Steve On Broadway (SOB)

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #5 - The Last Five Years

SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #5 - The Last Five Years (2003, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Plays & Players Theatre, Philadelphia, PA)

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.

The original and Off-Broadway versions of Jason Robert Brown's ingenious musical The Last Five Years came and went before I had an opportunity to see them. Yet on a complete lark, I found myself at Philadelphia's intimate Plays and Players Theatre in early 2003 and fell in love with this captivating two-hander about falling in and out of love.

While vaguely reminiscent of Stephen Sondheim's underrated Merrily We Roll Along, The Last Five Years ups the ante by literally and effortlessly telling the story of lost love backwards and forwards. Although that might make your head spin, I was dizzy with delight from Joe Calarco's brilliant direction, Michael Clark's spellbinding projection design and the remarkable Nicole van Giesen as Cathy and the wonderful Wayne Wilcox as her husband Jamie.

Over five years after first swooning to this musical and its intelligent, ravishing score, The Last Five Years remains one of the best shows I've ever seen.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for this performance.

Labels: Jason Robert Brown, Joe Calarco, Michael Clark, Musical, Nicole Van Giesen, Philadelphia, SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties, The Last Five Years, Wayne Wilcox

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Saturday, December 26, 2009 3 comments

13 To Close During Unluckiest Time Of The Year

13 To Close During Unluckiest Time Of The Year

Perennially, the month of January marks the beginning of the cruelest times on Broadway, and this coming January will see yet another closing of another musical. This time, sorry to say, it's 13 that has posted its closing notice, scheduled for January 4, 2009.

Regular readers will recall that I was positively charmed by the Jeremy Sams-helmed tuner that features a truly terrific, invigorating score by Jason Robert Brown and an incredibly talented teenage cast, with Graham Phillips and Al Calderon particularly deserving of shout-outs.

But alas, 13 proved unlucky at the box office, where it only scored three weeks in attracting more than a 50% capacity crowd. Just this past week, it attracted a capacity of just 42.9%.

Given the rough sledding at the far end of Broadway (a/k/a Wall Street), it appears that 13 will pin its parting hopes on families seeking holiday cheer. Once the holidays have passed, 13 will be history, but will a tour be in the offing?

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: 13, Al Calderon, Allie Trimm, Best New Musicals, Box Office, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Closing Notices, Graham Phillips, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Saturday, November 22, 2008 1 comments

13 (The SOB Review)

13 (The SOB Review) - Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, New York, NY

*** (out of ****)


Be forewarned. High School Musical it ain't.

But thank goodness for that.

Think of Jason Robert Brown's exuberant new musical 13 as a positive puberty piece. It's a latter-day answer to "All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten." With tunes like the inspired "A Little More Homework," even jaded Wall Streeters can reflect and be reminded of a thing or two when it comes to what constitutes really living.

Mostly family-friendly, except for a PG-rated item or two, 13 heralds Brown's long-awaited return to Broadway, and his tuneful, rich score does not disappoint.

Neither does the breathtaking display of teen talent, as all 13 cast members, along with orchestra, are age appropriate. As Evan, a guppy out of water who's suddenly been transplanted from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, the charismatic Graham Phillips delights. Being the new kid on the block isn't easy, especially when you're a "Brain." It's even more difficult when he realizes that he's won the heart of the unpopular Patrice (played with remarkable emotional depth by Allie Trimm), threatening Evan's own prospects for popularity. Phillips brings an astonishing degree of nuance for such a young actor.

Yet it's Al Calderon as Eddie, who manages to steal just about every scene he's in as the sidekick to Brett (a terrific Eric Nelsen), Dan Quayle High's super cool dude and nemesis to Evan. It's virtually impossible to take your eyes off this gifted young comic actor.

Sure the book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn at times goes from earnest to hokey in record time during this 90-minute show, but thanks to Jeremy Sams' pacing, Christopher Gattelli's unrestrained choreography, and Brown's beautiful score, I found myself transfixed, charmed and downright moved.

So if you're seeking a little Main Street break, or even hope, from the bleak news coming from Wall Street, head up to Midtown New York and catch a welcome respite in 13. I'm glad I did.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: 13, Al Calderon, Allie Trimm, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Graham Phillips, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams, Musicals, The SOB Review

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Thursday, October 23, 2008 2 comments

Did Critics Treat 13 With Kid Gloves?

Did Critics Treat 13 With Kid Gloves?

While the really big news today, of course, is the further sliding of the global economy, as evidenced by this morning's sell-off on Wall Street, further to the north on Broadway, yesterday, Jason Robert Brown's musical 13 rocked the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

Helmed by Jeremy Sams, the tuner features Brown's score with a book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn, along with choreography by Christopher Gattelli. The show about thirteen 13 year olds in Indiana features Graham Phillips, Al Calderon, Eamon Foley, Caitlin Gann, Elizabeth Gillies, Ariana Grande, Aaron Simon Gross, Malik Hammond, Joey La Varco, Delaney Moro, Eric Nelsen, Allie Trimm and Brynn Williams.

On the whole, critics offered middling assessments.

Proclaiming this a "disarmingly charming new musical," Barbara Hoffman (where is Clive??) of New York Post offers three out of four stars: "With a raw, rousing score by Jason Robert Brown sung by a cast of 13- to 17-year-olds, it's Sondheim for MySpacers -- the perfect show for those too old for Disney, too young for Spring Awakening, and too impatient to wait for a new block of Wicked tickets.... Brown, the 38-year-old Tony-winning composer of Parade and The Last Five Years, has written some catchy numbers and at least one winsome ballad, 'What It Means To Be a Friend,' that clearly registered with its young audience. Director Jeremy Sams gets a few standout performances, notably from Elizabeth Egan Gillies, 15, whose lacerating Lucy, all cellphone and attitude, is a junior-varsity Joan Crawford."

Noting that "there's not much in this sweet all-adolescent tuner to engage anyone past puberty," Variety's David Rooney says that it target demographics should be: "no barrier to success... While the storyline by children's novelist Dan Elish and vet TV writer Robert Horn is a familiar fish-out-of-water tale populated by generics (geek, loser, gossip girl, beauty, jock, etc.), it has heart and charm. The kids in the age-appropriate cast are talented. And the score by Jason Robert Brown, which nimbly straddles pop and musical theater idioms, is several notches above the standard processed pap for teen tuners."

Calling it a "shiny and brash new musical," The New York Times' Ben Brantley gives average grades: "Though it features a buoyant score by Jason Robert Brown ... and a book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn that dances friskily on the borders of bad taste, 13 ultimately feels as pre-processed and formulaic as that money-churning Disney franchise 'High School Musical.'... The characters are as eternal as types in commedia dell’arte, and the plot as set as that of a Passion play by way of young adult fiction.... The cast is fine. It avoids pushing too hard, which is always a mercy with young performers. Mr. Phillips has an easygoing forthrightness and emotional openness that anchors the production."

Labeling it a "cheerful and endearing, ebulliently performed and blandish musical," Linda Winer of Newsday provides a middling review: "Except for some icky-erotic coarseness for hungry young tongues, Jeremy Sams' direction and Christopher Gattelli's streetwise choreography keep the show close enough to the nice side of the street-pee jokes, Shrek quips and Jonas Brothers posters -- to live a long and lucrative life on Broadway and in school auditoriums. Did we mention that the 13 kid-performers and five-piece kid band are terrific? They are, including Graham Phillips as Evan.... Al Calderon is a standout as a pintsized contender for the future Jersey Boys of America."

Offering that it's "neither a soaring, sobering account of troubled youth nor a glib commercial enterprise," USA Today's Elysa Gardner also offers a mixed critique: "Jason Robert Brown and librettists Dan Elish and Robert Horn serve up pop-culture parody peppered with politically incorrect humor and sweetened with some sentimentality. The plot is utter hooey in this case, centered on a Jewish boy from New York who lands in small-town Indiana when his parents split up just before his bar mitzvah.... That 13 is seldom either surprising or offensive is a credit to both the limited imagination of its creative team and the winsome freshness of its all-teen cast, directed with obvious affection by Jeremy Sams. With the exception of the strong-voiced Elizabeth Egan Gillies, who is rather too convincing as the precocious mean girl of her class, none of these performers come across as stage kids, and their unaffected energy is undeniably contagious."

Concluding that "The pubescent crowd may find this new musical fascinating -- but Mom and Dad will be left thinking about 13 better ways they could have spent their ticket dollars," Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's Daily News is among the most negative in his two out of five star review: "It is fun watching these fresh-faced youths sell the show, but the novelty wears thin soon enough and one wishes what they were pushing was better material.... If the point is that kids get labeled for no good reason, then someone might have said that. Or sung that. As is, the score by Jason Robert Brown is pleasant enough, tripping from pop and Carly Simon-ish ballads to blues. While short on character development, Brown's lyrics do manage to evoke teen-speak, as when boys lament that their buddy 'fell for a slut with a fabulous butt.'"

While teens love rollercoaster rides, the current economic one their parents are likely on at the moment may preclude the target demographic from seeing this or many other shows. Certainly there are many ad-worthy critical quotes that 13's marketing team can incorporate into its promotions, but it will have to get past the current 42.3% capacity at the box office in order for the tuner to be anything but unfortunate in its Broadway timing.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: 13, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Critics' Capsule, Dan Elish, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams, Musical, Robert Horn

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, October 06, 2008 2 comments

13 Takes The 5th

13 Takes The 5th

Today on this October 5, 13, the new Jason Robert Brown musical about thirteen 13 year-olds growing up in Indiana, opens at Broadway's Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

The tuner opens on the Great White Way close to two years after first debuting, albeit in a much different version and under different direction (Todd Graff) at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum.

With book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn, 13 is helmed by Jeremy Sams and features choreography by Christopher Gattelli. Graham Phillips portrays Evan Goldman, a kid who has just moved to the Hoosier State and must contend with a new school order. Others in the cast include Al Calderon, Eamon Foley, Caitlin Gann, Elizabeth Gillies, Ariana Grande, Aaron Simon Gross, Malik Hammond, Joey La Varco, Delaney Moro, Eric Nelsen, Allie Trimm and Brynn Williams.

While Brown earned a Rialto credit for the very unlucky Urban Cowboy, this marks the composer's first real Broadway score since his Tony Award-winning score for 1998-99's Parade.

Will 13 prove lucky with the critics? Find out tomorrow as I offer my critics' capsule.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: 13, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Dan Elish, Graham Phillips, Jason Robert Brown, Jeremy Sams, Musical, Opening Night, Robert Horn

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Sunday, October 05, 2008 0 comments

Broadway Preview: 13

Broadway Preview: 13

Last time I checked in with a report on Jason Robert Brown's new musical 13 was just over 13 months ago.

At the time, I noted that the tuner about thirteen 13 year olds was being prepped for a Broadway bow sometime in early 2008. Of course, that time frame came and went.

But since then, the show was presented by Goodspeed Musicals' Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut from May 9 through June 8. And the show has been announced for a Broadway berth.

Originally directed on year ago January by Todd Graff at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, a significantly revised version produced at Goodspeed was directed by Jeremy Sams and choreography from Christopher Gattelli. Dan Elish wrote 13's book.

On Jason Robert Brown's own blog, the award-winning composer takes note of how dramatically 13 evolved from its final performance on the Left Coast to its first on the East Coast:

The show is substantially different, in every respect, from the version produced in Los Angeles last year. First of all, just in terms of the writing itself, we've replaced more than half of the songs, re-focussed the story, added a half-hour of running time (and with it, an intermission), and probably changed every single line of the book except for four really good jokes. Paradoxically, the show is longer because it's leaner and tighter, and there is now a much straighter line from the beginning to the end. A lesson I learned this year with both 13 and the London revision of Parade is that it's all too easy to let a secondary character hijack the show. I know we solved it in Parade by cutting down Britt Craig's role; I think we've now solved it in 13.

Brown also discusses the difference a director makes:

Most importantly, we have a new director, Jeremy Sams, who has been invaluable both in his ability to cut the fat away from the story and in his understanding of the way music functions in the show. The fact that Jeremy is a formidable musician in his own right doesn't hurt. In fact, Jeremy is a terrifying polymath; a quick look at his résumé shows that he has directed successful plays and musicals on Broadway and the West End, as well as having written film scores, lyrics and books of musicals, and translations and adaptations of classic and obscure plays (from several different languages, all of which he speaks fluently). Dan and I are convinced that in the event of some horrible catastrophe, Jeremy is perfectly equipped to take over any and all jobs on the show, ours included.

Brown acknowledges the show's most unique aspect: casting child actors and a "kid band":

None of that would matter if we didn't have the talent onstage to bring this show to life, and I'm over the moon about the cast and band that we hired. Assembling the cast took a long time, and the final group that's going into rehearsal in two weeks comes from all over the country -- New York and the tri-state area, of course, but also Los Angeles, Texas, and Florida -- and while some of the kids have résumés longer than mine, others have never done a professional production before.

The band is an equally amazing group, and the band audition day was the most fun I've had in a long time; sixty-five awesomely gifted teenagers showed up and made glorious music together for seven hours. The hardest part was figuring out who to send home; all of the grownups in the room felt that we could have randomly picked five kids at any given time and ended up with a superb band. Needless to say, the five that made it to the end are exceptional. I know that kid musicians are not as used to the arbitrary and bizarre process of auditioning as kid actors are, so I wanted to take this space to thank all the musicians for coming out and playing so beautifully and rolling with the experience. Having a "kid band" is a huge experiment for a Broadway musical, but I know it's going to pay off handsomely.

Of course, that blog post was all the way back on March 24. Although 13 has been announced for Broadway's Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, with previews tentatively slated to begin September 16, there's been precious little additional information out there regarding the show.

Is that unlucky? Only for the countless Jason Robert Brown fans like me who can't wait to finally see this talented composer's next effort. The good news is that folks like Chris Caggiano (Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals) had decent things to say about the Goodspeed mounting (Chris called the tuner "promising").

I'm looking forward to our collective fortunes improving in the weeks ahead as more information is announced.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

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Broadway Preview: Billy Elliot - The Musical (July 7, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Godspell (July 6, 2008)
Broadway Preview: All My Sons (July 5, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Man For All Seasons (July 3, 2008)
Broadway Preview: To Be Or Not To Be (July 2, 2008)
Broadway Preview: The Seagull (July 1, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Equus (June 30, 2008)
Broadway Preview: A Tale Of Two Cities (June 28, 2008)
Broadway Preview: for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (June 25, 2008)
Broadway Preview: [title of show] (June 24, 2008)
Broadway: What's Next (June 20, 2008)
Not Unlucky: 13 Headed To Broadway (May 25, 2007)
Was 13 Lucky With Critics? (January 9, 2007)
Jason Robert Brown + Mark Taper Forum = 13 (January 7, 2007)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 25, 2006)
"13" Reasons to Take in LA Theatre This Winter (May 5, 2006)

Labels: 13, Broadway, Christopher Gattelli, Easter Parade, Goodspeed, Jason Robert Brown, Musical

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, July 09, 2008 7 comments

Parade (The SOB Review)

Parade (The SOB Review) - Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company & Theater Latté Da, History Theatre, St. Paul, MN

***1/2 (out of ****)

Nearly one decade has passed since the very brief, yet award-winning Broadway run of Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown's Parade was staged at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre.

Clocking in at just 85 performances there, I had to wait for the superb national tour with David Pittu.

But it was worth the wait. I found myself completely swept away by the chilling, yet beautifully told musical about a Brooklyn-born Jew named Leo Frank who, as transplant to Atlanta, was charged in the 1913 murder of one of his young factory workers, Mary Phagan. It's a story I could never quite shake.

What always struck a nerve with me was its harrowing depiction of America's grapple with bigotry. Whether racism or anti-Semitism, the underbelly of our nation's heritage has included some truly shameful episodes. In Parade, racism and anti-Semitism collide head-on in the pre-World War I South, where the religious belief in one's heart appeared to trump the color of his skin, allowing the true tale of Leo Frank to become a cause célèbre.

The tuner was finally performed last year to great acclaim in London, garnering seven Olivier Award nominations. As much as I had hoped to get there, I did not.

Fortunately, thanks to a chance encounter a couple weeks ago with Peter Rothstein and Denise Prosek of the Twin Cities' Theater Latté Da, I learned that their truly inspired little theatre company was performing this amazing, yet rarely seen work. It was my great fortune to take in a performance last evening. Since it is closing tomorrow, all I can say is that if you are presently in the vicinity of Minneapolis/St. Paul, you must do everything you can to see this rousing, stunning Parade.

Through Rothstein and Prosek's vision, Theater Latté Da has become the Twin Cities' leading company for presenting underperformed musicals. Think of it as a Midwestern version of New York City Center's Encores! And yet, this dynamic duo manage to conjure up their blend of magic with a fraction of the budget.

While they're short on cash, they're long on dreaming big. Bolstered by Prosek's exquisite musical direction, Rothstein is confidently at the helm in reimagining this musical, making Parade a stunning, towering achievement, not just for a small fledgling regional theatre, but for theatre, period. They have done the Uhry and Brown work extraordinarily proud and turned it into the type of show that burrows deep into your soul.

Thankfully, Rothstein and Prosek's dreaming extends where it matters most: from designers adept at doing so much with the deceptively simple (like Kate Sutton-Johnson's multi-tiered sets and Paul Hackenmueller's haunting lighting) to an exceptionally strong local cast of 25, guaranteed to take your breath away right down to some of the most minor of roles.

In fact, very early on in this production, you can't help but realize that this is not just some pedestrian group of actors. It's a cohesive ensemble that shines brilliantly throughout, not only in the abundantly talented leads of Leo Frank (Theater Latté Da regular Dieter Bierbrauer, who, if there is a quibble, it's that he can't shed his waspy looks) and his wife Lucille (Ann Michels), but especially in supporting roles like newspaper hound Britt Craig (Randy Schmeling) and Frankie Epps (Brian Skellenger), the boy who had a crush on the murdered girl.

Blessedly short on histrionics, Schmeling practically steals the show with his very real drunken "Big News!" And it's matched moments later by Skellenger's verisimilitudinous anguish in the heartwrenching "There Is a Fountain / It Don't Make Sense" sung pitch-perfect as Mary Phagen is laid to rest -- his performance was so believable, I found myself on the verge of tears. It's a wonder that Schmeling and Skellenger haven't already been scooped up by New York casting directors.

That they are complemented by splendid performances throughout -- including Caroline Innerbichler (Mary Phagan), Nathan Brian (Hugh Dorsey), Jody Briskey (Mrs. Phagan), Shawn Hamilton (Jim Conley), Reginald D. Haney (Newt Lee), George Muellner (Old Soldier/Judge Roan) and Kevin Dutcher (Luther Rosser) -- cements Rothstein's reputation, not only as an impeccable reinterpreter of seemingly minor musicals, but as a man capable of attracting and realizing the full potential of his gifted actors.

By far the best Theater Latté Da effort I've yet to see, it's my sad duty to report that there are but two performances left. So if you're anywhere near the Twin Cities this weekend, try not to let this Parade pass you by.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Click here for tickets.

Labels: Alfred Uhry, Denise Prosek, Jason Robert Brown, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, Parade, Peter Rothstein, Revival, The SOB Review, Theatre Latte Da

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Saturday, March 15, 2008 3 comments

Fantasy Casting Calls

Fantasy Casting Calls

With all the buzz about a potential film version of August: Osage County, the Chicago Tribune's Chris Jones provided his dream casting for the inevitable movie.

So, not to be outdone, was it any surprise that the Gray Lady, The New York Times, had reporter Erik Piepenburg asking theatre industry folks what their ultimate fantasy casting calls would be?

With a huge tip of the hat to Garrett Eisler of The Playgoer, whose own erudite opinion was tapped and included in the story, check out here what everyone from A to Z (OK, Adam Rapp to Swoosie Kurtz) had to say.

The comments by Jason Robert Brown should be savored.

And fellow bloggers, isn't this just an extension of the meme we were playing just a couple weeks ago? Hat tip here, once again, to Sarah B. at Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment! I'll stick with the choices I already spelled out here.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Labels: Adam Rapp, Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment, August Osage County, Blogs, Broadway, Dream Casting, Jason Robert Brown, Swoosie Kurtz, The Playgoer

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Tuesday, February 26, 2008 2 comments

Not Unlucky: 13 Headed To Broadway

Labels: 13, Broadway, Film, First Word On New Show, Honeymoon In Vegas, Jason Robert Brown, Musical, Parade, Spring Awakening, The Last Five Years

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, May 25, 2007 2 comments

Pittu's Hit Parade Leads To LoveMusik

Labels: Alfred Uhry, Broadway, David Pittu, Donna Murphy, Hal Prince, Jason Robert Brown, LoveMusik, Michael Cerveris, Musical, Parade

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, March 07, 2007 4 comments

The Last 5 Years Announced for London

The Last 5 Years Announced for London

One of my absolute favorite shows of the last five years was, in fact, The Last 5 Years. The exquisite two-handed tuner, expertly told backwards and forwards over the course of a five year romantic relationship, will have its British premiere at London's Menier Chocolate Factory on July 25. The same theatre company also spawned the successful, lauded production of Sunday In The Park With George that recently transferred to the West End. Indeed Sunday's acclaimed set designer David Farley will handle the same responsibilities for The Last 5 Years.

Jason Robert Brown's beautifully written The Last 5 Years was my second favorite theatrical experience during the 2002-03 season. The musical was originally staged in Chicago in 2001 with Norbert Leo Butz. He moved with the show to Off-Broadway's Minetta Lane Theatre where his womanizing literary-minded Jamie was paired with Sherie René Scott's heartwrenching portrayal of fledgling actress Cathy. Butz and Scott, of course, went on to create the hysterically funny Broadway roles of Freddy Benson and Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Matthew White will helm the London production of The Last 5 Years. The production will star Damian Humbley (formerly of The Woman In White) and Laura Pulver (who played Frenchie in the West End production of Grease) as the couple falling in and out of love. I just hope that this team will light the necessary sparks to make The Last 5 Years as moving of an experience for British audiences as it was for Americans lucky to have seen this little gem.

Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:
Great Scott...She's Back! Sherie René Scott Returns to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (June 21, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 24, 2006)

Labels: First Word On New Show, Jason Robert Brown, London, Musical, Norbert Leo Butz, Sherie Rene Scott, SOB's Best of 2002-03, Sunday In The Park With George, The Last Five Years

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Wednesday, June 21, 2006 0 comments

"13" Reasons to Take in LA Theatre This Winter

"13" Reasons to Take in LA Theatre This Winter

Just announced for Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group (CTG) at the Mark Taper Forum's 40th season: 13 -- the world premiere of composer Jason Robert Brown's latest theatrical production about an "unlucky" number of thirteen-year-olds in Indiana. The production, to be directed by Todd Graff, will have its world premiere on the Taper stage December 22 and run through February of 2007.

This is particularly exciting news for anyone who's had the pleasure of seeing Brown's The Last Five Years or even his earlier work Parade. Save for his last-minute work on the ill-fated Urban Cowboy three years ago, Brown's work is especially captivating and inventive. In the case of The Last Five Years, it provided the first-time pairing of the incredibly talented Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie René Scott -- who later reteamed for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels -- and took full advantage of their beautiful and nuanced singing voices. Since it ranks as one of my all-time favorite musicals, I still listen to The Last Five Years cast album and get the chills.

Regardless of who is cast in 13, I may just find myself having to make the journey to LA.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Click here for ticket information.

Labels: 13, First Word On New Show, Jason Robert Brown, Musical, Parade, The Last Five Years, Urban Cowboy

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Friday, May 05, 2006 0 comments