“Nevermore” at Encore (Review)

 

Simply put, Encore Musical Theatre Company’s “Nevermore” is the best production they have presented. Period.

Dan Cooney is exceptional in a role he originally created for the Signature Theater in Arlington, and here both stars and directs. And he is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast of five women. Weaving lyrics adopted from the writings of Edgar Allen Poe into a cohesive whole telling the story of Poe’s demon-driven life and relationships, the music by Matt Conner is melodic, the Book by Grace Barnes is satisfying, and the performances here terrific.

Set design, sound design, lighting design, orchestra, and costume design are all first-rate here, and the entire production can simply be described as Encore’s first all-around professional caliber offering.

Supporting Cooney (as Poe) are outstanding performances from Elizabeth Jaffe (Virginia); Erin Donevan (The Whore); Thalia Schramm (Elmira), Sonja Marquis (Muddy), and Marlene Inman-Reilly (Mother).

But it’s Cooney’s show from start to finish. He strikes just the right note in every single moment of this 90-minute musical and vocally is at the top of his form. His performance is exceptional — look for his name come award-time in Detroit at the end of the season. Bravo.

When Encore first opened its doors a couple seasons ago, this was the type of musical theater most of us had hoped for and envisioned, not the generic community-theater caliber shows they have generally presented. Curiously, they call this a part of their “On the Edge” series when it should be exactly the type of theater that they should always be producing if they truly wish to consider themselves “professional” and put themselves on the map.

Sadly, I saw the closing performance of this production since I was in Europe since it’s opening a few weeks ago. I would happily have seen this show a second time, and brought more friends along to introduce them to the theater. It’s something Encore should be very proud of. At last.

I say, get rid of the “on the edge” monicker, start doing more productions like this, dump the Annie’s and Sound of Music’s and leave those to the community theaters, and start watching audiences arrive from all over the southeast Michigan area.

iPad 2 vs iPad 1 – To Pad or Not To Pad, That is the Question

Ron’s expert advise on the iPad 2 vs iPad 1 dilemma….

Apple this week announced that, beginning March 11, their newest version of the iPad, named iPad 2 will be available at the same prices as the current iPads, in the same memory and wi-fi/3G configurations. What’s new? A faster processor; front and back facing cameras, and a thinner design.

What does it mean for most of us? Nothing. This is an incremental update with a redesigned chassis but otherwise the same screen size, same OS (the new iPad 2 OS will also be available for free download for current original iPad owners), and for all intents and purposes the same power.

Faster Processor: Seriously, have you heard any iPad owner complaining that their iPad was TOO SLOW?  Unless you plan on using the new iMovie or some other high-graphics video game, then the increased speed will be meaningless to 99 percent of iPad users. Faster is always better — except for this case, where it’s the same.

Front Facing Camera: this is designed for video and FaceTime. It’s real-life resolution is .93 megapixels…..seriously, good only for FaceTime and other quick shots. If you plan on using FaceTime, then it might be a selling point for you. I have never, even once, used FaceTime on my iPhone 4. I would never use it on an iPad.

Back Facing Camera: this is 5 megapixels. The same as the iPhone 4. Are you going to use an iPad to take photos? Really, point and shoot with a magazine sized slab? I suppose I can think of a few applications: take a quick photo of the materials on the table in front of you when working on a project; take a photo of the Board in a classroom….all of which you can do with your cellphone as well. Camera on iPad does not mean Quality Camera on iPad.

A New Cover: yep – clips on magnetically, and is a thin cover for the front of the iPad 2. Does not protect from falls, only from screen scratches. Chances are great you will be investing in a new cover/sleeve for your iPad2. Some older folios might fit, none of the form-fitting clip-on covers will fit. Most sleeves probably will fit. Add a good cover to your investment, and you’ll find that new iPad 2 looking a bit more expensive again.

New Design: yeah, you got me there — it looks amazing. That’s always been Apple’s highpoint — make it look better, sleeker, thinner, more modern. If there was a single reason I might move to the new iPad 2 it would be the opportunity to hold the coolest, sleekest, most conversation-starting new technology in my hands every day.

So, what do I recommend?

If you are a new buyer: Get the iPad 2 — it’s the same price as the current iPad, and you’ll have the latest and greatest. If you want to save some money, get the older iPad right now this week: it is discounted substantially in Apple retail stores so that they can sell out their stock — this is your chance to get that fancier 3G model at the same prices as the old wi-fi version. But you have to buy now — the prices return to full price on the 11th and only the new iPad 2 will be available.

If you have an iPad — do not upgrade. Wait. There will be another refresh 6 – 12 months from now. In tech, especially in the world of Apple, there will be changes and upgrades galore in that time. Now is not the time to update your investment. If you must have the latest and greatest, then be aware that you will find that re-selling iPad prices will not return your investment as much as an iPhone (for example) on eBay — prices have already dropped — expect to lose about 150.00 – 200.00 on your original investment. It will still sell, but not for what you might expect.

Insider tip: There has been rumor for some years now that Apple is trying to change their update-cycles to occur in late Fall and coincide with holiday purchasing season. This hasn’t happened yet, but it might soon. Keep that in mind — your new iPad2 might already have a refresh in November.

What do I plan to do? I have been an Apple user for 11 years now, and live and breath by their latest-and-greatest.  I have always been very happy to be an early adapter and get their new stuff the day it is available. That being said, I am NOT upgrading. I love my current iPad for what it is. I find I can not use it as a full laptop replacement, but I love it for reading, the internet, travel, maps, eMail, and some productivity. It’s great at work for fast note-taking, calendars, and the like. I also love the cover I found for it that makes it feel great in my hands. This cover will not work with the new iPad 2. And I have never, ever, not even once, thought “wow, this is just too slow, I wish it was faster.”  I WILL upgrade with the next update which will probably bring new features that will be desirable. For now, there is not enough there other than the design factor. Because I always carry my iPad in a folio case, there will be no difference in the “coolness factor” to the outsider, since they can’t see my ipad anyway – it’s tucked inside it’s folio and you only see the screen.

I do continue to advocate that the iPad is a fine PDA for my Brain Injured patients — which model you choose it up to you. How much money you spend is also up to you. For most of my patients, the standard entry-level Original iPad is the way to go, and probably more power than most need. And now is the time to get it for a discounted price.

Professional Musical Theater – Detroit Regional Update (2011-2012)

2011 Musical Theater Seasons (local professional and tour-B contracts)

Updated 2/22/11

Broadway in Detroit – Fisher Theater

Burn the Floor – February 22 to March 6

Les Miserables – March 22 – April 3

Mamma Mia! – April 13 – 17

Chicago – May 17 – 22

Come Fly Away – Sept 13 – 25

A Christmas Story, the Musical – Nov 15 – 27

Million Dollar Quartet – Jan 24 – Feb 05, 2012

Shrek The Musical – Feb 28 – March 11, 2012

Beauty and the Beast – April 10 – 22, 2012

Blue Man Group – May 01 – May 13

Green Day’s American Idiot – Jan 17 – 22, 2012, Detroit Opera House

Wicked – Dates TBA

Rock of Ages – Dates TBA Feb 2012

Olympia Entertainment – Fox Theater

The Color Purple – April 8 – 9 (non-equity tour)

Madagascar Live! – April 29 – May 1

My Fair Lady – Oct 22 – 23

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas – Nov 8 – 13

South Pacific – March 2 – 4, 2012

Stranahan Theater – Toledo

Madagascar Live! – February 22

The Color Purple – March 10 – 13 (non-equity tour)

Legally Blonde – May 5 – 8 (non-equity tour)

Les Miserables, November 8 – 13

My Fair Lady, Dec 15 – 18

Jersey Boys, Feb 7 – 26, 2012

Beauty and the Beast,  March 29-April 1, 2012 (non-Equity tour)

Broadway at Wharton Center – East Lansing

Chicago – May 12 – 15

Cats – June 10-11

Jersey Boys – September 28 – October 16

West Side Story – November 8 – 13

Rock of Ages – December 13 – 18

Million Dollar Quartet – January 10 – 15, 2012

The Addams Family – January 31 – February 5, 2012

Memphis – March 27 – April 1, 2012

Les Miserables – April 3 -8, 2012

Wicked – June 27 – July 8, 2012

Dancap – Toronto Center for the Performing Arts (North York)

South Pacific – February 15 – April 10

9 to 5 – June 29 – July 10

Next to Normal – July 19 – July 31

Come Fly Away – August 16 – 28

The Addams Family – November 16 – 27

Memphis – December 6 – 24

Mirvish Productions – Toronto

Billy Elliot – now playing in sitdown production

The Secret Garden – February 8 – March 19

The Lion King – April 19 – June 12

Chess – September – October

Mary Poppins – November – December

Hair – March – April 2012

Broadway in Western Michigan Series, Kalamazoo Miller Theater

Spamalot, May 10 – 11 (non-equity tour)

My Fair Lady — October 18, 19

Rock of Ages – Jan 31, 2012

In The Heights – Feb 24, 2012

Jersey Boys — March 20 – April 1, 2012

Young Frankenstein – April 24, 25, 2012

Broadway Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids

Grease, March 1 – 6 (non-equity tour)

Chicago, April 5 – 7

Shrek, the Musical, June 21 – 26

The Whiting Center, Flint

The Color Purple, April 10 (non-equity tour)

Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, Clinton Township

The Wizard of Oz, March 5 (non-equity tour)

Meadowbrook Theater, Rochester

Reunion, A Musical Epic in Miniature . February 9 – March 6

Shout, the mod musical , April 20 – May 15

Playhouse Square Broadway Series, Cleveland

Shrek, the Musical , March 1 – 13

Les Miserables, April 5 – 17

West Side Story, May 3 – 15

Next to Normal. June 7 – 19

Jersey Boys, June 22 – July 17

Broadway in Chicago, Chicago

Les Miserables, February 2 – 27

Working, February 15 – May 8

Hair, March 8 – 20

Next to Normal, April 26 – May 8

Spring Awakening, May 3 – 8 (non-equity tour)

Beauty and the Beast, June 29 – August 7 (non-equity tour)

Memphis, November 22 – December 4

Hilberrry Theater, Detroit

The Full Monty, April 15 – 24

A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, September 23 – October 15

Hairspray, April 13 – 22, 2012

Christopher Columbus! Dexter’s Encore presents lovely “Little Women” (Review)

Watching lead actress Katie Hardy’s transformation from teenage Jo Marsh to the observant adult writer that looks back at it all is one of the joys in this intimate staging of the recent Broadway musical LITTLE WOMEN. In a production that is generally well-cast, she stands out in the role originally created by Sutton Foster in a way that shines brightly on Encores stage. But what happens around her is the stuff that makes it all so interesting.

Those of us who have read the book know that the many movie and stage versions of the story are largely hit-or-miss; and the same can be said of this 2005 musical version: plot points are catapulted, omitted, or made greater or less than their relevance in the book. Sometimes it all feels a bit like connecting the dots as one story leads to another and we race to the penultimate drama including Beth (won’t give it away here for the handful of people who don’t know the story) and our ultimate happy ending. There’s a whole misbegotten trip to Cape Cod that doesn’t really exist, but it works to wring the requisite tears out of the demographic teenage girl audience, and on the Broadway stage was the only scene which allowed cyclorama light to shine through the gloom to counterbalance the drama.

That being said, this production in Dexter is a sure-handed directorial debut for Steve DeBruyne, who does particularly good work with the intimate moments of the show (and there are plenty of them).  The Marsh sisters scenes together are all one would expect, and sometimes a bit more. Sure plot points are dropped like hot potatoes in the “Can’t we all just get along” theme that develops early on in the proceedings. But it’s all for one and one for all.

Another breakout performances comes from Rusty Mewha as Professor Bhaer, and his “Small Umbrella in the Rain” with Hardy near the end of the show is the true musical core of the show. An earlier moment between Jo and Beth (Cara AnnMarie in a lovely performance) “Some Things are Meant to Be” is beautifully staged and acted in one, and the nearness to the audience makes the emotion universal. Hardy’s own meant-to-be-showstopper moment “Astonishing” closes out the first act with a wallop down front and center.

Anne Bauman displays excellent acting chops as Aunt March (although shouldn’t have been used as Mrs. Kirk later in the production). Thalia Schramm (Meg) and Madison Deadman (Amy) complete the Marsh sister quartet admirably.

Not all of the casting is as good. There are age disparities in some of the performers, and a jarring performance of Laurie by Sean Widener who seems to be acting in his own musical at times. The energy in some of those scenes is skewed toward farce, and it feels out of place.

And where Leo Babcock’s period-perfect set, and Colleen Meyer’s costumes are lovely; the music aspects of this musical are not. The full orchestra is pared down to two keyboards and two percussion, and it sounds anemic and under-nourished. The energy required to support the large ballads and songs dissipates, and more than one number ends with a fizzle rather than with a bang. Musical Director Jill Quagliata does better work with her soloists and duets than with the full vocal support required in larger ensemble numbers. Note the fizzle at the end of “Our Finest Dreams” for example. Stage picture = pretty. Vocal support – pfitzzz. For sure, one of the problems here is the actors’s inability to see the conductor during this very difficult score.

Lighting is also hit or miss. Actors valiantly hit their marks, while lights struggle to keep up; and at times there are no transitions or fades — full darkness leads to full stage up lighting; spotlights suddenly appear with no crossfade in the background (and in the case of “Astonishing” too early). Scene changes take a bit too long and add five minutes to a show that is already long (2:50 on opening night — the Broadway production ran 2:40). Granted, some of this can not be avoided in a theater that can not fly scenery.

But that brings me back to Katie Hardy. She is the emotional, vocal, and acting core of this show, and her work as Jo is excellent. The intimacy of the Encore stage allows her emotions to show throughout; from perplexed to agitated; from teen to adult. By the time Jo and Professor Bhaer stand beneath their umbrella and sing of differences “as a woman and a man”, her ability to convey contained emotion and Mewha’s ability to suddenly explode with pent-up energy create one of Encore’s finest musical moments.

LITTLE WOMEN continues at the Encore Musical Theater Company through February 27th. For tickets call 734-268-6200 or visit theencoretheatre.org

“Corktown” (review) – Purple Rose, Chelsea MI

Your enjoyment of “Corktown” at Purple Rose Theater will be directly related to your enjoyment of a) sharp, thoughtful dialogue, b) gangster stories with lots of blood, and c) suspension of belief in the “reality” of this storyline.

Michael Brian Ogden has written dialogue that snaps, crackles, pops, and sometimes just lets things sit still for a moment of contemplation. Things aren’t all what they seem, and there are enough twists and turns to keep you off-kilter throughout the second act.

There are some plausibility problems — a woman who is next-to-dead suddenly wakes and is talking and cracking jokes moments later…some of the Detroit references work well, others not so much (there is a lovely piece of dialogue from Tom Whalen extolling the virtues of the abandoned Detroit train station that has a haunting charm). The entire play feels like it belongs in New Jersey, not Detroit, although the recent tv-series Detroit 1-8-7 also takes these liberties with its scripts. The production feels overly long, and I might have removed the intermission and just allowed the piece to play out to its twisty conclusion.

Without giving away too much (except to say that I vacillated between both liking and not-liking this play throughout the afternoon) the story concerns a hitman (“but nobody calls them that anymore”) who falls in love with one of his not-quite-dead victims. This sets into motion the meyhem of the (very bloody) second act. Now, before you are scared away by the (let me say it again, very bloody) second act, it’s partly serious, it’s partly funny, and it’s always entertaining. Don’t let it turn you off. Unless you are extraordinarily squeamish, there isn’t much to worry about here.

Overall, it’s a very fine production with terrific direction by Guy Sanville, a great set by Bartley Bauer, and otherwise very solid production design across the board.

The cast is uniformly fine. Michael Brian Ogden (Laurence) has a dual-role as both the shows author as well as playing one of its characters. It’s the type of thing that he did before with Bleeding Red at Purple Rose a few seasons ago. Here he plays second banana to main protagonist Matthew David (Joey). Into this mix add PR regulars Stacie Hadgikosti (Jenny), Tom Whalen (Cobb) and trainees Jonathan Hunt Sell (Brian) and Nicholas LaGrassa (Christy). The set and props really become the seventh character in the show, so I must mention the horrendous task of cleaning it all up afterwards each night that befalls Stage Manager Stephanie Buck and her crew. Yuck.

There are some very funny touches throughout here — although at it’s core, it’s a off-kilter love story and drama. Ogden’s dialogue is particularly good when he involves friendly banter between Laurence and Joey. It’s those moments that the script comes to life more than others. Their dialogue sizzles alone, together, in overlaps, and in the unspoken moments. Bravo.

I left the theater feeling better about the piece than I did halfway through the first act, so stick this one out. And DO NOT give away the ending to your friends. But if you are the type who prefers light romantic comedy, you better sit this one out.

To Michael Brian Ogden: bring on more. Keep writing. I can’t wait to see your next piece. Invite me to your next new script reading!. You are a tremendous local talent that we are all be proud of.

(Photo courtesy Purple Rose Theater from Program cover)

Kyle Bornheimer — Someone please get this guy a good script!

The latest in a rash of really really really bad scripts has at least landed Kyle Bornheimer back on tv…even if Perfect Couples is probably the worst NBC sitcom ever, and I do mean ever…

But at least he’s working.

I don’t know if Kyle’s agent is just really bad, or if there is some sort of lapse decision making process at play here, but this guy should be a television superstar by now. Instead, he’s appeared in such mega-blockbuster’s as “Romantically Challenged” (6 episodes) and “Worst Week” (16 episodes, not all of them aired in Detroit). His best script to date has been a Beneful Commercial. Isn’t that sad?

Now comes the abysmal, and I do mean abysmal, Perfect Couples. If this lasts 6 episodes it will merely be to burn off the initial order of taped episodes. Don’t look for it to be back after the 6 weeks, and possibly disappear before that. I’m not going to even waste another full sentence to try to review the mess…

But enjoy Kyle while you can — he’s charismatic, has perfect comedic timing, and is charming to boot. He’s also the only spark of life in any of the recent sitcoms he has appeared in. Now somebody PLEASE get him a real script in a real show…and then watch his popularity skyrocket.

Country Strong (review) proves Hedlund a rising star

Nobody is going to be nominating COUNTRY STRONG for any awards anytime soon (with the possible exception of Score); but this critically lambasted movie is nowhere near as bad as you might think from the mainstream reviews.

Garrett Hedlund in Country Strong

The critics are going to go to town on this movie…but I really liked it. In fact, I liked it so much that it was a shame that many of the songs were cut in half, or dissolve into the background during scenes, because the country music score in this movie is excellent.

That being said, the story is standard old-fashioned melodrama….and not even that, it’s soap opera…It’s the kind of thing that might have been fresh in the 50’s or 60’s, but was already passe by the time television evening soaps rolled around (think Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest).

Garrett Hedlund is the standout here — as moody and emotional as you would expect from this type of character, and  lightyears (sorry about the pun) better than his Tron:Legacy cardboard cutout part. He does his own singing, and he sounds and looks great. Apparently he spent 6 months learning to perform country music with some of the industries top guitarists and singers, and that effort shows here. He is a true rising star and is quite simply the best reason to see this movie. You can say you were there when you discovered Garrett Hedlund as a true movie actor (even though he’s already amassed a good deal of work), even though they do manage to get him out of his shirt as often as possible, knowing a good thing when they see one. Ironically, while he carries the bulk of the singing in the movie (and he is very good) only one of his songs made the cut on the soundtrack album, the other songs being studio recordings by Trace Adkins and Faith Hill (!)…

Tim McGraw turns in a very good performance, one that separates him from a wanna-be actor and a bonafide one. He has grown in each role that he has played (from  drunkard in Saturday Night Lights to Sandra Bullock’s aftertought-of-a-husband role in The Blind Side), but here he truly comes into his own. Being the only true country singer, he of course does not sing at all in Country Strong (although he and Gwyneth duet on the end-credits song).

Leighton Meester (as singing and love rival) also has an energy and maturity level onscreen that goes far beyond what her television history would indicate. She radiates warmth and could easily be mistaken for a true country singer.

Gwyneth Paltrow is the victim here in what turns out to be a thankless role. Recovering addict, most of the melodrama falls to her (leaving others to react to her crying, unpredictable behavior). She does a fine job with an underdeveloped and limited character, especially when the audience pretty much stops caring about her about halfway through the movie and turn their attention to the budding Hedlud-Meester romance. Still, the final concert sequences are superb, and there are flashes of movie delight when her already fragile character is forced to visit a make-a-wish patient and the movie finally spurts to life. This scene, and one in which she “tutors” her younger rival are the films highlights. She also gets the films lowlights — including an ending worthy of eye-rolling.

The direction by Shana Feste is sure-handed. Somewhere along the line, I think she realized that the movie is little more than a modern-day update of all those old weepies you’ve seen before at the movies, and decided to just let it ride. The camera lingers on people just long enough to allow you to think about them. If only they had better material to work with.

But overall, the film has a spirit and a heart that a lot of recent biopics have not. Sure, the story is made up, but it could be based on half a dozen real performers (think Brittany Spears, Lindsey Lohan, etc)… Does it have problems? Yes. Not the least of which is a scenic design that looks like they paid too much for the music soundtrack and didn’t have enough budget left to hire enough extras for other scenes. In a bus-loading scene it literally looks like the small-town bystanders watching the filming were asked to just fill in the background for a few minutes. In bar sequences, there are a dozen or so in the “Crowd”.  But overall, the movie lingers quite pleasantly afterwards. Add extra points if you are a country music fan (I am).

Forget that you have seen this movie done better half a dozen times already: go enjoy Hedlund’s superb performance, and enjoy this the way you would an episode of Dallas or Dynasty.

Primeval returns! Season 4 episode 4.1 – 4.3 (Updated)

BBC America last night aired the return of “Primeval” for Season 4 — and based on this episode, it’s a far better show than Season 3, which saw Connor and Abbie stranded in the Cretaceous Period, and many of the main characters dead. Remaining are Ben Miller, Ben Mansfield, Andrew Lee Potts, and Hannah Spearritt. There’s a new team leader, a computer whiz, and a mysterious man.

In one of the most drastic cast-overhauls I have witnessed on a returning series, I am happy to report that all is well in Primeval-land so far. The new cast mixes in the humor of Series 1, with a new added grittiness reminiscent of Fox’s 24.

Without giving away any major spoilers — Connor and Abbie return and are a couple, there’s another great dinosaur chase sequence, and the drama has been re-established. The special effects are also a notch better than past episodes (especially compared to Season 3’s terrible green-screen work).

I was afraid that Primeval was a series that was better left for dead — but the return indicates there is some spark in this show yet. The only major surprise? That American tv has not yet already purchased and remade the show for American audiences. Witness Being Human on SyFi starting this week.

UPDATED: The new Series 4 of Primeval continues it’s superior entertainment — Ciarán McMenamin as team-leader Matt is as good as you could want, and the entire cast has really come into its own — but the thing that differentiates this season from those previous is the superb CGI work. It’s amazing. Watch the show and you will be hooked.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, musical, Broadway – review

When in the course of human events (like attending musicals), one sits in the theater waiting for the music to begin, then one begins to wonder how this skit-comedy with emo-rock snippets of song came to be labeled a “musical”…at any rate, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, despite generally rave reviews, has posted its closing notice for next week.

Here’s the thing. I didn’t like Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson as a musical, at all. I VERY much liked BBAJ as a skit-comedy with some terrific political things to say that apply to the US today as they did in Andrew Jackson’s time. His legacy is clearly visible today. Where this falls apart is the music. I’ve never been a fan of emo-rock; I don’t like people screaming their thoughts at me to tuneless alt-rock atonalities for ninety minutes. In this case- the total music in this 99 minute show clocks in at 24 minutes, and that includes all the reprises and interludes…the rest of this show is Sketch Comedy of the old lower-East Village variety. It’s entertaining. It’s funny. But it’s not a musical.

Many people I very much trust recommended the show as one of their favorites of the year. Ben Brantley raved about it in the NYTimes. It had to be the best thing ever. Well…I beg to disagree.

The best part of the show, by far, was the amazing performance by Benjamin Walker as Andrew Jackson – he has the swagger of a rock star, with the acting chops of someone much more accomplished. Pity the audience goer that gets an understudy if he is ever out of the show (I understand he does not miss performances). The theater itself is also cleverly “outfitted” with all manner of presidential portraits, taxidermied animals, American Indian paraphernalia, and many clever politically symbolic items – including a stuffed donkey hanging in the middle of the theater. Every corner of the theater is stuffed with “stuff”…

This was a wildly popular show down at the Public last season. That enthusiasm has clearly not transferred to the Broadway production – the audience was one third empty at my weekend performance, and not surprisingly, the show is closing.

Don’t get me wrong here — I had a very good time at this funny, thoughtful, and irreverent show. But it’s not a musical.

Here’s a look at the show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGU60x5cIBA&hd=1

“Women on the verge of a Nervous Breakdown”, Broadway musical, review

Wildly mixed reviews have done -in Women on the verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the musical, which closes on Broadway January 2nd. Boy, am I glad I had the chance to see it before it’s gone.

Starring a virtual who’s who of Broadway veterans (Patti Lupone, Laura Benanti, Sherie Rene Scott, Danny Burnstein, Brian Stokes Mitchell), the show features a large ensemble cast in a show based on Pedro Almodovar’s movie. The book is adapted here by Jeff Lane, and Music and Lyrics are by David Yazbek (The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and is the most tuneful score in the current Broadway season.

It’s cleverly and brightly designed (I am always fond of primary colors in musicals) and it barrels along at lighting pace. Weaving together the basic storyline of a breakup, a breakdown, and a possible live-in terrorist, it’s a bit schizophrenic but always entertaining. In smaller roles, de’Andre Aziza, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Mary Beth Peil and Justin Guarini (yes, that Justin Guarini) are all strong, although Justin is  miscast in the macho-nerd part originally created by Antonio Banderas in the film.

Just hand Laura Benanti her Tony right now. Her performance as Candela (stupid-as-a-rock model) is amazing. She single-handedly brings down the house with the funniest musical sequence in any musical in recent memory with “Model Behavior”, a song in which she tries to reach her friend Pepa by telephone but keeps getting her answering machine. Her comedic timing is a thing of beauty. It’s also the most hummable tune in the show.

Patti gets the requisite second act torch song (Invisible) and its a doozy. Sherie Rene Scott delivers her part with a self-assuredness that has grown with every role she has played in NYC.

Sure, there are some rough edges to the show, not the least is the running gag about the pronunciation of “gazpacho” throughout the evening. There’s also some silliness on swings to close out Act I, although the tune itself was exciting, and an embarrassing set of lyrics in Danny Burnstein’s opening number. The songs also have a tendency to peter out before hitting a final note…much like they did in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels…which means the audience at times is left wondering where they should applaud and where they should not.

Sadly, the show closes this coming Sunday, so you only have 4 more chances to try to see the show at the Belasco Theatre in NYC. Hopefully they will record the score, which deserves an audience (especially for the aforementioned songs), and the show will live on. To say it was my favorite musical of the 2010 new musical season goes without saying

You can see what the show looks like here, including a clip of Laura Benanti’s scene-stealer…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLOzK8rNnQU&hd=1