San Jose Stage Company Announces Nominations for the “2012 Stage Top Honor Awards”; Celebrates Excellence in High School Musical Theatre

San Jose, CA – Monday, May 14, 2012: San Jose Stage Company is proud to announce the nominations for the 2012 Bay Area High School Musical Theatre Stage Top Honor Awards.

Under the direction of Spencer Williams, this awards program encourages and rewards exceptional accomplishments in the production of high school musical theatre across the Bay Area.

Sixteen private and public high school musical theatre programs competed in the 2012 Stage Top Honor Awards, modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards featuring shows such as Titanic, Hairspray, Guys & Dolls, Dames at Sea, Spring Awakening and Phantom of the Opera.

The adjudicators (comprised of theatre professionals, performing artists, designers, and theatre arts educators) evaluated the musical theatre productions over the last seven months and have made their nominations in eighteen different performance and production categories. Recognition of outstanding achievement by students and educators will be made in the areas of performance (best lead and supporting actress/actor), design, direction, musical direction, choreography, technical production, and overall production excellence.

Broadway San Jose has partnered with San Jose Stage Company and they will be sending the Best Actress & Actor to the National Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmy Awards) in New York City.  The winners of The Jimmy Awards will be awarded a scholarship to NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts upon acceptance. The 4^th Annual NHS Musical Theatre Awards will take place at the Minskoff Theatre in New York on June 25^th, 2012.

Winners of the 2012 Stage Top Honor Awards will be announced at the Gala Ceremony on Monday, June 4^th, 2012 at 7:00pm at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose.

For more information and tickets to the 2012 Top Honor Awards Gala please see http://www.thestage.org. 

(Listed in alphabetical order by school name)

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN:

• Mr. Troy River – American High School – I Love You Because
• Mr. Luie Lopez & Mr. Mason Kimont – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Shayda Abadi – Menlo-Atherton High School – Once Upon a Mattress
• Mr. Jared Leake – Pinewood School – Dames at Sea
• Mr. Charlie Royce – San Mateo High School – Guys and Dolls
• Mr. Matthew DeMeritt – Valley Christian High School – Titanic

BEST HAIR/MAKE-UP DESIGN:

• Ms. Susan Herrold & Tiani Hernandez – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Ms. Hillary Pedrott, Abbey Straus, & Paige Velasco – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Mr. G. Scott Lacy – Pinewood School – Dames at Sea
• Amanda Camillo & Ms. Cynthia Rose – Presentation High School – The Phantom of the Opera
• Mr. Ted Curry – St. Ignatius College Preparatory – Damn Yankees
• Mrs. Robin Mendolia & Mrs. Lisa Kester – Valley Christian High School – Titanic

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

• Ms. Tammy Vance – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Ms. Kim Klingelhofer – Menlo School – Spring Awakening
• Mr. Aaron Juni – Presentation High School – The Phantom of the Opera
• Ms. Carolyn Leonard & Ms. Barbara Rosenberg – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls
• Ms. Sara Ritchey – St. Ignatius College Preparatory – Damn Yankees
• Mrs. Cindy Trupski – Valley Christian High School – Titanic

LIGHTING DESIGN:

• Ms. Natti Pierce-Thomson – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Mr. Tripp Robbins – Menlo School – Spring Awakening
• Mr. Doug Eivers – Pinewood School – Dames at Sea
• Ms. Heather Kenyon – Presentation High School – The Phantom of the Opera
• Mr. Dave Dunning – Valley Christian High School – Titanic
• Mr. Matthew Roth – Woodside Priory High School – Beauty and the Beast

SOUND DESIGN:

• Mr. Robert Nishiyama – American High School – I Love You Because
• Mr. Brian Larsen – The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Mr. Chris Graham & Veronica Boyce – Pinewood School – Dames at Sea
• Mr. Bob Nelson – Presentation High School – The Phantom of the Opera
• Mr. Mark Metzler – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls

SCENIC DESIGN:

• Mr. Patrick Klein – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Ms. Hillary Pedrotti – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Mr. Doug Eivers – Pinewood School – Dames at Sea
• Mr. Jim Houle – Presentation High School – The Phantom of the Opera
• Mr. Tony Gschwend – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls
• Mr. Chad Harris – Valley Christian High School – Titanic

DIRECTION:

• Mr. Mason Kimont – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Ms. Laura DeKraker – The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Mr. Chris Fallows – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Ms. Elizabeth Orr – Menlo School – Spring Awakening
• Mr. Brad Friedman – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls
• Mr. Matthew DeMeritt – Valley Christian High School – Titanic

CHOREOGRAPHY:

• Ms. Whitney Janssen – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Ms. Katie O’Bryon – The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Ms. Stacey Dempsey – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Ms. Jan Chandler – Menlo School – Spring Awakening
• Ms. Robyn Tribuzi – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls
• Mr. Ted Curry – St. Ignatius College Preparatory – Damn Yankees

MUSICAL DIRECTION:

• Mr. Richard Wong – American High School – I Love You Because
• Ms. Catherine Snider – The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Ms. Sue Smart – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Mr. G. Scott Lacy – Pinewood School – Dames at Sea
• Mr. Attilio Tribuzi – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls
• Mr. Dave Gregoric – Valley Christian High School – Titanic

STUDENT ORCHESTRA:

• Mr. Richard Wong – American High School – I Love You Because
• Ms. Amie Jan – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Mr. Steve Ernest – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Mr. Kent Kurrus – Menlo-Atherton High School – Once Upon a Mattress
• Mr. Attilio Tribuzi – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls
• Dr. Dave Gregoric – Valley Christian High School – Titanic

CHORUS:

• Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Menlo School – Spring Awakening
• San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls
• Valley Christian High School – Titanic

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS/ACTOR:

• Ryan Ballard (Cinderella’s Prince) – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Cristina Jerney (Trix the Aviatrix) – The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Laurel Jones (Prudy Pingleton, Gym Teacher & Prison Matron) – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Kaeomakana Tiwanak (Lefou) – Irvington High School – Beauty and the Beast
• Morgan Locke (Meg Giry) – Presentation High School – The Phantom of the Opera
• Shelby Miguel (Gloria) – St. Ignatius College Preparatory – Damn Yankees

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

• Mandy McDonell (Cinderella) – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Lauren Pinzás (The Drowsy Chaperone) – The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Cassie Demsher (Penny Pingleton) – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Chelsea Meacham (Miss Adelaide) – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls
• Alexis Garrett (Kate McGowen) – Valley Christian High School – Titanic
• Melina Rapazzini (Alice Beane) – Valley Christian High School – Titanic

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

• Govinda Dasu (Adolpho) – The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Jacob Reuben Rosenberg (Moonface Martin) – Jewish Community High School – Anything Goes
• Zachary W. Abt (King Sextimus the Silent) – Menlo-Atherton High School – Once Upon a Mattress
• Brett Caplan (Moritz) – Menlo School – Spring Awakening
• Talmage Wise (The Captain) – Pinewood School – Dames at Sea
• Aaron Fore (Benny Southstreet) – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls

BEST LEADING ACTOR:

• Trent Brunngraber (The Baker) – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Tristan Killeen (Man in Chair) – The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Marcus Lance (Link Larkin) – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Andrew Klingelhofer (Melchior) – Menlo School – Spring Awakening
• Michael Louladakis (Phantom) – Presentation High School – The Phantom of the Opera
• Nicholas Wetherbee (Sky Masterson) – San Mateo High School – Guys and Dolls
• Tyler Reynolds (Thomas Andrews) – Valley Christian High School – Titanic

BEST LEADING ACTRESS:

• Jenni Chapman (The Baker’s Wife) – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Aurora Real De Asua (Audrey) – Castilleja School – Little Shop of Horrors
• Noel Witcosky (Janet Van De Graff) – The Harker School – The Drowsy Chaperone
• Zinah Abraha (Tracy Turnblad) – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Hanna Berggren (Princess Winnifred) – Menlo-Atherton High School – Once Upon a Mattress
• Andie Huebsch (Ruby) – Pinewood School – Dames at Sea
• Mary Anderson (Christine) – Presentation High School – The Phantom of the Opera

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNICAL THEATRE:

• Julianna Roy (Stage Manager) – Archbishop Mitty High School – Into the Woods
• Abbey Strauss (Hair Design) – Heritage High School – Hairspray
• Tina Huynh (Stage Manager) – Irvington High School – Beauty and the Beast
• Helen Jarnagin (Stage Manager) – Pinewood School – Dames at Sea
• Rachel Whelan (Stage Manager) – Presentation High School – The Phantom of the Opera
• Kathrin Neyzberg (Stage Manager) – San Mateo High School – Guys & Dolls
• Nick Lawrie (Stage Manager) – St. Ignatius College Preparatory – Damn Yankees
• Jack Griffin (Set Builder & Designer) – Valley Christian High School – Titanic
• Chris Gregory (Student Tech Director) – Woodside Priory High School – Beauty and the Beast

BEST OVERALL PRODUCTION:

• Into the Woods – Archbishop Mitty High School
• The Drowsy Chaperone – The Harker School
• Hairspray – Heritage High School
• Dames at Sea – Pinewood School
• The Phantom of the Opera – Presentation High School
• Guys & Dolls – San Mateo High School
• Titanic – Valley Christian High School

TOP HONOR NOMINATIONS BY PRODUCTION:

• (14) Heritage High School
• (14) Archbishop Mitty High School
• (14) San Mateo High School
• (14) Valley Christian High School
• (11) The Harker School
• (10) Presentation High School
• (10) Pinewood School
• (7) Menlo School
• (5) St. Ignatius College Preparatory
• (4) American High School
• (4) Menlo-Atherton High School
• (2) Irvington High School
• (2) Woodside Priory High School
• (1) Castilleja School
• (1) Jewish Community High School

EMILY BERGL, BRAD ELLIS and DAVID YOST all on board to raise money for high school performing arts in concert version of GODSPELL.

Los Altos Hills, California – Broadway, film, television and cabaret star, EMILY BERGL (Desperate Housewives, SouthLAnd, Men In Trees), pianist and musical director, BRAD ELLIS (Glee), and actor, producer, DAVID YOST (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) are all lending their considerable talents to a concert version of Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell to be performed at Pinewood School in Los Altos Hills, California to help raise money for the performing arts department.

The concert will be directed and musically directed by G. SCOTT LACY.  The concert will also feature Spencer T. Williams, Doug Eivers, Morgan Frazer, Matt Bariletti, Brian Palac, Sabrina Strand and Christopher M. Nelson.  An ensemble featuring Pinewood School’s talented performing arts students will also be part of the concert.

“The students, faculty and administration are so excited to be hosting such amazing guest artists,” said Spencer Williams, Pinewood School’s Performing Arts Department Chair. “Not only will this be a fantastic evening of music, but the support lent to the performing arts department will benefit students for years to come.” The concert will be performed on Friday May 25^th, 2012 and Saturday May 26^th, 2012 at Pinewood School’s Upper Campus Theatre starting at 8pm.

Tickets and more information can be found at http://www.pinewoodarts.com.

Full cast includes: Ava Adlparvar, Natalie Arnheim, Matt Bariletti, Brittany Blankenship, Sarah Barrus, Tom T. Doud, Quinn Foster, Morgan Fraser, Vasudha Goel, Jenny Hansen, Andie Heubsch, Haley Longbottom, Walter Mayes, Ben Montrym, Brian Palac, Jenny Paz, Patty Reinhart, Lindsay Riches, Carson Robinette, Claire Witzke, Annie Whitacre, Jacquelyn Whitaker, Brennan Whitaker, Chas Wilken, Talmage Wise, and Ginny Yang.

WHEN:

            GODSPELL - Friday, May 25^th, 2012 – 8:00pm & Saturday, May 26^th, 2012 – 8:00pm

WHERE:

            Pinewood School’s Upper Campus Theatre
            26800 Fremont Road
            Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

So the Tony nominations are out, Whaddya think? Were your favorite shows and performers recognized??

Here are my 7 biggest questions after seeing the list of nominees:

1) The final score was Porgy & Bess: 10, Follies: 8. How ironic given the fact that Stephen Sondheim was so quick to destroy Diane Paulus’ truncated version of the Gershwin classic before it even opened. Will Mr. Sondheim offer up an apology in the coming weeks? And how exactly will he react if Porgy & Bess pulls off an unlikely upset??

2) Speaking of Follies, the featured actress nomination went to…. Jayne Houdyshell?? No disrespect meant, as Houdyshell is a wonderful actress. You just might not know it if this was the only show you saw her in. I’m pretty sure she only has ten speaking lines, meaning that voters must have REALLY liked that version of “Broadway Baby”

3) Will Leap of Faith’s best musical nomination translate to ticket sales? And will the show, who most assumed would close this weekend, be able to survive until the actual Tony ceremony?? Not if they don’t improve upon their $230,000 weekly gross.  In fact, the Tony nomination might cost the show more money in the long run, as they now have to pay for new marketing to tout their nomination. Not to mention the costs they will incur to perform on the Tony telecast.

4) Speaking of Leap, how exactly does a show get nominated for best musical, but not get recognized in any acting, directing, choreography, book, or music categories??? Leave a comment if you can explain that one

5) Was the American musical theatre art form so dreadful this year that we couldn’t even find 4 shows to recognize for original score?? Did we really have to include plays in that category??

6) Does Broadway still feel compelled to suck from the Andrew Lloyd Webber teat to the point of having to nominate BOTH of his revivals this year, despite lukewarm receptions to both productions?

7) Even though it led all shows with 11 nominations, does Once have enough juice to beat Newsies for best musical?? My gut tells me that since so many of the actual voters represent the touring side of the business, that Newsies will win since it’s an easier sell on the road.

We are just about 12 hours away from the announcement of this year’s Tony nominees, and in the final installment of this series, we will make predictions for which shows will be competing for musical theatre’s highest honor.

Best Revival of a Musical

There seems to be an overall consensus that Follies, Evita, Porgy and Bess, and Jesus Christ Superstar are all shoe ins for the awards this year. The first three I can understand. But why is JCS so deserving of a nomination?? The show was panned by the New York Times at both the Canadian engagement and in New York. In fact, the reviews on the show were mostly negative across the board. I don’t see many non critics writing glowing reviews on the message boards or blogosphere.

The award season love for Superstar reminds me of the scene in Mean Girls where Gretchen keeps saying the word “fetch” in an effort to “make it happen”. People, stop trying to make Jesus Christ Superstar “happen”. There weren’t many in loved it the first time around and it’s not like we all have to still kneel at the Lloyd Webber altar in 2012.

Why has no one shown some love for a little 40-year-old musical that was absolutely charming? Godspell might have the hardest working ensemble on Broadway this season. While it’s not a show to satisfy your inner theatre snob like Follies, the show has a ton of heart, and was surprisingly enjoyable for me, even as someone who has never been a fan of the show itself.

I’m going with Godspell for the last slot, because

A) I loved the show

B) Do we really need two mediocre Webber productions in the same category??

Best Musical

Once again, it seems that the first three slots are all locked up as Newsies, Once, and Nice Work If You Can Get It have a ton of momentum. From there, you have any of 5 shows that could land the 5th spot.

Ghost- seemed like it was a no brainer 3 months ago. The West End production picked up an Olivier nomination despite tepid reviews in London. American critics have been even harsher to the show, mostly for the backlash against big budget musicals that emphasize technology over story telling. Ghost is guilty as charged, but it was still an enjoyable date night at the theater.

Spiderman- Just think, if I would have predicted this show even being mentioned for a Tony a year ago, I would have been burned at the stake for witchcraft. Look, I have a lot of respect for the producers and creative team behind this show, even if I hated the end product. To shut down a show that’s grossing 1.5 million a week to retool it and make it better is a ballsy move. I cannot imagine what it was like for those cast members to be caught in the PR storm last year. Not only did they survive, they are still running and putting up big grosses week after week. Spiderman is one of those “gateway” shows, that could bring a new audience to the theater. However, if you are going to rule out Ghost, which is a far superior show, for relying too heavily on gimmicks, then you automatically have to discount Spiderman on the same grounds.

Bonnie & Clyde- I didn’t see the show, but I’m digging the cast recording. Sadly, now that Osama Bin Laden is dead, Frank Wildhorn is the number one most hated man in New York City. Moving on….

Lysistrata Jones- We are all familiar with the 9/11 disaster. This show was the 20/11 disaster and was the single most insufferable theatrical experience i’ve ever had. I know there are some people who think the Tony voters will recognize it since it’s an original, American musical, that isn’t based on a movie. If that’s the logic, then Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson would have been recognized last year. That happened to be a far superior show to the mess at the Walter Kerr Theater.

And I’m back on a soapbox, all by myself, making the same argument that I’ve made on this blog before….

Leap of Faith- The hatred over this show has been so strong that you would think Wildhorn wrote it. The crowd I saw it with at first preview gave it a standing ovation, and I’m told there have been many since.  Yes, the story is predictable. Yes, it’s based on a movie that wasn’t successful in the first place. No, the show doesn’t take a stand and say anything deep about religion. Yes, there are holes in the material. I won’t argue you on any of these points.

But as to where Lysistrata had a cast that consisted of actors that were better suited for summer stock regional theater (Don’t get me started on Josh Segerra), Leap of Faith boasts a polished cast of pros who lift up the material and keep you smiling and tapping your toes throughout the two and a half hours. Raul Esparza is electric. Kecia Lewis-Evans and Leslie Odom Jr are wonderful. Kendra Kassebaum is solid in a supporting role.  The show also has an Alan Menken score that is being unjustly criticized as being bland. Would Leap be a serious contender in a stronger year? Perhaps not. However, it’s a show that deserves to be seen. Quite frankly, if it doesn’t snag a nomination tomorrow morning, there might not be much time left to do so.

As the theatre community gets ready for the Tony nominations on Tuesday, we are back with part 2 of our fearless predictions.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

As deep as the leading actor category feels this year, the pool of candidates for featured actor category feels equally shallow. There do seem to be two locks in this category.

Michael Cerveris was universally praised for his Juan Peron in Evita, a show that received a universally tepid reaction. Why? Well because Michael Cerveris is better than all of us. Quick, name a show where he sucked.

I rest my case.

Andrew Keenan-Bolger was not my favorite onstage cripple this season (I’m on team Norm Lewis), but he gave an endearing performance as Crutchie and should ride the Newsies tidal wave to his first nomination in a story that becomes infinately cooler if his sister gets a nomination for Peter and The Starcatchers.

From there, the pool gets shallow. David Allen Grier’s Sporting Life came across a little too “1970′s Stereotypical Blaxploitation Film Street Pimp” for my liking, but he is an engaging, likable performer, which should be good enough to get a nomination in a weak year.

Michael McGrath is often overlooked for his talents, but this could be the year he gets a nod for his “nice work” in Nice Work If You Can Get It

Brace yourself, Effie! I’m stepping out on a limb. I fully realize that this will never happen, but if I were a Tony voter, I would give the fifth nod to Leslie Odom, Jr. as Isaiah in Leap of Faith. I left the theater shocked that the Smash producers aren’t giving him a musical number where he can shine. He exudes confidence and energy, with a tremendous voice and awesome dance ability. I look forward to seeing Mr. Odom in a role where he gets more of a character to play with and more of a chance to shine.

All that being said, I imagine it’s a tossup between Patrick Page and Porgy’s Phillip Boykin for the fifth spot, which will probably go to the veteran Page, who was the only remotely enjoyable thing about Spiderman.

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

In a perfect world, they would just use 4 of the supporting women in Follies and throw in Kecia Lewis-Evans from Leap of Faith, but I don’t get a vote.

You have to assume that Follies will be good for two nominations in this category. Elaine Page is a likely lock and I would think that voters will remember Terri White’s excellent tap work and honor her with a nomination as well. The critics were in love with Judy Kaye in Nice Work, claiming that she singlehandedly runs away with the show. She is guaranteed a nomination, and might be your winner.  Kara Lindsay left me indifferent in Newsies, but given the amount of love that the show will get, you have to imagine she gets the fourth spot.

That leaves one spot, and while my heart is with the more talented Lewis-Evans, who damn near makes jesus walk into the St James theatre, I imagine this spot will go to Da’vine Joy Randolph as the lone acting nomination for Ghost. Is she funny as Oda Mae Brown? She certainly is. Is she mostly mimicking Whoopi Goldberg and bringing nothing new to the role? She certainly is. I don’t think the committee will hold that against her though, even though she could take a lesson from Lewis-Evans on how to sell a musical number.

The dark horse to watch for on Tuesday is Melissa van der Shyff for Bonnie & Clyde, although I will assume the Tony Awards will try to avoid anything within a 50 miles radius of Frank Wildhorn.

What do you think? Who are your picks in the featured categories?? Leave a comment and we’ll be back with picks for best musical and best revival tomorrow.

by: Dan Mason (@djdan1079)

We are just days away from the    announcement of this season’s Tony Award nominees. Over the next 48 hours, the Broadway Critic blog staff will be making some predictions of our own as to who will be recognized on Broadway’s biggest night.

Best Actor In a Musical

What an incredible year for men on Broadway! You could make an argument for as many as 10 deserving actors for 5 nomination spots. However, let’s start with the stone cold “locks”.

Jeremy Jordan has inherited Cheyenne Jackson’s matinee idol trophy and is the new it guy on Broadway. Newsies was personally not my kind of show, but it was well done, and Jordan was fantastic. The best thing that could have happened to him was the failure of Bonnie & Clyde, as his performance of Jack Kelly will likely launch him to stardom.

It’s a wonder that Danny Burstein doesn’t have a mantle of awards over the course of his career, as he is one of the most reliable stage actors going today. However, his work as Buddy Plummer in Follies is the best thing he has done to date. He is chatty, charismatic, and heartbreaking all at the same time, making him the standout in what I think was the best overall show I saw all season.

While I couldn’t bring myself to see Once during last month’s visit to New York (The movie put me to sleep), the reviews on Steve Kazee have all been fantastic. Since it seems that the show is a heavy contender for Best Musical, it stands to reason Mr. Kazee will be recognized as the brooding, lonely guy.

Here is a secret about Porgy & Bess that nobody seems comfortable talking about. Norm Lewis is a more compelling presence than Audra McDonald. There, I said it. This is no disrespect to McDonald, who is in fine voice and does an admirable job. However, its Lewis, with his quiet dignity and nobility, that gives Porgy & Bess it’s humanity. Plus, the physical transformation he makes onstage would convince you that he was legitimately a cripple (sorry Andrew Keenan-Bolger). His “Bess, You is My Woman Now” was goose bump inducing. Quite simply, it would be a crime if he is lost in McDonald’s shadow come May 1st.

That leaves one spot left and a host of actors competing for it. Ron Raines, was good, but unspectacular as a high-strung businessman in Follies.  Matthew Broderick would certainly provides some star power in the category if he is acknowledged for Nice Work if You Can Get It, but his performance is the worst reviewed thing bout the show. If nothing else, Reeve Carney deserves a congressional medal of honor for coming out of the Spiderman fiasco in one piece. However, I don’t see a Tony in his future. I would not be disappointed to see Richard Fleeshman nominated for Ghost, as he comes off as the biggest star on the stage at the Lunt-Fontainne, but it’s unlikely. I’m unclear as to whether Ricky Martin will be eligible for leading or featured actor for Evita, but if you believe the reviews, his performance is so thin that it won’t matter. I’m going to take a long shot here and go with Raul Esparza for Leap of Faith. The vultures have been swarming around the show since previews began, and the reviews, in my opinion, were unjustifiably cruel. Esparza is working his butt off on that stage to make the most of some material that does have holes in it. His energy is off the carts, his singing is incredible in a pretty vocally demanding role, and his performance alone is reason to get to the St James theater to see the show.

Best Actress in a Musical

On the surface, this category seems straight forward, but I’m not so sure. Audra McDonald is Tony royalty and deserves recognition again this year for her work in Porgy & Bess. Kelli O’ Hara is a critics darling and the buzz on Nice Work is huge. Cristin Miloti got universal raves for her work in Once. Elena Roger is tackling what might be the most difficult female role in musical theatre at the Marquis Theater, but the reviews for Evita, and for Ms Roger, in particular have been tepid. I will withhold opinion on Nice Work and Evita, as I have not seen either production.

The consensus seems to be that Follies, is sure to lock in two nominations for Jan Maxwell and Bernadette Peters. Having seen (and loved) the show, I can only agree with half of that statement. Maxwell, while not the biggest female “name” on the stage, performed circles around the rest of the women in the cast. She absolutely deserves a nomination, and I wouldn’t be disappointed if she pulled an upset win. That brings us to Bernadette, who seemed miscast to me. I realize this will be considered blasphemy in most circles, but let’s call it what it is. Peters voice, while exquisite at one time, is failing her at this point in her career. She did not sound good when I saw the show in November. I thought perhaps it was on off night until I saw that Spencer made the same remarks in his review from a performance much earlier in the run. From an acting standpoint, her Sally Plummer came across too flighty to really elicit any sympathy, and I was just left wondering why any of the men would want her.

I predict that after McDonald, Maxwell, Miloti, and O’ Hara, it will come down to Roger and Peters for the final spot. Roger will get the spot, if for no other reason than degree of difficulty for the role, leaving Bernadette on the outside looking in.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment in this category is that Marin Mazzie won’t be eligible for her work in the revival of Carrie.

Up next- We will take a crack at the featured actor/actress nominees, as well as make some predicitions for best musical.

Much to Blaine’s chagrin, his big-shot Hollywood actor brother, Cooper (Guest Star Matthew Bomer), comes to visit in the all-new Spring Premiere “Big Brother” episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, April 10 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Big Brother Track-List:

“Hungry Like The Wolf”/”Rio” Medley (Duran Duran)

“Fighter” (Christina Aguilera)

“Somebody That I Used To Know” (Gotye)

by: Dan Mason (@djdan1079)

Diana from Next to Normal, in a shocking championship round upset of Elphaba. I can’t say that I saw this result coming, but I suppose it is one of Broadway’s most demanding roles. Just talk to Alice Ripley’s vocal chords before and after the run.

Ms. Ripley was kind enough to send in this acceptance speech to The Broadway Critic blog readers.

Proving if nothing else, that Alice Ripley is as crazy as Diana.

Leap of Faith is the stage adaptation of the little seen 1992 movie starring Steve Martin as a flim-flam, travelling preacher with an appetite for booze, women, and swindling the downtrodden. After a critically panned tryout in Los Angeles last year, producers scrambled to rework the show in time for this year’s Tony Award deadline. Originally scheduled as part of the fall season, the show was fast tracked into the St James to take advantage of On a Clear Day’s closing, and a generally weak season for new musicals, where even the dreadful Lysistrata Jones was actually being talked about as a best musical nominee.

Among the changes were the firing of the vocally limited Brooke Shields as the female love interest, and actually combining her single mom character with that of the town sheriff (played by Liam Neeson in the film). New songs were written by Alan Menken and Glen Slater, and the book was cut down to reduce the 3 hour runtime in LA. That’s an awful lot to fix in a short amount of time, but Alan Menken tweeted after the last workshop that they had “fixed” the show.

Was his assessment correct? Well, partially so. Leap of Faith, while not a perfect musical, is a whole lot of fun. Members of the ensemble walk through the house during the pre show, shaking hands with the “congregation”, asking if we’ve heard of the Rev. Jonas Nightengale. A cameraman is in the house shooting video of audience members that is projected on flat screens across the theater. But the show doesn’t really begin until the preacher takes the stage and from the moment Raul Esparza walks through that curtain, he commands the attention of all around him. Esparza (Company, Speed The Plow) is, without question, the show’s biggest asset in a role that he seems born to play. Nightengale is a bad man, with a rap sheet that would make Harold Hill and Freddy Benson blush. Yet, Esparza is so charismatic, that you can’t help but cheer for him to pull off the next swindle. Backed by his huge gospel choir, “The Angels”, the show is at its best during the tent revival scenes. The energy during the opening 15 minutes is off the charts as the huge ensemble kills the song “Rise Up”, and makes you believe Jesus is ready to walk into the room.

Once the plot is set in motion, however, some weaknesses in the material are exposed. Jessica Phillips (Priscilla Queen of The Desert) replaces Shields in the revamped role of Marla. She is the single mom of a handicapped son, but now also the no-nonsense sheriff of Sweetwater, Kansas. Herein lies the problem. Phillips, while a great singer, has a presence that feels more like an assistant principal of the local high school than a Sheriff who can handle the local criminals.  Phillips tries to make Marla tough, but it mostly comes off as cold and detached, which is especially problematic when it comes to how she deals with her wheelchair bound son, Jake, played by Tyler Ackerman (Bonnie & Clyde). In one scene, Marla goes to Jonas’ hotel to serve him with papers demanding he leave the city, but ends up giving into his charms and spends the night. When her son shows up at the hotel to speak to Jonas, not knowing that his mother has been sexing the preacher, it just feels awkward. Are we supposed to like the mother that leaves her child rolling around the streets in a wheelchair at midnight while she is sleeping with a man she knows is a con artist? What kind of parent is that? And what kind of law enforcement officer is allowing herself to sleep with a huge threat to the town’s citizens?

Some will argue that the other supporting characters are not well-developed either, and I very much disagree. What’s interesting is that much of the character development happens through Slater’s lyrics than the book scenes. Kendra Kassebaum (Wicked), plays Jonas’ sister and partner in crime, Sam. She gets a lovely song in act 2 called “People Like Us” where she explains how she and her brother were left to fend for themselves as kids and why their bond is so strong. Kecia Lewis-Evans is amazing in the role of Ida Mae, the choir leader who is also cooking the books for the Nightengale operation. Her act 1 song, “Lost” is a great song about why it’s necessary to lie to protect the people you love, and perhaps even yourself. Leslie Odom Jr (Smash), is fantastic and in gorgeous voice as Isaiah, Ida Mae’s son who wants to follow in his father’s footsteps to be a “real” preacher, and despises the PT Barnum act that his mother participates in. Finally, there is a tremendous 11 o’ clock number, “Jonas’ Soliloquy”, where Jonas confronts his own crisis of faith. It’s a stirring performance by Esparza and he hits it out of the park. In a competitive year for men on Broadway, you have to believe Esparza is in line for a Tony nomination for this show.

Ultimately, Leap of Faith wants to tug at your heartstrings with a predictable ending that you see coming 20 minutes into the show. Because you know where it’s headed, the emotional payoff falls somewhat flat. To be honest,  Ghost is more likely to be the tear inducing musical of the season. However, if the final destination in Leap of Faith feels unsatisfying, at least Esparza and this amazing ensemble will make the journey there a fun ride.

Leave a comment if you see the show over the course of previews. I’m interested to see what changes are made.

“Hell on Earth” – The team begins their pursuit of a marquee star, as Eileen (Anjelica Huston) charges Tom and Julia (Christian Borle and Debra Messing) with finding a title for the newly reinvigorated musical. Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) find themselves in competition again — this time for an orange juice commercial. Relationship troubles abound, as Frank (Brian d’Arcy James) makes an unwelcome discovery. Jack Davenport, Raza Jaffrey and Jaime Cepero also star.

“Hell on Earth” Track-list:

“CHEERS (DRINK TO THAT)” featuring Katharine McPhee & Megan Hilty