No Bull With Raging Robert.
PRESENTED BY
A MESSAGE FROM FEINSTEIN’S/54 BELOW:
Next week! The Grammy nominated R&B-Soul singer-songwriter and star of “The Wiz Live” makes his Feinstein’s/54 Below solo debut. With an unmatched, multi-octave vocal ability, Mykal Kilgore celebrates the holiday spirit with an eclectic, energetic mix. Learn more.Good morning, Robert!
“The U.S. allows vaccinated international travelers in and bars unvaccinated travelers from abroad.” by The New York Times’ Ceylan Yeginsu, Niraj Chokshi and Concepción de León — “The United States reopened its borders for fully vaccinated travelers from dozens of countries on Monday … The chef Daniel Boulud … added that while his restaurants were already “quite busy,” buoyed by domestic tourism and a trickle of international visitors, “the faucet was not open for tourism yet.” International tourists, he said, will bring necessary foot traffic, in particular to his restaurants near the Theater District.” http://bway.ly/ssq22q
Shows Currently Running On Broadway: 30
Next Up: Flying Over Sunset, 3 days and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 4 daysWelcome back, Broadway! As you head back to rehearsals, theaters, and offices, send in your stories, posts, and photos to morningmessage@broadwaybriefing.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Briefing!GOT A TIP?
SETTING THE STAGE TODAY
That beautiful sound.
“Broadway sound designers break new barriers” by Broadway News’ Caitlin Huston — “On Broadway, the field of sound design has long been dominated by men and lacking in diversity. But this season, sound designer Twi McCallum made her Broadway debut with “Chicken & Biscuits” and likely became the first woman of color to design sound on Broadway. One day after it opened, “Is This a Room” made its debut with Sanae Yamada, who is also a woman of color, as co-sound designer. One major roadblock to reaching these milestones, according to McCallum, has been making connections with the right people.
“A lot of directors who have been doing this for many years have a core group that they go to,” McCallum said. “And it’s really hard to break into that group to give that slot to somebody else.” Before “Chicken & Biscuits,” McCallum worked with director Zhailon Levingston on a radio play for the National Black Theatre and a virtual work for the New Ohio Theatre’s Ice Factory Festival. McCallum recalls messaging Levingston after researching up-and-coming theater artists as a means to break into the field. Levingston said her professional reputation preceded her.
“She is an artist who has their own point of view, and I think I work best with people who have very strong points of view, because it means that even as we compromise or collide ideas, we’re always working towards something that feels greater than us,” Levingston said.
The 25-year-old McCallum spent a few years at Howard University and then studied at the one-year sound design program at the Yale School of Drama. She then worked on several regional theater and Off-Broadway projects, including as a musical composer. When “Chicken & Biscuits” transferred to Broadway, Levingston hired McCallum due to her past work, but also as part of a conscious decision to bring Black designers to Broadway.
“It was very important that 2021 be the last year that there never was an all-Black creative team working on a comedy on Broadway,” Levingston said.
In addition to breaking barriers as one of few women of color to design sound on Broadway, McCallum is one of few female sound designers. Exact data on the field is difficult to find, but the Broadway League has recorded 17 female sound designers with Broadway credits. Gender identity is self-reported by designers, and therefore may not include every instance on Broadway.
The field has made some recent strides. In 2011, Cricket S. Myers became the first woman to ever be nominated for a Tony Award for sound design. In 2019, Jessica Paz became the first woman to win a Tony Award for sound design as a co-designer on “Hadestown.” While technical fields have traditionally been male-dominated, Paz said there are many qualified women and women of color in sound design who have yet to work on Broadway.
“I think the people are out there, and there just needs to be more effort to seek them out,” said Paz, who is co-chair of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association. The association has access to a database of female sound designers and designers of color, as one resource.
During the theatrical shutdown, other organizations such as the Black Theatre Coalition and the Cody Renard Scholarship Program have sprung up to diversify Broadway’s behind-the-scenes workforce.”
READ THE FULL STORY: http://bway.ly/71l5l3
NEWS AND NOTES
TOURISM: “New York City Eager To Welcome Back International Tourists As Recovery From Pandemic Continues” by CBS New York’s Ali Bauman — “As CBS2’s Kevin Rincon reports, hotels in the city have started to see an influx of people. The line inside the Hyatt Grand Central was long Friday, and the rooms are almost sold out.” http://bway.ly/7kz89l
AT THE OFFICE: “Reginald L. Douglas is appointed artistic director of Mosaic Theater Company” by The Washington Post’s Peter Marks — “At the age of 34, Douglas has been named the new artistic director of Mosaic Theater Company, a midsize theater in an underserved part of the District that is seeking to emerge from the pandemic with renewed vigor.” http://bway.ly/gnsgwo
SCHOLARSHIP: “Groundbreaking Broadway Scholarship Expands Access For Students Of Color” by Forbes’ Lee Seymour — “Last winter, stage manager and producer Cody Renard Richard founded a scholarship for students of color interested in careers beyond the footlights. … This year, Richard is pushing further. Applications are now open for the revamped program, including a 20% increase in distributed funds, additional workshops, and greater depth of connection for students, as they prepare for what can be an insular and exclusionary industry — especially if you’re not white.” http://bway.ly/s3p02n
LAWSUIT: “Tony nominee Chad Kimball: I was fired from Broadway for being Christian” by New York Post’s Michael Kaplan — “[Lawrence] Spasojevich told The Post that it is about more than money. “One of the most important things is a finding that decisions made by the defendants were discriminatory, based on Chad’s religion,” the lawyer said. … Meanwhile, Kimball … told The Post that his religion can be a liability on Broadway: “Christians can sometimes be looked down upon in the theater world. Historically, the theater community is made up largely of marginalized members of society. Unfortunately, there’s been friction between them and the church.”” http://bway.ly/uahd4q
OFF-BROADWAY: “‘The Wonder Years’ Co-Stars Alley Mills & Dan Lauria Reunite For Off Broadway’s ‘Morning’s At Seven’” by Deadline’s Greg Evans — “Alley Mills will be reunited with her The Wonder Years husband Dan Lauria in the new Off Broadway production of Paul Osborn’s classic stage comedy Morning’s At Seven, a reteaming that comes as Mills replaces the recently injured Judith Ivey.” http://bway.ly/3a3sxs
ON THE ROAD: “How touring Broadway shows are strictly following COVID-19 safety rules” by The New York Post’s Nicki Gostin — “Nederlander National Markets, which presents touring Broadway shows all over the country, has partnered with Wellstand Health to ensure COVID-19 safety precautions are met and even exceeded. Local venue staff and backstage crew in cities including Richmond, Virginia, Norfolk, Virginia, and Reno, Nevada will now get their nasal cavities gently tickled by staff to ensure safety.” http://bway.ly/924azr
REGIONAL:
“YDE, Javier Muñoz, More to Join Idina Menzel in New Musical Wild” by Playbill’s Ryan McPhee — “Joining the pair are Javier Muñoz, Brittany Campbell, Deborah S. Craig, Josh Lamon, Kinsgley Leggs, Paravi Das, Luke Ferrari, and Michael Williams.” http://bway.ly/tup6w6
“Asolo Rep Announces New Muriel O’Neil American Heritage Commission Series, with generous support from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County” by Asolo Rep — “Asolo Repertory Theatre announces a new series to commission three plays by BIPOC playwrights and directors over the next three years. The Muriel O’Neil American Heritage Commission Series … is part of the Ground Floor program, a new work development initiative at Asolo Rep.” http://bway.ly/unbdky
ACROSS THE POND:
“Laura Osnes Out As Bonnie In London ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ Concert Event” by Deadline’s Greg Evans — “Laura Osnes … has been replaced by West End actor Frances Mayli McCann in London’s nearly sold-out upcoming Bonnie & Clyde In Concert event … Producer Fourth Wall Live announced the new casting in a statement today but didn’t disclose the reason for the replacement …” http://bway.ly/mzvlf9
“‘We need to act now’ — theatre leaders issue climate-action rallying call” by The Stage’s Georgia Snow — “Bosses at venues including the National Theatre and the Royal Court in London have urged the industry to implement “systemic change” to become more sustainable, warning the sector is at a “tipping point”.” http://bway.ly/904h9v
GOING GREEN: “Broadway Green Alliance Announces Fall E-Waste Drive” by Playbill’s Andrew Gans — “Broadway Green Alliance has joined forces with 4THBIN, an e-recycling solution provider, for a Fall E-Waste Drive at Father Duffy Square. The collection drive, scheduled for November 17 from 11 AM to 2 PM, is open to all shows, theatres, and industry members in an effort to make cleaning out theatres or offices a greener experience.” http://bway.ly/7gerq5
TV: “Kelly Clarkson Announces Christmas Special Featuring Ariana Grande, Leslie Odom Jr. and More” by People’s Katie Campione — “Kelly Clarkson Presents: When Christmas Comes Around will air Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.” http://bway.ly/ej05fi
CONVERSATION: As part of the TheaterMakers Summit, which was held over the weekend, moderator Emily Bear was joined in conversation by Andrew Lloyd Webber. WATCH: http://bway.ly/n3xc0r
NY TIMES:
“‘I Think We’re Cousins?’: ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ Performers Realize Link” by The New York Times’ Julia Jacobs — “A post in a family Facebook group led an actor and a musician in the Broadway musical to discover that they are distant cousins.” http://bway.ly/h6sbvz
“‘Tick, Tick … Boom!’: A Musical Based on a Musical About Writing a Musical. We Explain.” by The New York Times’ Sarah Bahr — “To help you keep “Superbia” (Larson’s never-produced musical) straight from “Tick, Tick … Boom!” (Larson’s autobiographical show about writing “Superbia”) straight from “Tick, Tick … Boom!” the new film that tells Larson’s story, we’ve created this guide: …” http://bway.ly/k4lgaw
REWRITES: “Broadway returns as theater rethinks on-stage representation” by NPR’s Jeff Lunden — “As you probably know, Broadway — really, all the performing arts — experienced something of an existential crisis after the COVID pandemic shut down in-person performances. Now as shows return, there’s a cultural change as well arising from the demands for racial justice sparked by the killings of George Floyd and others last year.” http://bway.ly/3onjwe
— Jared Gray (@MisterJaredGray): “All right, friends, grab your mission companion and sequin vests, I’m about to share a thread of changes I observed in The Book of Mormon during [Friday] night’s Broadway reopening performance: …” READ THE THREAD: http://bway.ly/n8iwke
WICKED FILM:
“Commentary: Why it matters that Cynthia Erivo is playing Elphaba in the ‘Wicked’ movie” by The Los Angeles Times’ Ashley Lee — “Still, the vast majority of women who have played her have been white. In fact, only one Black actor has ever nabbed a full-time gig as Elphaba in any production — Alexia Khadime, who played the role on London’s West End from 2008 to 2010. … Casting a Black actor as Elphaba is long overdue, and Erivo is more than suited to play her.” http://bway.ly/37m54g
“‘Wicked’: Fans Petition Producers to Not Cast James Corden in Movie Adaptation” by The Hollywood Reporter’s Abid Rahman — “The petition, posted on Change.org and addressed directly to Universal which is producing the film, has racked up over 21,000 signatures already. The petition states simply: “James Corden in no way shape or form should be in or near the production of Wicked the movie… that’s pretty much it.”” http://bway.ly/r4zstx
IN MEMORIAM: “Broadway’s Sextet Writer Lee Goldsmith Has Passed Away at Age 98.” by BroadwayWorld’s Gigi Gervais — “Lee Goldsmith, lyricist and book writer for what is thought to be the first musical on Broadway to feature lead characters who were gay (“Sextet,” which played the Bijou Theatre in 1974), died Oct. 5 in Cutler Bay, FL, at the age of 98.” http://bway.ly/ixu9y5
REVIEW: “‘Gnit’ Seeks Itself in a Mist of Magic and Mischief” by The New York Times’ Maya Phillips — “Portraying the protagonist as a listless young man on a search for self, Eno ends up with a funny story that is myopic in scope — a self-aware and sometimes cloyingly precocious thought experiment in individualism and identity.” http://bway.ly/k23eoxA MESSAGE FROM FEINSTEIN’S/54 BELOW:
Next week! The Grammy nominated R&B-Soul singer-songwriter and star of “The Wiz Live” makes his Feinstein’s/54 Below solo debut. With an unmatched, multi-octave vocal ability, Mykal Kilgore celebrates the holiday spirit with an eclectic, energetic mix. Learn more.SPONSOR A BRIEFING
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