[ cheers and applause ] >> new york is all that this fall. the pope visit, mets making it to the world series, and let's not forget -- a great new season on "the great white way." this is "broadway backstage: fall preview." i'm michelle charlesworth. i am thrilled to be joined by tony and emmy award-winning actress judith light. >> thank you so much. this is a great time to be in new york, and i am very happy to be a part of the new fall season. >> you are currently starring in the drama "th\r se raquin." >> you said it perfectly! >> i've been working on it. with keira knightley in her broadway debut. >> exactly. >> what is this play about? >> well, it's about a loveless

marriage. it's about betrayal and guilt and murder and sex. >> i thought they had bled me dry, drained me, emptied me, flattened me until i was nothing. a pressed flower. a form with no life in it, like them. dead on the inside like them. >> what is your role? who do you play in the play? >> i play keira's aunt, and gabriel ebert, who won the tony for "matilda" -- i play his mother. and some people say that i am slightly manipulative or narcissistic, but i don't think so. i don't view her like that. she is somebody who is a very frightened woman, a very little-village woman, and wants what she wants, as well. i spoke to the priest yesterday. he is happy to marry you the sunday after next. that will give us time to prepare. there won't be many guests, of course, but i'm sure one or two from the village will want to come once they hear the news. >> i told someone at work i'd go

but...i suppose i could change it. >> i think you must, dear. >> it is an intense evening of theater. what do you want people to walk away with? >> what i really want them to take away is really what emile zola, who wrote the novel, wanted people to know, which is that if you only think about yourself and you only go for what your desires are and what your wants are and you think about no one else, there can be dire consequences. >> keira knightley isn't the only big name making a broadway debut. bruce willis steps into the spotlight with laurie metcalf in "misery." the drama, based on the hit movie from 1990, opens tomorrow. [ cheers and applause ] >> "china doll" returns al pacino to the stage in a new two-man play written by david mamet. "the gin game" pairs

james earl jones and cicely tyson as senior citizens who trade cards and barbs. >> and who would have thought one of the hottest tickets in town is a hip-hop musical about our nation's first treasury secretary? lin-manuel miranda's "hamilton" is as good as gold. >> i am not throwing away my shot i am not throwing away my shot >> hamilton's rise in ambition from immigrant orphan to distinguished founding father is told by a diverse cast in the rhythm, moves, and language of modern day. >> we gonna rise up, rise up >> it's the most dramatic and interesting way to tell the story of a person. it's about the relationships. it's about the love and the loss. it's about the controversy. >> ren\e elise goldsberry plays his sister-in-law and confidant. >> she is not his wife, so we have this question looming through the show, which is -- what is their relationship? because it seems explosive. we see a really empowered woman

in a time where we don't imagine that they're doing, you know, much more than sewing flags. >> and i am not throwing away my >> not throwing away my shot >> the popularity of "hamilton" the show has led to an interest in learning more about this politician, patriot, and publisher, among other things. >> and, luckily for new yorkers, there are plenty of places in our backyard where hamilton left his mark. our broadway contributor charlie williams takes us on a tour. >> from the stately alexander hamilton u.s. custom house downtown to a bridge in the bronx, several statues like this one in central park, and, of course, the $10 bill, there are plenty of reminders that pay homage to the one-time new yorker. tucked into a park in the heart of harlem sits hamilton grange, his family estate, now a national parks service memorial that's been getting a lot of attention. >> alexander hamilton leaves

behind a remarkable legacy. his singular vision shaped our country. >> free and open to the public, the stately home is filled with period pieces and lessons of hamilton's accomplishments. the building itself has actually been moved twice over the years, but always on part of the original land owned by hamilton. just 20 blocks north is another important landmark. >> we are in the morris-jumel mansion, manhattan's oldest house. hamilton and washington were both here during the revolutionary war. we have a really amazing relationship with lin-manuel miranda, the star and the writer of the show. he actually wrote part of the show in aaron burr's bedroom. >> if you cross the river to weehawken, new jersey, you can see where hamilton's brilliant career and life came to an end following a duel with aaron burr. it was a life cut short at 49, but with the help of broadway, his legacy has been revived. >> one of the lines in the show is that every other founding

every other founding father's story gets told. and everyone else became elder statesmen, and hamilton didn't have that chance. >> and just so you know, alexander hamilton's grave can be found at trinity church at wall street and broadway. >> very cool. still ahead, revivals worth another look. >> if i were a rich man ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum >> "broadway backstage: fall preview" is sponsored by

>> old-school musicals, dramas, and comedies are drawing a fresh generation of audiences to broadway this fall. >> "sylvia" is a very unusual love triangle about a married, middle-aged new yorker smitten with his new canine companion. >> now sit, sylvia. sit.

>> i'm not ready to sit. >> i-i said sit. >> i'm too nervous to sit. >> down, sylvia. >> this show is kind of one of those dream roles for a lady in the theater. yes, i do play a dog. most of the physicality is very representational of dog-like behavior. so it's a beautiful exploration of what we project on to our dogs, you know, the thoughts and feelings, and then also, you know, the emotions that we perceive that they're giving to us. you don't have to hit, you know. >> well, it didn't hurt. >> it most certainly did. >> well, then i'm sorry. >> julie white is the wife, who plays second fiddle to the precocious stray. matthew broderick is the devoted dog owner, whose real-life spouse, sarah jessica parker, originated the role of sylvia. >> i've always loved this play. my wife did it when it started, 20 years ago. and i always liked it.

arthur miller's "a view from the bridge" is a london import, but the bridge is still in brooklyn. nicola walker, best known to american tv audiences for the british show "last tango in halifax," stars. >> it's a really unusual version. there is no set to speak of. there are no props. there is nothing to hide behind. so, what you gain by that is -- you get a clearer, i think, perspective on the play and on the words. >> god is inside me >> on the musical side, "the color purple" returns, this time starring jennifer hudson. the cast has moved from the recording studio to previews onstage. >> rising like the sun is the hope sets us free >> god, is this it? >> the rock opera

"spring awakening" is reborn, but with deaf actors in nearly half the roles. signing, song, and dialogue are interwoven into the story of teenage angst and rebellion. >> touch me just like that now lower down where the sins cry >> camryn manheim, who learned to sign as a student at nyu, makes her broadway debut. >> it is fun, but it's not just that. it's joyful. it's a privilege to be a part of it. love him as she can love only him. it's an overload of sensations. in a way, it's told more deeply, on many different levels, because it's not just audio and acting. it's visual. it's movement. and everything is synchronized so beautifully, and everyone's hands are moving at once. it's like ballet. it's like -- just incredible

>> tradition >> and opening as a holiday gift for theatergoers this month, the return of "fiddler on the roof." we caught up with the cast and five-time tony nominee danny burstein, as tevye. >> if i were a rich man ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum all day long, i'd biddy biddy bum if i were a wealthy man the score and the show is -- it's like musical-theater mother's milk. this one about family, about tradition, about bigotry, about loss, about change, and those aren't unique to the jewish culture. they're universal themes. and that's why the show continues to be revived and that's why it should be revived. >> bring l'chaim to life to life, l'chaim l'chaim, l'chaim to life >> under director bart sher, the

production is aiming for a faithful depiction of life in a poor czarist village. >> we really want the authentic feel and look for all of the costumes. these are people who slogged through the mud every day, walking mile after mile, carrying heavy, heavy things. all the clothes are clothes that he probably would have had for 15 to 20 years, so they are old, old, old. and, you know, that all happens in the process. they build them new and then they distress them. >> the main draw on broadway is, of course, the great shows. >> yes. but before you take your seat, take time to look around. oftentimes, the theaters themselves are also deserving of the spotlight. >> jennifer tepper is a die-hard theater fan and author of "the untold stories of broadway: tales from the world's most famous theaters." >> it's been fun to learn about

those secret places in the theaters that people kind of learn about while they're there working in them that you wouldn't know about if you saw a broadway show. there's a secret speakeasy in the music box. the winter garden opened as a horse exchange. it was filled with horses and stables once upon a time. oldest theater is the lyceum, which has been a broadway house since 1903. the smallest theater on broadway is the helen hayes. the largest theater is the gershwin. "wicked" has been there for so long, they've really made it their home, so there is this gorgeous mural backstage that was painted by one of the cast members. >> also hidden in gershwin stairwells is a graffiti wall and an impressive who's who of the show's former stars. >> anyone going to "kinky boots" should really get there early, because it is the al hirschfeld, and there are al hirschfelds on the second floor of the theater on display. it's a beautiful space. it actually is kind of moorish in design. it has a little bit of a gothic feel to it. and it has these beautiful stained-glass windowpanes that kind of match "kinky boots," which is there right now. it kind of looks perfect for

that production. the vivian beaumont, where "king and i" is currently playing, is a gorgeous space. kelli o'hara loved the beaumont. it was somewhere she always wanted to work. >> well, it's my home away from home at this point. i've done three shows there now -- "light in the piazza," "the south pacific," and now "the king and i." there's this expanse. there's this very, very different thrust stage. it's fanned out, and so every seat has this intimate view of the stage that's kind of in the middle of the room. so you can build this universe that you're trying to express this story through. >> and in an upcoming volume, studio 54, the theater that i'm currently in, will be featured, and we know it certainly has a colorful history. it was an opera house, a theater, vaudeville theater, and then the famous studio 54. >> disco! love it. >> yes. >> when we come back, getting

>> welcome back to preview." there's a british invasion on broadway this season. the west end has sent some "a"-list english actors, as well as as a new musical, and a controversial new play. >> "king charles iii" is a history play set in the fictional future. the queen has died. charles ascends the throne. and the curtain is pulled back on the monarchy. >> my american friends in london who saw it enjoyed it immensely. it's good theater. so i think it'll travel. >> god save the king! >> harold pinter's drama "old times" brings academy award nominee clive owen to broadway in a three-character play about the murky relationship between a man, his wife, and an old

friend. >> it's been so long since i've done even a play, and it was only when this one was put in front of me that i was like, "that was something i always wanted to do -- a play in new york." and here i am. this is the kind of place where you can get a classic play like this on, a play that isn't, you know, hugely -- it's not, like, a big musical that's gonna sort of -- you know, it's a very important, sort of beautifully written play. and, you know, it's one of the places that this play can go on. >> this play is full of so many contradictions and nuances. and one moment is one thing, and then the next is just completely the opposite. >> it's about all that stuff that we all care about, which is, you know, love, revenge, betrayal, sex, passion, power, fundamentally. >> brits andrew lloyd webber and julian fellowes, of "downton abbey" fame are at the helm of "school of rock," based on the hit film. charlie williams caught up with the cast at a rehearsal. >> hey, i'm here with alex brightman, star of

you play dewey finn in the show. tell me about it. >> the show is about dewey finn, a wannabe rock star who is down on his luck, down and out. he gets hired on a lie to teach to teach at a prestigious prep school. then he finds out his kids can play music and, in turn, uses them and turns them into this bad-ass rock group and tries to win a battle of the bands. >> kick some ass! >> and if you wanna be a teacher's pet everything they play in the show is live. they're touching an instrument. it is completely live, and we can show you right now. brandon, if you get up here -- we have -- this kid plays zack in the show. this is brandon, and he is a prodigy on guitar. and i'll just -- i'll just go. >> oh. [ guitar solo ] at the tender age of 12, long island native brandon niederauer has already jammed with the likes of lady gaga and gregg allman. so i figured he could show me how to find my inner rock star. >> try this chord. >> all righty. boom. >> all right.

>> okay. >> get into your power stance. >> i didn't know we were full out, but great. >> we're really full out. >> yep. here we go. yeah. >> all right. now just give me that face. [ grunts ] >> [ grunts ] >> all right. and maybe later, you'll try stuff like... are you ready? >> uh, can you just show me >> 1, 2, 3... >> okay. [ rock music plays ] okay, maybe i can fake being a musician, but dancing? not so much. especially when it comes to irish step dancing. >> michael flatley brought irish step dancing to the masses with "riverdance." now he's back with "dangerous games," a new high-tech production that marks his swan song as a performer. [ cheers and applause ] >> up next, musicals to get you

on your feet. >> and actor george takei boldly goes where he hasn't gone before -- broadway.

>> jukebox musicals are usually based on a hit songbook, but there's often a compelling personal story, as well. >> that is certainly the case with "on your feet!", which tells the tale of gloria and emilio estefan's journey from cuba to international stardom. >> come on, shake your body, baby, do the conga i know you can't control yourself any longer feel the rhythm of the music getting stronger don't you fight it till you tried it, do the conga beat >> it's a love story between somebody and their music. it's a love story between somebody and their culture. it's a celebration of that culture. it's a celebration of the traditions that make you who you are. get on your feet get up and make it happen there are concert moments and

there are those moments of audience interaction. and it's amazing to kind of share that, 'cause it's never gonna be the same. it's always gonna be like a [ laughs ] >> and she kills those concert moments, by the way. i'm not lying to you. i will stand offstage, in the wings, and watch those moments because they're so exciting. >> really? >> yeah. >> i'm gonna be >> be >> the amount of heart in this show is not what people expect to see when they come see "on your feet!", but they will feel it. i put my spirit to the test >> just wait till that frame goes to follow the rainbow >> for music and dancing of a different sort, "dames at sea" celebrates the golden era of movie musicals with a tap-happy cast who prove the old adage "the show must go on." >> get out of that corner and smile the american way >> hooray! >> we are women who move mountains in the middle of... >> "allegiance," a new american musical, is the tale of japanese-american family's

struggle during world war ii, inspired by the true-life story of "star trek" alum george takei. >> starts out as farmers in the sacramento delta. then pearl harbor happens, and we are moved from our home on to a barbed-wire prison camp. oh, it's a very personal story. i grew up in two of those internment camps. this musical is profoundly and deeply moving to me. >> and though my face resembles our enemies in war i am still american, nothing less and nothing more >> our tag line is "one family, indivisible. there is a background of stuff that goes on that wants to pull them apart, but they hang on. it's my time to live a life of my own but that doesn't mean i will spend it alone

>> and "fool for love" is a rough-and-tumble romance by sam shepard, starring sam rockwell and nina arianda. lastly, the death knell has sounded for a "gentleman's guide to love and murder." the tony winner for best musical in 2014 closes on january 17th. and "hand to god" is waving goodbye at the beginning of the year, but not before bob saget steps into the role of pastor greg. >> i just came from rehearsal. i'm happily worn for wear. and it's just such a beautiful piece of work, and the cast is just incredible. i really do love it here. >> abc7ny has links to all of the shows. so, experience broadway, especially "th\r se raquin," with our talented friend. she is amazing. man, you are a powerhouse. judith light. >> thank you so much. you. and, please, everybody go out and support the live theater. it's right here in your

backyard. >> good night. >> "broadway backstage: fall preview" is sponsored by "school of rock"... and toyota -- let's go places. who doesn't like a good surprise? you'd be surprised how easy it is to get a good low-cost health plan! at ny state of health you'll find many quality plans to choose from, help paying for your plan, a new essential plan at less than $1 a day for new yorkers with lower incomes. be surprised! visit nystateofhealth.ny.gov

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