Category: theatre

Where Elephants Weep, a sort of post-Khmer Rouge Romeo and Juliet-crossed-with-Rent, was developed in Massachusetts in 2007 and played Phnom Penh last month. But Cambodia’s Supreme Sangha Council of Buddhist Monks has persuaded the government to ban the show from television.

The Magic Theatre is facing a major financial crisis and needs to raise $350,000 by Jan. 9 to avoid canceling the remainder of its 43rd season and perhaps closing its doors.

“Mackintosh, who has now been placed first five times since the list was launched in 1997, beat long-term collaborator Andrew Lloyd Webber, who came second. Lloyd Webber has been placed first more than any other figure in the history of The Stage 100, coming top six times.”

“The average grant cut to theatre next year will be just over 8%, with major companies like the Gate, Druid and Rough Magic the least hard hit.”

“Former glamour girl Linda Lusardi dialled 999 [Britain’s 911] when heavy traffic threatened to make her late for a pantomime performance of Snow White, police said today.”

“A half-century old theater still recovering from a devastating fire three years ago announced Monday that without increased ticket sales and donations it may shut its doors. Officials at the Beverly-based North Shore Music Theatre said the theater has been hit with lower-than-expected philanthropic support and slow ticket sales from its current production of ‘Disney High School Musical 2.'”

Entitled Phantom: Love Never Dies it will receive its premiere at the end of next year and will make theatrical history if, as Lloyd Webber intends, it opens in London, Broadway and an Asian city, possibly Shanghai, at the same time.

It’s time for the annual Stage ranking. But Lyn Gardner takes issue with the list’s bias. “The Stage list clearly emphasises those who produce commercial theatre, or who own real estate or a stake in reality TV shows.”

“Though Broadway had much to offer in 2008 — it usually does — most of the best shows that I saw in the year just past were far from Times Square.”

The Bridge Project, a British-American theater company founded, by Kevin Spacey, Sam Mendes and BAM’s Joe Melillo, begins its inaugural season next month. “‘I don’t want London to feel it’s getting something from America, or America to feel it’s getting something from London,’ Mr. Mendes said.’I want to take those labels off entirely.'”