Tag: theater

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LA Theater: Betty Buckley & Rachel York Star In “Grey Gardens”

Now you KNOW I’m seeing this in July. Not to be missed.

Via press release:

Broadway’s daring musical sensation Grey Gardens — The Musical arrives at the Ahmanson Theatre starring the fabulous Rachel York (Broadway’s City of Angels) and the legendary Betty Buckley (Tony Award®-winning Grizabella in Cats).

Based on the cult classic documentary and directed by Michael Wilson, this haunting and often hilarious musical recounts Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ most eccentric relatives’ fall from society darlings to notorious recluses in their crumbling East Hampton estate.

Grey Gardens — The Musical was hailed as Time magazine’s number one show of the year and garnered 10 Tony Award nominations when it premiered on Broadway in 2006.

Center Theatre Group’s production at the Ahmanson is the Los Angeles debut of Grey Gardens — The Musical.

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2016 Drama Desk Award Winners Announced

The 2016 Drama Desk Award winners were announced last night in New York City.

In a year where Hamilton has dominated so much attention, I think it’s important to note Hamilton won Drama Desk Awards last year during it’s off-Broadway run, which is why the show is absent among these results.

Outstanding Play

The Humans, Roundabout Theatre Company

Outstanding Musical

Shuffle Along

Outstanding Revival of a Play

A View from the Bridge

Outstanding Revival of a Musical

She Loves Me, Roundabout Theatre Company

Outstanding Actor in a Play

Frank Langella, The Father, Manhattan Theatre Club

Outstanding Actress in a Play

Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Outstanding Actor in a Musical

Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof

Outstanding Actress in a Musical

Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

Michael Shannon, Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed, Public Theater

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Christopher Fitzgerald, Waitress

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me

Outstanding Director of a Play

Ivo van Hove, A View from the Bridge

Outstanding Director of a Musical (tie)

John Doyle, The Color Purple

Bartlett Sher, Fiddler on the Roof

Outstanding Choreography

Savion Glover, Shuffle Along

Outstanding Music

Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star

Outstanding Lyrics

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen

Outstanding Book of a Musical

John Caird, Daddy Long Legs

Outstanding Orchestrations

Larry Hochman, She Loves Me, Roundabout Theatre Company

Outstanding Music in a Play

Philip Glass, The Crucible

Outstanding Set Design for a Play

Christopher Oram, Hughie

Outstanding Set Design for a Musical

David Rockwell, She Loves Me

Outstanding Costume Design for a Play

Anita Yavich, The Legend of Georgia McBride

Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical

Ann Roth, Shuffle Along

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play

Justin Townsend, The Humans

Outstanding Lighting Design for a Musical

Justin Townsend, American Psycho

Outstanding Projection Design

Finn Ross, American Psycho

Outstanding Sound Design for a Play

Fitz Patton, The Humans

Outstanding Sound Design for a Musical

Dan Moses Schreier, American Psycho

Outstanding Wig and Hair Design

Mia M. Neal, Shuffle Along

Outstanding Solo Performance

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Fully Committed

Unique Theatrical Experience

That Physics Show

Special Awards:

The Humans – Special Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble

The Royale – Special Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble

Sheldon Harnick – Special Drama Desk Award

Camp Broadway – Special Drama Desk Award

Danai Gurira – Sam Norkin Award

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An Immersive “Oklahoma!” Set In An Old-Fashioned Community Hall

Lauren Lancaster for The New York Times

I think this sounds terrific.

A new take on the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic “Oklahoma!” unfolds in a theater retrofitted to look like an old-fashioned community hall and features red pots of chili shared by the audience and the actors at intermission.

From the New York Times:

The show was “Oklahoma!,” but the room might have been mistaken for a local hangout, with plaid-shirted 20-somethings leaning against the wall, checking their phones or watching a six-piece retro-Americana band, including a banjo and an accordion, tune up.

Then, after practicing a few quavery high notes, Damon Daunno, the actor playing the lovesick cowboy Curly, stepped into the middle of the room and belted out the first lines of “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” accompanying himself on acoustic guitar until the band kicked in.

Very cool.

The production will run run through July 19 as part of Bard’s SummerScape festival.

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BYE BYE BIRDIE – This Summer At Sacramento Music Circus

I’m “Honestly Sincere” when I “Put On A Happy Face” and share that I’ll be heading back to Sacramento Music Circus this summer to choreograph BYE BYE BIRDIE!

This will be my 3rd summer dancing with the “Kids” at Sac Music Circus, and we “Got A Lot Of Livin’ To Do” before everything is “Rosie.”

Definitely looking forward to it. As always when I’m working in the theater, The Randy Report will continue – just means some double duty for a while. But I love doing both. I’ll share the backstage process of putting on a show from as many perspectives as I can.

If you’re in Sacramento in early July, opening night is July 7th! Come down and say hi 🙂

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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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NYC: Jake Gyllenhaal Set To Star In LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS At City Center

Jake Gyllenhaal is slated to make his NYC musical debut this summer as “Seymour,” the nerdy florist in the Encores! Off-Center production of “Little Shop of Horrors” at City Center this summer.

Talk about a tough acting assignment: how you gonna make Jake Gyllenhaal “nerdy?”

Mr. Gyllenhaal will play Seymour, who tries to woo his co-worker Audrey with a carnivorous plant, in a concert production of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s long-running Off-Broadway comedy. Taran Killam, the “Saturday Night Live” star, will also make his musical debut, as the psychotic dentist and romantic rival, Orin Scrivello. (In the 1986 film version, the dentist was memorably played by Steve Martin, opposite Rick Moranis’s Seymour.)

The veteran stage actor Chuck Cooper will voice the blood-thirsty plant, and Ellen Greene will play Audrey, the ditzy love interest, as she did in the original stage production and film.

My PAGEANT buddy, Dick Scanlan, will helm the Encores! production, which will play three performances on July 1-2.

Jake starred opposite Ruth Wilson in the well-received Broadway play “Constellations” this past season.

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First “Stumble-Through” Of West Side Story At SDMT

As many Randy Report readers know, my life is split between writing here (a serious passion for me), and my forty year career in the theater.

I’m currently choreographing a new production of West Side Story at San Diego Music Theatre. I was here two years ago doing similar duties with Chicago The Musical (which, btw, resulted in not only a gorgeous production but my first nomination for Best Choreography by the Theatre Critics Association – how cool is that?).

In less than two weeks, we scheduled a “stumble-through” of Act One for today. The good news being that we never really stopped at all. Generally, these things are the first step in running the show, but with stops and starts to figure out details not yet addressed.

But today the cast pretty much went right through with no stops. And, for many, it was a chance to see the material some actors may not be in.

All in all, a terrific day for both cast and creative team.

We were then invited to the producers home for a great evening of relaxing and camaraderie – my favorite part of the arts. Just celebrating this “thing” we are all doing together.

I have a strong feeling that the show, in this cast’s hands, will be really great. Not based on my contributions, but the flavors and spice of the entire cast. As we all know, I love diversity and character and individuality. And this cast has all that.

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Las Vegas: Looking For Some Splash & Laugh?

Graham Skipper (“Herbert West”) and Jesse Merlin (“Dr. Carl Hill”)

Re-Animator The Musical tells the bizarre story of Herbert West, a young medical student who has discovered a glowing green serum that can bring the dead back to life…with catastrophic results.

Emmy Award-nominee George Wendt, well-known for his role on the hit TV show “Cheers,” has been added to the cast for the two-week engagement at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Troesh Studio Theater, Jan. 6-18, 2015. The starring role reunites Wendt with members of the original production.

Based on the cult classic H.P. Lovecraft’s Re-Animator, this award-winning horror comedy is helmed by Stuart Gordon (who also directed the film) and features a splash zone for those who enjoy a little splatter! Variety wrote “Not since Little Shop of Horrors has a screamfest tuner so deftly balanced seriousness and camp.”

Attending the opening night at The Smith Center, the audience had a great time – especially those who sat in the first few rows (“the splash zone”) who enjoyed a rain of faux blood and more.  It seems to be the “in” thing to be up front, but be warned – it gets pretty wet.

Wendt brings a grounding foundation to the shenanigans, while the entire cast buys into the fun and clever “Sondheim-ian” score.

The opening night had a couple of sound issues (hard to hear, missed sound cues) but I’m sure those were technical blips corrected since then.

With the ongoing popularity of zombies on TV and film, it’s no wonder the award-winning musical is a hit with audiences.

For more info on the musical head over to the official website here.

Click here for ticket info.

Jesse Merlin (“Dr. Carl Hill”) and George Wendt (“Dean Halsey”)

Jessica Howell (“Megan Halsey”) and Darren Ritchie (“Dan Cain”)

AJesse Merlin,Graham Skipper, Marlon Grace,Brian Gillespie
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The Theater World Is So, So Small

With the uber-talented Nick Adams of Wicked

The theater world never fails to surprise me.

I dropped off a set of keys at The Smith Center here in Las Vegas today as three cast members of WICKED will be renting my townhouse in LA in December during their LA run.

As I’m walking back to the parking garage, I passed a really good-looking guy and had to do a double-take.

I think I know him.  As I turn to look again, he’s done the same.

“Randy?”

“Nick!”

The very handsome, uber-talented Nick Adams has been starring in the national company of Wicked (as the somewhat light-witted “Fiyero”) since February.  I’ve known Nick for about ten years, ever since we worked together in the national tour of Chicago.

Since then he’s become a favorite on Broadway appearing in Chicago, A Chorus Line, The Pirate Queen, Guys & Dolls, La Cage aux Folles and most recently (the last place I saw Nick)  in his show-stopping role of “Adam/Felicia” in the hit Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

 And so there we were today. Just one of those moments that happen in the theater: walking down the street, thousands of miles and a few years from last seeing each other, and BAM! “How are you doing?”

It was a quick “hey!” as it was two minutes to half-hour call – “How are you? How’s the road?” – but made me smile. I love that the theater world works like this.

Till next time, Nick.

 You can catch Nick and company in Wicked over the next few months in San Diego, then Los Angeles until March.

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Strong Reviews For Blythe Danner In “The Country House” On Broadway

Blythe Danner in “The Country House”

Reviews for the newly opened Donald Margulies’ play The Country House are – as expected – quite robust for the production’s leading lady, Blythe Danner.

Regular readers will recall that I’m a huge fan of the luminous Ms. Danner’s work, and have been for years. I was fortunate to work with her in the 2001 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies and have remained friends since then.

The Country House, under the auspices of the Manhattan Theatre Club, opened last night on Broadway to strong reviews, especially for Danner.

New York Times:

“The most satisfying and exasperating aspect of “The Country House” is Ms. Danner’s performance.

“Watch Ms. Danner after Anna fails to seduce a handsome, younger houseguest. She deflates and then majestically reinflates, like someone who suddenly remembers that she is, after all, in front of an audience. Anna may describe herself as “a leading lady without a stage,” but that’s nonsense. With Ms. Danner in the role, all the world is Anna’s stage.”

Variety:

“(Author) Donald Margulies gets a big, sloppy kiss from leading lady Blythe Danner, who is effortlessly lovely and irresistibly charismatic as the queenly head of a fractious theatrical family in his new play, “The Country House.””

New York Post:

“Blythe Danner shines in Donald Margulies’ “The Country House””

USAToday:

Danner’s Anna is a model of rumpled dignity and vanity, at once blowsy and elegant in her fashion. “I am not one whose entrances go unnoticed,” she tells Susie early on. Yet House is at its funniest and most poignant when Anna comes to terms — or doesn’t — with her fading powers, and the ephemerality of life. Her daughter’s absence is, of course, a stinging reminder of the latter, and Danner makes that pain clear, even while delivering a wonderfully relaxed comedic performance.