by Mike Haber | Jun 24, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Gleeks Fan Tour (Times Square), Shows
BREAKING NEWS: Live Performance is making its triumphant comeback this year. We have more of the hottest events for all Theater fans making its way back to NYC. The latest is the popular
Elsie Fest. The outdoor Broadway concert will be part of
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival and scheduled for August 29th, 2021 at the Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn.
In case anyone may not know, ELSIE FEST was created by Emmy Award winner and Broadway favorite
Darren Criss back in 2015. You can consider it as Broadway favorites doing their own cabaret act but as a mainstream pop star level in front of over thousands of screaming Theater fans. You can expect them performing both Broadway favorite & tons of surprises. Previous headlining acts included…..
Tony nominee Aaron Tviet,
and so much more.
Announcements for this year’s lineup will be revealed at a later time.
by Mike Haber | Jun 22, 2021 | Act 1 (Southern Times Square), Act 2 (Northern Times Square), Broadway, News, Shows
ON THE MARQUEE: Court is ready to get back in session here on the Great Bright Way this Fall. Aaron Sorkin’s Award winning play adaptation of Harper Lee’s best selling novel
To Kill a Mockingbird is set to relaunch its Broadway run. When it returns, Bartlett Sher’s powerful production (now produced by Orin Wolf) will welcome back Tony nominee & Emmy winner Jeff Daniels reprising his portrayal of “Atticus Finch”. In addition, Celia Keenan-Bolger will reprise her performance as “Scout Finch” that earned her a 2019 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
One of our friends was so wonderful to share with us these amazing photos of the lights back on outside the show’s home of Broadway’s Shubert Theatre. In addition, the front of house lights are updated to welcome back Jeff Daniels to the production.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD will reopen on Broadway beginning October 5th, 2021. Meanwhile, its US National Tour and London companies are set to debut beginning Spring 2022.
Who is excited to see this incredible show back on Broadway?!!
by Mike Haber | Jun 22, 2021 | Blog, Broadway, Christmas Caroling (Times Square), Shows
BREAKING NEWS:
The Phantom of the Opera‘s original leading lady and the world’s best selling soprano
Sarah Brightman is set to head back on tour this Fall 2021 across North America. When THE ANGEL OF MUSIC returns, it will be a full brand new concert tour just in time for the holidays entitled A CHRISTMAS SYMPHONY.
Brightman was already previously set to hit the road for the Fall of 2021 relaunching her ongoing HYMN World Tour. This time, it will now be a full brand new show.
The A CHRISTMAS SYMPHONY Tour comes following the success of Brightman’s recent virtual livestreamed London concert of the same name this past Holiday season. Backed by a full band, orchestra, and choir, Sarah will sing a full selection of Christmas favorites including songs from her 2008 holiday album A WINTER SYMPHONY, songs from the HYMN album, and of course her greatest hits including THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and TIME TO SAY GOODBYE.
The tour is expecting to hit the previously announced cities. It will kick off November 26th, 2021 in Bethlehem, PA before heading to the following cities consisting of…..
Newark, NJ,
Staten Island, NY,
Greenvale, NY,
Atlantic City, NJ,
Worcester, MA,
Chicago, IL,
Nashville, TN,
Atlanta, GA,
and
Clearwater, FL.
She also added several new cities to her itinerary including……
Sugarland, TX,
Dallas, TX,
and
wrapping it up in New Orleans, LA.
Come ring in the magic of the holiday season, celebrate the return of live performance, and surrender to THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT with one of the greatest voices of all time.
Welcome back to the road Sarah!!!
Can’t wait to see you back!!
by Mike Haber | Jun 21, 2021 | Antoinette (Tony) Awards, Broadway, Gleeks Fan Tour (Times Square), Inspiration of Rent Tour
2021 marks a huge year for Tony Award winning powerhouse
Idina Menzel. Last month, she celebrated her 50th Birthday & the 25th Anniversary of the professional gig that started it all….. her Broadway debut in
Rent. What an unforgettable legacy she has left within those past 25 years. We all love her success on stage and on screen. However, Menzel’s also had an amazing career as a Pop star releasing 8 solo albums. Get ready for a THRILLIFYING rare seen performance like no other…. during the early era before her career even skyrocketed as a global phenomenon with
WICKED,
Glee, and of course
Frozen. Here is the music video of her debut single MINUET from her 1998 cult smash hit album STILL I CAN’T BE STILL.
The music video itself for MINUET is soooooooo hot!!!! It features Menzel in an old Volkswagen van driving through an automatic car wash. It also features an appearance by her fellow RENT co-star and now ex-husband Taye Diggs.
In case anyone may not know the story, Menzel’s journey to becoming a solo artist began back while she was performing in her Tony nominated breakout Broadway debut as the original “Maureen” in
Rent. While doing the show 8 times a week, she got offered a record deal with
Hollywood Records. After departing RENT in 1997, Menzel went straight to work on the album. Recorded in upstate New York, she worked with some incredible musical talents, geniuses, and creators. It was produced by Milton Davis. All the songs together were written by Menzel and Davis.
STILL I CAN’T BE STILL was released on September 13th, 1998. MINUET became the only single from the album reaching #48 on Radio & Records’ CHR/Pop tracks chart. To promote the album, Idina did various performances including in-store events, singing at the
Lilith Fair Music Festival, and went on tour serving as the Opening Act for
Francis Dunnery. The album sadly failed to top the charts, sold less than 10,000 copies, and Menzel was dropped from Hollywood Records. The label put the album out of print.
For Menzel, she went to a moment of obscurity but still had the courage, passion, and drive to write music. She and Milton Davis continued working together for a 2nd album done independently.
However, when Idina’s career took off with her Tony winning performance as “Elphaba” in WICKED, her expanded fanbase (known as THE FANZELS) began demanding to re-release STILL I CAN’T BE STILL. Thanks to them, it was re-released in September 2005.
Today, STILL I CAN’T BE STILL is still available to download digitally. There are also physical copies on
Amazon.com as well.
Today, Menzel has continued to perform songs from that debut album in her ongoing solo concerts around the world.
As of March 2018, STILL I CAN’T BE STILL has sold over 18,000 copies.
How amazing is this video?
Anyone have that original debut album of Idina’s?!!!
by Mike Haber | Jun 13, 2021 | Blog, East Village, Inspiration of Rent Tour, off broadway, Shows
This week marked the 20th Anniversary of the Off Broadway debut of
Jonathan Larson‘s cult smash hit rock musical
Tick, Tick, Boom….. the show that was initially developed prior before his worldwide phenomenon
Rent. We have B-Roll footage below of that 2001 production. From the Jane Street Theatre, here is
Raúl E. Esparza as “Jonathan:, Jerry Dixon as “Michael”, and Amy Spagner as “Susan”.
In case anyone may not be familiar with the story, TICK, TICK, BOOM is an autobiographical pop-rock opera by the late Jonathan Larson following his life long before RENT). Set in NYC in 1990, the story follows “Jonathan” (nicknamed in the musical as “Jon”) on the verge of turning 30 as he struggles to get his music out in the world and fearing that his career choice was a mistake. Notable songs include 30/90, SUNDAY, NO MORE, COME TO YOUR SENSES, & LOUDER THAN WORDS.
Larson first conceived the idea of the show in the mid-80’s following a disappointing rejection by industry who failed to produce his futuristic musical SUPERBIA (a rock retelling of the classic George Orwell novel
1984). He initially wrote it as a one man show featuring Larson and a full rock band.
The show was first performed Off-Off Broadway as a workshop produced by
Second Stage Theater in the Fall of 1990 under the initial title BOHO DAYS. Following that first workshop, he revised it in a whole year before performing the new version at the
Village Gate (with college pal Victoria Leacock Hoffman producing) in November 1991. The Village Gate performance won Larson the attention by a young rising producer named Jeffrey Seller who wanted to produce many of Jonathan’s shows. A few months later, Larson got the call of a lifetime with Billy Aronson to work on a new original musical that later became his groundbreaking hit…..RENT.
In 1996 following Jonathan Larson’s tragic passing from an Aortic Aneurysm and RENT’s whirlwind GLORY, Leacock- Hoffman teamed up with writer David Auburn to reconfigure TICK, TICK, BOOM. The musical was changed from being a one man show to a 3 person show (featuring the characters of “Jon”, “Michael”, and “Susan”).
The revised version of TICK, TICK, BOOM had its world premiere Off Broadway in 2001 at the Jane Street Theater for an 8 month run. Under the direction of Scott Schwartz ,and choreography by future Tony winner Christopher Gattelli, the cast featured….
Raúl E. Esparza (later Joey McIntyre) as “Jon”,
Jerry Dixon as “Michael”,
Amy Spanger (later Molly Ringwald and Natascia Diaz) as “Susan”.
The Off Broadway premiere of TICK, TICK, BOOM was nominated for 7
Drama Desk Awards (including OUTSTANDING NEW MUSICAL) in 2001. However, it lost all the categories. It did however went on to win the Outer Circle Critics Award for OUTSTANDING OFF BROADWAY MUSICAL.
Following the success of its Off Broadway run, TICK, TICK, BOOM went on to become a worldwide hit for all Jonathan Larson fans everywhere. Productions went on to be played on Tour across America, in London’s West End, and in many different countries playing their native languages.
The recent Off Broadway revival of the show happened in 2016 at the
Acorn Theater at Theater Row for a limited engagement. Under the direction of Jonathan Silverstein, this cast featured…
George Salazar as “Michael”,
In addition to its Off Broadway run, TICK, TICK, BOOM was performed as a concert production for
New York City Center Encores’ Off-Series back in 2014. The cast featured 3 of the most incredible Tony winning stars of the Great Bright Way who all later went on to a little show called
Hamilton. Under the direction of Oliver Butler, the cast featured Tony winners….
Today, the musical has been performed everywhere from schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
Along with its success on stage, a film adaptation of TICK, TICK, BOOM is set to debut this holiday season!!! The new movie will be coming to
Netflix later this year. With Lin-Manuel Miranda (who appeared in the Encores production) making his film directorial debut, the cast is set to star…..
acclaimed singer & actress Alexandra Shipp as “Susan”.
The film will also feature several new characters inspired by real life people in Jonathan’s life. Additional casting will include…..
Production on the film began early in 2020 before being abruptly shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic back in March 2020. With safety protocols underway, the new film resumed production later this past Fall 2020.
We cannot wait for this new film which is very relatable with artists struggling wanting to make it and how society can turn people down.
Any TICK, TICK, BOOM fans out there?
by Mike Haber | Jun 11, 2021 | Blog, East Village, Inspiration of Rent Tour, off broadway, Shows
A few days ago, the acclaimed
New York Theatre Workshop has officially announced its return to Live Theater performances It has revealed upcoming shows for BOTH its 2021-2022 and its 2022-2023 seasons. What an unforgettable lineup of exciting new original works set to make its debut of this unforgettable stage known for launching some of the hottest shows we know today.
The 2021-2022 season will kick off this August with the world premiere of Obie Award winner Whitney White’s filmed / theatrical experience SEMBLANCE. This unique experience centers on the perception of Black women, presented both virtually and as an immersive installation.
From there, other upcoming productions in the 2021-2022 season will include…..
the return of Pulitzer Prize winner’s Martyna Majok’s 2-person play SANCTUARY CITY. This production has rescheduled the launch of its run after being abruptly being shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic…. just 8 PREVIEWS. The play is now set to reopen this September. Under the direction of Rebecca Frecknall, it tells the tale of 2 teenage children of undocumented immigrants as they fight to establish a place for themselves in America.
Kristina Wong’s new original play A NEW PROJECT. This was a show that was created by Wong while being at home in Quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s expecting to debut this Fall as well. Under the direction of Chay Yew, its a powerful play all about building that connection with community even during isolation.
Obie Award winner Aleshea Harris’s new play ON SUGARLAND. This show will debut early in 2022. Directed by Whitney White, the play is a spiritual and inspirational experience that brings joyous life to communal healing,
the 2021-2022 season will conclude with the world premiere of Somi Kakoma’s new play DREAMING ZENZILE. That will debut in the Spring of 2022. Under the direction of Lileana Blain-Cruz, the play follows on the life of celebrated South African musical legend and activist
Miriam Makeba.
The 2021-2022 season will also be a very bittersweet and emotional time for everyone at New York Theatre Workshop. It will mark as the final season for its longtime artistic director James C. Nicola who will retire after 34 YEARS. This Gentleman has overseen many of NYTW’s legendary productions that have gone on to become Award winning hot tickets ON Broadway including
Rent.
Once,
Peter and the Starcatcher,
Hadestown. and the upcoming
Sing Street.
There’s so much more people! We are now talking about the show’s that will debut for the 2022-2023 season at New York Theatre Workshop.
The 2022-2023 season will kick off with Tony winner Sam Gold and Clare Barron’s new production of Anton Chekhov’s classic play THREE SISTERS. This production was set to debut in 2020. However, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. No word has been said if the company from that initial run is set to continue. The play of course centers on Three Sisters discovering the ups and downs of life.
From there, the other shows of the 2022-2023 season will include….
Victor I. Cazares’s new play AMERICAN (TELE)VISIONS. Under the direction of Rubén Polendo, the show takes place at a Wal-Mart. It’s a multimedia memory play about an undocumented Mexican family,
Liliana Padilla’s new play HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF. This is a very powerful quadruple co-directed by Tony winner
Rachel Chavkin along with Padilla & Steph Paul. It centers on a group of college students channeling their emotions through a self-defense class after a fellow student gets raped,
The 2022-2023 season will conclude with Inua Ellams’s new one man show THE HALF GOD OF RAINFALL. The play centers on the life of that is a hero, half Nigerian mortal, and half Greek god.
We are so happy and excited to welcome back our friends at New York Theatre Workshop. Gonna be the ultimate celebration of new works as we bring New York Theater back to the GLORY that it always has been.
For many of you who have taken our walking tours, our INSPIRATION OF RENT Walking Tours starts off in front of the New York Theatre Workshop. Cannot wait to visit our friends there again later this year.
