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Pat Cerasaro - Page 192

Pat Cerasaro Pat Cerasaro contributes exclusive scholarly columns including InDepth InterViews, Sound Off, Theatrical Throwback Thursdays, Flash Friday and Flash Special as well as additional special features, world premiere clips and extensive news coverage. His work for the site has appeared in The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, US Weekly, The Biography Channel, NBC and more. He also wrote and directed two sold-out 2014 BroadwayWorld charity concert events featuring all-star casts, EVERYTHING'S COMING UP BROADWAYWORLD.COM: A JULE STYNE TRIBUTE and THE LORD & THE MASTER: BROADWAYWORLD.COM SINGS THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER & STEPHEN SONDHEIM.




2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 6: ROCK OF AGES Rocks Radio City
2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 6: ROCK OF AGES Rocks Radio City
May 17, 2012

Today's memorable Tony Awards moment for the ages comes courtesy of a former AMERICAN IDOL contestant-cum-Broadway leading man - Constantine Maroulis, who was nominated for Best Actor In A Musical at the 2009 Tony Awards ceremony - leading a cast of 80s mall-hair-ed New Jerseyians all armed with a song a prayer in a performance from the Tony-nominated 80s stadium metal jukebox hit ROCK OF AGES.

SOUND OFF: A Double-Dose Of GLEE (With Lindsay Lohan)
May 16, 2012

On the edge of glory, GLEE momentarily brought back the ecstatic excitement and indescribably infectious joy which made the musical dramedy series a huge hit in its first and second seasons, then commanding upwards of twelve million viewers a week. Now sixty-plus episodes into the series, in a two-hour episode helmed by co-creator Ian Brennan, last night's two-episode gorge-worthy and gorgeous feast - 'Props' and 'Nationals', by the hour - was a reminder of everything that cynics have cited as lacking from episodes in Season Three, as flagging ratings and a general media lull plagues the once seemingly indomitable mega-show despite its continued inventiveness and dramatic daringness. It was fresh and sassy and outrageous, but touching and heartfelt - attributes ascribed to the best episodes of the show. Yet, it was so much more, too - and then there's the music! Both hours were a totally over-the-top tribute to all things big and wow-worthy, coming at just the right moment to pump some energizing lifeblood into the audience base - passing references to Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Marvin Hamlisch and Elton John as well as multiple winks at DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES songwriter and BAT OUT OF HELL mastermind Jim Steinman collectively pushing the theatre insider reference quotient into the stratosphere; and appreciably so. Yes, indeed, last night's double-dose of GLEE was an OD-worthy escapade worthy of returning to time and time again - Lea Michele's solo spots of Jason Mraz's 'I Won't Give Up' and Celine Dion's Grammy-winning 'It's All Coming Back To Me Now' alone were standouts of not only this or any season, but the series itself. With more than fifteen songs performed - everything from Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and The Who to STARLIGHT EXPRESS, TOMMY, FLASHDANCE and KISS ME, KATE - there was something for everyone in the two-hour GLEE extravaganza overflowing with the witty one-liners, out-of-this-world twists, outlandish characterizations, as well as the idiosyncratic theatrical reality that only GLEE can create. It was a true return to form to prove any and all naysayers wrong, and, this, coming after last week's Ryan Murphy-penned 'Prom-asaurus' season highlight, no less.

2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 5: Neil Patrick Harris Raps-Up
2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 5: Neil Patrick Harris Raps-Up
May 16, 2012

Today we continue BroadwayWorld's extensive look at highlights from the sixty-plus years of the Tony Awards as we anticipate this year's ceremony on June 10 on CBS with the absolutely riveting final moment of last year's telecast, featuring peerless host Neil Patrick Harris performing a verbally dexterous and dizzying - and damn good - wrap-up/rap-up penned by Tony-winning IN THE HEIGHTS composer/lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda and director Tommy Kail.

SOUND OFF: SMASH Bares Its Big, Beautiful Bombshell
May 15, 2012

The words we've all been breathlessly waiting to hear - "You're going on as Marilyn tonight," - were finally uttered by the director of the show-within-the-show, Derek (Jack Davenport), on SMASH's "Bombshell" season finale last night: Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee) nabbed the coveted role. Despite seemingly all of the bets being placed early in the season against Karen by viewers and critics alike insofar as her likelihood in donning the peroxide wig and beautymark - she seemed a Norma Jean but rarely an expected choice for Marilyn; certainly no match in the classic idea of the screen siren as far as the vivacious and curvaceous Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) was concerned. While many were quick in giving Ivy Lynn the upper hand - or upper skirt, as the case may be - it was evident from the first moment of the series that Karen, the underdog, is who we were largely meant to be rooting for above all others; the naive Iowa girl singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" on a stage of glitterring stars, so close and yet so far away. Ivy surely made a fast and furious impression soon thereafter with "The National Pastime" in SMASH's pilot, but Karen had already been quite clearly established as our most central protagonist - perhaps with Julia (Debra Messing) equally as prominent. As the fourteen subsequent episodes have progressed, SMASH has revealed itself to be a true ensemble piece with the emphasis on the collective journey of all of the characters and how that has had an effect on the burgeoning Broadway musical at the show's core, but Karen and Julia still have remained the two given the most screen-time and exposure. Megan Hilty has nonetheless emerged as a force to be reckoned with and her performance in the role is the finest of all on the series, outshining all in her songs and scenes. The various highways, byways and alleyways by which we have journeyed on the road of SMASH from the beginning to last night has unquestionably been leading to the BOMBSHELL first preview performances and the reveal of who would ultimately win the part of a lifetime in the show-within-the-show - and, on that count, the SMASH season finale bared all. And, as if all of that were not enough - cameos from Broadway heavyweights Bernadette Peters and Nick Jonas, too!

2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 4: The Who's TOMMY At The Tonys
2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 4: The Who's TOMMY At The Tonys
May 15, 2012

The impact of the influential 1969 rock opera TOMMY by The Who is incalculable insofar as its impact on perceptions of what modern musical storytelling could be and the way it shaped the way theatre music was received by audiences at large, and that is due in no small part to the awe-inspiring attributes of Pete Townshend's seminal, still timeless score. "Pinball Wizard" to "Acid Queen" to "Listening To You" and beyond, the multitude of strong melodies and potent messages in the psychedelic show continue to be compelling and absorbing - and the success of the show has continued beyond its multi-Tony Award-winning Broadway production: GLEE takes on the unforgettable Act One closer tonight, "Pinball Wizard".

2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 3: SMASH Stars
2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 3: SMASH Stars
May 14, 2012

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's month-long Tony Awards clip countdown - which culminates in the Tony telecast itself on Sunday, June 10 - with a handful of Tony moments featuring members of the awesomely talented cast of NBC's musical drama series SMASH - season finale airing at 10 PM tonight - years before their big TV breakthrough roles on the hit show, which has been officially renewed for a second season: Megan Hilty, Brian d'Arcy James and a Tony Award nominee this year, Christian Borle!

2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 2: HOW TO SUCCEED With Robert, Matthew & Daniel
2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 2: HOW TO SUCCEED With Robert, Matthew & Daniel
May 13, 2012

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's month-long salute to the 2012 Tony Awards - which will take place June 10 on CBS - with a spectacular performance captured only last year, featuring three generations of J. Pierrepont Finches - originator Robert Morse, revival Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and Hollywood/Broadway crossover superstar Daniel Radcliffe - with the former two introducing the latter as he leads "Brotherhood Of Man" from the Pulitzer Prize-winning HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, a true blue Broadway classic.

2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 1: The World Goes 'Round Liza
2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 1: The World Goes 'Round Liza
May 12, 2012

Today we are kicking off BroadwayWorld's month-long salute to the 2012 Tony Awards with a clip sure to set even the bleakest, darkest and blandest of nights alight - Liza Minnelli capping off the most spectacular opening number in Tony Awards history, the 2009 Tony Awards opening number, with a little aid from Elton John, Dolly Parton, Sutton Foster, Brian d'Arcy James and many more.

FLASH FRIDAY: The Titanic Talent Of Brian D'Arcy James
May 11, 2012

In a correlative column to this weekend's extensive and exclusive InDepth InterView, tonight we are shining a special solo spotlight on the vast multitude of talents possessed by one of Broadway's brightest stars - known best to theatre fans for his tremendous turns in Maury Yeston's TITANIC, Andrew Lippa's THE WILD PARTY, the original musicals SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, SHREK and NEXT TO NORMAL as well as original dramas such as TIME STANDS STILL - who now can now regularly be seen on NBC's hit music drama series SMASH, and, starting this Sunday in a three-episode arc on Showtime's THE BIG C with fellow Broadway notable Tammy Blanchard - the one and only Brian D'arcy James. While you will have to wait until tomorrow for the career-spanning conversation that covers his experiences working on those thrilling original musicals as well as reflections on collaborating with the starry array of cast members and creatives on the Steven Spielberg-produced SMASH and what lays ahead for Season Two, now is an absolutely ideal opportunuity to reacclimatize ourselves. Just what can't Brian d'Arcy James do? As this spell-binding collection of clips prove - everything; and then some.

InDepth InterView: Brian D'Arcy James Talks SMASH Season Finale, THE BIG C, 54 Below Concert & More
InDepth InterView: Brian D'Arcy James Talks SMASH Season Finale, THE BIG C, 54 Below Concert & More
May 12, 2012

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's ongoing interview series with the stars and creative team of NBC's hit musical drama series SMASH with a Broadway/Hollywood leading man who first made his mark on the stage creating a role in the Tony Award-winning TITANIC after having appeared in BLOOD BROTHERS and CAROUSEL and who has since starred in productions as diverse as SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, NEXT TO NORMAL, SHREK and many more - the jovial and multi-talented Brian d'Arcy James. Discussing all aspects of his role on SMASH as well as cluing us in on what we can expect from Monday's highly awaited season finale, d'Arcy James and I also take a look back at his career onstage thus far and he shares fond recollections of working on TITANIC, SWEET SMELL, SHREK, NEXT TO NORMAL, TIME STANDS STILL and THE WILD PARTY Off-Broadway as well as offers his observations of his collaborators and co-stars in each endeavor. Plus, Brian also reveals his other current TV project: his character arc on Showtime's dramedy THE BIG C, starring his TIME STANDS STILL co-star Laura Linney and previous John Benjamin Hickey, that begins this Sunday and continues through the rest of this month. Additionally, we also discuss his upcoming 54 Below concerts June 26-30 - as well as his thoughtful and candid opinions on some of his favorite songwriters and his own songs. Plus, comments on his film roles in HBO's GAME CHANGE, FRIENDS WITH KIDS, an upcoming short film - and much, much more!

SOUND OFF: GLEE's New Directions Do One Direction
May 9, 2012

"Prom-asaurus" proved that GLEE can still pack a powerful pop culture punch when required to do so; and when it wants to - and spike it with some effervescence and make it pop, too. Even those among us who don't partake in drinking the GLEE Kool-Aid, all must agree that there was more than one episode's fair share of fun, frivolity, twists and tunes, with some very fitting dramatic and musicals moments that we have by now come to anticipate from the genre-hopping musical dramedy enterprise - all of it integrated effectively into the stream-lined storyline, as well. Prom. It's all about prom this time of year and GLEE always makes a point to pay tribute to the month of May in this way. It is in pop culture melding mega-moments like last night's One Direction cover by way of GLEE - "What You Makes You Beautiful" - that we are again reminded of the special place GLEE holds in the American pop pantheon of the 21st century - using real, of-the-moment pop songs and utilizing them to comment on current events while musicalizing and dramatizing the lives of high school students. The classic cuts that come along are a bonus, really, when one considers GLEE from this viewpoint, though the contemporary covers have become the bread and butter of song sales for the mega-music-selling series - "Teenage Dream" by Blaine & The Warblers, as well as the Troubletones's Adele "Someone Like You/Rumor Has It" mash-up sold nearly as many copies as their predecessors - the originals - as far as iTunes sales go. Though FOX channel-mate Simon Cowell of course discovered and shepherds the international pop smash super group One Direction, their musical appearance on GLEE this season marks the continued exposure of the of-the-moment boy band phenomena we have not seen the likes of in over a decade - not since the days of N*SYNC and the Backstreet Boys - after the New Directions success with The Wanted's "Glad You Came" a few episodes back and their upcoming continued presence, no doubt, in addition. What makes GLEE must-see-TV week after week is more often than not the try-anything approach of the creators and cast - some sequences shockingly come off brilliantly and hit all-too-squarely their intended targets, while others fall far short and flop completely, even embarrassingly so. To crib a phrase from One Direction's hit single, what makes GLEE beautiful is that GLEE does not always know what makes it beautiful - experiencing drama coming to us delivered from that rocky, risky-to-mount precipice is sometimes frustrating, sometimes rewarding, but almost always somehow more than merely satisfying.

SOUND OFF: BOMBSHELL's Bumpy Boston Bow On SMASH
May 8, 2012

"It's always gorgeous when you sing," and so the same goes for NBC's musical drama series SMASH. This week's penultimate episode of the first season order of fifteen gave us a long-awaited real look at the actual production of the musical-within-the-show live onstage in the form of the first Boston preview in the out-of-town tryout of BOMBSHELL. Up until this point, we have only been provided with sporadic glimpses into the mind's eye of the director of the show as he stages and rehearses the various song sequences. With last night's "Previews" episode we got our third major iteration of "Let Me Be Your Star" - following the full-out song at the conclusion of the pilot episode and the subsequent ballad opening number version shown in Episode 2 - with Rebecca Duvall (guest star Uma Thurman) belting it out to mixed results. Mixed results is the kindest way to say that the volatile and kooky movie star character simply does not work in any way as Marilyn Monroe in the bio-musical about her life being created - not physically, tonally and certainly not musically. Croaking out the sumptuous and richly melodic Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman gems that have been specifically created for SMASH's BOMBSHELL - songs dutifully doled out in sparingly small doses of one or two each week - is near-sacrilege when one ponders the talent even on the very same stage; Ivy (Megan Hilty) or Karen (Katharine McPhee) could both kill the role, as wee have seen. So, who will ultimately make it to the stage that now, in the eleventh hour, the star of the show has walked? Of course, the sure-to-be action, drama and music-filled finale to Season One arrives next Monday at the same SMASH place and same SMASH channel - will the Marilyn musical be a bomb or a smash? Will the show even go on at all given the unforeseen obstacles? A lot remains to be answered, but the fever pitch fans and viewers have been yearning for has definitely entered, stage right. Next week we will see who truly sparkles, who really shines - and who ends up exploding.

Exclusive InDepth InterView: Liza Minnelli Talks LIVE AT THE WINTER GARDEN, CABARET HD, Lady Gaga & More
May 7, 2012

Four letters say it all: LIZA. Descended from Hollywood royalty - the only Academy Award winner with both parents recipients of the prize, as well; Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli - Liza Minnelli made her mark on show business first with her stupendous debut in 1965's FLORA THE RED MENACE by a new songwriting team comprised of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, and the rest is showbiz history. The fruitful musical marriage of the three over the next four decades would result in some of the finest achievements in all of entertainment, many featuring Ms. Minnelli, the peerless entertainer of a generation, as the central interpreter. FLORA THE RED MENACE to CABARET, CHICAGO, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, THE ACT, THE RINK and beyond, the partnership between Liza Minnelli and Kander & Ebb has yielded some of the most spectacular and unforgettable songs ever written or performed and 2012 is a special year indeed to celebrate their many fine achievements. In addition to the long-awaited Blu-ray premiere of the iconic Bob Fosse film musical for which Liza won a Best Actress Oscar, CABARET - premiering in the HD format later this year to mark its fortieth anniversary - this week sees the hotly anticipated CD and digital premiere of one of her finest live recordings ever captured - LIZA MINNELLI LIVE AT THE WINTER GARDEN - completely remastered, with bonus tracks. Featuring a powerhouse performance by the central star at the very height of her astonishing abilities, the diverse catalog of material is woven together seamlessly and quite wonderfully by master director Bob Fosse and conductor/musical director Marvin Hamlisch - and that's without even making mention of the tremendous original specialty songs penned by Kander & Ebb for the event, including a song sequel to "Liza With A Z". Discussing all aspects of the LIVE AT THE WINTER GARDEN album and the new digital and CD release of it, Minnelli reminisces about the electric evening with her trademark style, wit, humor, insight and passion while also sharing anecdotes about noted collaborators Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb, John Kander, Charles Aznavour, Marvin Hamlisch and many more. In addition to all about LIVE AT THE WINTER GARDEN and its multitude of charms and riches, Minnelli and I also discuss the new HD remastering of CABARET and her personal opinion of it, having just viewed the pristine new print at its gala debut, and she also shares how she feels the film has held up in the forty years since its premiere and her remembrances from the set. Additionally, Minnelli offers her candid opinions on a host of topics ranging from her ultimate show business legacy to sizing up CABARET versus THE GODFATHER to her affection for pop superstar and devoted Liza fan Lady Gaga to thoughts on Laura Nyro, Stephen Sondheim - and much, much more!

SOUND OFF: The Tell-Tale 2012 Tony Nominations
May 5, 2012

This Tuesday marked the second most exciting day of any given year for Broadway babies - the Tony Award nominations. The actual awards ceremony on CBS - Broadway's night of nights - is still a few weeks off, but now is certainly an ideal time to size up the competition(s) and see who will most likely walk away with Tony gold come June 10 - and this year's ceremony, more than most before, could very well be as surprising as this season was; or Tuesday's nominations themselves were, for that matter. While the 2011-2012 Broadway season certainly fell far short of the heady promise many ascribed to its prospects way back last Summer, we certainly saw the fulfillment of some big dreams for some notable names if not an all-in-all banner year for Broadway when collectively considered. The highly-praised Off-Broadway critical darling LYSISTRATA JONES landed with a thud early in the season, as did the re-jiggered, gender-bending revival of ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and its star Harry Connick, Jr., and, even the lauded and relatively successful revival of Stephen Sondheim's peerless masterpiece FOLLIES failed to make any money and closed. GODSPELL did not fare much better, though it is still running. The two highly-anticipated revivals of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic early successes JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and EVITA were met with indifferent reviews - with the latter receiving some nasty press for its stars, neither of whom received Tony nominations - but receptive audiences so far. THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS could take Best Revival, after all - but will NICE WORK's Kelli O'Hara edge out four-time Tony recipient Audra McDonald? New plays did not fare much better than the measly crop of musicals, but OTHER DESERT CITIES and VENUS IN FUR seemed to hit their target demographics squarely, but CLYBOURNE PARK looks to be the frontrunner for Best Play despite all that. We shall see. Mike Nichols may take home another Best Director for his sensitive, if workmanlike revival of Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN, as conceivably could Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield. John Lithgow is offering up some fierce competition in THE COLUMNIST, though. The acting races are tight, for sure, in both plays and musicals, with more newcomers and first-time nominees than any season this century.

InDepth InterView: Eric McCormack Talks Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN, Shakespeare, New TV Series & More
InDepth InterView: Eric McCormack Talks Gore Vidal's THE BEST MAN, Shakespeare, New TV Series & More
May 5, 2012

Today we are talking to an Emmy Award-winning actor perhaps most well-known for his title role in the iconic and ground-breaking millennial NBC sitcom hit, WILL & GRACE, who can now be seen eight times a week on Broadway playing a pivotal role in the starry revival of Gore Vidal's politically-themed satire, THE BEST MAN - the affable Eric McCormack. Shining a spotlight on his theatrical roots at the Straford Shakespeare Festival in Canada all the way up to his small-screen sensation in WILL & GRACE and, now, his forthcoming new dramatic series, PERCEPTION, McCormack illustrates all aspects of his career and generously offers his insights, observations and shares his lessons learned over the course of his near-thirty-year career onstage and onscreen. In addition to all of that, McCormack outlines his experiences sharing the stage with titanic talents such as James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Candice Bergin and the rest of the ensemble of THE BEST MAN, as well as sharing his thoughts about the relevance and poignancy of the play today, more than a half decade after its premiere, and what it says about our society, then and now, in addition to expanding on the play's pertinent political themes and their exploration in the classic drama. Plus, McCormack clues us in on his own favorite plays and musicals, initial theatrical inspiration, his stint portraying the eponymous THE MUSIC MAN, future career plans and first news about his new TNT series, PERCEPTION - all of that and much, much more!

SOUND OFF: GLEE Chokes, But Shakes It Out
May 2, 2012

Rachel doesn't seem likely to be headed to New York and NYADA - nope, not this time. Mucking up her major shot at Broadway glory - at least as far as high school auditions go - by messing up the words to "Don't Rain On My Parade" from FUNNY GIRL, her anthem, no less - the focus on GLEE's appropriately titled "Choke" episode brought to mind a lyric from Stephen Sondheim's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, a musical about the sacrifices we make to get what we thought we wanted - "still with dreams, / just reshaping them. / Growing up…." And that is Season Three of GLEE in a nutshell - the senior members of New Directions learning to let go of childhood and move ahead into the unknown world of maturity; whether the future may bring college, career or pool-cleaning. With more musical theatre references per minute than any episode of the twenty so far in GLEE S3, "Choke" was filled with the stylized storytelling and absurd, although always appreciable surprises along the way that makes GLEE consistently, near-constantly compelling. No, no, no - GLEE has not flagged in the least sixty-odd episodes into the series so far, although the rating may have slightly. Last night's GLEE was a good example of the shifting focus and repeated reinvention that keeps the series fresh - and the comedy is as fearless and biting as ever.

SOUND OFF: Another Op'nin', Another SMASH
May 1, 2012

Kicking off the plot-packed night, Cole Porter's classic KISS ME, KATE showbiz paean "Another Op'nin', Another Show" was given a full-bodied and exciting rendition by Christian Borle - with a gloriously accentuated arrangement courtesy of SMASH songwriter Marc Shaiman; seemingly channeling Barbra Streisand and Peter Matz - and, with that, the SMASH train left Manhattan and hit Boston for the tryout of the musical-within-the-series, BOMBSHELL. While Rebecca Duvall (Uma Thurman) may play the director of the show, Derek (Jack Davenport), better than she does her actual role in the musical - Marilyn Monroe - she is not the only member of the rich and varied ensemble on SMASH to be playing or being played (or both) - or hitting the occasional wrong note or two. With only two episodes left in Season One, the threads are being wrapped up into what is shaping up to be a pleasingly complex and colorful tapestry.

InDepth InterView: Andrew Rannells Talks NY Pops JOURNEY ON Gala, BOOK OF MORMON, New TV Series & More
InDepth InterView: Andrew Rannells Talks NY Pops JOURNEY ON Gala, BOOK OF MORMON, New TV Series & More
April 30, 2012

Today we are talking to one of the biggest new stars on Broadway who first burst onto the scene in HAIRSPRAY but has since carved out a place in the great pantheon of theatre history in creating the iconic lead role of Elder Price in the Broadway hit of the decade, THE BOOK OF MORMON, Andrew Rannells. One among many on the incredibly impressive list of performers at Monday night's NY Pops JOURNEY ON gala at Carnegie Hall celebrating the music and lyrics of Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Rannells joins many of the other accomplished Broadway/Hollywood crossover stars of modern Broadway as well as those who predominantly tread the boards. Illustrating his journey with the edgy and ribald musical smash THE BOOK OF MORMOM from workshop to Broadway, the Tony Awards and beyond, Rannells paints the picture of the show's road to success and imparts his effervescent enthusiasm and all too apparent joy to be appearing in such a crowd-pleasing and joyous experience eight times a week. Additionally, Rannells shares his thoughts on the upcoming national tour starring Gavin Creel and whether or not there will be a MORMON film version sooner rather than later. Plus, Rannells gives also us the first look at his 21st century parenting and adoption-themed NBC pilot, THE NEW NORMAL, and outlines the finer points of the story, his character and the themes of the hotly anticipated new single-camera comedy series coming from the creator of GLEE, Ryan Murphy. That, his favorite Ahrens & Flaherty songs, favorite shows, future acting plans, what is currently on his iPod - all of that and much, much more!

FLASH FRIDAY: 30 ROCK Live! With A Beatle & A Kardashian
April 27, 2012

Part 12 ANGRY MEN homage, part surrealistic NBC retrospective fever dream and 100% 30 ROCK absurd brilliance at its best, night's live episode of the gold standard NBC comedy series 30 ROCK was precisely that - pure gold. Not only did Tina Fey and the impossibly creative team of writers give the motley assortment of players that comprise the cast a chance to seriously show off their live sketch show skills and theatrical training, but provided Broadway and Hollywood crossover star Alec Baldwin with some of his strongest material to date - with the charismatic erstwhile comedian absolutely killing in his moments portraying a host of wacky and weird characters besides the usual stone-faced Jack Donaghy, a role which has brought him a copious amount of well-deserved statuettes over the six seasons so far. Speaking of hosts, the Dean Martin parody, THE JOEY MONTERO SHOW, stands out as being perhaps the most memorable and guffaw-inducing of all the night's trove of treasures, which is certainly saying something significant - Baldwin owned. Besides the ingenuous conceit of paying tribute to the landmark original live television drama 12 ANGRY MEN acting as a fresh and amusing framing device for the episode, the opportunity afforded by Kenneth (Jack MacBrayer)'s hallucinatory flashbacks of fictional former lesser glories of NBC's long and storied history gave rise to the fabulous fodder allowing for some of the funniest sequences on the series in recent memory - moments that will linger in the mind and funny bone long after this episode or season. Yes, once again, 30 ROCK proved why it is the finest comedy on TV and why Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin have a special sort of chemistry that can only be compared to the finest pairs in the rich history of the form - Mary & Mr. Grant included.

InDepth InterView: Marin Mazzie Talks NY Pops JOURNEY ON Gala, RAGTIME, CARRIE, Sondheim & More
InDepth InterView: Marin Mazzie Talks NY Pops JOURNEY ON Gala, RAGTIME, CARRIE, Sondheim & More
April 27, 2012

Today we are talking to a Broadway superstar beloved from the time of her breakthrough performance in the original cast of Stephen Sondheim's PASSION nearly twenty years ago all the way to two tremendous revivals in the early 00s - KISS ME, KATE and MAN OF LA MANCHA - to her most recent trio of roles on Broadway, first appearing in the straight drama ENRON, then as the troubled lead character of Diana in the Pulitzer Prize-winning NEXT TO NORMAL, and, most recently, as the tortured Margaret White in the long-awaited New York return of CARRIE - the one and only Marin Mazzie. Recalling many memories of working on the original productions of such seminal musicals as INTO THE WOODS, PASSION, RAGTIME, SPAMALOT and NEXT TO NORMAL with some of Broadway's best and brightest talents, Mazzie expresses her sincere appreciation for the unforgettable shows she has been associated with and opens up about her experiences as both an originator of a role, as in the cases of PASSION and RAGTIME, and also as a replacement star and the challenges that that position poses for a performer. Additionally, Mazzie shares her enthusiasm for the words and music of the Tony Award-winning RAGTIME creators Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, whom she will be saluting alongside a starry assortment of notables on Monday at the NY Pops JOURNEY ON Gala at Carnegie Hall. Plus, Mazzie clues us in on all aspects of her journey with the recent New York reworking and reappraisal of CARRIE and gives us first news on recording the cast album, which is set for a Fall release, as well as news on her second duets album with husband, Jason Danieley and solo album thoughts. All of that and much, much more!



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