Steve On Broadway (SOB)

Despite the fact that the Tony Awards broadcast attracted its lowest ratings ever -- only 6.24 million viewers tuned in, apparently getting whacked by the final episode of "The Sopranos" and elbowed by NBA finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers -- reports abound that Broadway shows featured during the Tonys have enjoyed a box office bounce.

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).

TONYS: SPRING HAS SPRUNG WHILE COAST REALIZES UTOPIA (June 11, 2007)

C'est Sheik! (June 10, 2007)

In The Company Of Underperforming Shows (March 27, 2007)

SOB’s Best Of 2006-07: Top Ten Of The Year

You've endured my "Best Of" lists of everything from the year's best New Musicals and Plays to best Revivals of Musicals and Plays to best Theatrical Events. Now, before I launch into which Broadway shows would get my Tony vote if I could actually vote, here’s how the best of the best rank in my personal countdown of the “10 Best” theatrical productions I saw over the course of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season:

10 - A Moon For The Misbegotten (Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York, NY) – Eve Best and Kevin Spacey are as symbiotic as any two actors I’ve witnessed and provide one of the most astonishing and affecting hours I’ve experienced from live theatre all year.

9 - The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie (Acorn Theatre, New York, NY) – A hauntingly beautiful revival of Jay Presson Allen’s pre-World War II drama that had me spellbound.

8 - The Unmentionables (Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, IL) - Playwright Bruce Norris' compelling brilliance was woven throughout his riveting tale that stands good intentions on its head.

7 - Barry Humphries & Friends: Back With A Vengeance! (Arts Centre, State Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) – Three hours worth of ingenious wit and wisdom from one of Australia's true treasures, Barry Humphries.

6 - Curtains (Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center, Los Angeles, CA) – An exceedingly smart, exceptionally funny and a thrilling theatrical finale for the legendary songwriting team of John Kander and the late Fred Ebb.

5 - Sonia Flew (Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago, IL) – A splendid, soaring play that left me positively chilled.

4 - The Real Thing (McGuire Proscenium Stage, Guthrie, Minneapolis, MN) – An eminently smart and deliciously acccessible revival that was a joy to behold.

3 - Gypsy (Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL) –A mesmerizing, show-stopping Patti LuPone soared to new heights with an unforgettable, heart-wrenched rendering of Mama Rose.

2 - Evita (Adelphi Theatre, London, United Kingdom) – The best revival of a musical from the past year that was dazzling.

1 - Grey Gardens (Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, NY) – A completely satisfying triumph of the first order – bravo to Christine Ebersole, who should win the Tony.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best New Musicals

During the 2006-07 Theatrical Season, I've enjoyed the opportunity to see 16 new musicals.

While some were decidedly cutting-edge, others took a more traditional approach. Still others sought to transform beloved films into equally adored stage versions, usually (but not always) with limited success.

Overall, there are more than a handful of tuners that I enjoyed enough that they've made my personal "5 Best" list of musicals covering the past twelve months:

1 - Grey Gardens (Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, NY)

If I were a Tony voter, Grey Gardens would easily be my choice for Best Musical, if not the most sublime show of the year. This unconventional yet completely satisfying tuner is a triumph of the first order.

The incredibly talented Christine Ebersole has more than proven she's at the height of her career. Her virtuoso performance in Grey Gardens is one that I'll never forget. Ebersole more than masterfully channels both Edith and Little Edie Bouvier Beales of the funny-if-it-weren’t-so-tragic seventies documentary of the same name. She luminously inhabits mother Edith in act one and then incredibly suspends any disbelief that you are watching anyone but the real Little Edie in the second act. Right before your eyes, a radiant and breathtaking Ebersole becomes Little Edie.

Thanks to a potent mix of intriguing fact and supposition by Doug Wright, the musical telling of their story provides plausible answers to the question of how the once mighty could have fallen so far. What makes this theatre of the absurd so intoxicating is not just the flawless execution of replicating key passages of the original film, but also the way Little Edie is continually haunted by the specter of the life she could have had. This musical transforms into a poignant, modern tragedy, where pathetic dismissal gives way to empathy. Credit Michael Greif's brilliant direction, Mary Louise Wilson’s powerful Edith and Ebersole’s heartwrenching Little Edie.

Click here for The SOB Review of Grey Gardens.


2 - Curtains (Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center, Los Angeles, CA)

Thank goodness for a real honest-to-goodness old-fashioned backstage musical! Complete with stirring overture, Curtains possesses one show-stopping number after another, invigorating choreography, sharp dialogue, intelligent book and genuinely marvelous cast. This show is exceedingly smart, exceptionally funny and a thrilling theatrical finale for the legendary songwriting team of John Kander and the late Fred Ebb. In a word, it’s fun.

Rob Ashford’s brilliant choreography has once again enabled a leading man not typically known for his dancing prowess to shine (see my notes on Guys and Dolls and Ewan McGregor), particularly on the lovely dream sequence of “A Tough Act to Follow” that pairs David Hyde Pierce (playing Lieutenant Frank Cioffi with gusto and comic precision) and the exquisite Jill Paice. For the rest of Curtains’ troupe -- including the wonderful Debra Monk, who consumes the stage with her portrayal of the brash, yet cunning producer/stage mother Carmen Bernstein -- it becomes a breathtaking ride through the unusually large number of rousing and memorable numbers.

This valentine to Broadway certainly is a fitting way to send off two of the Great White Way’s most proficient songwriting duos during the last forty-five years. It all adds up: murder + mayhem + music = must-see!

Click here for The SOB Review of Curtains.


3 - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, Chicago, IL)

OK, by the time I finally took in this wonderful little musical early last summer, it probably could have been called the "26th Annual." No matter, since I completely fell for its charms, even if I spelled it N-O-N-S-T-O-P L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R. This excellent musical gem, complete with superb ensemble, absolutely delights with a little tale of one of those uniquely American displays of educational prowess: the lowly spelling bee.

In The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, director James Lapine finds surprising depth and heart in each of his spelling bee contestants. With an exquisitely written book by Rachel Sheinkin (she won a Tony Award in 2005 year for her effort) and blissfully funny score by William Finn, the audience is treated to an unexpectedly strong set of back stories that set up how each of the kids made it to the competition.

But there's nothing quite like the contest itself, which is moved along by the adults played by James Earl Jones II, Bill Larkin and Lucia Spina and includes requisite audience participation. Yet, ultimately this is a struggle among the kids, fabulously portrayed by Eric Roediger, Cristen Paige, Jen Sese, Derrick Trumbly, Brad Weinstock and Christine Werny. The members of this highly-charged ensemble expertly capture the essence of their characters. The result is a fresh, exuberant musical that moves by almost as fast as a spelling bee lightning round.

Click here for The SOB Review of The 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee.


4 - Spring Awakening (Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY)

You didn't really think I was not going to mention this electrifying musical based on a 116 year old German play by Frank Wedekind, did you? While Spring Awakening is not exactly your grandfather’s musical, credit Michael Mayer’s expert direction for enabling this show that grapples with 19th Century German teen angst to motor on at a brisk, riveting pace.

Steven Sater's collaboration with tunesmith Duncan Sheik on the score is anything but predictable. The songs are about as fresh, smart and downright infectious as anything I’ve seen on Broadway over the past five years (even if the words don't always quite rhyme). The music effectively amplifies every scene and revs up each actor. Chief among them is the sensational Jonathan Groff as the bad boy with brains Melchior. He holds what the show’s “adults” (Christine Esterbrook and Stephen Spinella, both excellent) view as an indecent corrupting influence over mediocre student Moritz played by the breathtaking John Gallagher, Jr. in a sharp, stunning departure that I believe will earn him a richly deserved Tony.
While the show is anachronistic and a little too self aware of how cool it's striving to be (not to mention that much of Steven Sater’s storyline on the sexual maturation is telegraphed throughout), ultimately this astounding, astonishing musical is highly entertaining.

Click here for The SOB Review of Spring Awakening.


5 - [title of show] (Vineyard Theatre, New York, NY)

Perhaps it wasn't my absolute favorite musical from the past year, but it should matter that it wasn't my ninth favorite! With nothing derivative about the wonderful little musical [title of show], I can honestly say that not since The Musical Of Musicals-The Musical have I so thoroughly enjoyed such a delightful, decidedly small tuner with an enormous heart (a key element lacking in Spring Awakening).

The engaging and endearing Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen essentially play themselves -- and true to its premise, they wrote the actual book, music and lyrics, too -- as two friends who embark on writing a musical to enter into the New York Musical Theatre Fest. They succeed in bringing it to life exactly as they wrote it against all odds. Along the way, they invite two female friends -- the effervescent Heidi Blickenstaff and the "handsome" Susan Blackwell -- to help shape the show.

Clever dialogue and a terrific score -- along with Michael Berresse's lovingly precise direction -- kept the 90+ minute show moving at a quick pace that was never dull and largely entertaining, particularly when they dished on some of Broadway's most renowned guilty pleasures or were interrupted via voicemail by some of the Great White Way's most acclaimed female stars (including Christine Ebersole). Best of all, they remained true to themselves and their vision.

Click here for The SOB Review of [title of show].


Honorable Mentions:

Two musicals I saw over the past year are deserving of special nods. The first is a show that actually opened on Broadway last season (but I finally saw it in September), while the other is perhaps the best musical based on a film that I saw all year. Here are those honorable mentions:

What were the best new 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 Curtains tickets.
Click here for Grey Gardens ticket information.
Click here for Spring Awakening tickets.
Click here for The Drowsy Chaperone tickets on Broadway; here for London.
Click here for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ticket information on Broadway, Chicago, Los Angeles and the North American tour.
Related Stories:
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best New Plays (May 21, 2007)

SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Musicals (May 18, 2007)

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)

Did Curtains Rise On Critics' Reviews?

Last evening, Curtains opened at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The show is among the final collaborations between John Kander and the late Fred Ebb (the book, along with added elements of the score, were written by Rupert Holmes). The new musical received positive to mixed notices, although critics were near unanimous in their adoration for David Hyde Pierce.

Proclaiming Curtains “a gust of giddy good fun,” Joe Dziemianowicz of New York’s Daily News praises the show: “It's no wonder Curtains is set in 1959. The era recalls the Golden Age of Broadway musicals, when many a show had hummable tunes, laugh-out-loud-able lines and adorable characters (even when they were horrible)…. The score is lighter than Chicago and Cabaret, but the legendary team has penned a show's worth of good tunes….Choreographer Rob Ashford also deserves big credit. The dancing is athletic and intricate and will knock your socks off….[T]he cast is fantastic.”

Deeming the show “a thoroughly entertaining new musical,” Associated Press’ Michael Kuchwara is positive: “It's a blissful, often very funny celebration of a bygone era, a theater world that has largely disappeared….It's the kind of corny, slightly naughty joke, courtesy of book writer Rupert Holmes, that propels the musical's genial self-mockery. Yet behind that tweaking is an affection for musical theater, a genuine appreciation of the craft and hard work that goes into making a show work. Director Scott Ellis artfully keeps that balance intact while pushing the convoluted plot forward.”

Concluding that Curtains “works,” Variety’s David Rooney was ultimately charmed by the show: “That this determinedly old-fashioned murder-mystery musical actually comes out on top is a credit to the talented creative team involved, on- and offstage. Rarely does a show with such a meandering first act -- enlivened by low-key laughs but alarmingly light on momentum -- bounce back after intermission with such infectious, ingratiating spirit….Amusing when it should be uproarious, pleasantly tuneful when it should be transporting, the show diverts but never dazzles. Somewhere early in act two, however, it quietly builds charm, cheek and cleverness, making it register as satisfying entertainment by final curtain. Much of the credit goes to an expertly chosen cast.”

Even Eric Grode of the New York Sun is mostly favorable: “What this gang of merry miscreants did is breathe a faint but nonetheless refreshing blast of air into a format that has been hurting for oxygen of late -- the good old-fashioned musical comedy. They may not have gotten away with it entirely, but John Kander, Fred Ebb, and a passel of other pros led by the sure-footed director Scott Ellis have added a harmless new entry into a sadly underrepresented subgenre: the murder-mystery musical….the show's deep-rooted affection for the (literally) wicked stage could bring the lieutenant Frank Cioffi out of any but the most grumbly theatregoer.”

In her two-and-a-half-star review, USA Today’s Elysa Gardner provides a mixed assessment: “There are some endearing tunes (Holmes contributed additional lyrics) and likable performances from Pierce, sporting a droll Baah-stin accent, and Karen Ziemba, who plays Robbin' Hood's lyricist-turned-replacement star. Debra Monk and Edward Hibbert have audience-pleasing turns as a sassy veteran producer and a smug, flamboyant director….But in the end, the cast members, like the players they play, are confined by their material. Curtains may be a sweet swan song, but it will hardly be remembered as Kander and Ebb's finest hour.”

Referring to Curtains as a “talent-packed, thrill-starved production,” Ben Brantley of The New York Times provides a review that’s mixed at best: “Perhaps (the) switching of creative horses accounts for the enervation that seems to underlie the lavish expenditure of energy by a top-of-the line cast that includes Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba and Jason Danieley. Brightly packaged, with Kiss Me, Kate-style sets by Anna Louizos and costumes to match by the industrious William Ivey Long, Curtains lies on the stage like a promisingly gaudy string of firecrackers, waiting in vain for that vital, necessary spark to set it off.”

In his two-star review, New York Post’s Clive Barnes is perhaps the most negative: “The John Kander/Fred Ebb/Rupert Holmes musical that opened at the Hirschfeld last night has two things going for it: the effortless performances of its star, the nervy, impeccable David Hyde Pierce as a stage-struck 1959 Boston detective brought in to solve a backstage murder, and, in a smaller role, Edward Hibbert as that show's effetely acerbic director….I just found it awe-inspiringly bad. Unfortunately, it was difficult to discern just where the joke musical ended and the actual one began.”

Readers will recall how much I enjoyed this tuner during its out of town tryout last summer in Los Angeles. Coupled with the generally positive audience buzz, there is much to market in these reviews. We’ll see what impact, if any, they have on the upcoming box office.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:
Curtains Finally Open On New Kander & Ebb Tuner (March 22, 2007)

The Hits From Coast To Coast (March 8, 2007)
Honorable Mentions: SOB's Singular Sensations Of '06 (December 30, 2006)
Curtains To Rise At Al Hirschfeld Theatre In March (November 3, 2006)
Calling It Quits: The Wedding Singer Set To Close At Year’s End (October 26, 2006)
Survey Says.... (October 23, 2006)
High Fidelity Tunes In To High Capacity Imperial (August 24, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
Curtains Meets the Critics (August 10, 2006)
Curtains (The SOB Review) – Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center, Los Angeles, CA (August 10, 2006)
Curtains Set to Rise on Curtains Tonight in LA (August 9, 2006)
Curtains Pulls Advance Buzz (August 1, 2006)
Curtains' Calling on Broadway? (July 24, 2006)
Kander and Ebb's Curtains Set to Rise in LA This Summer (May 11, 2006)

Ever since finally installing a statcounter on Steve On Broadway (SOB) last month, I've been intrigued by which stories are being read the most. In a bit of shameless self-promotion, here's the top ten according to you and other readers, along with some thoughts as to why these stories struck a chord (and for your added convenience, I've provided links to each of the original postings):

10. Were Critics Faithful To Betrayal? - Through May 27, Chicago's Steppenwolf is the place to see the company's incarnation of the Harold Pinter classic. This posting captures the reviews by the Chicago Tribune's Chris Jones and Chicago Sun-Times' Hedy Weiss.

8. (tie) Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) - I learned with this story that if you load up an item with all kinds of varied information, ranging from a sequel to The Phantom Of The Opera to discussions of Daniel Radcliffe's on-stage nudity to Xanadu's casting (minus, Jane Krakowski, of course), you're bound to get readers. But I also took an unnecessary shot at John Doyle and indicated that Kristen Bell would replace Krakowski; I was wrong on both counts. So sorry!

8. (tie) Curtains (The SOB Review) - With this tuner from Kander & Ebb and Holmes now in previews (with an opening set for March 22), is it any wonder that buzzomaniacs are wondering what others are saying about the show? I took in the tuner way back last summer in LA and loved it, as evidenced in my four-star SOB Review! Can't wait to see it again on Broadway, either.

7. Curtains Meets The Critics - Just as folks are searching for buzz on the aforementioned show, apparently they also want to know what the Left Coast critics have said. You can get it all via my Critics' Capsule on the show.

6. Holliday: You're Gonna Love Me...Again! - Apparently the fan base of Dreamgirls just can't get enough of all things Jennifer Hudson or Holliday. Just as hopes for a new Broadway revival with Miss Hudson are running high, suddenly Miss Holliday snaps us back to reality with the announcement that she's gonna play Effie Melody White again...in Atlanta this summer.

5. Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical (The SOB Review) - Welcome to all my Aussie cobbers who have visited this Yank's site to learn just how good the musical version of one of your fave pictures is! Well, what was initially going to be a limited run show at Sydney's Star City Casino through last October has continually expanded its run thanks to its fair dinkum popularity. I saw it in December as a Chrissie prezzie, and the performance was chock! Tickets are now selling through June 10. Good onya!

4. The Glass Menagerie (The SOB Review) - Welcome back to all you Randy Harrison fans worldwide who flocked to see how supposedly "not very positive" I was in my review of your favorite from "Queer As Folk." Well, while I may have quibbled with his meandering accent, I thought he comported himself "reasonably well, particularly in going toe-to-toe with Amanda (Harriet Harris)." You still have until March 25 to fly into Minneapolis to see this production that I awarded 3 1/2 stars out of 4 -- a great show in my book.

3. Dye Is Cast For Legally Blonde Reviews - With Left Coast critics singing this new tuner's praises and with Broadway previews less than a month away (April 3), it's no wonder that Google searches for any tidbit on Legally Blonde are more common than split ends.

2. Betrayal (The SOB Review) - I was considerably more enthusiastic about the aforementioned Harold Pinter play at Steppenwolf than the critics. Maybe that's why so much traffic came my way. Just for the record, I gave this good, solid production 3 out of 4 stars.

1. The Pirate Queen (The SOB Review) - Two nights ago, this new musical began preview performances on Broadway...less than three months after taking a pretty severe beating from the Chicago critics. I was there on its Windy City opening night and could only muster up a two-star review. While I had hoped the production would have improved, I'm already reading comments from others (like Mike at The Lunar Gemini), who aren't very impressed. Is there still hope of a salvage operation prior to its April 5 opening night? My bet at this point is it's going to sink.

Thanks to you, dear reader, for checking out Steve On Broadway. And whether you agree wholeheartedly or think I'm full of it, you're always welcome to leave comments and join the discussion!

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).