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Monday, November 30, 2009

Off-Broadway Nutcracker Set In New York City

Getting tired of seeing the same old Nutcracker every Christmas season? The Urban Ballet Theater's Nutcracker in the Lower takes the classic holiday ballet The Nutcracker and transports it to the island of Manhattan for a run that begins today at the Abrons Arts Center Henry Street Settlement and plays through December 5. Now in its ninth year, Nutcracker in the Lower takes the familiar tale of a little girl and her adventures and gives it a twist that reflects the excitement, diversity, and cultural richness of Manhattan. The production still honors Tchaikovsky's beloved score, but includes hip-hop and Latin musical flourishes that give this Nutcracker the flavor of New York City.

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Robin Williams Arrives At Town Hall

Earlier this year, comedian and actor Robin Williams was scheduled to bring his touring one-man show Weapons of Self-Destruction to Broadway in a limited engagement at the Neil Simon Theatre. However, a health scare caused Williams to cancel the tour. Healthy again and ready to make audiences laugh now, Robin Williams is starting the limited run of Weapons of Self-Destruction in New York City tonight. The re-scheduled engagement is not actually on Broadway (the Neil Simon is currently occupied by the Ragtime revival), but it is close - right in the heart of midtown, at Town Hall on West 43rd Street. Robin Williams: Weapons of Self-Destruction will play at Town Hall November 23-25, November 30, and December 1-3.

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Friday, November 20, 2009

A Christmas Story, the Musical!

Just in time for the holidays, a new musical version of the modern classic Christmas movie A Christmas Story begins performances at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. The show's libretto is by Joseph Robinette, and the score is by Scott Davenport Richards. The musical is based on the 1983 film about young Ralphie Parker's quest to get an air rifle for Christmas (the movie was based on humorist Jean Shepherd's stories). This production of A Christmas Story, The Musical! plays at the Kansas City Rep through December 27. Songs from the musical include "I Won (A Major Award)," "On Christmas, We Go Eat Chinese," "Ho, Ho, Ho!" and of course "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!" The show is aiming for a Broadway run in 2010.

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Monday, November 16, 2009

Let the Race Begin

David Mamet's new play, which has a provocative four-letter word of a title, starts performances on Broadway tonight at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The four-person Race stars James Spader (Boston Legal), David Alan Grier (In Living Color, Broadway's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), Kerry Washington (The Last King of Scotland, Ray), and Richard Thomas (TV's The Waltons, Broadway's Democracy) and is directed by Mamet, in his Broadway directorial debut. The play is about a law firm - made up of two black lawyers and one white one - who have the opportunity to defend a white man charged of a crime against a young black woman. The production will have its official Broadway opening at the Barrymore on December 6.

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Wintuk Takes New York City By (Snow)Storm

In what now looks like it may be an annual holiday tradition in New York City, Cirque du Soleil's theatrical winter fantasy Wintuk is starting its limited engagement at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The holiday show takes Cirque's formula of eye-popping visuals, astounding acrobatics, evocative music, and comedic clowning and gives it an enchanting snowy twist, making it an ideal family show during Christmastime. Wintuk, which features over 50 performers from all over the world, will play at MSG through January 3, 2010.

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Friday, November 6, 2009

Spider-Man's Fate May Be Decided Today

Rumors are flying this morning about the troubled musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. The New York Times reported yesterday that director Julie Taymor, other members of the creative team, and the show's producers are scheduled to have an important meeting today to discuss the show's future. Today, the New York Post's Michael Riedel - a reporter who covers the Broadway beat and passes around the juiciest gossip on the Great White Way - has said that Spider-Man won't be postponed indefinitely as many have suggested over the last several months. Instead, it will just push back opening until the summer of 2010, when Taymor and company will finally have the highly complex show ready. This would mean that Spider-Man won't make the deadline for this year's Tony Awards, but then again most people probably won't need a Tony win as an incentive to see this much-buzzed-about musical with amazing aerial effects and songs by U2's Bono and The Edge.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Shakespeare In The Park To Perform In Rep

The Public Theater has already announced the two productions that it will present for 2010's "Shakespeare in the Park" series at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Next year, the summer tradition will truly live up to its name, presenting two of the Bard's plays (rather than one Shakespeare paired with a classic or modern classic, as has been the recent pattern), The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale. Even more interesting is that the Public has decided to run the two Shakespeare in the Park shows in rep, which hasn't been done in nearly 20 years. Both productions will feature the same company of actors and designers, with Daniel Sullivan directing The Merchant of Venice and Michael Greif directing The Winter's Tale.

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