Showing posts with label Off Broadway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Off Broadway. Show all posts

Thursday, April 12, 2012

On the theater beat


Reviewed for Live Design magazine, Death of a Salesman with Philip Seymour Hoffman and the late, unmourned revisal of Carrie. And, for Theater News Online, a largely successful screen to stage adaptation (pictured). The cast album is gorgeous, by the way.

Friday, March 02, 2012

Live Design: Blood Knot and Richard III


Off Broadway this week with an Athol Fugard revival and Kevin Spacey (pictured) before the curtain rings down on the Bridge Project at BAM this Sunday.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Live Design: Leo


A little, topsy-turvy show that I thoroughly enjoyed. And my first show of the year.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Henry Hewes winners announced


Here's the release. Pictured is the outstanding design for The Normal Heart.

"Six theater artists will be honored by the Henry Hewes Design Awards Committee during the presentation of its 47th Annual Awards in a luncheon ceremony this winter. Eighty-six theater artists were nominated for outstanding work in 61 productions presented during the 2010-2011 New York season.

These annual awards honor designers for work in venues on Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway, recognizing not only the traditional categories of Scenic Design, Costume Design and Lighting Design, but also "Notable Effects," which encompass sound, music, video, puppetry and other creative elements. All nominated designs must have originated in United States productions. The Hewes Awards Committee considered more than 200 productions when making its nominations.

John Lee Beatty extends his record of honors with his seventh Hewes Award; William Ivey Long receives his fourth; Jeff Croiter, David Rockwell and Batwin+Robin each receive their first such honor. Beatty, Long, Rockwell, Ben Stanton, David Zinn and Catherine Zuber led all nominees with three nominations each. Eight other designers received two nominations for their work during the 2010-2011 season.

Theatre for a New Audience's production of Notes From Underground and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater's production of The Hallway Trilogy each received four distinct nominations to lead all other contenders. Broadway productions of Anything Goes, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo and Good People received three nominations each, as did the Signature Theatre Company's Angels in America, New York Theatre Workshop's Peter and the Starcatcher and Three Pianos, the Public Theater's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures and Manhattan Theatre Club's The Whipping Man. Another 10 productions on, Off and Off Off Broadway each received two nominations.

The HHDA Committee named honorees in four categories: Scenic Design, Costume Design, Lighting Design and Notable Effects. As of the 2011 awards, the Committee has bestowed 277 honors on 174 artists representing 191 productions.

Originally known as the Maharam Awards at their inception in 1965, the Hewes Awards were later known as the American Theatre Wing Design Awards in honor of the Wing’s generous sponsorship. They were renamed in 1999 for noted critic Henry Hewes, who created the awards and served as a board member of the American Theatre Wing until his death in 2006 at age 89.

2011 HENRY HEWES DESIGN AWARDS HONOREES
Scenic Design
John Lee Beatty
The Whipping Man (Manhattan Theatre Club)

Costume Design
William Ivey Long
The School for Lies (Classic Stage Company)

Lighting Design
Jeff Croiter
Peter and the Starcatcher (NY Theatre Workshop)

Notable Effects
(Scenery and Projections)
David Rockwell
The Normal Heart (Broadway)
Batwin+Robin
The Normal Heart (Broadway)"

Monday, December 12, 2011

Live Design: New plays


I have been to The Mountaintop (pictured)--and a few other Broadway and Off Broadway shows besides as the year in theater ebbs. Kind of drab, I have to say, after an exciting spring; here's hoping 12 brings it up a notch.

Friday, October 28, 2011

New York Theater News: Sons of the Prophet


Can't quite figure out the rave reviews for this one, but at least it wasn't written by an actor or a screenwriter. Too much of that around.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Live Design: Man and Boy


Back to Broadway with Frank Langella, and a revival of Lemon Sky Off.

Friday, May 27, 2011

New York Theater News: Reviewing a revue


A tuneful Cy Coleman tribute, The Best is Yet to Come, now at 59E59 Theaters. David Burnham and an unmasked Howard McGillin are pictured.

Sunday, May 08, 2011

New York Theater News: Intelligent Homosexual's Guide


It takes almost as long to say the title of Tony Kushner's new play as it takes to see it. Is it worth the effort? Well, it's no Angels in America, but what is?

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Live Design: The "It's Showtime!" edition


"Six shows running at once!"--Max Bialystock, The Producers. Including the four-star, four-letter-word filled smash The Book of Mormon, pictured.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Live Design: Broadway and Treasure Island


Shiver me timbers! A seaworthy play of Treasure Island here in Brooklyn, plus two new plays on Broadway. "Yo ho ho back to the theater we go..."

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Live Design: Other Desert Cities


Visit with Linda Lavin and the actress formerly known as Stockard Channing (all that work, sigh) today through Feb. 27 at Lincoln Center.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Live Design: The year ends


Not with a bang, but with a couple of whimpers, only one truly rewarding. Pictured are Jeffrey Wright and Mos in John Guare's A Free Man of Color.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Live Design: Play dates


More shows this week, but you'll have to act fast to see the flop Elling and the festival attraction Lingua Franca, which close today. Elf (pictured) hangs around through Jan. 2.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Live Design: Season rundown


Current Broadway and Off Broadway shows in review this week include the musical of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Michael Shannon and his finned friend in the comedy Mistakes Were Made.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Live Design: Brits on and Off Broadway


Four shows reviewed this time, the Broadway ones higher profile than the Classic Stage Company's take on Orlando--but how could I not spotlight this photo of David Greenspan all dolled up as Elizabeth I?

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Secrets of the Trade


For Theater News Online: The great John Glover gives Noah Robbins life lessons in Jonathan Tolins' new play, at Primary Stages. Love the "Cafe des Artistes" backdrop.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Live Design: The Grand Manner


Two days left to see A.R. Gurney's comic rumination on an encounter with Katharine Cornell, with Kate Burton, Boyd Gaines, and Bobby Steggert, as I resume my usual semi-usual posting, mostly about posts. Just the way it is these days.

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Live Design: The Merchant of Venice


Al Pacino seeks his pound of flesh in Shakespeare's confounding comedy, running in repertory with The Winter's Tale through Aug. 1 at the Delacorte.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Drama Desk winners announced


Two ties highlighted this year's awards, as Outstanding Play Revival and Outstanding Actress (Musical) deadlocked. Me? I was most happy to see Alex Timbers' book for Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson win, to see the Tony-ineligible Brighton Beach Memoirs get a bit of recognition, and that the ensemble cast of The Temperamentals had something to celebrate as the show closed. Can't argue with the rest, not doing cartwheels, either; it was that kind of season. The award-winning import Red, which struck gold, is pictured.