Theatre News Roundup: 8/9

I saw Whorl Inside a Loop this afternoon. I don't want to give you all of my thoughts now but at this point you know how unreliable I am about providing reviews in a timely manner (this is why I didn't want to start formal reviews again) so I'll just encourage you to see the show. I thought it was well written and structurally sound. The actors are recycled to portray the different characters but it's never confusing and I think they do a good job of giving each character idiosyncrasies without fully disappearing into each role (beyond the roles of the main prisoners), which is fine as the show is fairly presentational. The play was funny and thought provoking and emotional without being manipulative. I wasn't pushed to cry but I was still able to sympathize and empathize with the characters. Even though Sherie Rene Scott's character is vital to the structure of the play I found her to be the weakest element. Her performance was fine but I don't think the character had a very satisfying arc. Still, it's a play that's well worth seeing and I'm glad I can finally recommend something that's still playing and not about to close in a week.

I swear that reviews are coming but probably not until I finish this recapping assignment. It just takes so much time and saps so much of my energy.

Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS)

• Betty Buckley and Rachel York head the cast of the Bay Street Theater's production of the musical Grey Gardens, which officially opens Aug. 8 at 8 PM following previews that began Aug. 4 in Sag Harbor. Performances are scheduled through Aug. 30 at the eastern Long Island venue. 
• Up Here, the new musical by the songwriters of Disney's blockbuster "Frozen," officially opens its world-premiere engagement Aug. 9 at La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, CA, following previews that began July 28.

The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS)

• It Shoulda Been You ends its Broadway run Aug. 9, after 31 previews and 135 regular performances. 

TKTS (TICKETS/RUSH/ETC)

• Off-Broadway's 39 Steps will celebrate Alfred Hitchcock's 116th birthday on Thursday, August 13 by inviting the audience to join special post-show festivities, including a custom-designed cake by Cake Alchemy. The show will also launch a daily in-person lottery, offering a limited number of orchestra tickets to patrons at the box office at 100 East 17th Street. Ticket-buyers can enter the lottery beginning one hour before the performance, and names will be drawn 30 minutes prior to curtain. Winners may purchase up to two $10 tickets with cash only to that day's performance. Seat locations will be at the theater's discretion, and lottery may not be offered at all performances.

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• Brian Stokes Mitchell, Billy Porter, Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry will join Audra McDonald in the upcoming production of Shuffle Along, Or, The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed. Scott Rudin is producing the show, which will start previews at the Music Box Theatre March 14, 2016, and open April 21.
• Further casting has been announced for the upcoming Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, to be directed by Ivo van Hove. The company will also feature Jim Norton as Giles Corey, Tavi Gevinson as Mary Warren, Jason Butler Harner as Reverend Parris, and Bill Camp as Reverend John Hale.

Theatre News Roundup: 8/7-8/8

I saw an interesting play today but I don't want to offer an opinion because I was 20 minutes late. I thought it had some interesting things to say but it kept me at distancing as it mostly told instead of showed. It did reach me in the regular dialogue scenes but it was a struggle to bridge that gap. I question some of the logic but I appreciated that it gave most of the characters depth. It's always more interesting when no one is strictly right or wrong. The performances were good but not revelatory. Message me if you're OK with that and want to know more.

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• Rumer Willis will make her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the current revival of Chicago a little bit later than originally planned. She will begin her eight-week engagement Sept. 14, instead of the originally announced Aug. 18. Filling in for the extra month as Roxie Hart will be Chicago veterans Amy Spanger (Aug. 4-16) and Dylis Croman (beginning Aug. 18). Willis will extend her planned limited run through Nov. 1 at the Ambassador Theatre.

Come to the Cabaret (CABARETS/CONCERTS/ETC)

• Songwriter Zoe Sarnak and her friends from the Broadway community will perform at Joe's Pub Aug. 26. 

One Song Glory (ALBUMS)

• The 46-track, original Broadway cast album of the new musical Hamilton, is now available for pre-order from Atlantic Records.
• "Matters of the Heart,"Patti LuPone's studio recording of her acclaimed 2000 Lincoln Center Theater concert, will be reissued with all-new artwork by Broadway Records. 

Theatre News Roundup: 8/5-8/6

Hello my loves,

Very sorry for the delay. I was out late at #tbtLIVE at 54 Below and the subway took it's sweet time getting me home (and switched lines right before my stop). The concert was great. I'll post the link if they put it on youtube.

Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS)

• The New Group launches its 2015-16 season Aug. 5 with the Off-Broadway premiere of Philip Ridley’s dystopian British drama, Mercury Fur. 

The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS)

• The Broadway revival of On the Town has posted its closing notice. The big dance musical will end its run at the Lyric Theatre Sept. 6 after 28 previews and 368 regular performances. Original lead Megan Fairchild will be succeeded by New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin, who will step into the role of Ivy Smith Aug. 11-23. Beginning Aug. 25, Misty Copeland will make her Broadway debut as Ivy for 12 performances only through the show's final performance, Sept. 6. 

TKTS (TICKETS/RUSH/ETC)

• The Off-Broadway run of Ruthless! The Musical has been extended through Jan. 2, 2016. 

I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT)

• Readings of the new musical Lyra: A Dark Fairy Tale — billed as an "adaptation of the original 'Little Mermaid' story, set against the backdrop of a Faustian Dust Bowl era circus" — will be presented Sept. 17 at 7 PM and Sept. 20 at 5 PM at The Triad Theatre to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. 
• Initial casting has been announced for The Pasadena Playhouse's upcoming production of the new musical Breaking Through, which will begin previews Oct. 27 prior to an official opening Nov. 1. Directed by artistic director Sheldon Epps, the cast will be led by Alison Luff and Constantine Maroulis. The musical has a book by Kirsten Guenther and music and lyrics by Cliff Downs and Katie Kahanovitz. The production is choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Breaking Through, according to press notes, "is told through the eyes of a young, talented singer/songwriter, as she tries to navigate the treacherous shark-filled waters of the music business." 
• Adam McKay and the website Funny Or Die have joined forces with Archie Comics to create an original Broadway musical based on the comic book. McKay is writing the libretto, with a creative team and dates for a New York run to be announced later. 

Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS)

• The many, many reviews for Hamilton

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• Shanice Williams has been announced to step into Dorothy's silver slippers in the upcoming NBC broadcast of The Wiz. Uzo Aduba will play Glinda, with Amber Riley slated to play Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North. They join original Broadway star Stephanie Mills, Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier and Mary J. Blige.
• The Public Theater has announced complete casting for the world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's First Daughter Suite, a follow-up to the composer's 1993 musical First Lady Suite. 
• Casting has been announced for the planned 2016 Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, with a score by Philip Glass. The New York Times reported that Ben Whishaw will play John Proctor; Saoirse Ronan will be Abigail Williams; and Ciaran Hinds  will be Deputy Governor Danforth. As previously announced, Tony-winner Sophie Okonedo will play Elizabeth Proctor. 
• Melanie Moore, currently playing Peter Pan in Finding Neverland, will join the Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof as Chava. Also announced are Nick Rehberger (Fyedka), Adam Dannheisser (Lazar Wolf) and Karl Kenzler (The Constable).
• Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles has announces the cast of the the West Coast premiere of These Paper Bullets! A Modish Ripoff of William Shakespeare’s "Much Ado About Nothing", which will begin previews Sept. 8 prior to an official opening Sept. 16 in the Geffen's Gil Cates Theater. 
• Casting has been announced for the LCT3 world premiere of Abe Koogler's Kill Floor, which will begin performances Oct. 3 prior to an official opening Oct. 19. Performances will continue through Nov. 15. The cast will include Nicholas L. Ashe, Jeremy Bobb, Natalie Gold, Marin Ireland and Samuel H. Levine.

Theatre News Roundup: 8/4

Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS)

• Betty Buckley and Rachel York head the cast of the Bay Street Theater's production of Grey Gardens, beginning Aug. 4 in Sag Harbor. Opening night is scheduled for Aug. 8.
• Whorl Inside a Loop, a new play by Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott, begins previews at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre Aug. 4.
• The premiere of Deborah Zoe Laufer's Informed Consent begins performances Aug. 4 at the Duke on 42nd Street.

TKTS (TICKETS/RUSH/ETC)

• Tickets will go on sale for Pirates of Penzance with Betsy Wolfe and Montego Glover (Oct 15-16) and Dido & Aeneas with Kelli O'Hara and Victoria Clark (April 28-29) on September 8

I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT)

• Amélie, a new musical based on the Academy Award-nominated film of the same title, has set dates and supporting cast for its world premiere. It will begin previews Aug. 28 and open Sept. 11 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California.

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• Frank Langella will return to Broadway in spring 2016 with the American premiere of Florian Zeller's The Father. Beginning previews March 22, 2016, and opening April 12 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, the Broadway production will be directed by Doug Hughes and will be produced under the auspices of the Manhattan Theatre Club.
• The name of the actress who has won the coveted role of Dorothy in the upcoming NBC broadcast of The Wiz will be announced the morning of Aug. 5 on NBC's "The Today Show."
• New York City Ballet principal dancer Megan Fairchild will depart the revival of On the Town Aug. 9 to return to the NYC Ballet. Fairchild will be succeeded by New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin, who will step into the role of Ivy Smith Aug. 11-23. Beginning Aug. 25, Misty Copeland will make her Broadway debut as Ivy for 12 performances only through Sept. 6.
• Amy Spanger plays a limited engagement in Chicago beginning Aug. 4 at the Ambassador Theatre through Aug. 16.

I Heard It Through the Grapevine (RUMORS)

• Billy Porter is planning to leave Kinky Boots after his contract is up in January 2016 for a role in an unnamed new, original musical.

Theatre News Roundup: 8/2-8/3

Went to a great concert tonight at the Highline Ballroom called Broadway's Next Generation: 20 Somethings 3. The performers and composers were all very talented but I particularly liked Lora Lee Gayer and Emily Skeggs' performance of Good Night, Irene written by Blake Pfeil (yes, I have a Doctor Zhivago bias and yes, I will be writing posts on it soon). I'm also definitely going to start keeping an eye on Zoe Sarnak's career. I was really impressed with two of the songs from the Romeo and Juliet and Civil War musicals that she's working on right now. OK, on to the roundup!

Another Op’nin, Another Show (OPENINGS)

• The Brewing Dept. begins performances of HamletGhosts at HERE beginning Aug. 3.

The Party’s Over (CLOSINGS)

• The new Broadway comedy An Act of God, starring Jim Parsons, closes Aug. 2 at Studio 54.

TKTS (TICKETS/RUSH/ETC)

• Tickets go on sale to the general public Aug. 3 for the new Broadway adaptation of Misery, starring  Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf.

I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT)

• Previews start Aug. 2 for the world-premiere production of Sara Bareilles' new musical, Waitress, at American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA. The production will have its official opening Aug. 19 and is scheduled to run through Sept. 27, with Broadway possible beyond.

Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS)

• Three reviews of Spamalot at the Hollywood Bowl
• Reviews of Book of Mormon on tour in Utah

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• Kelli O'Hara and Victoria Clark will reunite onstage in a new production of the opera Dido and Aeneas, conducted by Ted Sperling with Orchestra of St. Luke's. The production will play New York City Center for two nights only, April 28 and 29, 2016.
• Connecticut's Hartford Stage has announced casting for the world premiere of Christopher Shinn's newest work, An Opening in Time, set to play this fall. Leading the cast will be Deborah Hedwall. Hedwall will play Anne, a retired school teacher who moves back to her suburban town in Connecticut only to find things have changed drastically. Performances will run Sept. 17 through Oct. 11.

Theatre News Roundup: 7/31-8/1

My Doctor Zhivago album finally came in the mail today. I'm listening to it now. It's a good recording but I don't think anything can compare to the impact of seeing the show and hearing those vocals live.

As always, remember to click "Read More" to see all the stories.

I Wanna Be A Producer (IN DEVELOPMENT)

• This summer, Connecticut's Sharon Playhouse will stage the new musical comedy True Love, bringing to the stage the popular romance comics of the 1940's and 50's. Formerly titled Love Comics, it features a book by Sarah Schlesinger and David Evans, music by Evans and lyrics by Schlesinger.
• An injury suffered by co-author Melissa Manchester has forced a postponement of a planned Aug. 7 reading of the new musical Sweet Potato Queens. The show is still scheduled for a March 2016 world-premiere presented by Texas's TUTS Underground.
• Unknown Soldier, about a photograph that leads a woman on a journey to uncover the truth about her deceased grandmother and a soldier in a photograph, officially opens Aug. 1 at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. The cast features David Greenspan, Estelle Parsons, Eric Lochtefeld, Lauren Worsham, Jessica Phillips, Derek Klena, Clara Young and Christina Sajous.

Everyone’s a Critic (REVIEWS)

• Reviews of Dear Evan Hansen (only one at time of posting)

I Hope I Get It (CASTING)

• Christine Baranski is among the line-up of celebrities planned for the Public Theater's Public Forum Series, now in its sixth year. Drama Club: An Evening with Cleopatra is an exploration of modern women in power via dramatic depictions of the famous Egyptian queen-goddess.  Tickets to the general public will be available Aug. 6.
• Atlantic Theater Company has announced complete casting for Caryl Churchill's play Cloud Nine, which will begin previews Sept. 16 prior to an official opening Oct. 5 at the Linda Gross Theater. The cast will comprise Brooke Bloom, Sean Dugan, Lucy Owen, Chris Perfetti, John Sanders, Izzie Steele and Clarke Thorell.

One Song Glory (ALBUMS)

• The short-lived Broadway musical Doctor Zhivago, which ended its run May 10 at the Broadway Theatre, is available for digital download from the official Broadway Records website beginning July 31. To download the album, visit BroadwayRecords.com. Pre-orders for the physical CD will begin shipping Aug. 3. It will be released in-stores and digitally on iTunes Aug. 7. 

Chicago with Brandy Norwood

Hello my loves,

I don't know if I should write a full review of Chicago (what is there to say at this point) but I promised you some thoughts so here it goes. I love the movie. I love the score. This is my second time seeing the revival after seeing Jennifer Nettles during her run. And... I loved it. While I enjoyed seeing Jennifer portray Roxie, the first time I saw the show it seemed a little lifeless compared to the movie. Natasha Yvette Williams and Raymond Bokhour owned their solos but the show didn't quite work as a whole. I felt a kind of listless energy from the ensemble at times and there was a bit of sloppiness and sluggishness to some of the dancing. That was completely absent last night. The orchestra was on fire and for whatever reason the sound in the theatre seemed better amplified even though I was sitting in more or less the same section. The ensemble felt sharp and energetic and awake and I actually got the impact I had wanted from Cell Block Tango. Amra-Faye Wright did a solid job as Roxie. I could definitely tell that English wasn't her first language and I felt like she was holding back in her vocals and choosing her moments. She does have a great figure and some nice lines when she dances and when she goes for it with her singing, I think she does a good job. She felt comfortable in the role but she didn't have many big moments. In contrast, Carly Hughes did a fantastic job with all the dancing and her vocals were full out but sometimes I felt like she was pushing too much and it was a little awkward. Ivan Hernandez did a very good job as Billy. He chose to do a voice and he did it well and sang wonderfully but I almost wished he would have used his natural voice so he could focus a little more on the performance. It wasn't bad at all but I think he could have brought more to the part instead of feeling like a stand in. I was prepared for Mary Sunshine this time and even more impressed with the actor's vocals. Again, I don't know what was happening with the sound but the first time I heard it I thought the vocals were coming from backstage.

OK, I know what you're waiting for. Brandy was great as Roxie. I'm glad I waited because she seemed really at home in the part after playing the role for this many weeks. The choreography isn't too challenging for Roxie so I can't really judge her dancing ability but she was very smooth and not stiff or stilted. Her Roxie was more sultry and mature compared to Jennifer Nettles' dumber, perkier Roxie. I think I prefer Jennifer's interpretation because it fits more with the character as written. There were times with Brandy where the jokes didn't land as hard because she was playing a more controlled, mature Roxie. However, I think she did a better job with her dramatic moments and I'd like to see her in a more serious musical someday. While Jennifer went broad and comedic, I think Brandy came across as very professional. She didn't have the same highs but she was very consistent and I loved the vocal quality she brought to her numbers. It was sultry without being raspy. There was a lovely warmth and maturity to her voice and her riffs were well deployed. I'm eager to see her on stage again soon and I hope this production continues to bring in talent like Jennifer Nettles and Brandy from different genres of music to interpret this wonderful score.