All Entries Tagged With: "Pal Joey"
Christian Hoff Moves To MIDTOWN…THE MIDTOWN MEN, That Is
While other former Pal Joey castmembers are finding their way around Broadway and off-Broadway, Christian Hoff has found a very special spot for himself with THE MIDTOWN MEN, performing concerts across the country with former Jersey Boys friends Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer. Movies, television (I recently caught him on a chilling episode of Law & Order, SVU with Debra Messing), Broadway, and now a musical group. There is no end to Christian’s talent, and his drive to do what he loves to do - perform and entertain!
J. Robert Spencer, Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria and Daniel Reichard are THE MIDTOWN MEN
Catch THE MIDTOWN MEN in concert - you won’t be disappointed.
4 stars from the Original Cast of Jersey Boys
return to the Big Apple
After a successful 2010 tour of nearly 50 cities across the US and Canada, THE MIDTOWN MEN bring their highly anticipated concert act to New York City with a performance and fan reception at the Colden Center at Queens College on Saturday, April 9th at 8pm.
The Midtown Men are Tony Award winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and Tony Award nominee J. Robert Spencer.
The group’s jump- to- your-feet show features top hits from a who’s who of the ‘60s including The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 and The Four Seasons, whose story they brought to life every night as stars in the Original Broadway Cast of Jersey Boys.
“The 60s produced some of the greatest songs ever written,” says THE MIDTOWN MEN’S Christian Hoff, who won the Tony for his portrayal of Four Seasons bad boy Tommy DeVito, “so we’re having a ball adding our own style to those great songs everyone loves.” Their fans agree–in one week last summer over 45,000 people of all ages came out to enjoy their unique singing style and legendary onstage chemistry.
Now, in 2011, their tour continues with stops all across the country including a special appearance in New Jersey in early May where their talents will raise funds and awareness for a 10th year commemorative project honoring victims of 9/11 and their families.
THE MIDTOWN MEN concert takes place at The Colden Center at Queens College at 8pm on Saturday, April 9th. Tickets are $40 and are available via web or phone. For updated tour information and to purchase tickets visit www.themidtownmen.com or www.facebook.com .
Tickets Available For Hoff’s Junior Theatre Benefit Concert
from the North County Times
Tony-winner Hoff back home to honor his theatrical roots
PAM KRAGEN - pkragen at nctimes.com | Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 8:15 am
Thirty-three years ago, a tow-headed 8-year-old Little Leaguer from La Jolla traded in his cleats and ball cap for a pair of tights and trumpet to play a boy page in San Diego Junior Theatre’s production of “Cinderella” at the Casa del Prado Theatre in Balboa Park.
On Monday, he’ll return to the stage that launched his career, and Tony Award-winning “Jersey Boys” star Christian Hoff says he hopes to inspire some of the young Junior Theatre actors who may want to follow in his footsteps.
Hoff will host a master class for young actors (ages 12 and up) on Monday afternoon, and then on Sept. 12, he’ll perform in concert to raise money for Junior Theatre programs. He’s now recording a CD of standards, jazz and pop tunes that will be for sale at the concert, with all revenues benefiting the theater.
Hoff said he’s wanted to give back to his theatrical birthplace for years, but “Jersey Boys” and other work commitments have kept him from fulfilling that goal.
“We wanted to create an opportunity for kids to do what they do and hear about life in the theater, my experiences and how to bridge their youth theater work into a professional career,” he said. “I want to talk to them about body language, finding their essence and having a respect for the discipline of the craft of acting. That’s what’s missing out there right now, that discipline and respect for the process.”
Opening Night of “Tin Pan Alley Rag”, Co-starring Jenny Fellner
Jenny Fellner, photo by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.
The Tin Pan Alley Rag tells the story of an imagined meeting of two of America’s greatest musicians, composer Scott Joplin (Boatman) and songwriter Irving Berlin (Therriault). Both men changed the landscape of music forever with their contributions to the first American musical genre, ragtime. Beneath Joplin and Berlin’s toe-tapping, syncopated rhythms lay fascinating stories of fame, love and loss. In The Tin Pan Alley Rag, these tales come to vivid life and two great icons realize they have more in common than they ever suspected.
Click here to watch the video from opening night in a separate window. For more information, click here to visit Roundabout’s website.
Jeffrey Schecter
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On a “Tin Pan Alley Rag” related note, Jeffrey Schecter (Shecky), understudy for Irving Berlin, has been spending his summer on a true labor of love: he’s preparing to run in a half marathon and hoping to raise money for melanoma research in honor of a special person who passed away from the deadly skin cancer. Schecter shares his story here.
Roberty Clohessy Cast in Revival of “That Championship Season”
Robert Clohessy, John Doman, Lou Liberatore, Tom Nelis and Skipp Sudduth have been cast in the Westport Country Playhouse revival of Jason Miller’s That Championship Season. The production, staged by the theater’s artistic director Mark Lamos, will run August 25 -September 12.
Clohessy’s recent Broadway appearances include Pal Joey and Twelve Angry Men. Doman played Deputy Police Commissioner William Rawls on the The Wire from 2002 to 2008. Sudduth’s Broadway credits include South Pacific, The Iceman Cometh and Twelfth Night, and was a series regular on television’s Third Watch. Liberatore received multiple award nominations for his performance in Burn This on Broadway and Nelis received an Obie for his work in The Medium.
That Championship Season which previously won a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award and a New York Drama Critics Circle Award, tells the story of four high-school basketball players and their coach who, twenty years ago, brought home the state championship. Now the five men convene for their annual reunion. But the evening’s revelry turns dark as secrets are revealed, loyalties tested, and dreams diminished in this searing, knockout drama. That Championship Season brings savage humor and heart-rending compassion to its insightful exploration of a corrupted American dream.
For more information, click here to visit the Westport Country Playhouse website.
Martha Plimpton To Appear on Grey’s Anatomy
Photo by Getty Images
Starting with the September 24th season premiere of the ABC drama, Plimpton will appear as the mother of a young patient in a multi-episode story line. I’ve never watched Grey’s Anatomy, but you can be sure I’ll tune in to watch Martha work her magic. What a treat!
Hoff Set To Co-Star in LA Production of “Parade”
T.R. Knight in NYC, June 2009
Christian Hoff, photo by Erin Kate
According to Variety, Christian Hoff is set to join T.R. Knight in the upcoming Los Angeles revival of Parade. Also slated for the show are Broadway vets Michael Berresse and Charlotte d’Amboise, and Olivier Award nominee Lara Pulver. The production will run from September 24 to November 15 at the Mark Taper Forum.
Hoff, who was sidelined from Pal Joey with a foot injury, won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys, His “character” both onstage and off won him many dedicated and loyal fans who, I’m sure, will be delighted to see him on the stage again.
Knight, who is trained for stage, is probably most recognizable as Dr. George O’Malley in Grey’s Anatomy, a role he played since the show’s debut in 2005. He made the decision earlier this year not to continue on Grey’s, and his character will apparently be written off the show.
For more information on Parade, click here.
A Taste Of The Tony’s
The Tony Awards show on Sunday night was spectacular! And although Pal Joey didn’t come away with any awards, the show was well represented….from Martha Plimpton on the red carpet (at time code 1:15)…
**video from broadway.com
….to Stockard Channing “bewitching” in the opening number (she appears at 4:55 in this video), alongside Aaron Tveit of Next to Normal.
And the finale was just too funny to miss! Neil Patrick Harris did a fabulous job as Tony host.
Stockard Channing to Perform on Tony Awards
Representatives for the Tony Awards announced Tuesday that Stockard Channing, of “Pal Joey”, is among the scheduled performers for Sunday night’s Tony Awards show. The following performers have also been added to Sunday’s awards ceremony: Dolly Parton along with the cast of “9 to 5: The Musical”; Elton John with the cast of “Billy Elliot, The Musical”; Liza Minnelli; and the band Poison along with the cast of “Rock of Ages.”
The roster of performers features the casts of the Tony nominees for best musical and best musical revival, which also includes “Guys and Dolls,” “Hair,” “Next to Normal,” “Shrek the Musical” and “West Side Story.” The Tonys show will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and broadcast on CBS.
Jenny Fellner Back With Roundabout Theatre Company
Jenny Fellner will be back with Roundabout Theater Company in their upcoming new musical “Tin Pan Alley Rag”. The production will be the New York premiere of the show, which will run at Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theater at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theater — the first musical presented in that space.
Full casting for the musical was announced last month, with the actors Michael Boatman and Michael Therriault playing, respectively, Scott Joplin and Irving Berlin, who have an imagined meeting in this production that draws on their legendary music. Previews are to start Friday, June 12, with the opening scheduled for Tuesday, July 14.
Four TONY Nominations for Pal Joey!
The American Theatre Wing announced the 2009 Tony Award Nominees today, with Roundabout Theatre Company’s Pal Joey picking up a respectable FOUR:
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!!
More Award Nominations for Pal Joey!
From Variety:
Astaire Awards announce nominees
Choreographers of Broadway tuners “Billy Elliot” and “Hair” and pics “Slumdog Millionaire” and “High 
School Musical 3″ are among the nominees of the 2009 edition of the dance-centric Astaire Awards.
Director and choreographer Stanley Donen (”Singin’ in the Rain,” “On the Town”) will get the lifetime achievement award at the ceremony, set for June 1.
Nominees for Rialto choreographer are Andy Blankenbuehler (”9 to 5″), Karole Armitage (”Hair”), Peter Darling (”Billy Elliot”), Sergio Trujillo (”Guys and Dolls”) and Graciela Daniele (”Pal Joey”)…
Performer noms for male dancers went to Jeffrey Denman (”White Christmas”), Matthew Risch (”Pal Joey”), plus a shared nom for the three young actors who rotate in the title role of “Billy Elliot” and another for the two who alternate in the role of Billy’s friend Michael.
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.
Pal Joey Hits It Big With Award Nominations
The Drama Desk Awards nominations were announced on April 27 at the New York Friars Club, with Pal Joey garnering three nominations:
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Stockard Channing
and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Martha Plimpton
The Drama Desk, an organization of professional theater critics, writers and editors, bestows awards with Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions competing in the same categories. The ceremony will be held on May 17 at F.H. LaGuardia Concert Hall at Lincoln Center, hosted by Harvey Fierstein.
For a full listing of Drama Desk Award nominees, please click here.
Also, the Outer Critics CircleAwards nominations were announced on April 20 at the Algonquin Hotel, with Pal Joey being nominated for two awards:
Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway)
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Martha Plimpton
Outer Critics Circle Awards are bestowed by an association whose members are affiliated with more than 90 publications and broadcasting outlets. Winners will be announced on May 11, and the 2009 awards ceremony will be held on May 21 at Sardi’s.
For a full listing of Outer Critics Circle Awards nominees, please click here.
Congratulation to Stockard and Martha for those well-deserved noms!
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.
