Journalism Blog 8

The musical “A Little Night Music” opened December 13, 2009. This Broadway revival production is currently playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York, New York.

This musical is written by the award-winning lyricist Stephen Sondheim and writer Hugh Wheeler. The revival production of “A Little Night Music” stars famous actresses Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury.

"A show like 'Night Music' is going to benefit a lot from Catherine and Angela, especially now," states Tom Viertel, the producer of the Broadway revival. "It's a tricky show to sell without huge stars."

This show is the first theatrical performance of Catherine Zeta-Jones after 20 years of acting in major films and movie musicals including “Chicago.” Angela Lansbury continues her acting career with “A Little Night Music.” Lansbury has worked in both the stage and screen settings for over 60 years.

Although the production just opened December 13, 2009, it is already been acclaimed by several critics and is expected to be successful Broadway revival show.

References:

Brantley, Ben. “A Weekend In the Country With Eros And Thanatos.” New York Times, 14 Dec 2009. Web. 14 Dec 2009. < http://theater.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/theater/reviews/14little.html>.

Cox, Gordon. “ ‘Night’ Comes to Broadway.” Variety, 13 Dec 2009. Web. 14 Dec 2009. <http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118012669.html?categoryid=15&cs=1>.

Elysa, Gardner. “Zeta-Jones moves to ‘A Little Night Music’ On Broadway.” USA Today, 10 Dec 2009. Web. 14 Dec 2009. <http://www.usatoday.com/life/theater/news/2009-12-11-zetajones11_st_N.htm>.

“Pop!,” a musical about the life of pop artist Andy Warhol, opened for the first time at Yale Repertory Theatre on December 3, 2009. This whodunit focuses on 1960’s bohemian culture as Warhol and his peers investigate the attempted assassination of Andy Warhol.

The production is the first from the Yale Musical Theatre Institute, a collaboration of the School of Drama and the School of Music at Yale University.

“Not everyone likes Andy Warhol, but his relevance can be seen everywhere,” said James Bundy, the artistic director of Yale Repertory Theatre, regarding the new stage production.

The “Pop!” storyline revolves around Andy Warhol and his followers as they uncover the mystery of who shot Warhol. The Factory, the iconic artistic playground for Warhol, acts as a backdrop for this musical set in the late 1960’s.

Twenty-two years after Andy Warhol’s death, “Pop!” is sure to entertain audiences with this look into the life of this internationally-known pop artist.

References:

“Factory Fever.” Christopher Arnott. New Haven Advocate, 02 Dec 2009. Web. 07 Dec 2009. <http://www.newhavenadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=15673>.

“Harrison, Kritzer and Rooney Open Warhol Musical POP! at Yale Rep Dec. 3,” Adam Hetrick. Playbill.com, 03 Dec 2009. Web. 07 Dec 2009. <http://www.playbill.com/news/article/134981-_Harrison%20Kritzer_and_Rooney_Open_Warhol_Musical_POP%20at_Yale_Rep_Dec%203>.

“Warhol Mystery premiers at the Yale Rep.” Eileen Shim. Yale Daily News, 01 Dec 2009. Web. 07 Dec 2009. <http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/university-news/2009/12/01/warhol-mystery-premiers-yale-rep/>.

Blog Post 6

A new movie version of A Christmas Carol opened November 1, 2009. The new Disney had success for the first weekend and continues to rule the box office.

This 3-D animated film made over $31 million in its first opening weekend. Featuring stylized animation similar to the movie Polar Express, A Christmas Carol features Jim Carrey as the classic miser, Scrooge.

“What Mr. Dickens wrote in the story is completely stylized, including the characters, the descriptions of the cold, the fog, of London, everything. It all has a hyper-reality to it,” said Robert Zemeckis, the director of this new animated film.

A Christmas Carol, the Victorian Christmas story written by Charles Dickens, has been adapted many times throughout the years. This is the first Disney/Pixar animated version of the holiday tale.

Disney’s A Christmas Carol is sure to be a hit among audiences this holiday season.

References:

“’A Christmas Carol’ Dominates Weekend Box Office.” AP. Fox News, November 9, 2009. Web. November 9, 2009. <http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2009/11/09/christmas-carol-dominates-weekend-box-office/>.

“Ghosts of Technology Present.” A. Scott. New York Times, November 6, 2009. Web. November 6, 2009. <http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/movies/06disney.html>.

“3-D ‘Christmas Carol’ fits Charles Dickens’s Vision.” Anthony Breznican. USA Today, November 5, 2009. Web. November 5, 2009. <http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-11-05-christmascarol05_st_N.htm>.

Blog Post 5

The Broadway revival of Brighton Beach Memoirs is closed after a mere week-long run. The Neil Simon play received several positive and negative reviews before the show closed due to “weak ticket sales” said the New York Times.

The Brighton Beach revival production debuted at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City. The play opened October 26, 2009 and closed November 1, 2009.

“I’m dumbfounded,” said Mr. Simon, the writer of Brighton Beach and the father of situational comedy. “After all these years, I still don’t get how Broadway works or what to make of our culture.”

Although Broadway revival pieces can have long runs, the most successful revivals are musicals. Brighton Beach, a drama set in the depression era, focuses on a family’s battle with adversity. Many speculate that during the current recession, audiences may enjoy musicals and storylines that don’t involve current situations. This could be a reason behind low ticket sales and the premature close of Brighton Beach.

Although Neil Simon plays will remain classics, it is doubtful that they will find relevance on Broadway stages. Classic plays like Brighton Beach Memoirs are going extinct and are being replaced by new edgy dramas and shows.

References:

“Brighton Beach Memoirs to Close; Broadway Bound Canceled.” Broadway.com Staff. Broadway.com. October 30, 2009. Web. November 1, 2009. <http://www.broadway.com/buzz/brighton-beach-memoirs-close-broadway-bound-canceled/>.

“Brighton Beach Memoirs to Close on November 1; Broadway Bound Canceled.” Dan Bacalzo. Theater Mania. October 31, 2009. Web. November 1, 2009. <http://www.theatermania.com/broadway/news/10-2009/brighton-beach-memoirs-to-close-on-november-1-broa_18530.html >.

“Neil Simon Flop May Be a Case of the Missing ‘Wow.” Patrick Healy. New York Times. November 1, 2009. Web. November 2, 2009. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/theater/02simon.html?_r=1&ref=theater>.

Blog post 4

A documentary on pop idol Michael Jackson opens in theaters on October 28, 2009. The film, “This Is It,” covers the Jackson’s last tour before his unexpected death in June 2009.

The movie will be shown in over 3,000 theaters across the US and almost 19,000 theaters internationally. The film runs for a short 2 weeks before closing.

The director of the documentary, Danny Ortega, calls the movie a “…musical mosaic." Ortega worked with Jackson on choreography during the Jackson’s last London shows.

In early March 2009, Michael Jackson planned a comeback tour with a limited run of 10 shows. Once ticket sales for the concerts skyrocketed, Jackson increased the number of performances to 50. Jackson suffered from a cardiac arrest and died several weeks before the tour season started.

The “This Is It” documentary includes never before seen footage from tour rehearsals and will give fans a behind the scenes look at Michael Jackson life just before his tragic death.

References

“Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ Peek Reveals Star in Onstage Glory.” Claire Hoffman. Rolling Stone. October 23, 2009. Web. October 26, 2009. <http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/10/23/michael-jacksons-this-is-it-peek-reveals-star-in-onstage-glory/>

“'This Is It' movie tickets a sales hit for Michael Jackson.” Erin Durkin. New York Daily. September 28, 2009. Web. October 26, 2009. <http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2009/09/28/2009-09-28_movie_tickets_a_sales_hit_for_michael_jackson.html>

“Director: Jackson movie 'This Is It' is 'a musical mosaic'.” Anthony Breznican. USA Today. October 25, 2009. Web. October 26, 2009. <http://www.usatoday.com/life/moviesnews/2009-10-25-this-is-it-preview_N.htm>