TheatreScene: July 25 - 31

THE CONTEST FOR FOLLIES TICKETS STARTS TOMORROW AT 10AM!  BE SURE TO CHECK BACK TOMORROW AND EVERY DAY NEXT WEEK!

 

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS WEEK:

• July 25: Broadway Celebrates Same-Sex Marriage
• July 26: FAREWELL: Tom Aldredge
• July 27: Rod and Ricky's Wedding Album
• July 28: CASTING: Follies
• July 29: Broadway Vocabulary Quiz #2
• July 30: Musical Words of Wisdom

 

HELP WANTED - YOUR HELP WANTED!

• Have a question, comment or observation about the theatre and/or this blog?  Please send them to me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.  Put "ASK JEFF" in the subject heading.
• Find a "vocabulary word" in your favorite Broadway song?  Send the word, the line from the song it is in, along with the song and show title to jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.  Put "Broadway Vocabulary" in the subject heading.
• How about a clever lyric or words of wisdom from your favorite shows?  Send those in, too!  Put "Words of Wisdom' in the subject heading when you email it to jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com!  (Upcoming blogs will be devoted to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Kander and Ebb and Stephen Sondheim!)

TOPS AND BOTTOMS (July 18 - 24):

• Top Gross: Wicked ($1.88M)
• Top Attendance: The Book of Mormon (102.4%)
• Bottom Gross: RAIN ($280K)
• Bottom Attendance: Hair (49.2%)
• $1M Club: The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Wicked, Mary Poppins, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Phantom of the Opera 
• SRO Club: War Horse, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Anything Goes, Wicked 

COMINGS AND GOINGS
Casting

• Jessica Walter left Anything Goes after today's performance to fulfill prior commitments.  In the coming weeks, Tony winner Kelly Bishop will replace her in the revival at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
• On July 26, pop star Tiffany sang her 80's hits after the show at Rock of Ages.

Shows

• Evita is a definite go!  The Michael Grandage - Rob Ashford (director and choreographer) revival begins rehearsals in February toward a spring 2012 opening.  The show will star Ricky Martin (Che) and Elena Roger (Eva Peron).
• The Tony Award Committee announced that it has reached a multi-year agreement with the Beacon Theatre to present the Tony Awards Ceremony.

• Edgar Lansbury (brother of Angela) has joined the producing team of the revival of Godspell.  He was also a lead producer on the original production in the 1970's.
• The new Broadway play StickFly has a new home.  Instead of the Lyceum, the show will now play the Cort Theatre.

Milestones

• RAIN: The Beatles Experience on Broadway closed today after 8 previews and 300 performances.  The show played the Neil Simon Theatre and later transferred to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

ANSWERS TO BROADWAY VOCABULARY QUIZ #2:

1. i, E
2. e, B
3. d, A
4. j, C
5. h, D
6. a, H
7. f, I
8. b, G
9. g, F
10. c, J

Jeff
2.337

Musical Words of Wisdom

The cast recording of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is once again responsible for some serious thought.  If you are reading this, I'll assume that you have more than a passing interest in musical theatre.  If you are at all like me, you find the lyrics of Broadway shows to be a treasure trove of clever turns of phrase, witty witticisms, and poignant words to live by.

If you have listened to the score of WOTV at all, you know it is full of the aforementioned wit and poignancy.  It was one time when I was enjoying the ever so catchy "On the Verge" that I got my Broadway Vocabulary Quiz blog idea (the word was "ululating") and the idea for this blog came to  mind as I laughed out loud at a certain line in the song that struck me as funny, true, and as a clever turn of phrase.  (See below)  And I asked all of you to send me your favorite lines from Broadway musical numbers.  

Please note that there were several repeats, so I might not attribute the line to you.  Understand that appreciate all of your contributions!  And so, here are some of my favorites along with some of yours.

• "It's murder on a hairdo when your head is underwater." - "On the Verge" from Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
• "You've got pain in your stomach like a long-neglected tooth, dilated pupils that refuse to see the truth..." - "Lovesick" from Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

• "The price of love is loss, but still we pay.  We love anyway." - "Light" from next to normal

• "Because happy is what happens when all your dreams come true." - "Thank Goodness" from Wicked (GalindaU89 from NYC)

• "Christmas bells, ringing out goodwill to men, and peace on Earth; Ev'rything they taught you when you were a child - the things a child once taught the world." - "Christmas Day" from Promises, Promises (Sherilyn F. from Newark, NJ)

• "Life is what you do 'til the moment you die." - "Life Is" from Zorba (Barb P. from Manhattan)

• "I'd walk through the quad, and think, 'Oh My God!  These kids are so much younger than me!'" - "I Wish I Could Go Back to College" from Avenue Q (Tim Z from Geneva, NY)

I could probably do a whole blog just from the entries sent in from AChorusLineFREEK from Long island, NY!  Thanks! (He or she didn't leave a name, but DID leave words of wisdom and clever wording from almost every song in that show's score!

From A Chorus Line:

• "Who am I anyway?  Am I my resume?  That is a picture of a person I don't know." - "I Hope I Get It"
• "All thanks to Sis (Now married and fat)" - "I Can Do That!"
• "'Diff'rent' is nice, but it sure isn't pretty.  'Pretty' is what it's about.  I never met anyone who was 'diff'rent'.  Who couldn't figure that out?" - "At the Ballet"
• "Too young to take over, too old to ignore." - "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen"
• "Six months later I heard that Karp had died.  And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul... and cried.  'Cause I felt... nothing." - "Nothing"
• "Tits and ass won't get you jobs, unless they're yours.  Didn't cost a fortune, neither.  Didn't hurt my sex life, either." - "Dance: Ten; Looks: Three"
• "Give me a job and you instantly get me involved.  If you give me a job, then the rest of the crap will get solved." - "The Music and the Mirror"
• "Kiss today goodbye, and point me t'ward tomorrow.  We did what we had to do.  Won't forget, can't regret what I did for love." - "What I Did For Love"
• "One smile and suddenly nobody else will do." - "One"

Next week, I'll do another blog entirely made up of quotes from the musicals of Stephen Sondheim - thanks to contributions from Tyler, Catherine and SteFANSondheim13!

And keep sending in your favorite lyrics and vocabulary words for future blogs!  Lloyd Webber fans - send me your quotes, too!  I'll do a whole blog on those if I get enough!

Rate this blog below, and leave your comments here, by email at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!

Jeff

2.336

Broadway Vocabulary Quiz #2

"Ululating" is the word that started it all.  That little gem of a word always makes me smile, as does a smart lyric in a Broadway musical.  Apparently, a lot of you enjoyed the first of this type of blog - thanks for all of the interest.  Seems you all like a quick mind-bender during a break at work or at the beach!

Well, Mike and I put our heads together and came up with 10 more Broadway lyric vocabulary words.  Some are relatively easy, others a little more challenging.  Your job is to match the word with the definition, and then with the song and show it comes from.

Example: "Shut up! Or Not. Let go, and pretty soon you're ululating like a banshee..."  Ululating - howling, wailing.   "On the Verge" - Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

WORD IN A SENTENCE

1. "I'm filling up the room, our secret room, with every flower in bloom.  I'll have the fire lit, the table set, I'll wear the blue chemise."
2. "We've got a lot to thank you for - Geordie you're a corker - a nice extension on the house and a fortnight in Majorca!"
3. "Overthrow the effigy!  The vast majority burning down the foreman of control!"
4. "Reports of my fame are greatly exaggerated, exacerbated by the fact that my syntax is highly complicated."
5. "If we're not one, but two, are we evil or good?  Do we walk the fine line that we'd cross if we could?  Are we waiting to break through the façade?"
6. "It's loosey goosey time! She was a gadabout, but she's back again!"
7. "But her single most disturbing feature was the coarse black hair on her face. Maybe she was menopausal. Lack of estrogen will cause a lot of odd conditions, some acute! The irony would never faze her namesake of a famous razor. And to be so facially hirsute!"
8. "But! What I've left behind looks trifling. What's ahead... looks black! Am I doomed to spend my life a-lingering on...Lingering on! Just lingering on...malingering on?"
9. "Raoul and the soubrette, entwined in loves' duet.  Although he may demur, he must have been with her."
10. "Soon learned power of the truncheon, organize a function king to pawn!  So if peace is what you're after, Urinetown's the rafter to hang it on!"

MATCH THE DEFINITION TO THE WORD

a.  someone who flits about in social activity
b.  to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work)
c.  a police officer's billy club
d.  a crude figure representing a hated person
e.  one that is excellent or remarkable
f.   hairy
g.  a soprano who sings roles in comic operas; an actress playing a coquettish maid
h.  a false, superficial or artificial appearance or effect
i.   a woman's one-piece undergarment
j.   to make more severe, more intense

MATCH THE WORD TO THE SONG AND SHOW IT COMES FROM

A.  "Know Your Enemy" - American Idiot

B.  "Solidarity" - Billy Elliot

C.  "In the Heights" - In the Heights

D.  "Facade" - Jekyll and Hyde

E.  "Forty Days" - Passion

F.  "Prima Donna" - The Phantom of the Opera

G.  "On the Right Track" - Pippin

H.  "Turkey Lurkey Time" - Promises, Promises

I.   "Mrs. Remington" - The Story of My Life

J.  "The Cop Song" - Urinetown: The Musical

Look for the answers on Sunday!  

(Please send in your vocabulary words!)

Rate this blog here, leaving your comments her, or by email at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!

Jeff

2.335

How to be a Woman

There's never been a better time to be a woman; we have the vote and we have the Pill, and we haven't been burnt as witches since 1727. However, a few nagging questions still remain... Why are we supposed to get Brazilians? Should we use Botox? Do men secretly hate us? What should you call your vagina? Why does your bra hurt? And why does everyone keep asking when you're going to have a baby? Part memoir, part rant, Caitlin Moran answers these questions and more in How to be a Woman-following her from her terrible 13th birthday (I am 13 stone, have no friends, and boys throw gravel at me when they see me) through adolescence, the workplace, strip-clubs, love, being fat, abortion, TopShop, motherhood and beyond.

I love Caitlin Moran. Her Twitter feed frequently makes me laugh and her Times columns are pretty much the only thing that I miss now that there's a paywall up. So when I heard that a) she'd written a book and b) it was kind of about feminism, I was definitely buying it.

The book starts with Moran being 13 and turning up to her house, which she shares with numerous siblings, having had rocks thrown at her and blowing out the candles on a birthday baguette. Each chapter generally begins with an anecdote about her own experiences and then goes on to address each 'issue'-abortion, brazilians, lapdancing, dieting etc-as a whole. One of the most interesting things that she does is to argue that you have to attack the little issues; following a 'Broken Windows' theory; that if the small issues don't get tackled then it will lead to bigger problems. This is certainly an interesting idea; and makes feminism more accessible than perhaps those who talk about issues that are still hugely important and relevant; but that do not really affect everyday women.

In general, I really enjoyed the book. Moran has an amusing tone throughout; and reading about her own experiences as a poor young woman stood in direct contrast with a lot of feminist material that I've read, that generally is written by well-educated and generally well-off women. She defines feminism as pretty much 'wanting to be in control of your vagina' and to think of humankind as being 'The Guys'; a big group of people who should also just get along and be generally polite to each other. Her way of working out whether or not something is generally sexist is to think whether men are either doing or are bothered by this; if not then it's probably some form of barrier that is aimed solely at women.

Her musings on lapdancing clubs were great; having recently read an article basically saying that the new Playboy bunnies at the new Playboy Club in London are 'empowered' women; it was great to see a journalist pointing out that no, lapdancing is no empowering. It was also really interesting to read about her own experience with abortion-something that must have taken considerable bravery to include, due to the fact that her abortion would be classified by a lot of people as the 'wrong' type.

There were, however, also times when I disagreed with what she had to say. For instance, arguing that women's issues have come from being 'losers' throughout history; from the fact that women never had a Gandhi. However, she doesn't address why this is the case; she seems to ignore that the fact that women have been 'losers' is because they never had the opportunity to become, to borrow a phrase from Charlie Sheen, 'winners'. Also, whilst I liked that she shunned the idea of Katie Price being a female role model, her lauding of Lady Gaga seemed a little strange. Earlier in the chapter she'd commented on how awful it was that numerous young, female artists were achieving huge success very young, and then burning out due to too much pressure. Then she proceeds to celebrate how successful Lady Gaga has become at the age of just 24; suggesting that she is better than Madonna because Madonna wasn't famous at that age. I think I may also be one of the few people who doesn't think she's particularly a beacon of feminism either; it's great that she campaigns for equal rights and that she uses her massive fanbase for good, but when I see her dressed in leather and not much else I don't think "Wow! She's doing that for the great big sisterhood! She's snogging Beyonce to stick it to the patriarchy". Sure, she rejected a sexy cover art for her album; but faux lesbianism (between her and Beyonce; apparently she herself is bisexual) isn't a feminist statement. At least, I doubt the men watching the pop video wouldn't see it that way.

Despite my objections to some of Moran's ideas, I enjoyed this book far too much to give it a low rating. Whilst there were some parts of the book that didn't really impact me; I've never considered what to name my boobs and I'm not fat (I do kind of wish that Moran had also explored the negativity received by girls who are naturally skinny; but no matter), they were still entertaining to read. The best bit about all this, is that a book that deals with women's issues and isn't afraid to talk about feminism is getting so much publicity and that so many people love it. Because that can only be good for the whole movement of feminism.

CASTING: Follies

Last week, the full Broadway company of the revival of  Follies was announced just as the cast went into rehearsals.  The Sondheim musical, last revived in 2001, is scheduled to begin previews at the Marquis Theatre on August 7, with opening night set for September 12.  Currently, the show is a limited engagement through December 30, 2011.  The revival comes from the Kennedy Center, whose last Broadway outing, Ragtime, was acclaimed, but short-lived.

Two-time Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters (Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods) stars as Sally Durant Plummer, along with four-time Tony nominee Jan Maxwell (Lend Me a Tenor, The Royal Family, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) as Phyllis Rogers Stone, two-time Tony nominee Danny Burstein (South Pacific, Women on the Verge...) as Buddy Plummer and three-time Emmy Award nominee Ron Raines (Chicago, Teddy and Alice) as Benjamin Stone.

Don Correia (Singin' in the Rain, My One and Only), who was a stand-by in the 2001 Broadway revival of Follies, will play song-and-dance man Theodore Whitman opposite previously announced Tony Award nominee Susan Watson (the original Broadway Kim McAfee in Bye Bye Birdie) as Emily Whitman.

Bernadette Peters

Rounding out the Follies cast of showgirls and their stage door Johnnys are Olivier Award winner Elaine Paige (Sunset Boulevard) as Carlotta Campion, Rosalind Elias (Broadway debut!) as Heidi Schiller, Colleen Fitzpatrick (Passion, Sunday in the Park with George - revival) as Dee Dee West, Michael Hayes (A Midsummer Night's Dream) as Roscoe, Tony nominee Jayne Houdyshell (Wicked, Well, The Importance of Being Earnest) as Hattie Walker, Florence Lacey (Hello, Dolly! -78 and 95, Evita) as Sandra Crane, Tony nominee Mary Beth Peil (The King and I, Women on the Verge...) as Solange LaFitte, David Sabin (The Yearling, Celebration) as Dimitri Weismann, Frederick Strother (Broadway debut!) as Max Deems, Terri White (Chicago, Finian's Rainbow, Barnum) as Stella Deems, Christian Delcroix (South Pacific) as Young Buddy, Nick Verina (Broadway debut!) as Young Ben, Lora Lee Gayer (Broadway debut!) as Young Sally, Kirsten Scott (Broadway debut!) as Young Phyllis and Leah Horowitz (White Christmas, Les Miserables - revival) as Young Heidi.

The ensemble includes Lawrence Alexander (Broadway debut), Brandon Bieber (Mary Poppins), John Carroll (Women on the Verge), Mathew deGuzman (Broadway debut), Sara Edwards (White Christmas), Leslie Donna Flesner (Finian's Rainbow), Jenifer Foote (Rock of Ages, A Chorus Line), Suzanne Hylenski (Mary Poppins), Danielle Jordan (Broadway debut!), Joseph Kolinski (Titanic, Les Miserables - original production) Amanda Kloots-Larsen (Broadway debut!), Brittany Marcin (Curtains), Erin N. Moore (Broadway debut), Pamela Otterson (West Side Story), Clifton Samuels (Broadway debut!), Kiira Schmidt (White Christmas), Brian Shepard (Young Frankenstein, Spamalot), Jessica Sheridan (Broadway debut!), Amos Wolff (Broadway debut) and Ashley Yeater (The Producers).

Danny Burstein (center)

Considering the generational themes of the show, isn't it interesting that generations of Broadway talent are represented in this 41 member cast?  13 cast members are making their Broadway debuts with this production, while several more have only a few recent shows to their credit. 

Broadway debutantes Lora Lee Gayer and Nick Verina

Then there are those cast members with decades of experience likt Terri White, who starred in the original company of Barnum.  Or Susan Watson, who originated the role of Kim in the original 1961 production of Bye Bye Birdie. Or London theatre legend Elaine Paige, the very first Eva Peron, Grizabella, and one of Broadway's Norma Desmonds.  And of course, there is leading lady Bernadette Peters' storied career, filled with originating roles in Sondheim shows, and working with all the great composers including Sondheim, Webber, Herman and Hamlisch.  She made her Broadway debut in a revival of The Most Happy Fella in 1959.  But nothing compares to Michael Hayes, who made his debut in A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1954!  And get this - he hasn't been back until now.  57 years between Broadway openings!  Welcome back, Mr. Hayes!

(Photos of the Kennedy Center production by Joan Marcus.)

REMINDER:  Be sure to check this blog on Monday, August 1 for details on my latest contest!  The prize?  TICKETS TO FOLLIES ON BROADWAY!


Rate this blog below, and leave your comments here, by email at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.332

Rod and Ricky's Wedding Album

Sunday, July 24 was the first day same-sex couples could be legally married in the state of New York.  Broadway's first couple to take full advantage of the new law was Avenue Q's Rod and Ricky.  They were married just prior to last Sunday's matinee.  Here, courtesy of Playbill Online and photographer Peter James Zielinski is a "wedding album" to commemorate the historic, joyous occasion.

ROD and RICKY's

WEDDING DAY

July 24, 2011

(TOP) Rod and his right-hand man, Howie Michael Smith

(BOTTOM) Ricky and his best man, Jed Resnick

The Wedding Party waits for their turn at City Hall!

Kate Monster and her best friend, Jennifer Barnhart.

Jed Resnick, Groom-to-Be Ricky,

Howie Michael Smith and Groom-to-Be Rod

It's almost time!  All those performances of

Avenue Q together must help the pre-wedding jitters.

They all look so happy and calm!

Best Men Jed Resnick and Howie Michael Smith and

bridesmaids Jennifer Barnhart and Kate Monster

look on as Officiant Amy Hausman performs

Rod and Ricky's marriage ceremony.

As Rod and Ricky move one step closer to wedded bliss,

Kate Monster daydreams that one day

it will be her and Princeton at the altar.

Officiant Hausman presents the newlyweds

with their Certificate of Marriage.

Will Kate Monster catch the bouquet?

Rod must be pleased - a conservative blue sash marks

the special day for NY's very first same-sex puppet

married couple.  Their best men are all smiles, too!

Those AQ boys never turn down a photo op.

Rod, Ricky and Kate Monster discuss

equality for all citizens - be they human,

puppet or monster - live on CNN.

The happy couple poses for one last shot.  Look at those rings!

Rod and Ricky share a quiet moment together

before they start their new lives as husbands.

And what better way to start than a performance

of the show that brought them together -

Avenue Q!

And who doesn't record their wedding these days?  Here is the whole ceremony!

 

Avenue Q continues its record-breaking run at New World Stages.  Congratulations to all of NY's newest married couples!

Rate this blog below, and leave your comments here, by email at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!

Jeff

2.333

The Amber Spyglass

Will is the bearer of the knife. Now, accompanied by angels. his task is to deliver that powerful, dangerous weapon to Lord Asriel-by the command of his dying father.
But how can he go looking for Lord Asriel, when Lyra is gone? Only with her help can he fathom the myriad plots and intrigues that beset him. The two great powers of the many worlds are lining up for war, and Will must find Lyra, for together they are on their way to battle, an inevitable journey that will even take them to the world of the dead...

Spoilers (probably) for Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and maybe some for this book too.

So, this was the final installment of Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy and after really enjoying the first two, I was pretty excited for this. I was a little disappointed.

However, the good things come first. Lyra and Will continue to be really interesting protagonists, with their strengths and weaknesses nicely balanced; meaning that they are not always strictly great people and it really does make them feel more human. It was also kind of nice to see Roger, Lyra's friend from Oxford who dies at the end of Northern Lights when Lord Asriel uses the energy gained from separating him from his daemon to create a window between the worlds. To see a character who believes so wholeheartedly in Lyra was nice, especially as Lyra herself was already having some self-doubts by that part of The Amber Spyglass.

The new characters and creatures introduced in this novel were also rather fascinating. The two angels that are sent to guard Will; Balthomas & Baruch are pretty cool, especially the former; Pullman's angels are not the literal types that we generally imagine, rather they are almost ghost-like beings. I also really liked the Gallivespians; tiny spies who fly on dragonflys or hawks and who have venom in their spurs that they can use to attack fully-sized people and the mulefa; a strange non-veterbrae, gazelle/elephant type being who actually use wheels to travel about.

The plot generally kept rolling on, but for me lacked the pace of The Subtle Knife, and lacked the expected epic war that kept being hinted at throughout the trilogy; the ending was a bit of an anti-climax to me. It also hinged on the idea that a 12-year-old girl and a boy of roughly the same age could fall deeply, deeply in love, in a kind of 'soulmates' style and thus save the world from ruin. Whilst I could handle mild crushes, the idea that two-essentially children-could be described as desperately kissing each others hot faces I'll admit I felt slightly uncomfortable. To me, Pullman's desire to re-enact Adam and Eve, and the Fall, is all well and good; but perhaps he should have selected protagonists that were slightly older; but then this would have messed with his whole Dust idea.

I especially disliked how the characters of Mrs Coulter and Lord Asriel suddenly changed either at the beginning of or midway through this novel. The reader has seen Mrs Coulter desperately grasping power within the church, developing a machine that would separate children from their daemons and casually snapping a witch's fingers in order to extract information from them. Then all of a sudden, we get Mrs Coulter being all maternal and desperate for Lyra to survive when the church decides that the way to save themselves is to kill her. This came from just about nowhere. Whilst Coulter saved Lyra from Svalbard, the reader didn't see any form of care from her. I actually really enjoyed Mrs Coulter as a villain, and when that was removed from her she seemed a little bit...meh. Lord Asriel was similar. Whilst he began Northern Lights as some glamorous, mysterious explorer; he ended it as a man who would go to any length to bring about what he wanted. For the most part of The Amber Spyglass he is pretty anti-Lyra; his only interest is in getting Will and his knife on his side; but then suddenly he is in awe of his daughter and is ready to sacrifice himself in order to bring about her happiness.

I'm gutted about the ending of this series, because I really enjoyed the first two. I am still in awe of Pullman's attention to detail and his creation of numerous worlds is brilliant; and I find the idea of a daemon really clever. I do recommend this trilogy, because it's brave and vast in scope; it just didn't quite live up to my expectations in the end.

FAREWELL: Tom Aldredge

On July 22, the world lost a great talent and a really nice man.  Last Friday, Broadway, film and TV veteran Tom Aldredge passed away.  TV and film fans know him from The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, What About Bob?, Cold Mountain and more than a dozen other titles.  He was that guy who played cranky old men, weathered guys with a backbone and kindly gentlemen.  Probably, he was that guy who's show up on screen and you'd think, "I've seen him in so many things!"

But Broadway fans know him as a first class actor whose stage career spanned over five decades.  Equally at home in plays and musicals, Aldredge began his career in the new musical The Nervous Set.  He went on to star in revivals of The Iceman Cometh, Where's Charley?, and The Little Foxes.  He also originated roles, most notably in On Golden Pond, and musicals like Into the Woods and Passion.  In his most recent stage appearances, Mr. Aldredge mostly worked for the Roundabout Theatre Company, appearing in such works as Twelve Angry Men, 1776, The Crucible, and Twentieth Century.  With nearly 30 Broadway credits to his name, Aldredge was nominated for a Tony Award five times, including for his work in Sticks and Bones, On Golden Pond, The Little Foxes, Where's Charley, Passion and most recently, Twentieth Century.

He shared the stage with such luminaries as Bernadette Peters, Donna Murphy, Elizabeth Taylor, Frances Sternhagen, Alec Baldwin, Anne Heche, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Boyd Gaines, Phillip Bosco, George C. Scott and Charles Durning.  And he shared his life with another Broadway legend, costume designer, Theoni V. Aldredge (a blog about her can be found HERE)  Sadly, his wife passed away just 7 months ago, on January 21, 2011.

On Golden Pond with Frances Sternhagen

Mimi le Duck with Eartha Kitt

Twentieth Century with Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche

Into the Woods with Bernadette Peters,

Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Robert Westenberg,

and composer Stephen Sondheim

I had the privilege of seeing Mr. Aldredge in both Into the Woods and Passion.  One of the times I saw the latter show in previews, he graciously signed dozens of autographs and pose for pictures.  But he also took the time to look at each fan, patiently answer questions, and even asked what we thought of the then-struggling show.  He listened intently to each and every one of us.  He was the very epitome of the working stage actor - abounding with talent, a sincerity that audiences could relate to, and an abundance of grace.  He was a true class act.  Broadway will miss him.  This fan will, too.

Thank you and God bless, Mr. Aldredge.

Here is a sample of his Tony-nominated work.  In Passion, he played Dr. Tambouri.



Jeff
2.332

Broadway Celebrates Same-Sex Marriage

When one considers the vast impact of gay and lesbian people on the theatre community, it should be no surprise to anyone that the community has been and will continue to be a loud and proud voice in the continuing fight for equal rights for all LGBT citizens in this country.  The history of theatre across the globe is full of writers, designers and actors that are homosexuals.  It wasn't all that long ago that people, even people of relative fame and in the relatively safe environment like the theatre community, could publicly declare themselves gay or lesbian.  It has been even more recently that the same people could publicly recognize their partners. 

Thankfully, for members of the theatre family in New York, at least, another barrier to full equality has been torn down, and just yesterday, same-sex marriage became legal in the state.  The Broadway community - as it does with so many national issues of concern like the AIDS epidemic and natural disaster relief  - has taken the lead on the front lines of the issue of gay rights.  One major group, Broadway Impact, had much to do with getting this legislation passed.  And they will continue to fight any and all issues of equality.

Broadway also knows how to celebrate and commemorate.  Four-time Tony-winner Audra McDonald will be singing at the very first ceremony, officiated by Mayor Bloomberg.  Then there is the always irreverent, timely and inspiring Avenue Q.  Rod and his rent boy lover, Ricky, announced their engagement and marriage on July 24.  They wanted to be among the very first to tie the know, and all before the 3PM matinee!

How fitting that Hair is back at the St. James Theatre and what has truly become a summer of love.  The cast, crew and Public Theatre (the producers of the show), along with Jujamcyn Theatres (which runs the St. James, and its leader, Jordan Roth, a gay man himself) will be sponsoring the marriage ceremony several same-sex couples following this evening's performance of Hair.

Here is a partial timeline of events leading up to tonight's celebration:

• 2009: Broadway Impact is formed in celebration of President Obama's inauguration and in response to the defeat of Proposition 8 in California by Broadway's Gavin Creel (Hair), Jenny Kanelos and Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon).  Since its inception, it has held many large scale rallies and has been in the forefront on distributing information throughout the theatre community.
• October 11, 2009: The National March for Equality in Washington, D.C. is held.  More than two dozen buses transported over 1,400 Broadway actors, technicians, crew, fans and supporters to the rally.  Producers of the Broadway show Hair cancelled performances to allow the entire production company to attend this historic event.
• May 10, 2011: NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell introduces the same-sex marriage bill.
• June 15, 2011: The NY Assembly passes same-sex marriage bill for the fourth time, voting 80 - 63.
• June 24, 2011: The NY State Senate passes the same-sex marriage bill into law 33 - 29.  Governor Andrew Cuomo immediately signs the law, which will go into effect 30 days later.

• July 13, 2011: Rory O'Malley of Broadway Impact, The Public Theater's Oskar Eustis, and Jujamcyn Theatre President Jordan Roth, along with other Broadway dignitaries including Joel Grey, Will Swensen and the current cast of Hair announce that following the performance of the show on July 25, several members of the Broadway community will be married on the stage of the St. James Theatre. (Above)
• July 24, 2011: Same-sex marriage becomes legal in the state of New York.

• July 25, 2011: The Scottsboro Boys' Colman Domingo, an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church, conducts the marriage ceremony of several same-sex couples at the St. James Theatre.  Among the couples: Follies co-star Terri White and jewelry designer Donna Barnett (above), actor Ryan Dietz and playwright Josh Levine, and stage doorman John Raymond Barker and Jujamcyn Theatres usher Jared Pike.

Though the LGBT community has many more hurdles to climb over on the journey towards complete equality, let's all pause for a bit to reflect on how far we've come and to offer thanks and congratulations to everyone married today and in the future.


Jeff
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