"The Inheritance" will close March 15th; "Beetlejuice" eyes the Ethel Barrymore Theatre; "To Kill a Mockingbird" makes history with Madison Square Garden performance; Greg Kinnear is the next Atticus Finch; Tony Yazbeck to direct a Frank Wildhorn’s "The Civil War"; Sophia Anne Caruso abruptly departed “Beetlejuice"; NYTW’s "Three Sisters" will feature an adaption by Clare Barron; Cassie Beck will star in the next segment of the national tour of "What the Constitution Means to Me"; and "Ink" will be adapted for the big screen
All tagged What the Constitution Means to Me
FEATURE: Top 10 of the 2010s
As we begin a new decade, I look back at my past decade of theatre-going and pick my top 10 favorite plays and musicals.
FEATURE: Top 10 of 2019
By my count, I’ve attended 234 performances of theatre, dance, music, opera, and cabaret during 2019. Out of a field that large, it’s hard to pick just ten, but nevertheless, here are my top ten (ok, eleven) favorite shows I saw in 2019.
"Mrs. Doubtfire" the musical will open at Broadway's Stephen Sondheim Theatre; the Broadway-aimed musical "Lempicka" will play La Jolla Playhouse; Tim Sanford will step down as Artistic Director of Playwrights Horizons; stars of "SpongeBob SquarePants" will reunite for a new TV adaptation that will premiere on Nickelodeon; Maria Dizzia to headline “Constitution” tour; Roger Bart joins "Back to the Future" musical; Warren Carlyle to direct and choreograph Barry Manilow's "Harmony"; first look of Carolee Carmello as Dolly Levi in the national tour of "Hello, Dolly!"
"Flying Over Sunset", "The Lightning Thief: the Percy Jackson Musical", "How I Learned to Drive", "A Soldier's Play", "Caroline, or Change", "Slava's Snowshow", "A Christmas Carol", and "Diana" announce Broadway runs; "Harmony" and "Forbidden Broadway" announce Off-Broadway runs; Gideon Glick to step into “Little Shop of Horrors” for Jonathan Groff; film of "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" will be released in October 2020; "What the Constitution Means to Me" filmed for future release ; RIP Bob Ullman
"Frankie and Johnny" closing a month early; "Beautiful" will close on October 27th and "Waitress" will close on January 5th; Jeremy O. Harris' "Slave Play" will play a 17 week run at the Golden Theatre; Robert Schenkkan's "The Great Society" will play a 12 week run at Broadway's Vivian Beaumont Theatre; starry productions of "Little Shop of Horrors" slated for Off-Broadway and Pasadena Playhouse; cast announced for Ivo van Hove's upcoming "West Side Story"; "Fairview" extends to August 11th; "What the Constitution Means to Me" recoups; Jack Viertel will retire as artistic director of the annual Encores! at City Center; Paul McCartney has written a musical adaptation of "It's a Wonderful Life"; RIPHugh Southern, former executive director of TDF and co-conceiver of the TKTS booth in 1973
"Hadestown", "Kiss Me, Kate", "The Ferryman", and "The Waverly Gallery" take home the top prizes at the Drama League Awards; "What the Constitution Means to Me" is among the 2019 Obie Award winners; Marisa Tomei to helm Broadway revival of "The Rose Tattoo" and Mary Louise Parker to star in "The Sound Inside" at Studio 54; Barry Manilow will hold residency at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre; Broadway-aimed "Magic Mike" musical cancels Boston tryout; "The Inheritance" and "Almost Famous" appear poised for Broadway
"The Ferryman" and "What the Constitution Means to Me" are New York Drama Critics Circle’s best plays; "Carmen Jones" tops the Lortel Awards; Broadway.com "Audience Choice" award nominees; "Jagged Little Pill" books Broadway's Broadhurst; Diane Paulus to direct a 2021 Broadway revival of "1776"; "All My Sons" extends; Vanessa Carlton to make Broadway debut in "Beautiful"; "The Prince of Egypt" to open in London; "Pretty Woman" to tour; Roundabout to present Adam Gwon's musical "Scotland, PA"; RIP Harlan Bengel, David Winters, Terry Allen Kramer, and Dave Bova
Tony nominations and Drama Desk nominations; Laura Linney to star in "My Name is Lucy Barton"; "Oklahoma!", "What the Constitution Means to Me", and "Ink" extend; "To Kill a Mockingbird" recoups; "Bandstand" and "The Ferryman" to tour; "Rock of Ages" will return to New World Stages; New York Theatre Workshop season to include a stage version of the film "Sing Street"; "Beetlejuice" and “The Hello Girls” to record cast albums; Moliere in the Park; Rick Lyon's puppets from "Avenue Q" donated to the Smithsonian; Sarah Silverman's memoir "The Bedwetter" is being adapted as a stage musical; RIP Mark Medoff and Jo Loesser
FEATURE: 2019 Tony Award Nominations
The 2019 Tony Award Nominations were announced this morning by Bebe Neuwirth and Brandon Victor Dixon. Take a look at the list and read my analysis of the surprises and snubs.
Jackie Sibblies Drury's "Fairview" wins the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Laurie Metcalf, Eddie Izzard, Russell Tovey, and Patsy Ferran to star in 2020 Broadway revival of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"; "Oklahoma!" musical television series in development; 2019-2020 seasons announced at Off-Broadway's Signature Theatre and Playwright's Horizons; "Grease" movie prequel is in the works; Mike Faist will play Riff in “West Side Story" film; Olga Merediz, Gregory Diaz IV, Jimmy Smits join "In the Heights" film; Lila Neugebauer to make film debut; RIP Georgia Engel
Lucille Lortel Award nominees; Rachel Bloom to host the Obie Awards; "What the Constitution Means to Me" and “Ink” extend; Lizzie Borden rock musical to play Off-Broadway this summer; Chris Evans wants to do a musical; "To Kill a Mockingbird" will launch a two-year national tour in August 2020; Patti LuPone joins Twitter