JK's TheatreScene: Re-Naming Theatres, Part 2: April's Poll

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Re-Naming Theatres, Part 2: April's Poll

NOTE: For some reason, this entire blog would not post as one. Therefore, it will post as three separate blogs. All three will post today, about a half hour apart. Since they all have to do with the poll for April, which starts tomorrow, I thought it best to put up all three at once. TO SEE THEM ALL, CLICK ON "BROADWAY THEATRES" AT THE TOP OF THE BLOG. Enjoy!

Part One: Michael Bennett, Bob Fosse, and Jerry Herman posted earlier.

Here are the next three of my top nine choices for who should have a theatre named after them. And don't forget to vote for your favorite starting tomorrow!

Kander and Ebb

Music and Lyrics: Flora, the Red Menace, Cabaret, The Happy Time, Zorba, 70,Girls, 70, Chicago, The Act, Woman of the Year, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Steel Pier, Curtains

Kander as Arranger/Musical Director: Gypsy, The Crucible, 3 Men on a Horse, Hay Fever, Never Too Late, Irma La Douce
Ebb as Book Writer: Liza, From A to Z, Shirley McLaine, Minelli on Minelli
Kander and Ebb featured in: Fosse, Chita Rivera: A Dancer's Life, Liza at the Palace, Come Fly Away

Awards:

3 Drama Desk nominations, 1 win
13 Tony Award nominations, 4 wins

Statistics:

Three of their shows, Zorba, Cabaret and Chicago, proved more successful in revival than in their original runs: Zorba (305/362), Cabaret (1165, 2377 - 1997 Revival), Chicago (936/5548 - as of 03/28/2010).
At least two of their shows still have the Broadway potential: The Scottsboro Boys and The Visit.

Angela Lansbury

Broadway Stage Career:

Debut: Hotel Paradiso - April 11, 1957
Plays: Hotel Paradiso, A Taste of Honey, A Little Family Business, Deuce, Blithe Spirit
Musicals: Anyone Can Whistle, Mame, Dear World, Gypsy, The King and I, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music

Clockwise from Top: Mame, Dear World, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy

Awards:

4 Drama Desk nominations, 3 wins
6 Tony Award nominations, 5 wins

Statistics:

Many people think Ms. Lansbury and Gwen Verdon each have four Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical. That isn't so. Ms. Verdon has 4 total - 3 Best Actress, 1 Best Supporting Actress. So far, Ms. Lansbury has 4 Best Actress in a Musical Tonys. In fact, it was she who bested Verdon in 1966, when she won for Mame, while Verdon had to be satisfied with the nomination for Sweet Charity.

Blithe Spirit, Mame, A Little Night Music

Arthur Miller

Debut: The Man Who Had All the Luck - November 23, 1944
His Plays: The Man Who Had All the Luck, All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, After the Fall, An Incident at Vichy, The Price, The Creation of the World and Other Business, A Memory of Two Mondays, The American Clock, Broken Glass, The Ride Down Mt. Morgan
The Revivals: The Man Who Had All the Luck (1), After the Fall (1), All My Sons (2), The Price (3), Death of a Salesman (3), A View from the Bridge (3), and The Crucible (4)

All My Sons and The Crucible

Awards:

1 Pultizer Prize for Drama
2 Drama Desk nominations, 1 win
8 Tony Award nominations, 5 wins

Statistics:

Arthur Miller is the second most revived modern day playwright in Broadway history, with 17 revivals of his works, behind Tennessee Williams, with 24. He is fourth of all playwrights, behind William Shakespeare (over 300) and Gilbert and Sullivan (nearly 200).