Theater Archives

New York, June 15, 2008 – Once again, we spent a very long but very exciting Sunday with Broadway’s greats at the 62nd annual Tony Awards, from early morning backstage at Radio City Music Hall during rehearsals until the wee hours, sipping champagne at the big gala after party outdoors at Rockefeller Plaza. 

We hung out in the gift suite backstage, where we chatted with Liza Minnelli – she was with Ron Lewis, who choreographed her newest show, which she said is grueling.  “God, I never stop moving!” Liza told us.  Stopping for a caffeine fix at the very cool Nespresso machine, Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker said she’s thrilled to be back in New York.  “I could just get down and kiss the ground on Broadway”, she said.  Lily Tomlin told us she’s excited about the upcoming musical stage version of her movie 9 to 5, with songs by Dolly Parton.  “My friend Allison Janney is coming back to Broadway in my role in 9 to 5”, Tomlin said.  “I’m just hoping it’ll be a really big hit”, she added while checking out Carlos Falchi bags.  Brooke Shields was into the comfy Uggs shoes – she’s recovering from foot surgery.  Tony show host Whoopi Goldberg hit the gift suite early, and snapped up yellow Ziamond earrings and a necklace by Anne Koplik that she wore on the live telecast. 

Everyone reconvened later on the red carpet, where Kristin Chenoweth showed off her new boyfriend, Charlie McDowell.  How did they meet?  “His mom and I did a film together”, Chenoweth told us.  “His mom is Mary Steenburgen, and that’s how we met.  He’s a director and writer”, she said, introducing him.  They’ve been together for three months now.  (Sorry, readers, we did not get a photo of McDowell.) 

Laura Linney, Glenn Close, Gina Gershon, Alec Baldwin, Laurence Fishburne and Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon Dursley) all took part in Broadway’s big night.

New York, March 6, 2008 – A revival of Tennessee Williams’ classic play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened on Broadway on Thursday with an unusual twist – an all-black cast.  The big draw here probably isn’t race, however – the all-star cast includes Terrence Howard, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Anika Noni Rose, the Tony Award-winning actress who also appeared in the movie Dreamgirls.  Rashad’s sister Debbie Allen directed the play. 

While rumors that Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton would attend the opening proved false, the evening was still star-studded with Eartha Kitt, Spike Lee, Jeremy Piven, Hank Aaron, Harry Belafonte and Motown founder Berry Gordy in the audience.  Morgan Freeman told us that he’s in rehearsals for his own Broadway turn in The Country Girl with Frances McDormand and Peter Gallagher, opening in April.

After a standing ovation, everybody headed over to a party at the restaurant Strata.

New York, November 7, 2007 – You never know what to expect from the fantastically creative Cirque du Soleil, but what we got on opening night of their new show Wintuk on Wednesday was a whirlwind tour behind the scenes at Madison Square Garden – with celebrities popping up everywhere!  All generations were represented from 75-year-old Ellen Burstyn to 11-year-old Abigail Breslin.  Marcia Gay Harden brought her daughter plus a few more kids, and Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany had their two boys in tow.  We ran into Blake Lively and Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl, Christopher Meloni, a few Sopranos stars, Mario Cantone, Jennifer Coolidge, and even Val Kilmer in the labyrinth of the massive stadium.  At one point, we (and our guide) were locked into a vestibule on our way to an elevator; after a few moments of banging on the door, it slammed open, and Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli burst through, a statuesque model on his arm.