Some quick lunchtime items to chew upon, whilst I take a quick break from typing in comments on a document:
- From the “She Did It Again” Department: Patti is at it again, as in Patti LuPone chewing out audience members for using electronics during one of her performances. This time it was in Las Vegas, where she called out an audience member for using a device. Not only that, she called out the NY Times for calling her on it. Of course, she’s right: theatre audiences these days have no manners. Even the Wall Street Journal has commented on it. Perhaps they should follow the Golden Rules of Theatre Etiquitte.
- From the “I Predicted It” Department: Remember a while back I wrote that the time was ripe for a revival of “How Now Dow Jones”. Well guess what? I predicted it. There will be a revival of the show as part of the New York Fringe Festival.
- From the “Stage to Screen to Stage” Department: Turning to new productions, Playbill is reporting that “City of Angels” (a wonderful Cy Coleman hard-boiled detective show that was the last production we saw at the LA Shubert) will be made into a movie musical. The musical’s Tony-winning lyricist, David Zippel, is attached to the project. Hairspray composer Marc Shaiman will provide additional musical material based on the late Cy Coleman’s jazz score and serve as musical director for the film. Going the other direction, the Christmas-classic (?) “Elf” is being turned into a stage musical. The show will feature a book by Tony winners Thomas Meehan (Hairspray, The Producers) and Bob Martin (Drowsy Chaperone) and a score by Wedding Singer collaborators Matt Sklar and Chad Beguelin. Elf is hoping for a 2010 holiday debut. Those who like “The Marvelous Wonderettes” will be pleased to hear the show’s team has developed a related musical, “Life Could Be A Dream” telling the story of the boy group that competed with the Wonderettes. Performances start July 27 at the Hudson Mainstage under the direction of Roger Bean. The cast will comprise Doug Carpenter as Skip, Justin Michael Duval as Wally, Jim Holdridge as Eugene, Daniel Tatar as Denny and Jessica Keenan Wynn as Lois. More details on Dream can be found here.
