Berkeley Rep Blog
Category archive: News
Watch the Tonys Sunday night!
posted by Chad Jones on Sat, Jun 12, 2010
in Events , News , Our shows
Win or lose, awards shows can be an awful lot of fun, especially when you know some of the nominees. That's what makes this year's Tony Awards more exciting than usual. Berkeley Rep audiences are well acquainted with a few of the major players whose names you'll hear on Sunday's broadcast (8pm, CBS).
Green Day's American Idiot, the thrilling rock opera that made its world premiere in Berkeley before bursting onto Broadway, is up for three Tony Awards including Best Musical. In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), the comedy Berkeley Rep commissioned from Sarah Ruhl that became a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and marked the Broadway debut of Associate Artistic Director Les Waters, also received three nominations including Best Play.
Here's a complete rundown of our nominations:
- Best Musical: American Idiot
- Best Play: In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)
- Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Maria Dizzia for In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)
- Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Christine Jones for American Idiot
- Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Kevin Adams for American Idiot
- Best Costume Design of a Play: David Zinn for In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)
"Local folks have long known that Berkeley Rep is devoted to developing adventurous new work," remarks Tony Taccone, the Theatre's artistic director. "We are pleased that a much wider audience has had an opportunity to see and appreciate our work in the last several years, and naturally we're honored to see these shows nominated for so many prestigious awards. We are grateful for the trust placed in us by the many partners who helped bring American Idiot and In the Next Room to Broadway."
Green Day will perform, as will the cast of American Idiot.
Of course we'll be rooting for Berkeley Rep's nominees, but with the Tony Awards, everybody wins. This is, after all, the only national exposure given to American theatre by a major network. So tune in and show your support — not just for Berkeley Rep but for all the great theatre artists working on stages across the country.
Visit the official Tony Awards website.
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Checking in on NYC awards season: Berkeley Rep shows win!
posted by Chad Jones on Mon, May 24, 2010
in Backstage buzz , News , Our shows
This is the time of year when they're practically hurling awards at shows in New York, and it's all leading up to the Tony Awards on Sunday, June 13.
Just yesterday (Sunday, May 23), the Drama Desk handed the Outstanding Director of a Musical Award to Michael Mayer for his work on Green Day's American Idiot, which also earned the 2010 ITBA Award for Outstanding New Broadway Musical from the Independent Theater Bloggers Association. (Michael is seen in the above American Idiot rehearsal photo in the orange T-shirt; photo by Carole Litwin.)
Tony Taccone, Berkeley Rep's artistic director, had this to say about American Idiot's achievements: “All of us at Berkeley Rep send our congratulations to Michael and our collaborators on American Idiot. When we develop new shows at Berkeley Rep, our focus is on creating work that entertains and invigorates Bay Area audiences. Their support and their intelligence make it a pleasure to launch plays here. But it is also gratifying to see our shows go on to enjoy successful runs on Broadway and beyond. We are extremely proud and enormously grateful that our work continues to receive such recognition.”
In other awards news...
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Fireworks flash! John Leguizamo joins summer festival!
posted by Chad Jones on Fri, May 7, 2010
in At the theatre , News
You've seen him in movies like William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Summer of Sam. Now you can see Emmy and Obie Award-winner John Leguizamo on Berkeley Rep's Thrust Stage as part of this summer's Fireworks festival.
We are thrilled to announce that John Leguizamo's solo show Klass Klown joins the Fireworks display June 1 through 12. Tickets are $35 and go on sale today. The performance schedule is
- Tuesdays at 8pm
- Wednesdays at 7pm
- Thursday-Saturdays at 8pm
- Sunday at 7pm
Here's a Fireworks flash: audiences can enjoy a free tasting of Tres Agaves Tequila an hour before every performance of Klass Klown!
And now a message from John Leguizamo himself: "Yo, wat up my peoples? Wat's crackin'? Me that's what. I'm coming to town with the latest installment of Leguizamomania! This one is for the ages — don't miss it. Help me help you get some anti-recession and anti-depression hilarity."
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Bid online for American Idiot items!
posted by Chad Jones on Wed, Apr 14, 2010
in Events , News
Today, as Green Day’s American Idiot takes Broadway by storm, the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre announces a rare opportunity for fans to bid on exclusive items from the show’s world-premiere run in California. Four collectors’ items — including a guitar autographed by Green Day and the Berkeley Rep cast — will be available for 10 days on eBay beginning today, Wednesday, April 14. All proceeds from the auction benefit Berkeley Rep, a nonprofit theatre company dedicated to developing exhilarating new plays like American Idiot, Girlfriend, and Passing Strange.
The auction — which can be accessed at www.berkeleyrep.org/IdiotAuction — begins at 7pm PT today (Wednesday, April 14) and concludes at 7pm PT on Saturday, April 24. Berkeley Rep will receive 100 percent of the auction’s proceeds.
The auction includes the following hot items:
- A brand-new Epiphone LP Jr guitar autographed by all three members of Green Day and the Berkeley cast of American Idiot as they recorded a new version of “21 Guns” at the band’s Jingletown Studios in November 2009.
- A framed 20" x 30” photo of the original rendering for the show’s four-story set — with its sky-high walls, rolling stairs, punk posters, television monitors, and dangling car — created by Scenic Designer Christine Jones, who earned a Tony Award nomination for her work on Spring Awakening.
- A mixed-media collage of fabric swatches, photos, and sketches created by Costume Designer Andrea Lauer as she invented the outrageous outfit — including striped armband and pink combat boots – worn by Obie Award-winning actress Rebecca Naomi Jones, who portrays Whatsername (the collage is signed by Ms. Lauer and framed alongside a photo of Ms. Jones from the Berkeley run taken by renowned theatre photographer Kevin Berne).
- A similar collage by Ms. Lauer that features photos, drawings, and images of Whatsername alongside other characters from the show portrayed by Tony Vincent (St. Jimmy), Joshua Henry (The Favorite Son), and Libby Winters (ensemble).
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American Idiot cast album now streaming!
posted by Chad Jones on Tue, Apr 13, 2010
in News , Our shows
The American Idiot original Broadway cast recording will be released on Tuesday, April 20 — the same day of the show's official opening at the St. James Theatre. The album, on the Reprise Records label, will be available at all the usual digital download locations as well as in old-fashioned stores.
You can listen to the album in its entirety on the MTV website (where the album is being sold for $16.99 pre-order). You can also listen to 30-second samples at Amazon, where the downloaded album is listed at $13.99.
Promotional material for the album reports that the cast of American Idiot is accompanied by Green Day.
And don't forget: MTV airs an American Idiot special beginning this Thursday, April 16, at 7pm. Find out more.
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Idiot's Tom Kitt nabs a Pulitzer
posted by Chad Jones on Mon, Apr 12, 2010
in News , Our shows
When the Pulitzer Prizes were announced this morning, a name familiar to Berkeley Rep audiences topped the list in the drama category.
Tom Kitt, who provided orchestrations, arrangements, and musical supervision for the world premiere of American Idiot last fall, shared the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Next to Normal with his collaborator, Brian Yorkey, who wrote the book and lyrics. Next to Normal, which is still running on Broadway, is a rock musical about a woman dealing with bipolar disorder. Alice Ripley, who stars as the troubled suburban mom, won a 2009 Tony Award for her performance. Tom and Brian won a Tony for their score, and Tom also won in the orchestrations category.
Among the finalists recognized by the Pulitzer committee for the dramatic prize were Sarah Ruhl for In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), which was commissioned and premiered by Berkeley Rep before it headed to Broadway; The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz; and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph.
Next to Normal is only the eighth musical to win the Pulitzer for Drama since the award was established in 1916. Here are the others.
Of Thee I Sing (1931-32)
South Pacific (1949-50)
Fiorello (1959-60)
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961-62)
A Chorus Line (1975-76)
Sunday in the Park with George (1986-85)
Rent (1995-96)
Huge congratulations to Tom and the entire Next to Normal team.
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Big screen Idiot?
posted by Chad Jones on Sat, Mar 27, 2010
in News , Our shows
It was a big week for Green Day's American Idiot on Broadway, what with the first previews and the eager audiences blowing the roof of the St. James Theatre.
To top things off, there was also news that Tom Hanks' Playtone movie production company is expressing some serious interest in turning the musical into a movie.
Here's what Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong told the Wall Street Journal: “It’s like, writing the song ‘American Idiot,’ and then next thing you know Tom Hanks is talking about it — it’s kind of mind-blowing."
Of course it's premature to say for sure that we'll be seeing the show on the silver screen, but the mind boggles at the thought, right?
In other Idiot news, Playbill reports that the original cast album — slated for a spring release but no exact date just yet — will feature a bonus track by none other than Green Day.
In case that's not enough to satisfy you, here's footage of the opening number, "American Idiot," filmed March 23, just prior to the start of previews. The number is followed by an onstage interview with director Michael Mayer and with Billie Joe Armstrong.
Above photo: (from left) Michael Esper is Will; John Gallagher, Jr. is Johnny; and Stark Sands is Tunny in the Broadway production of American Idiot.
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How does Berkeley Rep enrich your community?
posted by Lynn Eve Komaromi on Wed, Feb 10, 2010
in News
Berkeley Rep has been invited to participate in GreatNonprofits’ 2010 Arts Appreciation Campaign. The campaign’s purpose is to recognize top-rated nonprofits that enrich your community through the arts.
We need your help. If we receive at least 10 positive reviews by February 28 via our page on the Great Nonprofits website, Berkeley Rep will receive exposure to potential donors via their Top-Rated Arts Nonprofits list, as well as on Guidestar, the premier site for philanthropic research on the web. Your review of Berkeley Rep can make an impact (more than 450,000 people visited GreatNonprofits website last year). Already, we have received a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator – so help keep the trend going!
Your review needn’t be long. Just share how you feel Berkeley Rep makes a difference in our community. When you visit the site, be sure to choose "Arts Appreciation Campaign" from the drop-down menu of campaigns in the review template.
Thank you. As ever, we appreciate your help and support.
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Berkeley Rep audiences raise thousands for Haiti
posted by Chad Jones on Tue, Feb 9, 2010
in Events , News
Tremendous thanks to Berkeley Rep’s generous audiences for donating to Haiti earthquake relief efforts through a small-change campaign in our Theatre lobbies.
Audiences at Aurélia’s Oratorio in the Roda Theatre and Coming Home on the Thrust Stage donated $7,835 to Doctors Without Borders, an international medical humanitarian group that, to quote the website, “works in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe.”
Since the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, Doctors Without Borders has treated more than 11,000 patients in Haiti, and there’s so much more to be done. You can make a donation to Doctors Without Borders here.
Again, our thanks to Berkeley Rep audience members for their generosity.
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Green Day, American Idiot cast rock the Grammys
posted by Chad Jones on Mon, Feb 1, 2010
in News , Our shows
Congratulations to Green Day, winners of the Best Rock Album trophy at Sunday's Grammy Awards!
The broadcast was full of, shall we say, memorable performances (Pink turned into a sprinkler, Lady Gaga played with fire and Elton John), but the best — and we're biased here — came from Green Day and the Broadway cast of American Idiot performing "21 Guns."
If you missed the outstanding performance, check it out.
Here's a clip from CNN that takes us to a Grammys rehearsal. Dave Matthews is up first, but then Green Day is interviewed at the 1:46 mark.
And if that wasn't enough to satisfy you, there's a video of Green Day and the American Idiot cast recording "21 Guns" in Oakland just a few days after the show closed at Berkeley Rep.
Top photo: Rebecca Naomi Jones performs "21 Guns" on the CBS broadcast of the Grammys.