In the lead-up to this evening's long anticipated opening night for The Scottsboro Boys on Broadway, the marketing efforts in support of the musical just continue to innovate.
On Friday, representatives from the production alerted me to their website's new "reaction wall," which not only enables audience members to post their thoughts regarding the show, but aggregates the key words used most often in a cloud at the top of the page. Words like "history," "brilliant," "great" and "amazing" pop up with great prominence.
That the audience response is this potent comes as no surprise to me. After seeing John Kander and Fred Ebb's stunning musical during its Minneapolis tryout, I had many of the same reactions. And the positive buzz I continue hearing from those who have seen the production already at the Lyceum Theatre have me enthusiastically anticipating my return to the tuner on the Great White Way within the next few weeks.
It's a rare thing for me to use this space to tell those associated with any production to "break a leg," but in the case of The Scottsboro Boys, it comes from the heart.
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It captures the spirit of the show in one fell swoop. I've been consistently and thoroughly impressed with the production's Website, poster and social networking skills on Facebook and Twitter. They clearly know what they're doing.
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.
The road to Broadway has been nothing, if not long and circuitous, for John Kander and the late Fred Ebb's The Scottsboro Boys. But this evening, the musical finally reaches the Main Stem as previews begin at the Lyceum Theatre.
The road's been long, not the least of which is because Ebb died over six years ago on September 11, 2004. Circuitous, because after enjoying a sold-out world premiere engagement earlier this year at New York City's Vineyard Theatre, the tuner was taken out of town for a real honest-to-goodness tryout in Minneapolis.
Just two months ago yesterday, I was extraordinarily fortunate to see the show on its opening night at the Twin Cities' prestigious Guthrie. I was pretty much blown away by Susan Stroman's inventive direction, her sterling cast (most of whom are coming to Broadway) and Kander and Ebb's evocative score. That's quite a feat to behold considering that it's based on the true Depression-era story of nine African-Americans falsely accused of rape in the Deep South.
Not only does the official Web site for The Scottsboro Boys offer up an excellent history of the show's namesakes, but it also describes the show as follows:
The Scottsboro Boys is the thrilling final collaboration by musical theatre giants John Kander and Fred Ebb (Chicago, Cabaret). This critically-acclaimed production comes to Broadway following a sold-out run at the Vineyard Theatre.
Directed by 5-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman (The Producers) and featuring a book by David Thompson (who adapted the script for Chicago's record-breaking revival), this daring and wildly entertaining musical explores a fascinating chapter in American history with arresting originality. The show is based on the notorious "Scottsboro" case in the 1930s, in which 9 African-American men were unjustly accused of a terrible crime.
Their shocking and inspiring story - told though a mix of innovative staging and piercing new songs -- demands to be shared. So gather 'round... and join The Scottsboro Boys on their remarkable journey.
If I hadn't already seen The Scottsboro Boys in August, this most certainly would have ranked as my personal pick in the poll question I've asked here. But make no mistake, I'll most definitely be making a point to see The Scottsboro Boys once again after it opens October 31.
The Scottsboro Boys may very well be the most important new musical opening all season.
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.
With no defense necessary, my verdict was easily reached. The Scottsboro Boys is sensational in virtually every way.
What makes this Susan Stroman-helmed tuner particularly noteworthy is its very production marks the final yet ultimately sanguine collaboration between one of the most durable duos in musical theatre history: John Kander and the late Fred Ebb, who passed away nearly six years ago. Through the culmination of The Scottsboro Boys, Kander and Ebb's prolific, unmistakable scores now stretch nearly 50 years.
Their magnificent musical is based on an actual cause célèbre surrounding the outrageous injustices endured by nine African-Americans, who were falsely accused of gang-raping two white women in a deeply prejudiced Alabama during the Great Depression. As guilty verdict after guilty verdict was thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court, the nine remained behind bars for years continuing to profess their innocence.
Proving once and for all that fact is far stranger and usually much more compelling than fiction, librettist David Thompson wisely hews his book quite close to what actually transpired, giving a plausible air of verisimilitude to the story. The liberties he does take serve to move the story along.
Additionally, Thompson -- along with Kander and Ebb's ingeniously sly score -- beats those lingering racist underpinnings left within our society at its own game by cleverly employing minstrel show devices to frame the story. In the hands of any less skilled director than Stroman, the effect could easily fall flat.
Stroman exceptionally executes this production frequently employing her creative choreography to brilliantly underscore the proceedings. Witness how she's creatively conceived "Electric Chair," using jolting humor to make a point. To say the least, it's one of many electrifying passages in the show's progression.
The thoroughly excellent cast prosecutes their roles with a spine-tingling sense of mischievous daring and danger. Without exception, they are in a word superb.
In an ironic about-face, the equally phenomenal Colman Domingo and Forrest McClendon each effectively put on a white face to portray a dizzying array of characters ranging from sheriff and deputy to lawyers and guards. As the lone white actor in the production, a fine David Anthony Brinkley presides as the Interlocutor, as well as judge and Alabama governor (Brinkley will be replaced on Broadway by John Collum, who originated those roles earlier this year at New York's Vineyard Theatre).
Each of the nine Scottsboro Boys is expertly prosecuted by Sean Bradford as Ozie Powell, Josh Breckenridge as Olen Montgomery, Derrick Cobey as Andy Wright, Jeremy Gumbs as Eugene Williams, Joshua Henry as Haywood Patterson, Rodney Hicks as Clarence Norris, Kendrick Jones as Willie Roberson, Julius Thomas III as Roy Wright, and Christian Dante White as Charles Weems. All have individual personality to spare -- and in the case of Bradford and White, quite literally, as they portray accusors Ruby and Victoria with aplomb.
When the nine first bound onto the stage in saltation through the rousing "Minstrel March" (which seamlessly segues into the devilishly deceptive "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!"), they're imbuing their characters with all the dashed hopes and dreams they describe shortly after in the gorgeous, Gospel-tinged "Commencing In Chattanooga." But from their crowded cell, when Thompson's libretto astutely gives way to the stark reality inherent in Alabama's rat-infested jails and prisons, each actor comes into his own.
Ultimately it's Joshua Henry's extraordinary turn as the illiterate, truth-telling Haywood Patterson that thrills. Henry astonishes in the minstrelsy "Nothin'" as he flawlessly maneuvers back and forth between a genuinely-delivered sulking, seething animosity toward being unjustly accused and a crafty caricature of the shameful blackface personna that's long since been discredited. His soaring, yet heartbreaking "You Can't Do Me" vanquishes over adversity, even if he's left to rot in jail.
Adroitly and satisfyingly concluding with a poignant depiction of a much more prominent historical event, nimbly offered by Sharon Washington as The Lady, the overall result is spellbinding.
I can testify that as gutwrenching, outrageous and absolutely beautiful as this musical is, The Scottsboro Boys is nothing short of an ironic triumph over evil. It will surely become a must-see on Broadway, and to that I'll confidently swear.
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.
(Click here for The SOB Review of The Scottsboro Boys)
This evening, The Scottsboro Boys opens at Minneapolis' prestigious Guthrie for its pre-Broadway tryout. The tuner is billed as "the thrilling final collaboration between by musical theater giants John Kander and Fred Ebb," with the latter having died on September 11, 2004.
As noted here over three years ago, the musical was initially conceived as The Minstrel Show and was to be presented in blackface. The musical provides a minstrel-style depiction of racial inequalities in the deep south during the Great Depression that Kander describes as "vicious."
Based on the notorious "Scottsboro" case in the 1930s (in which nine African-American men were unjustly accused of a terrible crime) this daring and wildly entertaining musical explores a fascinating chapter in American history with brilliant originality. This critically-acclaimed production, directed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman (The Producers) and featuring a book by David Thompson (who adapted the script for Chicago's record-breaking revival), comes to the Guthrie following a sold-out run Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre.
It should be noted that not every cast member from The Scottsboro Boys that's opening tonight is necessarily making his way to Broadway. John Collum, who created the role of the Interlocutor at the Vineyard and who will reprise that turn on the Great White Way, has been replaced in Minneapolis by David Anthony Brinkley. Jeremy Gumbs, who will portray Scottsboro Boy Eugene Williams in Minneapolis, is not yet listed among the players who will make their way to New York.
Since Guthrie Director Joe Dowlinghas stated, "The production that people will see here is very much the production they'll see on Broadway," I'll be in the audience for tonight's opening. Expect to see my SOB Review shortly after.
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.
Yesterday, the rumored Rialto return of enter-tainment icon Liza Minnelli was finally confirmed.
The quadruple threat -- Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and, of course, Tony winner -- will "bring her unmatchable magic to Broadway," according to the Web site for her upcoming show Liza's At The Palace...!
It's been nearly nine years since the song stylist who's made sure we know that her first name's spelled with a "Z" and not and "S," last performed in her Minnelli On Minnelli concert at the dawn of this millennium. The legendary Minnelli will return to the Great White Way's Palace Theatre for a limited engagement of concert performances at beginning December 3 and running through December 14.
[T]he evening will feature an incomparable Minnelli songfest including many of her personal favorites and signature hits, followed by a dance-filled tribute to the groundbreaking late-1940s nightclub act of Minnelli's godmother, Kay Thompson. Gary Labriola will serve as Executive Producer.
Along with a twelve-man orchestra led by conductor/drummer Michael Berkowitz and pianist/musical supervisor Billy Stritch, Liza’s At The Palace…! will be highlighted with many of Liza’s showstoppers such as "Cabaret," "Maybe This Time," and "New York New York" –- all written especially for her by the legendary Broadway song writing partnership of John Kander and Fred Ebb. For the first time onstage, Liza will pay an affectionate salute to her godmother, the late Kay Thompson who was a legendary performer ("Think Pink!" from Funny Face), author (“Eloise at the Plaza”) as well a gifted vocal arranger and Music Director/vocal coach at MGM Studios who worked with stars such as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Lena Horne. Supported by a quartet of dynamic singer/dancers, Liza will perform musical hits (with the original vocal arrangements) from Thompson's act including such numbers as "I Love a Violin," "Clap Yo' Hands," "Jubilee Time" and "Hello Hello" -- set to brand-new staging and choreography by Mr. (Ron) Lewis. Accompanying her onstage will be Cortés Alexander, Jim Caruso, Tiger Martina and Johnny Rodgers.
The concert performance will be scripted by Liza and Tony Award-winner David Zippel, and will be full of personal stories, anecdotes and heartfelt reminiscences embraced in a theatrical setting featuring scenery by Ray Klausen, costumes by Halston, lighting by Matthew Berman and sound by Matt Kraus.
Although I've had a couple chance opportunities to see this legend in person -- both were off the statge, including at the most recent Tony Awards as well as on 45th Street -- I've promised myself that if she ever returned to Broadway, I'd be there.
So you can bet when the presale begins on Wednesday, October 22, I'll be among the fans burning up the Internet and phone lines so that maybe this time, I'll be able to see Liza Minnelli perform. (Regular tickets go on sale on Sunday, October 26.)
The Visit (The SOB Review) - Max Theatre, Signature, Arlington, VA
***1/2 (out of ****)
Unlike guests who overstay their welcome, Chita Rivera and George Hearn are two exceptional legendary actors who aren't around nearly enough.
Together in John Kander and the late Fred Ebb's spellbinding "new" musical The Visit, they're making a most unusual return back to the stage, particularly since Rivera, long known as much for her dancing prowess as acting talent, only briefly hints at her gift for movement here. But with her moving turn, this is one visit worth indefinitely prolonging.
Based on Friedrich Duerrenmatt's Tony-nominated 1958 play (revived in 1973 and 1992 ) that went on to become a 1964 film, the calling card of this tuner is about as exalted as any theatre lover could hope for.
In addition to Kander and Ebb, the lofty creative team reads like a who's who of the stage, including Terrence McNally and his shrewdly clever book, Ann Reinking and her captivating choreography, Derek McLane and his deceptively modest set design, Susan Hilferty and her richly textured and ever-evolving costume designs, and Howell Binkley and his transfixing lighting that's almost quite literally groundbreaking.
Due props also must be paid to Frank Galati for helming such an exquisite production; this is by far the best production I've seen him direct.
But, it bears repeating that after this musical first premiered at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in the heady days immediately following 9/11, the national disposition toward moody, dark works did not help propel ironic pieces like The Visit further. Sadly for the show, Fred Ebb died three years later (on 9/11/04, no less) and a planned Public TheaterVisit never materialized.
Fortunately for audiences, The Visithas been resuscitated and brought back to life anew, and likely much improved as part of the Washington DC area's Signature Theatre, which is wrapping up a celebration of the many works of Kander and Ebb. And suddenly, The Visit has legs, even if Claire Zachanassian (Rivera), the world's wealthiest woman with a score to settle, is missing one (thus the truncated opportunity to see Rivera glide via the lovely "One-Legged Tango").
The eponymous stay refers to Claire' s long overdue return to the poor little Swiss community of Brachen, which she left as a teen to find her way in the world. Her sojourn through life included multiple marriages in which she survived one wealthy husband after another, accumulating wealth and making a name for herself in her own right. The people of Brachen welcome her visit, which holds out the promise that their miserable lot can improve significantly if they treat her right.
All she asks in return is the head of Anton (Hearn), the man she loved as a teen, but whose hand was instead given to Matilda (Karen Murphy) to secure a better future. Never mind that the offing he expected failed to materialize. Now, Anton is faced with his own offing at the hands of his fellow Brachenians.
Just as Kander and Ebb's Cabaret lulls you into a frothy, festive feeling, only to lower the boom with a bombshell bang, The Visit works on many of the same lethal levels. In Cabaret, I was haunted by how slyly Kander and Ebb turned "Tomorrow Belongs To Me" from a seemingly innocent tune into a frightening Nazi tour de force; similarly, in The Visit, the songwriting duo's elegant "Yellow Shoes" marks this musical's stunning transformation from light to dark with precision.
The score, of course, is as much of a star for The Visit as any of the uniformly superb performances. There's no mistaking it's a Kander and Ebb musical, as they have worked their magic once again, ranging from the lovely "You, You, You" by Anton and Claire as they reminisce about what once was to the pivotal "A Car Ride," in which Anton is resigned to his reckoning as he takes one last ride with his family.
If the acting is your reason for your visit, you won't be disappointed. Rivera and Hearn are perfectly matched, and are buttressed further by one great turn after another. Jeremy Webb is in fine voice as the conflicted schoolmaster, who looks on in horror as his fellow townspeople's greed gets the best of them; Webb is one exceptional actor, whose continued growth merits watching. Mark Jacoby is outstanding as the mayor who's all too willing to lead his town down a dangerous path. And James Harms is duly haughty as Claire's butler who conceals her secret until she's ready to reveal it.
Despite its quirky and ultimately somber tone, this is one Visit worth making. I can only hope The Visit plans a New York stay as planned.
Just last week, it was reported that David Hyde Pierce and other principals from the Broadway musical Curtainshad extended their contracts with the show through August. But today, proving yet again that ultimately "It's a Business," the harsh reality of sluggish ticket sales forced a closing notice.
The good, old-fashioned John Kander/Fred Ebb/ Rupert Holmes backstage musical murder mystery is now scheduled to close at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on June 29. When the curtains fall on the tuner, it will have played 511 performances, as well as many more during its 2006 world premiere engagement at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre.
Regular readers will recall that I loved the Scott Ellis-helmed show from the moment I first saw it on the Left Coast. It left me humming a few of the tunes, including its valentine to live theatre, "Show People." I also believe the production only got better on Broadway.
I'm truly sorry to see Curtains go, but it's at least going out on a high note. Last week, it's box office take was $556,398 with a capacity of 74.9% -- far from shabby for a critically underappreciated show already into its second year.
Something tells me that one day, when the incredibly smart Curtains is ultimately revived -- and make no mistake, it will be -- critics and the public alike will "discover" its brilliance in much the same way they did when Chicagowas revived over a decade ago. And almost in spite of Curtains' old-fashioned motif, Kander and Ebb (and this time Holmes) will once again be touted for being way ahead of their time.
Based on Friedrich Duerrenmatt's Tony-nominated 1958 play that also earned Tony nods for Broadway royalty Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt, the tuner first premiered at Chicago's Goodman Theatre less than a month after the horrific events of 9/11.
Despite its magnificent star wattage in both Chita Rivera and John McMartin, the show never went anywhere after it closed on November 1, 2001. Sure, it was scheduled at New York's Public Theater for early 2004, and there were rumors that Roundabout Theatre Company might bring the musical to Studio 54 at about the same time, but The Visit never called again.
Until now.
Or should I say, it won't until May of 2008?
As I reported a year ago last summer, the The Visit will begin anew directly across the Potomac River from the city that gave birth to the incomparable Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero nearly 75 years ago. As part of its Kander & Ebb Celebration, the Washington DC-area's respected Signature Theatre (Shirlington, Virginia) will produce the tuner with Chita Rivera recreating her role as Claire Zachanassian, the world's wealthiest woman with a score to settle. George Hearn will assume the role of her lover Anton Schell.
The Visit will be directed by Frank Galati and choreographed by Ann Reinking. The production is slated to run May 13 - June 22, 2008.
You can bet I'll be paying our nation's capital a visit come spring.
Curtains (The SOB Revisit) - Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York, NY
**** (out of ****)
Ever go see a musical where one solitary song follows you wherever you go? For over a week?
That's been my experience ever since last Sunday when I once again went "Thataway" to see Curtains, a show I first saw during its Los Angeles tryout over one year ago. Act One's final tune "Thataway," which only mildly captured my attention upon my first viewing (and which I had tended to skip over when listening to the cast album), somehow has burrowed its way inside my mind. I find myself waking up with the clever tune still playing in my head.
In my original review, I called Curtains a "real honest-to-goodness old-fashioned backstage musical." I recognized that some fine-tuning would take place, but there was little to quibble about.
Apart from a couple tunes being reordered -- "Kansasland," Curtains' homage to Oklahoma! now comes a tad later, while "A Tough Act To Follow" appears earlier -- most of what I saw in Los Angeles remains intact. Sure, a couple minor casting changes have occurred, most notably with Broadway veteran Ernie Sabella assuming the role of Sidney Bernstein from Robert Walden. But thanks to Scott Ellis' guiding hand, Curtains nowzings with even sharper precision.
David Hyde Pierce -- and the rest of the cast, for that matter -- have never been more on their game. Tony-winner Pierce and Jill Paice are breathtaking in their sweet duet, the aforementioned "A Tough Act To Follow." Debra Monk, Megan Sikora and Edward Hibbert have never been funnier. Noah Racey has never danced better. (Although could someone please tell me why the fantastically talented Jim Newman hasn't been scooped up for bigger roles?) And Jason Danieley's "I Miss The Music" (written by John Kander as a lasting tribute to his late musical partner Fred Ebb) is even more poignant this second time around.
Fortunately for me, with "Thataway" ringing in my brain, I won't miss the music anytime soon.
As I hope I've made abundantly clear over the last year of writing Steve On Broadway (SOB), I truly love what the legendary songwriting team of John Kander and the late Fred Ebb has bestowed upon the theatre world. Their style, grace and wit have made for enduring and riveting entertainment that will last for generations.
With classics like Cabaretand Chicagoto lesser known fare like The Rinkto their current Broadway treat Curtains, I've cherished my opportunities to enjoy the scores that the two have supplied to the Great White Way since 1965. That's when the duo's first collaboration, for Flora, The Red Menace,landed on the boards of the Alvin Theatre and made a bona fide star out of then 19 year old Liza Minnelli, who took home the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.
Now, in a Playbill interview, Kander speaks candidly about life without Ebb, as well as his continued efforts to soldier on with material the two started together. In the interview, Kander says: "I mean, I have no pride about all this. I'm enjoying the lyric writing that I'm doing -- that I do with much less confidence (than the music), of course. I would have no compunctions about asking somebody for help."
Help has certainly come to him from Rupert Holmes, who aided Curtains on both the score and the book (after the death of Peter Stone). But according to the Playbill story, Curtains does not necessarily spell curtains for the slew of shows Kander and Ebb had been writing prior to the former's death.
The Minstrel Show, with help from Susan Stroman and David Thompson, the latter of whom has collaborated with Kander and Ebb on Chicago and Steel Pier.According to Playbill, Kander describes this as a "vicious" musical that examines racial inequities in the United States during the Great Depression. The Playbill story indicates that the show is "in limbo."
Given that the tuner, quite shockingly, is intended to be presented in blackface, I can't say I'm surprised even if it was close to completion when Fred Ebb passed away. Personally, I hope the conception of this show is being carefully considered so as not to leave a permanent black mark on their otherwise wonderful record of musical success.
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.”
What is particularly bittersweet about the show is that it is one of the final tuners to spring from the canon of the legendary team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, the latter having passed away nearly three years ago. And while the late Peter Stone is credited with the original conception behind the book, it's Rupert Holmes who furnished the final book and additional lyrics for the new show.
Readers will recall that I loved this gem of a show when it first appeared last summer in Los Angeles. I've been eagerly following the largely positive buzz the production has garnered since Broadway previews began in late February, but the true test, of course, lies with the response from Broadway's hard-nosed critics. We'll find out tomorrow whether they're game.
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles Limited run extended through May 31, 2011 (Show will go on hiatus starting January 15 and reopen at Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8)
Rock Of Ages - Open-ended run (Show will go on hiatus starting January 9 and reopen at Helen Hayes Theatre in March)
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
