Media Morsels 5.6.11

• This Year in Jerusalem
  Playbill.com recently caught up with the talented John Gallagher, Jr., to talk to him about his journey to Jerusalem. Eloquent and articulate as always, John talks about meeting with playwright Jez Butterworth and actor Mark Rylance, and rehearsing in London and meeting some Rooster-like folks. Don't forget that Jerusalem is a limited run so head over to the Music Box theatre by July 24 for your chance to watch both Gallagher and Rylance on stage.
  
  
• Michael Esper fills out Playbill.com's Cue&A
  Awesome things about Esper, original Will in American Idiot and current Eli in The Intelligent Homosexuals Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures: he loves The West Wing and playwright Annie Baker; he would be a record store owner if he wasn't a working actor; and he fences. Sort of. Esper with an epee. I like it!
  
  
• Catch Me Videos
  This week, the good folks at Catch Me if You Can released two videos: Their first commercial, a sexy 30-second spot featuring Aaron Tveit beset by a bevy of beautiful and leggy women; and a clip of Tveit singing the show's penultimate and very moving number, "Goodbye." Just watch that (the second clip below) and join my "Why in the World Wasn't Aaron Tveit Nominated" club. We're going to have jackets made.
  

• Theatre Award Season Update
  As you may know, dear readers, the Tony nominations came out on Tuesday. (Read my post from Tuesday for full "coverage;" check out Playbill.com and Broadwayworld.com for nominees' reactions; visit my tumblr for photos of some of my favorite nominees, as they posed for the "Meet the Nominees Press Reception," and then head to Broadwayworld.com for full photo coverage, part one and part two.) The Tonys honor excellence on Broadway (and, if rumors are to be believed, might be hosted, again, by Neil Patrick Harris) but the Lucille Lortel Awards, presented this past Sunday night, honor excellence off-Broadway. Rightly so, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson won for Outstanding Musical (and also Outstanding Scenic Design, Donyale Werle); Christian Borle and Steven Hogget won for Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Choreography, respectively, for Peter and the Starcatcher; and The Whipping Man and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity also took home honors. Visit Playbill.com for the complete list of winners.
  
  And for those of you headed to New York in the next month, stop by the Times Square information center for free screenings of documentaries that went behind the scenes of Tony winning shows (and hopefuls).
  
  You may recall from last week that the Drama Desk nominations were announced. This week, a reception was held to honor all the nominees. (Winners will be announced on May 23.) Visit Broadwayworld.com for photos of the reception, first the ladies, then the men.
  
  Finally in award hoopla, it's now time to vote in the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards. Visit the site now through May 12 to vote for your favorites in the 2010-2011 theatre season.
  
  
• Tony Season Casualties
  The first Tony season casualty was announced this week, dear readers. As you may know or recall from previous posts, many shows continue a less than sold-out run until Tony time, with the hopes that multiple nominations will provide a box office boost. These shows, which may have even started in the fall, are perhaps making enough money each week to stay afloat, but not enough to turn a profit. So they wait for the nominations and then, usually, until the award winners are announced, hoping that a Tony win, particularly in the Best Musical, Musical Revival, Play or Play Revival categories, will translate into a box office boon. Well, for one play, the only show to have opened in the fall and still be running now (I'm excluding the revue, Rain), it's curtains. Lombardi will close on May 22 after 30 preseason scrimmages and 244 regular season games. Lombardi did not snag one of the coveted slots in the Best New Play category, though Judith Light did receive a nod, and thus the producers have made their decision. Lombardi was a good play, and actually rather family-friendly. Unfortunately, that's not enough to sustain a long run. After the Tonys, look for other struggling shows to also throw in the towel. (Excuse the schadenfreude of this, please.)
  
  
• Star Stuff Coming to Broadway?
  This week at the Tony nominee reception, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson scribe Alex Timbers told Playbill.com that a Broadway transfer of Peter and the Starcatcher is possible. (Timbers co-directed, with Roger Rees, the production at New York Theatre Workshop.) Specifically, he said, "We're working on seeing if moving it to Broadway is possible. I'm feeling optimistic and excited that it might have a future life." I'm excited about that, too! This was a great, magical play. My only request is that it play a small theatre, like the Booth or Helen Hayes, in order to maintain that special intimate vibe and so the low-tech magic on stage doesn't get lost in a huge house. I'll be sure to keep you updated on this one, dear readers!
  
  
• Remembering Arthur Laurents
  Theatre luminary Arthur Laurents passed away on May 5. The 93 year old enjoyed a celebrated career, and is probably best known for his librettos for Gypsy and West Side Story. Visit Playbill.com for more information about Mr. Laurents and his career.



• Wonderland
  I saw Wonderland this week, dear readers. The long and short of it is this: the concept and vision is clever but the execution is horrendous. The score is bad 80s synth-pop, totally unoriginal; the lyrics are thoroughly unsophisticated; several of the performances are weak; it's more annoying than interestingly frenetic; sounds are shrill and sharp; the costumes and sets are fine but uninventive. Janet Decal, as Alice, does what she can, but she's not given enough; she doesn't have a great big 11 o'clock number, which was a disappointment. And the second act slipped into maudlin and disturbing territory. So, dear readers, please don't follow any white rabbits; you can definitely skip Wonderland.
  
  
• Dig This
• Patti LuPone soapboxes and praises Thespis in Broadway.com's video interview. Pure awesome.
  
  
• One more Catch Me video for you: Matthew Morrison likes Catch Me. That means you should go see it!