Uncategorized
He Said “Blahblahblah”?!
When I was calling the Goodspeed Opera House the other day, I got put on hold for a minute and heard a chorus of the Gershwin song “Blah Blah Blah”—which, if you think about it, is the perfect thing to hear over the telephone. The song appears in the first show of the Goodspeed season, … Continue reading
Happy Easter
A provocative stage note by Don Marquis, the newspaper satirist of archy & mehitabel fame. Marquis could be as sanctimonious as he could be saucy. This is from the closing Author’s Note in the published script of Marquis’ 1925 drama about the crucifixion of Christ, The Dark Hours—Five Scenes from a History. There is certain … Continue reading
The Autumn Sonata Review
PHOTO OF AUTUMN SONATA AT YALE REPERTORY THEATER BY JOAN MARCUS. Autumn Sonata Through May 7 at the Yale Repertory Theatre, corner of Chapel and York streets, New Haven. By Ingmar Bergman. Directed by Robert Woodruff. Based on a literal translation by Wendy Weckworth. Original music by Michael Attias (also Music Director). Scenic designer: Riccardo … Continue reading
So Like Candy
Hey, there’s a new documentary about Candy Darling opening this week: Beautiful Darling, directed by James Rasin. She was a Warhol superstar, of course, and the inspiration for two classic Lou Reed songs (“Candy Says” and the second verse of “Walk on the Wild Side”). But before and after her Factory fame, Darling was an … Continue reading
Radio Shaw
Only a few hours left to hear a decent radio rendition of Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession on the BBC’s new “drama and comedy” channel, Radio 4 Extra. The channel (a revamping of BBC 7, only without the big block of children’s programming) has been running Shaw plays weekly for the past month or so. The … Continue reading
Theater DVD of the Week
Discovering Hamlet: Two of Britain’s Greatest Actors Stage Shakespeare’s Greatest Tragedy. 1990 PBS documentary by Mark Olshaker and Larry Klein, reissued 2011 on DVD by Athena (athenalearning.com) with bonus interviews and cast biographies. $39.99. Derek Jacobi is King Lear April 28 through June 5 at BAM (http://www.bam.org), in a Michael Grandage production imported from London’s … Continue reading
Never Seen It, But I’ve Pogoed to Its Plot—Ten Great Rock Songs Based on Plays
I’m setting a criteria here. These are not showtunes redone by rock bands, or songs written for theater productions. They’re stand-alone rock songs meant to be played in rock clubs by established rock bands… inspired by plays. 1. “Desdemona” by John’s Children. A vague lyric which certainly doesn’t say anything that suggests it’s NOT about … Continue reading
Who let the pet mouse out?
I was talking to Goodspeed Musicals’ Michael Price Wednesday morning and was able to ask him about a gossip item that turned up just the day before on the Broadway World website. Seems that Julie Andrews will direct an adaptation of the theater-friendly children’s book she co-wrote a few years ago with her daughter Emma … Continue reading
Andreassi and Cleopatra
James Andreassi is the founder and artistic director of the Elm Shakespeare Company, which means he spends his summers in Edgerton Park. But Jim (whom I’ve known since his college days at Tufts University in the late 1970s) works steadily throughout the year as an actor, director and theater instructor. From April 27 through May … Continue reading
All right, Bruce Norris!
The 2011 Pulitzer prize for Drama has gone to Bruce Norris. Nice to see that the Steppenwolf style still means something in the small cast, high concept world of today. I haven’t read, let alone seen the script that won (stupidly missed it in New York, and it has yet to be published in the … Continue reading