An Early Christmas Present for Muggles

Happy Birthday JK Rowling! And she's giving US a present: The Tales of Beedle the Bard will be released to the general public on 04 December. Last year, six copies were handwritten by Ms. Rowling and given to people who helped her with the Harry Potter book series. A seventh copy was auctioned off and acquired by Amazon for $4 million.

This holiday season, the standard version will sell for US $12.99, and a collector's edition for $100. All proceeds will still go to the charity she founded, the Children's High Level Group.

The trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is out!

Check out how creepy the young Tom Riddle, Jr. is!

They Took A Chance.....On Him

Well, I did see the movie musical Mamma Mia! 2 Sundays ago actually. How can I not? It's the quintessential jukebox musical. Good disco dancing music from Abba, plus lots of fun and exuberance from the cast. It is what it is......just entertainment and I really did enjoy it. The Greek Island sceneries were amazing.......makes me want to travel there for my next trip. Loved Meryl Streep as the kooky Donna. But Christine Baranski was just hilarious as Tanya. I loved her and Julie Walters as the other Dynamo, Rosie. Ms. Baranski's voice was the most impressive to me as were the harmonies in Super Trouper. Among the guys, well, who would have thought but Mr. Darcy himself......Colin Firth has an amazing voice AND plays the guitar!!!!! It made me fall more in love with him! And very good comic dancing! Bravo Mr. Darcy! Did you see him shimmy his hips during the Megamix at the end? Absolutely hilarious!

If you ask me my favorite songs in the movie.......well, oddly enough, it would be Amanda Seyfried's version of Thank You For The Music.......which can be heard when the credits pull up. And of course, Our Last Summer which Colin Firth sang.

But before I end, let's talk about James Bond. Although, he's a well known actor, watching Pierce Brosnan sing on the big screen just made me cringe a bit. I kinda wished they just got someone who had a better voice and was more comfortable singing. There were enough star power on screen already but I guess the producers and directors did take a chance on him........

Tips for a successful stage door experience

Watching a Broadway musical is probably one of the most thrilling experiences for someone who's a big fan of a certain performer or a particular show. Remember the first time you sat in a theater to watch that show you've been wanting to see for the longest time? Yeah, you might think it's enough that you got to see your favorite stars (even when you're way up in the nosebleeder seats) and that you got to sing along to maybe all the show's songs. But one of the best parts come after the show, when you can get a chance to meet and greet the evening's performers, also known as stage dooring.

Stage dooring involves a bit of careful planning and strategizing so you can ensure that the experience will be truly memorable and worthwhile. Here are some tips that can make stage dooring easier for you.

1. First of all, you have to make sure that you have the right tools in hand, such as:

• A camera
  
• A Sharpie
  
• The Playbill
  
• A Ziploc to protect what will be your signed Playbill, especially when it's raining
  
• A wingman, so one can have the Playbill signed while the other takes the photographs

2. Prior to entering the theater, look around the building to see where the stage door is so you know right away where you should head after the show.

3. After the show, head to the stage door. You'll see a barrier as well as a properly dressed man or woman standing sentry by the door. They're what we like to think of as the bouncers, and while they're usually nice and will pass on any gifts or message from you to your favorite performer, they are not to be trifled with; respect them, step back when they ask you to, and again, do not get sassy with them.

4. Have your Playbill ready. You can ask the performers to sign on the cover or on the page where their pictures are. Don't forget to hang on to your Sharpie as well. Some performers already have their own Sharpies, but others don't, and--you never know--one of them might ask to borrow yours for a while!

5. Stay in your spot. It's not likely that a scuffle will break out if you maneuver yourself in a location that a performer will most likely first head towards, but you don't want to actually elbow people out of the way.

6. Be patient. Don't start up a chant in order to get the performers to come out. Usually, the crew and the orchestra come out of the stage door first. Remember that just because they're not the stars of the show doesn't mean that you should give them your most disappointed look. At least smile at them.

7. When the performers finally come out of the stage door, wait for them to reach you and don't step in front of other people to get to them first. Once they're in front of you, You can also engage them in some conversation. Nothing heavy, however; it's enough for you to let them know that you loved the show and that you thought they were great. You can also let them know that you admired them in their roles in other productions as well. Don't monopolize their time and attention, however; there's still a whole slew of other fans waiting for their chance to speak with the performers.

8. Don't take photographs without permission. While the performers are signing your Playbill, ask them if you can take their photos or if you can have your photo taken with them. They'll usually oblige with a smile, but remember to keep the photos to a maximum of five shots. Any more and the performers won't have time for the other fans in line.

9. If a performer comes out of the stage door and doesn't stop to say hi, don't hold it against them. Many of them are understandably exhausted, surprisingly, a great number of them are actually pretty shy and private people.

10. By now, you're probably basking in the attention that was briefly showered upon you by the performers. Don't go seeking more of that attention by following the performers after they've left. The stage door guardians may sometimes leave their post to ask fans to leave the performers alone.

Got any more tips for people who are stage dooring for the first time? Leave your ideas in the comments section!

[Review of Show]

[title of show] is a musical about "two nobodies in New York" writing a musical for a theatre festival, and follows its progress from off-Broadway to Broadway. It features four chairs, four actors playing themselves, a keyboardist and a book about writing the book. Confused? You won't be. The result is a funny, fresh, original piece. Hunter is the funny guy; Jeff's the 'straight man' in this comedy duo. Susan is smart and sassy who makes "Die Vampire, Die!" soar. Heidi is a powerhouse singer and I particularly enjoyed "A Way Back to Then". "Secondary Characters" was hilarious.

It's an irreverent inside look at what goes into the making of a show, complete with voice cameos from Broadway's divas and leading ladies. It's 90 minutes without intermission. There's lots of obscure theatre references but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the show. Go see the show and see if it becomes one of your favorite things.

The cast album is available from Sh-k-boom.

Oh and while waiting for Mike, Lynn and I were eating appetizers and had a totally rockin' celebrity sighting: Michael "Ben Linus" Emerson from Lost and his wife!

Equus is almost here!

Posters for Equus are already up at the Broadhurst theater! Won't be too long till we're standing in line to get into the theater--and standing in line at the stage door after the show! Did you get your tickets yet?

Whoop...there she is!

Mary Testa recently announced on The View that Whoopi Goldberg will be temporarily playing the part of Calliope in Xanadu, starting on July 29. She'll be taking over for Jackie Hoffman for a total of six weeks.

Broadway in Bryant Park rescheduled

Yesterday's Broadway in Bryant Park was postponed yesterday due to the weather, but for those of you looking forward to performances by the cast of shows like The Lion King, Vanities, Hairspray, For Colored Girls, and Godspell, take heart: You can still watch them on August 15th!

Terminator Salvation

Was there ever any doubt that there will be a follow-up to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines? 2009 will see the release of Terminator Salvation, starring Christian Bale as John Connor and Helena Bonham Carter who will reportedly play one of the film's major villains.

Will Arnold Schwarzenegger possibly come back to reprise his role as a Terminator? Sorry Arnold fans, he won't be putting in an appearance. Austrian-born actor Roland Kickinger, who incidentally played Arnold himself in a TV movie a few years ago, will be taking on the role of T-800.

So do you think this movie will turn out to be any good? I was no fan of Terminator 3, but perhaps I'll check this one out next year--still hoping for the best for this franchise!

Katie Holmes' Broadway debut is not pre-selling well

Everyone was pretty surprised to hear that Katie Holmes is emerging from her role as Tom Cruise's wife and stepping out with a role in Broadway's All My Sons, premiering on September 18 at the Schoenfeld Theatre. She'll be starring with heavyweights like Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, and Patrick Wilson, but it sure looks like people are paying more attention to her name than the rest of the cast--and maybe even having some apprehensions about it. Tickets for the show are reportedly not pre-selling well at all; in fact, the total sales so far haven't even reached the $1 million mark. Of course, there's also the startling price tag: the best seats in the house are priced at over $200, and even matinees are said to cost $100. Unreasonable, much?

Bailey Hanks makes Broadway debut as Elle Woods

Earlier this week, we found out who finally bagged the coveted role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search For Elle Woods. Bailey Hanks trumped all the other Elle hopefuls and made her Broadway debut last night (Laura Bell Bundy said goodbye to the role Sunday, July 20th). We're still waiting for reviews about her performance, so we'll keep you posted on any news!

Edit: Check out some comments about Bailey Hanks and her performance as Elle Woods!

Arrivederci Sophia!

Picture it: a world without Golden Girl Sophia Petrillo. Sad, sad world. Rest in peace Estelle Getty!

Just Had To Post This.....

Monday night July 21 there was a benefit concert "Broadway Stands for Freedom" for the youth programs of the NYCLU. Stars like Julia Murney (who sang Back To Before from Ragtime) and Cheyenne Jackson (of Xanadu and the current Damn Yankees at Encores) participated. Full story and more pictures courtesy of Broadwayworld.com.

(photo from Broadwayworld.com)

Ah-ha! There's a video on Seth's site: SethRudetsky.com. Go to Blog and it's dated July 23.

Of homicidal aunts and murderous brothers

Lynn and I went to the HBO Summer film festival at Bryant Park last night. They were screening Frank Capra's Arsenic and Old Lace. It was a fun evening. People cheered when The Dark Knight trailer was shown; a Bugs Bunny cartoon was the pre-show. People stood up and actually danced as the HBO credits rolled! Folks were cheering for the weirdest things...like for the Brooklyn Bridge onscreen. And once Cary Grant showed up, womenfolk went crazy.

I had never seen the movie before. It's based on the black comedy play about a commitment-phobic drama critic (Grant as Mortimer Brewster) who finds out on his wedding day that his sweet old aunts are actually "charitable" serial killers. They rent out rooms to lonely old bachelors then ply them with elderberry wine laced with arsenic, cyanide and strychnine. He has a brother who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt and buries the unfortunate victims in the cellar of their Brooklyn home, as he builds the "Panama Canal". Another criminally insane brother, Jonathan, shows up with the delightful Peter Lorre (an alcoholic Dr. Einstein who performs surgery on Johnny to change his appearance after his crimes. Funny how the Bugs Bunny cartoon which preceded the film had a Peter Lorre-like character). But don't tell Johnny he looks like Boris Karloff (who originated the part in the play); you wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Poor Mortimer tries to fix things and this is where Mr. Grant shines. He is so watchable, with his leading man good looks, comedic timing, delivery and physicality. He got too energetic at times, though. The movie could have used some editing as well. But overall, the film is funny, odd, zany, macabre, if a bit illogical. It could only have led up to its screwball conclusion.

Dead Man's Cell Phone

Last Sunday, 7/13, I went to the matinee of Sarah Ruhl's play Dead Man's Cell Phone at the Steppenwolf with my friend Abbi. We were both intrigued by the premise of the play.

Jean, an ordinary meek woman who's sleepwalking through her life answers a person's cell phone at a cafe after she couldn't stand the incessant ringing. Little did she know that the man who owned the cell phone was dead. As she answers questions about the man's last moments.......well.......actually, Jean fabricates lies about his last moments and about his feelings towards his family in order to console them........Jean ensnares herself into their lives. This throws her into a series of adventure with the man's wife, his mother, his mistress and his brother.

Given the dark premise of someone dying, this play is actually a comedy.......more on the whimsy side. Today cell phones have been a constant companion for us. It has all our contacts and keeps us connected to the world. Didn't you ever feel that you're missing something when you don't have your cell phone with you? Well, it comes with no irony that this play is about finding connections. Jean finally jumps starts her life through this dead man's family and discovers how animated it could be.

I did like the play but somehow it lost me in the second act when Jean travels to the afterlife and back. I don't know, for me it was just too out there and it lost it's hold on me......there was a kind of a "Huh?? Where did that come from feeling" that I got. I thought it was only me but my friend Abbi felt the same. Also the actress playing Jean I wasn't too enamored with. The first 10 minutes of the play I already said to Abbi "Oh I don't like her". I'm not quite sure if it was the character, the direction or the acting choices that she made but she just irritated me. I must say that the supporting characters were great! Marc Grapey who played Gordon (the dead man) was hauntingly great specially in his monologue at the top of Act 2. Marilyn Dodds, who played Mrs. Gottleib was acerbically funny as the dead man's mother.

I missed out seeing this play in March when I was in NYC. It was playing it's world premiere at Playwright's Horizon and I tried to get a ticket but the show was sold out. Rightfully so because Jean was played by Mary-Louise Parker who I heard was wonderfully beguiling in the role.

Bryant Park Summer Film Fest

The HBO Summer Film Festival at Bryant Park has been well underway since June. Come at 5 PM to save your spot, picnic, get some sun. They even have bike valet parking! Didn't bring enough to eat? Order from 'wichcraft and they'll deliver your food to your spot. The movies start at dusk. The festival runs until 18 August.

Growing More WEEDS!!!!

Showtime has ordered 2 more seasons of Weeds!!! Yay!

At the Television Critics' Association press tour, Jenji Kohan, the creator of Weeds talked about the future plans of the show from this article from Watch with Kristin:

Look Into Nancy's Future: Unless there is a major reversal sometime in season six or so, it seems like Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) is out of the neighborhood drug business for good. According to Jenji, "She's definitely going bigger picture. She's off the sales floor, as they say."

We might also get more insight into Nancy's family and background in the newly ordered season five and six. Says Jenji, "There was a lot of interest in [the writers' room about] the sister she referenced when she thought Peter was going to kill her. And there's a father floating around; not sure about a mother."

All-New Drug Dealer Boyfriend: Nancy is about to get deeply involved with drug kingpin Esteban (Demian Bichir). Per Jenji, "He is a formidable match for her...I think this is someone possibly she could imagine a real relationship with, which is something she hasn't contemplated since Judah."

Brooks Is Gone: Despite the much-heralded introduction of Albert Brooks' Lenny Botwin, it seems that his exit was quiet—and permanent. When Jenji mentioned, "We knew we were going to lose Albert." I asked if he was returning at all later in the year, and she told me, "Not this season. He's done." Hmmm...

Your Eyes Do Not Deceive You: If you thought there was some Andy-Nancy chemistry in the past couple of eps, you weren't imagining it. Jenji says Andy (Justin Kirk) does have some burgeoning feelings for Nancy, but that for now those feelings are a one-way street. Says Jenji about Andy's Nancy-crush, "I think he would be self-protective, because I don't think his feelings would be reciprocated in that way, [even though] they've entered into this partnership...Although, biblically speaking, you are supposed to take on your dead brother's wife." Biblical mandates aside, "Ultimately I don't think it's going to play out this season, because she has other fish to fry."

Oh my an Andy-Nancy thing!?? I don't know he's such a sleazeball I don't think I want to see that except of course if he matures and steps up to the plate!

From the same forum this article by David Gabber has Jenji Kohan and Mary-Louise Parker dishing about Weeds:

I grabbed my turn at the mike and asked Mary-Louise which one of her co-stars on "Weeds" fueled her own performance.

"Well, I don't get to work with Elizabeth (Perkins) that much, but pretty much everything she does I'm kind of enthralled by.
Whenever I do get to work with her, it's pretty -- she's pretty intoxicating to work with. I find -- I just think she's kind of peerless. Especially in terms of comedy, I think she's kind of extraordinary.

And Justin, the same thing. I work with him probably a little bit more than Elizabeth, so I feel like I have a certain chemistry with him that I really love working with him.

Hunter too. I think Hunter is pretty awesome, and he just gets better all the time. He's a lot younger than some of the rest of us, and I think he's just getting better every day. So I think we've got an amazing cast," shared Parker.

Kohan went on to say that HBO passed on "Weeds," like "Mad Men" which was snapped up by AMC.
Kohan revealed, "Yeah. HBO passed. They didn't want to do a show with kids. That was their reason. I don't know. And so next up was Showtime.
I think their mandate at the time early on was to make some noise, and this was a noisy subject matter. And they jumped in with both feet. It was terrific."

And what about love? Look to Esteban, (Demian Bichir) the kingpin drug lord who Nancy fancies. The possible Andy (Judah's brother) romance is lurking out there too.

Emmy Nominations 2008

The 2008 Emmy Nominations came out today. List of nominees can be found here.

Some thoughts about the nominations:

• I'm glad that they recognized brilliant comedic writing, 2 of which came from cable shows but NO WEEDS?????!!!!!!


• Yay for 30 Rock and Tina Fey! Oh and Alec Baldwin too! I think Tina is brilliant but should win for a writing award instead of an acting award


• Elaine Stritch gets my vote for Best Guest Appearance in a comedy series for 30 Rock as Alec Baldwin's mom. She is so funny!


• A standing O for the brilliant Mary-Louis Parker as Nancy Botwin in Weeds! The episode they submitted Bill Sussman from season 3 is hilarious when Nancy gets involved with gang wars in her Prius! I hope she wins although I must admit Christina Applegate is funny in Samantha Who? Ugly Betty....just lost me this season....enough with the issues with Henry! Not interested in it anymore.


• Bravo to NPH....Neil Patrick Harris! He's the best part of How I Met Your Mother!


• I'm also glad that Pushing Daisies got nominations! And that Kristin Chenoweth's Olive Snook was recognized as well as Lee Pace


• regarding the snubs........well, I'm not a Desperate Housewives fan although I like Felicity Huffman and I don't like Grey's Anatomy so who cares?

(photo fr EOnline.com)

Spamalot revisited

Marin Mazzie as the Lady of the Lake. Not quite Sara Ramirez but she did good.
Drew Lachey as Patsy. He did pretty well.
Stephen "Reverend Camden" Collins as King Arthur. Great singing voice!



I love a good old-fashioned musical...toe-tapping, laugh-out loud funny, no obvious attempts to be dark, edgy or ground-breaking. It's nice to be self-aware, but not too much that you get the feeling while watching that everyone involved is patting each other on the back on how clever they're being. Having thoroughly enjoyed Spamalot during previews three years ago, re-watching it remains ridiculously fun. It's still absurd, politically incorrect, energetic. The house wasn't full, but the cast still brought the house down.

What Is Title of Show?

Title of Show is one of the shows I'm most excited to see this season. It just opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre but what is it really? Let's let the cast explain shall we?

Speaking of Mary-Louise.....

I just finished re-reading the script for Proof.......hence this post.

Proof is a David Auburn play about Catherine, a daughter of a known mathematics genius grappling with her gift in math and mental illness. Mary-Louise Parker was perfect for the role of Catherine and won all the acting awards in 2001 including the Best Actress Awards at the Tonys. I love her interviews because she answers very honestly and intelligently. Here's a Charlie Rose interview where she discusses the play and her love for theatre (1st 20 mins.):


In 2005, she was again nominated for her role as Rachel in Craig Lucas' play Reckless (she was again, amazing!). Here's a really good in depth interview of her delving into her more private side discussing her new role as a mom (Oh my gosh....she teared up!)....take note her interview starts at 31:00 min.

The New World

Jason Robert Brown's off-Broadway musical Songs for a New World will be presented at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in the Philippines on 24 August at 8 PM. Directed by Robbie Guevara, the cast includes Anna Santamaria, Felix Rivera, Carla Guevara -Laforteza (who previously played Kim in London's Miss Saigon), Harold Cruz and Caisa Borromeo. For details click here.

Teasers

Stomp in Broadway in Bryant Park


Spamalot's Broadway in Bryant Park performance featuring Stephen Collins, Drew Lachey and Marin Mazzie. (They opened the show and they were still having problems with the sound system.)





Thanks Lynn! I'm watching it again with her next week. No more Clay Aiken!

News from the Underground

The search is on for New York City's best subway musicians! The show is called NYC Sound Tracks and will premiere this Sunday 13 July on MSG at 8 PM. (I blogged about these talented underground musicians in an earlier post.)

It's a dog's life

Mark your calendars pet lovers! Broadway Barks 10 is this Saturday, 12th of July from 3:30-6:30PM in Shubert Alley. Bernadette Peters will be signing her new book, also called Broadway Barks.

These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Folks.......Nancy Botwin has left Agrestic! Check out the awesome promo trailer for WEEDS Season 4! I LOVE this show!!!!!!

The Great Green Way

Broadway in Bryant Park kicks off tomorrow! Brought to us by 106.7 Lite FM. Click here for scheduled performers.

Deliciously Subversive and Sickeningly Addictive

I usually avoid adding tv shows to my netflix queue because I know I'll get sucked into watching them and not be able to do anything else. Well, I broke down and rented Weeds. It all started the night of the 2008 Tonys. Mary-Louise Parker was a presenter for the Best Featured Actor in a Play category and I said I should check out Weeds because I've heard good things about it. That was the end of me.......I've been addicted to the show after seeing the first season in one sitting! I had to go out and buy seasons 2 and 3 after that and blazed through it in 5 days!

Weeds is a show about Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) who is suddenly widowed and had to find a way to support her 2 sons and maintain her suburban lifestyle. What does she do? She becomes a pot dealer........and finds out that she's good at it too. Kinda like the soccer mom version of Michael Corleone or Tony Soprano.......without the whacking. Strange premise for a show isn't it? But Weeds is actually a satire for suburbia.........underneath the well manicured lawns and picket fences, there's a dark underbelly of secrets, affairs and drugs. Created by Jenji Kohan, I must say the writing of this show is very sharp and witty. You think you know what's going to happen next then they completely turn it the other direction. It keeps viewers constantly surprised. I love that! I do think too that as you go from seasons 1 to 3, the episodes get more subversive and exciting.

The show is perfectly casted. Kudos to the creators for that! Mary-Louise Parker plays Nancy with an honest vulnerability and disarming charm. I've always loved her since Fried Green Tomatoes and having seen her in Proof. She's amazing to watch on the small screen because in one moment her face can show a myriad of emotions and bring the heartbreak in comedy. Elizabeth Perkins (of He Said, She Said fame) plays her blunt neighbor Celia Hodes. She's always in everybody's business and just says what she thinks. She's the neighbor you'll love to hate but at the same time she's also hilarious in her bluntness. Justin Kirk (Bobby in Love, Valour and Compassion) plays Andy Botwin, Nancy's pathetic sleazeball of a brother-in-law. Justin plays his role so convincingly that I cringe whenever he's up to his antics. Kevin Nealon plays the pot head accountant, Doug. Her sons Silas and Shane are played by Hunter Parrish (who will be joining Spring Awakening this August as Melchior) and Alexander Gould (the voice of Nemo....yes in that Pixar cartoon). She also has her pot supplier Helia James played wonderfully by Tonye Patano and the ever faithful Conrad (Romany Malco). Gee, even the maid, Lupita (Renee Victor) has excellent one liners!

I should also mention that the music supervisor for the show should also be commended. Weeds has an opening theme song called "Little Boxes" by Malvina Reynolds. It perfectly describes suburbia.......identical houses, picket fences, SUVs and manicured lawns.....good choice! As you get to season 2, they get different people/bands to cover the song such as Elvis Costello, Joan Baez, Laurie Berkner etc. I found it amusing and sort of a game to try to guess the artist. Also, they choose the PERFECT song for critical moments of the show. It just gives a more emotional tug to the scene.

Currently, Season 4 started on June 16. I am doomed! I don't know if I can wait that long for the dvd to come out. I've even contemplated on ordering Showtime from my cable company............help me I'm addicted!

Check out the video below Mary-Louise Parker talks about Nancy Botwin and Weeds:

1776

Performance from the cast of "1776" at the 52nd Tony Awards. Happy 4th of July!

MoMA Thursdays

New York's Museum of Modern Art will stay open Thursday nights in July and August. You can view the exhibits and even enjoy some live music at the Sculpture Garden at 5:30 and 7:00 PM. Click here for scheduled performances.

Happy 2nd !!!

Don't Quit Your Night Job celebrated their 2nd anniversary last Thursday June 26th. It's an improv night.....kinda like SNL meets Broadway. I previously posted about this here. For their 2nd Anniversary, they did a hilarious opening skit check it out above and name that Broadway personality!

Photo coverage of the event can be found here.

Summer lovin' had me a blast!

The New York City Parks Foundation announced the start of the 23rd season of Central Park Summerstage. And it's free as usual! You can even bring in your old cellular phones and they'll recycle it for you.