All Entries Tagged With: "Jersey Boys"
Rick Elice Takes A Trip Down Memory Lane
A trip down memory lane for ‘Jersey Boys’ co-author
Posted by Don Aucoin, January 5, 2011 03:18 PM, Boston.com
The Colonial Theatre, Boston
When ”Jersey Boys” coauthor Rick Elice read in the Globe yesterday that his show had broken a weekly box-office record at the Colonial Theatre, pulling in $1.1 million for the week that ended Sunday, he got very excited - and not just for the financial reasons you’d expect.
It turns out that the Colonial has occupied a rather substantial place in Elice’s heart for decades.
“The Colonial is a theater that, for me, is one of the great places in the world,” Elice said today in a telephone interview. “It’s a beautiful, beautiful theater. I never dreamed that ‘Jersey Boys’ would play there, so I was very happy to hear that it broke the record.”
In the early 1970s, when he was a stage-struck teenager and Boston was still a significant tryout town for productions on their way to Broadway, Elice used to take the train from New York to catch shows at the Colonial. He remembers seeing Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies” there in 1971, and Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” a couple of years later.
By 1980, Elice had become an actor, joining Robert Brustein’s brand-new American Repertory Theatre. He played Lysander in the ART’s inaugural production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” directed by Alvin Epstein, with a cast that included Cherry Jones and Tony Shalhoub.
After its ART run, Elice says, the “Dream” production moved to the Wilbur Theater, which gave him a chance to walk up to Boylston Street and take frequent peeks at the Colonial. He recalls a production of “Sugar Babies,” starring Carol Channing, at the Colonial at the time.
He left the ART in 1981 to embark on a career in advertising, serving as creative director at a New York ad agency until 1999, then spent a decade as a creative consultant at Walt Disney Studios. One of his poker buddies was Marshall Brickman, a renowned comedy writer (Brickman co-wrote “Annie Hall,” “Sleeper,” and “Manhattan” with Woody Allen). Eventually, Elice and Brickman teamed up to write “Jersey Boys.”
Next month, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” Elice’s adaptation of an adventure novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, will open in New York.
But today, Elice had Boston on his mind. He noted that “Jersey Boys” also enjoyed a solid run last year at the Shubert Theatre, saying “Boston has been very good to us.” He added: “Whatever show is in the Colonial is somehow better because it’s at the Colonial. The show seems like the icing on a very beautiful cake that’s there all the time.”
It’s been two decades since he was last inside the Colonial (for a production of the musical adaptation of “Grand Hotel.”). But he plans to rectify that soon. “I’m going to Boston before the end of the month to see my ‘Boys,’ ” said Elice.
“A Christmas Carol – The Concert” Available From Amazon
“A Christmas Carol – The Concert”, featuring the voices of Merwin Foard (The Addams Family) and Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys, The Midtown Men), is available for purchase from Amazon.com. This is what people are saying about the CD:
… I loved the music. It is very contemporary with a broadway musical flair. Any generation would love it. Merwin Foard is an amazing talent who plays Scrooge with a vengenance!! His baritone voice reaches the soul…
…This is the best Christmas Carol I have ever jheard, bar none, Merwin Foard’s voice is fabulous as Scrooge and the score and lyrics are clever and memorable. This deserves to be heard on the radio…
…This is a beautiful CD. The music is rich and varied and the lyrics are downright inspirational. One song brought me to tears. I can’t wait to listen to it again…
…I purchased this because I love the story. I’ve listened to it over and over because the music is so amazing! The narration and vocals are wonderful and the music is like no other version I have heard.
Click here to visit amazon.com and purchase your copy now.
The Addams Family Musical An Entertaining Afternoon of Theatre
Catherine (me) and Rick Elice
Last weekend was a whirlwind of friends, parties, and great Broadway entertainment! AND I was able to spend some time with my favorite Broadway writer, Rick Elice. Rick is that rare breed of celebrity who is unassuming, humble and completely genuine. He is such a pleasure to know – one would never guess he has two of the top 10 shows currently running on Broadway.
While Saturday was all about Jersey Boys, Sunday was reserved for The Addams Family. I had second row center seats for the matinee – up close and personal - and I was a little bit nervous. There have been mixed reviews, not only from the critics, but from a few of the readers here on the blog, and I didn’t want to go in with any preconceptions about the show. So, I went in with an open mind, and I had a blast!
From the opening number “When You’re An Addams”, to the final curtain, I had a smile on my face and a laugh in my throat. I don’t want to get into a scene by scene analysis – that’s been done to death. I just want to share my thoughts.
Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth were wonderful as Gomez and Morticia, two parents facing what all parents face when they realize that their baby is all grown up and about to leave the nest. Of course, not all parents face it in quite the same way! Bebe was gorgeous! Her flawless skin and deadpan expression were classic Morticia. She danced beautifully, and her “Just Around The Corner” was one of my favorite numbers. Nathan definitely lived up to the hype. His comedic timing is impeccable, and he had the audience in stitches.
Kevin Chamberlin was hilarious as the “moonstruck” Uncle Fester. He really got into his oddball personae, and the audience loved him.
Jackie Hoffman as Grandma was as hysterical as everyone says. Although her role was small, she made the most of each and every line, leaving the audience doubled over in laughter. At one point during “dinner”, she was obviously ad-libbing, talking about running the mara…mara…mara..thon (NY marathon was run that day), and the cast was laughing so hard, Bebe actually had to lay her head on the table so the audience wouldn’t see. Of course, being in the second row, I could see her head shaking!
As the tormented young couple, Wednesday Addams and Lucas Beineke, Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor were fantastic. They portrayed just the right amount of teenage angst, mixed with a craziness that comes with young love. Krysta’s voice was crystal clear, with a bit of a rock edge to it, and Wesley was a perfect accompaniment. Their “Crazier Than You” was another of my favorites. I’ll be keeping an eye on their careers, I’m betting they go far.
Carollee Carmello and Terrence Mann played Alice and Mal Beineke, Lucas’s “normal” parents from Ohio. If that’s normal, I’d hate to see odd. She with her bright yellow dress and rhyming speech, and he with his tough-guy “I won’t be pushed around” act (until I meet the right squid), were very entertaining, and they played the roles to perfection.
As Lurch, the mostly silent butler, Zachary James was brilliant. And Adam Riegler was terrific as Pugsley. He had a fantastic voice for such a young age, and was very enjoyable to watch. His sadness at realizing his sister was growing up and wouldn’t be around to “play” with him much longer was very touching.
And last, but certainly by no means least, the Ancestors were all superb. Each one had his/her own personality, they danced beautifully, and the way they were utilized onstage was ingenious.
On the top of my list of ”high points” has to be the set design. Congratulations to Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott for a tremendous job! Basil Twist’s puppetry was also spectacular, adding a layer of creativity not seen in many shows. And, as usual, Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman wrote a great story, with a perfect mix of humor, seriousness, and Charles Addams absurdity.
“Just Around The Corner” and ”Crazier Than You” were my favorite musical numbers, with “When You’re An Addams” and the tango scene following close behind. Gomez had two ballady numbers that dragged a bit (for me), but Nathan performed them beautifully. And Uncle Fester and the moon, and Mal Beineke and the squid were a bit over the top, but hey, this is the Addams Family - they are over the top!
Please bear with me while I vent….I know this is a family friendly show, and yes, they sell candy at the concession stand, but people, this is a high dollar Broadway show, not a movie theater. Please have the courtesy to NOT open loud candy wrappers, slurp noisily on lollipops, or rifle through your shopping bags in the middle of the performance (yes, I experienced all of this within two rows of me, and the perpetrators were all adults.) This is not only rude to your fellow audience members, but most especially to the cast.
I would like to say a huge thank you to the entire Addams Family ‘family’ for an exciting and entertaining afternoon of theatre!
Congratulations to Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman
Some of you may not realize that the co-authors of The Addams Family musical, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, also penned Jersey Boys, which just celebrated its 5th Anniversary on Broadway. I had the pleasure of attending the “Fan Party” hosted by Rick, and the Saturday evening performance. Oh what a day and night it was! Congratulations, Rick and Marshall, on your well-deserved honors over the event-filled weekend. And thank you for bringing such wonderful entertainment to Broadway!
Rockers On Broadway – Dance Party at BB King Blues Club
The PATH Fund and The Frye Company Present: ROCKERS ON BROADWAY-Dance Party
Broadway stars and Rock stars will join the audience to dance the night away when Rockers on Broadway returns to BB King Blues Club on Monday, November 8th at 8pm.
The latest edition of ROCKERS ON BROADWAY returns to BB King’s for another great evening of music but this time with a twist–they’ve cleared the dance floor so the audience can rock out to their favorite dance hits. Directed by Donnie Kehr, ROCKERS ON BROADWAY–Dance Party features some of the hottest dance tunes from Elvis to GaGa, performed by Broadway stars and the Rock stars who made them famous. The concert will benefit Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, Broadway Dreams Foundation, Broadway in South Africa, and The Bendheim Performing Arts Center Scholarship Fund.
Starring:
Chris Barron from Spin Doctors; Randy Jones from The Village People; Fred Schneider from The B52s, and Sirius Radio Star “Cousin Brucie” Morrow. Plus, Tony Award Winners Alice Ripley (Next to Normal) and Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Rent) and Tony Nominees Chad Kimball (Memphis) & Daphne Rubin Vega (Rent, Anna in the Tropics).
Featuring From Broadway:
Kathy Brier (Hairspray, TV’s Boardwalk Empire), Tituss Burgess (Guys & Dolls, Little Mermaid, Jersey Boys), Ben Cameron (Wicked, Aida), Te’Rea Campbell (Lion King), Jessica Dillan (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Anika Ellis (The Color Purple), Felicia Finley (The Wedding Singer), John Arthur Greene (West Side Story), Steve Gouveia (Jersey Boys), Emma Hunton (Next to Normal, Spring Awakening), Adam Kantor (Rent), Donnie Kehr (Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys), James Kinney (Sweet Charity), Jeremy Kushiner (Jersey Boys, Footloose, Rent), Jay Leslie (rock group The Tokens), Ian Liberto (Promises, Promises). Michael Longoria (Jersey Boys), Alex Nordin, Jermaine R. Rembert (Memphis), Sara Schmidt (Jersey Boys), Jeremy Schonfeld (Clear Blue Tuesday, Drift), Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde), Wendi Stoltzfus, Doug Storm (Dance of the Vampires) Alena Watters (The Addams Family), Tommar Wilson (Hair).
Rockers on Broadway, now in its 17th year, was founded by Donnie Kehr while appearing in the Broadway run of The Who’s Tommy and was inspired by Pete Townshend, who wanted the play’s performers to experience the feeling of singing with a rock band in a concert style venue, and to transfer the rawness of that edge to the stage.
Rachel de Benedet, Terrence Mann Cast In NAMT Musicals
Rachel de Benedet
I was excited to read the casting announcement for NAMT’s Festival of New Musicals, which will be presented in Manhattan this October, for not only does it include two of our own Addams Family members, but also one of my favorite performers, Christian Hoff.
Christian Hoff
Terrence Mann
The National Alliance for Musical Theatre presents the annual festival for industry members, which showcases eight new musicals in 45-minute staged readings. A host of Broadway veterans populate the presentations that will be offered Oct. 21-22. For more information, and complete casting, visit NAMT.
Merwin Foard Featured On New Christmas Carol Recording
Two of my Broadway favorites, Merwin Foard and Daniel Reichard, can be heard together on new ‘Christmas Carol’ recording!
Foard at "The Little Mermaid" Opening Night
Reichard at "The Addams Family" Opening Night
Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys) as Fred and Ghost of Christmas Past, and Sean Palmer as Young Scrooge.
A Christmas Carol–The Concert features music by Bob Christianson and lyrics and a book adaptation by Alisa Hauser.
Speculating on an Addams Family National Tour
Patrick Healy’s recent NY Times article (see “The Addams Family” A Critic-Proof Smash) got me thinking about an Addams Family national tour. If and when the show goes on the road, what might be the first stop? I haven’t found any substantiating evidence on the subject, but if I was to speculate, I would start with FIVE CENT PRODUCTIONS.
Five Cent Productions, which shares an Addams Family Producer credit, is a managing member of Elephant Eye Theatrical. Its members are nationally renowned performing arts centers that are proactively developing new theatrical material for their own theaters and stages worldwide. Here’s a quick look at each of the Five Cent members:
♦♦ Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts of Hartford, CT, whose President and CEO, David Fay, is Five Cent’s managing member.
“Connecticut’s Premier Performing Arts Center”
The Bushnell’s upcoming shows include Porgy and Bess, South Pacific and Steve Solomon’s My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m STILL in Therapy. For more information, visit Bushnell’s website.
♦♦ The Citi Performing Arts Center of Boston, MA
“…one of the nation’s foremost nonprofit performing arts institutions”
Between their two theatres, the Wang Theatre and the Shubert Theatre, Citi’s upcoming shows are a mix of comedy (George Lopez and Conan) and music (Diana Ross and Celtic Thunder), with Jesus Christ Superstar and Dora the Explorer thrown in the mix. Click here to visit Citi’s website.
♦♦ The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts of St. Paul, MN
“crown jewel of Saint Paul”
The Ordway’s 2010-2011 season boasts such theatrical offerings as Evita, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Stomp, Next to Normal, Guys and Dolls, and 9 to 5 the Musical. Click here for more information.
♦♦ The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts of Philadelphia, PA
“Premier performing arts groups reside in The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Music, forming an exciting community of artists, and an oasis for art lovers”
The Kimmel Center has an impressive 2010-2011 Broadway series on tap, which includes Jersey Boys, Les Miserables, In The Heights, Mary Poppins, South Pacific and Next to Normal. Visit their website for more information.
♦♦ Pittsburgh CLO
“Exceptional Musical Theater for More Than Half a Century”
Current and upcoming productions (between now and September) include Nunsense, Oliver, Miss Saigon, Curtains, The Producers, and Hairspray. Check out their website for more information.
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♦♦ Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
“The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of Pittsburgh’s downtown Cultural District.”
Click here for more information on the venues of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
So, all of you in the areas of Hartford, Boston, St. Paul, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, keep your eyes and ears open. And let us hear from you!
Addams Family Musical Stars Chat with USA Today
by Todd Plitt, USA Today
‘Addams Family’ stars: Kooky, spooky, in no way spoofy
By Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth may be dressed in black — a color also favored by Gomez and Morticia Addams, whom they play in the new Broadway musical The Addams Family— but there’s not a whiff of the macabre in the stars’ relaxed conversation.
And perhaps that’s fitting. Based on the Charles Addams cartoons that inspired the hit TV series of the 1960s, this new adaptation — with a book by Jersey Boys librettists Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and a score by Andrew Lippa— presents a happy, loving family. “It’s just that everything they like happens to be the opposite of what ‘normal’ people like,” Lane says.
Chatting hours before a recent preview at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where The Addams Family opens April 8, Lane and Neuwirth discuss the pressures and pleasures of bringing their iconic characters to the stage.
Q: When did you first become familiar with the Addams Family?
Neuwirth: I watched the show on television as a little girl, then discovered the cartoons when I got a bit older.
Lane: I watched the show first, too, and loved it.
Neuwirth: Did you want to be Gomez?
Lane: Nah, I didn’t project myself into it. I just thought it was really fun and different. It only ran for a couple of seasons, but they were obviously memorable.
Q: How about Morticia, Bebe? She’s the first character you’re creating for a new Broadway musical.
Neuwirth: I loved Morticia so much as a girl. I think many women love her; she’s really archetypal. So it’s very important to me that she’s represented properly — that she doesn’t have anything dopey to do or say, or anything that isn’t honest. I feel I have to take care of her.
Q: Word is that this show takes its spirit from Charles Addams’ cartoons. Is there anything that will surprise people who are only familiar with the TV series?
Neuwirth: Its depth.
Lane: Yes, I think we win them over with humor and then …
Neuwirth: Then we sock ‘em in the solar plexus!
Lane: People will expect to laugh and have a good time, but maybe not to be moved by it. But there are some very touching moments.
Neuwirth: The big musical theater moments are there, but they happen in a way that’s true to the Addams Family. There are no sequins on this stage. Nobody wears anything shiny.
Q: Gomez and Morticia are a pretty hot couple. How do you get that chemistry across?
Neuwirth (coyly): You’ll see. Look, these people love each other, they love their family. They love their pets. The boy (the Addams’ son, Pugsley, played by Adam Riegler) has a big lizard, but he loves it like a puppy dog.
Lane: It’s just great fun to be them, you know? For me, it’s been joyous to play someone who is so positive about everything. That’s the opposite of me.
Q: After the show’s run in Chicago last year, (veteran director) Jerry Zaks was brought in as a creative consultant. There was speculation that the darker, more sophisticated humor of the cartoons didn’t translate for audiences expecting to see the TV show replicated. Any truth to that?
Neuwirth: That had nothing to do with it. The show was very good in Chicago; we packed the house every night, and they stood up and cheered. But a good show can get better.
Lane: The producers felt we needed a fresh pair of eyes, and fortunately, Jerry agreed to work with us. And he’s been able to come in like a Jewish Ty Pennington and give us an extreme makeover. But that’s how shows have been created for years — friends give advice, people help.
Neuwirth: You go out of town, you make changes and it keeps evolving.
Lane: Of course, this is a high-profile show, so everyone’s got an opinion. People say (affects a lofty tone), “It’s the most highly anticipated musical of the season.” It’s like you’re being set up for a fall. We’ve done a tremendous amount of work, and there’s more to come. A lot of fun, but a lot of work, too.
Brickman and Elice’s Jersey Boys Chicago Run Comes To An End
Sunday was a sad day for the Chicago theater community, not to mention to Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman. Not only did they say goodbye to The Addams Family Musical, which finished up its eight week pre-Broadway try-out, but they also bid farewell to the Chicago run of Jersey Boys at the Bank of America Theatre. At its closing, the show had played 27 months – a total of 951 performances – and been seen by 1.3 million patrons.
Chris Jones, of the Chicago Tribune, Theater Loop Blog had this to say about the Jersey Boys closing: “…while all closings are emotional, there’s no question that Jersey Boys, which has been kept in top form and looked as good Sunday as on its opening night, exceeded all reasonable expectations in Chicago and proved that shows other than Wicked could sit down here and thrive.
Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman, the authors of (conveniently) both Jersey Boys and The Addams Family, took the stage at the Jersey Boyscurtain call, with Elice noting that ‘what we thought was going to be a 10-week stint’ had, in fact, turned into a run seen by 1.3 million people. ‘This has to be the most spectacular opening night I have ever experienced,’ Brickman joked, clearly moved by the emotion of the occasion.”
Congratulations to Rick and Marshall on the successful run of Jersey Boys in Chicago. May all their endeavors be so blessed!
…Sergio Trujillo gives new meaning to multitasking
I found this fantastic article on newcitystage.com and had to share. I knew after seeing Jersey Boys that Sergio Trujillo was special, but I didn’t realize just how amazing he really is.
Broadway Boundless: “Addams Family” choreographer Sergio
Trujillo gives new meaning to multitasking
Sergio Trujillo has a talent for continuing a conversation exactly at the point where he left off, something that serves the choreographer well during an extended interview at the Argo Tea near the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre. It’s where his latest project, the highly anticipated musical version of “The Addams Family,” is in previews for a December 9 world premiere.
It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and he’s in the middle of relating how Debbie Allen (of “Fame” fame) became his sponsor for his Green Card in the early nineties—Trujillo is Canadian by nationality and Colombian by birth—when he leaves briefly to retrieve a tomato-goat-cheese quiche and nonfat latte. He is describing his collaboration with “Addams Family’”s innovative co-directors/designers Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch (“amazing but a new way of working for me”) when he answers his iPhone to clarify a note to an assistant. There is the time Trujillo has to excuse himself for twenty minutes in order to run back to the Oriental to give notes to the cast. Later, at the brand-new Puma flagship store across from the theater (“I’ve been dying to check this place out,” he says), he begins telling me how he had been mugged two weeks earlier on State Street following a late-night production meeting, then stops to admire a pair of black Pumas. “I love these,” he says.
