Wood Harris, Nicole Ari Parker, Blair Underwood & Daphne Rubin-Vega in "A Streetcar Named Desire". Image via streetcaronbroadway.com.

Spend just a few minutes in a room with the company of A Streetcar Named Desire and one thing is immediately clear: this is the hottest cast on Broadway. And I don’t just mean physically attractive, though Blair Underwood (In Treatment), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), Nicole Ari Parker (Boogie Nights) and Wood Harris (The Wire) are a stunning foursome . No, their heat is also a product of their passion for the work and an outspoken determination to make this revival, the first multicultural Streetcar on Broadway, a richer, deeper experience.

In the run-up to their first preview (tonight at the Broadhurst), the entire cast and their director Emily Mann gathered at B. Smith’s to talk about the genesis of this production, the ghosts of prior versions of the play and why this will be one of the steamiest stage trips to New Orleans you’ll ever take. (And just to sweeten the deal, check out our special discount code for tickets at the end of the post!)

On the decision to do an interracial production:

Mann: “It’s sort of why not? What took so long? It’s such an obvious way to do this play. It’s the meaning of New Orleans; to have that gumbo of ethnicities and races makes the city the incredible and unique place it is in America. …Tennessee [Williams] himself wanted always to see the play done this way. He had hoped it would be done on Broadway in 1955 but it was Sweet Bird of Youth, I think, that was premiering and they didn’t want two of his own shows to be competing on Broadway. So it never happened. But he gave permission all through his life to have this done and I think he’d be thrilled by what we are doing today.”

On the draw of Streetcar: 

Underwood: “…it’s Tennessee Williams. It’s beautiful. Poetry. It’s human. It’s brutal. It’s vulnerable. It’s passionate. It’s desire. It’s all of those things. That’s why it’s an iconic play. That’s why it’s a classic. That’s why people should come see it.”

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Every fourth Wednesday of the month, the “VIP Access” column will serve up advice on how to make your theater-going experiences cheaper, easier and more fulfilling with inside scoop from the experts. This month, we’re acting like the birdies on Jaybird Street…

Tom Cruise in "Rock of Ages". Image via @adammshankman.

Tweet. Tweet. Tweet. With its 140 character limit, rabid followers and echoing retweets, Twitter is either a revolutionary communication force or the end of civilized interaction as we know it. Or maybe it’s just a great way to feel like you’re chatting with the theater’s brightest stars. Given The Broadway Blog’s mission to welcome everyone into a theatrical cocktail conversation, I’ll vote C for now and let history be the judge.

As a newbie–@BroadwayBlogTom–I spent the last week diving in headfirst and trying to learn the rules of the road (and, clearly, mixing metaphors haphazardly). Other than the possibility of getting lost in a T-Hole for hours, Twitter turns out to be a pretty amazing way to learn about ticket deals, hang out with your theater idols and meet some new ones as well. Here are my top ten recommendations for twitter feeds to “follow”:

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Joel Grey & Sutton Foster. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Who says theater can’t save the world? When you buy discounted Broadway tickets through Givenik.com, 5% of the ticket price goes to a charity you select from their comprehensive list. With a few simple clicks, you can feel like Daddy Warbucks and Mother Teresa all at the same time.

Beyond the obvious rush from doing good, there’s a lot to love about this online upstart; the website’s interface is clean, the actual transactions take place through the major ticketing agencies (so you can still pick your seats) and, best of all, Givenik features most of the same discount codes as other popular sites like Broadway Box. That’s up to 40% off full price (I sound like I’m on an infomercial now…but wait, there’s more!) all while helping great organizations like Broadway in South Africa, The Ali Forney Center and Central Park Conservancy.

Need a little star power to get involved?  Givenik recently unveiled an Ambassador program featuring Broadway stars and the charities they support; Spider-Man Reeve Carney spoke out for The Partnership for the Homeless and The Book of Mormon‘s Rory O’Malley stood proud for Broadway Impact. After the jump, watch the legendary Joel Grey, currently on Broadway in Anything Goes, make a personal appeal for his choice, Friends in Deed.

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It’s time for another round-up of the week in theater news:

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  Image via Boneau/Bryan-Brown.

  The well-received Kennedy Center production of Follies is moving up the coast to Broadway’s Marquis Theater this summer for a limited engagement. Sightings of stray sequins and feathers on I-95 to follow.

• One Follies Girl who won’t be making the trek is Linda Lavin. Playbill reports that, in order to star in a new show at the Vineyard, she will not reprise her “Broadway Baby” and she is also passing on the Broadway transfer of Other Desert Cities, last season’s Lincoln Center hit. Perhaps those rumors of cast issues were true.

• Attention “Carrie” Nation! The New York Times has word of a one-night-only sneak peek at the upcoming reboot of everyone’s favorite high school horror musical. No word if there will be pig blood involved.

• Nathaniel at the great site Film Experience takes a look at the casting rumors for the film adaptation of Les Miserables. Hugh Jackman, 24601!

• It may not have Hugh, but the Arena Stage production of Oklahoma took DC by (dustbowl) storm last year. Now you can get free tickets to opening night of its return engagement by “liking” their Facebook page.  Hmmm, that sounds familiar…

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Image via Broadway Bares.

Summer is heating up and so are preparations for the annual Broadway Bares show. Featuring some of the sexiest performers from the New York stage, this year’s burlesque extravaganza, Masterpiece, is so close (June 19) you can almost touch it.

But if you just can’t wait for a little taste of what’s to come, head over to Splash (50 W. 17th Street) this Monday night at 7pm to mix and mingle with 30 of the hottest men and women spotlighted in Masterpiece‘s opening number. Plus, toss your hat (or shirt) into the ring for a huge raffle with prizes including tickets to Broadway Bares & Anything Goes, autographed CDs from Sutton Foster, classes at PNT Fitness, memberships to DavidBartonGym and much more. But, honestly, when you get a chance to chat with these smoking hot dancers, everybody wins.

All proceeds go to the amazing programs of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, so if you can’t make it Monday night, donate online here.

Still not sold? After the jump, we’ve got some extra spicy pics of just a few members of the cast you’ll meet, up close and in person, at Splash…

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Oklahoma at Arena Stage. Photo by Suzanne Blue Star Boy

Theater ticket prices got you down? Finding it hard to decide between making your mortgage payment or buying two tickets to Wicked? Two news stories hit this weekend promising some relief for every musical-lover’s pocketbook.

• It used to be that if you wanted The Book of Mormon for free, you had to steal it from a hotel nightstand. Not anymore. Playbill.com reports that the producers of the smash musical about Mormon missionaries in Uganda are offering a free fan performance July 1. Pairs of tickets will be given out via a lottery made up of those who have entered the show’s daily ticket lotteries or checked into Foursquare using a code outside the theater. Additional details will be available on the show’s website and at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre.

• Speaking of great deals, Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. today unveiled a new “Pay Your Age” ticket program. Beginning with this summer’s return of their acclaimed production of Oklahoma, theater patrons ages 5 to 30 can purchase one of a select number of seats at each performance at a discounted price that matches their age. Ah, to be 20 again. Tickets can be ordered via phone or in person but you’ll need to provide proof of your birthdate at the box office when you pick up the tickets–so Botox and good lighting aren’t going to cut it.

Every fourth Wednesday of the month, the “VIP Access” column will serve up advice on how to make your theater-going experiences cheaper, easier and more fulfilling with inside scoop from the experts.

Cheap seats for "Jersey Boys"? Photo by Joan Marcus.

If you’re scrolling through this column then I suppose you already know about them newfangled computer things the kids are talking about. (Look, Madge, you’re reading on it.) I’ll save the “wonders of the web” speech for my Mother and her blinking VCR and cut to the chase: far too many people still pay full price for theater tickets when the internet offers lots of easy ways to get Broadway at a discount. Here are three sites—an innovator, a wild card and a classic—that will have you singing a new tune about sky-high musical prices.

One caveat: there is no silver bullet-point in my list that will get you cheap tickets to that new sold-out, high-demand show; it just won’t happen even in the wonderland of the web. With that in mind, let’s start clicking and saving…

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Arcadia. Photo by Carol Rosegg.

They say that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb but clearly “they” weren’t talking about Broadway theater. It’s like a twenty car pile-up of show openings out there, everyone trying to crash the party before the Tony eligibility deadline on April 28. Right now, there are overworked publicists surviving on nothing more than leftover pigs-in-a-blanket and fumes from their overheating blackberries. Pray for them. Here are a few bits and bobs to keep our energy up:

• The new play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo opens tonight for a limited 16 week run on Broadway. The critical reaction to Robin Williams’ performance should be interesting to watch (and I’ll chime in next week in April’s  “To See or Not To See” round-up.)
• The box office results are in and it looks like people are responding to the fizzy (and slightly filthy) fellas of Priscilla Queen of the Desert as well as the revival of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. In a perfect world, Arcadia would be raking in Wicked-dough for years to come.

• If you want to be ahead of the curve, take a look at the list of musicals which received development grants from The National Alliance for Musical Theatre.  The odd-couple combo of Michael John LaChiusa (Hello Again) and Ellen Fitzhugh (Paper Moon) is certainly an eye-catcher.

We’ve made it through our first month and I want to thank everybody for reading and commenting; this should be a conversation between friends so jump on in and let me know what you’d like to see more (or less) of.  Keep up with posts by joining us on Facebook. And, finally, take a look back at some popular stories from March you may have missed:

• Tom Berklund was our first Theater Buff. You never forget your first.
• Celebrating Stephen Sondheim’s birthday led to some truly heartfelt and lovely remembrances from readers.
• Tony-Nominee Kate Baldwin kissed and told about Sheldon and Cheyenne.
• Cheap Broadway tickets.  ‘Nuff Said.
• And finally, we mounted a full-scale revolt against tyranny and bloating with the Les Miz Workout.

Every fourth Wednesday of the month, the “VIP Access” column will serve up advice on how to make your theater-going experiences cheaper, easier and more fulfilling with inside scoop from the experts. For our inaugural column, let’s head to Times Square and reveal some secrets about those discount TKTS booths.

Image via tdf.org

TDF, the Theatre Development Fund, may sound like some obscure government program providing affordable housing and job training to Spider-Man investors, but it’s actual your best ally in getting discounted Broadway and Off-Broadway tickets. Created in 1968 to encourage live performance and nurture audiences in New York City, TDF’s most visible outreach program is their Times Square TKTS booth (say the letters like “USA” instead of making a word out of it like “NASA”) offering unsold, same-day tickets to plays and musicals at sale prices. However, if you want to be a real insider, here are three lesser-known TDF offerings that can get you to the head of the line.

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