Theatre

[garyd]

I don't really know.  It wasn't the one from thisyear, because my friend also has
an audio recording (from where-who knows) of that one and there's a few changes and a
new song.  I know he had this dvd last Nov., if that helps.

Just wondering. 
The show has been revamped, revisited, rewritten, and "workshopped" to death.
The most current version played the York theatre in NYC Feb.-April of this Spring and was pretty well received.
It is now being "re-somethinged" all over again for a possible Broadway opening in the Fall of 2011. 
David Cromer, the director du-jour, is apparently on board to direct.  He has done some truly inspired work, especially
his interpretation of "Our Town", so his involvement might be a good sign.

[canmark]

Am looking forward to the stage musical version of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Although I'm under no illusion that it will be as good as the film, I'm hoping that the show, which has had much success in Australia and London, will be an enjoyable spectacle. The show opens this fall in Toronto before moving to Broadway in the new year. I'm going to the first preview performance in Toronto. Here's a video interview with the show's stars (incl. Tony Sneldon, who starred as Bernadette, the transexual character, in the original Australian and London productions) during a preview for the press in Toronto: http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/First_taste_of_Priscilla_Queen_of_the_Desert_musical-9214.aspx

[Lyle (Mooska)]

I think I have a friend who saw this, but why I'm not sure I don't know.
I will have to check.

[canmark]

Not sure if this counts as theatre or not, but I saw the 'simulcast' of the 25th anniversary concert version of Les Miserables. The concert was held at the 02 arena in London and simulcast in movie theatres around the world. In Canada it was actually shown a day later, on Monday night, when the concert itself was on actually on Sunday. A very good show--you forget, after not seeing Les Miz for so long what a good show it is. And the big songs (I Dreamed A Dream, Stars, Bring Him Home, On My Own, etc.) performed so well by the international cast. The even had an encore featuring a quartet of Jean Valjean's, including the original star Colm Wilkonson, performing Bring Him Home.

http://25.lesmis.com/

[canmark]

This week I saw the NT Live simulcast of the play A Disappearing Number. It's an interesting modern play that uses things like projections and time-shifting to tell two stories: one is set in the present and involves the wonderfully presented relationship of an American man of Indian descent who meets an British maths lecturer and they fall in love and marry, and later she dies (although, with the time-shifting, we actually learn this early in the play); and in the early 1900's the British mathematician GH Hardy gains acquaintance of a poor Brahmin Indian Srinivasa Ramanujan, an untrained but naturally gifted mathematician (the latter two are based on real people; the first two are fictional). The plays theme of the continuity of time, of life, of existence is quite interesting in that it has both an Indian spiritual-type ring, but that it's illustrated through mathematics (the way numbers are connected both forward, 1 2 3 4...to infinity, and backwards, -1 -2 -3 -4... to infinity).

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/61116/productions/complicites-a-disappearing-number.html

I also saw the first preview performance of the North American debut of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Based on the excellent 1994 film, the stage musical is a lavishly-costumed romp filled with 1970's and '80's hits--like Mamma Mia, only a thousand times gayer. A very enjoyable and funny spectacle, although like the stage adaptation of Billy Elliot, the stage musical isn't quite as good as the original film. It was recently announced that Bette Midler has joined the producing team. Expect to see her promoting the show in the media when it takes to Broadway in Feb/March.

http://www.priscillathemusical.com/

[canmark]

Saw the Soulpepper production of Death of a Salesman. I hadn't read the play since school (lo, those many years ago), and had never seen a live production (although I recall seeing a TV version with Dustin Hoffman), but I just re-read the play this past week and wow. Every line in that play is gold, and there are so many wonderful, meaningful, emotional scenes. Alas, Soulpepper's production, was a bit pallid. I felt it was under-directed and the heightened drama came mostly when the actors raised their voices--despite some of the quieter scenes being the more emotional.

Incidentally, it was announced that Death of a Salesman will be revived on Broadway next fall with Philip Seymour Hoffman as Willy Loman.

http://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/10_season/death_of_a_salesman.aspx

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Theater benefit for gay marriage.
Groundlings Theatre:  On November 2 the Groundlings sponsor an evening of
 gay themed comedy skits. All proceeds will go directly to the American Foundation
for Equal Rights.

[BayCityJohn]

Stratford Announces More 2011 Casting; Camelot Principals Revealed, Roberta Maxwell Is Back

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival also announced on Nov. 15 that Roberta Maxwell will return to the acting company to play the Duchess of York in Richard III and the Nurse in Titus Andronicus.

Maxwell was last at Stratford in 2009, when she played Oenone in Phèdre, which featured Seana McKenna in the title role. McKenna will also play the title role in Richard III, as previously announced.

McAnuff said in a statement, "Roberta Maxwell is one of the greats. She started at the Festival as a child actress. A few years later, when I came to Stratford on one of those yellow school buses, I saw her play Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. A decade or so after that I was directing her in the title role of Mary Stuart at New York's Public Theater. What an absolute delight it is to be working with her once more."

In 14 seasons at Stratford, Maxwell's roles have included Lady Macbeth, Rosalind in As You Like It, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Nina in The Seagull, Elmire in Tartuffe and Mistress Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor. An award-winning actor, she has performed across the U.S. and on Broadway, in such productions as Equus, Our Town and The Carpetbaggers' Children. Her films include "Brokeback Mountain," "Popeye" and "Dead Man Walking."

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/144979-Stratford-Announces-More-2011-Casting-Camelot-Principals-Revealed-Roberta-Maxwell-Is-Back

[Lyle (Mooska)]

[canmark]

Any news on the cast of that Tales of the City show?

Some interesting casting news:

Harvey Fierstein will be taking over the role of Albin in the Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles starting February 15, 2011. Gravelly-voiced Fierstein literally wrote the book of that show, and has starred (and sung) in other Broadway musicals, including Hairspray and Fiddler on the Roof. I recently got the cast CD of that show (with Frazier's Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge, and it's very good.)

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/144782-A-New-Kind-of-Torch-Song-Harvey-Fierstein-Will-Star-as-Albin-in-La-Cage-aux-Folles
http://www.lacage.com/

Ugly Betty's Marc, Michael Urie, will be taking over the lead role of Prior in the off-Broadway revival of Angels in America. Much of the cast is being replaced as the show is extending its limited run.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/145411-Off-Broadways-Angels-in-America-Will-Be-Recast-for-Third-Extension-Michael-Urie-Among-Newcomers
http://www.signaturetheatre.org/angels/

Alas, I'm unable to go to NYC any time soon (or to SF for Tales of the City), but if anybody sees these performances--please report!

[Lyle (Mooska)]

A friend of mine (my personal source for all things theatre!) is making one of
his yearly trips to Broadway next Monday.  He's got tickets for Spiderman (he's
had them for a year and a half!) and for the very last night of Scottsboro Boys,
and a host of other things.  He also has got his tickets already, sometime in June,
for Tales of the City. 

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Any news on the cast of that Tales of the City show?

This is all that's listed on the site for cast so far:

Coming soon . . .

http://www.act-sf.org/1011/talesofthecity/index.html

[garyd]

Any news on the cast of that Tales of the City show?

Some interesting casting news:

Harvey Fierstein will be taking over the role of Albin in the Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles starting February 15, 2011. Gravelly-voiced Fierstein literally wrote the book of that show, and has starred (and sung) in other Broadway musicals, including Hairspray and Fiddler on the Roof. I recently got the cast CD of that show (with Frazier's Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge, and it's very good.)

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/144782-A-New-Kind-of-Torch-Song-Harvey-Fierstein-Will-Star-as-Albin-in-La-Cage-aux-Folles
http://www.lacage.com/

Ugly Betty's Marc, Michael Urie, will be taking over the lead role of Prior in the off-Broadway revival of Angels in America. Much of the cast is being replaced as the show is extending its limited run.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/145411-Off-Broadways-Angels-in-America-Will-Be-Recast-for-Third-Extension-Michael-Urie-Among-Newcomers
http://www.signaturetheatre.org/angels/

Alas, I'm unable to go to NYC any time soon (or to SF for Tales of the City), but if anybody sees these performances--please report!

Well,it will be interesting to see if La Cage makes it until February. As of this week it is barely covering its weekly nut. That being said,it is a pretty good production. Grammer is good and Hodge is delivering one of those legendary performances that is simply not to be missed. I wish PBS had the funds to film this one for his performance alone.
"Angels" is as good,in some ways even better than the original Broadway production. As much as I admire the Mike Nichols film, please see if you haven,t , the piece is so "theatrical", that I much prefer the stage version. I am very familiar with Michael Uhrie,s stage work,especially from "The Temperamentals" and I believe he will deliver an astounding performance as Prior

We have tickets for "Tales". Look for Betty Buckley to be cast as Anna.  The story is so very character driven, I wish Sondheim were composing but alas...

[garyd]

A friend of mine (my personal source for all things theatre!) is making one of
his yearly trips to Broadway next Monday.  He's got tickets for Spiderman (he's
had them for a year and a half!) and for the very last night of Scottsboro Boys,
and a host of other things.  He also has got his tickets already, sometime in June,
for Tales of the City. 

Wow,he really lucked out with "Scottsboro Boys". It closes next Sunday. It is good but not great. Srroman is back on top of her game with the choreography however. Will be interested to hear what your friend thinks of the minstrel concept.
As for "Spidey", well it is a bonafide mess in oh so very many ways. One way or another my guess is your friend will be glad he saw it. I hope he is seeing,if he has not already, "A Little Night Music" with Peters and Stritch. BP's performance, without an ounce of exaggeration, is flawless,even historic. Tell him to splurge and purchase the very best seats he can possibly afford.

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Will be interested to hear what your friend thinks of the minstrel concept.

Sometimes he'll write his own reviews of the things he sees; I'll post it here if he does.

As for "Spidey", well it is a bonafide mess in oh so very many ways.
One way or another my guess is your friend will be glad he saw it.

TRUE!

I hope he is seeing,if he has not already, "A Little Night Music" with Peters and Stritch. BP's performance, without an ounce of exaggeration, is flawless,even historic.

I don't know if he is.  He tends to see things he's never seen on stage before or
new shows.  Although he did see Patti L. in Gypsy.  I'll give him your recommendation.

Tell him to splurge and purchase the very best seats he can possibly afford.

Because of his theater passion, he "always" gets the best seats.
He's sitting in the 5th row for Spiderman!