Week in Review 5.20.16

Coming to the Boards
The New Group has announced its 2016-2017 season, and it will begin with a revival of Sweet Charity, starring Sutton Foster. The production will be directed by Leigh Silverman (with whom Foster worked on Violet) and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse (On the Town). The season will also include The Whirligig, a new play by Hamish Linklater, starring Zosia Mamet and Maura Tierney; Wallace Shawn's Evening at the Talk House; and All the Fine Boys, written by Erica Schmidt. Playbill has details. ... MTC has added the Broadway debut of August Wilson's Jitney (directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson) to its 2016-2017 season, as well as Martyna Majok's Cost of Living (directed by Jo Bonney). Broadway.com has more. ... The Public Theater has announced, in full, its 2016-2017 season. Highlights include the world premiere of Saint Joan, reuniting Here Lies Love collaborators David Byrne and Alex Timbers; a revival of David Hare's Plenty, starring Corey Stoll and Rachel Weisz; the New York premiere of Lynn Nottage's Sweat; an adaptation of Tiny Beautiful Things, a book written by Wild author Cheryl Strayed; and the latest from John Leguizamo, Latin History for Morons. Broadwayworld.com has more.

Taylor Stanley, Principal Dancer
The terrific Taylor Stanley has been promoted to principal dancer at New York City Ballet! Stanley is a fantastic dancer, and one of my favorites to watch. The good news was reported via a tweet from NYCB and an Instagram post by Company soloist Craig Hall, and Dance Spirit magazine provided a brief overview of Stanley's rise. Later in the day, NYCB posted Stanley's reaction to the promotion on its Instagram feed. Get to know Stanley in this February New York Times interview, and catch him on stage in these last two weeks of NYCB's spring season. Merde to Stanley!

Award Season Update
The 2016 Astaire Award winners were announced this week. Honoring excellence in dance and choreography in Broadway, off-Broadway, and film, winners include Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton), Savion Glover (Shuffle Along...), and Sergio Trujillo (On Your Feet) in a three-way-tie for Best Choreographer. (All three are current Tony nominees.) The Shuffle Along... ensemble won for Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show. Visit Playbill for the full list of winners.

Later in the week, Off-Broadway Alliance Award winners were announced. The Robber Bridegroom won for Best Musical Revival, and Lois Smith (John, Marjorie Prime) was honored as a Legend of Off-Broadway. Playbill has the full list of winners.

Drama League Award winners were announced today (5.20). A View from the Bridge won for Outstanding Revival of a Play; The Color Purple won for Outstanding Revival of a Musical; The Humans won for Outstanding Play; Hamilton won for Outstanding Musical; and Lin-Manuel Miranda won the Distinguished Performance Award, an honor a performer can win only once in his/her career. Congratulations to all the winners.

Dig This
  • Barbra Streisand will make several tour stops this August, after which she'll release her 35th studio album, Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway. As the title suggests, the album will feature Streisand and movie stars covering Broadway tunes. Entertainment Weekly has more.

  • Broadway.com checked in with Alice Ripley and Jennifer Damiano, who reunite on stage in American Psycho after forging a bond in Next to Normal almost ten years ago.

  • The TV adaptation of Rocky Horror Picture Show will air on Fox in October. A specific date has not been announced. This iteration features Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford (You Can't Take It With You) as Columbia and Laverne Cox as Dr. Frank-n-Furter, with special appearances by Ben Vereen and original Rocky Horror star, Tim Curry. Broadway.com has more.

  • The Hollywood Reporter has a convenient round-up of the renewals, cancellations, and new series being announced during TV's up-front period.

  • Looking: The Movie, the feature-length movie presentation that serves as a conclusion to the short-lived HBO series, Looking, will air on the premium cable channel on July 23. Looking stars Tony nominee Jonathan Groff (Hamilton). Broadwayworld.com has details.

  • Hello Dolly revival update: David Hyde Pierce (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) will join the previously announced Bette Midler. Performances at the Shubert Theatre will begin March 13, 2017, with opening night set for April 20. Broadway.com has more.

Comments

Post a Comment