Pat Cerasaro - Page 187

Today we are talking to one of Broadway's most remarkable breakout stars to have crossed over into Hollywood with an impressive film career following his superlative work in the Mike Nichols-directed HBO production of Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning ANGELS IN AMERICA in 2002, the affable and incredibly talented Patrick Wilson. While looking ahead to Monday's BROADWAY BLOWS BACK benefit concert in aid of Hurricane Sandy relief, Wilson and I take a look back at his career onstage and onscreen thus far, with an emphasis on the diverse range and commendable dedication to character he has displayed since his memorable first starring roles on Broadway - from BRIGHT LIGHTS< BIG CITY to OKLAHOMA! to THE FULL MONTY, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK and ALL MY SONS onstage to his aforementioned Joe Pitt in ANGELS to roles in HARD CANDY with Ellen Page, LITTLE CHILDREN with Kate Winslet, WATCHMEN with fellow recent InDepth InterView participant Carla Gugino to last year's YOUNG ADULT and this year's PROMETHEUS, Wilson can clearly do it all. Additionally, Wilson reflects on his work with Andrew Lloyd Webber on THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA as well as shares thoughts on other roles he would enjoy playing someday (Joe Gillis in SUNSET BOULEVARD perhaps?) and shares stories from the set of GLEE and AMERICAN HORROR STORY creator Ryan Murphy's first feature film, RUNNING WITH SCISSORS. Plus, thoughts on how Broadway has changed thus far in the new century, immediate plans for the future and much, much more!

"For the first time in its charmed, yet pitiful, existence the New Directions has lost Sectionals," and, with that, indeed did "Christmas came early for one Sue Sylvester." As GLEE gave the gift of its inimitable takes on a number of musical theatre showstoppers - among them, songs from CHICAGO, COMPANY and HALLELUJAH, BABY - to gleeks around the world with last night aptly-titled "Swan Song" episode, the Lima-based glee club that now and always acts as the focal point of the show faced perhaps its most treacherous hurdle yet - and that's not even including Sue's evil shenanigans. In NYC, the temperature rose in much the same way that it actually unseasonably happened to do in Gothan itself this week with a spectacularly sexy "All That Jazz" and some seriously stage-worthy barn-burners courtesy of "Being Good Isn't Good Enough" - recently re-introduced to the world at large by no less than Barbra Streisand in her landmark 2012 tour (as well as on her recently released cut-out compilation RELEASE ME) - and COMPANY classic "Being Alive". While next week is sure to provide all the holiday cheer a show named GLEE could possibly muster - which is a whole lot - this week's "Swan Song" reminded us why GLEE connects and continues to express an all-too-rarely explored, expressed and enacted trope of those who are involved with the performing arts: competition inspires greater dedication.

Today we are talking again to one of Broadway's recent rising stars all about his sensational sophomore solo album, STILL DREAMING OF PARADISE, as well as his role in this weekend's invitation-only reading of the new musical AMAZING GRACE - 2011-2012 season standout and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Tony Award nominee Josh Young. Espousing on the many elements that converged to make his solo album a reality, Young outlines his process with his close collaborators by discussing the imperative inspirations, subsequent arrangement experimentation, actual studio recording, scientific song selection process, major project goals and a lot more, as well as shares memories of what many of the album's tracks mean to him on a personal level and what we can expect from albums from him in the future, near and far. Plus, Young reveals his affection for his first major New York post-SUPERSTAR production, AMAZING GRACE, as he shares his enthusiasm for the daring subject, rich source material - no less than the life of controversial historical figure John Newton - and the purportedly thrilling new score composed for it and the unique and compelling tale behind it as the new musical takes this next step in its developmental process in the Lincoln Center-set industry presentation. Additionally, Young touches upon his favorite memories from the Tony Awards and participating in the Transport Group's recent concert production of BABY - and much, much more!

Today BroadwayWorld is proud to present the third and fourth world premiere exclusive songs in a month's time, following "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" performed by Kitty (Becca Tobin) and the New Directions girls as well as "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" performed by Marley (Melissa Benoist): in addition to Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, Amber Riley, Darren Criss and the New Directions with a theatrically-attuned group reworking of the 80s Crowded House pop classic "Don't Dream It's Over", here is theatrical standard "All That Jazz" from CHICAGO courtesy of Rachel (Lea Michele) and Cassandra (Kate Hudson) from this Thursday's brand new episode, "Swan Song".

Today BroadwayWorld is proud to present the third and fourth world premiere exclusive songs in a month's time, following "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" performed by Kitty (Becca Tobin) and the New Directions girls as well as "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" performed by Marley (Melissa Benoist): following "All That Jazz" from CHICAGO courtesy of Rachel (Lea Michele)and Cassandra (Kate Hudson), here is Cory Monteith, Darren Criss and the New Directions with a theatrically-attuned group reworking of the 80s Crowded House pop classic "Don't Dream It's Over" from this Thursday's brand new episode, "Swan Song".

Over the last two weeks, GLEE has bravely taken on a catalog comprising everything from David Bowie and Simon & Garfunkel to FOOTLOOSE, PROMISES, PROMISES, the Scissor Sisters, Kelly Clarkson and fun., to say nothing of Psy's current worldwide smash hit "Gangnam Style", and, in so doing, it is clearly showing no signs of slowing down - actually, its amped up. Mashing up the New Directions of the original glee club with the new crew comprised of GLEE PROJECT winners and new faces, to say nothing of the Season Four additional storyline following the New York City-set travails of Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) with guest stars Kate Hudson and Sarah Jessica Parker, both "Dynamic Duets", written and directed by co-creator Ian Brennan, and "Thanksgiving", written by Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner, directed by Bradley Buecker, also introduced anomalous themes into the GLEE universe while juggling everything else - namely: super heroes and a holiday tribute, Thanksgiving. While this week's episode was perhaps more generally amiable and appealing and certainly more successful in its overall execution and worthy place in the upper half of the episode stack four seasons in, last week packed a plosive "Pow!" of a punch insofar as its appreciable visuals and creative utilization of the tried and true tropes of comic book lore, new and old.

Today we are talking to a breakout Broadway star who has made a name for himself with memorable turns in this century's revivals of Rodgers & Hammerstein's FLOWER DRUM SONG, Stephen Sondheim's PACIFIC OVERTURES and Stephen Schwartz's GODSPELL on Broadway as well as turns in Schwartz's WICKED and Jonathan Larson's RENT in addition to his lauded work on the brand new Broadway-bound tuner ALLEGIANCE, co-starring Lea Salonga and George Takei - and, of course, his easily identifiable uniform-outfitted Warbler on Fox's hit musical dramedy series GLEE - the passionate and gifted Telly Leung! Besides taking a look back at many of his best-loved and most well-remembered roles to date, in this career-spanning conversation Leung and I also dissect the finer points of his new solo album, I'LL COVER YOU, as we look ahead to the splashy release party on December 2 at 54 Below, and he outlines his initial inspiration for the creation of it and recounts the recording process for the unique genre-crossing release. Plus, Leung generously shares some truly thrilling backstage stories involving luminaries such as Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Neil Patrick Harris and more as well as shares his infectious enthusiasm for future endeavors, near and far - after a well-earned vacation in January, that is. All of that and much, much more awaits!

Today we are celebrating the classic holiday-themed ballet that originally premiered one week prior to Christmas Day exactly 120 years ago, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's THE NUTCRACKER. The ideal respite from the holiday rush, Fathom Events will be presenting the all new 3D film presentation of Tchaikovsky's THE NUTCRACKER on December 3, starring members of the very ballet company of the theater in which the fantastical family-friendly fable first debuted, the Russian Imperial Mariinsky Theatre.

Today we are talking to a recording artist whose new release, CLASSIC, virtually acts as an overview of his impressive career thus far, with its overall wide embrace of titanic vocals and big emotion while covering pop, opera, country, classical, religious themes, theatre music and more - celebrated crossover star David Phelps. In addition to all about CLASSIC, outlining its origins and creation, plus song selection process, actual recording and producing and more, Phelps also casts a glance back at his idiosyncratic journey thus far, opening up about the impetus for pursuing a life of music as well as how he has now made it a family tradition thanks to the participation of his siblings and even his daughter in a special duet on the stirring new release. Also, as well as all about CLASSIC and its current tour, Phelps cites his foremost influences, reflects on some of his favorite recordings to date, illustrates the finer points of his recording process with his collaborators, points out some of his favorite holiday song selections - and much, much more!

Today we are talking to one of Broadway's brightest new marquee names all about her Tony Award-winning work in the recent revival of WEST SIDE STORY, as well as originating roles in Lin-Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS and BROOKLYN before that, with a special emphasis on her work in the new Manhattan Theater Club rock musical MURDER BALLAD - the engaging and emotive Karen Olivo. In this career-spanning chat, besides filling us in on the themes, style, story, music, characters, casting and overall creation of the original musical she is currently co-starring in with Will Swenson Off Broadway, MURDER BALLAD, now in previews and running through December 16, Olivo also opens up about many of her other most memorable roles in past productions, ranging from her work in the Broadway production of RENT all the way to last season's straight comedy BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK to her current work on MURDER BALLAD and her plans for the future, near and far. Plus, Olivo shares details about her upcoming featured role in the Lifetime Christmas-themed movie HOLIDAY SPIN, choreographed by recent InDepth InterView participant Paul Becker, as well as her long-awaited return to the hit CBS legal drama THE GOOD WIFE this Sunday. All of that, memories of legendary collaborators such as Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Marvin Hamlisch, Kathy Bates, a preview of her upcoming robot-themed sci-fi indie RISE, details on her participation in the new FUGITIVE SONGS recording and much, much more awaits!

As a super-special companion column to this week's extensive InDepth InterView with nine-time Tony Award-winning performer/choreographer/director Tommy Tune, please enjoy this selection of the most pertinent and eye-popping moments from Tune's tremendous career, covering many of his best-loved and most fondly remembered musicals to date - among them: THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, NINE, GRAND HOTEL, MY ONE & ONLY, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES and more!

Last week I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to Tony Award-winning SPRING AWAKENING songwriter Duncan Sheik all about his staggering spate of upcoming stage projects - the musical stage adaptation of the controversial Bret Easton Ellis bestseller AMERICAN PSYCHO, as well as his Steven Sater collaborations on THE NIGHTENGALE, WHISPER HOUSE, MR. CHESS and ALICE included - in addition to all about his upcoming concert appearance on November 23 at the Gramercy Theatre. Additionally, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter also expounded upon his career thus far and we took a look back at some of his favorite scores and composers, as well as the individuals to have the most impact on him and how that has played out in both his theatre and recording career. Plus, Sheik shares exciting exclusive news on the development of the forthcoming film adaptation of SPRING AWAKENING, directed by McG, to potentially begin filming next summer if all goes as planned, as well as opens up with his feelings on GLEE's recent homage to his hit 90s single "Barely Breathing" and his original SPRING AWAKENING leads Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff, as well as news about his upcoming solo album and the many, many stage projects he currently has in development. All of that and much, much more!

On Friday afternoon I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to Tony Award-winning SPRING AWAKENING songwriter Duncan Sheik all about his staggering spate of upcoming stage projects - AMERICAN PSYCHO, THE NIGHTENGALE, WHISPER HOUSE, MR. CHESS and ALICE included - as well as all about his upcoming concert appearance on November 23 at the Gramercy Theatre, but, before that InDepth InterView appears next week, here is some exciting exclusive news on the development of the forthcoming film adaptation of SPRING AWAKENING, directed by McG, to potentially begin filming next summer if all goes as planned.

"No contact, not even in song." And, with those words, the epic romance of Rachel (Lea Michele) and Finn (Cory Monteith) - Finchel, familiarly, to fans of the show; gleeks - on Fox's hit musical dramedy series GLEE came to a horrific car crash of a coda - and all-too-appropriately so given the automatic, systematic, ultimatic GLEE GREASE tribute oh-so-amusingly billed as "Glease". The Robert Aguirre-Sarcasa-written, Michael Uppendahl-directed ep gave us a generous dose of GREASE justified by the glee club's take on the classic 50s tuner while also offering us some hair-raising dramatic and thematic developments, as well - Mr. Shue (Matt Morrison)'s sabbatical; the permanent ceasing of not one, not two, but three central romances of seasons' past; as well as the nefarious interception of Cassandra July (Kate Hudson) into the entanglements of the NYC-set storyline of the all-new, revamped GLEE S4.

Today we are thrilled to be talking to a nine-time Tony Award-winning performer/director/choreographer all about his illustrious career onstage and behind the scenes working on classic musicals such as THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, NINE, GRAND HOTEL, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES and many more as well as all about his new solo piece premiering at Feinstein's At Loews Regency this weekend - the one and only Tommy Tune. Taking a look back at his near-peerless legacy as the top director of the 1980s and 1990s on Broadway, Tune imparts his candid insights about show business and reflects upon many aspects of the aforementioned hit shows - from their inception and creation to their critical and public reception and their ultimate legacy - as well as shares stories about his time as a performer, both then and now, with the star-studded tales cumulatively involving such legendary luminaries as Gene Kelly, Barbra Streisand, Michael Bennett, Hal Prince, Maury Yeston, Ken Russell, Jane Krakowski, Sutton Foster and many more. Plus, Tune gives us an enticing glimpse of his new Feintein's At The Regency showcase, TAPS, TUNES AND TALL TALES, playing November 18-26, and casts his sights on the future, near and far, and discusses the types of projects he would like to tackle next - including, first up, finding the perfect NYC location for his environmental new theatre piece, 54. All of that, tons of taps, top hats and tails and much, much more!

The results are in! And, last night, after a month-long hiatus, GLEE came speeding back to the small screen with the spiffy and spunky new episode, "The Role You Were Born To Play" - a Michael Hitchcock-written, Brad Falchuk-directed entry to Fox's hit musical series centering on the auditions for this year's McKinley High musical - none other than the campy 50s musical comedy GREASE! And, indeed, GREASE is the word - and, furthermore, the musical GLEE was born to do.

Today BroadwayWorld is particularly proud to present an exceptionally exciting exclusive byway of this career-spanning chat with two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Bernadette Peters. In this all-encompassing conversation we discuss many aspects of her storied career, with a special focus on her upcoming feature film, COMING UP ROSES, which opens this Friday in NYC - a gritty and uncompromising independent feature offering Peters a searing central role as a struggling actress with a teenage daughter (Rachel Brosnahan) and their shared experiences cohabitating in 1980s era New York City. In what very well could be her finest dramatic performance of the new millennium, Peters does it all in COMING UP ROSES; she even gets to sing in it - the soundtrack features a familiar FIDDLER ON THE ROOF tune, a Kander & Ebb gem and even a stirring original song. Additionally, Miss Peters also sheds some light on her role in Season 2 of NBC's hit musical drama series SMASH. Over the course of the discussion we also look back at her exceptional career on stages and screens large and small, touching upon her theatre work with Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber and what roles of theirs she would consider in the future, as well as her experiences sharing the small screen with stars like Megan Hilty, Anjelica Huston and Carol Burnett and acting on the big screen for Woody Allen in ALICE. Plus, Bernadette gives us a tantalizing glimpse of what we can expect from her role in an upcoming animated feature film co-starring SMASH's Hilty and GLEE's Lea Michele, the highly anticipated DOROTHY OF OZ, and shares her satisfaction with her original, Bryan Adams-penned musical material for the forthcoming film. Yes, indeed, everything is definitely coming up roses today on BroadwayWorld and it's all thanks to the one and only Bernadette!

While the scariness of the season may be all too real and in-your-face to East Coast BroadwayWorld readers due to Hurricane Sandy, late October is indeed the most frightening time of the year, so let's take a look at some of the top picks for Halloween 2012 - whether you are looking to pass some time in the storm, boiling up a cauldron of witch's brew for trick or treaters or donning devilish duds yourself.

Today BroadwayWorld is thrilled to present not one, but two world premiere exclusives from the upcoming GLEE tribute to GREASE - oh-so amusingly titled "Glease" - both the risque and rollicking "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee", performed by Becca Tobin (Kitty) and gleek girls, as well as the mournful, balladic "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" passionately performed by Melissa Benoist (Marley).

Today BroadwayWorld is thrilled to present not one, but two world premiere exclusives from the upcoming GLEE tribute to GREASE - oh-so amusingly titled "Glease" - both the risque and rollicking "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee", performed by Becca Tobin (Kitty) and gleek girls, as well as the mournful, balladic "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" passionately performed by Melissa Benoist (Marley).