is playing at the Gershwin Theater.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Encores! Season Announced

The 2012 Season for the City Center's Encores! series of scaled down musicals has been announced. The series aims to present musicals whose scores are rarely heard in New York City. The season will include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Pipe Dream.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Second Tony Predictions

Best Play -- War Horse or Good People

Best Musical -- Book of Mormon

Book of a Musical -- The Book of Mormon

Score -- Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown or The Book of Mormon

Revival of a Play -- The Normal Heart

Revival of a Musical -- Anything Goes

Lead Actor in a Play -- Mark Rylance for Jerusalem

Lead Actress in a Play -- Frances McDormand for Good People

Lead Actor in a Musical -- Norbert Leo Butz for Catch Me if You Can

Lead Actress in a Musical -- Sutton Foster for Anything Goes

Featured Actor in a Play -- Yul Vazquez for The Motherfucker With the Hat

Featured Actress in a Play -- Judith Light for Lombardi

Featured Actor in a Musical -- Coleman Domingo for The Scottsboro Boys

Featured Actress in a Musical -- Nikki James for The Book of Mormon

Scenic Design of a Play -- War Horse

Scenic Design of a Musical -- The Book of Mormon

Costume Design of a Play -- Born Yesterday

Costume Design of a Musical -- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Lighting Design of a Play -- War Horse

Lighting Design of a Musical -- The Book of Mormon

Sound Design of a Play -- Brief Encounter

Sound Design of a Musical -- The Book of Mormon

Director of a Play -- Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe for The Normal Heart

Director of a Musical -- Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker for The Book of Mormon

Choreography -- Casey Nicholaw for The Book of Mormon

Orchestrations -- The Book of Mormon

2011 Drama Desk Awards

The winners of the 2011 Drama Desk Awards have been given out and the winners include some expected choices (Book of Mormon for Best Musical, for example), and continued the rivalry between Good People and War Horse for the Best Play Prize. War Horse has now won the Drama League, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Play, though only voters for the first two groups can vote for the Tony Awards, while Good People has won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the voters for which are also Tony voters. After this announcement, I will be reworking my predictions slightly.


Outstanding Play
Nick Stafford, War Horse

Outstanding Musical
The Book of Mormon

Outstanding Revival of a Play
The Normal Heart

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker With the Hat

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Frances McDormand, Good People

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Outstanding Director of a Play
Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon

Outstanding Choreography
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes

Outstanding Music
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon

Outstanding Lyrics
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Adam Mathias, See Rock City & Other Destinations

Outstanding Orchestrations
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon

Outstanding Music in a Play
Wayne Barker, Peter and the Starcatcher

Outstanding Revue
Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles on Broadway

Outstanding Set Design
Derek McLane, Anything Goes

Outstanding Costume Design
Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Outstanding Lighting Design
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Acme Sound Partners and Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

Outstanding Solo Performance
John Leguizamo, Ghetto Klown

Unique Theatrical Experience
Sleep No More



The awards committee also gives out some special awards every year, and the 2011 winners of these awards are:

—A.R. Gurney for his enduring, keenly observed portraits of American life over a prolific four-decade-long career

—Reed Birney for his versatile and finely nuanced performances over the past 35 years, and for his exceptional work this season in Tigers Be Still, A Small Fire and The Dream of the Burning Boy

—The New Group and Artistic Director Scott Elliott for presenting contemporary new voices, and for uncompromisingly raw and powerful productions.

— The Pearl Theatre Company for notable productions of classic plays and nurturing a stalwart resident company of actors

—The creative team of War Horse for thrilling stagecraft: Paule Constable, Marianne Elliott, 59 Productions, Adrian Kohler with Basil Jones for Handspring Puppet Company, Tom Morris, Rae Smith, Christopher Shutt, Toby Sedgwick, Adrian Sutton and John Tams

This year the nominators gave special ensemble awards for acting to the casts of two shows: In Transit and The Normal Heart, rendering cast members ineligible for competitive awards on an individual basis.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Theater and Opera ... Different Worlds, Right?

The world of Broadway and the world of Opera are entirely different places, right? I mean ... Leonard Bernstein's Candide seems to jump back and forth between Broadway houses and Opera houses, but it was written to do that. Now, though, the worlds may be more similar than you think.

For example, think about the question Charles Isherwood asked in a New York Times article from the other day. "Which New York stage production from the season just past was notable for its huge expense, its technical problems and its chilly reception?" The article, Spidey Syndrome Invades the Opera, says that the obvious answer of late would be Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, having burned through $70 million and firing many of the initial creative staff, including original director, Julie Taymor, and the original book writers (including Taymor). But, not far away from the theater where Spidey has taken up residence is the Metropolitan Opera, where Robert Lepage is presenting his production of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

The overlap between the two? According to Isherwood, "two large-scaled, highly anticipated shows helmed by acclaimed theater directors with international reputations, both of whom were handed fat checks to realize their visions." Check out the New York Times article for more overlap between the two worlds.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Success Doesn't Always Mean Success

You'd think that having a popular success on Broadway would translate to financial success, as well. But that isn't always the case, according to Chris Jones in his Variety.com article, "Rialto hits still missing a payback." Below is the text of his article explaining what's involved here.


Everything looks to be going well for "Memphis." The bluesy tuner, which has played for nearly 700 performances, has been filmed for theatrical release and is readying a big national tour this fall.

There's only one thing missing: investors getting paid back.

"Memphis" has yet to fully recoup. The same holds true for "The Addams Family" (nearly 500 performances) and "Million Dollar Quartet" (more than 450 shows).

Similarly, "Rock of Ages" has paid homage to the 1980s nearly 800 times -- in two different Broadway theaters -- and has yet to fully refill its investors' coffers.

Conventional wisdom has it that flops close and long runners make money, but that's no longer the case. Heck, "The 39 Steps" played for nearly two years (from 2008 to 2010) sans recoupment.

"Clearly, there are certain shows that do well enough to establish themselves and find an audience but do not to do well enough to clean up and pay back investors as quickly as used to be the case," says Stuart Oken, the producer of "The Addams Family."

Does the lack of a quick Broadway recoupment matter? Some say the whole "hit" and "miss" dichotomy has now become much more complex.

"In film your first theatrical release can be kind of a loss-leader," says "Quartet" producer Gigi Pritzker, who has, as the topper of Odd Lot Entertainment, not only produced many films, but also has "Drive" at the Cannes festival. "For us, Broadway was very much about getting that stamp of approval that allowed us to open bigger in London and gets us more star power for our tour."

Pritzker says "Quartet," where costs are under control, was already close to profitability.

"It depends on your business plan," says Oken, whose "Addams" is about two-thirds of the way toward recoupment. "In our case, we're also trying to establish ourselves in the lexicon for years to come."

Oken notes that Broadway has increasingly become a seasonal business with high peaks and deep valleys. "Addams" did $1.2 million in the week over Easter, dipped to less than half of that thereafter, and expects to come back strong this summer when Brooke Shields joins its cast and seasonal visitors fill Times Square.

"Tourism is a huge factor," Oken says.

At this time of year, such shows as "Quartet" and "Addams" also have to cope with the buzz surrounding new musicals, which front-load the marketing dollars, making it tougher for the second-year club.

Patience can be a virtue. "I think 'Memphis' really is the classic example of that," says Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the Broadway League. "They had to do a lot of special promotions to find their audience. Clearly they had problems in previews. They had to have the opportunity to overcome the tepid reviews. And now they've done that. They knew that if they could just get people to come and see it, they would tell their friends. And they were right."

"Legally Blonde" is another example of a show that did better as memories of the opening reviews faded -- and that was more successful on the road and in London than in New York. "Memphis" shows similar promise.

It's a perennial Broadway truth that only 20%-30% of shows pay back their investors. "The percentages really haven't changed much over the last 60 years," St. Martin says.

And of those that do recoup, many just barely do so. History shows that only two or three shows a year make the really big money. The producing game has always been to try and snag one of those rare blockbusters -- "The Book of Mormon" being the most recent example.

So what has changed? Obviously, the cost of entry into the game has ballooned. And, notes "Wicked" producer David Stone, "shows just run longer than used to be the case."

The touring market has also changed. Back in the so-called Golden Age, hits would tour and second-tier shows would quietly close. Now, there's a touring market for such mid-range shows as "American Idiot" (which did not fully recoup on Broadway), so more money can be made on the back end. Thus, there's more of an incentive in keeping the Broadway flagship flying. If a show closes early, it signals a flop.

Of course, producers often have a tough time explaining to their investors why a show that has been running for 500-plus performances has yet to cover its initial costs. But that's Broadway. These days, plugging away is not necessarily a matter of vanity. It's financially better in most cases to play on and build the brand.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Making Money off Sprider-Man? At Least One Person's Doing It!

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has become famous, or maybe infamous, in theater circles for the large number of injuries its cast has suffered. But the show may be more famous for the amount of money it burned through over the course of its development -- now said to be around $70 million. But there is definitely one man who is profiting off of this whole debacle. That would be Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who reworked Julie Taymour's book and vision for the show. His profit, though, is not strictly financial. While Julie Taymour's career is certainly in the tubes for at least the short term, Mr. Aguirre-Sacasa's career is taking off after this show. His next project is to rework a musical of Carrie that famously flopped, as well as becoming a writer and executive producer on the TV hit Glee. For more information, check out the article below!


http://www.businessinsider.com/spiderman-tickets-bono-edge-american-idol-2011-5

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Elaine May, Woody Allen, and Ethan Coen to Write for Broadway

Gordon Cox has published the following article, titled Coen, May, Allen to Broadway: Trio of one acts to open in fall, on Variety.com about an evening of one-acts by Elaine May, Woody Allen, and Ethan Coen.

"A triple bill of comic one-acts by Ethan Coen, Elaine May and Woody Allen, "Relatively Speaking," is gearing up for a Broadway bow helmed by John Turturro.
The producers of the show, Julian Schlossberg and Letty Aronson, were both on the producing team of the 1995 Off Broadway production of a similar trio of one-acts, "Death Defying Acts," from May, Allen and David Mamet.

Coen, who contributes the one-act "Talking Cure" to the show, makes his Broadway debut with the production, following Off Broadway stints for two previous evenings of his short plays. Last Broadway credit for May, who pens "George Is Dead" for "Relatively Speaking," was the 2005 show "After the Night and the Music."

Most recent legit script for Allen, whose one-act in the new show is called "Honeymoon Motel," was the play "A Second-Hand Memory" seen at the Atlantic Theater Company in 2004.

Turturro, who has worked with Coen a number of times as a film actor, makes his Broadway directing debut with "Relatively Speaking."

Casting is still under way for the production, which will begin previews in September ahead of an October opening. Exact dates and theater remain to be announced."

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

David Hyde Pierce to Direct

David Hyde Pierce is definitely NOT known as a director. He spent eleven years on TV as Dr. Niles Crane on the hit TV series Frasier, winning four Emmy's in the process, and had an equally long career on Broadway in shows, finding success with Spamalot, La Bête, and winning a Tony for Curtains. But now, contrary to popular expectation, Mr. Pierce will be directing an upcoming musical at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ, called It Shoulda Been You. The show, which is expected to start previews on October 4th and will open on October 14th, will star Tyne Daly (after her run as opera singer Maria Callas in Terrence McNally's Master Class). The show follows the antics of a wedding in process between a Jewish woman (the daughter of Tyne Daly's character) and a Catholic man.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

2011 Audience Awards

Every year, Broadway.com has its readers nominate and vote on what they call Audience Choice Awards. These nominees and winners for these awards are selected by the general, theater-going public and can give insight as to how non-critics' opinions are trending about the current awards season. Last week, the winners of the 2011 awards were announced, and they are:

Favorite Musical
Sister Act

Favorite Play
War Horse

Favorite Musical Revival
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Favorite Play Revival
Driving Miss Daisy

Favorite Long-Running Show
Wicked

Favorite Tour
Wicked

Favorite Actor in a Musical
Daniel Radcliffe, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Favorite Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes

Favorite Actor in a Play
Robin Williams, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

Favorite Actress in a Play
Judith Light, Lombardi

Favorite Diva Performance
Nick Adams, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Favorite Funny Performance
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Favorite Onstage Pair
John Larroquette & Daniel Radcliffe, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Favorite Breakthrough Performance
Nick Adams, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Favorite Replacement
Billie Joe Armstrong, American Idiot

Favorite Song
“I Believe” from The Book of Mormon

Outer Critics Circle Awards

The Outer Critics Circle have handed out their 2011 awards. Best Play was given to the Lincoln Center production of War Horse, which beat out Good People, The Motherfucker with the Hat, and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. This continues the awards rivalry between War Horse and Good People for the Best Play Tony. Good People won the Drama Critics Circle award for best play, which may give it the edge come Tony time because that organization's members can vote for the Tony Awards, while Outer Critics Circle awards do not. War Horse also won for best direction of a play.

The Book of Mormon won for Best Musical, Director, Score, and lead actor for Josh Gad. Anything Goes and The Normal Heart won in the categories of best revival of a musical and of a play, respectively.

Mark Rylance won for lead actor in a play for Jerusalem. The best actress in a play award went to both Nina Arianda for Born Yesterday and Frances McDormand for Good People. Brian Bedford and Elizabeth Rodriguez won the supporting actor and actress in a play categories for The Importance of Being Earnest and The Motherfucker with the Hat respectively.

Piaf Playwright Pam Gems Dies at 83

Pam Gems, the Tony-nominated playwright of Piaf, died at 85 on May 13th in England. Gems received Tony nominations for her 1997 play Stanley and for her book to the 1999 musical Marlene. Her most famous work is her 1981 play Piaf about the French songstress.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Actors Equity Awards

Actor's Equity Foundation has bestowed its annual awards for 2011. Deidre O'Connell and Reed Birney were given the Richard Seff award "for veteran character actors in supporting roles," according to the announcement in Variety. Tracee Chimo and Santino Fontana each won the Clarence Derwent Award for most promising performer. The awards will be bestowed on the four actors at the June 14th meeting of the Eastern Regional Board of the Actor's Equity Association.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Musicians' Union and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The hit musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, has been getting some great word-of-mouth reviews and greater ticket sales. On a more sour note, they have recently also been getting some flack from the musicians' union, Local 802. According to a report in the New York Times by Patrick Healy, the union is "waging an aggressive ... campaign against the new musical in hopes of undercutting the use of recorded music during live theatrical performances." In 2003, the union made concessions to lower the required number of musicians that would be required in each Broadway house, but Priscilla seems to cross a line for the union by using only 9 musicians by using only 9 musicians and mostly piped music.

For more on the battle at hand, check out Patrick Healy's NY Times article linked here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/theater/broadway-union-takes-on-priscilla-over-recorded-music.html?_r=1&ref=theater

Saturday, May 14, 2011

How a Show Stopping Number Gets Built

Ever wondered how those magical show stopping numbers happen? Well, now we have the answer! The New York Times has spoken with Jerry Mitchell, who choreographed the Tony nominated Best Musical, Catch Me if You Can, about how he put together the show's big showstopper, called "Don't Break the Rules". Check out the discussion at the link below!


http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/05/15/theater/theaterspecial/20110515_stopper_ss.html

Friday, May 13, 2011

Sutton Foster Profile

The New York Times has a great profile of Sutton Foster on their theater website. Go check it out!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/theater/theaterspecial/sutton-foster-stars-in-anything-goes.html?ref=theater

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Professional Prognostication

Every year around this time, the two main theater critics at The New York Times, Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood, post their thoughts on who will win the major categories at the upcoming Tony Awards. The link below has their lists and it looks as though the predictions I posted match most of their predictions. I'd say that's off to a good start!


http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/05/15/theater/theaterspecial/20110515-tony-awards-critics-picks.html?ref=theater

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Second Tony Casualty

Close on the heels of the announcement that Lombardi would close after receiving only one Tony nomination (for Judith Light's stellar supporting performance) comes another such announcement. After 31 previews and 33 regular performances, Wonderland: A New Alice will close on Sunday, May 15th. The Frank Wildhorn musical did not receive any Tony nominations this year.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Drama Critics Circle Awards

The Drama Critics Circle has announced the winners of their 2011 DCC Awards. The winner for Best Play was David Lindsay-Abaire's Good People. Best Foreign Play went to Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem and Best Musical went to The Book of Mormon.

Wikipedia describes best the process of how the award winners are decided upon:

"The New York Drama Critics' Circle meets twice a year. At the end of each theater season, it votes on the annual New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, the second oldest theater award in the United States (after the Pulitzer Prize). The main award is for Best Play. If the winner of that award is American, the Circle then votes on whether to give an award for Best Foreign Play as well; if the Best Play winner is of foreign origin, the Circle may give out an award for Best American Play. The awards are later presented in a small ceremony. Since 1945, the Circle has also given out awards for Best Musical. Special Citations may also be awarded for actors, companies or work of special merit. The award for Best Play includes a cash prize of $2,500, and a cash award of $1,000 is given to the playwright who receives the award for Best American or Foreign Play."

The Drama Critics Circle includes writers from New York area critics, including writers from The Associated Press, Back Stage magazine, The Bergen Record, Bloomberg News, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Daily News, The New York Post, Newsday, The New Yorker, TheaterMania, Time, Time Out New York, USA Today, Variety, The Village Voice, and the Wall Street Journal.

The choices of the Drama Critics Circle give some indication of who might win come Tony night, since the members of this organization are "the only non-industry writers who are Tony voters" (Broadway.com) after the elimination of opening night critics from the voting registry last year. After that change in voting rights eliminated all critics from the ranks, only members of the Drama Critics Circle were reinstated.

Monday, May 9, 2011

First Round of Tony Predictions

Having had a week to think about the 2011 Tony Awards race, I've come up with my first inclinations about who I think could win in each category. For some categories, I have narrowed it down to one winner. In others, I think there are two potential front runners and only time (and politics) can tell which will pull ahead. So, without further ado, here are my predictions about what I think will happen come June 12th.

Best Play -- War Horse (or maybe The Motherfucker With the Hat. Though I would really love Good People a strong chance here, I think the competition has a better chance.)

Best Musical -- Book of Mormon

Book of a Musical -- The Book of Mormon

Score -- Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Revival of a Play -- either The Merchant of Venice or The Normal Heart

Revival of a Musical -- Anything Goes

Lead Actor in a Play -- Mark Rylance for Jerusalem

Lead Actress in a Play -- Lily Rabe for The Merchant of Venice or Frances McDormand for Good People

Lead Actor in a Musical -- Tony Sheldon for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Lead Actress in a Musical -- Sutton Foster for Anything Goes

Featured Actor in a Play -- John Benjamin Hickey for The Normal Heart or Yul Vazquez for The Motherfucker With the Hat

Featured Actress in a Play -- Judith Light for Lombardi

Featured Actor in a Musical -- Rory O'Malley for The Book of Mormon or Coleman Domingo for The Scottsboro Boys

Featured Actress in a Musical -- Nikki James for The Book of Mormon

Scenic Design of a Play -- The Motherfucker With the Hat or War Horse

Scenic Design of a Musical -- The Book of Mormon or The Scottsboro Boys

Costume Design of a Play -- The Merchant of Venice or Born Yesterday

Costume Design of a Musical -- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Lighting Design of a Play -- War Horse

Lighting Design of a Musical -- The Book of Mormon

Sound Design of a Play -- Brief Encounter

Sound Design of a Musical -- The Book of Mormon

Director of a Play -- Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe for The Normal Heart or Anna D. Shapiro for The Motherfucker With the Hat

Director of a Musical -- Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker for The Book of Mormon

Choreography -- Casey Nicholaw for The Book of Mormon

Orchestrations -- The Book of Mormon

The Tony Awards Grow Up

In reviewing the list of Tony nominations this year, particularly compared to last year's awards, it has become clear that this year's nominations are much more sophisticated than last year's, particularly in the play categories. This same idea has occurred to Ben Brantley of the New York Times. Check out his article discussing what exactly is going on here.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/this-time-the-tonys-grow-up-and-get-it-right/?ref=theaterspecial

Saturday, May 7, 2011

The Book of Mormon ... for Free?

Gordon Cox of Variety.com has reported on an interesting promotion going on over at The Book of Mormon. His article, "Fans Get Free 'Mormon': Producers Court 'South Park' Fan Base" appears here.



Coming off a week in which "The Book of Mormon" racked up 14 Tony noms, producers of the nothing's-sacred tuner have a lot of options to capitalize on all the critical love.

So you probably wouldn't expect them to sked an extra matinee performance -- and offer it free to proven fans of the show.

That's the plan for July 1, when one extra performance, the ninth that week, will throw open doors to those whose names are drawn from the pool of people who tried (and, most likely, failed) to get tickets to "Book of Mormon" via the show's daily lottery for lower-priced seats.

It's the latest fan-friendly step for the tuner's producers, who find themselves in the enviable but tricky position of sustaining the current B.O. momentum and seeding the field for future sales, all without alienating the legions of "South Park" fans who helped jumpstart the buzz in the first place.

"Mormon" creatives Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who teamed with composer-lyricist Robert Lopez on the tuner, have amassed a huge following thanks to their long-running Comedy Central skein. And according to "Mormon" producers Anne Garefino and Scott Rudin, wooing those "South Park" enthusiasts -- 26 million and counting on Facebook -- has always been a vital part of the "Mormon" strategy.

"Our 'South Park' fans are fiercely loyal," says Garefino, also the exec producer of the TV series. "They weren't thrilled we had to push the 15th season back to get 'Mormon' up."

When the tuner was conceived, producers couldn't be sure "South Park" fans would line up for it. "For a lot of our fans, this is going to be their first Broadway show," Stone says.

Adds Rudin, "We knew they would be the most loyal audience, but also the most suspicious."

Seducing those "South Park" zealots began early, with one of the musical's first public showcases occurring as part of a private event that catered to the Aint It Cool News crowd. A group of fans also was selected to augment the aud at the production's traditional friends-and-family dress rehearsal.

At the same time, producers could exploit the musical's link to the high-profile "South Park" property as an instant indicator of the show's content -- particularly the cheerfully blasphemous vein of humor that's not exactly common along the Main Stem.

" 'South Park' is a currency, and it's a big brand," Rudin says. " 'The Book of Mormon' was a dicey title without 'South Park' in there too."

Like many shows along the Rialto, "Mormon" hosts a regular lottery for a tightly limited number of lower-priced seats, in this case offered for $32 as opposed to the standard pricetag that tops out at $142 (not including premiums).

With "Mormon" converting more and more Broadwaygoers, the lottery has turned into a popular event. Sometimes more than 400 people show up for a single perf; most don't get in.

"Seeing people out there waiting in line and then probably not making it in, that's such a different thing for us," says Parker. "We're used to making something that anyone can get on the Internet or on their TV."

Hence the free perf.

Beginning May 8, anyone who signs up for the lottery, win or lose, will be entered into the drawing for the July 1 matinee, one entry per attempt. There'll also be a quick-response code that hopefuls can use to acquire an extra entry.

The thinking was: The more often someone shows up for the lottery, the better chance of winning those free tickets. "Genuinely, the biggest fans of the show will have the biggest chance of winning," says Elizabeth Furze, managing partner at marketing agency AKA.

"Mormon" will pick winners of the sweepstakes soon after the June 12 Tony ceremony and notify them by email, with each winner receiving a pair of free, general-admission ducats after confirming attendance.

The last time a tuner gave a freebie to fans, producers of the 14 1/2-year-old revival "Chicago" doled out every ticket to the Feb. 8 matinee to fans who could get 10 Facebook friends to like the tuner. It proved popular enough that the dedicated app overloaded and had to be shut down.

"Mormon" initiative is a more costly affair for producers, not only because a ninth perf entails overtime wages for cast and crew, but also because the show's at the height of its post-opening earning power.

But with the tuner rapidly gaining new Broadway fans, the "Mormon" team aims never to lose sight of the old ones.

"We didn't want to be in a place where we, in success, exclude them from the show," Rudin says.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Arthur Laurents Dead at 93

Legendary writer and director Arthur Laurents, who created some of the most famous and beloved musicals of all time, has died at the age of 93. No cause was given, other than that Mr. Laurents died in his sleep. Laurents wrote the books of two of the most famous musicals of all time -- Gypsy and West Side Story. Mr. Laurents won two Tony Awards, one for Best Musical for Hallelujah Baby in 1968 and another for his direction of the Harvey Fierstein - Jerry Herman musical La Cage Aux Folles in 1984. Mr. Laurents also wrote for Hollywood, writing the screenplay of the Barbara Streisand vehicle, The Way We Were, and received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay of The Turning Point in 1977.

Tony Host Announced

Continuing his recent stint hosting awards show after awards show, Neil Patrick Harris will be hosting the 2011 Tony Awards. He hosted the 2009 Tony Awards, as well as the 2009 Emmy Awards at which he was nominated for his performance on How I Met Yor Mother. Harris played the central role of Bobby in the New York Philharmonic production of Stephen Sondheim's Company a few weeks ago.

First 2011 Tony Casualty

As is the case every year, once the Tony nominations come out, a few unlucky shows that don't get nominated much end up closing. This is the case for Lombardi this year. After receiving only one Tony nomination, for Judith Light's supporting performance as Marie Lombardi, the play is set to close on May 22nd. Ms. Light got rave reviews for her performance and is one of the main reasons the show has lasted this long, particularly in a year when all of the plays that opened this past fall, except for this one, have already closed. Given how strongly her performance correlated to the show's staying open, and the strength of her performance, she had been the front runner in her category, but the closing announcement may affect her chances for the win moving forward, giving the edge now to Edie Falco (in The House of Blue Leaves) or Ellen Barkin(in The Normal Heart), whose shows will likely still be running at least up to the time of Awards Night.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Tony Snubs

Every year, the Tony Awards Committee comes up with a list of nominees in roughly 24 categories (the actual number fluctuates from year to year as new categories are introduced and others are dropped). Inevitably, some Tony hopefuls don't end up getting nominated, seemingly defying the odds. This year, a number of star turns were snubbed, and I've listed those below. If there are any more that I have missed or that you'd like to discuss, leave me comments!

Aaron Tveit, Best Actor, Catch Me if You Can

Benjamin Walker, Best Actor, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Daniel Radcliffe, Best Actor, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Robin Williams, Best Featured Actor, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

James Earl Jones, Driving Miss Daisy

Sherie Renee Scott, Best Actress, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Janet Dacal, Best Actress, Wonderland: A New Alice

Joel Grey, Best Featured Actor, Anything Goes

Kerry Butler, Best Featured Actress, Catch Me if You Can

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Official 2011 Tony Award Nominations

The 2011 Tony nominations are being released as I type, so I will try to keep up with Matthew Broderick and Anika Noni Rose as they make the announcement.

Best Musical
Book of Mormon
Catch Me if You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

Book of a Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
The Book of Mormon
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

Score of a Musical
The Book of Mormon
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Play
Good People
Jerusalem
The Motherfucker with the Hat
War Horse

Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Revival of a Play
Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart

Actor in a Play
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherfucker With the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

Actress in a Play
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Featured Actor in a Play
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vazquez, The Motherfucker with the Hat

Featured Actress in a Play
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bete
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherfucker with the Hat

Actor in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me if You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby, It's You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

Featured Actor in a Musical
Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon

Featured Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherfucker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice

Director of a Musical
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Choreography
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Scenic Design of a Play
The Motherfucker with the Hat
War Horse
Jerusalem
The Merchant of Venice

Scenic Design of a Musical
The Scottsboro Boys
Anything Goes
The Book of Mormon
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Costume Design of a Play
The Merchant of Venice
The Importance of Being Earnest
La Bete
Born Yesterday

Costume Design of a Musical
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Anything Goes
The Book of Mormon
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Lighting Design of a Play
War Horse
Bengal Tiger a the Baghdad Zoo
The Merchant of Venice
Jerusalem

Lighting Design of a Musical
The Scottsboro Boys
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Anything Goes
The Book of Mormon

Sound Design of a Play
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Brief Encounter
Jerusalem
War Horse

Sound Design of a Musical
The Scottsboro Boys
Catch Me if You Can
Anything Goes
The Book of Mormon

Orchestrations
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
The Scottsboro Boys
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me if You Can

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Final Nomination Predictions

As May 3rd (the date the Tony nominations will be announced) quickly approaches, I wanted to update my list of nomination predictions.

Musical
The Scottsboro Boys
Book of Mormon
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Sister Act
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Catch Me if You Can
NO CHANCE:
Elf
The People in the Picture
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Book
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act
The Book of Mormon
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Catch Me if You Can
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
NO CHANCE:
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
The People in the Picture

Score
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act
The Book of Mormon
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Catch Me if You Can
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Wonderland

Play
War Horse
Good People
A Free Man of Color
A Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
OUTSIDE SHOT:
The Motherfucker With the Hat
Jerusalem
Lombardi
Brief Encounter
NO CHANCE:
Elling
High
The Pitmen Painters

Musical Revival
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Play Revival
Merchant of Venice
La Bete
The Normal Heart
The Importance of Being Ernest
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Arcadia
Driving Miss Daisy
NO CHANCE:
House of Blue Leaves
Mrs. Warren’s Profession
A Life in the Theatre

Actor in a Play
Mark Rylance, La Bete
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, Merchant of Venice
Jeffrey Wright, A Free Man of Color
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
David Hyde Pierce, La Bete
Bobby Canavale, The Motherfucker With the Hat
Chris Rock, The Motherfucker With the Hat
Dan Lauria, Lombardi
James Earl Jones, Driving Miss Daisy
Tristan Sturrock, Brief Encounter
Dennis O'Hare, Elling

Actress in a Play
Lily Rabe, Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Kathleen Turner, High
Frances McDormand, Good People
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Cherry Jones, Mrs. Warren's Profession
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Featured Actor in a Play
Mos Def, A Free Man of Color
Tate Donovan, Good People
Damon Daunno, Brief Encounter
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Ernest
Robin Williams, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
David Harbour, Merchant of Venice
John McMartin, A Free Man of Color
Richard Easton, Elling
Paul Dano, A Free Man of Color
Byron Jennings, Merchant of Venice

Featured Actress in a Play
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bete
Dana Ivey, The Importance of Being Earnest
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Sarah Topham, The Importance of Being Earnest
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Good People
Dorothy Atkinson, Brief Encounter
Estelle Parsons, Good People
Nicole Behari, A Free Man of Color
Christina Ricci, Time Stands Still
NO CHANCE:
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The House of Blue Leaves
Veanne Cox, A Free Man of Color
Jennifer Coolidge, Elling

Actor in a Musical
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Aaron Tveit, Catch Me if You Can
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me if You Can
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Benjamin Walker, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Will Swenson, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Daniel Radcliffe, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Colin Donnell, Anything Goes

Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Sherie Rene Scott, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Janet Dacal, Alice: A New Wonderland
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Rose Hemingway, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Beth Leavel, Baby, It’s You!

Featured Actor in a Musical
Coleman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O’Malley, The Book of Mormon
Joel Grey, Anything Goes
John Cullum, The Scottsboro Boys
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Jeff Hiller, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Featured Actress in a Musical
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Kristine Nielsen, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Karen Mason, Alice: A New Wonderland
Beth Leavel, Elf

Director of a Play
Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherfucker With the Hat
George C. Wolfe, A Free Man of Color
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Daniel Sullivan, Merchant of Venice
Emma Rice, Brief Encounter
Matthew Warchus, La Bete
David Leveaux, Arcadia

Director of a Musical
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys
Alex Timbers, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Jerry Zaks, Sister Act
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Jack O'Brien, Catch Me if You Can
Simon Phillips, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
NO CHANCE:
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Set Design of a Play
La Bete
Merchant of Venice
War Horse
Born Yesterday
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Brief Encounter
The House of Blue Leaves
NO CHANCE:
Driving Miss Daisy
Arcadia
The Pitmen Painters

Costume Design of a Play
Lombardi
Born Yesterday
War Horse
La Bete
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Free Man of Color
Merchant of Venice
A Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Arcadia
Mrs Warren’s Profession
NO CHANCE:
House of Blue Leaves

Lighting Design of a Play
La Bete
War Horse
Merchant of Venice
A Free Man of Color
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Brief Encounter
Arcadia
House of Blue Leaves
Driving Miss Daisy

Sound Design of a Play
La Bete
A Free Man of Color
Merchant of Venice
Brief Encounter
OUTSIDE SHOT:
War Horse
Arcadia
A Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
The House of Blue Leaves
The Pitmen Painters

Set Design of a Musical
The Scottsboro Boys
Catch Me if You Can
Woderland: A New Alice
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Sister Act
NO CHANCE:
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Anything Goes

Costume Design of a Musical
The Scottsboro Boys
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Catch Me If You Can
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Anything Goes
Sister Act
Wonderland: A New Alice

Lighting Design of a Musical
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Wonderland: A New Alice
Catch Me if You Can
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Anything Goes


Sound Design of a Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
The Scottsboro Boys
Alice: A New Wonderland
Catch Me if You Can
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Anything Goes
Sister Act
Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Choreography
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys
Jerry Mitchell, Catch Me if You Can
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Danny Mefford, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Ross Coleman, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Anthony Van Laast, Sister Act

Orchestrations
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
The Scottsboro Boys
Brief Encounter
Catch Me if You Can
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Wonderland: A New Alice
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Final Eligibility Decisions Made

The Tony nominating committee has made its fourth and final decisions on the eligibility of actors, writers, and designers for shows within the 2010-2011 Broadway season. Their decisions were:

Will Swenson and Tony Sheldon will both be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for their performances in Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

John Leguizamo will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his performance in Ghetto Klown.

Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells will both be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for their performances in The Book of Mormon.

John Larroquette will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his performance in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Joel Grey will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his performance in Anything Goes.

Colin Donnell will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his performance in Anything Goes.

Bobby Cannavale will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his performance in The Motherf**ker with the Hat.

Seth Numrich will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his performance in War Horse.

Janet Dacal will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her performance in Wonderland.

Douglas Carter Beane will be considered eligible jointly with Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner in the category of Best Book of a Musical for Sister Act.

Patina Miller will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her performance in Sister Act.

Robert Sean Leonard will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for his performance in Born Yesterday.

Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh will both be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for their performances in The House of Blue Leaves.

Beth Leavel will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her performance in Baby It’s You.

Jason H. Thompson will be considered eligible jointly with Anna Louizos in the category of Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Baby It’s You.

Joe Mantello will be considered eligible in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in The Normal Heart.