Closing Notice For Next To Normal
After major cast changes and months of sluggish box office, not to mention rumors speculating the inevitable,
next to normal has
posted a closing notice for January 16, 2010.
Originally mounted
Off-Broadway, as well as at Washington DC's
Arena Stage, this unlikely musical delved headlong into mental illness. So potent was the controversial tuner that it garnered 11 Tony Award nominations including for Best Musical. The show would win Tonys for its star
Alice Ripley, its score (
Tom Kitt and
Brian Yorkey) and orchestrations (
Michael Starobin).
Perhaps its biggest
coup de grâce to all naysayers was earning a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year -- controversial in itself since it was hardly a new dramatic work by the time it won.
Personally, I found myself absolutely spellbound by the show, and it certainly melted its way into my heart. And I certainly thought it merited the 2009 Tony Award for Best Musical (it lost out to the irresistible charms of
Billy Elliot).
By the time
next to normal closes, it will have played 733 regular performances. Fortunately for its legions of fans, they'll be able to catch the
touring version of the show headlined by none other than Alice Ripley herself.
Performances begin later this month (November 23) at the Center Theatre Group's
Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
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: Alice Ripley, Brian Yorkey, Broadway, Closing Notices, Michael Starobin, Next To Normal, Tom Kitt, Touring Production
SOB's Least Favorite Shows Of The Noughties: #4 - The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas (2002, Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Introduction: Hard as it is to comprehend that we're already 119 months into this "new" millennium, we are fast approaching the end of its first decade. While we have yet to agree on what exactly we should call the '00s, I'll take a cue from the fine folks at The Times of London and the BBC and henceforth refer to them at the Noughties. With that small introduction, I'm not only pleased to present my list of my top 25 favorite plays and musicals of the Noughties, but also a simultaneous countdown of my five least favorite shows out of the hundreds and hundreds of shows I've seen over the last ten years. There's nothing like a good star vehicle to tell a cheap and tawdry story. Unfortunately,
The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas revival that toured the United States in the aftermath of 9/11 simply felt cheap.
As someone who has admired
Ann-Margret through her lengthy career, I was eager to see her perform live. But as Madame Mona Stangley, the Swedish kitten seemed incapable of anything but preening and posing directly to the audience, as if there were no other players in the show. Not even
Gary Sandy's best efforts could save this disappointing show.
In a word: “Atrocious.”
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. I paid my own way for each performance.Labels: Ann-Margret, Gary Sandy, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, Revival, SOB's Least Favorite Shows Of The Noughties, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, Touring Production
101 Dalmatians (The SOB Review) - Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota*1/2 (out of ****)Given the wonderful seminal movie-going experience
Disney's 1961 animated feature "
101 Dalmatians" afforded me, I eagerly anticipated and chowed down on everything from its initial release on videotape and DVD to movie memorabilia to the
1996 feature film.
So when I learned that Tony Award-winning director
Jerry Zaks would be helming a stage musical version, how could I resist? Turns out this tale is far from man's best friend.
When it comes to the non-Disney touring production of
The 101 Dalmatians Musical that made its initial bow in Minneapolis last week, there's no beating around the bushes (which, parents should duly note, are apparently inhabited with dogs in serious heat). Unfortunately, it's all bow, with too little wow. Some of those gasps you're likely to hear are parents who are caught off-guard by several instances of off-color humor.
It would be easy for any wag to dismiss the tuner as one giant dog of a show, but that really wouldn't be fair to any canine. Its creators may insist that this
101 Dalmatians is meant to reflect Dodie Smith's original 1956 children's novel, but it readily becomes apparent that this is merely a feeble attempt to cash-in on the far superior Disney forebears.
Act One certainly shows some promise, including flourishes in its score reminiscent of the heyday for 70s rock band
Styx. That's in part because it's been written by the group's front-man
Dennis DeYoung. Unfortunately, the second act becomes hackneyed and the score is simply derivative.
But that's a mutt point if you deliver on what "101 Dalmatians" fans have enjoyed most about the earlier incarnations: the cute furry dogs and the fiendish Cruella DeVil. In this
101 Dalmatians, both aren't on stage nearly enough even if they represent the most satisfying aspects of the show.
With varying effect, the adult characters warily maneuver the stage in costumes built for stilts so as to appear larger than the the humans portraying Pongo, Missus and their own litter of puppies (played by children). To supplement these "dogs," up to 15 genuine dalmatians are used, along with what appear to be cardboard cutouts, to amass the quantities the title demands.
Sorry to say, these real dogs are only used at the end of each act. At the conclusion of the show, the real dalmatians chew the scenery quite literally by putting on a pleasing display of impressively stupid pet tricks. Considering that they elicit a much larger audience response than the rest of the show put together (with one notable exception that I'll get to in a moment), they demonstrate just how little meat is on this
101 Dalmatians' bones.
As for that exception, the enormously talented
Rachel York is a delirious delight as the devilish Cruella. Despite being criminally underutilized, the wickedly funny York radiates the musical's only real heat whenever she blazes across the stage. She really sinks her teeth into the production and employs her considerable vocal skills to tremendous effect. York is also one of the few actors in this production who seems truly comfortable on those stilts.
Suffice to say, without York,
101 Dalmatians would just sit there with no bark and no bite. And that's a doggone shame.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: 101 Dalmatians, Dennis DeYoung, Jerry Zaks, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, Rachel York, The SOB Review, Touring Production
Avenue Q: The Road From East 15th To 50th StreetAvenue Q has long been a little musical about firsts.
First musical to mount a serious (and successful) campaign to win the Tony for Best Musical.First musical to immediately forego the national tour route in favor of a sitdown (and not so successful) Las Vegas production.
First musical to offer "full puppet nudity," as well as puppet sex.First musical to present its version of a presidential debate, dubbed "Avenue Q&A" in which Rick Lyon and Jennifer Barnhart operated George W. Bush and John Kerry puppets, respectively.First musical to host an online contest to change lyrics (President Barack Obama's inauguration necessitated a change from the show-closing line "George Bush is only for now").Now, in perhaps the biggest firsts of them all,
Avenue Q will be the
first hit* Broadway musical to ever transfer to an Off-Broadway venue.
During yesterday's Broadway closing, producer
Kevin McCollum made the surprise announcement that the little tuner that could would in fact move just a tad more than five blocks from the Great White Way's
John Golden Theatre at 252 West 45th Street to Off-Broadway's
New World Stages at 340 West 50th Street. According to
The New York Times:
[T]he Off Broadway production would likely use a smaller group of musicians, as when it was performed at the Vineyard Theatre in 2003, and that some reorchestration of the music might be needed. Otherwise, it will use the same sets (and same puppets), and the show’s creative team, including its director Jason Moore and book author Jeff Whitty, will remain with the show. Casting for the Off Broadway production was not announced.
It should be noted that by vacating the Golden Theatre,
Avenue Q was already leaving one of Broadway's smallest theatres, which has a capacity of 805. But for fans, this was very welcome news.
While
Avenue Q made its initial debut during the 2002
National Music Theater Conference at Connecticut's
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, the show's first New York production came in March 2003 at the tiny 120 seat Vineyard Theatre on East 15th Street. Just four months later,
Avenue Q made the highly successful leap to Broadway, opening on July 31, 2003. Talk about a quick ride to the Great White Way.
Later that same fall, I saw
Avenue Q and enjoyed myself, even though I have to admit being caught a little off-guard by the level of delight the show took in "Schadenfreude." But the original cast --
John Tartaglia,
Stephanie D'Abruzzo,
Ann Harada,
Jordan Gelber, Lyon, Barnhart and
Carmen Ruby Floyd as Gary Coleman (
Natalie Venetia Belcon was out the night of my performance) -- possessed such a sweet sincerity that I rolled along with it. It wasn't until
I took in the first national tour in early 2008 that I was really put off by its overly cynical, mean-spiritedness. In retrospect, I chalk it up to being in too large of a venue with a cast that could not deliver irony quite the way the original did.
At least with
Avenue Q's transfer to the intimate New World stages, its producers won't have to worry about it becoming lost in too large a house. The question will be whether its too-be-announced cast can deliver the goods.
* Thanks to Alicia for correcting me. Apparently there was another musical to go from Broadway to Off-Broadway, but it was no Broadway hit.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Avenue Q, Broadway, Closings, Firsts, Jennifer Barnhart, John Tartaglia, Musical, Off-Broadway, Rick Lyon, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Touring Production, Transfer
Agosto Em OsageCan't wait for the
North American tour of
August: Osage County to get your fix of
Tracy Letts' landmark play?
Well, you actually have a couple options, albeit expensive ones.
First, you get on a play bound for Melbourne, Australia, where the Westons and Aikens continue to hold court at the
Melbourne Theatre Company through July 4.
In addition to those who already told me that they so the production by the time
I posted my story on the opening, several additional Aussie friends have taken my recommendation to see the production and all have raved. They've said:
AWESOME advice...
We saw it last night and were both BLOWN AWAY! Thanks for the tip - Robyn Neven as Violet was MESMERISING!!!
and
Hey Steve.. Just LOVED August: Osage County. It was so electric. Just loved the pace and performances. Especially the Violet role played by our Dame of theatre Robyn Nevin. Have you ever heard of her - she is amazing.
It really was astounding - if I could see plays like that every time I went to the theatre - I would feel as if I was in Heaven!
OMG - cannot wait to see that play again... Amazing...
and
I saw August Osage County in Melbourne last night and I loved it. Easily the greatest night at the theatre I've had this year - if not, for years. It's superb. Robyn Nevin's performance as Violet is transformative and magnetic to watch.
If Australia is too far (these days, it's not nearly as expensive as it had been) and you can speak Portugese, you might consider visiting Lisbon. That's right. There is a
production playing right now at the Portugese capital's
Teatro Nacional D. Maria II!
Imagine my delight this morning in receiving an e-mail from one of my friends who landed in Lisbon (Lisboa) yesterday. He wrote:
It seems to me that August: Osage County is playing here in Lisbon - we took a picture of the poster for you
West Side Story is here as well - perhaps they will hire Swedes to play the Jets!
The production began June 25 and runs through August 2. The Teatro Nacional's Web site includes the
following description of the play (you've got to love this very rough translation from Portugese, a language I do not speak):
All the happy families are identical and all the unfortunate families the Saints to her way. When, in a night, in the rural environment of Oklahoma, the alcoholic patriarch disappears mysterious, the big clan of the Weston unites immediately for consolation of the mother and for will hurry the motive of the disappearance of the father. Seeing forced it confront hidden truths and surprising secrets, the family ends up be involved in an argument with the matriarch Violet, an addicted woman in pharmaceuticals and unstable psychological state, that is found in the environment of this stormy family.
Oh to be able to see how this show translates, quite literally.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Australia, Lisbon, Melbourne, Melbourne Theatre Company, Play, Portugal, Robyn Nevin, Touring Production, Tracy Letts
Down For The County, August House Empties OutExactly two years to the day after its Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning ride began on the Downstairs Stage at Chicago's
Steppenwolf Theatre,
Tracy Letts'
August: Osage County will close at the
Music Box Theatre, its second Broadway home.
Back on
June 28, 2007, Letts' sprawling, searing masterpiece began previews at its original Windy City home with a sizeable cross-section of talent from the company's estimable ensemble. As an enthusiastic and proud Steppenwolf supporter, I was disappointed to miss the original opening night in July of that year. But after seeing it one August night, I was enthralled as I found myself completely sucked in on one side and blown out the other.
Mind you, I'm blown away more often than not when I attend Steppenwolf's carefully selected plays. It's one of the reasons why I have become such an ardent supporter and fan. But the feeling I had after seeing
August: Osage County the first time was something way beyond anything I typically experience. I knew I was witnessing something truly extraordinary and rare in the annals of theatre history.
Of course, by the time I saw it, word had already reached New York and beyond. In my initial review, I summed up by stating:
I've already heard rumor that this Steppenwolf world premiere play is already being touted for consideration by the Pulitzer Prize committee and that a Broadway transfer may be a real possibility. However, my strong recommendation is to do everything you can to see this modern-day, sure-to-be classic with its impeccable current cast.
Little did I realize then that nearly everyone from that original Chicago cast would make their way to New York for the initial Broadway run, which began previews on October 30, 2007. Nor did I realize quite the way they'd take New York by storm, conquering the hearts and minds of theatregoers who hungered for something exciting and new. It mattered little that the running time was nearly three and a half hours because as one of my favorite Steppenwolf friends once told me before I ever saw the work, "This is the fastest three and a half hours you'll ever spend inside a theatre."
Plans for
August: Osage County's opening night were scuttled thanks to the stagehands strike in the fall of 2007 (yours truly had been thrilled to be invited to attend as it was to be my first opening night of any Broadway show). Shortly after the strike was settled, opening night performances for a slew of shows was hastily arranged, and just my luck, my work prevented me from attended the rescheduled opening on December 4, 2007, for
August. Nevertheless, the play never got lost in the shuffle as it opened to
rave reviews.
By now, you know that the accolades didn't stop there. On
April 7, 2008, Tracy Letts was honored with a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Nominations for all the major theatrical awards came shortly thereafter with the Tonys providing the cherry on top. On
June 15, 2008,
August: Osage County won five Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Actress in a Play (
Deanna Dunagan for her bravura performance as Violet Weston), Best Director (
Anna D. Shapiro), Best Featured Actress in a Play (
Rondi Reed for her stellar turn as Aunt Mattie Fae Aiken) and Best Scenic Design (
Todd Rosenthal).
I managed to see
August: Osage County three times during its Broadway run --
once at the
Imperial Theatre with everyone from the original Main Stem cast except, sadly,
Dennis Letts, the playwright's father who was nearing the end of his valiant battle with cancer, and twice at the
Music Box, which provided a much more intimate experience for taking in this larger than life drama.
Third time, by the way, was the charm when it came to my attending opening nights. It was a complete joy to be in
London last November when most of the cast reassembled for the opening of
August: Osage County at the National Theatre.
So while I'm a little melancholy today that the play is closing, it's hard to feel too sad when you consider that it's doing so after 648 remarkable performances -- longer than any other current play on Broadway and the longest run for a play since
David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize/Tony-winning
Proof enjoyed 917 performances from 2000-2003. It's been an amazing run. I continue to marvel how this work has reconfirmed the theatre world's interest in Steppenwolf and made a star out of Tracy Letts' breathtaking writing.
As one door closes, certainly another one opens. As
noted in January, the North American tour of
August: Osage County kicks off next month on July 24 in Denver at the lovely
Ellie Caulkins Opera House before going on to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Toronto, Hartford, Washington DC, Tempe and Dallas, among many other cities. For a production that originally clicked its heels with a tagline, "There’s No Place Like Home," the tour will really come home to roost when it lands in Oklahoma on January 26, 2010 at the
Tulsa PAC - Chapman Music Hall.
Another door that will soon open is for Tracy Letts' latest play
, Superior Donuts.
I loved this surprisingly tender show when I saw it last summer at Steppenwolf and understand that Letts has been reworking the script and preparing it for its October 1 opening on Broadway.
Perhaps the biggest door of all to open may in fact be for the silver screen incarnation of
August: Osage County film. It
was confirmed last August that the work would be transformed into a feature film. You have to bet that Hollywood's hottest actors are vying for the opportunity to try on the Weston Family for size.
But something tells me that you haven't heard the last of the original cast of
August: Osage County. And with that, I'll just say so long for now.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anna D Shapiro, August Osage County, Chicago, Closing Notices, Deanna Dunagan, Film, London, Play, Rondi Reed, Steppenwolf, Superior Donuts, Todd Rosenthal, Touring Production, Tracy Letts
My Second Look At PlaybillsIf you're anything like me, you occa-sionally like to thumb through your old Playbills just to see whether you've previ-ously seen any stars before they've entered our public consciousness.
Recently, as I was alphabetizing all my Playbills, I came across my unusually large stash from
Wicked. With all the recent buzz surrounding "
American Idol" contestant
Adam Lambert, I was surprised to find that his name was indeed in the Playbill I've kept after seeing the very first
touring company of the musical when it initially touched down in Chicago in 2005.
While I honestly can't say I specifically
remember seeing Adam Lambert, I now realize I have the bragging rights of saying I saw him perform live way back when.
And wouldn't you know it, the performance I saw was four years ago today.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam Lambert, American Idol, Chicago, Musical, Touring Production, Wicked
Annie (The SOB Review) – Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
* (out of ****)
Leapin' lizards, what a dog.
Regular readers will know that in my appreciation for live theatre, I cut my teeth on the original Broadway production of
Martin Charnin and
Charles Strouse’s
Annie when
I saw the London mounting way back in 1979.
I was charmed by virtually every aspect of the show, beginning with
Martin Charnin and
Charles Strouse's winning score and
Thomas Meehan's lighthearted, whimsical books (with auspicious beginnings for Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal) right through the nuanced, winning performances by
Stratford Johns and
Sheila Hancock, and ultimately to all the magical design elements, particularly
David Mitchell's intricate set.
Flash forward to the current touring production of
Annie, and it’s a pale imitation of that original show. Bet your bottom dollar, because it looks that cheap.
Sure, the story and score still hold up -- in fact, given the current state of the economy, they resonate brilliantly -- but strip away practically every last nuance from the lackluster performances and the glorious design elements that wowed me thirty years ago, and it all comes down to what this
Annie amounts to.
To put it simply, it’s a scrim. No, not a scream, but one scrim after another after another, nearly devoid of most actual scenic design. It looks as cheap as it is bad. There's absolutely no magic. No wonder this revival falls so flat.
I’m truly grateful to
Gratuitous Violins for taking me as her guest, but at the risk of sounding like an ingrate, I’d like to scratch what
I had to say about
Guys And Dolls. This warmed-over
Annie marks the worst, most disappointing musical revival I’ve seen over the past year.
It’s a hard knock, but someday, if not tomorrow, a dazzling revival worthy of the exceptional core show will come knocking.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Annie, Charles Strouse, David Mitchell, Gratuitous Violins, Martin Charnin, Musical, Sheila Hancock, Stratford Johns, The SOB Review, Thomas Meehan, Touring Production
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
August To Launch Summer Tour In DenverSomehow, this little piece of
news from Sunday escaped me.
Guess I was still a little verklempt from
Patti LuPone's
showstopping performance of "Rose's Turn" to take notice (
New York Post's Michael Riedel
writes about extreme phototaking today).
But if you're looking forward to seeing a leg of the upcoming
national tour of the 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Play
August: Osage County, it's worth noting that the Playbill story is
already obsolete in announcing that the tour will launch in San Francisco this August.
It won't.
According to the
A:OC Web site, the August 11 - September 6 San Francisco dates at the
Curran Theatre will actually be
preceded by the official tour launch in Denver at the lovely
Ellie Caulkins Opera House on July 24.
Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play is scheduled to run there through August 8.
Casting for the tour has yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, if you're one of my readers from Down Under, it's worth noting that the
Melbourne Theatre Company will be staging its own version of
August: Osage County beginning May 23, 2009 through June 27. As far as I know, this will mark the first time the show is not being produced in association with the original Steppenwolf mounting.
Former
Sydney Theatre Company Artistic Director
Robyn Nevin will star as Violet Weston. American audiences may recall that she directed
Cate Blanchett in the excellent 2005
Brooklyn Academy of Music mounting of
Hedda Gabler.
Nevin will be joined by Jane Menelaus, Robert Menzies, Deidre Rubenstein and Michael Robinson, among others. This production will be directed by Kellie Jones with
Simon Phillips serving as creative director. Take a look at the theatre company's promotional design for the show above -- they've certainly captured the essence of the play in the above artwork.
Finally, no
Chris, I have no plans to fly to Australia.
Yet.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: August Osage County, Australia, Denver, Melbourne, Play, San Francisco, Touring Production, Tracy Letts
Going, Going, Going ... Gone (Part II)One week ago today,
I took note of Charles Isherwood's bittersweet
story that almost served as a plea to get out and see your favorite shows before they close. That same day, nine Broadway shows closed.
Today, we'll bid adieu to yet another three Main Stem productions, including
one that earned the Tony for Best Musical just four years ago and
another that earned its
three principal cast members Tonys for their exceptional acting.
Today is your last chance to see the following three shows:
All My Sons. Going. No word yet (as of this writing) on whether a tour will ensue.
Gypsy. Going. While rumors had run rampant that a West End transfer might take place -- at least for its star
Patti LuPone -- there's been no official word as of late. For that reason alone, I revisited the
St. James Theatre last night to catch the second to last performance on the Great White Way. WOW!
I will discuss just a little later how Ms. LuPone stopped the show twice -- once when the audience gave her a standing O upon the conclusion of her rendition of "Rose's Turn," but also
during the same tune when she stopped the orchestra because some idiot in the audience had the bad manners to be taking at least three photos (by her count) of her performance.
After rebuking the offender by saying, "How dare you?" among other fourth wall-breaking chastisements, Ms. LuPone had the jerk kicked out and then started the tune all over, to great applause. This marked the first time I had ever seen an artist stop a show because of an audience member's complete lack of manners.
If you're attending Sunday's final performance and think you can get away with taking a photo, be forewarned!
Monty Python's Spamalot. Going. And if you were toying with traveling to London to see the
West End mounting, you'll have to rethink that strategy as the show closed there on January 3 (the abbreviated
Las Vegas staging already closed last summer). But the
North American tour continues. You can catch its last
South Bend (IN) performance today; from there, the tour moves on to
Peoria (insert your
obvious joke here) and then to
Chicago.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: All My Sons, Broadway, Closings, Gypsy, Monty Python's Spamalot, Patti LuPone, Rumor, Touring Production
Frost/Nixon (The SOB Revisit) - State Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota*1/2 (out of ****)You'd think that all the ongoing Oscar buzz generated by the
film progeny of Broadway's
Frost/Nixon would be enough to place everyone associated with the
current national tour squarely on their "A" game.
With stage director
Michael Grandage apparently phoning it in with a lackluster ineffectual cast, I'm sorry to say that you'd be very wrong.
Granted, I just saw the silver screen incarnation over the past two weeks, and yes,
I thought it better than the original Broadway mounting (see my 2007 SOB Review
here). But this touring production pales dramatically in every sense of the word and is likely to disappoint the throngs of filmgoers who have been inspired to seek out the source material. If ever I doubted the extraordinary ability of
Frank Langella and
Michael Sheen to rise above
Peter Morgan's script, those doubts have forever been put to rest, even as the current cast sinks beneath it.
First and foremost,
Stacy Keach is just plain wrong as
Richard Nixon. Keach is a distinguished actor, to be sure, but he only rarely achieves any of the Nixonian cadences and posturing Langella effortlessly mastered. Sure, Langella may only bear a fleeting approximation to Nixon, but he had me believing. Even
Bob Ari, the actor who portrays
Robert Zelnick doing a Nixon impersonation is better (Ari also understudies Keach, after having understudied Langella on Broadway). The overly robust Keach, on the other hand, doesn't even seem to try, instead eerily coming off more like the personification of
Peter Griffin of television's "
Family Guy."
Speaking of cartoonish performances,
Alan Cox as
David Frost infuses his characterization with a mad dash of
Austin Powers. Sadly, to say that he gives the best performance of the evening is not saying much.
Perhaps the worst is the laughably miscast
Brian Sgambati as
James Reston, a narrative role intended to provide an undercurrent of moral and righteous indigation. However, Sgambati's Reston is merely a boy scout, exhibiting an inappropriately earnest gee-whiz half smile that makes questioning of whether Frost should work with this "loose cannon" completely incongruous -- loose marble is more like it.
Do yourself a favor, save your loose change and go see the far superior film version of "Frost/Nixon" with Langella and Sheen in lieu of the impeachable tour. It's one of the few times I've ever recommended a silver screen incarnation over a live stage show.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Alan Cox, Brian Sgambati, David Frost, Film, Frost/Nixon, Michael Grandage, Peter Morgan, Play, Richard Nixon, Stacy Keach, The SOB Revisit, Touring Production
Frost/Nixon Better On Silver ScreenJust when I thought it was not possible for a film to be better than its stage precursor, along comes
Ron Howard's enthralling
big screen adaptation of
Peter Morgan’s play
Frost/Nixon.
Please don't get me wrong. Nothing can match seeing
Frank Langella as
U.S. President Richard Nixon duke it out with
Michael Sheen as British television talk show host/gadfly/womanizer
David Frost live on stage. Both were superb, and Langella was completely deserving of the Tony Award he received for his portrayal of our disgraced president.
But seeing these two exceptional actors again, now with a completely fleshed out and contextualized story line -- compliments of Morgan himself -- now ensures that Langella and Sheen's stellar performances are matched by the material itself.
Yes,
I still have an issue with the ficticious middle-of-the-night telephone call that plays such a pivotal role in this story, especially since most casual observers will believe it to be fact. But that alone should not stop anyone, including students of history, from seeing the film. Or the North American
touring stage production, for that matter.
On that note, I'll be taking in one of the early legs of the tour, just so I can compare the two versions of
Frost/Nixon once more.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, David Frost, Film, Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon, Michael Sheen, Peter Morgan, Richard Nixon, Ron Howard, Touring Production
RIP Eartha Kitt (1927 - 2008)Even as I had celebrated the joys of Christmas throughout yesterday, I went to bed last night with a heavy heart after learning that the magnificent, sultry and completely irrepressible
Eartha Kitt died of colon cancer.
This triple threat (actor, singer, dancer) who once dared speak her mind at the White House was 81 and one of a kind. Never one to shy away from speaking her mind or living life to its fullest, Ms. Kitt was simply wonderrrrrrrful.
Given how often I heard her 1954 classic "Santa Baby" on the radio this holiday season, it was sadly ironic that this two-time Tony nominee -- for 1978's
Timbuktu! and 2000's
The Wild Party -- passed away on Christmas Day.
Personally, I had two opportunities to see her perform live on stage, and I'll always cherish those memories.
The first time came in the early part of this decade when she took on the role of the Fairy Godmother as part of a color-blind cast revival that
toured with
Rodgers and
Hammerstein's
Cinderella -- the chance to see Ms. Kitt was the sole reason I went, and despite the smallish role, she did not disappoint as she sang, "Impossible."
But the second, unforgettable time came nearly two years ago on Valentine's Day 2007. Ms. Kitt was part of a poetry reading. Not just any poetry reading, mind you, but one that featured the likes of a few other actors of note you may have heard of:
Joanna Gleason,
Charles Grodin,
Philip Seymour Hoffman,
Chris Sarandon,
Joanne Woodward and the late great
Paul Newman. Eartha Kitt and these other fine actors offered their own unique, individual voices on the ecstasy and agony that arguably make love life’s ultimate affection -- all as part of a mega-bite Valentine called
Come Be My Love...Love Spoken Here, a fundraiser for Connecticut's venerable
Westport Country Playhouse. I can still vividly recall Ms. Kitt's tender, impassioned humanity and humor, thinking how extraordinarily she made every single word dance in my ears.
During a reception after the performance, The Love of My Life and I had a unique opportunity to speak with this legendary diva, and I use that term in its true best sense. Ms. Kitt could not have been more gracious. For us, it was perrrrrrfection.
As my friend Eric in Atlanta has said, may she rrrrrrrrrrrrest in peace.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Cinderella, Come Be My Love...Love Spoken Here, Eartha Kitt, In Memoriam, Musical, Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers, Santa Baby, The Wild Party, Timbuktu, Touring Production
Getting The Grease Out: And Another One DownWhat is it with this economy and Broadway shows? They don't seem to go together these days.
Today,
Playbill.com announced that
Kathleen Marshall's revival of
Grease is closing January 4, 2009. It will have played 554 regular performances.
Regular readers will recall that
I didn't have very many nice things to say about the show that had its dubious beginnings in a 2007 reality television show called, "
You're The One That I Want." The low-rated program launched
Max Crumm and
Laura Osnes into their fifteen minutes of fame. They were replaced this past July by runners-up
Derek Keeling and
Ashley Spencer.
Despite a bit of a boon at the box office last week, when its capacity skyrocketed to 85.6% -- no doubt thanks in part to the Thanksgiving holiday -- the show has been hovering, appropriately enough, between the mid-fifties to mid-sixties in other recent weeks.
For fans of
Grease, there's always the national tour, which launched just yesterday at the
Providence Performing Arts Center with
Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Ashley Spencer, Broadway, Closing Notices, Derek Keeling, Grease, Kathleen Marshall, Laura Osnes, Max Crumm, Musical, Revival, Taylor Hicks, Touring Production
Wicked At FiveIn case you haven't already noticed, either by virtue of the
Empire State Building glowing in green or my posts from the past couple of days, the Broadway musical
Wicked is celebrating its
fifth anniversary of its Great White Way opening this evening.
Just a month or two into our relationship,
The Love of My Life and I first saw
Wicked together on the afternoon of November 1, 2003. Some couples have their song. We have our musical.
It springs not just from sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the actual performances
Wicked offers, but it's also derived from our innate love for the original "
Wizard Of Oz" film. After all, we were practically weaned on it as our families gathered around the television sets each year for what amounted to "event" TV way back when.
But cementing our affection for the tuner is
Wicked's inspired twisting inside out of that original tale we thought we already knew backwards and forwards. Together, for the first time, we felt a little wicked in sharing an experience we both heartily enjoyed.
Since we first saw and loved the production from our fifth row center seats a mere two days after it initially opened, we've seen the show enough times that I've honestly lost count. Not only have we been back to the
Gershwin Theatre at least another four times to see the likes of Elphaba and Glinda, but I've also been back there for the
Behind the Emerald Curtain Tour and Monday's night's
The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken benefit performance.
Oh yes, and then there were the performances in Chicago. Not only did we take in the
original touring production when it first landed at the Windy City's Oriental Theatre, but we returned to the subsequent
sitdown production there over and over and over and over again while living there (and even after we moved away). We even had several opportunities there to see our future friend and Tony winner
Rondi Reed perform as Madame Morrible.
Post Chicago, we also took in the touring cast in Minneapolis before venturing overseas to each of the international productions in
London (April 2007),
Stuttgart (November 2007),
Tokyo (December 2007) and
Melbourne (July 2008), and you can bet that we're looking forward to seeing more of the world after this show opens elsewhere. Anyone want to meet us in Amsterdam next?
Just as
The Love of My Life and I celebrate our five years together, the two of us are celebrating
Gregory Maguire for providing the decidedly different, more adult take on Elphaba and Glinda in the first place through his original novel "
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." We celebrate
Stephen Schwartz and
Winnie Holzman for transforming that story into a family musical via their original score and book. We celebrate producers
Marc Platt,
Universal Pictures,
The Araca Group,
Jon B. Platt and
David Stone for having the vision necessary to bring the show to reality. Last, but certainly not least, we celebrate the countless Elphabas, Glindas, Fiyeros, Madame Morribles, Boqs, Nessaroses, Wizards and Doctor Dillamonds who have brought this story to life around the world.
We salute and celebrate all of you. Here's to another
Wicked five years!
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Anniversary, Broadway, David Stone, Gregory Maguire, Jon B. Platt, London, Marc Platt, Melbourne, Stephen Schwartz, Stuttgart, Tokyo, Touring Production, Wicked, Winnie Holtzman
Xanadu: Trading "The Fall" For "All Over The World"Despite the fact it's still playing to nearly two-thirds capacity crowds,
Xanadu is now set to hang up its Broadway roller skates. Nominated for four Tony Awards earlier this year,
Xanadu will skate across the
Helen Hayes Theatre stage one last time on October 12 before finally closing.
I rather enjoyed this tuner, even though it was far from great. The best thing about it was that it never aspired to be anything more than what it is: a wickedly funny take on one of the
worst films of all time.
Xanadu's brilliant cast -- including
Kerry Butler,
Cheyenne Jackson,
Jackie Hoffman and
Mary Testa -- certainly conjured up a magic spell, making all the difference in ensuring its success as a campy cult classic.
By the time the show shutters, it will have enjoyed 528 regular performances. But if you're lamenting
Xanadu's closing, fear not the end. The show is already performing overseas -- in Seoul, South Korea of all places. Not only will it play in other Southeast Asia venues, along with plans to mount the show from London to Australia, but a North American tour will roll into the San Diego area's
La Jolla Playhouse this November.
They don't call it
Xanadu for nothing.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Closing Notices, Musical, Touring Production, Xanadu
Rent ClosesIt's not every day I write about a Broadway show that's just closed, but then
Rent was not your average Broadway show.
After 5,124 performances, the late
Jonathan Larson's little tuner that infused the Main Stem with an amped up downtown mojo finally closed at the
Nederlander Theatre Sunday evening. Credit the cast with dedicating their final performance to Larson.
All is not lost for those mourning the loss of
Rent from the Great White Way. First, there's the
2005 film version that forever immortalizes most of the original Broadway cast on celluloid. Then, there's a
Sony Pictures'
The Hot Ticket film version of the final performance that will be shown in select movie theatres for a special limited engagement September 24, 25, 27 and 28.
And then there's the
touring production of
Rent that begins anew this January in Cleveland. Headlined by
Adam Pascal and
Anthony Rapp in a bit of a farewell victory lap, the tour will crisscross the United States for 30 weeks before heading to Japan's Akasaka Act Theatre and then to South Korea.
The Tony-winning Best Musical of 1996 is now history. But I'm sure it will live again another day.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Broadway, Closings, Japan, Musical, Rent, South Korea, Touring Production
Broadway Preview: White ChristmasAccording to
Variety, dreams of a
White Christmas for Broadway will be realized as
Irving Berlin's White Christmas glistens the Great White Way's Marquis Theatre starting this November.
The film-cum-stage musical has already played a host of venues throughout the United States over the past several years. Just two years ago,
I caught the
Walter Bobbie-helmed production in Saint Paul, Minnesota. While I found
Randy Skinner’s brilliant choreography enthralling, I was less impressed by the rather inert book by
David Ives and Paul Blake.
Still, now that the show has essentially enjoyed an extended out of town tryout over the past four holiday seasons -- and it's likely that the show's top actors will return for the Rialto engagement -- it's quite possible that the tuner's been sufficiently tweaked in time for its Broadway bow.
Expect
Irving Berlin's White Christmas to turn into a blizzard of ticket sales.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Related Stories:Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (The SOB Review) (December 6, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Irving Berlin, Musical, Touring Production, White Christmas
