Fresno really likes its “Wicked” — so much so that producers are bringing it back. Season subscribers to Broadway in Fresno learned over the weekend learned that the hugely popular musical, which sold out a 16-performance run at the Saroyan Theatre in 2011, is returning next year. The show will run April 2-13, with performances for season subscribers blocked out for Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5. I’m sure we’ll be hearing details in the days to come on how to get tickets for the remaining performances.
The other big news: The touring production of “Memphis the Musical” will arrive May 13 and 14, 2014. I’m very pleased that this show, which won the best-musical Tony in 2010, is making it to Fresno in a timely manner.
There are two other shows announced on the lineup: The new musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” featuring the music of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, which opened on Broadway in 2010, will play Nov. 19-20. And while a national tour of “Hello, Dolly!” isn’t exactly breaking news, the version coming Feb. 18-19 stars Sally Struthers, which gives it some kitsch value.
“What do you know about Fresno?” an audience member called out during the designated question session following David Sedaris’ buoyant reading Thursday at the Saroyan Theatre.
“I know it’s an agricultural center, and I know it does not have a nice hotel,” said the beloved writer, who has a knack for selecting concrete details in his writings (and offhand quips) that tickle a listener in their specificity. Big laughs all around.
It’s one thing to read Sedaris’ words to yourself. But as anyone who almost crashed his or her car while laughing at the author’s now legendary recitation of “The Santaland Diaries” years ago on NPR can attest, listening to Sedaris read his work puts it on an entirely different level. And listening to him live is, well, such an extra-rich experience that it has approximately the same physiological impact as eating an entire can of frosting. (At one point in the reading last night, Sedaris had a line about “the history of frosting,” and now all I have to do is say the word to smile.)
You’re interviewing David Sedaris and trying to not let on the fact you’re nervous. The guy is, after all, the rock star of authors, an NPR favorite whose books are the rage with your most literary friends. But he’s done this before and quickly sets you at ease and shares all sorts of great stuff (much of it hilarious, but unfit for the daily paper).
Sedaris will be in town on Thursday with his lecture tour, which is part of the Broadway in Fresno series.
We have tickets to share.
Just leave a comment below. Tell us which story you’d like to hear Sedaris read aloud. We’ll pick winners at random. Contest will close at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) and winners will be notified by email. No repeat entries, please. Complete rules are on the jump.
I’m happy to announce to “West Side Story” enthusiasts that the national touring production of “West Side Story” opening Tuesday night at the Saroyan Theatre is not playing fast and loose with the storyline. A photo caption in today’s Bee accompanying my advance interview with cast member Michelle Alves incorrectly stated that Anita, played by Alves, and Tony, played by Andres Acosta, are lovers in the show. Acosta actually plays Bernardo in the show. So, to recap: It’s Anita in love with Bernardo. And Maria in love with Tony. The world can now spin again.
To say that some “WSS” fans were a little upset is putting it mildly. At least two of my colleagues and I were taking prickly phone calls and answering annoyed emails this morning chastising us for the the mix-up. Others were more good-natured. My favorite came on my phone mail. I believe it’s the first time I’ve ever received a telephone message in song. “Anita,” the caller sings, “I just read about a girl named Anita / and suddenly I could see / how wrong a newspaper can be …”
I’m still catching up with my busy weekend. (So much Kai to distract me!) There are two events I attended I want to acknowledge:
‘RAIN’ AT THE SAROYAN
If you’d told me before going into the weekend that I’d end up liking the touring Broadway in Fresno production of “Rain,” featuring four Beatles impersonators, more than the Fresno Philharmonic’s homage to the Rat Pack, I’d have said you were floating in the sky like Lucy and her diamonds. But that’s the case. The singing in this vigorously competent show was good, the energy was high, and while I’m definitely not Beatles-obsessed, I couldn’t help but get caught up in the crowd’s reverent boisterousness.
I’m still ambivalent about tribute shows, and there’s something a little creepy to me about how the four onstage performers exactly copied mannerisms corresponding to the original footage of the Beatles projected on two big screens on either side of the stage. (“Ringo Starr’s” little head tosses and blistering grins while drumming made me think of androids taking over the planet.) But people seemed to love it.
1. CELEBRATE THE RAT PACK
The Fresno Philharmonic will have some fun Saturday night with its “Rat Pack: A Symphonic Celebration” at the Saroyan Theatre. Here’s my cover story in Friday’s 7 section. In it I highlight the contributions of Fresno City College to the local jazz scene, as well as check in the three Broadway veterans portraying Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. Pictured below: Mike Dana, Larry Honda and Craig Von Berg of City College. (Bee photo by Craig Kohlruss.) [Details]
There’s only one (more) night only to catch the impressive production of “Dreamgirls” at the Saroyan Theatre. Solid, soulful vocals and an upbeat energy (especially in the dynamic second act) pump up this non-Equity national tour. But the top draw for me was the fascinating and effective scenic design, which added another theatrical texture to this oft-told tale. (It plays again 7:30 tonight at the Saroyan Theatre.)
This “Dreamgirls” keeps the same time period of 1962-1975 as it tells the story of the rise to the top of the fictional Dreams, a group loosely modeled on such 1960s R&B successes as The Supremes and The Shirelles, but it updates the look and feel of the original 1981 Broadway production. Instead of using traditional backdrops and set pieces, Robin Wagner’s scenic design consists solely of a series of LED panels that rotate, glide and move up and down. Five of these screens come together to provide a top-to-bottom backdrop, while additional panels downstage closer to the audience shift from side to side, carving out the stage into smaller spaces for more intimate scenes.
The result is a bare but charged visual aesthetic that might not satisfy theater traditionalists who like to see more literal scenery. (Except for one piece of industrial-looking metal furniture, the LED panels, credited to Howard Werner, provide all the visual information other than the costumed actors.) But I think the concept works really well.
UPDATE: Congrats to our winner, Steve! Thanks for playing everyone.
ORIGINAL POST: A visually reinvented national tour of “Dreamgirls” on Tuesday will make a stop at the Saroyan Theatre for a two-performance run — and the Beehive is giving away two tickets for opening night to a lucky reader.
I interviewed Charity Angel Dawson, who plays Effie White in the tour, for my cover story in Friday’s 7 section. She says the production has an updated visual look, including the use of LED screens. She calls it an “amped-up, modernized” version.
To enter the contest for the two tickets, leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite Effie from over the years. It could be an actress from the Broadway version, a local version or the movie. (If you can’t think of anyone, that’s OK — just say Jennifer Holliday. She’s the most obvious answer.)
Deadline to enter is 2 p.m. Monday. The winner will be chosen at random and notified via e-mail, so please leave a valid address. Only one entry per person, please. You’ll be able to pick up your tickets at the Saroyan’s Will Call window.
The only recent title is “Shrek.” (I’m assuming the “West Side Story” tour is connected to the recent Broadway revival, but I don’t think that’s the case with “Dreamgirls.” After our “Wicked” season two years ago — when Fresno sold out a 16-performance run of the blockbuster show — I’d been hoping for at least one longer-run show a year. (I knew we’d never get “The Book of Mormon” or “War Horse” or even “Memphis” this early, but I’d been hoping to see “Jersey Boys” brought in, or maybe “The Lion King.” Or even the new “Mary Poppins.”) In terms of shorter runs, I was hoping for “American Idiot,” “HAIR” or “Billy Elliot.”
Of course, with only three Broadway titles announced — and none through the remainder of 2012 — there’s room for one or two more titles. Perhaps we’ll get an exciting last-minute addition to the schedule.
As is customary with the series, there are few options that aren’t exactly theater in the traditional sense: “Lord of the Dance,” popular Beatles tribute band Rain and an evening with author/humorist David Sedaris of NPR fame. These are in addition to a July concert with Yanni that’s been on the books for months now.
So, Broadway in Fresno fans, how do you rate this lineup?
In terms of the pedigree of the national tour — and the fact that the show is still playing on Broadway — Monday night’s opening of “Rock of Ages” is the biggest title in the 2011-12 season of Broadway in Fresno. This brash, good-natured homage to the metal rock bands of the ’80s is structured as a “jukebox” musical — one in which a group of famous songs is strung together in a light-hearted and loose storyline. (Think “Mamma Mia.”)
One thing exciting about this tour is that it’s been playing big cities (such as Los Angeles and Chicago) along with the medium-size cities with which Fresno usually shares such engagements. Add to that the fact that “Rock of Ages” is still playing on Broadway, and this is a hot ticket.
Miller, well known for songs such as “The Joker” and “Fly Like an Eagle,” will play at the Friant casino on July 10. Tickets don’t go on sale until May 28, but when they do, they’ll cost $25, $35 and $45.
Lewis — with his band, The News, in tow — will perform at Table Mountain on Aug. 29. Tickets cost $25-$45 and are on sale July 16.
If you’re a big fan, you might want to circle those date on the calendar because tickets for Table Mountain Casino concerts sometimes sell out quickly. Tickets for the casino’s April 17 date with Crosby, Stills & Nash sold out in a week.
CINCO DE MEGA WITH MORRIS DAY AND THE TIME Fresno is about to get a dose of “Jungle Love” and “The Bird” right before Cinco De Mayo. Morris Day and The Time have been announced as headliners for the Cinco De Mega concert, organized by radio station Mega 97.9 on May 4 at Rotary Amphitheatre at Woodward Park.
Audiences at Good Company Players are familiar with Chris Carsten, who delivered standout performances in such 2nd Space productions last year as “The Crucible” and “Stalag 17.” Now Fresno area theater fans can see Carsten in the leading role of Henry Higgins in the national tour of “My Fair Lady,” which plays Wednesday and Thursday at the Saroyan Theatre.
We devoted a splashy spread to Carsten and his wife, Amalie Larsen, another well-known GCP name, in Sunday’s Spotlight section. Here’s my column.
Saroyan Theatre hosts the sounds of Mannheim Steamroller, ya know, if you wanna take your grandma or something. It’s part of the Broadway in Fresno series. Tickets and more info here.
I was very grumpy a few months ago when the new Broadway in Fresno season was announced. And why not? After teasing Fresno this past season with a full-fledged Broadway-caliber show in the form of “Wicked,” the 2011-12 season was a decided letdown.
Granted, the season has improved with the addition of “Rock of Ages,” which replaces “Grease.” But it certainly doesn’t include “The Lion King,” “Jersey Boys,” or the big-daddy touring show of them all, “The Phantom of the Opera” — one of which many Broadway fans I’ve talked to were hoping for. In my Sunday Spotlight column on the subject, I write:
The blunt truth is this: “Wicked” didn’t vault Fresno into the exalted ranks of cities that get first crack at hot Broadway shows. While the success of the unprecedented 16-show run, which was a near sell-out, probably did a lot to boost the city’s chances for nabbing a blockbuster show such as “Phantom” or “Lion King” in the future, the simple fact remains that there aren’t many shows with the name recognition and pop-culture appeal to anchor a multi-week run.
Broadway in Fresno is currently in the midst of its subscription campaign. I’ve talked to at least 10 people who say they aren’t renewing their season subscriptions.
A correction: In my Sunday column, I write that Blue Man Group — which Broadway in Fresno is marketing as its “big deal” appearance — will be here for its first appearance. What I should have written is that this will be Blue Man Group’s first Saroyan Theatre appearance with the series. The show has shifted from the arena-touring circuit to more intimate theater venues. Blue Man Group played at the Save Mart Center in both 2006 and 2008.
Here’s an interesting tidbit from those Save Mart performances, too. Blue Man Group’s 2006 appearance drew 4,410 ticket buyers. In 2008, that number had dipped to 2,995 — one of the lowest attended events that year at the Save Mart. Broadway in Fresno is hoping to fill three nights of Blue Man Group at 2,300 seats a night. Granted, the venue is smaller and more conducive to the scale of the show, but it will still be a hard sell for a show that’s already been here twice.
Um, sorry. I was so bored I feel asleep at my keyboard for a moment. Let’s see … “Blue Man Group,” founded in 1987, is as old as the red hills of Georgia. “My Fair Lady” and “Grease” … let’s just all ride our dinosaurs down to the Saroyan to partake.
“Young Frankenstein” is the “hot” title of the bunch, if you could call it that. The Mel Brooks musical opened on Broadway in 2007 to mixed reviews and closed a little over a year later.
There’s a big, glaring gap on the calendar between September and January. So I’m crossing my fingers and hoping a bigger-profile fifth title is announced later.
Both are at the Saroyan Theatre. Tickets are priced at $49.50, $39.50, $27.50. Tickets are available at the box office on 700 M Street, at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.
A strong audience turnout and a solid production with stellar vocals combined to make Tuesday’s opening night of “The Color Purple” an impressive theater experience. I walked away with the requisite lump in my throat as the often aching themes in Alice Walker’s acclaimed storyline came together in a surge of emotional redemption.
Touring shows can vary in terms of the quality of performers and production values, as subscribers to the Broadway in Fresno series know all too well. This “Color Purple” is stronger than last month’s “Beauty and the Beast.” I saw the original “Color Purple” on Broadway, and while the sets are smaller, the orchestra much thinner and the lighting execution a little less accomplished, especially the Saroyan follow-spot operator at last night’s show, I was impressed with the fidelity to the New York production. (The show repeats 7:30 p.m. today.)
The folks bringing “Wicked” to Fresno in April 2011 staged a big bash last night for several hundred people at the Saroyan Theatre to promote the show. In an event that was a cross between live infomercial, news conference and pep rally to sell advance group tickets, the “Wicked” promoters — who set up cocktail tables adorned with little witch hats and silver wands in the lobby beforehand — unveiled an ambitious plan to market the popular Broadway musical on an unprecedented scale in Fresno.
From hanging a big map of Oz to lighting the seated audience in an eerie green glow, the advance “Wicked” team ramped up the spectacle, even bringing in a few of the show’s stars (Teal Wicks as Elpheba, pictured in the San Francisco production, and Emily Rosek as Glinda) to sing a couple of the belt-to-the-rafters empowerment ballads that have helped make it such a hit. It was quite the show — and the sell. By the time the presentation — crammed with glowing video testimonials, a taped message from composer Steven Schwartz and a live presentation from “Wicked” producer David Stone — was over, I felt like “Wicked” not only was being pitched as a great musical but as the solution to world peace, plus everyone who sees it is guaranteed to lose 10 pounds.
Key info that emerged at the event:
There will be 16 performances of “Wicked” during the 12-day run April 6-17, including one Thursday matinee. I can’t remember there ever being a weekday matinee in Fresno.
Top ticket price for premium seats at all performances will be at least $125. That’s the top group-ticket price. Group tickets go on sale April 16. There will be 175 premium seats sold at each performance. Single-ticket prices haven’t yet been announced, but they certainly won’t be less than the group price, and could be more.
An email announcement will go out to subscribers today. The national tour of “Wicked” will play at the Saroyan Theatre April 6-17, 2011. The news was up earlier today on the Broadway in Fresno Web site, although as of 3 p.m. it appears to have been taken down.
As far as I know, this will be the first time that a major musical has played in Fresno for nearly two weeks. (“Les Miserables” played for eight shows in 1993 and six shows in 1996.)
Check out the other titles in the season: “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Color Purple,” “Legally Blonde,” “Spamalot.” Lots of exciting stuff.
The Broadway in Fresno producers plan to offer a special press event next month at the Saroyan Theatre to hype the upcoming season. “Wicked” cast members are expected to attend.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Help me out here, will you? I have the opportunity to “interview” any of the puppet characters in “Avenue Q” in advance of the national tour coming to the Saroyan Theatre Feb. 23 and 24. But I can’t decide which one to pick!
So I’m taking a poll. Let me know which “Avenue Q” character I should interview — and give me a question or two you’ve always been dying to know the answer to. As an incentive, I’ll pick one person at random from among those who comment on this post to award TWO orchestra-seat tickets to the 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 performance. (And get this: the freebie tickets are in Row Q. How appropriate.)
Our usual giveaway rules apply, so if you’ve won something within the past 30 days, you aren’t eligible for the prize. (But you can still vote in the poll — just indicate in your comment that you’re a recent prize winner.) No repeat comments, please. You’ll need to pick up your tickets at The Bee’s front lobby. Complete rules after the jump. Deadline for ticket giveaway: 5 p.m. Friday.
At this point I figure that everyone on the face of the planet with even the slightest interest in “Riverdance”-style entertainment has had their fill of Irish clogging, but the phenomenon rolls on. This time it’s Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance,” which opens the Broadway in Fresno season 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Saroyan Theatre. I’m not going to review the show because I saw it when it came here in 2005, and, frankly, I think I’m good for another 15 or 20 years, but I’ll start a post this afternoon for reader reviews.
UPDATE 10 p.m. Wednesday: I was the third of the four spellers to be kicked off! I even did a little dancing in front of 1,500 people, and the roof of the Saroyan didn’t cave in.
Here’s the word I missed, Heather: “abulia.” It’s a psychiatric term. I spelled it “ebulia.”
It was a great show, by the way. Some of the best singing I’ve heard in a national tour coming through the Saroyan.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Tonight’s the night: I take the stage as the celebrity speller in the national touring production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the Saroyan Theatre. Here’s my goal: to not be the first of the four audience volunteers booted off stage. Then again, if I make it past that point, I’m going to have to dance, and that’s a scary thought in itself. (Not so much for me as the audience.)
The one thing I know is that there’s no chance I can win. Not even national spelling bee champs have made it into this intermissionless musical’s second half — it’s not written that way. (Weird bit of trivia: When Julie Andrews was the celebrity speller, she missed on “supercalifragilisticexpealadoucious.”) It kind of takes the pressure off when I know I’m destined to lose!
