The Cast of "Giant". Photo by Joan Marcus.

The circle of life isn’t just a lyric sung while Julie Taymor puppets circle The Lion King; it’s the natural progression on Broadway. In this theater news round-up, we celebrate the eternal constants of birth, death and taxing reviews…

• Like a maternity ward nine months after Valentines Day, the Fall mini-rush of new shows is in full swing with three much-anticipated new musicals opening last night on Broadway and Off-Broadway. The gist of the reviews: the Kathie Lee Gifford-penned Scandalous is a not the embarrassment the gossips were hoping for but not necessarily good either; the Off-Broadway chamber/rock piece Murder Ballad is a well-crafted, little trashy tale (and knows it); and the epic Giant lives up to its name, though amidst a few raves are a few that find it a bit too much or not enough.

• 

  Daniel Breaker & Cheyenne Jackson in "The Performers". Photo by Carol Rosegg.

  You can’t have a sunrise without a sunset (don’t believe me, go see Fiddler on the Roof). And we can’t have openings without closings.  The Broadway porn/romantic comedy The Performers opened this week to less than vociferous reviews and already announced it will close Sunday.  Those wishing to see Cheyenne Jackson in a loin cloth had best hurry.

• And some shows are just a twinkle in their parents’ eyes. Producers announced this week that they are in early stages of developing a juke box musical based on the songs of pop hit-maker Diane Warren (“How Do I Live” “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”) and an adaptation of the Savannah-set bestseller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil with book by Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) and music from the catalog of Johnny Mercer.  Celine Dion ballads vs. murderous society gays…not as antithetical as one would think.

• Finally, Broadway’s hottest married duo Audra McDonald and Will Swenson are kicking off a kickstarter campaign for Facing East, an independent film to be directed by Swenson based on an off-Broadway play by author Carol Lynn Pearson. The story sounds moving and topical (a mormon couple deals with the suicide of their gay son) and the incentives to donate are amazing (McDonald singing to you on your birthday!). Watch the teaser video after the jump…

Read more…

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner! Daniel M. is going to see Lincoln Center’s new production of Golden Boy on us.

But today, everybody wins because readers submitted their favorite “knockout” Broadway performances as part of their entries. I’ve read them, removed the ones I absolutely disagree with on a fundamental aesthetic level (I’m kidding) and am now posting some of the best quotes.  So sit back and enjoy some of the best of Broadway, at least according to our fabulously tasteful readers…

Reba McEntire in "Annie Get Your Gun". Photo by Andrew Eccles.

• “Reba McEntire in Annie Get Your Gun was the most perfect pairing of role and performer I have ever experienced.  I saw the show 7 times with her and even paid for 5 of the times!!” David L.

• “I remember seeing Gary Sinise on Broadway in The Grapes of Wrath. He was mesmerizing. Wish he would do more plays.” Linda Z.

• “The Scottsboro Boys.  I was completely entranced from beginning to end. So clever, new, brilliant performances. 90 minutes of beauty.” Betsy D.

• “Knock out performance? Audra McDonald in…well, in just about anything she’s ever been in. But particularly, Carousel. What a revelation.” Adam M.

• “Sutton Foster in Anything Goes. A true triple threat.  AND she made it look effortless!!! She is the reigning “Broadway Heavyweight” in my book!” Jamey W.

• “My parents took me to see A Chorus Line on Broadway when I was about 12. It was astonishing to me in so many ways, starting with the sheer talent and artistry that my young self had never encountered, and ending with the subject matter that struck me hard emotionally — a knockout.” Pam W.

And what of our winner’s entry? He certainly wins with this answer, too. Love me some Cherry Jones.

• “Cherry Jones knocked me out in A Moon For The Misbegotten back in 2000. Her combination of tenderness and toughness, her gutsy physicality and hardened humor — astonishing.” Daniel M.

The Set for "King Kong". Image via kingkongliveonstage.com.

It’s not often theater news makes it on to the front page of major papers, but some recent Broadway stories have been seriously buzz-worthy. So let’s catch up by taking a quick scan of the headlines with links to the full story…

• Broadway’s Rebecca Flames Out:   The New York Times’ Patrick Healey has been doing extensive investigative work into the mysterious disappearing investor that hastened the collapse of the Broadway bound show — on the eve of its first rehearsal.

• 

  Audra McDonald. Image via PlaybillVault.com.

  Theatrical Power Duo Ties the Knot:  Five-time Tony-winner Audra McDonald and Tony-nominee Will Swenson were married over the weekend at a ceremony in Croton-on-Hudson, New York and People Magazine has the story.

• Star-Studded Cast Reads Into the Woods Film for Investors:  Nathaniel at The Film Experience has a picture of the program from last week’s invite only reading of the Sondheim masterpiece’s film adaptation, including info on which Oscar-laden lady is being circled as a possible “Witch”.

• King Kong Stomps Into Melbourne Theater:  Over the weekend, producers of the mega-musical, Australian adaptation of King Kong took over the internet for an unprecedented live-streaming, global introduction to the show, its cast and some of its songs.

• Bleep Magazine Goes Broadway:  The internet magazine released a full issue devoted to the stars of New York theater including Broadway Blog favorites Nick Adams, Julia Murney and more.

James Corden, Audra McDonald, Nina Arianda & Steve Kazee. Photo by Walter McBride/Retna.

All that’s left of this year’s Tonys is a trail of body glitter left on the 1 train by some hungover chorus boy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t relive them with a look back at the night’s big winners and losers. (Get the full list of Tony winners here.)

Biggest Winner: With a pack leading eight wins, Once, the little show that could proved to be a freight train mowing down the competition. Given that it was based on a small independent film, expect Sundance to be swarmed by music theater writers next year. Pack extra leg warmers.

Best Reason to Watch the Tonys vs. the Oscars…other than dancer butt: The Tonys aren’t afraid of comedy. James Corden’s triumphant, masterclass in low comedy wouldn’t even have been nominated for an Oscar let alone won one. Somewhere, Steve Martin is shaking his fist and thinking, “Why didn’t I do All of Me on Broadway?!”

Best Audition for the Next Spider-Man Villain: When the every-peppy cast of Godspell jumped into the audience, Andrew Garfield was seen recoiling in fear from a swirling apostle attempting to pull him into the aisle. It would seem that all you need to stop Spidey is a tube of greasepaint and a follow spot.

Read more…

Audra McDonald & Ricky Martin & the Cast of "Mary Poppins" at the 2012 Easter Bonnet Competition. Photo by Monica Simoes.

It’s time to dress you up in our love of theater with a very fashion forward news roundup…

• Broadway put on one heck of an Easter Bonnet this year as the proverbial hat was passed to the tune of $3,677,855 raised for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The winning chapeau went to the company of Mamma Mia during a song and dance packed event featuring big stars like Audra McDonald and Ricky Martin.

• 

  John Carrol. Photo by Kevin McDermott.

  In any sort of clothes (or out of them) our very own Theater Buff John Carroll is a special guy. And now the Advocate magazine has named him one of their Forty Under 40, “leaders in media, politics, sports, and science, [who] are facilitating our future”.

• Cinderella is getting another makeover…and we aren’t just talking a snazzy dress made by mice. A new version of the classic fairytale is headed to Broadway next season using Rogers & Hammerstein songs from their various TV incarnations and from their catalog and featuring a new book by Douglas Carter Beane (Lysistrata Jones). Laura Osnes (Anything Goes) and Santino Fontana (Brighton Beach Memoirs) will star and Mark Brokaw (The Lyons) is slated to direct.

• The 2011-2012 Broadway season officially came to a close this week with three more openings. And what did the all-powerful New York Times have to say about the final arrivals (in the spirit of our sartorial roundup theme): Don’t Dress for Dinner feels like hand-me-downs, Leap of Faith might need to head back to the tailor and The Columnist lays star John Lithgow bare. (I’m seeing Leap this weekend so I’ll have my take next week.)

• Feel like getting decked out in gold? How about just lining yourself with the latest awards nominations from the Drama Desk. Their list is out and features a mixture of Off-Broadway and Broadway, a bunch of shows not eligible because of previous consideration (to confuse you Tony predictors) and a pack leading 10 nominations for Follies and Death Takes a Holliday.

• Everyone’s favorite theater-inspired web series Submissions Only ends its second season today with a totally bedazzled final episode, embellished with some serious spangly star power. Guest stars included Jessie Tyler Ferguson, Nick Jonas, Harvey Fierstein, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the dancing boys of Newsies.

Gavin Creel at Birdland. Photo by Monica Simoes.

Two-time Tony-nominee Gavin Creel is on a roll–and it’s rolling him into a theater near you. Producers just announced that he’ll be playing the lead in the first national tour of the smash hit The Book of Mormon. But that’s just the latest in a string of bold moves for the charming and handsome Creel. From a new pop album to his groundbreaking work for marriage equality with Broadway Impact, he’s long been winning hearts and minds far beyond the Great White Way.

Two months ago (and sadly before I could grill him about Mormon), I caught up with Creel via phone to interview him for the May issue of “Passport Magazine” (hitting newsstands any day now). However, we had so much to chat about and so much that was too juicy for the print edition, it couldn’t be contained in one article–so I thought I’d share the extras here. Serious or silly, whether discussing his own wedding dreams or his codependent relationship with his dog, Creel proves why he’ll always be one of our favorite leading men…

Hi Gavin. How are you doing?

I’m good. I’m literally standing on a marina in Key West so I’m going to step outside so we can have a little chatty poo.

I’m sorry to interrupt; I didn’t realize it was vacation time.

I’m not on vacation; I’m doing a Broadway Across America concert. Doing a little presentation for eleven new musicals for next season. Just coming down to sing a song. I literally flew in an hour and a half ago and am flying out tomorrow morning.

Fun times.

Crazy. That’s the life of being a show business whore.

[laughter] Honestly, the first thing I have to do is thank you. My partner and I of eleven years just got engaged last week.

Oooh! Congratulations!

It truly is because of people like you that we were able to do this.

I appreciate that; it’s very kind of you but I’m not getting married or engaged yet so it’s people like you who are doing it. Even though we’re still fighting for the rights it takes people like you to do it, to stand up and face all the stupid that might come your way even though it’s legal.

Have you had a chance to attend any weddings since it became legal in New York?

No gay weddings yet.

None! Oh no…

I’ll be looking for the invite.

It’s in the mail now.

[laughter]

Read more…