Media Morsels 4.19.13

Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World
The news magazine announced its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The list includes world leaders, artists, entertainers and sports stars, activists and more. Time splits the list into five categories, Titans (like Jay-Z, Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett and Lebron James)  Pioneers (like the Egyptian Jon Stewart, Bassem Youssef), Leaders (like President Barack Obama, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan and New Jersey governor Chris Christie), Icons (like Michelle Obama, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Daniel Day-Lewis and Lena Dunham) and Artists (like Jennifer Lawrence, Jimmy Fallon and Mindy Kaling). What might be even more interesting than the list itself is the roster of folks who are writing about the influential people. To wit: Mayor Mike Bloomberg writes about Jay-Z. Head to the Time website for the full list of influential people. [Note: click on any one of the five category headings to view the full list.]

 On the Record
  • This week, the Joe Iconis [and Family] Rock and Roll Jamboree album was released and it's fantastic! Featuring previously recorded songs that sound different (like "Honey" and "Everybody's at the Bar Without Me") and never-before-recorded songs that I can finally add to my playlists (like "Rosalie," "Lisa" and "The Goodbye Song"), the album is a must-have for music lovers. Head over to Sh-K-Boom to order your copy!

  • The cast recording for the Benj Pasek-Justin Paul musical Dogfight, which featured Lindsay Mendez, Nick Blaemire, Derek Klena and Annaleigh Ashford, will be released digitally on April 30; hard copies will be available beginning May 21. Playbill has details.

  • Aaron Tveit's sold out concerts at 54 Below (for which even yours truly does not have a ticket - tickets sold out too quickly!) will be recorded live by Broadway Records. Tveit's live solo album debut will be released digitally and in stores on September 10, and you can pre-order your copy now through Amazon. Broadway.com has more information about the album, which is titled The Radio in My Head.

  • Speaking of Broadway stars singing at 54 Below and recording albums, recent Tony winner Steve Kazee (Once) is set to make his 54 Below debut this May, with 8pm shows on the 10th and 11th. Tickets are currently on sale. As stated in press notes, the concert is part of Kazee's preparation for his debut solo album, which he will record this summer in anticipation of a fall release. Expect to hear original tunes as well as covers of some of Kazee's favorite artists, like Wilco and Damien Jurado. Visit 54 Below for more details and to purchase tickets.

  • Spring Awakening and Pitch Perfect star Skylar Astin is working on a solo album. (And Pitch Perfect is getting a sequel!) Entertainment Tonight has details.
Breaking Bad Sets Premiere Date
The final season of Breaking Bad will premiere on Sunday, August 11, at 9pm, EDT. The drama, which stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, follows the evolution (or devolution, depending upon your perspective) of Walter White, a chemistry teacher-turned-meth cooker. A talk show, Talking Bad, will follow each episode and will break down every element of the just-screened episode. Zap 2 It has more.

 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards
Voting is now open for the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards. These awards, presented by the online theatre outlet, are special because they (1) include typical categories like Favorite Actor as well as fun categories like Favorite Diva; and (2) are the only theatre awards decided upon, from nominees to winners, by the fans! Nominees include Jessica Chastain in The Heiress, Sigourney Weaver in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the new musicals Kinky Boots, Bring It On and Matilda, the gone-too-soon play The Performers, revivals The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and theatre world favorite Norbert Leo Butz in Dead Accounts. So head over to Broadway.com and cast your vote! (Voting closes at May 2 at noon.) [I do have to say, though, that I hope the Tony nominations, which will be announced on April 30, shake out a little differently because Tracy Letts and Amy Morton absolutely must be nominated for their work in ...Woolf?]

 In possible Tony news, I have a hunch that Neil Patrick Harris will once again host the Tony Awards this year. He recently tweeted that he's seeing lots of Broadway shows, so don't be too surprised if sometime in the next few weeks we learn that the versatile host will serve as master of ceremonies.

 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions
Last night musical acts and producers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Inductees included Rush, Public Enemy, Randy Newman, Heart, Donna Summer, Albert King and producers Quincy Jones and Lou Adler. Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins were on hand to induct Rush; John Mayer and Gary Clark, Jr., paid tribute to King; and even Oprah was there to honor Jones. Rolling Stone has a full write up of the ceremony, which took place in LA for the first time in twenty years. An abridged version of the ceremony will air on HBO on May 18.

New Musicals and Shows
  • Legendary writer Stephen Sondheim is teaming up with jazz musician Wynton Marsalis for the collaboration A Bed and a Chair: A New York Love Story. The special piece will play New York City Center November 13-17, and will feature jazz arrangements of Sondheim tunes (played by the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra). Tickets go on sale September 3. Visit Playbill for details.

  • Susan Stroman (The Scottsboro Boys, For the Love of Duke) and the songwriting duo of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once on this Island) are teaming up for an original musical inspired by Degas's famous ballerina paintings. Little Dancer will have its world premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, in October 2014. Based on the poster art alone I'm interested in this, not to mention the stated themes of love of art and passion for what you do. Keep an eye out for this one, all you District residents! Head to the Kennedy Center website for more information.

  • Woody Allen's celebrated film, Bullets Over Broadway, is getting the musical treatment and will debut on Broadway in spring 2014 at the St James Theatre. Susan Stroman (apparently a busy woman) will direct and choreograph the adaptation that will use pre-existing songs from the period as its score. Broadway.com has details.

  • Musical Theatres: Mamma Mia! will leave its current home, the Winter Garden (it's been there since opening in 2001), and move into the smaller Broadhurst later this year, making way, some forecast, for the musical adaptation of Rocky. The German production of Rocky was directed by the in-demand Alex Timbers (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Peter and the Starcatcher).

  • The musical adaptation of American Psycho (with music by Spring Awakening's Duncan Sheik) will make its debut in London this winter. The show will play the Almeida Theatre December 3-January 25, 2014. Broadway.com has details.
New York City Ballet Announces 2013-2014 Season
That's right, just as we gear up for the start of the spring season at City Ballet, the Company announced its 2013-2014 season. The best news? The season will include another world premiere Justin Peck-Sufjan Stevens collaboration. (They successfully collaborated this season with Year of the Rabbit.) That ballet will be part of the spring gala, to be held on May 8, 2014. The season will also include premieres from Angelin Preljocaj and Liam Scarlett, plus the premiere of the postponed Peter Martins-Marc-Andre Dalbavie collaboration. (It was supposed to premiere this winter but wasn't ready; Peck's Paz de La Jolla premiered instead.) Also on the calendar is Christopher Wheeldon's Carnival of the Animals (a family-friendly ballet) and repertory favorites like Jerome Robbins's The Four Seasons. Subscriptions go on sale May 1 and single tickets will be available in early August. Visit nycballet.com for details.

 New York City Ballet Screen Test: Adrian Danchig-Waring
In this installment of City Ballet's new video series, which gives us a peek into the Company members' personalities, we get to know newly-promoted principal dancer Adrian Danchig-Waring.


Awards Updates
  • The Ayad Akhtar play Disgraced won the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

  • Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will reprise their role as Academy Award producers for the 2014 ceremony, which will take place March 2, 2014. They produced this year's ceremony, hosted by Seth MacFarlane. (Don't look for MacFarlane to return as host, though; he's already said he will not host again. Although, some think there's still a chance.) Playbill has details.

  • Golden Globe calendar alert: the 71st Golden Globes will be held on January 12, 2014. Nominations will be announced on December 12, 2013. The Wrap has more.

Dig This

Comments

Post a Comment