offoffBway.com

Photo by Robbie Renfrow
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: make a show about a dumb celebrity, then just sit back and count your money.
OK, it’s not quite that easy, and presumably Oblivious To Everyone is pretty good or it wouldn’t be extending. That said, if this were a one-woman show about, say, Florence Kling Harding (she was President Harding’s wife! Come on, you knew that!), odds are it wouldn’t have captured the public’s imagination in quite the same way.
We begrudge no one their success – and we say again, may it run ten years.
Press release follows. Enjoy.

OBLIVIOUS TO EVERYONE,
A ONE-WOMAN PLAY ABOUT THE MEDIA’S FIERCE IMPACT ON WOMEN,
EXTENDS ON NYC’S THEATRE ROW
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There’s nothing we like better than a funny show with a kickin’ theme song. (Well, OK, we’d like an enormous pile of money more than that.) The Riant Theatre’s new show WHO’S GOT GAME? has both. Funny improv, cash prizes for the performers AND the audience, and a theme song that’s way better than anything this guy ever came up with. Actually, it’s much better than that. Give it a listen, and check out the show. Big opening night this Sunday at 6pm, show continues on Sundays through December 17th. Press release after the jump.

The Riant Theatre
Presents a Dynamic New Improv Show
WHO’S GOT GAME?
At Times Square Arts Center, 300 West 43rd Street, Roy Arias Theatre, 5th Floor
Sundays at 6PM – Now through December 17th
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We’re kind of sad to see The Wedding Singer close (we’ve mentioned it before, y’know). While not exactly a great piece of theatrical art, it was fun and mindless entertainment with numerous 80’s references. Does this mean “Teen Wolf: The Musical” is now DOA? Gosh, we hope not. (We kid. At least, we’re hoping we kid.)
Details of the closing (it ends December 31) are below, along with the holiday schedule.
You can also read this this bizarre article in the Village Voice titled, This Is Constantine Maroulis. He Wishes You Knew That. –
In which an American Idol runner-up tops it all by blow-drying his chest. Well all righty then.

The Wedding Singer

TO CLOSE AT

BROADWAY’S AL HIRSCHFELD THEATRE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31

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And bring me a beer, wouldja? Sheeesh.
That show at HERE about Streetcar is having some talkbacks. If they were completely in the spirit of Stanley Kowalski (and also, you know, completely insane) they would call them “yellbacks” and encourage the audience to shout and pour beer on their heads. “Rain from heaven” indeed. Not that we want to give anyone any ideas.

Details on STANLEY at HERE
Talkback info:

Here Arts Center presents
Stanley (2006)
Talkbacks
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It’s not “Streetcar”, but it’s Streetcar-esque. A man believes he is Stanley Kowalski from Tennessee Williams’ classic play. Sounds like wish fulfillment to us. Photos and full press release after the jump.
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Photo by Robbie Renfrow

Not to knock anyone’s success – we’re thrilled when an off-off show moves to a larger theater – but it seems that our obsession with celebrities spans all mediums, even off-off Broadway theater. Case in point: Oblivious To Everyone, a show about none other than Paris Hilton. (We were going to say “celebutard” or some other trendy insult but it seems… unfair.) Not that we’re cynical (yesweare) but is this all it takes to move a show? Do it about the same moron that every celebrity weekly puts on their cover?
OK, to be fair, we haven’t seen it. Maybe it’s good. We just hope this doesn’t lead to every enterprising nitwitty young FringeFest wannabe putting out a show about Nicole Richie or Lindsay Lohan.
Again, though, we don’t begrudge anyone their success. Oblivious To Everyone – may it run ten years.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2006

A FAVORITE AT THIS YEAR’S FRINGE, PARIS HILTON WANNABE MOVES TO NYC’S
THEATRE ROW

ONE WOMAN SCHIZOPHRENIC COMEDY OBLIVIOUS TO EVERYONE RETURNS FOR LIMITED
ENGAGEMENT
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Vaclav Havel is cool. President of Czechoslovakia, and a playwright. And not some boring “blah blah blah, communism is better than capitalism” playwright. Sure, his work is sometimes political, but it’s also well written and interesting. It’s also rarely produced in New York, so the upcoming Havel Festival is a good chance to see a ton of his work.
Here’s a release for TEMPTATION, one of our favorite Havel plays. Go see it, you may not get another chance anytime soon.

The Havel Festival and Gemini CollisionWorks present
TEMPTATION

by Václav Havel

designed and directed by Ian W. Hill

at The Brick, 575 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

one block from the Lorimer stop of the L train / Metropolitan-Grand stop of the G train
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Well, it’s obvious, but if they didn’t do it we would mock them mercilessly, so that means we have to give them credit for doing it.
What, pray tell, are we talking about? Why, Evil Dead The Musical is having an extra performance on Halloween – Tuesday, October 31 at 11:00 PM. Good grown-up scary-type fun. With a disembodied hand that moves. Rock on.

A KILLER MUSICAL COMES ALIVE ONSTAGE!
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(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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Years ago Steppenwolf (the theater company, not the band) used to bring a show to Broadway every year. No longer. This is a shame, since the shows were often quite good.
Now we have them back, and at least the tickets won’t be as expensive. This time they’re at the tremendously snazzy theater complex 59E59 (really, the place is a sight to behold – if you’ve never been there, go; if you have, go again). The play is called THE SUNSET LIMITED, and it stars Austin Pendleton and Freeman Coffey. Pendleton’s a nutcase (or so we’ve heard), but he’s a terrific actor, and while we aren’t very familiar with Freeman Coffey, with a name like that, how can you not at least be sort of curious? Coffey is a Steppenwolf company member, so odds are he can act. Perfs start Tuesday, October 24, details are below or check the calendar.

Chicago’s acclaimed Steppenwolf Theater to premiere
Cormac McCarthy’s THE SUNSET LIMITED, featuring Austin Pendleton, at
59E59 Theaters in October
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