Ka-Ching?!Goodbye
Hilton Theatre. Hello
Foxwoods.
As in the Connecticut resort and casino.
Effective today,
Live Nation has once again sold out with new naming rights for its beleaguered barn of a theatre that was initially opened by
convicted producer
Garth Drabinksy's
Livent, Inc., on January 26, 1998, as the
Ford Center for the Performing Arts.
Livent had acquired two theatres, the
Lyric and the
Apollo, gutting and banging them together with some of their original architectural elements remaining in the "new" 1829 seat theatre that's been created in their place.
In its brief 14 year history as a Broadway venue, the theatre has only housed eight shows, most of them flops and/or produced at a financial loss due to their over-the-top nature. With respect to the latter, an excellent case in point is the venue's original tenant
Ragtime. Shortly after it opened in 1998, Livent declared bankruptcy, and
SFX Theatrical Group swooped in to take ownership (SFX would ultimately become part of
Clear Channel and then Live Nation).
The biggest hit that played the Ford Center for the Performing Arts was
42nd Street, which took home 2001 Tonys for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress for
Christine Ebersole. The production lasted nearly four years and a total of 1524 performances.
Shortly after
42nd Street closed,
Hilton Hotels was granted naming rights (
Hilton's Times Square property is directly across the street from the theatre). Only four shows have played in the theatre during that time, and nothing has played there since
Young Frankenstein closed on January 4, 2009.
Of course, the next occupant was already supposed to be playing to record-breaking crowds. And while
Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark has finally loaded-in with rehearsals about to get into high gear, presumably for a much-delayed fall 2010 opening, the theatre itself has been turned off in darkness for so long, it's probably no wonder that Live Nation was seeking yet another corporate sponsor's name to plaster on the building.
I'm no fan of such naming rights. It cheapens both the landscape and the landmarks themselves.
If I can take hope, it's from one landmark Broadway theatre that had a five year fling with
one corporate sponsor. That affair blessedly didn't last. As of 2007, the original
Winter Garden name stands alone. Miracles really can still happen on Broadway.
As for the newly minted Foxwoods Theatre, perhaps some of their luck will rub off on what is arguably Broadway's unluckiest venue. I'll bet they're counting on a full house.
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: 42nd Street, Broadway, Broadway Venues, Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Foxwoods Theatre, Hilton Theatre, Ragtime, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark, Young Frankenstein
SOB's Best Of 2009-10: Best Musical RevivalsDuring the 2009-10 Theatrical Season, I've had the opportunity to see over 80 performances of a wide range of new and revived musicals and plays, as well as other theatrical events.
This year's musical revivals were, on the whole, better -- if only marginally -- than the season's new musicals, but there were some major misfires among them. Yet there were some real gems I was fortunate enough to see.
So, without further ado, here is my list of the "5 Best Musical Revivals" over the 12 months ending April 30, 2010:
5 - Ragtime (Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, New York)
Few musicals have captured the shifting American landscape inherently contained at the dawn of the 20th Century as powerfully as
Stephen Flaherty and
Lynn Ahrens' underappreciated heartfelt musical
Ragtime.
In
Marcia Milgrom Dodge's genuinely moving yet short-lived new revival,
Christiane Noll imbued her Mother with grace, dignity and substance. She was complemented by
Bobby Steggert's brilliant performance as her younger brother.
4- A Little Night Music (Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, New York)
Yes,
Trevor Nunn's revival of
Stephen Sondheim's glorious
A Little Night Music was at the
top of my list last year, but since the Broadway production feels so different, I'm judging this incarnation on its own. While this nearly replicated staging of the London work hardly fills the stage and could have --
should have -- been scaled appropriately upward, it mostly works because of the splendid score and ingenious storyline.
While the incandescent
Catherine Zeta-Jones' megawatt star power certainly lights up the stage, albeit with a similarly forced "I'll prove to them I'm up to the challenge" moxie she demonstrated in "
Chicago," it's
Angela Lansbury (Madame Armfeldt) who commands the stage every time she's on it. It's pure bliss to see her return to Broadway in a musical role, and it's more than enough to land the revival on my list.
3 - Disney's Beauty And The Beast (Main Hall, Ordway Center For The Performing Arts, St. Paul, Minnesota)
Sure, the tale is as old as time. But St. Paul's Ordway made
Disney's Beauty And The Beast revival seem like new again. In a surprising delight,
Robert Johanson's incredibly fresh and fully-realized revival was stunning with spirited acting, boisterous singing and rousing choreography.
Jeremiah James brought exceptional depth to the role of the Beast, humanizing him with tremendous skill. The comedic triple threat
Jonathan Burgard succeeded in stealing practically every scene by adding real muscle to his Gaston. They helped make this
Beauty And The Beast offering a feast for the eyes to behold.
2 - La Cage Aux Folles (Longacre Theatre, New York City, New York)
Revived with unmistakable sparkle, however tarnished, by director Terry
Johnson, this downsized
La Cage Aux Folles is what it is. It's a solid period piece populated with men who may dress in drag, but have more guts, ironically enough, in coming to terms with who they are than their less flamboyant counterparts.
Harvey Fierstein's book and
Jerry Herman's glorious tunes get to the heart of how any relationship, gay or straight, endures. And as performed by
Kelsey Grammer (Georges) and
Douglas Hodge (Albin), it's not only deeply moving, it's practically heartbreaking. Hodge in particular scores with his defiantly scorching rendition of "I Am What I Am."
1 - The Full Monty (McKnight Theatre, Theatre Latté Da, Ordway Center For The Performing Arts, St. Paul, Minnesota)
Last fall, I offered just two words to my dear readers: "Drop everything" to get to St. Paul to see
The Full Monty.
In one of those rarest of rarities,
Theater Latté Da's excellent and thoroughly enjoyable production was actually much better than the
Broadway original.
Under
Peter Rothstein's exceptional, confident direction,
Terrence McNally's book and
David Yazbek's underrated score became even more salient, all the more gripping and certainly more entertaining today.
Rothstein's direction was a marvel unto itself. In what was his best production yet, he stripped
The Full Monty down to its grittiest, barest essentials and dressed it up with one of the best ensembles I saw anywhere this past year. No wonder so many Minnesotans shook their money-makers over to the Ordway to catch this sexy, fun and uplifting
Full Monty.
So what were the best new revivals of musicals
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).
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: A Little Night Music, Beauty And The Beast, La Cage Aux Folles, Ragtime, SOB's Best of 2009-10, The Full Monty
SOB's 2010 Tony PredictionsThis Sunday, the
American Theatre Wing’s
64th annual Tony Awards ceremonies will honor the best of Broadway's 2009-10 Theatrical Season. As we count down the days to the Tonys, it's time for me to place my wagers on those nominees I believe
will actually win, as well as tell you whom I think
should win.
As noted on Monday, I've been extraordinarily fortunate to see every single show, eligible and
otherwise, that opened on Broadway over the past year. So unlike last year, I'll be able to at least make informed decisions. Whether I'm right or not remains to be seen.
There is plenty of momentum behind
Red,
La Cage Aux Folles and
Fences, and it doesn't hurt that they all remain open to Tony voters
and that they're pulling in respectable audiences. In the case of
Fences, it's become box office titanium.
Given the dearth of truly new musicals this season, Tony voters are going to reward
Memphis for being one of the lone tuners with original score and an actual book, plus it stands the best chance of being a hit on tour. The exception for
Memphis will come (but shouldn't) in Tony voters'
starstruck decision for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical.
Something also tells me that given the lack of nominations -- except for
one key nod -- for one of the season's earlier critical hits,
Superior Donuts, along with the love shown already this awards season for its talented nominee that you shouldn't be surprised when they call his
name. Similarly, with a certain
Ragtime actor becoming a bona fide darling of the stage, don't be surprised if he pulls off an upset as well as Tony voters recognize the future star they have a chance to honor now.
Here are my picks:
Best Play In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play) - Author: Sarah Ruhl
Next Fall - Author: Geoffrey Nauffts
Red - Author: John Logan
Will Win/Should WinTime Stands Still - Author: Donald Margulies
Best Musical American Idiot
Fela! Should WinMemphis Will WinMillion Dollar QuartetBest Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture - Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott
Should WinFela! - Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones
Memphis- Joe DiPietro
Will WinMillion Dollar Quartet - Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre The Addams Family - Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa
Enron - Music: Adam Cork Lyrics: Lucy Prebble
Fences - Music: Branford Marsalis
Memphis - Music: David Bryan, Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan
Should Win/Will WinBest Revival of a Play
Fences Should Win/Will WinLend Me A Tenor
The Royal Family
A View From The Bridge Best Revival of a Musical Finian's Rainbow
La Cage Aux Folles Should Win/Will WinA Little Night Music
RagtimeBest Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jude Law -
Hamlet Alfred Molina -
Red Should WinLiev Schreiber -
A View From The Bridge Christopher Walken -
A Behanding In Spokane Denzel Washington -
Fences Will WinBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Viola Davis -
Fences Should Win/Will WinValerie Harper -
LoopedLinda Lavin -
Collected StoriesLaura Linney -
Time Stands Still Jan Maxwell -
The Royal Family Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Kelsey Grammer -
La Cage Aux Folles Sean Hayes -
Promises, Promises Douglas Hodge -
La Cage Aux Folles Will WinChad Kimball -
MemphisSahr Ngaujah -
Fela! Should WinBest Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin -
Finian's RainbowSherie Rene Scott -
Everyday RaptureMontego Glover -
Memphis Should WinChristiane Noll -
RagtimeCatherine Zeta-Jones -
A Little Night Music Will WinBest Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play David Alan Grier -
RaceStephen McKinley Henderson -
FencesJon Michael Hill -
Superior Donuts Should Win/Will WinStephen Kunken -
Enron Eddie Redmayne -
RedBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play Maria Dizzia -
In the Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)
Rosemary Harris -
The Royal Family Jessica Hecht -
A View From The Bridge Scarlett Johansson -
A View From The Bridge Jan Maxwell -
Lend Me A Tenor Should Win/Will Win Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Kevin Chamberlin -
The Addams Family Should WinRobin De Jesús -
La Cage Aux Folles Christopher Fitzgerald -
Finian's Rainbow Levi Kreis -
Million Dollar Quartet Bobby Steggert -
Ragtime Will WinBest Performance by a Featured Actress in a MusicalBarbara Cook -
Sondheim On Sondheim Katie Finneran -
Promises, Promises Should Win/Will WinAngela Lansbury -
A Little Night Music Karine Plantadit -
Come Fly Away Lillias White -
Fela! Best Direction of a Play Michael Grandage -
Red Should Win/Will Win
Sheryl Kaller -
Next Fall Kenny Leon -
FencesGregory Mosher -
A View from the Bridge Best Direction of a Musical Christopher Ashley -
MemphisMarcia Milgrom Dodge -
RagtimeTerry Johnson -
La Cage Aux Folles Will WinBill T. Jones -
Fela! Should WinBest Choreography
Rob Ashford -
Promises, Promises Bill T. Jones -
Fela! Should Win Lynne Page -
La Cage Aux Folles Twyla Tharp -
Come Fly Away Will WinBest OrchestrationsJason Carr -
La Cage Aux Folles Will WinAaron Johnson -
Fela! Should Win Jonathan Tunick -
Promises, Promises Daryl Waters & David Bryan -
MemphisBest Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty -
The Royal Family Should WinAlexander Dodge -
Present Laughter Santo Loquasto -
FencesChristopher Oram -
Red Will WinBest Scenic Design of a Musical Marina Draghici -
Fela!Christine Jones -
American Idiot Should Win/Will WinDerek McLane -
RagtimeTim Shortall -
La Cage aux Folles Best Costume Design of a Play
Martin Pakledinaz -
Lend Me a Tenor Constanza Romero -
FencesDavid Zinn -
In The Next Room (Or The Vibrator Play)Catherine Zuber -
The Royal Family Should Win/Will Win Best Costume Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici -
Fela! Should WinPaul Tazewell -
MemphisMatthew Wright -
La Cage Aux Folles Will WinBest Lighting Design of a Play Neil Austin -
HamletNeil Austin -
Red Will WinMark Henderson -
Enron Should WinBrian MacDevitt -
Fences Best Lighting Design of a Musical Kevin Adams -
American Idiot Should WinDonald Holder -
RagtimeNick Richings -
La Cage Aux Folles Will WinRobert Wierzel -
Fela!Best Sound Design of a Play Acme Sound Partners -
FencesAdam Cork -
Enron Should Win/Will WinAdam Cork -
Red Scott Lehrer -
A View from the Bridge Best Sound Design of a Musical Jonathan Deans -
La Cage Aux Folles Will WinRobert Kaplowitz -
Fela! Should Win
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen -
A Little Night Music Dan Moses Schreier -
Sondheim On Sondheim Do my picks for this year's Tony Awards match yours? Let me know.
Tune in to CBS this Sunday, June 13, when
Sean Hayes hosts the three-hour live broadcast.
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: Bobby Steggert, Fences, Jon Michael Hill, La Cage Aux Folles, Memphis, Ragtime, Red, Superior Donuts, Tony Awards, Tony Predictions
Ragtime (The SOB Review) - Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, New York
**1/2 (out of ****)Few musicals have captured the shifting American landscape inherently contained at the dawn of the 20th Century as powerfully as
Stephen Flaherty and
Lynn Ahrens' underappreciated heartfelt musical
Ragtime.
In
Marcia Milgrom Dodge's genuinely moving new revival, the confluence of a trio of family stories remains. There's the wealthy uppercrust white brood that's long since achieved the American dream. There's the Jewish immigrants in search of a better life. And at the heart of the original Broadway mounting a decade ago was a black couple whose hopes and aspirations are challenged by bigotry.
Unfortunately in this
Ragtime, its center has dramatically shifted from an equally-balanced story of all three, to one in which the white mother (
Christiane Noll) unnecessarily assumes its overriding focus. It's hard to fault Noll, who imbues her mother with grace, dignity and substance.
But in the original, it was Coalhouse Walker's tragic tale that moved me beyond words. Here, it's nowhere near as affecting, despite
Quentin Earl Darrington's valiant efforts. He's completely upstaged by
Bobby Steggert's brilliant performance as Noll's brother, who becomes a champion for racial equality.
Ironically as a result,
Ragtime loses its opportunity to demonstrate the even-handed approach to race relations
Terrance McNally's book espouses.
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: Bobby Steggert, Broadway, Christiane Noll, Lynn Ahrens, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Musical, Quentin Earl Darrington, Ragtime, Revival, Stephen Flaherty, Terrence McNally, The SOB Review
Ragtime Syncopated Trip Back To Broadway Just under 10 years have passed since the musical
Ragtime was last seen on the Great White Way. But thanks to the transfer of an
acclaimed run earlier this year at the
Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, it's officially back for its second time.
Previews start at Broadway's
Neil Simon Theatre this evening for the musical based on
E.L. Doctorow's
epic novel that's a slice right out of American history. The musical is told from three distinct vantage points spanning 1900 through the dawn of World War I. With score from
Stephen Flaherty and
Lynn Ahrens,
Ragtime features a book by
Terrence McNally. The new production is helmed and choreographed by
Marcia Milgrom Dodge in her Main Stem directorial debut.
Before the turn of the last century, a very lavish
Ragtime first opened on January 18, 1998 at what was then the brand spanking new
Ford Center for the Performing Arts (now the
Hilton Theatre). Quite apropos given that Henry Ford was among various historical figures (Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington and Emma Goldman) interspersed within the show. With
Frank Galati at the helm, that production starred
Peter Friedman as Tateh,
Marin Mazzie as Mother,
Brian Stokes Mitchell as Coalhouse Walker Jr.,
Audra McDonald as Sarah,
Mark Jacoby as Father, and a very young
Lea Michele.
Nominated for a whopping 13 Tony Awards,
Ragtime would only win four, including for McDonald's supporting role, Flaherty and Ahrens' score, McNally's book and
William David Brohn's orchestrations. The production played the Ford Center almost exactly two years, closing on January 16, 2000 after 834 performances. While you might think two years on the boards would translate to success, the show was anything but critically or financially.
The
review from Ben Brantley of
The New York Times was withering:
Blessed with beauty, ambition, a smashing wardrobe and a social conscience, Ragtime would seem to be the kind of musical that brings Broadway audiences to their knees in adoration. Then why does this $10 million show, which opened last night at the new Ford Center for the Performing Arts, feel so utterly resistible?
[T]he production has a correspondingly commemorative quality. A panoramic look at the beginning of this century from the perspective of its end, it often has the feeling of an instructional diorama in a pavilion at a world's fair.
No wonder
Ragtime's biggest drama occurred off-stage. Notoriety ensued shortly after it opened when
Livent, its production company, filed for bankruptcy. Foreshadowing
things to come, Canadian producer
Garth Drabinsky was indicted for fraud. Those charges are still pending.
This time around, there's hope that things will be dramatically better in every respect. After all, the show
is a transfer from the
Kennedy Center, where it received rave reviews.
Ragtime's gargantuan cast of 40 is led by
Christiane Noll as Mother,
Robert Petkoff as Tateh,
Quentin Earl Darrington as Coalhouse Walker Jr.,
Stephanie Umoh as Sarah and
Ron Bohmer as Father.
Coming full circle, I never saw
Ragtime on Broadway, but I did manage to see the show during its first national tour stop at Washington's
National Theatre in 1998. I remember being dazzled by both the production quality and the performances, but was less than wowed by the show itself.
Given the accolades the revival has received in my former hometown a little more than ten years later, I'm excited to see whether Dodge can make this
Ragtime swing.
Ragtime opens November 15.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Best New Musicals, Broadway, Lynn Ahrens, Ragtime, Revival, Stephen Flaherty, Terrence McNally
Saving Ragtime Bravo to the
Wilmette Theatre, which has saved director
Ty Perry's production of
Ragtime from the ash heap created by
Wilmette (IL) Park District's Executive Director Tom Grisamore.
Last week, Grisamore abruptly canceled the park's upcoming scheduled performances of
Stephen Flaherty and
Lynn Ahrens' musical due to its use of the "n" word. No matter that, as Perry -- who happens to be African American --
rightly questioned, "How can we learn about our present if we don't educate people about what happened in our past?"
According to the Wilmette Theatre,
Ragtime will be presented "in concert" on July 10 and 11 at 8:00 p.m., with tickets selling for a mere $5. The performance is presented by the Wilmette Theatre Education Project (WTEP) and Wheels of a Dream Productions, which was formed by the actors over the last few days.
"The Wilmette Theatre is proud to support the voice of this cast," notes the Wilmette Theatre's
Web site. "In the spirit of our Village and those needing to be heard, let this production serve as a celebration and acknowledgment of it's [sic] powerful message of unity."
Nice to see freedom of speech prevailing -- just in time for the Fourth of July.
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Gagtime (June 27, 2008)
Labels: Concert, Lynn Ahrens, Musical, Ragtime, Revival, Stephen Flaherty, Ty Perry, Wilmette, Wilmette Theatre
GagtimeAt the intersection where freedom of speech crosses racial sensitivity, the
Wilmette (IL) Park District has abruptly canceled its scheduled performances of
Stephen Flaherty and
Lynn Ahrens' musical
Ragtime, due to its use of the "n" word at 12 different times.
While I profess to personally blanching anytime I've heard that awful, egregious epithet used, including in dramatic works, I have never heard anyone accuse
Terrence McNally (who wrote
Ragtime's book) or Ahrens of racial insensitivity or bigotry.
Reports of the cancellation have even speculated that the Wilmette Park District Executive Director Tom Grisamore may, in fact, have jumped the gun due to a "misunderstanding of the show's message and realistic look at race relations in the past century."
Grisamore has been quoted in the
Chicago Sun-Times defending the decision by stating:
We had grave concerns that people would take the language they heard over the amplified sound system out of context from a performance that was being held in the bowl.
***
I can tell you that this is not something that was done easily and this is not something we did lightly. My heart really goes out to all of the cast and crew that have worked on this for the last couple of months. This is something we very honestly should have known about and hopefully we could have acted on this sooner, but we did as soon as we found out what was there.
As regular readers know, I have always defended our most basic, intrinsic right to freedom of speech. I may not agree with anything that you have to say, but I'll defend your right to say it.
In this case, while I can sincerely appreciate Grisamore's noble intentions, I can't help but agree with the production's director
Ty Perry, who gets the last word here:
You take that word out of this story and you invalidate my history as an African-American male.... Do I like the word? No. But to pretend nobody said it is wrong. I wouldn't even consider doing that. Context is everything, and it's not gratuitous, it's not for shock value. How can we learn about our present if we don't educate people about what happened in our past?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Cancellation, Chicago, Freedom Of Speech, Illinois, Lynn Ahrens, Musical, Ragtime, Revival, Stephen Flaherty, Terrence McNally, Ty Perry, Wilmette
