FIRST LOOK: One of the most highly anticipated shows expecting to make its long awaited debut this Fall is the new Tom Kitt, Michael Kore, and James Lapine musical musical Flying Over Sunset. We are so happy to share with you the all new b-roll footage of the show in action. It was filmed on the stage of the Vivian Beaumont at Lincoln Center Theater while still in its initial tech rehearsals prior before the plug on the production due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we may know, FLYING OVER SUNSET only performed 1 performance…. it’s private Invited Dress Rehearsal. The show was initially scheduled to begin previews on March 12th, 2020 which turned out to be the day Broadway shut down. After a rough intermission of 19 1/2 months, this show is coming back to finally have its public audiences.
FLYING OVER SUNSET is set to finally begin its preview performances for the public at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre on November 11th, 2021. The official Opening Night will be December 13th, 2021. It will run for a strictly limited engagement.
Today is also a very exciting day as the company has reunited to begin rehearsals for this 2nd chance start. Plus, full casing has been revealed. Under the direction of James Lapine and choreography by Michelle Dorance, majority of the cast is still expecting to be the same as it was prior to the shutdown consisting of….
Michele Ragusa in the dual roles of “Betsy Drake” and “Ann Clare Austin”,
Laura Shoop as “Maria Huxley”,
Robert Sella as “Gerald Heard”,
Atticus Ware as “Archie Leach”,
Emily Pynenburg in the dual roles of “Sophia” and “Sophia Loren”,
and
a Full Ensemble.
New to the cast will include….
Kanisha Marie Feliciano who replaces Erika Henningsen in the dual roles of “Ann Clare Brokaw” & “Judith”,
and
Nehal joshi who replaces Jeremy Kushnier in the dual roles of “Dr. Harrington” and “Mr. Grant”,
In case anyone may not remember or know what FLYING OVER SUNSET is all about, this work of fiction show tells the tale of 3 notable historical figures….. Aldous Huxley, Clare Boothe Luce, and Cary Grant. At a crossroads in their life, they meet realizing that they all experimented with the drug LSD (short for Lysergic acid diethylamide). In addition, they embark a journey and confront the mysteries of their lives and their world.
Welcome back FLYING OVER SUNSET!!
Can’t wait for this show to make its long awaited debut.
WAKEY WAKEY BROADWAY FANS. You are rising up each morning with?New York Broadway Tours Top 30 Tony Awards countdown as we celebrate the best of the Theatre world gearing up for Broadway’s biggest night just 21 days away.
At #21 on our countdown today is one of the most iconic and beloved Musicals of all time which later came into our hearts as a film. A tale of 2 dangerous gangs and a young couple from both rival sides that fall in love. We are talking about Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim‘s legendary musical masterpiece West Side Story on Broadway. The show was also co-written by Arthur Laurents and is set as a modern day version of William Shakespeare‘s classic Romeo and Juliet.
From the 2009 telecast, Tony nominees Matt Cavanaugh and Josefina Scaglione, Tony winner Karen Olivo, and cast members of that same year’s revival perform the iconic DANCE AT THE GYM scene (aka MAMBO).
WEST SIDE STORY first premiered in Washington D.C and Philadelphia before moving to Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre for 732 performances, took a break from Broadway to tour the world, and then returned to that same Theatre in 1960 for an additional 253 performances. The original production was nominated for 6 Tony Awards in 1958 where it won 2 including Best Choreography (for Jerome Robbins). A year later, the iconic 1961 film version starring Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno came out to Theatres everywhere earning critical acclaim nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 1962 winning 10 including Best Picture. WEST SIDE STORY would later be revived twice. In 1980, it played Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre for 333 performances and got nominated for 3 Tony Awards that year including Best Revival of a Musical but it lost all of it’s categories. The most recent revival in 2009 played Broadway’s Palace Theatre running for a total of 775 performance. This revival was well known to have include several songs and dialogue in the show translated into Spanish by one of this year’s Tony nominees… our very own Lin-Manuel Miranda. The revival was nominated for 4 Tony Awards that year including (again) for Best Revival of A Musical. It took home only 1 award for Best Performance By A Featured Actress in A Musical for Karen Olivo.
FUN FACT: Did you know the film version of WEST SIDE STORY was shot on location of what is now Lincoln Center before it was even built?
Isn’t WEST SIDE STORY one of the greatest musicals of all time?!
HOWDY THEATRE GEEKS! It’s time for another wake up call as we at New York Broadway Tours continue our Top 30 Tony Awards playing you the best of the Theatre scene. Broadway’s biggest night is just around the corner and only 23 days away,
At #23 on our countdown, LET’S GO ON WITH THE SHOW as we take a visit to one of the most famous shows played in the Wild Wild West starring one of the most famous sharp shooters in American History…. Annie Oakley?(1860-1926). It’s a fictional story but the basis of her story of joining Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and winning the romance of fellow sharp shooter Frank Butler (1847-1926) is true. We are talking of course of Irving Berlin‘s classic musical that hits the entertainment bullseye…. ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. It was also written by Dorothy and Herbert Fields.
From the 1999 telecast. the legendary Bernadette Peters, Tom Wopat, and the company of that year’s revival perform a medley of I GOT THE SUN IN THE MORNING & AN OLD FASHION WEDDING.
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN first premiered at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre in 1946 starring the phenomenal “first lady of Musical Theatre belt” Ethel Merman and Ray Middleton running for a total of 1,147 performances. The Tony Awards would be created and given for the first time ever the very next year of 1947. Following the Broadway production came the classic Oscar winning 1950 version of the musical starring Betty Hutton and?Howard Keel. In 1966, it was revived again at Lincoln Center Theater for a limited engagement of 76 performances featuring Merman reprising her performance. It was nominated for 2 Tonys that year loosing both it’s categories (for Best Choreography and Best Direction of A Musical). The most recent revival came in 1999 to Broadway’s Marquis Theatre following an acclaimed out of town tryout at the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with Bernadette Peters and Tom Wopat. It played a total of 1,080 performances and featured a revamped book by Peter Stone. The revival was nominated for 3 Tony Awards winning 2 including Best Musical and Best Performance By A Leading Actress in A Musical (for Peters).
FUN FACT: Originally Judy Garland was cast in the role of Annie Oakley for the film version of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. MGM producer Arthur Freed?purchased the rights to the film version with Garland starring. However, there was a whole lot of drama. Garland was originally supposed to take 6 months off to recover from going back nonstop on the drugs again. However, the studio forced and threw her right into the movie causing her to feel exhausted, get more sick and a little grumpy. In addition, the original director and choreographed Busby Berkeley gave her the most roughest time making her feel even worst. Garland previously had worked with Berkeley a few times including Girl Crazy (1943 film) which he previously got fired from after causing her to faint. Garland had enough of him trying to get him fired and even not showing up to set. From there, MGM fired her both from the film and ended her contract forever with the studio. Heartbroken, Garland made a few suicide attempts which included breaking a glass and slashing her throat in the bathroom. Also Frank Morgan (who we all know as the title role from The Wizard of Oz) was originally tapped to play Buffalo Bill but unexpectedly died.
The song THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS would become Ethel Merman’s signature song and overall the theme song of being in this World of Entertainment.
