The Broadway Pulse, maintained by Editor-in-Chief, Robert Diamond, highlights the most interesting goings on in the world of theater - online and off...Subscribe to
Ok, ok, so I 'lied' yesterday when I said that we were done unveiling sneak peeks at our January 2012 site upgrades in 2011, but, here we go!
In this case though, we know how hard it is for performers to book a job, so anything we can do to lessen the struggle of knowing what auditions are coming up, is the least we can do.
We've just unveiled a snazzy (if I do say so myself) revamp of our popular Auditions Center for all your Equity audition needs including a faster and more accurate search, a new chart view, the ability to browse by region and date added/updated, to see when a notice was posted, and to email a notice to yourself and/or friends when you see it along with some other bells and whistles.
ps - Bonus points to those readers who emailed me noticing that hours after announcing yesterday's Grosses Update, we kept adding new features -- well, we couldn't help ourselves. :-)
Posted on: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 @ 01:28 PM Posted by:Robert Diamond
We weren't planning on unveiling any of the (many) new features & updates cooking in the BWW kitchens until 2012, but ... patience was never on the short list of things that I'm good at. The ever-popular Broadway Grosses section of the site just got several major upgrades including some visual enhancements, iPad/iPhone compatibility, many new chart & graph types, year by year comparisons and other nifty features that are too numerous to list.
I for one loved Scarlett Johansson's Broadway debut last season opposite Liev Schrieber in their explosive production of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE. While we're all eagerly anticipating whatever she does on stage next -- a new BIOGRAPHY Channel profile (with an appearance by BWW's own Pat Cerasaro) -- covers her career on stage and off to date. Check for upcoming listings here.
Posted on: Monday, December 26, 2011 @ 09:19 AM Posted by:Robert Diamond
Our general inbox has been getting slammed today with copies of an article in today's The New York Times which talks about the success that not-entirely-successful Broadway shows like THE ADDAMS FAMILY are now having on the road, with that show for example earning $995,000 in Buffalo last week.
In fact, that city is considered to have one of the highest margins for touring shows, the market for which is as large across the country as Broadway itself.
The article delves into a thorny issue though, the long-held belief that road presenters, who make up at least 15 percent of Tony voters often vote with their wallets as well as their hearts. Here's what the article has to say:
Several of these road presenters said in interviews that touring potential was a factor in their Tony votes, but noted that they voted chiefly on artistic merit.
"I'm a human being, so to say how a show would play in Cleveland is not a factor in Tony voting would not be true," said Gina Vernaci, vice president of theatricals at Cleveland PlayhouseSquare, another prime destination for tours. "But Cleveland wants quality shows, artistically compelling shows, enjoyable shows, as much as New Yorkers."
Mr. Conte, a former banker in Buffalo and Shea's board member who became president of the theater in 2000, recalled admiring the Broadway show "Spring Awakening" but voted for "Mary Poppins" instead for best musical that year. He said "the tough love story," flashes of nudity, and dark themes of "Spring Awakening" were "not my thing," and he also did not envision the show as appealing to his subscribers. "Spring Awakening" went on to win the Tony for best musical; the show's national tour had a brief run at the University of Buffalo, but not at Shea's.
So, are they voting with their hearts, wallets, or both? Those interviewed for the article, seem to be striking as close to the right balance as possible -- what do you think about the rest?
Posted on: Saturday, December 24, 2011 @ 05:10 PM Posted by:Robert Diamond
I blogged last week about comedian Louis C.K.'s 'digital experiment' in which he filmed 2 new stand-up comedy shows, pro-shot, 6 cameras at the Beacon in New York City (cost = $170,000, covered mostly by live ticket sales) and decided to sell them online on a new web site (cost = $32,000) for $5.
7 Days ago he'd sold 110,000+ copies, for a total of $500,000... Now? He's broken $1 million and has announced that he'll be donating 25% to charity. Watch him talk about the success below on Jimmy Fallon.
Posted on: Thursday, December 22, 2011 @ 08:29 AM Posted by:Robert Diamond
From the UK Guardian... "A teenage juror, who interrupted a trial when he pretended to be ill so that he could go and see a London stage show, has been detained for 14 days, the Judicial Communications Office said on Thursday."
Learning what I have in the last 8 years of running BroadwayWorld.com, I can only imagine what the next 32 have in store before I catch up with the UK Guardian's Michael Billington. In a wide-ranging piece, the legendary critic answers reader questions on a variety of subjects ranging from his personal favorites, to how much he lets past productions into his mind when reviewing revivals, advice for those looking to get into arts criticism and lots more.
Comedian Louis C.K. has written on his web site this morning about the (successful) results of a digital content experiment that he's tried. In a nutshell, he filmed 2 new stand-up comedy shows, pro-shot, 6 cameras at the Beacon in New York City (cost = $170,000, covered mostly by live ticket sales) and decided to sell them online on a new web site (cost = $32,000) for $5.
His theory was that if he sold it himself for a low price, with no middle men, that piracy would be limited and naturally his share of the profits would be higher.
What'd he learned from the experiment? They've now sold 110,000+ copies, for a total of $500,000, resulting in a profit of around $200,000.
Wow.
And actually, he's now sold 110,001 since I just bought it as well.
Posted on: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 @ 10:02 AM Posted by:Robert Diamond
During a performance last week, Spacey, the would-be Duke of Gloucester, singled out the phone owner and bellowed "Tell them we're busy!". The audience erupted in support.
The following night, he shone a laser light at some theatregoers who were heard to rustle and whisper within earshot of the king.
"Quick as you like [he] dipped into his tunic and withdrew a green laser light, pointing it at the offending audience members who, we are told, were suitably chastised," reported the Sydney Morning Herald.
Spacey has long been hostile towards misbehaving theatre audiences. As artistic director of the Old Vic, which produced the current production, he denounced noisy sweet wrappers and declared the theatre a "phone-free zone".
In Sydney for a 10-day run of the Sam Mendes-directed play, Spacey has attracted mixed reviews for his performances but consistently high praise for his rebukes.
Justified or over the top?
Posted on: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 @ 10:21 AM Posted by:Robert Diamond
In honor of last week's opening of SEMINAR on Broadway starring Alan Rickman, in which students are parting with big $ to study with a top writing instructor, the Wall Street Journal takes a look today at some real-life instructors around the city, who are at the top of their games...
Among them are Julliard's Drama Professor - Rebecca Guy, Columbia Journalism Professor - Samuel Freedman, and top Broadway vocal coach (and BroadwayWorld fave) Liz Caplan.
Yesterday, BroadwayWorld.com launched its new High School Student Center that contains listings for High Schools shows across the country. With that online, our regional show listings now contain 20,000+ upcoming productions, including high schools, colleges, regional theatres, professional theatres and more.
That got me thinking - what ARE the most popular shows being done around the country? (at least per our ever-expanding database).
They've got 7500+ miles between them, but Seattle and Australia are united this morning here on BroadwayWorld - as both regions have officially opened BWW Awards Voting!
Voting is now open for 5 of BroadwayWorld.com's 2011 Regional Awards with another 20 on the way over the next 2 weeks... First open are: Nashville, Philippines, Spain, Tennessee and of course the West End which closes later this month!
Posted on: Friday, November 04, 2011 @ 11:23 AM Posted by:Robert Diamond
Ok, so it's possible that our "Pick a Show" features got a little complicated as we kept adding functionality to them (sometimes we can't help ourselves) so I'm happy to announce that we've now greatly simplified the layout.
We now have three handy buttons when you visit our Help, Pick Me a Show page - one of which lets you 'Ask Our Experts' by providing a little information about what sort of show you're looking for and when, and we help with the rest. Next, if you want to do it yourself, 'Find a Broadway Show' lets you browse through a handy series of questions to find the perfect show for you. And finally, want to 'Find A Show Near You' - lets you browse our regional show listings by zip code, or by clicking on a snazzy new map.
More to come!
Posted on: Thursday, November 03, 2011 @ 10:45 AM Posted by:Robert Diamond
"HOCKADOO!" Last night, October 19th, the 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Musical MEMPHIS, celebrated its Second Anniversary on Broadway, in style, and it was a night to remember!
We started the evening off, appropriately enough, at the recently-opened (and Justin Timberlake owned) Southern Hospitality restaurant. It came as a suggestion from one of BroadwayWorld's secret weapons, our 'concierge' who definitely knows the way around town - 'restaurantally' speaking. The midtown theatre district is littered with barbecue joints, but this one is a welcome addition, in Hell's Kitchen, at the corner of 9th Avenue and 45th street.
One of the key decisions when making theatre plans, is to dine in close proximity to where your show is. Since MEMPHIS, at the Shubert Theater, was only a couple of blocks away, our 'concierge' scored an A+ last night.
Now, about the food - 'OMG!' doesn't even begin to cover it. Every single entree and side were ridiculously good and I imagine that part of that has to do with the authenticity of Timberlake's Memphis roots. (The frozen lime margaritas weren't bad either) and the portions are huge, so the value is good if you're travelling in a pack.
As a sidebar, Justin Timberlake, who is rapidly becoming a mogul in all media and can seem to do no wrong, saw the hit musical back in 2010 with another BroadwayWorld favorite, girlfriend Jessica Biel, spurring rumors of possibly being interested in starring in a film version of the musical. Another name being bandied about as attached to the project, has been film legend Oliver Stone at the helm.
So, with stomachs happily full, we headed over to the Shubert Theater on a rainy night. The mood in the lobby and the audience was fantastically upbeat for this beloved show. I'm happy to report that MEMPHIS, which I originally saw in previews, is in great shape, with performances, choreography, scenic elements, lighting and costumes in as sharp of shape as any show on Broadway could ever hope to be. Also, it's always nice to be in a theatre when a standing ovation happens spontaneously.
From the theater we headed over to a Second Anniversary celebration for cast, family, friends and everyone associated with the production, which was held a few blocks away, at another great space that you may or may not know about called Glass House Tavern. The party was multi-tiered, very classy, with plenty of food and drink and 'celebration' in the air. It was a party full of smiles and pride at an achievement that seems to have no end in sight. The other thing that I must say, that I observed, is that this entire cast genuinely seems to love and adore each other and get along really well both onstage and off. So, I'm going to coin a phrase here, and say that's 'very MEMPHIS'.
Interestingly enough, the U.S. National Touring Production of MEMPHIS opened just days before at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis, TN. (Click hereto check out BWW TV coverage of the cast visiting Elvis Presley's legendary home, Graceland). For more information on the Broadway and Tour productions, visit www.MemphisTheMusical.com.
And, what's up next up for the Broadway show? Adam Pascal(RENT, AIDA, CABARET) officially starts performances on Tuesday night, October 25th taking over the role of Huey Calhoun, originated by Chad Kimball. Kimball will be missed by fans of the show, but Pascal is a really smart and perfect fit in the casting department. And, of course, BroadwayWorld will be there to report on Pascal and the show.
MEMPHIS takes place in the smoky halls and underground clubs of the segregated 50's, where a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun fell in love with everything he shouldn't: rock and roll and an electrifying black singer. MEMPHIS is an original story about the cultural revolution that erupted when his vision met her voice, and the music changed forever.
Critically acclaimed MEMPHIS won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro), Best Book (Joe DiPietro), and Best Orchestrations (David Bryan andDaryl Waters). MEMPHIS won four Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Performance by an Actress (Montego Glover), Outstanding Music (David Bryan) and Outstanding Orchestration (David Bryan and Daryl Waters). MEMPHIS has also won four Outer Critic Circle Awards including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Score (David Bryan & Joe DiPietro), Outstanding Actress (Montego Glover) and Outstanding Choreography (Sergio Trujillo).
MEMPHIS features a Tony-winning score with music by Bon Jovi's founding member/keyboardistDavid Bryan and lyrics by Bryan and Tony-winner Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change), who also pens the musical's book. MEMPHIS is based on a concept by the late George W. George (producer of the Tony nominated Bedroom Farce and the film My Dinner With Andre), with direction by Tony nominee Christopher Ashley (Xanadu) and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys).
Tickets range from $41.50 to $131.50 (including a $1.50 facility fee). The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday - Saturday evenings at 8pm, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2pm, and Sundays at 3pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.Telecharge.comor call 212.239.6200.
Well, director Trevor Nunn believes that Shakespeare wrote all of his own plays, while Mark Rylance is taking the stance that there might indeed be other candidates (also the subject of the upcoming film ANONYMOUS in which he stars)... The Guardian was there as they each made their case, and you can click here to see what they had to say.
Posted on: Saturday, October 15, 2011 @ 02:30 PM Posted by:Robert Diamond
As we officially announced a few weeks back, we're heavily ramping up our regional offerings, including full and complete show listings for all 130 of our markets by the end of the year. With 15,000+ listings already, we are completely on track with that goal.
One of the reasons that we're doing this is because we've been hearing from theatres across the country and around the world who in this challenging economy (and always) are looking for as many ways to get the word out about their productions as possible. Well, we're here to help.
Yesterday, we went one step further, unveiling a new feature that allows regional productions to get 'enhanced' listings on the site - adding in photos, cast lists, videos, links and more. Productions that take advantage of this will receive highlights on our listing pages, extra editorial mentions and more. Before we even had a chance to announce it, I got an alert this morning about the first production was already using it. So, I'm tipping my cap to the fine folks from the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where you can catch THE PRODUCERS from October 14-16, 2011.
Also, we now have award nominations open for BWW 2011 Regional Awards in 3 times as many markets as last year. Nominations are open through the end of the month for:
Just spotted this hilarious new blog via Jennifer Tepper's Twitter.
Charles Isherwood's Yogurt Shop is a new Tumblr, evidently in reaction to his very odd Theater Talkback column on NYTimes.com in which he suggests that he should stop reviewing Adam Rapp's plays because, well, he's just never liked them.
For a more intellectual response, Howard Sherman has written a great piece over @ 2amtheatre.com so it's worth checking that out too to balance out the yogurt with something a little more meaty...
Should Isherwood open a yogurt shop instead of reviewing theatre? Hmmmn.
Posted on: Monday, October 10, 2011 @ 12:17 PM Posted by:Robert Diamond
Ok, ok, so I 'lied' yesterday when I said that we were done unveiling sneak peeks at our January 2012 site upgrades in 2011, but, here we go!
Comedian Louis C.K. has .credit-tristramkenton.jpg)
As per the 
We started the evening off, appropriately enough, at the recently-opened (and 
As a sidebar, 
Critically acclaimed MEMPHIS won four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score (![‘I have been casting about for something charitable to say about [this play] … Perhaps I’ll just say that I loved the rabbit, and leave it at that.’ (4/1/08)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lstcvwKShP1r4xx5co1_500.jpg)
Just spotted this hilarious new blog via Jennifer Tepper's 
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BWW Reviews: Yellow Sound Label's KERRIGAN-LOWDERMILK LIVE is an Exceedingly Fun and Charming Album
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BWW Blog: Leah Edwards - Practice. Perform. Repeat
BWW Reviews: Pauline Koner, American Original
Regional Orchestra of the Week: Reno Philharmonic, NV