The show will not go on for some time longer. Due to the spread of the coronavirus in New York City, Broadway shows have extended their shutdown.
While at first scheduled to resume the week of April 13, productions will now remain dark through June 7 (what was supposed to be the day of the 74th Annual Tony Awards).
The initial closure was mandated by Governor Andrew Cuomo March 12, banning all gatherings of 500 or more people and reducing the capacities of smaller events. The restrictions soon escalated, with the surge of confirmed COVID-19 leading to the state-wide “On PAUSE” executive order, effectively closing all in-person non-essential business.
On March 29, Cuomo said he would re-evaluate that stay-at-home order every two weeks; it is currently scheduled to last through April 29, though many industries—Broadway included—are bracing for longer hiatus periods.
(all images via Jeremy & Jeffrey West) Creative brothers Jeremy and Jeffrey West tapped into their love of musical theater during the COVID-19 threat to come up with re-imagined Broadway musical titles and posters, a project they dubbed #QuarantineAMusical. “After being under quarantine and maintaining social distancing recommendations for the past three weeks, my brother Jeffrey and I have been brainstorming fun projects to keep our creative juices flowing,” Jeremy West told Playbill. “This project started when I tweeted a joke about John Guare releasing a revised version of his play titled Six Feet of Separation, making changes in light of 2020 social distancing. From there, we made a list of parody musicals re-imagined during a quarantine and dubbed it #QuarantineAMusical.” Check out some of the clever tweaks on these award-winning musicals. You can see more over at Playbill.com.
Hey, folks. I usually end the day with my News Round-Ups, but this feels a little better tonight. Tonight, The Late Late Show with James Corden closed with Tony Award-winner Ben Platt joined by members of the Broadway and touring companies of the smash musical Dear Even Hansen singing, appropriately, “You Will Be Found.” This feels like a better note to end the night. Thanks for reading TRR folks. Have a great night. (and wash your hands…) …signed, human being, me…
Acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally accepting a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2019 Playwright Terrence McNally, a four-time Tony Award winner, died Tuesday at the age of 81 from complications to the coronavirus. He was a lung cancer survivor who lived with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Throughout his career, he created richly layered stories that often explored the LGBTQ experience: Love! Valour! Compassion!, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Full Monty, The Ritz, Mothers and Sons. His work validated and humanized our experiences. Other McNally plays and musicals include The Rink, Master Class, Ragtime, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,The Lisbon Traviata, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, A Perfect Ganesh (Pulitzer Prize nomination), The Visit and Anastasia. For his acclaimed efforts, he was honored by the Tony Awards with Best Book of a Musical for both Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1992 and Ragtime in 1998; and Best Play for both Love! Valour! Compassion in 1995 and Master Class in 1996. He also received 3 Drama Desk Awards for Love! Valour! Compassion, Master Class and Ragtime. In 2019, he received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.
While he wasn’t fond of being called a “gay playwright,” since much of his material wasn’t limited to gay material, it is a topic he visited often. In a preface to the published version of Love! Valour! Compassion!, he wrote, “I think I wanted to write about what it’s like to be a gay man at this particular moment in our history.” “I think I wanted to tell my friends how much they’ve meant to me,” he added. “I think I wanted to tell everyone else who we are when they aren’t around. I think I wanted to reach out and let more people into those places in my heart where I don’t ordinarily welcome strangers.” For even more insight into the personal life of McNally, please make sure to add the recent documentary of his life, Every Act of Life, to your viewing playlist.
In that my time living in New York City as a working actor coincided with McNally’s heyday, it’s with great fondness that I remember seeing nearly all of the NY productions listed above. Funny, life-affirming, and deeply human – that’s how I view the emotional landscapes created by McNally. To this day, I believe Ragtime is easily one of the greatest American musicals to arrive on Broadway. I saw my own life in his plays. I vividly remember having to stifle sobbing when I heard Nathan Lane, during a performance of Love! Valour! Compassion! ask, “Who will be there to hold my hand when I let go?” My husband worked with McNally on several projects over the years. At the end of each, Michael would receive a hand-written ‘thank you’ note that the word gracious can’t begin to describe. Rest in power, Terrence McNally.
My dear sweet brilliant kind Terrence. The world is not nearly as sweet of a place without you in it. My heart is breaking yet again. 💔 Terrence McNally Dead: Tony-Winning Playwright Dies of Coronavirus – Variety https://t.co/IDQPbS80ml
A huge part of me is gone. But then it’s not. Terrence wouldn’t like that. He helped to make me who I am as a person. He is the epitome of love and friendship. Only God knows how much I will miss him. 💔🙏💋 pic.twitter.com/qItUOWkEqI
Heartbroken over the loss of Terrence McNally, a giant in our world, who straddled plays and musicals deftly. Grateful for his staggering body of work and his unfailing kindness.
My first acting award at a one-act festival in high school. My first Tony nomination was for Full Monty. Both shows written by Terrence McNally. He had a monumental impact on my career and will be missed. Rest In Peace, my friend. #RIPTerrenceMcNally
I am devastated hear about Mr McNally. A true legend. A true gentleman. I am so grateful my path crossed with him for a period of time. – Playwright Terrence McNally, Tony-Winning Playwright, Dies of Coronavirus – Variety https://t.co/4rHFYweYsy
My Broadway debut. THE RITZ by the late, great Terrence McNally. A pioneer. A true man of the theater. All his comedy had pathos. And boy, did he love musicals. He made his mark. And he will be missed. pic.twitter.com/KTKR1S4BQm
We lost a great artist today. I worked for and with Terrence McNally twice in my life and they were two of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. His work was vital, intense, hysterical and rare. My hope is that he will inspire writers for years to come. #RIPTerrenceMcNally
Terrence McNally was one of the founding fathers of @BCEFA. Truly among the greatest playwrights in #Broadway history, Terrence gave voice to both the voiceless and those who can stand tall, not only through his art but also his actions. pic.twitter.com/szAFZn7G42
Rosie O’Donnell offered up a heaping helping of Broadway stars (all from the comfort of their own homes) during a 3+ hour streaming revival of her eponymous talk-show on Sunday evening. From her garage/craft room, Rosie welcomed folks like Barry Manilow, Randy Rainbow, Judith Light, Billy Porter, Chita Rivera, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, and many, many more via Skype. Billy Porter on The Rosie O’Donnell Show And yes, there were performances including Patti LuPone (singing a lovely “Smile”), Kelli O’Hara (singing Sondheim’s “Take Me to the World”), Audra McDonald & hubby Will Swenson (also choosing to sing “Smile”), Lea Salonga (singing “Reflection”), Darren Criss (singing “Being Alive” from Company), Shoshana Bean (“Don’t Rain on My Parade”), and Kristin Chenoweth popping off a funfilled “Taylor the Latte Boy” (with her hottie boyfriend making a cameo). The project was the brainchild of Broadway and TV actor Erich Bergen who popped in every now and then to address small sound or tech issues. And Rosie’s former music director John McDaniel was on hand as well. Kelli O’Hara on The Rosie O’Donnell Show The event served as a fundraiser for The Actor’s Fund, which helps not only actors but everyone in the theater world during hard times including stagehands, stage managers, and more. At the end of the Broadway-palooza, over $500,000 was raised for the charity. Bravo to everyone involved! Hit the play button below and enjoy 🙂
If you want to jump to a particular perf0rmer, here at the time marks for each (in chronological order): John McDaniel – 2:42Jesse Tyler Ferguson – 4:56 Tituss Burgess – 8:09 Gloria Estefan – 12:57 Lin-Manuel Miranda – 19:40 Cynthia Erivo – 23:55 Patti LuPone – 28:50 Ben Platt – 36:07 Laura Benanti – 41:50 Idina Menzel – 48:10 Aaron Tveit – 53:35 Rob McClure – 54:03 Jordin Sparks – 54:31 Bernadette Peters – 55:01 Chita Rivera – 56:13 Alan Menken – 1:02:15 Neil Patrick Harris – 1:09:40 Brian Stokes Mitchell – 1:15:43 Audra McDonald and Will Swenson – 1:23:30 Andrew Lloyd Webber – 1:29:52 Stephen Sondheim – 1:30:23 Jeremy Jordan – 1:32:33 Jane Krakowski – 1:33:05 Uzo Aduba – 1:33:36 Andrew Rannells – 1:33:49 Annette Bening – 1:34:20 Judith Light – 1:37:02 Darren Criss – 1:41:23 Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker – 1:47:37 Kelli O’Hara – 1:54:16 Jeremy Pope – 2:03:20 Nate Berkus – 2:08:01 Adrienne Warren – 2:11:40 Kristin Chenoweth – 2:18:16Harvey Firestein – 2:25:25 Katharine McPhee and David Foster – 2:29:12 Billy Porter – 2:33:40 Shoshana Bean – 2:40:17 Gavin Creel – 2:43:54 Miranda Sings / Colleen Ballinger – 2:48:19 Lauren Patten- 2:54:43 Skylar Astin – 2:59:25 Michael Gladis and Beth Behrs – 2:59:53 Ben Vereen – 3:00:21 Sutton Foster – 3:00:41 Frankie Valli – 3:01:09 Matthew Morrison – 3:01:42 Jordan Fisher – 3:04:47 Maria Tomei – 3:11:32 Lorna Luft – 3:12:02 Miguel Cervantes – 3:12:33 Andy Karl and Orfeh – 3:12:55 Elizabeth Stanley – 3:13:26 James Wesley and Seth Rudetsky – 3:13:54 Lea Salonga – 3:13:34 Randy Rainbow: 3:20:59 Barry Manilow: 3:23:59
(photo: Ludovic Bertron/Flickr – CC License)The New York Post reports concerns about the coronavirus has brought the curtain down on all Broadway shows as producers have announced a 4-6 week shut down. The shut down is expected to last from four to six weeks. Actor’s Equity Association, the union which represents actors and stage managers, has apparently pushed for the shut down out of concern for its members. “Equity is driving this,” said one producer to the Post. “If actors don’t feel safe, they don’t have to perform.”
For Broadway theaters in Manhattan, these rules will go into effect at 5pm TODAY.
We have already spoken to the theaters about these new measures and they agreed. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 12, 2020
The pause in performances could have a long-lasting effect on several productions past the temporary shut down. “The Minutes,” a new play by award-winning playwright Tracy Letts, was scheduled to open this Sunday night. The Post’s Michael Riedel reports it’s possible the production will close permanently without ever officially opening. UPDATE: A spokesperson for “The Minutes” has since reached out to confirm the production “was always going to return and is confirmed to reopen the week of April 13.” The Post has updated its reporting as well. Two productions scheduled to open this spring – Martin McDonagh’s “Hangman,” and the new “Sing Street” – may try to postpone until the fall. Even long-running Broadway stalwarts could shutter due to the shutdown. “The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running production on the Great White Way, is supported in great part by ticket sales to foreign tourists. Depending on the recently-announced travel bans, Michael Reidel at the Post suggests the show may shut down for good. It’s estimated that the shutdown will cost more than $100m in ticket sales, reports The Guardian. Several major events have also announced shutting down. The NCAA announced on Wednesday the upcoming college basketball March Madness tournament will have very severely attendance at games. Only essential coaching staff, players, and limited family members will be allowed to attend. The NBA has canceled all games after Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus this week. Since that announcement, two more Utah Jazz players have been diagnosed with the virus as well. And music festivals Coachella and Stagecoach have been postponed until October amid coronavirus concerns, festival officials said. Both events were scheduled to take place in California’s Coachella Valley in April. (source: NY Post)
Liz Callaway (image via official website) So, a few months ago, hubby Michael and I caught Broadway/cabaret performers Liz Callaway and sister Ann Hampton Callaway in concert here in Las Vegas and I was reminded how much I love their awesome talents. We’ve known the two artists for over 20 years going back to the time Michael handled publicity duties for Liz’s album The Story Goes On – Liz Callaway On & Off-Broadway. L-R me, Alex Rybeck, Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Michael Caprio A few days later, I fell into a YouTube hole listening to that entire album. I can’t recall the last time I listened to an entire album in one sitting. So, I wanted to share some of the tracks from the collection that have been playing in my head constantly for weeks now. But first, a little bit about the luminous Liz:
Liz Callaway is a Tony nominee and Emmy Award-winning actress, singer and recording artist. She made her Broadway debut in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in Baby, and for five years, won acclaim as Grizabella in Cats. She has also starred in the original casts of Miss Saigon, The Three Musketeers, and The Look of Love.
Off-Broadway she received a Drama Desk nomination for her performance in The Spitfire Grill (Playwrights Horizons), and also appeared in Brownstone (Roundabout), No Way to Treat a Lady, Marry Me a Little, and Godspell. Other New York appearances include the legendary Follies in Concert at Lincoln Center, A Stephen Sondheim Evening, Fiorello!(Encores!), and Hair in Concert.
If you’re a musical theater fan, you probably know many of the songs I’m about to share, but even if you don’t – these are songs that are easy to digest on their own. First, the winsome “You There in the Back Row” from the Cy Coleman musical 13 Days to Broadway, which was heard about in gossip circles for years, but unfortunately never made it to the Great White Way. The show told the backstage story of a musical in trouble on the road to Broadway. Truly a loss to theater audiences if the score was full of songs like this.
Next up, “Since You Stayed Here” from the 1986 off-Broadway musical Brownstone, a musical by Josh Rubins (book and lyrics), Andrew Cadiff (book) and Peter Larson (music). The productions focused on a group of five people living in a brownstone apartment in New York City. A member of the original cast, Liz played Claudia, a young woman getting over a breakup.
As you might have guessed by now, Liz thrives in her story-telling. And this is one of the great story songs of the musical theater canon, “The Meadowlark” from Stephen Schwartz’s 1976 musical, The Baker’s Wife, which closed out of town before making it to Broadway. Talk about a song that capitalizes on all of Liz’s gifts…just hit play. Trust me. I also want to give a tip of the hat to Liz’s long-time music director and arranger, Alex Rybeck, who is one of the VERY BEST in the business.
Just one more (then go listen to the whole album): “The Story Goes On” from the 1983 Broadway musical Baby wherein Liz played the youngest of three expectant mothers. This song closed Act One, most probably because the audience needed time to pull themselves together. In the bridge, Liz’s character feels her baby kick for the first time which provides the dramatic device to send her soaring into the finale of the song. Just check out the sweep of those strings underneath her at the 3:31 mark. “All that was is part of me / As I am part of what’s to be / And thus it is / Our story goes on…”
If you like, click here to listen to a YouTube playlist where the full album is curated and will play in order for your listening pleasure. You can find more about Liz and her concert dates at her official website – what else? – LizCallaway.com. And I always encourage folks to actually BUY the great music I share with you. You can check out most of Liz’s music on Amazon here. And no, I didn’t leave sister Ann out. I plan a post in the near future on her solo music as well 🙂 Happy Sunday everyone!
Tony Award winner Gavin Creel turns ‘Something Wonderful’ into pulsing pop goodness Everything old is new again as hottie actor/singer Gavin Creel reinvents the classic “Something Wonderful” from The King & I into a fresh, modern pop song that celebrates gay love. The richly-layered arrangement, by Nadia DiGiallonardo, shifts the tune effortlessly from classic King & I mode to a contemporary Coldplay vibe. The track opens simply, but at the 2:00 mark begins a slow, churning build to pulsing pop goodness. Creel wisely trusts not only the material but his own considerable vocal prowess never overreaching to wild, sky-high screaming that some try to pass off as singing today. “This project excited me because it was really about honoring beautiful songwriting but also reimagining it to create a new way in which we might listen to and enjoy this brilliant material,” the openly gay singer told The Advocate.
Creel made his Broadway debut in 2002 as “Jimmy Smith” in the hit musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. That was followed by acclaimed performances in Hair, The Book of Mormon, She Loves Me, Waitress and finally his Tony-winning turn as “Cornelius Hackl” in the Bette Midler revival of Hello, Dolly! Later this month he heads to London to reprise his role as the hunky Dr. Pomatter in Waitress with pop star Sara Bareilles. This track is the latest from the R&H Goes Pop! series which puts contemporary twists on timeless classics from the Rodgers & Hammerstein catalogue. The series began with a rocking “Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin” by Jeremy Jordan (Supergirl, SMASH), and has since featured a same-sex take on “We Kiss In A Shadow” by Jelani Alladin (Frozen) and Matt Doyle (The Book of Mormon).
L-R Leslie Uggams, Lee Roy Reams, George Hearn Thinking of dear Jerry Herman this evening and fell into a YouTube wormhole of his awesome music. This is just a tiny sample of the depth, range, and power of Jerry’s music. All of these performers need no introduction. Just listen to them bring Tony Award winner Jerry Herman’s music to life in first-class form.
Broadway composer Jerry Herman (image via official website) Broadway legend Jerry Herman, who wrote blockbuster musicals including Mame, La Cage aux Folles, and Hello, Dolly!, has passed away at the age of 88. The Associated Press reports Herman was taken to the hospital Thursday night after experiencing chest pains. He died of pulmonary complications in Miami, Florida, where he had been living with his longtime partner, Terry Marler. He made his Broadway debut contributing songs to a revue titled, From A to Z (which included material by Woody Allen and Fred Ebb) in 1960. His first full-fledged Broadway score (and first Tony Award nomination) was for Milk and Honey, about a couple on vacation in Israel. But in 1964, he penned the songs to mega-hit Hello, Dolly! which snagged a record-breaking 10 Tony Awards including one for Herman for ‘Best Score,’ and one for its luminous leading lady, Carol Channing. The production ran for 2,844 performances becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history at the time.
The show would be revived several times on the Great White Way, most recently in 2017 with Bette Midler earning the Divine Miss M a Tony Award for her performance as the indomitable Dolly Levi. Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters followed Midler in the show-stopping role.
How Sad,,,Jerry Herman has passed away ,,,of course he made it to Christmas and left us the next day !! He was always so enthusiastic and uplifting about things and gave us the wonderful show Hello Dolly among others !!RIP Jerry Dearest ❤️❤️❤️❤️🎄
He scored again with Angela Lansbury starring as the glamorous title character in Mame in 1966. Winning several Tony Awards (including trophies for Lansbury and Bea Arthur), the show went on to run for 1,508 performances.
As the 1970s came around, musicals began to become darker and more experimental, and Herman’s shows (Dear World, Mack & Mabel, The Grand Tour) didn’t fare as well. But in 1983, Herman found the inspiration for his next hit in the French film, La Cage aux Folles, about a gay couple living on the French Riviera running a drag nightclub. He would win his second Tony Award (among six awarded the production) for the score of the groundbreaking La Cage which gave the world one its first gay anthems written to be a gay anthem, “I Am What I Am.”
I am what I am I don’t want praise…I don’t want pity I bang my own drum Some think it’s noise…I think it’s pretty And so what if I love each feather and each bangle Why not try to see things from a different angle? Your life is a sham ‘til you can shout out loud, ‘I am what I am’
The song not only packed a punch on stage but also in discos as Gloria Gaynor’s version (which reached #3 on the Billboard Dance chart) resonated with the LGBTQ community everywhere as the gay pride movement was hitting its stride.
Connecting theatergoers with a loving, openly gay couple, the show touched audiences in New York City and around the world. The production’s storyline also put drag front and center. In the end, it’s the nightclub’s star Zaza that saves the day leading a conservative couple out of a tight situation decked in glamorous drag. The show would run for 1,761 performances and return to Broadway twice reminding audiences of the power of drag and the depth of love held by the leading characters for each other. Harvey Fierstein, who wrote the book for La Cage, saluted his colleague on Twitter today:
Jerry Herman lost his hard fought battle last night and we lost one of the greats. A collaborator and friend for almost 40 years, I cannot thank him enough for his love, trust, encouragement, support and laughter. Well done, Mr Herman. Bravo! pic.twitter.com/QYws9jQu6h
“I’m certainly aware of how different popular music is today from when I started in this business, and I realize that my songwriting is not generally in fashion,” he shared with the New York Times in 1985. “But ‘La Cage’ made me feel secure about going on and just being what I am, and writing simple, hummable tunes.” There were other projects following La Cage, including songs for the television movie Mrs. Santa Claus reuniting Herman with Ms. Lansbury. The effort would snag him an Emmy Award nomination. In 2009, he was honored with a Special Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Tony Awards. And the next year, he was celebrated alongside Sir Paul McCartney and Oprah at the Kennedy Center Honors.
In full disclosure, this writer will share that, in another lifetime, I was an actor in New York City, and the 1995 revival of Hello, Dolly! was my Broadway debut. Jerry was very involved in the production as the only living creator of the show at the time, and I was fortunate to witness Jerry’s genius first hand. I give Jerry and Dolly! a lot of credit for my life, both professional and personal, taking a great leap forward. It was on October 17, 1994, at Paisley Park recording studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that I met my future husband during the pre-Broadway tour of Dolly! We were recording our Broadway cast album prior to heading into New York City and my Michael was the 24-year-old Vice President of Marketing and PR for the record label. Hubby Michael Caprio with Jerry Herman in October 1994 I won’t go into the details but suffice to say, by the end of the day “Dolly” had worked her matchmaking magic. We’ve been together for over 25 years now. Jerry was always very fond of taking credit for our relationship and we happily saluted him for it. After the show closed on Broadway, Jerry was involved in the decision to ask me to stage the dances for the ensuing national touring company of Dolly. Jerry’s belief in me propelled my career forward again, this time as a choreographer. Since that time, I’ve staged nearly a dozen productions of the show with Jerry’s blessing. Jerry Herman (center) with me on the right in 1995 And in 2011, Tony Award winners Patti LuPone and director Jack O’Brien were in talks to mount a new revival of Dolly! One Saturday morning, my phone rang and it was Jerry. He shared the news of the possible revival and asked me to choreograph the new production. At the time, he wanted the creative team to explore new ideas for the show, but there were a few concepts from the Gower Champion original he wanted integrated into the new production. He told me, “I know you’ll have my back.” As if my life hadn’t been blessed enough by Jerry, his confidence in me was surely the crowning moment we would share. In the end, LuPone and O’Brien exited the production and for several months the lead producer and I thought of a raft of leading ladies to approach, including Midler who would finally say ‘yes’ to the role a few years later. The production never happened, but I’ve never forgotten the buoyant, upbeat confidence he instilled not only in me but in everyone he worked with. The constant theme throughout his work – his songs, his shows, the characters he wrote for – was that life was meant to be lived. The titles of just a few of his songs – “Before the Parade Passes By,” “It’s Today,” “I’ll Be Here Tomorrow,” “The Best of Times,” “Tap Your Troubles Away,” “We Need a Little Christmas” – tell the tale of someone who found his truth in hope and celebration.
Even in the late 1980s, when he was diagnosed with HIV and lost his partner Martin Finkelstein to AIDS, he never stopped embracing the power of positivity. In 2010, he seemed content as he reflected on his long, successful career telling the Washington Post, “It’s a very long, colorful parade. With lots of balloons. And banners. And confetti. And all of that. But it’s also kind of near the end of it. That’s very moving and very rewarding.” Along the way, Herman gave us fabulous, bigger-than-life diva characters to cheer for including a drag queen who told the world (and us) how to love ourselves. Rest in power Jerry Herman, Broadway’s gentle giant.
