Earlier today, the names of the contenders for theater’s highest honor were announced during a live broadcast. Broadway veteran Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked, Promises, Promises) and relative newcomer Jim Parsons (The Normal Heart) hosted the ceremony-before-the-ceremony from the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center, both looking far too perky for 8:30AM.

We’re not ashamed to admit that we’ve had this day circled on our calendar for a while (and we know some of you have too, and you know who you are.) But even if you’ve fallen out of the loop recently, never fear. As the 2012 award season continues to unwind, we at The Maximum Insider are here to keep you posted with the most buzz-worthy news and developments, as well as ring-side commentary on any cat fights that break out (and they will break out. Any minute now…)

Meanwhile, thanks for spending your brunch-hour with the The Maximum Insider for all your Broadway news. Now pour yourself another mimosa (light on the OJ) and let’s get to the good stuff…

Early Frontrunners and Underdogs

The indie musical Once emerged as the Tony voters’ favorite musical of the season, with 11 nominations, while Peter and the Starcatcher soared above the other plays, grabbing 9 nominations (that’s four more than its closest competitor for Best New Play.) Among Peter’s nine reasons to crow is Christian Borle, who’s boisterous performance as Black Stache has landed him him on many a shortlist to win Best Featured Actor come awards night.

Both Once and Peter and the Starcatcher originated at The New York Theatre Workshop before transferring to the Main Stem this year. In fact, all four of this year’s Best Play nominees (which include Clybourne Park, Other Desert Cities, and Venus in Fur) began their runs off-Broadway, proving once again that Broadway theatergoers know good plays when they see them, and will often reward a well-done show with a second life on a bigger stage (and for one of these lucky four, the chance to win a nice big statue to put on their coffee table!)

Curiously enough, two of this year’s nominees for Best Score–One Man, Two Guvnors, and Peter and the Starcatcher–aren’t even musicals. The play End of the Rainbow, for which Tracie Bennett is nominated for Best Actress, likewise includes several musical numbers.

Three of the nominees for Best Musical–Once, Newsies, and Leap of Faith–are adaptions of cult-classic films. That’s not to say audiences have lost their taste for the golden era. Tunes by the Gershwins comprise the soundtrack for two nominated shows, one revival (Porgy and Bess) and one new musical (Nice Work if You Can Get It.)

Scroll down for a complete list of this year’s Tony nominees in the major performance and production categories…

And The Nominees Are…

Best Musical

Newsies

Once

Leap of Faith

Nice Work If You Can Get It
Best Play

Venus in Fur

Clybourne Park

Peter and the Starcatcher

Other Desert Cities
Best Revival of a Musical

Evita

Follies

The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Jesus Christ Superstar
Best Revival of a Play

Death of a Salesman

Gore Vidal’s The Best Man

Master Class

Wit
Best Leading Actress in a Play

Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur

Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow

Linda Lavin, The Lyons

Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities

Cynthia Nixon, Wit

Best Leading Actor in a Play

James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Death of a Salesman

James Earl Jones, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man

Frank Langella, Man and Boy

John Lithgow, The Columnist

Best Leading Actress in a Musical

Jan Maxwell, Follies

Audra McDonald, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Cristin Milioti, Once

Kelli O’Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Laura Osnes, Bonnie & Clyde

Best Leading Actor in a Musical

Ron Raines, Follies

Danny Burstein, Follies

Jeremy Jordan, Newsies

Steve Kazee, Once

Norm Lewis, The Gershwins Porgy and Bess

Best Choreography

Rob Ashford, Evita

Christopher Gattelli, Newsies

Steven Hoggett, Once

Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Best Orchestrations

William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Bill Elliott, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Martin Lowe, Once

Danny Troob, Newsies

Best Original Score

Bonnie & Clyde

Newsies

One Man, Two Guvnors

Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Book of a Musical

Lysistrata Jones

Newsies

Nice Work If You Can Get It

Once

Best Direction of a Play

Nicholas Hytner, One Man, Two Guvnors

Pam MacKinnon, Clybourne Park

Mike Nichols, Death of a Salesman

Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Direction of a Musical

Jeff Calhoun, Newsies

Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Diane Paulus, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

John Tiffany, Once

Who Got Snubbed (And Are We Surprised?)

FROM EW.COM

Please cry for Ricky Martin and Elena Roger in the Broadway revival of Evita. The truth is, the Tony nominators didn’t love you. Those stars were two of the biggest snubs at this morning’s announcement of the 66th annual Tony Awards.

One of the biggest shockers? It seems that Angela Lansbury will have to wait for her chance to win a record-breaking sixth Tony Award. Despite critical acclaim for her role as a Southern political doyenne in Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, Lansbury was passed over for Featured Actress in a Play. The surprise nominee in that category – which looks to be a showdown between Death of a Salesman’s Linda Emond and Other Desert Cities’ Judith Light – is Condola Rashad (daughter of Tony-winning Cosby mom Phylicia) for the short-lived Stick Fly.

While the new musical Once led with a total of 11 nominations, some of the season’s starriest productions fell short. The revival of Godspell, led by Weeds star Hunter Parrish and then Corbin Bleu, and The Mountaintop, last fall’s high-profile drama starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett, were completely shut out. And this spring’s A Streetcar Named Desire starring Blair Underwood and Nicole Ari Parker earned only a nod for costumes. (Master Class, a show that closed last September, earned the final nomination for Best Revival of a Play.)

(Continue reading about this year’s snubs and shockers here.)

I’m Ready for My Close-Up: Tony Nominees React

Here’s what some of our favorite nominees had to say when they found out they were contenders for Tony gold…

Christian Borle, Best Featured Actor in a Play, Peter and the Starcatcher : “It’s been an awfully nice morning! I’m happy and just so very proud of the show. It’s been a few years leading up to now. This is just enormously gratifying. I woke up this morning and turned on NY1 and watched. I just got a new sound bar for my TV so I think I’m going to sit down and watch ‘The Empire Strikes Back.’ That will be my celebration for the day!”

Cristin Milioti, Best Actress in a Musical, Once: “I was asleep because we don’t have a TV with cable. We watch internet TV and we were asleep, and my phone rang. I groggily answered the phone and I put it together. My agent and manager were on the line to congratulate me. I cant even put it into words- I’m so floored by the company that I’m with- my fellow nominees, I guess you call them. I’ve admired them for years and it blows my mind. It’s been a year of working hard and to see it come to this level is unreal. It hasn’t hit me yet!”

Celia Keenan-Bolger, Best Featured Actress in a Play, Peter and the Starcatcher: “I’m really excited! I woke up with my husband and weeks ago I said we’d have a staycation so we’re in a hotel that of course didn’t have NY1- which I think is hysterical. So, we had to watch it on my phone. This is so great, I care about the show so so much and I’ve worked on it for so long. These past 3 years have been so special and we weren’t sure it would even come to Broadway. It’s all been a real gift. I’m sure I’ll be on the phone all day. I’m so excited to do the show tonight!”

James Corden, Best Actor in a Play, One Man, Two Guvnors: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be nominated for a Tony Award and to see my name on a list with these four American acting legends is overwhelming.”

Roger Rees, Best Direction of a Play, Peter and the Starcatcher:“I feel very elated because many years ago I won a Tony for ‘Best Actor’ and now im up for director! So it’s very thrilling! I’m up with the wonderful Alex Timbers and we’re very very pleased to be nominated. I was walking in the park this morning when I got the phone call with the news. Now I’m going off to rehearsal with B.D. Wong for Herring Bone. I’m already late for that! I’m very pleased because we got 9 nominations and I’m just so very pleased for everyone connected with the show- the actors, the crew, and the whole team really! Everyone really contributed and hopefully many more people will come and see the show because of this.”

Judith Light, Best Featured Actress in a Play, Other Desert Cities: “I’m really excited, and I’m really honored and thrilled! I got a text first from our company manager from Lombardi, and my manager at got up at 4 this morning in California and called me right away. I spoke to both first! Today I’m going to a memorial service for Ted Mann- one of the founders of Circle in the Square who passed a way a little while ago. We were very close. I know he would be very happy right now. I’m happy I get to honor him today. I’m so thrilled that we got so many nominations- Jon Robin Baitz, and sets and lighting and Stockard! It’s so extraordinary! It’s the second year in a row for me and to be welcomed back is really special. It’s all about the honor.”

Rick Elice, Best Play, Peter and the Starcatcher: “I was feeling neurotic this morning and forced myself to go outside in the rain to get away from the TV and phone. So I went to Starbucks and got a coffee and stood under the arch of the Natural History Museum at 77th Street to drink my coffee out of the rain when my pocket started buzzing. I figured it was good news at that point! I heard Nicholas Hynter in an interview recently say “It’s great to be on Broadway” and that’s just how I feel – it’s going to become my mantra I think. It’s especially great to be on Broadway with a passion project like Peter And The Starcatcher. It seemed so unlikely that we would make it to Broadway when we first started. I have to tell you, it is because of BroadwayWorld’s contest last year that helped enable us to bring the show to Broadway. You ran a poll about which off Broadway play was the most popular and our show won by such a large margin that we were sending the link around to several producers who were on the fence to show just how much people loved it. So yes, if people are enjoying the work it then I’ll be a very happy fellow. It is great to be on Broadway. And now I have to do my laundry.”

(Read what other newly-minted nominees had to say here.)

“Peter and the Starcatcher” Scores Soaring Reviews!

A wildly theatrical, hilarious and innovative retelling of how a miserable orphan came to be The Boy Who Never Grew Up, <i>Peter and the Starcatcher</i> upends the century-old legend of Peter Pan. Here’s a round-up of what the critics had to say after the show opened on April 15th…

The New York Times
They’re surfing the clouds at the Brooks Atkinson Theater, where “Peter and the Starcatcher” opened on Sunday night. And even inveterate fearers of flying are likely to find themselves following the folks onstage into altitudes where eagles get nosebleeds….

The extravagantly resourceful ensemble members of “Peter and the Starcatcher” have almost nothing in the way of modern machinery to support their sky-scraping journeys. On the contrary, there’s little here that couldn’t be found in a theater 150 years ago. What they do have is some ordinary rope, a couple of ladders, a few household appliances, two toy boats and, most important, one another. And they have you, dear theatergoer, because in this ecstatic production you’re as important a part of this process as they are.

(Read the full review here.)

The New Yorker
Rick Elice’s “Peter and the Starcatcher” (superbly directed by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, at the Brooks Atkinson) is a larky seance with Barrie’s mythic characters: part pantomime, part story theatre, and all delight…

At his exit, Stache warns Peter to watch out for his return. “For just when you least expect it, there I’ll be! The Stache, right under yer nose!” He starts to leave, then stops and turns to the audience. “Clap if you believe!” he says. And we do.

(Read the full review here.)

New York Magazine
“Peter and the Starcatcher” is a tiny show, but spectacle, wit, and joy spill out of it like treasure from a magic pocket. A cast of twelve, a couple of trunks, and a versatile length of rope yield more storytelling than most oversize spectaculars can manage. There’s a naval battle, an island full of savages, and a mermaid chorus, all packed onto a stage that feels no bigger than a conch shell. It’s a measure of the production’s low-tech delights that when Molly, the cast’s sole female, ingests a dose of “starstuff,” crosses her legs and levitates, Jeannie-style, it looks like a miraculous effect, even though we can clearly see the plank, the pivot, and the hand on the seesaw’s other end.

(Read the full review here.)

Time Out New York
The pop-culture icon who inspired this whimsical prequel-adapted from the 2004 young-adult novel-famously crowed that he would never grow up. Not so for Rick Elice’s story-theater adaptation, in which a dozen zanies act out an epic, larky picaresque that crams in pirates, aristocrats, orphans, mermaids and a giant crocodile. “Peter and the Starcatcher” has indeed grown up: It’s on Broadway with a steeper ticket price than during its intimate maiden voyage at New York Theatre Workshop last year. And while the production is bigger and shinier, beneath the dazzling, tricked-out proscenium beats the exhilarated heart of a kid who wants to fly.

(Read the full review here.)

Stache Bash: Inside the Starcatchers’ Opening Night Party!

After the curtain came down, the company of twelve actors and co-directors Roger Rees and Alex Timbers were joined by Marisa Tomei, Smash‘s Debra Messing, Will Chase and Leslie Odom Jr., Brooke Shields, Gavin Creel and more for a star-studded bash at the McKittrick Hotel, where guests sipped Prosecco and noshed on hors d’oeuvres and cotton candy. Celebrate this swashbuckling night and click on the link below for exclusive shots inside the party, then see Peter and the Starcatcher live on the Great White Way!

(View a photo gallery of the gala here.)

SNEAK PEAK at Peter and the Starcatcher Commercial!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR A SNEAK PEAK AT THE NEW COMMERCIAL FOR PETER AND THE STARCATCHER!

Quiara Alegría Hudes Wins 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Water By the Spoonful

Quiara Alegría Hudes has been awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Water By the Spoonful. Hudes is the surprise winner of the coveted award over finalists Jon Robin Baitz (Other Desert Cities) and Stephen Karam (Sons of the Prophet). The Pulitzer is given “for a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life,” and includes a prize of $10,000.

Water By the Spoonful is described by the Pulitzer board as “an imaginative play about the search for meaning by a returning Iraq war veteran working in a sandwich shop in his hometown of Philadelphia.” The play centers on a soldier who struggles to put aside his demons while his mother, a recovering addict, battles demons of her own. Water By the Spoonful premiered at the Harford Stage on October 26, 2011, starring Ray Anthony Thomas and directed by Davis McCallum.

(Read the full article here.)

Big Plans Might Be In The Works For Broadway’s Favorite Foul

Has it really been a year, Joey? It’s hard to believe we’ve gone through a full turn of the calendar since everyone’s favorite elaborate horse puppet first galloped onto Broadway! The Tony-winning production of War Horse celebrated its first anniversary at Lincoln Center Theater’s Vivian Beaumont Theater on April 14 with a four-foot-long cake by Bill Schutz and the team at Creative Cakes. Show star Andrew Durand (center) was joined by Joey and the full cast to commemorate this Broadway milestone.

While the cast of War Horse has been busy celebrating, there may be some trouble in the stables. It was reported the Lincoln Center has been in talks to revive the Roger and Hammerstein classic The King and I starring three time Tony nominated actress Kelli O’Hara. This would mark it’s fifth Broadway production and given the musical’s very large size, it would have to be in Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater..where War Horse is playing..

According to New York Post’s Michael Riedel: “Executives from the National have quietly been checking out Broadway theaters – not empty ones – to find a new home for their show in the fall. At one point, they set their sights on the Winter Garden, home to a minor little musical called “Mamma Mia!”..The Richard Rodgers is a possibility. Its tenant, “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” has yet to recover from Audra McDonald’s two-week absence last month.

The St. James is in the mix – unless, by some miracle, “Leap of Faith” wins the Tony.

And the Lunt-Fontanne should have a for-rent sign out front soon enough, since “Ghost” looks dead on arrival.” (To read more of Riedel’s insider info, click here)

Only time will tell if Lincoln Center would prefer a kingdom to a horse. Stay tuned for the latest on this developing story.

The King’s Speech Goes Mute

Apparently the King’s Speech fell on deaf ears as it is closing early on the West End May 12th. The producers of the play (which is based off of a movie that was originally based off a play- simple, right?) hypothesize the demise of the production is due to poor timing.

They released a statement concerning the matter; “Two years ago, originating producer Michael Alden was ready to put the play on and the film came along and blocked its path. At the start of this year, we believed that enough time had passed between the film and our opening. This clearly was not the case. We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished. It is a production of genuine quality that has been critically and publicly acclaimed across the board.”

With the critical acclaim it received, there still maybe a chance that the King’s Speech will stammer on to the Great White Way as previously planned.

Ghost Vanishes Mid Performance

A technical error had the new Broadway musical Ghost stopped and on hold for 25 minutes on Thursday April 19th. Some witnesses of the unfortunate glitch included critics from the New York Times, the New York Post, Newsday, and New York Daily News.

During the half hour hold, only a handful of the audience walked out of the Lunt-Fontanne.

However, the remaining audience members were given what was said to be a flawless finale. At almost 11:00pm, the cast was met with a standing ovation from their loyal audience. Let’s hope this is the last of the glitches for this production.

One Man, Two Guvnors Review Roundup

New York Times

“Yes, food is flung, trousers are dropped and bawdy innuendoes are exchanged. (Mr. Edden is the show’s master of pratfalls as a geriatric waiter with a new pacemaker.) Yet for me at least, this production never justifies that sinking sensation that arrives when I hear the words “British comedy.” Mr. Hytner and Mr. Bean have woven elements of music hall slapstick, “Carry On”-movie-style bawdiness and Monty Python-esque absurdity into a remarkably fine mesh.”

(Read the full review here.)

Hollywood Reporter

“Striking an ingenious balance between meticulous planning and what plays like anarchic spontaneity, Nicholas Hytner’s production has been a deserved success in London. With virtuoso ringmaster James Corden on hand to juggle the demands of dual employment while wrapping the audience around his pudgy finger, the show now looks set to slay Broadway, too.”

(Read the full review here.)

Entertainment Weekly

“The production is utterly, profoundly, ridiculously British in its high-low antics and wordplay. There’s no need to brush up on Commedia dell’Arte, Christmas pantos, or music-hall ditties to enjoy One Man, Two Guvnors. You’ll know smart hilarity when you’re guffawing at it.”

(Read the full review here.)

Associated Press

“Staged by Hytner with close attention to farcical nuance, the extremely accomplished original British cast animatedly sends up the politically incorrect, often-bawdy jokes and stereotypes of that bygone era, aided by frequent audience participation and interludes of peppy skiffle music.”

(Read the full review here.)

Clybourne Park Review Roundup

New York Times

“Like the tamer comedies of Yasmina Reza (particularly “God of Carnage”) “Clybourne Park” provides the eternal and undeniable satisfactions of watching supposedly civilized people behaving like territorial savages. But Mr. Norris cuts deeper than Ms. Reza, and he’s not nearly as whimsical or as polite.”
(Read the full review here.)

Associated Press
“”Clybourne Park” is everything you want in a play: Smart, witty, provocative and wonderfully acted by the well-knit ensemble of Crystal A. Dickinson, Brendan Griffin, Damon Gupton, Christina Kirk, Annie Parisse, Jeremy Shamos and Frank Wood. Director Pam MacKinnon lets each actor shine, pulls out the humor and is a master at the slow boil.”

(Read the full review here.)

Entertainment Weekly
“Make no mistake: Clybourne Park isn’t a two-hour stream of offensive racial humor. Norris, whose previous works tackled such touchy subjects as a venereal-disease-plagued 4-year-old girl (2004′s cracking satire The Pain and the Itch), may be a provocateur but he’s also a clever writer who doesn’t push buttons simply for the sake of starting a war of words. He knows how to create characters and then root both issues and prejudice deep inside them.”

(Read the full review here.)

Newsday
“While the tragicomedy struck me two years ago as a bit tidy compared with Norris’ earlier and more dangerously messy “The Pain and the Itch,” I’m now appreciating “Clybourne Park” on its own important and enjoyable terms.”

(Read the full review here.)

Hollywood Reporter
“The play is a slow-starter, and the caricatured 1950s sitcom stiffness of Christina Kirk as painfully well-meaning housewife Bev, in particular, takes some getting used to. But MacKinnon, who has honed her directing chops on the heightened realism and scathing social observation of Edward Albee, is in her element here. ”

(Read the full review here.)

Streetcar Earns Some Not-So-Desirable Reviews

New York Times

“”The Poker Night” was once the working title for what would become Tennessee Williams’s most celebrated work. So perhaps it’s appropriate that a poker game provides one of the few moments approaching excitement in the torpid revival of the play that was renamed “A Streetcar Named Desire.”"

Time Out New York

“Let us say that in your production of A Streetcar Named Desire, your audience doesn’t respond as you might hope. There are catcalls for brutal antihero Stanley; there is laughter when he finally turns to rape. Where did you go wrong? If you’re director Emily Mann, look no further than the casting decisions that handed you Blair Underwood as Stanley, ravishing Nicole Ari Parker as Blanche and sulky, shouty Daphne Rubin-Vega as Stella. In this curiously unlived-in Streetcar, the too-glossy cast members treat Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece with an odd mixture of care and camp, their gingerliness as damaging as the lapses into melodrama. The actors deliver clear but blunt portraits, and in the absence of complexity, we come away conscious of only two things-namely, “it’s hot in New Orleans” and “hoo boy, sex.” (Hence the campiness.)”

Backstage

“There are so many head-scratching miscalculations that it’s hard to know where to begin. We are supposed to care about fraying Southern belle Blanche DuBois, ultimately driven into madness by her destruction at the hands of the brutish Stanley Kowalski. But with film and TV actor Nicole Ari Parker angling for her laughs (yes, there are plenty of laughs in “Streetcar,” but Blanche shouldn’t go charging after them) while looking like she just stepped off a modeling runway (this Blanche needn’t be afraid of bright light), precious little empathy is generated.”

“Ghost” Reviews are a Mix of Charming and Frightening

Some critics were less than enchanted by last night’s opening of “Ghost,” while others called it a success. Just check out these review headlines for an idea:

New York Times: In a Broadway Afterlife, Time Goes by So Slowly

Washington Post: Broadway Musical ‘Ghost’ is Inventively Fun with Eye-poppingly Brilliant Effects

Backstage: Someone Needs to Tell “Ghost” that it’s not a Movie Anymore

New York Magazine:“Ghost: The Musical” Is Technically Impressive, and Musically Silly

Maximum Insider Scoop: Book Your Tony Hotel Rooms Now!

Once again, this year’s Tony Awards are being held at the Beacon Theater, located on the Upper West Side (i.e. not Midtown, where hotels rooms are more readily available.)

To book, call the hotel at 212-362-1100 and ask for in-house reservations. Say you need the Road Concierge/ Tony Awards discounted rate. Michael Dwyer is the hotel sales contact if you need additional help or information. Also, you can visit the hotel website here.

UPDATED Spring Openings

April

• Nice Work If You Can Get It Imperial Theatre, April 24
• The Columnist Samuel J. Friedman, April 25
• Don’t Dress for Dinner American Airlines, April 26
• Leap of Faith St. James Theatre, April 26

Broadway Buzz

• Celeb hottie Jake Gyllenhaal will make his U.S.stage debut in Nick Payne’s comic drama If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet at Roundabout Theatre Company’s Off-Broadway Laura Pels Theatre. Previews begin Aug. 24 and with an opening Sept. 20. Too bad Spidey couldn’t nab him!

• The circle of life continues to expand for the team at The Lion King as it celebrates it’s 6000th performace on Broadway. Congrats cubs!

• Newsies has been ushered into the Million Dollar Club, but that isn’t the only good thing the Newsies team has to sing about. The original cast recording album made headlines earlier this week when it debuted #1 on the iTunes Soundtrack charts and #15 on the iTunes album chart. The gang of orphans continued their streak debuting #74 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on Billboards Cast Albums. Way to seize the day!

• Academy Award winners Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep will play Shakespeare classic’s title characters Romeo and Juliet in a gala benefit staged reading June 18 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Daniel Sullivan will direct the performance that celebrates to the day The Public Theater’s 50-year anniversary of producing Shakespeare in the outdoor venue. When can we get tickets?!

• According to our favorite snark monster, New York Post’s Michael Riedel reports that Leap of Faith is only holding on by a prayer. As one of the few new musicals this season, let’s hope there is no need for divine intervention. (Read the full article here)

Live From Peter and the Starcatcher’s 1st Performance!

There was a long line outside the box office around noon on Wednesday, March 28th when we went to pick up our tickets to the first preview of Peter and the Starcatcher. Apparently, folks from far and wide were as excited as we were to see the Neverland they never knew. One mother and daughter we talked to were in town from Wisconsin, and were eager to see Christian Borle as Black Stache, since they’d recently become his self-proclaimed “biggest fans” from watching NBC’s Smash. Another couple, all the way from Australia, said the premise of the play intrigued them, and were glad they were able to buy tickets to see the first public performance.

From the moment we entered the Brooks Atkinson at 7:30PM, the audience was murmuring about the set. The stage was framed to look like a large treasure chest, encrusted with pirate’s jewels and a large, ornate pineapple in the center. Wooden slats laid artfully across the floor completed the image of a toy-box fantasy about to come to life.

Then the curtain went up at 8, and come to life it did. We won’t spoil any of the eye-popping visual treats in store when you go to see the show yourself-to say nothing of the performances. Suffice it to say, Borle’s “biggest fans” will be returning to Wisconsin with large smiles on their faces, (and possibly large moustaches glued to their upper lips.)

At intermission, we spotted Kate Hudson milling around the orchestra lobby. (Excuse us while we bend over and pick up that huge name we just dropped.)

When the curtain came down, the audience leapt to their feet immediately. The applause didn’t die down even after the cast had taken their bows. The energy in the lobby and outside the front of the theatre was incredible.

Finally, at the end of the evening, we were glad to see that this new play about the Boy Who Never Grew Up has grown up a lot since transferring to Broadway, yet held onto its childlike integrity and sense of wonder. If anything, the wonder has only grown, and we can’t wait to go back to Neverland as soon as possible. Good thing it’s as close as West 47th Street!

The People vs. Mike Daisey, or How One Human Rights Campaign Got Lost in Translation

As you may have heard by now, Mike Daisey’s wildly popular monologue The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, which returned to the Public in early March for yet another sold-out engagement, has fallen under scrutiny (if not allegations of out-right fraud.)

First, a quick recap for those who’ve been out of the loop: Mike Daisey, noted performer and monologist, traveled to the Foxconn factory in China, which makes the vast majority of the Apple products Americans use every day-specifically iPhones and iPads. While at Foxconn, Daisey interviewed factory workers by means of a translator, uncovering some pretty disturbing facts about their working and living conditions in the process. These revelations were the basis for The Agony and the Ecstasy… which mixed Daisey’s travelogue-journalism with a biography of Steve Jobs, the late founder and CEO of Apple.

The performance attracted as much buzz and excitement as any big-budget Broadway musical, and even prompted Ira Glass to devote an entire episode of his radio program “This American Life” to the working conditions at Foxconn. The episode, called “Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory,” quickly became the most-downloaded podcast of “This American Life” ever. Mike Daisey was hailed as not only a master of his craft, but a crusader for human rights in China who took great personal risks to tell a story no one else was willing to acknowledge.

But as the buzz grew, so did the questions.
Fact-checkers at “This American Life” discovered that certain elements of Daisey’s account didn’t add up. Eventually, they contacted the woman who had worked as Daisey’s translator, and confirmed that much of Daisey’s monologue was based on facts and events that had never actually occurred. He’d made them up for the show.

Remember when James Frey wrote A Million Little Pieces? Oprah included it in her Book Club, and had Frey on to discuss it. After it was revealed that Frey had pretty much made the whole thing up, Oprah brought him back on the show to give him the equivalent of an hour-long public flogging for being a liar and a cheat.

That’s more or less what happened with Mike Daisey. Ira Glass brought him back on the show for an hour-long episode entitled “Retraction,” where he finally gets to the bottom of what did and did not happen in China, and whether or not it matters that Daisey twisted the truth in order for the sake of good theater. (You can listen to both episodes here.)

What is the job of a monologist who presents his work as fact-based? What are his responsibilities to his audience? Where, exactly, is the line between fiction and nonfiction? We don’t pretend to have the answers, but we at The Maximum Insider think that these conversations are worth having, not to mention being long-overdue. It’s one of those rare moments when the world is (correctly) looking to the stage for answers about how we live our lives the rest of the time.

Out With the Old and In With the New? Not on Broadway!

Even as fourteen new productions are scheduled to premiere in April, there are several old-timers who are on track to break records on the all time long-run list. The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, and Wicked are all in the top fifteen, with Mary Poppins and Jersey Boys close behind. Playbill.com has published the full list of productions and performance numbers. (You can read the full article here.)

Which production opening in April will join the list of long running productions?

Eva Price Chosen for Crain’s 40 Under 40 Rising Business Stars!

Eva Price has been recognized by Crain’s New York Business Magazine as one of New York’s up and coming elite. Eva is listed among young achievers such as Nick Cannon (NCredible Entertainment) and Robert Lopez (Book of Mormon, Avenue Q). Take a look at the article below!

“When Eva Price told her parents she was leaving her prestigious job at ABC News after five years to follow her dream of becoming a Broadway producer, they were stunned.

“I’ll never forget the look on their faces,” said Ms. Price, who got the theater bug at the age of 8 after seeing her first show, South Pacific, and spent her youth in summer theater camp and the high-school drama club.

They didn’t worry long. Ms. Price networked her way into her first Broadway show in 2006, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. She raised her allotment-$500,000-for the production in two months, and the show recouped its investment. Since then she has produced 16 shows both on and off Broadway, and on tour. Together, 50% of her productions, which range from The Addams Family to Colin Quinn’s Long Story Short, have recouped their investment, well above the industry standard of 30%.

“I don’t know how to sit still,” said Ms. Price, who is lead producer on this spring’s Peter and the Star Catcher and a producer on the fall revival of Annie, among other projects.

Her specialty is finding ways to mount shows for less. Ms. Price took over a flailing touring show, Irving Berlin’s I Love a Piano, and reconfigured it, cutting its weekly running cost to $35,000, nearly half what it was. The show recouped in eight months and returned 160% to investors.

“She’s competing at a level beyond her years and is being taken very seriously by a very cynical theater community,” said Stuart Oken, a Broadway producer who ran Disney Theatrical Productions for nine years.”

(Click here to see the rest of Crain’s Class of 2012)

Voca People Wins A Lucille Lortel Award

Voca People has received a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience! We are so pleased that the a capella aliens have been recognized for their out of this world talents.

While the Vocas are rejoicing in perfect pitch, the productions of Once and Tribes also have something to sing about. Once led the pack with 7 nominations and Tribes was a close second with 6 nominations.

The 27th annual Lortel Awards will be held at the Skirball Center on May 6 at 7 PM. Congrats to all!

(Click here to see the rest of the nominations)

Newsies Review Roundup

David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

“Nimbly staged by Calhoun on designer Tobin Ost’s terrifically versatile and constantly reconfigured three-tiered Erector Set structure – with details sketched in via Sven Ortel’s projections – the show never lags. That’s also thanks to the galvanizing songs by Menken and lyricist Jack Feldman.”

(Read the full review here)

Ben Brantley, New York Times

“Though there is little originality in these dance numbers, they have enough raw vitality to command the attention and even stir the blood. Or they would if they knew when to quit. But just when you think a number is over, it starts up again, and no sooner are you recovering from that one, then there’s another one, with all the same darn back flips, pirouettes, etc. I commend the cast members for always appearing to be excited by what they’re doing. Unfortunately, that is not the same as being exciting. ”

(Read the full review here)

Linda Winer, Newsday

“What the show, directed with rousing two-dimensional enthusiasm by Jeff Calhoun, lacks in originality is disguised — if not quite hidden — by a big, talented cast of actors (and several actresses). There is also ingenious erector-set scenery by Tobin Ost and, especially, lots of exuberant, soft-bounce high-precision tap, balletic and acrobatic invention by choreographer Christopher Gattelli.”

(Read the full review here)

Mark Kennedy, AP
“Alan Menken and lyricist Jack Feldman, who were responsible for the film’s score, teamed up again to transform “Newsies” into a musical for the stage, reworking the songs and collaborating with a new story writer, Harvey Fierstein, known for his work in “Hairspray” and “La Cage aux Folles.” Director Jeff Calhoun allows no moment to tire, keeping a fast pace and winningly using every inch of the stage.”

(Read the full review here)

Once Review Roundup

Ben Brantley, New York Times:
“Sometimes how cool you look depends on where you’re standing. When I first saw the musical “Once” at the New York Theater Workshop last December, it registered as a little too twee, too conventionally sentimental, for the East Village. Yet on Broadway – at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater to be exact, where “Once” opened on Sunday night – what is essentially the same production feels as vital and surprising as the early spring that has crept up on Manhattan.”

(Read the full review here)

Mark Kennedy, Associated Press:
“The party has already started by the time you enter the Broadway theater to see the musical “Once.” The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre’s stage is filled with musicians jamming to Irish tunes in what looks like a Dublin pub. Real drinks are offered to the brave theatergoers willing to go up and mingle.”
(Read the full review here)

David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter:
“A Sundance discovery and a breakout hit for Fox Searchlight in 2007, the Irish indie movie has become a captivating Broadway musical, with a superb cast of actor-musicians led by Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti.”
(Read the full review here)

Charles McNulty, LA Times:
“Broadway musicals spawned from movies are usually big, brash, bawdy affairs – think “Sister Act” and “Priscilla Queen of the Desert,” two giddy disco balls launched last season.”

(Read the full review here)

Linda Winer, Newsday:
“It is hard not to oversell the wonderful strangeness of “Once,” the enchanting little musical that moved to Broadway after a winter run at the New York Theatre Workshop.”
(Read the full review here)

Jesus Christ Superstar Review Roundup

Charles Isherwood, New York Times

“If this delirious reception for a glitzy depiction of the most influential execution in world history doesn’t strike you as remotely absurd, Mr. McAnuff’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” may just be the right musical for you. I have to confess to finding the show alternately hilarious and preposterous – if often infectiously melodic – during the two hours’ busy traffic of Mr. McAnuff’s brisk and lucid staging. ”

(Read the full review here)
Linda Winer, Newsday

“The cast is full of strong wailers and howlers. Paul Nolan, as Jesus, has a big voice but not much charisma and, dare we say it, seems a bit of a mope. Jeremy Kushnier, ably replacing the ailing Josh Young as Judas at Tuesday’s preview, deftly captures the character’s fierce mixed emotions and strenuous, contrasting vocal styles.”
(Read the full review here )

Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY
“Corrupt priests glower and seethe; their corrupted minions glitter and writhe in costumes by Paul Tazewell that can make the chorines in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert look understated. The more plainly dressed apostles, when not leaping through choreographer Lisa Shriver’s more acrobatic routines, walk about wearing expressions of earnest consternation.”

(Read the full review here)

David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter
“Much of that inescapably retro feel is due to Rice’s self-consciously groovy lyrics. The high priests look imposing in their dreads and long leather tunics, but when Caiaphas (sung with a deep bass rumble by Marcus Nance) muses, “One thing to say for him, Jesus is cool,” it’s hard not to snicker. The most unfortunate lyrics are in the melodic folk-baroque “The Last Supper,” in which the Apostles sound like drippy, starry-eyed teens: “Always hoped that I’d be an apostle/Knew that I would make it if I tried/Then when we retire we can write the Gospels/So they’ll still talk about us when we’ve died.”"

(Read the full review here)

Mark Kennedy, AP
“In fact, all the bells and whistles on stage grow increasingly cloying and wearying. What’s with all the buzz? Quit it already. We get it: The eye candy — the razzle-dazzle — is meant to connect the Jesus story with a pop popularity contest like “American Idol,” but it tries too hard.”

(Read the full review here)

UPDATED Spring Openings

April

Broadway Buzz

• Garth Drabinsky, who once ran the Broadway producing organization Livent, which collapsed in a financial scandal, won’t be able to appeal his fraud and forgery convictions. The Canadian Supreme Court will not hear the appeal case, the court announced March 29. YIKES!
• According to a report on Contactmusic.com, “Clerks” creator, Kevin Smith hopes to open a “Clerks”-themed play at the end of 2014 (the 20th anniversary of Smith’s directorial debut). 
• Gavin Creel (Hair) has been announced to play Elder Price on the tour of The Book of Mormon. Where can we get tickets!??!?!
• “SMASH” appears to be a HIT! The TV show has just been picked up for a 2nd season. We just don’t know how we are going to get through the summer without new episodes!
• Raven Symone made her Sister Act debut and we hear she is FABULOUS BABY!
• According to the New York Post, Tony winner John Patrick Shanley (Doubt) is being sued for $5 million with accusations of forcing actress Amanda Jencsik to engage in violent sexual acts. GULP!

That’s all for this edition of The Maximum Insider! Thank you for reading!

Peter And The Starcatcher: Tickets On Sale Now!

After a highly successful run at New York Theatre Workshop, Peter and the Starcatcher is moving on up to the Great White Way. Co-directed by Alex Timbers (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Pee Wee Herman Show) and Roger Rees (Addams Family, Nicholas Nickleby,) this highly imaginative prequel to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan will amaze and inspire both the young and young-at-heart.

It was recently announced that a few of the Lost Boys from the original production have found their way back to the Starcatcher. Christian Borle, Adam Chanler-Berat, and Celia Kennan-Bolger will reprise their respective roles from the off-Broadway run, with Borle in particular causing buzz in his starring role in the NBC’s mega-hit Smash. Add to that Ben Brantley’s seal of approval (he deemed the NYTW production “brazenly infectious,”) and we’re betting that tickets sales for Peter and the Starcatcher will soar faster than Tinkerbell after a double-shot of fairy dust.

For more information, please visit:Peter and the Starcatcher

Get ‘em While They’re Hot! Broadway Stars in Demand on the Small Screen.

It seemed for years that stage actors just couldn’t get a break when it came to landing TV and film roles.

Well when it rains it pours! Network execs are now clamoring to book theater folk for guest appearances on their popular primetime shows. Idina Menzel and Brian Stokes Mitchell have both been tapped for recurring roles on Glee (incidentally, both play relatives of Leah Michelle, another Broadway-to-TV transplant.) Jordan Roth and New York Post critic Michael Riedel have appeared on episodes of Smash.

While Glee and Smash may seem like obvious choices for shows to feature Broadway vets, a number of upcoming series will be headlined by actors whom theatergoers know well. Two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster (currently in Anything Goes) will be starring in the ABC Family comedy Bunheads, playing a Las Vegas showgirl who impulsively marries a man and ends up living in his sleepy hometown. In her career on stage, Foster has typically chosen big-hearted comic roles in madcap farces. This new character sounds like it’ll be no exception. Tony winner Ellen Barkin (The Normal Heart) and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon) will star in the pilot episode of New Normal. Created by Glee showrunner Ryan Murphy and Allison Adler, the series will follow a gay couple trying to start a family. Tony winner Kristen Chenoweth (most recently of Promises, Promises) is no stranger to television–she was a series regular on Pushing Daisies and The West Wing–but this time, the Broadway favorite is getting her own show. GCB will premiere on ABC on March 4th, with Chenoweth playing a Southern Belle divorcée trying to stave off small-town gossip, as well as the crow’s feet around her eyes.

Michael Urie made a name for himself in the network series Ugly Betty before joining the current revival of How To Succeed… on Broadway. After his run as the scheming Bud Frump, however, Urie plans on returning to television in the new CBS comedy Partners, playing one of two architects whose working relationship often feels like a marriage. Steven Pasquale (Reasons to be Pretty) will pull double-duty in the upcoming NBC drama Do No Harm, playing a brilliant neurosurgeon and his dangerous alter-ego. Speaking of mental imbalance, Charlie Sheen is developing a comedy for FX called Anger Management. Actor and singer Michael Arden (Big River) has announced that he will be joining the cast. Winning?

In case all that’s not enough, and you’re still craving Tony winners on your telly, then we have a few more treats for you to enjoy: Anthony LaPaglia (A View From the Bridge, Lend Me a Tenor) will star in Americana and Brían F. O’Byrne (The Coast of Utopia, Doubt) in Gilded Lilys, both drama pilots set to air on ABC. The network is also developing an American adaptation of the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses, headlined by John Leguizamo (Ghetto Klown).

Preview: When Everything Was Possible

A concert starring Kurt Peterson and Victoria Mallory will have a one-night-only engagement on April 29th at New York City Center. Peterson and Miller met in 1968 on the Lincoln Center Revival Stage, playing the lead roles in West Side Story. Their powerful performances as Tony and Maria had Leonard Bernstein exclaiming, “I cried all the time, just as I did the first time I saw it.” The young thespians eventually parted ways, never again to reunite onstage. Until now, that is.

The dynamic duo will take to the stage as a pair for the first time in 40 years. If you’re wondering if Mallory and Peterson still got it after all this time, look no further than Broadway great Hal Prince, who said, “Victoria Mallory is proof positive that time stands still.” Even the notoriously critical New York Times described Peterson as “splendid, with a voice as rich as the melodies.”
To be a part of this very rare experience, visit When Everything Was Possible to purchase your tickets.

The Very Public Breakup of Bruce and Scott (or, How Not to Be a TV Star)

First of all, some background: Bruce Norris wrote this play called Clybourne Park, which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Norris was also cast as an actor in the upcoming HBO series The Corrections, which is being produced by Scott Rudin. Rudin was going to produce Clybourne on Broadway this spring, but suddenly backed out earlier this month, putting the entire production in jeopardy. The reason? Norris had quit The Corrections, and Rudin was pissed.

Here’s how it went down: Norris wanted out of his HBO contract so he could “focus more on his writing.” Because he couldn’t simply walk away, Norris tried to get fired. According to a statement released by Rudin on February 1st, Norris “made a series of what he termed more and more outrageous demands in the hope that we would turn him down, and that he would not have to face the responsibility of reneging on a commitment he made.” Rudin went on to say that he thinks Bruce Norris is “a wonderful playwright, and an equally wonderful actor, but I am unwilling to support or de facto condone this behavior and have decided not to proceed with Clybourne Park – or with the production of a new play I commissioned from Mr. Norris. I look forward to seeing his next play as a member of the paying audience.” Ouch! (Read the full article here)

Fortunately for everyone involved with the show, Clybourne’s woes were short-lived. Two days after Rudin jumped ship, another big-wig producer (namely Jordan Roth, president of Jujamcyn Theaters) stepped in to save the day, saying in a statement, “It is a true privilege for all of us at Jujamcyn to bring such a fiercely provocative and wildly funny work to Broadway audiences. Clybourne Park is on. We’ll see you there!” Roth also stated that many of Rudin’s investors “want to continue with us, including Lincoln Center Theater.” So much for solidarity. (Read the full article here)

Spring Openings: What’s in Bloom This Season?

March

April

Curtain Call: What’s closing now?

Leapin’ Lizards! Website for upcoming Annie revival is now live!

America’s favorite orphan will be tapping her way back to Broadway this fall. While the nation-wide search is still on for a young starlet to play the title character, this new mounting of Annie already has some heavy hitters attached, with director James Lapine and choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler on board. Watch them talk about the show-in-progress, and keep up to date with the latest news at the production’s website.

Broadway Buzz

• All five principle actors in The Book of Mormon have extended their contracts through 2013, so if any of us are lucky enough to score tickets in the next two years, we can look forward to hearing all the hilarious blasphemy in its original form.
• Although she never appeared on Broadway, the late singer Whitney Houston had a lasting impact on the industry. A stage adaptation of The Bodyguard, starring Heather Headley, is slated to hit the West End later this year, and while the major motion picture Sparkle has yet to premiere, groundwork is already being laid for a Broadway incarnation.
• Oscar winners Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep have signed on to star in the film adaption of Tracey Letts’ highly acclaimed drama August: Osage County. Streep will assume the role of Violet, the pill-popping family matriarch, with Roberts playing her controlling daughter Barbara.
• Arthur Miller’s 1968 play The Price is coming back to the Great White Way! While there’s been no explicit announcement as of yet, Playbill.com has reported that a regional theater company in Pittsfield, MA had to cancel its production of The Price due to plans for a Broadway revival. (Read the full article here.) This will mark the second work by Miller to be revived this year (Death of a Salesman opens March 15th).
• Don’t wait up for the new Sleepless in Seattle musical to arrive. It may be awhile yet. The show was scheduled to debut at the Pasadena Playhouse this season, with designs for an eventual Broadway run, but the producers weren’t happy with their current songwriting team. So they replaced them all. The project is now on hold while the new crew of composers tirelessly pens a fresh soundtrack for Sleepless. (Read the full article here)
• It was recently announced that Matilda, the musical based on Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel, will make its Main Stem debut in early 2013 (the show is already selling out nightly on the West End.) It’s worth pointing out that Matilda tells the charming story of a schoolgirl who discovers she has telekinetic powers, unlike Carrie (currently playing off-Broadway,) which tells the twisted, terrifying story of a schoolgirl who discovers she has telekinetic powers. Don’t make the same mistake we did.
• Theatergoers may have to wait another year to be haunted by the ghost of Rebecca, but in the meantime, those itching for a musical full of gothic glamour can always rely on The Phantom of the Opera. And they’ll certainly be in good company! The longest-running show on Broadway played its 10,000th performance on February 11th, continuing to regale audiences nightly with the timeless message that if you’re being stalked by a lunatic, following him into his dungeon lair is probably a bad idea.

That's all for this edition of The Maximum Insider!

Thanks for checking in!

Welcome to this edition of The Maximum Insider! Alert. This special edition includes the much anticipated 2011 Tony Nominations! Thanks for checking in with Maximum Entertainment for all your Insider Broadway news!

2011 Tony Nominations

“The Book of Mormon” Scores BIG With 14 Nominations!

Nominations for the 2011 Tony Awards were announced this morning by Matthew Broderick and Anika Noni Rose.

The big winner was “The Book of Mormon ” with 14 nominations! That is one nomination short of tying “The Producers” and “Billy Elliot” for the most Tony nominations ever received by one show!

The second most nominated show of the season is “The Scottsboro Boys” with 12 nominations. This is a big achievement for a show that closed early in the season. The power of Kander and Ebb lives on.

Other shows that received a significant number of nominations include the revival of “Anything Goes” (9), the revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” (8), “The Merchant of Venice” (7), “Jerusalem” (6), “The Motherf**ker with the Hat” (6), “Sister Act” (5), “War Horse” (5) and “The Normal Heart” (5).

Nominations for “The Book of Mormon”, “Catch Me If You Can”, “The Scottsboro Boys” and “Sister Act” mark the first time in 14 years that the category of Best Musical has been filled with productions with completely new scores!

This year garnered quite a few nominees with multiple nominations including Rob Ashford “How to Succeed…”, Kathleen Marshall “Anything Goes”, Susan Stroman “The Scottsboro Boy” and Casey Nicholaw “The Book of Mormon” each garnered nominations in the Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography categories. Nicholaw shared his directorial nomination with co-director and Book of Mormon co-author Trey Parker. Sound designer Brian Ronan picked up nominations for “The Book of Mormon” and “Anything Goes”. Larry Hochman was nominated for Best Orchestrations for “The Scottsboro Boys” and “The Book of Mormon” (with Stephen Oremus). Catherine Zuber also nabbed nominations for her period costumes for “Born Yesterday” and “How to Succeed”.

This morning’s nominations contained a few surprising Omissions. “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” was shut out for Best Musical and received only 2 nominations, one for Best Actor in a Musical for Tony Sheldon and one for Best Costume Design. “Wonderland” was shut out of Best Musical and did not receive a single Tony nomination. “Anything Goes” cast members Colin Donnell, Joel Grey and Laura Osnes had nomination buzz surrounding their performances but not enough to garner nominations. However; Joel Grey did receive a nomination in another category. Grey was nominated with George C. Wolfe for Best Direction of a Play for “Normal Heart”, a contender for Best Revival of a Play. “Brief Encounter”, a critic favorite, was shut out in the category of Best Play while its leading lady, Hannah Yelland, and its Sound Designer scored its only two nominations. Shoo-in, Daniel Radcliffe was omitted from Best Actor in a Musical for “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”. This marks Radcliffe’s 2nd Tony snub. Radcliffe also had nomination buzz surrounding his performance in “Equus” in 2009 but wasn’t able to garner a nomination. Radcliffe isn’t the only Hollywood Star to get left out, Ben Stiller didn’t hear his name called this morning for “The House of Blue Leaves” either. Other notable snubs include Aaron Tveit for “Catch Me If You Can”, Robin Williams for “Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo” and Chris Rock in “The Motherf**ker in the Hat”.

There were also a few Surprise Nominations. “Arcadia” was nominated for Best Revival of a Play edging out strong contenders “Born Yesterday” and “Driving Ms. Daisy”. Beth Leavel snuck into the Best Actress in a Musical category edging out Sherie Renee Scott. NOTE: This category only contains 4 nominees this year. In order to have 5 nominees, there must be 7 eligible actresses and this year only contained 6. Tammy Blanchard snuck into the the Best Featured Actress Category for “How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” pushing out predicted nominee Laura Osnes “Anything Goes”. Joshua Henry also garnered a nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for “The Scottsboro Boys”.

How will the Tony nominations affect the box office sales of low grossing productions? Will it be the kiss of death for the productions finding themselves without nominations or will they go the route of “The Addams Family” and join the million dollar club? We’ll soon find out.

2011 Tony Nominations

AND THE NOMINEES ARE:

Best Play:
Good People
Jerusalem
The Motherf**cker with the Hat
War Horse

Best Musical:
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

Best Book of a Musical:
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
The Book of Mormon
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre:
The Book of Mormon
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdwown

Best Revival of a Play:
Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart

Best Revival of a Musical:
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play:
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jersualem

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play:
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical:
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshue Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical:
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It’s You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play:
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vasquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play:
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bete
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical:
Coleman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Laroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O’Malley, The Book of Mormon

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical:
Laura Benanti, Womeon on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti Lupone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Scenic Design of a Play:
The Motherf**ker with the Hat
War Horse
Jerusalem
The Merchant of Venice

Best Scenic Design of a Musical:
The Scottsboro Boys
Anything Goes
The Book of Mormon
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Best Costume Design of a Play:
The Merchant of Venice
The Importance of Being Earnest
La Bete
Born Yesterday

Best Costume Design of a Musical:
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Anything Goes
The Book of Mormon
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Lighting Design of a Play:
War Horse
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
The Merchant of Venice
Jerusalem

Best Lighting Design of a Musical:
The Scottsboro Boys
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Anything Goes
The Book of Mormon

Best Sound Design of a Play:
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Brief Encounter
Jerusalem
War Horse

Best Sound Design of a Musical:
The Scottsboro Boys
Catch Me If You Can
Anything Goes
The Book of Mormon

Best Direction of a Play:
Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice

Best Direction of a Musical:
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholawy & Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Choreography:
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Orchestrations:
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
The Scottsboro Boys
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can

Tony Nominations by Production

The Book of Mormon – 14
The Scottsboro Boys – 12
Anything Goes – 9
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – 8
The Merchant of Venice – 7
Jerusalem – 6
The Motherf**ker with the Hat – 6
The Normal Heart – 5
Sister Act – 5
War Horse – 5
Catch Me If You Can – 4
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo – 3
The Importance of Being Earnest – 3
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown – 3
Arcadia – 2
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson – 2
Born Yesterday – 2
Brief Encounter – 2
Good People – 2
La Bête – 2
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – 2
Baby It’s You! – 1
Driving Miss Daisy – 1
The House of Blue Leaves – 1
Lombardi – 1
The People in the Picture – 1

“My manager called me. I was walking my dog in the woods and she called me and I let out a yelp. I was very, very excited. The show’s been – it’s had a long, long journey – a difficult one for me, personally, and artistically. It’s a difficult story to tell. It spans years and many, many locations. There’s a tremendous amount of back-story to tell in the show, so it’s sort of difficult to get that all on stage, and figure out how to do it. And the part – I’m out there running around like I’m still 25, but it’s just more about body maintenance, and aerobic [laughs] energy. But I’ve loved the part for a long time. I first got the script – oh my God – five years ago, an old version, none of which is really there. It’s changed so much, but I still really connected to the part way back then, and have always loved the music, and really believed in it, and there’s been some really, really difficult setbacks along the way, so it’s just completely ebullient today. I just feel overjoyed. I’m so thrilled that I survived.” [Laughs.]

- Norbert Leo Butz
Best Actor in a Musical Nominee for “Catch Me If You Can”

That’s all for this edition of Maximum Insider!

Maximum Entertainment Productions

email: info@maximumcompany.com

Ghetto Klown – Performances from February 21st – John Leguizamo’s hilarious, auto-biographical one-man show.
The Book of Mormon – Performances from February 24th – If you are easily offended, this one from the South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker may not be for you.
Arcadia - Performances from February 26th – Math has never been more interesting than in this Stoppard play starring Billy Crudup and Raul Esparza.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – Performances from 28th February – Get out your glitter for this disco-musical about 3 drag queens in the Australian Outback.
Anything Goes – Performances from March 10th – Sutton Foster and Joel Grey revive this maritime musical.
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo – Performances from March 11th – Yet another play from Rajiv Joseph, starring Robin Williams as the feline character.
How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - Performances from March 11th – Harry Potter returns to Broadway, under his stage name Daniel Radcliff, in this musical about the corporate ladder.
Catch Me If You Can – Performances from March 11th – Based on the 2002 movie about young con-man Frank Abagnale.
The Motherf**ker with the Hat – Performances from March 15th – Leave the kids at home for this comedy starring Chris Rock.
War Horse - Performances from March 15th – About a horse and a war.
Wonderland – Performances from March 21st – A modern re-imagining of the classic story of Alice In Wonderland
Sister Act – Performances from March 24th – Disco meets the diocese in this one, based on the movie starring Whoopi Goldberg (she’s a producer on this!)
High- Performances from March 25th – Kathleen Turner stars as a thick-skinned nun who helps a young junkie battle addiction.
Born Yesterday – Performances from March 31st – Jim Belushi and Robert Sean Leonard star in this show about a corrupt businessman, a bookworm and a not-so-dumb blonde.
The People in the Picture – Performances from April 1st – Donna Murphy stars in this new musical about a Jewish woman’s life in the Yiddish Theatre in pre-war Poland.
Baby It’s You! - Performances from March 26th – A New Jersey housewife discovers and develops the ’60s girl group The Shirelles.
Jerusalem – Performances from April 2nd – A motorcycle daredevil and wanted man faces eviction from his home deep in the woods.
House of Blue Leaves – Performances from April 4th – Ben Stiller, Edie Falco and Jennifer Jason Leigh star in this dark comedy featuring nothing less than a zookeeper and the Pope.
The Normal Heart – Performances from April 19th – Directed by Joel Grey, this drama centers on the AIDS epidemic in the 1980′s .
Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark - opening in June? Maybe? Maybe not? Ever?
Fat Pig – Postponed until Fall 2011. Oops!

Kathy Griffin takes Broadway!

The red-haired, razor-tongued queen of celebrity gossip made her Broadway debut on March 11th at the Belasco theatre as part of the new BROADWAY CONCERT EVENT series. The short but successful run of the honestly titled Kathy Griffin Wants A Tony gave the Broadway community a special showing of Griffin’s stand-up act, taking aim at celebrities of all kinds. As an added bonus however, her act evolved daily dependent on the hot topics in the news and, of course, payed special attention to the theatre world.

Though Ms.Griffin herself has reached a level of fame that rivals many of those she mocks, she continues to let audiences in on the juicy details of Hollywood behind-the-scenes. A two-time Emmy winner for her show My Life on the D-List and a Grammy nominee, Griffin’s bid for a Tony did not disappoint. Read on to see what the reviewers had to say:

New York Times
“And her stamina is remarkable. With breath control to match the most skilled coloratura soprano, Ms. Griffin holds forth at a relentless clip for two straight hours without a break, taking just the occasional sip from a glass of water. And like an opera diva of yesteryear, she never strays from center stage, as if to conserve energy better used to keep the flow of cutting commentary from running dry for even a moment.”

New York Post
“Griffin is the perfect comedian for these celebrity-obsessed times. Don’t look for any insights into the human condition — her humor is proudly superficial. But there’s no one better at making fun of such topics as the reality TV shows of which she’s inordinately fond. ”

New York Press
“What endears Griffin to her fans is that, unlike Joan Rivers, say, we never feel as if Griffin will turn her acid tongue on us. She’s in the world of L.A. fame, but not part of it, so she can sit back and take notes and then regale us with every misstep and mistake that she bears witness to.”

The 10-performance run saw packed houses throughout! Now, only time will tell if the coveted Tony Award is indeed in her future. But one thing is for sure; after Kathy Griffin, Broadway may never be the same!

To read the full article from the New York Times

Spider-Man Still Only Just Clinging On

last week it was announced that Spider -Man producers have postponed an official opening for the sixth time. This, following Julie Taymor’s dismissal as director of the troubled show, will allow several weeks for Bono and team to attempt to breathe new life into the deflating show. Taymor, will be replaced by director, Phillip William McKinely (best known for his work on The Boy from Oz), and playwright, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (It’s a Bird – It’s a Plane – It’s Superman). A new opening date is set for mid-June.

And now, another rumored change in the revolving-door of artists involved with the show. Bloomberg news is reporting that choreographer Daniel Ezralow is leaving, to be replaced by Chase Brock. Though none of the sources would identify themselves for fear of repercussions, they are all indicating that Brock will be stepping in, and that, furthermore, it is not surprising because Ezralow “was a Julie person.”

It has also been rumored that many of the show’s performers are anxious to move on. And with dancers’ and chorus members’ six month contracts set to expire in May, they may soon have the chance to leave.

The big question now is whether or not Bono can turn the whole mess around.

“The sense is that unless Bono decides to play Peter Parker himself, this musical is on its way to becoming the biggest flop in theater history. ” -Michael Reidel, New York Post

Priscilla Queen of the Desert opens at the Palace to mixed reviews

The larger-than-life musical about 3 travelling drag queens opened March 20th at the Palace Theatre. Based on the 1994 movie, the stage adaptation of Priscilla has found its way from Australia to New York, leaving the requisite trail of glitter and glitz.

Tony Sheldon’s performance has generated a fair amount of buzz as being the standout of the bunch. Not surprising as he has been with the show since its Aussie debut. And the production boasts some of the most imaginative costumes going, designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. However while the disco musical certainly comes with everything you might expect from a show about drag queens – including Madonna covers and platform shoes – some are saying that it lacks the substance and ease one expects in a truly great Broadway production.

New York Times:
“this hyperactively splashy show wants so desperately to give audiences a gaudy good time that the results are oddly enervating. Instead of ecstatic high-midnight, when the dance floor is packed and the energy in the room hits a peak, Broadway’s newest karaoke-inspired musical more regularly evokes the later, more dispiriting hours at a nightclub, when the D.J. is on autopilot and only the really hardened club crawlers are still churning away.”

TheaterMania.com
“While the show will likely prove to be a crowd-pleaser, it can be difficult to tell whether all of those offering a standing ovation at the curtain call actually enjoyed what they saw — or are simply surrendering out of sheer exhaustion.”

Variety
“For all the glitz, though — and there is a lot of glitz — there’s a heart ticking true beneath it all, and that should earn ‘Priscilla’ a long and profitable run at the Palace, with the merchandise stand doing big business in purple boas.”