I have been doing some extra postings this week because there is just so darn much happening in the city right now. Between The Summer Play Festival and Mamma Mia and Legally Blonde and Bailey and Autumn...there is just too much to contain in three days!  So I have given you a few bonus blogs!  Today I have a literal cornucopia of things to tell you about.  So sit back, warm up your mouse hand, flex your cursor finger and start scrolling to see what I have for you below.   Actress Takes Infamous Madonna RoleWhen David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow opened on Broadway nearly 20 years ago it made a huge splash on the scene.  Much of the buzz surrounded one of the cast members, one huge pop star ...

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Today I want to take another look backstage at the inner workings of the amazing Summer Play Festival, going on right now at The Public Theater.  This exciting event showcases 8 new plays by emerging writers and presents them to the public for only $10.00 a ticket (yup, you read that right - 10 bucks).  The brainchild of producer Arielle Tepper-Madover, SPF is now in its 5th season of providing New Yorkers with great theater at low prices and shining a mega watt spotlight on new talent.I have told you how crazy SPF is - it is a very quick process (two weeks of rehearsals and then you are up in front of an audience), but I think some of the bravest souls participating in SPF are the ACTORS....

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SPOILER ALERT [if you have not seen the finale episode of MTV's reality show Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods, you will NOT want to read any further because I am going to reveal everything.]OMG!  Autumn was robbed!  Well, maybe not robbed, but she was pick pocketed.  Ok, ok, maybe I am just really upset that the person I wanted to win LBTSFEW didn't win.  Why does this happen?  Why is it that the person I spend an entire season of a reality show loving, caring about, devoting my thoughts and energy to, routing for...why oh why do they ALWAYS lose.  Actually I should have known it from the start.  Bailey was destined to win; with her long golden Elle-like locks and her cute as...

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The glorious blue water, the dazzling sun drenched hills of Greece, gorgeous tanned ladies, hunky half naked men, luminous skies filled with full moons, Meryl Streep, singing, dancing, Abba...how could anyone defy the gravitation pull to enjoy Mamma Mia: The Movie.  In the immortal words of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of the pop group Abba...Mamma mia, here I go againMy my, how can I resist you? Mamma mia, does it show again? My my, just how much I've missed you! I couldn't resist - I couldn't resist at all!  This past weekend I got a chance to see the new screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Mama Mia; and it was fantastic.  Jam packed with gorgeous scenery, outstanding p...

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I sometimes fantasize that a Broadway show will pull a line from one of my posts and use if for an ad or a poster or something.  You know what I am talking about.  It would look something like this: "The most amazing show ever on Broadway!" Bixby Elliot, Yahoo! Broadway.  Something like that.  Today I am going to make a full tilt, all out effort and take my best shot at achieving that dream (it's a small dream, boys and girls, but it's a dream).I am not shooting for the stars on this one because it is Friday and I am bored, but because I have been inspired to.  Cause, ya see, there is a little ‘ol show that opened last night (you may have read about it here a few times - or a million ...

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You've heard that term before, right?  It is commonly used to refer to the part of the summer months that are very hot and marked by a dull lack of progress.  According to Wikipedia many people believe the phrase refers to the laziness of dogs during the hottest days of summer.  Now, when one thinks of summer on the rialto, they often think of a slow down (of sorts) and one might even hear someone toss out the phrase "dog days of summer".  But not this summer.  Things are heating up on "The Broadway",yes, but they have not slowed down at all.  This week alone we had the opening of The Marriage of Bette and Boo, before that Damn Yankees arrived at City Centers and this Thursday marks t...

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I am not a very religious person, in the traditional sense.  I grew up Episcopalian but we really only went to church for Christmas Eve Mass, because we all thought the candles looked so pretty when they dimmed the lights (one Xmas I almost set my ni...

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I have been talking a bit about the fantastic Summer Play Festival happening right now at the Public Theater, but have I really told you all how it works?  Here is the deal.  The folks at SPF pick 8 plays (out of, like, 1,000).  They match directors and writers together and they get to work on refining and finalizing the script.  Then the casting directors help them get top-notch super-wonderful actors to sign up for the gig.  After that - everyone comes together for a whopping two weeks of rehearsal (yup, you read that right - they only get TWO WEEKS) and one day to load into the theater and get all the technical elements just right (most shows Off-Broadway take at least a week to do a...

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Typically on Wednesday mornings I would blog about a certain reality television show on MTV in which they are searching for a new leading lady for a certain B'way musical in which they say things like "snaps" and "OMG" all the time.  Not today.  Today there is a ban on all things that have to do with that certain addictive reality television show.  As much as I love it, I am not going to speak about it.  As much as I may want to, I am not going to write one word about any of the contestants that I absolutely love.  I am not going to write about the hair transformations.  I am not going to write about tears and the outfits.  And I will definitely NOT be blogging about my obsession with...

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