#Playbill Special Feature

[broadwaydivastournament]

Broadway Divas Tournament: Round 2B

Lillias White (1951) “LILLIAS WHITE is the quadruple-crown winner of the 1997 Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Award, and the People’s Choice Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Sonja in The Life. Ms. White received unqualified acclaim for her triumphant portrayal of Jonsey in the recent revival of How to Succeed in Business… Her previous Broadway appearances include Cats (Grisabella), Once On this Island (Asaka), Dreamgirls (Effie), Rock ‘n’ Roll The First 5000 Years (Aretha Franklin) and Barnun (Joyce Heth). Off-Broadway she starred in Waiting for Godot, The Pincess & The Black-Eyed Pea, Antigone Africanus and Romance in Hard Times for which she won an Obie Award. Her national and internation tours include: Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Wiz, Tintypes and Dreamgirls (Drama Logue Award). She won an Emmy Award for her work on “Sesame Street” after which she made several guest appearances on “Law & Order” and “NYPD Blue.” She has appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and as a guest soloist at The White House. She is featured int eh current Disney animated film Hercules in which she plays Calliope.” – Playbill bio from Sweet Charity: The Concert, June 17, 1998.

Andrea Martin (1947) “ANDREA MARTIN (Aunt Kate, Frieda Fishbein, Beatrice Kaufman). LTC: My Favorite Year (Tony, Drama Desk, Theatre World awards). Broadway: Pippin (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, Ellen Norton awards; Astaire nomination), Exit the King (DD, OCC, noms.), Young Frankenstein (Tony, DD noms.), Oklahoma! (Tony, DD noms.) Candide (Tony, DD noms.) Regional: The Matchmaker, The Royal Family (Williamstown), Betty’s Summer Vacation (Elliot Norton, IRNE awards), The Rose Tattoo (Huntington). Tour: Final Days: Everything Must Go. Film: The Producers, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, All Over the Gay, My Big Fat Green Wedding, Breaking Upwards. TV: “SCTV” (Two Emmy Awards), “Sesame Street” (Special Emmy Award), “The Simpsons,” “30 Rock,” “Nurse Jackie.” Upcoming: Night at the Museum 3, “Working the Engels” (NBC series) Andrea Martin’s Lady Parts (Harper Collins/ fall 2014). For Nicky.” – Playbill bio from Act One, May 2014.

NEW PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

"I think about that Actors' Fund Dreamgirls concert and specifically Lillias White's Effie on a weekly basis."

"Andrea Martin, you are the only hope we have of advancing a stalwart, brilliant, laughriot character actress to the next round. Come on, people, comedy actresses are the backbone of Broadway. If we can't scream, holler, and jump for joy at comedy, we may as well pack it in."

#broadwaydivastournament #broadway #broadway divas #tournament poll #musical theatre #lillias white #andrea martin #round 2b

[youre-where-i-wanna-go]

My YouTube account just reached 1k subscribers so now I'm gonna make a list of the coolest Angela Bassett video finds I've found and shared on there and how I found them (even if the target audience here is only like one person)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith deleted scenes

Gonna start with the most recent find bc I never thought this footage would see the light of day. They shot all these scenes and only 30 seconds of Angela's voice made it to the movie bc the villains were dropped completely. Turns out the footage had been hiding on the second disc of an unrated special edition DVD release all along.

Old TV Commercials (KFC, Equal, Allstate)

These commercials you're really only able to find if you know what you're looking for. And the way I found out was through interviews in which they were mentioned (one was a newspaper clipping from 1991 that mentioned Equal and Allstate). Then it's watching tons of old commercials from those brands on YouTube until finally Angela's pretty face shows up. So grateful to the people who uploaded them first (even if they didn't mention Angela in the description).

Doubletake & Liberty

There are quite a few movies and shows in Angela's filmography that seem impossible to find. And some of them are really not available to watch anywhere unless you pay private sellers to send you the files. That's what I had to do to unearth these two rare gems. [insert Thanos gif iykyk] but no regrets because I really wanted to see them. Still hoping to find Equal Justice, STAT and the full Ryan's Hope episode

Ryan's Hope clip

Which brings me to the next tiny (very tiny) gem. For some time I had my doubts she was actually ever even in this soap opera. That was until I watched the Oscar's red carpet 2023 and they aired this super short clip of her character. Next to Angela's dress and Gaga's performance that was my highlight of the night.

My Man Bovanne

Talk about credits that aren't even on her IMDb. I found out about her role in this in the Playbill of Joe Turner's Come and Gone (which Angela starred in on Broadway in 1988). Made an account for the one website that hosted this little-known-about short film to be able to screenrecord it. That was a happy day. Fun fact I learned in a newspaper clipping since: Angela only got to be in it because the person who was first cast for her role got sick.

HeartBeat

Another one that took me very, very long to find. This is probably the one I had to use the most detective skills for. Found a dead video on a site that used to host it, tried to look up the account owner on other social media channels and finally found their tumblr that was still active (hooray) and they sent me the file. Best day ever (even though the plot of the episode is really heartbreaking).

Angela talking about kissing Gaga to Access Hollywood

Listen... Listen. If you know me, you know that these two are my QUEENS. They are everything to me and the fact that they played lovers? That they kissed and enjoyed it? Means the world (read my fanfiction on AO3 😉). This interview in particular has only been available as an article to read on their website for many years now but I could never find the video. I wanted to hear Angela say how she kissed Gaga and pulled her in and told her I love you when the director called cut and made Gaga jump. I found an old link to a long deleted YouTube video in an old tweet on one of my many Twitter searches for any trace of this video. Bless the person who uploaded it back then and bless the people who shared it on Twitter and bless the person who backed it up in the Wayback Machine. I owe you all eternal gratitude.

A 17-minute interview about Ruby's Bucket of Blood

DVD extras hold many gems and this is one of the biggest Angela-focused special features on a DVD I've seen. According to a friend who bought the DVD much longer ago, it wasn't even always part of it so I feel very blessed that this came with my DVD that I only bought bc it's one of my favorite movies and I like to collect those on physical copies.

Her Boyz n the Hood audition tape

In a newspaper clipping I read that this has actually been a part of physical releases of this movie since they still put out Laser Discs. But somehow I've never seen it surface online. I found it in a torrent that had all the Bluray special features (the best kind of torrents) and decided to share it of course. It has since gone viral on TikTok (where someone reposted it) which made me very happy. Who thought we'd ever get to see Ms. Angela Bassett audition??

Celebrity Poker Showdown

You have to admit, Angela in a reality game show is just gold. Was looking for this for a long time too and eventually found a Russian torrent (thank you Russians). Was luckily able to share the full episode on YouTube so everyone can get the full experience of "Angela folds" ten times in a row 😁

Angela's full performances of 3 songs on Close to the Enemy

[I only linked one here] Angela's character on Close to the Enemy was unfortunately very small but the British DVD release had extended scenes of 3 of her performances on it. [The American Bluray for some reason didn't.] Glad I found out about these.

1993 Fresh Air radio interview

I don't know if this counts as a rare find as it is freely available on the NPR website and in my university library BUT I have never seen it acknowledged until I shared it on YouTube and let me tell you I put blood, sweat and tears into captioning this 16-minute interview 😭 the payoff was grand. One interviewer from Variety used it in her research and mentioned it to Angela (who couldn't even remember it lmao) and part of the audio was also used in a tribute post the Academy (yes the Oscar Academy) did for her birthday. It's not my interview but I know they wouldn't have done so if it wasn't for my video (that I posted in tribute to the great Tina Turner. RIP.)

(Assumably) all her episodes of Search for Tomorrow

If I'm not mistaken this was her first on-camera acting job and a cool guy posted all her episodes (and hundreds of episodes she wasn't in) on YouTube last year. Luckily I downloaded them all right away as his channel no longer exists. Her episodes are safe on my hard drive tho and her scenes are safe on my YouTube channel :)

I was going to share a link to the unaired pilot of Identity (2011) that someone posted but it's already been privated again. Might post her scenes at some point, in the meantime if you're interested in this episode you can always dm me, I saved it to my hard drive. Very exciting find indeed as I also never expected it to see the light of day.

Honestly I get excited over every interview, DVD extra, speech or segment from a TV special that I come across (especially old ones). Sharing these on my YouTube channel is my pride and joy and I also have a scenepack account on Instagram (@/angelabassettscenes) where I share all her scenes from her bigger projects that I can't share to YouTube for everyone who wants to watch, edit or GIF them. Seeing people get as excited as I do when I share my finds makes me so happy and I'm definitely not done. Many DVD featurettes still to come. Angela's work will be preserved on this channel by any means necessary 😌

If you've read this far, thank you for reading and have a good day/night

#angela bassett #youtube channel #fan account #super rare #rarities #gems #archiving #lost media #filmography #film credits #TV shows #speech #interview #old commercials #dvd extras #special features #deleted scenes #tina turner #lady gaga #mr and mrs smith #boyz n the hood #audition tape

[ashleywool]

What do I have left to be delusional about?

Back in late June, shortly after the Spectrum Club 7 found out we were going to make our Broadway debuts but we weren't allowed to tell anyone yet, we were processing all our feelings about it in our group chat.

All of us have faced some struggles to fit in, struggles to find and use our authentic voices in a world that wasn't designed for us. We had a lot of conversations about "imposter syndrome" and how it manifests in very specific ways in neurodivergent people--particularly women/AFABs.

"If I'm going to be on Broadway," one of us said, "what do I have left to be delusional about?"

That's something that's stuck in my head for the last few months, as I've hit career milestones that I never would have believed were possible for me as an openly autistic person. I originated a principal role on Broadway. I did an Instagram takeover for Playbill the day our show was announced. I performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry know who I am. People are flying in from all over the country to hand-deliver fan art to me. All while we're still in PREVIEWS.

And sometimes I feel like an asshole for saying all of this, because it sounds like I'm making it up for clout, or like it's some kind of self-insert fanfic, but it's MY ACTUAL LIFE.

But other times, I can process this as reality. And those times, I allow myself the freedom to dream even bigger. If this happened, what else can happen? What other pie-in-the-sky dreams might I put out into the universe? What, indeed, do I have left to be delusional about?

Here are a few of the things I've come up with:

Host my own Christmas special, in the style of Bing Crosby and Judy Garland. I want to sing with a huge orchestra and choir and have a giant Christmas tree on stage with me. It will be called "Ashley Wool's Chosen Family Christmas" and it would feature all of my friends who wanted to participate.

Play Kira in a Broadway revival of Xanadu. I can't go more than a week without mentioning this somewhere. Kira is to me what Fanny Brice is to Lea Michele, and she made that happen, so why not me?

Also, play more Golden Age roles. I'm happy to screlt my face eight times a week, but the only place I get to use my soprano register is in church choir. I want a shot at Sarah Brown, Julie Jordan, Amalia Balash, any of 'em.

Collaborate with Missy Elliott on HTDIO remixes. Or...literally anything. (Maybe Ludacris can put in a good word for me?)

Release a full-length album of my original songs. This is probably the most technically realistic goal. For those who don't know, I already have three original singles out there. I think they're pretty good, even though they are suffering from a lack of Missy Elliott.

Buy a house. Just one. Nothing fancy. But an entire house. With a full kitchen and a dining room where I could host Thanksgiving sometimes and a yard big enough for a catio and a water feature. You know, like people used to be able to do with a high school diploma and a minimum-wage job. Well, maybe not with the water feature, but still. A house. A house would be nice.

Contribute in some major way to affordable (and ACCESSIBLE and environmentally SUSTAINABLE) housing in New York City. And other places. But especially New York. Because people are always like "iF yOu CaN't aFfOrD iT tHeN mOvE" and like...no. I love this city, millions of people love this city, and people should be able to live reasonably well in any city they want without being kajillionaires. People should be able to afford to live in the city where they work ANY JOB. I don't know why this is radical. It seems pretty basic to me. Bla bla bla bleeding heart leftist bla.

Anyway. That's my "self-insert fanfiction" list for the end of 2023.

Maybe next year it'll be even more ridiculous.

#actually autistic #spectrum club 7 #how to dance in ohio #dream big #bucket list #broadway #musical theatre #self insert fanfiction

[flagbridge]

Shows I saw in 2023 Part 4: 3 Show Broadway Weekend, also known as Standby/Swing/Alternate/Understudy appreciation weekend.

Okay, we’re caught up, from here on out, I’ll post each individual show (Sorry not sorry, I’m seeing Phantom five times in 2 countries in October)

In September, my mom and I sprinted through three shows and we had a non-primary actor in a principal role every time. They were all amazing.

1. Funny Girl-Julie Benko as Fanny. This one we knew because of a special TDF show. I was thrilled to see a rising star and Ramin Karimloo in a totally different role. Also, Fanny needs to be played by a Jewish actress. I don’t mind Lea Michele in the role because while raised Catholic she has Jewish heritage and has experienced discrimination because of it. Julie Benko is practicing and very open about her Judaism on social media, which is awesome!

2. Sweeney Todd. We found out while in line for security that Josh Groban had Covid and was out. Lesson learned—swap out your tickets at the box office for a refund and re-buy at lower cost. I really wanted to see Annaleigh Ashford and she was still in, plus Nicholas Christopher was incredible as Sweeney. Gaten Matarazzo, who I didn’t know was in the show, was incredible. I knew very little about this show and loved this absolutely deranged show—which featured a full orchestra in an era of downsized pits. We were basically sitting on top of the percussion. Gong, please.

3. Hadestown. Yaya was in for Eva. I’m a Classicist and know the stories but to see it still will break your heart. I cried.

Also—all the Playbills have the same color scheme?

#musicals #broadway shows #funny girl #hadestown #sweeney todd #understudy love #musical theater #broadway #shows I saw in 2023

[michaelgruberfan]

Photos from the special Matinee playbill for the 2000 Music Theatre of Wichita production of Singin’ In The Rain!  Featuring Michael, Holly Bosil (Kathy), and Heidi Karol Johnson (Lina)

#Heidi Karol Johnson #Holly Bosil #Music Theatre of Wichita #singin’ In the rain #op favs #2000 #2000s #Michael Gruber

[yeowninefive]

Vrame [Pandy and The Commodities]

Companion series to the Playbill Commodity posters. Like with those posters, this features The Commodities and a special guest. The title of this series, however, will be gradually revealed over time with each new piece.

(Original title: Vrame [P? and The Commodities])    

#vrame patc #patc #vrame #the commodities #original character #musician #bassist #guitarist #bass guitar #bass girl #guitar girl #pandy and the commodities

[meloblogsstuff]

The Museum Of Broadway

The Museum of Broadway This week's Study tour was at the Museum of Broadway around 145 W 45th St. The Museum of Broadway is such a famous spot in New York it has been featured on many channels, sites, and magazines like CBS, CNN, The New York Times, thrillers, NPR, PLAYBILL, The Guardian, and TIME OUT.

The Museum of Broadway is so vast, you can explore and have an interactive experience. It offers rich history from so many eras hundreds of rare costumes, props, and artifacts. The museum offers special exhibits on different dates.

The Royal Gallery is one example it is such an exciting special exhibit that opens up on November 6th. The Royal Gallery is going to have many costumes and set installations from Tony award-winnings.

Subjectively the most exciting thing is happening this october 30. A special exhibit "All that Jazz" that focuses on iconic production photography and of course amazing costumes and ad campaigns is taking place.

I heard a statement from a friend, "Magic happens at the Museum of Broadway." Knowing what I know now about the museum, I completely agree.

[felteverywhere]

🧸 🍔 💘 ~ dove, for science

🧸 - Does your muse own any sentimental objects from their past? What makes it/them so special?

Dove has way too many boxes of things from the past that she can't get rid of. She's her mother's daughter in that way but even when she's tried to, the woman has forced her not to throw things out. The most sentimental objects for her would probably be the stack of journals she wrote in all through her teenage years obsessively (she'll use them in her memoir one day), the playbills she has from the two trips to nyc her and her mother took and a singular purple stuffed bear that her dad and sister got her when she broke her arm as a kid.

🍔 - What kind of food does your muse usually eat? Do they have a favorite food, or favorite style of food? Do they have allergies? Are they vegan, vegetarian, etc.?

Dove admittedly tries to stay on the healthier side if she can. She doesn't actively monitor her own diet but she's definitely aware of herself in that regard. She tries to be consistent with salads and does a lot of fruit in her breakfasts but in a general sense she's pretty balanced. She has an annoyingly good diet but also doesn't find she has to worry much about what she eats. Her favourite food that isn't a dessert is probably penne alla vodka but otherwise it's chocolate ice cream. She definitely has a sweet tooth.

💘 - What is your muse like when they're in love? What does your muse find attractive in someone else? What are their love languages? How do they show affection? Do they show any distinct signs that they're in love?

Dove in love is... a little clingy. She likes to be in touch, she's not the type of person who could casually go a few days without talking to her significant other. She falls hard and fast, typically and in the past there have been people who haven't responded well to it. She likes to excite the person she's with and keep them on their toes, if she can. In someone else she finds confidence attractive, being taller than her is definitely a bonus. She likes dark hair but is not super picky about features. Being supportive of her she finds very attractive, naturally but also someone who doesn't want to compete with her. Ambition too. As far as love languages go she would say all of them including making playlists because she thinks all are necessary in a relationship, but she finds physical touch the best to give and finds gift giving and acts of service the best to receive. Definitely very affectionate, big fan of casual affection and she's not really worried about PDA. She's always getting attention anyway. Distinct signs of her in love would be vaguely titled playlists popping up on her Spotify, an influx of her posting quotes from whatever romance novel she's reading and probably her not shutting up about the said person she's in love with.

#dove velazquez inspiration. #yes i remembered these bc you did yours #why was this a bit hard actually??? i haven't written dove in love i really had to think about it a bit more

[honorrollplaywrights]

Honor Roll HONORS Open for Nominations

Honor Roll! has announced the second annual Honor Roll! Honors. Honor Roll! Honors recognizes those theater professionals who work to ensure that the plays of women+ playwrights over 40 have a full and significant life on the American stage and are represented fairly in the canon of theatrical works.

Honor Roll will award Honors in five categories in 2023 for work accomplished between January 1 and December 31, 2022.

This year's categories are:

Outstanding Producer

Recognizing a producer or artistic director who makes a special effort to include the work of women+ playwrights age 40 or older in their theater's season. Or who has produced a Second Stage season of plays or readings by older women+ playwrights.

Inclusionary Festival

Recognizing a conference, festival, or special event that features the work of women+ playwrights age 40 and older, or who makes a special effort to include their work in a festival or series of plays and readings.

Outstanding Publisher

Recognizing a publisher who produces anthologies of work by women+ playwrights age 40+, a magazine that features the work of these playwrights or regularly includes articles about the work that women+ playwrights in this age cohort are doing.

 Individual Achievement

Recognizing an individual who does outstanding work in helping women+ playwrights age 40 and up to get their work produced, published, or honored in a special way.

Legacy Award

Recognizing an individual or organization that has consistently advocated for women+ playwrights, especially those age 40 and older, over a period of five years or longer. Honor Roll! members - or any theater professional - may nominate an individual or group of individuals for Honor Roll! Honors, but individuals may not nominate themselves.

To nominate you must provide the following:

Name and     contact information of the Nominee

Name and     contact information of the Nominator

150 to 200     words on Nominee's efforts and what makes them worthy of the award. Please     include links to their work or information about them and their work.

Published     evidence of the effort, such as playbills, press releases, news articles,     etc.

Nominations will be accepted between May 1 and June 15, 2023. Nominations may be completed online. You can also access the nomination form at https://bit.ly/3ABnB1yH. Or email your nomination to [email protected]. Winners will be announced on July 1, 2023.

Marjorie Bicknell initiated and developed Honor Roll! Honors. Olga Humphrey is the Executive Committee Liaison.

HONOR ROLL! is an advocacy and action group of women+ playwrights over forty - and our allies - whose goal is our inclusion in theater. We are the generation excluded at the outset of our careers because of sexism, now overlooked because of ageism. We celebrate diversity in theater and work to eliminate age discrimination as it intersects with sexism and other biases including those based on race, gender identity, ethnicity, faith, socioeconomic status, disability, and sexual orientation in the American Theater and beyond.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Honor-Roll-Is-Accepting-Submissions-For-THE-SECOND-ANNUAL-HONOR-ROLL-HONORS-20230427

#playwrights womenplaywrights theatre honorrollplaywrights

[bragi-writes]

20 Questions

What's your favorite color?

Is it a green as rich as your mind?

A sky blue that's as refreshing as your presence?

Or is it a fiery red like the passion within your soul?

What's your favorite food?

Is it a home comfort that reminds you of better, simpler times?

Fast food from a place that conjures memories of friends?

Or is it something nobody's heard of, but you can't get enough of?

What's your favorite season?

Personally you remind me of summer: blazingly bright & perfectly chaotic.

So are you, or are you partial to the white chill of winter or the cozy comfort of fall?

How about the gentle breezes & soft colors of spring?

What's your favorite genre of music?

Do you most enjoy fast-paced, bass-boosted rap?

What about grungy, obnoxious alt-rock?

Or do you favor the soft & melodic likes of lofi or instrumentals?

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

The power of flight, so you can conquer the skies?

How about shapeshifting, so you can blend in anywhere?

Or maybe force fields, to protect yourself & the ones you love?

Favorite song?

Favorite movie?

Musicals vs plays?

Favorite book?

All of these questions are simple, but they are so important to me.

I want to know all I can about you

Because I know you, we've shared private information,

But the basics have somehow slipped through the cracks.

What's your irrational fear?

Is it common like spiders or heights?

Or more rare like the fear of numbers?

Do you have any at all?

Do you collect anything?

If so, are they trinkets like bobbleheads or car fresheners?

Or do you collect memories?

Concert tickets, playbills, wristbands?

What habits do others have that drive you nuts?

Chewing with their mouth open?

Clicking pens?

Tapping their fingers against their desk?

Do you have hobbies nobody would expect?

Do you sew or crochet?

Maybe you cook or bake?

How about altering clothes?

Do you know how to dance?

Or do you have two left feet?

Would you ever care to learn,

Or are you content to stay to the side as a beautiful wallflower?

If you could change something about yourself, would you?

What would you change?

Your eyes or hands, your nose or teeth?

Or something internal, like your habits or traits?

What was your childhood dream?

Did you dream of being an astronaut & exploring the stars?

How about a world-famous racecar driver?

Or did you hope to become a superhero with incredible powers?

Who was your first crush?

Was it an innocent kindergarten infatuation?

A teacher you admired?

Maybe a babysitter or a friend of a parent or sibling?

If you could live anywhere, where would you live?

Would you run away to the mountains & live a simple, quiet life?

Or does the chaos & noise of the city help you thrive?

Maybe you'd like a cookie-cutter house in the suburbs?

Do you have a comfort item?

A stuffed animal or toy from your childhood?

A jacket that feels like a safety blanket?

Maybe a piece of jewelry that keeps you grounded?

Do you enjoy poetry?

Do you find peace in reading classics like Shakespeare?

Or do you prefer the darker themes of Poe or Wilde?

Or do you think poetry is a waste of time entirely?

What would the perfect day look like for you?

Maybe a night out partying with your friends?

A quiet day in, just relaxing by yourself?

How about a trip to an aquarium with someone special?

What makes you happiest in life?

Is it your friends & family?

Your hobbies & passions?

Or is it your hopes & dreams for the future?

Do you have hope for the future?

The world seems like such a cruel, dark place;

Can you find something bright to hold onto?

A glimmering ray of hope that maybe things will one day get better?

What is the one feature you love most about yourself?

Is it your shining eyes that catch the afternoon light just right;

Or your bright smile that can light up any room?

What about your long, luxurious hair that is so soft to the touch?

That question is especially important to me.

It's so easy to find things we hate about ourselves,

We don't even stop to think about the things we love.

So tell me, what do you love about yourself?

I hope that one day I'll have the answers to these questions,

Maybe from playing the game.

But until that day I'll be content with my guessing games,

Trying to solve the puzzle of your soul.

#poetry #poet #poets corner #poetsandwriters #poetscommunity #beginner poetry #im new to this #new poets club #20 questions

[playbill]

9 Standout Theatre Albums of 2019

#Theatre #Music #Moulin Rouge The Musical #A Strange Loop #Hadestown #Fiddler on the Roof #Beetlejuice the Musical #Ben Platt #Brian Stokes Mitchell #Marin Mazzie #Jason Danieley #Frozen 2 #Cast Albums #Solo Albums #Film Score #Playbill Special Feature

[broadwaydivastournament]

Brenda Braxton in Caricature

"Jelly's Last Jam," Published April 19, 1992 - Al Hirschfeld

Brenda Braxton appeared in the Ensemble of Jelly's Last Jam alongside the late Gregory Hines, Tonya Pinkins, Stephanie Pope, Allison Williams, Mamie Duncan-Gibbs, and others.

"Smokey Joe’s Cafe," Published 1999 - Al Hirschfeld

She also received a Tony nomination for her featured role in the musical revue. She starred alongside Ken Ard, Adrian Bailey, B. J. Crosby, Pattie D'Arcy Jones, and others. She is featured here, second from the left, with her signature boa.

Broadway on the High Seas 7: Chita Rivera, Faith Prince, Seth Rudetsky, Charles Busch, Jennifer Simard, Laura Osnes, Lilla Crawford, Kate Baldwin, Brenda Braxton, Adam Pascal, Lindsay Mendez, Andréa Burns, and Douglas Carter Beane. - Squigs

Solo Card: 2021

Though Brenda does not currently have a Sardis caricature, she was included in a special edition Squigs card. In 2016, Squigs released a limited edition series commissioned by Playbill to feature their cruise lineup, Broadway on the High Seas.  The cards were available for passengers to have signed by the cast.

#brenda braxton #al hirschfeld #squigs #caricature

[franmayaweek]

Hello, Ace Attorney nation! Time is certainly flying by! There's only ONE MONTH until 2022's Franmaya Week! Like last year, this event will be running from May 1st - May 7th, featuring a special Franmaya day on May 4!

As a reminder, this year's prompts are inspired by theater and musicals:

🔹 May 1 - Overture: MUSIC 🔹 May 2 - Act 1: PINING 🔹 May 3 - Act 2: CONFESSION 🔹 May 4 - Interlude: FREE DAY (Franmaya Day!) 🔹 May 5 - Act 3: DATES 🔹 May 6 - Finale: HURT/COMFORT 🔹 May 7 - Curtain Call: DOMESTICITY A big thank you to @caeliste for our Playbill art in the first place. 💙

Thank you to @aafancalendar and @faneventshub for your support, as always! 💙

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to reach out to us on Tumblr here! 💙 See you in a few weeks!

#franmaya #franmaya week #franmaya week 2022 #fmweek22 #ace attorney #franziska von karma #maya fey #pwaa

[operafantomet]

Who designs the different masks for the Phantom? Within replica productions there is such a spectrum of shape, shading and cut, one has to wonder who makes the final decision?

I mean, the main design is as always by Maria Bjørnson. But as you point out, there’s been a great variety through the decades and from production to production. To take some extremes:

(from left: Ethan Freeman in Essen, Michael Crawford in West End and Yuichiro Yamaguchi (?) in Tokyo)

I guess a mixture of what the head of makeup and/or costume wants, what the supervisor approves, and how much liberty the mask maker is given. When the designer herself was around, she probably also had the liberty to veto or advice.

The West End and Broadway productions has had its own, permanent mask makers. They’ve slowly been updated to feature new details - for example a more “angry” eyebrown, or different shading, or a less curved forehead. But overall they stay the same from Phantom to Phantom. In West End they’ve kept custom making individual masks for their Phantom, which accounts for a bit more variety, while Broadway has choosen 3-4 main models, where the actor wears the one that fits the best.

Internationally, productions has collaborated with either “the motherships” in West End or on Broadway, or went for local specialists. The local specialists often do special makeup for movies and TV, and you can usually find them credited at the back of the programmes/Playbills and souvenir brochures.

The deformity and then the mask are made based on a mould of the actor’s face. Their heads are literally covered in plaster, which has to dry as they sit there with only a small hole for the nostrils. Here done by Chris Tucker, UK legend:

And here by Bob McCarron, special effects makeup who’s done a lot of the deformities for the World Tour:

With a cast in place, the mask (and if needed, the deformity) can be custom made to that specific actor, like here for Mathias Edenborn in Hamburg:

Or here, for Tomas Ambt Kofod and John Martin Bengtsson in Copenhagen, done by Thomas Foldberg at TFMUFX (who also did the masks):

If you want specific names from specific productions, have a look at the credits in either programme/Playbill or the souvenir brochure. The names of the mask maker and the deformity maker (which sometimes is the same, and sometimes different companies) should be listed there.

#phantom of the opera #the phantom's deformity #the phantom's mask #maria bjørnson

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This is the Playbill from the First time I ever saw Phantom on Broadway in July of 2012

Looking back, I am amazed at how much the cast has changed since 2012

The thing that really fascinated me was the Understudies featured at the time

During this time, they had not one not two but THREE Understudies for Christine

Today they only have ONE understudy for the role, and that excludes the Alternate

During this time they had various understudies for Raoul sharing the part on various days as well as Monsieur André & Don Attilio

For this particular performance, Paul A Schaefer was Raoul

But what really made my first experience at Phantom special was that I had Jeremy Stolle as the Understudy for The Phantom

I will admit, I was a litttle upset that the Understudy was on for The Phantom, but in his first scene, Jeremy Stolle immediately grabbed my attention

He was phenomenal in the role and really opened my eyes to the world of Theatre and especially Understudies, Swings, & Stand-bys

Thank You Mr Stolle 😁

#phantom of the opera #broadway #new york #hugh panaro #trista moldovan #kyle barisich #marni raab #michelle mcconnell #jeremy stolle #paul a schaefer #aaron galligan stierle #elizabeth welch #kimilee bryant #susan owen #scott mikita #james romick #phantom #program #playbill

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Sunday, September 20

The biggest day for Broadway fans is going virtual for the first time in the event’s history when the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction returns on Sunday, September 20.

The coronavirus pandemic is preventing the traditional community gathering in the heart of NYC’s Theater District. So Broadway Cares is moving the highly anticipated event online with all the features you love from the in-person event: live and silent auctions, one-on-one video chats with Broadway stars and the opportunity to bring home theatrical collectables.

Early bidding has begun on silent and live auction items.

Live auction lots already up for bidding online include virtual Zoom meet-and-greets with Jonathan Groff, Bernadette Peters, Plaza Suite‘s Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick & John Benjamin Hickey, and Ben Platt, a virtual walk in the woods with Alan Cumming, opening night and party tickets to The Music Man and Plaza Suite, and more. This auction will culminate in a live Zoom-room bidding battle at 5 pm Eastern on September 20.

There are 86 silent auction items up for bid including a Halloween costume worn by Tom Hiddleston, a musical phrase from Waitress handwritten and signed by Sara Bareilles and a signed edition of Barbra Striesand’s Christmas CD.

In place of the fan-favorite Autograph Table and Photo Booth, Broadway Cares will be offering a limited number of one-on-one video chats with Broadway stars. The special guests participating in the sessions will be announced next week.

Instead of tables of theatrical treasures from Broadway shows and organizations lining streets of the Theater District, special “flea market finds” on the day of the event and eBay “buy it now” bundles offer fans another way to be part of the day.

Every dollar donated during the virtual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction will help those across the country affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses receive healthy meals, lifesaving medication, emergency financial assistance, housing, counseling and more. The donations also support and champion organizations focused on social justice and anti-racism.

Last year’s Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction raised $870,167. Since 1987, the 33 editions of this highly anticipated annual event have raised $15.4 million.

Bid on Silent &. Live Auction Items now

Loki costume worn by Charlie Cox on Halloween with Tom Hiddleston and photo of the two

Daredevil costume worn by Tom Hiddleston with Charlie Cox and photo of the two

Betrayal Playbill, signed by Charlie Cox, Tom Hiddleston and the entire 2019 revival company

#Tom Hiddleston #Charlie Cox #Zawe Ashton #Broadway Flea Market #BCEFA #online auction