Pat Cerasaro - Page 198

Coming after a nearly month-long mini-hiatus following the superb "Asian F" in early October, the gleeks of McKinley High on GLEE swept back onto the main stage last night with the hotly anticipated "Pot O' Gold" episode, which introduced new recurring cast members and THE GLEE PROJECT co-winner, Damian McGinty in the tailor-made role of sassy and offensive Rory Flanagan. While McGinty proved to be a winning addition to the roundly respectable line-up of GLEE Season Three, once again the musical performance highlight of the night goes to new GLEE regular Darren Criss - alongside show standout Lea Michele and the rest of the glee club - and their electrifying take on Katy Perry's campy anthem "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)". Much like with Lea Michele's emotionally shattering "Firework", once again a Katy Perry anthem has been rendered even better than the huge hit original by the gleeks of GLEE. Also, "Pot O' Gold" - directed by HAIRSPRAY movie musical helmer Adam Shankman - continued the season-long character arc of Tony-winning Broadway star Idina Menzel, in the role of rival McKinley glee club director Shelby Corcoran, and further developed her complex relationship with Quinn and Puck, played by sensitive Dianna Agron and imposingly forceful Mark Salling - the latter of whom contributed an emotionally charged and displayed his rarely seen softer side with his sensitive rendering of the 80s Foreigner power ballad "Waiting For A Girl Like You". McGinty's two selections - Teddy Thompson's "Take Care Of Yourself" and Kermit The Frog's "Bein' Green" - were relatively lucky and charmed introductions to the foreign exchange student character. Additionally, Mercedes, Santana and Brittany also got a Christina Aguilera/BURLESQUE-esque moment in the spotlight with their sweet and sexy "Candyman" (written by Linda Perry) as the newly formed girl-group The Troubletones. So, as for the rest of "Pot O' Gold" and how the songs stacked up in their dramatic context - as well as virtually everything else? Read on! The rainbow certainly ends with a shiny, gleaming pot o' gold - and maybe a leprechaun or two to love, too! Thank goodness it's Tuesday (or was) - and thank St. Patrick it's GLEE! After all, we've been waiting for a GLEE like this all October!

Since the spookiest and scariest of seasons is aggressively upon us, now is the perfect time to take a look at some selected clips from the most theatrical and horrifying of Halloween treats available to view on YouTube and beyond - especially these six specially-chosen, seriously spooktacular entities! While SILENCE OF THE LAMBS has recently given birth to some new mutton in the form of the Off-Broadway camp spoof musical SILENCE! starring Brent Barrett, there are some surprisingly effective and engrossing horror-themed musicals on our list, as well - REEFER MADNESS: THE MOVIE MUSICAL and THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW included - but, also, some theatrically-themed flights of fearsome fancy - such as Dario Argento's OPERA and Darren Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN. Also, we have a historic classic helmed by the director of two of the most beloved movie musicals of all time - WEST SIDE STORY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC - Robert Wise and his original black and white horror-fest, THE HAUNTING - and a look at a modern-day master from the other side of the planet, Japan's Takashi Miike and his banned-from-American-broadcast IMPRINT. Julie Harris to Kristen Bell, Tim Curry to Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer to Natalie Portman - this Halloween countdown is definitely one that is all treats and no tricks! Well, maybe just one…

While GLEE is on hiatus until its long-awaited return on November 1 and X-FACTOR was pre-empted and moved around as a result of the World Series games, DANCING WITH THE STARS has kept up the Broadway quotient on prime time TV in the interim in a major way thanks to this week's two-night Great White Way salute featuring Tony-winner and Emmy-winner Kristin Chenoweth. Fan favorites J.R. Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff made their mark with CHICAGO'S sizzling "Hot Honey Rag" and this week's InDepth InterView participant Ricki Lake - along with her partner, show favorite Derek Hough - made a splash with a rollicking "The Lady Is A Tramp" from Frank Loesser's classic score for GUYS & DOLLS, and even Nancy Grace got into the snazzy act with a spirited and jolly "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" from SPAMALOT with her partner Tristan MacManus. Yet, some groups fared less well - Chaz Bono and Lacey Schwimmer failed to find the music or the magic of the night with "The Phantom Of The Opera" and they were sent home on Wednesday as a result (penguin critiques and Cher tweets notwithstanding). And, so, too, did Hope Solo and show-standout Maksim Chmerkovskiy falter with their less than impassioned performance of an outright odd head-scratcher of a quickstep song selection, RENT's "Seasons Of Love". Yet, on the ever-improving side of things reside Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke, who managed to bring some JERSEY BOYS-esque swagger to The Four Seasons smash "Walk Like A Man" from the Tony-winning musical revue. Additionally, David Arquette and Kym Johnson ended up somewhere in the middle, with a somewhat tentative treatment of the GREASE warhorse "We Go Together", which still managed to minisculely evoke John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the movie. While some stars certainly shone much brighter than others - J.R. and Ricki undoubtedly seem to be battling it out for top honors - Broadway Week on DANCING WITH THE STARS was generally a resounding success for many concerned. And, that's not even mentioning the spectacular group performance mash-up of "Hey, Big Spender" from SWEET CHARITY and "Money, Money" from CABARET (choreographed by Kevin Maher); Kenny Ortega's specialty number encompassing three famous theatrical standards, specially designed for HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL and IN THE HEIGHTS star Corbin Bleu; or - most of all - Kristin Chenoweth's two stupendous star turns; first, singing a song she made famous for a whole new generation alongside Lea Michele on GLEE - the classic Kander & Ebb CABARET's "Maybe This Time"; which was followed by MY FAIR LADY's 'I Could Have Danced All Night' - and, on the second night, performing the title track from her new solo album, SOME LESSONS LEARNED. Broadway stars to dancing stars to reality stars and beyond, Broadway Week on DANCING WITH THE STARS managed to sparkle and shine with panache.

Today we are talking to a five-time Grammy Award winning recording artist and concert star who is perhaps best known for her nearly forty albums - most in the gospel genre - but who soon will be taking on the titanic title role in a starry regional production of Jerry Herman's classic musical HELLO, DOLLY! - co-starring Tony-winner Gary Beach, no less - the cheery and incredibly talented Sandi Patty. In addition to discussing all aspects of her fantastic new musical theatre-influenced album BROADWAY STORIES - with tunes from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE MUSIC MAN, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, LES MIZ, and the film version of HELLO, DOLLY!, among others - we also discuss her recent concert collaboration with Michael Feinstein and what we can expect from her upcoming dates throughout the rest of 2011. Also, we analyze the performances of some of the great Broadway vocalists - Barbra Streisand, Dame Julie Andrews, Liza Minnelli and more included! Plus, she even shares her experiences working for a decade on the Christmas spectacular YULETIDE! in Indianapolis, as well as some of the songs she would like to have a chance to perform in the future and special concert material - and much, much more.

Today we are completing BroadwayWorld's seven part analysis of Shakespeare's works, all with an eye towards the new movie ANONYMOUS - which questions the authorship of William Shakespeare - with a look at the greatest moments of deception in theatre taken from the last few decades. While deception and betrayal are both tried and true tactics of creating some tense, terse, taught drama by playwrights and filmmakers the world round - both onstage and onscreen - and it is certainly as much a hackneyed trope used today as it was used five hundred years ago in Shakespeare's time - the acts themselves that we will be focusing on today are the most surprising, effective and entertaining examples of them all. Analyzing moments from entities as diverse as SWEENEY TODD, CARRIE, WICKED, GYPSY, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, THE MUSIC MAN, SISTER ACT, SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, HAMLET, ENRON and more - split into three categories: musical tragedies, musical comedies and straight plays - it becomes quite clear over the course of analyzing these double-crosses that Shakespeare was not the only dramatist who could make the drama's biggest twist also be the moment that stays with us long after the curtain has come down or the screen has gone black. Note: given the nature of today's topic, be forewarned that spoilers copiously abound from here on out!

With one of the most refreshingly unique career trajectories in recent show business history, the quirky late-80s/early-90s film star known for her outlandish John Waters comedies - HAIRSPRAY, CRY-BABY and SERIAL MOM included - parlayed her big screen success to a decade-long running eponymous talk-show in the 90s and early 00s that is still talked about to this day - look no further than Nicki Minaj's verse on the remix of Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" for proof - and, now, with news of the 2012 syndicated return of a new iteration of her show, a new memoir, as well as her current compelling casting on the new season of DANCING WITH THE STARS, Ricki Lake has clearly reached a new career high. Imparting her contagious energy and enthusiasm and amply displaying why she is the foremost queen of gab, Lake generously shares her thoughts on a range of topics - Broadway, Hollywood, GLEE, Sondheim, BOOK OF MORMON and much more included - and reveals details about her many upcoming projects and passion, as well as her ongoing star turn on TV's hottest reality competition, DANCING WITH THE STARS. While in rehearsal on Friday night, talking to me from the backstage costume fitting for DANCING/STARS - tutu included - and on the road back to her LA home - before attending Chaz Bono's party later that evening - Lake and I cover it all and she shows why she has been a TV fixture in millions of homes for twenty years and most likely will continue to be so for the next twenty or more - if we are lucky, that is. Plus, she also happens to be a big BroadwayWorld fan, to boot! Who could ask for anything more?

Acing the tailor-made lead role in GLEE creators' Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's new supernaturally-themed FX series AMERICAN HORROR STORY, the former FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS star Connie Britton is finding herself at a career peak (look no further than the cover of this week's Entertainment Weekly that just hit newsstands yesterday). Britton's bright beginnings at the Neighborhood Playhouse and study under acclaimed acting instructor Sanford Meisner - as well as her Off-Broadway and stage work - have clearly prepared her well for the tricky ROSEMARY'S BABY-esque role of a lifetime that Murphy, Falchuk and company have devised for her on the star-studded nighttime soap thriller - which also features TV heavyweight Dylan McDermott, as well as two-time Oscar-winner Jessica Lange and Tony-winner (and TRUE BLOOD's King of the Vampires), Denis O'Hare. Discussing all aspects of the first three episodes of the surprise hit horror series, as well as offering some hints as to what we can expect from the forthcoming two-part Halloween special and upcoming episodes (including a Rubber Man tease), Britton and I dissect the complex inter-workings of the Harmon family and the house from Hell that they now reside in - as well as its ghostly inhabitants. Will they somehow make it out alive? And, who exactly is the new ghost in house, revealed just this week, played by previous InDepth InterView participant Lily Rabe? What can we expect from Zachary Quinto's first appearance coming up this week? And, what about The Infatata? As Murphy's original pitch's tagline states, "The House Wins," but, as far as AMERICAN HORROR STORY goes, the actors do, too. In addition to all about AMERICAN HORROR STORY, Britton and I also discuss her passionate dedication to Bono's ONE charity, as well as her participation in supporting the African Children's Choir, who will be performing at a gala raising awareness and funds on Monday at The Highline Ballroom.

In just a few short years since his sensational debut in Lawrence Kasdan's MUMFORD, rising star Jason Ritter has carved out an impressive indie resume - including noted standouts such as THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS, HAPPY ENDINGS and GOOD DICK - in addition to a successful TV career - having appeared in featured roles in JOAN OF ARCADIA and THE CLASS before his leading role on THE EVENT last season - but theatre fans are certainly aware of considerable stage skills, as well, having performed in plays for many esteemed directors and premiering works by the likes of Neil LaBute and Wendy Wasserstein. While there has been the occasional big budget vehicle, too - SWIMFAN and FREDDY VS. JASON included - it is Ritter's fierce commitment to fine storytelling and intriguing projects that make him truly one to watch. Discussing many aspects of his busy career from THE DREAMER OF OZ opposite his iconic father, John - now available on the WIZARD OF OZ Blu-ray box-set - all the way up to his forthcoming films such as THE PERFECT FAMILY co-starring two previous InDepth InterView participants, Kathleen Turner and Sharon Lawrence, plus THE FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF, FREE SAMPLES, an untilled Mark Webber project, I AM I and his new Disney animated series, GRAVITY FALLS. With an emphasis on his theatre background and insights into the currently running LA Theatreworks presentation of COMPLETENESS, Ritter and I shine some light on a career that, based on what we have already seen from him onstage and onscreen, clearly knows no bounds whatsoever. Some people can do it all and do it all brilliantly and Jason Ritter has clearly proven he is one of those select, special few.

Today we continue our special series consisting of five entries total, each of which highlight a different facet of the rich and wonderful world of William Shakespeare and all with a particular emphasis on the controversial new feature film that explores the time, place, politics and goings-on of the Elizabethan era and focuses on the possibility that the true author of the esteemed plays we now know may very well have been someone else entirely - Edward de Vere - and how the question of the canon's true creation then comes into play - ANONYMOUS. "All the world's a stage," after all, so it should come as no surprise that acts of lust, bloodshed and betrayal would exist in the actual life - or even the supposed one - of the man who created the most bloody and thought-provoking tragedies in the history of literature - whoever he may have actually been. Perhaps some brief analysis of the finest leading players, most memorable lines and moments, as well as an exploration of other notable acts of grand betrayal in Shakespeare's plays will aid us on the journey to understanding the thesis of ANONYMOUS and bring us into a closer relationship with the individual who penned the greatest plays in the English language. Now that we have already analyzed the top ten male and female Shakespearean performers of the last few decades, as well as the most memorable lines and moments, today, in our final installment of the 5 Top 5 countdown, we are focusing on the most surprising and dramatic moments of deception in Shakespeare - including moments from HAMLET, JULIUS CAESER, THE WINTER'S TALE, AS YOU LIKE IT and more!

Today we are turning our attention to one of the biggest and brightest rising stars in classical music whose seriously awesome piano prowess will be in full view this weekend in two special showings on October 22 and 24 when Fathom presents his solo debut, broadcast internationally in movie theaters - pianist phenomenon Lang Lang performs Lizst's Concerto No. 1 live from Philadelphia on Liszt's 200th birthday. While Lang Lang has taken the classical music scene by storm at only 29, this event will provide the opportunity for an even larger international audience to fall under the spell of his emotional, sensitive and powerful piano concert skills, with the advantage of witnessing Lang perform with the additional symphonic support of the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Charles Dutoit - an orchestra of special personal meaning to Lang. Raised in China, but studying in Philadelphia for nearly a decade makes this a truly momentous culminating event for Lang Lang's life and career as a man and as an artist and we can certainly bet that the Kimmel Arts Center is the perfect venue for such an aural feast for the senses featuring some of Liszt's most famous and beloved compositions. Performances of Liszt's Concerto No. 1 and Liberstraum No. 3 seem to be forgone conclusions, yet what else from the expressive catalogue of Liszt's work shall Lang perchance sample? The Hungarian Waltz No. 2, perhaps? La Campanella? What else? Be there tomorrow to find out for once and all!

Today we continue our special series consisting of five entries total, each of which highlight a different facet of the rich and wonderful world of William Shakespeare and all with a particular emphasis on the controversial new feature film that explores the time, place, politics and goings-on of the Elizabethan era and focuses on the possibility that the true author of the esteemed plays we now know may very well have been someone else entirely - Edward de Vere - and how the question of the canon's true creation then comes into play - ANONYMOUS. "All the world's a stage," after all, so it should come as no surprise that acts of lust, bloodshed and betrayal would exist in the actual life - or even the supposed one - of the man who created the most bloody and thought-provoking tragedies in the history of literature - whoever he may have actually been. Perhaps some brief analysis of the finest leading players, most memorable lines and moments, as well as an exploration of other notable acts of grand betrayal in Shakespeare's plays will aid us on the journey to understanding the thesis of ANONYMOUS and bring us into a closer relationship with the individual who penned the greatest plays in the English language. Now that we have already analyzed the top ten male and female Shakespearean performers of the last few decades, as well as the most memorable lines, today we are going to take a look at some of the most famous scenes and noted moments from Shakespeare's plays - by both laymen and scholars - and some of the best audiovisual examples of these in their dramatic context - including clips from MACBETH, THE WINTER'S TALE, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, KING LEAR and more!

Today we continue our special series consisting of five entries total, each of which highlight a different facet of the rich and wonderful world of William Shakespeare and all with a particular emphasis on the controversial new feature film that explores the time, place, politics and goings-on of the Elizabethan era and focuses on the possibility that the true author of the esteemed plays we now know may very well have been someone else entirely - Edward de Vere - and how the question of the canon's true creation then comes into play - ANONYMOUS. "All the world's a stage," after all, so it should come as no surprise that acts of lust, bloodshed and betrayal would exist in the actual life - or even the supposed one - of the man who created the most bloody and thought-provoking tragedies in the history of literature - whoever he may have actually been. Perhaps some brief analysis of the finest leading players, most memorable lines and moments, as well as an exploration of other notable acts of grand betrayal in Shakespeare's plays will aid us on the journey to understanding the thesis of ANONYMOUS and bring us into a closer relationship with the individual who penned the greatest plays in the English language. Since we have now analyzed the top ten male and female Shakespearean performers of the last few decades, today we are going to take a look at some of the most famous lines from Shakespeare's plays and some of the best audiovisual examples of them given full weight in their dramatic context - ROMEO & JULIET, AS YOU LIKE IT, RICHARD III included - with leading players as iconic as Marlon Brando, Kevin Kline, Sir Ian McKellen, Kenneth Branagh and Leonardo Dicaprio!

Today we continue our special series consisting of five entries total, each of which highlight a different facet of the rich and wonderful world of William Shakespeare and all with a particular emphasis on the controversial new feature film that explores the time, place, politics and goings-on of the Elizabethan era and focuses on the possibility that the true author of the esteemed plays we now know may very well have been someone else entirely - Edward de Vere - and how the question of the canon's true creation then comes into play - ANONYMOUS. "All the world's a stage," after all, so it should come as no surprise that acts of lust, bloodshed and betrayal would exist in the actual life - or even the supposed one - of the man who created the most bloody and thought-provoking tragedies in the history of literature - whoever he may have actually been. Perhaps some brief analysis of the finest leading players, most memorable lines and moments, as well as an exploration of other notable acts of grand betrayal in Shakespeare's plays will aid us on the journey to understanding the thesis of ANONYMOUS and bring us into a closer relationship with the individual who penned the greatest plays in the English language. Picking up where we left off, now, with the second entry in the five days of Top 5s, here is a look at the best leading ladies to have done Shakespeare onstage and onscreen this century and last - featuring Judi Dench, Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange, Helen Mirren, and, an ANONYMOUS star herself, Vanessa Redgrave!

Today we begin a special series consisting of five entries total, each of which will highlight a different facet of the rich and wonderful world of William Shakespeare and all with a particular emphasis on the controversial new feature film that explores the time, place, politics and goings-on of the Elizabethan era and focuses on the possibility that the true author of the esteemed plays we now know may very well have been someone else entirely - Edward de Vere - and how the question of the canon's true creation then comes into play - ANONYMOUS. "All the world's a stage," after all, so it should come as no surprise that acts of lust, bloodshed and betrayal would exist in the actual life - or even the supposed one - of the man who created the most bloody and thought-provoking tragedies in the history of literature - whoever he may have actually been. Perhaps some brief analysis of the finest leading players, most memorable lines and moments, as well as an exploration of other notable acts of grand betrayal in Shakespeare's plays will aid us on the journey to understanding the thesis of ANONYMOUS and bring us into a closer relationship with the individual who penned the greatest plays in the English language. Kicking off the five days of Top 5s, here is a look at the best leading men to have done Shakespeare onstage and onscreen this century and last - featuring Kenneth Branagh, Ian McKellen, Al Pacino, James Earl Jones, and, the ANONYMOUS narrator (and a confirmed Oxfordian himself), Sir Derek Jacobi!

Earlier today, prior to his appearance at Comic Con, I had the pleasure of speaking to WALKING DEAD lead actor Jon Bernthal all about his theatre background and his Ovation Award-nominated performance in SMALL ENGINE REPAIR, and, also, his critically praised work on the monster AMC hit series THE WALKING DEAD, which makes its grand return tomorrow night for the launch of its hotly-anticipated second season. I am also happy to share that I was just lucky enough to view the episode myself and I can tell you that it has certainly been worth the wait since THE WALKING DEAD was last seen on TV last year - although the pay-off certainly won't pay off completely until next week given the grisly occurrences in the premiere (and the mind-blowing cliffhanger)! Discussing all aspects of his WALKING DEAD character and what we can expect from tomorrow night's zombie apocalypse shocker - as well as the rest of Season Two - Bernthal and I shed some light on the production of the second season of the hit show so far and how the series will now fare without former show-runner Frank Darabont at the helm. Most importantly, Bernthal shares his deep understanding and passion for theatre and his devotion to his craft - musing on Brecht, Shakespeare and more - as we trace his career trajectory onstage and onscreen from his founding of the Fovea Floods theatre company and the film version of the hit Off-Broadway interactive play TONY N' TINA'S WEDDING in the early 1990s all the way up to HBO'S THE PACIFIC and Roman Polanski's THE GHOST WRITER more recently. Bernthal is also kind enough to share with us what we can look forward to coming up in the near future: RAMPARTS, co-starring fellow InDepth InterView participant Steve Buscemi! Plus, his comments on previous castmates Jason Ritter, Andrea Anders and more!

Today we are featuring the luminescent and golden-voiced Melissa Errico and talking to her all about her sumptuous new album LEGRAND AFFAIR - featuring the music of famed Broadway and Hollywood composer Michel Legrand - and how the labor of love five years in the making has finally come to light with this week's highly-anticipated release of the romantic and moving album. In addition to analyzing the process of putting the project together alongside the legendary Legrand, Errico also shares her thoughtful and passionate insights into the many different worlds inherent in the evocative songs themselves - many with lyrics by Barbra Streisand's constant collaborators, Alan and Marilyn Bergman - and how closely Errico worked with album producers Phil Ramone and Richard Jay-Alexander on perfecting the sound, style, mood and final song list of LEGRAND AFFAIR. Additionally, Errico and I also travel back in time and touch upon her many notable stage appearances over the years - including illustrative comments on her Broadway debut in MY FAIR LADY, as well as starring in HIGH SOCIETY, FINIAN'S RAINBOW, DRACULA, Legrand's own AMOUR, and, most recently, WHITE CHRISTMAS - and she also shares her excitement for the upcoming tenth anniversary reunion concert of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at the Kennedy Center in 2012, co-starring Raul Esparza. Plus, news on her forthcoming appearance on Patrick Wilson's A GIFTED MAN on CBS and all the details on her charity organization, Bowery Babes, as well as much, much more!

Bright, sunny, clarion-voiced leading lady Liz Callaway is not only known for her roles in the Broadway productions of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, BABY, CATS, MISS SAIGON and THE LOOK OF LOVE, but also for her string of highly-successful studio albums - among them, the sensational 60s ode THE BEAT GOES ON and the musical theatre-centric THE STORY GOES ON, in addition to last year's superlative PASSAGE OF TIME - and, she is also well-loved for stunning live stage double-bills with her sister, Ann Hampton Callaway - represented on record by SIBLING RIVALRY and, now, the new live album and show all about baby boomers and their sensational music, titled BOOM! In this all-encompassing conversation, Callaway and I parse her predilection for certain composers - Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Webb, Stephen Sondheim and many more included - as well as her memories of working with some of the most important musical theatre creators of the twentieth century over the course of her thirty-year career, such as legendary director Hal Prince and Sondheim himself on projects diverse as MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, A STEPHEN SONDHEIM EVENING and FOLLIES: IN CONCERT. Plus, we also talk about Callaway's various musical influences, her childhood, her first Broadway show and first Broadway onstage experience, revisiting MERRILY twenty years later with the entire original cast, live versus studio performing, as well as what's coming up next for her in the coming months and new year - including the Christmas stage spectacular, YULETIDE - and more!

Today we are talking to one of the world's foremost cabaret artists and jazz vocalists - also known for her famous rapport with sibling and fellow Broadway baby Liz Callaway - who has written and recorded hundreds of songs over her thirty-year career - including 'I've Dreamed Of You' for Barbra Streisand's A LOVE LIKE OURS, among many others - but, perhaps she is most famous for the unforgettable theme from the highly syndicated hit 90s sitcom THE NANNY starring Fran Drescher - the one and only Ann Hampton Callaway! Discussing all aspects of her brand new album and duets show with sister Liz - titled after the music of their youth; so, being baby boomers growing up with the music of the 1960s and 1970, the oh-so-apropos title is BOOM! Covering Cole Porter to Rosemary Clooney to Ella Fitzgerald, Carly Simon, Stephen Sondheim and Laura Nyro, Callaway and I dissect many facets of songwriting, singing, performing and the nature of live versus studio recording, memories of starring in the musical revue SWING! on Broadway, and, she also reveals her own fondest recollections of working with her sister and many of her most fascinating collaborators over the years. Plus, we have first news of her new Streisand-based symphony show coming up in 2012, as well as the new Christmas show she is starring in with Liz later this year, YULETIDE, as well as her thoughts on filming THE GOOD SHEPARD and soundtrack scoring, as well as her opinions on GLEE, AMERICAN IDOL and much, much more!

Today, in an extension of the FLASH FRIDAY column, we are sharpening our focus on the six upcoming revivals of musicals that are soon to hit the boards in the next few months (post-FOLLIES) and battle it out for the Best Revival as the Broadway season heats up just when the weather begins to cool: the classic Jule Styne/Bob Merrill musical that originally starred that star-of-stars, Barbra Streisand - FUNNY GIRL; the groundbreaking rock opera that rewrote the theatrical rulebook thanks to young creators Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR; the hippie, flower child take on the Christ story covering some similar Biblical ground to that of SUPERSTAR, with this one being the composing debut of WICKED songwriter Stephen Schwartz - GODSPELL; another Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice collaboration that won seven Tony Awards and acted as the vehicle for Patti LuPone's blazing Broadway debut in a starring role - EVITA; the significantly reworked, revised and rewritten new version of the beautifully scored time-travel musical by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner, this time starring a male movie star crooner - ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER; and, the landmark American opera composed by the Gershwins with DuBose Haywerd - PORGY & BESS. While each and every one of these entities has a huge hit song or two that nearly everyone on the planet knows by heart - "Don't Rain On My Parade", "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Day By Day", "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "On A Clear Day…" and 'Summertime' included - each of these revivals also comes after a film version (or two) that, in more than a few of these cases, will be relatively difficult to top as far as expectations of many audience members undoubtedly will go. So, by taking a listen to the smash hit crossover songs from these musicals as well as looking at their respective film version's trailers - as well as a couple of surprises, too - perhaps we can glean some insight into what makes these generally pretty terrific properties so well worth reviving on Broadway, here, now, today, in 2011. Furthermore, all of this crystal ball commentary is not even taking into account the starry assortment of performers that have already been announced for these productions so far - especially with FUNNY GIRL's Lauren Ambrose and Bobby Cannavale, GODSPELL's Hunter Parrish, SUPERSTAR's lauded Josh Young, EVITA's Ricky Martin and Michael Cerveris, PORGY's Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald, as well as the leading man in what was once a leading lady's role (that of Barbara Harris) in ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, Harry Connick, Jr.! What a tight race it is turning out to be for these new productions, particularly come Tony time in June! With rock to rhumba and borscht belt comedy to messianic hosannas and even full-out opera, seemingly every conceivable customer base is more than covered by this packed, potentially, well, awesome, season of shows - and many Broadway babies around BroadwayWorld are undoubtedly looking most forward to these six forthcoming revivals - with particularly good reason given the relative dearth of new musicals announced so far. So, let these revivals revive your flagging spirits as we leap into the 2011-2012 season with this comprehensive prospective and retrospective all about what makes them work so well in the first place and so worthy of another look!

Did William Shakespeare really write all of those plays? Mere proposition of said query's relative validity is more often than not met with confused looks, pretentious stares and general disdain for even entertaining such edgy ideas. Yet, are the plays not too worldly and wordy for a middle-class man to have composed completely by himself - even an actor who owned his own theater, the Globe; as Shakespeare, the man, most certainly did (any way you tell it)? Does it take anything away from these great works to consider for a moment or two that perhaps there was at least some outside influence on the texts to these plays, many of which are often cited as the finest literary works in the English language - and a legitimate theory given the fact co-authorship was even admitted at the time insofar as PERICLES, TIMON OF ATHENS and others are concerned. The case of the authorship of Shakespeare's plays has been a hot-button topic amongst critics, scholars and many in academe for centuries - and it even reached the Supreme Court in 1987 - and it is only now, with the worldwide release of ANONYMOUS, that these issues are being taken on in a dramatically compelling and filmatic way - played out much like the plays of intrigue and betrayal amongst kings and queens that we have come to love so much from Shakespeare's works. At the end of the day - or, should I say, at the end of the play - does it really matter as long as what you have witnessed onstage or onscreen spoke to you in a special, memorable way? Does knowing the identity of the author really matter as long as the plays enacted have an affect? Such are only a few of the many controversial questions being posed by the filmmakers behind the new film ANONYMOUS, opening in movie theaters nationwide on October 28, foremost among them being the director of the film himself, Roland Emmerich and the screenwriter, John Orloff, who have been trying to get this project off the ground for the better part of a decade. Tales of stolen authorial identity are as old and oft-told as many of the Bard's greatest hits, so it should come as no surprise that ANONYMOUS manages to present the facts as entertainingly as the plays presented within it. After all, the battle of the Oxfordians versus the Stratfordians has a certain royal Shakespearean ring to it, does it not?