The buzz surrounding this show has been building in the Broadway community since it was announced NBC had picked up the show for a mid-season premiere. After watching the first episode I can safely say this show is going to be amazing.

When Fox’s GLEE originally premiered theatre fans were looking to the show to bring a slice of Broadway into their homes each week. As time went on it was obvious that GLEE lacks the weekly Broadway fix many were looking for. Where GLEE lacks Broadway power SMASH delivers in spades.

SMASH takes on a behind the scenes look at the launch of a new Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. We’re taken on the same journey the creative team of a Broadway bound musical takes from initial concept, to casting, to finding finical backers to opening night.  You don’t have to be a theatre geek to enjoy the show. Although, if you are a theatre geek you’ll appreciate the inside jokes sprinkled throughout the show. Michael Riedel anyone?

The casting for this show is superb. Debra Messing (Will & Grace), Christian Borle (Broadway’s Legally Blonde: The Musical), Katherine McPhee (American Idol), Jack Davenport (BBC’s The Real Jane Austen), Megan Hilty (Broadway’s Wicked and 9 to 5: The Musical), Anjelica Huston (HBO’s Iron Jawed Angels), Brian d’Arcy James (Broadway’s Shrek and Next to Normal). And that’s just the regular cast. The guest stars already confirmed to make an appearance look like a who’s who of the Broadway world… Nick Adams (Broadway’s Priscilla Queen of the Desert, A Chorus Line, La Cage Aux Folles), Norbert Leo Butz (Broadway’s Catch Me If You Can, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Will Chase (Broadway’s RENT, Aida, Billy Elliot), Wesley Taylor (Broadway’sRock of Ages and The Addams Family).

Overall, the first episode makes this series very promising. Earlier this month NBC screened the show for audiences in several cities across the country and I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from those lucky enough to attend. After personally seeing the pilot myself, I know this show will be fantastic.

As they say in the theatre here’s to SMASH breaking legs and having a long successful run.

On February 6 NBC will premiere the new musical television series, Smash.  The series will follow a group who comes together to put on a Broadway musical based on Marilyn Monroe’s life.   The cast features a number of Broadway stars, which I love, such as Brian D’Arcy James (Shrek, The Wild Party, The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Christian Borle (Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, Spamalot), Megan Hilty (9 to 5: The Musical, Wicked), Will Chase (Rent, Miss Saigon, Aida, Billy Elliot), and Wesley Taylor (Rock of Ages, The Addams Family).  The show will also feature Debra Messing, Catharine McPhee, Jack Davenport, Anjelica Huston, and Uma Thurman.  The show will feature original music by composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman, who worked together on Broadway’s Hairspray (one of my favorites!) and Catch Me If You Can.

Photo Credit: Lostinreviews.com

Based on the cast and composers, it looks like it’ll be a good show and could become a competitor for Glee.  Smash was even one of the eight honorees of the “Most Exciting New Series” award at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards in June 2011, which was voted by the journalists who have seen the pilot episodes of various new series.  NBC, for one, is really hoping for this series to do well with audiences since the network reportedly put $7.5 million into producing the show’s pilot.

Along similar lines, NBC is promoting musical theatre in schools through it’s initiative the Make a Musical project to launch a number of programs across the country, Bloomberg Businessweek reported.  On the project, which is also called the Junior Theater Project, NBC is joined by iTheatrics, a nonprofit that adapts musicals for school productions and provides tools for teacher training.

The Make a Musical project is beginning with funding 20 pilot programs in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Houston, Nashville, and Seattle, with the specific schools being announced on January 15.  NBC said it hopes to begin another 180 programs in the fall of 2012 and to aim for 1,000 schools by 2014.  NBC has not released any specific numbers regarding the amount of funding they will be allocating to the project.

This initiative sounds wonderful to someone who was very involved with musical theatre in middle school and high school.  I just wonder if NBC is honestly concerned with promoting the arts or if it is just trying to advertise it’s new show.  NBC has even said that a goal of the Make a Musical project is to “celebrate” the upcoming premiere of Smash.  So does NBC care about the kids or about their ratings?  Are they just trying to hop on the Glee bandwagon, which is already popular among young students and adults?

]]> http://pakhipakhi.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/a-brand-new-musical-adaptation-in-the-city-tales-of-the-city/ Mon, 18 Jul 2011 02:43:14 +0000 pakhipakhi http://pakhipakhi.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/a-brand-new-musical-adaptation-in-the-city-tales-of-the-city/ http://nyibelieve.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/the-performance/ Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:35:00 +0000 ejidk http://nyibelieve.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/the-performance/ >Oh my goodness, the latest episode of Billy Green was amazing! The Mama Who Bore Me/I’ve Got A Feeling/Baby mash-up was perfect, and the choreography was unbelievable! As if that isn’t enough, Kristin Chenoweth reprises her role as a judge on ‘And So You Think America Has Talented Idols‘. My favourite quote was, “You know what? If you can be the best hair cutter, if you like hair – go cut it… Don’t let anybody destroy your dreams – singing is not it, though.” So cute!

The newest episode of Billy Green from Rock of Ages Productions is hilarious, just like all the rest, but I love this idea of just going to the stage door and getting on the other side of the gate to get another kind of experience. It sounds like a good idea, if you ask me. It’s also great to see Billy Green (played by Wesley Taylor) interacting with stars of Broadway shows including In The Heights, The Addams Family (which he is apart of himself) and American Idiot. Gotta love him.

I’m not sure if I’ve talked about this webseries before, but I love it – especially the Billy Green webisodes. After my vacation this summer, I came back to find another episode in my YouTube inbox that features Next to Normal actor, Kyle Dean Massey! He has a small part, but you can check that one out here.

According to press notes, “A Dog’s Tale (or The Thing About Getting)” is a gripping tale of a young professional at a critical moment in his life, explores the overwhelming human drive for success and the disaster of achieving it.”

Through sharp-witted dialogue and a series of flashbacks, five characters are forced to face their retaltionship with the ever-impending tomorrow.”

If you want to join in on the fun and watch along, you can find my playlist for tonight here or watch it below. It’s missing a few songs that I compiled myself or recorded at the Fleet Week concert that I went to in New York, but I’ll tell you when I add those later. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/p/23F940AFE54DFC57&hl=en_GB&fs=1

I’d much rather share my trip in person, and it would be so hard to tell you everything I did in a blog post. But here are some of my favourite things that I did while I was in the city. I had a really hard time narrowing it down, and this doesn’t include restaurants, either. I have to say – it really was a great idea asking actors from New York where their favourite places to eat were. They don’t have a huge income, but they have to eat in NYC, so EVERYWHERE that we went was fantastic! The food was amazing everywhere, so a huge thank you to them!
The first glimpses of the New York skyline from our airplane was when it really sunk in. I couldn’t believe that NYC was a real place! It’s not just a dream land! It’s real! The other thing I noticed? People in New York are so nice! I’d always heard that New Yorkers don’t like tourists very much and aren’t very friendly, but it is completely the opposite. I felt welcomed from the moment I stepped off of the plane, and there was a big sign in the grass that read, ‘Welcome to New York’!

In the Times Square Visitors Centre, there was this ‘wall of dreams’ where people would write down their dream for the New Year on a little coloured post-it. The post-its were all tacked to this wall, and it looked really beautiful. I think I want to make a wall of dreams for myself!

When we were in NYC, it was Fleet Week, so the place was filled with service men in uniforms! They had a special Broadway Fleet Week concert on Pier 38, so we went there on a whim, and it was one of my favourite parts of the trip! I had heard about it from some of the people from American Idiot and Hair who had tweeted about it, and I thought it would be pretty crowded. Nope! There were maybe only 50 people there, and some people passing by – we got front row at what seemed like a private concert! It was a really great experience. We caught the sound check and the actual performances, so we got to see it twice! Wesley Taylor and Krysta Rodriguez (Gossip Girl) were there from The Addams Family, the cast of Hair, the girls from American Idiot, the guys from Promises, Promises, the girls from Lend Me A Tenor, and the cast of Million Dollar Quartet. And… it was the first time I got to meet a celebrity – Ace Young!

The NBC studio tour was really good. I would definitely recommend it. We saw the studios for Brian Williams, msnbc, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Saturday Night Live. It was cool to see those spaces in person, but they look a lot different than they do on TV!

We went on the Gossip Girl tour with On Location Tours, and I would recommend one of those tours in a heartbeat! It was so good, and our tour guide, Kate, was excellent! We saw so many places from the show within the course of 3 hours, and we rode on a coach bus and watched clips from the places we were visiting. It was a really great way to check out the movie sights while also getting a great view of a huge part of the city!

I finally got to meet Kyle Riabko! You know how when you really like someone (and become obsessed with them like I do), and then they can turn out to be an egoistical, conceited type of a person? That’s not Kyle! He really is a normal person!

You may have heard of Ellen’s Stardust Diner with the singing waitstaff? (It was in The Battery’s Down!) This kind of thing never happens to me, but one of the waiters sang to me! They usually just walk around the room, but this guy sat beside me for the whole song! Kind of weird, but a cool experience!

The view from the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Centre) was amazing. We went there after Glee on Sunday night, so to see the city from above with all of the lights was really beautiful.

I loved Columbus Circle and Central Park! If I lived in New York, I would spend a lot of my time just sitting there. (This is not my picture because it would be really hard to capture the feel of it!)

Next to Normal was definitely my favourite show that I saw when I was there. I’ve wanted to see it forever, and again, there was no disappointment there. On the marquee it says, “it’s more than a feel good musical. It’s a feel everything musical.” I agree with that completely. It really is a different type of musical, but I’m going to put this out there and say that it’s the best show that I’ve ever seen. Kyle Dean was spectacular, and now I get what all the hype is about with Alice Ripley. She is one of the best actresses I have ever seen. Amazing. And I wasn’t at all disappointed with Brian D’Arcy James. I was disappointed when J. Robert Spencer was leaving Next to Normal and the man who originated the role off broadway was coming back, but I actually wonder if I would probably like Brian D’Arcy better than J. Robert! Here’s a couple of clips from the (new!) cast’s performance on Good Morning America. They actually did this when I was on the plane headed to New York! Let me tell you though, these clips don’t really capture the show very well. The staging is different, the lighting is different, the camera angles don’t always work too well, and the sound wasn’t perfect. However, it is the new cast, so it’s still great to see! I wish that they came out with a new cast recording every time there was a cast change in a Broadway show, because I would definitely buy this one!
http://abcnews.go.com/assets/player/walt2.6/flash/SFP_Walt.swf

http://abcnews.go.com/assets/player/walt2.6/flash/SFP_Walt.swf

A couple of days in, the people who I was travelling with wanted to find someplace with authentic New York cheesecake. They were kind of joking, but they said that maybe I could ask the ‘New York actors’ if they had any suggestions. So I sent out e-mails to people who live in New York, asking where the best cheesecake was. I was overwhelmed by how many replies I was getting back! Everyone who I had asked e-mailed me back within the next few hours! Jay Armstrong Johnson (Hair), Kyle Dean (Next to Normal), Tony Vincent (American Idiot), Jake Wilson, Julie Benko (Spring Awakening), Shaun Earl, and Benj Pasek all gave their suggestions for the best cheesecake in New York (and other suggestions of what to do in the city!) All but two of them said the exact same thing: Junior’s. The ones who didn’t say Junior’s didn’t really know of any place, but they actually did internet research or asked their friends for me! We went to Junior’s after seeing Next to Normal (it’s right next door) and once again, I can say that my ‘New York friends’ didn’t let me down. It was definitely the best cheesecake that I’ve ever had!

If you’ve been reading my blog at all, you probably know that I love Kyle Dean Massey. So, I think that that would be one of my most favourite parts of the trip. Like Kyle Riabko, he was definitely not a ‘shallow celebrity’. He was the last one to come out of the stage door, and he came out after Alice Ripley, so mostly everyone else had left! I guess they just wanted to meet Alice Ripley, and after that, they all left. It was just me and a couple of people who were still there when Kyle Dean came out. That was good though, because it meant that we had a lot of time to talk to him. Not that the actors at the other stage doors were rude or rushed us, but they were definitely a lot more laid back and took their time at Next to Normal. It really was more than I had expected it to be. (I know I look really bad in these pictures, but it was really hot, I got a sunburn, we had just finished biking in Central Park [who knew it was so hilly?!?!] and it was Kyle Dean.)

The funniest part of my trip? (Although some people may not think this is funny.) I left my passport on the plane and it travelled from NYC to Buffalo to Boston! I wish I could have gone with it! Thankfully, I didn’t need it to cross the border, and the person who found it was nice enough to give it to the airline instead of selling it to Nate’s dad, the Captain!

The only thing that got me through the plane ride home and leaving this amazing city was knowing that I’ll be going back. I’m starting to save up right now!

You may have noticed that some pictures seem to be missing. I’ve been back since Tuesday, and I’ve been trying and failing to upload my pictures. I’m not sure why, it just doesn’t want to work for me. So I decided that I would post this anyway, and when I figure out how to get the pictures to upload, I’ll share them then.

Kristen Stewart (www.kristenstewart.com)
Evie and Madeline Colbert (wife and daughter of Stephen Colbert, www.colbertnation.com)
Carrie Underwood (www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com)
Taylor Swift (www.taylorswift.com)
Gabrielle Union (www.imdb.com/name/nm0005517)
Tara Swennen (www.taraswennen.com/tara_swennen.html)
Danielle Panabaker (www.daniellepanabaker.com)
Vanessa Hudgens (www.vanessahudgens.silverback.sparkart.net)
Selena Gomez (www.selenagomez.com)
Ovie Mughelli (www.oviemughelli34.com)
Darius Rucker (www.dariusrucker.com)
Marcia Cross (www.imdb.com/name/nm0189220)
Chris O’Donnell (www.imdb.com/name/nm0000563)
Aaron Seltzer (www.imdb.com/name/nm0783536)
Orlando Jones (www.orlandojones.com/#home)
Kristin Hanggi (www.broadwayworld.com/people/Kristin_Hanggi)
Kerry Butler (www.kerrybutler.net)
James Carpinello (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Carpinello)
Adam Dannheisser (www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=37289)
Mitchell Jarvis (www.imdb.com/name/nm1976282)
Wesley Taylor (www.wesleytaylor.org)
Lauren Molina (www.laurenmolina.com/frontPage.do)
Tom Lenk (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Lenk)
Michael Minarik (www.michaelminarik.com)
Angel Reed (www.angelreed.net)
Jeremy Woodard (www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=478737)
Tad Wilson (www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/whoswho/biography/18334)
Ericka Hunter (www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/whoswho/biography/18331)
Becca Tobin (www.broadwayworld.com/people/Becca_Tobin)
Eric Sciotto (www.broadwayworld.com/people/?personid=10641)
]]> http://musicalcyberspace.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/photos-of-broadways-the-addams-family/ Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:25:03 +0000 David Fick http://musicalcyberspace.wordpress.com/2010/04/05/photos-of-broadways-the-addams-family/ The Addams Family opens on Broadway later this week, but here’s a gallery of production photographs by Joan Marcus featuring the cast of this new musical based on the creepy and kooky family created by Charles Addams.

Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth head up the cast as Gomez and Morticia, with Kevin Chamberlin as Uncle Fester, Jackie Hoffman as Grandma, Zachary James as Lurch, Adam Riegler as Pugsley, Krysta Rodriguez as Wednesday, Wesley Taylor as Lucas Beineke, Terrence Mann as Mal Beineke and Carolee Carmello as Alice Beineke.

The Addams Family has a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Directed and designed by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, with creative consulting by Jerry Zaks and choreography by Sergio Trujillo, the show will open at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre on 8 April.

Darius Rucker is an American musician from Charleston, South Carolina. He is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, of which he has been a member since the band’s foundation in 1986. In 2008, Rucker began a solo career in country music. Rucker has recorded two solo albums: Back to Then in 2002 on Hidden Beach Recordings, followed by Learn to Live in 2008 on Capitol Records Nashville. Its first three singles—”Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”, “It Won’t Be Like This for Long” and “Alright”—have all reached Number One on the US Hot Country Songs chart; the album itself has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Marcia Anne Cross is an American actress best known for her television roles as Bree Van de Kamp (later on, Bree Hodge) on Desperate Housewives and Dr. Kimberly Shaw on Melrose Place. Her filmography includes: The Edge of Night (1984) (TV), Liz Correll, Brass (1985), Victoria Willis, One Life to Live (1985-86) (TV), Kate Sanders, Tales From The Darkside (1986) (TV), Episode 44: Strange Love (vampire), The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James (1986) (TV), Sarah Hite, Almost Grown (1988-1989) (TV), Lesley Foley, Cheers (1989) (TV), Susan Howe, Bad Influence (1990), Ruth Fielding, Storm and Sorrow (1990) (TV), Marty Hoy, Knots Landing (1991-1992), Victoria Broyelard, Murder, She Wrote (1992), Marci Bowman, Ripple (1995), Ali, Melrose Place (1992-1997), Dr. Kimberly Shaw Mancini, Always Say Goodbye (1996), Anne Kidwell, Female Perversions (1996), Beth Stephens, All She Ever Wanted (1996) (TV), Rachel Stockman, Seinfeld (1997) (TV), Dr. Sara Sitarides, Target Earth (1998), Karen Mackaphe, Boy Meets World (1999) (TV), Rhiannon Lawrence, Topanga’s mother (4 episodes), Dancing in September (2000), Lydia Gleason, Profiler (2000), Living in Fear (2001), Rebecca Hausman, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (“Organ Grinder” episode; Season 2) (2001), Julia Fairmont, Eastwick (2002) (TV), Jane Spofford, King of Queens (2002), Debi – cameo appearance, Everwood (2003), Dr. Linda Abbott, The Wind Effect (2003), Molly, Desperate Housewives (2004–present), Bree Hodge. For her role in Desperate Housewives, Marcia received the following awards and nominations: 2005 Primetime Emmy Award (Outstanding Lead Actress – Comedy Series), 2007 Golden Globe Award (Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical), 2006 Golden Globe Award (Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical), 2005 Golden Globe Award (Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical), 2007 SAG Award (Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy series), 2006 SAG Award (Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series) WON, 2005 SAG Award (Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series) WON, 2005 Television Critics Association Award (Individual Achievement in Comedy), 2005 Satellite Award (Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy), 2006 Satellite Award (Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy) WON, 2007 Prism Award (Performance in a Comedy Series), and the 2005 Prism Award (Performance in a Comedy Series). Her additional achievements include: 2007 – Placed 100 on TV Guide & Entertainment Weekly’s “100 Greatest TV Icons” list, 2006 – Placed 91 on People Magazine’s “100 Most Beautiful People In The World” list, 2005 – Placed 20 on the E Channel’s “50 Most Wicked Women of Primetime” list for her character on Melrose Place, Dr. Kimberly Shaw, 2005 – Placed 28 on VH1′s “Hottest 40 People Over 40″ list, and 2005 – Named Most Beautiful Person at 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Christopher Eugene “Chris” O’Donnell is an American actor. He has played Robin in the Batman films, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, Charlie Simms in Scent of a Woman, Finn Dandridge in Grey’s Anatomy, and more recently, Jack McAuliffe in The Company. O’Donnell currently plays the role of Callen in the NCIS spin-off, NCIS: Los Angeles, which premiered in September of 2009. His films include: 1990 Men Don’t Leave Chris Macauley 1991 Fried Green Tomatoes Buddy Threadgoode 1992 School Ties Chris Reece Scent of a Woman Charlie Simms 1993 The Three Musketeers D’Artagnan 1994 Blue Sky Glenn Johnson 1995 Circle of Friends Jack Foley Mad Love Matt Leland Batman Forever Robin/Richard “Dick” Grayson 1996 The Chamber Adam Hall In Love and War Ernest ‘Ernie’ Hemingway 1997 Batman & Robin Robin/Richard “Dick” Grayson 1999 Cookie’s Fortune Jason Brown The Bachelor Jimmie Shannon 2000 Vertical Limit Peter Garrett 2002 29 Palms The Hitman 2003 The Practice Brad Stanfield TV series 2004 Kinsey Wardell Pomeroy Two And A Half Men Jill/Bill TV series 2005 The Sisters David Turzin Head Cases Jason Payne TV series 2007 Grey’s Anatomy Dr. Finn “McVet” Dandridge TV series The Company Jack McAuliffe TV miniseries 2008 Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Mr. Kittredge Max Payne Jason Colvin 2009 NCIS G. Callen Episode: “Legend (Parts 1 & 2)” 2009-present NCIS: Los Angeles TV series 2010 Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore Shane.

Aaron Seltzer is a Canadian born writer, director and producer. His writing credits include: Disaster Movie (2008), Meet the Spartans (2008), Epic Movie (2007), Scary Movie 4 (2006), Date Movie (2006), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Scary Movie 2 (2001), Scary Movie (2000), and Spy Hard (1996). His director credits include: Disaster Movie (2008), Meet the Spartans (2008), Epic Movie (2007), and Date Movie (2006). He was a producer of Disaster Movie (2008), Meet the Spartans (2008), and Epic Movie (2007).

Orlando Jones is an American comedian and film and television actor. He is notable for being one of the original cast members of the sketch comedy series MADtv and for his role as the 7 Up spokesman from 1999-2002. After Orlando left MADtv he began a successful film career. His movies include: 2009 The Vampire’s Assistant Alexander Ribs, 2007 Primeval Steve Johnson, 2007 I Think I Love My Wife Nelson (Not Credited), 2006 Looking for Sunday Einstein Steinberg, 2004 House of D Superfly, 2003 Runaway Jury Russell, 2003 Biker Boyz Soul Train, 2002 Drumline Dr. Lee, 2002 The Time Machine Vox, 2001 Evolution Prof. Harry Phineas Block, 2001 Say It Isn’t So Dig McCaffrey, 2001 Double Take Daryl Chase, 2000 Bedazzled Daniel/Dan/Danny, Esteban, Beach Jock, Lamar Garrett, Dr., 2000 Chain of Fools Miss Cocoa, 2000 The Replacements Clifford Franklin, 2000 From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter Ezra Traylor, 1999 Magnolia Worm, 1999 Liberty Heights Little Melvin, 1999 Office Space Steve, Magazine Salesman, 1999 New Jersey Turnpikes, 1999 Waterproof Natty Battle, 1998 Woo Sticky Fingas, 1997 In Harm’s Way Andre, 1997 Sour Grapes Bum.

Kristin Hanggi is an American theatre director who was nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for Rock of Ages, her Broadway debut. Prior to Rock of Ages, Hanggi directed Bare: A Pop Opera, which won the Ovation Award and the LA Weekly Award for Best Musical; the Los Angeles productions of Corpus Christi by Terrence McNally and All Men are Whores by David Mamet; and the American Conservatory Theater production of Anything with Mark Ruffalo. She was involved in the development of the Pussycat Dolls and directed them in their show at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood with guest appearances by Christina Applegate, Carmen Electra, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Brittany Murphy, Nikka Costa, and Charlize Theron.

Kerry Butler, born in Brooklyn, New York, is an American actress known primarily for her work in theatre. Her Broadway resume includes: Rock of Ages – Sherrie, 2009-2010; Xanadu – Clio/Kira, 2007-2008; Little Shop of Horrors – Audrey, 2003-2004; Hairspray – Penny Pingleton, 2002-2003; Les Misérables – Eponine, 1998-1999; Beauty and the Beast – Belle, 1995-1997; and, Blood Brothers – Ms. Jones, 1993. Kerry has also appeared in film, including: Second Honeymoon (CBS) – Jennifer Luckenbill; Borough of Kings [also known as Brooklyn Sonnet] (Lions Gate) – Anna Callahan; and, Campfire Stories (Independent) – Beatrice. Her television credits include: Cupid (ABC) – Debbie, 2009; 30 Rock (NBC) – Lyle, 2009; Lipstick Jungle (NBC) – Reese, 2008; One Life To Live (ABC) – Heather, 2000; Claudia Reston, 2006-2007; Hometown (CBS) – Patti; Another World (NBC) – Tina; Sesame Street (PBS) – Charlotte Camp, 2002; Crackle Box (PBS) – Tunie; Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders (Synd.) – Gwenevere. Kerry’s awards and nominations include: 2003 Outer Critics Circle for Outstanding Featured Actress, Hairspray Nominated; 2003 Drama Desk for Outstanding Featured Actress, Hairspray Nominated; 2003 Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Female Performance, Hairspray WINNER; 2004 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Little Shop of Horrors Nominated; 2008 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, Xanadu Nominated; 2008 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Xanadu Nominated.

James Carpinello is an American film, television, and Broadway actor who came to national attention with his appearances in Tori Spelling’s VH1 sitcom So NoTORIous. He is married to actress Amy Acker. James is currently starring as rocker Stacee Jaxx in the Broadway musical Rock of Ages at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. His films include: The Punisher (2004); and, The Great Raid (2005). His television credits include: Felicity (2000); Mr. Life (2001); and, So NoTORIous (2006). James has appeared in several Broadway hits including: Saturday Night Fever (1999); Xanadu (2007); and, Rock of Ages (2009).

Adam Dannheisser is an American film, television and Broadway actor. He holds an MFA from NYU. His Broad¬way credits include: Cymbeline, The Coast of Utopia, Proof, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest. He received an Ovation Award nomination for his work in the national tour of Contact. Adam’s Off-Broadway work includes: Henry V, Henry VIII, The Tempest, Macbeth; The Arabian Nights; The Blues Are Running. His regional theater work includes: Awake and Sing!, Safe in Hell, The Provok’d Wife, and Beast on the Moon. His film credits include: Down to Earth, A Price Above Rubies. Adam’s television credits include: “Law & Order,” “Brotherhood,” “Third Watch,” “Law & Order: CI,” “Sex and the City,” and “Mad About You.” Adam is presently appearing in the smash Broadway hit and Tony nominated musical, Rock of Ages.

Mitchell Jarvis is an American actor. His Broadway credits include Rock of Ages, nominated for a Tony Award, and Fiddler on the Roof. Mitchell’s television credits include Law and Order (2007-2009) and Midnight Clear (2005-2006).

Lauren Molina is currently performing the role of Regina in the Tony Award nominated musical, Rock of Ages. She is also known for her role as Johanna in John Doyle’s critically acclaimed Broadway Revival of Sweeny Todd. As part of Sweeny Todd’s international tour, she won a “Best Featured Actress” award from the Independent Reviewers of New England. She is also a singer/songwriter, releasing her first album in 2007, entitled “Doo-Be-Doo.” She is in the process of writing a children’s album. She can often be found singing in New York’s cabaret circuit. She has performed in various workshops and master classes along with Broadway composers, colleagues, and New York City Opera artists. She has also sung with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Thomas Loren “Tom” Lenk is an American stage and television actor best known for his recurring role as Andrew Wells in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. Lenk has also appeared in episodes of NBC’s Joey, House, Six Feet Under, Eli Stone and How I Met Your Mother. He has had small parts in the films Date Movie, The Number 23, and Transformers. Lenk currently appears in the Web series “Border Patrol,” which premiered in June 2008 on Atom.com. Lenk recently appeared as a guest star on Nip/Tuck. Besides acting, Lenk is a singer and playwright. He has toured with the European cast of Grease and has written three plays. He appeared in commercials for Pepsi Max in 2009. Lenk took over the role of Franz in the Broadway musical Rock of Ages on September 14 2009, having originated the role in the Las Vegas and Los Angeles productions in 2006.

Michael Minarik is an actor appearing in the Broadway hits Rock of Ages and Les Miserables. He has also appeared in regional productions of The Happy Time and Camelot. He appeared in the national tour of Little Women.

Angel Reed is an actor and dancer currently performing with Rock of Ages. With the cast of this show she has appeared on Conan O’Brien, Regis and Kelly, The Today Show, and The Tony Awards 09′ (w/Bret Michaels and Poison). She has appeared in commercials for Target, Wheat Thins and Hershey’s. Her television credits include That 70s Show and Eve. She was nominated for The 2009 Astaire Award for best female dancer on Broadway for her work in Rock of Ages. Other musical’s she’s performed with include: West Side Story at 5th Avenue, Chicago at the Hudson in LA, the Broadway National Tour of Saturday Night Fever, as well as the European USO Tour version.

Jeremy Woodard is an actor presently performing in the Tony Award nominated musical Rock of Ages. He also appeared in Glory Days and the national tour of Hairspray.

Tad Wilson is a Broadway actor currently appearing in Rock of Ages. He also appeared in the Off-Broadway production of Good News.

Ericka Hunter is an actor. Her Broadway credits include Rock of Ages, Flower Drum Song, and 42nd Street. Her other musicals include: Princesses (Goodspeed), The Lion King (Toronto), Damn Yankees (Reprise!), and Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Rockette). Her television credits include: “Grammy Awards” (Shakira), “Nickelodeon Awards” (Justin Timberlake), “Rescue Me,” “The Music Man” (ABC/Disney).

Becca Tobin made her Broadway debut in Rock of Ages. Her other theater credits include: West Side Story (tour), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (tour), High School Musical (Paper Mill Playhouse), Cats (TUTS), and Oklahoma! (TOTS).

Eric Sciotto is an actor. His Broadway credits include Rock of Ages, Stay-at-Home-Dad: The Musical!, Pal Joey, A Chorus Line, Cry-Baby, Sweet Charity, 42nd Street, Sweet Smell of Success, Aida and Annie Get Your Gun.

Robert Tatad is the assistant choreographer of Rock of Ages. He was the assistant choreographer of La Cage aux Folles (Broadway). His other assistant credits include Junie B. Jones (Off-Broadway), Kismet (Encores!), Anything Goes (Lincoln Center), Dreamgirls (national tour) and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Center Theatre Group). His performance credits with Broadway companies include Miss Saigon and Flower Drum Song.

Wesley Taylor is an actor. He currently performs in the Tony Award nominated musical Rock of Ages. Before joining the cast of Rock of Ages, Wesley was in the Broadway production of the Addams Family.

There are big big names associated with The Addams Family musical. It has a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa (UM grad). It is choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, and directed and designed by Phelim McDermott & Julian Crouch.

What, you ask? Who are these people? They are some of the most influential professional musical theatre leaders. Sergio choreographed Jersey Boys, Memphis, and Next to Normal. Marshall co-wrote Annie Hall, Sleeper, Manhattan and slew of other Woody Allen movies. Rick wrote Jersey Boys. Phelim and Julian designed and directed Shockheaded Peter and a slew of other international theatre hits. Andrew wrote The Wild Party, john & jen, and all the new songs for the revisal of Your a Good Man Charlie Brown.  This is a singularly sensational group of creators.

The show stars Bebe Neuwirth, Nathan Lane, Terrence Mann, Carolee Carmello, Kevin Chamberlin, Jackie Hoffman, Zachary james, Krysta Rodriguz, Adam Rieger, Wesley Taylor, and a 16 member ensemble. And they are great.

Nathan Lane plays the part of Nathan Lane as only Nathan Lane can. (He plays Gomez with a manic energy, a faux-Spanish accent that comes, goes, and reappears and comes closest to sounding spanish only in his pronunciation of words like “chorizos”). Bebe Neuwirth is a delectable Morticia, and shines in her “Second Banana” number at the top of the second act. She wears a dress that is hard to imagine how difficult it is to get into every evening. Terrence Mann plays straight-laced Mal Beineke, and Carolee Carmello his uptight wife, Alice (in a star-turning role). Jackie Hoffman is a hilarious Grandma, Krystal Rodriguez a wonderful Wednesday, Kevin Chamberlin as excellent an Uncle Fester as you could find, and Zachary James a simply astounding Lurch.

There isn’t much book to speak of: Wednesday (just turned 18) is in love with straight-laced friend from school Lucas (Wesley Taylor) and  is mortified to find that Morticia insists the two families meet for dinner. What follows is a knock-off of the basic storyline of La Cage aux Folles as the two families mix and mingle in the most peculiar of ways, each learning something from the other in the process.

The music here throughout is terrific, and Andrew has written wonderfully clever lyrics. Hopefully the sound system will be a bit clearer on Broadway than it was at times here. The set is remarkable — a series of walls, staircases, and surprisingly large open spaces that move, change, rearrange, and make up the crazy world that is the Addams household. The lighting is noteworthy – there is some very pretty stagework done here by Natasha Katz and her crew. Makeup, puppetry, costuming and special effects throughout are good.

Make no mistake here — this is a show filled with lunacy and lighthearted fun. The jokes come rapidly, and sometimes too quickly. Many of them fall flat. This is broad comedy, and it’s delivered and performed splendidly by this fine cast. There is much that is instantly familiar to watchers of the tv show and movies, but it does not stick to that formula — rather, it is composed of a series of vignettes, jokes, and scenes based on the cartoons of Charles Addams, and not intended in any way to resemble what is already known. Thing appears momentarily, and so does Cousin Itt, but they aren’t recurring characters.

Uncle Fester flies (twice!); Grandma curses up a storm; Pugsley creates mischief; Wednesday tortures her brother but is also intrigued by the big wide world out there for the taking; and Lurch makes you laugh in every scene he is in.

Does it need some work? A little. I am confident it will be fixed by the New York opening. The lightbulb in Fester’s mouth is great. When the ensemble echos it, it’s just stupid. That needs to be cut. Some of the jokes need to be fixed and just fall flat. Bebe needs to drop her character voice when singing and just sing. Nathan needs to be toned down a bit more, and someone needs to work with him on his Spanish accent, but I’m not sure he’s an actor amenable to a lot of coaching — at either rate, he needs to be reeled in a bit. Some of the ensemble need to be pulled back into the background a bit more and not dance in One while the leads are in One. The show itself never feels too slow, and is a breezy 2 1/2 hours, so it’s just right for an evening of Broadway entertainment. But it does need those jokes to be fixed.

But there are brilliantly creative moments here as well: a tassel falling off the act curtain and running away…Fester flying to the moon…well-staged sword-play, and some great surprises.

In short, I truly loved this musical. I saw it with two seasoned musical theatre fans, and they both loved it too. The Chicago media was split — The Sun Herald gave the show a 4-star rave. The Tribune a 2-star average rating. The New York media will most likely split on this as well — but one thing was clear: the audience adored the show. It got a rousing standing ovation for the cast, and people left the theatre in a great mood. And that is a very good thing in this poor political and financial climate. I’ve read a few blog entries where people either loved it or were indifferent to it as well — and I think that is how this one is going to play out. Another friend said that he was surprised I liked the show, his friends had walked out at intermission. Well let me tell you, I did not see one person leave at the sold-out snowy Sunday afternoon performance that we saw in Chicago. I saw a very happy audience that was positively abuzz with laughter during intermission and back in their seats ready to go for Act 2. I also saw a long line of frozen theatre goers waiting in the cancellation line for possible tickets for the performance. I smell a big fat hit. I am going to go out on a limb and say, this show is at a point in its development that it is already critic proof.

If you live in the regional area — see if you can get to The Addams Family — and go have a great time. It’s also generally family-friendly though it does skew to an adult audience. The full website for the show is here: http://www.theaddamsfamilymusical.com/

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UPDATED 12/29/09 — It has just been announced that Jerry Zaks will be brought in to review and fix the parts of the show that are not currently working! This is great new, and perhaps he will do a good job of reigning in Nathan Lane since they are buddies who have worked together before. For the NYT article, see this link:     http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/theater/29addams.html?ref=arts

And that’s the view from Ann Arbor today.

Below is my review along with some spoilers so if you want to be completely surprised by the musical, I wouldn’ t suggest reading this. Though, in reality, nothing I write in text really compares to seeing Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth on stage.  Also, please note that this musical is in previews (as has been pointed out in the comments) and so it is a work in progress still (I think that’s what it means) and so your experience may be even better than my own.  Enjoy.

ALL AFTER THE CUT.

The Premise.  The premise of the musical is that daughter Wednesday has fallen in love with a young man (Lucas) and he and his parents are coming over to the Addams Family home so everyone can meet. (I should note that Wednesday is 17 or 18 in the musical which is based on the actual Addams Family cartoon drawings, not the television show.)  Obviously, Wednesday is nervous about the impression her family will make and, obviously, they do not disappoint.   The young man’s parents are more uptight than Gomez and Morticia who each (separately) try to get the father and mother to be more intimate with each other.  In the process, Morticia becomes obsessed with her own age.  Meanwhile, Wednesday and Lucas decide to run off together and get married.  Puglsey is worried about who will torture him when Wednesday runs off.  The parents come together to convince their children not to run off just yet and, in the process, everyone is drawn together, happier.  All throughout, Uncle Fester is singing about love.  He has fallen in love with the moon.

The Set.  The set is fantastic.  Really well done and the detail is nice.  When the musical opens, you see the entire family (complete with Uncle Fester, Lurch, and Grandma) standing in front of the family home in the cemetery, staring out through the gates that surround the house.

Probably one of the most impressive moments with respect to the set comes near the beginning when we see the boy’s family searching for the Addams’ Family’s house which, I learned, is in Central Park in the middle of NYC.  No kidding.  Anyway, there is a huge facade of the entire house near the back of the stage and trees that move around in front of the house.  Music plays and swells and fog swirls along the floor of the stage and then the entire facade of the house falls straight forward (on its face, as it were) with a tremendous clap as it hits the stage – sending the fog/smoke dancing along the stage floor in a whoosh toward the audience.  Standing behind the facade, previously hidden from view is the Addams Family.  Immediately following that loud clap, the traditional, iconic Addams Family theme starts and the family, arms crossed over their chest, snap their fingers.  The audience immediately responded.  Despite having already seen all the actors, it still felt like this was one hell of a way to make an entrance.

The musical also does a very good job of managing to get Thing in on the action.  A lone hand is seen drawing back the curtain when the musical begins, for example.  The squid that lives in the house also plays a decent role in the musical and all of its arms make an appearance after it falls in love with Lucas’s father.

The Music.  This is a hard one because people often need to hear a tune more than once to really enjoy it.  I could hum one tune (“Let’s Not Talk About Anything Else But Love“) only because a version of it is done no less than 3 different times in the musical.  The first number (“Clandango“) is not particularly memorable for an opening song.  The song “Pulled” is sung by Wednesday as she talks about how she feels pulled toward Lucas – all while she’s operating a torture device that pulls Pugsley’s limbs in all different directions. (Which he enjoys.)    “One Normal Night” is Wednesday’s plea to her parents to act normal during the visit and it could have been really cool song but right when Wednesday sings one cool riff, the melody changes again and the groove you just got into is gone.  The result is that, for me, I never really got into the song.  This was a recurring event with songs that seem to have no real melody that is repeated (aside from the previously mentioned “Let’s Not Talk About Anything Else But Love“).

The mom (Alice) – she likes to write poetry.  I think it is when she is talking about her poetry and what she likes to write about when she says that she likes to write about something that everyone needs and so few people have.  The obvious inference is that she means love – but Morticia says, “Healthcare?”  Audience loved it.

Another popular line is when Grandma is explaining a potion and its effects to Pugsley and she says something like, “One drop of this would turn Mary Poppins into Medea.”

The song “At Seven” is about how Gomez and Morticia do the Tango every night at 7. Wasted song, in my opinion.  It’s not memorable and the point was made in other ways that didn’t require the overkill of the entire number.

“Full Disclosure” is a song done by the full chorus while the two families are at dinner.  It refers to a game the family plays in which they all drink from a chalice and tell a secret about themselves.  The Grandmother (Jackie Hoffman – Second City has a great alum in her and Chicago loves her) more or less steals the show here, taking the chalice and confessing that she’s going to get a full body makeover and become part of a 90-year old grandma sandwich.  Oh, and she smokes weed in the attic.  And also, Morticia and Gomez don’t know whose mother she is.  This revelation is pretty funny when it is made between the two of them.

Act I ends there and Act II opens up with us revisiting Morticia’s struggle with aging and playing “Second Banana” to her daughter, Wednesday.  Bebe Neuwirth’s voice is really distinctive and I don’t know that I’d have cast her for this role.  While she looks fantastic (that low cut dress served her well), her voice has a lot of vibrato that somehow didn’t seem as silky/sexy as you’d imagine Morticia’s voice would be.  In general, that seems to be my impression – I felt like I was supposed to like her in this role because she has the look and acting/singing chops, and because she’s Bebe Neuwirth… but I just didn’t.  I did, however, gain a new appreciation for her breasts and legs.

So, one of the most interesting, entertaining parts of the show comes next with Uncle Fester singing about his love for the moon.  (“The Moon And Me“)  Using a very dark stage and careful, careful lighting, they manage to create the illusion that Uncle Fester is gently floating in the air, singing to the moon amongst the stars.  His real legs are clad in black but he has fake legs that are being moved around in comical positions.  Nothing I can explain here really does it justice but it’s fair to say that it is extremely well done and meant to be obviously fake while also cleverly handled.  This is one of the most memorable scenes in the musical for that reason and everyone was wide-eyed and watching closely.  Hats off to Gregory Meeh who did the special effects.

Then we get a few pointless songs again.  Gomez and Wednesday sing “Happy/Sad” and then Lucas and Wednesday sing “Crazier Than You.”  Neither of them were particularly memorable or entertaining.  The first is about how Gomez is both happy and sad to see his little girl grow up and how you need sadness for happiness to exist, etc.

“Teach Me How To Tango” – Gomez teaches the mom (Alice) how to Tango.  Again, not that memorable.  “The Swordfight/Tango” – this is when Morticia discovers Gomez and Alice dancing and flies into a jealous rage, blaming her age for his perceived disloyalty.  They have a sword fight and there are two things here that are really funny.  First, Gomez takes a swing with the sword at Morticia and the entire stage freezes, the music slows, and we see the action Matrix style, with Bebe Neuwirth leaning back slowly as the sword swooshes over her.  Then the music, scene immediately resume.  The audience loved it.  Next best part?  Bebe Neuwirth gets her dress sliced off and is in thigh-high boots.

“In the Arms” is with The Dad (why am I now blanking on his name?) and Alice singing about the love they’ve found for each other again.  Eh, not a particularly fantastic song, not a great melody and the words were slightly hard to understand.  “Move Toward The Darkness” closes the musical and it, too, is not terribly memorable save for the fact that you finally get to hear Lurch sing.

Music and Lyrics were done by Andrew Lippa.  Overall?  Ehhh.  I was not a huge fan of the numbers.  They served their purpose – which was, basically, a vehicle so the lyrics could advance the story forward.  In some cases, though, the lyrics didn’t so much carry the storyline further as simply beat it into the ground.   I do think, though, that I might feel differently if I heard them again – but, mainly, I think that many of them just never really developed a strong melody.

I haven’t said much about Nathan Lane.  His comedic skills are great and his timing is good.  He didn’t seem to overshadow the rest of the cast.  That reminds me…the costumes are excellent.  Really sharp.  Not overdone – just done well.

SO!  Overall?  I think it’s a good musical.  It’s not great, but it’s good.  Overall, I feel like it could be tighter.  The songs could do more to advance the storyline rather than simply re-iterate a feeling.  As it happens, the story actually seems to stall while there was a musical number and then it would advance again when the song was over.  That’s not always a bad thing – as it sometimes is a great opportunity to show off the composer’s skill, along with the lyricist’s – all while enriching the entire story with the layers of emotion added by the song.  But that didn’t really happen here.  While Uncle Fester’s theme about love is memorable, that’s partly because it’s a little overdone.  I found myself sort of wishing they’d stop singing that same line about not talking about anything but love.  However, I do think the song served as one of the anchors which the audience recognized – which is good to sort of recenter everything once more.

The actress who plays Wednesday (Krysta Rodriguez) is great.  I found myself wishing that they gave her better music to sing (especially in “One Normal Night” which could have been fantastic if they’d gone along with the rockish/jazzy blurb she does when she’s asking for a normal night).  I hadn’t heard of her before so I found myself intrigued.

Edited to Add:

Dear Krysta Rodriguez,

After some thought and a night of sleep, I’ve decided to love you.  Please to let’s get hitched.  KTHXBAI!

-RE

I’d go see it again to see if the music had carved some sort of groove that I could settle into but didn’t blow me away.

I did mention my new found appreciation for Bebe Neuwirth’s breasts and legs, didn’t I?

Right then.  Just checking.

Stolen from other Broadway shows

Actors Savannah Wise and Wesley Taylor are leaving Rock of Ages on September 13 to start preparing for Ragtime and The Addams Family respectively. It’s not all bad though, as Kerry Butler and Tom Lenk will step in to play their first performances in the production on September 18.

Stolen from the West End

Broadway is also borrowing from the West End. Laura Michelle Kelly, who won a 2005 Olivier Award for her title role in Mary Poppins will be crossing the Atlantic to play Mary on Broadway starting on Oct 12.

Stolen from the Silver Screen

Big screen star Antonio Banderas, who stars in the upcoming movie version of Nine, claims he will star in Trevor Nunn’s upcoming production of Zorba, though no official information has been released about the show.

Stolen by a touring show

But one actor, 14-year-old Tommy Batchelor, one of the rotating Billys in Billy Elliot, will be actually leaving the Broadway production on Dec 11 to join the touring version of the show. The tour opens in Chicago on March 18. His Broadway replacement has not yet been announced. Who knows where they’ll steal him from?!