Media Morsels 10.4.13

Broadway Idiot
The documentary film, chronicling Billie Joe Armstrong's journey from a punk rocker recording the seminal Green Day album American Idiot to a Broadway star, packing St James Theatre for American Idiot's Broadway run, will be out on October 11 (in theaters and through various On Demand services). The doc features Armstrong and his band mates, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt, as well as the stage show's creative team, including director Michael Mayer and composer Tom Kitt (a genius). (B-roll footage shows actors John Gallagher, Jr., Rebecca Naomi Jones, Tony Vincent and more!) Head to Rolling Stone to check out an exclusive clip of the creatives recording "21 Guns," and then look for the flick on October 11! (Visit broadwayidiot.com to learn more about the film.)

New York City Ballet Spotlight
The 2013-2014 season is underway with fall performances. So far, I've had the pleasure of attending the Fall Gala performance, which included a world premiere from Justin Peck, and the Just for Fun program, which included Christopher Wheeldon's Carnival of the Animals, a whimsical piece I'd never seen before. In other NYCB news, Pointe magazine checked in with Teresa Reichlen for an article about "willowy powerhouses" (Reichlen is a tall woman). Meanwhile, Tiler Peck continues her "Tiler Talks" column for Body Wrappers (in the most recent entry, Peck talks about the gala), and Sara Mearns took part in Fall for Dance, helping to premiere another brand new Justin Peck ballet. The fall season continues through the middle of the month. Visit nycballet.com to learn more and to purchase tickets. (Also: Nutcracker tickets are now on sale.)

Broadway and Off-Broadway Bytes
  • It's time for First Date Flirts: this week, featured players Kristoffer Cusick and Kate Loprest talk about dating dos and don'ts. In other First Date news, Zachary Levi will be a guest on an upcoming episode of Larry King Now, the talk show host's online series (as per Levi's recent tweet).

  • This year's Tony winner for Best Musical, Kinky Boots, has recouped its initial investment. It took just 30 weeks for producers to recoup their $13.5 million investment. Congratulations, Lola and company!

  • Peter and the Starcatcher will conclude its off-Broadway run on January 12, 2014. The magical show began off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop in 2011; moved to Broadway in 2012 (Christian Borle nabbed a Tony for his turn as Blackstache); and then transferred back off-Broadway, to New World Stages, in March 2013. When the production closes, the show will have played a total of 645 performances. Broadway.com has more, and head to peterandthestarcatcher.com to purchase tickets.

  • Playwright Joshua Harmon writes (on Broadway.com) about the return of his underground hit, Bad Jews, and who originated each role. (The acerbic contemporary play had a celebrated run at Roundabout Underground last fall. In a first for the off-Broadway company, the play is being brought back, this time to its off-Broadway Laura Pels Theatre. Check it out!) 

  • Extensions: The Glass Menagerie, which opened to stellar reviews, has extended its limited run. The Tennessee Williams play will now run through February 23, 2014. Playbill has more. And prior to even beginning previews, The Commons of Pensacola, which marks stage and screen actress Amanda Peet's playwrighting debut, has extended its limited engagement. The new play, which stars Blythe Danner and Sarah Jessica Parker, begins previews October 22, opens November 21 and will run through January 26, 2014. Playbill has more.

  • Adam Kantor (The Last Five Years) told Playbill about his favorite performances from over the years. Kantor will join Betsy Wolfe and Jason Robert Brown for a The Last Five Years album release concert at 54 Below later this month. Pick up your copy of the beautiful album at Sh-k-boom.com.

  • Terrific young playwrights Annie Baker (Circle Mirror Transformation, The Flick) and Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, The North Pool) will receive the Steinberg Playwright "Mimi" Award. The awards honor up-and-coming playwrights and comes with a $50,000 prize for each recipient. Congratulations to Baker and Joseph! Playbill has more.

  • Amanda Quaid (Cock) has joined the company of Playwrights Horizons' world premiere production of The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence. The Madeleine George play also stars John Ellison Conlee (Murder Ballad) and David Costabile. Playbill has details.
TV Tidbits
  • ABC is giving the musical TV series a try with Galavant, a fairy tale in which a "handsome prince embarks on a quest for revenge on the king who stole his one true love," Broadway.com reports. Alan Menken (Leap of Faith), Glenn Slater and Dan Fogelman are writing the series.

  • Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, The Submission) has been keeping busy on the set of Looking, a new HBO series that centers on a group of young gay men in San Francisco. Broadwayworld.com has collected photos that the cast has post on social media channels.

  • The hilarious John Mulaney (the SNL writer who helped create Stefon) will have his own TV show on Fox. The Wrap has more.

  • The Hollywood Reporter has a round up of what's next for the stars of the dearly departed Breaking Bad. And Buzz Feed has compiled a list of 18 "Easter Eggs" hidden in the series finale, including a theory of what the episode's title, "Felina" means.

  • Julie White, a Tony winner for Little Dog Laughed, is joining the cast (in a major recurring role) of Nurse Jackie for its sixth season, now filming in New York. White (who was heard but not seen in Ann) will play Jackie's sponsor. The Hollywood Reporter has more (but it contains spoilers for those not caught up with the series).

  • Patti LuPone (Women on the Verge..., An Evening with Patti and Mandy), Topher Grace (Lonely, I'm Not) and Sarah Silverman have all been cast in an HBO pilot, People in New Jersey, a new comedy from Lorne Michaels. The Hollywood Reporter has details.
Dig This
  • There's going to be a Ted 2! The Wrap reports that the sequel to Ted (from Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild) will hit theaters in June 2015.

  • The third annual TEDxBroadway event, set for February 24, 2014, will focus on answering the question, What is the Best That Broadway Can Be? Among the presenters will be Diane Paulus, the Tony-winning director of Pippin whose credits also include Hair and Porgy and Bess. Tickets are now available and you can learn more at TEDxBroadway.com.

  • David Letterman's contract with CBS has been extended through 2015. The Hollywood Reporter has more.

Comments

Post a Comment