From Backstage.com: Author, director, and Emmy-winning actor Alan Alda (M*A*S*H, The West Wing) will present a reading of his original play Dear Albert, a dramatic adaptation of letters written by Albert Einstein, at the first annual World Science Festival Sunday, June 1, 7 p.m., at Miller Theatre on the Columbia University campus. The production will star Tony award-winning actor Anthony LaPaglia (A View From the Bridge) with direction by Tony award-winner Daniel Sullivan (The Homecoming).

On Saturday, May 31, Alda revisits his acclaimed performance as the Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman in Peter Parnell’s play QED. Reading from this exploration of Feynman’s work and life, Alda brings forth a moving portrayal of one of the most brilliant and colorful physicists of the 20th century.

General admission tickets for both events are $40 (or $20 for students) and can be purchased at www.worldsciencefestival.com.

The World Science Festival will take place throughout New York City, May 28-June 1, 2008. The festival will feature Nobel laureates, researchers, as well as creative artists, filmmakers and performers to conduct more than 40 science-themed events.

I was kinda hoping In the Heights would follow in the footsteps of of Stew and the gang over at Passing Strange:

From playbill.com: The live recording of the new musical Passing Strange will be the first Broadway cast recording to be exclusively available on iTunes more than a month before it arrives in stores.

The recording of the new musical penned by Stew and Heidi Rodewald will be available on iTunes beginning May 27, over a month before its targeted July in-store arrival. An official in-store release date for the Ghostlight Records CD has not been announced.

The cast and musicians of the new rock musical recorded the album in a live recording session – with a packed audience of friends and fans – on the stage of the Belasco Theatre April 14.

Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records president Kurt Deutsch said in a statement, “We finished mastering the album yesterday, and wanted to get the music to fans as quickly as we could. With the technology that exists today, we’re able to do that.”

I HATE reality television. I was only able to stomach one episode of Grease: You’re The One That I Want because I thought it really cheapened the whole audition process and what it actually entails.

On the other hand, the Bravo Channel aired a series around 2002 called The It Factor which followed a group of actors first in New York, then in Los Angeles, through the daily rigors of classes, auditions, rejections and sometimes getting the job, which I found fascinating because it was actually based somewhat in reality.

So, though I anticipate MTV’s new reality show, “Search for the New Elle Woods” with equal doses of hope and trepidation, I’m hoping it will deliver more It Factor satisfaction and not so much The One That I Want schlock.

I hope that the show actual does what it promises, which is to provide “a genuine glimpse into just how difficult it can be to headline a musical,” as actual working actresses compete to become the replacement for Laura Bell Bundy in the lead role of Elle Woods in Broadway’s Legally Blonde, The Musical.

The winner will not be determined by middle America, but by people who actually have some stake in the show: director/choreographer of the original show, Jerry Mitchell; legendary casting director Bernard Telsey; Legally Blonde The Musical’s Tony Award nominated book writer Heather Hach; and Original Broadway cast member of Legally Blonde The Musical Paul Canaan.

My trepidation comes from the fact that the series will be aired on MTV. All of the brainless banter going in and out of commercials, during the tween screamfest that was the broadcast premiere of Legally Blonde The Musical on MTV last year was nearly enough to make me program my remote to automatically skip channel 35 for the rest of time.

And though Seth Rudetsky, who, along with Haylie Duff, will be on hand to give the contestants advice, can no doubt be totally hilarious, I sometimes need to take his large personality in small doses.

This video interview with Ms. Duff and Ms. Bundy seems promising. They talk about how the contestants are all supportive of each other throughout the process, and how it really is an intimate look into a true audition process, sort of like a reality version of A Chorus Line.

Video Interview with Haylie Duff and Laura Bell Bundy

Oy, then there’s the trailer for the show at MTV.com, which makes it look like every other schlocky reality show that’s out there (”The dream of becoming Elle is slipping away…[sniff, sniff]”).

Trailer on MTV

I guess we will find out on June 2nd whether we can weather a whole season of it. (I wonder if The It Factor is out on DVD…)

Thanks to Kirby at Movie Dearest for pointing us to the latest trailer(s) for the upcoming film version of Mamma Mia. Following the marketing strategy of the Sweeney Todd film, there is no hint that this is a movie musical. It looks like Muriel’s Wedding set on a Greek island.

I’ve seen the stage version twice (which was one time too many for me), but will likely go see the film version just cuz it’s a film version of a musical (and because, according to Out Magazine, Dominic Cooper’s character “doesn’t seem to own a shirt“). But if my movie patronage was based on either of these two trailers, I’d be in line at Harold and Kumar before Mamma Mia.

Watch the trailers and decide for yourself…

From playbill.com: The film, which stars Academy Award winner Meryl Streep as mom Donna Sheridan, is scheduled to hit movie theatres around the country in July 2008.

In addition to Streep, the cast also features Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgard and Dominic Cooper. The film is being directed by Phyllida Lloyd, who is making her feature-film debut. Lloyd helmed both the London and Broadway mountings of Mamma Mia!

Sifting through some blog posts I had been saving to share with Man In Chair readers, I was reminded of this one from News on the Rialto, letting us know that those of us who were not able to score tickets to Ian McKellen’s sold-out portrayal of King Lear at BAM last year will be able to see it on PBS (”thanks to viewers like you…”) next fall.

According to theatermania.com:

The RSC’s recent production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear, directed by Trevor Nunn and with Ian McKellen in the title role, is being filmed for HD TV. It will be broadcast on England’s BBC Channel 4 in December, as well as being broadcast on PBS in the autumn and a number of other TV stations internationally, including NHK Japan. Plans are also in the works to make the tape available on worldwide DVD.

Stay tuned to MIC for more specific information as it becomes available.

Here’s a little sneak preview of 37 Notebooks, a new CD by singer/songwriter and musical theater composer, Jeremy Schonfeld being released May 6. Mr. Schonfeld has assembled a virtual who’s who among young musical theatre performers to put life to his compositions. The line up includes:

Shoshana Bean (“Wicked”)
Luther Creek (“A Man of No Importance”)
Julie Danao-Salkin (“Lennon”)
Jarrod Emick (Tony Award Winner for “Damn Yankees”)
Donnie Kehr (“Jersey Boys”)
Lauren Kennedy (“Spamalot”)
Julia Murney (“Wicked”)
Adam Pascal (“Rent”)
Kate Shindle (“Legally Blonde”)
Amy Spanger (“Kiss Me, Kate”)
Tracie Thoms (“Rent: The Movie”)

Here are some downloadable audio samples, showcasing the range of musical styles from gospel (“House of Love” with Shoshana Bean and Broadway Dreams Gospel Choir), to country (“Try” with Jarrod Emick), to pop (“Song for New Orleans” with Adam Pascal) to good ol’ musical theatre (“Greta” with Amy Spanger).

Mr. Schonfeld is a musical director and guest performer for Broadway Boot Camp as well as having performed for “Rockers on Broadway.” A portion of the proceeds from his CD release sales will be donated to the Broadway Dreams Foundation.

To celebrate the release of “37 Notebooks,” many of the album’s featured artists will join Jeremy onstage May 5 at Birdland, including: Luther Creek, Julie Danao-Salkin, Jarrod Emick, Adam Jacobs, Lauren Kennedy, Julie Reyburn, Kate Shindle, Amy Spanger, Tracie Thoms, & Natalie Weiss. Music charge of $25 includes a copy of the album, proceeds of which benefit the Broadway Dreams Foundation. For tickets and info, please visit www.birdlandjazz.com or call (212) 581-3080.

Along the lines of Memento, Sliding Doors, and/or Vantage Point, those [tos]sers over at [title of show] have cooked up a super-creative eighth episode of the [title of show] show (which I like to call “Run, Mindy, Run“) to officially announce their upcoming Broadway engagement.

As instructed, I’m doing my best to tell 9 people (or hopefully more like hundreds of people) that [title of show] will begin previews at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre July 5 with an official opening scheduled for July 17.

Here is the answer to the many inquiries Man In Chair has been receiving about tickets to the upcoming Thea Sharrock-helmed production of Equus staring Daniel Radcliffe and Tony and Olivier Award winner Richard Griffiths:

Opening night at the Broadhurst (where Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is currently playing) is scheduled for September 25, and the production will play a 22-week engagement through February 8, 2009.

According to Broadwayworld.com, tickets can be purchased by American Express Gold Card members Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 9am ET by calling (212) 239-6200 or by visiting www.telecharge.com.

A cursory look at telecharge this morning still lists Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Broadhurst, but no Equus yet. Also not sure when tickets will go on sale for non-Amex holders, and a quick call to Tele-charge gained me no additonal info.

Stay posted to MIC for more Equus ticket news.

Equus comes to Broadway from the West End, where the production received critical praise and played to SRO houses during its five-month engagement at the Gielgud Theatre last year. The production is designed by John Napier, with lighting design by David Hersey, and sound design by Gregory Clarke.

All those episodes of the [title of show] show have finally paid off.

According to playbill.com, “[title of show] — the four-person Off-Broadway musical about the making of a musical — will begin previews at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre July 5 with an official opening scheduled for July 17.”

The entire original cast — including co-creators Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell as well as Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff— will be seen on Broadway, directed by A Chorus Line’s Michael Berresse, who also helmed the acclaimed Off-Broadway run.

I’ve written e-tomes about this show (see links below, or click on the title of this post, and then see links below) about the show’s twoguyswritingamusicalabouttwoguyswritingamusicalabouttwoguyswritingamusical circular plot, so I won’t go on and on. Just wanted to share the big news.

I wonder though, each time this show goes another step–from New York Musical Theatre Festival, to Off-Broadway, and now to Broadway–Hunter and Jeff have to write new material chronicling the show’s progress within the show itself. At this rate, it’s going to be an Angels In America/Mahabharata/Coast of Utopia epic. Not that I’m complaining. I’m just sayin’…

Congratulations to all involved. And here’s to a long and healthy Broadway run.

Around the Fall of 2007, Man In Chair, was Tale of Two Cities Central, as I became somewhat obsessed with Jill Santoriello’s new musical of Dicken’s classic novel. Joe and I thoroughly enjoyed the production at the Asolo Rep in Sarasota and the reviews of that production were good to great to glowing. At the time it was being hailed as the “pre-Broadway” run, though there were no definite plans to bring it to Broadway.Until now.According to playbill.com, Tale will begin Broadway previews Aug. 19 toward a Sept. 18 opening at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, after Curtains closes there in June. No casting has been announced, but many of the Florida cast are expected to be asked back, and Warren Carlyle, who choreographed the Sarasota production, is apparently on the short list of choices for director.

The leads (and standouts in smaller roles) in the Asolo cast included James Barbour as Sydney Carton, Natalie Toro as Mme. Defarge, Jessica Rush as Lucie Manette, Derek Keeling as Charles Darnay, Nick Wyman, as the wily John Barsad, Alex Santoriello as Dr. Manette and Bruce Compton Merkle whose five minute turn as a dying young man was heart breaking and beautifully sung.

For more information, you can search for “tale of two cities” on Man In Chair, or visit http://www.talemusical.com/.