Some theatre news chum, from a slightly-late lunch break (I worked while I ate):
- From the “Hey, Look Me Over” Department: Lyricist David Zipple is working on a jukebox-style review of Cy Coleman’s music, to make its debut later this summer (July 9-August 2) at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura. The revue, titled “The Best is Yet to Come”, will pull from Coleman’s full catalog, offering classic and obscure numbers he wrote with a variety of lyricists, including Carolyn Leigh, Dorothy Fields, Comden and Green, Michael Stewart, Zippel and others. Lillias White is expected to costar with Jason Graae. The musical will include songs from Coleman musicals that may yet surface (The Napoleon Music, “N”, “Pamela’s First Musical” and the Marilyn and Alan Bergman collaboration known as “In the Pocket” or “Like Jazz”, which we saw at the Taper).
- From the “Just Go To The Movies” Department: A little bit of news about musicals that have been turned into movies, but haven’t surfaced yet. The long-awaited film version of Forever Plaid will be surfacing on March 14 in a benefit for Musical Theatre West in Long Beach. The “first look” screening of the movie about our fictitious foursome will be presented as part of a benefit evening at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, CA. The evening commences with dinner at 6 PM, followed by the screening of the film and a dessert reception. Later in the year (November), the musical version of “Nine” will reach the screen. It is being released November 25th — nsshere, do you want to delay your birthday party for this? “Nine” is the movie musical version of the 1982 Broadway musical “Nine”, which was inspired by Federico Fellini’s film “8½.”
- From the We’d Like To Thank You, Herbert Hoover” Department: In a move that is likely to become, unfortunately, the Mark Taper Forum has postponed a production due to the economy. Specifically, the Center Theatre Group has postponed for a year their production of “The Lieutenant of Inishmore”… and isn’t filling the hole in the schedule. I’m guessing subscribers will get tickets to some other CTG production. But I’m expecting this to happen more frequently: productions are expensive. My question is: if seasons are being reduced, will season ticket prices go down accordingly? For the short term, it might not be a bad thing: keeping people on the season rolls while lowering the cost until folk can afford more shows.
- From the “You’ve Got Possibilities” Department: There haven’t been all that many musicals about superheroes. I can think of only one (can you name it?). There have been slightly more about comic characters (which can you name?). We’re about to add one more. The musical “Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark” with music by U2 will supposedly open on Broadway in February 2010. $31 million budget. Somehow, I don’t believe this one will recoup.
- From the “The Elephant Song” Department: In one of my favorite shows that I’ve never seen, “70 Girls 70”, a character sings the question:
Where does an elephant go?
Where does an elephant go?
When a Pharaoh finally met his doom,
They would lay him out in a swanky tomb,
But an elephant takes so damn much room,
Where does an elephant go?The question is: when an elephant dies at the zoo, you never hear about how they dispose of the body. One day its there, the next its gone… and you really can’t just sneak an elephant out in little box. A VW maybe. But I digress. I mention this only because Sunita, the oldest elephant at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, has just died. Alas, other than mentioning a necropsy… they don’t say what they are doing with the body. So where does an elephant go?
P.S.: All department titles are songs from shows. Can you name them? I’ve already given you the last one.
