| Issue #19: March 15, 1999
- Carol Burnett is heading back to Broadway in September in
Stephen Sondheim’s revue of Putting It Together.
Producer Cameron Mackintosh premiered this recent version
last year in LA at the Mark Taper Forum.
- The Hasty Pudding Theater in Cambridge, Mass. will play host
to David Mamet’s newest play Boston Marriage.
Due to premiere in May, the play will star Mamet’s wife
Rebecca Pidgeon, Mary McCann and television’s Sports
Night star Felicity Huffman.
- With the Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera
scheduled to close at the end of September, it is confirmed
that the touring production of Fosse will take up residence
at The Pantages Theatre on January 5, 2000.
- Life imitates art–Vanessa and Corin Redgrave
are not only siblings but will play brother and sister in
the Royal National Theatre production of The Cherry Orchard.
Previously produced by the National Theatre (in 1978 and 1985),
this production by David Lan promises to be as much of
a hit as his Uncle Vanya from last season. Although the
theatre and dates have not been confirmed, director Trevor
Nunn has it on his slate for next year.
- Simon Callow will direct a British and Canadian cast
for the revival of The Pajama Game which will open on
the West End following a six-week run at Toronto’s Princess
of Wales Theatre.
- The phenomenal success of Notre Dame De Paris must
have the brass at Disney scratching their heads. This Canadian
and French production recently sold out a six-month run at a
3,800-seat theatre in Paris. Currently on a limited Canadian
tour, the show has already sold out its Montreal engagement.
Other tour cities include Ottawa, Quebec City and finally Toronto’s
Princess of Wales Theatre for six performances in June. Sources
say that on the first day of sales in Toronto over 3,000 tickets
were sold of a potential 12,000. Following this limited Canadian
tour it’s back to Paris for what will probably be another
sold-out run. Disney will be opening their Hunchback Of Notre
Dame in Berlin in June. I wonder how their sales are?
- The American Theater Wing will hold an honors luncheon celebrating
“Men For All Seasons”: Ossie Davis, Kevin Kline,
Jason Robards, Patrick Stewart and Sam Waterston
for their contribution and distinguished achievement in the
theatre. The gala benefit will be held at the Rainbow Room,
Rockefeller Plaza on Monday, April 12 at 12 noon. Although all
of these actors may be familiar to you from various movie and
television roles, it is their continuing support, participation
and love of the theatre that will be highlighted at this annual
event.
- The past few weeks has seen the passing of two great theatre
legends. On Friday March 5 Richard Kiley passed away
at the age of 76. He is best known for originating the role
of Don Quixote in the 1966 Broadway classic Man of La Mancha.
He recreated the role again in 1972 and 1977 both on Broadway
and the road for a total performance count of over 1,000. Playwright
Garson Kanin, known for the Broadway and Hollywood classic
Born Yesterday, passed away on March 13 at the age of
86. Kanin collaborated on and wrote the screenplays for
Adam’s Rib and A Double Life with wife and
actress Ruth Gordon. Gordon, who passed away in
1985, and Kanin received an academy award nomination
for A Double Life in 1948. Other notable stage productions
he directed were The Diary Of Anne Frank in 1955, Sunday
In New York in 1961, Funny Girl in 1964 and Do
Re Mi! , which he wrote and directed, in 1961.
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