Drawing: Declan Bennett and Zrinka Cvitešić in Once

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Once is the stage adaption of the 2006 film of the same name. It’s based on the book written by Enda Walsh, about an Irish busker and a Czech flower seller.

After a season at the New York Theatre Workshop, it transferred to Broadway and became a musical sensation, winning 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The song Falling Slowly won the Academy Award.

On April 9, 2013 it opened at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End. ‘The Guy’ and ‘The Girl’ leads – Declan Bennett and Zrinka Cvitešić signed for me at the stage door after a Saturday matinée performance on 18 May.

Drawing: Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta Jones in A Little Night Music

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

I have a 50% success rate when it comes to sending stuff to Broadway Theatres for signatures, so I was very happy to receive my sketches back from Catherine Zeta Jones and the legendary Angela Lansbury in February 2010. Both were starring in Stephen Sondheim’s 1973 musical A Little Night Music at the Walter Kerr Theatre. And both were nominated for a Tony Award, with Catherine winning for Best Actress in a Musical, a category Angela had previously been nominated in 4 times, winning on each occasion. For this production Angela was nominated for Featured Actress in a Musical. She didn’t win, but had won in the same category in 2009 for Blithe Spirit.

Drawings: Ralph Fiennes

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton Wykenham Fiennes was only signing programmes and tickets at the stage door of the Royal Theatre Haymarket in London in August 2011. He was playing Prospero in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Although spelt ‘Ralph’ it is pronounced ‘Rafe’, so don’t ask ‘Ralph’ for a ‘graph or you may not get one! The theatre management were very strict about the signing policy, so I made do with my ticket and programme siggys. I did however, leave a drawing of Ralph as Prospero and Elisabeth Hooper as his daughter Miranda at the stage door, and it was returned, signed by both.

Later that year Ralph also made his film directional debut, with an adaption of the Bard’s tragedy Coriolanus, in which he also played the title role. It screened at the BFI London Film Festival in October that year. Ralph attended and was happy to sign and dedicate my sketch at the Odeon West End Theatre in Leicester Square. Coriolanus actually had its premiere at the Curzon Mayfair in early January 2012. Once again Ralph attended and this time signed a sketch I did some years earlier, when he was on Broadway in 2006, playing Frank Hardy in Faith Healer at the Booth Theater. I was, in fact, in New York during the play’s season, but couldn’t get a ticket. Anyway, he was once again obliging with his autograph and complimentary comments.

Drawing: The Book of Mormon

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The Broadway musical juggernaut The Book Of Mormon rolled into London’s West End last month and has been doing the ‘biz’ ever since. Written by South Park‘s Matt Stone and Trey Parker and winner of 9 Tony Awards, the show opened to mixed reviews by the British critics, but the public have taken to it in droves. Tickets are scarce, but we managed to grab a few on Red Nose gala night, with all the profits from that performance going to Comic Relief.

Transferring from the US National Tour are American leads Gavin Creel (Elder Price) and Jared Gertner (Elder Cunningham). London’s own Alexia Khadime plays the lead female role – Nabulungi.

Fresh from the role of Eponine in Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre, Alexia’s pedigree includes Elphaba in Wicked and Nala in The Lion King.

Drawing: Jessica Chastain and David Strathairn in The Heiress on Broadway

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sending sketches for signing to Broadway productions in New York can be a bit ‘hit and miss’… a bit like the shows themselves. My success rate is about 50/50. Some theatres (theaters in Yankie lingo) pass them, some don’t. In January I sent material to three theatres for signing, so it was pleasing to receive this on back on Saturday.

Jessica Chastain was making her Broadway debut in the revival of the Tony award-winning play The Heiress at the Walter Kerr Theater. The production was scheduled for a limited run, opening in the Autumn of 2012 with final curtain on 10 February 2013, after 27 previews and 118 regular performances.

The story of The Heiress is set in the 1850s. Jessica plays Catherine Sloper, the daughter and only heiress of a prominent New Yorker (played by David Strathairn), who must navigate the terrain of love and regret, desire and duty against the demands of an emotionally distant father and the attention of a passionate young suitor.

Jessica has always been pleasant on the few occasions I had met her at London premieres and award ceremonies. Someone wrote that as a vegan, she wanted everyone to feel that they were welcome on this planet… including signature stalkers (some latitude used in the paraphrase). So no surprise when I opened up the envelope and it was from her.

In 2012 Time Magazine listed her as one of the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ and she is considered one of the finest actors of her generation. Jessica was also nominated for every award going for her role as Maya in Kathryn Bigelow’s Military thriller Zero Dark Thirty. The Award’s Season coincided with the play’s season, so her understudy saw more action as Jessica attended the various ceremonies.

The Heiress actually closed a day earlier (Feb 9th) to allow Jessica to attend the BAFTA Awards in London on the 10th.

Academy Award nominated and Emmy Award winner David Strathairn has also signed the sketch. His Oscar nomination was for his role in as Edward Murrow in Good Night and Good Luck. He also has a prominent role as Secretary of State William Seward in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.

To demonstrate further Jessica’s love for all things living, she rescued a three-legged dog called Chaplain from a New York dog shelter. A the most climatic point in The Heiress deep in the second half on a February Saturday matinée, Chaplin walked on stage… unexpectedly. He has not signed the sketch, however.

Drawing Miss Daisy – James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave and Boyd Gaines

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

After a sellout season on Broadway, Driving Miss Daisy transferred to Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End with the original cast – Vanessa Regrave, James Earl Jones and Boyd Gaines. It was the latter and 4 time Tony Award winner whose ‘graph was the simplest to get. Boyd left via the stage door, happily signed the sketch, made polite conversation and then went on his merry way.

James Earl Jones is a excellent signer, but not at the stage door. Once ensconced in his dressing room his son appears at the stage door and says, “Is there anyone here waiting for James Earl Jones’ autograph?” All nod. Then he proceeds to collect all the material with instructions and takes it in for his father to sign. Depending on the amount of items, he returns shortly thereafter to hand back the ‘graphed memorabilia to their respective owners.

Vanessa Redgrave made use of the many doors of the Wyndham’s Theatre. If you’re lucky enough to catch her, and depending on how she feels you may get an autograph or a polite refusal followed by a variety of reasons. I remember having a very nice conversation with her before she wandered off to her waiting car without signing. The sketch was actually signed at the Coriolanus premiere at the Curzon cinema in Mayfair some months later. It was a bitterly cold evening and everyone thought she would just do press an then quickly go in. That certainly looked like the plan when she arrived. But, she then deviated across to where I was standing behind the barriers, opposite the drop off area. She saw my sketch and was very impressed with it, taking some time to sign and dedicate it between her conversation covering a multiplicity of subjects, much to the annoyance of the other ‘graphers. She then thanked me and walked off to the waiting paps… much to the extreme annoyance of the other ‘graphers. Quotation: “You and your bloody drawings,” one said. Yes, indeed. My bloody drawing with 3 very nice dedicated signatures on it.

Drawing: Robin Williams in Bengal Tiger at Baghdad Zoo on Broadway

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Back in 2011 I sent a copy of this drawing to Robin Williams on Broadway asking him to sign it and return it to me. No reply. So when he came to London later that year I got him to sign it as he was leaving BBC Radio 2. Unfortunately, he was too busy to dedicate it to me. Nevermind, I went on to the Happy Feet 2 premiere in Leicester Square and tried my luck again. I only wanted him to fill in the dedication, but I must have confused him. Now the drawing has the dedication and not one, but two Robin Williams autographs.