On The Boards and In The Wings 2008

Issue #205: January 1, 2008

Laura Linney hits the Broadway stage in the Roundabout’s revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses on May 1.

Manhattan Theater Club’s revival of Top Girls begins performances on April 15 with Martha Plimpton joining the cast.

Former Tina Turner back-up singer and television’s ER alum Gloria Reuben joins the cast of Richard Nelson’s Conversations in Tusculum when it opens at the Public Theater on March 11.

Well the fairy tale run of the little musical that could has come to an end. On Dec. 30 the lights went out for the Tony Award winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone after 632 performances. It seems that none of the recent stunt casting (Bob Saget, Joanne Worley, Cindy Williams) could save this Canadian gem.

In other stunt casting news, look for American Idol alum Clay Aiken to join Monty Python’s Spamalot on Jan. 18 in the role of Sir Robin.

John Turturro heads the cast of Beckett’s Endgame when it is staged at the Brooklyn Academy of Music beginning April 30.

Now that The Drowsy Chaperone has “left the building” the road is clear for the new John Waters musical Cry-Baby to make its Broadway debut.

The Evening Standard Theatre Awards were handed out in November and among the winners were Hairspray for best musical along with Patrick Stewart garnering the best actor award for his starring roll in Macbeth.

Indian director Mira Nair is currently working on transforming her 2001 hit movie Monsoon Wedding into a three act musical destined for the West End. Not date has been confirmed for the opening.

Edward Bond’s The Sea begins performances at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on January 17 with Eileen Atkins in the starring role.

You may not be familiar with the name but you will know his work….choreographer Michael Kidd, who died on December 23 at the age of 92, won five Tony Awards back in the musical heydays for Finian’s Rainbow in 1947, Guys and Dolls in 1951, Can-Can in 1954, Li’l Abner in 1957 and Destry Rides Again in 1960. And the film community recognized him in 1997 with a special Academy Award in 1997 for his contribution to the art of dance on screen. His most memorable movie was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers a 1954 musical that had audiences gasping for breath following the high-energy dance numbers. Kidd also performed on screen as well; most notable was his role with Gene Kelly and Dan Dailey as a trio of army buddies in the 1955 film It’s Always Fair Weather. In later years he choreographed and directed television specials and even worked on music videos for Janet Jackson.

It is a new year and hopefully will be a year filled with exciting, innovative and creative theatre productions. Making theatre part of your life helps to ensure there will be this time-honoured tradition around for generations to come.