Gil's Broadway & Movie Blog

theatre review INTO THE WOODS McCarter Theatre, May 5

2013-05-22T12:08:00.000-04:00

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods is one of the most clever musicals ever written. Seamlessly weaving together familiar fairy tales that we all grew up with into a musical where the stories of Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel all interconnect with each other took two very creative people to pull it off. So I'm happy to say that the production of the show that is running at the McCarter theatre presented by the Fiasco Theatre Company in a scaled down version with only ten actors, minimal sets and just a piano player adds a whole new creative element to this already creative show.

Jessie Austrian, Ben Steinfeld, and Jennifer Mudge as
The Baker's Wife, The Baker and The Witch

This musical gave Sondheim and Lapine the perfect jumping off point by using already familiar fairy tales to include some of Sondheim's most intricate and humorous rhyme schemes and some of Lapine's funniest and most touching dialogue. It isn't a far stretch to assume that these well known tales all happened in the same place, and since most of them are set either in the woods or have scenes that take in the woods, it also seems fitting that the setting of the woods would be the way to connect them all. But what Sondheim and Lapine also did was to create an entirely original fairy tale, the story of the Baker and his wife who are desperate to have a child as the way to truly bring all of these famous stories together.

Emily Young as Red Riding Hood and
Noah Body as the Wolf

You see, the baker and his wife live right next door to a Witch. She tells the couple that she placed a curse on their family and that is why they are unable to have a child. However, if they wish to have the curse reversed there is a potion that is made up of four items that they can bring to her and the curse will be lifted. Those four items are Little Red Riding Hood's cape, Jack's cow, Rapunzel's hair and Cinderella's glass slipper. Of course the ingredients aren't as clearly spelled out when the message is first delivered, instead being told they need "the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the slipper as pure as gold." But when the Baker and his wife are sent off to the woods by the Witch to get those items they meet up with the other characters who are also in the woods - Jack on his way to market to sell his cow, Little Red on her way to her grandmother's house, Rapunzel who lives in a tower in the woods and Cinderella who is on her way back from the ball. They, and the audience, quickly realize where the four required items come from and how ingenious Sondheim and Lapine are to find a way to combine all of these characters and their respective stories into one adventure.

A lovely use of shadows to portray
Little Red coming to her
Grandmother's house and encountering
the Wolf.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg in creativeness as Sondheim and Lapine also finish the first act with all of the fairy tales coming to the endings we are all familiar with, but adding the line "to be continued" before the curtain falls. The second acts uses the Giant from Jack's story as a way to not only complicate the fairy tales further, by having the giant wreck havoc on our characters, but also a way to counter the humor and happiness in the first act with more serious overtones including death in the second. Sondheim and Lapine are clearly saying to be careful what you wish for as all wishes that come true may not have the exact type of happiness we originally dreamed they'd have in their happy endings.

The score has some of Sondheim's brightest gems including the ballads "No One is Alone," and "Children Will Listen" and the character driven pieces "I Know Things Now," "It Takes Two," "Giants in the Sky" and "On the Steps of the Palace." That song, which Cinderella sings after the Prince spreads pitch on the stairs in order to trap her from fleeing the ball a second time and so she has to decide to either stay stuck in her shoes on the steps of the palace or flee, includes one of Sondheim's most brilliant rhyme schemes. "You'll just leave him a clue, for example a shoe. And then see what he'll do. Now it's he and not you who is stuck with a shoe, in a stew, in the goo, and you've learned something too, something you never knew, on the steps of the palace.

But my two favorite songs in the show are ones that come right after each other "Your Fault" and "Last Midnight." "Your Fault" is the ultimate Sondheim song in that it not only comments on the characters and the action that has happened before, but also moves the story forward and is all done with some inventive rhyme schemes. And "Last Midnight" is just a fantastic song for the Witch that turns a somewhat traditional waltz melody in 3/4 time on its toes and almost spins out of control.

the entire cast on the magical piano themed set

The original Broadway production of Into the Woods featured a cast of nineteen with three of the cast members playing more than one part. In this new production, featuring many regular members of the Fiasco Theatre Company, the majority of actors play either multiple parts or play some musical instrument to add to the main solo piano accompaniment. It gives a nice sense of "storytelling" in the fact that, unlike in the original production, there isn't a single narrator, instead the members of the cast alternate in the narration. By also having each cast member play more than just one part, they are also in a sense telling the story by adding their voice to more than one character or by providing musical accompaniment. It gives a wonderful communal feel to the piece, especially sense at most times the actors are always on the stage, listening and watching to the story as it unfolds.

Andy Grotelueschen as Jack's cow, Milky White,
and Patrick Mulryan as Jack

The production, which was co-directed by Noah Brody and Ben Steinfeld, who also respectively play the Wolf/Prince Charming and The Baker, have used traditional theatrical devices, like the inventive use of simple prop pieces to allow the story to breathe more easily. This added room gives more attention to the dialogue and lyrics and less on elaborate costumes and sets that could pull the focus from the lessons learned in the stories. The overall production reminded me a lot of the recent Broadway hit Peter and the Starcatcher in the overall ability to use actors, simple props, sets and costumes to tell a story to an audience in a most theatrical way.

The cast is all excellent and they all throw themselves into their characters, making sure their stories get told to us. Matt Castle provides effective piano accompaniment and is also use effectively in a few places in the story. Derek McLane's set design gives the entire set the feel of the inside of a piano with piano wires strung across the back wall and the side walls covered with piano pieces. It gives a nice focus to the music of the show. Costumes by Whitney Locher are simple yet fun and the lighting by Tim Cryan is also not elaborate. All of which all allow the story to shine through without any added distractions.

My only quibbles relate to the fact that some of the cast weren't the best of singers and that some of the humorous lines were too quickly rushed, thus completely losing the punch line. However we did see an early preview of the show so the cast may have figured out the timing better now and this production may be even better than when we saw it.

Still, this is a delightful, witty and enchanting production of one of the most creative and ingenious musicals ever. The run has been extended to June 9th and I wouldn't be surprised if a NY run of this production is also in the works.

Official Show Site

Behind the scenes of this production with the cast and directors:

broadway birthday CARRIE opened on Broadway 25 years ago today on May 12, 1988

2013-05-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Twenty five years ago today one of the biggest flop shows in Broadway history opened. Carrie, based on the successful novel by Stephen King, became a musical with music by Michael Gore, lyrics by Dean Pitchford and a book by Lawrence D. Cohen. It would open on May 12, 1988 and close after 5 performances and 16 previews on May 15th, 1988 losing over $7 million dollars, an unheard of amount at that time.

Betty Buckley and Linzi Hateley as Mrs. White and Carrie

While the show had some unsanctioned productions over the years including one at the Stage Door Manor Summer theatre camp and another at a high school in Europe, the creators of the show feared allowing anything official due to the mostly negative reviews the original production received. They didn't want to re-live the experience they went through in 1988.

Charlotte d'Amboise as bad girl "Chris" and the ensemble -
all clad in leather and spandex

Fortunately some people close to the three men got them to re-think their views and a revised production of the show was mounted Off Broadway in February of last year. This version was closer to what the three men had wanted the original production to be before the Royal Shakespeare Company, Director Terry Hands and Producer Friedrich Kurz got involved.

The revised 2012 production not only received an official cast recording but the show itself got picked up by the prestigious Rodgers and Hammerstein Theatrical organization and is now available to be licensed for high school, amateur and regional theatre productions. If you go to the R&H site you can find a production of this musical playing in a city close by. There are currently over 20 productions of the show scheduled through the end of the year across the U.S.

Paul Gyngell and Sally Ann Triplett as good kids
"Tommy" and "Sue" - did high school kids in 1988
actually wear skin tight clothes like this?

I've written several posts about the show, including an analysis of the original Broadway production, a post about the upcoming Off Broadway revival where the creators spoke about the show, as well as reviews of the two performances we saw of the 2012 revival, so I won't add a lot more in this post since I've pretty much said everything I need to say about it. Instead I will include some new pictures and video that I've found for your viewing enjoyment.

The Destruction scene from the 2012 production- awesome special effects, lighting and projection design.

Complete UK/Straford Upon Avon production - pre- Broadway 1988:

"And Eve Was Weak" - Betty Buckley and Linzi Hateley- audio appears to be from a different performance, but you still get a sense at how intense Buckley was in the role and how effective the scenes with Carrie and her mom were, even in the original production:

"In" from the regional premiere production of the show:

theatre review THE BIG KNIFE, Broadway, May 4

2013-05-10T09:33:00.002-04:00

Clifford Odets has had a pretty good year on Broadway for a playwright who died fifty years ago. His play Golden Boy received a stellar revival from Lincoln Center a few months back and his Hollywood based drama The Big Knife just opened in a well cast production from the Roundabout a few weeks ago. With Bobby Cannavale in the central role of a Hollywood star at a crossroads, this is the first Broadway revival the play has received since its 1949 debut.

Charlie Castle is the most successful star working for the Hoff-Federated studio, even though he is starring in schlocky B movies. But his rise to fame isn't without a small misstep where Charlie was involved in a hit and run accident where a child was killed, though a friend of Charlie's took the blame in order to not implicate Charlie. Castle's wife Marion, who is living separately from him and is ready to leave him, doesn't want Charlie to renew his contract but studio boss Hoff has no problem blackmailing Charlie by bringing up the accident. And when the starlet Charlie who was with when the accident happened, who we find out Hoff paid off by signing her to a contract, might start talking about it, Hoff has plans to silence her that run against Charlie's principles and integrity and drive the play to its climactic end.

Richard Kind, Bobby Cannavale and Chip Zien

The Big Knife has some similar themes to Odets' earlier play Golden Boy. In Golden Boy, a young man has to decide if he'd rather seek fame and fortune via boxing verses following art and culture from his ability to skillfully play the violin. In The Big Knife the central character of a Hollywood star has already reached a high level of success but now he must decide to either continue on his career path even if it means disrupting his relationship with his wife and possibly losing his integrity. With strong female characters that are in love with both main characters, powerful agents who play fast and lose with the facts with them and the central plot point that both characters have been involved in killing someone that is held over their heads, you can clearly see how Odets used the same plot elements, themes and types of characters in both of these plays, but in very different ways, to get across specific statements about fame and the toll it takes.

Marin Ireland and Bobby Cannavale

However there are some big differences between Golden Boy and The Big Knife mainly in the structure of each play. Golden Boy has a perfect arc for the main character with a realistic rise and fall but not so with The Big Knife. The first two acts set up the plot but because Charlie is already successful and since the plot device of him being almost forced to sign the contract happens fairly quickly in act one there really doesn't seem much further for the plot to advance. Even Marion seems alright with what happens with the contract so that resolution also happens quickly. And while Charlie struggles with the decision to re-sign, we know he is already successful, has a huge elaborate house and plenty of friends and actresses ready to throw themselves at him so we don't quite see how much Charlie has to lose. However, the third act pulls everything together in an emotional, touching and very realistic way. It's too bad though as the intermission for this production is placed between the second and third acts and several people at the performance we attended decided to leave. They missed a really great third act.

Director Doug Hughes has assembled a top notch cast for this revival. Not only is Cannavale believable as a Hollywood star of the 1940's, but he has the charisma, look and stature of the typical 1940's cinema hero that his character Castle always plays. He also skillfully shows the demons that he is faced with as well as the ways that he battles and tries to silence them via alcohol and girls. As Hoff, Richard Kind is giving a spectacular performance, he is equal parts mothering movie studio head and an out of control monster. Kind's ability to instantly turn from one of these to the next is remarkable and it's easy to see why he got a Tony nomination for this role. As Marion, Marin Ireland is appropriately cool and quiet and uninterested in anything Hollywood related, exactly as the non-movie star wife of a movie star in the 1940's would be. Chip Zien as Castle's agent is loving and caring of Castle but lashes out at Hoff in such a way that his entire face turns bright red. This isn't an easy play to act, with wide ranges of emotion on display and Zien is definitely up to the challenge. Reg Rogers as Hoff's right hand Smiley has the unique part of being almost silent when Hoff is in the room but when he is sent to Castle's home to represent Hoff that is when he becomes as much of a monster as Hoff is, so he two has two roles to play and does them very well.

In fact, everyone except for Marion is playing a character that is "acting" or pretending to be what they believe the character they are interacting with wants them to be. It is an interesting point to take away from this play, especially since Odets spent several years in Hollywood writing screenplays before he wrote The Big Knife. So he definitely has first hand experience with actors, agents and film studio heads.

The set by John Lee Beatty is all large glass windows as if to show that Charlie's life is always on view but also that he is completely trapped inside, which is even worse since he can see life happening right behind the walls. Costumes by Catherine Zuber are colorful and sleek.

The Big Knife may not be on the same level of Odets' Golden Boy or Arise and Sing! but it has a great third act where everything comes together and this production has a more than game cast to help achieve what is expected of them. I don't think I'll get the image of water dripping from a ceiling out of my head for a long time.

The Big Knife runs through June 2nd.

Official Show Site

Bobby Cannavale and Director Doug Hughes talk about this production:

theatre review VENUS IN FUR, George Street Playhouse, April 28

2013-05-06T14:36:00.001-04:00

David Ives' play Venus in Fur was a pretty big hit in New York two years ago. It started its life Off Broadway, then moved to a Broadway run at Manhattan Theatre Club and then transferred to a different Broadway theatre for a commercial run last Spring. The play is making its New Jersey premiere at the George Street Playhouse in a production that runs through May 18th.

Playwright and director Thomas (Mark Alhadeff) has just ended a frustrating day of auditions, trying to find the woman to play "Venus" in his adaptation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s novel "Venus in Furs." It is a stormy day outside the rehearsal studio but the storm outside has nothing on the hurricane that is about to enter the rehearsal room when Vanda (Jenni Putney) shows up. Thomas' first impression of Vanda is that she is just like every other girl he's auditioned all day- all form and no substance, believing that the play is all about S&M and sex since the word masochism comes from Sacher-Masoch's name, but Vanda soon shows there is more beneath her exterior than Thomas can only begin to imagine. The two begin a cat and mouse game all about seduction and domination where roles are frequently reversed and one never really knows what is real and what is not.

Jenni Putney and Mark Alhadeff

Now for a play that is all about sex and sexual role playing it is interesting to note that there is no skin or sex that really is ever shown. Instead the focus is on the intense relationships at the center of the characters in Sacher-Masoch's novel, Thomas' play within the play and in Ives' play as well and how those relationships can instill power but a power that is often up for grabs. Ives does a good job in creating two realistic characters as well as an interesting set-up, with an audition for a play about domination with the two characters trading off who is dominating who, but overall it isn't that controversial or even titillating and didn't really say much to me as far as you'd think a play with these modern themes about sex, sexuality and sexual roles should.

Putney as Vanda gets the more juicer role to play, or roles in this case since she not only at first comes across as clueless, tough and extremely vocal but once she begins to audition she becomes someone else entirely different. Putney's ability to transition easily between these two "roles" as the audition process goes forward and the scenes are broken up between audition moments and a discussion between Thomas and Vanda about the play, sex and Thomas' personal life, is especially refreshing. Putney easily gets across a clear distinction between these two characters and is an outright hoot as Vanda the actress. Alhadeff was the understudy for Thomas in the Broadway run of the show last year so while he might have more experience with his part than Putney, his is the more "weaker" of the two roles and less forceful, so the fact that he comes across as more subservient is what I believe Ives had envisioned. We saw one of the first previews of the show and while there was some chemistry between the two actors, I'd expect there to be more as they get more performances into the run.

Jenni Putney and Mark Alhadeff

Creative elements are nice including Jason Simms’ set that sets the scene perfectly in a run down studio with exposed brick walls, discarded chairs and equipment and filthy, large windows. All of which nicely show off Thom Weaver’s lighting which is only heightened by Bart Fasbender’s sound design to show off the thunderstorm brewing outside the studio as well as the storm of seduction taking place within.

Direction by Kip Fagan is nuanced and light, but also forceful and direct when necessary. And while Alhadeff and Putney are fine for the parts, with each more than able to handle their own in the often changing roles the two play of dominant and submissive, there is far too much shift in tone that happens too abruptly and too many unanswered questions. Does Vanda have a pre-conceived plan or agenda? Does she already know who Thomas is before she enters the room or is she just a very quick study? Is Thomas' play autobiographical? The answers to these questions are all left up to the audience to decide which makes the play ultimately unsatisfying in the end. It is an intriguing work but one that wears thin, and considering it is a one act play that runs just over 90 minutes that means it gets old really fast. At first we're interested to know exactly what is going to happen to these two characters and exactly what Vanda's plan is, but with so many questions unanswered and a play that meanders on a bit too much, even though it is smartly written, I was happy when it was over.

Official George Street Playhouse Site

Interviews with Nina Arianda and Hugh Dancy who starred in the play on Broadway last year:

theatre review NIKOLAI AND THE OTHERS, Off Broadway, April 27

2013-05-03T13:53:00.001-04:00

A question that pops up a lot at cocktail parties is to list the famous people you'd want to host at a dinner party. Playwright Richard Nelson has taken that question a step further and created an entire play about one day where several famous artists come together to eat, drink, talk about their pasts, the present and to ultimately create art. Those people include composer Igor Stravinsky, choreographer George Balanchine, conductor Serge Koussevitsky, painter/set designer Sergey Sudeikin and composer Nikolai Nabokov. This is a fascinating look into the lives of these people who aren't just connected by the work they do but about the past they've shared. It is an excellent play and actually makes you feel that you've not only had dinner with Stravinsky and Balanchine but that you've witnessed the true creation of their art in the process.

Set over a weekend in 1948, Nelson's play, receiving its world premiere, centers on this very close-knit group of Russian artists, their wives, ex-wives and the people who work for them. The special event that prompts this meeting is the "name day" of designer Sudeikin, who is very ill and who used to be married to Stravinsky's current wife Vera. They all meet up at a country house in Westport, Connecticut where Stravinsky and Balanchine are collaborating on their ballet piece Orpheus that would premiere later that year at New York City Ballet as that companies inaugural production.

John Glover, Michael Rosen and Michael Cerveris

And while Nelson has taken a major liberty in the play in the fact that Sudeikin actually passed away in 1946, two years before this historic ballet event occurred, that doesn't detract from the emotional connection he is able to make between the audience and these real life characters. He not only shows us intimately how art is created but is able to set the creation process against the political backdrop at that time of the upcoming Cold War and the State Department's involvement in funding art by these more liberal minded Russians to attempt to get them on the side of the US.

The play is called Nikolai and the Others due to the fact that Nikolai Nabokov is the center connection between all of these people and is able to help them with any issues they have with the US now that he is working for the CIA. Whether it be Vera's concern about her abilities to get back into the US or an actor's concern over a political film he took part in, they all seek out Nikolai's aid in helping them navigate through the changing political crossroads they now find themselves at the center of.

Blair Brown and Steven Kunken

I simply loved this play. Nelson intertwines several themes about culture and how it impacts an individual as well as how immigrants must change and adapt in a country that doesn't accept them the way it once did, how artists must decide if they need to change or reinvent themselves when facing different cultures or political issues and how shared experiences and histories are the cement that hold people together in changing times. I appreciated how Nelson has the play begin fairly slowly, with the various characters at the country house preparing for Sudeikin's arrival. They are all busy moving furniture around and getting dishes and glasses together in order to accommodate the large group of people that have assembled to celebrate Sudeikin and to view Balanchine and Stravinsky at work. We overhear snippets of conversation and get to realize who is who and how they all relate to each other. He then begins to weave in the political issues that they are all facing and literally has it explode with the creation of Orpheus inside the barn/dance studio right in front of our eyes. Much more happens after this but the sense of time, place and of art that he creates is amazing.

Nelson also incorporates a theatrical device to portray the language the characters are speaking. While all but three of the characters in the play are Russian, and the entire play is in English, Nelson still has many parts of the text assume that the characters are speaking Russian. He does this by having them use non-accented English to represent when they are speaking Russian, and in a Russian accented English when they are speaking English. This is used a few times when they are speaking Russian in front of the Americans who don't speak the language, as this way the audience understands exactly what is being said in both languages. It is a simple device that has been used before, but adds considerably to the play, especially around the political nature and to show the enormous bond these Russians have to each other by choosing to speak their native language when they are together.

Haviland Morris and Steven Kunken

Director David Cromer expertly handles the large cast of this play, which says a lot considering this is at the Mitzi Newhouse, which is the smaller of the Lincoln Center Theatres. I think except for the musical Contact which originated at the Mitzi, there hasn't been a play with this large of a cast in this space before. While it can seem a little claustrophobic and jammed at times, Cromer stages it effectively so it actually adds to the element of closeness that these characters have with each other. Cromer has skillfully not only used the small space for the three locations the play takes place in with ease but his ability to carefully stage the at-times over lapping dialogue without it being misunderstood is especially notable. He has also found a cast more than up to the challenge of not just portraying actual characters but ones who easily appear to be exceptionally close to each other.

Michael Rosen, Michael Cerveris and Natalia Alonso

The cast is superb, large, and all great, but let me just mention a few who are outstanding. Michael Cerveris and John Glover are Balanchine and Stravinsky and both are, as usual, delivering performances at the top of their game. Both are given times to show off their character's artistic creative processes with Cerveris especially believable as a choreographer. Blair Brown is Vera, and she couldn't be more in tune in portraying the deep love she has for both Stravinsky and her ex husband Sudeikin. All three also are believable when speaking of the political concerns they have. Stephen Kunken is Nikolai and gets the most stage time, which is understandable since he is the title character, but there are many times when he isn't speaking, but listening or reacting to something someone says, and it is at those times when Kunken really excels. There is one moment in the second act when something is revealed to Nikolai and his reaction to it, most of which is silent, shows the range of emotions that you know would be true.

I also liked Alvin Epstein's portrayal of Sudeikin as a sickly man, but one who hasn't given up on life just yet and Haviland Morris as Lucia Davidova, Balanchine's right arm and the owner of the house. The way she so easily gets across what working for Balanchine entails made the creative process and all that comes with it immensely understandable. As dancers Maria Tallchief and Nicholas Magallanes, the stars of Orpheus, Natalia Alonso and Michael Rosen have no problem in portraying these characters, whether in being their excellent dance skills or the way they feel as outsiders when surrounded by all of the Russian characters in the play.

Creative elements are exceptional with Marsha Ginsberg's scenic design especially memorable. At first we are outside of the house, then move into the barn/dance studio that evening and then later that night and the next morning are in the living room, all seamlessly done with just the movement of one major set piece and some exceptional lighting by Ken Billington. Jane Greenwood's costume design is period perfect not only with dresses and suits but the dance costumes as well.

As much as I enjoyed this play my one only quibble, which has nothing to do with the play, but just this production, is the use of modern dressed stage hands to move some of the furniture around during the set changes. Seeing guys in black jeans and wearing headsets tends to take one out of the magical period of 1948 that the play has created in a very blunt way.

Nikolai and the Others officially opens next Monday and runs through June 16th. Don't miss it.

Official Lincoln Center Site

broadway birthday KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN opened on Broadway 20 years ago today on May 3, 1993

2013-05-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Twenty years ago today a musical that was based on a book, that also became a play and an Oscar winning film, opened on Broadway. That musical Kiss of the Spider Woman had some controversial themes woven into it. Plays with controversial material have always been welcome on Broadway. While it isn't something that appears every year, there are also sometimes musicals like Cabaret that also don't shy away from controversial themes present in the context of the show. So it is interesting to note that the composers of Cabaret, John Kander and Fred Ebb, were also the composers for Spider Woman.

In 1976, Argentine writer Manuel Puig published his novel El beso de la mujer araña that was considered a moderate success and in 1983 Puig himself translated the novel for the stage. He wrote the play while he was in exile due to his leftist political views and an English translation of the play was produced in London in 1985 and starred Mark Rylance and Simon Callow. Even though the original novel was initially banned in Buenos Aires, it got the attention of Hollywood and the book was turned into the Oscar winning film starring William Hurt and Raul Julia in 1985 with Hurt winning the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Chita Rivera as the "Spider Woman"

The plot of the novel, play, film and musical all focus on two men who share a cell in a Buenos Aires prison in the mid 1970's. Molina is an effeminate window dresser for a large department store who has been incarcerated on a trumped up charge for corruption of a minor and Valentin is a political activist associated with a revolutionary group who is trying to overthrow the government. The two couldn't be more unalike but together they find a common bond against their oppressors and realize that they are more alike then they originally thought. Molina's love of films and his recollections of them are what help both men forget where they are. Various other characters include Marta, the woman that Valetin is in love with, Gabriel, the waiter that Molina loves even though he knows Gabriel doesn't love him in the same way and Molina's mother.

Brent Carver, Michael McCormick
Philip Hernandez and Anthony Crivello

A character that was expanded for both the movie and the musical was the central role of the actress who starred in the films that Molina speaks about. In the 1985 film that part of an actress in the dramatic films Molina fantasized about was played by Sonia Braga who also played the role of Marta. But in the musical this character was a stand alone role, the film actress "Aurora," a star of large, lavish movie musicals. She was now even more central to the action, especially in the role of "the spider woman" who was perceived as "death" to Molina, and the only character that Aurora played that frightens him. With themes of homosexuality, political uprising and the torture that happens in prison, Kiss of the Spider Woman would seem very controversial, though those themes are what make the musical and the movie the play was based on into something greater especially when the fantasy film elements that Molina brings to life help counter or comment on the horrible situation the men are in.

Carver and Rivera

The musical with a score by Kander and Ebb and a book by Terrence McNally started it's life in a "workshop" production in 1990 at the State Theatre of New York in Purchase, NY as the first in a series of new musical workshop productions. It was directed by Hal Prince and choreographed by Susan Stroman and starred John Rubenstein as Molina, Kevin Gray as Valentin and Lauren Mitchell as Aurora. It was only meant to be a tryout of the show, but I guess a new Kander and Ebb musical was too hard not to miss and some New York critics reviewed it anyway, and the negative reviews sidelined not just Spider Woman but the series of new musicals as well.

Fortunately Kander, Ebb, McNally and Prince were approached by Canadian producer Garth Drabinsky and a revised version of the musical was back on track and premiered at Drabinsky's Toronto theatre in the Summer of 1992 with Vincent Paterson and Rob Marshall taking over the choreography duties from Stroman. For Toronto, Brent Carver and Anthony Crivello were Molina and Valentin and Chita Rivera was Aurora. After Toronto, this production then moved to London, opening in the Fall of 1992 and then moved to Broadway opening twenty years ago today on May 3rd, 1993. The London production continued on after the Broadway transfer with Bebe Neuwirth taking over from Chita as Aurora.

Kander, Ebb and McNally's use of Aurora to propel the story along and the decision to change her from a dramatic actress into a star of movie musicals only accentuated the decision to musicalize the novel. And while some elements of the show that veered toward a more comical point, like the "morphine tango" number and the technicolor "happy" ending still didn't detract from the sensitive, dramatic story at the core. The musical went through a considerable amount of change since its unfortunate Purchase debut and almost all of the changes were for the better with the musical now receiving almost all positive reviews.

the impressive set design by Jerome Sirlin

The musical opened right before the Tony deadline and received 11 Tony nominations and won seven awards including Best Musical, Score (which it tied with Tommy,) Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Book and Costumes (Florence Klotz.) It also received nominations for Prince's direction, Paterson and Marshall's choreography, Howell Binkley's lighting and Jerome Sirlin for his set design. The set design was especially impressive as it incorporated a series of jail cell bars that moved fluidly and changed into different set locations. When combined with the lighting by Binkley and projections by Jerome Sirlin it also perfectly captured the settings of the various movies that Molina would bring to life for Valentin.

There are many great songs in the score including the title song, "Dressing Them Up," "Dear One," "I Do Miracles," "She's a Woman," "Gimme Love," "The Day After That" and my personal favorite, "Where You Are" which was written after the show moved from Toronto to London. We saw the production in Toronto and on Broadway and also saw the first Broadway replacement cast which included Howard McGillin and Brian Stokes Mitchell as Molina and Valentin and Vanessa Williams as Aurora. That replacement cast also got the rare chance to record a second Broadway cast recording of the show.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is a challenging musical with challenging and somewhat controversial themes but when done right it is a musical that can move an audience to tears as it did to me when we saw it in Toronto, on Broadway with both Rivera and Williams and also in the non-equity National tour. I believe the reason the novel was turned into a play, movie and musical, and why the film and musical were so successful, is because the characters are rich portrayals of what could have been caricatures but turn out to be so much more than that. Molina, at first is a flippant gay man, but you begin to realize that he redefines masculinity and takes many chances for the people he loves in his life. Valentin is fighting for much more than just the revolution he constantly speaks of and even Aurora who serves in multiple duties in the musical isn't just "death" as Molina perceives here when she plays the "Spider Woman" character but is actually the "life" and willpower that makes Molina and eventually Valetin aspire to greater causes. Carver, Crivello and Rivera were all exceptional in playing these parts and in helping us see these often caricatured roles in a new light.

"Where You Are" performed at the 1993 Tony Awards:

Behind the scenes of the musical:

Chita sings the title song:

Vanessa Williams sings the title song:

trailer for the movie:

cabaret review BARBARA COOK, 54 Below, April 25

2013-05-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Barbara Cook is a powerhouse. As she approaches her 86th birthday she really shows no signs of slowing down. Her voice is still strong and clear, her memory impeccable and the only thing that seems to be getting in her way of going on forever is her knees and back, which she says give her plenty of pain.

Her concert series at 54 Below began last week and continues through the end of this week. While she is performing almost the exact same set list from when we saw her at the McCarter back in November, the small size of 54 Below and having Barbara only being about 10 feet in front of you when she performs adds a level of intimacy that you just can't achieve in a larger space. The way that she connects to a song, not just in the phrasing but with her facial expressions and body language, rises to a whole higher dimension when there are only two people between you and Cook.

Now we've seen her perform several times over the past ten or so years, including her celebrated Broadway concert at Lincoln Center, and Barbara has only gotten more personable, including telling some great stories as well as commenting on her own personal issues, which are mainly health related.

Not really much for me to add about her song selection that I didn't already say when she performed this show in the Fall at the McCarter except to say that her delivery of the material has only improved as she has gotten even more comfortable with the songs. All but two of the songs come from her recent "Loverman" recording, which includes a spectacular coupling of "House of the Rising Sun" with "Bye, Bye Blackbird" as well as a beautiful version of "Loverman." For this concert, as well as the McCarter one last Fall, Barbara also sang an emotionally personal take on "Here's To Us" as well as an un-miked "Imagine."

Barbara's Official Site

54 Below site

Clip of Barbara singing at 54 Below:

Barbara sings "Vanilla Ice Cream" from She Loves Me:

Some vintage Barbara:

Amazon.com Widgets

theatre review TALLEY'S FOLLY, Off Broadway, April 21,

2013-05-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

Talley's Folly is a play that we've now seen performed by three different theatre companies over the past eight or so years. Having won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1980 and with two great parts and an engaging storyline, it is easy to see why it is often produced. It is a love letter of a play about two lost and damaged people who both feel disconnected by the people around them but drawn to each other.

Taking place in just over 90 minutes and set on the fourth of July in 1944, the story focuses on Matt Friedman, a Jewish accountant in his early forties and Sally Talley, a 31 year old Protestant nurse who Matt met the summer before. When the play begins we know Matt has come to ask Sally to marry him, though they barely know each other, as he talks to the audience and let's us know of his plans. He also let's us know that the setting for the evening is the boathouse of the Talley family, a "folly" as they were called then, that has unfortunately not been maintained very well and is starting to fall apart. He says it will be the perfect romantic setting for the "dance" he needs to do, a waltz he tells us, as not only is the folly the place that he and Sally came to last Summer but there will be stars in the sky and across the river there will be a band playing for the holiday.

Sarah Paulson and Danny Burstein

When Sally arrives at the boathouse, we immediately aren't sure if Matt knows what he is talking about as Sally wonders why he has even come. We quickly find out that Sally's Protestant family, especially her brother, doesn't approve of the older Jewish man who has come to call on her and that Sally even questions why he has come. However, we learn more about these two people as they share their pasts and their secrets and begin to realize just how connected they are. As the night drifts on and Matt and Sally do their "dance" around each other, slowly revealing their most painful secrets, we too see how sometimes people try to distance themselves from someone who can help them just because they are too afraid to mention something so painful in their past. The play is a valentine, though one that not only includes deep emotion and love but even pain. It is so nicely written, with plenty of twists and turns and discovery that even though it is only a one act play for only two actors it is easy to see why author Lanford Wilson won the Pulitzer for writing it.

Burstein and Paulson

This Off Broadway production has two excellent actors in those roles, Danny Burstein is Matt and Sarah Paulson is Sally. They are both so sincere and so realistic in their performances that you have no problem going along for the journey of self discovery where sometimes people hide the truth for a good reason. Burstein is soft and charming yet forceful in his bid to win Sally's hand and Paulson is strong-willed and resistant yet at times seems as if she can break as easy as a piece of china. Over the ninety minutes we realize that they are both frightened of events in their pasts that have made them into the secretive people they are today. I can't imagine any other two actors achieving the success that Burstein and Paulson rise to in this production or being able to so easily show both strength and vulnerability.

Wilson's language in the play is so perfect and tender and includes many wonderful and funny lines. One of my favorite lines of the play is when Sally questions Matt why he came and that he should leave and he replies “You can chase me away or you can put on a pretty dress, but you can’t put on a pretty dress to come down here and chase me away.” Wilson is often compared to Tennessee Williams and it is easy to see why.

The set design by Jeff Cowie turns the entire production into a dreamy, romantic setting, just like Matt says he needs and director Michael Wilson perfectly gets at the pain and sorrow and ultimate joy that is inside these two characters. With Burstein and Paulson this production is charming, romantic and simply lovely. Talley's Folly runs through May 12th.

Official Show site

Clip from this production:

broadway birthday ROMANCE / ROMANCE opened on Broadway 25 years ago today on May 1, 1988

2013-05-01T11:57:00.001-04:00

Romance is something that has always been alive and well on the Broadway stage. In 1987 two pieces of literature from the late 19th century were turned into a musical all about romance called Romance/Romance. With book and lyrics by Barry Harman and music by Keith Herrmann, this musical has a small cast of just four actors and uses the two leads to play four different characters, two in act one set 100 years ago, and another two in act two set in modern times. The show focuses on the highs and lows of romantic relationships in both the late 1890's and today.

Act one is based on the Arthur Schnitzler short story The Little Comedy and is set in Vienna at the turn of the century and focuses on two wealthy people, Josefine and Alfred. They both pretend to be poor in order to find a lover who doesn't have the same hang-ups as all of the other rich and boring people they are used to dating. Alfred pretends to be a struggling poet and Josefine a simple working woman and after they meet they end up going away for a weekend in the country but aren't sure if they can continue their disguises once they fall in love before confessing who they truly are. The second act took Jules Renard's 1898 play Le pain de ménage, moved it to the Hamptons in modern times and had it focus on two couples. The husband of one of the couples, Sam, and Monica the wife of the second couple, find themselves attracted to each other and aren't quite sure how far they should take their attraction while at the same time promising fidelity to their spouse.

Scott Bakula and Alison Fraser

The musical started Off Broadway in 1987 and moved to Broadway in the Spring of 1988, opening twenty fives years ago today on May 1st. The production was directed by Harman with choreography by Pamela Sousa. The two leads for the show were Scott Bakula and Alison Fraser who were both charming and irresistible and who both received Tony nominations for their work. The musical was nominated for five Tony awards including Best Musical, Score and Book but came home empty handed as Phantom of the Opera swept most of the categories.

Romance/Romance had a modest run of nine months, closing on January 15th, 1989 after 289 performances. Bakula would go on to star in the hit tv series Quantum Leap which premiered in the Spring of 1989 and meant he had to leave the Broadway production to shoot that show. Bakula was replaced in Romance/Romance by his understudy Sal Vivano as well as Barry Williams, who is most famous from playing Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch. In 1992 a regional theatre production of the show at the Cherry County Playhouse in Michigan was filmed for the A&E cable channel. That production starred John Herrera and Susan Moniz in the lead roles with Deborah Graham recreating her role as the second female lead that she created on Broadway.

There are several great songs in the show including "It's Not Too Late," which is sung in both acts, "I'll Always Remember That Song," "Words He Didn't Say," and "Now." Romance/Romance is a sweet and charming show that with a capable cast can be very successful. We saw a production of the show at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2007 that starred real life couple Matt Bogart and Jessica Boevers Bogart in the leads that was very well done.

Alison Fraser and Scott Bakula perform at the 1988 Tony Awards:

Interview with the creators and clips from the 2007 Paper Mill Playhouse production:

broadway birthday CHESS opened on Broadway 25 years ago today on April 28, 1988

2013-04-28T10:17:00.000-04:00

Almost fifteen years before Abba front men Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus had a smash hit Broadway show that was based on their Abba hits, Mamma Mia, they tried unsuccessfully with an original musical Chess that unfortunately only managed a run of two months on Broadway. Chess is yet another show that found success in London but when moved to the U.S. failed miserably. Even with a successful and still running production of the show in London, the creative team decided to make drastic changes to the show for Broadway. The changes included adding dialogue to what was previously an almost entirely sung through show, reordering the song order, changing one of the main characters to now be an American and completely re-designing the show's set. The changes were either unnecessary or detracted from the show, all of which is a shame as the score of Chess includes some excellent songs.

Focusing on two chess players, a Russian and an American and a love triangle with the woman who manages one of them, Chess began in 1984 like most UK musicals at that time as a concept album. With music by Andersson and Ulvaeus and lyrics by Time Rice, the recording featured Murray Head as Freddie the American player, Tommy Körberg as Anatoly the Russian and Elaine Paige as Florence, the manager and girlfriend of Freddie who falls in love with Anatoly. Barbara Dickson played the part of Anatoly's wife Sveltana. The album was extremely successful which even included one hit song from the show "One Night in Bangkok" reaching number 3 on the US Billboard charts in May of 1985.

Judy Kuhn and David Caroll

The London production of the show premiered in May of 1986 with Head, Körberg and Paige all reprising their roles from the concept album. Dickson wasn't available so her part was played by Siobhán McCarthy. Trevor Nunn who was just coming off of directing the smash hit Les Misérables was chosen to direct after original director Michael Bennett was no longer able to continue due to his poor health. While the show was a success, it also happened to open in the same season as The Phantom of the Opera, which would go on to sweep all of the major awards for that year, leaving Chess basically empty handed.

For Broadway, besides the many changes I mentioned above, playwright Richard Nelson (who's latest, and excellent, play Nikolai and the Others is about to open at Lincoln Center) was asked to write a new book for the show. The Broadway cast included David Carroll as Anatoly, Philip Casnoff as Freddie and Judy Kuhn as Florence. The three leads couldn't have been better suited for their roles but even with all of the changes it was actually the rock music of the show that received most of the criticism and the show closed on June 25th.

The Original Broadway Cast did receive a cast recording from RCA Records and I believe due to that recording, the star making performances of the three leads, and a lot of the more Broadway style songs, the show has had continued interest. Many revisions of the show have happened, combining elements of both the original London production and the Broadway version, but none seem to have been able to crack the issues at hand in order to make Chess into the masterpiece many people believe it should be.

Several concert productions of the show have happened as well including a star studded one at Royal Albert Hall in 2008 that featured Adam Pascal as Freddie, Josh Groban as Anatoly and Idina Menzel as Florence. Pascal and Groban had played those same parts in an Actor's Fund Benefit in New York in 2003.

I believe this is yet another show like Merrily We Roll Along that have superb scores and books that don't quite live up to them. And while I don't believe the score of Chess is on par with Merrily, I do believe there are some great songs in the Chess score including "Nobody's Side," "Where I Want to Be," "I Know Him So Well," "Pity the Child," and "Anthem." And while "One Night in Bangkok" was a commercial pop success I find it to be too pop heavy for the rest of the score.

Will Chess every be the successful musical that many people believe it will be? I don't know the answer to that, but with an excellent score, I think people will continue trying to attempt it.

David Carroll sings "Anthem":

Judy Kuhn sings "Someone Else's Story" from a concert she gave:

Idina Menzel sings "Nobody's Side" from the Royal Albert Hall concert:

Elaine Paige and Tommy Körberg sing 'You and I":

Adam Pascal sings "Pity the Child":

"One Night in Bangkok"- music video from 1984:

concert review NJSO - "'S Wonderful!, 'S Marvelous!, Gershwin" State Theatre, April 19

2013-04-27T07:41:00.002-04:00

George Gershwin composed some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century. The fact that he died so early at the age of 38, in 1937, only adds to the huge contribution that he made to the American Songbook in such a short period of time. Classic songs like "I've Got Rhythm," "Someone to Watch Over Me," the score to Porgy and Bess and the orchestral piece "An American in Paris" are just a few of his best known pieces.  Last Friday we had the pleasure and joy of hearing an evening of Gershwin music performed by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.

Under the skilled baton of conductor Gerald Steichen, the NJSO expertly played an evening filled with some of Gershwin's best known songs as well as a few of his lesser known ones. Adding to the terrific playing were soprano Katrina Thurman and baritone Jim Weitzer (who is currently playing one of the opera owners on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera.). Both Thurman and Weitzer were up to the task at hand, though Thurman came off best, especially in the second act when her voice soared when she sang "Summertime" during a Porgy and Bess medley.

The evening got off to a rousing start with a spirited overture that included several of Gershwin's best songs expertly woven together into an orchestral piece. Weitzer and Thurman each had several solos they performed as well as a few duos. They had a nice chemistry together and even included a few dance moves during the more upbeat songs that they managed to navigate on the small amount of stage space they had in front of the full orchestra.

In the first act Weitzer delivered a forecful "Swanee" and Thurman sang a charming "'S Wonderful" from Funny Face and Weitzer joined her on a lovely performance of that show's "He Loves and She Loves."   Her take on "Looking for a Boy" was simply lovely.  Their duet of "Embraceable You" was romantic and stirring.  The act ended with an expert take on "An American in Paris." Hearing this separated from the Gene Kelly film that people most know the piece from really allows you to focus on how Gershwin wrote it and how playful it is. Gershwin flirts a little with us in how the piece moves from one style to another and even toys with us in how the ending builds and builds and then ends with a powerful flourish.

The second act began with the Porgy and Bess medley that was just astounding. That was followed by the humorous "By Strauss" performed by Weitzer where she got to show off her operatic skills. Thurman charmed on "Lady Be Good" and then Weitzer gave a lovely yet forceful "Someone to Watch Over Me."  The "Cuban Overture" was perfectly played by the orchestra in a rousing, jazzy and simply amazing way. Steichen then played the piano on a couple of selections including when Thurman sang a short but sweet take on "They All Laughed" and Weitzer delivered a torchy version of "Do It Again." The concert ended with a rousing duet of "I Got Rhythm" and an encore of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."
The NJSO is such a great orchestra and I never tire of listening to them play. This is the third or fourth time we've had Stiechen leading the NJSO and I absolutely love how he provides important bits of information about the composer and pieces before or after each selection. You can tell how much he enjoys the material, the orchestra and just conducting in general.

broadway birthday - BLOOD BROTHERS opened on Broadway 20 years ago today on April 25, 1993

2013-04-25T11:31:00.002-04:00

The smash hit British musical Blood Brothers opened on Broadway twenty years ago today. With a book and score by Willy Russell, what started out as a school play in 1982 would go on to with the Olivier Award for Best Musical in 1983. After its initial London run, a 1987 UK tour was so successful that the show ended up back in London in a revival that began in 1988, though it would still take another five years before the show made its way to Broadway. And while the Broadway run of the show was somewhat short, running just two years, the London revival production played over 10,000 performances and ran for over twenty years, where it closed last Fall on November 10, 2012.

Telling the story of a woman and her two fraternal twin sons who were separated at birth, Blood Brothers is an interesting musical in that it not only shows how the impact the decision to split them up has on their mother but it uses the class system in Britain as a way to show how it can affect the outcome of each twin, since one is raised in a rich household where the child becomes a well off council member and the other twin is raised in a poor one where he ends up out of work, depressed and spends time in prison due to his involvement in a robbery gone wrong. The show also uses a Narrator to comment on the story, which is stepped in superstition, and he also plays several humorous parts in the show.

Single mother Mrs. Johnstone works for Mrs. Lyon as a house cleaner. When Mrs. Johnstone finds out she is pregnant with twins she tells Mrs. Lyons that she can't afford to keep them both so Mrs. Lyons, who is desperate for a child but unable to have any, suggests that she give one of the children to her. Mrs. Johnstone agrees though she later regrets it and even lies to her other children saying that only one of the twins, Mickey, survived. When Mrs. Lyons fires Mrs. Johnstone as she feels she is paying too much attention to the child she gave away, Edward, she tries to give her money but also tells her that if children that were separated at birth learn they have a twin they will both die the same day. This superstition and talk of the "bogeyman" are threaded throughout the show. The twins grow up and become "blood brothers" when they learn they have the same birthday.

Mrs. Lyons then discovers that her son Edward's "friend" that he always talks about is actually Mickey and so she forces her husband to move the family away. However the first act ends with Mrs. Johnstone's family being rehoused from the inner city to an outlying town that just happens to be where Mrs. Lyons and Eddie have moved to. The second act finds the boys in their teen years meeting up again as they both fall in love with the same girl, Linda. Eventually Mickey gets Linda pregnant and they get married but then Mickey gets fired from his job and then becomes depressed and addicted to anti-depressants due to time spent in prison as an accessory to murder. When Mickey believes Eddie is having an affair with Linda he shows up with a gun to confront him and the show ends with the superstition coming true or is it "class" and not the superstition that is to be blamed?

Carole King as "Mrs. Johnstone"

The score is a somewhat simple, pop-rock themed one but also has some lovely ballads including "Easy Terms," "That Guy," "I'm Not Saying a Word," and "Tell Me It's Not True" as well as the rousing act one closer "Bright New Day." And while the production used a fairly simple set and a small cast, a nice directorial touch was that the twins are played by the same two actors throughout the show, from about age 7 to their mid 20's. And while this might seem a bad decision, having adults play children, I must say that the three times I've seen the show, twice on Broadway and once in London, the cast was extremely talented and completely pulled this off and found humor in playing young lads as well as pain and sorrow in their older selves.

The Broadway production ran for two years, closing on April 30, 1995. It initially starred Stephanie Lawrence as Mrs. Johnstone with Con O'Neill and Mark Michael Hutchinson as Mickey and Eddie and Warwick Evans as the narrator. All four played those roles in London with O'Neill winning the Olivier Award for his performance. The original Mrs. Lyons on Broadway was Barbara Walsh. Future Broadway star Kerry Butler made her Broadway debut as a member of the ensemble and an understudy for the role of Linda.

Petula Clark made her Broadway debut when she replaced Lawrence and was joined with half brothers David and Shaun Cassidy as Mickey and Eddie. The three of them would also record an "International" cast recording of the show with creator/composer Willy Russell as the Narrator. Barbara Dickson was the original "Mrs. Johnstone" in the UK, with Kiki Dee playing the part in the London revival. Other notable Broadway replacements included iconic 1960's pop singers Carole King and Helen Reddy. I saw both Lawrence and King in the show and have to say that while Lawrence was excellent King was also exceptional.

"Did you ever hear the story of the Johnstone twins? As like each other as two new pins. How one was kept and one give away. How they were born and they died on the self same day."

Barbara Dickson, the original "Mrs. Johnstone" in 1983 sings "Easy Terms":

The Original Broadway cast peforms on the Tony Awards:

Amazon.com Widgets

broadway birthday SHE LOVES ME opened on Broadway 50 years ago today, August 23, 1963

2013-04-23T13:02:00.004-04:00

The sweet, charming and romantic musical She Loves Me celebrates it's 50th birthday today. Based on the Hungarian play Parfumerie, written by Miklos Lazlos, the work had already been turned into two successful Hollywood films before it was musicalized for Broadway. Those films were the 1940 The Shop Around the Corner that starred James Steward and Magaret Sullavan and the 1949 musical version In the Good Old Summertime that starred Judy Garland and Van Johnson. The story would also be the basis for the hit 1998 film written by Nora Ephron, You've Got Mail, that starred Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

The story is a simple love story, so simple that it is easy to see why it has been used for the basis of three films and a Broadway musical. Two co-workers who despise each other don't realize that they are actually pen pals who met through a "personals" ad in the paper and who are in love with the person they are exchanging letters with.

Daniel Massey and Barbara Cook in the Broadway production

The musical starred Barbara Cook as Amalia Balash and Daniel Massey as Georg Nowack, the two co-workers who don't realize they are actually in love with each other through their letters. The musical also featured Barbara Baxely and Jack Cassidy who also played co-workers at the shop Ilona Ritter and Stephen Kodaly but who had an unsuccessful romance. The musical which was directed by Hal Prince would run on Broadway for 302 performances and close on January 11, 1964. A London production that featured Rita Moreno as Ilona premiered in April 1964 but only managed a run of 189 shows. A Broadway revival in 1993 that featured Boyd Gaines, Judy Kuhn, Sally Mayes and Howard McGillin would run for a year. That revival production which featured a lovely set design by Tony Walton would also be mounted in the West End the next year, featuring Ruthie Henshall as Illona, where it would also have a year long run.

Barbara Baxley and Barbara Cook

With a score by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, She Loves Me was the fourth show the duo collaborated on and was their biggest hit after the team's very successful 1959 show Fiorello and would premiere just one year before their 1964 smash Fiddler on the Roof. The score is rich with jewels of songs including "Vanilla Ice Cream," "She Loves Me," "A Trip to the Library," and "Will He Like Me?." And even though both the Broadway and London original productions and revivals didn't run that long all four would receive cast recordings. The book of She Loves Me was by Joe Masteroff who would go on to work with Kander and Ebb when he wrote the book for Cabaret.

She Loves Me is a simple yet sweet and romantic musical and I never tire of the score and recommend anyone who enjoys musical theatre and romance to not pass up the change to see a production of this show if one happens to be presented in a city near you.

Diane Fratantoni, Sally Mayes and Boyd Gaines Tony Award performance:

the 1978 BBC tv version of the musical:

Amazon.com Widgets

broadway birthday TOMMY opened on Broadway 20 years ago today, April 22, 1993

2013-04-22T22:05:00.000-04:00

What started out as a double album from the rock group The Who, which the group would also later perform in concert, Tommy was turned into the ingenious Broadway musical that opened twenty years ago today. It was one of the most creative Broadway shows and one of the first to incorporate video elements into its production.

The musical is the story of Tommy who is traumatized by an experience in his youth and becomes a "deaf, dumb and blind boy." After going from doctor to doctor searching for a cure and nothing seeming to work, he eventually becomes a "pinball wizard" playing by sense rather than sight which turns him into something of an oddity. Tommy becomes fascinated with the mirror, as if he can see himself inside of it, and when his mother smashes the mirror in frustration it manages to break Tommy free. He becomes something of a "pseudo" Christ like figure which only draws more people to him but he realizes that he doesn't want people to follow him but instead to be themselves, which only makes his followers turn against him since they believe him to be some type of higher power.

The Who had always said they had planned for their rock opera to become a theatrical show, so under director Dec McAnuff the show first premiered at the La Jolla theatre in California in the summer of 1992. The production then moved to Broadway in the Spring of 1993 and opened at the St. James Theatre on April 22nd.

The original Broadway cast starred Michael Cerveris as Tommy with Marcia Mitzman as his mom and Jonathan Dokuchitz as his father. Also in the ensemble were future Broadway stars Alice Ripley, Norm Lewis, Christian Hoff and Sherie Rene Scott. The musical was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning five including ones for Best Director and won for Best Score (which it shared with Kiss of the Spider Woman.) The energetic choreography by Wayne Cilento also received an award as well as the high performance rock concert style lighting from Chris Parry. John Arnone also won a Tony for his ingenious set design that not only incorporated video elements as I mentioned above but also used several large moving panels that swiftly glided across the stage and quickly changed not only the scenes but the actors as well.

While the majority of the excellent score of the musical, which includes many classic rock songs, comes from the 1969 rock album and the 1975 film, the Broadway production did include an excellent new song that Tommy's parents sing entitled "I Believe My Own Eyes." The 1975 film is most famous for Elton John's "Pinball Wizard" and Tina Turner's "Acid Queen" and the psychedelic film style of director Ken Russell. The Who singer Roger Daltrey played Tommy in the film with Ann-Margaret as his mother.

Clip of the Original Broadway Cast:

The Original London cast of the show performs "Pinball Wizard" -

London cast - "Smash the Mirror"

Press reel for the First National Tour:

The Who peform Tommy in concert:

Elton John sings "Pinball Wizard" in the 1975 movie:

theatre review MACBETH, Broadway, April 16

2013-04-22T14:26:00.002-04:00

Alan Cumming is giving a tour de force performance on Broadway in Shakespeare's Macbeth. This production is an abridged version of the play that is basically Cumming in a one man performance where he inhibits more than a dozen characters in this tale of murder and terror as Macbeth makes his power play to become King. It officially opened last night and while it is an ambitious production it doesn't quite all come together in the end.

Speaking almost entirely in his native Scottish language that provides a rich and emotional connection to the Scotland setting of the play, Cumming never leaves the stage for the 100 minute one act version of Shakespeare's tragedy. When the play begins we find Cumming on an examination table in a psychiatric facility with a doctor and attendant administering medication while removing his clothing and placing them in large bags that say "Evidence" on them. Many questions come to mind: why is he here? He has blood splattered on his neck and torso so what exactly is up with those large "Evidence" bags? But did he kill someone or was he the victim? Why is he in an insane asylum and not a prison? These are many questions that remain unanswered throughout the play. While it might be that directors John Tiffany and Andrew Goldberg were hoping to inspire conversations by audience members for them to make their own decisions about what exactly is going on, they don't give us enough information to even begin to have a dialogue.

The surroundings are creepy and atmospheric as if out of a psychological horror film from the 1960's. Merle Hensel's stark and sterile green tiled set, the creepy music from Max Richter, atmospheric lighting by Natasha Chivers and moody sound design by Fergus O'Hare all combine to give anyone a chilling sense of the willies. The set alone could be used on off nights to film any number of classic horror films.

There are also some nice creative elements used to bring the characters of the play to life including the use of a wheelchair to become the throne of King Duncan, a doll left behind from a former patient becomes Duncan's son and heir to the throne and a small child's sweater is used most effectively to portray a young victim. A bathtub and sink are also most effectively used to provide various prop pieces and a towel and mirror are ingeniously used as a way for Cumming to not only easily move from one character to another, with the simple movement of the towel, but via the mirror it gives him a way to have a conversation between two characters.

But the most creative element is the use of three large tv screens over the stage to provide black and white images from the security cameras in the room. This is an excellent way for Cumming to become the various characters in Shakespeare's classic tragedy, most effectively the three witches, as each camera is from a different angle and thereby gives us a different angle to view Cumming and with the twist of his body and the use of the screens he can literally be all three witches right in front of us on the three screens. Those tv screens also provide some of the most chilling elements of this production. Videographer Ian William Galloway has effectively incorporated pre-filmed footage into the production so watch closely when they are on and you will sometimes see other characters on the screens that aren't in front of you on the stage. It is reminiscent of the Paranormal Activity series of films where found video footage contains ghosts and other spooky happenings, but when it takes place right in front of you it is especially eerie.

But this production all comes down to Cumming. And while his performance is technically stellar we are still left with so many questions that the total is much less than the sum of the parts. Is Cumming's character possessed by the characters in the play? Is he schizophrenic? Does he have multiple personality disorder and each character is a part of him? Or did he just see a bad version of Macbeth in his past and what ever traumatic thing happened to him has now made him reenact the play out in his own way? The edited down version of the Shakespeare text also doesn't fully give anyone who isn't that familiar with the play a true understanding of the plot. The inclusion of a synopsis of the play in the Playbill is a good thing. But since they've already edited down the play and changed the setting, why they thought there was no need to add a few additional lines of dialogue to help the audience better understand what the point of this production is is beyond me. It is a missed opportunity that would have elevated Cumming's impressive bravura performance into an even grander night at the theatre. As is, it's an interesting character study and acting challenge with a few spooky and shocking moments and not much more.

Official Site

theatre review THE NANCE, Broadway, April 13

2013-04-19T16:03:00.001-04:00

Nathan Lane has established himself as one of the leading Broadway actors of our time. Making himself at home in both dramas, comedies and musicals he has now found a new play that combines all of those into one, Douglas Carter Beane's latest play The Nance. The play, which Beane wrote with Lane in mind, officially opened on Monday and we caught one of the final previews this past Saturday.

The Nance is set in 1937 Manhattan during the time that Burlesque was on the wane, homosexuals had to be as inconspicuous as possible or risk arrest and Mayor LaGuardia was cracking down on indecency. Beane sets out to tackle several topics in his play, the end of burlesque and it's impact on those involved, gay life in 1930's New York City and how older gay men and younger gay men perceived relationships differently during those changing years.

Lewis J. Stadlen. Cady Huffman, Nathan Lane and Jonny Orsini

Nathan Lane is Chauncey Miles, an actor in the burlesque theatre who plays the "nance," a stock vaudeville character, short for "pansy," an effeminate male that was a prominent fixture in burlesque comic scenes featuring plenty of bawdy double entendre and stereotypical homosexual behavior. While these parts were often played by heterosexual men, Beane wisely has Chauncey be gay, which adds a dramatic and ironic dimension to the play. The irony comes in two ways- how Chauncey can play an openly gay, swishy character on the stage but be persecuted in his daily life for being gay even though he exhibits none of the stereotypical traits of a gay man and how once the crackdown happens it is alright for him to be in drag on stage but not appear as an effeminate character.

Jonny Orsini and Nathan Lane

Surrounding Chauncey are the people that he works with and the boy he meets at the automat, takes home and eventually asks to move in with him until he can find his own place. That relationship is especially memorable as it is set in the secretive world of gay men of the 1930's with the signals they would give to each other to identify themselves as gay all while fearing being caught for just being in a restaurant or on the street. That Chauncey and Ned actually love each other and want to be together is something alien to Chauncey at first and something that ultimately will bring the two men to a crossroads. But in getting them to that place Beane has crafted a realistic portrayal of what gay dating must have been like at a time when it was almost virtually illegal for a man to love another man and monogamy was almost an unknown word to a gay man. When viewed in 2013, with all the news reports about the Supreme Court hearings around same sex marriage it is especially meaningful to see how far the nation has come.

While the play portrays a changing world, Chauncey wants to live in the past, a past filled with afternoon trips to the automat to pick up straight men and evenings filled with being on stage at the theatre. However, all of that is about to change and the heartbreak of The Nance isn't just about the trouble in the sweet and passionate relationship between Chauncy and Ned but also how everything that Chauncey can't let go of in his past and the things he is used to in order to embrace and tackle and overcome the changing world around him. Add in the fear that Chauncey has about emotional commitment, his almost unwillingness to believe someone could actually love him and the self hatred and self contempt that Chauncey can't get over, even with the love of Ned, with the backstage and onstage antics at the burlesque theatre and you have a play rich with passion, drama, comedy and music.

Nathan Lane, Cady Huffman, Andrea Burns, Jonny Orsini
Jenni Barber and Lewis J. Stadlen

Beane and director Jack O'Brien have lovingly created this production in such a way that it seems like we're in a time machine that has taken us back seventy five years. The cast has no problem in grounding us in 1937 as well with Lane giving a heartbreaking performance. The fact that he is playing three different "characters" in a way, the "at home" Chauncey who is funny, passionate and outgoing yet still has some self loathing , the guarded, secretive and discreet "public" Chauncey and the hysterical "nance" Chauncey and that Lane manages to flip between these "roles" in a second shows Lane's abilities as an actor. Anyone that is familiar with Lane knows his master ability to use a look or facial expression to get a laugh but I can't recall Lane ever being as passionate in a role before, sure he was warm (and hilarious) in The Producers, but this is really Lane's debut in a romantic lead of sorts. Also, his monologue in drag toward the end of the show is priceless in Lane's ability to combine a serious, confessional of sorts with some hilarious one liners. Lane doesn't miss a beat no matter what he's asked to do and because of that I truly hope he wins the Tony for this part.

Jonny Orsini is making his Broadway debut as Ned and he not only manages to completely hold his own in his scenes with Lane, but you honestly believe that he loves Chauncey, the new life that Chauncey has helped him create and the new friends he has come to call his own. He is sweet, charming, passionate and looks great in the bathtub as well. Lewis J. Stadlen is Chauncey's performing partner Efram and while he looks down on Chauncey's homosexuality he does realize what Chauncey is up against and finds himself willing to help him even though Chauncey finds it difficult to adhere to what Efram requests of him. That difficulty is what ends up getting Chauncey arrested. Like Lane, Stadlen is given several comic and serious moments to play, especially around the difficulties in trying to perform their burlesque routines together when the crackdown happens to not do anything that could be perceived as being indecent. Stadlen more than succeeds in the task he's been given and while there isn't exactly a "villain" of the piece, Stadlen sometimes has to portray that part in order to make Chauncey realize what the results of his action might be. Stadlen and Lane performed together on Broadway before and the two of them have a great rapport together so it is especially nice to see them together again and portraying such rich and complicated characters.

Nathan Lane

Cady Huffman, Andrea Burns and Jenni Barber are the three ladies who work at the theatre and all of them get a moment or two to shine with Huffman especially memorable as the bawdy and sassy Sylvie.

The period touches to the set by John Lee Beatty and costumes by Ann Roth really take you back to a gritty time in seedy theatres and basement apartments. The revolving set by Beatty even gets a curtain call of its own in a way. There is also nice period burlesque numbers written by Glen Kelly that all of the cast has fun performing. Kelly's humorous strip numbers for the three ladies are especially memorable in the tacky way they are portrayed.

Burlesque would be gone by the early 1940's and I don't know if Chauncey would have been able to survive the changes to his world. The ending of the play signifies the changes and a warning as such to Chauncey but we are left to make our own decision as to what happens next to Chauncey.

Beane has painted Chauncey as a conservative Republican, always restrained in his actions so when Chauncey has to testify in court, his speech, while thrilling and heroic, is also a bit out of character when compared to the events that happen before and after this scene. Chauncey has lived his life avoiding conflict, always flying under the radar and struggling with monogamy but now it's as if Beane wants Chauney to be the hero of the times but wants to show the self-hatred he has as well, which don't necessarily jell. But that is really the only flaw in this piece as while the play doesn't exactly deliver on all that it sets out to accomplish, it is still an interesting story, beautifully told, with a top notch cast and direction and Lane is such a gem that I have to believe he is the front runner for the Tony this year, as his only Tony wins previously have come for musicals.

The Nance runs through June 16th

Official Site

Rehearsal interviews with the cast:

Brief interview with Nathan Lane:

one of the most famous "nance's" Gene Malin, performs "I'd Rather Be Spanish":

theatre review MATILDA, Broadway, April 9

2013-04-16T18:03:00.001-04:00

The Royal Shakespeare Company has only produced two musicals on Broadway before, the hugely successful Les Miserables in 1987 and the huge flop Carrie in 1988. After a disaster like Carrie, you can imagine why it has taken them almost exactly 25 years after their last attempt before bringing their latest musical Matilda to Broadway. Fortunately for the RSC, even though this show doesn't quite have the universal emotional appeal of Les Mis it is a hugely entertaining family musical that should have a healthy run on Broadway and on tour.

Based on the children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl and with a book by Dennis Kelly and a score from Tim Minchin, Matilda tells the familiar story of a young girl who is misunderstood and unloved but who finds love in books and through her school teacher. While Matilda isn't an orphan she certainly has a lot in common with other famous musical children like Annie and Oliver in that they are all children looking for love from adults but forced to use their intelligence to get ahead in the world, find love and to be truly understood.

Oona Laurence and Gabriel Ebert

Young Matilda's parents don't love or understand her, her father often calls her a boy and can't understand why she would want to read books and her mother didn't even know she was pregnant with her, thinking that her large stomach could be cured with penicillin. So Matilda does want a young child in this situation can only do, she escapes from her rotten parents into the world of books and storytelling and through this escape finds a friend in the librarian at her local library. That librarian, Mrs. Phelps, is always excited to see Matilda in order to hear the latest installment in a story Matilda has to tell her and to give her some new books to read. But things get worse when Matilda is sent to school where the dreaded, sadistic Miss Trunchbull, who thinks all kids are "maggots," is the headmistress. Fortunately Matilda's sweet but mousy teacher Miss Honey sees the gifts that Matilda has and together they help each other overcome their obstacles and demons.

Bertie Carvel and Lauren Ward

The cast of the show includes four girls who rotate in the part of Matilda, with each of them playing two shows a week. At the preview performance we saw last week Oona Laurence was Matilda and she was perfectly lovely in the part, smart, fearless and sassy yet heartbreaking as well. Reprising his Olivier Award winning performance of Miss Trunchbull is Bertie Carvel and while the role is more on the supporting side, lengthwise, Carvel has a ball in playing the sadistic, enormous character and is somewhat missed when he's not on stage. The voice he has created for the character will be ringing in your ears for weeks after seeing the show, it is that original and memorable. While I wish there was more of Trunchbull in the show I understand that this is Matilda's story and not Trunchbull's, but I only wish she had a better send off then she does. And while little is done to hide the fact that it is a man playing this female part it doesn't really detract from the overall enjoyment of the show.

Trunchbull and the ensemble

Other notable parts include Lauren Ward as Miss Honey, Matilda's school teacher who takes Matilda under her wing. While Ward is married to director Matthew Warchus, this isn't a case of nepotism as Ward has numerous Broadway and West End credits and she more than holds her own against Carvel and Laurence and actually creates a touching and effective character that you root for, just like you do for Matilda. Ward is also extremely lovely not only with Laurence but also with the children in the ensemble as well and has a lovely voice that she gets to show off on several songs. Gabriel Ebert is hilarious and even a bit touching as Matilda's father. It is hard to believe this is the same actor that played the college aged lost boy in last year's 4,000 Miles. I hope he finds a Tony nomination in his future for this part as he really managed to create a character that you'll remember a long time after the curtain comes down.

The ensemble and a great shot of the Scrabble type letter set design.

The ensemble is quite effective as well especially the children in the cast. They are used throughout the show in very effective ways and manage to create individual characters that you can clearly identify with. Like Carvel and the rest of the cast, they seem to be having a ball being in this show.

The score by Tim Minchin includes many memorable songs including Matilda's first act solo "Naughty" and the second act opener "When I Grow Up" that you'll be humming for days after you come out of the theatre. However, most of the songs for Miss Honey and Miss Trunchbull lack memorable music but most of the lyrics are clever and effective.

Warchus has conjured up a fantastic, almost imaginary world for us to visit and Dahl's characters, while a bit cartoonish and very over the top, manage to get across the message that love can conquer all in the end. I have to believe he's the front runner for the Tony for Direction not only due to the energetic nature of the show but also due to the effective use of the children in the cast and the way he is able to incorporate the storytelling aspect of the book with the energetic choreography by Peter Darling.

Carvel and Ward

Set designer Rob Howell has created a magical set that at first glance looks like colorful cartoon style Scrabble tiles have exploded all over the set walls and proscenium and cover every possible nook and cranny. However, there is much more to the design as even though there are random letters all over the place there are many letter tiles that spell out words. One of the first joys you'll have with this show is trying to find the hidden words scattered all over even before the show begins. Howell continues this theme throughout the various set pieces and random parts of almost every set include more spelled out items. The set pieces look like pages of a pop up book and the stage floor also carries this forward with desks and other set pieces hidden in the floor that pop up when needed. It is definitely one of the most clever set designs I've seen in a long time.
Just a few quibbles- there are several times when the ensemble is singing together and you can't really make out the lyrics to the songs, the same could be said of about 10% of the dialogue, where either the thick English accents the cast are using, or the sound design basically makes the dialogue unintelligible. Also, as I mentioned above, Trunchbull doesn't really get the grand exist she deserves. Also while Miss Honey is lovely, we spend a little too much time with her character than we should, and do we really need confetti canons and laser beams? The confetti canons really served no purpose and made it more of a "look, we have confetti canons as well" moment that really wasn't necessary.

But, there is much to like including the frenzied choreography and frantic pace of the show and the loving touches throughout in both costumes, set and direction. And, spoilers ahead, I clearly appreciated the unsentimental ending with Matilda and her father, so happy they didn't decide to sugar coat that part and left it exactly the way it should have been.

While Matilda may not be the greatest musical ever created it does hit many high notes including colorful, over the top characters that are easily identifiable, an amazingly creative set, a cast that throws themselves into the material, a score and book that have many memorable moments and direction that manages to hold everything together while delivering many laughs and a few tears. It took them 25 years but I think the Royal Shakespeare Company has another Broadway musical hit on their hands.

Matilda Website

"Journey to Broadway" - interviews with the cast and clips from the show:

The London cast performs at the Royal Variety show:

theatre review THE WINTER'S TALE, McCarter Theatre, April 7

2013-04-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

The plays of William Shakespeare almost all fall into two categories, the comedies and the tragedies. So it is interesting that one of his lesser produced plays The Winter's Tale is actually a hybrid of both tragedy and comedy. The McCarter Theatre is currently presenting a slightly edited down version of the play in a beautifully staged production directed by Rebecca Taichman.

Jealously is the central plot element that kicks off the action of the play when the King of Sicila, Leontes, believes his friend King Polixenes, the King of Bohemia, is involved romantically with his pregnant wife Hermione. After Polixenes learns of Leontes' plan to poison him, he flees back to his home country which only makes Leontes believe his fears were correct. He imprisons his wife for infidelity and orders the new born child to be abandoned to a far away place, thinking that the child is not his. His son, his only child, dies of an illness that is brought on by the accusations against his mother and then news comes that Hermione has died as well. Leontes is heartbroken and vows to morn the loss of his wife and son. Pretty dramatic stuff, right? And that's just the first half of the play which is dark and dramatic. However the second half has a much lighter and comical tone where the action shifts to Bohemia and we find out what happened to the abandoned child. It also includes several musical moments. And while it might be a bit jarring for the change of tone the fact that the intermission is placed between the shift makes it less of a jolt.

The dark, brooding world of Sicilia with Hanna Yelland,
Mark Harelik and Sean Arbuckle

Taichman has assembled a very capable cast headlined by Mark Harelik as Leontes. Harelik throws himself into the part of the jealous king and Taichman stages the action in such a way that we too can see why his beliefs might have merit. But Taichman also wisely has her cast playing multiple parts, so while Harelik is dark and brooding as the King he is also comically a buffoon as the peddler Autolycus. Other standouts in the cast include Hannah Yelland as Hermione and Ted van Griethuysen as the Old Shepherd who takes in the abandoned newborn and raises it as his daughter. The rest of the cast is effective in the multiple parts they play but it's just too bad that the extremely talented Tony winner Brent Carver is playing a supporting part with minimal stage time.

The colorful world of Bohemia

Taichman uses lighting, sets and costumes most effectively to demonstrate not only the shift in tone between the two halves of the play but also to portray the two different lands of Sicilia and Bohemia. In Sicilia the costumes are all dark with the men all wearing modern formal wear and the set design is all sleek and shadows. But in Bohemia there is a burst of color not only in the costumes but also in the use of large cut out prop pieces to portray colorful butterflies and woodland creatures.

While The Winter's Tale may not be one of Shakespeare's more well known plays like Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet it is an effective piece of drama with well written characters and identifiable themes of jealousy, betrayal and revenge. There is also a magical last scene that brings everything together and in the McCarter production Taichman stages this scene beautifully. It also requires Yelland to display some amazing technical skills.

The Winter's Tale runs at the McCarter through April 21st before moving to the Shakespeare Theatre Company in D.C. for a run from May 9th to June 23rd.

McCarter website
Shakespeare Theatre of D.C. website

theatre review IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, IT'S SUPERMAN, City Center Encores!, March 24

2013-04-11T14:29:00.000-04:00

The City Center Encores! series of staged concerts of musicals provides an excellent way for older musicals that rarely get produced to be seen by those who might not get a chance to see them. And while some of the previous picks over the past twenty years in the Encores annual offering of four shows have included more well known musicals like Follies, Merrily We Roll Along and Promises, Promises it is nice when a show like It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman is selected to be included. And Superman is a show, unlike the three I mentioned, that will probably never see a commercial Broadway revival production. The show might be dated and the story a bit un-pc, but the score has many stand out songs so getting to see this concert production with Broadway stars giving knock-out performances brought a big smile to my face. The fact that I've never seen a production of this show was also another major reason I didn't want to miss this production.

Jenny Powers and Edward Watts

The original Broadway production of the show opened on March 29, 1966. With music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Lee Adams, a book from David Newman and Robert Benton and directed by Hal Prince, Superman unfortunately opened shortly after the tv show Batman had become a hit series. It is possible that the campy nature of the Batman series and the fact that it was available to be seen for free twice a week turned audiences off from paying to see a musical version of another superhero as the show only managed a short run of 129 performances. However the score by Strouse and Adams has many gems including one song that would become somewhat of a hit, "You've Got Possibilities." And while Newman and Benton would never write another Broadway musical, the two of them did co-write the 1978 non-musical big screen version of Superman that starred Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando. The year after they co-wrote the musical Superman, Newman and Benton would co-write the screenplay and get Oscar nominations for Bonnie and Clyde and Benton would go on to win three Academy Awards for his writing of Places in the Heart and his screenplay and direction of Kramer vs Kramer.

Edward Watts and the ensemble

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman avoids portraying any part of the evolution of Superman and starts instead with Clark Kent already working as a reporter at The Daily Planet and Superman already a hero for the city of Metropolis. Lois Lane is already in love with Superman, though she questions his feelings for her and upon meeting ten time Nobel Prize "loser" Dr. Sedgwick begins dating one of Sedgwick's co-workers, which makes Superman jealous. But Superman's got bigger problems with Sedgwick being an evil scientist with plans to destroy Superman as a way to get back at the world for not awarding him anything for his efforts. Add to the mix Kent's co-worker the slimy gossip columnist Max Mencken who has plans of his own to take Superman down. Mencken is tired of being bumped off the front page by yet another Superman story so he becomes partners with Sedgwick to get rid of the super hero. Max's assistant, the sex pot Sydney Sharp has plans of her own, but ones with romantic overtones. Added all together and you have a big cartoon of a musical with action and romance aplenty.

David Pitty and Will Swenson

The cast for the Encores production had a complete ball in not only bringing these cartoon characters to life but also in just having a fun time playing off each other and the joy and humor they brought to the show definitely flowed out into the audience. Edward Watts is appropriately both square and heroic in the alternate roles of Kent and Superman. His muscular frame and clear strong voice perfectly align with the Superman image. Jenny Powers had the right touch in her portrayal of Lois Lane in the sense that you understood her mixed feelings for Superman. Her soprano voice is so rich and clear and brought out lovely notes and moments in her songs. Watts and Powers also had no problem in their portrayal of a disfunctional relationship, something not so hard to get across with just a few weeks of rehearsal.

Alli Mauzey and Will Swenson

Will Swenson was slimy and sublime as Max and David Pittu was absolutely hilarious as Dr. Sedgwick. The two of them had a grand time in their second act duet together. Alli Mauzey was a hoot as Sydney and delivered the hit song "You've Got Possibilities" in a fun and upbeat fashion.
With a slightly edited down book, John Rando directed the Encores concert production and achieved a near excellent cotton candy confection. The comical moments were hilarious, the musical ones delicious and the choreography by Joshua Bergasse played upon the 1960's style of the original in a crazy way. The set design by John Lee Beatty was an homage to the comic book and comic strips of the period and included colorful pop-up set pieces.

While It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman may not be the best musical ever created it has a fun and infectious jazzy score by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams and a book full of cultural satire. The Encores concert more than delivered on showing the possibilities that this under rated gem of a show has.

Amazon.com Widgets

Behind the scenes at the rehearsals for the concert performance:

cabaret review MARIN MAZZIE & JASON DANIELEY, "He Said, She Said" NJPAC, March 23

2013-04-09T17:55:00.003-04:00

Married couple and Broadway stars Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley have been together for around twenty years now. The story of how they met and how their relationship came together is the theme that weaves together their latest cabaret show entitled "He Said / She Said."

While the show could also be entitled "He Sings / She Sings" due to the fact that the majority of the songs are solos, there is enough high calibre solo material here sung by two very capable singers to get over the fact that the couple does very little singing together during the show. Mazzie and Danieley have two of the clearest and strongest voices out there so while I would have preferred to have them sing more songs together many of the songs choices were inspired and fit in perfectly with the theme of the evening.

The duo's opening number is an up beat and bouncy take on the Johnny Mercer standard "Something's Gotta Give" which perfectly sets up the evening and the idea of love being more of a push me/pull me type of relationship. Two solos that really hit home are Mazzie's take on "A Cockeyed Optimist" from South Pacific which receives a cha-cha type of arrangement and Danieley singing The Wizard of Oz's "If I Only Had a Brain" in a slowed down lounge type delivery. Both hit home runs. Other highlights include a pull out the stops delivery of "Cry Me a River" from Mazzie and Danieley delivering "One For My Baby" with perfect emotions as if he's been at that bar in the song many, many times.

While the stories the couple tells give us a little insight into how they met, at an outdoor production of a show entitled The Trojan Woman where they prayed for the show to be rained out so they could spend more time together, there isn't a lot more of the details we learn about their romance except from the lyrics of the songs they choose to portray it. And while most of the song choices fit well in displaying their growing attraction some of the choices were odd (Cole Porter's "The Physician") or seemingly out of place in the forward trajectory of their romantic arc. There was more than one time when the patter between songs had one of the couple remind us where we last left off in their romantic courtship, something that wouldn't have been necessary if the patter leading in to the songs was clearer and more accurately set up the song in relation to their budding relationship.

But when you have songs like "Smile," "From This Moment On," "Our Love is Here to Stay" and "Blues in the Night" delivered by two powerhouse performers I guess it doesn't matter.

Amazon.com Widgets

Marin and Jason in concert singing a Sondheim suite:

"The Natural Order of Things" -

a brief interview with Marin and Jason about this concert:

Jason and Will Chase sing "Lily's Eyes" from The Secret Garden:

Marin performs "Back to Before" from Ragtime:

broadway birthday OKLAHOMA! opened on Broadway 70 years ago today

2013-03-31T21:18:00.000-04:00

Seventy years ago today on March 31, 1943 the first musical written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II opened on Broadway. That show, Oklahoma! would run for over five years on Broadway, which a run that long was unprecedented at that time when most shows barely ran a year.

The show was based on a 1931 play called Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs and was originally called Away We Go! when it premiered pre-Broadway in New Haven, Connecticut in early March 1943. Focusing on the rivalry between a cowboy and a ranch hand for the hand of a farm girl in the early 1900's, Oklahoma! is a somewhat simple story. However, it is also set across a sweeping landscape of settlers and the various social events that take place in their simple lives. Those events included a barn raising and a social dance that provided director Rouben Mammoulian and choreographerr Agnes de Mille plenty of big and elaborate stage moments to counter the more intimate and dramatic romantic ones surrounding the love triangle between Cowboy Curly, farm hand Jud and farm girl Laury.

What was somewhat ground breaking was how Rodgers and Hammerstein used the songs as extensions of the characters and the dialogue and thus a way to further the plot of the show. Before Oklahoma! the majority of musicals had songs that were stand alone and didn't organically grow out of the story around the music. This changed musicals forever. There were also no stars in the show, something that was almost unheard of at the time as well as an elaborate and lengthy act one ending "dream ballet" staged by deMille to portray Laury's idea of the nightmare that might happen if she ends up with Jud. In a less polished production that long ballet would have stopped the show cold. But as presented here elevated the show into a groundbreaking success that would run for 2,243 performances in its initial Broadway production.

The Tony Awards did not exist in 1943, but I'm sure if they did Oklahoma! would have swept them. Rodgers and Hammerstein did receive a special Pulitzer Prize for the show. Several famous songs came from the score including the opening number "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin,' "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" the romantic duet "People Will Say We're In Love" and the showstopping title song. The cast recording was the first to receive a complete recording as up to that time most shows received truncated recordings due to the space limitations of the discs or the recordings featured studio recording artists and not the original cast members.

A successful film version premiered in 1955 starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones and Rod Steiger and winning three Academy Awards. The show has had three Broadway revivals with the most recent one in 2002 that starred Patrick Wilson as Curly and Andrea Martin as Aunt Eller. This revival was based on a 1998 production in London that starred Hugh Jackman as Curly.

Four songs from the 1955 Movie version:

"The Surrey with the Fringe on the Top" from the 1979 Broadway revival:

Hugh Jackman sings "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" from the filmed version of the 1998 West End Revival.

theatre review RICH GIRL, George Street Playhouse, March 17

2013-03-31T19:03:00.000-04:00

A new play based on a classic novel is something that rarely succeeds. If you include the fact that the classic novel was already turned into an extremely famous and popular play then your chances of success would seem slim to none. However I'm happy to report that Victoria Stewarts's new play Rich Girl which is based on the Henry James novel Washington Square, that was already turned into the classic play The Heiress, is an inventive new play that updates the story and plot of the novel to modern times in a successful fashion. The play had its world premiere at the George Street Playhouse this month before moving to the Cleveland Playhouse next month.

Dee Hoty

Directed by Michael Bloom and with an excellent cast, Rich Girl tells the story of 26 year old Claudine, a "rich girl" who reconnects with the handsome starving artist Henry from her school days and falls head over heals in love with him. Claudine's mother Eve is a Suze Orman type of financial guru/ tv celebrity, who has her doubts about Henry. Is he just using Claudine to get to Eve's money? Does he really love her? Does he even find the plain Jane and somewhat klutzy Claudine attractive? While these questions are ones we've heard before, Stewart has crafted a winning and inventive take on the James novel that includes fine honed dialogue that is not only realistic but meaningful as well.

Liz Larsen and Crystal Finn

The Henry James novel as well as The Heiress, told the story of a New York City doctor who questions the advances of a suitor for his daughter. While both the novel and that play were more serious and melodramatic, Rich Girl is more of a romantic comedy with serious overtones. And while I'm a huge fan of The Heiress, Stewart doesn't shy away from the romantic intrigue, plot twists and deceptions that were present in the previous novel and play and therefore the addition of comedy only heightens the more dramatic moments.

It is a story of women and men and the various ways that money screws up those relationships. It is also extremely clever with the use of modern technology. I not only liked how Stewart changed the over protective father figure of the James novel into a wealthy overprotective mother, and all the nuances that mother/daughter relationships bring with them, but how she also made the role of Eve into someone not only knowledgable about finances but a specialist on financial security, especially for women. I also really liked how Stewart changed the part of the Aunt into Eve's assistant Maggie, who also appears to be Eve's only close friend as well as a confident of Claudine. By making the part of the aunt into someone who isn't a blood relation, but is still treated like a family member, it adds a whole other dimension of relationship analysis into the mix as that character is now someone who is actually getting paid to be there.

Crystal Finn and Tony Roach

The cast couldn't be better. Dee Hoty and Liz Larsen are the two seasoned professionals here, both with numerous Broadway credits and several Tony nominations between them. Hoty is Eve and Larsen is Maggie. Hoty has no problem in getting across the serious nature of her concerns, and while she is very cold and calculated as Eve, we also know that she is only that way due to her being a victim of her own teachings and the fear that someone can easily come along and take away her hard earned money. Larsen gets most of the jokes in the play, and expertly delivers them. She also has no problem getting across the serious nature of the play as well. Crystal Finn is Claudine and perfectly plays the klutzy young girl who grows into a self sufficient young woman. Tony Roach is Henry and easily wins us over just like he did with Claudine.

Creative elements are sensational with an elaborate set design by Wilson Chin for Eve's expensive Manhattan apartment and costumes by Jennifer Caprio that couldn't be more clear in portraying the characters. I especially liked the wig designs that changed throughout the show to accurately show the passing of time.

Rich Girl is a play not to be missed.

Rich Girl runs through April 7th at the George Street before moving to Cleveland for a run from April 19th to May 19th.

George Street Playhouse Website

Cleveland Playhouse Website

cabaret review JARROD SPECTOR, McCarter Theatre, March 17

2013-03-27T13:02:00.000-04:00

Jarrod Spector racked up an impressive run of over 1,500 performances of playing Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys on both Broadway as well as the stop of the National Tour of the show in Chicago. But for all of his Broadway performances he will be the first to admit that he isn't a big musical theatre buff. So it is no surprise that his solo cd and concerts that he has performed across the country don't have really any showtunes in them but instead focus on rock and pop hits from the 60's to today. With a rocking band and two backup singers, Spector proves a hip and modern throwback to the entertainers that he idolizes, especially Bobby Darin.

The majority of songs he performed at the McCarter theatre in Princeton come from his recent solo cd "Major Fall, Minor Lift." This wasn't Spector's first stop at Princeton as this Philadelphia native actually also went to school there.

The show was highlighted by several rocking medleys of classic pop/rock songs including an opening sequence that included a rousing version of Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" and a medley of 60's songs that included a stirring take on Buddy Holly's "Everyday." There were some nice versions of songs that most people love to hate including the Hall and Oates song that was number 1 on the charts the day Spector was born, "Kiss On My List," and the Barry Manilow hit "Even Now." Spector sang both with conviction and no apology at his love for the material.

While Spector frames the show around his life story, telling us about his stint on Star Search when he was just a very young kid to the breakdown he had when he was in college, he could use a little bit of firming up the point he is trying to get across and editing the story a bit, in order to better connect with the material and the audience. But the songs he sings and the voice he has to sing them with more then make up for the lack of theme and how his life story relates to the songs he sings.

His sequence around his Star Search experience included a fun take on Bobby Darin's "Splish Splash." Other highlights in the set included a rocked out version of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" and a stirring take on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." It was a varied evening for sure, but never once did any of the songs seem out of place, which is something to say when you have hits from Led Zeppelin, Hall and Oates and Barry Manilow almost following right after each other.

A pairing of two Billy Joel songs "Lullabye (Good Night My Angel)" and "River of Dreams" brought the concert to an inspired finish. Two encores followed including a soft but soaring take on "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables (Spector appeared as Gavrouche in the Broadway production when he was very young) and the only Jersey Boys song in the concert, a lovely version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You."

All in all, Spector knows how to entertain and his soaring voice and excellent band combined for an excellent concert. Not sure if he's doing any more concerts in the future but if you're a fan of classic pop/rock try not to miss him if he comes to your town.

Amazon.com Widgets

"Hallelujah" -

"Kiss On My List" -

"Star Search" performance-

"Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" from Jersey Boys:

cabaret review ADAM PASCAL, 54 Below, March 10

2013-03-26T13:19:00.001-04:00

Adam Pascal rose to prominence due to his break out role as Roger in the original Broadway cast of Rent. That role earned him a Tony nomination and while he has also starred in the Original Broadway cast of Aida, as the final replacement Emcee in the Cabaret revival and more recently took over in the lead male role in Memphis, Pascal seems to really consider himself a singer/songwriter and not just a musical theatre Broadway star. After having performed in bands from his teenage years, he was able to use his Rent success to obtain a way to release several solo cds that feature his original songs.  Over the years he has performed at various venues across the country and we caught a solo gig he gave at the 54 Below cabaret club. It was interesting not only due to Pascal's excellent musicianship but also because just right above us was where he gave one of his most favorite performances when he starred in Cabaret at Studio 54.

And while the evening included only a few show tunes, none of which Adam has ever actually performed in an actual production of the show it comes from, it was the passion that he has with the music and the connection he has to it that really came through.   I can't imagine that anyone who was expecting him to sing his big Rent song "One Song Glory" not at all disappointed in the least that he didn't sing that or any songs that he performed on Broadway.

The concert didn't really have an overall theme or focus but instead was just Adam singing some of his favorite songs and telling us stories of his past, including several humorous ones from his pre-marriage Rent days that included his partner in crime and Rent co-star Jesse L. Martin. The solo acoustic show included just Adam, center stage, playing his guitar.

Some highlights of the show included a soaring, heartfelt version of "Mama Who Bore Me" from Spring Awakening and a stirring version of "Memory" from Cats that while it got a few laughs when he started singing the song, mainly due to how unexpected it was, turned into an excellent version of this somewhat over performed song with some excellent guitar skills from Pascal.  A touching version of "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" found Adam connecting with this 80's pop classic in an introspective way.

Adam's own songs comprised about half of the evening with Adam singing songs from his various albums including "Beautiful Song," "Turn The Lights On," "Something of Ours" and a touching version of "I'm With You." His set also included pairings of two of his own songs that featured a brief bit of the Paul McCartney hit "Let Em In" and one that even featured him segueing into Sondheim's "Johanna" from Sweeney Todd. An encore of Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" was a nice end to the evening.

Adam's voice has such strength and passion and when combined with the honesty and directness of his guitar playing make pretty much anything he performs special. If you're a fan of music and musical theatre don't miss Adam if he comes to a town near you.

Adam Sings "Memory" and "Johanna"

theatre review, ANN, Broadway, March 9

2013-03-25T11:30:00.001-04:00

Former Texas governor Ann Richards was a firecracker with a larger than life personality. Actress Holland Taylor briefly met Ann and was later inspired to create an autobiographical play based on interviews she conducted with people who knew Richards. After several regional theatre productions of the play, Ann opened on Broadway a few weeks back.

Richards was born in 1933 and worked her way up through local Texas politics to become the state treasurer of Texas in 1982. She came to national attention due to the famous speech she gave at the 1986 Democratic convention. Her popularity from that speech led to her narrow victory in the 1990 race for the governor of Texas. She became only the second woman to ever hold that office.

Holland Taylor is Ann Richards

While the play is an interesting one woman show it is actually more a character study of Richards, presenting her journey to the governor's office framed around a graduation speech she gives, more so then a regular dramatic play. The speech itself and Ann's interaction with the audience, as if we are in fact the graduating class she is speaking to, are both impressive with Taylor firmly getting across the humor and directness in Richard's delivery as well as her no holds barred approach to politics. However, it is a bit jarring to go from the opening sequence where Richards is giving the commencement address, full of her wit and wisdom, to the large set piece of Richards' office when she was governor and where she is now interacting with the off stage voice of her secretary as well as watching Richards go about her crazy day to day schedule as the governor. The momentum that Taylor has created in the well crafted earlier sequence comes almost to a dead halt during the first part of the office scenes. It might have something to do with the many phone calls Taylor includes in the office scenes to better portray Ann's busy schedule as well as to show the many odds she was up against. But during those calls we only hear her side of the many phone conversations which after awhile becomes very repetitive with the many silent moments when she is listening to the other side of the conversation. And while Taylor is great as Richards, never once dropping the Texas accent and we do hear Julie White's pre-recorded voice as her secretary, it is hard to have a one woman play that interacts with so many people when none of them are actually present.

Taylor in the Texas Governor's Office set

The ending is also a bit abrupt, with Taylor talking about her time after she lost her reelection bid, her office she set up in New York City right around the September 11th attacks and her subsequent death from cancer. This is also all delivered to the audience as if it is the final part of her commencement speech and while it is a nice way to tie up Richards' story it doesn't exactly make sense in relation to the opening part of the commencement speech where it seems that this is one that Richards actually gave. Are we supposed to beleive that this is a speech that Richards gave from heaven? I think it would have been a better play if Taylor had a co-writer to help her better frame her ideas and how to get across the points about Richards that she wanted to highlight. It isn't a horrible play at all, but could have been great if more attention had been paid to better playwrighting.

But Taylor's performance as Richards is really the reason to see this play. She is simply amazing and while a lot of the illusion of her as Richards has to do with the wardrobe and wig design it is Taylor that has to pull everything together and hold the stage by herself for over two hours. At that, Ann definitely succeeds.

Official Show Site

Brief interview with Holland Taylor about the show, including clips: