Sunday, June 19, 2011

TheatreScene: June 13 - 19

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!  And special hellos to my two favorite Broadway dads, Wilbur Turnbladt, Tracy's pop, and to Mr. Elliot, Billy's dad!

POLLS ARE BACK!  PUT IN YOUR TWO CENTS' WORTH AND VOTE TODAY!  THE LATEST POLL IS TO YOUR RIGHT!

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?  BECOME A "FOLLOWER"!

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
TOPS AND BOTTOMS (June 6 - 12):
  • Top Gross: Wicked ($1.7M)
  • Top Attendance: The Book of Mormon (102.4%)
  • Bottom Gross: Ghetto Klown ($182K)
  • Bottom Attendance: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (43.2%)
  • $1M Club: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
  • SRO Club: The Lion King, War Horse, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Anything Goes

NOW PREVIEWING ON BROADWAY:
  • Master Class: Previews: June 14; Opening: July 7

COMINGS AND GOINGS:

Casting:
  • Baby It's You! is getting real! The original lead singer of The Shirelles, Shirley Alston Reeves, will be doing post-show concerts July 19-22.  Looks like the show plans to stick around.  It is related to Million Dollar Quartet, remember!
  • By July 6, Chicago will star Charlotte d'Amboise, Christopher Seiber and Nikka Graff Lanzarone as Roxie, Billy and Velma, respectively.
  • Billie Joe Armstrong will be St. Jimmy in the forthcoming film version of American Idiot.  Meanwhile, Hugh Jackman is in talks to play Jean Valjean in the film version of the musical version of Les Miserables.
  • Now it is the judges!  American Idol former judge Kara DioGuardi will be Roxie Hart in Chicago for 8 weeks, starting in September.  What would Simon say?
Shows:
June 13:
  • The Book of Mormon celebrated its Tony landslide with a raise in ticket prices.  My guess is that they want their South Park fans to be content with the cheap-o CD from Amazon.com. since most of those kids can't afford $155 for a decent seat at the cramped Eugene O'Neill.  And, of course, producers need to make up for revenues lost from their "free for the Lottery fans" show.
  • The Normal Heart will not be raising prices, but it is enjoying a well-deserved boost at the B.O. - more than 3 times the normal take pre-Tony Awards.  GET TO THE GOLDEN THEATRE!  It is a magnificent production.

June 14:
  • You know what opened today, to the predictable mixed reviews.  The good news is that President Bill Clinton thought it was "fabulous."
June 15:
  • The 2011 - 2012 season is finally starting to shape up.  The Kennedy Center production of Follies will be coming to Broadway for a limited run starting this summer at the Marquis Theatre.  Perhaps being burned by the better-reviewed Ragtime, the KC folks claim this will be a limited run through "at least New Year's."  Linda Lavin will not be with the production for sure.  No one else has been announced.
June 16:
  • Other Desert Cities will be opening at the Booth Theatre this fall.  Linda Lavin won't be in this show, either.
  • Nice Work If You Can Get It (originally a vehicle for Harry Connick, Jr.) will now be one for Matthew Broderick.  This "new" Gershwin musical will be helmed by three-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall and is due this spring.  Something to look forward to!  Let's hope it is as great as Crazy for You!
June 19:
  • The People in the Picture closed at Studio 54 today after 30 previews and 60 performances.
  • Arcadia closed at the Barrymore Theatre today after 20 previews and 108 performances.
Milestones
June 15:
  • The Addams Family celebrated its 500th performance with the matinee show today.
  • The Original Broadway Cast Recording of The Book of Mormon became the first Cast Recording to debut in the Billboard Top 200 since 1969, when Hair did it.  Mormon is currently number 3.
June 16:
  • The House of Blue Leaves will close earlier than originally scheduled.  When it closes at the Kerr Theatre on June 25, it will have played 72 performances.

BLIND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
  • Question: What basketball loving cheerleader looks to be headed uptown to the Golden Theatre?
  • I got my answer to the Million Dollar question.  It quietly closed at the Nederlander Theatre on June 12 after 34 previews and 489 performances.  It promises to re-open at New World Stages in July.  We'll see.
  • I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that within the next year, The Book of Mormon will be on TKTS, and be closed within 3 years.
BROADWAY VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Catch Me If You Can and "Rumour Has It" by Adele
(Man, this is HOT!)
  




Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me! 
Jeff
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