Hurry, hurry. If you want to see movie stars who came to Broadway looking for Tony Awards, there’s not much time left.
As it always happens, “names” from movies and TV will be leaving the Great White Way soon after arriving a short time ago. It’s not like the old days when Carol Channing was in “Hello, Dolly!” for four years. These people are important and have places to go.
First to leave: Denzel Washington and the cast of “A Raisin in the Sun.” They’re outta here on Sunday. Like, tomorrow Sunday. Sophie Okonedo won the Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Drama. The production won Best Revival of a Play. But the show is over. By Monday they will be Raisin bran.
Next week: Tyne Daly and “Mothers and Sons” are off for good on June 22nd.
In coming weeks, Best Actor Bryan Cranston will say adieu as “All the Way” wraps up its short run. Cranston has movies to make. One day he may return in the sequel to “All the Way.” But that production, which will start in local theater out west, will feature a less famous actor as LBJ until its Broadway leg is announced.
Then James Franco and Chris O’Dowd and all their mice and men are done in mid July. Franco is already shooting a movie. He’s probably directing one, too. And writing a short story about it. O’Dowd, nominated for a Tony, has to move on. The show announced it paid back its capitalization, but one of the investors told me it’s bleeding money. By the end of July, the mice will need cheese.
Also finito in July: Daniel Radcliffe in “Cripple of Inishmaan.”
And then Neil Patrick Harris exits “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” The show stays open with Andrew Rannels. Come on! NPH was going to leave in July, then agreed to stick around an extra month. He won the Tony! What more do you want? “Hedwig” began previews on March 29th. By mid August, NPH will weigh six pounds! He’s got to go home and eat carbs!
But don’t fret! New stars are coming! Bradley Cooper, Alessandro Nivola and Patricia Clarkson will be here in “The Elephant Man.” James Earl Jones is in “You Can’t Take It With You.” Sting isn’t in it, but he’s behind “The Last Ship.” John Lithgow and Glenn Close are in “A Delicate Balance.” And the good news is, in the fall season, everyone’s nice to “interlopers.” We need ’em to get through the winter!
