Baby On Board

A rep for Idina Menzel confirms to US Weekly that a baby is expected later this year. Read about it here.

(photo above from US Weekly)

Two Less Lonely People in the World

Last Chance Harvey is a sweet film about love, loneliness, family, alienation and as the title says, last chances. It's fun to watch because it is a lovely valentine to London, which is on top of my must-see places list. But the film is likeable and watchable mainly because of its stars. This is a great study in refined, subtle acting. This is about performers rising above a predictable, sometimes schmaltzy script.

Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) is a pianist who writes commercial jingles, going to London for his estranged daughter's wedding. He meets singleton Kate Walker (Emma Thompson), a Heathrow airport employee who we all know is going to change his life.

I was as disappointed as Harvey when his co-workers tell him he probably wouldn't have a job to come back to. My heart broke during Harvey's awkward encounters with his daughter and ex-wife. I cringed a little everytime Kate's phone rang and you know it's her equally lonely mother. I squirmed with Kate when her blind date went awry and she goes to the restroom, fighting off tears. In some of the last scenes in the film, Ms. Thompson again does what she does best: maintaining her composure in the face of rejection, hope in the face of disappointment. (Brings to mind that scene in Love Actually where she finds out her husband is having an affair.) We get to know their characters a little bit, but most of their individual histories are unsaid. And yet you can read every regret, every unsaid word and unperformed deed in Mr. Hoffman's and Ms. Thompson's faces.

The two leads make an unlikely pairing. And this is not your typical romantic comedy. But maybe that's why I liked it.


The DVD is coming out on Cinco de Mayo.

MVA

I went to see Monsters vs. Aliens mainly because of its superb voice casting. Hugh Laurie as "not a quack but mad scientist" Dr. Cockroach, Seth Rogen as B.O.B., Kiefer Sutherland as General W. R. Monger, Will Arnett as the Missing Link, Reese Witherspoon as Susan/Ginormica, and of course Stephen Colbert as the U. S. President. Julie White, Paul Rudd, Jeffrey Tambor Amy Poehler and Rainn Wilson ( I never would have guessed he was the villain Gallaxhar) are even there in the mix.
The premise is clever enough: aliens invade earth, and only a group of Monsters that the government has been keeping in a top-secret facility (umm...Area 51) can stop them. The heroes are all from the B movie monster genre: the Blob, the 50 foot woman, the creature from the black lagoon, the Fly and a Godzilla-like Insectosaurus. There are genuine laugh out loud moments , but I think it was mostly for the adults (like winks to Dr. Strangelove and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, references to E.T., An Inconvenient Truth.)

Dreamworks has always been known for its smart send-offs of pop culture (remember a little film called Shrek?), but its movies have never quite had the heart that Disney/Pixar has successfully melded with animation. (Although Kung Fu Panda came pretty close.) Monsters vs. Aliens is no different. The animation is terrific (I can't even imagine the man-hours it took to animate Susan's hair alone!), and it's great to see a female protagonist for once. There was still a certain something that was missing from the story-telling though, something this carbon-based life form can't quite decode yet.

Earth Hour: Chicago

Empire's Dark Tonight

Earth Hour in NYC. (For more photos click here.)

Lessons from Natasha Richardson's passing

Ms. Richardson continues to help people, even in death.

We could Light the Candle

Earth Hour tonight at 830 PM your local time. Lights out!

A Desperate Housewife

I think I read somewhere that nobody does desperation like Mary-Louise Parker. Having been a fan of hers in Weeds I totally agree with that statement. So here comes another role of a desperate housewife, Hedda Gabler produced by the Roundabout Theatre. I saw it 2 saturdays ago. Written by Henrik Ibsen, the play is said to be the Hamlet of female roles so I was really excited to see the it.


I did like it. Having said that, I have read the play but it is my first time seeing a production of Hedda so I have nothing to compare it to. Hedda (MLP) is a priveleged daughter of a general who marries a bland scholar Jorgen Tesman (Michael Cerveris) to everyone's surprise. He is mostly preoccupied with his scholarly research and it is soon found out that Hedda doesn't love the man she's married to but has only done so because of her circumstance. Their lives are thrown into disaray when Ejlert Lovborg (Paul Sparks) reappears. He is Tesman's rival and Hedda's former lover. Lovborg has recently worked with Thea Elvsted (Ana Reeder), Hedda's former rival, and has written a brilliant manuscript. With this manuscript Lovborg starts to get acclaim and this threatens Tesman since both of them are candidates for a professorship that Tesman desperately wants. Jealous of Mrs. Elvsted's influence on Lovborg, Hedda tries to come between them and tests her ability to seduce Lovborg.

** SPOILERS
One night after a party, Tesman comes home saying that he had found Lovborg's manuscript which Lovborg somehow has lost. When Hedda sees Lovborg, he is so distraught that he has lost his masterpiece. Instead of telling him that they had the manuscript, Hedda convinces Lovborg to commit suicide because to her "that is the only heroic and noble thing to do." Yes she is not a very likeable character if I may say so. She gives him her gun to help him accomplish the deed. Hedda then burns the manuscript and tells her husband that she did it to secure their future. Lovborg is then found dead in a brothel. When news of Lovborg's death spreads Tesman feels guilty and believes that he owes it to his dead rival to get his manuscript completed. Mrs. Elvsted now reveals that she kept all of Lovborg's notes so that Tesman is encouraged and volunteers to collaborate with her in reassembling Lovborg's masterpiece. The very creepy Judge Brack (Peter Stromare) who's had intentions towards Hedda now tells her that Lovborg's death was actually not a suicide but really an accidental shooting. His gun that was in his pocket had gone off while he was in the brothel. This was devastating news to Hedda but in addition to that, Judge Brack knew that the gun Lovborg had was Hedda's and starts implying his power over her. Hedda now feels the trapness of another man's "control" then moves to her room and shoots herself in the temple. For her, it is the "only beautiful and freeing thing to do".

Mary-Louise Parker was great specially in the scenes when she manipulates and seduces. But I also have to mention that it's also wonderful to watch her when her character starts to crumble and realizes that she doesn't have the hold on people that she used to have. It's fascinating watching her dissintegrate. Michael Cerveris who I've always loved, played Tesman very blandly which I thought was effective because I found his character very boring. Paul Sparks was good as the lover still attracted to Hedda. Peter Stromare also was very effective because he just exudes creepiness during the show. Ana Reeder, well, don't know how to put it but her character was just annoying to me. And I don't know if that's direction or just her acting choices.

One thing I must say though is that I never realized that this play would have the audience laughing several times. Mary-Louise Parker has great skill in line readings that she was a sarcastically funny Hedda (yes in the Violet Weston August Osage County way). That was so refreshing to me. Another thing I also noticed (and that made me more understand why the show was panned by the NY Times) is that the characters were in period costumes (done beautifully by Ann Roth) and yet the dialogue was very modern. Now, I understand that they wanted to modernize the play to appeal to a contemporary audience but I just felt that it was disjointed. It didn't connect. Much of Hedda's dilemma stems from a trapped bland loveless marriage but as an audience member you couldn't feel her entrapment because of the modern dialogue. With this modern dialogue, the characters movement, gestures and demeanor on stage was also very modern. So juxtaposed with the period costumes, it did feel incohesive.




I did go to the stagedoor after the play. There were only about 7 people there. Mary-Louise Parker didn't come out but I thought that it was nice of her to send her dresser out to let people know that she wasn't going to come out since she was resting for the evening show. I thought that was nice of her and I'm cool with that.



poster by the stagedoor


the marquee at the American Airlines Theatre

The Roundabout on Remembering Natasha

I feel like I should move on with my posts but everyday I find these interesting articles about this marvelous actress who has left us all too soon.

The Roundabout Theatre Company did this montage tribute of Natasha Richardson's stagework with them. Ms. Richardson collaborated with the Roundabout in Anna Christie (Tony nomination), the '98 revival of Cabaret (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics winner for Best Actress in a Musical) and A Streetcar Named Desire in 2005. Check out the incredible images here.

(photo is my playbill from Anna Christie)

Spring Preview

For our readers in the tri-state area, Broadway Backstage Spring Preview is this Saturday 28 March from 730 to 8 PM. David Hyde Pierce co-hosts with WABC-TV's Lori Stokes.

Mr. Hyde Pierce will be back on stage at the Biltmore Theatre next month in Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Accent on Youth.

Life is a Cabaret

I'd like to point out this very good blog by Sheila O'Malley. It's a dissection of Natasha Richardson's Sally Bowles in Cabaret. It gives you a really good insight on the genius of her portrayal.

Big Bright Beautiful World

Brian d'Arcy James' vocal talent lets his inner human out of his ogre-y facade. "Who I'd Be" which concludes Act I is just beautiful. Daniel Breaker is well-cast as the ornery sidekick Donkey.
But of course I have to sing my praises to triple threat Sutton Foster as Princess Fiona. Her "Morning Person" number alone is worth the price of admission, plus the "I Think I Got you Beat" duet with Mr. James. Her comedic timing is impeccable, her voice pure, her dancing, flawless.
Christopher Sieber is fun, hamming it up as the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad. The role literally brought Mr. Sieber down on his knees.
Shrek the Musical was better than I expected. The recent spate of film-to-stage adaptations left me wary (yes I'm talking to you Mermaid) but Shrek didn't disappoint. The sets and costumes are beautiful and there are no surprises plot-wise because it stays faithful to the movie. In addition to pop culture jokes that the movie is known for, they also throw in a dash of Broadway references. The show sticks to the film's original themes of inner beauty, self-acceptance, tolerance for and taking pride in our differences, and finding commonality with others who seem to be our polar opposites. But it was the remarkable performances that I truly enjoyed.

Ode To A Friend

Joanna Weinberg, a friend of Natasha Richardson, did this touching piece about the actress. It gives us a personal glimpse into the exceptional woman behind the talented actress. It made me even more realize what a very special person we have lost.

Edit (3.22 6:48 pm): On a related note, the West End also dimmed it's lights last Friday in honour of Ms. Richardson. Read about it here.

(photo from timesonline.co.uk)

Rest in Peace

Natasha Richardson is being laid to rest today. A private funeral has been planned, and although media agencies have arrived, the local community has always protected the privacy of their celebrity neighbors. Boo! to the Kansas Baptist Church if they do show up to protest. (Ms. Richardson supported AIDS research.)

Click here for the full article from the Poughkeepsie Journal. I was touched by tales of the quiet, ordinary life that the couple led. Our hearts go out to Ms. Richardson's family, friends and neighbors.

Earth Hour

Earth Hour starts at 830 PM on 28 March 2009. TVs, CDs, DVDs and lights off Stagenotes readers and bloggers!

(photo from here)

Broadway Dims Its Lights for Natasha Richardson

Heartbreaking.

Meanwhile here's the reaction from England:

Perfectly Marvelous Natasha

I thought I'd post a collection of links and statements with kind words about Natasha Richardson. It's from people she knew or have worked with or even theatre critics who have witnessed her great talent. Please click on the highlighted links to read comments.

Alan Cumming (her co-star in Cabaret)
Jane Fonda
Martha Stewart
Todd Leopold, CNN
Michael Billington, The Guardian

Edit (3/21 12:46am): Meryl Streep (friend and Evening Co-star): "Tash (Natasha) was the warm sun in the center of a large constellation of family, friends, all of those lucky enough to know her - she is irreplaceable in our lives; she gave us so much, so generously - her legacy is the love that connects us all."

Hellen Mirren (friend and Co-star in The Comfort of Strangers): Natasha was a great actress, a fantastic mother, a loving wife and a whirlwind of energy, with an infectious love of life expressed firstly by her wonderful deep laugh. Anyone who knew her will be in mourning today. I hope that Liam and her sons are helped in their pain by the great love and sympathy that is coming to them from people all over the world."

Judi Dench: I have no doubt [great work was to come]. It's been so shocking, really shocking -- I hope everyone leaves the family alone to pick up the pieces.

Jodie Foster (co-start in Nell): "Natasha was brilliant, beautiful, funny, talented beyond measure, as emotionally raw as she was razor sharp. Tasha loved fiercely and that love continues in all of us who knew her. May Liam, her beautiful boys and her loving family hold her close as they move through this tragic moment."

Sam Mendes (directed Natasha Richardson in Cabaret): "Natasha combined the best of [her parents, Vanessa] Redgrave and [Tony] Richardson: the enormous depth and emotional force of a great actor on the one hand, and the intelligence and objectivity of a great director on the other. She was a one-of-a-kind, a magnificent actress"

Designer Kenneth Cole (friend) praised her for her work in fighting AIDS, which killed her father, director Tony Richardson. "She felt she could make a difference and she did,"

Howard Stern: "I know Natasha. We've had many conversations and I thought she was just great," a subdued shock jock Howard Stern said outside their Upper West Side building.
"She was one of the nicest women you'd ever meet, and we just had a conversation recently. My heart goes out to her family. They're a great family. This is a horrible tragedy and I feel awful for them."

Regis Philbin: "It's one of the saddest things I've ever experienced," Regis said.
"I can't believe it . . . It's unheard of. My heart goes out to all of them. It's a great family, and I'm sorry for all of them."

Blythe Danner, at a red-carpet premiere of daughter Gwyneth Paltrow's new flick, "Valentino: The Last Emperor" on Tuesday remembered how comforting Richardson was when Danner's husband, Bruce Paltrow, died in 2002.
"Natasha is a beautiful woman and great actress she wrote me such a lovely letter when we were under such stress with Bruce," Danner said.
"I just think they are extraordinary talents, wonderful parents and such good people"

NY Times
Michael Riedel, NY Post
Chicago Tribune

Broadway Mourns

Broadway will dim it's lights tonight in honor of a much loved actress, Natasha Richardson. Details can be found here.

(photo above from TheVillager.com)

Edit (10:30pm) - A poster, SINGTOPHER from BWW relayed this touching scene at 8pm tonight at Shubert Alley:

"My friend and I went down to Times Sq. to se the lights dimmed so one, we could pay our respects, and two so we could experience such a time honored tradition.

We planted ourselves firmly in the middle of 45th st since there are so many theaters there. We moved about 5 till 8 to Shubert alley to get a nicer view. In front of us was a crowd of folks, who I realized where crying, and hugging each other. I quickly realized that Joe Mantello and Allison Janey were in the crowd, so I figured it was the 9 TO 5 cast. Then, as I tried to see who else from the cast was there, I realized among the crowd was Laura Linney, and Joley Richardson. We weren't too far away from the crowd so my friend and I decided to back away a bit since these people were very close to Natasha, and we didn't want to disturb them. At that point I saw Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Vanessa Redgrave, and Liam Neeson. The lights went out, and the group hung on tight to each other. They shouted her name (is this part of the tradition?), and applauded when the lights went back on. Once the lights went on the camera crews swarmed in to get good footage of everyone (which I found quite distasteful).

All in all it was a wonderfully moving experience heightend by the company I happened to stumble upon. I really enjoy this tradition. Its a great way for the Broadway community and public to commemorate what someone has given to them. I also really enjoy the symbolism of dimming the marquees: take time to remember, and then life ultimately has to go on."

Edit (3/21 1:02 am): Here's another moving account of the tribute from Broadway.com

Farewell Sally Bowles

as Sally Bowles in Cabaret

According to MSNBC, Alan Nierob of Rogers & Cowan, a spokesman for Natasha Richardson's family released this statement:

“Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”

I'm still in shock as I write up this post. Natasha Richardson was one of my favorite actress. She comes from an acting dynasty, the Redgrave clan with Vanessa Redgrave (her mom), Oscar winning director Tony Richardson, sister Joely Richardson, aunt Lynn Redgrave, uncle Corin Redgrave. Her grandparents also theatre actors Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. Acting, you can say, was in her blood. To many, she is best known for her role as the mom in the remake of The Parent Trap with Lindsey Lohan and Dennis Quaid but to those who follow theatre she is best remembered for her Tony winning role as Sally Bowles in Cabaret.

I feel privileged to have seen her as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire in 2005. She was luminous and at the same time devastating in that role. I loved that production and will never forget it. She will be missed. Theatre has lost a great actress but more than that she was a very classy lady, a humanitarian and an advocate for AIDS.

Our prayers and thoughts to her family in this difficult time.

(top photo from Roundabout.org while the other 2 are posters of her theatre work in my Broadway room)

Playbills of Anna Christie and Closer plus a In Theatre Magazine featuring Cabaret

In Our Prayers

There have been so many conflicting reports about her accident and condition. We do know that Natasha Richardson had a skiing accident Monday and is currently in critical condition being treated in a hospital in NYC. She's one of my favourite actress. We at Stage-Notes are hoping for the best. Our thoughts and prayers to her and her family in this trying time.

Broadway Celebrity Sightings

Billy Elliot's Trent Kowalik
The Stage door gods were smiling upon us this past weekend. We all went to see different shows but converged upon 46th street. We managed to hit 3 stage doors on Saturday, and then Shrek the Musical the next day. Here's proof of our productive weekend.
Greg Jbara
Trevor Braun as Flounder in The Little Mermaid
Eric LaJuan Summers as Jetsam
Jon Rua from In the Heights
Doreen Montalvo
A real treat: Andrea Burns and her son
Robin de Jesus
Shrek's Jennifer Cody
Lord Farquaad himself, Christopher Sieber
John Tartaglia, a real class act
Reviews of Hedda Gabler, The Little Mermaid and Shrek the Musical to follow...

Wrestling with the past

The Wrestler starts with a montage of Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke in his well-deserved Academy-Award nominated performance) news clippings and photos from his heydays. Cut to 20 years later where he barely makes his rent working at a local store, making public appearances at empty halls for photo ops and autograph-signing, and wrestling at local community centers (giving new meaning to the word weekend warrior). I am no fan of wrestling, but it was heartwarming to see how the wrestlers interact with each other before and after the matches. The matches are choreographed and discussed by the combatants, but the injuries are real. The camaraderie is even more real. I have newfound respect for professional wrestlers.

Randy shows his tender side whether he's advising up-and-coming wrestlers or checking up on his onstage adversary after the match, and when playing with the neighborhood kids. He frequents a local strip club, where he is enamored with Marisa Tomei as Cassidy/Pam. He is estranged from his daughter Stephanie Robinson (Evan Rachel Wood) and tries to make amends. His life begins to unravel after a medical emergency threatens to end his wrestling career.

Director Darren Aronofsky used a hand-held camera a lot, following Randy around and showing us a grainy world of faded glory. Jersey never looked so gritty. The scenes at the deli were especially amusing (I read that the customers were real customers) yet at the same time you feel distressed for this fallen hero. People have said that Mr. Rourke was only playing himself, as we all know how he fell out of Hollywood's favor with his self-destructive behavior. But his performance is outstanding, genuine, even spell-binding. At times I almost seemed to forget I was watching an actor, his character seemed so real. Ms. Tomei also gives a superb performance as the pragmatic stripper who wants a different life.

The plot is of course familiar, the down-on-his-luck has-been underdog wrestling with his inner demons. Randy is a flawed guy who's maybe not too bright but is likeable despite his many missteps in life. I like this rough little film for its honesty and emotional wallop. Up and down, sorrow and joy, despair and hope. I was cheering and pulling for the wrestler.

Goodbye Francis M

Filipino artist Francis Magalona lost his battle with leukemia on 06 March 2009 at age 44. The son of actors, he is best known as the first successful Filipino rapper and songwriter. But he also dabbled in acting, TV hosting, producing, directing and photography. He wrote socially conscious songs and promoted patriotism through his music.

His co-hosts at a popular lunchtime television show paid this tribute to him. I got this from Lynn, who pointed out that the balloons formed the shape of the Philippines (around the 1:23 mark). Interesting because one of his most popular songs is "Mga Kababayan Ko" (My Countrymen). It was his unique way of saying goodbye to his fellow Filipinos. His remains were cremated today.



Thanks Lynn!

Broadway Actor in TV Commercial: Tonya Pinkins

Tonya Pinkins (Caroline or Change) in a Crestor Commercial:

The Heirarchy of Pork

If you've missed it........someone posted it on youtube so here's Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations where he visited the Philippines and became acquainted with the famous Lechon. He has infact ranked the Lechon as # 1 in his heirarchy of pork. Read about it here.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


Part 4:


Part 5:


(thanks to Tita Chita for the links)

Tenawesome

Yesterday, Cecile and I went to see Will Ferrell's 90 minute Broadway show You're Welcome America. He has resurrected his George W. Bush impersonation, telling his version of the former president's life story as a fond farewell to W. It is enjoyable, hilarious, and totally in bad taste. I didn't go in looking for high-brow stuff (it is Will Ferrell after all) so if you just want to laugh...Lord knows we need laughter during these times...this is the show for you.

Mr. Ferrell is joined by Patrick Ferrell as the Secret Service guy (who kept us entertained during Will's quick changes), Michael Delaney as Dr. Scott Blumeth, Adam Mucci as the pilot and Pia Glenn as Condoleeza Rice. Miss Glenn stole the show with her brief but memorable appearance. If you want to see more of her work as Condi, check out Fun with War Crimes.

The show ends its tenacious and awesome run this week on 15 March 2009. If you have HBO, it will be shown on 14 March 2009.

MLP on Leonard Lopate Show

Mary-Louise Parker was interviewed at the Leonard Lopate Show March 6. She talks about playing Ibsen's Hedda Gabbler. Listen to the interview here.


(photo from WYNC.org)

Play Me The Music

Remember this? Elaine (Jane Krakowski) singing Music and The Mirror for her audition to A Chorus Line from Ally MacBeal. I know it would never happen but I would love to see her as Cassie! Love the voice and check out those lines!

Bust The Move

It's just too cute!

The QUEST For Perfection

I was not a fan of America's Best Dance Crew but last Sunday I caught a marathon showing of season 3. It was snowy and I had nothing to do but after watching an episode my tv was glued to MTV until I had watched all 7 of them! My favorite is Quest Crew. Composed of Dominic "D-Trix" Sandoval (23), Hok (24), Ryan Conferido (25), Feng (26), Steve Terada (24), Brian Hirano (26) and Victor Kim (22). An all Asian crew with Pinoys represented, they had tremendous talents bordering on amazing athleticism. With precise movements, big tricks and amazing choreography, the group took the title of America's Best Dance Crew! I also was a amazed with the all girl crew called Beat Freaks who matched the boys head to head. Kudos to them!

The Best *&$^%$@& News Show on TV

Team Jon Stewart '09 (Mike, Cecile, her husband and me) stood in line outside The Daily Show with Jon Stewart studio yesterday from 3:30 pm to 5:20 pm. You were allowed bathroom breaks while in line, but once inside, you couldn't leave your seats. No eating, drinking, photograph-taking and obviously any recording of any type, no yelling out. After going through security, we were escorted inside. Beautiful studio but smaller than what it looks like on television. We had great seats, right in the center. It was my first television show taping viewing experience and I had a blast!

Comedian Paul Mecurio did about a half hour audience warm-up before 6 PM (which some audience members used as some form of therapy session. What's wrong with you Pot Lady?!). Mr. Stewart then came out and took a few questions from the audience before the taping started around 630 pm. The host was mic'd but at times it was hard to hear him. Of course we were making a lot of noise as well, applauding, laughing, cheering him on (there were microphones above our heads too). I love how Jon asks such thoughtful, intelligent questions while managing to keep things light and humorous. He is so quick-witted, smart and funny. He seems a bit shy at times, but I've heard that about a lot of comedians. During the Q & A, he said he doesn't do any research but I'm sure he was just being self-deprecating. He always knows what he's talking about. Before the show started and during commercial breaks, the music was blaring. I suppose to keep the audience's energy level elevated. After the taping of last night's episode, he filmed a short bit for the global edition, thanked us all for coming and exited the stage. We were cold, hungry but in great spirits.

Downside? No photos/autographs/hugs or kisses allowed (which I understand because otherwise Mr. Stewart will never get to leave the place), no correspondents during the episode (I would have loved to see John Oliver, Wyatt Cenac, etc.) and of course the frigid temperatures while waiting outside. All in all a terrific experience though. Even better: FREE!

You can get tickets from Comedy Central.

To Mr. Foote, beloved writer

Pulitzer Prize and Oscar-winning writer Horton Foote passed away yesterday at age 92. He had been working on a production of one of his plays in Hartford, CT. He is probably best known for his screen adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender Mercies.