Month: April 2004

An Assassins Tony?

They’re already talking about “Assassins for a Tony. But will it be in the new musical category or revival? “If “Assassins” is ruled a revival, it is almost certain to snatch the award from “Wonderful Town,” which is limping at the box office and will be sunk if it doesn’t win. But if “Assassins” is deemed a new musical, it will elbow “Bombay Dreams” and “The Boy From Oz” out of the field of nominees – which, in addition to “Assassins,” will surely be made up of “Wicked,” “Caroline, or Change” and “Avenue Q.” Sondheim will be eligible for his score, and will probably win.”

How Do Dancers Communicate?

“Unlike the actor’s, the dancer’s body inevitably resists being given away. The more fully a dancer throws themselves into dancing a part, the more they come across physically as completely themselves. It is a paradox, not just of dance, but of our own existence, that often when physical being is at full tilt, the human essence seems most visible. When a dancer is giving it all they’ve got, what we see is no illusion, even if they are performing a “role”: the animating spirit cannot be borrowed or faked, it is the dancer’s own.”

Acting Students – Are There Jobs?

What happens to the young acting students schools turn out each year? “It is an oft-quoted cliche that acting boasts a permanent 90% unemployment rate. And while David Cox, drama administrator at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, is at pains to insist that ‘90% of our students work professionally within 12 months of graduation’, he does admit: It is very rare that they’ll be able to make a living during the first year or two.”

Gypsy Closing On Broadway

Producers of Broadway’s “Gypsy” have decided to close the show. “Starring Bernadette Peters as the hard-driving stage mother Momma Rose, “Gypsy” posted a closing notice in early February, only to extend its run after sales improved. Part of that improvement might have been linked to warmer weather and heightened tourism, but cast members had also taken an active role in promoting the show with daily personal appearances outside TKTS, the half-price ticket booth, in Duffy Square.”

Getting Older? So What!

You hear it everywhere – we’re getting older, and society will be the worse for it. “Even as we reap the benefits of longevity and vitality, we are becoming more anxious about the social and economic effects of ageing upon society. Demographics has turned from a peripheral issue into a major source of concern. We are told we need to confront some pretty big questions. Can society cope with having so many more old people? Can we really afford our future? But just because the mood of social pessimism is so ubiquitous does not mean we should simply accept it.”

LA – Land Of Small Theatres

Los Angeles is a hive of “almost 100 self-sustaining, not-for-profit, professional theater ensembles.” It’s a theatre community quite unlike that anywhere else, a decidedly un-New York. “These largely volunteer (often dues-based) organizations are quasi families — which are sometimes authoritarian, sometimes collaborative, sometimes bickering, often leaving, just as often returning — homes to thousands of actors lured by and often working in Hollywood while sustaining a legit-stage subculture.”

Going For Economic Diveristy In School?

The top American universities are now more than ever filled with children of the wealthy. “Experts say the change in the student population is a result of both steep tuition increases and the phenomenal efforts many wealthy parents put into preparing their children to apply to the best schools.” Now some schools are trying to diversify the economic makeup of their students.