Theatre Hotspot

Musicals: On Screen and On Broadway

2005-11-21T12:52:00.000-05:00

As many of you may know there is a new movie coming out named "Rent." What some of you may not know is that this movie is based off of the Broadway Musical with the same name. I have known this music for many years but have never seen it performed so I am glad that this movie is coming out. The musical "Rent" follows the life of a group of twenty somethings trying to forge their way while living in New York. The group of friends consists of a variety of people with very different types of lifestyles. What I find interesting about this movie is that all but two of the cast members are reprising their roles from the original Broadway Production. The Broadway version opened in 1996 and is still currently being performed. I think that casting original cast members gives the movie an edge that isn't found very often on the big screen. These people lived and worked together for years perfecting the roles that they are portraying and I think that type of chemistry is hard to come by. Original Broadway Casts always set the standard for those that follow and considering that "Rent" is approaching its tenth year on Broadway, the original cast obviously did something right. I am excited to see this movie since I was never able to see the original cast, or any cast for that matter perform. This is definately going to be a movie to go see.

Another musical that is making its way back to the big screen is "The Producers." This Mel Brooks muscial was first made in 1968 as a feature length film starring Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock and Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom. In 2001 Mel Brooks' "The Producers" arrived on Broadway starring none other than Nathan Lane as Max and Matthew Broderick as Leo. The show was an instant success and people couldn't pay enough for tickets. I first saw this musical when it was in previews and fell in love with it. I had never seen the orginal movie until after I saw that play, but both are hysterical. The reason that I am talking about this right now is because Mel Brooks is again coming out with another version of this fabulous musical. "The Producers" is coming to the big screen and is starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Uma Thurman. I am really excited to see this movie come out, just to see how they adapted a movie to a play to another movie. It's definately going to be interesting.

Broadway Buzz

2005-11-19T21:34:00.000-05:00

Britney Spears on Broadway??

That is the new rumor floating around town. Apparently Britney Spears is in talks to replace Christina Applegate as Charity in Sweet Charity. There are also talks that Kevin Federline, Britney's new husband will be joining the cast as well. The couple as well as Spears' mother attended a production last week. This is very amusing to me because I would have never even thought of Britney Spears or Kevin Federline, for that matter, as Broadway seekers. In my personal opinion I think that Spears should stick to singing pop songs and going on tour with ehr cd's. Kevin might have a chance because he hasn't actually classified his career as anything to set in stone. I'm sure that if he puts his mind to it, he will succeed. But Britney has already cast herself as a pop princess in the public's eye and I really don't see how she can transform that into Broadway gold. People who go to see Broadway shows are looking for a certain type of talent along with a good show and in my mind Britney, doesn't quite fit the Sweet Charity image. Correct me if you think I wrong, but it would not be in the best interest of that show to cast her as the lead.

Hello Neuman...that's right! Wayne Knight of Seinfeld will be returning to the Broadway stage and joing the cast of Sweet Charity.

John Lithgow is leaving Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

It will be a sad day when John Lithgow leaves that musical. He did a marvelous job portraying an aging con man. Jonathon Pryce will be taking over the role, Lawrence Jameson, that Lithgow created for the stage version of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

More news about Dirty Rotten. Norbert Leo Butz who portrays the younger of the two con men, Freddie, has just signed a deal with CBS for a new sitcom. Norbert is a great actor and I am really happy to see him get a great deal like this. He will be toplining a new comedy for the network and I think that he will do a really good job. He's got the charm and the average guy look that people will be able to relate well too. I hope that he will do better than his Wicked co-star, Kristen Chenowith. She attempted the same thing, but did not succeed. Norbert, I wish you the best of luck, and I'll be watching for your show!!

"Bang Bang You're Dead"

2005-11-15T22:05:00.000-05:00

The play "Bang Bang You're Dead" is currently being performed at Newark High School. I have never seen this show, but my roommate saw the advertisement and thought that it may be something interesting to write about. A summary of the show can be found on movies.yahoo.com:

"Trevor Adams was a model student until extreme bullying drove him to threaten to bomb the high school football team. Now Trevor's a time bomb himself--troubled, misunderstood, and on the brink of committing real violence. Salvation comes in the form of a caring drama teacher named Mr. Duncan, who offers Trevor the lead in the school play. But when the community gets wind of the play's subject matter--school violence and playground killers--as well as its troubled protagonist, the production is in jeopardy, as is Trevor's attempt to avoid calamity. This gritty, hard-hitting drama offers an authentic glimpse inside the post-Columbine high schools of America and the forces that can compel a teen to violence."

From what I have read about this play, it sounds like the basic story of teenage angst. It was written by a teenager after the attack at Columbine High School. As a private, catholic school girl it is hard for me to imagine that the school agreed to perform the script. Where I come from there are many restrictions as to what type of plays we can perform. I'm sure that Newark will do a good job performing the play and if I get some time I am going to try and go see it.

On another note. The Delaware Children's Theatre just recently had auditions for "Alice in Wonderland." My younger sister was cast as Alice and I am very excited! The show is a typical, musical recounting of the story. The songs differ from the Disney version, but the character are the same. This is one of my favorite because the cast always has a good time and it shows in their performance. It opens January 15th. Information can be found at www.dechildrenstheatre.org.

Kimberly Akimbo

2005-11-07T19:55:00.000-05:00

This week I am going to write about a play named Kimberly Akimbo. This play can be seen next weekend at Sanford School in Hockessin. I actually went and saw this play when it was Off Off Broadway. My friend John Gallagher Jr. starred in it along with Ana Gasteyer. Both of them did a fantastic job.

The play Kimberly Akimbo follows the story of a sixteen year old girl, Kimberly, who ages at four and half times the normal rate. Her life at school is difficult since she looks so much older than all of the other children her age. At home she faces a drunken father, a mother who is a hypochondriac and an aunt who is an ex-con. Her best friend is a social outcast who spends his days playing Dungeons and Dragons and making anagrams out of other people’s names. Kimberly has reached the average life expectancy for people with her disease and her parents both fear losing her. To calm their fears of the inevitable they decide to have another child.

This play covers a serious topic, but does so in a lighthearted tone. I really enjoyed the play when I saw it in New York. I think that it presented the main point very well and did so in a way that people watching were not uncomfortable. The play had people laughing and crying all at the same time. I would highly recommend going to see this play at Sanford. I have worked with the director before and he can pull amazing talent out of high school students.

Theater Mania

2005-11-01T22:11:00.000-05:00

This week my aunt sent me an email about a website named TheaterMania.com. This aptly named website has all sorts of Broadway news and information. One thing that I think is really great about the website is that they offer discounted tickets. These are always hard to come by and make seeing shows so much easier as well as more affordable. On the Theater Mania website you can subscribe to them and receive emails detailing opening shows and offering you discounted tickets. I think this is great because you receive emails updating you on new openings and ways to buy tickets for less. You can’t beat it! The email that I recently received talked about the upcoming play, Hamlet, starring Michael Cumpsty (pictured left). I last saw Michael Cumpsty in 42nd Street and he did a phenomenal job. If I am able to get up to New York I am definitely going to see this show.

If you are looking for suggestions for some other shows to go see in New York City, I can give you some. I just recently went to see Spamalot, which I spoke about in an earlier post. Another great show that I saw over the summer is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. This show is a musical based on the hit movie starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine. Steve Martin plays Freddie Benson and Michael Caine plays Lawrence. In the play Norbert Leo Butz plays Freddie and John Lithgow plays Lawrence. Both the movie and the musical follow the same plot line, described below by the internet movie database:

Freddy Benson, a con man, lives off women by waking their compassion with shocking stories about his fake fate. One day in beautiful Beaumont sur Mer, he meets Lawrence Jamieson, who shares the same passion, works the rich ladies with the same scheme, but in quite a different league. With the knowledge of his profession, Freddy forces Lawrence to teach him high-society behavior, so that he himself can earn a major living. When time comes to say goodbye, Freddy decides to stay a little longer. As there is no way two con men can work a town that small at the same time, Lawrence and Freddy agree on a settlement: The first one to extract $50.000 from a young female target wins, the other leaves town. The sum is no match for Lawrence, the age of the lady no match for Freddy (Julian Reischl, imdb.com).

I would highly suggest this show. It is not only hysterical, but all of the actors involved are amazing (pictured left). Most of you would know John Lithgow for his extensive career in tv and movies. Norbert Leo Butz won the Tony for best actor and also originated the part of Fierro in the musical Wicked. The two of them have great on stage chemistry and both carry the show beautifully. I had a great time watching this musical and I believe that you would too!

Fresh Faces

2005-10-23T21:39:00.000-04:00

For this week’s blog I decided to take us back to New York City and Broadway. I haven’t said much about New York Theatre recently and I honestly wanted to catch myself up on what was going on. I happened across a new aspect of the Broadway.com website that gives information about men and women making their Broadway Debuts. It is called “Fresh Face.” I found it to be really interesting because you can almost get a glimpse of what these people are really like and how they ended up with their parts. It could be a real inspiration for people who are trying to make it big on Broadway, or in any type of acting gig. One of the “fresh faces” that I found interesting is a guy named, John Pinette. He is 41 years old and making his Broadway Debut as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray. He basically has to play an overweight housewife while singing and dancing. They story of how he got into acting was funny because he began his life after college career as an accountant and realized very quickly that it wasn’t for him. He then moved on to stand up comedy and has now landed a starring role on Broadway. I say Bravo to all of these people who are following their dreams and making them come true.

A new musical on Broadway, In My Life, is all over the place. Reviews tend lean towards enjoying the show, but having mediocre things to say in the end. It is a musical that ranges from being a love story, a parody and an opera. As I read the review the show sounded like it could be good. The main character has Tourette Syndrome and the actor who plays him is one of the “Fresh Faces.” From the review it sounds like he did a great job. The “fresh faces” article about him stated that he did an extensive amount of research in order to play this part correctly. The website Broadway.com has some different videos from the play and the music like it could be enjoyable. This show may be one that I put on my list to go see. Let’s see how long it lasts.

Here is a picture David Turner (the guy flying in the air) and Christopher J. Hanke (the one at the counter) from In My Life. David Turner plays a dead man trying to write some sort of opera. Christopher J. Hanke plays the young musician with Tourette Syndrome. Just from looking at this picture you can tell that the show is not going to be your normal, run of the mill Broadway show. I must say that I am intrigued.

Volunteers Needed

2005-10-17T14:36:00.000-04:00

This week is a bit slow in the theatres around the area. Since most shows have not opened yet and are still in rehearsal the information that I gave you last week still stands. I thought that today I could talk about the theatre that I work at, the Delaware Children's Theatre. First off, I have been selected to stage manage the Christmas show! I haven't had the responsibilty of being totally in charge since I was sixteen. I am so excited!! The show is called "What Child is This" and it is an Evelyn Swenson production. I am not too familiar with the plot because I have not seen a script yet. Since I am the stage manager for this show there will no one to be the head of the props department so I am looking for a volunteer to take over for me. If anyone is interested in heading up props or working backstage please let me know. The Children's Theatre loves when we have new volunteers and working on shows really is a lot of fun. On another recruiting note, the Delaware Children's Theatre is also performing "Jesus Christ Superstar" this season. The director is looking to cast as many men as possible. She is not the type of director to cast women in men's roles, so in order to do the show we have to cast lots of guys. Please let me know if you or anyone you know would be interested in auditioning.

As I was writing the above I realized that I forget to mention the Chapel Street Playhouse as another possible location to see plays. My friend Dan Healy has performed in a number of shows for them. He is also one of the hosts of Quizzo, which used to be at Kate's Monday nights, but is now only at Galluccio's on Tuesdays. The theatre is of the block box, New York style. It's a very small intimate atmosphere that really makes you feel like you are immersed in the story. The Chapel Street Playhouse performs more eclectic shows that I sometimes don't recognize. I have never seen a show there that I did not enjoy. My friends and I still quote lines from a show that we saw a couple of year ago. I have not found their website yet, so I will keep you informed of new shows that they are performing.

What's Happening Around Newark...

2005-10-09T23:39:00.000-04:00

First off I’m going to start off by answering some questions. Mike, you had asked about the standing room seats in the theatres on Broadway. I had to do some research to find out the history behind the Standing Room Only (SRO) and Student Rush Tickets. I found some very informative information at the website Playbill.com. The “seats” are surprisingly comfortable and considerably less expensive. We paid approximately $22 to see a show that people were paying hundreds of dollars per ticket to see. I would highly recommend standing room to anyone. This was my first experience with them and I had a great time!

There are three theatre groups here on campus that I know of. The first is the Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP). Shows for this theatre group are performed by the graduate level theatre majors. Tickets range from $8 - $11 for students or you can order tickets packages. Here are the shows in the 2005 – 2006 season:

HEARTBREAK HOUSE by George Bernard Shaw
THE PLAY'S THE THING by Ferenc Molnar
MAJOR BARBARA by George Bernard Shaw
ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD by Tom Stoppard
ARMS AND THE MAN by George Bernard Shaw
THE RIVAL by Richard Brinsely Sheridan

For more information or show dates and times, please click here.

The other two theatre divisions are HTAC and E52. Both of these groups are run and performed by undergraduates here at the university. I had some trouble finding the schedule for HTAC, but I will keep you posted if I find anything out about them. I did find a website for E52. Tickets for E52 are $5 for students and $7 for adults. Their upcoming season is below:

INTO THE WOODS by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine

November 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, and 12th
7:30 – 10:30 in Pearson Theater

If you want more information on E52 please click here.

2 Show Reviews

2005-10-02T20:48:00.000-04:00

My friend and I went to New York City last week and saw the show "Spamalot." We met some other friends in the city and got standing room seats. Standing room is only available in certain theatres and luckily for us, this one had them. It is really interesting how the theatre does standing room because you pay a cheaper price and have a specific place where you stand. The spots are actually numbered with little brass plates. Anyway, the show "Spamalot" was fantastic. I have always been a Monty Python fan so I knew most of the jokes that related to the movie. In case you didn't know, "Spamalot" is a Broadway play based on the movie "Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail." Tim Curry and David Hyde Pierce starred in the show and both were fantastic! Another notable person in the cast was Alan Tudyk, who can be seen in movies such as A Knight's Tale, 28 Days and I, Robot. I thought that the show was great and it definitely satisfied my expectations. I don’t think that my friends and I stopped laughing throughout the entire show. I would recommend this show to anyone. I know lots of people who have seen it and no one has come back with a bad review.

I also recently went to see the show at the Delaware Theatre Company. They were performing “The Nerd.” The play was about a man, Willum, who was finally going to meet the man, Rick Steadman, who rescued him in Vietnam. Rick comes to Willum’s house and is quite possible the worst house guest I have ever seen. Willum and his friends try everything possible to get rid of Rick and nothing seems to work. The show was hysterical and ends with a great twist. I would definitely recommend seeing this show. The reason that I went to see this show was because I had friends associated with it. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed every minute of the show.

Disney's 'Tarzan' a Broadway show??

2005-09-15T16:50:00.000-04:00

Apparently Disney will be opening on Broadway with another one of their hit movies. This time it's Tarzan. Yes, that's right, the vine swinging ape-man is opening on Broadway May 10th 2006. Tarzan is opening on the final day of eligiblility for the 2006 Tony Awards. I myself am very curious about this new musical. Phil Collins, who wrote the music for the animated movie, wrote an additional 8 new songs for the stage version. The show will open for preview on May 1st and will run on a limited schedule, mostly Thurday through Saturday, with some Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Lennon the Musical is closing on Broadway, September 24th. Lennon opened on Broadway after 42 previews and will only have performed 49 times, according to Broadway.com. (check out their article here) At it's opening, this musical did not get very good reviews. One of the women that I work with at QVC went to see the show when it opened. She said that it was better than she thought it would be, but she wasn't too impressed. She was also glad that her ticket was complimentary. The reviews that I read were brutally awful and I am not entirely surprised that the show is closing so soon.

Broadway celebrities are hosting a benefit for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The event will be attended by a multitude of stars currently starring in Broadway shows as well as many others including Liza Minnelli and Ben Vereen. The proceeds will be going to two different organizations, America's Second Harvest and Quilts for Kids.

The Delaware Children's Theatre is also hosting an event to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This weekend there will be an Open House from 1 -4pm on Sunday the 18th of September. All are welcome and encourage to attend. The event will feature face painting, photo ops, story telling, a coloring contest and much more!!

YAY!!

2005-09-10T16:50:00.000-04:00

My friend Jenny who is a drama student at NYU in the Tisch department just called me the other day to tell me that she got a role in M. Night Shyamalan's new movie. She is thrilled and I am so happy for her. I have no idea what the new movie is, but I will keep you posted on any new developments.

This actually isn't my first experience of having a friend in one of his movies. My friend was lucky enough to be one of the many extras in The Village. He was so excited, but was barely in the movie. I remember that we all went to see it when it came out. We all sat there watching the scene when they are eating outside at the picnic tables, and began counting people to find where he was.

My friend who I first met when he played Tom Sawyer at the Delware Children's Theatre, starred in the movie, Pieces of April. He did such a phenominal job in that movie and when I saw it I was so proud. There I saw in the movie theatre watching one of my friends who I had known for years playing opposite the likes of Katie Holmes, Oliver Platt, Patricia Clarkson, Derek Luke and Sean Hayes. I bought the movie when it came out and still think that it is amazing that I am watching "Tom Sawyer" acting in a movie.

As we are all growing up it is happening more often. I am seeing my friends progress in their chosen careers and it is still so cool for me to see them doing this. I don't think that it will ever get old!

Welcome to my Blog!

2005-09-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

First I think that I should tell you a little bit about myself. I am the type of person who has grown up watching live theatre and has been a part of the production aspects for many years. As a small child my mom would take me to the Delaware Children's Theatre where I could sit back whisked away into a fairy tale. I loved it!! Once my younger sister was old enough to go, we couldn't keep her away. She was always a bit more on the dramatic side and my parents thought that a good way to let her unleash her energy would be to put her in plays. Her first play was "Babes in Toyland," and she was a China Doll. My mom decided to help to the costumes and I would go and help her. At this point I was only about 11, but I was hooked. I loved going and helping with anything that I could. I finally got the chance to do spotlight on a show, “Aladdin!” I had the time of my life and was shocked that they let someone at such a young age have so much responsibility. After that show, they could not get rid of me. I wanted to help with everything and learn as much as possible. After doing spotlight for a couple of shows, I decided to try my hand a working backstage. I have been the properties mistress and assistant stage manager ever since.

All my life I was a very shy child and was not very comfortable around other people. The theatre was my outlet and way of expanding my horizons. It taught me to come out of my shell and embrace life and the people around me. I know it sounds very cliché, but it is the truth. I would not be the outgoing and personable person that I am today if I had not been a part of theatre.

I now have many friends who have gone on to be in movies, have done commercials, and have been in Off-Broadway shows in New York. I am so proud of all of them!! My goal of this blog is to keep everyone informed of what is going on in the theatre world. I would like to keep updates about the happenings in New York, as well as locally in Wilmington, Philadelphia, and the University of Delaware Campus. I hope that you all enjoy!