Brace yourself: Ben Brantley’s Back

The most powerful theatre critic on Broadway, Ben Brantley of the New York Times, is back in London. For weeks.

Not that we don’t love visits from the “Sultan of Superlatives”, as coined by the NYTPicker as a much more positive strap line than infamous NYT critic Frank Rich’s “the Butcher of Broadway”!

But we shouldn’t be lulled in to a false sense of security. He did, after all, pretty much close Enron on Broadway with his less than glowing review of Lucy Prebble’s play: “flashy but labored economics lesson… this British-born exploration of smoke-and-mirror financial practices isn’t much more than smoke and mirrors itself.”

But we don’t bare grudges (much). His first posting from London reveals that he is straight in there reviewing, despite a touch of jet lag. Productions that he has already covered include The Late Middle Classes at the Donmar (“dramatically formulaic but meticulously acted”), All My Sons at the Apollo (“there’s no denying the effectiveness of Mr. Davies’s less subtle All My Sons”), Sucker Punch at the Royal Court (“vivid, gritty melodrama”) and The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the Vaudeville (“for me the uneasiness and despair that often lurk beneath Mr. Simon’s one-liners had never seemed more palpable”).

Scarily harping back to Enron, Brantley senses that London is gripped with economic austerity. Perhaps he should see Enron again to remind himself why.

SIDEBAR:

There’s no denying Mr Brantley, 55, and his credentials as a critic. He started work at the New York Times in 1993 as the second-string theatre critic and finally became chief theatre critic in 1996. His recent London review is beautifully written, considered, intelligent and thought-provoking. We love Libby Purves, chief critic of the London Times, but she seems to be in another job altogether.

Tony Awards tonight

The annual Tony Awards will be announced tonight, Sunday 13 June 2010, at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

The star-studded event will be hosted by Sean Hayes, best known as Jack from Will & Grace and currently starring in Promises, Promises on Broadway.

The awards, the most important in the US arts calendar, will feature performances from current Broadway shows including American Idiot, Fela!, Memphis, Million Dollar Quartet, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music and Ragtime. Star presenters will include Katie Holmes, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, Angela Lansbury, Mark Sanchez, Daniel Radcliffe, Barbara Cook, Stanley Tucci, Idina Menzel and Laura Bell Bundy!

Other appearances and performances will include Glee’s Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison, Paula Abdul, Antonio Banderas, Cate Blanchett, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Douglas, Scarlett Johansson, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, Chris Noth, Bernadette Peters, Raquel Welch and David Hyde Pierce, who will receive a special Tony Award and is slated to appear in London next month in La Bete at the Comedy Theatre.

Shows up for awards this year include a revival of August Wilson’s Fences starring Denzel Washington (10nominations); Broadway musical Fela! (11 nominations) – and which makes its UK premiere at the National Theatre in November; and nods for a number of high-profile Hollywood stars including Christopher Walken (Behanding in Spokane), Liev Schreiber (A View From The Bridge), and Scarlett Johansson (A View from the Bridge).

Recent Broadway musical The Addams Family starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, failed to find favour with the Tony awards committee, scoring only two nominations – best original score and best supporting actor in a musical for Kevin Chamberlin.

UK creatives or shows have garned 28 nominations this year. The Menier Chocolate Factory in South London will be awaiting news on two of its successful productions that have transferred to Broadway and received 15 Tony nominations:  La Cage Aux Folles opened at the Longacre Theatrein April to enormous critical acclaim. The show features original London star Douglas Hodge and US actor Kelsey Grammer, both of whom have been nominated in the best actor in a musical category. In total the show has picked up 11 nominations, including best revival of a musical, scenic design (Tim Shortall), costume design  (Matthew Wright),  lighting design (Nick Richings), sound design (Jonathan Deans), direction (Terry Johnson), choreography (Lynne Page), orchestrations (Jason Carr) and best supporting actor (Robin De Jesus).

Also A Little Night Music, which started life at the Menier in 2008 before transferring to the Garrick theatre in the West End, opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr theatre in December 2009. It has picked up 4 nominations, including competing against La Cage in the best musical revival category, and nods for Catherine Zeta-Jones (best actress in a musical), Angela Lansbury (best supporting actress in a musical), and sound design (Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen).

Other nominated UK shows include the Donmar Warehouse’s transfer of Red which enjoys 7 nominations including best play, best actor for Alfred Molina, best supporting actor for Eddie Redmayne, and best scenic design (Christopher Oram), lighting design (Neil Austin), sound design (Adam Cork) and direction (Michael Grandage). The Donmar production of Hamlet sees a nod for Jude Law and best lighting design of a play for Neil Austin. And the Royal Court’s production of Enron, which failed on Broadway but continues to sell well in London is nominated for best original score (music by Adam Cork and lyrics by Lucy Prebble), best supporting actor for Stephen Kunken, best sound design (Adam Cork) and best lighting design (Mark Henderson). Also veteran UK actress Rosemary Harris also received a best supporting nod for The Royal Family and one of the UK’s greatest living playwrights, Alan Ayckbourn, will receive a lifetime achievement award.

US viewers can watch the awards on CBS from 8pm ET. Selected countries are also airing the awards over the next week, although not in the UK. TonyAwards.com will only be featuring live footage of the red carpet arrivals and Creative Arts Awards from 6pm until 8pm ET.

See a list of Tony Award 2010 nominations here

www.tonyawards.com

La Cage dominates Tony nominations

The UK’s Menier Chocolate Factory has scored another hit with its production of La Cage Aux Folles – this time on Broadway.

The small South London arts venue has dominated this year’s Tony Awards nominations – with a total of 15 nods. Its musical productions of Jerry Herman’s La Cage Aux Folles and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music have both garnered multiple nominations for their Broadway transfers.

La Cage Aux Folles premiered at the Chocolate Factory in 2008 before transferring the Playhouse Theatre in London, and opened at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway last month to enormous critical acclaim.

The show features original London star Douglas Hodge and US actor Kelsey Grammer, both of whom have been nominated in the best actor in a musical category. In total the show has picked up 11 nominations, including best revival of a musical, scenic design (Tim Shortall), costume design  (Matthew Wright),  lighting design (Nick Richings), sound design (Jonathan Deans), direction (Terry Johnson), choreography (Lynne Page), orchestrations (Jason Carr) and best supporting actor (Robin De Jesus).

A Little Night Music, which started life at the Menier in 2008 before transferring to the Garrick theatre in the West End, opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr theatre in December 2009. It has picked up 4 nominations, including competing against La Cage in the best musical revival category, and nods for Catherine Zeta-Jones (best actress in a musical), Angela Lansbury (best supporting actress in a musical), and sound design (Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen).

Overall, it has been a successful year for the UK on Broadway, with a total of 28 nominations going to UK creatives. Other celebrated UK shows include the Donmar Warehouse’s transfer of Red which enjoys 7 nominations including best play, best actor for Alfred Molina, best supporting actor for Eddie Redmayne, and best scenic design (Christopher Oram), lighting design (Neil Austin), sound design (Adam Cork) and direction (Michael Grandage).

The Donmar also saw its production of Hamlet garner a best actor nod for Jude Law and best lighting design of a play for Neil Austin.

The Royal Court’s production of Enron, which transferred to Broadway but was not well received and has closed early at the Broadhurst Theatre, was nominated for best original score (music by Adam Cork and lyrics by Lucy Prebble), best supporting actor for Stephen Kunken, best sound design (Adam Cork) and best lighting design (Mark Henderson). Enron is currently playing to strong audiences in London at the Noel Coward Theatre.

Veteran UK actress Rosemary Harris also received a best supporting nod for The Royal Family and one of the UK’s greatest living playwrights, Alan Ayckbourn, will receive a lifetime achievement award.

Other big hitters nominated this year include a revival of August Wilson’s Fences starring Denzel Washington (10 nominations); Broadway musical Fela! (11 nominations) – and which makes its UK premiere at the National Theatre in November; and nods for a number of high-profile Hollywood stars including Christopher Walken (Behanding in Spokane), Liev Schreiber (A View From The Bridge), and Scarlett Johansson (A View from the Bridge).

Recent Broadway musical The Addams Family starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, failed to find favour with the Tony awards committee, scoring only two nominations – best original score and best supporting actor in a musical for Kevin Chamberlin.

The 64^th awards will be presented on 13 July in New York.

See a list of Tony Award 2010 nominations here

BROADWAY: Douglas Hodge wows critics

The producers of the Menier Chocolate Factory production of  La Cage Aux Folles were celebrating last night as the show opened at the Longacre Theatre in New York to rave reviews.

Ben Brantley of the New York Times, who  recently ripped apart Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new show Love Never Dies, said that Terry Johnson’s production was an “inspired revival” and “greatly affecting entertainment”. Douglas Hodge, who plays the central role of Albin in the show, enjoyed special praise from the critic, particularly in his rendition of the show’s famous song “I Am What I Am”: “Mr. Hodge breathes fire here, his hitherto scratchy, campy voice growing into a white-hot blaze. It is — and who’d a thunk it? — the most electric interpretation of a song on Broadway right now.”

Elisabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post also heaped praise on the British star, “the show is Hodge’s alone”, although was more reserved about the production as whole, finding Johnson’s direction “unbalanced” but concluding that “the show entertains”.

The show also stars Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) as Albin’s partner, George, whose “modest performance… has its own sneaky charm” (Ben Brantley).

LINKS:

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New York Times – Ben Brantley review

New York Post – Elisabeth Vincentelli review

Lloyd-Webber stalls Broadway LND

The Broadway opening of Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom sequel, has been officially postponed.

In a statement, the producers of the Broadway show said that the premiere will be delayed for several months, until around Spring 2011, whilst Lord Webber deals with “post-operative problems” from his treatment for prostate cancer.

He is currently starring in BBC One talent show Over The Rainbow to find a new Dorothy to star in a multi-million pound West End production of The Wizard of Oz.

Love Never Dies, which continues to do well at the box-office at the Adelphi Theatre in London, got mixed reviews when it opened last month. Ben Brantley, the chief theatre critic of the New York Times, was especially critical, which may also have been a factor in delaying the Broadway production whilst tweaks are made. A number of unconfirmed reports have cited that Lloyd Webber is unhappy with some key elements of the show including the opening and a new entrance for the Phantom.

The statement from the Broadway producers is as follows:

The Broadway premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LOVE NEVER DIES will open at the Neil Simon Theatre in the Spring of 2011.

The original opening date, planned for November 2010, was set before Lloyd Webber was diagnosed with prostate cancer last fall. Although the cancer has been eradicated, there have been post-operative problems. These have been aggravated by recent air travel and Lloyd Webber’s doctors have requested that he does not take any further long-haul flights for the time being and until the problem has been investigated. This prevents him attending auditions and being part of the pre-production process in New York on the original schedule

Andrew Lloyd Webber is currently appearing in the BBC television series, “Over the Rainbow,” in which he is looking to cast the lead role of Dorothy for his new production of “The Wizard of Oz.” Andrew performs weekly on live British television which was also a commitment undertaken before the prostate cancer was diagnosed. This complication, together with the doctors’ advice, has made it impossible to keep to the original Broadway schedule for LOVE NEVER DIES. Therefore, the decision has been made to move “The Wizard of Oz” forward in London and to schedule the Broadway premiere of LOVE NEVER DIES for 2011 thus allowing Andrew the freedom to travel to New York and oversee the audition and rehearsal process later in the year.

The Spring 2011 date for LOVE NEVER DIES takes into account the schedules of Jack O’Brien (director) and Jerry Mitchell (choreographer) and the rest of show’s creative team. The Nederlander Organization is holding the Neil Simon Theatre for the production on Broadway, and casting, group sales and single ticket sales will start later this year.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said “I am extremely frustrated that I cannot travel to New York for the time being. I will be focusing my time on producing “The Wizard of Oz” in London now, and plan to be available for the creative process of bringing LOVE NEVER DIES to Broadway as soon as possible. I’m grateful that Jack and Jerry’s schedules can allow me to do this juggling act.”

The West End production of LOVE NEVER DIES opened on March 9, 2010 and continues to play to packed houses at the Adelphi Theatre. The album of the show is number one in various territories in the West and in Asia and will be released in the US later this year. The planned roll-out of the production to Australia and Asia later in 2011 is unaffected.

GAVIN CREEL in Hair

Broadway star Gavin Creel comes to London in Hair

Following its hugely successful run at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater, Hair returned to Broadway last year for the first time in more than 30 years. Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni and James Rado’s 1967 tribal love-rock musical opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre to stunning reviews and legions of new fans.

So much so that theatre impresario Cameron Mackintosh has persuaded New York producers to let him uproot the entire cast lock, stock and barrel and bring them over to the Gielgud Theatre this Spring.

Whilst the show features a strong ensemble cast, GAVIN CREEL, who plays a particularly conflicted member of Hair’s tribe of Vietnam-era, naked-loving bohemians, has stood out as being a particularly powerful presence in the musical.

Creel, 33, who was born in Ohio, was already Tony-nominated for his 2002 Broadway debut in Thoroughly Modern Millie when he claimed another nomination last year for his performance as Claude, this time for best performance by a leading actor in a musical. He was piped to the post by those dancing boys from Billy Elliot, but something tells us that he is sure to get another shot at this – and many other awards – sometime soon.

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Tony Awards nominations announced

British production BILLY ELLIOT receives 15 Tony Award nominations. Brits do well in annual theatre awards nominations.

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The nominations for this year’s Tony awards were announced today in New York.

The 63^rd annual awards will see the Broadway version of Billy Elliot lead the pack with 15 nominations.

Close behind were two productions that originated in the UK – The Norman Conquests, with 7 nominations, and God of Carnage with 6 nominations.

British director Matthew Warchus received two nominations for his direction of both God of Carnage and The Norman Conquests. He’s competing with another UK director, Phyllida Lloyd, whose production of Mary Stuart garnered 7 nods.

Other Best Play nominations include 33 Variations, currently starring Jane Fonda who was also nominated for Best performance by a leading actress in a play.

Other Brits celebrated in the line-up include Elton John and Lee Hall for music and lyrics of Billy Elliot, Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter for Mary Stuart, Angela Lansbury for Blithe Spirit, Amanda Root for The Norman Conquests, Haydn Gwynne and Carole Shelley for Billy Elliot, and director Stephen Daldry for Billy Elliot.

Other big nominees include musicals Next to Normal (11 nods), Hair (8), Shrek The Musical (8) and Nine to Five The Musical (4).

See the full list of 2009 Tony Awards Nominations

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Book discount tickets to see Billy Elliot The Musical in London.

Theatre pieces: Hunter Parrish, August:Osage County, Chichester

After Gareth Gates, do we have a new Joseph?

Gareth Gates seems to be doing a fine job in Joseph at the Adelphi Theatre – at least if comments on the westendtheatre blog are anything to go by. Whilst musing on Spring Awakening’s demise on Broadway, we turn our attention to Hunter Parrish – pot smoking star of TV’s Weeds – who recently played the lead role of Melchior on Broadway.

Well known for his love of all things theatrical, in a recent interview he said: “I want them to bring back Joseph [and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]. If anyone has that idea, I’m your man!” Could he be prize casting post-Gareth – or in any future Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway plans?

August the Movie?

Apparently a film version of August: Osage County, the play by Tracy Letts that wowed critics and audiences alike at the National Theatre recently, is on the cards. Written by Letts herself, the Weinstein Company is backing the adaptation and aiming for a 2011 release. There are some potential dream casting scenarios for this one.

Starry Chichester

There is much oo-ing and ahh-ing over this year’s Chichester Festival Theatre season, with lots of big name stars. Chief amongst them is Joseph Fiennes who is to headline Trevor Nunn‘s staging of Cyrano de Bergerac; also Rupert Goold directs Enron before it makes it’s way to the Royal Court; Oklahoma! gets a revival from Sweeney Todd stage director John Doyle, Iain Glen stars in a new adaptation of Friedrich Schiller play Wallenstein, and Diana Rigg stars as Judith Bliss in a revival of  Noel Coward’s Hay Fever.

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