Review Roundup: UNCLE VANYA Starring Toby Jones at the Harold Pinter TheatreJanuary 24, 2020Uncle Vanya opened last night in the West End at the Harold Pinter Theatre! Toby Jones (The Birthday Party, Don't Forget the Driver, Detectorists) stars in the title role of Vanya alongside Richard Armitage (The Crucible, Berlin Station, The Hobbit) as Astrov. Rosalind Eleazar (The Personal History of David Copperfield, Deep Water, The Starry Messenger) plays Yelena, with Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education, Downstate) as Sonya, the Emmy Award-winning Anna Calder-Marshall (LOVE, Evening at the Talk House, Male of the Species) as Nana, the Olivier and Tony-award nominated Dearbhla Molloy (The Ferryman, Dancing at Lughnasa, Juno and the Paycock) as Grandmaman, Peter Wight (The Birthday Party, Hamlet, The Red Lion) as Telegin and Olivier Award-nominated Ciarán Hinds (Translations, Game of Thrones, Girl from the North Country) as Professor Serebryakov.
Review Roundup: The National Tour of RENTJanuary 27, 2020In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway... and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson's Rent continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterpiece has returned to the stage in a vibrant 20th anniversary touring production. A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, Rent follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters-love.
BWW Interview: Taylor Louderman on This Year's Write Out Loud Songwriting CompetitionJanuary 24, 2020How many opportunities are there out there for aspiring songwriters to have their music heard by one of Broadway's brightest stars? How many chances do you get to turn your creative dream into a reality? As Tony nominee Taylor Louderman likes to say, 'Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.' And she's the one providing the opportunity.
Review Roundup: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME in Los AngelesJanuary 22, 2020Tony Award nominee Maria Dizzia is starring in the first two stops of the national tour of Heidi Schreck's Tony Award nominated play and Pulitzer Prize finalist What the Constitution Means to Me, directed by Oliver Butler. What the Constitution Means to Me played in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum January 12, and it will run through February 16, 2020. It will play in Chicago at the Broadway Playhouse March 4 through April 12, 2020.
Review Roundup: Gender-Swapped TIMON OF ATHENS - What Did the Critics Think?January 21, 2020Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA; Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director) is presenting William Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, a co-production with Shakespeare Theatre Company in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Director Simon Godwin (Measure for Measure) returns to TFANA with a reimagining of his vibrant staging of Timon of Athens, which premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2018 - the first time the play had been staged with a female lead.
BWW Review: Feinstein's/54 Below Celebrated the Birthday of an Icon with 54 SINGS DOLLY PARTONJanuary 20, 2020Is there a better way to celebrate the birth of one of the greatest living songwriters than with song itself? I think not. And Feinstein's/54 Below clearly felt the same last night when it brought some of Broadway's greatest voices together to celebrate the birthday of one Miss Dolly Parton. The woman who gave us 'I Will Always Love You', 'Jolene', '9 to 5' and so much more is not only one of the greatest singers, songwriters, and entertainers of all time, but one of those rare artists who has the ability to reach across barriers and touch everyone from drag queens, to Middle America, to the mass public, and bring them all together in celebration of beautiful music.
Get to Know GRAND HORIZONS Playwright, Bess WohlJanuary 25, 2020Grand Horizons officially opened on January 23 at The Hayes Theater, where it will play a limited 10-week engagement. Directed by Leigh Silverman, Grand Horizons stars Jane Alexander (Nancy), James Cromwell (Bill), Priscilla Lopez (Carla), Ben McKenzie (Ben), Maulik Pancholy (Tommy), Ashley Park (Jess), and Michael Urie (Brian). The brilliant mind behind this original play belongs to none other than playwright Bess Wohl, who may be making her Broadway debut with Grand Horizons but is far from a stranger of the stage.
VIDEO: The Women of MIDWIVES Discuss the World Premiere Thriller by Chris BohjalianJanuary 15, 2020New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian's world premiere stage adaptation of his novel MIDWIVES is set to kick off 2020 in George Street Playhouse's new home at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. Performances begin next Tuesday, January 21st. In this brief rehearsal video, the production's leading ladies discuss Bohjalian's gripping new play.
BWW Interview: Renée Taylor on MY LIFE ON A DIET, THE NANNY and Her Long Career as a Funny Lady of the Stage and ScreenJanuary 10, 2020Renée Taylor is an Emmy Award winner, Oscar nominee, actress, screenwriter, playwright and comedy legend known for Lovers and Other Strangers, Made for Each Other, and of course, The Nanny, to name only a few of the projects that make up her long and impressive career.
Review Roundup: Mischief Theatre's MAGIC GOES WRONGJanuary 9, 2020The world premiere of Mischief Theatre's Magic Goes Wrong, the new collaboration from the creators of The Play That Goes Wrong and magicians Penn & Teller, opened in the West End yesterday, January 8 at London's Vaudeville Theatre.
VIDEO: Broadway Inspirational Voices Releases Video of 'The Room Where It Happens' from HAMILTONJanuary 3, 2020In a video introduced by composer/lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, BIV continues Season 3 of BOW with an elegant and liquid rendition of a?oeThe Room Where It Happensa?? from Hamilton. This sophisticated and authoritative interpretation of the iconic song helps it become catchier than ever wrapped inside of BIV's incredible musicianship. Once again Grammy award-nominated and Tony Honoree Michael McElroy has completed his inspired arrangement with orchestrations in collaboration with Isaac Harlan, and videography by Nate Wind. Founder McElroy and BIV have enjoyed 25 years of creating spaces where love, diversity, and inspiration happen. See the latest version we've made, and join us in the room!
Review Roundup: The National Tour of THE BAND'S VISITDecember 26, 2019The first national tour of The Band's Visit is now making its way across the country!
After a mix-up at the border, an Egyptian Police Band is sent to a remote village in the middle of the Israeli desert. With no bus until morning and no hotel in sight, these unlikely travelers are taken in by the locals. Under the spell of the desert sky, their lives become intertwined in the most unexpected ways. THE BAND'S VISIT celebrates the deeply human ways music, longing and laughter can connect us all.