Sunday, September 30, 2012

FACE OF THE FUTURE: The Book of Mormon's Nic Rouleau

Imagine making your Broadway debut  as the standby to the leading role in the hottest show to hit the stage in decades.  Then imagine finding out only a few weeks later that you are getting the role for good AND you will be prominently featured in the opening segment of the 2012 Tony Awards!  Such is the way it went for one Nic Rouleau, NYU grad and current star of The Book of Mormon.  That huge smile and soaring voice fit not only his current show, but his work in the touring company of Legally Blonde, in the Disney Cruise Lines musical version of Toy Story (he was Woody, naturally!).  His college work and regional credits include Cats, Cabaret, and Floyd Collins, in which he co-starred as Homer to Jay Armstrong Johnson's Floyd at NYU.  With that kind of range and a Broadway debut that everyone else only dreams of, I think it is safe to say that Nic is a face we'll see plenty of in the future!

"Hello!": At the Tony Awards


Those crazy Mormon cut ups doing #SIPs

Jared Gertner (pre-tour) and Nic Rouleau at an event

Elder Price greets his adoring fans!



Floyd Collins with Jay Armstrong Johnson

As Cliff in Cabaret

In Cats
Find out all about this guy at nicrouleau.com!

Before you go...
  • ...have you voted in this week's HOT or NOT? ANNIE, Part 1.  CLICK HERE. 
  • CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
  • ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!  It closes tonight at midnight!
Jeff
4.032
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Saturday, September 29, 2012

The Fleas I Got This Year

So, it's been a busy week for me!  Finally a chance to sit down and take a breath!

Well, last Sunday, as you know, was the 26th Annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction.  It was my 6th visit to the event, and one of my favorites!  Here in no particular order are my thoughts on the day:

From breakfast at the Edison (yummy, fast and cheap) to shopping the flea market to seeing Once to dinner at Dallas BBQ, it was great to spend the day with my two besties!


  • About that breakfast at the Edison: they make some awesome home fries!
  • About dinner at Dallas BBQ... amazed at the chicken wings!  How big are those birds, anyway?...dismayed to find a "B" in the front window...
  • The weather was pretty perfect - sun, a small breeze, no humidity.  I wasn't sweaty one minute! (I'm known to sweat during a blizzard!)
  • Biggest moment of confusion: watching them take down the A Christmas Story sign at the Lunt-Fontanne, and bedazzle the place with Motown: The Musical regalia... we asked around, people seemed surprised, too.  Later, mystery solved: Motown made a commercial the following day.  


The Wicked booth made the most money this year: over $17K!

  • Biggest improvement to the event: Even more booths in the Times Square pedestrian mall, and, even better, moving the Grand Auction out there, too.  More room to move and breathe.  It made it feel like there weren't as many people there.
  • Best Booth: TIE: Newsies: Best Keepsake for the money: $5.00 for a photo with a Newsie (or more than one Newsie), and overall the best selection of collectibles, reasonably priced: trading cards, signed Playbills (opening night and current cast), signed showcards, signed props, and the cutest salesmen on Broadway.  And Evita: Personal collectibles from cast members for sale, handmade gifts (the moustache candles were cool), plus a signed photo of Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett.  And, if you timed it right, Max von Essen would sell it to you!


The Newsies selling cool Newsies stuff!

  • Great star-gazing, not just at the booths and autograph lines, but shopping with the rest of us.  Sighted: Andrew and Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jan Maxwell, Will Swensen, Steve Kazee, Ben Fankhauser and  Kara Lindsay among others!
  • Best Bargain: $1.00 showcards at the Triton Gallery booth.  The selection was great this year, and throughout the day, too.  Turns out the only purchase I made: posters from Baby, It's You!, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Clybourne Park, Rock of Ages and my favorite poster from 2 seasons ago: Wonderland.  Plus: An Opening Night poster for All My Sons!  I saved $95.00 on the first five!
  • The Thing I'd Have Purchased If I Had $100 in My Pocket: An original Opening Night gift created by a cast member of Bring It On: a deck of playing cards featuring backstage photos, production photos, unused production photos, and personal photos.  And some of them autographed, too.


The Bring It On gals - those cards are the 2nd item from the left!


  • Best Time at the Flea Market: Watching a complete section of the Grand Auction, from the witty repartee of the hosts, trying to describe the items, to the actual auction.  I watched a guy named Matthew part with well over $3,000 in less than 10 minutes.  His bounty: two framed signed posters - Angels in America  and Falsettos, and a framed, signed series of original costume designs for the Evita revival.  Good for him, and even better for...


Check out this shot with Rebecca in the background.
Do you think it'll actually happen?


  • Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  This year's even was record-breaking: $681,829 for Sunday, and a total of over $9.87 million over the 26 events.


OH!  And Once was even better the second time!  Bravo, cast!


Before you go...
  • ...have you voted in this week's HOT or NOT? ANNIE, Part 1.  CLICK HERE. 
  • ...have you checked out this week's FACE OF THE FUTURE?  CLICK HERE.
  • ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
  • ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!
Jeff
4.031
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Friday, September 28, 2012

HOT or NOT: ANNIE Edition, Part I

NOTICE: THE POLLING PROGRAM I USE DOES NOT TRACK OR KEEP ANY RECORD OF WHO VOTES!  IT SIMPLY RECORDS HOW YOU VOTED.


So far this season, you voted and selected which cast members from Bring It On: The Musical, Dogfight and Chaplin will compete at the end of the season.  To see who you selected, click on the HOT/HOTTER tab at the top of the blog! This week, you'll vote on the cast of Annie.

Leapin' lizards, she's back!  Starting previews on October 3rd at the Palace Theatre, Annie, Sandy and mean old Miss Hannigan are back on Broadway.  They are the first revival up for finalists in this season's "HOT or NOT" competition!  What is more American than voting, right?

It will be the first of two weeks of voting for this production.  This week, you'll be selecting who will compete at the end of the season in these categories: Male Ensemble (2 finalists), and Female Ensemble (2 finalists).  There are two separate surveys, one for each category, because there are so many possible candidates.  PLEASE VOTE IN BOTH POLLS!  You may vote for as many or as few cast members in each category - pick them all if you think  it fits, vote for a few or don't vote for anyone in any given category.  In the end, those with the most "hot" votes will go on.

REMEMBER:  HOT is objective.  It is what YOU think it is.  Sure, it is looks.  You might ALSO consider personality, talent, contribution to the show and to the community.  But this is NOT a vote for performance - Best Actor, Actress, etc.  This way more shallow.  The bottom line: YOU KNOW WHAT YOU THINK MAKES SOMEONE "HOT" AND "NOT".

To keep it fair, I'll include a headshot for each (there are no production photos yet to show them in action).  Finding more on each person is up to you!

THIS WEEK: THE CAST OF ANNIE
THIS POLL WILL CLOSE AT 8PM EST ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4!


BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE TO SEE ALL BOTH POLLS AND SCROLL THROUGH EACH POLL TO CLICK "SUBMIT."

MALE ENSEMBLE MEMBERS IN ANNIE
(Since there are so many male and female candidates, there is a separate poll for each group.Select as many or as few as "HOT" that you'd like.  Use the side scroll bar to see all of the choices.  Be sure to click "Submit" at the bottom of both polls.



FEMALE ENSEMBLE MEMBERS IN ANNIE
(Since there are so many male and female candidates, there is a separate poll for each group.Select as many or as few as "HOT" that you'd like.  Use the side scroll bar to see all of the choices.  Be sure to click "Submit" at the bottom of both polls.



Before you go...
  • ...have you ENTERED TO WIN TICKETS TO THE HEIRESS?  CLICK HERE.
  • ...have you checked out this week's FACE OF THE FUTURE?  CLICK HERE.
  • ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
  • ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!
Jeff
4.030
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

CD Review: Jekyll and Hyde (2012 Concept Recording)


The release this week of Jekyll and Hyde: The 2012 Concept Recording represents the 6th English language version (7th if you include the Australian promotional CD made for a production that never happened) and 4th concept recording.  While there are a few songs from the many versions of the score that I enjoy, I have to say up front that this score and show ranks only above Wonderland of all the Frank Wildhorn shows to make it to Broadway.  In general, I find the music to range from terrific and exciting to overwrought and repetitive, while the lyrics (by Leslie Bricusse, with additional lyrics by Steve Cudden) are uniformly trite, simplistic and sometimes laughably rhymed in obvious couplets. (For example, there are exactly three words with more than two syllables in "Someone Like You" - "yesterday," "tomorrow," and "suddenly." And the song contains no new revelations on the time worn metaphor of love as flying, as well as multitudes of identifiers you, me, I, all of which are repeated, along with simplistic time, good and evil imagery that pervades every song.)  Again, there are no revelatory or even original ways of exploring these themes, just repetition and simplicity.  To call the majority of the lyrics banal is generous.  All things considered, the score is superior to the lyrics.

One has to wonder why this score of one of Broadway's longest running flops keeps getting revisited, let alone getting so many recordings.  This current concept recording mainly serves to justify the casting of the upcoming tour and Broadway revival, while the "concept," an updating of the key solos and duets, seems limited mostly to enhanced percussion, synthesized instrumentation and a little bit of electric guitar.  Think "edgy Josh Groban."

Grade: B-/C+




Title: Jekyll and Hyde (2012 Concept Recording)
Artist: Constantine Maroulis, Deborah Cox, and Teal Wicks, with Corey Brunish, Tom Hewitt, Carly Robyn Green, and Shannon  Magrane
Label: Broadway Records
Number: BR-CD00512
Format: Single CD
Case: Single Jewel Case
Booklet: 16 pages.  Package designed by Van Dean.  Photos by Grace Rainer Long.  Logo design by James C. Mulligan.  Liner notes by Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse, Constantine Maroulis, Deborah Cox and Vicky Welfare.  Album produced by Frank Wildhorn, Jason Howland and Billy Jay Stein.  Executive Produced by The Broadway Consortium and Ken Mahoney.

The Revival Promotional Logo

THE CONS


  • The recording points up the repetition of the score.  Mainly because this version preserves the solo and duet numbers and only 2 numbers that include more than the three principals, all but a few songs are different.  The rest are torchy ballads, with nothing to break up the monotony of tone.  And with these numbers back to back it really points up the repetition of themes, images, and, the virtually indistinguishable qualities of the songs sung by the two female vocalists.  The fist time through the CD, I had to consult the booklet to see who was singing what.
  • The "pop modernization" of the songs is mostly ineffective.  Hearing this almost justifies the "too Broadway" comments of the American Idol judges.  The sensibility of this "update" is using the most up-to-date synthetic sound coupled with the emphasis on percussion.  Just who thinks this is really contemporary I'd like to know; this is old school adult contemporary at best in terms of styling. 
  • The scope of the score is missing.  While die hard "Jekkies" will lap up this (and all future) version, a lot of the best parts of the score are missing.  The lack of the exciting/upbeat group numbers like "Murder, Murder" and "Facade" not only points up the repetitive quality of the rest of the score as I mentioned above, but it also takes most of the thrill and fun out of it, too.


Constantine Maroulis and Deborah Cox


THE PROS


  • Emma.  Wicked fans know her well, but for the rest of us, this recording introduces us to the vocal stylings of Teal Wicks.  She has a lovely voice - one has no trouble visualizing her as Elphaba - and delivers the least vapid performance in the role since Christiane Noll.  And she blends well with both of her co-stars.
  • Lucy.  Deborah Cox is making her return to Broadway, absent since her well-received turn in AIDA.  What is particularly nice about her performance here is that she is really acting the role, not trying to "diva" the whole thing.  She is not trying to replicate Linda Eder - in my opinion a great thing.  Her husky lower register coupled with her soaring upper notes allows us to hear the depth and duality of the ill-fated Lucy.  Cox manages to make "Someone Like You" much more interesting than it has ever been.
  • Jekyll and Hyde.  I never thought I'd ever say this.  Ever.  But Constantine Maroulis does a very good job here.  He smartly avoids Idol-like over done vocal pyrotechnics that we've come to expect from most of  the alumni of that and every other reality show finalist.  The score suits his voice, and he even gets the chance to show that he can actually act.  Though I wonder if his vocal chords will be able to handle the growling, rough edge that he employs when playing Hyde eight times a week - I fear it may hurt the gentle clarity employed when he plays Jekyll.  But at least we can hear it for sure as preserved here.  
  • Some real theatricality.  The chemistry between Cox and Maroulis so evident on the promo art for the revival is just as evident on the recording.  The song "Dangerous Game" is the most theatrical offering on the CD, and it really stands out.  It is everything a musical thriller should be - dark, sensual and creepy as hell.  This recording also re-instates two of the best songs written for the show, and absent from the OBCR, "The Girls of the Night," appropriately moody, and  "I Need to Know," which is vastly superior to "Lost in the Darkness." (I'd suggest to the powers that be that the latter covers the same ground, but not half as well.  Cut it!)  If these numbers, plus an excellently performed "Alive," are any indication of how this cast will do, I am getting very interested.  They make the banality of the lyrics that much easier to take.


Ultimately, this excellently produced cast recording (Broadway Records is now 5 for 5 quality-wise) serves its purpose.  I am far from a Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical fan, and yet, this concept recording has actually made me interested in seeing the forthcoming revival.  I'll never be a Jekkie, but now I have something unexpected to look forward to this spring.


Before you go...
  • ...have you ENTERED TO WIN TICKETS TO THE HEIRESS?  CLICK HERE.
  • ...have you checked out this week's FACE OF THE FUTURE?  CLICK HERE.
  • ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
  • ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!
Jeff
4.029
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

JKTS CONTEST: Win Tickets to The Heiress!

THE HEIRESS is a new production of the Tony and Academy Award winning story of Catherine Sloper (Jessica Chastain), the shy and sheltered daughter of a prominent New Yorker. Caught between the demands of an emotionally distant father (David Strathairn) and the attentions of a passionate young suitor (Dan Stevens), Catherine must navigate the terrain of love and regret, desire and duty, a chance for happiness and the burden of fortune…as only an heiress can.

Sounds great, right?  And talk about star power!


THE PRIZE:

  • Two tickets to THE HEIRESS on Broadway!


HOW TO WIN THE PRIZE:
It is simple, really:

  • Follow me on Twitter. @JKsTheatreScene I will follow you back.
  • Tweet me with this: I want to win Broadway tickets from @JKsTheatreScene ! #TheHeiress
  • All Tweets must be received by NOON on Saturday, September 28. 


THE DETAILS:

  • You may Tweet it EXACTLY as typed above up to 5 times.  More than five Tweets from the same account will disqualify ALL of your entries.
  • The winner will be notified via Twitter Direct Message by 6PM on Saturday, September 28th.
  • The voucher is good for the following 12 performances ONLY:  Tuesday, October 9 (8PM), Wednesday, October 10 (8PM), Thursday, October 11 (8PM), Sunday, October 14 (7:30PM), Wednesday, October 17 (8PM), Thursday, October 18 (8PM), Sunday, October 21 (7:30PM), Tuesday, October 23 (8PM), Wednesday, October 24 (8PM), Thursday, October 25 (8PM), Tuesday, October 30 (8PM) and Wednesday, October 31 (8PM)
  • You must be able to give the production at least 96 hours notice before the performance you wish to attend.
  • It is the responsibility of the winner to follow all of the rules outlined on the prize voucher you will receive.
  • JK'sTheatreScene is not responsible for cast substitutions, seat locations or availability.

Jeff
4.028
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012


Broadway Box Office
Week #17 of the 2012 - 2013 Season
September 17 - 23; 22 Productions



The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess went out with a minor bang, up only 3.9% over the previous week, but it was enough that the show went up an impressive 7 spots on the chart.  But when you consider that only 3 shows posted a gain in attendance this week (An Enemy of the People, Porgy and Bess, Wicked), the latter up less than 1%.  Every other show, except The Book of Mormon, which held steady as the only SRO show, posted losses in attendance.  The biggest drop was Peter and the Starcatcher, with significant drops also posted by Chaplin, Evita, Grace, Mamma Mia!, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Phantom of the Opera, and War Horse, all of which showed losses of more than 10%.  In terms of cash, the biggest gainer was Grace up nearly a quarter million - this was the first week the show played a full 8 previews, with Evita posting the biggest loss, down just over $129K. The continued success of Rock of Ages continues to astound me, while the loss of B.O. oomph shown by Peter and the Starcatcher saddens me.  The coming week holds no scheduled closings, while Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will begin previews at the Booth on Thursday.


To see how this chart is calculated, click the "Box Office" tab at the top of the page.


RANK
THIS
WEEK
SHOW TITLE SHOW
TYPE
THEATRE RANK
LAST
WEEK
UP/
DOWN
1 The Book of Mormon Musical Eugene O'Neill 1 Same
Disney's The Lion King Musical Minskoff 3 +1
3 Wicked Musical Gershwin 4 +1
4 Once Musical Bernard B. Jacobs 2-2
5 Jersey Boys Musical August Wilson 6 +1
6 Rock of Ages Musical Helen Hayes 5 -1
7 Disney's Newsies Musical Nederlander 4 -3
8 The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess Musical Revival Richard Rodgers 15 +7
9 Nice Work If You Can Get It Musical Imperial 9 Same
10 Evita Musical Revival Marquis8-2
11 Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Musical Foxwoods 11 -1
12 Chicago Musical Revival Ambassador 10 -2
13 The Phantom of the Opera Musical Majestic 13 Same
14 War Horse Play Vivian Beaumont 15 +1
15 Mamma Mia! Musical Winter Garden 14 -1
16 An Enemy of the People Play Revival Friedman 20 +4
17 Grace Play Cort 12 -5
18 Chaplin Musical Barrymore 18 Same
19 Mary Poppins Musical New Amsterdam 17 -2
20 Peter and the Starcatcher Play Brooks Atkinson 19 -1
21 Cyrano de Bergerac Play Revival American Airlines 22 +1
22 Bring It On: The Musical Musical St. James 20 -2

Be sure to come by tomorrow morning, September 26, for details on a contest to win tickets to THE HEIRESS starring Jessica Chastain (The Help), Dan Stevens (PBS's Downton Abbey) and David Straithairn (Good Night and Good Luck).  Be sure to start following me on Twitter to enter (@jkstheatrescene) - check the spelling!


Jeff
4.027
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Monday, September 24, 2012

CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT: Old Jews Telling Jokes

Oy vey!  Heat up the matzo ball soup! And when you are done reading this, call your mother!



The folks over at the off-Broadway hit Old Jews Telling Jokes have asked me to share a really amazing contest with you!  The show, which has received some of the best reviews of any shows this year, stars 2 guys I'm sure you know, if not by name, then by sight: Lenny Wolpe and Todd Susman, and one theatre comedy legend, Marilyn Sokol. (Not sure who they are? GOOGLE THEM!)  The cast also features Bill Army and Audrey Lynn Weston.

The Cast of Old Jews Telling Jokes

The contest is pretty simple - click the image below and "LIKE" them on Facebook! Actually...it is VERY simple!



What could you win:

  • 4 tickets to the show
  • Dinner at 54 Below
  • An exclusive selection of show merchandise
  • A post-show meet-and-greet with the cast (including photos!)



The contest deadline is OCTOBER 1 - One week from tonight!


And to get you in the mood, check out this fun video all about the Elusive Gefilte Fish, hosted by co-star Audrey Lynn Weston:



Before you go...
  • ...have you TWEETED ME with hash tag #SickofBway naming the Broadway shows you are so OVER!
  • ...have you checked out this week's FACE OF THE FUTURE!? She's a beauty and she's a Tony-nominee!  CLICK HERE!
  • ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
  • ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!
Jeff
4.026
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!


Sunday, September 23, 2012

FACE OF THE FUTURE: Elizabeth A. Davis

She sings, she dances, she plays a mean violin.  Often, at Once at least, she does all three at the same time.  And, of course, she acts.  In Once, she is a friend and a seductress.  And she is really, really good at all of it.  Not only does she manage to blend into Broadway's best ensemble, she also manages to make an individual impression.  So much so that Elizabeth A. Davis earned a 2012 Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Something tells me that will not be the first and last we've heard of this Broadway debutante.  She is definitely a face of the future!


Once: Davis, left, with Cristin Milioti

Once: Davis, left, with Cristin Milioti and Erikka Walsh

Once: Reza (Davis) makes a move on Billy (Paul Whitty)

Davis, center (yellow scarf), with her Once castmates

Recording the cast album

Creating her "Tony Portrait"


Before you go...
  • ...have you TWEETED ME with hash tag #SickofBway naming the Broadway shows you are so OVER!
  • ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
  • ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!
Jeff
4.025
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Getting Broadway Fleas...Again

My absolutely favorite Broadway event is tomorrow!  Of course, I'm talking about The 26th Annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction! This is my 5th year in a row, and I can't imagine missing it.  Why do I love it so?  Well, the obvious answer is that it combines my two favorite things shopping and Broadway.  But I also love it because it is a chance to (literally) rub elbows with people as passionate about Broadway (and shopping) as I am.  And I think it is great because it is one of the few things in the world that can be enjoyed no matter how much money you have.



Little $ - There are things at the booths that range from pennies to less than $5.00.

The gang at lysistrata Jones had FREE pom poms and souvenir
basketballs for $1.00 donations and basketball tossing!

Small $$ - There are many things at the booths that can run from $6.00 - $10.00.  $10.00 can get your photo with your favorite Broadway star. (Per photo)

Medium $$$ - There are some great special items at the booths that run from $12.00 - $50.00.  $30.00 can get you a ton of face-to-fade autographs with your favorite Broadway stars!  ($30.00 covers autographs for 1 of the 1 hour periods.  The stars rotate each hour, and each set of stars costs $30.00.)

Last year, $30 got you Rose Hemingway, Rory O'Malley,
Andrew Rannells and Bobby Canavale (and several others)!

Big $$$$ - Can get you anything you want, as usual.  But the difference here is that (1) the items at the Grand Auction are PRIMO for Broadway fans! (If you really love this blog, feel free to get me lunch with Angela Lansbury!)

Last year, Max von Essen came out as a Britney Spears fan!
Yes, that's her doll and tour bus... signed and everything!


But the best thing about this event is that 100% of the proceeds go to a great cause: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS! For ALL the information on the event and the organization you'll ever need, click HERE.

Alice Ripley fans got a super cool candid!
Yes, the stars walk among us at the Flea Market!

Mike and I will be there, with our mutual friend.  This year's show will be Once.  See you there!  Say hi!  (I'll be the one in the shorts, and backpack!  LOL.  Me and a hundred others...)


Before you go...
  • ...have you TWEETED ME with hash tag #SickofBway naming the Broadway shows you are so OVER!
  • ...have you checked out this week's FACE OF THE FUTURE?  CLICK HERE.  He's a cutie!
  • ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
  • ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!
Jeff
4.024
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!

Friday, September 21, 2012

I Am Sick of Broadway! (#SickofBway)

A NEW ROUND OF "HOT/HOTTER" WILL RETURN SOON!  
THANKS FOR PLAYING EACH WEEK!

Over the past few days, news has broken about a potential revival of Les Miserables on Broadway.  First it was The Hollywood Reporter interviewing Alfie Boe, a former/current/sometimes Jean Valjean, who told the paper that he "was in negotiations to play [the role] on Broadway in 2014."  The Internet was abuzz.  Then Cameron  Mackintosh responded that, in fact, the new staging was something he had always thought of bringing to New York.  BUT he also said it wasn't even in the discussion stage, as the touring company was going gangbusters with bookings into 2014, it would be at least 18 months before it could happen, anyway.  As for casting, he hadn't given it much thought, but that Boe would always be considered along with a handful of others.

Or is it a nightmare?

Add to all of that the news that the film version of Les Miserables would be pushed back to Christmas Day (big shock there, right?) AND the release of an "extended look" at the film, and Les Miz is EVERYWHERE these days.

And then, yesterday, I finally had enough of the news, the Tweeting (does Aaron Tveit know he has Twit-stalker??) and the endless debate about who should be in it, what theatre it will go in (18 months out, and people are SURE it will be the Winter Garden), and blah blah blah.  I came to a very blunt and, even for myself, surprise realization:

I AM SICK OF LES MISERABLES!

Oh, I'll go see the movie - a shirtless Hugh Jackman, and counting all the furtive glances Aaron Tveit gives to Eddie Redmayne's crotch and ass (it's in all of the movie stills), plus the lovely Anne Hathaway are enough to keep me entertained.  But I am DONE with the show.

So I quickly asked the Twitter-verse, "Are there any Broadway shows you are sick of?"  I got a few responses - not enough to be scientific - but the 8 or so I got were all the same shows.  Here they are in alphabetical order, along with some comments I got:

1.  Grease  I'm guessing the title speaks for itself?


2.  Gypsy "It is a great musical, really.  But they revive it like every 3 years or so.  At least give us a decade before Sutton Foster gets her shot at it!"  Hmmm.. maybe 2 decades?


3.  Into the Woods "Enough already!  The first revival was too soon.  The second even more too soon. And I'm tired of hearing it will/it won't come to Broadway."  "As the song says, 'Please...NO MORE!'"


4.  Love Never Dies I found it interesting that none of the responses I did get said The Phantom of the Opera, but that 2 of less than 10 mentioned the ill-fated sequel.  "Let it die!"  "No one cares about what happens to these people - a murderer/terrorist, a marginally talented diva, and what turns out to be a drunk aristocrat!"  Ouch.


5.  Mamma Mia! "It has become a joke, just like Cats and the original Les Miz.  Let it go with some dignity."  "When most of the audience doesn't even speak English, it is time to close the show."  Harsh!


6.  Wicked "I am more sick of the fans than the show itself, I guess.  Tired of hearing who went on as the 4th student at Shiz at the matinee." "Funny, for a show that doesn't send out much more than casting news, it seems like it's all u hear about."

7. ANYTHING by Tennessee Williams  "What next? An all-Martian cast of The Glass Menagerie?"  "Didn't he write more than 3 plays?"  I laughed my ass off at those Tweets!  Thanks!

So, what shows (and why) are you SICK OF HEARING ABOUT!!??

Tweet me: @jkstheatrescene and use #SickofBway in your Tweet!

You people are a riot!


Before you go...
  • ...have you ENTERED TO WIN tickets to Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  You have until NOON tomorrow!  CLICK the liquor bottle at the top of the left hand column!
  • ...have you checked out this week's FACE OF THE FUTURE?  CLICK HERE.  He's a cutie!
  • ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
  • ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!
Jeff
4.023
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!


Thursday, September 20, 2012

Sex Sells

Rock of Ages: James Carpinello and
Amy Spanger (Off-Broadway)
Everyone knows that sex sells.  Even on Broadway.  Rock of Ages does it with tongue-in-cheek 80's hard rock sleaze.  Mamma Mia! has been doing it for over a decade with teasing poses of a horny Pepper trying to seduce a bathing suit clad Tanya, and Sky surrounded by his buddies all suited up, sexy chests exposed.  Heck, even the middle-aged get their groove on with cute pictures of Rosie and Bill Carmichael rolling around the taverna.  These days, though, Mamma Mia! stays traditional AND has amped up the sex appeal.  Check out these new pictures!  You already know you're gonna love it!  (The posters say so...)



First, the new cast, traditional...

Rosie and Bill

Pepper and Tanya

Sky and the boys...

...the faces may change, but the pose hardly does!

Now a touch sexier.

Gone are Rosie and Bill...
in are Sophie and Sky

Tanya with ALL the guys - funny how
they have the same costumes on, but
it looks like so much...less!


And, of course, since it is about actors in the porn industry, it comes as no surprise that the promo pictures for The Performers are sexual... funny, but sexual.  Poor Cheyenne Jackson...




Click the pics to make them...um...larger!

Mamma Mia! production photos by Joan Marcus
The Performers photos by Matt Hoyle


Before you go...
  • ...have you VOTED in this week's HOT/HOTTER Survey?  CLICK the icon at the top of the left column!  Survey closes TONIGHT, September 20 at 8PM.
  • ...have you checked out MS. BROADWAY SEPTEMBER 2012, CHRISTIANE NOLL?  CLICK her picture in the right hand column to see more and to hear her sing from Ragtime!
  • ...have you VOTED in this month's THEATRE POLL? CLICK your answer on the poll in the left column!
Jeff
4.022
Comments? Questions? @jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (Email); or leave a comment below and check a box!
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