While you might think it's the rare Broadway show that plays on a Monday, six current productions offer performances when the rest of the Great White Way takes a well-deserved rest.
Even on Labor Day.
So this year, as I offer my holiday greetings, I'd like to offer my own special salute to the hardworking men and women in the cast and crew of the following shows who are troupers in every way.
And to work on this Labor Day holiday? They have my respect and admiration.
Broadway shows performing on Labor Day 2010 include:
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Since the preview for the Chicago-based play only hints at the subject matter, here's the theatre's online description:
In 1959 Russ and Bev are selling their desirable two-bed at a knock-down price. This enables the first Black family to move into the neighbourhood, creating ripples of discontent amongst the cosy white urbanites of Clybourne Park. In 2009, the same property is being bought by Lindsey and Steve whose plans to raze the house and start again is met with a similar response. Are the issues festering beneath the floorboards actually the same fifty years on?
Bruce Norris’ (The Pain And The Itch) satirical new play explores the fault line between race and property.
Regular readers will know that it was Norris' excellent Purple HeartwithLaurie Metcalfthat forever won me over to the cutting-edge charms of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, which ironically (I'm sure) is just a stone's throw from Clybourne Avenue. Additionally, it was Norris' biting The Pain And The Itch that first exposed me to fierce acting talents offered by Steppenwolf's exceptional ensemble members Tracy Letts, Kate Arrington, Mariann Mayberry and James Vincent Meredith. Tony-winning director Anna D. Shapiro helmed both of those works, as well as the recent Steppenwolf premiere of Norris' very latest, A Parallelogram.
Clybourne Park has already received a flat-out rave from the West End Whingers. I'll be curious to hear from my other friends in London how they received Clybourne Park, which to date, has been mounted at Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons, but not yet on Broadway or at Steppenwolf.
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Yesterday, it was announced that the current Off-Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder's classic Our Town will close September 12, 2010.
David Cromer's stunning revival has been nothing short of transcendent stage entertainment since it first arrived in New York City from Chicago in February 2009. Prior to its present incarnation at Off-Broadway's intimate Barrow Street Theatre in the West Village, Cromer first mounted Our Town during The Hypocrites' 2007-08 Season and then again from September 30 through October 26, 2008.
Once the production hit the Big Apple, the director became the toast of the town and the revival became an award-winning sensation. Our Town began previews at Barrow Street on February 17, 2009, and then opened on February 26. Cromer would earn Obie and Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Director, and the show itself would win the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Production in 2009.
This past December 16, after playing its 337th performance, Cromer's Our Town made theatre history by becoming the all-time longest running production of Wilder's enduring work.
Personally, I was absolutely blown away by the production when I first saw it a year ago last spring. Its mesmerizing images still linger in my mind. As a result of seeing this version of Our Town, a show that I admit to having long since dismissed after seeing it one too many times, I could not stop talking about how Cromer and his team had completely converted me to a believer in the play's unspoken charms. Seeing it also made me actively seek out other shows with Cromer at the helm.
On that point, there's another mind-blowing Cromer revival still playing in suburban Chicago. That's A Streetcar Named Desire. If you're anywhere near Chicago, you can't afford to miss this excellent production. Coincidentally, it too is set to close, in this case on August 12 after three extensions. Curiously, the production space at Glencoe's Writers' Theatre is not unlike that at Barrow Street, and high profilereviews would suggest that New York producers may have been contemplating a transfer, if not to Barrow Street, then to a venue very much like it. Personally, I would love to see Streetcar take Our Town's place.
Whatever the future holds for Streetcar, Our Town's life is drawing to an inevitable, yet celebratory close. Helen Hunt will serve as the stage manager through Sunday, August 1 (I'll be in the audience for the Saturday matinee). On August 3, Michael McKean will return to the role he first assumed earlier this spring. Then on August 24, David Cromer himself will usher out the show he brought to breathtaking life right through its September 12 closing.
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If you're among my regular Steve On Broadway (SOB) readers, surely by now you know that the Broadway musical Wicked rates as the tuner the Love Of My Life (LOML) and I have adopted as "Our Show."
While some couples have their song, we have our musical. And we make no apologies for it whatsoever.
If you've ever wondered what a major international blockbuster this show has become, consider this -- worldwide, Wicked has grossed over $1.9 billion and it has entertained more than 24 million people, who have seen it in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and Australia. Soon, it will also be seen in Finland and Denmark.
While the musical has that tagline, "So much happened before Dorothy dropped in," so much has happened with Wicked since I last wrote about the show late last year. Here's a rundown on Wicked's global reach, where it is currently playing and where it will be performing:
Wicked - Broadway Gershwin Theatre - New York, New York
After opening October 30, 2003, to mixed reviews, the original production of Wicked is still going strong.
Not only does it regularly rank as the top grossing Broadway show week after week, but after more than six and a half years, it's also one of those rare shows that still sells every single seat.
Tonight, it will have played its 2755th performance, and it ranks as the 18th longest running show in Broadway history. By year's end, it will eclipse Hello, Dolly! currently in 17th place.
From my own tally, my LOML and I have seen the show on Broadway at least six times, most recently about a year ago when I found the musical still in tiptop shape.
Wicked - San Francisco Orpheum Theatre - San Francisco, California
Once the Los Angeles sitdown production closed January 11, 2009, after 791 performances, the company moved up the coast to San Francisco, which was home to the initial Broadway tryout that opened June 10, 2003.
The San Francisco sitdown production opened February 6, 2009, and is currently slated to close on September 5, 2010, after playing a total of 672 regular performances.
While my LOML and I never saw the show in LA, we enjoyed a performance at San Francisco's Orpheum last September when Patty Duke was portraying Madame Morrible.
The two national touring companies of Wicked are still going strong, typically pulling into a major city (and many second-tier cities) for an entire month.
Currently, the tour schedule for two companies run through next summer in Omaha and Washington, DC.
To date, I've seen the touring companies perform four times: once in Chicago (not counting all the times I subsequently saw its sitdown production there), twice in Minneapolis and one more time in Des Moines.
While the touring company doesn't come with all the bells and whistles of the Broadway or other sitdown productions, the stagecraft ranks among the best I've ever seen in any touring show, and the casts are every bit as good as you'll find anywhere.
Wicked - London Apollo Victoria Theatre, London, United Kingdom
As the first international production Wicked to open, this production was voted "Most Popular Show" by audiences earlier this year in a special Olivier Award category.
The West End incarnation of Wicked opened September 27, 2006, and enjoyed its 1500th performance on April 23, 2010. The show is currently booking through April 30, 2011.
My LOML and I caught a performance in April 2007. Of all our Wicked experiences, this ranked as the weakest of the bunch. But I readily admit it could have just been an off-performance.
The first foreign-language version of Wicked opened June 17, 2007, at Tokyo's Shiki Theatre. The Japanese-language production closed September 6, 2009, before transferring to Osaka, where it opened October 11, 2009. The show is still playing.
At the close of 2007, my LOML and I journeyed to see the Tokyo production. If you've never seen an American musical in a different language, it's quite a unique experience. Fortunately, since we already knew the show backwards and forwards, we had little difficulty following it. Since that time, we've purchased the Japanese language cast recording, and it's a real hoot to listen to.
On November 15, 2007, the second non-English language production of Wicked opened.
This time, Wicked - Die Hexen von Oz (or "The Witches of Oz) was produced entirely in German at Stuttgart's Palladium Theater. After closing January 29, 2010, it transferred to Oberhausen's Metronom Theater, where it opened March 9 and is still performing.
For the first time in our Wicked experience, my LOML and I enjoyed front-row seats when taking in the Stuttgart production over Thanksgiving 2007. We thought this incarnation had some of the best talent we had ever seen in the show, and when the cast recording was issued that December, we couldn't resist in purchasing it immediately.
Wicked - Sydney Capitol Theatre - Sydney, Australia
Given Australians' penchant for calling their nation "Oz," it was inevitable that Wicked would find its way there.
On July 12, 2008, Wicked opened at Melbourne's Regent Theatre. As the musical's fourth international production, it played there through August 9, 2009, having enjoyed 464 performances.
On September 12, 2009, Wicked opened in Sydney, where it continues to play at the Capitol Theatre and breaking records as the venue's highest grossing musical. While the show is currently slated to close exactly one year after it opened (September 12, 2010), it will continue to live on Down Under. My LOML and I will see the production on the evening of August 18.
In January 2011, Wicked will transfer to Brisbane's Lyric Theatre, followed by an April 2011 opening at Adelaide's Festival Theatre.
Wicked - Helsinki Helsingin Kaupungin Teatteri - Helsinki, Finland
On August 26, 2010, the first non-replicated production of Wicked premieres in Helsinki of all places.
Non-replicated essentially means it will be staged differently than the Broadway original with its own production and creative team. And it will be mounted in Finnish.
Currently, this production of Wicked is selling tickets through December 31, 2010.
Beginning in January 2011, the second non-replicated production of Wicked takes root, this time in Denmark. Currently, Wicked - Heksene Fra Oz is scheduled through May 2011. This production will be in Danish.
To date, my LOML and I have made over 20 visits to Wicked beginning with our first time at the Gershwin on November 1, 2003. Since then, we've seen the show in nine different venues in five different countries.
Where in the world will our fascination with Wicked take us next? Only the time dragon clock knows for sure.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
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Now it's been confirmed that Deanna Dunagan and Rondi Reed will reprise their magnificent Tony-winning turns as Violet Weston and Mattie Fae Aiken, respectively, one more time at the Sydney Theatre Company's Main Stage.
Other casting includes Molly Ranson (Jean Fordham) who was a Broadway replacement in the role of Jean Fordham, and three members of the London cast: Chelcie Ross (Beverly Weston), Paul Vincent O'Connor (Charlie Aiken) and Gary Cole (Steve Heidebrecht). As Little Charles, only Gary Wilmes is completely new to the cast.
Wilmes replaces Ian Barford, husband of August: Osage County director Anna D. Shapiro. Not only will Barford will tend to his fatherly duties back home while Shapiro once again shapes the show in Sydney, but Steppenwolf audiences will see him on their boards again this September in Detroitalongside Laurie Metcalf.
August: Osage County begins performances at the Sydney Theatre Company August 13 with previews on August 14 and 16. The play opens Down Under on August 17 and performances are currently scheduled through September 25.
Once again, as in his Our Town and Brighton Beach Memoirs, Cromer has carefully pulled back the cover on what we know about an enduring stage classic. In doing so, he's expertly pinpointed its deepest emotional core with exacting precision. The revelations, even for someone who's seen the work countless times before, are at once astounding and exhilarating.
As with those two other works, he has shrewdly reassembled this masterpiece to perfection. The result here is A Streetcar that ingeniously illuminates Blanche duBois' desires and repulsions, often at the very same moment. It is a rare production that sends chills tingling through my body once, let alone in spades the way this exciting revival has done. I had goosebumps from near the top of the second act right through its heartwrenching conclusion.
Cromer's vision in mounting this work is aided tremendously by the incredibly intimate Writers' Theatre space itself, with audience completely encircling the stage, which Collette Pollard has marvelously designed to evoke the smallish New Orleans home of Stanley (a magnificent Matt Hawkins) and Stella Kowalski (a stellar Stacy Stoltz). While fellow patrons for this theatrical event sit opposite you across the stage, they merely blend into the Kowalskis' invisible wallpaper as it becomes nearly impossible to take your eyes away from the acting brilliance unfolding before your eyes.
In fact, if this Streetcar were any more accessible, the audience would be sitting in the Kowalskis' two-story home with the cast. Never before has this play seemed more genuine or real. And there's not a weak member to be found among this outstanding ensemble.
Natasha Lowe provides the ultimate incandescent performance as Blanche, whose past hangs more vividly than a specter over her pretense. In Lowe, nuance knows no bounds as her Blanche completely captivates, particularly when disclosing to her potential paramour Mitch (the gentle, affecting Danny McCarthy) how her last real relationship abruptly came to its end (bravo here to Heather Gilbert for her subtle and masterful lighting design). It's the first of many harrowing discoveries that took my breath away as no other previous revival I've seen.
Speaking of nuance, Hawkins and Stoltz add significant shades of depth to Stanley and Stella, respectively. Hawkins' electrifying performance humanizes Stanley to the point where you reconsider everything you've ever thought about his boorish behavior. As Stella, Stoltz more than holds her own, becoming more than just a mere pawn in the battle between her husband and sister.
If there's such a thing as beyond excellent, this A Streetcar Named Desire is it. Do whatever you can to get to Glencoe, Illinois, prior to July 11 to see this classic as you've never seen it before.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
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Tobacco Road (The SOB Review) - American Blues Theater, Richard Christiansen Theater at Victory Gardens, Chicago, Illinois
*** (out of ****)
There's a voracious appetite down on rural Georgia's impoverished Tobacco Road in desperate need of being sated.
Not only is the hunger for nourishment among its poor souls palpable, but so, too, is an accompanying sexual thirst that seemingly can't be quenched. As presented in Cecilie Keenan's gritty and raw revival of Jack Kirkland's 1932 landmark play, that includes going to the proverbial well -- displayed here, quite literally, within James Leaming's ramshackle scenic design -- once too often.
Kirkland's script has been dusted off a bit, to be sure, but it's easy to understand why this work may have served as sustenance for the Great Depression's generation of theatregoers. While there's plenty of humor to be found, Tobacco Road paints a picture so bleak and horrific, that audiences surely couldn't help but walk away feeling a little better about their lots in life. Indeed, the show still ranks as Broadway's second longest running play of all time, clocking in at 3,182 performances spanning seven and a half years.
With raw sexual energy not merely bubbling beneath the surface but often overflowing, the play is imbued with a heightened sense of urgency and yearning. The urgency is manifested in myriad fears over loss of land, life and love, as the inhabitants along this dusty stretch yearn for something, anything, better than their miserable lives.
Keenan's deft direction and exceptional American Blues Theater ensemble members infuse this Tobacco Road with a kinetic level of energy that's remarkably contemporary and years ahead of its time (in 1935, Chicago Mayor Edward J. Kelly deemed the play obscene and unsuccessfully sought to have the show shut down).
A disheveled Dennis Cockrum excels as Jeeter Lester, a downtrodden and incestuous sharecropper who'd sooner sell his own daughter, if not his soul, to survive. The tremendous Carmen Roman delivers a shattering performance as his broken wife Ada, whose only wishes are for one nice dress and for her favorite daughter Pearl (Laura Coover) to escape their misery for a better life in Augusta. As the youngest of the Lesters' 17 children, Dude (Matthew Brumlow) and Ellie May (Gwendolyn Whiteside) are prime examples of the shallow end of the gene pool; both Brumlow and Whiteside are superb at finding its depths. And the pitch-perfect Kate Buddeke absolutely radiates brilliance as the proselytizing yet subversive Sister Bessie Rice, whose hands aren't necessarily of the healing variety as much as they are of the fondling kind.
Tobacco Road's timely truths and allegories prove once and for all the road to hell is paved with anything but good intentions. But the American Blues Theater certainly makes it worth our while to travel down this road most of us don't dare to tread.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
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The Brother / Sister Plays (The SOB Review) - Upstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, Illinois
**** (out of ****)
Imagine my utter disappointment when I realized at the January 31 opening night celebration for Steppenwolf's production of The Brother / Sister Plays--Tarrell Alvin McCraney's excellent and deeply poetic trilogy -- that I would only see two of the three parts.
Somehow, I had neglected to read the notice that if I had wanted to seeIn The Red And Brown Waterthat same day, I needed to get there in the early afternoon. But after being completely enthralled by the lyrical power of The Brothers Size / Marcus; Or The Secret Of Sweet, there was just no way I was not going to return to see what is essentially the first act.
Standing as a towering achievement, not only for the incredibly young yet wise-beyond-his-years playwright, but also for its outstanding ensemble, The Brother / Sister Plays may ultimately prove to be the most important new work of this new decade. It's honest depiction of life as McCraney knew it in New Orleans coupled with a fanciful air provides a tremendously satisfying depth.
While director Tina Landau only helmed portions of this sweeping work prior to its Steppenwolf engagement, her singular focus here ensures that McCraney's gift for language dances just as soulfully as the beautifully choreographed In The Red And Brown Water. Each play is anchored by the impeccable K. Todd Freeman as Ogun Size, arguably the heart pulsating throughout this ambitious work; Freeman imbues Ogun with a rare level of humanity that makes him simply breathtaking to watch.
Few shows have moved me over the past year like The Brother / Sister Plays. While each segment could stand on its own, its the confluence of all three together that make this a must-see work. It's truly marvelous in every sense of the word.
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SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #1 - August: Osage County (2007, Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, IL/2008, Imperial Theatre, New York City, NY/2008, Music Box Theatre, New York City, NY/2008, Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, London, United Kingdom)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm 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.
Was there any doubt that August: Osage Countywould ranks as my favorite show of the decade?
Since first being blown away in the Windy City by Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece back in (appropriately enough) August 2007, I've devoted considerable space to the best-written, best-acted play I've ever seen at Chicago's Steppenwolf, and that's no small feat.
In August: Osage County, Letts has constructed an absolutely brilliant, riotous script that provided for one stellar performance after another by its excellent ensemble. During its acclaimed Broadway run, the play ran even deeper, packing a more lethal, visceral punch than what I saw in Chicago, hitting even harder with greater precision that I would not have even thought possible. Credit Anna D. Shapiro for sharpening this play into a razor-sharp, whip-smart American classic. It was even funnier, too. In London, it took on additional shadings for me as an indictment on American society for the many grievances that came to roost as our economy went over a cliff.
Deanna Dunagan (Violet) delivered a bravura performance for the ages as the matriarch of the Weston clan. But she was matched by an equally stunning ensemble, with Amy Morton giving as good as she got, and even better, as Violet's daughter Barbara; Rondi Reed's Mattie Fae was likely to remind you of your favorite, if she wasn't so crazy, aunt; and Francis Guinan as Mattie Fae's long-suffering husband Charlie offered a sweet dignity to the proceedings, especially when tempered by one of the play's many revelations exposing the startling truth about his own son.
Since first seeing the show in Chicago, I've known that I had witnessed something very, very special in the world of live theatre. Upon considerable reflection, I can attest that this is the best new theatrical work I've seen over the last ten years. It most certainly was almost my personal favorite of the decade.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for each of these performances.
SOB's Theatrical Firsts Of The Noughties: For The First Time In My Life I'm Feeling A Little Wicked
Over the course of the last decade, I’ve been truly fortunate to enjoy a number of enlightening firsts in my personal theatergoing that have only served to increase my deep and abiding love for the art form known as live theatre. What follows is one of my ten favorite experiences of the last ten years.
As I mentioned in my earlier post about my love affair with Steppenwolf, the other Love Of My Life (LOML) and I have been together for two-thirds of this decade.
It was less than four months into our relationship that we made our first trip together to the Great White Way. A couple months before we had even met, I had secured tickets to Wicked, which was still a half year away from its Broadway opening.
Two days after the musical opened, LOML and I went to see Wicked. I was mindful that critics had been less than charitable toward it in their reviews. But perhaps our excitement over the show began when we arrived and were awed by our fifth row center seats. Our deep appreciation for “The Wizard of Oz” only heightened our appreciation for and enjoyment of Wicked, which is actually much more clever than some critics cared to admit. As we left the theatre, our feet were practically floating off the floor. We loved Wicked and couldn’t wait to see it again.
In the more than six years that have passed, we have indulged ourselves by returning to Wicked more times than we can remember. We returned to Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre at least a half dozen more times. While we lived in Chicago, we saw the first tour blow through as well as the first sit-down production outside of New York; we’ve seen the show there at least seven times. Additionally, we took in two tour stops: Minneapolis (twice) and Des Moines. We missed the Los Angeles sit-down production, yet managed to see it this year after it transferred to San Francisco.
We’ve also managed to experience this phenomenon overseas, first in London, then in Stuttgart (Germany) and then in Tokyo, all in 2007. Last year, we traveled our farthest distance, all the way to Melbourne, Australia, to see Wicked on our fourth continent together. We can’t wait to see where the show will land next so we can add more stamps to our passports .
When my LOML and I last returned the Gershwin earlier this year, our visit was truly extraordinary. We now knew someone in the show who not only arranged house seats for us (which we paid for, FTC!), but also guided us on a backstage tour once the performance had concluded.
We were met by the actor’s dresser, who took us behind the curtain to our friend’s dressing room. From there, our friend took us on the stage of the Gershwin Theatre, which by then was dimly lit by the musical’s ghost light. But what an amazing vantage point to look out at that huge house and realize how much bigger the set looked from there than it did up close. It was a perfect capper to six years of seeing this show from coast-to-coast and around the world, creating memories that will last the rest of our lives.
Some couples have “their song.” For my LOML and I, we have our musical, and it’s name is Wicked -- a show that never ceases to entertain or hold us in its spell and continues to provide that joy, that thrill, always thrilling us like we think it will.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for every single performance of Wicked.
The Addams Family (The SOB Review) - Oriental Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
** (out of ****)
The pivotal clan on display in The Addams Family musical doesn’t exactly epitomize “all together ooky,” but they most certainly turn out to be more than just a little kooky.
No, I don’t mean the eponymous brood, portrayed by some major stars from the theatrical firmament, each practically begging for their turns in the spotlight in this new tuner. Rather, I’m talking about Mal and Alice Beineke, along with their son Lucas, who’s newly engaged to Wednesday Addams.
What? Never heard of them? Neither had I.
Suffice to say, I could not have cared less about them, either. In short, they weren’t the family I was paying to see. Talk about mysterious and spooky.
Nor was I paying to see a retread of La Cage Aux Folles. As in that work, conservative parents meet more flamboyant ones before their children marry, the child of the flamboyant parents tries and fails to rein them in, chaos ensues, everybody learns to love their inner freak, etc., etc. We’re seen this all before, but executed infinitely better. And with more verve and heart.
Therein lay the principal problems with this musical stage adaptation of Charles Addams’ famously funny and macabre New Yorker cartoons. What were the creative minds behind this show thinking?
Quite inexplicably, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice’s book and Andrew Lippa’s tunes have pushed the Beineke bunch forward complete with star turns for Terrence Mann (Mal) and Carolee Carmello (Alice). However, they come at the expense of a truly satisfying, original story, not to mention at the expense of those cast as the titular family.
Now please don’t get me wrong, I can’t blame Mann or Carmello. Both are actually pretty terrific. They imbue Wednesday’s would-be in-laws with a certain charm and ultimate giddiness that all but eludes Gomez (Nathan Lane) and Morticia Addams (Bebe Neuwirth). The Beinekes' very presence virtually sucks all the joy out of the two characters in whom the audience already has the most invested. And what are The Addams Family without joy? This should be fun, right?!
Lane and Neuwirth make due as best they can with the pitiable trifle they’ve been thrown, including a sidebar story in which Morticia misconstrues Gomez’s comments on youth and beauty as an ageist indictment on her. If this musical is to be true to Charles Addams’ original vision, as it claims, would this already ghoulish character really care about being one step closer to the grave? Wouldn’t that be viewed as a welcome departure for this family?
While we’re on the topic of Addams’ concepts, the advance billing for this musical also seemed to suggest that there would be no allusions to the television comedy and subsequentfilms. Rather than dispensing with any such nod to those works at the onset of the tuner and simply move on, directors Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch have inserted their impressive homage to the TV show’s snappy theme song about a third of the way into the first act. But it needlessly diverts focus away from whatever story has already commenced.
All is not lost in this Addams Family. No, I actually admire McDermott and Crouch’s evocative scenic design, rich in dark reds and the requisite blacks. Supplemented by Natasha Katz’s lighting, the stage is resplendent with a creepy vibe.
Additionally, two of the Addamses are actually captured to absolute perfection. Kevin Chamberlin ’s Uncle Fester gleefully manages to steal the show with a glorious dream sequence number in which he’s courting the moon. And as Grandma, the woefully underused Jackie Hoffman may have found her solo tune cut on the way to opening night in favor of those star turns by Mann and Carmello, yet she manages the last laugh, almost literally, during the first act’s dinner sequence as she ad libs to hilarious effect -- during my performance, it was one incredibly funny, timely dig at Tiger Woods.
Do I think that this Addams Family can be salvaged? Absolutely. Not only because so much is at stake financially, but especially since it contains universally loved and established characters, a stellar cast and some exceptional design elements.
Yet in order to be Broadway ready, it will take more than just a tweak here and slight adjustment there. This demands a wholesale overhaul of focus and plot. Here’s a novel idea, why don’t Brickman and Elice give us a snappier story on how The Addams Family got to be so eccentric in the first place? Whatever they do, they need to re-center this musical on the folks in the title.
Then maybe, just maybe, it could be a complete scream when people come to see ‘em.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for The Addams Family.
SOB's Theatrical Firsts Of The Noughties: My Steppenwolf Love Affair
Over the course of the last decade, I’ve been truly fortunate to enjoy a never-ending number of enlightening firsts in my personal theatregoing. Each has only served to increase my deep and abiding love for the art form known as live theatre. What follows is one of my ten favorite experiences of the last ten years.
While Time magazine may have dubbed the Noughties as “the decade from hell” with myriad reasons to support that claim, I’ll always remember the last ten years for my introduction to the two great loves of my life.
Aside from The Love Of My Life, who has been my soul mate and partner in crime around the world for the last two-thirds of the decade, my other noteworthy love affair that continues to flourish is with a Chicago-based non-profit that has been providing me with nearly ten years of intellectual stimulation since I first laid eyes on its breathtaking work.
Back in 2001, prior to the horrific attacks of 9/11 that forever altered our outlook on life, I had the opportunity to take in an excellent revival of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest at Broadway’s then Royale Theatre. The Terry Kinney-helmed play had just won the Tony for Best Revival, so I was buzzing with anticipation. As only a budding theatre aficionado at that time, I was still unfamiliar with Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre or its stellar reputation. But as the curtain fell on that show, I was already blown away by the likes of Steppenwolf co-founder Gary Sinise as Randle P. McMurphy and ensemble member Amy Morton as the notorious Nurse Ratched. With an indelible impression made, I wanted to know more about this theatre company. Steppenwolf was forever on my personal radar.
Fast forward to the summer of 2002 when one of my close friends from Australia was visiting the United States. Paul Battye had a very limited itinerary, but one of the places on it was Chicago. Since I had pledged I’d meet up with him somewhere during the course of his trip, I decided that I’d make my way to the Windy City. Once there, I learned that near the top of his to-do list was taking in a production at Steppenwolf. While our other local friends passed on the opportunity, I said I was in.
He told me that the production currently playing was something called Purple Heart. To be honest, I could have cared less what it was since I was excited I’d have a chance to see a Steppenwolf production on its own home turf. Little did I know that my captivation from seeing Bruce Norris’ compelling play starring Christopher Evan Welch, Rosemary Prinz and Laurie Metcalf would make a devoted personal involvement with Steppenwolf inevitable.
Less than three years later, I took a position with a major PR firm in Chicago, of all places (where, among other things, I learned about the increasingly vital role that blogging would play in mass media and a burgeoning social networking). Because another friend of mine was already involved in Steppenwolf’s Auxiliary Council’s Board of Governors and recognized my deep-seated love for live theatre as well as my enormous respect for this Chicago institution, he asked if I had any interest in joining that group. I didn’t even hesitate in saying “yes.”
By the time I left Chicago barely a year later for other professional opportunities, I had become deeply immersed in the Steppenwolf culture. Talk about a tight knit organization. I had seen almost every show their three stages offered, and I had become acquainted with so many exceptional people behind the scenes that I simply could not let go. Icing on the cake was having one opportunity after another in meeting many of the exceptional array of ensemble actors.
Because moving away from Chicago presented its own challenges in my ability in providing a minimum level of commitment I believed necessary toward contributing as a solid member of the Board of Governors, I ultimately resigned from the body sometime in 2006, but pledged my support via the next best means: financially. I am proud to say I’m a member of Steppenwolf’s Director’s Circle of donors. I believe so wholeheartedly in this extraordinary theatre company that I am pleased to lend it my financial support.
One of the benefits of being a Director’s Circle donor is that I regularly attend nearly all of the opening nights of Steppenwolf’s seasons. While I can’t say that I’ve seen each and every production with the same level of enjoyment, I profess that each has challenged me in profound ways I could never have anticipated.
Despite my ongoing support, I have not shied away from telling you how I really feel about productions I have reviewed in this space. However, it probably goes without saying that the majority of Steppenwolf’s productions have made me enormously proud to be counted as one of its supporters -- otherwise, why would I continue to support it?
Certainly the best of those productions I’ve seen is a little Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play you may have heard of: August: Osage County. Due to an unfortunate scheduling conflict, I was unable to get back to Chicago for its opening night, but when I hit the Windy City just a couple weeks later and took in the production, I was simply blown away by its depth and breadth.
All my pride in Steppenwolf came gushing out in ways it never had before. I suddenly found myself championing a Broadway transfer for Tracy Letts’ superb work. I even mentioned in my SOB Review that this play deserved Pulitzer Prize buzz.
While I wasn’t able to get to the delayed August: Osage County’s opening night on Broadway due to major upheavals in my professional life (which ultimately worked out for the best), I did manage to see the show threetimes on the Great White Way. I also had the rare opportunity to personally cheer it on in live at the 2008 Tony Awards and afterwards at the show’s very own Tony party, and even finally saw an opening night when most of the original cast transferred to London’s National Theatre a year ago last Thanksgiving.
Now, I’ve begun contemplating a journey Down Under for this play’s mounting at the Sydney Theatre Company with many of its original cast, but in the meantime, I can’t wait to see it again next spring as it tours the United States.
As for Steppenwolf itself, it’s been an honor and quite a thrill to continue supporting this vital organization and take in each new play that opens there. But to bring this post full circle, I have to thank Steppenwolf’s Director of Development Sandy Karuschak. You see, I recently regaled her on how it was love at first sight with Steppenwolf by taking in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. And you know what? Barely a week later, she graciously sent me an exquisite poster from the show autographed by the entire cast – a keepsake of my ongoing love affair that I’ll forever treasure.
So, I'll close out this first post of my decade's worth of personal firsts by saying, if you’ve never been to Steppenwolf in Chicago, you haven’t seen live theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I more than paid my own way for each of the performances outlined, although as noted above, the theatre was kind enough to recognize my love for it by sending me a poster. Eat your heart out, FTC.
SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #24 - Superior Donuts (2008, Downstairs Theatre, Chicago, Illinois/2009, Music Box Theatre, New York, New York)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.
Tracy Letts' profoundly moving Superior Donuts intelligently combats some urban myths about race. Thanks in large measure to Tina Landau's loving direction and outstanding, memorable performances from a superb ensemble led by Michael McKean and Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts feels genuine, gritty and real, right down to its climactic brawl.
Losing himself in a most unglamorous role, McKean anchored both the premiere production and its subsequent Great White Way outing with amazing humility. Hill provided one of the most memorable Broadway debuts in recent memory. With plenty of humanity and heart to be found deep inside of this thoughtful and entertaining play, I dare anyone not to be touched.
If you still haven't seen this show that closes January 3, 2010, it really is time to make the Donuts.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for each performance.
Mistakes Were Made (The SOB Review) - A Red Orchid Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
*** (out of ****)
Felix Artifex, the bumptious, brash antihero of Craig Wright's caustically funny new comedy Mistakes Were Made, certainly is much too preoccupied to even ponder the old proverb that "Desperate times call for desperate measures."
Yet this blustery, sell-out of a would-be Broadway producer who clearly hasn't had a recent hit, if ever, is the epitome of that saying. He certainly has volumes over which to despair.
Played with a daring degree of delirious dexterity by Michael Shannon, Felix is willing to gamble everything he has on the chance to stage his first world premiere on the Great White Way. As part of his garish gambit, Mistakes Were Made aplenty and more are fully loaded.
Already, Felix has toted up some doozies including alienating and losing his wife for reasons that become all too clear. In the name of compromise, Felix is all too willing to throw his playwright and his French Revolutionary work under the bus in the name of snagging a hot young actor to sell tickets for his production. He's also willing to lie to everyone from his director to his money people. And speaking of money, he's in such dire need of it, he tries moving shipments of sheep through an unnamed, yet all too familiar wartorn theatre.
Subtle he's not. Yet as abrassive, shallow and difficult as Felix becomes, Shannon suffuses his role with just enough dignity that you find yourself cheering him on as he banters via telephone with an unseen cavalcade of characters. With the exception of his mostly heard but rarely seen secretary (Mierka Girten), Mistakes Were Made is as close as any play can get to being a one-man-show without truly being one. As Shannon gets revved up, his Felix exhibits more than a whiff of desperation -- he perspires so precipitously and progressively that you're practically waiting for him to keel over dead from a heart attack. Shannon's nearly heartstopping turn is the very definition of a tour de force performance.
Wright's largely one-sided dialogue is mostly whipsaw smart, especially with an unceasing barrage of seemingly throw-away lines that add tremendously to Felix's depth, thanks in no small part to Dexter Bullard's deft direction. While Wright's Middle Eastern tangent is less sheepish than contrived, it does manage to tie-up lines 3, 4, 5 and 7 of Felix's incoming calls to uproarious initial effect.
Despite a few missteps, Mistakes Were Made is a jaunty, juicy laugh-out-loud comedy that would simply be a mistake to miss.
The world premiere of Mistakes Were Made concludes its limited run at the very intimate 75-seat A Red Orchid Theatre on October 23. Another production of Mistakes Were Madewill open at Connecticut's Hartford Stage October 29.
Yesterday came official news that Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig are Broadway-bound this September in what is sure to be one of the 2009-10 Theatrical Season's hottest tickets.
As everyone knows, neither of these two actors are just another couple of pretty faces.
Jackman, of course, scored bigtime with his heartbreaking take on the late Peter Allen inThe Boy From Ozback in 2003. Almost in spite of the lackluster material, the Australian actor soared high above it, winning praise, adoring fans and a permanent place in the hearts of Broadway theatregoers with his Tony-winning performance.
As for Craig, although this marks his Broadway debut, he's an established stage presence in London theatre circles. Long before he captured the public's attention as James Bond, he first made his mark doing Shakespeare in the National Youth Theatre when he was just 16. Craig burnished his stage credentials with West End roles, including in the Royal National Theatre's original London production of Angels In America; Craig played four roles, including Joseph Porter Pitt.
...a gritty, rich, thick, poetic and entirely gripping noir tale of two Chicago police officers whose inner need to serve and protect both consumes them and rips them apart.... [T]he storytelling skills of this Iowa-trained playwright are truly remarkable.
A Steady Rain will pour at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre beginning September 10 with opening night slated for September 29. The limited engagement will run through December 6.
Expect a deluge at the box office (American Express cardholders get first dibs tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. EDT via Telecharge). If it goes dry, then the economy is really much worse than any of us thought.
Unless you're a new Steve On Broadway (SOB) reader, you already know how much I absolutely adore Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, along with all the incredible individuals behind the scenes who make it all come together.
As with many maturing theatre organizations, Steppenwolf takes enormous pride in championing tomorrow's creative stage visionaries today. Each year, Steppenwolf provides a select group of talented young men and women with the opportunity to intern and learn the ropes, often quite literally.
During my visits through the last several years, one highlight for me has been getting to know many of these incredibly gifted individuals. When one of them, a remarkably self-assured David Perez, happened to tell me that he was starting a theatre company with two of his peers from the Steppenwolf Theatre Apprentice Program (Brittany Barnes and Julia Dossett), I was intrigued. Being regaled by Perez's fearless determination and sheer grit, I just knew that this was someone to watch -- no matter that he may have been serving me a drink as part of his apprenticeship duties.
Perez, Barnes and Dossett, along with Tim Schoen, formed Pavement Group "with the endeavor to provide bold artistic opportunities for emerging playwrights, designers, directors, and arts managers." I love the fact that the vision of these Steppenwolf graduates is to serve as a test-kitchen for new plays and playwrights alike.
To date, I've had the good fortune of seeing two incredibly well-acted and directed plays, fracture/mechanics and Lipstick Traces - A Secret History Of The 20th Century. Mind you, since I'm a generation older than these brilliant twenty-somethings, I know I'm not exactly their target audience. But no matter. They are striking a powerful chord by providing riveting entertainment geared toward weaning a whole new generation on the joys of live theatre.
Pavement Group has taken a very important step forward in their evolution. In addition to producing many plays, they have jumped through the necessary hoops to become a bona fide 501(c)(3) organization. And with that, they're able to accept your tax-deductible donations. I hope you'll consider giving to this fledgling and immensely exciting theatre company.
Who knows? Pavement Group could very well be the Steppenwolf of tomorrow. But you can get those early bragging rights by supporting it today.
The biggest-selling stage show so far this year, the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of hit August: Osage County will be staged in Sydney next year. But audiences will not get to see one of the grande dames of Australian theatre, Robyn Nevin, in one of her most defining roles.
Up (The SOB Review) – Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, Illinois
***1/2 (out of ****)
Maybe it’s that the title is exactly the same as the current Disney/Pixar hit.
You know the one. The film out a pie-in-the-sky dreamer who yearns to be lifted from an ordinary life and uses balloons to take flight from the comfort of his own surroundings. Oh wait, that also neatly summarizes Bridget Carpenter’s stirring and tender Up as well. Funny though how dissimilar these two takes on the same essential theme can be.
After being lulled into a false sense that the only way is up during the first act, Carpenter’s emotionally satisfying play about a wide-eyed visionary named Walter Griffin (a remarkable Ian Barford) really takes off, even if against any predictable prevailing winds.
With Anna D. Shapiro’s marvelous direction providing appropriately measured ballast and pitch, Up is nothing short of a lofty, ambitious play about hope and capacity for discovery, including those of a decidedly introspective nature. And it works.
Years after Walter has succeeded in raising his personal stature by floating three miles high on his own lawn chair, he continues -- perhaps vainly -- in pursuit of the next big thing. He remains undaunted, even as others beat him to the punch.
But there’s a cost to these ongoing pipedreams. Patience is wearing thin at home.
His desperate non-house wife Helen (a beautifully raw Lauren Katz) is tiring of being the lone family breadwinner and implores Walter to go out and find a real job, even if it means giving up on his dreams. Their emotionally awkward high school son Mikey (a brilliant Jake Cohen) believes so strongly in his father that he lacks any faith in his own capabilities.
That is, until he meets Maria, a chatty pregnant classmate (the tremendously talented Rachel Brosnahan), who not becomes his first real friend, but also provides him with an introduction to a new self-awareness wakened by her free-spirited Aunt Chris (Martha Lavey in one of her two deliciously funny roles from each end of an amazingly wide spectrum).
There is so much to recommend this heartfelt production. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t add that the penultimate scene was what ultimately had my trio of friends and I arguing long and hard afterward about what had just transpired and all it symbolized.
Far be it from me to even allude to what we discussed, but our strikingly disparate conclusions and our eagerness to vociferously debate points to the true genius in Carpenter’s brilliant writing. There aren’t many shows I experience where I’m passionately discussing it long after.
But Carpenter’s work, inspired by true events, is nothing short of inspirational.
My dear friend Kevin Daly at Theatre Aficianado At Large was there for the closing performance, which had its own surprise before it even began. Kevin looked at the board next to the ticket counter and saw that Rondi Reed was back for the final performance. It wasn't long before he was tweeting about it to let the whole world know.
Meanwhile, back at Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theatre last evening, Bridget Carpenter's Up was enjoying its opening night. This is the latest play to be helmed by Shapiro and it features her husband Ian Barford (the original Little Charles from August: Osage County) in the lead. Other noteworthy alums from August: Osage County were on hand, including Tony winner Deanna Dunagan (the original Violet Weston) and Francis Guinan (the original Charlie Aiken). Both were clearly thrilled to hear that Reed had returned for that final performance. Guinan will return to the Steppenwolf stage in Fakebeginning in September.
While dignitaries like Illinois Governor Pat Quinn were on hand to witness the troupe's latest treasure, the symmetry of Steppenwolf's sweet serendipitous Sunday in New York and Chicago rounded out with actor Jon Michael Hill of Lett's Superior Donuts being in the Windy City house. While I can't say whether he'll be part of the transfer to Broadway this fall, I expect great things from this incredible young talent and believe Great White Way audiences will celebrate his name sometime soon.
And once again thanks to Steppenwolf, I'll have bragging rights not unlike those when I was among the first to see August: Osage County nearly two years ago.
fracture/mechanics (The SOB Review) - Red Tape Theatre, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Chicago, Illinois
** (out of ****)
Can a twenty-something woman trying to keep up with the boys in boudoir antics, bouncing from bed to bed, do so without any consequences or emotional scars?
In Mallery Avidon's frequently intriguing, yet ultimately frustrating new play fracture/mechanicscurrently being mounted by Chicago's bold Pavement Group theatre company, the answer appears to be a flat-out "no." Instead, there's a lot of anger and resentment.
Cyd Blakewell offers a particularly stunning turn as the coitus girl interrupted. Blakewell displays a remarkable, nearly manic range, often within a span of mere moments.
What was particularly captivating was the way in which this young woman's sex life was literally spinning out of control. Credit director David Perez for his keen eye on how mine the allegories inherent in her personal discoveries. Thanks to his vision, I actually felt chills running down my spine during the climactic turning point in the story.
Right through that critical moment, Avidon's script remained funny, engaging and wildly unpredictable. But from there, the 11th hour revelation offered a provocative detour that threw the show off balance. With that distraction, I was left pondering what clues I had missed all along. What Avidon's promising play is lacking an important degree of depth and elucidation. Fortunately for the audience, Perez's direction and his fearless ensemble do their best in transcending the material.
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles Limited run extended through May 31, 2011 (Show will go on hiatus starting January 15 and reopen at Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8)
Rock Of Ages - Open-ended run (Show will go on hiatus starting January 9 and reopen at Helen Hayes Theatre in March)
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
Broadway's Labor Day Performances
Wicked
Wicked
Wicked
Wicked
Wicked
