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Issue #147: March 1, 2005
- At this year's Olivier Awards the Broadway hit The Producers was
a big winner with best musical, best actor - Nathan Lane (the ringer
from Broadway), and best-supporting actor for Conleth Hill as
the a singing, dancing Fuhrer. As expected Laura Michelle Kelly took
the best actress prize as Mary Poppins. In the drama category it was Alan Bennett's The History Boys that walked away with three awards. including Nicholas Hytner for best director and Richard Griffiths (Uncle
Vernon in the Harry Potter movies or if you're a Pie In The Sky fan.
Inspector Crabb) for best actor.
- Veteran producer Cameron Mackintosh has decided not to co-produce
the 2006 revival of Evita, leaving
composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to find a new producing partner or
perform the duties himself.
- John Raitt, best known for his roles
in Carousel, The Pajama Game, Magdalena,
Three Wishes for Jamie and Carnival in Flanders, died at the
age of 88 on Sunday February 20. In 1944 his booming baritone voice and
handsome good looks landed him the role of Curly in the road company of Oklahoma! That
role landed him the lead role of Billy Bigelow in Carousel, which confirmed
his status as a Broadway star. When The Pajama Game opened on Broadway
in 1954 the film role was offered and his opportunity to make the leap
beckoned. The movie opened in 1957 with co-star Doris Day and choreography by Bob
Fosse. However, even with great reviews he was never offered any other
movie roles. In later years Raitt reveled in the success of his blues-singing daughter, Bonnie and enjoyed
being overshadowed by her fame.
- Two major players in the Canadian theatre world have also passed away. The
visionary behind establishing the Stratford Festival, Tom Patterson, and
character actor and Shaw Festival regular Heath Lamberts both died
within days of one another. Lamberts was referred to as a comic
genius appearing at the Shaw for 12 seasons from 1974 to 1985 performing
in such memorable productions as One for the Pot, Tons of Money and A
Flea in Her Ear. In 1981 he treated Toronto audiences to a Dora Award
winning (equal to the Tony) performance in A Funny Thing Happened on
the Way to the Forum. In the mid 1990s he was seen on Broadway in
the Disney production Beauty and the Beast. Patterson has
been referred to as a "stage-struck boy" however it was his love of theatre that
drove him to creating one of the most celebrated annual Shakespeare festival
in North American. He convinced Tyrone Guthrie to become the festival's
first artistic director. Bringing in British stage star Alec Guinness to
launch the inaugural season performing in Richard III and All's
Well That Ends Well in 1953 set the tone for the festival's importance
to the theatre world and it continues to present outstanding productions. Two
theatre giants that will be greatly missed.
- On a personal note, I'd like to point out on my "favourite
links"
I've added the website of my very talented goddaughter Danielle Colella.
A passionate young woman who is making a name for herself in the experimental
photography field, Danielle has a unique
eye for all art forms and interprets accordingly. Check out her site at www.moonbeam13.deviantart.com
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