Frightfully good news for Rage of the Stage
James Michael Shoberg will adapt “Fright Night,” into a stage play next year, the culmination of his years of adapting classics into plays with a streak of the macabre and the erotic and dash of gore.
The leader of the McKeesport based Rage of the Stage Players posted an ecstatic Facebook message Thursday, saying, “I’ve been tapped by iconic horror director Tom Holland (‘Child’s Play,’ Stephen King’s ‘Thinner’) to adapt my all-time favorite vampire film into a world-premiere stage play right here in Pittsburgh! Yes, in 2017, I’ll write, design, and direct the official stage incarnation of the 1985 classic, ‘Fright Night.’ ”
His play will be set in the 1980s and be based on the original 1985 version — not the 2011 remake — starring William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Roddy McDowall, Stephen Geoffreys and Amanda Bearse. Mr. Shoberg previously adapted the 2006 horror film “The Hamiltons” for the stage.
For his “Fright Night” play, “There’ll be a nationwide promotional campaign that’ll include a series of mock episodes of Peter Vincent’s ‘Fright Night’ late show, for which I’ve already begun recruiting some of Pittsburgh’s local filmmakers,” Mr. Shoberg said. He added that he is gathering a “Fright Night” team with the goal “to create a horror epic that is the product of a mass collaborative effort behind the scenes as well as onstage.”
At NYMF, enter Stage Right
The New York Musical Festival this week will include a production of “Tink!,” written by Anthony Marino for Stage Right in Greensburg. A feature on the festival on Playbill.com noted that the show harkens back to the days of the grand musical.
“We wanted to write a big show,” Mr. Marino told Playbill. “I love the old-fashioned musicals. I wanted to write something that theater companies across the country could do as well.”
The show has been scaled down to a cast of 20 from the original 85 for its festival run, today through July 31 at the Pearl Theatre, 555 W. 42nd St. (details: www.nymf.org.)
Its NYMF program description reads: “In a time before time was important, there was an island full of music and magic, where pirates, natives, fairies and other mysterious folk lived, loved and fought together -— until one young fairy and one young pirate crossed paths. When first mate James of the Jolly Roger meets the yearning, idealistic young fairy Tinkerbell, their star-crossed romance brings together the entire population of Neverland, from the mischievous Dream Weaver fairies to the mighty Natives, and even a colony of scavenging boys whose leader fell from the sky.”
The festival, in its 12th year, features 18 productions, 10 readings, seven concerts and 14 events focusing on new musical theater.
Barbra Steisand and friends
Barbra Streisand hinted to the TV interview show “Extra” that some of her duet partners on her album “Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway,” due Aug. 26, will join her on her ninecity tour. The list of performers includes Patrick Wilson, Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Seth MacFarlane, Melissa McCarthy, Chris Pine and Jamie Foxx. She sings “Loving You” with Mr. Wilson, a Carnegie Mellon graduate.
The tour launches Aug. 2 in Los Angeles.