Issue #91: July 1, 2002

• A bittersweet opening will take place at the Cort Theatre on October 31. Hollywood Arms, the play written by the late Carrie Hamilton and her mother Carol Burnett based on Burnett’s memoirs will probably prove to be a very emotional night. Carrie died of cancer in January at the age of 38. Directed by theatre legend Hal Prince, Chicago audiences got a peek recently at The Goodman Theatre.

• British actor Roger Rees returns to Broadway in October at the Mitzi Newhouse theatre in a new musical by Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The musical, A Man of No Importance, is based on the ’94 Albert Finney movie about a gay bus conductor. You may have seen Rees in a recurring role on the popular television series The West Wing.

• Susan Stroman can add another accolade to her numerous awards — on September l,the musical Contact will close at the Vivian Beaumont Theater after 1174 performances — making it the longest-running show in Lincoln Center Theater’s 17 year history.

• Always on the cutting edge, producer Cameron Mackintosh has just opened a production of Les Miserables in Shanghai to rave reviews. The mega producer gathered a cast from his international pool of talent including Canada’s Ma-Anne Dionisio as Eponine, the show’s original Jean Valjean Colm Wilkinson, Ireland’s Michael McCarthy as Javert, Britian’s Ria Jones as Fantine and from the U.S. Christopher Mark Peterson as Enjorlas. The rest of the cast, crew and set is the touring production of Les Miserables which will celebrate its 14th year on the road while in China. The production will move from the Shanghai Grand Theatre on July 7 then open in Seoul, Korea at the Sejong Cultural Centre on July 9 playing through to August 4. Then it’s back to the U.S. with a return engagement at St. Paul’s Ordway Center on August 6.

• The July 15 issue of On the Boards & In the Wings will represent the fourth anniversary for this column. It’s hard to believe I’ve been writing this for that long and still enjoy writing about a business that I adore. But I don’t do it alone — a lot of time and love goes into this column along with undying support by Bob Daniel who selflessly prepares the column for the web twice a month; and Lynda Chiotti and Doreen Fawcett who both support my efforts and edit to make sure I’m not breaking any rules of the English language. I hope you are enjoying the column — bouquets and brickbats are welcome. Please drop me a line in the guest book. Or, if you have any questions about theatre please let me know.