Reviewing the Drama: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Ballet, Movies, and TV Reviews

Original Broadway Cast Recordings Galore! The original Broadway cast recording of The Bridges of Madison County will be released digitally on April 15 and will be in stores on May 20. You can pre-order now at sh-k-boom.com . The Bridges of Madison features a score by Jason Robert Brown ( The Last Five Years ), and it's one of the most glorious scores I've heard in years. You'll definitely want to pick up a copy so you can swoon over Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale singing songs like "One Second and a Million Miles" and "It All Fades Away." To learn more about The Bridges of Madison County and to purchase tickets, visit bridgesofmadisoncountymusical.com . There will be an If/Then cast album, and it will be released on June 3!!!!!!! Playbill has more. (In other news: Idina Menzel will perform on the Today show on April 3.) If/Then is the original Broadway musical from Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt . The pair have reteamed with their Next...

Les Miserables has been around for a long time. From the Victor Hugo novel to various stage and screen adaptations, the story of Jean Valjean, who was turned into prisoner 24601 because he stole a loaf of bread, has entertained audiences for generations. But believe it or not, I had never seen the Claude-Michel Schonberg-Alain Boublil musical on stage until this most recent revival, which opened tonight at the same theatre that was home to its original Broadway run, the Imperial. I am a little disappointed to report that I didn’t develop more ardent feelings for the musical as a whole, but there are absolutely knock out moments in this production. A quick recap of the story: Valjean (Ramin Karimloo) is paroled from prison life but continues to be pursued by Inspector Javert (Will Swenson). While being pursued, he promises the dying Fantine (Caissie Levy) that he’ll look after her daughter, Cosette (Angeli Negron as a little girl, Samantha Hill as an adult), who has been looked af...

The Piano Man at MSG Forever Billy Joel announced that he will play a residency at New York's Madison Square Garden for as long as there is demand. Joel said he'll play a show each month at the legendary venue, and will continue to do so for an indefinite amount of time. The first show is January 27, 2014, followed by February 3, March 21, April 18 and May 9. Future dates have not yet been announced. Don't you think this one of the raddest things ever?!? Billy Joel was my first concert (I saw the River of Dreams tour in Miami), and he's long been a favorite storyteller. Visit Rolling Stone for additional details. Award Season News Gotham Independent Film Awards —These awards, presented by the IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project), were presented on Monday night. In his analysis of the evening, The Hollywood Reporter 's Scott Feinberg notes that the awards shouldn't be taken as any kind of forecast of what's to come in awards season, since "eac...

Sutton Foster Returns to Broadway There's no official word yet, but Broadwayworld.com reports that two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster will return to Broadway this spring in a mounting of the musical Violet . Foster starred in a one-night-only Encores! production of Violet in July. The musical boasts music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics and book by Brian Crawley. In the Encores! production, Foster ( Anything Goes ) starred alongside Joshua Henry ( American Idiot , The Scottsboro Boys ), Keala Settle ( Hands on a Hardbody ), Christopher Sieber ( Shrek ) and more. Since there has yet to be an official announcement, the dates of the production and its home is unknown, although Broadway.com reports that the show will play at Roundabout's American Airlines theatre, which has a slot open now that The Real Thing has been moved to fall 2014. I'll keep you posted. Award Season Coverage Governors Awards —These honorary awards, which, this year, honored Angelina Jolie...

If/Then Sitzprobe Go behind the scenes of the original Tom Kitt - Brian Yorkey musical, If/Then . The musical, now in previews in Washington, DC, is directed by Kitt and Yorkey's Next to Normal collaborator, Michael Greif , and stars Greif's Rent stars Idina Menzel and Anthony Rapp (and others, of course). In this video, you can watch as the cast and the 13-piece band come together for the first time and go through the score, an event known at sitzprobe. It's a glorious look at the most anticipated show of spring, as it further solidifies what a genius Kitt is. (And look at Rapp's face as he watches Menzel sing.) If/Then is in DC through December 8. It comes to Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre beginning March 5, 2014, with opening night set for March 27. Visit the show's dynamic website to learn more. Big Fish to Conclude Broadway Run The wonderfully splashy new musical Big Fish will conclude its Broadway run on December 29. At the time...