Win Tickets To Driving Miss Daisy

1/27 5:30PM Update: Thanks to everyone who entered. The contest is now closed. I'll announce the winner later tonight!

I'm seeing Driving Miss Daisy on Monday, February 7th. It's a special benefit performance for The Actor's Fund, "a nationwide human services organization that helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis or transition."

I'm looking forward to seeing James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave together on stage.

Today over Twitter, I'm giving away a pair of tickets to Monday, February 7th's special performance.

To enter to win, all you need to do is Tweet between 10am and 5pm: "Enter to win a pair of tickets to see @theactorsfund's benefit perf of @DaisyOnBroadway, via @RyanNewYork at http://ryanjdavis.blogspot.com"

I'll draw and announce the winner late tonight. More information on the show below. Remember, if you don't win, you can still buy tickets here. It's a great cause.

From the press release:

The Broadway company of "Driving Miss Daisy" has announced that their Special Benefit Performance for The Actors Fund will be dedicated to the memory of Lynn and Corin Redgrave. The benefit performance is scheduled for Monday, February 7 at 8pm. All proceeds will go to The Actors Fund.
...

"Driving Miss Daisy" stars James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave and Boyd Gaines. The performance will be at the Golden Theatre, 252 West 45th Street in New York City. Premium seating is available for $226.50 and regular seats from $66.50 to $126.50.

To purchase tickets, visit https://www.store.actorsfund.org, call 212.221.7300 ext. 133, or email tickets@actorsfund.org. Tickets can also be purchased at www.telecharge.com or through the Golden Theatre box office.

About The Actors Fund

The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that helps everyone – performers and those behind the scenes – who works in performing arts and entertainment, helping nearly 12,000 people directly each year, and hundreds of thousands online. Serving professionals in film, theatre, television, music, opera, radio and dance, The Fund's programs include social services and emergency assistance, health care and insurance, housing, and employment and training services. With offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Actors Fund has – for over 125 years – been a safety net for those in need, crisis or transition. Visit www.actorsfund.org.

Win Tickets To The Broadway Beauty Pageant!

Contest over, congrats @StevenCirillo on winning a pair of tickets. Remember - If you don't win, you can still buy great $25 tickets using the discount code RAC102 by clicking here.

The pageant is coming up on Monday and I'm giving a pair of tickets away today on Twitter!

To enter to win, all you need to do is Tweet; "Just entered to win a pair of tickets to see Broadway Beauty Pageant, via @RyanNewYork at http://ryanjdavis.blogspot.com." I'll draw and announce the winners late tonight. Please be in the New York City area.

If you don't win, you can buy great $25 tickets using the discount code RAC102 by clicking here.

Tonight - Broadway Speaks Out

I'm a guest on the Broadway Speaks Out internet show tonight at 10PM EST. You can watch below or here.


BroadwaySpeaksOUT- Broadcast your self LIVE

Broadway Beauty Pageant Judges Announced!

We've got three great judges at this year's Broadway Beauty Pageant. Get your tickets now, it's on April 19th!

Via Playbill:

Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole, Charles Busch and Jackie Hoffman will serve as judges for the The Broadway Beauty Pageant, which will be held April 19 at Symphony Space.

As previously reported, Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh (Irena's Vow, Golda's Balcony) returns to host the 8 PM event for the third year in a row.

The fundraiser was conceived by Jeffery Self and will be directed by Ryan J. Davis. The Broadway Beauty Pageant benefits New York’s Ali Forney Center.

Mr. Broadway 2010!

It's hard to believe that it's almost time for 2010's Broadway Beauty Pageant, pitting Broadway's hottest guys against each other to benefit The Ali Forney Center. It's an old fashioned beauty pageant with an American Idol twist.

We've just announced that the always marvelous Tovah Feldshuh will return to host for the third time. Announcements on contestants and judges are coming up, it's gonna be a great group!

Get your tickets now, starting at just $25.

This is the forth year that I've co-produced the show with my friends Jeffery Self & Wil Fisher. But, every year the pageant grows and more and more people join to help us make the night a huge success. I'm thankful to all of them!

Whoopi Backs White Noise

One of my favorite reporters at the NY Times, Patrick Healy, has an interesting feature today about celebrities presenting Broadway shows.

He gives a nice little mention to my musical White Noise:

Other well-known artists have played roles not only as presenters but also as producers in recent years. Whoopi Goldberg was a producer on the 2002 musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” as well as the 2003 revival of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” in which she starred. She tried to produce a revival of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf” in 2008, but the recession had begun, and some investors balked, in part because she was not investing substantially in the show.

She is working as a presenter and creative adviser on two musicals aiming for Broadway: “Sister Act,” now running in London and based on her 1992 movie, and “White Noise,” about young white separatists and set for next season or later.

I'm very excited Whoopi has come on board! She is a big fan of the show, saying at a reading in December, "You will never see anything like this. There is nothing like this." I think she may be right, but than again I'm a little biased.

Best Theatre of 2009

Originally posted on The Huffington Post:

In 2000, my first year living in New York City, I attended over two hundred different theater productions. This year, I clocked in barely a hundred. Below are my top five in no particular order.

In The Next Room or the vibrator play: A beautiful production (directed by Les Walters) that examines the marriage of a doctor who invented an early electric vibrator. Sarah Ruel offers a smart and funny look at how technology can affect our personal lives on many levels. Currently playing at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre, closes Jan. 10th.

Surrender: The International WOW Company produced this fully immersive military experience. The cast led the audience through basic training (complete with push ups) and into a simulated war environment. Afterwards, we're integrated back into society. While occasionally a tad heavy-handed, it was a profound experience. Performed Jan. 7th to Jan. 25th. Read my interview with director Josh Fox.

The Temperamentals: A fascinating Mad Men-esq look at Harry Hay, an often forgotten character in gay history, and the early Los Angeles gay rights movement. Reopening at New World Stages on Feb. 10th, prior limited run June, 10th '09 through Aug. 23rd 2009.

Ruined: A powerful tale of women struggling to live in the Congo won the Pulitzer Price and deserved a Broadway transfer. Performed Feb. 10th to Sept 6th at Manhattan Theatre Club.

My Wonderful Day: Alan Ayckbourn's new play is a surprisingly contemporary tale from a 70 year-old playwright/director. Ayesha Antoine's winning performance as an 8 year-old observing adult chaos was a delight. Played Nov. 11th - Dec. 13th at 59E59 Theaters.

Looking forward to what New York City theatre has to offer in the year & decade ahead.

Street Lights @ NYMF Press Conference

On Tuesday NYMF had its annual press conference at New World Stages and Street Lights was there. Kevin Curtis performed the song Georgetown and got some buzz going.

Time Out NY critic Adam Feldman raved: "Thumbs Up - 'Georgetown' from Street Lights: A solid song about an aspiring young lawyer-to-be from the projects, with several smart, surprising rhymes ("impartial/Thurgood Marshall”) and a knockout delivery by star-to-be Kevin Curtis."

WNET's Theater Talk Tweeted that Kevin's performance was the highlight of the preview and to watch out for his name.

We don't have any video from the actual press conference yet, although NY1 & Broadway.TV both filmed it. But, you can see Kevin perform Georgetown at an earlier concert version of Street Lights.

Get your tickets for the NYC production here.

Photo by Michael Portantiere for Broadway Stars.

Summer of Theatre '09

July has been a very busy month for me! I've been lax on blogging, but I'm always updating my Twitter feed.

Over the weekend of July 17th, I had a great run at the 10th Annual Midtown International Theater Festival with my friend writer/actor Michael Hirstreet's short-solo play My Broken Brain. He got a great audience response and is looking into other venues to continue developing the script.

The show I created in 2006, White Noise, received it's first regional production in New Orleans this month. It was a huge production, with a $2.2 million dollar budget, and was well-received by the local critics. Their main paper, The Times-Picayune, called it "Powerful." The production closed yesterday and they'd still like to open it on Broadway.

Most of the drama in New Orleans was off-stage. As reported by Michael Riedel in the New York Post, White Noise's "co-director" and producer has issues.

Mitchell Maxwell, another flop king, is causing such strife that he's been banned from his own show, the Broadway-bound musical "White Noise." The volatile producer verbally abused his creative team, frightened his actors and threw such a temper tantrum in the lobby of the Omni Hotel that terrified guests called the police, several production sources told The Post. "I have never experienced anything this crazy in my life," one member of the creative team says. "He is not a stable man."

Don't miss any of the details, it's crazy. The stuff they couldn't print will probably make it into a screenplay of mine someday.

I've been in rehearsals for the musical comedy Vote! at FringeNYC. It's going REALLY well. As I've mentioned before, we have an incredible cast.

I took this picture yesterday on my iPhone at a music brush-up.

Tickets just went on-sale. They are just $15. That's the best deal in New York. Buy yours now, we open on August 14th and they are selling fast.

We're in pre-production for Street Lights, which was invited to the New York Musical Theatre Festival this year. White Noise got it's start at NYMF and we're excited to return to the festival. We open on October 14th, more details soon.

I'll try to keep up with the blog more. Hope to see you all at Vote!

Street Lights Reading Pictures

The Street Lights reading last weekend was a huge success! We had a great turnout on both days and got lots of great, positive feedback. We'll go into the rewrite process soon learning lots from this reading.

Cassie Corrigan took some great pictures that are available in two albums, from rehearsals and performance, on Facebook. Broadway World also posted a few of their favorites.

Thanks to the wonderful cast & creative staff who helped make the reading such a success! We'll looking forward to a full production of the show in the fall, keep watching the site for more details.

Oh, and become a fan of Street Lights on Facebook! Hear the music at MySpace.

Upcoming Street Lights Reading!

From Broadway World:

Street Lights, a new hip-hop/R&B musical by Joe Drymala, will receive an industry-only reading on May 15th at 6PM and May 16th at 12PM, at Manhattan Theatre Club Studios. Ryan J. Davis directs and Martin Giannini & Brett Levenson produce. More info on the reading, please e-mail streetlightsmusical@gmail.com.

Street Lights is a story about inner city teenagers who dare to fight City Hall. With their high school music program hanging in the balance, they fight social injustice, bureaucratic apathy and the scourge of drugs and violence in their neighborhood. A new generation finds it's voice, learning how powerful they can be when coming together in common purpose. With a truly contemporary pop and hip-hop score, Street Lights is a new kind of musical about hope, ambition, anger, injustice, love, and the promise of a new generation.

The cast includes Broadway vets Wilson Mendieta (Bombay Dreams, Man of La Mancha), Heath Calvert (Good Vibrations), Todd Pettiford (RENT, The Lion King), Joy Lynn Matthews (The Music Man), who join Lacretta Ross, James Alexander, Desiree Rodriquez, Chad Carstarphen, Kevin Curtis, and Krystal Brown.

The public is invited to Street Light's launch party on Saturday, May 16th, 6PM at Hurley's Restaurant (232 W. 48th St). Live entertainment and a raffle that includes tickets to The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, The York Theater's Musicals in Mufti Series, and more to be announced at the event.

Street Lights is the second major collaboration for Davis & Drymala. Their first, White Noise, was recently announced by Sibling Entertainment to open on Broadway in Fall 2009. White Noise, which Davis conceived & directed and Drymala wrote, premiered three years ago in a sold-out run at The New York Musical Theatre Festival, received strong reviews and was featured on Good Morning America & ABC Primetime Live.

Creative credits: Book, Music, & Lyrics by Joe Drymala, Directed by Ryan J. Davis, Produced by Martin Giannini and Brett Levenson, Music Director Sonny Paladino, & Casting by Daryl Eisenberg.

Remember, It's #TheaterThursday!

Last week's #TheaterThursday was a big hit! We had users participate from all over the country and I hope today is bigger!

It's easy to do - If you're on Twitter, give your favorite theater tweeters a shout-out, using the tag #TheaterThursday. Please spell theater with an "er" - a few people used "re" last time and that gets you lost in the search! Oh, and give me some love - @ryannewyork.

Also, don't forget the real life theater blogger meet up, hosted by Broadway's Ken Davenport on April 23rd in NYC.

Pictures From The Broadway Beauty Pageant Rehearsal

Yesterday we had our rehearsal for the opening number of The Broadway Beauty Pageant! Sonny Paladino, our music director, taught the contestants the opening number (by Tony-Winner Lisa Lambert & Glen Kelly) and Kenway Kua taught Christopher Gatelli's choreography. It went very well and it's shaping up to be a great year!

Mr. Broadway is on April 20th - buy tickets now!

Charles Busch To Judge Mr. Broadway

Charles Busch, a prolific actor & writer who was nominated for a Tony Award for his play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, joins The Broadway Beauty Pageant this year as a judge. He replaces the already announced Michael Urie, who had to leave the pageant due to conflicts with his Ugly Betty shooting schedule.

Yesterday's announcement of Tovah and the new judges has gotten some coverage, including Playbill, Theatremania, and Broadway World.

Also, our hot contestants are featured in the current issue of NEXT Magazine, see the article here.

I recently went on a walk through of Symphony Space, where the pageant is being held. It's a really beautiful 800 seat theater, our biggest yet for the competition! I'm excited to work on such a big stage.

The Broadway Beauty Pageant is Monday, April 20th and tickets are available here.

Broadway Bloggers Unite! It's #TheaterThursday

Twitter follow days are a great way to connect with like minded people in the Twitterverse. It all began with #FollowFriday and grew into #SameSexSunday (for gays) and #MusicMonday(for music). Hash tags make organizing via Twitter easy.

If you're on Twitter and you Tweet about theater - give a #TheaterThursday shout-out to your favorite theater Tweeters! Hopefully, one of them will be me - @ryannewyork.

For real life organizing, theatrical producer Ken Davenport is hosting a theater blogger meet up at Planet Hollywood in New York City on April 23rd. You can find all the details on his blog.

Rock Of Ages

We went to see Rock Of Ages on Broadway last night. The 80s jukebox musical features the music of Journey, Styx, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia and many other bands that I'd never heard of. The crowd knew every lyric (I at least recognized most of the songs) and openly sang along while waving the plastic fake lighters handed out before the show.

Constantine Maroulis, from 2005's American Idol, stars as an L.A. newbie trying to become a huge rock star. He's perfect for Rock Of Ages and has the audience loving him from the start. I've worked with Constantine before, in Jacques Brel... when I assistant directed that Off-Broadway, and it was great to see him insomething where he could truly let loose.

He's joined by the wonderful Amy Spanger, who I've loved since I saw her as Maureen (she was amazing) in a D.C. production of RENT in 1998. Another standout is Adam Dannheisser, as the rock club owner, who nearly 'outdudes' Jeff Bridges here.

It's well directed by Kristin Hanggi, best known in NYC for Bare, with a very funny book by Chris D’Arienzo. They both get the tone exactly right for this sort of endeavor.

Rock Of Ages opened tonight on Broadway and it's already getting some really good reviews, even from The New York Times! It'll be rocking Broadway for a long time to come.

On a side note - you can drink beers in your seat! It's nice to be treated like an adult in the theater and allowed to sip a beverage while enjoying the performance. Other houses take note - it's 2009.

Trio Of Stars Announced For Broadway Beauty Pageant

We're thrilled to announce that four-time Tony Nominee Tovah Feldshuh will return to host this year's Broadway Beauty Pageant. Tovah was our first host in 2007 and can currently be seen on Broadway in the title row of Irena's Vow.

Joining the already announced judges (Seth Rudetsky & Michael Urie) are Tony Award Winner Beth Leavel (Drowsy Chaperone) and SNL's Ana Gasteyer. It's an amazing team and I'm looking forward to working with all of them.

The Broadway Beauty Pageant is Monday, April 20th and tickets are available here.

Reasons To Be Pretty

Last week Kevin and I saw Neil Labute's first Broadway production - Reasons To Be Pretty. It's a solid play, not my favorite of Labute's work though. His first two movies, In The Company of Men and Your Friends and Neighbors were both explosive and exciting in a new way. His current stuff seems light compared to the major dark stuff he was writing in the mid-90s.

I guess he had to mainstream to make it to Broadway.

That said, Reasons... is a completely entertaining production that "confronts America's obsession with physical beauty headlong. Greg's tight-knit social circle is thrown into turmoil when his off-handed remarks about a female co-worker’s pretty face (and his girlfriend's lack thereof) get back to said girlfriend."

I'd have cut the intermission and 20 minutes out of it, there were times when I felt like the characters didn't have much to say. But, there was enough sharp humor to keep me interested. Steven Pasquale's character, Greg's womanizing friend, was my favorite part of the show. I was captivated by Steven's performance.

Reasons... officially opens tonight on Broadway.

White Noise Casting

Back in September 2006, I conceived and directed White Noise, a musical at The New York Musical Theatre Festival. It was an exciting production and I got to work with many of my friends, including Joe Drymala who wrote the book and bulk of the score.

The run at the festival was a success, sold-out shows and quotable reviews. It was enough to get the show optioned for Broadway. Before Broadway, the producers are trying the show out in New Orleans and they're casting! All the info is below if you'd like to submit.

For more details on the show, watch this bit below from Good Morning America.

Casting Details

WHITE NOISE - Theatre
V/T: LE PETIT THEATRE - AEA NOLA CONTRACT
$600/week + 10%, + health, pension, per diem, airfare, all transportation and housing
NEW ORLEANS, LA

Producer: Le Petit Theatre in association with White Noise Productions, LLC, Sibling Theatricals, Inc. and Holly Way and Co.
Co-Directors: Mitchell Maxwell & Donald Byrd
Choreographer: Donald Byrd
Book: Matte O'Brien
Based on a story and characters by Joe Drymala and an original concept by Ryan J. Davis
Additional Material by Rob Bartlett
Music & Lyrics: Joe Drymala, Robert Morris, Steven Morris and Joe Shane.
Additional Music By: Glen Kelly, Laurence O'Keefe, Benj Pasek/Justin Paul, Eric Svejcar
Casting Director: Michael Cassara
Auditions (in NYC): 4/6/09, 4/7/09 and 4/8/09
Rehearsal (in New York): 6/1/09-6/13/09;(in New Orleans): 6/15/09 7/6/09
Performances: 7/7/09 7/26/2009 with possible extension through 8/12/09

SUBMIT HARDCOPY MICHAEL CASSARA CASTING
212 W. 35TH STREET - 11TH FLOOR
NEW YORK, NY 10001
ATTN: WHITE NOISE

NOTE: All actors participating in this New Orleans production will have the first right of refusal for the next production. The producers hope to bring this production to New York in the future.

[EVA] 19 from small town Oregon. Blonde/Aryan-looking. Beautiful, eloquent and approachable on surface, but driven, manipulative and wise beyond her years. She has a superlative ability to identify a persons weak point and use it to her advantage. When necessary, sexy beyond belief. A Neo-Nazi. Incredible singer, Alto/mezzo belt. Pop/rock vocals. CAST - DO NOT SUBMIT.

[KADY] 22 from small town Oregon, Evas sister. Blonde/Aryan-looking. Beautiful, good-natured, looking for a way out of Oregon. When necessary, sexy beyond belief. While she may not have the same deep rooted hate displayed by her sister, she is misguided and naïve in her willingness to go along with Eva in order to satisfy her own agenda. Incredible singer, Alto/mezzo belt. Pop/rock vocals. CAST - DO NOT SUBMIT.

SEEKING:

[ RICK ]
Late 40s. Caucasian. Talent manager. Charismatic, passionate, confident to a fault, and Machiavellian. He believes he is all-knowing and indestructible when it comes to the music industry and the manufacturing of talent for good reason, as he has had success of Clive Davis proportions. Non-singing, but carrying a tune is a plus. SEEKING STAR NAMES.

[ DUKE ]
25, a skinhead. Caucasian. From small town Oregon. Tall, handsome, aggressive and intimidating. A raw nerve and accustomed to opposition, he has grown to be unafraid of anyone or anything. Baritone/tenor. Pop/rock sound.

[ KURT ]
25, Caucasian, A New Yorker and brilliant singer/songwriter. True intellectual, genuine and a voice of reason - he represents the audience at large. Tenor. Thrilling pop/rock vocals.

[ LAUREL ]
Mid-Late 30s, Aryan-looking. Eva and Kadys mother, from small town Oregon. A struggling, single mom, who lost her husband to suicide - she is beautiful, yet worn. Alto/ mezzo-soprano.

[ TYLER ]
Early 20s, African-American. A rap musician, top college graduate who has been packaged as a gangsta rapper. One half of a lucrative gangsta rap duo. Tyler is laid back, smart and level-headed. Authentic rapper and strong singer.

[ DION ]
Mid 20s. African-American. Tylers brother and other half of successful gangsta rap duo. Also a top college graduate and talented musician. Aggressive, temperamental when pushed. The more alpha of the brothers. Authentic rapper and strong singer.

[ PETE MARTIN ]
Early 40s. A well respected news journalist and reporter a la Anderson Cooper. As concerned with honest reporting as he is with his ego and ability to deliver good television. Non-singing, but must be able to carry a tune.

[ BOB ]
Mid-Late 30s. Caucasian. Father to Eva and Kady, husband to Laurel. Former mill worker who lost his job and dignity to illegal immigrants. Becomes an abusive alcoholic. Commits suicide when daughters are small children and serves as the inspiration for Eva and Dukes white supremacist crusade. Non-singing, but must be able to carry a tune.

[ MALE DANCERS ]
18-40, versatile and strong dancers, all styles, all ethnicities. Must be able to carry a tune. Ensemble will additionally fill various smaller roles. Casting 2 total.

[ FEMALE DANCERS ]
18-40, versatile and strong dancers, all styles, all ethnicities. Must be able to carry a tune. Ensemble will additionally fill various smaller roles. Casting 2 total.

Irena's Vow on Broadway

Last week my boyfriend Kevin and I saw Irena's Vow on Broadway. It's the true story of Irena Gut, a Catholic who saved 12 Jews in Germany by hiding them in her cellar.

The play is written by Dan Gordon, the screenwriter of a film that I've always admired, Murder In The First and Surf Ninajs, which I remember liking when I was eleven. He's written an exciting 95-minute one-act, artfully staged by Michael Parva.

Tovah Feldshuh is wonderful in the title role, but this isn't a one women show. She's surrounded by a great cast, including Tracee Chimo, who was in a pilot about NYC off-off Broadway (Called Breaking In - watch here) that I directed a few years ago.

A film version is already in the works, so see it live before it hits the big screen. Visit the official site for more information.

(Note: I work on Irena's Vow's internet marketing team, but I truly enjoyed the production.)