Happy belated President's Day.  Or Presidents Day (plural).  Or, Happy Washington's Birthday.  Or, if you live in Massachucettes I hope you took a moment to honor ALL the presidents that hailed from that great state.  I was doing some research on yesterday's holiday and I found that there is a great deal of controversy.  Who knew?  Did you know that it is not "officially" Presidents Day that we celebrated yesterday.  It is "officially" Washington 's Birthday, but in the late 80's retail advertisers pushed for it to be known as Presidents Day so they could create big sales around the event.  You have got to click HERE to read more about this drama.  And click HERE to read more about ...

• Read Full Story
• View/Post Comments (4)

Some days I worry that I am too focused on one thing; theater.  I fret that my attention is too centered on musicals and plays.  Then comes a day when I am pulled out of my comfort zone and forced to see that there is something more important in the world; more important than "The Broadway".  Yesterday I learned about Hannah Montana.I am spending a few days in New Jersey visiting my nieces (Hi Madison and McKenna) and I am getting quite an education.   We watched The Gameplan (starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), discussed The Cheetah Girls and Raven, and screened High School Musical II (and silently contemplated Zak Efron's eyebrows and Ashley Tisdales' nose job).   But most importa...

• Read Full Story
• View/Post Comments (3)

Happy Valentine's Day!  Are you running out to buy boxes of chocolates and long stemmed red roses?  Have you written out your cards and sealed them with a kiss?  Have you purchased a bag of those little candies with the sayings on them like "be mine"?  Have you run the bubble bath, scattered the apartment with rose petals, lit the candles, fired up the I-tunes for a romantic evening of cuddling and canoodling and whatnot?  I haven't done anything.  Nada.  Zilch.  NOTHING.  But I want to be original. I could try sending a a Valentinsdag Card?  Or some Giri Choko?  If you are looking for something different/unusual to do this holiday (like me)  you need only look to other countries...

• Read Full Story
• View/Post Comments (1)

First, when there's nothing but a slow glowing dreamThat your fear seems to hide deep inside your mindAll alone I have cried silent tears full of prideIn a world made of steel, made of stoneWell I hear the music, close my eyes, feel the rhythmWrap around, take a hold of my heartWhat a feeling, bein's believin'I can't have it all, now I'm dancin' for my lifeTake your passion, and make it happenPictures come alive, you can dance right through your lifeNow I hear the music, close my eyes, I am rhythmIn a flash it takes hold of my heart What a feeling!  Someone pinch me.  Is it really true?  Are they really making a musical out of Flashdance?  Is it possible that we could see that famous ri...

• Read Full Story
• View/Post Comments (4)

I would like to take a moment, right at the top here, to honor Roy Scheider who passed on February 10th of complications from a staph infection.  Mr. Scheider starred in the original production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal as well as numerous other stage productions including a Broadway revival of Tartuffe.  Mr. Scheider is best known for his work in film he earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Bob Fosse in All That Jazz as well as a nod for his work in The French Connection.  He also appeared in such films as Klute, Marathon Man and Still of the Night.  He might be most well known, however, for his role in Jaws.  On behalf of Yahoo! Broadway we extend our sympathies.Â...

• Read Full Story
• View/Post Comments (3)

Eggs benedict floating on Canadian bacon.  Waffles piled high with berries and covered in syrup.  Omelets stuffed with mushrooms and green peppers.  Muffins.  Melons.  Mimosas.  All of these things can be found at one of the most basic of all NYC weekend rituals; brunch.  But, I find the ingredients that make for the best brunches are 1. Good friends and 2. Gossip.  This past weekend I had brunch with a group of fun and fabulous friends that I hadn't seen in some time and we caught up, ate and (yes) we talked about THEATER.   To TOS or Not to TOSOne of the "hottest" topics of conversation was about [Title of Show] and the potential transfer to Broadway.  The debate became so heate...

• Read Full Story
• View/Post Comments (0)

Closing (Clichéd) When one door closes another door opens.  Make the most of all that comes, and the least of all that goes.  Every end is a new beginning.  It's not where you start, it's where you finish.  It's not over until the fat lady sings.  It's not over, baby, til it's over.  Wait that last one isn't a cliché - that's a song...what song is that? Ugh. I can't figure it out and now I am going to have that tune running through my head all day long.  Getting back on topic.  Any of the aforementioned clichés could be used to help assuage the sad hearts of the cast and crew of another closing on The Broadway.   It is, unfortunately a sad reality of theater; every show that ope...

• Read Full Story
• View/Post Comments (1)

There is a little flap in the Windy City; rather there is NOT a little flap flapping in the Windy City.  Um.  Strike that - tasteless.  Trying again.  There is a brouhaha brewing in Chicago and a cut that was to be, has remained uncut.  No that doesn't sound right.  Again.  Hard choices and limp responses plague new production.  Oh, heck, let me just say it out right.  Playwright says, "New production needs more penis!"  I  said it.  Now let's discuss this openly. There is a big uproar in Chicago right now.  About Face Theater, in ChiTown, is presenting a new production of Douglas Carter Beane's  Tony nominated play The Little Dog Laughed.  There is a scene in the play where ...

• Read Full Story
• View/Post Comments (14)

Does anyone have a cure for a hangover?  I really over did it last night.  Oh, no, not drinking.  No.  I didn't have a sip of alcohol.  I have a political hangover.  I watched too much CNN and listened to too many pundits.  I indulged in an excess of politico.com and gorged myself on a surplus of delegate counts and popular votes.  My head hurts and my eyes are red and running.  I need a cure, and I think I might have the answer...a little theater gossip!  Let's do it.... Changing of the Guards.This might be BIG kids.  BIG.  When it comes to theater there is one man who is more powerful than a president and more influential than the Congress or the Senate; that man is Ben Brantl...

• Read Full Story
• View/Post Comments (7)