In one of this year's most inspired casting decisions, the producers of the current revival of La Cage Aux Folles announced today that Harvey Fierstein will replace Tony Award-winning actor Douglas Hodge as Albin starting February 15, 2011, for twelve weeks.
Fierstein won his third Tony Award for writing the book for La Cage Aux Folles back in 1984. The tuner would not only win that year's Tony for Best Musical, but would go on to become the only musical in Tony history to win Best Revival for each successive production -- both in 2005 and again this year.
Surprisingly, for all his acting honors, Fierstein has never before acted in a production of La Cage. His presence come February will certainly make me want to return again.
The only question remains, who will replace Kelsey Grammer after he leaves the show on February 13? If the producers really want to carry their inspiration to the Nth degree, how about bringing on Arthur Laurents, director of the original production? He may be a cantankerous senior and may not have liked the current incarnation, but it would be a hoot to see him tackle the stage.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.
Labels: Arthur Laurents, Broadway, Casting Changes, Douglas Hodge, Harvey Fierstein, Kelsey Grammer, La Cage Aux Folles, Musical, Replacements, Revival
La Cage Aux Folles (The SOB Review) - Longacre Theatre, New York, New York
***1/2 (out of ****)Chalk my earliest appreciation for
Jerry Herman's
La Cage Aux Folles to a backyard conversation I had with my childhood next-door-neighbor Virginia Hug back in 1983. Mrs. Hug made routine visits to New York City to get her fix of Broadway shows.
After coming back to Mequon, Wisconsin, from seeing the
original Tony-winning production, this meek and mild -- and traditional -- grandmother had nothing but raves to share. Never mind that
Harvey Fierstein's book centered squarely on a family that was anything but traditional. Mrs. Hug was captivated by its universal themes of love's unbreakable bonds and was practically singing its joyous score for me. Sadly, I never had a chance to see that incarnation.
Fast forward to 1996 when I was absolutely repulsed by the film "
The Birdcage" (based on the same source material ), which I detested for its stereotypical, self-loathing gay characters. I couldn't help but think, "I don't know any gay people like this." I remember leaving the movie theatre beside myself.
So when I finally saw the first
Broadway revival of La Cage in 2004, I was bracing myself for the worst. Instead, I was swept away and cheering for Albin's declaration, "I am what I am." Even if it wasn't a perfect production, I liked it.
I love this
La Cage Aux Folles even more. Revived with unmistakable sparkle, however tarnished, by director
Terry Johnson, this downsized
La Cage is what it is. It's a solid period piece populated with men who may dress in drag, but have more guts, ironically enough, in coming to terms with who they are than their less flamboyant counterparts.
While standing up to homophobia, Harvey Fierstein's book and Jerry Herman's glorious tunes get to the heart of how any relationship, gay or straight, endures. And as performed by
Kelsey Grammer (Georges) and
Douglas Hodge (Albin), it's not only deeply moving, it's practically heartbreaking. Hodge in particular scores with his defiant and scorching "I Am What I Am."
La Cage Aux Folles still may not be the perfect Broadway show -- the second act just doesn't measure up to the first -- but it may be the best version of the show you're ever likely to see anywhere. I only wish Mrs. Hug was still around to see it.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Broadway, Douglas Hodge, Harvey Fierstein, Jerry Herman, Kelsey Grammer, La Cage Aux Folles, Revival, Terry Johnson, The SOB Review
SOB's Theatrical Firsts Of The Noughties: My First Time On A Broadway Stage
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.Although I have never had any designs on being an actor, I always wondered what the theatre looked like from on stage. If you read
this previous post, you'll know that my first time on the
Gershwin stage was compliments of one of
Wicked’s cast members.
But my first time
ever to set foot on a Broadway stage came about in 2006. Two of my best friends in the entire world happen to be friends with lyricist
Chad Beguelin, whom I met when he was putting the finishing touches on the book and score for his first Rialto effort,
The Wedding Singer.
After the musical debuted on Broadway, we went to see the show at the
Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Chad offered to meet us immediately after the performance. Although the show received mixed reviews,
we all had a great time, which was a bit of a relief as I’m not particularly good at lying about whether I’ve enjoyed a show. Fortunately, I didn’t need to.
So when we met up with Chad, we gave him our thumbs-up. In turn, he gave us a backstage tour, introducing us to the show’s star:
Stephen Lynch, as well as taking us onto the stage itself.
I couldn’t get over how much smaller everything seemed up close and personal. I found myself thinking, “Ah, the magic of theatre.” Perhaps even more thrilling than being backstage was being greeted by the throngs of fans lined up at the stage door. They certainly had no clue who I was, but it was fun seeing them try to guess.
Since then, I’ve been invited backstage at three other Broadway venues.
As
noted earlier, I have been on
Wicked’s stage at the Gershwin.
Additionally, just one year ago as
Harvey Fierstein was reprising his turn as Edna Turnblad in
Hairspray at the
Neil Simon, he personally provided me a rare opportunity to join him backstage. When he escorted us through the stage door into the theatre, little did I know I would be stepping directly onto the Neil Simon stage.
Then, this past summer, one of
Billy Elliot’s Tony winning actors graciously invited us to join him for a wonderful backstage tour in which he divulged many of the shows design secrets. That tour was capped off with an introduction to the musical’s Tony-winning director,
Stephen Daldry.
How many other Broadway stages will I someday find myself on? To be honest, what’s more important to me is cherishing each of my once-in-a-lifetime experiences I've already enjoyed in “treading the boards” of Broadway. Speaking of which, I made an unanticipated return to that Al Hirschfeld stage earlier this year, but that return deserves a post all its own.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for all performances above.Labels: Al Hirschfeld Theatre, Billy Elliot The Musical, Broadway, Chad Beguelin, Gershwin Theatre, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, Imperial Theatre, Neil Simon Theatre, Stephen Daldry, The Wedding Singer, Wicked
Hairspray (The SOB Revisit) - Neil Simon Theatre, New York, New York***1/2 (out of ****)The last time I saw the 2003 Tony Award-winning Best Musical
Hairspray with
Harvey Fierstein, it was during its pre-Broadway tryout in Seattle.
When I learned that the Tony-winning actor would return to the role of Edna Turnblad before the show ended its six and a half year Rialto run, I immediately rushed to purchase tickets to see him one more time. Am I ever glad I did.
Just days before his Tony-winning co-star
Marissa Jaret Winokur returned to reprise her turn as Tracy Turnblad, I revisited
Marc Shaiman and
Scott Wittman's buoyant tuner. After having seen the more recent
film version, it's easy to forget that
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan provided a slyly funny and slightly subversive book to tell the story of the coming of age, both for a wide-eyed innocent high school girl and the civil rights movement in Baltimore. Hands-down, the stage version of
Hairspray is eminently better than the watered-down (and I don't mean
John Waters) movie. And as wonderful as the dancing was in the film, you simply can't stop the beat of
Jerry Mitchell's effervescent choreography live on stage.
While I have no doubt that current audiences are now eating up every moment that the original musical's Tracy and Edna are offering (and that includes Fierstein's extraordinarily funny, ribald ad-libbing),
Marissa Perry as Tracy was exceptional. Current castmembers
Constantine Rousouli and
Tevin Campbell also rise to the dizzying heights of the material with the former providing a pitch-perfect, swoon-inducing Link Larkin, while the latter as Seaweed J. Stubbs is nothing short of a revelation.
Hairspray may soon be closing, but with one dream about to be realized just a couple weeks later via Barack Obama's inauguration, it's
Charlotte Crossley's stirring, heartfelt rendition of "I Know Where I've Been" that proves an even more moving, more poignant tribute to those who have been lost along the way than Messrs. Shaiman and Wittman could have possibly anticipated.
Like that soulful tune,
Hairspray still has the capacity to lift us up until tomorrow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Charlotte Crossley, Constantine Rousouli, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, Marc Shaiman, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Marissa Perry, Musical, Scott Wittman, Tevin Campbell, The SOB Revisit
Hairspray's Closing: Run And Tell That!It may be
anti-climactic, but it
is official!
The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2003 --
Hairspray -- will close on January 4, 2009. But it won't be before the show's original Edna Turnblad enjoys one final victory romp across the boards of the
Neil Simon Theatre.
To date, the tuner has grossed over $265 million on Broadway alone. That's about
40 times the U.S. gross of the original
John Waters film from 1988 and
more than double the U.S. gross of
last year's movie musical.
Fortunately, the show won't close before welcoming back
Harvey Fierstein, who will reprise his Tony-winning turn as Edna one more time.
And you know what? I've already purchased my tickets to do my part to send the show off in style. Here's my little secret -- I have not seen Fierstein perform in the show since taking in the Seattle tryouts back in the summer of 2002, so my upcoming visit will mark my first time ever in the Neil Simon Theatre.
I'd say it's about time, wouldn't you?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Grosses, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, John Waters
Hairspray: You Can Stop The Beat?You know those bells
Hairspray's Tracy Turnblad has heard since the show made its Broadway debut in July 2002? Well, an appropriate question may now be "For whom the bells toll?"
According to
Playbill,
Hairspray :
...is expected to close in mid-January 2009, but not before welcoming back the Mother of All Ednas -- Harvey Fierstein.
With an unidentified spokesperson from the show characterizing the announcement for shuttering of
Hairspray as "imminent," could it be that the economic tea leaves are suggesting that this will be one long, cold winter at the box office?
Recent grosses for the six year old Tony-winning Best Musical of 2003 are not bad, but they're not necessarily great, either. For the past three weeks, the tuner has attracted a capacity crowd in the 60% range. However, if you look at the
average ticket price -- which this past week was $57.20 -- it's clear that advance sales are down to the point they're sending an awful lot of seats over to TKTS. With all the news about the economy, theatregoers are likely to be more selective about the shows they see and may not readily return to those they've already taken in.
Giving
Hairspray a royal send-off with Fierstein reprising his Edna will most definitely put the lilt back in the musical. Personally, I'd love to see them bring back
Marissa Jaret Winokur as Tracy for one last hurrah as well. Those visions of Fierstein and Winokur together are, ahem, timeless to me.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Musical, Rumor
Catered Affair Issues Final RSVP DatesAs I learned last Sunday at the wonderful Tony soirées, all good parties must come to an end. And so it goes with
A Catered Affair, which posted its closing notices last evening.
The final performance at Broadway's
Walter Kerr Theatre will come on July 27. The show will have played a total of 116 regular performances.
Leave it to the tuner's librettist and star to sum it all up
via Michael Riedel this morning.
Harvey Fierstein says:
We set out to do something different, and we did it. We wrote a show that is for the real theater audience, not for the audience that watches "You're The One That I Want" -- not that there's anything wrong with that! But we're not a summer show for the tourists. After July, we go off the cliff.
Riedel quotes Fierstein further on what might have been...
...had we gotten one of those f***ing breaks. Like a Tony. Or a critic who had a social life and an emotional life. That would have helped.
But instead we have those critics who have never had a boyfriend. Or a date since 1912. They don't know what love is. They go to the theater every night. How do they get laid?
Ouch! Of course, in reality, several critics offered
positive notices, including
New York Post's Clive Barnes with his four star review,
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner and
Variety's
David Rooney. And
I loved it, ranking it as
my second favorite new musical of the last theatrical season.
Based on
Paddy Chayefsky's kitchen sink film "
The Catered Affair" starring
Bette Davis,
Ernest Borgnine,
Debbie Reynolds and
Rod Taylor,
A Catered Affair features a score by
John Bucchino.
John Doyle directed the musical, which stars Fierstein along with
Faith Prince,
Tom Wopat,
Matt Cavenaugh and
Leslie Kritzer.
As luck would have it, I ran into a very stunning Leslie Kritzer the other night at the
August: Osage County affair and had an opportunity to talk with her about how absolutely moved I was by
A Catered Affair. Mark my words, this is one gracious, gifted actress whose star will shine brightly in the Broadway spotlight.
Alas, the time of Prince, Wopat and Fierstein in
A Catered Affair's won't be much longer. Catch it while you can.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:SOB's Best Of 2007-08: Top Ten Of The Year (June 2, 2008)
SOB's Best Of 2007-08: Best New Musicals (May 29, 2008)
A Catered Affair (The SOB Review) (May 16, 2008)
A Snubbed Affair (May 14, 2008)
And The Tony Nominees Go To... (May 13, 2008)
Whoopi! Tony Eligibility And More Handicapping (May 9, 2008)
Did Affair Positively Cater To Critics? (April 18, 2008)
A Catered Opening Night (April 17, 2008)
Early Tony Handicapping (March 25, 2008)
Wildfires Force Closure Of La Jolla And Old Globe Theatres (October 23, 2007)
Harvey Fiersback (October 5, 2007)
Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair? (October 3, 2007)
San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Broadway, Closing Notices, Faith Prince, Harvey Fierstein, John Bucchino, John Doyle, Leslie Kritzer, Michael Riedel, Musical, Tom Wopat
A Catered Affair (The SOB Review) - Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, NY
**** (out of ****)Like a rare vintage wine that deserves to be sipped and savored, the seriously sublime
A Catered Affair opens up across the tastebuds into a glorious bouquet. That is, if only you open up your mind and your heart and let it permeate all your senses.
This tender tale of a mother's revelatory determination to use her fallen son's military
death gratuity toward her daughter's wedding will never be confused with fizzy champagne delights served up as a musical comedy.
Nor does it have the tasteless buzz of flat day-old beer like some of this year's lesser efforts. Yet, when all is said and done, this beautifully-acted, earnest chamber musical is intoxicating nevertheless.
Granted, as many an oenophile can attest, not everyone can fully appreciate a dry tannin as it's absorbed by the tongue's epithelium. It's an acquired taste.
The same is most certainly true of taking in a tuner, rich with integrity, daring to wear its dry dignity on its sleeve, right alongside its huge beating heart. But those who have the palette for the introspection of 1950s humanity will love
A Catered Affair almost as much as I did. In fact, while the show itself may be dry, it left me in tears.
That's in part because of the incredible compassion with which
Harvey Fierstein has vividly crafted his genuinely touching book (and he certainly has a knack for imbuing his carefully drawn characters with appropriate, almost poetic language evocative of its time). Fierstein's libretto has been wondrously blended with
John Bucchino's stirring score.
John Doyle's understated direction strikes the right balance between the many trials and inner demons the musical's principal characters face and the often hidden gentility each possesses.
Chief among them is Aggie Hurley (
Faith Prince in the performance of her career), the aforementioned grieving mother who has recently lost her beloved son in the Korean Conflict. Having invested all her hopes and dreams in him, only to have them dashed by his death, she's had a late-breaking epiphany in realizing she's largely ignored her daughter Jane (
Leslie Kritzer, a pure revelation). That's in spite of the fact that the self-effacing Jane has placed her own dreams on the backburner so she could pitch in to help her financially struggling parents, including her complex cabbie father Tom (an impressive
Tom Wopat), make ends meet.
That is, until she's met the well-bred Ralph Halloran (
Matt Cavenaugh). The two announce that they plan to be wed in a civil ceremony to keep things simple with only immediate family invited to attend. No matter that Jane's Uncle Winston (a fantastic Fierstein) sleeps on the Hurley's living room couch, although the fact that he is a "confirmed bachelor" may have something to do with the slight as a way of appeasing Ralph's uppercrust family.
Dejected by the slight, Winston drowns his sorrows with alcohol and shows up soused at the dinner meeting between Hurleys and Hallorans, becoming unassailably uncorked. If it's true that people speak the truth when they drink, Uncle Winston's pronouncements, however crude, have reached the pinnacle of honesty that would make
Paddy Chayefsky -- known for his workmanlike realism -- very proud. And to think that even today, some fifty plus years later, there are still some superciliously selfish families, who would turn their backs on their own loving and giving brothers and uncles simply because they were born gay.
Completely devastated by the thought that she's betrayed her own brother, Aggie has a second epiphany when she receives a check from the military for her son's demise. She decides that she's going to put on a lavish affair with all the trappings she never enjoyed herself (her own wedding was of the shotgun variety), and Aggie enlists Winston to provide his expertise in making the wedding an event Jane will never forget. This despite Tom coveting the dollars to finally own his share of the cab company.
In telling the story, Doyle excels in creating an awe-inspiring authenticity -- from the breathtaking, nuanced portrayals offered by his impeccable cast right down to subtle flourishes like Aggie making real scrambled eggs for Tom on a working oven (thanks to
David Gallo's simple, yet serviceable set design) -- steadily building to a splendid finish.
This slice of fifties Bronx is brought to life further by
Ann Hould-Ward's spectacularly unspectacular costumes and
Zachary Borovay's inspired projection designs. And while some may think
Brian MacDevitt's lighting is a tad heavy-handed, particularly when the Hurley son's casket flag is highlighted, I found its use highly effective and respectful, particularly given the ongoing sacrifices American troops continue to make in wars far from home.
If even half of Broadway had as humungous and unpretentious a heart as Harvey Fierstein, the theatre world would never be viewed quite as cynically by those looking at it from the outside as irreflective of society. For that and more, I proudly raise a glass to toast Harvey & Co. on one of the best shows I've seen on Broadway or anywhere else over the past year.
For anyone who has a palate worthy of the best reserve,
A Catered Affair is a must-see.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:A Snubbed Affair (May 14, 2008)
And The Tony Nominees Go To... (May 13, 2008)
Whoopi! Tony Eligibility And More Handicapping (May 9, 2008)
Did Affair Positively Cater To Critics? (April 18, 2008)
A Catered Opening Night (April 17, 2008)
Early Tony Handicapping (March 25, 2008)
Wildfires Force Closure Of La Jolla And Old Globe Theatres (October 23, 2007)
Harvey Fiersback (October 5, 2007)
Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair? (October 3, 2007)
San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Broadway, Faith Prince, Harvey Fierstein, John Bucchino, John Doyle, Leslie Kritzer, Matt Cavenaugh, Musical, The SOB Review, Tom Wopat
A Snubbed AffairAlthough I have yet to post my SOB Review of the absolutely exquisite Broadway musical
A Catered Affair, I was shocked,
really shocked, that the tuner got aced out of a Tony nomination for Best Musical by
Cry-Baby.
As I've said elsewhere, the nominators chose a crass act over a class act.
And I dare say that
Cry-Baby will never be one for the ages, although it admittedly may be one for the lesser stages -- especially in the short-term as theatres across the country may view it as the better draw among potential touring productions. How very sad.
I know I wasn't alone yesterday in
professing my surprise at the unexpected nods to
Cry-Baby. The news reverberated throughout the theatre blogosphere with cries of "
robbed," "
outrage," "
at a loss," "
fooled" and "
kinda funny" along with
others stunned by the news.
Of course, leave it to
New York Post's
Michael Riedel to
really put things into perspective:
The nominators appeared to go out of their way to ignore (Harvey) Fierstein's A Catered Affair, about a working-class couple struggling to make ends meet while planning a fancy wedding for their daughter.
The show only got three nominations, including two for leads Faith Prince and Tom Wopat.
"Oh, those wacky Tony nominators -- can you believe they didn't kiss me first?" Fierstein, who wrote the script and appears in the show, says, laughing.
"You don't have to buy me dinner, but at least kiss me first!"
The team behind A Catered Affair took the bad news in stride: After the nominations were announced, they repaired to Esca for a boozy lunch.
Like I said, a class act through and through.
Note to Harvey: It was great meeting you again on Saturday, and I'll be toasting you and your gem of a show very shortly.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:
And The Tony Nominees Go To... (May 13, 2008)
Whoopi! Tony Eligibility And More Handicapping (May 9, 2008)
Did Affair Positively Cater To Critics? (April 18, 2008)
A Catered Opening Night (April 17, 2008)
Early Tony Handicapping (March 25, 2008)
Wildfires Force Closure Of La Jolla And Old Globe Theatres (October 23, 2007)
Harvey Fiersback (October 5, 2007)
Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair? (October 3, 2007)
San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Best New Musicals, Broadway, Cry-Baby, Harvey Fierstein, Michael Riedel, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations
Did Affair Positively Cater To Critics?Last evening,
A Catered Affair -- the latest
film turned stage musical -- opened at Broadway's
Walter Kerr Theatre under
John Doyle's direction.
Written by
Harvey Fierstein and
John Bucchino, the tuner stars
Faith Prince,
Tom Wopat,
Matt Cavenaugh and
Leslie Kritzer, as well as Fierstein himself.
Even though this show was set very simply in the Bronx, the critic's reviews were practically all over the map.
Advising his readers to "hug it to your heart,"
Clive Barnes of
New York Post offer a four-star review: "Under John Doyle's expert, discreet direction, it emerges less like a musical and more like a play with music: lovely, urban chamber music.... But it's
(Paddy) Chayefsky's spirit that dominates the scene, and Fierstein has captured his 1950s, working-class milieu to perfection. This Bronx tale, with its interlocking, underlining and quietly beautiful music and lyrics by John Bucchino, skims along the edge of sentimentality to find honest sentiment in this story of a young soldier's death, a wedding and a taxi.... It's simply a musical with an honest heart, and that's enough."
Calling it a "small but satisfying drama,"
Variety's
David Rooney is largely positive: " The odds that
A Catered Affair will find mainstream acceptance may be slim, but the show commands respect by further challenging standard preconceptions of how the Broadway musical should sound, function and feel.... There are deep psychological nuances to be mined here, and Fierstein and Bucchino meticulously excavate the feelings of characters for whom suppressed emotion and sacrifice are an ineluctable part of life.... But the show resonates due to its modesty, grace, gentleness and emotional integrity -- qualities not often front and center in musicals."
Lauding the show she says is "ultimately a celebration of life,"
Elysa Gardner of
USA Today offers a glowing three-star review saying
A Catered Affair has "an emphasis on characters drawn with passion and compassion, and handled with that most quaint of virtues: dignity.... Harvey Fierstein, who co-stars as Winston, Aggie's big-hearted brother, has fashioned a witty, wise, moving script. John Bucchino's score is similarly thoughtful and heartfelt, though less accessible.... Doyle, Bucchino and Fierstein have a fine interpreter in Faith Prince, whose Aggie emerges as a sort of antithesis to
Gypsy's Mama Rose.... Prince makes Aggie's conflicting emotions palpable and haunting. And her relationships with Fierstein's wisecracking Winston, Tom Wopat's worn Tom and Leslie Kritzer's touching Janey are completely believable."
Labeling the show "a disappointment -- one so intelligently staged and performed, however, that at times you can almost believe the show is as good as its production,"
The Wall Street Journal's
Terry Teachout neatly tallies what he sees as the production's shortcomings: "Mr. Fierstein was right to think that Mr. Vidal's screenplay had the stuff of a musical in it, but he made three big mistakes in adapting it for the stage. The first was to put an anachronistically contemporary spin on his book by turning Aggie's brother, played in the film by Barry Fitzgerald, into a more or less openly gay florist, and the second was to play the part himself.... Mistake No. 3 was to invite Mr. Bucchino to write the score.... The problem is that his songs, with their pastel harmonies and introspective lyrics, have nothing in common with the working-class setting of
A Catered Affair."
Dismissing "the undramatic new musical drama of disappointed lives,"
Ben Brantley of
The New York Times is flat-out negative: "A short (90 minutes) but slow depiction of the family-fracturing pressures of planning an expensive wedding,
A Catered Affair is so low key that it often seems to sink below stage level. From Mr. Bucchino’s trickling, self-effacing score to the tight-lipped stoicism of its leading performances, from
David Gallo’s tidy tenement-scape set to
Zachary Borovay’s tentative photographic projections, this show is all pale, tasteful understatement that seems to be apologizing for asking for your attention. (Well, except for Mr. Fierstein’s character, but you could have guessed that.)... No one is given to extreme reactions in
A Catered Affair, except Uncle Winston and the gossiping chorus of tenement housewives (Ms.
(Lori) Wilner,
Heather MacRae and
Kristine Zbornik) who lean out their windows in a conceit that was stale even in the mid-1950s."
Concluding that he had dashed hopes "this would have been an
Affair to remember," Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News -- who now gives out stars on a five-point scale -- provides just two: "The show, which opened last night, seems well-intentioned but doesn't deliver enough story, substance or satisfaction. It's about poor people, yes, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't have meat on the bone and icing on the cake.... Fierstein stays close to the sources, but still manages to veer in places. Chiefly, he's made the uncle who lives with the family openly gay -- and put himself in the role. Unfortunately, the character and performance are distracting.
The music by
John Bucchino, a popular cabaret composer, fails to add much dimension, or fire many emotions."
Lamenting "How sad that the results are so glum,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer tries to be kind, but offers a critical assessment: "[T]his is a colorless little piece of '50s social realism about a Bronx family that isn't so much emotionally repressed as emotionally deficient.... Composer John Bucchino, better known for cabaret songs, has written meandering, conversational melodies baked by innocuous accompaniments.... Fierstein, the quadruple Tony Award winner and perpetual force of nature, both gives and takes away in his adaptation and his performance."
Citing how "this admirably spartan staging ultimately feels like as much of a contrivance as the standard bells-and-whistles approach,"
Eric Grode of
The New York Sun wonders aloud what he think went wrong: "It wears its virtues on its threadbare sleeve, and the vaguely medicinal taste goes a long way toward negating Mr. Fierstein's terse, insightful libretto and a pair of emotionally stripped-down performances by, as the pressured daughter and regret-steeped mother, Leslie Kritzer and an atypically somber Faith Prince. The show's missteps are understandable and often heartening in their own right, but they are missteps nonetheless.
Did these critics really all see the same show? I'll be taking in a performance of this musical in a couple weeks and will provide my SOB Review shortly thereafter.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:A Catered Opening Night (April 17, 2008)
Early Tony Handicapping (March 25, 2008)
Wildfires Force Closure Of La Jolla And Old Globe Theatres (October 23, 2007)
Harvey Fiersback (October 5, 2007)
Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair? (October 3, 2007)
San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Faith Prince, Harvey Fierstein, John Bucchino, John Doyle, Leslie Kritzer, Matt Cavenaugh, Musical, Tom Wopat
A Catered Opening NightFifty-two years after
Paddy Chayefsky's kitchen sink film "
The Catered Affair" starring
Bette Davis,
Ernest Borgnine,
Debbie Reynolds and
Rod Taylor first appeared, Tony winner
Harvey Fierstein hooks up with
John Bucchino to present a musical adaptation that opens on Broadway tonight.
A Catered Affair, under
John Doyle's direction, features Fierstein along with
Faith Prince,
Tom Wopat,
Matt Cavenaugh and
Leslie Kritzer in this five-handkerchief tuner.
The show received some
positive reviews during its San Diego tryout last fall. However, it took a major hit from
The Los Angeles Times, which may not have received nearly as much play had it not been for
Fierstein's fierce rebuttal.
In the best of all worlds, this might be
the musical to beat in the annual Tony derby given its pedigree. But in the year of the decidedly smaller show, will
A Catered Affair prove to be too much of a feast for the critics? Stay tuned as I present my critics' capsule tomorrow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Early Tony Handicapping (March 25, 2008)
Wildfires Force Closure Of La Jolla And Old Globe Theatres (October 23, 2007)
Harvey Fiersback (October 5, 2007)
Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair? (October 3, 2007)
San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Broadway, Faith Prince, Film, Harvey Fierstein, John Bucchino, John Doyle, Matt Cavenaugh, Musical, Opening Night, Tom Wopat
Harvey's Turn: Everything's Coming Up NosesHow's this for serendipity?
Given the official opening for
Harvey Fierstein's latest Broadway musical
A Catered Affair is coming up roses (hopefully) tomorrow evening, coupled with the riproaring success of the revival of
Gypsy, it seems like kismet that one of my faithful readers would provide me with this delightful little nugget from "
Sesame Street."
Harvey seems to have a nose for this kind of thing. Eat your hearts out,
Sarah and
Kari!
Break a leg, Harvey!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:Early Tony Handicapping (March 25, 2008)
Wildfires Force Closure Of La Jolla And Old Globe Theatres (October 23, 2007)
Harvey Fiersback (October 5, 2007)
Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair? (October 3, 2007)
San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Broadway, Gypsy, Harvey Fierstein, Musical, Sesame Street
Harvey FiersbackIn my PR world, I've always lived by the mantra that you never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.
But I've got to hand it to
Harvey Fierstein for having the courage to
fire back at his critics, particularly Charles McNulty of the
Los Angeles Times for his
savage review of
A Catered Affair during its pre-Broadway engagement in San Diego.
On his
MySpace blog, Fierstein also takes aim at those who had issues with what they viewed as his anachronistic characterization of a gay man living in the 1950s:
In A Catered Affair I have been accused, by a few well meaning critics who loved the show, of creating a gay character that is "post-Stonewall" and not true to the period of the piece. Once again I ask: What makes them so sure? Did they do any of the research that I did? Did they interview gay men who lived through the period as I have? Did they view documentaries telling stories of what it was like to be gay in 1953 as I did? Did they read books or personal accounts of gay life in 1953 as I did?
I doubt that one of those critics took the time to be sure they were correct before telling me that I was incorrect. Still they blithely and boldy state in print that I am wrong and they are right!!! I say that is simply outrageous. And I tell you ON RECORD that I did my research and I firmly stand behind my portrayal of that character as true and real. The funny part is that these opinions, like most advice, were not given to harm, but to help me make a better piece. So,I thank them for their advice, but encourage them to know whereof they speak before prescribing cures.
MAYBE I'M CRAZY, BUT...
...I go to the theater hoping that I will learn something new. I go praying that the playwright will inform my world, change my opinion, enlighten me, cause me to think, open my mind and heart. But it seems that some critics go to the theater only to validate their own predetermined opinion. What a loss for them! And what a loss for their readers.
One thing you can't accuse Harvey Fierstein of being is a wimp or a coward.
While I regret not having the opportunity to see this show in San Diego, now I'm
really looking forward to seeing it on Broadway.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair? (October 3, 2007)
San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Blogs, Broadway, California, Charles McNulty, Critics' Capsule, Film, Harvey Fierstein, Los Angeles Times, Musical, Paddy Chayefsky, San Diego, Tryout
Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair?On Sunday, the out-of-town tryout for the
John Doyle-helmed
A Catered Affair opened at San Diego's
Old Globe Theatre.
With book by
Harvey Fierstein and score by
John Bucchino, the Broadway-bound tuner received two positive reviews, as well as one flat-out pan. But Broadway veteran
Faith Prince earned accolades throughout.
Calling it an "assured chamber musical,"
San Diego Union-Tribune's
Anne Marie Welsh celebrates: "Fierstein, Bucchino and the actors explore the characters with a tact and depth beyond that of most contemporary musicals....Prince's beautifully restrained, carefully calibrated and thoroughly unsentimental performance should earn her accolades and awards this spring when the show opens in New York....Doyle's measured direction in the emotional turning points is near perfect....Fierstein and company have already achieved in this artful piece far more than most hard-selling musicals aspire to: They've created real struggling human beings whose deepest feelings are beyond words -- and therefore find true expression in song."
Noting how "John Doyle sets the songs flowing seamlessly out of the dialogue,"
Variety's
Bob Verini is also positive -- mostly: "Much is verbalized in Harvey Fierstein's gritty slice-of-life dialogue and John Bucchino's sensitive lyrics, but the use of silence -- sometimes for as long as 30 seconds -- is remarkable: Few tuner directors would conceive of those quiet moments, and even fewer would dare attempt them....Prince internalizes Aggie's bitterness and self-pity, blossoming beautifully when Winston challenges her to imagine her own ideal wedding in the lovely 'Vision.' (
Tom) Wopat is a gruff and powerfully dormant presence on the periphery, and (
Leslie) Kritzer pulls off show's toughest assignment in seeking to establish a sense of self while alternately resisting and encouraging the wedding hoopla. Fierstein's reconfiguration of the uncle role, from
Barry Fitzgerald's asexual imp to an explicitly gay shop owner whose relationship is on the skids, is problematic."
Deeming the affair "a pointless enterprise," the
Los Angeles Times'
Charles McNulty mostly pans: "Should we really be trawling for such mediocre source material without a sharp revitalizing vision? (
Paddy) Chayefsky's expiration date passed long ago, yet Fierstein serves up the saga as though it were fresh milk....But not even Doyle's boldness can rescue an idea that's inherently at cross-purposes with itself. Does the show want to be stark or saccharine? Brutally honest or comically consoling? Courageously untraditional or only conveniently so?"
Regardless of that last critique,
A Catered Affair has extended its San Diego run until November 4. Look for the show to land at Broadway's the
Walter Kerr Theatre on March 25.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Broadway, California, Critics' Capsule, Faith Prince, Film, Harvey Fierstein, John Doyle, Musical, Paddy Chayefsky, San Diego
Bruce Vilanch Weighs In On Hairspray ExperienceSomehow, I missed
this highly amusing August Variety piece by comedy writer-cum-musical actor
Bruce Vilanch reminiscing about his experience as
Hairspray's first touring Edna Turnblad. But it's a great read.
His opening riff is quintessential Vilanch:
OK, so it's no secret that John Travolta and I have fought over many of the same parts. After extensive lobbying sessions with Robert Stigwood, I let John have "Saturday Night Fever." I knew there'd be better roles ahead and, after all, if one kid from Jersey won't do another kid from Jersey a favor, who will? Ain't that right, David Chase?
When "Grease" came along, there was Stigwood again, this time with Allan Carr, and I let go of my Vulcan death grip on that role to John. Again.
When John dropped out of "American Gigolo," I was ready to go, but Paramount insisted I lose a hundred pounds by the next week, so in stepped Richard Gere. You know the rest.
While I was certainly delighted seeing
Harvey Fierstein and
Marissa Jaret Winokur, along with the rest of the original cast of Broadway's
Hairspray, when I learned that the hilarious, hirsute Vilanch would be touring, I made it a point to see the show again.
I not only caught Vilanch & Co. during the tour's 2004 stop in Minneapolis (Vilanch, of course was required to shave off his trademark beard, tranforming himself into an engaging and entertaining Edna), but I also had the unique privilege of dining with this comic genius -- I had been the highest bidder on a dinner with him during an auction to benefit the
Minnesota AIDS Project.
This gracious man is seriously funny and very down to earth. He kept me in stitches throughout the meal -- of course, it didn't hurt that he came to dinner wearing one of his signature T-shirts that had a big rooster on it with the words "My" above said bird and "tastes like chicken" scrawled underneath.
While you can count on his witticisms being used in what seems like virtually every major awards show, look for Vilanch to resurface in the new celebrity-packed court show
Jury Duty, next year's documentary "
Wrangler: Anatomy Of An Icon," and a return to acting in "
Tru Loved."
I'm just holding out true hope that Vilanch will return to the stage.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Is It Just Me, Or... (June 14, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Bruce Vilanch, Film, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Touring Production
San Diego Opening Is Catered AffairWhile significant media coverage has centered on the two Broadway-bound musicals due to open this fall (
Young Frankenstein and
The Little Mermaid)
, A Catered Affair has been quietly unfolding in San Diego. Tonight, the world premiere of this other film-based tuner opens at the city's
Old Globe Theatre.
A Catered Affair finds its roots in the
Paddy Chayefsky teleplay for the 1955 broadcast of "
The Philco Television Playhouse" (starring
Pat Henning,
Thelma Ritter and
J. Pat O'Malley) and subsequent
1956 feature film written by Chayefsky and
Gore Vidal (starring
Bette Davis,
Ernest Borgnine,
Debbie Reynolds,
Rod Taylor and
Barry Fitzgerald).
The new musical version is helmed by
John Doyle -- minus his earlier conceit of having actors double as musicians -- and includes a book by
Harvey Fierstein and music by
John Bucchino. The only double duty on display comes from Fierstein via his starring role as Uncle Winston. Other cast members include
Faith Prince,
Tom Wopat,
Matt Cavenaugh and
Leslie Kritzer.
Set in the 1950s,
A Catered Affair centers on how "Bronx family ties are strained when a couple decides to give their daughter the grand wedding they never had." Self-described as "stunning...funny, heartwarming and uplifting for audiences of all ages," the musical is already accomplishing the kind of positive buzz via
New York Post's Michael Riedel that all other comers could only hope for: "Possible sleeper here for the Tony Awards, especially if the industry sours on Brooks' $450 tickets for
Young Frankenstein."
While I won't be able to travel to San Diego to catch the world premiere running through October 28, I'm looking forward to feasting on Fierstein's latest feat on Broadway, due at the
Walter Kerr Theatre on March 25.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Bette Davis, Broadway, Buzz, Faith Prince, Film, Harvey Fierstein, John Doyle, Leslie Kritzer, Matt Cavenaugh, Michael Riedel, Musical, San Diego, Television, Tom Wopat
Stuck On HairsprayIt should be duly noted that occasionally, I
do see a movie or two.
A week ago Friday, the second silver screen incarnation of “
Hairspray” opened to favorable reviews and a wide audience, earning what was the best opening weekend of any movie musical
ever. Having adored the
original 1988 film, as well as having immensely enjoyed the
2002 Broadway stage musical adaptation, I was sure to make a beehive, er, bee
line to see the flick the day it was released.
While I still haven’t gotten over the fact that
Harvey Fierstein was not invited to reprise his Tony-winning take as Edna Turnblad, I went in with an open mind, deciding to give
John Travolta and the movie a chance.
And guess what? Thanks to his deft delivery of an adorable Edna by breaking new ground with his larger than life characterization, I actually forgot that I was watching the very same actor who was on fire as
Danny Zuko nearly thirty years ago.
But he's not even the show's best asset. You simply can’t help but fall in love with
Nikki Blonsky (as Tracy Turnblad), the young actress who
traded in her ice cream scooper for a giant lick in the big time. It’s been years since I’ve witnessed an unknown display such amazing grace and confidence her first time out.
Other standouts include
Zac Efron (Link),
Amanda Bynes (Penny) and
Michelle Pfeiffer (Velma Von Tussle). I’d be remiss not to mention both
James Marsden or
Elijah Kelley (Seaweed). Marsden provided a cheeky, yet luminescent presence as Corny Collins -- here’s hoping we’ll see him trade the big screen for a big stage musical with that big smile. And if there's any justice, it would be downright sweet to see Kelley replicate some of his moves by treading the boards, too.
The zippy pacing and exhilarating choreography by director
Adam Shankman made the film whiz by, although not too fast as to miss the show’s enormous heart, which was created in large part by the score from
Marc Shaiman and
Scott Wittman. Still -- and this will be the theatre snob coming out in me -- as much as they cranked the volume up on all the major numbers, including the dizzying finale, I couldn’t help but recall how much
more frenzied with delight the live show made its audience.
Although I missed many of the original tuner’s musical numbers stricken to help move the film along, I was certainly placated by the renditions offered with the credits – not the least of which was the gloriously inspired trio of
Rikki Lake,
Marissa Jaret Winokur and Nikki Blonsky singing “Mama I’m A Big Girl Now.”
Just for the record, I personally believe the best “Hairspray” of all remains the original
John Waters effort. But here’s hoping that this very enjoyable remake will inspire countless fans to make Broadway’s
Neil Simon or
London’s Shaftesbury Theatres a destination to see the slightly superior stage version. And it must be having an enormous impact as the Great White Way production is playing to standing room only houses for the third week in a row (quite a noteworthy rebound from its
steep decline last fall).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Hairspray Broadway tickets.Click here for Hairspray London tickets.Related Stories:
Go East, Young Musical, Go East (July 26, 2007)
Touring Hairspray Caught In Sticky Net (April 26, 2007)
Hairspray To Brush With West End Style (March 9, 2007)
Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Film, Hairspray, Harvey Fierstein, John Travolta, John Waters, London, Musical, Nikki Blonsky
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick
According to
Michael Riedel of the
New York Post, Tony winner
Harvey Fierstein is planning a return to Broadway via a musical version of
Paddy Chayefsky's "
The Catered Affair." In addition to starring in the new tuner, Fierstein has written the book.
John Bucchino is penning the score, while
John Doyle is reportedly set to direct, although don't expect to see Mr. Fierstein playing any instruments. Fierstein is quoted as saying, "I told him, I ain't playing no damn tambourine. I'm very pro-union. I ain't taking no jobs from musicians."
"The Catered Affair" was originally a 1956 teleplay starring
Bette Davis,
Ernest Borgnine,
Debbie Reynolds and
Rod Taylor. Reputedly, it was Davis' personal favorite role.
Look for the musical to arrive on Broadway sometime during the 2007-08 Theatrical Season.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Bette Davis, Broadway, Film, First Word On New Show, Harvey Fierstein, John Doyle, Musical, Paddy Chayefsky, The Catered Affair
