We hope you enjoy this issue and will invite your friends and family to join the Fan Club. Your subscription settings can be found below. See you on Broadway!

NOTE: This is an archived version of this newsletter. Not all shows and offers still apply. Some links may no longer be accessible.

Broadway veteran Barbara Walsh plays Joanne in John Doyle's vivid re-imagining of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's musical Company, now playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Like Mr. Doyle's recent Sweeney Todd, Company is remarkable for featuring an ensemble of actor-musicians who not only portray all the roles, but who also function as the orchestra. Company began life at Cincinnati's Playhouse in the Park before transferring to Broadway this season. Ben Pesner recently spoke with Ms. Walsh by phone.

Ben Pesner: The production is a wonderful mixture of darkness and joy. Is it as much fun to perform as it is to watch?

Barbara Walsh: Absolutely, because all of us know how special and rare it is. Part of it is the nature of the writing; there's that duality written into the piece. John Doyle's point of view and approach to the material are dead-on for this show. He has a way of combining opposites into a place of happy existence.

What is it about Company that lends itself so well to the actor-musician approach?

It has an abstract nature, in that the story is a non-linear series of vignettes. John brings a heightened visual concept to the show, but also a very naturalistic style of acting. In this production you see things you might not notice in other productions because we're all on stage at the same time. Since we're also playing instruments, there's an added poignancy in some moments

and you learn more about the characters—[for example] when Keith Buterbaugh as Harry is singing “Sorry Grateful” and Kristin
Huffman [who plays his wife] is playing the flute behind it.

I understand Stephen Sondheim and the bookwriter, George Furth, came to see the show in Cincinnati.

It's a dream come true to be in the same room with Sondheim. Working with him is quite daunting because he's Stephen Sondheim, for God's sake! [laughs] He gave me some tough notes, so that was a bit daunting momentarily, but it ultimately told me I needed to take the role to a new place. George came and had dinner with [the cast]. He said he was really blown away. With this production I think people are seeing his text in a new light. There's nothing sitcom about this production.

You have put your own stamp on Joanne's big number, “The Ladies Who Lunch,” which was introduced by Elaine Stritch in 1970.

In Cincinnati I had an idea for the end of the song. To me it felt like a vulnerable moment, but I didn't know what that meant. As John was staging the show in sequence I could see that he was going for a fluid thing, with no applause generally after musical numbers. So I asked him [about] the end of my number. He said it was "a cry for help." I thought great, in that case can I just go out on "Rise! Rise!" [the final lyric] by myself, take the instrumentation out gradually, let it hang, and then go right into the scene [without stopping for applause]? He said let's do it, that's great. People want to applaud, and I think, “Thank you so much, but you can make up for it in the curtain call.” I'm so glad it is what it is because it's so right for the production.

There are many moving parts that make the complex machine of Touring Broadway run. One of the most important components is the presenter, who bridges the gap between a show's producers and the theatre that will house it.

"We used to be called promoters," says Albert Nocciolino, the president and founder of NAC Entertainment, a company that specializes in the presentation of Touring Broadway shows in central New York State and Pennsylvania. "I think that might actually be a clearer term. What we are is the person who takes a lot of the risk. We secure the theatre, hire the necessary local staff, handle the advertising, and essentially pay for the show. Then we're the ones that hope there's enough people in the seats when the lights go out and the curtain goes up to pay all the bills, and hopefully leave a little left over."

In some cities, the presenter and the theatre operator are one and the same. But Mr. Nocciolino's company, like others around the country, functions differently. NAC presents in several theatres in seven cities, Albany-Schenectady, Binghamton, Buffalo, Erie, Rochester, Scranton, and Syracuse.

"Each situation is different," says Mr. Nocciolino. "In several of our cities we simply rent the theatre building for our shows. In others we partner with another organization in the city or with the facility itself. There are different marriages and different partnerships in each city. But it's never just running in and presenting a show. We're very involved in our communities. It's really important that they know we have a commitment to not only the venue but to the people. You have to really know the make-up of your community."

In addition to producing the Broadway subscription seasons, NAC also produces Broadway shows in New York and on tour.  In June of 2002, Mr. Nocciolino won his first Tony Award® (Best Musical) as a member of the Independent Presenters Network, which backed Thoroughly Modern Millie.

"I always had an affinity for theatre," explains Mr. Nocciolino. "I was in drama club in school but I was very bad at it, and as a student I used to usher at the Broadway shows in Binghamton, my home town. After majoring in finance at the Wharton School, I took a job with a new arena opening in Binghamton, and after 3 years of that I decided that I really wanted to get involved in my own business. The first touring show I presented was Charley's Aunt with Vincent Price and Roddy McDowall in the late 1970s. It all took off from there."

Despite the success of his company both regionally and nationally, however, Mr. Nocciolino has not forgotten his local roots.

"As a presenter, it's really important that you pay attention to your communities," he says. "You must find a way to interact with them and feel like they're a participant and embrace what you're doing. When you build that relationship, it makes it all work. They trust you to bring in a good product."

Visit NAC Entertainment on-line for more information and a list of upcoming shows.

This fall we announced a special contest for Fan Club members: invite 10 or more friends to join the club and be eligible for a Broadway Visa Gift Card® worth $225.

We have extended the cut-off date for the contest to January 31, 2007. This is your chance to share with your friends all the exciting Fan Club benefits including exclusive star interviews, show information for New York and the road, event invitations, special advanced information about Kids' Night on Broadway and other programs, and much more.

The three Fan Club members who refer the most friends to join the Club before January 31st will each receive a Broadway Visa Gift Card® worth $225. All invitations submitted since August 1, 2006 will count towards your total, and all referred friends must be active Fan Club members at the close of the contest in orded to be counted.

Click here to invite your friends and family members to join The Broadway Fan Club.

You will be asked to enter the e-mail addresses separated by commas, as well as the e-mail address at which you receive your Fan Club communications in order to properly receive credit for the referrals. You may return to the Invite-a-Friend page using the link above at any time to invite more friends.

Click here for Official Rules. Please note: there is a limit of one Broadway Fan Club membership per individual.

If you want to buy same-day or advance tickets in person, there is no better way to get the best possible seats to just about every
Broadway show all under one roof.

The Broadway Ticket Center is conveniently located in the Times Square Visitors Center, right in the heart of Manhattan's Theatre District. In addition to the best available show tickets, the center offers:

-Multilingual show information and video previews
-A friendly and knowledgeable staff
-Show brochures
-Same-day and advance tickets
-Regular Box Office prices
-Express line for Visa Signature Cardholders

Location:
Times Square Information Center, 1560 Broadway
(East side of Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets)

Ticket Center Hours:
Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Call The Broadway Line at 1-888-BROADWAY or
visit www.ILoveNYTheater.com for a complete list of all shows offered at the Broadway Ticket Center.