Hay Carumba! Mamma Mia! Is Fun!Never to be confused with great art, the stage musical
Mamma Mia! nevertheless has long been one of my truly guilty pleasures.
There’s a combination of reasons. I was always a closet
ABBA fan, even back in the 1970s when it was largely considered
naff to be so in the States. I even went to an ABBA concert back in 1979 during the Milwaukee swing of their “
Voulez-Vous” tour.
But when I saw the West End mounting of
Mamma Mia! in September 1999, I was struck by the inherent ingenuity of stringing together a story, however silly or superfluous, using the most catchy if not most nonsensical pop tunes of all time. Yes, there were groan-worthy moments as certain tunes were shoehorned into the production. But with one wink and nod after another, it was clear that those moments were exactly as its creators intended from the start, and that’s what made this show such harmless, even joyous fun.
Long before this granddaddy of all jukebox musicals came along, first in London in 1999, and then in rest of the world (including Broadway in 2001), ABBA had already seeped back into our collective consciousness thanks largely to two Australian films from 1994: “
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queeen Of The Desert” and “
Muriel’s Wedding.” So it seemed entirely apropos that the film version of “
Mamma Mia!” would open Down Under one week in advance of its American debut. And so it also seemed appropriate for me to find a cinema while here in Australia to share the silver screen treatment with the world’s most indisputably biggest ABBA fans.
Sure the storyline is as schlocky as ever. Of course it’s mindless and at times downright mind-numbing. It’s also true that not every cast member has the same vocal talent. And yes, this will never find itself listed as a truly great film.
But thanks to a highly spirited, ultra-game cast, it’s also tremendous fun, particularly watching the likes of
Meryl Streep,
Christine Baranski and
Julie Waters sing their hearts out through such tunes as the title song, “Does Your Mother Know” and “Take A Chance On Me,” respectively.
But it’s the full-on, well-choreographed renditions of “Dancing Queen” and “Lay All Your Love On Me” that really make this film version shine.
Maybe the future holds no Academy Awards for “Mamma Mia!” But if you sit back, relax and don’t expect too much, you just might find yourself enjoying it for what it is and thanking ABBA for the music that keeps on giving.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: ABBA, Christine Baranski, Film, Julie Waters, Mamma Mia, Meryl Streep, Musical
Theatre Under The StarsTwo days ago, I arrived smack dab in the middle of the Australian continent in the Northern Territory community of Ayers Rock. But this international tourism mecca is also one of the most sacred places for Australian’s indigenous population thanks to the gorgeous focal point now known by its Aboriginal name
Uluru.
To say coming to the Aussie Red Centre is a religious experience is an understatement. For the past couple days, I’ve had opportunities to get up close and personal -- in a very respectful manner, of course -- with Uluru. In fact, just last evening, I returned from an amazing viewing of the setting sun against this most majestic mountain.
The photo I took doesn't even begin to do it justice as my personal experience was truly indescribable. Dense cloud cover gave way to what surely ranks as the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen, and it turned the rock, which is taller than the Eiffel Tower, from a deep red to an orange glow. It was absolutely breathtaking.
Two nights ago, I attended “
Sounds of Silence,” a spiritual experience if ever there was one. Seventy or so guests of Uluru’s nearby resorts at Yulara boarded two buses for a drive out on a red dirt road to a remote area where we could watch the sun set over both Uluru and the even larger
Kata Tjuta (a/k/a the "Olgas," another spectacular rock/mountain formation about 35 miles to Uluru's west.
We dined on unique Aussie fare under a clear sky of almost nothing but starlight. Once the meal concluded, we enjoyed the evening's true highlight when we were taken on a magical tour of the nightsky by a guide who pointed out one constellation after another. Among them are thousands of stars that are only visible from the Southern Hemisphere. We could also make out Jupiter, as well as the enormous expanse of the Milky Way itself.
Given the cloud cover the following evening, we realized how incredibly fortunate we were to view a clear sky and truly enjoy the sounds of silence in the Aussie outback. It's an experience I won't soon forget and would heartily recommend.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Australia, Ayers Rock, Special Messages, Travels, Uluru
Curse Of The Understudy: Part VAs regular readers know, I’m currently vacationing in Australia. One major impetus for this trip was to take in the Australian production of
Wicked, which opened earlier this month at Melbourne’s lovely
Regent Theatre. I caught this past Sunday’s matinee performance.
While I’ll provide my SOB Revisit on the actual show shortly, I was a bit disappointed to learn that this incarnation’s Elphaba, regularly played by
Amanda Harrison, was out of the show for my performance. In Harrison’s place was her standby
Jemma Stevenson, who delivered a mostly competent take as the green witch.
Given how decent she was, I was somewhat surprised when my friends informed me that in the two times they had now seen the Melbourne production -- first in previews and then with me on Sunday afternoon -- how vastly Stevenson’s performance as Elphaba had improved. (She may have simply been getting her bearings as
it appears she has portrayed the green one in the Japanese production). What struck me even more is that they had now seen the show twice in its relatively short run, but somehow had missed out on Ms. Harrison both times.
I took Harrison’s absence in stride and enjoyed the show. Well,
most of the show.
You see, about one half hour into the first act -- right smack dab in the midst of the engagingly funny “Loathing” number -- the Regent Theatre’s ushers elected to show the latecomers seated right next to me, in the second row center, no less, to their seats. Only problem was that there were but two seats and
three people.
The whole matter was incredibly disruptive, not only for those of us in my row who needed to constantly stand up to let the offending latercomers in, but even more so for the poor ticket holders in the rows immediately behind us.
There was a lot of standing and shuffling as the three individuals made their way in and out of the row, all while the usher tried to figure out who was really supposed to be seated there. Needless to say, this fiasco took away from the performances taking place less than twenty feet in front of us for everyone seated around us.
Shame on the Regent Theatre’s ushers for not finding a more appropriate time to seat their guests, as well as for not having the tickets properly sorted before venturing down the aisle.
And shame on patrons for arriving late. I’m reminded of what
Barry Humphries as Dame Edna once (and quite possibly often) said to a couple of latecomers to his
Broadway show in 2000. “Where are you coming from dears? Oh, across town? Well, I came all the way from Australia and still made it here on time.”
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Feeling A Little Wicked: On The Edge Of Oz (July 25, 2008)
Something Wicked This Way Opens In Australia (July 12, 2008)
Curse Of The Understudy - Part IV (April 24, 2008)
Curse Of The Understudy - Part III (July 23, 2007)
Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008 (May 16, 2007)
The Curse Of The Understudy - Part II (January 15, 2007)
The Curse Of The Understudy (October 2, 2006)
Labels: Amanda Harrison, Australia, Curse of the Understudy, Jemma Stevenson, Melbourne, Wicked
Broadway Preview: PopcornEleven years after taking the West End by storm, and winning an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in the process,
Ben Elton’s
Popcorn will reportedly make its Great White Way debut sometime this fall.
According to Playbill, the shoot ‘em up play -- which seeks to answer the rhetorical question of whether art imitates life -- has issued a casting notice. Its Broadway berth has yet to be announced.
A self-deprecating Elton once described himself as “a smug earnest git.” Quite the renaissance man, thanks to a wide-ranging career spanning stand-up comedy, film direction and best-selling books (“
Popcorn” initially appeared as an acclaimed 1996 novel), Ben Elton is very well known in the United Kingdom. However, he is far from a household name stateside. Elton is perhaps most familiar to American audiences for his work on the British television program “
Blackadder” or for his collaboration with
Andrew Lloyd Webber on the musical
The Beautiful Game.
Whether or not
Popcorn will "pop" with American audiences remains to be seen. I’ll be curious to hear from readers who are familiar with this work.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway Preview: West Side Story (July 24, 2008)
Broadway Preview: 9 To 5 (July 16, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Mary Stuart (July 15, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The American Plan (July 14, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Shrek The Musical (July 13, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Waiting For Godot (July 12, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Pal Joey (July 11, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Dividing The Estate (July 10, 2008)
Broadway Preview: 13 (July 9, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Speed-The-Plow (July 8, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Billy Elliot - The Musical (July 7, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Godspell (July 6, 2008)
Broadway Preview: All My Sons (July 5, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Man For All Seasons (July 3, 2008)
Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Labels: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ben Elton, Broadway, First Word On New Show, London, Play, Popcorn
Billy Elliot - The Musical (The SOB Revisit) - Capitol Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
**1/2 (out of ****)I can't really explain it,
I haven't got the words.
It's a feeling that you can't control
I suppose it's like forgetting just how good
Billy Elliot - The Musical was in London,
not losing who you are within this inertia
And at the same time something like intermission makes you whole
It's like that there's a music playing in your ear
And I'm listening, and I'm listening and then I disappear from lack of energy.
And then I feel a change
Like a jetlag deep inside
Something boring me closing my eyes, impossible to hide
And suddenly I'm dozing, dozing like five bulls
Like no electricity, no electricity
Lack of sparks inside of me
And I'm free, I'm free when the curtain finally falls.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Billy Elliot The Musical, Musical, Sydney, The SOB Revisit
Feeling A Little Wicked: On The Edge Of OzAs regular readers will recall, the love of my life and I have more than just "our song." We have our musical. And our love affair with it began just months into our relationship -- now five years strong.
That show is
Wicked, which we've now seen at least fifteen times ... not only on Broadway or in its sitdown production in Chicago, or on its North American tour, but also in such far-flung places as London, Stuttgart (Germany) and Tokyo. We realize how extremely fortunate we've been to take in this production all over the world.
Now, the two of us find ourselves a bit like Dorothy in "
The Wizard Of Oz" en route along our very own yellow brick road known as A1 or the
Princes Highway. After a long and winding journey of over 950 kilometres from Sydney to Traralgon, we're finally on the cusp of our own Emerald City, anxiously looking forward to celebrating more than one fine day in it.
Our destination is the bright and glittery
Melbourne, where the eighth incarnation of the 21st Century's most popular new stage musical has recently opened. We're currently just 100 miles or so from Melbourne, and this Sunday, we'll be seated in this most Oz-some audience for
Wicked.
Making the trip even more exciting is that we'll be visiting our favourite Aussie friends, who have become family. And better yet, we'll all be in the audience for
Wicked together. It doesn't take a wizard to tell you that having friends like these make it easy to use our brains to recognize our hearts have the courage of their convictions.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Wicked (Melbourne) tickets.Related Stories:Something Wicked This Way Opens In Australia (July 12, 2008)
Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008 (May 16, 2007)
Labels: Australia, Melbourne, Travels, Wicked
Broadway Preview: West Side StoryAs if to prove that nonagenarians have more fun, or infinitely more insight into Broadway’s biggest and best classics,
Arthur Laurents is ready to take on his second major Broadway mounting in two years.
First, of course, came his definitive direction for the best musical of all time,
Gypsy -- an American original for which he wrote the timeless libretto. Now, he’s ready to recreate another musical that includes his book:
Stephen Sondheim and
Leonard Bernstein’s 1957 masterpiece
West Side Story, a show that was ahead of its time in terms of critical acceptance.
Technically only the second Great White Way revival of the modern New York update of
William Shakespeare's
Romeo And Juliet,
West Side Story will open at a Nederlander Theatre in March 2009 after beginning previews on February 23, shortly after its out-of-town tryout (December 16, 2008 – January 17, 2009) at Washington’s National Theatre.
While the new incarnation will recreate
Jerome Robbins’ original Tony-winning choreography, look for the
West Side Story revival to be bilingual for added authenticity, along with a cast of 37 and orchestra of 30. However, casting has yet to be announced.
Laurents has stated, “This show will be radically different from any other production of
West Side Story ever done. The musical theatre and cultural conventions of 1957 made it next to impossible for the characters to have authenticity. Every member of both gangs was always a potential killer even then. Now they actually will be. Only Tony and Maria try to live in a different world…"
The original 1957 production first played the
Winter Garden Theatre before moving to the
Broadway Theatre for a couple months in 1959, and then back to the Winter Garden, where it closed in June 1959. All totaled, the original
West Side Story enjoyed 732 performances.
But that “original” production didn’t simply end there. Less than one year later, a “return engagement” reopened at the Winter Garden Theatre for another 249 performances.
While a City Center version of the show came along just a few years later, it wasn’t until February 14, 1980, that the first and only full-fledged Broadway
revival opened at the
Minskoff Theatre, where it played through November of that year for 333 performances.
Will Laurents’ respected renaissance prove to be no fluke? After being mesmerized by
Gypsy, I have included this toward the top of my list of Broadway shows I’m most looking forwarding to seeing throughout this new Theatrical Season.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway Preview: 9 To 5 (July 16, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Mary Stuart (July 15, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The American Plan (July 14, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Shrek The Musical (July 13, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Waiting For Godot (July 12, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Pal Joey (July 11, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Dividing The Estate (July 10, 2008)
Broadway Preview: 13 (July 9, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Speed-The-Plow (July 8, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Billy Elliot - The Musical (July 7, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Godspell (July 6, 2008)
Broadway Preview: All My Sons (July 5, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Man For All Seasons (July 3, 2008)
Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story
Getting My Theatre OnEver go through withdrawals when you don't take in your favorite activities? Such is the case whenever I go too long without two essential passions: travel and theatre.
Fortunately, this week and next, I'm most certainly taking care of the first by virtue of my journey to Australia. This island nation/continent certainly ranks among my personal favorite places to visit, not only because of its sheer natural beauty, but especially because of its amazing people.
I even had a funny anti-American moment two days ago when a small group of U.S. youth, which had clearly gathered here for
World Youth Day, was embarrassing itself with an impromptu dance on the street. A woman standing next to me at the street corner said derisively, "Must be an American thing," to which I replied, "Oh trust me, we're not laying claim to
that." When she realized I was a Yank, the two of us had a great laugh. No worries, mate, we get that we're no longer admired quite the way we used to be, but more and more of us are in on the joke, too.
As for that other passion desperately in need of a fix, last evening, I had a chance to take in the Sydney production of
Billy Elliot - The Musical at the stunningly over-the-top Capitol Theatre. After seeing it in London nearly three years ago, I was glad to be able to see a performance again prior to it opening in New York, particularly since this mounting includes the immensely talented Genevieve Lemon as Mrs. Wilkinson. She did not disappoint.
While I'll have my SOB Revisit sometime relatively soon, let's just say that this incarnation that's already been around Sydney since December, and will be mounted soon in Melbourne, didn't exactly "Shine, shine, shine" or seem filled with quite the requisite amount of "Electricity" I experienced in London. But it was entertaining, nonetheless, and gave me an opportunity to get my theatre on.
William Shakespeare's
As You Like It introduced the phrase, "All the world's a stage." I realize how extremely fortunate I am to experience that in every sense of the world.
Post script: If you find no further postings through the rest of this week, it's because I'll be driving along the Australian coast for the next three days en route to Melbourne.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Australia, Billy Elliot The Musical, Genevieve Lemon, Sydney, Travels
Greetings From SydneyTwo nights ago, I arrived in gorgeous Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, for the first leg of my two week holiday Down Under.
Substantially easing the jet lag was simply taking a look out my hotel room window. I mean, how can you not love the view above? The
Sydney Opera House is there in all its glory. Not bad, eh?
I had not anticipated the streets of this city being so incredibly packed yesterday, but it was the final day of
Pope Benedict XVI's visit here for the World Youth Day, and his second to last speaking engagement was within a few mere blocks of my hotel.
But I zeroed in on that iconic Opera House, where I've previously seen two performances on earlier visits. This time, I settled for an actual tour of this fascinating facility that was originally supposed to be built in three years and less than $10 million. The actual time spent on construction would be closer to six times that number at a cost of over $200 million. Nevertheless, you just won't hear anyone here complaining about the delay and cost overruns now. If ever anything placed Sydney on the world stage, this performing arts facility was it.
Its name is a bit of a misnomer as there are currently five performance spaces in the building. Each year, the Sydney Opera House hosts over 1,700 different types of concerts, plays, circuses, competitions, musicals, and even the finale for the Australian Idol television show. The two most famous spaces include the actual Opera Hall (on the right), which seats 1,500, as well as the massive and acoustically sound Concert Hall (left) that seats 2,700.
On this visit to Sydney, I tried getting tickets for a performance of a new staging of
My Fair Lady, but they're all sold out. Another option would have been seeing
The 39 Steps, which enjoys its Sydney premiere here at the Opera House's small Playhouse Theatre on July 31. As much as I enjoyed the show on Broadway, I think I'll spend my time doing something else in terms of exploring and seeing friends. But if you live in Sydney, make every effort to go and see this wonderfully inspired show.
Fortunately, I have had two previous opportunities to take in performances in this wonderful entertainment center. Way back in 1992, I caught a musical revue of Cole Porter works called
Swell Party at the Opera House's Playhouse Theatre, but sadly, I no longer have the playbill, so I can't tell you who was in that performance. Then in 2001, I saw a wonderful concert performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein tunes with one of Australia's favourite musical singers (I'm sorry I can't recall her name at the moment). Unfortunately, when I inquired yesterday as to whether the Opera House maintains a data base of all previous shows, I was told that they only keep information going back to 2005. For such an iconic and truly historic venue, I would have expected more.
Well, since I'd rather be outside enjoying Australia's Emerald City, I'll sign off for now. More to come from Down Under.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Australia, Musical, My Fair Lady, Play, Sydney Opera House, The 39 Steps, Travels
That's The Ticket: A Great Damon Runyon StoryIf regular readers already know one thing about me, it's that I love snaring great seats whenever I see live theatre.
And if you're anything like me, you also love giving to charitable organizations, not only because it makes you feel good, but especially because you know that your contribution is helping others.
What could be better than when those two great loves come together? That's what
Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets service offers.
Operated by the
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, this service offers a limited selection of the most exclusive house seats for over two dozen Broadway performances. Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation offers theatregoers with opportunities to get top-notch tickets -– usually reserved for industry insiders or VIPs -- while also supporting innovative cancer research.
Damon Runyon, of course, was the famed Kansas-born New York writer for the United Press whose legendary "Broadway Stories" during the last century became the fodder for one of my all-time favorite musicals
Guys and Dolls. After Runyon died of cancer at the age of 66,
Richard Rodgers and
Oscar Hammerstein II created the Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets service to aid the newly-established Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, enlisting the support of such noteworthy stars as
Milton Berle,
Marlene Dietrich and
Bob Hope.
It's no wonder the Foundation maintains close ties to some of Broadway's leading theatres. As a result, the Foundation receives an allocation of four to six house seats for most Rialto performances, even for some of the Great White Way's most
hard to get tickets, including
August: Osage County,
Grease,
Jersey Boys,
The Lion King,
The Little Mermaid,
The Phantom Of The Opera and
Wicked.
Essentially, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation pays the theaters the full box office price for the tickets and then sells them for double the ticket price. The amount above and beyond the box office price is a fully tax deductible contribution.
The best part is that these tickets are typically less expensive than the price brokers are charging for the same premium seats. And, the Foundation allows cancellations without penalty up to a day before the performance.
Talk about a ticket that keeps on giving!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Charitable Organizations, Damon Runyon, Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, Guys And Dolls, Tickets
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Passing Through ParadiseAloha!
Late yesterday afternoon, I touched down in Honolulu, where I'm now more than halfway to Sydney, Australia. I'll be departing for Down Under in just a few hours.
The photo is the view from my hotel room looking out toward Waikiki Beach and the storied Diamond Head.
The second photo is the view from my room looking out toward the Pacific Ocean, which is literally just outside my room. All throughout the night, I could hear the sound of the waves crashing on shore, making me feel quite peaceful.
The final shot is of my wing of my hotel, which is called the First Lady of Waikiki since it is the oldest hotel here, dating back to 1901. The photo includes my room, which is on the right hand side of the second floor. What a wonderful place to refresh en route to Australia.
Aloha!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Hawaii, Special Messages, Travels
What Did Critics [tos] At Title Of Show?Last evening, the Broadway incarnation of that downtown favorite
[title of show] opened at Broadway's
Lyceum Theatre.
Helmed and choreographed by
Michael Berresse,
[title of show] is a musical starring co-creators
Hunter Bell and
Jeff Bowen as Hunter and Jeff, respectively. The duo are reteamed yet again with their original castmates
Heidi Blickenstaff (as Heidi) and the handsome
Susan Blackwell (as Susan).
Theatre critics' reviews spanned from huggable huzzahs to visceral boos.
Toasting
[tos] as a "peculiar and quite adorable musical,"
The New York Times'
Charles Isherwood glows yet again: "[A]s performed by Mr. Bowen, Mr. Bell, and Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff, the talented girlfriends they rope into their makeshift, make-it-up-as-we-go-along opus, it is genial, unpretentious and far funnier than many of the more expensively manufactured musicals that make it to Broadway these days. Consider
[title of show] the class clown of Broadway.... But like all class clowns, it wins you over by making fun of the big shots and bursting with its own distinctive personality."
Praising
[tos] as "a sweet, raunchy, and just about irresistible portrait of how and why we tell stories,"
The New York Sun's
Eric Grode is largely enthusiastic: "But Mr. Bell's book and Mr. Bowen's lyrics, along with Michael Berresse's empathic but relatively inconspicuous direction, have worked hard to make the writers-in-a-room dialogue palatable to everyone.... Best of all, the totemic significance of maybe — just maybe — making it to Broadway gives audiences the feeling of being present at not just a very funny musical comedy but at the triumphant end of a fraught and fulfilling road."
Calling
[tos] "a clever and often adorable little invention about writing a musical,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer ultimately, reluctantly laments: "Everyone in Michael Berresse's production is quick and charming.... How I wish I could love the show. I wish I didn't feel that I was being manipulated by long-struggling talented people on a guilt trip. Most of all, considering the risk, I wish the offbeat and low-budget show belonged on Broadway -- not incidentally, at the same ticket price as the magnificent and massive
South Pacific."
Concluding that "much of its offbeat appeal ('not that there's anything wrong with fluff') has evaporated in the move uptown,"
Variety's
Marilyn Stasio is negative: "
[title of show] stands pathetically naked on Broadway.... [S]tripped of satirical edge for its heavy Broadway date, the backstage show by Hunter Bell (book) and Jeff Bowen (score) is revealed in all its narcissism, flaunting its shallow aesthetic values and taking unseemly pride in its inflated ambitions.... [O]n a fresh viewing, the substance of the musical emerges with far greater clarity -- and loses whatever charm sustained it downtown."
Damning it as "a piece of -- oh, let's call it garbage,"
New York Post's
Clive Barnes musters up only one half star: "Originality isn't what it used to be. Take
[title of show], a Broadway musical -- 95 minutes long, top ticket price $111.50 -- about people writing about people writing a Broadway musical. These [people] -- who doubtless love [people] -- must be the luckiest [people] in the [world]. Let me set the scene for you. Well, actually, there's not much of a scene to set: This is minimalism shoved down to the vanishing point.... [T]he self-conscious and terminally cute and the pixie-like fey are all mixed up with self-congratulatory smugness..."
Panning the show as "proving that if you have a feel for the lowest common denominator, you can scale unmerited heights," Bloomberg's
John Simon is so downright nasty, he even criticizes the audience as having "zero taste" and digs deep: "Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, who upon dubious credentials fancy themselves book-and-song writers, decide to write a musical about two self-proclaimed gay men trying to write a musical. They enlist the help of `all our friends'' (two, actually): the equally unappealing Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff (everyone here uses real names on stage). Together they proceed to the parturition of 90 minutes' worth of unremitting torture for anyone with a shred of good taste, discernment and normal eardrums."
Can Isherwood's review do for
[title of show] what
his did for
Xanadu? Well, his positive notice, plus lots of enthusiasm from the blogosphere, along with younger audiences dismissing decidedly old school critics like Barnes and Simon, may just provide this
[show] with a future.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Opening Night: On With The [show] (July 17, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
[title of show] To Headline Broadway (April 4, 2008)
[title of show] (The SOB Review) (October 2, 2006)
Making a Name for Itself: [title of show] Extends (August 16, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Heidi Blickenstaff, Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, Michael Berresse, Musical, Susan Blackwell, title of show
Opening Night: On With The [show]Attention all [tos]sers! Tonight is your night!
After four long years of gestating, the little
[show] that could is proving its ongoing magnificent metamorphosis by opening this evening at Broadway's
Lyceum Theatre. After
having seen its last incarnation, I can tell you that
[title of show] is a truly original, unique theatrical experience unlike any other.
But don't just take my word for it. Here's how the official
[title of show] site describes the ever-evolving work:
You're reading the official blurb, or short summary, of [title of show]. Blurb. That's a funny word. We spent a lot of time on this blurb so please read the whole blurb. [title of show] is a musical about two nobodies named Hunter and Jeff who decide to write a completely original musical starring themselves and their attractive and talented ladyfriends, Susan and Heidi. Their musical, [title of show], gets into the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and becomes a hit. Then it gets an off-Broadway production at the Vineyard Theatre, and wins three Obie Awards! Then (drumroll if you've got a drum) it's announced that their musical is going to Broadway (hooray!) and people start seeing this blurb everywhere! They read that The New York Times called [title of show] "DELECTABLE ENTERTAINMENT! A postmodern homage to the grand tradition of backstage musicals like Babes in Arms, Kiss Me, Kate and A Chorus Line." Fully intrigued, those people snatch up tickets and help make Hunter and Jeff's life-long dream come true!
Once again directed and choreographed by
Michael Berresse,
[title of show] stars co-creators
Hunter Bell and
Jeff Bowen as Hunter and Jeff, respectively. The duo are reteamed yet again with their original castmates
Heidi Blickenstaff (as Heidi) and the handsome
Susan Blackwell (as Susan).
How will this ultimate little show fare with the critics?
At this point, who cares?
The blogosphere has already been abounding with outright raves, including from Sarah B. at
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment (she's now seen the Broadway show
twice and met
The New York Times' Charles Isherwood, who will be providing the Grey Lady's official review tomorrow), Chris Caggiano at
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals and Gabriel at
Modern Fabulousity.
(I'll be providing the critical response tomorrow anyway.)
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
[title of show] To Headline Broadway (April 4, 2008)
[title of show] (The SOB Review) (October 2, 2006)
Making a Name for Itself: [title of show] Extends (August 16, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Heidi Blickenstaff, Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, Michael Berresse, Musical, Opening Night, Susan Blackwell, title of show, Transfer
Film Version Of Wicked In The WorksAt long last comes news that
Universal Pictures, which serves as a producer for the worldwide megahit stage musical
Wicked, has plans to bring the backstory of Elphaba and Glinda to the big screen.
According to
Variety, the movie version of
Wicked won't happen anytime soon since the global phenomenon is still riding a wave of popularity that has not yet begun to crest. Already, the tuner has taken in over $1 billion around the world via its eight productions on four continents (and in three languages).
Variety reports that while producer
Marc Platt is in "early" discussions with Universal,
Wicked's librettist
Winnie Holtzman will write the screenplay.
Variety quotes Universal's production president Donna Langley:
Our goal now is absolutely to make the Wicked film, but much like Judy Craymer wouldn't give up screen rights to Mamma Mia! until the stage show had reached its pinnacle, Marc and Stephen Schwartz are very mindful of the right timing. But we're dying to do it.
Meanwhile, Platt remains a very busy man. He's not only producing the upcoming Broadway revival of
Pal Joey, but he's also helping shepherd three other movie musicals, including the upcoming
Rob Marshall-helmed
Nine (filming begins this fall in London), a big-screen remake of
Jesus Christ Superstar and a biopic of
George Gershwin.
I'll report on any further developments on
Wicked's silver screen incarnation as they become available. Perhaps we can finally start prognosticating on who would comprise our dream cast. Anyone?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:One Short Day, In Universal's Emerald City (June 27, 2007)
Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008 (May 26, 2007)
Wicked World (March 19, 2007)
Hollywood Becomes Wicked (February 21, 2007)
Five Times More Wicked (July 17, 2006)
Labels: Film, First Word On New Movie, Marc Platt, Universal Studios, Wicked, Winnie Holtzman
Broadway Preview: 9 To 5As regular readers will recall,
I've sounded some squeals of delight at the prospect of
Dolly Parton writing a musical for the Great White Way. What a way for her to make a living!
As previously noted, her musical stage adaptation of
9 To 5 is a go for September 2008 mounting Los Angeles'
Ahmanson Theatre. But now it's been announced that the tuner will play Broadway's
Marquis Theatre beginning March 24, 2009, with an opening slated for April 23.
The cast, of course, will include
Stephanie J. Block as Judy Bernly,
Allison Janney as Violet Newstead and
Megan Hilty as deluxe Dolly doppelgänger Doralee Rhodes.
Marc Kudisch will play that evil boss man.
Helmed by
Joe Mantello, the musical's book will be provided by the
film version's screenwriter,
Patricia Resnick. Choreography comes from recent Tony Award winner
Andy Blankenbuehler (
In The Heights).
Almost in spite of the fact that it's based on a movie, this, my dear friends, is the new musical of the 2008-09 Theatrical Season I'm most anxiously awaiting. I'm placing this squarely in the top three shows I want to see over the next year.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for 9 To 5 Los Angeles tickets.Related Stories:Broadway Preview: Mary Stuart (July 15, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The American Plan (July 14, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Shrek The Musical (July 13, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Waiting For Godot (July 12, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Pal Joey (July 11, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Dividing The Estate (July 10, 2008)
Broadway Preview: 13 (July 9, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Speed-The-Plow (July 8, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Billy Elliot - The Musical (July 7, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Godspell (July 6, 2008)
Broadway Preview: All My Sons (July 5, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Man For All Seasons (July 3, 2008)
Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Workin' 9 2--8 (November 16, 2007)
2009 To 5? (August 29, 2007)
Labels: 9 To 5, Broadway, Dolly Parton, Film, Joe Mantello, Los Angeles, Marc Kudisch, Megan Hilty, Musical, Nine To Five, Stephanie J. Block, Tryout
Broadway Preview: Mary StuartAfter getting wind yesterday that acclaimed British actress
Janet McTeer would be returning to Broadway for her first time since earning a Tony Award for Best Actress in 1997 for her turn as Norma Helmer in
A Doll's House, I couldn't help but think, "How wonderful that she'll be reprising the her
absolutely brilliant portrayal of Véronique Vallon stateside in
God Of Carnage."
Yes, McTeer
is coming to the Great White Way in Spring 2009, and she
will be reprising a West End role. But it won't be in
God Of Carnage. Yet.
According to
Variety, McTeer's Rialto return will be as
Mary Queen of Scots. She'll be starring in a transfer of
Donmar Warehouse's 2005-06 hit revival of German playwright
Friedrich Schiller's
Mary Stuart.
Harriet Walter, whose only Main Stem credit came 25 years ago in a revival of
All's Well that Ends Well, will reprise her West End portrayal of
Queen Elizabeth I.
Peter Oswald's adaptation of
Mary Stuart will be directed by
Phyllida Lloyd of
Mamma Mia! fame.
Now perhaps it's because Americans aren't as engaged in British history as, oh, say the
rest of the world, but
Mary Stuart has only seen two previous Rialto incarnations.
The first came in 1900 at the
Fifth Avenue Theatre when it played in repertory with
Macbeth,
Marie Antoinette,
Much Ado About Nothing,
The Ladies' Battle and
Twelfth Night.
The next revival of the work wouldn't come for another 71 years, when
Mary Stuart was produced at
Lincoln Center's
Vivian Beaumont Theatre in late 1971. Clocking in at a mere 44 performances, the
Jules Irving-helmed play pitted
Salome Jens' Mary versus
Nancy Marchand's Elizabeth, and featured
Philip Bosco as Robert Dudley.
While you might think that they'd stage this new adaptation of Schiller's
Mary Stuart at one of Broadway's not-for-profit venues, it will instead be housed in one of the commercial theatres owned by the
Shubert Organization.
Whether New York audiences will enjoy rediscovering
Mary Stuart is a big question mark. Yet given the renewed thirst for royal entertainment, thanks in part to
Cate Blanchett's breathtaking turns as the first Queen Elizabeth, as well as
Showtimes' "
The Tudors," the time might very well be as right as can be. And the opportunity to see McTeer should be worth the ticket itself.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway Preview: The American Plan (July 14, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Shrek The Musical (July 13, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Waiting For Godot (July 12, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Pal Joey (July 11, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Dividing The Estate (July 10, 2008)
Broadway Preview: 13 (July 9, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Speed-The-Plow (July 8, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Billy Elliot - The Musical (July 7, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Godspell (July 6, 2008)
Broadway Preview: All My Sons (July 5, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Man For All Seasons (July 3, 2008)
Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
God Of Carnage (The SOB Review) (May 2, 2008)
Labels: Donmar Warehouse, First Word On New Show, God Of Carnage, Harriet Walter, Janet McTeer, London, Mary Stuart, Phyllida Lloyd, Play, Revival, Transfer
Steve am Broadway (SOB)So today, I was doing a routine check of all the crazy stats I come across via Statcounter. It's always a little amusing to learn how various people find
Steve On Broadway, be it through search terms or a link from another site. I'm sure other bloggers might be similarly amused.
Little did I know that
Google (which owns
Blogger) translates blogs to other languages. Who knew?
In my discovery, I learned that Steve On Broadway translates to
Steve am Broadway (SOB) in German! Of course, "SOB" is completely lost in translation.
What bemused me even more was seeing how some of my important sidebar links to my favorite theatre bloggers translated. Below is the actual way each appears on my site, followed by how each has been translated by Google, and then the translation provided back to me by
FreeTranslation.com, an essential site to use if you ever wish to get a quick and easy translation:
Theatre Bloggers SOB knows and loves / Theater Bloggers SOB kennt und liebt ("Theater of blogger SOB knows and loves")
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment /
Adventures in the Pursuit of Endless Entertainment (sorry Sarah, I guess they just liked to flip the words, but the result is interesting, and true)
Broadway & Me /
Broadway & Me (guess they just couldn't translate this)
Casual Heap /
Casual Heap (same here)
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals /
Alles, was ich weiß, dass ich gelernt, aus Musicals ("All what I know, that I learned, out of musicals")
Gratuitous Violins /
Kostenlose Geigen ("Free violins")
Just Shows To Go You /
Just zeigt, gehen Sie zu ("Just shows, go you to")
‘kül That Sounds Cool /
"Das klingt kül Cool ("That sounds kül coolly")
Man In Chair /
Der Mensch in der Stuhl ("The person in the chair")
Modern Fabulousity /
Moderne Fabulousity ("Modern Fabulousity")
The Lunar Gemini /
Die Lunar Gemini ("The Lunar Gemini")
Theatre Aficionado At Large /
Theater Aficionado at Large (sorry TAAL, but you're the same)
The Theatergoer /
Die Theatergoer ("The Theatregoer")
Things You'll Learn To Love About Me /
Dinge, die Sie werden lernen, zu lieben Über mich ("Hire, will learn that you, to love over me")
Third Row, Mezzanine /
Dritte Zeile, Mezzanine ("Third line, mezzanine")
West End Whingers /
West End Whingers (same ol' Whingers!)
I think my favorite is der mensch in der stuhl, mostly because you can guess what it is, yet it ends up sounded downright funny. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of all of this is that when you click on each link, up comes a complete German translation for each, even though each blogger's original skin is still there.
Enjoy!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Germany, Special Messages
Broadway Preview: The American PlanAs
noted last week, Tony-winning playwright
Richard Greenberg will be represented on Broadway twice during the 2008-09 Theatrical Season.
First comes
Pal Joey at the
Roundabout's
Studio 54 this November; Greenberg will supply a new book for this classic tuner. Then, in early January comes the Broadway premiere of
The American Plan, which enjoyed its
West Coast premiere earlier this year at San Diego's
Old Globe Theatre.
The play is included as part of the new Broadway season for the
Manhattan Theatre Club's (MTC)
Biltmore Theatre, with previews beginning January 2, 2009 and opening night set for January 22, 2009. Helmed by Tony-winning director
David Grindley, the limited run is scheduled through March 15.
While casting is yet to be announced, MTC
provides a rather veiled description:
An exciting new look at an early, acclaimed play by the Tony Award-winning author of Take Me Out. It is the Catskill Mountains in the early 1960s, and Lily Adler and her mother Eva are spending the summer across the lake from a bustling hotel where comics entertain and buffets overflow. When a handsome young stranger enters their world, the emotionally fragile Lily finds herself falling in love. But once her imperious mother learns of their relationship, lies are exposed, alliances are forged and Lily's one chance to escape her mother's control may be lost forever. Playwright Richard Greenberg continues his long association with MTC where his other New York premieres have included The Violet Hour, Three Days of Rain and Eastern Standard.
In fact, it was only after taking a look at the Old Globe's information that I found
much more intriguing details:
Tony Award-winning playwright Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out, Three Days of Rain) is considered one of the American theatre’s greatest living playwrights. The American Plan is his funny and intriguing look at deeply rooted double standards of America in the early 1960s. Set in an idyllic Catskills lake retreat, The American Plan tells the tale of an elegant and imperious German-Jewish refugee mother, her eccentric daughter who strains against her domineering mother’s tight leash, and the young, mysterious man who enters their lives.
For more background on the play's setting, check out the Old Globe's exceptional
Program Notes, which provides insights on how the Catskill Mountains became known as “Borscht Belt" -- a preferred vacation spot for Jews in the mid-1900s.
I'm a huge fan of Greenberg's work and as a subscriber to the MTC, I'll be anxious to take in this work.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway Preview: Shrek The Musical (July 13, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Waiting For Godot (July 12, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Pal Joey (July 11, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Dividing The Estate (July 10, 2008)
Broadway Preview: 13 (July 9, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Speed-The-Plow (July 8, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Billy Elliot - The Musical (July 7, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Godspell (July 6, 2008)
Broadway Preview: All My Sons (July 5, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Man For All Seasons (July 3, 2008)
Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Broadway Estate Planning (March 17, 2008)
Labels: David Grindley, First Word On New Show, Manhattan Theatre Club, Old Globe Theatre, Play, Richard Greenberg, The American Plan
Broadway Preview: Shrek The MusicalI don't mean to be an ogre, but could it be that I'm the only living person who hasn't seen any of the
Shrek movies?
I'm not exactly sure why I never took them in, but the longer I've gone, the less interested I've become. Perhaps I've avoided them because I've been told that they're too smarmy for their own good, and I've never been able to shake that notion.
So it's against that backdrop that I find myself less than excited about the upcoming
Shrek The Musical, which already begins its
out-of-town tryout next month in Seattle at the city's 5th Avenue Theatre -- the very same venue that proudly launched
Hairspray six years ago.
The 5th Avenue Theatre describes their tryout:
This summer, the most beloved swamp-dwelling ogre of all time will make his theatrical debut in the World Premiere of Shrek The Musical, at The 5th Avenue Theatre. This all-new production is based on Shrek’s adventures in the classic William Steig book and Oscar-winning film. Joining Shrek on his journey from the swamp to the stage will be his wisecracking sidekick Donkey, Princess Fiona, Lord Farquaad and a chorus of everybody’s favorite fairytale creatures. With more layers than ever and a completely original new score, Shrek The Musical proves there’s more to the story than meets the ears.
Shrek The Musical is due to land at the Main Stem's
Broadway Theatre in time for previews starting November 11, with an opening night slated for December 14.
Now, if there
is anything to get excited about, it's that
Jeanine Tesori (
Caroline, Or Change) is writing the music for its score. The fact that Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
David Lindsay-Abaire (
Rabbit Hole) is supplying the lyrics and book should also have me intrigued, but we all know what happend during his
previous musical effort. Knowing a thing or two about monsters is Tony nominated director
Jason Moore (
Avenue Q), who helms the show, yet the choreography comes from Broadway first-timer
Josh Prince. You see, everything I see as good is somehow tempered.
OK, another positive is that the criminally underused, Tony-nominated
Brian d'Arcy James returns to Broadway in the title role. Tony-winning actress
Sutton Foster will portray Princess Fiona; regular readers
will recall that it wasn't until my
fourth attempt to see her that she was actually performing in a show, but on the plus side, I thought she was incredibly talented when I finally saw her. Other cast members include the Tony-nominated
Christopher Sieber as Lord Farquaad,
Chester Gregory II as the Donkey,
Kecia Lewis-Evans as the Dragon and the Tony-nominated
John Tartaglia as Pinocchio.
Nevertheless, with the lackluster critical success of recent
film translations to the stage, along with some early
negative press already appearing in some important quarters, I'm left still feeling a bit like a bogeyman.
So, I ask you, dear readers. Should I bite the bullet and see the "Shrek" trilogy on film? Will it have me thirsting for the stage incarnation?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Shrek Seattle tickets.Click here for Shrek Broadway tickets.Related Stories:Is It Just Me, Or... (Part III) (January 22, 2008)
Labels: Brian d'Arcy James, Broadway, Chester Gregory II, Christopher Sieber, David Lindsay-Abaire, Film, Jason Moore, Jeanine Tesori, John Tartaglia, Musical, Seattle, Shrek The Musical, Sutton Foster
Something Wicked This Way Opens In AustraliaThis evening, the fourth international production of
Wicked finally opens in Oz! Taking the globe by storm, the eighth mounting of this decade's most popular new musical opens at the
Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city.
While the creative team behind
Wicked remains the same as for the original Broadway production, including
Joe Mantello at the helm, the cast is very Aussie.
Amanda Harrison stars as Elphaba opposite
Lucy Durack as Glinda. The rest of the cast includes
Rob Mills as Fiyero,
Rob Guest as the Wizard,
Maggie Kirkpatrick as Madame Morrible,
Anthony Callea as Boq,
Rodney Dobson as Dr. Dillamond and
Penny McNamee as Nessarose.
Advance ticket sales Down Under
have been estimated at Australian $10 million (roughly on par with U.S. dollars), so strong that
AussieTheatre.com notes:
Wicked is likely to remain in Melbourne for 18 months, and while no tour has been confirmed yet, it is expected to be in Sydney either late 2009 or early 2010, depending on the box office performance of its premiere season.
In fact, another 60,000 tickets are going on sale for
Wicked Down Under on Monday.
With tonight's opening, there are now a total of eight
Wicked mountings playing throughout the world on four continents playing to a global audience of over
13 million people. The
worldwide gross box office has been about $1 billion -- more than the
take of all but three films: "
Titanic," "
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King" and "
Pirates Of The Carribean: Dead Man's Chest." Not bad for a little stage show.
Of course, there's the
Broadway production, which first opened at Rialto's Gershwin Theatre in October 2003.
Then, on March 8, 2005, the first
North American tour began at Toronto's Canon Theatre, and is currently playing
Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo through tomorrow before moving on to Michigan State University's
Wharton Center in East Lansing on Thursday. A
second touring company of
Wicked will begin performances on March 7, 2009, at Fort Myers' Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.
Then in June 2005, the
second sitdown production began at Chicago's Oriental Theatre after first hosting the tour. Having broken all box office records for any show in the history of Chicago theatre, this incarnation of
Wicked is now slated to close on January 25, 2009 after playing its 1,500th performance and raking in more than $210 million. The musical will depart Chicago while ticket sales are still very strong, so it may, as producer
David Stone says, "Go out with a bang."
The
third U.S. sitdown production began at Los Angeles' Pantages Theatre on February 21, 2007. This production has been featured on television's "Ugly Betty" and "Deal Or No Deal." While it's been announced that this mounting will close on January 11, 2009 after 791 regular performances,
news broke shortly after that the entire production would migrate up the California coast to San Francisco's
Orpheum Theatre for the City by the Bay's own sitdown production.
Wickedphiles will know that this was the city where the musical first took flight in previews during June 2003, albeit at the
Curran Theatre.
Wicked's
first international production was launched in London on September 27, 2006 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre where it continues to play (
I caught a performance there the following April). The second international production and first in another language began on June 17, 2007 as
ウィキッド - The Broadway Musical Wicked at Tokyo's Shiki Theatre, where performances continue (
I saw this Japanese language version last December). The third international production and second in another language began on November 15, 2007 as
Wicked - Die Hexen Von Oz at Stuttgart, Germany's Palladium Theatre (
I saw this German language mounting last November).
As if all this
Wickedness thrust upon us weren't enough, a
Dutch language version of the show is scheduled for The Netherlands in 2009. Personally, I'm hoping for versions in French and Italian, not to mention Spanish, so I can keep my globetrotting going.
And speaking of globetrotting, two weeks from Sunday, I'll be sitting in Melbourne's Regent Theatre with my favorite mates in Australia seeing this latest production. You can bet I'll have an SOB Revisit sometime thereafter. See you in Oz!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Wicked (Melbourne) tickets.Related Stories:Wicked To Finally Land In Oz During 2008 (May 16, 2007)
Labels: Australia, First Word On New Show, Joe Mantello, Melbourne, Musical, Opening Night, The Netherlands, Wicked, Wicked Die Hexen Von Oz
