BroadwayReporter.com

Spice Girls Musical Now In the Works

2010-01-23T23:48:00.000-05:00

Mamma Mia! producer Judy Craymer will soon be seeing if she can do for The Spice Girls what she did for ABBA. Craymer has worked out an agreement with American Idol creator Simon Fuller and The Spice Girls themselves that is to result in the creation of a brand new musical based on the song catalog and the personalities of the five-woman "girl power" pop band The Spice Girls. No creative team has yet been announced, but the show's tentative title is Viva Forever. The Spice Girls' biggest hit was the single "Wannabe," and they also had a hit film called Spice World. Although the quintet will be involved in the development of Viva Forever, they will not actually be in the musical.

New TV Show To Be About Broadway Musicals

2010-01-19T21:55:00.001-05:00

Variety has just reported that playwright and television writer Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius on Broadway, The Understudy Off-Broadway, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent on TV) will script the pilot for a new Showtime TV series about all the drama surrounding the creation of a new Broadway musical. The idea is that each season of the show will cover the development and creation of a fictional Broadway musical, culminating in a final episode where we see the musical in its entirety. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray) will write the songs for the series. Depending upon the success of the TV show, it is possible that the musical created in the show will even be developed for a live production on Broadway.

Antonio Banderas To Be Zorba on Broadway

2010-01-16T21:12:00.001-05:00

The New York Post is reporting that Antonio Banderas is going to be playing the title role in a forthcoming Broadway production of the John Kander & Fred Ebb musical Zorba, to be directed by Gary Griffin (The Color Purple) and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys). Banderas made a splash in his Broadway debut, playing the role of Guido in the recent Broadway revival of Nine, and theater fans have anxiously been awaiting his return to the New York stage ever since.

Spiderman Officially Announces Postponement

2010-01-12T16:43:00.001-05:00

Amidst all of the Spider-drama of late last year, the producers of the forthcoming musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark failed to actually confirm that the show would not start performances on February 25, 2010, as originally announced. Most people inferred that it wouldn't be opening that soon, given all of the Spiderman musical's financial trouble, but ticketholders were left to wonder whether or not they'd actually get to use their Spider-Man tickets at all. Finally today the producers of the big-budgeted Broadway show formally announced that Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark will not be opening in February, and that people who already purchased tickets can get a refund through Ticketmaster now if they so choose. However, the Spiderman production team does plan on announcing an actual opening date (most likely to be some time late this year) shortly, so ticket-holders also have the option of waiting until the revised performance schedule is announced, at which point they can simply exchange their current Spider-Man tickets for a suitable date.

Norbert Leo Butz To Star In Enron on Broadway

2010-01-08T15:41:00.001-05:00

It has officially been announced that Norbert Leo Butz will play lead villain (i.e. corporate executive) Jeffrey Skilling in the forthcoming Broadway production of Lucy Prebble's Enron, which is hot off a run at London's Royal Court Theatre. Tony Award winner Butz has been seen on Broadway in numerous shows, including Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Is He Dead?, Thou Shalt Not, Rent, and recently as a replacement for Jeremy Piven in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow.

Present Laughter Begins Today On Broadway

2010-01-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

The new Roundabout Theatre Company production of the classic Noel Coward play Present Laughter begins performances today at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. Broadway veteran Victor Garber (Alias and Eli Stone on TV, Titanic on film, and most recently on Broadway in Yasmina Reza's Art) stars in the comedy as a vainglorious actor whose life is made quite chaotic by the sudden arrival of troublesome theater folk and equally troublesome women. Also starring in the production, which is directed by Nicholas Martin (The 39 Steps, Mauritius), is Tony Award winner Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Brooks Ashmanskas (Fame Becomes Me). A limited run production, Present Laughter is scheduled to play on Broadway through March 21.

Chenoweth To Guest As American Idol Judge

2009-12-29T02:01:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again, when Fox's ratings juggernaut American Idol takes over the airwaves and a new slate of aspiring performers become incessant water cooler talk (a select few even go on to superstardom). During the audition episodes of American Idol, several guest judges will be sitting in on the panel, and among them will be a couple of Broadway babies. Kristin Chenoweth (of Wicked fame) will serve as a guest judge on January 20 for the Orlando auditions, and Neil Patrick Harris (who has several Broadway credits but is more recently known for TV's How I Met Your Mother) will join the Dallas auditions on January 26.

See These Broadway Shows While They Last

2009-12-23T21:36:00.001-05:00

As always, January is a brutal month for Broadway, which unfortunately gets a chilly reception from the ticket-buying public. The tourists have all gone home following the December holiday season, and locals are staying in the warmth of their homes as they recover from the financial blow dealt by all that Christmas and Chanukah merriment. Knowing this, Broadway producers frequently decide in advance that they will close their more monetarily troubled shows in early January. This year, those doomed Broadway shows include Burn the Floor and The 39 Steps (closing January 10), and Shrek the Musical and Superior Donuts (closing January 3). The limited-run shows In the Next Room and Irving Berlin's White Christmas will also be shuttering in January. So if you have been dragging your feet on seeing any of these Broadway shows, be sure to get tickets while you can. Even these plays and musicals might not be discounting right over the Christmas holiday, but for most of them you can get good discounts on tickets for January performance dates.

The 39 Steps To Move Off-Broadway

2009-12-19T19:51:00.002-05:00

The Alfred Hitchcockian comedy The 39 Steps, scheduled to conclude its lengthy Broadway run in January, appears to have its eye on Off-Broadway. Earlier this year, Avenue Q raised eyebrows when, immediately following its Broadway closing at the John Golden Theatre, it announced that the production would be re-opening at New World Stages for another Off-Broadway run. It looks like the producers of The 39 Steps were inspired to try the same strategy, as they are now posting casting notices for a new Off-Broadway production of the show. Like Avenue Q, The 39 Steps is a small show (it only has a four-person cast) that could work quite well Off-Broadway. The fact that it survived two years on Broadway - a major feat for a play - indicates that there is a good audience for the show, so Off-Broadway may be the perfect place for it. There will not be pressure to sell as many tickets to a smaller theater, and the running costs will be lower.

Nine Soundtrack Now Available Online

2009-12-15T14:57:00.001-05:00

The original motion picture soundtrack to Rob Marshall's film adaptation of the musical Nine is now available to be purchased and downloaded online. The actual CD will be released in stores on December 22. The 16-track recording features several songs from the original Broadway score, including "Guido's Song" (sung by Daniel Day-Lewis), "A Call From the Vatican" (Penelope Cruz), "Be Italian" (Fergie), "My Husband Makes Movies" (Marion Cotillard), "Cinema Italiano" (Kate Hudson), and "Unusual Way" (Nicole Kidman). There are also a couple new songs that composer/lyricist Maury Yeston wrote specifically for the movie, as well as four bonus tracks. The film Nine, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as a troubled Italian movie director, opens nationwide on December 25.

Ragtime To Begin Talkback Series

2009-12-12T20:58:00.000-05:00

The Broadway revival of Ragtime, now playing at the Neil Simon Theatre, is starting a new post-performance talkback series called "Ragtime Talk Time". The discussion series will kick off on December 15 with a post-show chat with Ragtime's composer/lyricist team, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. The duo will talk about the process of working on their Tony Award-winning score for Ragtime, as well as other aspects of their 25-year creative partnership. The post-show Tuesday talks will continue on a monthly basis and are free to anyone attending that night's performance.

Corbin Bleu To Join In the Heights Cast

2009-12-09T14:13:00.001-05:00

High School Musical star Corbin Bleu is bound for Broadway, scheduled to join the cast of the Tony Award-winning hit musical In the Heights for a limited time, from January 25th to April 25th 2010. Although Bleu played second banana in the High School Musical franchise as Zac Efron's best friend, he will be taking the lead in In the Heights, assuming the demanding role of bodega owner Usnavi, originally played by the show's co-creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Al Pacino Joins Shakespeare in the Park

2009-12-07T14:41:00.000-05:00

The Public Theater is bringing out the big guns once again for its annual Shakespeare in the Park summer season. As previously announced, the season will be two William Shakespeare dramas, The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale, in rep. While most of the casting has yet to be announced, the Public just revealed that The Merchant of Venice will feature legendary actor Al Pacino in the role of Shylock. Actors already set to appear in both productions include Jesse L. Martin (Rent, Law & Order), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (TV's Modern Family), Lily Rabe, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Max Wright. The first 2010 Shakespeare in the Park production will kick off on June 1st at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Broadway Shows Get Grammy Nods

2009-12-03T14:30:00.001-05:00

The Grammy Award nominations were announced yesterday, and the Best Musical Show Album category was almost entirely made up of Broadway musicals. The nominated show recordings were: Ain't Misbehavin' (30th anniversary cast recording featuring American Idol's Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis), Hair (Broadway revival cast album), 9 To 5 The Musical (featuring a score by country music superstar Dolly Parton), Shrek The Musical (Original Broadway cast recording), and West Side Story (new Broadway revival cast recording). If you want to hear what the fuss is about, three of the musicals - Hair, Shrek, and West Side Story - are still playing on Broadway. The winners of the Grammy for Best Show Album will be announced in January.

Off-Broadway Nutcracker Set In New York City

2009-11-30T21:07:00.001-05:00

Getting tired of seeing the same old Nutcracker every Christmas season? The Urban Ballet Theater's Nutcracker in the Lower takes the classic holiday ballet The Nutcracker and transports it to the island of Manhattan for a run that begins today at the Abrons Arts Center Henry Street Settlement and plays through December 5. Now in its ninth year, Nutcracker in the Lower takes the familiar tale of a little girl and her adventures and gives it a twist that reflects the excitement, diversity, and cultural richness of Manhattan. The production still honors Tchaikovsky's beloved score, but includes hip-hop and Latin musical flourishes that give this Nutcracker the flavor of New York City.

Robin Williams Arrives At Town Hall

2009-11-23T18:09:00.002-05:00

Earlier this year, comedian and actor Robin Williams was scheduled to bring his touring one-man show Weapons of Self-Destruction to Broadway in a limited engagement at the Neil Simon Theatre. However, a health scare caused Williams to cancel the tour. Healthy again and ready to make audiences laugh now, Robin Williams is starting the limited run of Weapons of Self-Destruction in New York City tonight. The re-scheduled engagement is not actually on Broadway (the Neil Simon is currently occupied by the Ragtime revival), but it is close - right in the heart of midtown, at Town Hall on West 43rd Street. Robin Williams: Weapons of Self-Destruction will play at Town Hall November 23-25, November 30, and December 1-3.

A Christmas Story, the Musical!

2009-11-20T12:57:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the holidays, a new musical version of the modern classic Christmas movie A Christmas Story begins performances at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. The show's libretto is by Joseph Robinette, and the score is by Scott Davenport Richards. The musical is based on the 1983 film about young Ralphie Parker's quest to get an air rifle for Christmas (the movie was based on humorist Jean Shepherd's stories). This production of A Christmas Story, The Musical! plays at the Kansas City Rep through December 27. Songs from the musical include "I Won (A Major Award)," "On Christmas, We Go Eat Chinese," "Ho, Ho, Ho!" and of course "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!" The show is aiming for a Broadway run in 2010.

Let the Race Begin

2009-11-16T11:55:00.001-05:00

David Mamet's new play, which has a provocative four-letter word of a title, starts performances on Broadway tonight at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The four-person Race stars James Spader (Boston Legal), David Alan Grier (In Living Color, Broadway's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), Kerry Washington (The Last King of Scotland, Ray), and Richard Thomas (TV's The Waltons, Broadway's Democracy) and is directed by Mamet, in his Broadway directorial debut. The play is about a law firm - made up of two black lawyers and one white one - who have the opportunity to defend a white man charged of a crime against a young black woman. The production will have its official Broadway opening at the Barrymore on December 6.

Wintuk Takes New York City By (Snow)Storm

2009-11-11T19:01:00.000-05:00

In what now looks like it may be an annual holiday tradition in New York City, Cirque du Soleil's theatrical winter fantasy Wintuk is starting its limited engagement at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The holiday show takes Cirque's formula of eye-popping visuals, astounding acrobatics, evocative music, and comedic clowning and gives it an enchanting snowy twist, making it an ideal family show during Christmastime. Wintuk, which features over 50 performers from all over the world, will play at MSG through January 3, 2010.

Spider-Man's Fate May Be Decided Today

2009-11-06T00:13:00.000-05:00

Rumors are flying this morning about the troubled musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. The New York Times reported yesterday that director Julie Taymor, other members of the creative team, and the show's producers are scheduled to have an important meeting today to discuss the show's future. Today, the New York Post's Michael Riedel - a reporter who covers the Broadway beat and passes around the juiciest gossip on the Great White Way - has said that Spider-Man won't be postponed indefinitely as many have suggested over the last several months. Instead, it will just push back opening until the summer of 2010, when Taymor and company will finally have the highly complex show ready. This would mean that Spider-Man won't make the deadline for this year's Tony Awards, but then again most people probably won't need a Tony win as an incentive to see this much-buzzed-about musical with amazing aerial effects and songs by U2's Bono and The Edge.

Shakespeare In The Park To Perform In Rep

2009-11-03T23:03:00.000-05:00

The Public Theater has already announced the two productions that it will present for 2010's "Shakespeare in the Park" series at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Next year, the summer tradition will truly live up to its name, presenting two of the Bard's plays (rather than one Shakespeare paired with a classic or modern classic, as has been the recent pattern), The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale. Even more interesting is that the Public has decided to run the two Shakespeare in the Park shows in rep, which hasn't been done in nearly 20 years. Both productions will feature the same company of actors and designers, with Daniel Sullivan directing The Merchant of Venice and Michael Greif directing The Winter's Tale.

Abigail Breslin To Play Helen Keller on Broadway

2009-10-29T16:14:00.001-04:00

A new production of William Gibson's wonderful play The Miracle Worker is bound for Broadway in February 2010. Young film actress Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Signs, and the new release Zombieland) will play Helen Keller in this production alongside New York theater regular Alison Pill (Mauritius and The Lieutenant of Inishmore on Broadway) as her determined teacher Annie Sullivan. The production, under the direction of Ruined helmer Kate Whoriskey, will play at the Circle in the Square Theatre. A 2003 production of The Miracle Worker starring Hilary Swank was supposed to come to Broadway following its run in Charlotte, but that engagement fell through. The drama is of course well known to movie audiences everywhere because of the fine film version starring Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, who both starred in the original Broadway production.

Scarlet Johansson Gets A View From The Bridge

2009-10-26T23:31:00.000-04:00

Movie actress Scarlet Johansson (Lost in Translation, Match Point) is going to be making her Broadway debut later this year in a new revival of the Arthur Miller drama A View From the Bridge. She will be co-starring alongside Broadway regular Liev Schreiber (a Tony winner for Glengarry Glen Ross), who will play her working class Brooklyn uncle, Eddie. The production, directed by Gregory Mosher, will begin performances at the Cort Theatre on December 28, 2009, with an official Broadway opening scheduled for January 24, 2010. A View From the Bridge will be a strictly limited engagement, playing only 14 weeks.

New Cast For God of Carnage

2009-10-15T22:58:00.001-04:00

Yasmina Reza's dark comedy God of Carnage, a breakout hit last season and the Best Play Tony Award winner, is still going strong at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway. Unfortunately its all-star cast - James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels, and Hope Davis - wasn't prepared for such a long run, so the show's producers are having to bring in a new cast in order to keep the show running. The good news is that they have secured some fine actors. As of November 17, the four actors playing God of Carnage's dysfunctional couples will be Jimmy Smits, Annie Potts, Christine Lahti, and Ken Stott (who was in the original London production of the play).

It's Opening Night For Oleanna

2009-10-11T19:36:00.001-04:00

With recent revivals of Glengarry Glen Ross, American Buffalo, and Speed-the-Plow, Broadway has been a great friend to playwright David Mamet lately. Tonight marks the opening night for the latest Mamet revival, Oleanna, starring Bill Pullman (The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? on Broadway) and Julia Stiles (Shakespeare in the Park's Twelfth Night, Off-Broadway's Fran's Bed) as a college professor and student, respectively. The Doug Hughes-directed production of the play about sexual politics was seen previously in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum, and now hits Broadway's John Golden Theatre for an open run. David Mamet will next be represented on Broadway with a new drama, the race-related play Race starring James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington, and Richard Thomas.