In the week in New York Theater, two plays opened on Broadway, both to mixed reviews, although Christopher Walken inspired both raves and more than a handful of puns. Getting far more ink (or, um, light?) was Stephen Sondheim, the dean (many say the genius) of musical theater, who turns 80 later this month. Mandy Patinkin has called him the Shakespeare of our age. But isn’t Shakespeare the Shakespeare of our (and every) age? For that we visited the RSC — the Reduced Shakespeare Company — which is offering its version of all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays. Also: a Twitter fight over “Hair” and Broadway-based disappointment at the Oscars.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Stephen Sondheim from an interview in the Chicago Sun-Times: “Oh, that feeling of being superannuated. It’s because I don’t write pop music, rock music. I write ‘of my generation,’ and deliberately so. I write, as most people do, the music I grew up with. The generation before me — [Leonard] Bernstein and [Jule] Styne — tried to imitate the sounds of their time. But I think George Gershwin was the only composer so attuned to the music around him that it sounded authentic. He did it with jazz and would probably be able to do it with the music now. Of course, when I was 25 or 30, I was on the cutting edge of my time. But while you can make a rock arrangement of anything — the Pet Shop Boys did one of ‘Losing My Mind’ — it wouldn’t be authentic for me to write in that style.”
Come to Cherry Lane Theater’s Master Class with Amiri Baraka. Mar. 8, 7pm. tix $25 ($10 students)
Harry Belafonte turns 83 today. Best known as a singer, movie actor and civil rights activist, he performed in three Broadway productions, produced two others
No surprise: Broadway grosses dropped by more than $3.5 million last week and attendance by almost 30,000 — due of course to the snow.
I’ve just seen Sam Shepard’s “Lie of the Mind” and for some reason have the urge to see “Modern Family.”
The New Group (@TheNewGroupNYC): Our Lie of the Mind made you want to watch Modern Family? I think that’s because they both have what I like to call “the awesome factor”
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Donna Murphy will star alongside Sutton Foster in the City Center Encores! production of Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’ Anyone Can Whistle, Apr 8-11
Venus in Fur, hit two-hander now running at Classic Stage Company until March 28, may transfer to Broadway!!
Interview with head the Theater Development Fund’s theater accessibility project, or TAP, about acceptability for Broadway, AND a list of accessible performances, open captioned.
We know that stars sell a show. But will a star as PRODUCER --Elton John, Jay Z, Lily Tomlin -- sell tickets on Broadway?
Shutter Island’s Mark Ruffalo: “The theater is my real house…I’d love to be Hamlet or, if I wasn’t too old, Romeo.”
Marin Mazzie, best known for “Kiss Me Kate” and “Ragtime,” will join the cast of “Enron,” opening on Broadway April 27th. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal by former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling of his 2008 conviction
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Producer Ken Davenport conducted a survey of theatergoers gathered at the Times Square TKTS booth. Only one out of 100 of them, he says, associated “Broadway” with “expensive.”
The top five most frequent word-association responses to “Broadway” were: shows (15 responded this way) plays, musicals, New York, and music.
The top five most frequent word-association responses to “Off-Broadway” were: plays (12), “don’t know” (9), cheap, “not as fun,” and “theater.”
Three Off-Broadway musicals on grim historical subjects: “Scottsboro Boys”, “Signs of Life”, “The Burnt Part Boys.”
Youtube as a road to Broadway: Producer David Shor sees Michelle Citrin’s video then hires her to write ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ a musical based on the 1993 Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan movie that (its producers hope) is bound for Broadway. The name of Youtube video that got her hired: 20 Things to Do With Matzah.
On this day in 1887 Anne Sullivan arrived to take care of Helen Keller. Appropriately tonight is the opening of “The Miracle Worker” revival
The Miracle Worker reviews: uneven, poorly staged, still compelling
Thursday, March 4, 2010
My My review of A Behanding in Spokane
Christopher Walken, who kills in “A Behanding in Spokane,” his 15th role on Broadway, is better known for the 100 or so movies in which he has performed, including Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow.” Right before that movie opened, I asked him in an interview how his role in it differed from his previous work.
“Well,” he replied. “I had a head.” In “Sleepy Hollow” he played the Headless Horseman.
In “A Behanding,” a 90-minute dip into silliness that is Martin McDonagh’s fifth play on Broadway and the first to take place in America, Walken is once again missing a body part. He plays Carmichael, a man who lost his left hand 47 years ago and has been searching for it ever since…the rest of the review
Linda Buchwald (@PataphysicalSci, blogger and editor at StageGrade):
Why are critics so concerned about the lack of greater meaning in Behanding? Can’t a play just be entertaining, as Behanding certainly is?
Jonathan Mandell (@newyorktheater, me): I think she means me:
Linda Buchwald: Not just you! Almost all the critics felt that way. I can see where you are all coming from, but I loved the show.
Jonathan Mandell: It’s a contrast with his previous work, and it’s hard to take the racism when it’s just entertainment.
Linda Buchwald: Don’t get me wrong--it’s no Pillowman (didn’t get to see Lieutenant or Beauty Queen)
Yank! has extended its run two weeks, to April 4th, which will come as no surprise if you read my review.
Enron has completed its casting, including Jordan Ballard (Hairspray), Brandon J. Dirden (Prelude to a Kiss)
Disney on Broadway,past, present & future: Billy Elliott’s director Stephen Daldry has been asked to work on stage version of “Dumbo”
Friday, March 5, 2010
Steve Loucks (@steveonbroadway, blogger)
If you were about to meet Stephen Sondheim, what would you ask him?
Jonathan Mandell: Are you about to meet Stephen Sondheim?
Steve Loucks: I’ll be in his presence at a private reception in just about two hours.
Serg Rodriguez(@Splurge24, blogger and Youtuber): SHUT UP!!! ARE YOU GOING TO MEET STEPHEN SONDHEIM?!?! I’d ask him if he needed a full-time sycophant. Then I’d faint.
Actually, I’d ask him if he is planning to or would consider writing an auto-biography/memoir. And if so, when?
Broadway Girl (@BroadwayGirlNYC, anonymous but famous Twitterer): Honestly if I met Stephen Sondheim I would probably just try to avoid peeing myself.
Jonathan Mandell: He mentored Jonathan Larson. Who are the up-and-coming theater composers he admires now?
Joseph Lee Edward (@JLeeEdward, actor, singer, blogger): Does he have advice for actors who are approaching his work for the first time?
Which actors’ interpretations of his lyrics and/or music are most memorable for him?
(@tapeworthy): Well don’t ask Stephen Sondheim for his autograph. I found out AFTER I asked that he’s notorious for not giving it.
Kristy Glass (@kristyglass, actor, model, singer, baby wrangler): He’s a quiet standoffish man, I wouldn’t ask him anything…
Steven Loucks: I just returned from having had the honor and privilege of meeting Stephen Sondheim. Very gracious and as sharp and brilliant as ever.
Jonathan Mandell: Did you get a chance to ask him any of the questions?
Steven Loucks: Actually I ended up introducing him to an up and coming director who has already done SUNDAY IN THE PARK & GYPSY.
Sondheim was not very quiet or standoffish tonight. He was beyond gracious and practically gregarious.
American Theatre Wing’s Jonathan Larson grants will be presented March 9th at American Airlines Theater. Performances will include a rare Larson song.
Hits at non-profit/Off-Broadway theaters like Clybourne Park,Orphans Home Cycle, Circle Mirror Transformation don’t get commercial runs because there are no stars.
Frank Sinatra told Twyla Tharp “You give me class” & he always wanted to be a dancer. Come Fly Away opens March 25.
The producer of “The Miracle Worker,” which opened March 3, issued an announcement threatening to close it unless business picks up this weekend.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Stephen Sondheim in Minnesota from an account in BroadwayWorld.com: The majority of the innovation, he said, is happening in places like off-Broadway and regional theatre, where production costs are smaller and new composers and lyricists are free to take more chances. He cited Spring Awakening and Next to Normal as examples of the few rare, recent musicals with original scores, and pointed out that they were able to find homes on Broadway because of successful runs off-Broadway first. He also discussed that because most writers of off-Broadway shows often cannot make a living with that kind of work, they’re being lost from the musical Theatre World to jobs in television and the popular music industry. Again, he emphasized the importance learning through failure and experience, and mentioned how few new, young composers have the opportunity to fail multiple times before creating a Broadway-worthy hit.
Seating charts for theaters in London and New York (and Brooklyn) on Playbill.com. Bookmark this page!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
My review of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged):
The Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC), which began in 1981 as a street corner act in California, played in London for nearly a decade, and just won a 2010 Shorty Award for “cultural institution” (2010 was the debut of this award for Twitterers), has now arrived in New York, for a run at the New Victory Theater on 42nd Street of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).” In keeping with their new motto – short and tweet – it’s a short run, only a week, until March 14th. But yes it is sweet….
Yet this is the Age of Twitter…“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” could be — dare I say this? — shorter. complete review
Reduced Shakespeare Company (@reduced) New York Theater asks in his review if we can be shorter. Fair question! Here’s The Complete Works -- Tweeted.
eg.
MACBETH
Lady Macbeth encourages her husband to be more aggressive in pursuing career options.
Zero Hour, funny one-man show about Zero Mostel, reopens tonight at DR2, 103 E 15th St.
Hair Loss
The Al Hirschfeld Theater loses its “Hair” today as the entire hippie cast of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival moves en masse to London.The 31 new cast members, including Ace Young, Diana DeGarmo, Kyle Riabko, will begin Tuesday March 9th.
Andrew Kober (@andrewkober, original “Hair” cast member) The weather today reminds me of the day we opened. And even the guys at Juice Generation said they’re going to miss us. Nice things.
Gavin Creel (@Gavincreel, original “Hair” cast member) So much kindness. Life is intense right now. In so many ways
Broadway Girl: Happy trails to @HAIRtribe! thanks for being our partners in the equality fight! So excited for you to spread the love across the pond!
Who is going to join me at 3pm as I blast the cast recording of HAIR and pretend I’m there in person sending off the cast?!
My open love-letter to the London-bound Broadway cast of HAIR
Alex Jensen (@jensen11us) @BroadwayGirlNYC don’t you think you should tone it down a tad on this hair nonsense?
BroadwayGirlNYC: Um, NO
(@celticgirl62): Why should she
Alex Jensen: Because its not like they are dying. They will still have jobs and life goes on…
The Oscars
Nine of the 20 Oscar nominees for performance have appeared on Broadway. (See details.) NOT ONE OF THEM WON.
Here’s the Modern Family commercial that everybody raved as being the best thing about the Oscars:
Best Song Oscar and Broadway Broadway composers who’ve won range from Irving Berlin to…Stephen Sondheim.
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The Week in New York Theater Tweets appears every Monday in The New York Theater section of The Faster Times, a selection (and enhancement) of the past week’s 140-character Twitter messages by Jonathan Mandell. To sign up to the New York Theater Twitter account, click on this link.
Past issues:
American Idol on Broadway. Bad Theater. Political Theater. Internet Theater. 03/01/10
Best Plays Ever, Gay Plays Now, Spring 2010 Theater Preview, 02/22/10
Broadway Love, Cell Phone Hate, Absolutely Fabulous Debuts. 02/15/10
Jackie O, Jersey Boys/Jersey Shore, Picking (On) Playwrights. 02/08/10
Avenue Q/South Park 2? Time Stands Still. American Idiot Doesn’t. 02/01/10
Scarlett Johansson’s First Time; Victor Garber’s 15th; A Nasty Bye Bye. 1/25/10
Antonio Banderas Back On Broadway? Angels Back In America. 1/18/10
Sinatra, Elvis, Green Day, Bono Coming To Broadway 1/11/10
From Arthur Miller to Catherine Zeta-Jones 12/28,
Jonathan Mandell
Jonathan Mandell, who tweets as New York Theater, is a native New Yorker and third-generation journalist with diverse experience on newspapers, magazines and websites.He has ...
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More on these topics:
Christopher Walken, Stephen Sondheim, The Miracle Worker, William Shakespeare
