Stuck On HairsprayIt should be duly noted that occasionally, I
do see a movie or two.
A week ago Friday, the second silver screen incarnation of “
Hairspray” opened to favorable reviews and a wide audience, earning what was the best opening weekend of any movie musical
ever. Having adored the
original 1988 film, as well as having immensely enjoyed the
2002 Broadway stage musical adaptation, I was sure to make a beehive, er, bee
line to see the flick the day it was released.
While I still haven’t gotten over the fact that
Harvey Fierstein was not invited to reprise his Tony-winning take as Edna Turnblad, I went in with an open mind, deciding to give
John Travolta and the movie a chance.
And guess what? Thanks to his deft delivery of an adorable Edna by breaking new ground with his larger than life characterization, I actually forgot that I was watching the very same actor who was on fire as
Danny Zuko nearly thirty years ago.
But he's not even the show's best asset. You simply can’t help but fall in love with
Nikki Blonsky (as Tracy Turnblad), the young actress who
traded in her ice cream scooper for a giant lick in the big time. It’s been years since I’ve witnessed an unknown display such amazing grace and confidence her first time out.
Other standouts include
Zac Efron (Link),
Amanda Bynes (Penny) and
Michelle Pfeiffer (Velma Von Tussle). I’d be remiss not to mention both
James Marsden or
Elijah Kelley (Seaweed). Marsden provided a cheeky, yet luminescent presence as Corny Collins -- here’s hoping we’ll see him trade the big screen for a big stage musical with that big smile. And if there's any justice, it would be downright sweet to see Kelley replicate some of his moves by treading the boards, too.
The zippy pacing and exhilarating choreography by director
Adam Shankman made the film whiz by, although not too fast as to miss the show’s enormous heart, which was created in large part by the score from
Marc Shaiman and
Scott Wittman. Still -- and this will be the theatre snob coming out in me -- as much as they cranked the volume up on all the major numbers, including the dizzying finale, I couldn’t help but recall how much
more frenzied with delight the live show made its audience.
Although I missed many of the original tuner’s musical numbers stricken to help move the film along, I was certainly placated by the renditions offered with the credits – not the least of which was the gloriously inspired trio of
Rikki Lake,
Marissa Jaret Winokur and Nikki Blonsky singing “Mama I’m A Big Girl Now.”
Just for the record, I personally believe the best “Hairspray” of all remains the original
John Waters effort. But here’s hoping that this very enjoyable remake will inspire countless fans to make Broadway’s
Neil Simon or
London’s Shaftesbury Theatres a destination to see the slightly superior stage version. And it must be having an enormous impact as the Great White Way production is playing to standing room only houses for the third week in a row (quite a noteworthy rebound from its
steep decline last fall).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Hairspray Broadway tickets.Click here for Hairspray London tickets.Related Stories:
Go East, Young Musical, Go East (July 26, 2007)
Touring Hairspray Caught In Sticky Net (April 26, 2007)
Hairspray To Brush With West End Style (March 9, 2007)
Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Film, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, John Travolta, John Waters, London, Musical, Nikki Blonsky
Theatre Etiquette, Part Three (Or The End Of Southern Gentility)As regular readers know, I have a
real thing or
two to say about the end of civilization as we know it as it pertains to theatre etiquette (
my current SOB Poll even asks an etiquette-related question).
This past weekend, I journeyed to Atlanta to take in what is anticipated to be the final performance by
Jennifer Holliday as Effie Melody White in
Dreamgirls. Not only was I thrilled to be seeing her, but I was excited to once again be setting foot into Atlanta's
Fabulous Fox Theatre, a sparkling venue brimming in rich theatrical history.
The Fox does an excellent job of providing a list of "Golden Rules" of engagement for the audience. After witnessing some abysmal behavior by a large cross-section of the 4,000+ audience members, it's clear why they have it printed in the program.
For starters, in clear violation of rule #7 ("THOU SHALT NOT TALK"), the couple seated directly behind me had a long,
long conversation right during the build-up to Holliday's signature song "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." Their conversation reached its absolutely appalling apex when they up and left. Not only did they disrupt the experience for everyone around them, but they missed one of the most incredible performances in recent theatre history.
Then there were the intermittent violators of rule #4 ("Make sure all cell phones, beepers and watch alarms are OFF"), who not only let their cell phones ring....some actually
answered the calls. A woman seated four seats down from me had the audacity to
talk on her cell phone shortly before Holliday's show-stopping tune was delivered. Unbelievably, I saw cell phone light emissions all over the place. What is it that compels anyone to put himself or herself above the rest of the audience other than obliviousness at best or sheer selfishness at worst?
Worst of all was the hooting and hollering by the audience during Jennifer Holliday's signature tune. You know what? I came to listen to Holliday. I did not come to hear her being drowned out by an overzealous audience. This was the one moment when it should have been rapt in silent adoration. Instead, they demonstrated egregious disrespect -- not only for fellow audience members, but especially for Jennifer Holliday herself.
Finally, in violation of rule #9 ("Yes, the parking lot gets busy and public transportation is tricky, but leaving while the show is in progress is discourteous"), this audience didn't seem to understand that a performance isn't over until after the final curtain call. Throngs of audience members began departing the theatre before the final strains of "Hard To Say Goodbye, My Love" had even been sung. By the time the curtain fell, my entire row was already gone (with the exception of my group of four) and most of the row directly in front of us was also out the door. Unbelievable that anyone would pay significant dollars to see a performance and then ditch it before it's over. Shameful.
When will people learn? Is it too late?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Are You Cheering Yet? (July 27, 2007)
What Motivates You To See A Broadway Show? (July 5, 2007)
From Now On, I'll Just Sit On My Hands (July 1, 2007)
Talk To The Hand: Kevin Edition (June 20, 2007)
Spring Awakening Calling (June 18, 2007)
Rat Patrol: Coming To A Theatre Near You? (May 30, 2007)
Theatre Etiquette, Part Two (May 1, 2007)
Theatre Etiquette, Part One (November 30, 2007)
Labels: Atlanta, Broadway, Dreamgirls, Musical, Revival, Special Messages, Theatre Etiquette
Dreamgirls (The SOB Review) – Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
**** (out of ****)The biggest theatre event of the year may have been
Arthur Laurents’ production of
Gypsy starring
Patti LuPone in New York, but some 800 or so miles to the south-southwest, another
event --
Dreamgirls starring the incomparable
Jennifer Holliday -- was giving it a run for its money.
When
Jennifer Hudson’s beautifully nuanced performance earned her a very well-deserved Academy Award, it seemed as though the torch of Effie Melody White had finally been successfully passed to a new generation with considerable aplomb.
Yet the specter of Jennifer Holliday’s haunting creation of the original
Dreamgirl never completely vanished. Despite having truly created the role of Effie,
the movie provided no obligatory tip of the hat toward the former Tony-winning best actress in the big screen retelling -- no cameo, no nothing.
But there she was last February, singing on a balcony overlooking Hollywood’s
Kodak Theatre and the Academy Awards, defiantly belting out her signature tune on the very night Hudson’s brilliant work would be honored as if to prove that the young actress/singer was welcome to borrow Effie Melody White, but no one else could truly own it.
Personally, I thought the way in which the film story was told was riveting and moving. But it was most definitely not the
Dreamgirls that first captured my heart back in the 80s. Much had changed rather dramatically, but nothing more so that Effie’s story.
Ironically, the character of Effie was relegated to that of a second-stringer in the film, a supporting character whose story -- just like her lead-singer status -- was demoted to back-up Deena Jones.
More recently,
the two Effies converged on the BET Network for a duet on “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” that demonstrated how formidable this über-Effie could really be. To Hudson’s enormous credit, major props were given to the lady who gave birth to the role, and rather than overpowering the young upstart, Holliday instead simply brought the song home to rousing effect.
All of this Effie-ness came to an exhilarating conclusion over the past couple weeks at Atlanta’s Fabulous Fox Theatre. As if to prove that she and Effie are not going to take a backseat to anyone, Jennifer Holliday returned one more time to role that for more than a quarter century was hers and hers alone. In a glorious and absolutely thrilling performance, not only does Jennifer Holliday triumphantly reclaim the mantle of Effie Melody White, but she reigns supreme. Holliday maintains the undisputed claim on Effie.
While Holliday alone would have made this
Dreamgirls dazzle, she was not alone in providing some truly magical and electrifying performances. In fact, the moment I realized this show would be otherworldly was at the onset of “Steppin’ To The Bad Side” when the foursome of Curtis Taylor Jr. (a superb
David Jennings), C.C. White (
Destan Owens), James Thunder Early (a mostly pitch-perfect
Eugene Fleming) and Wayne (
James Harkness) sent the first, palpable jolt of energized lightning ricocheting through the receptive audience, thanks in part due to
Kevyn Morrow’s supercharged choreography (Morrow played C.C. in the 1987 Broadway revival).
Once the audience was overcome with pure unadulterated excitement, the performances -- including those by a
Cindy Herron-Braggs as a less than benevolent diva Deena Jones, who claws her way to the top, and
Brandi Chavonne Massey as a luscious Lorrell Robinson -- continued building steam. And it certainly didn't hurt that
Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj's gorgeous revival of
Dreamgirls once again rolled out the original Broadway costume and set designs created by
Theoni V. Aldredge and
Robin Wagner, respectively.
When it comes to
Dreamgirls’ plot points, it’s worth noting that the film’s story arc differs substantially from its original source material. As noted above, Effie Melody White remains the central story in the stage show.
Here, she has the heartwrenching epiphany that that her demotion to back-up singer to Deena coincides precisely with the blossoming of an affair between the newly-anointed diva and Curtis, who stole Effie’s heart and virtue early on. To see Effie fall in love earlier is to see the comic heart of Holliday’s performance; but to see Effie’s double whammy fall from grace is to see the heart of the show.
As powerful as Hudson’s performance in the movie was, it’s this added nuance that makes Holliday’s delivery of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” so particularly potent on stage. Somehow, Holliday pulls this incredible outpouring of heartbroken anguish from the deepest, innermost recesses of her very being and spews it forth in an as chilling a show-stopping performance as I have ever seen. The angst of Holliday’s Effie is not only that of a dream lost, but more importantly, of a love lost.
One of my friends who joined me for both this and Holliday’s last outing as Effie at the very same theatre five years ago observed that watching this
Dreamgirls on the heels of silver screen version was like filling the blanks. For me, seeing this
Dreamgirls was a chance to once again witness one of the greatest live theatrical performances of all time and savor it.
This is Steve On Broaday (SOB).
Related Stories:Talk To The Hands: Jennifers Edition (June 28, 2007)
The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
Holliday: You're Gonna Love Me...Again! (February 20, 2007)
Dreamgirls Revival Heading Toward Broadway? (January 26, 2007)
Living The Dreams (January 6, 2007)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 25, 2006)
Labels: Atlanta, Dreamgirls, Film, Jennifer Holliday, Jennifer Hudson, Musical, Revival
Are You Cheering Yet?Earlier this month,
one of my welcome guests challenged a comment
I made with respect to my posting on entrance applause. I said, "I would also venture that a large number of audience members have decided to visit Broadway because an actor or actress they've greatly admired is performing. For many, it may very well be their first foray into the theatre, and thus it does not surprise me that they would applaud the star of the show."
I took his comments to heart and posed the first of a two-part poll, asking you, my dear readers, to vote for what compels you to experience live theatre. The results are in, and as I suspected, the opportunity to see a favorite actor or actress ranked first with 78.6% of you.
That was followed by
plot (64.3%),
music and
buzz (tied at 57.1%),
reviews (48.4%) and
awards (39.3%).
While price and availability of tickets received some votes, they certainly weren't the major motivators.
So, now that we have established that cast members constitute the major reason why individuals -- at least for Steve On Broadway readers -- go see a particular show, it's time to move on. To part two.
Now, I invite you to vote in the second in my series of polls, this time asking you about entrance applause. Do you naturally applaud when your favorite actor takes to the stage or do you sit on your hands? Or does it all depend on the actor or whether the rest of the audience is erupting in spontaneous adulation?
After voting, please share your comments regarding your personal hands-clapping modus operandi.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
What Motivates You To See A Broadway Show? (July 5, 2007)
From Now On, I'll Just Sit On My Hands (July 1, 2007)
Labels: Blogs, Entrance Applause, Jeffrey Cafaude, SOB Poll, Theatre Etiquette
At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It"Great story in this morning's
New York Post by Michael Riedel in which the now 90 year old legend,
Arthur Laurents is interviewed.
Laurents continues to amaze most recently with his current direction on
City Centers Encores! production of
Gypsy. While
Patti LuPone is the star audiences are paying to see, they're leaving with memories of Laurents' handiwork.
Riedel quotes the maestro as saying, "At the age of 90, I'm wanted...They want me to direct the Bible next."
Amen!
Happy belated birthday to Arthur Laurents, a true living legend.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Did Gypsy Entertain Critics? (July 16, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, City Center, Gypsy, Musical, New York City Center, Off-Broadway, Patti LuPone, tribute
Little Mermaid Begins TonightAs noted last Saturday, the out-of-town tryout for Disney's
The Little Mermaid begins this evening at the
Denver Center for the Performing Arts' Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
While I won't be in the Mile High City audience until September, I'm looking forward to seeing how director
Francesca Zambello's vision transports this fairy tale from the big screen to the stage.
In his
Personal Canon #98 of his top 100 movies
he thinks about when he thinks about the movies, Nathaniel R. from
The Film Experience Blog details his adoration for the silver screen treatment of "
The Little Mermaid." Nathaniel incisively points out:
"The Little Mermaid" is justly credited with reviving interest in the animated film but it's less often mentioned in discussions of the rebirth of the musical and there it also proved pivotal. In the dark ages of the movie musical (that'd be the 1980s, people) nearly every live action musical failed financially and artistically.
Say what you will about Disney (I am generally inclined to enjoy their stage productions), but they also must be credited with contributing enormously to the rebirth of the stage musical as well. No wonder I'm looking forward to my September visit to Denver.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Denver tickets.Click here for Broadway tickets.Related Stories:Little Mermaid: No Treading Water Before The Boards (July 21, 2007)
Mermaid Casting Anything But Little (March 20, 2007)
Beauty Out On Broadway (January 17, 2007)
Disney Moves from Continent to Continent (May 22, 2006)
Labels: Blogs, Broadway, Denver, Film, Musical, The Film Experience Blog, The Little Mermaid, Tryout
Putting London's Drowsy Chaperone To BedAs
noted in my previous post, the West End production of
The Drowsy Chaperone will close next weekend (August 4) -- just shy of two months after opening to lackluster reviews.
The big question is
why? Certainly, reviews weren't
that bad, and plenty of other imports from North America have fared well in spite of the inherent anti-Broadway bias of many London critics.
My own theory is two-fold.
First, take a look at the marketing campaign (above) and you'll see that British theatrical legend
Elaine Paige is proclaimed as the star. Imagine the word of mouth that spread regarding how disingenuous that campaign truly is. While Paige is indeed in the title role, she is a supporting player. Huge difference.
Second, the real star of the show on opening night was the musical's creator
Bob Martin as the Man in Chair. But Martin already departed the show earlier this month to prepare for the first leg of
The Drowsy Chaperone's
North American tour in his hometown of Toronto, where the original Fringe Festival favorite world premiered.
If seething Paige fans could get beyond the fact that their beloved star was in a supporting role to enjoy Martin's utterly enjoyable performance, all positive buzz about him came to a crashing end when he left.
It's a shame that there wasn't more truth in advertising for this curious delight of a show. It deserved better.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for London tickets.Click here for Broadway tickets.Click here for North American tour tickets.Related Stories:Go East, Young Musical, Go East (July 27, 2007)
Did Chaperone Keep London's Aging Critics Awake? (June 19, 2007)
West End Drowsy Chaperone: Another Great Paige Turner (January 19, 2007)
The Drowsy Chaperone (The SOB Review) (October 3, 2006)
Mixed Reviews Tire The Drowsy Chaperone (May 2, 2006)
Labels: Bob Martin, Broadway, Closing Notices, Elaine Paige, London, Musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, Touring Production
Go East, Young Musical, Go EastDespite the incredibly shrinking dollar -- and in spite of the premature closing of the big American hit musical
The Drowsy Chaperone, which reached its 500th performance milestone on Broadway, yet is closing in London after a mere two months -- nothing spells theatrical success quite like having your show play to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, as
Variety's Gordon Cox examines.
On the heels of the extraordinary success of the
new film version of the
Broadway stage musical that was based on
John Waters'
original 1988 flick,
Hairspray will finally open in the London this October 11 at the Shaftesbury Theatre with U.K. stage fave
Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad. The Great White Way incarnation that premiered five years ago, won the 2003 Tony for Best Musical.
After that, expect the 2006 Tony-winning Best Musical
Jersey Boys to confound those anticipating a show about young boys and their cows on the pastoral isle of
The Bailiwick of Jersey when it replaces
Mary Poppins at London's Prince Edward Theatre on February 28.
This year's Tony-winning Best Musical
Spring Awakening will most certainly be mounted on the West End, but details have yet to be announced. And although
Grey Gardens may be vacating Rialto's
Walter Kerr Theatre this Sunday,
it's expected to find its new West End digs sometime during the current theatre season.
While the plummeting U.S. dollar may make mounting each of these shows more expensive, at least ticket prices remain somewhat reasonable in London. For example, you can expect to pay £61.50 (or approximately $123 US) for
Jersey Boys' top ticket vs. $351.50 on Broadway. Thankfully, the whole concept of "premium seating" has not caught on, although -- quite inexplicably -- you'll still have to pony up to $8 for their version of a Playbill.
If you're a theatre lover, but have never had the opportunity to see a show on the West End, I would highly recommend it. Just don't go with the expectation that every musical or play ends in a standing ovation -- the British tend to reserve those for truly remarkable and stunning performances. Here! Here!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Hairspray UK tickets.Click here for Jersey Boys UK tickets.Labels: Broadway, Grey Gardens, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, London, Mary Poppins, Spring Awakening, The Drowsy Chaperone, Ticket Prices, Transfer
Tick, Tick, Bernadette (And Mitzi, Too) So
Michael Riedel of the New York Post has gone Down Under. Taking in the enormously popular stage version of
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical, everyone's favorite theatre gossip tells us that its producers have begun prepping the show for runs in the West End and on Broadway.
But Riedel also hints at the show's inner turmoil with its book, which he personally recommends remedying for the Great White Way by bringing in
Harvey Fierstein or
Douglas Carter Beane.
Now playing in both Sydney and Melbourne (on September 2, the show will close in Sydney, where it premiered last year), I've heard plenty about the behind-the-scenes difficulties along the way. As you may recall,
I even took in a rather early version last December and found it to be a campy hoot -- even better than reigning Broadway camp darling
Xanadu.
After creating the
film version in 1992,
Stephan Elliott experienced a bomb with his next and fourth flick in 1997 ("
Welcome To The Woop-Woop"). He sold the stage rights of his true hit to Englishman Alan Scott. Still, Elliott was asked to write a stage version and created an entirely new script that was a complete departure from the plot of the film.
But that version was trashed, and instead, the team headed into the first workshop with the film script in hand and
Tony Sheldon and director
Simon Phillips handling most of the dramaturgical work.
For the second workshop the script, Scott added most of the detail surrounding the storyline involving Tick's son, including a Lego scene. By that time, Philip Scott was brought in to "joke up" the script. Entering the workshop, he reworked much of the script to maintain character consistency while adding more humor.
It was at that stage that Elliott absolved himself of the show and turned on the production by saying publicly that it was ill-conceived.
Unfettered, the production team headed into rehearsals, with Philip Scott handling one-off rewrites, and surprise! The show opened to mostly positive reviews and built a head of steam through excellent word of mouth. The buzz I was hearing from Australia was tremendous -- even despite difficulties during the first week of previews when the pivotal bus literally broke down the show.
With the original film being one of Australia's all-time favorite movies, the stage adaptation already had a built-in audience. So it wasn't a surprise when opening night was described to me as being "extraordinary with such goodwill."
Suddenly realizing that they had a hit on their hands, Stephan Elliott reasserted himself back into the picture (with the assent of the producers) and slowly began altering the script and reincorporating dialog he had written. Those changes have been described to me as "changes for changes sake rather than making it better," and began to appear on the stage shortly after I saw the production in December.
Among the alterations was a speech by Bernadette after the bus was defaced in which she said, "So much space and yet no room for us out here." That was changed to what's described to me as a "rant against how vile suburbia was and the only place gays were safe was the city."
Last I heard, the film speech was back.
And if all that background isn't enough, Philip Scott himself authored his own behind-the-scenes story, "Scripting Priscilla" that appeared in
SX, a gay Australian publication. While the story is no longer available online, my sources have provided me with the copy for publication here:
“SCRIPTING PRISCILLA”
When Stephan Elliott’s movie "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" was released I knew very little about drag. I remember being turned on by Guy Pearce’s pumped pecs peeking out from under a feather boa; steroids had done their work well, I was later told. (If you don’t believe me, take another look at "Memento.") I recall being slightly turned off by Terence Stamp’s grumpy Bernadette, thinking her unsympathetic as a person and uncomfortable as a drag performer. I preferred Stamp when he was blonde and boyish in Ustinov’s 1962 movie of "Billy Budd." In fact, as a young man Terence Stamp looked rather like Stephan Elliott.
In late ‘94 I appeared in the Tilbury Hotel’s Christmas Panto, Pavlova, Queen of the Dessert, which sent the movie up. One night, Stephan Elliott’s parents came to see the show and his dad made an impromptu speech from the stage. “He didn’t get all this from my side of the family,” his dad insisted.
Twelve years later, I had dinner with Stephan at the home of his friend and sometime investor Rebel Penfold. Her house at Bondi is built on a cliff and looks directly across to Icebergs. She owns a lampshade from the original Broadway production of The Pajama Game. Serious money; serious wine cellar.
Stephan was sussing me out to be a co-writer on the stage version of Priscilla. He grilled a gigantic steak and we chatted about the project (but not too much, as there was no deal in place). I’d watched the DVD again that afternoon, and realised the camera did all the work. A close-up of Terence Stamp or Hugo Weaving shows us a life story without anyone having to say a lot about it, but on stage these characters would need to talk (or sing) to make us care about them.
More wine appeared. Stephan talked about his serious skiing accident. He had busted his pelvis and had learned to walk again from scratch. His life is like that; kind of on the edge.
I would be arriving late in the show’s creative process. There had already been an early workshop in Melbourne, home of the director Simon Phillips. It had utilised the talents of Tony Sheldon as Bernadette, Jeremy Sandford as Mitzi, Spencer McLaren as Felicia, and John Wood as Bob the mechanic. Two script drafts had been used, radically different from each other and both miles away from the movie -- especially Stephan’s quirky, tangential rethink, which the producers rejected.
Stephan had sold the stage rights of Priscilla to an English scriptwriter named Allan Scott, whose credits include "Dante’s Peak." Since then the two had had a falling out. Allan is one of the producers of the stage musical, and later told me he had invited Stephan to participate, even though he need not have done so since Stephan no longer had any legal claim on the work. No way was I buying into that argument!
Eventually I was on board, and headed off to Melbourne for the second Priscilla workshop. By this time, I had acquired a working knowledge of drag, having written dialogue for the DIVAs and spent many nights at the Imperial hotel (some of which I could even vaguely remember).
As we sat around on day one to read the existing script, Tony Sheldon tapped me on the arm.
“Well?” he asked, “Where are all these jokes you’re supposed to be putting in?” I freaked. “Stop it!” I said. “I’m here under false pretences! Don’t you ever feel like that?” He smiled. “Always,” he whispered.
I was nervous because part of my job was to work with Allan Scott, and basically to be liked by him. I would be the trusted middleman between Allan and Stephan (who was not coming). Me, a diplomat? I couldn’t see it. Luckily I found Allan genial, receptive and -- like any professional writer -- anxious to fix things that weren’t working. I discovered he had been a stand-up comic in Australia, appearing on Graham Kennedy’s show in the 1960s.
My first contribution was a gag about Azaria Chamberlain. It got a roar from the cast but also a few “ooohs.”
“Is that going to be offensive?” Simon asked. “No,” I assured him, “it’s hysterical”. (He shouldn’t have asked me: I’m always amused by things that upset other people.) The joke stayed in for opening night, although it remains in brackets in the official script.
We retained iconic lines from the movie, because punters would expect to hear them and because they were punchy, then added new gags and specific character-driven moments. I think Stephan was worried the producers might tone down the gay content -- though it’s hard to imagine how, without completely altering the whole premise. A more pressing problem was language: there are a fair few “f***s” in Priscilla. It’s hard to believe people get worked up over swearing when there’s so much else in the world to worry about.
Still, we wanted their money so we walked that tightrope. By week’s end the script was almost as advanced as plans for the opening night party.
When rehearsals began for real, casting was complete. Daniel Scott had been extracted from Dusty to play Felicia (a tricky manoeuvre because he’d signed a run of show contract). My Wharf Revue mate Genevieve Lemon was playing the Broken Hill “mullet.” Sydney drag identity Trevor Ashley had lobbied everyone in sight for a role: he impressed the producers so much at his audition, a new part was created for him (Miss Understanding). Bob was to have been played by Bille Brown, a brilliant actor best known here for his Oscar Wilde in The Judas Kiss. Bille dropped out for reasons unknown and the role went to an actor who epitomises the Aussie everyman: Michael Caton. Michael and Jeremy Sandford immediately demanded more comic lines.
In early September I met up with Stephan in London. Having blown hot and cold about Priscilla, the musical for months, he now seemed happy or at least accepting of it. “As long as they don’t ask me to do any interviews,” he warned. (Later he told an ABC TV interviewer the stage version wouldn’t work!)
With the first performances approaching, the show was beset by technical problems. The bus, a computer-driven nightmare, was taking forever to get right. One of its problems was an over-sensitive safety mechanism: too easily activated, it repeatedly shut everything down, requiring a complete reboot. First and second previews were scrapped, but the Friday preview was to be a sold out charity night with proceeds going to ACON. The producers had to decide which was the best-case PR scenario: cancel altogether or go ahead, explain what was missing, and hope for the best.
In the foyer of the Lyric Theatre that evening I bumped into the show’s publicist, Judith Johnson. She looked stressed. “The show has never been run straight through,” she complained. “Act 2 hasn’t had a technical rehearsal and the lighting’s not finished!” I urged her to relax --though if Darlinghurst turned against Priscilla her job would be hell.
An excited and very queer audience took their seats as Simon Phillips came on stage to flag that the show might stop in its tracks. Did it what! We heard his amplified voice echo throughout the theatre: “Actors! Get out of the way or the bus will take you out.” The audience giggled but the situation was genuinely dangerous.
Fortunately, there was enough goodwill from the crowd to get us through. During each breakdown they applauded encouragingly (little realising the wait might be half an hour or longer). The cast were tremendous under these testing circumstances. For the first time, we saw Tony Sheldon’s witty, human, utterly believable Bernadette.
The bus went back to the depot for the next few performances. Meanwhile, I got a text message on the Monday night: Judith Johnson had collapsed and died that morning of a ruptured aorta. She had been a pillar of the Sydney theatre scene for decades. Everybody was stunned. Judith’s face kept popping into my mind for weeks afterwards.
As technical difficulties were ironed out, further changes were made. Act 2 was too long. I’d always felt there was a traffic jam of slow tempo numbers just when the pace needed to pick up. Clearly Simon felt the same, because he cut one: Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself.” Daniel sang a short reprise of that song at an important dramatic point in Felicia’s story, but now, without the earlier rendition, the reprise got an unexpected laugh and Daniel was furious! On opening night, a reprise of “Go West” appeared in its place; the moment worked properly and Daniel nailed it.
Opening night: Terence Stamp was there, Barry Humphries, Carlotta and, well, the gAy-list. At the after party, Stephan turned to me with a gleam in his eye and announced: “Now we can start to tinker with it!” My heart sank. Didn’t we owe the actors a few weeks to settle in? In any case, Simon and I were moving on to other shows. (Much smaller ones).
I returned a week later as part of a regular audience, all average mums and
dads. Some of them found aspects of Priscilla confronting: mostly the language, sometimes the sexuality. Women responded more readily than men, who seem to regard transvestism as a mysterious and possibly exciting threat.
By the end, the spectacular cossies and set, the music and the performances had won everyone over. Whether that crowd took their newfound tolerance home with them is debatable, but I’d like to think so. Priscilla is a family show -- for a 21st century family.
As Paul Harvey used to say, now you know the rest of the story. But of course, the final chapter hasn't even been written. At least when the day comes when (not if)
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical is about to open on Broadway, you'll have a greater appreciation for how it got so far.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Melbourne tickets.Click here for Sydney tickets.Labels: Australia, Background, Broadway, Film, London, Michael Riedel, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert
Esparza's Homecoming Finds Him In Good CompanyIt's been sixteen years since
Harold Pinter's
The Homecoming was last staged on the Great White Way. That 1991 production lasted a mere 49 performances. But now, with plenty of star power to propel it forward, a second rival is headed for Broadway.
Not letting any moss grow under his feet,
Raúl Esparza -- whom many were shocked did not win the 2007 Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for his brilliant work in
Company -- will join
Ian McShane and
Michael McKean in Daniel Sullivan's production.
While this will be McShane's first Rialto outing in 40 years (he last appeared in
The Promise with a young
Ian McKellen and
Eileen Atkins), it also marks Esparza's first
non-musical role on Broadway. If he can bring even a fraction of the intensity he brought to his role as Bobby, this show may become unmissable.
When
The Homecoming made its
Broadway debut back in 1967, it earned four Tony Awards, including for Best Play. The show ran for a remarkable 324 performances at the
Music Box Theatre.
Will all the high wattage from the second revival turn it into a similar success? I'm mulling over the possibilities.
The Homecoming will open on December 4 at the
Cort Theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Daniel Sullivan, First Word On New Show, Harold Pinter, Ian McShane, Michael McKean, Play, Raul Esparza, Revival, The Homecoming
Sondheim: Kookaburra's Company No Laughing MatterMemo to production companies around the world: Don't mess with a
Stephen Sondheim show.
According to
Variety, Australia's fledgling
Kookaburra -- The National Musical Theatre Company in Sydney -- landed in hot water with the esteemed composer
and the general public when it was revealed that it had jettisoned 20 minutes worth of material during a Wednesday performance of its current revival of
Company.
Apparently, there was no understudy ready to take the place of Christie Whelan in the role of April when she fell ill. So rather than cancel the performance, Kookaburra excised two songs and dialogue without even notifying the audience.
The Thursday performance
was canceled after a big brouhaha (and early denials that anything was amiss), and then a replacement was brought in: Chloe Dallimore. But Friday's performance was also canceled when Pippa Grandison called in sick. Not only did Kookaburra have a bit of bird do on its face, but it
could very well have had its license to perform Company taken away due to its egregious lapse in judgment over its initial decision to cut numbers from the show.
Fortunately, audience members who saw the shortened
Company are being treated to free tickets for another performance. For amends, a very apologetic Kookaburra is also
sponsoring a special benefit performance of the show on July 31 in support of
Oz Showbiz Cares and Actors Benevolent Fund.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Labels: Australia, Company, Kookaburra, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Old Acquaintance (The SOB Review) - American Airlines Theatre, New York, NY**1/2 (out of ****)While its advance billing would suggest claws finely sharpened for a good old-fashioned catfight of the first order, the revival of
John Van Druten’s somewhat dated
Old Acquaintance is less reminiscent of
The Women (its revival staged at the very same
American Airlines Theatre nearly six years ago) than the convoluted, nearly incestuous
Mia Farrow/
Woody Allen/
Soon-Yi Previn polygon from fifteen years ago.
Some may wonder why director
Michael Wilson bothered to revive this old chestnut, long since buried in the annals of theatre. Whatever the reason, I can tell you that this pre-World War II period piece does serve up an engaging summertime helix or two in the form of three bizarre love triangles against an exquisite set design by
Alexander Dodge. Van Druten also offers a rare peek at the era’s burgeoning feminine sexuality -- that is, if and when intimate boudoir talk was actually discussed openly.
At the center of each
major triangle is the respected and even-keeled occasional writer Kit Markham, played with understated humor and grace by the magnificent
Margaret Colin. Imbuing her Kit with a loyal and dignified air, it’s no wonder she easily attracts friends and lovers alike.
One such friend (and rival) is popular author Milly Drake -- a perfectly prickly
Harriet Harris -- whose mercurial temperament and prone for excess seriously undermine her relationships and repel those she loves the most, including her daughter Deirdre (a sublime
Diane Davis) and her now ex-husband Preston (a woefully ineffectual
Stephen Bogardus).
Infusing her role with the appropriate mix of vanity and vociferousness, Harris not only neatly underscores why Milly is her own worst, clueless enemy, but also why this accomplished thespian is one of the best character actresses on the stage today. In her leading role, Harris delivers a thoroughly entertaining performance.
Another friend of Kit's is Deirdre, who finds refuge with her surrogate aunt from the storms that perpetually lie in her own mother's wake. In Kit, Deirdre also has a trusted confidante with whom she can contemplate her own virtue.
And then there are the men who have been drawn to Kit. The curtain initially rises on a rapturous embrace between Kit and Rudd (portrayed with sophisticated style and winning charm by
Corey Stoll), a dashing young gentleman who's not going to let being ten years Kit's junior stand in the way of professing his love for her. Only, Kit rebuffs his overtures -- something she had also done years back when Preston was ready to leave Milly for her.
Just as any plot that heaps one love triangle on top of another and another would hint, this is ultimately a story of revelation after revelation culminating in a final "confrontation" between Kit and Milly. Despite the blizzard that's about to rage outside, there's not so much a storm
inside as a version of
True Confessions -- not exactly a satisfying conclusion, but that's what you get when you dust off an old play well beyond its freshness date.
Still, there's enough humanity and laughs left in this
Old Acquaintance worthy of visiting anew.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Critics: Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot? (June 29, 2007)
Old Acquaintance Opens Tonight (June 28, 2007)
"Sands In The Clouds," Or Why I Love Harriet Harris (June 27, 2007)
Summer Brings Old Acquaintance Harris Back To Broadway (March 23, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Harriet Harris, John Van Druten, Margaret Colin, Old Acquaintance, Play, Revival, The SOB Review
Curse Of The Understudy - Part IIIForget
Fantasia.
Who needs her when
Saycon Sengbloh is living up to her
own name by blowing the roof off the
Broadway Theatre as Celie in
The Color Purple?!
In the wake of all the great reviews the former American Idol star has garnered, I revisited
The Color Purple in hopes of seeing yet another
Reba McEntire-like performance where the replacement star was actually better than the original. And although Fantasia was a no-show -- creating havoc outside the theatre as scores of disappointed fans demanded their money back -- the audience that hung around was treated to exactly that: a bravura performance by an absolutely gorgeous actress who is making a name on Broadway as its most dependable standby.
I first caught Sengbloh a couple years back when I returned to
Wicked on Broadway. At that time, my heart sank when I found that dreaded slip in my program that carried the words, "At this performance, the role of Elphaba will be played by..." The name attached was Saycon Sengbloh, who not only managed to lift my heart with her touching performance, but made it soar.
So as much as I was naturally disappointed last night when I learned that Fantasia was out, after I saw that
other unusual name on the board, I reassured my friend that all was not lost. And by the time the last strains of the pivotal "I'm Here" was sung, Saycon Sengbloh had not only won over my heart once again, she brought tears to my eyes. She triumphed over the audience as well.
I certainly hope we'll be seeing this gifted young actress in a role of her own. Enough standing by, already. This lady's deserving of the real deal!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:The Curse Of The Understudy - Part II (January 15, 2007)
The Curse Of The Understudy (October 2, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Curse of the Understudy, Fantasia, Musical, Saycon Sengbloh, The Color Purple, Understudy
Little Mermaid: No Treading Water Before The BoardsDespite the box office mojo
Disney has enjoyed with each of its
five Broadway musicals, it hasn't received uniformly lavish praise since its stage adaptation of
The Lion King hit the boards of the
New Amsterdam Theatre an astounding ten years ago this fall.
Much has changed during that time. With few exceptions (like
Wicked) large-scale spectacles are most definitely passé, tending to create a bit of a critical backlash, even if throngs of the theatregoing public takes it in. The Tony success of
Spring Awakening,
Avenue Q and even
Jersey Boys serves to verify that point.
Against that sea change comes Disney's
The Little Mermaid, which must either swim against that tide or ride the current. As yesterday's
Variety reports, Disney is all too aware of the obstacles around which they must navigate. Indeed,
Francesca Zambello is helming this expensive ship of a production without the use of some of the magic one might have expected in the retelling of the Disney film that was instrumental in restoring the House of Mouse's animation legend. Zambello is eschewing both water and wires and apparently will rely on the book, score and performances to capture the audiences' attention.
Will the simple, yet hardly inexpensive (thanks in part to various prototypes for what ultimately became a transluscent set design), approach satisfy not only the audiences who expect nothing less than bona fide Disney magic, but also the Big Apple critics? Sight unseen, the tuner -- which opens at the
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on December 6 -- has already raked in an $8 million advance at the box office with virtually no advertising.
With its Denver out-of-town tryout beginning Thursday, the buzz will begin soon enough. I'll be in the audience at the
Denver Center for the Performing Arts' Ellie Caulkins Opera House for the production's second-to-last performance prior to swimming off in October to that island known as Manhattan -- I'll let you know whether this
Little Mermaid has legs.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Denver tickets.Click here for Broadway tickets.Related Stories:Mermaid Casting Anything But Little (March 20, 2007)
Beauty Out On Broadway (January 17, 2007)
Disney Moves from Continent to Continent (May 22, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Denver, Disney, Film, Musical, The Little Mermaid, Tryout
Where's Oscar The Cat When We REALLY Need Him?According to
Variety,
Andrew Lloyd Webber has inked a deal with the
William Morris Agency in hopes of shepherding
yet another reality television series in search of a new theatrical star.
As I was saying...
...
where is his legendary cat, anyway? Couldn't
Oscar have taken kitty litterties with the contract and spared us all?
No matter what you say, Mr. Lloyd Webber, reality TV casting does
not make theatre "cool."
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Realitet Bita (Swedish For Reality Bites) (July 17, 2007)
Phantom Sequel: So Much For Writing On Otto-Pilot? (June 17, 2007)
West End Boys? (March 26, 2007)
Max And Laura Go Together (March 26, 2007)
Behind The Grease Paint (March 24, 2007)
Grease: The Ones That I Want (March 22, 2007)
The Phantom Of Manhattan? (March 12, 2007)
The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Apparently Grease Is The Word At Ticketmaster (January 9, 2007)
Sandy And Danny: Who Are The Ones You Want? (January 6, 2007)
The Sound Of Praise (November 16, 2006)
It's A Reality: The Sound Of Music Revival Comes Alive In London Tonight (November 15, 2006)
I've Got Chills, They're Multiplying: NBC Reality Show to Cast Grease (August 8, 2006)
Labels: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Reality Television, Television
Lone Star Joins Crowded Field Of MusicalsFormer Off-Broadway musical hit
Lone Star Love will ride again, this time on Broadway, after sauntering off to Seattle for a retooled tryout in September.
Lone Star Love features a score by
Jack Herrick and book by
John L. Haber and
Robert Horn.
Helmed and choreographed by
Randy Skinner, the tuner -- described as
The Merry Wives Of Windsor meets post-Civil War Texas -- will open at the
Belasco Theatre on December 3.
Look for Academy Award-nominated actor
Randy Quaid to make his Broadway debut alongside such sidekicks as Great White Way veterans
Dee Hoty and
Robert Cuccioli.
Sounds like a rootin' tootin' hoot to me!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Dee Hoty, First Word On New Show, Lone Star Love, Musical, Off-Broadway, Randy Quaid, Robert Cuccioli, Seattle, The Merry Wives Of Windsor, Tryout
Guess What's Coming To Broadway? A Relic.It was with a huge yawn that I greeted word earlier this week that
Kenny Leon --
August Wilson's de facto director -- would be helming a new "Broadway-aimed" production of
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner.
Based on the
1967 Academy Award-winning film, Wilson dramaturg
Todd Kreidler is retooling the movie script for the stage.
If you're unfamiliar with the silver screen incarnation that starred
Spencer Tracy,
Katharine Hepburn and
Sidney Poitier, it's about young white woman who brings her African-American boyfriend home to meet her supposedly liberal-minded parents. While cutting-edge back in the heavily conflicted sixties, I'd like to know what the big deal is today.
Consider my own personal family tree, which stretches coast to coast with practically all points in between, including north
and south. It may be primarily white, but it's grown richer by encompassing all shades and hues with ancestral origins that circle the globe from Asia to Africa to Latin America. While I'm sure
my nearly 96 year old Gramps (who's originally from Indiana, but now based in Arkansas) never envisioned he'd have Asian-American in-laws, or Mexican-American great-grandchildren, or African-American great-great grandchildren, he sets the tone for all of us by loving each of us equally.
The tapestry of our family is quite a wonder to behold, yet I doubt that this is unique in 21st Century America.
So again, I ask, what's the big deal? Where's the relevance in bringing this old chestnut to Broadway?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Wilson, Broadway, Film, First Word On New Show, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, Kenny Leon, Play
Suddenly, Everyone's A BloggerPerhaps it was inevitable that the "Gray Lady" would finally succumb. After all, noted critics like
The Wall Street Journal's
Terry Teachout have been on the leading edge of the blogosphere by posting stories since 2003.
But yesterday,
The New York Times' very own theatre critic
Ben Brantley began his unique online journey....in London. Brantley will be haunting West End theatres over the course of the next 21 days to see a whopping 28 shows.
Mused one John Walker, who commented on Brantley's first post (yes! you can actually
finally fire back at New York's most controversial critic) , "28 shows in 21 days? You won’t have time to reflect on any of the ideas / issues properly. I suggest one show every two or three days."
Welcome to the blogosphere, Ben, where everyone's a critic!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: About Last Night, Ben Brantley, Blogs, London, Terry Teachout, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal
Seeing Red At Grey GardensThis morning's
Michael Riedel column in the
New York Post offers up some contentious behind the scenes loathing for the producers of
Grey Gardens, which will close later this month.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Grey Gardens, Michael Riedel, Musical
Realitet Bita (Swedish For Reality Bites)According to
Playbill, the West End edition of
Monty Python's Spamalot will find its next Lady of the Lake through a nine-part live television series for
Swedish television.
Is it just me, or is this whole reality television thing for casting London shows beginning to get a tad tedious?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Spamalot London tickets.Related Stories:West End Boys? (March 26, 2007)
Max And Laura Go Together (March 26, 2007)
Behind The Grease Paint (March 24, 2007)
Grease: The Ones That I Want (March 22, 2007)
Apparently Grease Is The Word At Ticketmaster (January 9, 2007)
Sandy And Danny: Who Are The Ones You Want? (January 6, 2007)
The Sound Of Praise (November 16, 2006)
It's A Reality: The Sound Of Music Revival Comes Alive In London Tonight (November 15, 2006)
I've Got Chills, They're Multiplying: NBC Reality Show to Cast Grease (August 8, 2006)
Labels: London, Monty Python's Spamalot, Musical, Television
Did Gypsy Entertain Critics?On Saturday evening, the highly anticipated
New York City Center's Encores! Summer Stars production of the
Arthur Laurents-helmed
Gypsy opened. Of course, it has made headlines because
Patti LuPone is in the role she was born to play: Mama Rose. Nearly every critic came up roses, too.
Proclaiming "Ms. LuPone could and should be a Rose for the ages,"
The New York Sun's
Eric Grode is nearly ecstatic: "Hold your hats and say hallelujah. Patti LuPone has finally been allowed to show it to ya....Ms. LuPone has a healthy dose of Merman's legendary vitality: Notes linger in the air with a sort of sculpted robustness, and she knows how to take ownership of the huge City Center stage with a minimum of extraneous movement."
Labeling this production "galvanizing" in his three-and-a-half star review,
Frank Scheck offers high praise: "When this indomitable actress finished her tour de force rendition of 'Rose's Turn,' the audience rose for a spontaneous standing ovation. LuPone acknowledged the applause fully in character as the self-aggrandizing Mama Rose, bowing floridly and in effect incorporating us into her character's elaborate fantasy....LuPone, as might be imagined, is a powerhouse in the role, singing the hell out of the classic Styne/Sondheim score and giving a portrayal that easily ranks as one of the best Roses ever."
Saying that Patti LuPone is proof that "we're living in a golden age for singing actresses,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer is effusive: "The idea that someone was 'born to play' a character sounds like hyped-up old nonsense -- until, that is, Patti LuPone grabs the cliche in her bared teeth and scares the banalities away as Mama Rose in
Gypsy....Statistically speaking, we appear to have no need for another
Gypsy. But now we do.We do because of LuPone, because of the smarts she brings to
Jule Styne's brassy-bravura music and
Stephen Sondheim's wrenching and dazzling lyrics."
With the line that it's "as close to perfection as anything you'll see on any stage this summer,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News is clearly dazzled: "Whether Patti LuPone was destined to play the steam-rolling Rose who pushes her daughters to be famous in the 1920s and '30s, who knows? But she's mesmerizing singing and acting the role created in 1959 by
Ethel Merman. LuPone's work never feels like a performance. From the first line, 'Sing out, Louise,' to her final knockout number, 'Rose's Turn,' she creates a Rose you can relate to and empathize with."
Calling the production "entertaining but unenthralling,"
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times once again proves that there's just no pleasing him: "Ms. LuPone does not, for once, feel like an unstoppable force. As Rose, the child-flattening maternal steamroller with Broadway dreams, she seems to be still fiddling with the gears and looking over her shoulder when she needs to be plowing full speed ahead with blinders on....I suspect there’s still a first-rate Momma Rose waiting to emerge. For the moment we only have the preliminary sketch. Any halfway decent
Gypsy -- and this one is more than that -- is a fine summer night’s diversion. But it needs a Momma Rose in full control to carry its audiences away."
Brantley notwithstanding, it's official:
Gypsy has been annointed
the theatrical event of the summer. With all these huzzahs, could a Broadway turn be in the offing?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) – Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, City Center, Critics' Capsule, Encores, Gypsy, Off-Broadway, Patti LuPone
Broadway Bares Goes Legit?Thanks to the creative vision of choreographer-turned-director
Jerry Mitchell,
Broadway Bares has become an annual rite of passage for many Broadway stars and gypsies alike, willing to take it all off to the benefit of
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This year, the June event raised over $700,000.
Now, Vegas is calling with a regular sitdown production called
Peep Show looming, according to
Variety. As entertaining as the annual Roseland Ballroom event is, the caveat is that it's all for a worthy cause.
As ironic as it may seem, doesn't a legit version of this bawdy annual fundraiser make it seem a little less, well, wholesome?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Broadway Bares, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Las Vegas
Ever After Happily Begins With ReadingA little known secret about me that I'm divulging publicly for the first time today is that I'm a hopeless romantic.
Hopeless, I tell you.
Now, this isn't just some souped-up fantasy of what life or love
should be from some guy who's forever unlucky in love. No, I'm blessed to have long since found the love of my life.
What I
am saying is that whether it's my own personal, ongoing affair of the heart (which has included everything from surprise flowers to jetting off to London for a long weekend) or my embrace of all things love elsewhere (via stage, film or even song), nothing gets my sentimental side more than a good dose of romance.
Back in 1998, I was thrilled to see a movie for which I had low expectations. The little flick was called "
Ever After" and starred
Drew Barrymore as a real-life interpretation of the fairy-tale Cinderella. To say I was mesmerized would be a gross understatement. I adored this film.
Just when I thought all my excitement over film-turned-stage musicals was over,
along comes news that an invitation-only reading of
Ever After is taking place next week in Manhattan. The tuner being produced by
Adam Epstein (
Hairspray and
The Wedding Singer) has its sights trained on the Great White Way for sometime in 2009. Estimable director of plays
Doug Hughes is currently at the helm.
Zina Goldrich is scoring the music, while
Marcy Heisler provides the libretto and lyrics. The wildly talented and ubiquitous
Rob Ashford is choreographing the musical.
According to
Playbill, the cast for the reading includes
Elena Shaddow as Danielle, the Cinderella-style heroine,
Max von Essen as the Prince and
Jan Maxwell as the evil Baroness Rodmilla.
I'm wistfully intrigued.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Doug Hughes, Elena Shaddow, Ever After, Film, First Word On New Show, Jan Maxwell, Max von Essen, Musical, Rob Ashford
Did Critics Offer Xana-Dos Or Don'ts?Last evening,
Xanadu rolled into its Broadway opening as the first musical of the 2007-08 Theatrical Season. For the most part, critics largely enjoyed the campy ride.
Citing how "at least
Xanadu is in on the joke" of some of Broadway's more recent misfires,
Charles Isherwood of
The New York Times offers that "...there’s so much silly bliss to be had at the
Helen Hayes Theater, where the new, improved
Xanadu opened last night...[T]he creators and performers of
Xanadu desecrate the theatah with such sharp good humor and magnetic high spirits that you won’t have much time to weep for the cultural blight that too much of Broadway has become. And in fact, there is enough first-rate stage talent rolling around in
Xanadu to power a season of wholly new, old-school, non-jukebox musicals, if someone would get around to writing a few good ones."
Heralding it as a "guilt-free pleasure,"
Variety's
David Rooney raves: "
Douglas Carter Beane has taken the unpromising clay of
Richard Danus and
Marc Rubel's screenplay and molded it not only into an engagingly goofy spoof of the film itself but also a witty takedown of the Broadway creative climate. Sure, the book scenes occasionally stall, but what looked on paper to be one-note sketch fodder turns out to be an unexpectedly sustained and refreshingly unassuming crowd-pleaser....With a complicitous wink at the audience that's never overplayed, the creatives and cast at every turn cheekily point up the irony of charging Rialto prices for recycled trash."
Proclaiming that
Xanadu "must appeal to the 40-year-old gay people in us all,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer is also positive: "The 90-minute show, which kicked off the new season last night at the Helen Hayes Theatre, is a grand little piece of smart dumb fun. This is a takeoff that takes its craft seriously. The creators and cast of expertly good sports know precisely what they want to do, and they do it with breezy, self-referential humor and, of course, with roller skates....
Kerry Butler brings a devilish edge to the romantic absurdities of Kira."
Prescribing the show as a "summertime cure for the blues," New York's
Daily News critic
Joe Dziemianowicz "
Xanadu is 90 minutes of souped-up silliness and broad comedy....Kerry Butler...is simply out of this world as Kira. She has gorgeous pipes, great comic flair and puts on a fab faux Aussie accent that could make dingoes howl for more. The hunky
Cheyenne Jackson...pinch-hits for the injured James Carpinello as the dim-but-dreamy Sonny -- and he's excellent....In this story of a muse, the moment is eye and ear candy that's delightfully inspired."
Zeroing in on the show's "surprisingly agreeable flair,"
Eric Grode of
The New York Sun also seems game: "Mr. Beane's high-low collision relies heavily on bottom-feeding interpolations of slang along the lines of 'He my baby daddy' and 'Oh, snap!' He seems to grow more and more confident in the rightness of his approach, though, as the story becomes less and less comprehensible....Both in on the joke and completely in tune with Kira's burgeoning humanity, Ms. Butler pushes past the leg warmers and wooden dance moves to unveil a real character. Mr. Jackson, an eleventh-hour replacement, manages the near-impossible and turns the vapid Sonny into a charismatic, even adorable romantic foil."
Calling it an "absolutely ghastly show" over at the
New York Post, stuffy old
Clive Barnes is having none of it, as his one-star review attests: "The performers - all having to keep their tongues in their cheeks for so long it must give them earaches - do well, particularly the ultra-charming Jackson....
Christopher Ashley’s staging is precisely what you would expect from a man who claims to have seen the original movie 148 times. But in the end,
Xanadu reminded me of something, and it wasn’t
Starlight Express or even disco. It was “Ishtar.”
Last week,
Xanadu 's box office hovered just under 65% capacity and offered a steal of a ticket with average prices around $50. Mr. Barnes' comments notwithstanding, this could very well be the sleeper summer hit Broadway's been waiting for.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Related Stories:Xanadu (The SOB Review) (July 11, 2007)
No Khan Job: Xanadu Opens Tonight (July 10, 2007)
Broadway Can-Du? (December 18, 2007)
A Place Where Nobody Dared To Go...Until Now: They Call It Xanadu (July 18, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Film, Jukebox Musical, Musical, Xanadu
