Two Record Breakers in A Week

This week became a week of records for the world of Broadway when two theater-related productions set some money-making records.  The first is the record-breaking run of the current revival of The Elephant Man.  The show brought in $1,058,547 for the week ending December 28th -- the first time any show brought in more than $1 million in a single week at the Booth Theatre.  The show has also announced that, six and a half weeks after opening, the show has recouped its entire $3.1 million capitalization -- one of the fastest in memory.

The other record in our orbit that was set this week came with the release of the Hollywood adaptation of Into the Woods.  The movie, released on Christmas day, brought in $46.1 million dollars at the box office in its opening weekend -- the most money of any movie adapted from a Broadway musical.

2015 Spring Preview

Playbill.com has posted a preview of the 2015 spring season on Broadway.  Check it out to see all the things that are coming up to the boards.

Opera Diva Coming to Broadway Boards

Renee Fleming, star of the New York Opera world, will be making her Broadway debut this coming spring.  The four-time Grammy winning singer will be starring as fictional opera star Raquel De Angelis in a new comedy by Joe DiPietro entitled Living on Love.  The Broadway production, a world premier being directed by Kathleen Marshall, will begin previews on April 1st and open April 20th at the Longacre Theatre.  The production will run through August 2nd.  Here's how the producers are billing the show:  "World-renouned soprano Renee Fleming takes to the stage as celebrated diva Raquel De Angelis.  When Vito, her larger-than-life maestro husband, becomes enamored with the lovely young lady hired to ghostwrite his largely fictional autobiography, Raquel retaliates by hiring her own handsome, young scribe to chronicle her life as an opera star.  Sparks fly, silverware is thrown, and romance blossoms in the most unexpected ways in this brand new hilarious comedy."

Broadway Real Estate Coming Up

This topic is about a subject that I've been thinking a lot about this week.  There are several shows closing right after the first of the year, as well as one that closed last week.  With each show closing, there are several theaters that will become available real estate, though several of them already have shows coming in soon after they become available.  Here is a list of the shows that have closed recently or will be closing soon:

Love Letters
Once
Cinderella
This is Our Youth
Pippin
Side Show
Rock of Ages
Motown
The Real Thing

That means that the Brooks Atkinson Theatre became available last week, and that the Bernard B. Jacobs, Broadway, Cort, Music Box, St. James, Helen Hayes, Lunt-Fontanne, and American Airlines theaters will all become available by 6pm on Sunday, January 4th, 2015.  That's a lot of real estate available all on one day.  With that in mind, those same theaters, in the same order, will be filled by the following shows for the spring season:

It Shoulda Been You
It's Only a Play (transfer from the Schoenfeld)
Doctor Zhivago
A Fish in the Dark
The Heidi Chronicles
Something Rotten
(empty)
Finding Neverland
On the Twentieth Century

I find it interesting that the Helen Hayes will go dark after Rock of Ages closes and vacates the space.  The theater is on 44th street right near Shubert Alley and, while 45th Street is the more valuable real estate, the Hayes Theatre is a prime location for a small show.  I can't wait to find out what goes in there.

Two Shows Coming to New York

There are two shows coming to New York that I want my readers to know about.  One will be a one-night-only benefit version of a mythical musical and the other is a new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical -- the first new show he's had on Broadway since 2005's The Woman in White.

The mythical musical coming to New York is  a benefit concert version of Bombshell -- the fictional musical whose creation was chronicled in the TV show Smash.  The musical tells the life story of Marilyn Monroe and features a score by Tony-winning composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman. It is expected that the staging will include all 22 songs features during the course of the TV series, and will include cast members from the short-lived show.  It is also presumed that the staging will be held at one of Broadway's 40 theaters.  The staging will be choreographed by Emmy winner Joshua Bergasse, who is currently represented on Broadway with the revival of On the Town.

The new Andrew Lloyd Webber show is going to be an adaptation of the Jack Black movie School of Rock.  The show is scheduled to play the Winter Garden Theatre starting in November, 2015, with an opening scheduled for December 6, 2015.  Julian Fellowes will write the show's book, and the lyrics will be by Glenn Slater.

St. James Theatre Has New Tenant

With last week's news of Side Show's closing, the theater's owners have shown a quick turnaround.  The theatre has already booked and announced its next tenant.  A new musical, Something Rotten, will have its world premier at the Broadway house.  The show had a developmental lab this past October and was going to have a run in Seattle, but it will now be skipping that step and going straight to Broadway.  The show is being directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw and will begin previews on March 23rd, with opening night set for April 22nd.  Here's how the show is being billed:  "Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rockstar known as 'The Bard'.  When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theater involves singing, dancing, and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the very first musical.  But amid the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self … and all that jazz."

Side Show Revival to Close

The critically acclaimed revival of Side Show directed by Academy Award winner Bill Condon has posted its closing notice.  The show, which began previews October 28th and opened on November 17th, will close on January 4th, at which point the production will have played 21 previews and 56 regular performances.  Interestingly, the original production played a similar run, lasting 91 performances from October of 1997 to January 1998.

Casting That Should Be

The upcoming Broadway production of It Shoulda Been You has announced some additional casting.  In addition to previously announced cast members Tyne Daly, Harriet Harris, Eddie Hibbart, Sierra Boggess and David Burtka will be Tony nominee Montego Glover, Josh Grisetti, and Chip Zein.  Ms. Glover is perhaps best known for her Tony-nominated turn in Memphis a few seasons back while Mr. Zein is best known for his turn in the Tony-winning original production of Into the Woods, which is getting the Hollywood treatment this Christmas.

The Elephant Man Opens

The second revival of Bernard Pomerance's 1979 play (the first revival was in 2002) opened last night at the Booth Theatre.  The reviews are in and are quite solid.  Reviews have highly praised various elements of the production.  These include "an excellent Alessandro Nivola", and a set which includes "discretely poetic use of sliding curtains to echo imagery about illusion and concealment."  The production's star is certainly giving a star performance, which has drawn a variety of responses from critics.  Some people did not explicitly comment on his performance but thought that his celebrity would bring in ticket buyers and, as the elephant in the room, was quite appropriate -- people coming to gawk and all.  Others loved him in the part -- a role Cooper has been wanting to play since graduate school.

It's Only A Casting Update, and Other News

Casting updates have been announced for the extension of the Broadway revival of It's Only a Play.  In addition to the announcement that Tony-winner Martin Short will be taking over for Tony-winner Nathan Lane, we now have news about who will replace Rupert Grint and Megan Mullally.  Two time Tony winner Katie Finneran will be assuming the role currently being played by Ms. Mullally while Mr. Grint's role will be assumed by TV star Maulik Pancholy who will be making his Broadway debut with the show.  They will begin performances on January 7th.

In other news, the Broadway transfer of the Pulitzer Prize nominated off-Broadway hit will arrive on Broadway a tad early.  The show had originally been slated to begin previews April 4th and open on April 22nd.  The show will now begin previews on March 27th in anticipation of an April 19th opening.

Last, but certainly not least, is the news that Nina Arianda will be returning to Broadway next season.  Manhattan Theatre Club is putting on a revival of Sam Shepard's Fool For Love.  Arianda's co-star will be Sam Rockwell.  Mr. Rockwell was last seen on Broadway in Martin McDonagh's A Behanding In Spokane.  Ms. Arianda was most recently seen in an off-Broadway production called Tales From Red Vienna.  She has two Broadway credits (and two Tony nominations) to her credit -- Born Yesterday and her Tony-winning turn in Venus in Fur.

Master Class: William Ivey Long and His Influences

William Ivey Long, the iconic costume designer with 70 Broadway credits and 14 Tony nominations (including 6 wins) to his name and who is the Chair of the American Theatre Wing, has spoken with Playbill.com about what influences him from the world of fashion on stage and screen.  I have linked to the article below in what will become the first of a series Playbill hopes to continue with various other artists in the industry.  Let me know what you all think about articles like this and let me know if you would like to see me do more articles like this.

http://playbill.com/news/article/iconic-and-influential-william-ivey-long-on-the-stage-and-screen-fashion-that-shaped-his-career-336434

Dr. Zhivago Star Announced

The producers of the upcoming Broadway musical production of Dr. Zhivago have announced the name of their star.  Tam Mutu, star of the London productions of Les Miserables and Love Never Dies, as well as the upcoming London production of City of Angels, will make his Broadway debut in Dr. Zhivago.  Mr. Mutu had been slated to make his Broadway debut in Rebecca -- a musical based on the Daphne DuMaurier novel and Alfred Hitchcock movie of the same name -- until that production became mired in a phony investor scandal.  Dr. Zhivago, which began life at LaJolla in 2006 before a revised Australian production in 2010, will begin Broadway previews on March 27th in advance of an April 21st opening.

Jessie Mueller's New Job

2014 Tony winner Jessie Mueller has landed her next gig.  The talented singer/actress will star in a new musical adaptation of the 2007 film Waitress, which starred Kerri Russell.  According to The New York Times and Playbill.com, the new musical will feature a score by five-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles.  The show is being produced by Fran and Barry Weissler, who will be collaborating with Tony winning director Diane Paulus.  The show is aiming for a 2015-2016 premier at the A.R.T. in Cambridge, MA.

Sting to Play Broadway

The Last Ship composer Sting will be joining the cast of his show, according to Playbill.com.  According to the article, "Sting will play an eight-performance-a-week schedule [from] December 9th through January 10th."  He will be taking over the role of Jackie White, currently played by Jimmy Nail, who has been with the show since its pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago.  The likely reason for the casting move is that the show has been struggling at the box office since receiving mixed reviews upon its October 26th opening.  In an additional move to help the show, Playbill is reporting that Sting has waived his royalties for the production in order to keep the show going.  The production reportedly needs to bring in $625,000 a week to cover its running costs but, for the week ending November 16th, the show only brought in $536,449.

A Delicate Balance Opens on Broadway

The revival of Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance has opened on Broadway to mixed reviews.  Some people loved it, others hated it.  The ones who loved it gushed over pretty much everything.  The ones who didn't like it said it was too sterile and that, while it was easier to understand, it was also harder to enjoy because of that (I interpret that to mean that it was unsuccessfully dumbed down).  Different reviewers had different opinions about which performers were strong and which ones weren't.

EGOT Winner Mike Nichols Dead at 83

The prolific director Mike Nichols has died.  The German-born director was one of only twelve individuals to have won the EGOT -- an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony -- for his work.  Mr. Nichols' work includes the film version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, as well as The Graduate, for which he won his Oscar.  He won two Emmy's, for directing the TV adaptations of the plays W;t and Angels in America.  He has won seven Tony's for directing, most recently for the 2012 revival of Death of a Salesman.  He was also part of the comedy duo Nichols and May, in which he partnered with writer and actress Elaine May.  Their comedy album, An Evening With Mike Nichols and Elaine May, won the pair the 1961 Grammy for Best Comedy Album.

Side Show Sidles Into its Broadway Opening

The Broadway revival of Side Show opened last night and got some rave reviews.  Of particular note were the two leading performances of Erin Davie and Emily Padgett.  The direction, design, and particularly the musical direction were highly praised.  This one will be a hot ticket for sure.

Rock of Ages Posts Closing Notice

Rock of Ages, which has been playing Broadway since March of 2009, has posted its closing notice.  The show began previews at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on March 7th, 2009, and opened there on April 7th of the same year.  The show temporarily closed in January of 2011, and reopened on March 24th, 2011, at the Helen Hayes Theatre where it has been playing ever since.  The show will close on January 18th, 2015, after having played 22 previews and 2,328 regular performances.  The show received critical acclaim upon its opening and garnered 5 2009 Tony nominations, including Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for Constantine Maroulis.

The River Floods Onto Broadway

Last night, a new play, The River, opened on Broadway.  The reviews are in and are decidedly mixed.  Reviewers seemed to love the design elements, the direction, and Hugh Jackman's performance.  The writing, however, was not so warmly received.

Ben Brantley of The New York Times said, "I think it's safe to say that the effectiveness of The River depends on our awareness that we are physically in the room -- even held captive -- with the tense people onstage.  The small Circle in the Square, with its three-sided stage, contributes to this feeling.  So does the expert, immersive lighting and sound design … with [its] prettily creepy music."

Marilyn Stasio of Variety Magazine said, "the open-sided setting designed by Ultz depicts the rustic cabin where a character designated The Man (Jackman) has taken a character designated The Woman (Cush Jumbo) for a romantic night of trout fishing.  The lighting … is subtly seductive, and the ever inventive sound maven Ian Dickinson, who also did the fancy work on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Jerusalem has invented a symphony of provocative night sounds that sustains the mood of the play from beginning to end, even when the human voices start to grate on the ear.

Of Mr. Jackman's performance, Mr. Brantley said, "Mr. Jackman conveys an impression of mightily self-contained silence, even when he's talking like Wordsworth on a bender.  And in banking his fires so compellingly, he ascends with assurance to a new level as a stage actor."

The writing, however, was not so highly praised.  Marilyn Stasio said, "Aside from the charismatic star's intense performance as a lovesick fisherman who is given to poetic laments over the fish (and the woman) who slipped away from him, just about everything else about Jez Buttersorth's strange chamber piece, The River, is a downer."  Mr. Brantley added, after highly praising Mr. Jackman's performance, "I make no comparable claims* for Mr. Butterworth's short and elliptical play, previously staged at the Royal Court Theater and his first since the mighty Jerusalem K.O.'d New York in 2011.  That heaving portrait of a belief-starved Britain was an audacious symphony of words, ideas, and characters you hated to love.  The River is conducted in a more minor key [than was his previous play], and is also a more minor effort."

All in all, a strong production of a mediocre play.

Tony Awards Administration Committee Makes First Round of Decisions

The Tony Awards Administration Committee, which meets several times throughout the year to determine in which categories certain performers and plays will be considered eligible, met for the first time this season on November 13th.  Their decisions were:

Saul Williams will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for Holler If Ya Hear Me.

This Is Our Youth will be considered a Revival.

Tavi Gevinson will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play category for This Is Our Youth.

James Earl Jones, Byron Jennings, Patrick Kerr, Fran Kanz, Mark Linn-Baker, and Reg Rogers will all be eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play category for You Can't Take It With You.

Rose Byrne, Annaleigh Ashford, Johanna Day, Julie Halston, Kristine Nielsen, and Elizabeth Ashley will all be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play category for You Can't Take It With You.

Blythe Danner will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for The Country House.

It's Only a Play will be considered a revival.

F. Murray Abraham, Matthew Broderick, Rupert Grint, and Micah Stock will all be considered in the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play category.

Stockard Channing and Megan Mullaly will be considered in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play category.

Tony Yazbek will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category.

How Do They Keep Those Ceilings Up?

Theater Mania posted an interesting article that I wanted to bring to your attention.  The article discusses a side of the entertainment business that most people don't even think about -- the real estate.  Jujamcyn Theaters' Hal Goldberg and Jennifer Hershey talked with Theater Mania about what they do to maintain their buildings, particularly when they have long-running tenants like Jersey Boys, which has occupied the August Wilson Theatre since 2005.


http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/sprucing-up-the-theater-what-are-broadways-landlor_70609.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_name=11nov2014

Additional Casting for Finding Neverland Announced

Additional casting has been announced for the upcoming Broadway transfer of Finding Neverland.  The ART-based production, directed by Diane Paulus, is based on the 2004 film of the same name.  In addition to previously announced star Matthew Morrison, the production will also star Laura Michelle Kelly and Kelsey Grammer.  The show is expected to begin previews at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in March with an anticipated opening date of April 15th.

Matthew Morrison and the Queen of England

Two pieces of news have hit the boards in the last 24 hours about two high-profile performers coming to Broadway this year.


Harvey Weinstein and the producers of the upcoming ART production of Finding Neverland have announced that Tony and Emmy nominated actor Matthew Morrison will replace Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan in the Broadway bound production of the show.  The production premiered at Cambridge, Massachusetts' American Repertory Theatre under the direction of Diane Paulus with Mr. Jordan and Olivier Award nominee Laura Michelle Kelly.


In other news, there has been an interesting announcement about the upcoming Broadway transfer of the London production of The Queen, starring Helen Mirren.  It seems that when the show hits our shores, it will have a different ending than it did in the UK.  Stephen Daldry, the play's Tony winning director, told the LA Times, "Peter [Morgan] will always be re-writing!  For Broadway, it will be essential.  The end will have to change quite radically to reflect the exact moment in current events."

It's The Real Thing -- But What Is It?

I just found a great article on Playbill.com to which I wanted to bring your attention.  The article discusses and dissects The Real Thing -- a 1984 Tom Stoppard play currently being revived by the Roundabout Theatre Company now through January 4th.  For anyone not familiar with Mr. Stoppard's work, they are often academic and can be hard to follow if you're not paying attention, so this article may prove to be useful to viewers, even though this play may be his most accessible.  Check out the article and let me know what you think about it.

http://playbill.com/news/article/love-and-marriage-tom-stoppard-style-ewan-mcgregor-and-maggie-gyllenhaal-search-for-the-real-thing-335018

New "Into the Woods" Trailer Released -- This Time With Singing!

A new 30 second TV spot has been released for the upcoming film adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.  Unlike previous commercials for the movie, this one actually includes the characters singing.  This may or may not be in response to complaints that the first commercial released for the film did not include any singing or music other than some basic underscoring.


http://playbill.com/news/article/little-red-and-bakers-wife-sing-in-new-into-the-woods-tv-commercial-video-335074

News From Around the Broadway Block

There is news about two shows -- one that's already on Broadway and another that is on its way.

First comes news about the currently-running It's Only a Play.  The star-studded show has made several large-scale announcements in a press release yesterday.  The first is that the play will be extending through March 29, 2015.  The show will continue to play the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre through January 18th.  Then, it will transfer to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre beginning January 23rd.  In additional news, Tony- and Emmy-winner Martin Short will be joining the production beginning January 7th, replacing Tony-winner Nathan Lane.

In other news, there will be another revival of Fiddler on the Roof next year.  No theater has been announced for the show, but the production will be directed by Tony-winner Bartlett Sher and will star five-time Tony nominee Danny Burstein.  Performances will begin November 17th, 2015.

Pippin to Close

Well, folks, I've been a little behind the times.  On Monday, the Tony-winning revival of Pippin announced that it will be closing.  The show opened on April 25th, 2013 to ecstatic reviews and ended up winning four Tony Awards, including Best Director and Best Musical Revival.  At the time of its closing, the show will have played 37 previews and 709 regular performances.

Title of Song Cut From Into the Woods Revealed

Playbill.com has revealed the title of the song that was cut from the film version of Into the Woods.  The song was written particularly for Meryl Streep in her role as the witch.  The song, which was filmed and put into an early cut of the film, but dropped from the final version, is titled "She'll Be Back".  The film's director, Rob Marshall, said in a statement, that cutting the song was "painful, especially a new Sondheim song which is so thrilling," adding that the film simply works better without it.  The song, which was written particularly for Meryl Streep, will be preserved on the DVD release of the film, whenever that happens to be released.

Variety Magazine reports that most of the songs were pre-recorded, unlike the film version of Les Miserables.  The sole exception to this was the witches rap.  Michael Higham, who was the film's music producer/supervisor, told Variety, "Meryl did that live.  It was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen."

Bradley Cooper Laughed His Way to the Stage

The story goes that, when Bradley Cooper walked off stage at the end of a performance of Bernard Pomerance's 1977 play The Elephant Man, his father was shaking.  "You picked the right profession," his father, Charles, is supposed to have said.  But this performance was not at Broadway's Booth Theatre, nor was it at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2012.  It was in 1999, when Bradley was in the Actor's Studio masters program and had performed the play as his thesis.  Cooper's connection to the play began in 1987 when his dad bought a VCR and showed him the movie.  Bradley's obsession with John Merrick never waned over the years and now he is finally playing the role on Broadway eight shows a week.

The Real Thing Opens on Broadway

A new revival of Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing opened on Broadway last night and the reviews are in.  This production has gotten reviews that are all over the board.  Newsday raved about the production, telling its readers, "don't look here for a complaint about this being the third Broadway revival of Stoppard's 1982 dissection of adultery, the theater, radical politics, and other so-called real things of the aching heart.  Ewan McGregor and Maggie Gyllenhaal [make] impressively comfortable Broadway debuts … [and] everyone, including Cynthia Nixon, … is appealing and smart."  The New York Times, on the other hand, hated the show, saying, "Don't be misled by the title.  Authenticity is conspicuous only by its absence in the tinny revival which opened on Thursday night at the American Airlines Theatre."

Marilyn Stasio, of Variety Magazine, wrote, "The largely American cast performing here under the helming of Sam Gold seems overwhelmed, not to say cowed, by the scribe's blithely brittle humor.  Missing the subtlety of the satire, they seem to think this cutting comedy of manners is better played as earnest drama -- except for those jarring musical interludes when everyone drops out of character and sits around singing those 1950s and 60s pop songs of which Stoppard was notoriously fond."

The New York Post was the most mixed of any individual review.  That review said, "Tom Stoppard plays like The Coast of Utopia and Arcadia are reliably smart and witty, with intricate structures ... that flatter audience's ego and tickle the actors. No wonder Ewan McGregor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Cynthia Nixon were drawn to this revival of The Real Thing: It's Stoppard to a T and, unlike a lot of his work, has a heart as well as a brain.  Yet the play feels like a kettle that simmers without ever reaching a  boiling point."

Take that for what you will.  Very mixed reviews of a play whose two previous Broadway productions did nothing but win Tony Awards.

It Should Be There … and it Will Be

There's a new addition to the Broadway season.  It Shoulda Been You, which has been circling Broadway since its out of town tryout in 2012 at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ, has finally booked a Broadway house.  The show will be playing the Brooks Atkinson Theatre with previews beginning on March 17, 2015.  Opening night is set for April 14th.  David Hyde Pierce, a Tony winner for his performance in Curtains and an Emmy winner for creating Niles Crane Frasier, will make his Broadway directorial debut with the show, which will star Tyne Daly, Harriet Harris, Sierra Boggess, and Eddie Hibbert.  The show, which was conceived by Barbara Anselmi, with book and lyrics by Brian Hargrove and score by Ms. Anselmi, and additional lyrics by several other contributors.  The design team includes Anna Louizos (sets), William Ivey Long (costumes), Ken Billington (lights), and Nevin Steinberg (sound).  The producing team includes Daryl Roth, Scott Landis, Jayne Sherman, Jane Bergere, and John O'Doyle.

The Last Ship Opens On Broadway

The Last Ship, the new musical with a score by Sting, opened yesterday at the Neil Simon Theatre.  The reviews are in and they are mixed-to-negative.  The score was considered to be strong for a pop star coming to Broadway, and may well get a Tony nomination.  Michael Esper's leading performance and several supporting performances were also well received -- including Fred Applegate, Collin Kelly-Sordelet, Aaron Lazar, and Jimmy Nail.  The lighting and set designs were highly spoken of, but the choreography was the big stand-out of the crowd as the most highly praised element of the show.

Not the best of reviews, meaning the show's chances are less than stellar.  They may sell well enough to last through awards season but, unless they pick up some serious recognition, I doubt they will last very long.

Disgraced Opens on Broadway

A new play has opened on Broadway with quite a pedigree to its name.  Disgraced opened last night at the Lyceum Theatre after a 2012 production off-Broadway at Lincoln Center followed by a 2013 London production.  The play won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama in its original incarnation and is now making its debut on the Main Stem.  The play, by Ayad Akhtar, is about a Muslim lawyer who has tried to hide from his faith but who may no longer be able to hide when his reputation is put on the line after he takes on a high profile client.

The reviews are in and they are both strong and positive.  The writing is said to have some minor flaws, but none that are at all significant enough to interfere.  Kimberly Senior's direction is taut, and the production generally terrific.  Three of the actors were particularly cited for their performances -- leading man Hari Dhillon, Karen Pittman (the only one to transfer with the show from a previous production of the play), and Josh Radnor (from television's How I Met Your Mother).

Roundabout Theatre Company News: Keira Knightly Comes to Broadway

A new adaptation of Therese Raquin is in the works and is headed to Broadway -- and will bring a major star, Keira Knightly, to her Broadway debut.  The Roundabout Theatre Company has commissioned Helen Edmundson to write a new adaptation of Emile Zola's 1867 novel about a young woman trapped in an unhappy marriage.  Ms. Edmundson previously adapted Jamila Gavin's 2000 novel Coram Boy for the stage.  The show is going to be the first production of the Roundabout's 50th anniversary season next fall.  The show will begin previews on October 1st with an opening night of October 29th, 2015.

Here's how the show is being billed: "In this tale of love, lust, betrayal, and guilt, Therese has made peace with her loveless marriage to a weak man when her world is turned upside down by Laurent walking through the door.  Unable to ignore her passion, the pair sets off on a violent path that may have far worse consequences for the perpetrators than for the victims."


In other Roundabout news, it has been announced that a production of Michael Frayn's Noises Off, which has been circling a RTC stage for several months now, will be coming to Broadway next year.  The show will begin previews on December 17th, 2015, and open on January 14th, 2016, and will star Andrea Martin as Dotty.

Bring Broadway Home -- Show Comes to DVD

The HBO filming of Billy Crystal's one man show, Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays, has been released on DVD.  The show, which was written and performed by Mr. Crystal, first performed on Broadway for 163 performances from December 2004 to June 2005 at the Broadhurst Theatre.  That production, directed by Des MacAnuff and originally produced by the LaJolla Playhouse, won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event and both the Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.  The production that HBO filmed was a return engagement which played 46 performances from November 2013 to January 2014.  The filming aired on HBO on April 19th, and the DVD will include 14 minutes of material cut from the TV release.

Main Stem News

I have news items about two different Broadway shows today -- On the Twentieth Century and It's Only a Play.

On the Twentieth Century has announced additional casting.  In addition to previously announced stars Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher, the show will also star Michael McGrath, Mary Louise Wilson, Andy Karl, and Mark-Linn Baker.  The show, which is being produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company, will begin previews on February 12th in anticipation of a March 12th opening.  The production will play through July 5th, or 20 weeks, at the American Airlines Theatre.

In other news, the Broadway revival of It's Only a Play has had a record setting week at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, has had a record setting week.  For the week ending October 19th, the show took in $1,375,481 -- a record for a single week at the 1,083 seat house.  The previous record holder was A Steady Rain, which took in $1,292,210 back in December 2009.

Photos from Side Show

The Broadway Revival of Side Show, which will be opening officially in about a month, has posted some production stills that I wanted to bring to your attention.  You can see them by clicking here.

On the Town Opens

The 70th anniversary revival of On the Town, the classic, if dated, musical by Leonard Bernstein and the legendary coupling of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, opened last night at the Lyric Theatre.  The reviews are in and the show is an unqualified hit.  Every review I read was a total rave.  Basically, get your tickets now.

Standouts in the reviews were John Rando's direction, Joshua Bergasse's choreography, and the performances of Tony Yazbeck, Jackie Hoffman, Megan Fairchild, Philip Boynkin, Alysha Umphress, and Elizabeth Stanley.

It's Only a Play Opens

A revival of Terrence McNally's It's Only a Play opened last night at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre and the reviews are in.  The show did not receive the reviews that its stellar cast and even better ticket sales would seem to merit.  The show was basically described as a vaguely amusing, if not quite funny, night out at the theater.  Nathan Lane was praised, Matthew Broderick and Rupert Grint were panned.  Megan Mulally and Stockard Channing received reviews that were middle of the road.  The writing -- well, thank goodness they have all those stars.  And oh -- another thing.  The irony that a show that makes fun of celebrities stars so many of them, was lost on no one.

"Once the Musical" Posts Closing Notice

Once: the Musical, which won 8 Tony Awards in 2012 including Best Musical, has announced that it will be closing on January 4th, 2015.  At the time of its closing, the show will have played 22 previews and 1,167 regular performances.  The show, which opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on March 18, 2012, won Tony's for Best Musical, Book, Actor in a Leading Role (Steve Kazee), Director of a Musical (John Tiffany), Orchestrations, Scenic Design, Sound Design, and Lighting Design.

Two Broadway Openings

It has been a while since I have posted on this blog because of work and the holidays, but I am back.  Two shows have opened on Broadway in the interim and the reviews are in.  The two shows in question are Manhattan Theatre Club's Chekhov-inspired The Country House and the National Theatre's Broadway import of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Written by Donald Margulies and directed by Daniel Sullivan, Manhattan Theatre Club's The Country House opened on October 2nd and received mixed-to-negative reviews.  The play seemed contrived and, while amusing at times, was not considered to be simply a rehash of things we've all seen too many times before.  Blythe Danner, the play's leading lady, received some positive recognition for her performance, however.  It may or may not be enough to net her another Tony nomination -- it will have to depend on the competition and how long voters' memories are.

The other opening that happened recently is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a transfer from London's National Theatre.  The play opened last night and received absolute raves across the board.  This will definitely be the hot ticket of the season as well as the big winner come Tony season.  Almost every element of this play received mentions in several reviews, including the direction, design elements, and acting, particularly of the young male lead.  This is sure to receive nominations for Best Play, Lead Actor (Alex Sharp), Featured Actress (Francesca Faridany), Director, Set Design, Lighting Design, and, if the Tony committee decides to bring back the category, Sound Design.  The reviews were strong enough that they might also carry off a nomination for costumes.  This production may also become the second play in Tony history to be nominated for choreography.  The play is also likely to win for best play, along with its design elements being awarded come next June.  This will be the hot ticket of the Broadway season.

You Can't Take it With You Opens on Broadway

I intended to write this article yesterday afternoon, but time got away from me, so I am writing it now.  The 5th Broadway revival (and the 6th Broadway production overall) of You Can't Take It With You has opened to Broadway and the reviews are in.  Opinions on the show are decidedly mixed.

Ben Brantley of the New York Times LOVED the show.  He began his review by writing, "The only downside to the unconditional upper called You Can't Take It With You, which wafted open last night at the Longacre Thetre, is that it may strain previously underused muscles around your mouth.  That can happen when you spend two-and-a-half hours grinning like an idiot."  Brantley continues to wax poetic in a glowing review.   Brantley mentions that, while the show is considered a chestnut that shows its age if done poorly, this production has been made sufficiently current that the age is impossible to notice.

Other reviewers didn't agree with Mr. Brantley's review.  Marilyn Stasio of Variety put it thus: "[The play's] license to live the carefree life of children at play, extended by this 1936 comedy classic by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, appealed to a nation sunk in the Great Depression.  But for a modern audience paranoid about 'entitlements', not so much."  Ms. Stasio seems to agree with reviewers from the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and the Hollywood Reporter that the production is inconsistent.  They say that the actors seem individually to give competent performances but only as individuals, not as a cohesive ensemble.  James Earl Jones and Elizabeth Ashley are appreciated as the old pros who are trotted out every few years -- isn't it great to see them again after all these years? they all ask -- and they got decent notices from some of the reviewers, but not the standout reviews that will guarantee Tony nominations.  Rose Byrne received mixed notices for her performance, her performance being called everything from, effectively, competent and cutesy to bringing new life to her role.

Everyone across the board appreciated and respected Scott Ellis' direction, enough so that I think he is a clear Best Director nominee come Tony season.  The other clear standout from the reviews is Annaleigh Ashford.  The scenic design also got some good notices when any mention of a design element is unusual.

Finding Neverland Finds Home

I will be posting later today about last night's opening of You Can't Take It With You but I wanted to post some news about a show that has found a home.  The Broadway-aimed production of Finding Neverland, which premiered at the A.R.T. in Cambridge in a production directed by Tony-winner Diane Paulus, will be playing at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.  The theater us currently occupied by Motown: The Musical, which will be playing there through January 18, 2015.  Finding Neverland will begin previews in March in advance of an April 8th opening.

More Productions Announced for Spring 2015 Broadway Season

Several more productions have been announced for the spring season this year, including Charles III and Wolf Hall.

A production of Charles III, which had a successful run on London's West End, will transfer to Broadway this spring, pending availability of a theater -- speculated to be a Shubert-owned house.  Rupert Goold's direction and star Tim Pigott-Smith are likely to transfer with the show.  In an imagined future, Mike Bartlett's play looks at the humans beneath the crown in a world in which Queen Elizabeth II has died and her son, the current Prince Charles, becomes King.

The West End productions of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies will also be transferring to Broadway, as was previously reported on this site two weeks ago.  The two shows will play in rep at the Winter Garden Theatre under the title Wolf Hall: Parts 1 & 2.  Previews will begin March 20th and open April 9th.  Some of the London cast will be transferring with the show, including Ben Miles, Nathaniel Parker, and Lydia Leonard.  Three-time Tony-winner Mark Rylance will star in a television adaptation of Wolf Hall in the upcoming few months.

Dr. Zhivago Officially Coming to Broadway

A production of Dr. Zhivago that was speculated several weeks ago has officially been announced.  According to an Equity casting notice, rehearsals are set to begin in February and open officially in April.  The show is expected to play the Broadway Theatre after Cinderella ends its run there in a production directed by Des McAnuff and choreographed by Kelly Devine.  The musical is based on the novel by Boris Pasternak and follows a doctor from the Russian revolution through World War II.  The production premiered at La Jolla before moving, in a highly revised production, to the Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia.

"While I Yet Live" Starts Previews

In a piece of shameless advertising on behalf of a friend, I would like to plug the fact that While I Yet Live, written by Tony-winning actor Billy Porter, has begun previews tonight in anticipation of an October 12th opening.  The play, which chronicles Mr. Porter's childhood in Pittsburgh, "growing up as a gay, black, Christian man, and a survivor of abuse," is playing at the Duke on 42nd Street and stars Tony winner Lillias White and Emmy winner S. Epatha Merkerson and is directed by Tony nominee Sheryl Kaller.

"We're in the Money", or What Recession?

I have two financial news stories to report about the Broadway community, one wonderful and one awe inspiring.

The first story -- the wonderful one -- is that this year's Broadway Flea Market, which was held this past Sunday raised a record high $713,986.  The annual event held in and around Shubert Alley in the heart of the theater district raises money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, a charity with close ties to the Broadway community.  The 28 editions of the flea market have raised a total of over $11 million in support of AIDS research and for AIDS-related causes across the country.  Since its founding in 1988, the organization has raised over $250 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV, and related diseases.

In other Broadway financial news, The Lion King has become (surprise, surprise) the highest grossing show ever.  The show has taken in, from Broadway, touring, and international productions, in excess of $6.2 billion -- edging out previous record holder The Phantom of the Opera.  The news even brought about a congratulatory note from Cameron Macintosh and The Really Useful Group calling The Lion King "The pride of Broadway."

Concert Staging of Smile at 54 Below Tonight

Ok.  So, this post isn't exactly about Broadway or the Tony Awards, but I want to put it up here regardless.  A friend of mine in the theater community, Jennifer Ashley Tepper, is producing a concert tonight at 54 Below -- the new "it" venue of New York's theater community.  And by new, I mean it's been open for over 2 years now and is still the hottest place in town for a certain crowd.  By which I mean, go there NOW!  You won't regret it.

Anyhow … the concert there tonight, at 7 and 9:30 (yes, that's right, TWO showings!), will be a reunion concert of Marvin Hamlisch and Howard Ashman's 1986 musical Smile.  The concert will be directed by Richard Biever and musical directed by Roberto Sinha, and will feature original cast members Jodi Benson, Anne Bobby, and Mana Allen.  The musical, with a score by Hamlisch and book and lyrics by Ashman, is being described as "a satirical portrait that follows the intrigue and exploits onstage and behind-the-scenes as Santa Rosa, California, plays host to the Young American Miss Pageant."  Tickets range from $35 to $70 and there is also a $25 food/drink minimum.

Love Letters Opens on Broadway

A revival of A.R. Gurney's Love Letters opened on Broadway last night at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre and the reviews are in.  Most reviews focused on the place of letters in today's technologically driven society and the sentimentality of the writing without much comment on the production itself.  That being said, Mia Farrow's performance was universally praised as one of the strongest she's given in recent memory.  The fact that she does not do more stage work is a detriment to the theater community, most reviewers agreed.  Brian Dennehy's performance received much more reserved reviews.  He hit the right tone much of the time, but there was just something lacking in his perf, most people seemed to agree.  Gregory Mosher's staging of the production, however, was universally praised for its simplicity and sentimentality.

News From Around the Block

I have two interesting stories to bring you today.

Broadway.com has posted the first sound bite from the upcoming revival of Side Show.  The production stars Erin Davie and Emily Padgett as conjoined twins in a side show.  The clip is of the two singing "Who Will Love Me As I Am?" -- a song from the show, with music by Dreamgirls composer Henry Krieger and lyrics by Bill Russell.  The revival, which begins previews in late October in anticipation of a November 17th opening, will be directed by Academy Award winning screenwriter Bill Condon (Chicago, Gods & Monsters) in his Broadway debut.

In other musical revival news, Josh Kaufman, winner of season 6 of Television's The Voice, will be joining the cast of Broadway's Pippin.  Mr. Kaufman will be performing in the show's titular role in a limited engagement from November 4th, 2014, through January 4th, 2015.  

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning

Earlier today, producers announced that the Broadway production of Beautiful: the Carole King Musical, has recouped its $13 million investment.  It is the first new musical of the 2013-2014 season to accomplish this feat -- a goal which it accomplished in roughly 10 months at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on 44th Street.  The show stars 2014 Tony-winning actress Jessie Mueller, who recently extended her contract through March 2015, as Carole King.  The musical will begin a West End run in London in February and a US tour will launch next September.

This Is Our Youth Opening

A revival of This Is Our Youth, Kenneth Lonergan's 1996 drama about disaffected youth set in Reagan-era New York City, opened last night at Broadway's Cort Theatre.  The production, which stars Kieran Culkin, Michael Cera, and Tavi Gevinson, and which was directed by Tony-winner Anna D. Shapiro, began at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

The reviews are in and are about as strong as any I have seen of late.  The three stars have been given various degrees of praise.  Michael Cera has received the strongest reviews of the three, with reviewers generally lauding his abilities, even if he is simply playing the type of character he always plays and is well known for.  Mr. Culkin was in the middle of the pack, being reviewed as fitting in well in a strong production, if not adding anything particularly spectacular.  Ms. Gevinson got the weakest reviews of the set and, in fact, the only negatively reviewed part of the show.  She was, from my understanding of the review, described as having a shrill voice that would otherwise be annoying were she not so well directed into submission and competence.

The strongest two elements of this production seem to be the direction and the writing -- at least of the first act.  Ben Brantley said of the show that "the acrobatics being performed in Anna D. Shapiro's sensational, kinetically charged revival of [the play] … aren't anything like those you'd find at the Cirque du Soleil.  But they're every bit as compelling, and probably (painfully) a whole lot closer to your own experience."  Marilyn Stasio of Variety Magazine generally agreed, describing the production as a "superbly directed staging" of Mr. Lonergan's play.  As for the writing, Mr. Brantley summed it up best.  "Though first performed nearly two decades ago, and set in the early 1980s, "This Is Our Youth" hasn't dated in the usual way of portraits of bright and sullen young things banging their heads against the walls of a society that doesn't understand them."  The only complaint about the writing, however, was an ending that was not satisfying.  In the last quarter of the play, it would seem that the magic deflates out of the play by seeming to feel the need to explain the meaning behind everything seen up to that point.  But I wonder if Mr. Lonergan was trying to make the point that this is what youth is about -- the need to have everything explained and given meaning in a world not yet understood.

New Productions in the Works

Several productions have announced this week that they are eyeing runs on the Great White Way -- one a revival of a screen-to-stage classic, as well as two British transfers.

A pre-Broadway revival of Lerner and Loewe's musical adaptation of Gigi, last seen on Broadway in 1974, will play the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.  The production will feature a new book by British playwright and Emmy nominated screenwriter Heidi Thomas ("Cranford", "Call the Midwife", "Upstairs, Downstairs") and will be directed by Broadway vet Eric Schaeffer (Follies, Million Dollar Quartet), with choreography by Josh Bergasse (On the Town, TV's "Smash").  The Broadway productions has not yet announced dates, but will play the Kennedy Center in January and February of next year in hopes of coming to Broadway soon after.  The cast will include Vanessa Hudgens ("High School Musical"), Tony-winner Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza, Cinderella, Sister Act), Corey Cott (Newsies), Steffanie Leigh (Mary Poppins), and Tony nominees Kate Burton (The Elephant Man, Hedda Gabler) and Howard McGillin (The Phantom of the Opera).

In other news, British stage adaptations of two popular novels by Hilary Mantel.  The two novels, Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up the Bodies, are the first two parts in a planned trilogy about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell.  The plays, written by Mike Poulton and directed by Jeremy Herrin, premiered at the Stratford's Swan Theatre, followed by a transfer in the West End via the Royal Shakespeare Company.  The potential Broadway transfer is rumored to be looking at the recently vacant Winter Garden Theatre in New York.

Big (and Little) Screen Broadway News

Several pieces of news have been released in the last several days about film and TV adaptations of Broadway material that I wanted to bring to your attention.  The teams behind the big screen adaptations of The Last Five Years and Annie, as well as the live TV version of Peter Pan, have all made big announcements, so the only question left is -- where do I begin?

I think the best place to start is with perpetual Tony bridesmaid (and friend to this blog) Kelli O'Hara.  It was announced yesterday that she will be joining NBC's live television broadcast of Peter Pan.  The five-time Tony nominated actress (Bridges of Madison County, Nice Work if You Can Get It, South Pacific, The Pajama Game, and The Light in the Piazza) will be joining the cast as Mrs. Darling, the mother of Wendy, Michael, and John Darling.  As previously reported, both Mr. Darling and Smee will be played by Tony-winner Christian Borle, continuing the tradition of casting two roles together to save money, since the two characters never appear on stage (or screen) together -- though the actor playing Mr. Darling traditionally doubles as Captain Hook, not Mr. Smee.  Christopher Walken will play Captain Hook and Allison Williams (of Girls fame) will play the titular character.  The production will air live on NBC on December 4th.

Next up on the docket is the upcoming film version of The Last Five Years.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie version of Jason Robert Brown's hit musical from the early 2000's was picked up for distribution by Radius, which is planning to release the film on Valentines Day, 2015.  The film adaptation stars Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick in roles originated by Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott.  Ms. Scott will also appear in the film, along with Mr. Brown.

The last major piece of news I have for you all today is that the artwork for the upcoming remake of Annie has been released and can be found here.  The film will star Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan, Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Bobby Cannavale, and Rose Byrne, and will be released on Christmas Day.

Profile of "This Is Our Youth"

Playbill.com has published a profile of the upcoming revival of Kenneth Lonergan's This Is Our Youth, which opens on Thursday at the Cort Theatre which I encourage you all to check out at this link.

A Chorus Line Memorabilia Up for Auction

Memorabilia from the original 1975 production of A Chorus Line is soon to be up for auction on eBay. Proceeds will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.  The items currently belong to two fans of the original production, Gary Stevens and Alan George, who saw the show more than 75 times on Broadway over its 15 year run and also published a tribute book entitled The Longest Line.  The items will be up for auction in September, with a new slate of items up each week.  Check out the announcement Playbill.com posted for a listing of some of the items.

One Show Closes, Another Opens

As is the business of Broadway, one show has posted its closing notice after two years on Broadway, while another show has announced its upcoming arrival on the boards.

The Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, which began previews on January 25, 2013, before a March 3rd opening that year, will end its run this coming January.  By the time of its closing, it will have played 41 previews and 770 regular performances.  Along with its closing notice, the show has posted some good news.  Nene Leakes, known for her reality show appearances on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Apprentice, will be joining the cast for its final months.  Ms. Leakes will begin performances as Madame, Cinderella's stepmother, on November 25th and play through the show's closing on January 3rd, 2015.  She will be taking the role from talk show host Sherri Shepherd, who will play the role from September 9th through November 22nd.  The Broadway Theatre's next tenant has not yet been announced.

In other Broadway news, a Broadway transfer of the West End production of David Hare's Skylight, will come to the Golden Theatre in March, where it will begin playing in March after the closing of Pam McKinnon's revival of A Delicate Balance.  The production will begin previews on March 16th in anticipation of an April 2nd opening.  The production will play a limited 13 week run through June 14th.  The London import will be directed by two-time Tony winner Stephen Daldry, and will star Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy.  Here's how the producers have described the show:  "On a bitterly cold London evening, schoolteacher Kyra Hollins (Ms. Mulligan) receives an unexpected visit from her former lover, Tom Sergeant, a successful and charismatic restauranteur whose wife has recently died.  As the evening progresses, the two attempt to rekindle their once passionate relationship, only to find themselves locked in a dangerous battle of opposing ideologies and mutual desires."  The production played to sold-out houses when it opened on the West End in June.  The Broadway production will have set and costume design by Tony-winner Bob Crowley, lighting design by Tony-winner Natasha Katz, sound design by Tony-winner Paul Arditti, and original music by Paul Englishby.

Larry David Coming to Broadway

Actor, writer, and general funny man Larry David, the creator behind the smash hit TV shows Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld, will be coming to Broadway this season.  Mr. David's play, A Fish in the Dark, will mark his Broadway debut, both as an actor and a writer.  Joining Mr. David in the cast are Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominee Rosie Perez, two-time Tony nominee Jane Houdyshell, Johnny Orsini, Jerry Adler, and Jake Cannavale.  Tony-winner Anna D. Shapiro, who is currently working on the Broadway production of This is Our Youth, will direct Mr. David's play.  Ironically, both of the plays Ms. Shapiro is directing this season will be playing at the Cort Theatre, with Mr. David's play beginning previews on February 2nd and officially opening on March 5th.  The design team includes Todd Rosenthall (sets), Ann Roth (costumes), and Brian MacDevitt (lights).

Mr. David has described the play as "a comedy with around 15 characters that explores a family death."

New Shows on the Broadway Horizon

There are several Broadway aimed shows that have been talked about or announced in varying levels of certainty over the last several weeks that I would like to bring to your attention.  In no particular order, they are:

Frozen:  Although there is no clear timeline for this one, it has been confirmed that the hit Disney movie Frozen will be coming to Broadway.  One of the film's producers has gone on the official record to state that there will be a Broadway adaptation in the property's future.

Finding Neverland:  The Broadway-bound adaptation of the 2004 Johnny Depp/Kate Winslet movie had its premier at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has been breaking box office records.  The musical is going to hit Broadway in March and is being rumored to enter the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, following the January departure of that theater's current tenant -- Motown: The Musical.

Shakespeare in Love:  This musical adaptation of the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow/Joseph Fiennes movie opened to smash-hit success in London.  Though no official plans have been put in place, the producers of the London version are eyeing a Broadway run starting in the 2014-2015 season.

It Shoulda Been You:  An Equity casting notice has led to speculation that the show will be hitting Broadway in March of 2015.  The show was originally produced at the George Street Playhouse in New Jersey.  Let's see what will be!

Full Casting for Upcoming "Elephant Man" Revival Revealed

Several sources are reporting that the full cast for the upcoming revival of Bernard Pomerance's Tony-winning play The Elephant Man has been revealed.  In addition to previously announced stars Bradley Cooper as John Merrick, Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson as Mrs. Kendall, and Alessandro Nivola as Dr. Frederick Treves, seven new actors have been announced as joining the cast.  They are, in no particular order, Chris Bannow, Peter Bradbury, Lucas Calhoun, Amanda Lea Mason, Marguerite Stimpson, and Emma Thorne.  Mr. Cooper, a two-time Academy Award nominee, previously played John Merrick in a 2012 production at Williamstown Theatre Festival.

The team behind the scenes includes Scott Ellis taking on the direction of the piece (he previously directed Mr. Cooper in the Williamstown production), Timothy R. Mackabee designing the sets and the projections, Clint Ramos on costumes, Philip S. Rosenberg for lighting design, and John Gromada designing the sound as well as composing original music for the piece.

The production will begin previews on November 7th in anticipation of a Devember 7th opening night.  The production will play a limited run through February 15th, 2015 at the Booth Theatre.

The New Broadway Season

It's that time of year again … time to start off the blog for another season.  As is my tradition for the new year, I will start off the year by posting a list of what the upcoming year has in store -- the shows that have been announced for the year, the theater where it will be playing, opening dates, and, in the case of limited runs, closing dates.  The shows are in order of their opening dates (which sometimes change as the dates get closer).


This is Our Youth -- September 11th -- Cort Theatre

Love Letters -- September 18th -- Brooks Atkinson Theatre

You Can't Take it With You -- September 28th -- Longacre Theatre

The Country House -- October 2nd -- Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime -- October 5th -- Ethel Barrymore Theatre

It's Only A Play -- October 9th to January 4th -- Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

On the Town -- October 16th -- Lyric Theatre

Disgraced -- October 23rd -- Lyceum Theatre

The Last Ship -- October 26th -- Neil Simon Theatre

The Real Thing -- October 30th to January 4th -- American Airlines Theatre

The River -- November 16th to January 25th -- Circle in the Square

Side Show -- November 17th -- St. James Theatre

A Delicate Balance -- November 20th to Fenruary 22nd -- John Golden Theatre

The Illusionists -- December 4th to January 4th -- Marquis Theatre

The Elephant Man -- December 7th to February 15th -- Booth Theatre

Constellation -- January 13th -- Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

Honeymoon in Vegas -- January 15th -- Nederlander Theatre

A Fish in the Dark -- March 5th -- Cort Theatre

The Audience -- March 8th to June 28th -- Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre

On the 20th Century -- March 12th -- American Airlines Theatre

The Heidi Chronicles -- March 19th -- Music Box Theatre

Skylight -- April 2nd -- Golden Theatre

Hand to G-d -- April 7th -- Booth Theatre

Gigi -- April 8th -- Neil Simon Theatre

Wolf Hall: Parts 1 & 2 -- April 9th -- Winter Garden Theatre

An American in Paris -- April 12th -- Palace Theatre

It Shoulda Been You -- April 14th -- Brooks Atkinson Theatre

Finding Neverland -- April 15th -- Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

The King and I -- April 16th -- Vivian Beaumont Theatre

Fun Home -- April 19th -- Circle in the Square

Living on Love -- April 20th -- Longacre Theatre

Dr. Zhivago -- April 21st -- Broadway Theatre

Something Rotten -- April 22nd -- St. James Theatre

Airline Highway -- April 23rd -- Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

The Visit -- April 23rd -- Lyceum Theatre

Final Tony Award Predictions

The Tony Awards are right around the corner, so it is time for my final Tony predictions of the year.  Having read and reread all the precursor awards, looked at the statistics, and gotten the industry buzz, I think I've got a strong list here.  Let's see what happens come Sunday night!

Best Play
Will Win:  All the Way
Should Win: All the Way
Dark Horse: Mothers and Sons

Best Musical
Will Win:  A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Should Win: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Dark Horse: Beautiful

Best Book of a Musical:
Will Win:  A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Should Win: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Dark Horse: Beautiful

Best Score
Will Win:  Bridges of Madison County
Should Win: Bridges of Madison County
Dark Horse: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Best Revival of a Play
Will Win: 12th Night
Should Win: Glass Menagerie
Dark Horse: Glass Menagerie

Best Revival of a Musical
Will Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Should Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Dark Horse: Violet

Best Actor in a Musical
Will Win: Neil Patrick Harris
Should Win: Jefferson Mays
Dark Horse: Jefferson Mays

Best Actress in a Musical
Will Win: Jessie Mueller
Should Win: Kelli O'Hara
Dark Horse: Kelli O'Hara

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Will Win: James Monroe Iglehart
Should Win: Danny Burstein
Dark Horse: Danny Burstein

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Will Win: Linda Emond
Should Win: Anika Larsen
Dark Horse: Lena Hall

Best Actor in a Play
Will Win: Bryan Cranston
Should Win: Bryan Cranston
Dark Horse: Mark Rylance

Best Actress in a Play
Will Win: Audra McDonald
Should Win: Cherry Jones
Dark Horse: Cherry Jones

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Will Win: Mark Rylance
Should Win: Mark Rylance
Dark Horse: Reed Birney

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Will Win: Celia Keenan-Bolger
Should Win: Celia Keenan-Bolger
Dark Horse: Mare Winningham

Best Director of a Musical
Will Win: Darko Tresnjak
Should Win: Darko Tresnjak
Dark Horse: Michael Mayer

Best Director of a Play
Will Win: Tim Carroll
Should Win: John Tiffany
Dark Horse: John Tiffany

Best Choreography
Will Win: Warren Carlyle
Should Win: Warren Carlyle
Dark Horse: Casey Nicholaw

Best Orchestrations
Will Win: Jason Robert Brown
Should Win: Jason Robert Brown
Dark Horse: Steve Sidwell

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Will Win: Rocky
Should Win: Rocky
Dark Horse: Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Will Win: Act One
Should Win: Machinal
Dark Horse: Glass Menagerie

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Will Win: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Should Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Dark Horse: Bullets Over Broadway

Best Costume Design of a Play
Will Win: 12th Night
Should Win: Casa Valentina
Dark Horse: Casa Valentina

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Will Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Should Win: Brigdes of Madison County
Dark Horse: Rocky

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Will Win: Glass Menagerie
Should Win: Glass Menagerie
Dark Horse: Of Mice and Men

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Will Win: Beautiful
Should Win: Beautiful
Dark Horse: After Midnight

Best Sound Design of a Play
Will Win: Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
Should Win: The Cripple of Inishmaan
Dark Horse: Machinal

59th Annual Drama Desk Award Winners Announced

The Drama Desk Awards were handed out last night in a ceremony hosted by Laura Benanti.  The winners, listed below, have strengthened my resolve in certain predictions for the Tony's and have gotten me to think harder about some of my dark horse candidates in other categories.  As I mentioned in my last set of predictions, I will be updating my pics over the weekend, right before Sunday's awards ceremony.  Without further ado, here are the winners of the 59th Drama Desk Awards.

Outstanding Play:  All the Way
Outstanding Musical:  A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding Revival of a Play:  12th Night
Outstanding Revival of a Musical:  Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Outstanding Actor in a Play:  Bryan Cranston, All the Way
Outstanding Actress in a Play:  Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
Outstanding Actor in a Musical (tie):  Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding Actress in a Musical:  Jessie Mueller, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:  Reed Birney, Casa Valentina
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:  Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:  James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (tie):  Anika Larsen, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Lauren Worsham, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding Director of a Play:  Tim Carroll, 12th Night
Outstanding Director of a Musical:  Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding Choreography:  Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Outstanding Music:  Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
Outstanding Lyrics:  Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding Book of a Musical: Robert L. Freedman, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding Orchestrations:  Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
Outstanding Set Design:  Rocky
Outstanding Costume Design: Bullets Over Broadway
Outstanding Lighting Design:  Rocky
Outstanding Projection Design:  A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding Sound Design in a Play:  Machinal
Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical:  Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Outstanding Solo Performance:  John Douglas Thompson, Satchmo at the Waldorf
Unique Theatrical Experience:  Cirkopolis

3rd Round of Tony Predictions

The Tony ceremony is only a week away, so it's time for a third set of predictions.  I will post one more set either Saturday or next Sunday right before the ceremony.

Best Play
Will Win:  All the Way
Should Win: All the Way
Dark Horse: Casa Valentina

Best Musical
Will Win:  A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Should Win: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Dark Horse: Beautiful

Best Book of a Musical:
Will Win:  Beautiful
Should Win: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Dark Horse: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Best Score
Will Win:  Bridges of Madison County
Should Win: Bridges of Madison County
Dark Horse: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Best Revival of a Play
Will Win: 12th Night
Should Win: Glass Menagerie
Dark Horse: Glass Menagerie

Best Revival of a Musical
Will Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Should Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Dark Horse: Violet

Best Actor in a Musical
Will Win: Neil Patrick Harris
Should Win: Jefferson Mays
Dark Horse: Jefferson Mays

Best Actress in a Musical
Will Win: Kelli O'Hara
Should Win: Kelli O'Hara
Dark Horse: Sutton Foster

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Will Win: Danny Burstein
Should Win: Danny Burstein
Dark Horse: Nick Cordero

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Will Win: Anika Larsen
Should Win: Anika Larsen
Dark Horse: Linda Emond

Best Actor in a Play
Will Win: Bryan Cranston
Should Win: Bryan Cranston
Dark Horse: Samuel Barnett

Best Actress in a Play
Will Win: Cherry Jones
Should Win: Cherry Jones
Dark Horse: Audra McDonald

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Will Win: Mark Rylance
Should Win: Mark Rylance
Dark Horse: Reed Birney

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Will Win: Celia Keenan-Bolger
Should Win: Celia Keenan-Bolger
Dark Horse: Mare Winningham

Best Director of a Musical
Will Win: Michael Mayer
Should Win: Darko Tresnjak
Dark Horse: Darko Tresnjak

Best Director of a Play
Will Win: Tim Carroll
Should Win: John Tiffany
Dark Horse: John Tiffany

Best Choreography
Will Win: Warren Carlyle
Should Win: Warren Carlyle
Dark Horse: Casey Nicholaw

Best Orchestrations
Will Win: Jason Robert Brown
Should Win: Jason Robert Brown
Dark Horse: Steve Sidwell

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Will Win: Rocky
Should Win: Rocky
Dark Horse: Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Will Win: Machinal
Should Win: Machinal
Dark Horse: Machinal

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Will Win: Bullets Over Broadway
Should Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Dark Horse: Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Costume Design of a Play
Will Win: Casa Valentina
Should Win: Casa Valentina
Dark Horse: 12th Night

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Will Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Should Win: Brigdes of Madison County
Dark Horse: Rocky

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Will Win: Machinal
Should Win: Glass Menagerie
Dark Horse: Glass Menagerie

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Will Win: After Midnight
Should Win: Beautiful
Dark Horse: Beautiful

Best Sound Design of a Play
Will Win: Machinal
Should Win: The Cripple of Inishmaan
Dark Horse: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Elizabeth Moss Rumors

Could Peggy Olson return to Broadway?  The answer seems to be yes.  Elizabeth Moss, four-time Emmy-nominated star of Mad Men is in negotiations to return to the Great White Way in The Heidi Chronicles.  The play, a 1989 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning work by Wendy Wasserstein, is considered to be the playwright's magnum opus.  It focuses, in episodic structure, on the title character's ever changing views on politics, feminism, men, and motherhood, as well as her emotional journey from the 1960's through the 1980's.  Nothing has been finalized, however, pending other casting and theater availability for the production which is aiming to hit Broadway in late fall, 2015.

Ms. Moss' representatives have made no comment, but Jeffrey Richards, who will be a producer on this production and who produced Ms. Moss' previous Broadway outing (David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow), had this to say about the production: "All I can say is that Elizabeth is a wonderful stage actress and I had the huge privilege of working with her on 'Speed-the-Plow'.  And I am riveted by her Peggy on 'Mad Men' and would love to work with her again some day."

Though unconfirmed by anyone involved, Pam MacKinnon -- a 2013 Tony winner for her direction of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which also won the 2013 Tony for Best Revival of a Play -- is being courted to direct the project.

More Tony Performances Announced

More of the performances we can expect to see on the June 8th Tony Awards ceremony have been announced.  In addition to previously reported performances, there will be performances by Neil Patrick Harris and the cast of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Sutton Foster and the cast of Violet, Alan Cumming and the cast of Cabaret, and Idina Menzel, who will perform a song from her current Broadway show, If/Then.

The cast of Wicked, celebrating its 10th anniversary on Broadway, will perform at this year's awards ceremony.  Sting will perform a number from his upcoming Broadway bound musical.  Also, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, and Fantasia will perform with the Tony-nominated musical After Midnight.

Tony Performances Announced

The 68th Tony Awards, which will be held on June 8th, 2014, and will be hosted by Hugh Jackman, will begin with a performance from Best Musical nominee After Midnight.  That show's performance will include performances from Fantasia Barrino, Patti LaBelle, k.d. Lang, and Gladys Knight.  Hugh Jackman may even join in the fun.  During the Tony telecast, Sting will perform a number from his upcoming musical, The Last Ship.  There will also be performances by Jessie Mueller of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Neil Patrick Harris of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and the cast of Aladdin performing the showstopper "Friend Like Me".

You Heard it Here First!

There are two news items that I just came across that I wanted to  bring to your attention.  The first of them comes with a prediction about a show that I think will come to Broadway, even if the producers don't know it yet.  The second is about a production whose producers have stated that they are eyeing Broadway.

Playbill.com has reported that the London revival of Miss Saigon, which opened last night, has already recouped its £4.5 million ($7.6 million) initial investment.  Producer Cameron Macintosh said in a press release, "The show's budget was £4.5 million -- which is not a huge amount.  I didn't need to spend more than that and I think it looks every penny.  We have recouped already."  This production set a record for single-day ticket sales, making Broadway and West End history, when tickets went on sale in September.  This makes it all the more likely that the production will transfer to Broadway at some point in 2015.

In other news, Broadway.com has published an article saying that James Corden, who won a Leading Actor in a Play Tony in 2012 for One Man, Two Guvnors, is in talks to return to Broadway.  Corden could return to Broadway in a revival of the Bert Shevelove / Larry Gelbart / Stephen Sondheim musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum under the direction of Tony-nominee Alex Timbers.  The production is hoping to open on the Main Stem in the spring of 2015.

Two Tony-nominated Interviewees

Sophie Okonedo, the British film actress probably best known in this country for her Oscar-nominated turn in Hotel Rwanda in 2004, made her Broadway debut earlier this season in the highly acclaimed revival of A Raisin in the Sun.  Having starred in several theatrical and made-for-TV movies, Playbill.com interviewed Okonedo about her transition to the Broadway stage, revealing a past on the British stage, a love of Broadway, and her reactions to the awards buzz.  Check out the interview here.

Theater Mania posted this interview with Beowulf Boritt, who is Tony nominated this year for his set design of Lincoln Center's production of Act One at the Vivian Beaumont.  He talks about trends in theatrical set design (three of the four Tony nominated scenic designs for plays have turntables) to the sheer magnitude of this set (a 65-foot diameter turntable costing roughly $500,000).  Check it out!

The Realistic Joneses Sets Closing Date

The producers of The Realistic Joneses announced today that the show will be closing on July 6th.  Though never officially planned as a limited run, the show had only been selling tickets through July 6th, and had probably been hoping to extend beyond that date with the help of some Tony momentum. When the Tony nominating committee entirely overlooked the show, which seems to have been selling steadily, I guess they decided not to push their luck.

Installation of Broadway Magic

I just came across a neat video that shows the installation of the Tony-nominated set for the Tony-nominated play Act One.  Check it out and comment below with your thoughts and questions about what goes into such an endeavor.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt20LYv_GrE&feature=youtube_gdata

Patti LuPone to Return to Broadway

Patti LuPone will be returning to the Broadway stage for a one night only concert staging of The Cradle Will Rock.  The production will play the Bernard Jacobs Theatre tonight, May 19th, at 7pm, and will be produced by The Acting Company.  LuPone will be reprising the role that brought her the 1985 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.  LuPone will be joined on stage by Josh Johnston and Johann Carlo, her son and her cousin respectively.  Lonny Price will direct the concert.  For further information, check out this press release from Playbill.com.

2nd Round of Tony Predictions

With the OCC Award winners being announced earlier this week, along with the New York Times' Tony section printed this past Sunday (including Ben Brantley's and Charles Isherwood's respective Tony predictions), I thought it was time to update my set of predictions.  And, with that, here goes nothing.

Best Play
Will Win:  Act One
Should Win: Act One
Dark Horse: All the Way

Best Musical
Will Win:  A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Should Win: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Dark Horse: Beautiful

Best Book of a Musical:
Will Win:  A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Should Win: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Dark Horse: Beautiful

Best Score
Will Win:  Bridges of Madison County
Should Win: Bridges of Madison County
Dark Horse: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Best Revival of a Play
Will Win: 12th Night
Should Win: Glass Menagerie
Dark Horse: Glass Menagerie

Best Revival of a Musical
Will Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Should Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Dark Horse: Violet

Best Actor in a Musical
Will Win: Neil Patrick Harris
Should Win: Jefferson Mays
Dark Horse: Jefferson Mays

Best Actress in a Musical
Will Win: Sutton Foster
Should Win: Kelli O'Hara
Dark Horse: Jessie Mueller

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Will Win: Nick Cordero
Should Win: Nick Cordero
Dark Horse: James Monroe Igilhart

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Will Win: Linda Emond
Should Win: Anika Larsen
Dark Horse: Lena Hall

Best Actor in a Play
Will Win: Bryan Cranston
Should Win: Bryan Cranston
Dark Horse: Tony Shalhoub

Best Actress in a Play
Will Win: Cherry Jones
Should Win: Cherry Jones
Dark Horse: Audra McDonald

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Will Win: Mark Rylance
Should Win: Mark Rylance
Dark Horse: Reed Birney

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Will Win: Celia Keenan-Bolger
Should Win: Celia Keenan-Bolger
Dark Horse: Mare Winningham

Best Director of a Musical
Will Win: Michael Mayer
Should Win: Darko Tresnjak
Dark Horse: Darko Tresnjak

Best Director of a Play
Will Win: Tim Carroll
Should Win: John Tiffany
Dark Horse: John Tiffany

Best Choreography
Will Win: Warren Carlyle
Should Win: Warren Carlyle
Dark Horse: Casey Nicholaw

Best Orchestrations
Will Win: Jason Robert Brown
Should Win: Jason Robert Brown
Dark Horse: Steve Sidwell

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Will Win: Rocky
Should Win: Rocky
Dark Horse: Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Will Win: Machinal
Should Win: Machinal
Dark Horse: Machinal

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Will Win: Bullets Over Broadway
Should Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Dark Horse: Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Costume Design of a Play
Will Win: Casa Valentina
Should Win: Casa Valentina
Dark Horse: 12th Night

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Will Win: Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Should Win: Brigdes of Madison County
Dark Horse: Rocky

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Will Win: Machinal
Should Win: Glass Menagerie
Dark Horse: Glass Menagerie

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Will Win: After Midnight
Should Win: Beautiful
Dark Horse: Beautiful

Best Sound Design of a Play
Will Win: Machinal
Should Win: The Cripple of Inishmaan
Dark Horse: The Cripple of Inishmaan

A Delicate Balance to Return to Broadway

Edward Albee's play A Delicate Balance, which won the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, has been announced as Tony-winning director Pam McKinnon's next Broadway-bound project.  The show will star Tony-winners john Lithgow, Glenn Close, and Lindsay Duncan, along with Tony-nominee Martha Plimpton, Bob Balaban, and Olivier winner Clare Higgins.  The show will play an 18-week run at the Golden Theatre starting in October, with a November 20th opening.

The show follows a long-married couple, Tobias and Agnes (Lithgow and Close), who have a whirlwind of a weekend when their 36-year old daughter (Plimpton) comes home after her fourth divorce while they nurse (or tolerate) Agnes' alcoholic sister (Duncan), and shelter their friends (Balaban and Higgins).

Two Production Transfers of Very Different Varieties

The London revival of Cameron Mackentosh's Miss Saigon may or may not transfer to Broadway next year.  The transfer would be dependent, of course, on a few factors -- strong reviews and ticket sales for the current London revival as well as an appropriate theater becoming available in New York.  The London production opens on May 21st.

The other transfer news is a transfer of a different type -- a transfer from stage to screen.  This morning, Playbill.com announced that a film adaptation of Harvey Fierstein's Tony-nominated new play Casa Valentina is under discussion.  Among the things being discussed is whether the film will be made for cable or the big screen has yet to be determined.  The play was written by four-time Tony-winner Harvey Fierstein in a Manhattan Theatre Club production directed by Joe Mantello.

New Production Set for 2014-2015 Season

The Roundabout has set dates for an upcoming revival of the musical On the Twentieth Century.  As previously buzzed about, Tony- and Emmy-winner Kristin Chenoweth will star in the production as Lily Garland -- a role made famous by Carole Lumbard in the 1934 movie.  Co-starring with Chenowith will be Peter Gallagher as Oscar Jaffe.  The musical is based on a 1934 film, The Twentieth Century, which starred John Barrymore and Carole Lombard as Oscar Jaffe and Lily Garland.  The plot revolves around a movie producer (Jaffe) who wants to bring former lover and star Lily Garland back to Hollywood for one last movie, but can't -- she's on the Twentieth Century, a train taking her back to New York to do Broadway.

Previews will begin at the Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre on February 12th in anticipation of a March 12th opening night.  The production will be directed by six-time Tony-nominee Scott Ellis with Choreography by Warren Carlyle, a two-time 2014 Tony nominee for After Midnight.  The production seems to replace a previously announced revival of Michael Frayn's farce Noises Off which was set to play the American Airlines Theatre starting in January 2015.

Outer Critics Circle Awards

Last night, the Outer Critics Circle Awards winners were announced this morning in anticipation of a gala to be held on May 22nd at Sardi's, hosted by Tony-winner Billy Porter.  The OCC Awards honor theatrical achievements both on Broadway and off-Broadway and are given out by critics who write for non-New York based media outlets and publications.  This year's winners are listed below.  For a full list of nominees, click here.  In each category, Broadway shows compete with off-Broadway shows for the same award unless specifically noted otherwise.

Outstanding New Broadway Play -- All the Way
Outstanding New Broadway Musical -- A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play -- The Explorer's Club
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical -- Fun Home
Outstanding Book of a Musical -- A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding New Score -- The Bridges of Madison County
Outstanding Revival of a Play -- The Glass Menagerie
Outstanding Revival of a Musical -- Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Outstanding Director of a Play -- Tim Carroll, 12th Night
Outstanding Director of a Musical -- Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding Choreographer -- Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical) -- Christopher Barreca, Rocky
Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) -- William Ivey Long, Bullets Over Broadway
Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical) -- Kevin Adams, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Outstanding Actor in a Play -- Bryan Cranston, All the Way
Outstanding Actress in a Play -- Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie
Outstanding Actor in a Musical -- Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
Outstanding Actress in a Musical -- Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play -- Brian J. Smith, The Glass Menagerie
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play -- Andrea Martin, Act One and Mare Winningham, Casa Valentina
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical -- Nick Cordero, Bullets Over Broadway
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical -- Marin Mazzie, Bullets Over Broadway
Outstanding Solo Performance -- John Douglas Thompson, Satchmo at the Waldorf