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From NY Post, "DVDs This Week" column by Michael Giltz

May 26, 2002 -- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ($26.99; Warner Bros.)

After setting sales records in the UK, this DVD finally arrives to placate those who've already read the first four books, the jokey paperbacks about Quidditch and ferocious creatures, the unauthorized bios of J.K. Rowling, and simply can't wait until Harry Potter 2 opens November 15. Marvelous casting - from the children to the all-star British supporting roles - saves this rather stiff rendition. It's so faithful to the text, you'd think you were watching one of those tiresome Biblical epics instead of a quick-witted fantasy film. For me, Alan Rickman (currently triumphing on Broadway in "Private Lives") steals every scene as Professor Snape. (And don't even ask about Book Five - that's been pushed back till next year.) Stop complaining and leave the poor woman alone. Maybe if she takes her time, she'll actually let someone edit her text this go-round and we won't suffer the niggling mistakes and overlong ramblings of Book Four.
Anne/Manhattan
- Thursday, May 30, 2002

Tonight's London Evening Standard runs a piece on Kenneth Branagh to direct 3rd harry Potter Movie?

Sue
England - Thursday, May 30, 2002

Sorry if I missed a GB post on the filming of the next HP movie. Seems Chris Columbus won't direct, and a possible director might be Alfonso Cuaron. He of "Oooooops" (Dwight Billings) and a wonderul version of The Little Princess.

Renie
- Thursday, May 30, 2002

A fairly detailed account of the HP DVD, also tells how to get to the deleted scenes:
http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=12362
martissima
chicago, - Thursday, May 30, 2002

Eggs.com has instructions on how to view the 7 deleted scenes jpg(including the extended potions class scene).

Suzanne <Suz@mail.usa.comfoo>
TX USA - Thursday, May 30, 2002

As I know that not everyone has the NYT pages, I have taken the liberty of copying out the article that Kiki links to below.

The Fun of Being Old Friends Playing Embattled Lovers

By JESSE McKINLEY

On a misty, decidedly English Sunday morning, Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan are sitting at a Manhattan theater district restaurant, looking anything but the high-toned sophisticates they play in the Broadway revival of Noël Coward's "Private Lives."

Mr. Rickman, he of the heavy-lidded eyes and sinisterly soft voice, is moving even more slowly than usual, looking to a continuous flow of coffee to lift his morning fog. The usually luminous Ms. Duncan, meanwhile, looks only slightly more bright-eyed than her co-star. She also confesses that she must soon go to the theater for two hours of prep work on her wild mane before the 3 o'clock matinee.

"Alan did it on `Liaisons,' " she says. "So it's my turn."

"Liaisons" is "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," the 1987 Broadway smash about a pair of fiendish aristocrats - played by Mr. Rickman and Ms. Duncan - who treat sex as a parlor game. In that production it was Mr. Rickman, as the Vicomte de Valmont, a seductive fop, who had to sit to have his hair prepared French-court style.

What sort of preparation does he have to do this time around?"Minimal," he says with a smile.

Both Mr. Rickman and Ms. Duncan describe their approach to Elyot and Amanda, the battling lovers at the heart of "Private Lives," as beguilingly simple.

"We don't muss about," Mr. Rickman says.

Ms. Duncan agrees. "We go in and start acting," she says. "And if they can't see us, we move into the light. And if we embarrass ourselves terribly, we stop and try not to embarrass ourselves."

Not that they need to worry. The revival of "Private Lives," which opened last month on Broadway, has been greeted by some of the most unanimously positive reviews of the season. Ben Brantley called the production "scintillating" in The New York Times, adding that the "erotic bloom is restored to one of the funniest comedies of the 20th century." Critics in London, where the production played all winter before transferring to New York, reacted much the same way.

Both Mr. Rickman and Ms. Duncan have been nominated for Tony Awards, which will be announced on Sunday. "Private Lives" earned a total of six nominations, including one for its director, Howard Davies.

Though the two actors are close friends, "Liaisons" was the last time they worked together, except for a 1997 London production of "Troilus and Cressida," in which their characters rarely shared the stage.

In 1997 Mr. Rickman also directed and helped write the film version of Sharman MacDonald's play "The Winter Guest." Mr. Rickman says his interest in the work, which tells the story of a mother and her daughter, was piqued by conversations with Ms. Duncan about her relationship with her mother. The film is dedicated to Ms. Duncan's mother, Helen.

Mr. Rickman and Ms. Duncan say the decision to do "Private Lives" was made over a cup of tea.

"It's quite a small community of actors in London," Mr. Rickman says, "plus you make certain decisions that bind you together."

What he and Ms. Duncan share, he says, is a passion for new plays and the theaters that do them, including companies like the Royal Court, the Bush and the Hampstead Theater.

So why do a revival of "Private Lives," which was written in 1930?

"I had only seen the play once, I think, and Howard had never seen it," Ms. Duncan says, referring to Mr. Davies, "so I think we all approached it as a new play. We also thought there was about a 90 percent chance of us enjoying it."

Still, even before the production began, both actors had specific concerns, including the right-size theater (read: small). In London that meant the Albery, a relatively intimate stage off Leicester Square. In New York, however, "Private Lives" is at the 1,349-seat Richard Rodgers, which presents its own challenges. "I feel like I have to use a megaphone occasionally," Mr. Rickman says.

The production came together remarkably quickly. The total rehearsal time in London was just over three weeks. What helped make it possible, Mr. Rickman and Ms. Duncan both say, was the familiarity that grew out of working together on "Les Liaisons Dangereuses." (That show ran for more than four months on Broadway after a lengthy run in England.)

Rehearsals for the London production of "Private Lives" began in late August. But the events of Sept. 11 caused collective doubt about the project's importance, Mr. Rickman says. "We couldn't have felt more stupid: `Oh, here we are doing Noël Coward,' " he says. "But I think we realized that people actually have a human need to laugh, even at times like that."

Neither the actors nor the director felt ready when the play began performances on Sept. 21. Right until the curtain, Ms. Duncan says, the actors were "stealing little bits of time to work out a dance or a fight."

"I've never seen Howard so frightened as at the premiere," she says. "It was like he was pushing his children off a cliff."

It was a soft landing. Raves followed the Oct. 4 opening. Plans were soon afoot to bring Mr. Rickman and Ms. Duncan back to Broadway for the first time in 15 years.

Since arriving, both actors have been impressed by how audiences have taken to their "new play."

"It's so strange: people ask if we've rewritten the script," Ms. Duncan says. "It almost makes you wonder what's been going on with it before."

Sue
There is also a nice"fight" pic with the article, England - Thursday, May 30, 2002

There is a nice article in today's New York Times about Duncan and Rickman and "Private Lives".
Kiki
- Wednesday, May 29, 2002

United Press International
May 29, 2002, Wednesday 12:56 PM Eastern Time
SECTION: ENTERTAINMENT
HEADLINE: - The latest revival of Noel Coward's "Private Lives" on Broadway is a completely satisfying production, effectively wiping out the memory of the last horrendous 1983 revival starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
DATELINE: NEW YORK, May 29

The play has been imported from London to the Richard Rodgers Theater with its English cast intact. The stars are Lindsay Duncan as "Amanda," a role that won her the British Olivier Award for best actress, and Alan Rickman as "Elyot," and they are brilliant in their interpretations of Coward's witty take on the couple who cannot live together but cannot live apart.

From the minute the curtain goes up on the most beautiful set of this Broadway season, the audience knows it is in for a rare treat -- the perfect comedy with a perfect cast! Not only are Duncan and Rickman worth rushing to the theater to see, Emma Fielding and Adam Godley also are splendid in the roles of Amanda and Elyot's new spouses, "Sybil" and "Victor."
Coward and Gertrude Lawrence were the original stars of "Private Lives," both in London -- where it was rated an "immoral" play by the Lord Chamberlain's office -- and New York more than a half-century ago. Coward, as usual was playing himself -- the good-looking, debonair Englishman with stiff upper-lip delivery and silk dressing gown elegance. Actors have been trying to impersonate him and failing ever since. Rickman comes the closest yet to creating a Coward-like personality while still giving Elyot a reality as a person rather than an impersonation of the famous playwright-actor-songwriter. Like the title of the haunting song Coward wrote for the play, "Someday I'll Find You," Rickman has found Elyot and it is a happy pairing.

"Private Lives" is the story of a divorced British couple who have found new mates, meet again by chance at a hotel on the French Riviera on their respective second honeymoons, and rekindle their old romance. They sneak away to Paris to resume their roles as eternally bickering lovers but are pursued by their jilted spouses with surprising consequences.

A stylish battle of wits is everything to a Coward play, and in "Private Lives" this theme is deliciously served. Although the subject under examination is love, it can never be allowed to deteriorate into a sex comedy, and this production never allows it to. The cast focuses on the trying, exhausting, insistent attractions of being in love that have little to do with love's erotic aspects.

This is not to say that Duncan, who first starred in New York 15 years ago in "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," is not a sexy actress. Beautiful in an angular way, she exudes a hint of commonness that contrasts to Rickman's upper-class reserve and adds to the danger in their attraction to one another. She is quick to realize that the danger, which she enjoys, is lacking in her marriage to the younger, more unsophisticated Victor.

Rickman, who played opposite Duncan in "Les Liaisons Dangereuses and is "Snape" in the film version of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," displays a bored, flippant attitude toward love but masterfully conveys his realization that the younger, romantically inclined Sybil does not fill his need for the playful emotional confrontations that stir him out of his natural arrogance and lethargy. Amanda is the woman who can to that for him and is truly his better half.

Fielding is maddeningly sincere as Sybil, the quintessential ingnue, and very funny, too. She represents the bourgeois belief in morality and correct conduct under all circumstances that Coward despised, advising in lines given Elyot, "Laugh at everything, all their sacred shibboleths ... Flippancy brings out the acid in their damned sweetness and light."

Godley, making his Broadway debut as Victor, is a real find for American audiences. He is utterly convincing as the befuddled amateur husband of a worldly older woman whose emotional needs are far beyond his poor powers to grasp or fulfill. Tall and gawky, he doesn't even have to speak to be amusing.

The cast is rounded out by Alex Belcourt, in private life Godley's wife, as a French maid who bolds this oddly assorted group of English in contempt and doesn't mind showing it.

Howard Davies, a much honored British director now associated with London's Almeida Theater, has directed the play with attention to drawing believable emotion from his actors rather than just polished, surface performances such as those of Taylor and Burton so commonly encountered in Coward plays.

Designer Tim Harley's balconied faade of a pearl-white Riviera hotel rises an amazing four stories and is breathtakingly beautiful. Its exquisite Art Deco detail reflects the patterns of lapping Mediterranean waters, a lovely effect achieved by lighting designer Peter Mumford. Hartley's set of Amanda's Paris apartment is also attractive in its faded luxuriousness. Also eye-pleasing are Jenny Beavan's flapper-era costumes.

Georgiana <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle - Wednesday, May 29, 2002

Today's Washington Post has a review of "Private Lives." I read it at the online site (under the Style section), so I don't know what kind of art the review ran with. (Now I'll never get good seats!!!!)
Pam
VA - Wednesday, May 29, 2002

The New York Times
May 29, 2002, Wednesday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section B; Page 7; Column 6; The Arts/Cultural Desk
HEADLINE: Irene Worth Memorial

A memorial for Irene Worth is to be held on Monday at 5 p.m. at the Joseph Papp Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street, at Astor Place, East Village). Edward Albee, Christopher Walken, Mercedes Ruehl, Meryl Streep, Bernard Gersten, George C. Wolfe, Gene Saks and Alan Rickman are among those scheduled to speak. There will also be music by the flutist Paula Robison and the pianist Horacio Gutierrez. Ms. Worth died on March 10. The memorial is open to the public.

http://www.nytimes.com

Georgiana <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle - Wednesday, May 29, 2002

This weekend's "On Stage" (Channel NY1) ended with clips of nominees corralled at various pre-Tony parties and asked about their first appearances on stage. We don't see the interviewer but it sounds like Donna Karger. Jeffrey Wright tells how he nearly ended his theater career in the third grade when, as one of the three kings in a Christmas pageant, he brought as his gift "frankinstench." (For those of you who don't do Christmas, it's "frankincense.") Then we see AR in a black jacket, gray shirt and silver-gray tie. He sounds terrible - a very bad cold or allergies. One also gets the impression that he's had a drink or two. (My ex-roomie said, "He's plastered. Or he's been mixing alcohol with antihistamines.")

AR: I was age seven, and it was at school - (raises eyebrows, tosses head) obviously - and, ah, and I played the title role in a play called - (eyebrows again) you may not've 'eard of this play - called King Grisly Beard.

DK: King Grisly Beard?

AR: (Smiles, nods) Yes.

DK: Is this a tragedy, a comedy?

AR: I'm sure it was a tragedy (looks away, smiles), if I remember what I was up to (big smile).

If anyone needs to know the story, here's a link (this is my first time making a link and I hope I don't blow up the site): King Grisly Beard. (If I'd been the princess in this, I'd have divorced him.)

Anne/Manhattan <agilhuly@gibsondunn.comfoo>
- Wednesday, May 29, 2002

From "Departures," a travel magazine put out by American Express, in the May/June 2002 issue, under 'Profiles':

Noël Coward Returns

The acclaimed London revival of Private Lives, starring Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan, has now come to Broadway. Funny how potent chic drama is, writes Christopher Hampton.

Toward the end of 1956, Noël Coward, sitting in a Jamaican tax exile that had earned him front-page headlines in newspapers not otherwise known for their interest in the theater, and in receipt of a set of savage reviews for his new play, Nude with Violin, wrote in his diary of an especially vitriolic attack from the man he referred to as the "industrious Mr. Tynan": "He might just as well have written, 'Oh God, oh God, I wish more than anything in the world to be Noël Coward, if only for one glorious day!' " At this distance of time, this note of jaunty truculence may seem complacent; but in the circumstances (John Osborne's breakthrough with Look Back in Anger at the new Royal Court and the triumph, death, and apotheosis of Kenneth Tynan's favorite, Bertolt Brecht), Coward's professional future must have seemed to him relatively bleak, and his response to these serious assaults on his reputation seems gallantly stoic.

Our view of Coward is probably still tainted by the fifties attacks of Tynan and others. In his book Contre Sainte-Beuve, Proust explains that it's precisely the good critic who constitutes the greatest danger to the public. This doesn't mean that Proust is against good criticism; he simply identifies the paradox that Sainte-Beuve, despite being regarded as the best literary critic of his generation, managed subtly to misunderstand, misrepresent, and patronize, without exception, all the greatest writers of the mid-19th century, including those he most approved of. It's possible to imagine a book along the same lines called Contre Kenneth Tynan (or, for that matter, Contre Pauline Kael); one of the conclusions of such a work might be that Tynan launched himself quixotically at the edifice known as Noël Coward without paying much attention to the modest building across the street that housed the texts of his plays.

It's true that Coward was an imposing physical presence, looking, as he himself once memorably remarked, "like a heavily doped Chinese Illusionist." And there was that extraordinary voice, like an off-duty ventriloquist, or a man courageously ignoring the removal of innumerable cactus spines from his fleshy parts. What's more, he cast a giant shadow and, however formidable his interlocutor, was fearless in delivering his opinions ("I thought Blithe Spirit was director-proof," he told David Lean, "but you seem to have managed to fuck it up"). In short, what needs to be done perhaps is to detach Coward's plays from the pervasive influence of his ebullient personality and debonair image. Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra, I'd hazard a guess, when they decided to do cover versions of "Mack the Knife," had not heard, and were therefore unaffected by, the mesmerizingly peculiar version of the song recorded by Brecht himself. In the same way, we need somehow to liberate ourselves from the tyranny of the clipped vowels and percussive consonants of Coward's unmistakable voice.

The problem is particularly acute in those plays, like Private Lives, that Coward made most unforgettably his own. And, in writing about the play, Coward himself seems half-aware of this difficulty. He refers to it as "more tricky and full of pitfalls than anything I have ever attempted as an actor." He apologizes for "my dastardly and conscienceless behaviour towards Sibyl and Victor, the secondary characters . . . poor things . . . little better than ninepins, lightly wooden, and only there at all in order to be repeatedly knocked down and stood up again." (Is there an awareness here of the complaints of Laurence Olivier, the original Victor?) And he finally dismisses the play as "leav[ing] a lot to be desired" while attributing its success to "irreverent allusions to copulation . . . causing a gratifying number of respectable people to queue up at the box office."

I don't think many people (possibly not even Kenneth Tynan) would so airily dismiss Private Lives today. Granted, it may not have the heft of Mourning Becomes Electra or Brecht's Galileo (to choose two more or less contemporary plays); but on the other hand, as Chekhov observed, any fool can write a tragedy. A light comedy as perfect as this comes along very rarely indeed, and I think we may take it for granted that the easier it looks, the harder it was to write. All its virtues-exquisite construction, faultless deployment of adjectives (an important talent, whatever Hemingway might have asserted to the contrary), and psychological insight (I think the perception that bickering is sex pursued by other means qualifies)-were precisely those calculated to appeal least to the inchoate, rudely stirring beast that was trying in 1956 to formulate a theatrical response to Britain's hypocritical complacencies, our delusions of grandeur, and our international disgrace.

But nearly 50 years on (and 72 years after Private Lives was actually written, somehow unsurprisingly, in Shanghai), we can see that the building was so well crafted, there seems no reason it shouldn't stay standing indefinitely. Its owner, too, remains firmly established in the affections of the public. (It's hard not to like a man who, toward the end of his life, wrote, "I don't look back in anger, nor indeed in anything approaching even mild rage; I rather look back in pleasure and amusement.") Now that he's left the building with his cigarette holder and his silk dressing gown, there's no reason the new tenants shouldn't make the old place look even more appealing.

Rickman and Duncan, Together Again

Seventeen years ago, Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan played a pair of calculating, predatory monsters in Howard Davies' scintillating production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Now they are reunited in Davies' groundbreaking revival of Private Lives, which liberates the play from the confines of staccato Coward camp. Seeing Rickman and Duncan together is like watching Astaire and Rogers dance: While both are wonderfully expressive, they nearly always seem like two halves of one person.

This theatrical marriage was forged not in heaven but in Stratford-upon-Avon. Both actors joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1985 after remarkably parallel careers. Rickman honed his craft in regional theater and in new-writing venues such as the Royal Court and the Bush Theatre; Duncan similarly progressed from Manchester to the metropolis. After appearing together at Stratford in Troilus and Cressida, they were given the leads in Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

Rickman's drawling, sensual languor as the Vicomte de Valmont was perfectly matched by Duncan's porcelain-cold beauty as the ex-lover who spurs him on to seduce a 15-year-old virgin: These were two silk-swathed egotists proving that couples who prey together invariably stay together. "A lot of people left the theater wanting to have sex," observed Duncan a few years later, "most of them with Alan Rickman." The show became a West End and Broadway hit, though to their chagrin Rickman and Duncan lost their roles in the ineffective movie version to John Malkovich and Glenn Close.

Since their two-year stint in Liaisons, Rickman and Duncan's careers have diverged. Rickman, in addition to directing The Winter Guest on stage and screen, has acquired a reputation as a Hollywood heavy with a gift for stealing pictures: As a stylish thief in Die Hard he out-acted Bruce Willis; as a high-camp Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves he left Kevin Costner looking disconsolate in green tights; and as professor Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone he did his own bit of breaking and entering. Duncan, meanwhile, has become one of the foremost interpreters of Harold Pinter: In 1996 at the Royal Court she created the role of the enigmatic Rebecca in Ashes to Ashes, and in last summer's Pinter festival at New York's Lincoln Center she moved stunningly, in the course of an evening, from a beleaguered slattern in The Room to a vivacious vulgarian in Celebration.

Rickman's fire melts Duncan's ice. In Private Lives they advance brilliantly from breathless reunion on the balcony of a Gaudí-esque hotel to bickering violence in a Strindbergian red-plush apartment. They lend Coward's masterpiece an unexpected emotional reality and prove that their onstage partnership is itself a wild and dangerous liaison.

-Michael Billington

"Private Lives" is scheduled for a limited run through August 11. Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 West 46th Street, New York. For information about tickets, call Ticketmaster, 212-307-4100; box office, 212-221-1211.

Georgiana <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle - Tuesday, May 28, 2002

For those of you are able to watch the FOX network, the "Joust Like A Woman" King of the Hill episode is scheduled to be repeated on June 9th, Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Central time zone. Get those VCRs ready.
Juliana <daltrey63@hotmail.comfoo>
- Monday, May 27, 2002

Copyright 2002 Guard
The Guardian (London)
May 21, 2002
SECTION: Guardian Features Pages, Pg. 3
HEADLINE: Pass notes: No 2,036 Prince John

Prince John - he's the bad one in Robin Hood, isn't he? Played by Alan Rickman, if memory serves. Stop being absurd. This is actually the very sad story of Prince John, the late Queen Mother's brother-in-law. So nothing to do with Kevin Costner? No.

Oh well. Tell me about this dapper little chap, then. Prince John was the youngest son of George V and Queen Mary. He was raised with his four older brothers, including Bertie, the future George VI.

How delightful! Did the five royal brothers spend their happy childhood getting into all sorts of scrapes? Not exactly. John was packed off to a mental asylum when he was 12 and died there all alone seven years later in 1919. His mother never visited him, his death was never officially announced, and he was no longer included in family portraits.

What terrible crime did he commit to merit such a punishment? He had the temerity to be an epileptic. His parents believed that if he had a seizure in public the royal family would be seen as tainted or weak.

What a charming family. How proud I am that they are the figureheads for this country. Indeed. Even the Daily Mail, the Windsors' biggest cheerleader, has gone so far to concede that the story "does not reflect well on them".

Ouch! That's telling them. True, although the Mail does object to the BBC's "questionable" timing in screening a programme about the prince on the eve of the Jubilee celebrations.

So I guess John's brothers must have been scions of physical and psychological perfection? Let's see. Edward suffered from depression, Bertie had a stammer, Henry was mentally retarded and Georgie was a drug addict.

Hmm. Still, at least they didn't cause the country any public embarrassment or awkwardness. Well, there was a bit of a hoo-ha a few years later when Edward abdicated, but, you know, nothing major.

Georgiana <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle - Sunday, May 26, 2002

The Stage
May 23, 2002
SECTION: Pg. 7
HEADLINE: British stars shine; Foreign News - NEW YORK, USA

British actors Simon Callow, Emma Fielding, Adam Godley, Martin Jarvis, David Warner and Rachel Weisz accounted for half of the recipients of the 2002 Theatre World Awards, given for outstanding New York theatrical debuts on or Off-Broadway.

Warner trod the Big Apple stage for the first time in a revival of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara, while Fielding and Godley made their first New York stage appearances opposite Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan in the revival of Private Lives. . . .

Georgiana <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle - Sunday, May 26, 2002

The Guardian (London)
May 23, 2002
SECTION: Guardian Features Pages, Pg. 10
HEADLINE: Arts: 'If in doubt, hide behind the sofa': Stage legend Nicholas Craig reveals his advice to Madonna
BYLINE: Nicholas Craig
When Madonna reached across me in the Body Shop to grab the last tub of kumquat facial scrub from the shelf, then quickly composed her delightfully unmade-up features into a sunburst of recognition, I suspected the meeting wasn't entirely coincidental. When she suggested in fluent cockney that we jump in a sherbet and shoot over to her local rub-a-dub for a few cheeky ones, I realised she wasn't talking about cleansing products, though I did strongly urge her to consider a change of moisturiser. No, the icon - God, how I detest that word - wanted to pick my brains about her personal ascent of Everest, appearing in the Australian play Up for Grabs at Wyndhams Theatre.

Not since the Beverly Sisters roped me in as dialect coach for their Three Sisters at Chichester have I been so excited about working with raw untutored talent from the world of pop. Alas, the Bevs' first crack at Chekhov was not an overwhelming success, but a Russian accent can be an absolute bugger to get right, as anyone who saw Alan Rickman's Rasputin film will testify. (Italics added.)

Georgiana (Should have been of "Long Island Sound"...) <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle - Sunday, May 26, 2002

Copyright 2002 P.G. Publishing Co.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
May 22, 2002 Wednesday SOONER EDITION
SECTION: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, Pg.E-1
HEADLINE: IN NYC, ONE COWARD PLAY EXCEPTIONAL, THE OTHER LIMP
BYLINE: CHRISTOPHER RAWSON, POST-GAZETTE DRAMA CRITIC
DATELINE: NEW YORK

Even well after his death, Noel Coward (1899-1973) keeps on giving.

He suffered a partial eclipse within his lifetime, as the great successes of the ' 20s and ' 30s entered their inevitable period of seeming passe. But he lived to see himself triumphant again, with an early National Theatre production of "Hay Fever" leading the way. He ranks as the premier English theatrical wit of the 20th century, worthy successor of Congreve and Oscar Wilde, but today we also find him a penetrating and melancholy analyst of human emotion. Mainly, Coward's art keeps giving by providing actors with roles to die for and audiences with plays they enjoy seeing again and again. But he also keeps giving us surprises. Usually it's a revelatory revival of a play long ago dismissed as dated or trivial, but recently a completely unproduced Coward play, "Long Island Sound," was discovered in an archive, and it is now having its world premiere off-Broadway at The Actors Company Theatre.

Though I'd love to report an undiscovered gem, it turns out there was good reason Coward left the unproduced play in his drawer. It has roles to enjoy and "Long Island Sound" will doubtless have a future in community theaters.

Meanwhile, on Broadway, at the other extreme, Coward's "Private Lives" showcases the starry, idiosyncratic appeal of the great Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan.

Saturday, I saw both.

"Private Lives"

One of the half-dozen best comedies of the century, "Private Lives" is such a polished epitome of period insouciance that, flippantly staged, it can easily seem a parody of itself. But beneath its mannered, upper-crust sheen beats a passionate heart, so it needs to be played, not with fey negligence, but determined attack. Though spoiled and self-centered, Elyot and Amanda are also a modern day Antony and Cleopatra, great lovers unable to square their passion with the ephemeral world in which they move.

That, at least, is the discovery of the charismatic encounter between Rickman and Duncan. This pair is like luscious, gorgeous felines -- mature panthers now sunning languorously in their own self-regarding perfection, now mercilessly savaging their prey.

Elyot and Amanda are often trivial, petulant and insufferable, but their brainy contempt for the conventionality of their surroundings saves them from censure. They are the magnificent exceptions we fantasize being.

Who better to embody that fantasy -- glamorous middle-age division -- than half-lidded Rickman, with his sensuous mouth and humorously calculating eyes, and sleek Duncan, tensile with zest, her brittle beauty all the more moving for signs of earned, inevitable age?

You remember the story: Divorced five years ago, Elyot and Amanda meet by accident on their respective honeymoons, each remarried to a safe, conventional nobody. They rediscover their love and flee. In Act 2, we learn that for them, love is simultaneously essential and impossible. In Act 3, their new spouses find them and the comedy see-saws between love and irritation, convention and defiance.

Many greats have played Amanda and Elyot, starting with the pair for whom it was written, Gertrude Lawrence and Coward himself. (High among those I've seen are the Elyots of Christopher Newton and Brian Bedford.) But no one can ever have played the pair with such absolutely convincing sexual chemistry as Duncan and Rickman. In them, we feel both the romance and the visceral pull.

My only hesitation is that they don't fight as realistically as they love. As a result, Act 2 is less comic than it can be, but the emotional stakes it raises are definitely higher. And that fits Coward's insight. As he writes, "I think very few people are really moral, deep down in their private lives."

Director Howard Davies and his designers provide the starry duo with a beautiful playground. Tim Hatley's two sets are sumptuous. The opening hotel balcony is ironically imagined as a creamy deco wedding cake, shimmering in seaside moonlight, bathed in the poignance of a cafe orchestra far below ("extraordinary how potent cheap music is"). Then Amanda's Paris flat is no mousy pied-a-terre, but a fabulous, maroon-red battleground looking out on the sparkling Eiffel Tower.

As the blustering other couple, frankly out of their emotional, intellectual and aesthetic depth, Davies provides the very competent Adam Godley and Emma Fielding, who harvest their laughs while reminding us how unworthy they are of Amanda and Elyot.

"Mother always said you had shifty eyes," Amanda sneers. [It was Sibyl, actually...ed] But with Rickman's Elyot, the true shiftiness is in those lips. He does petulance with a luscious weariness, but there's a regular guy within the lounge lizard negligence. He is the tinder: Duncan is the spark, eyes flashing, a tough realism enfolded within her crisp beauty.

"Happiness is chance," Amanda says. The pair loves deeply -- they just aren't good at living together. On such an observation is great comedy based.

At Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 W. 46 St., into September; call 800-755-4000.

Revuew if "Long Island Sound" omitted.
Georgiana (back from Florida...) <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle - Sunday, May 26, 2002

Here is the link to The Broadway.com Audience Awards Announcement
Sue
You CAN like two Alans,you know!, England - Saturday, May 25, 2002

The Tonys Page has just put up some more "Brunch" photos. Quite a nice one of AR & LD with their certificates.
Sue
England - Wednesday, May 22, 2002

There are Drama Desk Award Pictures On Broadway.com

Sue
England - Tuesday, May 21, 2002

In my earlier post, the transcript of Theater Talk's PL discussion, I should have noted that they ran out of time and PL was not discussed as thoroughly as the other plays. Also, there was an extremely brief visual from the play (balcony scene, AR gives LD a cigarette) but no sound.

NY1 will do a one-hour Tony "pre-show" at 7:00 p.m. - interviews with nominees as they arrive, that kind of thing - before PBS coverage kicks in at 8:00 p.m. No way to know in advance who they'll talk to or what they'll show. Their "On Stage" report on the Tony Luncheon consisted of a brief interview with one of the musical nominees, period. This weekend's "On Stage" also had a nice interview with Alan Bates (who mispronounced TurGENev here as well as in his Drama Desk acceptance speech) and Frank Langella.

Here are the PL acceptance speeches from the Drama Desk Awards show, Sunday May 19:

1. Winner is Tim Hatley for Outstanding Set Design of a Play.

Clip from balcony scene:

LD: Give me one [cigarette], for God's sake. I'm in such a rage!

AR: So am I.

Emanuel Azenberg accepts award on behalf of TH: I'm Manny Azenberg, I'm one of the producers of PL, and I'm unprepared for this. We were arguing who's gonna go up if Tim wins, and I lost. So since I don't know if I'm gonna come back or not, let me thank the Drama Desk for all their support all these years, and I go back long enough to when it began. I'd also like to thank - there are three people primarily responsible for PL, and Tim would say the same thing. Howard Davies, the director, who also directed "Iceman" for us, and it is a major contribution, and the two people sitting over there in the corner, Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan [camera switches to them]. They have grace, they have elegance, they have talent, and their gifts are our treasure here in New York. Thanks for coming.

2. Winner is Lindsay Duncan, Best Actress in a Play.

Clip from scene in Amanda's Paris flat, AR's head in LD's lap:

LD: When we were together, did you really think I was unfaithful to you?

AR: Yes, practically every day.

LD: I thought you were, too. Often I used to torture myself with visions of you bouncing about on divans with awful -

We see AR and LD in the audience. He's on the aisle and stands to let her pass. He's smiling. Camera switches to him once during LD's speech.

LD: Thank you so much. This really is the icing on the cake. I'm in a play I love, I'm in a city I love, I'm on Broadway, and for a little while I'm part of a community I admire with all my heart, really. So thank you to the Drama Desk. Thank you to our producers here and across the water for making this happen. Thank you to my friends, the cast - Adam Godley, Emma Fielding, Alex Belcourt. To everyone at the Richard Rodgers Theatre who are doing such a great job, especially the crew who do a scene change you should buy tickets for. To Howard Davies, a true friend and someone I admire so much - whatever he asks you to do, say yes. And, as will be obvious to any of you who've seen it, you can't play Amanda in PL without an Elyot, and I'm working with the best, and I mean really The Best, and I just wouldn't be here at all without Alan Rickman. So my love and thanks. Thank you.

3. Winner is PL for Best Revival of a Play.

Clip from scene in Amanda's Paris flat:

AR: - bad reflection on our characters. We ought to be absolutely tortured with conscience.

LD: We are! Every now and then.

AR: Not nearly enough.

LD: We sent Victor and Sibyl a nice note from wherever it was. What more do they want?

Ira Pittleman accepts award: My daughter said that if I got nervous, I should bite my tongue, and I did, and it really hurts. On behalf of Manny Azenberg, myself - Ira Pittleman, Duncan Weldon, Scott Nederlander, and all of our other co-producers, I'd very sincerely like to thank Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan for their brilliant performances; Howard Davies, for his visionary direction; Adam Godley, Emma Fielding and Alex Belcourt for their perfect supporting roles; and most of all Noel Coward for writing a play that can still delight audiences 70 years after its first performance. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Anne/Manhattan <agilhuly@gibsondunn.comfoo>
- Tuesday, May 21, 2002

WNET's Theater Talk, May 18, 2002: Tony Roundtable with moderator Michael Riedel (NY Post), Howard Kissell (NY Daily News), Linda Winer (Newsday) and John Simon (New York Magazine).

MR: Very quickly, though, we want to put in a mention of "Private Lives," which is a nice revival with Alan Rickman -

LW: Yum, yum!

MR: - Lindsay Duncan -

LW: Oh, I loved it. Yeah, I had a good time.

MR: The set's like a wedding cake, that -.

LW: There's all meringue and leaning-towerish (?). Wonderful! I had a great time.

MR: You liked it too, John?

JS: I think it's a good play, it's brilliantly done, and I think Lindsay Duncan's performance is one of the ten greatest performances by man, woman or beast (including goat) that I have ever seen in -

MR: So she's not a stupid woman [reference to earlier JS comment re female writer and director] -

JS: No, she's a fabulous woman, fabulous.

LW: English! [reference to earlier JS comment re out-of-place American accents].

JS: Yes, but she'd probably be fabulous - she might be fabulous even if she was Chinese, I don't know.

MR: Howard, you liked this play?

HK: I've always loved Private Lives and I thought this was an especially good production.

LW: I'd never seen a good production before.

MR: Well, we end on a high note for a season that, I think, by consensus is not one of the better ones we've had in any number of senses ...

Next week's Theater Talk guests will be Alan Bates and Frank Langella of Fortune's Fool and Shuler Hensley of Oklahoma.

As you'll have gathered, JS doesn't like much and doesn't hesitate to say so in language that's not exactly diplomatic or politically correct. As for HK, he's the guy who said AR's face had an "oafish" quality. Well, IMHO, the less said about HK's face, the better! Meow.

Hope to post transcripts of the Drama Desk acceptance speeches (LD's and two producers) before I leave tonight. There were a couple of shots of AR in the audience. The show will be rebroadcast on NY1 on Saturday May 25 at 7:00 p.m. and (did I post this already?) on WNET/Channel 13 on Monday May 27 at 9:00 p.m. Whether the latter is local programming only or PBS/national I don't know.

Anne/Manhattan <agilhuly@gibsondunn.comfoo>
- Tuesday, May 21, 2002

Continuing my tireless devotion to your every needs, I have a link to a NYT Tony Special.
There is a 1min30sec clip of the balcony scene that is def worth a look, HOWEVER you will have to sign up to the NYT page to get it. (It's quite painless and doesn't cost). Once again you need Realplayer, on my pc the low bandwidth selection is crap but sound perfect, the highbandwidth is perfect quality but keeps stopping to rebuffer. There is also a Direct Video link option that looks like it takes hours to download but I will try later.
Sue
England - Monday, May 20, 2002

Here is a link to The Drama Desk Awards Announcements
Sue
England - Monday, May 20, 2002

Well, here's the list of who won what in the Drama Desk awards:

Outstanding Musical: Thoroughly Modern Millie
Outstanding Play: TIE! The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? and Metamorphoses
Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Into the Woods
Outstanding Revival of a Play: Private Lives
Outstanding Actor in a Musical: John Lithgow, Sweet Smell of Success
Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Sutton Foster, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Shuler Hensley, Oklahoma!
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Harriet Harris, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Outstanding Actor in a Play: Alan Bates, Fortune's Fool
Outstanding Actress in a Play: Lindsay Duncan, Private Lives
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play: Frank Langella, Fortune's Fool
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play: Katie Finneran, Noises Off
Outstanding Solo Performance: Elaine Stritch, Elaine Stritch at Liberty
Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Michael Mayer, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Outstanding Direction of a Play: Mary Zimmerman, Metamorphoses
Outstanding Choreography: Susan Stroman, Oklahoma!
Outstanding Book of a Musical: John Lahr/Elaine Stritch, Elaine Stritch at Liberty
Outstanding Music: Jason Robert Brown, The Last 5 Years
Outstanding Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown, The Last 5 Years
Outstanding Music in a Play: Willy Schwarz, Metamorphoses
Outstanding Orchestrations: Douglas Besterman/Ralph Burns, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Outstanding Set Design of a Musical: Douglas W. Schmidt, Into the Woods
Outstanding Set Design of a Play: Tim Hatley, Private Lives
Outstanding Costume Design: Isaac Mizrahi, The Women
Outstanding Lighting Design: TJ Gerckens, Metamorphoses
Outstanding Sound Design: Dan Moses Schreier, Into the Woods

Annette
Mansfield, Tx - Monday, May 20, 2002

My, AR & LD seem to be attending quite a bit of social engagements while in NY. Here is a link to a luncheon for the New Dramatists organization. AR & LD are pictured a little more than half way down the page, as well as some other familiar British actors.
Annette
Mansfield, Tx - Monday, May 20, 2002

I don't know if anyone has mentioned The Video Interview Clips on the Tonys Page?. You will need real Player to download them.
Sue
England - Sunday, May 19, 2002

The Tonys page now has pix up from the Brunch BUT none from PL!! However there is a piece from an interview with LD about acting with AR
Sue
England - Sunday, May 19, 2002

IMPORTANT!!!Please go to http://www.petitiononline.com/ar1/petition.htm
A German Rickmanpage (www.Alan-Rickman.de) has started a petition to collect signatures for saving PRIVATE LIVES on VIDEO and DVD. It would be great if all rickmanfans could sign the petition. Me and so many others will never get a chance to see it if they don't videotape the play.
Ulrika
STockholm, - Sunday, May 19, 2002

The Drama Desk awards will be rebroadcast on WNET/Channel 13 on Monday 5/27 at 9:00 p.m. I don't know whether NY1's live coverage (Sunday 5/19 at 9:00 p.m.) will be interrupted for commercials. WNET is PBS so the rebroadcast should be commercial-free. Just in case anybody else hates commercials as much as I do.

Anne/Manhattan <agilhuly@gibsondunn.comfoo>
- Saturday, May 18, 2002

"The 47th Annual Drama Desk Awards will take place on Sunday, May 19, at 9 PM in the Concert Hall of the F.H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (the Fame school), 100 Amsterdam Avenue at 65th Street.

Rue McLanahan will host the awards show which will feature appearances by many stars of stage, screen and TV, including Meryl Streep, Mercedes Ruehl, Bill Pullman, John Lithgow, Elaine Stritch, Vanessa Williams, Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Alan Bates, Frank Langella, Alan Rickman, Jeffrey Wright, Anna Paquin, Louise Petrie, Patrick Wilson, Brian D´Arcy James, Laura Benanti, Elizabeth Franz, Shuler Hensley, Karen Mason, Judy Kaye, Susan Strohman as well as the casts of such nominated shows as Thoroughly Modern Millie (12 nominations), Sweet Smell of Success (11 nominations), Into The Woods and Oklahoma! (9 nominations each)."

There is more information about the awards ceremony, etc. at 2002 Dramadesk Awards
Suze
NY - Saturday, May 18, 2002

For those interested in filming PL - Check out www.broadwaytonight.com:

"In the 2002 theatrical season, we will launch Broadway Tonight -- an annual four-show subscription series headlined by major Hollywood and television stars. Each show in the series will be staged first, live on Broadway. At the conclusion of its limited theatrical run, each of the shows will be filmed and broadcast to pay-per-view audiences around the world."

I don't know if they'd be open to filming a show they didn't produce, but they are asking for suggestions (plays/stars you'd like to see) and if enough people suggest ...

The fact that they use the word "star" rather than "actor" makes me a bit uneasy about their intentions, but in this case they (and we) would be getting both.

Presumably these would be available on tape/disk as well as pay-per-view. They have a sister site, broadwaytheaterarchive.com, that sells a lot of taped/filmed plays.

Anne/Manhattan <agilhuly@gibsondunn.comfoo>
- Thursday, May 16, 2002

There is a photo of AR and LD at the Tony's Award Brunch on Broadway.com.

Sue
England - Thursday, May 16, 2002

Someone sent me this:

This year's Tony Awards Luncheon, which honors the 2002 Tony Award nominees, will be held on May 15 at The View Restaurant on the 48th floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel.

At the annual luncheon, the Tony nominees are presented with their Tony certificates, and the New York press gets a chance to chat with the artists and performers nominated for Broadway's most esteemed prize. It is also an opportunity for the press to photograph the stars-individually, with their fellow cast members and with the other nominees of their particular category.

Although the luncheon is not open to the public, clips of interviews with the nominees will be broadcast on NY1 and other news programs in the metropolitan area.

Asked NY1 about coverage and they sent: "We certainly will be attending the Tony nominee's luncheon, and you can expect to see a few quick interviews, but our half hour program, 'On Stage,' doesn't allow for more than that. You can see 'On Stage' at the following times: Saturday at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm; Sunday at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm and Monday at 9:30pm and 12:30am (early Tuesday morning)."

Whose interviews they'll show is anybody's guess, of course. Since the 15th was yesterday there may be stuff in the Thursday papers but I don't think I'm going to have time to check them out tonight.

Anne/Manhattan <agilhuly@gibsondunn.comfoo>
- Thursday, May 16, 2002

The New York Times
May 10, 2002, Friday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section E; Part 1; Page 7; Column 1; Movies, Performing Arts/Weekend Desk
HEADLINE: THEATER GUIDE

*(denotes a highly recommended show) "PRIVATE LIVES." Lest you've forgotten, the subject of Noel Coward's play is sex. Or as Amanda, the play's heroine, describes it, "our chemical what d'you call 'ems." Since Amanda is played by the ravishing Lindsay Duncan and she is speaking to the equally ravishing Alan Rickman, no further definition is required. Howard Davies's scintillating new revival restores the erotic bloom to one of the funniest comedies of the 20th century. With Ms. Duncan and Mr. Rickman as the once-married Amanda and Elyot, who reunite combustibly while on their honeymoons with other people, this London import doesn't stint on the expected glamour or knockabout farce. But the production also finds tension and even sadness beneath the linguistic game-playing. Mr. Rickman and Ms. Duncan convey their characters' stinging self-consciousness with inspired variety (2:20). Rodgers, 226 West 46th Street, (212) 307-4100. Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets: $20 to $75 (Brantley).
Georgiana <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle - Wednesday, May 15, 2002

Thanks for the WOR heads up, Georgiana!!

I read your message at 10:21 and managed to log into the site by 10:24! It was a very quick interview, lasted maybe 10 minutes at most.

They both spoke about the costumes. Alan compared wearing the suit he wears at the end of Act III as "wearing a sauna". Lindsay loves her gowns but said its a bitch trying to cram yourself into it while rushing about backstage, trying not to smear her lipstick on it, and then having to appear onstage all cool and calm and collected.

Alan mentioned that he doesn't get mobbed by kids in the U.S. since he played Snape because he had the good sense to pick a character who wore a black wig. So, unless he walks down the street in wig and his black robes, no one knows who he is.

Joan pointed out that this is New York and no one would probably turn their heads if he did dress that way! Alan mentioned that he went into "his" coffee shop this morning to see a man wearing a tutu and a tiara. I don't remember if he had a wand or not. ;) Alan thought, "good for you" and mentioned that the man looked comfortable.

They spoke of opening night jitters which still happen and the fact that there was no real rehearsal between the time they got to the U.S. and the first night they went on.

Can't remember any more they might have said. Thanks again Georgiana!!
Maggie
- Wednesday, May 15, 2002

The Independent (London)
May 15, 2002, Wednesday
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 4
HEADLINE: LOST COWARD PLAY MAKES ITS DEBUT ON BROADWAY
BYLINE: David Usborne

In New York Noel Coward: Never saw his 1947 play performed

AS FANS of Noel Coward and world-class acting flock to see Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman star in a West End revival of Private Lives on Broadway, more adventurous theatre-goers are savouring another of his plays that until recently no one had even heard of.

This week saw what was advertised as the "world premiere" of a sweet comedy set among high-society types on Long Island on the eve of the Second World War. This somewhat unexpected addition to the Coward oeuvre goes by the name of Long Island Sound. And the critics seem to have liked it very much. . . .

Newsday, Inc.
Newsday (New York, NY)
May 15, 2002 Wednesday NASSAU EDITION
SECTION: PART II, Pg. B37
HEADLINE: RADIO

HEAVY HITTERS. Actors Alan Rickman, Lindsay Duncan, Richard Kind, Rhea Perlman, Brad Oscar and Steven Weber, currently appearing on the New York stage, plus WCBS news anchors Ernie Anastos and Dana Tyler are guests on "The Joan Hamburg Show" on WOR/ 710 AM at 10 a.m.

From a review in today's New York Times of the ne'er before performed Noel Coward play, "Long Island Sound":

Until then, however, the show is oddly paced, though it isn't Mr. Evans's doing. It takes a particular talent to deliver Coward's repartee (even his second-tier repartee), a kind of verbal and physical elan (personified these days by Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan) that is mostly missing from the ensemble here.

Lena drew this to my attention - audience vote for the Tony's at Broadway.com

Claire
- Tuesday, May 14, 2002

On the May 17th broadcast of 'Theater Talk', Drama Critics HOWARD KISSEL, JOHN SIMON and LINDA WINER Assess The Spring Season, May 17th. Reviews of: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sweet Smell of Success, The Goat, Topdog/Underdog, Fortune's Fool, Metamorphoses and Private Lives. Friday, May 17 at Midnight on Channel Thirteen in New York and Sunday, May 19 at 4 PM on WGBH Boston.
Melissa
NJ USA - Tuesday, May 14, 2002

There seems to be bits and pieces of information here and there regarding the nominees and winners of the Drama League Awards. Here's what I've found:

'Urinetown,' 'Crucible' and 'Metamorphoses' Win the Drama League Awards
Fri May 10, 3:25 PM ET
Robert Simonson, Playbill On-Line

Urinetown and Metamorphoses have won the 2002 Drama League Awards for best play and musical, with The Crucible seizing the honor for best revival.

Liam Neeson, the star of The Crucible, was cited for Distinguished Performance.

The prizes were announced at a May 10 luncheon at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan.

The winners were a near mirror of the Lucille Lortel Awards, where Urinetown and Metamorphoses were also named best musical and play of the season. Both shows are up for Tony Awards (news - web sites) this year.

This year's nominees (with winners in italics) are:

Distinguished Production of a Play:
The Castle (Manhattan Ensemble Theatre)
Fortune's Fool
Metamorphoses (Second Stage, later transferred to Broadway)
Topdog/Underdog (Public Theater, later transferred to Broadway)
QED (Lincoln Center Theater)
The Shape of Things
The Phantom Lady (Pearl Theatre Company)

Distinguished Production of a Musical:
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Sweet Smell of Success
Mamma Mia!
Spitfire Grill (Playwrights Horizons)
Streets of New York (Irish Repertory Theatre)
Swimming with Watermelons (Vineyard Theatre)
Urinetown

Distinguished Production of a Revival:
The Dance of Death
Noises Off
The Crucible
Into the Woods
Major Barbara (Roundabout Theatre Company)
Morning's at Seven (Lincoln Center Theater)
Private Lives

Sweet Smell of Success star John Lithgow manned the podium at the May 10 Drama League soiree. Kathleen Chalfant and Marian Seldes served as honorary co-chairs of the event.

The Drama League also honored Julia Hansen with the Unique Contribution to Theatre Award. Hansen, president of the organization for 21 years, recently stepped down. The Distinguished Achievement Award in Musical Theatre, meanwhile, went to Elaine Stritch, now starring on Broadway in her one-woman show, Elaine Stritch at Liberty. Stritch's other musical credits include Pal Joey, Sail Away, Company and Show Boat.

The Drama League Award is the nation's oldest acting honor, first presented in 1935, predating the Tony Awards by 12 years. The Drama League's national membership votes for the performance and production awards in the days preceding the event. Proceeds from the Annual Awards Luncheon support The Drama League Directors Project.

The Drama League is devoted to supporting and strengthening theatre in America by broadening and stimulating the audience for quality theatre and by developing emerging talents for careers in the theatre.

And here's further information about the awards from Broadway.com (kind of sounds like my 5-year olds soccer team where everybody gets a trophy at the end of the season, no matter the win/loss record):

The Drama League also named a list of Outstanding Artists of the 2001-2002 season. They are: Alan Bates, Jason Biggs, Kate Burton, Norbert Leo Butz, Simon Callow, Billy Crudup, John Cullum, Mos Def, Lindsay Duncan, Molly Ephraim, Raul Esparza, Katie Finneran, Hallie Foote, Sutton Foster, Elizabeth Franz, Peter Frechette, Rupert Graves, Doug Hara, Harriet Harris, Shuler Hensley, Dana Ivey, Brian d’Arcy James, Spencer Kayden, Frank Langella, Laura Linney, John Lithgow, Garrett Long, Kristen Maloney, Andrea Martin, Donna Murphy, Brian Murray, Liam Neeson, Cynthia Nixon, Louise Pitre, Bill Pullman, Alan Rickman, Reg Rogers, Paul Rudd, Mercedes Ruehl, Sherie Rene Scott, Marian Seldes, Live Schreiber, Claudia Shear, Frances Sternhagen, Lisa Tejero, Stephen Tobolowsky, Fritz Weaver, Laurie Williams, Vanessa Williams, Patrick Wilson and Jeffrey Wright.

Annette
Mansfield, Tx - Tuesday, May 14, 2002

The Northern Echo
May 9, 2002
SECTION: Pg. 2
HEADLINE: VIDEOS
BYLINE: Viv Hardwick

(Excerpt)Chris Columbus's film adaptation is faithful to the book and a rollicking good romp. Harris is magnificent as headmaster Albus Dumbledore, exuding an air of age-old confidence, and Smith captures the nervousness of his right-hand woman, Professor McGonagall. Even better are Rickman as shadowy Professor Snape, who watches Harry's every move like a hawk, and Coltrane as gamekeeper Hagrid.

ndependent on Sunday (London)
May 12, 2002, Sunday
SECTION: ARTS ETC; Pg. 13
HEADLINE: DVD & VIDEO: MAGICAL BRIT FLICK HHHHI HARRY POTTER DVD/VHS RETAIL
BYLINE: Nicholas Barber

Chris Columbus's adaptation of JK Rowling's novel is a cauldron of magic, fun and adventure. It's as faithful as any Hogwarts fan could wish for, and while Columbus has been criticised for being too literal, he'd have committed Harry-kari if he'd taken liberties with the book. Chocolate frogs to Robbie Coltrane and Rupert Grint, and extra ones to Alan Rickman, who's on fantastic form as professor Snape.

From "ramblind reporter" column, Hollywood Reporter, Tuesday, May 14, 2002:
Stars, understudies celebrate Tony Time
by Robert Osborne

Sunday night in Manhattan--after Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan had engaged in their matinee battle of the sexes in "Private Lives" at the Richard Rodgers, after Patrick Wilson had finished singing that final exclamation point in "Oklahoma!" at the Gershwin, after John McMartin had wrapped up narrating "Into the Woods" at the Broadhurst--all zipped off to Sardi's to join fellow Tony nominees of the season--meaning most of the cast of "Morning's at Seven," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," et al.--for the American Theatre Wing's annual Tony Time Party. Much as the annual Oscar nominees luncheon on the West Coast gives the Chosen Ones a chance to meet, mingle, celebrate and, most importantly, be equal before the ballots are counted, so it is with this East Coast event. The Sardi's party also pulled a large contingent of past Tony nominees and winners, including Tommy Tune, Lilianne Montevecchi, Celeste Holm and numerous producers, writers and composers; the evening also celebrated Broadway understudies and standbys, with six of them entertaining the crowd following introductions by the performers they shadow such as Tony nominees Shuler Hensley of "Oklahoma!" and Louise Pitre of "Mamma Mia!" along with Sheryl Lee Ralph of "Millie" and Chris Sieber of "Into the Woods." Host for the event was the king of understudies, who've made good, "The Producers'" Brad Oscar. ...

From Backstage: Back Stage Notes May 13, 2002: Diary of a Mad Editor-Critic By David Sheward

Award season continues apace. The past two weeks have been a mad dash of accolade accruing and coverage. As President of the Drama Desk, a voting member of the New York Drama Critics Circle and the Outer Critics Circle, and Managing Editor of Back Stage, I've been sprinting from theatre to theatre and event to event. Here's a diary of this past frantic fortnight: (I've only posted the PL part)

Sat. April 27: After turning in my ballot for the Outer Critics Circle, I take in a matinee ("Private Lives")... "Private Lives," Noel Coward's comedy of bon mots, cocktails, and divorce, has been attempted by divas such as Tallulah Bankhead, Tammy Grimes, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth Taylor, and Joan Collins. Grimes won a Tony Award and Smith was nominated for one. Bankhead, Taylor, and Collins drove the play as vehicle and met detours from the critics. This production (a hit in London) from director Howard Davies gives equal play to the male and female leads and ratchets up the broader comedy elements along with the champagne-fueled dialogue. It's like a new play rather than a summer-stock chestnut. Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan find dozens of off-the-wall line readings and reactions in this familiar script of a divorced pair reunited on their respective honeymoons with two new spouses. Rickman's flippant brushing-off of convention and Duncan's delightfully sarcastic overplaying of social pleasantry in the midst of embarrassing chaos are worth ten times the movie-star glamour of Taylor and Collins. Emma Fielding and Adam Godley enrich the stuffy new mates with conviction in their stuffy rightness. Tim Hatley's sets and Jenny Beaven's costumes are elegant and tasteful.

Ann
NJ USA - Monday, May 13, 2002

Melissa, I haven't been able to figure out who the 'nominees' were for the Drama League awards. Broadway.com shows a photo of Mr. Rickman with Frank Langella, Lindsay Duncan and Alan Bates, labelled as 'winners' of this award, at the 68th Annual Drama League awards luncheon. It is photo #14 in the series. There are at least a dozen such awards, three with 'drama' in their names. A nice list of these is up at Curtain Up.
Georgiana <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle, - Monday, May 13, 2002

Just found out that Liam Neeson won the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance. The Drama League also named a list of Outstanding Artists of the 2001-2002 season which included Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan. Was Alan a nominee in the Distinguished Performsnce category?
Melissa
NJ USA - Monday, May 13, 2002

The Independent on Sunday Dvd Reviews - Nicholas Barber

"Chris Columbus's adaptation of JK Rowling's novel is a cauldron of magic, fun and adventure. It's as faithful as any Hogwarts fan could wish for, and while Columbus has been criticised for being too literal, he'd have committed Harry-kari if he'd taken liberties with the book. Chocolate frogs to Robbie Coltrane and Rupert Grint, and extra ones to Alan Rickman, who's on fantastic form as professor Snape."
Sue
, England - Sunday, May 12, 2002

Copyright 2002 Bergen Record Corporation
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
April 29, 2002 Monday All Editions
SECTION: LIFESTYLE / ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. f07
HEADLINE: ANOTHER GREAT RICKMAN-DUNCAN LIAISON
BYLINE: ROBERT FELDBERG, STAFF WRITER

PRIVATE LIVES: A Broadway play revival at the Richard Rodgers Theater, 226 W. 46th St. Written by Noel Coward. With Alan Rickman, Lindsay Duncan, Emma Fielding, and Adam Godley. Directed by Howard Davies. $47.50 to $85. (212) 307-4100. Noel Coward's bittersweet romantic comedy "Private Lives" is a wonderful play that has, in recent Broadway history, attracted the wrong people. One foul production starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, while another showcased the talents of Joan Collins.

This time, though, the people reviving Coward's 1930 work have gotten it very, very right. The British production that opened Sunday at the Richard Rodgers Theater is extremely funny, touchingly romantic, brilliantly acted, and altogether one of the brightest treats of this or any other theater season.

Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman, who teamed up on Broadway 15 years ago in the memorable "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," are Amanda and Elyot, the couple who can't live apart but might murder each other if they stay together.

From the moment Elyot appears on that famous balcony with his new second wife, the fluttery but practical Sybil (Emma Fielding), Rickman subtly gives us his exact emotional temperature. A few restrained though easy gestures, a half-smile, a measured voice let us know that this is a man who's reined in his wit and style to accommodate the conventionality of a new mate.

Similarly, when Amanda appears on the adjoining balcony with her new spouse, the proper and dull Victor (Adam Godley), Duncan, though making Amanda quite charming, suggests a woman striving to keep her willfulness under wraps.

The tower of identical, art deco hotel balconies, designed by Tim Hatley in exaggerated perspective, makes its own statement, as does his dark, lush, heavily pillowed Paris apartment, which houses the characters in the second and third acts.

After Amanda and Elyot each, hilariously, sense the presence of the other on the next balcony and then come face to face for the first time since their divorce five years earlier, the comic tone slides naturally into a deeply romantic - yet cool-eyed - evocation of love.

Running off to Paris, Amanda and Elyot luxuriate in their rediscovery of each other, unlimbering their smart, impudent, and subversively funny true selves while trying to keep their assertive personalities from sabotaging their joy. They express their tenderest emotions through Coward's sublime songs "Some Day I'll Find You" and "If Love Were All. " The scene, with its summoning of that heady moment when love is at it most dominant, is remarkable, not only because that feeling is seldom tapped in other productions of the play, but because it's rarely evoked in any play.

Strictly speaking, Duncan and Rickman are a bit old for their parts, since Amanda and Elyot should be in their 30s. But the actors are so good, their chemistry so strong, and the spell of romance so deep, that observation is instantly forgotten.

With Amanda and Elyot being who they are - and with Sybil and Victor inevitably showing up - their new-old relationship hits several enormous bumps. They are, however, wildly funny bumps as this marvelously symmetrical play careens toward its perfect ending.

Under the smooth, confident direction of Howard Davies, the production is a series of delicious moments. Fielding and Godley are perfectly cast, making Sybil and Victor ideal foils while also giving them distinctive personalities. Even the fleeting appearances of a slovenly French maid (Alex Belcourt) who coughs on the food she serves are richly amusing.

This is captivating theater.

Here is yet another PL review ... this one from tomorrow's New York Observer

Let’s Be Superficial And Enjoy The Private Lives Party

by John Heilpern

If, for some inexcusable reason, you've never seen Private Lives, go immediately to jail; do not pass go. But you'll have a treat in store with the latest Broadway revival of Noël Coward's 1930 comic masterpiece. If, like most of us, you've seen Private Lives three or four times before-including the unforgettable Joan Collins version-do not despair. You'll find that the new production and its cast have triumphed over historic adversity.

Apart from the previous star vehicles and hack productions, the problem with staging Noël Coward is Noël Coward. The famously clipped, stiff-upper-lip style of "The Master," along with his staccato delivery and silk-dressing-gown chic, has made him the most badly impersonated public figure on and off the English stage. There's even a scratchy recording of him with Gertrude Lawrence-they were the stars of the original Privates Lives production-doing their racy, bantering stuff.

The achievement of the new production's British stars, Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan, is that they've jettisoned the dated legacy and the impersonations and actually made those forever battling lovers, Elyot and Amanda, intelligently real. They're both giving supreme comic performances-the best I've seen in Private Lives, or most other places recently.

Be warned, though: This is not the erotic experience the Times critic would have you believe. "The erotic bloom is restored to one of the funniest comedies of the twentieth century," The Times announced, having pointed out that the subject of Private Lives is really sex.

You'll appreciate how tactful I'm trying to be. I'm not even mentioning Ben Brantley by name. But if you visit Private Lives for eroticism, you're going to end up in the wrong place. Noël Coward is about as erotic as Fred Astaire. Stylishness is another matter. The theme of Private Lives isn't anything so disgusting as sex. Love, the impossibility of love, the frightful, fatiguing, infatuated strain of love, the hey-ho, if love were all of love, is Coward's gold-embossed calling card. What's that "nasty, insistent little tune" that Elyot complains about to Amanda and will later sing with her? It's Coward's own bitter-sweet "Some Day I'll Find You," of course.

Some day I'll find you
Moonlight behind you
True to the dream I am dreaming
As I draw near you
You'll smile a little smile;
For a little while
We shall stand
Hand in hand.

Slim erotic pickings there .... The sentimental theme song of Private Lives represents Elyot and Amanda's sweet romantic yearning. The reality of the eternally warring lovers is that they're doomed to be incapable of living without each other. ("I'll leave you never / Love you forever," the lyric goes on.) But what do they really want? They want what Noël Coward wanted, in his own inscrutable fashion.

Coward's 1930's keynote address in the play is Elyot's own unapologetic credo: "Let's be superficial and blow trumpets and squeakers, and enjoy the party as much as we can .... " His message is a defense of deft flippancy in the teeth of disapproving bourgeois morality. It's the same escapist message conveyed by the bohemian modernists and closet gays of Coward's Design for Living. "Laugh at everything, all their sacred shibboleths," Elyot adds for good measure. "Flippancy brings out the acid in their damned sweetness and light."

Coward's self-defined talent to amuse could make anything even remotely serious seem boring. He loads the dice against the opposition from the start (and gets away with it). The opening balcony scene of Private Lives is the best balcony scene since Romeo and Juliet, only wittier. Elyot and Amanda, divorced for five years, meet on adjoining balconies of their Deauville hotel where they're honeymooning with their new spouses, tweedy Victor and Sibyl (as in "Don't quibble, Sibyl"). Victor and Sibyl are conventional middle-class clods-no match for a good dose of smart triviality.

Why the effortlessly bored Elyot married bossy Sibyl (played by Emma Fielding in supercomic form), or why the free-spirited Amanda married humorless Victor (the first-rate Adam Godley), is a death wish in search of normality. By Act II, Elyot and Amanda have jilted their spouses and fled to Paris. I've always reluctantly found the second half of Private Lives a bit of a self-pleading romp after the dazzling perfection of the first. Everyone knows at least a line or two from Act I. "Very big, China." "And Japan?" "Very small." But how many of us can recite anything from Act II-except, perhaps, for Elyot's "Certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs."

Howard Davies' otherwise winning production falters by slowing up the second half. Coward's wit is lean and must crackle along. Best not to linger over its artifice. But the director has over-choreographed the knockabout comedy of the closing fight scene, and he's managed to turn "Someday I'll Find You" into a duet and near dirge. He's after the sacred subtext.

Oh, that old thing. The subtext! The brittle, polished surfaces of Coward, like Wilde's elegant wit, is used to camouflage authentic emotion. As a gay man, Noël Coward had good reason to be circumspect in an age when homosexuality was still a crime. Coded evasion was a tactful, necessary style. But reticence has always been a deeply ingrained English characteristic. The national temperament is one of restraint. We often must deduce what the traditionally reserved Englishman feels by what he leaves unsaid. There are private lives (and public faces). Appearances are to be maintained.

But is there any mystery left by now in Coward's subtext? Hasn't it already been strip-mined for what isn't there? For myself, Private Lives' appeal is its flippancy. Rumors that there's much underneath the underneath have been greatly exaggerated. To be sure, Coward is masking solitude and need, but it's a transparent mask. What do we most remember after seeing Private Lives if not the fun we had?

I've written before about being lucky enough to have met Noël Coward when I was just starting out and he was, as it were, finishing up. At 70, Coward was approaching the end of his life. I visited him at his home in Switzerland and interviewed him over two mornings and lunch. "Do stop racking your brains, dear boy, and eat up your lunch," he advised me, looking amused. This is the thing: Apart from the fact that he really was Noël Coward down to his silk dressing gown, apart from him being gloriously funny (and happily enjoying his own jokes), he deflected all seriousness like an unwelcome intruder.

He was like his plays. When I mentioned Samuel Beckett's pessimism to him, he replied with unblinking cool, "He must have read too many of his own plays. It gets him down, I expect." I asked him what the year 1930 meant to him. "Private Lives, of course." And 1939? "Present Laughter," he replied, somewhat overlooking the significance of World War II.

Well, the Master wasn't about to tell his innermost secrets to me. I asked in all innocence how much of his work didn't we know about. He paused for the only time during our meeting: "My dear boy .... " But then, Coward revealed little about himself to anyone.

Is it possible that beneath his glittering, urbane exterior there was a glittering, urbane interior? Naturally, it's said that Mr. Rickman and Ms. Duncan have gone for the "unexplored" subtext of Private Lives. From my point of view, these leading actors-who play so beautifully together-have made Coward's vintage comedy grow up. Mr. Rickman, with his wary, hooded eyes, conveys Elyot's droll boredom in a masterly way; it's as if he's on the verge of killing anything mundane, including poor Sibyl. He's correctly restrained with what Elyot calls "the big, romantic stuff," and is pleasingly, slyly arrogant whenever possible. He leaves us in no doubt that Elyot is smarter than anyone for miles. As Coward's alter ego, it's the least Elyot can do.

Ms. Duncan's Amanda is another of her fine performances, suggesting a brassier sense of comedy than you might expect. Gertrude Lawrence, the original Amanda, was adored by Coward for her vulgarity. (Known as "Gert," no Gert was ever pert.) Ms. Duncan's faintly South London accent hovers on being common in exactly the right low-comedy way. She glides over Coward's archness. "You mustn't be serious, my dear one, it's just what they want," goes Elyot's advice on the code of appearances. The beautiful Ms. Duncan suggests danger and feckless need at a glance. Her Amanda is trouble, all right, and a joy.

Annette
Mansfield, Tx - Sunday, May 12, 2002

I’ve discovered an absolute treasure trove of Alan Rickman photos I don’t think you’ve ever seen. If you all promise to play nicely with each other and not to quarrel anymore ever again, I’ll share it with you. This site is a gold mine for a lot British actors. Go to www.rexfeatures.com, click search, and then type in Alan Rickman. The third page of him struggling with his shopping trolley in Notting Hill is especially adorable. Enjoy!
Linda P
LA, CA - Sunday, May 12, 2002

Transcript of NY1's "On Stage" with PL review, broadcast May 4 and 5:

Program starts with clips from the four shows to be reviewed. From Act I of PL, we see AR and LD in formal wear on their respective balconies.

AR: "Yes, there is every need. I've never in my life felt a greater urge to be nasty."

Then a few minutes of news. NY1 will be covering the Drama Desk awards live on Sunday, May 19, at 9:00 p.m.

Donna Karger: ... Amongst the straight play nominees for Drama Desk awards, the revival of Noel Coward's Private Lives came out on top with seven nominations. This production, a London import starring Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman, opened last Sunday at the Richard Rodgers Theater, where cast members are still getting a feel for the place.

AR (apparently taped at a party or press event): In London we were, if you like, on a tennis court and now we're on a football pitch (smile). So, ah, you have to make a few adjustments. But it's a great theater and it feels fine there. It's just gonna take a little gettin' used to (smile).

[He definitely has had work done on his teeth. I thought so when I saw him at the stage door a couple of weeks ago.]

Before the first commercial: PL coming up next. From Act II, we see AR and LD in their pajamas in Amanda's flat:

LD: Do you realize that we're living in sin?

AR: Not according to the Catholics, the Catholics don't recognize divorce. We're as married as ever we were.

***

DK: Well, you can put the formal wear away for a while because, as we mentioned earlier, this past week brought the last of the Broadway openings for the 2001-2002 season. And so today Roma Torre ... will bring us up to date with reviews of the final three openings of the season ... We'll begin with Roma's review of PL. Roma?

RT: Keep the formal wear for PL even if you haven't seen it yet 'cause it'll be quite appropriate.

If you've seen any of those celebrity vehicle versions of PL before, chances are it didn't seem all that private. Sure, the actors were in their nightclothes talking about love, but they seemed about as private as two aging stars could be trying to look svelte and sound quick-witted spouting Noel Coward's deliciously glib lines in a theater full of their fans. But oh my goodness, what a difference a production can make. Director Howard Davies and company have turned this one into a stunner.

[Same Act I clip as above]

AR: "Yes, there is every need, I have never in my life felt a greater urge to be nasty."

[Balcony scene continues, sound lowered, as RT resumes review.]

Elyot and Amanda never looked so good. But they're not just beautiful, they're real people experiencing the gamut of emotions that a divorced couple would truly feel in the throes of a chronic love-hate relationship. Without changing a line of dialog, they give us a PL that is truly intimate and crackling with sexual energy. Not a line escapes their lips that doesn't sound entirely believable, even the funniest ones that always sounded like disconnected one-liners before.

When we meet them, Elyot and Amanda are newly married to other people. Both are coincidentally on honeymoon in adjacent hotel rooms in France. Elyot's new spouse, Sibyl, is something of a pill, and Amanda is hitched to a prig named Victor, and it's clear that these are mismatches. A contrived setup, to be sure, but entirely worth it just to see the magical stage moment when the fireworks go off when they first meet on that terrace. You can almost see those "chemical what d'you call 'ems," as Amanda puts it, flying through the air.

[Scene changes, sound still muted: Amanda's flat.]

And speaking of that terrace, Tim Hatley's set designs are utterly sumptuous, and Jenny Beavan's costumes as flattering to the actors as enhancing to their characters. Lindsay Duncan [camera zooms in] seems born to the role, a regal presence with the predatory instincts of a mountain lion. She is both fire and ice. Rickman [camera switches to him] matches her in extreme temperatures, with his sweet romantic urges and vain quick-to-ignite temper. Together, they are literally a blast to watch.

[New clip: Godley and Fielding taking bows.]

Adam Godley and Emma Fielding do a bang-up job as the respective spouses, and even manage to carve out some convincing portrayals of their own. But make no mistake, this one belongs to Duncan and Rickman, two dazzling talents who'll have you easily smitten.

[Same Act II clip as above.]

LD: Do you realize that we're living in sin?

AR: Not according to the Catholics, the Catholics don't recognize divorce. We're as married as ever we were.

To be honest, PL isn't a great play as much as a terrifically entertaining one. Not a whole lot happens and the second act in Amanda's Paris flat tends to drag. Yet this production does manage to go where few have ever gone before - it's got all the glibness down perfectly but it adds humanity and some genuine emotion. And just as Amanda and Elyot rediscovered their love somewhere in Act I, there I sat falling terribly for this show. Donna.

DK: It's nice to see this pair continuing their love affair, they were together in Les Liaisons Dangereuses -

RT: Yeah, very dangerous in that one, that was about 15 years ago. I loved them in that, and if you loved them in that, you'll love them in this.

***

Usually "On Stage" rebroadcasts the same show on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, but this Monday they had a roundtable discussion of the Tony nominations with moderator Donna Karger, theater critic Roma Torre, contributing critic Dennis Cunningham and contributing correspondents Patrick Pacheco of Newsday and David Sheward of Backstage. I've omitted discussions of musicals and anything else not relevant to PL. Sometimes they're all talking at once and the camera isn't on the person speaking, but I've done my best.

RT: ... Best Revival of a Play, which was a very tough category and a lot of important works were left out. Nominees were The Crucible, Morning's at Seven, Noises Off and Private Lives. Let's talk about who was left out ... Elephant Man, The Man Who Had All the Luck ... Major Barbara, The Women ... Dance of Death ...

DK: Hedda Gabler ... Now you gotta wonder - The Women, Major Barbara, Hedda Gabler, last fall - do you think they're -

DS or PP: It may be that these are the shows that are now running and those are the ones that are more prominent in the nominators' minds.

DC: Please don't say that 'cause they'll bring things in later and later -

DK: ... and everything will open in April. But you gotta think they're at least thinking, they're remembering, they have to know ...

Everyone talking at once: These are all very worthy choices ... Morning's at Seven has the most Tony nominations (nine) of any play, new or revival ... won Best Revival last time around ... five acting nominations might give it the edge. DS prefers Crucible but thinks Morning's will win. DC believes Crucible will win because it's So Serious but prefers Morning's. Torre thinks Noises Off is at a disadvantage because it opened so long ago. No one mentions PL at all.

***

DK: ... Best Director of a Play. We have Howard Davies for PL, Richard Eyre for The Crucible, Daniel Sullivan for Morning's at Seven and Mary Zimmerman for Metamorphoses.

PP: The only thing I would say is that the most egregiously overlooked person in this category is George Wolff's direction of Topdog/Underdog ...

DC: I think Howard Davies made a big mistake in PL - even though I loved it - he made a directorial decision that was all wrong ... that was, by showing Elyot and Amanda alone in Paris. They were so bored, it was boring.

General consensus: The second act of PL does drag. And this race is wide open.

***

DK: ... Best Leading Actor in a Play: Alan Bates, Billy Crudup, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Jeffrey Wright. Interestingly, we do not have Ian McKellen from Dance of Death, Bill Pullman from The Goat -

Everyone talking at once: - who made the play believable ... very difficult role. Kevin Bacon ... Simon Callow ... Chris O'Donnell ... Alan Alda was eligible even though QED only runs twice a week.

DS: ... Alan Bates will win, just because he had this fantastic drunk scene, it was very showy, and I would say if I had to pick one, it would be him.

DC: I agree. The drunk scene was just such a wonderful combination of laughter and heartbreak.

DS: And it was so natural and so unstudied and spontaneous-seeming.

RT: ... Every single one of these people is equally worthy, and I am hoping for a five-way tie! Try to pick between Alan Bates, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Jeffrey Wright -

DC: We just did!

RT: You don't count!

PP: I think Liam Neeson may also pull it off.

DK[?]: That's what I was thinking, he's going to give it a run for the money.

***

DK: ... Leading Actress in a Play: Again, this is the big No Kathleen Turner. We have Kate Burton, who is nominated twice [also Featured Actress, Elephant Man], Lindsay Duncan, Laura Linney, Helen Mirren and Mercedes Ruehl. Interesting that Mercedes is nominated and not Bill Pullman.

PP: And Helen Mirren's nominated and not Ian McKellen, so -

DS: The female category wasn't as competitive.

PP: It seems to me that the front-runner in many respects here may be Lindsay Duncan, because she was just absolutely utterly charming and utterly adorable -

DS/DC: Just great, she's just wonderful, brilliant.

RT: You know what's interesting in this group, the two Brits, I think, gave the strongest performances ... Helen Mirren and Lindsay Duncan -

DC: Isn't Helen Mirren an American by now?

DS: She lives here, but she's still a British -

RT: She's considered British.

RT: But then Laura Linney, she was very good but it was not enough, not big enough of a role, I think. In fact, I think in the original -

DS: In the original Crucible, Beatrice Straight won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in 1953.
Anne/Manhattan <agilhuly@gibsondunn.comfoo>
- Friday, May 10, 2002

For those in the NYC area: "Help! I'm a Fish" will be shown as part of the Tribeca Film Festival's Family Film Festival on Saturday May 11 at 2:30 p.m. at the UA Battery Park Cinemas, 102 North End Avenue. Admission $10. Tickets available at www.tribecafilmfestival.org, www.ticketmaster.com or 307-7171. Please note: Will-call tickets will not be held at the theater box office but must be picked up at the Tribeca Film Festival Box Office (387 Greenwich Street (between North Moore Street and Beach Street), after 8:00 a.m. on the day of your film.
Anne/Manhattan <agilhuly@gibsondunn.comfoo>
- Thursday, May 09, 2002

Here's broadcast information on the Tony's, from their web site:

Mark your Broadway calendar…The American Theatre Wing's 56th annual Tony Awards® ceremony will take place on June 2, 2002 at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. CBS and PBS will broadcast the ceremony live on national television. IBM has renewed its commitment to host and produce the Official Tony Awards website, which gives Internet users a unique behind-the-scenes look at the Tony Awards before, during, and after the telecast.

The London Evening Standard also has a Report on the Tony Nominations

Sue
England - Tuesday, May 07, 2002

AND a piece in Today's Independent.

sue
England - Tuesday, May 07, 2002

Here's a link to an article on the Tony nominations in The Guardian

sue
England - Tuesday, May 07, 2002

From NY Times 7th May

RUPERT EVERETT has flown in from Paris, where he is shooting "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" with CATHERINE DENEUVE, NASTASSJA KINSKI and LEELEE SOBIESKI, to talk about the about-to-be-released film "The Importance of Being Earnest."
But first he says he can see himself as Elyot, the role ALAN RICKMAN plays in "Private Lives." (Yesterday Mr. Rickman was nominated for a Tony Award.)
"How old's Rickman? Now he's what? Ninety?" he asks with a laugh. No, 56. Mr. Everett is 42.

Sue
Miaow, England - Tuesday, May 07, 2002

From the London Times:
May 07, 2002
Broadway Britons in line for Tony awards
From Nicholas Wapshott in New York

BRITAIN’S domination of Broadway was reflected in yesterday’s nominations for this year’s Tony Awards, America’s top stage prizes.

Half of the best actor and best actress nominees are British. Britain is also well represented on the shortlists for best play and musical revival.

Of the five nominated for best actor, two are British: Alan Bates, for Kuzovkin in Turgenev’s Fortune’s Fool and Alan Rickman as Elyot in Noel Coward’s Private Lives and one is Irish: Liam Neeson as John Proctor in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.

Similarly three of the five best actress nominees are British: Lindsay Duncan for Amanda in Private Lives, Helen Mirren for Alice in Strindberg’s Dance of Death and Kate Burton, Richard Burton’s daughter, for the title role in Hedda Gabler.

Miss Burton is also nominated for best supporting actress as Mrs Kendall in The Elephant Man, which was first performed at the Hampstead Theatre and was revived here by Sean Mathias, who also directed Dance of Death. Billy Crudup, who plays the Elephant Man, is among those nominated for best actor.

Productions which began in London’s West End so impressed the Tony nominations panel that three are competing for best revival: Private Lives, The Crucible and Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, directed by Jeremy Sams.

Private Lives attracted six nominations, including Howard Davies for direction.

The Crucible also has six nominations, including Richard Eyre for direction, Laura Linney for best actress, and Brian Murray for best support. Musical productions that began in London also feature strongly. The Royal National Theatre’s version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! attracted seven nominations, including musical revival, actor in a musical for Patrick Wilson, supporting actors for Shuler Hensley and Andrea Martin, and direction for Trevor Nunn.

Mamma Mia, the Abba musical, has five nominations, including best musical, Louise Pitre for actress in a musical, Judy Kaye for support.

However, the British contingent face tough opposition from two revivals, Thoroughly Modern Millie, which attracted 11 nominations, and Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, with 10, and from the musical Urinetown, also with 10.

Winners will be announced on Sunday, June 2.

I'm really glad to hear that the scenic design was nominated. Here's a link to theTony Nominations online.

Congratulations to Rickman and Lindsay Duncan!
Keyser <keyserfankf@netscape.netfoo>
USA - Monday, May 06, 2002

Nominations are in...Lindsay, Alan, Howard, the play for best revival, Jenny Beevan for costumes and their scenic designer all have nominations!!! Cheers to all!
ladyjane
- Monday, May 06, 2002

Here is the review of PL by the feared theatre critic, John Simon of New York magazine.

Born Again
A pulsingly erotic revival of Private Lives bests a scattershot Into the Woods and Arthur Miller's first Broadway play.

BY JOHN SIMON

A Talent to Amuse: Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman in Noël Coward's Private Lives.

If you have sat through as many Private Lives as I -- and, most likely, you have -- the question "Why that again?" might legitimately arise. But be advised; Howard Davies's staging, with this cast and these trappings, will have you watching a different play: hardly the same, but just as delicious.

There have been some great Amandas, but never anything like that of Lindsay Duncan. For starters, she is so damnably attractive that not leaping onstage requires serious self-restraint. But then, consider her miracles of timing, wonders of inflection, inexhaustible varieties of expression. Also a range of movements from slinky pussycat to stalking panther; sudden changes of voice from seductive purr to skewering hiss; and an array of silences from pregnant pause to coquettish sulk. Note further a repertoire of sinuous body twists, suggestive lip curls, and a gaze that can puncture frontally, sideswipe smilingly, or reverse inward into enigmatic reverie. I have always avoided the phrase "to die for"; for this performance, I can no more resist it than I can the woman herself.

Elyot is usually played with Noël Coward's own silkily acid understatement. Alan Rickman, with a long repertoire of villains behind him, plays the sophisticated bon vivant with a smooth façade, under which there lurks a tragicomic clown with raw nerves and rough edges, straining to convert sarcasm into socially acceptable irony. This is not a slippery, world-weary cynic but a self-muzzled attack dog, a barely catnapping volcano. And all the more sexually challenging to the right woman -- or the wrong one.

And who could be more devastatingly wrong than Emma Fielding's superb Sibyl, not the usual dithering ingenue but a flaunter of maidenly ingenuousness, a truculent wielder of ravenous innocence? Only the Victor of Adam Godley is ordinary (except for his ears), but manages to make ordinariness jaggedly droll. As a labor-shirking -- or is it xenophobic? -- French maid, Alex Belcourt contributes a saucy vignette.

Davies has slowed down the Coward tempo from volatile volubility to fragmented fury and Pinteresquely creeping deviousness. That makes the second act drag a bit, but lends biting novelty to the other two. Caparisoned in Tim Hatley's stylishly sly scenery, Jenny Beavan's sassy costumes, and Peter Mumford's mercurial lighting, this Private Lives is a public benefaction: two hours that can irradiate a lifetime. I only wish Rickman would not throw away the line about whose yacht is anchored just offstage.
Melissa
NJ, USA - Monday, May 06, 2002

Found this on-line. Here's keeping everything crossed for tomorrow's nomination announcements.

Wide-Open Race Expected at Tony Awards
05/05/2002 4:26 PM EDT

By MICHAEL KUCHWARA

NEW YORK (AP) - Is there life for the Tony Awards after "The Producers"?

More than you might think. In fact, when nominations for best of the Broadway season are announced Monday there could be something that was missing from last year's contest - real competition.

In 2001, the smash Mel Brooks musical dominated the nominations and then the ceremony itself. The show received 15 nominations and took home 12 awards last June, unseating "Hello, Dolly!" as the winner of the most awards ever.

This year, things aren't nearly as clear cut and several spirited races are expected.

Likely contenders for best-play nominations include "Topdog/Underdog" by Suzan-Lori Parks (winner of this year's Pulitzer Prize for drama), "The Goat" by Edward Albee, "Metamorphoses," Mary Zimmerman's take on the myths of Ovid, and even "Fortune's Fool," adapted by Mike Poulton from a work by Russian playwright Ivan Turgenev.

This season, no new musical received the unanimous raves "The Producers" did - which means best-musical nominations mostly likely will go to the four that are still running: "Urinetown," the ABBA-inspired "Mamma Mia!" and two musicals based on movies, "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Sweet Smell of Success."

There was an embarrassment of riches in the revival-play category. Eleven opened this season. Among the likely prospects vying for the four spots are "Private Lives,""Noises Off,""The Crucible,""Morning's at Seven,""The Elephant Man,""Dance of Death" and "The Man Who Had All the Luck," Arthur Miller's first Broadway play which closed after only four performances in 1944.

No such overcrowding exists in the musical-revival category. Only three opened on Broadway this season - if you count the short-lived "One Mo' Time," which previously had been done only off-Broadway. The real competition will be between "Oklahoma!" and the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine fairy tale musical, "Into the Woods."

In the performance categories, the fiercest battle is shaping up for best actor with Alan Bates, Bill Pullman, Alan Rickman, Ian McKellen, Liam Neeson, Simon Callow, Billy Crudup and Alan Alda among the contenders.

Among those considered contenders for best-actress nominations: Kathleen Turner, Lindsay Duncan, Mercedes Ruehl, Helen Mirren and Kate Burton.

Winners will be announced June 2 in a nationally televised broadcast from Radio City Music Hall.

Annette
Mansfield, Tx - Sunday, May 05, 2002

Here are the wonderful photos from Anne/Manhattan:

• Lindsay Duncan's flowers
• Alan Rickman's flowers
• And here's a couple of fantastic shots she took of the Private Lives marquee

Thanks again, Anne!

Suzanne <Suz@mail.usa.comfoo>
TX USA - Sunday, May 05, 2002

I'm posting for Anne/Manhattan who doesn't have a computer at home. For those taping NY1's "on stage" this weekend, Monday's shows will not be a repeat of Saturday/Sunday but will analyze the Tony nominations instead. NY1 will also cover the Tony nominations thing live at 8:30 AM Monday.
Mike
- Sunday, May 05, 2002

Found this comment on-line from Liz Smith's May 5, 2002 Page Six column. The misspelling of Noel Coward's name is in the column, and what is she talking about with the use of earphones?

UP IN HEAVEN, Nokl Coward must be happy as he looks down on Broadway, where his leading lady Elaine Stritch has taken the town by storm and revives Nokl every night onstage with charming anecdotes.

Now, one of his greatest plays, "Private Lives," is again an instant hit, winning rave reviews at the Richard Rodgers Theater for 18 weeks only. The sets are magnificent! It's fun to think how this comedy of manners shocked people back in 1930 and great to watch audiences who've never seen it before absorbing the brittle dialogue. The British stars Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan are marvelous warring lovers. She especially lights fires of fierce laughter and romantic freedom. You have to grow used to Mr. Rickman as a dashing lover. (He's usually a movie villain in "Die Hard" and other flicks.) Nokl Coward loved celebrity more than most, so he'd be pleased to find Emma Thompson, Mike Nichols, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Lauren Bacall, George Hamilton, Ian McKellen, Sarah Jessica Parker and Randy Harrison of "Queer as Folk" fame in his audience.

Here's a tip: Even if you aren't hard of hearing, you still might find the earphones useful. They help with the often-dropped British accents in what is a large theater.
Annette
Mansfield, Tx - Sunday, May 05, 2002

Belfast News Letter
May 3, 2002, Friday
SECTION: THE GUIDE; Pg. 32
HEADLINE: SMALL SCREEN: HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
HIGHLIGHT: FAMILY FUN: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Ian Hart, John Hurt
Family, cert PG, 152 mins

Chris Columbus's film adaptation is faithful to the source text and a rollicking good romp.

Harris is magnificent as headmaster Albus Dumbledore, exuding an air of age-old confidence, and Smith captures the nervousness of his right- hand woman, Professor McGonagall. Even better are Rickman as shadowy Professor Snape, who watches Harry's every move like a hawk, and Coltrane as gamekeeper Hagrid.

The problems begin with the child actors. Radcliffe and Watson both look the part, as Harry and swot Hermione, but neither are completely convincing in their roles.

In particular, Radcliffe fails to capture the sadness and grief of his hero, and his performance is purely reactive.

Thank goodness for Rupert Grint as Ron - his innate cheek shines through on the big screen, and makes his alter ego the most lovable first year at Hogwart's.

Special effects are magnificent and the attention to detail in art direction, set design and costumes is stunning.

Columbus directs the big set pieces with flair, capturing the exhilaration of Quidditch in a dizzying sequence reminiscent of the Pod Race in Star Wars.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone is neither as bad as I feared, nor as enchanting as I hoped.

Huge fun for the entire family, but just lacking that magical lustre.

The Independent (London)
May 3, 2002, Friday
SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 13
HEADLINE: VIDEOS
BYLINE: Sally Chatterton

HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

To buy and rent from 11 May

There are few scenes that stand out in this rather pedestrian adaptation of JK Rowling's bestseller. The tale of the orphaned boy wizard has a cast of thousands of children who singularly fail to impress, save for a self-possessed Emma Watson as Hermione Granger and an ebullient Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint). Daniel Radcliffe as Harry just isn't right - there's too much of the wimp about him.

Famous names trundle on screen do their bit and trundle off again, but none of them is used to any great effect, although Alan Rickman does manage to camp it up wildly as Professor Snape. There's very little that's magical about this offering apart from the way it is certain to fly out of the shops.

Here's a link to the NY Post article on the Tony's (nominations due out on Monday).
Georgiana (Beware! This site gives you *two* pop-ups per screen!) <gellis@drizzle.comfoo>
Seattle - Friday, May 03, 2002

I had just logged on to my home page MSM uk and noticed an article labelled Older Sexy men so I clicked on it (Well!I just had to ...didn't I?) This link will take you to the page then you will have to click on the article to get the pop-up pix. It will probably only be there a day or two.
Must say I go along with quite a few of their choices but must pass on Sven, Bowie and Walken (Just don't cut the mustard as they say!)
Sue
BTW anyone interested in local politics may be interested to knoww that MsHorton retained her seat in yesterdays local elections, England - Friday, May 03, 2002

Here is a piece in today's NY Times re:The Tony's

Counting Down to Tony Night
By JESSE McKINLEY

o here we are again, at the end of one race and the beginning of another. Endings first: when the curtain fell on the opening night of "The Man Who Had All the Luck" at the American Airlines Theater on Wednesday, it was the end of Tony eligibility for the 2001-02 season, concluding a year when Broadway swooned - and rallied - as never before. At the same time, it signified the beginning of what promises to be one of the most interesting Tony contests in several years.
The first challenge is just being nominated. While their commercial value is debatable, nominations are always a morale boost.
Everybody wants nominations, and some shows really need them. A handful closed within a week of last year's nominations announcement.This year there are several, like the nicely reviewed but weak-selling revival of "The Elephant Man," that could use some peer approval to help spur sales.
Who wields the power to nominate? Twenty-eight theater professionals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from oldtimers like the opening night snapshot artist Aubrey Reuben to relative babes like the actor and playwright David Marshall Grant. They will meet Sunday.
So here are the results of an informal and totally unscientific survey about what may be revealed when Jennifer Jason Leigh (of "Proof") and Steven Weber (of "The Producers") read the nominations on Monday morning at 8:30 at Sardi's.

BEST PLAY REVIVAL
Except for best actor in a play, this is the most competitive category for nominations. With the opening of "The Man Who Had All the Luck" on Wednesday, there are 11 contenders for a mere four slots, a situation made worse by the fact that many of the play revivals received favorable reviews. Two shows that opened late in the season to good notices, "Morning's at Seven" and "Private Lives," look strong, as does "The Crucible," one of two Arthur Miller revivals. ("The Man . . . " is the other.) That leaves one slot. "Hedda Gabler" and "Dance of Death" are at a disadvantage since they have closed. It's tight, but "Noises Off," the most overt comedy of the season, has the edge over "The Elephant Man," which has been struggling despite great write-ups for its star, Billy Crudup.

LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Liam Neeson, Mr. Crudup, Bill Pullman, Jeffrey Wright, Ian McKellan, Chris O'Donnell, Alan Bates, Alan Rickman, Mos Def, Kevin Bacon: all gave acclaimed performances this year, and 10 of them are not going to fit in a category that holds only 5. Look for the British to get two nods (Mr. Bates and Mr. Rickman), the Irish one (Mr. Neeson), and the Americans two (Mr. Pullman and Mr. Wright). Mr. Crudup, Mr. O'Donnell, Sir Ian, Mr. Bacon and Mos Def, all richly deserving, will miss the boat.

LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
As always, there weren't enough meaty roles for leading actresses on Broadway this year, but the roles there were were well filled. Lindsay Duncan is a shoo-in for "Private Lives," as is Helen Mirren for "Dance of Death." Laura Linney will be noticed for "The Crucible," and Kate Burton will be remembered for "Hedda Gabler." The final nominee looks to be Mercedes Ruehl, for "The Goat."

I have only posted the relevant nominations to save space.
Sue
England - Friday, May 03, 2002

Rev up your VCRs! I just had this from Roma Torre, who hosts NY1's "On Stage": "Yes, I'm reviewing "Private Lives" for Onstage this week. Don't know if you have any personal connection to the show, or merely curious but I did enjoy it immensely. I'm not sure if any of the stars are booked. But I'll keep your email address. If we do plan on any interviews, I'll let you know." I replied that I would post the info here and she should expect a few new viewers this weekend.

"On Stage" airs Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.; Sunday, same; and Monday, 9:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m. It looks like you may be able to watch it on line, but I haven't been able to on this computer. If you'd like me to tape it for you, please email me personally. I don't have the equipment to duplicate tapes but since it airs six times I could make five extras. (I also have a few extra Playbills if anybody wants.)

There was a new ad in the Times today - half-page, black and white, pictures of the cast (not the photo of AR/LD that we've been seeing) and quotes from the New York critics. Maybe we'll get it in color on Friday or Sunday?
Anne/Manhattan <agilhuly@gibsondunn.comfoo>
- Thursday, May 02, 2002

If you're lucky enough to be coming in to NYC to see Private Lives - or anything else for that matter - here are a few souvenir shops catering to a Broadway theme. I've been to the Theatre Circle a few times. Usually crowded but has a great selection. Just pack extra cash as I find that it's usually not cheap in that store - but it's worth the trip, just the same. ~Maggie

Broadway New York

Broadway New York is the premiere source for Broadway Show memorabilia and souvenirs, with over 20 years of experience serving both Broadway show visitors and theatre professionals. Our stores, located at the heart of the theatre district, provide a unique shopping experience for all things Broadway, from scripts and vocal scores to CDs, t-shirts and baseball caps.

We are pleased to bring our extensive expertise to the internet, enabling theatre-lovers all over the world the same exciting shopping experience available at our brick-and-mortar establishments.

ONE SHUBERT ALLEY

Because of the diversity in merchandise, this store attracts both tourists and theatre professionals. It's very possible that while visiting, you may be shopping next to one of Broadway's biggest stars, directors, or writers. "Newsweek Magazine", "In Theatre Magazine", "Playbill Magazine", and "The New York Times", have all done articles featuring this store. Theatre Circle is the "kid-in-a-candy-shop" experience for all people who love and appreciate Broadway Theatre.
Maggie <perla58@earthlink.netfoo>
Morris Plains, NJ USA - Thursday, May 02, 2002

There is a video clip from the opening night of Private Lives at :
Broadway.com
Unfortunately, it's not in a format that works on my computer, but will hopefully work for some of you...

And if any of you are bored by all the great reviews for Private Lives, Rickman, Duncan, the director, the sets, etc., check out the review in the Village Voice - on-line at http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0218/feingold.php It blasts the entire production. One wonders if Mr. Feingold of the Voice saw the same production as all the other critics!
Kiki
- Wednesday, May 01, 2002

The NY Post
Wed May 1 page 49
Even revivals can't revive B'way box office
by Michael Riedel

Spring is usually a good time for the Great White Way.

New shows are opening right and left, the industry is in the grip of Tony fever, audiences are shaking off the winter doldrums.

So why all the long faces in Shubert Alley these days?

Because the unpleasant truth is that this spring - indeed, the entire 2001-2002 season - has been pretty lousy.

Ticket sales are way down, advances are shrinking or holding steady at best, daily wraps for even the well-reviewed shows are not what they should be.

Take , for instance, the revival of "Private Lives."

It couldn't have gotten better reviews had Noel Coward penned them himself.

The betting was that by the end of Monday - the day the reviews came out - the show would sell over $200,000 worth of tickets. The actual figure: $105,000.

Emanuel Azenberg, the show's producer, says he's happy with that number but adds: "With the set of notices we got, we should have done $200,000. For whatever reason, fewer people are buying tickets at the moment."

A top Broadway publicist is more blunt: "Nobody's buying anything. There is week-by-week panic. The feeling is: Let's get this crummy season over with right now."

Theories abound as to why Broadway is in the dumps, though few theorists are wiiling to speak on the record since the official line is that Broadway is back and stronger than ever.

The article goes on but nothing more about PL. Well nobody can say that we are not doing our part to fill up the seats. For tyhe people who have been attending has the theatre lokked full? When I went on April 19 it looked sold out.
Valerie
Great Neck, n y - Wednesday, May 01, 2002

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