Dreamgirls (The SOB Review) – Apollo Theatre, New York City, New York
**1/2 (out of ****)
Dreams don’t necessarily always come true, at least not in the way you hope.
But a partial realization is better than a complete pipedream going up in smoke. And so it goes not only with the lofty aspirations of Effie Melody White in Dreamgirls, but also with the entertaining, if somewhat disappointing, revival of the musical itself.
When I learned that this show, one of my all-time favorite musicals, would be revived -- and at the Apollo Theatre, no less, the fabled venue prominently featured in the tuner’s opening scene -- I began to fantasize about how a new stage incarnation could reclaim the collective consciousness of an audience whose memories of the original had been wrestled away by the decent, if dramatically different silver screen incarnation from 2007.
Director Robert Longbottom’s Dreamgirls may have avoided stepping into the bad side in the most pejorative of senses. Yet it’s remarkable how many steps backward he’s taken via liberties with the vastly superior original book by Tom Eyen, as well as making it seem a bit cartoonish.
Not only has a new version of the song “Listen” been lifted from the film version (this time sung as a duet between Effie Melody White and Deena Jones), but like the movie, this Dreamgirls has unnecessarily shifted too much of its heart away from what should be Effie’s enthralling and supremely urgent story. In doing so, the irony is that Longbottom has nearly subjugated Effie to the type of supporting role her character rails against playing within the fictional Dreams.
There are flashes of brilliance in its hardworking cast to be sure, and they make Henry Krieger and Eyen's score come alive. It should be heartbreaking to watch any rendition of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going.” Fortunately, Moya Angela wells up with the requisite mix of anger and anguish to nearly make this the show-stopping tune it’s intended to be.
However, nearly all of this Dreamgirls’ biggest flourishes come from the giant LED screens that Howard Werner has used in lieu of scenery. That’s not necessarily all bad as the dizzying array of displayed images provide an added texture to the proceedings. Unfortunately, it’s almost the single most electrifying aspect of the show, and all fingers point back to Longbottom again for not investing more in his talented cast’s ability to move the story along with heart and soul.
The biggest exception here, and it is extraordinarily large, is Chester Gregory’s astonishing, captivating turn as the fictional R&B pioneer, James “Thunder” Early. Gregory’s supporting performance is so electrifying that his breathtaking mega-wattage practically leaves those illuminated LED panels in the dark.
Longbottom’s slick choreography is serviceable, albeit a tad uninspired, much like his direction, leaving dreams dashed for those anticipating something truly unforgettable. At least this Dreamgirls avoids devolving into a nightmare, and is more enjoyable than not.
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.
Nearly 28 long years after Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen's Dreamgirlsfirst took Broadway by storm, a new revival is opening tonight a few miles to the north at Harlem's estimable entertainment shrine, the Apollo Theatre. Seems especially appropriate and exciting given that Dreamgirlsbegins with an off-stage announcer intoning, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Apollo Theatre continues its legendary talent contest..."
If you're a regular reader of Steve On Broadway, you know that this ranks among my all-time favorite musicals, which I first saw almost a quarter century ago when a touring production visited Washington DC's National Theatre.
That 1986 incarnation of Dreamgirls starred Sharon Brown as Effie (she would ultimately replace Lillias White in the brief 1987 Broadway revival), Deborah Burrell as Deena Jones (she had originally portrayed Michelle Morris on Broadway and ultimately replaced Sheryl Lee Ralph as Deena Jones), Lawrence Clayton as C.C. White (Clayton had served as a replacement to the original C.C. Obba Babatundé), Herbert L. Rawlings as James Thunder Early (Rawlings would revisit the role in the 1987 revival), Weyman Thompson as Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Thompson had various roles in the original Dreamgirls and replaced that production's first Curtis Ben Harney; he later originated the role of Curtis in the 1987 revival) and Arnetia Walker as Lorrell Robinson (a role she would reprise in the '87 Broadway revival).
As I've previously noted, when I first saw Dreamgirls, there was something so vital and raw that took hold within me. The story about Effie Melody White was so overpowering that it became a standard by which I judged other musicals. I was completely awed by its intense emotional honesty and gorgeous, rich score.
By the time I had actually seen Dreamgirls in 1986, the original show had already opened and closed on Broadway. The musical first opened at the Imperial Theatre on December 20, 1981 and closed on August 15, 1985 after 1,521 regular performances. But I had the opportunity to see Jennifer Holliday perform what would become her signature tune "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" at the 1982 Tony Awards. I was simply blown away by her heartfelt performance as she recreated her heartthumping visceral rendition, which you can see here.
Since 1986, I've enjoyed two enormously entertainingopportunities -- both in Atlanta -- to witness the great Jennifer Holliday perform on stage as Effie Melody White. But now the torch has been passed to a new generation with the start of a national tour, officially kicking off with its November 22 opening at the venerable Apollo Theatre, the landmark that has given rise to so many legendary performers throughout its storied history. Reports indicate that the show will not only tour internationally, but that there's even a chance it may return the New York City for a possible Broadway berth.
I'm hoping and praying that director Longbottom does not disappoint (as he unfortunately did with the current Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie). I'm happy to report that the advance buzz I'm hearing from an array of voices I trust is that this could very well be a dream come true.
And I'm telling you, I'm going to be at the Apollo soon with a full report on my own experience.
Bye Bye Birdie (The SOB Review) - Henry Miller's Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York, New York
* (out of ****)
Pity the incredibly talented young Allie Trimm, who portrays teenybopper Kim MacAfee in director Robert Longbottom's ill-conceived, bird-brained revival of that favorite high school musical Bye Bye Birdie.
Try as this gifted young actress might to build on the solid foundation she established through her assured turn in13, she's suffocating under the collapse of one gigantic egg that's been laid. Sure that egg may be as heavy and look as ornate as a precious Fabergé, but it's pretty hollow inside.
Although Trimm certainly helped carry 13, she's now being forced to undertake the unenviable task of singlehandedly lifting this ridiculous revival. And that hand has been tied behind her back.
So never mind the kids, who along with Nolan Gerard Funk as the swaggering heartthrob Conrad Birdie, are for the most part all right. A much larger question looms. What's the matter with adults today?! Beginning with Longbottom right down to the casting directors, did they really think their Birdie would soar, let alone fly?
Not even the normally unimpeachable Bill Irwin or Jayne Houdyshell can save this half-hatched show from itself. Irwin as Harry MacAfee is more than a bit off, particularly on the tune "Kids." There's no disputing his comic genius; yet when he first takes to the stage, it's as if he's in a completely different production. No wonder his accent is all over the map. Too bad he can't zero in on Ohio, where most of Bye Bye Birdie's action transpires. And as much as I'm an avowed Houdyshell fan, she leaves the role of the annoying Mae Peterson purely one dimensional.
Then there are the quote-unquote headliners, who aren't all they're cracked up to be.
As much as I enjoyed Gina Gershon in the recent revival of Boeing-Boeing, she's been completely miscast here as Rose Alvarez, the Latina spitfire who here can't even manage a spark with John Stamos' Albert Peterson. To be blunt, Ms. Gershon can't sing. And try as she might to dance, it's clear from the excision of "Shriner's Ballet" from the show that she's really not up to that, either.
To say Stamos is a little better than Gershon is like saying that the recent Guys And Dollsdud of a revival was a little better than this one. What this Bye Bye Birdie does for Stamos' Albert is basically what that Guys And Dolls did for Oliver Platt's Nathan Detroit. It takes a memorable leading role and somehow twists it into a forgettable tertiary character. No amount of mugging in Stamos' big number could make me muster a happy face. Perhaps seeing the handwriting on the wall, it's no wonder that when it accidentally broke apart during its final Wednesday night preview, Stamos quipped (maybe metaphorically), "It’s a career-ending moment."
Having said all that, the kids are indeed the best part of the show. That the little Jake Evan Schwenke as Randolph MacAfee easily steals every scene only serves to further diminish the dubious capabilities of the assembled adults both on stage and behind the curtain.
Bye Bye Birdie is at once very dated and very silly. Whether it's Mae's egregious wisecracks about Rose's Hispanic heritage or Albert's kowtowing to his insufferable mother, Michael Stewart's book becomes a throwback to another era that should best stay in the past. Although I'd love to say that it's a pleasure hearing Charles Strouse and Lee Adams' score once again, most of the voices within this revival just aren't made to sing them.
As for Roundabout, I have little doubt that once their subscriber base finishes seeing it, they'll indeed be saying Bye Bye Birdie. Too bad there'll be a good riddance attached to it as well.
The original Birdie was directed and choreographed by the great Gower Champion. That incarnation earned eight Tony nominations including for Best Musical, as well as for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Dick Van Dyke (as Albert Peterson), who was catapulted to superstar status. Chita Rivera (as Rose Alvarez) received her first of nine Tony nominations for her work. Van Dyke and Rivera reunited during the run of her Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life to relive a bit of Birdie when they sang "Put On A Happy Face."
Other major actors involved in the original cast included Paul Lynde (as Harry MacAfee), Kay Medford (as Albert's mother Mae) and Charles Nelson Reilly (as Mr. Henkel). Then, of course, there was Dick Gautier, who portrayed pop idol Conrad Birdie. The role may have been fashioned after Elvis Presley, but the name was a direct play on Conway Twitty's, who had initially been slated to play Conrad Birdie but dropped out of the production before it was ever seen by the public.
As I've previously noted, while a revival never made it to Broadway before Roundabout Theatre Company's new effort, there was an attempt to bring back Birdie via the ill-fated 1981 sequel Bring Back Birdie, which closed on Broadway after only four regular performances. Not even the combined star power of Chita Rivera and Donald O'Connor (as Albert -- Van Dyke's role redux) could keep that open, but the legendary actress did manage a Tony nod yet again.
Earlier, it was reported that the tune "Shriner's Ballet" was dropped like a hot fez from the show. Gershon told New York Daily News theatre critic Joe Dziemianowicz that the dance number previously thought to be benign enough for countless high school productions suddenly "seemed a little too gang rape-y" for the Broadway revival. Many wags summarily suggested that perhaps the bigger problem might be that Gershon wasn't up to the challenge of filling Chita Rivera's distinguished dance slippers.
Whatever the case may be, Bye Bye Birdie is already saying hello to packed houses in previews, filling up Henry Miller's Theatre close to 95% capacity. While last week's earnings of $533,736 may seem on the low side, as a non-profit theatre, Roundabout has a huge subscriber base so the number is a bit deceptive. And although the show is only slated to run through January 10, 2010, don't be surprised to see an extension if reviews are favorable after its October 15 opening. Look for my SOB Review shortly after as well.
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!
Dreamgirls (The SOB Review) – Apollo Theatre, New York City, New York
