Tuesday, June 30, 2020

BEST OF THE DECADE: Favorite Projection Designs

BE SURE TO CAST YOUR 2020 (MIGHT HAVE BEEN) TONY AWARDS BALLOT!
<<<<<< CLICK THE BOX IN THE LEFT COLUMN. BALLOT CLOSES ON 7/3!

One of the many benefits of being fortunate enough to see so much theater is exposure to incredible works of theatrical design art. Having to create a new world in a confined space that must function exactly the same way eight times a week doesn't limit designers. It enables them to tap their boundless imaginations and creativity. We are constantly amazed and humbled by their genius.

While we could name pretty much every show we saw as outstanding in one or more of the design disciplines, the ones we did choose are, in our opinion, the cream of the crop of the past 10 seasons. The "Gold Standard" of design, if you will. Today, we will offer up our favorite projection designs.

BEST OF THE DECADE:
Jeff and Mike's Favorite
Projection Designs

FAVORITE PROJECTION DESIGNS OF A PLAY:



Brief Encounter
 - Designed by Gemma Carrington and Jon Driscoll

Not only were their enormous images impressive, they way they were used to interact with the actors was astonishing.



The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time -
Designed by Finn Ross

Ross' innovative projections and videos allowed us to be inside young Christoper's mind, adding layers of understanding and empathy to the experience.



The Normal Heart
 - Designed by Batwin & Robin Productions, Inc.

These sobering projections not only brought the period to life, but the names made a humbling reminder of the human tragedy that happens when silence, fear and politics are the rule of the day.

FAVORITE PROJECTION DESIGNS OF A MUSICAL:


American Psycho
- Designed by Finn Ross

These projections/videos advanced this theatrical element to exciting new heights. They were practically a character unto themselves.


Bonnie and Hyde
- Designed by Aaron Rhyne

Though short-lived, this musical's images provided a stark reminder of history. At the end when the mug shots and "last known photos" of the main characters was a shocking reminder that the were very real people.



Ghost: The Musical
- Designed by Jon Driscoll

Though the opening admittedly made me dizzy, the projections and videos enhanced the other-worldly moments of this musical.



King Kong
- Designed by Peter England and Artists in Motion

Not only was the whole show, uh, Kong sized, the enormous projections were the most massive to date. And they were beautiful. Sometimes, bigger is better.



West Side Story
- Designed by Luke Halls

The new Gold Standard. The video enhanced the grit and modern bent of this production of this timeless classic. And can we talk about the clarity and sheer size of it all? Wow.

#2353

Monday, June 29, 2020

VOTE HERE! The 2020 (Might Have Been) Tony Awards Ballot

This is IT! After a crazy cut short season and hundreds of nominations over the past several weeks, we crunched the numbers, read all of your thoughtful messages championing your favorite shows, and have arrived at the moment of truth! Here is the "official" 2020 (Might Have Been) Tony Awards Ballot!

Every season we fans always celebrate all the nominees and winners. But we also love to debate and mourn those who didn't make the cut. This year presented a unique opportunity to have our say! Your nominations are below. Now your votes will determine the popular outcome!

REMEMBER:
  • Scroll down the entire ballot to cast your votes. 
  • You may select only ONE nominee in each category.
  • At the very bottom, you MUST click/tap the "FINISH SURVEY" button or your vote WILL NOT COUNT.
  • As always, this ballot has been configured so that your personal information is NOT collected. It is secure.
  • NOTE: The ballot may take some time to fully load. There are 28 categories in total.




🏆🏆THE VOTING WILL CLOSE🏆🏆 
🏆🏆AT 5PM ON FRIDAY, JULY 3!🏆🏆

Saturday, June 27, 2020

The 2020 (Might Have Been) Tony Awards Nominees Announcement!

Before we tell you about who made the final ballot, we'd like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time over the past few weeks to nominate the best of the best from the 2019-2020 Broadway season. It is clear that you gave all of the categories a lot of thought and consideration.

Now,we'd like to share some information ahead of the release of the final ballot on Monday morning! Here are the shows with multiple nominations:


The 2020 (Might Have Been) Tony Awards
Top Nominees
(VOTE ON MONDAY!)


Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical
Best Leading Actress in a Musical - Elizabeth Stanley
Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Celia Rose Gooding
Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Lauren Patten
Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Derek Klena
Best Ensemble, Best Choreography
Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Musical


Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical
Best Leading Actor in a Musical - Aaron Tveit
Best Leading Actress in a Musical - Karen Olivo
Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Danny Burstein
Best Ensemble, Best Choreography
Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Musical


Best Play, Best Direction of a Play
Best Lead Actor in a Play - Andrew Burnap
Best Lead Actor in a Play - Kyle Soller
Best Featured Actor in a Play: John Benjamin Hickey
Best Featured Actor in a Play: Paul Hilton
Best Featured Actor in a Play: Samuel H. Levine
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Lois Smith
Best Costume Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Play


Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical
Best Lead Actress in a Musical - Adrienne Warren
Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations
Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Musical, 
Best Lighting Design of a Musical


Best Revival of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical
Best Leading Actor in a Musical - Isaac Powell
Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Dharon E. Jones
Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Yesenia Ayala
Best Ensemble, Best Choreography
Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Musical


Best Play, Best Direction of a Play
Best Featured Actress in a Play - LaChanze
Best Featured Actress in a Play - Andrea Martin
Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design of a Play, 
Best Costume Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Play


Best Book of a Musical
Best Lead Actor in a Musical - Jay O. Sanders
Best Lead Actress in a Musical - Mare Winningham
Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Austin Scott
Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Jeannette Bayardelle
Best Ensemble
Best Costume Design of a Musical


Best Play, Best Direction of a Play
Best Lead Actress in a Play - Joaquina Kalukango
Best Featured Actor in a Play - Ato Blankson-Wood
Best Costume Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Play


Best Play, Best Direction of a Play
Best Lead Actress in a Play - Mary-Louise Parker
Best Featured Actor in a Play - Will Hochman
Best Lighting Design of a Play


Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical
Best Lead Actor in a Musical - Chris McCarrell
Best Costume Design of a Musical


Best Revival of a Play
Best Lead Actress in a Play - Marisa Tomei
Best Featured Actress in a Play - Andrea Burns
Best Scenic Design of a Musical

OTHER SHOWS WITH 2 MIGHT HAVE BEEN NOMINATIONS:
A Soldier's Play, Betrayal, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, The Height of the Storm

#2351

Friday, June 26, 2020

Broadway Games: Six Degrees of Broadway Separation

Can you figure out how these shows connect to each other in order? Are they connected by an actor? A director? The theater they played in? Or something else altogether? Remember, you are figuring out how show 1 connects to show 2, how show 2 in turn relates to show 3, and so on.  Good luck!



Broadway Games:
Six Degrees of Broadway Separation

1.  Once On This Island (2017) to If/Then

 to to to to to 

2. Head Over Heels to The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (2012)

 to to to
 to to

3. Cats (1982) to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

 to to to
 to to

***     ***     ***     ***     ***
Answers to the last Broadway Games:
The Plays of August Wilson

1. Jitney        H. 1970s                   2. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom      C. 1920s

3. Fences     F. 1950s                    4. Joe Turner's Come and Gone    B. 1910s

5. The Piano Lesson D. 1930s     6. Two Trains Running    G. 1960s

7. Seven Guitars  E. 1940s           8. King Hedley II    I. 1980s

9. Gem of the Ocean   A. 1900s   10. Radio Golf     J. 1990s            
 
#2350

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Ms. Broadway June 2020: LaChanze and Celia Rose Gooding

This is a first for us - a mother/daughter pair - being honored as Ms. Broadway. But, given that they both won the first ever Antonyo Award for Best Actor in a Musical off-Broadway (LaChanze for The Secret Life of Bees) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical on Broadway (Celia Rose Gooding for Jagged Little Pill) just last week, June 2020 seemed like the perfect month! 

Long one of our favorite actresses, LaChanze is a repeat Ms. Broadway (April 2014), and Celia Rose is definitely an actress we have an eye on for a long career, given her amazing debut this past season. Congratulations, ladies!

Ms. Broadway
June 2020
LaChanze and Celia Rose Gooding






GETTING TO KNOW CELIA ROSE GOODING:
  • BIRTH DATE: February 22
  • BIRTHPLACE: New York, NY
  • EDUCATION: Pace University (Currently), The Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, Berridge Conservatory, The Alvin Ailey Institute
  • SELECT THEATER CREDITS: Broadway: Jagged Little Pill (Frankie Healy); Regional: Jagged Little Pill (A.R.T.); Other: Urinetown, Fame

 







 


GETTING TO KNOW LACHANZE:
  • BIRTH DATE: December 16
  • BIRTHPLACE: St. Augustine, FL
  • EDUCATION: Morgan State University, University of the Arts
  • SELECT THEATER CREDITS: Broadway: A Christmas Carol, Summer, If/Then, The Color Purple (Tony Award), Ragtime, Company (1995), Once On This Island, Dreamgirls, Uptown...It's Hot; Off-Broadway: The Secret Life of Bees, Cabin in the Sky, The Wiz, Dessa Rose, The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin

OFF-BROADWAY



 


BROADWAY






 


 

 


#2349 
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