New Year, New Broadway Shows

Current Shows on Broadway: Closings or Cast Changes

The end of 2013 comes with show closings, such as Big Fish which had its final performance at the Neil Simon Theatre on December 29, as well as, cast changes most notably the one’s coming to Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.  It is typical for cast members’ contracts to be up in January or early February.  The actors may choose to renew their contracts or they may pursue (or even already be cast) in other roles.  Cinderella has recently announced changes of this kind.  Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana, Marla Mindelle, and Harriet Harris are all leaving, or presumed to be leaving Cinderella in the following weeks. It was just announced that Carly Rae Jepsen will step into the role of Cinderella starting February 4 for a 12 week run.  A lot of patrons hate to see Laura go but she will begin the workshop for Dames at Sea early in the new year so they are sure to see more of her soon.  Santino has been cast, along with Tony Shalub, as Moss Hart in the upcoming play Act One.  Roald Dahl’s Matilda also recently announced the inclusion of new cast members as the four original girls who played Matilda will leave the production and four new Matildas, Paige Brady, Gabriella Pizzolo, Ripley Sobo and Ava Ulloa, were cast in early December. 

Upcoming Broadway Season

Looking ahead at new shows coming to “The Great White Way” in early 2014, there are many shows that sound phenomenal and your average theatre lover will most likely want to see them all! 
Here are a few of the shows that will be opening early in the new year:

BEAUTIFUL:THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL began previews November 21, 2013 and opens January 12, 2014 at Stephen Sondheim Theatre.  It is the story of Carol King, or rather Carol Klein, the tenacious girl from Brooklyn who fought her way into the record business to become one of the recording industry’s most enduring icons.  Jessie Mueller plays Carol King in this acclaimed musical directed by Marc Bruni.

IF/THEN starring Idina Menzel, LaChanze, Anthony Rapp, James Snyder, Jerry Dixon, Jenn Colella and  Jason Tam begins previews at Richard Rodgers Theatre on March 4, 2014 and opens March 27.  Idina Menzel plays a woman named Elizabeth who is on the verge of turning 40 and moves to NYC to make a fresh start. “It is a new musical about how choice and chance collide and we learn to love the fallout”.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is a new musical based on the novel by Robert James Waller written by Jason Robert Brown, book by Marsha Norman.  It is a new take on the love affair between a photographer and American housewife in 1965 Iowa.  Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale play the leads in the new musical directed by Bartlett Sher.  It begins previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on January 17, 2014 and opens on February 20.

OUTSIDE MULLINGAR opens at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on January 23, 2013 with previews starting January 3.  This new play, written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Doug Hughes, tells the story of two introverted misfits, Anthony and Rosemary, who live next door to each other.  Anthony is painfully shy and Rosemary is determined to have him.  It is an Irish story about two people finding their way toward solid ground. It stars Brían F. O’Byrne and Debra Messing. 

ALADDIN is a stage adaptation of the 1992 Disney film starring Adam Jacobs, Courtney Reed, James Monroe Iglehart, and Jonathan Freeman. This new adaptation is directed by Casey Nicholaw.  It begins previews February 26, 2014 and opens March 20 at New Amsterdam Theatre. 

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY is a musical adaptation of the Woody Allen film.  It stars Zach Braff, Brooks Ashmanskas, Betsy Wolfe, and Vincent Pastore, and is directed by Susan Stroman.  Previews begin on March 11, 2014 and the musical opens April 10, 2014 at St. James Theatre.

LES MISERABLES the 25^th anniversary production of the musical featrues new orchestrations, as well as, fresh scenic and narrative elements.  This production stars Ramin Karimloo, Will Swenson, Nikki M. James, Caissie Levy, and Andy Mientus, and will be directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell.  It is currently playing a pre-Broadway engagement in Toronto and will begin Broadway previews on March 1, 2014 and open on March 23, 2014. 

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH will bring Neil Patrick Harris back to Broadway in the landmark 1998 musical about a fictional rock 'n' roll band fronted by a transgender singer by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's.  This production begins previews March 29, 2014 and opens April 22, 2014 at the Belasco Theatre.  It will be directed by Michael Mayer.

VIOLET brings Sutton Foster back to Broadway in the story of a young woman’s “quest for beauty amidst the image-obsessed landscape of the 1960s."  This Roundabout theatre production of the musical will be directed by Leigh Silverman and will begins previews March 28, 2014 with an opening night scheduled for April 20, 2014 at American Airlines Theatre.

Here is a complete list of upcoming Broadway shows from Playbill.com.

Here is Broadway.com's look ahead at the near year of Broadway.

Tony Awards Spotlight on 2013-2014 as it currently stands

Reveiw: The Kennedy Center Honors

The recipients of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors were: Martina Arroyo, Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel, Shirley MacLaine and Carlos Santana.  The honorees were presented the medallions on December 7^th with the honors ceremony held on December 8^th at the Kennedy Center Opera House, where the honorees were saluted by a variety of talented performers.  The Kennedy Center Honors as aired on television consist of two hours’ time in which there are no acceptance speeches by honorees, but instead heartfelt testaments to the impact honorees have had on the world and celebrations of their work through various performances.

Contemporary stars paying tribute to living legends is the definition of multifarious.  One may not enjoy all of the performances depending on personal preferences but the show includes something for everyone. 

A wide variety of people graced the stage of the Kennedy Center including Glenn Close who opened the show by introducing all of the honorees with engaging snippets about each of their backgrounds and accomplishments.  Harry Belafonte introduced the Carlos Santana tribute which included Buddy Guy and Steve Winwood, among others.  Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor introduced the tribute for Martina Arroyo which included stunning performances from Aida.  Bill O’Reilly introduced the tribute to Herbie Hancock which included performances by many musicians, including Snoop Lion/Dogg and Mix Master Mike (from the Beastie Boys).  Kathy Bates introduced the tribute to Shirley MacLaine which was a Broadway tribute by Anna Kendrick, Sutton Foster, Patina Miler, and Karen Olivo (which was phenomenal!).   Finally, Tony Bennett introduced the tribute to Billy Joel which included performances by Panic! At the Disco’s Brendon Urie and Garth Brooks. 

Artists celebrating artists is one of the greatest things that happens in general.  The celebration of others’ work is so freeing and lacks a self-promotion that award show performances exude. A show that can bring such diverse artists and people to the same stage, and to celebrate such a wide variety of talent is something to be celebrated in and of itself.  

As Implausible as it may be… (Alternately titled: What Musical Should NBC Do Next Year?)

If Only...

There may be zero (or less than zero) chance of this happening but we were thinking of possible musicals that NBC could do next year, having heard rumors that it could be “Fiddler on the Roof” we decided to think of things that had the potential to be better than that… this is what we came up with (aside from the many beloved musicals that would do wonderfully):

NBC should do “Bombshell” the Marilyn Monroe musical from SMASH! This seems plausible enough because SMASH was an NBC show and since it’s cancellation more people have discovered it and there is still a loyal legion of fans who loved the show when it was on who would watch the broadcast and buy the merchandise that is sure to follow its airing (CDs, a Score or script of the show, even playbills especially made for it could be made and sold, etc.).  Now we dream big, so we took this a step farther as to what we think NBC could do with its resources to make the show a success.

1. They could have it broadcast two nights and it could be live both times each time with a different Marilyn (if they stuck with the idea from the show that Katherine and Megan are battling it out for the role) or they could have the American people vote for who should be Marilyn or cast someone who is quintessentially Marilyn and is super famous (although, let’s not try Uma Thurman again).  But the possibilities are there.  
2. They could cast a mixture (based on availability and willingness to perform) of people from Smash and also other Broadway performers or well-known actors who can sing AND act.  So that from these names a large number of people will tune in anyway just to see them.
3. When they do the “Behind the Scenes” video for the live production it could be a scripted episode of the show Smash about the process of the show (wholly depending on whether or not a lot of people from the show are a part of the live performance) or it could be as it was this year with just a look at how the production is being put together, etc. OR both could be made and both be made extras on the DVD that will inevitably be produced.
4. This is where it really takes a turn down the “never gonna happen road” but if there is a large audience for the show, as there was for “The Sound of Music Live” this year with 18.5 million viewers upon first broadcast, then they could take it to Broadway or off-Broadway and postpone the DVD release.  As I type this I realize how far-fetched it sounds but a musical about Marilyn Monroe has the potential to do well own (but again this is the farthest stretch).
5. Also, it would become much easier to bring the show back to NBC and get higher ratings this time.  Or, it could be picked up by Netflix (Amazon Prime or Hulu plus) as an original series, in the same way that Arrested Development was continued.

To Be More Realistic

There does seem to be a smaller pool, than most of us originally thought, of musicals they could/would do though when thinking about the beloved classics.  They wouldn't do anything that is currently on Broadway (or that just closed). They have already done a film of The Wiz, so they wouldn't do that or “The Wizard of Oz”.  Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella was done live with Julie Andrews and would still be running or recently closed on Broadway so they wouldn't do that.  In December 2014, both the new “Annie” film and “Into the Woods” are coming out on Christmas Day so they are off the table.  “Phantom of the Opera” feels far too overdone to be done live in this manner.

Here are playbill.com’s suggestions for next year’s production.

Many of them are reaching in terms of the reality of casting such successful actors in some cases and some people I wouldn't cast in a theatrical role of this nature, but they have my vote for “My Fair Lady” with Anna Kendrick (although since “The Last Five Years” AND “Into The Woods” movies will come out in 2014 it would probably seem like an Anna overload…).   It should also be kept in mind that some of these musicals are not well known to the greater public.   Plus, many of the actors listed in this article are either too busy to fit the performance into their schedules or aren’t talented enough (musically) to take on the role.

So what do you think would be a good (and plausible) musical to do next year, and who would you dream cast?

Review: HBO’s “Six by Sondheim”

If you haven’t enjoyed HBO’s most recent documentary, Six by Sondheim, I fully recommend watching it.  The documentary traces Stephen Sondheim’s childhood all the way through his most recent accomplishments as composer, lyricist, and writer.  It begins with his childhood, details his most well-known, and some lesser known, successes and “failures” of his career, even touches upon his personal life, and gives an in-depth look at the person behind the music that had never before been documented in this way.  It pieces together interviews over his career, as he narrates and adds previously unheard details and stories.  One particularly interesting aspect was the focus on his relationship with “surrogate father” Oscar Hammerstein which was a great and moving story.  Another amazing choice by the filmmakers was to include a few renditions of his work.  When A Little Night Music and “Send in the Clowns” are discussed, a medley plays of many of the artists who have recorded it in the form of a youtube player screen, and then Audra McDonald sings an amazingly beautiful rendition of the song.  Even if you do not enjoy any other part of the documentary, her rendition of the song makes it entirely worth the watch! Jeremy Jordan, America Ferrera, Laura Osnes and Darren Criss also perform “Opening Doors” (in two parts, the second of which Sondheim himself is in) from Merrily We Roll Along and it is very well done and worth a watch.  Overall I highly recommend watching the documentary, regardless of whether or not you are a musical lover. 

WELCOME! Let's Talk About Award Season

This is a brand new blog about many different facets of entertainment.  It will include reviews of musicals and shows, sports talk and news from the entertainment industry.  We have set up this blog as a way to get more writing experience and in the future more exposure.  We hope you can join us on this journey and that you have fun and leave maybe a little more informed than you came.

Award Season

As you are probably aware, award season is upon us! Nominations have been announced for Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe awards and the Oscars nominations will be announced January 16, 2014 on ABC.  Awards are excited for several reasons: the acclaim for the movies/shows and their creators, fashion and the red carpet attire at the actual awards, but my favorite part is being able to read the 'For Your Consideration' scripts that are made available to members and the public.  Here is a website which features links to all of the available 2014 scripts for award consideration and I highly recommend checking them out! They include everything from Dallas Buyer's Club to Frozen.  Happy reading! 

Awards 2014: For Your Consideration Scripts

Some Important Dates:

20th Screen Actor's Guild Awards: January 18, 2014

71st Golden Globe Awards: January 12, 2014

86th Oscar Nominations Announcement: January 16, 2014

86th Oscar Awards: March 2, 2014

Another interesting thing about awards is who's going to win, as well as, to what extent the SAG and Golden Globe results predict Oscar nominations and winners. One source I use for my predictions, other than personal taste and preference, is the Feinberg Forecast by Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter.  He makes some very interesting analyses of the results and updates frequently until the completion of awards season.  Take a look at it and a happy awards season to you! 

THR Feinberg Forecast

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