Category Archives: Theatre

LR Culture Vulture Tony Award predictions

Posted on by

Here are the Little Rock Culture Vulture predictions for the Tony Awards.
My predictions are marked with an asterisk.

67th Tony Awards

PLAY
The Assembled Parties, Richard Greenberg
Lucky Guy, Nora Ephron
The Testament of Mary, Colm Toíbín
*Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Christopher Durang

MUSICAL
Bring It On
A Christmas Story
Kinky Boots
*Matilda

PLAY REVIVAL
Golden Boy
Orphans
The Trip to Bountiful
*Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

MUSICAL REVIVAL
Annie
Cinderella
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
*Pippin

ACTOR, PLAY
*Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tom Sturridge, Orphans

ACTRESS, PLAY
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Amy Morton, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Kristine Nielsen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Holland Taylor, Ann
*Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful

ACTOR, MUSICAL
Bertie Carvel, Matilda
Santino Fontana, Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin
*Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Stark Sands, Kinky Boots

ACTRESS, MUSICAL
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Valisia LeKae, Motown
*Patina Miller, Pippin
Laura Osnes, Cinderella

FEATURED ACTOR, PLAY
Danny Burstein, Golden Boy
*Richard Kind, The Big Knife
Billy Magnussen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy
Courtney B. Vance, Lucky Guy

FEATURED ACTRESS, PLAY
Carrie Coon, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Shalita Grant, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Judith Ivey, The Heiress
*Judith Light, The Assembled Parties
Condola Rashad, The Trip to Bountiful

FEATURED ACTOR, MUSICAL
Charl Brown, Motown
Keith Carradine, Hands on a Hardbody
Will Chase, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Gabriel Ebert, Matilda
*Terrence Mann, Pippin

FEATURED ACTRESS, MUSICAL
Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Victoria Clark, Cinderella
*Andrea Martin, Pippin
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
Lauren Ward, Matilda

DIRECTION, PLAY
Pam MacKinnon, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nicholas Martin, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Bartlett Sher, Golden Boy
*George C. Wolfe, Lucky Guy

DIRECTION, MUSICAL
Scott Ellis, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
*Diane Paulus, Pippin
Matthew Warchus, Matilda

CHOREOGRAPHY
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On
Peter Darling, Matilda
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
*Chet Walker, Pippin

BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Douglas Carter Beane, Cinderella
Harvey Fierstein, Kinky Boots
*Dennis Kelly, Matilda
Joseph Robinette, A Christmas Story

SCORE OF A MUSICAL
Trey Anastasio, Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody
*Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots
Tim Minchin, Matilda
Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, A Christmas Story

ORCHESTRATIONS
*Chris Nightingale, Matilda
Stephen Oremus, Kinky Boots
Ethan Popp & Bryan Crook, Motown
Danny Troob, Cinderella

SCENIC DESIGN, PLAY
*John Lee Beatty, The Nance
Santo Loquasto, The Assembled Parties
David Rockwell, Lucky Guy
Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy

SCENIC DESIGN, MUSICAL
*Rob Howell, Matilda
Anna Louizos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Scott Pask, Pippin
David Rockwell, Kinky Boots

COSTUME DESIGN, PLAY
Soutra Gilmour, Cyrano de Bergerac
*Ann Roth, The Nance
Albert Wolsky, The Heiress
Catherine Zuber, Golden Boy

COSTUME DESIGN, MUSICAL
Gregg Barnes, Kinky Boots
Rob Howell, Matilda
Dominique Lemieux, Pippin
*William Ivey Long, Cinderella

LIGHTING DESIGN, PLAY
*Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Lucky Guy
Donald Holder, Golden Boy
Jennifer Tipton, The Testament of Mary
Japhy Weideman, The Nance

LIGHTING DESIGN, MUSICAL
Kenneth Posner, Kinky Boots
*Kenneth Posner, Pippin
Kenneth Posner, Cinderella
Hugh Vanstone, Matilda

SOUND DESIGN, PLAY
John Gromada, The Trip to Bountiful
Mel Mercier, The Testament of Mary
*Leon Rothenberg, The Nance
Peter John Still and Marc Salzberg, Golden Boy

SOUND DESIGN, MUSICAL
Jonathan Deans & Garth Helm, Pippin
*Peter Hylenski, Motown
John Shivers, Kinky Boots
Nevin Steinberg, Cinderella

TONY AWARDS tonight — Some Arkansas connections

Posted on by

TonyAwards-328x253.328.254The American Theatre Wing and Broadway League present the 67th Antoinette Perry Awards – also known as the Tony Awards – tonight. They will be aired on CBS (THV11 in Central Arkansas) at 7pm CDT.

There are a few Arkansas connections to this year’s nominees of the best of Broadway.

Arkansas natives and previous Tony winners Will Trice and Remmel T. Dickinson are each nominated again this year for producing. Trice is one of the producers of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, nominated for Best Revival of a Play. Dickinson is a producer of Best Musical nominee Matilda. Both of those productions received multiple Tony nominations.

Tony winner Roger Horchow of Texas was married for nearly 50 years to Little Rock native Carolyn Pfeifer, until her 2009 death. Horchow and his daughter Sally are both nominated for producing the revival of Annie which is currently pleasing crowds on Broadway.

Chet Walker is nominated for his choreography for the revival of Pippin. Walker’s parents live in Maumelle. He has been a guest instructor for the Arkansas Dance Network. (Thanks to Christen Burke Pitts–herself an outstanding choreographer–for pointing out this Arkansas connection.)

Japhy Weideman is nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Play for his work on the new play The Nance. This is his first Tony nomination and his first season to be lighting plays on Broadway. He has previously received acclaim for his work Off Broadway. Weideman has been a lighting designer at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in the past.

One final nominee with an Arkansas connection. A couple of years ago, the Clinton School of Public Service brought actor Holland Taylor to Little Rock to discuss her play Ann about Texas Gov. Ann Richards. At that point in time, Ms. Taylor was performing the play throughout the country, but she did not know if it would be performed in New York. It made it to Broadway this season, and she received a Tony nomination for Actress in a Play for her work.

Whether these nominees win or lose tonight, it is a testament to Little Rock’s cultural richness that there are several nominees this year with connections to The Rock.

Ark Rep’s AVENUE Q at Clinton School today

Posted on by

Avenue-QThe Arkansas Repertory Theatre works in partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service to participate in the UACS’s Distinguished Speaker Series, hosting educational panel discussions on various Rep productions. The latest in these takes place today, Thursday, June 6 at 12 noon at Sturgis Hall in Clinton Presidential Park.

The panel will feature the cast and crew of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of Avenue Q, one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. With the 2013 Tony Awards this coming Sunday, it is also appropriate to point out that nine years ago today, Avenue Q won three 2004 Tony Awards including an upset win for Best Musical. (It also won Tonys for Best Book and Best Score).

Avenue Q is an adult, laugh-out-loud puppet musical that tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. Call the Clinton School at (501) 683-5239 for reservations to the panel. Call the Rep at (501) 378-0405 for tickets to the musical.

Avenue Q opens tomorrow night (with previews last night and tonight). It runs through Sunday, June 30. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances are at 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday evening performances are at 8 p.m. Sunday Matinees performances are at 2 p.m.

clinton-school-logo

AVENUE Q at Arkansas Rep

Posted on by

Avenue-QThe Arkansas Repertory Theatre closes out the 2012-2013 season with the Tony winning musical Avenue Q which begins performances this week.  Avenue Q, which won three 2004 Tony Awards including Best Musical, opens on Friday, June 7 following previews on June 5 & 6.  The production runs through June 30

Avenue Q is an adult, laugh-out-loud puppet musical that tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. There, he meets Kate (the girl next door), Christmas Eve, Trekkie Monster, Gary Coleman and other colorful types who help Princeton finally discover his purpose in life.

The cast includes Will Holly, Bailey Means, Kathleen Choe, Jimmy Kieffer, Ethan Paulini, Shaleah Adkisson, Chad Burris and Leah Monzillo.  Lauren McClendon, Henry Melhorn and Mary Katelin Ward are understudies.

The production is directed by Robert Kolby Harper.  Rick Lyon, who worked on and starred in the original production of Avenue Q is the puppet designer and puppet coach.  The other members of the design team include Christopher Pickart (scenery), Shelly Hall (costumes), Daniel Davisson (lighting), Allan Branson (sound), Lynda J. Kwallek (properties) and Mike Nichols (technical director).  Michael Rice is the music director.

Avenue Q features a Tony winning book by Jeff Whitty and a Tony winning score by Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez.  It was originally directed by Fayetteville native Jason Moore (who received a Tony nomination for his direction).

Arts Center Children’s Theatre geared for Adults Tonight

Posted on by

jamesgiantadultThe Arkansas Arts Center is hosting an event tonight featuring the Children’s Theatre production of James and the Giant Peach.  The twist is that this event is for adults 21 and over.

Billed as “Giant Peaches and Fuzzy Navels” the event starts at 7pm with a reception.  It will feature refreshments (including adult beverages which use peaches as ingredients) and a musical performance by Paul Morphis.

At 8pm, the production of James and the Giant Peach will start.

The title character is played by Jeffrey Oakley.  Mark Hansen and Aleigha Morton play his horrible aunts.  Others in the cast are Garrett Flood as Old Green Grasshopper, Anna Tess Frost as Spider, Jeremy Matthey as Centipede, Jhonika Wright as Ladybird and Cassandra Nary as Earthworm.David Wood has adapted Dahl’s story for the stage.  The production is directed and designed by Alan Keith Smith.  Erin Larkin designed the costumes, and Penelope Poppers is the lighting designer.

James and the Giant Peach opens tonight and runs through May 12.  Public performances are Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Bradley Anderson is the artistic director of the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre. Dr. Todd Herman is the executive director of the Arkansas Arts Center.

Final week to see DEATH OF A SALESMAN at Ark Rep

Posted on by

Salesman (1)This is the final week to see the much-praised production of Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer, Tony and New York Drama Critics Circle winning Death of a Salesman at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  The production runs through May 12.

Death of a Salesman has been hailed as the greatest American play.  The central character, Willy Loman, has been compared to heroes in Aristotlean proportions.

But at the heart of all the hype is family bound by love and crushed by disappointments as they struggle to make sense of life.  Though set in the post World War II era, these themes resonate today.

Arkansas Rep Producing Artistic Director Robert Hupp is directing this production.  He has assembled a powerhouse cast led by Robert Walden as Willy Loman.  In her Arkansas Rep debut, Broadway vet Carolyn Mignini plays Linda Loman, his wife.  Their two sons are played by Avery Clark and Craig Maravich.  Clark has quickly become a Rep audience favorite through his performances in Hamlet, The 39 Steps and Henry V.  Maravich is making his Rep debut.

Others in the cast are Broadway vet William Metzo, Arkansas Rep vets Jay E. Raphael and Joe Menino, and Christopher Ryan and Kevin Sebastian, Stephanie Gunderman , Rachael Small and Andi Watson.

The design team includes Mike Nichols (sets), Rafael Colon Castanera (costumes), Allan Branson (sound), Lynda J. Kwallek (props) and Kenton Yeager (lighting).  Hupp commissioned a new recording of Alex North’s iconic score for this production.

The show plays at 7pm on Wednesday and Thursday, 8pm on Friday and Saturday, and 2pm and 7pm on Sunday.  For more on the production see this review.

Double Bill Opera at UALR Tonight and Sunday

Posted on by

The UALR Opera Theatre will present a double-bill performance of “The Telephone” and “The Medium,” both by Gian Carlo Menotti, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 3, and again at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 5, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the UALR Fine Arts Building.

Opeara at UALRBoth performances will feature the talents of students in the vocal arts program and will be performed in English, the language in which they were written.  These operas premiered on Broadway in the 1940s as a double-bill and have been presented together and separately by opera  Carcompanies and theatre troupes since then.

UALR students can receive one free ticket; all other student tickets are $5. These tickets may be reserved by calling 501.569-3295.

For general admission, tickets are $15 and can be purchased through the music box office at 501.569.8993.

“The Telephone”
“The Telephone” is a romantic comic opera in one act about a suitor on a mission.

According to Don Bernardini, professor of music and director of the vocal program, “Ben, bearing a gift, comes to visit Lucy at her apartment. He wants to propose to her before he leaves on a trip. Despite his attempts to get her attention for sufficient time to ask his question, Lucy is occupied with interminable conversations on the telephone, but Ben will not be deterred!”

 

“The Medium”
“The Medium” is a two-act dramatic opera. Would-be psychic, Baba, with her daughter, Monica, pose as ghosts from the beyond during séances.

They take in a person who is deaf and doesn’t speak as a lodger but become distrustful of him. During one session, Baba feels a mysterious cold hand around her throat which panics her into revealing to her clients that she is a fake. When they refuse to believe her, Baba’s terror leads to tragedy.