Highlights and Broadway Images

BROADWAY MAGAZINE - It is a cool, cloudy morning. Fall is rapidly infiltrating a once uncomfortably sweltering Times Square. But there is a palpable excitement in the air stretching from 43^rd to 47^th street. And not just because with the falling leaves and chilly air means a new season of Broadway, which is cause for delight in itself. No, the tangible vibe of anticipation on this particular day is a direct result of the concert that is about to unfold in Times Square: “Broadway on Broadway.”

The annual event, where thousands of fans gather to watch their favorite Broadway stars perform for free, is every theatre-goers’ dream. Where else do you get to see big numbers from almost every show on Broadway perform without paying a penny? As I look across the crowd in disbelief—there must have been at least 10,000 people stretched all the way down four blocks at that moment—I realize the extent to which people in this city truly do value theatre.

Appreciating and enjoying theatre—quite simply, that is what this spectacular event is all about; celebrating the ongoing tradition of gathering together to be a part of live performance, whether it be “Bye Bye Birdie” or “Hamlet.” It is also a great way to kick off the new 2009-2010 theatre season. And let me tell you, from the performances at the concert, it is going to be an unbelievable year at the theatre.

A few numbers in particular grabbed my attention. Some of the shows, after all, are returning after anywhere from 5 to 30 years on Broadway. But there are some new productions that are sure to give the veteran shows a run for their money.

Top Picks include (after the jump):

(more…)

 Star Film Director Made Broadway Debut

BROADWAY MAGAZINE — Quentin Tarantino is Hollywood’s man of the moment. With the success of his film Inglourious Basterds staring Brad Pitt in full swing, we take a minute to remember the celebrated director’s Broadway days. Riding high on the success of films like Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino was not only the “it” director of the 90’s, he was also an actor. Did you know that in 1998, he made his Broadway Debut?

The play was Wait Until Dark and the role was Harry Roat, first played on Broadway by Robert Duvall and on film by the brilliant Alan Arkin. The show was a hot ticket at the time, but the critics were not kind to the show.

While co-star Marisa Tomei earned positive notices and the set and sound where given high marks, most critics focused on Mr. Tarantino’s performance as the madman who terrorizes a blind woman.

Of Quentin Tarantino’s Broadway performance, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly said “he’s about as threatening as an apoplectic professor.” Also noting that Mr. Tarantino wasn’t menacing, Ben Brantley of The New York Times said Tarantino “registers at best as merely petulant, like a suburban teen-ager who has been denied the use of his father’s Lexus for the night.” Critic Les Gutman wrote that Quentin Tarantino’s Harry “veers from calculating at best to bumbling and indifferent at worst.”

Still, in hindsight, there were some positive observations about Quentin Tarantino on Broadway. Matt Wolf of Variety said “that the part is pretty silly has little to do with Tarantino, who brings to it a surprisingly strong voice and a virtually constant sneer” and opined that “as psychos go, his (Tarantino) is unexpectedly straightforward; entering with sunglasses, hair slicked-back, he’s no more or less cheesy than Alan Arkin in the 1967 film.”

The show ran at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre and played for 97 performances. It is Quentin Tarantino’s only Broadway performance to date.

In a 2005 interview with MTV News, the star director said “I just don’t feel like acting anymore…I lost the bug.”

With the box-office success of his film Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino’s flair for spectacle and style, Broadway’s love of Movies turned Musicals, and the Weinstein Brother’s appetite for Broadway success (long-time Tarantino producers) it may seem inevitable that Tarantino will be back on Broadway as an artist in one way or another.

We suggest a Jacobean Revenge Play…bloody, humorous, and macabre—they were made for Quentin Tarantino to make.

Follow us on Twitter to see which Jacobean Revenge Plays would be perfect for Quentin Tarantino to stage on Broadway…also keep looking for George Washington’s teeth.

Bon Jovi Keyboard Player’s Theater Spirit

Yesterday while at Broadway in Bryant Park we caught up with the cast of The Toxic Avenger. Also on hand was David Bryan the keyboard player for Bon Jovi. Aside from being a member of one of the most famous bands in the world, Bryan wrote the book and lyrics for The Toxic Avenger. Bryan also co-wrote the new musical Memphis which had its off-Broadway debut in 2002 and is set to come to Broadway later this year.

Bryan grew up in Edison New Jersey which may explain his choice of lyrics for The Toxic Avenger. Bryan started playing the piano at age seven and attended university at the famed Juilliard school of music here in New York City. It is said that Bryan was the first person Jon Bon Jovi called when he learned he received a recording contract and Bryan agreed to join the band soon after.

It was a pleasure to interview Bryan and we look forward to seeing Memphis come to Broadway!

Big Hair Bands Over Broadway

BROADWAY MAGAZINE – The new Broadway musical ROCK OF AGES celebrates its official Broadway opening tonight. With American Idol star Constantine Maroulis in the cast, will other Broadway American Idols arrive on the red carpet. Broadway.tv will be there to see if Clay Aiken, Taylor Hicks, Fantasia, Diane Degarmo or any other idols will walk the Broadway red carpet. Check out all the video and get an overview of the reviews right here on Broadway.tv. Will Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider show up? How about John Bon Jovi? Asia? We’ll see.

Hit BroadwayMusical In 3 Dimensions?

BROADWAY MAGAZINE –As we mentioned last year, we fully expect that the new WICKED musical should be in 3-D, bringing a Wizard of Oz wholeness to this kid-from-Kansas story. Remember the film version of Wizard of Oz ushering in the glories of Technicolor? Well, the quest for a 3-D Wicked musical just got more steam as recent industry leaders like Shrek and DreamWorks visionary Jeffrey Katzenberg and Titanic’s James Cameron adopting the state-of-the-art technology in a full on embrace. Does this mean a 3-D Wicked is a lock? Of course not, but we continue to hope. Of course, you call always see it live on Broadway, and we actually prefer that to 3-D…though 3-D is something to love.

Remember, Catherine Zeta-Jones is doing a 3-D rock musical of Cleopatra…so Wicked may not be the first big musical in 3-D, but it still would make a mark. After all, the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus have already paved the way. Perhaps producers of the 3-D musical of WICKED will even cast American Idol favorite Adam Lambert, after all he knows the live version of the show already. Oh wait, Adam Lambert is going to star in Broadway’s Spider-Man Musical, right?

Hmmm. There are only two people who can solve this Broadway Musical American Idol dilemma: Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks. Come on men, your Broadway needs you!

Dissenting Critic For Revival

BROADWAY MAGAZINE – The new revival of West Side Story has been riding a wave of mostly positive reviews and completely positive box-office results to become a favorite for the Broadway award season. However, TIME theatre critic Richard Zoglin could be the first critic to suggest that this emperor has no clothes…or at least this incarnation of the revival.

In an article entitled “Is West Side Story Overrated?” Zoglin articulates in detail his specific problems with the current revival, writing that ” the story is what seems least compelling. Partly this is due to the competent but bland cast… a cast of gang members who didn’t look like they stepped out of a Chorus Line audition might help… I do want a love story with at least a hint of conviction, plausibility or sexual heat. The attraction of Maria and Tony is barely motivated to begin with; with two charisma-deficient stars in the roles, it left me cold.”

Zoglin has high praise for Karen Olivio and the dancing in the production. Also, at the end of his critique of the revival, he concludes that it is still worth seeing, but notes that “unlike some other recent Broadway comebacks (the revival of Hair, for example), I didn’t come away feeling that a great show had had its place in Broadway history triumphantly renewed. I left the theater with the gnawing sense that a revered Broadway classic may have seen better days.”

 Ferrell Farewell As Lansbury Enters

BROADWAY MAGAZINE – As Will Ferrell rides off into the sunset, completing his limited Broadway run as George W. Bush in You’re Welcome America, he doesn’t leave Broadway completely barren for laughs. In fact, judging from the critics’ reviews, Angela Lansbury has immediately replaced Ferrell as giving the most enjoyable comedic performance on Broadway. Ms. Lansbury is playing in Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, taking on the eccentric character of Madame Arcatti. According to Ben Brantley at the New York Times, Madame Lansbury is Broadway’s new comedienne-in-chief. To quote Ben Brantley:

“Ms. Lansbury brings seven decades of experience with her — in work ranging from fabled musicals (Mame, Sweeney Todd) to classic dark films (Gaslight, The Manchurian Candidate) — to the role of Madame Arcati, her juiciest in years. Even when she’s off her lines, she’s on top of her character, and she demonstrates how an expert can turn surface silliness into something of real substance.”

As we watch George W. Bush fade into the distance of the Broadway landscape, it is wonderful to know that a new comic force has materialized on Broadway. Welcome home, Ms. Lansbury.

All Pets Allowed In Tuscany 

BROADWAY MAGAZINE- Arf! Animal lovers take note. There is an interesting report from Luke Jennings of the Guardian in the UK about the Italians. Jennings reports that in Tuscany there is a new law that:

“allows pets into art galleries, theatres, restaurants, cinemas, post offices, museums and beaches. The law, which comes into force in June, was drawn up by the Greens, and is in line with regulations forbidding discrimination and cruelty against domestic animals.”

Could Broadway soon follow suit? Imagine watching Billy Elliot with a crazy chimp a few rows away? While Broadway stages are filled with sea creatures in The Little Mermaid, Donkeys and more in Shrek The Musical, horses in Equus, and even gave a Tony Award to the play about the Goat, affection for non-human animals is limited on to the professional performing pets only (no discount for parakeets looking to see Hedda Gabler). Now, those who feel sadness that no cat ever saw CATS and no goats ever saw Albee’s show, can cheer up.

While the law is effective only in Tuscany, it is not without an Italian twist. According to Jennings, the law states that “‘for obvious reasons,’ however, dogs and other pets will still be banned from the Florence opera house.” Makes sense, of course. We’ll see if Broadway takes a tip from Tuscany. Meanwhile, enjoy this picture of the dogs from the recent Broadway run of Legally Blonde…or check out our favorite Broadway animal show – The Lion King.

 Give Up Your Cars On Broadway Way, Abandon Them At Herald Square

BROADWAY MAGAZINE — New York City has announced that they are transforming the physical “heart of Broadway” around the TKTS booth into a piazza that will rival some of the greatest in the world. Like the Piazza Saint Marco in Venice or the Red Square in Russia, or a dozen other locations, Mayor Bloomberg has given New York City and Broadway a city square that is nothing but historic. The new Broadway Piazza will no doubt quickly rank among the worlds most prized city squares. As for the specifics, cars will soon be banned from Broadway in both the Times Square area and Herald Square (on 34th by Macy’s).  It is a plan that will meet with some opposition, but the potential for creating a physical cultural Vatican Square has immense appeal. We can’t wait!

No Rest For Equus Star

BROADWAY MAGAZINE – Broadway’s recent star Daniel Radcliffe completed his run in Equus having earned high-marks for his performance and his professionalism (in a season which gave us Jeremy Piven bowing out of Speed-The-Plow under questionable circumstances). Only 5 days after taking his final bow on Broadway, Radcliffe headed off to film the seventh Harry Potter movie.

Radcliffe took time to meet with Olympian Show Jumping Medalist Peter Leone backstage in the final days of Equus. It was Leone’s Lionshare Farm where the cast learned to become horses, though we hope Daniel did not learn how to actually blind horses at the farm. The hauntingly poetic horses of Broadway’s Equus helped make this production effective and highly memorable. In a season packed with strong revivals, Equus merits strong consideration for the Tony awards.

Leone shared that Radcliffe told him that Broadway audiences were even more invigorating than West End houses. While he enjoyed the stage, Daniel is also quite excited to return to film as well. Broadway fans can only hope that he’ll continue building a career in both theatre and film. He certainly proved that he has the talent and discipline to excel in both venues.

Special thanks to Sydney Todd and Candia Fisher for sharing the photograph with us.