I knew from reading the first few pages of Cloud Atlas that I would really enjoy this book; but it was ultimately unlike anything I expected. Mitchell ties together six tales which spread across time, place and even genres and are all tied together in various ways.
Mitchell transports us from the American law notary Adam Ewing's journals of his explorations of the Australian islands in the 19th century, to destitute Englishman Robert Froshbier's letters to a lover from the home of a musician in Belgium in the 1930s, to the story of the feisty American journalist Luisa Ray in the 1970s, the memoir of publisher Timothy Cavendish in present day England (I think its present day), an interview with Sonmi-450 in a future earth and the campfire story of Zachry in a post-apocalyptic world.
I was just in awe of Mitchell's ability to create such 3D characters and situations in so many different stories. I wanted to know more about Rufus Sixsmith, Zachry, the strange dystopian world of Sonmi and I could have eagerly read an entire novel on Luisa Ray (who was my favourite character). To me, Mitchell's ideas were pretty ingenious; I loved the world that was created post-'Fall', where society had pretty much reverted to tribal living where their deity was a creature invented by Darwin (this makes sense when you find out what the deity is...but it made me smile), and the idea of a distant future of sub-tribes was really intriguing; having an element of the film The Island involved in this. Another thing I loved was Mitchell's varying use of language for his characters; Ewing had archaic spellings, Sonmi-450's capitalisation of words and Zachry's spoken-word story is written entirely in dialect, which was a little daunting at first, but made for a very...true...experience.
As well as being a really good, character-driven story, Mitchell also explores the idea of power; what it is that makes humans grab power and keep others suppressed. This idea rears its head in different ways throughout the novel; from the historical examples that we have placed in our pasts to the much more sinister ways in which people may plan to keep others subservient in a dying, globalised world.
Seriously, I really really enjoyed this novel; perhaps the only thing I disliked was not getting to spend longer with each character, but the prose and the clever ideas made it pretty much un-putt-downable for me.
One last look back the "month of love" with the results of February's two polls. Thanks, as always, to those of you who took the time to vote, many of you both times!
First, though, a couple of notes:
I divided the poll into "Classic Broadway" and "Modern Broadway," with "classic" defined as shows from the 1960's and earlier, and "modern" defined as shows from the 1970's and forward. Why? Because generally theatre historians define the "golden era" of Broadway musicals as ending in the mid-60's, and that style of show being generally replaced by 1970 or so.
I also limited the "love song" genre by giving it the limitation of "romantic," i.e. emotional, relationship-driven love songs. This is why I did not include "What I Did For Love" from A Chorus Line. While it is a fantastic, popular song, and it even has the word "love" in it, it is not about romantic love.
I think this is the first time that both responses I'd have voted for won!
Poll Question #1: Which song from a classic musical is Broadway's most romantic?
0% - TIE: "Easy to Love" - Anything Goes and "She Loves Me" - She Loves Me I wonder if "Easy to Love" would have gotten more votes had theAnything Goesrevival begun performances already? And maybe both are a little too old school, but not unique enough to stand out as "classic"?
5% - TIE: "If Ever I Would Leave You" - Camelot, "I've Never Been in Love Before" - Guys and Dolls, "Old Devil Moon" - Finian's Rainbow, and "They Say It's Wonderful" - Annie Get Your Gun Interestingly enough, even though these 4 songs got the least number of votes, they did get the most accompanying emails (thanks for taking the extra time to write!). Both of the songs from Finian and Annie came with emails that mentioned the recent revivals as the reason for the vote. You just can't beat the fans of Bernadette Peters and Cheyenne Jackson. And I, too, think that the chemistry between Cheyenne and Kate Baldwin makes the song romantic AND sexy!
9% - "Til There Was You" - The Music Man I guess you simply can't get around the lovely song stylings of Miss Barbara Cook at her prime.
14% - "Some Enchanted Evening" - South Pacific I'll quote reader Sarah P. from New York, NY on this one: "The booming voice of an exotic stranger professing his love in such an exotic location just takes me away!"
19% - "If I Loved You" - Carousel Who knew? OK, Carousel bores me to tears, but this song does pack an emotional wallop.
38% - "Somewhere" - West Side Story Romeo and Juliet/Tony and Maria: You simply can not beat star-crossed, doomed lovers dreaming of a utopia they will never see. "Hold my hand and we're half way there..." God, I'm tearing up at the thought. But what really tears me up is the song juxtaposed with the dream ballet - the simplicity and the joy of that dance transports you... Here is a version of the song as sung by Celtic Woman. 4 voices. Perfect harmony. I found myself holding my breath the whole time...
Poll Question #2: Which song from a modern musical is Broadway's most romantic?
0% - "Anything for Him" - Kiss of the Spider Woman I guess unrequited love, torture and violent murder do not conspire to make a romantic song, afterall...
2.3% - TIE - "Love Can't Happen" - Grand Hotel: The Musical and "The Moon and Me" - The Addams Family Interestingly, these two songs have much in common, despite the seriousness of the former and the bawdy comedy of the other. They both are about unlikely love and both result in death as a sacrifice. Ain't Broadway fun?
4.5% - TIE - "As Long as You're Mine" - Wicked and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" Disney's The Lion King Broadway is sure inclusive! Here we have love between witches and scarecrows and a pair of randy felines. I thought more Wicked fans would vote for this, but then I remembered a terse little email I got a few months back chastising me for not enough Wicked coverage. Oh well.
6.8% - "Still" - Titanic A beautiful song, sung in a sad situation. But love triumphing over death is always a welcome theme in theatre. You know, every time I pass Macy's I think of this song?
11.4% - TIE - "Happiness" - Passion, "Song on the Sand" - La Cage aux Folles, and "Without Love" - Hairspray How truly lovely that we can embrace the diversity that these three songs represent: lust mascarading as love, with a side of adultry, love between two men, and chubby chasers and "checkerboard chicks" going after the ones they love, free of perjudice.
13.6% - "All I Ask of You" - The Phantom of the Opera This was the one I was sure would win. But second place isn't bad, especially when you consider how much play (overplay) this song gets. Still, the emotions are high, danger lurks and it could be their last moment together... perfect drama! Here are the original stars, Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton.
15.9% - TIE - "Perfect for You" - next to normal and "I'll Cover You" - RENT It may surprise long time readers of this blog, but the song I would have voted for was "I'll Cover You." Why? Well, it emcompasses a very modern, forward way of thinking in its place and setting in the show, but it also perfectly explains real love between any two people in any situation. What I wouldn't give for a thousand sweet kisses...
Don't forget to vote in this month's first poll, starting tomorrow!
WINNERS AND ANSWERS TO THE HOW TO SUCCEED TICKET CONTEST!
Thank you to the dozens of you who entered my first contest ever! The winners of a pair of tickets to Broadway's How to Succeed in Business (Without Really Trying) are Sarah P. of NYC and Robb J. of Bayside, NY. Here are the answers:
1. C. A Chorus Line 2. B. South Pacific 3. C. next to normal 4. A. Michael Greif 5. B. Fiorello! and E. Of Thee I Sing
BROADWAY BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK:
February 21: Tyne Daly, Actor (Gypsy, Rabbit Hole, Master Class)
February 22: Trent Kowalik, Actor (Billy Elliot)
February 23: Robert Lopez, Writer/Composer (Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon)
February 24: Rupert Holmes, Writer/Composer (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Curtains)
February 25: Larry Gelbart, Late Writer (...Forum, City of Angels)
February 26: Priscilla Lopez, Actor (A Chorus Line, In the Heights)
February 27: Debra Monk, Actor/Writer (Curtains, Steel Pier/Pump Boys and Dinettes)
TOPS AND BOTTOMS (February 14 - 20)
Top Gross: The Lion King ($1.534M)
Top Attendance: The Merchant of Venice (101.1%)
Bottom Gross: Colin Quinn: Long Story Short ($174K)
Bottom Attendance: Colin Quinn: Long Story Short (61.6%)
$1M Club: American Idiot, The Lion King, The Merchant of Venice, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Wicked
SRO Club: The Merchant of Venice
THIS WEEK IN BROADWAY HISTORY:
The Oldest Opening of the Week: King Henry IV, Part I opened on February 25, 1768 at the John Street Theatre.
The Longest Time Since a Show Opened: February 24, 1980: 31 years ago was the last time a Broadway show opened on this date. It was the re-opening, actually, of Whose Life is it Anyway? a very popular play which closed for a few weeks in order to move to the Royale Theatre, and to rehearse a new cast, led by Mary Tyler Moore. What was so unusual was that the original script and production had a male lead and corresponding female supporting characters. With the gender-switch came re-writes ans a brand new cast, including James Naughton and Josef Sommer. This version played a 96 performance limited engagement.
February 21:
The Tony Award/Pulitzer Prize-winning Lost in Yonkers opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, starring Irene Worth, Mercedes Ruehl and a pretty much unknown Kevin Spacey. It ran 780 performances.
February 22:
One of the most famous flops of all time opened and closed on this date in 1983. It was called Moose Murders and it starred Eve Arden. Its brief home was the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.
February 25:
1953: Wonderful Town went five for five at the Tonys, including Best Musical. It opened on this date at the Winter Garden Theatre, starred Rosalind Russell, and played 559 performances.
1973: A Little Night Music won 6 Tonys including Best Musical and Best Score. It opened on this date at the Shubert Theatre, and played 601 performances.
February 26:
The Music Box Theatre was the place, 1978 the year. Ira Levin's master thriller, Deathtrap opened. By far the most popular play of the season - several, actually - it didn't win any of its 4 Tony nominations. But it did play 1,793 performances (1,096 more than Tony winning Da). And Marian Seldes never missed a single performance of it.
A 9 month rehearsal period, serious, career-ending injuries to the cast, dancers being cut days before the first preview, a director out of control and demanding, actors signing resignation papers during intermission on Opening Night... no, not Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. In 1989, the talk of Broadway was Jerome Robbins' Broadway. It went on to win the Tony for Best Musical, plus five others. By far the most expensive musical at the time, the show employed 64 cast members. It ran 633 performances.
February 27:
1997: Last Night of Ballyhoo won the Tony Award for Best Play. It opened on this date at the Helen Hayes Theatre, where it played 556 performances.
2003: Take Me Out won the Tony Award for Best Play. It opened on this date at the Walter Kerr Theatre, where it played 355 performances.
THIS WEEK IN BROADWAY NEWS: February 21:
After the producers vehemently denied the hire of a co-director for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, it was reported by The New York Times that Paul Bogaev was hired to "as a consultant to help improve the performance, vocal and orchestration arrangements, and sound quality of the songs and numbers." Having seen the show twice, and despite MAJOR improvements in the area of sound (and, therefore, the ability to understand the show) I can say that this is money well spent. It is also rumored that Bono and The Edge are working on new songs for the show. All I can say to that is: IT'S ABOUT TIME! (Please, please, please get rid of the shoes.... please...) Of course, now there is speculation that the opening will be postponed again. I have said before that I'd support them up to the March 15th deadline that they, themselves, set. But if they are really making such drastic steps - script doctoring, song doctoring, sound doctoring - along with the MASSIVE improvements already made, I'll support another delay. Besides, at this point they have zero to lose, since most people consider it a done deal and ticket sales are still terrific.
John Leguizamo's one man play Ghetto Klown began previews today at the Lyceum Theatre.
February 22:
It was a great day for casting news: the entire cast of The People in the Picture was announced today, as was Memphis' announcement that Nancy Opel will be replacing Cass Morgan shortly.
And it was more good news for a few working actors: the yet-to-open Good People has already been extended by two weeks, while the off-Broadway production of Angels in America has been given a fourth "final" extension. Wasn't the last one "absolutely it"?
February 23:
Idiots rejoice! And get your audition books ready! The producers of American Idiot announced today that they are holding open call auditions for the First National Tour.
A 12 week limited engagement of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart will play the Golden Theatre. IT will star Joe Mantello, Ellen Barkin and it is reported that Cheyenne Jackson is in talks to join the cast. And with Joel Grey directing (while still co-starring in Anything Goes) let's add him to the list of stars who are better than ever as they grow older!
February 24:
The Book of Mormon had its first preview today at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. There were a reported three stoppages for technical difficulties. The New York Times did not feel this was newsworthy.
Oscar and Tony Award-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones received one of the United Kingdom's highest honors for civilians today. Prince Charles bestowed a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) on her for her work on stage and screen. Her husband, Michael Douglas, was with her and they celebrated his turn towards good health following treatment for throat cancer.
This year's collection of Broadway Bears was unveiled today. The auction will be held on March 6 at 7PM, at B.B. King's Nightclub on 42nd Street. For more information and to bid online, go to http://www.broadwaycares.org/. Here are a few of my favorites:
Clockwise from Top Left: The Witch from Into the Woods (signed by Bernadette Peters);
St. Jimmy from American Idiot(signed by Tony Vincent, Melissa Etheridge and Billie Joe
Armstrong; Spider-Man from Spider-Man:Turn Off the Dark (signed by Reeve Carney); and
Timon - both actor and puppet - from Disney's The Lion King.
James Earl Jones will play the President of the United States when the next revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man hits Broadway.
The Drama Desk Awards will be hosted by La Cage aux Folles' Harvey Fierstein on May 23.
February 25:
No day but July 14. That's when Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize winning RENT returns to New york. This time it will play off-Broadway (where it all began) at New World Stages. It will again be directed by Michael Greif, however it will be a completely new production. Go to http://www.siteforrent.com/ for show AND audition information.
And congratulations, Kelsey! Today Tony nominee Kelsey Grammer and his fiancee Kayte Walsh took to the Longacre stage one last time, where they were married today in a ceremony officiated by Terry Lavell, who also co-stars as one of Les Cagelles in the show.
Buy one of these posters! It'll
be worth a fortune some day!
Musta been some bachelor party the night before... Jeffrey Tambor left La Cage aux Folles as of today; his last performance was February 24. The official announcement from producers included the standard regrets, and an explanation of the pain to a recent hip surgery over an 8 performance week was too much for the actor. Other sources were less kind, citing "anguish and anger" over his musical debut. He felt his singing was inferior to Harvey Fierstein's? WOW. Chris Hoch, who was an awesome Lord Farquaard understudy in Shrek, will play Georges until further notice. And he's yummy, too...
February 26:
How to Succeed in Business (Without Really Trying) begins previews today at the Al (Hirschfeld Theatre). (Just trying to get used to this production's parentheses...)
The revival of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia begins its limited engagement with previews starting today at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
February 27:
After this evening's performance, the majority of the American Idiot original cast of principals will be finished their run at the St. James Theatre. The "2nd Cast" will begin performances, Tuesday, March 1. Click on the related article at the top of this blog to see an article all about Life After Idiot.
Thanks to all of you who took the time to play, and to those of you who took the time to offer suggestions and your thoughts! With so much coming up in the next couple of months, it probably won't until summer before I get to a new crossword puzzle. But I might sneak in a smaller puzzle or game, just to mix things up!
Here, at long last, is the list of answers to Crossword #5: Original vs. Revival!
Across:
1 1973 original production/2010 revival A Little Night Music 6 1987's Witch Bernadette Peters 8 Theatrical home to the 1984 original production Palace 9 Classic 1957 musical West Side Story 11 2011 Narrator; popular CNN show host/reporter Anderson Cooper 12 Tony-winning lead actor in 2010 Best Play Revival Denzel Washington 14 1968 original production/2009 revival Hair 17 2011's Finch and former Equus star Daniel Radcliffe 19 He directed the 1973 original Harold Prince 22 2010's Henrik, a London import Alexander Hanson 24 Theatrical home to the current revival Longacre 25 2010's Tony and Olivier Award-winning ZaZa Douglas Hodge
26 He'll be this year's Billy Crocker Colin Donnell 27 He was 1987's male lead in Anything Goes Howard McGillin 28 In 1987, she was a 3D prop Milky White 29 1995 Narrator; CBS news anchor legend Walter Cronkite 30 1995 director; he also directed Jersey BoysDes McAnuff 33 She is also known as Mame or Nellie Lovett Angela Lansbury 36 Producing the 2011 revival Roundabout 37 1973's Henrik, the original Demon Barber of Fleet Street Len Cariou
39 Shortened title for 1995 revival/2011 revival How to Succeed 40 She's been Millie, Jo, Fiona and now Reno Sutton Foster 42 Produced the 1987 revival Lincoln Center 43 2011's Smitty, she's a former Kate Monster and American Idiot Mary Faber 44 The original Anita Chita Rivera 45 Playwright of 31 Down August Wilson
46 2009's Claude, and a former La Cage Jean-Michel Gavin Creel 48 This year, she'll have her eye on J. Pierrepont Finch Rose Hemingway 49 2009's Berger; this year, he's riding Priscilla to Broadway Will Swenson 50 He sang "Song on the Sand" with 18 Down Gene Barry 51 2011 director; he also directed Promises, PromisesRob Ashford 52 The 2009 revival has songs and dialogue translated into this language Spanish 53 The original "Send in the Clowns" singer Glynis Johns 54 2nd word of the title of the 2008 hit revival Boeing
Down:
2 2010's Desiree Catherine Zeta-Jones 3 She was the first to sing "Liaisons" Hermione Gingold 4 1995's Smitty, she is Sister Act's Mother Superior Victoria Clark 5 1995's J. Pierrepont Finch Matthew Broderick 7 1987's Reno Sweeney, she was On the Verge this season Patti LuPone 10 In 1995, she was happy to keep his dinner warm Megan Mullally 13 He directed the Catherine/Angela 2010 revival Trevor Nunn
15 1984 original production/2010 revival La Cage aux Folles 16 1968's Claude; he also co-wrote the show James Rado 18 1984's ZaZa; he also drove Norma Desmond around L.A. George Hearn 20 Tony-winning lead actor in 1987 Best Play; he drives Miss Daisy James Earl Jones 21 2002's Witch and former Spider Woman Vanessa Williams
23 In 2002, he played the bovine prop Chad Kimball 31 1987's Best Play Fences 32 He just left the role of Georges Kelsey Grammer 34 Hair's original Berger Gerome Ragni 35 1987 revival/2011 revival Anything Goes 38 1987 original production/2002 revival Into the Woods 41 Tony Award-winning Anita Karen Olivo 47 1st word of the title of the 1965 flop play Boeing
In recent days, the creators of The Book of Mormon have been very careful to be sure to admit that their show will probably offend people, but that they all love the art form of the musical and Broadway itself, that they sincerely hope that any offense taken won't be enough to keep them from being asked back. Well, if as much care has been given to the show as has been given to the permutations of the show logo, I have but two things to say:
Please feel free to come back anytime you want to with an interesting, entertaining and thought-provoking piece (I'll even forgive your NASTY comments about next to normal.)
People need to lighten up if they are so easily offended - let the shock value of their humor get you attention, then open up to the message underneath it all.
The bottom line is this: if the logo of a show can be this sharp and witty, the show has to be at least as good, if not better. I, for one, am glad I have my tickets secured already.
There have been several variations on a theme with the show logo/advertising for The Book of Mormon. So, let's first look at the common threads of all of it. First, you must notice the sheer austerity of the artwork. With so little eye clutter, it is easier to focus on the title and the messages of the text. I love that the primary colors are white and black, just like the "uniform" of the Mormons who come to your door so politely, white shirt, black tie, pants and shoes - not to mention their name tags also black with white lettering. I also love the plain, but strong lettering style, suggesting that "the Word" is what is important not the delivery of it. And that the only other color is an earthy brown/orange/gold mixture really sets them apart, but not so bombastically as say, pink or bright yellow. Bold, simple, powerful. Are we talking text style or Mormon elders? See how clever this is already? (And I am most definitely NOT being sarcastic.)
Then there is the jubilant, jumping for joy Mormon elder. One might say he is joyous and jumping or perhaps in mid-dance move. Either way it screams Broadway panache and musicality. It also shouts "THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN!" And yet, it pays its respects to the young men (and women) who are devout to their religion - his clothes are perfectly together and he is clutching very firmly his Book of Mormon. The combination of the two aspects in one image is brilliant, especially when you remember that study that says most show logos earn a very few seconds of a glance to make an impression. If you can't get out of this image that Mormons are fun and happy religious people, I can't help you any more.
The final element that has made it through all of the permutations of logo and advertising is is absolutely dead on and HILARIOUS use of a doorbell is an "O" in "Mormon." The first time I scrolled over that doorbell and it "ding"ed, I literally howled with laughter, and "rang" it like 15 more times in a row. What an absolutely brilliant way to bring the world of Mormons and the world of non-Mormons together! Most of us only know of Mormons from what we see when we answer the door. I sincerely hope that the next time a pair of these lads comes to my door that I won't just burst out laughing. And logo-wise I have to appreciate the universality of the image, the hilarity of the image and the relative subtlety of it. Again, this isn't entirely low-brow, visual trickery like say, Spamalot, this is also smart, thought-provoking humor.
If it were me, I'd keep all of the image to the right, and switch the
tag lines, so that "God's Favorite Musical" was on image to the right.
And I'd ditch the holy light beams. But it's not me, and I really like them all, anyway!
What I really love about the ads and logo is the way they've experimented with a catchphrase and the placement of it. Personally, I like "God's Favorite Musical" the best. It is short, to the point, in keeping with similar Broadway catchphrases, and it is funny without being offensive - especially when coupled with "From the Creators of South Park." That should be a major clue as to tone and intent. I don't, however, like the version that uses the "South Park" logo. It is eye-clutter, panders to an audience that will already be there and could potentially be off-putting to people who have never seen the show, i.e. if you don't know "South Park," you won't get this show.
I understand and appreciate their other attempt at a tag line, which they seem to have dropped recently: "God loves Mormons and wants some more." Perhaps that is just a bit too aggressive? Maybe even too serious? Maybe too close to being disrespectful of Mormon beliefs? I think it could be a little of all of those, plus it is wordy. If you spend too many precious seconds reading the tag line and trying to digest it, you stand a chance of losing that initial impulse and potential ticket sale. No, I think "God's Favorite Musical" is just right.
There are two subtle things that have come and gone and come again in this artwork: jubilant beams of light emanating from The Book of Mormon in the elder's hand - it is gone, I think. Definitely too religious. The other is whether or not you see the whole face of the boy in the picture. Most of the images cut him off at the top of the nose, so you can't see his eyes or hair. I think I prefer this version. Why? Because it allows the image to be an any man type of thing, versus being a specific person. Then you can avoid that whole "is he actually in the show?" thing, like at Mamma Mia!
While I seriously doubt Trey Parker, Matt Stone or Robert Lopez will ever even see this, let alone comment on how right or wrong my interpretation is, I hope that those who do read it - whether you agree with me or not - can see in it the same potential for a smart, irreverent, but very humane show. I would hate for yet another show to be destroyed by knee-jerk or ill-informed opinions. These guys are taking a big risk in trying to bring something new to the stage, while still paying tribute to the art form. And I welcome it with open arms!
Stephen Sondheim's Finishing the Hat is essentially a collection of his lyrics from the shows he's worked on from West Side Story in 1954, to Merrily We Roll Along in 1984, with additional comments on the shows, some of the songs and essays on other lyricists.
For me, this book was sort of like a musical theatre Bible; Sondheim is viewed as (and in my opinion is) one of the best musical writers around, and he is one of the greatest influences on newer original composers today, including the late Jonathan Larson who wrote Rent and Jason Robert Brown who created The Last Five Years. Getting to read exactly the type of process that Sondheim follows when creating his shows, and also getting insights into the behind the scenes goings-on of shows like Gypsy and the flop Anyone Can Whistle was really interesting to me.
Unlike other memoir-type books, Sondheim does not critique anyone who is living, and perhaps his harshest words are reserved for a Robert Brustein, the manager of Yale Rep in the 1970s, who pushed for a performance of a work named The Frogs. Otherwise, Sondheim is remarkably polite about everyone; he suggests that Nathan Lane & Arthur Laurents may have ego problems (not really a suprise) and that occasionally directors & producers make choices that negatively impact shows, but he is clearly keen not to offend anyone. His is perhaps most harsh on himself, especially when discussing his lyrics to West Side Story, a show that many people adore, but he views as unrealistic; arguing that songs like 'I Feel Pretty' contain words that a young Puerto Rican immigrant would not know.
I would say that Finishing the Hat and it's to-be-released follow-up Look I Made A Hat are probably not for people who have no experience with Sondheim musicals; it is generally assumed that you have at least heard the cast recordings, and it is certain that I didn't get as much out of the chapters about say, Pacific Overtures or Saturday Night as I did out of the chapters about Company and Sweeney Todd, because I am unfamiliar with those particular shows. All in all, however, if you are interested in Sondheim or musical theatre writing, then this book is a must-have.
1. I am currently obsessed with...Goodreads; seriously, the site is kind of addictive. It virtually allows you to stalk people's bookshelves; and I think books give a lot away about a person, although I'm too much of a wimp to actually 'friend' people from blogs/YouTube. Plus, it's helped me realise just how many books I already own that I haven't read, so hopefully will curb my book-buying habits a little.
2. Today I am...happy & nervous because...I'm happy because I've finally hit my stride with my English coursework, and should get it finished today, which will leave me 'free' to do the other work I've had to do this holiday. Nervous? Because I have to ring my work to check when I'm in and, although this sounds kind of pathetic, I really dislike ringing them, because they always act like checking the rota is the hardest thing anyone has asked them to do.
3. The age I am is...17 (18 soon) and the age I feel is...older and younger than this at the same time. I feel older in that sometimes I look at what people my age are doing and can't quite believe the self-centered-ness (not a word) of their actions and often I come out with things that I know make me sound about fifty. But on the other hand, I still don't feel entirely ready to leave home-I want to, but I'm not sure how I'll be-and I feel like I haven't done enough to be saying that I'm 18.
4. My favourite place is...my bedroom, or Moraira, Spain, where I've spent numerous summer holidays with my family since the age of about six.
5. Something I have been procrastinating is...Said English Coursework. I'll get back to it in a second...
6. The last thing I purchased was...The Brit Awards 2011 Album. Kind of disappointed at the lack of artists on there, especially people like Arcade Fire, Laura Marling etc who actually won awards. But at least now it'll seem like I have a clue about what's going on in music-wise
7. The thing I love most about my home is...My room...and, I guess the fact that it's generally quite a happy place to be.
Shutter Island is a 2010 Martin Scorsese-directed film, based on a novel by Dennis Lehane. It follows Teddy Daniels (Leonardo diCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) who got to Boston's Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital which is a hospital for the mentally ill. The hospital is run by Dr Crawley (Ben Kingsley), who insists on referring to the inmates (as they are pretty much locked in) as patients. There are there to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Salando, a woman who drowned her three children. However, the investigation seems to hit dead ends when Crawley won't reveal the information that Teddy needs; and Teddy himself becomes plagued with flashbacks of his dead wife Dolores Chanal (Michelle Williams)and the events that happened when he was present at the liberation of one of the concentration camps in Germany, and his investigation into the disapparence of Rachel Salando becomes tied to his personal desire to find Edward Laeddis, the warden of the building that he lived in with Dolores, and who started the fire that killed her.
That's pretty much all I can say about the film without giving it all away. I will just say that nothing is as it seems; and there is a fairly massive twist about 3/4 of the way through the film.
This is the first Scorsese film I've ever watched, so I cannot really comment on whether its style is similar to his previous works or not, similarly, I read a lot of reviews that compared Shutter Island to Hitchcock films, and I've never seen any of those either (based purely on prejudice that I know he Hollywood-fied Rebecca). I do think it was very well shot; the scenes on the Island were good, although my favourite thing about the filming was the flashback/hallucination sequences, which were very well done and left little hints about the twist that was coming. That said, I'm in two minds about said twist. It is surprising, and somewhat heartbreaking when you find it out, but it does seem a little...contrived to make a point about mental illness that I think could I have been explored in a different way.
That being said, the performances were pretty good. This is the first film I've seen with Leonardo DiCaprio in where he plays a proper deep character (I've only seen him in Titanic and Romeo & Juliet) and he was brilliant, especially as Teddy comes closer and closer to the edge. Mark Ruffalo was also good as Chuck, as was Ben Kingsley. I also enjoyed Michelle Williams' slightly deranged appearances and Emily Mortimer's cameo is good as well.
Unfortunately I really can't expand much more on the film, because of it's rather gigantic twist. I think I enjoyed it; although I disliked how the change in plot came from out of nowhere (I'm guessing if I watched it again I could spot points in the story where it was suggested), but that same plot gave DiCaprio the chance to really shine. All in all, I'd recommend it for its quite interesting explorations of mental illness, and its great performances; but I'd advise going into it with an open mind and preparation for it not really being a scary Scorsese film.
Sister Act is one of three major musicals opening this spring that is based on a film. And of the three, Sister Act seems the most obvious for a screen to stage transfer. Sure, drag queens and con men with imaginations to match their schemes are ripe for musicalization, but the film on which this show is based is probably the most like a musical already. I mean in the film the main characters all sing and dance - the lead by virtue of being a Vegas lounge singer, the supporting cast by virtue of being a choral group. Still, that doesn't necessarily mean the property is ready to give the characters more reasons to sing and dance. And yet here we are. After a successful run on London's West End, the show comes to Broadway, produced by its original star, Whoopi Goldberg, and starring Olivier nominated Patina Miller. The show will be directed by multi-Tony winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Anthony van Laast of Mamma Mia! fame. With what is reported to be a completely revised book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, and a score by Academy Award winner Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, all of the pieces seem to be in place.
Being in the shadow of such a popular film might be off-putting. And, a cast of nuns and criminals could be a hard sell if the cast isn't just so, no matter how beloved the original is. That said, recent cast announcements give me faith (pardon my vernacular) the things are moving in the right direction, potential-wise. I love the film version - every time it is on TV, no matter where it is in the story, I watch from that point on. So I have been wary of the stage version. I sincerely hope that it as much fun as they say it is, and that I leave the theatre loving this new take on a favorite story.
The major thing that has shifted my view more positively is the casting of the glorious musical theatre actress Victoria Clark as the Mother Superior. She has nothing in common with the delicious Maggie Smith, and since they couldn't get her, perhaps it bodes well that they have cast someone completely against the original. And let's face it, Ms. Clark is no slouch on the stage. I can't wait to see what she does with the role, and I just pray they give her some excellent material to work with.
Friends and followers of this blog have been long on praise for the show's lead, Patina Miller. Anyone with an opinion on her has told me she simply oozes charisma. Most saw her in Central Park in the Hair revival, but one reader told me she saw the show in London and found Ms. Miller to be hilarious and "easy to watch." And, heck, if Whoopi approved her, what better hands could we be in?
So, what about the supporting cast and ensemble? Like most of the Broadway shows this season, it is a splendid mix of veterans, up and comers and debutantes.
The supporting company includes: Fred Applegate (Young Frankenstein, La Cage aux Folles) as Monsignor, Sarah Bolt (Wicked) as Sister Mary Patrick, John Treacy Egan (The Producers, The Little Mermaid) as Joey, Demond Green (The Toxic Avenger) as TJ, Chester Gregory (Dreamgirls, Tarzan) as Eddie, Kingsley Leggs (The Color Purple) as Curtis, Marla Mindelle (South Pacific) as Sister Mary Robert, Audrie Neenan (Picnic) as Sister Mary Lazarus and Caesar Samayoa (The Pee-wee Herman Show) as Pablo.
The ensemble includes: Jennifer Allen (Memphis, A Catered Affair), Natalie Bradshaw (Hair), Charl Brown (debut), Christina DeCicco (The MarvelousWonderettes, Wicked National Tour), Holly Davis (debut), Madeleine Doherty (The Producers), Alan H. Green (Play On!), Blake Hammond (Hairspray, Elf: The Musical), Wendy James (Irving Berlin's White Christmas), Carrie A. Johnson (debut), Kevin Ligon (Finian's Rainbow, The Producers), Louise Madison (debut), Marissa Perry (Hairspray), Ernie Pruneda (debut), Corbin Reid (debut), Lance Roberts (The Pee-wee Herman Show), Rashidra Scott (Hair, Avenue Q), Jennifer Simard (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Shrek), Lael Van Keuren (debut), Roberta Wall (debut) and Alena Watters (The Addams Family, West Side Story).
RAVE: Let me first sing the praises of the organizers of one of my favorite charity/public service organizations, the It Gets Better Project. They have started the proverbial snowball rolling down hill. Since its inception they have gathered thousands of videos from people from all walks of life who, each in their own way, convey that they understand what LGBT teens are going through and to urge them to stay strong and persevere because in a short time, as they blossom into adulthood, things will, in fact, get better.
Some tell of personal triumphs over bullying, others of trying to gain support from family. Still others relate stories of friends and loved ones that they saw bullied, hurt, and sometimes, sadly, suicidal. These people are everyday Joes and Janes just like you and me, they are politicians, movie and TV stars, musicians, athletes and, of course Broadway folks. But the beauty of the project is that whether or not it an Oscar winner, an Olympic Gold Medalist or a college kid from Iowa, each story has meaning and ultimately offers hope.
The project's website http://www.itgetsbetterproject.com/ is simple to navigate and full of inspiration, information and hope. There is so much there it bears being bookmarked on your computer for ease of returning over and over. One area on the site is the "Take the Pledge" section, which asks you quite simply to cyber-sign a pledge that you will not simply stand by while hate and brutality towards anyone takes place - that you will stand up and defend the defenseless. It is a simple statement, but a powerful one (and I dare say that their wording is much better than what I just provided).
The other area that bears your consideration is the "Make a Pledge" section. Normally, I would not use this platform to solicit your money, but I can tell you that had this been around when I needed it, my life would be much much different than it is today. It needs our support. You can simply donate to the project in general or you can help out by 1) pre-ordering the book form of the "It Gets Better" Project, due out March 22nd, including sections authored by Kyle Dean Massey and other Broadway celebrities. Proceeds from the book (also available in e-book format) will benefit the Project as well as organizations like The Trevor Project and GLSEN; or 2) make a donation to the fund that will put a copy of the book in every high school in the USA, along with information to support struggling teens. I can't think of a better place to have these books readily available, especially in rural America where it seems so much more of this goes on unchecked.
I signed the pledge and made a donation to the book fund myself, and I urge each of you to do the same. And I found two videos to be especially well-presented and poignant: Judith Light (Lombardi), who talks about all of her gay friends growing up and how they influenced her as an actress, and how during some very dark times, they rose above and became personal heroes. And there is the message from Max Adler, who plays a gay-bashing football player/closeted gay youth on Glee. You will, I think, be moved to action by both of these powerful statements.
RANT: I have long championed the "It Gets Better" Project, having featured it several times on this very blog. But I have a real problem with their latest segment.
Monday, The New York Times reported that the project's first PSA would begin airing Tuesday on NYC's CBS channels. The PSA features Will Swenson, Nick Adams and Tony Sheldon from Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. I hate to look a gift-horse in the mouth, but I have to express a couple of misgivings I have about this announcement and ad.
First, the Times refers to the whole project as, "an online video campaign to cheer up gay teenagers who have been victims of bullies." Cheer them up? Excuse me? I think there is much more to this project than a mere cheering up of teens so terrified that they feel suicide is their only recourse.
And second, the ad itself, the brainchild of the show's marketing department, has the stars wearing "I 'Heart' Priscilla Queen of the Desert" sparkly t-shirts, and features a snazzy logo from the show and a voice-over at the end directing us to more information on the SHOW site. (The It Gets Better Project logo does appear sandwiched between the show logo and the show website URL, but is never verbally mentioned.) Having watched dozens of the previous clips, I can tell you that none of them feature blatant merchandising of the show the speakers are appearing in. Every one of them features only directions to the Trevor Project or It Gets Better sites, which in turn offer direct links to help. Nowhere is there enticement to see a specific show, beyond an occasional mention of who the people are in the video (i.e. "We are the cast of the National Tour of A Chorus Line"). And while I have absolutely no doubt that Mr. Swenson, Adams and Sheldon are sincere in their support of the project, one can't help but take the producers of the show to task for making it even a little bit about their show, and not 100% about gay teens in trouble.
Broadway and film star Daniel Radcliffe offers his
"clout" in support of The Trevor Project. Notice
that there is not a single bit of the image that concerns
Harry Potter, Equus or How to Succeed...
Part of what makes these testimonials so powerful is that the people in them aren't being Broadway stars or TV celebrities, they are being regular every day people that are saying, most from experience, that it does get better, that there is hope. To be fair, The New York Times article gives more space to the history of the project and the power of its message even before this PSA hits the airwaves.
In the interest of complete fairness, the Priscilla company did do an "It Gets Better" video more in line with all of the others. In fact, it is one of the best.
But shame on project founder Dan Savage for stating that Priscilla is "thematically a perfect fit." Why? Because it has two drag queens and a transvestite as central characters? How ridiculous to think that gay teens are more likely to see themselves and identify with their problems simply because of that. You'd think he'd know better. Of course, how can he condemn such publicity and the potential expanded audience for his overall message? I guess it is a fine line.
As a formerly bullied gay teen myself, I'd rather have seen people just like me telling me that they had been were I was, and that I should hold out because life will improve. Had my first brush with suicide prevention resulted in going a website full of oddly wigged, colorfully costumed men dressed like women while "It's Raining Men" plays in the background, I'd have run screaming from my computer and right into a noose. Are we entirely sure that teens on the brink need to see such extreme examples of their sexual orientation, when all they want to know is that they aren't all that different? OK, I admit it. That was me - some might feel exactly the same way, others may react completely differently.
A "perfect fit"... um, sure. Tell that to the poor kid in the middle of nowhere who hears he's going to Hell because he's a "sissy" and then show him Tony Sheldon in a dress and Nick Adams in full drag. No wonder he feels helpless. Doesn't that verify what his ignorant classmates (and even parents) might say - "Being a fag means you dress like a girl and sing show tunes." When you see this, how do you live up to it? How can you argue that the bullies are even wrong? How do you realize that being gay doesn't make you a drag queen unless you want to be one? And is THAT the image he needs to see before he decides whether or not he will end his life?
On the other hand, there are plenty of at-risk teens who not only struggle with their sexual identity, but with how they most desire to express it. To that end, maybe the Priscilla PSA may help those kids, and they need to see the show website - after all, Tony Sheldon in a dress is happy and well-adjusted and Nick Adams in full drag is clearly comfortable, happy, and enjoying life. For all those kids out there who need to see that, I am truly glad this is there for them. There are a number of others to watch/listen to for kids who don't. I guess it is both a fine line and a blurry one between pandering to stereotypes and serving people who can honestly identify with them.
So, really, "perfect fit" is an unfortunate choice of words. Perhaps what he should have said (and even really meant) was that the inclusion of happy, well-adjusted drag queens and transvestites, as colorfully depicted on the Priscilla website, is in keeping with the inclusiveness of the wide-spectrum of LGBT people in the overall project.
Man, the issue is a complicated one, isn't it? No matter what, though, my main peeve - the commercialization of such an important issue - remains.
I sincerely hope the marketing people at Priscilla really had their hearts in the right place when they came up with this heinous bit of product placement. But let's be honest. If they REALLY meant it, the piece would end with a link to the general campaign or to The Trevor Project only, not a sub page of their show's website with links to Ticketmaster and Priscilla merchandise.
If you need help or are considering drastic measures to deal with feelings about who you are, or know someone who needs help, go to www.thetrevorhelpline.org.
By March 1st, most of the principal original cast members of Green Day's American Idiot will have departed the show. But no sooner can your get out your guitar and start singing "Good Riddance," than most of them will be back onstage in new and different and exciting roles. The sheer variety of projects they are undertaking, I think, speaks volumes for the breadth of their individual talents.
Here's a look at those who have gone already and those preparing to move on shortly:
Michael Esper (Will) Departs Idiot: February 27, 2011 Moving on to:Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, directed by Michael Greif at the Public Theater. Stephen Spinella and Steven Pasquale co-star with Esper. To be succeeded by: Justin Guarini
Esper (right) rehearses with Stephen Spinella
Mary Faber (Heather) Departed Idiot: December 12, 2010 Moving on to: The 50th anniversary production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, as Smitty, the been-there-done-that secretary with a penchant for matchmaking. Directed by Rob Ashford and starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette. Succeeded by: Jeanna de Waal
Mary Faber
John Gallagher, Jr. (Johnny) Departs Idiot: February 27, 2011 Moving on to: Co-starring with Tony winner Mark Rylance in Jerusalem, the acclaimed London play which will transfer to Broadway this spring for a limited engagement. To be succeeded by: Van Hughes
Promo art for Jerusalem, starring Mark Rylance
Joshua Henry (Favorite Son) Departed Idiot: July 18, 2010 Moved on to: Henry led the cast of the short lived, but acclaimed musical The Scottsboro Boys. Succeeded by: Wallace Smith and Miguel Cervantes
Joshua Henry (center) in The Scottsboro Boys
Christina Sajous (Extraordinary Girl) Departs Idiot: February 27, 2011 Moving on to: Playing one of the Shirelles in Baby, It's You! just across the street at the Broadhurst. To be succeeded by: Libby Winters
Christina Sajous (2nd from right) in Baby, It's You!
Tony Vincent (St. Jimmy) Departed Idiot: December 30, 2010 Moved on to: Promoting his recording career. This Thursday, February 24, 2011, his image will be on postage stamps for the United Kingdom. The stamp on which he appears commemorates the production We Will Rock You as part of an 8 stamp series celebrating British musicals. He starred in that show's West End premiere, as well as the Las Vegas production. Succeeded by: Billie Joe Armstrong, Melissa Etheridge, Andrew C. Call, and now permanently by Davey Havok.
Tony Vincent from the front and the back!
Both Stark Sands (Tunny)and Rebecca Naomi Jones (Whatsername)will remain with the production. Original cast members Van Hughes (Johnny)and Libby Winters (Extraordinary Girl) will have both moved up into larger roles, effective March 1, 2011.
Rebecca Naomi Jones with John Gallagher, Jr. and Tony Vincent
Soon, casting for the First National Tour will begin.
HERE IS THE 5TH AND FINAL QUESTION IN THE WIN TICKETS TO BROADWAY'S HOW TO SUCCEED CONTEST! CLICK HERE FOR FULL CONTEST RULES AND HOW TO ENTER.
TRIVIA QUESTION #5: Which two Pulitzer Prize-winning musicals have to do with American politics?
A. South Pacific B. Fiorello! C. next to normal D. Sunday in the Park with George E. Of Thee I Sing
There will be TWO answers to this question and you will need BOTH on your entry.
(Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed...)
Entries will be accepted from now until noon Eastern time on Wednesday, February 23rd. No late entries will be accepted. Be sure to follow the complete rules for submitting an entry. Thanks for playing and good luck!
I knew from reading the first few pages of Cloud Atlas that I would really enjoy this book; but it was ultimately unlike anything I expected. Mitchell ties together six tales which spread across time, place and even genres and are all tied together in various ways. 
