Living on Love Opens on Broadway

Renee Flemming has officially made her long awaited Broadway debut.  Living on Love is now open on Broadway and the reviews are in.  The play is a silly, light, frothy, entertaining night of theater but is nothing deep or thought provoking.  Ms. Flemming both does and does not fit the role of the diva she is playing; she has a large stage presence and a flamboyant attitude, but is too nice to fit the stereotype of a diva.  We shall see what happens next Tuesday when the Tony nominations are announced, but I doubt this will get much of anything.

Second Round of Tony Nomination Predictions

After several more openings this past week, I have created a second round of Tony nomination predictions for the 2014-2015 season.  I will list my predictions along with one honorable mention in each category which I believe has a strong shot but will come just shy of the nomination.

Best Play

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Disgraced

Wolf Hall

Hand to G-d
The Audience

Alternate: Constellations

Best Revival of a Play

The Real Thing

It's Only a Play

This is Our Youth

Skylight

Alternate: The Elephant Man or You Can't Take it With You

Best Musical

Something Rotten!

Finding Neverland

The Visit

Fun Home
An American In Paris

Alternate: Honeymoon in Vegas

Best Revival of a Musical

On the 20th Century

Side Show

The King and I

On the Town

Alternate: Gigi

Lead Actor in a Play

Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Ewan McGregor, The Real Thing

Ben Miles, Wolf Hall

Stephen Boyer, Hand to G-d

Bill Nighy, Skylight

Alternate: Hari Dhillon, Disgraced

Lead Actress in a Play

Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Real Thing

Helen Mirren, The Audience

Carey Mulligan, Skylight

Glenn Close, A Delicate Balance

Lindsay Duncan, A Delicate Balance

Alternate: Gretchen Mol, Disgraced

Featured Actor in a Play

Ian Barford, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Nathan Lane, It's Only a Play

Ben Miles, Wolf Hall

Mark Kudisch, Hand to G-d

Josh Radnor, Disgraced

Alternate: James Earl Jones, You Can't Take it With You

Featured Actress in a Play

Annaleigh Ashford, You Can't Take it With You

Francesca Faridany, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall
Tavi Gevinson, This is Our Youth

Martha Plimpton, A Delicate Balance

Geneva Carr, Hand to G-d

Alternate: Patricia Clarkson, The Elephant Man

Lead Actor in a Musical

Tony Yazbeck, On the Town

Christian Borle, Something Rotten!

Matthew Morrison, Finding Neverland

Tam Mutu, Dr. Zhivago

Brian D’Arcy James, Something Rotten!

Alternate: Peter Gallagher, On the 20th Century or Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris

Lead Actress in a Musical

Kelli O'Hara, The King and I

Kristin Chenoweth, On the 20th Century

Beth Malone, Fun Home

Chita Rivera, The Visit

Tyne Daly, It Shoulda Been You

Alternate: Emily Padgett, Side Show

Featured Actor in a Musical

Michael Cerveris, Fun Home

Brooks Ashmanskas, Something Rotten!

Tony Danza, Honeymoon in Vegas

Max von Essen, An American in Paris

Andy Karl, On the 20th Century

Alternate: Brad Oscar, Something Rotten!

Featured Actress in a Musical

Alysha Umphress, On the Town

Victoria Clark, Gigi

Ashley Park, The King and I

Judy Kuhn, Fun Home

Mary Louise Wilson, On the 20th Century

Alternate: Jackie Hoffman, On the Town

Book

The Visit

Finding Neverland

Dr. Zhivago

Fun Home

Alternate: Something Rotten!

Score

The Last Ship

Finding Neverland

Something Rotten!

Fun Home

Alternate: Honeymoon in Vegas

Director of a Musical

Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

Scott Ellis, On the 20th Century

Diane Paulus, Finding Neverland

Bart Sher, The King and I

Alternate: Des MacAnuff, Dr. Zhivago

Director of a Play

Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall

Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Stephen Daldry, Skylight

Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Hand to G-d

Alternate: Stephen Daldry, The Audience

Choreography

An American in Paris

On the Town

Finding Neverland

Something Rotten

Alternate: On the 20th Century

Orchestrations

An American in Paris

Finding Neverland

The King and I

Fun Home

Alternate: Something Rotten!

Scenic Design of a Play

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Wolf Hall

Skylight

The Real Thing

Alternate: Hand to G-d

Scenic Design of a Musical

The Last Ship

An American in Paris

Finding Neverland

Fun Home

Alternate: On the 20^th Century

Costume Design of a Play

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Wolf Hall

Hand to G-d

The Audience

Alternate: It's Only a Play

Costume Design of a Musical

Dr. Zhivago

An American in Paris

The King and I

Finding Neverland

Alternate: Gigi

Lighting Design of a Play

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Wolf Hall

The Elephant Man

Skylight

Alternate: Hand to G-d

Lighting Design of a Musical

The Visit

Finding Neverland

Fun Home

The King and I

Alternate: Side Show

Sound Design of a Play

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Skylight

The Audience

Wolf Hall

Alternate: It's Only a Play

Sound Design of a Musical

Finding Neverland

The King and I

Fun Home

The Visit

Alternate: An American in Paris

Fun Home Opens on Broadway

The Broadway transfer of Fun Home has opened on Broadway.  The reviews are in and they are stellar.  The show was already nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and all the reviews seem to agree that the show is worth every prize out there.

The King and I Opens on Broadway

The Lincoln Center revival of The King and I has opened on Broadway and the reviews are in.  The reviews are relatively strong for this production, particularly for the show's lead, Kelli O'Hara.  This production is definitely in line for several Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Director for Bart Sher, as well as an almost certain nomination for Kelli O'Hara.  This will be her sixth nomination and could be her first win.

Finding Neverland Opens on Broadway

The new musical Finding Neverland opened last night at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway.  The reviews are in and, boy are they interesting!  The show is bound to be a runaway hit because of the firepower of heavyhitting director Diane Paulus and due to the strong emotional pull the show has on the heartstrings of its patrons.  That being said, the reviewers mostly found that the production had more brains than heart unlike the movie upon which it is based.  I attended the final preview and the show is definitely a strong contender this year, though the reviews were probably more right than I'd like to admit in terms of the head vs heart issue.  This production is definitely better than Ms. Paulus' productions of Hair and The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess, but maybe not on par with Pippin.  I think this show has a strong shot at most of the major categories this year.

It Shoulda Been You Opens on Broadway

The new musical It Shoulda Been You, directed by David Hyde Pierce and written by Mr. Pierce's husband, Brian Hargrove, along with Barbara Anselmi, opened last night at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.  The reviews are in and they are decidedly mixed.

The New York Times absolutely hated it, in effect saying it never shoulda happened.  Other reviews were much kinder.  Variety, for example, praised the performances even if they did not like the writing.  This opinion seemed to be the consensus of the rest of the reviews -- good acting in a bad show.

First Tony Nomination Predictions

Here is my first round of Tony predictions for the 2014-2015 season.  I will list my predictions along with one honorable mention in each category which I believe has a strong shot but will come just shy of the nomination.

Best Play

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Disgraced

Wolf Hall

Hand to G-d

Alternate: The Audience

Best Revival of a Play
The Real Thing
It's Only a Play
This is Our Youth
Skylight
Alternate: The Elephant Man

Best Musical
Dr. Zhivago
Finding Neverland
The Visit
Fun Home
Alternate: Honeymoon in Vegas

Best Revival of a Musical
On the 20th Century
An American in Paris
The King and I
On the Town
Alternate: Side Show

Lead Actor in a Play
Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Ewan McGregor, The Real Thing
Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man
Stephen Boyer, Hand to G-d
Bill Nighy, Skylight
Alternate: Hari Dhillon, Disgraced

Lead Actress in a Play
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Real Thing
Helen Mirren, The Audience
Carey Mulligan, Skylight
Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall
Lindsay Duncan, A Delicate Balance
Alternate: Gretchen Mol, Disgraced

Featured Actor in a Play
Ian Barford, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Nathan Lane, It's Only a Play
Ben Miles, Wolf Hall
Mark Kudisch, Hand to G-d
Josh Radnor, Disgraced
Alternate: James Earl Jones, You Can't Take it With You

Featured Actress in a Play
Annaleigh Ashford, You Can't Take it With You
Francesca Faridany, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Tavi Gevinson, This is Our Youth
Martha Plimpton, A Delicate Balance
Geneva Carr, Hand to G-d
Alternate: Patricia Clarkson, The Elephant Man

Lead Actor in a Musical
Tony Yazbeck, On the Town
Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
Matthew Morrison, Finding Neverland
Tam Mutu, Dr. Zhivago
Rob McClure, Honeymoon in Vegas
Alternate: Peter Gallagher, On the 20th Century

Lead Actress in a Musical
Kelli O'Hara, The King and I
Kristin Chenoweth, On the 20th Century
Beth Malone, Fun Home
Chita Rivera, The Visit
Tyne Daly, It Shoulda Been You
Alternate: Emily Padgett, Side Show

Featured Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, Fun Home
Robert Joy, Side Show
Tony Danza, Honeymoon in Vegas
Michael McGrath, On the 20th Century
Andy Karl, On the 20th Century
Alternate: Mark Linn-Baker, On the 20th Century

Featured Actress in a Musical
Alysha Umphress, On the Town
Nancy Opel, Honeymoon in Vegas
Ashley Park, The King and I
Judy Kuhn, Fun Home
Mary Louise Wilson, On the 20th Century
Alternate: Jackie Hoffman, On the Town

Book
The Visit
Finding Neverland
Dr. Zhivago
Fun Home
Alternate: Honeymoon in Vegas

Score
The Last Ship
Finding Neverland
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Visit
Alternate: Honeymoon in Vegas

Director of a Musical
Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
Scott Ellis, On the 20th Century
Diane Paulus, Finding Neverland
Bart Sher, The King and I
Alternate: Des MacAnuff, Dr. Zhivago

Director of a Play
Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall
Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Stephen Daldry, Skylight
Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Hand to G-d
Alternate: Stephen Daldry, The Audience

Choreography
An American in Paris
On the Town
Finding Neverland
The King and I
Alternate: On the 20th Century

Orchestrations
An American in Paris
Finding Neverland
The Visit
On the Town
Alternate: Dr. Zhivago

Scenic Design of a Play
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Wolf Hall
Skylight
The Real Thing
Alternate: Hand to G-d

Scenic Design of a Musical
The Last Ship
An American in Paris
Finding Neverland
On the 20th Century
Alternate:

Costume Design of a Play
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Wolf Hall
Hand to G-d
The Audience
Alternate: It's Only a Play

Costume Design of a Musical
Dr. Zhivago
An American in Paris
Gigi
Finding Neverland
Alternate: The King and I

Lighting Design of a Play
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Wolf Hall
The Elephant Man
Skylight
Alternate: Hand to G-d

Lighting Design of a Musical
The Visit
Finding Neverland
On the 20th Century
The Last Ship
Alternate: Side Show

Sound Design of a Play
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Skylight
The Audience
Wolf Hall
Alternate: It's Only a Play

Sound Design of a Musical
Finding Neverland
Dr. Zhivago
On the Town
The Visit
Alternate: An American in Paris

An American In Paris opens on Broadway

The Broadway production of An American in Paris opened yesterday at the Palace Theatre to rave reviews.  The story has been pushed back in time to give the story more depth but, unlike the changed made to the revival of Gigi, the updates add to the adaptation rather than detract.  Expect to see this nominated for several things, but primarily for choreography and orchestrations, as well as direction.

Wolf Hall Opens on Broadway

The two-part stage adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, based on the same novels by Hilary Mantel upon which the BBC miniseries is also based, opened Thursday night at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway.  The reviews are in and they are fantastic.  The production is appropriately stagey, gossipy, and fun to boot!  Who knew a history lesson could be so fun?

Mamma Mia to Close on Broadway

The time has finally come.  The producers of the smash Broadway hit Mamma Mia have announced that the show will close on September 5th, 2015, -- almost 14 years after it opened.  By the time it closes, the show will have played 5,765 performances, putting it in eighth place on the list of longest running Broadway shows in history.  The show opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on October 18th, 2001, becoming the first tenant of that space after it was vacated by the 18 year run of Cats.