Stage Notes (and all that jazz)

World Happy Day

2012-02-10T06:52:00.001-05:00

11 February is World Happy Day! Join thousands of people around the world in viewing Happy, a film by Oscar-nominated director Roko Belic. Here's a sneak peek.

HAPPY TRAILER from Wadi Rum Films on Vimeo.

The Avengers Super Bowl trailer

2012-02-09T06:24:00.004-05:00

Julian Fellowes: On Scandals and Inspirations for Downton Abbey

2012-02-09T00:33:00.003-05:00

Watch Downton Abbey: Julian Fellowes on Inspirations and Scandals on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes talks about his real life inspirations for the characters of the hit series.

Deja Blue

2012-02-07T20:13:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the New York Giants on their 2012 Super Bowl victory! See you next year :)

New York Giants Super Bowl Victory Parade 2012: MyFoxNY.com

NBC's Brotherhood of Man

2012-02-05T19:05:00.001-05:00

Go Giants!

Daniel & Craig

2012-02-04T00:55:00.000-05:00

Craig Ferguson's fun interview with Daniel Radcliffe! Check out Dan's shout out to a strip club near the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Betty Buckley Calls Out Randy Jackson

2012-02-03T00:12:00.009-05:00

Legendary Broadway singer/actress, Betty Buckley has had it with Randy Jackson dissing the "Broadway" style as if it was something inferior. She went on a fabulous twitter rant calling Jackson's comments ignorant and uninformed.

Idol watchers know that Mr. Jackson has been known to make comments that their sound is "too Broadway" as if it's a bad thing. Well, it all started again last week when contestant Angie Zeideran sang "When You Got It Flaunt It" from The Producers. After her song, Randy Jackson remarked "That showtunes.....that definitely.....it turns me off". Jennifer Lopez who was sitting right beside him actually looked at him strangely and was surprised about his comment. She then goes on to defend musical theatre singers and says that they are great talent. Mr. Jackson then comments "The problem is that it brings out that vibrato that I don't like".

La Buckley couldn't hold back any more and responded back with this AMAZING rant:

OK, I just have to say this: I am sick & tired of Randy Jackson bashing what they think is Bway singing! It’s soo ludicrous! I have yet to see or hear anyone sound remotely like they are a theatre singer on Idol!! And, further, theatrical singing encompasses every kind of sound, voice & style. He doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ about!! And by these constant disses he is tellin’ Amer. kids that Bway is some kind of inferior art form. Next to jazz, Broadway is the only indigenous Amer. art form & with respect, “Dog”, your opinion is whack & uninformed! I mean, I respect Randy Jackson & everyone certainly has their own likes & dislikes, but THIS constant diss of “Bway” sounding, to his ear, singers is just so ignorant & stupid that I literally cannot comprehend the producers allowing such mendacity in his remarks! Beyond idiotic!!!

And when Steven Tyler remarked, “They learn that”, I thought I was gonna scream!! All human voices have vibrato in one form or another! This constant STUPID reference is beneath contempt & I gotta say, too, that all big “rock/pop” shows these days are frickin’ THEATRE! SOOO, Nigel Lithgow & company, in a world that includes an increase in the popularity of musical in general in theatre, film & television. America Idol needs to WAKE UP to the truth, voices are voices, singing is singing in all forms, styles & genres. These categories have nothing to do with anything. The Record business in general is in big trouble & why for frickin’ sake would you the creators of “Idol” risk losing & demeaning any well intended audience. You respond to a singer because you hear their soul or you do not! ENOUGH!! I’VE HAD IT!!

O, while I’m at it. The use of melisma comes outa African American church & made most popular by Mariah Carey & comp. but mindless use of melisma does NOT a great singer make if it is random & without a true emotional intiation! I’ve really had it, people! Someone tell Lithgow! My point is that A singer is a singer is a singer & these frickin’ categories are bullshit!! Broadway smodway! Ridiculous!

Thanks for the “Amens”, Tweeties & Dopeys. Spread the word, please. Do not let these poor kids be so propaganized by a pop bass player with some pop recording success be the arbiter of what constitutes a supposed “good” singer! ENOUGH!! Aaaand….”world peace” Oh, & one more thing: Broadway is a place, not a style. At one time, in early days of classic Bway, Rodgers, Hamerstein, Hart, Lerner & Loew Gershwin, Tin Pan Alley & company one could say there was a style, a consistency in construct. But not any more. All kinds of composers and singers and styles on Broadway. And that’s been true since the 60′s. I would venture to say that the “Dog” & powers that be don’t get much. Write them, people, & tell them how absolute off frickin’ base this is! x

Nigel Lythgoe, the producer of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance responds to Ms. Buckley's rant:

@BettyBuckley I don’t believe I have ever dissed Broadway either in IDOL or SYTYCD. As far as I am concerned it is a Mecca for talent.

@BettyBuckley I totally understand your point. The problem goes beyond Randy. ‘ Broadway’ has been adopted as a style of singing and dancing

I guess in the UK we we would call it a “show” voice. I agree GaGa, Freddie Mercury great show voices. You, Chenoweth, Katherine McPhee.

@BettyBuckley thank you I will certainly speak with Randy. I had the pleasure of seeing your outstanding performances in “Cats” and “Pippin”

Original Twitter thread here

Wow, all this in 140 characters! Ms. Buckley, I applaud you with my jazz hands! Brava!

Eponine Re-cast Update

2012-02-02T00:33:00.005-05:00

As we posted the other day, Samantha Barks will be playing Eponine in the upcoming Les Miserables film. Above is her reaction from the announcement by Cameron Mackintosh. Please click here to view the video.

(photo and video form BBC)

Yes! Yes! Yes!

2012-01-31T23:43:00.005-05:00

Thank you Theatre Gods!

It's just been announced by Cameron Mackintosh that Samantha Barks will be playing the role of Eponine in the upcoming film of Les Miserables. Ms. Barks played the same role at the West End and at the 25th Anniversary Concert (see above). I loved her performance! Taylor Swift (who we feel was totally wrong for the role) was previously announced as Eponine. Maybe the Theatre Gods heard the uproar of theatre geeks all over the world when Ms. Swift was announced. It's nice to see someone with real theatre chops and amazing voice get the role over someone with a recognized name. Read all about the exciting announcement here.

Kermit and Miss Piggy Take on Fox "News"

2012-01-30T23:36:00.002-05:00

Broadway Actor In A TV Commercial: Mandy Gonzalez

2012-01-27T00:55:00.000-05:00

Mandy Gonzalez, lately seen on Broadway as Nina in In The Heights and Elphaba in Wicked, appears in this IKEA Commercial.

Time Out's All Time Broadway Divas

2012-01-26T00:30:00.001-05:00

Time Out NY or TONY comes out with Broadway's 25 All Time Divas. Check out the list if your favorite diva made it!

(photo from TimeOut NY)

The Ghost Light Sessions

2012-01-25T09:10:00.003-05:00

The musical Ghost which has been playing in London held a sneak peek presentation at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater last Thursday Jan 19. As I arrived that evening, there were huge trucks outside of the theater, which I would later learn to be the production moving in to their new digs. Staff of the event wore white hard hats to coincide maybe to the moving in theme or maybe to the first scene of the production when the characters demolish their way to they new loft apartment.

I picked up my "press" pass and enjoyed some frozen "Ghost" vodka and some sliders before taking my seat. The stage looked like it was moving in day: moving crates strewn about and the back brick wall was exposed behind them. There were microphones in the form of the traditional "ghost light" which is apparently the light kept onstage constantly to ward away the ghosts of productions past. From the lack of a true set, I concluded that this was to be more of a "concert" rather than a glimpse of the actual production, reminiscent of the Les Mis anniversary concerts.

The evening was hosted by one of the producers who explained the history of the production and how well received it has been in London. The two stars Richard Fleeshman (Sam Wheat) and Cassie Levy (Molly) took the stage to sing "Here Right Now". There was something off with their mikes as the sound quality was a little off, which persisted throughout the whole concert. I noticed that the host actually had a better mike. Maybe the sound people reduced the sensitvity of the mike of the singers (?). Though I was expecting to be starstruck by the cast, I actually enjoyed hearing more from the people behind the musical. Bruce Joel Rubin who did the screenplay of the movie and also did the book and lyrics of the musical expressed how he was at first strongly opposed to the musical and his journey to be completely involved in it, including how he got the idea for "Ditto" (thankfully, I had just recently seen Ghost again by chance about 3 weeks prior when it played on the AMC channel at work so I knew about the Ditto reference).

Cassie Levy then sang "With You" and in the words of Seth Rudetsky she was was "amahzing". The songwriters later explained that they started with the lyric "Without You" to embody Molly's loss but it's banality led them to change it to "With You". Unfortunately, "Without You" from Rent played in my head for the rest of the night. They then introduced Dave Stewart (the other half of Eurythmics) by a short video clip of the songs he has written mostly for Eurythmics but also for other artists (he wrote "Underneath It All" by No Doubt). Then to introduce the other songwriter Glen Ballard, they also played a video clip of his compositions which started with the opening bars of Thank U from Alanis Morissette which made my hairs stand on end (disclosure: I am a HUGE Alanis fan). He is very prolific and successful songwriter, writing for Dave Matthews Band, Michael Jackson ("Man in the Mirror"), Wilson Phillips, Katy Perry, Idina Menzel, and yes, Lea Salonga).

I had to leave before the final number but was pleased to receive a CD of the musical! I listened to it this weekend while driving though the snow. Very rock pop, very accessible, with a few Disney-esque musical numbers. In other words, I think it will be a hit! I saw a clip of it on Youtube and the set looks very high tech. But what will Ben Brantley think....

Anyway, here's that YouTube video. The actual event was apprently broadcast on Facebook last night so you may be able to check it out there:

Ringtone Fiasco

2012-01-25T00:27:00.003-05:00

Lately, it's been a constant battle with technology when ringtones interrupt a performance. Check out how this violinist handles the situation when a Nokia ringtone goes off during the concert. It occurs in 0:39 sec. I bet that patron learned his lesson after this. So I end here quoting Elder McKinley......TURN IT OFF !!!

Previews

2012-01-24T21:08:00.000-05:00

The creators of The Book of Mormon discuss the preview process on Theater Talk.

You're The Top

2012-01-24T00:25:00.003-05:00

Uber talented Sutton Foster and dreamy Colin Donnel perform You're The Top from Anything Goes at the Rosie Show (Mon. Jan 23).

The Madness for Darren Criss

2012-01-23T16:06:00.000-05:00

Darren Criss gave his farewell performance in How To Succeed on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Above is the video of the crazy stagedoor after the performance. He sends out a very appreciative message to the fans waiting for him after the show. Check it out.

Carolina in my Mind

2012-01-23T08:47:00.000-05:00

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Little Kristin and Big Blue

2012-01-22T06:51:00.000-05:00

Kristen Chenoweth will sing the national anthem at the 2012 Giants vs. 49ers NFC Championship Game today. Kick off is at 630 PM EST on Fox.

Interviews with Megan Hilty and Katherine McPhee

2012-01-21T16:17:00.000-05:00

Lady Grantham Speaks...

2012-01-20T06:22:00.000-05:00

Egyptian Queen

2012-01-20T00:19:00.001-05:00

It's been reported first by the Sydney Morning Herald that last week acclaimed British theatre director, Declan Donnellan spearheaded a 2 day (Th & Fri) workshop of Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra at the Sydney Theatre Company. This scoop has also been picked up by The Australian and the UK's The Guardian. In this workshop, Richard Roxburgh played Anthony opposite Cate Blanchett's Cleopatra! What a casting feat!

According to SMH, the play is being considered for STC's 2013 Season. If the production pushes through, this would be Ms. Blanchett's swansong as she and husband Andrew Upton are handing over the reins as Artistic Directors of The Sydney Theatre Company at the end of 2013.

Incidentally, Ms. Blanchett recently won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Actress in Leading Role of a Mainstage Production for her work in Gross Und Klein last Monday Jan. 16, 2012.

(photo from STC)

Firth and Ferguson

2012-01-19T10:43:00.000-05:00

Watch out for the awkward Englishman and Scotsman hug :)

Quips from the Countess

2012-01-19T07:45:00.000-05:00

Lady Grantham, the Dowager Countess of Downton Abbey is probably the most humorous character in the series. Played with much sass by Dame Maggie Smith, she has a plethora of zingers. Zap2it has compiled the Dowager's qoutes from every episode from the first 2 seasons (don't worry, no spolier alert here because they only included those episode that were already shown. To read more about her quips or to see if you've missded some, please click here.

Interviews with Anjelica Huston and Debra Messing

2012-01-18T16:11:00.000-05:00