Detroit's Finest

Hello from Motor City. The 1st Broadway National Tour of WEST SIDE STORY is wrapping up its first stop today -- Detroit. The tour will his 26 more cities across the United States over the next year, including Hartford in May 2011.

Playing the role of Officer Krupke is "Bobby Dogs" alum himself Mike Boland. While he is not chasing down "punks," Mike is getting another look at the country, after his two-year tour with TWELVE ANGRY MEN a few years back.

Mike also made his television debut last week in Episode 12 of the first season of "Rubicon," the hit thriller on AMC on Sunday nights. If you want to check out his guest spot, you can download the episode, called "Wayward Sons," on ITunes.

Best of luck to the "Bobby Dogs" gang and all the great people at Brooklawn Productions.

Bobby is hitting the road again

Mike Boland, aka Bobby Tucker of BOBBY DOGS fame, will head back out on the road this fall with the Broadway National Tour of WEST SIDE STORY.

For those of you who never figured Bobby for a song and dance man, fear not. Mike will be playing the (thankfully) non-singing, non-dancing role of Officer Krupke in the show, which will play 28 cities over the next year. Local BOBBY DOGS fans can catch the show at the Bushnell in Hartford in May 2011.

For complete tour dates and cities, check out: http://www.broadwaywestsidestory.com/tour-ticket-info.html.

Dates and cities, as they say, are subject to change.

ROBERT and BOBBY

Academy Award winner Robert Duvall (left) and "BOBBY DOGS" star Mike Boland hanging out after a performance of the award-winning "ORPHANS HOME CYCLE" in New York City on April 25.

Duvall won an Academy Award for his performance in the 1983 Horton Foote film "TENDER MERCIES."

Boland is performing in Horton Foote's "ORPHANS HOME CYCLE" at the Signature Theatre in New York. The Off-Broadway production, which closes on May 8, is cleaning up in the theatre awards this season. It has already won the New York Drama Critics' Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards for Best Play, and will be given a Drama Desk Special Award on May 23, which states: "We salute the breadth of vision, which inspired the exception direction, performances, sets, lighting, costumes, music and sound that made it the theatrical event of the season."

So ... Wow! A pretty cool couple of weeks for old Bobby Dogs Boland.

One Month to Go

Only four weeks left in the runaway hit THE ORPHANS HOME CYCLE at the Off-Broadway Signature Theatre in New York City. The world premiere, which has been nominated for three Lucille Lortel Awards, including Best Play, and is also up for a Pulitzer Prize, will close on May 8.

The 22-actor cast features BOBBY DOGS leading man Mike Boland playing three roles. The show has been extended three times, and is being discussed for a Broadway transfer, but for now, this is it. So if you wanted to catch the magic, go to www.signaturetheatre.org.

And good luck to all at the opening screening of LOCAL WARMING!

MIKE

Hey there Bobby Dogs people,

I wanted to let you all know that I am doing a brand new Off-Broadway play called THE ORPHANS HOME CYCLE at the Signature Theatre in New York City. The show officially opened on Nov. 19, and the next day we were greeted with a big old rave review from the New York Times. Tickets are nearly impossible to come by since the word hit the street about our show. But I will update you with any news of extensions or transfers. It's really nice to be in a hit show. Here is a picture of me in one scene with Tony Award nominee Hallie Foote.

And here is a link to the New York Times review, written by the great Ben Brantley:

http://theater.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/theater/reviews/20orphan.html?pagewanted=1

Happy Holidays to all,

Mike (Bobby Dogs) Boland

NO HOT DOGS AT THIS PARTY

The reviews are in and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD up at Hartford Stage is a hit! "This is a terrific, polished and gripping production," said the Hartford Courant. "A delicate and affectionate production," says Variety.

In this photo, BOBBY DOGS co-stars Mike Boland and Dawn McGee celebrate at the opening night party for Mockingbird, which has already broken the Hartford Stage box office record.

Boland plays the villainous Bob Ewell in the production. For more information, see http://www.hartfordstage.org/.

BOBBY IS BACK IN HARTFORD

Hello again, BOBBY DOGS family and friends. Your loyal hot dog huckster is back on stage, once again in Hartford. Yes, Bobby's alter ego, Mike Boland, will be performing in the Hartford Stage Company's production of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, starring Matthew Modine as Atticus Finch. Mike will be playing Bob Ewell, who is probably not so nice as Bobby Tucker. Previews begin on Feb. 19. The official opening is Feb. 27 and the show closes on April 4. So come on up and show the producers that Mike's people travel (so they will keep hiring me!). All the best in the New Year! -Mike B.