Issue #24: June 2, 1999

• One more Dame to come on Broadway! Barry Humphries alter ego Dame Edna Everage will open her Dame Edna: The Royal Tour in September at the Booth Theater. The one-woman show, with accompaniment by Billy Philadelphia, has just closed an extended run at the Theater on the Square in San Francisco.

• Party of Five’s Scott Wolf (Bailey) has replaced Christian Slater in SideMan at the Golden Theater.

• It’s official, Ally McBeal’s Calista Flockhart will be strutting the off-Broadway boards in Neil LaBute’s series of one-act plays A Gaggle of Saints. Previews begin on June 14 at the 199-seat Douglas Fairbanks Theater with the official opening on June 24. The limited five-week engagement will close at the end of July so Ms. Flockhart can return to the Ally McBeal set.

• The highly acclaimed revival of Peter Shafer’s Amadeus by Sir Peter Hall will open at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles on October 10. The production will star the Olivier-nominated duo of David Suchet and Michael Sheen.

• Along with Amadeus, the Ahmanson Theater will premiere the musical comedy The Night They Raided Minsky’s on July 30, closing out its 1999-2000 season. Everybody’s favourite Les Miserables will return for a 10-week engagement beginning Dec. 12. Also on the season is another Cameron Mackintosh production, Martin Guerre opening on Feb. 23. And the last musical on the slate is The Scarlet Pimpernel, which opens on May 3.

• Sir Peter Hall, a very busy man these days, will direct the revival of Julian Barry’s play Lenny for a 12-week run at the Queen’s Theatre. Eddie Izzard, the popular British comedian and favourite on off-Broadway stages, will star as the controversial American comedian Lenny Bruce. Previews begin on July 27.

• Fame: The Musical debuts its 12-week engagement in Sydney at the Star City Casino’s showroom on July 29. A tour to other Australian cities will follow with additional stops in Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand.

• Audience development, one of the biggest challenges facing theatre producers today, is being spearheaded by one of theatre’s top marketing strategist. Susan Lee, former marketing director for the League of American Theaters and Producers, has developed a program targeting ages 10 through 17. Camp Broadway was realized in 1996 when a one week program, connecting kids with theater professionals, debuted in New York. Kids and parents travel from all over the U.S. to participate in the week long activities that include sessions by Broadway directors, choreographers, make up, wardrobe, etc. personnel who give their time generously. The popularity of the program has taken on such a life that Ms. Lee is currently working on franchising Camp Broadway to touring markets that are interested in developing their local audience. For more on Camp Broadway visit their Web site at www.campbroadway.com