Theatre Etiquette, Part OneEarlier this week, fellow blogger
Stephen Mosher described a positively horrendous incident that marred a recent performance of
Leslie Kritzer Is Patti LuPone At Les Mouches (at
Joe's Pub at
The Public Theater). Seems one of the audience members was beyond inebriated to the point where she made a complete spectacle of herself and severely detracted from Kritzer's act.
Oh, that it were just an isolated incident. Unfortunately, with increasing frequency, it does seem as though a diminishing number of theatregoers are mindful of their fellow patrons and instead act as though they're still in the comfort of their own living rooms. Ste, you've certainly touched a very raw nerve here!
In fact, the new Steve On Broadway (SOB) poll question to the right asks you to name the theatregoer behavior you find the most appalling. I invite you to vote and then provide your comments below.
Way too many individuals
still leave
their cell phones turned on. Do Broadway and Off-Broadway patrons even realize that New York City has a new law prohibiting that behavior? Even worse, some actually have the nerve to
talk on their mobiles or fiddle with their godforsaken
BlackBerrys during performances. This is beyond reproach. It's the height of rudeness. If I were a theatre owner, I'd make it impossible to get any cell phone reception in my theatre -- if they can do it in an elevator, why can't they do it in a theatre?
Others have the audacity to arrive to the theatre late. I have adored performers who have singled these folks out, including
Whoopi Goldberg and
Barry Humphries as
Dame Edna, who typically reminds these inconsiderates that if she can make it all the way from Down Under on time, they could certainly make it from halfway across town).
Still others insist upon talking above the din of the show. To infrequently whisper is one thing, but it's another to speak audibly so every one around you can hear your conversation. It's even worse if you happen to be prone to heckling or singing along with the performer. Quite frankly, I paid to see what's up
on the stage, not you! And if you're hard of hearing (as many in my family are), ask for a listening device rather than incessantly asking the person sitting next to you what the actors have just said.
Others -- despite the plea of most theatres to unwrap their hard candies before the performance -- stretch out their ritual of taking apart the cellophane because they somehow
misguidedly think that by doing it more
sloooooowly will lessen the noise (
WRONG!); and why do they always laugh when the announcer makes that plea in the first place? It's not meant to be a funny line.
Others go foraging through their bags
that make noise looking for things -- unless it's your glasses or listening device, you should be sitting back and enjoying the show.
Then there are those with the screaming kids. While I can understand any small child getting a bit fidgety during a performance, there's no excuse for parents who keep the screamers in their seats. Once they've made their voices heard, it's time for parents to head for the nearest exit door. I didn't pay $100 or more to have to listen to
that!
And don't let them kick the back of my seat, either!
And finally, speaking of theatre seats, I realize that many can seem downright constricting, but that is not an excuse for you to stretch your legs out into my similarly constrained space, nor is it an excuse for you to drape your coat over the back of your seat only for it to land squarely in my lap. Be considerate of those around you.
As I've shared with Ste, I honestly fear that the end of civilization is close at hand since fewer and fewer people understand that the first part of civilization is "civil," which according to
Webster means, "adequate in courtesy and politeness."
"Treat others the way you want to be treated" was the way I was brought up (and I come from a very meager middle-class background). Unfortunately, there appears to be a complete and utter lack of proper upbringing anymore
regardless of social stature. Instead self-absorption is (pardon me,
Bill Maher) today's
new rule.
Am I overreacting, or have I just touched the tip of the iceberg? You tell me!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Musical, Play, Theatre Etiquette
Did Critics Find Doyle's Latest Revival In Good Company?Last evening, British director
John Doyle's latest interpretation of a classic
Stephen Sondheim musical opened at Broadway's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
In a season where two of the Great White Way's biggest
recent classics opened to middling reviews (
A Chorus Line and
Les Misérables)
, critics weren't quick to embrace
Company, either. While Doyle surely hoped that they would place it in the company of several other truly great revivals, including Doyle's other reinterpretation of
Sweeney Todd, the word "lethargic" was used by more than one to describe the piece.
Describing the revival as "the chicest-looking production on Broadway,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley leads up to a mostly positive note: "Mr. Doyle’s
Company...isn’t the unconditional triumph that his
Sweeney Todd was, partly because the show itself is less of a fully integrated piece and partly because much of the acting is weaker....But they all blossom as musicians and singers of wit and substance. As soloists they’re more than adequate, but it’s their work as a team that sounds new depths in
Company in ways that get under your skin without your knowing it."
Confessing that he never really took to this Sondheim work,
Clive Barnes of the
New York Post offers up a three-star review: "[A]s we saw with Doyle's wonderful
Sweeney Todd last season, like those strippers in
Gypsy, he's a guy with a strangely workable gimmick....There's a lot to praise in
Company, especially Sondheim's compelling music and lyrics. Looking back, this was the musical in which Sondheim became indisputably Sondheim -- and the Broadway musical theater would never be the same again....Yet it remains a series of sketches about communication and marriage, sustained, albeit shakily, by a fantastic score."
Almost despite her three-star recommendation,
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner laments: "[W]hile Doyle's new
Company has a number of elements to recommend it, the whole is less than the sum of its considerable parts....But the show as a whole has not aged as well as its music, at least not judging by this interpretation....For all their elegant ennui and implied sexual quirks,
Company's urban sophisticates seem very much like the pre-baby boomers they technically are."
Calling the show "funereal,"
Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press is more emphaticly downbeat in his review: "[T]heatrical multitasking (actors as musicians) worked well for the grisly tale of
Todd, adding a weird dimension to the already creepy story of a murderous barber in 19th-century industrial London. With the more modern
Company...double duty seems unnecessary, a bit pretentious and limiting to the musical ambitions of Sondheim's fine score. As a result, the episodic sketches concocted by book writer
George Furth loom larger and more lethargically than in previous productions."
Calling the acting "bland" and the direction "lethargic," New York
Daily News'
Joe Dziemianowicz asks -- then answers -- a rhetorical question: "How do you take a ground-breaking Stephen Sondheim musical about commitment in the big city, with such a memorable score and murderous wit, and turn it into a suburban vanilla revue? Director John Doyle has managed that dubious feat with his new version of
Company."
One can't help but wonder how the general public will receive
Company if even the critics aren't strongly recommending it. Nonetheless, I'm scheduled to take in this revival (albeit late) come February -- I'll certainly let you know what I think of the production.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Another Company Opens For Business Tonight On Broadway (November 29, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Company, Critics' Capsule, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Vertical Hour's Clock Starts Ticking Tonight On BroadwayThis evening,
David Hare's latest work,
The Vertical Hour, opens at the
Music Box Theatre. Directed by
Sam Mendes, the play features two exceptionally gifted actors who are making their Broadway debuts:
Julianne Moore and
Bill Nighy.
Already a crowd favorite -- the show has enjoyed near-capacity audiences since previews began earlier this month -- the
timely drama centers on the post-9/11 world and perceptions abroad of Americans.
The Vertical Hour's limited engagement is set to run through April 1 and could become a very difficult ticket should critics, as expected, heap praise upon the show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Polls Close (But Another Opens) (November 10, 2006)
The Vertical Hour to Provide First Broadway Moments for Moore and Nighy (September 1, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Opening Night, Play, The Vertical Hour
Another Company Opens For Business Tonight On BroadwayWill lightning strike twice on the Great White Way for director
John Doyle?
That question will be answered overnight as
Company, his second Broadway revival of a
Stephen Sondheim musical, opens this evening at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Less than three months after his critically-acclaimed production of
Sweeney Todd closed, Doyle's re-envisioning of the 1971 Tony-winning Best Musical takes its bow with each of the actors doubling as its orchestra members.
Raúl Esparza leads the cast that includes
Keith Buterbaugh,
Matt Castle,
Robert Cunningham,
Angel Desai,
Kelly Jeanne Grant,
Kristin Huffman,
Amy Justman,
Heather Laws,
Leenya Rideout,
Fred Rose,
Bruce Sabath,
Elizabeth Stanley and
Barbara Walsh.
Although most castmembers are treading the boards of the Great White Way for the first time, Esparza is this show's Broadway veteran with many credentials under his belt. I first became aware of his amazing talent when he performed far from Broadway as Che in the 1999 touring production of
Evita opposite
Natalie Toro. I then saw him on Broadway as Riff Raff in the
sinsational 2000 revival of
The Rocky Horror Show. Over the past weekend,
The New York Times provided a riveting profile of this budding star completely worth the read.
Unfortunately, I missed Esparza's other three regular Broadway outings that included
Cabaret ,
Taboo and
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang -- the actor was a 2001 replacement for
Cabaret's Emcee (I had already seen the touring production with
Norbert Leo Butz in 2000), and I had also seen the earlier London mountings of the latter two shows prior to their Broadway incarnations. But I'm making it a point to see Esparza perform in the work that had critics flocking to Ohio to catch its auspicious debut at the
Cincinnati Playhouse.
While the concept of having actors doubling as orchestra was novel in
Sweeney Todd, will it continue to work in
Company? Find out tomorrow as I provide a capsule of critical commentary.
Click here for tickets. Related Stories:Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Company, Musical, Opening Night, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Holiday Telethon! Miss Richfield 1981 Saves Pageant TV (In Time For Christmas) (The SOB Review) - Illusion Theater, Minneapolis, MN*** (out of ****)Tradition is a hallmark of the Holidays.
For every "
Charlie Brown Christmas," there's a "
Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer." For every "
It's A Wonderful Life," there's "
A Christmas Story." For every "
Silent Night" there's
Adam Sandler's "
Hanukkah Song."
But in Minneapolis over the past eight years, for every
A Christmas Carol, there's
Miss Richfield 1981, putting on
her own unique blend of Holiday cheer for the adoring faithful.
This year is no different as America's extreme flipside to Australia's
Dame Edna is back in her own hometown starring in
Holiday Telethon! Miss Richfield 1981 Saves Pageant TV (In Time For Christmas). Yes, audiences pretty much know what to expect from this deluded would-be beauty maven, but Miss Richfield's alter ego Russ King, whom we're told has entertained audiences from P'town to Puerto Vallarta, has put just enough new mojo in MR81's tank to make for a wickedly funny Holiday
slay ride.
While Dame Edna is renowned for friendly banter with the world's rich and famous, along with her put-downs from the stratosphere, the homely Miss Richfield captivates from the ground up. Sure she delights her audiences with pointed barbs, but they're easily laughed off thanks to the inherent innocence of the hapless pageant queen from one of the Twin Cities' most ridiculed suburbs.
Thankfully, in this year's edition of her Holiday show, Miss Richfield provides us with a pictorial glimpse into how she won her crown 25 years ago when one of her competitors was twirling flaming batons only to set the taffeta dress of every contestant (save Miss Richfield) ablaze. So it's with that premise that she's determined to raise funds to memorialize televised beauty pageants 24/7 via a telethon.
Yes, there are plenty of funny bits, but the show transcends the silliness of its title premise when Miss Richfield works to make the yuletide gay for the mostly straight audience during the show's second act. Engaging virtually half the audience in her own hilariously funny version of the "Twelve Days Of Christmas," MR81 takes no prisoners as she sends up virtually every religious denomination. Even funnier is her bumbling effort to lead the audience in seasonal carols (I'll stop right there lest I give away the uproarious punchlines).
And traditions being what they are, Miss Richfield closes out her show with her beloved trademark handstand, accompanying
Natalie Cole's rendition of "Love." You simply have to see it to understand.
Is Miss Richfield's show for everyone? Well, if you're easily offended, the answer is no, and if you're only amused by high-minded comedy, this probably isn't for you, either. But if you enjoy broad humor from a wacky, quick-witted drag queen, then
Holiday Telethon! Miss Richfield 1981 Saves Pageant TV may be just the spice (or is that
spike??) needed to juice up your eggnog this Holiday season.
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Click here for tickets.Labels: Holiday Telethon, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Miss Richfield 1981 Saves Pageant TV (In Time For Christmas), Revue
Did Critics Enjoy Voyage's Ride?Last evening,
Voyage -- the first leg of
Tom Stoppard's epic trilogy
The Coast Of Utopia -- opened at
Lincoln Center. The first "act" opened to mostly enthusiastic reviews.
Calling the first installment "exhilarating,"
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times says that: "
Voyage pulses with the dizzying, spring-green arrogance and anxiety of a new generation moving as fast as it can as it tries to forge a future that erases the past....
Voyage is paced and defined by the quicksilver changes of mood and conviction that come from being young in a time of flux -- by the feeling that everything and nothing is possible."
Going four for four stars in proclaiming
Voyage "thrilling,"
New York Post's
Clive Barnes praises: "[F]orget what you may have heard about the plays: There is no required reading list, only a willingness to accept art as wondrously disordered as life. Stoppard has hit upon an enthralling, little-known story and deftly welded it into a soap opera for the thinking classes....[E]normous praise is due to (
Billy) Crudup's mousy-looking but valiant sketch of the great Russian critic Belinsky; (
Brían F.) O'Byrne's centered revolutionary, Herzen; and the shining-faced (
Jennifer) Ehle as the doomed, Chekovian-like Bakunin sister, Liubov."
David Rooney of
Variety notes that despite the running time, the play is anything but arduous: "
Jack O'Brien has swept away all sense of trepidation, providing thrilling assurance that this brawny, brainy dissertation could not be in more capable hands. There's more talk than drama spread across Stoppard's extended canvas, which certainly requires concentration. But regardless of one's interest in 19th century Russian history, the novelistic play is a spry, witty and thoroughly intriguing account of men and ideas."
Proclaiming the production both "tantalizing" and "passionate," the Associated Press'
Michael Kuchwara also provides a positive review: "You'll need to put on your thinking cap for this Lincoln Center Theater production. But don't be intimidated by the parade of big yet mostly unfamiliar (unless you're an expert on 19th-century Russian intellectuals) names and the even bigger ideas that Stoppard presents. In a work so large, it takes a while to get your bearings -- particularly when a dozen or so major characters are introduced in a swirl of activity. The evening's hero is apparent from the outset. It is director Jack O'Brien who marshals a cast of more than 30 actors with the skill of a general commanding the troops."
While conceding that the work is "brainy and complex," New York
Daily News'
Joe Dziemianowicz is less enthusiastic: "
Voyage is certainly packed -- with characters, big ideas, stunning visuals and, alas, vast stretches that can be tedious and emotionally frigid....Not all of it is scintillating. Nor do we come to care about the characters, even as they die or are exiled. That's a problem.
Voyage ultimately feels less like a cohesive story than a series of snapshots. But the snapshots are impressive."
If these reviews are a harbinger of critiques to come,
The Coast Of Utopia may very well need to extend its marathon season beyond its current sold-out status.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Coast Of Utopia Begins Broadway Voyage This Evening (November 27, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Play, The Coast Of Utopia, Tom Stoppard, Voyage
SOB Poll: Most Readers Hope To Step In Time With Mary PoppinsIt's been less than two weeks since
Mary Poppins landed on Broadway. While critics were wildly all over the board in their reviews, it appears that most readers of Steve On Broadway could care less what they've said as more than three-quarters of you (79.2%) plan to see the new stage musical adaptation.
Given the response from some critics and bloggers, I was surprised that only 14.4% of you said you weren't planning to see the show. Of that figure, 11.5% of you indicated you had already seen
Mary Poppins either in previews or in London; the remaining 2.9% of you said that it didn't interest you. Another 11.4% of you said that you might see the tuner, but "it's not at the top of my list."
Admittedly, I have a soft spot in my heart for the magic of
Mary Poppins. In fact, I'm one of those 17.1% who said I planned on seeing the show even though I've already seen it (in my case, I first saw the great nanny in London). Other bloggers whose opinions I respect are certainly weighing-in with their
Mary Poppins experiences, ranging from
Stephen Mosher who clearly loved the show to
Chris Caggiano who makes no bones about hating it.
Of course,
Tarzan -- Disney's other new Broadway offering for the year -- still manages to sell nearly four out of five seats despite the
near-universal pans it received after its May debut. Could it be that Disney productions are simply critic
and blogger-proof?
P.S. There's still time to vote in my Thanksgiving poll along the right-hand column that asks, "For which U.S. show opening during 2006 are you personally most thankful?"
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Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Did Critics Find Mary Poppins Practically Perfect? (November 17, 2006)
Mary Poppins' Flight On Broadway Begins Tonight (November 16, 2006)
Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2006)
Survey Says.... (October 23, 2006)
Mary Poppins Lands Top Five Capacity Spot With Broadway Debut (October 17, 2006)
Which New Broadway Musical Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 16, 2006)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
Rejoice! Gavin Lee to Cross Atlantic for Mary Poppins on Broadway (May 8, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Disney Moves from Continent to Continent (May 22, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Film, London, Mary Poppins, Musical, SOB Poll
Coast Of Utopia Begins Broadway Voyage This EveningTonight,
Voyage -- the first part of
Tom Stoppard's mammoth
The Coast Of Utopia -- begins its journey on the Great White Way at the
Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont.
Directed by
Jack O'Brien, the trilogy will continue to unfold over the next couple of months in
Shipwreck and
Salvage. While the entire, sold-out marathons will extend to a full eight hours when fully presented in February,
Voyage consists of a mere three hours.
Lincoln Center describes
Voyage as:
Stoppard’s nod to (Anton) Chekhov set at the grand Russian countryside estate of the Bakunin family. Four eligible sisters are under the sway of their charismatic brother, Michael, who interferes in their lives, while fervently seeking a greater purpose in his own. As his political and philosophical journey unfolds, Bakunin’s compatriots will include Vissarion Belinsky, George Herwegh, Karl Marx, Nicholas Ogarev, Nicholas Stankevich, Ivan Turgenev and, of particular note, the visionary leader Alexander Herzen.
New York critics have traditionally heaped laurel after laurel upon Stoppard's previous works, so it will be quite interesting to see how well they receive the first leg of this odyssey with
Voyage.
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Click here for tickets.Labels: Broadway, Opening Night, Play, The Coast Of Utopia, Voyage
Sadly, Bells Are Ringing For Betty ComdenIt's been reported that
Betty Comden died of heart failure yesterday. Comden will certainly be remembered as one of American musical theatre's most prolific and acclaimed writers and performers.
Born in Brooklyn as Elizabeth Cohen on May 3, 1917 (although different years are cited by various sources), Comden was a slice of New York life, celebrating her hometown in countless works. Most certainly, she personified the can-do, urbane spirit of post-World War II women in American society.
Working not only with her longtime partner
Adolph Green (pictured together above), but also with the likes of such legends as
George Abbott,
Leonard Bernstein and
Jerome Robbins to name just a few, Comden earned a whopping seven Tony Awards out of a grand total of twelve nominations -- a pretty impressive track record.
She contributed to some of the following best-known musicals of the last sixty-plus years, including:
On The Town (1944)
Wonderful Town (1953) - won a Tony for Best Musical
Peter Pan (1954)
Bells Are Ringing (1956)
Do-Re-Mi (1960)
Hallelujah! Baby (1968) - won Tonys for Best Musical and Best Composer & Lyricist
Applause (1970) - won a Tony for Best Musical
On The Twentieth Century (1978) - won Tonys for Best Original Score and Best Book
Will Roger's Follies (1991) - won a Tony for Best Original Score
Comden's amazing wit and style will be sorely missed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Betty Comden, Broadway, In Memoriam, Musical
When Two Minus One Equals ZeroWednesday, it was announced that the celebrated
Jay Johnson: The Two And Only has posted its closing notices. But whether its final performance at the
Helen Hayes Theatre falls on November 26 or December 3 depends on immediate box office demand.
Not even a last-minute $2 per seat ploy earlier this week could improve overall ticket sales, which have been stuck in the doldrums from the start. Ironically, even though this show never attracted more than 30% capacity, it received some of the most consistently positive reviews of the year.
Fortunately,
Jay Johnson: The Two And Only will live beyond Broadway as it goes on tour beginning this spring in
Johnson's hometown of Dallas.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Were Critics Knocking Wood on Two And Only? (September 29, 2006)
A Twofer Opening (September 28, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Jay Johnson: The Two And Only, Play
Happy Thanksgiving From Steve On Broadway!Tomorrow marks the American Thanksgiving Day Holiday. This proud tradition had its auspicious roots in 1621 when English settlers in Plymouth (in what is now Massachusetts) shared their harvest dinner with the Wampanoag Indians -- only that feast was never repeated. So much for tradition!
In fact, it wasn't until after the Revolutionary War that President
George Washington first declared a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. In 1863 in the midst of the Civil War, President
Abraham Lincoln initiated the annual observance by designating the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving. Finally, in 1939, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt is credited as setting the fourth Thursday of each November as the official Thanksgiving Holiday, which Congress approved in 1941 and we observe to this day.
Personally, I am thankful for so much. I feel enormously blessed for my family and friends, but I'm particularly grateful to live in a nation where freedom of speech enables us to share our points of view with each other. Thankfully, dissent is alive and well, and often finds its roots in the arts. Theatre contributes tremendously to the national discourse, and whether we agree or disagree with its messages, we should cherish
and never take for granted the critical role theatre traditionally plays in often shaping and leading the discussion.
Naturally, another major tradition for millions of Americans has been a journey to New York for the annual
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will march for its 80th year down Broadway. The parade helps serve as a showcase for the Great White Way, and it's a certainty that Broadway shows will see a spike in attendance over the next few days.
But now that
Macy's parent company,
Federated Department Stores, has gobbled up some of the country's most beloved, venerable department store brands like Marshall Field's, Filene's, Kaufmann's and Meier & Frank's,
and transformed them all into Macy's -- much to the chagrin and irritation of countless shoppers nationally -- Macy's will no doubt use this year's parade to win the hearts and dollars of Americans one day prior to the busiest shopping day of the year. According to a story in this morning's
The Wall Street Journal, Macy's rebranding "is off to a rocky start." Something tells me that they'll have to go beyond merely staging what's become a national parade to overcome the stone hearts they've created.
Happy Thanksgiving!*
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route information.*Since I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving with family, there will be no Steve On Broadway (SOB) postings on the Holiday.Labels: Broadway, Freedom Of Speech, Holiday, Special Messages
Brooks Atkinson To Get Space(y)d Out With Moon For The MisbegottenLook for the critically-acclaimed London revival of
Eugene O'Neill's
A Moon For The Misbegotten to transfer to the Great White Way's
Brooks Atkinson Theatre this March, with opening night set for April 9.
Academy and Tony Award-winning actor
Kevin Spacey will perform in the fifth Broadway incarnation of the drama along with his London co-stars
Eve Best and
Colm Meaney.
The new revival will mark the 50th anniversary since the show first appeared on the Great White Way in 1957, coming four year's after O'Neill's death.
That production only lasted 68 performances, but featured
Wendy Hiller, who received the mounting's sole Tony nomination.
The
first revival came at the close of 1973 with such high profile names as
Jason Robards,
Colleen Dewhurst and
Ed Flanders attached to it; the latter two actors earned two of the acclaimed production's four Tony Awards. All totaled, the production enjoyed 313 regular performances.
Kate Nelligan received a Tony nomination with 1984's
second revival that had just 40 regular performances.
More recently,
Gabriel Byrne and
Cherry Jones headlined the
Daniel Sullivan-helmed
2000 revival that garnered four Tony nominations;
Roy Dotrice won a Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play. That revival enjoyed 120 regular performances at the
Walter Kerr Theatre.
Will American critics warm to this latest revival? Or does it come too close on the heels of the 2000 revival? Stay tuned!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Old Vic tickets.Labels: A Moon For The Misbegotten, Broadway, First Word On New Show, London, Play, Revival
Artistic Differences Celebrated: Blanchett & Upton Take Over Sydney Theatre CompanyConsider this week's opening of the double bill at Australia's
Sydney Theatre Company as its precursor to life with acclaimed actress
Cate Blanchett and her husband, writer
Andrew Upton. Saturday evening marks opening night Down Under for the dynamic artistic duo's direction of two short plays presented in tandem:
David Mamet's
Reunion with
Harold Pinter's
A Kind Of Alaska.
Upton helms the first play, while Blanchett directs the second.
But if you're a Cate Blanchett fan and want to see the considerable magic she's able to cast over a live audience with her
acting, you'll want to consider planning a trip to Sydney come January of 2008. That's when she and Upton will begin joint duties serving as the Sydney Theatre Company's artistic directors. The two will not only steer its programming, but they also expect to be acting and writing for the company. While described as full-time positions, each will have up to three months every year to pursue other interests, presumably including film acting for the Academy Award-winning actress.
Reunion / A Kind Of Alaska will play at Wharf I of the Sydney Theatre Company through January 14, 2007. I'll be in the audience for this dual presentation in late December and report on the show then.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #3 – Hedda Gabler (Brooklyn Academy of Music – Harvey Theatre, New York, NY) (May 25, 2006)
Labels: A Kind Of Alaska, Australia, Cate Blanchett, Play, Reunion
Can Porter's Can-Can-Do Spirit Fill Pasadena Playhouse's National Ambitions?According to
Phil Gallo of
Variety, the Left Coast's
Pasadena Playhouse is feverishly trying to cement a national reputation as the perfect home for gestating Broadway shows.
While it already counts
John Patrick Shanley's
Doubt as one of its own -- and it's looking to
Sister Act to make it a habit -- Gallo is reporting that the Pasadena Playhouse's Artistic Director
Sheldon Epps now has his eyes set on reviving
Cole Porter's
Can-Can for the Rose Bowl's hometown and beyond.
It's been 53 years since
Can-Can made its Broadway debut. The Parisian-themed musical was a rousing success in 1953 through 1955, winning Tonys for the legendary
Gwen Verdon and choreographer
Michael Kidd. The production lasted 892 regular performances at the
Shubert Theatre (the
only Broadway
revival in 1981 lasted a scant five performances).
Not only has Epps already secured the rights, along with necessary cash, to move forward with his "re-envisioning" of
Can-Can, but he's also engaged
David Lee to write its new libretto (Lee wrote 41 episodes of television's "
Frasier"). Apparently, the only thing left for Epps to do is find a second theatre willing to help launch this revival to national prominence -- something his
Sister Act production has already achieved. That current Pasadena Playhouse production, which has extended performances through December 17, is slated to transfer this January to Atlanta's
Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff, the theatre that launched
The Color Purple last year.
Rest assured I'll be following the progression of
Can-Can, along with Sheldon Epps' can-do spirit.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Sister Act tickets at Pasadena Playhouse.Click here for Sister Act tickets at Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff.Related Stories:Did Critics Think This Sister Had Its Act Together? (November 6, 2006)
Labels: California, Can-Can, Cole Porter, First Word On New Show, Los Angeles, Musical, Revival, Sister Act
SOB Readers Doubt Pirate Queen Will FloatDespite the much ballyhooed addition of
Richard Maltby, Jr. and
Graciela Daniele to
The Pirate Queen's creative team, a plurality of you (48%) think it's doubtful at best that they'll be able to salvage the show in time for its Broadway run, while another 12% are even less certain. All that according to a Steve On Broadway poll asking whether you thought they would succeed in saving the show.
Personally, I'm among the 24% who think the jury is still out. Maltby and Daniele have had their share of hits
and misses. On the plus side, Maltby has
Miss Saigon and
Fosse to his credit, but he also had such misfires as
Big and
Ring Of Fire. Daniele had a huge hand in
Ragtime 's ultimate success and helmed the last revival of
Annie Get Your Gun, but unfortunately,
Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life didn't have longlasting legs.
Being the eternal optimist that I am, I never wish failure on any show. But unless the producers are prepared to throw much of their Chicago tryout overboard, the Broadway production is still likely to sink.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Bailing Out A Sinking Pirate (November 15, 2006)
Critics Assail The Pirate Queen (October 31, 2006)
The Pirate Queen (The SOB Review) – Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago, IL (October 30, 2006)
The Pirate Queen Sails Into Chicago Opening Tonight (October 29, 2006)
Pirate Queen to Sail Into Broadway's Hilton Theatre (July 27, 2006)
The Pirate Queen Musical to Sail Into Chicago This Fall (May 15, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chicago, Musical, SOB Poll
Happy Anniversary, Mid Hudson Valley Theater Blog!It's not every day that I salute another theatre blogger, but congratulations are in order to Erica and Gale at the
Mid Hudson Valley Theater Blog as they observe the first anniversary of their site.
MHVTB is ostensibly about "Community Theater in the Mid Hudson Valley of New York. Information on shows, auditions, and our general adventures onstage, backstage and in the audience." Yet, it goes well beyond just this slice of Upstate New York -- full histories on many shows like
Chicago have kept me coming back, along with insightful, thought-provoking discussions on everything from
product placements in shows to
stunt-casting to the
battle over cell phone use in theatres.
I first became aware of the site in early July via a
Technorati search on
The Light In The Piazza and came across the
MHVTB story on the musical's departure from Broadway. Now, I not only find myself commenting on items there, but I'm proud that Erica regularly reciprocates on stories here. Even if I'm providing no comment, I still make it a point to visit this terrific blog every day.
Happy anniversary, Mid Hudson Valley Theater Blog! Here's to many more!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Broadway, Off-Broadway
Angelina Jolie Is A Zionist Whore! Or, Plan 9 From Baghdad (The SOB Review) - Bryant Lake Bowl Cabaret Theater, Minneapolis, MN**1/2 (out of ****)As incendiary as its title is, perhaps another more appropriate subtitle for this droll, rapid fire satire on the insurgency in Iraq could be "Out of the mouths of boobs."
Director and playwright
James Vculek has made a name for himself at film festivals worldwide for his quirky little award-winning film "
Two Harbors." Further burnishing his idiosyncratic credentials, Vculek becomes provocateur in suggesting a rampant incongruity among even the most incompetent "hapless boobs" within insurgent cells and their interest in all things West. Whether they're musing about the long-term prospects of the eponymous actress with
Brad Pitt or the
strategery linked to
Ed Wood's infamous sci-fi movie -- or even wearing an ironic "I [heart] New York" T-shirt -- this comedy keeps the laughs coming.
And if this bungling trio of would-be kidnapper insurgents doesn't cause you to recollect the antics of Colonel Klink & Co. from "
Hogan's Heroes," perhaps -- in a most ironic twist -- you'll be reminded of a certain Administration steadfastly requiring suspensions of belief to trust their leader's modus operandi.
In this case, a cell in "the fifth year of the insurgency" attempts to regroup after their last kidnapping attempt has been botched. Seems the video their leader Samir (
Steve Lattery, looking and sounding more like a U.S. Marine than an Iraqi) shot simply wasn't good enough for
Al Jazeera. His every dictate is questioned by cohorts Bashir (precision-perfect Sam Landman) and Margaret -- yes, Margaret, thanks to her parents' schooling in England (played with winning conviction by Alayne Hopkins) -- although she would prefer to be called "Revolutionary Sister in Jihad Suba," but must settle for simply Suba. All three are largely fearful that their ongoing ineptitude will result in their selection for suicide martyrdom.
In the midst of their arguments walks in American "
Food Network" correspondent Wheeler (played with great gusto and bombast by
Alex Cole) looking literally and figuratively for a pot to pee in. While the triumvirate take Wheeler hostage, they learn that if they can produce a more air-worthy video of a kidnapping victim, Al Jazeera might just broadcast it thanks to a last minute opening on its news schedule. As the captors practically beg Wheeler for his cooperation during their taping, he becomes their worst nightmare.
Without spoiling the plot, suffice it to say that the show concludes with what amounts to a terrorist blooper reel as the trio tries to meet the Arab television network's deadline.
Clocking in at a mere 65 minutes (counting the video sequence
and ten-minute intermission), it often seems as though you're watching an extended version of a clever "
Saturday Night Live" sketch. There's little in terms of character development as all four roles remain solidly one-dimensional. Although perhaps that was the intent since this is an inside-out parody of the Bush White House. Nevertheless, even if the title makes you wince, this
Angelina Jolie offers up some smart dialogue and plenty of laughs.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Play, The SOB Review
LoveMusik To Play On Broadway This SpringAs
noted here nearly two weeks ago, when award-winning playwright
Alfred Uhry was introduced during his recent appearance at Minneapolis'
Guthrie Theater, it was announced that he had written the book for a new musical
LoveMusik, which supposedly would have its debut on Broadway this spring. In fact, it was also mentioned that the tuner would be helmed by legendary director
Hal Prince. Of course, that was the first I had heard of this new show.
Now comes official word that the
Manhattan Theatre Club will host that premiere. And what a starry affair it promises to be as both
Michael Cerveris and
Donna Murphy will headline the story in the roles of
Kurt Weill and
Lotte Lenya, respectively. Weill's music will also be featured.
LoveMusik is slated to open at the
Biltmore Theatre on May 3, 2007 -- just in time for Tony consideration. If this proves to be a critical success, this year's Tony competition will only intensify as one of the strongest years for new musicals over the past couple decades.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for information on the Manhattan Theatre Club.Related Stories:Driving Alfred Uhry (November 6, 2006)
Labels: Alfred Uhry, Broadway, First Word On New Show, Musical
Poll Results Don't Seek To Turn Back TimesAfter it was
announced last week that the
Bob Dylan-inspired
Twyla Tharp production of
The Times They Are A-Changin' was closing, I asked via the Steve On Broadway poll whether you were disappointed.
An overwhelming 86.6% of you indicated that you were not. Exactly half of you said you "thought it was a bad premise from the start," while another 33.3% replied that you simply "don't like jukebox musicals."
Fair enough, although I was clearly in the minority in saying I had hoped to see it (of course, I'd like to see
everything if given the chance...). Only 13.4% of us indicated we were disappointed. Of the 10% of you who had actually seen the show, 6.7% thought it deserved a wider audience.
The Times They Are A-Changin' closes this Sunday after a mere 27 regular performances.
With the closing of this poll, there are two other ones available for your opinion. One asks whether you plan to see
Mary Poppins, while the other asks if the additions of
Richard Maltby, Jr. and
Graciela Daniele to the production of
The Pirate Queen are enough for the show to succeed on Broadway. As always, feel free to share your comments after you vote!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Times They Are A-Changin' tickets.Related Stories:Polls Close (But Another Opens) (November 10, 2006)
SOB Readers Produce Results For Pulling Plug (November 7, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Which New Broadway Play Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 27, 2006)
Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2007)
Which Current Broadway Musical Would You Pull The Plug On? (October 22, 2006)
Which New Broadway Musical Revival Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 19, 2006)
Which New Broadway Musical Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 16, 2006)
Take The Steve On Broadway (SOB) Poll (October 15, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Musical, SOB Poll
Did Critics Find Mary Poppins Practically Perfect?Last evening, the eagerly-anticipated Disney-
Cameron Mackintosh stage production of
Mary Poppins opened on Broadway, and critics were all over the board ranging from pure delight to clear disdain.
Offering up a rare four stars,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes raves: "
Mary Poppins was fine as a Disney movie and is even better as this Broadway musical, imported sound and whole from London's West End. Let's play cute and call it...supercalifragilisticexpialidocious....
Mary Poppins looks and sounds complete -- a perfectly engineered piece of musical theater."
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News provides his own laurels: "It is a roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza....
Ashley Brown is a joy to watch as the enigmatic nanny who helps the Banks family...realize how much they need each other. Brown had me from hello -- well, from, 'Jane, don't stare, and close your mouth, Michael. We are not a codfish.' She plays Mary as stern and steely, but always has a bewitching twinkle in her eye. She sings, acts and dances gorgeously.
Gavin Lee...is just as captivating....Whether you're 7 or 70,
Mary Poppins is a jolly holiday -- and you'll be glad you took it."
Taking note of the storyline's "dramatic heft,"
Richard Zoglin of
Time heaps on the praise: "
Mary Poppins is not just a big, eye-pleasing production; it's Disney's most endearing, human-scaled and emotionally satisfying musical yet....The show strikes a nice balance between stage dazzle...and dramatic heft with a script (by '
Gosford Park' screenwriter
Julian Fellowes) that goes beyond the movie, adding material from other
Travers stories....This Mary becomes a show less about children than about the loss of childhood -- and about how adults learn to be parents. Which is just what a big show needs: a big subject."
Calling
Mary Poppins "fun," "tasty" and "expertly grafted," the Associated Press'
Michael Kuchwara is equally dazzled: "[L]arge, and we do mean LARGE, production numbers...comprise the adventures instigated by
Mary Poppins, portrayed with charm and crisp vocal power by a lovely Ashley Brown....That this human and humane story shines through all the dazzling theatrical effects demonstrates the potency of its emotional impact."
Despite calling the show a bit "overstuffed,"
Variety's
David Rooney is mostly positive, saying that
Mary Poppins "is also bursting with dazzling stagecraft, stunning design, old-fashioned storytelling virtues and genuine charm....Principals and ensemble are solid all around, with (
Daniel) Jenkins providing emotional ballast as George, whose sensitization is the story's central journey. But without detracting from the engaging Brown, the show's guiding spirit is Gavin Lee's Bert, the original London cast's sole carryover."
Calling the production both "lavish and loving,"
Christopher Rawson at the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is effusive: "[H]ere the Disney empire on which the sun never sets is on its best creative behavior. This is the good Disney....Mackintosh and company have taken care to populate this set with actual people, in the persons of the troubled Banks family, without whose substance the magical nanny and chimney sweep would be pyrotechnics empty of feeling....Ashley Brown is a skillful, starchy Mary with a lovely voice....Gavin Lee's Bert has an angular charm right in the
Ray Bolger-
Dick Van Dyke tradition."
Calling the show "darker and blander" than the movie,
Newsday's
Linda Winer is more critical: "
Mary Poppins...is a quaint, muddled, beautiful-looking musical with plenty of spectacle but even more emotional distance....Though not as charming as Julie Andrews, Ashley Brown makes a brisk and substantial Mary Poppins....The name to remember, however, is Gavin Lee....As Bert, the genial chimney sweep, he manages a jaunty tap dance that takes him up the walls and upside-down on the ceiling. As repository of such lines as 'Chim Chim Cher-ee,' Lee treats such original songs, by
Richard M. Sherman and
Robert B. Sherman, as classics."
Calling the show "handsome, homily-packed and rather tedious,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley predictably pans the show: "When I saw it in London two years ago,
Mary Poppins was a show divided between its shadowy id and its can-do super-ego, which set the prescriptions of self-help books to music. In New York it is made clear that the heart of this show is not in the starry skies to which Mary ascends in the finale -- or even among the rooftops where Mary’s B.F.F., Bert (Gavin Lee), works as a chimney sweep -- but somewhere closer to the kitchen sink."
Lest anyone reading this has a knee-jerk reaction to all things Disney and automatically dismisses this
Mary Poppins, writer
Jim Hill offers a fascinating, in-depth behind the scenes examination of how this miraculous show finally made its way to the stage; his story is definitely required reading.
As I've
previously noted, I loved the London production and thought it was
the best show I saw during the 2004-05 Theatrical Season. I already have my tickets for the Broadway incarnation in January, and I'm truly excited by the prospect of revisiting this show to see whether it stacks up against what I saw across the pond. Naturally, you can expect my own review shortly thereafter.
But in the meantime, I invite you to cast your vote in the latest Steve On Broadway poll on the right-hand side to tell me whether you'll see
Mary Poppins.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Mary Poppins' Flight On Broadway Begins Tonight (November 16, 2006)
Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2006)
Survey Says.... (October 23, 2006)
Mary Poppins Lands Top Five Capacity Spot With Broadway Debut (October 17, 2006)
Which New Broadway Musical Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 16, 2006)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
Rejoice! Gavin Lee to Cross Atlantic for Mary Poppins on Broadway (May 8, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Disney Moves from Continent to Continent (May 22, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Mary Poppins, Musical
The Sound Of Praise Almost despite its dubious beginnings in a British
reality series in which its Maria came out of nowhere (OK, so Belfast
is somewhere!),
Andrew Lloyd Webber's
The Sound Of Music apparently has disproved the naysayers by hitting all the right notes.
Offering up a four out of five star review,
The Times' self-described
Sound Of Music "nerd"
Benedict Nightingale sings the show's praises: "
Connie Fisher overcame a nervy start...to give a fine singing and even acting performance as the nun turned governess and governess turned wife, Maria. And
Alexander Hanson was so sound as her employer turned husband, Captain von Trapp, that he could have been playing the role for as long as box-office success will surely compel him to perform it. Add
Lesley Garrett as a Mother Superior with a voice so ample and rich that it shrinks the Palladium to the size of the Black Hole of Calcutta, and she, Fisher and Hanson could be in their jobs for years."
Also providing four out of five stars is
The Guardian's
Michael Billington, who sounds a sweet note: "[W]hatever one thinks of the process of casting a lead role through a TV elimination game, the truth is that Connie Fisher ('the people's Maria') occupies the Palladium stage with absolute confidence and winning charm....As for the musical itself, I found it surprisingly enjoyable."
Paul Taylor of
The Independent clearly concurs: "She's enchantingly fresh and ardent and she sings with a voice that can range from piping purity to soft tenderness. That's the test : you want her to be your naughty big sister and your reliable mother combined....Climb every mountain? Sure, and after this show you'll want to do a little dance, too, on the summit."
Admitting that his "eyes were often unexpectedly filled with tears,"
Charles Spencer of
The Telegraph absolutely gushes: "Connie Fisher...makes an absolutely enchanting Maria in
Jeremy Sams's opulent production, handsomely designed by
Robert Jones, that pays
Rodgers and
Hammerstein the compliment of taking the musical seriously, never once descending into camp. Indeed...this is a show whose time has surely come again."
Despite awarding only three out of five stars,
The Evening Standard's
Nicholas de Jongh confesses, "I saw the light. I at last understood what drives plenty of adults, as well as youngsters, to go wild with pleasure over
The Sound Of Music.... Although Fisher's Maria pleased me,
The Sound Of Music sadly leaves me unstirred."
Well, if this much praise can be heaped on a stage show whose central character has been found via a reality TV show, perhaps it will attract individuals who never would have thought of taking in a theatrical production before. And maybe, just maybe, some of them will bring along -- and inspire -- their children, who will gain an affinity for the magic that can only be found in live theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:It's A Reality: The Sound Of Music Revival Comes Alive In London Tonight (November 15, 2006)
I've Got Chills, They're Multiplying: NBC Reality Show to Cast Grease (August 8, 2006)
The Hills Were Almost Alive with the Sound of Johansson (July 27, 2006)
Music to London Palladium's Ears (May 17, 2006)
Labels: Critics' Capsule, London, Musical, Revival
Mary Poppins' Flight On Broadway Begins TonightNearly two years ago,
Cameron Mackintosh and Disney joined forces on London's West End in recreating a
Mary Poppins that was much more in line with author
P.L. Travers' original artistic vision than its
silver screen incarnation. The resulting stage sensation received eight Olivier Award nominations, including for Best New Musical , and captured two awards for Best Actress in a Musical (
Laura Michelle Kelly) and Best Choreography (
Matthew Bourne).
Now, after a month of previews at Broadway's
New Amsterdam Theatre, the
U.S. production makes its official bow this evening. Included in the staging is
Gavin Lee, who originated the role of chimney sweep Bert in London; Lee was nominated for an Olivier, in part because of his captivating upside-down dancing "on" (under?) the theatre's proscenium. Alongside him will be
Ashley Brown in the title role.
It was nearly impossible to find a ticket to
Mary Poppins after it opened in London, but the stateside version has only been showing to an average capacity of around 90%. Will all that change once the reviews come out tomorrow? Or will critics pooh-pooh one of the most beloved of British imports landing on the Great White White?
My prediction is that Ben Brantley of
The New York Times will repeat his decidedly
negative review of the London show, which he called, "bizarrely ambivalent." However, I'm confident that critics will not be calling this "Mary Floppins" as suggested by
Michael Riedel of the
New York Post.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2006)
Survey Says.... (October 23, 2006)
Mary Poppins Lands Top Five Capacity Spot With Broadway Debut (October 17, 2006)
Which New Broadway Musical Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 16, 2006)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
Rejoice! Gavin Lee to Cross Atlantic for Mary Poppins on Broadway (May 8, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Disney Moves from Continent to Continent (May 22, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Mary Poppins, Musical, Opening Night
Bailing Out A Sinking PirateIt's been just over two weeks since the disastrous opening for
The Pirate Queen during its pre-Broadway Chicago tryout. That was when practically every review, including
mine, exposed gaping holes that needed to be fixed before it was Broadway-worthy.
In what must have seemed like an eternity to those associated with the show, the tide may finally be turning in a favorable direction as
Richard Maltby, Jr. and
Graciela Daniele are apparently now on board, ready to try saving this sinking ship. Officially,
Frank Galati is still at the helm of this musical.
Having written the lyrics for
Miss Saigon, Maltby is no stranger to
The Pirate Queen's composers
Alain Boublil and
Claude-Michel Schönberg. He's been drafted to work on the book and lyrics. Meanwhile, Daniele is credited by many for salvaging Galati's only other Broadway musical
Ragtime (he was sacked before
Suessical ever
opened) -- while she was credited only as that show's choreographer, insiders say it was
her vision for the direction that ultimately prevailed.
While neither is officially at the helm of
The Pirate Queen, their expertise is reportedly very welcome. But will it be enough to bail out Galati's multi-million dollar production?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Critics Assail The Pirate Queen (October 31, 2006)
The Pirate Queen (The SOB Review) – Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago, IL (October 30, 2006)
The Pirate Queen Sails Into Chicago Opening Tonight (October 29, 2006)
Pirate Queen to Sail Into Broadway's Hilton Theatre (July 27, 2006)
The Pirate Queen Musical to Sail Into Chicago This Fall (May 15, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chicago, Musical
It's A Reality: The Sound Of Music Revival Comes Alive In London TonightAndrew Lloyd Webber's new West End revival of
The Sound Of Music, which had its genesis in the British reality show, "
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?" opens this evening.
You'll recall that the reality show was used as a competition to find the revival's lead actress among some 6,000 would-be Marias.
Connie Fisher, a Belfast-born 23 year old telesalesperson, won the coveted role.
Perhaps the same technique should have been employed for finding the tuner's Captain Von Trapp. The show made recent headlines for the hasty departure of its captain,
Simon Shepherd, who left the production after just two performances. He has been replaced by
Alexander Hanson.
What will the critics make of the novel star search? Will it matter? Find out tomorrow when the reviews come alive.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:I've Got Chills, They're Multiplying: NBC Reality Show to Cast Grease (August 8, 2006)
The Hills Were Almost Alive with the Sound of Johansson (July 27, 2006)
Music to London Palladium's Ears (May 17, 2006)
Labels: London, Musical, Opening Night, Revival
West End Transfer Of Frost/Nixon Opens This EveningAfter completing a celebrated run at London's
Donmar Warehouse,
Frost/Nixon is now a West End show with its opening set for tonight at the Gielgud Theatre. Reprising their roles are
Michael Sheen as
David Frost and
Frank Langella as
Richard Nixon.
Frost/Nixon is based on the famous television interviews by the British talk show host of the only U.S. President to ever resign. The West End production will only enjoy a limited run through February 3, 2007 before transferring to Broadway in time for Tony consideration; however, a theatre home on the Great White Way has yet to be named.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Critics Find Frost/Nixon to Be Unimpeachable (August 23, 2006)
London's Frost/Nixon Opens Tonight (August 23, 2006)
Sheen/Langella to Portray Frost/Nixon in London (June 2, 2006)
Labels: London, Opening Night, Play, Transfer
Chess (The SOB Review) - The Hennepin Stages, Minneapolis, MN**1/2 (out of ****)What happens when a not so good show happens to exceptionally good people? Well, in the case of the Minneapolis Musical Theatre's current production of
Chess, you end up rooting for the players in spite of the material.
Make no mistake, this contrived 80s musical from
Tim Rice,
Richard Nelson and
ABBA alums
Benny Andersson and
Björn Ulvaeus is far from perfect with its boy-meets-girl, boy-falls-for-girl, boy-tries-defecting-for-girl, boy-gives-up scenario. Almost laughable is its determination to bring intrigue and love to a Cold War
Chess competition between an arrogant American and tender, romantic Russian who falls for his nemesis' galpal. Yet, with the breathtaking array of talent overflowing on this tiny Minneapolis stage, I was struck by the sheer honesty
and pipes of its remarkable cast.
In the role of Russian chess player Anatoly Sergievsky, Thomas Karki excels in one of the most genuinely heartfelt performances on stage this year. And what a spinetingling voice! Karki's Sergievsky opens a rare window into the heart and soul of the oft-maligned Russian people. Karki deserves to be seen by a wider audience, although I hope that day will come via better material.
There are other noteworthy standouts in this surprisingly large cast. The gorgeous, big-voiced Emily Brooke Hansen is Sergievsky's love interest Florence Vassy; Hansen rivals
Céline Dion in delivery of one heartbreaking tune after another. Joseph Bombard, as American chess champion manager Walter DeCourcey, not only sings with a gifted comic voice, but has acting chops to match, as well as with some of the most wonderfully expressive eyes around that make you forget this show is drivel.
I'd be remiss not to mention the sizable talents of Marissa Joy Selvig as Sergievsky's estranged wife Svetlana -- who's brought to Bangkok to plead for the Russian to come back to the Soviet side -- and Michael Jurenek as Sergievsky's keeper Alexander Molokov.
But is all this exceptional talent enough to lift this musical to the stratosphere? Sadly no. There are some near-misses like Tim Kuehl's abbrasive American Freddie Trumper, who fails to deliver in the tuner's most widely-known song "One Night In Bangkok," along with a few of the score's high notes.
Yet, I couldn't walk away from this production's noble attempt to rise above
Chess' dubious material with anything but admiration. Under the notable direction of Steven Meerdink, they've succeeded in elevating a sub-par musical to the status of net-plus.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Thank You For The Music: Happy Anniversary, Mamma Mia! (October 18, 2
Labels: Chess, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, Revival, The SOB Review
Did Little Dog Enjoy Last Laugh With Critics?Last evening, one of Off-Broadway's more celebrated plays from the past season completed its transfer to the Great White Way as
Douglas Carter Beane's
The Little Dog Laughed opened at the
Cort Theatre. The reviews are mostly favorable.
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News is downright jubilant: "Shout hallelujah for Douglas Carter Beane's satiric fable
The Little Dog Laughed, which opened last night at the Cort Theatre and delivers two hours of delicious good fun and a dazzling turn by
Julie White....Don't be surprised after seeing
The Little Dog Laughed that you giggle in your dreams."
Noting how "Beane's play is deeper on a second viewing," the Associated Press'
Michael Kuchwara provides a positive critique: "Douglas Carter Beane's trenchant social satire that has transferred from off-Broadway to Broadway without missing a laugh. In fact, if anything, the production, now playing at the Cort Theatre, seems better, thanks to some smart recasting and a heightened sense of theatricality that director
Scott Ellis has brought to the bright, fast-paced evening."
Summing up his three star review by calling the show, "[A] simple, fun evening, full of gay wit and wisdom," the
New York Post's
Clive Barnes says, "[I]t's positively cheerful....[H]eterosexuals should find the show just as amusing as their gay counterparts will."
While lamenting that "What looks clever and confident in an intimate house can sometimes look downright lost in a large one,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley nevertheless offers heaps of praise: "The primary revitalizer here, along with Mr. Beane, is the marvelous
Julie White, who is again at the show’s helm as the movie agent you hate to love....Her delivery of Mr. Beane’s dialogue ensures that theatergoers who thought that wit that both sings and stings would never echo again on Broadway without a British accent have cause to rejoice....[W]hat is guaranteed to give them a good time is Mr. Beane’s wily way with words."
Striking a similar tone, especially in noting how "[T]he play's flimsiness...is exposed more harshly in the larger space,"
Variety's
David Rooney also laud's White's performance: "White's Diane made Douglas Carter Beane's uneven patchwork of a comedy enjoyable regardless of its flaws at Off Broadway's Second Stage earlier this year. Buoyed by one central recasting improvement, the play offers both more and less of the same in its move to Broadway."
Will the mostly positive critical success of this little show enhance its box office, which has been hovering at less than 50% capacity? I'm hoping the answer is yes, since I'm not slated to see the play until February.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Polls Close (But Another Opens) (November 10, 2006)
Scott Set for Laughs on Broadway (August 8, 2006)
Were Tony's Greatest Would-Be Contenders Off-Broadway? (June 4, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Play
