Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Honeymoon in Vegas Sets Closing Date

Honeymoon in Vegas, the new musical based on the 1992 film of the same name, has announced its closing date at the Nederlander Theatre.  The show will close this coming Sunday, April 5th, 2015 -- Easter Sunday.  For more information on the show, check out the notice.


http://www.broadway.com/buzz/178675/last-bets-honeymoon-in-vegas-starring-rob-mcclure-tony-danza-sets-broadway-closing-date/

Sunday, March 22, 2015

The Heidi Chronicles Opens on Broadway

The first Broadway revival of Wendy Wasserstein's The Heidi Chronicles, starring Elizabeth Moss, opened this past Thursday at the Music Box Theatre and the reviews are in.  The show received neutral to positive-ish reviews.  The production itself and Pam MacKinnon's direction were rather sterile -- passable enough not to distract too much, but not strong enough to be said to add anything to the show. The show's historical resonance is still felt, as well.  It was the performance of Elizabeth Moss that received the strongest praise.  She probably won't get a Tony nomination, but may come close … particularly if the category proves especially tight.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Third Tony Eligibility Rulings of the Season

The Tony Nominating Committee met for the third time this season and has made decisions about two productions -- Constellations and Honeymoon in Vegas.  Here are their decisions:

For their performances in Constellations, Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson will be eligible in the Lead Actor in a Play and Lead Actress in a Play categories.

Tony Danza's performance in Honeymoon in Vegas will be considered eligible in the Featured Actor in a Musical category while Rob McClure will be considered in the Lead Actor in a Musical category.

All other decisions were consistent with the show's opening night credits.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

On the 20th Century Opens

The Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of the 1978 tuner On the 20th Century has finally opened, the reviews are in, and they are rapturous.

Ben Brantley of the New York Times called the production "a ripping, lavishly appointed revival [that features] over-the-moon acting, which is rare and occupies its own special cloud land in heaven."  His conclusion?  "There are many reasons to celebrate this On the 20th Century."

The other reviews pretty much said the same thing and highly praised performances of Kristin Chenoweth, Peter Gallagher, Andy Karl, and Mary Louise Wilson.  At least three of these four (all but Karl) are almost guaranteed Tony nominations, with Mr. Karl a highly likely candidate.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Audience Opens

The new play The Audience, starring Helen Mirren, has opened on Broadway.  The play, about Queen Elizabeth II and several imagined meetings between her and several of the 12 Prime Ministers in power during her reign, opened on Sunday night and the reviews are in.

The reviews were mixed-to-positive.  Many of the reviews commented that Ms. Mirren's central performance was a strong one.  The writing itself, however, got much more mixed results.  Some critics  did not really discuss their opinions on the quality of the writing, merely summarizing the relevant parts of the story.  Others, however, were downright critical of the structure, flow, and dialogue (and I would say rightly so).  This is one of the few plays I've seen where the second act is significantly more entertaining than the first.  Of note in this production, of all things, are the costumes and sets.  These, along with Helen Mirren, are likely to get Tony nominations -- and the costumes may well win.

Friday, March 6, 2015

A Fish in the Dark Opens

Who would have guessed that Larry David would be a Broadway playwright?  Well … his play, A Fish in the Dark, opened last night at the Cort Theatre, turning him into just that.  The reviews have come in and are decidedly mixed.  Sales are so high that the reviews basically don't matter much, though.  That being said, the reviews are decidedly mixed.  Ben Brantley of the New York Times hated the play, while reviewers for Variety and The Hollywood Reporter loved it.  The cast, which includes Jerry Adler, Jane Houdyshell, Ben Shenkmen, Rita Wilson, and Rosie Perez, seems to be the real star of the production, however.  They should laugh all the way to the bank.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Bruce Willis to Make Broadway Debut

It has been announced that Bruce Willis will be making his Broadway debut this fall.  He will be starring in a stage adaptation of the Stephen King novel, Misery.  The adaptation will be written by William Goldman, who won Academy Awards for his screenplays for the films Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men, and is also well known for his screenplay to the cult hit The Princess Bride.  The production will be directed by Will Frears.  Elizabeth Marvel will costar.