by Mike Haber | Sep 12, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS!! Just another day celebrating the return of the Great Bright Way after 18 months of being shutdown. We are continuing to countdown to Broadway’s Biggest Night just 14 DAYS AWAY…. We are talking about the 74th Annual Tony Awards. Our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN continues with more legendary performances.
At # 14 on our countdown, we take you to Pennsylvania where we meet a dysfunctional family BOTH living and working at a funeral home. Mainly, it centers on a coming-of-age woman discovering her sexuality her complicated relationship with her family, and more. This is a day at the……
Fun Home. Based on Allison Bechdel’s autobiographical graphic novel of the same name, it features an original score and book by Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron. It also made history as the first Broadway show to have a Lesbian serve as the protagonist.
From the 2015 telecast, Tony nominee Sydney Lucas as “Small Allison” along with Tony winner Michael Ceveris as “Bruce Bechdel” and Tony nominee Beth Malone as “Adult Allison” perform the musical’s powerhouse ballad RING OF KEYS.
FUN HOME was first conceived in 2007 just a year after following the success of Allison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic novel of the same name which was well received by book readers everywhere. It was developed through a full course of over 5 1/2 years through various readings and workshops. The development labs were held in both California and New York City at the
Ojai Playwrights Conference, Sundance Institute’s Theater Lab, and The Public Theater. Through the labs, the story began to evolve and went through numerous changes in the story and the score. For Allison Bechdel herself, she did not participate in the musical’s development labs. She expected her story to seem artificial and distant on stage, but she came to feel that the musical had the opposite effect, bringing the “emotional heart” of the story closer than even her book did.
FUN HOME officially had its world premiere production Off Broadway at
The Public Theater in the Fall of 2013. It was well received by both critics and audiences alike, it was extended 3 TIMES running until January 2014. Under the direction of Sam Gold, the original production cast featured….
Tony nominee Beth Malone as “Adult Allison Bechdel”,
Tony nominee Sydney Lucas as “Small Allison Bechdel”,
Griffin Birney as “Christian Bechdel”,
Noah Hinsdale as “John Bechdel”,
Roberta Colindrez as “Joan”,
and
Joel Perez as “Roy”, “Mark” “Pete”, and others.
The Off Broadway run took home various Awards including the Obie and the
The Lucille Lortel Award for BEST NEW MUSICAL. It was also nominated for several
Drama Desk Awards and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2014.
With the success of the Off Broadway engagement, FUN HOME officially moved to Broadway the following year of 2015 playing the Circle in the Square Theatre for 26 previews and 582 regular performances. The biggest change for the Broadway engagement was transforming the show from a proscenium stage to now being performed in-the-round. With Sam Gold on board, the cast featured…
Ceveris, Kuhn, Malone, Lucas, Colindrez, and Perez reprising their roles from the Off Broadway run. In addition, the casting also featured….
Tony nominee
Emily Skeggs as “Medium Allison Bechdel” (which she originally served as the standby and then took on the role fulltime halfway through the Off Broadway run from Alexandra Socha who departed for personal reasons),
Oscar Williams as “Christian Bechdel”,
Zell Morrow as “John Bechdel”.
The Broadway production was well received by critics and audiences everywhere. It went on to receive 12 Tony Awards nominations winning 5 including BEST MUSICAL and BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (for Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron – who also made history that night as the first female writing team EVER to win that category).
Following its life on Broadway, FUN HOME toured all across North America back to performing on a proscenium stage. It continues to play around the world including The Philippines, Canada, Barcelona, and Australia.
Along with the success of the stage production, FUN HOME is currently in development of becoming a movie musical. It’s expecting to be produced and starring
Jake Gyllenhaal as “Bruce Bechdel along with Sam Gold (the stage version’s director) making his film directorial debut.
Isn’t this such a powerful story?!!!
by Mike Haber | Sep 11, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
The Award winning comedian, actor, and late night talk show hosted himself
Jimmy Fallon is truly one of Broadway’s biggest fans. What a lineup of shows set to take center stage on Live TV once again. The lineup will consist of the following….
September 14th, 2021: The Tony and Olivier Award nominated smash hit
Tina– The
Tina Turner Musical
September 16th, 2021: The Olivier nominated GIRL POWER smash hit
SIX
September 17th, 2021: The Award winning BEWTICHING blockbuster smash hit
WICKED.
Set those DVR’s all week for 11:35pm EST on
NBC to see Broadway on THE TONIGHT SHOW!!!
by Mike Haber | Sep 11, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
Today marks 20 years of one of the most terrifying and tragic days we’ll NEVER FORGET. We continue to send love and prayers to all those we tragically lost loved ones and brave heroes who sacrificed their life to help others on that tragic day. The events of the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks took a huge toll on so many people including the Broadway community.
When the news broke of the attacks on both New York’s
World Trade Center and Washington D.C.’s Pentagon, everyone was scared and grieving. All Broadway shows that were running at the time cancelled 2 days of performances. All of New York City (and especially the Theater district) was deserted. Former New York City Mayor
Rudolph gulliani held a city hall meeting and wanted to make sure that Broadway kept doing her thing as quickly as possible. This was not just for economic benefits. Gulliani knew that the best way to get away from all your troubles is to experience some fun top notch entertainment.
The curtain went back up on September 13th, 2001 which all the casts of all the shows running at the time sang GOD BLESS AMERICA for several weeks during their curtain calls. However, ticket sales were extremely low due to people still being scared. With the Broadway community agreeing with Giuliani’s thoughts that Entertainment is truly the greatest medicine, they all came together into a recording studio and then brought that Live Theater magic outside to the streets of Times Square for a special
I LOVE NEW YORK commercial. Choreographed by Tony winner
Jerry Mitchell, it featured Broadway Veterans and cast members dressed in their running show costumes performing
Kander & Ebb‘s beloved theme from NEW YORK, NEW YORK. The tourists and New Yorkers agreed. It was well received and shown in over 20 countries. It also encouraged people who were still feeling depressed and scared to both come to New York City and experience live some top-notch entertainment.
Check out that 30 second commercial right below featuring an amazing lineup of veterans such as….
Harvey Fierstein,
Joel Grey,
Bebe Neuwirth,
Nathan Lane,
Matthew Broderick,
Faith Prince,
and
so much more.
It also features some familiar Broadway characters from hit shows BOTH running past and present including….
The Producers,
Contact,
the 2000 revival of The Music Man,
the long running revival of
Chicago,
and
the 1999 revival of Kiss Me, Kate.
With Broadway starting to reopen despite this ongoing time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know and we hope for a fact that Broadway will definitely do an updated commercial to still spread the love and encouragement to tourists to still come.
Broadway has been there for so many of the most difficult times in the world but came back strong.
Our love today also goes out to loved ones who lost closed and dear friends no longer with us on that terrifying day.
How beautiful was this I LOVE NY campaign?
by Mike Haber | Sep 11, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
WHAT’S GOING ON BROADWAY FANS?! It’s only 15 DAYS till we celebrate Broadway’s triumphant comeback with a BANG…. We are talking about The 74th Annual
Tony Awards. We got more iconic legendary performances from previous telecasts coming your way on our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN.
Today, our selection day was a last minute change in support of 20 years of that horrific we’ll NEVER FORGET. At # 15 today on our countdown, we celebrate America at the turn of the century. It’s a personal favorite of NYBT’s founder and head guide
Amada Anderson……. This is
RAGTIME. Based on E. L. Doctorow’s best selling 1975 novel of the same name, it features an iconic score by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty along with a book by Terrence McNally.
From the 1998 telecast, here is the show’s legendary breakout original cast performing the show’s opening title song.
RAGTIME originally premiered in Toronto back in 1996 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts before moving on a month later to Broadway which opened the newly built Ford Center for the Performing Arts (now the Lyric Theatre) for 861 performances. Members of the original production included….
Alex Strange (later Anthony Blair Hall) as “Edgar, The Little Boy”,
Peter Friedman (later John Rubenstein) as “Tateh”,
Lea Michele (later Elizabeth Lundberg) as “The Little Girl”,
The original production of RAGTIME was nominated for 13 Tony Awards in 1998. It took home 4 for BEST SCORE (for Flaherty & Ahrens), BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL (for McNally), BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL (for Audra McDonald), and BEST ORCHESTRATIONS (for William David Brohn).
Following the success of the original production, the show went on to become a worldwide hit musical from Regional productions, London’s West End, and several concert productions (including a concert production on Ellis Island back in 2016).
The 1st and most recent Broadway revival of RAGTIME happened in 2009 at the Neil Simon Theatre playing for only 93 performances. Members of that 2009 cast included…
Christopher Cox as “Edgar, The Little Boy”,
Ron Bohmer as “Father”,
Robert Petkoff as “Tateh”,
Quentin Earl Darrington as “Coalhouse Walker, Jr”,
Stephanie Jean Umoh as “Sarah”,
Sarah Rosenthal as “The Little Girl”,
and
Donna Migliaccio as “Emma Goldman”.
The revival was nominated for 6 Tony Awards in 2010 including BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL. However, it lost all of it’s categories.
How beautiful is this iconic musical?
by Mike Haber | Sep 10, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
LOOK AT THIS STUFF, ISN’T IT NEAT?!! The Movie Musicals are making a triumphant comeback. Disney has officially announced the release for its upcoming highly anticipated Live Action movie musical remake of the Oscar winning film
The Little Mermaid. Under the direction of
Rob Marshall, this highly anticipated new film will bring us all UNDER THE SEA in a whole new way starting May 26th, 2023 in Theaters everywhere!!!
This new Live Action version of THE LITTLE MERMAID will feature a full length all-star cast led by…..
Grammy nominee
Halle Bailey as “Ariel” (the title role herself),
Tony winner Daveed D. Diggs as “Sebastian The Crab”,
Jonah Hauer-King as “Prince Eric”,
Jacob Tremblay as “Flounder”,
Fans can expect to hear all the beloved songs from the 1989 film by EGOT winner Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman including PART OF YOUR WORLD, KISS THE GIRL, and the Oscar winning UNDER THE SEA. In addition, Menken will be collaborating on several new songs written for the film along side Award winning creator
Lin-Manuel Miranda. Sadly none of the songs from the Broadway stage musical adaptation version by Menken and Glenn Slater will not appear in the film.
by Mike Haber | Sep 10, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, News, Shows
I’M AN ISLANDER!!! We are bawling over the
Apple TV + filmed proshot of the Award winning smash hit
Come From Away!!! Such a powerful story. Cant wait to be back sitting in the seats of the Gerald Schonefeld Theatre!!! Who is loving this new filmed presentation?!!!
