BEST BROADWAY RUMOR OF THE NEW YEAR!Boy, do I hope this one is true! According to AM NY, rumor has it that the Roundabout Theatre Company is reviving my all-time favorite show, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Not familiar with the original production? Click HERE.
If it is true, who would you like to see in the cast and in which role? Write in and tell me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com!
NOW PREVIEWING ON BROADWAY:
- The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, Richard Rodgers Theatre. Previews: December 17, 2011; Opening Night: January12, 2012
- The Road to Mecca, The American Airlines Theatre. Previews: December 16, 2011; Opening Night: January 17, 2012
- Wit, Samuel Friedman Theatre. Previews: January 5, 2012; Opening Night: January 25, 2012
CLOSING SOON ON BROADWAY:
- Billy Elliot at the Imperial Theatre. 40 previews; 1304 performances.
- Lysistrata Jones at the Imperial Theatre. 34 previews; 30 performances.
- An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. 6 previews; 62 performances.
- The Mountaintop at the Jacobs Theatre. 24 previews, 114 performances.
- Follies at the Marquis Theatre. 38 previews, 152 performances
- Relatively Speaking at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. 35 previews, 117 performances
THIS WEEK'S BROADWAY WINNERS AND LOSERS:
WINNER: Fans of Bonnie and Clyde: The Original Broadway Cast Recording was done on January 2nd. Bittersweet though it was, at least we have that to look forward to, right? (Keeping fingers crossed for the same for Lysistrata Jones)
LOSER: Fans of Pal Joey: The ominous "scheduling conflicts" reason abruptly ended the Kennedy Center mounting of Pal Joey. In its place? A little revue of Kander and Ebb songs called First You Dream: The Songs of Kander and Ebb from Virginia's Signature Theatre, directed by Eric Schaeffer. Follies notwithstanding, I find his direction pedestrian and bland. I wonder how the subscribers feel about this substitution... Later The Washington Post reported that the cancellation was due to the departure of director Christopher Ashley, who was obligated to return to Leap of Faith, which is now on the fast track to open on Broadway this season. Apparently, the concept and revisions to the new Pal Joey was dependent upon Ashley's tight collaboration with book reviser Terrence McNally.
WINNER: Broadway and BCEFA: Hugh Jackman, Broadway star and mega-fundraiser, will be back in a couple of seasons headlining a new musical (YEAH!) called Houdini. Of course, you'd have to be under a rock not to have heard that news... when was the last time a Broadway casting was announced on the CBS Evening News?
LOSER: Darren Criss fans who don't live in a mansion: I know, I know...supply and demand...blah blah blah... most of Darren Criss fans are between 8 and 15 (at least that's what Glee reporters would have us believe), right? Well, the hard to get tickets for How to Succeed... during his 3-week residence at WWW, are even more expensive, since producers have decided to jack up the price scale. Of course, Criss' REAL fan base can probably scrounge up the extra dough. Now all those gay guys (myself included) will have a chance to sit closer and out of range of the screaming fangirls!
(SHE'S A) WINNER: Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza: Their engagement was announced this week. You may recall that Lopez and hismore amazing body than Nick Adams became the first person EVER to have his name above the title at A Chorus Line, which clsed prematurely under his "star power." Anyway, he did meet a terrific Broadway Baby, Courtney Mazza, and they have been together for some time. Congratulations!
WINNER: Spider-Man:Turn Off the Dark: The little show over at the Foxwoods that you don't hear a whole lot about these days, set a new theatre and Broadway Box Office record the week between Christmas and New Years, raking in an amazing $2,941,790.20 for 9 shows. It broke the previous record held by Wicked, also for a 9 show week, by more than $700,000.00.
WINNERS BOTH: Audra McDonald and Will Swensen: These Broadway babies have been the sweet talk of the town for a long time now. One of them popped the question, and a new Broadway Royal Couple is to be wed... negotiations for full network coverage are underway... no. Seriously, how great for Tick and Bess, right? Congratulations!!
WINNER BY A MILE: Darren Criss, who by all accounts made a dazzling Broadway debut in How to Succeed... on Tuesday. And the ever-gracious and thankful guy has been doing press ever since. Check out his "Show People" interview on Broadway.com. He's a great guy!
And FINALLY...
WINNER: Me and all the theatre onliners (plus kudos to BroadwayWorld AND Disney: I am rarely on Twitter for any length of time, but the other day, as fate would have it, I was there for more than an hour. Anyway, I watched a small bit of history unfold before my very eyes. And for those who turn their nose up at the power of social media, blogs and the like, here's reason to start taking us more seriously. IT all started when BroadwayWorld released a behind-the-scenes video of the making of the OBCR of Bonnie and Clyde. During it, director Jeff Calhoun expressed his gratitude that their hard work would be preserved. Then he said that he was looking forward to working again with Jeremy Jordan on Newsies! PAUSE. Hmmm Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, he blushed... then Jordan himself gets on the screen and with a wink confirms the news. TAKE THAT DISNEY PRESS MACHINE! Well, then the official Newsies / Disney Twitter feed very cooly also confirmed it with amazing grace, actually. So, Disney gets that the future is online. Will the rest of the old school theater folk follow suit? Maybe. But let this bit of history also affect we online folks: they are starting to see we have influence. Let's take that responsibility seriously, too, and put quality material out there.
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| The World Will Remember Them: Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes record Bonnie and Clyde (Photo by Walter McBride) |
LOSER: Fans of Pal Joey: The ominous "scheduling conflicts" reason abruptly ended the Kennedy Center mounting of Pal Joey. In its place? A little revue of Kander and Ebb songs called First You Dream: The Songs of Kander and Ebb from Virginia's Signature Theatre, directed by Eric Schaeffer. Follies notwithstanding, I find his direction pedestrian and bland. I wonder how the subscribers feel about this substitution... Later The Washington Post reported that the cancellation was due to the departure of director Christopher Ashley, who was obligated to return to Leap of Faith, which is now on the fast track to open on Broadway this season. Apparently, the concept and revisions to the new Pal Joey was dependent upon Ashley's tight collaboration with book reviser Terrence McNally.
WINNER: Broadway and BCEFA: Hugh Jackman, Broadway star and mega-fundraiser, will be back in a couple of seasons headlining a new musical (YEAH!) called Houdini. Of course, you'd have to be under a rock not to have heard that news... when was the last time a Broadway casting was announced on the CBS Evening News?
 |
| Mark your calendars: Hugh (left) will play Harry (right) on Broadway in the 2013 - 2014 season |
(SHE'S A) WINNER: Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza: Their engagement was announced this week. You may recall that Lopez and his
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| Maybe a Broadway Duke and Duchess: Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza |
WINNER: Spider-Man:Turn Off the Dark: The little show over at the Foxwoods that you don't hear a whole lot about these days, set a new theatre and Broadway Box Office record the week between Christmas and New Years, raking in an amazing $2,941,790.20 for 9 shows. It broke the previous record held by Wicked, also for a 9 show week, by more than $700,000.00.
 |
| Lining up at the B.O. |
WINNERS BOTH: Audra McDonald and Will Swensen: These Broadway babies have been the sweet talk of the town for a long time now. One of them popped the question, and a new Broadway Royal Couple is to be wed... negotiations for full network coverage are underway... no. Seriously, how great for Tick and Bess, right? Congratulations!!
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| The new King and Queen of Broadway (along with their Prince and Princess) Will Swensen and Audra McDonald |
And FINALLY...
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| EXTRA! EXTRA! Jeremy Jordan will be in Newsies! |
Jeff
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