Week in Review 12.23.16

Rock Hall 2017

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2017 has been announced. Entering the Hall on their first year of eligibility are Pearl Jam and Tupac, with Journey, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, and Joan Baez as their fellow classmates. Musician Nile Rodgers will be given the Award for Musical Excellence, though his band, Chic, remains left out of the Hall. The artists will be inducted and honored during an April 7, 2017, ceremony/performance in Brooklyn, and, as in years past, an edited version of the festivities will air on HBO in May. Rolling Stone has more.

NYCB on Your TV

This winter, you'll get to watch New York City Ballet on PBS as part of the Great Performances series. Over the summer, NYCB performed in Paris's Theatre du Chatelet, and on February 17 and 24, 2017, you can tune in to see the Company's final performance from that three-week run. As The New York Times reports, the performance includes Walpurgisnacht Ballet, featuring Sara Mearns, Adrian Danchig-Waring, and Lauren Lovette; Sonatine, featuring Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz; Symphony in C, featuring Tiler Peck, Andrew Veyette, Teresa Reichlen, Tyler Angle, and Taylor Stanley; and La Valse, featuring Sterling Hyltin, Jared Angle, and Amar Ramasar. Check your local listing for exact air times.

Broadway on Your TV

Before it concludes its run on January 15, 2017, the Broadway revival of Holiday Inn will be livestreamed via Broadway HD, much like Studio 54's previous tenant, She Loves Me. The Irving Berlin musical that stars Bryce Pinkham and Corbin Bleu will be streamed on January 14 at 8pm. Theater Mania has more. (Speaking of Holiday Inn: There will be a cast album. Look for it in the spring.) Similarly, on January 3 and 4, the Broadway revival of Falsettos will be filmed, though not livestreamed. The filmed stage show will be broadcast on PBS at a later date as part of the Live from Lincoln Center series. (Though not playing on the Lincoln Center campus, Falsettos is produced, in part, by Lincoln Center.) An exact air date has not been announced. Falsettos stars Christian Borle and Stephanie J. Block. Broadway.com has more.

Casting News

  • The Hollywood Reporter reports that Dick Van Dyke will appear in the new Mary Poppins flick. The movie is shooting in London, and stars Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

  • Complete casting for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been announced. Joining the previously announced Christian Borle are Emily Padgett (Side Show, Sweet Charity), Jackie Hoffman (On the Town) and John Rubinstein (Pippin), among others. Newcomers Jake Ryan Flynn, Ryan Foust, and Ryan Sell will rotate in the title role. (Apparently, you have to have "Ryan" in your name to be Charlie.) Previews begin March 28, 2017, and opening night at the Lunt-Fontanne is scheduled for April 23. Theater Mania has more.

  • The equally terrific Tony nominees Jeremy Shamos (Clybourne Park, Noises Off) and Maria Dizzia (In the Next Room, Uncle Vanya) will lead the company of Steven Levenson's If I Forget, which is set to begin previews at Roundabout's off-Broadway theatre on February 2, 2017. Opening night is scheduled for February 22, and the limited engagement will conclude on April 30. Broadway.com has more.

  • Joe Cassidy will join the cast of Waitress in January, playing "Cal" through February 12. Broadway.com has more.

  • Aya Cash (Offices, You're the Worst) will lead the company of The Light Years, a new play written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, developed by The Debate Society. Previews of the Playwrights Horizons production begin February 17, 2017, with opening night set for March 13. The limited engagement is scheduled to conclude on April 2. Theater Mania has more.

  • Complete casting for the world premiere of Martin Sherman's Gently Down the Stream has been announced. Tony winner Harvey Fierstein (Casa Valentina) stars, along with Tony winner Gabriel Ebert (Matilda, Preludes) and Christopher Sears. Previews at the Public begin March 14, 2017. Opening night is set for April 5, and the limited engagement is scheduled to conclude on April 23. Broadway World has more.

  • Stage and screen veteran Michael Stuhlbarg (Arrival, Steve Jobs) has joined the season three cast of Fargo. Also on board are the previously announced Carrie Coon and Ewan McGregor. The Wrap has more.

  • Harry Groener has joined the company of the upcoming Crazy for You concert. Groener was a member of the original 1992 Crazy for You production, earning a Tony nomination for his performance. Playbill has more.
Best Theatre of 2016

Several media outlets' theatre critics/reporters have released their picks for the Best Theatre of 2016. The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney names Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812, Dear Evan Hansen, A Life, and Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed among his favorites. Deadline's Jeremy Gerard also named Dear Evan Hansen and The Great Comet among his favorites, along with Waitress, Sweat, and a slew of revivals (including the Jake Gyllenhaal-led Sunday in the Park with George that's coming to Broadway and Alex Timbers's take on The Robber Bridegroom).

In Other News

  • The original cast recording for Freaky Friday, a musical stage adaptation of the well-liked flick, will be released on March 10, 2017. Freaky Friday features a score by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winners Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal, If/Then), and stars Heidi Blickenstaff ([title of show], Something Rotten) and Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening). The production recently finished a stint in Virginia, and will play San Diego this winter. No firm Broadway plans have been announced. Playbill has more.

  • The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced that, beginning in 2019, works that are not diverse (on screen and behind the scenes) will not be eligible for BAFTA Awards. This is an unprecedented and bold move, especially after the last two years of Oscars acting nominees were all white. Slate has more.

  • Tony winner (and beautiful Brazilian baritone) Paulo Szot (South Pacific) will perform with the NY Philharmonic for its New Year's Eve concert, which will be broadcast live on PBS. Playbill has more.

  • Good news: Tickets for Dear Evan Hansen are now on sale through November 19, 2017. The information was shared via the show's Instagram feed, and you can purchase tickets in person by visiting the Music Box box office or online at dearevanhansen.com.

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