News

London’s West End Starts Announcing Reopenings, Even As COVID Cases Rise

Source: ArtsJournal.com | Posted: September 15 2020 @ 9:02 am

The theatrical corporation Nimax announced that it would open the doors of six of its West End theatres, restarting such shows as Six (the pop musical about Henry VIII’s wives), The Play That Goes Wrong, and Magic Goes Wrong at roughly half the usual seating capacity. – The New York Times

Playwright Michael Frayn On British Theatre And The State Of The UK

Source: ArtsJournal.com | Posted: September 14 2020 @ 5:02 pm

The European Union was a remarkable human artifact—still is. And for us to smash down our part in it is . . . I suppose you just have to expect that people can’t sustain positive actions for very long. Sooner or later, they just want to behave badly and do something very simple, kick something […]

Watch Will Blum Offer a Creative Solo Take on Floyd Collins Musical

Source: Broadway.com | Posted: September 14 2020 @ 4:09 pm

Will Blum, who was most recently seen on Broadway in Beetlejuice, has created a one-man version of the Adam Guettel-Tina Landau musical Floyd Collins. Using his iPhone to record, Blum created a whole world inside his apartment allowing viewers to feel as if they're right in the homemade cardboard box caves with him. Blum recorded the songs "The Call," "It Moves," and "Time to Go" through the Acapella App and edited on GarageBand and iMovie. The story is based on the death of Floyd Collins near Cave City, Kentucky in the winter of 1925 and features music and lyrics by Guettel and a book by Landau, who also directed the original off-Broadway production at Playwrights Horizons in 1996. It won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical, and the 1995-1996 Obie Award for its score. Watch Blum's creative take on the show below!

 

Odds & Ends: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Goes Digital & More

Source: Broadway.com | Posted: September 14 2020 @ 3:44 pm

Here's a quick roundup of stories you might have missed recently.

A Reason to Give Thanks: The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Is On!
As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is going digital. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that "a safe and creative event worthy of this holiday tradition" will take place on November 26 beginning at 9AM ET. "This year's celebration will shift to a television-only experience," reads a statement from Macy's. This year's overall number of participants—all of which must be over 18 years of age—will be reduced by approximately 75 percent; all those taking part will be required to wear face coverings. Instead of the 2.5-mile parade route, elements of the broadcast will be staged solely in and around the Herald Square area. Macy’s signature character balloons will be flown without the traditional 80-100 handlers and instead employ an innovative, specially rigged anchor vehicle framework of five specialty vehicles. Watch this space for more details on the holiday event.

Drama League Accepting Stage Director Applications for Fellowships
The Drama League has opened the applications for its 2021 Directors Project Fellowships and Residences, offering unique opportunities …

Orfeh and Andy Karl to Bring Eric Bernat's Mystery Novel The Dancer to the Screen

Source: Broadway.com | Posted: September 14 2020 @ 3:18 pm

Broadway couple Orfeh and Andy Karl have a new gig. The Tony nominees have acquired the rights to Eric Bernat’s 2016 self-published mystery novel The Dancer, according to Deadline. The deal was made in collaboration with theater and literary agency Michael Moore Agency.

Set around 1985 in New York City against the backdrop of the growing AIDS epidemic, The Dancer follows Joey, a man who becomes the focus of a homicide investigation after accidentally discovering the body of a murder victim. In order to prove his innocence, he must uncover the roots of the murder himself. AIDS, death, and politics are all major themes explored in the novel. The Dancer is Bernat's first novel.

“We are beyond excited to be collaborating with Eric to bring his novel to the screen,” said the couple in a joint statement. “We’ve been thinking of ways to help stories get told and ten pages into The Dancer, we knew this project was for us.”

Eric Bernat (Photo by Deborah Lopez)

Recently, the couple appeared on Broadway.com's #LiveatFive: Home Edition and hinted at the upcoming project saying, "We've been holed up together writing. Throughout the years we've always said, 'Someone should write …