View the Tony Awards in the Heart of Manhattan June 8, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in Theater.Tags: 2010 Tony Awards, Broadway, Clear Channel, Destiny's Child, Duffy Square, Michelle Williams, Times Square
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If the five boroughs are the veins of New York City, than Times Square is the heart. It moves at a pace of 200 bpm and carries the electricity of a bolt of lightning. For the first time the Tony Awards will allow viewers to be able to watch the stars of Broadway on Broadway. The 64th Annual Tony Awards will be simulcast live to Times Square on Sunday, June 13th. This event is a collaboration between the Tony Awards, iXP Corporation and Times Square Alliance. The simulcast will air on a Clear Channel Spectacolor HD Screen. In addition to the live simulcast of NY1’s pre-show On STAGE’s Red Carpet to the TONY’s, the Times Square simulcast will feature special guests throughout the evening, including a special appearance by Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child. The simulcast starts at 5:30 p.m. in Duffy Square and seats 1,000. FAMERS go to Times Square and be a part of Tony history.
Tony Awards’ Host Promises To Be a Riot May 25, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in Theater.Tags: 2010 Tony Awards, Promises Promises Musical, Sean Hayes, Tony Awards Host, Will & Grace
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Hosting an award show can be a daunting task. He/she should be funny without being too offensive, possess great style and have the ability to keep energy of the event high. This year the Tony Awards could have no better host than Sean Hayes. The Broadway rookie has been announced to be the host of the 64th annual award show that toasts the best of Broadway. “I am absolutely thrilled to be hosting the Tony Awards,” said Hayes. “As the new guy on Broadway, it’s an honor to be included in the established alumni.” While Hayes is a new comer to the Great White Way, he is definitely comfortable being center stage. Sean Hayes was a comedic sensation as Jack McFarland in the hit show Will & Grace, which ran for eight seasons on NBC. Currently he is wowing audience-goers at the Broadway Theatre in Promises, Promises. Witty, charming and full of liveliness, Sean Hayes should fare well as he joins the pantheon of legends that have hosted the Tony Awards. June 13th promises to be quite a night.
Class of 2010 May 24, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in Theater.Tags: 2010 Tony Awards, Plaza Hotel NYC, Tony Award Nominees
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The 2010 Tony Award nominees assembled on the steps of the Plaza Hotel on May 20 for an official class photo. The nominees were all smiles as they posed for pictures, but soon the winners will be revealed. The 2010 Tony Awards will air live June 13 on CBS. F.A.M.E NYC wishes good luck to all the nominees.
Photo: Larry Busacca/Wireimage.com
Promise Fulfilled May 19, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in FAME, Theater.Tags: 2010 Tony Nominee, Broadway, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Katie Finnerman, Kristen Chenoweth, Neil Simon, Promises, Rob Ashford, Sean Hayes
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As I stood outside the Broadway Theatre, my original thought was maybe the name for this production should’ve been changed to lines, lines. The appeal of this play was obvious from the procession of people with tickets in hand anticipating the opening of the doors. While I slowly made my way inside the venue, I had another thought. I realized that every time the curtains rise on a stage a promise is made. So what do you get when you combine a concept based on a Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond screenplay, a book by Neil Simon, music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David? You get a formula for success, success. And that is exactly what the revival of Promises, Promises is.
Sean Hayes, Kristen Chenoweth and cast had huge shoes to fill. The original 1968 production garnered a Grammy award for Best Cast Recording and two Tony awards. The simple, soft, yet potent elegance of Burt Bacharach’s and Hal David’s music is deeply woven in the fabric of pop culture. Songs like “I Say a Little Prayer”, “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”, “Promises, Promises”, and “A House Is Not a Home” have been indelibly ingrained on the psyche of any music lover thanks impart to iconic singers like Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin. The musical is based on the hilarious, Oscar winning comedy, The Apartment, starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley McClain. Although I was not alive when the original musical appeared on Broadway, the music and movie it was based on is very familiar to me. Needless to say, I had high expectations and I was not disappointed.
From the opening overture to the reprise of “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”, Promises, Promises delivered absolute amusement. What a joy it was to witness Burt Bacharach’s and Hal David’s music come alive in a way I had never experienced before. Sean Hayes was born to play the charming, ambitious to a fault Chuck Baxter, a young bachelor that works at Consolidated Life. Will & Grace showed he had the comedic chops, but his overall talent shines in this musical comedy. He is exceptional in his Broadway debut, so much so that his portrayal of Chuck has garnered a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. His constant breaking of the fourth wall in order to narrate the story was a scream.
Kristen Chenoweth is simply adorable as the sadder but wiser Fran Kubelik, the young waitress that has an affair with a married executive, played by Tony Goldwyn, and is the girl of Chuck’s dreams. Her renditions of “Whoever You Are”, “A House Is Not a Home”, “I Say a Little Prayer” and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” are heavenly. She and Sean are a delight to watch and have great chemistry.
The slinky, Fossesque choreography of Rob Ashford was right on queue. The hip-swiveling, energetic moves harkens back to a time when the mash potato, frug and monkey ruled. Rob Ashford received a Tony nomination for Best Choreography and it is well deserved. Combined with the orchestrations of Jonathan Tunick, 2010 Tony nominee for Best Orchestrations, Promises, Promises provides its audience with a knock out punch.
For me the breakout star of this musical comedy is Katie Finnerman. She is a sensation as the brassy, sex-crazed Marge MacDougall. She delivers some of the most side-splitting lines of the show and is one of the reasons why “A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing” has become my favorite number. Tony Goldwyn and Dick Latessa also give stand out performances as J.D. Sheldrake, the womanizing executive, and Dr. Dreyfuss, Chuck’s cynical neighbor.
Set in Manhattan during the early 60s, Promises, Promises transports the audience back to a simpler time just before the nation lost its innocence from the eruption of Vietnam War protests, assassinations and riots. The show is filled with unethical and immoral subject matter, yet in the wake of all the ills that plague us today, infidelity, nepotism, attempted suicide and turkey lurking hardly seems like issues that would raise any eyebrows. Besides, I so entertained by the performances of the cast that the depravity of the show themes did not register. Sexy…witty…gut-busting humor…memorable music Promises, Promises has it all. It is a tremendous triumph.
After seeing Promises, Promises I walked the streets of the new Times Square floating on a cloud of Bacharach. Once you see it, you will fall in love and stay in love with the revival of this groovy musical. I promise.
FAMERS to order discount tickets for Promises, Promises, click http://www.promisespromisesbroadway.com/PPAMC56.php.
Photos courtesy of Promises, Promises.com and Broadway.com
The Black President Leads Tony Nominations May 13, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in FAME, Theater.Tags: August Wilson, Bill T. Jones, Denzel Washington, Fela!, Fences, Kelsey Grammer, Radio City Music Hall, Sahr Ngaujah, Tony Awards, Viola Davis
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F.A.M.E NYC told you that Fela! was the best production for 2009, and The American Theatre Wing agrees. Fela! nabbed 11 Tony nominations including Best Musical, Bill T. Jones for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography, Sahr Ngaujah for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical and Lillias White for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. The revival of La Cage aux Folles also grabbed 11 Tony nominations with Kelsey Grammer also vying for the Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical award.
The revival August Wilson’s Fences garnered 10 nominations including Denzel Washington for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Viola Davis for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, Kenny Leon for Best Directions of a Play and Branford Marsalis for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre.
Broadway goes to Radio City Music Hall as the Tony Awards air live Sunday June 13 on CBS. To view a list of all the nominees please visit www.tonyawards.com. Good luck to all the nominees and we at F.A.M.E NYC will have our fingers crossed for Fela!
Gawk and Awe May 8, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in FAME, Theater.Tags: Daryl Roth Theater, Experimental Theater, Fuerza Bruta Look Up, Off Broadway, Performance Art
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Dozens of strangers corralled into a wide dark space unsure of what will happen next. Strobe lights are overhead as the DJ spins electro-tech sounds. I’m no stranger to clubs (in fact they are my second home) and this definitely feels like one. There is barely anywhere to sit and I began to think to myself, “I thought I was going to see a show.” But before I could get lost in my thoughts, it began.
A man dressed in a white suit begins to run on a treadmill. He accumulates speed as simulated wind and rain try to block him. In a flash a loud shot rings in the air, my heart briefly stops. He is shot and pauses, but the action is just beginning.
Fuerza Bruta Look Up is an explosion of performance art. From start to finish it is a marathon of aerial acrobatics and constant movement, even the audience gets to participate. As a member of the audience you move from one end of the theater to another following the show as the cast moves from one form of movement to the next. You become part of the experience as the cast joins the audience to revel, break boxes of confetti over willing audience members’ heads and dance as water is sprayed from above. And if you enjoy watching women in baby doll frocks slosh around in water, Fuerza Bruta Look Up has that too.
It does not matter how you feel when you enter. The vibes are so kinetic that you will leave soaked with bolts of energy to carry you through the rest of the night. Fuerza Bruta Look Up is an out-of-the-box celebration that can be enjoyed by young and old. It is provocative and absolutely the best fusion of art, nightlife and theater I have ever witnessed. It is carnival on steroids. Look up, look left, look right, but I guarantee you will not look away.
Photos courtesy of fuerzabrutanyc.com
Paradise Rediscovered May 4, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in Theater.Tags: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Maureen Mueller, Nancy Harrow, Off Broadway, This Side of Paradise, Will Pomerantz, Zelda
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Did the paradise F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald constantly crave eventually evaporate, or was it ever really there to begin with? This is the question that has made the public fascinated with F. Scot Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda since the roaring ‘20s. It may have been a question that they separately explored before their untimely deaths. It certainly seemed to be the focus of This Side of Paradise, the engaging new musical playing at the Theatre at St. Clements until May 23.
This Side of Paradise examines the lives of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and finally gives Mrs. Fitzgerald her say. The musical is told through Zelda’s perspective and opens with Zelda in a psychiatric hospital trying to make sense of her life with F. Scott Fitzgerald by obsessively reading his novels. As she opens up to the doctor, played by Michael Sharon, the audience is able to peer into the past and watch as The Fitzgeralds meet, fall in love, become the toast of the jazz age and ultimately grow farther and farther apart. Because the musical is told through Zelda’s eyes, the story is even more fascinating. In each one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels we are able to see his perception of life and love; it is stimulating to witness a piece of fiction that expresses Zelda’s point of view.
Although the paradise of the Fitzgerald’s world may have been far reaching or even nonexistent, the rapture of their care-free, hedonistic, somewhat reckless yet always intriguing relationship with the public is wonderfully and tragically captured in this production. Born from concept of Nancy Harrow’s jazz compilation Winter Dreams which details in song the relationship between F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise is as rich with beautifully crafted music and lyrics as the language in one F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels.
Nancy Harrow really hits the mark. The music in This Side of Paradise truly illustrates the zany, status seeking relationship that the Fitzgerald’s shared as well as the obsession with youth and beauty that Zelda possessed throughout her life. Songs like “Belle of the Ball”, “This Side of Paradise” and “Oh God, I’m Sophisticated” bring the world of the Fitzgerald’s jazz age to life with energy and vigor. “Lost Lady”, “Until It Comes Up Love” and “The Extra Mile” paint a picture of the sadness of unrequited satisfaction.
The cast absolutely excels in bringing Nancy Harrow’s music and lyrics and Will Pomerantz’s choreography alive. Maureen Mueller’s voice is a treasure; she is completely mesmerizing as Zelda. Rachel Moulton’s and Michael Shawn Lewis’ portrayal of F. Scott and Young Zelda Fitzgerald is superb. Together they seize every opportunity to show the Fitzgerald’s rollercoaster relationship and captivate the audience the way the real F. Scott and Zelda did in life. Though the part of Scottie, the Fitzgerald’s only child, is small, Mandy Bruno is exhilarating and makes an indelible impression. Her voice is as lively as a breath of fresh air.
Although the scene changes can be a bit distracting, This Side of Paradise provides an animated understanding about the complex world of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald that may have been overlooked in books. Co-book writers and creators Nancy Harrow and Will Pomerantz have a stuck musical gold. Whatever happiness Zelda failed to achieve in life the success of this musical has surely made up for it.
Photos: Lee Wexler
Time Traveling With The Scottsboro Boys April 13, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in Theater.Tags: Fred Ebb, Jim Crow, John Cullum, John Kander, Musical Theater, Off Broadway, Scottsboro Boys Trial, Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys Musical, Vineyard Theatre
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All aboard! This train is travelling to Dixie, but not the “Hooray Dixie Land” sung in lyrics, it is Jim Crow’s Dixie that is the subject matter of this musical. The Scottsboro Boys, playing at the Vineyard Theatre, is a portal into a time in America’s history that has been forgotten. It almost seems peculiar that a story as heavy as the Scottsboro Boys trial, a series of trials in which nine black youths were tried and convicted of raping two white women, would end up on stage as a musical, but it is the musical numbers that makes the subject matter more palatable. The musical takes on some of elements of minstrel show and is a nonstop rollercoaster of emotions. At times I was offended, other times I was brought to the brink of tears and at certain times I could not help but to burst with laughter, regardless of what I was feeling I was always entertained.
I enjoy viewing productions in which the actors play multiple roles because the audience gets a true glimpse of the actors’ range. The cast with exception of Sharon Washington (the omnipresent female figure) play several parts and the character changes are as smooth as the choreography.
Each character was thoroughly developed and the passion for the material was reflected in the actors’ performances. Another interesting aspect of the production is the cast with exception of the Interlocutor, brilliantly portrayed by two-time Tony award winner John Cullum, are all black. Watching black actors playing white southerners so convincingly proved the level of depth and talent that illuminated the stage. Lights make the actors come alive, but it is the actors that make the stage come alive.
When the curtain opens with a woman waiting to get on a bus then the mood suddenly becomes electric as Mr. Bones, Mr. Tambo and the Scottsboro boys make a raucous entrance down the aisle steps to the stage for the first musical number “Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey.” The set is basically comprised of chairs and wooden planks that are seamlessly transitioned by the cast to suit a scene or musical number, and it is the musical numbers that are the real treat of this production. “Financial Advice” was a scream, “Make Friends with the Truth” was equally as hilarious, “You Can’t Do Me” was compelling, but my favorite was “Electric Chair.”
The thought of turning capital punishment into a song and dance may appear to be reaching, but reaching is exactly what John Kander, Fred Ebb and Susan Stroman did and the result is a thrilling tap sequence that Bojangles and Gregory Hines would have been proud of. From the opening number to the closing one, the songs and choreography transformed The Scottsboro Boys from experimental theater into a rootin’ tootin’ time. I was completely mesmerized.
Bold, contemporary and filled with vigor, The Scottsboro Boys sizzles with electricity, hats off to the team of John Kander and Fred Ebb and Susan Stroman. I also salute the cast; they worked like a well-oiled machine oozing with experience and raw soul. In the wake of President Obama’s historic ascension to the highest office in our country, it may be easy for some, the youth in particular, to overlook this nation’s turbulent history with regards to race. The most important component about The Scottsboro Boys is that it builds a bridge between the past and present and through quality art like this production an interest can be sparked inspiring us to learn more about the countless stories that prelude the day Rosa Parks decided not to go to the back of the bus.
Photos: Carol Rosegg
The Memory of Fashion March 29, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in Theater.Tags: Carol Kane, Didi Conn, Fashion, Fran Drescher, Jayne Houdyshell, Loss and What I Wore, Love, Madonna, Natasha Lyonne, Off Broadway, plays for women, The Westside Theatre
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The pair of jeans I wore when I went roller skating and met the worst mistake of my life…the black suit that I have worn to every funeral since I was 25…the denim jumper I wore when I got my ears pierced at the age of 12…the navy blue straight leg silk pants with embroidered baby’s breath flowers I wore on my first overnight date with the man that taught me what true love really meant… all articles of clothing cloaked in memories. It is true that women cling to the clothing they wore as events fill the chapters in the books of our lives, after all what’s a story without the accessories that give it vivid detail. This notion is brilliantly and hilariously explored in the off-Broadway production of Love, Loss and What I Wore playing at The Westside Theatre.
Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron
Based on the best-selling book by Ilene Beckerman (and adapted for the stage by Nora and Delia Ephron) Love, Loss and What I Wore is a collection of stories performed by an all-star rotating cast that has included Rhea Perlman, Rosie O’Donnell, Rita Wilson and Tracee Ellis Ross. Each cast performs in four week intervals. The March cast stars Didi Conn, Fran Drescher, Jayne Houdyshell, Carol Kane and Natasha Lyonne. The play starts and ends with Gingy’s Story with other narratives woven in between. The cast, dressed in black, sit and deliver the monologues. The set is a tapestry of dresses changing in color.
March Cast
The play covers the full gamut of emotions from a fashionable perspective. At times I was bursting with laughter and at others I found myself fending off the lump forming in my throat. It even covers topics like the frenzy women experience when trying on outfits in the dressing room, the obsession with being fat or thin, the hell women put their feet through for a pair of sexy stilettos, all topics that drive women schizophrenic. Other stories are more personal like Boots, an anecdote about neglect, even fashion icon Madonna was paid homage.
Beautiful, touching and filled with humor Love, Loss and What I Wore intimately tell tales that any woman can relate to and provide a little insight into a woman’s mind for the men sitting in the audience. In fact, my greatest confirmation that this play is a must see was provided by the man that accompanied me. This is a man that I thought had the inside track on women, but to my surprise he left the theater enlightened. Mental note, the plum dress and limited edition patchwork Timberlands I wore when I helped a man from Mars learn more about the planet Venus. A new memory has been created.Photos: Carol Rosegg courtesy of O&M Co.
Spring Dreams with Shakespeare March 24, 2010
Posted by famenycmageditor in Theater.Tags: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Blessed Unrest, Jessica Burr, non-profit theater, Off Broadway, William Shakespeare
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When the first act of Blessed Unrest’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream ended with a spirited interpretative dance to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”, it became evident that this was not my mother’s interpretation of William Shakespeare. But in truth, the signs were already there. From the first scene of the play, the physicality in which the actors approached the material changed my perception of this play. Instead of focusing on the dialogue, I was more interested in the emotions of the characters brilliantly displayed by the actors. The almost clichéd idea of loving someone that doesn’t return your love and the trickery one might devise to change that situation spells for a bad romance indeed.
Jessica Burr
Blessed Unrest is a non-profit experimental theatre company that has been generating original work since 1999. Director Jessica Burr has been running the company for nine years. “What really grabs me about this story is the love relationships,” Jessica states about A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “So we worked a lot [the relationships] to find the heart of them. Often times they are glossed over, but we really wanted to get to the meat of it and make it very real and very passionate.”
This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream definitely has passion. In fact, it is all heart, soul and fluid movement. “As a company we train every month in physical theater. I like to see bodies moving. It’s just pleasing,” Jessica explains as she smiles. The actors seamlessly weaved through the production playing multiple characters. The authenticity in which they approach each character led me to believe the cast took a class in multiple personality syndrome. Another enjoyable aspect was the transition of Lysander, played by Stephen Drabicki, to a hearing impaired young man and the company’s incorporation of sign language into the script. It added another layer to an already intricate story.
At the core of A Midsummer Night’s Dream are the themes of love and obsession which makes it perfect for a non-profit troupe like Blessed Unrest. It could be said that art and the business of entertainment is a bad romance. So often artists remain in the theater because they are in love or even obsessed by what they do. Unfortunately as much as the arts are coveted in this country, our government doesn’t provide the financial support to the arts as other countries. It is sad to think that in a city as creative as Manhattan that an artist simply cannot live as an artist and have their craft be their only occupation. The love of breathing life into new and classic material is inherent with the members of Blessed Unrest, many of whom were in attendance on the opening night lending their support in the audience and various off-stage roles. “There’s something to be said for obstacles and challenges, and I really do think it makes us stronger and makes us more creative because we have to find ways to make money,” Jessica says.
Blessed Unrest’s production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be playing at The Interart Theatre, 500 West 52nd Street, until April 12. Blessed Unrest claims to be theatre for the adventurous, and their declaration did not disappoint. Also, with ticket prices set at $15, it is a journey that is affordable for every New Yorker. FAMERS I suggest an evening frolicking in Shakespeare’s magical woods with this innovative company. I found it to be a dream that is hard to forget.
To learn more visit www.blessedunrest.org.
