SandyBlogs2008 Obits
January 6th 2009 16:07
2008 was a sad year for Broadway. Not only did a large number of shows close, including long running productions like RENT and Forbidden Broadway, as well as newer productions like Xanadu, Legally Blonde, and Young Frankenstein, but the theatre community also lost many stars.
Tony award winners William Gibson (wrote The Miracle Worker), Eileen Herlie (best actress winner for Take Me Along), Luther Davis (librettist, Tony winner for Kismet), Alvin Colt (costume designer, Pipe Dream), and Paul Scoffield (actor, A Man for All Seasons) all passed away in 2008.
More recognizeable persons that we lost include Eartha Kitt, Harold Pinter, Paul Newman, Cyd Charisse, Sydney Pollack, Anthony Mingella, and Suzanne Pleshette. All well known, though not necessarily for their work in theatre. Eartha Kitt may have been best known for her portrayal of Catwoman on TV’s Batman, but she was also a Tony-nominated Broadway actress. Cyd Charisse starred in films like Brigadoon, only to later make her Broadway debut in Grand Hotel. Sydney Pollack, director of such films as Tootsie and The Way We Were got his start as a stage actor. Anthony Minghella, Academy Award winner for directing The English Patient, recently had his own stage production of Madame Butterfly early in 2008.
There were many other theatre notables lost in 2008. This is by no means a complete listing. For a complete listing, I recommend the obituaries section of Playbill.com
On a brighter note, RENT is (sort of) back. Having closed September 7th, after 5124 performances (making it the seventh longest running show in Broadway history), a new Broadway tour of RENT is opening, with original cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. Now as anyone who saw the RENT movie can attest, these guys aren’t really in the right age bracket for their roles anymore. But still, for people who missed the original Broadway production (I saw it!), it is still something to see.
To see if the RENT tour is coming to your city, go to www.siteforrent.com
And for any of you in the New York area, go see a broadway show. Spamalot and Gypsy are both closing on January 11th. Spring Awakening is closing January, 18th. In this economy, it doesn't seem to matter how many awards a show wins, it still may close quickly. So go while you can. Check out www.broadwaybox.com for discounted tickets (if you don't want to wait outside at the TKTS booth, that is).
Tony award winners William Gibson (wrote The Miracle Worker), Eileen Herlie (best actress winner for Take Me Along), Luther Davis (librettist, Tony winner for Kismet), Alvin Colt (costume designer, Pipe Dream), and Paul Scoffield (actor, A Man for All Seasons) all passed away in 2008.
More recognizeable persons that we lost include Eartha Kitt, Harold Pinter, Paul Newman, Cyd Charisse, Sydney Pollack, Anthony Mingella, and Suzanne Pleshette. All well known, though not necessarily for their work in theatre. Eartha Kitt may have been best known for her portrayal of Catwoman on TV’s Batman, but she was also a Tony-nominated Broadway actress. Cyd Charisse starred in films like Brigadoon, only to later make her Broadway debut in Grand Hotel. Sydney Pollack, director of such films as Tootsie and The Way We Were got his start as a stage actor. Anthony Minghella, Academy Award winner for directing The English Patient, recently had his own stage production of Madame Butterfly early in 2008.
There were many other theatre notables lost in 2008. This is by no means a complete listing. For a complete listing, I recommend the obituaries section of Playbill.com
On a brighter note, RENT is (sort of) back. Having closed September 7th, after 5124 performances (making it the seventh longest running show in Broadway history), a new Broadway tour of RENT is opening, with original cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. Now as anyone who saw the RENT movie can attest, these guys aren’t really in the right age bracket for their roles anymore. But still, for people who missed the original Broadway production (I saw it!), it is still something to see.
To see if the RENT tour is coming to your city, go to www.siteforrent.com
And for any of you in the New York area, go see a broadway show. Spamalot and Gypsy are both closing on January 11th. Spring Awakening is closing January, 18th. In this economy, it doesn't seem to matter how many awards a show wins, it still may close quickly. So go while you can. Check out www.broadwaybox.com for discounted tickets (if you don't want to wait outside at the TKTS booth, that is).
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