In one of this year's most inspired casting decisions, the producers of the current revival of La Cage Aux Folles announced today that Harvey Fierstein will replace Tony Award-winning actor Douglas Hodge as Albin starting February 15, 2011, for twelve weeks.
Fierstein won his third Tony Award for writing the book for La Cage Aux Folles back in 1984. The tuner would not only win that year's Tony for Best Musical, but would go on to become the only musical in Tony history to win Best Revival for each successive production -- both in 2005 and again this year.
Surprisingly, for all his acting honors, Fierstein has never before acted in a production of La Cage. His presence come February will certainly make me want to return again.
The only question remains, who will replace Kelsey Grammer after he leaves the show on February 13? If the producers really want to carry their inspiration to the Nth degree, how about bringing on Arthur Laurents, director of the original production? He may be a cantankerous senior and may not have liked the current incarnation, but it would be a hoot to see him tackle the stage.
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.
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Broadway, Casting Changes, Douglas Hodge, Harvey Fierstein, Kelsey Grammer, La Cage Aux Folles, Musical, Replacements, Revival
Something's Coming: A Closing For West Side Story RevivalOn the very day that the newly renamed
Stephen Sondheim Theatre is formally unveiled,
news comes that the current Broadway revival of
West Side Story -- the show for which
Sondheim earned his earliest lyrical credit -- is set to close January 2, 2011, after 748 regular performances.
In recent weeks, audiences have dwindled precipitously. Just
last week,
West Side Story had the dubious distinction of attracting the lowest capacity of any Broadway show: just 50.5%. So the handwriting was certainly on the wall. West Side Story opens up the Palace Theatre for the United States premiere of
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert in March 2011.
As I noted in my
SOB Review from April 2009, I genuinely adore the gorgeous score Sondheim wrote with
Leonard Bernstein. Yet I felt cheated by this revival's initial use of the Spanish language that came
without any sub or supertitles. It seemed to come as a surprise to director
Arthur Laurents that not everyone -- including a new generation of theatregoers -- were not familiar enough with
West Side Story for that conceit to work. Ultimately,
he relented and most of the Spanish language elements were reverted back to English.
In spite of that,
Karen Olivo earned a Tony Award for her sharp turn as Anita. The show itself garnered three other Tony nods, including for the affecting performance offered by
Josefina Scaglione as Maria. Olivo left the production back in May due to an
injury. Scaglione departs the production on September 19.
As a revival, this
West Side Story goes out a winner, having recouped nearly one year ago. Additionally, the show was honored with a
Grammy Award in January for its lush cast recording.
If you've missed
West Side Story on Broadway, at least you'll have your chance to see it
somewhere as the national tour kicks off September 30 in
Detroit.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new 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. Labels: Arthur Laurents, Closing Notices, Josefina Scaglione, Karen Olivo, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story
SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #7 - Gypsy(2008, St. James Theatre, New York City, NY)
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. Gangway world, get off of my superlatives! Suddenly, highfalutin' words like "excellent," "superb" and "top-notch" just didn't seem sufficient enough to adequately describe the unique experience of seeing the incredible
Arthur Laurents-helmed revival of
Gypsy that played Broadway last year.
Never had I enjoyed myself more or been so thoroughly entertained by a Rialto musical experience ...
ever. This was most definitely a performance for the ages. To see it was to witness theatrical history being made (including the penultimate performance of the show earlier this year .... yes,
I was there then, too).
The beauty of this fully-realized Broadway revival was that every breathtaking performance from start to finish matched that offered by the truly astonishing
Patti LuPone, who made her Rose at once sympathetic, conniving, sexy, funny, tragic and repulsive all at the same time. Add to that poignant portrayals -- the stunning metamorphosis of Louise offered by
Laura Benanti in her best performance yet, and the completely credible, quiet dignity in
Boyd Gaines' sympathetic take on Herbie -- and those fortunate enough to see this incarnation saw the classic musical the way it was truly intended to be seen.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new 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 these performances.Labels: Arthur Laurents, Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Gypsy, Laura Benanti, Musical, Patti LuPone, Revival, SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties
"It's Like The Golden Globes For Theatre!"Last Friday, the
75th Annual Drama League Awards were presented to honor the best on Broadway and off.
Award winners included:
Distinguished Revival of a Play:
Blithe SpiritDistinguished Revival of a Musical:
HairDistinguished Production of a Play:
God Of CarnageDistinguished Production of a Musical:
Billy Elliot - The MusicalDistinguished Performance:
Geoffrey Rush -
Exit The KingUnique Contribution to the Theatre Award:
Angela LansburyDistinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre:
Sir Elton JohnThe Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing:
Arthur LaurentsAfter attending last year's Tony Awards -- certainly
Broadway's equivalent to the
Academy Awards -- I was thrilled to attend the Drama League Awards.
Shrek The Musical star
Christopher Sieber, one of the
71 nominees for distinguished performance, quipped to me, "It's like the
Golden Globes for theatre!"
And so it was with nearly all of the nominees assembled for a wine-filled luncheon on a three-tiered dais that reminded one nominee of a large "
Match Game" set (it looked more to me like a celebrity telethon minus the telephones).
The glory of the Drama League Awards is that while there are all those nominees ranging from the
famous Oscar-
winning stars to the actors who've just experienced their first major breaks Off-Broadway, they all have an equal opportunity to say a few words. And they do it with such a welcome flourish.
Despite the fact they were all vying for one award, the sense of community they shared as actors was palpable. It was truly incredible and one of the best celebrations of the theatrical art form I've ever enjoyed.
Founded in 1916, the Drama League bills itself as "America's best-kept secret for theatre lovers." Click
here for more information on how you, too, can become a Drama League member.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Angela Lansbury, Arthur Laurents, Awards, Billy Elliot The Musical, Blithe Spirit, Drama League, Elton John, Geoffrey Rush, God Of Carnage, Hair
West Side Story (The SOB Review) - Palace Theatre, New York, NY
**1/2 (out of ****)When
Arthur Laurents' beautiful revival of
West Side Story soars, it flies so high that you practically can feel yourself being lifted out of your seat.
With
Leonard Bernstein and
Stephen Sondheim's timeless score and
Joey McKneely's lovingly recreated choreography from the show's original director
Jerome Robbins, how could it not?
I was practically moved to tears many times by the amazing vocal talent Laurents amassed. In particular,
Matt Cavenaugh's Tony was especially angelic. And the captivating
Josefina Scaglione as Maria makes for a most auspicious Broadway debut.
But the conceit of this revival, of course, is its ultimately frustrating use of Spanish language to tell the Sharks' tale. While I laud Laurents for daring to break new ground by having his Sharks speak their native tongue from Puerto Rico, so much was lost in translation -- or complete lack thereof -- that this conceit gnawed at me as highly arrogant. Had Laurents done for his audience what opera has done for years -- providing subtitles of some sort -- he would have had no bigger advocate of his otherwise sparkling revival than I.
Instead, I left feeling cheated and very disappointed that I only got one side of this story.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Broadway, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Matt Cavenaugh, Musicals, Stephen Sondheim, The SOB Review, West Side Story
Gypsy Revival Will Cease Entertaining You March 1Despite
incredible reviews, three Tony-winning performances and its rightful place as simply the best musical
ever,
Arthur Laurents' stunning Broadway revival of
Gypsy has posted its closing notice for March 1, 2009. That date coincides with the end of
Patti LuPone's contract.
With timeless score by
Jule Styne and
Stephen Sondheim, LuPone has delivered a
tour de force performance for the ages as Mama Rose that has practically been matched measure for measure by
Boyd Gaines as Herbie and
Laura Benanti in the title role.
By the time this revival closes at
St. James Theatre,
Gypsy will have played 388 regular performances. That figure does not count its earlier run at
New York City Center, nor does it take into consideration
LuPone's first performance as Rose during the summer of 2006 at Chicago's
Ravinia.
At the box office,
Gypsy enjoyed a slight increase last week over the week before, attracting a capacity of 63.2% and grossing $593,242. But since LuPone's name is firmly above the title, it's hard to imagine this production with anyone else filling her (
sometimes Isotoned) shoes.
Personally, I'm thrilled that I not only had the rare opportunity to witness history being made when LuPone first performed as Rose three summers ago, but found myself transfixed and transported when I saw her perform at the St. James just two days after the revival opened.
So, all this begs the question of whether Patti LuPone might renew her consideration of recreating her triumph across the pond on the West End stage. If she goes, I just may go myself.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Box Office, Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Closing Notices, Gypsy, Jule Styne, Laura Benanti, Musical, Patti LuPone, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Broadway Preview: West Side StoryAs if to prove that nonagenarians have more fun, or infinitely more insight into Broadway’s biggest and best classics,
Arthur Laurents is ready to take on his second major Broadway mounting in two years.
First, of course, came his definitive direction for the best musical of all time,
Gypsy -- an American original for which he wrote the timeless libretto. Now, he’s ready to recreate another musical that includes his book:
Stephen Sondheim and
Leonard Bernstein’s 1957 masterpiece
West Side Story, a show that was ahead of its time in terms of critical acceptance.
Technically only the second Great White Way revival of the modern New York update of
William Shakespeare's
Romeo And Juliet,
West Side Story will open at a Nederlander Theatre in March 2009 after beginning previews on February 23, shortly after its out-of-town tryout (December 16, 2008 – January 17, 2009) at Washington’s National Theatre.
While the new incarnation will recreate
Jerome Robbins’ original Tony-winning choreography, look for the
West Side Story revival to be bilingual for added authenticity, along with a cast of 37 and orchestra of 30. However, casting has yet to be announced.
Laurents has stated, “This show will be radically different from any other production of
West Side Story ever done. The musical theatre and cultural conventions of 1957 made it next to impossible for the characters to have authenticity. Every member of both gangs was always a potential killer even then. Now they actually will be. Only Tony and Maria try to live in a different world…"
The original 1957 production first played the
Winter Garden Theatre before moving to the
Broadway Theatre for a couple months in 1959, and then back to the Winter Garden, where it closed in June 1959. All totaled, the original
West Side Story enjoyed 732 performances.
But that “original” production didn’t simply end there. Less than one year later, a “return engagement” reopened at the Winter Garden Theatre for another 249 performances.
While a City Center version of the show came along just a few years later, it wasn’t until February 14, 1980, that the first and only full-fledged Broadway
revival opened at the
Minskoff Theatre, where it played through November of that year for 333 performances.
Will Laurents’ respected renaissance prove to be no fluke? After being mesmerized by
Gypsy, I have included this toward the top of my list of Broadway shows I’m most looking forwarding to seeing throughout this new Theatrical Season.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
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Labels: Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story
Gypsy (The SOB Review) - St. James Theatre, New York, NY
**** (out of ****)Gangway world, get off of my superlatives!
Suddenly, highfalutin words like
excellent,
superb and
top-notch just don't seem sufficient enough to adequately describe the unique experience of seeing the incredible
Arthur Laurents-helmed revival of
Gypsy that opened last week at the Great White Way's
St. James Theatre.
If ever there was a Broadway show worth taking in,
this is it. Never have I enjoyed myself more or been so thoroughly entertained by a Rialto musical experience
ever. This is most definitely a performance for the ages. To see it is to witness theatrical history being made.
Granted, I'm a little biased when it comes to the masterpiece tuner created in 1959 by Laurents (book),
Jule Styne (music) and
Stephen Sondheim (lyrics). Ever since first seeing it performed over 30 years ago, it has ranked as my all-time favorite musical. I've never resisted taking in a staging, whether on Broadway or as presented by local theatrical companies or even in high schools.
The timeless music, buttressed by the extraordinarily well-told story suggested by the memoirs of the 20th Century's most famous
ecdysiast Gypsy Rose Lee, makes for one of the most entertaining evenings one could possibly hope for in live theatre -- if only it's done right. I've now seen it enough times to tell the good from the bad, but nothing prepared me for the new, unsurpassed heights which Mr. Laurents and his exceptional cast have successfully achieved.
Not even my 2006 visit to Chicagoland's
Ravinia where
Patti LuPone first triumphed as Mama Rose. At the time, I enthusiastically
cheered:
Instead of an over-the-top Mama that's all too easy to do, LuPone proffered an exquisitely nuanced performance that simultaneously excited and repulsed, making one of Broadway’s most memorable roles hers for keeps.
* * *
Near the end, LuPone took her devastated Rose to new heights with an unforgettable, heart-wrenched rendering of “Rose’s Turn,” which proved to be, quite literally, a showstopper of the first order.
* * *
But when (not if) the time comes to bring Gypsy back to the Great White Way, savvy producers should do everything they can to lure Patti LuPone back to the role she was born to play.
Many said it would never happen. That it was too soon after the
last revival. That Arthur Laurents would never allow LuPone to take on his single greatest creation. And so on.
Thankfully, the naysayers had it all wrong.
While I stand by my earlier review, the beauty of this fully-realized Broadway revival is that every breathtaking performance from start to finish matches LuPone, who has only intensified her portrayal of the stage mother from hell, making her Rose at once sympathetic, conniving, sexy, funny, tragic and repulsive all at the same time.
But the revelation in Laurents' brilliantly directed revival is how careful he is in drawing out every character, lovingly shaping them well beyond the caricatures other productions have let suffice. To be honest, I don't know which portrayal I found more poignant -- the stunning metamorphosis of Louise offered by
Laura Benanti in her best performance yet, or the completely credible, quiet dignity in
Boyd Gaines' sympathetic take on Herbie.
As Louise, Benanti begins as a doe-eyed innocent, always eager to please, never fathoming her hidden talents or beauty. To watch her transition to the world's most famous stripper is to witness a major star claiming her rightful place in the spotlight. (For me, personally, it was also one of those "only in live theatre" moments when Benanti locked eyes with mine as I sat in Row B Seat 101 and then seductively asked whether I knew what an ecdysiast is. Oh, Laura, do I ever.)
Gaines' Herbie rates as the best I've ever seen as well, commencing from a man who was clearly charmed by Rose's tenacity long before she even knew who he was and deftly takes him through the range of emotions of a man who will always love her, but yearns for a new life as a family man before his personal shelf-life expiration date arrives.
Then there's the amazingly unholy trinity found in
Lenora Nemetz's
Chita Riveraesque Mazeppa (also doubling as the hilarious Miss Cratchitt),
Marilyn Caskey's nearly immobile and slyly non-electrifying Electra, and
Alison Fraser's tiptoeing Tessie Tura. Again, never before have I seen such distinguishing depth in this triumvirate of characters. And to play them as relics as opposed to fresher faces further isolates Louise's ingenue.
Special mention must also be given to
Leigh Ann Larkin for making her June so real, as well as to
Tony Yazbeck for adding a debonair dash to
Jerome Robbins' stylish choreography all these years later. And bravo to Laurents for showcasing the 25-piece orchestra up on the stage. Thanks to
Patrick Vaccariello,
Sid Ramin and
Robert Ginzler's orchestrations never sounded better.
While the 90 year old Laurents' skill could easily have been a career capper, he's already prepared to do for
West Side Story what he's done for
Gypsy. I for one can't wait.
If you ever wanted to see a classic musical the way it was truly intended to be seen, get to Broadway's St. James Theatre. Make no mistake, come June, everything (with the possible exception of Best Director of a Musical for reasons
explained by Michael Riedel) should be coming up Tonys for the best musical ever, period.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets. Related Stories:Critics On Gypsy: Everything (Almost) Comes Up Roses (March 28, 2008)
Gypsy: Everything's Coming Up Opening Night (March 27, 2008)
Patti Preview: "Brought Down The Roof" .... Literally? (March 4, 2008)
Curtain Up! Light The Lights! (March 3, 2008)
Load-In's Turn (February 24, 2008)
Tag, I'm It! (February 4, 2008)
Laurents' Turn: First Gypsy, Then West Side Story (December 18, 2008)
LuPone's Mama Rose, Part 3? (October 3, 2007)
At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It" (July 27, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Gypsy, Jule Styne, Laura Benanti, Musical, Patti LuPone, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, The SOB Review
Critics On Gypsy: Everything (Almost) Comes Up RosesLast night,
Arthur Laurents' miracle on 44th Street opened at Broadway's
St. James Theatre.
As one of
Gypsy's original creators -- a half century ago, he wrote the show's book alongside
Jule Styne and
Stephen Sondheim, who together wrote the score -- he now takes the helm in this fourth Rialto revival that stars
Patti LuPone,
Laura Benanti and
Boyd Gaines. The praise was mostly unequivocal, yet there were at least a couple dissents.
Raving that this
Gypsy is "this one that has definitive written all over it," Bloomberg's
John Simon, who has seen each Broadway incarnation including the original could not be more effusive: "No matter how many times you've seen
Gypsy, you arguably haven't experienced it as fully as you may now on Broadway at the St. James Theatre.... As director, Laurents has made some fussy changes of no great import, at least not lessening the overall impact. His not uninteresting effort is to heighten realism into expressionism.... But then how deftly LuPone makes Rose exude vulgarity without jeopardizing our basic sympathy; how touchingly Gaines underplays his leading-man dazzle for the most likable Herbie ever; how compellingly Benanti handles shy duckling Louise's transfiguration into Gypsy's preening swan."
Almost gleefully admitting "that quiet crunching sound you hear is me eating my hat,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley offers a flat-out rave: "[W]hen Ms. LuPone is truly focused, she’s a laser, she incinerates. Especially when she’s playing someone as dangerously obsessed as Momma Rose in the wallop-packing revival of the musical
Gypsy.... its raw power should be enough to silence any naysayers (myself included).... The 90-year-old Mr. Laurents, who directed two earlier revivals of
Gypsy...has had nearly half a century to ponder characters he helped bring to life. The accumulation of decades seems only to have sharpened his vision of the fractured family at the show’s center.”
Essentially admitting that only a critic could complain,
New York Post's
Clive Barnes offers three and a half out of four stars: "In truth, no one was ever born to do anything -- except bawl their lungs out -- but Patti LuPone comes pretty damn close as Momma Rose in Jule Styne's
Gypsy.... In her case, that 'gimmick' is an unassailable talent and showbiz genius. She brought both to the St. James Theatre last night.... And though this essentially modest production has the lingering scent of a summer stockpot, its virtues are such that few will care.... What's special about LuPone is the unexpected shading and nuance -- brassy one moment, grotesque the next, then pathetic, even tragic."
Concluding that LuPone is "beyond sturdy, she's beyond dreams,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News also showers laurels on the musical: "The show is sharper since then and seeing it again reinforces what we already know -- the score by Stephen Sondheim and Jule Styne is tuneful beyond belief and the story by Arthur Laurents is word-perfect.... LuPone, with her big personality, broad background ... and dynamic voice, is a natural to play the human bulldozer who drives daughters June and Louise toward vaudeville stardom at any cost. Under Laurents' savvy direction, she captures Rose's monstrous ferocity (body-checking Uncle Jocko, bullying everybody, even beating up on drapes) and her vulnerability, which peeks out humorously in 'Small World' and gushes poignantly in her finale, 'Rose's Turn.'"
Calling this revival "campy and clamorous, by turns brighter and less buoyant" than its summer 2007 precursor,
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner offers a three-star review: "In that production, LuPone lent a disarming tenderness to Mama Rose, disappointing some critics who view the role as a test for an actress's drama-queen aptitude.... Her epiphany, 'Rose's Turn,' is staged as a musical nervous breakdown, at once over-the-top and frighteningly convincing. Other performances also blend high-octane razzle-dazzle with a sort of hyper-naturalism."
Proving to be the party-pooper, asking "If only everyone would relax,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer offers a mixed review: "What defined her Rose last summer, however, was a marvelous new vulnerability and charm.... Missing now, inexplicably, is that sense of fun, an allure that went a long way toward explaining why Herbie and all the unpaid kids in her pathetic act would put up with her. We still get the ferocity of Rose's restless hunger, but LuPone has toughened her earlier uninhibited sexuality into something harder and less interesting."
Noting that LuPone "gives and gives and gives until the only sensible response is to beg for no more,"
Eric Grode of
The New York Sun also pooh-poohs: "In one of the more puzzling and dispiriting developments to reach Broadway in some time, Arthur Laurents's staging of the acid-etched 1959 valentine to show business has managed to shed nearly everything that made its previous iteration -- a keenly anticipated three-week run last summer at City Center -- so cherished. That production, notable for finally unleashing Patti LuPone in the role of the comparably formidable Mama Rose, has grown in every possible direction -- and not in a good way.
So there you have it folks -- mostly raves from the critics whose notices typically mean the most and a couple mixed-to-negative reviews. After foregoing last summer's City Center Encores! presentation (I magnanimously decided to give others a chance to see LuPone after
catching her original Chicagoland Ravinia turn), I'll be in the audience in a couple days and will offer my SOB Review shortly thereafter.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Gypsy: Everything's Coming Up Opening Night (March 27, 2008)
Patti Preview: "Brought Down The Roof" .... Literally? (March 4, 2008)
Curtain Up! Light The Lights! (March 3, 2008)
Load-In's Turn (February 24, 2008)
Tag, I'm It! (February 4, 2008)
Laurents' Turn: First Gypsy, Then West Side Story (December 18, 2008)
LuPone's Mama Rose, Part 3? (October 3, 2007)
At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It" (July 27, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Gypsy, Jule Styne, Laura Benanti, Musical, Patti LuPone, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Gypsy: Everything's Coming Up Opening NightWhat can I say that hasn't already been said?
Tonight, the revival Broadway could only
dream about two years ago is finally here. With
Arthur Laurents at the helm,
Gypsy starring
Patti LuPone as Mama Rose opens this evening at the Great White Way's
St. James Theatre.
Gypsy certainly ranks at the top of my all-time favorite musicals -- after I see this Sunday's performance, it will be among the stage shows I've seen the most. And for good reason.
Based on the memoirs of
Gypsy Rose Lee, features a hallowed score by none other than
Jule Styne and
Stephen Sondheim to match Laurents' masterpiece of a book. And despite the fact that the 702 performance run of original 1959 production with
Ethel Merman and
Jack Klugman failed to win a single Tony Award (it was nominated for eight), it has become synonymous with Broadway itself.
Now in its fifth Main Stem incarnation, the legendary tuner with LuPone also stars
Laura Benanti as Louise and
Boyd Gaines as Herbie.
Will this become
the revival to end all revivals? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Patti Preview: "Brought Down The Roof" .... Literally? (March 4, 2008)
Curtain Up! Light The Lights! (March 3, 2008)
Load-In's Turn (February 24, 2008)
Tag, I'm It! (February 4, 2008)
Laurents' Turn: First Gypsy, Then West Side Story (December 18, 2008)
LuPone's Mama Rose, Part 3? (October 3, 2007)
At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It" (July 27, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Ethel Merman, Gypsy, Jack Klugman, Jule Styne, Laura Benanti, Musical, Opening Night, Patti LuPone, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Patti Preview: "Brought Down The Roof" .... Literally?For any LuPone-phile (yes! It's a word! Look it up!), this morning's
Barbara Hoffman piece in the
New York Post is a must read, as she celebrates
The Great One.
Patti LuPone, of course, began previews for the Broadway berth of
Gypsy last evening at the
St. James Theatre.
Hoffman writes:
And in case you're thinking Gypsy, again? -- Bernadette Peters having had her turn a few years back -- you weren't at City Center this summer, when LuPone's ballsy Momma Rose brought down the roof.
That Encores! production that The Post's Frank Scheck called "galvanizing" started previews yesterday at the St. James, where LuPone's name looms as large as the title.
Apparently, as officially deputized SOB Special Correspondent Sarah B. noted late last evening on
Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment, LuPone is
quite literally bringing down the roof of the St. James:
However, the real drama happened during the dressing room scene just before Rose's Turn, some sort of accident happened. We couldn't see it from the orchestra, but it was loud enough to make 1/2 of the audience turn and look up. There was a loud crash and immediate crying. Somebody shouted, "Are you okay?" The person proceeded to cry very loudly. I don't know how Patti managed to go on with "Rose's Turn," but as Rose says, "That's show business." There was an ambulance parked in front of the St. James. I heard that a piece of metal air vent fell from the ceiling and hit a patron.
Ouch!
UPDATE (3/4/08 4:20 p.m. EST): New York Times
blogger Tara Parker-Pope (a health blogger, of all people) wrote about her friend who was one of two people hit by the 30 inch-diameter piece of metal that fell from the ceiling of the St. James. Fortunately, neither individual was seriously injured.Sarah goes on to say of
The Great One:
Patti is literally knockin' 'em to the aisles and bringing down the house. Maybe there should be an ambulance permanently parked at the St. James.
She also goes on to tell us how one patron got, er, choked up, quite literally!
Go read
Sarah B.'s full report on last night's first preview and then follow her admonition to get tickets!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Curtain Up! Light The Lights! (March 3, 2008)
Load-In's Turn (February 24, 2008)
Tag, I'm It! (February 4, 2008)
Laurents' Turn: First Gypsy, Then West Side Story (December 18, 2008)
LuPone's Mama Rose, Part 3? (October 3, 2007)
At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It" (July 27, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment, Arthur Laurents, Blogs, Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Gypsy, Jule Styne, Laura Benanti, Load-In, Musical, Patti LuPone, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Curtain Up! Light The Lights!Beginning tonight,
Gypsy's officially back on Broadway, baby!
And SOB's officially deputized "special corres-pondent" Sarah B. from
Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertain-ment will be there this evening for the first preview at the
St. James Theatre.
I trust she'll provide a perfect report tomorrow that is sure to make me completely jealous as I've made no secret that this show ranks as one of my two all-time favorite musicals.
Gypsy features a brilliant score by
Jule Styne and
Stephen Sondheim, along with one of the best musical books ever by
Arthur Laurents, who at the spry young age of 90 is helming this fourth Great White Way revival.
Patti LuPone, of course, headlines as Rose, while
Laura Benanti stars in the title role alongside the ubiquitous Broadway baby
Boyd Gaines as Herbie.
Opening night is slated for March 27, and I'll be in the audience just days later.
Having seen LuPone's
first-ever turn as Mama Rose during the acclaimed and extremely limited "concert" run at Chicagoland's
Ravinia two summers ago, you can bet I'm champing at the bit to see what magic Arthur Laurents has conjured up for the Rialto run that many said would never happen. This is the kind of live theatre I live for. I can't wait!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Load-In's Turn (February 24, 2008)
Tag, I'm It! (February 4, 2008)
Laurents' Turn: First Gypsy, Then West Side Story (December 18, 2008)
LuPone's Mama Rose, Part 3? (October 3, 2007)
At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It" (July 27, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Gypsy, Jule Styne, Laura Benanti, Load-In, Musical, Patti LuPone, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Load-In's TurnI'm not prone to carrying around my camera, but I happened to have mine the other day as I was strolling by Broadway's
St. James Theatre.
There, the load-in was in progress for the revival of one of my
two all-time favorite musicals. Since I've seen more different versions of this classic by
Jule Styne,
Stephen Sondheim and
Arthur Laurents than any other tuner, I thought I'd take a couple shots.
As you can see from the photos, everything's coming up
Gypsy on West 44th Street, this time with
Laura Benanti as Louise,
Boyd Gaines as Herbie, and of course,
Patti LuPone as Rose.
As for me, I'll be in the audience late next month. And that's no gimmick.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Tag, I'm It! (February 4, 2008)
Laurents' Turn: First Gypsy, Then West Side Story (December 18, 2008)
LuPone's Mama Rose, Part 3? (October 3, 2007)
At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It" (July 27, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Boyd Gaines, Broadway, Gypsy, Jule Styne, Laura Benanti, Load-In, Musical, Patti LuPone, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Laurents' Turn: First Gypsy, Then West Side StoryBrimming with more stamina and enthusiasm than some men half his age, Broadway legend
Arthur Laurents (age 90) is set to helm not one, but two Rialto revivals next year. According to
Playbill, he'll direct
both Gypsy and
West Side Story in 2008.
The prolific Laurents, of course, wrote the books for both of these classic shows. In the process, this genius collaborated with some of the biggest names ever on the Great White Way including
Leonard Bernstein,
Stephen Sondheim and
Jerome Robbins on 1957's paradigm-shifting
West Side Story, and then with Sondheim and
Jule Styne on 1959's
Gypsy. If that weren't enough he's also worked with renowned producers like
Hal Prince and
David Merrick. And let's not forget the incomparable
Ethel Merman.
Now he's apparently fully prepared to take his turn at the helm to show a new generation of theatregoers how these shows should really be done. The maestro's quoted in the Playbill for this year's sold-out
Gypsy of the Year Competition concluding this afternoon:
I'm sorry I can't be with you all today. Unfortunately, I have a meeting and it's too late to change. I think everyone will be the winner and if you want a message from me, it's this: I will be directing a production of West Side Story for Broadway next year that will be radically different from any production ever done and contemporary to boot. How? Come see the show.
There -- that's a tease that should sell a few tickets. Meantime, see Gypsy at the St. James beginning in March. Shameless but why not?
Why not indeed. With Laurents and
Patti LuPone together, I'll certainly be there.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:LuPone's Mama Rose, Part 3? (October 3, 2007)
At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It" (July 27, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Broadway, First Word On New Show, Gypsy, Musical, Patti LuPone, Revival, West Side Story
LuPone's Mama Rose, Part 3?Don't look now, but
according to New York Post 's Michael Riedel, a Broadway re-
turn for Mama Rose could be in the offing.
After this year's musical chairs of musical theatres took place -- with
How The Grinch Stole Christmas co-opting
Young Frankenstein's place at the
St. James Theatre -- it meant that after the Holidays, the St. James will be vacant and available after January 6, 2008.
Riedel says that a decision is close at hand that would bring
Arthur Laurents'
Gypsy with
Patti LuPone to the Great White Way. Laurents, of course, not only wrote
Gypsy's quintessential show business book on how
Gypsy Rose Lee became a star, but this past summer, he directed LuPone's second turn as Mama Rose at
New York City Center's Encores!Riedel states:
Roger Berlind, the courtly producer behind Curtains, is spearheading the move, which will cost about $9 million, a high price tag for a revival. Also in the mix is The Frankel Group, which produced The Producers and Hairspray.
"They're teetering on a decision this week," says a source involved in the negotiations.
Agents for such cast members as Tony winner Boyd Gaines and the wonderful Laura Benanti have been asked to keep their clients free for what would be a limited engagement through the summer.
This would mark the fourth Broadway revival of
Gypsy and the second time a revival of the hit would tread the boards of the St. James; the celebrated
1989 revival with
Tyne Daly performed there before moving to the
Marquis Theatre in 1991. A new revival would come very close on the heels of the
2003 revival starring
Bernadette Peters -- which, for the record, I did enjoy.
But to be honest, that was nothing compared to how "wowed" -- make that
blown away -- I was last summer when Patti LuPone took to the stage as Mama Rose at Chicagoland's
Ravinia Festival. The prospect of seeing what I believe is Broadway's best musical
ever come back with Patti LuPone lording over it is nothing short of the most exciting news I've read this year.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It" (July 27, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Best Revival of Plays, Broadway, First Word On New Show, Gypsy, Michael Riedel, Musical, Patti LuPone
At 90, Laurents Has Still "Got It"Great story in this morning's
New York Post by Michael Riedel in which the now 90 year old legend,
Arthur Laurents is interviewed.
Laurents continues to amaze most recently with his current direction on
City Centers Encores! production of
Gypsy. While
Patti LuPone is the star audiences are paying to see, they're leaving with memories of Laurents' handiwork.
Riedel quotes the maestro as saying, "At the age of 90, I'm wanted...They want me to direct the Bible next."
Amen!
Happy belated birthday to Arthur Laurents, a true living legend.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Did Gypsy Entertain Critics? (July 16, 2007)
Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, City Center, Gypsy, Musical, New York City Center, Off-Broadway, Patti LuPone, tribute
Did Gypsy Entertain Critics?On Saturday evening, the highly anticipated
New York City Center's Encores! Summer Stars production of the
Arthur Laurents-helmed
Gypsy opened. Of course, it has made headlines because
Patti LuPone is in the role she was born to play: Mama Rose. Nearly every critic came up roses, too.
Proclaiming "Ms. LuPone could and should be a Rose for the ages,"
The New York Sun's
Eric Grode is nearly ecstatic: "Hold your hats and say hallelujah. Patti LuPone has finally been allowed to show it to ya....Ms. LuPone has a healthy dose of Merman's legendary vitality: Notes linger in the air with a sort of sculpted robustness, and she knows how to take ownership of the huge City Center stage with a minimum of extraneous movement."
Labeling this production "galvanizing" in his three-and-a-half star review,
Frank Scheck offers high praise: "When this indomitable actress finished her tour de force rendition of 'Rose's Turn,' the audience rose for a spontaneous standing ovation. LuPone acknowledged the applause fully in character as the self-aggrandizing Mama Rose, bowing floridly and in effect incorporating us into her character's elaborate fantasy....LuPone, as might be imagined, is a powerhouse in the role, singing the hell out of the classic Styne/Sondheim score and giving a portrayal that easily ranks as one of the best Roses ever."
Saying that Patti LuPone is proof that "we're living in a golden age for singing actresses,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer is effusive: "The idea that someone was 'born to play' a character sounds like hyped-up old nonsense -- until, that is, Patti LuPone grabs the cliche in her bared teeth and scares the banalities away as Mama Rose in
Gypsy....Statistically speaking, we appear to have no need for another
Gypsy. But now we do.We do because of LuPone, because of the smarts she brings to
Jule Styne's brassy-bravura music and
Stephen Sondheim's wrenching and dazzling lyrics."
With the line that it's "as close to perfection as anything you'll see on any stage this summer,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News is clearly dazzled: "Whether Patti LuPone was destined to play the steam-rolling Rose who pushes her daughters to be famous in the 1920s and '30s, who knows? But she's mesmerizing singing and acting the role created in 1959 by
Ethel Merman. LuPone's work never feels like a performance. From the first line, 'Sing out, Louise,' to her final knockout number, 'Rose's Turn,' she creates a Rose you can relate to and empathize with."
Calling the production "entertaining but unenthralling,"
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times once again proves that there's just no pleasing him: "Ms. LuPone does not, for once, feel like an unstoppable force. As Rose, the child-flattening maternal steamroller with Broadway dreams, she seems to be still fiddling with the gears and looking over her shoulder when she needs to be plowing full speed ahead with blinders on....I suspect there’s still a first-rate Momma Rose waiting to emerge. For the moment we only have the preliminary sketch. Any halfway decent
Gypsy -- and this one is more than that -- is a fine summer night’s diversion. But it needs a Momma Rose in full control to carry its audiences away."
Brantley notwithstanding, it's official:
Gypsy has been annointed
the theatrical event of the summer. With all these huzzahs, could a Broadway turn be in the offing?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Everything's Coming Up Patti! (July 9, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) – Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, City Center, Critics' Capsule, Encores, Gypsy, Off-Broadway, Patti LuPone
Everything's Coming Up Patti!Tonight,
the biggest event of year in New York theatre begins. If you guessed it was on Broadway, you'd be close, but you'd be wrong.
It's on West 55th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, where
New York City Center's Encores! Summer Stars series is inaugurated this evening with
Arthur Laurents at the helm of
Gypsy. Nearly one year after its star
Patti LuPone took
Ravinia, Manhattan will likely be firmly in her commanding grasp later this evening.
Yesterday's edition of
The New York Times celebrated LuPone's impending hold over the city with an
illuminating story by Jesse Green, which provides an inside look at the much talked about "ban" imposed by Laurents on LuPone and their meeting of the minds. Thank goodness for the swallowing of pride and a certain three hour conversation!
Joining LuPone will be
Boyd Gaines as Herbie and
Laura Benanti as Louise.
Performances run through July 29. Don't miss it! Because as much as LuPone would love 220 more chances on Broadway to portray Mama Rose, it's down to the 22 performances at New York City Center.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year (June 4, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
It's Official: LuPone's Triumph Earns Encores! (March 19, 2007)
Will Encores Mount All-Star Gypsy? (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Gypsy (The SOB Review) – Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL (August 14, 2006)
Labels: Arthur Laurents, City Center, Encores, Gypsy, Musical, New York City Center, Off-Broadway, Patti LuPone, Ravinia, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
