Tony Award Noms Snub Hollywood Actors

Written by Kyle Slagley

Tuesday afternoon, the nominees for the 68^th Annual Tony Awards were announced, recognizing the best of the best among Broadway’s ranks. I must say that this set of awards is one of the most interesting to watch, mainly because the nominees often consist of both well-known stage actors and famous movie and TV actors.

Screen actors who try their hand at stage acting have become a very common occurrence in recent years. It wasn’t too long ago that we saw the likes of Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Andrew Garfield, and Scarlett Johansson in the headlines of Playbill.

This year, there were also plenty of big-screen actors on the stage, but a few who were thought to be shoo-ins – at least for the nomination round – were snubbed, most notably Daniel Radcliffe for The Cripple of Inishmaan, Denzel Washington for A Raisin in the Sun, and Sirs Patrick Stewart & Ian McKellen for No Man’s Land and Waiting For Godot. What makes it strange is that all of these actors have received such glowing reviews in recent weeks, the snubs are almost blindsiding. Throw in the fact that Michelle Williams was overlooked for her fantastic performance in the revival of Cabaret, and it’s clear that Hollywood simply wasn’t invited to the party this year.

One screen actor who was not overlooked was Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, whose performance as Lyndon B. Johnson in the play All The Way earned him a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play. Cranston’s nomination is definitely deserved, but even still it is a bit unusual in that All The Way is his very first foray into Broadway theatre. The same is true for Chris O’Dowd, who received a nod in the same category for his performance as Lennie in Of Mice and Men. O’Dowd is still an up-and-coming name in Hollywood, but is well known in Britain for his role as Roy in the BBC Series The IT Crowd.

The nomination that excites me the most though, Neil Patrick Harris’s nod for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his performance in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Though I haven’t seen Harris perform as Hedwig (pronounced Head-vig), I’ve read quite a few of the reviews and have yet to read a negative word about his performance. What’s so exciting is that Harris has been a Broadway star for over a decade, and was famously snubbed by the Tonys about ten years ago when he rose to Broadway stardom playing Lee Harvey Oswald in Assassins. Since that time, Harris has all but taken over Hollywood as everyone’s favorite womanizer Barney Stinson. Having hosted the Tony Awards four times without actually having won one, I’d say it’s about time he was recognized for his talent. If you don’t believe me, watch last year's opening sequence for the 2013 Tony Awards.

Yes, as USA Today said, the Tony Awards really took care of their own this year, giving nods to regulars like Idina Menzel for If/Then, Sutton Foster for Violet, Audra McDonald for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, and in the process left most of Hollywood on the sidelines..

Though it’ll be hard to top last year’s opening sequence, if anyone can do it, this year’s host and Broadway veteran Hugh Jackman is the man who can. Having hosted the Tonys three times and the Oscars once, Jackman is an experienced emcee himself. If there isn’t another walk-on bit between Jackman and Harris about who hosted the show better, I’ll be floored.

The Tony Awards show takes place at Radio City Music Hall in New York on June 8 at 8pm EDT, and will be aired live on CBS.

Tupac’s Songs Coming to Broadway

Written by Kyle Slagley

I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that most serious fans of today’s rap and hip-hop music can rattle off a few details about the life, career, and murder of the late Tupac Shakur. It’s also probably safe to say that most of today’s rap and hip-hop artists will acknowledge Tupac’s influence over the entire genre in a very short amount of time.

Tupac’s fame was short-lived, but his influence enormous. He began to gain notoriety around 1991 while performing with the group Digital Underground.  That same year, he released his first solo album, 2Pacalypse Now. In the next five years, he would produce four more solo albums and act in seven films. On September 7, 1996, at the age of 25, Tupac was shot in Las Vegas by rival gang members on his way from the MGM Grand to Club 662 (now known as the restaurant/club Seven). He died on September 13.

Six additional solo albums and three of his seven films were released after Tupac died. The big news earlier this week was that the Broadway musical made from his music has announced it will premiere sometime later this year. The show, titled Holler if Ya Hear Me, is reportedly set in the present day in a fictional Midwestern industrial city and tells the story of two childhood friends as they grow up on the inner-city streets.

Holler if Ya Hear Me is not the first full-length Broadway production to be made from the music of a single artist.  In recent years the show Jersey Boys, featuring the music of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, has seen huge success. A few years ago, Mamma Mia, featuring the music of ABBA, was extremely popular, and Movin’ Out was drawn from the songs of Billy Joel. Today, the most popular show made from repurposed pop songs is probably Rock of Ages featuring some of the top songs from ‘80s rock bands.

According to Playbill.com, Holler if Ya Hear Me will run at the Palace Theatre and officially open on June 19 after three weeks of preview performances. It replaces the 2012 revival of Annie.

The Simple Bare Necessities – On Broadway!

Written by Kyle Slagley

Disney Theatrical Productions is at it again, this time in the jungles of India with Mowgli, Bagheera, and Baloo in tow. I read in Variety not too long ago that the 1967 animated film The Jungle Book has made its debut as a main-stage production this year.

Most folks are familiar with the Rudyard Kipling classic story of a boy raised by wolves in the jungle, the animated film having been a staple for parents for nearly 50 years. With classic songs like “Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You,” it’s unsurprising that Disney Animation decided to transport the story from the screen to the stage.

According to Variety, the show is a partnership between Disney Theatrical Prods and two different theatres, Chicago’s Goodman Theater and Boston’s Huntington Theater. It premiered at the Goodman in June and has just extended its run for the third time; the Huntington responded by extending their run as well, even though the show doesn’t premiere until September 7.

Founded in 1993, Disney Theatrical Prods (like every other arm of the Mouse House) is no stranger to wildly successful shows, and since Disney has that annoying habit of sending movie favorites back into the Disney Vault, the stage shows are a great way to tide fans over between releases.

Beauty and the Beast – Premiering in 1993 in Houston, Texas, the Broadway production began previews in April of 1994. Based on the 1991 animated film (now “in the vault”), the show finally closed in 2007 after more than 5,400 performances. Touring productions have hit over 14 countries. Not bad for being the first stage show Disney ever produced.

The Lion King – Following the huge success of the 1994 animated film (in the vault), the musical debuted in Minneapolis in July of 1997; three months later, in October, it was a smash success on Broadway. Expanding on the music of the film, and putting some of the most majestic costumes ever seen on stage (and in the audience!) have ensured that even now, more than fifteen years later, the show is still running and consistently one of the highest grossing shows on Broadway. If you consider yourself a theatre fan and haven’t seen this show, shame on you.

Mary Poppins – The infamous British nanny, immortalized by Julie Andrews on the silver screen in the 1964 film (in the vault), made her debut on the Great White Way in 2006 after finding success in the UK. The first of the Disney Live Action films to be adapted to the stage, it ran until March of this year when it closed after 2,619 performances. This story makes it back to the movie theaters this fall in “Saving Mr. Banks,” a biopic starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson about Walt Disney and P. L. Travers, author of the original book.

Newsies – One of the hottest new musicals on Broadway right now, the show was supposed to have a limited run beginning in late March of 2012. After being extended to mid-August, Disney announced on May 16 that the show will continue indefinitely. Based on the 1992 film starring Christian Bale, which chronicles the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899, the show was written by Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein. It was reported in May that producers are trying to find a theater in London’s West-End to host a production for the spring of 2014.

Aladdin – Having already premiered in Seattle in 2011, the show bounced to St. Louis in 2012, and will land on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater (home of Mary Poppins before it closed) sometime in 2014. Residents and visitors to Toronto will have a short window from November 13 to January 12 to catch a performance at the Ed Mirvish Theater before it lands for good in New York.

2013 Tony Award Talk

Written by Kyle Slagley

For your patrons who, like me, have affection for theatre, this is an exciting time of year. The Tony Award nominees are going to be announced on April 30 by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sutton Foster.

Ferguson currently stars on the ABC comedy Modern Family, but has his roots in theatre, having starred in On The Town, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and a variety of Shakespeare productions.

Foster is currently starring in the ABC Family series Bunheads. She has a long list of Broadway credits, but most notable among them are her Tony Award-winning roles in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes. She was also nominated for Tony Awards for her roles in Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Shrek: The Musical.

I am by no means a Broadway authority, but here are some musicals to watch this year. Most of them also happen either to be based on a movie or have a movie adaptation.

Kinky Boots – based on the 2006 film that you didn’t even know existed, this musical tells the story of Charlie Price, a young man who inherits his father’s shoe factory that is nearly bankrupt. With the help of Lola, they revitalize the business by developing a fantastic line of shoes for a very niche market – drag queens. Despite the name, the show isn’t all that risqué and will likely be up for Best New Musical.

Jekyll and Hyde – You know the story, but did you know the original production starred Mr. Baywatch himself, David Hasselhoff? The original show ran for three and a half years with over 1,500 performances. The soundtrack and a DVD from the original cast are still available, and a rerecording with the revival cast wouldn’t surprise me since this show will be in the running for Best Revival of a Musical.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Who could forget the classic film with Audrey Hepburn? It’s arguably the first film people think of when someone says her name. Starring Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as Miss Holly Golightly, this production will almost certainly be in the running for Best New Play.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Although the play itself has gotten mediocre reviews, it’s likely that Scarlett Johansson will receive a nom for Best Actress; whether she’ll win is another story. The show itself is eligible for Best Revival of a Play, but with competitors like Alan Cumming’s creepy-awesome interpretation of MacBeth, Al Pacino’s Glengarry Glen Ross, and Jim Parsons’s Harvey, it may or may not make the initial cut.