Did Critics You Know Like Totally Blonde?
Saying the show "trades up on the original model in both character development and infectious comedy,"
Variety's
David Rooney is perhaps the most generous: "Working from
Amanda Brown's novel and
Karen McCullah Lutz and
Kirsten Smith's screenplay, book writer
Heather Hach has added definition to the story's generic message about being true to yourself and not judging people by their packaging....Choreographer-turned-director
Jerry Mitchell has done a creditable job of driving this well-oiled machine. Its zippiness in the opening stretch, in particular, is almost dizzying."
Bell Bundy and the show are both "peppy and bright,"according to
Linda Winer of
Newsday, but her review is mixed: "[T]he show, directed with cheerfully breathless momentum by Jerry Mitchell, clearly has a healthier 'sell-by' date than the ones marked on the piles of discarded crates that brought
Footloose,
The Wedding Singer,
Saturday Night Fever and (add your own) short-lived movie adaptations. After all, Mitchell choreographed such long-running, crowd-pleasing adaptations as
Hairspray and
The Full Monty. With
Legally Blonde, his directing debut, he takes the logical well-worn step from moving bodies to energizing the total vision. Everything gets moved -- except, you know, your heart."
Labeling the tuner as "tuneless,"
Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press seems to enjoy save for the music: "It really moves....So why, despite the expensive glitz and an aggressive, go-go attitude, does
Legally Blonde only fitfully entertain? Most prominently because of a disappointing score....What slows down the production are some of the songs by
Laurence O'Keefe and
Nell Benjamin. Most of them are vaguely pop, tunes with little discernible theatricality. The melodies evaporate quickly..."
Agreeing on the musical score,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes says it's a "pleasant if noisy night out" in his two-and-a-half star review: "When was it that so many Broadway musicals took "Looney" to their hearts but managed to leave out the 'Tunes'? Heather Hach's book, based on the screenplay and the original novel (who knew?) by Amanda Brown, makes all the right moves and has a good feel for both fun and wit, even though theater necessarily lacks the open-ended possibilities of a movie. And unfortunately, the score never picks up the slack, although the lyrics by the husband and wife team of Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin are markedly sharper than their usual."
Calling
Blonde "high-energy, empty-calories and expensive-looking hymn to the glories of girlishness,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley is largely dismissive with a sugar twist: "
Legally Blonde...has Laura Bell Bundy, the kind of young woman who summons instant parental pride in the middle-aged. In addition to her prom-queen prettiness, she sings and dances flawlessly, and she delivers silly lines as if she meant them. But she lacks the quirkiness and irresistible watch-me egotism that a big, heroine-worshiping musical needs at its center....This means that the weight of the show, directed with hyperkinetic effusiveness by Jerry Mitchell, shifts to its feel-good formula."
"It's only sorta fun," laments
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News : "Hach cleverly uses Elle's sorority sisters as a Greek chorus to pump up the show's girl-power vibe. The dark-haired Leslie Kritzer, as Serena, is a sassy standout, and suggests that if brunettes don't have more fun, they have the funniest lines -- and know how to work them.
Blonde's shortfalls are rooted in the score."
During the upcoming week, I'll be taking in this show, so stay tuned for my SOB Review shortly thereafter.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Film, Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde, Musical
Did Critics Kiss-Off Spiderwoman?
Praising the show for its "tight, seductive embrace,"
The Evening Standard's
Nicholas de Jongh nevertheless manages to point out its shortcomings in his four-out-of-five star critique: "
Charlotte Westenra's production cannot disguise the drama's musty air of contrivance or the repetitiveness of its allegoric sub-plot about Molena's love of old B movies. It is these qualities that encourage me to liken the play to an artful, culinary concoction....[T]he play is possessed by tension, irony and a sexual attraction that these fabulous actors render real and poignant. Puig's plea for feminine gay men like Molena does strike humane, timeless notes."
Citing the work as "an intelligent, complex piece,"
Benedict Nightingale of
The Times is mostly positive: "does the two-hander merit the revival that Charlotte Westenra gives it now? Yes, though I don't know why she cuts the original ending, for the effect is like stopping Hamlet just before the killer-duel with Laertes....Still, it’s finely acted and, at its denouement, as touching as it was back in 1985."
Grousing that the play is "just a little bit schematic,"
Rhoda Koenig of
The Independent only offers two out of five stars: "When Manuel Puig's novel was written, it was notable for its bravery in attacking his country's fascism and showing a despised type as heroic. Now the plot's predictability is obvious, and is emphasised by the author's adaptation (very well translated by
Allan Baker), which simplifies the story even more.... More predictable stories than Puig's have been redeemed by passion, but not this one, this time."
Calling the revival "full of musty metaphor and unearned intensity," the
Guardian's
Susannah Clapp mostly carps: "[I]t looks merely like an acting opportunity. Charlotte Westenra's production pushes the buttons of torrid claustrophobia -- yellow light filtered through a screen, silhouettes of uniformed figures at the cell door, distant guitar chords -- without evoking real threat.
Will Keen gives a bravura performance."
Kiss Of The Spiderwoman runs through May 26 before touring the United Kingdom.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Critics' Capsule, Donmar Warehouse, Kiss Of The Spider Woman, London, Play, Revival
Legally Blonde Comes Of Age Tonight
Will New York critics react similarly? As I said earlier, I have a hard time believing this is one that Ben Brantley will enjoy. Stay tuned here for the full round-up of reviews for Legally Blonde tomorrow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Coming Of Age: Legally Blonde Opens In San Francisco (February 6, 2007)
M-G-M: Movies-Going-Musical (January 3, 2007)
Which New Broadway Musical Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 16, 2006)
A Place Where Nobody Dared To Go...Until Now: They Call It Xanadu (July 18, 2006)
Broadway Bound to Get Nuttier with More Movie Adaptations Turned Musicals (June 7, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Film, Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde, Musical, Opening Night
K2 (The SOB Review) - The Jungle Theater, Minneapolis, MN
***1/2 (out of ****)
Just as the Himalayan mountain known as K2 soars to nearly unparalleled heights as the world's second tallest, director
Bain Boehlke succeeds in ascending to the apex with this chilling and riveting revival of
Patrick Meyers'
K2.
This is without question the best production I've seen at Minneapolis' intimate
Jungle Theatre.
Written in 1982, but set in 1977,
K2 catches up with Taylor (
Kevin D. West) and Harold (
Tim McGee) shortly after the two begin their descent from the steep summit of the world's hardest and most treacherous climb.
K2 is dubbed as the "Savage Mountain," primarily because those who succeed in reaching the top are in the most danger of never making it back down.
Harold has already sustained injuries to his leg, and in his spot check of their gear, Taylor discovers that they're missing a crucial lifeline, quite literally. He just barely sees the second rope they need high above them. If they're both to make it down alive, he must climb back up and retrieve it.
Compounding the peril is the limited sunlight, freezing temperatures and the high elevation's dangerous lack of oxygen, which intermittently wreaks havoc on both men's lucidity. While Taylor attempts to climb more than once to reach the critical rope, he continually encourages Harold to regale him with his life story to keep his focus intact while protecting the slack on the only rope they have.
Without divulging any more of this story, which itself peaks with a startling and nearly euphoric epiphany by Harold, this somewhat existential survival tale packs a surprising emotional punch. Boehlke has not only engineered a clear-eyed view of how precarious life itself is, but his two actors excel in carrying the production into an unexpected pinnacle of suspense and love. As perfect as West's performance is, McGee delivers one of the absolute best turns by an actor I've seen during the entire 2006-07 Theatrical Season. Most astonishing of all was how I was moved to tears.
A special nod must be made to
Joel Sass for his exceptional set design that has the solid look of a real mountain slope, complete with real snow. Additionally, Barry Browning's lighting design perfectly traces the track of the sun against the mountain, while Sean Healey's ingenious sound design captures the forbidding howls of
K2's wicked winds, as well as everything from the fall of snow to noises made by the alpine axes into the ice.
Despite its scant running time of 90 minutes (including one 15 minute intermission), K2 is an adventurous and towering achievement worth the plunge. K2 performs at the Jungle Theater through May 20.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Jungle Theater, K2, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Play, Revival, The SOB Review
And The Sniping Over The Nominations Goes To....
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Awards, Broadway, Drama Desk, Michael Riedel, Off-Broadway, Outer Circle
Touring Hairspray Caught In Sticky NetThere's a serious bait and switch taking place throughout the United States as
Hairspray tours the nation in the
Broadway Across America series. Only trouble is, despite advertising itself as "Broadway's Tony Award-winning musical-comedy phenomenon," this one is strictly a poseur.
Unsuspecting audiences throughout North America will be forgiven for thinking that they're seeing a production that has all of the same production credits as the original Broadway tuner, but they need to beware that the tour is not directed by Jack O'Brien, nor is it choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Furthermore, audiences are paying the same prices to see non-equity actors that they'd typically pay to see equity actors.
This is an outrage and just plain wrong. Something is seriously amiss in all of the advertising materials. For example, in Minneapolis where the touring
Hairspray is currently performing, the
Hennepin Theatre District Web site "clearly" states:
Broadway's Tony Award®-winning musical-comedy phenomenon takes you back to 1962 Baltimore, as 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad sets out to dance her way onto TV's most popular show. Can a big girl with big dreams -- and even bigger hair! -- change the world … and still have time to win the boy she loves? It's the winner of eight 2003 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical. As The New York Times says, “If life were everything it should be, it would be more like Hairspray. It's irresistible!”
Alongside the description, the Hennepin Theatre District provides two Internet links:
http://www.hairspraythemusical.com/http://www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/minneapolisThe first, of course, is
not to the touring production's Web site, but to the official site of the Broadway show. The second link goes to Broadway Across America, which provides the same description as the Hennepin Theatre District site in an expanded version
that also adds: "This mega-hit is piled bouffant-high with laughter and romance -- and enough deliriously tuneful new songs to fill a nonstop platter-party."
It's only after getting four clicks in -- and two clicks beyond where the unknowing consumer would likely purchase tickets -- that a link for the
touring production of Hairspray is found. It's another three clicks before I finally found the following line
buried in the scroll
at the very bottom of the synopsis icon:
This produc- tion of Hairspray is based on Jack O'Briens [sic] original direction and Jerry Mitchells [sic] original choreography, recreated by Matt Lenz and Danny James Austin, respectively.
Sure, Lenz
did serve as associate director on the original
Hairspray to Jack O'Brien, but that's no guarantee that he has the same deft touch.as the Tony Award-winner.
Since I just don't think too many consumers will go to the trouble of digging as deeply as I did before deciding to see this popular show -- and they certainly won't know that they're paying top ticket prices to see non-equity actors -- I believe that the producers are perpetrating a morally deceptive practice and taking ill advantage of their audience's goodwill and excitement engendered by the original production.
Interestingly enough, Minneapolis'
Star Tribune critic
Rohan Preston (the very same Rohan Preston to serve as a member of the jury for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama whose recommendation was completed ignored) didn't seem to mind, but
Dominic P. Papatola of the competing
Pioneer Press in St. Paul called this a "fourth-rate production" with a "third-tier cast."
If life were everything it should be, productions would be more honest with their patrons. Shame on this touring production. Caveat emptor, indeed!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information for the touring production.Click here for tickets to the real deal on Broadway.Related Stories:Hairspray To Brush With West End Style (March 9, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Hairspray, Musical, Touring Production, Warning
Nixon: Knowing What I Know And When I Knew itAs a student of history and political science (
those were my majors in college, as opposed to theatre, communications or English) who also had an earlier political career in both Washington DC and my childhood home state (Wisconsin), I naturally gravitate toward political theatre. After all, what could be more theatrical than the art of politics? (Most of the real thing
is rather bad, isn't it?!)
So it's against that backdrop that I confess to you the Broadway play I'm most looking forward to seeing this spring is
Frost/Nixon, starring
Michael Sheen as television talk show host/gadfly
David Frost and
Frank Langella as the disgraced
U.S. President.
Personally, as much as I hate to admit to it, I'm old enough to remember how devastating the damning truth of the
Watergate crisis was on this country, as bit after bit of new information slowly dribbled onto the front pages of newspapers and hovered like a dark cloud over the nation for what seemed like an eternity.
Yes, I remember watching the Senate's Watergate hearings and listening to individuals like
John Dean coming before the committee and divulging details of the cover-up, as well as what Richard Nixon knew and when he knew it. I remember the Constitutional crisis that developed over the White House's attempts to thwart the investigation by claiming executive privilege. I remember Nixon on the verge of becoming the second U.S. President to be impeached by the House for high crimes and misdemeanors And I certainly remember watching Nixon announce to a heartsick nation that he would resign the office of the Presidency on August 9, 1974. What had become a long national nightmare stretching over two years was finally in its final hours.
Three years later, after the non-elected President
Gerald Ford was ousted by
Jimmy Carter from the White House -- in part because of his pardon of the former President -- Nixon reemerged, ready to reclaim his legacy via his Administration's most positive initiatives (détente with the Soviet Union, resumption of dialogue with Mainland China, etc.), but he needed a forum for his redemption.
Enter David Frost, a British talk show host known as much -- or perhaps more -- for his womanizing, navel-gazing ways as for his journalistic prowess. I vividly recall the media hype surrounding the actual Frost interviews of Nixon and the manner in which both were seeking some level of redemption.
In my mind, that provides the type of riveting story you simply can't make up. In an era where there were just three commercial television networks (ABC, CBS and NBC), virtually no cable television and certainly no
new media like the Internet, the Nixon interviews became events unto themselves.
So, one week prior to making my personal pilgrimage to the
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre to see the dramatization surrounding the interviews, I have been awed not only by the positive
reviews and
buzz, but also by stories like
Michael Riedel's in yesterday's New York Post, which heralds this as actor Frank Langella's "history-making moment."
Simply put, I can't wait to see this show. While I know I'll be retracing my formative thinking from over thirty years ago, I also know that I'll likely leave that Broadway theatre with a fresh perspective on the man who so utterly disappointed and disgraced his nation more than a generation ago.
As a student of history, I'll certainly let you know what I think in an upcoming SOB Review. But I at least wanted to advise you in advance how that review will have been informed before I write it.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Critics Acquit Frost/Nixon (April 23, 2007)
Frost/Nixon Ready For Broadway Close-Up Tonight (April 22, 2007)
Box Office: Theatregoers Don't Passover Broadway (April 9, 2007)
West End Transfer Of Frost/Nixon Opens This Evening (November 15, 2006)
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: Background, Broadway, David Frost, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, History, Play, Richard Nixon
London Spider Woman Revival Lays Web TonightThis evening, a new revival of
Kiss Of The Spider Woman will open at London's distinguished
Donmar Warehouse.
Lest there be any confusion, this is a revival of the
original play by the late Argentine novelist
Manuel Puig, which was transformed into an
Academy Award-winning film in 1985 (
William Hurt took home the Best Actor Oscar) and a subsequent
Tony Award-winning Best Musical in 1993 by
John Kander,
Fred Ebb and
Terrence McNally.
The
Charlotte Westenra-helmed prison drama with a fresh translation by
Allan Baker stars
Rupert Evans and
Will Keen.
Initial reports from my favorite London theatre bloggers, the West End Whingers, aren't exactly promising. But then my fave UK social commentary blogger, City Slicker,
says it's a must-see. We'll see with whom the critics agree.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Blogs, Kiss Of The Spider Woman, London, Opening Night, Play, Revival, West End Whingers
The Diary Of Anne Frank (The SOB Review) - Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre, Chicago, IL
***1/2 (out of ****)
While the current Steppenwolf revival of
The Diary Of Anne Frank begins rather melodramatically and with a surprising minimum of urgency, director
Tina Landau ultimately succeeds in building this play into an engrossing, near pitch-perfect production.
Of course, the play is based on the eponymous journal kept by the
German-born Jewish girl whose family stole her and her sister away in hidden rooms adjacent to the Amsterdam workplace of her father, just as Jews in Nazi-occupied Holland were being rounded up and sent to death camps during the Holocaust.
The source material may be already be 63 years old, but Landau brings a haunting brilliance to the time-honored dramatization by
Frances Goodrich and
Albert Hackett, thanks in part to its current adaptation by
Wendy Kesselman. Landau also takes chances by enabling the story to move beyond the play's previous conclusion in such a striking fashion that there were audible gasps from the audience. Landau triumphs in proving why this timeless classic deserves to be retold yet again.
This extraordinary production is also blessed by an exceptional ensemble, each of whom turns in a profoundly moving performance. Chief among them are the absolutely astounding
Claire Elizabeth Saxe in the title role and a spectacularly measured performance by
Yasen Peyankov as her father.
The amazingly youthful-looking Saxe begins with all the spunkiness one would expect from a precocious twelve year old, but gracefully transitions to the height of pubescence apropos of a teen on the brink of realizing a heartfelt crush. Right before your eyes, her maturation, physically and emotionally, is palpable. You won't believe you're watching a current high school senior -- she's that good.
Peyankov offers perhaps the most stunning achievement of all with the steady reassurance and hope he offers as Otto Frank, not only for his family and fellow hideaways, but by extension for his fellow Jews and humanity. By scaling his performance so astonishingly, Peyankov becomes the heart of this production.
Fortunately, the harrowing account remains the biggest star of this retelling, but it is aided tremendously by an eerie lighting design (
Scott Zielinski) and downright alarming sound design (
Rob Milburn and
Michael Bodeen).
This is a production that deserves to be seen, not only by those who don't understand the extent of the Nazis' savageries, but also for anyone who yearns for a deeper appreciation for the galvanic capabilities of the young Anne Frank's words that remain as vital today as ever.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Chicago, Play, Revival, Steppenwolf, The Diary Of Anne Frank, The SOB Review, Tina Landau, Yasen Peyankov
Pushing Daisey
Just as I must vigorously defend Daisey's right to use his First Amendment rights, regardless of how appropriate or inappropriate I might find the subject matter, I also defend the First Amendment rights of audience members to express themselves by walking out from a show they found objectionable.
But speaking of objectionable, there is absolutely no defense whatsoever for the adult chaperone (to the students of California's
Norco High School) who doused a bottle of water over the outline for Daisey's routine. For that, Daisey is deserving of the belated apology
he received from Norco principal Jeff Johnson.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Boston, Comedy, First Amendment, Freedom Of Speech, Invincible Summer, Mike Daisey
525,600 Minutes: Dotting The Eyes For One Year
Hard as it is for me to believe, today marks my first anniversary of writing
Steve On Broadway (SOB). To observe the occasion, I want to offer my gratitude, along with a few details on what inspired me to begin posting in the first place.
First, let me express my humblest appreciation to each of you who has made this site a regular read, as well as to everyone who has included Steve On Broadway on your blogrolls or subscribed to the site.
When I began writing one year ago today, I never fathomed that anyone would ever find Steve On Broadway, let alone care what I had to say. But you've not only found me, you've also shared your deep-felt thoughts, your welcome arguments, your constructive criticisms and your simple corrections.
I've truly enjoyed the dialogue with each and every one of you who has commented directly on my posts. I've also taken enormous pleasure in the surprisingly large number of you who have chosen to e-mail me directly.
It's been rather astonishing to hear from individuals associated with works I've reviewed, including playwrights, directors, actors, actor's mothers, actor's spouses and partners, each eager to provide additional insight, admonish me or simply to tell me that I "got it." Regardless of why you've contacted me, I've appreciated hearing from you.
But what's been most rewarding are the friendships I've developed with individuals I've never even met, literally all over the world. There are those among you -- and you know who you are -- on whom I can count for daily banter and feedback on each posting. I realize that without Steve On Broadway, I would never have had the honor of getting to know you. Suddenly, this little site that I didn't know anyone would read became less about me and more about the sense of community that it has inspired and created. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
After attaching a Statcounter on my site in February, I've been dumbstruck by the number of visitors I receive. While I realize that other sites likely receive thousands of hits a day, I'm flabbergasted to know that Steve On Broadway has been found by over 10,000 readers since my Statcounter went live. Even more astounding is that a significant number of you reside outside the United States, with large percentages living in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan and France. Suddenly, that community of theatre lovers seems rather immense and overwhelming.
When I began Steve On Broadway, it was not because I had any personal agenda or ax to grind, but rather to maintain my own journal for one of my many personal interests: live theatre.
Because my day job is devoted to public relations within the travel industry, I have been advising individuals associated with my company on all types of media worth investing time and effort in pursuing. Naturally, today's media prominently includes the great blogosphere. But in order for me to be able to speak authoritatively to those individuals about what this new medium entails -- and since I come from the school of thought that you lead by example -- I decided in April 2006 that I better understand the ins and outs of how to initiate, develop and grow a blog of my own.
Rather than go with the obvious route of blogging about travel, I decided that I would write a blog about a topic I loved, but that I now realize I had only limited knowledge about when I started (and to all you erudite theatre bloggers, my hat's off to you for collectively serving as my faculty and advisors -- I've learned so much from you!).
Steve On Broadway became a labor of love. And although I never write about travel per se, the experience has empowered me professionally to the point where I am now regularly leading seminar sessions on "Blogging 101."
So where do I go from here? Well, because this is now a community, I'd like to hear from you as to what you like about Steve On Broadway and why you visit. In addition to the new poll that asks you which features you enjoy (you can choose as many answers as you want), I invite your candid feedback, either through direct comments to this posting or via e-mail at
steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com. And if you've already added me to your blogroll, I'd love to reciprocate -- just let me know you've added a link to Steve On Broadway and I'll add yours to this site.
Again, thank you for reading. And here's to another year of discussing our shared passion for the incredibly enduring artform known as live theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anniversary, Blogs, Friendships, Gratitude, Origins, Statcounter, Steve On Broadway
Critics Acquit Frost/Nixon
Praising it as "briskly entertaining,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley is very favorable: "[L]et it be proclaimed, with drums and fanfare, that theater decisively trumps television in the production that opened last night at the
Bernard B. Jacobs Theater....Most of the credit for this victory belongs to a truly titanic performance from the man playing the famously sweaty victim of a cool medium. That’s
Frank Langella, whose portrayal of Nixon is one of those made-for-the-stage studies in controlled excess in which larger-than-life seems truer-to-life than merely life-size ever could."
Proclaiming the play "one of those definitive Broadway experiences" in his three-and-a-half star review,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes opines: "It is the job of the actors and the director (referee, perhaps?)
Michael Grandage to make it interesting. And do they ever. You watch with the kind of fascinated delight rare in the theater as Langella and Sheen go at one another with the dedicated skill of a Muhammad Ali and a Joe Frazier."
Citing "pair of champion actors at the top of their game,"
Elysa Gardner of
USA Today offers up three and a half stars: "Langella's Nixon...seems a little buffoonish, though the actor wisely stops short of caricature. However shameful or complacent Nixon might seem, however dopey his jokes about political life or his perspiration problem, Langella provides subtle, masterful hints of the reserves of frustration and cunning his character harbors..As supremely entertaining theater, though,
Frost/Nixon is an undisputed winner."
Calling it "entertaining if sketchy," the Associated Press'
Michael Kuchwara is positive: "The play is awash in urgency, both verbally and physically. Under Grandage's direction, it never stops moving, particularly while setting up the ultimate confrontation between talk-show host and subject....Langella perfectly captures (Nixon's) defensive uncertainty....Yet the actor's portrait is never cartoonish, and despite his ultimate admission, a degree of sympathy emerges for the man."
Labeling this as "lean and "
David Rooney of
Variety is mostly upbeat: "(Morgan's) first stage play turns the potentially dry docudrama of a disgraced former president's unexpected public apology into lively sociopolitical reflection....while it's easy to imagine the play seeming more fragile with less resourceful actors, (
Michael) Sheen and Langella could hardly be better....(Sheen) brilliantly underplays both the character's smarmy brashness and his faint air of desperation. Sheen's nuanced work as Tony Blair in "The Queen" was vastly underappreciated amid all the hosannas heaped upon Helen Mirren, and he risks a similar slight against the formidable Langella. Grandage nonetheless maintains a keen balance that serves both actors."
I'll be providing my own review of Frost/Nixon after taking in the show next week.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, Michael Grandage, Michael Sheen, Play, Transfer
Frost/Nixon Ready For Broadway Close-Up Tonight
Will American critics offer the same high level of praise as their British counterparts, or is a frostier reception in store? Find out tomorrow as I report on their reviews.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, Michael Grandage, Michael Sheen, Opening Night, Play, Transfer
The Lady From Dubuque (The SOB Review) - Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, United Kingdom
*** (out of ****)
Enjoying the West End revival of
The Lady From Dubuque, an
Edward Albee work that only lasted a mere twelve performances on Broadway before closing back in 1980, I was struck by how perfectly it would fit within the repertoire of today’s Steppenwolf Theatre. As it's about life, death and the dignity that can be found in each, it's a pity this piece hasn't been dusted off earlier.
With an affluent thirty-something white American angst, the play begins with the conclusion of a boozy parlor game in the well-adorned post-modern living room of Jo (Catherine McCormack) and Sam (
Robert Sella). But the game soon gives way to reveal that Jo is gravely ill.
She is clearly not taking her malady lying down. In chronic pain, she doesn't suffer fools and eviscerates everyone in her path, including her guests and her husband. Each of them must suffer her in return. And try as they might, they barely succeed.
It isn’t easy.
One guest, Lucinda (Vivienne Benesch), ends up sprawled on Sam and Jo’s front lawn sobbing; Lucinda’s dutiful husband Edgar (Chris Larkin) implores the frail Jo to go out and apologize, which she grudgingly obliges to do. The remaining guests leave, allowing Sam to finally carry Jo’s fragile body upstairs and put her to rest.
Enter Elizabeth (
Maggie Smith) and Oscar (Peter Francis James)(pictured). Almost as quickly as they appear, the curtain falls on Act One. Who are these mysterious people? Why have they come calling in the middle of the night, anyway?
In a classic “conundrum wrapped in an enigma,” Albee’s play evolves from one about the pain of life into one celebrating the wonder of death. No matter how we try to prevent it from happening, it will happen.
The acting in this
Anthony Page-directed ensemble piece -- that also includes an outstanding
Jennifer Regan and Glenn Flescher as the one would-be married couple Carol and Fred -- is first-rate. Thanks to Page’s deft hand, the pacing is swift, but subtleties abound, especially in the inherent humor found in Smith’s portrayal of Elizabeth, the titular character, as well as in Regan's surprisingly sweet and underestimated Carol.
Whether Elizabeth and Oscar are the personification of the “Angel(s) of Death” or the not-so-“Grim Reaper(s),” it becomes clear that it is Jo’s time to leave her misery, and she does so willingly despite Sam’s feeble attempts to evict these strangers from his home. The relief we see in Jo’s embrace of death is both touching and heartwrenching.
She has come home and made us see that even as we all must die, it need not be ugly, but a beautiful thing worth embracing when the appropriate moment comes.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Anthony Page, Edward Albee, Jennifer Regan, London, Maggie Smith, Play, Revival, The Lady From Dubuque, The SOB Review
Broadway Transfer For Equus Mounts In 2008
It is reported that the show will go on tour throughout the United Kingdom for twelve weeks and then embark on a transfer: first to Broadway and then to Australia. The Rialto transfer is reportedly planned for 2008.
The story also notes that the revival -- most famous for its star
Daniel Radcliffe showing his
Harry Potter acumen is no flash in the pan -- easily recouped its investment in a quick eight weeks. Whether Radcliffe and
Richard Griffiths will be coming stateside remains to be seen.
Expect box office gold should Radcliffe reprise his role in New York. Fortunately, Radcliffe will have turned 18 by then.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories: Labels: Broadway, Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, First Word On New Show, London, Play, Revival, Richard Griffiths, Transfer
Sandra Bernhard IS Plan B From Outer Space (The SOB Review) - Rossi's Blue Star Room, Minneapolis, MN
*** (out of ****)
In
Sandra Bernhard IS Plan B From Outer Space, it's not so much
not knowing where the Flint, Michigan native is coming from -- I think I've at least kind of sorted that out after all these years -- but it's wondering where she's taking you.
Just when you think she's whirled you out of orbit, she suddenly comes back to the original point with style and finesse. It's quite a ride.
Not so surprising, but utterly funny was her entrance from the back of the room singing "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" with remarkable clarity and just enough grit. Her voice has certainly come a long, long way from its rather raw beginnings.
Most of her music, accompanied by a tight three piece band, serves to bookend her nearly non-stop two hour performance, starting with playful R&B takes on the aforementioned
Jennifer Holliday tune -- along with
Monica and Brandy's "The Boy Is Mine" and a poignant tribute to
Nina Simone -- and concluding with her rocking out to
Guns N' Roses ("Welcome To The Jungle"),
Led Zeppelin ("Whole Lotta Love") and
Prince ("Little Red Corvette").
Along the way, Bernhard easily sways from the irreverent to the reverential.
Yet she also demonstrates great restraint and reverence, whether it's her salient remarks on the events at Virginia Tech and the continued loss of life in Iraq or even on the death of the late great
Kitty Carlisle Hart.
While the title of her act may suggest she's from another planet, Ms. Bernhard has thankfully come back down to earth to entertain us once again.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Cabaret Act, Comedy, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Sandra Bernhard, Sandra Bernhard IS Plan B From Outer Space, The SOB Review
Evita (The SOB Review) - Adelphi Theatre, London, United Kingdom**** (out of ****)Last weekend, I flew to London to see the
Michael Grandage's excellent revival of
Evita before it closes in May. I absolutely adored this high-flying, soaring production. It is by far one of the best shows I've seen throughout the past year.
Credit Grandage's direction with once again revitalizing a musical in a most breathtaking, dazzling manner. As in 2005's revival of
Guys And Dolls, Grandage has teamed up with choreographer
Rob Ashford to effectively and vivaciously move along the story, this time of Eva Duarte Peron.
Fortunately, unlike in the film version, the darker side of the Perons remains intact within the book; Ashford's mesmerizing choreography brings the backstabbing struggle for power within Argentina's military to life, showing Juan Peron as a man who could only be trusted at a soldier's own peril. And of course, given that the clawing Evita herself was no saint, Grandage practically installs a revolving door on her bedroom for the rousing number "Goodnight And Thank You," and later rhapsodically illuminates how readily Peron's first lady enjoys the spoils of her husband's inherently corrupt regime.
Making her spectacular West End debut is an astonishing Argentine talent,
Elena Roger, who offers an exceptionally nuanced performance as Eva Peron. The compact Roger evolves right before your eyes from the flirtatious young girl seeking her ticket to Buenos Aires stardom to her role alongside Juan Peron to a physically and emotionally impaired invalid. And what a powerful, beautiful voice!
Philip Quast brings a deceptively steely charm to his characterization of strongman Juan Peron epitomizing why he and Eva would be "surprisingly good" for one another.
As Che, the seductive
Matt Rawle might resemble
Antonio Banderas, but his glorious voice is much more in tune with
Mandy Patinkin. And thankfully -- even though in a nod to the
1996 movie, the song "You Must Love Me" has been added to great effect -- Peron's mistress (an angelic
Lorna Want) brilliantly reclaims the tune "Another Suitcase In Another Hall" absconded by
Madonna for herself on the silver screen. Want's brief yet amazing turn makes me want to see more of her in the future.
Add to all of this the newly syncopated rhythms offered by
David Cullen's lush new orchestrations (particularly in songs like "Buenos Aires") for what is arguably
Andrew Lloyd Webber's best score, along with a breathtaking set design by
Christopher Oram, and the result is one of the most stellar evenings of live theatre I've enjoyed over the past twelve months. It left me on a proverbial "Rainbow High."
This Evita is unequivocally stunning. But if you'd like to see it, you'd better get thee to London soon since the show closes May 26. Given its relatively short life on the West End stage (less than one year), the original plans to transfer to Broadway might now be in jeopardy.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:May Requiem For Evita In London (February 28, 2007)
Sunday At The Grosvenor House With Laurence (February 19, 2007)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Evita to New York: I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You (June 28, 2006)
High Flying Adored: Evita Conquers the West End Critics (June 23, 2006)
Hello, Buenos Aires! New London Revival of Evita Opens Tonight (June 21, 2006)
Labels: Elena Roger, Evita, London, Michael Grandage, Musical, Philip Quast, Revival, Rob Ashford, The SOB Review
Kitty Carlisle Hart - RIPSadly, I'm sorry to report that the lovely, legendary
Kitty Carlisle Hart passed away yesterday. Mrs. Hart had been ill with pneumonia.
With her passing, the theatre world has lost a true treasure and one of its last remaining links to the Golden Age of Broadway. Last summer,
I provided the following brief overview of her amazingly vital career:
Carlisle Hart may best be remembered by the vast majority of Americans for her expert quizzing of contestants on television's various versions of "To Tell the Truth." But the 95 year old entertainer is still regaling audiences with her tales of her marriage to renowned playwright Moss Hart of You Can't Take It With You and Once In A Lifetime fame, as well as
her accounts of long-since departed friends like Irving Berlin and George Gershwin.
A native of New Orleans, Kitty Carlisle Hart began her Broadway career an astonishing 73 years ago this fall in Champagne, Sec (based on the operetta Die Fledermaus) and went on to perform in six more Great White Way productions through 1983's On Your Toes.
Additionally, Carlisle Hart's movie career spans 59 years beginning with 1934's "Murder At The Vanities," and includes such notable films as "A Night At The Opera" (1935) with the Marx Brothers, Woody Allen's "Radio Days" (1987) and "Six Degrees of Separation" (1993).
A 1991 recipient of the National Endowment of the Arts' American National Medal of the Arts, Carlisle Hart is perhaps one of our last surviving treasures from Broadway's Golden Age. It's no wonder her acclaimed show has become so iconic for anyone who wants a moment to bask in the glory of a bygone era.
Not long after posting that story, I journeyed to Los Angeles to take in her sold-out one-woman show,
An American Icon: Kitty Carlisle Hart. I was thrilled to be able to sit in the presence of the woman, who for most of the 20th Century, was considered the doyenne of Broadway society. Even at 96 years of age -- a milestone she observed last September 3 -- Mrs. Hart remained sharp as a 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.
As I said then, Kitty Carlisle Hart's descriptions of her personal relationships with the legends who made Broadway such a powerful medium were testament to the amazing life she herself had led. I was honored to have the opportunity to bask in her continued glow and even meet her in person (she posed for a picture with me right after I took the one above) -- it was not only
one of the best evenings I spent last year, but it made me all the richer for the unforgettable experience.
Appropriately, the Great White Way will honor her this evening by dimming the lights of its theatres for one minute at 8 pm.
Rest in peace, Kitty Carlisle Hart. You will be missed tremendously.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #5: Kitty Carlisle Hart (December 28, 2006)
Walking With Music: Kitty Carlisle Hart to Perform at Feinstein's (September 7, 2006)
An American Icon: Kitty Carlisle Hart (The SOB Review) - El Portal Theatre, North Hollywood, CA (August 7, 2006)
Will It Play in Peoria? How About Iowa? (July 24, 2006)
American Theatre Icon Kitty Carlisle Hart to Perform in North Hollywood (June 26, 2006)
Labels: George Gershwin, In Memoriam, Irving Berlin, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Moss Hart, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06
Is Pirate Slowly Sinking?
What new Broadway musical was fourth from the
bottom last week among all opened tuners in terms of average ticket price? It was none other than
The Pirate Queen.
While the spectacle
increased its overall box office capacity last week to 83.4%, its average ticket price
fell from an already less-than-stellar $65.06 to just $63.07. The only musicals with lower average ticket prices are
The Producers ($62.35),
Rent ($57.78) and
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ($54.95). Given the sheer size of
The Pirate Queen's
Hilton Theatre berth (1,799 seats), there's a lot of seats being heavily discounted just to pack 'em in.
And there's fresh word from
Michael Riedel in today's New York Post that as
Susan Stroman is openly eyeing the Hilton as an alternate home for her upcoming stage adaptation of
Mel Brooks'
Young Frankenstein and commenting on how much she liked its "wide aisles," one member of the current tenant's cast said: "We all had the same thought...Time to start looking for the next job." (Perhaps Brooks and Stroman are just using the Hilton as a bargaining chip with
Jujamcyn Theaters -- owners of the
St. James Theatre, which was previously announced as the home for
Young Frankenstein -- that is now "badmouthing" Brooks' new show ever since he cut them out as a producer.)
While Riedel duly notes that a spokesman for
The Pirate Queen dismisses any talk of it closing, the owners of the Hilton no doubt are examining their options. After all, considering that the comparably-sized
George Gershwin Theatre's occupant
Wicked earned almost double at the box office last week ($1,487,336 versus
The Pirate Queen's $757,333), Riedel also is quick to remind us that "there's always a clause in the contract that allows the theater owner to evict a show if its grosses fall below a certain level."
Anyone want to wager when closing notices will be posted?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Pirate Queen tickets. Related Stories:
The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
Swashbuckling On Broadway (February 1, 2007)
SOB Readers Doubt Pirate Queen Will Float (November 21, 2006)
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: Box Office, Broadway, Endangered Shows, Mel Brooks, Michael Riedel, Musical, Susan Stroman, The Pirate Queen, Young Frankenstein
Wicked (The SOB Revisit) - Apollo Victoria Theatre, London, United Kingdom
**1/2 (out of ****)
London calling. Something bad is happening in Oz.
Or worse,
Wicked's West End spell
has been miscast...
terribly I might add, in terms of Dallimore's ability to capture the effervescent and ditzy glee of Glinda. You could say that she's single-wandedly threatening your global franchise.
Now, I've always been one of
Wicked's most ardent fans. I've fiercely defended your show against its critics and their reviews. In addition to the initial Broadway run with
Kristin Chenoweth and
Idina Menzel, I've seen the Chicago sitdown production as well as the tour. Overall, I've seen your brilliantly staged musical more times than I care to admit. The one thing that has always impressed me has been the ability of each Glinda and Elphaba pairing to punctuate each ironic and iconic line all while blending their voices in a swirl of mesmerizing harmonies.
But not in London. While
Kerry Ellis (a perfect doppelgänger for
Jane Krakowski) provided a terrific and forceful green witch, Dallimore was flat, not only in delivering lines rife with possibility and humor, but also in her lackluster singing. I'm not sure if she was simply having an off night, but in the performance I saw, she could not hold any of the high notes or my interest.
Remarkably, the rest of the show across the pond holds up pretty well. I liked the minor changes to the projection design (enhanced from the States) as well as to the orchestrations. I even thought the most noticeable change in the book worked by altering the first encounter between Elphaba and Fiero, played with panache by
Adam Garcia -- perhaps the sexiest love interest for the two witches yet.
Of course, the audience still mustered a standing "O." However, I couldn't help but think they would have enjoyed the show so much more had Glinda the Good actually lived up to her moniker.
Joe Mantello, are you listening?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Wicked London tickets. Related Stories:
Labels: Adam Garcia, Broadway, Helen Dallimore, Joe Mantello, Kerry Ellis, London, Musical, The SOB Review, The SOB Revisit, Wicked
Pulitzer Pulls Rabbit Out Of Its HatDespite not even having been nominated,
David Lindsay-Abaire's
Rabbit Hole was yesterday awarded the
2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Now being produced at regional theatres throughout the United States (as well as abroad),
Rabbit Hole was first presented by the
Manhattan Theatre Club on Broadway from January through April 2006 at the
Biltmore Theatre. While the play was Tony nominated for Best Play, it ultimately lost to
The History Boys, a British work. However, its star
Cynthia Nixon would win the Tony for Best Actress in a Play.
The three plays that
were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize included
A Soldier's Fugue by Quiara Alegria Hudes,
Bulrusher by Eisa Davis, and
Orpheus X by Rinde Eckert. Rarely is a non-nominated work ever selected by the Pulitzer committee, but this indeed was one of those years.
I took in
Rabbit Hole when it was playing on Broadway last year. To be honest, I thought it was simply OK. While it was poignant and provided uniformly good performances, I didn’t think it rose to any great heights, nor do I think it deserving of a Pulitzer.
Completely overlooked were two outstanding
musicals (and yes, musicals have previously been awarded the Pulitzer honor):
Grey Gardens and
Spring Awakening. Ironically, the latter features a breathtaking performance by an actor who figured prominently in
Rabbit Hole:
John Gallagher, Jr.
Unfortunately, the Pulitzer committee settled for safe.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Spring Awakening (The SOB Review) (March 3, 2007)
Grey Gardens (The SOB Review) (February 25, 2006)
The Tonys: If I Could Vote....for Best Play (June 3, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Cynthia Nixon, Grey Gardens, Musical, Play, Pulitzer Prize, Rabbit Hole, Spring Awakening
Wind: Did Critics Find Intelligent Design?Thursday evening, the second revival of
Jerome Lawrence and
Robert E. Lee's 1955 drama
Inherit The Wind opened at Broadway's
Lyceum Theatre. Helmed this go-round by
Doug Hughes (
Doubt), the production's stellar cast includes
Brian Dennehy,
Christopher Plummer,
Byron Jennings and
Denis O'Hare. Most of the reviews are glowing.
Calling this a "dynamic production,"
Variety's
David Rooney files a favorable notice: "Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's play is a sterling example of the best of mid-'50s American drama, with its rock-solid construction, incisively drawn characters and unequivocally liberal-leaning moral lucidity. It's also a prime specimen of a breed of compelling courtroom drama now usurped by television in 'Law & Order' and its procedural imitators....Bracing and vivid, (its) muscular start sets the tone for a remarkably brisk production, condensed from the original three acts to two, clocking in at a pithy two hours with no adverse signs of compression."
Saying
Wind "holds up pretty damn well,"
New York Post's
Clive Barnes provides a three star review: "In a brashly manipulative play that pushes all the right buttons, the blustering Dennehy and the cunning Plummer pounded those buttons with unashamedly flaunting brilliance. And there is a very special fun in watching these two as trial lawyers, punching and counter-punching like elderly champions putting on a carefully calculated show, directed, almost refereed I imagine, by Doug Hughes."
Elysa Gardner of
USA Today also offers three out of four stars: "To say that the play is at least as topical now as it was in 1955 is not to say that it doesn't show its age. Lawrence and Lee's account of the battle between Matthew Harrison Brady (Brian Dennehy) and Henry Drummond (Christopher Plummer)...can seem quaint, both in its characterization of small-town life and its depiction of how sophisticated folk match wits. Luckily, this revival, which opened Thursday at the Lyceum Theatre, stars a pair of actors who could mop the sap from any chestnut."
Proclaiming the show's pairing of Plummer and Dennehy "eminently satisfying," Associated Press'
Michael Kuchwara is positive: "It takes two larger-than-life actors to make
Inherit the Wind really crackle, and its latest Broadway revival has come up with quite a pair -- Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy. The play...is an old-fashioned, American courtroom drama. Yet today, the subject matter still sounds contemporary, and director Doug Hughes has given the work a streamlined, fast-paced production that manages to get the most out of this cannily constructed entertainment now on view at the Lyceum Theatre."
"Wooden" is how
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times describes the revival: "Mr. Plummer has the audience eating from his hand as soon as he snaps his suspenders....Still, for this play to be the crackling courtroom drama it was intended to be, we need to feel the force of Drummond’s opposition. And not one soul on the side of creationism in this revival, directed by Doug Hughes, has a flicker of Mr. Plummer’s fire. Sadly, that includes the estimable Mr. Dennehy....This glaring imbalance means that
Wind never musters much more velocity than that of a drugstore fan."
With an amazing cast fueling it with added mojo, it's no wonder that the production has already been pulling in capacities of around 80%.
Inherit The Wind's limited run at the Lyceum is currently scheduled through July 8.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Inherit Evolves Into Opening Night (April 12, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Labels: Brian Dennehy, Broadway, Christopher Plummer, Critics' Capsule, Inherit The Wind, Play, Revival
