Wildfires Force Closure Of La Jolla And Old Globe TheatresOn the Left Coast, the tragic news consuming the media is the voracious wildfires burning out of control.
According to separate
Playbill stories, both the
La Jolla Playhouse (which is currently dark) and the
Old Globe Theatres (currently home to the Broadway-bound
A Catered Affair) are closed.
Apparently, while the fires are not currently posing a direct threat to either beloved theatre, the La Jolla Playhouse staff was evacuated yesterday and office remain closed today. Performances at the Old Globe for this evening were cancelled.
It's my understanding that due to road closures and appeals to keep routes open to emergency traffic, everything from
schools to parks in the San Diego area have closed. Emergency officials are asking for food and water for evacuees and told those still in their homes to cut electrical use so the power grid is not strained.
Wildfires have already destroyed an
estimated 1,300 homes and threaten another 72,000.
To learn more about what
you can do to help, click
here.
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in San Diego, as well as throughout Southern California.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Catered Affair, California, Cancellation, La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, Wildfires
Harvey FiersbackIn my PR world, I've always lived by the mantra that you never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.
But I've got to hand it to
Harvey Fierstein for having the courage to
fire back at his critics, particularly Charles McNulty of the
Los Angeles Times for his
savage review of
A Catered Affair during its pre-Broadway engagement in San Diego.
On his
MySpace blog, Fierstein also takes aim at those who had issues with what they viewed as his anachronistic characterization of a gay man living in the 1950s:
In A Catered Affair I have been accused, by a few well meaning critics who loved the show, of creating a gay character that is "post-Stonewall" and not true to the period of the piece. Once again I ask: What makes them so sure? Did they do any of the research that I did? Did they interview gay men who lived through the period as I have? Did they view documentaries telling stories of what it was like to be gay in 1953 as I did? Did they read books or personal accounts of gay life in 1953 as I did?
I doubt that one of those critics took the time to be sure they were correct before telling me that I was incorrect. Still they blithely and boldy state in print that I am wrong and they are right!!! I say that is simply outrageous. And I tell you ON RECORD that I did my research and I firmly stand behind my portrayal of that character as true and real. The funny part is that these opinions, like most advice, were not given to harm, but to help me make a better piece. So,I thank them for their advice, but encourage them to know whereof they speak before prescribing cures.
MAYBE I'M CRAZY, BUT...
...I go to the theater hoping that I will learn something new. I go praying that the playwright will inform my world, change my opinion, enlighten me, cause me to think, open my mind and heart. But it seems that some critics go to the theater only to validate their own predetermined opinion. What a loss for them! And what a loss for their readers.
One thing you can't accuse Harvey Fierstein of being is a wimp or a coward.
While I regret not having the opportunity to see this show in San Diego, now I'm
really looking forward to seeing it on Broadway.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair? (October 3, 2007)
San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Blogs, Broadway, California, Charles McNulty, Critics' Capsule, Film, Harvey Fierstein, Los Angeles Times, Musical, Paddy Chayefsky, San Diego, Tryout
Were Left Coast Critics Feting A Catered Affair?On Sunday, the out-of-town tryout for the
John Doyle-helmed
A Catered Affair opened at San Diego's
Old Globe Theatre.
With book by
Harvey Fierstein and score by
John Bucchino, the Broadway-bound tuner received two positive reviews, as well as one flat-out pan. But Broadway veteran
Faith Prince earned accolades throughout.
Calling it an "assured chamber musical,"
San Diego Union-Tribune's
Anne Marie Welsh celebrates: "Fierstein, Bucchino and the actors explore the characters with a tact and depth beyond that of most contemporary musicals....Prince's beautifully restrained, carefully calibrated and thoroughly unsentimental performance should earn her accolades and awards this spring when the show opens in New York....Doyle's measured direction in the emotional turning points is near perfect....Fierstein and company have already achieved in this artful piece far more than most hard-selling musicals aspire to: They've created real struggling human beings whose deepest feelings are beyond words -- and therefore find true expression in song."
Noting how "John Doyle sets the songs flowing seamlessly out of the dialogue,"
Variety's
Bob Verini is also positive -- mostly: "Much is verbalized in Harvey Fierstein's gritty slice-of-life dialogue and John Bucchino's sensitive lyrics, but the use of silence -- sometimes for as long as 30 seconds -- is remarkable: Few tuner directors would conceive of those quiet moments, and even fewer would dare attempt them....Prince internalizes Aggie's bitterness and self-pity, blossoming beautifully when Winston challenges her to imagine her own ideal wedding in the lovely 'Vision.' (
Tom) Wopat is a gruff and powerfully dormant presence on the periphery, and (
Leslie) Kritzer pulls off show's toughest assignment in seeking to establish a sense of self while alternately resisting and encouraging the wedding hoopla. Fierstein's reconfiguration of the uncle role, from
Barry Fitzgerald's asexual imp to an explicitly gay shop owner whose relationship is on the skids, is problematic."
Deeming the affair "a pointless enterprise," the
Los Angeles Times'
Charles McNulty mostly pans: "Should we really be trawling for such mediocre source material without a sharp revitalizing vision? (
Paddy) Chayefsky's expiration date passed long ago, yet Fierstein serves up the saga as though it were fresh milk....But not even Doyle's boldness can rescue an idea that's inherently at cross-purposes with itself. Does the show want to be stark or saccharine? Brutally honest or comically consoling? Courageously untraditional or only conveniently so?"
Regardless of that last critique,
A Catered Affair has extended its San Diego run until November 4. Look for the show to land at Broadway's the
Walter Kerr Theatre on March 25.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:San Diego Opening Is Catered Affair (September 30, 2007)
Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Broadway, California, Critics' Capsule, Faith Prince, Film, Harvey Fierstein, John Doyle, Musical, Paddy Chayefsky, San Diego
San Diego Opening Is Catered AffairWhile significant media coverage has centered on the two Broadway-bound musicals due to open this fall (
Young Frankenstein and
The Little Mermaid)
, A Catered Affair has been quietly unfolding in San Diego. Tonight, the world premiere of this other film-based tuner opens at the city's
Old Globe Theatre.
A Catered Affair finds its roots in the
Paddy Chayefsky teleplay for the 1955 broadcast of "
The Philco Television Playhouse" (starring
Pat Henning,
Thelma Ritter and
J. Pat O'Malley) and subsequent
1956 feature film written by Chayefsky and
Gore Vidal (starring
Bette Davis,
Ernest Borgnine,
Debbie Reynolds,
Rod Taylor and
Barry Fitzgerald).
The new musical version is helmed by
John Doyle -- minus his earlier conceit of having actors double as musicians -- and includes a book by
Harvey Fierstein and music by
John Bucchino. The only double duty on display comes from Fierstein via his starring role as Uncle Winston. Other cast members include
Faith Prince,
Tom Wopat,
Matt Cavenaugh and
Leslie Kritzer.
Set in the 1950s,
A Catered Affair centers on how "Bronx family ties are strained when a couple decides to give their daughter the grand wedding they never had." Self-described as "stunning...funny, heartwarming and uplifting for audiences of all ages," the musical is already accomplishing the kind of positive buzz via
New York Post's Michael Riedel that all other comers could only hope for: "Possible sleeper here for the Tony Awards, especially if the industry sours on Brooks' $450 tickets for
Young Frankenstein."
While I won't be able to travel to San Diego to catch the world premiere running through October 28, I'm looking forward to feasting on Fierstein's latest feat on Broadway, due at the
Walter Kerr Theatre on March 25.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:Which Upcoming Broadway Musicals Will You See? (June 15, 2007)
Fierstein To Musicalize Bette Davis' Fave Flick (March 21, 2007)
Labels: A Catered Affair, Bette Davis, Broadway, Buzz, Faith Prince, Film, Harvey Fierstein, John Doyle, Leslie Kritzer, Matt Cavenaugh, Michael Riedel, Musical, San Diego, Television, Tom Wopat
Giving Birth To Cry-BabyDirector
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 Waters flick, 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.
Cry-Baby's book comes from two grown men who certainly know their way around Waters' material: the estimable
Thomas Meehan (
Annie,
The Producers)
and
Mark O'Donnell, the same duo who wrote the libretto for
Hairspray. Choreography will be provided
Rob Ashford, whose fine work is much in demand on both sides of the Atlantic these days. Broadway novices
David Javerbaum (writer for
Comedy Central's "
The Daily Show") and
Adam Schlesinger (
Fountains of Wayne) are writing the score.
Cry-Baby will be born on November 6 at La Jolla Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Theatre. It's expected to reach Broadway in March with an April opening.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Cry-Baby To Move Forward Without Schuck (May 6, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Cry-Baby, Film, First Word On New Show, Hairspray, Harriet Harris, John Waters, La Jolla Playhouse, Mark Brokaw, Mark O'Donnell, Musical, Rob Ashford, San Diego, Thomas Meehan
Altar Boyz (The SOB Review) - Civic Theatre, San Diego, CA*** (out of ****)Ultimately, all resistance was futile. I’m now a confirmed believer.
You see, I’ve studiously avoided seeing
Altar Boyz -- one of Off-Broadway’s biggest musical hits in years -- only to find myself finally taking in the touring production while in San Diego. I have seen the error of my ways and am now ready to sing its praise: Hallelujah for this harmonious, heaven-sent hit!
Altar Boyz is a musical that plays like a genuine boy band concert (not that I have any
firsthand knowledge of such things). Only, this downright divine singing group is all Christian, with the exception of their lone Jewish member.
Between catchy yet treacly tunes by
Gary Adler and
Michael Patrick Walker that sound like they’re ripped from the set list of any number of circa 1999 boy bands like the
Backstreet Boys,
*NSync or
98 Degrees (or
Boyzone and
Take That for my European guests),
Altar Boyz tells the story of how Matthew (
Matthew Buckner), Mark (
Ryan J. Ratliff), Luke (
Jesse JP Johnson), Juan (
Jay Garcia) and Abraham (
Ryan Strand) came together in the name of G.O.D.
The entire cast in this touring production is nothing short of excellent. These five not only have the acting chops, but they sing angelically all while dancing like the devil (thanks to the exhilarating choreography by
Christopher Gattelli).
Buckner’s Matthew is the group’s driving force and leading, yet virginal heartthrob. Ratliff’s Mark is the boy who not only wistfully swoons over Matthew, but dares to come out of the closet…as Catholic. Johnson’s boisterous Luke has just emerged from rehab for…exhaustion. Garcia’s Juan provides some spice and the show’s most poignant moment when his search for his long lost parents comes to an end.
But it’s the delicious irony in Strand’s Abraham, the group’s sole Judeo member, who really galvanizes this show. Not only is Abraham the most divinely inspired when it comes to crafting the group’s trusty tunes, but he’s unwittingly the glue that keeps this quintet together. And incredibly enough, Strand has just recently been added to this amazing cast. You’d think he was part of this group from day one (or is that "The First Day"?).
Altar Boyz provides mostly witty, sometimes subtle and often hilarious observations on faith without resorting to heavy-handed, self-loathing mockeries of what many hold sacred. While it may not rank among the best musicals ever -- and it certainly doesn’t 'spire to be one --
Altar Boyz is one entertaining joy to behold. Thank God!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Labels: Altar Boyz, California, Musical, Off-Broadway, San Diego, The SOB Review, Touring Production
Ace To Fly Into San Diego's Old Globe, Replacing Matthew Broderick VehicleDon't believe
everything you read. San Diego's venerable
Old Globe Theatre's Web site
still states:
The Old Globe’s 19th Broadway-bound production is destined to be the hottest ticket in town! Stage and screen star Matthew Broderick headlines this world premiere production written and directed by the Academy Award®-nominated author of You Can Count on Me, Analyze This! and Gangs of New York. The Starry Messenger explores the daily details of human life with warmth and sharp-edged humor while addressing the fact that we are adrift in a universe that we have barely begun to understand.
Unfortunately, the truth is that the play has now been postponed indefinitely because of "scheduling delays with writer-director (Kenneth) Lonergan's most recent film ('Margaret,' which includes Broderick in the cast)," according Anne Marie Welsh of San Diego's Union-Tribune.
But all is not lost. In its place will be a new -- and potentially Broadway-bound -- musical Ace starring Matt Bogart. What's remarkable about this show is how quickly it is soaring, including with critics. It was just last month that Ace enjoyed its world premiere at the St. Louis Rep. The tuner is now playing through November 17 at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (the two companies have jointly produced the world premiere), where it has also received the Mickey Kaplan New American Play Prize.
Ace is described as:
A high-flying, world premiere musical, filled with humor, heart and a dazzling new score! An unexpected gift and visits from a mysterious Army aviator named Ace send troubled 10-year-old Billy Lucas soaring from 1950s St. Louis on a journey around the world. Billy takes flight in his dreams, embarking on a series of heroic and haunting World War I and World War II adventures and discovering that the secrets of his past may hold the key to unlock the door to his future.
Stafford Arima will helm the Old Globe's Ace, which includes a book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker (who also wrote the music). Ace is slated for a January 13 opening in San Diego.
Expect positive buzz to build on this one.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets (Cincinnati).
Labels: Ace, First Word On New Show, Musical, San Diego
Variety: Revisited Wiz A WinnerLast evening at the
La Jolla Playhouse just north of San Diego,
Des McAnuff's reimagined revival of
The Wiz opened received at least one outstanding review (as of this writing, neither the
San Diego Union Tribune or the
Los Angeles Times had posted their verdicts).
Variety's
Robert Verini gushed, "To call the La Jolla Playhouse production of
The Wiz a mere revival is to understate the accomplishment of helmer Des McAnuff and his production team. They have rethought, rescaled and reshaped an uneven musical play of historical importance but modest virtues into a joyful, stunningly entertaining circus of spectacle, soul and heart....[D]on't be surprised to see it ease on down the interstate to a hearty Gotham welcome sometime soon."
That's a great harbinger of critical and popular success. I'll have more details once more reviews are posted.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories:Two High Flying Broadway-Bound Shows Begin Tonight (September 26, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
The Wiz Cast Set to Ease On Down the Road (July 25, 2006)
Labels: California, Critics' Capsule, Musical, Revival, San Diego, The Wiz
Two High Flying Broadway-Bound Shows Begin TonightTonight marks the first performances for two musicals with trajectories aimed directly at Broadway, despite the fact that they're getting their start in exact opposite ends of the country.
The first,
High Fidelity, has already found a berth on the Great White Way at the
Imperial Theatre and is currently set for a December 7 opening.
High Fidelity begins its tryout performances this evening at Boston's Colonial Theatre. Based on the movie of the same name, this
Walter Bobbie-helmed tuner features music and lyrics by
Tom Kitt and
Amanda Green, book by
David Lindsay-Abaire (this is his first musical) and choreography by
Chris Gattelli. It will star
Will Chase and
Jenn Colella.
The other musical starting previews tonight is the
Des McAnuff revival of
The Wiz at the
La Jolla Playhouse. While there may be no place like home, this "major re-imagining" of
The Wiz has yet to find the appropriate house on Broadway -- something that has dogged this planned production for well over two years. Now that McAnuff is finally getting this production off the ground, will the end result be enough to spin it toward New York? We may have a better sense after the show officially opens in October.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for High Fidelity tickets.Click here for The Wiz tickets.Related Stories:High Fidelity Tunes In To High Capacity Imperial (August 24, 2006)
Which Broadway Musical Will Depart Next? (August 21, 2006)
The Wiz Cast Set to Ease On Down the Road (July 25, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, High Fidelity, Musical, Revival, San Diego, The Wiz
Zhivago (The SOB Review) - Mandell Weiss Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, CA*1/2 (out of ****)Last evening, the standing ovation was almost immediate upon the conclusion of
Zhivago, the new Des McAnuff-helmed musical.
Zhivago, of course, is an adaptation of Boris Pasternak’s sweeping Nobel Prize-winning novel “Doctor Zhivago” that is enjoying its world premiere at California’s La Jolla Playhouse. But with the applause somewhat less than thunderous, it wasn’t readily apparent if the audience had actually enjoyed the lengthy production set during Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution, or if, like me, they were merely relieved that it was finally over. I found the show very disappointing.
To be honest, I’m sure the audience really
did like this tuner penned by Michael Korie (of
Grey Gardens fame), Amy Powers (songwriter for recording artists ranging from Barbra Streisand to Patti LaBelle) and Lucy Simon (who wrote the music for
The Secret Garden). While several melodies sounded hauntingly familiar or even somewhat borrowed, the score was by far the best thing about the show with several critical moments designed to lift and inspire. However, in a few instances, they fell as flat as the set’s revolving train car; and like that flat car, the anthems seemed like an attempt to conjure up memories of another revolutionary musical,
Les Misérables, rather than imbue the audience with something truly original. Sadly, the only true moments of originality came during the “It’s a Godsend” number when, for a brief shining moment, Sergio Trujillo’s choreography was allowed to come alive.
With Heidi Ettinger’s industrial-looking set design seeming more apt for a loft apartment (or McAnuff’s
Jersey Boys) than lofty Tsarist Russia, the metal framing of the stark set made it difficult for the largely scenery-chewing cast to be convincing, although David Woolard’s costume design ameliorated the predicament to some degree. Whether it was the overwrought dialogue or Cliff Notes-writing style, Michael Weller’s book seemed bent on speeding the movement along at such a dizzying pace that the full essence of each character, including Yuri Zhivago (played by Ivan Hernandez) and Lara Guishar Antipova (portrayed by Jessica Burrows), never felt fully developed or realized.
Perhaps it’s because of the hurried pace of the show that lines are nearly universally delivered staccato-style with such overexcited urgency. Instead of providing nuanced performances, the cast was reduced to the kind of overacting ordinarily reserved for high school productions. Much of the poignancy I yearned to feel from Hernandez and Burrows was all but lost even though they looked the parts, and the characters of Viktor Komarovsky (Lara’s former lover) and Pasha Antipov-cum-Strelnikov (Lara’s husband, played by Matt Bogart) became strictly one-dimensional. Bogart seemed a particularly unfortunate choice to play the ultimately heartless revolutionary -- he was far from believable in the role.
Regrettably, this production already lost many cast members, probably because the musical had been extended by the time I saw it. For example, Tom Hewitt, who had originated the role of Komarovsky, most likely departed to prepare for his upcoming lead role of Lawrence Jameson opposite Norbert Leo Butz’s Freddy Benson in the
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels tour opening next month in Seattle. Unlike most theatres that include program inserts to describe which actors have been replaced for any given performance, there was no inclusion in my program, so I can’t even share who played Komarovsky (ironically, whoever he was, he gave one of the better performances).
There’s no word yet on the future of
Zhivago once it concludes its run today. But if McAnuff and company are seriously contemplating a Broadway transfer, they’ll need to invigorate this show about enduring love with a newfound determination on how to better flesh out Pasternak’s leading characters and the inherent poetry they are supposed to convey. Of course, given the complexity of the source material, that may not be possible in a nearly three hour musical.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: California, Musical, San Diego, The SOB Review, Zhivago
