Celebrated names – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Steven Spielberg, Rush Limbaugh, Mike The Situation from Jersey Shore – came up in surprising ways in this past week of New York Theater Tweets, as did much-respected playwrights such as Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill – at least I thought they were respected.
The proposed building of yet another new theater was announced, some casts for the Broadway season were firmed up, and Sir Elton John became a Broadway producer — with the hopes that he will take his duties as seriously as Green Day, and more seriously than Jay-Z. (Who said you could no longer name-drop on Broadway?)
Monday, February 1, 2010
Actors Equity is celebrating Black History Month with Harlem on My Mind - a FREE one-time solo performance by cabaret singer and actress Julia Breanetta Simpson on February 8 at New World Stages. Reception at 6, show at 7:30.
Lincoln Center Theater will build a new theater atop the Vivian Beaumont. The new theater’s programming, called LCT3, will feature the work of emerging playwrights, directors and designers, and will be aimed at new audiences. Every ticket will be priced at $20.
In the New Yorker, John Lahr offers a profile, interview and analysis of Sam Shepard, who is most widely known as a movie star who has appeared in some 40 films, but came to prominence as a playwright, having had four dozen plays produced, latest of which is “Ages of the Moon” at Atlantic Theater Company. “I just dropped out of nowhere,” Shepard says when, at the age of 19, he moved to New York and wound up writing plays — his early Off-Off Broadway plays were greatly influenced by his drumming; his father had been a “semi-professional Dixiland drummer.” But it was his father’s violent, alcoholic, self-destructive despair that proved a greater influence on what Lahr clearly sees as the peak of Shepard’s playwriting, a quartet of plays between 1978 and 1985 that include the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Buried Child.”
Tony Award winner Anna Shapiro (August:Osage County) will direct the Broadway revival of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s You Can’t Take It With You in November.
It’s definite: Donmar Warehouse’s RED, with Alfred Molina as New York School painter Mark Rothko, will open on Broadway April 1 for 15 weeks.
Elton John and his partner David Furnish have become Broadway producers, investing their money and lending their name to “Next Fall” about a gay couple, opening March 11.
So Which Great Dead American Playwrights DO You Like, Mr. Teachout?
It struck me that in the course of two recent rave reviews – for
The Empire Jones and A View From The Bridge — Wall Street Journal drama critic Terry Teachout managed to speak dismissively of both playwrights, who happen to be Eugene O’Neill and Arthur Miller, largely regarded as two of America’s greatest. It was as if he was saying the secular theatrical equivalent of “Love the sin, hate the sinner.”
So I e-mailed Mr. Teachout: If not Miller or O’Neill, which dead American playwrights have your unmitigated — or at least greatest — admiration?
Terry Teachout: “I’m more oriented toward specific plays than playwrights, but I’d say that Thornton Wilder had a good batting average, and of course Tennessee Williams also wrote a few plays that I think are very effective–and one, “The Glass Menagerie,” that I think is probably the greatest of all American plays. But it’s true that I incline to think in terms of important work rather than important individuals.”
Jonathan Mandell: But in those passages you were thinking in terms of individuals, e.g. “Regular readers of this column will know that I don’t have much use for Miller, but I’m happy to make an exception for ‘A View From the Bridge’….” and “…even if, like me, you have mixed feelings about O’Neill, don’t miss ‘The Emperor Jones.’”
Terry Teachout: “Well, you start with an accumulation of opinions about individual plays, and then you look up one day and say, ‘Gee, I guess I don’t much like O’Neill!’ Which is what happened to me.”
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
In “Time Stands Still” by Donald Margulies, Eric Bogosian makes his Broadway debut after 3 yrs on TV and 30 as a solo performance artist; keeps his acting separate.
The complete list of Oscar nominees, announced today. Among the nominees are several long recognized as well for their stage work, including Christopher Plummer, Tony Award winner for Cyrano and for Barrymore.
Meryl Streep received her 16th Oscar nomination (She has won two, for “Sophie’s Choice” and “Kramer vs. Kramer”) 
As the Oscar Web site points out, “With her 16th nomination this year, Meryl Streep extends her lead as the most nominated performer. Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson are tied at 12 nominations each.”
However, Streep, who has appeared in five Broadway play, has never won a Tony. She was nominated for her roles in a 1976 double bill of plays “A Memory of Two Mondays / 27 Wagons Full of Cotton” by, respectively, Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams.
Burton Lane, composer of Finian’s Rainbow, was born today in 1912 (died 1997). Today is the 1st day the new cast album is for sale.
Steven Spielberg is said soon to direct a movie about George Gershwin starring Star Trek’s Zachary Quinto and written by playwright Doug Wright. Doug Wright won Tony for I Am My Own Wife, wrote book for Grey Gardens & Little Mermaid, has best essay in “The Play That Changed My Life.”Whatever else George Gershwin was, he was a Broadway baby. He only lived to the age of 38, but in his short lifetime he helped shape an astonishing 43 Broadway musical productions, some of which changed the sound of American music and the face of American musical theater.
Kids Night on Broadway begins today
“A Life in Three Acts” to run at St. Ann’s in Brooklyn, March 4-28. The British hit stars gay performer-activist Bette Bourne.
Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010
Producer Stephen C. Byrd, who had been planning to bring to Broadway the Sydney Theater Company’s production of Tennessee Williams’ “Streetcar Named Desire” starring Cate Blanchett, now says he hopes to do a completely new production of the play with a multiracial cast, aiming for Broadway in Spring, 2011
“Neighbors” at the Public Theater, written by a black playwright and featuring black actors in blackface, will include shocking minstrelsy.
‘La Cage Aux Folles” announces more cast members — esp. Veanne Cox (“Company”) Robin de Jesus (“In the Heights”)
Scarlett Johansson on her Broadway debut, & her role as Black Widow in ‘Iron Man 2′ wearing a Lycra cat suit
For Rent After Broadway:Jonathan Larson’s musical Rent is opening in Hoboken tonight, one of some three dozen productions of it around the world in February alone, from Athens to Houston to Hackensack to right across the river from the original. “Rent” ended its Broadway run after 12 years on September 7, 2008, and made its rights available to sell for amateur, school and regional productions in April, 2009. The Broadway touring company ends its run February 7th.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Run extended until March 7 for ‘Venus in Fur’ — producers eying a commercial transfer
Playwright Donald Margulies talks about the ethical implications in Time Stand Still (audio slide show) NYT
Promises, Promises, open April 25, has announced cast of 27, incl. Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth,Tony Goldwyn, Katie Finneran, Dick Latessa
Another David Mamet play on Broadway! Revival of his ‘Life in the Theater’ slated for the fall.
Lady Bunny stars in comedy about gay marriage opening Feb 6, at Theatre 80 St. Marks Place, When Joey Married Bobby
Friday, February 5, 2010
New York Times drama critic Charles Isherwood, answering readers questions, gives his opinions on ignoring his influence; liking Annie Baker; theatrical bad manners and sucking candies
First: Jerry Springer the Opera, then: Rod Blagojevich Superstar! now Rush Limbaugh The Musical, at Chicago’s Second City.
Green Day’s push of American Idiot on the Grammy’s resulted in a million dollars of advance ticket sales for the musical, opening on Broadway April 20. Why, Michael Riedel asks, didn’t Jay-Z push in the same way for Fela?
Jersey Boys vs. Jersey Shore
In which show – “Jersey Shore,” “Jersey Boys,” “The Toxic Avenger,” or “The Sopranos” - does someone say: “Certain individuals aren’t crazy about living in a state where you have to drive to a landfill next to a dump next to a turnpike to cheer for a team that’s from New York anyway.”...more…
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Will anybody be going to Broadway on Super Bowl Sunday?
Jason Breslin (@jasonbres, Huntington, West Virginia): Hell no! Don’t get me wrong, I love Broadway but I wouldn’t miss the Super Bowl for the world!
Adrian Bryan-Brown (@Bubbles2828) Yes, Jets fans and TIVO for commercials and half time show.
Kate (@BeeingMissStar) Sure, I would go to a show. I never watch the Superbowl because I just don’t care. I know that makes me uncool, but eh.
Rose Ginsberg (@MsEnScene) I won’t be at a Broadway show during the Super Bowl, but I will be in rehearsal, with the whole cast. They were ok with it!
Stellah (@stellerooo): I went on Superbowl Sunday a few years ago… much rather be doing there + they told us the score at intermission!
Natalie Chernicoff (@HelloMuchBetter): If I didn’t have to work Superbowl Sunday, I’d totally be seeing something! I don’t do sports.
Carli Entin (@carlient): I did a matinee of Les Mis a few years ago and got home for kickoff. I also find July 4 is great for the shows that are open
Nathan Collins (@nmcollins) Yeah right. Superbowl is a holiday. plus all the Broadway shows i want to see don’t open until later this month.
Steve Loucks (@steveonbroadway) Last year, 16 Broadway shows posted week-over-week declines during Super Bowl week. Still, target audiences differ. P.S. I’m heading OFF-Broadway this Super Bowl Sunday for Venus in Fur.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
My review of The Jackie Look
If “The Jackie Look” looks to be a parody of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the embodiment of American grace, by Karen Finley — wasn’t she the performance artist who smeared her breasts with chocolate? – it’s best to look again…and then a third time…more
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The Week in New York Theater Tweets appears every Monday in The New York Theater section of The Faster Times, a selection (and enhancement) of my past week’s 140-character Twitter messages. To sign up to the New York Theater Twitter account, click on this link.
Past issues:
Avenue Q/South Park 2? Time Stands Still. American Idiot Doesn’t. 02/01/10
Scarlett Johansson’s First Time; Victor Garber’s 15th; A Nasty Bye Bye. 1/25/10
Antonio Banderas Back On Broadway? Angels Back In America. 1/18/10
Sinatra, Elvis, Green Day, Bono Coming To Broadway 1/11/10
From Arthur Miller to Catherine Zeta-Jones 12/28,
