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Print• Rob and Kathleen Marshall will be here this weekend (along with Rob's twin, Maura, and parents Bob and Anne) to receive the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theater from Pittsburgh CLO at the annual Pink Frolic.
So it's timely to hear that Harry Connick Jr. has signed to return to Broadway in a new Gershwin musical next March, called "Nice Work If You Can Get It," reuniting him with director/choreographer Kathleen, who directed him in the 2006 "The Pajama Game." To a book being written by Joe DiPietro, the show will have music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, in the way "Crazy for You" and "My One and Only" also plundered the Gershwin songbook. Connick will star as a Long Island playboy in a show filled with bootleggers and gold diggers. It opens first at Boston's Colonial Theatre, Dec. 16-Jan. 11.
• Rob, of course, is at work on the movie of "Nine," having just lost one of his many stars, Javier Bardem.
For a video interview with Rob and Kathleen Marshall during the Rodgers Award evening, click here.
• No sooner did I see Lenora Nemetz in two supporting roles in "Gypsy" last Tuesday and interview her about preparing as stand-by for star Patti LuPone, than Lenora went on for Patti Sunday, the day my review and interview appeared.
Good friend Norman Roth was there and called to tell me Lenora was "totally wonderful," that her "Roses' Turn" number was "transcendental" and that although nearly a quarter of the audience cashed in their tickets when it was announced LuPone was out, the 75 percent who stayed ended up cheering. Wish I'd been there. But I'll get to see Lenora do it eventually.
There was a silly error in my Sunday piece. Summarizing Lenora's career in Pittsburgh, I said that she hadn't acted at the Public, but of course she did "She Loves Me" in 1986 and "Cabaret" in 2007. (Does that mean her next show there will be in 2028?)
• Rehearsals began Tuesday for "The Odd Couple" (May 29-June 29), directed by Ted Pappas and starring John Scherer and Andrew Polk, with Meredith Zinner and Emma Bowers as the Pigeon sisters, and Eric Leviton, Randy Kovitz, Doug Mertz and Ken Bolden.
• Star-of-stars Brian Stokes Mitchell headlines the Public's spring gala, "A Class Act," saluting David Matter (Hilton, May 15).
• The Public's new dramaturg is Heather Helinsky (MFA from A.R.T/Harvard). "We will be stepping up our commitment to new plays and special events," Pappas says.
• Pappas introduced "my hero, Edward Albee," delivering the keynote talk at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial for the Arts Education Collaborative, an annual gathering of arts teachers from Southwestern Pennsylvania. Some of the Public's Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest winners performed.
• Tickets are now on sale for Tom Atkins as "The Chief," returning again, Sept. 16-21.
• Patrick Jordan has completed casting for Richard Greenberg's "Take Me Out," a thoughtful, very funny comedy about an African-American baseball superstar (loosely based on Derek Jeter, it is said, but we won't hold that against him) who lets it be known he's gay. David Whalen (the actor) will direct.
The star will be played by Christian Felix, a Dartmouth grad with credits in New York and Chicago, with Jordan playing his teammate, the ambiguous narrator. Bingo O'Malley plays the bemused Skipper, with Tom Aulino (in the same role for which he won's Chicago's Jeff Award), Tristan Farmer, Jeffrey Carpenter, Joshua Elijah Reese, Jose Rivas, Jeffrey Omura, Joseph "JJ" Jackson and Tony Bingham.
It runs June 5-22 at Navarra on Seventh (next to Bossa Nova) as part of the Three Rivers Arts Festival's 4th River Project. Tickets ($10) go on sale Friday at www.artsfestival.net or 412-456-6666. Check www.barebonesproductions.com.
• Graduating Point Park theater students present their 2008 New York Showcase at New World Stages Tuesday, 4 and 6:30 p.m., and a first-ever Los Angeles Showcase, at The Improv, May 19, 4:30 p.m. There's a free preview Friday 8 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Point Park has large classes, so these showcases are highly selective: 15 graduating seniors will strut their stuff in New York, 13 in L.A. Directing are John Shepard, theater chair, and Jack Allison, head of musical theater; headshots and bios at www.pointpark.edu/showcase.
• The last trip is dead, long live the next one! About three dozen PG readers and I had a great time in New York last week, and my reviews will roll out soon. Shortly we'll announce our next two (smaller) trips, to the Shaw and Stratford Festivals (July 9-13) and to the Shaw alone (Sept. 10-13) -- or you can request info to be mailed at 412-441-3131.
• "Why didn't I just go to a bar and torture Rangers fans?" asks Pittsburgher-in-N.Y. Jim McManus, frustrated with Pirates' losing to the Mets.
His better news is about "Cherry Smoke" getting three readings, offering "possible backers, great cast, midtown location and the opportunity to watch me flail through 'Tock-Backs.' " That's at the Clockwork Theatre at Studio Theatre at Theatre Row, 410 W. 42 St., today and Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m.; 1-212-545-3746 or info@theclockworktheatre.org.
• Cindy Janicko writes:
"It's a shame that apparently the Post Gazette lacked either the interest or the resources to review last week's national tour of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' ... [and] report on how this cast, this interpretation, comes across in 2008. ...
"The saddest cut is that someone may have missed an opportunity to see Ted Neeley reprise his role as Jesus Christ. The voice, now with an occasionally detectable rasp, is still near perfect at the big moments ... but also carries a certain weariness that makes the quiet moments achingly beautiful. I'm honestly disappointed for anyone who may have missed one more chance to see this man in this role that has become one of the true classics of American theatre." (Other comments, Weekend Feedback.)
• There are six new Kelly Critics' reviews on our High School Musicals page: go to post-gazette.com/theater, link on left.
• Paid admissions at city's pro theaters, week ending May 4:
Rabbit/Public (59%) ....... 2,784
Marriage/City (67%) ......... 648
Catechism/City (42%) ........ 284
L.Breeze/OpenStge(45%)........ 80
