Across The Pond, Critics Across The Board On Spring AwakeningA funny thing happened on the way to London for Broadway's recently departed
Spring Awakening. As presented at the smallish
Lyric Hammersmith pearl of a theatre that's a distant dream from the West End, the London mounting includes a cast of age appropriate teens, along with two requisite adults filling all the parental and teacher roles.
Last week, the tuner enjoyed its opening night, or first night as they call it across the pond. Critics ranged from effusive praise to jaundiced criticism.
Answering "Yes," when asking if the "canny production route" by "London's powerful cast" works,
Variety's
David Benedict offers mostly thumbs up: "Having a cast so close in age to the characters yields enormous dividends. This is an urgent show about the dangers of naivete. Instead of watching more experienced actors shed years of cynicism -- and occasionally add a little too much angst -- this cast glows with innocence. The one downside is that not all of them are experienced enough to take roles created elsewhere and make them fully their own. That's most noticeable in the dance. When they're going full tilt at
Bill T. Jones bass-line-hugging choreography, the actors are energized with all the requisite rage and zest. But there are moments when Jones' highly articulate gesturing feels performed rather than embodied."
Calling it a "postmodern collision of styles that works brilliantly,"
Michael Coveney of
The Independent praises in his five star review: "Of course, if you didn't like
Hair or
Rent, then you won't want to be told that this is the best American protest rock-musical since either of them. But you may respond to the freshness, attack and sheer lyrical beauty of
Spring Awakening which knocks out a great roster of indie rock songs against the essential narrative poignancy of
Frank Wedekind's 1891
German Expressionist play about adolescent sexual fever and friendship.... It's so simple, yet so strong and assured in the staging. There's more innocence and less mania than there was on Broadway, which suits the beautiful downbeat songs as well as the explosive items."
Concluding that "It's a blast to see this show whatever age you happen to be. But to see it as a teenager must be very heaven,"
Charles Spencer of
The Telegraph awards five out of five stars: "Here it is at last, the answer to one's prayers - a new musical, bursting with ambition and achievement, that doesn't owe its existence to a back-catalogue of pop hits or an old movie....
Michael Mayer directs a superbly compelling production, set in a 19th century gymnasium illuminated by 21st century multi-coloured neon. The choreography of Bill T. Jones conjures the writhing frustration of adolescence and the whole show seems to ache with love and throb with lust."
Deadpanning that "The show gives tongue to adolescent pain, paranoia, self-pity and sexual confusion. It gives a bit less tongue to Wedekind,"
Benedict Nightingale of
The Times airs a note of resignation in his three out of five star critique: "As in the original, the show attacks uncomprehending, unbending, grimly puritan adults: which leaves it looking a bit dated in a Britain where the young tend to be knowing, untamed and powerful. Yet the show's big trick, which is to dress the kids as 1891 German teenagers but give them modern pop-rock songs, gives Michael Mayer's fine, spare production its memorable moments.... (
Steven) Sater's lyrics get swamped by (
Duncan) Sheik's music, but that does not matter since they are not remarkable and some of the music, notably a trio involving Melchior and his friends' ghosts, is tuneful and touching."
Lamenting that this
Spring Awakening "charms and beguiles but also smooths over the rough edges of Wedekind's abrasive, expressionist masterpiece,"
Michael Billington of
The Guardian also limits his stars to three out of five: "At times it covers it in a thick layer of sentimentality, as in the quasi-religious anthem that underscores the hayloft love-making of Melchior and Wendla or the soggily climactic paean to 'a purple summer.' But what the music does more often is neuter the despair and frustration of Wedekind's play by providing an emotional safety valve.... The show is very well staged by Michael Mayer and beautifully performed by its predominantly young British cast.... And
Christine Jones's school-gym set is sensationally well lit by
Kevin Adams. There is much in the show to enjoy and it doesn't shrink from the original's scenes of teenage masochism and communal ejaculation. But, through the soft blandishments of its score, it turns a harsh and savage play into a piece of feelgood theatre."
Sniping that "I was let down and left there,"
Nicholas de Jhong of the
Evening Standard pans with just two stars: "Duncan Sheik’s American indie and pop rock music, most of it pleasant but quite unmemorable, exudes a sophistication and assurance that runs counter to the mood of these uptight, ignorant teenagers, with their prim Victorian costumes and grotesque styles.... Such songs as 'Totally F***,' 'The Bitch of Living' and 'Touch Me,' which climaxes with a youth enthusiastically masturbating to a fantasy of Desdemona, veer towards the ridiculous. They all betray today’s rebellious, outspoken manners. It is equally unfortunate that Michael Mayer’s production, adorned with blue neon lights and an ugly brickwalled set, leans towards caricature.... Steven Sater’s unlovely lyrics, on the rare occcasions when the singers can be heard above the eloquent seven-strong band, aided by Mayer’s caricature-prone production, succeed in making absurd rather than sad the sexual growing pains of the show’s key figures.... These brilliantly promising young actors deserve better."
Oh yes, and then there are my beloved
West End Whingers, whose review is in a league unto itself: "If one were a cynic, one might say that this show took a very cynical approach towards grooming its young audience. This is a world in which one adult in 16 (approximately) has any redeeming features at all; the rest are simply cartoon bullies.... Well, of course, there was no end of moping about and what these children most needed was a good slap. In fact in a couple of scenes the generic adults (two actors play all the adult roles between them)
did slap them and Andrew fought hard to suppress a cheer.... Worst of all was an awful lot of quasi rock-posturing by the cast who (like a lot of rock stars) are not great singers, the sound design was muddy and the lyrics (Steven Sater) often (and mercifully) unintelligible."
Nicholas de Jongh and the West End Whingers notwithstanding, it's highly anticipated that this show will receive a West End transfer once it completes its Lyric Hammersmith run on March 14.
UPDATE (2.19.09, 11:25 p.m. EST): Playbill.com has confirmed that Spring Awakening will indeed transfer to the West End. It will begin playing the Novello on March 21 with opening night set for March 26.This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Bill T. Jones, Critics' Capsule, Duncan Sheik, Frank Wedekind, London, Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening, Steven Sater
Spring Awakening (The SOB Revisit) - Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota
***1/2 (out of ****)While I'm not quite sure
what's going on over on the other side of the pond, I can tell you that the current North American tour of
Spring Awakening, stylishly directed yet again by
Michael Mayer, has not lost anything from its original Broadway translation.
Yes, the kids are alright. It's just the adults who are truly suspect.
In my first revisit to the Best Musical of 2007
since seeing the show earlier that same year, I was struck this time by the severe oppression of the so-called
parentocracy. Yes, I realize it was there all along. But upon my second viewing, it became clear that there's a full-blown revolution fomenting beneath the surface as the pearls of distant dreams are manhandled into an anachronistic reality.
Electrifying as ever, and charged with every conceivable teenage angst possible including suicide, premarital sex, incest, homosexuality and abortion liberally sprinkled throughout (never mind the self abuse and dash of S&M), this musical is far from the frothy fare of tuners of years gone by that parents may actually prefer their children see. Yet, after squirming in my seat, somewhat embarrassed for the elderly couple sitting next to me, I was surprised when one of them said he thought it was good. Perhaps I was simply feeling some of that shame that
Spring Awakening is so annoyingly hell-bent on defiantly putting to the test.
As mentioned at the outset, for a touring production, this matches its earlier Broadway incarnation. In fact, with the excellent performances by
Kyle Riabko (Melchior) and
Blake Bashoff (Moritz), who come directly from the Great White Way for the tour, this
Spring Awakening is every bit as powerful and provocative as the original.
Now if I could only shake the old fogey feeling it gave me.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blake Bashoff, Kyle Riabko, Musical, Spring Awakening, The SOB Revisit, Touring Production
Going ... Gone (Part III)Of all thirteen Broadway shows that are closing this month (actually fourteen if you count the January 31 closing for the limited run of
Soul Of Shaolin), perhaps the most bittersweet of all is the shuttering of the Best Musical of 2007,
Spring Awakening.
After all,
Steven Sater and
Duncan Sheik's musical was not only supposed to draw in an entire new generation of theatregoers with its edgy, anachronistic view of 19th Century sexual awakening, but it was to keep them coming back.
But take heart. Not only is the
North American tour in full bloom (it's
currently playing Houston), but
Music Theatre International (MTI)
has acquired the rights to the tuner, meaning that it will be licensing the show to regional theatres. While
Spring Awakening is currently "restricted" for such licensing, if you are among those wishing to produce the show, you can click
here to be among the first to receive a special e-mail notifying you that it's become available.
Spring Awakening will also flower internationally.
Expect productions in
London (opening next month), Vienna, Toronto, Helsinki, Seoul and
The Philippines.
I'll be taking in an upcoming leg of the current North American tour and will report on whether or not
Spring Awakening's seedling has continued to flourish and grow.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Closings, Duncan Sheik, London, Musical, Spring Awakening, Steven Sater, Touring Production
Putting Spring To Bed
For the third time in less than one week, a Tony-winning Best Musical has posted its closing notices. This time, I'm downright shocked.
Spring Awakening, which had only won the Tony just last year, will shutter on January 18, 2009. The box office was still attracting a respectable 62.3% capacity crowd last week. With an average ticket price of $63.91, that was enough to earn the tuner $347,393 for the week.
But as the long-term prospects for the economy have regular theatregoers, along with the all-important tourists to New York, scrutinizing their discretionary dollars, I'm told that the almighty advance box office is disappointing at best and downright dismal at worst for many shows. It will make this winter a particularly chilly one for the Great White Way.
Personally, I enjoyed
Spring Awakening. I gave this supercharged musical
three-and-a-half stars shortly after seeing it from my front-row seat. As I said then, credit
Michael Mayer’s expert direction for enabling this show from
Steven Sater and
Duncan Sheik to grapple with 19th Century German teen angst at a brisk, riveting -- and highly entertaining -- pace.
When Spring Awakening closes, it will have enjoyed 859 performances. But take heart, Spring Awakening fans -- the North American tour will continue on through at least next June.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Duncan Sheik, Michael Mayer, Musical, Spring Awakening, Uncharted: Lewis Flinn And Steven Sater
A Prayer For PrayerYesterday, I was very intrigued to learn that
Victoria Clark, who won a Tony for her bravura perform-ance as Margaret Johnson in
Craig Lucas and
Adam Guettel's
The Light in the Piazza, has been cast in the upcoming Off-Broadway production of Lucas' play
Prayer For My Enemy at
Playwrights Horizons.
Just as in
Piazza, this incredibly talented actress will once again be working under the direction of
Bartlett Sher, who just earned his well-deserved first Tony for his loving direction of the current revival for
South Pacific.
Sher, of course, also serves as artistic director for Seattle's
Intiman Theatre, and it was there that I first
took in the world premiere production of
Prayer For My Enemy, which he helmed. Regular readers may recall that at the time, I said:
Unfortunately, the production under Bartlett Sher's direction feels incomplete and as unfocused as each character's out-of-body psycho-babbling thought processing.
That's not to say that parts of the overly ambitious dual story lines aren't intriguing.
In fact, there's a lot of "there" there.
The Playwrights Horizons casting of
Jonathan Groff as Billy, a U.S. soldier in Iraq, has also piqued my renewed interest in the work, and it will certainly mark a major departure from his Tony-nominated turn as Melchior in
Spring Awakening. In fact,
Spring Awakening fans might find more parallels between Billy and Moritz, with a dash of Ernst thrown in for good measure.
While further casting has yet to be announced, I was pleased to see
Skipp Sudduth (
South Pacific,
Writer's Block) cast as
Prayer's father Austin.
Cassie Beck (
The Drunken City) will portray Billy's sister Marianne.
Playwrights Horizons describes the play as follows:
It’s a hell of a night for the Noones -- father Austin’s watching his nature shows and trying to keep from falling off the wagon, mother Karen’s keeping an eye on Austin, son Billy’s just back from Iraq, and pregnant daughter Marianne’s upset about the state of her marriage to Tad, Billy’s childhood friend who may still harbor a crush on him. With the Red Sox battling the Yankees for the 2004 AL title, an American family’s long-held secrets are dragged to the fore in what may be its final reckoning. Prayer For My Enemy is a pæan to our age, a keenly-layered drama about the preciousness of life and the grace to share common ground -- even with those we love the least.
Judging from the description, it appears that the play may have certainly evolved, perhaps even significantly, since first being presented in Seattle (after its world premiere there, it was presented last fall at Connecticut's
Long Wharf Theatre). As my last line from my SOB Review last summer would attest, I'm certainly hoping that it has become more focused in time for its New York City premiere:
Prayer For My Enemy certainly aspires to be thoughtful and thought-provoking, yet in its current state, it's strangely deficient. Whether it will be shored up before heading to Long Wharf Theatre next month remains to be seen. Since I greatly admire Craig Lucas, I'll say a little prayer.
I'm still praying.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Prayer For My Enemy (The SOB Review) (August 22, 2007)
Labels: Bartlett Sher, Cassie Beck, Craig Lucas, Intiman, Jonathan Groff, Off-Broadway, Play, Playwrights Horizons, Prayer For My Enemy, Seattle, Skipp Sudduth, Spring Awakening, Victoria Clark
Imitation Is The Sincerest Form...
Imitation Is The Sincerest Form...In part because
Modern Fabulousity so generously links to my site on a regular basis, but also because I found his post "
ABC's Meme" so interesting, I'm providing a link back and playing copycat with my own version.
I give you the SOB ABC's:
A - Age: Older than I look, but younger than I feel.
B - Band listening to right now: Does the cast of
Spring Awakening count as a "band"?
C - Career future: I hope to know more in the next few days.
D - Dad’s name: he goes by Dean, but his real name is Donald.
E - Easiest person to talk to:
Esther.
F - Favorite type of shoe:
Manolo Blahniks, simply because I like saying the name (and it gets bonus points for being a "
Sex And The City" staple).
G – Grapes or Grapefruit: Grapes, preferably red and seedless.
H – Hometown: Depends on how hometown is defined. I grew up in
Mequon, Wisconsin. It will always be home to me.
I – Instrumental talent: I used to play the piano.
J – Juice of choice: Pineapple.
K – Koala Bear or Panda Bear: Koala Bear, because I've been able to hold one (you can't hold a panda).
L - Longest car ride ever: Milwaukee to Houston to Washington DC. I never take the obvious route.
M – Middle name: Dean.
N - Number of jobs you’ve had: 19. They included: dishwasher, shopping mall Santa (age 16, seriously), discount department store clerk, high-end retail sales associate, computer draftsman, college student body president, encyclopedia sales, Capitol Hill intern, project assistant to U.S. Senator, regional representative to same U.S. Senator, legislative assistant to same U.S. Senator, lobbyist, state legislator, public relations firm account supervisor, trade association director of public relations, director of communications for same trade association, director of public relations for travel company, senior vice president of big public relations firm and senior director of public relations for same travel company as before. Best: current job. Worst: last job.
O - OCD traits: being able to tell you which U.S. President corresponds with each number (for example, 26 = my personal
favorite president in history).
P - Phobias: Claustrophobia, but I've really only experienced it once inside
these.
Q - Quote: "If you can't say something good about someone, sit right here by me." (
Alice Longworth, daughter of my favorite president in history)
R - Reason to smile: Live theatre.
S - Song you sang last: "The Song of Purple Summer" by cast of
Spring Awakening.
T - Time you wake up: 7 a.m. whether I want to or not.
U - Unknown fact about me: There's an actual face attached to my eyes.
V - Vegetable you hate: Lima beans.
W - Worst habit: I've been putting off in answering this, but it's procrastinating.
X - X-rays you’ve had: Teeth.
Y - Yummiest food my belly likes: sushi and chocolate, although rarely together.
Z - Zodiac sign: Virgo.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Gratuitous Violins, Meme, Modern Fabulousity, Sex And The City, Special Messages, Spring Awakening
SOB's 7 Singular Sensations Of '07 - #6: John Gallagher, Jr.Introduction: While others use the end of the year to provide their lists of the top shows of the past year, here at Steve On Broadway (SOB), I wait until the conclusion of the entire Theatrical Season to provide my official tally.
Instead, I'm once again devoting the waning days of the calendar year to celebrate SOB's Singular Sensations -- those magical live performances that have stayed with me throughout the year. During 2007, I have enjoyed, been wowed and ultimately inspired by a dazzling display of excellent performances from some of the theatre world's best actors, singers and dancers of our time.One of the single most electrifying theatrical moments of the past year was spent in the company of the cast of
Spring Awakening. While it actually opened last year Off-Broadway before transferring to the Great White Way, it wasn't until this past February when I finally had the opportunity to see the year's Tony Award-winning Best Musical.
Of all the performances from that show, none has taken hold of me quite like the portrayal of the troubled young Moritz by
John Gallagher, Jr. Upon each additional -- and fairly frequent -- listening of the
original cast album, it's always Gallagher's dark tracks that strike a chord within me, and I'm sure they resonate with any youth who has ever felt dissaffected or dismissed.
In my
SOB Review last March, I may have given simple notice of:
...a breathtaking John Gallagher, Jr. in a sharp, stunning departure from his role in last year’s Rabbit Hole.
But there was nothing simple about Gallagher's brilliant and haunting performance, which was recognized with a well-earned Tony Award. Fortunately for Gallagher, his future is infinitely brighter than that of his character's, and I'll be looking forward to more great things from this gifted actor.
He may no longer be with the show (
Blake Bashoff replaced him on December 18), but the lingering memories he's created makes him a singular sensation to be reckoned with. Here's toasting John Gallagher, Jr.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:SOB's 7 Singular Sensations Of '07 - #7: Jennifer Holliday (December 27, 2007)
Spring Awakening (The SOB Review) (March 3, 2007)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #1: Patti LuPone (December 30, 2006)
Honorable Mentions: SOB's Singular Sensations Of '06 (December 30, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #2: Cate Blanchett (December 30, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #3: Chita Rivera (December 29, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #4: Barry Humphries (December 28, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #5: Kitty Carlisle Hart (December 28, 2006)
SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06 - #6: Meryl Streep (December 26, 2006)
Labels: John Gallagher Jr., SOB's 6 Singular Sensations Of '06, SOB's 7 Singular Sensations of '07, Spring Awakening
Spring Reawakening!Folks, now
this is what
I'm talking about. $50 tickets to see
Spring Awakening!
Earlier this evening, I received an e-mail from the 2007 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, which -- as you may know -- was one of the shows that was not open due to the
you-know-what on Broadway.
Anyway, to help spur business (officially, they're saying "Join us in celebrating..."),
Spring Awakening is offering specially-priced performances starting Sunday at just $50. All you have to do is simply use the fan code of SAF4FAN when purchasing the tickets, either by clicking
here or by calling 212.947.8844.
What's the catch?
The fine print merely states:
Offer valid for Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday performances thru December 9, 2007. Good for select orchestra and mezzanine seats. Other blackout dates may apply. Not valid on previously purchased tickets and may not be combined with any other offers. All sales final; no refunds or exchanges. Telephone/internet orders subject to standard Telecharge.com fees. Ticket limits may apply. Offer subject to availability and prior sale. Offer may be revoked at any time.
If you haven't already seen this groundbreaking and electrifying tuner, now's the time to see it. (You can read my very own ***1/2 SOB Review by clicking
here).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Ever Had A Front Row Seat? (October 1, 2007)
Spring Awakening Calling (June 18, 2007)
TONYS: SPRING HAS SPRUNG WHILE COAST REALIZES UTOPIA (June 11, 2007)
C'est Sheik! (June 10, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best New Musicals (May 22, 2007)
Backlash Awakening? (May 17, 2007)
Theatre For A New Age (April 8, 2007)
Spring Awakening (The SOB Review) (March 3, 2007)
Is It Just Me, Or...(Part II) (February 21, 2007)
Musicals Versus Plays: You Decide (January 5, 2007)
Spring Awakening Rouses Box Office; Cast To Appear At Big Apple Store (December 12, 2006)
Waking Up To Critical Acclaim (December 11, 2006)
Spring Awakening Blossoms On Broadway Tonight (December 10, 2006)
Curtains To Rise At Al Hirschfeld Theatre In March (November 3, 2006)
Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens Tops Among SOB Readers (October 27, 2006)
How Sheik: Spring Awakenings To Receive Broadway Transfer (July 20, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Musical, Special Offers, Spring Awakening, Tickets
Ever Had A Front Row Seat?Last week's
discussion on where you prefer to sit when taking in live theatre got me to reminiscing about all the shows I've seen from a front row vantage point.
Among the Broadway shows:
Spring Awakening (
Lilli Cooper practically sang to me),
Our Town (
Paul Newman as the narrator towered directly over me for a significant portion of the show),
The Boy From Oz,
Rent,
Xanadu (I could have reached out and touched
Kerry Butler and
Cheyenne Jackson as they were perched on the edge of the stage) and
Long Day's Journey Into Night (
Robert Sean Leonard's off-stage gaze seemed to be staring straight through me) .
Topping them all was when I took in the excellent 2004 revival of
Assassins. My front row center seat at
Studio 54 literally placed me face to face with
Neil Patrick Harris, who looked straight into my eyes as he sang part of one of the show's tunes. Talk about riveting.
While I'm sure there's more, those are the ones that sprang to mind. My positioning certainly made a difference in how I viewed each show literally and figuratively.
How about for you?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Where's Your Best Seat In The House? (September 26, 2007)
Xanadu (The SOB Review) (July 11, 2007)
Spring Awakening (The SOB Review) (March 3, 2007)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 25, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2003-04 (May 25, 2006)
Labels: Assassins, Broadway, Front Row Seats, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Neil Patrick Harris, Our Town, Paul Newman, Rent, Robert Sean Leonard, Special Messages, Spring Awakening, The Boy From Oz, Xanadu
Are Blogs Making The Time-Honored Preview Obsolete?Remember the "good old days" of theatre when bad news traveled at such a snail's pace that a stinker show could go through an out-of-town tryout and few in the Big Apple would pay any serious attention?
Time was when producers, directors, writers and the actors could work out all the kinks on the road, or at least during the all-important lead-up to the big Broadway opening night.
But no more.
Now, thanks to the blogsphere, the buzz (or its antithesis) begins almost as instantly as one audience member begins acting as scribe, letting friends and readers far and wide know exactly what he or she thought. Essentially, shows can run, but they can't hide, in part due to the global proportions of blogging.
For example, last week, I posted my
SOB Preview of Young Frankenstein. It's the first time I've ever blogged about a show that had not yet opened -- including during its trial run in a city far, far away from the bright lights and glare of the Great White Way. Yet, simply because I could, I did. And my regular readers, along with those googling "Young Frankenstein Seattle Review," could easily find out my take on the unfinished product. Indeed, my statcounter has shown that this has been one of my top-viewed postings of late.
Already, according to a cursory search on
Technorati, there are well over 100 individual reviews of the same show. This, despite the fact that it hasn't even opened yet in Seattle, let alone New York.
The net effect? It's further threatening the relevance of mainstream news media outlets all the more, as
Seattle Times theatre critic
Misha Berson all but acknowledges in her thought-provoking piece on why she's not able to weigh-in on the show. No matter that the Internet is already full of reviews -- both good and bad -- by amateurs like myself. It reduces venerable news sources to being also-rans.
I suspect that the other effect is far greater. Could it force productions to significantly pare back previews or scuttle them altogether? Ironically, in the aforementioned good old days, the typical number of previews prior to opening night was miniscule or non-existent.
Can you believe that the original production of
Oklahoma! never had a single Broadway preview prior to its 1943 opening night? Contrast that with the
most recent production -- which was imported from the British stage in 2002 -- that had 25 previews. That's up substantially from the
1979 production, which had a mere nine previews.
Consider that the original 1975 production of
A Chorus Line, which transferred directly from the Public Theatre, had no previews. Yet the
current production, known for being staged ostensibly the same as the first one, had 18 previews.
If you're thinking that a transfer mitigates the need for lengthy previews, think again. This year's Tony Award winning Best Musical
Spring Awakening, which transferred from a highly successful run at the Atlantic Theatre (albeit with further refinements), still required 28 previews.
In fact, if you were to add up all the preview nights of all 21 shows currently running on Broadway, you'd have a grand total of 566 nights of previews, or just over 26 per show. That ranges from the inexplicably low 14 previews of
Mamma Mia! to the outrageously long gestation period for
Xanadu, which clocked in a whopping 49 previews thanks to injuries.
Even recent runs of acclaimed plays were close to the average in terms of previews.
Frost/Nixon had 23 previews on Broadway, despite its critical success in the United Kingdom with the same two principals.
The History Boys, which had the exact same cast as its heralded National Theatre and West End runs, apparently still needed its 10 previews on the Great White Way.
Or did it?
In the age of the blogosphere, are previews now living past their shelf date? Since bad news travels faster than ever, almost with glee if the show's particularly awful (read:
The Pirate Queen), would producers at the very least be wise to reconsider their liberal use of the preview?
You tell me! Vote in my latest SOB Poll and then weigh in with your point of view below.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: A Chorus Line, Blogs, Broadway, Frost/Nixon, Mamma Mia, Oklahoma, Previews, Spring Awakening, The History Boys, Tryout, Xanadu, Young Frankenstein
Go East, Young Musical, Go EastDespite the incredibly shrinking dollar -- and in spite of the premature closing of the big American hit musical
The Drowsy Chaperone, which reached its 500th performance milestone on Broadway, yet is closing in London after a mere two months -- nothing spells theatrical success quite like having your show play to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, as
Variety's Gordon Cox examines.
On the heels of the extraordinary success of the
new film version of the
Broadway stage musical that was based on
John Waters'
original 1988 flick,
Hairspray will finally open in the London this October 11 at the Shaftesbury Theatre with U.K. stage fave
Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad. The Great White Way incarnation that premiered five years ago, won the 2003 Tony for Best Musical.
After that, expect the 2006 Tony-winning Best Musical
Jersey Boys to confound those anticipating a show about young boys and their cows on the pastoral isle of
The Bailiwick of Jersey when it replaces
Mary Poppins at London's Prince Edward Theatre on February 28.
This year's Tony-winning Best Musical
Spring Awakening will most certainly be mounted on the West End, but details have yet to be announced. And although
Grey Gardens may be vacating Rialto's
Walter Kerr Theatre this Sunday,
it's expected to find its new West End digs sometime during the current theatre season.
While the plummeting U.S. dollar may make mounting each of these shows more expensive, at least ticket prices remain somewhat reasonable in London. For example, you can expect to pay £61.50 (or approximately $123 US) for
Jersey Boys' top ticket vs. $351.50 on Broadway. Thankfully, the whole concept of "premium seating" has not caught on, although -- quite inexplicably -- you'll still have to pony up to $8 for their version of a Playbill.
If you're a theatre lover, but have never had the opportunity to see a show on the West End, I would highly recommend it. Just don't go with the expectation that every musical or play ends in a standing ovation -- the British tend to reserve those for truly remarkable and stunning performances. Here! Here!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Hairspray UK tickets.Click here for Jersey Boys UK tickets.Labels: Broadway, Grey Gardens, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, London, Mary Poppins, Spring Awakening, The Drowsy Chaperone, Ticket Prices, Transfer
If Musical Theatre Rocks, What Is The Next Edge?Two weeks ago at the Tony Awards,
Spring Awakening's talented tunesmith/orchestrator
Duncan Sheik and winner of two honors proclaimed victoriously, "Musical theatre rocks!"
Fair enough. I can't quibble with that. Thanks to Sheik's masterful orchestrations, he positively raised the roof on the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre with a great score.
But in
yesterday's New York Times, Charles Isherwood affirms that "the theater establishment appears happy to be so rocked," all the while asking whether the 50+ year old musical style will finally rule the Great White Way. As my mother would say, he's a day late and a dollar short.
Coming years after repeated
death notices were written for rock, primarily because it has long since ceased carrying any serious threat of danger, rebellion or outright anarchy, shouldn't Isherwood instead be considering the possibility that music that's truly at the cusp of societal evolution is the logical next step?
Let me be plain. Yesterday's edge is today's safe. What may have pushed the envelope in acceptable taste is conventional today. Certainly that is the case with rock music. On the whole, it really hasn't changed that dramatically over the past thirty years since the
advent of punk.
When sexagenarians like
Sirs Paul McCartney and
Mick Jagger are still churning out the kind of music that once made parents nervous, it now seems practically as wholesome as a glass of milk. Rock 'n' roll -- no matter who's posturing under its aegis today -- can hardly be considered as vital as it once was.
Which leads me to ask: Isn't Isherwood just a few years too late? Shouldn't Isherwood be contemplating where musical theatre's
new edge is? Shouldn't we be discussing the dearth of musicals aimed at minorities and vacuum in genres like hip-hop or rap or something completely revolutionary? What is the next next?
I'd be very curious to hear what you think.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Charles Isherwood, Musical, Rock Music, Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening CallingI give up.
I've tried my best
here and
here to call attention to the lack of courtesy shown by certain audience members in observing appropriate theatre etiquette only to be outdone by
Spring Awakening's consumer marketing to its own audience members via cell phone text messaging.
Seems they have a contest that requires audience members to text message their vital information prior to the close of intermission with winners being notified immediately after the show. My guess is that many of those participating will fail to turn off their cell phones during the pivotal second act.
As evidenced by this morning's
Andrew Adam Newman story in The New York Times, producers appear to be throwing in the towel by encouraging use of text messaging for their own bottom line. Jujamcyn vice president Jordan Roth is quoted as saying, "Most producers now are really looking for new ways to communicate with our audience....[O]ur goal is to expand what we’re doing to many shows...Will it interfere with the show? Yeah, that is one of the things that is open for discussion."
OK, Mr. Roth. If you're open to discussion, please note I don't want to hear anyone's cell phone going off just so you can market to them, regardless of whether it's for your show or not. The only way I want a show to communicate with me
during a show is to let the performance speak for itself.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Rat Patrol: Coming To A Theatre Near You? (May 30, 2007)
Theatre Etiquette, Part Two (May 1, 2007)
Theatre Etiquette, Part One (November 30, 2007)
Labels: Broadway, Jujamcyn, Marketing, Musical, Play, Spring Awakening, Text Messaging, Theatre Etiquette
Ratings Down, Box Office Up
Since the Tonys effectively serve as one giant commercial advert for Rialto offerings, particularly the showcased musicals, it should come as no surprise that
Spring Awakening enjoyed an enormous box office surge of $1.25 million in tickets from the time the Tony telecast began through the end of yesterday.
According to Playbill, that is up sharply from its typical $150,000 per day in box office sales. Additionally, the Tony-winning Best Musical had one of its best weeks just last week when it enjoyed a 92.4% capacity with a gross of $644,716.
Don't be surprised to see Spring Awakening's average ticket price -- last week at a respectable $80.06 -- soar. When I first saw the 8-time Tony winner earlier this year, I snagged a front-row seat for the relative bargain price of $110, but the show now offers premium seating going for $176.50 per ticket for most performances, although that price escalates to $201.50 for Friday and Saturday evenings.
At least two other shows featured during the Tonys --
Curtains and
Grey Gardens, both of which copped major acting awards -- reported "higher than usual" box office figures yesterday, according to the same Playbill story.
Still no word yet on whether the Tonys provided any of the desperately needed lift to Best Revival of a Musical
Company, which has been languishing below 50% in capacity since the week of April 16-22, even though its capacity increased last week to 47.9%.
Surely, one would think if
Raúl Esparza's performance of "Being Alive" was well-received by the television audience, his Tony snub wouldn't deter anyone from seeking out a ticket to this worthy show, especially given its major win in the revival category. However, I've heard from some of you that you don't think his performance translated well on television. If
Company's box office doesn't enjoy some sort of boost from the Tonys, the show will likely post closing notices sooner than later. What a shame that would be.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Company tickets. Click here for Curtains ticket information. Click here for Grey Gardens ticket information. Click here for Spring Awakening tickets. Related Stories:
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Company, Curtains, Grey Gardens, Musical, Spring Awakening, Tony Awards
TONYS: SPRING HAS SPRUNG WHILE COAST REALIZES UTOPIA
Perhaps the biggest surprise in this year's
Tonys was the lack of surprises. As expected,
Spring Awakening fully blossomed by nabbing 8 Tonys, including for Best Musical, while
The Coast Of Utopia easily coasted to nirvana with a record seven major awards for a play, including for Best Play.
I'm beyond euphoric that the lovely Christine Ebersole won for
Grey Gardens, and I'm pretty thrilled that her co-star Mary Louise Wilson won the award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. But I'm also ecstatic that the young John Gallagher, Jr. received an honor for his amazing performance in
Spring Awakening.
While I pooh-poohed the idea that Julie White from
The Little Dog Laughed would win the Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Play, she did turn in a stellar, star-making performance worthy of recognition. And while I personally was rooting for Raúl Esparza to be honored for his virtuoso performance in
Company, I can't think of a better alternative this year than the graceful David Hyde Pierce in
Curtains.
The 2006-07 Tony nominees and winners include:
Best Play
The Coast of Utopia (Tom Stoppard, author)
Frost/Nixon (Peter Morgan)
The Little Dog Laughed (Douglas Carter Beane, author)
Radio Golf (August Wilson, author)
Best Musical
Curtains
Grey Gardens
Mary Poppins
Spring Awakening
Best Book of a Musical
Curtains - Rupert Holmes & Peter Stone
Grey Gardens - Doug Wright
Legally Blonde The Musical - Heather Hach
Spring Awakening - Steven Sater
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Curtains - Music: John Kander; Lyrics: Fred Ebb, John Kander & Rupert Holmes
Grey Gardens - Music: Scott Frankel; Lyrics: Michael Korie
Legally Blonde The Musical - Music & Lyrics: Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin
Spring Awakening - Music: Duncan Sheik; Lyrics: Steven Sater
Best Revival of a Play
Inherit the Wind
Journey's End
Talk Radio
Translations
Best Revival of a Musical
The Apple Tree
A Chorus Line
Company
110 in the Shade
Best Special Theatrical Event
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!
Kiki & Herb Alive on Broadway
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Boyd Gaines, Journey's End
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Brían F. O'Byrne, The Coast of Utopia
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Swoosie Kurtz, Heartbreak House
Angela Lansbury, Deuce
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik
Raúl Esparza, Company
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
David Hyde Pierce, Curtains
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde The Musical
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Debra Monk, Curtains
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Chisholm, Radio Golf
Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia
John Earl Jelks, Radio Golf
Stark Sands, Journey's End
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Dana Ivey, Butley
Jan Maxwell, Coram Boy
Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
Christian Borle, Legally Blonde The Musical
John Cullum, 110 in the Shade
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
David Pittu, LoveMusik
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Charlotte d'Amboise, A Chorus Line
Rebecca Luker, Mary Poppins
Orfeh, Legally Blonde The Musical
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Karen Ziemba, Curtains
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Jonathan Fensom, Journey's End
David Gallo, Radio Golf
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Christine Jones, Spring Awakening
Anna Louizos, High Fidelity
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens
Best Costume Design of a Play
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Jane Greenwood, Heartbreak House
Santo Loquasto, Inherit the Wind
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Legally Blonde The Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Susan Hilferty, Spring Awakening
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, Coram Boy
Brian MacDevitt, Inherit the Wind
Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner and Natasha Katz, The Coast of Utopia
Jason Taylor, Journey's End
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Spring Awakening
Christopher Akerlind, 110 in the Shade
Howard Harrison, Mary Poppins
Peter Kaczorowski, Grey Gardens
Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Frost/Nixon
David Grindley, Journey's End
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Melly Still, Coram Boy
Best Direction of a Musical
John Doyle, Company
Scott Ellis, Curtains
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Curtains
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins
Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening
Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde The Musical
Best Orchestrations
Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening
Jonathan Tunick, LoveMusik
Jonathan Tunick, 110 in the Shade
Regional Theatre Tony Award
Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, GA)
Since I was quite literally in the air during the entirety of the Tony Awards (I flew from Beijing to Tokyo, where I'm currently writing this story), I have no idea how well the performances of highlighted shows were received (thankfully, one good friend and reader from Providence promised she'd Tivo the proceedings for me!), but here's hoping that many first-time Tony viewers were inspired enough to make their first pilgrimage to Broadway to see why this art form is so enduring.
Congratulations to all the winners!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens, Musical, Play, Revival, Spring Awakening, The Coast Of Utopia, Tony Awards, Tony Nominations
C'est Sheik!In what is undoubtedly a harbinger of things to come for
Spring Awakening, composer and one-time pop star Duncan Sheik (pictured) has won this year's Tony Award for Best Orchestrations.
Spring Awakening has been nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical -- an award that most presume the show will win.
Keeping
Spring Awakening on a roll, Kevin Adams has taken home the Tony for Best Lighting in a Musical.
The other expected juggernaut of the evening,
The Coast Of Utopia, has already won three awards: Best Lighting, Best Costume and Best Scenic Designs of a Play. Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner and Natasha Katz's collaboration has won for their efforts on lighting. Catherine Zuber won for the marathon play's costume design. Bob Crowley and Scott Pask have won for their scenic design.
Crowley is a dual winner, having just won the Tony for his scenic design for
Mary Poppins.
But all is not lost for
Grey Gardens: William Ivey Long has earned the Tony for Best Costume Design of a Musical.
In just ten minutes, the "big" awards portion of the ceremony commences. I'll provide a complete wrap-up of the awards later (since I'll soon be boarding a four hour flight from Beijing to Tokyo).
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB)..
Labels: Broadway, Musical, Play, Spring Awakening, The Coast Of Utopia, Tony Awards
No Longer A Whack Job: Musicals Get RespectTaking note of how even characters from television's gritty powerhouse "
The Sopranos" are no longer afraid of being caught dead seeing Broadway musicals -- although one was killed off (by stroke) after seeing
Jersey Boys,
Variety's David Rooney makes it official in his story, "Mainstream Embracing Musicals": the artform is back in vogue.
Why the re-emgergence? Rooney notes that
Spring Awakening director
Michael Mayer "credits the flamboyant, realism-flouting aesthetic of
Baz Luhrmann films like
'Strictly Ballroom,' '
Romeo + Juliet' and '
Moulin Rouge' for helping to open the minds of a new generation to the language of musicals. 'There was a kitschiness to them that I think a lot of young people responded to,' he suggests."
It's certainly no coincidence that after "Moulin Rouge" made its way into theatres in early summer 2001, Hollywood once again realized the commercial potential of the musical artform and began looking in earnest at properties that had long been gathering dust, such as "
Dreamgirls" and the Academy Award winning "
Chicago." And the best part is that audiences have responded.
That audience response has resulted in, according to Rooney, musicals "once again becoming part of the pop-culture consciousness, exerting an influence on advertising, chart-topping songs and, of course, movies."
As Mayer so eloquently states, "There's a new chic to the concept of the musical that wasn't there before."
I'll drink to that!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Musicals Versus Plays: You Decide (January 5, 2007)
Labels: Baz Luhrmann, Broadway, Jersey Boys, Musical, Spring Awakening, The Sopranos, Variety
Not Unlucky: 13 Headed To Broadway
Although this teen musical will undoubtedly seem like a throwback to another era after
Spring Awakening -- which is quite ironic since the former is set in present day Indiana, while the anachronistic
Spring Awakening is set in 19th Century Germany --
13 did capture a fair amount of decent reviews during its original Left Coast run.
Todd Graff directed the Los Angeles staging; however, there's no word yet on a director or theatre. However, the ubiquitous
Bob Boyett is on-board as producer.
The story also indicated that Brown has written songs for another Great White Way hopeful:
Honeymoon in Vegas -- a stage adapatation by
Andrew Bergman of his
1992 film.
Readers will know what a huge fan I am of Brown's
The Last Five Years, as well as his work on
Parade. While the jury is still out on whether
13 can succeed, it is officially near the top of my list of shows I want to see during Broadway's new theatrical season.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: 13, Broadway, Film, First Word On New Show, Honeymoon In Vegas, Jason Robert Brown, Musical, Parade, Spring Awakening, The Last Five Years
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best New Musicals
During the 2006-07 Theatrical Season, I've enjoyed the opportunity to see 16 new musicals.
While some were decidedly cutting-edge, others took a more traditional approach. Still others sought to transform beloved films into equally adored stage versions, usually (but not always) with limited success.
Overall, there are more than a handful of tuners that I enjoyed enough that they've made my personal "5 Best" list of musicals covering the past twelve months:
1 - Grey Gardens (Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, NY)
If I were a Tony voter,
Grey Gardens would easily be my choice for Best Musical, if not the most sublime show of the year. This unconventional yet completely satisfying tuner is a triumph of the first order.
The incredibly talented
Christine Ebersole has more than proven she's at the height of her career. Her virtuoso performance in
Grey Gardens is one that I'll never forget. Ebersole more than masterfully channels both Edith and Little Edie Bouvier Beales of the funny-if-it-weren’t-so-tragic
seventies documentary of the same name. She luminously inhabits mother Edith in act one and then incredibly suspends any disbelief that you are watching anyone but the real Little Edie in the second act. Right before your eyes, a radiant and breathtaking Ebersole becomes Little Edie.
Thanks to a potent mix of intriguing fact and supposition by
Doug Wright, the musical telling of their story provides plausible answers to the question of how the once mighty could have fallen so far. What makes this theatre of the absurd so intoxicating is not just the flawless execution of replicating key passages of the original film, but also the way Little Edie is continually haunted by the specter of the life she could have had. This musical transforms into a poignant, modern tragedy, where pathetic dismissal gives way to empathy. Credit
Michael Greif's brilliant direction,
Mary Louise Wilson’s powerful Edith and Ebersole’s heartwrenching Little Edie.
Click here for The SOB Review of Grey Gardens.2 - Curtains (Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center, Los Angeles, CA)
Thank goodness for a real honest-to-goodness old-fashioned backstage musical! Complete with stirring overture,
Curtains possesses one show-stopping number after another, invigorating choreography, sharp dialogue, intelligent book and genuinely marvelous cast. This show is exceedingly smart, exceptionally funny and a thrilling theatrical finale for the legendary songwriting team of
John Kander and the late
Fred Ebb. In a word, it’s fun.
Rob Ashford’s brilliant choreography has once again enabled a leading man not typically known for his dancing prowess to shine (see my notes on
Guys and Dolls and
Ewan McGregor), particularly on the lovely dream sequence of “A Tough Act to Follow” that pairs
David Hyde Pierce (playing Lieutenant Frank Cioffi with gusto and comic precision) and the exquisite
Jill Paice. For the rest of
Curtains’ troupe -- including the wonderful
Debra Monk, who consumes the stage with her portrayal of the brash, yet cunning producer/stage mother Carmen Bernstein -- it becomes a breathtaking ride through the unusually large number of rousing and memorable numbers.
This valentine to Broadway certainly is a fitting way to send off two of the Great White Way’s most proficient songwriting duos during the last forty-five years. It all adds up: murder + mayhem + music = must-see!
Click here for The SOB Review of Curtains.3 - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, Chicago, IL)
OK, by the time I finally took in this wonderful little musical early last summer, it probably could have been called the "26th Annual." No matter, since I completely fell for its charms, even if I spelled it N-O-N-S-T-O-P L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R. This excellent musical gem, complete with superb ensemble, absolutely delights with a little tale of one of those uniquely American displays of educational prowess: the lowly spelling bee.
In
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, director
James Lapine finds surprising depth and heart in each of his spelling bee contestants. With an exquisitely written book by
Rachel Sheinkin (she won a Tony Award in 2005 year for her effort) and blissfully funny score by
William Finn, the audience is treated to an unexpectedly strong set of back stories that set up how each of the kids made it to the competition.
But there's nothing quite like the contest itself, which is moved along by the adults played by James Earl Jones II,
Bill Larkin and
Lucia Spina and includes requisite audience participation. Yet, ultimately this is a struggle among the kids, fabulously portrayed by Eric Roediger, Cristen Paige, Jen Sese,
Derrick Trumbly,
Brad Weinstock and
Christine Werny. The members of this highly-charged ensemble expertly capture the essence of their characters. The result is a fresh, exuberant musical that moves by almost as fast as a spelling bee lightning round.
Click here for The SOB Review of The 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee.4 - Spring Awakening (Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY)
You didn't really think I was
not going to mention this electrifying musical based on a 116 year old German play by
Frank Wedekind, did you? While
Spring Awakening is not exactly your grandfather’s musical, credit
Michael Mayer’s expert direction for enabling this show that grapples with 19th Century German teen angst to motor on at a brisk, riveting pace.
Steven Sater's collaboration with tunesmith
Duncan Sheik on the score is anything but predictable. The songs are about as fresh, smart and downright infectious as anything I’ve seen on Broadway over the past five years (even if the words don't always quite rhyme). The music effectively amplifies every scene and revs up each actor. Chief among them is the sensational
Jonathan Groff as the bad boy with brains Melchior. He holds what the show’s “adults” (
Christine Esterbrook and
Stephen Spinella, both excellent) view as an indecent corrupting influence over mediocre student Moritz played by the breathtaking
John Gallagher, Jr. in a sharp, stunning departure that I believe will earn him a richly deserved Tony.
While the show is anachronistic and a little too self aware of how cool it's striving to be (not to mention that much of
Steven Sater’s storyline on the sexual maturation is telegraphed throughout), ultimately this astounding, astonishing musical is highly entertaining.
Click here for The SOB Review of Spring Awakening.
5 - [title of show] (Vineyard Theatre, New York, NY)
Perhaps it wasn't my absolute favorite musical from the past year, but it should matter that it wasn't my
ninth favorite! With nothing derivative about the wonderful little musical
[title of show], I can honestly say that not since
The Musical Of Musicals-The Musical have I so thoroughly enjoyed such a delightful, decidedly small tuner with an enormous heart (a key element lacking in
Spring Awakening).
The engaging and endearing
Hunter Bell and
Jeff Bowen essentially play themselves -- and true to its premise, they wrote the actual book, music and lyrics, too -- as two friends who embark on writing a musical to enter into the New York Musical Theatre Fest. They succeed in bringing it to life exactly as they wrote it against all odds. Along the way, they invite two female friends -- the effervescent
Heidi Blickenstaff and the "handsome"
Susan Blackwell -- to help shape the show.
Clever dialogue and a terrific score -- along with
Michael Berresse's lovingly precise direction -- kept the 90+ minute show moving at a quick pace that was never dull and largely entertaining, particularly when they dished on some of Broadway's most renowned guilty pleasures or were interrupted via voicemail by some of the Great White Way's most acclaimed female stars (including Christine Ebersole). Best of all, they remained true to themselves and their vision.
Click here for The SOB Review of [title of show].Honorable Mentions:Two musicals I saw over the past year are deserving of special nods. The first is a show that actually opened on Broadway last season (but I finally saw it in September), while the other is perhaps the best musical based on a film that I saw all year. Here are those honorable mentions:
- The Drowsy Chaperone (Marquis Theatre, New York, NY) -- By no means is The Drowsy Chaperone a perfect musical. Bad puns abounded. But thankfully, more often than not, our narrator "Man In Chair" -- deliciously played as the ultimate theatre queen by Bob Martin, who also co-wrote the libretto with Don McKellar, offers up disarming and downright hysterical comments suggesting many of the show's elements are labored or nonsensical. You can't help but think you've been played all along and that the joke is actually on you. (Click here for The SOB Review of The Drowsy Chaperone)
- Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical (Lyric Theatre, Sydney, NSW, Australia) -- Based on the 1994 film, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical is a sexy, silly, sometimes incoherent, über-campy, often tasteless and crude, completely over-the-top musical if there ever was one. Yet it's ultimately irresistible. And with many of the key motion picture elements roundly being eagerly anticipated and cheered upon delivery -- including the infamous ping pong scene -- the musical itself is, well, a ball. Just when you think that the book (by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott) is teetering dangerously close to the brink of excess, you're either suddenly lurching back to some semblance of reality or finding yourself cheerfully going along for the ride wondering just how far into fantasia this tuner will dare to go. (Click here for The SOB Review of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical)
What were the best new musicals you saw over the past year? I invite you to join the conversation by sharing your theatre experiences with me.
Also, don't forget to vote for the shows you believe will win in each of the four major Tony Award categories: Best Musical, Best Play, Best Revival of a Musical and Best Revival of a Play. You'll find all four polls on the right-hand side of Steve On Broadway.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Curtains tickets.Click here for Grey Gardens ticket information.Click here for Spring Awakening tickets.Click here for The Drowsy Chaperone tickets on Broadway; here for London.Click here for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ticket information on Broadway, Chicago, Los Angeles and the North American tour.Related Stories:SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best New Plays (May 21, 2007)
SOB's Best Of 2006-07: Best Revivals Of Plays (May 16, 2007)
The SOB Five "Worst" Of 2006-07 (May 14, 2007)
SOB's Best & Worst Of 2006-07 Theatre Season (May 14, 2007)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #1 - Theater Of The New Ear (May 30, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #2 – Guys And Dolls (May 26, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #3 – Hedda Gabler (May 25, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #4 – A Blameless Life (May 24, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #5 – Reeling (May 23, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #6 – “MASTER HAROLD”…And The Boys (May 21, 2006)
SOB’s Best of 2005-06: #7 – Love Song (May 19, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #8 - Billy Elliot The Musical (May 18, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #9 - The Well-Appointed Room (May 17, 2006)
SOB's Best of 2005-06: #10 - Sweeney Todd (May 15, 2006)
SOB's Best and Worst of 2005-06 Theatre Season (May 12, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2004-05 (May 26, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2003-04 (May 25, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2002-03 (May 25, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2001-02 (May 24, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2000-01 (May 23, 2006)
Labels: Best New Musicals, Broadway, Curtains, Grey Gardens, SOB's Best of 2006-07, Spring Awakening, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, title of show
