Dear Diary,

Well I'm back in Toronto! To be honest I didn't fly back just for the wild Simcoe festivities...I flew back to see my wonderful family and to give my fabulous husband a hand with the kids.

Also, my daughter Myrna is deep into rehearsals at Massey Hall for the August 2 opening night of Annie Get Your Gun (with Louise Pitre and Billy Ray Cyrus). To say she is enjoying working with all these amazing adult performers would be an understatement! Of course she is cool as a cucumber about the star power she works with on a daily basis.

Of course when my husband goes to pick her up he gets all silly and giggly when he sees Louise Pitre and Bill Ray Cyrus. Poor Myrna, she is woefully aghast at her father's inability to chill around celebrities.

Now, I haven't been around during rehearsals, but Myrna isn't offering up much of an inside scoop either. She won't even tell me what her costume is -- she wants it to be a surprise! She does tell me Louise is really friendly, Billy Ray is very sweet and shy and...that's about it! Oh, and the cast and the orchestra sound amazing! I wonder what it feels like to be eleven and singing with a full orchestra?

I can't believe I'm going to walk into Tuesday's opening night performance with my husband and younger daughter Trinity and not know what to expect at all! I don't even know how much blocking and/or movement/dancing there will be! Talk about suspense!

I wonder if she'll invite me to the opening night party? I wonder if I'll get to meet Louise and Billy Ray (teehee...teehee...teeheee...)

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

I just got a recommendation for this school, which is a totally unique, New York-only type of school, that caters to the special needs of performing children.

Professional Children's School provides a challenging education for young people working or studying for careers in the performing and visual arts, modeling and competitive sports, and for students who desire the special environment of PCS or the flexibility and independence of the PCS program.

Here's the history of the school, which is very, very cool:

In October 1913, Jane Harris Hall and Jean Greer Robinson attended a Broadway performance of Daddy Long Legs. After the show, making their way backstage, they happened upon several children in the cast playing cards. Speaking with the youngsters, they learned that the children didn't attend school and that they could barely read and write.

Upon later investigation, Miss Hall and Mrs. Robinson learned that public and private schools could not or would not accommodate the schedules of stage children and that most children working on the stage were simply skipping school. Seeing the need, they decided to establish a school designed especially for New York's stage (or "professional") children. Both ladies were already deeply involved in efforts to improve the lot of New York's actors and actresses and together had already founded The Rehearsal Club, a non-profit residential club for young actresses.

The School admitted its first two students on January 6, 1914 in rented space at The Rehearsal Club. From the start, the School's approach was unique. "The Professional Children's School," Mrs. Robinson wrote in 1922, "gives the child of the stage and screen an opportunity for a thorough education and at the same time permits the young actor or actress to continue with his or her profession; for the school suits its hours to rehearsals and managers' appointments and the various interruptions which a life on the stage demands; at the same time it insists upon and achieves a very high standard of scholarship." An immediate success, the School was enrolling over 100 students within a year.

Rather than adapt the children to the school, our co-founders adapted the school to the children. The school day began at 10:00 a.m. and finished promptly at 2:00 p.m. Students were allowed to miss class for professional reasons and a "correspondence program" enabled students in touring shows to keep up with their school work while away. The curriculum concentrated on the "Three R's" in order to maximize students' time while meeting state requirements for graduation. Most early PCS students considered high school graduation the conclusion of their formal academic education.

I think I might know a little girl who will apply to PCS for Grade 7...

Professional Children's School
132 West 60th Street
New York, New York
10023
(212) 582-3116
pcs@pcs-nyc.org

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

I almost cannot believe this, but there is an organization called "Play by Play" that I just heard about that entitles "members" to comp tickets for an annual membership fee and a small ($3) processing fee. For the life of me, I can't figure out how this works...but I've heard from a reputable source that this is the real deal. I've signed up to see if it works...I'll let you know what happens.

You are cordially invited to join Play by Play, a unique organization called upon by theatre producers to fill unsold seats to their Broadway and Off Broadway shows.

Performances range from previews and opening nights to performances throughout a show's run. Corporate attire is required for Broadway shows.

Members log on to our website to see a list of available shows.

Members are entitled to at least two tickets for each available event.

Members pay an annual membership fee of $99.00 and a service charge of $3.00 per ticket (Visa, Mastercard. Check or Cash).

Act now to become part of this elite group of avid theatre-goers!

There are limited number of memberships currently available and this offer is valid only while they last. Play by Play reserves the right to refuse membership.

For more information or to apply please call (212)868-7052
Monday-Friday 10:30am to 5:00pm
Saturday 11:00am to 2:30pm

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

I for one, for instance, never realized that there is a play-only line (#6) at the TKTS booth and you don't have to line up with the rest of the Mamma Mia!-going crowds to get a ticket to a play! So I scooted in and picked up a tasty ticket to Glengarry Glen Ross at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

Glengarry Glen Ross boasts a stellar cast: Liev Schreiber (who won the Tony for this role) Alan Alda, Frederick Weller, Tom Wopat, Gordon Clapp and Jeffrey Tambor!

Wow. Unbelievable! This is the only play in recent memory during which I didn't nod off, not even for a second. It was so well written and acted, and wonderfully economical -- I loved it. It was so much funnier than the movie! For a play that isn't a comedy I laughed a lot! Of course, I didn't have any problems with the swearing, a feeling not shared by everyone in the audience! They even sell boxes of fortune cookies at intermission that contain some of the dirtiest lines in the show! What a gas! The human drama was all still there, just in a very realistic, laughable, recognizable way.

I've always been a huge Liev Schreiber fan and he didn't disappoint. I could listen to him talk all night long. And Alan Alda was a total joy. God I love that guy! Everyone in the cast was superb. What a treat. And what a cool set. The first act is sent in a Chinese restaurant and the second act in the robbed office, complete with revolving door and fluorescent lights! Run to see it before it closes...

It was a full house last night, so I wasn't surprised when I read this article in Variety online:

The Broadway revival of "Glengarry Glen Ross," starring Alan Alda and Liev Schreiber, has gone into the black.

The Tony-winning production of David Mamet's play recouped its $2 million capitalization on Wednesday, the day of its 100th perf. Limited engagement is set to close Aug. 28.

Revival recoupment is an increasingly rare feat on Broadway these days. The Denzel Washington starrer "Julius Caesar" is the only other redux to open this season and go on to recoup. It played 81 performances.

Commercial Broadway revivals that opened and closed this year without returning their investment include "La Cage aux Folles," "The Glass Menagerie" and "On Golden Pond."

Still running but set to close in the following days are "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Steel Magnolias"; neither is expected to recoup.

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

Dear Diary,

It cooled off a bit yesterday evening, after the initial rain, which was fortunate since there was a really cool Target fashion show in Rockefeller Center where the runways ran up and down the building. The models (athletes?) were on ropes so they were walking and dancing down the "runways" like Spiderman!

Here's a little rundown:

Target Stores will turn New York City's Rockefeller Center into a vertical catwalk for a p.r.-driven fashion show next week.

Target's July 27 stunt will feature 15 acrobats (in harnesses) walking down nine floors of Rockefeller Center in clothing from Target's fall collection from designers Mossimo, Liz Lange and Isaac Mizrahi, per news reports. A traditional runway on the ground will host another 50 models.

Yet ANOTHER reason why I could never be a model!

So today is a chilly 75 degrees. A perfect day for Broadway in Bryant Park! Every Thursday in the summer at 12:30pm in Bryant Park (Sixth avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets) you can go and listen to great Broadway show numbers for free!

Today I went and heard selections from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Chicago and Wicked.

What fun! The park was packed with all sorts -- kids, tourists, old and young, business people, you name it. There is free WIFI hookup, free reading material and lots of chairs. What a great public space!

First they had the Chitty people accompanied by piano, which was lovely. They sang "Truly Scrumptious", "Hushabye Mountain" and of course, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". Apparently the car is the most expensive special effect ever created for the musical stage! I can totally see that show working in a large theater. I thought the introduction to "Truly Scrumptious" was charming: (I'm paraphrasing a bit...the sound was a bit choppy at times):

Kids: Is your name Truly?
Truly: Yes, you should meet my sisters, Madly and Deeply...
Kids: Seriously?
Truly: No, he's my brother!

Then next came Spelling Bee. This is a show that needs to be done in a more intimate setting. Half the fun is seeing the expressions on their faces. They did a great job, but it lost something without the intimacy. They also sang with piano.

Next up was Chicago. Low marks for using tracks! It really takes away from the whole "live" thing if the chorus that is singing behind you, isn't behind you! Although "Class" done by Carol Wood and Luba Mason was quite good, despite the karaoke back up!

Finally we got Wicked, who brought their own band -- yeah to live music! The Elphaba standby (Saycon Sengbloh) and Galinda standby (Stacie Morgain Lewis) were very good and they finished off the concert with "For Good", my favorite song from the show.

So guess where I'll be next Thursday at 12:30 pm...

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

I am such a '60s nut, yet I've never had the opportunity to live a real '60s lifestyle. Now that I'm fully embedded in Plane Crazy, I feel like I belong to a different era. Then I read this article on Futuro houses in BoingBoing today. Oh. My. God. I HAVE TO LIVE IN ONE OF THESE. Immediate phone call to husband: Sell everything. Move into spaceship. Let me know when the packing is done. Over and out.

Here's the complete post from BoingBoing:

Futuro Houses: prefab space kitsch

Here's a terrific article in the New York Times about Futuro houses.

The circular house, 11 feet high and 26 feet across, was designed by Matti Suuronen, a Finnish architect, in 1968. A hatch door in its lower half opened down to reveal steps, like the door of a small airplane, and led into a room outfitted with six plastic bed-chair combinations and a central fireplace slab, as well as a kitchenette and a bathroom. Photographs from the time make the house look like a place where the Teletubbies might live, with Barbarella as a frequent houseguest.

Mika Taanila, a Finnish filmmaker who helped start the Futuro revival with his 1998 documentary "Futuro: A New Stance for Tomorrow," said he became interested in the houses because they seemed to represent the mood of the late 1960's so precisely. They reflected the era's "economic boom and optimism about the future," he said in a telephone interview from Finland. "Suuronen could not have come up with the idea 15 years earlier or 10 years later."

Part of that optimism was about the potential for plastics and prefabrication to radically lower the cost of housing, in the revolutionary spirit of 1968. The Futuro, which was made of polyester plastic and fiberglass and which sold in the United States for between $12,000 and $14,000, was one of many experimental plastic houses at the time. It came in 16 pieces that could easily be moved by truck or helicopter and set up in a couple of days. Link to story.

Image above: a Futuro house owned by Richard Pisani -- who uses it as a home theater. Shot by Peter Thompson for the NYT.

Here's a review of the book Futuro: Tomorrow's House from Yesterday, by Marko Home and Mika Taanila. You can buy it here.

Previously on Boing Boing: Futuro House: better living from the Gernsback Continuum and Relocation of Futuro-House

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

Dear Diary,

It was so hot today I actually melted on the sidewalk! But I got my second t-shirt comment! I was walking into Williams-Sonoma to cool off and the greeter said he had the same exact M*A*S*H t-shirt as I was wearing, but he hadn't worn it in 25 years! He remembered because he met his best friend while he was wearing it. Of course, my prize M*A*S*H t-shirt belonged to my fabulous husband in university!

What is it with me and t-shirts?

Today I got a call from my producer (I love the sound of that...) who told me casting is shaping up well and everyone is very enthused about the show! I can't wait to publish a full cast list -- I'm bursting! This is very, very exciting! I mean, since we are working under the Equity showcase code, these actors are doing it for the exposure and because they like the show, not for the money. I really appreciate their commitment to the process of developing a new musical -- I couldn't do it without them! Stay tuned for a cast announcement!

New York is such a great city for walking. And when I need to write, or think about re-writing, I love to do mindless physical activity like walking or swimming. After hearing certain scenes read over and over again in the auditions, I'm doing a little 'tweaking'. So now I'm walking around saying lines out loud, trying out new material. I didn't get any funny looks like I do in Toronto. I guess someone walking down the street singing and talking to themselves really isn't out of place in New York...

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

Wow, what a loss. According to this article in Playbill:

Danny Simon, a comedy writer and teacher of comedy writing whose talent to amuse ran in the family, died July 26 in Portland, Oregon, according to his brother playwright Neil Simon.

Mr. Simon died following complications from a stroke. The Bronx native was 85.

The son of Mamie and Irving Simon, Mr. Simon and his younger brother Neil began writing together in the late 1940s for a variety of radio and television shows. A fictionalized account of their early creative aspirations was seen in Neil Simon's play, Broadway Bound. The relationship of two men, or brothers, is central to many of Neil Simon's plays, from Come Blow Your Horn to The Odd Couple to Brighton Beach Memoirs and Lost in Yonkers.

"Danny made me laugh...he made everyone laugh," Neil Simon wrote July 26. "He was a character (in more ways than one) in at least nine or ten of my plays, and I'm sure will probably be there again in many plays to come."

The Simon brothers were part of Sid Caesar's legendary team of writers which included Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart , Sheldon Keller, Mel Tolkin and later Woody Allen on "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour." The brothers also collaborated on "The Red Buttons Show," "The Phil Silvers Show" and "The Jackie Gleason Show."

Woody Allen once said, "Everything I learned about comedy, I learned from Danny Simon."

Danny and Neil Simon continued writing together until 1954 when Neil began devoting himself to writing for the theatre and Danny stayed in television, initially as head writer for NBC's "Colgate Comedy Hour." Later television credits include "Make Room for Daddy," "The Facts of Life" and "Diff'rent Strokes." He also provided material for Joan Rivers' guest-hosting appearances on "The Tonight Show."

"He didn't think his name, Danny Simon, had enough pizzazz for big time television," Neil Simon wrote. "He changed it to Danny Q. Simon. Max Liebman, the producer of 'Your Show of Shows,' refused to put the 'Q' on the credits of such a tony show. Danny turned to me and said, 'If you want the 'Q,' I'll sell it to you...' 'I'll sleep on it,' I said."

In 1980 Mr. Simon accepted an offer to lecture on comedy writing at the University of Southern California. He subsequently gave three-day writing seminars in colleges all across the country.

He told Duke University's The Chronicle in 1987, "A long time ago I realized I didn't like writing. I hate to face blank pages. I would rather face blank actors. I have been teaching for eight years and I love it. The names of my students are on so many comedy credits, and they write me letters I feel like the Mr. Chips of comedy writing."

"Not only did prominent writers flock to his classes, but so did studio heads and major television executives," Neil Simon wrote of his brother. "He knew comedy. He made more friends in Los Angeles than were peopled in countries far and wide."

Mr. Simon also told the Chronicle at the time his greatest contribution to 20th century comedy was giving Neil Simon and Woody Allen their start in comedy.

Neil Simon wrote, "Danny is now pacing somewhere in the Galaxy of Galaxies, making angels laugh and trying to swap the 'Q' for a good pair of wings or golf lessons from Bobby Jones, who is the pro up there."

Mr. Simon is survived by his son, Michael Simon of Portland, OR, and his daughter Valerie Simon of Los Angeles, and two grandchildren.

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

Louisa Lo, who played a stew in the Toronto workshop of Plane Crazy last year at the Poor Alex emailed me with some cool news:

Hello, as some of you might know, I am co-producing and performing in a cabaret called After Hour Desires. It is a fun show full of singing, dancing, and sexy costumes. Come visit our website at: www.afterhourdesires.com

Here are the details:

WHEN
August 10th, 2005 (Wednesday),
Doors open 6:00 pm, show starts 7:30 pm

WHERE
Revival Bar, 783 College St. W (at Shaw)

TICKET PRICE
$15

You can purchase your tickets via www.ticketweb.com (type "Revival" under "Search For Tickets"), or call 1-888-222-6608.

So check out their website -- you certainly can't argue with the costumes!

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

Dear Diary,

Today started off with a good old-fashioned black out. So I sweltered through the night, and was relieved when about 9 am the lights came back on!

On my quest to find Kleenex (who knew there was a new anti-viral line extension?) I ran across a cool store called FISHS EDDY, Purveyor of Sturdy-ware at 77th and Broadway. They sell a lot of overruns (I'm guessing) of branded dishware. They are currently selling Pan Am silver-plated knives at $3.50 a pop -- hey, maybe that could add to the authenticity of the Plane Crazy props!

Today was callbacks back at Ripley Grier! It was also exciting because Michael Rubinoff, our producer, flew down from Toronto! And our asoociate producer Kendra Bator was also able to attend so it was a full table! What a marathon. We started at 5 pm and wrapped up auditions at 10 pm. Whew. The actors we called back were all extremely professional, and prepared -- what a joy.

We did the big dance call at 5 pm. I arrived at the studio and all these amazing dancers were in their dance outfits doing stretches in their character shoes just like in the movies! I also got to see our choreographer Randy Slovacek do a combination to the "Venus Flytrap" which was sooo great! All these women moved so incredibly well and were so confident with their bodies. I wanted to get up and dance too (thankfully, I restrained myself...) The male dancers were equally fabulous and some of the guys there for character parts soldiered on extremely well through the difficult combination!

I'm not sure who was having a better time -- Michael Rubinoff or myself! He even promised me he would write a post for the Plane Crazy blog!

This time, in addition to having the actors read sides, we had them quickly (and I do mean quickly) learn parts of various songs from Plane Crazy from our amazing musical director Seth Weinstein. So, I got to hear tons of amazing voices singing my songs -- 2 cool 4 words! They also did paired readings which was really nice to see chemistry forming between the actors who were reading for different roles.

Then it was off to recap with the creative team! And to top off the fun we ordered in Chinese food and it came in those great little boxes you see in all the movies (we don't really get those in Toronto). So, over shredded pork and green beans and broccoli in garlic sauce and spicy shrimp dumplings, we hashed out all the casting choices! Wow, it was hard, but the creative team really worked well together and we ended up with great selections to fill our cast.

Thanks to a great creative team, and especially our director Jamibeth Margolis who pulled it all together!

I shared a cab home with Kendra around 1:30 am. Thankfully, the air conditioning was still working!

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

What a happy place! What a great song!

The other day I heard a wonderful rendition of a musical theater song I'd never heard before...shame on me! It was "Disneyland", a song from the 1986 musical Smile by Marvin Hamlisch and Howard Ashman, based on Michael Ritchie's similarly named and underrated 1975 feature.

Apparently, "The musical failed to sustain an appropriate tone, although Hamlisch and Ashman wrote some lovely songs and one, "Disneyland", has become an audition staple."

Unfortunately, I subsequently found out this music is out of print so if I want to access it I have to go to the library (eww!)

It is a great song about a young girl living in a dysfunctional family who is watching TV and dreams of going to Disneyland where life is perfect, or at least a whole lot better than the world she really inhabits. I got chills listening to it!

Here's the Wikipedia entry:

Smile is a musical originally produced on Broadway in 1986. It has music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Howard Ashman. The original production closed suddenly and unexpectedly after less than fifty performances.

Based loosely on the 1975 movie of the same name, Smile chronicles the 1985 California Young American Miss beauty pageant and the week preceding it. The main characters include Robin Gibson (Antelope Valley's Young American Miss) and Doria Hudson (Yuba City's Young American Miss), two girls who befriend and help each other throughout the week, Brenda DiCarlo Freelander, the ex-Young American Miss second-runner-up co-ordinating the 1985 pageant, and her husband Big Bob, an RV Salesman trying to help her through the week.

The original production featured Jodi Benson in the role of Doria who, almost presciently (considering Benson's later involvement with the Walt Disney corporation), sings the song "Disneyland."

"Disneyland" has become symbolic for the musical as a whole, being presented on numerous compilations of recordings from so-called "lost Musicals" (along with, in some cases, "In Our Hands" and the title song.) Smile is considered "lost" because no official cast recording was ever made. However, there does exist a demo tape which is a primary source for groups performing the show.

You learn something new every day!

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

According to this article in Playbill:

Brent Carver, who won a Tony Award for playing Molina in the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, will be wizened wizard Gandalf in the new 2006 musical, The Lord of the Rings, the producers announced July 25.

The world premiere musical condensation of the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy trilogy will have a cast of 55 at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre. Performances begin Feb. 2, 2006.

"Having auditioned 4,000 actors over four months across Canada, followed by in-depth recall auditions with 350," the creative team -- led by director Matthew Warchus and producer Kevin Wallace -- announced a cast drawn from across Canada and the United Kingdom. Carver is a Canadian theatre star and a veteran of the Stratford Festival and many resident theatres there.

Director Matthew Warchus said, "Following two years of design, script and music pre-production, arriving at a cast is a thrilling and auspicious moment. I am particularly proud of the huge diversity of skill in the company. Wonderful, experienced actors will be working alongside acrobats, stilt-walkers and outstanding singers, all pooling their talents to bring this magical story alive on the stage. Given the size of the show, this is bound to be the most grueling production process any of us has been through, but when I look at this company, I am eager to begin!"

Frodo, the Hobbit ring-bearer, will be played by young British actor James Loye; Gollum will be played by Michael Therriault, a Stratford veteran and recent Leo of the Canadian staging of The Producers (he's currently in Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof); Evan Buliung will play Aragorn, the king-in-waiting; wizard Saruman, the leader of the White Council corrupted by his lust for the Ring, will be played by Richard McMillan (Scar in the Canadian Premiere production of Disney's The Lion King); Peter Howe is Sam, Frodo's faithful friend (Howe was discovered by LOTR creative team in London after he wrote to the London production office requesting an audition; this marks his professional stage debut); Canadian Dylan Roberts is Merry and Irishman Owen Sharpe is Pippin; Gabriel Burrafato (of the recent Hal Prince-supervised Evita tour) is Legolas; Dion Johnstone is Boromir; Carly Street is Arwen; Victor A. Young will play Elrond; Kerry Dorey is Theoden and Kristin Galer plays Rosie.

The ensemble consists of Greg Armstrong-Morris, Joel Benson, Alexandra Bonnet, Brent Buchanan, Matt Cassidy, Mike Cota, Susan Dunstan, Joe Eigo, Josh Epstein, Omar Forrest, Matthew Gagnon, Nicholas Gede-Lange, Don Gough, Graeme Guthrie, Colin Heath, Peter Huck, Chilina Kennedy, Kristal Kiran Garib, Bryce Kulak, Monique Lund, Shannon Lynch, Ayrin Mackie, Colin Maier, Patrick McManus, Tyler Murree, Philip Nero, Danny Pathan, Sean C. Robertson, Louise St. Cyr, Vincent Tong, Peter Van Gestel, Fraser Walters, Sanders Whiting and Shawn Wright.

"It is a great privilege and honor to have Brent Carver leading our outstanding company of performers," Warchus said in a statement. "As one of the greatest actors of his generation anywhere in the world, he has demonstrated dazzling versatility and prowess on stage and screen, in every genre from musicals to classic plays. A long-time prince of Canadian theatre, he is aptly suited to be the inspiring leader and father figure to this dynamic young company. He is a unique talent. He will refresh the role entirely. And he exemplifies the guiding principal of this production: to bring the most exciting creative talents to this epic masterpiece and generate a thrilling new work of art."

"We are absolutely delighted that James Loye is bringing his unique and charismatic talent to the role of Frodo," said producer Kevin Wallace. "There is an indefinable quality about James that sets him apart as the actor fit to fulfill the momentous responsibility of creating J.R.R. Tolkien's Frodo Baggins on stage."

Of the deformed and poisoned Gollum, to be played by lean actor Michael Therriault, Warchus said, "It is obvious that Gollum requires a physically virtuosic performance -- being such a darkly malformed creature. But at the center of the physicality must be superb acting; capable of capturing the extraordinary emotion, the tragedy and the unexpected warmth and comedy of this character. Celebrated as one of Canada's greatest leading actors, Michael has an intriguing originality, an unusual intensity, and a powerful focus that makes him a very exciting choice as Frodo's 'shadow' -- the tormented and pitifully corrupted hobbit, Gollum. As with all the principals, Michael has been cast not least for his ability to bring this celebrated role alive on stage in a new, fresh and exciting way. It is thrilling to have him in the company."

The roles of Galadriel, Gimli and Bilbo have yet to be cast and will be announced at a later date.

I guess they ran out of actors...

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

Dear Diary,

Today I ventured into unchartered territory in New York -- I did my laundry!

Actually, it wasn't so bad. They have a nice big laundry room in the basement of my building and it uses smart cards not stacks of quarters -- yeah! -- to power the very new-looking washers and dryers. Of course, I chose the incorrect dryer setting so everything was still damp after 45 minutes of tumbling...if only it was a microwave, then I'd be able to run it like a pro...

As I was going back and forth and back and forth to the laundry room I noticed that there was continuous vocalizing going on in a couple of the apartments! I felt left out since I didn't have my trusty piano with me. Fortunately, our very generous musical director, Seth Weinstein, has lent me the use of one of his keyboards! Yeah!

On my many outings today I had two celebrity sightings in the Upper West Side. First, I saw Mark Harelik who is currently starring in The Light in the Piazza as the Italian father. You might recognize him as Jack's boss at the Gay Network on Will and Grace. Then I saw a very sweaty Jere Burns talking on his phone, sitting on a bench. I loved him in Dear John! He was so funny -- come to think of it, he'd make a great Clive in Plane Crazy!

Technorati tags: Broadway Music Movie Musicals Musicals Blog Blogs Theater Theatre Entertainment

According to this article in Variety online:

A Wynn-win situation for 'Spamalot'
'Monty' gets custom-built venue in Vegas

By ROBERT HOFLER

Steve Wynn suddenly has a thing about Tony-winning tuners.

After nabbing "Avenue Q," which opens next month at Wynn Las Vegas, the hotelier has now secured "Monty Python's Spamalot" for his resort. The 2005 Tony winner will open at Wynn Las Vegas in 2007.

Unlike the adult puppet show, however, "Spam" will tour concurrently with its Vegas stint. Kicking off in Boston, the national tour goes out in March 2006.

In Vegas, "Spam" will begin perfs upon completion of its own custom-built venue, to be called "Spamalot Experience and Grail Theater." Designers on the project are the musical's creator, Eric Idle, and its set and costume designer, Tim Hatley. In the Broadway staging of "Spamalot," Hatley's set envisions Camelot as the Excalibur hotel, one of Wynn's competitors in Las Vegas.

"Spamalot" preemed March 17 on Broadway at the Shubert Theater, where it continues to sell out in an open-ended run. In addition to the Tony for musical, it took the awards for director of a musical, Mike Nichols, and featured actress in a musical, Sara Ramirez.

And speaking of Sara Ramirez, isn't that her playing Rose (that's a great name) the curmudgeonly cashier in You've Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan? You know, The scene in the grocery store where Meg Ryan gets in the cash-only line and doesn't have any cash and much to her chagrin Tom Hanks comes over and with his Fox charm gets Rose to "zip zip" the card through the machine? Why, I do believe it is! And isn't that grocery store Zabar's at 80th and Broadway? Yes again! I dropped by today to check it out. What a great store, very cool.

The whole movie is very Upper West Side, so I suddenly feel very sophisticated...

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I've seen a whole bunch of resumes over the last couple of days. At the bottom of the resume is a section called "special skills". This usually includes skills like playing an instrument, horseback riding, ice skating...you get the idea.

Occcasionally actors will include an out-of-the-ordinary skill such as baton twirling, burping on command, and master joke telling.

My favorite so far was a woman who did a "Lena Lamont" impersonation. I couldn't let her leave the room without doing a bit of "I can't stand 'em".

She was a bit taken aback, but quickly responded with an outstanding rendition of "I can't stand 'em". Then our choreographer asked her do say "people, people" and she really got rolling! What fun...

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From an article in The New York Times ("Scenes From a Half-Century Show", Sunday July 24 by Sarah Boxer):

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center is showing "A Community of Artists: 50 Years of the Public Theater," an exhibition of photographs, posters, and other theateralia, until October 15.

It hits all the high notes, and there are lots. Over five decades, the theater has championed many playwrights, some political theater and a few great musicals.

Picture selections include:

1967: "Hair"
If any play captured the spirit of its time, it was "Hair," with its brash hymns to peace and love. It was also the first production in the Public's new permanent home, the former Astor Library on Lafayette Street, where it remains today. The show went on to a four-year Broadway run.

1975: "A Chorus Line"
The director Michael Bennett, center, with the composer Marvin Hamlisch, right, rehearsing the show at the Public. It went on to break the record for Broadway's longest-running musical and wine nine Tonys.

1980: "The Pirates of Penzance"
The Public's shot in the arm to Gilbert & Sullivan proceeded to Broadway, and Hollywood, where it was a 1983 movie, above, with Kevin Kline, front left, and Rex Smith; Linda Ronstadt was the headliner.

In the 1990s, "Bring in 'da Noise, Bring In 'da Funk," with Savion Glover, plumbed the roots of tap. The Public Theater's archive is an unburied time capsule, unearthed.

I saw Bring In 'da Noise, Bring In 'da Funk when it transferred to the Ambassador Theater in 1996 and loved it (I'm a huge tap fan and seeing Savion Glover was a real treat).

I still wear the t-shirt I bought at the theater! The other day I was wearing it and walking by Lincoln Center, when a young male dancer-type passing by said to me, with a smile "Wow, that's an old t-shirt!

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Dear Diary,

Today I spent a wonderful Saturday with one of my Plane Crazy producers, Kendra Bator. She taught me how to use the subway! We went down to Christopher Street and 7th and had a wonderful lunch.

Then we went to the Magnolia Bakery and bought cupcakes (with waaaayyy too much icing on them!) Then we proceeded to walk down to Soho and linger along all the little shops and street vendors.

What a great area!

I've always spent all my time in Midtown, so it was great to finally go exploring! Then we walked up to Union Square and checked out the stage in the Virgin Megastore in Union Square.

That's where Plane Crazy will have the chance to perform selections from the show on September 16 at 7 pm as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival promotion! Virgin is a generous sponsor of the Festival this year and is donating the space and all the sound equipment! I'll keep you posted on specifics for this event! Then it was back on the subway and back home!

What a great city...

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I've tried a couple of times to see Bernadette Peters in Canada!

I did manage to see her when she first opened the Annie Get Your Gun Revival in 1999 in New York. Then I had tickets to see her in Toronto (they were Gala tickets no less, where I would get to mingle with the star!) but she cancelled due to the whole SARS thing. Then she played Casino Rama in Orillia on my birthday (no less) but I was stuck in New York!

Well, according to this article in Playbill, Bernadette Peters will be coming to Ottawa April 27 as part of her extended concert tour in 2006. This might finally be the push we need to take a family vacation to Ottawa! However, I think it's more likely that I'll catch her May 1 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York...

Two-time Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters -- most recently on Broadway as Momma Rose in Gypsy -- has extended her current concert tour through Aug.
2006.

Peters launched her most recent tour Jan. 26, 2005, at the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, FL. Two tunes from Gypsy bookend her current tour: Peters opens with a new arrangement of Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim's "Let Me Entertain You" and closes with the show stopping "Rose's Turn."

Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, the concert also includes Peters'
renditions of Sondheim's "Being Alive," "Children Will Listen" and "Not a Day Goes By"; Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine"; and Jerry Herman's "Time Heals Everything." Concertgoers can also expect tunes by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Irving Berlin as well as the Peggy Lee classic "Fever."

Tour dates currently announced follow:

Sept. 17, 2005 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA

Oct. 15, 2005 at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Brookville, NY

Oct. 22, 2005 at the Zoellner Performing Arts Center in Bethlehem, PA

Nov. 5, 2005 at the Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo, MI

Dec. 2, 2005 at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in Storrs, CT

Feb. 18, 2006 at the Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver, CO

April 22, 2006 at the BJCC Concert Hall in Birmingham, AL

April 27, 2006 at the National Arts Center in Ottawa, ON

May 1, 2006 at Avery Fisher Hall in NY, NY

Aug. 25, 2006 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in Cerritos, CA

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Dear Diary,

Well, I finally made the move from hotel to a real apartment in New York City! A great little place in the Upper West Side! How lucky can you get!

Of course, I do miss the maid service and 24-hour room service...but I don't miss fighting my way through the throngs of teen pageant contestants camped out in the lobby, or the drunken revelers walking past my door at 2 o'clock in the morning!

Of course, I do miss my husband and daughters. Myrna is busy in rehearsals for Annie Get Your Gun, Trinity is busy at art classes and socializing like a butterfly, and my husband is just plain busy -- working, working, working, looking after the kids...oh, and working!

We've spent the last two days in auditions at Ripley Grier Studios at 36th and 8th, so I've been getting my exercise in by walking to and from the studio!

Apparently this is THE audition space nowadays. They are on the 16th floor and very bright, air conditioned and well appointed. Not at all like the crumbling down dim tunnels I had imagined. In fact, auditions for Kathy Lee's latest musical were taking place next to us, so if it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me! I must say it was pretty cool to see the Plane Crazy notice on the door, with my name at the top of the list! Too cool.

And I must also say it was super cool to hear live actors reading my scenes!

I've learned that auditioning is a skill unto itself. I've seen a ton of super-talented people over the last couple of days and talent itself isn't enough. Maybe it should be, but you can't help but be impressed by actors who are on time, well-dressed (with some thought as to the part for which they are reading), have additional music to sing (without frantically flipping back and forth and back and forth and back and forth in their huge books for the one song that shows off their voice), who have memorized their sides, and who walk in with confidence and don't apologize for being flustered because this is their tenth audition today! (way to make me feel important!).

I heard all sorts of songs, some I had never heard before, some old chestnuts, and I even heard Tom Lehrer's "The Masochism Tango"!

But I wish I could tell each and every one of them that the moment they walk in, I am totally on their side. I want them so desperately to be right for the part -- it's their part to lose. I, on the other side of the table, am totally freaking out that we won't be able to find the right person! I want them to succeed!

Here's to the actors!

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Stewardess outfits are getting glammed up again! (Excuse me, I meant to say "flight attendant"...)

From an article in the July 2005 issue of Elle magazine:

FLY GIRLS
Christian Lacroix, the king of over-the-top fashion, creates a first-class collection for Air France.

The Paris-based designer joins fashion luminaries such as Christian Dior, Jean Patou, Cristobal Balenciaga and Hermes, who designed for Air France between the '60s and '80s.

"In a way, Air France and haute couture inhabit the same universe," said Air France president Jean-Cyril Spinetta.

For inspiration, Lacroix drew on his fascination with stewardess style from when he took his first flight from Pairs to Corsica as a young boy. He still remembers thinking the stewardesses were "beautiful, like so many war heroines. They were a bit like nurses, but I had a very aristocratic image of them."

The airline's first new collection in 18 years includes fitted jackets for women with pagoda-style epaulettes, wrap skirts, slim trousers, parkas and shirts with puffs of sky-blue organza at the neck. The dark blue projects authority, and the pale-blue shirts and dresses were chosen to flatter every complexion. The red belt -- a distinctive accent -- is knotted around the waist "like gift-wrapping ribbon," said Lacroix, who designed each element in the collection.

The article goes on to list Fashion's Mile High Club. Here are some highlights:

Air Canada: Debbie Shuchat (2005)
Air Transat: Simon Chang (2005)
Delta Air Lines: Richard Tyler (2005)
Korean Air: Gianfranco Ferre (2005)
Song Airlines: Kate Spade (2004)
TWA: Ralph Lauren (1970s)
Singapore Airlines: Pierre Balmain (1970s)
Pakistan International Airlines: Pierre Cardin (1970s)
Court Line: Mary Quant (1960s)
Braniff International: Emilio Pucci (1960s) (Yeah Pucci!)

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I've been following Suzanne Somers' show over a couple of posts but it looks like I won't get to see it after all!

According to this article in Playbill:

"It will have been a quick ride in the Thunderbird for actress Suzanne Somers, whose Broadway debut in her one-woman show will end on Sunday, July 24.

The New York Post reports that Somers' The Blonde in the Thunderbird will close after receiving mostly negative reviews."

"About the reviews her show received, Somers told the Post, "I put my show out there with the cleanest of hearts and the best of intentions and getting reviews like that hurt...Barry Manilow said Broadway would break my heart, and it has."

Somers, however, added, "The fighter in me is back today. Even though I only have [seven] performances left, they're going to be great performances."

Well, Charles Isherwood of The New York Times certainly didn't pull any punches in this review:

Ms. Somers is, in short, probably not short on cash, which is why it seems forgivable to offer her this stern piece of advice: Should you brave Broadway again, dear, bring a sequin or two. Invest in some bugle beads. Hire a chorus boy or girl. Better yet, hire a half-dozen of each, in assorted sizes. (Perhaps they, too, can be acquired on the Home Shopping Network these days.)

You might even consider a reunion with Tanya the elephant, with whom you shared a friendly professional rapport in Las Vegas some years back, according to "After the Fall" (Crown, 1998), the second of two volumes of autobiography from which this show is adapted. (The first was "Keeping Secrets," Warner Books, 1988.) Perhaps Tanya can be coaxed into co-starring, if she hasn't moved on to that great Vegas showroom in the sky, or signed with Endeavor.

Something is desperately needed, in any case, to dress up "The Blonde in the Thunderbird," a drab and embarrassing display of emotional exhibitionism masquerading as entertainment. Attired in a cruelly clingy black tights-and-tunic ensemble, Ms. Somers re-enacts or describes triumphs and traumas from her personal and professional life for a grinding 95 minutes, on a stage adorned only by a pair of video screens, an armchair, a prop phone and a coat rack. (It is curious, and telling, that Ms. Somers's magnified, two-dimensional presence on the video screens continually draws the focus away from the woman herself.)

Devoted fans may savor this no-frills, quasi-intimate audience with a favorite celebrity and professional dispenser of uplifting advice, but others may find their attention wandering to the coat rack. And resting there.

Some of Ms. Somers's recollections are, regrettably, set to music. A performance of Frank Loesser's "Take Back Your Mink" is spliced into a recitation of a particularly violent encounter with her father. I'm not sure why. The show's writer-directors, Mitzie and Ken Welch, have also provided dreadful new lyrics for some old standards. Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern's "Pick Yourself Up" is now a song about bouncing checks and seeking solace in shopping. Unfortunately, Ms. Somers's singing voice is thin and often toneless, and the clanging piano chords underscoring the more anguished moments in her history, usually accented by a dramatic clutch at expensively highlighted hair, are giggle-inducing.

Ouch! Generally, whenever you see the words "giggle-inducing" in a review, it's not a good sign. Oddly enough, I still want to see this show...maybe I'll go closing night...

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Whoops...not sure how I missed this...

Disneyland is 50 years old! Hard to believe Walt opened the Happiest Place On Earth (which, by the way, I always thought was Broadway...) fifty years ago. Here's to all the Disney songs and stories that have enchanted us throughout the years and to those that have made it all the way to the theatrical stage! And thanks to Disney for the shot in the arm to Times Square. And thanks to Disneyland for giving many aspiring Broadway singers, dancers, actors and musicians a start in the business!

Among his remarks at Disneyland's official dedication in 1955, Walt said, "To all who come to this happy place...welcome...Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past...and here youth may savor the challenge and the promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America...with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

"If you can dream it, you can do it!"

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According to this article in Playbill:

The 2005-2006 season of the 92nd Street Y's Lyrics & Lyricists series will feature five shows designed by five different artistic directors.

Artistic directors for the acclaimed series will include cabaret favorite Andrea Marcovicci, Tony Award winner Ted Sperling, Mabel Mercer Foundation executive director Donald Smith, musical director Rob Fisher and musical theatre historian Robert Kimball.

The season kicks off Nov. 12-14 with Andrea Marcovicci's Kurt Weill in America, which focuses on the songs composer Weill created with such great American lyricists as Alan Jay Lerner, Ira Gershwin, Ogden Nash and Langston Hughes. Marcovicci will host the evenings, which will also feature the vocals of Anna Bergman, Klea Blackhurst, Barbara Brussell, Mark Coffin, Michael McElroy, Jeff Harnar and Maude Maggart. Shelly Markham, who will be featured on piano, is also the show's musical director.

Ted Sperling's Heart and Soul: Frank Loesser's Hollywood will examine Loesser's contributions to the film world, including his work with composers Hoagy Carmichael, Burton Lane and Jule Styne. Concertgoers can expect to hear such tunes as "Baby, It's Cold Outside," "Heart and Soul," "On a Slow Boat to China" and "The Boys in the Backroom." Jeffrey Klitz will be the musical director for the Jan. 29-31, 2006, concerts; vocalists will be announced at a later date.

Donald Smith has entitled his Feb. 25-27 program With Mabel Mercer, the Words Come First, and the evenings will feature several of the songs that made Mercer a cabaret legend. With musical direction by James Followell, the concerts will include vocals by Jeff Harnar, Valerie Lemon, Craig Rubano, KT Sullivan and Lumiri Tubo.

Rob Fisher's program will explore the lyrics and lyricists that influenced Tony Award winner Sheldon Harnick, whose Broadway musicals include Fiorello!, She Loves Me and Fiddler on the Roof. Entitled Sheldon Harnick: Collector's Items, the April 8-10 presentation will feature lyricist Harnick as host with vocalists to be announced shortly.

Johnny Mercer's contributions to the movie musical will be explored in Robert Kimball's Hooray for Hollywood: Johnny Mercer at the Movies. Charles Osgood will host the May 6-8 concerts, and vocalists will be announced closer to the performance date. Among Johnny Mercer's most famous songs are "On the Atcheson, Topeka and the Santa Fe," "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," "Moon River" and "Days of Wine and Roses."

The 92nd Street Y is located in Manhattan at 1395 Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street. Subscriptions to the Lyrics & Lyricists season -- priced at $250 or $220 -- are now available; single ticket sales ($45 and $55) begin Aug. 8 Call (212) 415-5500 for more information or visit www.92Y.org.

What a line up -- I'm speechless!

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Broadway Downtown!

Just 24 hours in New York City and already I'm seeing great things (big surprise!).

I felt especially New Yorkerish since I was going down to the Village to the Duplex (theduplex.com), which just happens to be on Christopher Street ("such interesting people live on Christopher street!")

The Duplex is a venerable Village fixture that has gone through a number of incarnations, once incubating such talents as Dick Cavett, Woody Allen, and Joan Rivers. Now it has moved from its original location but the place is still an institution: Talk Shows, musicals, improvisational comedies, and gay cabaret reviews are featured there regularly.

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing the wonderfully talented and gorgeous (she was Miss America in 1998) Kate Shindle at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre.

She was doing a show which she entitled "Brian's Songs" since she was performing with Brian Lowdermilk at the piano, an up and coming young musical theater songwriter. I hope I wasn't the only one in the audience old enough to get the reference...

Kate was in Brian's "The Woman Upstairs" which was in the New York Musical Theatre Festival last year.

She also had some special guests -- Sarah Chase, Josh Young (who sang Run Away With Me...and believe me I was ready to, except that I learned his next gig is West Side Story in China!) and Rodrick Covington.

Kate was amazing! Not only did she have the belting pipes, but gave each song such personality and charm (and dynamics thank you very much!) that you really felt you got to know her a little bit over the course of the evening. She did an especially enchanting job of singing as a seven year old, who is showing off her party dress, and her dreams. And she and Brian had great witty banter, which showed their mutual affection for each other.

Some highlites of Kate's bio:

Kate Shindle's Broadway credits include Cabaret (Sally Bowles), and Jekyll and Hyde (Lucy). NYC productions include A Midsummer's Night's Dream (Helena), The Woman Upstairs (Kassan) and the World AIDS Day concerts of Children of Eden (Yonah, NY premiere) and Pippin (Leading Player). Film and television audiences will recognize Kate from The Stepford Wives (Beth Peters). Kate is also in the process of writing a novel, Crown Chasers, because she is very proud to have been Miss America 1998, but also likes to make jokes about it. She lives in Washington Heights, where she got a killer deal on a two-bedroom, and enjoys a good single-malt scotch.

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OK, we got a ton of questions at the Plane Crazy party on Thursday about investing or helping out with the show, so I'm going to summarize the Plane Crazy-ade programs here:

INVESTING
This is, of course, the best way to help us out. We are trying to sell 75 Cdn$1,000 units of Plane Crazy. We have a detailed Investment Letter, which you should read.

Investment Letters can be obtained from Michael Rubinoff, Producer of Plane Crazy via e-mail at mrubinoff@sympatico.ca or by calling 905.886.3110 x27.

Here's the bad stuff about investing in theater: An investment in the Units is speculative, involves a high degree of risk and significant restrictions on transfer and should be considered only by sophisticated investors who are able to bear the economic risks of their investment for an indefinite period of time and who can afford to sustain a total loss of their investment in the Units.

And here's the good stuff: Free tickets to opening night, free invites to the opening night gala, first right of refusal on future investment opportunities, interest on the investment, a carry-forward interest in the show in perpetuity, and the good, warm feeling that comes from knowing you didn't just help a good musical, you helped an important musical.

If you don't want to invest, you can still help Plane Crazy. Other programs include:

PLANE CRAZY "FREQUENT FLYER" PROGRAM
You can help out Plane Crazy by joining our frequent flyer program -- and still get some cool swag.

All frequent flyers get free tickets, an invite to the closing night party, and all the CDs, peanuts, and airline trinkets we can stuff into a barf bag.

Frequent Flyer levels:

$500: Honorary Plane Crazy Captain
$250: Honorary Plane Crazy Stew
$100: Honorary Plane Crazy Passenger

If you are interested in becoming a Plane Crazy frequent flyer, please contact Michael Rubinoff, Producer of Plane Crazy via e-mail at mrubinoff@sympatico.ca or by calling 905.886.3110 x27

PLANE CRAZY "SPONSOR A VIP TICKET" PROGRAM
A big part of our New York Musical Theatre Festival showcase is to get commercial producers, agents, stars, and lawyers out to see the show. For these VIPs, we need to offer them "house" seats.

Help us defray the cost of these "house" seats by joining our "Sponsor a VIP Ticket" program. For only $15, you can help Plane Crazy get a VIP out to see the show. Just think: Your VIP might be the one that helps take Plane Crazy to the next level of commercial success!

If you are interested in joining the Plane Crazy "Sponsor a VIP Ticket" program, please contact Michael Rubinoff, Producer of Plane Crazy via e-mail at mrubinoff@sympatico.ca or by calling 905.886.3110 x27

It takes a big-ass village to get a Broadway show off the ground, so we really appreciate the help we're getting from everybody.

Please extinguish all smoking materials and buckle your seatbelts...Plane Crazy is ready for takeoff!

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So all this talk about "Big-Ass Rock" and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in my previous post made me want to relisten to The Full Monty, music and lyrics by David Yazbek. I loved the movie, but never got down to New York to see the Broadway show. And David Yazbek was passed over for the Tony on The Full Monty Score and Best Musical as well as for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. In fact, he bills himself on his Web site as a "Two-time Tony Loser"...hehe.

I've always liked The Full Monty CD but I wanted to listen to it again, given how much I love Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

It's always fun to listen to two different scores (The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) by the same composer and pick out the similarities (of course this gets tedious with Lloyd Webber after a while...). In fact, while I was listening to The Full Monty in the car, my youngest daughter commented on the similarity in feel of both the overtures. My oldest daughter heard "Life With Harold" and commented "That is so Here I Am!" (from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

After a few listens I've discovered that I really do like this score a lot! Hey, I might even be turning into a bit of a Yazbek fan! Memorable melodies, clever lyrics such as those in "Man" and "Big-Ass Rock", what's not to love?

I don't adore every track, the way I do on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, but overall I think it's really fun.

I'm sure there's a Tony in Yazbek's future!

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I'm getting on a Jet Plane today and heading down to New York to work on the production of Plane Crazy for the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Wish me luck! Come see the show and remember: Try the veal...

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What would Lehman Engel think?

The BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theater Writing Workshop and its offspring (Theatre Building Chicago's Musical Theatre Writer's Workshop is one of them, which is taught by John Sparks, who worked with Lehman Engel for many years as part of his West Coast workshop), teach that there are basically three kinds of musical theater songs:

1. Ballad;
2. Charm song; and
3. Comedy song.

Traditionall