Tag: Broadway

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Review: “On Your Feet!”

The new Gloria Estafan stage musical, On Your Feet! premiered in Chicago last night, and Variety likes what it sees.

While not an absolute rave, Variety says the show is what you expect and achieves that well.

Just a few lines from the positive review:

There is something comfortingly familiar and predictable about “On Your Feet!,” the Broadway-bound new bio-musical featuring the story of Gloria Estefan and her music-producer husband Emilio.

Another way to say that might be that it never goes deeper than the superficial and that its narrative follows a TV-movie template.

But the show boasts sufficient sincerity with its schmaltz, and features a fluid, structurally sound story that strings together the Estefans’ pop ballads with a ready dose of the buoyant Cuban-fusion dance numbers that sold kajillions of albums worldwide.

It’s a show sure to please the built-in audience that will find absolutely exactly the entertainment they expect, and even the less fully acquainted will find that the rhythm really is going to get you.

It’s corny, stereotypical, too on-the-nose… and it works, which is true throughout this unsubtle but ever-crafty and unquestionably entertaining show.

Directed by two time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, the show plays in Chicago through July 5th, and is then set for a Broadway opening night on November 5th at the Marquis Theater in NYC.

More info at the show’s official website here.

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Cult Classic CAMP To Get Sequel Featuring Patti LuPone and Donna Murphy

Todd Graff, director of the indie hit film CAMP, has launched a new website that shares the big news – there will be a sequel titled, CAMP 2: FREAKS OF NATURE!

“In 2003, I was able to bring to life the story of a group of hilarious, talented, needy, at times psychopathic, and occasionally cross-dressing kids attending Camp Ovation. CAMP triumphantly premiered in Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival, played all over the world, and thanks to many of you reading this, became a cult classic. I had so much fun making CAMP – filming on location at Stagedoor Manor in New York, casting Stephen Sondheim for his only movie appearance in history, and of course, introducing Anna Kendrick in her very first film, as a murderous understudy who poisons the star and belts out ‘The Ladies Who Lunch’.

“We need a sequel! And I’ve already written it. Don’t worry, the original stars are not playing counselors or some other lame device. Instead, we’re going meta! Plus we’re going to introduce some fabulous new additions, like Donna Murphy, Patti LuPone and a bevy of other reigning Broadway divas performing a demented version of ‘Steppin’ To The Bad Side’ from ‘Dreamgirls,’ to be staged by the one and only Jerry Mitchell.”

“I can’t wait to share what I have planned, but I need your help to make this dream a reality. So we’re going straight to YOU to fund this film.”

The original film followed a group of misfits who find themselves while attending a musical theater summer camp.

(h/t BroadwayWorld)

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News Round-Up: June 8, 2015

Some stories you may have missed:

• Caitlyn Jenner gets an invite to judge the Miss USA Pageant

• Ten years after ending it’s run, is there a reunion in the future for Showtime’s Queer As Folk?

• Pew Polling sees support for same-sex marriage at it’s highest point – 57% – in 20 years of polling on the subject.

• A former McKinney, Texas, police officer says his department has “a race problem.”

• Billy Graham’s anti-gay son wants haters to boycott gay-friendly companies.

• GOP presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham says he’d welcome Caitlyn Jenner’s vote. I’m betting he’d welcome anyone’s vote.

• In the afterglow of last night’s Tony Awards, here’s a glimpse into the Broadway Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing aspiring performing artists of all ages with mentorship, access and opportunity in order to fulfill their personal Broadway dreams.

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Broadway’s Chita Rivera On The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon

Chita Rivera dropped by The Tonight Show to chat on Jimmy Fallon about her Tony Award-nominated performance in THE VISIT  plus her love of The Walking Dead which she would LOVE to guest star on.

Chita charmingly asks Fallon if anyone had ever “eaten his face.” And that’s how we segue into Walking Dead.

Cute moment. Love seeing Chita get the attention she deserves.

Watch below:

And here, the divine Miss Rivera teaches Jimmy some Fosse moves:

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Taye Diggs To Star In Broadway’s “Hedwig And The Angry Inch”

Playbill is reporting that Taye Diggs, best known for his roles in Rent, “The Good Wife” and “Murder in the First,” will take over the title role in the Tony-winning revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on July 22nd, succeeding GLEE’s Darren Criss. Diggs will star in the hit musical for a limited 12 week run.

Currently starring in the TV show “Murder in the First,” Diggs has previously appeared on the Great White Way in Carousel, Rent, Chicago and Wicked.

He has appeared on the TV shows “Ally McBeal,” “Will & Grace,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice” and “The Good Wife” as well as in the musical movies “Chicago” and “Rent.”

Previous Hedwigs on Broadway include Darren Criss, John Cameron Mitchell, Michael C Hall, Andrew Rannells and Neil Patrick Harris.

Hedwig marks Diggs’ return to Broadway after a 12 year absence.

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Broadway: FUN HOME At Circle In The Square

Starring Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn and Beth Malone, new arrival on Broadway FUN HOME opened to rave reviews this past week.

The musical was a winner off-Broadway last year ( Best Musical – Obie Award, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critic’s Circle), and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Check out the montage from the show below:

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The Broadway critics have spoken and it’s unanimous: FUN HOME is extraordinary! HMS was honored to capture the…
Posted by HMS Media on Monday, April 20, 2015

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The Public Theater Pays Tribute to A CHORUS LINE on 40th Anniversary

Sasha Hutchings, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Baayork Lee, Kay Cole, Donna McKechnie and Phillipa Soo

The cast of the ground breaking off-Broadway show HAMILTON at The Public Theater – currently the hottest ticket in NYC – pays tribute to A CHORUS LINE on the 40th anniversary of its first performance in the Newman Theater at The Public.

Upon the conclusion of curtain calls, the Hamilton cast recreated the finale of the senior show’s opening number, lining up across the stage of the Newman Theater, holding their real-life resume photos in front of their faces and singing, “Who am I anyway/Am I my resume?…”

Led by their composer/star Lin-Manuel Miranda, the cast of HAMILTON then performed “What I Did for Love” in its entirety for the Chorus Liners, who had been invited to attend that evening.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (L), Leslie Odom (C) and Jonathan Groff (R) from the cast of HAMILTON
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Helen Mirren – Movie Star, Broadway Star, Subway Rider

As Helen Mirren brings her triumphant performance as “Queen Elizabeth” to Broadway with The Audience (which I saw in London and adored), she shows that she’s not above “the commoners” as she travels through the city via subway 🙂

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Darren Criss Is Ready For His ‘Hedwig’ Close-Up

Former GLEE star tweeted out the first look at his “Hedwig” for his upcoming three month run on the Great White Way in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH.

Criss follows John Cameron Mitchell, the Tony Award-winning Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Patrick Hall and Andrew Rannells in the role.

Criss made his Broadway debut during a vacation run in the recent revival of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS…

He appears in the hit musical from April 29 – July 19.