They're A Little Bit Broadway: Donny & Marie To Bring Christmas Show To Great White Way
Late yesterday,
The New York Times confirmed that
Donny and
Marie Osmond will deck the halls of the
Marquis Theatre with their own special blend of holiday cheer. With those pearly whites, they'll put their own spin on the Great White Way via
Donny & Marie - A Broadway Christmas.
The singing siblings already possess Broadway musical credits. Donny Osmond made his Rialto debut in the failed 1982 revival of
Little Johnny Jones before taking on the role of Gaston in
Beauty And The Beast in 2006. Marie Osmond served as one of the replacements for
Donna Murphy in the last revival of
The King And I in the late 90s.
Donny Osmond's
website describes the show as follows:
In the holiday tradition of the “Osmond Family Christmas” television specials, Donny and Marie invite you and your family to join them to celebrate the joy of the season in true Osmond fashion, in person, as the pair share a Broadway stage for the first time. With their trademark show-stopping Christmas production numbers, Donny & Marie - A Broadway Christmas features your favorite hits mixed with the irresistible chemistry that made them international stars.
2008 marked the 50th anniversary for the Osmonds as a performing family.
The 12 performance run of Donny & Marie: A Broadway Christmas is scheduled to begin on December 9 before dashing through the snow on December 19. Tickets go on sale this morning at 10 a.m. EDT. UPDATE: The show has now been extended through December 30, 2010.
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: Broadway, Donny And Marie - A Broadway Christmas, Donny Osmond, First Word On New Show, Holiday, Marie Osmond, Revue, Special Theatrical Event
Pee-Wee Herman's Playful Commercial
Never underestimate the power of reliving your childhood -- or early adulthood for that matter.
The upcoming Broadway production of
is clearly awakening and energizing
Paul Reubens' legions of long dormant, yet ever-adoring fans. As my
current SOB Poll indicates, there's an outpouring of support for his beloved Pee-wee Herman personality. It's quite possible that Reubens' Great White Way debut will attract audiences that have never before seen a Broadway show.
Now, today's secret word (or is that weapon?) is:
commercial.
A short and simple new ad
has been unveiled for
The Pee-Wee Herman Show. As a fan of the 80s television program, I'm thrilled to see that this glimpse into the stage show looks consistent with what captured our attention and admiration over a generation ago. Heh-heh!
Previews for
The Pee-Wee Herman Show start October 26 at the newly renamed
Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Opening on November 11, the very limited engagement closes on January 2, 2011.
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: Broadway, Comedy, Paul Reubens, Revue, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, Trailer
Chairy Up! Pee-Wee Herman Play To Be Housed On Broadway
Yesterday, casting was announced for the upcoming
Pee-Wee Herman Show starring
Paul Reubens in the title role.
Directed by
Alex Timbers and written by Reubens and
Bill Steinkellner,
The Pee-Wee Herman Show comes to Broadway's newly renamed
Stephen Sondheim Theatre for a very limited engagement that begins previews October 26 opens November 11 and closes on January 2, 2011.
If you're as big a fan of his long-gone television show as I am, you'll be thrilled to know that Reubens has reteamed with such "
Pee-Wee's Playhouse" stalwarts as
Lynne Marie Stewart (Miss Yvonne),
John Paragon (Jambi the genie) and
John Moody (Mailman Mike).
Sadly, neither
Laurence Fishburne nor
S. Epatha Merkerson will reprise their turns as as
Cowboy Curtis and
Reba, respectively. But
Phil LaMarr will be on hand to take on Curtis in Fishburne's absence. Other casting includes
Jesse Garcia (as Sergio the Handyman),
Josh Meyers,
Drew Powell and
Lance Roberts.
Reubens' celebrated West Coast helped pave the way for this Great White Way run, and it provides the actor with a high-profile opportunity to finally put his career-threatening
scandal forever behind him.
Looking forward to catching his comedic genius at play? I know I am, but what are
you?
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: Broadway, Casting, First Word On New Show, John Moody, John Paragon, Lynne Marie Stewart, Paul Reubens, Revue, The Pee-Wee Herman Show
Sondheim On Sondheim (The SOB Review) - Studio 54, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City, New York
**1/2 (out of ****)Veritably playing into the hands of the would-be gift-giver in search of the perfect present for the ultimate
Stephen Sondheim fan,
Sondheim On Sondheim works as a mixed blessing for everyone else.
Now, let me be absolutely clear.
I've long since become a Sondheim-phile. I adore Sondheim. I cherish his music. I've actively sought out his works, including many of the lesser performed ones. Shortly before his 80th birthday, I even had an opportunity to meet him and then listen to him answer countless questions to further illuminate his creative process. In short, I revere him as one of the most intelligent, thoughtful and witty composers in the history of musical theatre. This genius we know as Stephen Sondheim is certainly nothing short of a living treasure.
And there's much to love and admire about this often hagiographic tribute revue, which was conceived and directed by one of Sondheim's frequent collaborators,
James Lapine. For starters, compliments of
Peter Flaherty's continuously unfolding projection design, Sondheim himself lords over the festivities with a banquet of anecodotes, along with a plethora of individuals trying to sing "Send In The Clowns" with varying success captured on YouTube. Yet I learned more about Sondheim during that aforementioned live Q&A than I did via the video snippets.
This revue does offer tremendous insights into how some of his songs made it into the final works, and how many -- shared here for the first time on Broadway -- did not. One of my favorite moments came as the precursors to
Company's "Being Alive" demonstrated a captivating progression of creative thought from "Multitude of Amys" to "Happily Ever After" to that ultimate song to perfectly underscore Bobby's journey throughout the show. And to hear "Being Alive" delivered so gloriously by
Norm Lewis was icing on the cake.
All in all,
Sondheim On Sondheim carries eight tunes that never made it into the shows for which they were originally written. While it's lovely to hear anything Sondheim has composed (and I ate it up), it becomes resoundingly evident why many of them weren't used.
Then there are the great -- and, alas, not so great performances -- themselves spanning nineteen of his shows.
In addition to Lewis, it was thrilling to finally see the great
Barbara Cook perform live (even if the teleprompter hanging off the mezzannine turned on each time she took to the stage); she's still in remarkable voice.
Euan Morton and
Leslie Kritzer's vignettes from
Merrily We Roll Along not only made the best case for a full Broadway revival, but their very public audition should also serve to significantly increase their chances to be cast in it. And a ceremoniously frockless Vanessa Williams added radiance and the most sass since she was defrocked unceremoniously a quarter century ago.
Unfortunately, missteps include the usually reliable
Tom Wopat being assigned "Epiphany" from
Sweeney Todd; whether it was the song choice or his performance, it just didn't work. The same goes for
Erin Mackey and
Matthew Scott; they're fine singers, but both seemed out of their element throughout the show and detracted more than they added.
Still,
Sondheim On Sondheim ranks as one of those shows I would not -- make that
could not -- have missed. Overall, it's a nice tribute, but it pales in comparison to actually seeing one of his exceptional works.
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: Barbara Cook, Broadway, Euan Morton, James Lapine, Leslie Kritzer, Musical, Norm Lewis, Revue, Sondheim On Sonheim, Stephen Sondheim, The SOB Review, Tom Wopat
All About Me (The SOB Review) - Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City, New York** (out of ****)In the annals of Broadway history, there have been many truly unforgettable and dynamic duos.
Alfred Lunt and
Lynn Fontanne.
Hume Cronyn and
Jessica Tandy.
Liam Neesan and
Natasha Richardson.
Nathan Lane and
Matthew Broderick.
But
Michael Feinstein and Dame Edna (
Barry Humphries)?
Alas, in
All About Me, they don't even come close.
Instead of like pleasurably putting your peanut butter in my chocolate, they're like throwing water on boiling oil to watch it combust. The two redoubtable entertainers are a thrill to watch individually, but this mash-up is too clever and funny by half.
Particularly annoying is that just as you start getting into the groove of one of them, they're interrupted by the other. The show is a massive collision of talent with seemingly spare direction from
Casey Nicholaw.
There are enjoyable moments to be sure. I've always enjoyed Dame Edna's purposeful banter with the audience. Her rendition of "All The Single Ladies" with
Gregory Butler and
Jon-Paul Mateo is the funniest number in the entire show. Feinstein's tinkling of the ivories in the Great American Songbook fares well, as does the humorous vamp that opens the show.
But if you're anything like me, you'll rather see these two exceptional entertainers perform the way they should be: by themselves.
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: All About Me, Barry Humphries, Dame Edna, Michael Feinstein, Musical, Revue
SOB's Least Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #1 - Triple Espresso (2008, Music Box Theatre, Minneapolis, MN)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm not only pleased to present my list of my top 25 favorite plays and musicals of the Noughties, but also a simultaneous countdown of my five least favorite shows out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years. "Want to see a good show? Then you'll want to avoid
Triple Espresso the way I do
Starbucks,"
I warned nearly two years ago after seeing this buzz-kill.
More a musical revue than a musical,
Triple Espresso had inexplicably been a staple of the Minneapolis theatre scene since opening in the spring of 1997. When I learned the show had set a closing date, I figured I'd try to see what kept the show percolating for so long. While
Triple Espresso dubbed itself "A highly caffeinated comedy," I could have used a little of that high octane stuff to get me through the warmed-over schlock. Simultaneously, it tasted as if it had been on the burner way too long without ever having been fully brewed to begin with.
Triple Espresso revolved around an eponymous comedy trio reuniting after 25 years apart. The closest to "real" fame the three -- Hugh Butternut (Michael Pearce Donley), Bobby Bean (Brian Kelly) and Buzz Maxwell (George Tovar), get it?! -- ever came was in a botched appearance on the 70s "
Mike Douglas" talk show.
Lame attempts to involve the bored audience were exacerbated by largely unfunny schtick borrowed unceasingly from all things the 70s. The only thing I kept wondering was how this show could have been so underdeveloped and yet lasted so long.
Unfortunately,
Triple Espresso was bad to the last drop. No wonder it "earns" the dubious distinction as my least favorite show of the entire decade.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new 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. I paid my own way for this performance.Labels: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, Revue, SOB's Least Favorite Shows Of The Noughties, Triple Espresso
Chita Rivera (The SOB Review) – Birdland, New York, New York
***1/2 (out of ****)What becomes a legend
most?
Signature roles that have become so deeply ingrained into our collective popular psyche like Anita (
West Side Story), Rose (
Bye Bye Birdie), Velma (
Chicago) or Aurora (
Kiss of the Spider Woman) that they've forever earned a special place in our hearts?
How about two Tony Award honors (
The Rink and
Kiss Of The Spider Woman) out of nine Tony nods after appearing in 15 Broadway shows spanning 55 years?
Or a personalized Broadway show (the 2005-06 production of
Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life) based on the legend's extraordinary life?
Could it be a career topping honor in earning the
Presidential Medal of Freedom?
Sure, each of these exceptional chapters from the distinguished life of
Chita Rivera alone could easily be considered a lasting legacy for most acclaimed actors. And they would justifiably wear any of these achievements proudly.
But most actors are not Chita Rivera. The truth is, if the 76-years young Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero hadn't been born the Broadway Baby she is, the Great White Way would have had to invent her. The fact that she's the genuine article who's
still going strong after all these years not only becomes her tenacity, but it's a testament to her courage and talent.
What really becomes Chita Rivera is that she continues to mesmerize adoring audiences as she's proven yet again during her all-too-brief stint last week at Birdland. Sure, we've heard many of the enchanting anecdotes before. But when the enduring and endearing Ms. Rivera can run circles around gifted performers half her age, she effortlessly retains the mantle as the singular consummate entertainer of our time.
With even the slightest of movement in accentuating her greatest hits ranging from
West Side Story's "America" to
Chicago's "All That Jazz," as well as humorous stories touching on everyone from
Donald O'Connor to
Catherine Zeta-Jones (click
here to see what she told the latter on the first night of her Birdland gig), Rivera proves that she has more going on in one little finger than most younger performers have, period. Ms. Rivera not only easily holds her audience in the palm of her hand, but she tenderly carresses them and tops it off with a loving kiss.
This marked my fifth opportunity to see this legendary performer on stage. With all the vitality she continues to possess, I have no doubt I'll have many more chances to revel in her exquisite charm.
If you've never seen Chita Rivera live, you simply haven't lived.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Chita Rivera, Off-Broadway, Revue, The SOB Review
You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush (The SOB Review) - Cort Theatre, New York, New York
* (out of ****)Rather than too little, too late, this occasionally funny retread of the last eight years feels like far too much so soon after the eponymous
president left office. So much for mission accomplished.
While
You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush has some genuine laughs and moments of inspiration, this
Will Farrell vehicle tries to shock with purported images of the Commander-in-Chief's chief of staff. Yet its greatest offense is its crass, jokey use of the N word (Ferrell's Bush confuses the name of a
certain African country with the worst epithet in the English language).
Replete with even more costume changes than
Liza Minnelli had during her recent Great White Way
outing,
You're Welcome America dulls down into one of those overextended
Saturday Night Live sketches that appears late in the program and swaggers sharply into obscurity. It's ironic that a show about a president often accused of intellectual laziness suffers from too much of the same.
While that may work on television, it's not quite ready for a prime Broadway berth.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Revue, Will Ferrell, You're Welcome America. One Final Night With George W Bush
Did Critics Welcome Ferrell's Final Night?Last evening,
Will Ferrell made his Broadway debut in his limited run show
You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush, which opened at the
Cort Theatre.
Directed by
Adam McKay, Ferrell's show spoofs the eponymous
43rd President. The comedy features
Michael Delaney,
Pia Glenn,
Adam Mucci and
Patrick Ferrell.
Most critics' reviews rolled out the welcome mat for Ferrell with one notable exception.
Praising the show as "a cathartic, almost cleansing farewell,"
David Rooney of
Variety claims that the show never descends into mean-spirited diatribe: "Ferrell delivers what's basically an extended '
SNL' political sketch grafted out of the easiest target in comedy.... [I]t's the kind of incisive 'SNL' sketch we haven't seen much of lately -- a fast-paced, well-sustained near-90 minutes that's consistently funny and invigoratingly rude.... [I]t's in the more fanciful satirical detours that Ferrell soars highest."
Proclaiming "mission accomplished,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News awards four out of five stars: "Getting to see this comic whiz in the flesh is a big treat, and the fact that Ferrell has been able to squeeze so many fresh yuks from the beleaguered Bush legacy speaks to his always off-kilter, sometimes raunchy, imagination.... If some sequences run out of steam, another laugh is looming just around the bend."
Calling Ferrell "terrific -- sly and subtle, even brave,"
Newsday's
Linda Winer offers a critical welcome: "(The show) has arrived right on time for both silly fun and smart summing-up of an epoch the country just voted overwhelmingly to change. Foolish comedy is deftly mixed with tough political satire in what is not, strictly speaking, a solo."
Surprised that "the ex-president turns out to be a hell of a lot of fun to hang with,"
Frank Scheck for
New York Post awards three out of four stars: "Granted, the generally lowbrow humor of
You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush is hardly cutting-edge political satire. Basically a (nearly) solo extended sketch, it's theatrical comfort food for Broadway audiences who want to see one of their favorite comic actors live."
Noting that "Sometimes it’s really funny, and sometimes it sort of sags. I laughed, I yawned,"
The New York Times'
Ben Brantley offers a mixed assessment comparing it to Ferrell's more middling movies: "[T]he actor provides a critic-proof demonstration of the art that has endeared him to millions of fans around the world: the art of acting stupid, shrewdly, for fun and profit. Some might say that this is a talent shared by the man Mr. Ferrell impersonates. But the George W. Bush of
You’re Welcome America ... is just stupid, without the shrewdness.... Mr. Ferrell’s Bush is less exact imitation than loopy extrapolation. And the show feels freshest when he goes off on surreal tangents that transport his blundering hero into the ether of pure absurdism."
Concluding that "Ferrell's mission ought to have been aborted,"
USA Today's
Elysa Gardner pans the show with one and a half stars out of four: "It's tough to say who should be more offended by
You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush: the 43rd president's most ardent admirers or his most rigorous critics.... No one familiar with Ferrell's work would expect in-depth political satire. He tries instead to provoke through tastelessness and goofy outrageousness, practices that certainly have long and distinguished traditions in comedy. But Ferrell's shots both overreach and fail to sting."
Perhaps to Brantley's point, this very limited run show is critic-proof from the get-go, so it appears that most of them just sat back, relaxed and let 'er roll. I'll be taking in a performance over the next couple of weeks and will let you know if I shared their general enthusiasm.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam McKay, Broadway, Comedy, Critics' Capsule, George W. Bush, Revue, Will Ferrell, You're Welcome America. One Final Night With George W Bush
You're Welcome: One Final Opening NightMining the recently departed
U.S. President and his seeming propensity for malapropisms for laughs one final time, film actor and former "
Saturday Night Live" alum
Will Ferrell (or John
W. Ferrell) is opening on Broadway this evening in his limited run show
You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush.
According to the official site, dubbed "
Will Ferrell on Broadway":
It's time for a change in America, but not without a few parting words from the 43rd President of the United States. Don’t miss your chance to discover the man behind the myth, the truth behind the lies, and the logic behind the illogical in the outrageous limited Broadway event.
Staged at Rialto's
Cort Theatre,
You're Welcome America is written by Ferrell, who stars as his most famous impersonation. Helmed by
Adam McKay and choreographed by
Matt Williams, the comedy features
Michael Delaney as Dr. Scott Blumeth,
Pia Glenn as Former Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice,
Adam Mucci as a Pilot, and the lead actor's own sibling
Patrick Ferrell as a Secret Service Operative. Perhaps most intriguing credit of all is the one for
Flying by Foy, which is supplying flying effects.
Ferrell is one of the few SNL actors to receive an Emmy nomination for his work on the late night comedy shows. Certainly, his extraordinary gift for mimicking the mighty no doubt contributed to that distinction.
The big question about tonight's show is whether critics will give 43 a go one more time, or will they wish Ferrell had simply given it a rest. Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam McKay, Broadway, Comedy, George W. Bush, Opening Night, Revue, Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell, You're Welcome America. One Final Night With George W Bush
Liza With A "D," Needs "R & R"Just one week into her triumphant return to the Great White Way,
Liza Minnelli has been ordered to sit out tonight's performance of her
Liza's At The Palace...! due to dehydration.
According to an
official statement:
Due to health reasons and doctor’s orders, Liza Minnelli will not perform Liza’s At The Palace...! this evening. Co-producer John Scher stated, “This past opening week has been a marathon run for Liza -- which unfortunately has led her to dehydration and her doctor has insisted she get some extra rest. Liza will return for the show’s next scheduled performance on Friday, Dec 12th (8PM).”
Ticket-holders can exchange their tickets for any future scheduled performance.
Fortunately for Liza fans, when one closet door closes, another opens. Shortly after this announcement was made,
Playbill confirmed that Minnelli is adding another week of performances on to her already extended Broadway show.
Liza's At The Palace...! will now run through January 4, 2009.
While I have yet to post my own SOB Review, I was in the audience Saturday evening and can tell you that I have never seen a performer give her all like this legendary icon has. She's already stated that she's lost over 30 pounds since beginning work on the show, and given the amount that I saw her sweat (exceedingly profusely) from my third row seat, I can tell you that I'm not surprised in the least that she's a wee bit dehydrated.
Here's wishing Ms. Minnelli a healthy and speedy recovery.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Liza Minnelli, Liza's At The Palace, Out Sick, Revue, Special Theatrical Event
Did Slava Have Critics Thinking There's No Business Like Snow Business?Yesterday, Russian clown
Slava Polunin -- known for his fluffy white stuff play -- finally had his Great White Way day. His
Slava's Snowshow opened at Broadway's
Helen Hayes Theatre under
Victor Kramer's direction. Reviews ran the gamut, with most criticism lodged against the steep ticket prices for the 90-minute show that includes an intermission.
Admitting that his "soul swooned slowly as I heard the snow falling faintly through the universe of the Helen Hayes,"
Charles Isherwood of
The New York Times was smitten: [T]he show has retained the feel of a handmade diversion, modest in its means but powerful in its ability to induce waves of giggles and sighs of pleasure.... Let’s just say if I were charged with the entertainment of children under 10 and had a Broadway budget at my disposal, this would be the show I’d favor. It does not stun children with spectacle but fires their imaginations and gives them a savory taste of the sensory pleasures of live entertainment without forcing too much unsettling clown intimacy on the adults in the audience."
Despite whispering that "some of the magic has evaporated" since it's Off-Broadway incarnation,
Variety's
Marilyn Stasio offers more than flurries of praise: "[F]or all the fun of dodging giant beachballs and pelting your neighbor with tissue paper snowflakes, something more is going on in this show, which Slava used to take into remote parts of the Soviet Union during the Cold War years. Something that has to do with the eternal power of laughter and the sheer endurance of the Everyman clown. To be sure, some of that existential humanism survives in this new, spiffed-up version of
Slava's Snowshow, often in quiet moments. Like the endearing old routine in which a lonely clown (the great Slava himself, in the signature yellow clown suit that makes him look like a big chicken) cuddles up to an empty coat hanging on a coatrack. Or the metaphysical moment of an angry clown contemplating his role on a silently spinning planet."
Calling "it an ingenious amusement" and "sure to bring out your inner child,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News nevertheless awards just three out of five stars: "It alternately makes you feel like you're in a fun house, shaken snow globe and a smooth-riding clown car.... This clutch of clowns is adorable, never scary, even when a tot with a loud laugh gets carried off.... Too bad the $111.50 price for most tickets -- twice as steep as the 80-minute show should charge -- brings out my inner Grinch."
Also complaining about the steep prices,
New York Post's
Barbara Hoffman gives the show just two out of four stars: "Back then, it seemed sort of charming. Back then, it wasn't $69 to $111 a ticket -- for less than 90 minutes, with an intermission. With apologies to Woody Allen -- the show is irritating! And so short!... Now and then, though, there are some beautiful images - fleeting, Fellini-like scenes that are at once funny and sad."
Concluding by noting how he's still asking himself, "omigod, what's going on here
?" Philadelphia Inquirer's
Howard Shapiro said this would have worked better in a Fringe Festival than Broadway: " So call me a banana-peel Neanderthal and send me to my cave (mind the peels), but while I admire the performances in
Slava's Snowshow, I found it strange and unconvincing in a Broadway house, even the smallish Helen Hayes Theatre."
A dear friend of mine, whose opinion I value, saw the show Saturday and told me that it is, "Charming, inventive, possibly unique. And funny, funny, funny."
Audiences will have to decide for themselves if the price is worthwhile, but they'll only have until January 4 to contemplate since the limited run ends then.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Revue, Slava Polunin, Slava's Snowshow, Special Theatrical Event
Liza's At The Palace...! (The SOB Review) - Palace Theatre, New York, NY*** (out of ****)Want to see an honest-to-goodness legendary trouper who feeds off her audience, not only as if it were an intimate gathering, but more importantly, as if they were always destined to be together? Then you can't afford to miss the one and only
Liza Minnelli in
Liza's At The Palace...!Sure, much has been written about how this icon doesn't quite hit all the notes the way she used to, or how she occasionally slurs her speech (today it's Liza with a zshee), or how she moves a bit wobbly (no doubt thanks to two new hips and a knee). But I can tell you that I've never seen a performer give it her all -- and then some, and then some more -- quite the way Liza Minnelli does. This
Oscar,
Tony,
Emmy and (special)
Grammy winner does it with such enormous heart and humanity, you find yourself pulling for her every step of the way.
With her second act paean to her real-life Godmother
Kay Thompson, Ms. Minnelli recreates the "
Eloise" writer's nightclub act from days long gone by. Thompson originally performed with the
Williams Brothers, but director and choreographer
Ron Lewis captures their essence with
Cortes Alexander,
Jim Caruso,
Tiger Martina and
Johnny Rodgers in rousing and gleeful, if old-fashioned, spirit. In fact,
Billy Stritch and
David Zippel's musical stylings filled my head with memories of listening to my grandmother's stereo, as well as those dated television variety shows from the earliest days of my youth. Ms. Minnelli's enthralling show captures this snapshot of another time brilliantly and enthusiastically.
Aside from her self-deprecating stories, including an ultimately bittersweet one involving three closets, there were two points during her performance that left me choked up. The first occurred near the end of the first act when she sang "Cabaret" and uttered a revised line about "going like Elsie." The second came when Ms. Minnelli performed her final encore with a holiday homage to her mother, the late
Judy Garland. While I can't give it away, it was a glorious way to send her adoring audience out onto a snowy Broadway on a cherished high note.
Supposedly, they don't do shows like this anymore. But thankfully, Liza Minnelli does.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Cabaret, Judy Garland, Kay Thompson, Liza Minnelli, Liza's At The Palace, Revue, Special Theatrical Event, The SOB Review
'Sno Clowning Around: Slava Opens On Broadway
'Sno Clowning Around: Slava Opens On BroadwayAfter enjoying an astounding 1,004 performance run at Off-Broadway's Union Square Theatre from September 2004 through January 2007, as well as being honored with the
1998 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment for his
Old Vic run in London, Russian clown
Slava Polunin has finally made it to the Great White Way. His
Slava's Snowshow opens this evening at
Helen Hayes Theatre.
Produced by
David J. Foster and directed by
Victor Kramer,
Slava's Snowshow is described by its
official site as thus:
There areas many descriptions as there are audience members. Snowshow is the beauty of a single snow flake as it gently falls and lands on your shoulder. Snowshow is the sound of an adult laughing uncontrollably at nothing in particular.
Snowshow is the joy of believing that anything is possible. Snowshow is the sadness of a wave goodbye from a train station platform. Snowshow is the realisation [sic] that life really is wonderful.
Will critics find the Broadway incarnation wonderful? Find out tomorrow as I provide my critics' capsule.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).Labels: Broadway, Circus, Opening Night, Revue, Slava Polunin, Slava's Snowshow
Liza's At The Palace, But Where Are Critics To Start Spreadin' The News?What if a show opened and no critics were there to see it happen? Does that mean it doesn't exist?
Something close to that occurred last evening as
Liza Minnelli made her return to Broadway in
Liza's At The Palace...! with apparently only three regular theatre critics posting their post mortems so far (perhaps it was because there were no previews?? If so, I'll add to this as newspapers play catch-up).
Concluding that the show "is 100% fantastic entertainment,"
Joe Dziemianowicz of New York's
Daily News offers a euphoric four out of five stars: "Minnelli's spectacular holiday happening
Liza's at the Palace ...! finds Liza with a Z fit, funny, surprisingly energetic and in her best voice in ages -- though on occasion she does mistake volume for tone.... A spine-tingling recreation of her mother
Judy Garland's
'Palace Medley' -- which she sang at the same theater decades ago -- sparkled with equally high-octane emotion and nostalgia."
Deeming the show "a slick and exuberant time-capsule,"
Linda Winer of
Newsday gives props to Liza: "She doesn't hit all the pitches these days, though she didn't always in the old days, and that wobble is now wide enough to drive a limo through it. But her phrasing is terrific and her enthusiasm, thoroughly endearing. The show, which runs through the month, has a generous onstage orchestra (in tuxedos, no less) and an almost quaint quartet of mature male dancers."
Noting how "the woman knows how to a work a room,"
Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press offers huzzahs for the legend: "Liza Minnelli has sunny star-wattage to spare, a never-say-die attitude that is astonishing to watch.... and it would be foolish if you don't catch her act before it closes Dec. 28. Minnelli has always been a mixture of unabashed enthusiasm and heartbreaking vulnerability.... Both qualities are on display at the
Palace, where Minnelli is delivering a sterling piece of entertainment that looks backward and forward."
Calling the production a "highly energetic and occasionally extraordinary new Broadway show,"
Brian Scott Lipton of Theatermania is mostly positive: "[Y]ou'll mostly be kept rapt by the sheer charisma and showmanship that Minnelli brings to the stage. To get the big questions out of the way, Minnelli's voice isn't what it was many years ago, but it's strong and powerful and mostly gets the job done, and she moves rather than really dances. But her skills as a performer, honed over five decades, and her genuineness and vulnerability make these shortcomings seem relatively unimportant."
Proclaiming Minnelli "extremely fascinating to watch,"
Matt Windman of New York City Theater gives 2 and a half out of four stars: "[I]s Liza the toast or the train wreck of Broadway? She’s kind of both. At Wednesday’s opening night performance, not only did Act One and Act Two feel like completely different shows, they also displayed different versions of Liza. Act One was pretty problematic. In between forced, mostly spoke-through performances of 'Maybe This Time' and 'Cabaret,' Liza appeared like a marionette on strings on the verge of falling down. In between songs, she panted desperately for breath and her hands shook. We couldn’t understand a single lyric she uttered in any song. But Act Two was fantastic. For the most part, Minnelli reconstructed the 1948 cabaret act of vocal arranger and actress
Kay Thompson, who was her godmother. Though it probably helped that a male chorus literally provided shoulders to lean on, Minnelli’s tribute to Thompson was well focused and tight."
As noted above, I'll continue to add whatever other key critics have to say regarding
Liza's At The Palace...! as I see them. But given what those above have already stated, I'm thrilled that I'll have the honor of basking in her presence yet again come Saturday evening.
UPDATE (12.04.08, 4:37 p.m. EST): Labeling the show "Kinda fabulous,"
Variety's
David Rooney heaps praise on the icon: "[W]hat makes Minnelli a great entertainer when she’s firing on all cylinders is how hard she works for the audience’s love. And how much she clearly thrives on it. In an age in which so many female concert performers are overproduced automatons, deigning to be worshipped by their fans, Minnelli’s emotional give-and-take makes her a disarming relic. Part of the unique thrill of watching her strut through 'New York, New York' in New York is the knowledge she represents an era of entertainment that’s all but gone."
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Critics' Capsule, Judy Garland, Kay Thompson, Liza Minnelli, Liza's At The Palace, Revue
Liza's O-Kay For Opening NightThis evening, the one and only
Liza Minnelli finally returns to the Great White Way as
Liza's At The Palace...! opens.
The 62 year old legend's song and dance revue will serve as a tribute to her Godmother
Kay Thompson. This will mark Minnelli's first time to tread Broadway's boards since her celebrated comeback in 1999's
Minnelli on Minnelli.
All totaled,
Liza's At The Palace...! is scheduled for 19 performances through December 28 -- two weeks longer than originally planned, thanks to the overwhelming demand for tickets.
You can bet I'll be in the adoring audience for one of the early performances. I wouldn't miss this chance to see Liza for the world.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Kay Thompson, Liza Minnelli, Liza's At The Palace, Opening Night, Revue
That's Liza's At The PYesterday, 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.
Liza's At The Palace...! is
described as:
[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.)
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, First Word On New Show, Fred Ebb, John Kander, Liza Minnelli, Liza's At The Palace, Revue
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
Triple Espresso (The SOB Review) - Music Box Theatre, Minneapo-lis, MN1/2*Want to see a good show?
Then you'll want to avoid
Triple Espresso the way I do
Starbucks.
More a musical revue than a musical,
Triple Espresso has inexplicably been a staple of Minneapolis theatre since the spring of 1997. When I learned the show had set a closing date, I figured I'd try to see what kept the show percolating for so long.
While the show dubs itself "A highly caffeinated comedy," I could have used a little of that high octane stuff to get me through the warmed-over schlock that tasted simultaneously like it's been on the burner way too long without ever having been fully brewed to begin with.
Triple Espresso is about an eponymous comedy trio who reunite after 25 years apart. The closest to "real" fame the three -- Hugh Butternut (Michael Pearce Donley), Bobby Bean (Brian Kelly) and Buzz Maxwell (George Tovar), get it?! -- ever came was in a botched appearance on the 70s "
Mike Douglas" talk show.
With lame attempts to involve the audience followed by largely unfunny schtick borrowed unceasingly from all things the 70s, the only thing I was left wondering is how this show could have been so underdeveloped and yet last so long.
Unfortunately,
Triple Espresso is bad to the last drop.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, Revue, The SOB Review, Triple Espresso
Linda Eder: This Time Around (The SOB Review) - Feinstein's at the Regency, New York, NY
**1/2
I realize it was late.
Very late...
Around 11:50 pm to be precise when the lovely
Linda Eder finally took to the stage at the estimable
Feinstein's at the Regency last Saturday night. It was the second of two shows that evening -- I can only wistfully wonder how spectacular the 8:30 pm show was; after all, it let out at about 10:30.
Such was not the case with the scheduled 11 pm performance. While
Linda Eder: This Time Around provided some genuinely fun and entertaining moments, they didn't last long at all. In fact, Linda Eder's cabaret performance barely clocked in at one hour (there's a magnificent clock on the wall to the right of the stage). Unfortunately, the golden-throated voice for which she's known -- including her customary awe-inspiring vocal gymnastics -- was barely hitting the high bars last Saturday.
Eder herself confessed that she was tired and that her voice has suffered. She shared tidbits of her rigorous schedule caring for her 7 year old and the challenges it poses to such performances. And since her audience was packed with adoring devotees, she was easily forgiven if her usual spellbinding song stylings were a tad bit underwhelming.
Included in her repertoire were tunes from her recent
Judy Garland tribute album, her show's title song, a rousing rendition of "Bring On The Men," and a gorgeous version of "On The Street Where You Live." But she had barely begun when Feinstein's waiters were already handing out checks for the $40 per person food and drink minimum (in addition to the $80 tickets) to close out the evening.
As much as I can't get enough of Eder's voice when it's in top shape, my advice for anyone wishing to see this talented performer via this gig is simple: make sure you're seeing the early evening shows so as not to be disappointed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for ticket reservation information. Related Stories:
Labels: Cabaret Act, Feinstein's At The Regency, Judy Garland, Linda Eder, Linda Eder: This Time Around, New York State, Revue, The SOB Review
They're A Little Bit Broadway: Donny & Marie To Bring Christmas Show To Great White Way
