2010 - THEATRE - The miracle worker

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  1. Aleki77
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    The Miracle Worker Captivates Kids and Families




    by Beth Keklak

    I just saw the newest edition on Broadway, The Miracle Worker by William Gibson play at the Circle in the Square Theatre with my cousin and 9-year-old son. I was unsure how my son would perceive this play since he had only ever seen musicals and New York plays are often better when you “leave the kids at home”. Let me just sum up our experience at The Miracle Worker with one word: phenomenal.

    Prior to going to the show I asked my son if he knew who Helen Keller was. He had heard of her and knew she was both blind and deaf, but beyond that was unsure. He had not heard of Annie Sullivan, her teacher. I printed out the educational guide for teachers on the show’s website and reviewed it with my son to familiarize him with the story.

    Upon entering the theater to take our seats I was immediately struck by the intimacy of the theater. It is arranged in an oval shape with no “real” stage. The stage is on the floor in the center of all the seats which are situated stadium style, looking down onto the stage. The patrons in the front row could literally reach out and touch the performers. The next thing I noticed was the lack of a set. There was no big backdrop and no flashy props. The only furnishings and props used were simple and necessary to the scene. The only object use to create separate rooms or an indoor/outdoor setting was a mere door frame. The rest was left to your imagination. This minimalist approach only added to the overall experience of the performance, keeping the attention on the performance itself.

    The show opens to Katie and Captain Keller hovering over a cradle. The doctor assures them their daughter will live which sends relief through the worried parents. They quickly realize that she cannot see or hear them, which sent a new set of fears through them. We move on to see Helen as a 6-year-old child who is prone to throw tantrums. This seems to be her only way to communicate when she is frustrated. The family considers sending her to an asylum, but Aunt Ev insists they continue to seek the help of specialists.

    It is here that Annie Sullivan is introduced. She moves from Boston to be Helen’s teacher. Annie has never had the chance to teach, having just graduated from the Perkins Institute. It is an adjustment for both Annie and the family, but her tenacity and determination enable her to teach Helen patiently and creatively. She immediately begins signing into Helen’s hand the names of every object she hands to her. Through games, discipline, a war of wills, and unending efforts, Annie gives Helen a language to use with the rest of the world.. Eventually, we see Helen’s brain begin to engage and understand the language that Annie has been trying to teach her. And as we often say, the rest is history.

    I was surprised to learn that this was the Broadway debut for much of the cast. They appeared on stage as if they have been their all of their lives. The performances were extremely moving. I could feel the frustration and determination of Annie Sullivan played by Alison Pill along with the rest of the audience. 13-year-old, Abigail Breslin’s performance of Helen was believable. While she may not have needed to learn a lot of lines, the mannerisms of her character were captured beautifully. Overall, the show was very well written. It delivered the story of Helen and her Miracle Worker with a surprising infusion of light humor throughout.

    My 9 year old son’s take on the performance:

    “I liked it. I really liked the characters, especially how Annie Sullivan was teaching Helen to sign so she could talk. Even though it was a serious play it was a little funny too.” His observation that made me a proud mama and showed me he got it! “I can’t imagine being blind and deaf. It must be like living in a dark silent world”.

    As a mom, I felt it was an appropriate play for my 9 year old and geared for children 8 years of age and up. I noticed other kids in the audience who looked to be approximately the same age. Due to the length of the performance and the intimacy of the theater, parents will need to use their judgment to determine whether their child can sit still in a $100 seat for a 2-hour show and enjoy it. (Kids under the age of 5 are not allowed to attend) If they are unfamiliar with Helen Keller, the synopsis sheet from the website’s educational guide was very useful in explaining the story to my son.

    If you’ve got a tween or teen, be sure to bring them along to see The Miracle Worker. It will be a night they’ll remember.


    http://blog.trekaroo.com/2010/03/04/the-mi...s-and-families/





    The Miracle Worker on Broadway
    Regina Weinreich

    "No one expects you to perform miracles," says the head of the Perkins Institute for the Blind sending his prized pupil Anne Sullivan south from Boston to Tuscumbia, Alabama, to a family where she is to become governess to an unruly blind and deaf girl named Helen Keller. The line gets a big laugh at the Circle in the Square Theater because, in this cherished, inspiring story of true events from 1880-well-known from the original 1959 play by William Gibson and a first-rate 1962 movie-of course work a miracle is exactly what she does.

    This revival of Gibson's play features a wonderful supporting cast of seasoned actors: Elizabeth Franz plays Helen's aunt, Jennifer Morrison, Helen's mother, and Matthew Modine in his Broadway debut rises to skeptical, curmudgeonly fervor as Helen's father. In a quasi-developed subplot with his son James (Tobias Segal), one wishes for more for these fine actors to do.

    The play, however, is really a pas de deux with the untamed, unruly wild child, Helen (a gifted Abigail Breslin, the bright light in the "Little Miss Sunshine" ensemble), making mischief and Anne (Alison Pill seen among other roles, in HBO's "In Treatment") trusting that language will set the girl free. The key moment, when Helen at the water pump vocalizes the syllables, wah-wah, brings the house to tears. This straight-ahead period drama takes us through that miraculous leap of discipline and discovery, and, for that moment, it is thrilling.

    A note: the Film Society at Lincoln Center will screen "The Miracle Worker" in their "Fierce & Fabulous Anne Bancroft" Tribute on March 8, with special guest Patty Duke, the original Helen Keller to Bancroft's Anne Sullivan.

    http://url4.eu/1fSeW
     
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  2. Aleki77
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    Jennifer Morrison on the stage!

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    credits: Aleki77

    Edited by Aleki77 - 14/3/2010, 18:35
     
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    Broadway News Report
    Sat 6 Mar 2010
    The Miracle Worker may close early, say producers

    The producers of the first Broadway revival of William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker say the show may close early if ticket sales do not improve.
    Lead producer David Richenthal says, “the box office has not ignited as we had hoped.” and added, “If we don’t witness a significant increase in the box office over the weekend we will need to take a close look at our ability to keep the production open.”


    The play opened at the Circle in the Square on 3 Mar 2010 to mixed, but mostly mediocre reviews: No miracle to this story (newyorktheatreguide); Sadly pedestrian (NY Times); Terrific family drama (NY1); Remains dramatically and emotionally effective (Variety).
    The Miracle Worker is directed by Kate Whoriskey (Ruined), and stars Abigail Breslin and Alison Pill as 'Helen Keller' and 'Annie Sullivan,' iconic roles made famous by Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke in the Tony Award winning play and feature film adaptation.
    The play also features Matthew Modine (Captain Keller), Jennifer Morrison (Kate Keller) Tobias Segal (James), Daniel Orsekes (Doctor/Anagnos), Michael Cummings (Percy), Simone Joy Jones (Martha), Yvette Ganier (Viney) and Lance Chantiles-Wertz (Jimmie).
    The Miracle Worker is set in Alabama in the 1880's and tells the real life story of Helen Keller, a girl who at a very young age is left blind, deaf and dumb after surviving an attack of scarlett fever. Unable to communicate with the world the girl suffers fits of frustration which manifests itself in violent tantrums.
    Her desperate parents seek help from the Perkins Institute' who send Annie Sullivan, a visually impaired young woman, to tutor Helen. Through kindness, persistence and forcefull stubborness, Annie finally breaks through the barriers that seperate the frustrated Helen from the rest of the world and teachers the girl a method by which she can communicate with the people around her.
    The original Broadway production of The Miracle Worker played from 19 Oct 1959 - 1 Jul 1961 at the Playhouse Theatre. That production, directed by Arthur Penn, starred Anne Bancroft as 'Annie Sullivan' and Patty Duke as 'Helen Keller.' The production won four 1960 Tony Awards: Best Play; Best Director; Best Actress in a Play (Anne Bancroft) and Best Stage Technician (John Walters).
    The play was made into a succesful 1962 movie - also directed by Arthur Penn and which also starried Anne Bancroft as 'Annie Sullivan.' and Patty Duke as 'Helen Keller.' The movie won two Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Anne Bancroft) and Best actress in a supporting role (Patty Duke).

    http://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/news/mr...orker555779.htm
     
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  4. Aleki77
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    A mesmerizing Miracle

    Sheila Heti

    From Thursday's Globe and Mail

    The Miracle Worker

    * Written by William Gibson
    * Directed by Kate Whoriskey
    * Performed by Abigail Breslin, Alison Pill, Jennifer Morrison and Matthew Modine
    * At Circle in the Square Theatre iIn New York

    Halfway through the first act of The Miracle Worker, the much-anticipated revival of the Helen Keller story on Broadway, a hush falls over the theatre – punctuated only by the sounds of a crashing plate, the thump of arms on a table and the rustling of dresses against each other.

    Twenty-year-old Annie Sullivan (played by Canadian Alison Pill) is struggling in the dining room, alone with Helen (Abigail Breslin) – famously struck blind and deaf as an infant, a child who won’t understand, won’t behave. Annie tries to make Helen sit at the table and eat from her own plate. Biscuits fly. Annie is thrown to the floor.

    It’s a mesmerizing and profound piece of stage choreography, and one of the most transcendent moments I’ve seen in a theatre in years. We’re viscerally engaged in the “miracle” of the play – that humans can surpass their limitations when engaged in a battle whose essence is love.

    In this case, the battle is between teacher and student, equally matched in strength. Although the play does not move beyond Helen’s sixth year, the audience knows the outcome: a great friendship, which lasts until Annie’s death 40 years later.

    The Miracle Worker is a tale well-lodged in our cultural mythology. Based on Helen Keller’s 1903 biography, the story has become something of a template for narratives of personal triumph. Even those who haven’t seen the play or the film adaptation could probably recognize Annie teaching Helen words by tracing letters on her hand. All of which makes the first Broadway revival of the play since 1959 weighted with expectation. The cast have classic performances to reimagine: As Annie, Anne Bancroft won a Tony as well as an Oscar; Patty Duke also nabbed an Oscar in her role as Helen.

    This time around, Alison Pill plays Annie. The 24-year-old, originally from Toronto, won raves for her work in Milk and In Treatment and was nominated for a Tony for The Lieutenant of Innishmore. As Annie, she is a compelling presence. Her timing is exact, her movements without frill: so precise is her delivery, it’s as though a drummer inside her is keeping the beat. A fierce consistency of will is the driving heart of a character who must succeed in breaking through to Helen; the stakes are believably high.

    The brilliant 13-year-old Breslin (nominated for an Oscar for Little Miss Sunshine) plays Helen as a gifted, strong-willed child, who is riddled with bewilderment and frustration. To watch her body sag and straighten, her face light up in self-enclosed raptures, is to witness the physical capacity of a classically trained dancer set loose and backward.

    The story here focuses on a conventional Southern household – save for the presence of a locked-in Helen, who has come to dominate. She throws tantrums, suddenly administering a swift kick to the shins, then joyfully cradles her doll, eyes rolled ecstatically to the ceiling. She is, in the words of Annie, “a pet,” indulged by the adults.

    The play is staged in the round, and the set, by Derek McLane, is ingeniously constructed: a dining room table surrounded by chairs, a bed, a desk, and six other heavy stage pieces are lowered from the ceiling from scene to scene; doorways rise up from the floor. The cords which attach to the furniture call to mind a puppet show, which, in a sense, every faithful revival is, the hands of the original production somewhere on the strings.

    The costumes and the accents are calibrated to Alabama, late-19th-century, except for Annie, who leaves the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston to teach Helen to communicate.

    At every turn, Annie is frustrated by the acquiescing love of Helen’s parents, which leads us to the main, moral conviction of the playwright: Pity is not love. Annie fights with Captain Keller (Matthew Modine), who resents this strong-willed female intruder. Neither he nor his wife, Kate (Jennifer Morrison), can understand what they are doing wrong, or why Annie must be so brutal with Helen.

    Unfortunately, neither parent manifests enough intelligence or wit to compete with Annie, and the scenes lack tension: Modine should be a more convincingly dominating figure, while Morrison’s supposedly corrosive love, which should be equal in strength to Annie’s unsentimental love, is only tender and warm.

    The second act promises to return us to the more vital struggle between Helen and Annie. They move into a small house on the Keller property where Annie can teach in private. But the intensity and intimacy of the dinner-table scene is never regained. Their battle becomes more verbal than physical, Annie repeatedly insisting, “Things have names!”

    Why not cut some of the dialogue and rid the play of the irrelevant subplot between the Captain and his son (which is the stuff of conventional theatre) and emphasize movement even more? It seems a wasted opportunity when you’re staging a play in the round – like a sporting event – and when you have such talented physical actors to work with. One thing theatre has in its favour is bodies in a room before us; we crave seeing these bodies pushed to their limits.

    In the end, Annie does finally get through to Helen. It’s the end we’ve all been waiting for: Pity is shown up, we are genuinely moved, and the play ends abruptly on that note.

    We leave convinced that a brutal, physical love is necessary for anything great to be born.

    The Miracle Worker is playing an indefinite run.

    Special to The Globe and Mail



    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/t...article1488510/
     
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    more exclusive HHQ


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    credits: Aleki77
     
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    Many people have asked me advice on their ticket to The Miracle Worker, this was my best seat :

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    CITAZIONE
    The Miracle Worker Our FIRST cast talkback is TOMORROW NIGHT! Please join us immediately following the performance! Don't have tickets yet? We have a discount just for our fans! www.miracleworkeronbroadway.com/MWEB114

    CITAZIONE
    Talkback Tuesday Series

    Join the cast of THE MIRACLE WORKER for a talkback immediately following selected Tuesday evening performances: March 9, 16, 23, & 30

    www.miracleworkeronbroadway.com/tickets.php
     
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    March 8, 2010, 6:51 pm
    A $15.2 Million Week for Broadway
    By PATRICK HEALY

    Broadway box offices grossed a total of $15.2 million last week, a fairly typical performance for the first week of March as the spring theater season starts unfolding, according to show-by-show grosses provided by the producers on Monday.

    But last weekend did not prove to be a financial blockbuster sought by the producers of one troubled show, the revival of “The Miracle Worker,” which has struggled to build an audience. The production began preview performances on Feb. 12 and opened last Wednesday.

    David Richenthal, the lead producer of “The Miracle Worker,” starring Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin as Helen Keller, warned on Friday that the show might close imminently if ticket sales failed to pick up over the weekend. According to the grosses, “The Miracle Worker” grossed $186,559 last week — about 13 percent more than the previous week, but still only 26.3 percent of the maximum potential amount that the show could have grossed last week. (Producers do not break out weekend grosses in their publicly available data, only providing grosses for an entire playing week of eight performances.)

    Mr. Richenthal said by phone on Monday that he was assessing the data but that he has not made a decision about the future of the show, the first revival of “The Miracle Worker” on Broadway since the original Patty Duke-Anne Bancroft production closed in 1961.

    That 26.3 percentage is quite low for Broadway, an indicator that a commercial production of a play — which opened on Wednesday — may not be earning enough money to meet its weekly running costs, let alone start making money that producers might someday receive to at least cover their initial investment.

    The only other Broadway shows with percentages below 30 percent last week were three productions that have just begun preview performances: The new musical “All About Me” (starring Dame Edna Everage and Michael Feinstein) and the new plays “Looped” (starring Valerie Harper of television’s “Rhoda”) and “Next Fall,” the transfer of the critically praised production that ran Off Broadway last summer.

    The overall Broadway gross of $15.2 million was a gain on the previous week, when a snowstorm in New York was a factor in depressing the overall gross to $14.2 million. During the 2008-9 season on Broadway, the equivalent gross for the first week in March was $15.7 million.


    http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/...k-for-broadway/


    'Miracle Worker' on B'way May Shutter




    By ELLEN GAMERMAN

    "The Miracle Worker" is off to a shaky start. On Friday, two days after the play opened on Broadway, producer David Richenthal released a statement saying that unless the show fared better at the box office over the weekend, it could close sooner rather than later.

    The latest numbers came in Monday afternoon, and the play remained near the bottom of the Broadway pack. The drama, starring 13-year-old Abigail Breslin in her Broadway debut as Helen Keller, grossed $186,559 in the week ending Sunday—about a quarter of its potential box office haul.

    The play showed a slight improvement over the previous week, when box office grosses tallied $164,830. But both weeks, the play's average paid admission was at or near the bottom for Broadway, with last week's average ticket at $38.55—compared to a top average ticket of $121.29 for "A Little Night Music" starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury.

    "If we don't witness a significant increase in the box office over the weekend we will need to take a close look at our ability to keep the production open," Mr. Richenthal said in the statement released Friday. He also issued "a call to arms for anyone who has been waiting to see [the play] to act now." Mr. Richenthal could not be reached Monday afternoon, and a spokesman for the play said there was no further comment.

    The play debuted on Broadway in 1959. This is the first Broadway revival of William Gibson's drama about a deaf and blind child, who discovers language through the help of her teacher, Annie Sullivan, played in this production by Alison Pill. The in-the-round production opened at Circle in the Square last Wednesday to mixed reviews.

    In his statement, Mr. Richenthal praised the show: "I've never seen families and young children react to a play the way we've witnessed at Circle in the Square. It is our hope that momentum will build so we may continue to share this powerful story of the resilience of the human spirit with a new generation of theatergoers."

    Ticket sales were up across Broadway last week, with shows grossing $15.2 million compared to $14.2 million the previous week, thanks partly to a strong opening week for "Come Fly Away," the Twyla Tharp musical that began previews last Monday. Broadway also may have been bouncing back from a snowfall the previous week, which presumably kept crowds away.

    Two shows grossed less than "The Miracle Worker" last week: "Next Fall," a play about a gay couple's struggle with religious faith, and "Looped," a comedy starring Valerie Harper as Tallulah Bankhead.

    Tony Cacciotti, a producer of "Looped," said the show gained momentum after slow starts in three past productions, and he expected a similar pattern this time. A spokesman for "Next Fall" said the show plays to a small house, and he anticipated a bounce when reviews come out this Friday (it received warm reviews Off Broadway last year). Both shows' grosses were up slightly over the previous week.

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    THE MIRACLE WORKER Not Closing Yet

    Tuesday, March 9, 2010; Posted: 05:03 PM - by BWW News Desk

    The New York Times is reporting that despite a statement last Friday made by producers of Broadway's THE MIRACLE WORKER in which it was expressed that the show was in danger of closing early, producer David Richenthal has indicated that ticket sales will continue for now.

    In the New York Times article, Richenthal is quoted as saying, "I believe in this show, and the audiences leap to their feet every night, and I believe that word of mouth is going to make this show a hit." He also added that "Fortunately my investor group believes in the show as well, and has decided to stand by it and see if word of mouth does kick in."

    Richenthal indicated that "a deadline to yield results in ticket sales" would not be implemented at this time, however the show's investors will continue to carefully monitor ticket sales each week.

    THE MIRACLE WORKER began previews on February 12 and opened March 3, 2010.

    Directed by Kate Whoriskey (Ruined), THE MIRACLE WORKER stars Academy Award® nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Tony Award® nominee Alison Pill (The Lieutenant of Inishmore) as Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, Golden Globe Award® winner and Emmy Award® nominee Matthew Modine (the film Short Cuts, "And the Band Played On"), Jennifer Morrison (Fox series "House M.D.," the film Star Trek), Tony Award® winner Elizabeth Franz (Death of a Salesman), Tobias Segal, Daniel Oreskes, Michael Cummings, Simone Joy Jones, Yvette Ganier and Lance Chantiles-Wertz.

    Set in Tuscumbia, Alabama in the 1880s, THE MIRACLE WORKER tells the story of the young Helen Keller, who became blind and deaf after a childhood illness, and the extraordinary woman, Annie Sullivan, who taught her to communicate with the world.

    THE MIRACLE WORKER features scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, original music and sound design by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen, hair design by Charles LaPointe and physical coaching and movement by Lee Sher.

    THE MIRACLE WORKER is produced by David Richenthal, Eric Falkenstein, Randall L. Wreghitt, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Dan Frishwasser, Joseph J. Grano, Jr., Mallory Factor, David & Sheila Lehrer, Martha Falkenberg, Bruce J. Carusi & Susan Altamore Carusi, Cheryl Lachowicz, Lynn Shaw; in association with Connie Bartlow Kristan and Jamie deRoy/Remmel T. Dickinson.

    THE MIRACLE WORKER originally opened at The Playhouse Theatre on October 19, 1959 and was awarded the 1960 Tony Award® for Best Play in addition to garnering leading lady Anne Bancroft a Tony Award® for Best Actress in a Play for the role of Annie Sullivan and a Theatre World Award for newcomer Patty Duke for her portrayal of Helen Keller. Both actresses received Academy Awards® for their work in the feature film adaptation.

    THE MIRACLE WORKER tickets are $117.00 (including $2.00 facility charge) and are available by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200, visiting www.telecharge.com or in person at Circle in the Square Theatre box office at 235 West 50 Street.

    For tickets and more information, visit www.miracleworkeronbroadway.com.


    www.broadwayworld.com/article/THE_M...losing_20010101
     
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    ‘Miracle Worker’ Keeps the Faith


    By PATRICK HEALY

    After saying on Friday that the Broadway revival of “The Miracle Worker” might close unless ticket sales improved, the lead producer of the show said on Tuesday that it would continue running even though the box office remained slow over the weekend.

    The producer, David Richenthal, acknowledged in an interview that he could not point to any hard evidence since Friday that ticket sales had or would pick up. Rather, he said, he and his investors had huddled this week and decided to give the show a chance to catch on through buzz among theatergoers, after critics weighed in with mixed reviews last week.

    “I believe in this show, and the audiences leap to their feet every night, and I believe that word of mouth is going to make this show a hit,” Mr. Richenthal said. “Fortunately my investor group believes in the show as well and has decided to stand by it and see if word of mouth does kick in.”

    According to weekly box-office data released by producers, “The Miracle Worker” grossed $186,559 last week — about 13 percent more than the previous week, but only 26.3 percent of the maximum potential amount that it could have grossed. It was one of the weakest financial performers on Broadway last week.

    Mr. Richenthal said he would not impose a deadline on the production to yield results in ticket sales, but rather would continue to assess the show’s financial health each week. He and his investors are hoping that new marketing strategies, like discounts for families, as well as spring vacations and group bookings from schoolchildren would help ticket sales.

    “The Miracle Worker,” starring the Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) as Helen Keller and Alison Pill as Annie Sullivan, opened March 3 at the Circle in the Square Theater. Ben Brantley, writing in The Times, called the production “sadly pedestrian.” Some other critics said that the show — with its subject matter, two-hour running time, and 7 p.m. weeknight curtains — was ideal family fare.

    Ms. Breslin, Ms. Pill and other members of the creative team are scheduled to make television and public appearances this week, and Ms. Breslin has shot a commercial that will be used online, Mr. Richenthal said.


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    www.youtube.com/watch?v=fex0pjiJrGk
     
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  12. Aleki77
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    the new playbill of the miracle worker:


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    The Inside Scoop: The Miracle Worker on Broadway



    by Beth Feldman

    Posted 03/09/10 6:00 am EST

    There's something about seeing a Broadway play that is transformational. You get to escape your monster to-do list, shut yourself off from technology and escape with characters who can make you laugh out loud in one moment, then move you to tears, the next. I recently attended a preview for "The Miracle Worker" on Broadway starring Allison Pill, Abigail Breslin, Matthew Modine and Jennifer Morrison, and to say I was transformed, was an understatement.

    Based on the real life story of Helen Keller, the show is performed at the Circle in the Square theater in New York City and it is truly one of the most intimate and unique theatrical productions you will ever experience. Over 800 attendees fill the theater and surround the stage which magically suspends many of its props from the ceiling. That means, when it is time to change scenes, the dining room table will literally be lowered to the ground as the actors take their places for an emotional dinner exchange and then, once they move to another part of the stage, the table will miraculously disappear.

    What sets "The Miracle Worker" apart from many of the current non-musical productions on Broadway is that it is ideal for parents of tweens and teens. Based on the true story of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan, "The Miracle Worker" takes you inside the lives of the Keller family - where you first discover how Helen lost her sight and hearing and watching as her family continually refused to send her to an asylum despite the fact they couldn't control her dangerous outbursts.

    At 13 years old, Abigail Breslin is brilliant in her role as Helen. Watching her in action, you truly believe she is blind and deaf and is desperately trying to connect with those around her. And Allison Pill is awe inspiring in her role as Annie Sullivan, exhuding the perfect blend of tenacity, humor and empathy that eventually leads Helen to a major breakthrough with her family. Plus, feature film star Matthew Modine makes his Broadway debut in "The Miracle Worker" and is phenomenal as Helen's father, Captain Keller. And mothers will instantly connect with Jennifer Morrison, who portrays Helen's devoted mom Kate Keller, who never gave up on her daughter, despite the painful effects Helen's condition had on her family.

    I recently spoke with one of the show's producers, Lynn Shaw, who joined me for a lively chat on Blog Talk Radio where she shared the inside story of how the current stage version of "The Miracle Worker" came to fruition. Plus, Lynn reveals some amazing behind the scenes stories from the show's rehearsals and tells us how she got her start as a theatrical producer.

    If you're interested in taking your family to see The Miracle Worker on Broadway, visit the show's website today for show times and tickets. Plus, if you happen to attend a Tuesday show, you'll get the chance to participate in "Talk Back Tuesdays" where the cast answers questions from audience members. I'm also told that Abigail Breslin poses for photos and signs autographs for all fans who would like to meet her after the show. Hope you get to see it and enjoy the show as much as I did!


    http://www.lifetimemoms.com/just-fun/insid...worker-broadway
     
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    Take a look at Opening Night Footage! - the miracle worker
    new clip: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player...tid=71062633001



    YouTube Link

    Edited by MissisMad77 - 11/3/2010, 19:06
     
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    CITAZIONE
    Jennifer Morrison Exclusive!
    March 11, 2010 08:18 PM EST

    In case you haven’t heard, Jennifer Morrison will be back on Fox’s House for one night only—that night being the April 12 episode which marks star Hugh Laurie’s directorial debut. But the actress just broke some exciting news to me that we’ll likely be seeing more of her much missed character, Dr. Allison Cameron, in House’s 2010-11 season!

    “There have been discussions of me doing a few episodes next year based on what they end up writing,” says Jennifer. “Contractually, they’ve guaranteed me a certain number of episodes next year - I think three or four, which means that they’re probably very much leaning toward writing a storyline for the character.”

    Well, Amen to that.

    But if you just can’t wait to see the divine Miss M, I have some exciting news. You can hop on a plane or subway right this minute and head over to Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre to see Jennifer’s moving portrayal of Kate Keller, the strong mother of blind/deaf activist and author Helen Keller, in the American classic, The Miracle Worker. It’s been fifty years since the original Tony Award-winning play opened on Broadway with Patty Duke as Helen. This is the first Broadway revival, and stars Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) as the brave, frightened child.

    As an added incentive, if you Tweet Jennifer (who is contracted to appear in the production through August 1) at least a couple hours before show time, she’ll do her very best to meet you at the theater after a performance. How cool is that?!!

    Here’s what Jennifer has to say about her Broadway debut.

    When did you first become aware of The Miracle Worker and the story of Helen Keller?
    I know we read it in school in 4th or 5th grade, but even before that in second or third grade we studied who Helen Keller was. But I had not seen any of the productions (either theater or film) until just a few years ago when I put the Anne Bancroft/Patty Duke version on my Netflix. It’s an incredibly moving story.

    You’re playing Helen’s mother. What drew you to this role?
    At first it was just that there was a play on Broadway that had a role that I was right for. I’d done a lot of theater but never on Broadway. I did my first play when I was five years old, then studied at Steppenwolf (Theatre Company in Chicago) and was a theater major at Loyola (University Chicago). I really love being on stage and was hungry for that again.

    What kind of woman was Kate Keller?
    She was 100% in love with her daughter, but she was very weary of (Helen’s teacher) Annie Sullivan coming into the house. There are quotes from Kate saying how hard it was to watch her child suffer, and though she loved her child, sometimes she thought the most merciful thing for her would be death.

    How is your staged version different from what people may have seen before on stage or film?
    I wondered what this play would be like now. When I read it for the audition I was really moved by it. I think people have an idea in their head of what it is, but the first time around it was more of a melodrama, because that was the style of the time. But that’s certainly not what we’re doing now. It’s still set in the 1880’s, but it’s a very raw, emotional presentation. And because it’s a theater in the round, people feel like they’re at the dinner table with us.”

    Have you had any visually or hearing-impaired audience members?
    All the time. They’ve gone to great lengths to make this production accessible to both the visually and hearing impaired. We had a matinee performance just yesterday that was fully signed. We also had the dialogue scrolling on two different walls. We also have very advanced ear pieces for the visually impaired that describe the action on the stage. One of Helen’s descendants, I think her great grand niece, was at a production and told us that Helen would be really proud of the advances we made for this production.”

    To follow Jennifer, or to let her know you’d like to meet with her after a performance of The Miracle Worker, sign on to
    Twitter or Facebook

    To learn more about The Miracle Worker visit: www.miracleworkeronbroadway.com/

    And to order tickets, sign on to: www.miracleworkeronbroadway.com/tickets.php

    www.tvguidemagazine.com/kecks-exclu...usive-4338.html

     
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186 replies since 14/12/2009, 13:48   17053 views
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