My Year On Broadway: Most To LeastOf the 44* new Broadway shows and revivals that opened on the Great White Way during the 2008-09 Theatrical Season, I saw 28 of them.
The number increases to 31 if you count my previous viewings of
Billy Elliot - The Musical (2005) and
God Of Carnage (2008)
in London and
White Christmas in St. Paul (2006), and even 32 if you count my earlier Off-Broadway viewing of
[title of show](2006).
The productions I never had a chance to see before they closed include
Cirque Dreams,
A Tale Of Two Cities,
A Man For All Seasons,
American Buffalo,
Dividing The Estate or
Soul Of Shaolin. Of the current shows, I most likely will not see
Irene's Vow,
The Philanthropist or
Accent On Youth, but I already have post-Tony Award tickets to see both
Mary Stuart and
Waiting For Godot. I'm still hoping to get to
Joe Turner's Come And Gone.
While I'll write shortly about the best and worst shows I've seen over the past year -- with some topping my lists from Off-Broadway or London -- I thought I'd rank all the Main Stem shows I've seen during the 2008-09 Theatrical Season beginning with those I liked the most to the least (you may click on each to see my full SOB Review).
* Please note that I count the three individual installments of
The Norman Conquests separately, since each can certainly stand on its own. However, for the sake of this ranking, you'll see that I've placed all three portions of
The Norman Conquests together as my favorite Broadway experience of the year.
So here's my most to least favorite list of the Broadway shows I've seen over the past year:
The Norman Conquests ****Speed-The-Plow ***1/2next to normal ***1/29 To 5 ***1/2Impressionism ***1/2Hair ***reasons to be pretty ***33 Variations ***Blithe Spirit ***13 ***Shrek The Musical ***Liza's At The Palace...! ***Pal Joey ***The American Plan ***West Side Story **1/2Equus **1/2Exit The King **1/2The Seagull **1/2The Story Of My Life **Desire Under The Elms **All My Sons **Hedda Gabler **Guys And Dolls *1/2Rock Of Ages *1/2To Be Or Not To Be *1/2You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush *What were your most and least favorite Broadway shows of the past year?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Favorite Shows, Musical, Play, Revival, The Norman Conquests, The SOB Review
Age AppropriateThursday's issue of
The New York Times has an
excellent article from
Robin Pogrebin that should be required reading for all parents wishing to take their children to a Broadway show, along with the pre-show conversations worth having with them.
It also helps to know how young is
too young, as
Gratuitous Violins has recently pointed out quite eloquently. Parents need to remember that other audience members have paid to see the same performance that their own squealers may be ruining.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Age Appropriate, Broadway, Children, Gratuitous Violins
38 Down, One To Go (Plus One)Even if I wasn't so enamored by the current revival of
Guys And Dolls, it did afford me the opportunity of crossing another Broadway theatre off my list. Thirty-eight down,
one more to go ... if you don't count that
"new" theatre coming to a Broadway near you in September.
It may be heresy to other theatre lovers, but up until seeing
Guys And Dolls during one of its last previews prior to opening, I had never set foot inside the wonderfully restored
Nederlander Theatre (pictured here, photo by Matthew Blank). That's right, I never saw its previous occupant
Rent there, even though it squatted at the Nederlander through 5,123 performances. Fear not,
Rent-heads, I actually took in the very first "Angel" touring company of
Rent during its initial stint in Boston (way back in 1996), as well as a later tour of St. Paul (2000).
Which of Broadway's current 39 theatrical venues have I visited the most? That would be the
Booth Theatre -- home to countless prestige shows and arguably the Great White Way's most uncomfortable seats -- beginning with the 1992 revival of
The Most Happy Fella and as recently as its current occupant,
next to normal. Which brings me full circle:
Frank Loesser wrote the scores to both
Guys And Dolls and
The Most Happy Fella , while
Michael Greif directed both
Rent and
next to normal.
So, dear readers, how many Broadway theatres have you visited? And do you think I should just bite the bullet and finally see that
last remaining show (even though I
have seen it in London, Los Angeles and Las Vegas) to round out my overall Rialto experience?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Booth Theatre, Broadway, Broadway Venues, Frank Loesser, Guys And Dolls, Michael Greif, Nederlander Theatre, Next To Normal, Rent, The Most Happy Fella
Exit The King (The SOB Review) - Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, New York**1/2 (out of ****)All hail
Geoffrey Rush! Long live the king!
As the 400+ year old King Berenger in the often spellbinding new translation of
Eugene Ionesco's
Exit The King he co-wrote with
Neil Armfield, the Academy Award winning actor delivers the year's most brilliant and breathtaking
tour de force performance that is simply unmissable.
Quite a feat for a beleaguered king who doesn't quite know when to make his long overdue exit, either by abdicating the thrown or gasping his last breath. Even as the play -- as well as king -- fizzles out during the long-winded second act, Rush remains a vibrant force to behold.
Rush is ably supported by a solid cast, including the ever redoubtable
Andrea Martin as the king's servant Juliette and a nuanced
Lauren Ambrose as the king's first wife Queen Marie. If
Susan Sarandon disappoints as Queen Marguerite, it's because there's no hint of irony in her performance, which is what theatre of the absurd requires.
While Rush and Armfield (who also directed) may have found eerie parallels with the world as we knew it as recently as one year ago (when they first mounted their revival of Ionesco's work Down Under), their intended parable was entirely lost on the lovely lady behind me. Immediately after the measurably more riveting first act, she asked me what
Exit The King was supposed to symbolize. I gingerly explained that it was intended in part as a metaphor for the hapless leadership the English-speaking world had just a few short months ago. "Oh," she replied, "I never would have thought that."
Despite its shortcomings, I wholeheartedly recommend seeing
Exit The King. Geoffrey Rush's awe-inspiring achievement is worthy of a king.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Andrea Martin, Broadway, Eugene Ionesco, Exit The King, Geoffrey Rush, Lauren Ambrose, Neil Armfield, Play, Susan Sarandon, The SOB Review, Theatre Of The Absurd
August In AustraliaThis evening marks the opening night for the Australian premiere engagement of
Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning
August: Osage County at the
Melbourne Theatre Company.
It's also the first time the play has been produced beyond the reach of the
Steppenwolf ensemble members, including
Anna D. Shapiro, who directed the show in Chicago, New York and London. Instead,
Simon Phillips takes the helm of a cast that includes
Robyn Nevin as Violet Weston,
Jane Menelaus as Barbara Fordham,
Deidre Rubenstein as Mattie Fae Aiken, Rebekah Stone as Ivy Weston,
Heidi Arena as Karen Weston and
Roger Oakley as Charlie Aiken.
For those of you who were fortunate enough to see
Cate Blanchett in the excellent 2005
Brooklyn Academy of Music mounting of
Hedda Gabler, you'll recall that Nevin was the director of that fine revival.
Steve On Broadway's eyes and ears on the ground in Melbourne have already told me:
What a fantastic play!
I can see why it would resonate so strongly with an American audience -- it resonated pretty strongly here as well -- audible gasps, cheers, laughter to dead silence. But what fantastic writing. Gifts to the actors -- beautifully drawn characters, etc., etc., etc., etc. (insert rave here).
So hooray for good theatre -- long may it reign! And replenish our souls!
My source also tells me that Robyn Nevin, who is also among Australia's favorite character actors, is marvelous and can "make the audience turn on a dime."
Another friend in Melbourne tells me:
EVERYONE is talking about Osage County!
I only wish I could be there, but I'm certainly letting all my other friends in Melbourne know that they should not miss this play.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Australia, Deidre Rubenstein, Heidi Arena, Jane Menelaus, Melbourne, Melbourne Theatre Company, Opening Night, Play, Robyn Nevin, Roger Oakley, Simon Phillips, Tracy Letts
Rock Of Ages (The SOB Review) - Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York, New York*/12 (out of ****)I'll say one thing for the musical
Rock Of Ages. You have to give it credit for its massive cajones.
Despite some relatively decent performances from its hard-working cast who clearly don't stop believin', this completely lightweight, throwaway jukebox musical does its best trying to make you forget just how incredibly insipid it is by plying you with alcohol during the performance as if you're at a rock concert, as well as giving you clever tschotchkes like the little fake lighter you can wave during its über-amplified power ballads.
Oy. More like Schock of Ages ... cleft for me in a splitting headache when all was said and done. And no, it was not from a hangover. I should have had more to drink.
Mind you, I actually enjoyed many of the tunes on
Rock Of Ages' headbanging playlist when they originally ruled FM radio over twenty years ago. But I felt more than a little cheated each time a song was truncated and layered over another heavy metal hit.
Constantine Maroulis headlines as Drew, just a city boy born and raised in south Detroit who's trying to make it big in eighties LA among a crowded field of metal heads, including Stacee Jaxx (
James Carpinello). Drew meets Sherrie (
Savannah Wise subbing for the wisely MIA
Amy Spanger), a small town girl living in a lonely world, and she mistakes his midnight train of love for friendship going nowhere. Predictability predictably ensues, and --
spoiler alert -- Drew and Sherrie hold on to their feelings by getting together in the end.
While
Chris D'Arienzo's book provided me with at least a couple of laughs from the gut,
Kristin Hanggi's uninspired direction makes
Rock Of Ages bad to the bone.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Amy Spanger, Broadway, Chris D'Arienzo, Constantine Maroulis, James Carpinello, Jukebox Musical, Kristin Hanggi, Musical, Rock Of Ages, Savannah Wise, The SOB Review
Blithe Spirit (The SOB Review) - Shubert Theatre, New York, New York*** (out of ****)Talk about truth in advertising. With a virtuoso performance by one of the greatest stage actors of our time,
Noël Coward's
Blithe Spirit certainly lives up to its name.
Any chance to see
Angela Lansbury tread the boards is more than worth the effort. But as Madame Arcati, the legend effortlessly demonstrates the merry agility and grace of someone half her age. Lansbury packs more acting into her seemingly simple expressions and nimble, free-spirited movements than many actors exhibit in a lifetime.
Fortunately, Lansbury shares the stage of
Blithe Spirit with a top drawer cast, including
Rupert Everett (in his dashing Broadway debut as novelist Charles),
Jayne Atkinson (hilarious as his second wife Ruth) and
Christine Ebersole (luminous as Charles' deceased wife Elvira, who's not only been summoned from the dead by Madame Arcati during a seance, but she refuses to leave).
Initially, Coward's comedy made its West End debut a mere two months after the infamous Nazi
Blitz on the United Kingdom had ended. Britain had suffered through nine devastating months of bombings that killed more than 43,000, half of them in London. No wonder audiences at the time were so eager to embrace such a mirthful show, even one that used the dead to liven spirits.
Fast forward 68 years to the current production.
Michael Blakemore's steady direction has polished the "improbable farce" up nice and shiny. And with its sterling cast, the resurrected
Blithe Spirit sparkles anew for today's audiences needing a perfect escape.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit, Christine Ebersole, Jayne Atkinson, Michael Blakemore, Noel Coward, Play, Revival, Rupert Everett, The SOB Review
My Second Look At PlaybillsIf you're anything like me, you occa-sionally like to thumb through your old Playbills just to see whether you've previ-ously seen any stars before they've entered our public consciousness.
Recently, as I was alphabetizing all my Playbills, I came across my unusually large stash from
Wicked. With all the recent buzz surrounding "
American Idol" contestant
Adam Lambert, I was surprised to find that his name was indeed in the Playbill I've kept after seeing the very first
touring company of the musical when it initially touched down in Chicago in 2005.
While I honestly can't say I specifically
remember seeing Adam Lambert, I now realize I have the bragging rights of saying I saw him perform live way back when.
And wouldn't you know it, the performance I saw was four years ago today.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam Lambert, American Idol, Chicago, Musical, Touring Production, Wicked
Caroline, Or Change (The SOB Review) - Wurtele Thrust Stage, Guthrie, Minneapolis, Minnesota*** (out of ****)Finally! Change we can believe in.
Perhaps my biggest personal disappointment during the entire 2003-04 Theatrical Season was missing out on
Tony Kushner and
Jeanine Tesori's
Caroline, Or Change both in its early Public Theater incarnation, as well as its subsequent
transfer to Broadway.
But thanks to the ongoing
Kushner Celebration at Minneapolis'
Guthrie, I've finally had the good fortune to take in this intensely profound, mystical musical as directed and choreographed by Marcela Lorca.
Caroline, Or Change transfixes, even as it transports.
Set in Louisiana at the close of 1963,
Caroline, Or Change is the story of an abandoned African American mother of three who provides for her children by working tirelessly as the maid for the Gellman family. Previously widowed patriarch Stuart Gellman (
Bradley Greenwald) remarries Rose (
Julie Reiber), a progressive-thinking New Yorker, and brings her to her new life in Louisiana where the march of time has yet to catch up with the change up North.
Kushner ingeniously uses the coins Caroline Thibodeaux continually finds while washing the pants of young Noah Gellman as a transcendent metaphor for all the sweeping change surrounding her, including the emerging civil rights movement, the swelling Vietnam War and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. That Rose urges Caroline to keep the change, not only to provide Noah with a valuable ongoing lesson, but also to supplement her wages is small consolation to Caroline, whose strength and pride is shaken.
Greta Oglesby's brave turn as Caroline alone is worth the price of admission. She wrings every last drop of pathos out of her performance, making her Caroline infinitely sympathetic. In delivering "Lot's Wife," we witness a tremendously powerful, yet sobering performance of a woman who feels shame for wanting more, even as she seems to fear the overwhelming degree of change may have already left her behind. As Oglesby transforms, she breaks your heart.
While most of the cast admirably rises close to the same league as Oglesby, there are a couple regrettable shortcomings, particularly one screechingly horrendous performance (when I saw it) by one of the young actors, who significantly detracts from the production.
Nevertheless, seeing
Caroline, Or Change was definitely worth the wait. Given how much I enjoyed it, I only wish I hadn't missed it the first time around.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Caroline Or Change, Greta Oglesby, Guthrie, Jeanine Tesori, Musical, Tony Kushner
August Turns The Page On Color-Blind CastingOver the last two years, I've thrown virtually every superlative imaginable at
Tracy Letts' Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning
August: Osage County. I love this show for its gritty "truth."
Come Tuesday, the composition of the Weston family will experience a dynamic change when one of the stage's most celebrated and accomplished contemporary actresses,
Phylicia Rashad, assumes the mantle of matriarch. When I first learned that Rashad would join the cast, I was positively intrigued. I had wistfully imagined whether she might be joined by
James Earl Jones, along with some of the stage's top African American actors, so they might do for
August what they had done for other classics like
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
However, in the latest attempt at color-blind casting, Rashad's Violet will just happen be mother to three white daughters. Will it matter?
Robert Brustein, founding director of the Yale and American Repertory Theaters,
assesses how he believes audiences will respond:
My guess, and it’s an educated guess, is that after 10 minutes you’ll forget what color anybody is.
The New York Times reporter Felicia R. Lee today
writes:
There were no changes in the script to reflect Ms. Rashad’s race.
Yet, interestingly enough, she adds:
And though she was picked foremost because of her talent, Mr. (Jeffrey) Richards said, she was also viewed as a Violet who could expand the play’s audience, especially of black theatergoers.
Is the production now trying to have it both ways?
One of the things I long have appreciated about live theatre has been its innovative casting irrespective of color, particularly when it makes sense or matters little to the central theme of the plot. In the realm of entertainment, live theatre can proudly stake a claim as the true leader in this area. As Rashad herself points out, she's being reteamed with
John Cullum for the second time as her stage husband; they appeared alongside one another in the superb 2007 production of
Shakespeare's
Cymbeline.
There's no question that entertainment can and should do a better job in casting to better mirror today's America. To that end, color-blind casting could easily be employed in more stage shows. Among Broadway's newest plays like
reasons to be pretty and
God Of Carnage, or in new musicals like
9 To 5, what difference would any of the primary character's skin color really make? The stories would still play the same without anyone even questioning the decision.
On the other hand, when race is truly central to the plot, it would be pure folly. Can you imagine any production for a show like
Raisin In The Sun or
Joe Turner's Come And Gone to substitute its principal characters with actors who aren't African American? It would be considered a contrived nuisance and rightly so.
My quandary about
August: Osage County is wondering how audiences will respond to this substantive change. It's not just because of the play's starkly realistic portrayal of a rural Oklahoma family. It's particularly because of Violet's own acid-tinged racist bile directed at her Native American caretaker Johnna. Violet's reflections on race pose an interesting challenge to Rashad and the rest of the
August ensemble. Is that insurmountable?
While the verdict on this choice remains to be seen, I'm still intrigued.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Broadway, Phylicia Rashad, Play, Replacements
Never Mind!My apologies for the lateness of this post, but given all the new shows that opened this season in the wake of the large spate of winter closures, it appears that Broadway's box office is
humming along quite well after all.
My apology (and embarrassment) actually runs a little deeper, for I had added
my own voice to those bemoaning the Great White Way's fortunes on more than one occasion.
Do I now feel more than a little silly? Absolutely, especially in light of the
Broadway League's audaciously timed
increase in TKTS fees, even after they
successfully defeated New York State's
proposed ticket taxes.
UPDATED (5.27.09, 10:15 a.m. EDT): Now
comes word that Broadway actually broke a record by taking in more business this past year than during the previous season. That's $943.3 million versus $937.5 million for 2007-08, albeit with fewer seats sold.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Apologies, Box Office, Broadway, Broadway League, Ticket Fees, Ticket Taxes
The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Capitalism And Socialism With A Key To The Scriptures (The SOB Review) - McGuire Proscenium Stage, Guthrie, Minneapolis, Minnesota**1/2 (out of ****)Last evening,
Tony Kushner's
The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Capitalism And Socialism With A Key To The Scriptures enjoyed its world premiere at the
Guthrie in Minneapolis.
Whew! Simply writing that is exhausting. Just try sitting through this three and a half hour
plus production as it clearly remains a work in progress, despite director
Michael Greif's best efforts to rein it in immediately prior its official opening. It's
been reported that just three days ago, the estimable ensemble was still working on script before preview audiences.
If you're anticipating the kind of profound sweeping social statement that verbose playwright
Tony Kushner provided through the groundbreaking
Angels In America or the level of compelling social history he offered via
Caroline, Or Change, you may just find yourself a little disappointed. The title of the play seems to suggest a latter-day "gay fantasia on national themes" as his
Angels works had been dubbed. While Kushner inhabits
Intelligent Homosexual with five gay characters -- none of whom, with the possible exception of one, are particularly likeable -- they remain on the periphery of the central plot. Nevertheless, Kushner manages to offer quite a screed.
If you're then wondering where that unusual title comes from, it's derived from two unlikely 19th Century sources: playwright
George Bernard Shaw's 1928 book "
The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism, Capitalism, Sovietism and Fascism" and
Christian Science founder
Mary Baker Eddy's 1875 tome "
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." The program for this play includes Kushner's notes from "Waking Up" (1997), which embellishes on those themes:
The Intelligent Homosexual ... I have been observing him all my life. He is busy with his life's work, a massive book running to many volumes entitled The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Socialism And Capitalism, With A Key To The Scriptures. He has been writing this book, day after day, for forty years; since parturition he's been writing it. He knows it to be incompleteable, he knows he will die writing it, he knows he is working himself to death -- though he does not want to die.
As the ultimate observer, Kushner has swept those themes and so much more into his play about an unlikely intellectual retiree named Gus Marcantonio, intensely portrayed here by the seemingly fearless Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
Michael Cristofer. Having toiled a lifetime not only as a longshoreman, but also an ardent Communist, Gus possesses a philosophy on life at odds with his 2007 Brooklyn setting.
The play begins in earnest as Gus' sister Bennie (played with subtle grace by
Kathleen Chalfant) and his three adult children -- Maria Teresa or M.T. (as in "Empty"-- get it? because if you don't it
will be underscored for you) (
Linda Emond), Pier or "Pill" (
Stephen Spinella) and Vito (
Ron Menzel) --reunite at their family home. This house was initially shared with other families and stayed with the Marcantonios even through the Great Depression. As the housing bubble ballooned during the early part of this decade, the brownstone was worth a considerable fortune by 2007.
Gus not only sees the economic storm clouds gathering, but he realizes that it might not be long before the bubble is about to burst and the home's value will begin to plummet. Claiming he has
Alzheimer's, Gus gathers his brood to announce two last acts of benevolence. He plans to sell the home while it can earn top dollar, and he will kill himself so that his family will reap an early inheritance and avoid suffering through the indignities that come from his scourge.
Add to that mix a couple of self-loathing gay characters. Provocative themes to be sure. However, Kushner excessively leans on histrionics to make his points. A few too many of his characters bloviate and pontificate ad nauseum on everything from religion to far left politics with an almost fascist ferocity that ironically defies some of the very themes against which the playwright seems to be throwing down his gauntlet. Can there really be that many intellectuals emanating from one blue collar household? It all sounds so, well, labored and forced.
Even more frustrating is the largely unintelligible second of three acts, in which family members squabble at length, including a few highly-charged and raw shouting matches. What is remarkably unfortunate is that rather than allowing each heated argument to play out on its own, Greif appears to have opted to layer them on top of one another in an apparent gambit to winnow down the show's running time. The result is nothing short of a cacophonic mess. No wonder Gus' daughter interrupts the din to call her family nightmarish.
While I've been reading that Kushner's third act is not quite the equal of the first two, I'd argue the opposite. Kushner uses his third act to passionately make his underlying case for connectedness, and he does so with a degree of clarity and pathos only hinted at during the first two acts.
As I said, this is clearly an evolving work. No doubt, Kushner will continue refining
The Intelligent Homosexual. Yet given what he's written about it back in 1997, one can't help but fear he'll be doing so the rest of his life.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Michael Greif, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Play, The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Capitalism And Socialism, The SOB Review, Tony Kushner
Hair (The SOB Review) - Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York, New York*** (out of ****)Want a good buzz?
Then go see
Diane Paulus' inspired third coming of
Hair -- unequivocally Broadway's best musical revival this season.
Granted, given some of the disappointments among tuners this year, that may not be saying much, especially when compared with last season's choices. After all, for a supposed counterculture American Tribal Love Rock Musical -- originally perceived as brimming with rebellious mojo --
Gerome Ragni and
James Rado's plot remains wafer thin. And 40 years after it originally appeared,
Hair feels more like a latter-day vaudeville meets sixties-style burlesque romp.
Even though I was just over six years old when the tuner
first appeared on Broadway, at the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon, I never saw what the fuss was about when I had previously seen
Hair. Fortunately, Paulus lets the sun shine in with her exceptional cast radiating the alternately playful and poignant score Ragni and Rado co-wrote for
Galt MacDermot's marvelous melodies. If the second act isn't exactly the first's equal, Paulus more than makes up for it with a heartwrenching conclusion that sneaks up you with a powerful wallop. It left me teary-eyed.
Credit Tony nominee
Gavin Creel for that. Having missed the opportunity to play the Christ-like lead in the aborted Main Stem revival of Godspell earlier this season, Creel more than redeems himself by taking on a strikingly similar role in which his charisma and exquisite voice win the day. As the sacrificed Claude, Creel seems to save our souls while shattering our hearts. That kind of redemption rightly deserves Tony recognition.
Similarly,
Will Swenson's brash and brassy Berger beguiles with a starmaking performance that is as bold as it is breathtaking.
Andrew Kober,
Saycon Sengbloh,
Bryce Ryness and
Caissie Levy all add exuberent energy to the tribal beat with noteworthy performances.
Despite my personal enjoyment, which was not simply limited to leaping on stage after the audience was invited to tread the boards during the reprise of "Let The Sun Shine In," I have one cautionary note: this show may appear better the closer you are to the stage. Unlike me, my various friends who saw this revival from the mezzanine -- including two at the very same performance I saw -- left substantially less impressed.
Perhaps it just helps to be entangled in the thick of this head of
Hair.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Gavin Creel, Hair, Musical, The SOB Review, Will Swenson
Adam Lambert: Broadway Beckons
While the American Idol won't be among what is sure to be Adam Lambert's lengthy list of credits through what I expect to be a highly lucrative and super-successful career, let's remember that he honed his amazing presence in live theatre, including his stint as Fiyero on the Left Coast in Wicked.
No matter what happened last evening, Lambert will surely be dancing through the rest of his life. I'm just hoping it includes a swing through Broadway in the not-too-distant future.
Congratulations to both Lambert and Kris Allen! They're both winners in my humble opinion.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam Lambert, American Idol, Broadway, California, Wicked
Someday: Your New Broadway Idol
Someday: Your New Broadway IdolSure, there's a lot of fuss over who will win "
American Idol" this evening, but it's not too early to start considering who may someday vie for the crown.
I'm here to tell you that someday, you'll hear the name Cole Winston and you'll remember that you read about him -- and saw and heard him -- here first. His rendition of
Nat "King" Cole's "L-O-V-E," performed when he was just nine years old, begins close to the one-minute mark.
Originally hailing from Chicago and now residing in Milwaukee (my childhood home), Cole happens to be the son of one of my college classmates. Her son Cole apparently has aspirations of one day being declared an "American Idol"
and a Tony winner.
He certainly possesses quite the presence. Perhaps that's why the
Milwaukee Brewers have invited him to sing the National Anthem before an upcoming game.
Cole, I proudly salute you!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: American Idol, Cole Winston, Milwaukee, Milwaukee Brewers, Nat King Cole
The Norman Conquests (The SOB Review) - The Circle in the Square Theatre, New York, New York**** (out of ****)If
Alan Ayckbourn's uproariously hilarious
The Norman Conquests were a consumer product, how could it really be anything but the versatile
Ginsu knife?
Not only does it cut with remarkable, exacting precision, but it slices, it dices and it makes julian fries out of its six fully-rounded characters in this jujitsu of love. Just when you think you have the first portion of this trilogy figured out, it's as if the Ginsu announcer is ready to step in and proclaim, "But wait! There's
more!"
There is so much more and getting there is half the fun.
Intriguing layer after intriguing layer is carefully stripped away to reveal more of Ayckbourn's intricately woven story (which, by the way, has nothing to do with
the Norman Conquest of England, but has everything to do with a lothario named Norman and his lust for love from all comers). Each character's motives are eventually cut to the core. And they aren't necessarily what they seem.
Fortunately,
Matthew Warchus' brilliant direction of each installment --
Table Manners,
Living Together and
Round And Round The Garden -- makes each story accessible and comprehensible in its own right. Yet it's only after seeing all three that all the complex pieces truly come together as an unequivocal masterpiece. That it's almost as if all a film's crucial deleted scenes have been fully restored is Ayckbourn's pure genius.
Warchus helms an excellent cast, all transferred from the original
Old Vic production in London. They include
Amelia Bullmore as the vain and nearsighted Ruth,
Jessica Hynes as her sister Annie,
Stephen Mangan as Ruth's straying husband Norman,
Ben Miles as Annie's dim veterinarian neighbor Tom,
Paul Ritter as Ruth and Ann's brother Reg, and
Amanda Root as Reg's prudish wife Sarah.
The Norman Conquests is a breathtaking master class in nuanced ensemble acting, almost in spite of being presented in the round. Each actor so fully inhabits his or her character that it matters little if they're facing away from you -- their exceptional use of body language is amplified just as effortlessly as their voices.
I couldn't help but marvel at Ayckbourn's amazing creation after sitting through the marathon of all three last Saturday. While I don't typically go in for long shows, not only did I find myself on the edge of my seat, but miraculously, I found myself not wanting it ever to end. It's every bit as funny as it is sublime.
The Norman Conquests is the best show on Broadway I've seen over the last year. Thanks to earlier reviews and great word-of-mouth, tickets are understandably getting harder to come by. Mark my words, when this ebullient work invariably wins the Tony for Best Revival of a Play, it will become even tougher.
So take my advice and do yourself the favor of booking all three.
Today.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Alan Ayckbourn, Amanda Root, Amelia Bullmore, Ben Miles, Broadway, Jessica Hynes, Matthew Warchus, Old Vic Theatre, Paul Ritter, Play, Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests, The SOB Review, Transfer
"It's Like The Golden Globes For Theatre!"Last Friday, the
75th Annual Drama League Awards were presented to honor the best on Broadway and off.
Award winners included:
Distinguished Revival of a Play:
Blithe SpiritDistinguished Revival of a Musical:
HairDistinguished Production of a Play:
God Of CarnageDistinguished Production of a Musical:
Billy Elliot - The MusicalDistinguished Performance:
Geoffrey Rush -
Exit The KingUnique Contribution to the Theatre Award:
Angela LansburyDistinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre:
Sir Elton JohnThe Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing:
Arthur LaurentsAfter attending last year's Tony Awards -- certainly
Broadway's equivalent to the
Academy Awards -- I was thrilled to attend the Drama League Awards.
Shrek The Musical star
Christopher Sieber, one of the
71 nominees for distinguished performance, quipped to me, "It's like the
Golden Globes for theatre!"
And so it was with nearly all of the nominees assembled for a wine-filled luncheon on a three-tiered dais that reminded one nominee of a large "
Match Game" set (it looked more to me like a celebrity telethon minus the telephones).
The glory of the Drama League Awards is that while there are all those nominees ranging from the
famous Oscar-
winning stars to the actors who've just experienced their first major breaks Off-Broadway, they all have an equal opportunity to say a few words. And they do it with such a welcome flourish.
Despite the fact they were all vying for one award, the sense of community they shared as actors was palpable. It was truly incredible and one of the best celebrations of the theatrical art form I've ever enjoyed.
Founded in 1916, the Drama League bills itself as "America's best-kept secret for theatre lovers." Click
here for more information on how you, too, can become a Drama League member.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Angela Lansbury, Arthur Laurents, Awards, Billy Elliot The Musical, Blithe Spirit, Drama League, Elton John, Geoffrey Rush, God Of Carnage, Hair
Frühling Für HitlerAt long last,
Mel Brooks is getting the last laugh as his beloved film-cum-stage musical
The Producers has now opened in Berlin.
The New York Times'
Michael Kimmelman answers his own questions:
The big question might really be, Can Germans finally give themselves over to laughing at Jews, gay people and just about everybody and anybody else whom Mr. Brooks skewers, turning the tables on (Adolph) Hitler’s own hate list?
Yes, yes, yes, as that other fictional Bloom, married to a different Leopold, more or less once put it.
As someone of German stock, I know how stoic many Germans can be, and having traveled to Berlin countless times over the last 20 years, I appreciate how positively unforgiving they are over Hitler and the
Holocaust. So, more than 60 years after those unspeakable crimes against humanity, it's great to see that the Germans are now able to laugh derisively at one of history's most evil men.
I'd say that's real progress.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Germany, Mel Brooks, The Producers
reasons to be pretty (The SOB Review) – Lyceum Theatre, New York, New York
*** (out of ****)There are plenty of reasons to like
Neil LaBute’s surprisingly endearing
reasons to be pretty, but the biggest is
Thomas Sadoski as the comedy’s protagonist Greg, a lunkhead stuck in a dead-end job and a relationship going nowhere in a hurry.
Right before our eyes, Greg transforms from a juvenile jerk into a principled man.
But getting there is anything but pretty. I count myself among LaBute’s legion of fans, with his
The Shape Of Things ranking among my favorite plays of the past ten years. For other LaBute fans, if I were to describe his latest work -- expertly directed by
Terry Kinney -- as a
Shape Of Things flipped inside out, I think you’d get my meaning.
That earlier work lulls you into thinking that the central, seemingly beautiful relationship is founded on trust, but ultimately gets upended with a startling revelation. There's no lulling about in
reasons to be pretty, where the honesty that alternately seems too much or completely lacking in Greg's relationship with Steph (a marvelous
Marin Ireland) is actually right down the middle all along. Although, quite frankly, it’s hard to believe anyone could possibly find Steph as anything close to ugly, unless you get a huge heaping load of ugliness spewing from her acid tongue.
reasons to be pretty epitomizes a coming of age story for a new generation, even if its hero is a little late to life’s game of standing up for what's right. It’s that courage of conviction and taut cast that makes
reasons to be pretty so compelling.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Marin Ireland, Neil LaBute, Play, Reasons To Be Pretty, Terry Kinney, The Shape Of Things, The SOB Review, Thomas Sadoski
Annie (The SOB Review) – Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
* (out of ****)
Leapin' lizards, what a dog.
Regular readers will know that in my appreciation for live theatre, I cut my teeth on the original Broadway production of
Martin Charnin and
Charles Strouse’s
Annie when
I saw the London mounting way back in 1979.
I was charmed by virtually every aspect of the show, beginning with
Martin Charnin and
Charles Strouse's winning score and
Thomas Meehan's lighthearted, whimsical books (with auspicious beginnings for Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal) right through the nuanced, winning performances by
Stratford Johns and
Sheila Hancock, and ultimately to all the magical design elements, particularly
David Mitchell's intricate set.
Flash forward to the current touring production of
Annie, and it’s a pale imitation of that original show. Bet your bottom dollar, because it looks that cheap.
Sure, the story and score still hold up -- in fact, given the current state of the economy, they resonate brilliantly -- but strip away practically every last nuance from the lackluster performances and the glorious design elements that wowed me thirty years ago, and it all comes down to what this
Annie amounts to.
To put it simply, it’s a scrim. No, not a scream, but one scrim after another after another, nearly devoid of most actual scenic design. It looks as cheap as it is bad. There's absolutely no magic. No wonder this revival falls so flat.
I’m truly grateful to
Gratuitous Violins for taking me as her guest, but at the risk of sounding like an ingrate, I’d like to scratch what
I had to say about
Guys And Dolls. This warmed-over
Annie marks the worst, most disappointing musical revival I’ve seen over the past year.
It’s a hard knock, but someday, if not tomorrow, a dazzling revival worthy of the exceptional core show will come knocking.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Annie, Charles Strouse, David Mitchell, Gratuitous Violins, Martin Charnin, Musical, Sheila Hancock, Stratford Johns, The SOB Review, Thomas Meehan, Touring Production
9 To 5 (The SOB Review) - Marquis Theatre, New York, New York***1/2 (out of ****)After reading
one particularly negative review for the musical version of
9 To 5, I was girding myself for the worst when stepping inside Broadway's
Marquis Theatre.
Instead, not since taking in another underappreciated tuner --
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels -- that was
equally drubbed by the very same critic, have I laughed so heavily from my gut.
Ironically,
Dolly Parton's original film lyrics sum up my thoughts on that particular critical response:
It's all takin'And no givin'They just use your mindAnd they never give you creditIt's enough to drive youCrazy if you let it.Frankly, I'm stunned by how much I enjoyed this show after reading that initial review. It's not rocket science or deeply penetrating. But what director
Joe Mantello has clearly labored long and hard to create is highly and consistently entertaining.
9 To 5 is exceedingly fun
and funny, as well as very loyal to the 1980 film, thanks largely to librettist
Patricia Resnick revising her original screenplay. More significantly, Dolly Parton has delivered one of this season's most melodic scores, with plenty of tunes to keep you humming long after departing the theatre.
9 To 5 also rates as a fabulous star vehicle for its tremendous trio of leading ladies:
Allison Janney as the wisecracking Violet Newstead,
Stephanie J. Block as conservative Judy Bernly and
Megan Hilty as the curvaceous Doralee Rhodes. Each has her moment to shine, and each does so splendidly. With solid support from
Marc Kudisch as bossman Franklin Hart, Jr. and
Kathy Fitzgerald as Roz, there's no shortcoming in
9 To 5's talent department.
If escape is what you're looking for, you'd be hard pressed not to revel in
9 To 5's frivolity.
Oh, and by the way, that critic I was talking about above? He returned to
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels one year later and his re-review would have had you believing he saw a completely different show (i.e. he
liked it the second time around). After viewing
9 To 5, you would think that this musical would deserve a better promotion. I know I do.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 9 To 5, Allison Janney, Broadway, Dolly Parton, Joe Mantello, Megan Hilty, Musical, Stephanie J. Block, The SOB Review
next to normal (The SOB Review) - Booth Theatre, New York, New York
***1/2 (out of ****)Billy Elliot – The Musical may be the odds-on favorite to take home the Tony for Best Musical this year, but make no mistake that there’s a brooding dark horse in the race. With a fierce, electrifying direction from
Michael Greif,
Brian Yorkey and
Tom Kitt’s
next to normal is giving the musical about the dancing boy(s) a run for its money.
next to normal is nothing if not atypical for Broadway musical fare, but in tackling mental illness and its continued social stigma head-on, the tuner ranks among the best I’ve seen all year. In a bravura performance deserving of a Tony,
Alice Ripley portrays Diana, who on first blush seems like the quintessential housewife and mother of two.
But not everything is as it seems. It’s not long before Yorkey’s book descends into the personal hell Diana must endure and the scorching reverberations her deepening depression has on the rest of the family, including the heartbreaking
J. Robert Spencer as her husband Dan, a haunting
Aaron Tveit as her Gabe and the revelatory
Jennifer Damiano as her daughter Natalie. The entire cast is exceptional.
Even if the score is at times a bit overwrought and it may appear (to some) that Yorkey’s inherent message is an outright rejection of psychiatry, as well as all drugs and treatments for depression (a notion I flatly reject given an eleventh hour endorsement from a surprising volunteer for treatment),
next to normal marks a welcome if downright shocking departure for Broadway.
If you’re like me, it just may melt down into your heart.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Aaron Tveit, Alice Ripley, Brian Yorkey, Broadway, J. Robert Spencer, Jennifer Damiano, Michael Greif, Musical, Next To Normal, The SOB Review, Tom Kitt
33 Variations (The SOB Review) – Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, New York
*** (out of ****)Just when you think
Moisés Kaufman’s
33 Variations is amounting to nothing more than another endless variation on a
Lifetime movie, complete with one woman’s courageous battle with
Lou Gehrig’s Disease, along comes one of Broadway’s most inspired and marvelous moments of the entire season. It far exceeds the sum of its parts.
Sure, most of the media focus has, quite rightly, been shining on
Jane Fonda’s comeback to the Great White Way after two generations away. Fonda delivers a tremendous performance as the frail Dr. Katherine Brandt, an ALS patient, with a dogged determination not to play the victim. Indeed, she's nearly singularly focused in her quest to uncover the secrets behind
Ludwig van Beethoven’s motivations when composing his
33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli.
But when the chills overcame me from head to toe, they came from witnessing
Zach Grenier as Beethoven. There’s a gorgeous, spine-tingling moment when Grenier becomes one with Beethoven, capturing the stunning genius and precision in composing his beautifully enduring work. I was mesmerized by this classic performance for the ages.
Credit Kaufman and Grenier -- in one of the best featured performances of the year -- for bringing Beethoven’s music to life quite literally. For a play that’s fundamentally about staring down death, life never sounded so wonderfully vibrant.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 33 Variations, Broadway, Jane Fonda, Ludwig van Beethoven, Moises Kaufman, Play, The SOB Review, Zach Grenier
Donuts Fills Fall Hole On Broadway?Great news for theatre fans eagerly awaiting
Tracy Letts' follow-up to
August: Osage County, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Best Play from 2008.
According to
Chicago Tribune's Chris Jones, Letts'
Superior Donuts -- which
I loved when taking in its world premiere last summer at Windy City's
Steppenwolf Theatre -- will likely be coming to Broadway this fall with most of its original cast intact.
Tina Landau apparently is set to return to the helm of a somewhat evolved incarnation of the show.
Superior Donuts originally starred an astonishing and nearly unrecognizable
Michael McKean opposite a wonderfully cocksure
Jon Michael Hill, along with
Kate Buddeke,
James Vincent Meredith and
Yasen Peyankov.
I for one can't wait to see this heartwarming play yet again. Should this become a reality, Broadway audiences are in for a very pleasant surprise.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: First Word On New Show, James Vincent Meredith, Jon Michael Hill, Kate Buddeke, Michael McKean, Play, Steppenwolf, Superior Donuts, Tina Landau, Tracy Letts, Transfer, Yasen Peyankov
Bebe Neuwirth Heading Back To Chicago (Not What You Think)Incredible as it may seem, according to
Playbill,
Chicago veteran
Bebe Neuwirth is heading to the Windy City for her first starring role in an original-run of a Broadway-bound show. She'll be Morticia to
Nathan Lane's Gomez in the stage musical version of
The Addams Family, inspired by late cartoonist
Charles Addams.
The fantasy-league dream casting doesn't stop with those two principals. Neuwirth and Lane will be joined by
Kevin Chamberlin as Uncle Fester and
Jackie Hoffman as Grandmama. The cast also includes
Terrence Mann,
Carolee Carmello,
Zachary James,
Adam Riegler,
Wesley Taylor and
Krysta Rodriguez.
Marshall Brickman and
Rick Elice of
Jersey Boys fame are providing the book, while
Andrew Lippa is offering the score for the tuner that will enjoy its world premiere at Chicago's Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre, which had long been home to the city's sitdown production of
Wicked.
Given that this
Addams Family creation is based more on Addams' source material than the
television series or
films of the same name, I'm pretty stoked given the spot-on casting choices. The fact that
Phelim McDermott and
Julian Crouch of the seriously macabre
Shockheaded Peter fame are offering direction may make this altogether ooky, if not a scream.
Whether those decisions make it a snap in next year's Tony derby is yet to be seen.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Andrew Lippa, Bebe Neuwirth, Broadway, Cartoon, Charles Addams, First Word On New Show, Julian Crouch, Marshall Brickman, Musical, Nathan Lane, Phelim McDermott, Rick Elice, The Addams Family
Isn't It Time?In the latest issue of
New York magazine,
Jesse Green makes an
excellent case for a Tony ensemble award that's worthy of consideration by the
Tony Administration Committee.
As I said when this year's
Olivier Award nominations were announced in February, London's version of the Tonys at least recognizes companies that are running on all cylinders.
When the collective acting efforts in which one excellent singular performance more often than not depends on the outstanding performances by others in the cast -- and I dare say, one could easily make the case perennially -- hasn't the time finally come for the Tonys to provide a new acting category that duly recognizes each year's Best Ensemble?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Ensembles, Olivier Awards, Tony Awards
Our Town (The SOB Review) - Barrow Street Theatre, New York, New York**** (out of ****)Hands-down, the best show I've seen all year, period.
Thornton Wilder’s classic stage drama
Our Town -- now playing New York's cozy
Barrow Street Theatre -- has never looked better.
Imported to New York by Chicago's reliably inventive
The Hypocrites, this is hardly a toddlin'
Town. Stripped down to its bare essentials by director
David Cromer, this exquisite revival moves all about the audience with an unforced urgency. It's hard to imagine live theatre could get anymore intimate than this.
Wilder’s heartfelt words never seemed truer or more genuine, which is refreshing considering how
Michele Spadaro's deceptively spare stage design gives way to one last breath of real life, which itself ultimately proves a veritable feast for and in all senses. It certainly makes the case against living in the past.
Cromer expertly doubles as a world-weary Stage Manager, but it’s Chicago import
Jennifer Grace (an ensemble member with The Hypocrites) as Emily Webb who really registers with a searing performance.
If you're hungering for theatrical excellence, get thee to the
Village to see
Our Town. This mind-blowing production simply can’t be missed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: David Cromer, Jennifer Grace, Off-Broadway, Our Town, Play, Revival, The Hypocrites, The SOB Review, Thornton Wilder
Guys And Dolls (The SOB Review) – Nederlan-der Theatre, New York, New York
*1/2 (out of ****)Don't believe for a minute the prevailing theory out there that no new revival of
Frank Loesser's beloved
Guys And Dolls could ever top Broadway’s celebrated
1992 incarnation. Unfortunately,
that superior sexy
mounting from
Michael Grandage in London never materialized stateside
as planned.
Instead, we're stuck with
Des McAnuff’s impossibly dull and benign production of the classic story of how gambling loses to love around the fringes of the Great White Way. What particularly depressed me was how this revival falls flatter than the giant screen capturing
Dustin O'Neill's frequently more captivating projection design.
Any production in which Nathan Detroit (an ineffectual
Oliver Platt) becomes a tertiary character -- not only competing here with
Tituss Burgess' 11th hour heights as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, but also a
Damon Runyonesque character essentially aping “
Where’s Waldo” -- proves that even this gem of a show can be completely misdirected.
Fortunately, there’s no mistaking Loesser’s glorious score or
Mary Testa's trademark brilliance (albeit in cameo form) as General Cartwright. Small consolation for one of the worst musical revivals I’ve ever seen (and full disclosure:
Guys And Dolls is my all-time second favorite tuner.).
Oh well.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Des McAnuff, Frank Loesser, Guys And Dolls, Michael Grandage, Musical, Oliver Platt, Revival, The SOB Review
And The 2008-09 Tony Nominlations Go To...Early today, the nominations for the American Theatre Wing’s 63rd annual
Tony Awards ceremonies were announced by Cynthia Nixon and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
British import and box office champ
Billy Elliot - The Musical earned a whopping 15 nominations and is heavily favored to win the coveted Best Musical Tony. But Off-Broadway-cum-Great White Way tuner
next to normal isn't far behind with 11 nods.
Among new plays, another British import
God Of Carnage appears to be the early favorite for Best Play with 6 nominations.
The big surprise may be the complete lack of nominations for the revivals of
All My Sons and
The Seagull -- critical darlings from last fall (I didn't care much for either) -- and the meager nods for late last year's much talked about revival of
Equus.My own personal favorite for Best Revival of a Play would have been
Speed-The-Plow, but alas, it was overlooked, as were
[title of show] and
13 in the category of Best Musical.
Here are the 2008-09 Tony Nominees:
Best Play
Dividing The Estate - Horton Foote, Author
God Of Carnage - Yasmine Reza, Author
reasons to be pretty - Neil LaBute, Author
33 Variations - Moises Kaufman, Author
Best MusicalBilly Elliot - The Musicalnext to normalRock Of AgesShrek The MusicalBest Book of a MusicalBilly Elliot - The Musical - Lee Hall
next to normal - Brian Yorkey
Shrek The Musical - David Lindsay-Abaire
[title of show] - Hunter Bell
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Billy Elliot - The Musical - Music: Elton John, Lyrics: Lee Hall
next to normal - Music: Tom Kitt, Lyrics: Brian Yorkey
9 To 5 -The Musical - Music & Lyrics: Dolly Parton
Shrek The Musical - Music: Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire
Best Revival of a Play
Joe Turner's Come And GoneMary StuartThe Norman ConquestsWaiting For GodotBest Revival of a MusicalGuys And DollsHairPal JoeyWest Side StoryBest Special Theatrical Event Liza's At The PalaceSlava's SnowshowSoul Of ShaolinYou're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W BushBest Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jeff Daniels -
God Of CarnageRaúl Esparza -
Speed-The-PlowJames Gandolfini -
God Of CarnageGeoffrey Rush -
Exit The KingThomas Sadoski -
reasons to be prettyBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a PlayHope Davis -
God Of CarnageJane Fonda -
33 VariationsMarcia Gay Harden -
God Of CarnageJanet McTeer -
Mary StuartHarriet Walter -
Mary StuartBest Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalDavid Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalGavin Creel -
HairBrian d'Arcy James -
Shrek The MusicalConstantine Maroulis -
Rock Of AgesJ. Robert Spencer -
next to normalBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Stockard Channing -
Pal JoeySutton Foster -
Shrek The MusicalAllison Janney -
9 To 5 - The MusicalAlice Ripley -
next to normalJosefina Scaglione -
West Side Story
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
John Glover -
Waiting For GodotZach Grenier -
33 VariationsStephen Mangan -
The Norman ConquestsPaul Ritter -
The Norman ConquestsRoger Robinson -
Joe Turner's Come And GoneBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Hallie Foote -
Dividing The EstateJessica Hynes -
The Norman ConquestsMarin Ireland -
reasons to be prettyAngela Lansbury -
Blithe SpiritAmanda Root -
The Norman ConquestsBest Performance by a Featured Actor in a MusicalDavid Bologna -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalGregory Jbara -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalMarc Kudisch -
9 To 5 - The MusicalChristopher Sieber -
Shrek The MusicalWill Swenson -
Hair
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a MusicalJennifer Damiano -
next to normalHaydn Gwynne -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalKaren Olivo -
West Side StoryMartha Plimpton-
Pal JoeyCarole Shelley -
Billy Elliot - The Musical
Best Scenic Design of a MusicalRobert Brill -
Guys And DollsIan MacNeil -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalScott Pask -
Pal JoeyMark Wendland -
next to normalBest Scenic Design of a PlayDale Ferguson -
Exit The KingRob Howell -
The Norman ConquestsDerek McLane -
33 VariationsMichael Yeargan -
Joe Turner's Come And GoneBest Costume Design of a Play
Dale Ferguson -
Exit The KingJane Greenwood -
Waiting For GodotMartin Pakledinaz -
Blithe SpiritAnthony Ward -
Mary Stuart
Best Costume Design of a MusicalGregory Gale -
Rock Of AgesNicky Gillibrand -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalTim Hatley -
Shrek The MusicalMichael McDonald -
HairBest Lighting Design of a Play
David Hersey -
EquusDavid Lander -
33 VariationsBrian MacDevitt -
Joe Turner's Come And GoneHugh Vanstone -
Mary Stuart
Best Lighting Design of a MusicalKevin Adams -
HairKevin Adams -
next to normalHowell Binkley -
West Side StoryRick Fisher -
Billy Elliot - The Musical
Best Sound Design of a PlayPaul Arditti -
Mary StuartGregory Clarke -
EquusRussell Goldsmith -
Exit The KingScott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg -
Joe Turner's Come And Gone
Best Sound Design of a MusicalAcme Sound Partners -
HairPaul Arditti -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalPeter Hylenski -
Rock Of AgesBrian Ronan -
next to normalBest Direction of a PlayPhyllida Lloyd -
Mary StuartBartlett Sher -
Joe Turner's Come And GoneMatthew Warchus -
God Of CarnageMatthew Warchus -
The Norman ConquestsBest Direction of a MusicalStephen Daldry -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalMichael Greif -
next to normalKristin Hanggi -
Rock Of AgesDiane Paulus -
Hair
Best Choreography
Karole Armitage -
HairAndy Blankenbuehler -
9 To 5 - The MusicalPeter Darling -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalRandy Skinner -
Irving Berlin's White ChristmasBest OrchestrationsLarry Blank-
Irving Berlin's White ChristmasMartin Koch -
Billy Elliot - The MusicalMichael Starobin and Tom Kitt -
next to normalDanny Troob and John Clancy -
Shrek The Musical
To be honest, there are too many nominated shows I have yet to see that the nods have left me a bit bewildered. Although there are plenty of stagings I've already seen that to date may have gone unreviewed, there are others that I will at least see prior to the Tonys, thankfully. But there are those -- including Tony-nominated efforts -- I'm not likely to see prior to the Tony Awards, if at all.
Unlike last year when I saw every nominated Broadway production, my plans to keep up during the 2008-09 Theatrical Season were foiled by three significant factors:
(1) The bad economy, meaning I simply was not willing to pay to see every single musical or play (yes, I pay my own way);
(2) Too many shows opening at the end of the season in a proverbial clusterf***, well, you know what I mean; and
(3) A very difficult year of working overtime ensuring that my day job was secure -- in this economy, we have to protect our livelihoods, right?!
So, dear readers, what do you think of the nominations?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations
Quick Tony PostLots happening here at work this morning, so I'll be back later with my commentary on the
Tony Award nominations announced earlier this morning.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations
Happy Birthday, Esther (Gratuitous Violins)!It's not every day I use this space to wish someone a happy birthday -- of course lately it's not every day I post anything, period. But today I'm absolutely thrilled to wish my dear Esther at
Gratuitous Violins a very, very extraordinarily happy birthday.
I'm too much of a gentleman to reveal a lady's age, so let's just say that my dear friend is observing one of those major milestone birthdays on this May 5. And if you read
my post from last Wednesday, today you'll hear -- as the late broadcaster
Paul Harvey used to say -- "the rest of the story."
Last week, you learned how I was traveling to
Providence to visit Esther. To capitalize on our shared love of live theatre, as well as to mark the 30th anniversary of my having first seen
Annie, Esther purchased tickets for the two of us to see a Saturday afternoon matinee of the
touring production in Rhode Island's capital city.
But naturally, that was not all that was planned. There was a very special surprise awaiting Esther.
After enjoying my own brisk Saturday morning run from the
Capitol through the
Down City streets and up toward
Brown University and back to my
hotel across the street from the State House, Esther picked me up and we proceeded to the front door of the impressive
McKim, Mead & White-designed
seat of power for Rhode Island's government. The State House is inexpicably closed on Saturdays (unlike so many other State Capitols), but Esther -- demonstrating with tenacity that the name Gratuitous Violins is no fluke -- had pulled some major strings and arranged entry for us into the building. We essentially had it and all its majestic grandeur to ourselves.
Throughout the rest of the day, Esther served as expert tour guide, sharing not only her wonderful home town (including a terrific brunch at
Down City Cafe), but also aspects of her life that make her the cherished friend so many of us know and love. She provided me a chance to meet some of her co-workers, see her high school and junior high, and best of all, I had the opportunity to see her childhood home where I met her father.
Little did Esther know that once
Annie concluded, I began maintaining a close eye on my watch with great vigilence. You see, the minutes had started to count down to the impending moment Esther was to receive her surprise -- a celebration of her life from but a cross section of her friends, including
Chris,
Kari,
Roxie and
Sarah.
After a couple of false starts, such as Esther and I arriving at our appointed meeting place just a little too early ...
twice ... the surprise of these cherished friends traveling to Providence to join me in celebrating our honoree ultimately came off without a hitch. Esther was truly surprised, and clearly enjoyed every minute we shared, including a special Saturday evening dinner in her honor at one of Providence's marvelous Italian restaurants,
Siena, suggested by the birthday girl herself. Given how Esther had initially brought many of us together once upon a time for our very
first bloggers brunch, it seemed appropriate that many of us would come together in an
esprit de corps over her.
While Chris wasn't able to join us on Sunday, the remaining five of us drove to
Newport and enjoyed more conviality together -- well, minus the spirits of the alcoholic variety -- as we toured majestic mansions including the second
Cornelius Vanderbilt's
The Breakers and
Theresa Fair Oelrichs'
Rosecliff, not only where "
The Great Gatsby" was filmed, but perhaps more significantly (especially to theatre lovers like us) where
Cole Porter wrote
Anything Goes -- the gorgeous
Steinway he used to compose the musical is on display in the mansion's opulent ballroom.
Our time together culminated much too quickly, less than 24 hours after our celebration began, over a late lunch at one of Newport's seafood restaurants.
Now, as hokey as this may seem, I can't seem to get that tune
Carol Burnett used to sing at the close of
her show out of my head:
I'm so glad we had this time togetherJust to have a laugh or sing a song.Seems we just get started and before you know it Comes the time we have to say "so long."Esther,
so long as the stars are in the skies, I know we'll enjoy each other's company. It may not always be in person, but it most certainly will be in spirit. And so I not only send you my birthday wishes across the miles on this very special day regardless of how many
bridges we must cross, but I also give you the
rest of
Joe Hamilton's timely lyrics:
There's a time you put aside for dreamin'And a time for things you have to do.The time I love the best is in the evening I can spend a moment here with you.When the time comes that I'm feelin lonelyAnd I'm feelin' oh so blue,I just sit back and think of you only,And the Happiness still comes through.That's why I'm glad we had this time together'Cause it makes me feel like I belong.Seems we just got started and before you know itComes the time we have to say, "So long."Happy birthday with love, Esther. Keep rosining up that bow, and never lose sight of your dreams and the gifts they hold.
And now you know the rest of the story.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anything Goes, Birthday, Cole Porter, Gratuitous Violins, Special Messages, Travels
