Project #3: Too Hot to Handle

1. NYC Today

Avenue Q

Book by Jeff Whitty

Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx

Directed by Jason Moore

At New World Stages currently running till March 4, 2010


Here we see Trekkie Monster and Lucy the slut.

http://www.avenueq.com/

The Show Avenue Q is an amazingly funny show that consist of adult humor. They sing/talk about everything from "If You Were Gay", "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist", "The Internet is For Porn", and even "You Can be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love)". Those are just a few of the eyebrow raising songs we hear and see in this hot musical.

2. Naked Broadway

Equus

Written by Peter Shaffer

Directed by Thea Sharrock

At London's Gielgud Theater, February 16 - June 9, 2007


Joanna Christie and Daniel Radcliffe in Equus




http://www.equustheplay.com/













3. Gay Broadway



Rent



Book, Music, Lyrics by Jonathan Larson

Directed by Michael Greif

The Broadway touring production ran from January 6, 2009 - February 7, 2010


The touring cast of Rent with Adam Pascal (Rodger), Anthony Rapp (Mark), Gwen Stewart ("Seasons of Love" soloist), Nicolette Hart (Maureen), Justin Johnston (Angel), Lexi Lawson (Mim), Michael McElroy (Tom Collins), Jacques C. Smith (Benjamin Coffin III), and Merle Dandridge (Joanne)

http://www.siteforrent.com/home.php




4. Racist Broadway

Show Boat

Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Music By Jerome Kern

Directed by Eric Schaeffer

Based on the novel Show Boat by Edna Ferber

At Signature Theatre November 10, 2009 - January 17, 2010

VaShawn McIlwain, Delores King Williams, Stephanie Waters, Terry Burrell and Kevin McAllister in Show Boat.

http://www.signature-theatre.org/new_seasondescrip.htm

Show Boat was the first racially intgrated musical, in that both black and white performers appeared on stage together. It was also the first musical to depict an interracial marriage and to feature a character of mixed blood who was passing for white. The show also has been attacked for the use of the word "nigger" in the lyrics in the first scene, in addition to the historical portrayal of blacks serving as passive laborers and servants.

5. Busted: (Raided or Closed)

6. NEA 4

7. Regional Theatre

8. College/University

9. High School

10. Wild Card

Project #2: Unconventional Theatre

1. Animal Crackers

written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby

Directed by Henry Wishcamper

At Goodman Theatre ran from September 18 - October 25, 2009


Here wesee Molly Brennan as Harpo

http://chicagoist.com/2009/10/01/see_this_animal_crackers_at_the_goo.php

There are a few different things that make this production of Animal Crackers unconventional. First the director Henry Wishcamper has restored material cut from the original script, and turned a rather large cast into an ensemble of just nine actors. There also were some small updates and ad-libs. Henry Wishcamper also did color- and gender-blind casting; he had the role of silent Marx brother, Harpo, played by actress Molly Brennan and the role of Roscoe W. Chandler, a Jewish fish peddler, played by Stanley Wayne Mathis, an African-American.

2. Pippin

Book by Roger O. Hirson, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Music Direction and arrangements by Steven Landau

Directed and Choreographed by Jeff Calhoun

At Deaf West Theatre runs January 15 - March 15, 2009


The Cast of Pippin

http://www.deafwest.org/productions/pippin.html

As the show open Tyrone Giordano who plays Pippin, signs while Michael Arden who also is Pippin sings. This is the only main character who is voiced by another performer who is on stage with him. For all the other characters one person is on stage signing while another person is off stage speaking/singing for the role.

3. Death of a Salesman

By Arthur Miller

Directed by James Bundy

At Yale Repertory Theatre runs April 24 - May 23, 2009


The cast of Death of a Salesman

http://www.yalerep.org/on_stage/currentseason/salesman.html

This production of Death of a Salesman, featuring all African-American actors, shows non-traditional casting to the fullest. This american classic is usally peerform by a all caucasian cast, however the non-traditional casting seen in this production does not affect the meaning of the show.

4. Avenue Q

Book by Jeff Whitty

Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx

Directed by Jason Moore

Choreograohy by Ken Roberson

At New World Stages currently running till March 1, 2010


The cast of Avenue Q

http://www.avenueq.com/

In "Avenue Q" two-thirds of the characters are Muppet-like puppets, operated in full view by the actors. This makes the show unconventional since there are not many shows where the character is a puppet. However don't be fooled by the child friendly looking puppets, the content of the show is not appropriate for children.

5. A Midsummer Night's Dream

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Edward Hall

At The Rose Theatre, Kingston ran from February 17-21, 2009


The all male cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream

http://www.musicomh.com/theatre/propeller-dream_0209.htm

This production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is unconventional due to the non-traditional casting. The show normally has a cast of male and female actors however this production has an all male cast. The actors playing the female roles do little to signify femininity there are no wigs, but they do put on skirts and speak in a higher tone of voice.

Project #1: Genres Academic Theatre in Boston: Emerson College Theatre

On the Town Music by Leonard Bernstein Book by Adolph Green and Betty Comden (4/19/2007-4/21/2007)

"On the Town was the first musical written by the then youthful Leonard Bernstein"

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/nj/nj378.html

"If you are looking for the best musical comedy around, you might check out On the Town at the Paper Mill Playhouse."

http://www.curtainup.com/onthetownnj.html

A Midsummer Night’s Dream By William Shakespeare (11/9/2007-11/17/2007)

"For those who don't know, Midsummer is Shakespeare's magical classic comedy that involves two pairs of lovers who, after facing a romantic dilemma, flee into the woods only to become the playthings of a group of fairies who are having their own romantic challenges."

http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/theater-review-queens-ny-a-midsummer/

""A Midsummer Night's Dream," one of William Shakespeare's most popular romantic comedies, opens tonight at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier."

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1N1-0EB770310F6BEA7A.html

Bat Boy Story & Book by Keythe Farley & Brian FlemmingMusic & Lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe (Author) (12/5/2007-12/9/2007)

"Bat Boy, The Musical is a one-of-a-kind musical comedy that tells the story of Edgar, a half-bat/half-boy who mysteriously appears in a small-minded town."

http://www.emerson.edu/emersonstage/shows/0708/batboy.cfm

"What is sad is that this musical should and could have been much better."

http://www.theatrereviews.com/batboy.html

The Philadelphia Story By Philip Barry (2/28/2008-3/1/2008)

"This classic comedy of manners finds that sometimes getting what you want means learning to let go.

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/playdetail.php?playID=1494

"This is a very enjoyable production, if you take it for what it is: a sparkling, fast paced and deliciously wordy comedy."

http://www.musicomh.com/theatre/philadelphia.htm

City of Angels Music by Cy Coleman Lyrics by David Zippel Book by Larry Gelbart (4/24/2008-4/26/2008)

"With the help of Detective Stone, Stine reclaims his self-respect in this musical comedy."

http://www.emerson.edu/emersonstage/shows/0708/city.cfm

"There's nothing novel about show-stopping songs and performances in Broadway musicals, but how long has it been since a musical was brought to a halt by riotous jokes?"

http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=950DE1DE1139F931A25751C1A96F948260

Lady Windermere's Fan By Oscar Wilde (10/16/2008-10/18/2008)

"Opening the Emerson Stage season is Oscar Wilde’s first comedy, Lady Windermere’s Fan"

http://www.emerson.edu/emersonstage/shows/0809/LWF.cfm

"There is a kind of echoey prologue during which disembodied voices quote the playwright on the subject of society. These nicely set the scene for the comedy of manners to come."

http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/ladywindermere-rev.htm

Pterodactyls By Nicky Silver (10/30/2008-11/1/2008)

"Pterodactyls by contemporary playwright Nicky Silver is a dark comedy about AIDS and the American Dream."

http://www.emerson.edu/emersonstage/shows/0809/Pterodactyls.cfm

"Nicky Silver's off-kilter tragicomedy is about an upper-crust family's dysfunctions of apocalyptic proportions; the script suggests that unless we find ways to adapt in an increasingly complex world, our species could go the way of the dinosaur."

http://www.athenatheatre.com/mt/archives/cat_pterodactyls.php

Little Women Music by Jason HollandLyrics by Mindi Dickstein, Book by Allan Knee (12/3/2008-12/6/2008)

"From the novel that holds a special place in the heart of American literature, comes a new musical which proves this timeless story is still relevant, funny, and heartbreaking today."

http://costamesa.broadwayworld.com/article/Orange_Countys_Chance_Theater_Shows_for_Dec_2009_May_2010_20091215

"At Boston's new Opera House is "Little Women " a musical play based on the beloved novel by Louisa May Alcott featuring Book by Allan Knee with Music by Jason Howland and Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein."

http://www.pmpnetwork.com/ReviewsData/theatre-recent5.htm

Incorriptible By Michael Hollinger (10/22/2009-10/25/2009)

"Black comedy is tricky to write because its nasty merriment is tricky to sustain, especially these days when the times are both tastefully correct and practically unshockable"

http://www.theatermirror.com/CRivt.htm

"At one point in Michael Hollinger's medieval comedy, Incorruptible, a young woman has to hide in a body bag in a monastery storeroom."

http://www.kera.org/artandseek/content/2009/08/04/review-incorruptible-at-circle-theatre/

Into The Woods Book by James Lapine Music by Stephen Sondheim (4/22/2010-4/24/2010)

"Once upon a time, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine wrote a musical called Into the Woods, about what happened after "happily ever after.""

http://www.broadwaytalk.com/regional/la/la41.html

"St. Petersburg Opera production of Into the Woods, which had the first of four performances Friday night, is an opera."

http://blogs.tampabay.com/arts/2009/09/is-it-an-opera-or-a-musical-thats-a-question-stephen-sondheim-is-often-asked-much-to-his-irritation-and-he-usually-answers.html

Project #1: Genres Professional Theatre in Boston: The Huntington Theatre

What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton (3/5/2004 – 4/4/2004)

"But to settle for calling Orton's comedy funny is not to do it justice."

http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=950DE7D7163AF93AA35750C0A96F948260

"But his satire is as sharp as ever, and his prime targets - mendacity, official fatuousness and the rush to diagnose everything as a neurosis - are if anything even riper"

http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-06-13/entertainment/17210463_1_dr-rance-farce-butler

The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1/7/2005 – 2/6/2005)

"Set in eighteenth-centurion Bath, Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Rivals is a romantic comedy based around two sets of young lovers and the complications caused by doubt and deception."

http://noordinaryfool.com/2009/07/27/the-rivals/

"In many ways, it’s a conventional comedy of manners."

http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3457/artsbooks/6765/absolutely_.html

The Sisters Rosensweig by Wendy Wasserstein (11/4/2005 – 12/4/2005)

"perfect comedy-drama with solid acting on the part of the three sisters."

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/sanfran/s765.html

"Wasserstein's hit comedy reunites three Jewish-American sisters"

http://www.goldstar.com/events/san-francisco-ca/the-sisters-rosensweig.html

The Hopper Collection by Mat Smart (2/14/2006 — 3/12/2006)

"This 80-minute, stylish drama reminds me of Edward Albee's Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf."

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/sanfran/s721.html

"The Hopper Collection is not a suspenseful thriller but a quirky, stop-start comedy with the audience dropped smack dab in the middle of things."

http://www.theatermirror.com/CRhopperhuntington.htm

Brendan by Ronan Noone (10/12/2007 ­— 11/17/2007)

"“It’s a comedy,” Noone explains. “I know people expect profound, life-changing works.""

http://thephoenix.com/boston/arts/48350-brendan/

"Billed as a comedy, Brendan is more drama with a few comedic scenes thrown in."

http://www.theatermirror.com/RMGbhnoone.htm

She Loves Me by Masteroff, Harnick, & Bock (5/16/2008 — ­6/15/2008)

"For lush musical-comedy romanticism, it's hard to beat She Loves Me"

http://www.theatermania.com/new-jersey/reviews/11-2004/she-loves-me_5291.html

"a crown jewel of the Golden Age of the Broadway musical"

http://broadwaytalk.com/regional/nj/nj70.html

How Shakespeare Won the West by Richard Nelson (9/5/2008 ­— 10/5/2008)

"Nelson's new play also tends to ramble, sometimes veers jarringly between comedy and tragedy, and generally feels a little shaggy around the edges."

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/09/16/shakespeare_strikes_gold/

"The comedy, receiving its world premiere, may be based on actual accounts, but it feels like a pastiche of Deadwood, the Bard, and jovial comic farce"

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=theatre&sc2=reviews&sc3=performance&id=79089

The Miracle at Naples by David Grimm (4/3/2009 ­— 5/9/2009)

"A series of lovers romp through the town piazza seeking pleasure and finding love in this outrageously smart and bawdy comedy from David Grimm"

http://www.americantowns.com/ma/boston/events/the-miracle-at-naples-by-david-grimm-14

"David Grimm and Peter DuBois collaborate on a saucy period comedy"

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/04/10/all_for_naughty/

All My Sons by by Arthur Miller (1/8/2010 — 2/7/2010)

"Sure it's a melodrama mounted on a soap box"

http://www.curtainup.com/allsons.html

"gripping look into the hearts of the characters in the drama"

http://www.patriotledger.com/entertainment/x1301080424/THEATER-REVIEW-All-My-Sons-has-a-secret-to-spill

Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo (3/5/2010 — 4/4/2010)

"Gina Gionfriddo’s comedy of bad manners, a tangled tale of love, sex and ethics among a quartet of men and women in their 30s, is as engrossing as it is ferociously funny, like a big box of fireworks fizzing and crackling across the stage from its first moments to its last."

http://theater.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/theater/reviews/09shaw.html

"Gina Gionfriddo’s “Becky Shaw,” an absorbing comedy-drama about a blind date that threatens to become a marriage-devouring black hole"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/theater/01humana.html