Last night, the category for the Final Jeopardy! round was Broadway Musicals. First-time defending Jeopardy! champion Maureen O’Neil of Rye Beach, N.H., came up with the correct answer and increased her overall winnings by $18,800, for a two-day total of $21,000. Challenger Miranda Wilson of Fayetteville, W.Va., also answered correctly but came in second with a game play total of $12,200, while challenger Gundeep Singh of Franklin Lakes, N.J., guessed incorrectly on the final clue and lost all but $1 to place third.
This afternoon, Olivier winners Miriam-Teak Lee (& Juliet) and Sam Tutty (Dear Evan Hansen) announced the nominees in the 26 categories for the Society of London Theatre’s 2022 Olivier Awards. The West End revival of Cabaret led the pack with 11 nominations, followed by the play Life of Pi and the revival of Anything Goes, which both earned nine nominations. The winners in the competitive categories will be announced during a live ceremony on April 10 at the Royal Albert Hall. You can watch the nominations announcement below.
Among premieres, Back to the Future landed seven nominations, including new musical, actor (Olly Dobson), supporting actor (Hugh Coles), lighting (Tim Lutkin), sets (Tim Hatley, Finn Ross), score/orchestrations (Alan Silvestri, Glen Ballard, Ethan Popp, Bryan Crook), and sound (Gareth Owen). The Broadway transfer of Moulin Rouge! earned five nods, including new musical, supporting actor (Clive Carter), sets (Derek McLane), choreography (Sonya Tayeh), and costumes (Catherine Zuber).
Frozen has four nominations, including new musical, actress (Stephanie McKeon), lighting (Neil Austin), and costumes (Christopher Oram). Also earning four nods is Get Up, Stand Up!, including new musical, actor (Arinzé Kene), supporting actress (Gabrielle Brooks), and score/orchestrations (Simon Hale). The remaining new musical nominee is The Drifters Girl, which is also up for actress (Beverley Knight).
Among returning shows, Cabaret is up for musical revival, actor (Eddie Redmayne), actress (Jessie Buckley), director (Rebecca Frecknall), supporting actor (Elliot Levey), supporting actress (Liza Sadovy), lighting (Isabella Byrd), sets (Tom Scutt), choreography (Julia Cheng), sound (Nick Lidster), and costumes (Tom Scutt). The nominations for Anything Goes include musical revival, actor (Robert Lindsay), actress (Sutton Foster), director (Kathleen Marshall), supporting actor (Gary Wilmot), supporting actress (Carly Mercedes Dyer), choreography (Kathleen Marshall), score/orchestrations (Bill Elliott, David Chase, Rob Fisher), and costumes (Jon Morrell).
Spring Awakening received its lone nomination for musical revival, and the new musical Cinderella its sole nod for supporting actress (Victoria Hamilton-Barritt). Among the nominations for the new play Life of Pi are choreography (Finn Caldwell) and score/orchestrations (Andrew T. Mackay), while the family show nominees include the musicals Billionaire Boy, What the Ladybird Heard, and Wolf Witch Giant Fairy.
Nominees for entertainment/comedy play include the plays with music The Choir of Man, Pantoland, and Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of), which also earned two nominations for supporting actress in a play (Tori Burgess and Christina Gordon). Additionally, the play with music Folkis up for achievement in affiliate theatre.
The new dance nominees are Draw from Within (Rambert Dance), Revisor (Kidd Pivot), and Transverse Orientation (Dance Umbrella and Sadler’s Wells). Among those up for Outstanding Achievement in Dance are Acosta Danza (“De Punta a Cabo” in 100% Cuban), the dancers of the NDT2 Tour, choreographer Arielle Smith (“Jolly Folly” in Reunion),and dancer Edward Watson (The Dante Project)
New opera production nominees include Bajazet (Royal Opera House), The Cunning Little Vixen (English National Opera), Jenufa (Royal Opera House), and Theodora (Royal Opera House). Outstanding Achievement in Opera nominations went to singer Christine Rice (4/4), designer takis (HMS Pinafore), and conductor Peter Whelan and Irish Baroque Orchestra (Bajazet).
Prolific designer Tony Walton, who earned nominations for 16 Tonys and 5 Oscars, died March 2 in his New York apartment. Born Oct. 24, 1934, in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, Walton attended Radley College in Oxford, where he studied Greek and Latin, before entering London’s Slade School of Fine Art. After two years of mandatory service with the Royal Air Force, he began his career with the set design for the 1957 Off-Broadway production of Noël Coward’s Conversation Piece. In 1959, he made his TV debut with the play Fool’s Paradise on the anthology series Theatre Night.
Walton made his Broadway debut with the 1961 play Once There Was a Russian, which closed on opening night. He followed that with the musicals A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Golden Boy (1964), and The Apple Tree (1966), for which he earned his first Tony nomination. He made his film debut with the 1964 musical Mary Poppins, which brought him his first Oscar nomination. Two years later, he brought his designs for Forum to the screen. Below is “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” from Mary Poppins, which features the iconic Cherry Tree Lane.
He began the next decade with the film musical The Boyfriend (1971), then returned to Broadway with Pippin (1972), which brought Walton his first Tony win. His other stage work in the 1970s includes the Broadway musicals Shelter (1973), Bette Midler’s Clams on the Half Shell (1975), Chicago (1975, Tony nom), and The Act (1977). He ended the decade with the film adaptatation of the musical The Wiz (1979), for which he earned two Oscar nominations. Below is “Ease on the Down the Road” from The Wiz.
Walton won his first Oscar for All That Jazz (1980). His next stage work included the Broadway musicals Hollywood/Ukraine (1980, Tony nom), Sophisticated Ladies (1981), Woman of the Year (1981), Little Me (1982), Leader of the Pack (1985), Anything Goes (1987, two Tony noms), Linda Ronstadt’s Canciones de mi Padre (1988), Jerome Robbins’ Broadway (1989), and Grand Hotel (1989, Tony nom). He also designed Diana Ross’s 1983 Central Park concert as well as the plays Death of a Salesman (1985, Emmy win) and House of Blue Leaves (1986, Tony win). Below is “Bye Bye Life” from All That Jazz.
In the 1990s, Walton designed the Broadway musicals The Will Rogers Follies (1991, Tony nom), Guys and Dolls (1992, Tony win), Tommy Tune Tonite! (1992), She Loves Me (1993, Tony nom), A Grand Night for Singing (1993), Company (1995), Forum (1996), Steel Pier (1997, Tony nom), King David (1997), 1776 (1997), and Annie Get Your Gun (1999), as well as the 1999 Off-Broadway production of Noël Coward’s If Love Were All. He also won a Lortel for the 1996 Off-Broadway play A Fair Country. Below is the 1992 revival cast of Guys and Dolls in “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” at the 1993 Tonys.
His most recent work includes the Broadway musicals Seussical (2000) and A Tale of Two Cities (2008) as well as the Off-Broadway musicals After the Ball (2004) and Transport (2014), both of which he directed at Irish Rep. Below is a conversation with Walton and Irish Rep’s Artistic Director Charlotte Moore and Producing Director Ciarán O’Reilly.
This week, Jeopardy! remembered the late, great Stephen Sondheim with clues that highlighted some of his most legendary works. In fact, the quiz show dedicated an entire category in the first round of Tuesday’s game to the composer, who died in November. All three contestants scored wins, with Margaret Shelton correctly answering three of the clues (and earning $2,000 from the category), Stefan Stenross making a hit and a miss (losing $400 overall), and defending champion Christine Whelchel buzzing in with one correct answer for a gain of $400. How would you do?
Disney has released the first trailer for its upcoming musical film Better Nate Than Ever, based on the 2013 novel by Tim Federle, about an unpopular 13-year-old Pittsburgh middle school student who dreams of becoming a Broadway musical star. The creative team includes Tim Federle (direction, screenplay), Katie McQuerrey (editing), Gabriel Mann (music), Jane Musky (production design), and Keri Lederman (set decoration). The cast features Rueby Wood (Nate), Joshua Bassett (Anthony), Aria Brooks (Libby), Lisa Kudrow (Aunt Heidi), and Norbert Leo Butz. The film premieres April 1 on Disney+.
This past weekend, John Mulaney was welcomed into the “Five-Timers Club” of Saturday Night Live by Candice Bergen, Tina Fey, Elliott Gould, Steve Martin, Conan O’Brien, and Paul Rudd. Among the sketches during the show was the Broadway-themed “Subway Churro,” in which Andrew Dismukes surprises friend Chris Redd by buying a churro in the subway, which leads to dire warnings from mole person Keenan Thompson (singing a parody of “Some Enchanted Evening”), newsstand guy John Mulaney (“If I WereRich Man”), and Sleep No More actress Cecily Strong (“Bali Ha’i”), who are joined by churro lady Melissa Villaseñor (“Downtown,” “Wells Fargo Wagon”), flasher Alex Moffat (“Singin’ in the Rain”), “Evan Hansen” Kyle Mooney (“And I Am Telling You”), puddle Kate McKinnnon (“I Dreamed a Dream”), and “Jesus Christ” Aidy Bryant (“Superstar”), as well as thug Mikey Day, subway driver Punkie Johnson, and even the Guardian Angels!
The 22nd WhatsOnStage Awards were presented Sunday night at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre. Frozen went into the evening with the most nominations (13) and earned the most wins (7), primarily in the technical categories. Among the other new musical nominees, Back to the Future converted four of its nine nods, and Cinderella managed one of its seven, while Get Up, Stand Up! (10 nominations), Moulin Rouge! (7), and Pretty Women (2) all went home empty-handed.
The wins for Frozenincluded direction (Michael Grandage), music direction (Stephen Oremus), choreography (Rob Ashford), set design (Christopher Oram), costume design (Christopher Oram), video design (Finn Ross), and graphic design (Bob King Creative). Back to the Future earned wins for new musical, supporting actor (Hugh Coles as George McFly), lighting design (Tim Lutkin), and sound design (Gareth Owen). The lone win for Cinderellawas for its title actress (Carrie Hope Fletcher).
Among revivals, Anything Goesearned two wins among its four nominations, including revival and supporting actress (Carly Mercedes Dyer as Moonface’s girlfriend Erma), while Cabaret earned actor (Eddie Redmayne as Emcee) among its seven nods, and the Hope Mill (Manchester) Rentearned regional show among its five nods. Chichester Festival’s South Pacific, Regent’s Park Carousel, and West Side Story at Curve, Leicester, saw no wins among their multiple nomiations.
The remaining top winners include Rob Madge’s solo play with music My Son’s a Queer but What Can You Do?, which earned Best Off-West End Production, and the girl-power Tudor queen musical Six, which was named Best West End Show.
Nouveau Productions and PBS have announced a new series, Broadway in Concert, that will pay tribute to iconic American musical theater. The series premieres March 6 with “An Evening with Lerner and Loewe,” hosted by Emma Walton Hamilton, daughter of Camelot and My Fair Lady star Julie Andrews. Filmed in multiple locations across the country, from D.C. to Los Angeles, the episode features the American Pops Orchestra accompanying performers Jenn Colella, Aaron Lazar, Jose Llana, Michael Maliakel, Aisha Jackson, Sean Thompson, and Bayla Whitten in selections from Gigi, My Fair Lady, Camelot, The Day Before Spring, Brigadoon, and Paint Your Wagon. The creative team for the Lerner & Loewe tribute includes Tara Young (direction), Luke Frazier (music direction), and Chris Montrie (lights). Additional episodes of the series will be announced soon.
London theater critics have given generally positive reviews to the new musical But I’m a Cheerleader, based on the 1999 teen rom-com, which was developed as part of the 2019 MT Fest UK at The Other Palace. The creative team includes Bill Augustin (book, lyrics), Andrew Abrams (music), Tania Azevedo (direction), Josh Sood (music direction, orchestrations), David Shields (production design), Martha Godfrey (lights), Chris Whybrow (sound), Alexzandra Sarmiento (choreography), and George Reeve (projections).
The cast includes Oliver Brooks (Dad, Larry), Edward Chitticks (Jared, Rock), Alice Croft (Megan), Damon Gold (Andre), Tiffany Graves (Mary Brown), Jodie Jacobs (Mom, Lloyd), Lemuel Knights (Mike), Evie Rose Lane (Graham), Harry Singh (Jalal), Jodie Teel (Kimberly, Hilary), Aaron Teoh (Dolph), and Kia-Paris Walcott (Sinead). The show is booking at Battersea’s Turbine through April 16.
Broadway World (Aliya Al-Hassan): There’s no better way of exposing the absurdity of prejudice than skewering it with both parody and comedy. The production does both with wit, warmth and such conviction that you cannot help but root for a happy ending. … This feels like a much bigger show, squeezed into a small space. The action often spills out off the stage, as though the energy cannot quite be contained. David Shield’s design is economical but very effective, using every inch of the Turbine space. … It is a truly exciting new production, brimming with potential. 4 out of 5 stars.
Evening Standard (Nick Curtis): The show’s heart and conviction are hard to fault, but an air of amateurishness also looms large. There’s far too much filler between the good songs, and the plot has if anything become baggier on stage. … The score is peppy but undistinguished, while the script meanders slowly towards a sweet but un-earned happy ending. … I feel like I’m kicking a small, cute animal here, as this show is undeniably fun and admirable. It’s the first full production to emerge from the Turbine Theatre’s Musical Theatre Festival: I just don’t think it’s totally ready yet. 3 out of 5 stars.
Guardian (Anya Ryan): The cast of 12 could benefit from a little more space than they have on the relatively small stage at the Turbine. … All their hard work appears a little rushed with so much for them to carry. Too many indistinguishable, repetitive scenes mean that the musical doesn’t reach its potential. There are a few standout numbers … but the slower ballads written by Bill Augustin and Andrew Abrams are forgettable and hamper the pace of an already lengthy musical. Still, this is a story that deserves attention. … And entertaining it certainly is. Performed by a cast with boundless talent, you can’t help but want to cheer. 3 out of 5 stars.
Set the Tape (Lee Thacker): The production is a true ensemble piece, with the majority of the cast doing double — or even triple — duty, playing the rest of the parts between them, serving up a tranche of different characters. … You would find it really hard not to love this slice of musical theatre, and it would be difficult to find a show which is quite so uplifting, making you feel almost like you are leaving the auditorium at the end floating out on a cloud of air, such is its power as the best natural high you can get. … This musical deserves to be a smash hit, which should run and run. 5 out of 5 stars.
London theater critics have given mixed reviews to the second West End revival of Saturday Night Fever, based on the 1977 film. The musical had its stage premiere in 1998 at the London Palladium and opened on Broadway in 1999, returning to the West End in 2004. The current creative team includes Robert Stigwood and Bill Oakes (book), Bee Gees (music, lyrics), Bill Kenwright (direction), Bill Deamer (choreography), Gary McCann (production design), Nick Richings (lights), and Dan Samson (sound). The show is booking at the Peacock Theatre through March 26.
The cast includes Richard Winsor (Tony), Olivia Fines (Stephanie), Jasmin Colangelo (Annette), Kevin O’Dwyer (Bobby C), Faizal Jaye (Monty), James Brice (Gus), Paul French (Double J), Philip Aiden (Frank Sr.), Melody Jones (Flo), Marios Nicolaides (Frank Jr.), and Lydia Bradd (Linda), with Jake Byrom, James Cohen, Michael Cortez, Tosca Fischer, Helen Gulston James Hudson, Ashley Luke Lloyd, Luca Rapisarda, Oliver Thomson, James Wilkinson-Jones, and Celeste Zollino.
The Guardian (Miriam Gillinson): All the iconic elements from the 1977 film are in place in Bill Kenwright’s big-hearted production, as well as a few extras. … The only thing missing is a bit more grit and fiery passion in a show that’ll get you dancing, but never hits fever pitch. … It all feels just a bit too tidy: dancing to admire rather than really lose yourself in. It’s the newly devised dance numbers … that really impress. When Manero and Mangano practise together in the studio, there’s a flair to their dancing that feels liberating. And it’s only in Manero’s final scene, when Winsor is able to truly express himself with some yearning contemporary dance, that this Fever begins to burn. 3 out of 5 stars.
London Theatre (Mirianka Swain): It’s a blast from the past — though one with surprising emotional heft alongside its retro pleasures. If your vague memory of the 1977 movie … is of colourful dance floors and finger points, well, you’ll certainly find those here, but also a sincere story about working-class kids with few prospects longing for escape. … Bill Kenwright’s slick staging loses some of the grit of the film, and the dance numbers tend to be more presentational and synchronised rather than sweaty, organic clubbing, but, to its credit, the show sticks with the story’s dark subject matter. … Funky and heartfelt entertainment. 4 out of 5 stars.
London Theatre 1 (Chris Omaweng): Rather refreshingly for what is essentially a jukebox musical … the plotline is substantial. It explores a number of socioeconomic issues in New York in the 1970s — and some of the themes still resonate today. … For all the narrative points in the show, it seemed to me that much of the audience had come to experience the song and dance. … Winsor’s dancing is so polished and precise … that the ruggedness of the central character is in danger of being softened. … There’s an engaging feelgood factor to this show, with examples of overcoming adversity and a continuing desire to find a cathartic release through dancing. Worth seeing. 4 out of 5 stars.
The Standard (Nick Curtis): If it’s escapist fun you’re after, this high-energy, unchallenging musical adaptation of the 1977 disco movie that made John Travolta a star is just the thing. … Richard Windsor is a powerhouse of hip-thrusting, hand-jiving motion, and he’s matched by a graceful Olivia Fines as his haughty partner. … The acting is pretty perfunctory throughout, but that scarcely matters while the music and footwork power the show forward. It all falls apart a bit towards the end, with … an unintentionally hilarious nightmare sequence. Then Windsor … and Fines lead the well-drilled ensemble in a big-finish finale that puts it right. A disco inferno, right enough. 3 out of 5 stars.
WhatsOnStage (Daniella Harrison): What are the first things that come to your mind when you think of Saturday Night Fever? … All those things are present in this Bill Kenwright production … but unfortunately, there’s quite a lot missing for this show to really light up the dance floor. … As a musical, Saturday Night Fever is confused. It is unsure whether it wants its characters to sing the fantastic disco tunes or just be soundtracked by them, so has a mixture. … It also doesn’t know if it wants to lean into the hard-hitting plot or be something fun. … But don’t worry, there’s an extended disco megamix at the end to perk up your spirits and make you forget everything before it. 2 out of 5 stars.
Last night, the category for the Final Jeopardy! round was Broadway Musicals. First-time defending Jeopardy! champion Maureen O’Neil of Rye Beach, N.H., came up with the correct answer and increased her overall winnings by $18,800, for a two-day total of $21,000. Challenger Miranda Wilson of Fayetteville, W.Va., also answered correctly but came in second with a game play total of $12,200, while challenger Gundeep Singh of Franklin Lakes, N.J., guessed incorrectly on the final clue and lost all but $1 to place third.
