James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Feb 6, 2012, 9:39 pm
NBC’s latest season of The Voice debuted following the Super Bowl, aiming for the bored American Idol fans, yearning for a talent competition that doesn’t bother focusing on the negative side of singing auditions. The Voice prides itself on delivering “blind auditions,” which allow the judge...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Feb 1, 2012, 12:29 am
My wife, Jenny Sims, and I ended up making a guest appearance on the Rachael Ray Show on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 for an episode focusing on newlyweds.   Video jwplayer('mediaspace').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://simsscoop.com/jwplayer/player.swf', 'file': 'http://simsscoop.com/video...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Dec 29, 2011, 2:50 pm
I’m not one to create “best of” lists or wax poetic about my favorite things, mostly because I have a high threshold for amazement. There were plenty of great moments in 2011, but I find that the best way to reflect on a year in entertainment is to analyze major award nominations. So, my “be...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Dec 13, 2011, 11:11 pm
Watching this week’s episode of “Glee” and seeing its rendition of the classic ’80s charity song, “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” brought to mind the debacle that was Bob Geldof’s last attempt at re-creating his Band Aid group. For those that grew up without access to MTV, VH1, or an...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Dec 9, 2011, 10:53 pm
Not a Broadway season goes by without a soap star dipping their toe in the Chicago pool at the Ambassador Theatre—so well oiled is that bare-bones revival that it was able to survive the placement of Ashlee Simpson. It’s become a petri dish for stunt casting experiments. A few blocks north, at t...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Oct 26, 2011, 2:51 pm
Technophiles, Mac fan boys, Apple geeks. A strong community of like-minded individuals, but perhaps not the likeliest of patrons sought out by Broadway marketers. That is, of course, until New York’s Public Theater and its production of The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, written and performed by...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Oct 23, 2011, 11:32 am
Referring to the musical Follies as “old fashioned” when it first ran on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1971 was reportedly a surefire way to irritate its original director, Hal Prince. However, in placing this Stephen Sondheim show at the Marquis Theatre following a successful run at ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Oct 23, 2011, 11:14 am
Frank Sinatra. Twyla Tharp. Two legendary names in their respective fields of artistry. The first is heralded as one of the music industry’s greatest singers. The other, a leader amongst modern choreographers, wowing audiences with her work across many genres. Dancer Matthew Dibble has been interp...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Sep 8, 2011, 12:49 pm
Love or hate Broadway’s ‘Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark,’ the mega-musical has a lot of buzz, thanks in part to the rather diabolical preview run, but also due to its musical creators, Bono and the Edge, of U2 fame. The two rock stars have thrown major support behind the Broadway production, in...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jul 28, 2011, 1:43 pm
Love or hate Broadway’s ‘Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark,’ the mega-musical has a lot of buzz, thanks in part to the rather diabolical preview run, but also due to its musical creators, Bono and the Edge, of U2 fame. The two rock stars have thrown major support behind the Broadway production, i...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 7, 2011, 1:23 pm
It’s that time of year again.  The Tony Awards are nearly upon the Broadway community, although this time they moved a bit uptown, to the Beacon Theatre.  While the ceremony won’t be in the grand Radio City Music Hall, the statuettes hold the same value.  I’ve decided to weigh in with my pi...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 7, 2011, 10:47 am
It’s that time of year again.  The Tony Awards are nearly upon the Broadway community, although this time they moved a bit uptown, to the Beacon Theatre.  While the ceremony won’t be in the grand Radio City Music Hall, the statuettes hold the same value.  I’ve decided to weigh in with my pi...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 3, 2011, 2:57 pm
I first published this review on BroadwayWorld.com on March 13, 2008 following a performance of ‘No Child…’ at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.  This production is now running at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York City. Oh that waskly wabbit George W. Bush, doing a complete ab...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 3, 2011, 7:43 am
I first published this review on BroadwayWorld.com on March 13, 2008 following a performance of ‘No Child…’ at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.  This production is now running at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York City. Oh that waskly wabbit George W. Bush, doing a complete ab...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Mar 17, 2011, 4:43 pm
Red hair. Green tights. Cap and feather. It’s a getup every child could recognize and quickly pick out as belonging to Peter Pan, that mischievous youth that never seems to grow up. He might be an English character, penned by a Scottish writer, but Peter Pan embodies a timeless personality, on...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Mar 17, 2011, 3:53 pm
Red hair. Green tights. Cap and feather. It’s a getup every child could recognize and quickly pick out as belonging to Peter Pan, that mischievous youth that never seems to grow up. He might be an English character, penned by a Scottish writer, but Peter Pan embodies a timeless personality, on...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Feb 18, 2011, 4:56 pm
It seems almost fitting that Ben Vereen’s performance debut at New York’s The Town Hall is taking place as lawmakers in Washington are debating the issue of federally funded arts programs. The stage veteran isn’t just known for his legendary performances, but also a continuing effort to raise ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Feb 18, 2011, 10:16 am
It seems almost fitting that Ben Vereen’s performance debut at New York’s The Town Hall is taking place as lawmakers in Washington are debating the issue of federally funded arts programs. The stage veteran isn’t just known for his legendary performances, but also a continuing effort to raise...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jan 6, 2011, 5:09 pm
Publishers might be the ones mulling over the future of digital publishing, but the Broadway community has an opportunity take advantage of the new wave of digital consumption created by Apple’s iPad. While 2010 might have been considered the “year of the tablet computer,” — Apple’s iPad ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jan 6, 2011, 3:41 pm
Publishers might be the ones mulling over the future of digital publishing, but the Broadway community has an opportunity take advantage of the new wave of digital consumption created by Apple’s iPad. While 2010 might have been considered the “year of the tablet computer,” — Apple’s iPad w...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Dec 3, 2010, 9:17 am
After hearing about the new online venture VYou.com from a co-worker, I decided to give it a try. Billed as a combination of YouTube, Twitter and Formspring — the latter being a service I never quite warmed up to — I figured it might be interesting to try out its angle on connecting people to s...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Nov 29, 2010, 9:01 am
So, this colonialist walks into a pizza joint and battles wit with an imperialist. It’s ancient history, broken down into bite-sized nuggets of comical notes, delivered to audiences by comedian Colin Quinn. Such is the premise of Long Story Short, the former SNL cast-member’s current starring ve...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Nov 15, 2010, 12:50 pm
The perennial harbinger of the holiday season has already descended on Rockefeller Center and Starbucks is handing out the coveted red and white cups, so it should come as no surprise that Broadway has rolled out the red carpet for some temporary holiday flare in the form of short-run musicals sport...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Nov 4, 2010, 5:02 pm
“Intermission at Broadway’s The Merchant of Venice. This play always stirs feelings of hatred in me. As a Jew it’s often hard to sit through.” I Tweeted this thought last week while sitting in the Broadhurst Theater during a break in the Broadway revival of Shakespeare’s play, starring ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Oct 25, 2010, 3:21 pm
“How often does a company offer up the most recognizable icon in the world to be developed as a character?” That’s the question Warren Spector contemplated after the Walt Disney Company approached him to create a dark and mysterious video game featuring Mickey Mouse. After years of work, inc...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Oct 13, 2010, 10:56 am
This past summer marked an evening of Broadway at the White House as President Obama and the First Lady hosted leading stage stars for a celebration of the arts and an outreach to students. Dance students from Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Joy of Motion Dance Center joined the cast of �...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Oct 8, 2010, 2:47 pm
Hollywood stunt casting remains a hot topic around the Broadway community, but with ticket sales typically proving healthy for A-listers, there is little monetary incentive for a producer to avoid the stars. But the creator of Time Stands Still wants audiences to know that Christina Ricci, the late...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Oct 4, 2010, 1:48 pm
Broadway fans were first introduced to original music from Broadway’s upcoming ‘Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark’ during a recent performance by actor/musician Reeve Carney on “Good Morning America,” but up until last night, the writers of that song — U2′s Bono and the Edge — haven’t ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Sep 17, 2010, 2:24 pm
Ken Davenport wants to democratize the mostly elite inner circle of Broadway producers, and he’s attempting to stir things up by reaching out to everyone for help in getting a new musical funded through the concept of crowd sourcing. Meaning, he wants you to invest a few bucks in his show. “So...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Sep 16, 2010, 12:42 pm
There was perhaps no better way to kickoff the latest Broadway season than to usher in a new era in Times Square with a celebration of the preeminent composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. The creator of such classic musicals as Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music and A Funny Thing Happened on the ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Sep 13, 2010, 3:55 pm
As summer rolled through New York City, and Broadway geared up for its latest season, I took time away from Times Square and travelled uptown, to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where I spent the warmer months working as the cultural institutions first Blogger-in-Residence.  It was a truly ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Sep 10, 2010, 2:05 pm
Talk of the upcoming musical Spider-man: Turn off the Dark actually coming to fruition on Broadway has been circling Times Square for a long while now, mostly due to the big names involved – U2′s Bono and the Edge have written the music while director Julie Taymor (Lion King) is directin...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Sep 1, 2010, 9:03 am
Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage sequel to the long-running Phantom of the Opera, might have been dealt a fatal blow, thanks in part to devastating reviews on the West End and a director and choreographer jumping ship, all before a promised Broadway run. Michael Ridel reports in ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Aug 30, 2010, 4:33 pm
Sutton Foster and Zach Braff Hollywood stars coming to Broadway continues to be a talking point in many theatrical circles, but what about the A-list theatrical talent making the rounds in and around Times Square?  Sutton Foster is one of those Broadway stars that haven’t had success up on the s...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Aug 27, 2010, 3:19 pm
Breaking into show business can be a monumental task for entertainers, but as sites like YouTube provide unknown creative types with an outlet, and millions of viewers, the road to stardom is quickly being repaved. Now, people like Justin Bieber can skyrocket to superstardom by creating a homemade ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Aug 25, 2010, 10:01 pm
Published "Asked to participate in some publicity stunt to gin up ticket sales, shrieked and…".
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Aug 24, 2010, 10:02 pm
Published “The material is great. But it should be big … Now I have…. Shared There will be a 75-minute new cast album released featuring a…. Shared Actress Katie Finneran went and got herself pregnant. Result:…. Shared Kr...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Aug 2, 2010, 4:20 pm
One man. A 20-member band. A single piano. And a Broadway stage. Quite a potent combination when that man happens to be Harry Connick Jr. The smooth singing star wrapped up a short concert run at the Neil Simon Theater this past weekend, with cameras rolling for a future release. Broadway has been ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jul 27, 2010, 11:33 am
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” a film that set the standard for not just animation, but for the art of musical storytelling, garnered such critical praise in its initial theatrical release that it received multiple Academy Award nominations. Had Walt Disney been alive, he would ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jul 13, 2010, 11:10 am
Remember those Pace Picante Sauce television commercials that ran throughout the 1980s. “This stuff is made in New York City,” a comical cowboy would say with horror after picking up a jar of salsa. A chorus of outraged cowboys would always follow that quip, screaming “New York Ci...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 18, 2010, 9:41 am
David Mamet, the often cantankerous playwright and director, has been playing the book circuit while promoting his new page turner, Theatre. He made an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s Comedy Central show last night, telling the comedian that theatre is dead. Dead because Broadway is basicall...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 7, 2010, 3:36 pm
Update per Engadget.com: We’re told this isn’t actually the Sam Mendes video calling ad, but rather an Apple promo video produced internally. We’ll just have to wait and see if Mendes can top these heartwrenching images of American beauty with his ad. Steve Jobs, the visionary beh...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 6, 2010, 8:41 am
With the Tony Awards only a few days away (June 13) and nearly every theatre-oriented website extolling predictions for the ceremony, I thought it appropriate to weigh in on the past Broadway season, and even toss out a few of my own picks for best in show. It is nearly impossible to dismiss the fa...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 4, 2010, 2:09 pm
While U2′s charismatic leader Bono hasn’t made his official splash on Broadway — both he and guitarist the Edge have written the music for the upcoming “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark” — the Irish singer joins dancers from Broadway’s “Fela!” in th...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 3, 2010, 11:20 am
Tom Cruise is never a name I thought would pop up on this blog, as the actor conjures thoughts of lunacy and madness in my head. From his Scientology hullabaloo to his rough antics in Hollywood, Cruise fell off of my radar post “Interview with the Vampire,” although he was waning even b...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 2, 2010, 12:35 pm
Jeffrey Katzenberg It’s no wonder that Jeffrey Katzenberg and the entire DreamWorks team were weary of Nicole LaPorte’s new book, The Men Who Would Be King: An almost epic tale of moguls, movies, and a company called DreamWorks, a sweeping look at the tumultuous creation of Hollywood...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - Jun 1, 2010, 12:15 pm
I recently had the chance to produce/shoot a Tony Awards-related video for BroadwayWorld.com featuring the characters of Banana Shpeel, a new show written and directed by David Shiner currently playing at New York’s Beacon Theatre. What a hoot it was sitting down with “Marty SchmelkyR...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - May 29, 2010, 9:17 am
With the sudden and tragic death of former child star Gary Coleman, who entertained television audiences as the bite-sized half of “Diff’rent Strokes,” an unlikely tribute came by way of Broadway, or at least Off-Broadway, thanks for the puppet musical “Avenue Q.” R...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - May 24, 2010, 11:00 am
Hollywood has been dabbling in the New York theatre scene since the early days of movie making, although in the beginning it was Broadway shows that ended up being adapted to the screen rather than the current trend of rushing blockbuster films to the stage. As the past few seasons on Broadway can ...
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James Sims posted an article on Sofa Snark - May 18, 2010, 10:55 am
From vampire slaying cheerleaders to middle class suburbia, director and writer Joss Whedon has tackled a wide range of characters in his Hollywood career, but its quirky misfit angst that often works best for the 40-something artist, and this week’s episode of Glee has given him the opportuni...
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