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Sunday, August 30, 2009

The Little Mermaid Closes on Broadway

Disney's The Little Mermaid concludes its run at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre today. The musical, based on the Disney animated film of the same name (which in turn was based off the Hans Christian Andersen tale), opened in January 2008 and has played over 700 performances. Although The Little Mermaid was one of Disney's most acclaimed and beloved animated movies, the stage musical version did not fare as well. Having run less than two years, The Little Mermaid is one of Disney on Broadway's least successful ventures so far, begging the question of whether or not the company is beginning to reach a saturation point. Nonetheless, Mary Poppins and especially The Lion King both continue to run strong on Broadway, so Disney fans still have more than one film-turned-stage-musical to choose from.

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

20at20 Off-Broadway Show Discounts Return

The popular Off-Broadway "20at20" program returns this September. From September 8th through the 20th, people can get tickets to numerous Off-Broadway musicals and plays for just $20. The catch is that these $20 tickets aren't sold until 20 minutes before showtime, and they are subject to availability (so if the show is already sold out for that night, you're out of luck). Off-Broadway shows seldom sell out, though, so it's worth a trip to the box office of whichever Off-Bway play or musical you're most interested in 20 minutes prior to curtain to see what is available. You should also keep an alternate show in mind so that you can run over to that box office if your first choice isn't available. The Off-Broadway shows participating in 20at20 this year include Altar Boyz, Awesome 80s Prom, Blind Lemon Blues, Fuerzabruta, In the Daylight, Magic and Zone, Puppetry of the Penis, Sessions, Stomp, The Columbine Project, The Fantasticks, The Gazillion Bubble Show, and The Toxic Avenger.

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Saturday, August 22, 2009

Passing Strange Now At IFC Center In NYC

New Yorkers should hurry down to the IFC Center in Greenwich Village as soon as they can and catch the new stage-to-film version of one of last season's best Broadway musicals, the auto-biographical Passing Strange, starring writer/musician/performer Stew and actor Daniel Breaker (Shrek) playing his younger self. Currently that is the only movie theater in the city that is screening Passing Strange: The Movie, and so far it is only on the schedule through Tuesday, August 25. For those who won't have an opportunity to see it on the big screen, they can catch the film on cable through the On Demand feature starting later this month. Already receiving great reviews from sources such as the New York Times and Time Out New York, Passing Strange: The Movie was filmed live by director Spike Lee at the Belasco Theater during the musical's last weekend on Broadway.

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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Tickets To Hugh Jackman Play On Sale Today

There were lines at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre early this morning, as people arrived to buy seats for what is sure to be the new Broadway season's hottest ticket, A Steady Rain. Playwright Keith Huff's two-person drama is starring major international film stars Hugh Jackman (Wolverine, X-Men) and Daniel Craig (the James Bond series) as a pair of Chicago cops. The play will have only a limited engagement, from September 10 to December 6, as the actors have film commitments after that. Because the show's Broadway run is so short, the tickets are expected to go very fast, so anyone interested in seeing Jackman and Craig together on the Broadway stage should hurry to get them fast.

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Sunday, August 16, 2009

Mary Stuart Closes on Broadway

The limited engagement of the play Mary Stuart, which began at the Donmar Warehouse in London, concluded its run on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre today. The acclaimed production starred British thespians Janet McTeer and Harriet Walker (both nominated for Tony Awards for their turns as Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I, respectively), alongside a cast of actors who frequently appear on Broadway, including John Benjamin Hickey, Robert Stanton, Chandler Williams, and Brian Murray. This production of the historical-political drama, written by German dramatist Friedrich Schiller over 200 years ago, featured an adaptation by Peter Oswald and direction by Mamma Mia helmer Phyllida Lloyd.

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Monday, August 10, 2009

Broadway's Spider-Man Musical Stops Production

Rumors about Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark have been flying around New York City faster than the web-slinging hero himself. As production costs of the Julie Taymor-directed musical, featuring a score by U2's Bono and The Edge, have skyrocketed, word on the street has been that the show may never open. The latest development is that production has halted, albeit temporarily, according to the musical's producers, due to cash flow troubles. They insist that Spiderman will still begin performances at the Hilton Theatre on Broadway in late February 2010 as planned.

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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Mark-Paul Gosselaar To Star in The Understudy

It has been announced that Mark-Paul Gosselaar will headline the new Theresa Rebeck play The Understudy, which begins performances at the Laura Pels Theatre this October. The former Saved By the Bell star, now appearing in TNT's dramatic series Raising the Bar, will play Jake in The Understudy, while Weeds star Justin Kirk plays the title role. As previously announced, the hilarious Julie White (The Little Dog Laughed) will also be in the cast. The Understudy, which premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2008, is the first entry in the Roundabout Theatre Company's Off-Broadway season. Playwright Rebeck's other recent works include Mauritius, Our House, Bad Dates, and Omnium Gatherum.

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Saturday, August 1, 2009

Little House on the Prairie Musical To Tour

Melissa Gilbert, former child star of the television series about late 19th century frontier America, Little House on the Prairie, is graduating from her role of little Laura to Ma in the new musical version of the beloved book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The Little House on the Prairie musical had its first major production at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis with Gilbert in the cast, and she is continuing on in the part for the show's next production at the Paper Mill Playhouse this September. The Paper Mill production will be the kick-off in a national tour that will then take Little House on the Prairie to 30 cities across the nation.

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