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

Remembering Don Rickles The great Don Rickles passed away this week, and Jimmy Kimmel used the opening of Thursday night's show to pay tribute: Shakespeare in the Park Casting Initial casting has been announced for the two Shakespeare in the Park productions, Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream , and it's already an embarrassment of riches. (And in keeping with the Public ethos (diversity), both casts include actors of color and non-traditional gender casting.) Among those in Julius Caesar are Corey Stoll ( House of Cards , Plenty ) as Marcus Brutus; Elizabeth Marvel ( House of Cards , Homeland ) as Antony; Tony winner Nikki M. James ( The Book of Mormon , Preludes ) as Portia; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis ( Between Riverside and Crazy ) as Cinna the Poet; Chris Myers ( Whorl Inside a Loop ) as several characters; and Eisa Davis ( Preludes ) as Decius Brutus. Performances run May 23 through June 18, and will be direct...

Jake Gyllenhaal Welcomes You to the Hudson Theatre Academy Award nominee (and emerging musical theatre sensation) Jake Gyllenhaal invited viewers into Sunday in the Park with George rehearsals backstage at the Hudson Theatre. The Hudson, which began operation in 1903 but has been out of use as a legit theatre since 1968, is set to reopen with this production, becoming the 41st active Broadway theatre. ( See photos from this week's ribbon-cutting ceremony .) In the video below, directed by Emmy winner Cary Joji Fukunaga ( True Detective ), Gyllenhaal walks through the Hudson while singing the show's signature song, "Finishing the Hat." The City Center production of the Stephen Sondheim – James Lapine musical, also starring Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford , begins previews February 11; opening night is set for February 23, and the strictly limited engagement will conclude April 23. Visit the Hudson Theatre website to purchase tickets. (A rush policy for previe...

Leading Lady Set for Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 Pierre  has found his Natasha. Denee Benton will star as Natasha opposite the previously announced Josh Groban (as Pierre) in the Broadway bow of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 . Benton starred in the recent American Repertory Theater run of the show (see the production photo at right). Natasha... , written by Dave Malloy ( Preludes ), still does not have a theatre, and specific dates have not been announced, but the show is expected to begin previews in September.  Theater Mania has more. Cate Blanchett to Make Broadway Debut Academy Award winner (and current nominee ) Cate Blanchett ( Blue Jasmine , Carol ) will make her long-anticipated Broadway debut this fall. She'll appear in The Present , a new play adapted from Chekhov's Platonov . The adaptation was written by Blanchett's husband and frequent artistic collaborator, Andrew Upton , and premiered in Blanchett's native Aus...

Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs Begins Filming The long-gestating biopic Steve Jobs , written by Aaron Sorkin ( The Social Network , The Newsroom ) and which focuses on the Apple innovator, has officially started filming. After many casting, directing and producing changes, the film, told in three long scenes (sounds quite Sorkin-eqsue), now boasts an enviable cast: Michael Fassbender ( Hunger , 12 Years a Slave ) as the titular Jobs; Seth Rogen ( 50/50 , The Interview ) as Steve Wozniak; and The Newsroom star Jeff Daniels , Kate Winslet ( The Reader ), Michael Stuhlbarg ( A Serious Man , Hugo (he also appeared in an couple of episodes of Sorkin's Studio 60 )) and Katherine Waterston ( Inherent Vice ). Danny Boyle ( 127 Hours ) directs. Slash Film has more. New York Pops Season Announced The 2015-2016 New York Pops concert season has been announced. Concerts will feature the talents of Brian d'Arcy James ( Macbeth , Next to Normal ) and Stephanie J. Block ( Th...

You must get to the Delacorte this summer to see the Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado about Nothing . Director Jack O’Brien  finds tons of humor is one of Shakespeare’s great comedies, and the cast, led by the terrific pair of Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater (who’ve sparred well together in the past, as in Seminar ), is top notch. Rabe and Linklater, as Beatrice and Benedick, spark as they engage in a battle of wits, and both excel at the physical comedy that’s asked of them (especially Linklater). John Lee Beatty ’s scenic design will make you feel like you’re in a villa in the Italian countryside, and being out under the stars in the middle of Central Park ain’t too shabby. It’s a great start to another season of Shakespeare in the Park! ( King Lear  starring John Lithgow is next. Get in line now.) Bonus: the talented cast also includes John Glover ( Death ofa Salesman ); Pedro Pascal ( Graceland , Game of Thrones ); Steel Burkhardt ( Hair ); Br...

An American in Paris World Premiere We've known for several months that a full stage adaptation of the beloved movie musical, directed  by the great Christopher Wheeldon ( Cinderella , Carousel (A Dance) ), was on its way, premiering in Paris and then coming to Broadway in spring 2015. This week, dates for the world premiere Paris bow at the Theatre du Chatelet were announced (November 11, 2014–January 4, 2015), and it was officially announced that New York City Ballet principal dancer Robert Fairchild will star as Jerry Mulligan, taking on the role made famous by Gene Kelly!!! (Robbie has excelled in Wheeldon ballets, particularly in the recent A Place for Us .) He'll be joined by Leanne Cope as Lise. An American in Paris is a trunk musical featuring some of the Gershwin brothers' greatest tunes. Theatre veteran Craig Lucas is writing the book and Encores! stalwart Rob Fisher is serving as musical director and arranger. Recent Tony winner Natasha Katz is on ...