Hey L.A. Friends, Go See “Silence! The Musical” Now!!!

Hey L.A. readers, I have got a hilarious treat for you. There is a brand new uproarious, possibly offensive and ridiculously hysterical new musical in town. No, I’m not talking about The Book of Mormon (but that is a great one). I’m actually talking about the new L.A. run of the off-Broadway smash Silence! The Musical which, yes, is based on the Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs. It opens tonight at the Hayworth Theatre.
I saw the show in a preview last night and was rolling in my seat the whole time. It’s simply a laugh riot with a flawless ensemble including one of my good friends Kathy Deitch who is wonderful and plays several roles including that poor girl at the bottom of the well, Katherine Martin. In the lead roles of Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling are Broadway superstar Davis Gaines and TV vet Christine Lakin (best known for her long run on Step by Step). Both actors do a fantastic job and Lakin’s take on Jodie Foster’s lisping Southern accent is brilliant and will have you in stitches. Stephen Bienskie also reprises his roles from the NYC production including his dirty fun take on serial killer Buffalo Bill. And there are more treats for you reality competition fans as season 3 American Idol standout Latoya London and season 5 naughty ballerina Melissa Sandvig from So You Think You Can Dance are also in the cast. Oh, and one more shout out to ensemble member Jeff Hiller, a theatre and TV vet, who is just astoundingly funny throughout the show. For more on this great cast and the show, head to the Silence! the Musical website here. And check out the show info below. I highly recommend this incredibly fun show that will make you giggle, blush, guffaw, and amuse you to no end.

Silence! The Musical

The Hayworth Theatre
2511 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90057

The Hayworth Theatre Box Office open 1.5 Hours before curtain.
Thursday: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Saturday: 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Sunday: 1:30pm – 7:30pm
CLOSED: MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY
Paid parking next to the theatre

And check out this great news story on the show to whet your appetite.

NBC goes for Laughs with its new 2012 Fall Schedule

NBC has been mired in the ratings cellar for several years now, but with their new fall schedule, they are hoping to return to their 80′s and 90′s glory days. How are they gonna do it? Well, apparently, they are hoping to become the kings of comedy again. They did it with shows like Cheers, Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls and Will & Grace. So, why not make a big play with 4 nights of comedy programming, Tuesday thru Friday? That’s what they will be doing by bringing back Community, Up All Night, Whitney (what?!) and 30 Rock  (in its final season) for 13 more episodes plus full seasons of The Office (with all the stars returning except for James Spader and Mindy Kaling who has a new sitcom on Fox) and Parks and Recreation. They will add 4 more comedies to the mix: Go On starring Matthew Perry as a sportscaster, Animal Kingdom with Justin Kirk as a House-like veterinarian, Guys with Kids from producer Jimmy Fallon and The New Normal with Justin Bartha and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon) as a gay couple who enlist a surrogate to help them start a family. The latter comedy is from Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) and costars Tony winner Ellen Barkin and looks like a riot. I can’t wait…
The network also has 3 more comedies for mid-season with Save Me starring Anne Heche, 1600 Penn (a comedy set at the White House) and Next Caller about a foul-mouthed DJ played by Dane Cook. Dramas joining later in the year are Infamous and Hannibal (yes, that’s about Hannibal Lecter!)
Also on the drama side, NBC has added Revolution, Do No Harm and Chicago Fire. Revolution will follow a new fall edition of The Voice which will now air twice a year essentially turning it into a singing version of Dancing with the Stars or Survivor, and thus further reducing the likelihood of ever producing a true music hit maker. (But it can still get good rating for the network that has such a low bar)… Also returning will be the musical drama Smash at midseason (so it can air 18 episodes uninterrupted) along with a newly reconfigured The Biggest Loser.... Cancelled shows include Awake, The Firm, Harry’s Law (boo!!!), Are You There Chelsea, Bent and Best Friends Forever. For more on the new shows and clips of them, head to TV Line here. And check out NBC’s new fall schedule below.

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Voice”
10-11 p.m. – “REVOLUTION”

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. – “The Voice”
9-9:30 p.m. – “GO ON”
9:30-10 p.m. – “THE NEW NORMAL”
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood”

WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “ANIMAL PRACTICE”
8:30-9 p.m. – “GUYS WITH KIDS”
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. – “CHICAGO FIRE”

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “30 Rock”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Up All Night”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”
10-11 p.m. – “Rock Center with Brian Williams”

FRIDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “Whitney”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Community”
9-10 p.m. – “Grimm”
10-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY (Fall 2012)
7- 8:15 p.m. — “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”

SUNDAY (Post-football/Winter 2013)
7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. – “Fashion Star”
9-10 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice”
10-11 p.m. – “DO NO HARM”

Adele Gooses Gaga on the Charts

The battle of the pop music titans continues again this week as Grammy winners Lady Gaga and Adele keep fighting for the top and this week, the British beauty wins out. Grabbing a 10th week at # 1 on the Billboard Album charts, Adele’s 21 boots out Gaga’s Born This Way after two weeks in the pole position. Adele also rules the roost on the Hot 100 singles charts for a 6th week with “Rolling in the Deep”. Gaga is down further with “The Edge of Glory” which rises to # 6 and could make a charge for the top in a couple of weeks… Now, these two ladies may make the most noise on the charts, but a surprise entry by a bunch of Mormons is the biggest shocker. Yes, the original cast recording of the new 9 time Tony winning Best Musical, The Book of Mormon, makes huge news re-entering the chart at # 3. It marks the first time a Broadway cast album hit the top ten since Hair back in 1969. For more on this accomplishment, head to Billboard here. Other big album debuts this week come from rapper Tech N9ne, rockers All Time Low and country singer Ronnie Dunn (formerly of Brooks n’ Dunn)… Speaking of country, the biggest male country singer of 2011, Jason Aldean landed his first top ten hit on the Hot 100 this week with “Dirt Road Anthem” at # 9 spurred on by big sales after his performance of it with Ludacris on the CMT Awards. It helps his current album stay in the top ten, which is also getting a boost from his amazing former # 1 country duet with Kelly Clarkson “Don’t You Wanna Stay” which is now in the top 20 on the AC and Hot AC charts. That song might even return to the Hot 100 due to its new pop chart popularity much like The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young” which is enjoying new crossover success (after hitting # 19 on the Hot 100 and # 1 on the country charts) as it re-enters at # 46. For more on the Billboard singles charts, head here and check out the new top tens below.

Top Ten Albums:
1. 21- Adele (last week~ 2)
2. Born This Way- Lady Gaga (lw~ 1)
3. The Book of Mormon- Original Cast Recording (Re-Entry)
4. All 6’s & 7’s- Tech N9ne (debut)
5. Ronnie Dunn- Ronnie Dunn (debut)
6. Dirty Work- All Time Low (debut)
7. My Kinda Party- Jason Aldean (lw~8)
8. This is Country Music- Brad Paisley (lw~ 6)
9. Now 38 Compilation- Various Artists (lw~ 7)
10. Codes & Keys- Death Cab for Cutie (lw~ 3)

Top Ten Singles on the Hot 100:
1. “Rolling in the Deep” –Adele (last week~ 1)
2. “Give Me Everything”- Pitbull w/NeYo, Nayer & Afrojack (lw~ 2)
3. “Party Rock Anthem”- LMFAO (lw~ 6)
4. “E.T.”- Katy Perry w/Kanye West (lw~ 3)
5. “The Lazy Song”- Bruno Mars (lw~ 4)
6. “The Edge of Glory”- Lady Gaga (lw~ 7)
7. “On the Floor”- Jennifer Lopez w/Pitbull (lw~ 5)
8. “Just Can’t Get Enough”- Black Eyed Peas (lw~8)
9. “Dirt Road Anthem”- Jason Aldean (lw~ 23)
10. “Super Bass”- Nicki Minaj (lw~ 11)
Hot 100 Debuts-
36. “Monster”- Paramore
46. “If I Die Young”- The Band Perry (Re-entry… previously peaked at # 19)
59. “Remind Me”- Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood
78. “Heartless”- Dia Frampton (From The Voice)
97. “You”- Romeo Santos

Mormons, A Horse and Neil Patrick Harris make for one Awesome Tony Awards!

Attention future Oscar and Emmy Award producers~ I sure hope you were watching last night’s Tony Awards because that is how you put on a show! It was efficient, moving, hilarious and kinda amazing. It helps that you had one of the most talented hosts around in Neil Patrick Harris who was simply perfection in his second turn as master of ceremonies. (In fact, he won an Emmy for his first go round and I’m pretty sure Neil and the show will be in the running again next year for this great show). Along with Neil’s amazing singing, dancing and hysterical bits (how great was the number with Hugh Jackman?!!), you also had wonderful performances from Daniel Radcliffe, Sutton Foster and the cast of Anything Goes, plus all the other musical nominees, a potty mouth Brooke Shields, and a crazy Frances McDormand in a jean jacket accepting Best Actress in a Play. While Frances gave a nice speech (as did a very emotional and wonderful Ellen Barkin and John Benjamin Hickey, plus a wonderfully jovial Foster), the best speech came from newcomer Nikki M. James who won for The Book of Mormon in a speech that’s up there with the greats of all time like Cuba Gooding Jr’s Oscar speech… Speaking of Mormon, the show dominated pulling in 9 awards including Best Musical (kudos to those crazy South Park kids and Momon creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone). Also trampling the competition was the play War Horse which nabbed 5 awards. The revivals of the brilliant The Normal Heart and the incredibly entertaining Anything Goes both took home 3 trophies. For more info on the show and Broadway’s best, head to the Tony site here. And for tix to your favorite Broadway show, head here. Also, check out all the winners below and my favorite NPH moments from this wonderful program.

2011 Tony Award Winners:
Best Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Play: War Horse
Best Revival of a Musical: Anything Goes
Best Revival of a Play: The Normal Heart
Best Actor in a Lead Role in a Musical: Norbert Leo Butz (Catch Me if You Can)
Best Actress in a Lead Role in a Musical: Sutton Foster (Anything Goes)
Best Actor in a Play: Mark Rylance (Jerusalem)
Best Actress in a Play: Frances McDormand (Good People)
Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: John Laroquette (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying)
Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon)
Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: John Benjamin Hickey (The Normal Heart)
Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Ellen Barkin
Best Director of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Director of a Play: War Horse
Best Book of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Orchestrations: The Book of Mormon
Best Choreography: Anything Goes
Best Sound Design of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Sound Design of a Play: War Horse
Best Costume Design of a Musical: The Adventures of Priscilla~ Queen of the Desert
Best Costume Design of Play: The Importance of Being Earnest
Best Scenic Design of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Scenic Design of a Play: War Horse
Best Lighting Design of a Musical: The Book of Mormon
Best Lighting Design of a Play: War Horse

Neil Patrick Harris’s opening number~ “Broadway isn’t Just for Gays Anymore”

Neil Patrick Harris v. Hugh Jackman

Neil Patrick Harris’s closing rap:

The Book of Mormon preaches at the Tony Award Nominations

The incredibly funny and totally awesome new musical from the creators of South Park, The Book of Mormon, led the Tony Award nominations this morning with a big 14 nods including Best Musical. The big surprise though was the now closed musical The Scottsboro Boys which came close behind with 12 nominations. Those two shows will compete against Catch Me if You Can and Sister Act for Best Musical while Good People, Jerusalem, The Motherfucker with the Hat and War Horse will square off for Best Play…. This year the acting nominees were a little less starry than last year when movie stars Scarlett Johanson, Viola Davis, Alfred Molina and Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Catharine Zeta Jones were among the winners. Instead we have only one three big  movie stars, Oscar winners Al Pacino, Vanessa Redgrave and Frances McDormand in the running, but several notable TV vets are up for awards including Emmy winners John Laroquette (Night Court), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Bobby Cannavale (Will & Grace) plus John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C), Judith Light (Ugly Betty) and screen vets Ellen Barkin and Billy Crudup…. Some big surprises were the omission of Priscilla Queen of the Desert in the Best Musical category and no Harry Potter, ahem, Daniel Radcliffe (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) in Best Actor Musical…. Check out the full list of nominations below… and head to Broadway in NYC before June 5th to see all the nominees.

Best Play
“Good People”
“Jerusalem”
“The Motherf**ker With the Hat”
“War Horse”

Best Musical
“The Book of Mormon”
“Catch Me If You Can”
“The Scottsboro Boys”
“Sister Act”

Best Book of a Musical
Alex Timbers, “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone, “The Book of Mormon”
David Thompson, “The Scottsboro Boys”
Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner, and Douglas Carter Beane, “Sister Act”

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
“The Book of Mormon,” music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone
“The Scottsboro Boys,” music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb
“Sister Act,” music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater
“Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” music and lyrics by David Yazbek

Best Revival of a Play
“Arcadia”
“The Importance of Being Earnest”
“The Merchant of Venice”
“The Normal Heart”

Best Revival of a Musical
“Anything Goes”
“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Brian Bedford, “The Importance of Being Earnest”
Bobby Cannavale, “The Motherf**ker With the Hat”
Joe Mantello, “The Normal Heart”
Al Pacino, “The Merchant of Venice”
Mark Rylance, “Jerusalem”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, “Born Yesterday”
Frances McDormand, “Good People”
Lily Rabe, “The Merchant of Venice”
Vanessa Redgrave, “Driving Miss Daisy”
Hannah Yelland, “Brief Encounter”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, “Catch Me If You Can”
Josh Gad, “The Book of Mormon”
Joshua Henry, “The Scottsboro Boys”
Andrew Rannells, “The Book of Mormon”
Tony Sheldon, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster, “Anything Goes”
Beth Leavel, “Baby It’s You!”
Patina Miller, “Sister Act”
Donna Murphy, “The People in the Picture”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Mackenzie Crook, “Jerusalem”
Billy Crudup, “Arcadia”
John Benjamin Hickey, “The Normal Heart”
Arian Moayed, “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo”
Yul Vázquez, “The Motherf**ker With the Hat”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin, “The Normal Heart”
Edie Falco, “The House of Blue Leaves”
Judith Light, “Lombardi”
Joanna Lumley, “La Bête”
Elizabeth Rodriguez, “The Motherf**ker With the Hat”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Colman Domingo, “The Scottsboro Boys”
Adam Godley, “Anything Goes”
John Larroquette, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”
Forrest McClendon, “The Scottsboro Boys”
Rory O’Malley, “The Book of Mormon”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti, “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”
Tammy Blanchard, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”
Victoria Clark, “Sister Act”
Nikki M. James, “The Book of Mormon”
Patti LuPone, “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal, “The Motherf**ker With the Hat”
Rae Smith, “War Horse”
Ultz, “Jerusalem”
Mark Wendland, “The Merchant of Venice”

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt, “The Scottsboro Boys”
Derek McLane, “Anything Goes”
Scott Pask, “The Book of Mormon”
Donyale Werle, “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jess Goldstein, “The Merchant of Venice”
Desmond Heeley, “The Importance of Being Earnest”
Mark Thompson, “La Bête”
Catherine Zuber, “Born Yesterday”

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”
Martin Pakledinaz, “Anything Goes”
Ann Roth, “The Book of Mormon”
Catherine Zuber, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, “War Horse”
David Lander, “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo”
Kenneth Posner, “The Merchant of Venice”
Mimi Jordan Sherin, “Jerusalem”

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, “The Scottsboro Boys”
Howell Binkley, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”
Peter Kaczorowski, “Anything Goes”
Brian MacDevitt, “The Book of Mormon”

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners and Cricket S. Myers, “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo”
Simon Baker, “Brief Encounter”
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, “Jerusalem”
Christopher Shutt, “War Horse”

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, “The Scottsboro Boys”
Steve Canyon Kennedy, “Catch Me If You Can”
Brian Ronan, “Anything Goes”
Brian Ronan, “The Book of Mormon”

Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, “War Horse”
Joel Grey and George C. Wolfe, “The Normal Heart”
Anna D. Shapiro, “The Motherf**ker With the Hat”
Daniel Sullivan, “The Merchant of Venice”

Best Direction of a Musical
Rob Ashford, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”
Kathleen Marshall, “Anything Goes”
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, “The Book of Mormon”
Susan Stroman, “The Scottsboro Boys”

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”
Kathleen Marshall, “Anything Goes”
Casey Nicholaw, “The Book of Mormon”
Susan Stroman, “The Scottsboro Boys”

Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”
Larry Hochman, “The Scottsboro Boys”
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, “The Book of Mormon”
Marc Shaiman and Larry Blank, “Catch Me If You Can”

Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-Competitive Categories

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Athol Fugard
Philip J. Smith

Regional Theatre Tony Award
Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago)

Isabelle Stevenson Award
Eve Ensler

Special Tony Award
Handspring Puppet Company

Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre
William Berloni
The Drama Book Shop
Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts