Steve On Broadway (SOB)

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #19 - Guys And Dolls

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:01:00 +0000

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #19 - Guys And Dolls (2005, Piccadilly Theatre, London, UK)

Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties.

With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.

After this year's lackluster Broadway revival, don't believe for a minute the prevailing theory out there that no new incarnation of Frank Loesser's beloved Guys And Dolls could ever top the Great White Way’s celebrated 1992 incarnation. Unfortunately for Broadway audiences, that superior sexy mounting from Michael Grandage in London never materialized stateside as planned.

By the time I saw this West End hit, Guys And Dolls already ranked as one of my all-time favorite tuners. Yet never before had I been so thoroughly captivated by Loesser's inherent wit, charm and music as much as I was via Grandage’s sparkling staging. Certainly, the star power of Ewan McGregor further illuminated his stellar take on Sky Masterson, complete with Brooklyn accent and heavenly singing voice.

Thanks to Rob Ashford’s enthralling choreography, McGregor also demonstrated a charismatic gift for dance as well. As the token American in the production, Jane Krakowski was delightfully ditzy and charming as Miss Adelaide. British thespians Douglas Hodge (soon to make his Broadway debut in La Cage Aux Folles ) and Jenna Russell worked magic as Nathan Detroit and Sarah Brown, respectively. The four actors together transformed Grandage’s exhilaratingly fresh take into something truly enchanting.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #20 - Small Tragedy

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #20 - Small Tragedy (2003, Playwrights’ Center, Minneapolis, MN)

Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties.

With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.

With works like Reckless, Prelude to a Kiss and The Light in the Piazza under his belt, Craig Lucas’ twisted, trademark storytelling has made a fan out of me.

So when I learned that the world premiere of his Small Tragedy would take place at the tiny Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis, I made sure I was in the audience. With Lucas, things are never what they seem, and with a dash of Sophocles thrown in for good measure, Small Tragedy points to the real-live monsters living among us, nearly undetected. Despite an unknown cast for this initial engagement, Kip Fagan's intimate staging was so effectively haunting that it was the best small play I saw throughout 2003 (or for that matter, the entire decade). It later went on to enthrall Off-Broadway audiences and critics alike.

Six years later, I can still vividly recall the visceral impact this work had on me. That Lucas' morality play has not been produced more widely since remains more than just a Small Tragedy.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #21 - My Fair Lady

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:01:00 +0000

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #21 - My Fair Lady (2001, Drury Lane Theatre Royal, London, UK)

Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties.

With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.

When director Trevor Nunn teamed up with producer Cameron Mackintosh for a 2001 revival of Alan J. Lerner and Frederick Loewe's masterpiece My Fair Lady in London, right around the corner from the musical's opening scene at Covent Garden, who would have predicted it would be so exhilarating and sublime? Not only did they make beautiful music together, but with Matthew Bourne's innovative choreography that could have danced all night, their incarnation soared.

This revival also marked my first-ever opportunity to see the magnificent Jonathan Pryce on stage. Watching him as Henry Higgins was truly a master class in acting. Teamed with a thoroughly excellent cast, it hardly mattered that understudy Alexandra Jay was performing -- exceptionally, I might add -- in the role of Eliza Doolittle.

While a touring company brought Nunn's My Fair Lady to North American audiences, it failed to materialize as it should have on Broadway. Thankfully, with a little bit of luck, my memories of that London mounting will remain fresh as a flower for years to come.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.

SOB's Least Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #4 - The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:01:00 +0000

SOB's Least Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #4 - The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (2002, Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties.

With that small introduction, I'm not only pleased to present my list of my top 25 favorite plays and musicals of the Noughties, but also a simultaneous countdown of my five least favorite shows out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years.

There's nothing like a good star vehicle to tell a cheap and tawdry story. Unfortunately, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas revival that toured the United States in the aftermath of 9/11 simply felt cheap.

As someone who has admired Ann-Margret through her lengthy career, I was eager to see her perform live. But as Madame Mona Stangley, the Swedish kitten seemed incapable of anything but preening and posing directly to the audience, as if there were no other players in the show. Not even Gary Sandy's best efforts could save this disappointing show.

In a word: “Atrocious.”

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for each performance.

SOB's Least Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #5 - Gone With The WInd

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:01:00 +0000

SOB's Least Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #5 - Gone With The Wind (2008, New London Theatre, London, United Kingdom)

Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties.

With that small introduction, I'm not only pleased to present my list of my top 25 favorite plays and musicals of the Noughties, but also a simultaneous countdown of my five least favorite shows out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years.

A flop of truly epic proportions, the musical's creative team was still chiseling away at its lumbering length a month after it opened in hopes of averting complete disaster. Instead, its massive capitalization was Gone With The Wind.

Although purely unintentional, this ranks as one of the decade's funniest laugh-out loud musicals. While writer/sociologist Margaret Martin and director Trevor Nunn failed to deliver a compelling musical that could stand on its own, they did mount a show that was so bad, it left us nearly laughing in the aisles. Their efforts added nothing to the art of live theatre except endless exposition and a legend that gives those of us who saw it the best bragging rights this side of Carrie, which helps to keep it from being named #1 on this list.

Did we really need a narrator telling us that Miss Scarlett was about to look at herself in the mirror when we could see that for ourselves, or worse, having her step over dying soldiers rolling around on the stage who suddenly popped up to tell us they were all dying? Funny, yet sad at the same time.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for each performance.

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #22 - Twelfth Night

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:01:00 +0000

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #22 - Twelfth Night (2009, Delacorte Theatre, Central Park, New York, New York)

Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties.

With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.

Love was in the air, and that breeze blowing straight through Central Park was William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Daniel Sullivan’s truly lovely and gorgeous revival was brimming with bawdy charms and an extraordinary ensemble, including Raúl Esparza as Orsino, Audra MacDonald as Olivia, Julie White as her attendant, Michael Cumpsty as Malvolio and contemporary theatre’s greatest scene-stealer David Pittu as Feste.

Was it any wonder that rain or shine, this was a formidable mounting with which to be reckoned and revered? Add to that mix film actress Anne Hathaway’s mesmerizing turn as Viola, and those lucky enough to get tickets witnessed a wondrous new theatre queen being born. I walked out of Central Park both enthralled and enchanted.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #23 - Grey Gardens

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:01:00 +0000

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #23 - Grey Gardens (2007, Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, New York)

Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties.

With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.

As the most sublime show of its year, Grey Gardens easily ranked as my choice for Best Musical. This unconventional yet completely satisfying tuner was a triumph of the first order.

Arguably at the height of her distinguished career, Christine Ebersole's virtuoso performance in Grey Gardens remains one that I can still vividly recall. Ebersole more than masterfully channeled both Edith and Little Edie Bouvier Beales of the funny-if-it-weren’t-so-tragic seventies documentary of the same name.

What could have been played for sheer parody was instead transformed into a poignant, modern tragedy, where pathetic dismissal gave way to empathy. Credit Michael Greif's brilliant direction, Mary Louise Wilson’s powerful Edith and Ebersole’s heartwrenching Little Edie.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #24 - Superior Donuts

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:01:00 +0000

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #24 - Superior Donuts (2008, Downstairs Theatre, Chicago, Illinois/2009, Music Box Theatre, New York, New York)

Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties.

With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.

Tracy Letts' profoundly moving Superior Donuts intelligently combats some urban myths about race. Thanks in large measure to Tina Landau's loving direction and outstanding, memorable performances from a superb ensemble led by Michael McKean and Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts feels genuine, gritty and real, right down to its climactic brawl.

Losing himself in a most unglamorous role, McKean anchored both the premiere production and its subsequent Great White Way outing with amazing humility. Hill provided one of the most memorable Broadway debuts in recent memory. With plenty of humanity and heart to be found deep inside of this thoughtful and entertaining play, I dare anyone not to be touched.

If you still haven't seen this show that closes January 3, 2010, it really is time to make the Donuts.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for each performance.

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #25 - Nine

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:00:00 +0000

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #25 - Nine (2003, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, New York)

Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties.

With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.

Make no mistake. I adored the sensational Jane Krakowski who won a Tony for her sensually seductive acrobatic turn as Carla in David Leveaux's dazzling revival on Nine, starring Antonio Banderas as playboy Guido Contini.

Yet it was the exquisite, legendary Chita Rivera who literally stopped the show and my heart with her breathtaking rendition of "Folies Bergères." Never before had I witnessed a standing ovation immediately after a production number, but Rivera more than earned it scoring a "12."

The mere thought of Maury Yeston's richly-layered musical midlife crisis always has me humming the anthemic "Be Italian." No wonder the upcoming film version is the one movie I'm most eagerly anticipating this holiday season.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.

World AIDS Day 2009

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:01:00 +0000

World AIDS Day 2009

Today marks the 21st anniversary for World AIDS Day.

First the sobering news. The United Nations estimates that approximately 33.4 million people worldwide were living with HIV in 2008. That number includes over 2 million children and 2.7 million who were infected just last year.

In the United States, the government estimates that 56,300 Americans are newly infected with HIV each year, and that approximately 1.2 million Americans are currently living with HIV/AIDS. The especially sobering news is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates as many as 21% of HIV-positive individuals don't even know they are infected. That can translate into potential transmission of the disease without anyone knowing it.

That's why World AIDS Day is so vitally important. While just one solitary day of the year, it provides a necessary focus on the devastating impact that the disease can have. It also raises awareness for what individuals can and should being doing to protect themselves, while also seeking to ensure the dignity of those already affected.

Need some good news? The rate of infections is down by 17% over just the last eight years. Also, particularly heartening is that those living with HIV/AIDS are no longer suffering an automatic death sentence from the disease; more and more around the world have greater hope via continually improving medical treatments.

So what does this have to do with Broadway?

First, as an all-too-real human drama that is playing out, not only on the Great White Way, but throughout the world around us, we can't afford not to care.

Second, the lights of Broadway will be dimmed this evening at 8 p.m. to commemorate the day and raise further awareness.

Finally, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is in the midst of one of its annual giving campaigns. If you've been to a Broadway show in recent weeks, you'll likely have heard from the stage about this great organization's continuing efforts.

Even if you're nowhere near Broadway, please consider giving to this industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization by clicking here to make a donation.

Here's to your good health and all the best for your loved ones. Thank you for your support.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission regulations (FTC) that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value in exchange for promotional consideration, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.

Congratulotions: A Wicked Milestone

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:23:00 +0000

Congratulotions: A Wicked Milestone

Theatre 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).

Superior!

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:11:00 +0000

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).

Leaving A Hole In My Heart

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Leaving A Hole In My Heart

Regular 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).

Happy Thanksgiving!

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

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.

The Ups And Downs Of Broadway

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:19:00 +0000

The Ups And Downs Of Broadway

As 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).

Fela! (The SOB Review) - Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

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).

Just One More Little Night Before Music

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:20:00 +0000

wJust One More Little Night Before Music

Last 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).

And I'm Telling You I'm Going...

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:14:00 +0000

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).

In The Next Room or the vibrator play (The SOB Review)

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

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).

Because "Great White Way" Shouldn't Be Taken Literally

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:00 +0000

Because "Great White Way" Shouldn't Be Taken Literally

Take 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, anyone 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).

Bringing Closure To Oleanna

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:51:00 +0000

Bringing Closure To Oleanna

If 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).

Superior Acting

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:28:00 +0000

Superior Acting

If 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).

98 Reasons Of Love

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:01:00 +0000

98 Reasons Of Love

Ninety-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 be 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).

Great White Christmas Way - Redux

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Great White Christmas Way - Redux

Tomorrow, 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.

My Five Cents On American Buffalo

steve.on.broadway@hotmail.com (Steve On Broadway (SOB)) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:47:00 +0000

My Five Cents On American Buffalo

Yesterday, 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).