After Miss Julie (The SOB Review) - American Airlines Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York, New York*1/2 (out of ****)On paper, it must have seemed like a complete no-brainer.
Cast the fetching
Sienna Miller in the title role of
Patrick Marber's
After Miss Julie as a sexy, sultry seductress. It doesn't seem like much of a stretch. After all, Ms. Miller's acting prowess has been largely obscured by her more notorious one in both tempting men and her way right into tabloid fodder.
While it's often said that playwrights should write what they know, Ms. Miller should act what she understands. Instead, as the woman of privilege who seduces her father's valet John (
Johnny Lee Miller, who deserves a better Broadway debut than this), she comes up all thumbs, resulting in my own opposable ones appropriately pointing in a decidedly downward direction.
In this clash of power -- class vs. sexual -- you'd think Ms. Miller would be at ease with both. But in a display that is far too shrill, it's really unfathomable that John, who has watched this Julie from an early age, could possibly feel anything for her. He already knows what a screwy coquette she can be, so the sparks between the unrelated Millers seem manufactured.
Making matters worse is that as directed by
Mark Brokaw, Marber's adaptation of
August Strindberg 19th century work transposes the "action" to the kitchen of a large country estate outside of London on the evening of July 26, 1945. I use the term "action" loosely as virtually all of the action really occurs off stage in rooms unseen.
That includes a reception room where a party is taking place the very night the Labour Party wins its first independent majority over Winston Churchill's Conservatives. It's also where Julie demands John dance with her, twice, much to his embarrassment and chagrin.
Also unseen is a bedroom where Julie and John ultimately consummate their lust for one another, only to be found by his intended fiancée and household cook Christine (
Marin Ireland, who acquits herself as well as can be expected).
All this inaction in
Allen Moyer's beautifully appointed kitchen -- with hoots and hollering coming from Julie's party dancing display and Christine's tearful discovery coming from the door of the bedroom, not to mention the unseen crowds offering their derision from outside the kitchen window -- makes for one of the most interminable 90 minutes I've yet to spend in a theatre.
Simply put, I couldn't wait until
after After Miss Julie.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: After Miss Julie, Broadway, Johnny Lee Miller, Marin Ireland, Mark Brokaw, Patrick Marber, Play, Roundabout Theatre, Sienna Miller, The SOB Review
Bye-Bye, BabyDespite showcasing its absolutely best number at Sunday night's Tony Awards (and even I concede
that was dazzling), the Broadway musical
Cry-Baby is set to close this Sunday, according to
Playbill (although as of this writing, tickets are still be sold for performances beyond that date). The tuner will have played 68 regular performances at the
Marquis Theatre in addition to its 45 previews.
ModFab
predicted as much on Monday. While the
Cry-Baby's capacity numbers last week of 64.4% didn't appear to be too terrible, dig a little deeper in the box office totals and you'll see that its average ticket price was rock bottom, coming in at $33.27. To put that into perspective, the only other show with an average ticket price under 50 bucks was
Les Liaisons Dangereuses at $49.75. Meanwhile,
Jersey Boys still commands an
average ticket price of $115.79!
Despite all those Tony nominations -- inspiring many,
including me, to wonder what those Tony nominators were thinking --
Cry-Baby never really caught the right footing, which is ironic given that
Rob Ashford's choreography was about the best thing to be said for the show.
Mark Brokaw directed this adaptation of
John Waters' film with a book by
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan and score by
Adam Schlesinger and
David Javerbaum.
Cry-Baby stars
James Snyder and
Elizabeth Stanley, along with
Harriet Harris.
Given the
dreadful performance I saw three weeks into previews, there was nothing that made me want to return. In fact,
Cry-Baby earned the dubious distinction of
landing on my "Five Worst" list for the 2007-08 Theatrical Season.
Obviously, I won't be shedding any tears at this show's passing.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:The SOB Five "Worst" Of 2007-08 (May 23, 2008)
A Snubbed Affair (May 14, 2008)
Did Cry-Baby Induce Critical Cries of Joy? (April 25, 2008)
Cry-Baby Finally Given Birth On Broadway Tonight (April 24, 2008)
Theatre Etiquette, Part Four (Or Drunken City) (April 15, 2008)
Cry-Baby (The SOB Preview) (April 2, 2008)
Looking Forward: The SOB Top Five (January 2, 2008)
John Waters: This Filthy World (The SOB Review) (November 12, 2007)
Giving Birth To Cry-Baby (September 27, 2007)
Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Cry-Baby, Elizabeth Stanley, Harriet Harris, James Snyder, John Waters, Mark Brokaw, Mark O'Donnell, Musical, Rob Ashford
Did Cry-Baby Induce Critical Cries of Joy?First off, let me apologize for being so tardy today in posting this critics' capsule. I'm currently in Paris and enjoyed my day by strolling around this beautiful city, which I'm afraid takes precedence over
this site any day.
And given what
I thought of Cry-Baby during previews, it's not exactly like I was champing at the bit to drop what I was doing to post. You get it,
Cry-Baby critics' capsule or Paris?! Well, my feet finally needed a rest so here goes.
Last evening,
Cry-Baby, the second stage adaptation of a
John Waters, opened at the
Marquis Theatre under the direction of
Mark Brokaw. Boasting a book by
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan, the tuner features a score by
Adam Schlesinger and
David Javerbaum and a cast that includes
Harriet Harris,
James Snyder and
Elizabeth Stanley. Critics were split on the merits of the show.
Concluding that "
Cry-Baby will make you smile, and laugh, without patronizing you, or anyone else,"
Elysa Gardner of
USA Today awards three out of four stars: "The rockabilly-inspired numbers that David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger have crafted for
Cry-Baby aren't as ambitious or infectious (as
Hairspray), but the show is similarly good-hearted, and has more of a Waters edge. Javerbaum and Schlesinger's lyrics and Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan's book are both more inventively crass and less snarky than those of other contemporary musical winkfests; you get the sense that these writers share Waters' affection for his goofy subjects."
Lamenting that it "just doesn't gel as well" as
Hairspray,
Clive Barnes of
New York Post nevertheless provides a mixed review: "...book writers Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, who co-wrote the book for
Hairspray, have done a pretty nifty job with material not nearly so malleable. Decidedly less nifty are the songs by David Javerbaum and Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger. The music comes in two rocky flavors -- cheery and droopy. It's the kind of music that makes you wonder whether you've heard it before, just before you stop caring."
Labeling the show as "tasteless,"
The New York Times' Ben Brantley calls out the blandness of the production, "I meant without flavor: sweet, sour, salty, putrid or otherwise. This show in search of an identity has all the saliva-stirring properties of week-old pre-chewed gum. (Not to be tasteless.)... The songs by Mr. Javerbaum (a producer for 'The Daily Show With
Jon Stewart') and Mr. Schlesinger (of the pop group
Fountains of Wayne) include plenty of rockabilly riffs and soulful wails (for a
Little Richard-like character played by
Chester Gregory II), but they often feel stuck in a groove, repeated until they go dry."
Criticizing it as "benign, kitschy satire,"
Variety's
David Rooney also is less than positive: "There's a lot of talent, sass and sweat onstage, particularly in the dance department, plus a sprinkling of wit in the show's good-natured vulgarity. But somehow, it never quite ignites."
Commencing his review by stating, "Some musicals have high ideals and aspirations. Some even have something profound to say.
Cry-Baby isn't one of them,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News offers two out of five stars: "It hits the mark about half the time, whenever the show is dancing. The star of
Cry-Baby is choreographer
Rob Ashford, who has created some of the most inventive and athletic dancing seen on Broadway all season.... Snyder and Stanley are likable leads, but it's two featured actors who stand out -- Chester Gregory II and
Carly Jibson, as soulful sidekick and nasty knocked-up sister of
Cry-Baby. They bring big talent and oddball originality to the stage -- precisely what this baby needed more of."
So there you have it folks, it looks like the show hasn't improved much from when
I saw it a few weeks ago. Critics are hardly excited by this latest entry on the Great White Way, and there's now only
one more original musical left to open before the season is officially over and the Tonys are announced. Doesn't look like
Cry-Baby will be in contention other than for supporting roles and Mr. Ashford's pretty decent choreography.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Cry-Baby Finally Given Birth On Broadway Tonight (April 24, 2008)
Theatre Etiquette, Part Four (Or Drunken City) (April 15, 2008)
Cry-Baby (The SOB Preview) (April 2, 2008)
Looking Forward: The SOB Top Five (January 2, 2008)
John Waters: This Filthy World (The SOB Review) (November 12, 2007)
Giving Birth To Cry-Baby (September 27, 2007)
Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Cry-Baby, Film, Harriet Harris, John Waters, Mark Brokaw, Mark O'Donnell, Musical, The SOB Preview, Thomas Meehan
Cry-Baby Finally Given Birth On Broadway TonightAfter one of the longest preview periods in Broadway history,
Cry-Baby finally opens at the Marquis Theatre. The musical marks the second time a
John Waters film has been given the tuner treatment.
Directed by
Mark Brokaw, this one has a book by
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan and score by first-timers
Adam Schlesinger and
David Javerbaum. The show's cast includes
Harriet Harris,
James Snyder and
Elizabeth Stanley.
Will critics be crying with delight? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Theatre Etiquette, Part Four (Or Drunken City) (April 15, 2008)
Cry-Baby (The SOB Preview) (April 2, 2008)
Looking Forward: The SOB Top Five (January 2, 2008)
John Waters: This Filthy World (The SOB Review) (November 12, 2007)
Giving Birth To Cry-Baby (September 27, 2007)
Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Cry-Baby, Film, Harriet Harris, John Waters, Mark Brokaw, Musical, Opening Night
Cry-Baby (The SOB Preview) - Marquis Theatre, New York, NY
* (out of ****)Those screeching sounds you hear are
Mark O'Donnell and
Thomas Meehan as they literally scrape the bottom of the barrel.
You see, they've already gone beneath the
Grease, which with all due respect to
Mr. Riedel this morning, can no longer be deemed "the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values."
Au contraire, Michael.
Cry-Baby appears to be angling for that dubious honor. Despite its multi-million dollar budget, this new musical quite incredibly comes across as a poor man's
Grease with its tired good girl gone gaga for bad boy premise. Already three weeks into previews with -- surprise, surprise -- another three plus weeks to go, the latest
John Waters-inspired Broadway musical
Cry-Baby is trashy fun.
Without the fun.
How do I put this delicately without sounding like I'm piling on?
Cry-Baby is such a piece of doggy-do that not even
Divine would dare stomach it. In fact, I'd take "
Pink Flamingos The Musical" anyday over this if it were written by Waters himself.
With a cloying score by first-timers
Adam Schlesinger and
David Javerbaum, what little story there is limps along at a snail's pace. By the time we get to the closing tune "Nothing Bad's Ever Gonna Happen Again," it's too little and far too late for any reassurance given what we've already had to endure.
Not even
Harriet Harris can save this one. In
Cry-Baby, her Mrs. Vernon-Williams is merely an extension of other characters we've previously seen her portray. That she and
Chester Gregory II as Dupree manage to upstage leads
James Snyder and
Elizabeth Stanley is not saying much.
If there is a silver lining, it's that first-time musical director
Mark Brokaw is at least benefitting from some fancy footwork from choreographer
Rob Ashford, particularly in the singularly rousing "Jailyard Jubilee" number. Indeed, Ashford seems much more in command than Brokaw. However, Ashford seems to have borrowed the license plate on shoe idea from
Matthew Bourne, who instead used trash can lids in the revival of
My Fair Lady currently touring the United States.
I can't help but wonder what the show would be like if only it had healthier doses of Waters' trademark ribald and subversively clever humor, such as in the opening scene when we first meet our "Squares" (antagonists) and "Drapes (protagonists) as they come together for a fleeting moment for their polio vaccines. Perhaps it would have been more interesting.
If there's any glimmer of hope for
Cry-Baby, it's that Waters himself was in the back of the theatre during my performance, hopefully helping punch up the script if he wasn't letting O'Donnell and Meehan have it first.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Looking Forward: The SOB Top Five (January 2, 2008)
John Waters: This Filthy World (The SOB Review) (November 12, 2007)
Giving Birth To Cry-Baby (September 27, 2007)
Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Cry-Baby, Film, Harriet Harris, John Waters, Mark Brokaw, Mark O'Donnell, Musical, The SOB Preview, Thomas Meehan
Giving Birth To Cry-BabyDirector
Mark Brokaw knows a thing or two about birthing shows. And this November, he'll help bring the brand spanking new
Cry-Baby to life at San Diego's
La Jolla Playhouse.
Based on the 1990
John Waters flick, the Rialto-bound
Cry-Baby has a pretty impressive pedigree. For starters, in addition to Brokaw, one of my fave Broadway babies is on board: Tony winning actress
Harriet Harris, who'll make this her second Great White Way outing this theatrical season (she replaces
Jan Maxwell). Opposite Harris will be
James Snyder in the title role. Also in the cast is a terrific talent named
Carly Jibson, whom I first saw as Tracy Turnblad in the touring production of that other Waters-inspired musical
Hairspray.
Cry-Baby's book comes from two grown men who certainly know their way around Waters' material: the estimable
Thomas Meehan (
Annie,
The Producers)
and
Mark O'Donnell, the same duo who wrote the libretto for
Hairspray. Choreography will be provided
Rob Ashford, whose fine work is much in demand on both sides of the Atlantic these days. Broadway novices
David Javerbaum (writer for
Comedy Central's "
The Daily Show") and
Adam Schlesinger (
Fountains of Wayne) are writing the score.
Cry-Baby will be born on November 6 at La Jolla Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre. It's expected to reach Broadway in March with an April opening.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Cry-Baby, Film, First Word On New Show, Hairspray, Harriet Harris, John Waters, La Jolla Playhouse, Mark Brokaw, Mark O'Donnell, Musical, Rob Ashford, San Diego, Thomas Meehan
