SOB's Best Of 2009-10: Best Musical RevivalsDuring the 2009-10 Theatrical Season, I've had the opportunity to see over 80 performances of a wide range of new and revived musicals and plays, as well as other theatrical events.
This year's musical revivals were, on the whole, better -- if only marginally -- than the season's new musicals, but there were some major misfires among them. Yet there were some real gems I was fortunate enough to see.
So, without further ado, here is my list of the "5 Best Musical Revivals" over the 12 months ending April 30, 2010:
5 - Ragtime (Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, New York)
Few musicals have captured the shifting American landscape inherently contained at the dawn of the 20th Century as powerfully as
Stephen Flaherty and
Lynn Ahrens' underappreciated heartfelt musical
Ragtime.
In
Marcia Milgrom Dodge's genuinely moving yet short-lived new revival,
Christiane Noll imbued her Mother with grace, dignity and substance. She was complemented by
Bobby Steggert's brilliant performance as her younger brother.
4- A Little Night Music (Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, New York)
Yes,
Trevor Nunn's revival of
Stephen Sondheim's glorious
A Little Night Music was at the
top of my list last year, but since the Broadway production feels so different, I'm judging this incarnation on its own. While this nearly replicated staging of the London work hardly fills the stage and could have --
should have -- been scaled appropriately upward, it mostly works because of the splendid score and ingenious storyline.
While the incandescent
Catherine Zeta-Jones' megawatt star power certainly lights up the stage, albeit with a similarly forced "I'll prove to them I'm up to the challenge" moxie she demonstrated in "
Chicago," it's
Angela Lansbury (Madame Armfeldt) who commands the stage every time she's on it. It's pure bliss to see her return to Broadway in a musical role, and it's more than enough to land the revival on my list.
3 - Disney's Beauty And The Beast (Main Hall, Ordway Center For The Performing Arts, St. Paul, Minnesota)
Sure, the tale is as old as time. But St. Paul's Ordway made
Disney's Beauty And The Beast revival seem like new again. In a surprising delight,
Robert Johanson's incredibly fresh and fully-realized revival was stunning with spirited acting, boisterous singing and rousing choreography.
Jeremiah James brought exceptional depth to the role of the Beast, humanizing him with tremendous skill. The comedic triple threat
Jonathan Burgard succeeded in stealing practically every scene by adding real muscle to his Gaston. They helped make this
Beauty And The Beast offering a feast for the eyes to behold.
2 - La Cage Aux Folles (Longacre Theatre, New York City, New York)
Revived with unmistakable sparkle, however tarnished, by director Terry
Johnson, this downsized
La Cage Aux Folles is what it is. It's a solid period piece populated with men who may dress in drag, but have more guts, ironically enough, in coming to terms with who they are than their less flamboyant counterparts.
Harvey Fierstein's book and
Jerry Herman's glorious tunes get to the heart of how any relationship, gay or straight, endures. And as performed by
Kelsey Grammer (Georges) and
Douglas Hodge (Albin), it's not only deeply moving, it's practically heartbreaking. Hodge in particular scores with his defiantly scorching rendition of "I Am What I Am."
1 - The Full Monty (McKnight Theatre, Theatre Latté Da, Ordway Center For The Performing Arts, St. Paul, Minnesota)
Last fall, I offered just two words to my dear readers: "Drop everything" to get to St. Paul to see
The Full Monty.
In one of those rarest of rarities,
Theater Latté Da's excellent and thoroughly enjoyable production was actually much better than the
Broadway original.
Under
Peter Rothstein's exceptional, confident direction,
Terrence McNally's book and
David Yazbek's underrated score became even more salient, all the more gripping and certainly more entertaining today.
Rothstein's direction was a marvel unto itself. In what was his best production yet, he stripped
The Full Monty down to its grittiest, barest essentials and dressed it up with one of the best ensembles I saw anywhere this past year. No wonder so many Minnesotans shook their money-makers over to the Ordway to catch this sexy, fun and uplifting
Full Monty.
So what were the best new revivals of 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).
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: A Little Night Music, Beauty And The Beast, La Cage Aux Folles, Ragtime, SOB's Best of 2009-10, The Full Monty
Beauty And The Beast (The SOB Review) - Main Hall, Ordway Center For The Performing Arts, St. Paul, Minnesota ***1/2 (out of ****)Certainly, the tale
is as old as time.
By now, even Disney's Oscar-nominated
animated feature may already be showing its years. But I was positively swept away by the
Ordway's stunning new stage revival of
Disney's Beauty And The Beast. It seems like new again.
I had previously seen
Beauty And The Beast on Broadway -- once shortly after it first opened at the
Palace Theatre in 1994 and then again at the
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre a few years before it closed in 2007 when it was really showing its age.
So imagine my surprise and delight in seeing
Robert Johanson's incredibly fresh and fully-realized revival with exceptionally spirited acting (with one glaring exception), boisterous singing and rousing choreography (
Linda Talcott Lee), as well as
Kate Sutton-Johnson's gorgeous set design. Each of these elements popped even more thanks to its incorporation of a massive projection design.
Jeremiah James brings exceptional depth to the role of the Beast, humanizing him with tremendous skill. The comedic triple threat
Jonathan Burgard succeeds in stealing practically every scene by adding real muscle to his Gaston -- why isn't this guy on Broadway? But alas, the wooden
Laurine Price's Belle is out of her element, which is a shame given how essential this Beauty's role is to the story.
Nevertheless, this
Beauty And The Beast offers much for your eyes to behold. And it's perfect holiday entertainment for the entire family.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Beauty And The Beast, Disney, Jeremiah James, Jonathan Burgard, Laurine Price, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, Revival, Robert Johanson, The SOB Review
Demon Barbour?Broadway actor
James Barbour, who has been convicted of a mis-demeanor for "endan-gering the welfare of a minor,"
was sentenced yesterday to 60 days in jail and three years on probation.
Barbour, of course, once played the Beast in the Disney smash
Beauty And The Beast. But I've seen him perform in both Broadway's 2004 "revival" of
Assassins and in the touring production of
Camelot.
After initially denying the charges that he sexually molested a 15 year old girl back in 2001, the actor eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of fondling her after
allegations of impropriety with an even younger girl were leveled against him.
If you're going to do the crime, you've got to do the time. There is some justice here.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Barbour Affair: A Minor Trifle?(January 9, 2008)
Camelot (The SOB Review) (March 15, 2007)
Labels: Assassins, Beauty And The Beast, Broadway, Camelot, Crime, James Barbour
Beauty Out On Broadway
If you polled most Broadway pundits on the musical most likely to depart its boards to make room for another production by the same creative team, I'd wager that most would respond, "
The Producers." After all,
Mel Brooks'
Young Frankenstein is already eagerly anticipated and expected to take over the former's berth at the
St. James Theatre.
But today, the folks at Disney announced they're going to finally put a fork in
Beauty And The Beast, making room at Broadway's
Lunt-Fontaine Theatre for their stage adaptation of their animated screen feature
Little Mermaid.
Beauty And The Beast, of course, was based on the
only all-animation film to ever be Academy Award nominated for Best Picture (1991). However, "
Little Mermaid" is largely credited as
the flick that in 1989 helped rejuvenate Disney's credentials in a declining genre.
I have to be candid. I thoroughly enjoyed the magic of
Beauty And The Beast not long after its 1994 debut at the
Palace Theatre, but when I revisited the show a couple years ago at the Lunt-Fontaine, I was a bit embarrassed by how tired, if not shoddy, the tuner had become.
In recent years, the production has heavily relied on stunt-casting, including the recent turn by former teen idol
Donny Osmond as Gaston, and they actually have an actor worth seeing now that
John Tartaglia (
Avenue Q) is portraying Lumiere. To its credit, the musical still managed to draw a capacity of 80.3% last week for a take of $590,259. But the production looked so thoroughly exhausted when I last saw it, I wished that they would have put this
Beast out of its misery and let it die with dignity long ago.
When Beauty And The Beast finally closes on July 29, it will have had 5,464 regular performances, enough to make it one of the Great White Way's longest running hits -- number 6, to be precise.
The Little Mermaid will make its first splash just a few days before
Beauty And The Beast closes -- July 26 -- at Denver's
Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Opening night on Broadway is currently scheduled just in time for the Holidays on December 6.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Beauty And The Beast, Billy Elliot The Musical, Box Office, Broadway, Closing Notices, Disney, Film, First Word On New Show, Stunt Casting, The Little Mermaid
Stunt Casting That Has Me ReelingAs I've previously written, I'm more than a little dubious on the merits of stunt casting established theatrical shows. While I can understand the desire of producers to attract new audiences, I see little merit in casting shows with actors who simply don't have the gravitas or appropriate age or chops.
Last night, 70s heartthrob
Donny Osmond took on the role of Gaston in Disney's
Beauty And The Beast. Apparently, it doesn't matter that the guy -- who
over thirty years ago was boasting he was "a little bit rock and roll" -- will turn 50 years old next year. I've always envisioned Gaston as being the young, rugged type. I have nothing against Osmond, and you could argue that his prolific family suggests he's pretty virile, but I find it appalling that he would be portraying a character better suited to someone half his age...like his son Donny Osmond, Jr. To be honest, I'd rather see the elder Osmond play Billy Flynn in
Chicago.
Speaking of which, today it was announced that
The Newsless 56-year-old
Huey Lewis would be returning to that decade-old tuner on November 20 and remain with the show until January 14. During the last two weeks of his upcoming stint, he'll co-star with
Bebe Neuwirth who's set to play Roxie Hart. Thanks to Neuwirth's exciting return, I already have my tickets to see her opposite Lewis' Billy Flynn along with an as-yet-to-be-announced actress in the role of Velma Kelly.
Lewis' return to
Chicago will occur just over a month after
Usher's scheduled departure (Usher has just extended through October 14). Sure the young R&B crooner exudes charm. Even critics were at least impressed by his charisma. But the role of Billy Flynn represents the complete flipside of the Gaston coin. As critics have thankfully noted, Flynn should be inhabited by a much more world-weary, jaded and older type. Not someone half Huey Lewis' age! Maybe Disney could enlist Usher for
Beauty And The Beast. It's just a thought.
Finally, even the British stage isn't immune to stunt casting as we saw earlier this summer with
Patrick Swayze being cast in
Guys And Dolls. It should come as no surprise that the West End staging of
Chicago is once again engaging in the practice, this time with 22-year-old lip-synching extraordinaire
Ashlee Simpson as Roxie Hart. Enough said!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Beauty And The Beast tickets.Click here for Chicago (Broadway) tickets.Click here for Chicago (London) tickets.Related Stories:Bebe's Back to Broadway! (September 6, 2006)
Will Usher Razzle Dazzle 'em? (August 22, 2006)
Does London's Guys and Dolls Still Swayze Critics? (August 19, 2006)
We Had It Coming: Chicago's Starry 10th Anniversary (July 26, 2006)
Chicago to Usher in New Billy Flynn (July 14, 2006)
Swayze Lands London's Detroit Role (June 5, 2006)
Labels: Beauty And The Beast, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Guys And Dolls, London, Stunt Casting
Casting Call (Week Ending May 21, 2006)
Although theatrical news over the past two weeks has largely been devoted to late 2005-06 season openings, as well as award nominations and wins, there has also been a significant number of announcements pertaining to upcoming productions and their casts.
While the casting news that may have received the most buzz has been that surrounding Hugh Jackman and his participation in the Taylor Hackford-helmed workshop of
Leap of Faith (based on the 1992 movie with Steve Martin), perhaps the most noteworthy report surrounds recently-minted Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s return to the stage in LAByrinth Theater’s
Jack Goes Boating. I last saw Hoffman in the haunting semi-autobiographic Broadway portrait of Eugene O’Neill’s family in
Long Day’s Journey Into Night a few years ago in which Hoffman co-starred alongside Tony Award-winners Brian Denehy, Vanessa Redgrave and Robert Sean Leonard. In
Jack Goes Boating, beginning this winter, Hoffman will be joined by John Ortiz and the always delightful Daphne Rubin-Vega.
As for Jackman, it’s clear that his participation is much in demand as he’s also been rumored to be sought for a new Joe Mantello-helmed Broadway revival of
Pal Joey, as well as
Stop the World, I Want to Get Off. Celebrated choreographer Matthew Bourne’s name has also been attached to the
Pal Joey revival. As Jackman demonstrated through his triumphant, Tony Award-winning portrayal of Peter Allen in
The Boy From Oz, he can turn even the most dubious of roles into a tour-de-force performance. He was absolutely remarkable. The only drawback in that show was that he was compelled to impersonate the nasally Allen rather than using his glorious, natural voice. Regardless of which production he’s ultimately attached to, I’m looking forward to once again enjoying this gifted performer.
Other recent and noteworthy casting includes. . . . Disney’s announcement that Donny Osmond -- often the perennial Joseph in various productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat -- will soon be the new Gaston in the long-running Broadway hit
Beauty and the Beast. I’ll be interested in learning whether Osmond has seriously bulked up or will simply use padding to play Belle’s dim suitor . . . . Tony Award-winner Chuck Cooper will join 80s pop idol-turned-Broadway actress Deborah Gibson in Van Hill Entertainment’s production of
Saint Heaven, a spiritually-toned musical love story that begins performances at the Stamford (CT) Center for the Arts, June 1-11. I last saw Gibson in the role of
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella opposite Eartha Kitt’s fairy Godmother several years ago. . . . Jeremy Kushnier, Andy Karl and his real-life wife Orfeh will star in the musical version of
Bright Lights, Big City. Karl, whom I originally saw in
Disney’s On the Record in 2004, has made quite a name for himself over the past year, particularly with his Off-Broadway role in the much-lauded
Altar Boyz, as well as his lead role in
Slut.
Bright Lights, Big City -- the new adaptation of the famed Jay McInerny novel -- will descend on Philadelphia’s Prince Music Theater, beginning June 14 for a limited premiere engagement. . . . and finally, Linda Gray leads the casting in the stage adaptation of
Terms of Endearment, which has already been announced as part of the upcoming season in both Houston and Hartford in 2007. Gray is undoubtedly best known for her years portraying Sue Ellen Ewing on television’s “Dallas.” But more recently, she assumed the role of Mrs. Robinson in the stage version of
The Graduate.
Expect more exciting casting news in the weeks ahead.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Jack Goes Boating/LAByrinth ticket information.
Click here for Beauty and the Beast (Broadway) tickets.
Click here for Saint Heaven tickets.
Click here for Bright Lights, Big City tickets
Click here for Terms of Endearment (Houston Alley) ticket information.
Related Stories:Casting Call (Week Ending June 7, 2006) (June 7, 2006)
Labels: Beauty And The Beast, Casting Changes, Donny Osmond, Hugh Jackman, Jack Goes Boating, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Pal Joey, Philip Seymour Hoffmann, Stunt Casting, The Boy From Oz
