Stage Door: Bernhardt/Hamlet

by Dancin' Dan

It's a tall enough order to write a play about one of the greatest actresses the world has ever known. It's quite another to write a play about that same actress taking on one of the most famous plays ever written. But Theresa Rebeck has never been one to back away from a challenge. Her delightful new play Bernhardt/Hamlet imagines what it must have been like for the great Sarah Bernhardt to assay the role of none other than Hamlet, all the way back in 1897. To say the least, it was difficult.

Bernhardt (Janet McTeer), in her fifties, was past the point where she could believably play the dying ingénues that made her famous (and also far past the point where she wanted to). Out of money but full of ambition, she decides that Shakespeare's melancholy Dane will be her vehicle for a comeback after her last play, written by Edmond Rostand (Jason Butler Harner), flopped with audiences despite love from critics. But she is having difficulty "finding" the Prince, frustrated by his ease with flowery verse and his inability to take action.

Can a powerful woman play a powerful man? Bernhardt is absolutely sure of it. She says...

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Hugh Jackman at 50

by Eric Blume

Hugh Jackman celebrating his 50th birthday.

Let’s all take a moment to celebrate the half-century birthday of one of our most versatile and underrated actors, Hugh Jackman.

Underrated, you question?  Sure, Hugh has a Best Actor Tony for The Boy from Oz, an Emmy Award for hosting the Academy Awards, and a Best Actor Oscar nomination for Les Miserables.  But if you asked folks to list ten of the best working actors, would most people remember to put him on their list?

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List-Mania: Glenda Jackson & Lots of Triple-Crown Acting Trivia

This is a update/reworking of two previous posts about Triple Crowns!

Glenda Jackson is the oldest performer (82) to complete the Triple Crown

Since I'm on record as being annoyed that all anyone cares about is the EGOT it's time to celebrate our preferred obsession: The Triple Crown of Acting. That's when a performer manages the Emmy, Oscar, and Tony. To date only 24 actors* have accomplished this, with Glenda Jackson being the most recent recipient as of this past Sunday night at the Tony Awards. Triple Crowns have become much more commonplace in the 21st century since actors move much more fluidly through the three mediums than they did in before the turn of the century. TV has totally lost its stigma for movie stars and Broadway is more welcome to very short runs freeing major stars up to continue with their movie and TV careers without as much scheduling trauma.  A TRUCKLOAD OF TRIVIA AFTER THE JUMP...

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Tony Awards 2018 in Review

Thirteen random thoughts on last night's Tony Awards.

• Glenda Jackson won the Emmy and two Oscars in the 1970s but after a three decade break from acting, she returns triumphant with a Tony win, giving her the Triple Crown!

• Remember when Melissa McCarthy surprised everybody by winning the Emmy for Mike & Molly that one year? After the shock wore off everyone collectively decided that the Television Academy gave her that prize because of Bridesmaids that same season. I kinda think this is what happened with Laurie Metcalf winning a second consecutive Tony -- this time for Three Tall Women in a category people expected to go elsewhere. Not that Three Tall Women isn't brilliantly acted, but we're guessing her miracle performance in Lady Bird helped put her over the finish line. We're choosing to interpret it as Tony voters slapping Oscar's hand. Oscar deserved a slap for that one...

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Hello Linky

Just two handfuls of links this morning. I'm still on my birthday tear for Tony weekend -- finally saw Hello, Dolly! on Broadway last night with Bernadette Peters and as usual she was an adorable diva. Laughed my ass off. A friend of mine revealed that he had already seen the show four times to see all three leading ladies (Bette, Donna Murphy x 2, Bernadette). Bette returns to the show (with the magical Donna Murphy on Bette's off days since Bette can't handle 8 shows a week) on July 17th. I don't have the funds for three trips but would definitely see again if the chance occurs.

• Vulture what would Sex and the City plotlines be like if the show were still on. Vulture asks members of the original writing team
• THR With other companies pursuin g him Warner Bros reups with prolific TV producer Greg Berlanti (who also directs the occasional movie - hi, Love Simon) for $400 million. In cash no less!
• The Daily Beast talks to Sutton Foster about Younger's evolution
• Rewire great reflective piece by Kieran Scarlett on black fathers in TV (Black-ish and Cosby)
• i09 John Lasseter is leaving Disney after his suspension for misconduct with female co-workers
• Awards Daily a glitzy Emmy FYC event to celebrate the costumes of RuPaul's Drag Race
• Words Seem Out of Place writes a letter to Angela (Michelle Pfeiffer) from Married to the Mob 

It's Tony Weekend so a bit of theatah for you
• Vulture hilarious article ranking all 41 Broadway theaters
• Time Out New York first headshots of all the Tony nominees. These are priceless! Especially the ones of Mark Rylance, Lauren Ambrose, Grey Henson, Amy Schumer, and Ari'el Stachel
• MNPP Corey Stoll is wearing leather pants as Iago in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Othello