Hamilton – Page 7

‘NATASHA,’ ‘DOLLY’ & ‘DOLL’S HOUSE 2’ LEAD TONY NOMINATIONS

May 2, 2017 by Philip Boroff

Bette Midler in ‘Dolly’/Julieta Cervantes

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Hello, Dolly! and A Doll’s House, Part 2 got the most Tony Award nominations this morning in their respective categories.

Natasha competes against Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away and Groundhog Day the Musical in the all-important new musical category. Among the high-profile snubs, the new musicals A Bronx Tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Amelie got no nominations. Also bageled was the hit musical revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, although star Glenn Close, who won for the role in 1995, was out of contention.

PATTI LUPONE, PHILLIPA SOO & JAKE GYLLENHAAL DELIVER IN BROADWAY’S BIGGEST WEEK SINCE EARLY JANUARY: BOX OFFICE

March 13, 2017 by Philip Boroff

Starry musicals got off to a strong start in what was the industry’s best seven days since the first week of the year. Sales were $27.7 million, up 16 percent from the week before and up 17 percent from the same week last season, according to data from the Broadway League.

War Paint, with Christine Ebersole and Patti LuPone as cosmetics icons Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, grossed $800,000 in seven previews. It’s by the same creative team as 2006’s Grey Gardens. And former Hamilton lead Phillipa Soo apparently proved a draw in Amélie. The adaptation of the 2001 movie did $377,000 in four previews. Average tickets to both exceeded $100.

EVENT: ‘BIG RIVER’ REVIEW BROUHAHA SPURS TALKFEST

March 4, 2017 by Philip Boroff

Amid the commotion over the New York Times review of the Encores! revival of Big River revolving around context and criticism, the nonprofit Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA) presents a free discussion on Monday, March 6, that includes Laura Collins-Hughes, who wrote the review. The following is a press release:Continue Reading

BEHIND THE TIMES: TOP PLAYWRIGHTS URGE PAPER TO REPLACE ISHERWOOD WITH WOMAN OF COLOR

February 28, 2017 by Philip Boroff

EXCLUSIVE: With a search underway to fill one of the highest-profile jobs in theater criticism, influential playwrights are pressing for diversity.

Winter Miller is photographed at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange in Brooklyn, New York on October 19, 2016. Photo by Angela Jimenez Photography — Winter Miller
Photo: Angela Jimenez

They’re among more than 800 in and outside of theater who signed a petition requesting the New York Times hire either a woman of color or a transgender person of color to replace Charles Isherwood, the second-string reviewer who was fired earlier this month. “For as long as I’ve been reading the Times, it’s been white men,” Winter Miller, the playwright who started the petition, said about its full-time theater reviewers. “Trump’s cabinet has more diversity.”

CRITIC ISHERWOOD EXITS TIMES; PAPER SEEKS REPLACEMENT

February 7, 2017 by Philip Boroff

UPDATED THROUGHOUT: The New York Times is seeking a full-time theater critic to replace Charles Isherwood.

Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy confirmed Isherwood’s departure as the No. 2 theater critic, but said the paper doesn’t discuss personnel matters. Isherwood joined the Times from Variety in 2004. He declined to comment.

The position has been one of the most influential in theater journalism. Its current minimum salary is $2,075 a week, said Grant Glickson, the president of the NewsGuild of New York and a staff assistant and head of the bargaining unit at the Times. That’s just above the Broadway performer minimum of $1,974, according to Actors’ Equity.

ECONOMICAL ‘IN TRANSIT’ SEEKS BOOST FROM CLINTON ENDORSEMENT

February 2, 2017 by Philip Boroff

In Transit, the low-grossing new musical that Bill and Hillary Clinton saw Wednesday night, is losing less money than you might think.

As Broadway’s first a cappella musical, it doesn’t employ musicians, besides 11 hardworking onstage actor-vocalists, including one who does percussion. (Steven “HeaveN” Cantor and Chesney Snow alternate in the role of “Boxman.”)

According to a budget filed over the summer with the office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, to pay expenses the production needs minimum weekly sales of $439,000. (The figure includes credit card commissions and other extras that count toward Broadway League official grosses.) Lead producer Janet Rosen said in an interview that because the show was budgeted conservatively, actual breakeven is below $400,000. Sales last week were $338,000.

OSCAR BOUNCE FOR ‘DEAR EVAN HANSEN’?

January 30, 2017 by Philip Boroff

DEH Ben Platt 0030 - Photo Credit Matthew Murphy — Ben Platt/photo by Matthew Murphy

Dear Evan Hansen, the new show by the lyricists of La La Land, had a record week on Broadway as their movie musical got 14 Academy Award nominations.

With music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen is about an anxious high school boy (played by Ben Platt) whose life changes after a lie he tells about a troubled classmate goes viral. Steven Levenson wrote the book. Sales for the week ending Jan. 29 increased by 1% to $1.1 million. That’s its best showing for an eight-performance week since it began previews on Nov. 14. The last week of 2016 was higher, when Dear Evan Hansen and most other shows held nine performances to capitalize on the influx of tourists.

THE GRANT WHERE IT HAPPENS: THE N.E.A. SEEDS BROADWAY

January 26, 2017 by Philip Boroff

The Band's Visit at the Atlantic/Ahron Foster — The Band’s Visit/Ahron Foster

CORRECTION: This story originally referred to a pro-N.E.A. tweet by Rex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of State designate at the time. A Trump transition official later said the Twitter account was fake.

Hamilton, Next to Normal, War Horse and South Pacific have something in common besides acclaim and awards. They share a patron in the federal government.

The National Endowment for the Arts, which may face an existential threat from the new administration in Washington, has subsidized the development of many of the most praised shows on Broadway and off-Broadway. (See below for a list of nonprofits that have received notable NEA grants.)

HISTORIC BROADWAY SEASON PRODUCES MUSICAL DELUGE

January 20, 2017 by Philip Boroff

EXCLUSIVE: For anyone in need of a diversion, Broadway is presenting its busiest season for musicals in 36 years.

Nineteen new musicals and revivals have opened or are scheduled to open through April 27, the cut-off for Tony Award eligibility. That’s the biggest tally since 1980-81, according to the Broadway League. If all 19 arrive, 2016-17 will have the most musicals since Ronald Reagan was first sworn in as President.

Without an early Hamilton-scale blockbuster, the competition for theatergoers and Tony Awards should be robust. There are constraints on how much demand can rise to meet supply. In recent seasons, about 15 percent of all seats have gone unsold. The average musical customer sees just four a year, according to the Broadway League’s demographic study, regardless of how many are playing. And of the 13 new musicals this season, five at most will be nominated for best musical and guaranteed a performance slot on the Tony telecast in June.

HELLO MIDLER! ‘DOLLY’ INTRODUCES $525 TICKET

November 29, 2016 by Philip Boroff

The producer of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler recently raised its top ticket to $525, the most expensive seat on Broadway that isn’t for Hamilton.

Introduced after runaway advance sales, it’s the biggest price ever for a musical revival. As of a few weeks ago, Dolly’s costliest ticket on Telecharge or at the box office was $425. But like Hamilton, it’s exploding on the resale market. Prime Dolly tickets on StubHub exceed $2,000, with seventh row center offered for over $5,000, with fees.

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