Critical Mass Exodus?Are critics a dying breed?
Michael Riedel in this morning's New York Post notes how theatre critics may be heading the way of the dinosaur, at least when it comes to mainstream news media:
That's because they're newspaper drama critics, those once all-powerful arbiters who, with a vicious turn of phrase, could close a show, humiliate an actor, bankrupt an investor.
Now they're in danger of being shut down themselves, done in by declining circulation, shrinking arts coverage and that dreaded rival who's usurped their power, The Blogger.
Riedel cites
The Star-Ledger's
Michael Sommers and
Peter Filichia, along with
The New York Sun's
Eric Grode, among the early casualties. But given the state of print media, with severely declining subscription bases, actions by news organizations like Newark's
Star-Ledger to dramatically pare back their editorial staffs is a reality across the country.
Of course, with the rise of the Internet and the ability for consumers to surf the net for free information, it's no wonder that newspapers are feeling the pain, even if they have spent millions building online, and ostensibly free, sites.
The rise of the Internet has also meant that bloggers like yours truly are adding new voices to the rich tapestry of discussion on issues ranging from politics to gossip. And many of us are doing so without any compensation -- we're doing it purely for the passion we have for the topic.
There are many significant voices actively discussing live theatre, whether from the producers' perspective or those directly from the audience. And is that all bad?
Riedel rightfully ponders:
But is it such a bad thing for the theater if a tiny group of older, mostly male critics no longer have make-or-break power?
Many bloggers on All That Chat write as well as members of the New York Drama Critics Circle. And who's to say their opinions are any less valid?
The answer, fortunately for the audiences who can google countless theatrical reviews ranging from the illuminating to the intellectually-challenged, appears to be "no." The trick for audiences is to find the voices we trust and continually return to them.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics, Eric Grode, Michael Riedel, Michael Sommers, Peter Filichia
Wicked At FiveIn case you haven't already noticed, either by virtue of the
Empire State Building glowing in green or my posts from the past couple of days, the Broadway musical
Wicked is celebrating its
fifth anniversary of its Great White Way opening this evening.
Just a month or two into our relationship,
The Love of My Life and I first saw
Wicked together on the afternoon of November 1, 2003. Some couples have their song. We have our musical.
It springs not just from sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the actual performances
Wicked offers, but it's also derived from our innate love for the original "
Wizard Of Oz" film. After all, we were practically weaned on it as our families gathered around the television sets each year for what amounted to "event" TV way back when.
But cementing our affection for the tuner is
Wicked's inspired twisting inside out of that original tale we thought we already knew backwards and forwards. Together, for the first time, we felt a little wicked in sharing an experience we both heartily enjoyed.
Since we first saw and loved the production from our fifth row center seats a mere two days after it initially opened, we've seen the show enough times that I've honestly lost count. Not only have we been back to the
Gershwin Theatre at least another four times to see the likes of Elphaba and Glinda, but I've also been back there for the
Behind the Emerald Curtain Tour and Monday's night's
The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken benefit performance.
Oh yes, and then there were the performances in Chicago. Not only did we take in the
original touring production when it first landed at the Windy City's Oriental Theatre, but we returned to the subsequent
sitdown production there over and over and over and over again while living there (and even after we moved away). We even had several opportunities there to see our future friend and Tony winner
Rondi Reed perform as Madame Morrible.
Post Chicago, we also took in the touring cast in Minneapolis before venturing overseas to each of the international productions in
London (April 2007),
Stuttgart (November 2007),
Tokyo (December 2007) and
Melbourne (July 2008), and you can bet that we're looking forward to seeing more of the world after this show opens elsewhere. Anyone want to meet us in Amsterdam next?
Just as
The Love of My Life and I celebrate our five years together, the two of us are celebrating
Gregory Maguire for providing the decidedly different, more adult take on Elphaba and Glinda in the first place through his original novel "
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." We celebrate
Stephen Schwartz and
Winnie Holzman for transforming that story into a family musical via their original score and book. We celebrate producers
Marc Platt,
Universal Pictures,
The Araca Group,
Jon B. Platt and
David Stone for having the vision necessary to bring the show to reality. Last, but certainly not least, we celebrate the countless Elphabas, Glindas, Fiyeros, Madame Morribles, Boqs, Nessaroses, Wizards and Doctor Dillamonds who have brought this story to life around the world.
We salute and celebrate all of you. Here's to another
Wicked five years!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anniversary, Broadway, David Stone, Gregory Maguire, Jon B. Platt, London, Marc Platt, Melbourne, Stephen Schwartz, Stuttgart, Tokyo, Touring Production, Wicked, Winnie Holtzman
The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken (The SOB Overview)George Gershwin Theatre, New York, NYAs the celebration for the fifth anniversary of Broadway's
Wicked continues, Monday night treated fans of the musical to a benefit reading of the tuner's very first draft. Cleverly entitled
The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, the evening served as a fundraiser for the
New York Restoration Project.
As entertaining as the evening was -- particularly with previous Elphabas (
Stephanie J. Block and
Shoshana Bean) and Glindas (
Jennifer Laura Thompson and
Kate Reinders) mixing it up with the likes of wannabe Madame Morribles (
Joy Behar), Boqs (
Mark Indelicato), Wizards (
George Wendt) and Fiyeros (
Daniel Reichard and
Matthew Settle) -- it was clear to any
Wicked fan that when all was said and done,
Stephen Schwartz and
Winnie Holzman, who composed the score and wrote the book, respectively, made the right decisions on what to excise and what to keep.
Although not everyone was in finest of voice, Block and Thompson proved yet again why they were such naturals for their roles -- and remember, Block tackled the role of Elphaba in early readings prior to
Idina Menzel taking over the role for the show's Broadway debut.
There were plenty of ad-libbed moments, ranging from comments on how it was painfully obvious why something had long since been altered to the political.
Mario Cantone compared the
old goat that is
Wicked's Dr. Dillamond to John McCain, while Behar, in delivering Madame Morrible's screed on Elphaba, threw in a reference to Sarah Palin by adding, "this witch, this
hockey mom." Another ad lib came from Wendt. When he hit the stage, one woman in the audience found it necessary to shout, "Norm!" to which he responded by simply saying, "Edna!" -- alluding to his current gig in Broadway's
Hairspray.
If there was one major highlight, it came from a surprising source -- Mario Cantone. Known in part for his impersonations of both
Judy Garland and
Liza Minnelli, the actor singlehandedly stole the show when he came out to pinch hit for Glinda midway through the performance. In a little
tête-à-tête with Block, who made her Broadway debut as Minnelli in
The Boy From Oz, Cantone momentarily dished Lizaesque before launching into his own hilarious rendition of "Popular." He was, in a word, priceless.
The evening also offered the adoring crowd an opportunity to salute Schwartz and Holtzman, who took to the stage at the reading's close. Holtzman graciously deflected the applause toward "
Wicked" author
Gregory Maguire, while Schwartz offered that he's looking forward to celebrating
Wicked's success yet again in another five years.
I hope to be there to cheer them on yet again.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anniversary, Benefit, Broadway, Gregory Maguire, Mario Cantone, New York Restoration Project, Stephanie J. Block, Stephen Schwartz, The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, Wicked, Winnie Holtzman
Going GreenOn Thursday,
Wicked will celebrate the fifth anniversary of its opening on Broadway. The tuner opened at the
George Gershwin Theatre on October 30, 2003.
To festivate the anniversary, even the
Empire State Building went green yesterday.
Tomorrow, I'll have more on some of the official celebration, including my recap on the entertaining benefit I attended at the Gershwin Theatre last night called
The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Empire State Building, Musical, The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken, Wicked
Were Critics Toasting Plow?Last evening, director
Neil Pepe's revival of
David Mamet's 1988 play
Speed-The-Plow opened at Broadway's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Jeremy Piven,
Raúl Esparza and
Elisabeth Moss star in this first Rialto revival.
Critics offered middling to ecstatic reviews.
Roaring that "this new
Speed-The-Plow is a must-see," in his four-star review,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes is rhapsodic: "[T]he beautifully played revival that opened last night establishes the play as a modern classic.... [I]t's Neil Pepe's smooth-as-silk direction and the play itself that hold the stage.... Piven ... finds the burnt-out hollows beneath an overpromoted hack executive, while the always amazing Esparza is the pushy underdog, all rapid-fire action and virtuosic language. Finally, there's the elegant Moss ... slithering through the play's undergrowth like a grass snake."
Proclaiming Mamet's observations "as fresh as last night's rushes,"
Variety's
David Rooney mostly praises: "
Speed-The-Plow remains on-target in its sardonic skewering of an industry run by self-confessed whores and driven by the public's appetite for mindless escapism. Despite a weak midsection, Neil Pepe's taut Broadway revival keeps the verbal sniper fire swift and scathing, while the three accomplished actors make the air between them crackle with tension.... Piven's tightly wound physicality and easy command of rapid-fire, hectoring dialogue make him a natural fit for Mamet.... The play is not top-tier Mamet.... But the comedy is pithy, smart and performed with prickly energy."
Asking rhertorically if "cynicism (is) supposed to be this energizing?"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley seems euphoric from the ride: "What makes
Speed-The-Plow so exciting is its power to define and destroy an entire self-contained world through the tools and weapons of spoken words, expertly wielded by a very live cast... Both satirical and sentimental about who and what they are, they turn conversation into a ritualistic art. Under Mr. Pepe’s juggernaut direction, Mr. Piven and Mr. Esparza invest that art with the souped-up, self-inflating rhythms of cokeheads... Mr. Piven has the pivotal role, and he executes it with uncanny grace and intelligence... Mr. Esparza finds many shades and textures -- of pride, humiliation, anger and resentment -- within that primal instinct."
Offering a "Harrumph for Hollywood,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News gives the production three out of five stars: "[I]f this compact, 85-minute comedy isn't Mamet at his deepest, Neil Pepe's fine-tuned revival makes for an entertaining ride.... As Mamet thumbs his nose at Hollywood, he manages to make a case for each side of the debate in his witty script, even if passages from the book sound like the makings of a laughably dreary film.... Esparza ... a Broadway star who slips effortlessly between musicals and plays, gives a supercharged performance.... Piven is an excellent foil."
Noting that "the decent impulse is not rewarded here,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer offers a mixed review: "Despite a cast that looks wonderful on paper, director Neil Pepe's production is small, tight and more angry than fabulously, shamelessly, joyously rude. Piven, perhaps trying not to duplicate his sleaze-triumphant agent, Ari Gold, from '
Entourage, plays Bobby Gould -- new production head of a studio -- with a soft underbelly that works against the surprise of his potential conversion to art movies.... Esparza delivers Mamet's motormouth, poetic scatology with a scowling intensity that overshadows the joy of Mamet's third-generation Jewish punch lines."
The limited run of
Speed-The-Plow is currently slated to run through February 22, 2009.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, David Mamet, Elisabeth Moss, Jeremy Piven, Neil Pepe, Play, Raul Esparza, Revival, Speed-The-Plow
Putting Spring To Bed
For the third time in less than one week, a Tony-winning Best Musical has posted its closing notices. This time, I'm downright shocked.
Spring Awakening, which had only won the Tony just last year, will shutter on January 18, 2009. The box office was still attracting a respectable 62.3% capacity crowd last week. With an average ticket price of $63.91, that was enough to earn the tuner $347,393 for the week.
But as the long-term prospects for the economy have regular theatregoers, along with the all-important tourists to New York, scrutinizing their discretionary dollars, I'm told that the almighty advance box office is disappointing at best and downright dismal at worst for many shows. It will make this winter a particularly chilly one for the Great White Way.
Personally, I enjoyed
Spring Awakening. I gave this supercharged musical
three-and-a-half stars shortly after seeing it from my front-row seat. As I said then, credit
Michael Mayer’s expert direction for enabling this show from
Steven Sater and
Duncan Sheik to grapple with 19th Century German teen angst at a brisk, riveting -- and highly entertaining -- pace.
When Spring Awakening closes, it will have enjoyed 859 performances. But take heart, Spring Awakening fans -- the North American tour will continue on through at least next June.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Duncan Sheik, Michael Mayer, Musical, Spring Awakening, Uncharted: Lewis Flinn And Steven Sater
13 (The SOB Review) - Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, New York, NY*** (out of ****)Be forewarned.
High School Musical it ain't.
But thank
goodness for that.
Think of
Jason Robert Brown's exuberant new musical
13 as a positive puberty piece. It's a latter-day answer to "
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten." With tunes like the inspired "A Little More Homework," even jaded Wall Streeters can reflect and be reminded of a thing or two when it comes to what constitutes really living.
Mostly family-friendly, except for a PG-rated item or two,
13 heralds Brown's long-awaited return to Broadway, and his tuneful, rich score does not disappoint.
Neither does the breathtaking display of teen talent, as all 13 cast members, along with orchestra, are age appropriate. As Evan, a guppy out of water who's suddenly been transplanted from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, the charismatic
Graham Phillips delights. Being the new kid on the block isn't easy, especially when you're a "Brain." It's even more difficult when he realizes that he's won the heart of the unpopular Patrice (played with remarkable emotional depth by
Allie Trimm), threatening Evan's own prospects for popularity. Phillips brings an astonishing degree of nuance for such a young actor.
Yet it's
Al Calderon as Eddie, who manages to steal just about every scene he's in as the sidekick to Brett (a terrific
Eric Nelsen), Dan Quayle High's super cool dude and nemesis to Evan. It's virtually impossible to take your eyes off this gifted young comic actor.
Sure the book by
Dan Elish and
Robert Horn at times goes from earnest to hokey in record time during this 90-minute show, but thanks to
Jeremy Sams' pacing,
Christopher Gattelli's unrestrained choreography, and Brown's beautiful score, I found myself transfixed, charmed and downright moved.
So if you're seeking a little Main Street break, or even hope, from the bleak news coming from Wall Street, head up to Midtown New York and catch a welcome respite in
13. I'm glad I did.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Al Calderon, Allie Trimm, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Graham Phillips, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams, Musicals, The SOB Review
Speeding Toward, Plowing Through Opening NightThis evening, the first Broadway revival of
David Mamet's
Speed-The-Plow opens at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Directed by
Neil Pepe, the production stars
Jeremy Piven as Bobby Gould opposite
Raúl Esparza as Charlie Fox, with
Elisabeth Moss taking on the role of Karen. This marks the Broadway debuts for both Piven and Moss.
The revival comes 20 years after the original mounting, with included
Joe Mantegna,
Ron Silver and
Madonna in the aforementioned roles. Silver took home a Tony for his portrayal of Charlie Fox.
Will there be awards in this revival's future? Will critics by rushing to provide accolades? I'll answer the latter question tomorrow in my critics' capsule.
The limited run is currently scheduled through February 22, 2009.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: David Mamet, Elisabeth Moss, Jeremy Piven, Neil Pepe, Play, Raul Esparza, Revival, Speed-The-Plow
Hairspray's Closing: Run And Tell That!It may be
anti-climactic, but it
is official!
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2003 --
Hairspray -- will close on January 4, 2009. But it won't be before the show's original Edna Turnblad enjoys one final victory romp across the boards of the
Neil Simon Theatre.
To date, the tuner has grossed over $265 million on Broadway alone. That's about
40 times the U.S. gross of the original
John Waters film from 1988 and
more than double the U.S. gross of
last year's movie musical.
Fortunately, the show won't close before welcoming back
Harvey Fierstein, who will reprise his Tony-winning turn as Edna one more time.
And you know what? I've already purchased my tickets to do my part to send the show off in style. Here's my little secret -- I have not seen Fierstein perform in the show since taking in the Seattle tryouts back in the summer of 2002, so my upcoming visit will mark my first time ever in the Neil Simon Theatre.
I'd say it's about time, wouldn't you?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Grosses, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, John Waters
That's Liza's At The PYesterday, the rumored Rialto return of enter-tainment icon
Liza Minnelli was finally confirmed.
The quadruple threat -- Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and, of course, Tony winner -- will "bring her unmatchable magic to Broadway," according to the
Web site for her upcoming show
Liza's At The Palace...!It's been nearly nine years since the song stylist who's made sure we know that her first name's spelled with a "Z" and not and "S," last performed in her
Minnelli On Minnelli concert at the dawn of this millennium. The legendary Minnelli will return to the Great White Way's
Palace Theatre for a limited engagement of concert performances at beginning December 3 and running through December 14.
Liza's At The Palace...! is
described as:
[T]he evening will feature an incomparable Minnelli songfest including many of her personal favorites and signature hits, followed by a dance-filled tribute to the groundbreaking late-1940s nightclub act of Minnelli's godmother, Kay Thompson. Gary Labriola will serve as Executive Producer.
Along with a twelve-man orchestra led by conductor/drummer Michael Berkowitz and pianist/musical supervisor Billy Stritch, Liza’s At The Palace…! will be highlighted with many of Liza’s showstoppers such as "Cabaret," "Maybe This Time," and "New York New York" –- all written especially for her by the legendary Broadway song writing partnership of John Kander and Fred Ebb. For the first time onstage, Liza will pay an affectionate salute to her godmother, the late Kay Thompson who was a legendary performer ("Think Pink!" from Funny Face), author (“Eloise at the Plaza”) as well a gifted vocal arranger and Music Director/vocal coach at MGM Studios who worked with stars such as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Lena Horne. Supported by a quartet of dynamic singer/dancers, Liza will perform musical hits (with the original vocal arrangements) from Thompson's act including such numbers as "I Love a Violin," "Clap Yo' Hands," "Jubilee Time" and "Hello Hello" -- set to brand-new staging and choreography by Mr. (Ron) Lewis. Accompanying her onstage will be Cortés Alexander, Jim Caruso, Tiger Martina and Johnny Rodgers.
The concert performance will be scripted by Liza and Tony Award-winner David Zippel, and will be full of personal stories, anecdotes and heartfelt reminiscences embraced in a theatrical setting featuring scenery by Ray Klausen, costumes by Halston, lighting by Matthew Berman and sound by Matt Kraus.
Although I've had a couple chance opportunities to see this legend in person -- both were off the statge, including at the most recent Tony Awards as well as on 45th Street -- I've promised myself that if she ever returned to Broadway, I'd be there.
So you can bet when the presale begins on Wednesday, October 22, I'll be among the fans burning up the Internet and phone lines so that maybe this time, I'll be able to see Liza Minnelli perform. (Regular tickets go on sale on Sunday, October 26.)
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, First Word On New Show, Fred Ebb, John Kander, Liza Minnelli, Liza's At The Palace, Revue
It Just Was Not To BeJust yesterday, I was in the
Manhattan Theatre Club's
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre to take in
Nick Whitby's adaptation of
To Be Or Not To Be.
At one point yesterday, I was asked if I thought the show would close early. Since Manhattan Theatre Club is a non-profit with a considerable subscriber base (myself included), my response was "no" for that reason.
Well, looks like I was only half right. Less than 24 hours later comes news that the play will close one week early on November 16 ... just as soon as the subcription portion of the run concludes.
Originally plagued by casting changes, then by rumors of conflicts between Nicholaw and Whitby, followed by roundly
bad reviews and finally by less than 50% capacity crowds, it's little wonder that MTC has chosen to close shop one week early. When the show closes, it will have "enjoyed" just 40 regular performances as opposed to the 48 initially scheduled.
Personally, the show wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be, but I'll provide my SOB Review a little later.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Casey Nicholaw, Closing Notices, Film, Manhattan Theatre Club, Nick Whitby, Play, To Be Or Not To Be
To Be Or Not To Be (The SOB Review) - Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York, New York*1/2 (out of ****)Daring to ask
Shakespeare's famous question
To Be Or Not To Be right up front in the title of a play is a risky proposition, to be sure. But since there's no shying away from responding, the answer is a simple, "No."
Try as he might, playwright
Nick Whitby has come up quite short in his efforts to update the classic
1942 comedy about a Polish theatre troupe. After being forced to close by the Nazi censors, the actors are recruited for their greatest acting challenge involving covert activity.
Despite the capable cast, including
David Rasche as troupe leader Josef and
Jan Maxwell as his straying wife Maria, and some intermittently funny bits, director
Casey Nicholaw can't save this from being among the most ill-conceived and boring "new" plays of the season.
Why Whitby and Nicholaw ever decided this was Broadway ready? Well,
that my dear friends is the
real question.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Film, Manhattan Theatre Club, Nick Whitby, Play, The SOB Review, To Be Or Not To Be
Closing The Lid On SpamalotLate yesterday, the closing notices were posted for the second most highly overrated musical currently on Broadway:
Monty Python's Spamalot (had I been reviewing shows back in 2005, I would have only provided two and a half stars).
Sure, the three-and-a-half year old show managed to snare the the 2005 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, but the tuner is hardly the kind of show that can be sustained or will be long remembered as a classic.
When the musical finally closes on January 18, 2009 at the
Shubert Theatre, it will have enjoyed 1582 regular performances. Recently, the box office had plunged to the 50% range, but when
Clay Aiken came back, the capacity climbed to 70.7% last week. Is it just my cynical self, or does Aiken's celebrated return fly in the face of the show's patronizing advertising as one of the only Broadway shows straight men could like?
Something tells me that the advance box office simply wasn't there. I have little doubt the closing news will provide a substantial bounce, but it will be for all those Monty Python fans to finally bid adieu.
Now, any wagers as to what will leave the Great White Way next?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Clay Aiken, Closing Notices, Monty Python's Spamalot, Musical
Did Critics Think Sons Offered Its All?Last evening, Broadway's second revival of of
Arthur Miller's
All My Sons opened at the
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Helmed by
Simon McBurney, the productions stars
John Lithgow,
Dianne Wiest,
Patrick Wilson and
Katie Holmes.
Most critics were taken with the high-concept approach offered by McBurney, with one notable exception.
Praising the show as a "striking new production,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News awards four out of five stars: "Lithgow is outstanding as the conflicted family man whose self-interest proves his undoing. He seems to evoke every stage of grief as Keller's life crumbles before him. As his devoted wife, Wiest marvelously conveys steel beneath Kate's soft-focus eyes and deep-set denial, while Wilson shows he's more than just apple-pie handsome in his highly emotional and physical performance in the shattering showdown. Holmes, a TV and film vet, makes a fine Broadway debut."
Heralding
All My Sons as "a commanding illustration of the power of theater and a searing drama,"
Variety's
David Rooney also praises: "McBurney acknowledges those diverse traditions as well as more experimental forms. He shows us the tricks and mechanics of theater, uses film devices like underscoring and projections to intensify drama or foster evocative connections, and coaxes layered interpretations from the actors that embrace grandiose, melodramatic theatricality on the surface while scratching away underneath to uncover the characters' wounded humanity in painfully real terms. There's no playing it safe here on any level, yet the complex approach feels organic -- every unconventional touch serves to break open the drama, not simply to embellish it. Some no doubt will find the treatment overwrought, but like it or not, this is far more interesting than another reverential remount."
Saying "This really shouldn't work, but it does,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer joins in the positive notices: "John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest are shattering as Joe and Kate Keller.... The real news, however, is the high-concept rethinking by director Simon McBurney. This should be a stylistic hodgepodge, but, miraculously, the fusion honors the Ibsen-inspired moral authority of early Miller, the distancing modern techniques of Brecht and the special effects of an old-time Hollywood melodrama. We are warned from the prologue, which Miller never wrote."
Citing McBurney's staging as "unexpectedly effective,"
Clive Barnes of
New York Post offers two and a half stars: "A starry cast has been assembled to yell their lungs out.... The fault lies not with them but with the play.... [T]oo much of the acting is two-dimensional, at best. Lithgow starts in a sunny, benign fashion, but eventually finds himself screeching alongside Holmes, looking tough under a glossy wig, and the all-American Wilson. In all of this emotional clutter, the finest performance comes from Wiest, a silent pool of grief in a most touching portrayal of woe."
Calling McBurney's work an "intriguing but disconnected interpretation,"
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times is a bit more incisive: "The preview performance I saw of this one left me stone cold, despite some electric moments from a very fine Mr. Lithgow and Mr. Wilson. The very different leading actresses -- the stage veteran Ms. Wiest and the neophyte Ms. Holmes, in her Broadway debut -- are sad casualties of Mr. McBurney’s high-concept approach.... Mostly this vaunting interpretation falls into that same limbo between intention and execution where so many of Miller’s baffled American souls find themselves."
After carefully reading each of these reviews, I must say that I've never agreed more with Ben Brantley than I have in his critique. You'll find my own SOB Review by clicking
here.
This limited run of
All My Sons is currently slated to close on January 11, 2009.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: All My Sons, Arthur Miller, Ben Brantley, Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, Katie Holmes, Patrick Wilson, Play, Revival, Simon McBurney
All My Sons (The SOB Review) - Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, New York, NY** (out of ****)There's an insidious little secret in
Simon McBurney's revival of
Arthur Miller's
All My Sons.
No, it's not that Joe Keller (
John Lithgow) may or may not have purposely sold faulty plane parts to the U.S. military during World War II. Instead, it's that McBurney has layered on the histrionics so high that the brilliance of Miller's original script is largely obscured and only peeks through near the end.
All natural elements of surprise are removed, thanks in no small part to the sound design offered by
Christopher Shutt and
Carolyn Downing. Their underlying music betrays the production with its impending sense of doom.
With the staging itself, McBurney seems to be going for an
Our Town motif. Yet it screams small town theatricality (think "
Waiting For Guffman") or even satire. It's exacerbated whenever its female leads,
Dianne Wiest (as Joe's wife Kate) and
Katie Holmes (as Ann, the fiancée of Joe and Kate's MIA son), take to the stage.
Where the women reign supreme in the current revival of
The Seagull, it's the men of
All My Sons who are left to do the heavy lifting. Lithgow and
Patrick Wilson as the Kellers' son Chris offer affecting, nuanced performances. Sad to say, there's nothing subtle about Wiest's surprisingly over-the-top performance. As for Holmes, well, she's a decent enough actress, but when Ann should be demure, Holmes is full-throttled and stays in the same gear throughout.
All My Sons still ranks as one of my all-time favorite plays. Maybe someday, we'll have another chance to see a production that just lets the story unfold more naturally.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: All My Sons, Arthur Miller, Broadway, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, Katie Holmes, Patrick Wilson, Play, Revival, Simon McBurney, The SOB Review
Third Generation Sons Opening TonightThis evening, the third Broadway revival of of
Arthur Miller's seminal classic
All My Sons opens at the
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.
Directed by
Simon McBurney, this latest incarnation of the post-war play -- which
originally graced a Main Stem stage in 1947, just two years after the close of World War II -- stars
John Lithgow as Joe Keller,
Dianne Wiest as his wife Kate,
Patrick Wilson as their son Chris, and
Katie Holmes as the fiancée of their other son.
Will critics take to this latest retelling? Find out tomorrow as I provide a snapshot of their reviews in my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: All My Sons, Arthur Miller, Broadway, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, Katie Holmes, Opening Night, Patrick Wilson, Play, Revival, Simon McBurney
Tag, I'm ItThanks fellow blogger, Joseph Gomez of
I Can't I Have Rehearsal, for tagging me.
Joseph, of course, is the self-proclaimed "big town guy trapped in a small town guy's body" who somehow manages to write about Broadway from his bunker deep in the heart of Texas.
Since part of the fun is to keep this tag running, here are the rules, along with my taggees:
The RulesLink to your tagger (that would be Joseph of
I Can't I Have Rehearsal) and list these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
If you don't have 7 blog friends, or if someone else already took dibs, then tag some unsuspecting strangers.
The FactsI once worked on Capitol Hill on the Senate side, and if you look at videos of the
PMRC hearings that featured
Frank Zappa,
John Denver and
Dee Snider squaring off against
Tipper Gore real closely, you can see me on the dais.
I have been a guest on "
Good Morning America" twice and "
20/20" once, among other news programs, to offer my travel expertise.
I have been flipped off by the late
Johnny Carson, to great comic effect.
I've been fortunate to have traveled to all 50 states, as well as more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.
I once dated a grandchild of a presidential candidate.
I have been to the front of a war.
I love sushi.
The Tagged BloggersBroadway & Me because she knows way more about Broadway than I do.
‘kül That Sounds Cool because he sees way more shows than I do.
Mid Hudson Valley Theater Blog because she provides a fresh perspective on local shows.
Modern Fabulousity because he has one of the biggest hearts of any blogger I know.
Things You'll Learn To Love About Me because she has so many things I've learned to love about her.
Third Row, Mezzanine because there's no taking a backseat to this gifted guy.
West End Whingers because a good game of tag should not be limited to the American side of the Atlantic.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: I Can't I Have Rehearsal, tag
Answering The Critical Question Of To Be Or Not To BeLast evening,
To Be Or Not To Be --
Nick Whitby's adaptation of
Ernst Lubitsch's satirical
1942 film -- opened at the
Manhattan Theatre Club's
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (formerly the
Biltmore). Helmed by
Casey Nicholaw, the comedy stars
David Rasche, and
Jan Maxwell, along with
Peter Benson,
Robert Dorfman,
Steve Kazee,
Peter Maloney,
Michael McCarty,
Kristine Nielsen,
Brandon Perler,
Rocco Sisto,
Jimmy Smagula and
Marina Squerciati.
When answering the titular question, critics were largely saying, "No!"
Deadpanning that it's a "walking corpse of a comedy,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley sniffs: "Chalk it up as the latest confirmation of the principle that a classic movie does not a classic play make.... Like many of its screen-to-stage predecessors, this one feels like a faint, blotchy carbon of its prototype. And while I’m all for shows that give performers as talented as Ms. Maxwell and Mr. Rasche gainful employment, it hurts to see them squeezing themselves into shoes originally worn with devil-may-care comfort by
Carole Lombard and
Jack Benny."
Concluding that "we have endured far too many herring and hambone jokes to be manipulated,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer offers a bit of a mixed assessment: "Nick Whitby's new play ... has neither the macabre courage of the original nor the singular
Mel-ness of the
redo. What Casey Nicholaw's production does have is a cast, headed by Jan Maxwell and David Rasche, forced to work way too hard to find a twinkle of charm, much less hilarity and heartache, in this return to this odd trifle-within-a-tragedy."
Regretting this as a "nice idea, but at least in this clumsy attempt, it's not to be,"
Variety's
David Rooney laments: "Whitby's inert reworking of
Edwin Justus Mayer's screenplay for the Lubitsch movie simply slaps it onstage, with embellishments that add nothing and supposed expedients that slow things down. Part of the blame has to go to director Casey Nicholaw's poor feel for pacing, flow and transitions, resulting in a production with the lumpy sluggishness of a fatigued road show. But the writing is so pedestrian it's hard to gauge whether more confident handling might have made a difference."
Noting that "most of the laughs seem lost in translation in the adaptation,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News awards just two out of five stars: "The ingredients for comedy are in place -- a self-loving leading man, a flirty leading lady, backstage antics, espionage and impersonations. The show is hobbled by too many off-target jokes and off-putting pacing. The play should gallop, but the staging by Casey Nicholaw moves in sluggish fits and starts.... Rasche ... makes a suitably egotistical Josef, a ham down to the bone.... Maxwell, in Lombard tresses and clingy dresses, performs with signature panache."
New York Post's
Clive Barnes is back with a vengeancem, along with a one-half star rating: "
To Be or Not To Be is a shabby little play. It bears the marks of most bad comedies - it's not funny, and it's incomprehensible.... David Rasche as Tura and, especially, Jan Maxwell as his wife are both good, but certainly no patch on Benny, with his double-takes, or Lombard, with her voluptuousness. Most of the supporting cast -- including Michael McCarty, Kristine Nielsen, Peter Maloney and Rocco Sisto -- do their best to lighten the Stygian gloom cast on everything by Casey Nicholaw's ditch-water dull direction."
I'll be taking in this limited run over the next few days and will weigh in shortly thereafter. But for the time being, it sounds like this production was not meant to be.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Casey Nicholaw, Critics' Capsule, David Rasche, Film, Jan Maxwell, Manhattan Theatre Club, Nick Whitby, Play, To Be Or Not To Be
Your SOB "Who Knew?" FlashbackChicago's Tony Award-winning
Steppen-wolf Theatre Company, co-founded in 1974 by
Terry Kinney,
Jeff Perry and
Gary Sinise, has long been known for its edgy to inspiring innovative fare.
But who knew that the second production ever mounted by Steppenwolf back in April 1974 was
Grease?!
I guess
there are worse things Steppenwolf
could do.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Chicago, Gary Sinise, Grease, Jeff Pery, Musical, Steppenwolf, Terry Kinney
MTC Opening: Consider It "To Be"
MTC Opening: Consider It "To Be"This evening, the
Manhattan Theatre Club's first play of the 2008-09 Theatrical Season opens at the newly renamed
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (formerly the
Biltmore).
Based on
Ernst Lubitsch's satirical
1942 film of the same name,
To Be Or Not To Be is adapted for the stage by
Nick Whitby and directed by
Casey Nicholaw. The limited run of
To Be Or Not To Be is scheduled through November 23.
Originally,
Craig Bierko was to star, but he has since been replaced by
David Rasche, who is perhaps best known for his mid-1980s television show "
Sledge Hammer!" Rasche will be joined by
Jan Maxwell, along with
Peter Benson,
Robert Dorfman,
Steve Kazee,
Peter Maloney,
Michael McCarty,
Kristine Nielsen,
Brandon Perler,
Rocco Sisto,
Jimmy Smagula and
Marina Squerciati.
Whether critics think this is a show that should be or shouldn't be, that is now the question. Find out what they say in my critics' capsule tomorrow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Casey Nicholaw, David Rasche, Film, Jan Maxwell, Manhattan Theatre Club, Nick Whitby, Opening Night, Play, To Be Or Not To Be
Casting Couched In RumorsI love my friends.
They know I don't normally traffic in gossip, but they keep sending rumors my way anyway.
RUMOR:Angela Lansbury will defy her own self-imposed stage retirement by taking on the role of Madame Arcati in the upcoming Broadway revival of
Noël Coward's
Blithe Spirit.
TRUTH:While no further casting has been announced beyond
Christine Ebersole and
Rupert Everett (in his Broadway debut),
Variety's original September 29 story on the revival
stated:
No further casting has been announced, although Angela Lansbury and Rupert Everett are said to be on the wish list.
Given that director
Michael Blakemore managed to snag Everett since that initial report, spirits (and hopes) are running high that it's only a matter of time before Lansbury says yes.
UPDATED (10/14/08, 9:30 a.m.): According to Playbill (hit tap to SarahB), Angela Lansbury will
return to the Broadway boards in Blithe Spirit. It is true!RUMOR: Cheyenne Jackson's first post-
Xanadu ride across a Broadway stage will be as Sky Masterson in the
upcoming Broadway revival of
Guys And Dolls, which has already cast
Oliver Platt as Nathan Detroit.
TRUTH:Sure, the
message boards on Broadway World are fanning the flames, no doubt fueled in part by
Michael Musto's August dreamcasting of Mr. Jackson as Sky, as well as a little dish from
Perez Hilton, who says:
Other cast members have not yet been announced, but we're hearing hottie Cheyenne Jackson will be part of the revival.
But to date, there's really nothing to substantiate the rumor, nor is there anything to negate it.
RUMOR: Teen heartthrob
Zac Efron will replace
Daniel Radcliffe in the current Broadway revival of
Equus. TRUTH:
Efron tells
People:
No. I think it's a great role but I was not approached.... (But) I think it's important to always diversify, change it up and play different characters.... I think doing musicals all the time would get stale.
TALLY:One rumor is
true, another is squelched and the third remains just that for the time being.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit, Broadway, Cheyenne Jackson, Daniel Radcliffe, Equus, Guys And Dolls, Rumor, Zac Efron
Wicked In 2010?Having
already written about Universal Pictures'
plans to bring the stage musical megahit
Wicked to the big screen, I was delighted to find my first clue as to the potential release date.
It didn't come from
Variety or
Playbill, but from the
Internet Movie Database (IMDB), my online Bible for anything having to do with movies or television. Not a day goes by where I'm not looking some tidbit up on this site, usually to settle a bet, but also to confirm hunches as well.
According to IMBD, a film version of "
Wicked" currently is slated for a July 16, 2010 release. Naturally, the site cautions:
Because this project is categorized as being in production, the data is subject to change; some data could be removed completely.
While there's no news whatsoever of casting, it still warms my heart to see this information posted there, especially given these dreary October days of
falling fortunes and an interminable Presidential campaign set to slog on for yet another 25 days.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Film, IMDB, Musical, Wicked
Down, But Not OutWhile today's
dive on Wall Street had me feeling a bit down, I'm far from out.
Angry, is perhaps the better word.
As someone who has never bit off more than he could chew, as someone who has always paid my mortgage payments and all other debts on time, as someone who has always dutifully paid my taxes and as someone who has cheerfully given to countless charitable causes, I'm angry at the lack of personal responsibility both on Main Street and on Wall Street, and I'm frustrated by all the fingerpointing in Washington DC.
Other than that, I'm hoping that we've bottomed out.
If not, in this age of right-sizing, we can only hope that Broadway ticket prices will come back down to affordable levels. Otherwise, the Great White Way risks going dark for a considerable time.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Financial Crisis, Special Messages, Ticket Prices, Wall Street
Did Critics Offer Saintly Reviews for All Of "Man"?
Last evening, the
Doug Hughes-helmed revival
Robert Bolt's
A Man For All Seasons opened at the
Roundabout Theatre Company's
American Airlines Theatre.
Frank Langella stars as
Sir Thomas More in the moral face-off with
Patrick Page's King Henry VIII. This marked the first Broadway revival of the work since the
1961 original.
Critics' response -- particularly from Ben Brantley, Linda Winer and Joe Dziemianowicz -- indicates that something has been lost, quite literally, since the premiere mounting.
While ceding that it's "not always the most compelling drama,"
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner strikes a positive note via her three out of four star review: "Luckily, this production — like the screen adaptation, which starred
Paul Scofield -- is anchored by an indelible, irresistible performance. As More, Frank Langella ... tackles a very different historical figure with similar grace and depth.... Langella has a worthy sparring partner in
Zach Grenier, who brings bracing menace to the role of Thomas Cromwell, the rival statesman who slavishly and ruthlessly serves the interests of the king."
Concluding that "it's less the production and more its star that best deserves the title of
A Man for All Seasons,"
Frank Scheck provides the
New York Post's three-out-of-four star review that somehow mixes up who's directing (where
is Clive???): "While its theme of individual conscience clashing with the demands of the state remains all too relevant, the drama is a somewhat static, talky affair that is only intermittently compelling. Fortunately, Langella is so mesmerizing in the lead role that he single-handedly overcomes the evening's more tedious passages.... [H]e's deeply moving in the final scenes, when Sir Thomas becomes despairingly aware that his cause is lost. The acting in director
Daniel Sullivan's production for the Roundabout Theatre Company -- which wisely eschews the Common Man character which originally served as the play's narrator -- is otherwise less impressive.
Noting how "the play is a star vehicle disguised as ensemble drama,"
Variety's
David Rooney is nevertheless largely laudatory:
"The 1961 drama ... is not without windy preachiness. But the Roundabout staging becomes more gripping as it proceeds, driven by a performance from Frank Langella as measured and naturalistic as it is majestic.... By denying the man more than a flicker of doubt or remorse over the consequences of his actions, and by drawing adversaries that outwit him with cunning but never with intellect, the playwright robs the drama of texture.... Langella's performance, however, is sufficiently commanding to overcome the role's limited dimension. The actor's effortless authority is softened by a playful sense of irony that makes it seem only natural he would toss off a cutting remark even while being sentenced to die."
Pondering whether it's "heresy to whisper that the sainted Thomas More is a bit of a bore,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley Mr. Langella says that this
Man isn't suited for the current season: "Mr. Langella haloes himself with such incandescence that you may wish you had brought along a pair of polarized glasses. But starlight needs to flicker and sputter if a complex character is to emerge from all that radiance. And Mr. Bolt’s script ... neglects to include several essential ingredients for a compelling dramatic hero. Like conflict, doubt, vacillation and change.... But it is evident as well why there had been no Broadway revival of the play for four decades."
While revering Langella's big stature, but lamenting, "It's the plays that got small,"
Newsday's Nora Desmond, er,
Linda Winer echoes Brantley: "The texture of Robert Bolt's 16th century English-chronicle drama has been flattened by director Doug Hughes' decision (with permission from the estate) to cut the role of the Common Man. He is missed.... On the other hand, the disappearance of the Common Man does offer an uncluttered view of Langella. His More, for all his self-destructive conscience, is excellent company, just the sort of elegantly intelligent force who believes that 'God made man to serve him wittily.' By wit, he means alertness, not humor, and Langella -- in court favor and as a doomed prisoner -- suggests the plush yet wary presence of someone stroking a cat."
Lamenting how the "parched Roundabout revival all too seldom ignites,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News provides just two-and-a-half stars out of five: "Doug Hughes seems at a loss for fresh ways to make Bolt's wordy warhorse feel urgent as it plays out over 2 1/2 hours on
Santo Loquasto's skeletal set of Tudor-style timbers and shifting panels. In one noteworthy move, Hughes has deleted the Common Man, a character who comments on the action.... Langella gives a characteristically intelligent and sensitive performance, but while we see More's plight, we don't feel it -- largely a result of Bolt's script."
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Man For All Seasons, Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Doug Hughes, Frank Langella, Play, Revival, Roundabout Theatre
A Man For Broadway's 2008-09 Season Opens TonightThis evening, the very first Broadway revival of
Robert Bolt's
A Man For All Seasons opens at the
Roundabout Theatre Company's
American Airlines Theatre.
Helmed by
Doug Hughes, the revival stars three-time Tony Award winner
Frank Langella as
Sir Thomas More. Langella faces
Patrick Page as King Henry VIII.
The late, great
Paul Scofield not only earned a Tony Award for his portrayal of More in the original
1961 Broadway play, but he also won an Academy Award in the
Best Picture of 1966.
Will critics see this as a play for all ages (epochal periods, that is)? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Man For All Seasons, Doug Hughes, Frank Langella, Patrick Page, Paul Scofield, Play, Revival, Roundabout Theatre
Did Critics Treat 13 With Kid Gloves?While the really big news today, of course, is the further sliding of the
global economy, as evidenced by this morning's
sell-off on Wall Street, further to the north on Broadway, yesterday,
Jason Robert Brown's musical
13 rocked the
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
Helmed by
Jeremy Sams, the tuner features Brown's score with a book by
Dan Elish and
Robert Horn, along with choreography by
Christopher Gattelli. The show about thirteen 13 year olds in Indiana features
Graham Phillips,
Al Calderon,
Eamon Foley,
Caitlin Gann,
Elizabeth Gillies,
Ariana Grande,
Aaron Simon Gross,
Malik Hammond,
Joey La Varco,
Delaney Moro,
Eric Nelsen,
Allie Trimm and
Brynn Williams.
On the whole, critics offered middling assessments.
Proclaiming this a "disarmingly charming new musical,"
Barbara Hoffman (where
is Clive??) of
New York Post offers three out of four stars: "With a raw, rousing score by Jason Robert Brown sung by a cast of 13- to 17-year-olds, it's Sondheim for
MySpacers -- the perfect show for those too old for
Disney, too young for
Spring Awakening, and too impatient to wait for a new block of
Wicked tickets.... Brown, the 38-year-old Tony-winning composer of
Parade and
The Last Five Years, has written some catchy numbers and at least one winsome ballad, 'What It Means To Be a Friend,' that clearly registered with its young audience. Director Jeremy Sams gets a few standout performances, notably from Elizabeth Egan Gillies, 15, whose lacerating Lucy, all cellphone and attitude, is a junior-varsity
Joan Crawford."
Noting that "there's not much in this sweet all-adolescent tuner to engage anyone past puberty,"
Variety's
David Rooney says that it target demographics should be: "no barrier to success... While the storyline by children's novelist Dan Elish and vet TV writer Robert Horn is a familiar fish-out-of-water tale populated by generics (geek, loser, gossip girl, beauty, jock, etc.), it has heart and charm. The kids in the age-appropriate cast are talented. And the score by Jason Robert Brown, which nimbly straddles pop and musical theater idioms, is several notches above the standard processed pap for teen tuners."
Calling it a "shiny and brash new musical,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley gives average grades: "Though it features a buoyant score by Jason Robert Brown ... and a book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn that dances friskily on the borders of bad taste,
13 ultimately feels as pre-processed and formulaic as that money-churning Disney franchise '
High School Musical.'... The characters are as eternal as types in
commedia dell’arte, and the plot as set as that of a Passion play by way of young adult fiction.... The cast is fine. It avoids pushing too hard, which is always a mercy with young performers. Mr. Phillips has an easygoing forthrightness and emotional openness that anchors the production."
Labeling it a "cheerful and endearing, ebulliently performed and blandish musical,"
Linda Winer of
Newsday provides a middling review: "Except for some icky-erotic coarseness for hungry young tongues, Jeremy Sams' direction and Christopher Gattelli's streetwise choreography keep the show close enough to the nice side of the street-pee jokes,
Shrek quips and
Jonas Brothers posters -- to live a long and lucrative life on Broadway and in school auditoriums. Did we mention that the 13 kid-performers and five-piece kid band are terrific? They are, including Graham Phillips as Evan.... Al Calderon is a standout as a pintsized contender for the future
Jersey Boys of America."
Offering that it's "neither a soaring, sobering account of troubled youth nor a glib commercial enterprise,"
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner also offers a mixed critique: "Jason Robert Brown and librettists Dan Elish and Robert Horn serve up pop-culture parody peppered with politically incorrect humor and sweetened with some sentimentality. The plot is utter hooey in this case, centered on a Jewish boy from New York who lands in small-town Indiana when his parents split up just before his bar mitzvah.... That 13 is seldom either surprising or offensive is a credit to both the limited imagination of its creative team and the winsome freshness of its all-teen cast, directed with obvious affection by Jeremy Sams. With the exception of the strong-voiced Elizabeth Egan Gillies, who is rather too convincing as the precocious mean girl of her class, none of these performers come across as stage kids, and their unaffected energy is undeniably contagious."
Concluding that "The pubescent crowd may find this new musical fascinating -- but Mom and Dad will be left thinking about 13 better ways they could have spent their ticket dollars,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News is among the most negative in his two out of five star review: "It is fun watching these fresh-faced youths sell the show, but the novelty wears thin soon enough and one wishes what they were pushing was better material.... If the point is that kids get labeled for no good reason, then someone might have said that. Or sung that. As is, the score by Jason Robert Brown is pleasant enough, tripping from pop and
Carly Simon-ish ballads to blues. While short on character development, Brown's lyrics do manage to evoke teen-speak, as when boys lament that their buddy 'fell for a slut with a fabulous butt.'"
While teens love rollercoaster rides, the current economic one their parents are likely on at the moment may preclude the target demographic from seeing this or many other shows. Certainly there are many ad-worthy critical quotes that
13's marketing team can incorporate into its promotions, but it will have to get past the current 42.3% capacity at the box office in order for the tuner to be anything but unfortunate in its Broadway timing.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Critics' Capsule, Dan Elish, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams, Musical, Robert Horn
13 Takes The 5thToday on this October 5,
13, the new
Jason Robert Brown musical about thirteen 13 year-olds growing up in Indiana, opens at Broadway's
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
The tuner opens on the Great White Way close to two years after
first debuting, albeit in a much different version and under different direction (
Todd Graff) at Los Angeles'
Mark Taper Forum.
With book by
Dan Elish and
Robert Horn,
13 is helmed by
Jeremy Sams and features choreography by
Christopher Gattelli.
Graham Phillips portrays Evan Goldman, a kid who has just moved to the Hoosier State and must contend with a new school order. Others in the cast include
Al Calderon,
Eamon Foley,
Caitlin Gann,
Elizabeth Gillies,
Ariana Grande,
Aaron Simon Gross,
Malik Hammond,
Joey La Varco,
Delaney Moro,
Eric Nelsen,
Allie Trimm and
Brynn Williams.
While Brown earned a Rialto credit for the very unlucky
Urban Cowboy, this marks the composer's first
real Broadway score since his Tony Award-winning score for 1998-99's
Parade.
Will
13 prove lucky with the critics? Find out tomorrow as I offer my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Dan Elish, Graham Phillips, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams, Musical, Opening Night, Robert Horn
Did Seagull Revival Soar With Critics?Last evening, the seventh Broadway revival of
Anton Chekhov's
The Seagull, with fresh translation from the reigning king of adaptations
Christopher Hampton, opened at Broadway's
Walter Kerr Theatre.
The 14-week limited engagement stars
Kristin Scott Thomas and
Peter Sarsgaard in their Broadway debuts, alongside
Mackenzie Crook,
Zoe Kazan and
Carey Mulligan under the direction of
Ian Rickson. Most critics gave high marks to the production, even if a number of them took issue with the performance of Sarsgaard.
Heralding this as a "magnificent production,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley rhapsodically hurls superlatives: "The careful cultivation of such transparency, to the point that we feel instinctively tuned into the minds of every individual onstage, helps to make this
Seagull the finest and most fully involving production of Chekhov that I have ever known.... It is, to make honest use of the language of hucksters, a limited, once-in-a-lifetime offer... [T]his
Seagull has only ripened and deepened.... And Ms. Scott Thomas, who was excellent as the aging actress Arkadina in London, here delivers a magnified, intensified performance that more than ever is the keystone to understanding this play."
Nearly equal in his praise is
New York Post's
Clive Barnes, who offers up a rare four out of four star review: "Scott Thomas is an actor who doesn't act. Rather, she moves into a character, breathing the same air as a human reality. It's a style heaven-sent for the plays and people of Anton Chekhov, as she's now demonstrating as Arkadina, the overbloomed actress who sweeps her way through
The Seagull in the wonderfully subtle production that opened last night.... [H]ere it's staged with natural fluency by Ian Rickson, with an elegant new adaptation by Christopher Hampton that sounds as though it were written the day before yesterday."
Labeling
The Seagull "powerful theater," is
Variety's
David Rooney, who is largely effusive "despite one casting choice that doesn't quite measure up": "Rarely is the writer's signature balance of humor, pathos and tragedy so exquisitely rendered or the modulation between them orchestrated so affectingly.... It's the anchoring naturalism brought even to this diva in chronic performance mode that makes Scott Thomas so transfixing.... [W]hile he does slowly reveal the opportunistic worm beneath the self-possessed surface, Sarsgaard appears to be struggling to get a read on his role for much of the play."
Noting how this "serene, soaring
Seagull makes a 113-year-old story feel as fresh as a cool breeze," New York's
Daily News critic
Joe Dziemianowicz offers four out of five stars: "Scott Thomas is sly-eyed, sharp-tongued and sure-footed (a little sprightly scampering proves her vigor) and holds you rapt while just standing motionless. In short, she's heaven in her Broadway debut. Less well-known, but no less phenomenal, is Carey Mulligan, who plays Nina and instantly captures your heart with her teary-eyed, exquisitely emotional portrayal. Mackenzie Crook seems to draw from a deep well of sadness as Konstantin, the experimental playwright hopelessly in love with her.... (Sarsgaard) is too lackadaisical, almost borderline lazy, to set off bright sparks."
Calling the revival "visually stark, emotionally luscious,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer production offers a mostly positive review: "Most of the men are not as effective as the women, and not just because Chekhov wrote such wonderfully complicated women. Peter Sarsgaard ... plays Trigoran ... as puzzlingly effeminate and more than a little dull.
Seagull may be the hardest of Chekhov's late plays to get right.... But Rickson and Scott Thomas find the exquisite balance between being idealistic about the arts and satirizing that idealism."
Concluding that "its uneven casting makes for a frustrating experience,"
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner zeroes in on Sarsgaard in her two-and-a-half-star review: "If you're a fan of Chekhov's writing and Peter Sarsgaard's acting, you face a serious dilemma this fall.... Sadly, though, Sarsgaard doesn't rise to the challenges confronting him any more than his complex and crucial character does. It might be an overstatement to say that his curiously awkward, lackluster performance fatally wounds this
Seagull ... but only a slight one.... That's a shame, because the other legs in Trigorin's romantic triangle could hardly be sturdier. Leading lady Kristin Scott Thomas ... is a witty, poignant Arkadina, revealing a nervous fragility in the fading thespian who lives with and clings to Trigorin. As the doomed ingénue Nina, who suffers even more for her lover's callousness, fellow West End import Carey Mulligan is equally lovely and moving, at once a fresh-faced foil and a worthy rival to the elegant but vulnerable Arkadina."
My own personal view comes closest to that expressed by Gardner. You can review my own abbreviated SOB Review by clicking
here.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anton Chekov, Broadway, Christopher Hampton, Critics' Capsule, Ian Rickson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Mackenzie Crook, Peter Sarsgaard, Play, Revival, The Seagull, Zoe Kazan
Critical Mass Exodus?
