87th Annual Academy Awards

The Oscars are the biggest event of awards season, and to many the biggest night of the year! Neil Patrick Harris took the stage to host the Academy Awards for the first time.  His opening number was pretty epic. It paid homage to some of the industry's best work much more than it made fun of it and being joined by Anna Kendrick as Cinderella and Jack Black was a phenomenal addition! 

Some of the more interesting events that took place during the awards included:  many winners talking through the play out music, Viola Davis having to watch the briefcase containing Neil Patrick Harris' Oscar predictions, Tegan and Sara and The Lonely Island performing "Everything is Awesome" from The Lego Movie, Tim McGraw paying tribute to Glen Campbell with "I'm Not Gonna Miss You", and Lady Gaga singing an incredible medley of songs from The Sound of Music followed by Julie Andrews coming out and awarding the Oscar for Best Original Score.  The awards of course ran way over the allotted time, but nonetheless it was a great show with many memorable moments. 

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role went to J.K Simmons, for his role in Whiplash.  This came as no surprise, as he has won virtually every award for which his portrayal in the film has garnered him a nomination.  Patricia Arquette won the Oscar for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Boyhood and gave an impassioned speech calling for wage equality. Eddie Redmayne won Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his role in The Theory of Everything and dedicated his award to everyone around the world battling ALS.  Julianne Moore won an Oscar for Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Still Alice.

Big Hero 6 won for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. Original Screenplay went to Alejandro Iñárritu for Birdman while Adapted Screenplay was presented to Graham Moore for 
The Imitation Game and he deserves  a second award for his acceptance speech, stay weird. 
Alejandro Iñárritu also took home the Oscar for Directing Birdman. 

American Sniper garnered the award for Sound Editing. Whiplash won for Sound Mixing and Film Editing, and Interstellar took home the award for Visual Effects.  Birdman won for Cinematography and took home the biggest award of the night, Best Motion Picture of the Year.

Birdman was the night's big winner, despite Michael Keaton's lose in the Leading Actor Category.

A full list of winners can be found here.

Red Carpet Fashion

Photo by Jeff Vespa/WireImage

Gone Girl star Rosamund Pike looked flawless in a formfitting red Givenchy gown.

Photo Credit Getty Images

Anna Kendrick dazzled in a custom Thakoon coral halter gown. Expect to see her on the majority best dressed lists! 

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Cate Blanchett looked stunning in a simple black number by Margiela and a statement necklace by Tiffany & Co.  

Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images

American Sniper star and current Sally Bowles in Cabaret Sienna Miller looked elegant in Oscar de la Renta. 

Photo credit NY Times

Felicity Jones was the epitome of the quintessential Oscars look in Alexander McQueen. 

Jason Merritt/Getty Images 

Marion Cotillard looked gorgeous in this Christian Dior Couture gown. I've already seen it on some worst dressed lists, but that's a matter of opinion.  

Theater People: Michael Mayer

Michael Mayer's work has been seen by many, having directed hit shows Spring Awakening, American Idiot, Thoroughly Modern Millie, just to name a few.  Now, his latest show, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, is taking Broadway by storm.

Michael Mayer was asked to direct the orignal production of Hedwig, but his own musical, Triumph of Love, got a theater.  He told Patrick that he had to make a "Sophie's choice."  Now, the show has made its way back to him.  

Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells the story of Hansel, a man who fell in love with a US soldier in East Berlin.  In an effort to be with the love of his life, undergoes a botched sex change and becomes Hedwig.  The story is told as one giant flashback, in the form of a giant monologue from Hedwig.

       

Neil Patrick Harris, most known for his roles on Doogie Houser, MD and How I Met Your Mother, is now headlining the show as Hedwig.  This is a new role for Harris, which Michael says is "delicious."  There is an opportunity for fans of Harris and fans of Hedwig to come together in one place.  Neil, according to Mayer, has a lot of freedom in the role, which can be seen in recent news.  If he wanted to, Neil could come out into the audience and interact with them.  Along with him, Kinky Boots star, Lena Hall, is playing the role of Yitzhak.  In a few short months, the rocker has transformed from Charlie Price's fiance to Hedwig's transgender husband.  

Michael Mayer is credited with discovering and/or kickstarting the careers a long list of performers, including Allison Janney, Kristin Chenoweth, Jonathan Groff, Jessie Mueller, Lea Michele and Lindsay Mendez - just to name a few.  It is not that he looks for star power, but he has been blessed with performers that match well with the work.  

Michael and Patrick discuss his many works: Thoroughly Modern Millie, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Spring Awakening, and American Idiot.  

For more information about Hedwig, follow Neil Patrick Harris, Lena Hall, and Michael Mayer on twitter. 
Get more information on tickets here.

Be sure to check out the upcoming episodes of Theater People, as they are sure to be great interviews!! 
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and follow them on twitter!

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