Speaking of the Tony’s, Let’s Talk Avenue Q

Speaking of the Tony’s, Let’s Talk Avenue Q

Avenue Q (winner of the 2004 Tony for Best Musical) has been making the rounds of my friends of late. I confess to being kind of surprised that it took them so long; my friends, even the ones not from NYC, tend to be pretty aware of current issues and trends, and the Sesame Street parody for Generation X is all about that.
More Than GenX
I got introduced to it by my daughter, believe it or not, who is as big a Renthead as you can get. The producers of Rent, along with composers/lyricists Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, put …read more

Chicago BoHo Gives Jekyll-Hyde a Facelift

Chicago BoHo Gives Jekyll-Hyde a Facelift

If you’re in the Chicago area, you could do a lot worse than to get to the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble’s rendition of Jekyll & Hyde. Now, some of you who have heard about this musical version of one of the more terrifying stories ever told might be sceptical, and rightly so. The original musical (with David Hasselhoff) suffered some…well, let’s be generous and just say that it wasn’t all that it could have been.
OK, actually it (reputedly) suffered reviews such as “pervasive lack of characterization” or a score that “doesn’t enhance the story.” It had a “try-out” period that was …read more

A Correction, and a Warning

A Correction, and a Warning

Every once in a while it is the job of a blogger to grab the bull by the tail and face the situation, and this is one of those. I made a rather egregious error in a prior post, for which I apologize.
Haylie Duff, Not Hilary Duff
Yes, that’s right. Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle is not hosted by Hilary Duff, as I wrote, but by Haylie Duff, her sister and co-star for the movie Material Girls. Haylie has also appeared on Broadway in Hairspray, but her longest and most recognized role was on the long-running TV series 7th …read more

Can It Be? Legally Blonde is Better Than SYTYCD?

Can It Be? Legally Blonde is Better Than SYTYCD?

I’ve been very interested in learning some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of everybody’s favorite reality dance competition, So You Think You Can Dance. I think it was getting Arielle’s perspective that got me interested. But something is rotten in the state of etc…
So You Thought You Could Dance?
Like me, the TV Grapevine had a personal connection to someone who auditioned for the show. Like me, that person didn’t make it past the preliminary stages – but in their case, she was able to stay the extra day to see the “individual round.”
Yes, that’s right. That “individual round” is not …read more

Coming to the Guthrie: Melissa Gilbert in Little House, the Musical

Coming to the Guthrie: Melissa Gilbert in Little House, the Musical

I’m very excited to read that the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis is going to host the premiere of the new musical Little House on the Prairie. Directed by Francesca Zambello, it’s a re-telling of the classic 70’s television show.
Melissa Gilbert: Typecasting or Resource?
I find myself questioning the casting of Melissa Gilbert in the role of “Ma Ingalls” – not because I doubt her abilities as an actress, but more because there is quite a difference between acting – even on a stage – and performing in a musical. She has more than enough cred with “straight plays”: A Shayna Maidel …read more

Usher: the All-Around Entertainer

Usher: the All-Around Entertainer

Remember back in the day?
Back when entertainers were more than a pretty face (not that pretty faces don’t work hard, I wouldn’t say that)? But when there were people like Sammy Davis Jr., who could sing, dance, act, and do a mean stand up act, all at once. It’s been a while since we’ve had triple threats like that in stardom.
Usher: a Man of All Stages
While he came to fame as an R&B singer, Usher made the move to Broadway with a role in Chicago. You have to give credit to someone who reaches beyond their immediate skillset – it …read more

Good news all over: Stew, Katie Holmes, and Mamma Mia!

Good news all over: Stew, Katie Holmes, and Mamma Mia!

It’s a banner day on Broadway, especially for some of the stories I’ve been tracking on this blog.
Stew Gets an Obie for Passing Strange
I wrote recently how musician and auteur Stew had garnered no fewer than seven Tony nominations – but there’s more out there than Tony. The Village Voice also gives out its own theatre award, the “Obie”, and Passing Strange has secured Best New Theatre Piece. I’m a little amused, though, because part of the prize is $1,000 – to be split between Stew, co-author Heidi Rodewald and director Annie Dorsen – which I think is just about …read more

TomKat Burnout

TomKat Burnout

OK, there’s a reason I do a performing arts blog and not a celebrity blog.
I read things like this. No, don’t click it, I’ll save you the trouble: it’s an article about how Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes went to a show on Broadway. Just like thousands, millions of other people.
But the fact that Katie went means that there is more substance to the substantiated rumor that she is in the running for a role in All My Sons. Which is fine, I love the idea, it’s a “straight play”, and it would definitely get her known as more than …read more

Lovin’ the Bad Guys: Les Liaisons Dangereuse Strikes Again

Lovin’ the Bad Guys: Les Liaisons Dangereuse Strikes Again

Laura Linney, shown here at curtain call, is part of an all-star cast in the revival of Les Liasons Dangereuse. She plays La Marquise de Merteuil, a scheming and conniving woman who plays with peoples affections and lives for her own amusements. Her opposite number in the play is Le Vicomte de Valmont, played by Ben Daniels, is equally a manipulator and cad, preying on the innocent and defiling and corrupting simply for the pleasure of seeing them fall.
Many movie goers would recognize the story from Dangerous Liaisons, starring Glen Close and John Malkovich , but many people would …read more

Mario Lopez: “…an actor who can move”

Mario Lopez: “…an actor who can move”

It always bugs me, as a professional dance instructor, when people walk up to me and say they can’t dance. In my opinion, dance is nothing but intentional movement; the level of intent and the focus determine the skill of the dance. This is why watching an 80 year old Merce Cunningham is more interesting than watching an 18 year old novice dancer – Merce has spent his life learning to move.
What about Mario Lopez?
Oh, that quote? It’s what he said about himself in response to a question about his singing and dancing in the role of Zach in A …read more

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