SOB's Best Of 2008-09: Best Musical RevivalsOver the past year, I've managed to see over 70 performances of a wide range of musicals, plays and "special theatrical events." Ten of those were revivals of musicals, including three of my favorite tuners of all time (
each of which, sad to say, disappointed me to varying degrees).
While four of the revivals I saw were produced on Broadway, three of the best were found elsewhere. Thankfully, it's been reported that the one musical revival at the top of my "5 Best" list is
likely to be Broadway bound.
Drumroll, please:
5 - Pal Joey (Studio 54, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York, New York)
Richard Rodgers and
Lorenz Hart's enduring classic "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" from
Pal Joey lived again thanks to
Joe Mantello's sparkling revival.
This was certainly not your grandfather's
Pal Joey, as
John O'Hara's book was substantially updated by
Richard Greenberg. Nevertheless, the underlying story of the ne'er-do-well ladies' song-and-dance man Joey Evans, who blithely bounces between women, remained true to the original.
Stockard Channing imbued her Vera with a natural grace, style and seductiveness. But the real revelation was the bewitching
Martha Plimpton in her absolutely stunning portrayal of Gladys Bumps. Is there nothing this amazing Tony-nominated actress can't do?
In this entertaining
Pal Joey, bewitched won out over both bothered and bewildered.
4 - The Pajama Game (Schneider Theater for the Performing Arts, Bloomington Civic Theatre, Bloomington, Minnesota)
"Seven and a half cents," as the song from
Richard Adler and
Jerry Ross' 1954 musical
The Pajama Game duly notes, "doesn't buy a hell of a lot."
But just try telling that to the nearly flawless cast of 27 and 17-piece orchestra members from Minnesota's Schneider Theater for the Performing Arts' production of
The Pajama Game. Their indomitable spirit joined forces with
John Command's nearly pitch-perfect direction to make this roundly enjoyable revival practically as good as a Broadway show, yet at a fraction of a Rialto budget. It never ceases to astound me when I take in a small regional production that bundles boundless energy and determination to make for an entertaining evening at the theatre, worthy of what "the professionals" of the Great White Way do.
It's true that good things can come in small packages. And for the relatively small package price of just $25 per top ticket, this
Pajama Game was most definitely a good thing worth trying on for size.
3 - Caroline, Or Change (Wurtele Thrust Stage, Guthrie, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Finally! Change we can believe in.
An intensely profound, mystical musical,
Tony Kushner and
Jeanine Tesori's
Caroline, Or Change -- as directed and choreographed by Marcela Lorca at Minnesota's Guthrie -- transfixes, even as it transports. Kushner ingeniously uses the coins Caroline Thibodeaux continually finds while washing the pants of young Noah Gellman as a transcendent metaphor for all the sweeping change surrounding her, including the emerging civil rights movement, the swelling Vietnam War and the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Greta Oglesby's brave turn as Caroline alone is worth the price of admission. As Oglesby transforms, she breaks your heart.
2 - Hair (Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York, New York)
Want a good buzz? Then go see
Diane Paulus' inspired third coming of
Hair -- unequivocally Broadway's best musical revival this season. Paulus finds the sun and lets it shine in with her exceptional cast radiating the alternately playful and poignant score from
Gerome Ragni,
James Rado and
Galt MacDermot.
If the second act isn't exactly the first's equal, Paulus more than makes up for it with a heartwrenching conclusion that sneaks up on you with a powerful wallop. It left me teary-eyed.
Credit Tony nominee
Gavin Creel with his charisma and exquisite voice for winning the day. With the boundless energy of the cast, you just might find yourself treading the boards of the Hirschfeld yourself.
1 - A Little Night Music (Menier Chocolate Factory, London, United Kingdom)
Isn't
this rich?! Who would have thought that a show staged in a style so deceptively simple could be so sublime, not to mention utterly romantic. Rich, indeed.
Now, if you're not a romantic at heart, you need not bother. But for the rest of us, there's the pure heaven found in
Trevor Nunn's gorgeous revival of
A Little Night Music. It enveloped every one of my senses like a welcome salve for these troubled times. Only a heart of stone could not be moved by
Stephen Sondheim's ravishing score and
Hugh Wheeler's über-clever book.
Thanks to Nunn's deft and gentle touch, this
tale of requited love in turn-of-the-20th-Century Sweden feels timeless, transcending all expectations. It is sure to make you feel a twinge in your heart and leave a tear in your eye. The bewitching allure of this excellent revival has already transferred to the West End, but how about to Broadway? Well, maybe later this year.
So what were the best musical revivals you saw over the past year? I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your theatre experiences with me.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Little Night Music, Best Revivals of Musicals, Broadway, Caroline Or Change, Hair, London, Minnesota, Musicals, Pal Joey, SOB's Best of 2008-09, The Pajama Game
Pal Joey: Critics Were Bewitched, Bothered Or BewilderedLast evening, the latest revival of
Richard Rodgers and
Lorenz Hart's
Pal Joey opened at
Roundabout Theatre Company's
Studio 54. The tuner is directed by
Joe Mantello and features a new book by playwright
Richard Greenberg.
Pal Joey stars
Stockard Channing,
Martha Plimpton and
Matthew Risch, who replaced
Christian Hoff in rehearsals.
Critical response varied wildly across the board from those who were positively bewitched by the production, to those much more bothered by it all, with some bewildered reviews in between.
Praising the show as "snazzily revived by the Roundabout Theatre Company, (that) pumps much-needed fresh blood into a Broadway grown anemic," Bloomberg's
John Simon is positively bewitched: "Risch has the properly improper gigolo looks and persona of Joey, singing, dancing and acting with precarious insouciance spelled by the called-for defensive arrogance. Channing is appropriately sophisticated and cynical as Vera; if her singing seems a bit too studied, it fits in with Vera’s personality. Plimpton’s Gladys is as beautifully rounded as a hard-edged dame can be.... With splendid choreography from
Graciela Daniele, combining period with modern; scrupulously detailed staging by Joe Mantello; and
Paul Gemignani’s expert conducting of a spirited orchestra, it would take an aged-in-the-wood curmudgeon to ask for anything more."
David Rooney of
Variety is also vexed: "[W]hat makes the Roundabout revival of their 1940 show so compelling is Richard Greenberg’s trenchant adaptation of the original book by
John O’Hara. Erasing the sanitizing stamp of musical-theater coyness, Greenberg brings a fascinating melancholy grubbiness to this cynical story of sordid emotional transactions and opportunistic behavior in late-1930s Chicago. It’s a dark show for desperate times, with enough dramatic meat on its bones to work even as a nonmusical play.... The good news is that while Risch is neither a top-drawer singer nor dancer, he’s doing creditable work as louche lounge lizard Joey Evans. He has the right thuggish good looks, sleazy charisma and self-assured moves to play the unscrupulous gigolo. This is not quite a star-is-born moment, but Risch understands the role of the inveterate cad and he knows how to sell it. Likewise director Joe Mantello, choreographer Graciela Daniele and set designer
Scott Pask; their seamless collaboration makes this apparent the moment the curtain goes up."
Bewildered by Risch's "serviceable voice and none of the nuance needed to make Joey's amorous conquests remotely plausible,"
Eric Grode, who thankfully is reviewing again, now for Newark's
Star Ledger, sees the pluses in the female performers: "Greenberg has radically overhauled John O'Hara's script while remaining in sync with Richard Rodgers' shrewd riffs on supper-club pop and Lorenz Hart's shiv-sharp lyrics.... Greenberg has a sharp ear for the dimestore argot favored by just about everyone else on stage.... [I]n 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,' which Channing delivers with a knowing rendition that makes up for in world-weary style what it lacks in vocal perfection. But the real surprise is Plimpton, a fixture of Broadway's more serious recent efforts (
Shakespeare,
Tom Stoppard and
Caryl Churchill in the last two years alone), who proves to be a sparkling musical theater performer, too. Greenberg and Mantello have bolstered her role considerably, and from a barn-burning rendition of 'Zip!' to a touching glimpse of envy near the end, Plimpton rewards their efforts in full."
Lamenting that the revival "seems more like grown-ups playing dress-up than gritty and cynically delicious pulp fiction,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer comes out swinging: "There is no nice way of saying this. Matthew Risch, the understudy who stepped into the starring role when Christian Hoff reportedly was injured, is a slick and stylish hoofer, and a competent singer. But he doesn't have the wattage to make us care about Joey Evans.... Without more spark behind Joe Mantello's handsomely imagined Chicago lowlife of a production, the darkness starts to feel more dull than glittery.... Channing, as Vera, the wealthy older woman who today would be called a cougar, pulls this off with husky-voiced aristocratic earthiness, looking great in
William Ivey Long's daring gowns and talk-singing her way through the music as if it were written that way. There is more unexpected delight in Plimpton, rapidly becoming one of the theater's most invaluable adventurers. Here she is fearless in a black lace corset and garters as Gladys Bumps, a sturdy been-around thug of a stripper."
Concluding that the show "is seriously undercut by the gaping hole at its center,"
Frank Scheck at
New York Post awards just two and a half stars (out of four): "As the tough-talking, second-rate nightclub performer Gladys Bumps, Plimpton -- not exactly known for musical comedy -- is terrific, the standout attraction of the flawed revival that opened last night.... While (Risch is) a strong dancer and a fair singer, he doesn't yet have the acting chops and, more important, the charisma to make his Joey as much of a charmer as he is a heel.... Joe Mantello has provided a smooth, reasonably entertaining staging that's enhanced by the slinky, sexy choreography of Graciela Daniele.... Stockard Channing, looking impossibly young for her 64 years, is compelling as the sexually rapacious socialite Vera Simpson, even if her renditions of such classic songs as 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' are better acted than sung."
Bothered by "Mantello's low-impact staging,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News awards just two and a half (out of five) stars: "Risch ... gets an A for effort. He's a capable singer and deft dancer and gives just the kind of performance you'd expect -- solid and professional. Period.... Under Mantello's inconsistent direction, the acting styles range from realism to broad musical comedy while tuneful Rodgers and Hart songs ... land with little impression.... (Channing's) bluesy version of 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' aches with longing and resignation. The delightful surprise is Martha Plimpton as the street-smart showgirl Gladys. The actress debuts a robust and smoky singing voice and makes the novelty number 'Zip' (usually sung by another character) enormously entertaining."
Blasting it as a "joyless revival,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley clearly feels a bit beguiled (and not in any good sense): "[N]obody, with the qualified exception of Martha Plimpton as a floozy with a grudge, emerges from this Roundabout Theater Company production covered in stardust. In shining a harsh light on the inner rot of selfish characters ... this revival has succeeded only in turning them into zombies. When Ms. Channing, as the alcoholic society matron Vera Simpson, sings the show’s most famous song, 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,' it might as well be titled 'Benumbed, Bummed Out and Bored Silly.'... Joey, a part first played by
Gene Kelly, has to be the engine of the show, and that’s a challenge beyond Mr. Risch.... Ms. Channing, whose drollery is one of the greater natural resources of the New York theater, here pushes deadpan into deadness, talking and singing in a hushed, level voice as if in a trance.... But here it’s not easy to differentiate between a character’s distancing herself from her bad behavior and an actress’s distancing herself from a bad production."
The limited run revival of
Pal Joey is slated to close February 15, 2009. You can read my review of
Pal Joey by clicking
here (I actually liked the production).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Joe Mantello, Lorenz Hart, Martha Plimpton, Matthew Risch, Musical, Pal Joey, Revival, Richard Greenberg, Richard Rodgers, Stockard Channing
Pal Joey (The SOB Review) - Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54, New York, NY*** (out of ****)Incredibly enough, the first time I ever heard
Richard Rodgers and
Lorenz Hart's enduring classic "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" on stage was not as part of a mounting of
Pal Joey. No, it occurred in 2006 when the enormously talented
Samuel Barnett delivered his poignant rendition as Posner in
The History Boys.Fast forward two years to
Joe Mantello's sparkling revival of
Pal Joey, when I finally had my chance to hear it as originally intended. Well sorta.
No matter that
John O'Hara's book has been substantially updated by
Richard Greenberg. With his decidedly contemporary and largely effective libretto, replete with allusions to abortion and outright depictions of closeted homosexuality -- circa 1930s -- this is certainly not your grandfather's
Pal Joey. Nevertheless, the underlying story of the ne'er-do-well ladies' song-and-dance man Joey Evans, who blithely bounces between women, remains true to the original.
It doesn't hurt that he's cavorting around the sleazy side of Chicago. In fact, with
Scott Pask's El tracks shrouded in shadows from
Paul Gallo's lighting, one can't help but wonder if a
certain disgraced governor could be found lurking here. He'd no doubt be welcome alongside Joey's lothario.
Of course, one of our anti-hero's conquests happens to be a cougar named Vera Simpson. As portrayed by
Stockard Channing, Vera has that rare opportunity to sing "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," in this case right after being bedded by Joey. But alas, unlike Barnett's earlier performance in
The History Boys, I found myself bewildered by Channing's uneven, faltering voice. Pity, since she imbues her Vera with such natural grace, style and seductiveness ... whenever the music stops.
Fortunately, the flipside of this equation is the absolutely stunning portrayal of Gladys Bumps by a bewitching
Martha Plimpton. Talk about a revelation. We already knew this Tony-nominated actress had the dramatic chops, but who knew she also possesses such an sensational singing voice? Her "Zip" alone is worth the price of admission. Along with her sly moves, courtesy of
Graciela Daniele's uniformly captivating choreography, is there nothing Plimpton can't do? Look for a Tony nod in her future.
As for being bothered, well, let's just say that given the dynamic degree to which Joey Evans is a song-and-
dance man, it's hard to imagine anyone hoofing it -- including
Christian Hoff -- quite like the magnetic
Matthew Risch. Apart from what
Michael Riedel might suggest, Risch mostly succeeds in going from chorus boy to promising lead performer.
Adding to the overall luster of Mantello's well-executed revival are Pask's dazzling set, Gallo's wondrous lighting and
William Ivey Long's elegant costume design. Ultimately in this entertaining
Pal Joey, bewitched wins out over both bothered and bewildered.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Joe Mantello, Lorenz Hart, Martha Plimpton, Matthew Risch, Musical, Pal Joey, Revival, Richard Greenberg, Richard Rodgers, Samuel Barnett, Stockard Channing, The SOB Review
Trying To Beguile Again, Pal Joey Opens On BroadwayThis evening,
Roundabout Theatre Company's retooled revival of
Richard Rodgers and
Lorenz Hart's classic
Pal Joey finally opens at
Studio 54. With
Joe Mantello at the helm, this is the final show to open on Broadway during this calendar year.
As noted above, this is not a straightforward revival as
Richard Greenberg has provided a substantial rewrite to
John O'Hara's book. This
Pal Joey stars
Stockard Channing as the stage's original
cougar, Vera Simpson, while Broadway's current straight play "it girl"
Martha Plimpton takes on Gladys Bumps -- her first musical role.
Much has happened since none other than
Hugh Jackman was first being touted for the title role.
Jersey Boys' Tony-winning
Christian Hoff was since cast as Joey Evans, only to be sidelined during previews because of "foot injury." Hoff was replaced last month by
Matthew Risch, whose most recent Broadway gig was as the reprehensible Carlos in the abysmal
Legally Blonde musical.
Will life imitate art with this former chorus boy making critics recall
42nd Street's Peggy Sawyer? Will critics be bewitched, bothered or bewildered? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule, along with my very own SOB Review.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Christian Hoff, Joe Mantello, Lorenz Hart, Martha Plimpton, Matthew Risch, Musical, Opening Night, Pal Joey, Revival, Richard Greenberg, Richard Rodgers, Stockard Channing
Roundabout Theatre/Studio 54: Beguiled Yet AgainWhat is it with
Roundabout Theatre's
Studio 54 that makes essential parts of the theatregoing experience so needlessly unpleasant? Perhaps I mustn't kick it around, but seems I could write a book.
As
regular readers may recall, my February visit to Studio 54 had me paying full price for Row B Orchestra seats
outside of the sightlines. The ushers in their little den of iniquity could have cared less.
My latest outrage occurred just this past Sunday afternoon, when after waiting and waiting
and waiting for the line for right mezzanine seats to physically place me inside the actual theatre space (that
alone took nearly 15 minutes), I then learned that they had run out of
Playbills. Zip.
"Run out of Playbills?" I asked the befuddled usher.
"Yes, they didn't print enough for us," was her response.
Bothered and bewildered, I went downstairs at intermission. One Studio 54 hand told me I could buy a souvenir program. Right. Maybe in the United Kingdom, but not on my beloved Broadway. Yet.
In truth, no one seemed to care. Certainly nobody bothered to say, "I'm sorry."
As it turned out, I found a discarded Playbill upon exiting the theatre and scooped it up.
What do I care for a Playbill? Well, I realize times are tough on Broadway, but for a
theatre aficionado like me, Playbills are essential to the overarching experience. In this case, not only would I have been able to tell who's who in the production or the crew responsible for my enjoyment of the show itself, but I would also have been able to share a private chuckle over this month's unfortunate feature story on
Christian Hoff, who had been set to star in
Pal Joey, but has since been replaced by
Matthew Risch. Playbills are forever.
Shame on the Roundabout for not having the foresight to have a requisite number of these keepsakes on hand.
If you're attending tonight's performance, I just hope that they've received a new shipment, or else you're out of luck in figuring out the cast and crew. Talk about doing it the hard way.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Christian Hoff, Matthew Risch, Pal Joey, Playbill, Roundabout Theatre, Studio 54
When Stage Classics Tread Broadway Boards AgainTo see, or not to see?
That is my question for you dear readers, particularly as so many stage classics are once again treading across the boards of the Great White Way this year. I'm curious to know whether you rent a film version DVD of plays to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the show in advance or do you prefer being completely surprised?
Among the revivals that will treading the boards this season:
All My Sons - the
original 1947 production was the basis for the
1948 film.
A Man For All Seasons - the
original 1961 production was the basis for the Academy Award-winning
Best Film of 1966.
American Buffalo - the
original production was the basis for the
1996 film.
Pal Joey - the
1951 revival was the basis for the
1957 film.
West Side Story - the
original 1957 production was the basis for the Academy Award-winning
Best Film of 1961.
One revival that will be trotting across is
Equus, starring
Richard Griffiths and
Daniel Radcliffe. By the time the
original 1974 production closed in 1977, the
film version was just opening in cinemas.
While I've long been familiar with the general, disturbing themes of
Equus, I have never seen it. Nor had ever seen the silver screen incarnation -- that is, until this past weekend.
I decided I wanted to see the movie for a couple reasons. First, since the play is set in England, I wanted to be sure I could thoroughly understand the dialogue in the event that heavy accents might be employed during its Broadway run. Second, since I didn't want to be shocked by the content when I finally see the show later this month, I decided viewing the flick would be the surest way to avoid that. But in the process, I've sacrificed letting a plot naturally unfold before my eyes for the very first time.
So I ask you, dear readers, if you've never seen either the stage or film versions of a show you intend to see performed live, do you rent the movie first? And why or why not?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Man For All Seasons, All My Sons, American Buffalo, Broadway, Equus, Musical, Pal Joey, Play, Revival, West Side Story
Broadway Preview: Pal JoeyWant to know the Broadway show I'm
most looking forward to seeing during the 2008-09 Theatrical Season?
Look no further than
Roundabout Theatre Company's retooled revival of
Richard Rodgers and
Lorenz Hart's classic
Pal Joey, which begins previews at
Studio 54 on November 14. With an opening set for December 11, this incarnation is currently listed as an "open-ended" run.
What excites me most is that it ushers in the return to the Great White Way for
Stockard Channing as the stage's original
cougar, Vera Simpson. It's been nine years since this five-time Tony nominated actress -- who won once for her 1985 portrayal of Sheila in the 1985 revival of
Joe Egg -- last trod the Broadway boards.
Personally, I've loved this great American actress ever since "discovering" her as Miriam Knight in the 1973
ABC Movie of the Week "
The Girl Most Likely To." I'm practically embarrassed to admit that I've never seen her perform live. I've promised myself I would move heaven and earth to see her. Finally,
Pal Joey is providing me with my perfect opportunity.
Additionally, it doesn't hurt that the Main Stem's reigning denizen of drama is also in the show. Marking her first foray into Broadway musical theatre is
Martha Plimpton, who will portray Gladys Bumps.
Of course, the acting name that's been most frequently bandied about is that of
Christian Hoff as Joey Evans. This will be Hoff's first leading role on the Great White Way, and his first stage gig there of any kind since winning a Tony two years ago for his work as Tommy DeVito in
Jersey Boys. Hoff tackles the role once thought destined for
Hugh Jackman. But will he have what it takes?
Given that
Richard Greenberg (
Take Me Out,
Three Days of Rain,
The Well-Appointed Room and the upcoming Broadway production of
The American Plan) is rewriting
John O'Hara's book that Chris Caggiano (
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals) calls "creaky at best," I have high hopes for both Hoff and this
Joe Mantello-helmed revival. And it certainly doesn't hurt that
Pal Joey boasts a terrific score, including timeless tunes like "Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered."
Roundabout describes this fourth Rialto revival:
Set in Chicago in the late 1930s, Pal Joey is the story of Joey Evans, a brash, scheming song and dance man with dreams of owning his own nightclub. Joey abandons his wholesome girlfriend Linda English, to charm a rich, married older woman, Vera Simpson, in the hope that she’ll set him up in business.
Pal Joey first played Broadway's
Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Christmas Day, 1940, and would run for 374 performances, ending just a week before
Pearl Harbor launched the nation headlong into war.
Gene Kelly's Joey played opposite
Vivienne Segal's Vera, while none other than
the Baby/Dainty June,
June Havoc (the 94 year old actress has been forever immortalized in
Gypsy), portrayed Gladys Bumps.
The
first revival, once again starring Vivienne Segal as Vera, came less than a dozen years later in January 1952 at the
Broadhurst Theatre. With 540 total performances, it would enjoy a run outlasting the original. Joey was played by
Harold Lang, but it would be
Helen Gallagher's take on Gladys that would win a Tony. And the great
Elaine Stritch appeared in this version as Melba.
Barely ten years after the first revival closed, a
second one opened May 29 at
City Center for a mere fifteen performances. But it was enough to provide
Bob Fosse with his only Tony nomination in an acting role, this time in the title role. Fosse was cast opposite
Viveca Lindfors as Vera and
Elaine Dunn as Gladys.
The last revival of
Pal Joey came a whopping 32 years ago at the tiny (by Broadway standards)
Circle in the Square Theatre. Bereft of any Tony nominations, the 1976 revival starring
Christopher Chadman (Joey),
Joan Copeland (Vera) and
Janie Sell (Gladys) came and went after just 73 performances.
So how long will this new revival of
Pal Joey remain on Studio 54's stage? It could be zip, unless critics mustn't kick it around.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Broadway Preview: Dividing The Estate (July 10, 2008)
Broadway Preview: 13 (July 9, 2008)
Broadway Preview: Speed-The-Plow (July 8, 2008)
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)
Broadway Estate Planning (March 17, 2008)
Broadway Bound, Second Time Around And Then Some (March 14, 2008)
A State Of Honorable Confusion (February 25, 2008)
Keeping Them in Stritches for 60 Years (July 25, 2006)
Casting Call (May 21, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Christian Hoff, Joe Mantello, Lorenz Hart, Martha Plimpton, Musical, Pal Joey, Revival, Richard Greenberg, Richard Rodgers, Stockard Channing
Broadway Bound, Second Time Around And Then SomeSorry folks. It's been one of those weeks!
Where would I be this week if it weren't for
Modern Fabulousity, who provided an outstanding wrap-up of all the exciting revivals headed back to Broadway:
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, for colored girls who have considered suicide, Musical, Oh Kay, Pal Joey, Play, Revival
A State Of Honorable ConfusionThis morning,
The New York Time's
Campbell Robertson writes about all those shows that
New York Post's Michael Riedel and others have promised were Broadway bound.
The much heralded list includes:
13 - "more likely at this point"
Farragut North - "opening on Broadway in the fall. Doug Hughes directing. 'Exciting people' in the cast"
Guys And Dolls - "pretty much a dead letter"
Pal Joey - "will probably make it here, perhaps next year"
Porgy And Bess - "more likely at this point"
Stalag 17 - "producers postponed the production to the fall of 2008"
The Female Of The Species - now "scheduled for...Broadway in the spring of 2009"
The Wiz - into the abyss
The laundry list of shows many thought would already be performing on Broadway helps explain why Rocco Landesman of Jujamcyn says:
Delays are a normal part of the process.... When a date is announced as an opening date, it’s really a hoped-for date. When a show arrives perfectly on schedule, that’s actually more anomalous.
Or as producer Jeffrey Richard describes the delay of Farragut North:
There was a state of honorable confusion.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 13, Broadway, Farragut North, Guys And Dolls, Pal Joey, Porgy And Bess, Stalag 17, The Female Of The Species, The Wiz
Casting Call (Week Ending May 21, 2006)
Although theatrical news over the past two weeks has largely been devoted to late 2005-06 season openings, as well as award nominations and wins, there has also been a significant number of announcements pertaining to upcoming productions and their casts.
While the casting news that may have received the most buzz has been that surrounding Hugh Jackman and his participation in the Taylor Hackford-helmed workshop of
Leap of Faith (based on the 1992 movie with Steve Martin), perhaps the most noteworthy report surrounds recently-minted Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s return to the stage in LAByrinth Theater’s
Jack Goes Boating. I last saw Hoffman in the haunting semi-autobiographic Broadway portrait of Eugene O’Neill’s family in
Long Day’s Journey Into Night a few years ago in which Hoffman co-starred alongside Tony Award-winners Brian Denehy, Vanessa Redgrave and Robert Sean Leonard. In
Jack Goes Boating, beginning this winter, Hoffman will be joined by John Ortiz and the always delightful Daphne Rubin-Vega.
As for Jackman, it’s clear that his participation is much in demand as he’s also been rumored to be sought for a new Joe Mantello-helmed Broadway revival of
Pal Joey, as well as
Stop the World, I Want to Get Off. Celebrated choreographer Matthew Bourne’s name has also been attached to the
Pal Joey revival. As Jackman demonstrated through his triumphant, Tony Award-winning portrayal of Peter Allen in
The Boy From Oz, he can turn even the most dubious of roles into a tour-de-force performance. He was absolutely remarkable. The only drawback in that show was that he was compelled to impersonate the nasally Allen rather than using his glorious, natural voice. Regardless of which production he’s ultimately attached to, I’m looking forward to once again enjoying this gifted performer.
Other recent and noteworthy casting includes. . . . Disney’s announcement that Donny Osmond -- often the perennial Joseph in various productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat -- will soon be the new Gaston in the long-running Broadway hit
Beauty and the Beast. I’ll be interested in learning whether Osmond has seriously bulked up or will simply use padding to play Belle’s dim suitor . . . . Tony Award-winner Chuck Cooper will join 80s pop idol-turned-Broadway actress Deborah Gibson in Van Hill Entertainment’s production of
Saint Heaven, a spiritually-toned musical love story that begins performances at the Stamford (CT) Center for the Arts, June 1-11. I last saw Gibson in the role of
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella opposite Eartha Kitt’s fairy Godmother several years ago. . . . Jeremy Kushnier, Andy Karl and his real-life wife Orfeh will star in the musical version of
Bright Lights, Big City. Karl, whom I originally saw in
Disney’s On the Record in 2004, has made quite a name for himself over the past year, particularly with his Off-Broadway role in the much-lauded
Altar Boyz, as well as his lead role in
Slut.
Bright Lights, Big City -- the new adaptation of the famed Jay McInerny novel -- will descend on Philadelphia’s Prince Music Theater, beginning June 14 for a limited premiere engagement. . . . and finally, Linda Gray leads the casting in the stage adaptation of
Terms of Endearment, which has already been announced as part of the upcoming season in both Houston and Hartford in 2007. Gray is undoubtedly best known for her years portraying Sue Ellen Ewing on television’s “Dallas.” But more recently, she assumed the role of Mrs. Robinson in the stage version of
The Graduate.
Expect more exciting casting news in the weeks ahead.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Jack Goes Boating/LAByrinth ticket information.
Click here for Beauty and the Beast (Broadway) tickets.
Click here for Saint Heaven tickets.
Click here for Bright Lights, Big City tickets
Click here for Terms of Endearment (Houston Alley) ticket information.
Related Stories:Casting Call (Week Ending June 7, 2006) (June 7, 2006)
Labels: Beauty And The Beast, Casting Changes, Donny Osmond, Hugh Jackman, Jack Goes Boating, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Pal Joey, Philip Seymour Hoffmann, Stunt Casting, The Boy From Oz
1 - A Little Night Music (Menier Chocolate Factory, London, United Kingdom)
