offoffBway.com

Pictured: Li Jun Li and John Wlliams
Photo credit: Brian Richardson

Romeo, o Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?
In the park, performing for free!

(Thank you! Tip your waitresses! Is this thing on?)

PULSE ENSEMBLE THEATRE BEGINS FREE PERFORMANCES OF SHAKESPEARE’S
ROMEO AND JULIET ON THURSDAY, AUG 3 at 8 PM
AT RIVERBANK STATE PARK
(Riverside Drive & 138th Street)
CONTINUES THROUGH AUGUST 27
as part of HARLEM WEEK
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The tag line is “the show the NYPD doesn’t want you to see”. With a title like that, we can’t imagine why. I guess there’s already a show called “Naked Cops Doing Inappropriate Things”. That’s not as catchy, though. Written by Michael “Fletcher” Tester, who, according to BroadwayClubhouse.com, once wrote a musical called Amoebas On Parade: A Single Celled Musical!!, which he describes as “the CATS formula [distilled] to it’s essence”. Sounds like you at least won’t be bored.

BLUE BALLS: In & OUT of Uniform with the NYPD
Part of the Tenth Annual New York International Fringe Festival – FringeNYC

BLUE BALLS is written by Michael Tester and directed by Rye Mullis, and will perform at The Flea Theater (41 White Street in Tribeca) from August 11th through August 25th on the following schedule:
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The 6th Annual TRU Voices New Musicals Series is accepting submissions. So if that new punk rock version of West Side Story has been sitting in your desk drawer, get it out and send it in!

The 6th Annual TRU Voices New Musicals Series
Announces the Creation of the Howard L. Blau Award
Submissions due by August 30th

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) doesn’t just develop new musicals; (more…)

The Ko Festival in Massachusetts finishes up with a piece called “A Comic Strip.”
This got us to thinking: what comic strips have been turned into stage plays?

Li’l Abner: caught the movie version on TV one rainy afternoon a few years back. It’s actually pretty fun. Manages to look like a comic strip, actually. From 1959. The original Broadway production ran for almost 2 years in 1956. Go Dogpatch.

Doonesbury: This one ran on Broadway for 104 performances, which isn’t bad, but isn’t anything to write home about either. The cast recording and script are long out of print, although you can find the LP on eBay, as well as the script, though you’ll have to pay too much for the latter. We say stick with the original strips.

BATMAN: The Musical has been kicking around for awhile but has yet to see the light of day. Read The Dark Knight Returns to tide you over. Actually, read The Dark Knight Returns and skip the show if it ever does appear, unless you are a massive Meatloaf fan (Loafer Jim Steinman is writing the music for the singing, dancing Dark Knight). (When you’re Bruce Wayne, you’re Bruce Wayne all the way, from your first grappling hook, to your last dying daaaay….)

None of this, by the way, has anything to do with the Ko Fest’s offering. Press release is below, if you’re in Mass or will be, go check this out and let us know what you think.

The Award-Winning Touchstone Theatre’s Dark Comedy A Comic Strip Closes the Ko Festival of Performance’s 15th Anniversary Season
A Comic Strip

By the Touchstone Ensemble,

Directed by Daniel Stein of the Dell’ Arte Company of Blue Lake, CA

In Touchstone’s brand-new, dark and funny work, the life of a seasoned, successful, and world famous comic-strip artist begins to violently unravel. How can art possibly inspire change in a world so filled with very real suffering? He almost gives up, until his favorite comic strip characters manifest before his eyes and lead him on a life-changing journey. Warning! Viewer Discretion Advised! This piece contains adult themes, graphic language, strong sexual content, the devil himself, and a healthy dose of broccoli. Think Looney Tunes meets David Lynch. But keep the kids with a babysitter.
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What is the ITA Award, you ask? The Improvisational Theater Association, you dummy.
Look, any show that makes theater out of Brat Pack-era stuff is okay by us. And what they (the ITA) say makes sense: “The ITA created these awards in celebration of the unique form of interactive or ‘reality theater’ that has been a part of the legitimate theatrical landscape for decades and has produced some of the longest running shows in New York City and around the world, including Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding, The Donkey Show, De La Guarda, and The Awesome 80s Prom. Despite the length and success of these runs, prior to the ITA, there has never been an organization that has recognized and honored the achievements of these unique productions.” And besides, if the film industry can have a separate award for every film that gets made, why can’t the thee-tah add a few more statues to the industry’s mantle?

Via BroadwayWorld.com.

The namesake of one of the greatest comedians of all time will make his NYC Theatrical Debut… in a show called BEST LITTLE CRACKHOUSE IN PHILLY (photo below is from the show). As the description says “Pretty Woman meets Best Little Whorehouse — and gives new meaning to hoedown!”. Hey, everyone’s got to start somewhere. We love it when celebrities, and even celebrity offspring, do off-off theater. Makes us proud.
Lots more events happening at Downeast Arts Center including something called “THE INTERNATIONAL CRINGE FESTIVAL” (love that name!); see below for the full press release or visit NYArtists.org.

BREAKING NEWS!!!

RICHARD PRYOR, JR., MAKES NY THEATRICAL DEBUT IN

“BEST LITTLE CRACKHOUSE IN PHILLY”

at

Downeast Arts Center
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For those who find the umpteen shows in the New York City Fringe to be a little intimidating, here is a printable guide to all of the performances.
10 years??? It’s been 10 years since this thing started? Wow.

Don’t take this the wrong way, disciples of Springsteen, but who knew there were so many theaters in Jersey? This is a nice list courtesy of Talkin’ Broadway.

Talkin’ Broadway Regional News & Reviews – New Jersey “New Jersey Theater Schedule 2005-2006
The Essential Bruce Springsteen

Born To Run

Joe’s Pub, named for the late great Joe Papp, the Public Theater’s founder, has a rep for being one of the coolest places in town. This newly added event on September 7th sounds like a winner. One Ring Zero is described as “Fellini-esque-lit-rock”, and features lyrics from writers such as Paul Auster, Neil Gaiman (of Sandman graphic novel fame) and Margaret Atwood, among others.
There’s even a free MP3 so you can hear a little of the music before you plunk down your hard-earned ducats. Although for 15 bucks, that’s a pretty good deal. Read on (and listen):

Joe’s Pub NYC proudly announces the addition of the following show to our calendar:

Thursday, September 7

ONE RING ZERO Wake Them Up CD Release with special guests CLAUDIA GONSON and RICK MOODY

www.oneringzero.com

With songs about Siamese twins, marching mannequins, and decrepit trailer parks, Brooklyn’s One Ring Zero continues to embrace its Fellini-esque-lit-rock reputation with crafty lyrics (which Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp wrote this time) and odd-ball instruments, as they celebrate the release of their new album “Wake Them Up” (Barbès Records). This album follows their 2004 release “As Smart As We Are”, which featured songs with lyrics written for the band by many of North America’s top authors: Paul Auster, Margaret Atwood, Jonathan Lethem, Neil Gaiman, A.M. Homes, Dave Eggers, etc. Tonight’s performance features special guests Claudia Gonson (The Magnetic Fields) and Rick Moody (Wingdale Community Singers and author of The Ice Storm)””Accordions, organs, theremins, and the occasional brass horn … combine to make soundscapes that are both haunting and entertaining.” –The New Yorker
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This is a real off-off success story. These two started out in clubs, and now they’re playing Broadway. BROADWAY. THE Broadway. Not to overstate it, but good for them. With a four week limited engagement, you don’t have that many chances to see ’em, which is a good move on their part. If it’s a hit, they can extend. Hey, maybe they’ll win a Tony and get to perform on TV. No matter what, this is a big step for an act that’s been kicking around for a long time and have found big-time success – they’ve even played Carnegie Hall. The press release below is LONG, but there’s a lot to say about this pair. Check out their web site, and of course, the MySpace page for even more info.

A NEW MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA:
“KIKI & HERB: ALIVE ON BROADWAY”
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY
JUSTIN BOND (KIKI) & KENNY MELLMAN (HERB)

TO PLAY 4 WEEKS ONLY
PERFORMANCES BEGIN AUGUST 11

AT BROADWAY’S
HELEN HAYES THEATRE
(240 WEST 44TH STREET)

OFFICIAL OPENING:
TUESDAY, AUGUST 15 @ 7:00 PM
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