Finding Roger

Rick Elice's memoir of his relationship with Roger has now been published.

See Broadway.com.

The book can be ordered from various webshops.

Finding Roger

Some news on Roger's birthday.

Rick Elice has written a book about Roger and their 34 years together. It's called "Finding Roger" and will be out in October.

More information and pre-order at:

Barnes and Noble

or

Amazon.

So looking forward to reading this.

Roger Rees Fund for Musical Theater

MasterVoices has announced the establishment of The Roger Rees Fund for Musical Theater. Roger worked with Mastervoices, previously The Collegiate Chorale, often. They have now established the fund in his name.

"The Rees Fund will support the group's future musical theater projects, devised and selected by artistic director Ted Sperling, who was introduced to the organization by Rees himself. Like Rees, Sperling is committed to presenting music that is inherently dramatic, in highly theatrical productions set to the highest standards of excellence. Recent projects have featured Kelli O'Hara, Victoria Clark, Bill Irwin, Christopher Fitzgerald and Lauren Worsham."



More information at:
Broadway World

Roger Rees Awards

On the eve of the first Roger Rees Awards ceremony Roger is remembered by Rick Elice, Chita Rivera and Alex Timbers on Playbill.com.

Rick Elice writes:

“Where is Rog now? In a theater, I’m positive. Those sacred rooms where families are made every time the lights go down; where something might happen that’ll make you thank God for the day you were born. Theater was always home to Rog. He was frequently in the spotlight, but he was never a lone star; he delighted in helping others to step forward and shine. His easy, generous joy of theater – every aspect of it – was infectious and irresistible, tangible and real and right. Sharing his vast knowledge of plays and players, the insights from a fifty-year career - this was like breathing for him. And his support and enthusiasm for young talent was unconditional. He showed up everywhere, saw everything, encouraged everybody. He lived and moved beautifully in our theater world, and he made that world a wonderful home and a joyful place to work.

"Work was everything to Rog. He loved to tell students that to himself, William Shakespeare wasn’t ‘the Bard of Avon.’ He was just a guy, wearing the equivalent of jeans and sneakers, working day and night to get the right words in the right order, and maybe nudge the world a little. Dickens or Chekhov, Sondheim or Miranda, Ruhl or Vogel, Kushner or Karam – take all the fandom away, and they’re just people who work. Hard. Every day. ‘Why be finished?’ Rog would say. ‘Where’s the fun in that? Great cities are never finished. Nothing sits still, except your dog – and look how anxious he is to get on with things.’

"To Rog, perfection was a moving point, and he loved the pursuit of that point. He sprinted after it every day till the day he ran out of breath. His natural artistry, his natural humanity were utterly inspiring. As a result, he inspired whole legions of us – actors, writers, designers, directors, students, teachers – all of us raised up by Roger’s rare and great spirit. No one more than me. I have many thank you’s to make in my life, but my deepest will always be to this kind and gentle man, my beautiful husband, Roger Rees.”

Full story at playbill.com.

A list of the award winners is at Broadwayworld.com.

On Roger's Birthday

Today should have been his 72nd birthday. 

National High School Musical Theatre Awards

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards' New York Chapter have been renamed The Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance in honour of Roger!

Read more at: Broadway World and Playbill.

Hall of Fame

Roger was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame on Monday night in New York. Rick Elice spoke on his behalf during the ceremony.

Pilgrims

Roger stars as William Bradford in "The Pilgrims", a drama documentary broadcast by PBS this Thanksgiving week. The first part will be shown on 24 November at 8 pm.

More information at: PBS.

A short preview in which Roger appears is at A quote from William Bradford.

Hall of Fame

The 2015 Theater Hall of Fame Ceremony is held tonight, November 16, at 7:30 PM at Broadway's Gershwin Theatre. Roger will be one of the inductees. Rick Elice is listed as one of the presenters.

Details at Playbill.

Theater Hall of Fame

It was announced yesterday that Roger will be posthumously inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame on 16 November. Fellow inductees will be playwright Tony Kushner, songwriting partners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, director Julie Taymor, director Robert Falls, actor Stacy Keach, lighting designer Ken Billington, Broadway publicist Merle Debuskey -

See more at: Playbill.

The Memorial Service

Several reports on the service have appeared:


From Variety:

"The crowd of attendees filled the orchestra and extended up to the first and second balcony of the New Amsterdam. During the event, an emotional McNally, who wrote the book for “The Visit,” remembered the impact of watching Rees deliver his character’s climactic line from the end of the show. “‘I’m ready.’ It was only a line from a script,” McNally remembered. “But I think Roger was ready. We were the ones who weren’t ready.”"

Full story at Variety.


Jeremy Gerard, Deadline Hollywood:

"McNally was followed by Chita Rivera, Rees’ co-star in The Visit, who lamented coming into his circle later than the others and who sang “Love And Alone” — stunningly — from that show."

Full story at Trove.


From Reel Life With Jane, written by Melanie Votaw:

"Finty Williams, the daughter of Judi Dench, spoke on behalf of both herself and her mother, saying that when Williams was four years old, she asked Rees to marry her."

Full story on Reel Life With Jane.


Playbill also has a full report:

"Bebe Neuwirth, a frequent Rees collaborator/co-star, took to the stage next and performed a powerhouse rendition of "The Bilbao Song" by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, from a show Rees had conceived and directed for her at the now-defunct Zipper Theatre, Here Lies Jenny. "This is for Roger, as directed by Roger," she said."

Full story at Playbill.

Memorial

The memorial for Roger takes place today at 1 PM at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York. I wish I could be there, but I am in "old" Amsterdam. My thoughts will be there.

I first met Roger just a few years ago at the stage door of the Apollo Theatre in London, a meeting I will never forget. I was in London when I heard he had passed away and went back to that stage door. When I was in London last week I went back again, for my own little memorial.

Memorial in New York

A memorial for Roger will be held September 21 at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre. The hour-long memorial, celebrating his life, will begin at 1 PM.

See more at: Playbill.

Alex Timbers Remembers Roger

Alex Timbers, who directed "Peter and the Starcatcher" with Roger wrote this lovely tribute for American Theatre Magazine.

Broadway Lights

Yesterday Broadway dimmed its lights to honour Roger. Michael Patrick Walker posted a short film on   Twitter

Dimming the Broadway Lights

Broadway theatres will dim their lights for a minute to honour Roger on July 15 at 7.45 pm. 

See broadway.com

Tributes

Many tributes are being paid to Roger. A lovely one was published on The Shakespeare Blog.

The obituary in The Guardian.

And some reactions from other friends and colleagues  The Guardian.

A piece from the New York Daily News.

To Remember

Sadly, Roger passed away last Friday. Only 71 years old. I loved his work, have been a great fan for over 30 years. When you are a fan like that meeting the person you admire can be a disappointment, but I am so happy to have met him a few times in recent years, to have been able to speak to him, and to find out that he was a generous, loving, gracious, kind man, with a quick mind, a big heart and a huge enthusiasm for his work. I remember all the work, and I remember a lovely, lovely man. I am so glad over the past day or so to have been reading so many people remembering him just this way.

When I first approached him in London and explained I had created a website for him, he immediately knew who I was, invited me into his dressing room and made me feel special. He always did when I met him again. I feel like I've lost a friend because he made me feel I was his friend.

Drama League Awards

Yesterday Roger attended the 81st Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon. Some pictures at: Zimbio.

Happy Birthday, Roger!