Latest news with #Oklahoma!
New York Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Nothing can stop ‘Oh, Mary!' and Cole Escola at the Tony Awards
Sirens call from stage It's Tonys time soon. June 8. More exciting news than the bulletins at Newark. I haven't been this moved since Sutton Foster told me in 2022 that she'd been picked to work with Hugh Jackman in Broadway's 'The Music Man.' Not knowing him so well before, she was therefore very excited. Now 2025, getting divorced from his wife of decades. New lady friend — Sutton Foster. The first Tonys were 1947. At the Waldorf Astoria, which may reopen when the Statue of Liberty goes co-op. Tickets, $7. Now Radio City. Price? $795 plus whatever's an $8 venue fee. The first winners? Arthur Miller, Ingrid Bergman, Agnes de Mille, Helen Hayes. 1947 was a good year. Its aging musicals of that time still get rejuiced — 'Oklahoma!,' 'Brigadoon,' 'High Button Shoes.' The hotshot drama later that year: 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' with Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Jessica Tandy, Karl Malden. It was names like Orson Welles, Ethel Merman, Victor Moore, William Gaxton, Ray Bolger, Arthur Godfrey, Walter Huston, Bert Lahr, Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, Basil Rathbone, Uta Hagen, Anthony Quinn, Katharine Cornell, John Gielgud, James Mason, Bobby Clark, Maurice Evans and Tallulah Bankhead — all became biggies. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters My Tallulah story: Trying to be a reporter I got myself to the Waldorf. In the ladies' room, next stall over, separated only by a thin wall — the superfamous thick throaty-voiced Bankhead came at me with: 'Little girl, have you any paper in there?' 'N-n-no, Miss Bankhead.' Sounds of a purse opening, scrabbling around, closing, then: 'Have you two fives for a ten?' All hail 'Mary' So, who's going to schlep home the Tony? It is the quickie show 'Oh, Mary!' The star, writer, creator, costumer Cole Escola. Nobody else. Forget anybody else. If Shakespeare himself showed up onstage live and inhaling a ham sandwich — he'd blow it. It's Cole. Cole Escola! Two years ago, it was another one-of-a-kind: Alex Newell. In a cornball musical about growing corn. The title was 'Shucked.' He won. Where is he now, what's he doing, why isn't he starring someplace in some musky theater? Is this the power of the famous fabulous Antoinette Perry Award? That after you sweat and strain and slave and worry and borrow a shmatta and rent jewels and rehearse your speech and try not to flop lumbering up the stairs — you end up the following year — where? It brings you nothing? Borscht? I know he's working. He's done concerts. He's done a movie. But is he on a Broadway stage right now grabbing another Antoinette Perry Award? No. Talent has its difficulties. Michelangelo spent four years daubing the Sistine Chapel. He didn't mind because he was union. What bugged him was that the Vatican then asked for a second coat. Watch the Tonys, kiddies, watch the Tonys.
Vogue Singapore
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
Grace Roberts on growing up in Singapore and playing Christine Daaé in the ‘The Phantom of the Opera'
When The Phantom of the Opera arrived on our shores earlier this month, it was a homecoming for Grace Roberts. While the musical theatre performer is British, her family moved to Singapore when she was six weeks old, and she spent the first 18 years of her life growing up in the city. It was also here that she first started doing theatre. 'I started out doing choir when I was younger, and started to do plays and musicals when I was old enough to audition at school. I also took part in school concerts at the Victoria Concert Hall and the Esplanade when I was in junior and senior school. I honestly thought those amazing buildings were something else, and it was an incredible introduction to theatre,' she thinks back fondly. Grace Roberts plays Christine and Ben Forster plays the Phantom for the Singapore run of the musical. Courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia As she returns to Singapore this time, it is in one of the most beloved and iconic roles in musical theatre: Christine Daaé, the beautiful soprano that becomes the obsession of the mysterious musical genius that haunts the Paris Opera House. In the midst of the sheer grandeur of the musical—the swelling score, the magnificent costumes and the unbelievably spectacular sets—Christine is the show's tender heart, and it is a role that Roberts is absolutely magnetic in. From her quiet bravery to her deep compassion, Roberts brings a depth to Christine that turns an already technically brilliant performance into one that feels like a revelation. Here, she opens up on discovering her love for theatre, stepping into the role of Christine and what it has been like to perform in the place where she grew up. Grace Roberts as Christine Daaé. Courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia When did your love for theatre begin? Is there a particular production that inspired your decision to go into musical theatre? I've loved theatre since I was a little girl. My grandmother introduced me to films like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers , Carousel , and Oklahoma! when I went to visit and we'd play everything on loop. I also vividly remember watching a taped version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on VCR and being totally enthralled when I was about five. So I was introduced to music and theatre through film pretty early, but I'd say the major turning point was seeing Wicked when I was around 11. I was just taken aback by the sheer scale of it all, and I knew I wanted to be involved with something as magical as that. What is it like to perform back here in the place where you grew up? I can't really describe how special it is. I've always wanted to perform in Marina Bay Sands, and being able to stand on that stage is quite incredible. It's also amazing to have my parents able to see me perform in such an iconic Singapore landmark. It's really a combination of things that makes this so incredibly special. 'Masquerade' in The Phantom of the Opera . Courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia What was your introduction to The Phantom of the Opera? I've known the music for years . I was introduced to the music when I was much younger, but I didn't see the show until it came to Singapore in 2013. I watched Claire Lyon as Christine and Brad Little as the Phantom, and I was just mesmerised by the production value and the incredible music. As soon as the chandelier rose, I just knew it was something I had to do one day. What about Christine's character were you most drawn to? I love how compassionate she is, but I also appreciate how brave the character is. Although she's a woman living in the Victorian era, she's incredibly headstrong and resilient. I like to think that she's seriously ahead of her time and is somewhat constricted by the period she's living in. What is the most challenging part about playing Christine? I'd say the sheer amount of stage time. I'm quite lucky that Christine is in my wheelhouse vocally, so I don't find the singing too challenging. However, Christine just doesn't really leave the stage, especially in act two. Having enough stamina and fitness to keep up with the role is something I had to find quite early on in my journey. Grace Roberts as Christine in 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again'. Courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia What has it been like to perform alongside Ben Forster as the Phantom and Matt Leisy as Raoul? It's wonderful, I absolutely adore them both! They bring such life and uniqueness to the roles, and it's truly a pleasure to work alongside them every night. We're having the time of our lives up there. Do you have a favourite scene or song to perform in the show? I love doing the graveyard scene—that's 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again' through to 'Wandering Child'. I find that it's incredibly layered, and it's the culmination of everything Christine has learned in the show so far. It gives her some resolution and direction to take her through the rest of the show. Do you have a dream role you would like to play in the future? I'd absolutely love to play Glinda from Wicked . It's the only other role on my theatre bucket list, aside from Christine. The Phantom of the Opera runs until 22 June 2025.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘This place is going to come alive': Pride stores founder unveils Hope Center for the Arts
SPRINGFIELD — Within a parking garage downtown, Pride stores founder Robert Bolduc has nearly transformed the former CityStage theaters into his Hope Center for the Arts. And in just a few months, the Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestra will do a bit of transforming itself, when it turns the stage into a cornfield. The kids, Bolduc gleefully explained Friday while leading a media tour through the space, are putting on 'Oklahoma!' 'This place is going to come alive,' Bolduc said of the 500-seat auditorium. Technicians are still installing lighting and sound equipment, and the new theaters and studios — vacant since CityStage went dark more than seven years ago — still smell of fresh paint. Bolduc already has three graduations booked for June, and 270 kids signed up for free arts programs that run July 7 through Aug. 1. Ultimately, he'd like to have 600 students involved in the programs. That's why he, his staff and the Springfield Public Schools showed off the new space Friday. Kids and their parents can sign up for the free summer programs at the Hope for Youth & Families website at or through their school. The center also is approved as a summer nutrition site, with free breakfast and lunch during the warmer months, Bolduc said. Bolduc's vision is to not only run his foundation's summer and after-school arts programs but to offer up the space to other regional organizations that showcase the arts and provide arts instruction and enrichment, such as the youth orchestra, which will use the center as its home base. The venue also will feature a more intimate 100-seat black box theater, as well as a mirrored dance studio. Both the black box and dance studio have leap-worthy, springy floors, which Bolduc said are the same ones used by the Boston Ballet. There will be visual arts studios — painting and the like — as well as quiet rooms for creative writing in what was CityStage's costume shop. Elsewhere will be studios for video and audio production, and practice rooms for musicians — as few as one or as many as an orchestra. When Bolduc first took The Republican through the youth orchestra's new rehearsal space in February 2024, it was still being used by the Springfield Parking Authority for document storage. 'Every parking ticket going back 100 years,' he said. All the studios and theaters are connected with audio and visual technology, said Kyle Homstead, the technical director. The main stage in the large theater is getting a 40-foot-long projection screen, and the floor will be set up for projection, as well. That's how the youth orchestra is going to create 'Oklahoma!' It's also a place where young people can learn to operate the latest technology, perhaps preparing for careers in the arts, Homstead said. 'This is a place where they can take something from their imagination and make it real,' he said. Bolduc's foundation bought the theater and studio space from the Parking Authority in 2024 for $1 million. It's a business-condo arrangement within the Columbus Center Garage. Built in 1984, it was StageWest until 1998. Later, Springfield Performing Arts Development Corp. presented a number of plays there, and attracted top-name theater talent. Over the years, it hosted Julie Harris as Emily Dickinson in her award-winning 'The Belle of Amherst,' Jack Klugman in 'On Golden Pond,' and John Astin of Gomez Addams fame in 'Edgar Allan Poe's Once Upon a Midnight.' Bolduc, 81, wouldn't say how much he's spent on the project. But more than a year ago, he estimated $10 million to $15 million in renovations and repairs. 'God has been good to me,' Bolduc said. Springfield collects $41M of $47M school funding threatened by Trump 50 years after arriving in Enfield, Lego's future clicks together elsewhere After 6 years on market, MassMutual sells Enfield complex for nearly $4M Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Richard Linklater's Lorenz Hart Biopic ‘Blue Moon' Sets October Release Date – Film News in Brief
Richard Linklater's Lorenz Hart biopic 'Blue Moon' has set an Oct. 17 limited release date in Los Angeles and New York before expanding nationwide Oct. 24. From Sony Pictures Classics, Oscar-nominated Linklater's newest film chronicles Hart's (Ethan Hawke) final days, who was part of the songwriting team Rodgers and Hart, on the opening night of 'Oklahoma!' in 1943. More from Variety Ethan Hawke Says Casting Actors Based on Instagram Followers Is 'Crazy': Some Young People Think 'Being an Actor Is Protein Shakes and Going to the Gym' Richard Linklater's 'Blue Moon' Lights Up Berlin as Crowd Goes Wild for Ethan Hawke's Unrecognizable Transformation Into Lorenz Hart 'Blue Moon' Review: A Shimmering Script About Ol' Broadway Struggles to Accommodate the Wrong Star The film is written by 'Me and Orson Welles' author Robert Kaplow with a cast including Margaret Qualley ('The Substance'), Andrew Scott ('Ripley') and Bobby Cannavale ('The Irishman'). Linklater produced the film along with Mike Blizzard ('Hit Man') and John Sloss ('Boyhood'). 'Blue Moon' premiered at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was met with mostly positive reviews and won the Silver Bear for Scott's supporting performance. Out of the festival, Variety's Peter Debruge wrote 'Like a backstage pass for Broadway buffs, it's one hell of a show for those in the know and a sparkling introduction for the uninitiated.' 'Blue Moon' is a Detour/Renovo production in association with Wild Atlantic Pictures, Under The Influence and Cinetic Media. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Glasgow Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow date for showcase of 'best musicals of all time'
'When you look at Richard Rodgers, and the sheer volume of songs to pick from - The Sound of Music, Climb Ev'ry Mountain, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, People Will Say We're in Love – I mean, it's 3000 songs,' he says, in awe. 'The level of accomplishment is astonishingly high. So yes, choosing 24 is extraordinarily difficult.' Prepare to be enchanted this June, as John and his famous orchestra, Sinfonia of London, return to Glasgow with his UK tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Greatest Hits. This spectacular concert will feature songs from the greatest musicals of all time, including South Pacific, The Sound Of Music, Oklahoma!, Carousel (which celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2025), and The King and I. (Image: CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU) 'Because Richard Rodgers was so celebrated, the movies spared no expense in terms of the scores, so they were recorded by the best musicians of the day,' says John. 'To have a go at recreating them in a live arena, is a gift." John is renowned for his passion and expertise in interpreting music from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and he has been celebrated for bringing a fresh yet faithful sound to classic scores. John Wilson (Image: Sim Canetty-Clarke) "The majority of my musical life is spent in that period from the 30s to the 60s, for the simple reason that those were musicals with orchestras," he says. "Once you get to the 60s and the 70s, the advent of rock and pop musicals, they didn't use orchestras any more, with the occasional exception." He adds: "The change started with Oklahoma!, which was really the first musical where the songs grew out of the plot and developed the characters - although they do still all stand alone as fantastic songs too. They are all hits." John Wilson (Image: Sim Canetty-Clarke) He smiles. "And audiences will have the chance to hear them, the exact arrangements from the films, played by our 70-piece orchestra. They are outstanding, I'm very proud of them." Sinfonia of London, reformed by Wilson in 2018, is comprised of some of the UK's leading musicians. It has received rave reviews for its previous performances, including an exhilarating appearance at last year's Proms in the Albert Hall in London. John agrees it is 'always a thrill to play at the Proms' but he is also keenly looking forward to his Glasgow concert, which will take place on June 28 at the Royal Concert Hall. READ NEXT: Tragic story behind Glasgow comedy club's new home READ NEXT: The unusual way Glasgow pupils are celebrating city's 850th birthday READ NEXT: 6 photos which tell story of great Glasgow department store Lewis's 'I love the Concert Hall,' he says, enthusiastically. 'I don't get much time to guest conduct any more because I am so busy with my own orchestra, but I do still try to come to the RSNO, because I love the orchestra and I love the hall. 'Glasgow audiences are kind of famous, they want to be entertained, so you can't short-change them.' He adds: 'There is always such a buzz, and that kind of reciprocity between stage and audience is what makes a great concert.' Born in Gateshead, John studied composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music. His desire to conduct his own orchestra was "always there", he says. "Someone once said, you're either a conductor or you're not and I have always felt like I am," he says, simply. "Even when I was really young, 14, and really terrible at it, I felt like I was a conductor. "I went to college and studied it, and realised how difficult it is, and I have never really stopped practising since." John and the orchestra will be joined on the tour once again by special guest soloists Louise Dearman, Nathaniel Hackmann and Scarlett Strallen. 'When I find singers I admire and trust, who really respect the material, I tend to hang on to them,' he says smiling. 'This will be such a lot of fun. Music is one of the great civilising forces - it offers solace, it uplifts.' He adds: 'When the world is in a mess, you want to make it better, and I think the only thing me and my orchestra can do is to keep on trying to do exactly that." John Wilson and Sinfonia of London will perform Rodgers & Hammerstein Greatest Hits at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on June 28.
