If the open hardcover copy of Thomas A. Harris, M.D.’s 1967 self-help bible ‘I’m OK - You’re OK’ casually placed upon an ottoman makes you chuckle a bit as you settle down for The New Group’s latest endeavor, you’re of a proper mindset to enjoy Duncan Sheik musiclyrics, Amanda Green lyrics and Jonathan Marc Sherman’s sweet, funny and endearing new easy chamber musical BOB CAROL TED ALICE.
Some folks dream of the wonders they’ll do, but in the latest episode of Playbill—The Game Show with contestants Alyssa Giannetti, Bronson Norris Murphy and Rema Webb from the cast of Paper Mill Playhouse’s Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber actually do them. Watch the video above.
Join guest host Laura Osnes as we test your knowledge of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Paper Mill Playhouse.
The Paper Mill Playhouse’s world premiere of the retrospective Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber began performances January 30 prior to its official opening February 9 at the New Jersey venue.
With music by Lloyd Webber and co-written and devised by Richard Curtis, the limited engagement will continue through March 1.
JoAnn M. Hunter (School of Rock) directs and choreographs, with music direction by Michael Patrick Walker (Avenue Q). The cast features Nicholas Edwards (Frozen), Alex Finke (Come From Away), Giannetti (Love Never Dies), Kara Haller (School of Rock), Jeremy Landon Hays (The Phantom of the Opera), Amy Justman (Company), Andrew Kober (School of Rock), Angel Lozada (NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar), Mauricio Martinez (On Your Feet!), Murphy (Love Never Dies), Mamie Parris (School of Rock, Cats), Dave Schoonover (Love Never Dies), and Webb (Escape to Margaritaville).
READ: The Legacy of Andrew Lloyd Webber: An Interactive Timeline
The musical portrait offers an intimate look at Lloyd Webber’s five decades in the spotlight and beyond, from his quirky family and bohemian youth in London to the creation of Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Sunset Boulevard. Audiences can expect some new interpretations of his best-known songs, rediscovered tunes, and material specially written for this production.
BroadwayWorld has just learned that Chad Burris will step into the role of Damian Hubbard in Mean Girls on Broadway, beginning March 10. Burris, who currently stars as Olaf in Frozen, takes over for Tony nominee Grey Henson, who plays his final performance on March 8.
The New Group celebrated the official opening of the world premiere of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice at The Pershing Square Signature Center February 4. The musical, based on the 1969 film by Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker, follows two couples whose outlooks on life are changed by the sexual revolution.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which began January 16, features music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Amanda Green, and a book by Jonathan Marc Sherman.
Directed by Scott Elliott with musical staging by Kelly Devine, the world premiere features a cast made up of Jennifer Damiano as Carol, Ana Nogueira as Alice, Joél Pérez as Bob, and Michael Zegen as Ted.
Jamie Mohamdein and Suzanne Vega round out the cast as ensemble member and the band leader, respectively.
The world premiere features scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Jeff Mahshie, lighting design by Jeff Croiter and sound design by Jessica Paz. Orchestrations are by Duncan Sheik, and music supervision, vocal arrangements and additional orchestrations are by Jason Hart. Antoine Silverman is the music coordinator, Jill Mazursky is the consultant, and Valerie A. Peterson is the production stage manager. Casting is by Telsey + Company, Rachel Hoffman CSA.
Yesterday BroadwayWorld announced the launch of our Theatre Store After an incredible day of feedback, we wanted to share our top selling items and extend our launch sale to show our appreciation to our readers
Since Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird first hit Broadway in 2018, a new Atticus Finch has greeted audiences in the seats of the Shubert Theatre. Gone is the untouchable exemplar of a man who never wavers in the face of bigotry or injustice; in his place is a man struggling as the world challenges his core belief in the inherent goodness of humankind. Now, with four-time Oscar and Tony nominee Ed Harris taking over the leading role, audiences witness yet another version.
Harris’ portrayal of the white lawyer asked to defend an innocent black farmhand in 1936 Alabama offers a gruffness not typically associated with the mild-mannered father. “One of the things that’s different between Atticus and myself is he’s very good at keeping his temper in check,” Harris says. “Some nights it’s just really difficult to listen to this vitriol from [accusers] Mayella or from Bob Ewell and not respond in a…non-Atticus manner.
“Sometimes I have a hard time being patient, but that’s good,” he says. “I’m learning.”
As much as Harris learns moment-to-moment, he also brings with him a feel for authentic, rural America. Though he grew up in New Jersey, his parents were from Oklahoma, and Harris spent a number of his formative years there. “That kind of knowledge of that little town in southwestern Oklahoma certainly, I think, has influenced my knowledge or my feelings for small town USA,” Harris reflects.
“There’s a wonderful interview, it’s one Harper Lee gave when she talks about being a Southerner and the difference between growing up in this small town Alabama and the Upper East Side, for instance—just in terms of what’s available,” Harris says. “She talks about if they went to a film once a month that was a big deal because they spent most of their time creating interesting things to do as a child, making up games in the backyard. … She has a wonderful line, she says, ‘Have you ever found the whole world in the branches of a chinaberry tree? I have.’ I understand that.”
With his life experience and a 45-year career inhabiting other lives, Harris possesses the capacity to fill Atticus with humanity. “The more experiences you have being on this planet and the more open you are to them, the wider your understanding is of what it is being a human,” he says. “It’s kind of a bottomless pit.”
Who is that emerging from his borough Today, February 2nd, officially marks Groundhog Day, the annual holiday thatcelebrates the legendary groundhogPunxsutawney Phil. In honor of the occasion, we’re looking back at the musical adaptation of the classic movie,Groundhog Day. Check out the video to see stars Andy Karl, Barrett Doss, and more celebrating the opening night of the Tony-nominated production
The Temptations reigned over the airwaves from the 1950s through the ’70s, and Ain’t Too Proud, the Broadway musical retelling of their story, covers that entire period. One which, not incidentally, involved a lot of changing fashions.
So how does a costume designer show the passage of time in a musical that never slows down? By keeping things simple.
“One of the major challenges in designing the costumes was the fast pace of the whole production,” costume designer Paul Tazewell says. “With the show’s non-stop structure, it was important to relay the passage of time from the early 1950s through to 2019 as specifically as possible with rapid-fire costume changes.”
Combined with Des McAnuff’s direction and Dominique Morisseau’s book, the decades fly by at the Imperial Theatre, where the show is now in its second year. But while Tazewell points out the difference between a musical versus a play comes down to the former relying more heavily on “the costume design to provide a clear visual composition of time, place, and character,” Ain’t Too Proud also carries with it a more particular challenge: How to create stylish suits for The Temptations that allow the performers to execute Sergio Trujillo’s Tony-winning choreography.
“Most often it is about cleverly tailoring the cut of the suit to accommodate for extreme movement,” Tazwell says. “Sometimes it might also help to have a bit of stretch in the fabric, but often that’s not possible with replicating period suits.”
Not that his designs are exact replicas of the era. Rather, Tazewell and McAnuff made stylishness and sexiness the keys to the looks.
“Because of transitions that didn’t allow for costume changes when the year or period changed, there was some license taken in the silhouettes of some of the looks,” Tazwell says. “I think it’s important to have the feel of the design be nostalgic but, because of the overall style of the production, not get bogged down in historical accuracy. The Temptations were trendsetters and known for their flamboyant dressing, but it was very important for me and Des to have them always feel stylish and sexy to the modern audience’s eyes.” And audiences soon to agree—mission accomplished.