Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s - Stage News

"SHOWGIRLS! THE MUSICAL!" OPENS IN NEW YORK, APRIL 17

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:41:00 -0500

Showgirls! The Musical! is a satiric stage production based on the notorious NC-17 1995 film Showgirls that has had a vibrant after-life as a guilty pleasure for lovers of campy movies. The stage show debuts April 17 in New York City and runs through May 4. According to the web site DNAinfo.org:

"The new musical promises not only the “erotic dancing” of the original but also “questionable dancing,” according to a statement.

There will also be musical numbers like “Don't Lick that Pole, Girl” and “I’d Look Great in Versace” – as well as plenty of thrusting."

“Showgirls! The Musical!” will run at the Kraine Theatre at 85 E. Fourth St. from April 17 to May 4. All shows are at 8 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $18 from ShowgirlsTheMusical.com and can also be bought at the door for $20.

For more info, tickets and film clips visit the web site by clicking here

"MAGIC NUMBER 6", STAGE PLAY ABOUT PATRICK MCGOOHAN'S "THE PRISONER", PERFORMED AUGUST 19-24 IN EDINBURGH

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:07:00 -0600

Scottish fans of the legendary 1960s TV series The Prisoner will want to flock to the stage production Magic Number 6, to be performed at the Space on the Mile: Theatre One in Edinburgh, August 19-24. The play examines the trials and tribulations between the show's star and creator Patrick McGoohan and producer Sir Lew Grade in bringing the unique series to TV. For more info click here

ROBERT VAUGHN TO STAR IN "YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU" AT GEVA THEATRE CENTER, ROCHESTER NY

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 05:13:00 -0500

Robert Vaughn will return to live theater, starring in the Pulitzer Prize-winning screwball comedy You Can't Take It With You at the Geva Theatre Center, Rochester, New York. Performances run from September 11-October 7. For more click here

"GILLGAN'S ISLAND" MUSICAL BEING PREPPED FOR BROADWAY

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:56:00 -0500

Family members of the late Gilligan's Island producer Sherwood Schwartz are preparing a musical based on the icon 1960s sitcom in the hopes that it will open on Broadway. A Tony-nominated director is attached to the project, which will showcase the familiar group of castaways- along with a new character, an alien. We presume they mean from out of space, not a person from out of the United States. We're just concerned that the alien angle might diminish the realism of the traditional plot lines- you know, as in the case when the Harlem Globetrotters ended up on the island. You can count us among those who have long pondered why a group of tourists who had signed up for a three hour cruise seem to have an unlimited amount of wardrobe changes, survival gear and food. For more click here

SILVER SCREEN COMING TO THE GREAT WHITE WAY

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:17:00 -0500

Broadway has seen the future: and it lies in Hollywood's past. The Great White Way is shaping up a number of productions based on motion pictures, ranging from modestly budgeted films like Diner and Bullets Over Broadway to major league adaptations of Back to the Future, Flashdance and the Rat Pack opus Robin and the 7 Hoods. For more click here

JUDY GARLAND RETURNS TO BROADWAY IN "END OF THE RAINBOW"

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:52:00 -0500

The tragic final days of Judy Garland and her attempt for one last career comeback are traced in End of the Rainbow, a British stage production now on Broadway. According to critic Mark Kennedy, the show is a stunner, thanks mostly to star Tracie Bennett's acclaimed portrayal of the doomed Hollywood legend who died of a drug overdose in 1969. For more click here

SPIDER-MAN BROADWAY SHOW SPINS WEB OF DECEIT, LAWSUITS

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:01:00 -0600

Julie Taymor, the director and co-writer of the original version of the Broadway production Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark, has filed suit against the show's producers and her former collaborators claiming that she was misled, deceived and blamed for the show's now legendary mishaps in its early days. The production is the most expensive in Broadway history but a number of mishaps involving accidents became the stuff of legend on the Great White Way. Critics were also scathing, leading the show shutting down temporarily while massive rewrites were performed. It has emerged as a major hit but behind the scenes intrigue still lingers. Taymor is a Broadway legend herself, but in court papers, she claims she was blamed for the show's initial failure. She alleges secretive plots to keep her working on the production even while her collaborators secretly schemed behind her back. She also claims her work was rewritten without her permission and that she has not been properly compensated. Predictably, the show's producers deny any culpability. Click here for more

"CARRIE" BROADWAY FLOP TO BE REVIVED (SORT OF)

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:47:00 -0600

When you first saw the 1976 horror flick Carrie, based on the Stephen King bestseller, you witnessed a teenage girl humiliated at her prom by her cruel classmates. You watched as she unleashed telekinetic powers to wreak bloodshed and mass destruction on her tormentors- and you probably thought to yourself, "Hey, this would make one heck of a Broadway musical!" Incredibly, that's what some investors thought- and they lost $8 million on a legendary Broadway flop. Granted, it was no Moose Murders, the infamous comedy that closed after one performance, but it was a big enough bomb that the backers have never allowed it to be staged anywhere again. Now, some bold, dumb or courageous investors are dredging up the exiled musical and revamping it for a new stage run, albeit it with significant rewrites. Click here to read. - Lee Pfeiffer

"DEATH OF A SALESMAN" RETURNING TO BROADWAY; PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN AND ANDREW GARFIELD TO STAR

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:22:00 -0500

Hoffman: Broadway-bound.

Arthur Miller's American masterpiece Death of a Salesman will get yet another revival on Broadway next March. The Miller play is especially relevant today, even though it debuted in the 1940s.The story's protagonist Willy Loman is a tragic figure: after years of loyal service to his company, he is unceremoniously fired, thus leading to a series of tragic events. Lee J. Cobb, Dustin Hoffman and Brian Dennehy all triumphed on Broadway in the role of Loman. In the new production, Phillip Seymour Hoffman will try his hand at playing Loman. Andrew Garfield, star of the forthcoming Spiderman movie, will co-star. For more click here

MONKEES REUNION TOUR WINNING RAVES

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 19:39:00 -0500

The Monkees' 1968 feature film Head features prominently in their new tour.

The Monkees have launched their latest reunion tour- as usual without the participation of Mike Nesmith who has adopted an "I Am Not Spock" attitude toward the group that brought him fame and fortune. Writer Gregory Weinkauf attended their concert at the Greek Theatre and gives the concert an unrequited rave. Click here to read and to view a clip from the Monkees' feature film Head.

BONO AND THE EDGE DISCUSS SPIDER-MAN BROADWAY DEBACLE

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 13:01:00 -0500

In a recent interview, Bono and The Edge spoke candidly about the mishaps that led the recent Broadway production Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark into a downward spiral of negative reviews and technical problems that forced the show to temporarily close. The legendary musicians, who provided the score for the show, said that they were on different wavelengths than the show's director Julie Taymor, who recently left the show under duress. Bono and The Edge say that, had they envisioned the show would become an endless nightmare, they wouldn't have been involved. The retooled production needs to attract large audiences to cover its $70 million+ production costs. For more click here

"BATMAN LIVE" ROCK 'N ROLL EXTRAVAGANZA TO PREMIERE IN UK

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:08:00 -0500

By Lee Pfeiffer

Undaunted by the problems old Spiderman has encountered with his Broadway rock-themed show, Warner Brothers is launching a spectacular of their own starring the Caped Crusader himself. The tepidly-titled Batman Live (couldn't they have at least put in an exclamation point?) will combine action spectacle with rock 'n roll music in a concert arena setting. We're not sure what rock 'n roll has to do with the super hero genre but it's all the rage. The show will launch this July in Manchester, England with plans to tour with the production, if it proves successful. The shows pits Batman and Robin against an all-star cast of villains. What's next? Thor on Ice? Click here for more

IT'S A DRAG": PRODUCERS OF "TOOTSIE" BROADWAY PRODUCTION SUED

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:00:00 -0500

Plans to bring a musical version of the hit 1982 screen comedy Tootsie to Broadway have hit a snag. The composer and lyricist originally contracted to work on the show are suing producers after they were summarily fired. They claim they were unfairly treated and are entitled to the money they could have made from royalties the show can potentially generate. Click here for more

PRODUCERS OF "SPIDER-MAN" BROADWAY SHOW CANDIDLY DISCUSS ITS WOES

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:59:00 -0500

What a tangled web the producers of the Spider-man Broadway show weaved when they agreed to bring the $65 million production to reality. The show's bumpy start became fodder for cynical critics and late-night TV show hosts, as a series of high profile accidents and mishaps marred many of the performances. The show continued to sell $1 million worth of tickets every week, but that barely covered the expenses. Now the production has been put on hiatus until a May 12 re-opening- a strategy that has added another $5 million to the cost. The producers are speaking candidly about their misjudgments and their present strategy of replacing many of the key members of the creative team. Click here to read

SAMUEL L. JACKSON TO PLAY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ON BROADWAY

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:08:00 -0500

Samuel L. Jackson has been cast as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the acclaimed play The Mountaintop,which speculates about King's actions and thoughts as he retired to his motel room after giving the last speech of his life. He was assassinated on April 4 1968 on the balcony of the motel while in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers. Halle Berry was to co-star but had to drop out due to legal matters concerning custody of her children. The play will open on Broadway in September. Click here for more