Broadway2Seattle

2009-04-18T21:21:00.001-07:00

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Welcome Back!

2009-03-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

I'm back from some much needed personal time. Excited to get the blog going again. We'll have a Top 10 of 2008 for Seattle theatre and some great new content ahead. Thanks for your patience while we were shut down,

To start things up here's a fantastic Saturday Night Live sketch bemoaning the effects of the financial crisis on Broadway.

Be Back Soon

2008-09-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

We'll be back shorty with daily updates with the latest news from Seattle and Broadway! Thanks for your patience.

Countdown to Shrek: Christopher Sieber is Lord Farquaad and John Tartaglia is Pinocchio

2008-09-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

CHRISTOPHER SIEBER (Lord Farquaad) received a Tony Award® nomination for his work in Spamalot and later opened the show in London. Other Broadway: Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Into The Woods, Beauty & The Beast, Triumph of Love, and A Christmas Carol. Also, New York City Opera production of Cinderella. Off-Broadway: Avow, The Boys in the Band, and Pal Joey. Regional: Randy Newman's Faust, Paper Moon at Paper Mill, Company, and The Boys From Syracuse at Reprise!. TV: "Pushing Daisies," "Johnny and the Sprites," "It's All Relative," "Two of a Kind," "Sex & The City," "Ed," "Guiding Light," "All My Children," and "Another World." Mr. Sieber has not appeared on "Law & Order."

JOHN TARTAGLIA (Pinocchio) is executive producer and star of Disney Channel's "Johnny and the Sprites" (now airing worldwide). Tartaglia earned a Tony Award® nomination for his performance in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Avenue Q, for which he originated the roles of Princeton and Rod. Tartaglia was most recently seen on Broadway starring as Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. A 10-year veteran of "Sesame Street," Tartaglia is one of the youngest puppeteers ever to perform on the show, starting at the age of 16. In addition to his work on "Sesame Street," he also starred in Sesame Workshop's innovative English as a Foreign Language project, "Sesame English," which currently airs worldwide. Tartaglia has also appeared on Disney Channel's "Bear in the Big Blue House" and "JoJo's Circus" and Discovery Channel's "Animal Jam." He is a past host of the New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts.

Here is a clip of Sieber and Tartaglia together, performing "Don't Put it Down" at the Actor's Fund benefit production of Hair. Also, Sieber in London's Spamalot (on Royal Variety) opposite Hannah Waddingham singing "The Song That Goes Like This" and Tartaglia on his dearly departed children's show "Johnny and the Sprites".

Countdown to Shrek: Chester Gregory is Donkey

2008-09-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

CHESTER GREGORY (Donkey) is an award winning singer/songwriter/performer. He recently originated the role of Dupree in Broadway's Cry-Baby at the Marquis Theatre. He was also seen on Broadway as Terk in Disney's Tarzan and as Seaweed in the Broadway hit, Hairspray. Other credits include The Jackie Wilson Story (Jeff, AUDELCO, BTAA and Black Excellence Awards). Other credits include the film, Hairspray (2007) and performing for Michael Jackson. Chester has a BFA from Columbia Chicago. He is proud to debut his album, In Search of High Love. For more information, visit www.ChesterGregory.com and www.MySpace.com/ChesterGregory.

Here's Chester Gregory performing "Stompin' the Camp" from Tarzan on "The View".

Photo Preview: Shrek in Seattle

2008-09-08T09:58:00.001-07:00

Here's a first look at Shrek, the highly anticipated new musical, based on the hit Dreamworks film, making its official opening September 10th at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre!

Brian d'Arcy James

Brian d'Arcy James and Christopher Sieber

Sutton Foster

Christopher Sieber and "Gingy"

Keaton Whittaker (Young Fiona), Sutton Foster (Princess Fiona) & Marissa O’Donnell (Teen Fiona)

Christopher Sieber and Company

Photos by Joan Marcus

Countdown to Shrek: Sutton Foster is Princess FIona

2008-09-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

SUTTON FOSTER (Princess Fiona). Broadway: Inga in Young Frankenstein, Janet Van De Graaf in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, L.A. Ovation Award), Jo in Little Women (2005 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire Awards), Eponine in Les Misérables, the 20th anniversary of Annie, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grease. Other New York: performed concerts at Carnegie Hall (NY Pops), Lincoln Center (American Songbook series), Town Hall, Joe’s Pub; Actors’ Fund benefit performances of Funny Girl and Chess. TV: Disney Channel’s “Johnny and the Sprites,” HBO’s “The Flight of the Conchords.” Proud Equity member.

Here's Foster in the role that made her a star (and got her that well deserved Tony). "Gimme, Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie. In addition, Foster in The Drowsy Chaperone (making its final tour stop this October in Seattle) performing "Show Off". And lastly, but certainly not least, "Roll in the Hay" from Young Frankestein. This is Foster's second summer in the Emerald City, having created the role of Inga in the Mel Brooks musical here last year.

Countdown to Shrek: Brian D'Arcy James is Shrek

2008-09-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

BRIAN D'ARCY JAMES (Shrek). Broadway: The Apple Tree, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Sweet Smell of Success (Tony & Drama Desk nominations), Titanic, Carousel, Blood Brothers, Les Miserables (national tour). Off-Broadway: Next to Normal (Second Stage), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Atlantic), The Pavilion (Rattlestick), Flight (Melting Pot), The Good [...]Thief (Keen Company; Obie Award; Backstage Garland Award; L.A. Weekly Award; Drama Desk Outer Critics nominations), City Center Encores! Pardon My English, The Wild Party (MTC, Drama Desk nomination), Ancestral Voices (LCT), Public Enemy (Irish Arts), Floyd Collins (Playwrights Horizons), Irving Berlin's White Christmas (SF, LA, Boston). Film and TV: the upcoming Ghost Town; Enchanted; "Cashmere Mafia;" "Rescue Me;" "The Education of Max Bickford;" Neurotica; Exiled; Sax and Violins. Numerous cast recordings and concert appearances. BS, Theater: Northwestern University. Board Member: Keen Company. www.briandjames.com

Here's a stirring performance of "At the Fountain" from the underrated Sweet Smell of Success.

Rob Ashford Brought in as "Show Doctor" for Shrek

2008-09-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

Shrek, the Jason Moore directed, Josh Prince choreographed musical currently making its world premiere in Seattle, has brought in Tony-winning director/choreographer Rob Ashford to assist with the Broadway-bound musical. Ashford, per Playbill.com, flew into town September 2nd to help guide the Jeanine Tesori/David Lindsay-Abaire tuner based on the William Steig character and the hit Dreamworks film.

"I called Rob Ashford and asked him to come out and take a look at the show," director Moore said. "We've been adding three or four new musical numbers…. We want to get as much accomplished here as we can. Rob got here last night. He'll be with us through Seattle. It will be another pair of hands on deck."

Ashford, who received a Tony Award for his choreography of Tesori's Thoroughly Modern Millie, will work on Shrek in an "unbilled capacity", per the producers. Ashford's work was last seen in Seattle in the pre-Broadway tryout of The Wedding Singer. Ashford's work was seen last season on Broadway in Cry-Baby. Other credits include Curtains, The Boys from Syracuse, and London mountings of Evita, Guys and Dolls, and Parade. Ashford was to direct and choreograph a Broadway revival of Brigadoon, but plans were recently halted due to lack of money (a reoccurring theme this season).

"[Ashford] just got here last night," Moore continued, "so we'll figure out exactly how we'll distribute the tasks. Really it will be on a number-to-number basis. He's a friend of so many of us in the show, including the actors." Moore, taking on his biggest directing task to date, directed Avenue Q (Tony-nomination), the Broadway revival of Steel Magnolias, and Jerry Springer-The Opera at Carnegie Hall

In preparation for Shrek's official opening September 10th, Broadway2Seattle will be featuring daily performance video showcasing the cast and creatives behind this one of this season's most-anticipated new musicals. With today's announcement of Ashford's arrival in Seattle, we'll start with three of examples of his always inventive work.

Though The Wedding Singer was a critical and financial disappointment, Ashford's choreography was one of the few highlights in an otherwise bland evening (I also enjoyed Amy Spanger's over-the-top performance). Here's the number "It's Your Wedding Day" as featured on the 2006 Tony broadcast. Ashford's work is captured in this thrilling clip of "Buenos Aires" from the recent London revival of Evita (a proposed Broadway transfer failed to materialize). Elena Roger is Eva here. Lastly, "Forget About the Boy" from Thoroughly Modern Millie (starring Shrek star Sutton Foster in the title role).

5th Avenue's Dolly! to Say Hello to Jenifer Lewis

2008-08-30T18:38:00.001-07:00

5th Avenue Theatre, currently hosting the world premiere of the Broadway-bound musical Shrek, has found a star for their upcoming production of Hello, Dolly!. Film, television, and stage star Jenifer Lewis, who just finished up her Broadway run as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray, will take on the title role.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the 5th Avenue production of Hello, Dolly!,” Lewis says. “I am the luckiest actress in the world to be able to play a role that’s been a lifelong dream of mine – and with such an exceptional company. I’m excited, ready, and very, very grateful.”

Lewis joins a long list of larger-than-life divas who have essayed the iconic role, including Carol Channing, Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Pearl Bailey, Ginger Rogers, Phyllis Diller, Martha Raye, and Barbara Streisand, who starred in the film translation of the hit Jerry Herman/Michael Stewart tuner.

“I am delighted that Jenifer will star in our production of Hello, Dolly!,” says Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong. “This classic musical demands a star who is a consummate performer. She needs to be a great comedian with a thrilling voice who can captivate and delight an audience. Jenifer is all of that and more. I have always thought of her as being like a legendary vaudeville star reincarnated in a contemporary package.”

Hello, Dolly!, based on the Thorton Wilder play The Matchmaker, will run at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre March 7th through March 29th. For more information visit the 5th Avenue Theatre website.

JENIFER LEWIS (Dolly Gallagher Levi) is currently starring on Broadway as Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray. Other Broadway credits include Eubie, Comin’ Uptown, “Rock and Roll, 1st 5000 Years” and the original workshop of Dreamgirls with Michael Bennett. Most recently Lewis appeared on stage alongside Meryl Streep in Mother Courage and her Children. Lewis has appeared in more than 60 films including: The Antwon Fisher Story, Corinna Corinna, Sister Act I & II, Dirty Laundry, Dead Presidents, The Brothers, Poetic Justice, Castaway, Meet The Browns, Shark Tales, and Pixar’s Cars. She has received two NAACP Image Award nominations for What’s Love Got to Do With It and The Preacher’s Wife and has appeared in over 120 television shows, including "The Temptations", "Friends", "The Cosby Show", "Murphy Brown", "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air", "Jackie’s Back!", "Shark", "Girlfriends", and "Boston Lega"l. Lewis resides in Los Angeles with her adopted daughter Charmaine, and is a relentless supporter to find a cure for Breast Cancer and HIV/Aids.

Pardon the Pause...

2008-08-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Great new content is ahead. During our slight pause, please enjoy Bernadette Peters' moving performance of "Unexpected Song".

A Chorus Line Starts Tonight in Seattle

2008-08-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

The tour of A Chorus Line, the landmark 1975 musical about the ups-and-downs of being a Broadway dancer, begins performances in Seattle tonight at The Paramount. The Marvin Hamlisch-Ed Kleban musical, featuring tunes like "One", "What I Did for Love", and "The Music and the Mirror", received nine Tony Awards, not to mention a special "gold" Tony in 1984 after becoming the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Here's a treat! When A Chorus Line ended its first Broadway run (the revival ends next week), the original cast reunited on "The Phil Donahue Show" to share stories and sing some of the score's most memorable songs. Here is that broadcast in its entirety.

Video of the Day: "Shy"

2008-08-04T00:00:00.001-07:00

Here's a charming performance of "Shy" from Once Upon a Mattress. The star? None other than legend Carol Burnett, who rose to fame as Winnifred in this musicalization of "The Princess and the Pea". Even when television took her away from Broadway, Burnett still featured a healthy amount of Broadway material and stars (Bernadette Peters and Kaye Ballard, among others). Burnett's command of the comic vocabulary is simply astounding. The music, in one of the most appealing (and jazzy) Golden Age scores, is provided by Richard Rodger's talented daughter, Mary (and mother to Adam Guettel).

Video of the Day: "Glitter and Be Gay"

2008-08-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the irrepressible, and Tony-winning, Kristin Chenoweth performing "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide. The Leonard Bernstein classic has proven to be the most difficult soprano number, comedic or serious, in the cannon. Chenoweth, in a role originated by the peerless Barbara Cook, easily negotiates her opera-trained soprano through the comedic landscape of this marathon of a number. Enjoy!

Video of the Day: "Why Do the Wrong People Travel?"

2008-08-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

One of Broadway's biggest personalities, on stage and off, Elaine Stritch remains one of the finest masters of the comedic song. The Tony and Emmy winner, here in her triumphant performance as herself in Elaine Stritch at Liberty (which she is currently reprising in London), has worked with legends such as Coward, Sondheim, Inge, and Prince. "Why Do the Wrong People Travel?", from Noël Coward's Sail Away, is a prime example of Stritch's ability to command an audience with deft comedic timing, perfect pitch, and her trademark acidic delivery. Coward's lyrics here are especially dry(er). For more Stritch, check out this rare performance of "He Had Refinement" from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Greetings: Looking Forward, Changes, and Imogene

2008-08-01T00:06:00.000-07:00

When I created Broadway2Seattle, less than 6 months ago, I was eager to provide a healthy combination of Broadway and Seattle to my readers. With a few personal bumps in the road (and behind us), I'm quite happy with where the site is headed. A few recent emails have encouraged me to beef up the Broadway content. And, of course, I'm happy to oblige.

We're still going to be bringing you a healthy dose of Seattle, we've got three Broadway bound shows (Shrek, Waiting for Godot, Wishful Drinking) in the coming year alone (not to mention Seattle premieres of The Little Dog Laughed, Spring Awakening, and The Drowsy Chaperone), but look for some big Broadway features to be added to the mix. We'll be doing a weekly cast album column, providing the latest Broadway news and buzz, and will be introducing (see below) a daily video feature (with a weekly theme). You'll also be getting reviews, a feature on Broadway on film (after the success of our Mamma Mia! review), and a weekly "Top 10".

Please, don't hesitate to contact me if you have any suggestions or questions. I hope you join me as we continue to attempt to bridge the gap between Seattle and Broadway.

Also, as we begin to grow (and change form), we'll also be offering advertising space for local theatre productions. I've you'd like your company to be featured on the site, please contact me at robbiwachs@broadway2settle.com for more information on our affordable rates.

Lastly, I'd like to get the ball rolling with a fabulous video I discovered on a late night YouTube marathon. Here's the legendary Imogene Coca performing "Repent" from On the Twentieth Century, here, in concert. Coca's divine comic timing, both physically and vocally, remains unrivaled and astounding. The musical, with a now iconic scene of Coca's Letitia Primrose strapped to the front of a train (via Robin Wagner's stunning design), features an operetta-infused score by Cy Coleman (his best composition in a career of diverse, solid work) and Betty Comden* and Adolph Green. The original cast featured Coca, Madeline Kahn (who was excellent but did not enjoy the experience**), John Cullum (Shenandoah, Urinetown), and an unknown Kevin Kline. This charming musical tops my revival wish list (Seattle's Patti Cohenour would be a magnificent Lily Garland). Coca's "Repent" is a fine lesson in comedic singing. So, this week, starting with Ms. Coca, our video theme will feature great ladies mastering the tricky art of the comic musical theatre number. Stay tuned! If you have a theme suggestion, or video you'd like us to feature, send me a line.

Hope you enjoy this charming performance )and the combination of Broadway and Seattle that we hope to offer you for many years to come)!

Robbie Wachs
Founder, Broadway2Seattle

*Comden actually subbed for Coca during her vacation from Twentieth Century. There is an infamous story that has Comden frequently forgetting her own lyrics.
**Kahn was quickly replaced by a young Judy Kaye (Seattle's Gypsy, Souvenir, Ragtime, Mamma Mia!).

Guys and Dolls to Return to Broadway in Spring 2009; McAnuff Directs

2008-07-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

A revival of Guys and Dolls is headed to Broadway. This new production of the Frank Loesser musical, to be directed by Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys, The Who's Tommy) is aiming for a Broadway bow in 2009 at a Nederlander house to be announced. Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, All Shook Up) will choreograph. Casting to be announced.

In a statement, Jo Sullivan Loesser, widow of the show's composer, said."I couldn't be more delighted that, after the longest period ever between Broadway productions of Guys and Dolls, Des McAnuff has agreed to direct this brand new production. This is the first reunion of Des with Frank's work since his brilliant production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which I absolutely adored."

Guys and Dolls was first seen on Broadway in 1950, with City Center revivals in '55 and '65. A 1976 revival features an all African American cast. The most recent revival, starring Faith Prince, Nathan Lane, and Peter Gallagher, played 1,143 performances, from '92 to '95. The recent London revival, with Ewan McGregor and Jane Krakowski, was expected to transfer but never materialized.

"Guys and Dolls may well be the greatest musical of all time; it is inarguably one of them," says McAnuff. "I consider it a tremendous responsibility and a wonderful opportunity to direct it on Broadway. It has been a career-long goal of mine."

Pictured: Des McAnuff

Everything's "Rosie" in Seattle

2008-07-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun clip from more than a few years back. Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking, as Albert and Rosie, in the Bye Bye Birdie tour, performing during the "Broadway Across America" television special in 1991. This performance of the Strouse/Adams finale, "Rosie", was filmed in Seattle at The Paramount Theatre during its stop.

New Voices 5 to Sing August 4th

2008-07-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

The 5th incarnation of Contemporary Classic's New Voices series will be presented at Seattle Rep's Poncho Forum August 4th. Some of Seattle's best singers join host Brandon Ivie for the event.

The current roster includes Billie Wildrick (Wonderful Town), Ryan Nixon (AIDA), Kat Ramsburg (Mame), Nick DeSantis, and Jessica Skeritt. Recent Zanna, Don't! cast members Casey Craig, Sarah Davis, Lindsey Hedberg, Diana Huey, Mackenzie Miller and Don Darryl Rivera will also be on hand. R.J. Tancioco is the musical director for the one night only performance.

“I’m very happy to be able to give these new voices a chance to show their stuff in Seattle,” says Brandon Ivie. “Many of these songs are being performed on the West coast for the first time, and these composers are thrilled that their work is being heard outside of New York. There might even be a world premiere!”

Featured composers for this New Voices will be Scott Alan, David A. Austin, Adam Gwon, Michael Kooman & Christopher Dimond, Brian Lowdermilk & Kait Kerrigan, Peter Mills, Orlando Morales, Jeremy Schonfeld, and more.

“This is also sort of a ‘best of’ concert, featuring many songs that we have used in past incarnations of the concert alongside some more exciting new material,” Ivie continues.

Contemporary Classics is dedicated to producing Seattle premieres of contemporary musicals. In addition to Seattle premieres, Contemporary Classics also puts a large focus on developing new works, presenting cabarets, and re-conceiving older musicals, all while using the best up-and-coming talent Seattle has to offer. Contemporary Classics produced the Seattle premieres of john & jen, The Last Five Years, A New Brain and the recent Zanna, Don’t! as well as The Songs of David A. Austin concert.

For tickets and more information visit http://www.contemporaryclassics.org

Photo: Ryah Nixon performing at a previous New Voices concert

Local Barnes and Nobles Stores to Offer Exclusive Shrek Tracks

2008-07-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Shrek The Musical has partnered with participating Seattle area Barnes and Noble Booksellers to release two songs from the new musical, which makes its world premiere in Seattle this summer. Starting today, Barnes and Noble shoppers will receive free cards with download codes for the songs “I Could Get Used to This,” sung by Chester Gregory (Donkey) with Brian d’Arcy James (Shrek), and “I Know It’s Today,” featuring Tony Award winner Sutton Foster (Princess Fiona), Marissa O’Donnell (Teen Fiona) and Leah Greenhaus (Young Fiona).

Shrek The Musical plays its World Premiere, and pre-Broadway tryout, at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, August 14th to September 21st. Performances begin on Broadway November 8th. For more information visit http://www.shrekthemusical.com.

Broadway2Seattle Profile: Big River's Solomon Davis

2008-07-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

"All I Owe Iowa": Davis, who currently plays Huck Finn's best friend Tom Sawyer in Taproot's sparkling new production of Big River, received his training at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA. But his influences go a little further back. "I had an absolutely amazing drama teacher in high school," says Davis. "Any success I've had as an actor can be attributed, in a large part, to Stacy Hanson."

Sign: Aquarius

Favorite Roles: Two of Davis' most recent assignments have become his most beloved. "I played Joey in Joey & the Fur Tree. a new play by Robin Knight and Tricia Owen –and will tour again this holiday season through Taproot Theatre; and I played James in The Shark, a new play by Nathaniel Porter and produced by Emerald City Scene." Davis calls his work in The Shark "refreshing because I'd been playing ten-year-old's since moving here (no complaints – I'm happy to be working)."

Playing an Icon: Davis took a fresh approach to playing Twain's legendary Sawyer. "I didn't review the books until we began performing. I had it in my head to treat it the same and to stick to my natural way of working." There was also little worry about preconceived notions of the character. "I try not to get hung up on pleasing a small section of overly literate, overly critical audience members. Too much theatre is being directed to that small section and I think theatre in general is suffering for it. All that said, I made it my own by sticking bravely to the script." Davis sites "Leavin's Not the Only Way to Go" as has favorite Big River tune. A favorite moment can be found late into the show. "When I'm getting back into the Tom Sawyer costume toward the end, I feel a sense of accomplishment. Because of how this show was cast, many of us are playing multiple roles and playing in the band at every turn…it's a lovely chaos… so when I get into Tom Sawyer's costume at the end I know we've made it."

"King of the Road": Davis is also a member of Taproot's road company, an outreach program for local youth. "I couldn't ask for a better, harder, more rewarding job for me right now." The job, which brought Davis to Seattle, has him working with grades K-12, something he hopes to make a full time gig in the future. "We do these wonderfully written plays that intentionally tie in concepts from a curriculum called "Steps to Respect". After each show we talk to the students about problems in their school and what choices they can make to help solve those problems. I wish I'd had stuff like that in my school growing up."

"Any Dream Will Do": On future roles, Davis would like to play "Peter Pan before I'm thirty." And "Puck before I'm dead." But theme (and substance) seems to outweigh the specific. "I adore any roles that involve redemption, a second chance, good from bad – that sort of thing…and plays that ask the audience to use their incredible imaginations."

On Seattle: When asked about his favorite thing about his new home, Davis, who lives in Greewood, close to his new Taproot gig, is "totally digging the ability to walk where ever I need to go."

Taproot's Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn plays through August 9th. For tickets visit http://www.taproot.org

Top: Davis
Middle: Davis and Company in Big River
Bottom: Robbie Fowler (Huck) and Davis (Tom)
Photos by Erik Struhaug

Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking Added to Rep's Season

2008-07-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Seattle Rep, the Tony-winning theatre gearining up for their 2008-2009 season, has added Carrie Fisher's Broadway-bound Wishful Drinking to their lineup. Wishful Drinking replaces the previously annunced A Winter People. The personal tell-all, covering everything from Princess Leia to Paul Simon, will run April 2nd through May 3rd, 2009. Tony Taccone directs.

"We are still very interested in bringing A Winter People to Seattle audiences; however the timing did not work out with our intended co-producer for this upcoming '08-09 season. We had the good fortune of engaging Carrie Fisher to perform her enthralling story on our stage and we leapt at the opportunity," says Benjamin Moore, Manager Director at Seattle Repertory Theatre.

In Wishful Drinking, according to press notes, Ms. Fisher "recounts her true and intoxicating story with the same strong, wry wit that she poured into bestsellers like Postcards from the Edge. Born to celebrity parents Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Carrie lands among the stars when she's picked to play a princess in a little movie called Star Wars. But it isn't all sweetness and light sabers. As a single mom, she also battles addiction, depression, mental institutions, and that awful hyperspace hairdo. It's an hilarious take on an incredible tale - from having Elizabeth Taylor as a stepmother, to wedding (and shedding) Paul Simon, from having the father of her baby leave her for a man, to waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed."

Tickets go on sale August 18th. For more information visit http://www.seattlerep.org/.

Photo: Fisher in Wishful Drinking

"Golden Girls" and Torch Song Trilogy Star Estelle Getty Dies at 84

2008-07-22T17:04:00.001-07:00

Beloved actress Estelle Getty, known to most audiencs for her iconic portrayal of loose-lipped Sicilian Sophia Petrillo on TV's "The Golden Girls", died on July 22nd from advanced dementia. Getty appeared on Broadway in Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy. Born Estelle Scher, on July 25th, 1923, to polish immigrants, Getty was actually a year younger than Bea Arthur, who played her daughter on the hit sitcom. Her films include Mannequin, Mask, and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.

"For us here, who have known and cared for her for so many years, we've lost our dear little friend who always kept us entertained by filling our days with joyful laughter," said Paul Chapdelaine on Getty's website. "Estelle's fans across the globe have lost the feisty little lady known as Sophia Petrillo, whose quick wit, cutting remarks, and outrageous punch lines will forever be quoted and remembered."

For more information on the star, visit http://www.estellegetty.com/

Top: Getty and Harvey Fierstein in Torch Song Trilogy
Bottom: Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, Betty White, and Getty in "The Golden Girls"

Seattle Theatre Review: Greenman's Promising Leni Boasts a Pair of Aces in Thone and Tavares

2008-07-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

by Chris Comte

Few artists have blurred the line between art and propaganda as effectively as the late German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, who,despite her unabashed adoration of Adolf Hitler and the relative obscurity of her work, continues to be one of those rare figures who can generate simultaneous feelings of both revulsion and admiration.Sarah Greenman's 2006 fictionalized biographical play Leni, produced by Strawberry Theatre Workshop and now running at SCCC's Erickson Theatre, is an impressive debut by a promising young playwright, made all the more so by its deft amalgamation of stage and film elements, but which in the end succumbs to the very ambivalence engendered by its subject.

Greenman's set-up provides a near-perfect circumstance for examining the life of this controversial figure: a posthumous Leni (Amy Thone) directs a film documentary of her own life, as seen through the eyes of her younger self (Alexandra Tavares), in order to set the record straight for an audience that she imagines views her as, at best, an aberrant curiosity, and at worst, as a willing collaborator to one of history's most heinous political regimes. Using this conceit Greenman presents her audience with a three-way reflection of her subject: Lenithe Director molds Leni the Actor into an idealized portrait of Leni the Artist as she exists in her mind's eye. Strawshop Artistic Director Greg Carter's cluttered, yet surprisingly intimate set,dominated by three large screens upon which live video of the actors,along with clips from Riefenstahl's most notable works, "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia", immediately draws the audience into this inner world, both literally and aesthetically, creating in the process the third leg of a Freudian personality triumvirate, with the younger Leni representing the "Id" of ambition and desire, while the elder Leni depicts the "ego", manipulating circumstance, memory, and action in order to meet those needs, and with the all-seeing screens providing the "super-ego" in the guise of the dispassionate eye of history, against which the older Leni must constantly defend herself.

The obstacle that Greenman's otherwise clever and emotionally engaging script fails to overcome is, unfortunately, the one most in need of resolution when dealing with a figure like Riefenstahl, namely, to what extent is the artist responsible for how her creations are used –or misused – by those whose aims differ from those of the artist herself? Both Lenis posit that there was no political motive whatsoever involved in the making of her films, and that any subsequent use of them for such purposes was beyond her control.

But, it's a weak argument, and one not born out by the historical record.Riefenstahl herself acknowledged the propaganda value of "Triumph of the Will" as early as 1935 (as referenced in an excerpt from a 1975 "New York Review of Books" article written by Susan Sontag, a portion of which is reprinted in the program), and she had already directed a film depicting the National Socialists annual "Nuremberg Rally" two years prior to making "Triumph", which itself was notable for the unprecedented level of pre-planning that went into it. While the film may technically be categorized as a "documentary", it is also a well-established fact that every moment was staged in meticulous detail in order to provide Riefenstahl with the ideal vantage points from which to create her stunning visual compositions.

Thus, Riefenstahl's defense of her innocence not only rings hollow when compared to actual fact, but Greenman's depiction of this unswerving self-delusion creates a dramatic impasse that neither she,nor by extension her characters, can successfully break through. Near the end of the 85 minute script Thone stares silently out as she absorbs the impact of realizing her own quite obvious – to the audience at least – complicity, but then almost immediately rewinds the story back to "square one" (as both characters do repeatedly when confronted with recollections that contradict their preferred version of events), abruptly ending the play as it began, with Leni steadfastly clinging to her belief that her work is exclusively "artistic", and that any commodification of it as "propaganda" was neither intended or desired. We are left with a sense that, in parsing Riefenstahl's own internalized ambivalence about her work, Greenman has only succeeded in adding yet another layer of dramatic ambiguity on top of it, and as a result Leni does not resolve the question it poses so much as it leaves it hanging uncomfortably in the air unanswered. Perhaps that is Greenman's intent, not to answer, but simply to pose the question. But if so, one wonders why the previous 80-plus minutes, as interesting as they may be, were needed to lead us back full-circle to where she started.

Despite this rather critical structural flaw, Greenman's script manages nevertheless to provide choice material for two sufficiently strong actors, and Director Rhonda J. Soikowski shows a winning pair of aces with Thone and Tavares. Both display a thoroughly engaging capacity to underplay and lighten the material, which has the beneficial effect of investing the play's few emotional high-points with a greater sense of scale than they might have otherwise. Thone in particular as the older, embattled Leni exerts the kind of masterful control over the material that one could easily imagine the director herself wielding. This is a Leni supremely in her element:everything she does, every action and word carefully filtered through her impeccable compositional eye. Beginning with a battle-worn stoicism, nuanced by a wry and self-deprecating sense of humor, Thone slowly allows the layers of ego to slip away, dropping each piece of her emotional armor with the languid fluidity of a strip-tease artist, until she stands exposed as a lonely, nearly forgotten, and most assuredly unappreciated former-genius, bitterly chaffing against the yoke she believes history has unfairly placed around her neck. It is quite simply a riveting performance from start to finish, and one for which Tavares' Leni, with her shy, almost coquettish self-absorption,contrasted by lightning-flashes of brilliant indignation, nimbly paces.

Together they portray the two sides of this seemingly contradictory character – the younger Leni's single-minded drive to succeed in a male-dominated medium; and the elder Leni's adamant refusal to allow her accomplishments to be relegated to the level of mere propaganda –in a way that, if we don't leave the theatre fully buying into the conceit of Riefenstahl's artistic legacy (although to be sure, would Calvin Klein be a household name today without the benefit of her influence?), we at least walk away feeling we've gained some insight into the inner mind of this conflicted, ambiguous personality.

Leni plays through August 9th. For tickets and more information visit http://www.strawshop.org.

Top: Tavares (seated) and Thone (on screen)
Bottom: Thone and Tavares
Photos by Erik Struhaug

Bailey Hanks is Broadway's New Elle Woods

2008-07-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Bailey Hanks, via MTV's reality show "Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods", has been named the new star of the Broadway production, replacing original star Laura Bell Bundy. Hanks will assume the role on July 23rd, with a 6-month contract (per USA Today). Hanks' single of "So Much Better" is currently available on itunes.

Three finalists will also take roles either on tour or on Broadway. Runner-up Autumn Hurlbert will understudy the role of Elle for Hanks, as well as performing in the ensemble. Lauren Zakrin is the tour's Elle understudy (for previously announced star Becky Gulvsig). Rhiannon Hansen is the tour's Margot (Elle's best friend).

Hanks, a native of Anderson, SC, is a musical theatre major at Coastal Carolina University. Her credits include The Wizard of Oz, Seussical the Musical, A Year With Frog and Toad, Annie and Bye Bye Birdie.

Photo: Hanks in Legally Blonde