Category: theatre

“In the world of musicals, where producers tend to favor mass appeal over experimentation, the passion for — and success at — developing quirky work in the Bay Area is leading many people to re-evaluate their opinions of musicals, attracting new audiences to the genre.”

“Anyone who wants to understand how Broadway works need only reflect upon the curious history of “The Addams Family.” It started out as a more or less serious attempt… and was subsequently subjected to ruthless show-doctoring.”

“Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to the hit musical “Phantom of the Opera” will reach Broadway later than planned due to ongoing problems following his surgery for prostate cancer, the British composer said on Wednesday.”

“Even a well-established actor who embodies all sorts of characters can’t be expected to be in two places at once – and for a few performances, these two very different plays will be running at the very same time,” in theaters a mile apart.

“The play, Bennett’s first since the hugely successful History Boys in 2004, opened at the National’s Lyttelton Theatre on November 5. It is directed by National chief Nicholas Hytner and stars Richard Griffiths as [W.H.] Auden alongside Alex Jennings as [Benjamin] Britten.”

“Broadway crowds were stunned yesterday when an underground electrical cable sparked an explosion that spewed flames and carbon monoxide into the air — forcing the evacuation of four buildings and canceling a performance of ‘Jersey Boys.'”

“Broadway in Chicago, the new leaseholder for the intimate 549-seat theater…, says the theater will be renamed the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, with plans already in place to fill the venue with a mix of programming that should keep this stage in the heart of the Magnificent Mile lit up on a far more regular basis.”

“Dogs with an aversion to thunder or fireworks are unlikely to suit the acting life, with its occupational hazards of loud music, bright lights and applause.” Nonetheless, “almost any animal can be taught new tricks with the ‘click-and-treat’ approach….”

“Wilson (‘Einstein on the Beach,’ ‘The Black Rider’) — also a choreographer, designer and visual artist — was a leading figure in the downtown New York arts scene in the 1970s and has gone on to become a prominent creative on the international theater landscape.”

“On one side is the 70-year-old Dallas Summer Musicals, which operates at stately Fair Park Music Hall. On the other is the 5-month-old AT&T Performing Arts Center, which hosts the Lexus Broadway Series at the shimmering Winspear Opera House. The two are competing for the same entertainment dollar in the toughest economy in decades.”