CD REVIEW: Music from: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Like the show, which I have long championed, the recording released in conjunction with the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is an enigma to me.  Like the show, the album is alternately dumbfounding and excellent, alternately rock music and Broadway showtune.  Just like the show, it is alternately over-produced and superbly realized. And just like the final product onstage at the Foxwoods Theatre, the album is alternately ego unchecked and artistic boundary-breaking triumph.

As the world knows, the entire world scrutinized, criticized and watched an epic fail turn into a popular commercial success, if not a critical one.  In the process, director Julie Taymor was let go, her vision too long in being realized fully, the best parts retained for the final version.  Score writers Bono and The Edge, however, went largely unchecked, adding just one full number and tweaking a few others.  Unfortunately, it is the score that remains the weakest link of the show.  And I have to call it as I see it: their egos are just as much (probably more) to blame for the show's shortcomings as anything or anyone else.  They clearly don't know how to score a show - they have admitted as much.  Of course, it is too late to fix things again.

Title: Music from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Artist: Bono, The Edge and members of the Original Broadway Cast
Label: Interscope Records/Marvel
Number: BOO15782-02
Format: Single CD
Case: Single Jewel Case
Booklet: Full color production photos; complete lyrics

Which brings me to the CD released in conjunction with the show, a microcosm of all that ills and elevates the project.  Apparently, in an effort to get something recorded (I am thankful for that), they rushed into the studio to record Music From Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.  The entire Broadway cast is on the recording, but I wouldn't call this an Original Cast Recording.  And even though other such recordings will occasionally have the writers crooning a song or two as bonus tracks, the egos of the show have again prevailed, and Bono and The Edge (I giggle every time I type these ridiculous noms de plume) have insinuated their way onto several tracks.  Their liner note message mentions how they have included "some of their own demos for the fun of it."  So, is this a show album or a U2 album?

Since a large chunk of the score is not included, which, again according to that liner note, were selected purposely from some 18 songs and 20 pieces of orchestration.  And it does include an attempt at a radio single, "Rise Above I."  I certainly applaud any attempt to bring Broadway to the masses.  But the Broadway show fan in me is ticked.  Couldn't they have at least put the songs they DID include in order?  Couldn't those numbers be all done as performed in the show?

Cover Art for the single, "Rise Above I"

The biggest difference is that here, you can, without fail, hear every single word.  And I thought that maybe hearing the lyrics and really paying attention to them in repeated listening would make it clearer and somehow deeper.  I was wrong.  I know the words now, but crap is crap and poetry is poetry.  And I will go out on a limb here and say that had the entire song list been preserved here, the balance between crap and poetry would be more in favor of poetry.  (Someone involved loves - I mean LOVES - "Pull the Trigger" and no matter how it has been retooled for the stage, it remains the very pinnacle of what is wrong with the show.  Ego unchecked; crap over poetry.)Well, enough carping. As this is a theatre blog, I will highlight all those numbers on the CD that are good AND include the Broadway cast. Again, these songs align pretty closely to the same songs that work the best in the show. And again, the cast shines through in spite of the material they are working with.

• Track 1: "NY Debut": This instrumental is a welcome inclusion, considering how many times your hear part of it.  But it is also nice because it incorporates bits of the other background music.  It is not a traditional "overture" as it is not made up of melodies from songs in the score, but it certainly makes you feel the pulse and excitement of the shows biggest asset: the flying and action sequences.
• Track 2: "Boy Falls from the Sky": I loved it the minute I heard Reeve Carney croon this tune on Good Morning America over a year ago.  It is moody, dark and poetic.  If only all of the songs were this character driven and interesting.  This should be the song vying for radio time, this and track 10.
• Track 4: "Picture This": This is one number that tells me what could have been.  This is the perfect blend of U2 and Broadway.  It works well as a song and particularly well on stage as the worlds of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson and Dr. Osborne are about to collide.

• Track 5: "I Just Can't Walk Away (Say It Now)": A nice ballad that really showcases the talents and chemistry of Reeve Carney and Jennifer Damiano, with a subtle, well-sung contribution from T.V. Carpio.
• Track 8: "No More": Another duet for Carney and Damiano, and is another example of what could have been in terms of show music.  It reveals character and advances the plot (this is the song that has Peter and Mary Jane arriving home to two different and troubled homes).
• Track 9: "DIY World": Catchy and a showcase for the company, the song is eerie, interesting and completely part of the theme and conflict of the show, science vs humanity.  Patrick Page and Laura Beth Wells shine here.

"If the World Should End" as performed by
Reeve Carney and Jennifer Damiano at the
2011 Tony Awards

• Track 10: "If the World Should End": Easily my favorite song, and nicely preserved here by a superb Jennifer Damiano.  Even if, in the show, it is now a duet, the song remains the highlight of the score and this recording.
• Track 12: "A Freak Like Me (Needs Company)": The song most ready for the radio works surprisingly well as a production number and represents the one major improvement to the score, plot and version 2.0 of the show.  It is pop song catchy and well sung by the cast, with some very Green Goblin-esque song stylings by Patrick Page.  Add this song to my "guilty pleasures" list.
• Track 13: "Rise Above 2": It is, for me, simply "Rise Above," as it is the version that plays in the theatre, and really did not need to be changed for any potential radio play.  Reeve Carney and T.V. Carpio are superb here; haunting, well-sung and one reason to see the show live.

Hmmm... I have highlighted 9 of the 14 tracks on this album.  More than half, so how bad can it be, right?  Well, except for maybe the final, title number, which I didn't include, the rest of the tracks are THAT awful.  "Bouncing Off the Walls," which I loved in the show, doesn't make much sense out of context and really needs the visual to make the aural really work.  "Turn Off the Dark," well-sung by Carpio, works better having seen the show and having just experienced everything up to that point, but in isolation, it is just weird.  It tries too hard.

The booklet contains full lyrics, some good pictures, and that very telling note from Bono and The Edge.  And the quality of the recording is first rate.  The vocal arrangements and orchestrations on the regular tracks are also first rate.

Maybe fans of U2 will embrace this attempt to get them to buy some of the albums.  Fans of the show will probably want it, too.  But if you are a serious Broadway Cast Recording fan, you'll probably do as I did - wait for a good sale and buy it to have it.  Then program your iPod for the three or four songs you really like, or better yet, just buy the songs you like from iTunes and be done with it.

Grade: C+

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Jeff
3.021

CD REVIEW: Sondheim on Sondheim

From three to none: over the past few months Broadway has been home to as many as three Stephen Sondheim shows, but now there are none left.  And Sondheim fans are wondering what's next?  Finally a revival of Anyone Can Whistle? Not another Gypsy!  For now, though, fans can enjoy the CDs of all three recent Sondheim efforts: West Side Story, A Little Night Music, and the CD of today's blog, Sondheim on Sondheim. Indeed all three recording represent some of the very best in the Sondheim canon: West Side Story won the Grammy last year, and both Night Music and Sondheim are up for the Grammy this year.  And having listened to the CD several times now, one can understand why it was nominated, and perhaps why it won't win.

Title: Sondheim on Sondheim
Artist: Original Broadway Cast Recording
Label: PS Classics
Number: PS-1093
Format: Double CD
Case: Jewel Box, 2nd CD Insert, Cardboard Slip Cover
Booklet: Full color production photos; Complete lyrics; Liner notes

The Show Itself:  One of several revues of the works of Stephen Sondheim, this one differentiates itself in one key, and most satisfactory way.  Guiding us through selections from his very own oeuvre, Stephen Sondheim himself appears via video screen and narrates the evening.  Self-deprecating, funny and honest, you get to see more than a glimpse of what makes this genius tick.  His discussions on the evolution of songs (how we got "Being Alive" in Company; how we got "Comedy Tonight" in Forum) will please students of his work.  Segments from two of his biggest flops, Passion and Merrily We Roll Along will introduce audiences to two of his finest scores.  And a brand new song that really tells you the tenor of the evening, "God" opens Act Two.

What I Said of the Production:  "Were the attitude any more heightened, one might knock it, calling it "cruise ship material."  But, under the wise, and vastly knowledgeable direction of James Lapine (and smart musical stager Dan Knechtges), one could hardly compare this to a Love Boat show.  Both Lapine and Knechtges instead are giving a nod to the genre's history, while sweeping us into the 21st century, and allowing us to remember revues past briefly before transporting us into a new age: respectful, but showy, inventive, but grounded, and with a technological flair akin to the first time Broadway saw a huge tire float effortlessly above the stage.  Of course, there are many reasons to hope that the show succeeds and makes a recording - ask any Sondheim fan why. But let me help enumerate them: Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams, Tom Wopat, Leslie Kritzer, Norm Lewis, Euan Morton, Erin Mackey and Matthew Scott. Even though the first three names are above the title, it would be misleading and a slight to the cast not to say that they are a true company. All of them have solos. All of them have distinct moments to shine, and all have times to support the others. Another key reason to hope for a recording is the quality of the musicians who play the show (orchestrations by Michael Starobin) and the terrific mix of traditional and unique arrangements of the song selection (music direction and arrangements by David Loud). There is literally something for everyone in this show."

What I Have to Say About This Recording:  When I first started listening to the CD, I thought I'd probably skip over the Sondheim narratives (they are on separate tracks, for the most part, so you can skip them), but I have found that I don't, after all.  They are 100% engaging, his voice is soothing and he is infinitely as interesting as each song included.  In short, what made the show so terrific - Sondheim - is what really makes this recording stand out.  Without his sharp observations, you'd be left with, well, just another Sondheim revue.

Still, what worked in the theatre definitely works here, too.  In fact, I appreciate Barbara Cook's efforts much more here than live.  And not because they can fix the sound on a recording (which I doubt they did much in her case, anyway), but because I'm not seeing her read monitors or be courted off stage like she's a frail old woman (which, for the record, she is not).  But on a CD, you can really concentrate on her voice, and you can still see why her voice defined a generation.  I find her readings of the songs from Passion to be superb (her Fosca to Norm Lewis' Giorgio is simply wonderful), and her timing excellent in an otherwise iffy "You Could Drive a Person Crazy."  The problem there isn't either singer (Tom Wopat duets with her), but the too cool, over jazzy arrangement.

The weakest song in the show, "Epiphany," from Sweeney Todd, has been wisely left off the recording - there is nothing from Sweeney on the recording.  And a few of the pretty nifty mash ups of songs that were interludes between segments are gone, too.  Otherwise this is pretty complete.

Everyone in the cast gets to shine, and I find Vanessa Williams' performance on CD to be the best sung and acted.  She simply exudes finesse, class and talent.  Her duet with Ms. Cook is a superb mix of "Not a Day Goes By" and "Losing My Mind."  Euan Morton, Matthew Scott and Ms. Williams do a terrific complete scene from Merrily - "Franklin Shepard, Inc.", and the ladies, Williams, Cook, Leslie Kritzer and Erin Mackey do an excellent "Now You Know."  And Krizter, Morton and Scott do more excellent scene work with "Opening Doors".  This CD makes a great case for another stab at Merrily We Roll Along.  Assassins also comes off very well, with the company doing masterful versions of both "Something Just Broke" and "The Gun Song."

This is a superb record of a truly wonderful production.  The CD has terrific production values, both in terms of sound and in the quality packaging.  It is nice to have some great color photos and the full lyrics.  Still, as much as I love a lot of the cast recording, and I listen to it frequently, I have to admit that with some exceptions (and the inclusion of the Sondheim narration), this CD also reminds us of how great the original casts were.  And that, I guess like with many revues, is the blessing and the curse.

Grade: A-


Comments? Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.143

Black Friday: My Broadway Gift List

Today is the heaviest shopping day of the year.  And if you can wait, Cyber Monday is full of great deals for online shoppers.  I think everything I list below is available online at Amazon, Playbill.com (The Store) and, broadwayposters.com, broadwaynewyork.com or tdf.org.  (Most of my recommendations have reviews to read... click on the list to your right or the "Reviews" tab above.

I've been a good boy this year, Santa.  Really I have... and so here are a few things I'd like to see under my tree.  And I also made a list of suggestions for your elves to makes for other theatre loving fans!

Cast Recordings/DVDs:  I am WAY behind on my collection...

Jeff's Wish List
CD:

• The New Broadway Cast Recording of La Cage aux Folles
• Sondheim on Sondheim
• Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• The Scottsboro Boys

DVD:

• Sondheim!  The Birthday Celebration

For Others' Enjoyment
CD:

• The New Broadway Cast Recording of Promises, Promises: Great orchestrations and awesome vocals from Kristin and Sean!
• The New Broadway Cast Recording of A Little Night Music:  Complete as can be for Sondheim fans, and nearly every word Angela Lansbury said or sang is included.
• Memphis: This year's Tony winner has a fun score that you can learn quickly and sing your heart out to...
• The Broadway Cast Recording of American Idiot: Not to be confused with the Green Day album (also good)...one of the best sounding OBCR's in years!

DVD:

• Were the World Mine: An AWESOME movie
• The Complete First Season of Glee: Do I really need to say why I recommend this?  OK...the extras are really great...almost as as great as the show!

Theatre Books:

Jeff's Wish List

• Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim
• The 6th Annual Playbill Broadway Yearbook
• Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit and the Biggest Flop of the Season 1959 - 2009 by Peter Filichia
• A Memoir by Patti LuPone (I also wouldn't mind the book on cd version, read by Ms. LuPone hereself!)

For Others' Enjoyment

• The 1st - 5th Annual Playbill Broadway Yearbook: An absolute must for Broadway fans... great organization, details, pictures and fun behind the scenes stuff!  And they are all on clearance at the Playbill Store...all 5 together cost LESS than 1 full priced book!
• Spring Awakening: In the Flesh: a great read, plus the complete script!  Fans of the show NEED this book!

Show Merchandise:

Jeff's Wish List

• An archival quality Playbill binder for modern Playbills
• Window Cards: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Scottsboro Boys (Broadway versions), Broadway Bares XX: Strip-opoply
• An Addams Family deck of cards and/or a Lurch water bottle
• A program from Million Dollar Quartet

For Others' Enjoyment

• An archival quality Playbill binder for modern Playbills
• Window Cards: Finian's Rainbow (Broadway revival) - so pretty!, A Playbill Poster for the 2009-2010 season (4th in the Series) (Shown: 3rd in the Series)
• The Pop-up Wicked book
• A program from American Idiot and/or La Cage aux Folles

And always good to give or get: TKTS gift certificates!  A great cause, and a great way to make shows even more affordable!

Have any gift ideas?  Books, cds or dvds to recommend?  PLEASE share!  Email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, leave a comment here or Tweet me!

Jeff

2.87

TheatreScene: September 27 - October 3

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THIS MONTH'S NEW POLL!

 

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS WEEK:
LOGOS: Brief Encounter
REVIEW: Wicked (Fall 2010 Cast)
From Ireland to Broadway and Back Again: 1916: The Musical
Guest Blogger: St. Jimmy, St. Jimmy, St. Jimmy
Mr. Broadway October 2010: Benjamin Walker
Broadway Crossword by Blog: The New Season, Part III

 

SEPTEMBER 27:
HISTORY: 

• The Oldest Opening of the Week:  On this date in 1847 (163 years ago), Used Up opened at the Broadway Theatre (not the same theatre as today's Broadway Theatre).  The play starred John Lester, but little else is known aside from that and the opening date.

NEWS:

 

Billie Joe Armstrong

• File this one under "appropriate stunt casting."  More in the league of the master of casting, Chicago, and less in the desperate guest star vein of REO Speedwagon doing a few songs after Rock of Ages or Lesley no-show Gore at Million Dollar Quartet, American Idiot throws its hat in the casting ring by having Green Day's own Billie Joe Armstrong jumping into the role of St. Jimmy (usually played by the superb Tony Vincent or his equally awesome understudy, Andrew Call) for this week only, September 28 - October 3.  I hope this gives the show a bump at the BO...it needs it.  But it sure isn't for a lack of trying.  I can't remember a show that continues to contribute to the publicity mill like American Idiot.  Whoever does their publicity is not getting paid what they are worth.  It's a shame that producers can't seem to get that they need to DRASTICALLY cut prices in order for their target audience to afford seeing a Broadway show...

 

James Stovall

• Actor James Stovall, an actor who made his Broadway debut in Bob Fosse's Big Deal, and went on to appear in the 1986 revival of Sweet Charity, passed away on September 26.  His age and cause of death were not known at the time of the press release.  He also took over the role of  Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in the original Ragtime, a part he also played on the national tour.  Other Broadway appearances included The Life and Once on This Island.  His last Broadway role was as a preacher and "Begat" singer in the 2009 revival of Finian's Rainbow.  Rest in peace, Mr. Stovall.

WELCOME TO BROADWAY:

• REO Speedwagon will perform at the end of Rock of Ages today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Shaun Cassidy, Actor (Blood Brothers)

 

SEPTEMBER 28:
HISTORY:

• This week the play's the thing!  The play version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes opened in 1926, playing 199 performances at the Times Square Theatre.

NEWS:

 

 

• BC/EFA announces that The 24th Annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction raised $476,917 this year.  I did my part - I left with 8 windowcards (including a collectible Lend Me a Tenor Opening Night poster), 2 calendars (the Yank! one is HOT...PLEASE theatre gods make that show happen on Broadway...), and the bargain of the day, courtesy of the American Idiot table... I got the Spring Awakening: In the Flesh coffee table book for a mere $10.00!

 

• The New Broadway Cast Recording of La Cage aux Folles is released today, promising a more complete representation of the score and a lavish booklet including full lyrics.

BEGINNINGS:

• Brief Encounter  opens today for a limited run through December 5 at Roundabout Theatre Company's Studio 54 space.
• Stephen R. Buntrock begins performances as Fredrik in A Little Night Music, with the departure of Tony nominee Alexander Hanson.
• Billie Joe Armstrong begins a one-week stint as St. Jimmy in American Idiot, taking over the role from Tony Vincent.  (See above.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Gregory Jbara, Actor (Billy Elliot)

 

SEPTEMBER 29:
HISTORY:

• 1934: Like I said, the play's the thing this week!  The play version of Merrily We Roll Along by Kaufman and Hart opened at the Music Box Theatre.  It was a much bigger success as a play, even though, like the musical, the story moved backwards through time, running 155 performances.
• 2009: A Steady Rain, with Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig, opened at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

NEWS:

 

Aaron Tveit, center, from the pre-Broadway

production of Catch Me If You Can

• As I guessed/hoped last week, Catch Me If You Can  has announced that it will, indeed, be taking the Neil Simon Theatre.  Previews are scheduled to begin March 7, with an opening of April 10, 2011.  A 2009 production of the show had Norbert Leo Butz and Aaron Tveit starring, though a current cast has not been announced.  The Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman show will play the same stage as their last smash hit, Hairspray.  Though previously announced for the space and now homeless, Love Never Dies  has not officially cancelled, as of today.
• For me, Women on the Verge are close to giving ME a nervous breakdown.  Today, they announced another postponement for the start of previews - to October 8.  I will now be seeing the 2nd preview... ugh.

 

Arthur Penn

• For the second time this week, Broadway mourns the loss of another family member.  Director Arthur Penn passed away September 28, one day after his 88th birthday.  He has been ill for some time.  He is the rare director to find success on both coasts.  On Broadway, his career in the 50's and 60's included Two for the Seesaw, the star-making show An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May, and arguably, his most important work, the original production of The Miracle Worker.  That last title also brought him much success in Hollywood, as helmed the Oscar winning film version.  His most iconic film, though, has to be Bonnie and Clyde.  Late in his career, he returned to Broadway in 2002 with Fortune's Fool, which won Frank Langella a Tony award.  In 2004, he directed his final production, a revival of Sly Fox, where he famously encouraged the cast to go off book to explore whatever they found funny at the moment before returning to the printed text.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Roger Bart, Actor (The Producers, Young Frankenstein)

 

SEPTEMBER 30:
HISTORY:

• 1938:  The Most Apt Title of the Year: 30 Days Hath September opened at the Hudson Theatre.  Alas, it did not last 30 days, running a mere 16 performances.

NEWS:

• The New York Times is reporting that Dee Snider, of 80's hairband Twisted Sister fame, will be joining the cast of Rock of Ages for an 11-week run, beginning later this month.  He will be playing night club owner Dennis and hosting a series of talk backs during his run.  I guess we have Chicago  to thank for all of this stunt casting - Patti LaBelle in Fela!, Billie Joe Armstrong in American Idiot, and recent "guest appearances" by Jerry Lee Lewis (Million Dollar Quartet) and REO Speedwagon (Rock of Ages).  Just as with Chicago, I can only assume it will increase ticket sales, and that the quality of the set of performances will be uneven at best.

 

 

• A more sure thing is the casting of theatre legend Joel Grey (Cabaret, George M!, Chicago, Wicked) in the 2011 revival of Anything Goes.  He plays Moonface Martin opposite Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney.  No word on the rest of the cast, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a hot, um,  a talented Billy Crocker.  Last time around, a pre-Phantom Howard McGillin played that role opposite the Reno Sweeney of Patti LuPone.  (I have to mention her at least once a week, right?)
• A new revival of House of Blue Leaves looks to be Broadway-bound with Edie Falco and Ben Stiller heading the cast.  Once again, it looks like a limited engagement.  At least Ms. Falco is a stage regular.  Still this won't quiet the growing outcry against movie/TV star casting and limited runs with huge ticket prices...
• And congratulations, Bernadette Peters!  Everyone's favorite diva has been named the 2011 recipient of the Stephen Sondheim Award given annually by the Tony winning regional theater, Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA.  The 2010 honoree was Angela Lansbury.

BEGINNINGS:

 

 

• The Pitmen Painters opens for a limited subscription run at the Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel Friedman Theatre today.
• The National Tour of West Side Story begins its run starting to day in Detroit.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Eric Stoltz, Actor (Our Town, Sly Fox)

 

OCTOBER 1:
HISTORY:

• 1995: Ken Ludwig's Moon Over Buffalo starring Carol Burnett and Phillip Bosco opened at the Martin Beck Theatre.  The comedy ran 309 performances, and ended its run with the late Lynn Redgrave and Robert Goulet in the lead roles.
• 2009:  Tracy Lett's follow up to August: Osage County, Superior Donuts opened at the Music Box Theatre.

NEWS:

• Speaking of Tracy Letts, news broke today of the negotiations going on to get Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts (Oscar winners, both) to star in a film version of August: Osage County.  Sounds great to me!  Don't know about sitting for three and a half hours with no intermissions, though.  I bet the movie will be shorter...

 

 

• Shall we file this under "no duh"?  Love Never Dies will not be opening at the Neil Simon Theatre or any other Broadway theatre this spring.  No worries, the Phantom may never die at the Majestic Theatre, either.

BEGINNINGS:

• That one singular sensation, A Chorus Line, is gearing up for another national tour, directed by the original Connie Wong, Baayork Lee.  Good for her (and great for us) that she is keeping the Michael Bennet flame burning!  The National Tour starts today in New Haven, CT.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Julie Andrews, Actor (Camelot, My Fair Lady, Victor/Victoria)

 

OCTOBER 2:
HISTORY:

• 1893: The farce, Charley's Aunt opened at the Standard Theatre.  This comedy, which years later was the basis for the musical version, Where's Charley?, is still a widely produced play throughout the United States.
• 1958:  Eugene O'Neill's play A Touch of the Poet opened at the old Helen Hayes Theatre.  The play actually starred Helen Hayes and Kim Stanley.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sting, Writer/Composer (Rock 'N Roll!  The First 5,000 Years), Actor (3Penny Opera)

 

OCTOBER 3:
HISTORY:

 

 

• 1968: The Great White Hope opened at the Alvin (now Neil Simon) Theatre, where it ran a remarkable 546 performances.  Equally remarkable was the 60+ member cast, led by James Earl Jones, Jane Alexander and a young Hector Elizondo.

BEGINNINGS:

• The Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Mrs. Warren's Profession, starring Cherry Jones opens for a limited engagement today.
• The pre-Broadway try-out of Leap of Faith starring Raul Esparza and Brooke Shields opens today in Los Angeles.

ENDINGS:

• The much ballyhooed regional production of Chess closes today at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Gore Vidal, Writer (The Best Man, A Visit to a Small Planet)

 

 

Comments?  Leave one here or Tweet me or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.
Jeff
2.33