offoffBway.com

Some sad news:

All That Chat – Curt Dempster, Founding Artistic Director of Ensemble Studio Theatre, Passes Away at 71

Liev Schreiber says, “I come off as psychotic . . . I’m misrepresented as a scary person. I’m not. It’s all about my size and my eyebrows.” Dude, if you have to tell us that… He also mentions that he made the beast with two backs on the Staten Island Ferry. Hey, whatever floats your boat (rim shot). At least he’s a movie star who does lots of theater. Even if he’s not psychotic.

I’M NOT SCARY – New York Post Online Edition: Seven

Theater Resources Unlimited has more job postings, casting notices, requests for new plays to read, and other hoo-ha than you can shake a script at. (You see what we did there? We made a play on words. We are soooo clever.) The bi-monthly update (see below) has enough to keep you going for at least five months.

TRU Bi-Monthly Update 12/23

Another Jennifer tidbit – Greg Braxton of The Los Angeles Times (reprinted in the Kansas City Star) interviews Ms. Holliday, who says:

Instead of being swept up in the hoopla over the new film adaptation of “Dreamgirls,” Holliday is being swept aside.
“Why is it necessary for them to wipe out my existence in order for them to have their success? It’s scary that they can be so cruel.” [said Holliday]

Well, I don’t think they thought about you at all, actually. Which may not be nice, but when studios produce a $75 million dollar movie, they usually aren’t that concerned with being nice. I don’t think the movie will do any damage to Holliday’s legacy, although admittedly future generations may see Hudson’s version as ‘definitive’, which it isn’t. Then again, this show business, and actors, especially stage actors, always get shafted (see also: Kathleen Chalfant not getting to play her role in Wit for just one glaring example).
As much as we do feel that Holliday is a little over the top in her criticism, this seemed unnecessary:

After weeks of suffering privately with the constant “Dreamgirls” onslaught — particularly the raves surrounding the other Jennifer — she said the final crushing blow came the night before her Ars Nova stint when she watched Hudson on “Entertainment Tonight” as Holliday’s version of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from the original cast recording played during the segment.

“When I saw that, I just gave up,” she said. “I thought, ‘This is a hopeless situation. I am being canceled out as an artist.’ ”

Memo to Dreamgirls the movie’s producers: play the new version of the song. If not that’s just mean.

Kansas City Star | 12/25/2006 | It’s no ‘Dream’ for Jennifer Holliday

The Havel Festival rolls on. Apparently none other than Kathleen Turner herself did a reading, and Havel himself showed up to a performance of ‘The Memo’ (which we always thought was called The Memorandum, but perhaps not anymore). The fest rolls on, visit this site for a schedule.

A second opinion on Constantine Maroulis, the American Idol castoff who has now KILLED OUR FAVORITE BROADWAY MUSICAL! (We’re only kidding, dude, we don’t blame you. Show just ain’t selling tickets. Whatcha gonna do? Simon Cowell, that’s whose fault it is!)

judgejru.com // judge jru’s American Idol blog: judge jru hearts Angela Ashman

Soho Rep has been around for way longer than most theater companies of its size, and former Artistic Director Daniel Aukin has moved on, leaving the job to Sarah Benson, who is, like Aukin, a Brit. Interesting. Bill O’Reilly, if he ever went to off-off Broadway theater, would probably be annoyed.

Englishwoman in New York: Sarah Benson takes center stage at Soho Rep (Village Voice)

They were having trouble casting Mel Brooks’ latest money machine (or so they hope – The Producers isn’t doing the kind of business that it once was), and they ended up casting Bryan D’Arcy James (who’s a good actor, but *yawn*. Obviously Greg Kinnear, Jimmy Fallon and Brooks’ mailman all said no). As for the rest of the casting, Kristen Chenoweth, you’re ok, but I’ve seen Madeline Kahn, and you, madame, are no Madeline Kahn. Shuler Hensley as The Monster is great casting, although it won’t sell a lot of tickets.

What will sell tickets is Mr. Brooks’ name. Thing is, Mel Brooks writes music by, well, humming. That’s right folks, he just does a “dum dum de dum dum de dum dum” and then someone else makes that into notes that the orchestra can play. We love Mel (at least the early stuff, although ‘Spaceballs’ had its moments), but come on. Do we really expect him to be able to pen a second Broadway score when he can’t even read a note of music? Of course, Andrew Lloyd Webber is a musician, and it didn’t help him a lick when it came to those songs (OH NO HE DIDN’T!). Basically, there’s no accounting for taste in this business.

With both of these, we’d much rather see the movie. The ones with Gene Wilder in them. And Madeline Kahn.

PERFECT PITCH? – New York Post Online Edition

(note: the above photo is from the Mimi Le Duck blog. No idea what it has to do with the leshow. Our guess – not a damn lething. But the blog is not entirely without its charms.)
Mimi LeDuck has encountered a LeDelay. (Le Scandal!) This is due to “unexpected delays in technical rehearsal”, which could mean anything. We blame everyone EXCEPT Eartha Kitt, cuz, well, she was Catwoman. Couldn’t be her fault. (Unless she ate the duck! [rim shot] You know, because cats… eat… ducks… Is this thing on?)
Full press release, LeDuck Lovers:

Mimi le Duck Postpones First Preview
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Michael Riedel reports in the New York Post that “The ax is swinging again at The Times They Are A-Changin’, the new Twyla Tharp musical based on the music of Bob Dylan.” As usual, the blame seems to be falling on the performers rather than on, oh, I don’t know, the concept itself. (Try to imagine the initial meeting for this show. “Hey! It worked for Billy Joel! This is the same thing, right? Right? Someone get Twyla in here!”) According to Riedel (and while some people don’t like him, he’s usually factually correct), the show is on their 3rd leading lady. Here’s a list:
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