First Day of School!

HEDWIG opening night

A glittering opening night audience including Yoko Ono and Vogue editor Anna Wintour turned out to see Neil Patrick Harris strut his stuff in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. The after-show party was at a Chinese restaurant bigger than Central Park called TAO and although our star was unreachable behind a couple of bodyguards. I did while away a couple of hours with some nice folk.

PIPPIN's Tony-winner Patina Miller is soon to be married and positively glowing.

I was the guest of Broadway producer and cabaret hostess extraordinaire Jamie De Roy.

And we hung out with her very jolly friends Jayson Raitt, producer of the wonderful MURDER FOR TWO and Paula Davis, producer of the long running smash ROCK OF AGES.

And my PRISCILLA castmate Steve Schepis was one of several spectacular "showgirls" hired to stroll around providing atmosphere. I might apply for that job once I've shaved the beard off.

MY FAIR LADY-Summer in Minneapolis!

The Guthrie Theater today announced casting for the production of  MY FAIR LADY, the hummable, quotable, utterly enjoyable musical for the whole family. Playing for the first time at the Guthrie, under the direction of Joe Dowling, My Fair Lady will feature Helen Anker as Eliza Doolittle, Tony Sheldon as Colonel Pickering, Donald Corren as Alfred P. Doolittle - all in their Guthrie debuts - and Jeff McCarthy as Professor Henry Higgins.

Performances begin on the Wurtele Thrust Stage on Saturday, June 28. Single tickets start at $28 and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE , 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

The story, the songs, the characters - you know and love them. Now, for the first time in Guthrie history, see them come to life in a spectacular, new production. Professor Henry Higgins loves language. Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle yearns to speak like a lady. Sparks fly when his curiosity and her determination launch a daring social experiment designed to turn a lower-class ugly duckling into a high-society swan - with unexpected results for both of them. Based on George Bernard Shaw's delightful social satire Pygmalion, Lerner and Loewe's charming and beloved musical features such unforgettable numbers as "I Could Have Danced All Night," "The Rain in Spain" and "On the Street Where You Live."

The cast of My Fair Lady features the talents of Helen Anker as Eliza, Jeff McCarthy as Higgins, Tony and Olivier award nominee Tony Sheldon as Colonel Pickering, and Donald Corren as Alfred P. Doolittle. Born in Banbury, Oxfordshire, Helen Anker made her professional debut at the age of 9 in 1981 when she played Louisa in The Sound of Music with Petula Clark at London's Apollo Theatre, and she has since appeared in numerous productions on the West End, including Parade, On the Town, Beautiful Be Damned, Oklahoma!, Crazy for You, Radio Times and The Sound of Music. In 2010 she played Miss Olson in the Broadway revival of Promises, Promises and among her U.S. regional credits are The Odd Couple, Newsies, Curtains and The 39 Steps.

 Jeff McCarthy last appeared at the Guthrie in The Misanthrope (1987-1988) and Anything Goes (1984-1985). He made his Broadway debut in 1983 playing opposite Anthony Quinn in Zorba, and later created the role of Officer Lockstock in the original cast of the Broadway musical Urinetown. His additional Broadway credits include the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Terry in the original cast of Side Show, Dubhdara in The Pirate Queen and Billy Flynn in Chicago. In 2012, McCarthy played the title role in the stage version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! at Madison Square Garden.

 Tony Sheldon played more than 1200 performances as Bernadette in Priscilla Queen of the Desert in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, West End, and Toronto prior to the Broadway premiere in March 2011. He was nominated for Olivier, Tony, Theatre World, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critic's Circle awards for that role. In addition to playing Horace in Hello, Dolly! at the Goodspeed Opera House, Sheldon has an extensive resume in Australia, including roles as Roger De Bris in The Producers, Clyde Gabriel in The Witches of Eastwick, Fame - the Musical, Private Lives, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, The Fantasticks and Company.

 Donald Corren created the role of Cosmé McMoon opposite Judy Kaye's Florence Foster Jenkins in the 2005 Broadway production of Souvenir. He also starred on Broadway in Torch Song Trilogy, for which he received awards from both the Los Angeles and San Francisco Drama Critics Circle while on tour. Corren appeared Off-Broadway in The Last Sunday in June, Saturday Night, and Tom Foolery, and regionally in productions of Superior Donuts (Pittsburgh Public Theater), The Winter's Tale (The Shakespeare Theatre), Animal Crackers (Arena Stage) and The Importance of Being Earnest (Old Globe Theatre). He is also recognized for his recurring role as Medill for nine seasons on NBC's "Law & Order."

 Rounding out the cast is Robert O. Berdahl (Guthrie: H.M.S. Pinafore, The 39 Steps) as Zoltan Karpathy, Melissa Hart (Guthrie: Uncle Vanya, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) as Mrs. Higgins, Molly Sue McDonald (Guthrie: H.M.S. Pinafore, She Loves Me) as Mrs. Eynsford-Hill, Tyler Michaels (Theater Latté Da: Cabaret) as Freddy Eynsford-Hill, Kasono Mwanza (Chanhassen: Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar) as Jamie, Angela Timberman (Guthrie: A Christmas Carol, The Birds) as Mrs. Pearce, Tony Vierling (Guthrie: Roman Holiday, 1776) as Harry; as well as Joseph Bigelow (U of M/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program: South Street, Those Who Favor Fire), Cat Brindisi (Chanhassen: Grease, West Side Story), Aimee K. Bryant (Guthrie: Caroline, or Change), Alex Gibson (Connecticut Rep.: Man of La Mancha, The Drowsy Chaperone), Michael Gruber (Guthrie: Roman Holiday), Michael Hanna (Guthrie: Born Yesterday), Linda Talcott Lee (Guthrie: Roman Holiday, She Loves Me), Joel Liestman (Guthrie: The Master Butchers Singing Club, A View From the Bridge), Ann Michels (Guthrie: Roman Holiday, A Streetcar Named Desire), Tinia Moulder (Guthrie: H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance) and Jared Oxborough (Guthrie: Roman Holiday).

The artistic team includes Walt Spangler (Set Designer), Fabio Toblini (Costume Designer), Philip Rosenberg (Lighting Designer), Scott W. Edwards (Sound Designer), Andrew Cooke (Music Director), Joe Chvala (Choreography), Jo Holcomb (Dramaturg), D'Arcy Smith
(Voice and Dialect Coach), Chris A. Code (Stage Manager), Michele Hossle and Alexandra Goudy-Jaehnig (Assistant Stage Managers) and Mel Day (Assistant Director).

My Fair Lady begins preview performances on Saturday, June 28, opens Friday, July 4 and continues through Sunday, August 31 in the Wurtele Thrust at the Guthrie Theater.

Jeff McCarthy

Helen Anker

Donald Corren

Robert O. Berdahl

 

Tyler Michaels

 

       

 

 

 

 

Downtown/Uptown

Way downtown, near Battery Park

Look up to the new WTC

Then go underneath to the WTC West Concourse

Where the walls are lined with thoughts about NYC from a cross section of locals.

Then uptown to Madison Avenue

Where we found a splendid antique shop called Olde Things

We decided against buying the Billie Holiday sculpture for my landlady who is currently portraying her at Circle in the Square.

 

but we did buy this to brighten the basement apartment.

Then on to Bryant Park

Where children pose with horses. Will they grow up to star in EQUUS?

Then uptown to Amsterdam Ave. and my fave dry cleaning establishment with the dollies in the window.

Not quite sure what they're all doing in this scenario. Some are cleaning house while others are just sitting around chatting.

Then we passed a hardware store with these wonderful lamps

On Broadway

I just adore this photo. Aussie Troy Woodcroft is making his Broadway debut in MAMMA MIA! which is playing at the Broadhurst on W44th St. Here he looks out onto the neighbouring theatres on the street. Living the dream indeed.

Spring in Soho

Shop Window, Soho, NYC

 

From Playbill

Fritz Weaver, Maryann Plunkett, Tony Sheldon, Jeff McCarthy, Veanne Cox, Charlotte Rae Set for Heartbreak House Reading

By Andrew Gans
18 Apr 2014

Gingold Theatrical Group's Project Shaw, which is under the leadership of founding artistic director David Staller, will continue May 12 at 7 PM with George Bernard Shaw’s Heartbreak House at Symphony Space’s Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre.

Directed by Staller, the cast will include Fritz Weaver (Captain Shotover), Maryann Plunkett (Hesione Hushabye), Amelia Pedlow (Ellie Dunn), Tony Sheldon (Mazzini Dunn), Jeff McCarthy (Boss Mangan), Reg Rogers (Hector Hushabye), Veanne Cox (Lady Ariadne Utterword), Adam Feldman (Randall Utterword), Charlotte Rae (Nurse Guinnes) and Robert Hock (Burglar). Marina Staller-Stern will be featured on flute. Maggie Buchwald will narrate.

In Heartbreak House, press notes state, "George Bernard Shaw’s comic exploration of love and social mores, an unexpected family reunion leads to fireworks both indoors and out. Set on the brink of World War I, Ellie Dunn, her father and her fiancée attend a house party at the home of eccentric Captain Shotover. The guests are soon divided by Ellie’s pragmatic decision to marry for money, not love."

Upcoming Project Shaw events include Getting Married (June 23), A 'Super Shaw' Evening (July 28), Village Wooing (Sept. 29), An Ibsen Evening (Oct. 27), The Millionairess (Nov. 24) and Major Barbara (Dec. 22).

Now in its ninth year, Gingold Theatrical Group's Project Shaw made history in December 2009 as the first company ever to present performances of every one of Shaw's 65 plays (including full-length works, one-acts and sketches).

Symphony Space’s Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre is located in Manhattan at 2537 Broadway (at 95th Street). Tickets, priced $30 (senior discounts and Student Rush available), may be purchased by calling (212) 352-3101 or online at symphonyspace.org.

I Remember Mama

Artistic director of the Transport Group Jack Cummings III has another triumph on his hands with his ingenious production of John Van Druten's 1944 memory play I REMEMBER MAMA.

Ten older actresses in their street clothes essay all the roles, male and female, young and old, on a set comprised of ten wooden dining room suites. The audience sits all around the action which takes place in the centre of the auditorium under a series of overhead lamps. Each dining table contains a collection of one particular item: books, photographs, letters, boxes, cutlery, tea sets, etc. and the women begin the play with one actress seated at each table.

Barbara Andres plays Norwegian immigrant Mama Hanson raising her four children in San Francisco in the 1910s. Barbara Barrie plays eldest daughter Katrin who dreams of becoming a writer.

The other veteran actresses in the cast...Rita Gardner, Heather MacRae, Dale Soules, Louise Sorel, Phyllis Somerville, Alice Cannon, Lynn Cohen and Susan Lehman...all contribute vivid cameos.

The last moments of the production, when Katrin reads her first published story to her family, were profoundly moving. A man sitting  near us unashamedly burst out in loud wracking sobs. The production, in Greenwich Village, closes this weekend.

They're Eggrywhere!

The great Faberge Egg Hunt continues. This lot was at Columbus Circle.