Turistas Go Home!

Variety reports that Broadway box offices are at a record high this year (due to high attendance, but also skyrocketing ticket prices... not so good). Meanwhile, Gothamist says that NYC tourism is at a record high, as well. The city is full of Brits, looking to cash in on America's pitifully weak dollar. Check out this depressing illustration:

Would that Moxie was a sassy cockney lass, pockets stuffed with pounds rather than dollars here in the Big Apple! The crowds are pretty heinous, but the other night after a fabulous night at Spring Awakening, Moxie and her little bro' overheard an adorable mop-headed child say to his mother, "you know what I notice about New York City? All the women wear high heels." And then for a brief moment, it was every bit as magical as when I was little, and awestruck at the bright lights of Broadway.

Times Sqare photo courtesty of brianramnath on flickr.

King Lear Casting Gossip

Moxie cannot WAIT for The Public's production of King Lear! Kevin Kline will play the aging monarch. Kline is at the top of a short list of older actors Moxie has a big fat crush on, ever since seeing the silly but delightful French Kiss (a certain bug-eyed actor featured in Earth Girls are Easy is also on the list). There's no doubt that he'll be incredible, and compared with some of the stage roles he's played in the past few years, which have been only so-so roles for him, Lear seems like a perfect fit.

What Moxie is even more excited about, though, is the casting rumors she's heard circulating. Logan Marshall Green will play Edmund ("Now Gods, stand up for Bastards!") and Michael Cerveris will play Kent! This is so perfect, I could just purr.

Now, who will play the women? For Cordelia, Moxie would love to see The Public cast someone with some backbone and spunk. The last thing I feel like watching is another pretty Juliet type with a lovely speaking voice and nothing interesting or edgy going on. Why not Alison Pill? Bryce Dallas Howard would also be fierce, as would Amy Ryan.


Regan and Goneril... I always think of them as the real politicians of the group, old-timey Condoleeza Rice and Hillary Clintons, if you will. If there were a god in heaven, they'd cast Tina Benko, delicious viper that she is. Being an agnostic, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Office Holiday Gift Envy

Moxie's office is overflowing with sickly-sweet chocolatey treats sent by actors, agents, and managers (several of whom I've never spoken to in my life - do these people think stale nougat will make 2007 the watershed year for their clients?). The sugary onslaught at first seemed like it would be a wonderland, until Moxie devoured six brownies in one afternoon and then felt like a few of Santa's elves were getting rambunctious in her belly. Fat Witch Brownies, I'm putting you on notice, and your adorable blondie cousins, too.

From the office itself, Moxie was looking forward to some kind of company emblem-embroidered denim button-down or the like, but instead was surprised to receive an extra paid vacation day, which is sort of a cool treat and a let down at the same time. Moxie was satisfied until she heard what a friend of hers got from his boss, who happens to be Conan O'Brien. Apparently, the king of late-late-night got his whole staff XBox 360s, along with a year-long subscription to the online gaming thingie that sounds supercool. Well, poopiepants... score one for television, zero for not-for-profit theater.

Interesting Spring Awakening Tidbits

The theater world seems so Spring Awakening-obsessed, Moxie has shied away from posting about it here (for the most part). But we do love it (more than anything else on Broadway, in fact) and we've been following Broadway World's ongoing interview series titled "Going Geeky on 'Spring Awakening'".

Here's an interesting tidbit from part 3 of the series, and interview with Michael Mayer and Kimberly Grigsby. Here's a cool tidbit about a part of the show that Moxie has always been curious about:

BB: ...Most of the scenes are played very straightforward. The actors talk and relate directly to each other in the scene, and then the songs are done kind of a concert scenario with the microphones. Except for one scene between “I Don’t Do Sadness” and “Blue Wind”. The scene itself is done on the mics, and I was wondering what your reasoning was for taking that scene specifically in such a different way?

MICHAEL [MAYER]: It’s a complicated, and here’s a really geeky, answer. There are lots of reasons for it, but I would say there are three main reasons. One is the stupid, obvious reason which is I knew I wanted them to be singing at those mics for their songs and getting them from the scene to those mics was a complicated, near impossible thing to do without it being really awkward. That was one thing but number two, the second reason is that in the play itself, I mean the source material, we find out at the very end of the play that the masked man, which doesn’t exist anymore, says to Moritz in the graveyard, “I came to you once before and I tried to stop you from killing yourself”. Scholars have agreed over the decades that what that refers to is that he sort of, as a shape shifter, had come in the form of Ilsa. So it wasn’t really Ilsa, it was the masked man in disguise as Ilsa. So that means that the actual scene between Moritz and Ilsa as originally written by Frank Wendekind a hundred and some odd years ago wasn’t a real scene and that they never really connect. Which they don’t, right? So she says, “Come with me” and he says, “I can’t” they’re really in their own world. And the third reason is that it was an homage to Elizabeth LeCompte, the director and artistic director of the Wooster Group and I’ve just always been a fan of theirs and I just thought, you know, I really believe in the theory of the avant-garde which is that the avant-garde is there for the practitioners. It’s not there for the general public and so people like me who are not such brilliant artists but the ones who have more traffic in the commercial world and real people, we go to see the work that is done by the true masters and the true innovators like Richard Foreman and Elizabeth LeCompte and Peter Brook and people like that, and we take from them and we sort of make it accessible. Anyway, so that’s why. Those are the three reasons.

Cool! Moxie never would have guessed that Ilse's mysterious appearance in the second act had that kind of back-story behind it. It makes Moritz's death a lot sadder, imagining that Ilse is actually the spirit of a grown-up Melchior, attempting to save his friend's life. Of course, there's no easy way of incorporating that into this staging, but we're glad to know it nonetheless.

Part 1 of the series was an interview with Stephen Spinella (a favorite of Moxie's from his stint on 24 last season). Spinella talked about the beginning of his own career as an actor, and how he owes much of his success to his long friendship and collaboration with Tony Kushner.

SS: Oh yeah, Tony Kushner [and I] met when we were in graduate school in NYU and we had an extended argument one afternoon in the student lounge about, y’now the relative merits of the Village Voice verses the New York Review of books and we sort of became friends and he started directing stuff. He was in the directing program and I was in the acting program. And he put me in a couple of projects and that summer he wrote a play called “The Age Of Assassins” which I don’t think has ever been published, and asked me if I would do it. If I remember right it was a four hour evening in a very small theater on 18th street and the cast had about, I don’t know twenty different actors in it. It was a huge, huge production.

BB - How long was the process between when “Angels of America” started to come into development and when it hit Broadway?

SS - Well, we were doing another play called “Bright Room Called Day” and that was about 1985 and he said he had an idea. We were talking one afternoon, he said he had an idea to write a gay play and it would be just gay men and his preliminary idea was that it would include Roy Cohen, at least one Mormon character and it would deal with AIDS. Then the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco picked up “A Bright Room Called Day”. They actually came to see the production we did in this tiny theater on 22nd street. They decided to do the play at the Eureka and while he was doing it there with Oscar Eustis. Oscar Eustis was then the artistic director of the Eureka Theatre who is now running the Public Theatre. Oscar asked Tony, y’now if he had a gay play because it was San Francisco and Tony said, “Well I’m thinking about this play that would include Roy Cohen, a Mormon character and it would deal with AIDS.” And he said “well, if you can write it for the company I’ll commission it.” The Eureka Theatre company had three women in it and one man. So the play that originally was supposed to be all men now had to include three women, so he created the angel, Harper and Hannah. And by bringing those characters in the thing sort of grew exponentially and that’s how it turned into a two evening play.

Spinella goes on to explain how much impact Angels in America had on his career:

I mean that made my career. I didn’t have a career before that. I mean I hadn’t done anything really significant. I don’t think I had more than two paying jobs in New York City before I came in with that over a ten year period. I had done some regional stuff and a couple of interesting projects, but it was all regional stuff and that changed everything. That absolutely changed everything.

Aww... just one more tale of people who "grow up" together in the theater, and then both end up being so accomplished. Moxie wonders which writers of our generation will end up being the Tony Kushners of the world.

Is Nellie McKay dating Michael Cerveris?

Because if so, that is SO HOT. They arrived at the Spring Awakening opening night party together. Check out their matching coolness factor - Nellie looks like she's already over Spring Awakening, Tavern on the Green, and life, while Michael has that sexy sideways I'm-up-to-no-good thing going on. Maybe Nellie can write a rap about him, and slyly refer to him as the masked man. BEST. COUPLE. EVER.

Also, Moxie is just enchanted by the lovely father and daughter, Chuck and Lili Cooper. So cute!

You can check out all the Spring Awakening opening night photos at broadwayworld.com.

Review: The Voysey Inheritance

The Voysey Inheritance is one of the most surprising pieces of theater Moxie has seen this season. As soon as you walk into the Atlantic, and behold the ornate drawing room onstage, it's impossible not to think "whoa, here comes the 20-minute nap in Act One, we're in for 3 hours of talking." Instead, Mamet's new adaptation of Harvey Granville Barker's 5 act play now clocks in at 2 hours, and is snappy, zesty, and because of the ferocious performances, downright exciting.


Exceeding expectations once again is Michael Stuhlbarg as the heir to the Voysey legacy, one which happens to be fraught with upper-class crime, secrecy, and deceit. Stuhlbarg's performance is subtle and thoughtful. The wheels of his mind are visibly turning as he tries over and over to sort out legally the illegal misdeeds of his father. Samantha Soule is sharp as a pin and just delightful to watch, matching Stuhlbarg in the ability to let us inside the complexities of their characters' emotions.

So Atlantic has done it again. Moxie must admit, she's never seen a show at Atlantic she didn't really, really like. Tina Howe's The Bald Soprano & The Lesson, Mamet's Romance, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Spring Awakening, and now The Voysey Inheritance. Keep 'em coming!

The Voysey Inheritance runs through Jan. 7th at The Atlantic Theater Company.

Boring, Boring, Boring.

Moxie is bored, so bored at work! Winter blues are setting in unsettlingly early this year, a good month before the holidays. It's 5 of 5, and dark outside, cold and windy, and all there is to look forward to is "club strength" at New York Sports Club tonight. Theater buzz lately seems to be limited to "Company is brilliant!" "No it's not!" [duel ensues], and "Hey everybody! Julianne Moore is so-so onstage!" Moxie attended opening night of The Vertical Hour, and doesn't even care to bore you, darling reader, with the humdrum details. Julianne's okay. The play is eh. Bill Nighy is good. Watch Love, Actually, you'll have a much better time.

Moxie can't even be bothered to get excited over Britney's kfed-less, panty-less escapades, nor Lindsay Lohan's AA antics. Hos will be hos. Ho ho ho.

Pug bowl to the rescue!



Instant cure for wintery blues courtesy of Cute Overload.

Coast of Utopia: Voyage

Whew! Moxie was lucky enough to attend the opening night of the first installment of Lincoln Center's The Coast of Utopia trilogy, entitled Voyage. Being on standby for tickets encouraged lots of star-gazing, and Moxie thrilled at the sight of Martha Stewart, entourage-free, entering humbly through the downstairs door by the Mitzi Newhouse Theater. We're also pretty sure we saw Josh Hamilton (who appears only in one scene at the top of act two) wandering doe-eyed around the lobby during intermission. Unless he has an actual identical twin, he was in the lobby, looking a bit confused. Moxie also saw director Jack O'Brien being complimented up the wazoo... it went something like this:

Drooling theatergoer: Congratulations! You must be so happy.
O'Brien: I am!
Drooling theatergoer: You must be so proud!
O'Brien: I am!

Moxie thought the reviews were just a *little* over the top in their praise - it seems like Stoppard's play and O'Brien's staging have turned the whole theater community into drooling lapdogs. However, we must admit, the play is profoundly beautiful and intelligent, and O'Brien's direction makes it wholly approachable and free of the intellectual arrogance and self-congratulation that Moxie expected to see.

It strikes us that this is a play different than any other we can think of. Utopia spends about two thirds of the script discussing various philosophies of why we exist, what is reality, and what is that reality worth. These are discussed literally, between a couple people standing on the stage. It seems to us that most plays are a giant metaphor leading to a point of discussion about these philosophical questions, but to discuss them outright onstage is obvious and ill-fitting to the medium of theater, perhaps better suited for a docu-drama or essay. What's quietly mindblowing about the show is how effectively it wraps the audience into these philosphical debates, and makes us interested in what is essentially characters talking about something, rather than doing.


Of course, there's also plenty of character-based action, relationships to invest in, and all that meaty good stuff we go to theater to see. Moxie didn't love Billy Crudup in The Pillowman (though the show is one of our favorites), but he absolutely glows in this role, pouring all his frenetic energy into the awkwardness, social discomfort, and warm heartedness this character has in spades. Ethan Hawke's normally annoying qualities (bravado overdose, suspicious smell of arrogance lurking beneath the surface) are suited perfectly for the macho rock-star-esque Bakunin. Kelli Overbey and the other sisters are good, and Brien F. O'Byrne has just a dollop of a role in Voyage, whetting Moxie's appetite for the next two installments.

Voyage runs through March 10th at Lincoln Center Theater. Pictures by NY Times and TheaterMania.

Ellen Burstyn Puts U.S. Acting On Notice

Ellen Burstyn thinks acting in the U.S. has seen better times. She recently told Reuters, "Acting? I think it needs some help... TV has lowered the bar. With quicker schedules everything is rushed, so the quality gets lowered."

Right on! Moxie used to be a superfan of Grey's Anatomy, but can barely even endure an episode nowadays. It's so disheartening to watch fabulous actors like Sandra Oh, T.R. Knight, and Chandra Wilson hurried through scenes, doing the best they can with what is essentially soap-opera material. Their transformative abilities keep the show at the top of the ratings, but it's too bad we can't see them onstage. T.R. Knight wasn't even available for theater for much of last summer because of press for Grey's in Europe.

About the state of Broadway, Burstyn said, "I am appalled. (I saw) a couple of things that were billed as good, but they were shockingly bad. I can't recommend anything on Broadway." Moxie wonders what she saw that was "billed as good," something that got raves, but may well be getting a bit stif and rusty, like Jersey Boys? Or one of Broadway's current best offerings, like Grey Gardens? Moxie's looking for an example of a straight play performance that's quite good, but... ehrm... well aside from Julie White, not much happening in that arena right now, is there? Perhaps later in the season Burstyn can find something she likes, with offerings like The Coast of Utopia, The Year of Magical Thinking, Translations, and The Vertical Hour. There's got to be SOMETHING transcendent this year. Better yet, maybe Ellen Burstyn will come back to the stage sometime soon.

Michael Richards Sets the Worst and Best Example

Michael Richards appeared tonight on Letterman, and apologized for his recent crazed rant during an appearance at a comedy club. The story goes, if you haven't already heard it, that Richards was performing his stand-up act when a group began heckling him, and he got upset and freaked, spewing some pretty god-awful racist slurs.

Moxie was at first skeptical of this public apology on Letterman, anticipating a formal, straight-from-the-publicist's-notepad apology, blaming alcohol, drugs, or the like. Instead, Richards was visibly shaken and upset, and remorseful of what transpired. His words seemed unplanned and sincere, and he explained that he basically lost control in the face of the hecklers, and at first tried to shock the audience into stopping the heckling, and then was overcome with anger that he lost control of.

Moxie particularly appreciated the way Richards explained how he felt about the people in the crowd contacting the press about the scuffle, and the media attention the event has received. Richards said that people were right contact the press, and it's right that it be in the public forum, because the black community should not stand for what happened. It's right that people come forward against this kind of thing, and not let it go by unnoticed. It is a big deal. His conviction in this belief in the face of such a public embarassment was... well not admirable, but good for him. Well said.

As horrifying and unacceptable as Richard's actions are, Moxie must admit, she feels she can relate on some level. Moxie, like most earthlings, has had her fair share of ill-conceived outbursts in public, including slamming the door of a well-known theatrical venue in the manager's face, while shouting a few obscenities (though not race-related!) for the whole crowd of onlookers to hear. Lots of people have these kinds of experiences, when they aren't too proud of themselves, and maybe don't even believe in the things they've just said. Most of us don't have an entire American public interested in examining these moments, thank goodness.

With this in mind, Moxie thinks it's a damn shame that Dr. McDouchebag, Isaiah Washington, didn't have the good sense and courage to come forward after his own recent display of homophobia, bigotry, and hatred. We're all humans, and we tend to say and do stupid, reprehensible things that we'd like to take back, if we could. It's too bad that Dr. McDouchebag couldn't swallow his ego and apologize from the heart, as Michael Richards has done. It doesn't make up for anything, and it doesn't make it right, but at least to Moxie, it means a lot.

Floyd and Clea update: Ticket Discount!

Playwrights Horizons has been kind enough to offer a "Blog Discount" to Moxie's fabulous theater-going readers. If you read Moxie's review and are interested in seeing it, here's the info.

Order by December 5, and all seats are $45.00 (reg $65) for performances November 10 – December 17 with code FCAL. Additional performances Monday, November 20.

Thanksgiving Weekend Special! All seats $40.00 (reg $65) for performances Friday, Nov. 24 – Sunday, Nov. 26 with code FCAL. Limit 4 tickets per order. Subject to availability.

Order online at www.playwrightshorizons.org, or call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 (noon - 8 p.m. daily), or use code at the Ticket Central Box Office 416 West 42nd Street (noon – 8 p.m. daily).

Performances Tuesday – Friday 8pm, Saturday 2:30 & 8pm, Sunday 2:30 & 7:30pm

The Golden Compass will be the Best Movie Ever Made, Ever

How has Moxie missed this? Filming is under way for The Golden Compass, the first of the His Dark Materials movies which are sure to amaze and inspire.

Moxie was lucky enough to see the National Theatre's two-play production of His Dark Materials in London, starring Anna Maxwell Martin and Dominic Cooper (The History Boys). The double-whammy two-part spectacular was one of the most fun, inspiring, heartbreaking, and beautiful productions Moxie has ever seen. Check out many long video clips of the show and other multi-media fun stuff at Stagework's incredible website.

For those who don't know Phillip Pullman's trilogy of books, here's IMDB's summary:

In a parallel Oxford, young Lyra Belacqua begins a dimension-crossing odyssey that builds from a merely atypical children's adventure into a complex (and frequently quite dark) philosophical epic.

The story is something of a children's story - sort of a darker, wiser, fiercely intelligent version of Harry Potter. It challenges organized religion, politics, sexuality as we know it, and many other concepts and beliefs we grown-ups begrudgingly accept.

So now they're making a movie of the story, with a screenplay by Tom Stoppard! Starring in the movie will be Nicole Kidman as the evil Marisa Coulter, Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel, Eva Green (recent interview) as the ageless witch Serafina Pekkala, and Adam Godley (the original Michael from The National's production of The Pillowman) as the voice of Pantalaimon. Ian McShane will also voice the role of Iofur Raknison, the king of the polar bears.

Moxie is abuzz and atwitter with excitement for the film!

Review: Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky

Moxie attended good ole' pay-what-you-can night at Playwrights Horizons, and enjoyed the first preview of Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky. Here's the Playwrights Horizons blurb:

It’s a freewheeling musical journey from Montana to Austin (with a side trip to Hollywood) when a burnt out former country & western star joins forces with a 20 year-old free-spirit with an electrifying voice. Their meeting and unlikely friendship, and the musical partnership that arises from it form a tale of sweet heartbreak, a parable about finding the strength, against all odds, to keep on keepin’ on.

Well, "freewheeling musical journey" makes it sound a bit too much like Dixie Chicks: The Musical. David Cale's quiet, heartfelt musical (is it a musical? really?) is more melancholy than boot-stompin', for the most part. It begins with Floyd, a country music performer (real country, nothing like what you'd see on the CMA's) having a breakdown, one which results in him living out of his clunker of a car and waiting to die of alcohol poisoning. The journey begins in that very grim place, and chronicles his slow climb out of desparation, with encouragement and companionship from a spunky and determined teenager.

David Cale has written and composed (with Jonathan Kreisberg) what might turn out to be a quiet masterpiece. The music is solid, and accurately portrays the real country-western music world, an admirable risk when a more musical theater style would have increased the show's marketability. The fact that he performs it with such gentleness and humility makes it an accomplishment that other musical and theatrical artists ought to celebrate. Not once does Cale dip into the well of arrogance as a performer or a writer. Instead, his character is painfully shy, shrugging and hiding behind huge glasses, opening up to Clea and the audience one hesitating, painful stitch at a time. His ultimate flourishing recovery is beautifully simple and based in reality, making the play soar beyond the realm of the expected troubled-man-makes-good story.

Mary Faber (Avenue Q's recent Kate Monster) at first smacks of musical-theater characterization, popping around the stage and playing Clea's perkiness to the hilt. This, combined with a few of the weaker songs, makes act one border on tedious, at points. However, as Clea's eyes are opened to life's complications and sadness, Faber becomes increasingly entrancing, channeling a young Sissy Spacek mixed with pre-Grey's-Anatomy-hatefulness Ellen Pompeo (speaking of which, check out Ellen Pompeo's episode of Punk'd... bitch is crazy, no lie). Faber's performance will surely deepen as previews continue, and Moxie thinks that by opening night, Floyd and Clea will be a force to reckon with.

As always, when Moxie reviews shows that are in previews, especially very early previews such as this, the show is still very much a work in progress. Please keep in mind that most shows change, shift, and oftentimes vastly improve over the course of previews, up through opening night, when most "real" reviews are written.

Floyd & Clea Under the Western Sky runs through Dec. 17th at Playwrights Horizons.

A Story That Makes Moxie Almost Like Neil Simon

From today's Manhattan Users Guide:

Years ago, when a musical was in trouble, a ‘show doctor’ was discreetly brought in to fix things. Neil Simon and Michael Bennett were two of the most reliable fixers back in the 1960s and 70s. They even worked on each other’s shows. Simon notably contributed some big laughs – "committing suicide in Buffalo is redundant" – to help warm up A Chorus Line (a hit again in its current Broadway revival). However, you may not know why ‘Doc’ Simon agreed to work for free. Just a few years before, Bennett secretly helped out on Simon’s aptly-named The Good Doctor and was then asked to direct God’s Favorite – Simon’s first flop. When Bennett began work on Chorus Line soon after, Simon owed him a big favor.

This has always been one of our favorite lines, especially having spent more time than anyone should ever spend in the snowy hell-frozen-over central/western New York area.

Review: The Flood

The new musical The Flood probably will never be a big-time Broadway musical with razzle-dazzle and big-name stars. That's why it's not to be missed in it's current production by Prospect Theater Company. There are some stellar performances, like Jennifer Blood as a young mentally challenged girl trying to find her footing, and some not-so-great performances as well, but the thing that makes this production soar is it's beautiful score by Peter Mills & Cara Reichel. The songs range from podunk-charming (one is titled, "Hell, We're American") to majestic, and infuse the story with an emotional modesty and truth that makes the audience easily sympathetic to what is basically a small, naiive, red-state town on the brink of disaster, with no one but nature and a short-sighted Mayor to blame.

From the outside, the stories are laughably typical. A high-school couple struggles with decisions about their future together, and whether they should stay in the small town they were raised in, or sow their oats somewhere more glamorous. An farmer proposes to his long-time girlfriend, the local schoolteacher. The mayor is trying to run the family shop, but his son is a rebel with a temper who makes things difficult. These stories are far from new, but the delicacy and specificity with which they are written and performed makes them interesting all over again.

Rather than try and force the audience to find what is old new, the musical celebrates what is traditional, while also questioning traditions that go unchecked. The show opens with a humble yet proud song all about the history of this small town, but once the flood hits and everything is washed away, there is a sense of rebirth amidst the sadness and loss. Also admirable is the utter lack of "poor us, our houses are underwater" self-indulgence that one expects in a showcase production about a national disaster. One of the most moving points is when a character returns to her wrecked house, full of water, and notices how of her many posessions, "it's amazing the things that float."

Moxie hopes someone takes note of The Flood and works to develop it, as there are many aspects worthy of the New York theater world's attention. In the meantime, it's running through November 19th.

Theater News: Les Freres, Sunday in the Park, Gypsy of the Month

-NYTW will present A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, starting Nov. 29th. So exciting! Moxie missed it the first time around, and can't wait to see it again. Les Freres Corbusier does some amazing stuff (Heddatron knocked our socks off), and just look at that picture. [playbill]

-The London revival of Sunday in the Park With George is hoping to transfer to Broadway in fall of 2007. Producer David Babani said, "Nothing is signed, sealed and delivered yet, but we are very much in advanced discussions to make that happen." Check out the design concept:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning show is based on the pointillist masterpiece “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by post-impressionist painter Georges Seurat... In the show, the cutting-edge technology brought Seurat’s work to life, allowing the figures in the painting to move around David Farley’s white-walled set. Bird and Farely received the Critics’ Circle’s Best Design Award for their work.

-The Gypsy of the Month Award has been given to Bernard Dotson, long-time ensemble member of Chicago. Moxie has had the pleasure of meeting Dotson several times, and he couldn't be a sweeter, more wonderful fellow. Kudos to him! [broadwayworld]

Saw III The Musical, err.. The Times They Are A-Changin' to Close

The Times They Are A-Changin' will end it's run at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre Nov. 19th, according to playbill.com. Playbill says:
The musical, which began previews Sept. 25 and opened on Oct. 26, will have played 28 performances and 35 previews by its run's end.

Moxie thinks the idea of seeing this musical is getting more appealing! Having thrilled at last year's wondrously, delectably bad In My Life, perhaps this will be the don't-miss flop of the year!

Photo by Folkyboy, courtesy of Flickr

IMDB Trivia: Casino Royale

"Reportedly, the name of Casino Royale's Vesper Lynd character [played by Eva Green] has two sources. First, she was named after an exotic cocktail called a "Vesper". The rum punch drink contains ice, rum, fruit and herbs and was served to Fleming and life-long friend Ivar Bryce at a north-eastern Jamaican plantation house. The other source of the name was apparently a spy friend of Ian Fleming called Christine Glanville, aka "Vesperale". She was allegedly a spy who had loved him."

Acchh, Moxie writhes in pain over the incandescent beauty of Eva Green!

IMDB

Britney Spears Single and Hot Again

Britney Spears has finally filed for divorce from Kevin Federline. The petition for divorce cited irreconcilable differences, and asks for both legal and physical custody of their kids. This comes on the heels of Federline's near-empty performance at Webster Hall, for which New York Magazine labeled him a "Britney Spears Barnacle." Britney has been doing considerably better that her hubby, appearing recently on Letterman with a new trim physique.

According to TMZ, Spears has hired powerhouse celebrity divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, who has repped a number of celebs, including Angelina Jolie, Nick Lachey and Kiefer Sutherland. We're told Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe asked Wasser to rep both of them in their split, but Wasser declined for personal reasons.

Moxie anxiously awaits Britney's next album, full of trailer-door-slamming, "kiss my ass, K-Fed, you'll never take my babies!" anthems.

IMDB Trivia of the Day: Saw III

"1000 special posters were made and were sold for $20 each in support of Saw III and the American Red Cross. Tobin Bell, donated 2 Vials of his own blood to be dumped into the red ink vat. All 1000 posters were then printed with the red ink vat and later sold. However, the first print was put up for auction. It was also signed by the entire cast and crew. All proceeds from both sales, went to the American Red Cross." Ewww!

IMDB

Review: MTC's The American Pilot

Moxie recently took in an early preview of The American Pilot at Manhattan Theater Club. The play is terrifying, emotional, and intelligent, though largely humorless. Because writing plot summaries makes Moxie want to pluck out her armpit hairs one by one, here's MTC's summary:

"In a rural village in a war-torn country, an American pilot crash-lands. Should the villagers in the region help him, murder him or use him as a pawn in a dangerous game with the enemy? This powerful, topical and very human new play just earned raves at London's Royal Shakespeare Company. This new production will mark its eagerly anticipated American premiere."

Aaron Stanton plays the injured and captive pilot with gut-wrenching accuracy. The Pilot's lines mostly consist of barking out "My guys are coming for me! Get me a phone! Get me a phone or my government will bomb you!" and occasionally singing along to stale rap songs like "Gin and Juice," but Stanton creates a real picture of a good-natured air force boy from Georgia caught in a terrifying situation.

Anjali Bhimani and Rita Wolf are the strongest actors in the ensemble. Greig injects the minimal amount of warmth required into their characters - welcome in an expanse of melancholy, angry, fearful, and agitated men. Wolf is pragmatic and human as a wife trying to negotiate life in a war-torn country, and Bhimani is spirited and fierce as her headstrong daughter. However, the play never really allows them room to take a breath from the drama/trauma, and so, neither can the audience. As the American Pilot is held captive and tortured, the audience verges on feeling subjected to something, as well. Waleed Zuaiter also shines as the conflicted Captain, but again, is only allowed to show a select few colors in the one-noted script.

Ultimately, it's a really smart play that sheds new light on the multitude of horrors going on abroad right now. With the slew of stale, unkempt, and unfocused political dramas like Eve Ensler's The Treatment around these days, The American Pilot is a breath of fresh air. If only the air were just a bit sweeter at points, if only to make the play's many brilliant points more digestible. However, it is an early preview, so things will certainly change for the better!

Photo courtesy of playbill.com

IMDB Trivia of the Day: War of the Worlds

"During the filming of the underwater scenes (where the ferry capsizes) Steven Spielberg played a prank on Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning by playing the dramatic music from Jaws (also one of Spielberg's films) through the massive underwater speakers on the sound stage."

Oh Speilberg, what a silly prankster.

IMDB

IMDB Trivia: Borat

"Borat is based on a Russian Doctor Sasha Baron Cohen once met. He said the Doctor was completely hilarious, but it was unintentional."

"This film was originally to be directed by Todd Phillips. But creative differences between Phillips and Sacha Baron Cohen prompted Phillips to drop out of the project."

IMDB

IMDB Trivia of the Day: Law & Order

The distinctive "thunk-thunk" sound effect used in between scenes was created by combining close to a dozen sounds, including that of a group of monks stamping on a floor.
IMDB

Someday Broadway Transfers: London's National Theatre Announces Season

The National Theatre has announced it's lineup for this season, making it that time again... time to play the "which National show will transfer to Broadway?" game!

In the running:
1) A revival of Happy Daysdirected by Deborah Warner and starring Fiona Shaw. Strong candidate, if predictable.
2) Nicholas Hytner's staging of The Man of Mode, George Etherege’s restoration comedy. Nick Hytner is a genius, but big boring potential.
3) Nicholas Wright’s The Reporter, featuring Ben Chaplin (hottie from The Truth About Cats & Dogs... and The Retreat from Moscow on Broadway, but to me, he'll always be the hottie from the Jeanene Garafalo movie). The play is about the suicide of BBC reporter James Mossman.
4) Revival of Attempts on Her Life, about "late 20th century obsessions [such] as pornography, ethic violence and terrorism. Could be a winner.
5) And rounding it out, we have Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, a play that was one of South Africa's first post-apartheid collaborations between white and black theater companies. John Kani and Winston Ntshona re-create the roles they originated in 1973. Sounds groundbreaking and interesting.

All of them sound pretty incredible, and make Moxie yearn for her days as a drama student in London. However, bets must be placed, and my money's on #3, the Ben Chaplin vehicle. All others, place your bets now!

Follow up: Reason #3,012 why Moxie Loves Julie White

Reason #3,012: the NY Times article on why Sunday's performance of The Little Dog Laughed was delayed: Julie White was at Bed Bath & Beyond, buying mattress pads.

The show started previews on Thursday, and this Sunday had an added evening performance. To accomodate the added show, the regularly scheduled 3pm matinee was moved up to 2pm.

“It gets to be about noon, which is the time I would start getting ready to go to the theater for a 2 o’clock,” Ms. White said yesterday. “And I think, ‘Oh wait, I have a whole ’nother hour, and I hate my mattress pads!’ ”

So on she goes to Bed Bath & Beyond, where she buys not only mattress pads but also a whole Jonathan Adler bedding ensemble, plus a lampshade.

The audience waited, and at ten after two, director Scott Ellis came onstage and "asked the audience if they would rather give Ms. White another half-hour, get refunds or see him play the role. The majority chose the first option." Um, hello? C'mon audience, go for #3! Who wouldn't want to see Scott Ellis don the killer stilletos?

“I’m just moseying to the theater, happy to be working on Broadway with my big giant pita in my hand,” she said, “and I hear two people say, ‘There she is!’ ”

She pretended to know them, naturally, but they turned out to be audience members, and upon their sighting a chorus of other people joined in. “Julie!” she recalled them crying. “Your matinee is at 2! It’s O.K., it’s O.K., just go!”

Of course, she made it, and they started the show at 2:45. If anybody can pull it off with style, it's her.

Moxie's on Technorati

Moxie is now listed on Technorati, a blog listing site.
Technorati Profile

Recent Broadway Transfers

Saturday's NY Times has a great article on the current batch of Off-Broadway to Broadway transfers (Grey Gardens, The Little Dog Laughed, and Spring Awakening). The article details some of the complicated nuances of making the move. Roy Gabay, producer of The Little Dog Laughed, talks about the difficulty of getting The Schubert Organization onboard, and details reason #3,011 why Moxie loves Julie White.

One morning this summer, he brought Julie White, the play’s star and critics’ darling, up to the storied Shubert offices for an appointment with Gerald Schoenfeld, the august, octogenarian Shubert chairman. Mr. Gabay sat quietly as Ms. White let fly a fusillade of weapons-grade charm, asking for a tour of the office in her sugary Texas accent.

After the pleasantries, she moved in for the kill. “Gerry, won’t you please give us a theater,” she recalled saying. “Bottom line: my mother, Sue Jane, didn’t see the show at Second Stage because I was told it was moving to Broadway. So you have to help my mama see this. Sue Jane isn’t getting any younger, you know.”

There was a long pause.

Then Mr. Schoenfeld named four theaters, asked Ms. White for her preferences and promised a decision by the end of the week.

The article also talks about the re-casting process, and how Alicia Silverstone and Alyssa Milano were both considered for the role that ultimately was given to Ari Graynor. The Times also tells us that John Stamos was "game" for the Neal Huff role, but was already booked on ER. Moxie wonders how Ari Graynor and Tom Everett Scott (not to mention Zoe Lister-Jones and Neal Huff) feel about the names of the celebs that almost played their roles being tossed around.

Which is scarier: The Times They Are A Changin' or Saw III?

Because when I think about Bob Dylan, I think about scary clowns.


"You got a lotta nerve, to say you are my friend...."

Marc Sommers at Don't Quit Your Night Job

Moxie was in attendance for last night's Don't Quit Your Night Job V. There were many highlights, but the life-changing event of the evening was Marc Sommer's performance of faux-80's-musical Double Dare: The Musical (above). Sommers flubbed up the first few lines, and can't even pretend to carry a tune, but belted out his anthem like a champ: "I'll Take the Physical Challenge for You." Note the protective goggles in the photo. He later came out for an encore performance from Unwrapped: The Musical. The man is a legend.


Other high points included a mad-libs rendition of "Sunset Boulevard" performed by Alan Campbell himself, with lyrics such as "Sunset Boulevard, Donkey-punching Boulevard!"

Other guest appearances included Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Stephen Lynch, the steamy Marc Kudisch, and Hunter Bell and Susan Blackwell in a uproarious demonstration of their "special skills". Don't Quit Your Night Job benefits TDF's Open Doors, and runs about once a month.

Photos courtesy of Broadwayworld.com.

Dr. McDouchebag

Moxie would like to present the first-ever Golden Douchebag Award to Isaiah Washington. Dr. McDouchebag showed his true colors on-set at Grey's Anatomy, when he went fisticuffs with Patrick Dempsey. Most everybody knows the infamous slur he exclaimed, which outed T.R. Knight to the world. Apparently he has anger management issues (no!) especially in regard to "time" [gays] and "keeping the production going" [keeping away the gays].

Moxie thinks everybody should just calm down, since Dr. McDouchebag has a perfectly reasonable explanation for his actions. "We were like two baseball players . . . nose-to-nose." The issue, he says, was "time and (keeping) the production going. The communication was lost in translation." Oh, cool. So it no punches were thrown, or anything like that? "Our faces are too beautiful for that!," he says. Ah yes, well these things happen. So did you learn anything from this experience, Dr. McDouchbag? "I've never been that close to (Patrick) before," he says. "He has really pretty blue eyes." Aww... so sweet!

Too bad for him, ABC has already started looking for his replacement. NY Metro reports they're auditioning Bill Bellamy (c'mon now), Boris Kodjoe, and Eriq La Salle.

Moxie can see it all unfolding before her eyes: Dr. McDouchebag slowly realizes that his hand isn't recovering. Adamant to be the top-dog surgeon he's always been, he resists, and attempts surgery, killing a patient (or many!). Faced with his failure (and a lot of raised eyebrows at the next M&M), he eats his own revolver in sweeps week, and Isaiah Washington joins the ranks of the "what the hell happened to him?" tv actors.

Richard Easton collapses during Coast of Utopia performance

Acclaimed actor Richard Easton collapsed last night during a performance of The Coast of Utopia. According to the New York Times, Easton was in the middle of a scene with Ethan Hawke, and as he made his exit, he collapsed face-first.

As the action unfolded, Mr. Easton’s character was trying to persuade his son, played by Ethan Hawke, to take a job rather than continue his studies.

“You can’t go to Berlin!” he said, then made his exit. As he left the stage he staggered, then fell on his face, said Rosa Schneider, who was in the audience. Mr. Hawke and the other actor, Amy Irving, continued for a few seconds.

But then Mr. Hawke and several others gathered around Mr. Easton at the rear of the stage.

A minute later, Mr. Hawke addressed the audience: “Is there a doctor in the house?” he asked.

The audience was confused as to whether the whole thing was a part of the show, but when the loudspeaker announced a need for a doctor, about 20 people came to the stage to help.

The publicist for Lincoln Center said that Easton is conscious and in stable condition at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center and undergoing tests.

"The Bitch of Living" Video

Broadway.com has posted the world premier music video of "The Bitch of Living," from Spring Awakening. Nothing new for those who saw it at The Atlantic, but just as rockingly enjoyable as ever.

Oompah Loompah doopety doo....

Tiny Tom courtesy of Dailiy Mail

Pics from The Wiz

Broadway World posted it's photo coverage of The Wiz at La Jolla, and it looks amazing! Check out Michael Washington as Tinman - it looks like he's wearing a futuristic junkyard-metal version of the barricade from Les Miz.


David Alan Grier looks like his normally-annoying qualities will make him perfectly suited for playing The Wiz.


And Evillene's costume looks kinda like Jeffrey's "Couture Du Jour" gown on Project Runway... except awesomer. And eviler.

Evil Jeffrey:


Evillene:

Christine Estabrook rounds out Spring Awakening cast

Broadway World is annnouncing Christine Estabrook as the final piece of the Spring Awakening puzzle. Estabrook will play the only adult female role, replacing Mary McCann, who played it at The Atlantic. Thank goodness! Mary McCann came thisclose to ruining Spring Awakening at The Atlantic with her hemming and hawing and her surface-level emoting. It's too bad, because she's so well liked in the theater community, but she just isn't much of an actress. Moxie predicts that Christine Estabrook and Stephen Spinella will catapault the show into the stratosphere.

Kidman down the Rabbit Hole

Nicole Kidman has acquired the rights to David Lindsay Abaire's Rabbit Hole. Too bad for Cynthia Nixon, who has been getting less-than-stellar buzz for her new play, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Sigh. Who wants to see Nicole Kidman be somber and morose in one more indie movie anyway? Part of what made Rabbit Hole so interesting was seeing someone so different and unexpected in that role. Cynthia Nixon perfectly captured the sense of this is you, or me, or your neighbor, or your coworker, or your son's schoolteacher, or whoever - loss can strike anyone, with no reason, fate, or glamour about it. Nicole Kidman in the role would be totally expected and unexceptional.

CBS's The Class Cast - NY Stage Roots

Playbill has a nice feature on the many stage actors who star in CBS's new sitcom The Class. Featured on the show are NY stage vets Julie Halston, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Heather Goldenhersh, Jason Ritter, and Sam Harris. Moxie has always found Heather Goldenhersh's weird lisp a bit on the irritating side, but Julie Halston rocks! Halston is best known to me as Bitsy von Muffling from Sex and the City (she married Nathan Lane in the Hamptons, remember?), but she was also Electra in the Gypsy revival.

And am I the only one who thinks that Jesse Tyler Ferguson is weirdly sexy? Check out what he says about his favorite comedians:

Like my father, I'm a huge Steve Martin fan. And I'd have to say Madeline Kahn, the master of twisting something in such a way that it's hilarious, even if the line's not funny. I watched 'The Comeback' the other day, and was kind of in awe of Lisa Kudrow; there's such a comic undercurrent to everything she does. Michael Richards and Jason Alexander are very funny. And Steve Carell is a most inspiring actor.

That's hot.

Photo courtesy of playbill.com and broadwayworld.com

Celebs to Deport: Emmy Rossum

Here we have more evidence that Emmy Rossum (left) MUST be shipped out on a one-way rocket launch into the burning sun. That smug, breezy, post-nip/tuck look on her face that says, "Here I am, fabulous little me, at fabulous fashion week. Gee, life is just so grand, isn't it?" Deport, deport I say!

Photo courtesy of the fabulous ladies at Go Fug Yourself

It must suck to be famous

I mean, you're just heading out to browse for the latest Shopaholic book or whatnot, trying to get that song "Daughters" out of your head, and there's your face on the cover of a magazine, with that ugly ugly headline. Ouch.

Review: The Treatment

Moxie was at opening night of The Treatment, Eve Ensler's buzzed-about exploration of... um... what IS it about, anyway? Let's see.

The Treatment begins with a stiff-as-a-board military psychiatrist interviewing (interrogating?) a traumatized soldier. As the source of his trauma is revealed, the relationship between treater and treatee becomes less and less clear. At one point, the soldier falls asleep in the arms of the doctor. At another point, the two share a passionate kiss. The connection between the pair is obviously not about a chemistry with each other, but about the needs, feelings, and humanity that each has been denying themselves, and the resulting desparation for closeness. However, the reasons behind said denials are left frustratingly unexplored. The resulting play lacks a real relationship where the two are invested in each other, and also fails to deliver fully realized characters.

Director Leigh Silverman has certainly crafted an intense experience, with glaring lights and grating sound effects during the changes that heighten the tension. As we get closer to an answer about what exact atrocities the soldier committed in the prisons of the middle east, the tension builds, but there's no real catharsis, and so nothing is learned. The Treatment ends up knee-deep in the oldest trap of political theater, feeling like schooling and punishment rather than a new, fresh look where the audience feels they've explored and learned something important.

Both Portia and Dylan McDermott do as much as they can to clear the muddy waters of the play, but there's only so much they can do. Portia's final moments are intensely powerful, but still leaves you wondering what the message really is here, and what the playwright really wants to say. Aside from "torture is bad and american politics are abysmal," I'm not really sure.

The Treatment marks the beginning of The Culture Project's Impact Festival, devoted to political work. Here's hoping that the other offerings have more focus than this one.

Photo: Bruce Glikas, broadwayworld.com

John Travolta has really let himself go

John Travolta as Edna Turnblad. Wow... the Hairspray movie is going to be so good.

Suri Cruise: Why does this baby look like Daniel Vosevic?

Well, we can all exhale a giant sigh of relief. Suri Cruise's face has been splashed across newstands everywhere, alongside her Dianetics-toting mom and pop. Katie and Tom, "heartbroken" after all the ridicule from the press, public, and sane world, are assuredly hoping that the 20-some-page spread in Vanity Fair will make them normal again.

From the pullquotes from the article, Katie Holmes seems the utterly normal, loving mom, worshiping her child and bewildered as to why the general population would harbor such disdain for her and her "family". She says, "it's really frustrating the amount of s– that's out there. And the stuff they say about Suri? You shouldn't say that about us, and you can't say that about my child." About giving birth, she said, "I was just ready. The feeling is indescribable. All I can say is the moment I looked in her eyes I felt like ... Mom." Aww. Makes Moxie almost feel all cuddly inside. Almost.


So here's my question. If Tom really is the daddy, then why does this child look so much like Daniel Vosovic, from Project Runway season 2??? Perhaps TomKat has achieved the first human clone. At any rate, that child's hair is insane.