Is there some reason why you haven't seen Mary Stuart?

There are ONLY EIGHTEEN performances left of Mary Stuart at the Broadhurst Theatre. The Tony nominated performances by Harriet Walter as Queen Elizabeth I and Janet McTeer as Mary, Queen of Scots, are two of the most beautiful, most compelling, most powerful ever to be seen. Discount tickets are available from broadwaybox.com or for 1/2 price the same day as the performance at the TKTS booth. As for me, I'm going for my third visit tomorrow night.

Step across the Plaza for the New York City Opera

This season, I'm going to step across the plaza to see some opera at the New York City Opera. Okay, I've been before but I don't consider those operas - Most Happy Fella (ew, it was so bad) and Candide (not that bad, but come on, it's hard to mess up Bernstein). I've seen real opera at the Metropolitan Opera (obvs!), the Lyric Opera in Chicago, Opera Bastille in Paris, Theatre du Champs-Elysees in Paris, and the Washington National Opera. Silly me, there's another opera company practically right at my doorstep. I promise to drop my opera snob 'tude.

Quote of the Day

In response to the question, Have you ever felt manipulated by a cat?:

"I believe I was manipulated by someone in Cats. But I rather enjoyed that." Michael Cerveris at Broadway Barks in Party Lines/The Intelligencer, New York Magazine, August 3, 2009

Christine Ebersole is back in the Hamptons

Christine Ebersole is back in the Hamptons! She's still playing an eccentrically outrageous character, but this time is the opposite of the shabby Little Edie Beale. She's playing reoccurring character, Ms. Newberg, on the new dramedy Royal Pains .

Royal Pains is about a young doctor named Hank, played handsomely and heroically by Mark Feuerstein, who has been fired from a Manhattan hospital. His brother Evan, played adorably by Paulo Costanzo, drags him out to the Hamptons to forget his woes. After one thing leads to another and Hank saves the life of a young woman at an exclusive private party, Hank is invited to become a concierge doctor to the rich (and sometimes not so rich) of the Hamptons. Hank is a little bit too much of a "MacGyver" when it comes to saving his patients, but the stories are a series of compelling and sometimes quirky tales. It doesn't hurt that the location is set in the beautiful summer scenery of the north shore of Long Island.

In a recent media Q&A, Christine said about the role, "Well, I was offered the role. I didn’t have to audition, which is always nice. And what drew me to the role is, I think she’s a very outspoken and kind of larger than life character, and gets to play somebody rich. That’s always fun, and the great thing about doing the show is the locations that we get to visit are really just extraordinary. I get to see all these beautiful things, and to be a part of a comedy and to be working with the people that I’m working with is just a really rarified air, so it didn’t take much convincing. When I read the script, I saw that it was such an intelligent, funny script, and with really well developed characters, and so it was kind of an easy decision."

Other Broadway babies making appearances on the series have been Tony nominees Michael Mulheren in Episode 2: There Will Be Food, Veanne Cox in Episode 5: No Man Is an Island, and Olga Merediz, who played Ms. Newberg's maid in Episode 6: If I Were a Sick Man. In the pilot episode, Tony Winner Adriane Lenox was a hospital administrator and Tony nominee Robert LuPone was the outgoing concierge doctor.

Royal Pains airs on Thursdays on the USA Network.

Free Pops

While we were at Macy's Annual Fourth of July celebration, the New York Pops were performing a new work by Stephen Flaherty and William Schermerhorn entitled American River Suite. Broadway divas Audra McDonald and Idina Menzel sing on two numbers. It would have been nice to actually have heard this during the spectacular fireworks show we watched while being held captive on the West Side Highway. Click here to download the American River Suite for free. It's stirring and fairly beautiful.

Normally, the annual celebration is held on the FDR over the East River. Officials screwed us this year by trying to stage the event on the West Side Highway in order celebrate the 400th anniversary of the exploration of the Hudson River. Because we were corralled like so many cattle on the northbound lane of the West Side Highway, we couldn't even see the Hudson River. At least the fireworks were as fabulous as ever.

Meryl Streep!

Kari and I sat about 15 feet from Meryl Streep earlier this evening. Only 15 feet. It was at TimesTalks, specifically Food & Film: a Conversation with Nora Ephron, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. The emphasis was on the movie Julie and Julia , the film released this August 7th, starring Meryl, Stanley and Amy Adams, but they spent some time telling tales and sharing lots of laughs. These kids are FUNNY. But the best information of the evening came from Meryl: "I am the only one in my household who is qualified to clean the kitty litter. Maybe it takes 15 nominations."

The talk was filmed and will air on Cuny TV 75 some time this fall.

Times Talks: A Conversation with Nora Ephron, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci

Finian's Rainbow!

The Finian's Rainbow marquee is up at the St. James on 44th Street! Their vibrant website is up and running too. The show has a first preview date of October 8th and individual tickets are now on sale at telecharge. I'm happy to see this musical again after seeing its Encores! dress rehearsal at City Center in March. I'll love hearing this nostalgic musical performed again and it will be fun to see it with full sets and costumes. I'm especially excited to see the even more vibrant Kate Baldwin and Cheyenne Jackson in the starring roles of Sharon and Woody!

Reunion in Chicago next summer at Ravinia

Thanks to Playbill, we now know that the previously mentioned Sondheim Celebration at Ravinia next summer is set for July 31st and will include George Hearn, Michael Cerveris, Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald.

Today: The Last Blithe Spirit

Noah, Kari, Kevin, Roxie and I took in the last performance of Blithe Spirit at the Shubert today. Noah and I sat in Row F on the aisle. We were just a couple of rows behind Bernadette Peters, which was a bonus for us since it was at the Shubert where Noah and I first met at Bernadette's last performance of Gypsy on May 30, 2004.

Blithe Spirit was the light champagne in a season full of wonderful plays, plus it provided the 5th Tony for Angela Lansbury for her hilarious turn as Madame Arcati. I was there for the first preview, Opening Night, the first Tuesday after the Tonys and today, and of course I threw in a few extras for good measure. I met some new friends along the way - from Maine, Wisconsin and Texas - and discovered the work of the wonderful Jayne Atkinson. I'll miss those clever Coward lines that provided us so many inside jokes over the spring and summer. I'll miss seeing Christine Ebersole in that beautiful wig and dress. I'll miss Jayne Atkinson looking like Helen Mirren and saying "that cheesy thing" and being so fabulous. Most of all, I'll miss seeing Angela on stage. I'll just miss it all.

And now for something really entertaining

I'm off to California for a rendevouz with my little loves Cody, Cara and Camilla! See you in a week!

A Day for Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

We took a day trip up to the Hudson Valley yesterday. It could not have been a more perfect day - driving with Kari, the banter, brunch and then browsing the shops in Cold Spring, relaxing at the dock over the Hudson River, going to the visitor center at West Point Military Academy and finally taking in the performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) at Boscobel.

My friend Byrne and I were invited to see any of the shows by the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. I love Shakespeare and I knew I wanted to go. Our choices were the Complete Works, Much Ado About Nothing, or Pericles. I couldn't resist seeing the Complete Works this time.

The Complete Works was the icing on the cake of a beautiful day. Besides being blown away by the venue, I was not prepared to laugh so much! What began as a lecture on the life of Shakespeare turned into an hysterical and irreverant race through most of his works. The Complete Works is by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield. It's a ridiculously funny mix of the original text and modern day pop culture, with the craziest pairings of characters maybe ever brought together. The set was simply the view of the Hudson. It could not have been more gorgeous.

The first act attempted to cover Romeo and Juliet, Titus Adronicus, Othello, the twelve comedies and Macbeth. The bonus of the first act was the "histories" being presented as a football game - starring King Richard, John, Henry and Lear with their crown serving as the football.

The second act was all Hamlet. On top of it being clever, it was absolutely sidesplitting. Who in the world could imagine characterizations of the king and queen being played by "Jack Nicholson" and "Carol Channing"!

All of this hilarity was brilliantly brought together by actors Christopher V. Edwards, Kurt Rhoads and Jason O'Connell. These guys are my my new comedy heros and they are absolutely fearless!

It was surprisingly easy getting to the Hudson Valley. The Metro North is easy enough, as I know from my previous trips to nearby Poughkeepsie & Hyde Park, but with the aide of Kari's zipcar the day was all about freedom and could not have been more perfect. I can't wait to make a return visit to a performance of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.

Tonight: Hudson Valley Shakespeare

Broadway Barks 11: Presentation of The Pets

Broadway Barks 11 is today!

There's still time to get down to Shubert Alley for Broadway Barks 11! Earlier today, Bernadette signed copies of her book "Broadway Barks" and other memorabilia. She was assisted by my very own Little Love Noah!. The B'way Kids Care have been selling playbills for the event as well as raffle tickets.

Memorabilia and other cool stuff was already for sale, and an auction of cool stuff and celebrity-autographed memorabilia is beginning at 3:30. At 5:30, presentations of pets from citywide animal shelters will begin.

For the presentation of pets, Bernadette and Mary will be joined by a number of Broadway stars, including Elizabeth Ashley, Jayne Atkinson, Stephanie J. Block, Matt Cavenaugh, Michael Cerveris, Gavin Creel, Hope Davis, Christine Ebersole, Rupert Everett, Tovah Feldshuh, Sutton Foster, John Glover, Lauren Graham, Kate Jennings Grant, Haydn Gwynne, Ernie Hudson, Allison Janney, Gregory Jbara, Andy Karl, Marc Kudisch, Angela Lansbury, Michael Mastro, Audra McDonald, Judy McLane, Constantine Maroulis , Karen Olivo, David Hyde Pierce, Alice Ripley, Bryce Ryness, Christopher Sieber, J. Robert Spencer, Will Swenson, John Tartaglia, Harriet Walter, Chandler Williams, and famed Broadway animal trainer, Bill Berloni with his pal, Nigel (Toto in The Wiz at Encores!)

Oh Madame!

Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music originally opened at the Shubert on February 25, 1973. It moved to the Majestic during the run and closed after 601 performances. It's the most romantic of Sondheim's works. Produced and directed by Hal Prince, with a book by Hugh Wheeler, it won Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actress in a Musical for Glynis Johns, Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Patricia Elliott, and Best Costume Design Florence Klotz.

Finally a Broadway revival of A Little Night Music is on it's way to Broadway. Set for an opening sometime in December, this production is an import of Trevor Nunn's West End revival stil playing in London. Our Steve on Broadway caught the show in December, 2008 and gave it the coveted four out of four stars in his review.

I have seen three productions of A Little Night Music - and I had to travel to Maryland, Connecticut and Massachusetts to see them. Now, it's my most anticipated production of the upcoming season - perhaps of the remaining decade - right here in New York!

I have dreamed of casting for the leading lady, Desiree, originally played by Glynis Johns - Christine Ebersole, Victoria Clark, Barbara Walsh, Bernadette Peters, Donna Murphy - but I'm most excited for the buzz surrounding the casting of Madame Armdfeldt, Desiree's mother.

I had the opportunity to visit with Mr. Sondheim in May, 2006, at a fundraiser for his organization, Young Playwrights. I asked him about the rumors about a Night Music revival. He told me then that it was being talked about. He went on to tell me that "You know, Angie's moving back New York, and she'd be perfect as the old lady." (No, I did not pass out.)

In the April 29, 2007 interview with the Times, Angela said, "[I]t had been asked if I would consider playing Madame Armfeldt in ‘A Little Night Music’ — well, yes, I would. That would be an interesting kind of character, doesn’t have to hold the whole show."

For weeks, the chatterati have been buzzing about Angela Lansbury going in for meetings about playing Madame Armfeldt. Earlier this week, Broadway.com even posted the burning question, Will Angela Lansbury Have a Liaison with Night Music on Broadway?

Last night, I received a text from Kevin, the Theatre Aficianado at Large that "ATC poster claims Angie signed NIght Music contract two weeks ago." Say it's so!

Perhaps all of those candles I've been lighting will pay off, and we'll find out that Angela will go from her Tony winning turn as Madame Arcati to Madame Armfeldt!

Broadway in Bryant Park '09 Begins Tomorrow

Each Thursday at 12:30-1:30 pm, starting July 9 through August 13th, New York's 106.7 LiteFM presents Broadway in Bryant Park:

July 9th - Phantom of the Opera, STOMP,Avenue Q, In The Heights

July 16 - The Little Mermaid, 9 to 5, Pure Country, The Toxic Avenger

July 23 - Mary Poppins, Rock of Ages, Vanities, Next to Normal

July 30 - Chicago, Naked Boys Singing!, Jersey Boys, Shrek

August 6 - Wicked, Burn The Floor, The Lion King, The Marvelous Wonderettes

August 13 - Billy Elliot, South Pacific, Mamma Mia!, Altar Boyz

Her Royal Highnesses: Mary Stuart at the Broadhurst

I'm a fan of royals, especially queens, and basically all things British. I majored in history and spent a couple of semesters learning English history, pre and post Henry VIII, and mostly the Elizabethan period. I love movies, books and an opera about the period. I've been to castles and cathedrals in England. I've seen the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots at Westminster Abbey. I knew most of the history of the complicated period. Despite the fact that they were cousins, I also knew that Elizabeth and Mary never met, even while their lives were very much intertwined in a struggle for power. So, while I thought I knew this story, I was not prepared for the power of Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart.

I first saw Mary Stuart on June 3rd. I had the opportunity to return last Friday, July 3rd. A month in between did nothing but intensify the experience for me. The original text is powerful, but this translation by Peter Oswald is stunning. From the very first moment that Elizabeth's men take the stage, practically without warning as the lights in the house have not even dimmed, I was immediately transported.

It's very telling that all of the men in the play are dressed in modern day suits. They are G men and yes men. Comfortable in their attire, they control every situation as well as women, or at least they attempt to do so. The women, only three - Elizabeth and Mary, the Queens, and Hannah, Mary's loyal nurse and friend, are dressed in period costume. Their dresses are of oppressive and binding. They are controlled by their attire and the men surrounding them, even though in name, they are the rightful rulers.

Although the play is titled Mary Stuart and is centered around the struggle of Mary to save her own life, it's as much or even more about Elizabeth and her own struggle to gain control as a ruler. The story is a maelstrom of Catholic vs. Protestant, male vs. female, and especially loyalty vs. hypocracy. It seems no character ever has complete control and it is not until the end that the twist grabs you and throws you over with its shocking ending. And even though I knew this story, to see it come alive, even in a re-telling of what if the two queens did meet, was a thing of beauty, symmetry and pure poetry of words, light and shadows.

The queens are played by two extraordinary British actresses: Janet McTeer as Mary and Harriet Walter as Elizabeth. The greatest gift of this theatrical season on Broadway, and there have been many, is Harriet Walter and her peer Janet McTeer. I am in awe of their theatrical power. From minute one of taking the stage, Janet is at a peak, the highest of energy and power, at all times showing the pain and fear of Mary, until the very end when there is nothing but calm acceptance. Harriet is the even tempered one, low key and even though you feel Elizabeth's fear and indecision, her understated preciseness on stage translates to larger than life.

I will go see the power of Mary Stuart at least one more time, on August 1st. If there is only one drama you can see this season, GO to this one. There's a discount , so there's no excuse. You only have until August 16th, or it's to the tower with you!


Pictures courtesy of Kari, who tells the rest of the story here.

Broadway Barks 11 is July 11th in Shubert Alley!

Eleven is the lucky number for Broadway Barks as it celebrates its 11th anniversary in Shubert Alley this Saturday, July 11th! Broadway Barks, founded by Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore, benefits New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies by raising money and awareness, as well as promoting adoption of shelter animals.

The celebration begins with Bernadette signing her delightful children's book, a New York Times Bestseller, Broadway Barks, at 1:00 in Shubert Alley.

At 3:30, an auction of cool stuff and celebrity-autographed memorabilia will begin.

At 5:30, presentations of pets from citywide animal shelters will begin. For the presentation of pets, Bernadette and Mary will be joined by a number of Broadway stars, including Elizabeth Ashley, Jayne Atkinson, Stephanie J. Block, Matt Cavenaugh, Michael Cerveris, Gavin Creel, Hope Davis, Christine Ebersole, Rupert Everett, Tovah Feldshuh, Sutton Foster, John Glover, Lauren Graham, Kate Jennings Grant, Haydn Gwynne, Ernie Hudson, Allison Janney, Gregory Jbara, Andy Karl, Marc Kudisch, Angela Lansbury, Michael Mastro, Audra McDonald, Judy McLane, Constantine Maroulis , Karen Olivo, David Hyde Pierce, Alice Ripley, Bryce Ryness, Christopher Sieber, J. Robert Spencer, Will Swenson, John Tartaglia, Harriet Walter, Chandler Williams, and famed Broadway animal trainer, Bill Berloni with his pal, Nigel (Toto in The Wiz at Encores!)

Baby June becomes a murderess

Last year I asked, "Whatever happened to Babies June and Louise?" Well, after 35 years, Bonnie Langford, who played "Baby June" in the 1973 West End production and the first Broadway revival of Gypsy returns to Broadway. As reported by Playbill, she stepped into the role of "Roxie Hart" at Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre yesterday. She previously played the role in the UK and in Canada on tour. She'll be the murderess until July 5th.

1973, AT THE PICADILLY THEATRE IN THE LONDON WEST END
























1974, AT THE WINTER GARDEN THEATRE ON BROADWAY