Thursday, March 31, 2011

Priscilla's Tony Sheldon Remembers a Mischievous Shakespearean Switch Down Under

Features By Broadway.com Staff March 31, 2011 - 2:26PM

Tony Sheldon

Given the amount of time Broadway actors spend at work, it’s no surprise that they enjoy a good joke—often at a co-worker’s expense! In celebration of April Fool’s Day, Broadway.com asked some of our favorite stars to share their funniest work-related pranks. In some cases, the stars initiated the practical joke; in others, the joke was on them. Read on for true tales of behind-the-scenes tomfoolery.

**TONY SHELDON (Bernadette in Priscilla Queen of the Desert)**

"I was in an Australian production of Much Ado About Nothing when a well-known actor came backstage to visit the cast in our communal dressing room after the matinee. While our leading man was on his dinner break, we dressed up the visitor in his Benedick costume and put full makeup on him. When the leading man returned, we told him we'd heard he wouldn't be performing that night and we'd spent the whole break rehearsing with this other actor. The poor guy was so disoriented he just stared at the interloper uncomprehendingly. I think we completely froze his head."

(Footnote: Peter Carroll was playing Benedick in MUCH ADO at Nimrod. The backstage visitor was Neil Fitzpatrick.)

They Love the Nightlife: Audiences Flock to ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’

In its first full week of performances since opening on Broadway to generally good reviews, the new musical “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” notched a 30 percent increase in ticket sales last week and the revival of “Arcadia” was up 20 percent compared to its box-office grosses the prior week, according to data released on Monday by the Broadway League.
Most other Broadway musicals and plays had down sales last week, after students and families returned home from spring vacations in New York.
Of those shows making gains, “Priscilla” had by far the biggest week-to-week jump, with a total gross of $962,163.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

South to North

(tt) My bunion is telling me we did the walk from 10th St to 46th. This pickies give you a taste without the agony!

St Marks Place

Recipe for egg creams

2 tbsp chocolate syrup
6 oz whole milk
6 oz soda water

Mix syrup and milk in a tall glass. Add soda water, and serve with a straw.

Here's a bronze cowboy off to his plinth

Near corner of 1st Ave and 37th St

On closer inspection

Good on yer, Collette

Does anyone still wear a hat?

I'll say

Entrance to the Fred French building on Fifth Ave and a peek inside

I found the side of this building with business long gone very touching so here they all are

And here is Sheldon's favourite bit of ceramic for the day

Oh Vwah Lolly!

Lamond's favourite hangout.

Laura Beattie, dresser to the stars (Helen Reddy in BLOOD BROTHERS and currently Vanessa Redgrave in DRIVING MISS DAISY) joined Ms. Lamond for a farewell nosh.

Uber press agent Richard Hillman dropped in for a cranberry-and-ginger ale and a bon voyage hug.

The Tonys temporarily part ways on 46th St. Bon Voyage, maman!!

So much love.

p.s. Of course, the restaurant is famous for its rather melancholy decor, posters of shows which closed out of town, on opening night or ran an embarrassingly short number of performances. Here are some.

North to South

After Joe Allen we headed down town to Mercer St for the magnificent "Hello Again" Here are some grabs as night fell over the city
.

Sheldon has been in the penthouse of the tallest building! Cnr 46th and 8th Ave. It was a bash thrown by one of the producers of Priscilla.
Most of the following were taken in Mercer St downtown