Because today hasn't included enough news about confusing musicals, here's another one for ya: Brett Easton Ellis' most famously depraved novel, American Psycho, is heading to the stage. The book and subsequent film prominently feature monologues about 80s Reagan-era bands, which will play a large part in the musical production's development.
Though taking a gamble on theater right now (which are not doing as badly as other economic ventures right now but still) producers Craig Roessler and Johnson-Roessler have high hopes that a satirical look at murder on Wall Street will strike a gallows-humor chord with the ex-Lehman brother crowd.
Below, one scene from the film version of AP that will definitely be a highlight of the dance numbers:
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Hey, remember being 8 and loving The Little Mermaid? We do!
But apparently, not all beloved cartoons do as well when actors take over for the animators, according to Ben Brantley:
The motto of this production, the latest and least of the Disney musicals to besiege Broadway since “Beauty and the Beast” opened in 1994, could be, “You can never go broke underestimating the taste of preschoolers.” In 1989 the film of “The Little Mermaid,” which signaled a renaissance in Disney animation and featured songs by the composer Alan Menken and the lyricist Howard Ashman that were regularly described as “Broadway-caliber,” was heralded as that rare fairy-tale cartoon that could be enjoyed just as much by grown-ups as by children. (Hey, I saw it three times.)
But in a perverse process of devolution “The Little Mermaid” arrives on Broadway stripped of the movie’s generation-crossing appeal. Coherence of plot, endearing quirks of character, even the melodious wit of the original score (supplemented by new, substandard songs by Mr. Menken and the lyricist Glenn Slater) have been swallowed by an unfocused spectacle, more parade than narrative, that achieves the dubious miracle of translating an animated cartoon into something that feels like less than two dimensions.
Looks like Disney could have saved everyone a lot of time off with a re-release of a limited edition DVD.
The intentionally provocative new show "Jihad: The Musical" (billed as "a madcap gallop through the wacky world of international terrorism") opened to "packed audiences, mixed reviews and inevitable controversy" at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland this month.
"If there were a prize for poor taste," writes the Times of London, "the creators of this show might have been hoping for a podium finish."
A spokesperson for "Jihad: The Musical" explained, "We must laugh at those who seek to intimidate us." She then added, "Hey, on the plus side, at least it didn't bomb."
[ABC News]
Picture, if you will, an affluent young Muslim standing in front of you, wearing a pinstriped button-down vest over a crisp white oxford shirt. Now, picture him standing on a stage, about to perform. Listen closely, and you can almost hear as the piano accompaniment starts up in the background.
Alert, our actor turns, faces the audience, and smiles somberly before breaking into song. A catchy, uptempo Broadway musical-styled number, to be precise. He sings in a clear, tenor vibrato, that only grows stronger and more powerful as the pace of the music quickens and the solo progresses. The name of the tune? "I Wanna Be Like Osama."
Here's a sample lyric:
I wanna / Be like Osama
I wanna bomb a path to fame across the Earth
I know people may abhor me / But, my God, they won't ignore me
When the CIA determines what I'm worth.
And from there it progresses, until before you know it, you're listening to an energetic and melodious delivery of the following odious lines.
Finally, some theater for the hip, young literati in New York. This one-man show is sure to be filled with dudes in tight black jeans and girls with black hair and red lipstick … but we don't care. Anything that goes out of its way to delve into James Frey and J.T. LeRoy is golden.
Mike Daisey's Truth, a one-man monologue about "James Frey, J.T. LeRoy, Oprah, lying, and the struggle to tell the truth," is set to open tonight in New York.
According to its official description, Truth "follows the fictional and nonfictional self-destruction of A Million Little Pieces author James Frey, the sordid and shocking tale of non-existent, world famous transsexual author J.T. LeRoy, and the mystery of the wildly prolific multiple personalities of Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa."
So, it's James Frey, J.T. LeRoy, Oprah, and Fernando Pessoa? We're not judging, but would it really be that hard to throw in Kaavya Vishwanathan or Nick Sylvester?
One-Man Show About James Frey, J.T. Leroy To Open Off-Broadway [Fishbowl, NY]
This week's New York magazine features an interview with Cynthia Nixon, which is title Educating Cynthia, but is promoted on the New York Metro site with the catch "Formally Known as Miranda."
Within the context of the article (in which Nixon uses tons of big words and is still described as "girlish") the writer of the piece lays out a typical "lunch with a New York celeb" scene. The waitress walks up to Nixon and Emily Nussbaum, hand them the menus, and begins rambling about her awe and admiration (described as "gushing") of Nixon's career.
She remembers back in 1984, hearing about the then-18-year-old actress’s breakthrough accomplishment, when she appeared on Broadway in two productions simultaneously: Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing and David Rabe’s Hurlyburly. “You’re the reason I came to New York,” she concludes, beaming.
“Thank you,” Nixon responds. She’s gracious and she’s direct, but she doesn’t engage. And then she snaps right back to our discussion without further comment.
Burn! We're sure that waitress/aspiring actress felt just fabulous about her idol's reaction. If she's formally known as Miranda, were going to take a shot and assume Nixon is currently known as "Huge Bitch."
Educating Cynthia [Emily Nussbaum, New York Magazine]
We love this shit. When the world of media and magazines expands into other realms, or when celebrity and/or media incorporated into the nightlife scene in New York, we get a little giddy. It's like Jimmy Buffett bars or Teen Vogue television. Except this time, it's the nightlife guide everyone should read but doesn't and the part of New York only tourists go to.
It's a Time Out New York lounge! And it's called Time Out New York Lounge. Or, of course, TONY lounge for short. It is set to open in the Theater District's New World Stages, on W. 50th Street, and will cater to all the people who truly long for the return of Fashion Cafe and are sort of over Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Cafe.
The TONY Lounge "will be open daily to the public and offer happy-hour specials," including its own awkwardly-named signature cocktail: the MarTONY.
Freakin' fabu, y'all. We can't wait until Lindsay Lohan plays Ophelia in Neil Simon's Hamlet and we can stop by after for a real drink.
Time Out New York To Open Off Broadway Lounge [Fishbowl, NY]
• It's that time of the year, again. Come on, if Kevin Kline, Christopher Walken’s, and Meryl Streep are on a stage together, you know it's Shakespeare in the Park. (8/8- 9/3) [NYM]
• Holla. It's the Pokemon Party of the Decade! Perfect for ecstasy dropping ravers, kids about 8 years behind on the trends, and Hulk Hogan. (We’re, uh, not kidding). (Tues. 8/8) [Free NYC]
• Need to restore your faith? Trying to pretend like you believe in God to steal some Christian chick's goodies? Nothing says "I believe" like Kurtis Blow. (Thurs. 8/10) [Zerve]
• Ok. So, there's this fat Japanese rapper who shows up with a white DJ. This has got to be good. (Thurs. 8/10) [Hudson River Park]
• Ok, we know we just told you theater in the park was cooler. But you know what's ice cold? Shakespeare in a parking lot. (Sat. 8/12) [Upcoming]
Photo Courtesy of Gothamist's Jake Dobkin via Flickr
• They're gonna' start teasing us with this morning after pill stuff again, aren't they? Just remember: Plan-B does not protect against HPV. [Newsday]
• Whole Foods is finally following the yuppies to DUMBO. [Curbed]
• Campbell Robertson explains the Neilsen ratings of theater — which we think will lead to more movie stars on Broadway. So, inevitably, Paris Hilton will someday play Ophelia in Hamlet. [NYT]
• Ooooh. Art captures art and Gothamist makes a pretty. [Flickr]
• We know — it's really, really, really hot. But you may want to find an alternative to swimming at Coney Island. [NYP]
Warning to parents: it may be time to take your kid's Harry Potter dolls away. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, who played the role of Harry in HP 1-98 is taking to the stage. He's slotted to play the leading role of Alan Strang in Peter Shaffer's "Equus." And he's ripping it all off for the role.
The play delves into the psyche of a boy named Alan Strang who blinds six horses with a metal spike.
In one scene the actor playing Strang is required to simulate sexual ecstasy while riding a horse naked.
First Emma Watson's getting wasted, then Dakota Fanning takes a nude role, and now Harry Potter's humping horses? Gosh, they grow up so fast.
It feels like the end of an era. Thankfully, though, because this one was sort of a "what is the world of New York theater coming to?" era, and, we needed it to end. Julia Roberts is finally, finally off the stage.
Again, the complete enigma of sticking this A-List Hollywood celeb on Broadway will never cease to baffle us — especially because every theater critic under the sun was screaming about how awful she was. Beautiful, yes, but awful. Yet, the seats were packed … with tourists, of course.
Despite largely negative reviews for both the Richard Greenberg drama and its leading lady, fans jammed the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre to see Roberts in her farewell performance.
"Julia could read the ABC's and I would come to see her," said Stan Pietkiewicz, 42, who works for Hershey Chocolate in Pennsylvania.
However, not everyone felt this way. Some, like us, are relieved we will never again have to find that photo of a dowdy Julia in her brown sweater and nasty bangs.
"I'm glad this will be over," said one photographer.
Once again, Julia Roberts helps us stratify our city, separating the New Yorkers from the rest of the riff-raff.
Her 'Rain' at an end [Daily News]
We figure since the Times shuttered an entire column so that Campbell Roberts could move to covering stories for the Arts section, we'd relay the results of last night's Tony awards at Radio City Music Hall. Plus, who doesn't love awards?
While Julia Roberts got zero love from critics, and just a tad more from out of town audiences, her BFF Oprah's shows, The Color Purple was recognized in nominations last night.
The biggest deals, however, are not the celebs, but the shows, and the award for best musical is the awards spot. This year, the best musical winner was Jersey Boys.
Despite the carping about jukebox musicals and a contest that seemed to gain heat by the minute, "Jersey Boys," the surprise hit about the Four Seasons as told through their songs, won the big prize — best musical — at last night's Tony Awards, as well as three more, including best actor for John Lloyd Young and, in one of the night's several upsets, best featured actor for Christian Hoff.
In addition, History Boys took home six awards, The Drowsey Chaperone picked up five, and Sweeny Todd snagged two.
As for Roberts, she expressed her insane jealousy by telling the cast of Jersey Boys they are "insanely talented people."
It's 'Jersey Boys' and 'History Boys' at the Tony Awards [Campbell Roberts, New York Times]
'History Boys,' 'Jersey Boys' top Tonys [AP News]
• The first openly lesbian Playboy playmate gets in a police altercation in Chelsea. Just another day for the NYPD. [NYDN]
• Remember that NYU student who set up a fake hedge fund and ended up on the cover of New York magazine? Yeah, he's gonna fry now. [NYT]
• Why on earth do we even let Ann Coulter enter our city? [YouTube]
• Dreams of an enormous downtown apartment get crushed by email keys of one blog reader. [Gawker]
• Summer has officially begun! Shakespear in the Park has launched in all its ridiculously long line and hippie picnic glory. [Gothamist]
Mostly because it got horrible reviews, generated a ton of buzz than quickly faded, and because everyone has decided Julia Roberts is better left to the lighting and retakes of Hollywood movies than Broadway plays, Three Days of Rain hasn't been doin' too hot.
This is mostly marked, we would say, by brokers dumping tickets to see Roberts on the big stage at at bargains of 25% off or more. And how, the Daily News wonders, do theater goers feel about this?
"I can say I saw Julia Roberts," said Samantha Vernon, 45, of Wichita, Kan. "This was an experience that we weren't going to miss. We've been excited about it for months."
Others, however, were less than thrilled to learn of the discounted prices for tickets.
"I can't believe I could've saved about $200," said Lincoln Sterling, 45, of the upper West Side as he crowded into the theater lobby with his wife and two children. "This had better be the best play we've ever seen."
Case studies in the bitterness of New Yorkers compared to those from Middle America? There's no better way to start of a Monday.
A dismal play date [Jonathan Lemire, Daily News]
If you don't know who Ada Calhoun is … well, you should. A born and bred New Yorker (she even went to Stuyvesant) Ada has graced the bylines of such Gotham City staples as the New York Times and New York magazine. Not to mention making her magnificent mark on Nerve.
While she just turned 30, is five months pregnant, and lives in Brooklyn, she is far from the average stroller pusher in the second borough. After the jump, The Scanner editor spills on her crushes, leading a double life, and earning her daily waffles by promoting her husband's endeavors.
We have long followed Ada's career as a writer, but now that she's a blogger, we are even more thrilled we don't have to wait weeks for our next fix.
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• The largest New York grant ever is going to Brooklyn. Don't say this city never did anything for Sunset Park. [NYP]
• Met fans have yet another reason to hate the Yankees — they're now the "Bronx Billionaires." [NYP]
• There was a crazy runaway horse on Broadway. No, it wasn't Julia Roberts. [NYDN]
• The hawks now official join Jennifer Aniston and Demi Moore in the "can't reproduce" category. [NYT]
• Children in playgrounds might have to deal with swings breaking, duct tape holding pieces together, heads getting stuck in weird places, and even urine … but nothing prepares you for the real world like the streets of NYC. [Metro]
• We thought there was a little more space on the 6 train last weekend. [amNY]
Wait, everyone is still talking about Julia Roberts in this play? Or, should we stay, just started talking about Julia Roberts in this play today? If this continues, it's going to be a very long month.
Honestly, we read New York on Monday and the nauseating amount of attention paid to the latest celeb to go Broadway in that article was quite enough. Here's just one snippet of the 4,000 words offered up in the name of Julia.
Her hair was pulled tightly back. She was a stiff. It might have been nerves, but it might have also been—to give her the benefit of the doubt—that the woman she was playing was a stiff … She’s plainly gorgeous in still photos, but it’s in motion that the real magic happens. She can entrance you with the tiniest shifts in expression.
But, it wasn't enough for Ben Brantley, who tried to trick us into pretending that he wasn't going to talk about Julia in all her stiff beautiful glory.
O.K., if you must know, she's stiff with self-consciousness (especially in the first act), only glancingly acquainted with the two characters she plays and so deeply, disturbingly beautiful that you don't want to let her out of your sight.
Our theory? The high-brow journalists are just as celeb obsessed as we are — but they're trapped in their own pretentious closet.
The way the rest of us wait for the Brangelina baby to complete our existance, these folks just live for the day when a hot, stiff Julia comes on stage, drops a tomato, and giggles in delight of her magical fuck-up.
Enough Said About 'Three Days of Rain.' Let's Talk Julia Roberts! [Ben Brantley, New York Times]
Y'know, sometimes it's really unfair for New Yorkers to act like we're so much more cultured and high-brow than the rest of the country. People in the south love to see theater just as much as the Park Avers, especially plays written by Tony Award winner Rihcard Greenberg.
This one, Three Days of Rain, just happens to be starring Julia Roberts.
Cathy Harshman, 45, and Charlotte Fennell, 40, co-owners of a Fort Myers, Fla., restaurant, shelled out $250 each for tickets and flew up to New York just to see Roberts in the show.
"Yes, that's the only reason I'm here. I don't even care what the play is about," said Harshman.
Oh, whatev, you're all thinking the same thing, you just don't have the southern brassiness required to actually say it. Out loud. To a newspaper. For attribution.
Broadway babe [Joe Dziemianovicz, Jimmy Vielkind, and Leo Standora, Daily News]
• You can overhear Overheard in New York out loud at the Astor Place Barnes and Noble at 7 pm. (Wed, 2/22) [Overheard in New York]
• Then head on over to Lit. The Chester Molester of the East Village bars celebrates its fourth year of skeeve. And the drinks are on him. (Wed. 2/22) [Free NYC]
• Just because nobody in New Orleans has a kitchen doesn't mean you can't get into the Mardi Gras spirit at the Institute of Culinary Education. (Fri. 2/24) [NYM]
• Ok, we promise this is the only time we will tell you to go Long Island City, but it's for a great event: Clear Cut Press featuring Matt Briggs, Stacey Levine and live music by YACHT. (Sat. 2/25) [Flavorpill]
• What's a week in New York without some off-beat theater? Live Project comes to HERE with a scary looking show. If that's not your bag, Gothamist] has a few other suggestions. (2/23-3/19) [">Here]
Editorial Director
