Thursday, April 29, 2010

David Tennant and Patrick Stewart's Hamlet Now Available Online

By Byrne Harrison

For those of you who missed last night's broadcast of Hamlet, it is now available online (or watch it below). It was a remarkable and beautifully filmed production.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Dominic Scaglione, Jr. From Jersey Boys To Perform At New Jersey Hall of Fame Third Annual Induction Ceremony

By Byrne Harrison

Remember when being a celebrity from New Jersey didn't involve wearing a pound of hair gel and having an Oompa Loompa tan?

New Jersey honors its real celebrities at the New Jersey Hall of Fame's Third Annual Induction Ceremony on Sunday, May 2, 2010. Frankie Valli and 14 other legendary New Jerseyans will be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame at at NJPAC in Newark. It will be a star-studded event as New Jersey celebrates: Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Count Basie, Judy Blume, Justice William Brennan, Larry Doby, Michael Graves, Carl Lewis, Alice Paul, Les Paul, Phillip Roth, Susan Sarandon, Wally Schirra, Frankie Valli and President Woodrow Wilson.

Headlining the show is a musical tribute to Frankie Valli performed by Dominic Scaglione Jr., who won everyone’s heart with his remarkable portrayal of Frankie in Jersey Boys. Also appearing will be the popular Jersey Band, the Hubcaps with Robert Randolph and The Rusty Paul Band led by Les Paul’s son in a musical tribute to the legendary guitarist.

A limited number of VIP ticket packages to the event are still available including VIP valet parking, access to walk the red carpet with the celebrities, a special pre-event reception, prime seating for the ceremony and tickets to a private post-ceremony party. To order those tickets log onto www.NJHallofFame.org.

Tickets for just the ceremony itself range from $90.00 to $30.00 and are available through the NJPAC Box Office at www.njpac.org or by calling 1-888-GO-NJPAC.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre

On Monday, April 26th The League of Independent Theater and the Innovative Theatre Foundation will co-sponsor The Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre. The event will begin at 6:30pm at the Ohio Theatre located at 66 Wooster Street in Soho, NY.

After two years of negotiation, two lease extensions, and a 29-year history as an indispensable pillar of the downtown theatre scene, the Ohio Theatre must close the doors at its Wooster Street space forever on August 31, 2010.

The April 26th event will reunite local elected officials and members of the independent theatre community in an open forum to discuss solutions to the real estate crises affecting small theaters and the progress and momentum that has been made over the past year – specifically with regard to the tax abatement proposal currently before the Community Boards. In addition, there will be a discussion as to what steps can be taken to secure the remaining venues within the sector and help locate a new home for the Ohio Theatre.

Members of the community are invited to attend and are strongly encouraged to share their ideas regarding these issues. A list of speakers and more details will be posted at http://www.SohoThinkTank.org as they become available. The event will be streamed live at http://www.nyitawards.com/live beginning at 6:30pm on April 26th.

Academy Award winning actress, Olympia Dukakis encourages community participation saying, "It is so important to protect the cultural capital of New York City. Institutions like the Ohio Theatre, which for 3 decades has served this community and has been the home for many artists, needs the support of the city and the community. We must work together to preserve the remaining spaces and help develop new ones."

The Community Forum on the Ohio Theatre is a follow up to the Public Forum on Small to Midsized Theatres that was hosted by Manhattan Community Boards 1-5 at the Players Club in February 2009. The lack and gradual loss of adequate, affordable performance space was a key theme of that event. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer challenged attendees to hold their elected officials to a higher standard and provide them with a road map of what is needed to keep small to midsized theaters and performing arts companies in NYC alive.

The closure of the Ohio is the most recent example of a distressing trend affecting small to midsized performing arts venues throughout New York City. According to a study conducted by the Innovative Theatre Foundation, in recent years Off-Off-Broadway (OOB) has seen over 25% of their theaters either torn down to make way for new developments, or repurposed into non-performance spaces. With a number of theaters currently facing the same prospect, the urgency to find a solution to this growing problem has intensified.

The Ohio Theatre was one of Soho’s pioneering performance spaces and is now one of the last remaining. For 29 years, the Ohio Theatre has embodied the living history of the neighborhood of Soho, continuing the spirit of community and cutting-edge artistic practice that once defined the area. This is where Tony Kushner produced his first play out of college, where Philip Seymour Hoffman made his professional acting debut, and where Eve Ensler performed Dicks in the Desert – a decade before writing The Vagina Monologues. Today, the Ohio Theatre remains an incubator and platform for New York’s most exciting and widely recognized companies, like New Georges, Clubbed Thumb, Target Margin, Ma-Yi, International WOW, to name but a few of the many artists who are collectively changing the cultural landscape of New York and beyond.

The League of Independent Theater is a not-for-profit membership, advocacy and business league for the independent theater community in New York City (http://www.litny.org).

The Innovative Theatre Foundation was created to bring recognition to the great work being done in New York City's Off-Off-Broadway, to honor its artistic heritage and to provide a meeting ground for this extensive community (http://www.nyitawards.com).

"Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?" by James Shapiro Now Available

By Byrne Harrison

James Shapiro's new book, "Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?", is now available.

Read The Independent book review here. Or if big words frighten you, read the CNN puff piece.

Listen to the James Shapiro discuss the book below.

Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations Announced

By Byrne Harrison

Outer Critics Circle announced its nominees for the 2009-2010 season. Broadway stars and siblings Sutton Foster, Outer Critics Circle Award winner, and Hunter Foster Outer Critics Circle Award nominee, presided over the announcement ceremony at the Algonquin Hotel.

The winners of the following categories will be announced on Monday, May 17th and the annual awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 27th at 4PM at the legendary Sardi’s Restaurant.

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
Next Fall
Red
Superior Donuts
Time Stands Still

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
American Idiot
Come Fly Away
Fela!
Memphis
Sondheim on Sondheim

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
Clybourne Park
The Orphans’ Home Cycle
The Pride
The Temperamentals

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
The Scottsboro Boys
Tin Pan Alley Rag
Yank!

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Memphis
The Scottsboro Boys
Yank!

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Fences
Lend Me a Tenor
The Royal Family
A View From the Bridge

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
La Cage aux Folles
Finian’s Rainbow
A Little Night Music
Promises, Promises

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Doug Hughes - The Royal Family
Kenny Leon - Fences
Stanley Tucci - Lend Me a Tenor
Michael Wilson - The Orphans’ Home Cycle

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Christopher Ashley - Memphis
Terry Johnson - La Cage aux Folles
Susan Stroman - The Scottsboro Boys
Alex Timbers - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Rob Ashford - Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones - Fela!
Susan Stroman - The Scottsboro Boys
Sergio Trujillo - Memphis

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
John Lee Beatty - The Royal Family
Beowulf Boritt - Sondheim on Sondheim
Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch - The Addams Family
Donyale Werle - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Jane Greenwood - Present Laughter
Martin Pakledinaz - Lend Me a Tenor
Matthew Wright - La Cage aux Folles
Catherine Zuber - The Royal Family

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Kevin Adams - American Idiot
Kevin Adams - The Scottsboro Boys
Ken Billington - Sondheim on Sondheim
Justin Townsend - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Bill Heck - The Orphans’ Home Cycle
Jude Law - Hamlet
Liev Schreiber - A View From the Bridge
Christopher Walken - A Behanding in Spokane
Denzel Washington - Fences

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Nina Arianda - Venus in Fur
Laura Benanti - In the Next Room, or the vibrator play
Viola Davis - Fences
Laura Linney - Time Stands Still
Jan Maxwell - The Royal Family

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Brandon Victor Dixon - The Scottsboro Boys
Sean Hayes - Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge - La Cage aux Folles
Chad Kimball - Memphis
Nathan Lane - The Addams Family

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kate Baldwin - Finian’s Rainbow
Barbara Cook - Sondheim on Sondheim
Montego Glover - Memphis
Bebe Neuwirth - The Addams Family
Catherine Zeta-Jones - A Little Night Music

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
James DeMarse - The Orphans’ Home Cycle
Jon Michael Hill - Superior Donuts
David Pittu - Equivocation
Noah Robbins - Brighton Beach Memoirs
Reg Rogers - The Royal Family

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Hallie Foote - The Orphans’ Home Cycle
Rosemary Harris - The Royal Family
Marin Ireland - A Lie of the Mind
Jan Maxwell - Lend Me a Tenor
Alicia Silverstone - Time Stands Still

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Kevin Chamberlin - The Addams Family
Christopher Fitzgerald - Finian’s Rainbow
Levi Kreis - Million Dollar Quartet
Dick Latessa - Promises, Promises
Bobby Steggert - Ragtime

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Carolee Carmello - The Addams Family
Katie Finneran - Promises, Promises
Angela Lansbury - A Little Night Music
Cass Morgan - Memphis
Terri White - Finian’s Rainbow

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Jim Brochu - Zero Hour
Carrie Fisher - Wishful Drinking
Judith Ivey - The Lady With All the Answers
Anna Deavere Smith - Let Me Down Easy

JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
John Logan - Red
Jon Marans - The Temperamentals
Geoffrey Nauffts - Next Fall
Bruce Norris - Clybourne Park

Two Days Until Broadcast of Tennant/Stewart Hamlet

By Byrne Harrison

On Wednesday, April 28, 2010, at 8 PM EST, the Great Performances series on PBS will present the David Tennant and Patrick Stewart filmed-for-television version of the 2008 RSC stage production of Hamlet.

To read the article and preview the production, visit the PBS website.

Or listen to Patrick Stewart talk about the production.

Theatre Shorts

By Byrne Harrison

This week is Broadway Week on Live With Regis and Kelly. Guests include Christopher Walken, Kristin Chenoweth and many more. Expect to see lots of musical numbers.

Theatre de Sade's inaugural event Teatro de Sangre will take place Thursday, May 6th at Mehanata, 113 Ludlow Street starting at 8 PM.

Listen to Terry Gross of NPR's Fresh Air interview Stephen Sondheim and read the accompanying article.

Kristin Chenoweth profile in the LA Times.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

From the Blogosphere

Adaumbelle's Quest interviews Max von Essen and Rory O'Malley.

Sarah at Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment made a visit to Bergdorf Goodman and posted photos of their Stephen Sondheim tribute windows.

The latest Broadway Bullet podcast is up, featuring interviews with David Stallings and Jennifer Laine-Williams of Barrier Island, Jessica McVea and Jarel Davidow of The Love List, and Marty Cooper discussing Stephen Sondheim's career and the City Center's recent Anyone Can Whistle.

Leonard Jacobs weighs in on the Kelsey Grammer problem. While the latest incarnation of La Cage Aux Folles may be delightful, should gay men be supporting Kelsey Grammer, a right-wing conservative who is the new spokesman of the RightNetwork?

Chris at Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals and Esther at Gratuitous Violins discuss bloggers who review preview performances in response Michael Codron's rant against bloggers in his recent Guardian article.

Patrick at Just Shows to Go You has some great interviews with Alicia Silverstone, The Irish Curse's Austin Peck, and three company managers of current Broadway shows.

Michael Roderick lets us know that nonprofit arts powerhouse Fractured Atlas is hiring.

Ken Davenport announces his next Get Your Show Off the Ground seminar to be held Saturday, June 19th.

Jesse North brings us Episode 10 of StageRush TV.

Kevin Daly reconsiders Irma La Douce.

Open Audtion - David Parr's "Slap&Tickle"

By Byrne Harrison

On Saturday, May 15th, open auditions are being held in Provincetown, MA for the summer run of David Parr’s Slap&Tickle at the Provincetown Theater. To be directed by Obie Award winner David Drake, this pre-New York engagement of Slap&Tickle will run Tuesdays through Saturdays, July 6th through August 14th at the Provincetown Theater. Rehearsals will begin the week of June 14th. This is a paid opportunity for non-union actors. A set stipend will be offered for the rehearsal period as well as a per-performance stipend. Slap&Tickle is being produced by the New York-based producer Robert Driemeyer.

Like a combination of Terrence McNally’s The Ritz and Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, David Parr’s Slap&Tickle is set in a contemporary gay bathhouse and uses a gallery of nearly 20 characters to explore – often in direct-address fashion to the audience -- how drugs, politics, HIV and the internet have changed the sexual and emotional landscape for gay men over the past 25 years in America.

They are seeking six versatile, non-union male actors, early 20s–mid 50s, to play six roles. All ethnicities will be considered. The roles are Rob #1: 20s, vulnerable, naïve; Rob #2: 30s-early 40s, funny, guarded; Rob #3: 30s-early 40s, intelligent, observant; Rob #4: 30s-early 40s, plays both sexy aggressor and lovable doormat; Rob #5: 40s-50s, gentlemanly, funny; Rob #6: 30s-early 50s, masculine, suppresses underlying anger.

Rob #1, #2, #3 & #4 play multiple characters, and brief nonsexual nudity will be required for these roles. (No nudity is required at auditions.)

They are also seeking those interested in the position of stage manager/director’s assistant. This too is a paid opportunity. Those interested are invited to attend the audition for an interview or contact Robert Driemeyer at robert.driemeyer@gmail.com to schedule an interview with the director for another day.

Auditions will be at Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford Street - Saturday, May 15th from 10 AM to 3 PM.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Interview with Rob Neill of the New York Neo-Futurists

By Byrne Harrison

Rob Neill is the Managing Director of the New York Neo-Futurists. He studied at Grinnell College, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, the Warsaw Academy and The National Theater Institute. Rob moved to Manhattan in 1995 to write and perform Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind and continues to work as a Neo-Futurist as well as with numerous other New York companies. Rob works for a commercial production company, writes poetry, teaches and has recently enjoyed working with a variety of great artists at the Ontological, the Public, PS 122 and the Kraine.

I recently spoke with Rob about the upcoming all poetry version of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.

I know you've had theme shows in the past, though the one I'm most familiar with your annual Gay Pride Weekend show. Is this your first poetry themed version of Too Much Light?

Yes, it is our first full poetry themed TML. Last year we had such success with the ‘Half-Nekkid Shows’ we decided to expand our theme weekends this year.

What was your inspiration for doing it?

April is National Poetry Month. We have done several shows at poetry venues like Bar 13 and Bowery Poetry Club. A good number of our plays are in the realm of poetry, and several of us have performed solo on the poetry scene, so we thought we’d reach out with a whole show.

Are these all new plays, or are some of them being brought in from past shows?

Many of them are from past shows, but there will be some new ones as well. That is often how we do themed shows—plus it gives us a chance to bring some great work back into TML.

Should we expect to see any tributes to or parodies of famous poets?

We are still finalizing the menu, but that could happen, there are a few options of plays up for consideration that were inspired by the likes of Poe, Kerouac, Shakespeare, Mark Strand...

Who will be performing this week?

Current NY Neos Jill Beckman, Desiree Burch, Cara Francis, Kevin R. Free, Ryan Good, Daniel McCoy, Joey Rizzolo, Lauren Sharpe and me. We will be joined by alumni favorite F. Omar Telan.

Any other theme shows planned for 2010?

We're brining back our Gay Pride shows the final weekend in June, the Half Nekkid shows in August, and the Best of 2010 in mid-December.

What else is coming up in 2010?

Besides the themed shows, we look to expand our ensemble over the summer, create several short Neo-Futurist films, perform at the Americans for the Arts Half Century Summit in June, produce our new fall main stage show, (un)afraid, in October, and celebrate our 6th year with a gala in November!

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Poems in 60 Minutes will be performed April 30th and May 1st at the Kraine Theater, 85 E. 4th Street. Click here for tickets.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Upcoming Paley Center Events

By Byrne Harrison

Some events of interest to a theatre crowd at the Paley Center for Media.

Monday, April 26th 2PM - Alma Cuervo and Lizbeth Mackay in Thorton Wilder's A Ringing of Doorbells and Dorothy Parker's Arrangement in Black and White

Tuesday, April 27th 6:30 PM - An Evening with Joel Grey

Thursday, May 13th 2 PM - Len Cariou and Penny Fuller in A Song at Twilight by Noel Coward

Theatre Community Well Represented at Upcoming Marriage Equality New York Gala

By Byrne Harrison

The theatre community will be well represented at the upcoming 12th Annual Marriage Equality New York Gala. In addition to honoree B.D. Wong, the evening will feature Leslie Jordan (currently appearing in My Trip Down the Pink Carpet), Reichen Lehmkuhl (who will be appearing in the new production of My Big Gay Italian Wedding), Diana Digarmo and the cast of Hair, Kate Shindel (formerly in Legally Blonde on Broadway), Tony Award nominee Terri White, Marty Thomas, Celina Carvajal, Jesse Archer, Meredith Patterson and Shonn Wiley.

Other honorees at the evening's event will be Queer Rising, NYS Senator Jose Peralta, and Shannon Minter, Esq.

To purchase tickets, click here.

Horse Trade Theater Group Announces The Drafts Fest

By Byrne Harrison

The Drafts Fest is the collaborative effort of seven playwrights, seven directors, and ten multifaceted actors. Playwrights receive randomly compiled cast lists and create 10-minute plays tailored to The Drafts and their invited guests based on this year’s theme, Pre-Existing Condition.

The Drafts Fest: Pre-Existing Condition will feature:

Phases of Matter written by Kelley Girod, directed by Patrick Benton
Pests written by Tom Diriwatcher, directed by Tim Brownell
Change the Be written by Chris Kipiniak, directed by Randi Rivera
At Sleepy's For The Rest Of Your Life written by Suzanne Dottino, directed by Marybeth Smith
Fireplace Poker written by Paul David Young, directed by Michael Rau
Turning the Glass Around written by Pia Wilson, directed by Heidi G Grumelot
Crawl for It written by Joshua Conkel, directed by Christopher Diercksen

The Drafts Fest: Pre-Existing Condition will star Brittany Bellizeare, J.Stephen Brantley, Laurabeth Breya, Nate Faust, Nick Maccarone, Reynaldo Piniella, Penny Pollack, JB Rote, Yesenia Tromp, and Michael Weatherbee.

The production, presented by Horse Trade Theater Group and The Drafts, will play at The Red Room (85 East 4th Street), May 13-22, Thursday through Saturday at 7pm. Tickets ($15) are available by calling Smarttix at 212-868-4444 or online.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Patrick Stewart Talks Hair Loss

A preview from Tavis Smiley's interview with Patrick Stewart. The full interview will show on WNET in New York on Saturday, April 24th at 12 AM, and Monday, April 26th at 1 PM.



To find out more visit PBS. And here is a cool interview.

Song Soiree Celebrating English and American Poets

For those of you hoping to celebrate National Poetry Month, consider attending a recital.

Celebrating English and American Poets

Molly Watson, Soprano
Eugene Rohrer, Piano
Michael Laderman, Flute

Thursday, April 22, 2010
8:00 PM

The Richmond Room at Turtle Bay Music School

The Program

Songs by Shakespeare

Orpheus with his lute - R. Vaughn Williams
Henry VIII (III:1)

O mistress mine - Mrs. H.H.A. Beach
Twelfth Night (II:3) Op. 37, No. 1

Take, O take those lips away - Mrs. H.H.A. Beach
Measure for Measure (IV:1) Op. 37, No. 2

Where the bee sucks - Thomas A. Arne (arr. Vincent)
The Tempest (V:1)

Fancy - Francis Poulenc
Merchant of Venice (II:3)

Dirge - Dominick Argento
Twelfth Night (II:4)

Lo! here the gentle lark - Sir Henry R. Bishop
Venus and Adonis

Songs by John Duke

A Piper - Seumas O’Sullivan
I can’t be talkin’ of love - Esther Mathews
Loveliest of Trees - A. E. Housman
i carry your heart - e. e. cummings

Songs by Others

Boat Song - Harriet Ware
Montrose J. Moses

Velvet Shoes - Randall Thompson
Elinor Wylie

Birds Carrie - Jacobs-Bond
Moira O’Neill

Early in the Morning - Ned Rorem
Robert Hillyer

The Lemon-Colored Dodo - Irving Mopper
Anonymous

Bravura variations - Adolphe Adam (arr. Schmidt)

Sondheim Celebration Today on Soundcheck

Today at 2 PM WNYC's Soundcheck, hosted by John Schaefer, will feature a segment in honor of Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday.

"Composer Stephen Sondheim turned 80 last month and the musical theatre world is pull out all the stops to celebrate. The Roundabout Theatre Company announced it is renaming a Broadway theater for him. Starting today, the non-profit is staging a new musical revue, "Sondheim on Sondheim," featuring many of the eight-time Tony winner's most memorable songs. We’ll get an appreciation of the composer, whose career stretches back over five decades. Our guests include actor Euan Morton, and theater critic Jesse Green."

You can listen to the broadcast by visiting WNYC's website.

MITF Seeking Scripts

The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) seeks script submissions for SHORT SUBJECTS, a series of plays that run under 60 minutes. The deadline for submissions is May 19, 2010.

Productions submitted to SHORT SUBJECTS will receive three performance slots, presented at The WorkShop Jewel Box Theater, 312 W. 36th Street, NYC. Performance dates are from July 12 - August 1, 2010, 6 - 10 pm on weekdays and noon - 10pm on weekends.

The Festival accepts submissions in all genres - any sort of stage play, musical or otherwise, new or classic, mainstream or specifically focused on an ethnic or cultural niche. SHORT SUBJECTS allows for a production in an intimate venue, with lower participation fees and ticket prices than other plays in the MITF.

"Short Subjects offers entry for almost nothing to people who otherwise might not be able to show off their work," said John Chatterton, executive producer of the MITF. The application fee is $25, with a participation fee of $75. Tickets for SHORT SUBJECTS will cost $15.

Mr. Chatterton created the MITF in 2000, a Midtown alternative to other theatre festivals, as a way to present the finest off-off Broadway talent in convenience, comfort, and safety. The MITF's artistic emphasis is on the script itself and therefore the Festival requests minimal production values.

Application forms for the SHORT SUBJECTS, Eleventh Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival, are available online. Completed applications, scripts, and production materials must be submitted by email to midtownfestival@gmail.com. In addition to sending submissions by email, applicants mustmaila non-refundable fee of $25 to: Short Subjects, The Midtown International Theatre Festival, 347 W. 36th Street, 13th floor, New York, New York 10018 or online through PayPal. You may submit a program of related short plays totaling 45 - 55 minutes. The deadline for submissions to SHORT SUBJECTS is May 19, 2010.

Further information about MITF can be found in the "Festival Manual" under How To Apply at www.midtownfestival.org.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Elephant Performances Back On

By Byrne Harrison

After cancelling some performances due to the disruption caused by the Icelandic volcano, The New Victory Theater announced today that the 12-member cast and crew for Elephant, by Dodgy Clutch (UK) and The Market Theatre (South Africa), are going to be able to fly to New York this Friday, which means that public performances on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 are no longer cancelled. Elephant is now scheduled to open on April 24 and run through May 2.

Now, total cancellations for Elephant include two public performances and two school performances. One public performance, on April 29 at 7 pm, has been added to the schedule.

The new performance schedule is as follows:

April 24: 7 pm
April 25: 12 pm and 5 pm
April 29: 7 pm
April 30: 7 pm
May 1: 2 pm and 7pm
May 2: 12 pm and 5 pm

30 Poems in 60 Minutes

By Byrne Harrison

On Friday, April 30th, and Saturday, May 1st, the New York Neo-Futurists will present a poetry-themed version of their critically acclaimed signature show, Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind. This ever-changing, lightning-paced performance of 30 Poems In 60 Minutes will be dedicated to theater that is poetic, musical, lyrical, powerful and that sometimes rhymes.

30 Poems In 60 Minutes will feature New York Neo-Futurists Jill Beckman, Desiree Burch, Cara Francis, Kevin R. Free, Ryan Good, Daniel McCoy, Rob Neill, Joey Rizzolo and Lauren Sharpe. They will be joined by alumni Claudia Alick and F. Omar Telan.

Tickets are $10.00 plus the roll of a six-sided die ($11-$16) at the door. Advance tickets are $16.00 and can be purchased online or by calling 212-352-3101.

In Honor of Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 27th, the Neos will be extending their "poetic footprint" by creating a series of wild postings throughout New York City honoring poems past, present, and Neo-future.

For more information on these events and 30 Poems in 60 Minutes, visit www.nyneofuturists.org

Monday, April 19, 2010

Tonight - The Broadway Beauty Pageant

The Broadway Beauty Pageant features male cast members representing their respective Broadway shows, competing for the title crown through talent, interview and swimsuit competitions. The contestants will go head to head in front of a panel of celebrity judges, but ultimately, the final vote is in the audience's hands.

Set for Monday evening, April 19th, 8PM, at Peter Norton Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.), the popular event is the annual spring benefit for New York's Ali Forney Center.

The 2010 contestants are Wes Hart (Mr. West Side Story), Eddie Pendergraft (Mr. Wicked), Daniel Soto (Mr. Fela), Rickey Tripp (Mr. In The Heights) and Charlie Williams (Mr. Memphis).

Hosted by four-time Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning actress Tovah Feldshuh. This year's celebrity judges are Christine Ebersole, Charles Busch and Jackie Hoffman.

Conceived by Jeffery Self and directed by Ryan J. Davis, The Broadway Beauty Pageant is musically directed by Christopher Denny with new music by Rick Crom (Newsical), choreography by Connor Gallagher, and casting by Daryl Eisenberg. The evening is produced by Ryan J. Davis, Jeffrey Self and Wil Fisher in association with Tim Hur and Matthew Oberstein.

After party hosted by Gusty Winds following the show at the Sunburnt Calf (226 West 79th St.) where you can mix and mingle with the cast! VIP guests will have access to an hour long open bar, plus gift bags.

Tickets for The Broadway Beauty Pageant are available here and are $25, $50 and $150. For more information please visit the Ali Forney Center's website.

UPDATE: And the winner is . . . Charlie Williams from Memphis.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Broadway Recycled Fundraiser For At Hand Theatre Company This Sunday

By Byrne Harrison

Sunday April 18, 2010 at 7pm

BROADWAY RECYCLED will showcase Broadway stars performing cut songs from musicals – songs that shouldn't go to waste! Expect to hear numbers that were cut from Next To Normal, 9 to 5, Title of Show, A Little Night Music, High Fidelity, Yank!, Altar Boyz, Ordinary Days, Once on this Island, Taboo, and more!

The evening will feature performances by the cast of [title of show] – Hunter Bell, Susan Blackwell, Heidi Blickenstaff, Jeff Bowen, and Larry Pressgrove – as well as Tim Anderson (9 to 5), Annaleigh Ashford (Hair), Jennifer Balagna (9 to 5), Mario Cantone (Assassins), Paul Castree (9 to 5), Erin Davie (Grey Gardens), Jeffry Denman (White Christmas), Jerry Dixon (Once on This Island), Kathy Fitzgerald (9 to 5), Gaelen Gilliland (Legally Blonde), Josh Grisetti (Enter Laughing), Aaron Simon Gross (13 the Musical), Adam Gwon (Ordinary Days), Ann Harada (Avenue Q), Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (A Little Night Music), Van Hughes (American Idiot), Tyler Maynard (Altar Boyz), Euan Morton (Taboo), Kerry O'Malley (Into The Woods), Charlie Pollock (9 to 5), Tory Ross (Cry-Baby), Andrew Samonsky (South Pacific), Bobby Steggert (Yank!, Ragtime), Joseph Zellnik (Yank!), and Anthony Rapp (RENT). The concert, benefiting the Broadway Green Alliance and At Hand Theatre Company, will be directed by Dave Solomon with musical direction by Julie McBride.

Tickets are only $30, available online at www.joespub.com. $35 tickets will available at the door on the day of the show. Joe's Pub is located within the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street.

Dan Horrigan, Artistic Director of At Hand Theatre Company, has taken a few moments to answer some questions about the event.

How did you come up with the idea of an Earth Day concert?

It was a pretty "organic" decision. We're a green theatre company and that's a big part of our mission statement so we knew we wanted to do something centered around Earth Day. We partnered with the Broadway Green Alliance (an organization committed to "greening" the New York theatrical community) and took it from there.

What inspired you to use songs cut from popular musicals?

At Hand has a history of only producing "new work". The director of the evening, Dave Solomon came up with the idea of using trunk songs as it tied into that aspect of who we are and because it would make the evening all that more original.

There are some amazing people performing. Do you think that's because it's an opportunity to perform lesser known songs?

Not only is it an opportunity to perform lesser know songs but many of these numbers are being sung by the performers who were meant to have originally performed them! So, many of these performers have personal attachments to these numbers that never made it on stage. This just makes the whole evening that much more personal and exciting!

What's coming up for At Hand Theatre Company?

We have been having a very busy spring. Broadway Recycled happens on the 18th and in less than two weeks (oy!) our next show opens. Letters To The End of the World by Anton Dudley opens on April 29th. This lovely and often very funny play takes place in both New York City and Zambia. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the African AIDS crisis but it is actually a play about the universal human experience and what really connects us all. We're so honored and so proud to be producing this new play by such a gifted writer.