You've NEVER Seen The Holidays Quite Like This!

The award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir shares holiday cheer with this amazing rendition of Sleigh Ride.

Nothing Will Happen; You'll Be Enthralled!

Can you imagine a Broadway musical where it appears as if not much of anything happens?
Can you imagine s show with the bare minimum of scenery, hardly any costumes, virtually no choreography and no special effects of any sort?
Can you imagine a musical where the music at times seems merely incidental, to the point where you're tempted to call it a play with music?
If you can, then you've imagined The Band's Visit, Broadway's latest sensation.
This musical is based on a rather obscure 2007 Israeli film rejected as a candidate for a best Foreign Language Film Oscar because it contained more than 50 percent English dialogue.
Here's the story: The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra, consisting of eight men, arrive in Israel from Egypt. They have been booked by an Arab cultural center in Petah Tikva, but through a miscommunication (Arabic has no "p" sound, and regularly replaces it with "b"), the band takes a bus to Beit Hatikva, a fictional town in the middle of the Negev Desert. It is literally a sort of no man's land. The Egyptians encounter a few Israeli townspeople, who respond with curiosity about the band, are variously friendly and wary, and provide them with shelter, food, music and companionship during their overnight visit. There is no transportation out of the town that day, and there are no hotels for them to spend the night in. The band members dine at a small restaurant where the owner, Dina (Katrina Lenk) invites them to stay the night at her apartment, at her friends' apartment, and in the restaurant. No one quite falls in love, but a sense of unspoken longing and loneliness is expressed.
This show runs about ninety minutes without an intermission.
With music and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Itamar Moses (adapted from the screenplay) The Band's Visit is one, continuous, unbroken thread. It's also a sustained, plaintive and anguished cry for love. And the show manages to be methodical without appearing to be in the least bit manipulative. The music, such as it is, is mostly haunting and mixes both eastern and western genres.
While waiting for Something Really Big to happen, you watch this extraordinarily precise production and you wonder how and why it's holding your attention. Well, one of the reasons is the restrained acting of the two leads, the cafe owner (Lenk) and the band's leader (Tony Shalhoub). There is so much sexual tension between these two that the space around them literally crackles without making a sound. The show's cast of 14 displaced and/or mismatched characters create a sort of lugubrious lullaby of longing. It's so obvious that these people have much more in common than we or they might have thought and yet it's also apparent that they will barely acknowledge it let alone act upon it. And yet, there is nonetheless a sense of sharing and understanding here.
Part of the appeal of The Band's Visit is that it does not preach, and we can all be thankful for that. This is a zen musical. It simply is. You are free to observe it in it's purest form, (much as you would real life) and make your own judgements -- or not make any judgements at all.
The secret of the show is that it holds back. It's as if the director, David Cromer instructed the actors to abridge every word, every sentence, every movement and every action to the point where the audience is consumed with anticipation. In this sense, it's the polar opposite of a traditional Broadway musical where exaggeration is the norm.
Of course, all of this restraint has to be released, yes? Well, maybe -- or maybe not.
There is a sort of rousing epilogue but it's not really part of the story. And that only adds to the allure of the most unique musical Broadway has seen in many years.

An All-Too-Brief And Wondrous Journey!

As long as Broadway has been making musicals, displaced persons have been at the forefront of some of the Great White Way's most beloved tuneful tales.
In Show Boat, the granddaddy of all musicals, displaced persons comprise the entire cast as Cap'n Andy's traveling entertainment venue churns up and down the Mississippi River, taking on a variety of passengers and troubadours.
In The King and I, a widowed British schoolteacher Anna begins a new life in a strange and authoritarian Asian kingdom.  In The Music Man, the always-on-the-move and ever-cunning Harold Hill creates nothing short of upheaval in small town Indiana. In The Most Happy Fella, a mail-order bride gets less than she bargained for when she's thrust into the rough-hewn world of early California wine country. Even more recently, Hamilton tells the story of a displaced orphan who becomes one of America's founders while Come From Away examines the lives of 9/11 airline travelers who are suddenly diverted to an unprepared Canadian hamlet.
But perhaps nowhere in the lexicon of American musicals are there two more bewildered characters than Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas, two New York buddies who, while hiking the Scottish highlands, stumble into a strange and enchanted locale called Brigadoon.
Brigadoon is a mysterious place that you won't find on any map. That's because it only appears once every hundred years. How could this be? Well, in the world of this lustrous and lyrical Lerner and Loewe musical it's all neatly explained: To protect Brigadoon from being changed by the outside world, 200 years ago the local minister prayed to God to have Brigadoon disappear, only to reappear for one day every 100 years.

All citizens of Brigadoon are forbidden to leave the town, or it will disappear forever. In the show, Tommy, who becomes smitten with a Brigadoon lass named Fiona MacLaren, asks hypothetically if an outsider could be permitted to stay in Brigadoon. The local schoolmaster replies: "A stranger can stay if he loves someone here – not jus' Brigadoon, mind ye, but someone in Brigadoon – enough to want to give up everythin' an' stay with that one person. Which is how it should be. 'Cause after all, lad, if ye love someone deeply, anythin' is possible."
For Tommy, who's always been commitment shy, Fiona and Brigadoon seem to change everything. But the more cynical Jeff refuses to believe the magic of Brigadoon and seems to find the place a bit creepy, if not downright scary. "How can you believe all this?" he challenges Tommy. "How can you just accept it?" And therein lies just one of the conflicts that fuel the story of Brigadoon.
It's hard to believe that this classic musical is 70 years old.
And it was still harder for us to believe it when we were fortunate enough to see its all-too-brief and ravishing revival over the weekend as part of New York City Center's Encore series with the magnificent Kelli O'Hara as Fiona and the full-voiced Patrick Wilson as Jeff. When Kelli O'Hara sings its as if the angels are calling us from on high. And Patrick Wilson is not only able to send his voice into the far reaches of the balcony but he does it while injecting a credible emotional tug into nearly every note. Together, these two are Broadway musical heaven as they sing The Heather on the Hill, Almost Like Being in Love and From This Day On. And Wilson is poignant and compelling as he delivers the haunting There But For You Go I.
With a cast of 39, an orchestra of 30, original choreography by Agnes de Mille (re-choreographed and superbly directed by Christopher Wheeldon) and the dancing of Robert Fairchild, formerly of the New York City Ballet and An American in Paris, this "new" Brigadoon proved enthralling. In fact, the entire cast deserves lavish praise, with shoutouts to Asasif Mandvi as Jeff, Ross Lekites as Charlie, Rich Herbert as Andrew and Dakin Matthews as Mr. Lundie.
Brigadoon is sheer Broadway magic in that it dares us to dream and dream gallantly and it challenges us to believe more with our hearts than our minds.
When it opened in 1947 Broadway knew a hit when it saw one. As one critic raved: "[This is] a stunning show. It has whimsy, beguiling music, exciting dancing – and it has a book.... Brigadoon is by far the best musical play the season has produced, and it is certainly one of the best within my entire play-going experience."
Seventy years later. we wholeheartedly agree!

No Pale Tale: Vivid Legend Comes To Life

It's been called a combination of West Side Story and Jersey Boys.
But it's more like Saturday Night Fever with a bit of Hairspray and a dash of Memphis thrown in.
It's a coming of age morality tale with a strong narrative set to music.
And on December 1, A Bronx Tale, The Musical will likely defy the odds and celebrate its first anniversary on Broadway.
Here's a show that received virtually no award nominations and only mixed reviews from the critics and yet it has survived more-nominated and more-heralded shows that opened around the same time. How and why did this happen?
Well, this is a strong, story-driven show that draws you in with a compelling central character whose drive and yearning and hardscrabble natural instincts keep you watching and cheering him on even when he makes the wrong decisions.
We never saw the movie, A Bronx Tale or the one man show performed by the tale's author Chazz Palminteri. So we knew nothing about the show going in.
And in the middle of the first act we began to wonder if the tale itself would be done in by too many wise-guy stereotypes and a bunch of caricatures instead of fully-formed personalities.
But as the story unfolded, piece by piece, complete with unexpected twists and turns, we found ourselves not just fully involved but downright seduced. A Bronx Tale really is that kind of show. Taken from the streets, it becomes real enough to be credible and aspirational enough to get you rooting for it.
Bobby Conte Thornton as Calogero, the central character.  is full of fury, anguish and raw ambition in an absolutely standout performance. As the young Calogero, Will Coombs makes a stunning Broadway debut. And Nick Cordero (as Calogero's adopted and questionable mentor) is so full of testosterone and swagger that he'll surprise you when he offers his one-time protegé his final words of wisdom. Cudos also to Richard L. Blake for his poignant performance as Lorenzo; to Lucia Gianetta for her sensitive turn as Rosina and to Christianna Pitts in her memorable Broadway debut as Jane.
The songs in the show (by the prodigious Alan Menken with Glenn Slater) are alternately witty, instructive and thoughtful. These include the opening number, Belmont Avenue, the clever Nicky Machiavelli, the tender Look to Your Heart and the finale, The Choices We Make.
The three-part revolving set by Beuwulf Boritt is perfect and the costumes by the great William Ivey Long are spot on, as is the choreography by Sergio Trujillo.
The whole thing is lovingly directed by Robert De Niro and Jerry Zacks who have been more than faithful to this autobiographical journey created by their pal, Chazz.
A Bronx Tale is all in the family and that family includes not just the row home, the stoop, the street, the neighborhood and all of the Bronx but the yearning heart inside each and every one of us.

Hmmm . . . Looks Like Sparks Will Fly!

Yes, It's Official: Broadway Has A NEW Dolly!

IT'S JUST BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT BERNADETTE PETERS WILL REPLACE BETTE MIDLER IN HELLO DOLLY ON BROADWAY BEGINNING IN JANUARY!


Peters' costar in the role of Horace Vandergelder will be Broadway veteran Victor Garber.

Peters begins her run in “Hello, Dolly!” Jan. 20 prior to an opening night set for Feb. 22. 

Midler plays her final performance in “Dolly!” Jan. 14; there will be no performances between then and Peters’ start date.

This is an EXCELLENT choice!

Bravo to the show and its producers.

It'll Be Here Before You Know It!

See the Frozen cast together in costume for the first time!

Frozen will play its out-of-town tryout at the Buell Theatre in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts August 17 – October 1, 2017. Tickets for performances in Denver are on sale now. For information on the Denver engagement visit DenverCenter.org. Tickets for Broadway performances will go on sale later this year.

Visit http://frozenthemusical.com/ for more information.

A Young Talent Takes On ALL The Roles!

OK, so here's a New Jersey kid named Robbie Angarone playing eight different parts from Les Miserables.
This young man has talent and a real passion for the musical stage.
It's absolutely wonderful to see a young person who's inspired by and enthused about Broadway.
Thanks, Robbie!

And Now, Two 'Lost Women' Find Audiences . . .

Two lost women are lighting up stages just a few blocks from one another on Broadway this summer.
Though they come from opposite sides of the world, both seem trapped and confused. Both are searching for greater freedom and greater meaning in their lives.
And both tales that form the basis for the musicals about them are swiped from the movies. One story is loosely based on history, the other is fiction. One story is set amidst the grandeur of Moscow and Paris in the early part of the 20th century. The other is more modern and is set in small town America.



Let's start with the better of the two which is the new live adaptation of the 1997 animated film, Anastasia based on the tale of the lost child (Grand Duchess Anastasia) who presumably went missing after the royal Romanov family was killed off during the Russian revolution.
The producers of this musical faced a daunting challenge as many aficionados of the animated form regard the 1997 film as the best animated movie ever made. Also, the 1956 live action film with Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner and Helen Hayes wasn't exactly chopped liver. It garnered a best actress Oscar for Ingrid Bergman and won numerous other awards.
In this Broadway version a young woman who may or may not be the last surviving child of the Russian royal family joins two con men to reunite with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, while the villain Gleb seeks her death, hoping to complete the assassination of the royal family.
We never saw the widely-heralded animated film so we really can't make a valid comparison. The new Broadway version keeps six songs from the movie but adds 16 new pieces, making this a very musical undertaking.
About midway through the first act, however,  you may find yourself wondering why anybody thought that a musical set in Russia (and depicting the bloody revolution, no less) might be a good idea. Pretty much the whole first half of this show is very Russian, which is to say very grim, very sad, very gloomy. Communism ain't pretty, folks -- and there's just no way to make it colorful, glamorous, romantic or appealing. Still, when the would-be Anastasia (Anya/Christine Altomare) sings the beautiful and haunting In My Dreams, there's a sudden glimmer of hope amidst the grime. And the compelling Ramin Karimloo as Gleb has such stage presence and such a magnificent voice that he will captivate you as he alternately pursues and remains fascinated by Anya. Karimloo's delivery of a number simply called Still is particularly notable in the first half as is an inventive traveling sequence that moves pretty much the entire cast from Moscow to Paris.
And then as act two opens we get a rousing song about the ever-alluring city of lights. It's called Paris Holds The Key (To Your Heart) and now, everything is bright and vivid and beautiful and enchanting.
Well, it all  comes none too soon as by this point we are literally starving for some reverie. And we get it when the vivacious Caroline O'Connor arrives as Countess Lily and she literally brings down the house with Land of Yesterday and follows that with The Countess and the Common Man in which she teams up with John Bolton as Vlad. Suddenly, we're witnessing a veritable tour de force.
Anastasia runs two hours and 25 minutes and at times it can try your patience. But the performances are first-rate, much of the music is noteworthy, the sets and costumes are inventive when they're not downright lavish and, finally, there are those five magic words: saved by the second act!
Now, here's an important postscript: The mass grave near Yekaterinburg, Russia which held the remains of the Tsar, his wife, and three of their daughters was revealed in 1991, and the bodies of Alexei Nikolaevich and the remaining daughter—either Anastasia or her older sister Maria—were discovered in 2007. Anastasia's possible survival has been conclusively disproved. Forensic analysis and DNA testing confirmed that the remains are those of the imperial family, showing that all four grand duchesses were killed in 1918. Several women falsely claimed to have been Anastasia; the best known impostor is Anna Anderson. Anderson's body was cremated upon her death in 1984, but DNA testing in 1994 on available pieces of Anderson's tissue and hair showed no relation to the DNA of the Romanov family.

But, back to Broadway and . . .

On to another show . . . 

A few blocks away at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre we finally got around to seeing Waitress, the musical version of the 207 movie about Jenna, a poor white waitress and pie maker who toils away in a small southern town. Jenna is stuck in an unhappy marriage to Earl, who's a real jerk. And Jenna is hoping for a way out but she doesn't even seem to know where to begin.

Anyway, she starts squirreling away money, and hoping to win a pie-baking contest so, with the prize money, she'll have enough cash to leave Earl and start a new life elsewhere. Ya see, Earl can't seem to hold a job and he basically lives off Jenna.

But before Jenna  even begins to develop an escape plan, right from the start, she finds herself pregnant. She doesn't really want to have the baby but she won't get an abortion, either. 

It's hard to figure out how Jenna got into such a fix -- something that is never really explained. But there is ample evidence that Earl is abusive and there's the suggestion that Jenna's mother also suffered abuse at the hands of her father. Plus Earl claims that he was there for Jenna when he mother died and she had no one.

Well, there's no doubt that Jenna bakes phenomenal pies at Joe's diner. She also listens to old Joe's wisdom, tolerates her sour boss Cal and is friends with Dawn and Becky (her fellow waitresses). It's all rather dreary. But then Jenna begins an affair with the handsome new doctor in town -- her doctor, the one who will deliver her baby. As the pregnancy advances, life with Earl gets downright dangerous, a way out becomes less clear, and Jenna has to come to some sort of determination about her affair with the doctor, the pie contest, the new baby, her marriage, etc. Whew! What choices does a waitress really have, after all?

OK, so we didn't see the show with Tony Award winner Jessie Mueller who originated the role of Jenna. And we didn't see it with Sara Bareilles who stepped in to replace Mueller and who also wrote the music and lyrics. We suppose one has to account for that. But the show's current star, Betsy Wolfe came off as shrill. 

We did enjoy Drew Gehling as the doctor, Joe Tippit as Earl (a very tough role and he nails it with surprising subtlety), Larry Marshall as Joe, Caitlin Houlihan as Dawn and, in a real standout performance, Christopher Fitzgerald as Dawn's suitor, Ogie. Fitzgerald stops the show and brings things back to life more than once. Thank you kindly, sir!

Still, Waitress strikes us as a tiny little musical trying to fill a big Broadway stage. It's what they sometimes call an "intimate musical"when they don't want to offend. It's a little bit Pump Boys and Dinettes and a little bit Little Shop of Horrors and a little bit The Last Five Years that adds up to not much of anything.

There's a small band on stage and the musicians sort of interact with the players from time to time. The music sounds cheap and the songs are over amped so it all comes across as tinny. Plus, the show itself has some really raunchy moments. Not very much to like, huh?

Oh, The Icons, The Legend, The Truth - Backstage!

We recently took a tour of Broadway's most legendary watering hole and eatery, Sardi's.
Sardi's sits on 44th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue just as it's done for 90 years. This classic restaurant anchors Shubert Alley (between 44th and 45th) and welcomes you to the Great White Way as it faces the storied Schubert Theater. In fact, the Sardi's Building (which is not really owned by Sardi's) houses the offices of the Shubert Organization.
Known for the hundreds of caricatures of show-business celebrities that adorn its walls, Sardi's  has played host to all of the greats of Broadway as well as famous names of TV, radio and the movies. These include not just actors and actresses but producers, directors, composers, lyricists, playwrights, choreographers, journalists and many others.

In 1927, recalling the movie star caricatures that decorated the walls of Joe Zelli’s, a Parisian restaurant and jazz club, Vincent Sardi (Sardi's founder) decided to recreate that effect in his establishment. He hired a Russian refugee named Alex Gard born Alexis Kremkoff in Kazan, Russia) to draw Broadway celebrities. Sardi and Gard drew up a contract that stated Gard would make the caricatures in exchange for one meal per day at the restaurant. The first official caricature by Gard was of Ted Healy, the vaudevillian of Three Stooges fame. 

When Sardi’s son, Vincent Sardi, Jr. took over restaurant operations in 1947, he offered to change the terms of Gard's agreement. Gard refused and continued to draw the caricatures in exchange for meals until his death.

After Gard, John Mackey took over drawing for the restaurant but was soon replaced by Don Bevan. Bevan did the drawings until 1974 when he retired, and was replaced by Brooklyn-born Richard Baratz, a banknote and certificate engraver by profession. Baratz, who lives in Pennsylvania, continues to the present day as the Sardi's caricaturist. It's ectimated that there are more than 1,300 celebrity caricatures on display.

But here are a few facts about the restaurant and the caricatures that you may not have known:

• Originally, the drawings were not very flattering as they were extreme exaggerations of facial types. Many of the actors depicted were not happy with their depictions. So, over time, the drawing have been softened to be more  flattering to the (often vain) celebrities that are enshrined on Sardi's walls.
• Some of the famous are shown more than once. Since Sardi's has three floors (the main first floor, a second floor bar with tables for dining overlooking 44th St. and Shubert Alley and a fourth floor event space) there are duplicate drawings displayed to fill up all the wall space. But you have to be very perceptive to find the duplicates as they are obviously not placed near one another.
• The drawings that you see on the walls are not the originals. The originals are kept in a safe place. The caricatures displayed are very fine copies that are really exact replicas.
• Some drawings have been removed as the display is periodically freshened since new luminaries are added to the gallery while old stars are retired. In 1979, Vincent Sardi, Jr. donated a collection of 227 caricatures from the restaurant to the Billy Rose Theatre Collection of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
• Not all of the caricatures are autographed. The autographing (by those depicted) started in later years when Sardi's launched dedication ceremonies as each new celebrity portrait was hung.
• Sardi's is the birthplace of the Tony Award; after Antoinette Perry's death in 1946, her partner, theatrical producer and director, Brock Pemberton, was eating lunch at Sardi's when he came up with the idea of a theater award to be given in Perry's honor. For many years Sardi’s was the location where Tony Award nominations were announced. Vincent Sardi, Sr. received a special Tony Award in 1947, the first year of the awards, for "providing a transient home and comfort station for theatre folk at Sardi's for 20 years." In 2004, Vincent Sardi, Jr. received a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. 
• Sardi's is also the venue for the presentation of the Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as many other Broadway events, press conferences, and celebrations.
• The third floor of Sardi's houses the restaurant's executive offices. 
• When Catherine Zeta Jones' portrait was unveiled in a celebratory event at Sardi's, her husband Michael Douglas was a deliberate no show. Douglas' reasoning? This was her moment and he wanted to do nothing to take the spotlight from his wife. Zeta Jones won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music.
• Being caricatured at Sardi's is not merely a matter of starring in a Broadway show or being a famous person. That alone will not get you on the wall. You have to be a friend of the restaurant. In other words, you have to show up. You have to dine there.

Now, here are some photos, including a look inside Sardi's fourth floor event space, rarely seen by the common folk. We've also included some celebrity caricatures. See if you can identify each one.

YOU May Be Able To Claim This Important Prize!

The Ziegfeld Club, Inc., one of New York City’s first performing arts charities to benefit women, is thrilled to announce the third Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award will open to applicants beginning Monday, July 31, 2017. A prestigious grant of $10,000, the award honors a female composer of musical theatre. In addition, the recipient will receive one year of artistic and professional mentorship from a prominent composer and a producer of musical theatre.

The grant, which aims to celebrate an emerging female composer or composer/lyricist who compellingly demonstrates outstanding artistic promise in musical theater composing and who can clearly show how the grant money and mentorship will further her artistic career. This grant was inspired by a noticeable lack of female composers being produced on Broadway today.

Past recipients of the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award are composer/lyricist Masi Asare in 2015 and Anna Jacobs in 2016. In addition to the cash prize received, each recipient also receives a year of mentorship from industry composers and producers. Last year Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori and Tony Award-winning producer Daryl Roth served as mentors to Ms. Asare, while composer Kristen Anderson-Lopez and producer Barbara Whitman served as mentors to Ms. Jacobs.

Those interested in applying for the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award must submit their application between Monday, July 31, 2017 and Friday, September 1, 2017.

Interested applicants can submit all application materials (see list below) via email to submissions@theziegfeldclubinc.com.

The following application materials are required for consideration:

• Demo recordings of 3 contrasting songs from at least 2 separate original works of musical theater, as well as dramatic context. These songs must be from different shows. Professional recordings are appreciated but not necessary. Piano-and-vocals are sufficient. The songs should be sent as individual MP3 files, and labeled with both the candidate’s name and the songs’ title (Last Name, First Name- Title). Applicants retain all copyright of their work. Please do not submit live recordings. 
• An Artistic Statement of one page or less (no more than 500 words) describing your work in musical theater, and how the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award will aid you in your artistic and professional goals. 
• A current resume that lists your experience and production history as an emerging musical theater composer. Applicants will be considered eligible as emerging artists if, in the judgment of the committee, they have not already received substantial recognition in American musical theater. 

A completed application form is available for download at www.theziegfeldclubinc.com/award-submissions/

Note: The recipient of this grant will be awarded through Fractured Atlas, pending acceptance into their fiscal sponsorship program. For more information about Fractured Atlas and their fiscal sponsorship program, please visit www.fracturedatlas.org

For more information about The Ziegfeld Club, Inc. or about the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award please visit www.TheZiegfeldClubInc.com

  

ABOUT THE ZIEGFELD CLUB, INC.

Described by The New York Times as one of “New York’s pioneering feminist institutions,” and “Broadway’s best kept secret,” The Ziegfeld Club is among the first not-for-profits in the Broadway community. Founded in 1936 by Billie Burke in honor of her late husband Florenz Ziegfeld musical theater impresario and producer of the legendary Ziegfeld Follies. The organization was originally formed to provide help to Ziegfeld Girls who had fallen on hard times. As all of the Ziegfeld Girls have now passed away, the Ziegfeld Club’s mission remains to help women of today’s musical theatre.

Additionally, the Ziegfeld Club has preserved exciting theater history in their treasured archives that include original programs, sheet music, personal correspondence and costumes, as well as portraits of Ziegfeld Girls.

Today the Ziegfeld Club is expanding its legacy of helping women in the theatre by establishing, along with the Liz Swados Inspiration Grant, The Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award a $10,000 grant and a year of professional mentorship which is awarded to an emerging, female composer-lyricist who compellingly demonstrates outstanding artistic promise in musical theater composing and who can clearly show how the grant money and mentorship will further her artistic career.

  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who should apply?
The BBZA is open to an emerging, single female composer or single composer-lyricist who compellingly demonstrates outstanding artistic promise in musical theater composing and who can clearly show how the grant money and mentorship will further her artistic career

When can I apply?
The application for the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award will be open from July 31, 2017 through Friday, September 1, 2017. We encourage you to apply early.

I’ve applied for the award in the past; can I apply again?
Yes.

I write with a collaborative team. Can we apply together?
No, the BBZA Award is only open to a single female composer or single composer-lyricist.

Can I apply if I am still in school?
The BBZA award is not intended as a scholarship. Ideal candidates should be working professionals.

Are there any age restrictions?
No, although an ideal candidate must classify as emerging, meaning that they have not already received substantial recognition in American musical theater.

What are the criteria for selection?
The selection committee will judge applicants based on financial need, professional initiative, and outstanding artistic promise in musical theater composing.

Can the songs I submit be from different works?
Yes, applications must consist of at least two different works.

Can I still apply if I cannot be in New York City in September for an interview?
Yes. In-person interviews are strongly encouraged, but a Skype interview can be arranged if necessary.

Welcome Back, You've Been Gone Far Too Long!

It might seem like culture shock to some but to those of us who actually remember big, brassy, boffo, bona fide Broadway musicals, the triumphant return of Hello, Dolly! has brought certain elements back to the musical stage -- elements that Broadway hasn't seen in quite awhile. Let's go over some of them:

1) The tableau.
When the curtain goes up on Dolly we are immediately struck by a huge, colorful, scenic, multi-character tableau. Like a fixed image in grand opera or a freeze frame in a movie, the tableau does more than set the scene. It seals an image in our minds. And while Dolly's appeal is timeless, the tableau fixes the time and place for the audience. Most often used to open or close a scene or act, the tableau is a highly theatrical device that reminds us that we're watching a story come to life -- live, on stage. In Dolly, the tableaus are nothing less than thrilling.

2) Choral singing.
Once upon a time, every great musical had a significant cast of singers. Choral singing was important. Sometimes the group of singers helped to back up the lead actors and actresses. Sometimes they filled in portions of the song. And sometimes they simply sang together as a group. This was particularly important before shows were miked. Strong, robust, up-to-the-balcony group singing was a staple of all the great Rodgers & Hammerstein shows and now, with Dolly, it's back in a big way!

3) Curtain down numbers.
In the early days of musicals some numbers were typically played on the lip of the stage with the curtain down. Before mechanized (and later, computerized) scenery, this allowed for continuous entertainment and advancement of the story even while scenery was being changed. Though Dolly's scenery turns on a turntable and glides forward and backward effortlessly, a few numbers are played in front of the curtain. You've got to be really good to pull off a number like this, without a set. Fortunately, this isn't even a challenge for the great Bette Midler and the versatile David Hyde Pierce.

4) Actual choreography.
Where are today's Michael Bennetts or Tommy Tunes or Bob Fosses? Why and when did choreography seem to disappear from Broadway? Now, we seem to have "movement directors" or people who are responsible for shifting actors around like members of an athletic troupe. Dolly has vivid, joyous, heartfelt dancing -- real dancing, thanks to Gower Champion's splendid choreography and Warren Carlyle's reinterpretation of same. Not only is there a whole number called Dancing but Elegance and The Waiters' Gallop are nothing short of miraculous.


5) The overture and entr'acte.
When the 28-piece orchestra strikes up the first notes of Dolly's overture, the audience at Broadway's storied Shubert Theater literally roars its approval. And, with good reason. Not only does it showcase a classically great score but musical overtures have been missing for far too long. The audience is not only welcoming Dolly back, it's also heralding the return of the overture back to its right place at the top of the show. Again, at the beginning of Act Two, the audience greets the entr'acte with the same approval.

There are other elements of Dolly (a synopsis of scenes, parallel love stories, distinct comic bits, vivid secondary characters) that have been missing from modern musicals for far too long. Now, on Broadway, it's great to have them back where they belong. Bravo!

A Gleeful, Glorious, Giddy, Unforgettable Romp!

The story of Dolly Gallagher Levi takes place at the turn of the turn of the century in 1890s New York. But its origins date all the way back to an Austrian play written in 1835 which eventually morphed into the 1938 Thornton Wilder play, The Matchmaker and then later the 1964 musical Hello, Dolly!
The emergence of Dolly is a story in itself inasmuch as Dolly was only a minor character in the 1835 play. It was Thornton Wilder who moved the story to New York and eventually built the whole play around Dolly.
And therein lies the magic of this perennial favorite.
Because Dolly herself is timeless. The heart and soul of this inimitable character is also ageless and universal.
When she accepted the 2017 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Bette Midler reminded her colleagues that Broadway's current production of Hello, Dolly! is most assuredly not a revival. "A revival is for someone who is dead or dying," Midler said. "But Dolly never died. She's always been here. She's always been with us and her story is for everyone."
Nobody understands this better than Midler herself and her astounding turn as Dolly at Broadway's Shubert Theater is not only the singular most joyous, most irresistible, most incandescent performance on the Great White Way right now, it's also the best performance we've ever seen, period.
The secret here (if there is one) is that Midler doesn't give us a campy Dolly or a caricatured Dolly or a smirk-and-chuckle Dolly but a real, honest-to-goodness, fully-formed, three dimensional Dolly who laps up life like a rich turkey dinner and inspires others to do the same.
Dolly understands the human condition and that understanding helps her turn events her way. But when she "puts her hand in" matters (as she explains in) she does it not as a cynical manipulator but as a self-appointed benefactor who wants to see people get as much enjoyment as they can out of every moment. And thanks to Bette Midler and the wonderful cast of this new Dolly, all this is accomplished without a single ounce of sugary sentimentality.
Of course, this musical is richly blessed with good bones.
The book by Michael Stewart moves along solidly with all the right turns and trappings at all the right moments. The music and lyrics by Jerry Herman give us a bounty of show stoppers, ballads and even newly-inserted numbers (like Penny in My Pocket) that demonstrate time and again why this is Broadway gold. The direction by Jerry Zaks manages to be both faithful and inventive and snappy, no small feat when you consider the nature of the project. The choreography by Warren Carlyle pays homage to Gower Champion but is so fresh and alive, it makes you yearn for more and more dancing on Broadway right now. And the scenic and costume design by Santo Loquasto evokes a glorious American era in hues and flourishes that you will never forget.
Dolly has a cast of 37 with a 28-piece orchestra and the grandest, most spectacular numbers you'll see anywhere on Broadway. From the rousing Put on You Sunday Clothes to the breathless Before The Parade Passes By to the catchy Dancing, to the comic Elegance and the lushly romantic Ribbons Down My Back, Dolly never fails to deliver.
But of course, it's the near manic title number that brings down the house. Yes, when Bette Midler begins to walk down those steps into the Harmonia Gardens, she demonstrates once again that you don't need pyrotechnics or special effects to electrify an audience, even in 2017. She gleefully maximizes every moment of this infectious anthem but never, ever hams it up. Coming on the heels of the ingenious Waiters' Gallop (a classic of choreography) the Hello, Dolly! number lasts nearly seven minutes, with Midler joking at one point, "Oh, I think I got it on tonight!" But when it's over the audience is still literally screaming and crying for more.
Tony winner Gavin Creel is sheer perfection as Cornelius Hackl, David Hyde Pierce is marvelous as Horace Vandergelder and Kate Baldwin, Taylor Trensch, Will Burton and Beanie Feldstein are all perfectly cast as well.
It's hard to believe Dolly hasn't been on Broadway for more than two decades. While there have been revivals, there's been nothing like this since the original production closed in 1970 after 2,844 performances, holding Broadway's "longest running" record for 37 years.
But now Dolly is, indeed, back where she belongs and night after night audiences are in a state of near giddy ecstasy that begins with roars of approval as the first notes of the overture are played and doesn't end until well after the finale when big crowds gather outside the stage door on Shubert Alley to offer Benediction to Bette.
We've seen nearly 250 Broadway shows but we've never seen anything like this.
The star, the cast and the audience are joined in syncopated glee. It's something you'll never, ever forget.
Do whatever you have to do -- save your pennies, take out a second mortgage, bribe somebody, rearrange your schedule, hop a plane, bus, train, ride a bike, run, jog, walk -- but get to the Shubert Theater and see Hello, Dolly!
This is why Broadway was born!

Here's Ten I Wish I'd Seen . . .

In one form or another, I've seen more than 200 Broadway musicals. Yes, I've seen some of them in previews or on the road or in summer stock. But I've seen most of them on the Great White Way itself, the way they were meant to be seen.
Of course, it's near impossible to see every show, every season.
But there are some that I missed that I've never gotten over. Even now, years later, they gnaw at me.
In no particular order, here are ten that got away -- ten musicals I still long to see:

1) Mack & Mabel
Yeah, I know they say this Jerry Herman musical romance set in the early days of Hollywood was a flop. But the cast recording (with Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters) is brilliant and I wouldn't mind making up my own mind about the show, thank you.

2) Allegro
It's said that Stephen Sondheim has been working on this failed Rodgers and Hammerstein show (a rarity, indeed) for years in an effort to fix it. But even the great Sondheim (who was mentored by Hammerstein) hasn't yet come up with the solution. I'd love to see what the puzzlement is really all about.

3) Sail Away
Did the great Noel Coward write many other musicals? I plead guilty; I don't know. But I do know that he wrote this one for the great Elaine Stritch and that's certainly reason enough to want to see it. Plus, book, music and lyrics by Coward. How bad could it be?


4) Aspects of Love
Even a "flop" by Andrew Llyod Webber is better than most, right? It ran for 399 performances on Broadway and more than 1,300 in London. They say Lord Andrew is still tinkering with this one and may yet revive it. I can only hope!

5) Ballroom
Michael Bennett, Michael Bennett, Michael Bennett. He's the one who dreamed it all up, choreographed it and directed it. And it had lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman -- one of only two musicals they ever did. Plus, that great song Fifty Percent. Wish I'd been there for the full 100% of this one.

6) Anyone Can Whistle
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and starring Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury and Harry Guardino with a book by Authur Laurents. Includes the title song as well as With So Little To Be Sure Of, There's A Parade In Town and Everybody Says Don't. We say, do, do do try it again!

7) No Strings
The first post Rodgers and Hammerstein show for which Richard Rodgers wrote both the music and lyrics. Not only was it the first modern musical to deal with an interracial love affair but it also introduced Diahann Carroll to the world, along with the haunting The Sweetest Sound and the beautiful title song. Wrap it in a brown paper package tied up in strings and send it back to Broadway!

8) Oh, Kay!
We're talking the 1990 version of the Gershwin musical produced by David Merrick which was technically Merrick's last solo production on Broadway. This version was set in Harlem and featured an all black cast. We were intrigued. But somehow, we never got to one of the 112 performances. Oh, damn!

9) Two By Two
The story of Noah and his arc set to music with Danny Kaye hamming it up as Noah. We would have loved to have seen the arc and, by the way, what about all those animals? Another post R&H show with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Martin Charnin. Noteworthy: The catchy title song and the ballad I Did Not Know A Day I Did Not Love You which was recorded by Tony Bennett.

10) The Pajama Game
The 2006 Roundabout revival of this classic Abe Burrows, Jerome Robbins musical starring Kelli O'Hara and Harry Connick, Jr. with three songs added by the original composer-lyricist Richard Adler and directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall was at the top of my list. But it was a limited run and I never got to make any of the 170 performances.

Could This Really Be The One? Could It?

Many people feel this will be the show that will win the Tony award.
And the male lead seems to have the inside track as well.

Sometimes, The Show Just Doesn't Come Together

What's the point of reviewing a show that's already opened and closed?
Well, at the very least, it's instructive.
Such is the case with Amélie, the musical version of the whimsical French film that captivated hearts throughout the world in 2001.
Amélie tells the story of an innocent and naive girl in Paris with her own sense of justice. As she grows up she decides to help those around her and, along the way, discovers love.

The movie was lighthearted and romantic without being saccharine in a way that only the French seem able to concoct. The road that Amélie takes to find her true love takes many detours, some predictable, some totally surprising and some just this side of absurd. But it all worked.

Here's one of the big differences that occurred in Amélie's transformation to the stage: In the movie, Amélie was somewhat of a meddler. And that was funny and decidedly human as her idea of helping people was not necessarily what the recipients had in mind or maybe not even what they may have actually needed. But in the musical, much of this was lost and Amélie simply came across as a do-gooder. The result is another small, somewhat preachy musical about being gentle, kind and helpful.

So, the musical just sort of muddled along in its own rather false "pure-hearted" way and the characters become more like caricatures. The whole outing developed into a sort of French version of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. And anyone who can imagine this could see that Babar and Charlie Brown simply don't pair well. 

Still, Amelie was widely anticipated on Broadway because it starred Phillipa Soo, who had been nominated for a Tony Award last year for originating the role of Eliza in Hamilton. And the show did well during a run up to Broadway at the Ahmanson Theater in LA.
Amélie featured music by Daniel Messé, lyrics by Mr. Messé and Nathan Tysen, and a book by Craig Lucas; it was directed by Pam MacKinnon. The music was serviceable but it never really soared. And Soo seemed stuck in a tiny musical with a constricted story that never seemed to give her character a chance to become more three-dimensional.

Unlike Groundhog Day (which reinterpreted the movie on which it is based in a new way geared toward 2017 audiences and fashioned specifically for a big Broadway stage) Amélie just didn't seem to be able to make the switch. In its transition to the stage the story actually seemed to get smaller and less consequential and the characters were robbed of any depth they might have otherwise developed. Sadly, one got the impression that the whole thing was done on a shoestring.

Still, the show managed to garner some favorable snippets from the critics and it might have survived longer had it garnered some Tony nominations. But it wound up with a big, fat zero.

Time To Banish 'Small' From The Great White Way?

As a general rule, we don't like small musicals.
Why?
Because "small" and "Broadway" just don't seem to go well together.
To begin with a Broadway theater must have 500 seats or more. Otherwise, it simply doesn't qualify as Broadway. Most Broadway theaters accommodate 800 to 1500 or more theatergoers.
To succeed in a larger house, you usually need a bigger show. Even when a show that originates off-Broadway moves to Broadway, its staging usually has to grow larger to adapt to the change. Often, that also means more musicians and other changes in scenery, lighting and maybe even cast size to make it a real "Broadway" production. Sadly, it doesn't always happen this way.
For us, a Broadway musical is naturally big with a large musical accompaniment, significant production numbers, perhaps some name stars and, finally, scenery, costumes and staging to match. Also, the show usually has a distinct Broadway sound. The unique Broadway sound is often referred to as “Tin Pan Alley,” a musical structure that was pioneered by songwriters such as  Irving Berlin, George Gershwin,  Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and many others. Tin Pan Alley got its name from a Manhattan street full of music publishers who hired composers and lyricists to write songs that eventually came to define American popular music. These songs constituted pop music up till the time of rock 'n roll and they are now enshrined in what is known as The Great American Songbook. Much of the songbook's sound originated on Broadway.
But every now and then (and seemingly now more so than ever) Broadway strays from its rich legacy and attempts to hand us a smaller, more intimate musical -- something the creators deem more accessible. Usually, these musicals have a cast of characters numbering in single digits and musical accompaniment on the same small scale. Sets are minimal (perhaps with little or no variation) and costumes are also kept simple. And frequently, there is no "Broadway sound" to speak (or sing) of. Instead, the show may borrow from folk music, ethnic music, rock, rap, hip-hop, soul or other traditions. Once recent small musical was performed entirely acapella.
Somewhere between the little musical and the Really Big Broadway Shows (such as Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Hello Dolly and Wicked) we have the little-bit-bigger-than-small musical -- shows that seem to fall in between. These are wanna-be-big musicals that don't quite make it. And now, these not-quite-big-musicals are starting to steal the show. You know what we're talking about. We're referring to musicals like Next To Normal, Fun Home, Falsettos, Come From Away and Dear Evan Hansen.
Sure, these kinds of shows have been around awhile. Even the quintessential Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim (trained by Oscar Hammerstein himself) has dipped into the smaller format once or twice with shows like Assassins and, to some extent, Passion. But now, some of these small and midsize shows seem to be gaining attention and honors that may be all out of proportion to their actual worth. Just look at Dear Evan Hansen and Come From Away if you're not convinced of that. True, these shows purport to take on important and au courant themes and issues. But that alone does not qualify them for significant status.
For our tastes, we go to Broadway for the razzle-dazzle -- the rich orchestrations, the booming voices, the inspiring sets, the  costumes, the stars, even the special effects. After all, Irving Berlin's anthem to big entertainment begins with "the costumes, the scenery, the makeup, the props" in reminding us why "there's no business like show business."
If you want to see a "little" show, then maybe you should spend your time supporting little theater. Because maybe size and spectacle and sound just don't matter to you.
But of you're going to spend the sort of bucks it takes to patronage a theater run by Shubert, Nederlander or Jujamcyn, then you have a right to expect a whole lot more.

Just Out This Morning - And Quite Dazzling!

Dolly, Kline, Midler, Karl Win Outer Critics Honors!

Outer Critics Circle 2016-2017 Awards -- just announced:

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
Oslo

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
Come From Away

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
If I Forget

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
The Band’s Visit

OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Irene Sankoff & David Hein Come From Away

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
David Yazbek The Band’s Visit

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Jitney

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Rebecca Taichman Indecent

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Christopher Ashley Come From Away

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Warren Carlyle Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Mimi Lien Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Catherine Zuber War Paint

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Bradley King Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

OUTSTANDING PROJECTION DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Aaron Rhyne Anastasia

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Gareth Owen Come From Away

OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS
Larry Hochman Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Kevin Kline Present Laughter

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Laura Linney The Little Foxes

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Andy Karl Groundhog Day

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Bette Midler Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Danny DeVito The Price

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Cynthia Nixon The Little Foxes

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Gavin Creel Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Jenn Colella Come From Away

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Simon McBurney The Encounter

JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Bess Wohl Small Mouth Sounds

Doing Great Business Right Now On Broadway!

'Charlie' is off to a fantastic start -- virtually selling out (95%) with tickets going for as high as $223. Business is expected to get even better after school lets out with heavy demand over the summer.

Natasha, Pierre Scoops Up Theatre World Awards

At Opposite Ends Of B'Way, Two Great, Shining Star Turns!

On opposite ends of Broadway two leading men are giving standout performances that have the Great White Way reaching for superlatives.
One is a relative Broadway newcomer while the other is a veteran of the stage and screen; one stars in a musical while the other dominates the stage in a play and one creates a characterization in a new production while the other recreates a striking personality in a sparkling new revival of a beloved comedy.
Let's start with the younger performer and the new musical first.



Would you believe we knew nothing about Groundhog Day before we went to see the new musical concocted by most of the team surrounding Matilda and starring Andy Karl? That's right, we never saw the movie with Bill Murray (now a cult classic) and knew nothing about the story except that it involved Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
It wasn't very long into the show before we could see that the musical's biggest challenge was how to repeat the same scenes and lines over and over and over again as Karl's character (TV weatherguy Phil Connors) relives the same day, moment-for-moment endlessly.
In a movie, this is a simple matter of good, quick editing. But the stage is a far different beast. Doesn't it get monotonous, you might ask? Isn't it boring and/or tedious? And the answer, thanks to Karl and the entire Groundhog Day team is no, no, no, and no. That's because Karl makes Connors' growing frustration not only palpable but remarkably believable. What he gives us is a three-dimensional portrait of Connors that is more vulnerable, less acerbic, more reachable and more worthy of our concern. Karl doesn't play the role merely for laughs or use the characterization just to be snarky. He's no paper thin wise guy. Instead, he gives us a full-blown, more complex character -- a guy we might want to know better or even become friends with. And, because we can understand Connors' frustration with daily life, we connect with the story in new and more meaningful ways.
We'll be honest with you. When we heard that this production was cooked up at Britain's Old Vic by the director, orchestrator and lighting designer for Matilda, we feared the show might be dark, brooding, menacing and shrill. Matilda was certainly not a favorite of ours.
But while Groundhog Day has some edgy, slightly scary and even philosophical moments it avoids the almost gothic impulses and morbid curiosities of Matilda. And that's all to the better because this show manages to ask meaningful questions about what really does make one day significantly different from another and how we can truly live in and take joy in the moment and some of the "ordinary" people we share it with. It all comes together when Karl sings the beautiful Seeing You with costar (and love interest) Barrett Doss and the memorable If I Had My Time Again, which is a question we've all faced somewhere along life's journey.
Still, don't expect lush orchestrations here or a classic Broadway sound as the music borrows from several genres (including country) and can seem over amplified and even tinny at times. But the show overcomes all that.
In addition to the young, energetic and spot-on cast, much of Groundhog Day's appeal stems from its staging which is clever without being distracting and tongue-in-cheek without being overly cutesy. Kudos to director director Matthew Warchus, choreographer Peter Darling, lighting designer Hugh Vanstone and scenic designer Rob Howell.
But it is Andy Karl who makes Groundhog Day an irresistible hit again and again and again. Karl is simply a charming performer and to see him live and witness the joy he takes in his craft is one of the great pleasure of this or any other season.




At the other end of Broadway, the venerable Kevin Kline (an Oscar and Tony Award winner) has taken on the role of Garry Essendine in Noel Coward's classic Present Laughter. This is one of the most demanding and coveted roles in the Coward galaxy and the portrayal was originated by Coward himself in 1942. In subsequent productions, it was played by Peter O'Toole, Albert Finney, Ian McKellen, Tom Conti, Frank Langella, George C. Scott and Victor Garber, among others.
So, anybody who takes on the challenge of playing the overly-dramatic, over-the-top Essendine had better be damned good, which Kline certainly is.
The play's title comes from a song in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which urges carpe diem ("present mirth hath present laughter"), and so the word present in the title should be pronounced as the adjective and not the verb.

The plot follows a few days in the life of the successful and self-obsessed light comedy actor Essendine as he prepares to travel for a touring commitment in Africa. Amid a series of events bordering on farce, Garry has to deal with women who want to seduce him, placate both his long-suffering secretary and his estranged wife, cope with a crazed young playwright, and overcome his impending mid-life crisis (since he has recently turned forty). The story was described by Coward as "a series of semi-autobiographical pyrotechnics".

Well, obviously Kline (who will be 70 later this year) can hardly pass for 40 so, in this production we're led to believe that he's just turned 50 or 60 or whatever. It hardly matters since all these years later (and in the age of Viagra) 70 is the new 40, right?

Anyway, Kline is on stage practically the whole time in an old-fashioned three-act play that's condensed to two acts with two one-minute pauses within each act. Fortunately he's superbly supported by Kate Burton as his all-knowing former wife and Kristine Nielsen as his ever-loyal secretary. You'll find many other Broadway favorites dotted among this fine cast and they'll all marvelous, in part because they're perfectly directed by Moritz Von Stuelpnagel.

The timing in this fast-paced production will take your breath away and the comic turns and clever lines zing (and sting!) as if they were written yesterday. 

Just as an example, here are some lines from the show:

Garry: You ought never to have joined the Athenaeum Club, Henry: it was disastrous.
Henry: I really don’t see why.
Garry: It’s made you pompous.
Henry: It can’t have. I’ve always been too frightened to go into it.

Garry: Beryl Willard is extremely competent. Beryl Willard has been extremely competent, man and boy, for forty years. In addition to her extreme competence, she has contrived, with uncanny skill, to sustain a spotless reputation for being the most paralysing, epoch-making, monumental, world-shattering, God-awful bore that ever drew breath...I will explain one thing further - it is this. No prayer, no bribe, no threat, no power, human or divine, would induce me to go to Africa with Beryl Willard. I wouldn't go as far as Wimbledon with Beryl Willard.
Liz: What he's trying to say is that he doesn't care for Beryl Willard.

Morris: I'll never speak to you again until the day I die!
Garry: Well, we can have a nice little chat then, can't we?

As you can see, Garry (Kline) has almost all of the great zingers and he delivers them deftly (and with a perfectly effete British accent) in a manner that will keep your ear cocked for the next round and laughing all the way. 

But don't let this lead you to believe that the show is just a bunch of punch-lines delivered like some round of standup. Far from it. This is the story of a man who sees his life passing by and is wildly conniving to squeeze every drop out of it. He delights in the moment and in drink and women and every bit of carnal pleasure he can still find. He doesn't want to care what others think of him but he's an actor, so he's vain and self-absorbed and overly conscious of his every word, thought and action. And therein lie not just the nature of the human condition in all too many situations but the seed of great comedy as well.

Present laughter, indeed!

Karl, Middler, Kline, Dolly Grab Outer Critics Honors

Outer Critics Circle 2016-2017 Award winner have been announced on Broadway:

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
Oslo

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
Come From Away

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
If I Forget

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
The Band’s Visit

OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Irene Sankoff & David Hein Come From Away

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
David Yazbek The Band’s Visit

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Jitney

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Rebecca Taichman Indecent

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Christopher Ashley Come From Away

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER
Warren Carlyle Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Mimi Lien Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Catherine Zuber War Paint

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Bradley King Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

OUTSTANDING PROJECTION DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Aaron Rhyne Anastasia

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN
(Play or Musical)
Gareth Owen Come From Away

OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRATIONS
Larry Hochman Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Kevin Kline Present Laughter

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Laura Linney The Little Foxes

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Andy Karl Groundhog Day

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Bette Midler Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Danny DeVito The Price

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Cynthia Nixon The Little Foxes

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Gavin Creel Hello, Dolly!

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Jenn Colella Come From Away

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE
Simon McBurney The Encounter

JOHN GASSNER AWARD
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)
Bess Wohl Small Mouth Sounds

The Off-Broadway productions of “Dear Evan Hansen,” “In Transit,” “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” and “Significant Other” were evaluated, nominated and/or received awards from Outer Critics Circle in previous seasons and therefore were not considered for this year. In the case of the Broadway musical “Sunset Boulevard,” Glenn Close won the Outstanding Actress Award in a Musical for her original performance. Any new elements for these current productions were assessed for this year’s awards. In addition, due to OCC’s nomination deadline last season, the producers of the Broadway musical “Shuffle Along,” asked to be included with this year’s entries.

One Of The Splashiest B'way Openings EVER!

Bette Midler taking the stage on opening night for the return of "Hello, Dolly!" On Broadway! The show is a complete sellout and is leading the way in awards nominations.

Just Four; Only Four; That's All!

Only four musicals were nominated for Best Musical Tony Awards this season even though more than a dozen new musicals were in contention. You would have thought the Tony nominators wouldm have at least come up with five musicals, the normal number considered. What happened to A Bronx Tale or War Paint or Anastasia or Amelie or In Transit?
Anyway, above you'll find clips from each of the four nominees: Dear Evan Hansen, The Great Comet, Come From Away and Groundhog Day. Among these four only Groundhog Day comes even close to being a classic Broadway musical. The rest are all somewhat out-of-genre.

Dolly, Groundhog, Natasha, Evan Get Tony Nods!

The 2016-17 season Tony Award nominations have just been announced. Here they are:

Best Musical
Come From Away
Dear Evan Hansen
Groundhog Day
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Play
A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath
Indecent by Paula Vogel
Oslo by J.T. Rogers
Sweat by Lynn Nottage

Best Revival of a Musical
Falsettos
Hello, Dolly!
Miss Saigon

Best Revival of a Play
August Wilson’s Jitney
The Little Foxes 
Present Laughter
Six Degrees of Separation

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Christian Borle, Falsettos
Josh Groban, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
David Hyde Pierce, Hello, Dolly!
Andy Karl, Groundhog Day
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Denée Benton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Christine Ebersole, War Paint
Patti LuPone, War Paint
Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly!
Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Denis Arndt, Heisenberg
Chris Cooper, A Doll’s House, Part 2
Corey Hawkins, Six Degrees of Separation
Kevin Kline, Present Laughter
Jefferson Mays, Oslo

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Cate Blanchett, The Present
Jennifer Ehle, Oslo
Sally Field, The Glass Menagerie
Laura Linney, The Little Foxes
Laurie Metcalf, A Doll’s House, Part 2

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly!
Mike Faist, Dear Evan Hansen
Andrew Rannells, Falsettos
Lucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Brandon Uranowitz, Falsettos

Best Performance by an Actress in Featured Role a Musical
Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly!
Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen
Stephanie J. Block, Falsettos
Jenn Colella, Come From Away
Mary Beth Peil, Anastasia

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Michael Aronov, Oslo
Danny DeVito, Arthur Miller's The Price
Nathan Lane, The Front Page
Richard Thomas, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
John Douglas Thompson, August Wilson's Jitney

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Johanna Day, Sweat
Jayne Houdyshell, A Doll's House, Part 2
Cynthia Nixon, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
Condola Rashad, A Doll's House, Part 2
Michelle Wilson, Sweat

Best Score
Come From Away, David Hein and Irene Sankoff
Dear Evan Hansen, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Groundhog Day, Tim Minchin
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Dave Malloy

Best Book of a Musical
Come From Away, David Hein and Irene Sankoff
Dear Evan Hansen, Steven Levenson
Groundhog Day, Danny Rubin
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Dave Malloy

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Come From Away
Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen
Matthew Warchus, Groundhog Day
Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly!

Best Direction of a Play
Sam Gold, A Doll's House, Part 2
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson's Jitney
Bartlett Sher, Oslo
Daniel Sullivan, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
Rebecca Taichman, Indecent

Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day
Kelly Devine, Come From Away
Denis Jones, Holiday Inn
Sam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Orchestrations
Bill Elliott and Greg Anthony Rassen, Bandstand
Larry Hochman, Hello, Dolly!
Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, Anastasia
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!
Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Catherine Zuber, War Paint

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes
Susan Hilferty, Present Laughter
Toni-Leslie James, August Wilson's Jitney
David Zinn, A Doll's House, Part 2

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rob Howell, Groundhog Day
David Korins, War Paint
Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly!

Best Scenic Design of a Play
David Gallo, Jitney
Nigel Hook, The Play That Goes Wrong
Douglas W. Schmidt, The Front Page
Michael Yeargan, Oslo

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, Come From Away
Natasha Katz, Hello, Dolly!
Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Christopher Akerlind, Indecent
Jane Cox, August Wilson's Jitney
Donald Holder, Oslo
Jennifer Tipton, A Doll's House, Part 2

Productions with multiple nominations:
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 – 12
Hello, Dolly! – 10
Dear Evan Hansen – 9
A Doll's House, Part 2 – 8
Come From Away – 7
Groundhog Day – 7
Oslo – 7
August Wilson's Jitney – 6
Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes – 6
Falsettos – 5
War Paint – 4
Indecent – 3
Present Laughter – 3
Sweat – 3
Anastasia – 2
Bandstand – 2
The Front Page – 2
Miss Saigon – 2
Six Degrees of Separation – 2