Broadway news: Tony Awards, Lortels, free plays

First off, if you were planning on buying Broadway tickets soon, you may want to speed that up ahead of Tuesday's Tony Awards nominations announcement. The awards show itself, which will be hosted by Whoopie Goldberg, is set for June 15 at Radio City Music Hall. Tony tickets -- priced at $204.50 and $404.50 -- will go on sale (but only to Visa cardholders) the same day nominations are announced.

See the full list of this year's eligible productions as well as the New York Post's nomination predictions.

Variety's got your early Tony Awards controversy: CBS' pre-Tony special has bumped "Passing Strange" from the lineup because censors think the song "We Just Had Sex" would be inappropriate for broadcast.

"Betrayed" and "Adding Machine" were the big winners in the Lortel Awards.

Coyote Rep has free sound plays -- an "updated twist on the old radio plays" -- you can start downloading via iTunes as of May 11.

Gabriel of Modern Fabulosity was at the private preview of "Billy Elliot" and reports "it was pretty damn fabulous." He likes all three actors who will play Billy, but says David Alvarez is the standout. See his site for pictures and details.

The new new Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde" will be cast via an MTV reality show scheduled to air starting June 2. Snap.

Harry Connick Jr. will return to Broadway in March to start in the new musical “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” the New York Times reports.

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May 9, 2008 01:12 PM Comments (0)

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'Glory Days' closes hours after opening-night reviews

"Glory Days" opened on Broadway last night.

The bad reviews came out this morning.

The show closed this afternoon.

The coming-of-age musical had been in previews at the Circle in the Square theater since April 22.

(Thanks to Modern Fabulosity for the tip.)

May 7, 2008 06:40 PM Comments (0)

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Shakespeare in the Park to give tickets away online

With the new virtual line, the Public allows individuals who are registered at the Public Theater website to log on and submit a day-of request for tickets beginning at 12 AM ET. Each individual entry is able to request up to two tickets for that day's performance. At 1 PM registered users can log on to the Public website to see if their names have been randomly selected. The day-of tickets will be held at the Delacorte box office.

April 28, 2008 07:17 PM Comments (0)

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'A Catered Affair,' snags 12 Drama Desk nominations

The recently controversial Drama Desk this morning announced its list of nominees for the best in Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway during the 2007/2008 season.

Harvey Fierstein's "A Catered Affair" led the pack with 12 nods, followed by Off-Broadway's "Adding Machine" with nine. Broadway's "South Pacific" and "Young Frankenstein" both got eight while "August: Osage County," "Passing Strange," "Sunday in the Park with George" also drew seven nominations. "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island," a musical at Off-Broadway's Vineyard Theatre, also recevied seven.

Additionally, the casts of two shows -- "The Homecoming" and "The Dining Room" -- were given special ensemble recognition.

Winners will be announced May 18.

See the Drama Desk website for the full list of nominees.

Earlier: 'August,' 'November' among Drama League nominees
Links to the official websites for all Broadway shows

April 28, 2008 11:27 AM Comments (0)

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'August,' 'November' among Drama League nominees

The Drama League today announced their annual award nominees, recognizing the year's best theater both on Broadway and Off-Broadway.

The nominees for most distinguished production of a play are "August: Osage County," by Tracy Letts; "Eurydice" by Sarah Ruhl; "The Farnsworth Invention," by Aaron Sorkin; "November," by David Mamet; "Rock ‘N’ Roll," by Tom Stoppard; "The Seafarer," by Conor McPherson; "Thurgood," by George Stevens; "The 39 Steps," adapted by Patrick Barlow, based on a concept by Simon Corble, Nobby Dimon and the novel by John Buchan;

Winners will be announced May 16.

Other Drama League nominees:

Distinguished Production of a Musical
"A Catered Affair," Book by Harvey Fierstein; Music and Lyrics by John Bucchino, Walter Kerr Theatre
"Cry-Baby," Based on the film by John Waters, Book by Thomas Meehan and Mark O'Donnell, Lyrics by David Javerbaum, Music by Adam Schlesinger, Marquis Theatre
"Next To Normal," Music by Tom Kitt, Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey, Second Stage Theatre
"Passing Strange," Book and Lyrics by Stew, Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Created in collaboration with Annie Dorsen, The Public Theater/Belasco Theatre
The Adding Machine, Book by Jason Loewith, Book and Music by Joshua Schmidt, Minetta Lane Theatre
"The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island," Libretto by Ben Katchor, Music by Mark Mulcahy, Vineyard Theatre
"Xanadu," Book by Douglas Carter Beane, Music and Lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, Helen Hayes Theatre
"Young Frankenstein," Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks, Hilton Theatre

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April 22, 2008 03:27 PM Comments (0)

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Tribeca Film Fest - April 23 to May 4 - the full overview

NewYorkology contributor Vanessa Geiger covers alternative cinema offerings in New York City. She's a freelance writer and photographer who has just finished production work on the upcoming documentary "Crazy Sexy Cancer" and was most recently published in GO Magazine.

It's time to gear up for the Tribeca Film Festival -- set for April 23 through May 4 -- which features an incredible selection of films for your viewing pleasure.

Among the 200-plus films on 21 screens, Tribeca will roll out 53 world premieres including the cartoon-inspired "Speed Racer," Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's "Baby Mama," and the David Mamet-direced "Redbelt."

Tribeca's free outdoor Drive-in returns this year with three screenings set for the plaza of the World Financial Center. Thriller Night (April 24) will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's legendary music video directed by John Landis. Festival organizers promise "the world's largest zombie disco" along with dance lesons, face painting, a Michael Jackson look-alike contest and a Solid Gold Dance Party.

Other Drive-In screenings are the "Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins" on April 25, and April 26 will be a fan-selected sports flick.

The New York-themed films include the documentary "Hotel Gramercy Park," (with a principal cast of Ian Schrager, Debbie Harry, Karl Lagerfeld, Paris Hilton;) the Warhol-inspired "Empire II;" and the Melvin Van Peebles-directed "Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha."

Tribeca's festival-within-a-festival, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will take place Saturday, May 3 and will feature not only athletic-themed films but also free games and the chance to rub shoulders with Mr. Met and players from the New York Rangers, New York Knicks and New York Liberty.

The Sports Fest overlaps with the free Family Street Fair on the same day and will include performances by the casts of Broadway's "Legally Blonde" and "Xanadu," an interactive Bubble Garden courtesy of Off-Broadway's "Gazillion Bubble Show," appearances by Clifford the Red Dog, WordGirl and wax figures from Madame Tussauds New York.

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April 14, 2008 11:37 AM Comments (0)

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Broadway news: a Pulitzer, a map, Leguizamo, Lortels

Tracy Letts on Monday was awarded the Pulitzer prize for drama for "August: Osage County." The play is currently on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre through April 20. It will reopen April 29th in Broadway's Music Box Theatre.

John Leguizamo will star in a revival of David Mamet's "American Buffalo" on Broadway this fall, Variety reports.

Cool new mapping site Broadway2Day lets you pick a date and map all the Broadway and Off-Broadway shows performing that day. (Found via GoogleMapsMania.)

A Washington Heights walking tour from Lin-Manuel Miranda of Broadway's "In the Heights."

"Young Frankenstein" "quietly discontinued its obscene premium ticket pricing."

"Billy Elliott: The Musical" has (re) launched its website in anticipation of its Broadway debut come September. For auditions, see BeBilly.com.

Buzz on other upcoming Broadway shows:
"Spider-Man" (NY Post)
"Brigadoon" (Variety)
"[title of show]" (Steve on Broadway)
"Glory Days" (Modern Fabulosity)
"Fences" without Oprah (NY Post)
"Oh, Kay" (Playbill)

A few Broadway possibilities:
Katie Holmes in "All My Sons" (Variety)
Tina Brown's "The Diana Chronicles" (NY Post)
"Mask" (Steve on Broadway)
Steve Carell Broadway project (Broadway Undercover)
Anna Nicole Smith - the opera (Playbill)

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April 8, 2008 09:22 AM Comments (0)

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LuPone opens 'definitive' Broadway revival of 'Gypsy'

Patti LuPone wowed the critics -- almost across the board -- in the new revival of "Gypsy" that opened last night on Broadway.

Her portrayal of bad stage with stunning pipes shines along with the rest of the cast, including Boyd Gaines, Laura Benanti and Leigh Ann Larkin.

"Gypsy" has an open-ended run at the St. James Theatre, located at 246 W. 44th St., map. Regular tickets are priced from $42 to $117, or up to $252 for premium seats.

The reviews:

New York Times - "Watch out, New York. Patti LuPone has found her focus. And when Ms. LuPone is truly focused, she’s a laser, she incinerates. Especially when she’s playing someone as dangerously obsessed as Momma Rose in the wallop-packing revival of the musical “Gypsy,” which opened on Thursday night at the St. James Theater."

Bloomberg - "No matter how many times you've seen ``Gypsy,'' you arguably haven't experienced it as fully as you may now on Broadway at the St. James Theatre. I think I have caught them all, starting with the legendary Ethel Merman in the premiere, but it is this one that has definitive written all over it."

Wall Street Journal - "No matter how long you live, you'll never see a more exciting or effective revival of a golden-age musical. Everything you've heard about Patti LuPone's performance as Mama Rose, the stage mother from hell, is true -- she's so ferociously compelling that you'll have to remind yourself to breathe between songs -- but part of what makes this production so special is that the rest of the cast is just as memorable."

Sun - "How does a director who worked on the original production of a classic, who literally wrote the book on it, allow scene after scene to collapse into mood-shattering mayhem on his watch? How does a glorified summer-stock presentation emerge with the energy and discipline of a Broadway hit, and the resulting Broadway transfer meander with the diffuse, undermotivated energy of summer stock?"

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March 28, 2008 07:41 AM Comments (0)

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Final night for 'Rent' on Broadway extended to Sept. 7

"Rent," the seventh-longest running show in Broadway history, will get one more summer before moving out, producers told Playbill.

The musical was scheduled to close June 1, but high demand for tickets has persuaded them to add dates through September 7.

The Tony- and Pulitzer-prize winning rock musical based on "La Bohème" plays the Nederlander Theater, located at 208 W. 41st St.

Earlier: 'Rent' to close on Broadway on June 1

March 26, 2008 10:44 PM Comments (0)

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'Curtains' hanging it up on Broadway on June 29

The backstage-whodunnit musical comedy "Curtains" will end its Broadway run June 29, Playbill reports.

David Hyde Pierce received the 2007 Tony award for best actor in a musical for his portrayal of crime-solving, stage-struck Lieutenant Frank Cioffi. The show was nominated for eight Tony Awards.

"Curtains" started as a concept by Peter Stone, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Both Ebb and Stone died before the musical was complete. The book is by Rupert Holmes, who along with Kander, provided additional lyrics.

The cast also includes Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba, Jason Danieley, Erin Davie, and Edward Hibbert.

By its final matinee, it will have played 511 performances and 26 previews.

"Curtains" plays the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, located at at 302 W. 45th St., map. Regular tickets at Telecharge are priced from $62 to $112, with premium seats as high as $252. Standing-room tickets, priced at $22, go on sale at the box office only on days the show is sold out.

Related: "Curtains CD" (2007 Original Broadway Cast)

Photo Coverage: John Kander & Fred Ebb Exhibit (BroadwayWorld.com)

Earlier: David Hyde Pierce stars in 'Curtains' on Broadway

March 21, 2008 08:30 AM Comments (0)

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