Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage sequel to the long-running Phantom of the Opera, might have been dealt a fatal blow, thanks in part to devastating reviews on the West End and a director and choreographer jumping ship, all before a promised Broadway run.
Michael Ridel reports in the New York Post: “In the theater, “indefinitely” has a way of becoming “absolutely not gonna happen” — and that, London theater sources say, is what’s happened to [Love Never Dies]. The $15 million London production… will not be seen in New York. Ever.”
Riedel goes on to say that Lloyd Webber will be taking his Love Never Dies score and “salvage” things with new creative teams, in two different productions, both Australia and Toronto.
Meanwhile, the other trusty New York paper, The New York Times, has a slightly less doomsday scenario report on Love Never Dies, with Patick Healy avoiding any mention of rebooted productions, but confirming that both director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell have ditched the dying production.
While a spokesman for the production said on Tuesday that “Love Never Dies” was still set for the Neil Simon Theater in the spring, the director and choreographer of the show in London, Jack O’Brien and Jerry Mitchell, who were expected to work on the Broadway version, have left the production to focus on their new musical “Catch Me If You Can,” according to two Broadway producers who are not involved with either show, but have spoken with the men.
It is a shame to hear that this much hyped sequel to Phantom will not be coming to Broadway, as it wasn’t completely without merit. I had made a special trip out to London shortly after the production opened to catch it on the West End, and while I agree that the book was a bit sloppy, I would never have thought it needed a complete reboot. However, the score does remain the best part of the musical, so at least there is a positive note to the entire debacle, seeing how Lloyd Webber seems insistent that he will keep the music alive, albeit with a different physical production. Sequels rarely work on the silver screen, but it would be fun to see a successful follow-up on Broadway. Those rare creatures haven’t fared too well over the years, either.
Until then, I’ll keep my Love Never Dies cast recording in iTunes and playback a few of the melodies every now and again. This has inspired me to revisit Phantom here on Broadway. Perhaps it will do the same to other theater-lovers. It was, after all, my first exposure to the Broadway stage. Nothing like having Michael Crawford donning a phantom mask setting you on a course for a life associated with Broadway.
Hollywood stars coming to Broadway continues to be a talking point in many theatrical circles, but what about the A-list theatrical talent making the rounds in and around Times Square? Sutton Foster is one of those Broadway stars that haven’t had success up on the silver screen, but when it comes to the live stage, they are top performers.
From her breakthrough turn in Thoroughly Modern Millie to showboat roles in The Drowsy Chaperone and Young Frankenstein, Foster has been topping theater marquees for most of the decade. She was the only reason to bother seeing the DreamWorks juggernaut Shrek the Musical and will be tackling a role first made famous by Ethel Merman in 1934 when she steps into the rival of Anything Goes next year.
For the moment, however, Foster is bringing her non-Hollywood A-list acting credibility to Off-Broadway’s Trust, a new comedy playing Second Stage, and co-starring Bobby Cannavale, Ari Graynor, and television star Zach Braff. The latter actor was notably absent the night I attended, giving a non-Hollywood feel to the show. Unfortunately, without Braff’s novelty casting, the production showed its true colors, a thin plot veiled by titillating scenarios and casting.
I imagine Braff turns in a capable performance when he isn’t out of the show, just as his sturdy understudy, Charles Socarides, did when I saw Trust. Imagine if a nebbish Woody Allen character, circa 1980, met a modern day Internet millionaire. With “The Social Network” headed to cinema screens soon, the idea of seeing a rich thirtysomething bored with his multi-millionaire lifestyle is nothing new. In fact, little about Trust feels new, other than seeing Foster in leather and carrying a whip.
However, while Foster’s role is unlike any she has performed, the only thing she has to stretch are her legs. There might be some promise in the idea that spurned Paul Weitz to write this four-character play, but writers like David Mamet and Neil LaBute have handled similar works with near perfection. The theatre scene isn’t wanting for a tired swear-filled sexcapade. Weitz topped out in that genre with his direction of the film “American Pie.”
Cannavale plays revolting well as Foster’s thuggish boyfriend, taken to shaking down Braff’s character for money – guess it isn’t easy being an Internet millionaire – but nothing shocks as it should. He looks like he’ll knock your block off for looking at him the wrong way, so of course, he grabs the rich kid by the neck and threatens to “bring the hammer down.” Such dialogue should be left off the stage.
On the other hand, bringing a younger, near-hipster energy to the stage is admirable, and perhaps Weitz can go back to the writing room and further craft the idea. There are plenty of young adults, some who grew up on “Scrubs,” that are dying for relevant plays. It would be best if the most touted attempts don’t disappoint as Trust does. Foster proves the only real reason to catch this play at Second Stage before it closes September 12.
Breaking into show business can be a monumental task for entertainers, but as sites like YouTube provide unknown creative types with an outlet, and millions of viewers, the road to stardom is quickly being repaved. Now, people like Justin Bieber can skyrocket to superstardom by creating a homemade video presence online, showcasing their musical talent. But, what if that talent was the ability to sing horribly off key?
Colleen Ballinger has stumbled across a unique path to fame, thanks to Miranda, a zany tone-deaf character the 23-year-old California native created three years ago. What began as a mockery of YouTube musicians has turned into a career opportunity with global appeal.
“I had begun by posting some videos of my own performances, and then I started seeing these links from girls who would sit in their bedroom and sing into the camera,” Colleen recalled while sitting in a café on New York’s Upper West Side. “I thought it was so stupid, because I didn’t think anybody got famous off of YouTube.”
Looking like a modern day Roseanne Roseannadanna, mixed with a little Tony Clifton for annoying measure, Miranda is a deluded character that takes to YouTube videos and sings horrendously, much like those rejects on “American Idol” audition episodes.
Miranda videos were meant to be an inside joke between Colleen’s friends – the classically trained singer used to stay off pitch in college choir classes just to annoy her classmates – but a year and a half after she uploaded her first video, they went viral.
Her view count on YouTube shot up by nearly 70,000 in a matter of days, leading to some overwhelming attention. “I was terrified when it went viral, because I didn’t know what to do with it,” Colleen said. The Miranda videos now get anywhere from 30,000 to more than 1 million views.
Seeing as there is no manual for creating a career out of viral videos, Colleen opted to go it alone, acting as her own manager for the first 9 months. “I was trying to do contracts, and I was making mistakes and getting screwed over a lot,” she said, before admitting that she now has a professional manager for Miranda.
Three years later, and Colleen has brought her Miranda character to the Broadway stage – she was invited by the cast of Mamma Mia! to perform alongside them at Broadway’s Easter Bonnet competition – and around the world, as live Miranda shows have taken place in London, Australia and next month, Ireland.
“The fact that I went from making a minute-and-a-half video in my bedroom to doing an hour-and-a-half live show is just crazy,” Colleen said. Her first live performance took place at Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, a weekly show at New York’s Birdland, popular amongst Broadway performers. “Jim reached out to me on email shortly after the Miranda videos went viral, and he’s now one of my dearest friends.”
The Broadway community has since rallied behind Miranda, with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical In the Heights, collaborating with Colleen on a recent YouTube video and various theater stars performing with her on stage.
Despite millions of views on YouTube and Broadway in her corner, not everyone is familiar with Miranda or Colleen. She jokingly remembered a recent live performance that was filled with season ticket holders, rather than fans. “We’re talking 65 to 80 year olds who don’t own a computer. They were very confused and appalled. I had a lot of senior citizens walking out.”
But younger demographics are keyed in to what Colleen is up to, especially after Miley Cyrus linked to a Miranda video on Twitter. Colleen returned the favor in true Miranda fashion, but producing a horrendous homage of “Party in the U.S.A.” And that Miranda fashion includes poor visual choices, all done with sloppy precision. “Miranda is extremely tacky,” Colleen said. “I personally want to edit my videos well, but I have to keep Miranda’s character in mind, so there are bad angles, flashy cuts and sparkles everywhere.” And since breaking out of YouTube and taking to live performances, Colleen has decided not to bother upgrading any of her video or editing equipment. “Miranda is way too cheap to buy a new camera,” she joked.
Unlike her YouTube counterparts — top video personalities include the likes of Shane Dawson, Philip DeFranco and Lucas Cruikshank — Colleen’s videos aren’t eligible for the site’s lucrative partnership program. A recent TubeMogul study estimates that the most popular YouTube creators are earning hundreds of thousands of dollars through the site as uploaders with a certain amount of views get to profit share off of the ads running along with their videos. However, because Miranda’s videos feature the character singing other people’s songs, Colleen can’t earn money off of them, due to copyright issues.
With no examples to follow, Colleen continues to figure things out as she goes. “The balance is till on its way,” Colleen said. “Miranda is still the thing that is getting me work. When I’m in New York, I am going out on auditions as myself, but it has been hard, up until now, to do my own stuff.”
One man. A 20-member band. A single piano. And a Broadway stage. Quite a potent combination when that man happens to be Harry Connick Jr. The smooth singing star wrapped up a short concert run at the Neil Simon Theater this past weekend, with cameras rolling for a future release.
Broadway has been full of popular singers, albeit those “singers” have been coming from such hack talent pools as “American Idol,” yet none have really matched the presence of Connick. He might be a movie star, but he’s a singer first and foremost, and that kind of combination screams musical theater actor. Less Hollywood actors mugging for the stage and more Connick crooning would suit the upcoming Broadway season well.
Instead of an acting role, this latest turn on the stage was an extended run of “Harry Connick, Jr. in Concert on Broadway,” a special event that took place a decade after his last concert run at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. What this return to the theater community proved is that the 42-year-old talent has charisma that gets audiences swaying, not only for his looks and charm but the ability to put a signature sound on the evenings music numbers.
There are stories of Frank Loesser having it out with Frank Sinatra during the filming of MGM’s “Guys and Dolls” — Loesser had no patience for Sinatra’s changing the tempo of his iconic Broadway melodies. But, Connick’s liberties taken during two songs from the “perfect musical” fit the bill with ease. There were a handful of Broadway songs mixed in with Connick’s setlist — fitting for his return to the Rialto — and it reminded of his stage presence. The last revival of “The Pajama Game” on Broadway was a smash, due in part to Connick’s performance.
Music from shows including the Loesser classic, Connick’s own tuner “Thou Shalt Not” – he composed the music – and “The Pajama Game” mixed with standards during the first half of the evening, but things stayed pretty low-key until the energy of New Orleans swept across the Neil Simon stage. When the curtain came up on the second act, Connick exploded like a bright light, obviously full of love for his hometown.
The insanely talented Lucien Barbarin, a jazz trombonist, joined Connick on stage during this love letter to New Orleans, and it felt like the audience was immediately transported to Mardi Gras. Besides craving some jambalaya and crawfish, this turn of music got me thinking about a possible future on Broadway for Connick.
Connick has proven he can act. The boy sure can sing. And he bleeds New Orleans. So, why doesn’t some smart team create a show surrounding the Louisiana locale and the jazz scene? That would be another potent combination. Time to put your thinking hats on, Broadway producers.
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” a film that set the standard for not just animation, but for the art of musical storytelling, garnered such critical praise in its initial theatrical release that it received multiple Academy Award nominations. Had Walt Disney been alive, he would have surely been proud — the founding father of Walt Disney Studios had spent much of his career fighting for the recognition of animated films within the Hollywood establishment.
“Beauty and the Beast,” the title track from the soundtrack, was the brainchild of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and it won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Menken’s score took home the top honor that night as well. This animated masterpiece even got nominated for Best Picture — it lost out to “The Silence of the Lambs.”
With such a glowing history, and as one of Disney’s crown jewels, why would the studio now decide to re-release “Beauty and the Beast” in 3D? Sure, Disney’s theatrical history is built on the concept of re-releasing an animated classic into the movie houses every few years. However, 3D is already overused, and has some analysts speculating that the visual technology is losing steam, fast.
Following the triumphant return to animation glory with “The Little Mermaid,” Disney proved this type of moviemaking was worth fighting for, like Walt had done all those years ago. Thank then wunderkind Jeffrey Katzenberg for figuring out a way to jolt the animation department back to life. What happened between then and now to see Disney pander to 3D fans?
Perhaps Pixar is to blame. The once independent computer animation house, now back at Disney, has made a lot of money producing 3D animated features, including the critically praised “Up” and “Toy Story 3.” Those films, however, are not in the vein of hand-drawn animation, an art that has nearly faded into the annals of moviemaking history. “Beauty and the Beast” was an example of how such artistry can still dazzle.
In Roger Ebert’s original review of “Beauty and the Beast,” he noted that the film “reaches back to an older and healthier Hollywood tradition in which the best writers, musicians and filmmakers are gathered for a project on the assumption that a family audience deserves great entertainment, too.” The lauded critic has recently been attacking 3D technology. One can only imagine how he will react, if at all, to Disney retrofitting such a glorious film to use that annoying technology.
Would Walt have been on board with such a shift? He was notoriously unhappy with all of his animated features, always trying to find ways to fix something up until the last possible moment. He even managed to correct sloppy animation in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” before it got a wide release. But, Walt was working towards perfection, not adopting the latest trend. He broke new ground, as opposed to following the herd. Had he not, the concept of a feature length animated film might have never become reality. Hopefully, 3D will be a short-lived trend, and it is worrisome to see Disney turning its classic films into trendy bits of entertainment.
Remember those Pace Picante Sauce television commercials that ran throughout the 1980s. “This stuff is made in New York City,” a comical cowboy would say with horror after picking up a jar of salsa. A chorus of outraged cowboys would always follow that quip, screaming “New York City!” Before moving to New York City, I basically envisioned that same mindset coming from the trendy Manhattan social scene when the thought of country music came up. “This song is made way down south,” a twenty-something would say as a toe-tapping tune came over the club speakers. “Way down south,” the whole dancing mob would shudder in unison. Country western music just didn’t seem like a likely fit for the Big Apple.
All of that changed when Lincoln Center’s annual Midsummer Night Swing imported The Time Jumpers, a group of well-respected western musicians from Nashville that are nearly the only ones left keeping Western Swing music alive. To see this old fashioned bunch of artists take the outdoor stage at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park was quite a unique experience. New Yorkers gathered around the stage, decked out in cowboy boots and hats, ready to do some two stepping on the specially designed dance floor.
“The Time Jumpers only play a couple road dates a year,” Ranger Doug Green told me while we chatted backstage before the performance. When not playing with this group, Green keeps busy as the lead singer of an equally impressive western band, Riders in the Sky. The fact that Green and his band-mates agreed to play New York City put a smile on his face. “It’s the most exciting town on Earth and we have a great turn out.”
Green, a self-professed music historian, reminisced about the seeming lost art of Western Swing, pinning the original style to musician Bob Willis. “Back in the 1930s, [Willis] took the fiddle music he grew up with and mixed it with Benny Goodman which he was hearing on the radio and mixed the two together.” While that sound dropped off the pop culture radar when rock music swept the scene in the 1950s, Green beams with pride, asserting that the Time Jumpers are keeping it alive. Continue reading Bringing Country Music to Lincoln Center
David Mamet, the often cantankerous playwright and director, has been playing the book circuit while promoting his new page turner, Theatre. He made an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s Comedy Central show last night, telling the comedian that theatre is dead. Dead because Broadway is basically producing nothing but revivals of plays that weren’t funny 40 years ago.
Of course, Mamet makes sure to tout his latest Broadway contribution, Race, currently playing in New York City through August 21, 2010. While shows like Lend Me a Tenor and Promises, Promises ring true to his theory that only unfunny plays are being staged on Broadway, he failed to mention the touchingly funny Next Fall or stirring Red as worthy theatrical offerings that are still up-and-running. Mamet should have used his short moment on national television to attack Broadway’s insistence on inserting Hollywood actors in plays. But, of course, Mamet himself has been feeding that frenzy with his last two productions, Race and Oleanna, both of which were star magnets.
Broadway actor Hunter Foster has picked up that more worthy fight with the creation of a Facebook group titled “Give the Tonys Back to Broadway!!,” which sets out to urge the Tony Awards producers to allow “those artists who have made theatre their livelihood to take a more active part in its yearly presentation.” The group has more than 3,362 members at the time of writing this article.
“I want to draft a letter and start a petition to send to the Tony committee. Lets make a difference!” Foster said in an email.
If the Broadway community could combine the sentiments of both Mamet and Foster, perhaps the next few years could be prosperous not just to the pocket books of theatrical producers but to the art form itself. Watering town Broadway with unfunny revivals and star-studded productions spells disaster for all those that call live theatre home.
Update per Engadget.com: We’re told this isn’t actually the Sam Mendes video calling ad, but rather an Apple promo video produced internally. We’ll just have to wait and see if Mendes can top these heartwrenching images of American beauty with his ad.
Steve Jobs, the visionary behind Apple’s magic gadgets, descended on San Francisco today to introduce the iPhone 4 to press and technology geeks at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2010.
As everyone cheered for Jobs and his interactive presentation, including a sneak peak at iMovie for the iPhone — the phone will be able to shoot in 720p HD video, which can then be edited in the new app — and front-camera video chatting through the use of “FaceTime.”
Allowing users to video chat via WiFi is a feature many people knew was in the pipeline, so its introduction wasn’t a major revelation, however, along with the feature demonstration was the premiere of a video commercial that director Sam Mendes created for Apple.
Mendes, the Hollywood director behind the cult-classic “American Beauty” and Broadway’s revival of “Cabaret,” helmed a spot for the iPhone 4 and used some touching scenarios to show how powerful “FaceTime” is. With Louis Armstrong playing in the background, the Mendes commercial shows a father chatting with his wife and baby, a mother-to-be broadcasting a sonogram to her military husband and a deaf couple using sign language. Cue the heartstrings.
One man. A 20-member band. A single piano. And a Broadway stage. Quite a potent combination when that man happens to be 
Remember those Pace Picante Sauce 
