Author Archive for Catherine
Four TONY Nominations for Pal Joey!
The American Theatre Wing announced the 2009 Tony Award Nominees today. While Billy Elliott and Next to Normal topped the list of multiple nominations by show (15 and 11 respectively), Roundabout Theatre Company’s Pal Joey picked up a respectable 4 Tony nods:
Best Revival of a Musical
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical; Stockard Channing
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical; Martha Plimpton
Best Scenic Design of a Musical; Scott Pask
Congratulations to Roundabout and the entire Pal Joey team!!
For a full listing of Nominees, read more.
Robert Clohessy on ABC’s “The Unusuals”
Imagine my delight last night when my husband called out to me, while watching TV, “Hey, that’s the guy from Pal Joey“. I knew immediately who he was talking about, because he was watching a new show on ABC called “The Unusuals”, which is a kind of gritty New York type of show. Who else could it be but Robert Clohessy (Pal Joey’s Mike), who is, to me, the quintessential gritty New Yorker?
Clohessy had a guest starring role as Mike Boorland, the head of a New York crime family that, after being quiet for years, has suddenly gone on a daylong crime spree. Clohessy played the part perfectly - wise-ass tough guy who has no respect for the police. He was great, and it was great to see him on television again. My husband and I really enjoyed him on the short-lived Fox drama “New Amsterdam”, on which he played Detective Tony Santori. Here’s hoping he gets picked up on another drama soon!
To watch the April 15 episode, Boorland Day, click here.
Martha Plimpton At Roundabout Spring Gala
picture by Joseph Marzullo/WENN)
And the World Goes Roundabout
On Monday night, the Roundabout Theatre held its annual Spring Gala at the Roseland Ballroom, with many of Broadway’s greatest stars on hand as performers and guests. Among them was Pal Joey favorite Martha Plimpton. A host of other stars, including Nick Adams, Matthew Broderick, Bill Irwin, Eddie Izzard, Cheyenne Jackson, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Martha Plimpton, Brooke Shields, and Steven Weber.
And the caption for this beautiful Martha pic? Martha Plimpton is sure to be remembered this awards season for her work in the Roundabout’s recent revival of Pal Joey.
Only time will tell!
Click here to view TheaterMania article.
It’s A Girl!
Congratulations to Melissa and Christian Hoff, who welcomed baby Evelyn Jane into the Hoff family on Monday, March 16th. Little Evelyn, who weighed in at 8.5 pounds and 21 inches, joins brother Eli and sisters Erika and Elizabeth in the ever-expanding Hoff family.
“What a blessing from God”, says Christian. And we wish the Hoffs many more blessings in all aspects of life.
Martha Plimpton To Co-Host Obie Awards
Martha Plimpton, photo by Aubrey Reuben
By Andrew Gans
17 Mar 2009, Playbill
Pal Joey’s Martha Plimpton and Shrek the Musical’s Daniel Breaker will co-host the 54th Annual Village Voice Obie Awards.
The awards, which celebrate the 2008-2009 Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway seasons, will be held May 18 at Webster Hall in Manhattan.
Presented by the Village Voice, the annual event will be produced and directed by Eileen Phelan.
…The Obie Awards were created in 1955 by Jerry Tallmer. Past recipients include Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, William Hurt, Morgan Freeman, Mos Def, Amy Irving, Kevin Kline, Nathan Lane, Olympia Dukakis, Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon, Alec Baldwin, Kathy Bates, James Earl Jones, Felicity Huffman and Harvey Fierstein, among others.
Plimpton won an Obie in 2002 for her performance in Hobson’s Choice. Breaker was a 2008 Obie winner for his work in the ensemble cast of Passing Strange.
A “Creative Block and Obies After Party” — featuring burlesque, digital art, performance art, dance and fiber arts from New York’s creative emerging artists and avant-garde underground — will be held in tandem with the awards ceremony. Michael Musto will host. Tickets, priced $15, for “Creative Block” will go on sale April 1.
Matthew Risch Heading To Chicago….To Teach!
Following his extended run in Pal Joey, Matthew Risch will be headed to Chicago to participate in a one-day-only workshop presented by The Broadway Dreams Foundation. “Triple Threat Extreme - Legally Blonde Style” brings three of the original cast members of the hit Broadway Show Legally Blonde to instruct, encourage and inspire Broadway hopefuls of all ages to follow their dreams. Besides Risch, the faculty includes Nikki Snelson (Brooke, the fitness guru in Legally Blonde), and Paul Canaan (Legally Blonde ensemble, and a judge on the MTV series Legally Blonde: The Search For Elle Woods) as its Artistic Director.
The curriculum for this event emphasizes becoming a triple threat: a performer equally talented in singing, dancing, and acting. Something Matt has had much practice in for the past several months. Attendees to this workshop will certainly benefit from his recent experience in Pal Joey.
“Triple Threat Extreme - Legally Blonde Style” will be offered one day only: Sunday, March 29th at Giordano Dance School, 614 Davis Street, Evanston, IL 60201. For more information, you can visit www.mybroadwaydreams.com.
Stockard Channing Featured In “Broadway For A New America”
Stockard Channing isn’t taking even one day of rest following Sunday’s final curtain of her current Broadway show Pal Joey. According to the Independent Press, Ms. Channing will be appearing in the “Broadway For A New America” benefit on Monday, March 2.
April 2nd UPDATE: STOCKARD CHANNING IS NO LONGER APPEARING IN THIS SHOW.
The concert will be hosted by Broadway star Jim Dale, and features Tony, Emmy and Oscar nominated performers Stockard Channing, Rosie Perez, Fran Drescher, Anne Meara, Lillias White, Melissa Errico and Tovah Feldshuh.
Other notables included in the benefit are current Broadway singers Rebeca Luker of “Mary Poppins”, Norm Lewis and Jonathan Freeman of “the Little Mermaid”, and Krysta Rodriguez of “In the Heights”; funny-man Richard Belzer; and three-time Emmy nominee Seth Rudetsky.
Tickets may be purchased at www.jews4change.com and click on the ticket order page.
LAST CHANCE! Pal Joey Plays Last Show March 1
Only a few days left to catch Stockard Channing, Matthew Risch and Martha Plimpton starring in Pal Joey at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Studio 54. The final curtain is Sunday, March 1, and tickets are available.
Matthew Risch, One Of The Hottest Guys In Theater
The website “afterelton” posted its picks for the 37 hottest guys in theater. Among the Broadway cuties is Pal Joey’s own Matthew Risch.
by Michael Portantiere
January 27, 2009
Matthew Risch was an ensemble member and understudy in the Broadway casts of Chicago and Legally Blonde, but he stepped up to the plate and took on the title role in the current revival of Pal Joey when original star Christian Hoff dropped out of that production shortly before opening. The lyrics to one of the show’s most famous songs describe Joey Evans as a “half-pint imitation,” but as far as we’re concerned, Matthew is the real thing.
To see the entire list of 37, click here to open the article in a new window.
Patti’s Turn
Just for fun! This has nothing to do with Pal Joey but it’s a good laugh.
Listen as Patti LuPone lambasts a picture taker during a performance of Gypsy and then has the person thrown out of the theater. (The fun starts at timecode:47.)
Happy Birthday to Stockard Channing
Today, February 13th, is Stockard Channing’s birthday. The Pal Joey blog would like to wish her a very happy day!
TWO MINUTES with…Hayley Podschun
Hayley Podschun
PJBlog: If we’ve learned anything from this production of Pal Joey, it’s the importance of the understudy! You understudy both Linda English and Val…have you had the opportunity to go on in either of these roles?
Hayley: I haven’t gone on for either, but it’s fine. Every Friday we have understudy rehearsal, so at least I get to play the roles once a week :~)
PJB: Before Pal Joey, you were in Sunday in the Park with George, where you understudied six different roles AND you were the dance captain. Can you tell us a little bit about how understudies rehearse and stay prepared for so many different roles?
Hayley: In “Sunday” it was really hard because we standbys came into the rehearsal process two weeks later than everyone else -we had a lot of catching up to do. I watched the show A LOT, took TONS of notes. Not only was I responsible for my “tracks”, I had to know everyone else’s parts because I was the dance captain. Once we were open, the standbys had rehearsal once a week.
PJB: At your very young age, you’ve had so many experiences – Hairpsray National Tour, HAIRSPRAY the movie, and Broadway. How do the experiences compare with each other? Is there one that’s your true “love”?
Hayley: They are all SO different but wonderful in their own way. Tour was great because I got to see the country and travel before I “settled down” anywhere. The movie was fun because I’ve never done a movie and I got to see what that world was like. Getting to finish my Hairspray life on Broadway was great. I made such wonderful friends. “Sunday” was spectacular because it was a show I never thought I’d do in my life. It was the most magical experience. Pal Joey has been great because I’m working with the best of the best in the business. Joe Mantello, Graciela Daniele, and Paul Gemignani are dreams and the cast is so talented. I just love it. I’ve been very lucky to have such diverse shows.
PJB: I guess Studio 54 has become like a second home to you now – “Sunday In The Park”, followed by Pal Joey… do you know what comes next?
Hayley: Yeah! I’m actually going to be doing “The First Wives Club” playing the role of Chris. We will be in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre this summer then open on broadway in October.
PJB: That is fantastic news! Thank you, Hayley, for sharing a few minutes with us, and we look forward to following your career, to First Wives Club and beyond.
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Hayley kept a movie diary while on the set of HAIRSPRAY. Following are excerpts from that diary.
Stockard Channing Scheduled For Benefit
Ms. Channing in her dressing room at Roundabout’s Studio 54
Among those scheduled to appear are Stockard Channing, Scott Blakeman, Richard Belzer, Tovah Feldshuh, Jonathan Freeman, Mario Frangoulis, Marni Nixon and Seth Rudetsky. Speakers at the event will include Garden State Equality chairman Steven Goldenstein, Rabbis J. Rolando Matalon and Marcelo Bronstein and Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry.
The Jewish Alliance for Change is an organization founded to mobilize the American public to fight for marriage equality and a progressive agenda for change. All proceeds from the evening will go to the Alliance’s continued efforts in support of progressive issues.
The concert will be produced by Kati Meister and Scott Denny.
William Ivey Long Wins TDF/Irene Sharaff Award
It was announced earlier this month that William Ivey Long will receive the TDF/Irene Sharaff “Lifetime Achievement” Award. The TDF Irene Sharaff Awards were founded in 1993 to pay tribute to the art of costume design. Since then, the annual award presentation has become an occasion for the costume design community to come together to honor its own.
Included in the impressive list of more than 50 Broadway shows Mr. Long has designed costumes for are the currently running Pal Joey and the forthcoming 9 to 5. He won Tonys for Grey Gardens, Hairspray, The Producers, Crazy for You and Nine and was Tony-nominated for La Cage aux Folles, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Music Man, Cabaret, Chicago and Lend Me a Tenor.
The awards ceremony will take place on March 27 at the Hudson Theatre. Congratulations, Mr. Long, on this much deserved award.
Let’s Go Back…..
….back to Pal Joey, 1940’s…
These beautiful pictures come from the private collection of broadwayworld.com poster, “allofmylife”. I couldn’t identify each picture, so I numbered them for easy reference in discussions. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. And thank you, allofmylife, for sharing your precious collection with other Pal Joey fans.
