FAREWELL: Arthur Laurents

Genius.  Son of a Bitch.  Brilliant.  Cruel.  Honest.  Brutal.  Funny.  Always right.

I think I've read close to 50 tributes and remembrances of Arthur Laurents, who passed away Thursday at the age of 93.  And just about every one of them used at least two of the words above to describe the man who left behind a legacy of truly historic proportions.  Some of the greatest people in modern American musical theatre, themselves worthy of reverence, speak of this man with a humble gratitude unlike anything I've heard before.  All of them talk about the man's love for theatre and his desire only to improve the art form.  And all of them talk of a man whose honesty was brutal, uncompromising, and down right cruel.  But underneath it all, the respect comes shining through for a man who was generous with his gifts, and simply expected everyone around him to come up to his level.  Nearly everyone talks of being terrified by him, then basking in the glow of his love for all things theatrical.  They speak of the tyrant, the teacher unable to be pleased and task master.  And then they speak of giving some of the best performances of their careers because of him.  One can only dream of being spoken of like this at his own passing.

The entire creative team of West Side Story

(Arthur Laurents is second from left)

The Great White Way is littered with the egos thrashed down by his pointed criticism and blatant disregard for anyone he felt didn't give the work the attention it deserved.  Just ask the original cast of the most recent revival of West Side Story.  Very public print and Internet interviews had him naming names and feeling cheated that all of his work on that production was not being upheld by a cast full of lazy, cynical and talentless hacks.  Apparently, the leads and subsequent replacements met with his approval.  But in the balance, we were rewarded with a gutsy, raw, tense piece of theatre, not a dusty throwback of a revival; West Side Story in 2009 was not resting on its historic laurels, it was alive in ways that the original couldn't approach.

(Top) Laurents, center, at the opening

night of West Side Story

(Bottom) Laurents, center, with his 3 Tony-winning stars

at the opening night of Gypsy

Then there was his declaration that Patti LuPone was the ultimate Rose in Gypsy.  Sure, theatre fans may agree or disagree - Tyne, Angela and Ethel all have their fans (he apparently wouldn't even discuss the Bernadette revival) - but considering that the man wrote the book and directed several productions, he of all people should know who came closest to what the author intended.  His final revival of that gem earned each of its three leads hard earned and well-deserved Tony Awards.

But just look at these last two paragraphs.  Imagine having a career that includes two of the most important musicals ever written.  One addressing issues and asking difficult questions in an era when musicals where loud, colorful laugh fests, the other widely considered by all in the field to have the perfect book of a musical, fat free and brilliantly laid out.  Can you imagine having just West Side Story or just Gypsy to your credit?  How truly blessed we as theatre-goers have been to have witnessed these two classics re-conceived and given their final stamp of approval by their own author all with in the space of 3 years or less.

Of course, he is best known for those landmark shows, but he also directed arguably the most critically popular musical of the late 20th century, and the only one to have won the Tony for Best Musical or Revival three times.  I am speaking, of course, of La Cage aux Folles, a show that was revolutionary in the early 80's, just as AIDS was getting started and gay rights were just a long off dream.  The revivals of his show he had little kind to say about, but it is safe to say that neither revival could have happened without his original, indelible contribution.

Even his stage flops are notorious: Anyone Can Whistle, for which he wrote the book, lasted a mere 9 performances, and remains beloved by musical theatre aficionados the world over; the show that won the Tony for Best Musical, but was already long closed after a very short run, Hallelujah, Baby! was his work, and until recently, his directorial flop Nick and Nora was the longest previewed musical of all time.  It's cast recording only hints at that show's potential brilliance, and even in its "floppiest" moments, his signature wit and intelligence comes through in the individual performances of such stars as Joanna Gleason, Faith Prince, Christine Baranski, and Barry Bostwick, to name just a few.

1956: Arthur Laurents and his partner, Tom Hatcher

Then there was his film career, including such classics as Rope and The Way They Were among several others.  He also wrote an autobiography that detailed his love for theatre, his hatred for many a theatre person, and his personal life.  Even in that regard, the man was so far ahead of his time.  As a gay man living as openly as one could during some of this country's most dangerous times, Arthur Laurents was a role model of discretion and living they way he wanted to despite public opinion and cruelty against homosexuals everywhere. 

The lights of Broadway were dimmed in his honor on Friday evening, a time honored tradition out of respect for theatre legends.  I wonder if he'd be embarrassed or proud of the honor.  I'm guessing probably a little of both.  He knew he had a gift, and he shared it with generations past and his legacy will live on in the future.  He was proud of his work, even when he could be his own harshest critic.    After all, he only gave 100% one hundred percent of the time, and expected just as much in return.  But I think he might blush a little at the fuss, and then smile.  Even the greatest among us enjoy credit where credit is due.

Thank you, Mr. Laurents, for everything.


Jeff
2.250

February Poll Results: Broadway's Most Romantic Songs

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 the Anything Goes revival 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!

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.181

DVD REVIEW: Sondheim! The Birthday Concert

DVD: Sondheim!  The Birthday Concert. Presented in March 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City. Conducted by Paul Gemignani.  Hosted by David Hyde Pierce.  Written by Lonny Price and David Hyde Pierce.  Produced and Directed for the Stage and Television by Lonny Price.  A presentation of Ellen M. Krass Productions and THIRTEEN in Association with WNET.ORG. 116 minutes.

Grade: A+ (I'd go higher if possible!)

Let me just cut to the chase here.  Sondheim!  The Birthday Concert is the best performance of its kind that I have ever seen on screen.  Bar none.  It is expertly staged, filmed, and edited by Lonny Price.  The quality of the sound is beyond excellent.  The pace is quick, witty, reserved when appropriate and celebratory throughout, particularly due to the superb hosting of David Hyde Pierce, who, oddly enough, has never done a Sondheim show.  (Let's remedy that one fast...).  Even the setting is cool... the entire orchestra shell draped in billowing material and lit as a giant birthday package.

And what gems that package holds!  First and foremost, what evening of this magnitude for Stephen Sondheim would be complete or so well taken care of without the masterful baton of Paul Gemignani, the man who has conducted every single original Sondheim production since 1975?  And who better to have him conduct than The New York Philharmonic?  The sound is pure bliss.  Their "Birthday Overture" and "Theme from REDS" really allow them to shine, but their contribution to each song is immeasurable and definitive.

The cast list is a who's who of two kinds.  As one might expect at an occasion such as this, names associated with Sondheim's works are plentiful:  Bernadette Peters, Elaine Stritch (who at this point in time had no idea that they'd be critically acclaimed in Sondheim's A Little Night Music), Mandy Patinkin, Donna Murphy, Marin Mazzie, Patti LuPone, George Hearn, Jim Walton, John McMartin, Joanna Gleason and Chip Zien.  The second list is a who's who of today's youngest and brightest (and simply magnetic) performers, some of whom have Sondheim on their resumes, some who don't: Bobby Steggert, Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti, Laura Osnes, Matt Cavenaugh, Jenn Colella, Victoria Clark, Michael Cerveris, Jason Danieley, Alexander Gemignani and Karen Olivo.  Opera singer Nathan Gunn, ABT dancers Blaine Hoven and Maria Riccetto, and the Shark girls from the revival of West Side Story round out the stellar company.

And given the level of talent on that stage, one would expect a flawless evening.  And that is exactly what you get.  How nice to have all expectations met and exceeded.

Following the overture, the evening opens with a few songs that Mr. Sondheim only contributed lyrics to - "America," with Olivo and the girls recreating the number from the revival, and Alexander Gemignani delivering a simple and lovely "Something's Coming" from West Side Story.  Jason Danieley and Marin Mazzie offer a fun "We're Gonna Be Alright" from Do I Hear a Waltz?, and Victoria Clark showed of her comic chops with a seldom recorded number, "Don't Laugh," a song written to help a show in trouble out of town called Hot Spot.  "New talent" is called upon for "Johanna" from Sweeney Todd (Nathan Gunn) and "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow"/"Love Will See Us Through," from Follies, featuring the charismatic talents - and I mean all four fairly jump of the screen oozing charm and charisma - of Matt Cavenaugh and Jenn Colella and Bobby Steggert and Laura Osnes.  All four reveal a very promising future for the Broadway musical.

The next segment of songs includes a variety of original cast performances - a touching Follies number from John McMartin, and Jim Walton singing a song from Merrily We Roll Along that wasn't even written when he starred in it.  But the real highlights were the crowd-pleasing reunions of Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason, doing "It Takes Two" from Into the Woods, and "Finishing the Hat"/"Move On" by Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters.  All four transported us back as if they were still doing their shows 8 times a week.  "Move On" was particularly brilliant, with both Peters and Patinkin in superb voice.  A funny and brilliantly conceived hybrid was up next with dueling Sweeneys Michael Cerveris and George Hearn doing a stunningly sung and acted "Pretty Women", and then the hilarious trio - yes, trio - of Cerveris, Hearn and Patti LuPone doing "A Little Priest."

The final segment - notable for the much publicized "red dresses" alone - proved to be the absolute icing on the cake.  Six of Broadway's greatest living divas took the stage and each delivered a "Sondheim Lady" number.  Each was an absolute treasure, but three numbers really stood out for me: Patti LuPone's blistering and for me now definitive rendition of "The Ladies Who Lunch", complete with a sincere and touching moment between LuPone and Elaine Stritch, originator of the role.  Strich, on her feet the second it was over, LuPone gesturing for an ovation for Stritch.  It was a beautiful of the moment moment.  The second standout was the biting and humorous "Could I Leave You?" from Follies as presented by Donna Murphy.  A study in song interpretation and acting, this, too, is for me a definitive version.  But the absolute treasure of the evening was Elaine Stritch's comic, bold, and honest interpretation of "I'm Still Here" from Follies.  It is the very definition of brilliance.  And it stands as testament to what a great theatre legend she still is.  Brava, indeed.

When the actual event happened, it made headlines for obvious reasons, but also because the casts of every then current Broadway show came to pay tribute to the musical theatre master.  For the closing number, some 287 singers filled every aisle on all levels of the hall and on the stage to sing, for a visibly moved Stephen Sondheim, "Sunday" from Sunday in the Park with George.  You'd have to be in a coma or worse not to be moved by this giant tribute.

What strikes me most about this particular concert is that because the very best talents came together, it was even more evident just how genius his works are.  Without fail, the minute each number started, every single performer got that "in the zone" look of intensity, followed by what I call the "Sondheim Look."  You may know it - the singer can't help but act the entire song, so evocative are the lyrics, and because each is so complex their eyes glaze over in an amazing level of concentration.  Even the really great ones do this.  But the most remarkable thing is that all of this still happens when each number is without context.  Here, the "Sondheim Look" is joined by an expression of sheer joy and admiration.  It is as if each performer is also seeing outside him or herself and even as they interpret are in awe of the fact that they are getting to do this for the master himself.  (Would that every Christine/Phantom pairing had this magic!)

Of course, the man is the reason for the occasion, but isn't it wonderful to celebrate a life that continues to give all of us so many gifts?  This DVD is a lasting testament to the genius and artistry of one of Broadway's greatest people.



Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.132

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

TheatreScene: Week of Sepetmber 13 - 19

Funny what you think about when you are lying in bed and feeling sorry for yourself...  I decided that I'd streamline 2 common blogs that I do into one.  My weekly "Bits and Pieces" and my newer "This Week in Broadway History" will be combined now into what you are reading: "TheatreScene: Week of..."  I'll combine historical tidbits and commentary about this week's goings on into 1 weekly calendar of info, snarky commentary and news.  Plus I'll highlight the week's "Beginnings" and "Endings."

My history blog fans...don't worry.  You can get the week's news for each week by clicking on "Broadway Then and Now" above, scrolling to the bottom and picking the week you want to read about.  I'll try this for awhile, and see how it goes.  And, of course, I don't just do this for me, so PLEASE feel free to give me your critiques and suggestions!

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THIS WEEK'S POLL...TO YOUR RIGHT!

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS WEEK!

• What Happened on Broadway This Week: 9/6-9/12
• Broadway Ladies: Ms. Broadway September 2010
• All Good Things...
• Broadway Crossword by Blog #3: The New Season Part I

SEPTEMBER 13:
NEWS:

• The Book of Mormon announces that it has booked the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, where it will begin previews February 24 and open on March 24.  Personally, I can't wait.  I could use a smart laugh, long missing from Broadway, since, well, Avenue Q.  Am I the only person on the planet who hasn't seen South Park?

CLOSER TO BROADWAY:

• Heathers: The Musical gets a starry staged reading/concert at Joe's Pub.  Annaleigh Ashford, Jenna Leigh Green and James Snyder star.

Heathers: The Musical

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Christine Estabrook, Actress (Spring Awakening)

SEPTEMBER 14:
HISTORY:

• 1855: The oldest show to open this week: a revival of The Beggar's Opera, which opened on this date at 537 Broadway, which was then known as Niblo's Garden
• 1925:  The Jazz Singer opened at the Fulton Theatre and ran for 303 performances.  The work is probably best known as the first talking picture, starring Al Jolson.
• 1989: The first revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street opened at the Circle in the Square, and starred Beth Fowler (Beauty and the Beast) and Bob Gunton (Evita).  It ran for 188 performance, and is notable for opening at the theatre attached to the Uris, where the original production - much larger - made Broadway history.  Of course, we now know Sweeney could get even more teeney!

BEGINNINGS:

• Jordin Sparks officially opened in In the Heights.  The reviews were...mixed.  Let's just say, "Sing: 10, Act: 3".
• Allyce Beasley begins performances as Mme. Dindon in La Cage aux Folles.
• Patti LaBelle officially begins performances in Fela!, even though she's played a few already.
• Angels in America: Millennium Approaches beings previews off-Broadway.

NEWS:

• Patti LuPone: A Memoir is in stores. La LuPone appears on The View to dish and promote the tome.  Nothing revelatory to fans of the diva: she had an on-off thing with Kevin Kline, and "took batting practice" in her London dressing room after getting ready to go on and finding out by phone that she was dismissed from Sunset Boulevard.

La LuPone and her book.

She looks great, doesn't she?

Her Verge and Gypsy co-star,

Laura Benanti shows her Momma some love!

Tony x 3: a Gypsy reunion!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Zoe Caldwell, Actress (Master Class)

SEPTEMBER 15:
HISTORY:

• 1976: The now classic for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf opened at the Booth Theatre, where it would stay for nearly 2 years and 742 performances.

NEWS:

• The Stephen Sondheim Theatre is officially lit.  A teary Sondheim spoke after tributes from Todd Haines, Nathan Lane and Patti LuPone, among others.

The great man, himself.

Broadway's newest marquee!

• Producer Ken Davenport announces that the revival of Godspell coming to Broadway next year, will be the first produced "by the people".  He hopes to collect the entire investment from folks like us (plus a few big spenders, I'm sure) for just $100 a unit, with a ten unit minimum.  So, for a thousand bucks, you can be a Broadway producer!  I guess that leaves out the "I can't afford a discount ticket" whiners, huh?  So, this is either genius marketing (it could be, Davenport is a master) or it has the stink of Max Bialystock.  And you don't even get opening night tickets...  Go to http://www.godspell.com/ to find out more.  There is a link there, which I have trouble getting to directly, for producing info.
• West Side Story announces it will close at the Palace Theatre on January 2, 2011 after 742 performances.
• Minutes later, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert announces it will begin previews at the Palace Theatre on February 28, 2011.  Why can't the housing industry get rid of real estate that fast?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Michael Countryman, Actor (Mary Stuart, Laughter on the 23rd Floor)

SEPTEMBER 16:
NEWS:

• Angels in America: Perestroika begins previews off-Broadway, where it and Millennium Approaches will play in rep through February 20.  Michael Greif directs the star-filled cast.  Is this Broadway-bound?
• Promises, Promises announces a closing date of January 2, 2011.  So far, no one has snatched up this cave, um, theatre.

CLOSER TO BROADWAY:

• King Kong: The Musical announces its presence.  It is hoping for Broadway in 2013.  My favorite "fan" response to this is a rant about "too many puppets on Broadway."  Really?  Would an ACTUAL giant gorilla work better?  Talk about your overhead costs... not to mention casting...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Molly Shannon, Actress/Broadway Debutante (Promises, Promises)

SEPTEMBER 17:
HISTORY:

• The oddest title of the week and the shortest run of the week goes to 1953's A Pin to See the Peepshow, which ran for 1 performance at the Playhouse Theatre.

NEWS:

• David Cromer is announced to direct Nicole Kidman in her Broadway return in a revival of Sweet Bird of Youth.  Poor Yank!, another step down the ladder...
• In what has turned out to be a busy week for our favorite diva, Patti LuPone, Lincoln Center Theatre has released more promo pics for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.  Odd, bizarre, a little weird and off-putting, these gems speak volumes about wit and tone.  I hope.

Benanti and Burstein...

Mitchell and LuPone

The Women (and their Men) on the Verge

The Principal Cast

CLOSER TO BROADWAY:

• We Have Always Lived in a Castle a new musical based on a story by Shirley Jackson (of The Lottery, no relation to Bloody Bloody Andrew, I don't think) starring Jenn Gambatese and Alexandra Socha is at Yale Rep through October 19.

The Company

Jenn Gambatese and Sean Palmer

• Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin announces that Robert Carlyle (Finian's Rainbow) is a co-director, not just choreographer for the show which opens September 19.  It stars Robert McClure (Avenue Q) and Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), among others.  Is there trouble for the Little Tramp?

Robert McClure and Kirstin Thomas

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Constantine Maroulis, Actor/Singer (Rock of Ages)

SEPTEMBER 18:
HISTORY:

• 1985: Song and Dance opened at the Royale Theatre, starring eventual Tony-winner Bernadette Peters.  It will run 474 performances before closing.  Betty Buckley replaced Ms. Peters, having left The Mystery of Edwin Drood in the hands of an unknown actress named Donna Murphy.  Song and Dance, aside from La Peters, was chock full of dancers who would go on to huge careers: Christopher d'Amboise, Charlotte d'Amboise, Scott Wise, Gregg Burge, Cynthia Onrubia, Gregory Mitchell, Denise Faye, Gen Horiuchi and Mary Ellen Stuart.  The director was Richard Maltby, Jr. and the choreographer was Peter Martins.
• 2008: The youngest opening on Broadway this week: A Tale of Two Cities starring James Barbour and Aaron Lazar opened in 2008 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.  It lasted a mere 60 performances, but is one of those shows that will never really die...

NEWS:

• Patti LuPone did not make the headlines today.  Or tomorrow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: James Gandolfini, Actor (God of Carnage)

SEPTEMBER 19:
ENDINGS:

• Josefina Scaglione plays her final performance as Maria in West Side Story.  She was Tony-nominated for her Broadway debut in the show.  Come back soon!  You are a wonderful girl!

CLOSER TO BROADWAY:

• Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin opens today.

The Limelight Company

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Stephanie J. Block, Actress (Wicked, 9 to 5)

So?  What did you think?  Let me know - here, Yahoo, Twitter.
Jeff
2.19

All Good Things...

Geez, you take to your sick bed for a couple of days and all hell breaks loose!  (Thank you to those thoughtful emailers who were actually worried when I missed 2 days!  You are sweet to worry; I appreciate it!)

OK, first comes the news that my favorite revival, West Side Story will NOT feature a retuen of Tony winner Karen Olivo!  Then, to add insult to injury... the show will close!  (I'm not surprised, just disappointed.)

THEN, my other favorite revival, Promises, Promises will be closing, too!  ON THE SAME DAY!  And I am thankful that all of the major players saw fit to extend 1 week to finish out the show.

And if unconfirmed (but highly likely) rumors are true, I will be inconsolable if a certain favorite - absolute favorite - of mine also closes on that date.  I simply cannot name it until it becomes true...

Still... much to be thankful for on all three accounts. 

We will never see a West Side Story again directed by the man who wrote it.  And it will have run longer than the original Broadway production - 732 original, 748 revival.

This Promises, Promises won't even come close to its original run, but what are the chances that this perios piece will be done again anytime soon?  Plus, it inroduced Sean Hayes to Broadway, in what I hope will NOT be his only role.  And perhaps, in the long run, more importantly, we saw one of musical theatres greatest stars, Kristin Chenoweth take a risk in a role that most people couldn't bend their frame of reference enough to see her fit.  In my opinion, she was smashing and brave.

And should the lost one that shall not be named close on that date (or one later in the month as further speculation has it)... who would have thought that a show that serious and off the beaten path would have lasted as long as it did?  And improve with age to boot!  Regardless of your personal feelings about it, the show will eventually hold its place on a very short list of those who changed musical theatre boundaries forever.

Whether 2 or 3 shows (or more) end up closing on that day the joy of the New Year will be short lived for this theatre fan.  Still, it is a reminder that the very thing I love so much about live theater - that it is live, done and gone forever - is also thing that I hate the most.  Gone.  Forever.

But then again, if shows didn't close, there wouldn't be room for the West Side Storys or the Promises, Promises... talk about your "circle of life"!  Any word on when THAT might close!?  :-)

And I am really looking forward to the fun that I am sure will be Priscilla: Queen of the Desert!



Comments? Leave one here, Yahoo me, or Tweet me...
Jeff
2.17

Best of the Decade: The Best Musical Revivals, Part II

To read about my Best Musical Revivals, numbers 10 - 6, click here!

The past decade has certainly brought a pretty wide spectrum of revivals (even if most of them were be Stephen Sondheim), both in content and quality.  Among the shows that might have been better served by NOT being revived: Grease!, Bells Are Ringing, Finian's Rainbow, Into the Woods, Oklahoma!, La Cage aux Folles (2004), Guys and Dolls.  More interestingly, these shows were decent to great, but just didn't make my top 10.  Honorable mention goes to: The Rocky Horror Show, Little Shop of Horrors, 42nd Street, NINE, La Cage aux Folles (2010), and Sweet Charity (for sheer tenacity and good will).

Here are my Top Five picks for Best Musical Revival of the First Decade of the 21st Century:

5.  West Side Story (580 performances as of August 8, 2010; nominated for Best Revival of a Musical 2009.  Still running at the Palace Theatre.  Directed by Arthur Laurents, choreography by Jerome Robbins re-created by Joey McKneely, and starring Josefina Scaglione, Matt Cavenaugh, Karen Olivo, Cody Green.)

With a score you can't beat, dancing that remains a benchmark on Broadway history and today is still the best, and a classic story, this West Side Story thrilled me from start to finish, and still does.  Staged just as it was when Broadway didn't know what to do with it, the show is still as resonant and timely as it is timeless.  I especially loved Miss Scaglione in her Broadway debut as Maria - a heady mix of innocence, optimism and heartbreak.  And the unsung heroes of the ensemble?  The Jet Girls who really made "Cool" cool.  Some took issue with the addition of whole scenes in Spanish.  Yes, it was uncomfortable, but that was the point, wasn't it?  Think how the Sharks must have felt in an all-English world.  For us it was a few moments of discomfort, for them, the language barrier meant life or death.

The Shark Girls and The Jets

4.  Gypsy (2008) (332 performances at the St. James Theatre; nominated for Best Revival of a Musical 2008.  Starring Patti LuPone, Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines, directed by Arthur Laurents.)

There is no arguing that Gypsy is a classic.  Did it need to be revived twice in one decade?  No.  But I'm sure glad they did it the second time.  Directed by its original director and book writer, Arthur Laurents, Broadway finally got to see the Gypsy he always envisioned.  True he directed three Roses to Tonys, and no offense to Tyne or Angela, but Patti LuPone IS Rose.  The quintessential Rose, and in a performance that will be talked about as a landmark performance for years to come, and LuPone stopped the show twice - her "Everything's Coming Up Roses" was an absolute thrill ride, and her "Rose's Turn" deserved every mid-show standing ovation it got and more.  And if you were lucky, you got to see her notorious rampage that literally stopped the show.  But what really made this and extra extra special treat of a revival were her two co-stars also delivering definitive performances - Laura Benanti as Louise and Boyd Gaines as Herbie.

Gaines, Benanti and LuPone:

a Gypsy for the ages

3.  South Pacific (997 performances when it closes on August 22, 2010 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center; winner Best Musical Revival 2008.  Directed by Bartlett Sher, and starring Paolo Szot, Kelli O'Hara, Matthew Morrison, Danny Burstein and Loretta Ables Sayre.)

Lincoln Center, when it does it right, REALLY does it right.  And boy did it do well with the first-ever revival of South Pacific.  It was epic on all fronts: a giant cast, a giant staging (a full sized truck, palm trees and a fighter plane? YES! Chandelier?  YAWN), and a stunning, full-sized orchestra that got its due every night as it played, revealed to the audience, one of the most gorgeous overtures written for a Broadway musical.  But if the size and scale of the production not only underscored the enormity of the situation and setting, under the sure and superb direction of Bartlett Sher, the human scale of it was never ever lost, so sharp was the staging, the focus and the detail of every single performance.  Truly, one of the rare times I would have paid more for my ticket.  Even at full price it was a bargain.  Some enchanted evening to be sure, the show has set a very high standard for subsequent revivals.

"I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair!"

2.  Company (246 performances at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre; winner Best Revival of a Musical 2007.  Directed by John Doyle starring Raul Esparza, Barbara Walsh, Elizabeth Stanley, Keith Butterbaugh and Heather Laws.)

With the superb orchestrations of Mary Mitchell Campbell, this minimalist version of the 1970 Sondheim classic worked in a way that other productions have not.  Stripping the show of almost any scenery and most props, and instead letting the musical instruments and the actors playing them tell the story, we got a clarity and a unity that made the plight of one Bobby and his nut job assortment of friends and lovers easy to understand and maybe even relate to.  Raul Esparza gave the performance of his career, making "Being Alive" and absolute anthem to solitude and neediness, and I think he was robbed of a Best Actor Tony.  Similarly, Barbara Walsh's "Ladies Who Lunch" was a definitive version, applauded by no less than its creator, Elaine Stritch.  Doyle's staging was creative and added much meaning to what amounts to a series of disjointed sit-com scenes that also happen to have one of the best theatre scores attached to them.  He made them work as one unit, and really made the full cast numbers like "Side by Side by Side" and "Company" really work.

"You Could Drive a Person Crazy!"

1.  Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (349 performances at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre; nominated for Best Revival of a Musical 2006.  Directed and designed by John Doyle, and starring Patti LuPone, Michael Cerveris, Manoel Felciano, Alexander Gemignani, Mark Jacoby, Donna Lynne Champlin, Lauren Molina, Benjamin Magnusson, John Arbo and Diana DiMarzio.)

A cast of ten, each playing instruments with no music in front of them, one set, very plain and strewn with a odd set of objects, and no one leaving the stage for the entire performance was the direct antithesis of the original, sweeping epic scale original production of Sweeney Todd.  Arguably the best musical ever written (and certainly the pinnacle of Stephen Sondheim's career), this Sweeney was a revelation on all fronts.  The lack of anything visual, framed by the setting - an insane asylum - and a story retold by the patients, from the mind of young Toby who lived through it, added several layers of urgency to the entire affair.  And while there were plenty of laughs to offset the gruesome tale unfolding, the underlying and sometimes in your face violence gave the whole thing an edge.  And the new focus on the words, the deeds and the characters no longer swallowed by a gigantic orchestration or a mammoth set, gave this Sweeney something even the original production lacked: genuine thriller-level chills and thrills.  And its leads, in sharp departure from their predecessors (Patti LuPone as Mrs. Lovett for Angela Lansbury, and Michael Cerveris as Sweeney Todd for Len Cariou), added a youthful, more grounded and utterly terrifying level of intensity.  Ms. LuPone's nonchalant pouring of buckets of blood as the body count rises is scary in so many ways and gave me actual nightmares.  The show also boasted the single Johanna I have ever loved and felt for in the dozens of performances I've seen of the show, Lauren Molina. 

The Sweeney Todd 2006 Company

Although I would hate to see many more shows whittled down to this scale, both this show and Company really brought a new artistry to two musical classics.  And that's why they are numbers 1 and 2.


Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatresce@yahoo.com, follow me on Twitter and comment there or join Formspring and ask me anything you want!
Jeff