Issues at Broadway's "Chicago" All Too Familiar When It Comes to Bullying in Theatre

After spending 22 years in a cast of a Broadway show, one deserves a curtain call worthy of that achievement. It could be a standing ovation during the final bow. Or a backstage celebration. Or parting gifts from the cast, creative and producers.

But instead of being recognized for a rare achievement in New York theatre, Jeff Loeffelholz ended his own life with a mixture of painkillers and alcohol.

What led Jeff to this point is going to be the subject of investigations by multiple organizations and their results could lead to a complete reshaping of working conditions in professional theatre.

While Jeff's alleged treatment behind-the-scenes at Chicago is horrific, for many other performers, it's all too familiar.

If the New York Post's "My Fair Lady" Piece Felt Like a Hit-Job, It's Because it Was

on July 5th. You can click here to read it.

All caught up? Good. Hopefully, as you were reading it, a couple of questions began to form. But one that should definitely be raised is, "Was this article necessary at all?"

I understand Reidel's methodology here. It's not every day one gets permission to publish extremely-candid quotes from one high-profile star bashing another. So clearly, from Reidel and the Post's point of view, there is a story to tell and clicks to get.

But from my point of view, the whole article feels like a well-orchestrated hit on a show's leading lady by portraying her as either a selfish diva or a fragile performer, incapable of meeting the demands of a lead role on Broadway. Even if either were true, the fact that this has gone public is wrong and is certainly a violation of the unwritten rules of being in a Broadway cast: You don't air your dirty laundry in public, especially not to the press, especially not to Michael Riedel.

We're Getting a 'Cats' Movie that No One Asked For

News broke yesterday that the long-rumored Cats movie is officially on for production. It was announced that the Tom Hooper(Les Misérables) film is slated to start filming in November. No casting has been announced yet. Wayne McGregor(Woman in White) will serve as choreographer.

United Kingdom, BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 22, 2018Chris Peterson

Musical Theatre in the Trump Age

What will be today’s Musical Theatre legacy? What work will be left behind for the next generation to look back on with admiration, commenting on how ahead of its time it was? Should producers be dusting off old chestnuts like South Pacific, Hair and La Cage in this time of turmoil? Or should Musical Theatre simply be an escape for its audience to forget about the turmoil this nation is facing?

Observations, BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 16, 2018Matthew Miller

My Favorite Covers of Musical Theatre Classics by Contemporary Artists

First up: Here’s a fun collection of some of our favourite artists covering the musical theatre greats. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive list; not everyone’s faves are going to be on it. Not everyone is going to make every list every time. This isn’t a list of the “best,” it’s just that: a mixed tape. Also excluded were more recent folks from the theatre community covering theatre songs.

Observations, BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 15, 2018Melody Nicolette

Let's Be Honest. Patti Murin was Screwed.

Just so we're clear:

Patti Murin is a hundred times classier than to publicly or privately agree with anything said in this article.

Patti Murin is a hundred times more professional than to acknowledge anything said in this article.

Patti Murin is a hundred times more respectable to say anything similar to what is said in this article.

To be quite honest with you, I hope she never reads this article.

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 15, 2018Chris Peterson

All That's Right with 'The Play That Goes Wrong'

What, to me, was most interesting about the production was how well the ensemble, to include production staff, recreated chaos. The intent was to appear inept, which, at first thought, you’d think would be easy. Just a matter of screwing up on purpose, embarrassing yourself by being blatantly incompetent. How hard could that be, right?

But it is remarkably well-crafted and staged. To affect the kind of audience response that it earned so adequately, required a precision of purpose and execution. Split-second timing, extraordinary attention to details, an exceptional script, experienced performers and a meticulous director.

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 15, 2018Skip Maloney

The Unsung Winners of the 2018 Tony Awards

There were many amazing, memorable moments from the 2018 Tony Awards: The students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's incredible and touching rendition of "Seasons of Love", the Carousel cast's show-stopping choreographed performance, Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles' quirky yet charming hosting, the Dear Evan Hansen cast's beautiful medley of "You Will Be Found" and "For Forever", Lindsay Mendez's acceptance speech, the #TonyDreaming montages, the list could go on and on.

Observations, BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 13, 2018Sarah Cagle, Tony Awards

How Much Singing Should there be for an Acting Tony in a Musical?

A debate has arisen over Sunday night's win for Tony Shalhoub for his performance in The Band's Visit. While other nominees such as Ethan Slater sung and danced through Spongbob Sqaurepants and Joshua Henry had to take on the musical theatre doctorate known as "Soliloquoy", Mr. Shalhoub hardly sings at all. While I don't have the sheet music in front of me, having seen the show, I would guess that he sings roughly 32-64 bars in the entire show.

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 12, 2018Chris Peterson, Tony Awards, The Band's Visit

Playbill's Blunder Leads to Unfair Criticism of Ruthie Ann Miles

On Thursday, Playbill reported that actress Ruthie Ann Miles would be returning to her role as Lady Tiang for the West End production of "The King and I". Managing News Editor, Ryan McPhee, also reported that Miles would share the role with Naoko Mori.

The article also pointed out that "The casting update follows the news that Miles lost the unborn child she was carrying two months after a Brooklyn car crash that took the life of her four-year-old daughter."

BroadwayChristopher PetersonJune 2, 2018

Will Mean Girls' Success Lead to a Broadway Return for Heathers?

12 Tony Nominations, Critical praise and pulling in $1.4 million per week, the debate whether or not "Mean Girls" would be a success has been decided, it most definitely is. The musical is striking a cord with younger audiences and I have no doubt this will become a staple in high schools and colleges for years to come once licensing rights are available. But given its popularity and success on 42nd Street, one has to wonder if this, along with other shows like Dear Evan Hansen, will lead to more teenage-centric stories to grace Broadway stages. The same goes for shows that never got their Broadway run but have since become incredibly popular with younger audiences. The best example of this would be "Heathers".

BroadwayChristopher PetersonMay 24, 2018Chris Peterson

What About the Showgirls?

When I was 15 years old, I shimmied into a sequined leotard and balanced a feathered headpiece on my head for my high school production of George M! I distinctly recall claiming a private changing space in our closet-sized dressing room during our first dress rehearsal, only to have it dawn on me that there was no point in being modest: I’d be wearing virtually nothing onstage, so why bother hiding now?

Observations, BroadwayChristopher PetersonMay 4, 2018Maegan Clearwood

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