BROADWAY GETS A NEW NONPROFIT: Second Stage, the longstanding Off-Broadway company, began the final phase of its long-aborning plan to take possession of the 鈥攁 plan announced back in 2008. Joining the Broadway Non-Profit Club (which so far includes the , and ) comes at a stiff price, though. , which will be used to both acquire the Hayes and transform it into a modern theatre facility.
SCREEN MUSICALS, BIG AND SMALL: Even for Americans who chose not to enter a theatre auditorium all year, it would have been hard to ignore the musical theatre form. Two of the biggest, year-end film releases were movie versions of the musicals and . Couch-potatoes, meanwhile, were treated to a live performance of (as well as an encore airing of last year鈥檚 hit The Sound of Music.) Next year: musical-based video games!
THE ONCE AND FUTURE CHAMPION: Broadway golden girl made history in June by breaking the record for winning the most acting performance Tony Awards. She also became the first performer to win in all four performance categories. In 2012 McDonald joined five-time Tony Award-winning leading ladies and . (Harris actually won six Tonys as well, but the sixth was a non-competitive Tony for Lifetime Achievement.) It took 37 years for someone to knock Harris off the pedestal. Very likely, it will take far longer for someone to surpass McDonald.
AS MANY STARS AS THERE ARE IN THE SKY: In the old days, if a producer nabbed themselves a marquee name, they had a play with box-office moxie, one that could make a go of it if the reviews weren鈥檛 bad. These days, it seems, one star isn鈥檛 enough. Recent revivals have been crammed with boldface names. has not only , but and . , but also , , and . corralled the talents of , and . And joined the forces of , , and . Watch out, you journeymen supporting actors. Your days on Broadway may be numbered.
ADELE DAZEEM, OVERNIGHT SENSATION: It was the flub that launched (or relaunched) a career. Introducing actress and singer on the Oscar broadcast, the unrehearsed mangled her name as 鈥淎dele Dazeem.鈥� Menzel had a name and accomplished resume before that moment (Rent, Wicked, etc.) But, after that, her name (and the Travoltalized alternative) became news fodder, a household name and Internet meme. That, combined with the unexpected, worldwide success of the film 鈥淔rozen鈥� and its central song 鈥淟et It Go鈥� (which Menzel sings), and the actress鈥� returning to Broadway in Thanks, John. HEDWIG TAKES A MILE: 鈥檚 rock musical had long ago been categorized as a success when Neil Patrick Harris decided to star in a Broadway production of the piece this year. Harris鈥� turn in the concert-set show introduced it to a new generation of theatregoers, and reminded older one how good it was. Three Tonys, one for the production, one for Harris and one for co-star Lena Hall, helped drive home that point.
SHIP, WHERE IS THY ?: Lots of pop composers compose shows for Broadway, , and and The Edge of U2, to name a few. , a semi-autobiographical work drawn on his childhood experiences growing up in an English port town. His debut as an actor in the piece in early December led to a rising tide for the production.
THE PLAY鈥橲 THE THING: In a switch of the usual Broadway Darwinism, straight plays, both old and new, thrived on Broadway while new musicals struggled for air. It鈥檚 Only a Play, , , A Delicate Balance, , and were among the plays that did boffo box-office. Meanwhile, , , Bridges of Madison County, and couldn鈥檛 catch a break. Call it Bizarro Broadway.
CASTING FIRSTS: Notable strides were made in casting diversity when two famous shows cast their first African-American headliners. , and
JOAN GETS THE LAST LAUGH: One of the most interesting chapters in the long life and career of comedienne Joan Rivers came after she died in early September. When the Broadway League decided not to honor Rivers by dimming the lights of Broadway marquees鈥攁n honor usually bestowed on important stage professionals when they pass鈥攖he Broadway community got up in arms, . Score: Digital Media Power, 1; Old Broadway Hierarchy, 0.
A BROADWAY HAUNT BECOMES A GHOST: In November, it was revealed that the Caf茅 Edison鈥攁 hangout for theatre types for more than 30 years, affectionately known to its habitu茅s (who included and ) as the Polish Tea Room鈥攚as no longer welcome at the Hotel Edison. The owner of the hotel (the son of the father who had welcomed and nutured the owners of the caf茅) wanted to replace the homey diner with a white-tablecloth place. , resulting in 10,000 petition signers, flash lunch mobs and the support of the likes of Ira Glass and Mayor DeBlasio. But it was all for naught. As is almost always the case in New York, real estate forces won out, and Times Square lost another piece of its soul.
