The Last Midnight: February

There are several shows closing in February (Not as many as January, but I decided to make this a monthly thing, sort of like a last chance call)

The River
Opened: November 16, 2014
Closing: February 8, 2015
Tony Awards: N/A


A Delicate Balance [Revival]
Opened: November 20, 2014
Closing: February 22, 2015
Tony Awards: N/A


The Elephant Man [Revival]
Opened: December 7, 2014
Closing: February 22, 2015
Tony Awards: N/A


You Can't Take It with You [Revival]
Opened: September 28, 2014
Closing: February 22, 2015
Tony Awards: N/A

Say That Again Sam: Phantom of the Opry

I'm literally crying!

Unkown: Shy

Here's a new segment where I pick a performance by someone in a community theater or school production of a show who did an awesome job!

Watch What Happens

Bernadette Peters as Dot/ Marie in Sunday in the Park with George
When I originally watched Sunday in the Park with George I was so, so, so, so, so confused, but when I watched it again I was still confused. When I watched it for the third time and I actually payed attention I was only confused by the ending. Besides the beautiful and extraordinary sets what stuck out the most was Bernadette Peters she was absolutely perfect in her role. I have never seen anyone near the same heights as miss Peters in the role of Dot/ Marie. Peters knew how to be funny and dramatic at the right moments and gave the right amount of humor or sadness at the time. Peters was robbed of the Tony Award that year.

"Sunday in the Park With George"


"Color and Light"


"Everybody Love's Louis"


"We Do Not Belong Together"


"Children and Art"


"Move On"

Stage to Screen

This years Academy Awards has a lot of Broadway/ stage veterans nominees this year.

• Best Actor
• Bradley Cooper- American Sniper as Chris Kyle
• Broadway Revival of Three Days of Rain
• Broadway Revival of The Elephant Man
• Benedict Cumberbatch- The Imitation Game as Alan Turing
• London Revival of Hedda Gabler
• 2006 Oliver Award Nomination for Best Performance in a Supporting Role
• London production of Frankenstein
• 2012 Oliver Award for Best Actor
• Eddie Redmayne- The Theory of Everything as Stephen Hawking
• Red
• 2010 Oliver Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role
• 2010 Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play
• Best Actress
• Marrion Cotillard- Two Days, One Night as Sandra Bya
• Joan of Arc at the Skate in France
• Joan of Arc at the Skate in Spain
• Felicity Jones- The Theory of Everything as Jane Hawking
• The Chalk Garden at Donmar Warehouse
• Luise Miller at Donmar Warehouse
• Rosamund Pike- Gone Girl as Amy Elliot- Dunne
• Hedda Gabler as Hedda Gabler
• Gaslight as Bella Mannigham
• Summer and Smoke as Alma Winemiller
• Best Supporting Actress
• Kiera Knightley- The Imitation Game as Joan Clarke
• The Misanthrope
• 2010 Oliver Award Nomination for Best Performance in a Supporting Role
• Emma Stone- Birdman as Sam Thomson
• Cabaret as Sally Bowles
• Meryl Streep- Into the Woods as The Witch
• 27 Wagons Full of Cotton
• 1976 Tony Award Nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play
•  A Memory of Two Mondays
• 1976 Tony Award Nomination for Best Feautred Actress in a Play

Let Me Be Your Star: Hannah Waddingham

I love Hannah Waddingham! She is amazing and so beautiful. She is a West End (London) star and has massive credits to her name as well as 3 Oliver Award Nominees. Her multiple credits include The Lady in the Lake in Spamalot, Desirée Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, The Witch in Into the Woods, Miss Gulch/ The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, Lilli Vanessi in Kiss Me Kate and a lot more as well as being a factory worker in the highly successful Les Miserables movie.


Send in the Clowns


Memory


Diva's Lament (Whatever Happened to My Part)


The Song That Goes Like This


Red Shoes Blue


The Last Midnight


Take Me or Leave Me

Just Be!

That is what theater is about "Just Be! Who you wanna be celebrate your life triumphantly!"  The theater should be the one place where you do not have to question whether you are accepted or not. In order to prove it below are all the pictures I could find (So far) that involve stage actors who have been apart of NOH8 campaign. There is even a photo shoot every year at the Minskoff theater called NOH8 on BROADWAY and tons of Broadway stars show up for it. It's an annual event since 2011.

Brian Gallagher (Jekyll and Hyde)

Brian Gallagher (Jekyll and Hyde) and wife Megan Hilty (9 to 5, Wicked)

Eden Espinosa (Rent, Wicked) and Kendra Kassebaum (Assassins, Rent, Wicked)

Liza Minelli (Cabaret, Chicago, The Rink, Victor/Victoria)
2 Time Tony Winner
Honorary Tony

The Phantom of the Opera Stars Sierra Boggess and Norm Lewis

Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid, Love Never Dies, Master Class, The Phantom of the Opera)
Oliver Award Nominee

Norm Lewis(The Phantom of the Opera, Porgy and Bess, Side Show)
Tony Nominee

Megan Hilty (9 to 5, Wicked)

Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon, Les Miserables)
Tony Winner

Danny Burnstien (Cabaret, The Drowsy Chaperone, Follies, South Pacific) and his wife Rebecca Luker (Mary Poppins, The Music Man, Phantom of the Opera, Show The Sound of Music)
Danny Burnstein: 5 Time Tony Nominee
Rebecca Luker: 3 Time Tony Nominee

Betsy Wolfe (Bullets Over Broadway, Everyday Rapture)

Jason Daniely (Curtains, The Full Monty, Next to Normal) and his wife Marin Mazie (Into the Woods, Kiss Me Kate, Next to Normal, Ragtime)
Marin Mazzie: 3 Time Tony Nominee
Oliver Award Nominee

Jefferson Mays (A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder, I Am My Own Wife)
Tony Winner
2 Time Tony Nominee

Kelli O'Hara (Jekyll & Hyde, The Light in the Piazza, South Pacific)
5 Time Tony Nominee

Joel Grey (Anything Goes, Cabaret, Chicago, Wicked)
Tony Winner
3 Time Tony Nominee

Ann Harada (Avenue Q, Cinderella)

Jonothan Groff (Spring Awakening)
Tony Nominee

To view the NOH8 on Broadway albums click here and here for two of the albums.

Playbill.com

So this just happened

A Star is Born: Meryl Streep

"Meryl Streep is a film actress not a stage actress! Wah!" No she's not. She has tons of stage credits to her name and 2 Tony Award Nominations. Besides Meryl Streep was in plenty of films that were adapted from a play or a musical. Miss Streep is an insanely talented actress and I'm pretty sure she has gotten more attractive and more talented with age. She is also an extremely caring woman. She is the spokeswoman for the National Women's History Museum and has hosted many events for them. She even donated all of her salary from The Iron Lady* (It was about $1 million) and she has donated tons more money to them throughout the years.

Streep at a dinner she hosted for NWHM

Besides the NWHM she also supports other charities as well including: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Equality Now, Healthy Child Healthy World, The Rainforest Foundation, etc, etc. Miss Streep is not only a wonderful actress and a wonderful person. Besides supporting these charities she also donated $1 million to The Public Theater and she established two scholarships for students at the University of Massachusetts Lowell- the Meryl Streep Endowed Scholarship (For English majors) and Joan Hertzberg Endowed Scholarship (For Math majors) Streep is very vast with her charity work which makes her all the more amazing. She has been in several adaptions of plays and musicals (Doubt, August: Osage County, Mamma Mia, Into the Woods, Master Class) She has plenty of stage credits that include: 27 Wagons Full of Cotton (Flora Meighan), A Memory of Two Mondays (Patricia), The Taming of the Shrew (Kate), Romeo & Juliet (Juliet), Mother Courage and Her Children (Mother Courage) and lots of others. Meryl Streep is probably the most diverse actor I have ever seen. She was trained in opera** and has a phenomenal voice at her age.

Streep at the 2014 Oscars

Streep has been nominated for many awards and has won many awards as well.***

Tony Awards:
1976: Best Featured Actress in a Play for 27 Wagons Full of Cotton (Nominated)
1976: Best Feautred Actress in a Play for A Memory of Two Mondays (Nominated)

Academy Awards:
1979: Best Supporting Actress for The Deer Hunter (Nominated)
1980: Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs Kramer (WON)
1982: Best Actress for The French Lieutenant's Woman (Nominated)
1983: Best Actress for Sophie's Choice (WON)
1984: Best Actress for Silkwood (Nominated)
1986: Best Actress for Out of Africa (Nominated)
1988: Best Actress for Ironweed (Nominated)
1989: Best Actress for Evil Angels (Nominated)
1991: Best Actress for  Postcards from the Edge (Nominated)
1996: Best Actress for The Bridges of Madison County (Nominated)
1999: Best Actress for One True Thing (Nominated)
2000: Best Actress for Music of the Heart (Nominated)
2003: Best Supporting Actress for Adaptation (Nominated)
2007: Best Actress for The Devil Wears Prada (Nominated)
2009: Best Actress for Doubt (Nominated)
2010: Best Actress for Julie & Julia (Nominated)
2012: Best Actress for The Iron Lady (WON)
2014: Best Actress for August: Osage County (Nominated)

2015: Best Supporting Actress for Into the Woods (Nominated)

Primetime Emmy Awards:
1978: Outstanding Lead Actress- Miniseries or a Movie for Holocaust (WON)
1997: Outstanding Lead Actress- Miniseries or a Movie for ...First Do No Harm (Nominated)
2004: Outstanding Lead Actress- Miniseries or a Movie for Angels in America (WON)

Honorary Degree/ Doctorate of Arts:
1981: Dartmouth College Awards
1983: Yale School of Art Awards
2009: Princeton University Awards
2010: Harvard University Awards
2014: Indiana University Bloomington

Honors:
2010: National Medal of Arts
2011: Kennedy Center Honor
2014: Presidential Medal of Freedom

*The film which she won her 3rd Oscar for.
**Speaking of opera Streep has signed on to play the famous awful opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins in a biopic film titled: Florence
***Meryl Streep has been nominated for over 400 awards and counting and has won over 150 awards and counting

Unexpected Song: Still Hurting

I'm currently in the middle of watching The Last Five Years (The Original Off-Broadway Cast) I love this song. I think it's so beautiful, but it is also simple there is no crazy riffs and the belts just emphasize the emotion in the song. Still Hurting was written by 2 time Tony Award Winner Jason Robert Brown. The Last Five Years tells the story of a marriage between Cathy and Jamie. They're never rarely on stage at the same time, also Cathy tells the story starting at the end of the marriage and going back while Jamie starts at there first date and goes forward they only are onstage with each other during there wedding. A movie adaption will be released on Valentine's Day this year.

Betsy Wolfe (Played Cathy in the 2013 Off-Broadway Revival)


Erin Mackey (During her college days at Carnegie Mellon University she played Cathy in The Last Five Years)


Laura Benanti (Benanti sang this song in her American Songbook concert)


Lea Salonga (Sang this song for her Back to Before concert)


Sandra Okuboyejo (She sang this song so beautifully and I would love to hear her sing a million other songs with those powerhouse vocals)


Sherrie Renee Scott (The original Cathy in the Off-Broadway production)

The Last Midnight: January- Part 3

News has just come in that The Last Ship with songs by Sting will be closing.
Opened: October 26, 2014
Closing: January 24, 2015

I Dreamed a Dream: [Title of Show] Live!

We all know that The Sound of Music Live was a hot mess and Peter Pan Live while it was better than The Sound of Music it still had some major issues, mostly there leads (But we'll talk about that later) NBC is also having another live musical telecasts in 2015. There are some reports saying it will be The Music Man starring Seth MacFarlane (He can sing and act, so I'm all for it.) However, I do have some of options as well (One's with great star power, who actually know what they're doing)

The Phantom of the Opera
Phantom: Hugh Jackman (We all know that he is an amazing singer and he won a Tony for The Boy From Oz. He was actually asked to be a part of the 2004 Movie Adaption but couldn't because of scheduling conflicts. I think he would do a great job with his role and he has millions of fans because of A) His body B) His Body C) Wolverine D) http://muslimsocialservicesagency.org/wp-content/themes/wolverine-hugh-jackman-body-2012-i19.jpg I think Hugh Jackman would bring the viewers while also bringing the talent.)

Christine Daaé: Anne Hathaway (She's perfect and once again her role as Fantine in Les Miserables was AMAZING!!!! Just like Hugh Jackman she was also asked to be in the 2004 movie adaption but couldn't because of scheduling conflicts. After her well deserved Oscar win she has gained a huge fan base)

Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny: I CAN'T THINK OF SOMEONE!

Carlotta Giudicelli: Audra McDonald (I'm not a huge Audra McDonald fan, but I think she would be hilarious in this! She definitely has the crazy ass vibrato for this role and she can definitely be a diva [She's kidding around when she's a diva] I can just see Audra rocking this role.)

Madame Giry: Meryl Streep (I can't get enough of her. We all know that she can play the strict dictator and I think Meryl would make the most of this role. I think it would be actually kind of creepy to see how she acts when Giry talks about the Phantom.)

Meg Giry: Michelle Williams (This is another actress that would make the most of a smaller role. It would also be interesting to see how she portrays her relationship of wanting to know the Phantom.)

Monsieur Richard Firmin: Christian Borle (I think it would be hilarious to see Borle play one of the managers he would make it funny, but not be over the top.)

Monsieur Gilles André: Nathan Lane (I think it would be awesome to see him and Borle do these roles)

Ubaldo Piangi: Norm Lewis (Him and Audra were perfect together in Porgy and Bess, they played a very dramatic show in this it's a little intense, but they are actually perfect and hilarious together. It would be hilarious to see them playing this comedic couple also Lewis is currently starring in Phantom right now.)

South Pacific
Nellie Forbush: Michelle Williams (There are rumors of her starring in a new movie adaption of this show and I really hope these rumors become true, she would such an amazing job in this role. As soon I as I saw this I saw her in the role and I saw her being amazing in this role! If she can portray Marilyn Monroe perfectly she can definitely do this role.)

Emile de Becque: Paulo Szot (He portrayed Emile in the 2008 Tony winning Broadway Revival* and he won a Tony for his portrayal and instead of finding someone new to place this role, why not pick someone who already has done it and done it perfectly?

Lt. Joseph Cable: Zac Efron (Come on we all know he would be semi-perfect in this role. He has the singing voice for it and he can definitely be "You damn sexy, lootenant" Most people think he's a bad actor, and while I don't think he's the greatest he is pretty good and can be good in this role and he would pretty much bring in every single 14-140 year old who likes him)

Seabee Luther Billis: Christian Borle (-____- Do I even need to say it he's amazing!)

*Fun Fact: The 2008 Broadway revival holds the record for most Tony's won by a revival with 7. (Originally held by the 1997 revival of Chicago with 6)