Surprise! To fix “The Addams Family” musical get rid of Nathan Lane (review – tour – Wharton Center, East Lansing) February 4, 2012
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Broadway Tour, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals.Tags: The Addams family Musical, The Addams Family tour
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When I originally reviewed The Addams Family musical, I was among the minority that enjoyed it a lot. Now on tour it’s a much better show, and its not just because the script has been reworked.
The tour, currently passing through East Lansing at the Wharton Center, is significantly different from the show seen in pre-Broadway Chicago, and from a design standpoint very different from the Broadway Rubik’s Cube set that assembled and re-assembled itself in fulll view of the audience. It’s passable, but not as good design-wise.
But from an acting point of view its stunningly different, and who would have thought that getting rid of Nathan Lane would make such a huge difference — but it does. Douglas Sills makes for a superb Gomez, while Sara Gettelfinger holds her own as Morticia. The rest of the tour cast is excellent, and its a virtual who’s who of University of Michigan musical theater graduates.
I’m not sure why Broadway never warmed to the musical (although it did run 725 performances and 34 previews despite generally lackluster reviews). It’s funny, it’s tuneful, and the characters are outrageous. There’s a funny book (even if it is a direct rip-off of La Cage aux Folles), and plenty of topical references to keep you on your toes, and it’s all fun. Clearly, Broadway is not currently in the mood for fun — but audiences sure are, as witnessed at both performances I have see.
But, wow — let me get back to Douglas Sills — where Nathan Lane dropped lines, dropped his accent throughout the show, and generally mugged-it-up, Doug has a natural humor; a great voice; and no need to mug — the part plays itself, and he makes the most of his lithe body and quick facial expressions to change the character completely from what Lane brought (did not bring) to the part. There is also chemistry between he and Sara as Morticia, something that Lane never achieved with Bebe Neuwirth. Sills performance completely changes the entire feeling of the show, and the cast responds remarkably.
Are there problems — well, yeah. Besides the aforementioned dumbing-down of the set, there is the ongoing problem of an ensemble chorus that doesn’t do a heck of a lot but hover around in the background as ghosts. Nothing has been changed more from the original Chicago production than the use of the Ensemble, and I am not sure it is any type of improvement. A sequence in which they hide behind cutout trees is just embarrassing.
But those who have not seen The Addams Family will enjoy the show – all the small things that make it such a fun night out are still there (including the curtain tassel that falls off the act curtain and runs away). You could do a lot worse than to spend a few hours with this hilarious family.
Will America buy “Smash”? – NBC – Pilot episode (review) January 18, 2012
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, musical theater, TV.Tags: Smash NBC, Smash pilot episode review
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Your going to love it or your going to hate it, but there isn’t anyone that will be able to say that SMASH isn’t slick, well-produced, and professional when it comes to musical numbers. It’s no GLEE (thankfully); but will America buy into a show about creating a Broadway show?
In the pilot episode, (to air February 6th), Debra Messing and Christian Borle play musical theater writers/composers/lyricists of a new Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Those of us of a certain age will remember there actually WAS a Broadway flop musical in the 80′s called Marilyn: A Musical Fable (which Frank Rich called “incoherent to the point of being loony”). That flop is referenced here in passing by Messing’s husband, played by Brian d’Arcy James. He’s the biggest Broadway star in the show – here delegated to a thankless non-singing character.
WIthout having written a script, and with only a song to demo, they somehow get picked up by producer Anjelica Huston, who may or may not have enough money to produce the show. But she’s in it to get back at her in-process divorce from her husband, another Broadway producer. Within the first 15 minutes of the pilot, they suddenly have three songs and a draft of the script (um, yeah)….and by the midway point, they are auditioning director/choreographer Jack Davenport (yes, that Jack Davenport, who has yet to find a suitable role in any U.S. television show — someone please find this man a decent part!) – who is set up to be the antagonist opposite Borle’s writer/composer.
Bring on the auditions — Likable American Idol loser Katharine McPhee and “Wicked” veteran Megan Hilty step up to fill the bill as two actresses competing for the part of Marilyn. Throw in a subplot right out of Dynasty involving director Davenport, and you have the basic makings of SMASH.
The show is designed to follow the workshop development of the show in NYC over the course of the season, and in its climax this spring move to Boston for an out-of-town tryout.
Yes, the show is entertaining. The musical numbers are well-staged, and the use of fantasy sequences to suggest what rehearsal songs might look like “on stage” work well. There is a lot of dancing here, and it is professional and slick, the exact opposite of the haphazard GLEE sequences.
It’s also all overwrought and somehow wrong. Auditioners are not even given three bars of piano-accompanied audition when a full orchestra already sweeps in, as if to say “this is a really big budget show, kinda like Glee, but for adults, so listen and enjoy, and buy our soundtrack.” I have never in my years of theater ever heard of a producer picking up a show based on one song, and no written script. While there is a casting couch at work on Broadway to be sure, it certainly doesn’t work the way its implied in this show either. Messing seems out of place, and Borle here is reduced to a sniping gay stereotype — so good in Legally Blonde and Angels in America on Broadway, here he’s wasted in a part that virtually falls apart before your eyes.
The show is filled with a virtual whose who of Broadway performers — so watch backgrounds carefully to spot your friends. Most are appearing as line-less studio assistants and errand-boys. A few get to dance and sing.
In short, it’s an entertaining pilot, that should keep theater folks arguing about realities vs exaggerations, while the rest of the country makes a decision as to whether a show about Broadway actors, producers, and creative teams will be interesting enough to viewers to keep this novelty going. I’m going to tune in again — albeit the next night since NBC has very unfortunately decided to put the show on opposite Castle and Hawaii-5-0. I suggest they move it pretty fast if they want to pick up a tv audience. I dunno about you, but most of my theater friends watch Castle at that time, and personally 5-0 has become a guilty pleasure. On Comcast, two shows at a time and that’s it — making no room even to DVR Smash…
A word of warning — if you download and view the pilot (free) on iTunes, please DO NOT watch the “coming season” trailer at the end of the pilot episode. If you watch it carefully, it gives away who will get the role, and how the show will develop. Don’t watch it – it’s already partially ruined it for me…if you want a nice insider snapshot of the show, read the Brian d’Arcy James interview on IMDB – he carefully describes what the development of a Broadway musical is really about, and very carefully avoids talking about the unrealistic elements depicted in Smash.
The show has already created a stir in the NYC Broadway community in forums such as All That Chat, where multithread topics discuss the lack of reality of the creation process depicted here, as well as the shear fact that only one of the auditioners for the Marilyn part is appropriate for the role and there is zero doubt who would get that part in reality. I repeat — DO NOT watch the coming season trailer which gives it away and will cause even more controversy when it is revealed a few episodes into the series.
Will America buy it? There are a lot of theater fans out there — if the show avoids the pitfalls of playing for personal drama instead of the inherent drama in the actual development of a show itself, it might stand a chance. But I bet with NBC’s track record this show will quickly veer off in the wrong direction.
Broadway Reviews – Bonnie & Clyde; On a Clear Day; Follies; Lysistrata Jones; War Horse December 19, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Bernadette Peters, Bonnie & Clyde musical, Follies, Harry Connick Jr., Jeremy Jordan, Laura Osnes, Lysistrata Jones, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, War Horse Broadway, WIldhorn
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Nothing like some Broadway for the holidays!…from the ridiculous to the superb….
Lets go from the worst to the best from this holiday visit:
On a Clear Day You can See Forever, the book-plagued but melody-lush Lerner and Lane musical, stars Harry Connick Jr so it is selling tickets well, despite dismal reviews after opening last week. And those dismal reviews are well-earned.
Director Michael Mayer decided the already terrible book wasn’t good enough, so he had Peter Parnell write an even worse one. In this version, Daisy is replaced by David, an ineffectual gay man who is the reincarnation of 40′s singer bombshell Melinda with whom Psychiatrist Connick Jr falls in love. David (a good David Turner) has a decent boyfriend (Drew Gehling, very good) to whom he has trouble committing, now that he is falling in love with straight Psychiatrist Connick Jr. The more Psychiatrist Connick Jr. hypnotizes David to get at Melinda (a sublime Jessie Mueller), the more convoluted, unbelievable, and disinteresting it all gets. There are some mind-bogglingly awful costumes provided by Catherine Zuber and some even worse sets designed by Christine Jones — all over-lit by Kevin Adams.
The music is lush and sounds great. In particular Jessie Mueller’s big band numbers bring some life to the proceedings (most of her songs are imported from Lerner and Lane’s movie Royal Wedding) with additional songs imported from the movie version, as if the musical isn’t already too long.
Harry Connick Jr, the clear star around whom this production is built, sings well, moves stiffly, and looks like he would rather be anywhere else but on stage at the St. James Theater. Most likely across the street reprising his own Broadway concert from last season, alas, delegated to Hugh Jackman this winter. Don’t expect this one to be around past January — so see it now if you must. 2 stars (of 4), and 1 star if it were not for the good leading cast.
By the way — post-show, W 44th Street becomes one of the biggest crowd control problems I have seen in New York in years. Since both shows end at the same time, and huge crowds grow in front of the stagedoors of both Hugh Jackman’s concert across the street, and those awaiting Psychiatrist Connick Jr. The street is blocked off to all traffic, and it’s general chaos. Plan your escape route in advance.
At the end of the block, there is a crowd-control problem of it’s own in Follies at the Marquis Theater.
The ugly poster design for the show should be enough to warn you of what is to come: a sumptiously costumed, overly star-laden adaptation of Sondheim’s Follies. Imported from the Kennedy Center, the show stars bland Ron Raines as Ben (sorry Ron, I know you were my next door neighbor in NYC for years, but its true); the too-old Bernadette Peters as Sally (she gets unintentional laughs when she says “what am I going to do with the rest of my life at the age of 49″); the too-young Danny Burstein as Buddy; and the excellent Jan Maxwell as Phyllis.
Also crammed in are Elaine Paige, not given enough to do; Don Correia (a virtual afterthought); Terri White (in the sole standout number in the show, Whose that Woman); and a handful of other Broadway work horses.
Granted, I have never liked Follies as a show — it’s plotless meanderings are driven by the emotional content of two relationships falling apart. The symbology of “ghosts” floating throughout the dilapidating theater overkill. The parallels to “young” Sally, Ben, Buddy, and Phyllis hitting you over the head throughout. Here, the ghosts are dressed in some of the most glamorous costumes to grace the Broadway stage in many years (Gregg Barnes) — it’s a shame you can’t see them in Natasha Katz’s woefully under-lit design.
It’s all very pretty, and well staged by Eric Schaeffer, but its tired, and ultimately uninvolving. If the cast hasn’t gripped you and caused you to feel something for them, by the time you get to Loveland, the whole thing is just an exercise in stage design. And that’s what you have here. Colorful and bland. 3 out of 4 stars. Worth seeing, if you have the time. It closes at the end of January, so you have another month.
It’s a good season for musicals on both 44th and 45th streets. Down the road, the new Bonnie & Clyde is quickly driving into oblivion (it closes on December 30th).
Now, let me preface this with the statement that I really really liked Bonnie & Clyde, and I am saddened that the producers chose to close it (most likely due to the horrible reviews from the NYTimes and from the WSJ). The audience all seemed to enjoy it too — and the single comment I heard the most at intermission was shock that the show had posted a closing notice.
This is Wildhorn’s strongest score to date; and it has a quartet of very appealing leads in Jeremy Jordan (Clyde); Laura Osnes (Bonnie); Claybourne Elder (Buck) and Melissa Van Der Schyff (Blanche). Jeremy and Laura, in particular, are sexy together, and they bring a level of interest to two characters who could otherwise be seen as quite unsympathetic. You already know how it ends (in fact, it’s made clear in the first measures of the show exactly how it will end), but it’s well written and it reaches its conclusion logically and not without feeling.
Tobin Osts set and costumes are spot-on, and there is generous use of projections by Aaron Rhyne (also well done). Local Encore Artistic Director Dan Cooney is in the Ensemble and is fun in many of the small roles that he plays. In fact, this entire ensemble is terrific.
Closing the show will, however, allow Jeremy Jordan to return to Newsies (opening in March), and look for him to become a major breakout star once his movie Joyful Noise arrives in movie theaters.
There’s an air of “dead-show-walking” when you see a musical knowing it has already posted a notice. But it gives one a good glimpse into how New York critics are currently out of touch with popular theater and audience likes/dislikes. This is a show that in seasons past might have run for months and months. Now, in our economic climate, producers are unwilling to take any risk in the show, and are closing it on December 30th to allow them to take their tax write-offs this spring rather than next. It’s all sad. 3 stars out of 4.
But wait — there’s a surprise in store a few blocks north!
Chalk up another hit for Douglas Carter Beane, who has created the funniest, craziest, and warmest script of the season in adapting Aristophanes Lysistrata to modern-day college basketball players and cheerleaders.
The show has an off-Broadway feel (not surprising, given it’s off-Broadway roots) which is fresh on Broadway. Stylistically, the musical is very similar to Xanadu from a few seasons back. There are a few dirty jokes and some lame “drawings” in which the cheerleaders demonstrate what will be withheld from the men on the basketball team if they don’t win a game (the school has not won a game in 33 years).
The ensemble cast is wonderful top to bottom, and they are clearly having fun. Director/Choreograper Dan Knechtges keeps it all moving at a swift, entertaining pace, and Lewis Flinn has written some genuine tuners. Yep, a musical with a great script, great cast, great music. And despite rave reviews, virtually no audience. I saw it papered by friends. Half the house seemed to be papered. If this one doesn’t pick up some legit paying audience, it’s not going to be around for long. See it now, it’s well worth it. 3 1/2 stars out of 4.
Finally — a visit to New York’s War Horse, at Lincoln Center which I originally saw in London several years ago.
There isn’t much I can add to the many rave reviews that this production has received (including the Tony award for Best Play this spring). Combining some live-action, with amazing puppetry, and whizbang scenic design, the show is even larger in it’s Vivian Beaumont home. It’s hard to imagine this show touring — but there is one in the works for the coming season, so you will be able to see it for yourself soon if you can’t make it to New York.
I’m looking forward to the movie this Christmas (based on the book, not this theatrical version); but there is something about seeing the sheer theater magic take place before your eyes that make this a very special show indeed. Having seen it twice now, I can tell how the show manipulates the emotions (the tears come in the exact same places night after night); but its so well done that you go with it and you emerge in a somewhat transfixed state. War is hell. People know that. Seen through the eyes of the horses who don’t comprehend but do react to noise, pain, shock, and gunshots, it illuminates the horrors of war in a way that sometimes people alone can not. 4 stars out of 4.
Excellent “A Christmas Story, the musical” – tour (review) November 20, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Broadway Tour, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: A Christmas Story the musical
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Thoroughly surprising, superbly entertaining, and exquisitely designed, A Christmas Story, the musical makes a two week stop at the Fisher Theater in Detroit. And the show is awesome fun. Don’t hesitate and get tickets now before they are gobbled up over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend…
Like the best adaptations, the musical doesn’t just mimic the movie (although the requisite lines and scenes are all there) but expands on it and adds its own layer of musical theater storytelling. With book by Joseph Robinette and Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, it moves swiftly along through its many (23) scenes, and its smoothly and creatively directed by John Rando and choreographed by Warren Carlyle.
Everything looks great on Walt Spangler’s set (halfway through the show, you’ll find yourself wondering where all that stuff fits backstage) and its dressed lovingly in Elizabeth Hope Clancy’s costumes. Set both in 1975 and 1940, the production flows effortlessly between the two eras. Gene Weygandt plays Jean Shepherd narrating a Christmas Eve radio show, with his sidekick foley artist (sound effects) Nick Gaswirth. But it doesn’t stay there — throughout the production Gene/Jean joins the action in the 40′s story that he is narrating, and its an effect that works well throughout the production.
The entire cast is strong (and how thrilling to see so many University of Michigan Musical Theater program alumni involved with this show –from music and lyrics to actors….unless I missed I few, I counted 8 of them)…and adults and kids fare equally well. At my performance, Carl Kimbrough performed Ralphie. I am going back later this week to see Clarke Hallum in the part (yes, I loved the show that much). Rachel Bay Jones creates an excellent mother in a role expanded from the movie, and John Bolton delivers a mesmerizing performance as the father — in a part in which he practically channels the spirit of Paul Lynde in a superb outing. The many kids in the show act, dance (and tap!) their way through many sequences and songs and don’t miss a beat keeping up with the adults in all the fun.
The sole misstep in the production comes at the end, when the clever, ironic, and nod-nod-wink-wink cleverness suddenly dissolves into a couple minutes of holiday-cheer and family-dreck. It’s not off-putting, but it puts a damper on what has come before. Thankfully, it’s followed by a clever and funny curtain call that sends you out of the theater humming. Yes, really. The show has a hummable infectious score that contains a few bonefide new showtune standards. If you want the music on CD, you have to purchase it in the theater lobby, it won’t be released publicly until the fall of 2012.
So, what are you waiting for? Get your tickets before they are gone, and the tour moves on. Hopefully it will be back again next season, because this is a Christmas story that you can see over and over again. Its the first show in years that has toured Detroit pre-Broadway that really deserves to be there next Christmas. See it here first.
Dancap announces Toronto Musical Theater Tour Season 2012 October 17, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Broadway Tour, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals, Travel.Tags: Dancap 2012, Ontario theatre, Toronto, Toronto Musical Theater Tours 2012
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Dancap announces their 2012 Musical Theater Touring Season in Toronto — Note that Dancap is the up-and-rising direct competitor to Mirvish Productions. Most of its productions are presented at the stellar Centre for the Performing Arts in North York (nee Ford Centre for the Performing Arts). Dancap is particularly known for its longterm sitdown productions such as Jersey Boys.
American Idiot – Dec 28, 2011 – Jan 15, 2012, Toronto Centre for the Arts
In The Heights – Feb 7 – 19, Toronto Centre for the Arts
West Side Story – May 8 – June 3, Toronto Centre for the Arts
Shrek The Musical – March 20 -April 1, Toronto Centre for the Arts
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast – July 3 – 22, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Million Dollar Quartet – July 20-29, Toronto Centre for the Arts
A Christmas Story, the Musical – December 2012, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
“Jersey Boys” tour as fresh as ever (East Lansing, Wharton Center) Review October 9, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Broadway Tour, Entertainment, musical theater.Tags: Jersey Boys, Jersey Boys tour
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Okay, granted, the Wharton Center is a bit late in the game with the Broadway tour of Jersey Boys which has been traveling around the country for years now…but the production currently appearing in East Lansing is as fresh as ever, with a fine cast.
Lead by Joseph Leo Bwarie (in the Frankie Valli role) and a very strong Preston Truman Boyd (as Bob Gaudio), the entire cast looks and sounds terrific (For the record, Michael Lomenda and Matt Bailey round out the quartet). The women are as strong as the men in this cast, and the vocal sound is top notch across the board. In fact, when Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons come to life in their big numbers, they sound better then the REAL Frankie Valli and company. Bravo.
The tour also has the virtue of having to adapt its sound system into hundreds of theaters in the past few years, hence they have it down to an art, and it sounds fantastic in the Wharton Center. No dead spots here. It sounds great.
The audience ate up the show. The cheering, clapping, and shouting start early in the evening, and raise to fever-pitch by show’s end by which time the audience is standing and dancing along.
If you have never seen Jersey Boys, it’s terrific as a show — the music is interwoven into a smart script that never gets too “musical” but never strays far from the roots of theater. The direction and choreography are sharp and work well in both more intimate as well as larger numbers. It’s a show that has found its popularity among those who don’t usually like musical theater. No tap-dancing and magic tricks here. Just pure, theatrical magic.
By all means, go visit these Jersey Boys…the show is as fresh as ever, and that’s saying a lot when its been as well-traveled. To quote Frankie, it just keeps “going and going like the Energizer Bunny”. You should go see it, too. If you’ve seen it before, you already know how terrific the show is, and this cast will win you over. If you’ve never seen it before, you are in for a treat.
Simply put, “The Light in the Piazza” at Encore is their best production to date (Review) September 8, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Ann Arbor, Broadway Musicals, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Adam Guettel, Encore Musical Theatre Company, The Light in the Piazza musical
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Take a superior score and script; add Encore’s strongest singing cast ever; stir in a new sound system and some terrific direction, and you have, quite simply, Encore Musical Theatre Company’s best production to date with “The Light in the Piazza”.
I have to disclose that I am partial to this show to begin with: many friends worked on the Broadway production both on the creative team and on stage. I saw it at the Vivian Beaumont a half a dozen times during it’s run. That being said, this cast is as strong as any I have seen in the show.
The production is Directed by Steve DeBruyne, Music Directed by Brian E. Buckner, Costumes are designed by Sharon Larkey Urick, Sets by Toni Auletti and Lighting by Matthew Tomich. I mention their names up front because it is their work that frames this sparkling production.
The action, played out on a sparse but lovely set, allows the actors to truly shine. And you have never heard a cast like this on the Encore stage. The very difficult score leans heavily toward legit voices (you know, opera voices for those of you not in the biz), and they sound fantastic on the new sound system that mixes the orchestra with the vocals.
I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline for those who don’t know. Suffice it to say it involves a mother (Barbara Scanlon) and her daughter (Stephanie Souza) who travel to Florence in 1953 and where the daughter finds love with a young Italian man (Brian L. Giebler). The will-they-or-wont-they romance plays out in a storyline that heaps levels of surprise and emotion in a deeply layered script that unfolds slowly over the course of the musical and leaves the audience as breathless as the cast by the end of the show.
Barbara Scanlon turns in a mesmerizing performance as Margaret Johnson, and Stephanie Souza plays her daughter Clara with aplomb. Brian Giebler as Fabrizio has a wonderful voice and stage presence to hold his own in a cast in which one cast member delightfully outshines the other throughout the evening. Scott Crownover plays a commanding Signor Naccarelli with Marlene Inman-Reilly turning on the vocal dazzlement as his wife. Sebastian Gerstner and Angela Kay Miller humorously play off of each other as the elder son and his wife. All smaller parts are played by an ensemble that includes Curt Waugh, Gil Bazil, Anne Bauman, Natalie Burdick, Lauren Conley, and Elliott Styles.
The vocal work here is dazzling — notes are hit and resound in the theater space which is superb for this type of show. The tone is exquisite — nothing is sharp, nothing is undertone…everything is right where it needs to be. The very difficult score includes large portions sung in Italian, often in counterpoint to English, and at times instantly alternating between the two. Adam Guettel’s lush score mixes contemporary romantic melodies with more adventuresome musical styles. This is a very difficult score and it is handled here expertly.
The requisite tears come — are they tears of sorrow? Or joy? Do you cry at a wedding? Or does something occur to throw it all out of balance. You’ll have to go see it for yourself, because it all plays out as well as any suspense story you’ve seen. From the romance of a hat blown through the air across a piazza, to the touching moments of a mother learning to come to terms with her own grief — it’s all there.
By all means see this. It is the best production Encore has done to date, and you will kick yourself if you don’t get a chance to experience it. Buy tickets for your parents. Send a pair to your grandparents. Take your husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/best friend. Go see it. I am personally getting tickets to see it again. I loved this production.
The Light in the Piazza continues through October 2nd. Tickets are available at the theater box office (3126 Broad Street, Dexter, MI) by calling (734) 268-6200, or online at www.theencoretheatre.org
The Book of Mormon…Catch Me If You Can…Sister Act…(Broadway, reviews) July 31, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Catch Me If You Can musical, Sister Act musical, The Book of Mormon musical
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I can’t remember a time I spent a few days in NYC seeing musicals that there wasn’t at least one so-so show in the bunch…instead, all three musicals I saw this past weekend on Broadway were all excellent in their own ways, with their own strengths.
No doubt about it, Broadway’s hottest current ticket (and 9-time Tony winner) The Book of Mormon at the Eugene O’Neill theater is something else. It’s the strangest, dirtiest, and funniest musical I think you will ever see. And guess what — the tunes are hummable and pretty good!
The production is ensemble through and through, and while the leads are very strong, some of the ensemble members actually steal the show from time to time. And it’s meant to be that way. “Turn it Off”, a paean to repressed emotion, features the strongest song-and-dance sequence (although “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” comes pretty close too.) This is a show where the music and lyrics are so intricately integrated into the book, that the show virtually races from scene to scene and neither overpowers the other. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea; the show uses language that could make a sailor blush — but it’s all in good fun. Personally, it’s one of those shows where my parents would walk out minutes into the show — but it’s not designed for them, nor for the casual musical goer. Call this “South Park” for adults, humor run amuck. I loved every second of this deliriously funny musical. The merchandise stands do very swift business selling “Hasa Diga Eebowai” t-shirts. I suspect NYC schools will ban them this fall — the rest of the country needs to find out what that phrase means for themselves. You can get them online at bookofmormonbroadway.com/
A block north, Catch Me if you Can has taken up residence at the Neil Simon theater. This one is all about Norbert Leo Butz, who outperforms lead Aaron Tveit in every scene he is in. Not to say that Aaron isn’t very good — he certainly is (and he gets the requisite hoots and hollers when he takes his shirt off), but there is nothing in this show that can eclipse the Tony-winning performance by Norbert. If you saw his number on the Tony awards, you know he has energy to spare. But there is a lot of good going on this show, not the least of which are wonderful performances by Tom Wopat and Kerry Butler in supporting roles.
From music and lyrics to set design and costuming, this is a whiz-bang entertainment. The story works well in this musical setting, and it’s another great evening out for adults (I can’t imagine anyone under the age of 15 will be able to sit still for this one — it’s themes of self-creation, ego-disintegration, and self-centeredness require some maturity and life experience to fully appreciate.). The story unfolds slowly, in spectacular show-within-a-show fashion. You know how it ends. Getting there is what makes this so fun. And the direction (Jack O’Brien) and choreography (Jerry Mitchell) are about as fluid as you will find on Broadway right now. The production itself owes a lot to the revival of “Chicago” 14 years ago. The orchestra is on a tiered set onstage (a convention I don’t like in any production), and set pieces fly and pop-up through stage traps. Things run efficiently and very quickly to cover locals throughout the US and overseas. Had The Book of Mormon not raised it’s delerious head, this show would have won the Tony for Best Musical this year hands down.
And around the corner, Sister Act has what is sure to be a longterm home at the Broadway Theater. In a multi-million dollar production, the show is crowd-pleasing and family friendly (not something that can be said for most of the seasons other new shows).
The real find here is Patina Miller in the role created by Whoopi Goldberg. Her voice soars in the many gospel-cum-Broadway songs, and her stage presence in a force to be reckoned with….it’s the rare performer who can make someone like Victoria Clark (in a superb performance as the reverend mother) fight for her right to party. But she has had several years of experience stealing the spotlight: she also played the role on London’s West End where the show originated.
Granted, the storyline here is relatively thin — it’s up to the music and the very strong ensemble company to make this one shine. And shine it does. The crowd ate it up. You will too. Skeptics need not apply (see Book of Mormon instead).
Tickets for Catch Me If you Can and Sister Act are readily available online and at the box office. The Book of Mormon is another story altogether. I purchased my tickets while I was in NYC in December. The first good tickets I could find were this past weekend (in July). Tickets are on sale through 2012, and don’t expect to get any tickets for months – this is Broadway’s hottest ticket since The Producers, and because it isn’t reliant on specific “stars” it will continue to sell no matter whom is in the cast. By all means get tickets — just expect to wait.
“The Wedding Singer” – Dexter Community Players….or, how to make a community theater production look like a million bucks… July 27, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals.Tags: community theater, Dexter Community Players, The Wedding Singer musical
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I’ve just completed directing and choreographing a weekend run of THE WEDDING SINGER, the musical, for Dexter Community Players in Dexter, MI. Not to toot my own horn, but the single most heard comment in the audience (besides what a fun show) was how professional the show looked and sounded. This is not a review. This is a blog entry about what goes into directing a show that looks and sounds as professional as you can make it.
1. Make sure you have great leads — in this case, Andrew Buckshaw (Robbie Hart) is a musical theater student, sure to be a future Broadway performer. Katherine Kujala (Julia Sullivan) is a recent graduate of University of Michigan’s Opera program, already an established performer. Almost all of the supporting cast are or were musical theater, or vocal performance majors.
2. Keep the set simple, fast to move, and streamlined. In community theater, unless you have a half million dollar budget, you can’t even come close to approximating the multi-million dollar Broadway sets. So you do elements of them: you make sure that they fly and move quickly; and you make sure that the show doesn’t stop to wait for set changes. Use fades, not blackouts. Stack sets that fly behind each other. Have more than one person on flyrails so things can move at the same time. Enlist cast members in helping with set changes. Keep it moving.
3. Get the best orchestra and sound designer you can get. We had an 11-piece orchestra under the direction of John Tartaglia that was composed of a mix of music professionals and the very best students we could find. Nothing says “amateur theater” like a bad orchestra. So make sure that it is not. The orchestra was the single most expensive aspect of this entire production. It also sounded like a professional pit orchestra. You get what you pay for. Our sound designer (Patrick Schrock) is an expert in blending vocal sound on stage with rock music in the pit. If you can’t hear every word, you don’t have a show.
4. Simplify choreography. Make sure that you give the ensemble steps that they can perform — your show is as good as it’s weakest link. Your choreography can be brilliant, but if only a few cast members can perform it, you have nothing. Keep the steps simple, repetitive, and throw in some fun steps that they enjoy doing and will take the time to learn. In this case, I rewrote large portions of choreography before even teaching the steps.
5. Light it. Make sure you have a terrific lighting designer. Kent Sprague is a lighting design major at Wooster College in Ohio. Not only does he have an eye for good, focused lighting, but he has a playful sense of color and design. In a show where lighting substitutes for sets, at times, you better make sure that lighting looks fantastic.
6. Make sure you have the details right. If the show calls for a mirror ball, make sure you have a mirror ball. If water needs to cascade onto a cast member, make sure you have an effect that works on stage, and “reads” in the house. If a dumpster is your most important set piece, you better make sure that dumpster looks like a dumpster. If your leads need matching jackets, make sure they have matching jackets.
7. Expect to spend more money than you originally budgeted. Nothing comes in under budget. Ever. Build in a slush fund, or make sure that your design team has deeper pockets than your budget allows.
8. Surround yourself with the best staff you can get — from designers to techies, make sure you have the best people you can find to fill each important role. Have regular production team meetings. Even with the best intentions, expect some miscommunications and work together to resolve difficulties. Have a great producer (Francyn Chomic). Stay in communication with the Board.
9. Stay calm and enthused. Not every rehearsal is going to run as smoothly as you like. There will be plenty of drama that arises offstage. These are actors and “theater people” — expect it!…Stay calm, easy going, and confident.
10. Remember that this is community theater. People expect it to look and sound like community theater, based on their past experiences. When they see something that looks and sounds professional instead, you’ll stun them. In this case, the production really fell into the category of “pre-professional”, given the quality and experience of the staff and most of the tech crew. Pat yourself on the back for a job well-done, and hope the next production at the theater will maintain the same high caliber. Create a new benchmark with each show, and keep the quality up.
HAIRSPRAY at Croswell Opera House (Review) June 19, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals.Tags: Adrian, Croswell Opera House, Hairspray, MI
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Hairspray, the Tony winning musical with book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Music by Marc Shaiman, and Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman has quickly become the most overproduced musical in the current amateur musical circuit — at last count, this is the 28th or 29th production of it in the state of Michigan alone, with 14 more productions scheduled in the state through the end of the summer – And it’s no surprise that the show has become the darling of the community theater circuit: it has a large cast, more parts for younger folks than adults; and a peppy, upbeat 60′s infused pop score. It’s the Bye Bye Birdie of the new era.
But I can bet that none of them are as super as the production currently onstage at the Croswell Opera House in Adrian.
Leading the way are superb performances by every lead in this production. Bridget Harrington is a fine Tracy Turnblad. Lucas A. Wells a pitch-perfect Link Larkin. Eric Swanson is hilarious as Edna Turnblad, and every other supporting player here is in top form.
The set and lighting design are colorful, professional, and everything moves quickly under the direction of Chris Sancho-Beckman and dances appropriately under the choreography of Debra Ross Calabrese. There are a few minor quibbles — the turnbald household platform is a bit too large and a bit too downstage for several large numbers, making things a bit cramped. The sound varies depending on where you sit in the house — too far right and too far left, you’ll primarily hear the orchestra through the side proscenium speakers at the expense of the vocals. The center seems just about right.
The entire production sparkles and you’ll leave not only remembering the songs, but also the messages behind the show: and that is what has made this show work since its early days, and why it won those Tonys to begin with.
Hairspray continues at the Croswell Opera House through June 26th.
