 |
||
|
||
|
||
By Bud Wilkinson (January 9th, 2003) See a musical you like? Buy the soundtrack at Amazon.com! Nathan
Lane and Matthew Broderick, who returned to “The Producers” last
week, are suddenly the hottest stars in showbiz. Not only will they
reprise the roles of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, respectively, in a
planned new movie version of the Mel Brooks’ hit, they’ve also been
targeted to star in a proposed Broadway revival of the Neil Simon comedy
“The Odd Couple.” Filming of “The Producers” movie – which
will be based on the Broadway musical, which was based on the original
non-musical motion picture – will likely start in early 2005 with
Susan Stroman directing. “The Odd Couple” would be staged in spring
2005. Kristin
Chenoweth, who is starring in the hit Broadway musical “Wicked,”
will make her movie debut in a new musical motion pictured titled
“Asphalt Beach,” which is described as “being in the spirit of
‘Hairspray’ and “Grease.’” “Wicked”
is proving to be a hit not only on Broadway but in CD stores as well.
The Decca Broadway release of the Stephen Schwartz musical sold nearly
18,000 copies in its first week of release last month – the highest
sales since the release of Jonathan Larson’s “Rent” in 1996. With
the Broadway musical “The
Boy from Oz” bringing renewed interest in the music of Peter Allen,
A&M/UMe will re-release the original recordings of the Australian
songwriter. “The Boy from Down Under: The Very Best of Peter Allen”
will be released Jan. 27th and will include Allen’s renditions of “I
Honestly Love You,” “Best That You Can Do,” “I Go to Rio” and
more. Cathy
Rigby will get back in the rigging and take to the air again as “Peter
Pan” in a new national tour of the musical. It is set to launch in
California in September. The year 2004 marks a milestone for “Peter
Pan” as the James M. Barrie play was first produced in 1904. Also
heading out on the road this fall will be “A Year with Frog and
Toad,” the Broadway cast recording of which will be released in fresh
packaging in early spring by the PS Classics label. Finally,
The New York Times reports that a musical version of the Adam Sandler
movie hit “The Wedding Singer” is in the works with the target for
Broadway being the 2005-2006 theater season. See something you want? Buy it at Amazon.com! |
||
|
Previous Week |
||
|
||
| Written by Bud Wilkinson
(January 2nd, 2003)
There
was no shortage of candid comments during 2003 by the Broadway stars,
composers, lyricists and producers, who appeared as guests on the
nationally-syndicated radio program “Broadway’s Biggest Hits.”
Here’s a sample of what some of them said: “Yes,
he’s attractive. Yes, he’s sexy. Yes, he is this unbelievable man
with unbelievable talent who adores his wife and child – which makes
him all the more sexy. But he’s also ridiculous, and he’s silly, and
he’ll sit and listen and talk to you like a brother.” – Stephanie
J. Block, who plays Liza Minnelli in the musical “The Boy from Oz,”
talking about the show’s leading man, Hugh Jackman. “I’m
getting goose bumps just thinking about it… It’s kind of chilling
and beautiful.” – “Big River” star Daniel Jenkins on the moment
in the revival when the orchestra stops playing and the cast stops
singing but the song “Waiting for the Light to Shine” continues in
American Sign Language. “I
think people want to come into the theater and they want to come out
feeling wonderful and laughing and having their minds taken off of what
is going on every day.” – Polly Bergen, star of the short-lived
“Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks,” on the attitude of today’s
theatergoers. “If
you believed anything I said on TV for the past six years about
Broadway, trust me, this is a sure thing.” – Rosie O’Donnell on
the chances of success for the musical she produced, Boy George’s
“Taboo.” “When
I was 30 or 35, I dreamed of these moments and, like all actors, wrote
in my head the acceptance speeches. It was hugely important. Now, I’m
old enough to realize that what’s really important is the fact that at
6 o’clock I go to the theater and I start getting ready to do this
extraordinary play again, and at 7 o’clock there are a thousand people
out there waiting to hear it. That’s what’s important. I think that
probably has to do with age and the fact you can feel the hot breath of
mortality on the back of your neck.” – Brian Dennehy on receiving a
Tony Award nomination for “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” “It
was tough being on the road. It was just tough as far as clean clothes
and things like that. But it was a family. You just got to know everyone
so well and to love everyone so much.” – “Gypsy” star Bernadette
Peters recalling touring in “Gypsy” as a teenager. “This
is not a birthday party kind of puppet show. This is a Broadway musical
that has something to intelligent to say to people of our generation.”
– Co-creator Jeff Marx on the hit musical “Avenue Q.” “I’m
batting .500? OK. Let’s
hope I get to bat again sometime. I’m getting a little long in the
tooth. Who knows? I didn’t expect to be in “Urinetown.” – John
Cullum, star of “Urinetown,” on his track record of winning two Tony
Awards (for “Shenandoah” and “On the Twentieth Century”) on four
nominations. “‘Chicago’
was really satisfying because it started weak and ended up strong. It
wasn’t working. The scenery didn’t come in at the right time. Things
didn’t fly that were supposed to fly. Costumes didn’t fit.
Orchestrations were ready. And then we eventually when we opened we were
spanking good and I loved it.” – Lyricist Fred Ebb recalling the
Broadway debut of “Chicago” in the wake of the musical’s success
as a movie. See something you want? Buy it at Amazon.com! |
||