SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #10 - A Little Night Music
SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #10 - A Little Night Music (2008, Menier Chocolate Factory, London, United Kingdom)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties. Wasn't
this rich?! Who would have thought that a show staged in a style so deceptively simple could be so sublime, not to mention utterly romantic. Rich, indeed.
Now, if you're not a romantic at heart, you need not have bothered. But for the rest of us, there was the pure heaven found in
Trevor Nunn's gorgeous revival of
A Little Night Music. It enveloped every one of my senses like a welcome salve for these troubled times. Only a heart of stone could not be moved by
Stephen Sondheim's ravishing score and
Hugh Wheeler's über-clever book.
Thanks to Nunn's deft and gentle touch, this
tale of requited love in turn-of-the-20th-Century Sweden felt timeless, transcending all expectations. It made me feel a twinge in my heart and left a tear in my eye. While I have not yet seen the
current Broadway transfer (I will do so in January), the intimacy of the tiny Menier made this a revival utterly unmissable on both sides of the Atlantic.
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 this performance.Labels: A Little Night Music, Hugh Wheeler, Musical, Revival, SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties, Stephen Sondheim, Trevor Nunn
Send In The CrowdsToday, at long last and after what seems like months of endless speculation came confirmation that what is arguably
Stephen Sondheim's greatest lifetime triumph --
A Little Night Music -- is finally coming back to Broadway after a long overdue 35 year absence.
I'm truly not sure what is more remarkable about this
Trevor Nunn-helmed import from London.
On the one hand, you have Academy Award-winning actress
Catherine Zeta-Jones making her Broadway debut in the coveted role of Desiree Armfeldt. While a Rialto novice, a very young Zeta-Jones
made her West End debut in
Annie. She also appeared in the London production of
42nd Street -- incredibly, she was cast in the leading role of Peggy Sawyer after both the regular actress and understudy already filling the part fell ill! The rest, as they say, is history. After wowing us as Velma Kelly in the film production of "
Chicago," Zeta-Jones indicated shortly thereafter that she would someday love to tackle a musical on Broadway. That day is soon to come.
On the other hand -- and this is a mighty huge hand -- you have the legendary
Angela Lansbury. The beloved five-time Tony-winning veteran of 11 Great White Way shows over the last 52 years is defying all odds by agreeing
once more to one last crack at a Main Stem stage. This time, she'll be portraying Madame Armfeldt. Could it be that she'll earn her sixth Tony?
Also particularly noteworthy is that this production marks only the very first time
A Little Night Music will have been revived on Broadway. Hard to believe for a musical that inspires swoons from virtually all comers who have ever seen it performed.
Regular readers will note that even I was swept away. After seeing Nunn's earliest incarnation of
A Little Night Music in London last November, I summed up
my rapturous SOB Review by pining:
There's little doubt that the bewitching allure of this excellent revival will follow other Menier productions to the West End, but how about to Broadway?
Well, maybe next year ... or so we can hope!
According to the announcement made today, my complete wish is coming true.
A Little Night Music will begin previews at the
Walter Kerr Theatre on November 24. Opening night is currently scheduled for December 13.
While complete casting has not been announced, we do know that
Alexander Hanson will reprise his London role as Fredrik Egerman. Lansbury, Zeta-Jones and Hanson will be joined by
Erin Davie (Countess Charlotte Malcolm),
Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (Henry Egerman),
Leigh Ann Larkin (Petra),
Aaron Lazar (Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm) and
Ramona Mallory (Anne Egerman).
The first Broadway production of
A Little Night Music was directed by the great
Harold Prince. The musical opened February 25, 1973, at the
Shubert Theatre. Not only would the show earn a whopping 12 Tony Award nominations, but it would reap of six of the top honors including Best Musical, Best Original Score (Sondheim), Best Book of a Musical (
Hugh Wheeler), Best Actress in a Musical (
Glynis Johns), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (
Patricia Elliott) and Best Costume Design (
Florence Klotz - a Tony that I have had the thrill of holding myself).
Just seven months after first opening, the tuner transferred to Broadway's
Majestic Theatre, where it played until August 3, 1974. All totaled,
A Little Night Music enjoyed 601 regular performances on the Great White Way.
While I for one would have loved to have seen both
Hannah Waddingham and
Maureen Lipman recreate their roles from the London stage, you can bet that as the casting of Zeta-Jones and Lansbury will make this one of Broadway's most sought-after tickets of the year, I will be cueing up enthusiastically. To put it simply -- I can't wait.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, Alexander Hanson, Angela Lansbury, Broadway, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hugh Wheeler, London, Musical, Stephen Sondheim, Transfer, Trevor Nunn
A Little More Night MusicHurrah!
As regular readers will recall, I fell head over heels in love with the
Menier Chocolate Factory revival of
Stephen Sondheim and
Hugh Wheeler's
A Little Night Music.
Now comes word from
Playbill.com that this deservedly sold-out production will transfer next month to London's West End with most of its Menier cast intact. Directed once again by
Trevor Nunn, this scrumptious
A Little Night Music will play the Garrick Theatre with
Hannah Waddingham,
Maureen Lipman and
Gabriel Vick.
Again, perhaps given the current state of the economy, it's too much to ask, but I'm still hoping this wonderful news portends well for a Broadway transfer to follow.
In the meantime, if you have the means, get thee to London to see this exquisite little show. It begins March 28 with opening -- or first -- night scheduled for April 7.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, Gabriel Vick, Hannah Waddingham, Hugh Wheeler, London, Maureen Lipman, Menier Chocolate Factory, Musical, Stephen Sondheim, Transfer, Trevor Nunn
A Little Night Music (The SOB Review) - Menier Chocolate Factory, London, United Kingdom**** (out of ****)Isn't
it rich?!
Who would have thought that a show staged in a style so deceptively simple could be so sublime, not to mention utterly romantic. Rich, indeed.
Now, if you're not a romantic at heart, you need not bother. But for the rest of us,
Trevor Nunn's gorgeous revival of
A Little Night Music is pure heaven. It enveloped every one of my senses like a welcome salve for these troubled times.
While the tuner opened last night at London's
Menier Chocolate Factory, I caught the production Saturday evening and found myself positively transported. Only a heart of stone could not be moved by
Stephen Sondheim's ravishing score and
Hugh Wheeler's über-clever book.
But thanks to Nunn's deft and gentle touch, this
tale of requited love in turn-of-the-20th-Century Sweden feels timeless, transcending all expectations. It is sure to make you feel a twinge in your heart and leave a tear in your eye. Yes, all is forgiven for
Gone With The Wind - The Musical; in fact, this production has more nuance per tune than that dreaded musical had in the entire show.
Nunn benefits from a uniformly superb cast. Of particular note is the sensationally sensuous and saucy
Hannah Waddingham as forty-something actress Desirée Armfeldt. Waddingham possesses a charm that's reminiscent of
Julie Andrews.
Then there's the enchanting
Maureen Lipman, who steals virtually every scene as Desirée's witty sage of a mother Madame Arnfeldt. The enormously talented
Gabriel Vick takes on the heartsick Henrick -- mark my words, with his extraordinary voice, Vick is a major musical find and one actor worth watching.
There's little doubt that the bewitching allure of this excellent revival will follow other Menier productions to the West End, but how about to Broadway?
Well, maybe next year ... or so we can hope!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, Gabriel Vick, Hannah Waddingham, Hugh Wheeler, London, Maureen Lipman, Menier Chocolate Factory, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim, The SOB Review, Trevor Nunn
On Tap For This Evening, A Little Night MusicThanks to the recent, Tony-nominated musical revival of
Stephen Sondheim's
Sunday In The Park With George, Broadway audiences now know the name
Menier Chocolate Factory -- the fledgling little London theatre that has already served as a springboard for
several West End shows.
The company's current production is another Sondheim revival,
A Little Night Music, helmed by none other than
Trevor Nunn. The 1973 tuner features a book by
Hugh Wheeler, which was suggested by
Ingmar Bergman's 1955 film "
Sommarnattens Leende" (Smiles Of A Summer Night).
Given Menier's amazing string of successes, as well as the fact that
A Little Night Music is one of the few remaining Sondheim musicals I've never seen, I let the effervescent SarahB at
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment convince me, one week ago today, to do what I could to acquire tickets for this show. This evening, I'll make my way
back to the rather isolated Menier, raising a special toast in honor of Sarah, no doubt thinking to myself, "Well, isn't
this rich?!"
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment, Hugh Wheeler, London, Menier Chocolate Factory, Musical, Revival, Stephen Sondheim
