Elton John has his name all over Broadway these days. Of course, there is the always popular Disney hit The Lion King playing, and he has Billy Elliot opening soon as well. With that in mind, Sir Broadway Elton brought out some of his friends for a great cause the other night with the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Elton John AIDS Foundation Friends in Deed. Some of the big name performances and stars included Ben Folds, In The Heights’ Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shockwave, All My Sons’ Patrick Wilson, Joey Arias, Jane Krakowski , Rufus Wainwright, Sheri Rene Scott, John Cameron Mitchell. Click on the pictures for a unique photo experience. Check out full coverage (and our cool new photo display function) on our homepage…Broadway Snapshot section. Photos by Mazur/WireImage.com
Paul Newman, celebrated film star, Broadway actor, and theater advocate passed away on Friday in Westport, CT. Newman debuted on Broadway in William Inge’s Picnic. Other performance include Tennessee Williams Sweet Bird Of Youth, and the recent revival of Our Town directed by James Naughton. Both Newman and Wife Joanne Woodward have been lifetime activists for live theater and performance. He was 83.
What would Arthur Miller make of it all? While A Tale Of Two Cities opened on Broadway, Katie Holmes began previews for her role in All My Sons. At the performance tonight, more than two dozen protesters swarmed the event. They were from the group Anonymous, which speaks out against the Scientology group with such close ties to Tom Cruise. From an E! Online Report:
“We are not boycotting Katie, we are not boycotting the play, we are protesting Scientology,” a member of the group shouted. “It is evil. Scientology kills people. It follows you home at night. It is perverted.”
People in the crowd donned V for Vendetta-style masks and wielded signs that read “SCIENTOLOGY KILLS” and “FREE KATIE.”
Rumors are all over the Internet that Richard Gere is in talks to join Debra Winger in the upcoming Broadway production of Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner? Earlier Bill Pullman was announced, but that apparently didn’t work out. Do Winger and Gere get along? We may find out. Big news if it happens. Gere has Broadway roots, and Winger is a film favorite. Let’s end the suspense, and make an announcement, Mr. Gere and Ms. Winger.
Did you hear the applause? Thunder. If you want a ticket to Wicked, you may need the help of a Wizard. The hit musical is always popular, and as this performance of “The Wizard and I” from the show at the 2008 Broadway on Broadway concert shows, it makes sense that the musical is a hit. Here is a little surprise footage celebrating the show’s performance at the 2008 Broadway on Broadway concert.
With the song He Vas My Boyfriend, Mel Brooks shows how he’s been able to take a classic comic film and expand it for the Broadway musical stage. The spirit is the same as the film, but the energy, pace, spectacle, and laughs are all Broadway sized…bigger than life. Here is the number that brought smiles from many a monster in the crowd. The fans loved it. Check out the live performance here.
Sometimes it seems like Forbidden Broadway has been the pace car for the tone of Broadway for the past decade or so. At the very least, they have been ahead of the spoofing-Broadway curve by decades. There was a poignant moment in last season’s Forbidden BroadwayRude Awakening where the cast was in the middle of a Spamalot spoof, and they began singing the actual words of Spamalot’s “Song That Goes Like This”. Then, the duet stopped and they made the realization on stage that Spamalot ”stole ‘the song that goes like this.’” The spirit and tone of Forbidden Broadway has been co-opted (consciously or not) by Broadway shows like Spamalot, Xanadu, title of show, and apparently even the upcoming Shrek The Musical. Spoofing Broadway is now mainstream. Now word comes that Forbidden Broadway is going to take a break for a couple of years, ending the shows 27 year run, according to a Canadian Press report on Thursday. The feature quotes Gerard Alessandrini, creator and impressario:
“I’ve just put together a new edition that I feel succinctly encapsulates the last couple of years on Broadway and I thought this would be a positive and fun way to end our 27-year run,” Alessandrini added. “However, I do hope we might bring ‘Forbidden Broadway’ back to New York at some point down the road when there will be plenty of new shows and stars to spoof.”
The new edition opens on September 17. Poetically (and ironically) titled “Forbidden Broadway Goes To Rehab,” the show will run through January 15. Here is a link to the NY Times profile today of the show and more details. Sad news for a funny franchise.
It was a large crowd on hand in Bryant Park for yesterday’s free Broadway concert. Bailey Hanks took the stage with her Legally Blonde cast, and gave the audience something to remember. Bailey Hanks is a busy actress and she’s making a big hit in Legally Blonde. The cast seems to be having a great time, and the audiences were glad to see them. Legally Blonde made a perfect day in the park even better! Of course, a picture is worth a thousand words or lyrics…so click on the thumbnails to rock with the cast including another MTV favorite Autumn Herbert, Amber Efe, Asmeret Ghebremichael and more. All photos J. Pellegrini/WireImage.com.
Also, don’t forget to be a part of our Great American Broadway Summer Giveaway, you may just win something Blonde. It’s free, click here.
The 2008 Broadway Showlympiad Games continue in full swing. Drama both on the field and off, as teams compete to win gold. While the 2008 Beijing Olympics has Michael Phelps, well things are a bit different at the 2008 Broadway Showlympiad Games. For full details click here. No Broadway Showlympiad story has captured the imagination quite so much as Wicked star P.J. Benjamin’squest to win 8 Gold medals, and set a new Showlympiad Record. Well, today P.J. Benjamin (picture at left by Joan Marcus) has just won medal number three, setting a world record time of 1:42.96 in the 200m Free Swimming Competition. Taking home a silver is Taylor Hicks from Grease, and the Bronze goes to Benjamin’s co-star from the Broadway musical Wicked Ben Liebert, who made an impressive finish.
In the 100m Mens’ Breast Stroke, Pearce Bunting from Mamma Mia! took the gold, followed by Tom Wopat from Chicago with the silver. Mary Poppins’ star Gavin Lee finished with the Bronze Medal.
For the Women’s 100m Breast Stroke, Jersey Boys favorite Katie O’Toole has her first Gold Medal, followed closely by Wicked’sJayne Houdyshell. Finishing in third, was Elizabeth Gillies from the earlier run of upcoming Broadway production 13 The Musical. Around the pool, fired-up Wicked fans were chanting “Give ‘Em Hell, Houdyshell!” over and over again, but O’Toole silenced the crowd with her oustanding swim.
-Broadway Gaston Strobino, Honorary Host of the 2008 Broadway Showlympiads
Big Show For Broadway
Bailey Hanks and Blonde Cast Bit Hits
Quest for 8 Gold Medals On Track
