What If Broadway Fans Were Like Football Fans?

As you probably know, even if you've only read a few of my blogs, I am not knowledgeable AT ALL about football.  Like the cast of Lombardi, before I go to that show this winter, I will need to read Football for Dummies.  But it is around this time of year when I start to feel a little left out.  Everyone, it seems, pulls out the stops for the playoffs and, of course, the Super Bowl.

I see it everywhere - sweatshirts, sweaters, team jerseys, hats, pins, buttons on people of all shapes, sizes, colors and creeds.  Homes are adorned with full-sized team logo flags, front yards have inflatable football players in the appropriate team colors.  And even cars are done up!  Everything from painted slogans on windows to football helmet door magnets, and those little flags - one on each side of the car - that flap elegantly in the breeze as the car goes down the highway.

My favorite is the arm carrying the football on the driver's side door!

As someone who enjoys being a fan of certain things, I whole-heartily approve of such excitement, loyalty and plain old fun.  Heck, in my neighborhood alone, the only time the guy next door to me on the left even speaks to the guy next door to me on the right is the few weeks each year that the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the playoffs.  Lately, that's been nice, but a few years there it was like the Hatfields and McCoys with years between truces.

Imagine that kind of fervor for Broadway shows!  The Tony Nominations are like the playoffs... we all pick "teams":  last year, I'd have been Team Memphis.  The Drama Desks, Outer Critics Circle and Broadway Audience awards are like those nifty bowl games.  And, of course, the Tonys would be the Super Bowl/

Picture Team Memphis in T-shirts - logos AND slogans, faces painted in neon pink, red and blue.  We are all wearing knit caps or baseball caps, and we are all screaming "Huck-adoo!"

Team Addams Family would have been eliminated in last year's playoffs, but picture everyone dressed as Lurch, Morticia, and Uncle Fester!  The banner? A nasty cobweb, of course!

And Team Fela! would have been, hands down the most colorful on the field!

And just imagine the half-time show...

I think I'm going to find investors for my show logo car door/bumper magnets.  I bet people would buy them.  You can probably guess which show would be on my bumper!

(Merchandise pictures from footballfanatics.com and playbillstore.com)

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.134

Goodbye Old Friends, Part I

Let the "Great Broadway Shut Down of 2011" begin.  Just as shows close after the Tonys each spring, a bunch of shows usually close after the holidays as Broadway hunkers down for the cold, lonely winter.  It is an annual cycle, one which allows theatres to become available for that next big hit.

Still, this year seems very brutal, with 14 shows scheduled to close before February starts.  A lot of them are limited engagements, a problem in and of itself.  A few are long timers who just ran out of steam.  And a few, most problematically to my mind, are brand new shows that never caught on with audiences.

Today, we mourn the loss of 8 Broadway shows.  EIGHT!   As the lights dim and each becomes a memory of Broadway history, here are my thoughts:

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Opened: October 13, 2010
Previews: 26     Performances: 94
My Review Grade: A
My Thoughts:  While I can understand the thinking behind saying things like "this show is too off-Broadway for Broadway," I think it is wrong to perpetuate the notion that Broadway audiences can't handle something a-typical and boundary pushing.  Heck, isn't that what most theatre fans beg for?  Well, they gave it to us with this show, and no one showed up.  Like it or not, it was different and fresh and deserved more attention.  Shame on us.  Still, we got a set of hot new writers and director in Michael Friedman and Alex Timbers, and a brand new Broadway Male Star in Benjamin Walker.  And can you beat the tag line, "History just got all sexy pants!"?  An open run sadly cut short.

Brief Encounter
Opened: September 28, 2010
Previews: 21     Performances: 119
My Review Grade: A+
My Thoughts: Director/writer Emma Rice spun gold out of two middling Noel Coward pieces, combing them into a glib, romantic and thrillingly theatrical evening.  Noel would be thrilled.  The visuals were stunning and memorable, but instead of overwhelming the story, it only enhanced it.  The show was part of the Roundabout season, and so was only ever to be a limited engagement, and it was extended at that.

Elf: The Musical
Opened: November 14, 2010
Previews: 15     Performances: 58
My Review Grade: A
My Thoughts: Finally, a holiday show that I would like to see again, and any time of the year.  My love affair with writers Chad Begeulin and Matthew Sklar, as well as Amy Spanger.  And Sebastian Arcelus is at the top of my favorites list.  A limited engagement always, the show made a ton at the box office - I hope it recoups - and I really wouldn't mind it if it showed up this time next year.

Fela!
Opened: November 23, 2009
Previews: 34     Performances: 462
My Review Grade: I didn't see this one.
My Thoughts:  You could have knocked me over with a feather back in the fall when it was announced that the show would close so soon.  I can only judge by people's reactions, many of whom put the show on their best of the year lists in 09 and 10.  Still, a unique entertainment that lasted this long is to be commended.  When it opened off-Broadway, did they really think Broadway, London and National Tour?

The Pee-Wee Herman Show
Opened: November 11, 2010
Previews: 18     Performances: 62
My Review Grade: I didn't see this one.
My Thoughts:  A hit show is a hit show, right?  Lots of people just a bit younger than I am went, loved it, and would never have dreamed of seeing a Broadway show before this.  Maybe Pee-Wee has birthed a few life long theatre goers.  A limited engagement that was extended and recouped is a great thing these days.

Promises, Promises
Opened: April 25, 2010
Previews: 30     Performances: 291
My Review Grade: A+
My Thoughts: I loved this show and will miss it terribly.  I won't dwell on the controversies that plagued the show.  But it did provide me with two unforgettable experiences that I will cherish always: Kristin Chenoweth Tweeting about my review, and later, meeting her at the stage door to thank her.  She actually stopped for more than a minute to shake hands and speak to me.  People looked at me like I was a star.  And I was smitten all over again!  Too short a run for a great old-fashioned, beautifully staged musical.

West Side Story
Opened: March 19, 2009
Previews: 27     Performances: 748
My Review Grade: A+
My Thoughts: This classic is one of my all time favorites, and a staging that recreated the original was both nostalgic and profound.  The dancing was as breathtaking as I always imagined.  I didn't even mind the Spanish.  And how many shows get better when replacements come in?  This is one show I wish I had gotten to one more time.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Opened: November 4, 2010
Previews: 30     Performances: 69
My Review Grade: I didn't formally review the 2nd preview - I had hoped to get back to it on the 16th.  But even as it was, I'd have given it a B- at the 2nd preview.
My Thoughts:  Congratulations, Internet rats!  You finally killed one before it got off the ground.  OK, it probably still lacked some how (Sherie Rene Scott was miscast, and really not good.  It wasn't the material.) as it was busy, but never frenzied.  Ultimately, it was a mix of circumstances, including unrealistic expectations that killed this one.  Still, it was a lot of fun and a thrill to see such talent all a one time.
Prediction: Laura Benanti will be Tony nominated and could even win.

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene or Tweet me!@yahoo.com
Jeff
2.124

And the Grammy Goes to...

The Grammy Award nominations were announced a couple of days ago, and as usual the big pop music nominees grabbed the headlines (you go, Eminem!).  But my favorite category went by without so much as a notice beyond the theatre websites.  No biggie! We all know a good thing when we hear it, right?

 

The good news is (at least in my opinion) that the Best Musical Show Album category has zero filler this year and it represents the fair spectrum of musicals that have played Broadway in the last year.  But I'm not sure who votes for the winners.  Is it people that are part of that category?  Is it the entire voting population? Have the voters seen the productions, too and does that influence the voting?  And do they vote on just the recording -quality of sound, music and lyrics - or the whole package - the CD booklet, the entire production of the album?  (If you know the facts, please feel free to share with me and I'll post it!)

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I own only three of the five cast recordings nominated, and I have actually seen four of the five productions.  So the opinions I offer here are somewhat incomplete, and for that I apologize.

 

Here are the nominees, in alphabetical order, and my thoughts:

 

Green Day's American Idiot

 

The link to my CD review is HERE.

 

My thoughts:

• The album plays as well, if not better than the actual show.  Free of all the visual clutter, the CD allows you to really listen to the lyrics and the music.  Tom Kitt's orchestrations are superb and really add to the music without making any of them sound like typical show tunes.
• If it matters, the the CD itself is wonderfully produced with great pictures, and a booklet that includes liner notes and full lyrics.
• Depending on who votes, the fact that this was once a rock album (or two) could be a plus if everyone votes, or a minus if the stuffy old school theatre folk only vote.  If that is the case, the nomination is the award.
• Unless musicians who know what they are hearing vote, Kitt's masterful contribution will again go unnoticed, much like his snub at the Tonys.

 

Personally, it is my favorite of the cast recordings nominated this year.

 

Fela!

 

I do not have the CD, nor have I seen the show.  But based upon what I know...

 

My thoughts:

• The producers of the show, namely Will Smith and "Jay-Z" are popular and well-regarded in the music business, a real plus here.
• The show itself got nearly unanimous raves.
• Its political underpinnings could be a plus or a minus, again depending upon who votes.
• On the down side, the style of music, minus the staging visuals may have very limited appeal.
• And I certainly hope that when recorded, the cast sounded better than any of the live on TV performances I've seen.

 

Ultimately, the recording may lose out, due to its narrow appeal, despite its acclaim and musical producers.  Or it could win just because of those very things!

 

A Little Night Music -The New Broadway Cast Recording

 

The link to my CD review is HERE.

 

My thoughts:

• Amongst theatre goers, feelings about this production are sharply divided, which might come into play depending on who votes.
• A Sondheim score is pretty much a given in terms of quality, so that isn't an issue, especially with a known score like this one.
• What might play against it is that the score is already beloved in its original cast version with a very full orchestra.  Despite what you think of the smaller orchestration (I like it), and no matter what you thought of it as played live in the theatre, purists and musicians alike may shy away from the less is more approach.
• What it does have going for it is its completeness, including superbly acted short scenes from Angela Lansbury and company.  It makes the whole thing more understandable, especially if you haven't seen the show.

 

I love the recording.  But I don't think it is "showy" enough.

 

Promises, Promises - The New Broadway Cast Recording

 

The link to my CD review is HERE.

 

My thoughts:
I personally love this recording, but I see more "against" it than "for" it.
"For" it: 

• The performances are uniformly good, and fairly jump out of the speakers.
• The orchestrations and pit voices are crystal clear and sound great.
• Kristin Chenoweth is in terrific voice here, and Lord knows the girl is popular in any medium.  And Sean Hayes also sounds great, which might surprise people who know him only from Will and Grace.
• The production values of the CD and booklet are top rate, if that counts at all.

"Against" it:

• The original cast recording is a classic, and that production is still remembered fondly.
• This version suffers in comparison because, while it replicates (very well) the distinctive "Bacharach-David" sound, the fact that it is so crystal clear might actually work against it.
• If the voters follow theater, they might be influenced by the controversy surrounding Ms. Chenoweth's performance, though the recording by itself offers a wonderful characterization and superb readings of the songs, including "I Say a Little Prayer" and "A House is Not a Home."  Their addition to the score could be a plus or minus.

 

I have never taken this out of my CD player since I got it - that is how much I love it.  But I'm thinking its chances are 50-50.

 

Sondheim on Sondheim

 

I saw this production, but I do not have the CD yet.  I can, however, offer this:

 

My thoughts:

• As always, depending upon who votes, the styling of the songs, most of which veer far from their original interpretations, may be a plus for musicians who can appreciate the styling, the re-arrangements and out-of-context nature of the selections.  For purists who like their Sondheim shot straight, this could be a turn-off.
• If seeing the show plays into it at all, this show had the shortest run.
• The singers - particularly Vanessa Williams and Barbara Cook are well-known and loved by the music community, Broadway and otherwise, which is a definite plus.
• Not having heard it, but knowing that some of the Sondheim narration is included.  How it plays on the CD, I can't say, but if they've worked it into the CD as well as they did the show, it is a definite plus.
• And whether this should influence votes or not, Sondheim is a master, and he has been the focus of dozens of tributes, etc., to the extent that the public at large knows who he is and that he has hit an age milestone.
• Will the fact that two of the five recordings have all to do with Stephen help or hurt?  Will it split the vote and open the door for one of the other three nominees.

 

I have no idea how this will play out.  But I can say that -even without hearing two of them - the quality of the selections this year is very high.  It may be cliche, but cliches all have a grain of truth to them:  all of these choices are winners!  And think about the shows with CDs that did NOT get nominated...

 

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.94

Bits and Pieces for 08.15.10

NEW POLL!  VOTE NOW!

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED!

• Best of the Decade: Best Musical Revivals, Part II
• Virginia's Tony-Winning Signature Theatre
• Words, Words, Words!
• REVIEW: next to normal (New Cast)
• Looking Back: The Capeman
• Broadway Ladies: Ms. August 2010

(NOTE: The answers to last week's "Broadway Drinking Game" are at the very bottom of today's blog!)

SPIDER-MAN IS OFFICIAL...AT LAST!

In reviewing all of my blogs over the past year - yes, a whole year has almost come and gone - I had to laugh when I saw that my SECOND blog ever discussed the troubles facing Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.  And as I always say, good or bad, I never hope or wish a show has bad luck.  Well, this show has had (and will likely continue to have) its share of public troubles.  But at least now we have some firm news:  previews 11.14.10, opening 12.21.10, at the Foxwoods Theatre, starring Reeve Carney, Patrick Page, and Jennifer Damiano.  Considering that full cast rehearsals begin TOMORROW, I am surprised we don't know the rest of the cast yet. 

It is a year later, and nothing surprises me about this show anymore...

CHESS AT SIGNATURE: THE VIDEO

I will not be posting my review of the show until it officially opens in a couple of weeks, but thought I might post this video they put together to promote the show.  You will notice that the signature song (no pun intended) they are using is "Nobody's Side," a song that gets the same emphasis in production.  What I will say is that the video is slickly produced and does reveal the strongest aspect of the production, though not necessarily in the visual sense.  I would love to hear from you what you think of this video, and if you saw the show in Virginia, too, let me know what you thought.  I wonder which "side" of the consensus opinion I will be on...

DIDN'T SEE THIS ONE COMING...DID YOU?

Well, I wasn't too surprised to see the confirmation after weeks of speculation that Patti LaBelle would be replacing Lilias White in Fela!  But you could have knocked me over with a feather when I went on to read that the show was posting a closing notice of January 2, 2011!  I guess the producers would know much better than I how future sales look, but it is definitely not the show I'd have picked to fold next based on the weekly B.O. reports.  Of course, a national tour was announced, blah blah blah.  Some have immediately jumped on the "it didn't win the Tony, so it is closing" bandwagon.  I think their numbers don't indicate that as much as say for Come Fly Away.  I do, however, think it could at least in part be because it simply does not play well out of context and what did play on national television looked sloppy, sounded out of key, and made little sense.  That and its advertising campaign, which I love visually - colorful, eye-catching, and if looked at closely, right on target as to content.  But ads for shows are worth 4 to 5 seconds to anyone other than a theatre-goer who really looks each and every one over.  Maybe a quite a few paused when reading that Will Smith and Jay-Z are producers, but when they aren't in the show?  And still others interested in African history and in Fela himself might have paused longer.  But really, everything about that aspect of the show - advertising - is definitely aimed squarely at a very small segment of the theatre-going public.  Regardless, it is a shame that a different, culturally/historically relevant piece couldn't last longer.

Coming Sooner or Later to this Blog!

• Trends of the Decade: The Downsizing of Broadway
• The Top Two Best New Musicals of the Past Decade
• REVIEW: A Little Night Music (re-visit)
• REVIEW: Signature Theatre's Chess
• REVIEW: The London Cast Recording of Promises, Promises
• Fall on Broadway: The Must-See Shows
• Broadway on TV: Which Stage Stars will light up your living room this season?

and...

• JK's Theatrescene Turns 1 Year Old!  (Can you believe it?  I can't!)

Broadway by the numbers:

• 160: Performances left of Fela! at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre
• 8: Performances left of the stunning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center
• 
  
  2: The number of additions coming to the Harris/Burtka family!  Congratulations, Neil Patrick and David on your impending blessing of twins!

Happy Birthday Last Week to...

08/08: Marcia Lewis (Chicago)

08/09: Brandon Espinoza (Big, The Will Rogers Follies)

08/10: Antonio Banderas (Nine)

08/11: Ian McDiarmid (Faith Healer)

08/12: Dana Ivey (Sunday in the Park with George)

08/13: Euan Morton (Sondheim on Sondheim)
08/14: Sarah Brightman (The Phantom of the Opera)

ANSWERS TO THE BROADWAY DRINKING GAME:
1. "Moonshine Lullaby" Annie Get Your Gun
2. "You're the Top" Anything Goes
3. "Hand Me the Wine and the Dice" Aspects of Love
4. "Are You There?" bare: a musical
5. "Gaston" Disney's Beauty and the Beast
6. "All That Jazz" Chicago
7. "Ladies Who Lunch" Company
8. "As We Stumble Along" The Drowsy Chaperone
9. "Man" The Full Monty
10. "We'll Take a Glass" Grand Hotel: The Musical
11. "Cocktail Counterpoint" La Cage aux Folles
12. "Memphis Lives in Me" Memphis
13. "God, That's Good!" Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
14. "There She Is"  Titanic
15. "Gin/Wild" LaChuisa's The Wild Party