"La Cage" Revisited

Harvey Fierstein has returned to performing on Broadway, replacing Tony winner Douglas Hodge in the current revival of La Cage Aux Folles. The New York Times has re-reviewed the show with the new cast and the show is decidedly different with Fierstein in it. Check out the review below to see what I mean.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/theater/harvey-fierstein-joins-la-cage-aux-folles.html?ref=theater

Daisey Egan Profile

Daisey Egan, the youngest female performer to win a Tony Award (which she won at the age of 11 for her performance in The Secret Garden) is back in the spotlight again, having left the theater after a series of personal tragedies. She is now performing a solo show in New York called Still Daisy After All These Years. Check out the New York Times profile on her at the link below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/theater/daisy-eagan-in-still-daisy-after-all-these-years.html?_r=1&ref=theater

Elizabeth Moss Dishes on Mad Men and Her New Stage Work

Elizabeth Moss provided Broadway.com with an interview in which she discusses on her West End debut in The Children's Hour, news about Mad Men, and meeting Keira Knightley. Check it out!

http://www.broadway.com/shows/childrens-hour/buzz/155822/elisabeth-moss-on-mad-men-delays-broadway-memories-her-star-turn-in-londons-childrens-hour/

The Normal Heart Has a Added Cast Members

Luke McFarlane (of Brothers and Sisters fame) and Patrick Breen have joined the cast of the upcoming Broadway revival of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart. The last-minute addition to the season has also added a few production staff members, including David Rockwell (sets), Martin Pakledinaz (costumes), and David Weiner (lights). These additions are joining a cast that already includes Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies), Joe Mantello (who acted in the original production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America and directed the recent revival of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins and the Broadway production of Wicked) and Jim Parsons (of TV's The Big Bang Theory). The show will be directed by Broadway veteran Joel Grey who, because he is also starring in the upcoming revival of Anything Goes, is being assisted in his direction by another Broadway vet -- George C. Wolfe, who recently directed the Broadway premier of John Guare's A Free Man of Color.

Will Swenson to Direct Film Project

I just found this article on the New York Times website. It pretty much speaks for itself. Below is the actual article, as it appeared on the site.


Broadway Star to Direct Film Version of ‘Facing East’
By RACHEL LEE HARRIS

Will Swenson, a Tony Award nominee for his performance in “Hair” (2009) and a star of the new Broadway musical “Priscilla Queen of the Desert,” will direct an independent film adaptation of Carol Lynn Pearson’s play “Facing East.” In the play, a Mormon couple grapple with their faith after the suicide of their gay son. Ms. Pearson, whose 1986 memoir, “Good-bye, I Love You,” told the story of her husband’s struggle to come out as a gay man and his eventual death from AIDS, also wrote the screenplay. Mr. Swenson has personal reasons for working on this project: “Getting through my own adolescence as a young Mormon was challenging as it was, but watching my best friend struggle with his identity as a gay teenager was heartbreaking,” he said in a statement from the producers. Production is expected to begin in the fall. A percentage of the film’s profits will be donated to the Trevor Project, a nationwide crisis and suicide prevention help line for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

Film Version of In the Heights Dropped

Universal Pictures Studios has dropped the film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony winning musical In the Heights. The reason cited is that, with no stars attached to the film, the planned $37 million budget was too risky.

Fourth Nomination Predictions

After a number of changes to the 2010-2011 season, including the addition of a number of new productions and the departure of a major comic book contender which needs not be named, I have updated my predictions for this year's Tony nominations. The official nominations will be released on May 3rd, so I will probably update my predictions two or three more times before that date.


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

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

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

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

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

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

Actor in a Play
Mark Rylance, La Bete
David Hyde Pierce, La Bete
Al Pacino, Merchant of Venice
Jeffrey Wright, A Free Man of Color
Dan Lauria, Lombardi
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
James Earl Jones, Driving Miss Daisy
Tristan Sturrock, Brief Encounter
Dennis O'Hare, Elling

Actress in a Play
Lily Rabe, Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Cherry Jones, Mrs. Warren's Profession
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter
Frances McDormand, Good People
OUTSIDE SHOT:
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves

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

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

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

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

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

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

Director of a Play
Matthew Warchus, La Bete
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Daniel Sullivan, Merchant of Venice
George C. Wolfe, A Free Man of Color
OUTSIDE SHOTS:
Emma Rice, Brief Encounter
David Leveaux, Arcadia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Opens

The revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierpont Finch opened last night at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.  The reviews are pretty poor, but Daniel Radcliffe does get an A for effort -- from what I've read, he goes against the grain of the title and really does try.  The show's choreography and Tammy Blanchard's performance are the only things remotely worth writing home about, according to what I've read, along with maybe Mr. Radcliffe's star power.

Bret Michaels Suing the Tony Awards

Almost two years after his accident with a set piece at the 2009 Tony Awards ceremony, rock star Bret Michaels, lead singer of Poison, is suing CBS and the awards show's producers.  The suit arises from an incident at the 2009 Tony Awards ceremony where a moving set piece hit Michaels in the head.  The suit, filed in Lon Angeles superior court, alleges that the defendants did not properly instruct Mr. Michaels how to exit the stage and were, therefore, negligent.

"The Tony Awards dropped a piece of the stage on Bret's head, and then instead of doing the right thing, joked about it and played it off for ratings," said. Michaels' attorney Alex Weingarten. "Bret never wanted to file a lawsuit, but the Tony Awards have left us with no choice. They must be held accountable for almost killing Bret, and that is what we are going to do."

Spider-Man's New Choreographer

Amongst all the other changes being made around the new Spider-Man musical, one of them is the addition of a new choreographer, Chase Brock.  No one's really ever heard of him, so the New York Times reprinted a profile they did of him a year ago when he had a different choreography job -- for a video game.  Read the article posted below for more information.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/arts/dance/01wiidance.html?_r=1