Sketch: Tracie Bennett in End Of The Rainbow

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Tracie Bennet Over The Rainbow

There was huge critical acclaim for double Olivier Award winning actress Tracie Bennett’s virtuoso turn in the lead role of Peter Quilter’s musical drama End Of the Rainbow, which focuses on the final chapter of Judy Garland’s life. It premiered in Sydney in 2005 before West End and Broadway transfers.

The London production, which enjoyed an extended run at the Trafalgar Studio from November 2010 to May 2011, received four Olivier Award nominations including Best Actress for Tracie. The show opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theater in March 2012 with Tracie receiving the lead role and earning a Tony nomination as well as winning the Outer Critics’ Circle and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Play.

I met the engaging Tracie at the 2011 Oliviers at Covent Garden where she signed a ‘Judy’ sketch for me, which I’ve already posted. This one is a montage from the play, depicting the darker side of the role as Judy Garland battled with her drug and alcohol addiction during her final tour of the UK in 1969.

I left it at the Trafalgar Studios and obviously Tracie struggled to find a pen with ample ink. That’s another one of the risks you take when not getting the ‘graph in person – you don’t get to choose the weapon! But, she not only signed it, she sent me a nice card as well. Thanks, Tracie.

Tracie Bennett Thank You

Drawing: Brandon Victor Dixon in The Scottsboro Boys

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The final collaboration between legendary composing duo John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago) The Scottsboro Boys, tells the story of a group of nine black teenagers brought together by fate in a case that sparked the American Civil Rights Movement and led to two pivotal Supreme Court rulings. The show premiered off Broadway in February 2010, moving to Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre in October. The musical then opened in London’s Young Vic Theatre in 2013 where it sold out, before moving to the Garrick Theatre in the West End in October 2014.

Grammy and Tony nominee Brandon Victor Dixon made his West End debut as Haywood Patterson in The Scottsboro Boys. A Columbia University graduate, Brandon was a scholarship winner at the British Academy of Dramatic Acting at Oxford. He recently created the role of Berry Gordy in Motown, The Musical with a Drama League Award nomination.

His Tony nomination was for his role as Harpo in Broadway’s The Colour Purple and won the Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Out Critic’s Circle, Drama League and AUDLCO award for his outstanding portrayal of Haywood Patterson in the original off-Broadway production of The Socttsboro Boys.

His producing credits include Of Mice and Men (2014) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch which won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

In recognition of this intelligent musical about a notorious episode of American racial injustice, The Scottsboro Boys was nominated for 12 Tonys and 6 Olivier Awards, but failed to win any. It did win the London Critics’ Circle and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical.

The West End run finishes today.

Drawing: Ruth Wilson and Jake Gyllenhaal in Constellations on Broadway

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson both made their Broadway debuts in English playwright Nick Payne’s two-hander CONSTELLATIONS at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre last month. Playing star-crossed lovers Roland and Marianne, they received rave reviews from both critics and the audience. “Short, sweet and strangely haunting”, said Variety. It called the hour long performance a “baby bombshell”- single set, two characters, sparce scenery, killer acting!

The story of a young couple who break through the boundaries of the time/space continuum to explore the infinite possibilites of their love, CONSTELLATIONS premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre in early 2012. As a result of strong reviews it subsequently transferred to the Duke of Yorks in the West End.

Both Jake and Ruth received Golden Globe nominations this year, with Ruth winning for her role as Alison Bailey in the new TV drama THE AFFAIR. Jake has picked up a haul of awards and nominations, including BAFTA and the Screen Actors Guild nods for his performance in the neo-noir crime thriller NIGHTCRAWLER.

Ruth has signed a couple of my drawings at West End productions so I sent this simple portrait sketch based on the plays poster to Ruth at the Theatre and both she and Jake kindly signed it for me.

Drawing: Glenn Close in A Delicate Balance on Broadway

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Acclaimed for her versatility and widely regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation, Glenn Close returned to the Broadway Stage after a twenty year hiatus in Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance at New York City’s John Golden Theatre.

Glenn’s last outing on the Great White Way won her third Tony for playing silent screen star Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. In spite of an extraordinary film and television career, theatre was where she began and remains her first love.

Glenn top lines a lustrous cast with John Lithgow as the complacent heads of a family who lose their composure when faced to confront and undefined terror that has stricken their best friends. Her “meaty role” as Agnes is the “witty, self-described harridan”.

Apart from winning three Tonys, Glenn tied the record for being the actress with the most Oscar nominations never to have won. The six time nominee has, however, collected three Emmys (14 noms) two Golden Globes (14 noms) and a SAG award (8 noms). She has also been nominated three times for a Grammy and once for a BAFTA.

The limited 18 week season ends on 22 February 2015.

Drawing: Sally Hawkins in Mrs Warren’s Profession on Broadway

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Golden Globe winner, Academy Award and BAFTA nominee Sally Hawkins made her Broadway debut in Doug Hughes’ revival of George Bernard Shaw’s controversial 1894 work Mrs Warren’s Profession at the American Airlines Theatre in the Autumn of 2010.

She portrayed Vivie, the daughter of Kitty Warren (Cherry Jones) the title character and ‘madam’ who rises out of the gutter to run a brain of brothels. Vivie was kept separate and ignorant of her mother’s world… until now.

The play was considered so shocking that it wasn’t performed in London until 1902 and then, only privately. It premiered on Broadway in 1905 at the Garrick Theatre and subsequently was revived in 1907, 1918, 1922 and 1976.

Sally signed this black biro sketch I drew of her and Cherry (who I unfortunately missed, but on my ‘wanted’ list) when she arrived back in the UK after the New York season ended.

Drawing: Jenny DiNoia in Wicked

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Jennifer DiNoia has been playing the role of Elphaba the misunderstood, green, Wicked Witch of the West in the hit musical Wicked for the past eight years around the world.

She made her West End and UK debut late last month, starting a 14 week run at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre.

Jenny has now performed Elphaba in four countries and six companies, including New York on Broadway, Chicago, Seoul and Sydney.

Wicked is now the tenth longest running show in the West End, with booking recently extended to 7 November 2015, its ninth year. In July this year the musical welcomed its 6 millionth patron.

Drawing: Kerry Ellis in Wicked

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

In July 2006 Kerry Ellis joined the original London cast of the musical Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, playing the role of Elphaba the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West. She was temporary understudy to Idina Menzel for three months, replacing her and winning the 2008 WhatsOnStage Theatregoers Choice Award. She continues the role until June 2008, before transferring to the Broadway production of Wicked, where her five month run won her the 2009 Broadway Audience Award for Favourite Female Breakthrough Performance. Kerry returned to the London show for a further five months until May 2009.

In 2013 she was named the favourite West End ‘Elphaba’ in the WhatsOnStage.com poll. Not yet done with the role, Kerry has just completed a limited 12 week engagement replacing an injured Willemijn Verkaik the London’s Apollo Victoria where she kindly signed my sketch before her final performance.

Drawing: Aimée-Ffion Edwards in Jerusalem

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

I first saw Welsh actress Aimée-Ffion Edwards in Jez Butterworth’s outstanding play Jerusalem at the Apollo Theatre on London’s Shaftesbury Ave. The play opened at the downstairs theatre of London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2009 to rave reviews. It starred Mark Rylance as Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron, a modern day Pied Piper and Mackenzie Crook as Ginger, an aspiring DJ and unemployed plasterer.

The title is based on a short a short poem ‘And did those feet in ancient time’ by William Blake, best known as the anthem ‘Jerusalem’ with music written by Hubert Parry in 1916.

Jerusalem along with most of the original cast, including Aimée-Ffion, transferred to the Apollo Theatre in the West End in 2010 before its Broadway run in 2011 followed by a London revival later that year, again at the Apollo. It won multiple awards, including the Olivier and Tony.

Aimee-Ffion played Phaedra, the stepdaughter of local thug Troy Whitworth who goes missing in the play. She is seen at the beginning of both Act One and Two singing the hymn ‘Jerusalem’ dressed in fairy wings, which was the basis for this sketch which she signed for me at the Apollo Stage door.

Drawing: Al Pacino

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

I drew this portrait of Al Pacino as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in 2011. Actually, I drew a couple of sketches of him in the New York production. One I posted, but never came back. This one sat in my bag folder I carry daily, along with other numerous drawings of possible luminaries I might come across. Last Sunday he was at London’s BFI for the screening of Salome (the film) and WIld Salome (the doco). I was not optimistic as I positioned myself in a pen with a pen sat the beginning of the red carpet.

He made his Broadway debut in Don Petersen’s Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie? at the Belasco Theater on Februry 25, 1969. Although it closed after 39 performances Al received rave reviews, winning the Tony Award.

Al played the Bard’s ruthless Venetian Jewish money lender in the summer of 2010 in a Shakespeare in the Park production of The Merchant of Venice. It transferred to the Broadhurst Theater in October and continued there until February 2011, with Al being nominated for another Tony.

He can be difficult to get a ‘graph from because everyone wants him, and if you do get one, it can be unrecognisable. He’s very quick. The customary ‘Al’ has many variations, especially when you’re caught up in the maelstrom that surrounds Alfredo James Pacino.

A climate change protest in Central London grid-locked the traffic, including Al’s car. We were warned he will be late, will do press and go in… but never fear, he will come back to sign. All that happened, but not necessarily in that order. He would talk to media, then slip over to the baying crowd and sign a bit.

On one such sortie, he came down the line to me, but it was mayhem and he pulled away to head back to the press. He then noticed my sketch and came back, took it and signed a great ‘Al’ on it, gave me the thumbs up, handed it back and moved back to the media scrum. My folder was one sheet lighter and my collection now included one of the greastest actors of our time.

Drawing: Fiona Shaw in The Testament of Mary at The Barbican

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The Testament of Mary is a controversial play by Colm Tóbin based on his 2012 Man Booker Prize shortlisted novella of the same name and the play Testament, which was initially performed at the Dublin Theatre Festival in October 2011. It imagines a new account of Christ, one is which his mother Mary questions her son’s death, his divinity and the followers who called him the son of God.

Its short Broadway run in 2013 had militant Christians on the streets accusing it of blasphemy, though it still garnered three Tony nominations, including Best Play. Tony-nominee and four time Olivier-award-winning actress Fiona Shaw played Mary, directed by long time collaborator and Olivier-winner Deborah Warner. The production had its only UK performances at London’s Barbican, where Deborah is the Associate Director, in May 2014.

The play gives Mary a voice, since she is strangely silent in the Biblical text, in an 80 minute monologue. It powerfully captures the terrible grief of a disenchanted mother who has lost her son, first by fame and then by a terrible public death. One of the most potent moments is when Mary says, “when you say that he redeemed the world I will say it was not worth it, was not worth it.”

The production mesmerised audiences and critics alike on both sides of the Atlantic. The Telegraph’s Charles Spencer summed up the acclaim, “Shaw is magnificent thorughout.”