Priscilla: Queen Of The PalaceAs
noted late last night, it didn't take long after
West Side Story's closing notice to be posted for producers of the international hit musical
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert to announce that the glittery show would occupy the newly vacant space at Broadway's
Palace Theatre come February.
Back in December 2006, I first caught
and enjoyed this ultra-campy disco jukebox musical version of the
film with music not too long after it enjoyed its world premiere in Sydney, Australia.
The show eventually moved on to
London (where it is still performing) and is now slated to come to Great White Way by way of
Toronto, where it begins previews October 12. The production will star
Will Swenson (
Hair) as Tick,
Nick Adams (
A Chorus Line) as Felicia, alongside the extraordinary
Tony Sheldon, who originated the role of Bernadette in Sydney.
But like many other shows, the road to Broadway -- to say nothing of the rocky roads within Australia -- provided a very bumpy ride that wasn't all sequins and tiaras. In July 2007, I
detailed the dramatic twists and turns as they were recounted to me from someone very close to the original production in Sydney.
Like I said just over three years ago, "At least when the day comes when
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert - The Musical is about to open on Broadway, you'll have a greater appreciation for how it got so far."
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert begins preview performances at Broadway's Palace Theatre on February 28, 2011, and opens March 20.
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. Labels: Australia, Broadway, First Word On New Show, London, Musical, Nick Adams, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Tony Sheldon, Will Swenson
Hair (The SOB Revisit) – Gielgud Theatre, London, United Kingdom
***1/2 (out of ****)
Fresh off a
long overnight flight to London, hardly sleeping a wink, I did something risky I had never dared to do before.
Instead of going straight from the airport to my hotel to freshen up (or nap), I opted to zip directly into the West End and purchase a ticket for the Thursday matinee performance of
Hair. All fears of dozing off quickly parted. With most of the original Broadway cast intact,
Hair reinvigorated me like a desperately needed shampoo, leaving me tingling from my head right down to my toes.
Performing in the much more intimate
Gielgud Theatre, the cast shines with more luster than ever. Aside from
Will Swenson’s added riffing on the kinds of Berger he is near the top of the show -- fueled in part by a late comer in the audience -- I noticed very few differences from what I had seen on Broadway just a year ago.
However, seeing the show again has made me appreciate the incredible talents of
Andrew Kober in his various guises throughout. This actor blew me away and left me wondering how I had neglected mentioning him in my review of the Broadway show.
As the Messianic yet conflicted Claude,
Gavin Creel is as strong and astonishing as ever. I’m not sure if it was my jetlag, but his performance sent chills down my spine even more this time around.
After working together for well over a year as part of a true tribe, this cast is firing on all cylinders, making
Hair even more powerful than I remembered it one year ago.
Hair proved to be just the buzz I needed.
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: Andrew Kober, Gavin Creel, Hair, London, Musical, Revival, The SOB Revisit, Transfer, Will Swenson
Are You Effable?If you're among those who read Steve On Broadway (SOB) on a regular basis, you know that I'm not one to let the F-Bombs drop on this site. So perhaps you've wondered whether I was intentionally trying to titillate with that title.
While "effable" is no longer commonly used in Americanized English, the word actually means "Capable of being uttered or explained; utterable."
There's an organization straddling Manhattan and Brooklyn that seeks to capitalize on theatrical expressibility called
Effable Arts. They've just announced their premiere production
Stop, Collaborate & Listen: 20Nothings. With a nod and a wink to what you
may have thought effable meant, they're promising, "A cherry-popping weekend of twentysomethings and celebrity 'survivors.'" With a title inadvertently inspired by
William H. Macy, the production will play in two parts on September 5 and 6 at The Producer’s Club Grand Theater at 358 West 44th Street in New York.
Stop, Collaborate & Listen: 20Nothings is billed as "a collection of original one-acts, monologues, dance, music and art depicting the hilarity and horrors of twentysomething-ness in 2009. Presented in two parts by artists age 23-27, this collaborative production throws a spotlight on mid-twenties purgatory with riotous, touching and insightful results."
According to the release I received, the Effable Arts production "also features an exclusive exhibition of advice for twentysomethings from 'Survivors' of their own transitional twenties, including not only the aforementioned Macy, but also Tony Award winners
Rondi Reed (
August: Osage County,
Wicked),
Laura Benanti (
Gypsy, Broadway’s upcoming
In the Next Room) and
Gregory Jbara (
Billy Elliot,
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels);
Will Swenson (
Hair);
Will Chase (
Billy Elliot,
Rent); and
Seth Rudetsky (
The Ritz ); along with the requisite "many, many more."
Part One on September 5 will begin at 8 p.m. EDT. "Audiences discover the true meaning of the term
20Nothings through a vibrant cast of characters, including a writer who must choose between his art or
Snakes on a Plane: The Musical!, an urban warrior trapped on the losing end of a battle with vermin, a young woman racing the hourglass of chronic illness, a pair of foul-mouthed sisters smacked in the face by formal 'adulthood,' two singles attempting to mate in the Facebook era and a set of friends who may have accidentally crossed from twentysomething purgatory right into Hell."
Part Two on September 6 begins at 7 p.m. EDT; it "explores the deeper side of Generation Y, showcasing the hope, fear, hurt and pride of an age-group just beginning to recognize its power. Through dance and song, artists remember the historic Stonewall Riots while emphasizing the fight is not yet over, examine the unstable nature of young relationships, use Dante’s famed Inferno as a metaphor for life’s daily struggles and remind everyone that even the bleakest of days can be cured with peanut butter and a little hope."
Both performances will feature letters and advice from the successful artists outlined above who also reflect on their own "youthful missteps."
Tickets for
Stop, Collaborate & Listen: 20Nothings are $15 each or $25 for a two-night pass. Please call the Effable Arts box office at 917.576.4149 to reserve seats; note that tickets must be paid in cash only at the door.
Since Effable Arts is a non-profit organization, they'll gladly accept your tax-deductible donations when you click
here like I just did. And you know what? For the first time in my life, I'm feeling a little effable.
This is Steve On Broadway.
Labels: Effable Arts, Gregory Jbara, Laura Benanti, Off-Broadway, Play, Rondi Reed, Seth Rudetsky, Stop Collaborate and Listen: 20Nothings, Will Chase, Will Swenson, William H. Macy
Hair (The SOB Review) - Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York, New York*** (out of ****)Want a good buzz?
Then go see
Diane Paulus' inspired third coming of
Hair -- unequivocally Broadway's best musical revival this season.
Granted, given some of the disappointments among tuners this year, that may not be saying much, especially when compared with last season's choices. After all, for a supposed counterculture American Tribal Love Rock Musical -- originally perceived as brimming with rebellious mojo --
Gerome Ragni and
James Rado's plot remains wafer thin. And 40 years after it originally appeared,
Hair feels more like a latter-day vaudeville meets sixties-style burlesque romp.
Even though I was just over six years old when the tuner
first appeared on Broadway, at the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon, I never saw what the fuss was about when I had previously seen
Hair. Fortunately, Paulus lets the sun shine in with her exceptional cast radiating the alternately playful and poignant score Ragni and Rado co-wrote for
Galt MacDermot's marvelous melodies. If the second act isn't exactly the first's equal, Paulus more than makes up for it with a heartwrenching conclusion that sneaks up you with a powerful wallop. It left me teary-eyed.
Credit Tony nominee
Gavin Creel for that. Having missed the opportunity to play the Christ-like lead in the aborted Main Stem revival of Godspell earlier this season, Creel more than redeems himself by taking on a strikingly similar role in which his charisma and exquisite voice win the day. As the sacrificed Claude, Creel seems to save our souls while shattering our hearts. That kind of redemption rightly deserves Tony recognition.
Similarly,
Will Swenson's brash and brassy Berger beguiles with a starmaking performance that is as bold as it is breathtaking.
Andrew Kober,
Saycon Sengbloh,
Bryce Ryness and
Caissie Levy all add exuberent energy to the tribal beat with noteworthy performances.
Despite my personal enjoyment, which was not simply limited to leaping on stage after the audience was invited to tread the boards during the reprise of "Let The Sun Shine In," I have one cautionary note: this show may appear better the closer you are to the stage. Unlike me, my various friends who saw this revival from the mezzanine -- including two at the very same performance I saw -- left substantially less impressed.
Perhaps it just helps to be entangled in the thick of this head of
Hair.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: Broadway, Gavin Creel, Hair, Musical, The SOB Review, Will Swenson
