Forbidden on Broadway

[+ Lucky]

Last fall poster EdJames lamented the closing of several Broadway shows, and I responded that is was only natural. But, a look at today's Theater Direcory shows that 23 shows are closing on and off Broadway in the next couple of weeks. That's pretty phenomenal.

 

Besides leaving many unemployed actors, it is going to be sad to see so many dark houses. But there are new shows coming along. Guys and Dolls is one, along with West Side Story, Hair, and Hedda Gabler, Blithe Spirit, and a Jane Fonda show, 33 Variations. Also, Richard Greenberg has The American Plan beginning previews on January 2d. So all is not lost, but it may be slim pickings compared to past possibilities.

 

I am wondering about the casting for Guys and Dolls, since the last production had so many good performers. I saw a version in London starring Patrick Swayze that proved that the show needs some good actors to make it work. I never expected to be so bored watching the show.

 

The 23 departing shows:

 

13

All My Sons

Boeing-Boeing

Dividing The Estate

Grease

Gypsy

Hairspray

Liza's At the palace

Spamalot

Spring Awakening

The Seagull

White Christmas

Young Frankenstein

Forbidden broadway

Mandy Patinkin

My Vaudeville Man

Prayer For My Enemy

Road Show

Saturn Returns

Streamers

Taking Over

Too Much Memory

What's That Smell

[JT Brooklyn]

The NYC Economy is going to effect Everything in 2009!

 

The Disposable Incomes of the Past, for those smart enuff to realize it, isn't going to be around for Entertainment that wasn't Cheap to begin with. ;-)

[ted]

And Hair, which has been announced, is having problems finding capital and so is not a sure thing at this point although the producer has said it will open.

[Lankypeters]

>

>I am wondering about the casting for Guys and Dolls, since the

>last production had so many good perfomers. I saw a version in

>London starring Patrick Swayze that proved that the show needs

>some good actors to make it work. I never expected to be so

>bored watching the show.

>

 

 

Craig Bierko, who starred as Harold Hill in the Broadway revival of "The Music Man," plays Sky Masterson. He should be good in the part. Kate Jennings Grant, the lead in "Bloomer Girl" for ENCORES!, plays Sarah. Oliver Platt is Nathan and Lauren Graham (from "Gilmore Girls"?) is Adelaide. Platt has a lot of stage experience; I don't think Graham does. The director staged "Jersey Boys."

 

Also, this week a black actor was signed to play Nicely Nicely Johnson. He comes from a recent Broadway show, the title of which escapes me. Details are on playbill.com

 

I've invested in tickets. Let's hope the production gets the TLC that went into "South Pacific."

[Rick Munroe]

>Besides leaving many unemployed actors, it is going to be sad

>to see so many dark houses.

 

>Liza's At the palace

 

That's so sad that Liza will be out of a job. I hope she can collect unemployment or something.

[+ Lucky]

Maybe Liza will have to travel the country, looking for lonely old men in small towns who don't mind hiring aging stars to give them a few jollies.

[JT Brooklyn]

What! No "Alimoney Checks" from that Last Husband The Wacko?

 

You have to give her Credit she does keep on Truck'n... she does NYC Proud! ;-)

[JT Brooklyn]

What! No "Alimoney Checks" from that Last Husband The Wacko?

 

You have to give her Credit she does keep on Truck'n... she does NYC Proud! ;-)

[+ Cash4Trash]

If you're a theater nut and in NYC make it a point to see What's That Smell - The Music Of Jacob Sterling" before it closes.

 

Very funny and very gay. One of the best things I've seen this year.

[edjames]

Yes, it's going to be a tough year for Broadway. There are at least 9 major theaters in NYC that have no shows booked for next year.

 

The outlook is grim. Many of the shows mentioned in Lucky's post were already due to close because they were a limited run, otehrs had run their natural course and will now have a life on the road.

 

Hair is in jeopardy since it has rasied only about $2 million of the neeed $6 million.

 

I have absolutely no desire to see Guys and Dolls since it is one of my least favorite shows. I saw the last revival with Nathan Lane. I like Craig Bierko and he sidestepped a mjor disaster by exiting a flop Broadway show earlier this year. (To Be, or Not To Be?)

 

Revivials, revivials, revicials. Alas, no new musicals in the near horizon.

 

It's going to be an uneventful spring unless West Side Story roars to life.

 

ED

[Lankypeters]

> I saw a version

>in London starring Patrick Swayze that proved that the show

>needs some good actors to make it work. I never expected to be

>so bored watching the show.

>

Swayze followed Ewan McGregor, who opened in the role. I've heard the production was lacklustre.

[+ deej]

>Revivials, revivials, revicials. Alas, no new musicals in the

>near horizon.

 

Isn't "9 to 5: the musical" still slated to open in April?

 

(I admit I've lost touch.)

 

It has Tony written all over it, but how sad if it wins only because nothing else is running. <sigh>

[Lankypeters]

>>Revivials, revivials, revicials. Alas, no new musicals

>in the

>>near horizon.

>

>Isn't "9 to 5: the musical" still slated to open in

>April?

>

 

You mean "A Tale of Two Titties"?

 

 

"I'd say that's a bit of an extreme reaction, now wouldn't you?" -- N.F. Bates

 

 

Lankypeters

[Rick Munroe]

>Maybe Liza will have to travel the country, looking for

>lonely old men in small towns who don't mind hiring aging

>stars to give them a few jollies.

 

Wow, Lucky, you'll have to tell us what it's like to meet Liza!

[Trixie]

For those of you who are in the know, is there REALLY a Broadway musical version of 'Brokeback Mountain' on the horizon? Or was that just someone's joke?

 

 

Trix

[+ Lucky]

deej- 9 to 5 is slated to open in April.

 

La Trix- I have not heard any such plans, so I googled the matter and learned that in July of 2007 there was much talk of such a show being done on Broadway. It appears that nothing came of it. Also, the NY City Opera was talking about doing an opera of Brokeback Mountain, but just last month gave up on that idea.

[edjames]

Without trying to sound like a Grinch, there's a long time between now and the proposed April opening for "9 to 5". If the monies are already committed and set, then fine, it's good to go, and yes, it will have little to no competition for a Tony. If the production lacks funding, it may be pushed back a year or more until the economy recovers. There is very little interest, and very little money, in backing Broadway shows right now. My sources tell me producers are dropping out of new productions left and right.

 

And, last I read, "Brokeback Mountain" was slated to be an opera production, but I cannot remember what opera company was interested in doing it. Perhaps La Gran Scena???? LOL

 

For those anxious to catch a glimpse of more skin from hunky "Spring Awakening" alum, Jonathan Groff in "Hair," don't hold your breath. Joanathan has opted out of reprising his role due to lack on salary. The cast from the Delecorte Theater production in Central park this summer, has been offered scale wages for this production in "keeping with the spirit of the 1960's production," according to sources. Hpowever, not in keeping with the 1960's production are the top ticket prices of $125!!!!!

 

Making it more frustrating is NY Govenor Patterson's additional 4% entertainment tax which makes top tickets $5 more expensive, driving the top ticket price to $130!

 

ED

[+ Lucky]

RE: Farewells on Broadway

 

Same subject, but much better said than I could:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/theater/04last.html?hp

[BgMstr4u]

RE: Farewells on Broadway

 

The Times article is great, and true. Theater is ephemeral. It's not like a movie you can see over and over. There will never be another production like the one you can see today.

 

So -- If you have not yet seen Patti Lupone in Gypsy, GO SEE IT!!

It is without question one of the greatest Broadway stage performances of all time. Lupone IS Mama Rose. By way of Medea and Lady Macbeth.

 

Do It!

[Guest carter07]

But there will be SOME theater; some of the closings are of shows that had run their course and would have closed regardless of the current economic situation. As noted, Hedda Gabler will open. The son and his partner are loading this into the American Airlines Theater and the partner will work props. Yes, the stagehands are a bit nervous about the economic impact. But there seems to be theater somewhere, most of the time, and then there's television and trade shows. Son was home over the holidays and he didn't seem too worried.