Broadway Blog - Broadway News and Gossip

Haley Joel Osment To Make Broadway Debut

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:43:00 +0000

Once a gifted child actor, Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense, A.I.) is now an adult and set to make his Broadway debut. The 20-year old actor will play Bobby in the upcoming Broadway revival of David Mamet's play American Buffalo, alongside the already-cast John Leguizamo and Cedric the Entertainer. The production will have its official Broadway opening at the Belasco Theatre on November 17.

Get Your Broadway Tickets In Flight

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:31:00 +0000

Soon In-Flight Box Office will be offering an unusual - and unnecessary? - service for New York-bound travelers. People who didn't buy their Broadway tickets in advance, and don't want to go looking for tickets on the ground, will be able to purchase Broadway tickets right there on the airplane from flight attendants equipped with special handheld devices for processing Broadway ticket orders. The "pilot" run for this service will likely be tested on American Airlines, and the only Broadway shows that will be offered are Chicago, Mamma Mia, Spamalot, and The Phantom of the Opera. Presumably a wider variety of Broadway tickets will be offered on more airlines if there is sufficient interest.

Cirque Dreams Closes On Broadway

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:29:00 +0000

Today is the last day of Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy's Broadway engagement at the Broadway Theatre. The limited run show will now continue a national tour that will take it to Texas next. As for the Broadway Theatre, its next tenant will be what is almost sure to be a giant Broadway hit, the new stage musical version of Shrek.

A Tale of Two Cities Begins On Broadway Today

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:09:00 +0000

The new Broadway musical A Tale of Two Cities, based on Charles Dickens' classic novel, begins performances at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre tonight. A Tale of Two Cities is a sweeping musical epic in the style of that other sprawling book-to-Broadway adaptation, Les Miserables. Starring James Barbour (Broadway's Jane Eyre, Beauty and the Beast) and written by Broadway newcomer Jill Santoriello, A Tale of Two Cities will have its official Broadway opening on September 18.

Two Broadway Closings Today

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:33:00 +0000

Two Broadway shows end their runs today. The play Thurgood, starring Laurence Fishburne, concludes its limited Broadway run at the Booth Theatre, which had already been extended an extra couple weeks due to popular demand. The other closure is the Broadway revival of the musical A Chorus Line. This first Broadway revival of the groundbreaking musical was a success, quickly recouping its investment and running on Broadway for nearly two years. Of course, it was nowhere near as successful as the original Broadway production, which ran for a record-breaking 15 years (though that record was later broken by Broadway long-runners Cats and The Phantom of the Opera).

Broadway Godspell Postponed Indefinitely

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:13:00 +0000

Yet another Broadway postponement. The upcoming Broadway revival of the New Testament-based musical Godspell has been postponed indefinitely. This Broadway season seems to be getting off to a strange start, with a few other Broadway-bounders having already announced cancellations or -- the preferred word choice -- postponements. Speculation is that the bad economy is causing trouble for Broadway producers and backers. Here's hoping we don't see any more forthcoming Broadway shows make such an announcement.

Mary-Louise Parker Coming To Broadway

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:16:00 +0000

It has just been announced that Mary-Louise Parker, last seen on Broadway in the play Reckless, will return to Broadway in early 2009 as the title character in Ibsen's Hedda Gabler. Roundabout Theatre Company will present the Broadway revival, which will be adapted by playwright Christopher Shinn and directed by Ian Rickson. Parker is frequently seen on the New York stage, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, but she is also known to film and TV audiences for her screen work, such as Fried Green Tomatoes and the TV series Weeds.

Shakespeare In The Park's Hair Opens

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:32:00 +0000

The Shakespeare in the Park production of Hair opens at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park tonight. The revival of the groundbreaking Off-Broadway (and later Broadway) hippie musical has already been playing at the Delacorte for a couple weeks and will continue playing until the end of this month. There has been a great deal of speculation about whether or not this production will transfer to an open Broadway run, but that is still up in the air.

Constantine Goes Off-Broadway

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:22:00 +0000

Constantine Maroulis, a popular former American Idol contestant, is now going to be starring in an Off-Broadway show at New World Stages called Rock of Ages. The new musical, which features music by such rock bands as Journey and Bon Jovi, is about an aspiring young rock star. This won't be Maroulis's New York stage debut - he previously co-starred in the Broadway musical The Wedding Singer.

Broadway's August Heading For Hollywood

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:15:00 +0000

The massive Broadway hit play August: Osage County is likely to become a film in the near future. This is yet another Broadway show in the early stages of Hollywood planning and very few details have been settled. Playwright Tracy Letts will write the screenplay, and two of the Broadway play's producers will produce the movie version, but no casting has been determined yet.

Prices Go Up For Broadway Aisle Seats

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:47:00 +0000

Believe it or not, Broadway producers have found yet another way to fleece Broadway theatergoers. First they decided to start charging the same price for the entire orchestra section, then they started selling the very best seats for insanely high "premium seat" prices, and now some of them have decided to mark up the aisle seats as well. Many people prefer the aisle because of the added leg room, and now those people are going to have to pay extra for that comfort. Only a few Broadway shows - Gypsy, Spring Awakening, and the upcoming Broadway revival of The Seagull - have adopted the higher aisle seat pricing so far, but history has shown that once one Broadway show introduces a higher pricing model, the others soon follow. The upcharge amounts to about $15-$25, depending on the show. Furthermore, these higher-priced Broadway aisle seats are only sold in pairs, meaning that one person is paying the aisle price without even getting the benefit. What will they think of next?

Broadway On Broadway Scheduled For 9/14

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:20:00 +0000

The free "Broadway on Broadway" concert, the annual event held in Times Square at the beginning of each Broadway season, has been set for Sunday, September 14. The casts of existing and upcoming Broadway shows will perform in front of approximately 50,000 fans on a stage set up in the heart of Times Square just for the concert. "Broadway on Broadway" begins at 11:30am, but you should arrive a couple hours early if you want to get up close to the stage.

Two Incoming Broadway Shows Postpone

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:32:00 +0000

for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, which was expected to begin performances on Broadway soon, has announced that the production is being delayed, apparently due to one of the show's backers dropping out at the last minute. Another upcoming Broadway show, the Broadway revival of the musical Brigadoon, has also announced postponement. This production, which was not scheduled to open for many more months, says its delay is due to an inability to find a suitable Broadway theater for its planned spring 2009 opening.

Guys And Dolls Returning To Broadway In 2009

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:28:00 +0000

The classic musical Guys and Dolls is coming back to Broadway in the spring of 2009. This new production will be directed by Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, The Who's Tommy), who previously helmed the Broadway revival of another Frank Loesser-scored musical, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The last Broadway production of Guys and Dolls opened in 1992 and starred Peter Gallagher, Faith Prince, and Nathan Lane as the colorful New York characters originally created by Damon Runyon and brought to life for the stage by bookwriters Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling.

Broadway and TV Star Estelle Getty Passes Away

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:33:00 +0000

Estelle Getty, known to virtually everyone as Sophia on The Golden Girls, has died at the age of 84. Getty gained fame late in her career playing the sarcastic, dry-witted "Ma" to Bea Arthur's Dorothy, even though the women were nearly the same age. But prior to joining the NBC comedy hit, Getty had won over many with her turn on Broadway in the play Torch Song Trilogy, in which she played Harvey Fierstein's mother.

Bailey Is Broadway's Newest Blonde

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:43:00 +0000

The MTV reality series Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods concluded last night, and the winner is Bailey Hanks! The bubbly 20-year old narrowly beat out the more experienced (and better-voiced) Autumn Hurlbert, who didn't do quite as well at capturing Elle's sorority girl sweetness. Both young ladies got to do their final audition with the Legally Blonde cast on the stage of the Palace Theatre, so director Jerry Mitchell was able to get a real sense of how they would perform in the show. We TV viewers did too and, considering how green a lot of the contestants appeared in the early stages of the MTV reality show, it was a relief to see that both winner Bailey and runner-up Autumn (who will be the Elle understudy on Broadway) performed quite well in the demanding role. The contest was actually decided months ago, so both have had ample time to continue training. With star Laura Bell Bundy having departed on Sunday, Bailey debuts on Broadway in Legally Blonde tomorrow, July 23. Meanwhile, contestants Rhiannon Hansen and Lauren Zakrin will join the cast of the Legally Blonde national tour.

Broadway At The Box Office: Mamma Mia!

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:05:00 +0000

Mamma Mia, the new movie version of the smash hit West End and Broadway musical, picked a tough weekend to open, going head-to-head with the record-breaking Batman sequel The Dark Knight. However, although Mamma Mia only pulled in $27,751,240 versus Batman's $158,411,483, the ABBA musical still did better than last summer's big Broadway-to-Hollywood transfer, Hairspray, which debuted at a few hundred thousand less. Hairspray was considered a box office hit, so hopefully this bodes well for Mamma Mia. Mamma Mia, which stars Meryl Streep, also has the advantage of appealing to that often-ignored segment of the population known as women - especially middle-aged women. As a result, Mamma Mia could continue doing steady business throughout the rest of the summer, providing a nice alternative for people who don't care for the special effects-laden blockbusters.

Oh, and did we mention that the figure above is only U.S. sales? Mamma Mia's total opening weekend worldwide was over 100 million, proving that Mamma Mia is not just a London and Broadway musical, but an international sensation.

High School Musical Reality TV Show Debuts

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:56:00 +0000

ABC's new reality show based on the hit Disney franchise High School Musical debuts on TV tonight, July 20. Hosted by Nick Lachey, High School Musical: Get in the Picture has contestants competing through a series of High School Musical-themed singing and dancing challenges. The winner of the reality TV series will get a guest spot in a music video to be shown at the end of High School Musical 3: Senior Year (due in theaters October 24) and will also get to record two singles for Walt Disney Records.

From Broadway To Big Screen: Mamma Mia Opens

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:05:00 +0000

After conquering the West End, Broadway, and cities around the world, Mamma Mia finally arrives in movie theaters today. The film version of the silly ABBA musical has an all-star cast headed by Meryl Streep. Even people who didn't care for the show on Broadway may find the film irresistible with its Greek island setting, fantastic cast, and infectious spirit.

[title of show] Opens On Broadway Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:03:00 +0000

The new musical [title of show] has its official Broadway opening tonight at the Lyceum Theatre. [title of show] had its first production at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and then went on to an Off-Broadway run at the Vineyard Theatre. The musical about writing a Broadway musical stars its own creators, Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, as well as actresses Heidi Blickenstaff and Susan Blackwell, and music director Larry Pressgrove. Discount tickets for [title of show] on Broadway are available here.

Brief Break For Broadway Phantom

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:13:00 +0000

It's an unusual move for any Broadway show, but The Phantom of the Opera will be shutting down its Broadway production for a few days, from August 24-27. The reason for the brief hiatus is so that the sound system at the Majestic Theatre can be upgraded. Phantom's last pre-break performance will be on August 23, and then the long-running musical will resume Broadway performances on August 28. To get discount tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, click here.

Broadway Musical Wicked To Become Film

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:39:00 +0000

Marc Platt, the producer behind Broadway shows and films (e.g. Legally Blonde on screen, the new Nine movie, the upcoming Broadway revival of Pal Joey), has made it known that he is looking forward to making his Broadway smash Wicked into a feature film. The Wicked movie is still in the very early planning stages, but the Broadway show's bookwriter, Winnie Holzman, is expected to write the screenplay. Platt is also interested in doing a new film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

Whoopi To Be A Muse In Broadway's Xanadu

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:26:00 +0000

Whoopi Goldberg will soon join the Broadway cast of Xanadu. Movie star and co-host of The View Goldberg will be taking on the role of the wise-cracking muse Calliope, currently being played by Jackie Hoffman. Goldberg will be in the silly Broadway musical from July 29 to September 7, while The View is on hiatus and Hoffman is on leave from the show. To get discount tickets to see Whoopi in Xanadu, click here.

November Ends Broadway Run

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:10:00 +0000

The David Mamet comedy November, starring Nathan Lane, ended its Broadway run today. The play about a fictional U.S. president up for re-election opened at Broadway's Barrymore Theatre in January and was greeted with lukewarm reviews. Lane's presence helped November to continue running on Broadway throughout the spring, but after it was announced that Lane would depart the production in July, the producers decided to go ahead and close the show.

Get Pets At Broadway Barks 10

noreply@blogger.com (theatergoer) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:52:00 +0000

The tenth edition of the "Broadway Barks" pet adopt-a-thon comes to Shubert Alley on the afternoon of July 12. The event, which starts at 3:30pm, will be hosted by "Broadway Barks" co-founders Mary Tyler Moore and Broadway baby Bernadette Peters and will feature numerous celebrity guests, including Nathan Lane (Broadway's November), Christine Baranski (the new Mamma Mia film), Mario Lopez (Broadway's A Chorus Line), Glenn Close, Peter Gallagher (Broadway revival of The Country Girl), and Bebe Neuwirth (TV's Frasier, Broadway's Chicago). The celebs will take part in the "pet presentation" part of the event at 5:30, and there will also be autographed material on sale to benefit animal shelters. "Broadway Barks 10" will take place in Shubert Alley, located in Times Square between Broadway and 8th Avenue, and between 44th Street and 45th Street.