Thursday, May 07, 2020

A challenge for musical theater mavens, see “By Jeeves,” 2020 Pulitzer Prize for drama announced, and sad news from convergence-continuum



TEST FOR SO-CALLED “MUSICAL THEATER MAVENS”
Most musicals end with a grand finale—a rousing number sung by the full cast to get the audience to their feet leading into those last bows. There are a handful of musicals, however, that leave with a last word—a spoken line to punctuate story.

Click through the gallery whose link is below and see how many musicals you can name from their last lines. Bonus point if you know librettist!

https://www.playbill.com/article/can-you-name-the-musicals-from-these-final-lines-of-dialogue?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PlaybillPost

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“THE SHOWS MUST GO ON” TO AIR ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S FAVORITE FLOP BY JEEVES

Next in the line-up of favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, By Jeeves will air on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s YouTube channel, The Shows Must Go On, this Friday, May 8 at 2 PM (EDT). The recording will remain accessible for 48 hours.

By Jeeves has a book and lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The musical is based on a series of novels and short stories by P.G. Wodehouse that center around the character of Bertie Wooster and his loyal valet, Jeeves.

The musical’s original premiere was in 1975 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, where it ran for only one month before being considered an instant flop. After rewrites, the show re-opened in London in 1996 and had its United States premiere at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut.

The show opened on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theater in 2001, where it ran for about two months. The show is hailed by Andrew Lloyd Webber himself as his “disaster musical.”

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2020 PULITZER PRIZE FOR DRAMA
Michael R. Jackson has been named the winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his musical A Strange Loop.

The semi-autobiographical piece is the 10th musical to receive the distinction, following Hamilton, Next to Normal, Rent, Sunday in the Park With George, A Chorus Line, How to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingFiorello!South Pacific, and Of Thee I Sing.

A Strange Loop made its world premiere last year at Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons in a co-production with Page 73.

The musical, inspired by Jackson's own experiences, follows a young artist at war with a host of demons—not least of which are the punishing thoughts in his own head—in an attempt to capture and understand his own strange loop.

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18 Theatre-Related Online Resources for Kids and Families to Get You Through COVID-19

A list of remote classrooms, virtual craft and dance workshops, celebrity bedtime stories, and much more:

https://www.playbill.com/article/17-theatre-related-online-resources-for-kids-and-families-to-get-you-through-covid-19?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PlaybillPost
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Audra McDonald to Host Star-Studded Covenant House Benefit with Meryl Streep, Dolly Parton, and More
Tony winner Audra McDonald, a longtime supporter of the charity organization Covenant House, will host a star-studded benefit concert for the nonprofit later this month.

Live streaming for one night only on Broadway on Demand, the evening will feature appearances and performances from Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Jon Bon Jovi, Dolly Parton, Dionne Warwick, Stephen Colbert, Stephanie J. Block, and Tony Shalhoub.

A Night of Covenant House Stars will be co-hosted by 60 Minutes correspondent John Dickerson (both he and McDonald are members of the Covenant House Board of Directors). The Broadway on Demand live stream is set for May 18 at 8 PM ET and will be available to access free of charge.

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National Theatre at Home unveils a powerhouse slate of upcoming streams
The 2018 production Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra, starring Ralph Fiennes streams May 7, while Inua Ellams’ Barber Shop Chronicles May 14.  Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire follows May 21. The 2013 production of This House by James Graham streams May 28.  Streaming June 4 is the Donmar Warehouse production of Coriolanus, starring Tom Hiddleston.

All productions will be available to stream for free seven days following its premiere on YouTube (here) at 2 PM ET on its scheduled date of release.

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Bad news from convergence-continuum
convergence-continuum's artistic home THE LIMINIS suffered a structural collapse of our decorative parapet above the roof of their performance space, exposing our stage to the elements.  This incident was swiftly addressed and steps are being taken to rebuild (and improve) the facade.  The theatre has, therefore canceled its production of Insurrection: Holding History, but is hopeful that they will be back in operation when it is safe for to return from this health crisis.
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