Jodie Comer has become the 100th performer to win a Tony Award for their Broadway debut for her performance in the play, “Prima Facie.”
She won Best Actress in a Play for portraying Tess, a lawyer who concentrates in providing legal defense for men who are accused of sexual assault but soon has the unthinkable happen to her. She is the 11th person to win the category for her first outing on a Broadway stage. She joins:
SEE2023 Tony Awards: Every winner (and nominee) in all 26 competitive categories
Martita Hunt, “The Madwoman of Chaillot” (1949)
Beryl Reid, “The Killing of Sister George” (1967)
Phyllis Frelich, “Children of a Lesser God” (1980)
Jane Lapotaire, “Piaf” (1981)
Joan Allen, “Burn This” (1988)
Pauline Collins, “Shirley Valentine” (1989)
Janet McTeer, “A Doll’s House” (1997)
Marie Mullen, “The Beauty Queen of Leeane” (1998)
Jennifer Ehle, “The Real Thing” (2000)
Deanna Dunagan, “August: Osage County” (2008)
Below are the Broadway debuts in the seven other...
She won Best Actress in a Play for portraying Tess, a lawyer who concentrates in providing legal defense for men who are accused of sexual assault but soon has the unthinkable happen to her. She is the 11th person to win the category for her first outing on a Broadway stage. She joins:
SEE2023 Tony Awards: Every winner (and nominee) in all 26 competitive categories
Martita Hunt, “The Madwoman of Chaillot” (1949)
Beryl Reid, “The Killing of Sister George” (1967)
Phyllis Frelich, “Children of a Lesser God” (1980)
Jane Lapotaire, “Piaf” (1981)
Joan Allen, “Burn This” (1988)
Pauline Collins, “Shirley Valentine” (1989)
Janet McTeer, “A Doll’s House” (1997)
Marie Mullen, “The Beauty Queen of Leeane” (1998)
Jennifer Ehle, “The Real Thing” (2000)
Deanna Dunagan, “August: Osage County” (2008)
Below are the Broadway debuts in the seven other...
- 6/12/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Myles Frost became the latest addition to the list of people who have taken home a Tony Award for their Broadway debut. His win makes him the 98th member of this particular winners’ club.
Frost, who won Best Actor in a Musical for playing Michael Jackson in “Mj,” is the 13th person to win that category for their first time stepping into a character on a Broadway stage. He joins:
Ezio Pinza, “South Pacific” (1950)
Robert Alda, “Guys and Dolls” (1951)
Robert Lindsay, “Me and My Girl” (1987)
Brent Carver, “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (1993)
Alan Cumming, “Cabaret” (1998)
Hugh Jackman, “The Boy From Oz” (2004)
John Lloyd Young, “Jersey Boys” (2006)
Paulo Szot, “South Pacific” (2008)
David Álvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish (joint nomination), “Billy Elliot” (2009)
Douglas Hodge, “La Cage aux Folles” (2010)
See 2022 Tony Awards: Every winner (and nominee) in all 26 categories
Below are the Broadway debuts in the seven other acting categories that have...
Frost, who won Best Actor in a Musical for playing Michael Jackson in “Mj,” is the 13th person to win that category for their first time stepping into a character on a Broadway stage. He joins:
Ezio Pinza, “South Pacific” (1950)
Robert Alda, “Guys and Dolls” (1951)
Robert Lindsay, “Me and My Girl” (1987)
Brent Carver, “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (1993)
Alan Cumming, “Cabaret” (1998)
Hugh Jackman, “The Boy From Oz” (2004)
John Lloyd Young, “Jersey Boys” (2006)
Paulo Szot, “South Pacific” (2008)
David Álvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish (joint nomination), “Billy Elliot” (2009)
Douglas Hodge, “La Cage aux Folles” (2010)
See 2022 Tony Awards: Every winner (and nominee) in all 26 categories
Below are the Broadway debuts in the seven other acting categories that have...
- 6/13/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
It has been eight years since Hugh Jackman notoriously hopped his way into Radio City Music Hall to host the 68th Tony Awards and even longer since he won a Tony himself. But at long last, Jackman has returned to Broadway in a revival of the Americana classic “The Music Man” starring Professor Harold Hill. In this mounting, which opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on Feb. 10, Sutton Foster joins him as Marian Paroo.
This fourth production of the Meredith Willson musical on Broadway is directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, who also helmed the lavish and adored remounting of “Hello, Dolly!” a few years ago. Zaks has assembled an impressive ensemble for his production, including Tony winners Shuler Hensley, Jayne Houdyshell, Jefferson Mays, and Marie Mullen, plus Tony-winning creatives Warren Carlyle, Santo Loquasto, and Brian MacDevitt.
See ‘Mj The Musical’ reviews: Myles Frost ‘mesmerizing’ as Michael Jackson,...
This fourth production of the Meredith Willson musical on Broadway is directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, who also helmed the lavish and adored remounting of “Hello, Dolly!” a few years ago. Zaks has assembled an impressive ensemble for his production, including Tony winners Shuler Hensley, Jayne Houdyshell, Jefferson Mays, and Marie Mullen, plus Tony-winning creatives Warren Carlyle, Santo Loquasto, and Brian MacDevitt.
See ‘Mj The Musical’ reviews: Myles Frost ‘mesmerizing’ as Michael Jackson,...
- 2/14/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Covid has caused a lot of uncertainty around Broadway. Several shows have had to suspend performances, go on hiatus, or close permanently. And the American Theatre Wing hasn’t announced key dates for this year’s Tony Awards yet. Though with that being said, we are now about halfway through the Broadway season, and there are six productions of musicals set to open this spring. Could we see any of them contend at the next Tonys? Below is a look at the plot of each musical as well as the awards history of their authors, casts, and directors, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.
See‘Mj The Musical’ reviews: Myles Frost ‘mesmerizing’ as Michael Jackson, but musical is ‘surface-skimming’
“Mj the Musical”
This jukebox musical follows the life and career of singer Michael Jackson. Centered around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, the show offers a rare...
See‘Mj The Musical’ reviews: Myles Frost ‘mesmerizing’ as Michael Jackson, but musical is ‘surface-skimming’
“Mj the Musical”
This jukebox musical follows the life and career of singer Michael Jackson. Centered around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, the show offers a rare...
- 2/11/2022
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Kate Horton, who previously ran the Royal Court Theatre in London and has held executive roles also at the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, will take over for Scott Rudin as executive producer of The Music Man, the upcoming Broadway revival starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster.
With the hire, The Music Man confirms what has been expected since Rudin announced in April, amidst accusations of workplace abuse and bullying, that he would step back from his Broadway responsibilities. Other formerly Rudin-produced shows, including The Lehman Trilogy, The Book of Mormon and To Kill a Mockingbird, have announced their Rudin-less returns. West Side Story has not yet set a return date.
Tickets for The Music Man, which begins previews at the Winter Garden Theatre on Monday, Dec. 20, with an opening night set for Thursday, Feb. 10, go on sale today.
Producers Barry Diller and David Geffen announced the start of...
With the hire, The Music Man confirms what has been expected since Rudin announced in April, amidst accusations of workplace abuse and bullying, that he would step back from his Broadway responsibilities. Other formerly Rudin-produced shows, including The Lehman Trilogy, The Book of Mormon and To Kill a Mockingbird, have announced their Rudin-less returns. West Side Story has not yet set a return date.
Tickets for The Music Man, which begins previews at the Winter Garden Theatre on Monday, Dec. 20, with an opening night set for Thursday, Feb. 10, go on sale today.
Producers Barry Diller and David Geffen announced the start of...
- 6/22/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
'The Music Man' starring Hugh Jackman has set a new opening night for 2022.
With Broadway remaining closed at least until next summer, the highly anticipated musical revival of Meredith Willson’s 'The Music Man' has revealed a new opening schedule due to the ongoing pandemic.
The opening night for the musical has been scheduled for February 10, 2022, with previews set to begin on December 20, 2021, reports Deadline.
Reacting to the news, Hugh Jackman took to Twitter where he shared a photo of himself standing in front of closed Broadway theatre.
"When Broadway is ready for us ... we will be ready for you!" he captioned the snap.
When Broadway is ready for us ... we will be ready for you! @sfosternyc #TheMusicMan #Broadway pic.twitter.com/rSzfG6rAFt
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) October 9, 2020
The decision to push back the production comes after Broadway League announced on Friday morning that theaters will...
With Broadway remaining closed at least until next summer, the highly anticipated musical revival of Meredith Willson’s 'The Music Man' has revealed a new opening schedule due to the ongoing pandemic.
The opening night for the musical has been scheduled for February 10, 2022, with previews set to begin on December 20, 2021, reports Deadline.
Reacting to the news, Hugh Jackman took to Twitter where he shared a photo of himself standing in front of closed Broadway theatre.
"When Broadway is ready for us ... we will be ready for you!" he captioned the snap.
When Broadway is ready for us ... we will be ready for you! @sfosternyc #TheMusicMan #Broadway pic.twitter.com/rSzfG6rAFt
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) October 9, 2020
The decision to push back the production comes after Broadway League announced on Friday morning that theaters will...
- 10/10/2020
- by Omkar Padte
- GlamSham
Exclusive: With Broadway dark at least until next summer, The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman has set a new opening night for 2022.
The highly anticipated musical revival, costarring Sutton Foster, now will begin previews at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre on Monday, December 20, 2021, with Opening Night scheduled for Thursday, February 10, 2022.
The new dates fall eight months past the most recent targets of Spring 2021. The announcement marks the first confirmed rescheduling following today’s decision by the Broadway League to extend Broadway’s coronavirus pandemic shutdown from the previous January 2021 to May 30 2021.
The Music Man announcement was made by producers Scott Rudin, Barry Diller and David Geffen. The production, directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, will also star Tony winners Jayne Houdyshell as Mrs. Shinn, Jefferson Mays as Mayor Shinn, Marie Mullen as Mrs. Paroo, and Shuler Hensley as Marcellus Washburn.
The highly anticipated musical revival, costarring Sutton Foster, now will begin previews at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre on Monday, December 20, 2021, with Opening Night scheduled for Thursday, February 10, 2022.
The new dates fall eight months past the most recent targets of Spring 2021. The announcement marks the first confirmed rescheduling following today’s decision by the Broadway League to extend Broadway’s coronavirus pandemic shutdown from the previous January 2021 to May 30 2021.
The Music Man announcement was made by producers Scott Rudin, Barry Diller and David Geffen. The production, directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony Award winner Warren Carlyle, will also star Tony winners Jayne Houdyshell as Mrs. Shinn, Jefferson Mays as Mayor Shinn, Marie Mullen as Mrs. Paroo, and Shuler Hensley as Marcellus Washburn.
- 10/9/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Update, with Music Man confirmation Producers Scott Rudin, Barry Diller and David Geffen confirmed today that The Music Man Broadway revival starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster has been postponed until next spring, making the musical the second Broadway postponement announced today.
“We’re obviously profoundly disappointed to be unable to start rehearsals for The Music Man as scheduled,” said Rudin in a statement. “But safety is safety, and it has to take precedence over every other consideration – for both our audience and for our company. Despite the postponement, we are sticking together as a company, and we are grateful to be able to do so. And so we look forward arriving at The Winter Garden – with a beautiful, heartening Music Man in tow – at the beginning of April, and to being just one part of what we expect will once again be a vibrant and exciting Broadway.”
The Music Man...
“We’re obviously profoundly disappointed to be unable to start rehearsals for The Music Man as scheduled,” said Rudin in a statement. “But safety is safety, and it has to take precedence over every other consideration – for both our audience and for our company. Despite the postponement, we are sticking together as a company, and we are grateful to be able to do so. And so we look forward arriving at The Winter Garden – with a beautiful, heartening Music Man in tow – at the beginning of April, and to being just one part of what we expect will once again be a vibrant and exciting Broadway.”
The Music Man...
- 6/24/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: New York’s Irish Repertory Theatre has announced an upcoming online run of four plays, becoming what could be Off Broadway’s first summer season created specifically for virtual viewing. Included in the line-up is the world premiere of Darren Murphy’s short play The Gifts You Gave to the Dark, with characters affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Like all Broadway and most Off Broadway theaters, Irish Rep is under shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly all New York venues have been dark since mid-March.
Announced today by artistic director Charlotte Moore and producing director Ciarán O’Reilly, Irish Rep’s first online summer season will feature three of the company’s more popular recent productions reimagined for the screen and filmed remotely – Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom, The Weir and Love, Noël: The Songs and Letters of Noël Coward – as well as the world premiere of Darren Murphy...
Like all Broadway and most Off Broadway theaters, Irish Rep is under shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly all New York venues have been dark since mid-March.
Announced today by artistic director Charlotte Moore and producing director Ciarán O’Reilly, Irish Rep’s first online summer season will feature three of the company’s more popular recent productions reimagined for the screen and filmed remotely – Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom, The Weir and Love, Noël: The Songs and Letters of Noël Coward – as well as the world premiere of Darren Murphy...
- 5/21/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Broadway’s upcoming The Music Man revival starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster has rounded out its cast, producers announced today, with Jayne Houdyshell, Jefferson Mays, Marie Mullen and Shuler Hensley joining the cast.
The revival is set to begin previews Sept. 9, 2020, with an opening night of Oct. 15 at a Shubert theater Tbd. Today’s casting announcement was made by producers Scott Rudin, Barry Diller and David Geffen.
Mays will take the role of the River City Mayor Shinn, and Houdyshell will play his wife. Mullen is Mrs. Paroo, mother of Foster’s Marian the Librarian, and Hensley is set for Marcellus Washburn, old friend of Jackman’s Harold Hill.
As previously announced, The Music Man will be produced by Rudin, Diller and Geffen, with direction by Jerry Zaks and choreography by Warren Carlyle.
The revival is set to begin previews Sept. 9, 2020, with an opening night of Oct. 15 at a Shubert theater Tbd. Today’s casting announcement was made by producers Scott Rudin, Barry Diller and David Geffen.
Mays will take the role of the River City Mayor Shinn, and Houdyshell will play his wife. Mullen is Mrs. Paroo, mother of Foster’s Marian the Librarian, and Hensley is set for Marcellus Washburn, old friend of Jackman’s Harold Hill.
As previously announced, The Music Man will be produced by Rudin, Diller and Geffen, with direction by Jerry Zaks and choreography by Warren Carlyle.
- 9/5/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
For only the third time this decade, none of the acting winners at this year’s Tony Awards did so for their Broadway debut. This is the 21st time that this has happened over the 73-year history of these top theater honors. Most of the winners were actually on the opposite end of the spectrum, winning for the first time after years of Broadway experience and several nominations to their name including André De Shields, Celia Keenan-Bolger and Stephanie J. Block. Check out the complete list of winners here.
The previous instances of Broadway debuts being shut out at the Tonys were in: 1948, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1990, 1991, 1994, 2001-2003, 2012 and 2017.
Below, you can see the names of all 96 people who have won Tonys for their debut on the Great White Way.
SEE2019 Tony Awards: Best Musical ‘Hadestown’ sweeps with 8 wins, ‘The Ferryman’ takes Best Play
Best Actor In A Play: 16 winners
Paul Scofield, “A Man for All Seasons” (1962)
Cliff Gorman,...
The previous instances of Broadway debuts being shut out at the Tonys were in: 1948, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1990, 1991, 1994, 2001-2003, 2012 and 2017.
Below, you can see the names of all 96 people who have won Tonys for their debut on the Great White Way.
SEE2019 Tony Awards: Best Musical ‘Hadestown’ sweeps with 8 wins, ‘The Ferryman’ takes Best Play
Best Actor In A Play: 16 winners
Paul Scofield, “A Man for All Seasons” (1962)
Cliff Gorman,...
- 6/10/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Ari’el Stachel became the latest person to take home a Tony Award for their Broadway debut. This victory puts him in a freshman club that now has 96 members. Watch him discuss his victory in the Tonys press room in the video above.
Stachel, who won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for playing Haled in “The Band’s Visit,” is the ninth person to claim that particular honor for his first Broadway outing. He joins:
Harry Belafonte, “John Murray Anderson’s Almanac” (1954)
Sydney Chaplin, “Bells are Ringing” (1957)
Frankie Michaels, “Mame” (1966)
Wilson Jermaine Heredia, “Rent” (1996)
Dan Fogler, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (2005)
Levi Kreis, “Million Dollar Quartet” (2010)
John Larroquette, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” (2011)
Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton” (2016)
Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
Below are the Broadway debuts in the seven other acting categories that claimed Tony Awards.
Best Actor In A Play: 16 winners
Paul Scofield,...
Stachel, who won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for playing Haled in “The Band’s Visit,” is the ninth person to claim that particular honor for his first Broadway outing. He joins:
Harry Belafonte, “John Murray Anderson’s Almanac” (1954)
Sydney Chaplin, “Bells are Ringing” (1957)
Frankie Michaels, “Mame” (1966)
Wilson Jermaine Heredia, “Rent” (1996)
Dan Fogler, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (2005)
Levi Kreis, “Million Dollar Quartet” (2010)
John Larroquette, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” (2011)
Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton” (2016)
Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
Below are the Broadway debuts in the seven other acting categories that claimed Tony Awards.
Best Actor In A Play: 16 winners
Paul Scofield,...
- 6/11/2018
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Irish actor Mick Lally has died at the age of 64.
The popular star, born Michael Lally, passed away last Tuesday in Dublin after suffering from a brief illness.
Lally co-founded Galway's Druid Theater troupe with actress Marie Mullen and Garry Hynes in 1975 and he went on to find fame on hit Irish TV soap Glenroe, on which he portrayed farmer Miley Bryne.
He also appeared in films such as 1994 fantasy The Secret of Roan Inish and voiced the character of Aiden in the Oscar-nominated animated movie The Secret of Kells last year.
Lally is survived by his wife Peige and three children.
The popular star, born Michael Lally, passed away last Tuesday in Dublin after suffering from a brief illness.
Lally co-founded Galway's Druid Theater troupe with actress Marie Mullen and Garry Hynes in 1975 and he went on to find fame on hit Irish TV soap Glenroe, on which he portrayed farmer Miley Bryne.
He also appeared in films such as 1994 fantasy The Secret of Roan Inish and voiced the character of Aiden in the Oscar-nominated animated movie The Secret of Kells last year.
Lally is survived by his wife Peige and three children.
- 9/6/2010
- WENN
Mick Lally one of Ireland’s best-known actors, has died. He was a founder of the Druid Theater and best known to Irish television audiences as Miley Byrne in the long running series ‘Glenroe’ and in the BBC hit series ‘Ballykissangel’. He was aged 64. Lally’s other roles included voice work on the Oscar nominated feature animation, ‘The Secret of Kells’ as Brother Aidan and roles in ‘Circle of Friends’ and ‘Alexander’. He was born in Tourmakeady, Co Mayo, and began his career as a schoolteacher before moving to acting.He became a founder member of the world acclaimed Druid Theatre Company with Garry Hynes and Marie Mullen In 1979. He was a fluent Irish speaker and a strong supporter of the language, appearing in the Irish language series ‘Ros na Rún’.. Mary Hanafin Td Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport extended her heartfelt sympathy on the death of Mick Lally,...
- 8/31/2010
- IrishCentral
Theater Talk now also on Njn in NYC. In addition to airing weekly on Thirteen and (5 times weekly) on Cuny TV, Theater Talk is also now telecast on Njn every Thursday at 11:30 Pm. Njn is available to all Digital TV viewers in the NYC area. Check your local listings! New This Week... Friday, February 6th on Thirteen 1:00 Am (Saturday morning) Garry Hynes and Marie Mullen We welcome the director and star of The Cripple of Inishmaan, Martin McDonagh's funny, heart-wrenching comedy/drama about life in a small Irish village when a neighboring island becomes the location for a Hollywood movie. Hynes, the first woman to win a Tony Award for Best Director and Mullen, a Tony-winning actress, also discuss their early years as struggling theater artists in their native country of Ireland.
- 2/4/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
Aaron Monaghan (Abbey Theatre's Romeo & Juliet) and Tony Award? winner Marie Mullen (The Beauty Queen of Leenane), now starring in Atlantic Theater Company and Druid's hit production of four-time Tony Award? nominee Martin McDonagh's dark comedy The Cripple Of Inishmaan, will appear on NY-1 News "On Stage" this weekend. "On Stage" will air on Saturday, January 17th at 9:30a & 7:30p, and will be rebroadcast Sunday, January 18th at 9:30a & 7:30p; Monday, January 19th at 9:30p; and Tuesday, January 20th at 12:30a. Directed by Tony Award? winner Garry Hynes (The Beauty Queen of Leenane), the celebrated Irish and American cast also features Kerry Condon (HBO's "Rome"), Andrew Connolly (The Lieutenant of Inishmore), Laurence Kinlan, Tony Award? nominee Dearbhla Molloy (Dancing at Lughnasa), Patricia O'Connell (Waiting in the Wings), David Pearse and John C. Vennema (The Ride Down Mt. Morgan).
- 1/15/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
While his novels, including "The Commitments" and "The Snapper", have made the page-to-screen transition with a generally high degree of success, Ireland's Roddy Doyle has decided to try an original screenplay on for size, and the resulting "When Brendan Met Trudy" is extremely amusing if admittedly slight entertainment.
The story of a disengaged schoolteacher whose main passions in life are films (as opposed to movies) and singing in the local choir -- that is, until he encounters a spirited lass with a fierce lust for life and a shady vocation -- the picture is populated with the sort of lovable but loopy characters that are a hallmark of Doyle's Barrytown trilogy.
But in the hands of television director Kieron J. Walsh, making his feature debut, the requisite tone -- handled so precisely by Alan Parker ("Commitments") and Stephen Frears ("Snapper") -- bounces all over the place with a frantic eagerness to please.
Attention-deficit difficulties aside, this Shooting Gallery series entry has much to enjoy, particularly the performances of its cast of true characters.
After effectively setting the cinema literate scene with a clever goof on Billy Wilder's "Sunset Blvd.", Doyle and Walsh waste little time in bringing together the deadpan Brendan (Peter McDonald) and the dynamic Trudy (Flora Montgomery).
It would at first seem like an unlikely pairing, and while introverted Brendan's endless "film buffery" starts getting on Trudy's nerves, she's still tickled by the fact that most guys in Dublin wouldn't be caught dead crooning the somber Panis Angelicus in the middle of a crowded pub. With Trudy, meanwhile, a breathless Brendan believes he has found the Jean Seberg to his dormant Jean-Paul Belmondo alter ego.
When it appears that Trudy isn't the Montessori schoolteacher she professes to be, he reluctantly but willingly agrees to go on what will become a wild ride.
Although the character motivations and plot developments aren't always convincing, even minor Doyle still has it over most of the competition. The generous movie references -- also including "The Quiet Man", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "The Searchers", "The Producers" and "The African Queen" -- are a guilty pleasure. And the more up-to-date pop-culture references and quirky personalities -- among them Brendan's casually cussing mother (Marie Mullen) and a stern headmaster (Barry Cassin) who sings the virtues of Iggy Pop -- are responsible for some sparkling satire.
Anchoring it all as best they can are McDonald and, particularly, the spunky Montgomery, who manage to generate a convincing chemistry even when some of the scripting and direction fail to do likewise.
Behind-the-scenes contributions are bright and energetic, with production designer Fiona Daly and costume designer Consolata Boyle making the most of all that film buffery.
WHEN BRENDAN MET TRUDY
Shooting Gallery
Director: Kieron J. Walsh
Producer: Lynda Myles
Executive producers: David M. Thompson, Mike Phillips, Rod Stoneman, Clare Duignan
Screenwriter: Roddy Doyle
Director of photography: Ashley Rowe
Production designer: Fiona Daly
Editor: Scott Thomas
Costume designer: Consolata Boyle
Color/stereo
Cast:
Brendan: Peter McDonald
Trudy: Flora Montgomery
Nuala: Pauline McLynn
Mother: Marie Mullen
Edgar: Maynard Eziashi
Headmaster: Barry Cassin
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The story of a disengaged schoolteacher whose main passions in life are films (as opposed to movies) and singing in the local choir -- that is, until he encounters a spirited lass with a fierce lust for life and a shady vocation -- the picture is populated with the sort of lovable but loopy characters that are a hallmark of Doyle's Barrytown trilogy.
But in the hands of television director Kieron J. Walsh, making his feature debut, the requisite tone -- handled so precisely by Alan Parker ("Commitments") and Stephen Frears ("Snapper") -- bounces all over the place with a frantic eagerness to please.
Attention-deficit difficulties aside, this Shooting Gallery series entry has much to enjoy, particularly the performances of its cast of true characters.
After effectively setting the cinema literate scene with a clever goof on Billy Wilder's "Sunset Blvd.", Doyle and Walsh waste little time in bringing together the deadpan Brendan (Peter McDonald) and the dynamic Trudy (Flora Montgomery).
It would at first seem like an unlikely pairing, and while introverted Brendan's endless "film buffery" starts getting on Trudy's nerves, she's still tickled by the fact that most guys in Dublin wouldn't be caught dead crooning the somber Panis Angelicus in the middle of a crowded pub. With Trudy, meanwhile, a breathless Brendan believes he has found the Jean Seberg to his dormant Jean-Paul Belmondo alter ego.
When it appears that Trudy isn't the Montessori schoolteacher she professes to be, he reluctantly but willingly agrees to go on what will become a wild ride.
Although the character motivations and plot developments aren't always convincing, even minor Doyle still has it over most of the competition. The generous movie references -- also including "The Quiet Man", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "The Searchers", "The Producers" and "The African Queen" -- are a guilty pleasure. And the more up-to-date pop-culture references and quirky personalities -- among them Brendan's casually cussing mother (Marie Mullen) and a stern headmaster (Barry Cassin) who sings the virtues of Iggy Pop -- are responsible for some sparkling satire.
Anchoring it all as best they can are McDonald and, particularly, the spunky Montgomery, who manage to generate a convincing chemistry even when some of the scripting and direction fail to do likewise.
Behind-the-scenes contributions are bright and energetic, with production designer Fiona Daly and costume designer Consolata Boyle making the most of all that film buffery.
WHEN BRENDAN MET TRUDY
Shooting Gallery
Director: Kieron J. Walsh
Producer: Lynda Myles
Executive producers: David M. Thompson, Mike Phillips, Rod Stoneman, Clare Duignan
Screenwriter: Roddy Doyle
Director of photography: Ashley Rowe
Production designer: Fiona Daly
Editor: Scott Thomas
Costume designer: Consolata Boyle
Color/stereo
Cast:
Brendan: Peter McDonald
Trudy: Flora Montgomery
Nuala: Pauline McLynn
Mother: Marie Mullen
Edgar: Maynard Eziashi
Headmaster: Barry Cassin
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
While his novels, including "The Commitments" and "The Snapper", have made the page-to-screen transition with a generally high degree of success, Ireland's Roddy Doyle has decided to try an original screenplay on for size, and the resulting "When Brendan Met Trudy" is extremely amusing if admittedly slight entertainment.
The story of a disengaged schoolteacher whose main passions in life are films (as opposed to movies) and singing in the local choir -- that is, until he encounters a spirited lass with a fierce lust for life and a shady vocation -- the picture is populated with the sort of lovable but loopy characters that are a hallmark of Doyle's Barrytown trilogy.
But in the hands of television director Kieron J. Walsh, making his feature debut, the requisite tone -- handled so precisely by Alan Parker ("Commitments") and Stephen Frears ("Snapper") -- bounces all over the place with a frantic eagerness to please.
Attention-deficit difficulties aside, this Shooting Gallery series entry has much to enjoy, particularly the performances of its cast of true characters.
After effectively setting the cinema literate scene with a clever goof on Billy Wilder's "Sunset Blvd.", Doyle and Walsh waste little time in bringing together the deadpan Brendan (Peter McDonald) and the dynamic Trudy (Flora Montgomery).
It would at first seem like an unlikely pairing, and while introverted Brendan's endless "film buffery" starts getting on Trudy's nerves, she's still tickled by the fact that most guys in Dublin wouldn't be caught dead crooning the somber Panis Angelicus in the middle of a crowded pub. With Trudy, meanwhile, a breathless Brendan believes he has found the Jean Seberg to his dormant Jean-Paul Belmondo alter ego.
When it appears that Trudy isn't the Montessori schoolteacher she professes to be, he reluctantly but willingly agrees to go on what will become a wild ride.
Although the character motivations and plot developments aren't always convincing, even minor Doyle still has it over most of the competition. The generous movie references -- also including "The Quiet Man", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "The Searchers", "The Producers" and "The African Queen" -- are a guilty pleasure. And the more up-to-date pop-culture references and quirky personalities -- among them Brendan's casually cussing mother (Marie Mullen) and a stern headmaster (Barry Cassin) who sings the virtues of Iggy Pop -- are responsible for some sparkling satire.
Anchoring it all as best they can are McDonald and, particularly, the spunky Montgomery, who manage to generate a convincing chemistry even when some of the scripting and direction fail to do likewise.
Behind-the-scenes contributions are bright and energetic, with production designer Fiona Daly and costume designer Consolata Boyle making the most of all that film buffery.
WHEN BRENDAN MET TRUDY
Shooting Gallery
Director: Kieron J. Walsh
Producer: Lynda Myles
Executive producers: David M. Thompson, Mike Phillips, Rod Stoneman, Clare Duignan
Screenwriter: Roddy Doyle
Director of photography: Ashley Rowe
Production designer: Fiona Daly
Editor: Scott Thomas
Costume designer: Consolata Boyle
Color/stereo
Cast:
Brendan: Peter McDonald
Trudy: Flora Montgomery
Nuala: Pauline McLynn
Mother: Marie Mullen
Edgar: Maynard Eziashi
Headmaster: Barry Cassin
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The story of a disengaged schoolteacher whose main passions in life are films (as opposed to movies) and singing in the local choir -- that is, until he encounters a spirited lass with a fierce lust for life and a shady vocation -- the picture is populated with the sort of lovable but loopy characters that are a hallmark of Doyle's Barrytown trilogy.
But in the hands of television director Kieron J. Walsh, making his feature debut, the requisite tone -- handled so precisely by Alan Parker ("Commitments") and Stephen Frears ("Snapper") -- bounces all over the place with a frantic eagerness to please.
Attention-deficit difficulties aside, this Shooting Gallery series entry has much to enjoy, particularly the performances of its cast of true characters.
After effectively setting the cinema literate scene with a clever goof on Billy Wilder's "Sunset Blvd.", Doyle and Walsh waste little time in bringing together the deadpan Brendan (Peter McDonald) and the dynamic Trudy (Flora Montgomery).
It would at first seem like an unlikely pairing, and while introverted Brendan's endless "film buffery" starts getting on Trudy's nerves, she's still tickled by the fact that most guys in Dublin wouldn't be caught dead crooning the somber Panis Angelicus in the middle of a crowded pub. With Trudy, meanwhile, a breathless Brendan believes he has found the Jean Seberg to his dormant Jean-Paul Belmondo alter ego.
When it appears that Trudy isn't the Montessori schoolteacher she professes to be, he reluctantly but willingly agrees to go on what will become a wild ride.
Although the character motivations and plot developments aren't always convincing, even minor Doyle still has it over most of the competition. The generous movie references -- also including "The Quiet Man", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "The Searchers", "The Producers" and "The African Queen" -- are a guilty pleasure. And the more up-to-date pop-culture references and quirky personalities -- among them Brendan's casually cussing mother (Marie Mullen) and a stern headmaster (Barry Cassin) who sings the virtues of Iggy Pop -- are responsible for some sparkling satire.
Anchoring it all as best they can are McDonald and, particularly, the spunky Montgomery, who manage to generate a convincing chemistry even when some of the scripting and direction fail to do likewise.
Behind-the-scenes contributions are bright and energetic, with production designer Fiona Daly and costume designer Consolata Boyle making the most of all that film buffery.
WHEN BRENDAN MET TRUDY
Shooting Gallery
Director: Kieron J. Walsh
Producer: Lynda Myles
Executive producers: David M. Thompson, Mike Phillips, Rod Stoneman, Clare Duignan
Screenwriter: Roddy Doyle
Director of photography: Ashley Rowe
Production designer: Fiona Daly
Editor: Scott Thomas
Costume designer: Consolata Boyle
Color/stereo
Cast:
Brendan: Peter McDonald
Trudy: Flora Montgomery
Nuala: Pauline McLynn
Mother: Marie Mullen
Edgar: Maynard Eziashi
Headmaster: Barry Cassin
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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