Tag: Broadway

Nicole Scherzinger Drops ‘Cats’ for ‘X Factor’

cats broadway

There’s no denying Nicole Scherzinger’s beauty and talent, so it absolutely confounds me that she’s been unable to find her career-defining role. I can only assume the issue is poor management, as she’s been more obsessed with talent shows than actually making art on her own. So when Andrew Lloyd Webber revealed that she opted out of Cats on Broadway to take a spot on X Factor, I was not surprised. Nicole shrewdly treated the controversy with a casual yet respectful response, saying, “I had every intention of doing Cats on Broadway but the contract was never finalized. I am incredibly blessed to be given so many amazing opportunities, including Cats, but unfortunately we weren’t able to make it work this time around.” Translation? X Factor made me a better offer just in time. But is it a better offer? How many shows can the former Pussycat Doll play judge before she produces something that justifies her throne? This was a huge mistake, and if she were actually interested in art rather than a paycheck and prowess, she’d have chosen Cats.

Julie Taymor on Social Media: “Shakespeare Would Have Been Appalled”

Julie Taymor took aim at the blogosphere when referencing the criticism she received during the development of Broadway’s Spiderman. Taymor explained the difficulty of making a show in today’s landscape, when the audience basically steers your product. According to Taymor, “Shakespeare would have been appalled.” Because I’m a blogger, I’m obviously biased on this one. Having admitted that, I’d like to say I completely disagree with her. For years, big movie studios have test screened their product, and Broadway does the same. The blogosphere provides a way to speed up the entire process. The only issue is that the entire world finds out about your crappy product before you have a chance to correct it, which means it’s difficult to recover from the bad press. Perhaps Shakespeare would have been grateful for the criticism. I’m sure he asked his friends for advice — now he would just have millions of them.

Frances McDormand Addresses Audience During Play — Unprofessional Actress?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you cannot stay in character when an audience member does something to distract you, then you cannot call yourself an actress. Frances McDormand stopped her play, ‘Good People,’ to directly address an audience member who answered a disruptive phone call. She said, “when you’re done, we’ll resume.” This reminds me of my high school English teacher who was so offended by a student reading a book during his lecture that he actually stopped speaking and sat at his desk in silence for the remainder of the class. Really? You are going to let one douchey guy ruin it for everyone? It’s far more damaging to my Broadway experience for an actor to break character than it is to hear a ringing cell phone. So congratulations — and go back to acting school.

Kiefer Sutherland Stars in Jason Patric’s Play — Forgives Him for Julia Roberts Affair?

For those that don’t follow tabloid history, I’ll give you a nutshell review of one of the greatest scandals of all time.  Once upon a time, Kiefer Sutherland was engaged to Julia Roberts.  She left him shortly before the wedding and ran off with his best friend.  So who’s the best friend in question?  It was Jason Patric.  Years later, Kiefer spoke kindly of Roberts in interviews, saying they were not ready to be married, and he’s thankful that she realized it.  When asked about Patric, Kiefer wasn’t as kind, saying, “I’m surprised that I never got a call from him saying I’ve fallen in love da-da-da. Instead, I found out from a stranger.”  Jason Patric later paid for the affair, saying,  “I knew (dating her) would be trouble.  But I think sometimes people walk into their own nightmare maybe not so consciously.  This was a person who very much put herself in the public eye, and the public life. I think everyone has a right to privacy, but once you use your personal life to advance your fame, you really don’t have the right to say no to (the press).”  Now that you know the history you can imagine my shock when I discovered that Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric are currently starring on Broadway together in That Championship Season.  The play was written by Pulitzer Prize winner Jason Miller, who also happens to be Jason Patric’s father.  I’d like to note that only men can move past bad blood.  If my best friend ran off with my fiance, I’d accept her invitation to star in a play only so that I could get close enough to choke her on stage.

Alec Baldwin to Charlie Sheen: “Beg for Your Job Back”

When people ask me if I’m a “writer,” I always say no. I tell them I’m “aspiring.” The reason? Every so often I read articles like the one Alec Baldwin just wrote for Huffington Post, and it’s confirmed that I have a lot of work to do before I get there. Baldwin wrote an open letter to Charlie Sheen, and it’s brilliant. He told Sheen to “beg for his job back,” and he shared a very personal anecdote that illustrated his own frustrations with the entertainment industry. When I studied film in college, my professor actually discussed this story about Baldwin, and he told the class that Baldwin turned down the opportunity to star in the sequels to The Hunt for Red October, because he wanted to star in A Streetcar Named Desire on Broadway in hopes that it would solidify his status as an A-list actor. My professor said it’s considered one of the greatest blunders in Hollywood history. After reading Alec Baldwin’s recanting of what really happened, I’m convinced that Baldwin would kill my professor.  It turns out the the movie studio (Paramount) was negotiating simultaneous deals with Alec Baldwin and another A-list actor for the same part, thus breaking the law.  The movie studio owed this unnamed actor money for a previous deal that fell apart, and casting him in Alec’s role would not only save them money, but potentially help their film by casting someone who’s a bigger box-office draw.  The studio knew Alec wanted to star in the play, and they insisted that the production schedule could not accommodate Baldwin.  The implication from Baldwin’s letter is that the studio played hard-ball in hopes that Alec would drop out so they could employ the other actor.  If that’s true, it worked.  So what’s the thesis of Baldwin’s lesson?  “You can’t win,” and “no actor is greater than the show itself when the show is a hit.”  He therefore thinks Sheen should “sober up,” “get back on TV” and “buy John Cryer a really nice car.”

Spiderman Tragedy Blamed on Human Error — No Sh*T Sherlock

The Actors Equity Association investigated the recent Spiderman injury and determined that it was due to an error on the stage crew’s part.  Is this supposed to make anyone feel better?  The outrage surrounding the highly dangerous show, is that it’s open to human error.  That’s the point.  It should be safe enough to where a crew member’s mistake won’t result in someone’s death.  Broadway previews are supposed to be about tweaking the small stuff — not figuring out how to keep your actors alive.  To quote the very elequent Rent star, Adam Pascal, “I hope whoever was hurt is ok and sues the shit out of Julie Taymor, Bono, Edge and every other asshole who invested in that steaming pile of actor crippling shit!”

Legendary Joel Grey Visits Jennifer Grey on DWTS — I’m Verklempt

Jennifer Grey got a visit from a very famous guy on tonight’s Dancing With the Stars — her father. Joel Grey is most known as the original Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret. Grey has won an Oscar, a Tony, and a Golden Globe for Cabaret, and he’s considered a Broadway legend. Watch his appearance below, and click the link to see him perform a scene from Caberet.

JOEL GREY — CABARET


jennifera 5 @ Yahoo! Video

The Addams Family Musical Rakes in Money Despite Negative Reviews

This surprised me.  I’m not surprised that ticket buyers would ignore the critics, just that they’d actually want to see this musical.  I’m almost always against remaking movies into Broadway musicals, and this one was no exception.  I guess I’m the only one though.  The show garnered $15 million in advance sales, and made close to a million dollars opening weekend on top of that.  I think that we have Nathan Lane to blame thank for this.  He plays Gomez and is probably the draw needed to get the show up and running.  I’m just so sick of the Addams Family.  It started as a cartoon, then became a TV series, and four films later, we are now at the Broadway musical.  Did I mention that Tim Burton is making an animated film too?  Sigh . . . the family you can’t get rid of.  

‘A Time to Kill’ is Headed to Broadway

Remember this film?  It’s the one where Matthew McConaughey can actually be seen acting instead of running around with his shirt off.  Well, it’s headed to Broadway sometime next year.  It is the first Grisham book to go to Broadway, and it will be adapted by Rupert Holmes.  Fear not though . . . I don’t think anyone will be singing.

‘Phantom of the Opera’ Sequel Debuts in London

‘Love Never Dies,’ the sequel to ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ debuts tonight in London. Previews of the sequel have already been trashed in the press. The story follows the Phantom ten years later, after he relocates to New York to find the beautiful Christine.  Andrew Lloyd Weber has responded to the criticism, by stating that it isn’t fair to judge the show by its previews.  The show will debut on Broadway in November.