Even though I've never aspired to become anything more than just your average audience member, I realize that by writing a theatre blog, as well as the sheer number of shows I see in any given year, I'm anything but average.
Average looking? Sure. Average thinking? Check.
But average theatregoer. Hardly.
Because of my fascination and passion for all things emanating from the stage, I've long since learned that not every play or musical you hear about comes to fruition. I've written about countless shows that have yet to see the light of day. It's enough to lose your faith, even when some seem to gestate for what seems like eternity.
On that latter point, when Steve On Broadway was still less than a month old, I wrote about one musical that had all the trappings of a potential blockbuster. I wrote in part:
Finally, this fall, Leap Of Faith will enjoy its world premiere engagement at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, beginning September 11 through October 24. However, those putting their trust in Hackford to direct Jackman in the role of fake faith healer Jonas Nightingale might find themselves disappointed to know that neither is attached to the current production.
That is, until they learn about how it has since been cast. Personally, I couldn't be more delighted, especially as one of Broadway's brightest male leads has assumed the role of Jonas: Raúl Esparza.
Before Esparza ever performed on Broadway, I was fortunate to witness his breathtaking portrayal of Che in a touring revival of Evita over ten years ago. His performance was so assured and charismatic that I was thrilled when he began appearing on the Great White Way. I've watched his remarkable ascent ever since as he's earned four Tony nominations, three Drama Desk Awards and a special place in our heart for enduring the Piven fish fiasco early last year.
Should Leap Of Faith prove a winner, perhaps Esparza will finally earn that long-deserved Tony that's eluded him so far.
Ahmanson Theatre describesLeap Of Faith as follows:
You’ll be dancing in the aisles when con man Jonas Nightingale brings his gospel-charged tent revival to rain-starved Kansas. Four-time Tony Award-nominee Raúl Esparza and Golden Globe Award-nominee Brooke Shields will star in this world premiere Broadway-bound new musical.
Based on the movie with Steve Martin, Leap Of Faith boasts a brand new score from 8-time Oscar winner Alan Menken ("The Little Mermaid," "Beauty And The Beast") and directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford, helmer of the recent Taper favorite, Parade.
When his traveling ministry breaks down in a small Kansas town, part-time reverend and full-time con artist (Esparza) quickly pitches a tent and invites the locals to a revival. The sheriff is determined to stop Jonas from separating the townspeople from their money, but Jonas’ real challenge arises when he meets a pretty waitress (Shields) and her son, whose love forces an ultimate cynic to take a real leap of faith.
Here is the Leap Of Faith promo trailer:
For me, the most exciting part of the Ahmanson's description was to read that Leap Of Faith is "Broadway-bound." Whether or not it will find a Broadway berth yet this year is another matter. But with Come Fly Awayflying the coop in September, perhaps the Marquis just might make the perfect home in time for the holidays?
Perhaps all we just need is a little faith.
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.
Rob Ashford will direct and choreograph this second Broadway revival of Frank Loesser's nearly 49 year old tuner. This production is particularly noteworthy because Daniel Radcliffe will make his Main Stem musical debut.
The original 1961 musical not only earned Loesser and Abe Burrows (book) the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, but also that year's Tony Award for Best Musical. Additional How To Succeed did just that by earning six other Tonys including for Robert Morse (Best Actor) as J. Pierrepont Finch and Charles Nelson Reilly (Best Featured Actor) as Bud Frump. The illustrious cast also featured Rudy Vallee and very young Donna McKechnie in her Broadway debut. The production closed at the 46th Street Theatre (later renamed the Richard Rodgers Theatre) on March 6, 1965, after 1,417 performances.
Just over 30 years later, on March 23, 1995, the very first Great White Way revival would open at the same, albeit renamed, theatre as the original. Matthew Broderick, who was born six months into the original production's run, would win the show's sole Tony for his portrayal of Finch. Other notable castmembers included Megan Mullally, Victoria Clark and Lillias White. That production would last 548 performances before closing on July 14, 1996.
When Ashford's latest arrival opens nearly 15 years to the day after the last revival did, will its J. Pierrepont Finch make it three for three in winning a Tony for that role? If Radcliffe can sing and dance, he may just be in it to win.
Talk about succeeding on Broadway, but I'll bet no one will accuse him of not trying.
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.
Pair one of the Great White Way's most beloved contemporary musical/comedy stars (Kristin Chenoweth) with one of the last decade's most memorable television actors (Sean Hayes), throw in a couplemore of Bacharach and David's most popular hits, move the action of Neil Simon's book up a half decade to capitalize on "Mad Men," and voila! A smash, right?!
Unfortunately, the only smash comes in the form of the massive collision of sensibilities between this revival's two wildly, divergent acts (not to mention how contextually misplaced those added songs are). The first is so horrendously conceived and downright boring, that you may be tempted to leave at intermission. The only saving grace is Hayes' occasionally winning take on C.C. Baxter, the office climber who's hoping to impress office cafeteria waitress Fran Kubelik (Chenoweth, whom I regret to say is miscast). But even Hayes' C.C. too frequently comes off as just this side of Jack.
The shocker is that the second act is so significantly better than the first that you're actually relieved you stuck this one out. That's largely because of the yeoman efforts of the superb Katie Finneran. She not only saves the day with her deliriously funny portrayal of the tipsy Marge MacDougall, but she also salvages the show.
You can't help but contemplate the promise of what might have been had Ashford maintained the same tone throughout. Instead, I'm sorry to say, we're merely stuck with broken Promises, Promises.
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.
SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #15 - Evita (2007, Adelphi Theatre, London, United Kingdom)
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 pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.
To see the best revival of the 2006-07 Theatrical Season, I had to fly across the Atlantic and visit London. Michael Grandage's West End revival of Evita was unequivocally stunning. I absolutely adored this high-flying, soaring production. Credit Grandage's direction and choreographer Rob Ashford with once again revitalizing a musical in a most breathtaking, dazzling manner.
Making her spectacular West End debut was an astonishing Argentine talent, Elena Roger, who offered an exceptionally nuanced performance as Eva Peron. The compact Roger evolved right before your eyes from the flirtatious young girl seeking her ticket to Buenos Aires stardom to her role alongside Juan Peron to a physically and emotionally impaired invalid. And what a powerful, beautiful voice! Philip Quast brought a deceptively steely charm to his characterization of strongman Juan Peron epitomizing why he and Eva would be "surprisingly good" for one another.
Added to all of this were the newly syncopated rhythms offered by David Cullen's lush orchestrations (particularly in songs like "Buenos Aires") for what is arguably Andrew Lloyd Webber's best score, along with a breathtaking set design by Christopher Oram, and the result was one of the most stellar evenings of live theatre I've enjoyed over the past ten years. It left me on a proverbial "Rainbow High."
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. I paid my own way for this performance.
SOB's Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #19 - Guys And Dolls (2005, Piccadilly Theatre, London, United Kingdom)
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 pleased to present my list of plays and musicals that wowed me the most during that time. Out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years, I give you my countdown of my 25 personal favorite shows of the Noughties.
By the time I saw this West End hit, Guys And Dolls already ranked as one of my all-time favorite tuners. Yet never before had I been so thoroughly captivated by Loesser's inherent wit, charm and music as much as I was via Grandage’s sparkling staging. Certainly, the star power of Ewan McGregor further illuminated his stellar take on Sky Masterson, complete with Brooklyn accent and heavenly singing voice.
Thanks to Rob Ashford’s enthralling choreography, McGregor also demonstrated a charismatic gift for dance as well. As the token American in the production, Jane Krakowski was delightfully ditzy and charming as Miss Adelaide. British thespians Douglas Hodge (soon to make his Broadway debut in La Cage Aux Folles) and Jenna Russell worked magic as Nathan Detroit and Sarah Brown, respectively. The four actors together transformed Grandage’s exhilaratingly fresh take into something truly enchanting.
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. I paid my own way for this performance.
With all the changes taking place for the upcoming Broadway tuner Shrek - The Musical, no one would accuse you of being an ogre for wondering whether the show will be DOA.
Given the underwhelming Variety review for the Seattle tryout, which stated:
It also has plenty of flaws, but none necessarily fatal ... (Brian) d'Arcy James and (Sutton) Foster are a delight -- separately and together... Sadly, the same cannot be said of d’Arcy James and (Chester) Gregory. For some reason, the grumpy-ogre-plus-pesky-sidekick formula ... falls flat here, not helped by the static staging of some of their scenes.... Or it could be that the role of the donkey would be better suited to a character actor than to a singer-dancer — even one as accomplished as Gregory. Gregory doesn’t fare much better with his other partner, the dragon, played sometimes by (Kecia) Lewis-Evans alone, sometimes by a phalanx of women, sometimes by a puppet and sometimes by a combination thereof.
it probably came as no surprise yesterday when it was announced that Gregory and Lewis-Evans will not be transferring to Broadway with the rest of the cast, especially after the Dreamworks chief Jeffrey Katzenberg admitted that critics' reviews had been "spot on." Passing Strange's breakthroughstar Daniel Breaker replaces Gregory (and suddenly the musical has become more appealing to me, a complete Shrek virgin, who has never seen any portion of the film franchise). Lewis-Evans' role as the dragon is reportedly being substantially reworked.
As if that wasn't enough, it had been previously reported that choreographer-director Rob Ashford had been brought in "to provide 'a fresh pair of eyes.'" However, Ashford's presence has yet to yield an official credit.
Whether or not all of these changes will shore-up Shrek remains to be seen. But given the overall positive response I've had from many Seattle audience members, the upcoming alterations may very well make the difference between Shrek success and just anotherYoung Frankenstein.
Despite showcasing its absolutely best number at Sunday night's Tony Awards (and even I concede that was dazzling), the Broadway musical Cry-Baby is set to close this Sunday, according to Playbill (although as of this writing, tickets are still be sold for performances beyond that date). The tuner will have played 68 regular performances at the Marquis Theatre in addition to its 45 previews.
ModFab predicted as much on Monday. While the Cry-Baby's capacity numbers last week of 64.4% didn't appear to be too terrible, dig a little deeper in the box office totals and you'll see that its average ticket price was rock bottom, coming in at $33.27. To put that into perspective, the only other show with an average ticket price under 50 bucks was Les Liaisons Dangereusesat $49.75. Meanwhile, Jersey Boysstill commands an average ticket price of $115.79!
Given the dreadful performance I saw three weeks into previews, there was nothing that made me want to return. In fact, Cry-Baby earned the dubious distinction of landing on my "Five Worst" list for the 2007-08 Theatrical Season.
Obviously, I won't be shedding any tears at this show's passing.
Director Mark Brokaw knows a thing or two about birthing shows. And this November, he'll help bring the brand spanking new Cry-Baby to life at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse.
Based on the 1990 John Watersflick, the Rialto-bound Cry-Baby has a pretty impressive pedigree. For starters, in addition to Brokaw, one of my fave Broadway babies is on board: Tony winning actress Harriet Harris, who'll make this her second Great White Way outing this theatrical season (she replaces Jan Maxwell). Opposite Harris will be James Snyder in the title role. Also in the cast is a terrific talent named Carly Jibson, whom I first saw as Tracy Turnblad in the touring production of that other Waters-inspired musical Hairspray.
A little known secret about me that I'm divulging publicly for the first time today is that I'm a hopeless romantic. Hopeless, I tell you.
Now, this isn't just some souped-up fantasy of what life or love should be from some guy who's forever unlucky in love. No, I'm blessed to have long since found the love of my life.
What I am saying is that whether it's my own personal, ongoing affair of the heart (which has included everything from surprise flowers to jetting off to London for a long weekend) or my embrace of all things love elsewhere (via stage, film or even song), nothing gets my sentimental side more than a good dose of romance.
Back in 1998, I was thrilled to see a movie for which I had low expectations. The little flick was called "Ever After" and starred Drew Barrymore as a real-life interpretation of the fairy-tale Cinderella. To say I was mesmerized would be a gross understatement. I adored this film.
Just when I thought all my excitement over film-turned-stage musicals was over, along comes news that an invitation-only reading of Ever After is taking place next week in Manhattan. The tuner being produced by Adam Epstein (Hairspray and The Wedding Singer) has its sights trained on the Great White Way for sometime in 2009. Estimable director of plays Doug Hughes is currently at the helm. Zina Goldrich is scoring the music, while Marcy Heisler provides the libretto and lyrics. The wildly talented and ubiquitous Rob Ashford is choreographing the musical.
According to Playbill, the cast for the reading includes Elena Shaddow as Danielle, the Cinderella-style heroine, Max von Essen as the Prince and Jan Maxwell as the evil Baroness Rodmilla.
Evita (The SOB Review) - Adelphi Theatre, London, United Kingdom
**** (out of ****)
Last weekend, I flew to London to see the Michael Grandage's excellent revival of Evita before it closes in May. I absolutely adored this high-flying, soaring production. It is by far one of the best shows I've seen throughout the past year.
Credit Grandage's direction with once again revitalizing a musical in a most breathtaking, dazzling manner. As in 2005's revival of Guys And Dolls, Grandage has teamed up with choreographer Rob Ashford to effectively and vivaciously move along the story, this time of Eva Duarte Peron.
Fortunately, unlike in the film version, the darker side of the Perons remains intact within the book; Ashford's mesmerizing choreography brings the backstabbing struggle for power within Argentina's military to life, showing Juan Peron as a man who could only be trusted at a soldier's own peril. And of course, given that the clawing Evita herself was no saint, Grandage practically installs a revolving door on her bedroom for the rousing number "Goodnight And Thank You," and later rhapsodically illuminates how readily Peron's first lady enjoys the spoils of her husband's inherently corrupt regime.
Making her spectacular West End debut is an astonishing Argentine talent, Elena Roger, who offers an exceptionally nuanced performance as Eva Peron. The compact Roger evolves right before your eyes from the flirtatious young girl seeking her ticket to Buenos Aires stardom to her role alongside Juan Peron to a physically and emotionally impaired invalid. And what a powerful, beautiful voice!
Philip Quast brings a deceptively steely charm to his characterization of strongman Juan Peron epitomizing why he and Eva would be "surprisingly good" for one another.
As Che, the seductive Matt Rawle might resemble Antonio Banderas, but his glorious voice is much more in tune with Mandy Patinkin. And thankfully -- even though in a nod to the 1996 movie, the song "You Must Love Me" has been added to great effect -- Peron's mistress (an angelic Lorna Want) brilliantly reclaims the tune "Another Suitcase In Another Hall" absconded by Madonna for herself on the silver screen. Want's brief yet amazing turn makes me want to see more of her in the future.
Add to all of this the newly syncopated rhythms offered by David Cullen's lush new orchestrations (particularly in songs like "Buenos Aires") for what is arguably Andrew Lloyd Webber's best score, along with a breathtaking set design by Christopher Oram, and the result is one of the most stellar evenings of live theatre I've enjoyed over the past twelve months. It left me on a proverbial "Rainbow High."
This Evita is unequivocally stunning. But if you'd like to see it, you'd better get thee to London soon since the show closes May 26. Given its relatively short life on the West End stage (less than one year), the original plans to transfer to Broadway might now be in jeopardy.
Hello, Buenos Aires! New London Revival of Evita Opens Tonight
Will Argentinian actress Elena Roger demonstrate more than just a little touch of star quality when she takes to the West End's Adelphi stage this evening for the hotly-anticipated London revival of Evita?
There's certainly plenty of production quality among the team for this remounting of the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, starting with director Michael Grandage, who turned last year's Guys And Dolls into an unmitigated success. Rob Ashford, fresh from Broadway's The Wedding Singer, has reteamed with Grandage to provide fresh choreography.
It also probably goes without saying that the original Hal Prince-helmed Evita helped turn actresses Elaine Paige and Patti LuPone into first ladies of the London and Broadway stage, respectively. But can it do the same for Rogers? We'll know tomorrow whether the critics exult in a rainbow high.
Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles Limited run extended through May 31, 2011 (Show will go on hiatus starting January 15 and reopen at Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8)
Rock Of Ages - Open-ended run (Show will go on hiatus starting January 9 and reopen at Helen Hayes Theatre in March)
As someone who has been involved in both politics and public relations, it's no wonder I love watching theatre. Good or bad, it's the raw energy of seeing a live performance that gets my adrenaline pumping. From the moment I saw my very first Broadway show ("Annie" in London in 1979), I was hooked. Now I see as many as 70 shows each year ranging from soaring musicals to two-hander plays. And these eyes just may be in an audience near you!
You've Got To Have Faith
