theater

Can We Laugh at Obama?

Laura Palotie — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:42:36 -0500

After witnessing two years of emotional wrangling and finger-pointing, most of us are relieved to put the election season behind us. But as the nation transitions from the erratic, divisive Bush-era into the historically momentous presidency of Obama the rhetoritician, some journalists are declaring crisis mode on a flourishing art form: the political satire. Bush-impersonations have gone past the point of cliché, but no comedian is yet to figure out how to nail the uniquely relatable stateliness of Barack Obama.

New Bookshelf Stereos From Sharp

Chris Dannen — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:16:29 -0400

Not to be shown up at the CEDIA conference, Sharp [OTC:SHCAY] revived the oft-forgotten bookshelf boombox sound system with two new models that might make you ditch you diminutive iPod-speaker-cum-alarm-clock. Called the -- get your pen -- CD-DK890N and the CD-DK891N, they'll both have integrated iPod docks (natch) and 250-watt amplifiers, as well as this ancient device called a 5-disc CD changer. Whatever that is.

New York's annual Fringe Festival Turns the Spotlight on Independent Theater

Laura Palotie — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:53:30 -0400

Off-Off Broadway is the perpetual underdog of New York's arts scene, but to a non-theater aficionado, exploring the wide-spanning thespian scene beyond Broadway can easily feel intimidating--like sitting away from the hipster kids' table. Indie theater projects are seemingly everywhere, from obscure black box theaters to restaurant back rooms and neighborhood parks, but how should an unfamiliar audience member distinguish between a low-budget gem and a failed vanity project?

Meet The Real Craig Stevens

Laura Palotie — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:10:43 -0400

In early March, thousands of Youtube-surfing Broadway aficionados discovered Craig Stevens, a recent college graduate from Tennessee who, shortly after the new year, had followed his theatrical aspirations to New York.

'Title of Show' Opens on Broadway

Laura Palotie — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:15:13 -0400

Almost three months ago I interviewed writer-singer-actor Jeff Bowen, whose musical about the making of a musical, Title of Show, was picked up for a Broadway run (see my post here.). Much of his and co-writer Hunter Bell's success, Bowen told me, was due to the pair's self-made marketing campaign on Youtube.

An Arts Foundation Gathers Statistics on Off-Off Broadway

Laura Palotie — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:38:30 -0400

Most residents living in the family-friendly New York of today are unlikely to miss the crime and grime that characterized the city during its previous decades, but a certain cultural sterilization is also stirring collective panic in its artistic community. Its famous indie theater scene, for example, has become challenging to maintain amidst rising rents and subsequently closing theater spaces.

Writers Take the Spotlight at Emerging Artists Theatre

Laura Palotie — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:57:05 -0400

For an aspiring playwright in New York, the odds of turning one's work into a stage production can feel as daunting, even foolish, as pinning an 'American Idol' audition number onto one's shirt. For those whose aspirations surpass their self-doubt, however, nonprofit organizations like Emerging Artists Theatre (EAT for short) can provide opportunities to polish
their work in front of a paying audience.

Fast Talk: The Business of Broadway

Fast Company staff — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:30:05 -0400

"I don't want to say, ‘I told you so,’ but the show came in under budget at $2.1 million, and tickets are selling out. Our audiences are 60% black and 40% white. Seeing all these people in the audience who are new to Broadway makes all those years I’ve been working on this worth it.”

“Of course, profits in theater, even with a fund, aren't guaranteed. But investors get access to all the fun perks of the theater world, which you won’t get investing in an oil company.”

The Business of Broadway

Cora Daniels — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:06:00 -0400

The Cool Cat

Stephen Byrd
Producer
Front Row Productions
New York, New York

Stephen Byrd, 55, a former investment banker at Goldman Sachs and currently a partner in the private-equity firm Stonehedge Partners, spent 13 years trying to bring an all-black production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to Broadway. It debuted this spring.

Clever Marketing Pushes a Musical to the Big Time

Laura Palotie — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:02:49 -0400

'Fierce' Viewership

Laura Palotie — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:25:02 -0400

If you see one Broadway show this year...

Laura Palotie — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:21:09 -0400

Roundabout Theatre Company, New York's largest nonprofit theater initiative, is to be commended for keeping Disney-laden Broadway interesting in recent years. Although its latest revival, Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, hasn't created quite as much large-scale buzz as Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights, this stunning production should be a must-see before it closes in June.

New Documentaries Draw Attention to Autism

Laura Palotie — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:46:45 -0400

At their most thought-provoking, works of art can provide a welcome news hook for resurfacing otherwise overlooked societal issues . Such is the case with two recent autism-related documentaries that delve into thedaily lives of affected children and their families. With their releases tied to the soon-to be commencing Autism Awareness Month, these films are generating notable media buzz.

Behold the Power of the Elusive Critic

Laura Palotie — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:21:28 -0400

As more and more indie films enter production, less of them have a chance of being reviewed, writes Gregg Goldstein in today's Hollywood Reporter. There simply aren't enough critics to do the job.

Time to Skip Down the Yellow Brick Road

Laura Palotie — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:08:20 -0400

A recession might be inevitable,
but for the gilded film industry, this slump in the nation's psyche
might be good for business.