The Obamas are Broadway-bound

 

According to Politico.com:

The Obamas will fly to New York City Saturday to take in a performance of the August Wilson play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone [NY Times review], which chronicles African Americans’ search for identity after the end slavery. Details weren’t provided on the weekend public schedule, which said only that the Obamas would pay a “personal visit to New York City.

 

Productions info after the fold.

Cast of “Blagojevich Superstar” to be interviewed by Blago himself!

Blago to interview Blago

Those listening to WLS AM radio at 7am this  Wednesday morning will hear something quite unique – ex-Gov Blago will be interviewing two stars of the Second City spoof of Blago himself, entitled “Rod Blagojevich Superstar” –  Joey Bland, who plays Blagojevich, and Mike Bradecich (who plays both Ald. Dick Mell and D.A. Patrick Fitzgerald). Second City’s popular review, now playing at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre at Navy Pier, is a foul-mouthed portrayal of the ex-governor’s legal woes (which is apt, after one hears the Blago’s expletive-laced phone conversations).  The show also takes shots at Blago’s wife, Patti.

So why is the ex-Gov on the radio to begin with?  It seems that he is sitting in on the regularly scheduled “Wade and Roma” show at WLS AM while the duo are on vacation. He was a guest on the program just last week after he took a hiatus from a full-blown media blitz earlier this year.

Ah, the joys of Chicago’s ultimate theatrical event: politics

Story is courtesy of Natasha Koreckion of the Chicago Sun-Times

Today in History – 60 years ago: Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” opens on Broadway

On February 10th, 1949, Arthur Miller‘s classic American play Death of a Salesman opened at Broadway’s Morosco Theater.  This world-premier production of Death of a Salesman, directed by Elia Kazan with Lee J. Cobb starring in the leading role, ran for the astounding length of 742 performances.

Often considered the penultimate American play (and making both Arthur Miller and the character Willy Loman household names), Death of a Salesman went on to win the following awards:

• 1949 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Best Play
• 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
• 1949 Tony Award for Best Play
• 1984 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival
• 1984 Tony Award for Best Reproduction
• 1999 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play
• 1999 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Play

“Zanna’ trivia – Queer Eye star played lead

For most of the segments of “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy” that I sat through, I often wondered “why the hell do they have this culture guy on?  He’s useless!”.  I was talking about Jai Rodriguez, the Queer Eye rep in charge of the vague “culture” aspect of straight-guy-reprogramming.  Anyway, it wasn’t until later that I found out that he was an accomplished singer/performer, playing the lead in “Zanna, Don’t!” during the Off-Broadway run of the show.  I dug up a montage of his performances.  Unlike the Off-Broadway cast recording, he seems to have taken some bad advice, plunging into an American-Idol-singing style.  Oh well….