Closing Notice For The Most Scrappy Fela!Yesterday, in one fell swoop, the Broadway musical
Fela! not only
announced it would close on January 2, 2011, but that on September 14, singing legend
Patti LaBelle would assume the role of Funmilayo (Fela Kuti's mother), currently played by outgoing Tony nominee
Lillias White.
Evidently, the scrappy, revolutionary tuner isn't going down without a fight. The show will have played 463 regular performances by the time it closes.
What is remarkable is that for a show all about "originality," it appears to be employing one of the stage's most tried and true devices of keeping a Broadway production chugging along:
stunt casting. Now before you jump all over me, keep in mind that I have
long championed Fela! It was undeniably last season's most innovative, new musical, and in my opinion, the
best musical of the past year.
To her credit, apart from
three separate concert series through the eighties and nineties, Patti LaBelle has performed in one Broadway musical. She appeared nearly 28 years ago in the short-lived
Your Arms Too Short To Box With God revival
with another soul legend
Al Green. In addition to appearing in several
films and television shows, she's also portrayed Mama Morton in
Chicago out in Los Angeles.
Also to LaBelle's enormous credit, she has graciously said
this about
Fela!:
After seeing the show, I was struck by the choreography and work of Bill T. Jones, and the passion and joy that overflows from the stage. Fela's mother, Funmilayo, was a strong, truly inspiring woman, and I am so privileged to be able to pay tribute to her on the Broadway stage.
Indeed, she will be. But will LaBelle's new attitude be enough to keep ticket sales humming through the pipeline during the fall when so many other
new shows are opening?
Let me say this, if you haven't already seen
Fela!, do yourself a favor and go. You'll see why I've been saying "Yeah, yeah" since it opened last November 19.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Fela, Lillias White, Musical, Patti LaBelle, Replacements, Stunt Casting
Kiss A Chorus Line GoodbyeWhile I was apparently snoozing (actually getting caught up in yesterday's spectacular conclusion to the 2008 Presidential Primary Season), it was announced Tuesday that Broadway's first revival of
A Chorus Line had posted its closing notices.
The revival of the musical (which I avoided completely) was most definitely not the one singular sensation that the original was. When
A Chorus Line finally shutters at the
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on August 17, it will have played a respectable 759 regular performances. Compare that with the original, which clocked in at 6,137 performances or 15 years and spanning three decades (1975-1990), and suddenly the revival's less than two years on the boards don't seem quite so special.
Could it be that
A Chorus Line just couldn't get past the criticism of its stuntcasting of
Mario Lopez, which snowballed into impassioned discussions from purists (including
here) about the vanities of stars and the liberties the production had taken with the original material?
Well, consider that last week,
A Chorus Line did a collective dip at the box office falling to a paltry 49% capacity, earning it the unenviable ranking as second lowest Broadway capacity of the week. It also plunged an astonishing 20.5% week over week.
Love, nothing. Maybe next time, producers will reconsider what they did for a
buck.
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Flex And Flexing (May 18, 2008)
A Chorus Line: From Priscilla To Mario Lopez (March 5, 2008)
Are Blogs Making The Time-Honored Preview Obsolete? (August 20, 2007)
Did Chorus Line Do Enough For Love Of Critics? (October 6, 2006)
Will Chorus Line Be A Double Sensation? (October 5, 2006)
A Chorus Line Revival Begins Previews Tonight (September 18, 2006)
A Chorus Line's Casting Announced (April 26, 2006)
Labels: A Chorus Line, Box Office, Broadway, Closing Notices, Jump The Shark, Mario Lopez, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting
Flex And FlexingBack in March,
I took issue with the stunt-casting of Broadway's current revival of
A Chorus Line with
Mario Lopez.
Then on May 7,
New York Post's Michael Riedel
used his column to dish about the "Disease of the Vain" in the revival's sudden battle of the biceps:
Lopez, who just took over the role of Zach, the exacting director of A Chorus Line, is mighty proud of his biceps. So proud, in fact, that he refused to wear Zach's costume, a tan sweater with long sleeves.
It's an iconic outfit, based on that worn in real life by A Chorus Line creator Michael Bennett, and it's been worn by countless Zachs in productions of A Chorus Line all over the world for the past 30 years.
But "Flex" Lopez wanted to wear a brown shirt with short sleeves so that he could show off his biceps.
***
The only trouble is, Flex is sharing the stage with a pair of biceps larger than his. They belong to Nick Adams, who plays Larry, the assistant choreographer.
Larry's iconic costume is a navy blue tank top with the number 17 on it. For A Chorus Line nerds, that number is significant -- there are 17 performers auditioning for the eight spots in the chorus.
Flex, sources say, was concerned that Adams' biceps would upstage his, so he requested that Adams wear a hoodie over his tank top, which Adams does whenever he's next to Flex.
In response to Riedel's request for feedback on who has the bigger biceps, I'm sure he was surprised upon receiving a thoughtful letter, which placed this entire kerfuffle into perspective, particularly on how the show was meant to be performed. That letter, which
Riedel quoted last Friday, came from the original production's Richie,
Ron Dennis (pictured, front row, third to left, with other members of
A Chorus Line's original cast at the opening of the revival).
Currently making his home in California, Dennis now teaches dance at the
Hollywood Dance Center in Los Angeles, instructing adult actors/dancers "who are still loving dance as their form of exercise and craft," and he frequently subs at the performing arts schools. How fortunate all those students should feel.
Dennis tells me, "I've not been on stage to perform since the STAGE benefit from 3 years or so ago when the music of
Marvin Hamlisch was part of the composer being honored that year, and we did a mini-cut version of
A Chorus Line."
Given the integral role Ron Dennis played in shaping the beloved original production of
A Chorus Line -- which still ranks as one of the longest running Broadway shows of all time -- he has granted me permission to share the full contents of his letter to Riedel:
Hello Michael:
I'm Ron Dennis the original "Richie" in A Chorus Line, and I also had the unclaimed fame of writing the "Gimme The Ball" song in the 3rd montage of the show that so few are aware that it was not Marvin Hamlisch who wrote my song. Michael Bennett took me aside a week before previews Off-Broadway, and in that rehearsal room with Fran Liebergall our pit and rehearsal pianist and drummer Bobby Thomas, we sat in the room as Michael gave instructions on how he wanted the tempo to go with the song with his very Joe Cocker-like vocals, although not nearly as tuneful. Michael was not a singer.
I went home that night and channelled my favorite vocalist, Aretha Franklin, voice only, not her clothes, as my inspiration for the melody that I wrote for "Gimme The Ball."
When I attended the October, 2006 opening of this revival along with the majority of my other original castmates, there were several changes in this revival that were "tinkered" with. The guitar passages in "Gimme The Ball" had been changed to big horn sounds, which were not what Michael originally had orchestrated for the song, and this was validated by my conversation with Donald Pippin, our original Conductor, at the opening night post-show dinner, who brought up his disappointment with this big horn change in the song that has virtually taken all the "funk" out of the song as originally sung by me and orchestrated by Jonathan Tunick, back then was my understanding.
So the "Flexing" of muscles has been ongoing with this revival from the beginning with the tinkering that you write about in your article about Mario Lopez, ie: "Flex" and his biceps.
Bob LuPone, our original Zack, had no need to have biceps since his character was about the dancing, which Bob did as brilliantly as the rest of us along with his brilliant acting too, I'd like to add.
It appears that the "powers that be" have to do whatever they need to do to keep butts in the seats to keep this revival up and running and making money. The fact that they are allowing Mr. Lopez to flex his "star muscles" in order to flex his vanity muscles for a show that is about "Dancers, Dancing and how dancing is metaphoric for anything one does for love," does a great disservice to the memory and brilliant directorial decisions of the late Michael Bennett.
Michael would not have let Mr. Lopez be this preening Zack with the arms and body to distract the character line of the Zack as the director hiring the 17 of us on that line.
Mind you, the late Clive Clerk, did have muscled arms but not the pumped ones you talk about in your article, as did the also late Roy Smith who was our Larry when the show moved to this coast after our less than a full year on Broadway as a "complete, original company."
Not any of the various Zacks that had that role during my 2 years and 8 months with the show wore a tank top, nor did the topic come up about biceps being revealed. It was always about the acting/dancing -- the relationship Zack had with those of us "On The Line" auditioning for that needed job, and certainly with Cassie as the other drama through-line in our show then.
So much for honoring the Pulitzer Prize winning show that all of the original members of A Chorus Line helped to create along with our talent and those of our original powers that be in 1974.
Would a revival of Porgy And Bess have a "Sporting Life" in a tank top just because he had impressive biceps to show off? I think not!
Some things just should not be tinkered with, period, in my opinion. Tinkering leads to more tinkering and we all know that tinkering is exponential. A Chorus Line has been tinkered with since the time the show left Broadway in 1976 and bombarded the world with the show I knew so well, with adjustments to dance steps that have been altered over the years and not for the better in too many ways.
It's a different show and the tone has changed and not with the same original message.
The seats would be filled if our "original" message was intact as the audience and ticket buyers were being moved as they were back then in 1975 when the show first opened. Theater folks are savvy and know and expect to be moved in a theater setting. This is a simple fact.
Put the sweater back on Mario, and work to be a better dancer and director as Zack. The world can google your muscles if we care to view them, and after watching your dancing on "Dancing With The Stars" last night with your fellow cast dancers, you are not up (to) their par as a dancer and your muscles did not distract my dancer eyes from your shortcomings as a Broadway trained dancer, and all of this Internet chatter about your muscles may fill some seats but that novelty will wear off very soon.
Where are the trained and accomplished dancer men who could have and should have been cast as the new Zack in A Chorus Line. I know several who'd fit the bill.
I bet you could name quite a few dancers, Mr. Riedel, that would have been a sensational addition to this revival, too?
This is not my sour grapes, but if one is going to reinvent math at least make it as good along with the better, not just different.
The tour opens here on May 22nd and we LA-based originals will be attending and hopefully this production will have gone back to a more accurate representation of what A Chorus Line was back in the day, where the muscles came from the dancing and not the gym and heavy weights.
Sincerely,
Ron Dennis
Thanks so much, Ron, for sharing not only your personal insights into what made the original production the vaunted show it was, but also for being so candid regarding the current revival's shortcomings.
It's been said that vanity kills. If that is the case, it appears that vanity is killing the spirit of this hallowed classic, if not the show itself.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:A Chorus Line: From Priscilla To Mario Lopez (March 5, 2008)
Labels: A Chorus Line, Mario Lopez, Marvin Hamlisch, Michael Bennett, Michael Riedel, Musical, Nick Adams, Revival, Ron Dennis, Stunt Casting
Blonde Not Quite Ready To Jump SharkImagine my surprise when one of my dear, regular readers sent me the following from
Us Magazine:
A source says Britney Spears’ ex, 30, may be heading to NYC in September to make his Broadway debut in Legally Blonde, the Tony-nominated musical adaptation of the hit film, Us Weekly reports in its latest issue, on newsstands now.
“He’s so excited!” a Federline source tells Us.
The former backup dancer and aspiring hip-hop artist — who is hitting the gym after packing on “daddy weight,” ex Shar Jackson says — will test his song-and-dance chops in a trio of roles — including the UPS guy who inspires the “bend and snap.”
“This is his chance to show the world what he can do,” says a pal.
And now that he has physical custody, sons Sean, 2, and Jayden, 18 months, might join him in the Big Apple.
“This is his dream and he wants to bring the kids,” says the insider. “Jamie and Lynne [Spears] promised to help him make it work.”
(A rep for the show says he is not scheduled “as of this time.”)
Federline may not be the only star hitting Broadway: New mom Nicole Richie has been approached to star in Chicago.
Then, imagine my even
bigger surprise when reading Chris Caggiano's post yesterday at
Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals:
Another sign of the impending apocalypse: US magazine reports that Kevin Federline may be joining the cast of Broadway's Legally Blonde. Presumably as Warner, the part originated by Richard Blake? Or perhaps as the UPS guy that Paulette falls for? Or maybe even the "Is he gay or European?" dude at the trial? Certainly not as Emmet, the good guy who gets the girl, a part originated by the talented Christian Borle?
My surprise wasn't necessarily that
Legally Blonde would actually jump the shark with stunt casting. No. It was that either of these fine people would read
Us Magazine!
So I clicked onto
Us this morning to see what's up. And guess what? Kevin Federline
will not be appearing in
Legally Blonde. Or at least, so they say now.
Impending apocalypse avoided? Well, not if the
Us rumor on Nicole Richie going
Chicago proves true. But let's just say, I'll believe it when I read it somewhere else.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Blogs, Britney Spears, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals, Jump The Shark, Kevin Federline, Legally Blonde, Nicole Richie, Stunt Casting, Us Magazine
A Chorus Line: From Priscilla To Mario LopezOh, how the mighty have fallen.
Once a
cutting-edge show originally starring
Priscilla Lopez (pictured, left),
A Chorus Line is now a revival caught
jumping the shark with
Mario Lopez (pictured, right).
I'll leave the choicest comments to my friend Chris Caggiano over at
Everything I Know I Learned In Musicals.
P.S. I can't wait to see the
real deal later this month when I see
In The Heights at the
Richard Rodgers Theatre.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for A Chorus Line tickets.Click here for In The Heights tickets.Labels: A Chorus Line, Blogs, Broadway, Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals, In The Heights, Jump The Shark, Mario Lopez, Musical, Priscilla Lopez, Stunt Casting
Spamalot's Promosexual?While nobody has really answered
Rocco's call yet on whether
Clay Aiken is any good in
Monty Python's Spamalot stunt casting,
New York magazine's
Ariel Levy takes aim at Broadway's newest
Idol and explains why he just might end up fitting right in.
Eat your heart out,
Perez!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Did London Critics Always Look On The Bright Side Of Spamalot? (October 18, 2006)
West End Spamalot Finds Its Grail Tonight (October 17, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Clay Aiken, Monty Python's Spamalot, Musical, Stunt Casting
I'm A Little Blue...The Drowsy Chaperone will be put to rest December 30. That is the official word today from
Playbill.
Winner of five Tony Awards, the show had already seen wildly fluctuating box office totals throughout the fall, ranging anywhere from 50 to 70% capacity prior to last month's stagehands strike.
But it never managed to attract more than 50% once Broadway was back in business.
Even attempts at stunt casting proved fruitless with capacity falling to a yawn-inducing 39.3%.
Bob Saget, best known as Danny Tanner on the 80s/90s sitcom "
Full House," came on board October 19, while poor
Cindy Williams -- Shirley Feeney from 70s sitcom "
Laverne & Shirley" -- joined the cast just a week ago Tuesday.
When
The Drowsy Chaperone closes at the
Marquis Theatre, it will have enjoyed 674 regular performances. While the short-lived London mounting closed earlier this year after treading the West End boards less than two months, the
North American tour continues. It just departed Cincinnati on Sunday and will resume January 1 in
Fort Lauderdale.
While this wasn't the greatest show I ever saw, it certainly
entertained. The closing notice has me feeling a little like the lonely Man In Chair -- a little blue.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Will Drowsy Chaperone Be Put To Sleep? (October 24, 2007)
Putting London's Drowsy Chaperone To Bed (July 26, 2007)
Go East, Young Musical, Go East (July 27, 2007)
Did Chaperone Keep London's Aging Critics Awake? (June 19, 2007)
West End Drowsy Chaperone: Another Great Paige Turner (January 19, 2007)
The Drowsy Chaperone (The SOB Review) (October 3, 2006)
Mixed Reviews Tire The Drowsy Chaperone (May 2, 2006)
Labels: Bob Saget, Box Office, Broadway, Cindy Williams, Closing Notices, Musical, Stunt Casting, The Drowsy Chaperone
Will Drowsy Chaperone Be Put To Sleep?Did anyone else catch
Michael Riedel's little slip that
Cry-Baby hopes "to slip into New York's
Marriott Marquis Theatre in March"?
Granted, I wasn't exactly thrilled by
The Drowsy Chaperone's rather lame stunt-casting of
Bob Saget as the new Man In Chair (not to be confused with
Eric at Man In Chair), but the tuner
still played last week to 71.9% of capacity and grossed $605,832.
Does Riedel know about some impending closing notice? More importantly, do
you?
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Drowsy Chaperone tickets.Related Stories:Putting London's Drowsy Chaperone To Bed (July 26, 2007)
Go East, Young Musical, Go East (July 27, 2007)
Did Chaperone Keep London's Aging Critics Awake? (June 19, 2007)
West End Drowsy Chaperone: Another Great Paige Turner (January 19, 2007)
The Drowsy Chaperone (The SOB Review) (October 3, 2006)
Mixed Reviews Tire The Drowsy Chaperone (May 2, 2006)
Labels: Bob Saget, Box Office, Broadway, Cry-Baby, Michael Riedel, Musical, Rumor, Stunt Casting, The Drowsy Chaperone
The Apocalypse Is NearAccording to
New York Post's "Page Six" team,
Tori Spelling and her husband
Dean McDermott are the latest spouses to be offered roles in Broadway's über-stunt-casted production of
Chicago.
Eleven years and going, well, weak.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Chicago (The SOB Revisit) (January 16, 2007)
Revisiting Chicago (January 12, 2007)
Happy Birthday, Chicago! (November 14, 2006)
Usher Out (October 12, 2006)
Will Usher Razzle Dazzle 'em? (August 22, 2006)
We Had It Coming: Chicago's Starry 10th Anniversary (July 26, 2006)
Chicago to Usher in New Billy Flynn (July 14, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Dean McDermott, Musical, Stunt Casting, Tori Spelling
Hairspray's Stunt Casting SticksTonight marks the official Broadway debut for former 'N' Sync boy bandmember
Lance Bass. Talk about an auspicious time for his Great White Way arrival.
As if the film hadn't already returned boffo business to the five-year-old tuner, the stunt casting certainly doesn't hurt.
Ever since the
silver screen version of
Hairspray hit movie theatres last month, the Broadway show has been playing to SRO crowds. Just last week, the show earned $901,232 -- enough to make it the eighth top grossing Rialto offering of the week. But its sheer capacity of 100.9% eclipsed every other show, including that of the almighty
Jersey Boys at 100.8%.
As I said above, the ongoing stunt casting has only added to the interest in the Broadway offering. Where else can pop music fans go see not one, not two, not three, but
four pop music artists, including sixties icon
Darlene Love (Motormouth Maybelle), nineties soul sensation
Tevin Campbell (Seaweed), former O-Town star
Ashley Parker Angel (Link), and now Bass?
Plus, there's also the Beav, er,
Jerry Mathers as the Wilbur and
Grease reality show finalist
Ashley Spencer (Amber), who gets the last laugh on the "
You're The One That I Want" winners by reaching the Great White Way first.
Finally, it certainly doesn't hurt that the breathtaking
Isabel Keating, who scored with her spot-channeling of
Judy Garland in
The Boy From Oz four years ago, is now cast as Velma.
All of this renewed success portends great things for the upcoming London incarnation that is finally set to take its first bow at
London’s Shaftesbury Theatre on October 11, as well as the
South African version set to grace the stage of the Gold Reef City Casino's Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg -- perfect for a place where
Apartheid came crashing down a mere 14 years ago.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Hairspray Broadway tickets.Click here for Hairspray Johannesburg tickets.Click here for Hairspray London tickets.Related Stories:Stuck On Hairspray (July 31, 2007)
Go East, Young Musical, Go East (July 26, 2007)
Touring Hairspray Caught In Sticky Net (April 26, 2007)
Hairspray To Brush With West End Style (March 9, 2007)
Fall At Broadway's Box Office (September 12, 2006)
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Film, Hairspray, Jerry Mathers, Lance Bass, London, Musical, South Africa, Stunt Casting
West End Guys
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for London tickets. Click here for U.K. tour information. Related Stories:
Labels: Closing Notices, First Word On New Show, Guys And Dolls, London, Michael Grandage, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting, Transfer
The Empire Strikes Back!In a most stinging of rebukes, acclaimed British playwright and two-time Tony nominee
Sir Alan Ayckbourn has lashed out at all those supposedly glorious Hollywood stars desperately hoping to prove they have the necessary chops for live theatre.
Flat-out declaring that they're "ruining the theatre,"
Ayckbourn takes no prisoners in an interview reported in today's issue of London's venerable
The Times.
Bitterly complaining that many of these glitterati could barely be heard beyond the third row (
Kevin Spacey was singled out as
the notable exception), Ayckbourn believes that the West End producers are single-handedly turning off potential audiences:
What is happening is that the theatre is being stuffed with the stars’ fans. What they experience in the theatre is a poor performance, and they go out profoundly disappointed and disenchanted. That is another blow for the theatre. You’ve emptied the theatre for a whole load of people who will never go again....We have tremendous talent in this country. Young actors have never been better, but they are fed up with seeing their jobs whipped away by people who’ve chanced by a TV camera or stood in a field taking off their clothes.
So who are the worst offenders? According to Times arts correspondent Dalya Alberge, they include:
The remaining "misses" identified ironically
included the aforementioned Spacey (although he
was dual listed on the "hit" list for his role in 1998's
The Iceman Cometh), along with
Jerry Hall (sure, she regularly slept with
Mick Jagger once upon a time, but big
Hollywood star???),
Glenn Close ("about 25 years too old to be playing Blanche DuBois"),
Gillian Anderson (aside from landing a role in "
The Last King Of Scotland," has anyone really seen her since "
The X-Files" was canceled??) and
Stephen Gately (since when is this Irish boy-band member of
Boyzone a
Hollywood name???).
To be fair, neither Spacey or Close really belong on a list of "Hollywood" types ruining theatre. Both of them are clearly accomplished on the stage and have been lauded for their remarkable contributions to it. For some unknown reason, the online version of
The Times story carries a photo of Spacey from his
acclaimed turn in
The Iceman Cometh -- hardly seems apropos given the story.
And while I've done plenty of thumping about the ongoing unfortunate use of stunt-casting to keep formerly great shows alive that were nearly dead -- I haven't even mentioned the ridiculous things
they're saying about
Don Johnson in London's
Guys And Dolls or
Tony Danza in Broadway's
The Producers -- I'm left with a "Is that all there is?" feeling when reading through
The Times' list of offenders.
Sure, the spectacle outside the theatre each night after
Julia Roberts performed on Broadway had to be seen to be believed, even if many thought her performance
inside the theatre left something to be desired.
I, for one, actually enjoyed Three Days Of Rain.
Sure, the performance of
Sean Combs or Puff Daddy or P. Diddy or whatever he's calling himself was largely considered to be underwhelming, but look at how many fans he single-handedly brought into the theatre to see acting at its best by his Tony-winning
Raisin In The Sun co-stars
Audra McDonald and
Phylicia Rashad.
Sure, television star
Christina Applegate was a novice to the Great White Way before pluckily showing yeoman's determination and sheer grit in keeping the 2005 revival of
Sweet Charity alive, even after it had been pronounced dead. Heck, she even nabbed a Tony nod as her reward.
Thankfully, as this morning's positive reviews of
Translations demonstrated, a great piece of theatre need not have a well-known cast in order to captivate critics. Just look at the success of no-name shows like
Avenue Q and
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
So while on the surface, Sir Alan's comments make for great copy, I just don't buy that the relatively
few Hollywood names surfacing on Broadway or in London are going to be the end of great theatre as we know it.
I'll be very interested in hearing what you think.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Alan Ayckbourn, Broadway, Kevin Spacey, London, Madonna, Musical, Play, Stunt Casting
Being Bebe
Now,
Broadway.com today has a
wonderful interview in which Neuwirth not only discusses how her return to this wonderful revival came to pass (it was at her own suggestion), but also how she considers herself more of a dancer than an actor.
What makes the piece all the more compelling is that Neuwirth discusses the impact of her recently completed hip surgery on her dancing -- certainly far from the easiest thing for a dancer to endure. To be honest, I'm glad I didn't know about her travails going into my performance a couple Saturdays ago, because then I would have been completely fixated on whether she was changing a step merely to compensate. But as it was, I can tell you that I was absolutely riveted by her breathtaking bravura performance, which showed no sign of weakness whatsoever.
Neuwirth's continued enthusiasm for live performances not only shines through when seeing her perform, but also in the Broadway.com interview. When asked what makes live theatre so "meaningful," the Great White Way's current Roxie Hart states:
That exchange of energy with an audience is quite satisfying. I also believe that theatre is a sort of primal need. It's the contemporary version of gathering around a fire with your tribe and telling stories; every person present is part of the communal event. That said, I don't think that I'm a ham. I don't thrive on audience response. It's not a question of showing off—performing is more of a spiritual event for me.
Amen, Bebe! So in that spirit, I once again strongly and enthusiastically urge readers to see Chicago with Bebe Neuwirth while you can!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Bebe Neuwirth, Broadway, Chicago, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting, The SOB Revisit
Beauty Out On Broadway
If you polled most Broadway pundits on the musical most likely to depart its boards to make room for another production by the same creative team, I'd wager that most would respond, "
The Producers." After all,
Mel Brooks'
Young Frankenstein is already eagerly anticipated and expected to take over the former's berth at the
St. James Theatre.
But today, the folks at Disney announced they're going to finally put a fork in
Beauty And The Beast, making room at Broadway's
Lunt-Fontaine Theatre for their stage adaptation of their animated screen feature
Little Mermaid.
Beauty And The Beast, of course, was based on the
only all-animation film to ever be Academy Award nominated for Best Picture (1991). However, "
Little Mermaid" is largely credited as
the flick that in 1989 helped rejuvenate Disney's credentials in a declining genre.
I have to be candid. I thoroughly enjoyed the magic of
Beauty And The Beast not long after its 1994 debut at the
Palace Theatre, but when I revisited the show a couple years ago at the Lunt-Fontaine, I was a bit embarrassed by how tired, if not shoddy, the tuner had become.
In recent years, the production has heavily relied on stunt-casting, including the recent turn by former teen idol
Donny Osmond as Gaston, and they actually have an actor worth seeing now that
John Tartaglia (
Avenue Q) is portraying Lumiere. To its credit, the musical still managed to draw a capacity of 80.3% last week for a take of $590,259. But the production looked so thoroughly exhausted when I last saw it, I wished that they would have put this
Beast out of its misery and let it die with dignity long ago.
When Beauty And The Beast finally closes on July 29, it will have had 5,464 regular performances, enough to make it one of the Great White Way's longest running hits -- number 6, to be precise.
The Little Mermaid will make its first splash just a few days before
Beauty And The Beast closes -- July 26 -- at Denver's
Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Opening night on Broadway is currently scheduled just in time for the Holidays on December 6.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Beauty And The Beast, Billy Elliot The Musical, Box Office, Broadway, Closing Notices, Disney, Film, First Word On New Show, Stunt Casting, The Little Mermaid
Chicago (The SOB Revisit) - Ambassador Theatre, New York, NY
**** (out of ****)
If
Bebe Neuwirth could return to Broadway's current longest-running revival, I decided I could, too. So over the past weekend, I made my way back to
Chicago. What a trip!
I had no doubt that Neuwirth would make the journey worthwhile, but I truly expected the musical to show its age. Far from it. That the entire experience still rocks and excites is a huge credit to
Walter Bobbie's exquisite direction, which received a very well-deserved Tony.
It doesn't hurt that
John Lee Beatty's ingeniously spare set design is also stripped down to the bare essentials. It sharpens the focus on the performances by the nimble, agile cast, including exceptional ensemble members. Of course, with
William Ivey Long's sexy costume design, it's impossible to take your eyes off of them.
While the tuner has become infamous in recent years for practically writing the book on shameless stunt-casting, the only real novelty in the production today is that its original Velma Kelly is now portraying Roxie Hart through March 25. But there was never any doubt Neuwirth could pull it off and make it look so beautiful, funny and effortless. The question in my mind was whether the rest of the cast could keep up.
Because the current cast is now filled with solid pros -- like veteran
Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly,
Rob Bartlett who's returned as Amos Hart,
Roz Ryan as "Mama" Morton,
R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine and
Philip Casnoff as Billy Flynn -- audiences are guaranteed an excellent show by troupers who more than hold their own opposite Neuwirth. In fact, Bartlett was perhaps the biggest surprise with his tender, nuanced turn as the nebbish Amos; mining the absolute depths of this supposedly see-through character, he brought a tear to my eye.
Suffice to say that I wouldn't hesitate to strongly recommend a return visit to anyone who has seen Chicago before -- in fact, I was half-tempted to take in the next performance.
And for anyone who has only seen the movie, you owe it to yourself to see the live stage show the way it was really meant to be performed. At least for now, you have the perfect opportunity. Go ahead, make the journey!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.
Related Stories: Labels: Bebe Neuwirth, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting, The SOB Revisit
Revisiting Chicago
Tomorrow, I'm making a trip back to
Chicago. Not the city, mind you, but the longest-running current Broadway revival.
While I've certainly enjoyed the film version over and over, including quite recently, I haven't seen the musical live since 1998.
Now I know I've been somewhat harsh on the production over the past year, particularly as they've resorted to stunt-casting. Though some of their choices have been inspired, many simply have not reflected well on a show that in my humble estimation deserves nothing but the best.
Fortunately for the tuner, they now have it once again in
Bebe Neuwirth, who has rejoined the production through March 25. I'm revisiting
Chicago precisely to experience its glory-day razzle dazzle now that she's returned. Of course, what's truly inspired about her return is that she's now portraying the
other merry murderess, Roxie Hart. Neuwirth took home a Tony for her take on Velma Kelly back in 1997.
Neuwirth will be joined by
Chicago veteran
Brenda Braxton as Velma Kelly,
Rob Bartlett as Amos Hart,
Roz Ryan as "Mama" Morton,
R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine and
Philip Casnoff assuming the role of Billy Flynn from
Huey Lewis (Lewis had been scheduled to depart the production on Sunday, but it appears that Casnoff starting his gig two days early).
With musical pros like Neuwirth and Braxton back in the saddle, the show just has to be good. But you can bet I'll provide you with my recap once the curtain falls!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:
Labels: Bebe Neuwirth, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting
Usher OutDespite initial plans for R&B crooner/heartthrob
Usher Raymond to extend his time in
Chicago by two weeks (to October 14), those plans have apparently been scuttled by a bad case of strep throat. He has been out of performances since October 6.
Christopher McDonald is once again set to takeover the role of Billy Flynn this coming Sunday (he performed in the role last year), before the 10 year old musical welcomes
Huey Lewis back to the production on November 20.
Here's wishing Usher a speedy recovery.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:Will Usher Razzle Dazzle 'em? (August 22, 2006)
We Had It Coming: Chicago's Starry 10th Anniversary (July 26, 2006)
Chicago to Usher in New Billy Flynn (July 14, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting
Stunt Casting That Has Me ReelingAs I've previously written, I'm more than a little dubious on the merits of stunt casting established theatrical shows. While I can understand the desire of producers to attract new audiences, I see little merit in casting shows with actors who simply don't have the gravitas or appropriate age or chops.
Last night, 70s heartthrob
Donny Osmond took on the role of Gaston in Disney's
Beauty And The Beast. Apparently, it doesn't matter that the guy -- who
over thirty years ago was boasting he was "a little bit rock and roll" -- will turn 50 years old next year. I've always envisioned Gaston as being the young, rugged type. I have nothing against Osmond, and you could argue that his prolific family suggests he's pretty virile, but I find it appalling that he would be portraying a character better suited to someone half his age...like his son Donny Osmond, Jr. To be honest, I'd rather see the elder Osmond play Billy Flynn in
Chicago.
Speaking of which, today it was announced that
The Newsless 56-year-old
Huey Lewis would be returning to that decade-old tuner on November 20 and remain with the show until January 14. During the last two weeks of his upcoming stint, he'll co-star with
Bebe Neuwirth who's set to play Roxie Hart. Thanks to Neuwirth's exciting return, I already have my tickets to see her opposite Lewis' Billy Flynn along with an as-yet-to-be-announced actress in the role of Velma Kelly.
Lewis' return to
Chicago will occur just over a month after
Usher's scheduled departure (Usher has just extended through October 14). Sure the young R&B crooner exudes charm. Even critics were at least impressed by his charisma. But the role of Billy Flynn represents the complete flipside of the Gaston coin. As critics have thankfully noted, Flynn should be inhabited by a much more world-weary, jaded and older type. Not someone half Huey Lewis' age! Maybe Disney could enlist Usher for
Beauty And The Beast. It's just a thought.
Finally, even the British stage isn't immune to stunt casting as we saw earlier this summer with
Patrick Swayze being cast in
Guys And Dolls. It should come as no surprise that the West End staging of
Chicago is once again engaging in the practice, this time with 22-year-old lip-synching extraordinaire
Ashlee Simpson as Roxie Hart. Enough said!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for Beauty And The Beast tickets.Click here for Chicago (Broadway) tickets.Click here for Chicago (London) tickets.Related Stories:Bebe's Back to Broadway! (September 6, 2006)
Will Usher Razzle Dazzle 'em? (August 22, 2006)
Does London's Guys and Dolls Still Swayze Critics? (August 19, 2006)
We Had It Coming: Chicago's Starry 10th Anniversary (July 26, 2006)
Chicago to Usher in New Billy Flynn (July 14, 2006)
Swayze Lands London's Detroit Role (June 5, 2006)
Labels: Beauty And The Beast, Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Guys And Dolls, London, Stunt Casting
Does Holiday Bounce Provide Second Honeymoon for Wedding Singer?Holiday weekends typically provide a huge box office boost for many a Broadway show, particularly as tourists converge on the Big Apple in force. This Labor Day weekend appears to be no exception as all but five Broadway shows enjoyed increased attendance.
With the weekend closings of
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,
Sweeney Todd and
The Lieutenant Of Inishmore, it's not surprising that each went out with a bang with weekly capacities logging in at 80.6%, 84.3% and 73%, respectively. Among those shows,
Sweeney Todd had the smallest week over week increase at 7%.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels saw an increase of 11.3%, while
The Lieutenant Of Inishmore skyrocketed an amazing 24.6%.
As previously noted here, the speculation continues on which musical will be the next to vacate one of Broadway's larger venues. While many have been betting that
The Wedding Singer will be next, I'm placing my money on
The Producers, and this week's box office underscores my rationale. Yes, the latter improved week over week by 4.5% to come in at 62.4% capacity, but the former saw a large bump of 14.8% to enjoy a capacity of 71.7% -- better than
any other show that survived the weekend.
What's more, there's still some buzz left in
The Wedding Singer, considering its recent casting announcement (OK, so I personally had never heard of
Constantine Maroulis since I don't watch "
American Idol," but since the television show resonates with virtually every demographic out there, his addition is likely to spur interest
somewhere).
One similarity with
The Producers is that
The Wedding Singer is now offering huge discounts of up to $50 off on tickets purchased through October 29. Tickets for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are reduced to $61.25, and $66.25 for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays by using promotion code
WS24PBE.
Will it be enough to outlast
The Producers? I think it could be just the ticket.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for The Wedding Singer tickets.Related Stories:Going: Three for Three (September 5, 2006)
Labels: Box Office, Broadway, Musical, Stunt Casting, The Producers, The Wedding Singer
Will Usher Razzle Dazzle 'em?Alright, I know I've already been quite dismissive of the stunt casting of R&B superstar
Usher Raymond (yes,
Raymond! Who knew?) in the nearly decade-old revival of
Chicago, but I'm willing to listen to what anyone else has to say about his performance as Billy Flynn, which begins tonight.
One blogger whose opinion I value is
Chris Caggiano. Chris, who writes
Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals, had this to say after Usher's casting was announced: "I have little doubt that Usher in
Chicago will be very lucrative for the Weisslers. But I have a feeling that his presence will distract people from the show itself. "
Does this 27 year old self-assured crooner have the necessary chops to make for a believable shyster attorney? With all the buzz, including in some positive press like last Friday's
The New York Times story by
Campbell Robertson, there's bound to be some modicum of success.
One thing has already been assured -- tickets are selling at a brisk pace and Usher's entrance into this durable show may attract fresh audiences to Broadway's
Ambassador Theatre; hopefully that will result in a newfound love for the medium of theatre in more than one Usher fan.
I think it was in that spirit that blogger
Stephen Mosher has rightfully asked, "Won't it be funny if Usher is actually good?" Yes, and you can bet that Usher will have the last laugh -- along with the Weisslers!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for tickets.Related Stories:We Had It Coming: Chicago's Starry 10th Anniversary (July 26, 2006)
Chicago to Usher in New Billy Flynn (July 14, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Chicago The Musical, Musical, Revival, Stunt Casting, Usher
