| 'Pasing Strange' moving to B'way
"Passing Strange," a musical created by a singer-songwriter known as Stew, was a hit off-Broadway earlier this year for the Public Theater. Now the show is moving uptown, opening Feb. 28 on Broadway. Preview performances begin Feb. 8 at the Belasco Theatre.
In a review last May, The Associated Press said the show "seems to scoff at convention, falling somewhere between the common notion of musical theater and a hyper-theatrical rock concert."
"Passing Strange" follows a young man's journey from Los Angeles to Europe in search of truth and meaning. Stew wrote the show's book and lyrics and co-wrote the music with longtime collaborator Heidi Rodewald. The director is Annie Dorsen.
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Broadway's 'Annie' will grace paramount stage
The classic musical Annie was first produced on Broadway in 1977. Thirty years later, this charming tale about never giving up hope is still being seen by thousands of people and still being enjoyed as if the show opened yesterday. Lynn Andrews, who plays Miss Hannigan in the current touring production of Annie, which makes a stop at the Paramount Theatre on Friday and Saturday, has a simple explanation for the show's appeal. "There are dogs and kids on stage," Andrews said with a chuckle. "How can you not love dogs and kids? But seriously, it is a good, solid show. It has been a hit for 30 years because it all works. The show is funny." .
Stage Right presents family favorite 'Annie'
It's a safe bet that any community theater production of the popular Broadway musical "Annie" will draw audiences. The contingent of families and friends alone for each of the darling orphans in the show is enough to constitute a small crowd. With a familiar score that guarantees "the sun'll come up tomorrow" and a fun plot that espouses the benefits of having an optimistic attitude -- both for a president and an orphan girl -- "Annie" relies on its cast members to make a theater group's production stand out from the rest, according to Anthony Marino, who directs this kid-rich show for Stage Right professional theater company in Greensburg. "It's such a well put together show, almost Rodgers and Hammerstein-esque," Marino says. "As a director, it gives you a chance to work on the characters, rather than making the script work." Although the title character traditionally is a mop-topped redhead straight out of the 1925 Little Orphan Annie comic strip created by Harold Gray, no two Annies are alike in the stage show.
Fun by the minute
Time flies when youre having fun. Its also cheaper if you calculate the cost per minute. Think about it. The cost for an orchestra seat to watch Famous Artists Broadway Theater Series production of Annie next month is $55. The show is two hours and 30 minutes long. If youre on a tight budget, the ticket might seem steep. But when you break it down, its only 37 cents per minute. Among the cheapest fun you can have in Syracuse is watching a movie at the Hollywood Theatre in Mattydale for $1.50. It costs about 1 cent per minute for a two-hour film. And when you calculate it by the minute, a five-night stay at Disney World is cheaper than a 100-minute couples massage at Mirbeau Inn and Spa in Skaneateles. Read below how your fun in Central New York breaks down by the minute.
POP, ROCK, FOLK
ANNIE LENNOX: The former Eurythmic performs songs off her latest solo album, "Songs of Mass Destruction" tomorrow at 8 p.m. at United Palace Theater, Broadway at 175th Street; (212) 568-5260. THE DECEMBERISTS: The radio-friendly indie band - frenemies of Steven Colbert -plays tonight at 7:30 at Terminal 5, 610 W. 56th St. at 11th Avenue; (212) 260-4700. JOHN FOGERTY: Former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman plays a solo show at 7:30 tonight at Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 W. 34th St.; (212) 307-7171. THE POLICE: Thirty years after forming, London's finest play tonight at 8 at Madison Square Garden; ticketmaster.com. Tickets: $54.50-$254.50. Read Today's Horoscope .
Wild West coming to town
THE Wild West is coming to west Wiltshire, thanks to the Trowbridge Amateur Operatic Society. The group is bringing the Broadway version of Annie Get Your Gun to the stage later this month. The story revolves around Annie Oakley, an illiterate hillbilly with a knack for shooting guns. Persuaded to join Buffalo Bill's travelling Wild West Show, she soon falls hopelessly in love with Frank Butler, the show's featured shooting ace. .
Popular musical offers entertainment for everyone
"Annie," a musical based on the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie," has proved to be enduringly popular. Its Depression-era tale of plucky Annie and her guardian, warmhearted capitalist Daddy Warbucks, struck a chord with theatergoers. The catchy songs by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin include "Tomorrow" and "Hard Knock Life."
The show opened on Broadway more than 30 years ago with Andrea McArdle in the title role. A 1982 film version, starring Aileen Quinn as Annie and directed by John Huston ("The Maltese Falcon"), had a lukewarm critical reception.
In the current touring production, directed by Charnin, Annie is played by Amanda Balon, 10, of Orlando, Fla. In a recent phone interview, Amanda talked about what's it like to portray a classic character — and one of the most famous little girls in the world.
Stage preview/East: Greensburg girls shine sharing 'Annie' title role
Sure, the orphans are cute and everyone loves a dog on stage, but for Stage Right artistic director Anthony Marino, "Annie," which opens tomorrow, is mostly about the song "Tomorrow." "It's a really well-put-together show," he said of the musical, which audiences have loved it since its Broadway debut in 1977. "But what you need are girls who can really nail that last note." .
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