Interview with "The Boy Friend's" Tiffany McGuire

Before The Boy Friend wraps up on Sunday afternoon, let's hear from another star of the show! Here's the lovely and talented Tiffany McGuire:

Q: Tell us about The Boy Friend.

Tiffany: The Boy Friend is a light-hearted musical that will make you chuckle a time or two! It takes place in the 1920s, all in one day, as young ladies and men try to find love.

Q: Why did you want to be part of this show?

Tiffany: Directors Coni and Gene Anthony are a blast to tap dance/work with! I've previously worked with most of our very talented cast & crew as well. There's never a dull moment!

Q: Tell us about the part you play.

Tiffany: I play Dulcie, a flirtatious, not-so- "perfect young lady." She has a thing for the older men...

Q: What’s your background in theatre?

Tiffany: I grew up taking numerous dance and vocal lessons. I auditioned for my first play when I was 8 years old, and I've been at it ever since! Most recently, I was the dance captain for ARTS' Shenandoah and a Secretary for ARTS' How to Succeed...

Q: Do you have a favorite song, dance or scene in the play?

Tiffany: I love the big cast dance to "The Riviera!" I look forward to that one every night. I also enjoy the boys and Jocelyn Clark Knapp in "Safety in Numbers."

Q: Why would you urge our readers to see this play?

Tiffany: It showcases the wonderful talents of our community... acting, singing, and dancing simultaneously! You are sure to leave the theatre with a smile on your face. 😀

Also... Be sure to rent a cushion for only $1!

Thanks, Tiffany! Don't miss your last chance to see this cheery, upbeat musical comedy - the final performance is Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Renaissance Theatre at 900 8th Street in Huntington!

Interview with "The Boy Friend" - Mike Naglee

This is the final weekend for The Boy Friend, so before time runs out, let's hear from the cast. This interview is with the talented actor who plays the title role! Let's hear from Mike Naglee:

Q: Tell us about The Boy Friend.

Mike: The Boy Friend is a spoof, poking fun at the happy-go-lucky musicals of the time period. Set on the French Riviera in the 1920s, the play centers around Polly and her friends, English youth at finishing school. As a spoof, every aspect of the musical is over the top - practically overflowing with sweetness, light, and ridiculous serendipity.

Q: Why did you want to be part of this show?

Mike: Gene and Coni Anthony are always a joy to work with, and I do love me some tap dancing.

Q: Tell us about the part you play.

Mike: I play Tony, a messenger boy who may not be as he appears on the surface, and Polly's potential boyfriend.

Q: What’s your background in theatre?

Mike: I graduated from Marshall with a BFA in Theatre in 2003 and jumped back into local community theatre a few years ago after a long absence. You may have caught me recently in Pirates of Penzance.

Q: Tell us about the cast and/or directors you’re working with.

Mike: They're all the cat's pajamas, every one. Gene and Coni bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to any project and we're extremely lucky to have them. A large majority of the cast are ARTS company members, and at this point we've become a fairly tight knit family. It's LOADS of fun working with people so well-loved and well-trusted.

Q: Do you have a favorite song, dance or scene in the play?

Mike: "Never Too Late to Fall in Love" with Todd Green and Tiffany McGuire is hysterical, and my buddy Mike Murdock milks Percival Brown for every drop of comic snootery. Molly Maynard has a beauuutiful voice as Polly... if you haven't heard her sing yet you'd better hurry up before she leaves for NYC (seriously!) in a few days! "Sur la Plage" and "The Riviera" are guaranteed to make you grin like a madman. Q: Why would you urge our readers to see this play?

Mike: How many times have you smirked at how quickly the ingenues of name-your-musical-comedy fell head over heels for each other? How many times have you chuckled at the "horny old goat," or at the gaggle-of-giggling-girly-oh-my-god-is-this-how-you-become-diabetic girls? How about dashing and lovestruck suitors, unlikely romantic reunions, or ridiculously contrived melodramatic situations with 10 o'clock redemption numbers? This musical knows how many times and doubles down.

Q: ARTS now has something available to make each seat more comfortable - so the question is: cushions - yes or no?

Mike: Pamper that behind. You've earned it.

Thanks, Mike! There are two more chances to see The Boy Friend at the Renaissance Theatre - tonight and Sunday afternoon. Don't miss it!

"The Boy Friend" - A Review

    The beautiful thing about theatre is that is can transport you to a different time and place - it can be as timely as today’s headlines, or as far away as... well, The Boy Friend.

  The musical comedy premiered on Broadway in the 1950s and is set in the Riviera during the “Roaring ‘20s” - so you know you’re in for a lighthearted romp.

   No heavy messages here, just lots of wonderful singing and dancing - in fact, the show  has more songs and more dance numbers than most musicals. There’s just enough dialogue to bridge to the next song.

   The story is a classic. It centers around the students at a school for young ladies and their dreams of romance. One girl in particular - Polly (played by Molly Maynard) - finally seems to find that special someone as she falls for the dreamy Tony (Mike Naglee) - ah, but the course of love never did run smooth. 

   Another girl, Maisie (Jocelyn Clark Knapp), has the opposite problem - she has too many beaus chasing her! But Bobby (Eric Wilson) is determined to win her heart.

   The show is lots of fun as the girls and their guys frolic at the beach, attend a masquerade party and in general live a happy, carefree life. 

   The cast is wonderfully talented, singing and dancing up a storm (and how they can sing and tap dance at the same time is beyond me).

   Providing much of the show’s comic relief are veteran performers Karen Kelly Pruitt (as instructor Madame Dubonnet), Mike Murdock (as the snooty Percival Browne), the comically philandering Lord Brockhurst (Todd L Green) and his domineering wife, the Lady Brockhurst (the always-delightful Linda Reynolds).

   The sets are minimal, which works perfectly for the show, capturing the bright spirit of the era perfectly.

    The costumes are a wonder - bright, colorful, perfect for the period - and the ones created for the final act, set at a costume party, are spectacular.

   Kudos to the orchestra, as well, providing a full, rich performance to round out a music-filled show.

   This is not a heavy, ponderous performance - it’s a light, frilly, fun evening. It invites you to check your troubles at the door and travel to a happier time!

   Highly recommended!  

   (You have three more chances to catch the show - Arts Resources for the Tri-State presents The Boy Friend at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 30-31 and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on June 1 at the Renaissance Theatre at 900 8th Street in Huntington.)

Auditions for "Cats"

   The Paramount Players are holding auditions tonight for a local production of one of the most popular musicals of all time: Cats!

   The auditions will be held tonight starting at 6 p.m. at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland.

   You're asked to bring 16 measures of a musical theatre song (with sheet music) or an accompaniment track.

   A dance combination will be taught at auditions. 

Final Auditions for "Copenhagen"

   Director Greg Morris has announced a final round of auditions for the drama Copenhagen  at the Alban Theater this Thursday, May 29, at 7 p.m. 

   Please come around to the back of the theatre and follow the signs to the main stage. They're looking for two men and one woman.

  

"The Boy Friend"

   You can read an excellent story about The Boy Friend (the musical comedy that takes the stage tonight) in today's Herald-Dispatch (go here) - here's an excerpt from Dave Lavzender's story (the photo above is by Toril Lavender):

From "Monty Python" and "The Office" to "Shaun of The Dead," the Brits have a history of satirically carving up modern day life.

In the 1950s-written parody, "The Boyfriend," Sandy Wilson aims both comedic barrels at the love-laced Broadway musical comedies that became formulaic and some would say cliché.

With the veteran director/choreographer team of Gene and Coni Anthony at the helm, the theater company of Arts Resources for the Tri-State puts its own spin onto "The Boy Friend," with a production that runs at 8 p.m. May 23-24, May 30-31 and a Sunday matinee for 2 p.m. June 1 at the Renaissance Theatre, 900 8th St.

Advance dinner and show tickets are $30. Show-only tickets are $15 for the production that is set in the carefree world of the French Riviera in the Roaring 20s when love is in the air at the Mme Dubonnet's School for Young Ladies.

The show, which first made Julie Andrews a star, contains such hit songs as: "The Boy Friend," "Won't You Charleston With Me?," "I Could Be Happy With You," "Sur La Plage," "Nicer in Nice," "Fancy Forgetting," "The 'You Don't Want To Play With Me' Blues," "Safety In Numbers" and more.

Gene Anthony, the retired Marshall University Theatre professor and professional actor said this is his and Coni's third production of the hilarious spoof or pastiche, that jabs lots of fun at golden era of musical comedy that saw an endless train of such shows as "Hello Dolly," "The Music Man," "Guys and Dolls," etc.

"It's that boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy then ends up with girl and everyone lives happily ever after," Anthony said. "And they make fun of that in a very stylized way. It happens in the 1920s so there is a lot of posturing and posing and a lot of over-the-top choices that the actors have made."

On Stage This Weekend

   As always, my pal Ryan Hardiman provides this list of shows hitting the stage this weekend. So go see a show already!

- The Boy Friend (Musical Comedy)
by Sandy Wilson
ARTS Resources for the Tri-State
Fri.-Sat., May 23 - 24, 30 - 31 at 8 p.m.
Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 25 and June 1 at 2 p.m.
ARTS Renaissance Theatre Mainstage
900 8th Street, Huntington, WV 25701
Tickets $15
304-733-2787

- Parallel Lives -The Kathy and Mo Show (Play-Comedy)
by Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy
Contemporary Youth Arts Company (CYAC)
Thurs. - Sat., May 22 - 24 and May 29 - 31 at 8 p.m.
WVSU Capitol Center Theater
123 Summers St., Charleston
$15 Adults / $8 students
304-342-6522

 - Harvey (Play)
by Mary Chase
CTOC Teen Theatre Project
A production staged by teens (including the director and the tech crew)
Fri. and Sat., May 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Sun., May 25 at 2 p.m.
Alban Theater in St. Albans
$12 adults $10 for students

   So get out there and support your local theatre!

On Stage This Weekend: The Boyfriend

 

  This weekend ARTS presents a classic Broadway musical, featuring an amazing cast and terrific dancing!

   It's The Boy Friend, a musical comedy by Sandy Wilson, and it's the show that made an American star out of Julie Andrews!

   Here's what you need to know:

WHEN:
May 23, 24, 30, 31 at 8 p.m. (Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m.)
May 25, June 1 at 2 p.m.

WHERE:
The ARTS Main Stage
in The Renaissance Center
900 8th Street in Huntington

THE PLOT:   Set in the carefree world of the French Riviera in the Roaring Twenties, The Boy Friend is a comic pastiche of 1920s shows (in particular early Rodgers and Hart musicals such as The Girl Friend). The whole musical is set in the Villa Caprice where Polly, the girls (Maisie, Dulcie, Nancy, Fay), Hortense (the maid), and Mme Dubonnet live at Mme Dubonnet's School for Young Ladies. There, they meet and fall in love with various boys, as well as Polly's father Percival and Lord and Lady Brockhurst.

    The show contains such hit songs as: "The Boy Friend," "Won't You Charleston With Me?," "I Could Be Happy With You," "Sur La Plage," "Nicer in Nice," "Fancy Forgetting," "The 'You Don't Want To Play With Me' Blues," "Safety In Numbers" and more.

HOW MUCH:
Dinner & Show - $30
Show Only - $15
Call 304-733-2787 to reserve your tickets
Seating is limited for dinner

MENU:
Salad: Green salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Entrée: Fruit-stuffed pork loin with apricot glaze
Sides: Mashed potatoes, Roasted vegetables, Rolls
Dessert: Strawberry shortcake

Alcohol cannot be sold at this venue. However, you are more than welcome to bring a bottle of wine on your own.

CAST:
Polly Browne - Molly Maynard
Maisie - Jocelyn Clark Knapp
Dulcie - Tiffany N. McGuire
Fay - Joanna Berner
Nancy - Nora Joseph Ankrom
Madame Dubonnet - Karen Kelly Pruitt Hortense - Jinnie Knight
Bobby van Husen - Eric Wilson
Percival Browne - Mike Murdock
Tony - Michael Naglee
Lord Brockhurst - Todd L Green
Lady Brockhurst - Linda Reynolds
Marcel - Andrew Surber
Pierre - Tristan Reynolds
Alphonse - Nic Skaggs
Sophie - Jenn Naglee
Zazou - Sheila Meade
Gerard - Jonathan Blair Armstrong
Pepe - Matthew Johnson

Director: Gene Anthony
Choreographer: Constance Anthony
Music Director: William Murphy
Stage Manager: Luke Matlock
Dance Captain: Joanna Berner
Sound tech: Sarah Diamond Burroway
Props: Courtney Parsley
Costumes & Crew: Shirlee Idzakovich, Tiffany Caldwell Trent, Emma Grace Imes

ARTS seat cushions are now available to rent for $1 each, to help make your night with us more comfortable and enjoyable.

Concessions will also sold (water, candy, etc.) before the show and at intermission. Most things are only $1.

Master Theatre Class May 24 in Huntington

   Broadway musician T.O. Sterrett will host two master classes - one for adults and one for children - in cooperation with First Stage Theater Company and the Music Ministry of Pea Ridge United Methodist Church.  

   The two-hour children's session will be held Saturday, May 24 at 10 a.m.  The cost is $15. 

 

   The two-hour adult session will be held 1:30 to 3:30 p.m, Saturday, May 24. The cost is $20.

   Learn how to prepare and perform your very best singing audition through this interactive two-hour workshop. In the class, singers will "audition" and have a chance to work in-depth on musical theatre pieces from their repertoire while receiving coaching on their performance.

 

   If you're more of an actor or a director than a singer? Come sit in and listen to the insights on how a show is cast!

 Participants should bring should bring sheet music from the musical theatre world so they may sing. An accompanist will be provided.  

 

   T.O. Sterrett is a conductor and keyboardist whose current work on Broadway includes Matilda, The Book of Mormon, Wicked, Mamma Mia and The Phantom of the Opera. He has also worked on many other Broadway shows, including Associate Conductor/Keyboards (and cast album) for Shrek the Musical and Pianist/Assistant Conductor at Cats.

    He has worked as Conductor/Keyboardist for Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Sutton Foster, Megan Hilty, Tommy Tune, Joel Grey, Brian d'Arcy James, Ben Vereen, Mos Def, Bobby Cannavale and many more.  

   To sign up for the kids session (spaces are limited), contact Amy Browning at 304-544-2606 or Jeanette Bailey 304-634-6401 for reservations and more information.

   Adults can sign up on Facebook at this link: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/713953708651299/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

    You can also get more information at this website: http://www.yourbestaudition.com/

    Don't miss out on learning how to improve your craft from one of the best in the business!

On Stage This Weekend - "9 to 5," "Shrek" and "Murder"

   On stage this weekend - three great shows! Here's the latest list from my pal Ryan Hardiman:

Big Apple or Bust! (Cabaret)
ARTS
Saturday, May 17 at 8 p.m.
Renaissance Theatre at 900 8th Street, Huntington
Admission - $5 (donations accepted)
The show will benefit ARTS Resident Acting Company Alums Molly Maynard and Clay McKnight. The money raised will help support Molly and Clay as they pursue education in the performing arts this summer in New York City! Molly has been accepted to Stella Adler Conservatory and Clay has been accepted to the Joffrey Ballet School to further their studies in the performing arts. The show will offer an evening of musical theater standards and stories featuring Molly, Clay, and accompanist Bruce Rous. The cabaret will take place in the large classroom on the ground floor of ARTS Resources for the Tri-State at 900 8th Street in Huntington. 

9 to 5: The Musical (Musical) by Dolly Parton and Patricia Resnick
Charleston Light Opera Guild
Fr. i- Sat., May 16 - 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Charleston Civic Center Little Theatre
All tickets $20
304-343-2287

- Shrek: The Musical (Musical) by Jeanine Tesori / David Lindsay-Abaire
Actors Guild of Parkersburg
Fri. - Sat., May 16 - 17 at 8 p.m.
Matinees Sun., May 18 at 2:30 p.m.
724 Market Street, Parkersburg, WV (corner of 8th and Market)
$17 Adults / $14 Seniors/Students / *SPECIAL* $7 Children (10 & under)
304-485-1300

- Another Fistful of Bullets (Interactive Murder Dinner Party)
Murder and Merriment
Fri., May 16 at 7 p.m.
Greenhouse of Teays Valley, Hurricane
$40 per guest general admission

Big Apple or Bust!

   A one night only cabaret event is being offered this Saturday - and it's for a grey cause!

   The show will benefit ARTS Resident Acting Company Alums Molly Maynard and Clay McKnight. The money raised will help support Molly and Clay as they pursue education in the performing arts this summer in New York City!

   Molly has been accepted to Stella Adler Conservatory and Clay has been accepted to the Joffrey Ballet School to further their studies in the performing arts. 

   The show will be staged Saturday, May 17 at 8 p.m. Admission is $5.00 but donations are gladly welcomed. Bring your favorite beverage and enjoy an evening of musical theater standards and stories featuring Molly, Clay, and accompanist Bruce Rous. 

   There will be some sweet treats there for you to purchase if you wish. All proceeds from this event go to Molly and Clay's educational opportunities this summer.

   This cabaret will take place in the large classroom on the ground floor of ARTS Resources for the Tri-State at 900 8th Street in Huntington. 

   Come celebrate and cheer on Molly and Clay before they head off for the Big Apple!

First Stage Theatre Company Announces Its Upcoming Season

 Huntington's long-running children's theatre has announced its next season - here's the press release:

   The First Stage Theatre Company has selected its lineup of shows for its 25th season, which runs from August 2014 to spring 2015. 

  The children’s theatre will present five shows, including three musicals, a non-musical and a special Alumni Concert. The shows being staged are “Disney’s Aladdin, Jr.,” “Little Women: the Musical,” “Once on This Island, Jr.” and William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” 

  The season begins with “Disney’s Aladdin, Jr.” The musical is based on the classic animated movie about the beggar who finds a magic lamp and a powerful Genie. He hopes to win the love of Princess Jasmine, but first he must overcome the evil Jaffar. The show will be directed by Chuck Minsker and Amy Browning. Auditions will be held in August, and the show will be presented at the Renaissance Theatre on Sept  26, 27 and 28, 2014.

  The second show for the season is “Little Women: the Musical,” which is based on Louisa May Alcott's American classic. It follows the adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March. Dreaming of being a writer, Jo weaves the story of herself and her sisters and their experience growing up in Civil War America. The show will be staged in Winter 2014 and will be directed by Mary Smirl. 

  The third show of the season is “Once on This Island, Jr.,” a original theatrical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s popular fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid.” Through song and dance, this full-hearted musical tells the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who rescues and falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy boy from the other side of her island. When Daniel is returned to his people, the gods who rule the island guide Ti Moune on a quest that will test the strength of her love against the powerful forces of prejudice, hatred, and even death. The show will be presented in Spring 2015 and will be directed by Amy Browning. 

   The fourth show of the season is a first for the children’s theatre. Hunt Bryan, president of First Stage, said “This will be our 25th Season, but we’ve never tackled a Shakespeare play. It’s time to correct that oversight, so our final show for the 25th season will be the classic comedy of love and magic: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” It will be presented in the spring of 2015 and will be directed by Cindy Westbrook.

   The season will also include First Stage’s Third Annual Alumni Concert, bringing back some of the grown up performers who appeared in past shows with the children’s theatre.

  “We’re very happy with the shows lined up for this season,” said Bryan. “Each show is loaded with great parts, so we can cast lots of young performers of all ages. The stories are funny, entertaining and educational - there’s something for everyone!” 

  Audition dates for the shows will be announced in the near future. For more information, go to the First Stage website at www.firststagetheatre.org, follow the organization on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Stage-Theatre-Company/151408134941398 and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FirstStage4. 

  Based in Huntington, W.Va., the First Stage Theatre Company is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing an educational, developmental experience for young people through the performing arts. There is no charge to take part in a First Stage production.

   For more information, call 304-416-KIDS. 

On Stage This Weekend

   Here's the rundown of shows taking the stage this weekend, courtesy of my pal Ryan Hardiman:

- Leap of Faith (Musical)
by Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, Janus Cercone and Warren Leight
Huntington High School Fine Arts
Sat., May 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Matinee Sun., May 11 at 3 p.m.
Huntington High School Theatre
One Highlander Way
Huntington
$7 Adults / $5 Students
Tickets available at door

- 9 to 5: The Musical

by Dolly Parton and Patricia Resnick
Charleston Light Opera Guild
Sat., May 10 / 16-17 at 7:30 p.m.
Matinee Sun., May 11 at 3 p.m.
Charleston Civic Center Little Theatre
All tickets $20
304-343-2287

- Les Misérables (Musical)

by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg
Portsmouth West High School
Sat., May 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Matinee Sun., May 11 at 2 p.m.
Vern Riffe Center for the Arts at
Shawnee State University
77 S. High Street, Portsmouth, OH
$12 Adults / $8 Students
740-351-3600

- God of Carnage (Play)

by Yazmina Reza
Mid-Ohio Valley Players
Sat, May 10 at 8 p.m.
Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre
229 Putnam St, Marietta, OH
$11 Adults / $9 Seniors and Students / $6 Youth (to age 16)

- Shrek: The Musical

by Jeanine Tesori / David Lindsay-Abaire
Actors Guild of Parkersburg
Sat., May 10, 16-17 at 8 p.m.
Matinees Sun., May 11 and 17 at 2:30 p.m.
724 Market Street, Parkersburg, WV (corner of 8th and Market)
$17 Adults / $14 Seniors/Students / *SPECIAL* $7 Children (10 & under)
304-485-1300

- Grease (Musical)

by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
STAGE
Sat., May 10 at 7 p.m.
Matinee Sun., May 11 at 3 p.m.
Southern WV Community and Technical College
3505 Daniel Boone Parkway, Foster, W.Va.
$8 Adults / $5 Students and Seniors

- Another Fistful of Bullets (Interactive Murder Dinner Party)

Murder and Merriment
Sat May 10 at 7 p.m.
The Greenhouse of Teays Valley, Hurricane, W.Va.
Tickets $40
Reservations Required: 304-397-6316

    So get out there and support your local theatre!

Special Cabaret / Concert on May 17

   Here's a show you won't want to miss - it's great music for a great cause!

   It's a one night only cabaret event benefiting ARTS Resident Acting Company Alums Molly Maynard and Clay McKnight. 

   The show is to help support Molly and Clay pursue education in the performing arts this summer in New York City. Molly has been accepted to Stella Adler Conservatory and Clay has been accepted to the Joffrey Ballet School to further their studies in the performing arts. 

   You can help make their dreams possible! Admission to the cabaret is $5, but donations are gladly welcomed. Bring your favorite beverage and enjoy an evening of musical theater standards and stories featuring Molly, Clay, and accompanist Bruce Rous. 

   There will be some sweet treats there for you to purchase if you wish. All proceeds from this event go to Molly and Clay's educational opportunities this summer. 

   This cabaret will take place in the large classroom on the ground floor of ARTS Resources for the Tri-State. 

   Come celebrate and cheer on Molly and Clay before they head off for the Big Apple!

Local Writer / Actor to Premiere Play in New York

   It's great to hear of local performers having an impact!

   Nathan Mohebbi grew up on local stages, he graduated from Marshall's Theatre program, and these days he's working on the West Coast - he already has made several movie appearances!

   He's also written a play - and the Tunnel Theatre Company in New York will present a premiere staged reading of his work, The Mad Ones, as part of the Planet Connections Festivity later this month!

   The play will feature performances by Maxwell Stuart McCurdy, Ivey Lowe, Michael Luwoye, Ali Kerestly and Joe Metcalf.

   It'll take place on May 23, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. at The Paradise Factory (Upstairs Theatre) at 64 E. 4th Street in New York.

   Tickets are free - but you can reserve them in advance at this link. 

   This reading will also benefit Artist Striving To End Poverty.

   Congratulations, Nathan!

"Les Miserables" at Portsmouth West High School

    This one almost slipped past me! Portsmouth West High School is presenting one of my all-time favorite musicals this weekend - Les Miserablés!

   They always do a terrific job - here's what you need to know:

   Portsmouth West High School will be performing the professional edition of Les Miserablés on Mother's Day weekend - May 9, 10, and 11. 

   Tickets are available at McKinley Box Office as well as Ticketmaster. Seats may sell out quickly, so purchase your tickets as soon as possible.

   Tickets can be purchased online at this link.

   Don't miss it!

Tony Nominations for 2014

   A few days ago the Tony Award nominees for this year were announced - there were a few surprises (and surprising omissions) in there. Here's the press release with the complete list:

   Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing’s 68th Annual Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards® were announced by actress of stage and screen Lucy Liu and Tony-nominee Jonathan Groff.  The nominees were selected by an independent committee of 33 theatre professionals appointed by the Tony Awards Administration Committee.  The 2014 Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

   Marking 68 years of excellence on Broadway, The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on CBS, on Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. 

   Legitimate theatrical productions opening in any of the 40 eligible Broadway theatres during the current season may be considered for Tony nominations. The 2013 / 2014 eligibility season began April 26, 2013 and ended April 24, 2014. The Tony Awards will be voted in 26 competitive categories by 860 members of the theatrical community.                

--------------- 

Nominations for the 2014 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards®

Best Play

Act One

Author:  James Lapine

Producers:  Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Adam Siegel, Hattie K. Jutagir

All The Way

Author:  Robert Schenkkan

Producers:  Jeffrey Richards, Louise Gund, Jerry Frankel, Stephanie P. McClelland, Double Gemini Productions, Rebecca Gold, Scott M. Delman, Barbara H. Freitag, Harvey Weinstein, Gene Korf, William Berlind, Caiola Productions, Gutterman Chernoff, Jam Theatricals, Gabrielle Palitz, Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Will Trice, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival,

American Repertory Theater

Casa Valentina

Author:  Harvey Fierstein

Producers:  Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove, Colin Callender, Robert Cole, Frederick Zollo, The Shubert Organization

Mothers and Sons

Author:  Terrence McNally

Producers:  Tom Kirdahy, Roy Furman, Paula Wagner & Debbie Bisno, Barbara Freitag & Loraine Alterman Boyle, Hunter Arnold, Paul Boskind, Ken Davenport, Lams Productions, Mark Lee & Ed Filipowski, Roberta Pereira/Brunish-Trinchero, Sanford Robertson, Tom Smedes & Peter Stern, Jack Thomas/Susan Dietz

Outside Mullingar

Author:  John Patrick Shanley

Producers:  Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove

Best Musical

After Midnight

Producers:  Scott Sanders Productions, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Furman, Candy Spelling, Starry Night Entertainment, Hal Newman, Allan S. Gordon/Adam S. Gordon, James L. Nederlander, Robert K. Kraft, Catherine and Fred Adler, Robert Appel, Jeffrey Bolton, Scott M. Delman, James Fantaci, Ted Liebowitz, Stephanie P. McClelland, Sandy Block, Carol Fineman, Marks-Moore-Turnbull Group, Stephen & Ruth Hendel, Tom Kirdahy

Aladdin

Producers:  Disney Theatrical Productions, Thomas Schumacher

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical

Producers:  Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Jeffrey A. Sine, Richard A. Smith, Mike Bosner, Harriet N. Leve/Elaine Krauss, Terry Schnuck, Orin Wolf, Patty Baker/Good Productions, Roger Faxon, Larry Magid, Kit Seidel, Lawrence S. Toppall, Fakston Productions/Mary Solomon, William Court Cohen, John Gore, BarLor Productions, Matthew C. Blank, Tim Hogue, Joel Hyatt, Marianne Mills, Michael J. Moritz, Jr., StylesFour Productions, Brunish & Trinchero, Jeremiah J. Harris

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Producers:  Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson, 50 Church Street Productions, Joan Raffe & Jhett Tolentino, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Catherine & Fred Adler, Rhoda Herrick, Kathleen K. Johnson, Megan Savage, ShadowCatcher Entertainment, Ron Simons, True Love Productions, Jamie deRoy, Four Ladies & One Gent, John Arthur Pinckard, Greg Nobile, Stewart Lane & Bonnie Comley, Exeter Capital/Ted Snowdon, Ryan Hugh Mackey, Cricket-CTM Media/Mano-Horn Productions, Dennis Grimaldi/Margot Astrachan, Hello Entertainment/Jamie Bendell, Michael T. Cohen/Joe Sirola, Joseph & Carson Gleberman/William Megevick, Green State Productions, The Hartford Stage, The Old Globe

Best Revival of a Play

The Cripple of Inishmaan

Producers:  Michael Grandage Company, Arielle Tepper Madover, L.T.D. Productions, Stacey Mindich, Starry Night Entertainment, Scott M. Delman, Martin McCallum, Stephanie P. McClelland, Zeilinger Productions, The Shubert Organization

The Glass Menagerie

Producers:  Jeffrey Richards, John N. Hart Jr.,  Jerry Frankel, Lou Spisto/Lucky VIII, INFINITY Stages, Scott M. Delman, Jam Theatricals, Mauro Taylor, Rebecca Gold, Michael Palitz, Charles E. Stone, Will Trice, GFour Productions, American Repertory Theater

A Raisin in the Sun

Producers:  Scott Rudin, Roger Berlind, Eli Bush, Jon B. Platt, Scott M. Delman, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Ruth Hendel, Sonia Friedman/Tulchin Bartner, The Araca Group, Heni Koenigsberg, Daryl Roth, Joan Raffe & Jhett Tolentino, Joey Parnes, S.D. Wagner, John Johnson

Twelfth Night

Producers:  Sonia Friedman Productions, Scott Landis, Roger Berlind, Glass Half Full Productions/Just for Laughs Theatricals, 1001 Nights Productions, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Jane Bergère, Paula Marie Black, Rupert Gavin, Stephanie P. McClelland, Shakespeare's Globe Centre USA, Max Cooper, Tanya Link Productions, Shakespeare Road, Shakespeare's Globe

Best Revival of a Musical

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Producers:  David Binder, Jayne Baron Sherman, Barbara Whitman, Latitude Link, Patrick Catullo, Raise the Roof, Paula Marie Black, Colin Callender, Ruth Hendel, Sharon Karmazin, Martian Entertainment, Stacey Mindich, Eric Schnall, The Shubert Organization

Les Misérables

Producer:  Cameron Mackintosh

Violet

Producers:  Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert, Julia C. Levy, Sydney Beers, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, David Mirvish, Barry and Fran Weissler, Elizabeth Armstrong, Mary Jo and Ted Shen

Best Book of a Musical

Aladdin

Chad Beguelin

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical

Douglas McGrath

Bullets Over Broadway

Woody Allen

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Robert L. Freedman

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Aladdin

Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin

The Bridges of Madison County

Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Music: Steven Lutvak
Lyrics: Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak

If/Then

Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Brian Yorkey

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Samuel Barnett, Twelfth Night
Bryan Cranston, All The Way
Chris O'Dowd, Of Mice and Men
Mark Rylance, Richard III
Tony Shalhoub, Act One

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Tyne Daly, Mothers and Sons
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, A Raisin in the Sun
Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Estelle Parsons, The Velocity of Autumn

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ramin Karimloo, Les Misérables
Andy Karl, Rocky
Jefferson Mays, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder
Bryce Pinkham, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Mary Bridget Davies, A Night with Janis Joplin
Sutton Foster, Violet
Idina Menzel, If/Then
Jessie Mueller, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical
Kelli O'Hara, The Bridges of Madison County

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Reed Birney, Casa Valentina
Paul Chahidi, Twelfth Night
Stephen Fry, Twelfth Night
Mark Rylance, Twelfth Night
Brian J. Smith, The Glass Menagerie

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Sarah Greene, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie
Sophie Okonedo, A Raisin in the Sun
Anika Noni Rose, A Raisin in the Sun
Mare Winningham, Casa Valentina

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Danny Burstein, Cabaret
Nick Cordero, Bullets Over Broadway
Joshua Henry, Violet
James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin
Jarrod Spector, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Linda Emond, Cabaret
Lena Hall, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Anika Larsen, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical
Adriane Lenox, After Midnight
Lauren Worsham, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Beowulf Boritt, Act One
Bob Crowley, The Glass Menagerie
Es Devlin, Machinal
Christopher Oram, The Cripple of Inishmaan

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Christopher Barreca, Rocky
Julian Crouch, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Alexander Dodge, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder
Santo Loquasto, Bullets Over Broadway

Best Costume Design of a Play

Jane Greenwood, Act One
Michael Krass, Machinal
Rita Ryack, Casa Valentina
Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Linda Cho, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder
William Ivey Long, Bullets Over Broadway
Arianne Phillips, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Isabel Toledo, After Midnight

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Paule Constable, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Jane Cox, Machinal
Natasha Katz, The Glass Menagerie
Japhy Weideman, Of Mice and Men

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Christopher Akerlind, Rocky
Howell Binkley, After Midnight
Donald Holder, The Bridges of Madison County

Best Sound Design of a Play

Alex Baranowski, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Dan Moses Schreier, Act One
Matt Tierney, Machinal

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Peter Hylenski, After Midnight
Tim O'Heir, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Mick Potter, Les Misérables
Brian Ronan, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical

Best Direction of a Play

Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night
Michael Grandage, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Kenny Leon, A Raisin in the Sun
John Tiffany, The Glass Menagerie

Best Direction of a Musical

Warren Carlyle, After Midnight
Michael Mayer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Leigh Silverman, Violet
Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Best Choreography

Warren Carlyle, After Midnight

Steven Hoggett & Kelly Devine, Rocky

Casey Nicholaw, Aladdin

Susan Stroman, Bullets Over Broadway

Best Orchestrations

Doug Besterman, Bullets Over Broadway
Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
Steve Sidwell, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical
Jonathan Tunick, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

* * *

Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

Jane Greenwood

Regional Theatre Award

Signature Theatre, New York, N.Y.

Isabelle Stevenson Award

Rosie O’Donnell

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre

Joseph P. Benincasa

Joan Marcus

Charlotte Wilcox

* * *

Tony Nominations by Production

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder - 10

Hedwig and the Angry Inch - 8

After Midnight - 7

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical - 7

The Glass Menagerie - 7

Twelfth Night - 7

Bullets Over Broadway - 6

The Cripple of Inishmaan - 6

Act One - 5

Aladdin - 5

A Raisin in the Sun - 5

The Bridges of Madison County - 4

Casa Valentina - 4

Machinal - 4

Rocky - 4

Violet - 4

Les Misérables - 3

All The Way - 2

Cabaret - 2

If/Then - 2

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill - 2

Mothers and Sons - 2

Of Mice and Men - 2

A Night with Janis Joplin - 1

Outside Mullingar - 1

Richard III - 1

The Velocity of Autumn - 1

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