The year 2008 in theater includes the following significant events. [edit] Top Grossing [edit] Top Grossing Broadway Shows Please note that these are the top grossing shows that first opened on Broadway in 2008, and shows that opened a previous year (however the grosses of previous years are not part of the 2008 gross). The top ten shows in 2008, by gross in $USD, are as follows:[1]
*As of December 28, 2008
| Rank | Title | Theatre | Attendance | Gross | | 1 | Wicked | George Gershwin Theatre | 99.06% AVG. | $75,642,334 | | 2 | The Lion King | Minskoff Theatre | 94.49% AVG. | $61,014,194 | | 3 | Jersey Boys | August Wilson Theatre | 99.91% AVG. | $58,871,924 | | 4 | The Little Mermaid | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre | 88.13% AVG. | $48,980,835 | | 5 | Mamma Mia! | Winter Garden Theatre | 94.33% AVG. | $47,580,493 | | 6 | Mary Poppins | New Amsterdam Theatre | 81.71% AVG. | $42,750,255 | | 7 | The Phantom of the Opera | Majestic Theatre | 86.88% AVG. | $39,044,221 | | 8 | South Pacific | Vivian Beaumont Theatre | 98.40% AVG. | $35,847,733 | | 9 | In the Heights | Richard Rodgers Theatre | 84.27% AVG. | $34,001,301 | | 10 | Spamalot | Shubert Theatre | 75.47% AVG. | $32,386,698 |
*Young Frankenstein is not reporting its grosses. [edit] Events | Month | Day | Event | | January | 28 | American Theatre Hall of Fame ceremony: Inductees for this year's American Theatre Hall of Fame are: John Cullum, Harvey Fierstein, Dana Ivey and Lois Smith; director Jack O'Brien; playwright Peter Shaffer; librettist Joseph Stein; and the late theatre critic Mel Gussow.
| | March | 9 | 2008 Laurence Olivier Award winners announced, with Hairspray winning Best New Musical, as well as wins for Leanne Jones, Michael Ball, and Tracie Bennett.[2] Other winners were: A Disappearing Number, Best New Play; Rafta Rafta, Best New Comedy; Saint Joan, Best Revival; and The Magic Flute, Best Musical Revival.[3]
| | May | 13 | 62nd Tony Awards nominations announced, leading shows are:
| | 18 | Drama Desk Awards ceremony: August: Osage County by Tracy Letts won for best play; Passing Strange by Stew and Heidi Rodewald won for best musical; South Pacific won for Outstanding Revival of a Musical; and Boeing-Boeing won for Outstanding Revival of a Play.[4]
| | 19 | New York Drama Critics' Circle Award: August: Osage County by Tracy Letts won for best play; Passing Strange by Stew and Heidi Rodewald won for best musical.
| | 53rd Annual Obie Awards: The lifetime achievement award went to Adrienne Kennedy, best new theatre piece went to Stew, Heidi Rodewald, and Annie Dorsen for Passing Strange, the award for playwriting went to Horton Foote for Dividing the Estate, and David Henry Hwang for Yellow Face. The award honors Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway shows. There was for the first time a live webcast of the event at www.villagevoice.com/obies.[5]
| | June | 15 | 62nd Tony Awards ceremony: Leading shows are In the Heights, which won Best Musical (and another 3 wins), August: Osage County which won Best Play (and another 4 wins), Boeing Boeing, which won Best Revival of a Play (and one other win), and Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, which was the biggest winner of the night, winning the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical and another 6 wins.
| | October | 16 | TKTS: a newly constructed discount booth in New York's Times Square opens, after two years of construction.
| | November | 24 | The Evening Standard Awards announced during a ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London. The Donmar Warehouse won awards for four of its six nominees. Among the winners: The Pitmen Painters, by Lee Hall won Best Play, Street Scene won The Ned Sherrin Award For Best Musical, and Kevin Spacey and the Royal Shakespeare Company received special awards. [6]
| [edit] Awards - Play
- Best Play: August: Osage County
- Best Revival of a Play: Boeing Boeing
- Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play: Mark Rylance, Boeing Boeing
- Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play: Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
- Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play: Jim Norton, The Seafarer
- Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Rondi Reed, August: Osage County
- Musical
- Best Musical: In the Heights
- Best Revival of a Musical: Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
- Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical: Paulo Szot, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
- Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Patti LuPone, Gypsy
- Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical: Boyd Gaines, Gypsy
- Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical: Laura Benanti, Gypsy
- Plays
- Outstanding New Play: August: Osage County
- Outstanding Revival of a Play: Boeing Boeing
- Outstanding Director of a Play: Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
- Outstanding Actor in a Play: Mark Rylance, Boeing Boeing
- Outstanding Actress in a Play: Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
- Musicals
- Outstanding Musical: Passing Strange
- Outstanding Revival of a Musical: Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific
- Outstanding Director of a Musical: Bartlett Sher, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific
- Outstanding Actor in a Musical: Paulo Szot, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific
- Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Patti LuPone, Gypsy
- Best Play: August: Osage County, Tracy Letts
- Best Musical: Passing Strange, Stew and Heidi Rodewald
- Tracy Letts, August: Osage County
[edit] 2008 Openings
| Opening | Title | Type | Where | Notes | J
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Y | 10 | The Little Mermaid | musical | Broadway | | | 15 | The 39 Steps | play | Broadway | | | 17 | November | play | Broadway | *closed July 13, 2008 | | 22 | Almost an Evening | play | off-Broadway | *closed June 1, 2008 | | 24 | Happy Now? | play | London (National Theatre) | *closed 10 May 2008 | | 24 | Come Back, Little Sheba | play | Broadway revival | *closed March 16, 2008 | F
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Y | 21 | I'll Be The Devil | play | London | *closed on 8 March, 2008 | | 21 | Sunday in the Park With George | musical | Broadway revival | *closed on June 29, 2008 | | 28 | Passing Strange | musical | Broadway | *closed on July 20, 2008 | M
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H | 9 | In the Heights | musical | Broadway | | | 27 | Gypsy | musical | Broadway | *closed January 11, 2009 | | 28 | Never So Good | play | London (National Theatre) | *closed 14 August 2008 | A
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L | 3 | South Pacific | musical | Broadway | | | 8 | Macbeth | play | Broadway revival | *closed May 24, 2008 | | 10 | Fram | play | London (National Theatre) | *closed May 22, 2008 | | 17 | A Catered Affair | musical | Broadway | *closed July 27, 2008 | | 22 | Gone With The Wind | musical | West End (London) | *closed June 14, 2008 | | 22 | Cry-Baby | musical | Broadway | *closed June 22, 2008 | | 27 | The Country Girl | play | Broadway revival | *closed July 20, 2008 | | 30 | Thurgood | play | Broadway | *closed August 17, 2008 | M
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Y | 1 | Les liaisons dangereuses | play | Broadway | *closed July 6, 2008 | | 4 | Boeing-Boeing | play | Broadway | | | 6 | Glory Days | musical | Broadway | *closed May 6, 2008 | | 7 | Top Girls | play | Broadway | *closed June 29, 2008 | | 15 | Piranha Heights | play | London | *closed 14 June 2008 | | 20 | Marguerite | musical | West End (London) | *closed 13 September 2008 | J
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E | 11 | Afterlife | play | London (National Theatre) | *closed August 30, 2008 | | 12 | Arias with a Twist | play | off-off broadway | | J
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Y | 17 | [title of show] | musical | Broadway | *closed October 12, 2008 | | 24 | Her Naked Skin | play | London (National Theatre) | *closed September 24, 2008 | A
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R | 9 | 9 to 5 | musical | Los Angeles | out-of-town tryout | | 17 | Be Like Water | play | Los Angeles | | | 18 | A Tale of Two Cities | musical | Broadway | *closed November 9, 2008 | | 25 | Equus | play | Broadway | | O
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R | 2 | The Seagull | play | Broadway | | | 5 | 13 | musical | Broadway | *Closed January 4, 2009 | | 7 | A Man for All Seasons | play | Broadway | | | 14 | To Be or Not to Be | play | Broadway | *closed on November 16, 2008[7] | | 16 | All My Sons | play | Broadway revival | | | 23 | Speed-the-Plow | play | Broadway revival | | | 30 | La Cage aux Folles (musical) | musical | West End (London) | | N
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R | 13 | Billy Elliot the Musical | musical | Broadway | *music by Sir Elton John | | 17 | American Buffalo | play | Broadway | | | 18 | Road Show | musical | Off-Broadway | limited run closing December 28, 2008 | | 20 | Dividing the Estate | play | Broadway | | | 23 | Irving Berlin's White Christmas | musical | Broadway | | D
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R | 3 | Liza's at the Palace...! | solo concert | Broadway concert | *closing January 4, 2009 | | 3 | A Little Night Music | musical | London | Menier Chocolate Factory
limited engagement | | 14 | Shrek the Musical | musical | Broadway | | | 18 | Pal Joey | musical | Broadway revival | | [edit] Continuing run Broadway shows that opened in a previous year and are running in 2008 | Show | Date opened | | The Phantom of the Opera (musical) | January 26, 1988 | | Chicago (musical) | November 14, 1996 | | The Lion King (musical) | November 13, 1997 | | Mamma Mia! (musical) | October 18, 2001 | | Hairspray (musical) | August 15, 2002 | | Avenue Q (musical) | July 31, 2003 | | Wicked (musical) | October 30, 2003 | | Spamalot (musical) | March 17, 2005 | | Jersey Boys (musical) | November 6, 2005 | | Mary Poppins, (musical) | November 16, 2006 | | Spring Awakening (musical) | December 10, 2006 | | Grease (musical) | August 19, 2007 | | Young Frankenstein (musical) | November 8, 2007 | | August: Osage County (play) | December 4, 2007 | [edit] Closed in 2008, opened in a previous year - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, (musical), opened May 2, 2005, closed January 20, 2008: Broadway
- A Bronx Tale, (Special, Solo), opened October 25, 2007, closed February 24, 2008: Broadway
- A Chorus Line, (musical), opened October 5, 2006, closed August 17, 2008: Broadway
- The Color Purple, (musical), opened December 1, 2005, closed February 24, 2008: Broadway
- Curtains, (musical), opened March 22, 2007, closed June 29, 2008: Broadway
- Cymbeline, (play), opened December 2, 2007, closed January 6, 2008: Broadway
- Cyrano de Bergerac, (play), opened November 1, 2007, closed January 6, 2008: Broadway
- The Farnsworth Invention, (play), opened December 3, 2007, closed March 2, 2008: Broadway
- The Homecoming, (play), opened December 16, 2007, closed April 13, 2008: Broadway
- Is He Dead?, (play), opened December 9, 2007, closed March 9, 2008: Broadway
- Legally Blonde, (musical), opened April 29, 2007, closed October 19, 2008: Broadway
- Les Misérables, (musical), opened November 9, 2006, closed January 6, 2008: Broadway
- Rent, (musical), opened April 29, 1996, closed September 7, 2008: Broadway
- Rock 'n' Roll, (play), opened November 4, 2007, closed March 9, 2008: Broadway
- The Seafarer, (play), opened December 6, 2007, closed March 30, 2008: Broadway
- Xanadu, (musical), opened July 10, 2007, closed September 28, 2008: Broadway
[edit] Notable Deaths | Date | Name | Age | Country | Notability | | January | 1 | Irena Górska-Damięcka | 97 |  | Actress | | 19 | Suzanne Pleshette | 70 |  | Actress | | February | 2 | Barry Morse | 89 |  | Actor | | 10 | Roy Scheider | 75 | | Actor | | March | 16 | Ivan Dixon | 76 | | Actor | | 18 | Anthony Minghella | 54 |  | Director and Screenwriter | | 19 | Paul Scofield | 86 | | Actor | | 24 | Richard Widmark | 93 | | Actor | | April | 5 | Charlton Heston | 84 | | Actor | | 8 | Stanley Kamel | 65 | | Actor | | May | 2 | Beverlee McKinsey | 72 | | Actress | | 10 | Leyla Gencer | 79 |  | Opera Singer | | June | 3 | Mel Ferrer | 90 | | Actor | | 11 | Taras Kermauner | 78 |  | Playwright, Historian | | James Reaney | 81 | | Playwright | | August | 11 | George Furth | 75 | | Playwright, Actor | | September | 26 | Paul Newman | 83 | | Actor, Director, Humanitarian | | November | 19 | Clive Barnes | 81 | | Critic, dance and theatre; Author | | 25 | Gerald Schoenfeld | 84 | | Chairman of the Shubert Organization | | 25 | William Gibson | 94 | | Playwright | | December | 8 | Robert Prosky | 77 | | Actor | | 19 | Neal Kenyon | 79 | | Director, Choreographer, Teacher | | 21 | Dale Wasserman | 94 | | Playwright, Screenwriter | | 24 | Harold Pinter | 78 | | Playwright, Screenwriter, Actor, Director, Author | | 25 | Eartha Kitt | 81 | | Actress, Singer | [edit] See also - ^ Broadway Grosses, Broadwayworld.com, December 29, 2008
- ^ "Hairspray crowned Best New Musical",officiallondontheatre.co.uk, 09 Mar 2008
- ^ "Olivier Winners 2008",officiallondontheatre.co.uk, 23 April 2008
- ^ Gans, Andrew."Drama Desk Winners Receive Trophies July 22",playbill.com, July 22, 2008
- ^ Foote, Hwang, Cromer, Hamilton, Mulgrew and Stew Among 2008 Obie Award Winners, Playbill.com, May 19, 2008
- ^ Shenton, Mark."Ejiofor, Tyzack, Wilton, Grandage and More Win Evening Standard Theatre Awards",playbill.com, November 24, 2008
- ^ Headlines: To Be or Not to Be Will Close on November 16, Broadway.com, October 20, 2008
[edit] References [edit] External links |
