The Ensemblist

Last week, Will Blum released a 12-minute filmed presentation of Floyd Collins shot entirely inside his new New York City apartment. We talked about how the idea went from concept to reality, as well as what it means to be creating "theatre" in quarantine.

Watch the film here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CFBZgSSj0Ma/

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This week, I chatted with Broadway veteran Tamika Lawrence (Caroline or Change, Come From Away, Matilda The Musical) about the launch of her new apparel line: Ready Set Wear Apparel. We chatted about how her mother (kindly) tricked her into starting the venture, and how the Spice Girls were a stylistic influence on her design. Here's our conversation...

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The 52nd Annual Tony Awards were held on June 7, 1998 at Radio City Music Hall. Hosted by Rosie O’Donnell for the second year in a row, 

Going into the ceremony, Ragtime led the pack with 13 nominations, followed by The Lion King with 11. The acclaimed Roundabout Theatre Company revival had 10 nominations, with Side Show and The Scarlet Pimpernel as new musicals, and 1776 and The Sound of Music as revivals.

A lot of things happened during the season, many of which were covered in all the politically-skewed humor of the telecast. President Bill Clinton was in his second term in office, and by the time of this broadcast he was elbow-deep in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, with impeachment talks just around the corner. Also referenced as a joke in the telecast, 1998 brought upon the advent of Viagra, which was approved by the FDA in March of that year. LOL.

In New York, this season also marks the “Disneyfication” of Broadway, where in a partnership of Disney, LiveEnt, and The New 42nd St. Inc, transformed Times Square from the seedy, sketchy neighborhood history knew it to be, to the child-friendly, glamorous tourist-trap we know it is today. This season also boasted the opening of 35 Broadway productions, and notably this was the year that Cats surpassed A Chorus Line as the longest running show on Broadway. Meow.

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On March 12, 2020, the Broadway League suspended performances for all Broadway shows through April 12 amidst rising Coronavirus concerns and bans on large gatherings. Six months later, most industries are reopening, television/film production is resuming, and many office employees are settling nicely into remote work routines. 

Yet staying masked, practicing social distancing, and avoiding large crowds remains crucial in the fight against COVID-19. As a result, Broadway and many theatres across the country remain closed until at least January 3, 2021.

So much remains unknown for our industry, but there is hope as live performances begin sprouting up at venues such as Berkshire Theatre Group and Weathervane Theatre. As Broadway’s Diana prepares to be filmed for Netflix. As theatre artists find ways to create work digitally.

But what did the future look like for actors at the beginning of the pandemic? During the month of March, we released daily conversations with actors performing in Broadway shows, national tours, and regional productions, as they first adapted to workplace changes, then unemployment and the uncertainty. Six months later, we look back at those conversations to see if anything from the past can teach us about the months ahead.

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After two years at New York’s Beacon Theatre, the 2013 Tonys were broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall. From the moment the nominations were announced, the ceremony seemed destined to be a showdown between Kinky Boots and Matilda The Musical, with revivals of Pippin, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CInderella and The Mystery of Edwin Drood following close behind. 

Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, the ceremony featured one of the most lauded openings in Tony Awards History, titled “Bigger.” Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tom Kitt and featuring the iconic line “We were that kid,” “Bigger’ featured more than a hundred Broadway performers and eventually won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.

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In our final installment of this series, we’re sharing our favorite moments from our interview with Bob Stillman. Bob first appeared on Broadway in 1988’s Legs Diamond, although his role was cut during the show’s 72 previews. Bob has since performed on Broadway in Grand Hotel, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Dirty Blonde, Souvenir, Grey Gardens, Act One, It’s Only a Play, and Living on Love. Also a composer & musician, he has written music for both Urban Cowboy and Dirty Blonde. Bob is a Tony Award nominee for his contributions to the score of Urban Cowboy, as well as for his performance in Dirty Blonde. Here’s our conversation...

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After two years at New York’s Beacon Theatre, the 2013 Tonys were broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall. From the moment the nominations were announced, the ceremony seemed destined to be a showdown between Kinky Boots and Matilda The Musical, with revivals of Pippin, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CInderella and The Mystery of Edwin Drood following close behind. 

Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, the ceremony featured one of the most lauded openings in Tony Awards History, titled “Bigger.” Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tom Kitt and featuring the iconic line “We were that kid,” “Bigger’ featured more than a hundred Broadway performers and eventually won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.

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The 45th Annual Tony Awards were held on June 2, 1991. They were broadcast on CBS from the Minskoff Theatre and hosted by Julie Andrews and Jeremy Irons. The telecast featured performances from the four nominated musicals: Miss Saigon, Once on This Island, The Secret Garden and The Will Rogers Follies. It also included a special salute to ‘The Year of the Musical Actor’ featuring Robert Morse, Topol, Ann Reinking, Michael Crawford and more.

Leading up to the award ceremony, Miss Saigon and The Will Rogers Follies were tied for the most nominations of the season, with 11 each. But it was The Will Rogers Follies that walked away with six wins (Musical, Score, Choreography, Direction, Costume, Lighting). Miss Saigon and The Secret Garden both received three wins (Jonathan Pryce, Lea Salonga, Hinton Battle), (Book, Daisy Eagan, Scenic) while the fourth nominee for Best Musical, Once On This Island, walked away empty handed.

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Broadway alum Anthony Wayne has collected a group of Black men in theatre to form a racial equality group to support fellow members of their community and industry. Black Broadway Men is open to all self-identifying Black men who work on stage or behind the scenes in theatre.

We spoke to Anthony about the process of creating Black Broadway Men and their plans for the future. Here's our conversation...

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Today, we share a story of love from Daniel Switzer. Not only about falling in love with a person, but also a city - and how both of those relationships bloomed over a years-long courtship. Here, in his own words, is Daniel Switzer.

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