In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s kind of becoming a big trend to make popular movies into Broadway shows. Legally Blonde, Hairspray, Cry-Baby, Xanadu, Young Frankenstein, Spamalot to name a few… not to mention the Disney trifecta (Lion King, Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins) and the upcoming Billy Elliot, Saved, and Shrek. Some are successful, some are not. Some truly surpass their original source material in terms of bang-for-buck entertainment, while others really should never have been made in the first place (I’m looking at you, Wedding Singer and High Fidelity.)

Either way, it’s hard to ignore this movement that has clearly taken Broadway by storm and shows no signs of slowing down. Seems like pretty much ANY movie now is fair game for being turned into a spectacle for the stage. Which is why it’s extra-interesting that Alfred Hitchcock’s “unstageable” 1935 thriller The 39 Steps has been turned not only into a successful and highly entertaining play, but one that truly uses the stage to its advantage. It deliberately utilizes the limits of the medium as its comedic backbone, all the while lovingly poking fun at Hitchcock’s legacy.

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Sorry for the quickie this week, folks, but there’s an important issue to discuss, and I want to set the record straight.

There’s a silly debate in the theatre world about whether theater is spelled with an er or an re at the end. There are the theatre snobs who insist that thea-tah is only proper when spelled the French way… and then there are the non-theater snobs who think it’s pretentious to spell it any way other than the American “theater.”

For the record, I’m a fan of equal opportunity spelling. If you feel strongly one way or the other… well you’re going to have to just deal with it as I plan to use both of them interchangeably. I’m a Gemini. We do things like that. Case closed!

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You walk into the theater smiling and excited, admiring the gold leafing and plush red velvet accents. The usher hands you your Playbill and guides you to your seat. You squeeze between the too-tight rows and take your coat off in a Houdini-worthy display of contortion. Finally, you settle down, open your program, and ‘BERNIE! DID YOU BRING THE TUMS? WHAT IS THIS PLAY ABOUT ANYWAY?!’ Oh no.

You slowly turn around, and sure enough, sitting right behind you, is the Old Loud Couple. She can’t hear a thing, and he will shout explanations throughout the whole play, all the while noisily unwrapping two Twinkies and a bag of popcorn. And your theater experience is ruined.

Etiquette at the theater is, unfortunately, a dying breed these days. Between cell phones, candy wrappers, latecomers, loud talkers, and unruly kids, it’s easy to get frustrated when you’re paying $100 to enjoy a show in peace. While proper manners may seem like a no-brainer to some of us, to others it’s clearly not so obvious. After the jump you’ll find my five unconditional rules for appropriate behavior at the theater.

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I have a confession to make. Last week, I promised that this week I’d write about the Tony nominations in the play categories. And I’m going to. But here’s the thing: (deep breath) I haven’t seen any of the nominated plays. (Whaaaaat? Fire this girl immediately!)

I have nothing against plays, it’s just that… I’m a music person. And I have very limited expendable income. So when I do get tickets to see something, it’s very likely gonna be a musical. But I’m a good little worker bee, and I did my homework, so after the break I will provide you with a little bit of insight on the nominees, strictly based on general internet buzz. If I’m way off the mark - I humbly apologize. Please feel free to email me and we’ll work it out.

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Well, it’s that time again: this past Tuesday morning, the 2008 Tony Award nominations were announced. As usual, there were a few surprises. The expected critically-acclaimed shows led the nominations (In the Heights with 13, South Pacific with 11) but a few noteworthy performances were definitely left unrecognized.

After the jump, a complete list of the musical nominations (we’ll tackle the plays next week) and a brief roundup of the deserving nominees, the snubs, and my picks for the win.

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So… after last week’s total theater geek-fest (did you survive? whew!) I thought I’d go back to the ol’ recommendations thing.

This week’s selections are:

Five shows to take your parents to when they come to visit New York.

Aka: No nudity, masturbation references, or other such elements that make you want to crawl under your seat and pretend you’ve never met the people sitting on either side of you. This list also works for tourists.

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To me, one of the coolest things about living in New York is having access to incredible talent. Between Lincoln Center, Broadway, the dance companies, etc. etc. etc., we really are home to some of the best artists in the world.

So imagine my delight when I heard that my favorite New York performer of all would be having a solo show this past Monday night. At… 11:30 pm. But to hell with sleep—Sutton Foster is just too darn talented (and too rarely appearing) to pass up. So I went. And it was more than worth Tuesday’s droopy eyelids. This girl can sing two notes and you immediately want to go buy her album (which, incidentally, was the point of this concert - she’s hitting the recording studio next week with Ghostlight Records.) In addition to being a flawless singer, she’s a comedic powerhouse and also happens to be a really great dancer. She also comes across as a genuinely nice and grateful person who just happens to be living her dream. (Granted, I don’t know her. Could be a total diva. But I doubt it.)

Sutton Foster as Inga in Young Frankenstein, with costar Roger Bart. Photo by Paul Kolnik

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Hi bees,

I woke up this morning all prepared to write a post listing appropriate shows to see for every taste… and then I realized that it would have to be, like, six pages long if I wanted to cover all of the worth-it shows that are out right now. So instead I’ve decided to focus on one demographic at a time. If today’s choices aren’t for you, then kindly pass them on to a friend!

Today’s five suggestions are for:

The hip 20-something who’s not interested in falling chandeliers or flying nannies

(Let’s put it this way: if you were to say "Mary Poppins", they would probably think you were talking about drugs.)

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Hi culture-loving bees! I’m Mardie, and I’ll be writing about theatre happenings in the area—everything from the biggest Broadway blockbusters to low-budget downtown performance art. I hope to share some reviews and suggestions with you, as well as offer insight into special events, local talent, and other goings-on about town. I’m not an actor (well, not since college)—but I’m a fully admitted musical theatre geek and will happily provide you with more details than you could ever possibly want or need. Hooray!

Theatre in New York is a funny thing. It’s presumably an art form for the masses, and yet the going rate for a standard Broadway ticket is $120, not including service fees. So… after two tickets, dinner, and that “Hakuna Matata” baby tee that your girlfriend insists on, a night of Broadway can easily cost half a paycheck. After the jump, I have a few suggestions for those who want to enjoy the excitement of the Great White Way on a budget!

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