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News: 7 star-studded plays — streaming only on TomorrowTix

Spotlight on Plays from Broadway’s Best Shows is the virtual theatre experience you’ve been waiting for. It’s Morgan Freeman, Patti LuPone, Laura Linney, Paul Mescal, Alan Cumming, and more of the world’s top actors performing their hearts out in a series of must-see plays, live from their living rooms — while you watch from yours.

Right now, get pay-what-you-can tix to 7 upcoming virtual productions by some of the most popular playwrights ever. These tickets are available only on TomorrowTix and every single purchase supports The Actor’s Fund.

Continue reading “News: 7 star-studded plays — streaming only on TomorrowTix”

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News: Digital celebration to mark the centenary of Noël Coward’s West End Debut

A Marvellous Party – Digital celebration to mark the centenary of Noël Coward’s West End Debut

The Noël Coward Foundation has announced A Marvellous Party, a transatlantic, star-studded collection of performances celebrating the continuing legacy of Noël Coward and coinciding with the 100th anniversary of his West End debut as a 19-year-old playwright.

This unique celebration features words and music by Noël Coward, performed by Kate Burton, Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, Montego Glover, Derek Jacobi, Josh James, Cush Jumbo, Robert Lindsay, Kristine Nielsen, Bebe Neuwirth, Julian Ovenden, Patricia Routledge, Kate Royal, Emma Thompson, Giles Terera, Indira Varma and Lia Williams. Continue reading “News: Digital celebration to mark the centenary of Noël Coward’s West End Debut”

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Review: The Sound of Music Live (The Show Must Go On)

Despite great work from supporting players like Audra McDonald and Laura Benanti, The Sound of Music Live isn’t a great advert for The Show Must Go On

“Many a thing you know you’d like to tell her”

In some ways, turning to the series of live TV musicals to continue The Show Must Go On now that Andrew Lloyd Webber has exhausted the content he is willing to give for free, for weekends at a time. The problem is, its opening salvo – The Sound of Music Live from 2013 – really isn’t a good example of the form. 

Directed by Rob Ashford and Beth McCarthy-Miller, it has all the requisite component parts and as a piece of live entertainment, it is all very competently done. There’s an impressively capacious set, slick camerawork and a well-drilled ensemble who barely put a foot wrong throughout the 2 hours plus of the show. Continue reading “Review: The Sound of Music Live (The Show Must Go On)”

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Barely-a-Review: You Can’t Take It With You, Longacre Theatre

“I know they do rather strange things. But they’re gay and they’re fun and I don’t know there’s a kind of nobility about them”

I had a perfectly good time at George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s You Can’t Take It With You – surprisingly so, given its old-fashioned comedic nature and the presence of the destroyer of Shakespeare James Earl Jones. Well why did I book, you might well ask. For Rose Byrne I would tell you (the first series of Damages is one of my utmost favourite pieces of television ever) and she was indeed great. Annoyingly though, I was quite under the weather that evening (apologies to anyone who the in the vicinity of my stifled spluttering – yes, I was that guy) but when on Broadway – for the first time too – what do you do? It’s not as if you can reschedule… And there’s nothing worse than being stuck in an audience of people laughing their heads off when you’re not quite feeling the same. It’s not to say I thought this was a bad show, it just wasn’t really my cup of tea.

Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes (with interval)
Booking until 22nd February

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Winners of 2012-2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards

John Gassner Playwriting Award
Ayad Akhtar, Disgraced
Paul Downs Colaizzo, Really Really
Joshua Harman, Bad Jews
Samuel D. Hunter, The Whale
WINNER – Aaron Posner, My Name Is Asher Lev

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Bertie Carvel, Matilda the Musical
Santino Fontana, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin: The Musical
WINNER – Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Matthew James Thomas, Pippin
Continue reading “Winners of 2012-2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards”

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67th Tony Award nominations

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play 
Tom Hanks – Lucky Guy as Mike McAlary
Nathan Lane – The Nance as Chauncey
Tracy Letts – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as George
David Hyde Pierce – Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike as Vanya
Tom Sturridge – Orphans as Phillip

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Laurie Metcalf – The Other Place as Juliana Smithton
Amy Morton – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Martha
Kristine Nielsen – Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike as Sonia
Holland Taylor – Ann as Ann Richards
Cicely Tyson – The Trip to Bountiful as Miss Carrie Watts

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical 
Bertie Carvel – Matilda the Musical as Miss Trunchbull
Santino Fontana – Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella as Prince Topher
Rob McClure – Chaplin as Charlie Chaplin
Billy Porter – Kinky Boots as Lola
Stark Sands – Kinky Boots as Charlie Price Continue reading “67th Tony Award nominations”

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Nominations for 2012-2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards

John Gassner Playwriting Award
Ayad Akhtar, Disgraced
Paul Downs Colaizzo, Really Really
Joshua Harmon, Bad Jews
Samuel D. Hunter, The Whale
Aaron Posner, My Name Is Asher Lev

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Bertie Carvel, Matilda the Musical
Santino Fontana, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin: The Musical
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Matthew James Thomas, Pippin
Continue reading “Nominations for 2012-2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards”

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Nominations for 2008-2009 Outer Critics Circle Awards

John Gassner Playwriting Award
Annie Baker, Body Awareness
Gina Gionfriddo, Becky Shaw
Beau Willimon, Farragut North

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
James Barbour, A Tale of Two Cities
Matt Cavenaugh, West Side Story
Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek the Musical
Josh Grisetti, Enter Laughing
David Pittu, What’s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling Continue reading “Nominations for 2008-2009 Outer Critics Circle Awards”