SOB's 6 Singular Sensations of '06 - #1: Patti LuPoneIntroduction: Throughout the course of 2006, I've had many incredible opportunities to see some of the best actors, singers and dancers of our time perform live on the stage. Rather than recap the best shows of the year (which I'll do at the close of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season), I'm devoting the last six days of the calendar year to those live performances that have stayed with me throughout the year.
Even though her bravura performance in
Gypsy would have been more than enough to capture the #1 position on my list of the year's singular sensations, this classy diva had two exceptionally remarkable performances during 2006 that I was able to catch -- that magical one at Chicago's Ravinia Festival in August and the other on Broadway in the acclaimed revival of
Sweeney Todd.
Patti LuPone is simply sensational, and it was a sincere pleasure -- no, an
honor -- to be in her audience twice during the past year.
Here's
what I had to say about LuPone's riveting performance as Mama Rose in
Gypsy:
With theatre legend Patti LuPone in the lead role of Mama Rose, this Gypsy proved to be anything but bare. Instead of an over-the-top Mama that's all too easy to do, LuPone proffered an exquisitely nuanced performance that simultaneously excited and repulsed, making one of Broadway’s most memorable roles hers for keeps.
Near the end, LuPone took her devastated Rose to new heights with an unforgettable, heart-wrenched rendering of “Rose’s Turn,” which proved to be, quite literally, a showstopper of the first order. A most affectionate audience interrupted with a long, sustained standing ovation.
Additionally, here's what I had to say earlier this year about her superb performance in
Sweeney Todd:
I've long been an ardent admirer of Patti LuPone. While I've seen her in three other productions (including the brilliant Broadway revival of Noises Off in 2002), this marked my first opportunity to see her perform in a Broadway musical. Not only does she provide a delectable, vampy take on the downright demented Mrs. Lovett, but she also adds to the orchestrations by playing percussion and tuba!
Here's toasting you, Patti LuPone, on making
this musical lover rejoice twice this past year. Here's wishing you a glorious 2007!
Happy New Year!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Gypsy (The SOB Review) – Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL (August 14, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #10 - Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY) (May 15, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chicago, Musical, Patti LuPone, Ravinia, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06
Honorable Mentions: SOB's Singular Sensations Of '06Over the course of 2006, I’ve been enormously blessed to see well over fifty varying stage productions of all types, ranging from sublime musicals to poignant dramas to endearing comedies. Through it all, I’ve been awed by the astounding caliber of the talent in so many shows, including from those who often soar high above the material itself.
While I’ve been singling out SOB’s 6 Singular Sensations of ’06, please allow me to add to that my special honor roll of outstanding performances from the past year that simply took my breath away. Although they just missed making my top six for 2006, they’re achievements that will remain indelibly etched in my consciousness.
They include:
Christine Baranski in
MameSamuel Barnett in
The History Boys
Stephanie J. Block in
The Pirate QueenEntire Cast of
[title of show]Ralph Fiennes in
The Faith HealerJay Goede in
The Real ThingRichard Griffiths in
The History BoysZoe Kazan in
The Prime Of Miss Jean BrodieMichael Longoria (as Frankie Valli) in
Jersey BoysIan McDiarmid in
The Faith Healer
Tracy Letts in
The Well Appointed RoomAmy Morton in
The Unmentionables and
The Well Appointed RoomDavid Hyde Pierce in
Curtains
Paul Rudd in
Three Days Of RainWith the addition of these fourteen -- OK, it’s actually seventeen if you count all four cast members of
[title of show] -- I’ve singled out twenty consummate performances that were singularly sensational. Each of these performers has my utmost respect and appreciation, and I can’t wait to see them perform yet again.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Musical, Play, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical (The SOB Review) - Lyric Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia*** (out of ****)
Last evening, nearly three months into its ever-expanding open-ended Sydney run, I took in
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical, which to be honest can be very difficult to describe to any neophyte not familiar with the
1994 film on which it's based.
It's a sexy, silly, sometimes incoherent, über-campy, often tasteless and crude, completely over-the-top musical if there ever was one. Yet it's ultimately irresistible. And with many of the key motion picture elements roundly being eagerly anticipated and cheered upon delivery -- including the infamous ping pong scene -- the musical itself is, well, a ball.
Just when you think that the book (by
Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott) is teetering dangerously close to the brink of excess, you're either suddenly lurching back to some semblance of reality or finding yourself cheerfully going along for the ride wondering just how far into fantasia this tuner will dare to go.
Sure, it lacks any of the movie's truly subtle moments, and there's nary a trace of ABBA to be found (Kylie Minogue is this version's heralded icon), but with magnificently choreographed numbers by Ross Coleman of everything from the downright anti-funereal "Don't Leave Me This Way" to the celebratory "Go West" to the campy country "I Love The Nightlife" to the giddily glam "Finally," this
Priscilla pulls out all the stops to ensure a good time is had by all.
Surprisingly, the one exception is the desert routine practice from the movie, but that's easily forgiven thanks to numbers like my personal favorite -- with which I finally submitted myself to the evening's wild ride -- "MacArthur Park," a showstopping number that reminded me a bit of how
Mamma Mia! delightfully shoehorned songs into the show with groan-worthy lead-ins.
Part of the success of that number, as well as each of the other huge dance sequences was one delicious costume send-up after another by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, the duo whose creations appeared in the silver screen version. It should be noted here that Chappel knows something of this genre, having earlier been one half of a pair of male dancers called Earring in support of a drag queen.
Naturally, the mark of any good show is the acting. Here,
Tony Sheldon offers a remarkably brilliant Bernadette, the trannie who's given up hope of ever finding a lasting love. Although the normal leads for Tick/Mitzi and Adam/Felicia were out last evening, their understudies -- David Spencer and
Nick Hardcastle, respectively -- provide convincing and endearing portrayals of the other two members of the
queens of the desert.
Yet it's the outstanding supporting performances by
Michael Caton as Bernadette's would-be suitor Bob and
Genevieve Lemon as Broken Hill's Shirley who practically steal the show. Caton offers such a genuinely heartfelt portrayal giving the show some essential gravitas; Lemon on the other hand successfully satirizes a domineering outback bigot who gets her comeuppance from Bernadette.
This is by no means a perfect musical, but it certainly is a wildly entertaining romp and just plain gay, literally and figuratively.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Priscilla Opens Down Under (October 14, 2006)
Finally! Stage Musical Version of Priscilla - Queen of the Desert to Roll into Sydney (July 5, 2006)
Labels: Australia, Film, International, Musical, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, The SOB Review
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #2: Cate BlanchettIntroduction: Throughout the course of 2006, I've had many incredible opportunities to see some of the best actors, singers and dancers of our time perform live on the stage. Rather than recap the best shows of the year (which I'll do at the close of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season), I'm devoting the last six days of the calendar year to those live performances that have stayed with me throughout the year. Yesterday, I weighed in on Academy Award-winning actress
Cate Blanchett's directorial debut in Sydney. But earlier this year, I was thrilled to see her actually perform live in her celebrated, luminous turn as
Hedda Gabler at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. There are few actresses today who have the presence and versatility that Blanchett possesses, and it shows in virtually every role she takes on, making each her own brilliant creation.
Here's
what I had to say about Blanchett's performance earlier this year:
In the troubled and tragic title role, the exquisite Cate Blanchett commanded the stage with a forceful range of exhilarating emotions going from luminescent to fiery. While Julia Roberts is currently the hottest ticket on Broadway, movie star gazers would have been wise a couple months ago to hop on the number 2 train from Manhattan to Brooklyn where the year’s most exceptional acting was in full bloom.
This adaptation commenced with Hedda pondering her self-inflicted boredom from her ill-conceived marriage, brooding at marrying beneath her aristocratic position. Yet the play quickly picked up a head of steam that didn’t quit until the final gunshot. Blanchett was at her wicked best when rolling over Justine Clarke’s Thea for the affections of Ejlert (poignantly portrayed by Aden Young) or when going head-to-head with Hugo Weaving -- whose riveting portrayal of Judge Brack proved the only character capable of seeing through, yet aiding, Hedda’s manipulative mayhem.
Here's toasting you, Cate Blanchett, and wishing you and
Andrew Upton all the best as you embark on an exciting new chapter for the Sydney Theatre Company!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Reunion / A Kind Of Alaska (The SOB Reviews) - Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (December 29, 2006)
Artistic Differences Celebrated: Blanchett & Upton Take Over Sydney Theatre Company (November 22, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #3 – Hedda Gabler (Brooklyn Academy of Music – Harvey Theatre, New York, NY) (May 25, 2006)
Labels: Australia, Cate Blanchett, Hedda Gabler, International, Play, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #3: Chita RiveraIntroduction: Throughout the course of 2006, I've had many incredible opportunities to see some of the best actors, singers and dancers of our time perform live on the stage. Rather than recap the best shows of the year (which I'll do at the close of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season), I'm devoting the last six days of the calendar year to those live performances that have stayed with me throughout the year. While
Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life opened in late 2005, it wasn’t until January that I had an opportunity to take in this legendary actress’ latest Broadway performance -- this marked the third time I was to see
Chita Rivera (the first two times came in the recent Great White Way revival of
Nine ,where her number literally stopped the show, and in her Feinstein’s at the Regency cabaret act -- both were stunning).
My timing for seeing
Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life could not have been better -- unless, of course, I had waited another week to see this Kennedy Center honoree perform with
Bye Bye Birdie co-star
Dick Van Dyke. By holding off until January, I was thrilled to have a chance to see Rivera perform an electrifying rendition of “America” from her celebrated turn in
West Side Story; the number had only been added to the production one day earlier.
While the overall show itself was not completely up to the star around whom it was built, every ounce of Chita Rivera’s performance was as robust and dynamic as the chanteuse herself. Fortunately, Americans can now see this living legend as the touring production currently moves throughout the United States.
Here's toasting you, Chita Rivera, as you tour America as one of its greatest living theatrical treasures!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Chita Rivera, Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Musical, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06
Reunion / A Kind Of Alaska (The SOB Reviews) - Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaReunion - *1/2 (out of ****)A Kind Of Alaska - **1/2 (out of ****)Presented as a "Double Bill," David Mamet's Reunion and Harold Pinter's A Kind Of Alaska are currently being performed in tandem at the Sydney Theatre Company's Wharf Theatre with two of the same actors and all essential design elements used in both short plays. The key difference aside from the playwrights is that each piece is individually directed -- the first by Andrew Upton, the second by Cate Blanchett. The married duo are set to jointly share the duties of artistic director for the famed theatre company at the close of 2007. Because the two plays are distinct from one another, I am reviewing each separately.Reunion is a 50-minute play about the first meeting of alcoholic American veteran Bernie Cary (Robert Menzies) and his daughter Caroline Mindler (Justine Clarke) since he left her mother when Caroline was merely a child. With no pretense of even attempting a Boston accent (or an American one for that matter), Upton's direction loses something in the translation especially in steeping Bernie so deeply in lower class Aussie accent when this is really an American story. This makes it extremely difficult to understand Menzies.
Upton punctuates this short story with many sharp breaks scattered throughout as if to accentuate the passage of minutes or perhaps longer periods of time. However, one can't help but feel cheated for missing key dialogue that might have helped propel the story further along.
Still, there is some poignancy in learning how truly isolated and lonely these two individuals are, and indeed they do seem to connect as daughter and prodigal father. Bernie is clearly a lonely loser, although he indicates more than once that he plans to get remarried. Caroline expresses her loneliness and dissatisfaction with the state of her current marriage, thus the rationale for her reaching out.
Ultimately though, this Mamet tale simply doesn't feel complete, nor is the audience ever given any reason to really care about either character.
In her directorial debut, Blanchett achieves something more with Pinter's
A Kind Of Alaska. This is an intriguing, quirky story about Deborah (Caroline Lee), a 45 year old woman who has been brought out of a deep sleep or coma after 29 years by her long-suffering Doctor Hornby (Menzies).
Hornby confronts Deborah with the shades of the truth regarding her years of sleep before finally allowing her sister Pauline (Clarke) to engage her in conversation. The acting in this one act play is much sharper and focused than in
Reunion, and the exquisitely stark set design by Ralph Myers in which most of the stage is covered in water for both plays finally begins to make some sense -- especially as Deborah notes how for 29 years, her world has seemed like a hole with water seeping in. And as she agonizes over how that felt, the water slowly closes in around her.
While many in the sold-out crowd no doubt were enticed by the desire to glimpse the Sydney Theatre Company's future with the Upton/Blanchett team today, my recommendation would be to give them some time until they've completely adjusted to their new artistic roles.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Artistic Differences Celebrated: Blanchett & Upton Take Over Sydney Theatre Company (November 22, 2006)
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, The SOB Review
Desperately Seeking Fusion: Blondie And The West EndThanks perhaps to the enormously surprising success of the British stage musical version of
Dirty Dancing, yet another 80s movie will be reborn on the West End as a tuner.
Desperately Seeking Susan -- the 1985 film that left
Madonna’s then burgeoning fan base believing she could conquer any medium -- will offer a new take on the jukebox musical as songs by American post punk/disco group
Blondie will be featured. Debbie Harry reportedly has also written a new song for the show.
Helmed by Angus Jackson and adapted by Peter Michael Marino,
Desperately Seeking Susan’s is likely to open in the fall of 2007. Casting is yet to be determined. You can be assured that I’ll be seeking out more information on this musical.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Desperately Seeking Susan, Film, First Word On New Show, London, Musical
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #4: Barry HumphriesIntroduction: Throughout the course of 2006, I've had many incredible opportunities to see some of the best actors, singers and dancers of our time perform live on the stage. Rather than recap the best shows of the year (which I'll do at the close of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season), I'm devoting the last six days of the calendar year to those live performances that have stayed with me throughout the year. If the last week has seemed a bit like a lovefest for the genius of
Barry Humphries, it's because I revere his breathtakingly quick wit. But it's also because I was in a very privileged audience for his latest show, which is currently running in his own hometown of Melbourne. There, he is demonstrating a range of characters unlike anything previously presented on American soil.
As I noted in my review of his latest show:
Barry Humphries...seems to be calling the shots rather than his "gigastar" housewife. Yes, there's plenty of the biting humor involving the audience, but this production also features the ribald, spitting satire of Humphries' Les Patterson skewering Aussie politicians and the poignant subtlety of the deceased Sandy Stone, whose watchful eye on his wife from above provides an insight into today's Australian psyche one never quite learns from the Great Dame.
But then there's Dame Edna herself, in all of her glory....Despite the nearly three hours running time, this was one show that I didn't want to end thanks to the ingenious wit and wisdom from one of Austalia's true treasures, Barry Humphries. And fortunately, Humphries himself takes the final curtain call bow.
Here's toasting you, Barry Humphries, along with each of your glorious creations!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Melbourne's Magnificent Maestro: Barry Humphries (December 25, 2006)
This Dame's The Deal Down Under (December 24, 2006)
Barry Humphries & Friends: Back With A Vengeance! (The SOB Review) - Arts Centre, State Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (December 21, 2006)
Labels: Australia, Barry Humphries, Musical, Play, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #5: Kitty Carlisle Hart
Introduction: Throughout the course of 2006, I've had many incredible opportunities to see some of the best actors, singers and dancers of our time perform live on the stage. Rather than recap the best shows of the year (which I'll do at the close of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season), I'm devoting the last six days of the calendar year to those live performances that have stayed with me throughout the year.One of my favorite evenings spent this year was the one spent in August in the presence of
Kitty Carlisle Hart -- American theatre royalty if there ever was. And such a class act, too! As hard as it was to believe, there she
stood on the stage telling personal anecdotes and remembrances about some of the greatest luminaries in 20th Century American theatre including George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, among others.
Here is
what I had to say about Kitty Carlisle Hart's performance last August:
I was thrilled to be able to sit in the presence of the doyenne of Broadway society for most of the 20th Century: Kitty Carlisle Hart, an astonishing film, stage and television figure whom I’ve admired from the days of her long stint as a panelist on TV’s “To Tell the Truth” during my childhood. In the sold-out An American Icon, the nearly 96 years young Mrs. Moss Hart remains sharp as tack, graceful as American theatrical royalty and the epitome of class and sophistication. There she stood, poised on the stage of North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre for more than one hour, regaling the enthusiastic audience with an erudite cross-section of her illustrious, captivating life.
Here's a toast to you, Kitty Carlisle Hart -- and here's to many more years!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:An American Icon: Kitty Carlisle Hart (The SOB Review) - El Portal Theatre, North Hollywood, CA (August 7, 2006)
Labels: California, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Play, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #6: Meryl StreepIntroduction: Throughout the course of 2006, I've had many incredible opportunities to see some of the best actors, singers and dancers of our time perform live on the stage. Rather than recap the best shows of the year (which I'll do at the close of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season), I'm devoting the last six days of the calendar year to those live performances that have stayed with me throughout the year.Meryl Streep has had nothing short of a spectacular year both on the stage and in film. But it's her singular performance in this past summer's Public Theater production of
Mother Courage And Her Children that merits a place on
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations of '06 list.
Here's
what I had to say about her performance in August:
Not surprising was how easily Meryl Streep can captivate, thus making the three-hour running time breeze by. Indeed, whenever this icon of American acting brilliance is on the stage, she's firmly in command. Given the complexity of her title character, who makes unrepentantly ill-fated choices for her family -- particularly as the hard-nosed business woman making a profit from the death and destruction all around her -- there are few actresses who could pull off the phenomenal feat Streep accomplishes. And did I mention she can sing?
Here's toasting a triumphant Meryl Streep!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Mother Courage And Her Children (The SOB Review) – Delacorte Theater, New York, NY (August 28, 2006)Labels: Meryl Streep, Mother Courage And Her Children, Musical, Off-Broadway, Play, Public Theater, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06
Melbourne’s Magnificent Maestro: Barry Humphries
As noted both in my review of
Barry Humphries & Friends: Back With A Vengeance and my synopsis of the "career" of Dame Edna, the 50 years of entertainment by
Humphries is currently being roundly celebrated in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia.
In addition to his current run at The Arts Centre’s State Theatre in Melbourne, it’s worth noting that this incredibly brilliant and wickedly funny performer is also the patron of the theatre’s Performing Arts Collection, part of which I had an opportunity to view.
In The Arts Centre’s official publication, Cultural Collections, Humphries writes:
The Performing Arts Collection is a treasure trove of the Australian performing arts. Not some boring, dry museum, but a living growing entertainment for the whole family.
Beautifully preserved and maintained, among the splendid donations by Dame Nellie Melba’s family, Mr. Kenn Brodziak and The Australian Ballet, to name a few, is a collection of my own costumes, bejeweled spectacles, paintings, photographs, posters, programs and personal memorabilia that I had assumed lost, or “mislaid” by negligent producers. Dame Edna’s collection has now of course been rivaled by the donation of her cultural successor, Kylie Minogue.
The Performing Arts Collection has come into its own as a major cultural anthology. It holds many items: wonderful stage models, paintings and drawings by our finest stage and costume designers, puppets, unique posters and original works of art. These record the history of the Australian stage – which is unique in the world – and have been rescued from oblivion by dedicated curators with a passionate love for our theatrical heritage.
One visit to this amazing collection will convince you that it is a great asset to the
community, and indeed, to the world of Australian entertainment. I hope it surprises and amuses you as much as it did me when I first saw what a treasure house of material we has here in Melbourne. This collection deserves your donations of theatrical memorabilia as well as your patronage. That does not just mean your attendance at its ever-changing exhibitions, but your financial support as well.
If you care for Australian’s living theatre and its traditions, I urge you to please get involved with the cultural collections. Long may they flourish.
According to the same document, the Barry Humphries Collection encompasses “70 costumes, works of art, scripts and memorabilia donated to the Performing Arts Collection since 1981. The collection continues to grow through the generous patronage of Barry Humphries.”
Ironically, as recently as 1985, this great patron of the Australian arts was derided by Mr. Colin Hollis ALP of the Hansard House of Representatives, who said, “People such as Barry Humphries, in his character Les Patterson, from which he has made a lot of money by knocking Australia and the arts, have done great damage to the Australian arts.”
An outstanding, fascinating biography of Melbourne’s favorite son is included in the official program for his current theatrical production there:
Barry Humphries is not only a successful character actor in Europe and Australia, but one of Australia’s best-loved landscape painters. His pictures are in private and public collections, both in his homeland and abroad.
He was educated at the University of Melbourne where he studied law, philosophy and fine arts. It was at the University of Melbourne where he held his first Dada exhibition – exhibitions in anarchy and visual satire. These have become part of Australian folklore. After writing and performing songs and sketches in University revues, Humphries joined the newly formed Melbourne Theatre Company.
In 1955, he created Mrs. Norm Everage, a Melbourne housewife who has subsequently become internationally celebrated and has evolved into the hugely popular and universally adored Dame Edna. In Sydney, in the late 50s, Humphries joined the Phillip Street Revue Theatre, Australia’s first home for intimate revue and satirical comedy. After a long season in which he developed his newly invented characters, Humphries appeared as Estragon in Waiting For Godot. This production marked Australia’s first ever production of a Samuel Beckett play.
In 1959, he sailed to Venice. During the 60s in London, Barry Humphries appeared in numerous West End productions. Most notable were the musicals Oliver! and Maggie May by Lionel Bart, and stage/radio productions by his friend, Spike Milligan, in particular "The Bed Sitting Room." He also worked in productions with Joan Littlewood at Stratford East, and played Long John Silver at the Mermaid Theatre.
In 1967 he starred as Fagin in the Piccadilly Theatre’s revival of Oliver! (SOB: This is the current home to the West End revival of Guys And Dolls.) Phil Collins played the Artful Dodger in this production. Between West End engagements, he regularly returned to Australia with a new one-man offering, presenting a wide range of characters including Edna, whose popularity was fast developing.
In the early 1970s, with his friend, Bruce Beresford ("Breaker Morant," "Driving Miss Daisy"), Humphries brought to the cinema the character of Barry Mackenzie, a personage he had invented in the Sixties in a cult comic strip he wrote for Peter Cook’s satirical magazine Private Eye. By the mid-70s Humphries was not only playing character roles in British films, plays and television shows, but starring in his own one-man show at the Apollo Theatre in London (SOB: this was where I saw my very first Broadway show in 1979 in the West End version of Annie).
Housewife Superstar! Took London by storm, dominated by Dame Edna and
Les Patterson, and his favorite theatrical invention, the suburban ghost Alexander (Sandy) Stone. He has been presenting his own shows in the West End ever since, culminating in Edna, The Spectacle at the historic Theatre Royal Haymarket. In 1979, Humphries won the Society of West End Theatres Award for A Night With Dame Edna! at the Piccadilly Theatre.
Since then, he has collected innumerable honours for stage and television work, including the Rose d’Or de Montreux in 1991 for his television show, “A Night On Mount Edna,” and a Sir Peter Ustinov Endowment, for his life work as an entertainer, at the Banff Television Festival in 1997. In 2000, he won a Special Tony Award for his Broadway show and a Special Achievement Award from the Outer Critics’ Circle and his last Broadway offering Back With A Vengeance (2005) won a Tony Nomination.
Humphries has toured in Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and in the Far and Middle East, and extensively in the United State (sic). He has recorded Dame Edna television specials for the BBC, London Weekend TV, NBC and Fox networks. Dr. Humphries is the author of innumerable novels, autobiographies, poetry and one-man plays.
His autobiography My Gorgeous Life won the J.R. Ackerley prize for biography in 1993, and he is the subject of two critical and biographical studies: The Real Barry Humphries by Peter Coleman, and Dame Edna Everage And The Rise Of Western Civilisation by John Lahr.
His second volume of autobiography My Life As Me won popular and critical acclaim in Australia and the UK.
He was given the popular Order of Australia in 1982 and was endowed with an Honorary Doctorate of Griffith University (Australia) in 1994 and a Doctorate of Law at his Alma Mater, Melbourne University in 2003.
He is married to Lizzie Spender, the daughter of British poet Sir Stephen Spender, and has two sons and two daughters.
Taking in Thursday evening’s performance in Melbourne was my sixth time seeing Dame Edna (including both Broadway shows, two times in Minneapolis and once in Cleveland), but was uniquely my first experience with the inimitable Barry Humphries and his other characters.
Once again, I was thrilled to be within spitting distance of this amazingly sharp performer in the first couple of rows. Not only was I able to catch another of the Great Dame’s gladiolas, but I found myself both relieved and mildly disappointed at the same time when not being singled out for Dame Edna’s trademark ridicule and bromides, although as in past performances, her gaze lingered uncomfortably upon my eyes for several seconds at a time.
In addition to being introduced to Humphries other far-ranging characters of the aforementioned Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, what made this a uniquely moving experience was being able to stand-up and cheer Melbourne’s magnificent maestro himself at the conclusion of his show as he celebrated his 50th year on the stage in his own hometown. This is a memory I won’t soon forget.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:This Dame's The Deal Down Under (December 24, 2006)
Barry Humphries & Friends: Back With A Vengeance! (The SOB Review) - Arts Centre, State Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (December 21, 2006)
Labels: Australia, Barry Humphries, Musical, Play
Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men And Women EverywhereAs I’m flying to Perth, Australia on this Christmas Eve, I want to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to every single reader who has visited Steve On Broadway (SOB) in my inaugural year. I’ve truly appreciated the superbly constructive, engaged dialogue I’ve enjoyed with everyone who has submitted comments and private e-mails since I started Steve On Broadway in April.
I’ve been honored to begin many online friendships during the course of the year, and I’m also very pleased that I’ve never felt the need to edit or reject any of your submissions. Whether you’ve taken me to task for making a seemingly invalid assertion or rallied to my defense -- or perhaps you’ve taken the time to further illuminate my understanding regarding a vital aspect of the theatre -- I want you to know how sincerely grateful I am for your contributions.
Ostensibly, I write Steve On Broadway (SOB) for my own personal enjoyment. If there’s one characteristic about myself that I hope rings genuinely authentic, it’s my love for the theatre. Perhaps it’s that passion that sways my reviews toward the favorable overall --although I prefer to think that I’m somewhat discriminating in what I pay to see in the first place.
You see, I don’t go to a show with malice in my heart hoping to hate a production. I go to enjoy and be entertained or at least enlightened. Yes, there are those occasions where I find myself disappointed by a musical or play or by specific performances therein, but I also hope that ultimately, my critiques have provided anyone out there reading them with some heartfelt guidance from an honest-to-goodness theatre lover.
Please accept my best wishes for a very Merry Christmas -- and regardless of whether you celebrity this Holiday or not, here's wishing you and yours nothing but peace and love.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Holiday, Musical, Play, Special Messages
This Dame’s The Deal Down UnderPossums, traveling all the way to Australia for the Holidays, it’s hard to move about the island continent/country without seeing just how iconic
Barry Humphries’ most renowned character creations actually is.
Whether it’s flying on Qantas -- “proud supporter” of
Barry Humphries’ & Friends: Back With A Vengeance -- or seeing billboards and bus or tram signage with the Great Dame adorning them, Dame Edna Everage is everywhere.
If you’re traveling to Australia over the next couple months and particularly interested in seeing why this character is so particularly revered, then you should make every effort to get to Melbourne. Not only can you take in a performance of the show itself, but you can enjoy many displays within a relatively compact area along the beautiful Yarra River. To understand Dame Edna Everage is to gain an amazing insight into Melbourne and indeed Australia itself.
According to the program notes, Dame Edna is:
Probably the most popular and gifted woman in the world today. Housewife, investigative journalist, social anthropologist, talk show host, swami, children’s book illustrator, megastar, celebrity spin doctor and icon.
With Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Dame Joan Sutherland, she is the most prominent of a remarkable succession of female stars to emerge from Australia.
During the 1970s, Dame Edna’s success in her homeland was repeated in Britain with London stage shows including Housewife Superstar! and A Night With Dame Edna. Subsequently, she has performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall and at the prestigious Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
Television triumphs include two critically acclaimed UK specials, “An Audience With Dame Edna” and “Another Audience With Dame Edna.” She also hosted two series of her own innovative chat show, “The Dame Edna Experience,” where her past guests have included Jane Fonda, Charlton Heston, Liza Minnelli, Sean Connery, and Mel
Gibson.
Most recently, on Broadway, her sensational vehicle, Dame Edna: The Royal Tour received a Special Tony Award for Live Theatrical Event. The Outer Critics’ Circle has also bestowed upon her a Special Achievement Award. Dame Edna has recorded numerous TV specials, the last of which, “A Night On Mount Edna,” won the foremost European Entertainment Award, the Golden Rose of Montreux in 1991. Edna’s other notable awards include first prize in the San Francisco International Film Festival, a Gold Award at the New York Film and TV Festival, and a British Academy Award Nomination for “The Dame Edna Experience.”
Her books include Dame Edna’s Coffee Table Book, Dame Edna’s Bedside Companion and her seminal autobiography, My Gorgeous Life, which is translated into many languages and which has, on government orders, been placed in hotel bedrooms throughout Britain and Australia.
Possibly Jewish, Dame Edna is a widow, with three grown children. She spends her time visiting World leaders and jet-setting between homes in Malibu, Melbourne,
Montreux and Martha’s Vineyard. She is the Founder and Governor of “Friends of
Prostrate” and the creator of the World Prostrate Olympics. Currently, she has
turned her attention to the deviated septum.
She was featured in David E. Kelley’s cutting edge TV series "Ally McBeal," where her abilities as a distinguished actress were at least recognized.
Dame Edna has appeared regularly on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and did the Millennium countdown in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. She starred at the concluding Commonwealth Games Ceremony in her home town and more recently, she triumphed at the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations at Buckingham Palace where she appeared by Royal Invitation.
In 2005 Edna returned to her beloved Broadway where her show Back With A Vengeance won, amongst other awards, a distinguished Tony Nomination, followed by a successful tour of the United States.
She is at present celebrating her 50 years on the stage with “her best show ever” and is preparing for a new series on British television “The Edna Treatment.”
Her hobbies are caring, sharing and downsizing.
Edna is now on a coin, a stamp and has a street named after her.
In addition to that, Dame Edna’s “historic home” is on display on the upper level of the very same The Arts Centre where Barry Humphries is currently performing to sold-out audiences.
According to Dame Edna herself, Ednaville represents a:
…caring reconstruction (that) captures the very essence of the dwelling where I spent my early married life, where my kiddies grew up, where my bewildered mother came to live, and where my husband Norm had the first of his many urological incidents.
When my career took off, I kept most of my beautiful things in storage for years, but my negligent manager Barry Humphries “misplaced” my most treasured home furnishings and appliances. I would like to personally thank all those wonderful and honest little folk of Victoria who have helped restore my home to its former glory, with its sophisticated 1956 interiors and appointments, by returning my precious artifacts and knick-knacks. You have enriched the lives of innumerable Australians.
This is one Yank who feels especially enriched by having had a fabulously overwhelming opportunity to earn an even greater appreciation for this icon from Melbourne’s 36 Humoresque Street at Moonee Ponds, a “War Savings Street.” To have a taste of Dame Edna is to whet the appetite for all things Australian.
Here’s to many more wonderful, entertaining years for Barry Humphries -- may Dame Edna continue to captivate generations to come.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:
Barry Humphries & Friends: Back With A Vengeance! (The SOB Review) - Arts Centre, State Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (December 21, 2006)
Labels: Australia, Barry Humphries, Musical, Play
Did Critics See Ship Wreck Or Hit?Last evening,
Shipwreck -- the second installment of
Tom Stoppard's epic trilogy
The Coast Of Utopia -- opened at
Lincoln Center. After the first "act" opened to
mostly enthusiastic reviews, how did this one fare?
Ever effusive in his praise,
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley positively beams: "The sumptuous Lincoln Center production of
Shipwreck, the second part of Mr. Stoppard’s absorbing
Coast of Utopia trilogy about Russian idealists errant in the 19th century, is filled with coups de théâtre....[T]he most stunning moment of all arrives when Mr. Stoppard simply pulls the plug on the dense talk that has been buzzing from the stage of the
Vivian Beaumont Theater...and asks us to experience a world hitherto defined, above all, by words through the perspective of a deaf child."
Also providing laurels is
David Rooney of
Variety: "[T]he most unexpected and enriching surprise of
Shipwreck...is that its intellectual vigor is equaled, perhaps even surpassed by its enormous emotional vitality.
Jack O'Brien's mesmerizing production of part one,
Voyage, was a dazzling theatrical achievement. In this Euro-trotting second chapter, the political and personal passions of the play's dreamy-eyed 19th-century Russian revolutionaries ripen with age and experience, making it arguably even better."
Newsday's
Linda Winer apparenly concurs: "Jack O'Brien's astonishing, visually stupendous production has further tightened its grip with ever more engrossing tales of the privileged young Russian thinkers who began the sweep of massive social change....We are relieved to find both continuity and new splendors in the masterly creative team -- in sets by
Bob Crowley and
Scott Pask, costumes by
Catherine Zuber and lights by
Kenneth Posner."
Calling themoments in
Shipwreck "quite extraordinary," the Associated Press'
Michael Kuchwara agrees in his glowing review: "[M]ore often than not, it has heart and a deep emotional underpinning. Near the end of
Shipwreck, there is a speech by Herzen of such aching beauty that if you are not moved to tears, you must be made of stone."
Offering up a three-and-a-half star review,
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner notes: "Stoppard's piquant, probing dialogue allows Herzen to expound wittily, and movingly, on intellectual matters and matters of the heart, which are by no means mutually exclusive here. (
Jennifer) Ehle makes a convincing soul mate and sparring partner, relaying Natalie's fierce emotions and convictions with a stringent intensity. Other members of Coast's luminous cast get less stage time but shine whenever they're on....Jack O'Brien's robust direction and Bob Crowley and Scott Pask's stunning set design serve everyone well. True, Stoppard's script would sound glorious if recited by students in a dingy classroom, but to see such style and substance merge with spectacle is a rare treat, on Broadway or anywhere."
The Coast Of Utopia has already found it necessary to extend its marathon season beyond its initial sold-out status. These reviews will no doubt make the remaining allotment of tickets extremely difficult to come by. Could another extension be in its future?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Did Critics Enjoy Voyage's Ride? (November 28, 2006)
Coast Of Utopia Begins Broadway Voyage This Evening (November 27, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Play, Shipwreck, The Coast Of Utopia, Tom Stoppard
Barry Humphries & Friends: Back With A Vengeance! (The SOB Review) - Arts Centre, State Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia***1/2 (out of ****)Soundly disproving the theory that you can't go home again,
Barry Humphries has made a triumphant return to his hometown of Melbourne through
Barry Humphries & Friends -- Back With A Vengeance!
His new production that stretches a quick three hours not only solidly engages Dame Edna Everage devotees, but provides first-timers with an outstanding introduction to his most beloved character along with two who are primarily known only to Aussies: Les Patterson and Sandy Stone.
For anyone who saw the Broadway production of
Dame Edna: Back With A Vengeance, they'd likely be pleasantly surprised that this show is dramatically different from that incarnation than
Dame Edna: The Royal Tour from 2000. That's because it's Barry Humphries who seems to be calling the shots rather than his "gigastar" housewife.
Yes, there's plenty of the biting humor involving the audience, but this production also features the ribald, spitting satire of Humphries' Les Patterson skewering Aussie politicians
and the poignant subtlety of the deceased Sandy Stone, whose watchful eye on his wife from above provides an insight into today's Australian psyche one never quite learns from the Great Dame.
But then there's Dame Edna herself, in all of her glory. Indeed, 2006 marks Melbourne's "Celebration of 50 Golden Years of Dame Edna" as part of the city's Ednafest, that includes everything from a mock-up of Dame Edna's home in a museum-like display called
Ednaville to a wonderful montage of Edna clips in "
Virtual Edna" at the
Australian Centre for the Moving Image -- all in Melbourne.
True to form, Dame Edna sings, "I'm fifty. Fifty years up on the boards, fifty million compliments, plaudits and awards, and although of course it's tasteless to ask a woman's age, I'm proud to say, I'm fifty on the stage."
Despite the nearly three hours running time, this was one show that I didn't want to end thanks to the ingenious wit
and wisdom from one of Austalia's true treasures, Barry Humphries. And fortunately, Humphries himself takes the final curtain call bow.
The current production is slated to run through February 11, 2007. A must-see for anyone traveling -- or living -- Down Under!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets. Labels: Australia, Barry Humphries, International, Musical, Play, The SOB Review
Harriet Harris To Headline Guthrie's Glass MenagerieAnyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Tony-winning actress
Harriet Harris knows what a gem she is.
Whether it was portraying Mrs. Meers in Broadway's 2002 Best Musical
Thoroughly Modern Millie or Vera Charles in the Kennedy Center's delightful revival of
Mame earlier this year, I've seen first-hand how this versatile actress more than holds her own opposite other great actors. However, it's a safe bet that most audiences are most familiar with her recurring television work as Bebe Glazer on "Frasier" and as Felicia Tilman on "Desperate Housewives."
Now, Harris is slated to tackle the fomidably dramatic role of Amanda Wingfield in the upcoming Guthrie production of
Tennessee Williams'
The Glass Menagerie, helmed by
Joe Dowling. Other cast members include Jonas Goslow,
Randy Harrison ("Queer As Folk"), Tracey Maloney and Bill McCallum. This revival enables Harris to return to her roots: She was a member of the Guthrie company during the 1980s appearing in such productions as
A Midsummer Night's Dream and
Tartuffe.
Winning Tennessee Williams his first major acclaim as a playwright -- including being named the Best American Play of 1945 by the New York Drama Critics' Circle --
The Glass Menagerie begins performances at the Guthrie's McGuire Proscenium Stage in Minneapolis on January 20 with its opening set for January 26.
I'll be taking in the production and providing you with my own assessment of the production.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Mame (The SOB Review) - The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Eisenhower Theatre, Washington, DC (June 18, 2006)
Labels: Guthrie, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Play, Revival, The Glass Menagerie
Unstoppable: Stoppard's Shipwreck Coasts Into Opening NightTonight marks the opening of
Shipwreck -- the second of three chapters from Tom Stoppard's
The Coast Of Utopia -- at Broadway's
Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont. Directed by
Jack O'Brien, the full trilogy will be realized in early 2007 through
Salvage.
While the entire eight-hour marathons have just extended to May 13 after initially selling out,
Shipwreck is scheduled to clock-in at a mere three hours.
Lincoln Center describes
Shipwreck as centering:
...on the visionary Russian leader Alexander Herzen and his fellow revolutionaries who find inspiration as well as frustration in exile in Paris and London. As the revolution of 1848 unfolds outside Herzen’s door and the tides of political and social upheaval swell, Herzen's circle, and his family, are profoundly affected.
The first installment was roundly met with a chorus of critical approval. Will that momentum continue? Find out shortly as I capsulize the reviews.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Did Critics Enjoy Voyage's Ride? (November 28, 2006)
Coast Of Utopia Begins Broadway Voyage This Evening (November 27, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Opening Night, Play, The Coast Of Utopia, Tom Stoppard
Will Broadway's First-Ever South Pacific Revival Provide Some Enchanted Evenings?It's been over 52 years since
Richard Rodgers and
Oscar Hammerstein II's
South Pacific last graced a Broadway stage and nearly 58 since it first opened. After that incredible run with 1925 performances, this World War II-vintage musical based on
James Michener's "Tales Of The South Pacific" has never again landed again on a Great White Way stage.
But that will change in 2008 as Lincoln Center prepares to present the first-ever Broadway revival at the
Vivian Beaumont Theatre with
Bartlett Sher directing.
South Pacific was a controversial sensation when it first appeared in 1949, treating mix raced couplings with respect and dignity -- previously unheard of in a Broadway show. The tuner went on to win the Pulitzer Prize as well as ten Tony Awards, including for Best Musical, Best Actress in a Musical (
Mary Martin) and Best Actor in a Musical (
Ezio Pinza).
The musical also has a special place in my heart -- it provided me with my only stage role when I took on the role of Lieutenant Joseph Cable in my high school production.
I'll certainly continue to report on the progress of this revival, including the casting, in the months ahead.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, First Word On New Show, Musical, Revival, South Pacific
Broadway Can-Du?When
we last checked in on the new stage musical version of
Xanadu, it was working toward an Off-Broadway berth. But now,
Xanadu is officially Broadway bound and is expected to land at the Helen Hayes Theatre in May 2007.
Earlier this year, I reported on the August readings for the show, which on paper, sounded more promising than the film flop with Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. That flick was
famously derided as Xana-don’t.
So with all that back history, what on earth could make producers Rob Ahrens and Dan Vickery think they could succeed on stage? Was it the pairing of Tony winner Jane Krakowski with up-and-coming Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson (although official casting is yet to be announced)? Or was it a promising book by Douglas Carter Beane (who gave the Great White Way
The Little Dog Laughed)? Whatever it was, it must have struck a very kitschy chord.
Say what you will, but Ahrens and Vickery are certainly demonstrating more than just a little chutzpah in bringing this guilty pleasure to the Broadway boards, and the end result may just inspire enough tongue wagging to make it a must-see hit a la
Mamma Mia.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:A Place Where Nobody Dared To Go...Until Now: They Call It Xanadu (July 18, 2006)
Labels: Billy Elliot The Musical, Broadway, Film, First Word On New Show, Xanadu
Broadway’s Heart 'N Seoul
Ever doubt the continued power or global reach of the Great White Way? Well, halfway around the world in Seoul, South Korea, I learned that some Broadway’s more enduring recent productions are a hit here, too.
During my just concluded 24 hour visit here earlier today, I was surprised to learn that such popular American musicals as
The Full Monty and
The Lion King are currently gracing Seoul’s stages, as is that popular British import
Evita.
The Lion King is playing at Seoul’s Charlotte Theatre through December 31 with tickets ranging from approximately $40 US to $100 US, while
Evita is performing at the LG Art Center through January 31, with tickets priced from about $45 US to $70 US. Both
The Lion King and
Evita advertise that their scores are being sung in Korean.
Additionally, just in time for New Year’s,
Grease is making a return to the Korean stage with a score that’s also sung entirely in Korean.
On top of all the decidedly Western theatre, there is also the much more traditional Korean theatre, including the home-grown musical
The Last Empress, playing at the Haeorum Theater (National Theater of Korea) through December 24:
Original musical production is scheduled to delight musical lovers of all ages with its heart-wrenching tale of a tragic Korean queen at the eve of a Japanese incursion into Joseon. Queen Min is a historical figure best known for her resistance against Japanese influence in Joseon’s royal court.”
To be honest,
The Last Empress sounds much more appealing than the Broadway-bound
The Pirate Queen.
Perhaps due to the ongoing American military presence here, there is a surprising plethora of Western-influenced fare, including one English language production with a rather inspired premise that just completed it run in Itaewon. Called
And They Used To Be Stars, the play is described as “a comedy that deals with fame, celebrity, drug addiction, infidelity and friendship. Their names? Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck. They were huge…so what happened to them?” Sounds tantalizingly subversive, although I seriously doubt Disney would allow a show like this to move forward in America uncontested.
Getting a huge amount of pre-opening publicity is that aforementioned venerable hit
Grease. In a
story in Saturday’s Joong Ang Daily -- Korea’s English language news partner to the
International Herald Tribune -- reporter Lee Ho-jeong reports on its impending opening just before New Year’s:
The T-Birds of Rydell High are oiling up for the upcoming musical Grease, which
will begin on December 30 at the Dong Soong Art Center.
Grease became popular as a movie with the same title, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. If you like rock-and-roll then ending the year with this internationally acclaimed musical may be a good idea.
This version of Grease will be performed by Korean artists, including Hong Rocky, Korea’s most adored comedian.
Hong was one of the original cast members when the musical debuted in Korea in May 2003 -- he played Danny Zuko’s best friend Kenickie. He will be playing the same character in this year’s musical, which has already received good reviews in provincial theaters.
This version of the show ran until November 17 at a theater near Konkuk University. The new Danny, Kim San-ho, will be performing the lead character. According to OD Musical Company, which is staging the musical, their Grease shows have created future stars, including Oh Man-seok, who became a television celebrity this year after appearing in the television drama “Vineyard Man.” The musical is set for an open run, with no pre-set closing date.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time during my visit to take in any theatre, and it’s likely that if I did, I would have opted to see something more uniquely Korean. For what’s the purpose of going to a distant land if you stick too tightly to your own culture?
Speaking of which, I have to admit that I was completely put off by the ubiquity of such American fare as McDonald’s and Starbucks in Seoul. But as for theatre -- while I doubt that I’d take in Western-style entertainment unless I was living here a long time -- Broadway is positively making this big world seem just a little bit smaller and arguably remains one of our better exports.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Evita, Grease, International, Musical, The Full Monty, The Lion King
Did Apple Revival Fall Very Far From The Tree With Critics?Last evening, the very first revival of the 1967 Broadway hit
The Apple Tree opened at
Studio 54. Did this
Apple fall very far from the original
Tree?
The Wall Street Journal's
Terry Teachout enthusiastically proclaims: "Rejoice greatly, musical-comedy fans: The Roundabout Theatre Company has revived
The Apple Tree as a vehicle for
Kristin Chenoweth, and she drives it up and down Broadway like a brand-new Beemer....By turns funny, sexy, endearing and the best singer on Broadway, she nails a high D in 'Passionella,' presumably just because she can. She is also a splendid actress who fills every line and gesture with fully felt, dazzlingly specific life, and woe to the mere mortals who must labor in her shadow."
In awarding three out of four stars,
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner opines: "This fresh Apple, now at Studio 54, has ample charm to sustain it for two hours....Clearly, even at 4-foot-11, Chenoweth remains a force to be reckoned with."
Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press has laurels for the celebrated actress, even if not for the show: "Kristin Chenoweth makes her own special brand of musical-comedy magic. The woman belongs in the theater...preferably in a musical that can show off her voice and delirious comic timing at the same time. She gets just such an opportunity in this odd, uneven entertainment...Chenoweth played the lead in
The Apple Tree two years ago in a production at 'Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert.' If anything, she has gotten better."
Praising Kristin Chenoweth as "fearless and, when need be, shameless" in his mixed review,
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times states: "Are the vitality, craftsmanship and musical chops of Ms. Chenoweth and her co-stars enough to turn a rusty time capsule into a transporting time machine? The answer is an unqualified yes only in the first act, based on
Mark Twain’s 'Diary of Adam and Eve.' In the second act...
The Apple Tree starts to look pretty bare."
Also offering up a mixed review is
Variety's
David Rooney: "Roundabout's decision to upgrade to Broadway in a slapped-together production at Studio 54 only exposes the flimsy material's limitations. There's still lots to enjoy here, but with a top ticket north of $100, sweet and pleasant don't quite cut it....Chenoweth has the timing and physical comedy skills of a classic screwball star like Carole Lombard, and her airy, effortless soprano makes enchanting work of (the) songs...."
The limited engagement of
The Roundabout Theatre Company's
The Apple Tree is currently slated to run through March 11.
I'll be paying a visit to Studio 54 in just a few weeks to see this revival for myself. Stay tuned as I provide you with my own assessment.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:A Tree Grows In Manhattan: Apple Tree Revival Opens Tonight (December 14, 2006)
The Toast Of Tulsa (December 3, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
The Apple Tree's Casting Gets Juicier (October 12, 2006)
Young Frankenstein Workshop To Feature Monster Casting (October 11, 2006)
Eve of a New Broadway Role for Kristin Chenoweth (September 13, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Kristin Chenoweth, Musical, Revival, The Apple Tree
New Duet Partner For McKean In London's Love SongI learned over the weekend that within days of last week's London opening of playwright
John Kolvenbach's
Love Song,
Kristin Johnston became seriously ill with an erupted duodenal ulcer, thus forcing her departure from the show.
What's a brand new production to do? Fortunately, with only one day's notice,
Molly Regan (pictured) -- the actress who originated the role of Joan in the world premiere of
Love Song at Chicago's
Steppenwolf Theatre earlier this year -- flew to London to perform while Johnston recuperates, which may still be before Christmas. Regan will join
Neve Campbell,
Michael McKean and
Cillian Murphy.
In the run-up to the Steppenwolf premiere of this work, I had a wonderful opportunity to meet Regan and speak with her about her life as an actress. Amazingly, this native of Mankato, Minnesota (versus Johnston's roots in neighboring Wisconsin) has been a member of Steppenwolf's ensemble for just over two-thirds of its 31 year existence, appearing in fifteen of its productions through the years. She earned a Joseph Jefferson Award -- Chicago theatre's highest honor -- for her 1991 work in
Another Time. Additionally, Regan has appeared in Broadway productions of
The Crucible (1991) and
Stepping Out (1987).
I was very sorry to learn of Johnston's illness, and certainly wish her a full and speedy recovery. At least London audiences holding tickets for
Love Song while she's out can take comfort that they'll be see a charming and gifted actress who knows the character better than anyone else.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Was Love Song Music To London Critics' Ears? (December 5, 2006)
Next Stanza: Love Song Opens In London (November 4, 2006)
Kolvenbach's Love Song To Sing In London (October 13, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #7 – Love Song (Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL) (May 19, 2006)
Labels: International, London, Love Song, Play, Steppenwolf
A Tree Grows In Manhattan: Apple Tree Revival Opens TonightThirty-nine years may be mighty long time, but
The Apple Tree is finally setting down its roots again on Broadway. This evening marks the opening at
Studio 54 for the revival of
Jerry Bock and
Sheldon Harnick's full-length follow-up to
Fiddler On The Roof.
Certainly while most of the attention has been lavished on its diminutive star
Kristin Chenoweth, one fun little factoid that harkens back to the original 1966 production is that
Alan Alda -- one of Chenoweth's co-stars on "
The West Wing" -- will be providing the "Voice of God" in the revival. Alda originated the roles of Adam, Captain Sanjar and Flip, the Prince, Charming during the musical's first incarnation for which he received a Tony nomination (
Brian d'Arcy James will tackle these characters in the version opening tonight).
Chenoweth, of course, will be filling the enormous shoes left by
Barbara Harris, who won a Tony for her portrayals of Eve, Princess Barbára, Ella and Passionella. What makes her turn in these roles all the more intriguing is that unlike Harris,
Chenoweth can hit the high D in “Gorgeous” that nearly forty years ago was pre-recorded by someone else and played for effect.
While
Marc Kudisch's Snake will try charming Chenoweth's Eve, the question remaining is whether the
Gary Griffin-helmed tuner can similarly captivate the critics.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:The Toast Of Tulsa (December 3, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
The Apple Tree's Casting Gets Juicier (October 12, 2006)
Young Frankenstein Workshop To Feature Monster Casting (October 11, 2006)
Eve of a New Broadway Role for Kristin Chenoweth (September 13, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Kristin Chenoweth, Musical, Opening Night, Revival, The Apple Tree
Fame Is FleetingMartin Short's
Fame Becomes Me will close on January 7, it was announced today. When the "comedy musical" closes, it will have enjoyed 165 regular performances. Not bad for a show that initially received mixed reviews. Of course, it helps that two-time Tony winner Short is much beloved.
And contrary to some perceptions, this was far from being a one-man show. Instead, it included a cast of "Comedy All Stars" including:
Brooks Ashmanskas,
Mary Birdsong,
Capathia Jenkins,
Nicole Parker, and of course, songwriting extraordinaire
Marc Shaiman.
But most of the headlines the show continued to grab were for its array of Short's pals who were "interviewed," including
Nathan Lane,
Steve Martin,
Bette Midler,
David Schwimmer and even
Brian Williams, among others.
As recently as last week, Short was still attracting a fairly decent capacity of just over 70%. After taking care of a film commitment, look for Short to launch a national tour of this show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Critics Find Martin Short's Fame Only Somewhat Becoming (August 18, 2006)
Fame Becomes Martin Short Tonight on Broadway (August 18, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Musical
Sonia Flew (The SOB Review) - Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, IL**** (out of ****)
At
Steppenwolf's opening of the splendid
Sonia Flew Sunday evening, I experienced something unique among all my visits to this excellent theatre: real tears. And they were my own.
Packing a powerful wallop without being overly sentimental, the
Melinda Lopez drama wins on so many levels:
Jessica Thebus' exquisite direction, Stephanie Nelson's gorgeous set design, Stephan Mazurek's haunting projection design and a truly superb cast.
Ultimately,
Sonia Flew packs its most decisive punch as an engrossing, richly layered account of redemption. That redemption is realized by Sonia, a Cuban émigré who has made a new life for herself in Minneapolis.
Sonia Flew is neatly divided into two very distinct acts, each with a major historical thread that's integral to the story. The first is the Holiday celebration for Sonia's family in 2001, just months after 9/11. The second flashes back to the advent of Sonia's earlier departure from the tyranny of Castro's Cuba. In each, Sonia mistakes family members' sense of duty to her and country for acts of terrifying abandonment.
In the first act, we learn that Sonia is like so many others in the heady aftermath of the worst attacks on American soil -- she's simply afraid to fly; she has even forced one plane to return to the gate prior to take-off. But we later learn that Sonia
has flown before in perhaps the bravest flight of her life -- when she was placed on a plane
alone decades earlier by her parents to secure her freedom from the ravages of communism. Despite her parents' pledges that they'd see her again, it would never come to pass.
Sonia's life-changing event propels her to purposely shun the painful memories until her son announces his noble intentions to join the Marines after getting caught up in the patriotic vitriol of the time. Sensing abandonment once again, Sonia lashes out at her son in the same fashion she did with her parents years before.
Thanks to Lopez' gifted writing, the story comes full circle to a point that left me in tears. For her words not only deeply affected me. So did the raw emotions and flawless talent of the impeccable cast --
Sandra Delgado,
Sandra Marquez,
Andrew Perez,
Vilma Silva,
Jeff Still and
Alan Wilder -- all showing incredible range and versatility in handling wildly divergent portrayals of two roles apiece. These fine actors infused their characterizations with just the right amount of emotional heft to be both believable and strangely intoxicating without ever being overwrought.
Steppenwolf describes the show as "heartwarming," but I was left
positively chilled by this soaring work and strongly recommend it.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Sonia Flew Doesn't Quite Soar With Chicago Critics (December 12, 2006)
Sonia Flew Takes Wing Tonight In Chicago (December 11, 2006)
Labels: Chicago, Play, Sonia Flew, Steppenwolf, The SOB Review
Spring Awakening Rouses Box Office; Cast To Appear At Big Apple StoreWhen a show has the kind of opening night just experienced by
Spring Awakening, perhaps it's just expected that it will suddenly do boffo business at the box office.
But give this show its props. Just last week, the musical only attracted a capacity of 39.2% for an anemic box office of $182,541. Since Sunday night's triumphant opening, the advance box office has skyrocketed to over $2 million.
Capitalizing on the new-found respect will be
Spring Awakening's toast of the town, composer
Duncan Sheik and the cast of the show. Together, they're scheduled to appear tomorrow from 6 pm - 7:30 pm at the
Apple Store Soho:
Sheik will give a rare look inside the creation of the new Broadway musical, Spring Awakening, as part of the Apple Store's "Made on a Mac" series. Producer Tom Hulce will moderate an interactive discussion on the musical's development and some members of the cast will be on hand to perform.
The Apple Store Soho is located at 103 Prince Street (on the Northeast corner of Prince and Greene).
As a P.S....Don't forget that on October 27,
I divulged the results of a Steve On Broadway poll in which just over one in ten of you (12%) named
Spring Awakening as the show you're most enthusiastic about seeing. Then on November 3,
I said:
Now that Curtains has found its home on the Great White Way, I fully expect this show to be a powerful Tony contender alongside Grey Gardens and Mary Poppins in what is shaping up to be one of the strongest years for new musicals in the last couple decades -- my prediction is that each of these shows will receive multiple nominations, as will Spring Awakening.
I think the Tony race has officially heated up!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here to view a map and directions to the Apple store. Click here for Spring Awakening tickets.Related Stories:Waking Up To Critical Acclaim (December 11, 2006)
Spring Awakening Blossoms On Broadway Tonight (December 10, 2006)
Curtains To Rise At Al Hirschfeld Theatre In March (November 3, 2006)
Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2006)
How Sheik: Spring Awakenings To Receive Broadway Transfer (July 20, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Musical, Spring Awakening
