Cera to make Broadway debut in ‘This is Our Youth’
Michael Cera will hit Broadway for the first time this summer in a revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s 1996 teen drama “This is Our Youth” directed by Anna D. Shapiro (“Of Mice and Men”). It will first play Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre and then begin performances at the Cort Theatre in August. Set in 1982, Cera will play a 19-year-old who has stolen $15,000 from his father. Cera will be joined by Kieran Culkin.
Arena ‘JCS’ with Johnny Rotten to play MSG
An arena concert version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice rock musical “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which received a short-lived Broadway revival two years ago, will play 50 cities in the U.S., including Madison Square Garden on Aug. 5. The cast will include Brandon Boyd of Incubus as Judas, John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols) as Herod and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child as Mary Magdalene .
Sondheim to confront those despicable sheet music pirates
In what is intended to be a dramatic confrontation of “sheet music pirates” (i.e. people who illegally post copyrighted sheet music on the internet), well-known Broadway songwriters including Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz and Lin-Manuel Miranda will meet up on Monday afternoon for an anti-piracy party at the Dramatists Guild. At the event, the writers will try to contact these online users and ask them to stop posting the sheet music to their songs.
Carole King finally attends ‘Beautiful’
Carole King, who has stubbornly refused to see “Beautiful,” the new musical based on her life and songs, for personal reasons, finally relented and attended a performance last week. After the show, she took the stage and sang “You’ve Got a Friend.” She then issued a statement confirming that she “couldn’t be more proud” of it.
Lincoln Center moving forward with ‘The King and I’
After years of rumors, it’s finally official: Lincoln Center Theater, which has previously revived Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Carousel” and “South Pacific” to great acclaim, will tackle “The King and I” next season. Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, broke the news while hosting a Lyrics & Lyricists concert at the 92nd Street Y last weekend.
Saul Williams leads cast of Tupac Shakur musical
Slam poet, musician and singer Saul Williams has joined the Tupac Shakur musical “Holler If Ya Hear Me,” which opens in June on Broadway. Also in the cast are Christopher Jackson (“In the Heights”), John Earl Jelks (“Radio Golf”) and Tonya Pinkins (“Caroline or Change”).
Jane Greenwood to receive Tony Award
Costume designer Jane Greenwood, who has worked on over 125 Broadway productions and has been nominated 15 times for a Tony Award but has somehow never won, will receive a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement at this year’s ceremony. This season alone she designed the costumes for “Act One” and “The Snow Geese.”
Spotted…
Evander Holyfield at “Rocky”…Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Julianne Moore, Billy Crystal, Cedric the Entertainer and Paul Dano at “A Raisin in the Sun”…Christian Slater at “Heathers”…Kathleen Turner at “Mothers and Sons”…Neil Patrick Harris at “Queen of the Night”..Roseanne Barr and Robert Redford at “After Midnight.”
