Congratulotions: A Wicked MilestoneTheatre history was made last week as the six year old smash hit musical
Wicked became
Broadway's first show ever to earn more than $2 million in a single week.
While
Wicked has long been Rialto's reigning box office champ, even after first debuting to
mixed reviews at best on October 30, 2003, it has never been more popular than it was last week as it enjoyed performance #2518. When the grosses were tallied for Thanksgiving week, the sold-out musical earned a whopping $2,086,135 as it played to an audience of 14,472.
Additionally,
Wicked eclipsed
A Steady Rain as the toughest ticket on the Great White Way. Make that the Great
Green Way, since the average price of a ticket for the show
was a staggering $144.15. That's attributable to an unusually high number of premium tickets -- costing as much as $300 apiece -- that were sold for last week's performances, including five shows over the weekend alone.
Wicked's current roster on Broadway includes
Dee Roscioli (Elphaba),
Erin Mackey (Glinda),
Rondi Reed (Madame Morrible),
P. J. Benjamin (The Wizard),
Kevin Kern (Fiyero),
Alex Brightman (Boq),
Michelle Federer (Nessarose; Federer created the role on Broadway) and
Timothy Britten Parker (Dr. Dillamond).
Congratulations, er, congratulotions to everyone involved including
Gregory Maguire (original novel),
Stephen Schwartz (score),
Winnie Holzman (book),
Joe Mantello (director), and the rest of the casts and creative team.
Not only have you defied the critics, but you're continuing to defy gravity with audiences worldwide.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Dee Roscioli, Erin Mackey, Musical, Records, Rondi Reed, Wicked
Superior!Lyricist
Fred Ebb once famously wrote about New York City, "If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere."
A slightly different take may be that if you are parodied, then you've made it into the public consciousness.
If you look at it that way, it appears that
Superior Donuts has made it, thanks to
Southern Mothers' sweet send-up called "
The Superior." The video takes a bite out of
Tracy Letts, his
soon-to-be-closing play and Broadway itself.
Enjoy!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Southern Mothers, Superior, Superior Donuts, Tracy Letts
Leaving A Hole In My HeartRegular readers will know that few plays in recent years have moved me quite the way
Tracy Letts'
Superior Donuts managed to grab and take hold of me. In fact, I've been a fan ever since
first catching its
initial mounting at Chicago's
Steppenwolf a year ago last summer.
So it was with a heavy heart that
I first reported via Twitter on Wednesday that the show would be closing on January 3.
Earlier, tickets had been selling through March 28, but in recent weeks, this particular show wasn't exactly selling like hot cakes. Over the last two reported weeks,
Superior Donuts had been playing to less than 50% capacity. Like
Brighton Beach Memoirs, this is one excellent show deserving of a much larger audience than it was able to attract.
While
critics liked the show, many Broadway watchers say it suffered from not being the "must-see" even that playwright Letts'
August: Osage County had been just two years ago. "They" also say that in a season where star turns seem to make the difference (including the
arguably inferior one just across the street),
Superior Donuts had simply been overlooked.
I maintain that with outstanding and memorable performances from a superb ensemble (
Michael McKean,
Jon Michael Hill,
Kate Buddeke,
James Vincent Meredith,
Yasen Peyankov,
Jane Alderman,
Robert Maffia,
Cliff Chamberlain and
Michael Garvey), this remains the best play on Broadway. I love the show so much that I've already seen it twice on the Great White Way and had even planned to see it again in late January. So I was very saddened to learn that it would be closing.
If you haven't already had an opportunity to see it, do everything you can to get to the Music Box Theatre before
Superior Donuts closes. You will thank me.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, James Vincent Meredith, Jane Alderman, Jon Michael Hill, Kate Buddeke, Michael McKean, Play, Robert Maffia, Superior Donuts, Tracy Letts, Yasen Peyankov
Happy Thanksgiving!As we celebrate the proud American tradition that was first observed in 1621 when English settlers in Plymouth (in what is now Massachusetts) gave thanks for their harvest, I'd like to offer my Happy Thanksgiving greeting.
In looking back over the past year, which has been very disconcerting economically, to say the least, my sincere appreciation goes to my family and friends for your unconditional love. As I hope anyone who knows me personally appreciates, my loved ones mean the world to me. To those who have been impacted by this recession, please never lose sight of the fact that we'll never forget about you or leave you behind -- we'll continue trying to help you in any way we can.
I'm also using this Thanksgiving to harken back to what I stated in this space back in 2006:
I'm particularly grateful to live in a nation where freedom of speech enables us to share our points of view with each other. Thankfully, dissent is alive and well, and often finds its roots in the arts.
Theatre contributes tremendously to the national discourse, and whether we agree or disagree with its messages, we should cherish and never take for granted the critical role theatre traditionally plays in often shaping and leading the discussion.
Please accept my best wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route information.Labels: Economy, Freedom Of Speech, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Recession, Special Messages, Thanksgiving
The Ups And Downs Of BroadwayAs those of you who follow
my tweets on Twitter know, I follow Broadway box office totals the way sports fans follow the scores. I like knowing what's up and what's down, the shows that are making the most gains, as well as those teetering on the edge of closing notices.
Fortunately, I supplement watching those box office totals by reading some exceptional blogs, including theatre impresario Ken Davenport's
The Producer's Perspective.
Yesterday, like the professional he is,
he took note of the bottom line earnings for the second quarter of the current Broadway season. He crunched the numbers and found that year-over-year gross sales were up 5.9% over last year to $242,217,564 for a grand total of $500,376.907 to date for the entire season.
Not too bad, considering the awful economy, right?
Well, bubbling beneath those numbers is a much more ominous trend: fewer theatregoers.
Davenport forthrightly acknowledges that overall attendance is down to 5,806,155 -- a year-over-year loss of 319,717 from last year's 6,125,872. That's a 5.2% loss of warm bodies and the proverbial "butts in seats."
What's going on here?
For starters, plays like
God Of Carnage and
A Steady Rain have attracted audiences who might not have otherwise come to Broadway thanks to their powerful star wattage. Many in those audiences have been willing to pay a premium for their tickets, thus helping escalate the overall box office earnings (it should be noted here that
God Of Carnage saw its fortunes dim considerably last week when a replacement cast took over from the original; on the other hand,
A Steady Rain remained Broadway's toughest ticket last week with an average ticket price of $135.44).
Second, popular musicals including
Wicked (average ticket: $107.17)
, Billy Elliot (average ticket: $120.46)
, The Lion King (average ticket: $102.37 )
, Jersey Boys (average ticket: $117.03),
South Pacific (average ticket: $100.07 ) and to a lesser extent
Mamma Mia! (average ticket: $83.05 )
, The Phantom Of The Opera (average ticket: $77.93) and
West Side Story (average ticket: $93.46), have succeeded in drawing crowds no matter what. Think of them as mini-New York City tourist attractions unto themselves. It's no wonder that among that first tier, those shows regularly boast weekly grosses of over $1 million each.
I give enormous credit to Davenport for laying out the numbers, but as he and other producers seek ways to build audiences, there's a solution that may be almost too novel for them to consider: reducing the price of tickets.
Earlier this fall, it was announced that the government's
cost-of-living adjustments or COLA is not scheduled to increase for the first time since they began providing them in 1975. That's because in addition to being in a severe recession, the United States has entered a deflationary period in which overall prices have
decreased by 1.5% year-over-year, as of September.
Not only does that mean Social Security recipients won't receive any additional dollars in 2010 (retirees are a core Broadway constituency), but it also portends negatively for millions of Americans whose employers figure they don't have to provide any pay increases, if they're not already contemplating reductions in pay.
All this seems to have been lost on Broadway, which has largely been oblivious to the economic pain everywhere around it. Broadway is increasingly being viewed as a luxury, something for the elites, rather than an art form to be enjoyed by the masses.
As
I've said before, we can lament all we want about the declining butts in seats, but until ticket prices come back down to earth (or even hold steady), it's likely that the overall grosses will decline along with the audience numbers.
Is Broadway bold enough to respond appropriately?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Cost-of-Living Adjustment, deflation, Economy, Ken Davenport, Recession, The Producer's Perspective, Ticket Prices
Fela! (The SOB Review) - Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY
Fela! (The SOB Review) - Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, New York***1/2 (out of ****)Almost as audaciously as the late Nigerian
Afrobeat pioneer and political activist
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti declared his commune as the
Kalakuta Republic,
Bill T. Jones'
Fela! dares to dream its own stylized mantle of "most original new musical on Broadway."
The verdict? I'd be hard pressed not to say yeah-yeah!
It's exactly that and so much more, empowering
Fela! to stake its rightful claim without being excessively hyperbolic. Infused with the rascally Kuti's radicalism and rhythms, this revolutionary tuner is almost all originality, with little artificiality.
Now that I have your attention, let me explain.
In what has to be the most transcendent musical to descend upon a Broadway stage in years
, Fela! envelopes the senses as soon as you walk into the
Eugene O'Neill. The theatre has been transformed by
Marina Draghici's overflowing scenic design into Kuti's nightclub
Shrine. Kuti's own music is already funking up the place so vitally (compliments
Aaron Johnson's taut musical direction) that it's hard to resist tapping your toes the moment you arrive.
Surely, this is what director and choreographer Jones intends. For
Fela! is clearly a labor of love, and it shows in this most unusual of jukebox musicals that simply defies description and exceeds all expecations.
In co-writing its book with
Jim Lewis, Jones has conceived a living, breathing, pulsating and truly magical musical monument to a man most in America may never have heard of. In telling Kuti's story and showcasing his infectious music, it's a tribute to Jones that he makes us feel
Fela! so deeply.
While enjoying what seems to be a pre-show jam-session playing Afrobeat music, lithe dancers begin to assemble, both in the audience and on-stage in a jubilantly choreographed celebration that's a joy to behold. In fact, Jones may as well start making room now for the Tony he'll likely receive for a second and infinitely more deserving choreography honor. Before you know it, there's a full-fledged concert party taking place with Kuti himself in control (the role of Fela Kuti alternates performances between
Sahr Ngaujah and
Kevin Mambo; the mesmerizing Mambo performed the afternoon I attended).
But this isn't a mere concert staging. Kuti reveals that this is his final time performing in the Shrine. As he looks to an image of his beloved murdered mother Funmilayo (a haunting, stirring
Lillias White), she returns to life via
Peter Nigrini's stunning projection design (one, I might add, that makes the best case yet for a new Tony category). Without missing one single Afrobeat,
Fela! morphs into the story of Kuti's life.
During a late-sixties stay in the United States, Kuti finds himself under the influence of the enchanting Sandra (a terrific, if underutilized
Saycon Sengbloh), who personifies the fusion of American funk and Black Panther politics that would propel him forward in Nigeria. Once Kuti's returned home, his music emboldens him to challenge the Nigerian government's corrupt regime.
Through his music that at once stirs and incites, Kuti becomes an oft-arrested and tortured hero to Nigeria's poor. As his quixotic run for the presidency suggests, he rebounds from each confrontation with the law seemingly stronger and even more willing to take on all comers including big corporations that fund his government's wicked ways and the West for its complicity.
If
Fela! becomes a bit preachy at times, it succeeds in narrowly avoiding a completely hagiographic depiction of Kuti by taking copious note of his affinity for weed and women (he had 27 wives in all). Yet in the show's rousing finale in which the myriad afflications devastating the African continent are symbolically laid to rest, Jones only alludes to the
deadly disease that would take Kuti's life in 1997. While the scene is chilling and even uplifting, it represents a missed opportunity to truly triumph with maximum impact.
Nevertheless,
Fela! is one of the most compelling and affecting musicals you're likely to see this or any other year. As an equally entertaining piece of musical theatre, I can't fail to strongly recommend this captivating and worthy show. Long live
Fela!This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Bill T. Jones, Broadway, Fela, Kevin Mambo, Lillias White, Musical, Sahr Ngaujah, Saycon Sengbloh, The SOB Review
Just One More Little Night Before Music
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Just One More Little Night Before MusicLast Thanksgiving weekend, I treated myself to one of the best theatrical experiences I had all year.
It came after the
West End Whingers advised me to do myself a favor and take in the
Menier Chocolate Factory's stunning revival of
Stephen Sondheim and
Hugh Wheeler's
A Little Night Music in London.
In some pre-trip prep work, SarahB at
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment helped push me over the edge. I've yet to come back, and that's a good thing.
In my subsequent
SOB Review, I waxed rhapsodic in my praise:
Isn't it rich?!
Who would have thought that a show staged in a style so deceptively simple could be so sublime, not to mention utterly romantic. Rich, indeed.
Now, if you're not a romantic at heart, you need not bother. But for the
rest of us, Trevor Nunn's gorgeous revival of A Little Night Music is pure heaven.
So smitten was I that I closed my review rather wistfully:
There's little doubt that the bewitching allure of this excellent revival will follow other Menier productions to the West End, but how about to Broadway?
Well, maybe next year ... or so we can hope!
A little more than two months later,
it was announced that the revival would indeed transfer to a West End berth. Then, just two months ago,
came confirmation that the musical would be produced on Broadway with
Catherine Zeta-Jones making her Great White Way debut in the coveted role of Desiree Armfeldt alongside
Angela Lansbury as her mother, Madame Armfeldt.
Now, finally, we're but 24 hours away from the first preview and I know I'm not alone in anxiously awaiting my turn to see it fresh on the Main Stem after a long absence of more than 35 years.
Welcome back,
A Little Night Music! This Thanksgiving, we're giving thanks that you're back on Broadway.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, Angela Lansbury, Broadway, Catherine Zeta-Jones, London, Menier Chocolate Factory, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, Transfer, Trevor Nunn
And I'm Telling You I'm Going...Nearly 28 long years after
Henry Krieger and
Tom Eyen's
Dreamgirls first took Broadway by storm,
a new revival is opening tonight a few miles to the north at Harlem's estimable entertainment shrine, the
Apollo Theatre. Seems especially appropriate and exciting given that
Dreamgirls begins with an off-stage announcer intoning, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Apollo Theatre continues its legendary talent contest..."
Directed and choreographed by
Robert Longbottom, this
Dreamgirls stars
Moya Angela in the coveted role of Effie Melody White,
Syesha Mercado as Deana Jones,
Adrienne Warren as Lorrell Robinson,
Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Curtis Taylor,
Trevon Davis as C.C. White and
Chester Gregory as James "Thunder" Early.
If you're a regular reader of Steve On Broadway, you know that this ranks among my all-time favorite musicals, which I first saw almost a quarter century ago when a touring production visited Washington DC's National Theatre.
That 1986 incarnation of
Dreamgirls starred
Sharon Brown as Effie (she would ultimately replace
Lillias White in the brief 1987 Broadway revival),
Deborah Burrell as Deena Jones (she had originally portrayed Michelle Morris on Broadway and ultimately replaced
Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones),
Lawrence Clayton as C.C. White (Clayton had served as a replacement to the original C.C.
Obba Babatundé),
Herbert L. Rawlings as James Thunder Early (Rawlings would revisit the role in the 1987 revival),
Weyman Thompson as Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Thompson had various roles in the original
Dreamgirls and replaced that production's first Curtis
Ben Harney; he later originated the role of Curtis in the 1987 revival) and
Arnetia Walker as Lorrell Robinson (a role she would reprise in the '87 Broadway revival).
As I've previously noted, when I first saw
Dreamgirls, there was something so vital and raw that took hold within me. The story about Effie Melody White was so overpowering that it became a standard by which I judged other musicals. I was completely awed by its intense emotional honesty and gorgeous, rich score.
By the time I had actually seen
Dreamgirls in 1986, the original show had already opened and closed on Broadway. The musical first opened at the
Imperial Theatre on December 20, 1981 and closed on August 15, 1985 after 1,521 regular performances. But I had the opportunity to see
Jennifer Holliday perform what would become her signature tune "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" at the 1982 Tony Awards. I was simply blown away by her heartfelt performance as she recreated her heartthumping visceral rendition, which you can see
here.
Since 1986, I've enjoyed two enormously
entertaining opportunities -- both in Atlanta -- to witness the great Jennifer Holliday perform on stage as Effie Melody White. But now the torch has been passed to a new generation with the start of a national tour, officially kicking off with its November 22 opening at the venerable Apollo Theatre, the landmark that has given rise to so many legendary performers throughout its storied history.
Reports indicate that the show will not only tour internationally, but that there's even a chance it may return the New York City for a possible Broadway berth.
I'm hoping and praying that director Longbottom does not disappoint (
as he unfortunately did with the current Broadway revival of
Bye Bye Birdie). I'm happy to report that the advance buzz I'm hearing from an array of voices I trust is that this could very well be a dream come true.
And I'm telling you, I'm going to be at the Apollo soon with a full report on my own experience.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Dreamgirls, Jennifer Holliday, Musical, Revival, Robert Longbottom
In The Next Room or the vibrator play (The SOB Review) - Lincoln Center Theatre, Lyceum Theatre, New York, New York** (out of ****)In
Sarah Ruhl's provocative yet surpringly limp
In The Next Room or the vibrator play that opened last evening, the playwright apparently wants to have it both ways.
Try as Ruhl might to suggest that the climax isn't
the most important thing, she dares to make hers exactly that. Her conclusion's message on the delicate balance between intimacy and, er,
paroxysms isn't so much heavy-handed as it is a few delicate digits milking things for all its worth making the rest of the work seem too clever by half.
Euphemisms and word play abound in supplementing the handheld variety in this work about the introduction of the vibrator in the Victorian era. As demonstrated by Dr. Givings (an unusually earnest
Michael Cerveris), the device's earliest use was purely clinical in treating (primarily) women for "
hysteria" by releasing paroxysms.
While he's helping his patients feel, um, better, his own wife (an unfortunately out-of-her-element
Laura Benanti) is feeling low from post-partum neglect that we'll just call a no-coital connection with Dr. Givings. Exacerbating her melancholy are the squeals emanating from her husband's office, immediately adjacent to their home's living parlor. She's hearing an array of pleasured patients including the blooming sapphist Mrs. Daldry (portrayed with dizzying delight by
Maria Dizzia) and caddish artist Leo Irving (
Chandler Williams).
Try as she might to rouse her husband, including by actively engaging both Leo and Mrs. Daldry's own spouse (
Thomas Jay Ryan), if only to elicit a response from Dr. Givings, Mrs. Givings is largely left to her own devices. That is, until Mrs. Daldry introduces her to the one Dr. Givings has been using in treatment.
Ruhl certainly tries to titillate by mining laughs at the expense of the period's intense degree of innocence and prudishness. And it is often quite funny. But even with an eleventh hour epiphany by Dr. Givings that enables him to view his wife in a new light (furnished here by
Russell H. Champa), the real stimulation comes too late to be completely satisfying. It's enough to leave you feeling as if someone has been faking it all along just to be done with it.
Post script: On a side note, one aspect of this production that was particularly infuriating for me were the extremely poor sight-lines from my left orchestra seat. Not only could I not see much of the action, but for a play that yearns to be about intimacy, I felt as though I was in the theatre next door, trying to get my own peek inside. For this, I not only fault director
Les Waters' blocking of his actors, but also
Annie Smart's less than ingenious scenic design that separated the two time appropriate rooms from each other.
Would I have enjoyed the play more had I been able to see everything? It's possible. Word to the wise: If you're going to see this
In The Next Room, be sure to get center seating to enjoy an unobstructed view.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: In The Next Room, Laura Benanti, Lincoln Center, Michael Cerveris, Play, Sarah Ruhl, The SOB Review
Because "Great White Way" Shouldn't Be Taken LiterallyTake a good look at the faces to the left.
Each is a considerable talent in his or her own right to be sure. But do you notice anything missing? Or more precisely, any
one missing?
Aside from the background hues behind many of these performers, the only real color I'm seeing is red. It's as if the brains behind
BroadwaySpace.com took "Great White Way" just a little too literally when coming up with its
"30 under 30" list of Broadway's hottest young actors.
Yes, there's a slight Latino nod with
Lin-Manuel Miranda,
Krysta Rodriguez and
David Alvarez. Yet as
Broadway & Me points out, where's
Daniel Breaker or
Jon Michael Hill?
Surely, with shows like
Fela!,
Finian's Rainbow,
Hair,
In The Heights,
Memphis,
Ragtime,
Shrek The Musical,
Superior Donuts,
The Lion King and
Wicked among Broadway's current offerings that currently star or feature a wider (not whiter) spectrum of color, BroadwaySpace.com could have easily found very deserving candidates to fill out its list of 30 comers.
If only it had bothered to look.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: BroadwaySpace, Daniel Breaker, David Alvarez, Jon Michael Hill, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Special Messages
Bringing Closure To OleannaIf
Doug Hughes' Broadway mounting of
David Mamet’s
Oleanna succeeded in dividing audiences, it wasn't necessarily always along the gender lines the production had sought to foment. If anything, the revival seemed to split its audiences on whether the 75-minute play was good to begin with.
Perhaps stung by
mixed reviews (including
a pan from
The New York Times Ben Brantley that left me wondering if we had seen the same show) and an illusion of declining fortunes at the box office (the show took in $241,999 last week, its second week in a row with an
increase),
it was announced yesterday that
Oleanna would close January 3, immediately prior to the long cold winter months that typically take their toll on Broadway.
UPDATE (12.1.09): Today it was announced that Oleanna would accelerate its closing to Sunday, December 6.If you read Steve On Broadway regularly, you know that
I came down on the side of the production and gave both
Bill Pullman and
Julia Stiles high marks for their efforts. The play has managed to stick with me, more than one month after taking it in.
Of course, part of the appeal, but by no means my reason for providing the show with a generous 3 1/2 stars, was the talk back session employed immediately after my preview. It's often been said that audiences vote with their feet. In the case of my fellow theatregoers the day I saw
Oleanna, they were clearly engaged as virtually everyone stayed for the talk back session.
Some detractors could say that they merely stayed to get their full money's worth since the thinking is that a one hour and 15 minutes performance doesn't justify paying upwards of $100 for a ticket. But I believe this is one of those plays that leaves an audience grappling for answers, hoping to validate their opinions with others and verifying if others saw the same thing.
When given the opportunity, I stay for talk back sessions after shows offering them as personal elucidation -- my way of filling in the blanks left behind.
Oleanna was the perfect kind of play to provide these sessions to round-out the communal aspect that is the theatrical experience. I was not only pleased to participate, but I was proud that fellow blogger and friend Leonard Jacobs of
The Clyde Fitch Report was tapped as moderator for one of them.
Unfortunately for this production of
Oleanna, its playwright apparently was none too pleased with the novelty of the talk back session and they ceased immediately after the show opened.
According to one of the talk back moderators,
New York Post columnist Michael Riedel:
Alas, Mamet hated them. He never attended one, but he's against them on principle, believing that his play should stand on its own and not be picked apart by "experts" on the law, feminism and campus sexual harassment policies.
"The talk-backs added a lot to the show," an investor says, "but we were told by David's agent right after we opened that he didn't like them."
Mamet couldn't stop them. Writers control only the script, not what happens onstage after the final bow. But he had a trump card to play. When the show opened to mixed reviews, the producers had to cut expenses and asked Mamet to waive his royalties.
His price? No more talk-backs.
I don't know that I would go so far as one wag Riedel quoted who essentially said Mamet was giving his audience the finger, but I do wonder if Mamet hasn't grasped how the mindset of today's theatregoers has evolved along with their expecting more from each experience.
It's my firm belief that in order to broaden the appeal of this great experiment called live theatre, particularly during a time when its pricing seems so out of whack with reality, you need to give audiences a bone to go with their meat. Producers have to engage their audiences in new ways, incorporate talk back sessions where they make sense, use social networking to connect and yes, reach out to theatre bloggers who can help create a viral buzz that in this age of splintered media becomes ever more important.
If there is a plus, it's that the producers of Mamet's newest work
Race seem to get the importance of active outreach, including with the blogging community. Let's just hope Mamet doesn't stop them.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Bill Pullman, Closing Notices, David Mamet, Doug Hughes, Julia Stiles, Oleanna
Superior ActingIf you've been a longtime reader of Steve On
Broadway, the name Jon Michael Hill is not new to you. In fact, I first wrote about this gifted young actor in this space on July 10, 2006 when he was performing in the excellent Bruce Norris play, The Unmentionables.
My first words about Hill were as follows:Even as the booming off-stage voice instructs the audience to silence their cell phones, a menacing, cocky young man named Etienne (Jon Hill) saunters down the aisle looking as if he might not belong before finally calling out to the audience that they should not bother staying for this show. Of course, it's all a ruse, but it's clearly designed to set the stage for the play and challenge some preconceived notions about race and appearance even before the performance begins.
More recently, I provided many of you with your more recent introduction to his talents when
I wrote this past July 16:
Take a close look at the smiling face to the left. Examine it very carefully. Because this is the exciting face of tomorrow's Broadway.
Ever since Hill made his impressive Broadway debut in the superb
Superior Donuts that opened October 1, he's been the subject of a lot of good buzz that amounts to so much more than just a sugar rush. Flush with great reviews and even some well-deserved Tony talk, Hill is making a name for himself on the Great White Way.
It may be a month overdue, but
The New York Times is finally sitting up and taking notice. In a
terrific story by Patrick Healy, Hill is profiled and assessed by his peers, including director Tina Landau, who states:
“Jon was one reason I said, ‘Count me in,’ ” said Tina Landau, a Steppenwolf ensemble member who directed the play in Chicago and New York. “He’s completely mercurial. He can do everything and its opposite. That’s so exciting to see in a young actor.”
Like I've said before, keep your eye on this exciting young actor. By swinging by the
Music Box Theatre and seeing him perform this fall, I have no doubt that you'll have bragging rights in someday saying -- when he's a major star -- that you saw him when.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Jon Michael Hill, Play, Steppenwolf, Superior Donuts, The New York Times, The Unmentionables
98 Reasons Of LoveNinety-eight years ago today in tiny Tipton, Indiana, a middle-aged farmer’s wife named Mary Frances Loucks gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. She and her husband Charles Sherman Loucks would call the infant Charles Francis Loucks. Charles Loucks became the youngest of many children this sizeable farm family would welcome into the world.
Charles, or Charley as his friends call him, would migrate to Minnesota shortly after high school. Not too long after he arrived, he would meet and then marry Iowan Marian Lucille Plummer. Together, they would have two children, Barbara and Donald Dean, who in turn provided their parents with five grandchildren, including yours truly.
Now, as all of us -- including his 14 great grandchildren and 7 great-great grandchildren -- proudly celebrate our beloved Gramps’ 98th birthday, I’m using the occasion to pay tribute to this wonderful man by expressing 98 of the countless reasons why we love and adore him so very much.
And yes, we’re very blessed to still have this exceptional man in our lives.
So, in no particular order, I give you my 98 reasons:
1. He loves dogs and currently has an adorable Chihuahua named Lady as his very faithful companion.
2. He remains open to learning new tricks.
3. He once emulated magicians by pulling a table cloth out from under a table full of glasses without moving a one. He decided not to try and tempt fate twice.
4. Over the past ten years, he taught himself how to operate his own personal computer, which he continues to use in e-mailing family and friends.
5. He continues to volunteer at his local cable access television station in Bella Vista, Arkansas, and has even operated its camera from time to time over the last dozen years.
6. He has mastered his church’s sound mixing board and engineered it as recently as yesterday.
7. He is a man of immense faith.
8. He still believes he can drive a car, and yes, he continues to possess a valid license.
9. But he will acquiesce when we insist on taking the wheel.
10. He’s traveled to all 50 states, and driven in 49 of them.
11. He used to enjoy getting our adrenaline pumping by driving us across Minnesota’s frozen lakes during the wintertime.
12. He continues to purchase a new automobile each year, whether he needs one or not.
13. He just renewed his passport, so he’ll be good to go for the next ten years.
14. In 2006, he ventured to China for his first time in just over 60 years.
15. Shortly after the close of World War II, he was part of a detail that swept mines from the Yangtze River in Shanghai.
16. He served his nation proudly during World War II, enlisting in the U.S. Navy even though he could have avoided service altogether since he was already aged 32, had a wife and two children, and was already serving his community as a St. Paul firefighter.
17. He would be honorably discharged after having been promoted to the rank of Carpenter - Second Class.
18. He would serve in many theatres during World War II, including the waters around Europe, Africa and Asia.
19. He and his shipmates onboard the destroyer
U.S.S. Baldwin proudly escorted President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Yalta; he even caught a glimpse of Winston Churchill once there.
20. He is the epitome of a true patriot and exemplifies the best in America.
21. While the navy was on a six week hiatus in New York City during the war, he took in countless performances of the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.
22. He is an exceptional storyteller and is always pleased to regale me with highlights from his life.
23. Knowing how much I love his stories, he once sat down in front of a video camera and chronicled much of his life for posterity (and me).
24. He’s always been drama-free, which has been a good thing given the drama his descendants have indulged in.
25. When he was just 17 years old and a senior in an Indianapolis high school, he performed alongside other minors as orphans in a play headlined by
Ethel Barrymore.
26. He also performed in a high school production of
The Pirates Of Penzance.
27. He has personally met Frank Sinatra, even though he admits that he wasn’t particularly a fan.
28. He’s also met Milton Berle, who made him laugh.
29. He once told me he wanted to meet Anne Murray, so I arranged a backstage meeting with the Canadian singer after a concert stop in Tulsa.
Gramps was stunned.
30. He can be a bit shy.
31. He was supposed to personally meet and greet President Harry S. Truman, but was so overcome when observing the president’s uncanny resemblance to his deceased father that he retrenched into a corner of the reception room.
32. He learned how to pilot a plane after World War II, but because he was $12 short of the final payment necessary to enable him to fly solo, he never received his license -- and he never told my grandmother that he had even been practicing.
33. He has only ever been married to one woman, my grandmother, in a union that lasted 63 years until her death in 1995.
34. He met my grandmother on a blind date.
35. His pen “slipped” as he was signing his marriage license. Back in those days, the minimum legal age to get hitched without parental approval was 21. But he feared his parents would not approve, even though he was just shy of 21 years. When he signed the marriage license, his pen “slipped” so it appeared that he was born in 1910 rather than 1911.
36. He spent half of the money he had on his honeymoon -- an exorbitant $15 on a trip to Brainerd, Minnesota. It was exactly half of all the money he had to his name.
37. He was so in love with my grandmother that he was clearly heartbroken when she died. He still tears up when he talks about her.
38. After her passing, he uprooted himself by moving to a remote part of Arkansas where he owned some land. He built a new home for himself – at age 85.
39. From 1939 through 1975, he served with distinction as a proud St. Paul firefighter.
40. Out of hundreds of applicants to become a St. Paul fireman during the Depression, he would earn the third highest scores on the civil service examination.
41. By the time he was forced to retire, due to mandatory retirement at age 65, he had been promoted to the position of Fire Chief in St. Paul.
42. He once loaned his trumpet to his nephew
George Myers, who would not only go on to become one the military’s most revered players, but he would also play taps at funerals for many dignitaries.
43. He has always been a great instructor.
44. He helped teach me how to water-ski.
45. He was patient with me even when I tried learning how to play golf.
46. He continues to actively play golf to this day.
47. He regularly shoots a golf score under his age (and typically beats his younger golfing buddies).
48. He scored his first hole-in-one back in 1935.
49. He scored his last hole-in-one as recently as 2004 – at age 92.
50. All totaled, he has scored five holes-in-one; although he nearly scored a sixth, the ball bounced back out of the cup landing just a foot-long putt away.
51. One of his earliest memories is smoking a cigar at the age of 8 at his eldest brother’s wedding reception (his brother Noel was a World War I veteran). He ended up rolling down a hill in a tire and was briefly knocked out, coming to after the reception had ended.
52. As children, he and another brother were thrown from their family horse because they were a little overeager in trying out the spurs they received as a gift; the duo wanted to be cowboys.
53. He can be a bit of a daredevil.
54. He went parasailing in Mexico at age 79.
55. He became an expert ski jumper back in the 1930s.
56. After he went home from his first planned attempt at ski-jumping, he couldn’t help but kick himself for not trying. When he went back for a second attempt, he saw teenagers skiing off the jump with ease and thought, “If they can do it, so can I.” While his first jump proved dangerous (he landed on his head), he dusted himself off and went right back up to the top and tried again. Successfully.
57. He is a model of perseverance.
58. He succeeded in learning how to build houses when moonlighting from the Fire Department.
59. He helped my father build the very first home I ever lived in.
60. He and my grandmother purchased their first residence back in the 1930s for a whopping $2,500. (When I was just a child, I liked knowing that they were just blocks up the street from us.)
61. He sold that same house during the 1970s for over $75,000.
62. He built his own lake home, which was one of our family’s favorite gathering places for special occasions, including a couple of mine.
63. He and my grandmother made every attempt to attend virtually all major milestone events in our family -- everything from graduations and confirmations to performances in musicals and concerts to weddings -- even after we moved to Milwaukee.
64. He is tremendously fit for his age.
65. In addition to playing golf, he stays in shape by clearing brush from the woods adjacent to his home.
66. He’s routinely mistaken for someone 20 years younger.
67. He makes more money now through his pension than he ever did via his regular paycheck; proving that living long is the best revenge.
68. When his own mother died, he received an “inheritance” totaling $15. He always jokes that the longer he lives, the less inheritance there will be for us. But we all implore him to spend it.
69. Nonetheless, he is a very frugal man.
70. Yet, he is exceedingly generous.
71. He likes to pick up the check at restaurants.
72. He became an expert woodworker before he was a firefighter.
73. His work from over 70 years ago can still be found in both the Ramsay County Courthouse (St. Paul) and the city’s First National Bank Building.
74. He also designed the single most beautiful inlaid wooden table I’ve ever seen.
75. He likes Peanut M & Ms.
76. He likes his ice cream, something his son and this particular grandson seemed to have inherited.
77. He is still very spry.
78. He is exceedingly lucid.
79. He cries every time we say goodbye.
80. He possesses a spark in his voice whenever we talk on the phone, beginning with his boisterous, “Hello, there!”
81. He maintains a terrific sense of humor.
82. He continues to be admired by the ladies.
83. He was quite mischievous growing up.
84. He can still recall when everyone had a horse and buggy, as well as when his father bought their first car.
85. When gas prices hit $4 per gallon last year, he recalled how a tank of gas was costing more than his very first automobile, a used Ford Model T, which he purchased in the 1920s for a mere $40.
86. He also remembers gasoline-free Sundays, when autos were only used on Sundays in case of emergencies.
87. He remembers how awkward it was to use party-line phones with everyone knowing his family’s business; but by the same token, they knew everything about their neighbors, too.
88. He grew up without electricity, but they heated everything with coal.
89. He understands the virtues of sacrifice.
90. He recognizes just how far he’s come.
91. He’s honest.
92. He has immense integrity.
93. Although he’s consistently voted for Democrats in presidential races beginning in 1940 right through 2008, he voted Republican during his first time at the polls because his farm family was strictly Indiana GOP.
94. He loves his family unconditionally, no matter who votes Republican.
95. He’s tremendously proud of his offspring, and just as the average face of America is changing with more color, so is the burgeoning rainbow hue in his family.
96. He looks forward to turning 100 years of age.
97. He loves us.
98. He gives us countless reasons to love him right back.
Happy birthday, Gramps!
With love, sincere appreciation and best wishes for your 99th year,
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Birthday, Special Messages
Great White Christmas Way - ReduxTomorrow, the return
Marquis Theatre engagement for
Irving Berlin's White Christmas begins previews after an absence of only eleven and a half months.
Last year's Great White Way mounting grossed over $9.1 million and played to an enviably large, nearly sold-out audience of over 92,000. With an average ticket price topping $100, it's not too difficult to understand why its producers are bringing it back in hopes of a truly green Christmas.
White Christmas is once again directed by
Walter Bobbie and features the brilliant, Tony-nominated choreography by
Randy Skinner. But this recreation of the
classic 1954 film has
Irving Berlin's beloved score as its main attraction.
While last year's
critical response was tepid at best, I can't help but think part of that had to do with some of the cast, particularly its male leads who were identical to those whom I
saw when the show toured St. Paul in 2006.
What a difference a year makes.
James Clow takes over the role of Bob Wallace from
Stephen Bogardus,
Tony Yazbeck assumes the role of Phil Davis from
Jeffry Denman,
Melissa Errico takes on Betty Haynes from
Kerry O'Malley and
Mara Davi will portray Judy Haynes, first played by
Meredith Patterson. It's Yazbeck's casting that has me thinking this show could actually improve over last year.
Will audiences make like a tree and flock to this
White Christmas once again? Certainly, that's what its producers are dreaming of to make their holiday season merry and bright.
The limited holiday season run of
White Christmas opens November 22 and is scheduled to close January 3, 2010.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
This story was corrected on November 13, 2009.Labels: Broadway, Irving Berlin, Musical, Revival, Walter Bobbie, White Christmas
My Five Cents On American BuffaloYesterday,
I took note of the regularity with which
David Mamet plays have been mounted on Broadway over the past five years. Add to that his upcoming
Race and you have a total of six shows, old and new, that will have been staged on the Main Stem during that time.
Easily the
least successful of the first five was the
2008 revival of
American Buffalo, which closed last November 24 after only eight regular performances. And it wasn't for lack of star power, either. With
Robert Falls at the helm, that "
deflated" incarnation featured
John Leguizamo,
Cedric the Entertainer and
Haley Joel Osment. Unfortunately for the production,
reviews ran from mixed to complete pans.
Without looking backwards, Chicago's
Steppenwolf is seeking to salvage this play's reputation by
returning it to the Windy City where it was
first produced 34 years ago by the venerable
Goodman Theatre.
Proving that she's really running things now is estimable actress, director and Steppenwolf Ensemble member
Amy Morton. While New York audiences may only know her for her dramatic chops, she's a force at the helm as well, as she demonstrated again just a year ago in directing Steppenwolf's acclaimed production of
Conor McPherson's
Dublin Carol.
Equally impressive is her cast, which includes
Tracy Letts and
Francis Guinan, along with an accomplished young actor named
Patrick Andrews.
This marks Tracy Letts' return to the boards after a two and a half year absence during which a little show called
August: Osage County rocked the theatre establishment and cemented his reputation as a powerful playwright. I would argue that to fully appreciate Letts, you must witness his astounding talent
on-stage as well as off. He's that good.
Then there's Fran Guinan, who is without a doubt,
one of the most gifted contemporary actors in Chicago or anywhere else. While Broadway audiences will fondly recall his Charlie Aiken as the only
August: Osage County character displaying any real heart, Chicago audiences have come to revere him for his breathtaking versatility in playing everyone from Colonel Sanders to Johnny Walker to Arthur Conan Doyle.
The enormous range and capabilities of the Morton/Letts/Guinan triumvirate are making this
American Buffalo the one show of the year I've been waiting for most. Something tells me that it will definitely be well worth the coin.
American Buffalo begins previews at Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre on December 3 and opens December 13. I'll be there for its opening and will have a full report shortly thereafter.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: American Buffalo, Amy Morton, David Mamet, Francis Guinan, Steppenwolf, Tracy Letts
Race To The StartThere's no disputing that with five of his plays having trod Broadway's boards over as many recent years, playwright, screenwriter and provocateur
David Mamet is back with a vengeance.
Now, the world premiere for his latest work
Race is set to begin previews November 16 at Rialto's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre, the same venue that gave birth to the Broadway premieres of Mamet's
American Buffalo (1977) and
November (2008), as well as the acclaimed revival of
Speed-The-Plow (2008-09). Marking Mamet's directorial debut on the Great White Way,
Race will open December 6 for an open-ended engagement.
While the contents of
Race are highly secretive, there's no doubt it's another super-charged, combustible work. Indeed, the play's advertising campaign succinctly describes
Race:
From Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet, comes his most explosive four-letter word yet. Race.
And they're not talking about a sporting event in which humans, horses or cars circle around a track. With
David Alan Grier,
James Spader,
Richard Thomas and
Kerry Washington on deck, it's safe to say that this show revolves, at least in part, around the color of one's skin.
While not tipping his hat regarding the plot, Thomas has been quoted by blogger
Jon Sobel saying
Race is:
so complex, so many perspectives -- to talk about the plot would be reductive. A quick summation would make it seem much simpler than it is. It's about things that no one says. It's strong stuff. Provocative, but not shocking for the sake of being shocking.
As Mamet enjoys a renaissance with a decidedly
less liberal voice, my curiosity is once again piqued.
I loved Speed-The-Plow and
was quite blown away by the current Broadway revival of
Oleanna, but
I wasn't quite as enthused by Mamet's last new work
November.
Still, as one of America's foremost playwrights, Mamet is likely to challenge your mind in a
Race to the finish.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, David Alan Grier, David Mamet, First Word On New Show, James Spader, Kerry Washington, Play, Race, Richard Thomas, World Premiere
Joan Rivers (The SOB Review) - Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota*** (out of ****)Joan Rivers. Can she talk?
Oh, puhleeze! If you mean can Joan Rivers dish a blue streak with the best of them, then absolutely.
Although she's just a few months shy of the same age as my very own mother (who incidentally, Joan, if you
are reading, she is
not the "B" in the SOB on this site), they may as well have been born in different generations given the tireless entertainer's incredibly filthy, obscene and hilarious mouth.
In her performance at Minneapolis' Pantage Theatre last Wednesday evening, Joan Rivers delivered perhaps
the single most politically incorrect comedy piece I've ever witnessed. And I loved practically every minute of it.
With Rivers, there are no sacred cows, largely because she's slaying and skewering virtually every one imagineable and even things you hold dear right before your eyes. As she boldly grabs the cajones of countless celebrities, no one is safe from her expert carving. Not
Michael Jackson. Not
Tom Cruise. Not
Whitney Houston. Not anyone, although just to hedge her bets a smidge, she often quickly adds that the star she's just mercilessly ridiculed is a good or close friend.
As an equal opportunity offender, Rivers is also quick to turn her own personal foibles and tragedies into comic fodder, whether joking about her humiliating failure as a light night talk host or even the truly devastating death of her beloved husband Edgar.
Thankfully, with all the sacred cows slaughtered so masterfully by this comedic icon, there's no bull s*** for the audience to wade through, only genuine laughs.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Comedy, Joan Rivers, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Standup Comedy, The SOB Review
The Play That Changed My LifeOver the past week, the theatre blogosphere has been buzzing as members of the
Independent Theatre Bloggers Association (to which I belong)
have been sharing fascinating stories from an array of theatre world luminaries on the plays that forever changed their lives.
Today, I'm proud to add to the ongoing discussion in sharing stories from two of this year's Tony-nominated actors,
Gregory Jbara (who went on to win a Tony) and
Gavin Creel. I've had the good fortune to meet both of these extraordinary actors, so it's a thrill for me to provide their anecdotes exclusively on Steve On Broadway (SOB). Additionally, I'll also tell you a little bit about the inspiration behind these stories and an associated contest, along with the play that indeed changed my life.
First, about that inspiration. Proving yet again that it is so much more to the international theatrical community than simply "the Tony Award organization,"
The American Theatre Wing is celebrating the December 1 launch of its new book,
The Play That Changed My Life. In it, 19 of the foremost American playwrights talk about the works that first captured their imaginations and inspired them in their careers and thus transformed their lives.
So what were the impetuses that propelled Jbara and Creel to Broadway's boards? Here are their stories.
Gregory JbaraAs one of Broadway's most beloved contemporary actors, Gregory Jbara has seven Main Stem shows among his stage and screen credits, including Serious Money, Born Yesterday, Damn Yankees, Victor/Victoria, Chicago and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Jbara can still be seen in his first Tony-winning role as Dad in Billy Elliot - The Musical. This Michigan native first came to my attention as Mr. Bernstein in Victor/Victoria, and he's even graciously provided yours truly with a backstage tour of his current show.
When asked to name the play that changed his life, Jbara said: I don’t know that there was any one specific play that I had that experience.
I’d have to say it was being an altar boy in church. It was High Mass, which is, you know, a lot of theatre. In third grade, that was my experience in front of people that I really think gave me the bug for speaking in front of large groups.
Crazy, crazy as it is, I have to attribute the Catholic Church for me being an actor. It was either that or a nun. So I’m glad it was being an actor.
Gavin CreelAs one of today's fastest-rising stars, Gavin Creel not only has three Broadway shows among his credits, including Thoroughly Modern Millie, La Cage aux Folles and the current revival of Hair, but he's already been nominated for two Tony Awards. I've had the pleasure of seeing this Ohio native in all three Rialto productions, as well as in the Chicago incarnation of the Stephen Sondheim musical known as Bounce. I had the pleasure of catching up with Creel at this year's Drama League Awards and was surprised a couple days later at a performance of Hair when this gifted actor tried something new out on me in my second row seat.When asked to name the play that changed his life, Creel said:Mine was The Most Happy Fella.
I saw a musical production of it at the University of Michigan that the university put on there and I thought I was watching a movie on stage. I thought it was the most beautiful thing, the music was stunning, the performances were incredible.
Totally The Most Happy Fella.
Edited by
Ben Hodges, The American Theatre Wing's new book features an introduction from
Paula Vogel.
The Play That Changed My Life features distinguished contributors, who have a combined total of some 40 Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prizes and Obies. They include
Edward Albee,
David Auburn,
Jon Robin Baitz,
Nilo Cruz,
Christopher Durang,
Charles Fuller,
A.R. Gurney,
Beth Henley,
David Henry Hwang,
Tina Howe,
David Ives,
Donald Margulies,
Lynn Nottage,
Suzan-Lori Parks,
Sarah Ruhl,
John Patrick Shanley,
Diana Son,
Regina Taylor and
Doug Wright.
In further celebrating the launch of the original book, The American Theatre Wing has also kicked-off an online essay contest. Here is your official invitation to participate:
[W]hether you work in theatre, hope to make your life in the theatre or just enjoy being in the audience, surely you’ve had that same experience: a single play (or musical) that you saw at some point in your life that had a profound effect on you, be it a childhood production of Cinderella in a school auditorium featuring an older sibling, a parent’s appearance at the local community theatre, a Broadway spectacle like Les Misérables or The Phantom of the Opera, a journey to a small out-of-the-way theatre that told its story with a minimum of technical tools.
Frankly, it could be any production, and that’s what ATW wants to hear about: what show had the greatest impact upon you, when you saw it in the course of your life, and most importantly why it meant so much to you. Entries (limited to 350 words) will be judged based on their creativity, their clarity and perhaps most importantly, for how they convey your passion for the theatre.
So tell ATW about the play that changed your life – those few hours in the theatre, at any age, in any theatre, that had the greatest impact on your life and your perception of theatre — and have the opportunity to share your story with the thousands of visitors to americantheatrewing.org while getting the chance to win an autographed copy of The Play That Changed My Life and other theatrical books from Applause Publishing. Enter by clicking here.
The contest entry period runs through Sunday, November 29. The final expert panel judging the contest includes ATW Board of Directors Chairman and President of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, Ted Chapin; Applause Books’ Editorial Director Carol Flannery; award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang; and former Time Magazine arts editor and Broadway & Me blogger (as well as dear SOB friend) Janice Simpson. Additional prizes will be given based on voting by the general public, which will continue through December 11.
As for the play that changed my life? Regular readers will recall that earlier this year,
I waxed nostalgic regarding the thirty years that have passed since I first took in a Broadway show, albeit on the London stage. That show was the British mounting of
Annie.
In that post, I mused:
[M]y view of the world and all its possibilities was forever and inalterably changed.
Little did I know upon entering London's Victoria Palace Theatre (current home to Billy Elliot - The Musical) how swept away I could become by just one show. From my front row center mezzanine seat, I witnessed nothing short of pure magic.
I was absolutely riveted by the legendary Stratford Johns as Daddy Warbucks and the glorious Sheila Hancock as Miss Hannigan -- she simply blew me away with a sublime performance I can still vividly recall even today.
I marveled at Charnin's ingenious direction, Peter Gennaro's breathtaking choreography and Theoni V. Aldredge's dazzling costume design. But it was David Mitchell's sliding set designs that completely floored me as they transported Annie's array of characters across the stage without them even having to take a step.
To say it transported me as well would be a major understatement. I was wowed. Big time. [T]he exhilaration I felt in seeing Annie was a life-changer of a different order.
With a strange new tingling sensation down my spine, I was replete with goosebumps from head to toe. This live performance would forever change my expectations of entertainment. I now saw just how brilliant stagecraft could be. Entertainment became art. And I was forever hooked on live theatre.
For those of you who may quibble that a musical doesn't count as a play, you may be interested in knowing that later in 1979 when I was a freshman in college -- with memories of
Annie still dancing in my head -- I decided to take in a Broadway tour during its Milwaukee swing at the
Pabst Theatre.
That play was
The Belle of Amherst starring none other than the legendary, 5-time Tony winner
Julie Harris, who also was honored with a Tony for this show.
Seeing Harris was like striking theatrical gold. Directed by
Charles Nelson Reilly, Harris completely mesmerized in this solo performance with her brilliant portrayals of poet Emily Dickinson and her contemporaries, including Charles Wadsworth. I had no idea that an actor could take on so many diverse roles and make each and every one of them seem so believable and immensely credible.
In learning how potent the power of the spoken word could be when delivered so passionately by Harris that one evening 30 years ago, I was spellbound. Thus,
The Belle Of Amherst truly was the play that changed my life.
What play changed yours?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Annie, Billy Elliot The Musical, Broadway, Charles Nelson Reilly, Gavin Creel, Gregory Jbara, Hair, Julie Harris, Milwaukee, Musical, Play, The Belle Of Amherst
Hamlet (The SOB Review) - Broadhurst Theatre, New York, New York*** (out of ****)One of my life's little tragedies is that my ears have rarely been in sync with the Bard's old English.
Typically, I'm faced with either foregoing revivals or bucking up and trying my best to decipher what's being spoken on stage. Yet as a true theatre aficionado, how can I not take the latter path?
As it turns out, my fears in taking in
Michael Grandage's revival of
Hamlet were completely allayed and in retrospect unfounded. Given Grandage's expert and imaginative direction I've witnessed throughout every one of his productions from
dark Russian drama to
classic musicals, I shouldn't have been surprised that he could pull off another miracle.
Fortunately for audiences sharing my apprehension over seeing works by
William Shakespeare because they're more often than not delivered on this side of the pond in a rather stultifying manner, this import from London's Donmar Warehouse is anything but. Thanks to Grandage, this play's the thing wherein I've finally caught the conscience of the king and then some!
High praise must be paid to the innovative
Jude Law for making his
Hamlet come alive. Rather than delivering Shakespeare's words as if they were part of some lost language, Law excels in cracking the code. He finds the depth and nuance redounding in every single word. Each syllable dances off his tongue sounding fresh and vibrant.
That's in part because
Hamlet here is not so much the brooding Danish prince as he is a particularly circumspect one replete with boyish verve and playful vigor. It's a testament to Law's mastery that his impassioned soliloquy immediately
prior to the oft-quoted one containing "To be or not to be" becomes the stand-out passage within this play.
While the brave choices he and Grandage have made may raise the eyebrows of purists, this revival sings, even if not everyone else in the cast can hold their notes quite as well or as long. No wonder shortly after I departed the Broadhurst, I
tweeted half in jest that Jude Law stole the show.
But with Law's towering performance casting a long shadow over my quibbles with his
Hamlet, this is one accessible production of Shakespeare's work that all are meant to see.
This is Steve Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Hamlet, Jude Law, Michael Grandage, Play, Revival, William Shakespeare
Memphis (The SOB Review) - Shubert Theatre, New York, New York*** (out of ****)If you like seeing all your money up on the stage, run, don't walk, to see
Joe DiPietro and
David Bryan's rhythmically-infused
Memphis. With a whole heck of a lot of hockadoo, it's almost impossible to contain.
With slick, fast-paced direction from
Christopher Ashley, rousing and impeccable cast, tuneful score, sizzling choreography (
Sergio Trujillo) and a visually stunning scenic design (
David Gallo) that's augmented with equally astonishing projections (Gallo and
Shawn Sagady),
Memphis is a dazzling destination worth the trip.
This original musical recounts the story of an outlandish white deejay Huey Calhoun (
Chad Kimball) who attempts to mainstream
Beale Street's rhythm and blues and in the process falls in love with one of its top singing denizens Felicia Ferrell (
Montego Glover), who happens to be black. Set against the segregated fifties, that makes Huey both a musical pioneer and a trailblazer in flouting the era's ridiculous laws against what was shamefully referred to as miscegenation.
DiPietro brilliantly captures the inherent danger of this time in Tennessee all too well. The risk of two individuals of different colors kissing, let alone even holding hands, could result in tremendous injury or worse. And given the
world headlines one neanderthal justice of the peace in Louisiana recently garnered for refusing to marry one such couple, not to mention the ongoing debate over another
type of marriage,
Memphis resonates on so many levels.
If the second act doesn't exactly measure up to the thoroughly captivating first, it's because it becomes confoundingly incongruous, particularly via a conclusion that defies credulity. And while the story may have you thinking
Dreamgirls for its depiction of the rise of R&B and
Hairspray for its forthright bridging of our nation's racial divide,
Memphis is, if not entirely fresh, a solid crowd pleaser that will have you cheering nevertheless.
Two principal reasons are Kimball and Glover. When I last saw Kimball, he was portraying Milky White -- a cow, no less -- in the wonderful 2002 revival of
Into the Woods. Although he's had two other Broadway roles since,
Memphis enables him to truly prove his mettle and then some. With a folksy swagger that's a bit reminiscent of
Christian Slater, Kimball's Huey is a great ball of fire who can't be extinguished. Then there's Glover's Felicia in which we witness an amazing ascent both for a captivating character and an immensely impassioned new Broadway star. Glover took my breath away.
It's been said that at the very heart of the genre known as rock and roll, you'll find soul. Fortunately, the boundless soul within
Memphis has the power to rock your heart.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Chad Kimball, Christopher Ashley, David Bryan, Joe DiPietro, Memphis, Montego Glover, Musical, Sergio Trujillo, The SOB Review
