The Future of Broadway

There are SO many things in store for the great white way. I can't remember being so excited for a SEASON before. Individual shows, sure, but a whole season? Very exciting.




Below are the shows that are either already slated or strongly believed will be coming in this season, even if the Preview/Opening date is not set.

Just LOOK at that list! Granted, not all of these shows will actually end up opening this season, and some won't open at all. Pretty impressive. I've added my thoughts on these upcoming shows, titles with without comments are simply shows I don't know enough about to even have an opinion!


A Free Man of Color (Previews 10/21; Opening 11/18)
Lincoln Center Theater's presentation of a new John Guare play set in 1802's New Orleans.

A Life in the Theater (Previews 9/17; Opening 10/12; Closing 1/2)
Cast: Patrick Stewart and T.R. Knight
A revival of David Mamet's drama centering on two thespians: a veteran performer and a relative newcomer.

T.R. Knight has been rumored to be coming to Broadway in at least THREE shows over the last 18 months. Glad to see one has actually come to fruition! And Patrick Stewart? This is high on my list of "must sees"

Anything Goes (Previews 3/10; Opening 4/7)
Cast: Sutton Foster
Roundabout presents this revival of the Cole Porter classic, featuring such tunes as "You're the Top," "Blow, Gabriel, Blow," "It's De-Lovely," "I Get A Kick Out of You" and "Anything Goes."

I'm not a fan of Sutton (she is the same in every show I've seen her in, and I'm not a fan of Anything Goes. 'Nuff said.)

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Previews 9/20; Opening 10/13)
The Public Theater's acclaimed emo-rock musical, which takes an irreverent look at the life of seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson and his rocky legacy, transfers to Broadway.


I saw this twice off b'way at the Public Theater. LOVED it. Can't wait to see it again, and I plan to on my next jaunt. Sadly, I don't see this making it as I think it will have a difficult time finding an audience to sustain it. But Benjamin Walker (Jackson) is well worth the price of admission, and the young supporting cast is beyond enthusiastic and talented. Love the new artwork and looking forward to getting my hands on the cd that is most likely sitting in my mailbox at school! Populism, yeah, yeah!

Brief Encounter (Previews 9/10; Opening 9/28; Closing 12/5)
Roundabout Theatre Company's presentation of the stagework inspired by Noel Coward's Still Life and the later David Lean film.

Catch Me If You Can (Previews TBA; Opening TBA)
Cast: Norbert Leo Butz, Aaron Tveit
New musical based on the film of the same name.

I've been dying to see this since it premiered in Seattle LAST summer. Please announce a theater -- I'm getting nervous!

Driving Miss Daisy (Previews 10/7; Opening 10/25; Closing 1/29)
Cast: James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave, Boyd Gaines
Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play returns to the New York stage.

Elf (Previews 11/2; Opening 11/14; Closing 1/2)
Based upon the 2003 film, Elf features a score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin and book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan.

I am torn. I love this story, I loved the movie, I love both James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines. I have some issue with Ms. Redgrave and her political past. I am thinking long and hard about whether I can and will support this. It has the potential to be stunning.

Elling (Previews 11/2; Opening 11/21)
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Denis O'Hare, Richard Easton and Jennifer Coolidge
Simon Bent's play tells the story of two inmates from a mental institution who, under the supervision of a social worker, are given a shot at living on their own.

Godspell (Previews TBA; Opening TBA)
Revival of the Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical based on "The Gospel According to St. Matthew."

PLEASE? My heart broke when this was cancelled two years ago. And, please, bring Gavin Creel back to it. He'll be wonderful. But I think this will hit the boards until NEXT season.

Good People (Previews 2/8; Opening 3/3)
Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere presentation of David Lindsay-Abaire's Boston-set story about a newly-unemployed woman and an old fling.

How to Succeed in Business (Previews 2/26; Opening 3/27)
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe
Tony and Emmy Award-winner Rob Ashford directs and choreographs this 50th anniversary revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical comedy. Daniel Radcliffe makes his Broadway musical debut as Finch.

This is brilliant casting. I cannot wait to see this.

La Bete (Previews 9/23; Opening 10/14)
Cast: Mark Rylance, David Hyde Pierce and Joanna Lumley
Transfer of the new London revival of David Hirson's play that pits a classical dramatist against a street clown.

Great cast, but the show is rumored to not be fabulous.

Lombardi (Previews 9/23; Opening 10/21)
Eric Simonson's new play about the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi.

REALLY?

Love Never Dies (Previews TBA; Opening TBA)
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Glenn Slater and Ben Elton's musical continuation of The Phantom of the Opera story.

This is rumored to be dead in the water. Boy, I hope so.

Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Previews 9/21; Opening 10/12)
Mrs. Warren's Profession tells the story of Kitty Warren, a mother who makes a terrible sacrifice for her daughter Vivie's independence.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Previews TBA; Opening TBA)
A new musical, written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based upon the film of the same name.

I've heard good things from London, Looking forward, most especially due to Will Swenson.



Rain -- A Tribute to the Beatles (Previews 10/19; Opening 10/26)
Limited run of a multi-media concert that fuses historical footage with songs by the Fab Four.

Sister Act (Previews TBA; Opening TBA)
Currently playing in London, this stage adaptation of the film features a score by Academy Award winner Alan Menken and Glenn Slater and a book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner

I think this will be another year before it gets here.

Spider-man, Turn Off the Dark (Previews 11/14; Opening 12/21)
New musical based on the Marvel comic book hero featuring songs by Bono and The Edge with a book by Taymor and Glen Berger.

On and off again, I don't have a lot of faith in this even if it DOES open. Word on the street is that pre production costs are well over FIFTY MILLION dollars, possibly over sixty. Assuming that to be true, the show would need to play to sold out audience just to BREAK even. While I am curious to see WHAT a 50m dollar musical LOOKS like, I think it is obnoxious and irresponsible and don't want to give my hard earned money to see it. If the high school student CHOOSE to see it, that's a different story entirely!

The Book of Mormon (Previews TBA; Opening TBA)
A new musical from "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker with Avenue Q creator Robert Lopez based on the title tome.

Not a fan of South Park, so this will take lots of convincing.

The Merchant of Venice (Previews 10/19; Opening 11/7, Closing 1/9)
Cast: Al Pacino
Director Daniel Sullivan's staging of the Shakespeare work moves to Broadway for a limited run following an acclaimed run at 2010 Shakespeare in the Park.

SO disappointed I couldn't see this at the Delacourt Theater in Central Park. This is very high on my list.

The Old Masters (Previews TBA; Opening TBA)
Simon Gray's work premieres at Long Wharf in January prior to a Broadway transfer.

The Pee-Wee Herman Show (Previews 10/26; Opening 11/11)
Cast: Paul Reubens
A stageshow inspired by the Saturday-morning TV series with the signature bow-tied man-child and his cast of characters.

Not kidding. How I wish I were.

The Pitmen Painters (Previews 9/14; Opening 9/30)
Transfer of London's Live Theatre Newcastle/National Theatre production of Lee Hall's play about 1930s miners-turned-artists.

The Scottsboro Boys (Previews 10/7; Opening 10/31)
New musical by the team of John Kander and the late Fred Ebb with David Thompson inspired by the infamous case of American injustice.

I want to see John Cullum. I'll see him in nearly anything.

Time Stands Still (Previews 9/23; Opening 10/7)
Cast: Laura Linney, Brian d'Arcy James, Christina Ricci and Eric Bogosian
Return of Manhattan Theatre Club's presentation of Donald Margulies' new play about a war photographer and a journalist.

No one is quite sure why this is returning to Broadway after its limited run in the spring. It wasn't highly reviewed, critically or from the public. LOVE the cast, so that could indeed sway me.

Unchain My Heart (Previews TBA; Opening TBA)
A new Suzan-Lori Parks-scripted musical centering on the life of entertainer Ray Charles.

War Horse (Previews 3/17; Opening 4/14)
Lincoln Center Theater's transfer of the National Theatre's production based on the Michael Morpurgo novel.

Women on the Verge … (Previews 10/2; Opening 11/4, Closing 1/23)
Cast: Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Sherie Rene Scott, Laura Benanti
Lincoln Center Theater's presentation of a new David Yazbek-Jeffrey Lane musical inspired by the 1988 Pedro Almodóvar film.

Amazing cast, and yet I have no desire. Maybe my mind will be changed.

Wonderland (Previews 3/21; Opening 4/17)
The new musical by Frank Wildhorn and Jack Murphy is a "story about a new Alice who has lost her joy in life. Estranged from her husband, alienated from her daughter and in danger of losing her career, Alice finds herself in Wonderland where she encounters strange though familiar characters that help her rediscover the wonder in her life while searching for her daughter."

Long Time No See!

First, I did remarkably well in my Tony Predictions, but since that is yesterday's news, enough said!

A lot has changed these last few months and there is now a side bar to show what is currently "on the boards". Take a gander. (On your left.)

I'll try to have some insight (albeit lacking detail) on the following productions:



OUR TOWN, Barrow St Theater (Off Bway) Written in 1937 by Thornton Wilder, Our Town is considered a masterpiece by theater folk everywhere. But not by me. I respected it. I appreciated it. I even LIKED it. But I never really was "wowed" by it. Until now. The Barrow St production opened in Feb of '09 and I'd heard nothing but wonderful things about it. And I wanted to see it, but I just kept putting it off. And then it announced its closing.

I went alone last week (down in the village) and had secured a "on stage" seat smack dab in the middle of the action. I was so unprepared for the beauty of this production. I was enthralled, entranced and simply taken on a journey that will reverberate in my soul for quite some time. I cried like I've never cried as an audience member before. Perhaps only to be rivaled by the emotions of my grandmother Sadie's death. I actually felt terrible for the actors having to see my anguish. I cannot single out performances because this production goes BEYOND ensemble acting, if that's possible. THIS is why plays are written and performed. Perfection and light.

MEMPHIS Winner of Best Musical. The kids and I got the cd to this a good 2 months before seeing it. I rather LIKED the cd; my kids loved it. I was actually looking forward to it despite the criticisms. I was...underwhelmed. Certainly a talented cast, GREAT choreography but it left me (to quote 10 Things I Hate About You) 'without'. Without caring, without feeling, without soul. I didn't believe or care about the story.

I wouldn't try to talk anyone OUT of seeing it, but I'm certainly not encouraging anyone TO see it, either.


LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (Revival) Winner of Best Revival. Deservedly so. I liked this, but sadly, I still didn't love it. Maybe the story isn't as cutting edge as it once was. Maybe there have enough more thoughtful stories with leading gay characters, that this is now dated and passe. I couldn't help but think that I was watching FRASIER and not a character. And I just wasn't moved, and I didn't even laugh all that much.

NEXT TO NORMAL (Replacement Cast) SO many folks were going nuts over the new cast (Jason Danieley, Meghann Fahy and Marin Mazzie), stating they were oh-so-much better than the originals. I was so looking forward to seeing how that was possible. It wasn't. Don't get me wrong, they were good. REALLY good. But they certainly didn't erase the originals from my memory. Both Danieley and Mazzie (husband and wife in real life) sing with facial distortions that were quite distracting. Meghann was often sharp and flat throughout the performance. Acting wise, I enjoyed all their performances, but was not wowed by the different choices they made. (Nothing bothered me about them, but nothing stood out and made me say, "Yes! THAT'S better!)


LOVE, LOSS and WHAT I WORE (Off B'way) What a pleasant suprise! A number of gal pals and I decided to see this, due to a lack of other choices. We were thrilled. We laughed, we cried, we sympathized. An evening being...well...women. Love, Loss and What I Wore follows fragmented stories about the nostalgic power of women’s clothing. An ever-changing cast of five women enrobed in chic black sit on stools and tell funny, wistful and universal memories about their families and loved ones through the prism of their closets. Like a long heart-to-heart with your best friend over coffee, the conversation meanders from a bittersweet story of a stepmother wearing the same style bathrobe as her husband’s late wife (to the dismay of the children) to a couple’s musings of what they wore on their wedding day to a rant about loathing the need to carry a purse. With odes to black clothing, cowboy boots and outfits that makes mothers cringe, Love, Loss and What I Wore is unabashedly girly—in a good way.

I saw this twice only about 3 weeks apart (sadly without the benefit of a new cast) and I do believe I enjoyed it every bit as thoughoughly both times. I look forward to the rights and royalties being released as I so look forward to directing and even (gasp!) performing it!!!!

SOUTH PACIFIC (Before it closed.) Still beautiful. Thank you, Lincoln Center.

PROMISES, PROMISES (Revival) I do NOT know why anyone would choose to revive this insipid show. Is it the Mad Men rage? I'm guessing so. Maybe it's me, but a show that shows all men as cheating, mysogynistic and immoral creatures; and all women as stupid and easy is simply NOT my cup of tea. Add to that a tacky plot contrivance of suicide and you have a recipe for disaster.

Let's talk PERFORMANCES: Sean Hayes was actually really sweet albeit a tad old for the role. He doesn't have an amazing voice, but it is pleasant and well suited in this show. Katie Finneran, who won a WELL-DESERVED Tony Award for this role, was an absolute standout in this show. So funny, so alive! Tony Goldwyn in a supporting role was quite impressive. This is a man that I've had a crush on since the movie GHOST. NOW: Kristin Chenoweth. I want to say Kristin is a major talent, and I really like her work. Just not here. Cheno is only a few years younger than am I (late forties for me) and is playing a TWENTY SOMETHING? REALLY? I was in the fifth row and I wasn't buying it. It was distracting and unnecessary.

The only shows currently on Bway that I haven't seen as I have no desire!
Come Fly Away (closing)
Jersey Boys
Million Dollar Quartet
Rock of Ages
The Addams Family