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| Last update: January 29, 2012 |
THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS boasts the original direction and choreography of Susan Stroman, re-created by Jeff Whiting. The company includes original Broadway cast members Derrick Cobey, Rodney Hicks, Kendrick Jones, Forrest McClendon, JC Montgomery and Clinton Roane, who are joined by newcomers Andrew Arrington, Gilbert L. Bailey II, Nile Bullock, Ron Holgate, Eric Jackson, David Bazemore and Kaci Fannin. THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS features music and lyrics by the legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago) and book by David Thompson. THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, according to the Philadelphia Theatre Company, is a "stirring and highly original musical that explores the infamous 1930s 'Scottsboro Case' in which a group of African-American teenagers are falsely accused of a terrible crime, ultimately provoking a national outrage that laid the groundwork for the American Civil Rights movement." THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS is about nine boys who are just trying to survive — to get a job, get back home, start a life. And, above all, prove to the world that they matter," said librettist David Thompson in a previous statement. Continued Susan Stroman: "A uniquely American story about an important chapter of American history, The Scottsboro Boys is a story that still has relevance today. So many of those issues are unresolved, and threaten to remain so unless we engage in a dialogue about them. I look forward to working at Philadelphia Theatre Company. Our hope is this production will be a way to get the conversation started, and to carry it forward." THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS reunites the original creative team of set designer Beowulf Boritt, lighting designer Ken Billington, costume designer Toni-Leslie James and sound designer Peter Hylenski. PTC favorite Eric Ebbenga returns as music director. Tickets starting at $25 are available by calling the PTC Box Office at (215) 985-0420 or by visiting PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org. Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Suzanne Roberts Theatre is located at Broad and Lombard Streets." in Playbill On-Line by Andrew Gans |
The 1968 musical is based on the romance “Zorbá” the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis and it has a book by Joseph Stein. In 42nd Street Moon words “ A RICH, UNCOMPROMISING MUSICAL SALUTE TO GREECE – AND THE SPIRIT OF LIFE! ZORBÁ celebrates life – the sound of a bouzouki, the taste of an olive, the scent of a woman – but also lost love, heartbreak and death. “Live life to the fullest until it’s time to leave!” Featuring the songs: Life Is; The Butterfly; Only Love; Why Can’t I Speak?; and I Am Free. The show will run from May 2 - 20, 2012. For more information visit 42ndstmoon.org. by Jorge |
in Playbill On-Line by Joseph Marzullo / photos © Alicia Donelan |
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| January 17, 2012 - FIRST YOU DREAM: THE MUSIC OF KANDER & EBB at Kennedy Center -
"The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts-produced revival of Rodgers and Hart's “Pal Joey”, directed by Christopher Ashley and featuring a revised book by Terrence McNally, has been "indefinitely postponed," according to a Kennedy Center statement.
The postponement, according to the Kennedy Center, is due to "scheduling conflicts." A Jan. 5 Actors' Equity casting notice had stated, "Production and auditions have been cancelled." The Washington Post reports that the cancellation occurred following director Ashley's withdrawal from the project earlier this week so that he could focus his attention on the now-Broadway-bound musical “Leap of Faith”. Kennedy Center president Michael M. Kaiser told the Washington paper, "We got a call [Thursday] morning at 10 that we lost a director. This wasn’t just a revival, it was with a book newly interpolated, and it was a collaboration with Chris. There was no way to resurrect it." Although no casting had been announced, a New York workshop featured Tony winner Audra McDonald and “Anything Goes” Colin Donnell. The revised version of the classic Rodgers and Hart musical was scheduled to play the Eisenhower June 2-July 1. In its place, the Center will present FIRST YOU DREAM: THE MUSIC OF KANDER AND EBB, which debuted at Signature Theatre in 2009. Directed by Eric Schaeffer and featuring a 19-piece orchestra and a cast of six, the musical revue celebrates the songwriting team who created Cabaret, Chicago and The Kiss of the Spider Woman. Each musical in John Kander and Fred Ebb’s five-decade partnership is included. The production will play the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater June 8-July 1. Casting will be announced at a later date." For more information visit www.kennedy-center.org. in Playbill On-Line by Andrew Gans |
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The first production since its Broadway run, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS will feature the original direction and choreography of Susan Stroman, re-created by Jeff Whiting. The company will include original Broadway cast members Derrick Cobey, Rodney Hicks, Kendrick Jones, Forrest McClendon, JC Montgomery and Clinton Roane, who will be joined by newcomers Andrew Arrington, Gilbert L. Bailey II, Nile Bullock, Ron Holgate, Eric Jackson, David Bazemore and Kaci Fannin. THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS features music and lyrics by the legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb and book by David Thompson. THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS according to the Philadelphia Theatre Company, is a "stirring and highly original musical that explores the infamous 1930's 'Scottsboro Case' in which a group of African-American teenagers are falsely accused of a terrible crime, ultimately provoking a national outrage that laid the groundwork for the American Civil Rights movement." "THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS is about nine boys who are just trying to survive - to get a job, get back home, start a life. And, above all, prove to the world that they matter," said librettist David Thompson in a statement. Continued Susan Stroman: “A uniquely American story about an important chapter of American history, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS is a story that still has relevance today. So many of those issues are unresolved, and threaten to remain so unless we engage in a dialogue about them. I look forward to working at Philadelphia Theatre Company. Our hope is this production will be a way to get the conversation started, and to carry it forward.” THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS reunites the original creative team of set designer Beowulf Boritt, lighting designer Ken Billington, costume designer Toni-Leslie James and sound designer Peter Hylenski. PTC favorite Eric Ebbenga returns as music director. Tickets starting at $25 are available by calling the PTC Box Office at (215) 985-0420 or by visiting PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org. Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Suzanne Roberts Theatre is located at Broad and Lombard Streets." in Playbill On-Line by Andrew Gans |
| December 24, 2011 - Fred Ebb Foundation Donates Record-Breaking Sum to Broadway Cares -
"The Fred Ebb Foundation has contributed $1.2 million to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the organization announced Dec. 21. It marks the largest single donation in BC/EFA's 22-year history.
The Ebb Foundation, which is funded by royalties from the late Tony-winning lyricist's work, previously broke the record last year with its gift of $1 million to BC/EFA. "Fred Ebb’s lyrics abounded in an ebullient energy, wry humor and zest for living," BC/EFA executive director Tom Viola said in a statement. "With John Kander, Fred gave us some of the most delightful, smart, hilarious and heartfelt songs in more than a dozen groundbreaking and acclaimed musicals of the last 50 years. Fred’s creative genius has also become a legacy of his great generosity of spirit with his on-going support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This astounding award of $1.2 million this year from the Fred Ebb Foundation is the largest single donation made to Broadway Cares in our history. It enables us to secure and increase our support for the essential safety net of social services provided by The Actors Fund, as well as hundreds of HIV/AIDS and family service organizations nationwide at a time when other funding sources are cutting back as more and more men, women and children reach out for assistance. What an incredible gift Fred has given them. ‘Long as we pull together, we can do anything, anything, anywhere,’ Fred wrote in The Rink. Thank you, Fred! Your most generous gift will allow BC/EFA to act on those wise and kind words." Late lyricist Fred Ebb was a recipient of the Tony, Grammy, Emmy, Olivier and Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement Awards. With his longtime collaborator John Kander, he first penned the song "My Coloring Book" in 1962. The team would go on to create their first musical with Hal Prince, Flora, The Red Menace, starring a young Liza Minnelli. Their works also include Cabaret, The Happy Time, Zorba, Chicago, The Act, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Curtains. His Tony-nominated musical The Scottsboro Boys arrived on Broadway last season. The Actors' Fund staged a concert of the Kander and Ebb musical The Visit in November. BC/EFA is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised over $195 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States." in Playbill On-Line by Adam Hetric |
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| December 4, 2011 - Chita Rivera Wows Broadway in THE VISIT Concert - There's a real great and long article on
the one-night-only Nov. 30 Broadway concert of THE VISIT at the Playbill On-line site by Harry Haun. Click here to read the article.
by Jorge |
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Following Bradford, it will visit Hull, Southend, Birmingham, Southsea, Manchester, Sunderland, Ipswich, York, Edinburgh, Rhyl, Tunbridge Wells, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Eastbourne and Grimsby, with further dates to be announced. Bastian is best known for playing Becca in TV's "Hollyoaks" and Sally Armstrong in "The Bill," and for appearing on the 2009 series of BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing," in which she reached the semi-finals. Theatre credits include “Burn the Floor” (Shaftesbury) and the UK tour of Strictly Live 2010. Booth was recently seen playing Greg Jessop in TV's "EastEnders," and other TV roles include Marc Rollins in "The Bill" and Jamie Nash in "Hollyoaks." He reached the finals of the first series of ITV's "Dancing on Ice." Dorgu is best known for playing Kelly Crabtree in TV's "Coronation Street." In the West End, she has appeared in Mamma Mia! Nolan was the lead singer with The Nolans from 1974 until 1994. Her stage credits include tours of Calendar Girls, Flashdance, Mum's the Word and Blood Brothers. She was recently a finalist in the first series of ITV's "Popstar to Opera Star." CHICAGO, which is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Scenic design is by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting by Ken Billington and sound by Rick Clarke. Musical supervision is by Rob Fisher. Chicago is choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse and directed by Walter Bobbie. The national tour of CHICAGO is produced by David Ian Productions in association with the Broadway producers Barry and Fran Weissler. For full tour dates and box office numbers, visit www.chicagotour.co.uk." in Playbill On-Line by Mark Shenton |
The Fred Ebb Foundation (Mitchell Bernard, trustee) in association with the Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, artistic director) gives the awards, established by the late Tony Award-winning lyricist of Chicago, Cabaret, Zorba, Kiss of the Spider Woman and other shows. The 2011 award will be presented to Jeff Blumenkrantz by Bebe Neuwirth, a veteran of Ebb's Chicago, on Nov. 28 at an invitation-only ceremony in the Penthouse Lobby of The American Airlines Theater. Blumenkrantz began his career as an actor, performing on Broadway in Into the Woods (1987), Threepenny Opera (1989), Damn Yankees (1994), How to Succeed in Business… (as a memorable Bud Frump in 1995) and A Class Act (2001) and on TV in "Candide in Concert" for "Great Performances" and on all three "Law & Order" series, among other film and TV projects. He received a Best Original Score Tony nomination for his songs in Broadway's "Urban Cowboy". His one-act pieces, Woman with Pocketbook and Precious Little Jewel, have been performed at several regional theatres around the country. His song "I Won't Mind" (lyrics by Annie Kessler and Libby Saines) was recorded by Audra McDonald. He has received song commissions from both Carnegie Hall and the Guggenheim's Works and Process program. Most recently, his songs have been recorded by Sutton Foster, Rebecca Luker, Victoria Clark, Lauren Kennedy and Megan Mullally. |
An advocate of his colleagues' work, Blumenkrantz also produced and hosted "The BMI Workshop Songbook" Podcast, featuring never-before-available music by members and alumni of the acclaimed musical theatre writers' workshop. It, too, can be found on iTunes or at www.bmiworkshopsongbook.com. * * * The award is meant to encourage and support aspiring songwriters to create new works for the musical theatre. In addition to the monetary prize, the Fred Ebb Foundation will produce a one-night-only showcase of the winner's work. The Fred Ebb Foundation is funded by royalties from Ebb's vast catalog of work. The Fred Ebb Foundation also makes an annual donation to Fred Ebb's favorite charity, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS." in Playbill On-Line by Kenneth Jones / photos © Joseph Marzullo / Wenn |
Based on Friedrich Dürrenmatt's play of the same title, THE VISIT was first announced to arrive on Broadway in early 2001 following a Boston try-out. It was billed as a vehicle for Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury. Lansbury later bowed out of the production to be with her family, and Tony-winning Kander and Ebb veteran Chita Rivera stepped into the central role of Claire Zachanassian when THE VISIT made its debut in September 2001 at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. While Broadway plans were always the aim, an Off-Broadway bow at the Public Theater was considered and scuttled, but not before THE VISIT would once again resurface at Arlington, VA's Signature Theatre in 2008. A decade later, Rivera, along with many members of the Signature cast and creative team, have reassembled in New York to prepare THE VISIT for a special concert staging presented by The Actors Fund and The Vineyard Theatre. Carl Andress (The Divine Sister, Die Mommie Die) has taken over directorial duties for the Nov. 30 concert staging, which features original choreography by Tony winner Ann Reinking and welcomes John Cullum as Rivera's co-star. THE VISIT will play the Ambassador Theatre, home of Kander and Ebb's long-running hit revival “Chicago”. "We've been dying for New York audiences to have it," Tony-winning book writer McNally said of THE VISIT. "I think it's riper than ever to be heard." The production marks McNally's third collaboration with composer Kander, late lyricist Ebb and star Rivera, who previously worked together on “The Rink” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman”. "This piece has been a very gratifying experience," Kander added. "When we got it to the point that it was at, at the Signature, I think we all felt proud and satisfied. The fact that it was not coming to New York seemed strange and sad for a lot of reasons." Andress and McNally said there was great hope among the creative team that New York would get to see THE VISIT beyond its single performance. The attachment of the Vineyard Theatre, which presented Kander and Ebb's “The Scottsboro Boys” Off-Broadway prior to its Tony-nominated Broadway run, could indicate a possible future life for the musical. "This is an all-around great company of artists and with a cast of 20-plus of course it would require a bigger theatre than The Vineyard. We are grateful for the chance to participate in this very special evening and hopeful for the show's future," Vineyard executive producer Jennifer Garvey-Blackwell said via e-mail Nov. 28. "We certainly want more than one performance. That's what we're aiming for," Rivera told Playbill.com. The writers also sang the praises of Rivera, the Broadway legend known for originating roles in West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie and Chicago, who is still proving her mettle as a triple-threat into her 70's. McNally added, "All three of my Kander and Ebb shows have been with Chita, and she won a Tony for the first two. I think a third Tony awaits her if we can get this to Broadway." "I don't know if I'd have a career if [Kander and Ebb] hadn't shaped it for me and given me such magnificent shows to do," Rivera replied. "So when [THE VISIT] came about, it seemed right for me at this time in my life. It's so beautifully artistic. It's really what the theatre is about. It's smart. It all blends." She also spoke of her love for the role of the vengeful Claire, who returns to save her hometown, but with a costly price. "I love her. She was madly in love with this man and he did her wrong. She's strong, she's honest and she gets what she wants," she said. McNally described THE VISIT as "serious, but filled with heart and passion. We ask audiences to think and feel. It's not frivolous. I think the score is a masterpiece waiting to be discovered." in Playbill On-Line by Adam Hetric |
Here is the link to a video regarding THE VISIT’s rehearsal: www.playbill.com/multimedia For more videos click here. in Playbill On-Line |
| October 14, 2011 - CHICAGO at Muny - "The summer 2012 season at the St. Louis Muny, the nation's oldest and largest outdoor theatre, will feature seven musical productions, including several never before seen at the famed venue.
The upcoming 94th season also marks the first for new executive producer Mike Isaacson. Audiences at the Muny can expect to see productions of Disney's Aladdin, CHICAGO, Dreamgirls, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The King and I, Pirates! (or, Gilbert & Sullivan Plunder'd) and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Performance dates will be announced at a later time. “I’m excited by my first Muny season,” commented executive producer Mike Isaacson in a statement. “Stylistically and musically there’s something for everyone. Each of these shows is terrifically entertaining...I’m also thrilled to include 4½ Muny production premieres. Disney’s Aladdin, Chicago, Dreamgirls and Thoroughly Modern Millie have never been produced by The Muny. And Pirates! is a marvelous new spin on the Gilbert and Sullivan original, The Pirates of Penzance, which The Muny has produced twice before. I’m counting that as half a premiere.” "I am really looking forward to this season,” added president and CEO Denny Reagan. “I've been at The Muny for a long time, and never have I felt such a strong surge of new energy. We are committed to maintaining the wonderful Muny experience our audiences expect, and there are going to be some exciting changes this summer!" The theatre regularly attracts Broadway talent. Last season boasted performances by Andrea Burns, Jenny Powers, Curtis Holbrook, Tony Yazbeck, Ken Page, Lee Roy Reams, Tom Hewitt and more. New season tickets will be available beginning March 3 at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park. Single tickets will go on sale June 2, 2012. For more ticket information, call (314) 361-1900 or visit www.muny.org." in Playbill On-Line by Andrew Gans |
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Scott Ellis, who directed Hyde Pierce to a Best Actor Tony win for Curtains, will direct the lab staging. David Loud (The Scottsboro Boys) will be music director. The Landing is "a collection of three related one-act musicals" with music by Tony-winning composer Kander (Chicago, Cabaret, Zorba, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and librettist-lyricist Greg Pierce. According to the Sept. 6 announcement by Vineyard Theatre, "Based on stories written by John Kander and Greg Pierce, THE LANDING — which will mark Mr. Kander's first full new theatre collaboration with another writer since the passing of his long-time collaborator Fred Ebb in 2004 — is comprised of three one-act musicals thematically-linked and performed together by an ensemble of four. These gripping and soulful pieces invite audiences into richly imagined worlds, in which characters must confront what it means to get what they think they want." Additional cast and information will be announced at a later date. Developmental Lab Productions at The Vineyard "are limited runs for which only Vineyard members are guaranteed a seat. Developmental Lab Productions have minimal production values and are not open for review by critics." Kander's relationship with The Vineyard dates back to 1987 with the theatre's revival of the Kander and Ebb musical “Flora The Red Menace”. Most recently, Vineyard Theatre presented the world premiere of Kander and Ebb's musical “The Scottsboro Boys”, with book by David Thompson, in March 2010. Greg Pierce is a playwright and fiction writer. His stage adaptation of Haruki Murakami's novel “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” (co-written with director Stephen Earnhart) premiered at The Ohio Theatre in New York City, and was performed at the 2011 Edinburgh International Festival. His plays include “Slowgirl”, “Kickstop”, “Odyssey Room”, “Smack the Wagon” and “The Suburbanoids”. The Vineyard, an Off-Broadway resident not-for-profit theatre, presents at 108 E. 15 Street. For more information about The Vineyard, visit www.vineyardtheatre.org in Playbill On-Line by Kenneth Jones |
This season, French audiences will have a little taste of Broadway... in the language of Molière. From “Mamma Mia!” to “Avenue Q”, the musicals will be performed in French. One thing is certain, over the last decade, French theatregoers have been slowly opening up to Broadway musicals. The Kander and Ebb classic CABARET, in its Sam Mendes staging, met with great success in 2006-2008 at Paris' Folies Bergere. This time, the production will play the Théâtre Marigny with most of the original leads, except for the Emcee, who will now be portrayed by Emmanuel Moire (former star of the French musical Le Roi Soleil). Claire Pérot stars as Sally Bowles. CABARET will play at Théâtre Marigny Oct. 6-Dec. 31. Visit www.cabaret-lemusical.fr for more information." in Playbill On-Line by Stéphane Ly-Cuong |
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Blumenkrantz is a recipient of the BMI Harrington Award and the Dramatists Guild Jonathan Larson Memorial Musical Theatre Fellowship. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and a longtime member of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. In 2005, he published a songbook of his music and produced "The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook" Podcast, which featured live performances of those songs. The podcast episodes can still be heard by visiting iTunes or 
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