SOB's Best Of 2008-09: Best New MusicalsOver the past year, I've had the good fortune of taking in over 70 performances of a wide range of musicals, plays and "special theatrical events." Twelve of those performances were productions of new musicals not only on Broadway, but also significant ones elsewhere as well.
Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, I have to admit it's not been a particularly good time for new musicals to enjoy critical success. (Please note that the full list for consideration does
not include
Billy Elliot - The Musical, since it was on my
Best of 2005-06 list.) Yet there were those that challenged, entertained and/or scored with me personally -- certainly enough to land on my personal "5 Best" list for the past twelve months.
Drumroll, please:
5 - Shrek The Musical (Broadway Theatre, New York, New York)
Surprise:
Shrek The Musical is actually pretty funny and quite often borderline brilliant. The show deserves a larger audience. I was surprised by how often I found myself laughing early and often at this fairy tale satire.
Not only does it completely engage with its sly skewering of
Disney and Broadway fare alike, but it becomes a ginormous gutbuster when
Christopher Sieber's hilarious Lord Farquaad lampoons both
Dreamgirls and Wicked in less than six deliriously delicious seconds.
If you're looking for an escape from all of today's headlines that only an ogre could relish -- and let's face it, who isn't?! -- as well as a musical where you can see all your money up on the stage,
Shrek The Musical is just the ticket.
4 - 13 (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, New York, New York)
High School Musical it ain't. But thank goodness for that. Think of
Jason Robert Brown's exuberant new musical
13 as a positive, latter-day answer to "
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten."
13 heralded Brown's long-awaited return to Broadway, and his tuneful, rich score did not disappoint. Neither did the breathtaking display of teen talent, as all 13 cast members, along with orchestra, are age appropriate. Sure the book by
Dan Elish and
Robert Horn at times went from earnest to hokey in record time during this 90-minute show.
Yet thanks to
Jeremy Sams' pacing,
Christopher Gattelli's unrestrained choreography, and Brown's beautiful score, I found myself transfixed, charmed and downright moved.
3 - 9 To 5 (Marquis Theatre, New York, New York)
Not since taking in another underappreciated tuner,
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, have I laughed so heavily from my gut.
9 To 5 is not rocket science or deeply penetrating. But it wins by being thoroughly highly and consistently entertaining.
This musical is exceedingly fun and funny, as well as very loyal to the 1980 film. More significantly,
Dolly Parton has delivered one of this season's most melodic scores, with plenty of tunes to keep you humming long after departing the theatre.
9 To 5 also rates as a fabulous star vehicle for its tremendous trio of leading ladies:
Allison Janney,
Stephanie J. Block and
Megan Hilty. Each has her moment to shine, and each does so splendidly.
You'd be hard pressed not to revel in
9 To 5's frivolity.
2 - next to normal (Booth Theatre, New York, New York)
With a fierce, electrifying direction from
Michael Greif,
Brian Yorkey and
Tom Kitt’s
next to normal is nothing if not atypical for Great White Way musical fare. But in tackling mental illness and its continued social stigma head-on, the tuner ranks as the best new musical I've seen on Broadway this year.
In a bravura performance deserving of a Tony,
Alice Ripley portrays Diana, who on first blush seems like the quintessential housewife and mother of two. But not everything is as it seems. It’s not long before Yorkey’s book descends into the personal hell Diana must endure and the scorching reverberations her deepening depression has on the rest of the family.
With an exceptional cast,
next to normal marks a welcome if downright shocking departure for Broadway. If you’re like me, it just may melt down into your heart.
1 - The Visit (Max Theatre, Signature, Arlington, Virginia)
Unlike guests who overstay their welcome,
Chita Rivera and
George Hearn are two exceptional actors who aren't around nearly enough. Together for
John Kander and the late
Fred Ebb's spellbinding "new" musical
The Visit last year, their stellar performances underscored what musical theatre is all about.
The lofty creative team for this Kander & Ebb tuner read like a who's who of the stage, including
Terrence McNally with his shrewdly clever book and
Ann Reinking for her captivating choreography. Due props must also be paid to
Frank Galati for helming such an exquisite production.
In addition to Rivera and Hearn's excellent performances, Kander & Ebb's score was every bit as much a star of
The Visit. They worked their magic once again. Despite its quirky and ultimately somber tone, this was one
Visit worth making.
Since it was by far the best new musical I saw over the past year, I can only hope a
Visit is one day in the cards for New York.
So what were the best new musicals
you saw over the past year? I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your theatre experiences with me.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, 9 To 5, Broadway, Next To Normal, Shrek The Musical, SOB's Best of 2008-09, The Visit, Washington DC
Going, Going, Going, Going, Going, Going, Going, Going, Going...Gone!Charles Isherwood's downright
nostalgic piece in this morning's edition of
The New York Times serves as an excellent reminder that today's your last chance to see nine of the thirteen Broadway shows slated to close during January 2009.
Boeing-Boeing. Going. But a
45-week national tour is planned for take-off sometime this year.
Dividing The Estate. Going. But subtracting
Elizabeth Ashley from the cast, the ensemble will transfer to the
Hartford Stage in Connecticut come May.
Grease. Going. But the ongoing
North American tour with
Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel is about to play Chicago's Auditorium Theatre.
Hairspray. Going. But the Award-winning
London staging is going strong. Oh, and there's the sticky
non-Equity tour that's about to play such markets as Terre Haute (IN), Kalamazoo (MI) and Wabash (IN) for one nights only, but it does not share the Broadway credits (including direction, choreography or elaborate set designs) or talent.
Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Going. But producer
Kevin McCollum "
would love to bring the show back to Broadway" in the future, and the show will continue to live on during future holiday seasons throughout North America.
Liza's At The Palace...! Going. What?! You expected
more?! After two extensions??
Slava's Snowshow. Going.
13. Going. But there's "much interest in a
national and international tour," according to lead producer
Bob Boyett.
Young Frankenstein. Going. But
a tour is planned for this fall.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Boeing-Boeing, Broadway, Closings, Dividing The Estate, Grease, Hairspray, Liza's At The Palace, Slava's Snowshow, White Christmas, Young Frankenstein
13 To Close During Unluckiest Time Of The YearPerennially, the month of January marks the beginning of the cruelest times on Broadway, and this coming January will see yet another closing of another musical. This time, sorry to say, it's
13 that has posted its closing notice, scheduled for January 4, 2009.
Regular readers will recall that
I was positively charmed by the
Jeremy Sams-helmed tuner that features a truly terrific, invigorating score by
Jason Robert Brown and an incredibly talented teenage cast, with
Graham Phillips and
Al Calderon particularly deserving of shout-outs.
But alas,
13 proved unlucky at the box office, where it only scored three weeks in attracting more than a 50% capacity crowd. Just this past week, it attracted a capacity of just 42.9%.
Given the rough sledding at the far end of Broadway (a/k/a Wall Street), it appears that
13 will pin its parting hopes on families seeking holiday cheer. Once the holidays have passed,
13 will be history, but will a tour be in the offing?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Al Calderon, Allie Trimm, Best New Musicals, Box Office, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Closing Notices, Graham Phillips, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams
13 (The SOB Review) - Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, New York, NY*** (out of ****)Be forewarned.
High School Musical it ain't.
But thank
goodness for that.
Think of
Jason Robert Brown's exuberant new musical
13 as a positive puberty piece. It's a latter-day answer to "
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten." With tunes like the inspired "A Little More Homework," even jaded Wall Streeters can reflect and be reminded of a thing or two when it comes to what constitutes really living.
Mostly family-friendly, except for a PG-rated item or two,
13 heralds Brown's long-awaited return to Broadway, and his tuneful, rich score does not disappoint.
Neither does the breathtaking display of teen talent, as all 13 cast members, along with orchestra, are age appropriate. As Evan, a guppy out of water who's suddenly been transplanted from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, the charismatic
Graham Phillips delights. Being the new kid on the block isn't easy, especially when you're a "Brain." It's even more difficult when he realizes that he's won the heart of the unpopular Patrice (played with remarkable emotional depth by
Allie Trimm), threatening Evan's own prospects for popularity. Phillips brings an astonishing degree of nuance for such a young actor.
Yet it's
Al Calderon as Eddie, who manages to steal just about every scene he's in as the sidekick to Brett (a terrific
Eric Nelsen), Dan Quayle High's super cool dude and nemesis to Evan. It's virtually impossible to take your eyes off this gifted young comic actor.
Sure the book by
Dan Elish and
Robert Horn at times goes from earnest to hokey in record time during this 90-minute show, but thanks to
Jeremy Sams' pacing,
Christopher Gattelli's unrestrained choreography, and Brown's beautiful score, I found myself transfixed, charmed and downright moved.
So if you're seeking a little Main Street break, or even hope, from the bleak news coming from Wall Street, head up to Midtown New York and catch a welcome respite in
13. I'm glad I did.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Al Calderon, Allie Trimm, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Graham Phillips, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams, Musicals, The SOB Review
Did Critics Treat 13 With Kid Gloves?While the really big news today, of course, is the further sliding of the
global economy, as evidenced by this morning's
sell-off on Wall Street, further to the north on Broadway, yesterday,
Jason Robert Brown's musical
13 rocked the
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
Helmed by
Jeremy Sams, the tuner features Brown's score with a book by
Dan Elish and
Robert Horn, along with choreography by
Christopher Gattelli. The show about thirteen 13 year olds in Indiana features
Graham Phillips,
Al Calderon,
Eamon Foley,
Caitlin Gann,
Elizabeth Gillies,
Ariana Grande,
Aaron Simon Gross,
Malik Hammond,
Joey La Varco,
Delaney Moro,
Eric Nelsen,
Allie Trimm and
Brynn Williams.
On the whole, critics offered middling assessments.
Proclaiming this a "disarmingly charming new musical,"
Barbara Hoffman (where
is Clive??) of
New York Post offers three out of four stars: "With a raw, rousing score by Jason Robert Brown sung by a cast of 13- to 17-year-olds, it's Sondheim for
MySpacers -- the perfect show for those too old for
Disney, too young for
Spring Awakening, and too impatient to wait for a new block of
Wicked tickets.... Brown, the 38-year-old Tony-winning composer of
Parade and
The Last Five Years, has written some catchy numbers and at least one winsome ballad, 'What It Means To Be a Friend,' that clearly registered with its young audience. Director Jeremy Sams gets a few standout performances, notably from Elizabeth Egan Gillies, 15, whose lacerating Lucy, all cellphone and attitude, is a junior-varsity
Joan Crawford."
Noting that "there's not much in this sweet all-adolescent tuner to engage anyone past puberty,"
Variety's
David Rooney says that it target demographics should be: "no barrier to success... While the storyline by children's novelist Dan Elish and vet TV writer Robert Horn is a familiar fish-out-of-water tale populated by generics (geek, loser, gossip girl, beauty, jock, etc.), it has heart and charm. The kids in the age-appropriate cast are talented. And the score by Jason Robert Brown, which nimbly straddles pop and musical theater idioms, is several notches above the standard processed pap for teen tuners."
Calling it a "shiny and brash new musical,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley gives average grades: "Though it features a buoyant score by Jason Robert Brown ... and a book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn that dances friskily on the borders of bad taste,
13 ultimately feels as pre-processed and formulaic as that money-churning Disney franchise '
High School Musical.'... The characters are as eternal as types in
commedia dell’arte, and the plot as set as that of a Passion play by way of young adult fiction.... The cast is fine. It avoids pushing too hard, which is always a mercy with young performers. Mr. Phillips has an easygoing forthrightness and emotional openness that anchors the production."
Labeling it a "cheerful and endearing, ebulliently performed and blandish musical,"
Linda Winer of
Newsday provides a middling review: "Except for some icky-erotic coarseness for hungry young tongues, Jeremy Sams' direction and Christopher Gattelli's streetwise choreography keep the show close enough to the nice side of the street-pee jokes,
Shrek quips and
Jonas Brothers posters -- to live a long and lucrative life on Broadway and in school auditoriums. Did we mention that the 13 kid-performers and five-piece kid band are terrific? They are, including Graham Phillips as Evan.... Al Calderon is a standout as a pintsized contender for the future
Jersey Boys of America."
Offering that it's "neither a soaring, sobering account of troubled youth nor a glib commercial enterprise,"
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner also offers a mixed critique: "Jason Robert Brown and librettists Dan Elish and Robert Horn serve up pop-culture parody peppered with politically incorrect humor and sweetened with some sentimentality. The plot is utter hooey in this case, centered on a Jewish boy from New York who lands in small-town Indiana when his parents split up just before his bar mitzvah.... That 13 is seldom either surprising or offensive is a credit to both the limited imagination of its creative team and the winsome freshness of its all-teen cast, directed with obvious affection by Jeremy Sams. With the exception of the strong-voiced Elizabeth Egan Gillies, who is rather too convincing as the precocious mean girl of her class, none of these performers come across as stage kids, and their unaffected energy is undeniably contagious."
Concluding that "The pubescent crowd may find this new musical fascinating -- but Mom and Dad will be left thinking about 13 better ways they could have spent their ticket dollars,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News is among the most negative in his two out of five star review: "It is fun watching these fresh-faced youths sell the show, but the novelty wears thin soon enough and one wishes what they were pushing was better material.... If the point is that kids get labeled for no good reason, then someone might have said that. Or sung that. As is, the score by Jason Robert Brown is pleasant enough, tripping from pop and
Carly Simon-ish ballads to blues. While short on character development, Brown's lyrics do manage to evoke teen-speak, as when boys lament that their buddy 'fell for a slut with a fabulous butt.'"
While teens love rollercoaster rides, the current economic one their parents are likely on at the moment may preclude the target demographic from seeing this or many other shows. Certainly there are many ad-worthy critical quotes that
13's marketing team can incorporate into its promotions, but it will have to get past the current 42.3% capacity at the box office in order for the tuner to be anything but unfortunate in its Broadway timing.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Critics' Capsule, Dan Elish, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams, Musical, Robert Horn
13 Takes The 5thToday on this October 5,
13, the new
Jason Robert Brown musical about thirteen 13 year-olds growing up in Indiana, opens at Broadway's
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
The tuner opens on the Great White Way close to two years after
first debuting, albeit in a much different version and under different direction (
Todd Graff) at Los Angeles'
Mark Taper Forum.
With book by
Dan Elish and
Robert Horn,
13 is helmed by
Jeremy Sams and features choreography by
Christopher Gattelli.
Graham Phillips portrays Evan Goldman, a kid who has just moved to the Hoosier State and must contend with a new school order. Others in the cast include
Al Calderon,
Eamon Foley,
Caitlin Gann,
Elizabeth Gillies,
Ariana Grande,
Aaron Simon Gross,
Malik Hammond,
Joey La Varco,
Delaney Moro,
Eric Nelsen,
Allie Trimm and
Brynn Williams.
While Brown earned a Rialto credit for the very unlucky
Urban Cowboy, this marks the composer's first
real Broadway score since his Tony Award-winning score for 1998-99's
Parade.
Will
13 prove lucky with the critics? Find out tomorrow as I offer my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Dan Elish, Graham Phillips, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams, Musical, Opening Night, Robert Horn
Broadway Preview: 13Last time
I checked in with a report on
Jason Robert Brown's new musical
13 was just over 13 months ago.
At the time, I noted that the tuner about thirteen 13 year olds was being prepped for a Broadway bow sometime in early 2008. Of course, that time frame came and went.
But since then, the show was presented by
Goodspeed Musicals' Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut from May 9 through June 8. And the show has been announced for a Broadway berth.
Originally directed on year ago January by
Todd Graff at the
Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, a significantly revised version produced at Goodspeed was directed by
Jeremy Sams and choreography from
Christopher Gattelli.
Dan Elish wrote
13's book.
On
Jason Robert Brown's own blog, the award-winning composer takes note of how dramatically
13 evolved from its final performance on the Left Coast to its first on the East Coast:
The show is substantially different, in every respect, from the version produced in Los Angeles last year. First of all, just in terms of the writing itself, we've replaced more than half of the songs, re-focussed the story, added a half-hour of running time (and with it, an intermission), and probably changed every single line of the book except for four really good jokes. Paradoxically, the show is longer because it's leaner and tighter, and there is now a much straighter line from the beginning to the end. A lesson I learned this year with both 13 and the London revision of Parade is that it's all too easy to let a secondary character hijack the show. I know we solved it in Parade by cutting down Britt Craig's role; I think we've now solved it in 13.
Brown also discusses the difference a director makes:
Most importantly, we have a new director, Jeremy Sams, who has been invaluable both in his ability to cut the fat away from the story and in his understanding of the way music functions in the show. The fact that Jeremy is a formidable musician in his own right doesn't hurt. In fact, Jeremy is a terrifying polymath; a quick look at his résumé shows that he has directed successful plays and musicals on Broadway and the West End, as well as having written film scores, lyrics and books of musicals, and translations and adaptations of classic and obscure plays (from several different languages, all of which he speaks fluently). Dan and I are convinced that in the event of some horrible catastrophe, Jeremy is perfectly equipped to take over any and all jobs on the show, ours included.
Brown acknowledges the show's most unique aspect: casting child actors and a "kid band":
None of that would matter if we didn't have the talent onstage to bring this show to life, and I'm over the moon about the cast and band that we hired. Assembling the cast took a long time, and the final group that's going into rehearsal in two weeks comes from all over the country -- New York and the tri-state area, of course, but also Los Angeles, Texas, and Florida -- and while some of the kids have résumés longer than mine, others have never done a professional production before.
The band is an equally amazing group, and the band audition day was the most fun I've had in a long time; sixty-five awesomely gifted teenagers showed up and made glorious music together for seven hours. The hardest part was figuring out who to send home; all of the grownups in the room felt that we could have randomly picked five kids at any given time and ended up with a superb band. Needless to say, the five that made it to the end are exceptional. I know that kid musicians are not as used to the arbitrary and bizarre process of auditioning as kid actors are, so I wanted to take this space to thank all the musicians for coming out and playing so beautifully and rolling with the experience. Having a "kid band" is a huge experiment for a Broadway musical, but I know it's going to pay off handsomely.
Of course, that blog post was all the way back on March 24. Although
13 has been announced for Broadway's
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, with previews tentatively slated to begin September 16, there's been precious little additional information out there regarding the show.
Is that unlucky? Only for the countless Jason Robert Brown fans like me who can't wait to finally see this talented composer's next effort. The good news is that folks like Chris Caggiano (
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals) had decent things to say about the Goodspeed mounting (Chris called the tuner "promising").
I'm looking forward to our collective fortunes improving in the weeks ahead as more information is announced.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway Preview: Speed-The-Plow (July 8, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Billy Elliot - The Musical (July 7, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Godspell (July 6, 2008)
Broadway Preview: All My Sons (July 5, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Man For All Seasons (July 3, 2008)
Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Not Unlucky: 13 Headed To Broadway (May 25, 2007)
Was 13 Lucky With Critics? (January 9, 2007)
Jason Robert Brown + Mark Taper Forum = 13 (January 7, 2007)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 25, 2006)
"13" Reasons to Take in LA Theatre This Winter (May 5, 2006)
Labels: 13, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Easter Parade, Goodspeed, Jason Robert Brown, Musical
A State Of Honorable ConfusionThis morning,
The New York Time's
Campbell Robertson writes about all those shows that
New York Post's Michael Riedel and others have promised were Broadway bound.
The much heralded list includes:
13 - "more likely at this point"
Farragut North - "opening on Broadway in the fall. Doug Hughes directing. 'Exciting people' in the cast"
Guys And Dolls - "pretty much a dead letter"
Pal Joey - "will probably make it here, perhaps next year"
Porgy And Bess - "more likely at this point"
Stalag 17 - "producers postponed the production to the fall of 2008"
The Female Of The Species - now "scheduled for...Broadway in the spring of 2009"
The Wiz - into the abyss
The laundry list of shows many thought would already be performing on Broadway helps explain why Rocco Landesman of Jujamcyn says:
Delays are a normal part of the process.... When a date is announced as an opening date, it’s really a hoped-for date. When a show arrives perfectly on schedule, that’s actually more anomalous.
Or as producer Jeffrey Richard describes the delay of Farragut North:
There was a state of honorable confusion.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Broadway, Farragut North, Guys And Dolls, Pal Joey, Porgy And Bess, Stalag 17, The Female Of The Species, The Wiz
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See?Now that the 2007 Tony Awards are history, I'd like to cordially invite you to vote in my latest SOB Poll (found on the right-hand margin) for each of the the upcoming Broadway musicals -- already slated for the 2007-08 Theatrical Season -- that you plan to see.
Feel free to vote for as many of the ten selections of new musicals and revivals as you want. Your choices include:
After voting, feel free to share why each of the shows you've selected pique your interest.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Grandage Guys And Dolls Set For Great White Way (June 6, 2007)
Not Unlucky: 13 Headed To Broadway (May 25, 2007)
Off-Broadway Hit Seeks Greater White Way Heights (May 23, 2007)
Sunday In The Park With Daniel And Jenna (May 7, 2007)
Max And Laura Go Together (March 26, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Mermaid Casting Anything But Little (March 20, 2007)
It's Official: Mullally Cast In Young Frankenstein (March 9, 2007)
Broadway Can-Du? (December 18, 2006)
Trevor Nunn's West End Porgy and Bess Will Transfer to Broadway (July 25, 2006)
Labels: 13, A Catered Affair, Broadway, Grease, Guys And Dolls, In The Heights, Musical, Porgy And Bess, SOB Poll, Sunday In The Park With George, The Little Mermaid, Xanadu, Young Frankenstein
Not Unlucky: 13 Headed To Broadway
Although this teen musical will undoubtedly seem like a throwback to another era after
Spring Awakening -- which is quite ironic since the former is set in present day Indiana, while the anachronistic
Spring Awakening is set in 19th Century Germany --
13 did capture a fair amount of decent reviews during its original Left Coast run.
Todd Graff directed the Los Angeles staging; however, there's no word yet on a director or theatre. However, the ubiquitous
Bob Boyett is on-board as producer.
The story also indicated that Brown has written songs for another Great White Way hopeful:
Honeymoon in Vegas -- a stage adapatation by
Andrew Bergman of his
1992 film.
Readers will know what a huge fan I am of Brown's
The Last Five Years, as well as his work on
Parade. While the jury is still out on whether
13 can succeed, it is officially near the top of my list of shows I want to see during Broadway's new theatrical season.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: 13, Broadway, Film, First Word On New Show, Honeymoon In Vegas, Jason Robert Brown, Musical, Parade, Spring Awakening, The Last Five Years
Was 13 Lucky With Critics?
Proclaiming
13 "sheer bliss" and a "celebration of the kind of teen spirit that soars rather than smells,"
Variety's
Robert Verini heaps on the most praise: "It's actually pretty refreshing to have the everyday angst of the teen years taken so seriously. If
13 leaves out the harsher realities of adolescence, the realities it does confront are resonant, nowhere more so than in Jason Robert Brown's score. A less ambitious but no less tricky assignment than his Tony-winning
Parade, songs remain true to the kids' argot and emotional core while granting aud a Broadway sound that makes us tap our toes and cheer."
Finding the show "sometimes predictable...fresh, funny and sometimes touching," the
LA Weekly's
Neal Weaver provides a mostly upbeat review: "This engaging, fast-moving musical (book by Dan Elish, songs by Jason Robert Brown), with its all-teenage cast, is all about being cool....And it provides ample opportunity for Brown’s high-spirited songs, and dances by
Michele Lynch. But it’s the terrific teenagers, singing, playing and dancing up a storm, who make it all worth while."
Saying that
13 is "like an '
Afterschool Special' staged with superlative artistry and verve," the
Los Angeles Times'
Charles McNulty offers a mixed review: "Directed by
Todd Graff...the production, hampered by a hackneyed book, features a mostly delightful teen cast that compensates for the work's obvious deficiencies....The story whitewashes experience in order to reassure us that we all see ourselves as different at some point....Brown's music, bubblegum rock performed by a live garage band perched on a platform above the action, serves mostly as a convenience for the plot-pushing lyrics. But to its credit, the canned guitar sound helps create the feeling of the pressurized cabin that Evan and his peers frenetically inhabit."
Noting how the "paper-thin story" is "more notable for its newbie-teen context -- 13 songs delivered by 13 actors, average age 13 -- than its content," Bloomberg's
Michael Janofsky laments that Brown: "has delivered a generic show long on pubescent energy but short on substance. Apart from a passing reference to
Paris Hilton and R-rated movies, it lacks any discernible links to contemporary youth culture....The joy of
13 comes from watching energized performances from so many young talents making the most of an opportunity to work under accomplished professionals like Todd Graff....It's just too bad the actors were not given more inspired material. This show will need some reality checks if it has any hope of competing on Broadway."
Will all this critical attention mean much to its target audience? Or will the $55 cost per ticket prove unlucky for 13? Other theatres nationally will no doubt be paying close attention during the weeks ahead as this show in scheduled to perform through February 18.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: 13, California, Critics' Capsule, Los Angeles, Musical
Jason Robert Brown + Mark Taper Forum = 13This afternoon marks the world premiere opening for
13,
Jason Robert Brown's new musical about teenage life in Appleton, Indiana. Boasting an all-teenage cast and band,
13 is scheduled to play the
Mark Taper Forum at the Music Center in Los Angeles through February 18.
This is an exciting development for Brown fans, who once were told by the composer that he wasn't quite sure he would write again, despite outstanding efforts on such works as
Parade -- for which he won a Tony -- and his intensely personal
The Last Five Years.
Michele Lynch, whose choreography can currently be seen on Broadway in
The Coast Of Utopia, handles the same responsibilities for
13.
We'll find out tomorrow whether Brown still has the magic touch as critics weigh-in. I'll provide a capsule on Monday.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets. Related Stories:"13" Reasons to Take in LA Theatre This Winter (May 5, 2006)
Labels: 13, California, Los Angeles, Musical, Opening Night
"13" Reasons to Take in LA Theatre This WinterJust announced for Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group (CTG) at the Mark Taper Forum's 40th season:
13 -- the world premiere of composer Jason Robert Brown's latest theatrical production about an "unlucky" number of thirteen-year-olds in Indiana. The production, to be directed by Todd Graff, will have its world premiere on the Taper stage December 22 and run through February of 2007.
This is particularly exciting news for anyone who's had the pleasure of seeing Brown's
The Last Five Years or even his earlier work
Parade. Save for his last-minute work on the ill-fated
Urban Cowboy three years ago, Brown's work is especially captivating and inventive. In the case of
The Last Five Years, it provided the first-time pairing of the incredibly talented Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie René Scott -- who later reteamed for
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels -- and took full advantage of their beautiful and nuanced singing voices. Since it ranks as one of my all-time favorite musicals, I still listen to
The Last Five Years cast album and get the chills.
Regardless of who is cast in
13, I may just find myself having to make the journey to LA.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket information.Labels: 13, First Word On New Show, Jason Robert Brown, Musical, Parade, The Last Five Years, Urban Cowboy
