Issue #67: May 15, 2001

• As expected The Producers is rewriting the record book on Broadway. Nominated for 15 Tony Awards, the Mel Brooks box office hit broke the previous record for nominations held by the Stephen Sondheim musical Company, which had 14 nominations back in 1971. The Full Monty was impressive as well with 10 nominations. On a not too rosy note the hopes for Seussical to stay open have been dashed since it received one lonely nomination. The struggling musical drama Jane Eyre received five nominations. The stunning new revival of 42^nd Street garnered a convincing nine nominations. Tune in on June 3 and watch the Tony Awards with Mel Brooks taking the stage again and again.

• Plans are being made to transfer the Royal National Theatre production of The Cherry Orchard to Broadway in November or December. That would mean Vanessa Redgrave’s first Broadway appearance since 1989. The producers are looking at a limited run of 20 weeks with a four-week stint at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco prior to New York.

• Saturday Night Live alum Jon Lovitz will make his Broadway debut on June 12 when he replaces Henry Winkler in Neil Simon’s The Dinner Party. Larry Miller, who is also making his Broadway debut,will assume John Ritter’s role. Miller had recurring roles on Mad About You and Law & Order. Both Winkler and Ritter have been with the production since it’s world premiere in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum in December 1999.

• Broadway veteran Chita Rivera will barely have time to catch her breath prior to going into rehearsal for The Visit in Chicago in August. The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera has her starring in the June production of Casper the Musical. Following the Pittsburgh opening the show heads to Kansas City (July 15–22), Atlanta (July 24–29) and then Dallas (July 31–August 5). Go — Chita — Go!!!

• The National Broadway Theatre Awards which were created this year by the parent of the Tony Awards, The League of American Theatres and Producers, to recognize excellence in touring shows will honour Louise Pitre star of the hit musical Mamma Mia! Unlike the Tony Awards this is a popular vote by audience members. This the inaugural year of the award; there were 30 Broadway touring shows eligible during the 2000-01 season. Ms. Pitre will accept the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical in New York on May 21.

• Clarke Peters, who may best been known as the writer of the musical Five Guys Named Moe, will be hooking up once again with producer Cameron Mackintosh when he joins the cast of The Witches of Eastwick on July 1. Although he is American, Peters has been based in the U.K. since 1973 which is where Mackintosh first encountered him and the rollicking tribute to the music of Louis Jordan which was Five Guys Named Moe. Peters will succeed Ian McShane in the role of devilish seducer.

• You may know him as the genius behind the television series The West Wing, but Aaron Sorkin, currently in trouble with the law, wrote the Broadway play and film version of A Few Good Men.