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

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Broadway News Makers 2010 #3: Too Gay to Play?

In April of this year, Promise, Promises opened to mixed-to-negative reviews, despite the theatre world's love affair with its leading lady, Kristin Chenoweth and a new found appreciation for its leading man, Broadway debutante Sean Hayes.  Of course, the chatter was rampant: was Kristin out of her league in a dramatic role?  was the director, Rob Ashford, losing his touch?

Speculation ceased however, when Ramin Setoodeh, a writer for Newsweek posted an article called "From Glee to Sean Hayes: Gay Actors Play Straight" aka "Straight Jacket."  In it, Setoodeh claims that the real reason Promises, Promises got poor reviews was because of the "pink elephant in the room" - Sean Hayes being gay, and no one having the nerve to call him on it as a reason for his "lack of chemistry" with Ms. Chenoweth.  He went on to cite Jonathan Groff as a successful sexy leading man in Spring Awakening, prior to his coming out, and "cringe-worthy" performance in Glee, made all the more so because Groff's orientation was so obvious.  Was his character gay, asks Setoodeh.  Later, he said that actors like Portia diRossi and Neil Patrick Harris, while openly gay were acceptable in "straight roles" because they were both larger-than-life straight characters.

The response was swift - the Screen Actors Guild fired off a nasty gram to the magazine, and several actors made public statements in support of Hayes and other openly gay actors.  But perhaps the most fiery and poignant response came from Ms. Chenoweth herself.  To read her classy and balanced response, click HERE.

In the end, the show had a healthy run, and Hayes responded with his typical class and grace, making several appearances with his co-star beyond the Broadway Theatre, and landing the gig as Tonys host.  He and Chenoweth had the last laugh, as they "made out" on screen for several seconds.  And the show moved on from there.

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!
Jeff
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Broadway News Makers 2010 #7: Lion King's Shannon Tavarez, National Heroine

On September 30, 2009, Shannon Tavarez made theater headlines when she began performances as Young Nala in the Broadway production of Disney's The Lion King.  The young actress from Queens, New York was living the dream of many.  Just over a year later, on November 1, 2010, she passed away from complications of acute myelogenous leukemia.  This time, however, she made national headlines.  What a difference a year makes.

After just over 6 months of performing the role (she alternated with another actress), Miss Tavarez could no longer play the role.  She had become ill.  That is when she and her Lion King family stepped it, went public and turned her personal tragedy into a triumph with untold possibilities of lives changed forever.  Over the course of last summer, The Lion King hosted a two-day event getting people to sign up as bone marrow donors, increasing that national database by thousands.  Bring attention to this cause was of paramount importance to Miss Tavarez, because she was of minority heritage.  The entire minority population is severely underrepresented in the national registry, and African-Americans specifically only make up 7% of the entire registry.  And that means that thousands of young people like Shannon have very, very limited chances of finding a donor if there is no match in their families.

Shannon (far left) and her young co-stars

celebrated The Lion King's 5,000th performance.

The Broadway community rallied to the cause: Alton Fitzgerald White offered benefit solo concerts, and musicians like Alicia Keys, Rihanna and 50 Cent, who heard of her plight publicly joined the fight to bring this issue to the world on her behalf.

After a failed transplant of umbilical cord cells, Miss Tavarez lost her battle with the disease.  But her young life was not in vain.  Because of her, the awareness of the need for bone marrow transplant registration is higher than ever, and registration has also taken off.

For more information about this very worthy cause, go to http://www.getswabbed.org/.

While the death of any child is tragic at best, I think we can all take comfort in the fact that she got the chance to live her dream, however briefly.  And even more importantly, just knowing that because she lived, unknown numbers of others will have the chance to win the battle she lost, should bring all of us comfort.

Jeff
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Broadway News Makers 2010 #8: The "It Gets Better" Campaign

A series of tragic events that became news in this country - though I am certain the same thing and worse happens daily, just goes unreported - brought the Broadway (and Hollywood) community together to rally around another great cause.  Yes, this past year, in the midst of same-sex marriage battles, the on again-off again "don't ask, don't tell" military policy, a huge and sad battle cry went up after several gay teens committed suicide after very public "outings" and relentless bullying.

Institutions like the Trevor Project became overwhelmed by the publicity and subsequent public outcry.  Thousands of LGBT youth reported similar brutality and sought help before making that final, fatal decision.  Click HERE for more information about the Trevor Project.

No stranger to the gay community, Broadway led the charge in creating public service announcements, featuring out and supportive actors, writers, directors and all varieties of theatre personnel.  The national campaign blossomed into "It Gets Better."  And, naturally, Broadway even created a new anthem and music video for the cause.

Click HERE for the YouTube "It Gets Better Broadway" Channel.


"It Gets Better Broadway"


The Broadway Company of Memphis (Brad Bass' testimonial is very moving (4:00).  You may need a tissue.)


Broadway Stars Sing "It Gets Better"

I've always heard that much more good comes from bad.  In this case, it couldn't be more true.

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
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Broadway News Makers 2010: #9: Next to Normal Wins the Pulitzer Prize

Timing and location, they say, is everything.  And both conspired to cause much controversy over the Pulitzer Prize for Drama judges' selection of the musical next to normal as this year's winner.

Yes, this April a small cloud of controversy whipped up a minor storm when the judges announced its selection just one day after (timing) many of them saw the show on Broadway (location).  The selection was made despite the fact that the jury prepared a list of three finalists, none of which was the musical.  Even the jury's chairman, Charles McNulty publicly decried the selection reiterating the points of many who follow (and disagree with) the award:  the judges are too New York City-centric, rarely considering a play that has not been produced in the city; and that the committee is reluctant to reward any playwright who is moving dramatic writing in new directions.

Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, who received the award - it is for play writing, were, naturally thrilled, citing the musicals that influenced them the most were also Pulitzer Prize winners: A Chorus Line, Sunday in the Park with George and RENT.  And who is to say that their show didn't push the boundaries of musical theatre.  Did anyone expect that a show about mental illness would run anywhere for any length of time?  Not really.

Ultimately, the most pervasive feeling about the award was the one most settled on after the dust settled.  Best described by no other than Ben Brantley who succinctly stated that he never goes to a show or purchases a script based on the playwright's Pulitzer Prize record.  Great plays have been over looked - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? often given as an example of such.  So, congratulations to this year's winner.  Moving on...

And, of course, the theatre community did just that.  next to normal concludes its Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning run on January 16, 2011.


Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!
Jeff
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Broadway News Makers 2010: #10 - The Passing of Michael Kuchwara

This series of blogs kicks off the 2010 Year in Review.  In it, I will be focusing on the top people, events and shows that made the headlines during the past calendar year.

On Saturday, May 10th, the theatre world (and indeed the world at large) lost a critical voice when AP Theatre Critic Michael Kuchwara passed away at the young age if 63 from idiopathic ischemic lung disease.  A true fan of the art form, Mr. Kuchwara wrote criticism and other realated articles for over a quarter century.  The Broadway production of American Idiot was among his final reviews.

He was known for covering all of the major New York openings on and off and off-off Broadway, as well as the occasional touring company, and he frequently travelled to see theatre all around the United States.

Perhaps the outcry of mourning at his passing is the truest testament to the quality and fairness of his reviews.  Everyone from theatre producers to directors and stage stars praised his work for being honest and above all, fair.  How many critics get that kind of send off?

His final review, of the off-Broadway musical The Kid, was mixed.  His favorite show, Gypsy was playing in his headphones when he passed away, according to reports from family at his bedside.

In a final - and for Broadway, the ultimate - tribute, the ights of Broadway were dimmed on May 25 in honor of Mr. Kuchwara.  His death comes as a significant loss in this time of constant cutting back on the theatre critic's voice in all media who cover the art form.

Jeff
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