Theater Review: Elf

Elf photo by Joan Marcus.

An Old-Fashioned Musical with Fun for the Whole(some) Family
By Lauren Yarger
While this version, like the film, isn’t quite as funny as you might hope and Buddy (Sebastian Arcelus), a human raised by Santa (George Wendt) and his elves at the North Pole, isn’t quite as silly as he could be, Broadway’s staging of the hit film Elf (the movie stars Will Ferrell) does offer an old-fashioned, colorful holiday musical with a few laughs for the adults and a plot pleasantly devoid of the major angst so common in modern children’s entertainment.

In Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin’s book Buddy discovers why he’s not skilled at toy making and why he towers over the other elves: he’s not one of them. He sets out for New York to find his human father, Walter Hobbs (Mark Jacoby), a publishing executive whose work stress doesn’t leave much time for wife, Emily (Beth Leavel) or son, Michael (Matthew Chumley). Buddy also finds romance with a glum department store elf, Jovie (Amy Spanger). Can Buddy help everyone find Christmas spirit again? Santa’s sleigh might not fly without it.

The tale of Buddy’s quest to fit in and the family’s acceptance of the innocent, sugar-loving, snow-throwing, trouble-causing human-elf unfolds on elaborate colorful sets (David Rockwell, design) with animated projections (Zachary Boroway, design) that give the production the look of a storybook come to life. Director Casey Nicholaw’s fun choreography, Gregg Barnes’ festive costumes and Matthew Skylar’s big-band score with wonderful orchestrations by Doug Besterman, complete an entertaining show that little ones will enjoy. The catchy songs help sustain the plot, though about 20 minutes easily could be cut to shorten the two-and-a-half-hour run time.

The story is entirely predictable, the lyrics (Chad Beguelin) are simple and the humor doesn’t get you laughing out loud much, but it will make you smile in places. It is, after all, a kids’ show and it is really nice to enjoy one without having to encounter some super villain or demonically powered character for a change. Here, the biggest fears come from things like whether the dad will lose his job, whether he’ll be mad when Buddy makes a mistake and whether the mom and dad will get divorced or stop their arguing -- real situations kids have to deal with every day, unfortunately, and to which they can relate.

The show plays a holiday run at the Al Hirschfeld Theater, 302 West 45th St., NYC through Jan. 2. For tickets, visit telecharge.com.

Christians might also like to know:
-- God’s name taken in vain
-- Some sexual references in the dialogue
-- Language
-- I would give it a PG rating.

Theater Review: Elling

Roommates from Hell -- or Maybe from Heaven?
By Lauren Yarger
Just how well do we know -- or want to know -- anyone or ourselves for that matter?

Simon Bent’s new English adaptation of Elling (Angvar Ambjornsen, novel; Axel Hellstenius, original stage and film adaptation) explores that question as two men become roommates in present-day Oslo, Norway.

Denis O’Hare is the title character, paired with Kjell Bjarne (Brendan Fraser, making his Broadway debut) by social worker Frank Asli (Jeremy Shamos) first in a home for the mentally ill, then in a government supplied apartment when the men are released to see whether they can make it on their own. Both men have issues. Elling is still trying to adjust following the death of his overbearing mother and doesn’t want to meet people or go out of the house. Bjarne’s mother situaton was a little different. He thought about killing her a lot. Meanwhile, he gets excited at the mere mention of the word “sex” and wants to meet a girl.

He does: upstairs neighbor Reidun Nordsletten (the incomparable Jennifer Coolidge, unfortunately underused in the several roles she plays here). Elling is jealous of the relationship, until he discovers his proclivity for poetry and forms his own friendship with once-famous poet Alfons Jorgensen (Richard Easton).

The play contains some intriguing thoughts about how people become dependent on each other and how difficult it is to forge one’s own path. As a sidebar, it’s also somewhat eye-opening about the realities of government-controlled health care. O’Hare gives a compelling performance of the paranoid, fragile Elling. Fraser holds his own as the slow-witted, horny Bjarne. Doung Hughes directs.

Elling has posted a closing notice. It will run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 243 West 47th St., NYC through Nov. 28. Discounted tickets are available through Masterwork Productions by clicking here.

Christians might also like to know:
-- Language
-- Sexual dialogue
-- God’s name taken in vain
-- Porn magazine shown
-- The roommates exchange underwear -- other clothing covers their private areas -- at least I didn’t see any nudity from my angle.
-- Show posts a MATURE advisory.

Theater Review: Colin Quinn Long Story Short

Colin Quinn. Photo by Carol Rosegg

An Abbreviated and Clever History of the World
By Lauren Yarger
Ancient looking steps lead to a modern video screen as past meets present and we find that one really isn’t all that different from the other in Saturday Night Live comedian Colin Quinn’s Broadway stand-up Long Story Short.

It’s the history of the world in less than an hour and a half with no nation or religion safe from the comedian’s storytelling which cleverly overlays history and modern culture. It's all very simple (and done respectfully, believe it or not). The Romans were the first mobsters, he asserts; the Middle East conflict, descended from the biblical story of Jacob and Esau, is about father issues, not land, he jokes, and in the 1700s, America was pursuing happiness while Russia was pursuing depression.

It all comes together in a witty presentation, directed by Jerry Seinfeld, that makes some very perceptive commentary of what we think is important and ultimately on the sinful nature of man.

His routine is enhanced by video projections (David Gallo, scenic and projection design) with some animation (Steve Cannn, associate projection designer) and original compositions by Scott Elmegreen.

Long Story Short is extended through Feb. 5 at the Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44th St., NYC. Discounted tickets are available through Masterwork Productions by clicking here.

Christians might also like to know:

Lots of language
Lord’s name taken in vain
A nude painting is shone on the screen

Theater Review: Driving Miss Daisy with Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines

Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones in the Broadway premiere of Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize winning "Driving Miss Daisy", now in performances at The Golden Theater (252 W. 45th Street). © Annabel Clark

This Version Gets Steered on a Disappointing Detour
By Lauren Yarger
I always weep with emotion at Driving Miss Daisy, whether I’m reading Alfred Uhry’s wonderful Pultizer-Prize winning play, viewing the movie version (Urhy won the Oscar for his screenplay) or watching it on stage, but after attending the Broadway version, directed by David Esbjornson, I wept with disappointment.

Whether Esbjornson was just trying to do something so different from the norm or whether he couldn’t stand up to interpretations by his star-packed cast of Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines (they have seven Tony awards among them), I’m not sure, but Miss Daisy gets driven right off the road at the Golden Theater in a very disappointing detour that doesn’t do justice to this Rolls Royce of drama.

Jones is Hoke Colburn, who is hired by wealthy businessman Boolie Werthan (Gaines) to chauffeur his elderly mother, the indomitable Miss Daisy (Redgrave), after she no longer is able to drive herself. Daisy resists and at first, won’t give Hoke the time of day, but over time, the two learn to live with each other and eventually the black man and the Jewish woman forge a strong friendship. Uhry’s play is about the development of that friendship and about racial tension, not only between the characters, but in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement (the play is set in Georgia).

Granted, Esbjornson and the cast had their work cut out for them in recreating the piece, especially since most people have seen the Oscar-winning film starring Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman (reprising the role he originated Off-Broadway) and Dan Akroyd –all perfect—in the roles. Recreating it on stage in the wake of the film’s success is possible, even for those of us who love it, however, as long as the characters and layers of writing come through.

Ivoryton Playhouse in Connecticut, for example, just finished a very well done run of Daisy that left me as teary-eyed as ever. In this Broadway production, John Lee Beatty’s minimal set (the car is a bench and some chairs with a stand-alone steering wheel) is enhanced by Wendall K Harrington’s projections to provide visuals of locations. Between-scenes music by Marc Bennett is reminiscent of Hans Zimmer’s movie score. It’s a nice solution to competing with any thoughts of the film, but the rest of the production seems to veer off just for the sake of going in a different direction.

Jones’ Hoke is more self-assured than we’ve seen before, less fearful of speaking truth around the white folks. He makes it believable, though and he gives a nice new interpretation to some of Hoke’s lines and actions. Gaines, however, gives us none of Boolie’s depth. He’s perky, but doesn’t show the layers that normally give the character a full scope of appreciation for the complexities of Hoke and his mother as well as the ability to banter with them.

Redgrave fails to capture Daisy on any level and seems to just be reciting lines. There’s no bounce between her and Hoke. One of the play’s most telling moments -- when Daisy tells Hoke that he is her best friend -- sounds like a line being said as a page of script is turning instead of being the deep revelation it’s supposed to be. It’s not only a defining moment in the friendship, but helps conclude the play’s racial relations theme, and it’s completely lost here.

Then things get worse. Redgrave ages Daisy suddenly (though this should have been happening gradually throughout for all the characters and doesn't) and gums her final lines as though she’s forgotten to put in her dentures. The audience starts to giggle. When the play’s most dramatic moment comes (the pie scene, for aficionados), Jones plays it for a laugh – and gets it.

Imagine, if you will, the audience bursting out in laughter when Juliet stabs herself over Romeo’s body, or when Helen Keller says “wa wa,” or when Sydney Carton heads to the guillotine and you’ll have some understanding of how this detour of Daisy smacks head-on into a roadblock and finds itself at a dead end -- literally.

It’s really a shame. It’s such a great play. They’re all such great actors. It should have been a smooth ride, but instead, I felt like I’d been run over – by disappointment.

Daisy plays an extended engagement through April 9 at the Golden, 252 West 45th St., NYC. Discounted tickets are available through Masterwork Productions by clicking here.

Christians might also like to know:
• God’s name taken in vain

Commercial Theater Institute's Fall/Winter Sessions Announced

Learn how to be a Broadway rpducer:
INVESTOR RELATIONS Seminar - Nov. 19
MARKETING & MEASUREMENT Seminar - Dec. 10

14-WEEK PROGRAM Jan. 10 – April 11, 2011
application deadline extended to Nov. 30, 2010

ONLINE REGISTRATION:
www.CommercialTheaterInstitute.com

The Commercial Theater Institute, now in its 30th year, is a project of Theatre Development Fund (TDF) and The Broadway League. Dedicated to training the next generation of commercial theatre producers, CTI provides resources and guidance to individuals interested in the various paths one can take towards creating commercial productions for the stage.

INVESTOR RELATIONS SEMINAR: FINDING, SOLICITING, and FUSSING
a brand new one-day Investor Relations Seminar: "Show me the money." How to find it? How to make every investment a positive experience for those involved? This one-day seminar will review specific strategies for how to identify financial sources, how to develop and present an investment proposition, and how to communicate, inform and involve investors as the project unfolds.

The seminar will last from 10 am to 5 pm at Theatre Row located at 410 West 42nd St. (between 9th & 10th avenues). Registration is now open on CTI’s website and costs $125 for pre-registration, $140 for day-of registration, and $110 for alumni and special discount participants. This seminar will also be available on April 8, 2011.

MARKETING AND MEASUREMENT: A HALF-DAY INTENSIVE
a one-day intensive seminar that will take an in-depth look at topics that include: The Analysis of Wage Reports and 10-Day out schedules; Box Office Treasurers - your marketing partner; Analysis of e-Blasts, direct mail, and other promotional tools; Identifying and understanding your audience before opening night; and Third Party Promotion Planning.

The Marketing and Measurement Half-Day Seminar will take place from 10 am to 1 pm at Theatre Row. Registration is now open on CTI’s website and cost $65 for pre-registration and $75 for day-of registration.

CTI FOURTEEN-WEEK PROGRAM: DEADLINE EXTENDED!
CTI Fourteen Week Program: Advanced Topics for Commercial Producers and Managers (Monday, January 10th – Monday April 11, 2011, 7 to 10 pm).

For more information and registration: www.commercialtheaterinstitute.com.

Theater Review: The Pee-wee Herman Show

The Audience is as Much Fun to Watch as the Show
By Lauren Yarger
Today’s magic word is fun, Pee-wee Herman tells us, but one look around the audience reveals that having fun isn’t much of a secret at The Pee-wee Herman Show, playing a limited Broadway run at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre through Jan. 2.

The mostly baby-boomer-aged audience members laugh, clap, scream and totally enjoy the antics of nerdy, bow-the-wearing, childlike Pee-wee (Paul Reubens), the character created by the actor (who also co-writes with Bill Steinkellner) made popular on television’s “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” which won 22 Emmy awards during its five-year television run in the 1980s. The show also has seen other stage and film renditions.

Loud cheering applause greets each of the visitors to the colorful house (David Korins, design) including Cowboy Curtis (Phil LaMarr), Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart, who reprises her TV role), Sergio (Jesse Garcia), Mailman Mike (John Moody), Bear (Drew Powell), Jambi (John Paragon), King of Cartoons (Lance Roberts) as well as some parts of the house brought to life by eight puppeteers (Basil Twist, puppetry; Chiodo Bros. Productions, Inc., puppet company). They include an overstuffed chair named Chairry (voice by Lexy Fridell who also plays a magic screen and some talking fish and flowers), a talking window, a globe, a clock, a super-sham wipe, a flying pterodactyl and a robot named Conky (Josh Meyers) among others. Ann Closs-Farley costumes the crowd with make-up, hair and wig design by Ve Neill.

If it seems a little outrageous, it is. Think Mr. Rogers on crack and you’ll be somewhere in the neighborhood. Alex Timbers (of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson fame) directs the show, which offers a nominal plot about Pee-wee getting a new computer and a love story between Miss Yvonne and Cowboy Curtis (a role played on the TV show for a while by Laurence Fishburne, if you can believe it), but the thrust of the show is just laughing at Pee-wee and the double-entendre jokes which are silly funny. Even some things that don’t seem all that funny to the uninitiated bring uproarious laughter from the adoring audience, like Pee-wee’s popping some popcorn or letting the air slowly out of a balloon.

Pee-wee plays (no pun intended) at the Sondheim, 124 West 43rd St., NYC. Tickets are available by calling 212-239-6200 or 800 432-7250.

Christians might also like to know:
• God’s name taken in vain
• Sexually charged dialogue is veiled in the script, including a reference to gay marriage.
• Jambi is a genie who grants wishes and who chants to contact the spirit world.
• Pee-wee wears an abstinence ring which is the source of sarcastic humor.

Theater Review: The Scottsboro Boys

Oh Boys! Scottsboro is Savvy, Sad and Stupendous
By Lauren Yarger
It’s a show that makes you cringe with awkward, uneasy embarrassment, but it’s not because of the singing, dancing and acting – they’re all superior. In the case of The Scottsboro Boys, the last musical partnership of John Kander and Fred Ebb (both credited with music and lyrics), the unease comes from thoroughly enjoying yourself as a tale of horrible injustice unfolds. It’s guilty pleasure.

Set as a minstrel show, a racist form of entertainment popular in America in the early 19th century, The Scottsboro Boys tells the true tale of nine black men convicted in 1931 Alabama for raping two white women. The men, one of whom was only 13 years old, went through numerous trials and retrials for years, despite the fact that one of the women recanted her story. Their plight prompted protests nationally, changed laws about juries and legal representation and is one of the most glaring examples of racial injustice in the nation’s history.

Turning this tragic story into a musical would seem no easy task, but using the minstrel show form, with its two end men, Mr. Bones (Colman Domingo) and Mr. Tambo (Forrest McClendon) with an Interlocutor (John Cullum), a sort of emcee who interacts with them and the others in the troupe, is a masterful stroke of genius. A gripping book by David Thompson (who also has written the book for other Kander and Ebb musicals like Chicago and Steel Pier), skillful and creative direction by Susan Stroman, who also choreographs, and an excellent ensemble cast not only succeed in telling the story, but create one of the savviest, moving and dynamic musicals to hit a Broadway stage is quite a while.

The interlocutor, the endmen and the Scottsboro Boys (Josh Breckenridge, Derrick Cobey, Jeremy Gumbs, Joshua Henry, Rodney Hicks, Kendrick Jones, James T. Lane, Julius Thomas III, Christian Dante White) also assume other identities to help tell the story. White and Lane, for example, play the two women of questionable character who cry rape and Tambo and Bones play the roles of the white redneck-type sheriff and deputy who arrest the nine men doing nothing more than riding a train one day looking for jobs and better lives.

Every performance is excellent, with Henry featured as Haywood Patterson, who rebels at the injustice. “Song and dance” take on a more sinister meaning as he changes his strong assertion of his innocence to a milder, more pleasing plea to accommodate the whites in control of his fate.

Standing out is Gumbs, who plays the youngest victim, Eugene Williams, who taps up a storm and who sings with a lovely tenor advanced for someone so young.

Cullum, always excellent, is perfect as the Interlocutor, a Southern gentleman with kind manners and a friendly smile on the outside who struggles to hide his disdain and utter lack of genuine compassion for the nine victims. Stroman expertly balances the placement of the Interlocutor between center stage and disinterestedly wandering around the action -- like the nation’s indifference toward discrimination at the time -- paying lip service, but not really concerned enough to get involved.

The Interlocutor really just wants a happy ending (a cake walk, in the case of a minstrel show) and insensitively declares one when four of the nine prisoners are released, oblivious to the fact that the five still wrongly imprisoned and facing possible hanging might not agree with him.

Also wandering around the action is The Lady (Sharon Washington) who silently is moved by the boys’ situation. She represents the spirit of African Americans forced to remain quiet – until she speaks in a dramatic way to show how the Scottsboro case was a forerunner to the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Intricate storytelling also surfaces with the arrival of Samuel Leibowitz (also played by McClendon), a New York attorney who takes over the Boys’ case. A song called “Financial Advice” in which Jews and their money are ridiculed makes you cringe, until you realize that it brings to light the same kind of prejudice and indifference toward Jews. Leibowitz, after all, took over the case in 1933, just when Hitler was coming into power in Germany.

Beowolf Boritt’s very simple set is framed by three angled frames that look like railroad ties – and a gallows. CChairs with metallic slats are creatively used to create the train car (tamborines become the locomotive's wheels), the prison (the slats are the bars), the court and other locations.

The final number, performed in black face, is the last uneasy step in the journey, in which the audience has been an accomplice from the top when the minstrel show enters through the theater's house. It’s masterful storytelling and Stroman’s best work since The Producers and don't be surprised when it receives numerous award nominations at the end of the season.

The Scottsboro Boys is at the Lyceum Theater, 149 West 45th St., NYC. Discounted tickets are available through Masterwork Productions by clicking here.

Theater Review: Women on the Verge

Even Stars like Patti LuPone, Sherie Rene Scott, Laura Benanti and Brian Stokes Mitchell Can't Keep This Show from a Complete Breakdown
By Lauren Yarger
It had such great potential: four of the most popular and talented stars of the Broadway stage, music and lyrics by the composer who gave us fun shows like The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and a fabulous creative team led by award winning director Bartlett Sher (who helmed the wonderful revival of South Pacific) all under the auspices of Lincoln Center Theater.

But just like last year’s disappointing The Addams Family proved that having star names on the marquee doesn’t guarantee a good show, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is more evidence that nothing is a sure thing.

This musical, playing the beautiful Belasco Theatre, fails on so many levels it almost defies explanation. Very little works well in this stage rendition of Pedro Salmodovar’s film about the relationships of women in 1987 Madrid. The production has the feel of an early concept rehearsal instead of a polished Broadway musical. The opening number fizzles and things don’t get better. Before it’s all over, the only thing really on the verge of a nervous breakdown is the audience.

Sherie Rene Scott plays Pepa, an actress and singer who gets dumped by her lover, Ivan (Brian Stokes Mitchell). She follows him, with the help of an ever-present taxi driver (Danny Burstein) to the apartment of a strange woman, who turns out to be Ivan's ex, Lucia (Patti LuPone), who is suing him for abandonment with the help of attorney Paulina (de' Adre Aziza). Lucia might just be abandoned again too if her timid son, Carlos (Justin Guarini), gets up the nerve to tell her he’s moving out to marry Marisa (Nikka Graff Lanzarone).

Meanwhile, Pepa’s best friend, Candela (Laura Benanti), a ditzy, free-spirited model, who's free with lots of things, discovers that her latest lover, Malik (Louis Salgado), is a terrorist.

Thrown into the mix are 17 unmemorable songs with silly lyrics by David Yazbek, a few robotic steps of choreography by Christopher Gattelli and a book full of holes (characters appear on stage for exchanges of dialogue -- we have no idea who they are or why they are there) from Jeffrey Lane.

While you’re scratching your head, the action takes place an a set (Michael Yeargan, design) so full of fast moving parts and video projections (Sven Ortel) that you start to think a swig of the valium-laced gazpachos Pepa mixes wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially in the midst of motion sickness from the turning taxi which gives new meaning to the words “let’s go for a spin.”

The nausea intensifies with clashing colors used in the odd costumes designed by Catherine Zuber and soon the audience is on the verge of its own nervous breakdown. (I actually checked the program twice to be sure the unflattering and scanty clothes, heavy on the bras, were indeed the work of Zuber who usually has me wishing some of her creations were hanging in my closet.)

Why the gazpacho is drunk cold from cups that look like they are filled with a red substance, but which pour clear water, is just one of many puzzling questions, like
• Wouldn’t it have been a good idea to cast someone who actually is Hispanic or who can at least maintain a credible accent in one or more of these roles? Sometimes accents just disappear…
• Who was that scantily clad woman who just floated by in a window frame?
• Is the ventilation not working properly or was that pyro effect (Gregory Meeh, design) just a little too intense?
• Is she singing about being married for 20 years or has this song just been going on for 20 years?

But don’t take my word alone. Let the two-and-a-half-hour show speak for itself. In a song titled, ironically, “Tangled,” come the lyrics “You’ve been trying to follow the plot like there’s some twist you forgot … it’s like you’re losing your mind.” Another exchange of dialogue has one character saying, “What are you talking about?” to which another replies, “I have no idea, I’m just talking.”

Yup, those characters say it all, unfortunately.

I hate to be all negative, however, so here are some positive notes, because sometimes things just don’t work out the way you’d hoped and I love all of the people involved in this show and Lincoln Center:

• Benanti’s energetic and comedic performance gives the show most of its few laughs. She’s a champ and commands the stage.
• It’s a pleasure to hear the lovely voices of Benanti, LuPone and Thomas as well as Mitchell’s dreamy baritone, even if they aren’t singing great songs. Guarino, making his Broadway debut, does a nice turn as the wimpy Carlos who becomes attracted to the feisty Candela and lends his lovely tenor to nice harmonies with Scott and Benanti.
• Patti LuPone hops a motorcycle and her windblown wig (Charles LaPointe, design) is one of the highlights of the evening.
• The newly refurbished Belasco Theatre really is a Broadway treasure with its beautiful murals, paneling and stained glass enhanced ceiling. When you’re bored, just look up.

The Belasco is at 111 West 44th St., NYC. Tickets are available at 212-239-6200 or 800-432-7250.

Christians might also like to know:
• Language
• God’s name taken in vain
• Cross dressing
• Sexual moves
• Scanty costumes
• Show posts a MATURE advisory

Theater Review: Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles

The cast of Rain. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

Imagine It‘s Yesterday and The Beatles are on a Broadway Stage
By Lauren Yarger
They look like the Beatles and sound like the Beatles and if you’re a fan of the group’s music that became the voice of the 1960s and ‘70s cultural revolution, you’ll love the latest jukebox-style musical to play Broadway: Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles.

Unlike other musicals in the jukebox category, Rain, the brainchild of Mark Lewis, who nurtured a touring sensation and Broadway engagement from a 1970s California bar bad, doesn’t have a plot.

The show sort of follows the Beatles through some well-remembered events like their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and the 1965 concert at Shea Stadium where police had trouble containing the screaming, hair-pulling girls trying to climb fences and barricades to get closer to the Fab Four.

Large retro TV video screens show footage of news, events of the era and shots of the Beatles themselves to propel the songs along. Make no mistake, though, this is a concert, complete with lighting (Stephen Gotschel, design), terrific graphics and projections (Scott Christensen, Todd Skinner, scenic design; Darren McCaulley, Matthew St. Arnaud, video design), sound enhancements (Abe Jacob, sound design) and four talented vocalists who also play their own instruments.

Joey Curatolo (Paul) McCartney, Steve Landes (John Lennon), Joe Bithorn (George Harrison) and Ralph Castelli (Ringo Starr) don’t try to impersonate as much as represent the Beatles. Arrangements for the more than 30 tunes are true to the originals, though many favorites don’t make it into the mix (there‘s only so much of the songbook you can fit into two hours).

As the style of the music changes over the years, so do the costumes and hair styles of the group. It’s very nostalgic and most of the baby-boomer-aged audience claps, bops and sings along with happy smiles on their faces.

Particularly funny are some vintage commercials shown in between other footage.
It’s an enjoyable evening, particularly if you like the music of the Beatles and some very skilled guitar playing.

Rain runs through Jan. 9 at the Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52nd St., NYC. For tickets, call 212-307-4100 or 800-755-4000..

Christians might also like to know:
No content notes.

Cirque du Soleil Names New Show to Play at Radio City

Cirque du Soleil announced today that its major new acrobatic spectacle, Zarkana, will begin performances at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 9, 2011 for a limited engagement through Sept. 4, 2011. Presented by iShares, Zarkana is written and directed by acclaimed film and theatre director François Girard ("The Red Violin," "Silk").

Zarkana is a fantastically bizarre world where we follow the adventures of Zark, a magician who has lost his love and, with her, his powers. As he cries and begs for her return he is plunged into a world inhabited by surreal creatures. The diverse cast of 71 international artists transports the audience into a fantastical and suspenseful world, blurring the boundaries between the real and imaginary.

About The Show Title:
The name Zarkana is a fusion of the words “bizarre” and “arcana” (arcana means “mystery” or “secret”). The twisted fictional world of Zarkana is an elusive destination that is fantastic yet bizarre. The name refers to the irresistibly odd and delightfully strange aura of this place and its inhabitants.

Ticket Information:
Starting today, Zarkana tickets are available exclusively to Cirque Club Members. Tickets range from $47 to $130 with a limited number of premium tickets available for all performances.

Cirque Club membership is free and benefits include access to advance tickets, special offers and exclusive behind the scenes information. To join, go to http://www.cirqueclub.com/.

Starting Nov. 22, tickets will be available to the general public at 1- 866-858-0008 or http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/zarkana.aspx.

James Barbour Tours Holiday Concert

Broadway star and vocal power house, james Barbour, will premiere his six-city 2010 Holiday Concert Tour on Saturday, Dec. 4 at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, CA.

The tour will then play The 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA, (Sunday, Dec. 5), The magic Castle in Hollywood, CA (Monday, Dec. 6 and Tuesday, Dec. 7), a private Fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in Morristown, NJ (Friday, Dec. 10), Birdland Jazz Club in New York City (Sunday, Dec. 12 and Monday, Dec. 13) and a Special Fundraiser for the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind at the Pacific Club in Honolulu (Monday, Dec. 27).

Each concert will feature special surprise guest stars and a program of Christmas and holiday songs. Click here for a review of the concerts given in New York in 2008. barbour was a performer at this year's Broadway Blessing at St. John the Divine.

Box Office information is available at:
The Rubicom Theatre 805-667-2900
The 142 Throckmorton Theatre 415-383-9600
The Magic Castle 323-851-3313
Birdland 212-581-3080

For more information, visit www.TheHolidayConcert.com.

The New Victory Theater Presents Get Melodramatic!

A Workshop with Creators of Squirm Burpee Circus: A Vaudevillian Melodrama

WHAT: A theatrical workshop where families have fun together to create memorable characters and act out zany adventures along with The Handsome Little Devils, the hilarious circus talents featured in the show Squirm Burpee Circus: A Vaudevillian Melodrama.

Squirm Burpee Circus will run at The New Victory Theater, New York’s first and only nonprofit, full-time performing arts theater dedicated to kids and families, from Nov. 12 – 28. In Squirm Burpee Circus, Mike the Handsome, Dashing Dave and The Lovely Little Lolo make up a beloved circus trio who must outwit the dastardly Baron Vegan Von Hamburger – a mustachioed villain decidedly dedicated to their demise. Will Dave ever find his true love? Will Lolo unlock Mike’s heart? Or will the Baron destroy them all? Tune in to this dazzling display of first-class circus skills, dapper dance moves and outrageous comedy to find out!

WHERE: Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd St., Tisch Building
This workshop is free with paid admission to the Museum; best for families and kids ages 4 and older. The Children's Museum of Manhattan inspires children and their families to learn about themselves and a culturally diverse world through unique interactive exhibitions.

WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 24 from 10:45 – 11:15 am.

For more information, contact Allison Mui at amui@new42.org (646-223-3067), Laura Kaplow-Goldman at lkaplow-goldman@new42.org (646-223-3065) or Philip Ramirez at pramirez@groupgordon.com (212-784-5713).

Broadway Community Mourns Jill Clayburgh

The Broadway community mourns the loss of Jill Clayburgh, who passed away Friday at age 66. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in her memory tonight, Nov. 9, at 7 pm for one minute.

Paul Libin, chairman of The Broadway League and executive vice president of Jujamcyn Theaters, said, “Jill Clayburgh was a versatile and talented actress. I had the distinct pleasure of working with her in Noel Coward's Design for Living at my Circle in the Square Theatre. Her performances on Broadway and in film and television will be missed by many of us who have been fans of hers for many years. The Broadway community mourns her loss and extends our sympathies to her family."


Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The League, continued, "Thanks to the talents of Ms. Clayburgh, her husband David Rabe and daughter Lily Rabe, this family has had significant impact on Broadway, both past and present. We are grateful for the memories of her performances, and our thoughts are with her family and friends."

Clayburgh was an iconic actress who starred in such notable projects as Broadway’s Pippin and the film "An Unmarried Woman." She was born in New York City in 1944, attended Sarah Lawrence College, and made her Broadway debut with The Sudden & Accidental Re-education of Horse Johnson in 1968.

On Broadway, Miss Clayburgh also appeared in Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, and was the leading lady of Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock’s Tony Award® nominated The Rothschilds in 1970. Most recently, she appeared on Broadway in Richard Greenberg's A Naked Girl on the Appian Way and the 2006 Broadway revival of Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park.

Clayburgh is survived by her husband, playwright David Rabe, son Michael Rabe, stepson Jason Rabe, and daughter Lily Rabe who is currently starring on Broadway in The Merchant of Venice.

Broadway Lights Dim Tonight for Jerry Bock

The Broadway community mourns the loss of Jerry Bock, who passed away yesterday at age 81. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in his memory tonight, Nov. 4, at exactly 8 pm for one minute.

Paul Libin, Chairman of The Broadway League and Executive Vice President of Jujamcyn Theaters, called Jerry Bock, “one of Broadway's great composers of more than a dozen memorable musicals; he also wrote the book and lyrics for many of his productions. His work will live forever on Broadway.”

Bock was an inspired musical composer who wrote the scores to such shows as Fiddler on the Roof and The Apple Tree. Jerrold Lewis Bock was born in New Haven, CT on Nov. 23, 1928. He was raised in Flushing, Queens where he studied piano from a young age and began early compositions. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he wrote the musical Big As Life. Bock made his Broadway debut in 1955 with Catch a Star, a musical revue in which he collaborated on music and lyrics.

Bock was best known for the memorable and thoughtful score for Fiddler on the Roof, which incorporates Jewish prayer and klezmer music within a musical theater score. He also composed the shows Mr. Wonderful, The Body Beautiful, Fiorello!, Tenderloin, Never Too Late, Man in the Moon, She Loves Me, Baker Street, Generation, and The Rothschilds. He scored another musical hit in 1966 with The Apple Tree which was revived on Broadway in 2006. Bock collaborated with many notable Broadway writers, but he consistently worked with the late Joseph Stein, who wrote the book to Fiddler , and his long-time creative partner lyricist Sheldon Harnick, also of Fiddler on the Roof.

Mr. Bock received the 1965 Tony Award® for writing the music to Fiddler , which also won the 1965 Tony Award® for Best Musical. He won his first Tony Award® for Fiorello! in 1960. Fiorello! also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that same year.

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. In 2010, he became an Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Original Song — Children's and Animation category — for "A Fiddler Crab Am I," penned with Larry Hochman and Billy Aronson. It was heard on the series "Wonder Pets."

The Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre was established in 1997 and continues to provide an annual $2,000 grant presented to a composer and lyricist.

He is survived by his wife, Patti, daughter Portia Bock, son George Bock and granddaughter Edie Mae Bock.