Romeo and Juliet has been redone so many different ways since William Shakespear published it in 1597, but the most recent take on it might be the worse one of them all. Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad are starring in the lead roles on Broadway. According to Playbill, “In this new production, the members of the Montague household will be white, and the blood relatives of the Capulet family will be black. While race defines the family lineages, the original cause of the ‘ancient quarrel’, passed down by successive generations to their young, has been lost to time. Shakespeare’s dramatization of the original poem sets the two young lovers in a context of prejudice, authoritarian parents, and a never ending cycle of ‘revenge.’ Against this background, the strength of their love changes the world.”
Umm isn’t Bloom old enough to be Romeo’s father? He is way too old for the role. By not making the play about two teens takes away from the premise of what Shakespeare wrote over 400 years ago.
BTW Playbill also says that they will be releasing 100 tickets at $20 each for all the shows and I think that $20 too much for this production.
I hope that this show is killed in the preview stage and never actually opens on Broadway at the end of August. I mean we can’t let them destroy such a classic because if they get away with once, they will keep doing it.
xoxo Michael!
The Broadway League and the American Theater Wing Neil Patrick Harris is going to host the Tony’s for the third since 2009 according to The New York Times. As much as I love that he is once again going to do it, I am not sure how he is going to top the performance he did last year. My friend, who is what Broadway is no longer for, loves to show the opening number whenever I go over to his house. And I thought that Hugh Jackman duet was just fabulous. So I just don’t know how he is going to come up with at least one number that will be just as spectacular, but I am sure he will come close. At least he better…
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Kelsey Grammer is starring as Georges in La Cage Aux Folles on Broadway and the Frasier star has to wear a wig for the role. I always wondered what he would look like with a full head of hair and now that I have seen his bald spot covered up, I think he looks better without hair.
BTW for some reason he reminds me of David Hasselhoff with that new look, don’t know why but he does.
Bye Bye Birdie will be saying goodbye to Broadway on January 24th according to Variety. That closing date is also same day that John Stamos and Gina Gershon are scheduled to leave the show. Although the show played to near packed houses, without them being part of the show the sales sharply declined and they had no other option but to close the show. So I guess you can say without the two of them, the show won’t go on.
The ensemble comedy Soapdish is being redone for Broadway as a musical according to Showbiz 411. Normally I hate when movies are remade for the Great White Way, but for some reason I think this one can actually work because it is zany enough for the stage!
I wonder who they will get to play all different characters in the show? Kevin Kline and Whoopi Goldberg do Broadway, so maybe they will reprise their roles? Although Showbiz 411 had a good suggestion how about using the soap actors from All My Children and Guiding Light who recently lost their jobs? Too bad Susan Lucci is moving to LA with AMC because she could’ve played herself on Broadway!!!
Warner Bros is working on bringing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Broadway according to Risky Biz Blog. The musical will be based on the book and sadly not the movie that starred Gene Wilder. How awesome would it have been to see and hear the songs from that movie on the Great White Way. Either way it should work really well as a stage musical, especially since Tim Burton is not attached to it!
A few months ago it was announced that Avenue Q would have its final Broadway show on September 13th and just as that the curtain was going down producer Kevin McCollum announced the popular musical found a new home off-Broadway according to the NY Daily News! The show will start back up on October 9th at New World Stages. It is nice to see the good shows like Avenue Q getting a second chance.
Broadway continues its unoriginality run with the ’80s cult classic movie Heathers. The movie is being turned into a musical according to Reuters. The director of Race to Witch Mountain is trying to the bring the show to stage next year and I hope he isn’t successful. While in ways I think it could work if it is way out there and the music is bizarre enough, but I just can’t picture how some of those scenes that made the movie what it was translating to the stage with the same effect that the movie had. Veronica and JD need to put a stop to this in their own special way!
When will Broadway stop turning ’80s movies into Musicals, when was the last one that did well?
Just like Abba's music was the inspiration for Mamma Mia! and Billy Joel's was for Movin' Out so will be the music of Michael Jackson for Thriller according to Broadway World. The Nederlander Organization aquired the rigths to the musical based on Michael Jackson's Thriller that will include music from that album and Off The Wall!
Michael Jackson, through his spokesperson, Dr. Tohme Tohme, "The Nederlanders and Michael Jackson represent live theater and musical excellence, so let the music begin."
"I love the idea of making Thriller a musical. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, boy has big secret, now what…" says Nederlander.
Hopefully the musical will be done right because say what you want about him, his music from that era deserves respect! I know if it is done right I would go see it on Broadway, will you too?
As we know Jeremy Piven was forced to drop out the Broadway show Speed-The-Plow because he very elevated amount of mercury in his system from eating sushi two times a day and taking Chinese herbs. Well the show's producer David Mamet's response to Variety about him leaving show is classic and seems to really spell out how he feels about losing his male lead.
"I talked to Jeremy on the phone, and he told me that he discovered that he had a very high level of mercury. So my understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer."
Ouch and that is why I love David Mamet now!!! BTW William H Macy, a true actor, will be taking on the role next year!!!
