Thursday, September 23, 2010

Elf Spreads Early Christmas Cheer

Elf Spreads Early Christmas Cheer

No doubt banking that the best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear, Warner Brothers Theatre Ventures is returning to the Great White Way with the musical version of one of my recent Holiday film favorites: Elf (2003).

Elf - The Musical is set to play Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre beginning on November 2, 2010. The tuner will open on November 14, just in time for the Holiday season that begins in earnest over Thanksgiving.

The musical will star Sebastian Arcelus as Buddy, Amy Spanger as Jovie, Marc Jacoby as Walter, Beth Leavel as Emily, and the most natural actor I can think of to fill Santa's shoes, George Wendt.

Currently scheduled through January 2, 2011, the limited engagement will get a boost this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. when Arcelus officially opens the Hirshfeld box office with prize giveaways including chances for young audience members to win walk-on roles.

On the official Elf - The Musical website, the stage adaptation is described as follows:
One of the most beloved Hollywood holiday hits of the past decade is now a full grown Broadway musical! Featuring an all-star creative team led by three time Tony-nominated director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw (Spamalot), Tony-winning book writers Thomas Meehan (The Producers) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone) and the Tony-nominated songwriting team of Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), Elf is the one present everyone wants this holiday season.
Will audiences be willing to pass through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and perhaps even walk through the Lincoln Tunnel just to see this stage adaptation? As Broadway's only real Holiday show this season, the production just might provide the elfin magic Warner Brothers is hoping for.

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.

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posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Thursday, September 23, 2010 0 comments

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Rock Of Ages (The SOB Review)

Rock Of Ages (The SOB Review) - Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York, New York

*/12 (out of ****)

I'll say one thing for the musical Rock Of Ages. You have to give it credit for its massive cajones.

Despite some relatively decent performances from its hard-working cast who clearly don't stop believin', this completely lightweight, throwaway jukebox musical does its best trying to make you forget just how incredibly insipid it is by plying you with alcohol during the performance as if you're at a rock concert, as well as giving you clever tschotchkes like the little fake lighter you can wave during its über-amplified power ballads.

Oy. More like Schock of Ages ... cleft for me in a splitting headache when all was said and done. And no, it was not from a hangover. I should have had more to drink.

Mind you, I actually enjoyed many of the tunes on Rock Of Ages' headbanging playlist when they originally ruled FM radio over twenty years ago. But I felt more than a little cheated each time a song was truncated and layered over another heavy metal hit.

Constantine Maroulis headlines as Drew, just a city boy born and raised in south Detroit who's trying to make it big in eighties LA among a crowded field of metal heads, including Stacee Jaxx (James Carpinello). Drew meets Sherrie (Savannah Wise subbing for the wisely MIA Amy Spanger), a small town girl living in a lonely world, and she mistakes his midnight train of love for friendship going nowhere. Predictability predictably ensues, and -- spoiler alert -- Drew and Sherrie hold on to their feelings by getting together in the end.

While Chris D'Arienzo's book provided me with at least a couple of laughs from the gut, Kristin Hanggi's uninspired direction makes Rock Of Ages bad to the bone.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

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posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, May 27, 2009 2 comments

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