Musical Falsettos by Finn & Lapine Returns to Broadway

by Paul Mroczka

Falsettos back on Broadway spring 2016

Falsettos back on Broadway spring 2016

Tony winner Falsettos back on Broadway spring 2016.

James Lapine, who directed the original 1992 Broadway production of Falsettos, will direct the show again. The musical, which is a combination of two one-act musicals, The March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, will be on a Broadway stage in spring 2016. The original production won the 1993 Tonys for Best Score (Finn) and Best Book of a Musical (Lapine and Finn).

The Story of Falsettos

Falsettos original Broadway cast.

Falsettos original Broadway cast.

Falsettos is the story of a family that is a mish mash of folks, including Marvin, who was married to Trina, but who revealed he was gay and left her to be with Whizzer. Marvin wants “A Tight Knit Family,” and the musical focuses on this simple but difficult to attain dream. Marvin must negotiate numerous relationships, including those with Whizzer, Trina, Jason, his 10-year-old son, and Dr. Mendel, a psychiatrist who Marvin is seeing and who, upon meeting Trina, is instantly attracted to her.

Some of the more memorable numbers from Falsettos include Four Jews in a Room Bitching, March of the Falsettos, Jason’s Therapy, and What Would I Do? Ultimately, the journey is Marvin’s. He eventually comes to grips with many of the challenges of his life, related to love, family, and responsibility.

More to Come

Producer Jordan Roth said, “I am part of a large club of theater lovers who were changed by this show, who passionately believe that Falsettos is ‘our show.’ I can’t wait to have our show on Broadway again.” Yet to be determined are the show’s theatre, dates, creative team, and cast.

Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical Premiere Set for Dallas

by Paul Mroczka

Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical Dallas World Premiere

Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical Dallas World Premiere

Owens and Clark

Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical will have its world premiere at the Dallas Theater Center this fall, running from September 2 through October 11. Hew Haw, the extremely popular country music variety show, which ran from June 15, 1969 to September 19, 1992, was set in Kornfield Kounty. It included some of the best pickers and grinners in the business, including Roy Clark and Buck Owens; comedy sketches, and many pretty ladies.

Hew Haw Musical

Moonshire: That Hee Haw Musical

2015 Grammy nominee Brandy Clark

Directed by Gary Griffin, Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical, the show features a book by Robert Horn and a score by two country music stars: 2015 Grammy nominee Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. Like the TV show, the stage musical takes place in present day Kornfield Kounty.

The musical tells the story of Misty Mae. She is a beautiful, hometown country gal who has very big dreams that reside in the big city of Tampa. She follows those dreams and then returns to Kornfield Kounty with a new heartthrob. Her slick boyfriend does not impress Misty Mae’s family or friends. Has love blinded this country girl; is the love of her life a fancy city grafter; will life ever be normal again? These are just a few of the pressing questions in Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical.

Is Broadway Possible?

There has been no formal Broadway announcement regarding Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical. The musical did have a reading in December 2013. But the creative are first class and include set design by John Lee Beatty, costumes by Mara Blumenfeld, and choreography by Denis Jones. Director Griffin made his Broadway debut in 2005 when he helmed The Color Purple.

First Wives Club Pre-Broadway Run Opens Soon in Chicago

by Paul Mroczka

New Musical First Wives Club premieres in Chicago

New Musical First Wives Club premieres in Chicago

New Musical First Wives Club premieres in Chicago

The new musical, First Wives Club, which is based on the hit 1996 movie and Olivia Goldsmith’s best selling novel of the same name, is now in rehearsals in Chicago. The show is slated to run from February 17-March 29 and then it has its eyes on Broadway. The musical stars Tony Award-winner Faith Prince, Christine Sherrill, and Carmen Cusack.

The Story

First Wives Club Faith Prince, Christine Sherrill, Carmen Cusack

Stars Faith Prince, Christine Sherrill, and Carmen Cusack.

The story in this musical comedy is one of revenge. The phrase “hell hath no fury as a woman scorned” certainly rings true in First Wives Club, as three former college friends reunite after each has been dumped by their respective husbands for young women. The three friends decide to make sure that they wreak revenge on the men they believed in, sacrificed for, and loved. Their vengeance is clever, motivated, and exacting. The relationships, situations, and characters collide for ongoing hilarity as the three divorced women are vindicated.

The Creative Team

There's a lot of energy, comedy, and drive that goes into their plan.

There’s a lot of energy, comedy, and drive that goes into their plan.

Those in charge of putting this show together artistically are premium players. The book for the musical is by Linda Bloodworth Thomason (Designing Women), the score, which includes originals and classics, is by Motown legends Holland-Dozier-Holland, and direction is by Simon Phillips who staged the stunning Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Musical. Thomason, who is a five-time Emmy nominee, has built her reputation by having created some of the most empowered female characters that have graced pop culture.

Producers Ready to Go

Veteran producer Elizabeth Williams heads a team that includes Paul Lambert and Jonas Neilson. Williams’ most recent Broadway efforts include Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land, starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, and Catch Me if You Can. To get to Chicago for tech rehearsals, Williams, whose flight was cancelled due to bad weather, took a 24-hour train ride. The show will play its run in Chicago at the Oriental Theatre. The show is expected to go to Broadway.

Quotable

by Matt Kizer

  • robert_wilson-croppedTo me, what is important in the theater is that we don’t want to make a conclusion. We don’t want to make a statement, don’t want to say what something is. We want to ask, ‘What is it?’

    – Robert Wilson

  • Tallulah_Bankhead_1941If you really want to help the American theater, don’t be an actress, dahling. Be an audience.

    – Tallulah Bankhead

Broadway Openings in February Are Nil But Ramp up in March and April

by Paul Mroczka

Constellations opened in January.

Constellations opened in January.

There are no shows scheduled to open on Broadway in February. Since the start of 2015, two shows have premiered- Constellations (January 13, 2015, Samuel J. Friedman) and Honeymoon in Vegas (January 15, 2015, Nederlander). The 2014-2015 Broadway theatre season, which started in June with the premiere of Holler If Ya Hear Me (June 19, 2014, Palace), saw a total of 17 openings through to the end of December.

That means a majority of the shows on Broadway will open in what are the final four months of the season, which officially closes just before the Tony nominations on April 28.

March Openings

Audience5

Helen Mirren stars as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience.

Once again, in March, Broadway will be abuzz with the opening of two new plays and the revival of a play and a musical. On March 5, the Larry David comedy Fish in the Dark opens at the Cort. Three days later, on March 8, The Audience, starring Helen Mirren, will premiere at the Gerald Schoenfeld. The Audience focuses on the secret weekly meetings that Queen Elizabeth II held with her various prime ministers.

March 12 sees the first major Broadway revival of the Cy Coleman, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green musical On the Twentieth Century (American Airlines). When On the Twentieth Century premiered in 1978 it won six Tonys, the most for that season. The revival stars Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher.

The stars of The Heidi Chronicles.

The stars of The Heidi Chronicles.

Wendy Wasserstein’s Pulitzer Prize winning play The Heidi Chronicles opens on March 19 at the Music Box. This is the first revival of this play, which will star Elizabeth Moss, Jason Biggs, and Bryce Pinkham.

April on Broadway

April is filled with new productions. In fact, with 14 openings, April stands as the most active month on Broadway for the 2014-2015 season. Included will be the screen to stage adaptation of the classic Gene Kelley film An American in Paris (April 12).

Vanessa Hudgens stars in the revival of Gigi.

Vanessa Hudgens stars in the revival of Gigi.

Other new musicals include the Off-Broadway transfer of the musical comedy It Shoulda Been You (April 14), the Broadway premiere of the epic Doctor Zhivago (April 21), the Kander and Ebb adaptation of The Visit (April 23) starring Chita Rivera, and American Repertory Theatre’s production of Finding Neverland (April 16). Other musical revivals include The King and I with Kelli O’Hara (April 15) and Gigi (April 8) with High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens.

There Will Probably Be More

Chances are there will be one or two more shows crammed into the Broadway schedule prior to the Tonys, as producers race to the finish line to try to mount an award-winning production. The more the merrier when it comes to competing for the ultimate stage award.

Poetry

by Matt Kizer

Early Times Square

New York Haiku

“Excited tourists
stop and stare, awed by Times Square –
forget they have feet.”

Madeleine Begun Kane

 

And Yet Another

“I am willing to give you a show,
But are these all the rôles that you know?”
The manager cried.
And the actor replied,
“Sirrah! No, sir; I know ‘Cyrano’!”

Carolyn Wells

 

 

Larry David’s Fish in the Dark First Broadway Preview Sold Out

by Paul Mroczka

Fish in the dark Broadway preview Larry David

Fish in the dark Broadway preview Larry DavidLarry David was christened last night, Monday, February 2, 2015. Symbolically, that is, as the sultan of the comic schlemiel and schlimazel performed for the first time on Broadway in the first play he’s authored for The Great White Way. The Monday night crowd at the Cort Theatre had a sort of David laugh and love fest.

This is a show that has an automatic following, as two shows that he created, Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), have had droves of loyal fans who love David’s humor. In Seinfeld, Jason Alexander played the character based on David. In Curb Your Enthusiasm, David plays himself. The same seems to be true in Fish in the Dark.

The Premise of the Comedy

David in rehearsal for Fish in the Dark.

David in rehearsal for Fish in the Dark.

David has said that the comedy Fish in the Dark was inspired by the death of a friend’s father. And although that situation may not seem to be fitting as inspiration for a comedy, in Larry David’s world it is. The characters David plays are guys who dress sort of casual-sloppy, like what they like, and say what they think without any filter.

The focus of Fish in the Dark is on two brothers, one played by David and the other by Ben Shenkman. Together they attempt to deal with the death of their dad while life goes on around them. There are a lot of David moments, such as wondering if you should tip the doctor, asking is it okay to bring a date with you when you visit someone in the hospital, and wondering what country most looks like death itself? (It’s Norway.)

What People Liked

David signing autographs.

David signing autographs.

From the moment David entered into the scene, the audience was enthralled. The theatre of fans saw the Larry David they know- the guy dressed in a floppy sport jacket, wearing a blousy T-shirt, ironed khakis, and comfortable sneakers. They were at home with him and with the lines he said and had written, some of which were straight from his HBO series. Those familiar lines seemed to sit just fine with the first night audience.

Many fans waited outside the stage door to catch a glimpse of David. The writer/actor signed autographs and clumsily chit chatted, noting that he had to do the show again tomorrow. Overall it was a good first preview for David and company. Fish in the Dark opens on March 5 for a limited run.

Broadway Ticket Sales and Grosses Down Due to Juno

by Paul Mroczka

Jackman in The River had a strong week.

Jackman in The River had a strong week.

Box office numbers for the week ending February 1, 2015 published by The Broadway League revealed the impact that the weather had on shows during the final week of January 2015. In terms of capacity, productions that struggled included On the Town (48.51%) and Honeymoon in Vegas (54.17%).

Others that came in on the low side included You Can’t Take It With You (58.08%), Mamma Mia! (64.90%), and Chicago (65.45%). Of those shows, Mamma Mia! and Chicago lost performances due to the weather forecast. The weather-shortened weekend caused grosses to fall from $21,335,320 the week before to $17,504,766 the week ending Feb. 1.

The River Going Strong

elephant 567

Bradley Cooper in The Elephant Man also sold well.

The River, starring Hugh Jackman, showed strength, selling 100.13% capacity. The play, which is at Circle in the Square, will close on February 8. Book of Mormon continued to play at over 100% and to out-gross all shows, bringing in $1,423,750. The top grossing shows that were second, third, and fourth were all family oriented musicals with The Lion King bringing $1,337,983, Wicked seeing $1,291,035, and Aladdin selling $1,119,398 worth of tickets.

Fifth on the list was the revival of the Bernard Pomeranz play, The Elephant Man, starring Bradley Cooper. The show, which will transfer to London, grossed $976,936 last week.

Not Just the Weather

Book of Mormon is still going strong.

Book of Mormon is still going strong.

Although slumping box office numbers can be blamed on the weather, it’s more than that. It seems as if this Broadway season many of the new productions have failed to capture the interest of the public, despite the fact that various shows have garnered very strong reviews.

Perhaps the announcement of the Tony nominees on April 28, 2015, will help some shows. Unfortunately, Sting’s The Last Ship could not sustain itself to possibly benefit from the awards. The musical, which did receive good notices, closed on January 24. The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2015 on CBS.

Everyone will be carefully eyeing February’s weekly numbers. There should be a flurry of Broadway activity in March and April when four shows open in March and 14 more take to the Broadway boards in April just before the Tony cutoff date. Numbers usually spike upwards at that time.

Tonight Chicago, The Musical, Welcomes Country Girl Jennifer Nettles

by Paul Mroczka

Grammy winner Nettles plays Roxie Hart.

Grammy winner Nettles plays Roxie Hart.

Jennifer Nettles, who formed the band Sugarland in 2003 with Kristian Bush and Kristen Hall, will open tonight as Roxie Hart in Broadway’s longest running American musical Chicago. Nettles told PEOPLE in a recent interview, “I’m working my ass off and my feet hurt, but I’m having a ball.” This is her Broadway debut.

Grammy Winner, Plus

Nettles plays Roxie hart, Chicago musical Broadway

Nettles as Hart.

In 2009, Nettles and Bush won two Grammys for their single, “Stay.” She received a third Grammy for the work she did with Bon Jovi. She also recently released her first solo album, and she’s been the CMA Country Christmas host. The extremely popular country performer has been up to this latest challenge.

In her interview with PEOPLE, she noted that learning the choreography was the toughest chore of her new adventure. Nettles joked, “I don’t want to look like a hack up there,” and added, “I’ll be standing beside fantastic veterans of Broadway and I want to feel comfortable. I don’t want to be the weakest link. And if I am going to be the weakest link, I want to be the strongest one they’ve worked with!”

Also Joining the Company

Broadway vet Carly Hughes joins the company as Velma Kelly.

Broadway vet Carly Hughes joins the company as Velma Kelly.

Nettles is certainly in good company, as Broadway vet Carly Hughes will also join the cast at the Ambassador Theatre. Hughes’ Broadway credits are extensive and include Pippin, Beautiful, Ghost, and The Book of Mormon. She also appeared on Broadway in Ragtime, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Other Chicago cast members include Alexander Gemignani as Billy Flynn, Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart, NaTasha Yvette Williams as Matron “Mama” Morton and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine. Hughes will play Velma Kelly.

Break A Leg!

Of her foray into bright light of The Great White Way, Nettles said, “Broadway has always been a special, magical place, with a wonderful tradition of singers and actors. I feel honored and proud to be part of this great tradition. Taking on such an iconic role as Roxie in Chicago is a dream come true.”

From Broadway IQ, we say “Break a Leg” to Nettles and Hughes as they start their run in Chicago. Nettles will play Hart through to March 29.

Will Broadway Ticket Sales See an Uptick This Week?

by Paul Mroczka

On the Town sees slumping sales.

On the Town sees slumping sales.

As noted in an early story, the months of January and February can be especially tough on Broadway shows. The week ending January 25 (the 35th of the 2014-2015 season) saw almost every show lose ground. This time of year can be a tough sale due to weather, a lack of excess cash due to the holidays, and the overall physical and mental drain people feel this time of year.

Shows in the Plus Column

Shows that showed in creased sales few and far between. Those productions that enjoyed increased volume included Chicago (0.2%), It’s Only a Play (1.9%), Kinky Boots (2.0%), and Mamma Mia! (2.5%). Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and The Book of Mormon were both stable, with the former selling 93% and the latter overbooked at 102.6%.

The big winner was Sting’s musical The Last Ship, which closed on January 24. That show saw an increase of 4%, selling at 87.6%. Although The Last Ship garnered fine reviews, it just could not find an audience.

Slow Sales Overall

Sting appeared in The Last Ship in an attempt to boost ticket sales.

Sting appeared in The Last Ship in an attempt to boost ticket sales.

The Broadway front is seeing slow sales overall. The revival of On the Town, which received excellent notices, was at 60.3% for the week ending January 25, and the new musical Honeymoon in Vegas, which reviewers loved, came in at 71.3%. It will be interesting to see how Honeymoon in Vegas will perform in the next few weeks, and if, overall, as the weather improves, sales will spike up.

Figures for the week ending February 1, 2015 will include an extra dark night for some shows, which closed down due to the storm forecast. That forecast proved to be much ado about nothing.