Amy Morton, the Tony-nominated powerhouse who gave what I think was the greatest performance of any I saw last season, returns to the Broadway company of August: Osage County on May 26. Phylicia Rashad will be donning the teal pajamas of Violet Weston on that same day. Morton left the NY production in October 12, taking a well-deserved rest before shipping off to London for the National Theatre production that opened in November.
Author: Chris Van Patten
[title of show] celebrates [tony eligibility]
Do you think George Furth ever dressed up like a giant Tony…?
The [tos] kids start their own viral Tony campaign (with special guest star Allison Janney!):
Also, check out the Jeffigibility chart. Jeff has deconstructed the Tony award eligibility for every possible nominee for every single show that has opened this season.
"The Story Goes On"
This song has been popping up a lot on my ipod (as referenced a few days ago in a previous post) and found this in my internet searches. It’s Liz Callaway in the original Broadway production of Baby in 1983. Quality is poor, but Callaway is stunning. Enjoy.
And the Pulitzer Prize Goes to…
Ruined.
Congratulations to playwright Lynn Nottage for the prestigious win. The play is running off-Broadway at MTC’s City Center Stage I until May 10. Perhaps with the win, an extension might be in order. It’s been a mixed year for the Manhattan Theatre Club. Their off-Broadway shows have been met with far more success than anything on-Broadway at the Biltmore this season. Regardless, kudos on the win to all those involved, including Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, where the play had its world premiere.
According to Playbill, other finalists for the prize were Second Stage’s Becky Shaw and the Tony-winning In the Heights. Interesting selections.
Outer Critics Circle Nominations
Today is a big day for theatre awards: the Outer Critics Circle nominations have been announced and later this afternoon, the Puliter Prize for Drama will be announced.
Outstanding New Broadway Play
God of Carnage
Irena’s Vow
reasons to be pretty
33 Variations
Outstanding New Broadway Musical
Billy Elliot: The Musical
Rock of Ages
Shrek the Musical
A Tale of Two Cities
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play
Becky Shaw
Farragut North
Ruined
Shipwrecked! The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told By Himself)
Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them
Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical
Happiness
Rooms: A Rock Romance
The Toxic Avenger
What’s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling
Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Billy Elliot: The Musical
Happiness
Rooms: A Rock Romance
Shrek The Musical
Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Blithe Spirit
The Cripple of Inishmaan
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
The Norman Conquests
Waiting for Godot
Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Enter Laughing
Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story
Outstanding Director of a Play
Garry Hynes, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Anthony Page, Waiting for Godot
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests
Moises Kaufman, 33 Variations
Outstanding Director of a Musical
Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot the Musical
Arthur Laurents, West Side Story
Jason Moore, Shrek the Musical
Diane Paulus, Hair
Susan Stroman, Happiness
Outstanding Choreographer
Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot the Musical
Josh Prince, Shrek the Musical
Susan Stroman, Happiness
Outstanding Set Design (Play or Musical)
Tim Hatley, Shrek the Musical
Santo Loquasto, Waiting for Godot
Derek McLane, 33 Variations
Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot the Musical
Walt Spangler, Desire Under the Elms
Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical)
Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot the Musical
Tim Hatley, Shrek the Musical
John Napier, Equus
Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit
Catherine Zuber, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Outstanding Lighting Design (Play or Musical)
Kevin Adams, Hair
Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot the Musical
David Hersey, Equus
Peter Kaczorowski, Ruined
David Lander, 33 Variations
Outstanding Actor in a Play
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
Bill Irwin, Waiting for Godot
Nathan Lane, Waiting for Godot
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, reasons to be pretty
Outstanding Actress in a Play
Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Ruined
Carla Gugino, Desire Under the Elms
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
Outstanding Actor in a Musical
James Barbour, A Tale of Two Cities
Matt Cavenaugh, West Side Story
Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek the Musical
Josh Grisetti, Enter Laughing
David Pittu, What’s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling
Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Shrek the Musical
Megan Hilty, 9 to 5
Leslie Kritzer, Rooms A Rock Romance
Nancy Opel, The Toxic Avenger
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
John Benjamin Hickey, Mary Stuart
Russell G. Jones, Ruined
Patrick Page, A Man for All Seasons
David Pearse, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Andrea Martin, Exit the King
Kristine Nielsen, Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them
Susan Louise O’Connor, Blithe Spirit
Condola Rashad, Ruined
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Daniel Breaker, Shrek the Musical
Aaron Simon Gross, 13
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot the Musical
Christopher Sieber, Shrek the Musical
Wesley Taylor, Rock of Ages
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Kathy Fitzgerald, 9 to 5
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot the Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot the Musical
Outstanding Solo Performance
Mike Birbiglia, Sleepwalk With Me
Mike Burstyn, Lansky
Mike Daisey, If You See Something, Say Something
Lorenzo Pisoni, Humor Abuse
Matt Sax, Clay
Outstanding Ensemble Performance
The cast of The Norman Conquests: Amelia Bullmore, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan, Ben Miles, Paul Ritter, Amanda Root
John Gassner Award (Presented for an American Play, Preferably by a New Playwright)
Annie Baker, Body Awareness
Gina Gionfriddo, Becky Shaw
Beau Willimon, Farragut North
Special Achievement Award
For their performances in Billy Elliot the Musical: David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish
Also: Dividing the Estate, next to normal and [title of show] were previously eligible for the Outer Critics Circle awards when their shows were first presented in their off-Broadway berth. They will, however, turn up come Tony time.
Tharon Musser (1925-2009)
Live Design Online is reporting that Tharon Musser, quite possibly the most revered lighting designer in New York theatre, has passed away at the age of 84 after a long illness. Musser got her start on Broadway with the original Broadway production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night in 1956 and worked steadily for over forty years. A mere sampling of her 120-something Broadway credits include: The Entertainer, JB, Once Upon a Mattress, Here’s Love, Any Wednesday, Golden Boy, Kelly, Flora the Red Menace, The Lion in Winter, Mame, A Delicate Balance, Hallelujah Baby!, The Birthday Party, Applause, Follies (Tony award), The Prisoner of Second Avenue, A Little Night Music, Candide revival, Mack & Mabel, The Wiz, Same Time Next Year, Pacific Overtures, A Chorus Line (Tony award), 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, The Act, Ballroom, They’re Playing Our Song, Children of a Lesser God, 42nd Street, Dreamgirls (Tony award), Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Real Thing, Biloxi Blues, Broadway Bound, Lost in Yonkers, The Secret Garden and Lonesome West. She won three Tonys and was nominated for a total of ten. Her lighting work on A Chorus Line completely revolutionized her art, as it marked the first wholly computerized lighting console. Musser is survived by her partner Marilyn Rennagel.
Did Lionel Bart Write "Oliver"?
A rather surprising item in the London Independent is claiming that Lionel Bart didn’t write all of the hit musical Oliver! According to the article, his former collaborator Joan Maitland wrote the book and accepted a 1% sum of royalties in exchange for her silence. There apparently have been other claims that his work was not his own. He got his start as the lyricist of Lock Up Your Daughters and composed his first score Fings Ain’t Wot They Used to Be. However, Bart only had one major success with Oliver! He would follow with minor successes in the UK with the WWII era musical Blitz!, a major spectacle that even included a recreation of a London bombing and Maggie May. Afterward, his shows were major failures, including the London flop Twang! and the one performance bomb La Strada in NY. He never wrote another new musical again.
Katharine Hepburn on "The Dick Cavett Show" – Part Two
Here is the second half of the interview. Keep enjoying.
Katharine Hepburn on "The Dick Cavett Show" – Part One
Katharine Hepburn gave her first-ever television interview to Dick Cavett on his show on September 11, 1973. One of the most private people in Hollywood, she decided to do it to help promote the American Film Theatre, an experimental project that was a subscription based series of films based on plays. Hepburn herself appeared in one of the films: Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance. The studio taping actually started as a test run to see if the interview is something she would like to do, hence the informality of the event. At a certain point when they were talking, she said they should just go ahead and tape the show right then and there. (It was one of the rare Cavett show’s to not have a live audience, only various people who filtered in throughout). For the first few minutes, Hepburn wasn’t aware that cameras were rolling and it captured the legend in a candid moment where she criticizes the set decoration, gives common sense advice to the technical crew and then settles into the interview. Favorite quote from that moment: “Don’t tell me what’s wrong, just fix it.” Hepburn was asked and gave total permission for the show to air this footage.
The interview was so lengthy it actually covered two episodes and was one of the most popular episodes of Dick Cavett’s show. It is basically what we would have had if Hepburn had ever appeared on “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” she delves into her career, the technique of acting, her opinions on the industry… well everything you can think of. The interview is long, there’s no getting past that, running almost three hours in length and is divided here into fifteen sections on youtube. However, it is completely fascinating. I’ve watched the entire thing twice myself, so if you want to settle in, be sure you have time!
PS – This is the interview where she gave the famed quote: “Cold sober, I find myself absolutely fascinating.”