Strollerderby : theater

Hot Mama Burlesque - Leave The Kids At Home

Brett Singer — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Burlesque has been on a comeback run for several years now, at least in Manhattan. (The place that Fox News likely refers to as "the Island of Sin", at least when they're on the air.) Heck, there's even a School of Burlesque right here in NYC.

Well, here's something that's sure to upset the prudes at Fox News and anyone else who thinks that becoming a mom means an end to shaking your groove thang onstage.

Hot Mama Burlesque was created by Raven Snook, who is herself a proud mama. The show will be presented in conjunction with Mamapalooza, and will feature performances by Camillicious (co-owner of The Slipper Room), former "Wife Swap"per Ravenna Black, The Incredible Edible Akynos, Ginger Baker (NOT the drummer from 60's supergroup Cream), and many more.

The second installment of Hot Mama Burlesque happens this Friday, May 29 at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street at Stanton Street). The debonair debauchery begins at 8pm; doors open at 7pm, so if you can get your babysitter to show up a little early you can have a pre-show cocktail or two. Tickets are only $10, which in Manhattan is cheaper than a movie (which now cost $12.50, for those of you who haven't seen a flick since you had kids).

For more information, visit the show's web site, or check out the ladies on Facebook. You don't have to be a mom to love burlesque. But being a mom doesn't mean you stop wanting to have fun.

Source: RavenSnook.com

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Stage Parents, Beware of The Munchkin

Amy Kuras — Thu, 14 May 2009 19:02:00 GMT

I’ve got a kid that loves to be the center of attention, as do many of us, I’m sure. But so far, anyway, that hasn’t translated to dance classes or music or acting save a memorable role as a member of the angel chorus in our church Christmas pageant. Unless she expresses an interest in taking classes, that will be that, although I admit to being tempted when I see the occasional open casting call for local touring productions in the paper.

Or at least I was, until I saw this in the Chicago Tribune. Parents of kids who appeared as Munchkins in a touring production of The Wizard of Oz complained that their children were forced to perform three shows in a day, didn’t get enough rehearsal time, and had to buy their own food even while adult performers were served catered meals.

The best part? The kids performed for free.

Of course, more kids in a production means more proud family members and friends buying tickets, and if they can get those kids for no money than so much the better for the producers.

The reaction from the columnist who wrote about this was a little weird, to say the east. His take was pretty much that these are touring, non-union shows so the parents somehow should have known that their kids were going to be treated like scenery, and that they should get the rules of the game when it comes to figuring out what counts as “professional” experience and what should be just fun. But most parents, especially who themselves are not theater-savvy, wouldn’t know the difference between an Equity show and one that isn’t, nor would they know what’s fair game and what isn’t as far as how their kid is treated.

I guess the best answer, if you reaslly think you've got the next Idina Menzel in your house, is to find a locally reputable agent and have them find jobs for your stage struck kid. Or realize that something that sounds too good to be true probably is.

Morning News - The Obama Bracket

Brett Singer — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Monday Monday… Can't trust that day…

Actually, you kind of can trust Monday. It's fairly reliable in that it always comes after Sunday. I don't think that's what Mama Cass and Co. were talking about, but then again, it was the 60's, so who knows?

Anyone make an NCAA bracket? I did. I know nothing about college basketball, and my picks are proving it, especially in the Midwest Conference. At least there's no money at stake for me. President Obama made one, which is being resoundingly mocked by many. Some were upset that he even took the time to make his picks, which is hilarious if you consider the amount of vacation time that former President Bush took while in office. (I know, it's a cliché, but it happens to be true.) Taking a few minutes to fill out a bracket is a pleasant distraction from the day's events for everyone, Leaders of the Free World included. If people want to complain about Obama's policies, fine, but his bracket? Let it go.

Damn those blasphemy laws -- a Pennsylvania man tried to register a limited liability company called I Choose Hell Productions, LLC but was told he had to pick another name because PA has an anti-blasphemy law on the books preventing such things. The laws were common the 19th century, but this one was enacted in 1977 when someone tried to register God Damn Gun Shop. The ACLU is suing the state. Heh heh. God Damn Gun Shop... (NYT)

A revival of "West Side Story" opened on Broadway with some of the songs translated into Spanish. Interesting idea but I can't imagine that makes the songs better. Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter saw the show and agrees, as did many other critics. (Note: I haven't seen this production. I'll probably stick with the movie.)

The post office is in trouble. They lost almost 400 million dollars last quarter and are offering early retirement to 150,000 employees, in addition to staff cutbacks and location closures. Not enough people mailing letters I guess.

Susan MacDougal (remember her?) can't have the transcript of her own testimony in the Whitewater trial. She was hoping to use it for a novel or screenplay. Whitewater looks pretty damn tame compared to all the nonsense going on these days.

Some governors, including Nevada's Jim Gibbons, are turning down federal money to beef up their unemployment funds because they don't like the 'strings' that are attached. The thing is, those strings disappear when the federal cash runs out. (This according to a New York Times editorial.) Nevada will run out of unemployment money by the end of the year if they don't take the government cheese. (Nose, you don't mind if I cut you off to spite my face, do you? Cool, thanks.) You can't play games like this when people are out of work. And unemployment money gets taken out of your check every week for a reason. You get it back if you're unemployed. Hence the name. So it's not unreasonable for people to expect to receive that money if they lose their jobs. In other Republican Governor news, Alaska's Sarah Palin (perhaps you've heard of her?) is only accepting Federal money for projects that are truly "shovel ready." Alaska Democrats are not happy, saying that she is playing politics with state residents. There's definitely a shovel needed for what's coming out of the mouths of both Republicans and Democrats these days, but it's not the kind you use to fix roads.

Eliot Spitzer is talking smack about Andrew Cuomo. Hey! Here's an idea, Spitzy. Shut up. You have no credibility anymore. Sorry. You screwed up. Apologize and go away. Although maybe you can blog for Huffington Post like Gary "Monkey Business" Hart. ("G'head! Follow me! You won't find anything! Wait, you thought I meant that? I was only kidding! Aw, crap…")

Responding to Sheri's comment: I hadn't heard about what the President said on TV, so I looked it up. Seems that while being interviewed by Jay Leno on the Tonight Show, President Obama said of his bowling skills, "It's like the Special Olympics or something." He apologized to the President of the Special Olympics before the show aired. Comments at ABC News' web site range from "who cares?" to "see? I told you he was an idiot." (I'm paraphrasing.) I can't say I agree with those who say that this is somehow on the same scale as other "gaffes" spoken by Republican politicians, or even "gaffes" from Democrats. Personally, I think the President is a little bit too much of a regular guy, at least in the way that he sometimes speaks in public. It was a dumb joke but hardly the worst thing ever. He also invited Special Olympians to the White House to do some bowling. There's one Special Olympic bowler who has three perfect games to his credit, so maybe he can give the Prez some pointers. By the way, Sarah Palin weighed in on the President's comments, because she's not all about politics like some politicians. This issue really effects Alaska, hence her very public reaction. Also: the President of the Special Olympics is Tim Shriver, Maria's brother, and therefore Ah-nuld's brother-in-law. That has nothing to do with anything except that I think it would be fun to have Arnold Schwarzenegger as your brother-in-law. The Governator, by the way, supports Obama's stimulus plan.

Tuesday, Tuesday… I trust that day… Nah, doesn't have the same ring to it. I guess John Phillips knew what he was talking about. See you tomorrow.

Image: WhiteHouse.gov via Washington Post

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Steve Martin Funds Banned High School Production of his Play

Brett Singer — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 03:40:00 GMT

I always liked Steve Martin. One of my first R-rated movies was "The Jerk," and I listened to his comedy albums "Comedy Is Not Pretty" and "A Wild and Crazy Guy" over and over again. (Two words - cat juggling.)

More recently, Steve (he lets me call him Steve - well, we've never met, but I think he'd let me call him Steve. Maybe.) has written a few plays, including "Picasso at the Lapin Agile", which ran Off-Broadway for awhile and has since had many productions around the world. Students at LaGrande High School in Oregon were rehearsing the play when 137 people signed a petition protesting the show. In a bold move, the school stopped the rehearsals.

So Steve (for now, I'll just call him Steve, OK?) offered to pay for a production off campus, far from the reach of the long arm of the educational law.

What was the perceived problem with the show? It features "people drinking in bars, and treating women as sex objects." Now, far be it from me to tell a local high school what they should and should not allow on their stages. But any Shakespearean tragedy features murder. Does that mean it can't be performed? How about the perennial high school musical favorite "The Pajama Game"? Unions. And we all know that "union" is code for "communism."

Steve wrote a letter to the local paper defending his work.

"Because of the controversy, I recently reread the play, and, frankly, I could understand how some parents might object to certain lines if they were to be delivered by a 16- or 17-year-old. Yet I do believe that the spirit of the play and its endorsement of the arts and sciences are appropriate for young eyes and minds.
"So while the question of whether students should perform the play at their high school remains something to be determined by the community, I firmly believe that seeing the play will bring no harm to them and might well uplift them — and acting in the play, if they are permitted by their parents, would also bring them no harm, and may help them to understand the potency, power and beauty of the arts and sciences."

The fact that he decided to go the extra mile and go all "Hamlet 2" and rent a theater off campus is kind of amazing. On the one hand, why should he care? On the other hand, if he believes in freedom of expression, why not put his money where his mouth is?

I bet the students are pretty excited. I know I would be.

Source: The Onion AV Club

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Whole Family Stars in Play About Death of Santa

editors — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:03:00 GMT

Ever have an inkling that your family could go on the road as a successful entertainment act? East Village Inky scribe and Babble contributor Ayun Halliday (who memorably wrote about taking her children on vacation in the Balkans) is living the dream this December, appearing in a "a refreshingly apocalyptic holiday palate cleanser" called The Truth About Santa. Her co-stars? Eleven-year-old India,eight-year-old Milo, and playwright/father Greg Kotis (co-author of the musical Urinetown). Dates and details after the jump, or at Ayun's website.-- Gwynne Watkins

Clancy Productions and the Tony Award Winning Writer of Urinetown Reveals
THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA
Beginning December 4 at The Kraine Theater
**Directed by Obie Winner John Clancy **
Presented by Clancy Productions

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! And the terrible truth about who he is, how he treats his elves, and what his home life has become will all be revealed in THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA. Will this Christmas be Santa's last? Will Mrs. Claus finally make good on her threat to submerge humanity in a lake of fire? Who are these children and where did they get their strange powers?

THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA, the new play by Tony Award Winner Greg Kotis (Urinetown) is a refreshingly apocalyptic holiday palate cleanser.
Directed by Obie Award winner John Clancy (Americana Absurdum, Fatboy)
Presented by Clancy Productions
Three week only!
Previews begin December 4 at The Kraine Theater, NYC.

The production stars Clay Adams, Bill Coelius, Jeff Gurner, Lusia Strus and the entire Kotis family: Greg, India (age 11), Milo (age 8) and Ayun Halliday (Kotis' wife, and mother of the aforementioned children, both onstage and off).

****Please note: although this dysfunctional family comedy features
children, it is NOT FOR CHILDREN-- adults and extremely skeptical
tweens only, please. Kotis' children have been apprised that the
red-suited man onstage is not really Santa and thus do not mind too terribly much when he "dies".

THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA runs December 4 -20, Wednesday - Friday at 8pm and Saturday at 5pm and 8pm.
The Kraine Theater is located at 85 East 4th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Aves), NYC. Tickets are $18, available at 212-868-4444 or http://clancyproductions.com/.

Exclusive Track from Dear Edwina: A Musical Comedy!

editors — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:45:00 GMT

You may not know who Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich are, but if your kid loves music, you oughtta learn. These two ladies are one of the best songwriting teams in children's theatre (or any kind of theatre); they did the award-winning Junie B. Jones musical, and they're currently working on the Broadway adaptation of Ever After. Their next show slated to premiere in New York is Dear Edwina, a musical comedy about a Midwestern girl who hosts an advice-giving show in her garage. It opens on November 16th at the Daryl Roth Theater in Union Square. Check out one of the play's many delightful songs after the jump! -- Gwynne Watkins

Hola Lola.mp3

Naked Harry Potter pics hit the web

Brett Singer — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Let's call it – The Full Muggle.

Some intrepid theatergoer snapped blurry cameraphone shots of Daniel Radcliffe nekkid onstage in 'Equus', currently on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. Here are a couple of the pics:

Some fans that are flipping out over this. Some comments from the Daily News article:

The snapshot shows Radcliffe, 19, standing totally naked in front of co-star Anna Camp, who is also bare to the bone.
The scandal surrounding the teenage star's nudity has helped ticket sales with advance box office receipts topping $3 million.
Fans buying tickets vented their outrage at the sneaky snapper.
"They're turning art into pornography," said stage technician Rachel Juozapaitis, 27.
…
"Someone has violated his privacy," said Susan Zimmerman, 32, an NYU graduate student.

Um, not exactly. Someone – admittedly, someone kinda pervy – took pictures of something happened on a Broadway stage and posted them online. Porn? Violation of privacy? I don't think so.

"It's just wrong, he still has to do some more Harry Potter films for the kids."
…
"He didn't sign up for this, now it's for all time, forever on the Internet. What about all the Harry Potter children?"

Ah, yes. The children. Methinks very young children are unlikely to surf to these shots on their own, and I don't think any parent will show them to their kids. Even if they did (which would be nuts), there's not much to see. (That's a comment on the photo quality, not Mr. Radcliffe's, um, bangers and mash, as they say in the U.K.)

As for "he didn't sign on for this," the play calls for his character to be fully nude, and if he thought that someone wouldn't take pictures of it, Daniel needs to get out more. So, you know, sure, it's kinda lame, but the level of fan outrage is a bit kooky.

So why did I post it here? Honestly? I just wanted to use the phrase "The Full Muggle." Sorry.

Go to this site if you want to see all the pics.(Link via the Daily News.)

Source/image: nydailynews

non-naked pic: telegraph.co.uk

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Let's Put on a Show

Jen Chaney — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:28:00 GMT

With the Tony Awards coming up on Sunday -- I know, you've been counting the minutes -- Salon decided to pay tribute to the school musical with this fun sto ry that highlights several videos of real productions found on YouTube. (Ah, if only the memorable performances in my high school's version of "Kiss Me Kate" could have been shared via the Internet back in the day.)

As polished and amazing as a Broadway show can be, there is still something uniquely moving and inspirational about watching a bunch of kids put on a show. Salon's Mark Schone describes finding these clips as stumbling on "a vein of unalloyed joy." Allow yourself the same joy by watching this highlight reel of moments from productions of "Fiddler on the Roof," "Oklahoma" and "Grease," then dig into the other gems embedded in the story.

(And yes, the kid playing Danny in one of those "Grease" numbers does look like he's 27. Don't worry about it -- just keep burning up that quarter-mile.)

Image: Tony Award Via Herald-dispatch.com

Night Out: Boeing-Boeing on Broadway

Brett Singer — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Every now and then the wife and I actually get to leave the house while its still dark out, leaving the kids behind for an evening out. This is what happens.

Theatergoing has gotten so expensive ($100+ per ticket for a full-price Broadway show) that it can be tough to justify the purchase. "Macbeth", which we paid close to full price for, was not even remotely worth the money, sadly. "Jersey Boys" was so much fun that I would go back and pay full price a second time (really, it's great.) "Boeing-Boeing", now playing at the Longacre (220 West 48th Street), isn't quite as good as "Jersey Boys" but it was a lot of fun, especially at the relative bargain price I found using a discount code from BroadwayBox.com (similar codes can be found at nytheatre.com, Theatermania, Playbill and BroadwayWorld.)

This is a revival of a play from the 1960's; the pre-show music, featuring popular 60's pop songs sung in French, is a nice bonus. Refreshingly, there is no revising of the attitudes, which are playfully retrograde and yes, sexist -- but that's how they wrote 'em back then. It's impossible to take anything that happens in the play seriously, which is a good thing. The plot deals with an American living in Paris and juggling three women, all of whom are his fiancée. How does he physically accomplish this feat? Because all are "air hostesses" for different airlines. He consults a timetable like the Bible, marking his calendar and tightly scheduling visits from each lovely airborne lass.

The cast is a big reason why the show works: Bradley Whitford ('West Wing', 'Studio 60') is probably the weakest link, but he's more than good enough. Mark Rylance is brilliant as the friend who arrives unexpectedly. Gina Gershon is funny and sexy as Whitford's Italian bride-to-be, and Kathryn Hahn is your basic loud-mouthed Ugly American who has a sequence in the second act that almost steals the show. That honor, though, goes to Mary McCormack (aka Howard Stern's Movie Wife), playing a German Lufthansa "hostess". McCormack plays everything for broad laughs, and the stage lights up every time she's on it. Hopefully she'll do more comedy in the future because she's the funniest thing in a very funny show. (She received a well-deserved Tony nomination.) Christine Baranski has the smallest role as the long-suffering French housekeeper. She's brilliant as always whenever she's on stage but it's not really her play.

"Boeing-Boeing" runs a little bit long at 2 hours and 40 minutes, but for a light-hearted evening out of adult entertainment, it fits the bill. Highly recommended.

image: boeingonbroadway.com

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My Fair Spidey: Spiderman musical coming to Broadway

Brett Singer — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:00:00 GMT

You are all aware by now that I love me some super hero movies. But a musical? Based on... Spider-Man? The mind, as it attempts to crawl out of my ear, boggles.

I mean, what possible reason is there to create a musical based on Spider-Man? And lest you think this is some sort of macho "theater sucks" thing, rest assured that I saw a Broadway show last weekend ("Macbeth" with Patick Stewart, shockingly horrible) and will be seeing another in two weeks ("Boeing Boeing"). So I don't hate Broadway, or even musicals, as an art form. This particular one, however, can't possibly be good.

Or could it? The creative team is as follows: Julie Taymor, who directed the wildly successful Disney stage adaptation of "The Lion King", and for music, you have -- wait for it -- Bono and The Edge. Now, I suppose some would be excited about this. How could a musical with songs from the two main parts of U2 be bad? Well, Paul Simon had a Broadway show ("The Capeman") which was, by all accounts, hideously bad. Numerous jukebox musicals (shows based on existing songs) have flopped, and many were based on good material (Bob Dylan, John Lennon and The Beach Boys, to name a few). In other words, success in one medium is no guarantee of success in another. And Taymor's only other Broadway credit was "The Green Bird", which nobody really liked very much.

This article has nothing but good things to say about Spidey's prospects on Broadway, but even with this potentially potent team of Peter Parker interpreters, I am not at all optimistic. Supposedly the show is due in NY in 2009. So we'll just have to see. "To be continued..."

image: Amazon.com

Harry Potter and the Schlong of Broadway

Brett Singer — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Daniel Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter, is coming to Broadway this September to star in "Equus." If you're not familiar with the play, it involves a boy, his therapist, and the horse that the boy is, um, sexually attracted to.

Plus, Daniel gets to show the world his birthday suit. Its Full Frontal Muggle, girls!

Now, will there be a massive public outcry, the way there was with Miley and her seemingly never-ending supply of vaguely suggestive photos?

Nah. This is "art." If Daniel were to be photographed nude in Hyde Park with his special someone, that would be one thing. But stripping down and showing the world "Harry Potter Jr." in a play is something else. It's not like he has a choice, the script actually calls for his character to take it all off. (Besides, we think it's time to lay off Miley, but that's a topic for another post.)

That said, it's entirely possible that some unsuspecting parents will bring their little ones to the theater and be shocked – shocked! – at what they see. When the play "Take Me Out" was on Broadway a few years ago, a woman brought a little league team to see what she thought was a pleasant little baseball play. When she arrived, one of the ushers tried to warn her that the play might not be what she thought it was. Pish-tosh, she scoffed. But when the shower scene started – featuring a row of naked Broadway actors soaping each other up – she charged out of the theater, team in tow, and demanded her money back.

"Avenue Q" has a disclaimer that tells people the show features 'full puppet nudity'; this is meant to discourage parents from bringing their Sesame Street-aged spawn to a show that features a song called 'The Internet is for Porn.'

Despite the fact that it should be obvious to anyone that "Equus" is not for kids, methinks the producers of the show may want to make an effort to educate Radcliffe's wizard loving public so as to avoid any unpleasantness. (Insert a really bad "wand" joke here.)

image: telegraph.co.uk

When The Little Mermaid Attacks

Brett Singer — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:00:00 GMT

An actor in the Broadway production of "A Little Mermaid" has asked for a court order to "preserve a 'certain show prop sailing ship'" from the show, according to the New York Times. Why? He was injured on stage and might be suing the Mouse House, so that piece of Disney stage magic could be evidence.

So what happened? Actor Adrian Bailey "fell through a trap door on the sailing ship and landed on the stage 30 to 40 feet below." Yow. His injuries? "Fractured wrists, a broken back, a shattered pelvis, a fractured sternum, several fractured ribs and a fractured foot."

It sounds like a freak accident, but a really, really bad one. Mr. Bailey has had four surgeries already.

Broadway musicals have become extremely complex technically. When "Lion King" first opened, a number of actors had back and neck problems stemming from the large, heavy, and, I must admit, very cool looking costumes. The union, Actors Equity, worked things out with Disney (I think on-staff massage therapists were involved) so that performance-related injuries were kept to a minimum. (Note: this is mostly conjecture, but it's conjecture based on what I recall happening at the time.)

Whenever I hear about something like this, I wonder if maybe the technical aspects of Broadway have started to overshadow the shows themselves. "Mermaid," despite lavish sets and costumes, received some pretty bad reviews. Ben Brantley of the Times said that the show "burdens its performers with ungainly guess-what-I-am costumes and a distracting set awash in pastels gone sour and unidentifiable giant tchotchkes that suggest a Luau Lounge whipped up by an acid-head heiress in the 1960s." Sometimes big is good – "Lion King" is a great example. But sometimes big is just… big. And while I realize this is probably just a freak accident, maybe it's time to re-consider this whole "more more more!" philosophy of Broadway shows.

image: NYTimes.com

Sesame Street Video: Theater edition

Brett Singer — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:45:00 GMT

Gwynne's fantastic article The Babble List: The 50 Best Sesame Street Moments got me looking on YouTube for more... more... more!

Here are some Monsterpiece Theater bits related to live theater. Alistair Cookie (aka Cookie Monster) practically steals every one with his comments.

Monsterpiece Theater - Waiting for Elmo

This might be the greatest thing I've ever seen. A "Waiting for Godot" parody on Sesame Street. As Alistair Cookie puts it, "A play so modern, and so brilliant, it make absolutely no sense at all to anybody."

Monsterpiece Theater - The Taming of the Shoe

"Classic play by William Shoespeare, famous podiatrist. (beat) Trust me." Featuring lines like, "Fie. I will not be tied to any foot...I walk alone."

Monsterpiece Theater - Hamlet

Includes an extra long intro where Cookie eats to the music, and slow pans across photos of Kermit and the gang.
"It don't get classier den dis." Prince Hamlet won't give Elmo a straight answer! Starring a pre-public-jew-hating Mel Gibson.

Monsterpiece Theater - Monster of Venice

Speaking of Jews, here's a Merchant of Venice parody, which thankfully does not feature anyone as Shylock. Grover takes over as the leader of a group of monsters who have not been invited to a party. Or, as Cookie puts it: "All about monsters in Venice. Guess that why not called Monster of Cleveland. Anyway, me digress."

Monsterpiece Theater - Cyranose de Bergerac

"Tonight we present big big feature -- facial feature. (snicker)"

Sesame Street - Monsterpiece Theater - The King and I

"About a king and the letter 'I'." Of course it is. This video could grow hair on Yul Brenner's head.

Coming soon -- Monsterpiece Theater, Movie Edition.

image: Muppet Wiki

Another Reason to Love Mary Louise Parker

Brett Singer — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:00:00 GMT

I admit it: I dig Mary Louise Parker. She's beautiful, a great actress, and apparently she takes motherhood seriously (she's also a single mom, thanks partly to Billy Crudup dumping her when she was seven months pregnant. Butthead.) In this terrific New York Times story by Campbell Robertson, she says that discussing too many details of her private life would be "inelegant," that she would quit acting if her children's safety was compromised as a result of her fame, and if the little ones tell her they want to do the same job as Mommy when they grow up, she'll tell them, “I would hope they would want to do theater...If one of my kids came to me and said, ‘I want to be a movie star,’ I would be, like, ‘Go to your room.’ ”

Ms. Parker is doing a play at Playwrights Horizons in New York; she's always worth seeing live, no matter what show it is.

photo: New York Times

Kids Night on Broadway: Get Free Theater Tickets Now!

Karen Murphy — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:07:00 GMT

Here's an awesome opportunity for anyone living in or near New York, or even planning a visit in February: free Broadway tickets for kids.

It's all part of Kid's Night Broadway 2008, an annual event that lets kids aged 6-18 get in free to Broadway shows with a paid adult ticket. In New York, the event takes place February 5-6 and 12-13, but there are associated events taking place across the U.S. also during winter and spring 2008.

And there's more stuff:

kids eat free at various Times Square restaurants
parents get discounted parking
kids receive a souvenir playbill made by high school students

And! Rosie O'Donnell is the event's ambassador! (now there's a way to scare away the kids)

A list of shows can be found here (scroll down). And there's way more information here, including how to order tickets (you have to order the kid's ticket at the same time as a full-price—ouch—adult ticket, which means that single parents like me are sort of screwed, but whatever).