Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘Beacon Theatre’

12
Nov

Stage Rush TV: Episode 39

Talking points:

  • Emotions run high at The Merchant of Venice opening
  • Catch Me If You Can announces cast
  • Next to Normal to close January 16
  • 2011 Tony Awards will be held at the Beacon Theatre
  • Broadway grosses

Have you seen Merchant of Venice yet, Rushers? Are you excited to see Aaron Tveit in Catch Me If You Can? What do you think of Next to Normal’s closing notice? Is sad, or a triumph? Do you like the Beacon Theatre as the new home of the Tony Awards (at least for 2011)? Leave your thoughts and ideas in the comments!

Follow Stage Rush on Facebook and Twitter for on-the-go updates, news, and sightings.

26
May

Review: Banana Shpeel

It’s disappointing to see a company that usually performs its function so well shift away from its brand. That’s what Cirque du Soleil has done with its production of Banana Shpeel at the Beacon Theatre, making the mistake of focusing on narrative rather than acrobatic spectacle, which has become synonymous with the company. It’s the equivalent of Coca-Cola delving into interior decorating. You make a great drink, but stay away from my living room!

Banana Shpeel is Cirque’s attempted redefinition of Vaudeville. A sort of show within a show, Shpeel is run by a tyrant of a producer, Marty Schmelky (played by The Lion King’s Danny Rutigliano with such Danny DeVito bluster that the Hollywood actor should sue). Accompanied by two dull stagehands (Daniel Passer and Wayne Wilson) and a personal assistant (Shereen Hickman, the only presence with genuine pizzazz), Schmelky unnecessarily presents Read more »