Actor Karl Malden Dead at 97

The lights on Broadway dimmed tonight in honor of the late and beloved actor Karl Malden, who died at the age of 97 on July 1st. Although his work has been sporadic over the last couple decades, Malden was a fixture on television sets in the '70s on the TV show "The Streets of San Francisco". Malden is best known to theater fans for two roles in particular, as Mitch in the original Broadway production of the Tennessee Williams classic A Streetcar Desire (which he repeated on film), and as Herbie in the movie version of the musical Gypsy. He performed on Broadway in a number of plays by 20th century greats from the '30s through the '50s, including Golden Boy, All My Sons, Tea and Sympathy, and a 1952 revival of Desire Under the Elms. Karl Malden's notable film credits include On the Waterfront, Birdman of Alcatraz, and Patton. He won an Oscar for his role in Streetcar, amongst many other well-deserved award nominations and honors.

Three More Broadway Shows Close Tomorrow

On January 4, nine Broadway shows closed, but unfortunately that's not the end of the carnage. On Sunday, January 11, All My Sons, Gypsy, and Monty Python's Spamalot also finish their Broadway runs.

Prices Go Up For Broadway Aisle Seats

Believe it or not, Broadway producers have found yet another way to fleece Broadway theatergoers. First they decided to start charging the same price for the entire orchestra section, then they started selling the very best seats for insanely high "premium seat" prices, and now some of them have decided to mark up the aisle seats as well. Many people prefer the aisle because of the added leg room, and now those people are going to have to pay extra for that comfort. Only a few Broadway shows - Gypsy, Spring Awakening, and the upcoming Broadway revival of The Seagull - have adopted the higher aisle seat pricing so far, but history has shown that once one Broadway show introduces a higher pricing model, the others soon follow. The upcharge amounts to about $15-$25, depending on the show. Furthermore, these higher-priced Broadway aisle seats are only sold in pairs, meaning that one person is paying the aisle price without even getting the benefit. What will they think of next?

Gypsy Starring Patti Lupone Opens on Broadway

It's one of those Big Event productions that the die-hard Broadway lovers live for: Patti Lupone in Gypsy. Ever since her turn as Eva Peron in Evita on Broadway, big-voiced Patti Lupone has been a favored diva, a modern Ethel Merman. And Gypsy, with its powerhouse creative team (Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins), is a classic musical of Broadway's Golden Age. To bring Lupone and Gypsy together ... well, what could be better? The audience response has been tremendous, with people giving Ms. Lupone standing ovations at the end of her solo "Rose's Turn" (it's very rare to see a standing O during a show). With the show now open, the reviews are pouring in, and already the New York Times has given it a rave. Better get your tickets now!

West Side Story Coming Back to Broadway?

Arthur Laurents, bookwriter for West Side Story, recently indicated that he plans to bring a brand new version of the legendary musical to the Broadway stage. He claims that he's found a way to "update" the story (which is already an update of Romeo & Juliet) without changing any of the text. No details available as of yet, but in the meantime, we can look forward to the Laurents-directed revival of Gypsy (for which he also wrote the book), arriving on Broadway in early '08.

Patti Lupone Coming Back to Broadway

In all the joyous hubbub surrounding the end of the Broadway strike, an interesting little bit of news nearly got lost: Beloved Broadway diva Patti Lupone will be hitting the Great White Way in Gypsy early next year. This latest production of Gypsy, which met with much acclaim during a brief engagement at City Center this summer, will open on Broadway on March 27, 2008. Tony winner Lupone has appeared on Broadway numerous times, most notably as the star of the original Broadway production of Evita.