Issue #237: February 15, 2010

• Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men is slated for a revival on Broadway in 2011.

• It looks as if the Sony Centre in Toronto is about to come back to life after a few years of shutdown due to renovations.  The Australian producer Mark Brady has plans to stop at the theatre November 2 – 14 with the new musical The Merchants of Bollywood.  Based on a true story about the Merchant family with an eight-decade history in the Hindi film industry. 
  

• Miss Saigon is returning to Toronto this summer for a three-week engagement, July 9 to August 1….the first visit back since the Canadian production opened the new Princess of Wales Theatre in 1993.  Landing this time at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, this Vietnam era musical is close to my heart since I toured with the second national company out of New York back in 1995. 

• I’m sure we knew it had to happen sooner or later….Spice Girls the Musical!  Yes there is word that Judy Craymer, the force behind Abba’s big payday Mamma Mia!, is in talks to mount a new musical based on this pop culture phenomenon.  Also on the producing team is Brit Simon Fuller, the fellow who launched the girl band as well as TV hits Pop Idol in the UK and American Idol. Will keep you posted on this new work that is tentatively called Viva Forever.

• I was fortunate enough to take in a stunning performance by two Broadway icons, Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.  On a stark stage with just a piano and bass player these two musical veterans took us on an incredible ride that included some of Broadway’s most memorable musical numbers….and some less known.  Many from the Sondheim songbook as well as Rodgers & Hammerstein….a little bit of Kander & Ebb, Loesser, Kern,  Berlin, Styne, Webber & Rice and a few others to round out a spectacular night.  If you are a lover of  classic American musicals and this duo are coming to your town…run don’t walk to get a ticket to this incredible master class taught by true Broadway legends.