hey y'all! last night i had the extreme pleasure of attending (with my pal joey as date) a performance of PARADE - a tony award-winning musical (best book / best music, 1999) now playing at downtown los angeles' mark taper forum (an incredibly intimate venue ... there's literally not a bad seat in the house) i posted about the show a few weeks ago - it stars cutie T.R. knight and lara pulver - and i cannot say enough about it ... everything about the production was top-notch - if you happen to be here in LA do not miss this show - it's playing through november 15th! (check for tickets) i'm a huge fan of musical theatre and honestly this serious & gripping show is definitely one of my faves - i saw it twice in NYC back in the day - i loved seeing it again! many thanks go out to my pals from center theatre group for always taking such great care of me! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
Based on the true story of Leo Frank, convicted for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1913, Parade recounts the press frenzy and public outrage about Frank's trial, and his wife's crusade for justice. Amid religious intolerance, political injustice and racial tension, this stirring Tony Award®-winning musical explores the endurance of love and hope against all the odds.
good evening! here's a first look at cutie T.R. knight in his first project since leaving the cast of grey's anatomy - mr. knight is starring in the musical parade at downtown los angeles' mark taper forum! now i love musicals as you all know and i can honestly say this one definitely lands a spot in my top five of all-time - i saw it twice back in NYC in 1998 where it had a short run (85 performances) at lincoln center yet it did manage to garner nine tony award nominations - and won two - for best book & score! (this particular production is based on london's 2007 donmar warehouse production) the material is quite serious - set in the deep south in 1913 - it's based on the true story of jewish factory manager leo frank (originally hailing from brooklyn) he became the main suspect in the murder of a young girl named mary phagan who worked at the same pencil factory - the trial became a media sensation and brought strong anti-semitic feelings to the surface in atlanta - although his sentence was commuted due to problems with the trial - sadly he was eventually hanged by a lynch mob - his wife lucille frank stood by her husband and tried to help his case but alas she couldn't save him in the end (the case was never fully solved) it's an intense story but the music written by jason robert brown (the book is by alfred uhry) is excellent - i know it by heart - there's a bunch of amazing songs! since this coming sunday i'm going to see kylie minogue at the hollywood bowl - i'll be missing opening night (total bummer) but i've got tickets to see the show the following sunday with my pal joey - i seriously cannot wait - i've been looking forward to this for months now! (i'm also super curious to see how mr. knight handles all the singing - there's a lot of it - this is a total far cry from playing george o'malley) if you happen to be here in LA - this is one show not to be missed - trust me on this one people! (it's playing until november 15th) popbytes over & out for tonight ... xoxo
good morning y'all! a few weeks ago i posted pictures of cutie jude law (aka mr. virile) leaving london's donmar warehouse where he's currently starring in a production of shakespeare's classic play hamlet - now mr. law will be reprising the role on broadway at NYC's broadhurst theater during a 12-week run (previews start sept. 12th, the show opens on oct. 6th) jude last starred on broadway back in 1995 in a play called indiscretions which i was lucky enough to see - especially because he got completely naked on stage - unfortunately it sounds like this time he's keeping his clothes on but i'd still love to go see him take on the bard of avon! popbytes over & out for now .... xoxo
good afternoon! this past wednesday i went to the opening night of spamalot - the new musical 'lovingly ripped off from the motion picture monty python and the holy grail' - now to be totally honest i wasn't all that keen on seeing the show but it did win a number of tony awards back in 2005 (including best new musical) so i was quite curious to find out what all the hoopla was about - i'm super glad i did ... i LOVED it! thankfully - you don't need to be familiar with the film or monty python (since i wasn't) to enjoy the show - it's really upbeat and hilarious plus the music was fabulous (i've already picked up the soundtrack) this production stars john o'hurley (who was excellent) luckily clay aiken was not involved (although i think he must have done a decent job on broadway - the part he played was perfect for him) at the end - eric idle (one of the founding members of monty python - who also penned the book & lyrics) got up on stage along with john du prez (who wrote the music) to say a little something about the show finally making it to los angeles ... the show is in town until september 6th - so if you're looking for a really fun night out - i'd highly recommend catching this oh so silly and endearing show before it leaves! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
good evening! last night was truly a magical one - i had the pleasure of seeing an evening with patti lupone and mandy patinkin at downtown los angeles' ahmanson theatre - patti lupone and mandy patinkin were amazing - especially in combination with each other - both patti and mandy do happen to be tony award-winning stars of the stage - along with being true vocal powerhouses - i simply knew it was going to be an excellent show! i've seen each of them before on broadway ... mr. patinkin in the wild party (he was nominated for a tony award) and ms. lupone in master class (which unfortunately she didn't sing in but it was amazing nonetheless) but witnessing their chemistry together live - working with each other on stage was beyond tremendous (the two starred in the original broadway production of evita back in '79) the show is being billed as 'a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical event with two legendary performers' - i couldn't agree more! the songs they picked were culled from a variety of musicals (thankfully there was a bunch of sondheim tunes) and i loved how the show flowed from song to song (check out the incredible setlist below) all of the selections worked so well together - all linked by common themes of love and relationships! there wasn't a boring moment at all - and of course a big highlight for me was when patti took on don't cry for me argentina and everything's coming up roses (from gypsy) i was literally in pure musical theater ecstasy! the show is only playing through next tuesday - if you're in LA and happen to be a broadway junkie like myself - you certainly cannot miss out on this! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
AN EVENING WITH PATTI LUPONE & MANDY PATINKIN
ANOTHER HUNDRED PEOPLE / Stephen Sondheim (Company) WHEN / Stephen Sondheim (Evening Primrose) A COCKEYED OPTIMIST / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (South Pacific) TWIN SOLILOQUIES / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (South Pacific) SOME ENCHANTED EVENING / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (South Pacific) SOME ENCHANTED EVENING REPRISE / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (South Pacific) GETTING MARRIED TODAY / Stephen Sondheim (Company) LOVING YOU / Stephen Sondheim (Passion) A COCKEYED OPTIMIST REPRISE / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (South Pacific) I'M OLD FASHIONED / Jerome Kern (You Were Never Lovelier) I HAVE THE ROOM ABOVE HER / Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II (Showboat) BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE / Frank Loesser (Neptune's Daughter) EVERYBODY SAYS DON'T / Stephen Sondheim (Anyone Can Whistle) A QUIET THING / John Kander & Fred Ebb (Flora the Red Menace) IT TAKES TWO / Stephen Sondheim (Into the Woods) I WON'T DANCE / Jerome Kern (Roberta) APRIL IN PARIS / Vernon Duke & E.Y. Harburg (Walk a Little Faster) APRIL IN FAIRBANKS / Murray Grand (New Faces of 1956) DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA / Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice (Evita)
INTERMISSION
OLD FOLKS / John Kander & Fred Ebb (70, Girls, 70) EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES / Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim (Gypsy) THE GOD-WHY-DON'T-YOU-LOVE-ME BLUES / Stephen Sondheim (Follies) THE HILLS OF TOMORROW / Stephen Sondheim (Merrily We Roll Along) MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG / Stephen Sondheim (Merrily We Roll Along) OLD FRIENDS / Stephen Sondheim (Merrily We Roll Along) LIKE IT WAS / Stephen Sondheim (Merrily We Roll Along) FRANKLIN SHEPARD, INC / Stephen Sondheim (Merrily We Roll Along) SOMEWHERE THAT'S GREEN / Howard Ashman & Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors) IN BUDDY'S EYES / Stephen Sondheim (Follies) YOU'RE A QUEER ONE, JULIE JORDAN / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (Carousel) IF I LOVED YOU / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (Carousel) IF I LOVED YOU REPRISE / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (Carousel) WHAT'S THE USE OF WOND'RIN / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (Carousel) IF I LOVED YOU REPRISE / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (Carousel) YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (Carousel) YOU'RE JUST IN LOVE / Irving Berlin (Call Me Madam) COFFEE IN A CARDBOARD CUP / John Kander & Fred Ebb (70, Girls, 70)
good evening! last night i had the extreme pleasure of attending the opening night of dame edna's two-week stint (june 9-21) at downtown los angeles' ahmanson theatre - in a show entitled my first last tour - now i knew it would be funny but i had no clue it would be side-splitting - i can't even begin to tell you how much i truly enjoyed the show - she was amazing - i haven't seen anything that funny in a long time! dame edna is the alter-ego of australian funny man barry humphries - who happens to be seventy-five years young - edna was so damn sharp and witty - i could have listened to her tear-inducing & hilarious banter all night long! the show was so engaging - she picked on numerous people in the audience - including one woman named paula who was heckled by edna as she got up to go the bathroom - once she left the room - edna instructed us all to say 'feeling better paula?' when she came back - i would have been so embarrassed but everyone was in great spirits and ms. paula politely smiled and told everyone that she was indeed feeling better - ha!
i also spotted a number of celebrities in the crowd including anjelica huston, martin sheen, judge judy and oh so handsome julian sands who was sitting only two seats away from me! i'm so very grateful i had the opportunity to see this show - by the end she passed out tons of gladiola flowers (her favorite) everyone was waving them in the air for the finale - then edna did a quick change and took a final bow as mr. humphries - he's so unassuming as a man - you can barely tell he's the man behind the magic! i can't stress to you enough - if you happen to be in los angeles - run - do not walk - to the theatre - you must see this show! last but certainly not last - i have to give say thanks to my pals down at the center theatre group who always manage to take such great care of me - you guys rock - along with dame edna! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
hey hey! last weekend i finally had the opportunity to see ain't misbehavin' - the tony award-winning musical revue (which just celebrated its 30th anniversary) here in los angeles at downtown's ahmanson theatre - and it was just as fabulous as i expected it to be! the music serves as a tribute to black artists of the 1920s and '30s - during the harlem renaissance (when places like the cotton club were jumpin') all five cast members (along with the band) did an amazing job of bringing the music to life (watch some video here) it definitely kept my toes tappin' (my favorite number was black and blue - which is an incredibly heartfelt and beautiful song) the show is playing through may 31st - if you happen to be local to LA - i'd recommend checking it out! many thanks to my pals at the ahmanson for helping to hook a blog up - you guys rock! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
good morning y'all! last night the cast of the 9 to 5 movie - dolly parton, jane fonda and lily tomlin - gathered in NYC for the opening night of 9 to 5: the musical on broadway! i had the opportunity to see the show not once but twice when it played here in los angeles' ahmanson theatre during its trial run and i LOVED it - i can't recommend the show enough! if you like the movie (and who doesn't?) you're really going to enjoy this! i'm hoping this show will score ms. parton a few tony awards (the show did just nab a record-breaking 15 drama desk nominations) she wrote all the music and has been the driving force behind getting this musical mounted on the great white way! below you can listen to one of my favorite songs from the show called get out and stay out - sung by the amazing stephanie j. block (who takes on the part of ms. fonda) if you're in new york city - please treat yourself and go see this show! popbytes over & out for now ... xoxo
hey y'all! i've been meaning to mention this - last weekend i attended the opening night of minsky's - the new musical comedy now playing at los angeles' ahmanson theatre (there's a bit of video posted below) of course being a huge fan of musicals in general - i simply had to go see this one! it's one of those feel good & romantic musicals with plenty of toe-tapping numbers (and sexy scantily clad ladies) i wouldn't call it one of my favorites but i did really enjoy myself - it's fairly conventional in terms of structure and plot (based on the film the night they raided minsky's - a NYC burlesque club is about to get shut down during the depression) but it was a great upbeat escape for a couple of hours (especially in this shady economy) everyone else seemed to enjoy it as well - including my dear mom who i took as my date - in fact she's the one who probably got me started on musicals!
hands down one of the highlights was seeing former SNL cast member rachel dratch up on stage (pictured here) who had a hilarious supporting part in the show - she's so damn funny (i miss debbie downer) if you're looking for something light & entertaining - i'd recommend checking out minsky's before it closes on march 1st (it may eventually end up playing on broadway) i do usually prefer shows that are a bit more out of the box (for example - anything sondheim... like say sunday in the park with george or follies) yet i think everyone can use something uplifting & mindless now & again - and seriously ... who can resist a big tap dance number? certainly not me (i should take tap lessons one day - it'd be such a hoot) popbytes over & out for now...xoxo
good evening! oh i bet everyone is watching the superbowl which i actually have on but you know me and sports - not the best of friends - however i am rooting for the pittsburgh steelers to win because of my pals CK and christienne (it doesn't look good right now towards the end of the 4th quarter but that can change in an instant) right now i've got some shots of nicole kidman and daniel day-lewis over in rome filming the screen adaptation of the tony award-winning musical nine - directed by rob marshall (who also helmed bringing chicago to the silver screen) the cast is incredible (posted below ... however there are two weak links - they are listed last!) i'm thrilled that legendary screen beauty sophia loren (age 74) is also starring - she's so awesome - i have a feeling this film is going to kick-ass (and probably pick up some awards) i am familiar with some of the music from the show (by maury yeston) but i've never had the opportunity to see it performed on stage - i simply cannot wait to see this movie which is due to hit theaters on november 25th - i've only got about a ten-month wait! popbytes over & out for now...xoxo (oh my word - is the weekend really almost over?!? it goes by so fast - ugh)
PS i love the large picture below - the light hitting the fountain is stunning!
• Daniel Day-Lewis as Guido Contini
• Marion Cotillard as Luisa Contini
• Penélope Cruz as Carla Albanese
• Nicole Kidman as Claudia Nardi
• Judi Dench as Liliane La Fleur
• Sophia Loren as Mamma
• Stacy 'Fergie' Ferguson as Saraghina
• Kate Hudson as Stephanie Necrophuros
