Some updates from another trip to NYC!

Terrence???

Writing for Roman????? ❤️❤️

ROLESLAYING????

DODIE?! 😆😆😆😆

“I always felt like the kid that sat at the foot of the gods,” said Treat Williams, who has died aged 71 following a road accident. And it is true that the first decade of his movie career was dominated by one high-calibre director after another.

John Sturges put the doughy-faced, darkly handsome actor toe-to-toe with Michael Caine in The Eagle Has Landed (1976), adapted from Jack Higgins’s novel about a plot to kidnap Winston Churchill. Miloš Forman gave Williams his first lead, as the hippie Berger in the screen version (1979) of the 1967 musical Hair. He was an ill-tempered army corporal in Steven Spielberg’s wartime comedy 1941 (also 1979). Sidney Lumet drew on his cocksure swagger and his air of moral ambiguity in Prince of the City (1981), a thriller about police corruption. And Sergio Leone cast him as a union boss in the gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America (1984).

It was Lumet’s film that announced Williams as a formidable talent, with a special aptitude for ensemble playing. He starred as Danny Ciello, a corrupt drugs squad detective who becomes increasingly isolated as he informs on his colleagues in the elite Special Investigations Unit. The character was based on the detective Robert Leuci. Williams lived with Leuci while preparing for the part. He also attended drug busts and hung out with police officers. “By the time we started rehearsals, I was thinking like a cop,” he said.

Janet Maslin in the New York Times commended the “playful, arrogant, effectively brazen quality” of his portrayal. Equally integral is the seam of self-disgust that runs through Ciello, first when he is exploiting his power over drug addicts and dealers, then when he turns on his own kind.

Williams went on to display a menacing eroticism in Smooth Talk (1985), directed by Joyce Chopra and based on Joyce Carol Oates’s 1966 short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? When he turns up in the second half of the film as Arnold Friend, a vision of adult masculine prowess that the teenage protagonist (Laura Dern) seems to have been yearning for, he is simultaneously ridiculous, alluring and intimidating.

Williams was born in Stamford, Connecticut, and raised in nearby Rowayton, the son of Richard, a pharmaceuticals executive, and Marian (nee Andrews), an antiques dealer who also ran a sailing school. He was educated at Kent school, Connecticut, where he first began acting, and at Franklin & Marshall College, Pennsylvania. He studied in New York at the Actors Studio, where his classmates included Mickey Rourke, and was hired as understudy to four parts (including Doody, played on stage by John Travolta) in the Broadway production of Grease. Eventually he took over the lead role of Danny Zuko, which he played for three years.

Having already appeared on stage in the London production of The Ritz, Terrence McNally’s comedy about a hounded businessman hiding out in a gay bath-house, he was then cast in Richard Lester’s 1976 movie version.

Auditioning for the film of Hair was a lengthy and arduous process. During his 12th audition, he recalled: “I started removing all of my clothing. At the end of the monologue, I was standing stark naked in front of them … They applauded, and I told them: ‘This is all that I’ve got, I don’t know what else I can give you.’” It was enough.

Discouraged when Hair, 1941 and the comedy Why Would I Lie? (1980) continued a run of box-office flops, he began an alternative career flying planes in Los Angeles. A call from Lumet, who was looking for an un-starry and largely unknown cast for Prince of the City, put him back on track.

He continued to alternate between film and theatre, following Lumet’s picture by appearing in Ohio in Carlo Goldoni’s farce The Servant of Two Masters and on Broadway taking over from Kevin Kline as the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. On television, he played the boxer Jack Dempsey in the TV movie Dempsey (1983), Stanley Kowalski – opposite Ann-Margret as Stella – in A Streetcar Named Desire (1984), the title role in J. Edgar Hoover (1987) and the super-agent Michael Ovitz, co-founder of CAA, in The Late Shift (1996), for which he was Emmy-nominated.

In Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995), he played a thug working as an undertaker and using corpses as punch-bags. He was also in the noir-ish Mulholland Falls, the superhero adventure The Phantom (both 1996) and the thriller The Devil’s Own (1997), starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt.

Better than these were two projects that displayed his versatility: the monster movie Deep Rising (1998), in which he does battle with sharp-fanged sea-serpents, and The Deep End of the Ocean (1999), starring Williams and Michelle Pfeiffer as a couple reunited with their son many years after he was kidnapped.

He starred in Woody Allen’s Hollywood Ending (2002), played James Franco’s father in Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, and the writer Mark Schorer in Howl (both 2010), which also starred Franco as Allen Ginsberg. He had a recurring role on the series Everwood (2002-06), as a widowed neurosurgeon settling in Colorado with his children, and on the cop drama Blue Bloods (2016-23). He also appeared in many Hallmark channel productions, including the series Chesapeake Shores (2016-22), as well as the Netflix musical Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square (2020).

He is survived by his wife, Pam Van Sant, whom he married in 1988, and their children, Gill and Ellie.

🔔 Richard Treat Williams, actor, born 1 December 1951; died 12 June 2023

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Deadline’s Tony Award Picks & Predictions 2021: ‘Jagged Little Pill’ Or ‘Moulin Rouge’? Hiddleston Or Gyllenhaal? Choices For A Most Unusual Year

[Speculations on the 74th Tony Awards. Remember to take with a pinch of salt]

I'm glad I took notes. Looking at the roster of nominees for this year’s too-long-delayed Tony Awards is all the reminder anyone could need of just how interminable Broadway’s Covid pandemic shutdown has seemed. Productions and performances from the 2019-20 season, many reviewed nearly two years ago, are calling out – some more forcefully than others – to be remembered and honored. As I said, I’m glad I took notes.

This Sunday, the Tony Awards ceremony will be livestreamed on Paramount+, then immediately followed by the two-hour CBS concert special Broadway’s Back!, a celebration of Broadway’s recent reopening after the shutdown of 16-months (or 17 or 18 depending on which shows you decide were the official comebacks). Pre-pandemic, the Tonys originally were scheduled for June 2020, but March of that year brought the sickness and an abrupt shutdown of the industry that would leave a mere 18 productions eligible for the awards, down from 34 the previous year. The awards were postponed twice, most recently – thought it certainly doesn’t feel recent – a year ago when the nominations were announced.

As many as 16 shows scheduled for spring 2020 fell out of the Broadway schedule (and Tony competition). Some – including Six, which was supposed to open the very night of the shutdown, and Girl From The North Country, which like the revival of West Side Story had opened but had not yet fulfilled its Tony voter requirements – would certainly have made at least the Best Musical race a healthier contest.

So the Tony organizers – the Broadway League, the American Theatre Wing, CBS – had some big decisions to make, even after the year-long postponement that seems, in retrospect and at least to me, wrong-headed. First up was how to get the network to continue its broadcast tradition for an annually low-rated event that this year would, quite literally, be a mere fraction of its former self.

The answer – and we’ll know Sunday whether it was a good one or not – was to essentially split the difference. A few big awards – Best Play, Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical – will be announced live during the CBS special (and also streamed on Paramount+) but the bulk of awards are set for livestream only, a move that seems at odds with Broadway’s recent endeavors to position itself as something not just for wealthy New Yorkers and spend-happy tourists. Paramount+ does, in fact, offer a free trial period, so Broadway fans who don’t want to pay for a streaming service can watch the show without spending a penny – just make sure to cancel before the trial ends – but still. The visuals, as they say, aren’t great.

Certainly in some ways, this split decision – the livestream-broadcast hybrid – makes sense. The abbreviated roster of nominees and the year-long delay was always going to be a tough sell to CBS, and just as certainly Broadway fans want to see how even some of the less ballyhooed competitions play out. What will Moulin Rouge‘s Aaron Tveit – the sole nominee in the Lead Actor/Musical category – say when he takes the stage? And which of the nominees for Best Original Score will prove literally memorable? That category includes no musicals – repeat, no musicals – since each of the Best Musical nominees were of the golden-oldie jukebox variety. That left the plays to handle the Original Score burden – and left Tony voters trying very, very hard to mentally summon just what, exactly, the incidental music of The Rose Tattoo actually sounded like.

As a commercial move to promote the reopening of Broadway (and boost much-needed ticket sales for Broadway’s current line-up, even if it includes only a few of this year’s Tony nominees), both the postponement of the ceremony and the expansive concert special seems justifiable. The Tonys have always been as much an advertisement for sales as a recognition of achievement. But as a way to celebrate the productions and performers who hit the stages prior to the March 2020 shutdown, the decision feels less defendable. Even without CBS, a livestream or digital Tonys last fall would certainly have felt more immediate (and, in a way, hopeful), with nominees still fresh in minds and everyone – including, I suspect, more than a few in competition – still feeling fully invested.

So. After racking my brain, checking my gut and deciphering scribbles in old notebooks, my picks and predictions in selected Tony categories are as follows. Of course, the only sure bet is Tveit – though even that one-nominee category could, theoretically, see an upset: Tony voters could choose not to give that award at all. Won’t happen, but after the last year and a half, is anyone still capable of being surprised?

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BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

Betrayal, Harold Pinter; Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Terrence McNally; A Soldier’s Play, Charles Fuller

Will Win: A Soldier’s Play | Should Win: Betrayal

The beautifully performed and directed Betrayal was a revelation – a Pinter play as downright entertaining as it was thought-provoking, but Fuller’s long-in-coming arrival on Broadway with his modern classic A Soldier’s Play all but demands a win. Of course, Broadway could choose to honor McNally, the beloved stage icon who passed away from Covid last year, and whose Frankie and Johnny remains an essential part of the American canon. Still, for me, Betrayal is the production that stands out.

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BEST PERFORMANCE, LEAD ACTOR/PLAY

Ian Barford, Linda Vista; Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance; Jake Gyllenhaal, Sea Wall/A Life; Tom Hiddleston, Betrayal; Tom Sturridge, Sea Wall/A Life; Blair Underwood, A Soldier’s Play

Will Win: Hiddleston | Should Win: Sturridge

Hiddleston was terrific in Betrayal, and has every right to the trophy, but for me Sturridge in A Life gave the most powerful performance in the category as the grieving father whose family was destroyed by a single instance of atrocious happenstance. Other devotees of Sea Wall/A Life might choose first-time nominee Gyllenhaal (and I’d have no serious complaint there), and Underwood is certainly a popular and enjoyable actor (though saddled with the least interesting plot-device character in A Soldier’s Play). Barford and Burnap are extreme long-shots, leaving a four-man race with Hiddleston the likely winner if only by a slight edge.

The last Broadway season ended, unexpectedly, nearly a year ago. The next one will begin who-knows-when.

But deep in this winter of our theaterlessness, a dormant tradition is starting to stir: the Tony Awards.

Hundreds of voters, this week and next, are casting ballots for the best shows, and the best performances, of a theater season abruptly cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

The jukebox shows “Jagged Little Pill,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical’ are competing for best musical, and hope to resume performances whenever Broadway reopens. All five of the best play contenders have closed. They are “Grand Horizons,” by Bess Wohl; “The Inheritance,” by Matthew López; “Sea Wall/A Life,” by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne; “Slave Play,” by Jeremy O. Harris; and “The Sound Inside,” by Adam Rapp.

In this strangest-of-all Tony competitions, the voting is disconnected from both the period being assessed, which ran from April 26, 2019, to Feb. 19, 2020, and the ceremony for handing out awards, which has not yet been scheduled.

In other words, we won’t know the results until — well, for a long time.

But here’s what we do know:

Who’s going to vote?

Not a lot of people.

There are 778 Tony voters, but they can only cast ballots in categories in which they’ve seen all the nominees. Because the pandemic prevented any spring theatergoing, there are fewer qualified voters than usual.

There are 25 prize categories; the Tonys won’t say how many people will actually be able to vote in each category, but producers believe slightly fewer than 400 people will qualify to cast ballots for best musical, and fewer than that for best play.

What’s missing?

Parties.

The usual Tonys season is all-encompassing. Shows that opened in the fall (and that would have included all three of last season’s nominated musicals) invite voters back to see them again. Monday nights are jammed with nonprofit galas at which nominees mingle with voters, and those who can sing, do. There are press junkets and mixers; display ads in The New York Times and caricatures at Sardi’s; plus, of course, a raft of spring openings to catch up with.

So much hugging. So much schmoozing. So many four-hour dinners. Everyone complains. And now they long for it.

“I can’t believe I miss buffets,” said Eva Price, a lead producer of “Jagged Little Pill.” “So much that we took for granted, and sometimes grimaced at, we would give our left arms for right now.”

Is it appropriate to campaign?

Yes, but very gingerly.

We’re still in the middle of a devastating pandemic and a huge number of people who work in theater are currently unemployed. Also: money is tight because there are no ticket sales.

“The 2020 shows can’t run a campaign in the usual way, and even if we could it would feel icky to try,” said Carmen Pavlovic, the lead producer of “Moulin Rouge!”

“This is not a moment for cocktail parties and gossip,” she added. “It’s just a moment for lifting up artists from darkness, and hoping that lifts everybody else along the way.”

So swag is minimal. “Moulin Rouge!” and “Jagged Little Pill” sent voters coffee table books about their shows, but that’s about it. The main form of campaigning this year is in the form of “For Your Consideration” emails.

The nominated show that is furthest in the rearview mirror — a revival of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” which closed in July 2019 — sent voters a video montage of interviews including its playwright, Terrence McNally, who died eight months later from complications of the coronavirus.

Nominees are sitting for profiles with theater trade publications. And last week, “Tina,” “Jagged Little Pill,” “The Inheritance,” “Slave Play” and “Betrayal” bought daily sponsorships of Broadway Briefing, an emailed industry newsletter whose subscribers include many Tony voters.

And there are other, newfangled ways to refresh voters’ memories. “Betrayal” on Sunday held a cast reunion on Instagram Live; “The Sound Inside” sent voters videotaped selections from the production; “Jagged Little Pill” released a video reflecting on the year and is re-airing a concert version of its show. “Moulin Rouge!” and “The Inheritance” built voter web pages with performance clips, interviews, scripts and more.

The message needs to be focused, producers say. “We have to be very mindful and respectful of what people’s experiences are right now,” said Tali Pelman, the lead producer of “Tina.” At the same time, she said, “Honoring our talent and their contribution is important. More than ever, we have to shout out about their exceptional value in society.”

What happens when the votes are tallied?

An accounting firm sits on the results.

The voting period runs through March 15, with votes cast electronically via a password-protected website, and tabulated by Deloitte & Touche LLP. Even in pre-pandemic years, results are not shared with the leaders of the organizations that present the awards — the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing — or anyone else before they are announced.

This year they will just be kept secret for longer than usual.

Can you lose if you’re the only nominee?

Theoretically, yes.

Aaron Tveit of “Moulin Rouge!” is the only person nominated as best actor in a musical. This is an unusual circumstance, for which the Tonys have imposed an unusual rule: to win, Tveit must get a positive vote from 60 percent of those who cast ballots. But, to be clear, he’s likely to pick up his first statuette this year.

There are a couple of other nomination quirks, too. There will be no prize for best musical revival, because the only one that managed to open, “West Side Story,” did so after the retroactively imposed eligibility date. And the contenders for best score were all from plays.

So when will we know the winners?

Stay tuned.

It seems clear that the ceremony will only take place after live performance is allowed to resume in New York and tickets to Broadway shows have gone on sale.

That’s because the industry’s priority will be to use the ceremony to remind potential audiences that Broadway is back. The goal, said Heather A. Hitchens, the Wing’s president and chief executive, “is to be most helpful to the industry.”

Several producers and publicists say they are now thinking the most likely time frame is after Labor Day, a full year and a half after Broadway shut down.

The organizers have shared a few other details. This year’s ceremony, like those before the pandemic, will be overseen by Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner. There will be some noncompetitive awards (those are honors like lifetime achievement). But there has been no announcement about whether the ceremony will be in-person or virtual, televised or streamed, live or taped; only that it will take place “in coordination with the reopening of Broadway.”

“We hope to have news very soon,” said the League’s president, Charlotte St. Martin.

S

Saint Joan - National Theatre - February 16, 2017 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Elliot Levey (Bishop of Beauvais/Cauchon), Fisayo Akinade (The Dauphin/Charles VII), Gemma Arterton (Joan), Hadley Fraser (Dunois), Jo Stone-Fewings (Earl of Warwick), Matt Bardock (Robert de Baudricourt/The Inquisitor), Niall Buggy (Archbishop of Rheims/A Gentleman) NOTES: Pro-shot. National Theatre Live Season Eight.

Saturday Night Fever - The Netherlands - 2003 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Joost de Jong (Tony), Chantal Janzen (Stephanie), Claudia de Graaf (Annette) NOTES: Generation loss Saved - Off-Broadway - June 8, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Celia Keenan-Bolger (Mary), John Dossett (Pastor Skip), Julia Murney (Lillian), Mary Faber (Hilary Faye), Josh Breckenridge (Shane), Juliana Ashley Hansen (Lana), Curtis Holbrook (Roland), Van Hughes (Patrick), Jason Michael Snow (Zac), Aaron Tveit (Dean), Emily Walton (Tia), Morgan Weed (Cassandra) NOTES: One cover-up which lasts about 10 minutes The Scarlet Pimpernel - Broadway - February, 1998 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Douglas Sills (Sir Percy Blakeney), Christine Andreas (Marguerite St. Just), Terrence Mann (Chauvelin) School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play - Off-Broadway - December, 2018 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MKV (HD) CAST: Zenzi Williams (Eloise Amponsah), MaameYaa Boafo (Paulina), Joanna A Jones (Ericka), Myra Lucretia Taylor (Headmistress Francis), Latoya Edwards (Ama), Paige Gilbert (Gifty), Abena Mensah-Bonsu (Nana), Mirirai Sithole (Mercy) NOTES: Proshot WNET-TV's New York City-area Channel THIRTEEN continues its Theater Close-Up programming with a one-night-only broadcast of Jocelyn Bioh’s hit Off-Broadway play School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play. The broadcast, filmed during the show's return run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre last year, plays August 16 at 9 PM. First seen Off-Broadway in 2017, the critically acclaimed School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play was remounted by MCC Theater last fall, where it once again extended its engagement. Directed by Rebecca Taichman, the coming-of-age story takes place in an exclusive, all-girls boarding school in Ghana in the ‘80s and uses both comedy and drama to explore girlhood, colorism, colonialism, and beauty. School of Rock - Broadway - November 11, 2015 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Dewey Finn), Sierra Boggess (Rosalie Mullins), Spencer Moses (Ned Schneebly), Mamie Parris (Patty Di Marco), Isabella Russo (Summer), Dante Melucci (Freddie), Evie Dolan (Katie), Jared Parker (Lawrence), Brandon Niederauer (Zack), Bobbi MacKenzie (Tomika), Luca Padovan (Billy), Taylor Caldwell (Shonelle), Carly Gendell (Marcy), Corinne Wilson (Sophie), Ethan Khusidman (Mason), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Madison) NOTES: Great HD capture of this great new ALW show. There is a 5 minute blackout during the scene after the opening song, due to late seating issues. The cast is phenomenal and Alex gives a sensational performance. High energy show with great songs and is so much fun! The last 11 minutes (which is the finale) ARE here, but from a different performance as someone was taking *multiple* flash pictures with their iPhone in the row and was scolded and babysat those 11 minutes. A- School of Rock - Broadway - December 19, 2015 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Dewey Finn), Sierra Boggess (Rosalie Mullins), Spencer Moses (Ned Schneebly), Mamie Parris (Patty Di Marco), Isabella Russo (Summer), Dante Melucci (Freddie), Evie Dolan (Katie), Jared Parker (Lawrence), Brandon Niederauer (Zack), Bobbi MacKenzie (Tomika), Luca Padovan (Billy), Taylor Caldwell (Shonelle), Carley Gendell (Marcy), Corinne Wilson (Sophie), Ethan Khusidman (Mason), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Madison) School of Rock - Broadway - December 30, 2015 (Matinee) (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Dewey Finn), Sierra Boggess (Rosalie Mullins), Spencer Moses (Ned Schneebly), Mamie Parris (Patty Di Marco), Isabella Russo (Summer), Dante Melucci (Freddie), Evie Dolan (Katie), Jared Parker (Lawrence), Brandon Niederauer (Zack), Bobbi MacKenzie (Tomika), Luca Padovan (Billy), Taylor Caldwell (Shonelle), Carly Gendell (Marcy), Corinne Wilson (Sophie), Ethan Khusidman (Mason), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Madison) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of this wonderful show. Alex is perfectly cast as Dewey and leads the show well. A very nice capture with no obstruction, no washout, and just a couple quick dropouts. It gets a little dark at times and filmed from the right side. The sound is excellent. Includes curtain call and playbill scan. Alex Brightman shows why he deserves his Tony Nomination with a kick ass performance School of Rock - Broadway - February 17, 2016 (Matinee) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Jonathan Wagner (u/s Dewey Finn), Sierra Boggess (Rosalie Mullins), Spencer Moses (Ned Schneebly), Mamie Parris (Patty Di Marco), Isabella Russo (Summer), Dante Melucci (Freddie), Evie Dolan (Katie), Jared Parker (Lawrence), Brandon Niederauer (Zack), Bobbi MacKenzie (Tomika), Luca Padovan (Billy), Taylor Caldwell (Shonelle), Carly Gendell (Marcy), Corinne Wilson (Sophie), Ethan Khusidman (Mason), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Madison) NOTES: Please Read- Act One you can only see the ceiling due too many ushers around the filmer. Act two you can see the show partially. School of Rock - Broadway - August 8, 2016 FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Dewey Finn), Sierra Boggess (Rosalie Mullins), Spencer Moses (Ned Schneebly), Mamie Parris (Patty Di Marco), Isabella Russo (Summer), Raghav Mehrotra (Freddie), Evie Dolan (Katie), Diego Lucano (Lawrence), Brandon Niederauer (Zack), Bobbi MacKenzie (Tomika), Luca Padovan (Billy), Gianna Harris (Shonelle), Carly Gendell (Marcy), Gabby Gutierrez (Sophie), Ethan Khusidman (Mason), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Madison), John Arthur Greene (Theo/Ensemble), Josh Tower (Snake/Mr. Mooneyham) NOTES: Sierra's last show School of Rock - Broadway - January 20, 2019 (Closing Night) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Justin Collette (Dewey Finn), Mamie Parris (Rosalie Mullins), Johnathan Gould (Ned Schneebly), Lori Eve Marinacci (Patty Di Marco), Ava Briglia (Summer), Levi Buksbazen (Freddie), Montgomery Lamb (Katie), Jordan Cole (Lawrence), Matthew Jost (Zack), Layla Capers (Tomika), Hudson Loverro (Billy), Madison Elizabeth Lagares (Shonelle), Sarah Walsh (Marcy), Madalen Yarbrough Mills (Sophie), Nirvaan Pal (Mason), Katie Greendorfer (Madison), Jeremy Woodard (Theo/Ensemble) NOTES: Very nice capture of the final broadway show. During the last song (Stick It To The Man (Reprise)), all the kids who have been in the show in the past come out. School of Rock - First National Tour - November 24, 2017 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Merritt David James (alt Dewey Finn), Lexie Dorsett Sharp (Rosalie Mullins), Matt Bittner (Ned Schneebly), Emily Borromeo (Patty Di Marco), Ava Briglia (Summer), Gilberto Moretti-Hamilton (Freddie), Theodora Silverman (Katie), Theo Mitchell-Penner (Lawrence), Phoenix Schuman (Zack), Gianna Harris (Tomika), John Michael Pitera (Billy), Olivia Bucknor (Shonelle), Chloe Anne Garcia (Marcy), Gabriella Uhl (Sophie), Carson Hodges (Mason) NOTES: Wonderful HD capture of the tour cast. Everything is nicely captured and the cast is terrific! A+ School of Rock - West End - August 21, 2019 (wheredidtherockgo's master) FORMAT:  TS (HD) CAST: Jake Sharp (alt Dewey Finn), Laura Tebbutt (Rosalie Mullins), Alan Pearson (Ned Schneebly), Rebecca LaChance (Patty Di Marco), Amelie Green (Summer), William Harvey (Freddie), Sofia Wilkinson Hill (Katie), Daniel Chang (Lawrence), Sebastian Adams Eaton (Zack), Kaylah Black (Tomika), Tommy Featherstone (Billy), Lily Jean Jackson (Shonelle), Calypso Bailey (Marcy), Ellie May Pavitt (Sophie), Todd Dachtler (Mason), Andy Rees (Theo/Ensemble), Ryan Bearpark (Snake/Mr. Mooneyham) NOTES: First show for Keisha Amponsa Banson, Benjamin Yates, Suzie McAdam, Kelly Hampson, Ryan Bearpark, Jayde Nelson. The sound of the video can become pretty loud. School of Rock - West End - January, 2019 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jake Sharp (u/s Dewey Finn), Claudia Kariuki (Rosalie Mullins), James Wolstenholme (Ned Schneebly), Michelle Francis (Patty Di Marco), Anya Hewett (Summer), Stanley Jarvis (Freddie), Anya Cooke (Katie), Austin Kindler (Lawrence), Jasper Bew (Zack), Aaylia Rose (Tomika), Jarvis Baugh (Billy), Tia Stuart (Shonelle), Romanie Jija-Wakeham (Marcy), Frankie Mae Garner (Sophie), John Addison (Theo/Ensemble), Andy Rees (u/s Snake/Mr. Mooneyham) NOTES: Full show. Original MP4 Scotland, PA - Off-Broadway - November, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jimmy Brewer (u/s Mac), Taylor Iman Jones (Pat), Jeb Brown (Duncan), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Banko), Will Meyers (Malcolm), David Rossmer (Doug), Lacretta Nicole (Mrs. Lenox), Megan Lawrence (Peg McDuff), Wonu Ogunfowora (Stacy/Brenda) NOTES: Great HD capture of this new Off-Broadway show, beautifully filmed from the orchestra. Act One starts when talking about the new fryer and Act Two starts when the detective is asking questions in the restaurant. Please do not post screenshots of this video on Twitter ever. Gifs on Tumblr are okay after the NFT date, but don't go linking things to actors and shows. The Secret Garden - 1st National Tour - 1992 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Kevin McGuire (Archibald Craven), Anne Runolfsson (Lily Craven), Douglas Sills (Dr. Neville Craven), Jacquelyn Piro (Rose), Roxann Parker (Mrs. Winthrop/Alice), James Barbour (William), Jill Patton (Betsy), Audra McDonald (Ayah), Mary Fogarty (Mrs. Medlock) NOTES: NOT SURE ABOUT CAST INFORMATION, PLEASE VERIFY The Secret Garden - Lincoln Center - February 21, 2016 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Sydney Lucas (Mary Lennox), Ramin Karimloo (Archibald Craven), Sierra Boggess (Lily Craven), Cheyenne Jackson (Dr. Neville Craven), Ben Platt (Dickon), Oscar Williams (Colin Craven), Jere Shea (Ben Weatherstaff), Nikki Renée Daniels (Rose), Josh Young (Captain Albert Lennox), Julie Halston (Mrs. Winthrop/Alice), Jamie Jackson (Lieutenant Ian Shaw), Telly Leung (Fakir), Anisha Nagarajan (Ayah), Barbara Rosenblat (Mrs. Medlock), Quentin Earl Darrington (Major Holmes), John Riddle (Lieutenant Peter Wright) The Secret Garden - World AIDS Day Concert - December 5, 2005 FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Jaclyn Neidenthal (Mary Lennox), Steven Pasquale (Archibald Craven), Laura Benanti (Lily Craven), Will Chase (Dr. Neville Craven), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Martha), Michael Arden (Dickon), Struan Erlenborn (Colin Craven), David Canary (Ben Weatherstaff), Sara Gettelfinger (Rose), Max von Essen (Captain Albert Lennox), Deborah S Craig (Mrs. Winthrop/Alice), Matt Cavenaugh (Lieutenant Ian Shaw), Jenny Powers (Claire), Nehal Joshi (Fakir), Reshma Shetty (Ayah), Barbara Rosenblat (Mrs. Medlock), Benjamin Magnuson (Major Holmes), Shonn Wiley (Lieutenant Peter Wright)  

She Loves Me - Second Broadway Revival - February 23, 2016 (Preview) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Laura Benanti (Amalia Balash), Zachary Levi (Georg Nowack), Byron Jennings (Mr. Maraczek), Jane Krakowski (Ilona Ritter), Gavin Creel (Steven Kodaly), Michael McGrath (Ladislav Sipos), Nicholas Barasch (Arpad Laszlo), Peter Bartlett (Headwaiter) Sherlock Holmes: Next Generation - Hamburg - January, 2019 (Rumpel's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Ethan Freeman (Sherlock Holmes), Frank Logemann (Dr Watson), Merlin Fargel (John), Lena Wischhusen (Catherine), Stephanie H Tschoppe (Mrs Mason), Yvonne Köstler (Miss Hudson) NOTES: Many obstructions but still captures most of the action. Shrek: The Musical - Broadway - October, 2009 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Brian d'Arcy James (Shrek), Sutton Foster (Princess Fiona), Christopher Sieber (Lord Farquaad), Daniel Breaker (Donkey), John Tartaglia (Pinocchio/Magic Mirror/Dragon Puppeteer), Haven Burton (Sugar Plum Fairy/Gingy), Kirsten Wyatt (Duloc Performer/Shoemaker's Elf/Blind Mouse), Bobby Daye (Sticks/Bishop), Ryan Duncan (Bricks), Sarah Jane Shanks (Ugly Duckling/Blind Mouse), Aymee Garcia (Mama Bear/Dragonette), Rachel Stern (Dragonette/Mama Ogre), Jennifer Simard (Wicked Witch/Queen Lillian/Magic Mirror Assistant), Rozi Baker (Young Fiona), Tessa Albertson (Teen Fiona) NOTES: This 1080p HD proshot with soundboard audio was released in 2013, but was filmed in mid-October of 2009, a few months before the production closed. Significant Other - Broadway - March 10, 2017 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Gideon Glick (Jordan Berman), Barbara Barrie (Helene Berman), Lindsay Mendez (Laura), Sas Goldberg (Kiki), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Vanessa), John Behlmann (Will/Conrad/Tony), Luke Smith (Zach/Evan/Roger) Sing Street - Grounded - April 30, 2020 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Max William Bartos (Darren), Brendan C Callahan (Gary), Billy Carter (Robert), Zara Devlin (Raphina), Gus Halper (Brendan), Jakeim Hart (Larry), Martin Moran (Brother Baxter), Anne L Nathan (Sandra), Johnny Newcomb (Barry), Brenock O'Connor (Conor), Gian Perez (Kevin), Sam Poon (Eamon), Skyler Volpe (Anne), Amy Warren (Penny) NOTES: An abridged 30 minute version of the show, performed from home in support of both Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City.  

Sister Act - Broadway - April 2, 2011 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Patina Miller (Deloris Van Cartier), Victoria Clark (Mother Superior), Kingsley Leggs (Curtis/Shank), Chester Gregory (Eddie Souther), Marla Mindelle (Mary Robert), Sarah Bolt (Mary Patrick), Fred Applegate (Monsignor O’Hara/Howard), John Treacy Egan (Joey/Bones), Demond Green (TJ) Sister Act - Broadway - January 31, 2012 FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Patina Miller (Deloris Van Cartier), Carolee Carmello (Mother Superior), Kingsley Leggs (Curtis/Shank), Chester Gregory (Eddie Souther), Marla Mindelle (Mary Robert), Sarah Bolt (Mary Patrick), Audrie Neenan (Mary Lazarus), Fred Applegate (Monsignor O’Hara/Howard), Caesar Samayoa (Pablo/Dinero), John Treacy Egan (Joey/Bones), Demond Green (TJ)  

Sister Act - First National Tour - November 18, 2012 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Ta'Rea Campbell (Deloris Van Cartier), Hollis Resnik (Mother Superior), Kingsley Leggs (Curtis/Shank), E Clayton Cornelious (Eddie Souther), Lael Van Keuren (Mary Robert), Florrie Bagel (Mary Patrick), Diane J Findlay (Mary Lazarus) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the touring production. This cast was solid and was so fun to watch. A Sister Act - First UK & Ireland Tour - 2012 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD)   |   NFT: Forever CAST: Cynthia Erivo (Deloris Van Cartier), Denise Black (Mother Superior), Nolan Frederick (Curtis/Shank), Edward Baruwa (Eddie Souther), Julie Atherton (Mary Robert), Laurie Scarth (Mary Patrick), Jacqueline Clarke (Mary Lazarus), Michael Starke (Monsignor O’Hara/Howard), Gavin Alex (Pablo/Dinero), Daniel Stockton (Joey/Bones), Tyrone Huntley (TJ) NOTES: An amazing beautiful capture in 16:9 wide-screen with no obstructions or blackouts of this fantastic musical which has just the right mix of music, comedy, fun and spectacle combined with some outstanding vocal performances. Sister Act - Scheveningen - July 13, 2014 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Nurlaila Karim (u/s Deloris Van Cartier), Marjolijn Touw (u/s Mother Superior), Stanley Burleson (Curtis/Shank), Jerrel Houtsnee (Eddie Souther), Tineke Ogink (u/s Mary Robert), Esmee van Kampen (Mary Patrick), Irene Kuiper (Mary Lazarus), Frans Mulder (Monsignor O’Hara/Howard), Zjon Smaal (Joey/Bones), Marlon David Henry (TJ) Sister Act - West End - 2009 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Patina Miller (Deloris Van Cartier), Sheila Hancock (Mother Superior), Julian Cannonier (u/s Curtis/Shank), Ako Mitchell (Eddie Souther), Katie Rowley Jones (Mary Robert), Claire Greenway (Mary Patrick), Allison Harding (u/s Mary Lazarus), Ian Lavender (Monsignor O’Hara/Howard), Ivan de Freitas (Pablo/Dinero), Nic Colicos (Joey/Bones), Thomas Goodridge (TJ) Skintight - Off-Broadway - June, 2018 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Idina Menzel (Jodi Isaac), Jack Wetherall (Elliot Isaac), Cynthia Mace (Orsolya), Stephen Carrasco (Jeff), Will Brittain (Trey), Eli Gelb (Benjamin Cullen) A Snow White Christmas - Pasadena Playhouse - December 15, 2012 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Curt Hansen (Prince Harry), Ariana Grande (Snow White), David Figlioli (Herman), Charlene Tilton (Wicked Queen), Jonathan Meza (Muddles), Neil Patrick Harris (Magic Mirror) NOTES: Entertaining show for all ages, with a score of recognizable pop songs and hilarious broadway and pop culture references to Wicked, Book of Mormon, How I Met Your Mother, Victorious, Dallas, and more. Some heads can be seen at the bottom of the screen, but they are worked around fine, especially after the first few minutes of the show. There are short dropouts during the first part of Act One, but each one lasts only 15-30 seconds. It’s filmed in 16:9 with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. Includes curtain call. Soho Cinders - Off-West End Revival - January, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Michael Mather (Robbie), Livvy Evans (Velcro), Michaela Stern (Clodagh), Hollie Taylor (Dana), Lewis Asquith (James Prince), Tori Hargreaves (Marilyn Platt), Dayle Hodge (William George), Robert Grose (Lord Bellingham), Melissa Rose (Sasha) NOTES: MTS, shot around heads, missing last 15 minutes of act 1, act 2 full, includes act 1 audio Soho Cinders - Off-West End Revival - October, 2019 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Luke Bayer (Robbie), Millie O’Connell (Velcro), Michaela Stern (Clodagh), Natalie Harman (Dana), Lewis Asquith (James Prince), Tori Hargreaves (Marilyn Platt), Ewan Gillies (William George), Christopher Coleman (Lord Bellingham), Melissa Rose (Sasha) NOTES: MTS, shot around heads Something Rotten! - Broadway - March 23, 2015 (Preview) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Brian d'Arcy James (Nick Bottom), John Cariani (Nigel Bottom), Christian Borle (Shakespeare), Heidi Blickenstaff (Bea), Kate Reinders (Portia), Brad Oscar (Nostradamus), Brooks Ashmanskas (Brother Jeremiah), Gerry Vichi (Shylock), Michael James Scott (Minstrel/Snug), Peter Bartlett (Lord Clapham/Eyepatch Man) NOTES: First preview Something Rotten! - Broadway - March 28, 2015 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Brian d'Arcy James (Nick Bottom), John Cariani (Nigel Bottom), Christian Borle (Shakespeare), Heidi Blickenstaff (Bea), Kate Reinders (Portia), Brad Oscar (Nostradamus), Brooks Ashmanskas (Brother Jeremiah), Gerry Vichi (Shylock), Michael James Scott (Minstrel/Snug), Peter Bartlett (Lord Clapham/Eyepatch Man) NOTES: Excellent HD capture of this hilarious new musical. The cast is just too perfect in every way. Superb performances, music, story and a great homage to theatre and musicals. Not to be missed! A Something Rotten! - Broadway - June 20, 2016 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Rob McClure (Nick Bottom), John Cariani (Nigel Bottom), Christian Borle (Shakespeare), Heidi Blickenstaff (Bea), Catherine Brunell (u/s Portia), Brad Oscar (Nostradamus), David Beach (Brother Jeremiah), Andre Ward (Minstrel/Snug) NOTES: With a mix of original cast and new faces, there are great performances all around. Nicely captured just a couple quick dropouts. There are some heads at the bottom of the screen that regularly block the actors’ feet, but they are worked around as much as possible, and generally don’t affect the main action. There is also some occasional washout, especially in wider shots. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. Includes curtain call and playbill scans. Something Rotten! - Broadway - November 12, 2016 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Rob McClure (Nick Bottom), Josh Grisetti (Nigel Bottom), Adam Pascal (Shakespeare), Leslie Kritzer (Bea), Catherine Brunell (Portia), Brad Oscar (Nostradamus), David Beach (Brother Jeremiah) NOTES: Excellent HD capture of the final Broadway cast. Adam Pascal joined the cast as Shakespeare for the final 7 weeks on Broadway. Everything is captured nicely and the cast was still giving their all! Some minor washouts and the audio sounds like it is from the big theatre it was performed in. Songs for a New World - Encores! - June, 2018 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Solea Pfeiffer (Woman 1), Mykal Kilgore (Man 1), Shoshana Bean (Woman 2), Colin Donnell (Man 2)  

Songs for a New World - Stuttgart, Germany - December 13, 2009 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Dominique Aref (Woman 1), DMJ (Man 1), Willemijn Verkaik (Woman 2), Mathias Edenborn (Man 2) NOTES: Not the best quality, video is shaky and the sound isn’t perfect as well. You can hear everything though and the cast is great. Full show in English. Songs for a New World - Symphony Space, NYC - May 1, 2005 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Andréa Burns, Beth Leavel, Brian d'Arcy James, Brooks Ashmanskas, Darius de Haas, Jason Robert Brown, Jerry Dixon, Jessica Molaskey, John Tartaglia, Michael Cerveris, Miriam Shor Sophisticated Ladies - Broadway - 1982 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Hinton Battle (Himself), Phyllis Hyman (Herself), Calvin McRae, Garry Q Lewis, Gregg Burge, Leata Galloway, Lorraine Fields, Paula Kelly, Terri Klausner NOTES: Filmed in 1982 for Showtime at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre before the show closed in January 1983. Features the final Broadway cast which was still composed of a large portion of the original Broadway cast, including Phyllis Hyman and Terri Klausner. The Sound of Music - Broadway (1998 Revival) - February 20, 1998 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Rebecca Luker (Maria Rainer), Michael Siberry (Captain Georg Von Trapp), Patti Cohenour (The Mother Abbess), Jan Maxwell (Elsa Schraeder), Fred Applegate (Max Detweiler), Sara Zelle (Liesel Von Trapp), Gina Ferrall (Sister Berthe), Ann Brown (Sister Sophia), Andrea Bowen (Marta), Ashley Rose Orr (Gretl), Dashiell Eaves (Rolf Gruber), Patricia Conolly (Frau Schmidt) The Sound of Music - First Dutch Tour - 2002 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Maaike Widdershoven (Maria Rainer), Hugo Haenen (Captain Georg Von Trapp), Anne-Mieke Ruyten (Elsa Schraeder), Dick Cohen (Max Detweiler), Céline Purcell (Liesel Von Trapp) The Sound of Music - The Sound Of Music Live - December 20, 2015 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Kara Tointon (Maria Rainer), Julian Ovenden (Captain Georg Von Trapp), Maria Friedman (The Mother Abbess), Katherine Kelly (Elsa Schraeder), Alexander Armstrong (Max Detweiler), Evelyn Hoskins (Liesel Von Trapp), Norma Atallah (Sister Berthe), Julie Atherton (Sister Margaretta), Imelda de los Reyes (Sister Sophia), Guy Trundle (Friedrich), Ellen Coleman (Louisa), Amy Snudden (Brigitta), Zac Lester (Kurt), Jessica Burden (Marta), Martha Otterburn (Gretl), Paul Copley (Franz), Jon Tarcy (Rolf Gruber), Mel Giedroyc (Frau Schmidt), David Bamber (Herr Zeller) NOTES: TV Proshot first broadcast Live in UK on ITV. Later broadcast as part of PBS's "Great Performances." South Pacific - First Broadway Revival - August 18, 2010 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MPEG/MPG (SD) CAST: Kelli O’Hara (Ensign Nellie Forbush), Paulo Szot (Emile de Becque), Andrew Samonsky (Lt. Joseph Cable, U.S.M.C.), Danny Burstein (Luther Billis), Loretta Ables Sayre (Bloody Mary), Li Jun Li (Liat) NOTES: Presented as part of PBS Live From Lincoln Center series, and broadcast live from the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center just 4 days before the end of the run of the show, making it the longest running revival of any Rogers and Hammerstein musical in history. Also included are interviews with the composers' daughters, Mary Rogers and Alice Hammerstein. Multi-camera pro-shot for TV Spamilton: An American Parody - Off-Broadway - December 31, 2016 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Chris Anthony Giles (Leslie Odom Jr/Aaron Burr), Christine Pedi (Bernadette Peters/Barbra Streisand/Carol Channing/Liza Minnelli/Patti LuPone), Glenn Bassett (King George), Larry Owens (Okieriete Onaodowan/Mulligan and others), Lauren Villegas (Schuyler Sisters and others), Nicholas Edwards (Daveed Diggs/Lafayette/Jefferson), Robert Ariza (u/s Lin Manuel Miranda/Alexander Hamilton) NOTES: A hilarious parody full of references to Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and tons of other broadway shows and stars. A must-see for any fan. A good capture overall. There is one head that blocks the actors from the waist down in the center of the stage. There is a three-minute blackout during The Schuyler Puppets and a three minute blackout during the finale, as well as a couple other quick dropouts. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. The show is 72 minutes on one disc. Includes playbill scans. Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark - Broadway - December 17, 2010 (Preview) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Reeve Carney (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Jennifer Damiano (Mary Jane Watson), Patrick Page (Norman Osborn/Green Goblin), Matt Caplan (Flash/Bud), Gerald Avery (Swarm), Collin Baja (Carnage), Emmanuel Brown (Electro) NOTES: Blindshot. You can't see anything on stage. Catches most of the aerial stunts. Audio is clear. Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark - Broadway - September 17, 2011 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Reeve Carney (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Jennifer Damiano (Mary Jane Watson), TV Carpio (Arachne), Patrick Page (Norman Osborn/Green Goblin), Ken Marks (Uncle Ben/Buttons), Megan Lewis (u/s Aunt May/Maxie/Mrs. Gribrock) NOTES: This is the revamp Spiderman 2.0 Version. A completely reworked show from the original. A Nice capture of the show, and not such a horrible show compared to how the press made it out. A- Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark - Broadway - October 14, 2012 (Lanelle's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: Youtube rip - to be gifted|Gifted: Upon Request CAST: Matthew James Thomas (Peter Parker/Spider-Man), Kristen Martin (u/s Mary Jane Watson), Katrina Lenk (Arachne), Robert Cuccioli (Norman Osborn/Green Goblin) NOTES: Good zooms and decent audio quality, best so far. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical - Broadway - November 7, 2017 (Preview) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants), Danny Skinner (Patrick Star), Lilli Cooper (Sandy Cheeks), Gavin Lee (Squidward Q. Tentacles), Gaelen Gilliland (The Mayor), Brian Ray Norris (Eugene Krabs), Wesley Taylor (Sheldon Plankton), Stephanie Hsu (Karen the Computer), Jai'len Christine Li Josey (Pearl Krabs), Kelvin Moon Loh (Perch Perkins), Jon Rua (Patchy the Pirate), Allan K Washington (Gary/Larry the Lobster), Abby C Smith (Mrs. Puff), JC Schuster (Old Man Jenkins), Tom Kenny (French Narrator) NOTES: Top of a head or two visible at the bottom of screen in the very wide shot SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical - Broadway - July 18, 2018 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants), Danny Skinner (Patrick Star), Lilli Cooper (Sandy Cheeks), Gavin Lee (Squidward Q. Tentacles), Gaelen Gilliland (The Mayor), Brian Ray Norris (Eugene Krabs), Brandon Espinoza (u/s Sheldon Plankton), Jai'len Christine Li Josey (Pearl Krabs), Allan K Washington (Gary/Larry the Lobster), Abby C Smith (Mrs. Puff) NOTES: Hovers above a lot; it remains this way for most of the video. 720P SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical - Broadway - July 27, 2018 (notjustthespongenextdoor's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants), Danny Skinner (Patrick Star), Christina Sajous (Sandy Cheeks), Alex Gibson (u/s Squidward Q. Tentacles), Gaelen Gilliland (The Mayor), Brian Ray Norris (Eugene Krabs), Wesley Taylor (Sheldon Plankton), Catherine Ricafort (Karen the Computer), Brynn Williams (u/s Pearl Krabs), Kelvin Moon Loh (Perch Perkins), Brandon Espinoza (Patchy the Pirate), Allan K Washington (Gary/Larry the Lobster), Abby C Smith (Mrs. Puff), JC Schuster (Old Man Jenkins), Tom Kenny (French Narrator) NOTES: The master has updated to make the listing as whatever the user wishes. It can be limited trades or regular trades. Filmed from the right balcony, with no zooms. Mostly a wide shot of the stage. Quite a bit of spotlight washout. Audio is clear. Starts from right before “No Control.” The only known footage of Alex as Squidward or Brynn as Pearl. A watermark at the bottom left corner says 2014/01/31, ignore this. It is the wrong date.  

Spring Awakening - Brno, Czech Republic - 2010 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jiri Mach (Melchior Gabor), Ivana Skalova (Wendla Bergmann), Lukas Janota (Moritz Stiefel), Michaela Horka (Ilse Neumann), Lukas Vlcek (Hanschen Rilow), Viktor Polasek (Ernst Robel), Jakub Ulicnik (Otto Lämmermeier), Vladimir Rezac (Georg Zirschnitz), Katerina Kleckova (Anna), Katerina Kleckova (Thea Rilow), Irena Konvalinova (The Adult Women), Zdenek Junak (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - Broadway - November 29, 2006 (Preview) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Jonathan Groff (Melchior Gabor), Lea Michele (Wendla Bergmann), John Gallagher Jr (Moritz Stiefel), Lauren Pritchard (Ilse Neumann), Jonathan B Wright (Hanschen Rilow), Gideon Glick (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women), Stephen Spinella (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - Broadway - February 10, 2007 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Jonathan Groff (Melchior Gabor), Lea Michele (Wendla Bergmann), John Gallagher Jr (Moritz Stiefel), Phoebe Strole (u/s Ilse Neumann), Lilli Cooper (Martha Bessell), Jonathan B Wright (Hanschen Rilow), Gideon Glick (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Krysta Rodriguez (u/s Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Frances Mercanti-Anthony (u/s The Adult Women), Stephen Spinella (The Adult Men) NOTES: AMAZING capture, closeups, performances. Not to be missed. A+ Spring Awakening - Broadway - February 21, 2007 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jonathan Groff (Melchior Gabor), Lea Michele (Wendla Bergmann), John Gallagher Jr (Moritz Stiefel), Lauren Pritchard (Ilse Neumann), Gideon Glick (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women), Stephen Spinella (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - Broadway - August 18, 2007 (Matinee) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jonathan Groff (Melchior Gabor), Lea Michele (Wendla Bergmann), Gerard Canonico (u/s Moritz Stiefel), Lauren Pritchard (Ilse Neumann), Jennifer Damiano (u/s Martha Bessell), Jonathan B Wright (Hanschen Rilow), Gideon Glick (Ernst Robel), Matt Doyle (u/s Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women), Ken Marks (u/s The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - Broadway - February 22, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jesse Swenson (u/s Melchior Gabor), Alexandra Socha (u/s Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Jonathan B Wright (Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Kate Burton (The Adult Women), Glenn Fleshler (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - Broadway - February 23, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Matt Doyle (u/s Melchior Gabor), Alexandra Socha (u/s Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Jesse Swenson (u/s Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Kate Burton (The Adult Women), Glenn Fleshler (The Adult Men) NOTES: Ends abruptly in the middle of Song Of Purple Summer Spring Awakening - Broadway - April 24, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jonathan Groff (Melchior Gabor), Lea Michele (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Matt Doyle (u/s Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow) NOTES: One of Matt Doyle's first times on as Hänschen, after taking over the role. He forgets one of his lines in the vineyard scene but improvises. Spring Awakening - Broadway - May 18, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jonathan Groff (Melchior Gabor), Lea Michele (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Matt Doyle (Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women), Glenn Fleshler (The Adult Men) NOTES: Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele's final performance Spring Awakening - Broadway - May 30, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kyle Riabko (Melchior Gabor), Eryn Murman (u/s Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Matt Doyle (Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Gerard Canonico (u/s Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women), Glenn Fleshler (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - Broadway - July 19, 2008 (Matinee) (broadwayspunk's master)

FORMAT: video CAST: Matt Shingledecker (u/s Melchior Gabor), Alexandra Socha (Wendla Bergmann), Brian Charles Johnson (u/s Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Matt Doyle (Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Jesse Swenson (u/s Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women), Glenn Fleshler (The Adult Men) NOTES: Final matinee for remaining original Broadway cast Spring Awakening - Broadway - July 19, 2008 (broadwayspunk's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kyle Riabko (Melchior Gabor), Alexandra Socha (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Matt Doyle (Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women), Glenn Fleshler (The Adult Men) NOTES: Skylar Astin, Lilli Cooper, Brian Charles Johnson, Phoebe Strole, and Remy Zaken’s last performance  

Spring Awakening - Broadway - August 2, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kyle Riabko (Melchior Gabor), Alexandra Socha (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Matt Doyle (Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Gabe Violett (Otto Lämmermeier), Andrew Durand (Georg Zirschnitz), Emily Kinney (Anna), Caitlin Kinnunen (Thea Rilow) NOTES: Final show for Kyle Riabko and Blake Bashoff (because they would go on to do the first national tour). Camera work is a little shaky, but has some really nice close ups. Spring Awakening - Broadway - August 7, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Matt Doyle (t/r Melchior Gabor), Alexandra Socha (Wendla Bergmann), Gerard Canonico (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Jesse Swenson (Hanschen Rilow), Morgan Karr (Ernst Robel), Gabe Violett (Otto Lämmermeier), Andrew Durand (Georg Zirschnitz), Emily Kinney (Anna), Caitlin Kinnunen (Thea Rilow), Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women), Glenn Fleshler (The Adult Men) NOTES: Good capture with nice picture and sound. A few coverups but excellent close-ups and nice to watch. No curtain call. A- Spring Awakening - Broadway - January 18, 2009 (Closing Night) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Hunter Parrish (Melchior Gabor), Alexandra Socha (Wendla Bergmann), Gerard Canonico (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Amanda Castanos (Martha Bessell), Matt Doyle (Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Gabe Violett (Otto Lämmermeier), Andrew Durand (Georg Zirschnitz), Emily Kinney (Anna), Caitlin Kinnunen (Thea Rilow), Christine Estabrook (The Adult Women), Glenn Fleshler (The Adult Men), Alice Lee, Eryn Murman, Morgan Karr, Zach Reiner-Harris NOTES: Closing Performance; features the full curtain call speech and the full show; some blackouts due to ushers; great sound and nice video Spring Awakening - Broadway - January 18, 2009 (Matinee) (Highlights)

FORMAT: video CAST: Hunter Parrish (Melchior Gabor), Alexandra Socha (Wendla Bergmann), Gerard Canonico (Moritz Stiefel), Emma Hunton (Ilse Neumann), Matt Doyle (Hanschen Rilow), Blake Daniel (Ernst Robel), Gabe Violett (Otto Lämmermeier), Emily Kinney (Anna), Caitlin Kinnunen (Thea Rilow) NOTES: The matinee of the final day of Spring Awakening on Broadway. Only includes the Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise), Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind (whole scene), Left Behind, and Totally Fucked. Filmed in one of the front rows. Spring Awakening - Broadway Revival - October 18, 2015 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Austin McKenzie (Melchior Gabor), Sandra Mae Frank (Wendla Bergmann), Katie Boeck (Voice of Wendla), Daniel N Durant (Moritz Stiefel), Alex Boniello (Voice of Moritz), Krysta Rodriguez (Ilse Neumann), Treshelle Edmond (Martha Bessell), Kathryn Gallagher (Voice of Martha), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Joshua Castille (Ernst Robel), Daniel David Stewart (Voice of Ernst), Miles Barbee (Otto Lämmermeier), Sean Grandillo (Voice of Otto), Alex Wyse (Georg Zirschnitz), Ali Stroker (Anna), Amelia Hensley (Thea Rilow), Lauren Luiz (Melitta Rilow / Voice of Thea), Alexandra Winter (Greta Brandenburg), Marlee Matlin (The Adult Women), Camryn Manheim (Voice of Adult Women), Russell Harvard (The Adult Men), Patrick Page (Voice of Adult Men) NOTES: Deaf West Theatre production Spring Awakening - Broadway Revival - November 15, 2015 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Austin McKenzie (Melchior Gabor), Sandra Mae Frank (Wendla Bergmann), Katie Boeck (Voice of Wendla), Daniel N Durant (Moritz Stiefel), Alex Boniello (Voice of Moritz), Krysta Rodriguez (Ilse Neumann), Treshelle Edmond (Martha Bessell), Kathryn Gallagher (Voice of Martha), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Joshua Castille (Ernst Robel), Daniel David Stewart (Voice of Ernst), Miles Barbee (Otto Lämmermeier), Sean Grandillo (Voice of Otto), Alex Wyse (Georg Zirschnitz), Ali Stroker (Anna), Amelia Hensley (Thea Rilow), Lauren Luiz (Melitta Rilow / Voice of Thea), Alexandra Winter (Greta Brandenburg), Alexandria Wailes (u/s The Adult Women), Elizabeth Greene (u/s Voice of Adult Women), Russell Harvard (The Adult Men), Patrick Page (Voice of Adult Men) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the sign language production. This capture features the Adult Women understudies, who would go on to replace the originals. Also includes Left Behind from a Jon Groff concert. A Spring Awakening - Buenos Aires, Argentina - 2010 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  AVI (HD) CAST: Fernando Dente (Melchior Gabor), Florencia Otero (Wendla Bergmann), Federico Salles (Moritz Stiefel), Mariana Jaccazio (Ilse Neumann), Eliseo Barrionuevo (Hanschen Rilow), Leandro Bassano (Ernst Robel), Cristian Centurión (Otto Lämmermeier), Micaela Pierani Mendez (Anna), Julieta Nair Calvo (Thea Rilow), Irene Almas (The Adult Women), Tony Lestingi (The Adult Men) NOTES: Pro-shot with zooms, seems to be multi-camera. Non-replica production. Spring Awakening - Deaf West Theatre, Rosenthal Theater, Los Angeles - September 25, 2014 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Austin McKenzie (Melchior Gabor), Sandra Mae Frank (Wendla Bergmann), Katie Boeck (Voice of Wendla), Daniel N Durant (Moritz Stiefel), Rustin Cole Sailors (Voice of Moritz), Lauren Patten (Ilse Neumann), Treshelle Edmond (Martha Bessell), Kathryn Gallagher (Voice of Martha), Joseph Haro (Hanschen Rilow), Joshua Castille (Ernst Robel), Daniel David Stewart (Voice of Ernst), Miles Barbee (Otto Lämmermeier), Sean Grandillo (Voice of Otto), Jimmy Bellinger (Georg Zirschnitz), Ali Stroker (Anna), Amelia Hensley (Thea Rilow), Alexandra Winter (Melitta Rilow / Voice of Thea), Hillary Baack (The Adult Women), Natacha Roi (Voice of Adult Women), Troy Kotsur (The Adult Men), Daniel Marmion (Voice of Adult Men) NOTES: A nice capture overall; the biggest flaw here is the obstruction. There are a lot of heads that were very difficult to work around, but the show is still captured well and the actors are only occasionally blocked for a few seconds at a time. There are some very quick dropouts, but no major blackouts. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. Includes playbill scans. Spring Awakening - First National Tour - August 15, 2008 (kicks8567's master)

FORMAT: video CAST: Kyle Riabko (Melchior Gabor), Christy Altomare (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Ilse Neumann), Sarah Hunt (Martha Bessell), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Ben Moss (Ernst Robel), Anthony Lee Medina (Otto Lämmermeier), Matt Shingledecker (Georg Zirschnitz), Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Kimiko Glenn (Thea Rilow), Angela Reed (The Adult Women), Henry Stram (The Adult Men) NOTES: Same day as Sunsetblvd79's master. Video is grainy and shaky but it's a rarer capture. Mostly for SA collectors. Spring Awakening - First National Tour - August 15, 2008 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kyle Riabko (Melchior Gabor), Christy Altomare (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Ilse Neumann), Sarah Hunt (Martha Bessell), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Ben Moss (Ernst Robel), Anthony Lee Medina (Otto Lämmermeier), Matt Shingledecker (Georg Zirschnitz), Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Kimiko Glenn (Thea Rilow), Angela Reed (The Adult Women), Henry Stram (The Adult Men) NOTES: First Tour Performance. Stunning capture of the Tour. Absolutely no blackouts or obstructions from start to finish. Wonderful performances, beautiful capture and amazing cast. A+ Spring Awakening - First National Tour - November 4, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Kyle Riabko (Melchior Gabor), Christy Altomare (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Ilse Neumann), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Ben Moss (Ernst Robel), Anthony Lee Medina (Otto Lämmermeier), Matt Shingledecker (Georg Zirschnitz), Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Kimiko Glenn (Thea Rilow), Angela Reed (The Adult Women), Henry Stram (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - First National Tour - November 4, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST. Working on uploading :) CAST: Kyle Riabko (Melchior Gabor), Christy Altomare (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Ilse Neumann), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Ben Moss (Ernst Robel), Anthony Lee Medina (Otto Lämmermeier), Matt Shingledecker (Georg Zirschnitz), Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Kimiko Glenn (Thea Rilow), Angela Reed (The Adult Women), Henry Stram (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - First National Tour - November 7, 2008 FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: Highlights CAST: Kyle Riabko (Melchior Gabor), Christy Altomare (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Ilse Neumann), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Ben Moss (Ernst Robel), Anthony Lee Medina (Otto Lämmermeier), Matt Shingledecker (Georg Zirschnitz), Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Kimiko Glenn (Thea Rilow), Angela Reed (The Adult Women), Henry Stram (The Adult Men) NOTES: Apple store event. Kyle Riabko acts as the Melchior for the event, doing intros/cracking jokes for each song. The cast also participated in a fun Q&A session taking questions from a moderator as well as the audience. Spring Awakening - First National Tour - April 25, 2009 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Perry Sherman (u/s Melchior Gabor), Christy Altomare (Wendla Bergmann), Blake Bashoff (Moritz Stiefel), Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Ilse Neumann), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Ben Moss (Ernst Robel), Anthony Lee Medina (Otto Lämmermeier), Matt Shingledecker (Georg Zirschnitz), Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Krystina Alabado (u/s Thea Rilow), Angela Reed (The Adult Women), Henry Stram (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - First National Tour - November 19, 2009 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Lucas A Wells (u/s Melchior Gabor), Christy Altomare (Wendla Bergmann), Taylor Trensch (Moritz Stiefel), Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Ilse Neumann), Sarah Hunt (Martha Bessell), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Ben Fankhauser (Ernst Robel), Anthony Lee Medina (Otto Lämmermeier), Justin Scott Brown (u/s Georg Zirschnitz), Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Kimiko Glenn (Thea Rilow), Angela Reed (The Adult Women), John Wodja (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - First National Tour - November 21, 2009 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jake Epstein (Melchior Gabor), Christy Altomare (Wendla Bergmann), Taylor Trensch (Moritz Stiefel), Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Ilse Neumann), Sarah Hunt (Martha Bessell), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Ben Fankhauser (Ernst Robel), Anthony Lee Medina (Otto Lämmermeier), Matt Shingledecker (Georg Zirschnitz), Gabrielle Garza (Anna), Kimiko Glenn (Thea Rilow), Angela Reed (The Adult Women), John Wodja (The Adult Men) NOTES: Closing performance in Costa Mesa, commonly mislabeled as November 29 Spring Awakening - Hungary - March 19, 2009 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Kossuth Gergő (Melchior Gabor), Viczina Dalma (Wendla Bergmann), Pirgel Dávid (Moritz Stiefel), Baranyai Annamária (Ilse Neumann), Moravszki Enikő (Martha Bessell), Gulyás Balázs (Hanschen Rilow), Zádori Szilárd (Ernst Robel), Kádár Szabolcs (Otto Lämmermeier), Kocsis Dénes (Georg Zirschnitz), Kiss Tünde (Anna), Simon Boglárka (Thea Rilow), Bajcsay Mária (The Adult Women), Szabó P Szilveszter (The Adult Men) NOTES: Stationary housecam from an upper level, but colours are bright, clear, and vivid and the image is nice and crisp. Sound is clear from the soundboard. Totally different staging from Broadway, more your standard bizarre Hungarian design (massive lucite fetish here.) Spring Awakening - Hungary - December 3, 2009 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  TS (SD) CAST: Kossuth Gergő (Melchior Gabor), Viczina Dalma (Wendla Bergmann), Pirgel Dávid (Moritz Stiefel), Baranyai Annamária (Ilse Neumann), Gulyás Balázs (Hanschen Rilow), Zádori Szilárd (Ernst Robel), Kádár Szabolcs (Otto Lämmermeier), Kocsis Dénes (Georg Zirschnitz), Kiss Tünde (Anna), Simon Boglárka (Thea Rilow) NOTES: Single cam proshot. Spring Awakening - Mexico - 2012 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alan Estrada (Melchior Gabor), Melissa Barrera (Wendla Bergmann), Jose Luis Navarrete (Moritz Stiefel), Roxana Puente (Ilse Neumann), Iker Madrid (Hanschen Rilow), Arturo Valdemar (Ernst Robel), Pablo Rodriguez (Otto Lämmermeier), José Guerrero (Georg Zirschnitz), Estibalitz Ruiz (Anna), Melissa Ortiz (Thea Rilow), Gicela Sehedi (The Adult Women), Cristobal Garcia-Naranjo (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - Mexico - 2012 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Alan Estrada (Melchior Gabor), Melissa Barrera (Wendla Bergmann), Jose Luis Navarrete (Moritz Stiefel), Roxana Puente (Ilse Neumann), Iker Madrid (Hanschen Rilow), Arturo Valdemar (Ernst Robel), Pablo Rodriguez (Otto Lämmermeier), José Guerrero (Georg Zirschnitz), Estibalitz Ruiz (Anna), Melissa Ortiz (Thea Rilow), Gicela Sehedi (The Adult Women), Cristobal Garcia-Naranjo (The Adult Men) Spring Awakening - Off-Broadway - July 9, 2006 FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Jonathan Groff (Melchior Gabor), Lea Michele (Wendla Bergmann), John Gallagher Jr (Moritz Stiefel), Lauren Pritchard (Ilse Neumann), Jonathan B Wright (Hanschen Rilow), Gideon Glick (Ernst Robel), Brian Charles Johnson (Otto Lämmermeier), Skylar Astin (Georg Zirschnitz), Phoebe Strole (Anna), Remy Zaken (Thea Rilow), Mary McCann (The Adult Women), Frank Wood (The Adult Men) NOTES: Done before the move to Broadway, nice picture and sound. A Spring Awakening - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 2010 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  AVI (SD) CAST: Pierre Baitelli (Melchior Gabor), Malu Rodrigues (Wendla Bergmann), Rodrigo Pandolfo (Moritz Stiefel), Letícia Colin (Ilse Neumann), Thiago Amaral (Hanschen Rilow), Felipe de Carolis (Ernst Robel), Bruno Sigrist (Otto Lämmermeier), André Loddi (Georg Zirschnitz), Estrela Blanco (Anna), Júlia Bernat (Thea Rilow), Deborah Olivieri (The Adult Women), Carlos Gregório (The Adult Men) NOTES: Proshot, filmed on a tripod with sound patched directly in. Non-replica production Spring Awakening - Second National Tour - February 8, 2011 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Christopher Wood (Melchior Gabor), Elizabeth Judd (Wendla Bergmann), Coby Getzug (Moritz Stiefel), Courtney Markowitz (Ilse Neumann), Devon Stone (Hanschen Rilow), Daniel Plimpton (Ernst Robel), George Salazar (Otto Lämmermeier), Jim Hogan (Georg Zirschnitz), Rachel Geisler (Anna), Emily Mest (Thea Rilow), Sarah Kleeman (The Adult Women), Mark Poppleton (The Adult Men)

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Spring Awakening - South Korea - 2009 FORMAT:  AVI (SD) CAST: Mu-yeol Kim (Melchior Gabor), Yu-young Kim (Wendla Bergmann), Jung-seok Cho (Moritz Stiefel), Ji-hyun Kim (Ilse Neumann), Dong-hyun Kim (Hanschen Rilow), Ha-neul Kim (Ernst Robel), Dong-wook Yuk (Otto Lämmermeier), Seuk-won Yun (Georg Zirschnitz), Lan-ju Park (Anna), So-yeon Oh (Thea Rilow) NOTES: Misses 'I Believe' and the Preacher's Sermon before 'The Guilty Ones'. Spring Awakening - University of Cincinnati - 2012 FORMAT: M4V CAST: Max Clayton (Melchior Gabor), Kathryn Boswell (Wendla Bergmann), Matt Hill (Moritz Stiefel), Alysha Deslorieux (Ilse Neumann), Julian Decker (Hanschen Rilow), Nate Irvin (Ernst Robel), Kevin Brown (Otto Lämmermeier), Noah J Ricketts (Georg Zirschnitz), Erica Vlahinos (Anna), Alison Bagil (Thea Rilow) Spring Awakening - Vienna - May 24, 2009 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Rasmus Borkowski (Melchior Gabor), Jana Stelley (u/s Wendla Bergmann), Wolfgang Türks (Moritz Stiefel), Jennifer Kothe (Ilse Neumann), Johannes Huth (Hanschen Rilow), André Naujoks (u/s Ernst Robel), Marlon Wehmeier (Otto Lämmermeier), Dominik Hees (Georg Zirschnitz), Jana Nagy (Anna), Jeannine Michèle Wacker (Thea Rilow), Julia Stemberger (The Adult Women), Daniel Berger (The Adult Men) NOTES: Six major blackouts (including the majority of “My Junk” and “The Mirror-Blue Night” and the taper has a couple of performers that they obviously favour. The result is a video that stays in tight shot on the people in question for most of the show and has the shakes to go with it. Sound is great and it’s good to see the Vienna cast. Final performances for most of the understudies in their roles. Spring Awakening - Wallis Annenberg For The Performing Arts, Beverly Hills - June 13, 2015 (Matinee) (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Austin McKenzie (Melchior Gabor), Sandra Mae Frank (Wendla Bergmann), Katie Boeck (Voice of Wendla), Daniel N Durant (Moritz Stiefel), Alex Boniello (Voice of Moritz), Krysta Rodriguez (Ilse Neumann), Treshelle Edmond (Martha Bessell), Kathryn Gallagher (Voice of Martha), Andy Mientus (Hanschen Rilow), Joshua Castille (Ernst Robel), Daniel David Stewart (Voice of Ernst), Miles Barbee (Otto Lämmermeier), Sean Grandillo (Voice of Otto), Alex Wyse (Georg Zirschnitz), Ali Stroker (Anna), Amelia Hensley (Thea Rilow), Lauren Luiz (Melitta Rilow / Voice of Thea), Alexandra Winter (Greta Brandenburg), Hillary Baack (The Adult Women), Natacha Roi (Voice of Adult Women), Howie Seago (The Adult Men), Daniel Marmion (Voice of Adult Men) NOTES: Fantastic capture of Deaf West's production during it's run at the Wallis Annenberg; very well captured with no obstructions, or washout, and just a few seconds of dropouts throughout the entire show, most of which happen between scenes. Great picture and sound throughout. Spring Awakening - West End (Novello Theatre) - May 30, 2009 (Matinee) (Closing Night) (Highlights) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Aneurin Barnard (Melchior Gabor), Charlotte Wakefield (Wendla Bergmann), Iwan Rheon (Moritz Stiefel), Lucy May Barker (Ilse Neumann), Hayley Gallivan (Martha Bessell), Jamie Blackley (Hanschen Rilow), Harry McEntire (Ernst Robel), Edd Judge (Otto Lämmermeier), Jos Slovick (Georg Zirschnitz), Natasha Barnes (Anna), Evelyn Hoskins (Thea Rilow), Sian Thomas (The Adult Women), Richard Cordery (The Adult Men) NOTES: Highlights of approximately 45 minutes of Act 2 only; filmed in widescreen with nice picture and sound with no coverups until the end of Totally Fucked, then little snippets of video and a full Those You've Known, after which the video footage ends. Starlight Express - Broadway - January 8, 1989 (Closing Night) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Greg Mowry (Rusty), Reva Rice (Pearl), Jane Krakowski (Dinah), Todd Lester (Caboose), Michael Scott Gregory (Dustin) NOTES: Final Broadway performance. Starlight Express - West End - 1988 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Gary Cordice (Rusty), Kim Leeson (Pearl), Drue Williams (Greaseball), Koffi Missah (u/s Elektra), Dawn Buckland (u/s Dinah), Shezwae Powell (Belle), Peter Reeves (Caboose) NOTES: Proshot, extreme gen loss and you can barely see anything but colours. There are separate cameras for the race scenes, which look great. Sunday in the Park with George - Broadway - October 21–25, 1985 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Mandy Patinkin (Georges Seurat / George), Bernadette Peters (Dot / Marie), Barbara Bryne (Old Lady), Judith Moore (Nurse), Charles Kimbrough (Jules), Dana Ivey (Yvonne), Robert Westenberg (Soldier), Melanie Vaughan (Celeste #1), Mary D'Arcy (Celeste #2), Brent Spiner (Franz), Frank Kopyc (Mr.), Judith Moore (Mrs.), Nancy Opel (Frieda), William Parry (Boatman), Cris Groenendaal (Louis), Danielle Ferland (Louise), Charles Kimbrough (Bob Greenberg), Brent Spiner (Dennis), Dana Ivey (Naomi Eisen), Mary D'Arcy (Elaine), Judith Moore (Harriet Pawling), Cris Groenendaal (Billy Webster), William Parry (Charles Redmond), Robert Westenberg (Alex), Nancy Opel (Betty), Frank Kopyc (Lee Randolph), Barbara Bryne (Blair Daniels) Sunday in the Park with George - Second Broadway Revival - March 8, 2017 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: Highlights CAST: Jake Gyllenhaal (Georges Seurat / George), Annaleigh Ashford (Dot / Marie), Penny Fuller (Old Lady), Jennifer Sanchez (Nurse), Robert Sean Leonard (Jules), Erin Davie (Yvonne), Claybourne Elder (Soldier), Ashley Park (Celeste #1), Jenni Barber (Celeste #2), David Turner (Franz), Brooks Ashmanskas (Mr.), Liz McCartney (Mrs.), Ruthie Ann Miles (Frieda), Phillip Boykin (Boatman), Jordan Gelber (Louis), Mattea Conforti (Louise), Robert Sean Leonard (Bob Greenberg), David Turner (Dennis), Erin Davie (Naomi Eisen), Jenni Barber (Elaine), Jennifer Sanchez (Harriet Pawling), Jordan Gelber (Billy Webster), Brooks Ashmanskas (Charles Redmond), Claybourne Elder (Alex), Ruthie Ann Miles (Betty), Phillip Boykin (Lee Randolph), Penny Fuller (Blair Daniels), Jennifer Sanchez (Samantha), Ashley Park (Theresa) NOTES: Excellent HD capture of the Broadway transfer. The performances have really been fine tuned and beautifully performed. Jake and Annaleigh are perfection together. A Sunday in the Park with George - Théâtre Du Châtelet, Paris - April 17, 2013 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Julian Ovenden (Georges Seurat / George), Sophie-Louise Dann (Dot / Marie), Rebecca de Pont Davies (Old Lady), Jessica Walker (Nurse), Nikolas Grace (Jules), Beverly Klein (Yvonne), David Curry (Soldier), Rebecca Bottone (Celeste #1), Francesca Jackson (Celeste #2), Damian Thantrey (Franz), Scott Emerson (Mr.), Elisa Doughty Louis (Mrs.), Christine Buffle (Frieda), Nicholas Garrett (Boatman), Jonathan Gunthorpe (Louis), Laura Gravier-Britten (Louise) NOTES: Pro-Shot filmed for French television. This critically acclaimed production uses a revolving set amid state-of-the-art video backdrops. In English, with French subtitles. Broadcast in May, 2013. Sunset Boulevard - Broadway Revival - February 3, 2017 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Glenn Close (Norma Desmond), Michael Xavier (Joe Gillis), Fred Johanson (Max von Mayerling), Siobhan Dillon (Betty Schaeffer), Preston Truman Boyd (Artie Green), Paul Schoeffler (Cecil B. DeMille), Andy Taylor (Sheldrake), Jim Walton (Manfred) NOTES: Beautiful HD capture from the Orchestra of the Second Preview performance. Glenn again knocks her performance out of the park! Some subtle changes and delivery from the first performance. Terrific audience response and energy from the cast throughout the show! Sunset Boulevard - Netherlands - 2009 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Pia Douwes (Norma Desmond), Antonie Kamerling (Joe Gillis), Peter de Smet (Max von Mayerling), Maike Boerdam (Betty Schaeffer), Jasper Kerkhof (Artie Green), Dick Schaar (Cecil B. DeMille), Paul Disbergen (Sheldrake), Derek Blok (Manfred), Mo Marcus (Heather) Sunset Boulevard - Netherlands - April 15, 2009 (Highlights) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Pia Douwes (Norma Desmond) NOTES: Highlights. Quality: B Sunset Boulevard - West End - July, 1993 (Preview) (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Patti LuPone (Norma Desmond), Kevin Anderson (Joe Gillis), Daniel Benzali (Max von Mayerling) NOTES: Black and white house-cam footage with crystal clear soundboard audio, slightly washed out at times (as it was in infrared) but a great capture of the performances and the staging. Definitely filmed in July. Theres a higher quality MP4 version with no graininess and clear footage being traded as well. Check with traders. Swan Lake (Ballet) - The Royal Ballet - 2018 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Marianela Núñez, Vadim Muntagirov, Bennet Gartside, Elizabeth McGorian, Alexander Campbell, Francesca Hayward, Akane Takada

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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Broadway Revival - April 2, 2006 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd), Patti LuPone (Mrs. Lovett), Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony Hope), Lauren Molina (Johanna), Mark Jacoby (Judge Turpin), Alexander Gemignani (Beadle Bamford), Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman), Donna Lynne Champlin (Adolfo Pirelli), John Arbo (Jonas Fogg) NOTES: Great Revival and nicely done. Crystal clear picture and sound. Lots of closeups. A Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - First National Tour - September, 1981 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: George Hearn (Sweeney Todd), Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Lovett), Cris Groenendaal (Anthony Hope), Betsy Joslyn (Johanna), Edmund Lyndeck (Judge Turpin), Ken Jennings (Tobias Ragg), Calvin Remsberg (Beadle Bamford), Sara Woods (Beggar Woman), Sal Mistretta (Adolfo Pirelli), Michael Kalinyen (Jonas Fogg) NOTES: Commercial proshot video. Often mislabelled as being September 12th, 1982, HOWEVER, that is when it aired on PBS, not when it was recorded. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Manila & Singapore - October 11, 2019 (Opening Night) (Highlights) (andflyingaway's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jett Pangan (Sweeney Todd), Lea Salonga (Mrs. Lovett), Gerald Santos (Anthony Hope), Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante (Johanna), Andrew Fernando (Judge Turpin), Luigi Quesada (Tobias Ragg), Arman Ferrer (Beadle Bamford), Ima Castro (Beggar Woman), Nyoy Volante (Adolfo Pirelli), Dean Rosen (Jonas Fogg), Christine Flores, Emeline Celis Guinid, Jep Go, Kevin Guiman, Sarah Facuri, Steven Conde NOTES: Highlights: Johanna, Kiss Me, and Act 2 until part of Johanna (Reprise). A bunch of clips from the opening night of Sweeney Todd in Manila! Shot 3rd row at the balcony. I shot more but they were too zoomed in that they’re more likely to be considered audio so I decided not to include them. I was very near the usher and they were really strict. The phone was in my jacket pocket so I couldn’t see anything and I was scared of getting caught, so a lot is very zoomed and I’m really sorry about that. I absolutely loved the set, it was reimagined into a more modern almost gangster like setting. Shot in 4k on my phone. Please gift out to anyone who asks. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - New York Philharmonic Concert - March 5-8, 2014 (Pro-Shot's master) video |  TRADER'S NOTES: PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST. Working on uploading :) CAST: Bryn Terfel (Sweeney Todd), Emma Thompson (Mrs. Lovett), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Anthony Hope), Erin Mackey (Johanna), Philip Quast (Judge Turpin), Kyle Brenn (Tobias Ragg), Jeff Blumenkrantz (Beadle Bamford), Bryonha Marie Parham (Beggar Woman), Christian Borle (Adolfo Pirelli), Audra McDonald NOTES: Filmed in March 2014 and aired on PBS on September 26, 2014. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - San Francisco Symphony Concert - July, 2001 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: George Hearn (Sweeney Todd), Patti LuPone (Mrs. Lovett), Davis Gaines (Anthony Hope), Lisa Vroman (Johanna), Timothy Nolen (Judge Turpin), Neil Patrick Harris (Tobias Ragg), John Aler (Beadle Bamford), Victoria Clark (Beggar Woman) NOTES: Aired on PBS on October 31, 2001. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Théâtre Du Châtelet, Paris - May 20, 2011 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Rod Gilfry (Sweeney Todd), Caroline O’Connor (Mrs. Lovett), Nicholas Garrett (Anthony Hope), Rebecca Bottone (Johanna), Jonathan Best (Judge Turpin), Pascal Charbonneau (Tobias Ragg), John Graham-Hall (Beadle Bamford), Rebecca de Pont Davies (Beggar Woman), David Curry (Adolfo Pirelli) NOTES: Single camera pro-shot Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Third West End Revival - 2011 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Michael Ball (Sweeney Todd), Imelda Staunton (Mrs. Lovett), Luke Brady (Anthony Hope), Lucy May Barker (Johanna), John Bowe (Judge Turpin), James McConville (Tobias Ragg), Peter Polycarpou (Beadle Bamford), Gillian Kirkpatrick (Beggar Woman), Rob Burt (Adolfo Pirelli) NOTES: Fixed house-cam recording of the 2012 West End revival at Adelphie Theatre. There is a copy with press footage inserted for A Little Priest and Epiphany. Unsure if there is unaltered footage circulating; check with traders. FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Ann Reinking (Charity Hope Valentine), Bebe Neuwirth (Nickie)

For the audience at most awards shows, “commercial breaks” involve the P.A. announcer offering a few instructions, or if you're lucky, a clip reel or trivia package that gets shown on the screens. Generally the highlight is watching to see which celebrities make a beeline to the bar in the lobby.

But at this year’s Tony Awards—held at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday evening—it felt like there was as much action during the commercial breaks as there was during the actual telecast. A handful of awards were handed out before the CBS broadcast began—by the trio of Moulin Rouge’s Aaron Tveit, Karen Olivo, and Danny Burstein—including a costume-design award to famed designer Bob Mackie for his work on The Cher Show. And the honorary awards were also handed out during the commercial breaks, with Judith Light, Rosemary Harris, Terrence McNally, and others delivering their memorable, stirring acceptance speeches during the breaks.

But the most unexpected interstitial feature came courtesy of host James Corden,who emerged during three commercial breaks to lead a “karaoke” session with a celebrity in the audience. The first time he convinced good sport Ben Platt—sitting in the front row—to give it a shot, quipping, “Where’s S.J.P.?” before launching into “Tomorrow” from Annie.

The second time around, Corden approached Darren Criss and Anthony Ramos, sitting near each other in the audience. They picked “96,000” from In the Heights, which Ramos ended up taking on on his own, pulling Hamilton and In the Heights alum Christopher Jackson, also sitting nearby, into the rendition.

And for the third go-round, Corden recruited Pose star Billy Porter who, in what should be no surprise, brought down the house. He fully performed “Everything’s Coming Up Roses" from Gypsy, joking “I hope it’s in the right key” about the piano accompaniment before belting, flawlessly, the first line. He later claimed “I didn’t come here to work tonight!” but also made his way from his seat to the stage, receiving a standing ovation from the audience when he was cut off, right as the show returned from the break.

The crowd was generally buoyant during the three-hours-and-change show. Best musical winner Hadestown and play What The Constitution Means to Me generally seemed to garner the most applause, as did the speeches with a message to them, including Ain’t Too Proud choreographer Sergio Trujillo’s non-televised speech about arriving in the U.S. as an illegal immigrant, and Hadestown director Rachel Chavkin’s speech in which she discussed her being the only woman who directed a Broadway musical this year. Veteran winners Elaine May (The Waverly Gallery) and André De Shields (Hadestown) also ignited the crowd, as did Oklahoma!actress Ali Stroker, who uses a wheelchair, as the crowd immediately leaped to their feet when her name was called.

Immediately following the telecast, the majority of the winners made their way several blocks uptown to the Plaza, for the official gala after-party. Corden entered at around 11:45pm, right along with To Kill a Mockingbird winner Celia Keegan-Bolger, as well as Constitution’s Heidi Schreck. Boys in the Band cast members Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Zachary Quinto, Jim Parsons, and Charlie Carver chatted in a group near the entrance, joined by Ryan Murphy, who also spent some time visiting with Corden. (Bomer also made his way over to Corden’s table—where the late-night host sat with his parents and others—to chat.) Criss, Jackson, Michael Urie, Cher Show winner Stephanie J. Block, Burn This’s Brandon Uranowitz, and more circulated near the dance floor. At nearly 1 a.m., as Light was making her way out, a man shouted to his friends, “Laura [Donnelly] and Jez [Butterworth] just got here!”, gesturing toward the table where the writer husband and actress wife, whose The Ferryman won best play, sat.

The night wound down at the very bustling O&M party, held each year at the Carlyle Hotel. The Boys in the Band crew held court, in full force, as Ruth Wilson, Tom Sturridge, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Bareilles, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Porter, and others navigated the space. High school B.F.F.s Beanie Feldstein and Ben Platt congregated near the front, with Feldstein’s Booksmart co-star Molly Gordon and other friends.

The party closed down with a performance as impromptu as the Corden karaoke bits during the actual awards; at about 3 a.m. Darren Criss sat down at the piano, in the back room of the party, to perform “Tiny Dancer” (apparently a new hot trend!. “Happy Tonys!” he shouted before signing off; sunrise, at this point, was just a few hours away.

South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999); The “TV Show: The Movie” that Pushed its Source Material into the Future

There was a time where “TV Show: The Movie” movies had broken into the mainstream, and not always for the better. Starting around 1998 with the release of “Rugrats: The Movie”, which went on to become the first Non-Disney animated movie to gross over $1,000,000, company executives and Hollywood producers alike took note and suddenly a big-budgeted wild fire tore through the vast forest that was television; “Recess: School’s Out”, “Hey Arnold! The Movie”, a trilogy of Pokémon movies, “The PowerPuff Girls Movie”, “The Wild Thornberry Movie”, “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, even the most obscure cartoons of the time like Disney ‘s “Teacher’s Pet” took a try at becoming the next box-office phenomenon. From 1998 – 2004 alone, 15 movies were produced based on television cartoons, almost all of which were just clear cash-grabs to capitalise not only on the brand’s popularity, but the success of "Rugrats: The Movie", and most often, the quality reflected the profit. Whilst a majority of them did make back their budget and then some, barely any were competing with the numbers shown by the Rugrats a few years prior.

  I feel that was because audiences quickly grew accepting of what the quality of the majority of these films would be; just nothing more than a feature length episode of the show that didn’t take any advantage of what the film medium could offer. Regardless however, at this time, “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, not being one to not just aboard an opportunity to cause a ruckus in the media, took it upon themselves to bring their ever-so controversial cartoon about the residents of a small Colorado town with a vast catalogue of bad language to the big screen.

  In 1999, the two released into cinema what I still believe to be one of the boldest and most important steps the South Park series had to take in order to be where it lies today; By taking everything that worked about the show, and using every advantage the film medium could give to make one of the most simultaneously funny, vulgar, offensive and yet smart animated films ever made.

  After their favourite Canadian TV starts Terrance and Philip release their feature film debut “Asses of Fire”, young South Park residents Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny (all voiced by Stone and Parker) become fixated with the movie’s offensive language, with the starts often referring to each other as “Pig Fucker” or “Uncle Fucker” When this language interferes with the boys’ lives, primarily when Cartmans tells his teacher to “suck my balls” or when Kenny kills himself trying to set his fart on fire like Terrance and Philip do in the movie, the parents of the town start a protest group which starts as an attempt to get the film banned in the United States, that very quickly spirals out of control and leaves Kyle’s mom arresting the controversial duo and becoming President Clinton’s Secretary of Offence as the country declares war on Canada. With only two days before Terrence and Philip are executed, the children of South Park quickly scramble to find of a way to show their parents that they’ve got too far, whilst their deceased friend Kenny also tries to warn them of how the day of Terrance and Philip’s death was prophesised by Satan himself to be the day he returns to bring 1000 years of darkness unto the Earth.

  As you may have been able to gather from that plot summary alone, there are a lot of views and themes going on throughout this movie’s short 76 minute runtime (a length I personally believe plays well into the “Bigger, Longer & Uncut” subtitle of the movie. Aside from the obvious circumcision joke) Perhaps the film’s biggest statement is not-only ironic but contradictory method the children’s parents have in tacking “Asses of Fire” and its obscene content. Rather than taking more interest in what their children can and can’t watch for example, they instead feel the need to put the blame not only on the creators of the movie, but their country of origin instead (perhaps also a metaphor for the blame people put on a country rather than just those responsible. This film did release a year after the 1998 United States Embassy Bombings and does feature a deceased Saddam Hussein as Satan’s emotionally abusive lover after all). These parents getting radical over obscene language could also clearly stem from the controversy “South Park” itself was facing at the time with parental groups during its original 3 season airing, back when the show’s animation was the cardboard cut-out equivalent to an early 2000s flash animation on Newgrounds.com. This point is very interesting to me as not only does it act as Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s “meditation” so-to-speak about all the attention they had created for their show, but it also marks them doing it in a much more mature way

  At least, as mature as a show like South Park can be.

  Rather than have the victims of their cynicism be wild, screaming idiots like the earlier seasons of the shows often portrayed them as (still to a funny extent, mind you.), the movie often portray the antagonists, such as Kyle’s mom, as being so self-sure that they are completely blind to the true consequences of their actions. A perfect example of which is seen in the musical number “Blame Canada”, which has a chorus consisting of the protesting, parents chanting:

  “Blame Canada

  Blame Canada

  We need to form a full assault

  Its Canada’s fault!”

  That’s another thing I failed to mention. This film is a straight up comedy-musical. Decades before they showed many their talent at catchy musical writing with their Broadway show “The Book of Mormon”, Matt Stone and Trey Parker wrote a grand total of ten original songs, preforming almost all of them as well, for a South Park movie of all things. Regardless, almost every song on the soundtrack is hilarious and ridiculously catchy, with some of my personal favourites being the before mentioned “Blame Canada”, as well as Terrance and Philip’s lead single in the movie “Uncle Fucka”, Principal Teacher Mr. Mackey’s lesson on alternatives to swearing “It’s Easy, M’kay” and Satan’s solo number “Up There”, which hilariously is the only original song on the soundtrack to have no swearing despite it being performed by the prince of darkness himself.

  Despite the before mentioned accolades, there are a few gripes I have with the movie that keep it from being the almost perfect movie I feel it so desperately wanted to be. For one thing, the entire “Satan will rule the Earth upon T&P’s death” subplot only really added up to Satan standing up to Saddam and his emotional abuse he gave (again, something pretty funny for the prince of darkness to endure), and that school teacher Mr. Garrison’s hand puppet, Mr. Hat, replaces Saddam.

In fact, almost the entirety of the ending does feel very rushed.

On the night of Terrance and Philip’s broadcasted electrocution, complete with a pre-show performance by South Park resident Big Gay Al, the kids with the assistance of a small French child known as “Ze Mole”, whose accent and extreme hatred for God make him one of South Park’s best one-off characters, attempt to save the Canadian comedians, only for an ambush by the Canadian Army and a resulting firefight to result in their death, unleashing Satan, Saddam and all of Hell onto the Earth. In almost no time at all, Satan realises how Saddam has used him and casts him back to the fires of Hell, calling off his attack in the process (Oh, and Kenny’s face is finally revealed. Surprise! He looks just like all the other characters in the show except with blond hair) Sheila and the parents realise how they went too far and all is forgiven as the town reprises the opening song. All of which take place in the span of 5 – 10 minutes. Whether this was due to Stone and Parker not having any more funny material, wanting the film to conclude with the same cheeriness of the opening (hence the reprise) or just simply not knowing how else to end it aside from, well, ending it.

  Regardless of an ending that could have done much more than what it did I fell, the rest of this movie is almost flawless. Some may complain about the crude, cardboard cut-out artstyle and the resulting stiffness of movement, but honestly, I think it just adds so much more the film’s crudeness. Aside from that, almost every single joke, from the recurring gags from the show to what is newly presented, had me having at very least a snort and at most uncontrollable laughter. All of which is captured by the amazingly funny music and solid performances, even from the most unlikely of celebrity cameos, such as George Clooney as the doctor trying to save Kenny’s life. This film, like the show, is definitely an acquired taste. If you’re willing to possibly have your beliefs mocked however, you just may find something in this almost perfect TV-to-movie adaptation.

Beauty and the Beast 2017

Guys, this movie is very good. I definitely recommend you guys all see it...for cheap. Don’t you dare spend $20+popcorn on this movie.  Wait until it comes out on streaming or Netflix or a good bootleg version.  It is worth about $10. If you spend any more on this movie, you are wasting your money, and here’s why:

Spoilers ahead (duh...)

It’s basically the 1991 version.  I know, I know. “But CJ, you absolutely love that movie. Why would that be a detriment to the film if it’s so similar to that amazing movie?” Because it is INCREDIBLY similar, but neither exactly the same nor it’s own thing.  There are some things that are shot for shot, line for line the ‘91 version, and there are other things that change.  It feels like they took the script from ‘91 and a list of plot holes people have pointed out over the years and said “change this one line, okay, that’s one plot hole fixed. No more changes made to this page, on to the next plot hole that is ten pages away.” This approach doesn’t bring anything new to the script.  Sometimes they change when the lines are delivered (Ex: Cogsworth & Lumiere take her to her room instead of Beast; Gaston describes his future to LeFou instead of to Belle; Beast shows Belle the library and “...sure...here...have a library...why not” instead of “I’m falling in love and want to show that I care about her...gifts! LIBRARY!”) which sometimes work and sometimes don’t, but they are odd changes that are still line for line ‘91 even if it is a small change in placement/delivery.

The time plot hole. Yes, for whatever reason, they fix all of the other plot holes like a checklist, but for the amount of time Belle spends at the castle, they give a definitive answer.  How long do you think Belle stayed in the castle from “I’ve come to free my father” to “I love you”? Three days? Three months?  I like to think it was a few months with “I’ve come to free my father” being mid-fall and “I love you” being mid-winter and their ball/wedding being early spring.  This BatB from “I’ve come to free my father” to “I love you” is one week.  What the heck?!  Sure, time is frozen in the castle (literally. It’s the middle of June and it’s snowing all the time around the castle), but one week for the transformation of “I hate you” to “I love you.” NO!

The music. It’s not the original version with the original people, I know, I get it, but that means you can play around with the music and create new scores and make new classics.  Or, you can do what BatB ’17 does and keep the same score but slightly tweaked so as to mess with everyone trying to sing along and add two new songs that aren’t better than previously established songs.  ‘Gaston’ is the only song that was improved and part of it was the dancing and the other part was LeFou being fantastic.  ‘Be Our Guest’ is slightly tweaked and it’s very strange and it’s not as bright and colorful as in the animated version because the budget ran out or something (but CGI is a different thing).  ‘Belle’ is exactly the same...except when they take a longer pause in between verses...and when they change singers so a girl singing in ‘91 might be a guy in ‘17 which mixes up the sound of the song...and...why?  ‘Days in the Sun’ is fine, but I like ‘Human Again’ better. Can’t tell you why, I just do.  ‘Evermore’ is very good and Dan Stevens gives his all into that song...but he’s just not Terrence Mann doing ‘If I Can’t Love Her.’  Dan Stevens really tries with his song, but the instrumental backing just doesn’t have the weight that ‘If I Can’t Love Her’ has, and they sound similar enough to make very easy comparisons.

The CGI. We’ve been complaining about this since day 1.  It’s not as bad as you think and you definitely get used to the CGI, but it affects Emma Watson’s performance.  She does something in a castle, a green stick is rotated, she laughs hysterically at the joke Lumiere just told...but he didn’t tell it, a stick did.  Part of the reason the kid who played Mowgli was able to do so well in the new Jungle Book was because he was a kid.  Part of the reason Emma Watson was so convincing as Hermione Granger is because she was a kid.  I pretended that a slide was a portal for years. I knew it wasn’t, but it’s easier to change reality when you’re a kid than when you’re an adult.  And especially in ‘Be Our Guest’ when Belle is grabbing for ‘food’ that is being ripped away from her because Props didn’t have the budget to feed Emma Watson during the song or something, all you see is CGI swirling around her trying to look convincing, but it’s not.  The CGI cloths that first spring out of the Wardrobe do the same thing.  It’s good CGI, just not convincing. (Also, a lot of the colors in the castle are muted except in the ballroom scene...idk why, but ‘Be Our Guest’ was sung in the dark instead of in a brightly lit dining hall.)

So, yeah, the movie has major problems, but I still think you guys should see it.  It may not be ‘91, but for what it is, it’s good.  You should see this movie--maybe not in cinemas, but sometime--because

LeFou gets character development and it’s great!

Tom, Dick or Stanley (i don’t remember which) is gay and possibly transgender and it’s great!

Chip skateboards around the castle on a saucer and I love it!

Lumiere’s French accent isn’t as bad as the trailer’s made it.

POC’S! Like, actual character POC’s and more than one. I can only think of 3 off the top of my head, but they are all important characters and those alone mean that BatB has 200% more color than Cinderella and The Jungle Book (Mowgli may be the lead, but can you really count Idris Elba or Ben Kingsley when you only hear them?) and 300% more than Alice or Maleficent. Slow progress is still progress.

The Beast’s dialogue is GREAT!

This Belle isn’t polite to be polite; she tells Gaston from moment 1 “Go away, you horrible person.” No, “I’m sorry, I just don’t deserve you.” Straight up, “Get off my property!”

The score is great, especially the fact that the score for Belle’s room is ‘Home’ from the Broadway musical.

It’s a love story with more than just Belle and Beast.  Wardrobe and Maestro (they have names, don’t expect me to remember them) are married and are in love but they can’t see each other and it’s so sad.  Lumiere and Plumette actually love each other but he’s fire and she’s feathers so it’s very dangerous for them to be together.

The sets are fantastic. You knew that, but it needs to be said.

There are definitely more reasons not to see the movie, and there are certainly more reasons to see the movie.  Unfortunately, it’s late and I’m tired so I can’t give many more details.  I enjoyed the movie, but it does not compare to the original.  Understand that, accept that, plan on watching the ‘91 version soon after watching the ‘17 version, but I don’t think you will regret watching this version...unless you spend $40 to watch it. 7/10, good, but not Best Picture material like ‘91 is.

Celia Bolger-Keenan and Jesse Ferguson as wife and husband in an emotional moment during the online reading of Terrence McNally’s “Lips Together, Teeth Apart”

full cast of “Lips Together, Teeth Apart” during a scene

Jesse Ferguson during a soliloquy

There are at least three ways in which anyone must view the remarkable livestreamed reading of Terrence McNally’s 30-year-old play on YouTube on April 6th (the video of which you can view below through this evening), starring Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jesse Ferguson, Ari Graynor and Zach Quinto as two straight couples spending the Fourth of July weekend in a Fire  Island beach house at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Keenan-Bolger plays Sally, who inherited the house from David, her gay brother, who recently died of AIDS. The play, written and originally produced in 1991 ultimately explores the characters’ – and thus the era’s — fears of the epidemic, and its homophobia.

The reading is, first, an homage to the playwright, who died on March 24h at the age of 81. Before the play began, each of the cast members, the director Trip Cullman, and McNally’s husband Tom Kirdahy spoke of what the play, and the playwright meant to them. (“I miss him painfully,” his husband said.); then during the two intermissions, two of the original cast members, Nathan Lane and Christine Baranski, weighed in as well.

Tom Kirdahy, McNally’s widower: “I miss him painfully”

Nathan Lane, the original Sam

Christine Baranski, the original Chloe

“Lips Together, Teeth Apart” is also a timely look at a past epidemic by a playwright who survived it and has just died from complications from the coronavirus. “It was transgressive,” the director notes, “to put a mirror up to the [mostly straight] audience and say ‘look at this crazy reaction you’re having to this health crisis.’”  It seems fitting that it was a benefit reading for Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS COVID 19 Emergency Relief Fund, a charity created in the one epidemic that is trying to help in the current one. If it’s hard for us at the moment to see our fears of COVID-19 as crazy,  reports of anti-Asian discrimination during the coronavirus crisis give added heft and relevance to the play.

It’s hard for anybody not to nod when Ari Graynor as Chloe says “I think these are terrible times to be a parent in,” and Sally responds: “I think these are terrible times to be anything in.”

But the reading was also an experiment in presenting live theater during a sweeping stay-at-home order – one of many experiments in online theaterover the past three weeks, and – in my view – so far one of the most successful in what I consider an emerging theatrical aesthetic, born out of necessity but reaching toward birth as a new genre.

Each of the four actors was, of course, quarantined in their own home, with their four faces appearing on screen like a do-it-yourself version of Hollywood Squares.  This was billed as a reading, so the stage directions were read aloud rather than acted out. This is most awkward when the two men are supposed to get into a physical altercation.

But, unlike most in-person readings, the actors had either memorized their lines or, more likely, were artfully reading them from a script or prompter off-camera at eye-level.  Without the distraction of their eyes always glancing down at their scripts – and without being able to notice how many pages of the script were left — the performances felt more fleshed-out and engrossing than at a typical reading. And the use of the screen helped offer a reasonable substitute for live staging — with just one performer filling the screen during soliloquies, suddenly split screen when a character enters.

Yes, there were ways it fell short of live theater during normal times. The play is full of funny lines but I felt silly laughing by myself. (For the first time I grasped the reason for the laugh-tracks for TV sitcoms, although they are a lame substitute for the real thing.) But unlike previous-era live theater on screen, there was an accompanying chat room off to the side (as well as  a running fundraising tally; by the play’s end, the contributions mostly of $5 and $10 added up to more than $6,000.)

Some of the comments:

​“There are at least 3 references to the musical Guys and Dolls. That was a wink to Nathan Lane who played Sam in the original production and was about to play the lead role in Guys and Dolls.”

“I’m in tears”

“beautiful, funny and unsettling.”

The reading was about a half hour shorter than the full stage production, but at a two hour running time (including two intermissions), it still is a test of the attention span of viewers who can easily leave their “seats” mid-scene to get something from the refrigerator – a test that it passed in my household. Having just read the script in a collection of McNally’s plays, I saw that the cuts were largely achieved by pruning lines of dialogue throughout the play  rather than cutting out whole sections. Some of the cut lines made the play less blunt; the men in the original were painted as casually racist.

This makes them seem more enlightened, and their misconceptions about and offhand antipathy towards the homosexuals around them subtle but devastating. Our first glimpse of this is Sam dismissing the next-door neighbors as “the boys from Ipanema”

There is a double irony that there are no gay characters actually on stage/screen (we hear just the couples’ side in several exchanges of pleasantries) and that the two straight men in the play are being portrayed by Jesse Ferguson and Zach Quinto, two out gay actors. But part of the strength of Lips Apart, Teeth Together, then and now, is that these characters  are not being held up for ridicule.  They may start off as comic portraits, but we soon became engaged in the lives, and the sorrows, the complications and conflicts of the four characters.  Sam Truman (Ferguson) the least sophisticated of the quartet, is a New Jersey contractor, who is not sure he wants children. The title of the play comes form the prescription a dentist has given Sam to stop him from grinding his teeth at night. But he denies that he grinds his teeth. And that serves as a metaphor for all the characters, one way or another grinding, and denying. Sally (Keenan-Bolger), Sam’s wife, whose effort to be a mother has resulted in numerous miscarriages, is pregnant once again; she is both the emotional and moral center of the play, and Keenan-Bolger takes it on beautifully.  Chloe Haddock (Graynor), is an endless chatterbox, and Sam’s sister.  John (Quinto),  a prep-school administrator married to Chloe, who seems to be a jerk – he keeps on reading his newspaper when people speak to him, he treats his wife dismissively, and, we soon learn, he had an affair with Sally.  He is also terminally ill.  “With or without cancer, I’m still the same person,” he says, matter-of-factly.  That self-awareness is one of the character’s – and Terrence McNally’s — unsentimental insights that help make “Lips Apart, Teeth Together” still effective and affecting three decades later, even when both actors and audience must be apart, together.

  Lips Together, Teeth Apart Review: Looking at Terrence McNally’s AIDS-era play in three new ways There are at least three ways in which anyone must view the remarkable livestreamed reading of Terrence McNally’s 30-year-old play on YouTube on April 6th (the video of which you can view below through this evening), starring Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jesse Ferguson, Ari Graynor and Zach Quinto as two straight couples spending the Fourth of July weekend in a Fire  Island beach house at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

The 73rd Annual Tony Awards are here, and host James Corden opened the show with a bang.

The Late Late Show with James Corden host, 40, kicked off the biggest night in Broadway on Sunday with a performance of a song all about how much work Broadway puts in.

Corden started out sitting on the couch lamenting over how boring it can be to just watch TV, while Broadway musicals do it “live.”

But as Corden is welcoming the crowd, one of the downfalls of live theater comes into play — people taking bathroom breaks. This time it’s Tony nominee Bryan Cranston (Network), who has to go to the bathroom.

“Now? The show literally just started, we’re in the middle of the opening number,” Corden says.

“I am bloated as hell and I’m not gonna take it anymore!” Cranston yells as he walks away, hilariously referencing the most famous line from Network, the 1976 film on which the Tony nominated play is based. Corden is then slowly joined by the casts of all the shows nominated Sunday night.

RELATED: Tony Awards 2019 Nominations! Beetlejuice, Adam Driver and Annette Bening All Score Nods

This is the second year in a row that Corden is hosting the Tonys. In 2012, he won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his one-man show One Man. Two Guvnors.

The musicals up for tonight’s top prizes: Ain’t Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations, Beetlejuice, Hadestown, The Prom and Tootsie.

Only two musical revivals opened this year: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! and Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate. They’ll both go head-to-head for the revival spot.

Honorary recipients for the 73rd annual ceremony include Judith Light (the Isabelle Stevenson Award); Terrence McNally, Rosemary Harris, and Harold Wheeler (Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre recipients); as well as Broadway Inspirational Voices, Peter Entin, Joseph Blakely Forbes, and FDNY Engine 54 (all given Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre).

CBS is airing the 73rd annual Tony Awards, hosted by James Corden, live from Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 9.

from PEOPLE.com http://bit.ly/2wJDUsn

The 2020 Tony Awards may represent a shortened Broadway season, but there is a wealth of contenders to consider for the play categories. Fall and winter on the rialto is chock full of non-musical dramas, which will make for plenty of tense races at this year’s ceremony. To help you predict which productions and performers might come out on top this year, you’ll find my best insights into the potential nominees for the play categories below.

Best Play

There are ten eligible dramas from the 2019-2020 season, which should give us five nomination slots. The two biggest conversation starters of the fall were “The Inheritance” by Matthew Lopez and “Slave Play” by Jeremy O. Harris. Both should easily land a spot. I’m also betting that Adam Rapp grabs a slot for “The Sound Inside.” He’s won acclaim for years Off-Broadway, and nominators will be eager to highlight his Broadway debut.

The final two slots could go several ways. I think the love for Tracy Letts will help propel “Linda Vista” to a nomination, even if some audiences found the main character too unlikeable. “Sea Wall/A Life,” two short plays from Simon Stephens and Nick Payne, respectively, is a possibility. But voters may opt out of rewarding one acts. “A Christmas Carol” was praised for the new adaptation by Jack Thorne and it’s engrossing visuals, but a holiday themed play has never competed in this category. “My Name is Lucy Barton” and “The Height of the Storm” seem to be remembered for star performances more than their script, and this category has increasingly been tied to the writer in recent years. So I think “Grand Horizons” by Bess Wohl will fill out the category. The play depicts marriage issues in an aging relationship in a way that isn’t often seen.

Revival of a Play

With just four contenders, this will be a three nominee category. “Betrayal” was a box office hit thanks to the star power of Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox. “A Soldier’s Play” features powerhouse performances and feels more “important” than the other revivals. “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” didn’t get the audience turnout it deserved, but the production should still make the cut thanks to two dynamite performances and the desire to honor the late Terrence McNally. That means “The Rose Tattoo,” which received a chilly reception, will get left out in the cold.

Director of a Play

The three perceived frontrunners for Best Play should easily get their directors nominated. Stephen Daldry had the most massive undertaking of the bunch with “The Inheritance,” Robert O’Hara helped chart the wild tonal shifts of “Slave Play,” and David Cromer crafted an almost uncomfortable sense of intimacy with “The Sound Inside.” They all should look out for “A Christmas Carol” director Matthew Warchus. Even if the play fails to make the top category, the massive cast and sprawling set he had to wrangle make Warchus a huge threat here. I suspect Kenny Leon will take the remaining spot for “A Soldier’s Play,” but there are several directors nipping at his heels. Leigh Silverman (“Grand Horizons”), Jamie Lloyd (“Betrayal”), and Arin Arbus (“Frankie and Johnny”) are all poised to make a surprise.

Lead Actress in a Play

Mary-Louise Parker gave a career defining performance in “The Sound Inside” and leads the pack here. She faces tough competition from Laura Linney, who is looking for her first Tony win with the solo show “My Name is Lucy Barton,” and Joaquina Kalukango, who became a critical darling for a brutally raw performance in “Slave Play.”

The final slot is a close call between Audra McDonald (“Frankie and Johnny”), Zawe Ashton (“Betrayal”), and Eileen Atkins (“The Height of the Storm”). In a close race, I’m leaning towards all time Tony Awards champ McDonald in a baity Terrence McNally role.

Lead Actor in a Play

This is a race without a clear frontrunner. “The Inheritance” has three eligible lead actors, and the big question is how many of them will get in? Andrew Burnap seems like the safest bet thanks to his explosive and tragic role, and Olivier winner Kyle Soller should also make the cut for his sympathetic performance. Samuel H. Levine played two characters which allowed him to show range. However, the role feels like it belongs in the Featured Actor race, which could push him out of contention. “Betrayal” presents a similar prediction conundrum with both Charlie Cox and Tom Hiddelston contending in this category. If only one can make it, I give a slight edge to Hiddelston. Both men were widely praised however, and nominators might just check off both names.

One contender who won’t have to worry about splitting support with costars is Ian Barford. Even if his character makes dubious choices in the play, Barford should easily land a nomination for his towering performance. If any of these contenders falter, Jake Gyllenhaal (“Seawall/A Life”), Jonathan Pryce (“The Height of the Storm”), and Michael Shannon (“Frankie and Johnny”) would make worthy nominees.

Featured Actress in a Play

Lois Smith is the early favorite here. The stage legend has never won a Tony Award, and this small but mighty role gave her the perfect opportunity to show why she’s long been treasured by New York audiences. But plenty of women had roles with more stage time than Smith this season, and could provide stiff competition. Chief among those actresses is Sally Murphy, excellent in “Linda Vista” at portraying hopeful highs and heartbreaking lows of a doomed romance. Annie McNamara should also score here for “Slave Play,” thanks to her comedic moments dealing with white guilt and a wild sex scene.

There are four major contenders, from two plays, looking to fill the remaining two slots. In “A Christmas Carol,” Tony winners Andrea Martin and LaChanze embody the Ghost of Christmas Past and Ghost of Christmas Present, respectively. It’s usually a bad idea to bet against these women when it comes to Tony nominations, but I’m going out on a limb for two performances from “Grand Horizons.” Ashley Park is quickly proving to be one of the most versatile Broadway performers and should snatch a nomination for her scene stealing work. And most pundits thought Jane Alexander would be placed in Lead Actress for this role, but now that she’s in Featured she might just have the largest role of the bunch.

Featured Actor in a Play

The expected showdown here is David Alan Grier (“A Soldier’s Play”) vs. Paul Hilton (“The Inheritance”). I have no idea who will win that close race, but safe to say I’d be shocked if either actor missed a nomination. Of course, the four men of “Slave Play” might have something to say about the race. But their chances at winning may come down to just how many of them are nominated. I’m betting that Paul Alexander Nolan (who shares the brutal final act with Joaquina Kalukango) and Ato Blankson-Wood (who is asked to do plenty of emotional heavy lifting) make the cut. James Cusati-Moyer and Sullivan Jones are certainly in the running, but it’s difficult to score four nominations in a single category.

Who takes the last slot? John Benjamin Hickey (“The Inheritance”) would make a great choice, but his role is fairly subdued for most of the play. If voters are looking for more of a scene chewer they might opt for Michael Urie or James Cromwell of “Grand Horizons” or Will Hochman for “The Sound Inside.”

"The Full Monty" show #655

They had the goods! StageWorks Fresno just closed a remarkable production of The Full Monty, David Yazbeck and Terrence McNally’s adaptation of the 1997 film of the same name.  Though it didn’t win any of its ten Tony nominations, the title alone garners interest, curiosity, and excitement as to what a Full Monty is. As demonstrated by the six actors portraying unemployed steel mill workers in Buffalo, the Full Monty is more than just stripping down to the birthday suit for some singles. It’s a mentality, a brotherhood (or sisterhood), a commitment to bearing it all to win what is most precious to the individual, a sense of pride in this case. Director Joel C. Abels helmed the production, one that had as much heart as it did laughter and skin-bearing performers.

Leader of the gang is Jerry Lukowski, an unemployed divorced father who needs quick cash to pay child support to ex, Pam. James Schott delivered an excellent Jerry, complete with stellar vocal turns in Yazbeck’s demanding rock-esque score, specifically in “Scrap,” “Man,” and “Michael Jordan’s Ball.” His smooth, quiet tone did justice to the melancholy “Breeze Off the River,” and was met with comedic delight alongside Jeffrey Lusk and Dominic Grijalva in “Big-Ass Rock.” Mr. Schott balanced the personality of down-on-his-luck dad with being completely dedicated to his son, Nathan’s, welfare. Jeffrey Lusk was an excellent compadre to Mr. Schott’s Jerry, as the heavier-set friend in the bunch, Dave Bukatinsky. Mr. Lusk’s drab demeanor and self-deprecating inflection drew the audience in to absolutely adore the character,  as much as Meg Clarke’s committed, spirited Georgie, Dave’s Wife. Mr. Lusk and Miss Clarke shared an infatuated chemistry all performance long, one that showcased a very real side of marriage, not just the musical dramedy versions that can take little effort to create. Miss Clarke shined in her leadership of “It’s a Woman’s World,” and in the near all-call number, “The Goods.” Miss Clarke’s passionate presence and energy played well off Mr. Lusk and the other ladies in the cast.

Dominic Girjalva’s pitch-perfect tenor voice brought a level of comedic legitimacy to his performance as Malcom, a homebody whose endearing dedication to his mother matched the character’s nerdy persona and complete lack of social awareness. Mr. Grijalva’s ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhhhs’ in “Big-Ass Rock” prepped the audience well for what was one of the best physicalized performances I have seen on stage this year. Mr. Grijalva led a stirring “You Walk with Me” at the most dramatic point of the plot, and did so with astute composure and a sound vibrato. Aaron Pierce’s performance as Ethan was also a comedic highlight, making him a memorable performer among a cast of excellent actors and actresses. Chris Mangels’ turn as Harold, former boss man of the out-of-work mill workers was a demonstration in how whole-heartedly committing to the mood of each scene can result in an outstanding, fully-developed character. Mr. Mangels’ chemistry opposite Julie Lucido’s flamboyant, loving Vicki Nichols was a carefully crafted, engaging relationship to watch, culminating in one of Mr. Abels’ most poignantly blocked scenes in Act Two leading up to a beautiful “You Rule My World (reprise)” with Vicki and Georgie expressing the love they have for their husbands.

Rounding out the six Buffalo strippers was LaRon Lee Hudson as Horse, an older black man whose fulfillment of a particular stereotype makes him an ideal member of the sextet. Mr. Lee Hudson’s performance of “Big Black Man” is literally a breakout number for the “older” character, dazzling the audience with dance turns and vocal riffs that diversifiy Mr. Yazbeck’s score with a more-groovy, soul-filled tune. Tessa Cavaletto was gifted with one of the best-written roles of the show as veteran of the stage, accompanist Jeanette. Miss Cavaletto delivered every insult, reference, and one-liner with class and gruff timbre, letting it all loose in the Act Two ringer, “Jeanette’s Showbiz Number.”

Reining in all the personalities and talents to fit the dance demands of the musical was Josh Montgomery’s vibrant, dashing choreography. Starting with the sexy Keno strip number to a pulsating “Scrap,” the choreography was executed with excellent precision. Miss Lucido performed Mr. Montgomery’s Latin ballroom-ography in “Life With Harold” with the right amount of flare and passion for her to warrant the show-stopping applause it received on the matinee I attended. Follow that with Mr. Lee Hudson’s fantastic performance of the chicken, jerk, and slew of other “dated” dances in “Big Black Man,” and Act One was all set for “Michael Jordan’s Ball” to finish Act One. The athleticism coupled with numerous formations made for a non-stop finale, tipping its hat to the Broadway company while still incorporating lots of nuanced movement that complemented the six abilities of the six men. Act Two comes and it’s time to “Let it Go,” the culminating number that audience (and probably cast) have anxiously been waiting for. The energy was contagious, and the six men delivered all the goods, vocally and physically, that earned the near-immediate standing ovation post-light cue.

A technically sound production, Mr. Abels left no aspect unchecked. Mr. Mangels did double-duty, as he also built the set with the right amount of visual aid to help the audience know when we were in a new location, while being stripped down enough to allow space for action rather than crowding the cast in the intimate Dan Pessano Theater. Kyle Jensen’s sound design was a job well done of balancing the cast’s more tender singing moments with Dakota Simpson’s gloriously rocking band. Jennifer Malatesta’s lighting design absolutely did the job of illuminating the group numbers and focusing on just the intimacy of the solos and duets.

The Full Monty has moved on, but StageWorks Fresno has plenty more theatre in store for Fresno later this season. By all means, head over to their website or social media outlets and pick out your next date night at theater so you don’t miss it. Go see a show!