Archive for December, 2006
Photo Tease: Man on Wall
December 28, 2006 1:36 am
Even a show fan can wind up on the wall at Sardi’s! Actually, Bob Martin is far more than his lovable character in The Drowsy Chaperone. He’s a Tony winner, a leading man, a Broadway star… and now he’s a part of theater district history! Congrats, Bob! Photo by Bruce Glikas for Broadway.com
Seacrest Out… On the Stem
December 27, 2006 9:17 pmRyan Seacrest, who will be rockin’ with Dick Clark in Times Square for New Year’s Eve on Sunday and hosting Season Six (!!) of American Idol on Fox a few weeks later, still has time for Broadway. In fact, he was spotted in the district tonight by Broadway.com photographer Bruce Glikas, posing for fans outside of a performance of The Producers.
Maybe he’s considering a stint in the show as Carmen Ghia?
Talk about Seacrest out!
Video Extra: Effie, The Early Years
December 23, 2006 1:19 am
There’s Now that Dreamgirls is finally landing in theaters across the country on Christmas Day, I’ve decided to unearth some never-before-seen Broadway.com video of movie standout Jennifer Hudson that I think many of you will get a kick out of.
But first, some background. The date was September 20, 2004. The place was John’s Pizzeria in the theater district. In between stops on the American Idol tour, then 22-year-old Hudson had just sang on a Broadway stage for the very first time, performing “Easy to Be Hard” as part of the Actors’ Fund of America benefit concert of Hair. (Click here to check out our original video feature on the event, featuring live footage of Hudson.)
After being slightly obsessed with her on American Idol the previous spring, I was meeting her for the first time. A few days earlier I had interviewed her on the phone for my old column on Broadway.com, at which point she had confessed to me that she didn’t really understand all of the motivation behind “Easy to Be Hard.” I tried to help her as much as I could, telling her about the characters in Hair and trying to remember what prompts Sheila to sing the song. She was very sweet and open to any input, at which point I told her what song she SHOULD be learning: “And I Am Telling You (I’m Not Going).”
Astute Broadway.com readers will remember that I first mentioned that Hudson was the perfect Effie Melody White in my March 17, 2004 column: “What’s truly stellar about this year’s line-up are the black divas—put LaToya London in as Deena, Fantasia Barrino as Lorell and the underappreciated Jennifer Hudson as Effie and you’ve got a killer Dreamgirls trio. And I am telling you they’d be amazing!” Then, I opened my September 17, 2004 column right before the Hair concert by saying: “If American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson ever gets the chance to wail out ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ on Broadway and she turns out to be flawless, don’t say I didn’t tell you.”
Which brings us to the above video. In true Effie fashion, Hudson lists the reasons why the powers that be should let her play the part and goes so far as to belt out a piece of THE SONG right in the middle of the restaurant for our camera. With the help of Broadway.com photographer Bruce Glikas, I was also able to introduce Hudson to Dreamgirls composer Henry Krieger on camera, a first meeting over a year prior to Hudson actually landing the role in the film. (Funny that they both might win Oscars now for their Dreamgirls collaboration!) Speaking of irony, now-glamour-girl Hudson also talks about how she’s done with the straightened hair American Idol gave her half-way through her time on the show, saying that a big frizzy ‘fro is the only way to go and talks about how she didn’t like a photo I used on my column because her bad eyelash application made her look like she was cross-eyed.
Anyway, enjoy the video… and go see Dreamgirls! To my delight, I was right—she IS an amazing Effie! 
Congrats, JHud!
Watch This! Chorus Line Cuties Spread Cheer
December 22, 2006 11:17 pm
Four of my favorite gals from A Chorus Line have joined forces to spread a little holiday cheer on Christmas morning. Get up early and tune into ABC’s Good Morning America from 7 to 9am to see (left to right, above) Heather Parcells, Yuka Takara, Mara Davi and Chryssie Whitehead croon out “O Come All Ye Faithful” in the style of the Andrews Sisters! Also be sure to check out Heather’s photos of all the holiday spirit backstage at the hit Broadway show.
Quoted: Me!
4:20 pm
There’s a great article by Susan Wloszczyna in USA Today about the history and legend of “And I Am Telling You (I’m Not Going)” from Dreamgirls, just as the movie is about to be released wide on Christmas Day. Waxing nostalgic on the song in the piece are Jennifer Hudson, about to become the darling of this year’s Oscar race, leading lady Beyonce Knowles, composer Henry Krieger, director Bill Condon, producer Laurence Mark… Oh, and me. Check it out. And I am telling you I’ve got more to say (and show) on Hudson later in the day. Sit tight. It’s worth it!
London’s Elphaba #2 Flies In
11:26 am
Next week, Idina Menzel wraps up her run in London’s Wicked, which has brought the exact same stage door madness that became commonplace during her run in the Broadway production. Riding her broom starting in the new year will be West End regular Kerry Ellis, who looks quite lovely as a green girl if you ask me. Click here to see more photos of her as Elphaba over at Theatre.com.
A Very Drowsy Christmas
December 21, 2006 10:24 pm
We had the idea last week to ask a handful of Broadway stars to document how the holidays have invaded their backstage lives and our first participant has come through with a terrific Photo Op. Then again, did we expect anything less from the dry, delightful Bob Martin of The Drowsy Chaperone? Click here to see how festive this very happy Broadway family is these days. At left is Bob’s own Christmas tree, which features one ornament. Check out his photos to find out what the ornament is!
Photo Tease: Along Came Tony
December 20, 2006 1:13 amBroadway’s The Producers got an extra dose of star power last night, when sitcom fave (and recent talk show host) Tony Danza took over the role of Max Bialystock, making his musical theater debut on the Great White Way. Joining him as partner-in-crime Leo Bloom is show veteran Roger Bart. Broadway.com’s Bruce Glikas caught the opening night bows.
Danza & Bart as Broadway’s favorite conmen.
Current Producers stars Brad Musgrove (Carmen Ghia), Lee Roy Reams (Roger DeBris), Danza, Bart, Angie Schworer (Ulla) and Bill Nolte (Franz Liebkind).
How’d I do?
Photo Tease: Rosie Becomes a Godmom
December 19, 2006 2:48 amBroadway fan Rosie O’Donnell became a godmother this weekend–to a 93,500 ton cruise ship! The hostess with the mostess these days over at The View headed down to Miami on Friday to board the newest ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet: the Norwegian Pearl. She took the ship out to sea for a one-night-only cruise to benefit Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation (click for more info), complete with a big show in the Stardust Theater. Want to hear why this is the perfect ship for O’Donnell to stake claim on? It’s the first of NCL’s fleet to have its own bowling alley! Is that perfect or what? Photos by Bruce Glikas for Broadway.com
We’re gonna score tonight! Rosie checks out the lanes. (Hey, are those regulation shoes?!)
Rosie and girlfriend Kelli O’Donnell, whose R Family Vacations takes gay families and their friends out on NCL ships. (Next up is a Caribbean cruise out of Miami featuring Gloria Estefan!)
Rosie gets into the holiday spirit as she kicks off the evening’s variety show.
Rosie gets her kicks with a line-up of Broadway boys.
Rosie and the evening’s Broadway all-stars: Michael Arden, Nancy Opel, Ledisi and Emily Skinner.
The full company of the variety show in costumes by longtime Rosie friend and collaborator Bobby Pearce.
Another longtime friend and collaborator: musical director Seth Rudetsky, fresh from playing the lead in Torch Song Trilogy at the Gallery Players in Brooklyn.
Here She Is
December 18, 2006 11:50 am
Some good news I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about this but two weeks ago, I was fortunate to witness the birth of a new show that you’ll all be standing and cheering for at some place and time in the future. The centerpiece of the evening was the very-worthy Sherie Rene Scott, taking a night off from motherhood (to son Eli) and divadom (prepping for a will-be-announced-someday new gig) to tell a little something about her life, perform a few magic tricks and sing a handful of songs, sometimes even sounding eerily like Garland. But that makes the show sound like any old cabaret show, which this most definitely is not. Shaped with care by Dick Scanlan (at left with Scott), the Tony-nominated librettist of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Scott’s act is an original and a real emotional journey that deftly turns from slyly raunchy to surprisingly touching at the drop of a hat. Without giving away too much, let me just say that this blonde bombshell’s got unique style, a great story to tell and those incredible pipes that came to such good use in Aida and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Keep your eye out for this one down the road and don’t you dare miss it next time.
Sherie Rene Scott performed at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center as part of their new In Concert series. Next up on January 29 is Douglas Sills, Todd Murray and Sally Wilfert. On March 19, Alison Fraser and Michael Rupert will appear. For more info, visit the Center’s website.
Stage Notes
