Category: theatre

When Christian Hoff withdrew from the lead in the Broadway revival of Pal Joey, the official word was that the actor had a foot injury. That was true, says Michael Riedel, but “Hoff’s injury was minor, and he wanted to return to the show. But several people involved in the production didn’t want him back.”

“The ascension of Philip J. Smith and Robert E. Wankel to the top of the Shubert Organization Tuesday night ended a 20-plus-year guessing game about the future of the largest theater-owning enterprise in the nation… As it turns out, there was a plan, though it pretty much lacked the high drama and mystery that decades of speculation had invested in it.”

“The current revival of Grease has become the latest Broadway show to announce that it will close soon after the new year; it will play its final performance at the Brooks Atkinson Theater on Jan. 4.”

“The New York-based Ontological-Hysteric Theatre is in the process of rehearsing its new show, Astronome – A Night at the Opera, and will be streaming its rehearsals online every Wednesday evening until the show opens. This idea has excited bloggers stateside. George Hunka says, ‘It’s a unique offering from two unique theatre and music artists… watch Foreman, his cast and his crew create a new work before your very eyes. You want the theatrical process available through the internet, you’ve got it.”

The South Carolina Lowcountry’s largest theater company has laid off three staff members (out of 13) and instituted an across-the-board 6% pay cut for the remaining employees. (In addition, company founder Julian Wiles is deferring one-fifth of his salary for a year.) Charleston Stage’s fundraising is down by nearly half from last year, and the shortfall comes at a particularly bad time: the company has had to lease temporary venues while its home, the Dock Street Theatre, is being renovated.

In moving its productions to Broadway, the non-profit home of the New York Shakespeare Festival has had its ups (A Chorus Line) and downs (On the Town and The Wild Party, which helped lead to a severe money crunch). Now, with last summer’s smash hit revival of Hair, the Public has established a new model for commercial runs of its productions. “For the first time, [Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis] said, ‘we have structured a deal where not a dime of the Public’s money is at risk,’ and the Public maintains complete artistic control. ‘We are real artistic and business partners.'”

Pianist André Tchaikowsky’s dying wish was realized last month when his skull made its debut in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Hamlet in Stratford-upon-Avon. Now that the news is out, the RSC has retired the skull, saying that it is “too distracting for the audience.”

“Later this month the Arts Council will announce which theatres across the country will be giving away a million free tickets to under-26-year-olds to every show in their programmes, starting in February.” Britain’s youth must be delighted. “And with a government subsidy of £2.5 million to deliver the free ticket scheme, theatres themselves must be feeling equally festive. Or are they?”

“The Royal Shakespeare Company is to reissue some tickets to its production of Hamlet, starring David Tennant, amid fears counterfeits are circulating. Concerns were raised after forgeries were presented at London’s Novello Theatre where the show opens this week.”

“The Shubert Organization’s board of directors is scheduled to meet tomorrow to select a new leader, who will oversee its 17 Broadway houses and $300 million foundation. Directors will ‘implement the succession,’ Lee J. Seidler, a Shubert director and former Bear Stearns Cos. partner, said in a telephone interview.”