The 2009 Summer Play Festival runs from July 7th to August 2nd and will feature seven new plays and one new musical for only $10!! The productions include:
The ChimesbyKevin Christopher Snipes, directed byAdam Immerwahr Departure LoungebyDougal Irivine, directed byChristopher Gattelli The Happy Sad byKen Urban, directed byTrip Cullman ReborningbyZayd Dohrn, directed byKip Fagan The SacrificesbyAlena Smith, directed bySam Gold TenderbyNicki Bloom, directed byDaniella Topol We Declare You A TerroristbyTim J. Lord, directed byNiegel Smith WhorebyRick Viede, directed byStephen Brackett
Tickets are available atThe Public Theater box office, 425 Lafayette Street in Manhattan, on Sunday and Monday from 1PM-6PM and Tuesday through Saturday from 1PM-7:30PM (212-967-7555). Tickets also are available for purchase online at theSummer Play Festival website ( www.spfnyc.com).
Last March The Decemberists released their newest album, Hazards of Love. Colin Meloy, the ringleader, summoned the help of Becky Stark (Lavendar Diamond) and Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) to tell his fantastical tale.
The Story: A widowed, evil rake has the duty of narrating this rock-n-folk musical. Margaret falls in love with a shape shifting man named William whose mother is the ever possessive Queen of the Forest. Margaret becomes pregnant with William’s child and runs away from her family to be reunited with her true love.
Hazards of Loveis both outstanding and captivating from start to finish. Its ”Shakespearean lyrics” meets rock-n-roll/folk tunes must be listened to in its entirety to get the full effect.
Favorite tunes off this masterpiece: “Won’t Want for Love,” “The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid,” “Hazards of Love III (Revenge!)”
The 2007 hit musical Spring Awakening has claimed January 18th, 2009 as its closing date. The show has acquired 8 Tony’s during its 3 year run on Broadway, and is one of the best musicals on stage today.
The original Spring Awakening, written by Frank Wedekind in 1891 was considered to be terribly controversial. Set in Germany in the late nineteenth century, the story revolves around teenagers as they discover sexuality and all that it entails. Rape, abortion, masturbation, and sexual orientation are some of the many important issues Spring Awakening covers.
The music, written by the amazing Duncan Sheik, brings this story to life through rock-n-roll. The tunes are catchy, the story is both hilarious and moving, and the 18th is going to creep up on you quickly so hurry up and get a ticket.
Moved to tears, I sit with my eyes unable to blink in fear of missing even a second of the brilliance that lay before me. The stage opens on set of an old theater house where Mama Rose has entered her girls in a talent contest. From city to city, town to town they travel with dreams of Stardom.
Running two hours and 30 minutes, the play never once leaves you antsy. Gypsy’s stellar cast, including Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines, satisfies your eyes and ears. The dynamism of Patti LuPone in the broadway revival Gypsy beckoned a standing ovation at numerous times throughout the performance. Her stage presence was devastatingly poignant, well deserving of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The St. James Theatre in NYC’s Times Square, home of the first uncut broadway production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the original Oklahoma!, has been hosting the award winning play since March.
It is safe to say that most of us have seen L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of Oz. Just to recap, a small town girl lands in a strange town filled with talking animals, flying monkeys, witches and wizards and has a mission to get herself back home.
Side note: if you have not yet seen The Wizard of Oz I highly recommend that you stop reading right now and go watch it, then come back and continue reading.
Gregory Maguire retells the tale from the wicked witch’s point of view from birth through college years and continues right up until Dorothy realizes she is no longer in Kansas. The book, Wicked, is an amazing depiction of “the other side”. Maguire’s imagination about how Elphaba, the wicked witch, became what she is in The Wizard of Oz is gripping and incredibly entertaining. It is a story of friendship and love with twists and turns. Pick up this book and consider yourself hooked.
It is an inspired work that leaves the reader wanting more, and thanks to Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman you can have just that. This year marks the 5th year anniversary of Wicked on Broadway. The musical is the book alive on stage, the music is catchy, the story is powerful, and an overall must have experience.
Eight years after its cinema release, Billy Elliot is back and this time, live. With the original creative team in the wings, director Stephen Daldry, and writer Lee Hall, and new addition Elton John, Billy Elliot is on the fast lane to a Broadway hit.
The story takes place in the UK in the mid 80′s during a time when UK’s miners find themselves on strike. Billy’s father has expectations for his future that involve boxing gloves and a championship, but when Billy catches a glimpse of the ballet class next to the ring everything changes. It is a beautiful story of fate, and love. If you haven’t seen the movie I highly suggest checking it out, and then buying a ticket to the new Broadway show.
