Legally Brown: The Search For The Next Piragua Guy

I don't think I've ever laughed so hard.

Watching the first YouTube video of Legally Brown: The Search For the Next Piragua Guy is like a jolt of energy that tickles your funny bone and makes you want to do a happy dance.
No kidding.

This playful series written and directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of In The Heights, is a spoof of MTV's summer snooze, Legally Blonde: The Search For the Next Elle Woods (omg, that takes forever to write out, you're correct Seth Rudetsky).

For Brown, instead of looking for the next Usnavi or Benny, they dig deeper, who can be the next Piragua guy, the scene stealing belter who sells the ensemble icees throughout the show.



Hunter's Condition.
I love how you can tell Seth is cracking up while playing the piano.


Matthew Morrison, Boricua Bad Boy
Definitely my favorite of the videos. haha

At the beginning, my vote was for Mathew Morrison because well, come on.
But as events unfold, only the best man who can serve the icee with ease, agility and spanish will win, stay tuned to see who becomes...the next Piragua guy!

Somewhere - The Palace Theatre, that's where!

West Side Story has a homecoming date and residence. The revival will open on March 19, 2009 at the Palace Theatre, the current home of Legally Blonde. This production will be directed by the librettist Arthur Laurents (who recently mounted the Encores! and Broadway production of Gypsy with Patti Lupone).

"This show will be radically different from any other production of WEST SIDE STORY ever done. The musical theatre and cultural conventions of 1957 made it next to impossible for the characters to have authenticity. Every member of both gangs was always a potential killer even then. Now they actually will be. Only Tony and Maria try to live in a different world" said Arthur Laurents.

The producers are the team Seller and McCollum, among others. They're the ones who brought you In The Heights, Avenue A and Rent.

The production will have a try out in Washington D.C. before heading north for Times Square.

Okay, let's face it: I'm excited. Partly, because I have never seen a live production of this show and hopefully this will be really killer and authentic. Will Puerto Ricans really be Puerto Ricans on stage? Does that matter to the audience? As long as they can sing the Bernstein and Sondheim score?

For me, it's as long as the mambo dance scene is epic.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=33236

Legally Blonde - Closing

Another day, another closure.
This time it's for the blondes.

Legally Blonde opened spring 2007 and will officially close on October 19. The show plays at the Palace Theatre in the heart of Times Square. While I have never seen the production, I did watch the MTV broadcast as well as the "Search For The New Elle Woods" show this summer.

I have heard rumors that the new production of West Side Story is eyeing the Palace Theatre when it returns to Broadway in the spring. We shall see.

Bend and Snap people!

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/121695.html

Spiderman....The Musical?

We have Shrek.
We have Mary Poppins.
We have Dr. Frankenstein and his monster.
We have flying witches.
What else does Broadway need?
Oh but of course.
A superhero!

Grumblings around the Broadway community this past summer have heard casting calls for the new Julie Taymor musical....Spiderman!
Now, when I first heard this news....cue the....eye roll.
But learning that Julie Taymor is attached could make this all very interesting. This could potentionally go in the way of The Lion King or into the direction I am sure many would not like, The Times They Are A-Changin.

But let me ask the question - does Broadway need this show? Are there target demographics out there that have yet to be touched by the already broad spectrum of musicals on Broadway? My answer would be yes and no. This, to my knowledge, is the first an actual superhero will be attached to a musical. Although there aren't many "guy shows" on Broadway (although High Fidelity came to as close as that), will the knowledge of a Superman musical really put men in the seats? Will this be the first show where a man will turn to his spouse or girlfriend or partner and say, "Oh boy! Let's shell out $120 a ticket to see this spectacle on Broadway!"

Oh yes, the music. Who is doing the score....none other than Bono and the Edge of U2. Do they rank higher on the cool factor than say Elton John and Tim Rice (thank you very much Aida)? Will having Bono's ultra cool name attached to this project boost the interest of that male target? As usual, we will have to wait and see how they plan to market....oh yeah and stage this monster of a show.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/121624.html

Xanadu Skating Off Earlier

Xanadu will now end its run at the Helen Hayes Theatre September 28.
Damn the current economic crunch!

[title of show] & Xanadu to close

The Broadway musicals, [title of show] and Xanadu are set to close on October 12th.

Xanadu opened July 2007 and had a healthy run, with four Tony nominations. I had the pleasure of seeing the show in October 2007 (where a petite Barbara Walters sat in front of me) and laughed my arse off for 90 minutes. I remember not knowing what to expect from the show, having never seen the infamous movie, but curious about the show due to its hot pink advertisements outside the Helen Hayes Theatre (I'm not joking). I've been wanting to see it again, for the pure fact that's it's just a fun show. Kerry Butler is amazing, and I was crossing my fingers for her at the Tonys back in June. Oh, and Cheyanne Jackson, yeah, I think everyone agrees when I say, most deserving of a Tony nom.

Moving onto [tos] as it's affectionately called by its fans. I recall hearing about this show back in it's off-broadway run, having a few friends who had been smitten by it. It's opening this July generated a lot of online buzz. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to cross over into the Lyceum Theatre (where I saw Is He Dead? ...amazing!). I had been planning on seeing the show as soon as I figured out my fall schedule but times are rough, even on Broadway, and the producers posted notice of its closing next month. See me....dashing to Broadwayoffers.com to pick up an orchestra seat for October 2. My first and only time but I truly hope, a memorable one.

According to an article I read last week, there will be 22 new productions this Broadway season. I don't have the stats on last year's season but that seems to be quite a lot. I hope Broadway can handle our current economic crunch and audiences will still flock to see the new and old on the Great White Way. When "little musicals that could" like, [title of show] and Xanadu close, it makes me wonder if the bigger shows like, A Tale of Two Cities and the up and coming Billy Elliot, are a few factors that crush the little guys. Would [tos] still be playing if it was on the west side of Broadway and in a smaller house? Did they need more print advertising? And most importantly, will Cheyanne Jackson be in the tour of Xanadu and wear those short shorts?


http://www.playbill.com/news/article/121399.html
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/121557.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94469424

i wish you could see me, i'm looking so silly

My birthday was this past Monday and there was no better way then spend an evening listening to lovely music.
I've been a fan of John Gallagher Jr. even before I was able to see Spring Awakening over the summer of 2007. I listened to Old Springs Pike and then in turn, Johnny's solo music.
I never had the honor of watching him perform his own music, until this past Sunday at the Highline Ballroom in NYC.
His music is pretty incredible; of the heart.
His lyrics are beautiful; rhapsodic.

I can't wait to see the play Farragut North in November at the Atlantic Theatre Company. A political thriller drama....sounds good!