What's New on the Rialto

In our last column we visited Las Vegas, so let's continue west to San Jose, California where Talkin' Broadway's own webmaster, Mark Bakalor will be making his directorial debut this week at San Jose State University in the University's Student Director Workshop spring production, Brecht, Lies & Videotape. The first production I saw at San Jose State was City of Angels last spring and I was blown away! The production opens this Thursday evening in San Jose State's intimate Studio Theatre. Coming on the heels of a resurgence of Bob Fosse influences, Mark's production of The Threepenny Opera borrows from the current bare bones Broadway revival of Chicago with Fosse like choreography by Derik Kleinhesselink. The production features songs by Threepenny songwriter Kurt Weill, including favorites such as "Mack the Knife" and "Pirate Jenny".

I hope to catch this production and hope that if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area that you do too. The show runs this week, four performances only (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7pm and a matinee performance at 1pm on Friday), for more information, contact Mark Bakalor.

Tidbits: The Tony nominations will be announced on May 4th at Sardi's, the same day tickets go on sale at Radio City Music Hall for the annual awards show. Last year was the first year the public was able to attend and it will be the same this year. The show will be hosted by Rosie O'donnell again, whose presence alone, shot the ratings way up. There will also be a one hour special prior to the telecast on PBS which was also very successful last year.

The nominating committee met last week regarding eligibility of shows and the rundown is that Cabaret is eligible for Best Revival and other major awards. John Leguizamo and his show Freak are eligible for Best Actor and Best Play nominations and both Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley can be nominated as one for Best Actress for Side Show. The committee turned down a request that the 7 kids in The Sound of Music be considered as a single performer. Also, The Lion King will be elgible for Best Musical and Best Score even though much of it comes from the film. No big surprises from the committee except that Alan Cummings, if nominated as Best Actor for Cabaret will be the competition for Brian Stokes Mitchell if he's nominated for Ragtime. And I hope they both are... nothing like a good horse race.

Just after last column's article on Broadway... Off B'way, the new musical show at the Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the rumors started that Lord of the Dance would be finding a permanent home in the New York, New York Hotel Casino. Big mistake if you ask me. Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, the Irish step dance shows, have been touring for several years now and the peak of their popularity has waned. Both great shows, for sure, but I just don't see tourists paying $75.00 a pop for this type of entertainment unless they rename the hotel Ireland, Ireland. The problem with New York, New York is that they are searching for something for their showroom, and like Dorothy and Toto, what they are looking for is right in their own backyard.

New York's Hispanic community took to The Capeman and were saddened with the closing. Latin rhythms will be back on the boards though when Havana, Frank Wildhorn's new musical, makes its way to the Great White Way in the 1999-2000 season. Linda Eder, the soon to be Mrs. Wildhorn, has signed to star.

Light a vigil candle on Monday night as this was the night Side Show was to re-open. Requeste in pace.

The new Cabaret CD will be released on June 16 on RCA Victor. It's being recorded on April 13. And don't let all that crotch grabbing that you may have seen on Letterman when the cast of Cabaret performed the opening number, "Wilkomen", bother you. Out of context it simply looked vulgar, but within the show, it works. Hey, people have been crotch grabbing for years. I think Kander & Ebb say it best... "everybody you watch has his brains in his crotch..." So who cares, so what?

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