Week in Review 1.9.15

Upcoming Farewells
We learned this week that a few shows will be concluding their Broadway runs. One of these devastates me.
  • The Last Ship is concluding its Broadway run. I'm so saddened by this news. The Last Ship is a beautiful show, original in concept and score (penned by Sting), with fantastic performances. (Lin-Manuel Miranda is right: Everything Michael Esper does is magic.) The new musical had been struggling at the box office (because it didn't receive a rave from the Times; because it's in a too-big house; because of the time of year; because it wasn't a recognizable commodity; because there wasn't a marquee name (to most ticket buyers) starring in it—not because it isn't good) when Sting stepped on stage, but producers just can't see a way to keep the ship afloat after his departure on January 24, which will be the final performance. I'm so sad. See it now if you can, and pick up the original Broadway cast recording. It's a treasure. Theater Mania has more, and one fan created the tribute logo at right.

  • Ayad Akhtar's Disgraced, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013, will conclude its Broadway run on March 1. The meditation on race, now at the Lyceum, has its original Broadway company in tact: Hari Dhillon, Gretchen Mol, Josh Radnor, Karen Pittman and Danny Ashok. Broadway.com has more.

  • The revival of the revival of Cabaret (which was one of my favorite things of 2014), will conclude on March 29. Alan Cumming will remain with the production for the remainder of the run. Current Sally Bowles, Emma Stone (whose performance suggests she doesn't fully understand the role), will be with the show through February 15, after which point Sienna Miller (an actress I can't pick out of a lineup of one) will take over. Visit the Roundabout blog to learn more.
The Flick Returns
While we mourn the loss of the above-mentioned shows, we can rejoice knowing that the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner, The Flick, will return to New York—and with the original Playwrights Horizons cast! Annie Baker's play, set in an anachronistic movie theatre that shows films (i.e., movies projected on 35mm, not digital), looks in on the lives of people who are just trying to get by. It's a beautiful play and had a glorious run at Playwrights, directed by Sam Gold. Gold will repeat his work for this return engagement, directing Matthew Maher, Aaron Clifton Moten, Louisa Krause and Alex Hanna. This iteration of The Flick will play at the Barrow Street Theatre. Previews begin May 7, with opening night set for May 28. Playbill has more.

Casting News
Off-Broadway—Rebecca Naomi Jones (American Idiot, The Fortress of Solitude) and Tony nominee Bobby Steggert (Big Fish, Mothers and Sons) are set to star in the off-Broadway premiere of Big Love, a modern take on Aeschylus's The Danaids adapted by Charles Mee. The play runs at the Signature Theatre; previews begin February 3, with opening night set for February 23. The limited engagement will conclude March 15. Broadway.com has more.

Broadway—As suspected, Tony winner Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher) and Tony nominee Brian d'Arcy James (Next to Normal, Time Stands Still) will star in this spring's Broadway bow of the original musical, Something Rotten. The pair starred in last year's reading of the musical comedy, written by Wayne Kirkpatrick, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell. Playing at the St James Theatre, Something Rotten begins previews March 23. Opening night is set for April 22. Broadway.com has more. (The image at right was sent from the production's official Twitter account.)

The Visit to Broadway
It is now confirmed that the John Kander-Fred Ebb musical, The Visit, will bow on Broadway this spring. After a successful production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the musical, which features a book by Terrence McNally (Mothers and Sons), will mark Chita Rivera's return to the Main Stem. Rivera (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) will be joined by Roger Rees (Peter and the Starcatcher, The Winslow Boy), and the pair will be directed by John Doyle (Wings). The Kander and Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago) musical will run at the Lyceum Theatre. Previews begin March 26, with opening night scheduled for April 23. Theater Mania has more.

Award Season Update
Award season is kicking into high gear: The Golden Globe Awards are this Sunday (get ready with these listicles from Buzz Feed: Golden Globes food and 29 Golden Globes Facts), and guild and BAFTA nominations were announced. Take a look:

The Art Directors Guild announced nominees for the Excellence in Production Design Awards. Some of the nominees are listed below; visit Variety for the full list. Winners will be announced on January 31.
  • TV series nominees include: Game of Thrones; Boardwalk Empire; Homeland; House of Cards; The Newsroom; Cosmos; House of Lies; Modern Family; Silicon Valley; and Veep
  • Period Film nominees include: Inherent Vice; The Grand Budapest Hotel; and The Theory of Everything

  • Fantasy Film nominees include: Into the Woods

  • Contemporary Film nominees include: Birdman; Gone Girl; and Nightcrawler
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced nominees for the 26th Annual Producers guild Awards. Some nominees are listed below; visit Broadwayworld.com for the full list. Winners will be announced on January 24.
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) announced nominees for the 29th ASC Awards. Some nominees are listed below; visit Deadline for the full list. Winners will be announced and honored on February 15.
  • Motion Picture: Roger Deakins, Unbroken; Oscar Faura, The Imitation Game; Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman; Dick Pope, Mr. Turner; and Robert D. Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel

  • TV Series: PJ Dillon, Vikings; Jonathan Freeman, Boardwalk Empire; Anette Haellmigk, Game of Thrones ("The Children"); Christopher Norr, Gotham; Richard Rutkowski, Manhattan; and Rabian Wagner, Game of Thrones ("Mockingbird")
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced nominees for the 2015 WGA Awards. Some nominees are listed below; visit wga.org for the full list. Winners will be announced on February 14.
  • Original Screenplay: Richard Linklater, Boyhood; E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, Foxcatcher; Wes Anderson, story by Anderson and Hugo Guinness, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler; and Damien Chazelle, Whiplash

  • Adapted Screenplay: Jason Bell, American Sniper; Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl; James Gunn and Nicole Perlman, Guardians of the Galaxy; Graham Moore, The Imitation Game; and Nick Hornby, Wild
  • Drama Series: the writers of Game of Thrones; The Good Wife; House of Cards; Mad Men; and True Detective 

  • Comedy Series: the writers of Louie; Orange is the New Black; Silicon Valley; Transparent; and Veep
The Costume Designers Guild (CDG) announced nominees for the 16th annual CDG Awards. Some nominees in some categories are listed below; visit The Wrap for the full list. Winners will be announced on February 17.
  • Contemporary Film: Albert Wolsky, Birdman; Trish Summerville, Gone Girl; and Melissa Bruning, Wild

  • Period Film: Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Mark Bridges, Inherent Vice; and Steven Noble, The Theory of Everything

  • Fantasy Film: Colleen Atwood, Into the Woods

  • TV: Johanna Argan, House of Cards; John Dunn, Boardwalk Empire; Michele Clapton, Game of Thrones; Ane Crabtree, Masters of Sex; Daniel Orlandi, The Normal Heart; and Jenny Eagan, Olive Kitteridge
The Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild announced nominees for the 2015 Outstanding Achievement Awards. Some nominees in some categories are listed below; visit Indie Wire for the full list. Winners will be announced February 14.
  • Contemporary Make-Up: Kate Biscoe and Gigi Williams, Gone Girl; and Donald Mowat and Malanie Romero, Nightcrawler

  • Period or Character Make-Up: Peter Swords King, Into the Woods; Frances Hannon and Julie Dartnell, The Grand Budapest Hotel; and Jan Sewell and Lesley Smith, The Theory of Everything
  • Contemporary Hair Styling: Jerry Popolis and Kat Drazen, Birdman
  • Period of Character Hair Styling: Peter Swords King and J. Roy Helland, Into the Woods; Frances Hannon and Julie Dartnell, The Grand Budapest Hotel; and Jan Sewell and Agnes Legere, The Theory of Everything

  • TV Make-Up: Tricia Sawyer and Vasilios Tanis, House of Cards; Michele Paris and Joe Farulla, Boardwalk Empire; Magi Vaughan and Erika Okvist, Downton Abbey; Scott Wheeler and Suzanne Diaz, Key and Peele; and Jean A. Black, Masters of Sex; Christien Tinsley, Gerald Quist and Liz Bernstrom, Olive Kitteridge; and Eryn Krueger Mekash and Sherri Laurence, The Normal Heart

  • TV Hair Styling: Sean Flanigan and Shunika Terry, House of Cards; Magi Vaughan and Adam James Phillips, Downton Abbey; Amanda Mofield and Raissa Patton, Key and Peele; Cydney Cornell, Olive Kitteridge; and Chris Clark and Joe Whitmeyer, The Normal Heart
Nominees for the BAFTA Awards, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, were announced. Some nominees in some categories are listed below; visit awards.bafta.org for the full list. Winners will be announced on February 8.
Oddly, the scores of Whiplash and Birdman are ineligible for Oscar consideration because, the Academy claims, too much of each score uses previously composed pieces. (This is analogous to when new musicals' scores are ineligible for Original Score Tonys because, like Once, the music wasn't originally written for that stage iteration.) The determination for Whiplash makes a little sense, as most of the music is either "Whiplash" or "Caravan," jazz standards the protagonist tries to master. (The pieces were rearranged or variations were written to punctuate the story, but I can kind of understand the determination. Read about that on The Huffington Post.) It makes little sense for Birdman. Musician Antonio Sanchez created an original score for the film that serves as another character. The Academy's original determination (for Birdman) was unsuccessfully appealed. (Read about that on Deadline.) Academy Award nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 15.

Dig This
  • The spectacular The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time continues its celebrated Broadway run, and a new block of tickets just went on sale. You can now purchase tickets for dates through September 6. Playbill has more.

  • A new music-themed talk show is coming to your TV set, and this time, the musicians picks their interviewer. Rolling Stone has more information. 

  • A special Game of Thrones featurette, "A Day in the Life," will begin airing on HBO February 8. The Hollywood Reporter speculates that the special will provide a glimpse of what's to come in the series' fifth season, which, the premium cable channel has announced, will debut on April 12. (Veep and Silicon Valley will debut their new seasons on the same night. Rolling Stone has details.)

  • Reports say Jennifer Hudson will make her Broadway debut in a revival of The Color Purple this fall. Oprah would produce, and John Doyle would recreate the production he directed for London's Menier Chocolate Factory in 2013. Nothing is confirmed. Broadway.com has more.

  • Want to know choreographer and NYCB soloist Justin Peck's favorite things? Head to Art Forum to learn what the Everywhere We Go and Belles-Lettres choreographer likes.

  • The Hollywood Reporter has a list of the premiere dates for most shows either returning or debuting this winter and spring.

  • Downton Abbey's Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael), Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) and Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) played Cards Against Humanity. It was perfect. I would watch an entire series of this.

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