Raisin Made For Nearly Perfect Television TreatFor all homebound theatrelovers, the past week was the second in a row to offer an outstanding opportunity to kick back and relax in their favorite chairs while watching performances that generated excitement on Broadway over the last several years.
While
I've already written about PBS' "
Great Performances"' presentation of
Company -- which I had the pleasure of seeing live on stage last year -- I regret never having had the chance to see the Tony Award-winning revival of
Lorraine Hansberry's
A Raisin In The Sun, particularly after seeing the bravura performances on the
small screen version of the play earlier this week by
Phylicia Rashad,
Audra McDonald and
Sanaa Lathan.
Each of these three outstanding actresses reprised their Tony nominated stage roles. In the case of Rashad and McDonald, they actually won Tonys. If the heartwrenchingly real acting I witnessed in the televised version is any indication, those awards were certainly well-deserved. In fact, I'd be downright angry if each did not receive an Emmy nomination.
Never before had I seen the play, nor had I ever seen either of the two previous film incarnations. Those included the
1961 silver screen film that included a trio of young up and coming stars reprising their roles from the
1959 Tony-nominated play:
Sidney Poitier as Walter, the man with a plan,
Ruby Dee as his long-suffering wife Ruth and
Louis Gossett, Jr. as George. The other was the
1989 Emmy-nominated televised film starring
Danny Glover as Walter.
So tuning into
ABC last Monday evening, I really had no idea what to expect other than the premise that Walter schemes to use the life insurance money left to his mother upon his father's death. What a surprise to discover that the richly layered plot valiantly deals with topics that surely had to have been largely taboo topics for the late fifties, including overt white racism and abortion. It also delves into the black Americans' search for identity, at once both in assimilating into a then majority white society and in seeking a deeper appreciation of one's African roots.
Aside from the sometimes shaky camera work that made me a little sick to my stomach, the otherwise fine direction by
Kenny Leon -- who's most often associated with
August Wilson, arguably the greatest African American playwright ever -- expertly draws out the powerful, poignant performances of his mostly stellar cast.
While I wish I could say I was moved by executive producer
Sean Combs' rather one-note portrayal of Walter, I applaud him for being so courageous in his vision of bringing the superb, moving play to a larger audience of tens of millions via television. I'll most certainly look forward to purchasing the
DVD when it becomes available in May.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Raisin In The Sun, Audra McDonald, Broadway, Company, Film, Kenny Leon, Phylicia Rashad, Ruby Dee, Sanaa Lathan, Sean Combs, Sidney Poitier, Televsion
Television Makes Decent CompanyDid you happen to tune in last evening to PBS' "
Great Performances" program featuring
John Doyle's recent Broadway revival of
Stephen Sondheim and
George Furth's
Company?
This was the very production that earned last year's Tony for Best Revival of a Musical shortly before closing. I have to say that I enjoyed reliving the experience I had last year -- additionally, I was a bit surprised in re-reading my
three-star SOB Review from almost exactly one year ago to see that I still completely agree with my initial assessment.
Watching the televised performance was an opportunity to see the show from all angles, including the back of the stage. While Doyle's production is good, it isn't quite great. It's rather uneven, and that's exemplified in the disparity between the unqualified thrill offered by
Raúl Esparza's smoldering Bobby and the overly flat performance by
Barbara Walsh as Joanne.
One plucky delight whom I had not previously mentioned is
Angel Desai as Marta. Seeing her shine once again has me hoping this spitfire will be treading Broadway's boards sometime soon.
If you caught the performance on television, please let me know what you thought.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Getting Rid Of Unwanted Company (June 12, 2007)
Ratings Down, Box Office Up (June 12, 2007)
TONYS: SPRING HAS SPRUNG WHILE COAST REALIZES UTOPIA (June 11, 2007)
The Tonys: If I Could Vote (June 6, 2007)
In The Company Of Underperforming Shows (March 27, 2007)
Company (The SOB Review) (March 2, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Did Critics Find Doyle's Latest Revival In Good Company? (November 30, 2006)
Another Company Opens For Business Tonight On Broadway (November 29, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Labels: Barbara Walsh, Broadway, Company, George Furth, Great Performances, John Doyle, Musical, PBS, Raul Esparza, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, Television
SOB's 7 Singular Sensations Of '07 - #5: Raúl EsparzaIntroduction: While others use the end of the year to provide their lists of the top shows of the past year, here at Steve On Broadway (SOB), I wait until the conclusion of the entire Theatrical Season to provide my official tally.
Instead, I'm once again devoting the waning days of the calendar year to celebrate SOB's Singular Sensations -- those magical live performances that have stayed with me throughout the year. During 2007, I have enjoyed, been wowed and ultimately inspired by a dazzling display of excellent performances from some of the theatre world's best actors, singers and dancers of our time.With all due and considerable respect to the talented
David Hyde Pierce (recognized with an "Honorable Mention" among my
SOB Singular Sensations of 2006),
Raúl Esparza’s breathtaking performance of “Being Alive” alone should have been enough for him to win the Tony for making
Company's audiences hyperventilate.
In my
SOB Review last March, I noted:
I was struck by the inventive and symbolic ways (director John Doyle) isolates Bobby, played by a breathtakingly real Raúl Esparza, who sings angelically.
In my "Best of 2007" round-up of the Best Musical Revivals, in which his talents helped the show capture the fourth spot, I said:
In Company, Esparza soars to spine-tingling new musical heights. In the climax when finally taking a seat at the piano, his Bobby is ready to join the human race in a way he's never before experienced. Ultimately, Esparza's finely calibrated performance melted his way into my heart. I can't think of any actor I've seen on the Broadway stage this past year who is more deserving of a Tony Award than he -- this is one performance no serious musical theatre lover can afford to miss.
The first time I ever caught Esparza was in 1999. He was absolutely magnificent portraying Che in a wonderful touring revival of
Evita. And while I have not yet had the opportunity to see the revival of
The Homecoming that feaures Esparza's dramatic debut, I take heart from
Ben Brantley's review that his truly is a "benchmark performance."
Perhaps Raúl Esparza will be a repeat in next year's round-up. In the meantime, here's toasting this superb singing singular sensation.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:SOB's 7 Singular Sensations Of '07 - #6: John Gallagher, Jr. (December 28, 2007)
SOB's 7 Singular Sensations Of '07 - #7: Jennifer Holliday (December 27, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)
Company (The SOB Review) (March 2, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Honorable Mentions: SOB's Singular Sensations Of '06 (December 30, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #2: Cate Blanchett (December 30, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #3: Chita Rivera (December 29, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #4: Barry Humphries (December 28, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #5: Kitty Carlisle Hart (December 28, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #6: Meryl Streep (December 26, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Company, Curtains, David Hyde Pierce, Evita, Musical, Raul Esparza, Revival, SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06, SOB's 7 Singular Sensations of '07, The Homecoming
Sondheim: Kookaburra's Company No Laughing MatterMemo to production companies around the world: Don't mess with a
Stephen Sondheim show.
According to
Variety, Australia's fledgling
Kookaburra -- The National Musical Theatre Company in Sydney -- landed in hot water with the esteemed composer
and the general public when it was revealed that it had jettisoned 20 minutes worth of material during a Wednesday performance of its current revival of
Company.
Apparently, there was no understudy ready to take the place of Christie Whelan in the role of April when she fell ill. So rather than cancel the performance, Kookaburra excised two songs and dialogue without even notifying the audience.
The Thursday performance
was canceled after a big brouhaha (and early denials that anything was amiss), and then a replacement was brought in: Chloe Dallimore. But Friday's performance was also canceled when Pippa Grandison called in sick. Not only did Kookaburra have a bit of bird do on its face, but it
could very well have had its license to perform Company taken away due to its egregious lapse in judgment over its initial decision to cut numbers from the show.
Fortunately, audience members who saw the shortened
Company are being treated to free tickets for another performance. For amends, a very apologetic Kookaburra is also
sponsoring a special benefit performance of the show on July 31 in support of
Oz Showbiz Cares and Actors Benevolent Fund.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Labels: Australia, Company, Kookaburra, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
The Most Farfetched Tony BounceLess than one week after his production of
Company won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical,
John Doyle is himself a hot property.
In addition to having already lined up a directing gig for the new Broadway-bound
Harvey Fierstein musical
A Catered Affair, which will world premiere at San Diego's
Old Globe Theatre this September, Doyle is "likely" to stage a
Public Theater mounting of
Stephen Sondheim's
Bounce next spring,
according to New York Post's Michael Riedel.
In his story, Riedel duly notes the troubled past of the tuner, but explains:
Sondheim and (John) Weidman (who wrote the show's book) have been unwilling to let Bounce die. They get together fairly often at Sondheim's Turtle Bay townhouse to work on the show, and last year the Public staged a private reading of their latest draft. Weidman recently told friends that he and Sondheim believe they've finally solved the show's problems, and that Bounce deserves a New York production.
Riedel says a Broadway transfer is eyed if the reviews are favorable.
I may be one of the few who actually saw the last incarnation of
Bounce, taking in its 2003 Chicago
Goodman Theatre mounting with
Hal Prince at the helm. To be honest, while not exactly the best Sondheim work I've ever seen, it certainly wasn't as bad as its notoriety has made it out to be. Its factually-based story on the rise and fall of Addison and Wilson Mizner held plenty of promise.
Two summers ago, while at Chicagoland's
Ravinia Festival for a special concert performance of Sondheim's
bona fide Broadway flop
Anyone Can Whistle (Ravinia's terrific staging included
Patti LuPone,
Audra McDonald and
Michael Cerveris), I was heartened by a pre-performance discussion with the great composer himself in which he indicated that the saga of
Bounce was far from over. He indicated that he was working to bring the troubled tuner back to his original vision.
If today's Riedel column is any indication, perhaps
Bounce is finally ready to be propelled to theatre's main stage on Broadway. Let's hope so.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Catered Affair, Anyone Can Whistle, Bounce, Broadway, Chicago, Company, Goodman Theatre, John Doyle, Off-Broadway, Public Theater, Ravinia, Stephen Sondheim
Getting Rid Of Unwanted Company
Sadly, the tuner has only been attracting capacities of under 50% since mid-April. Without an apparent bump from its Sunday night win, the closing notices have been posted. When it finally closes, Company will have enjoyed 247 regular performances.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Company, Musical, Revival, Tony Awards
Ratings Down, Box Office Up
Since the Tonys effectively serve as one giant commercial advert for Rialto offerings, particularly the showcased musicals, it should come as no surprise that
Spring Awakening enjoyed an enormous box office surge of $1.25 million in tickets from the time the Tony telecast began through the end of yesterday.
According to Playbill, that is up sharply from its typical $150,000 per day in box office sales. Additionally, the Tony-winning Best Musical had one of its best weeks just last week when it enjoyed a 92.4% capacity with a gross of $644,716.
Don't be surprised to see Spring Awakening's average ticket price -- last week at a respectable $80.06 -- soar. When I first saw the 8-time Tony winner earlier this year, I snagged a front-row seat for the relative bargain price of $110, but the show now offers premium seating going for $176.50 per ticket for most performances, although that price escalates to $201.50 for Friday and Saturday evenings.
At least two other shows featured during the Tonys --
Curtains and
Grey Gardens, both of which copped major acting awards -- reported "higher than usual" box office figures yesterday, according to the same Playbill story.
Still no word yet on whether the Tonys provided any of the desperately needed lift to Best Revival of a Musical
Company, which has been languishing below 50% in capacity since the week of April 16-22, even though its capacity increased last week to 47.9%.
Surely, one would think if
Raúl Esparza's performance of "Being Alive" was well-received by the television audience, his Tony snub wouldn't deter anyone from seeking out a ticket to this worthy show, especially given its major win in the revival category. However, I've heard from some of you that you don't think his performance translated well on television. If
Company's box office doesn't enjoy some sort of boost from the Tonys, the show will likely post closing notices sooner than later. What a shame that would be.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Company tickets. Click here for Curtains ticket information. Click here for Grey Gardens ticket information. Click here for Spring Awakening tickets. Related Stories:
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Company, Curtains, Grey Gardens, Musical, Spring Awakening, Tony Awards
The Tonys: If I Could VoteIn what is arguably the most anticipated Tony Award category each year, I had the pleasure of seeing all four Best Musical nominees:
Curtains,
Grey Gardens,
Mary Poppins and
Spring Awakening.
While
Curtains and
Mary Poppins failed to register the same caliber of critical response offered to
Grey Gardens and
Spring Awakening, I actually enjoyed all four productions and believe that they underscore what a great year this has been for the resurgent art form known as musical theatre.
While I realize that the heavy favorite to win remains
Spring Awakening, regular readers will know that my personal favorite of the past year bar none is
Grey Gardens, which was just one Tony nod short of
Spring Awakening’s headline-grabbing 11 nominations. Yes, I appreciate the bold, new artistic direction
Spring Awakening has taken the Great White Way, but in my estimation, the truly revolutionary musical breakthrough came via
Grey Gardens.
Just as Christine Ebersole took Little Edie’s revolutionary apparel for a breathtaking ride -- and will win a Tony for doing so -- Michael Greif’s brilliant direction took this audience member on one of the best journeys ever enjoyed in musical theatre. Even more astounding for me was that I was rather repulsed by the original documentary of “Grey Gardens” that first appeared in the mid-70s and was initially shocked that anyone would dare make a musical out of the piece. Instead, Greif and his excellent cast completely mesmerized me in a way that no other Broadway musical this past year could match.
What should win:
Grey Gardens. What will win:
Spring Awakening. According to your votes in my recent SOB Poll, a bare majority of you (51.9%) believe
Spring Awakening will win;
Grey Gardens came in second with a respectable 34.6%.
In the Best Play category, I have only seen three of the four nominated productions:
Frost/Nixon,
Radio Golf and
The Little Dog Laughed. I completely missed Tom Stoppard’s monumental
The Coast Of Utopia, which will undoubtedly prove victorious on Sunday night.
For all the richly deserved acclaim that was heaped on Julie White’s breakthrough performance in
The Little Dog Laughed, I just don’t consider it worthy of the Tony, although she could very well earn one for herself. And while
Frost/Nixon had most critics’ tongues wagging, I thought its best parts were the recreated interviews between the two title characters (I believe Frank Langella will -- and should -- win a Tony for his stunning performance as the disgraced president). Of the shows I’ve seen, I think
Radio Golf was by far the most moving, even if most agree that it pales when compared to August Wilson’s other works.
Being a fan of Stoppard’s intoxicating writing, I truly regret not having seen
The Coast Of Utopia. Yet, I want to be honest here. A major factor in my not having seen it was that I didn’t want to see each of the three long installments separately. However, quite paradoxically, the thought of sitting through nine straight hours of a show scared me away – I admit that I get itchy sitting in just about any theatre seat at the three-hour mark. This long slog was so daunting that I stayed away. Shame on me. From all that I understand, I missed the best production of the year.
What should win:
The Coast Of Utopia. What will win:
The Coast Of Utopia. According to your votes in my recent SOB Poll, an overwhelming majority (64.3%) of you agree that
The Coast Of Utopia will win; a distant second with 23.8% is
Frost/Nixon. Only 2.4% of you think
Radio Golf -- my favorite among the shows I have seen -- will win.
As for Best Revivals of a Musical, I only caught two of the four nominated productions:
Company and
The Apple Tree. The sentimental side of me kept me away from
A Chorus Line. Since all accounts note how the current revival completely apes the original, I chose to skip the new incarnation and remember the original as it was -- the same thinking was behind my decision to pass over revisiting
Les Misérables. The other production I missed -- and I’m sad that I did given how much I adore Audra McDonald -- was
110 In The Shade.
Because
A Chorus Line is
so faithful to the original staging, I don’t believe Tony voters will reward it with their Best Revival honor. Of the two shows I did see,
The Apple Tree was a great vehicle to highlight the talents of Kristin Chenoweth and Brian d’Arcy James, but the production itself was uneven. I much preferred John Doyle’s unique retelling of
Company. Where else could you see a superb, spellbinding and star-making performance by Raúl Esparza, whom I believe will win the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, as well he should.
That would leave my choices between
Company and
110 In The Shade. Since I didn’t see the latter and believe that its mixed critical response will likely preclude it from winning, my vote would go to
Company.
What should win:
Company. What will win:
Company. According to your votes in my recent SOB Poll, exactly half of you (50%) believe
Company will win the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical, while 23.9% of you think
110 In The Shade will take home the Tony.
Finally, in the all-important category of Best Revival of a Play, I have absolutely no qualifications on which to base my vote. This is the first year in many when I haven’t seen a single one of the nominated works, which include
Inherit The Wind,
Journey’s End,
Talk Radio and
Translations.
Given that I found the snubbed
A Moon For The Misbegotten to be among the best works of the past year, I can only surmise that the other four were
so incredible that they would have landed on my top ten list if only I had seen them. Alas, any vote on my part here would be based solely on what I’ve heard about the nominated shows, and while there are probably some actual Tony voters who fail to see some of the nominees, I’ll abstain (yes, I realize some of you may think I should abstain in the two other categories in which I didn't see every production, but this is my blog, so there!).
What should win: Abstain. What will win:
Journey’s End. According to your votes in my recent SOB Poll,
Journey’s End narrowly wins with a plurality of 45.7% to
Inherit The Wind’s 40%.
Over this next year, as difficult as it may be, I must resolve to see even more Broadway. Here’s wishing all the nominees nothing but the best on Sunday.
This Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Company, Grey Gardens, Journey's End, Musical, Play, Revival, The Coast Of Utopia, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of MusicalsDuring the 2006-07 Theatrical Season, I took in twelve different revivals of musicals from here to London. In fact, I even managed to see two very distinct revivals of the time-honored classic
Gypsy -- one at Chicagoland's Ravinia and the other in Minneapolis.
Among that dozen were some real gems. Here's my personal "5 Best" list of the musical revivals that thrilled me over the past twelve months:
1 - Evita (Adelphi Theatre, London, United Kingdom)
To see the best revival of the past year, I had to fly across the Atlantic and visit London.
Michael Grandage's West End revival of
Evita is unequivocally stunning. I absolutely adored this high-flying, soaring production. Credit Grandage's direction and choreographer
Rob Ashford with once again revitalizing a musical in a most breathtaking, dazzling manner.
Making her spectacular West End debut is an astonishing Argentine talent,
Elena Roger, who offers an exceptionally nuanced performance as Eva Peron. The compact Roger evolves right before your eyes from the flirtatious young girl seeking her ticket to Buenos Aires stardom to her role alongside Juan Peron to a physically and emotionally impaired invalid. And what a powerful, beautiful voice!
Philip Quast brings a deceptively steely charm to his characterization of strongman Juan Peron epitomizing why he and Eva would be "surprisingly good" for one another.
Add to all of this the newly syncopated rhythms offered by
David Cullen's lush new orchestrations (particularly in songs like "Buenos Aires") for what is arguably
Andrew Lloyd Webber's best score, along with a breathtaking set design by
Christopher Oram, and the result is one of the most stellar evenings of live theatre I've enjoyed over the past twelve months. It left me on a proverbial "Rainbow High."
Click here for The SOB Review of Evita.2 - Gypsy (Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL)
It seemed entirely apropos that this concert version of
Stephen Sondheim’s seminal classic
Gypsy -- co-written, of course, by
Jule Styne and
Arthur Laurents -- would be stripped down to the basic essentials. But with theatre legend
Patti LuPone in the lead role of Mama Rose, this
Gypsy proved to be anything but bare. This is
the role LuPone was born to play.
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. LuPone commanded the stage without overpowering it.
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. A most affectionate audience interrupted with a long, sustained standing ovation. Given how mesmerizing her performance was in Gypsy, it's no wonder that
New York City Center Encores! is ensuring a wider audience this July. Go see this show!
Click
here for The SOB Review of
Gypsy.
3 - Mame (The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Eisenhower Theatre, Washington, DC)
The
Kennedy Center's spirited revival of
Mame had an exuberant brilliance that glistened throughout. Director
Eric Schaeffer expertly moved this musical's story along almost as quickly as
Christine Baranski's costume changes. The heart and soul of this show, of course, came from
Jerry Herman's beguiling score and book by
Jerome Lawrence and
Robert E. Lee.
Warren Carlyle's intricate choreography from one of the show's earliest moments on "It's Today" let you know that this was going to be one heck of a ride.
In a bravura performance, Baranski more than commanded the stage, capturing
Mame's "live, live, live" essence with gusto. The queen of perfect timing, Baranski asserted herself, whether in delivering a comic line or providing a deadpan look or hoofing it with the best of them. Coupled with a gorgeous singing voice, this multi-talented actress possessed the charm, wit and poise to make hers a most triumphant and confident
Mame.
Mame proved a feast for the senses and anyone who wanted to relive the glory of old-fashioned musical genius. More importantly,
Mame provided a celebration of tolerance and the most American of ideals: the pursuit of happiness. It's just a shame this production never found its way to Broadway.
Click here for The SOB Review of Mame.4 - Company (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, NY)
Company is director
John Doyle's latest Broadway revival of a
Stephen Sondheim musical to employ actors doubling as musicians (or is it the other way around?). Regardless, packed with some of my favorite
Stephen Sondheim tunes and some riveting performances, I was mesmerized. This revival certainly deserves a much wider audience than it's currently attracting.
I was struck by the inventive and symbolic ways Doyle isolates Bobby, played by a breathtakingly real
Raúl Esparza, who sings angelically. Even the elegant simplicity of
David Gallo's set design with its ingenious ice cube boxes underscores the cold reality of Bobby's isolation.
In
Company, Esparza soars to spine-tingling new musical heights. In the climax when finally taking a seat at the piano, his Bobby is ready to join the human race in a way he's never before experienced. Ultimately, Esparza's finely calibrated performance melted his way into my heart. I can't think of any actor I've seen on the Broadway stage this past year who is more deserving of a Tony Award than he -- this is one performance no serious musical theatre lover can afford to miss.
Click here for The SOB Review of Company.5 - Mother Courage And Her Children (Delacorte Theater, New York, NY)
One thing was certain in the stunning, if sometimes uneven,
Tony Kushner adaptation of
Bertolt Brecht’s
Mother Courage And Her Children. It provided so many surprises on so many creative levels that it was hard to believe that this was a
free production. Kushner served up an astoundingly humorous and disarmingly musical depiction of how and why ordinary people support war. Thanks in part to the direction of
George C. Wolfe,
Mother Courage And Her Children resonated with ample allegories to America’s own ongoing, seemingly endless military conflicts in an altogether human, profoundly personal fashion.
At its best, the show was breathtakingly excellent. But given the sheer enormity of the production, there were long pauses where the show was disjointedly incoherent, and its often heavy-handed demagoguery sometimes backfired in a surprising fashion.
Not surprising was how easily
Meryl Streep could captivate, thus making the three-hour running time breeze by. Indeed, whenever this icon of American acting brilliance was on the stage, she firmly held command. Given the complexity of her title character, there are few actresses who could pull off the phenomenal feat Streep accomplished. And did I mention she can sing? No wonder she's been tapped for the upcoming silver screen version of
Mamma Mia!Click here for The SOB Review of Mother Courage And Her Children.Honorable Mentions:Despite the number of musical revivals I saw over the past year, only one merits an honorable mention:
- Carousel (Southern Theatre, Minneapolis, MN) -- Director Ben Krywocz largely succeeded in this charming, yet elegantly austere Nautilus Music Theater revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. Nearly every element that makes this a visually arresting reinvention comes from the performances themselves, derived from one of the best scores from the canon of the legendary songwriting duo as well as from the gracefully balletic choreography of Brian Sostek and Megan McClellan. This Carousel spins best when the entire ensemble takes to the stage. Given the abundance of truly stunning talent, it’s hard to believe you’re actually watching the work of a frugal theatre company. (Click here for The SOB Review of Carousel)
What were the best revivals of musicals you saw over the past year? I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your theatre experiences with me.
Also, don't forget to vote for the shows you believe will win in each of the four major Tony Award categories: Best Musical, Best Play, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play. You'll find all four polls on the right-hand side of Steve On Broadway.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Company tickets.Click here for Evita tickets (playing through May 26).Click here for Gypsy tickets.Related Stories:SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Plays (May 16, 2007)
The SOB Five "Worst" Of 2006-07 (May 14, 2007)
SOB's Best & Worst Of 2006-07 Theatre Season (May 14, 2007)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #1 - Theater Of The New Ear (May 30, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #2 – Guys And Dolls (May 26, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #3 – Hedda Gabler (May 25, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #4 – A Blameless Life (May 24, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #5 – Reeling (May 23, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #6 – “MASTER HAROLD”…And The Boys (May 21, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #7 – Love Song (May 19, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #8 - Billy Elliot The Musical (May 18, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #9 - The Well-Appointed Room (May 17, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #10 - Sweeney Todd (May 15, 2006)
SOB's Best and Worst of 2005-06 Theatre Season (May 12, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2003-04 (May 25, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 25, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2001-02 (May 24, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2000-01 (May 23, 2006)
Labels: Best Revivals of Musicals, Broadway, Carousel, Company, David Mamet, Evita, Gypsy, Mother Courage And Her Children, Musical, SOB's Best of 2006-07
In The Company Of Underperforming ShowsTake a look at this past week's box office totals for Broadway, and you'll see familiar names in the top two slots in terms of both capacity and total dollars earned.
Wicked remains Rialto's top grossing show with $1,380,917 and 100% capacity.
Jersey Boys continues its reign as the top capacity show at 100.7% while earning $1,166,505, enough to make it the second top-grossing production of the week yet again.
But look down the list, and you'll see largely well-reviewed shows in the bottom five, both in terms of capacity and earnings for the week:
Lowest Grossing Shows:
Journey's End ($157,884)
Prelude To A Kiss ($198,534)
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ($251,860)
Talk Radio ($305,723)
Company ($314,585)
Lowest Capacity Shows:
Journey's End (41.2%)
The Producers (53.9%)
Company (56.5%)
Talk Radio (61.4%)
Grey Gardens (71.4%)
Look below those numbers, and you'll find that the limited run of
Prelude To A Kiss has the distinction of having the lowest average ticket price of just $42.88, followed by
Journey's End at $47.10. That tells me that
Prelude To A Kiss has been very successfully selling cheap seats through TKTS -- enough that the
Roundabout Theatre production has been boosted to 78.2% of capacity.
Journey's End, on the other hand, appears to be flat out suffering from America's battle fatigue from all things warlike. Indeed,
The Playgoer reports that the end of this limited run show may be expedited.
No surprise on the other end of the spectrum as
Jersey Boys and
Wicked provide the one-two punch in terms of highest average ticket price, coming in at $118.51 and $95.42, respectively.
Granted, a couple of the shows that turn up on the bottom end have run their course:
The Producers and
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee -- the former is already set to close, while the latter's Chicago sitdown incarnation closed Sunday.
Grey Gardens' 70%+ capacity is probably not sounding alarm bells at the
Walter Kerr just yet.
But
Talk Radio's placement on both charts demonstrates that not even a critically-acclaimed performance by
Liev Schreiber, who was dubbed
"the finest American theater actor of his generation" by Ben Brantley, is enough to attract theatregoers.
Much to my personal chagrin, Company appears to be losing steam. In a week where the majority of shows enjoyed an upward bump at the box office, Company lost 5.8% of its capacity week over week, although if there's a silver lining, its average ticket price increased from $63.50 to $66.49.
After finally getting around to seeing this production last month,
I was struck by how good it actually is, and I couldn't help but think how deserving it was of a larger audience. But judging from its box office, it could very soon be placed in the company of other closing shows. That would be a shame.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Company tickets. Click here for Grey Gardens ticket information. Click here for Jersey Boys ticket information. Click here for Journey's End ticket information. Click here for Prelude To A Kiss tickets. Click here for Talk Radio tickets. Click here for The Producers ticket information. Click here for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee tickets. Click here for Wicked tickets. Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Company, Jersey Boys, Journey's End, Musical, Play, Prelude To A Kiss, Revival, Talk Radio, Wicked
Company (The SOB Review) - Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, NY*** (out of ****)Dear Mr.
John Doyle:
From the bottom of my heart, I apologize.
I'm truly sorry for
suggesting that your inventive theatrical device in which your actors double as musicians has already become excessive even
before I saw
Company, your latest Broadway revival of a
Stephen Sondheim musical.
Well, I finally saw your production, which, by the way, has some of my favorite Sondheim tunes, and I can tell you I was mesmerized. Your show deserves a much larger audience than it's currently attracting.
Bobby, of course, is
Company's pivotal player -- literally and figuratively -- in a series of vignettes with the people in his life. Some of the chapters focus on his inability to commit to any one of his trio of girlfriends. Others center on Bobby's coupled friends, each of whom is either married, about to be married or soon to be divorced. While everyone expresses their desire for Bobby to settle down,
George Furth's book explores how true emotions for Bobby actually range from envy by the men to personal lust from the women.
I was struck by the inventive and symbolic ways you isolate Bobby, played by a breathtakingly
real Raúl Esparza, who sings angelically. Even the elegant simplicity of
David Gallo's set design with its ingenious ice cube boxes underscores the cold reality of Bobby's isolation. Nowhere is the irony of that isolation emphasized better than in the "Side By Side By Side" number where you strike up your merry band of actor/musicians as they sing "What Would We Do Without You?" even though the beautiful music about Bobby specifically
excludes him.
While many of your actors are accomplished musicians first, as evidenced via
Mary Mitchell Campbell's plucky orchestrations, they create an astonishingly cohesive ensemble. Unfortunately, the one sour note comes from an unlikely source:
Barbara Walsh, who in her failed effort to channel
Elaine Stritch's landmark performance as Joanne, ends up just sounding flat. We know she's capable of more, but in this case, less is simply less.
Fortunately, before she can bring down the entire production, Esparza's Bobby comes to a cathartic realization empowering him to soar to spine-tingling new musical heights. While finally taking a seat at the piano, he's ready to join the human race in a way he's never before experienced. Ultimately, Esparza's finely calibrated performance helps melt his way into my heart.
What has lingered in the aftermath of seeing
Company is the gnawing question of whether we can ever really measure up in the relationship department. But even more importantly, how can we possibly know if we don't ever allow ourselves the chance to be loved in the first place.
So thank you, John Doyle. And here's to you, your
Company and the ladies who lunch -- I just hope that they at least take in a matinee of your show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Did Critics Find Doyle's Latest Revival In Good Company? (November 30, 2006)
Another Company Opens For Business Tonight On Broadway (November 29, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Labels: Barbara Walsh, Broadway, Company, Elaine Stritch, John Doyle, Musical, Raul Esparza, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, The SOB Review
Did Critics Find Doyle's Latest Revival In Good Company?Last evening, British director
John Doyle's latest interpretation of a classic
Stephen Sondheim musical opened at Broadway's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
In a season where two of the Great White Way's biggest
recent classics opened to middling reviews (
A Chorus Line and
Les Misérables)
, critics weren't quick to embrace
Company, either. While Doyle surely hoped that they would place it in the company of several other truly great revivals, including Doyle's other reinterpretation of
Sweeney Todd, the word "lethargic" was used by more than one to describe the piece.
Describing the revival as "the chicest-looking production on Broadway,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley leads up to a mostly positive note: "Mr. Doyle’s
Company...isn’t the unconditional triumph that his
Sweeney Todd was, partly because the show itself is less of a fully integrated piece and partly because much of the acting is weaker....But they all blossom as musicians and singers of wit and substance. As soloists they’re more than adequate, but it’s their work as a team that sounds new depths in
Company in ways that get under your skin without your knowing it."
Confessing that he never really took to this Sondheim work,
Clive Barnes of the
New York Post offers up a three-star review: "[A]s we saw with Doyle's wonderful
Sweeney Todd last season, like those strippers in
Gypsy, he's a guy with a strangely workable gimmick....There's a lot to praise in
Company, especially Sondheim's compelling music and lyrics. Looking back, this was the musical in which Sondheim became indisputably Sondheim -- and the Broadway musical theater would never be the same again....Yet it remains a series of sketches about communication and marriage, sustained, albeit shakily, by a fantastic score."
Almost despite her three-star recommendation,
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner laments: "[W]hile Doyle's new
Company has a number of elements to recommend it, the whole is less than the sum of its considerable parts....But the show as a whole has not aged as well as its music, at least not judging by this interpretation....For all their elegant ennui and implied sexual quirks,
Company's urban sophisticates seem very much like the pre-baby boomers they technically are."
Calling the show "funereal,"
Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press is more emphaticly downbeat in his review: "[T]heatrical multitasking (actors as musicians) worked well for the grisly tale of
Todd, adding a weird dimension to the already creepy story of a murderous barber in 19th-century industrial London. With the more modern
Company...double duty seems unnecessary, a bit pretentious and limiting to the musical ambitions of Sondheim's fine score. As a result, the episodic sketches concocted by book writer
George Furth loom larger and more lethargically than in previous productions."
Calling the acting "bland" and the direction "lethargic," New York
Daily News'
Joe Dziemianowicz asks -- then answers -- a rhetorical question: "How do you take a ground-breaking Stephen Sondheim musical about commitment in the big city, with such a memorable score and murderous wit, and turn it into a suburban vanilla revue? Director John Doyle has managed that dubious feat with his new version of
Company."
One can't help but wonder how the general public will receive
Company if even the critics aren't strongly recommending it. Nonetheless, I'm scheduled to take in this revival (albeit late) come February -- I'll certainly let you know what I think of the production.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Another Company Opens For Business Tonight On Broadway (November 29, 2006)
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Company, Critics' Capsule, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Another Company Opens For Business Tonight On BroadwayWill lightning strike twice on the Great White Way for director
John Doyle?
That question will be answered overnight as
Company, his second Broadway revival of a
Stephen Sondheim musical, opens this evening at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Less than three months after his critically-acclaimed production of
Sweeney Todd closed, Doyle's re-envisioning of the 1971 Tony-winning Best Musical takes its bow with each of the actors doubling as its orchestra members.
Raúl Esparza leads the cast that includes
Keith Buterbaugh,
Matt Castle,
Robert Cunningham,
Angel Desai,
Kelly Jeanne Grant,
Kristin Huffman,
Amy Justman,
Heather Laws,
Leenya Rideout,
Fred Rose,
Bruce Sabath,
Elizabeth Stanley and
Barbara Walsh.
Although most castmembers are treading the boards of the Great White Way for the first time, Esparza is this show's Broadway veteran with many credentials under his belt. I first became aware of his amazing talent when he performed far from Broadway as Che in the 1999 touring production of
Evita opposite
Natalie Toro. I then saw him on Broadway as Riff Raff in the
sinsational 2000 revival of
The Rocky Horror Show. Over the past weekend,
The New York Times provided a riveting profile of this budding star completely worth the read.
Unfortunately, I missed Esparza's other three regular Broadway outings that included
Cabaret ,
Taboo and
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang -- the actor was a 2001 replacement for
Cabaret's Emcee (I had already seen the touring production with
Norbert Leo Butz in 2000), and I had also seen the earlier London mountings of the latter two shows prior to their Broadway incarnations. But I'm making it a point to see Esparza perform in the work that had critics flocking to Ohio to catch its auspicious debut at the
Cincinnati Playhouse.
While the concept of having actors doubling as orchestra was novel in
Sweeney Todd, will it continue to work in
Company? Find out tomorrow as I provide a capsule of critical commentary.
Click here for tickets. Related Stories:Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB Readers (November 6, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Company, Musical, Opening Night, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
Apple Tree In Good Company Among SOB ReadersOver the last few weeks, I've invited you and other Steve On Broadway (SOB) readers to tell me which new Broadway musical
revival you're most enthusiastic about seeing. The biggest slice of votes (37%) went to
The Apple Tree , which was in great company with, well,
Company (with 25.9%).
Certainly,
The Apple Tree's popularity comes in part because of the excellent cast that has been assembled, including
Kristin Chenoweth,
Marc Kudisch,
Brian d'Arcy James and
Walter Charles; after all, how many of today's theatregoers are actually familiar with the
Sheldon Harnick/
Jerry Bock score?
If you're judged by the
company you keep, then it has to be said the upcoming
John Doyle-helmed revival of
Stephen Sondheim's
Company has created plenty of excitement and positive buzz due to its acclaimed premiere in Cincinnati.
Most surprising was the fourth place finish of
A Chorus Line (11.1%) behind
Les Misérables (18.5%). Maybe it's that many of you have already made tracks to the
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre since the former opened, or perhaps it was the mixed reviews it garnered. Whatever the reason, I still expected a somewhat different outcome.
Personally, I'm torn as to which revival I'm most excited about. Fortunately, I already have my tickets to both of my choices -- and it's in keeping with your sentiment:
The Apple Tree and
Company.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Apple Tree tickets.Click here for Company tickets.Related Stories:Which New Broadway Play Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 27, 2006)
Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2007)
Which Current Broadway Musical Would You Pull The Plug On? (October 22, 2006)
Which New Broadway Musical Revival Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 19, 2006)
Which New Broadway Musical Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 16, 2006)
Take The Steve On Broadway (SOB) Poll (October 15, 2006)
Labels: A Chorus Line, Broadway, Company, Kristin Chenoweth, Les Miserables, Musical, Revival, SOB Poll, The Apple Tree
Which New Broadway Musical Revival Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing?Last Sunday, readers of Steve On Broadway (SOB) were invited to participate in the new poll feature, which is on the right hand column. It enables you to provide a snapshot opinion on all things theatre with the click of your mouse (please note that the poll's mechanism only enables you to vote once, meaning that if you try voting repeatedly, only your final vote will be tallied).
While the first poll question remains active, I've added a second one at the top that asks:
"Which new Broadway musical revival are you most enthusiastic about seeing?" Options are provided for each of the confirmed Broadway revivals scheduled for this season including:
A Chorus Line,
Company,
Les Misérables,
110 In The Shade and
The Apple Tree.
There's still time to cast your vote for the new Broadway musical your most enthusiastic about seeing -- you'll find that initial poll question right below the first. Your choices include:
Grey Gardens,
High Fidelity,
Legally Blonde,
Mary Poppins,
The Pirate Queen and
The Times They Are A-Changin'.
Also, feel free to share your opinion on why you're voting the way you are, along with any other comments you'd like to make. As always, whether you think my opinion mirrors yours or is just plain wrong, I promise to post each comment that seeks to engage in a thoughtful discussion on theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Which New Broadway Musical Are You Most Enthusiastic About Seeing? (October 16, 2006)
Take The Steve On Broadway (SOB) Poll (October 15, 2006)
Labels: 110 In The Shade, A Chorus Line, Broadway, Company, Les Miserables, Musical, Revival, SOB Poll, The Apple Tree
