News Roundup - Jim Brochu, Taylor Lautner, and Alex Timbers

Interview with Alex Timbers of Love's Labours Lost.

Pilobolus review.

Review of Jim Brochu's latest one-man show, coming to NYC this September.

Taylor Lautner hangs out backstage with the Blue Man Group.

News Roundup - What's Your Dream Role, Things New Yorkers Do, Tomato Fight

Tomato Fight

Which role in a Broadway revival would you most like to play?  Some of Broadway's favorite actors give their answers.

35 things most New Yorkers do.

There's lots going on this weekend, but Saturday you can throw tomatoes at total strangers.

Interview with Capital Fringe Executive Director, Julianne Brienza.

News Roundup - Cabaret Review, The Civil War, Kushner on Musicals

Mid-year cabaret review.

Theatreworks USA's The Civil War opens today.

Arab-Hebrew Theatre Company comes to New York.

Tony Kushner and the Off-Broadway musical.

Cory Monteith Dead at 31

By Byrne Harrison

Cory Monteith, who shot to fame as Finn on Fox's musical high school series Glee, passed away yesterday in Vancouver.  He was found in his hotel room after missing a Saturday check out.

USA Today reports that his publicist, Melissa Kates, has confirmed his death, saying, "We are so saddened to confirm that the reports on the death of Cory Monteith are accurate. We are in shock and mourning this tragic loss."

The coroner will determine a cause of death, but the actor has been dealing with substance abuse issues for many years, most recently checking himself into treatment center in March.

Tributes are showing up on various social media sites and his friends and fans process the news.

At this time, please send nothing but love and light. This tragic news still doesn't seem real to me. I love you Cory.
— Harry Shum Jr (@iharryshum) July 14, 2013

Goodbye my amazing and beautiful friend. The lights in my world just grew dimmer. The world just lost one of our best. I love u so much...
— Adam Shankman (@adammshankman) July 14, 2013

What I will remember about Cory Monteith is that he was talented, funny and absolutely kindhearted. We lost a gentleman. RIP
— Cheyenne Jackson (@cheyennejackson) July 14, 2013

Cory was always so nice to me. I have so many good memories. pic.twitter.com/XYw4S8gMDH
— Lauren Potter (@TheLaurenPotter) July 14, 2013

News Roundup - Wallace Shawn, Twelfth Night Beach Blanket Bingo, Penn and Teller and Pilobolus

Twelfth Night as a '60s beach party?

Mayoral forum on arts and culture coming up on July 27th.  Find out what the candidates think.

Pilobolus Dance Theater collaborates with Penn and Teller.

John Astin as Gomez Addams

Photo call at Wallace Shawn's The Designated Mourner.

An Evening With John Astin at SUNY Delhi.

A look at Staten Island's Harbor Lights Theater.

Jonathan Breit vs. cranky old man.

Cheyenne Jackson's new music video.

News Roundup - Mermaids, Peter Pan, and RENT in paradise

Are these the top ten stage musicals?

Bill O'Reilly and Jesse Watters mock participants of Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

High school production of The Laramie Project cancelled by principal.

20th Century Fox to bring as many as 12 of their films to stage.

A night out with the girls and Imelda Marcos.

Three Broadway shows to add autism-friendly performances.

Profile of Barbara Zinn Krieger of the Vineyard Theatre and Making Books Sing.

More Peter Pan coming to New York?

Dublin theatre festival to mark the 60th anniversary of Waiting for Godot with a new production.

I'm betting in this version they don't sing "Hasa Diga Eebowai."

You can see RENT in Rochester, NY.  Or better yet, Maui.

This is a lot of money to raise on Kickstarter, but what an amazing cast he has lined up if it happens.

Playwright Charlie Louis Russell, Jr. dies at 81.  Wrote Five on the Black Hand Side.

Henry Hodges on being a child actor.

TONY offering discount to New York Musical Theatre Festival.

News Roundup - Edward Albee, Julie Halston and Billy Crystal

Out of prison, into a theatre.

Edward Albee wins 2013 Chicago Tribune Literary Prize.

Julie Halston to perform at Birdland August 12th and 19th.

Billy Crystal helps out his hometown.

Off-Broadway for beginners.

Jackée Harry to will join cast of NEWSical The Musical.

I kind of wish I could see this.  Any musical with a song called "Fat People Choreography" piques my interest.

Pennsylvania's People's Light and Theatre to name Mainstage Theatre for Leonard C. Haas.

Lea Salonga talks about her recent work in "4Starts" in Tokyo.

Neil Patrick Harris joins American Theatre Wing's Advisory Committee.

Chita Rivera to celebrate her 80th birthday with a show.

News Roundup - Schwimmer, Pippin and an amazing looking Macbeth

This is the kind of news we love to hear.  A high school drama club from Alice, Texas visits New York, sees some shows, including Peter and the Starcatcher, Newsies and Matilda.

David Schwimmer returns to Chicago theatre he helped found.

Shake up at the Bolshoi.  But will it help?

Architect Sergio Fisher finally gets to visit the theatre he helped design in Sitka, Alaska.

Signature Idol - Let your inner diva out with at the Signature Theatre Open House in Arlington.  You have until July 24th to prepare a YouTube video of your best show tune and send the link to info@signature-theatre.org.

So You Think You Can Dance's Smash moment.

Review of the Manchester International Festival production of Macbeth starring Kenneth Branagh.

Little known facts about Pippin's Matthew James Thomas.

Three reasons a theatre degree is important.

Photos from the National Medal of Arts ceremony.

Theatre critic Peter Filichia on Leonard Lopate Show tomorrow to talk about his new book, "Strippers, Showgirls and Sharks: Best Musicals."

News Roundup - Encores!, Zombies, Mary Ann and Well Strung

City Center's Encores! series to tackle Off-Broadway musicals.

After staffing changes, John Pollano's Small Engine Repair to open Off-Broadway this fall.  Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead) is out, but James Badge Dale is in, so zombie enthusiasts are still covered.

Anthony J. Wilkinson's long running My Big Gay Italian Wedding and My Big Gay Italian Funeral extended through year's end.

Dawn Wells of "Gilligan's Island" joins cast of San Jose Rep's Love, Loss, and What I Wore.

Jason Ralph

Jason Ralph, Boy in Peter and the Starcatcher, on being shy.

A look at a Broadway star's dogs in honor of the upcoming Broadway Barks cat and dog adoption event.

The Trip to Bountiful extends again.

Laura Benanti and Steven Pasquale to divorce.

29 signs you have a theatre degree.

Broadway Week returns to Live With Kelly and Michael starting July 22nd.

Ma-Yi Theater Company announces its next season.

String quartet Well Strung releases first video.

President Obama to award 2012 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medals.  Award winners include Renee Fleming, Tony Kushner, Elaine May, and Anna Deavere Smith.

News Roundup - Snoo Wilson, Puppets, and a new podcast

New Jersey artists featured in this year's New York Musical Theatre Festival.

American Ballet Theater presents Sleeping Beauty.

Playwright Snoo Wilson dies at 64.

Today in theatre history.

A look at this summer's regional theatre and festival offerings.

Puppets take Long Island.

Awards recognize top high school theatre talent.

Glee's Jonathan Groff and Darren Criss teach at Young Actors' Theatre Camp.

New podcast, The Ensemblist, features the lives of ensemble players.

Teaching a love of theatre to young people.

A new theatre in East Texas (my old stomping grounds).

More about the new opera, Champion, based on the life of gay boxer Emile Griffith.

An inside look at TKTS.

Silence! The Musical ends Off-Broadway run.

News Roundup - Little Miss Sunshine, Mad Men, and one dedicated usher

Batman '66 launches.  DC Comics does a retrospective of the highlights of '66 including "It's a Bird!  It's a Plane! It's Superman!" which opened that year.

Julee Antonellis and Petey Gibson of Boston's All the King's Men and The Gibson/Antonellis Comedy Hour named to AfterEllen's list of 50 Hot Women in Comedy.

NYC Restaurant Week starts July 22nd.  Save on dinner at a great restaurant before catching a play.

More casting news on the upcoming musical version of Little Miss Sunshine.

How you doin'?  Wendy Williams makes her Chicago debut as the latest Mama Morton.

Mad Men star Rich Sommer and castmates celebrate the opening of The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin.

Jan Maxwell talks about the joy of performing in rep.

Where to go for free outdoor theatre in New York City.

Someone who doesn't really seem to like Broadway theatre nonetheless recommends seeing some shows.

Willem Dafoe appears in the Manchester International Festival.

Ellie Chamberlain Galidas dies.  Founded Washington's Summer Shakespeare Festival.

Actress Gia Carides stars in Beached, a black comedy about an obese teenager who goes on a reality TV show in return for free gastric bypass surgery.

When I grow up, I want to be this lady.

Profile of playwright Sharr White.

News Roundup - Mermaids, Manilow and Murder

The New York Times profiles the mermaid shows at the Newton Perry Underwater Theater in Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida.

New book "Afrocentric Theatre" by Carlton W. Molette and Barbara J. Molette updates their ground-breaking "Black Theatre: Premise and Presentation" that has been required reading in Black theatre courses for over twenty-five years.

Barry Manilow to play NJPAC in August.

But first, Cyndi Lauper will be there on the She's So Unusual Tour.

The Bolshoi's star ballerina, Svetlana Zakharova, has refused to take part in a production of Alexander Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" in a dispute over her leading role.

Photo from Live IN Theater

Live IN Theater brings murder mystery to the Lower East Side.

New York Family presents their 2013 Theater Guide featuring family-friendly theatres and shows.

[title of show] celebrates the 5th anniversary of the Broadway opening.

Matthew Silva wants to save the New York State Pavilion in Flushing, Queens. It looks like it would make an amazing performance venue.

Time Out New York offers great discounts on Cirque du Soleil's Quidam, The Amoralists' latest Rantoul and Die, and Marilyn Maye at Iridium.

A day in the life of a Times Square Cookie Monster.

Urban gardens to see and places to eat and drink while visiting New York.

Joanna Gleason, Chris Sarandon, Brian J. Carter, Melissa Joan Hart to perform in benefit reading of Any Wednesday.

Broadway actress fights off attacker near Central Park.

New York Musical Theatre Festival turns 10.

Theatre books for summer.

Hartford Stage and Goodspeed Opera House turn 50.

The Lincoln Center Festival opens tomorrow.

Laura Innes, Cotter Smith, Sheila Vand, and Russell G. Jones will be featured in the cast of When The Lights Went Out by Mozhan Marnò. Kate Whoriskey to direct.

Wallace Shawn and André Gregory discuss their 40-year collaboration.

A summer salon with performance artist Karen Finley.

Rosie O'Donnell talks with Alec Baldwin on Here's The Thing.

Conde Nast Traveler offers some TKTS advice.

The Fishko Files has an interesting look at performing in unison.

Ten theatres that burned to the ground.

Thank you for being a friend...

By Byrne Harrison

On December 17th, Hunter Auction Galleries will be holding an auction made of the items from various estates.  Included in the auction are items from Rue McClanahan's New York apartment.  Among them are the expected "Golden Girls" items, but also a Wicked package, and a personal letter from Rue describing her work as an understudy to Marian Seldes and Brenda Vacarro in Father's Day, and another personal letter from 1957 written backstage at a theatre.

Visit Live Auctioneers to see (and bid on) the items.

There's No Place Like Home... Thank Goodness

By Byrne Harrison

Last week I had a unique opportunity to see a pair of ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz."  Not just any pair, mind you, but the pair that were used during the close-up when Dorothy clicked her heels together and said, "There's no place like home."

The shoes are expected to sell for more than $3 million this week at auction.  Visit the website for more information about the auction (and check out some of the other items up for bid - Bert Lahr's Cowardly Lion costume, Marilyn Monroe's wedding ring).

While seeing the ruby slippers was a bit of a thrill, it was only one part of an amazing afternoon.  The viewing was held in conjunction with the Hotel Plaza Athénée's afternoon tea service.  The afternoon tea, with its plates full of tiny sandwiches and tiered serving trays piled with delectable sweets, was charming. As was "The Wizard of Oz"-themed music, featuring a keyboard player and violinist performing songs from the film.  There was even a strolling magician performing sleight of hand.

The afternoon tea, held in the stylish, yet comfortable Arabelle restaurant in the hotel, was the perfect event to complement the ruby slippers display.  And that's not just the ruby-tinted champagne talking.

Dorothy was right, there is no place like home.  But considering that my home is a cramped one-bedroom in Queens, I'm more than happy to spend an afternoon enjoying the elegence of some place not at all like home.  My next trip to the Plaza Athénée will probably not involve "The Wizard of Oz" or ruby slippers, but I know it will be just as much of a treat.

About The Plaza Athénée:  One of the most well-respected hotels in the world, New York City’s Hôtel Plaza Athénée provides European grandeur with the intimacy of a boutique hotel. Located on the fashionable Upper East Side of Manhattan on a quiet tree lined street, the hotel offers a unique relaxing atmosphere surrounded by refined townhouses. One short block from Central Park and steps from Madison Avenue, the Plaza Athenee is the perfect getaway from Midtown Manhattan and a welcoming retreat after a long day of seeing the sights.

Be A Broadway Star!

By Byrne Harrison

Last night I won my first two Tony Awards. I'm not really sure what the first one was for... I was just in the right place at the right time. The second, however, was for my performance as Cabaret's Sally Bowles in what can only be described as a very, very non-traditional casting choice.

While I may not have ended up the ultimate Broadway Star, I have my Tonys and my memories, and they can't take that away. Well, they did take away my Tonys; I had to leave them behind when Broadway Game Night was over.

Ken Davenport and the wonderful staff of Davenport Theatrical hosted an evening of board game delights for bloggers, critics, actors and Broadway fans. The board game was Be A Broadway Star!, which you may have seen featured on the Today show.

I've had an ad for Be A Broadway Star! on StageBuzz for a while now (and please feel free to click it to find out more and buy a copy), but hadn't played until last night. Simply put, I had a terrific time. The game itself is fun and easy to learn. It features opportunities to "Sing out, Louise," test your theatre knowledge, and do a dramatic monologue or two. Worried about performing in public? Don't be. None of the performances are necessary in order to play the game; they just help you increase your score.

The game (which reminded me a little of The Game of Life board game from when I was a kid) follows you as you begin your acting career, join Equity, find an agent and publicist, get cast in your first Broadway show, win a Tony (or two), and finally become a Broadway Star. Along the way you'll face challenges. You may play a body on Law & Order. You might get replaced in a show by a puppet. You may be forced to go back to acting school. But all along the way, you're picking up fans and cash.

Like any interactive game, this one is best played with a large group, especially one that likes showtunes. There were five of us on my game (I believe there were 7 games going on simultaneously), and everyone was having fun. We joked, teased, gave hints, and had an all around fun time.

Among the guests were Jesse North of Stage Rush, Linda Buchwald of Pataphysical Science, StageBuzz contributor Patrick Doyle, the lovely and talented Andrea Alton, theatre critic Peter Filichia... and a whole bunch of other people (my apologies for forgetting the names of everyone I met).

Buy the game, grab some friends, and start working on your LuPone imitation. You'll have a great time.

(Not a) Review - Things To Ruin: The Songs of Joe Iconis

By Byrne Harrison

Last night I attended one of the performances of Things to Ruin: The Songs of Joe Iconis at (Le) Poisson Rouge.

Since these performances are meant to celebrate the recent release of the Things To Ruin cast album by Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records, this wasn't open for review, so these are just some observations.

Two songs in, I knew I'd be buying the album.

"Nerd Love" is stuck in my head, and may just become my new theme song.

I teared up a little at "Albuquerque Anyway."

And finally, there are a few young actors showcased in this performance whose careers I'll be watching carefully over the next few years.

There is one more performance of Things To Ruin, March 28th at 10:30, and you can buy the album here.

I'll be posting a review of the album soon.

Photos from Sunday's Launch of Hard Sparks

By Byrne Harrison

On Sunday, February 6th, J. Stephen Brantley held the launch party for his new theatre company, Hard Sparks. More on that later in an interview with Brantley.

For now, enjoy these photos from the launch featuring a reading of Brantley's play, Furbelow.

Blogger Night At Avenue Q

By Byrne Harrison

On Wednesday, January 19th, Avenue Q hosted a Blogger Night at the show. After a terrific performance, the actors and some of their fuzzy friends came out to talk about the show, the move from Broadway to Off-Broadway, and their experiences as part of the cast. Here are some photos (albeit somewhat blurry) of the meet and greet.



Want to see Avenue Q and save some money? There is an exclusive Avenue Q discount code for bloggers and their pals -- with the code AQBLOG12, you can get tickets as low as $55! (Valid through 5/26/11)

Avenue Q is playing at New World Stages, located at 340 West 50th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues.

NY Neo-Futurists 2nd Annual Benefit on Monday, November 8th

By Byrne Harrison

Here's where I'm going to be tomorrow. If you're smart, like to have a good time, and want to support Off-Off Broadway theatre, you'll be there, too.



The New York Neo-Futurists'
2nd Annual Benefit
Monday, November 8th at 7:00PM

Fatty Crab Uptown
2170 Broadway
New York, NY 10024
(The 79th St. stop on the 1 train is the nearest station)

7:00pm-10:00pm

Click here to purchase tickets

A Benefit for the New York Neo-Futurists

Honoring Original New York Neo-Futurists and Chicago Neo-Futurist Alums Greg Kotis (Tony Award Winner and Creator of Urinetown - The Musical) & Ayun Halliday (Author of The Big Rumpus and No Touch Monkey!)

Join us for drinks, East Asian fare, a scintillating auction and of course the New York Neo-Futurists doing what we do best: performing live theater for you!

The Benefit Host committee is:
Brooke Joslyn, Carl Riehl, Casey Larose, Elan Barish, Jamie Heinlein, Jori Jayne Emde, Kendra Souder, Leanne Diamond, Michael Reynolds, Rhiannon Sharpe, Richard Garvey, Robbyn Footlick, Robert Phillips

The NYNF Board is:
Brad Rolston, Kyle Spencer, Gary Belsky, Cory Greenberg, Severn Taylor, Alan Blum, Jill Beckman, Eevin Hartsough

For questions, to make a donation, or if you'd like to join the host committee, please contact Eevin Hartsough (eevin(at)nynf(dot)org)

*New York Neo-Futurists is a 501(c)3 organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. A copy of the latest annual report filed by the New York Neo-Futurists may be obtained upon request from the New York State Department of Law, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271, or from the New York Neo-Futurists, c/o Rob Neill, Managing Director, 475 W. 57th St #6A-3, New York, NY 10019.

RIP Oscar Brockett (1923-2010)

By Byrne Harrison


If you studied theatre history in college, chances are you used Oscar Brockett's "History of the Theatre" as your textbook (I have three different editions on my shelf, one from my undergrad studies and two from grad school - I still refer to them from time to time).

Brockett passed away today at the age of 87 after suffering a stroke.

http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/outandabout/entries/2010/11/07/oscar_brockett.html