Tag: Broadway

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Arthur Laurents passes away at 93

Reports are out saying that legendary director and writer Arthur Laurents has passed away at 93 years old, dying in his sleep.

He wrote his first musical, West Side Story, in 1957, followed by Gypsy and others.

His first screenplay was The Snake Pit in 1948, followed by others including Rope, Anastasia, The Way We Were and The Turning Point. His own play, Invitation to a March in 1960, was the first of several he directed. I Can Get It for You Wholesale in 1961 was the first musical he directed, followed by others including La Cage aux Folles and Gypsy with Angela Lansbury, then Tyne Daly and most recently, Patti LuPone.

In 2000, he wrote a memoir, Original Story By. His latest book, Mainly on Directing: West Side Story, Gypsy, and Other Musicals, was published in March 2009. Most recently, he was writing a new book, The Rest of The Story and working on a potential deal for a film version of Gypsy starring Barbra Streisand.

Established in 2010, The LAURENTS / HATCHER FOUNDATION AWARD is an annual prize to be given for an un-produced, full-length play of social relevance by an emerging American playwright. In addition to being one of the country’s largest grants for new work, The Laurents / Hatcher Foundation Award is the first major award for playwrighting to be named in honor of a gay couple: Tony Award winning playwright and director Arthur Laurents and his partner of 52 years, Tom Hatcher.

Tom Hatcher, Laurent’s long-time partner died in October 2006. Hatcher had begun his career as an actor but moved into real estate as a contractor and then as a developer. He created the private park adjoining the house in Quogue, Long Island that was home for the couple.

On a personal note, my very first musical I ever performed in was “GYPSY”.  It changed my life.  I got my Equity card performing in “WEST SIDE STORY” and had the great gift of performing in the ground-breaking show many times.   His direction of “LA CAGE AUX FOLLES”  brought a new advancement to the LGBT community by being portrayed on a major Broadway stage.

Mr. Laurents’ talents were vast and great.  He will be missed.
(via broadwayworld.com)

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Let Me Entertain You – Reinking, McKechnie and Rivera

I remember when this first aired. I loved when TV had specials like this with Broadway stars.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would end up working with all three of these fantastic Tony Award winners. And in some of their biggest successes. I performed in CHICAGO with Chita in the National company; performed in CHICAGO for Ann on Broadway; and performed in A CHORUS LINE with Donna in the National company. How cool is that?

Take a second and enjoy – this was a good time. And great talent.

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Priscilla Queen of the Desert on THE VIEW

I saw the show in NYC last week. Had a great time.

Tony Sheldon was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award this week as the older, transexual drag queen. The whole cast does a terrific job – the principals AND the ensemble (or as I like to call them – “the backbone of the American Musical theater”).

I have to give a special shout-out to Nathan Lee Graham who took every moment on-stage and made the most of it. Creative, engaging and committed, Nathan had me howling through the whole show on his own.

If you’re in NYC go see this show. It’s not “Medea” but it’s a great time.

With Nathan Lee Graham backstage after Priscilla Queen of the Desert on Bway
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“Carol Channing: Larger Than Life”

The men of "Hello, Dolly!" with Carol at Gypsy of the year

The legendary Broadway star Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly!
The legendary Broadway star Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly!
In late May 1994, I was an unemployed actor – again – in NYC. Upon checking the mail on a Wednesday morning, my last unemployment check had arrived and I had no acting job in sight. For years I had worked steadily and supported myself as an actor. It looked like that career was about to take a break. Continue reading ““Carol Channing: Larger Than Life””

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Broadway: Reviews for “Catch Me If You Can”

“Nobody’s going for a long con here. They’re all just looking to get you through the night, and this they achieve (“in style,” as Frank promises) with flying colors and a few bonus miles left over.  Seized by the acrobatic nostalgia of Jerry Mitchell’s excellent choreography, (the female chorus) uncurl like newborn butterflies who’ve been doing nonstop Pilates in the chrysalis.  By the time the orchestra goes silent and things get dark for swingin’ Frank, their relationship feels a lot more earned than I’d ever expected. Maybe I got conned. If so, I didn’t mind.” – NY Magazine

“Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman again prove themselves an ace songwriting team. Their score evokes cocktail lounges, glitzy floorshows, Rat Pack suaveness, mellow jazz and energized go-go, all wrapped up in Shaiman and Larry Blank’s silky-smooth ‘60s-styled orchestrations. Jerry Mitchell’s choreography puts a vigorous period-appropriate spin on every number. As Hanratty, Butz (a Tony winner for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) does nuanced work balancing the jaded, paunchy slob with the wisecracking professional, driven in his quest to catch Frank. The boyishly handsome Tveit, who turned heads in Next to Normal, graduates to a lead role with sparkling self-assurance, strong pipes and natural charm.” – The Hollywood Reporter/Reuters

“Mr. Butz so completely takes on the stoop, shuffle, mumble and pallor of an overworked, middle-aged man, stopped the show with “Don’t Break the Rules,” a number about how Carl got into police work.  Holding on to his character’s sad sack mannerisms, and leading with his convex belly, Mr. Butz works the friction between Carl’s dumpy, arthritic form and the jivey spiritedness of the song to create a witty portrait of the passion that pulses within one gray, weary soul.” – NY Times

“Conductor John McDaniel presides from a perch in the stage right corner, bobbing along to swinging orchestrations by Shaiman and Larry Blank. That musical sound and the perfs from Butz and Tveit (with assists from the briefly seen Butler and Hart) offer considerable entertainment value.” – Variety

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“Book of Mormon” opens on Broadway

The new Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon” opened to rave reviews last night.

The NY Times Ben Brantley wrote: “This is to all the doubters and deniers out there, the ones who say that heaven on Broadway does not exist, that it’s only some myth our ancestors dreamed up. I am here to report that a newborn, old-fashioned, pleasure-giving musical has arrived at the Eugene O’Neill Theater, the kind our grandparents told us left them walking on air if not on water. So hie thee hence, nonbelievers (and believers too), to “The Book of Mormon,” and feast upon its sweetness.”

The New York Daily News wrote: “Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the envelope-pushing pair behind “South Park,” and Robert Lopez, the composer of “Avenue Q,” delivered this baby. And, oh boy, it’s a real winner. The show is blissfully original, irreverent, outspoken and hilarious. And all that’s tucked inside good — no, great — old-fashioned musical.”

The New York Post wrote: “Sure enough, “The Book of Mormon,” which opened last night, is all that — and much, much more. It’s a fiendishly well-crafted, hilariously smart — or maybe smartly hilarious — song-and-dance extravaganza. The show’s a hoot. The show’s a hit.”

So there you have it kids. Go see a real, bonafide Broadway hit with wit.

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“HAIR” National Company joins Chicago actors for marriage equality fund-raiser

The National Tour of the 2009 TONY Award winning Best Musical HAIR will join forces with several local Chicago actors to stage a “Be-In” during their stop in Chicago.

The concert event will benefit the non-profit Broadway Impact, a marriage equality organization founded by original tribe member and TONY Award nominee Gavin Creel.

The National Tour tribe has helped keep the spirit and the legacy of HAIR alive with three hugely successful be-in performances in D.C, Seattle, and Los Angeles and is pleased to welcome some of the Chicagoland area’s finest local actors into their commune as part of their efforts. The night of music will feature cast members singing their favorite tunes to benefit and raise awareness to the fight for equality.

The event will be held from 6:00-8:00p.m. on Monday, March 14, 2011 at Sidetrack Chicago located at 3349 N. Halsted in Chicago. General Admission tickets are $25 and will be available at the door.

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Kickstarter & The Broadway Warm-Up

kickstarter

I love when ideas beget new ideas and someone is continually coming up with an idea I wish I’d had. Kickstarter is the new kid on the block with a great idea. This website a great way for artists, filmmakers, musicians, designers, writers, illustrators, explorers, curators, performers, and others to bring their projects, events, and dreams to life. The word “project” is just as important as “creative” in defining what works on Kickstarter. A project is something finite with a clear beginning and end. Someone can be held accountable to the framework of a project — a project was either completed or it wasn’t — and there are definable expectations that everyone can agree to. This is imperative for every Kickstarter project. The way it works is: you post your project on the site and come up with different “rewards” at different levels to encourage funding. Some “rewards” can be a simple as “At $10 you receive good karma for helping foster creativity” to “At $50 you get a copy of the finished CD autographed by the artist” to “At $1,000 you get VIP seating at the first screening of our independent movie and Associate Producer credit.” You choose the most interesting “rewards” you can think of, pitch your idea on the site and go. And here’s the one caveat: If funding fails, all pledges are canceled and that’s that. There are good reasons for this. 1. It’s less risk for everyone. If you need $5,000, it’s tough having $2,000 and a bunch of people expecting you to complete a $5,000 project. 2. It allows people to test concepts (or conditionally sell stuff) without risk. If you don’t receive the support you want, you’re not compelled to follow through. 3. It motivates. If people want to see a project come to life, they’re going to spread the word. There are lots of great success stories already. A friend of mine from Broadway, Deidre Goodwin, is currently raising funding to develop a DVD called “The Broadway Warm-up” with her partner Kim Stern. Both are Broadway veterans and understand the need to warm-up thoroughly before a show. In addition to avoiding injuries, it gives you a time to center yourself before a performance. I think the idea is excellent – it’s a 30 minute combined vocal and physical warm-up. Efficient and focused. The girls tell the story much better than I do. I really encourage anyone – whether you’re a college performing arts student, a community theater participant or a theater professional – to check it out. And if you feel it, donate something. I did. And it doesn’t have to be a lot. Even a little gets the “producers” of these projects to their goal. And you get to be a part of someone’s creative journey. AND at the very least you receive good karma in doing so. Even if you only pitch in $15, that’s the cost of a cocktail or two. I say, sometime this week when you sit down to have a drink or dinner, order a club soda and lime, send the money you saved in that one sitting to The Broadway Warm-up and toast the creative spirit of Deidre and Kim. And feel good you did something to help. Most of the people who read this blog have some creative or entrepreneurial spirit. Kickstart someone else’s dream today, then start your own. Get out there and make something happen instead of waiting for something to happen. To see more about The Broadway Warm-up, click here. From there you can explore other projects and what Kickstarter is all about.

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Carol Channing turns 90 today!

My dear Carol Channing celebrates her 90th birthday today. I recently performed with her again last month (picture above) in the opening number of the Gypsy of the Year competition, which is a major charity event for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  She brought the house down as only she can. For those that don’t know, I spent two and a half incredible years performing with Carol in the last Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!.  I eventually became the production supervisor where she would ask me for notes – on how to perform the role of Dolly Levi!  As if I could tell her anything she didn’t already know. A quick Carol story: when I was supervising Dolly on tour, one day we had a particularly long and dreadful travel day – two planes, a bus, a train and a donkey or two – to get to what Carol called “a soccer arena” where we would perform the show that night. In the sound check Carol looked down and realized that the musician’s pit was 25 feet beneath us.  This was the pit that I had to leap over every night in the middle of the Hello, Dolly! number.  For the first time in 30 years of doing the show she decided this was dangerous. After the sound check she came looking for me to ask if someone could put a net or something between the pit and the stage in case those of us who jumped over the pit happened to fall into it. At this point, I had 30 minutes before the performance and was taking a long shower to rid myself of the long travel day.  This being a “soccer arena” the showers where open showers in a locker room. Covered in soap and standing under the water I suddenly heard a very low baritone voice say “Randy.” I turned and there was Carol, in the open showers with me, smiling. She waited for me to turn and went into her concerns about the pit, a net and all sorts of other things as I stood there completely naked.  When she finished expressing her concerns I said, “Absolutely Carol.  But right now I’m soaking wet, taking a shower.” She looked me up and down, smiled and said “Oh! Yes, of course.  Well, you know – we’re all just show folk,” and then turned and left me to finish my shower.  Nudity was nothing to this old pro who had changed costumes in the wings for decades. Celebrate our fabulous Carol Channing today.  As she likes to say – the first 90 years are the hardest…