Sweet Charity (The SOB Review) – Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, United Kingdom
*** (out of ****)So, let me get right to the point.
I don’t pop my cork for every production of
Sweet Charity I see. Aside from
Dorothy Fields and
Cy Coleman’s wonderfully fizzy score, it’s
Neil Simon’s clunky and largely unsatisfying conclusion that usually makes me wonder what’s going on in his mind.
Yet the minute the exceptional
Tamzin Outhwaite walked in the joint, er, on the stage, I could tell
Matthew White’s was a revival of distinction. Good looking, yet remarkably (and appropriately) unrefined in
Menier Chocolate Factory's inherently gritty fashion. As Charity Hope Valentine, this charismatic triple threat has plucky charm to spare, making this
Sweet Charity a sheer, shimmying delight.
Mark Umbers proves a quadruple threat in terms of effortlessly taking on Charity’s four (yes, four) romantic interests from start to finish.
Josefina Gabrielle and
Tiffany Graves turn in respectable trades as Nickie and Helene, respectively. Their breathtaking turn on "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" with Outhwaite is a triple threat cubed. And
unlike the
last Broadway revival, there's no need to relegate this Charity almost entirely to the sidelines since Outhwaite is more than up to the choreographic challenge.
If you want to have fun, more than a few laughs and above all else a good time -- all while touching your heart -- you've got to get up, you've got to get out to London's
Theatre Royal Haymarket and see this
Sweet Charity live 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: Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields, Josefina Gabrielle, London, Mark Umbers, Menier Chocolate Factory, Neil Simon, Revival, Sweet Charity, Tamzin Outhwaite, The SOB Review, Tiffany Graves, Transfer
Just One More Little Night Before Music
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Just One More Little Night Before MusicLast Thanksgiving weekend, I treated myself to one of the best theatrical experiences I had all year.
It came after the
West End Whingers advised me to do myself a favor and take in the
Menier Chocolate Factory's stunning revival of
Stephen Sondheim and
Hugh Wheeler's
A Little Night Music in London.
In some pre-trip prep work, SarahB at
Adventures In The Endless Pursuit Of Entertainment helped push me over the edge. I've yet to come back, and that's a good thing.
In my subsequent
SOB Review, I waxed rhapsodic in my praise:
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.
So smitten was I that I closed my review rather wistfully:
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!
A little more than two months later,
it was announced that the revival would indeed transfer to a West End berth. Then, just two months ago,
came confirmation that the musical would be produced on Broadway with
Catherine Zeta-Jones making her Great White Way debut in the coveted role of Desiree Armfeldt alongside
Angela Lansbury as her mother, Madame Armfeldt.
Now, finally, we're but 24 hours away from the first preview and I know I'm not alone in anxiously awaiting my turn to see it fresh on the Main Stem after a long absence of more than 35 years.
Welcome back,
A Little Night Music! This Thanksgiving, we're giving thanks that you're back on Broadway.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, Angela Lansbury, Broadway, Catherine Zeta-Jones, London, Menier Chocolate Factory, Musical, Revival, 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
Maria Friedman: Re-arranged (The SOB Review) - Menier Chocolate Factory, London, United Kingdom
***1/2 (out of ****)Seldom during the course of a generation does a bona fide singing actress of the stage come along who's not only an exceptionally powerful and soulful interpreter of others' tunes, but also effortlessly exudes a forceful, yet plucky charm.
On this side of the Atlantic, we're currently blessed with legendary greats like
Patti LuPone and
Bernadette Peters.
However, on the other side of the pond, the British have their own national treasure in
Maria Friedman, an amazing pillar of fortitude and grace. This unusually gifted talent is also a three-time Olivier Award winner who's headlining her own triumphant show
Maria Friedman: Re-arranged at London's intimate
Menier Chocolate Factory through May 4.
Thanks to the strong recommendation from the
West End Whingers, I plucked down a mere $40 for a general admission ticket and found that it was by far the best deal to be had during my entire stay in London last week (the value of the beleaguered U.S. Dollar could not have been worse, with a single
Tube ride fetching $8).
While Broadway audiences had but one chance to see Friedman in the short-lived
Andrew Lloyd Webber musical
The Woman In White, the actress has enjoyed recurring gigs at the Big Apple's
Café Carlyle. So when I went into the Menier, I fully expected a cabaret act.
Much to my pleasant surprise, I was delighted to walk out having witnessed a series of fully-realized vignettes with Friedman masterfully telling complete stories through her expressive eyes and beautiful voice. Highlights range from
Stephen Sondheim's emotionally taxing and tearful "Sunday In The Park With Dot" and the bittersweet medley of
Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" mixed with
Jimmie Davis and
Charles Mitchell's "You Are My Sunshine" to
Michel Legrand's rousing "Le Trombone" and
Randy Newman's irony-laced and incredibly funny "Short People."
My personal favorite moment of her performance was her frenzied wink and nod rendition of Sondheim's "The Worst Pies In London," which was immediately followed by a rather jazzy,
Pink Pantherish take on "The Ballad of
Sweeney Todd" by the fine 11-piece orchestra, under the direction of
Michael Haslam and
Chris Walker.
Sure, some of the tunes in
Re-arranged border a tad on the treacly side, but the remarkable fervent clarity with which Friedman comports herself on each and every song will leave you on an emotional high. If you live in London or happen to be there over the upcoming weekend, make
Maria Friedman: Re-arranged your destination.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? (April 23, 2008)
Labels: Cabaret, London, Maria Friedman, Maria Friedman: Re-Arranged, Menier Chocolate Factory, Michel Legrand, Revue, The SOB Review
What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?While London critics were focused last evening on savaging the first night (opening night) for the West End musical
Gone With The Wind, I was at the city's marvelously intimate little theatre known as the
Menier Chocolate Factory seeing the lovely
Maria Friedman.
During the performance, the singing actress was launching into her rendition of a
Michel Legrand tune when she spotted the prolific, three-time Academy Award-winning composer in the audience.... seated right next to me. At the interval (intermission) I had an opportunity to talk with this delightful gem of a man and even told him that one of my all-time favorite tunes remains "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life," which he seemed to appreciate.
At the close of the show, as part of her final encore, Friedman invited Legrand to the stage to sing one of his tunes. He sat down at a piano and began to sing, you guessed it, "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life." Of course, when he came back to his seat, I had to thank him for playing that tune. Talk about a perfect ending to an already wonderful, magical evening. (Look for my SOB Review of Maria Friedman's show in the days to come.)
Today, it's off to see
Gone With The Wind. But it's hard to imagine anything sweeping me off my feet the same way as last evening did.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB) in London.
Click here for tickets to Maria Friedman: Re-Arranged.Labels: Celebrity Sighting, London, Maria Friedman, Maria Friedman: Re-Arranged, Menier Chocolate Factory, Michel Legrand
Sunday Opens Thursday NightThis evening, the first full-blown Broadway revival
Stephen Sondheim and
James Lapine's musical
Sunday In The Park With George opens at Roundabout Theatre Company's
Studio 54 under the direction of
Sam Buntrock.
It was Buntrock who in 2006 famously brought the tuner back to life in the fledgling little London theatre known as the
Menier Chocolate Factory, prior to it being whisked away to the West End. There, it dominated the Olivier Awards a year ago Monday, winning five awards, including for Outstanding Musical Production, Best Actor in a Musical (
Daniel Evans) and Best Actress in a Musical (
Jenna Russell).
Now, Buntrock has brought Evans and Russell stateside to cast their spell on the Great White Way's landscape in the first real revival of the beloved show about the labor of love and art.
The cast features many Broadway veterans like
Michael Cumpsty,
Jessica Molaskey,
Mary Beth Peil and
Ed Dixon, along with a couple who know their way around Sondheim revivals:
Anne L. Nathan (Emma Goldman in
Assassins),
Alexander Gemignani (John Hinkley in
Assassins and Beadle in
Sweeney Todd).
The
first Broadway production of
Sunday In The Park With George played the
Booth Theatre for a total of 604 performances, opening on May 2, 1984. Directed by Lapine, the show starred
Mandy Patinkin as George/George and
Bernadette Peters as Dot/Marie. While that
Sunday would fail to win any major Tony Awards (winning only Best Scenic Design for
Tony Straiges and Best Lighting Design for
Richard Nelson), losing out to the year's big winner
La Cage Aux Folles, it would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Here's a taste of irony. Menier is now restaging
La Cage Aux Folles in a sold-out run starring
Douglas Hodge, one of Russell's co-stars from the recent London hit revival of
Guys And Dolls. How's that for putting it together, bit by sweet delicious bit?
With all eyes now focused squarely on Studio 54, will Buntrock's magic be heralded anew? Find out tomorrow as I not only provide my critics' capsule, but also my own SOB Review.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Show Deals: Breaking The Code (February 10, 2008)
Looking Forward: The SOB Top Five (January 2, 2008)
Sunday In The Park With Daniel And Jenna (May 7, 2007)
"Sunday" In Studio 54 With Roundabout (February 23, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Sunday At The Grosvenor House With Laurence (February 19, 2007)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Sunday in the Park With George Revival Opens in London's West End (May 23, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Daniel Evans, James Lapine, Jenna Russell, Menier Chocolate Factory, Musical, Opening Night, Revival, Roundabout Theatre, Sam Buntrock, Stephen Sondheim, Sunday In The Park With George
Horrors! London's Little Shop Opens To Mixed Reviews
Saying that this
Little Shop is "kooky, irresistibly feel-good and deserves to run and run,"
The Guardian's
Maddy Costa gives the show four out of five stars: "[W]atching this exuberant production of
Little Shop of Horrors, you wonder how it ever squeezed into the tiny Menier Chocolate Factory. Like Audrey II, the murderous plant with fearsome ambitions, the show has expanded boldly and energetically....[I]t's the details that make this such a charming production.
Lynne Page's crafty choreography tempers the most saccharine lyrics by marrying them to raunchy moves."
Calling the show "lot of fun," What's On Stage's
Michael Coveney offers a three-star review (his original review at Menier Chocolate Factory scored four stars): "The sound system is terrible, harsh and too metallic, rendering the last twenty minutes of the show inaudible. And
Alistair McGowan is okay as the sadistic dentist (and in other minor roles)....The main thing is that the two leads are still in place, and both are brilliant.
Sheridan Smith is a definitive abused shop girl, Audrey, who suffers at the hands of the dentist but dreams of 'Somewhere that’s Green' (and not, poor girl, the insides of a triffid-like omnivore). What she does with that one song, on four layers of sentiment -- suburban fantasy, regret, camp pathos, and innocent charm -- is quite amazing. And
Paul Keating as the nerd turned champion botanist, Seymour, is even more delightful and impressive than before."
Complaining that
Little Shop "offers too few of the right goods," a far less enthusiastic
Nicholas de Jongh (
Evening Standard) offers up a three-out-of-five star review: "Matthew White's production strikes many witless, dull and gross notes. The songs are reckoned witty and might have been if the singers were not overwhelmed by the band. The lead performers, apart from Paul Keating's geeky flower assistant, Seymour, engender little fun. The voice of unseen
Mike McShane, who thickly croaks and sings Audrey 2, proves the one inventive, star attraction in this morality musical about the lures of greed and sexual desire."
Personally, I believe that this show works best in a smaller venue. While the production was sold out at the smaller Menier Chocolate Factory, it will be interesting to see whether it can still draw the crowds at the Duke of York's.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Critics' Capsule, Little Shop Of Horrors, London, Menier Chocolate Factory, Musical, Revival
