Chad Jones’ Theater Dogs

Megan Hilty (left) as Glinda and Eden Espinosa as Elphaba from the original LA company of Wicked. Photo by Joan Marcus

Old friends, new winners mark 30th anniversary season

Carole Shorenstein Hays and Robert Nederlander’s new SHN/Best of Broadway season marks a milestone: 30 years of bringing Broadway to the Bay Area.

The new season, announced today, kicks off in February 2009 with a “third time’s the charm” production of Wicked, the monstrous hit musical that had its world premiere at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre. This time around, the musical about the witches of Oz, will play the Orpheum Theatre.

In March of 2009, Grease is the word. This is the production directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall that got famous for being the first Broadway musical to cast its leads on national television (through the NBC show “Grease: You’re the One That I Want.” This is also the production that marries the original stage version with the movie version, so songs such as “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and “You’re the One That I Want” are included.

Things get exciting in April 2009 with a world premiere musical. Ever After, with a book by Marcy Heisler and Theresa Rebeck, music by Zina Goldrich and lyrics by Marcy Heisler, is directed by Doug Hughes (a Tony winner for Doubt). Ever After, which plays the Curran, is based on the 1998 movie starring Drew Barrymore and is a new twist on the Cinderella story by banishing all the bibbi-dee-bobbi-dee boo elements and focusing on a spirited young woman defying societal constraints.

In August of 2009, the theater scene gets hot with Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County, this year’s Pulitzer Prize winner for drama. The Steppenwolf production (currently scorching Broadway) is directed by Anna D. Shapiro. The San Francisco production at the Curran Theatre kicks off the national tour.

A final show is yet to be named, but is described in press materials as a “Broadway blockbuster.” The show will be revealed, according to the Web site, in July.

Not part of the season but a “special attraction” is the umpteenth return of a Bay Area favorite: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. The show will run Nov. 26 through Jan. 4 at the Orpheum. Tickets go on sale Sept. 7.

For the new SHN/Best of Broadway season, subscriptions are $170 to $551. Call 415-551-2050 or 877-797-7827 or visit www.shnsf.com for information.

Listen to a podcast about the new SHN/Best of Broadway season here.

“Grease: You’re the One That I Want” is the worst kind of “reality” TV tripe. So why am I watching it and sort of looking forward to Sunday’s TWO-HOUR voting show?

From the outset, I wasn’t going to watch the show at all. Other than “Project Runway,” I don’t do reality TV (insert snobby sniff-sniff here). I missed the first episode of “Grease” on NBC and my doggone TiVo (it knows me too well and it scares me) recorded a rerun on Bravo.

For those who don’t know, “Grease: You’re the One That I Want” is patterned after a similar show in England in which a lengthy audition process to find the Maria for a new Andrew Lloyd Webber-produced The Sound of Music in London’s West End was televised, and viewers got to vote on the winner. Apparently the woman chosen by the public is very good, and the revival is monster hit.

For the American version, they’re casting the roles of Danny and Sandy for a new Broadway revival of Grease (the musical least in need of Broadway reviving).

Some real talent (director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall) (left) is involved in this process as well as some non-talent (”hosts” Billy Bush and Denise Van Outen). All the worst reality TV trappings — dumb-ass sound effects, slow-mo, agonizing repetition — are here in full force and nearly ruin the show.

Notice I say “nearly.” There is fun to be had here. My favorite drama so far has been all the cry-baby auditioners. One girl melted down mid-audition for producer David Ian. That can’t be fun (hey — I hear vocal training can really help in these situations — check it out!). And the saga of jock Matt Nolan has been great. He’s a major sports guy (even works in sports marketing or some such) who has a secret desire to be a Broadway song and dance man. Turns out he was the biggest cry-baby of all. His session with producer Ian is a hoot. Watch it:

Going into what is sure to be two hours of torture on Sunday, what with the live component and viewer voting, I’m pulling for Ashley Spencer (who played Barbie in the national tour of Barbie in Fairy-topia) and Juliana Hansen (who’s in a Bruce Springsteen tribute band) in the Sandy category and local Foster City boy Jason Celaya and pure pro Austin Miller. I suppose I should also throw my support behind Chad Doreck because I support anyone named Chad who isn’t a porn star.

Visit NBC’s official “Grease: You’re the One That I Want” Web site here.