Theatre Talk: In Our Own Little Corner

[aradia22]

So... this exists

[aradia22]

More #Ham4All

1. Will Roland spitting fire. And just in general, you can tell this is not the first time the younger cast members have done this song.

2. Mike Faist's Harry Styles sort of not attractive attractiveness continues to confound me.

3. Was not emotionally prepared for Michael Park to start singing beautifully while eye fucking the camera

[Girlydiva53]

On 6/24/2017 at 5:24 PM, Rinaldo said:

I've never heard any such talk, which doesn't necessarily mean anything. And it's not really the same story as Fiddler, is it? No, I think the problem is that, as a musical score it's terribly unbalanced: every song is an interior monologue for the leading lady. Little variety, no musical interaction with others. New songs could be added, of course, but it's hard to see what other characters have to sing about.  So I think it's just a bad prospect for stage adaptation. (I didn't care for it as a movie either, but I know others did.)

Actually it's easy to do. Turn it into an "event musical", like "Les Miserables", "Sweeney Todd", "Phantom of The Opera" et cetera... 

Edited July 7, 2017 by Girlydiva53

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Now that the Hamilton instrumental tracks are available for download, are we going to get a lot more singalongs?

 

HamilTour cast did a one night only concert as a fundraiser for the Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation:

Edited July 7, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[aradia22]

Quote

The musical stage adaptation of Jane Eyre, which originally debuted on Broadway in 2000, will receive a new developmental reading presented by Cleveland Musical Theatre with an industry presentation on July 19th at Opera America in NYC.

The Michael J. Fox Show's Juliette Goglia stars as Jane with Dr. Zhivago's Tam Mutu as Edward Rochester & Ragtime's Stephanie Umoh as Blanche Ingram.

In addition to Goglia, Mutu & Umoh, the cast features Alison England (Mrs. Fairfax), Graydon Long (St. John Rivers), Madeleine Pace (Young Jane), Lauryn Hobbs (Helen), Jeff Williams (Brocklehurst), Ryan Speakman (Richard Mason), and Amy Griffin (Miss Scatcherd).

Tony Award-nominated composer/lyricist Paul Gordon (Daddy Long Legs) and Tony-winning librettist John Caird (a Tony winner for Les Miserables) return to revisit and rewrite their musical adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's classic novel.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Tam-Mutu-Stephanie-Umoh-and-Juliette-Goglia-to-Lead-Reading-of-JANE-EYRE-Musical-20170707

Doctor Zhivago, The Secret Garden, Jane Eyre... Tam Mutu is certainly carving out a very specific niche for himself (minus The New Yorkers). 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Mandy Gonzalez talks about Hamilton and Madam Secretary on Build:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Plans for a Broadway version of Bombshell (from Smash) moving forward:

Quote

A Broadway production of “Bombshell” is being developed. Craig Zaden and Neil Meron, the award-winning producing team behind the Oscar-winning “Chicago” and NBC’s live versions of “The Sound of Music” and “The Wiz,” are joining forces with NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt for the project, with an opening date yet to be determined. Greenblatt has extensive Broadway experience, producing the musicals “"Something Rotten!" and "A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder."

Zaden and Meron were among the list of executive producers on “Smash”; they had been recruited by Steven Spielberg, who came up with the original idea of a weekly series that would follow a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe from conception to tryouts to opening and beyond.

The Smash cast (Megan Hilty, Katherine McPhee, Donna McKechnie, Will Chase, Ann Harada, Christian Borle, Jeremy Jordan, Wesley Taylor, Lesley Odom, Jr. and Brian D'Arcy James did a one night only performance of Bombshell back in 2015 (no sets, just singing songs and some dancing from Bombshell):

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Alan Menken says he's working on a stage version of Hercules (both his manager and Disney say this isn't happening though so you can decide)

Dear Evan Hansen broke two box office records this weekend

Some videos from this year's Jimmy Awards:
Opening number:

 

Tribute to James Nederlander:

[aradia22]

http://www.playbill.com/article/wicked-surpasses-the-phantom-of-the-opera-as-second-highest-grossing-show-in-broadway-history

Mwahahahaha... Take that, ALW!

[ebk57]

8 hours ago, aradia22 said:

http://www.playbill.com/article/wicked-surpasses-the-phantom-of-the-opera-as-second-highest-grossing-show-in-broadway-history

Mwahahahaha... Take that, ALW!

I liked this post not because I'm a Wicked fan, but because I'm not an ALW fan :-)

[Rinaldo]

And I don't really understand taking sides on that because they seem about the same to me, and I care equally little about both. But chacun à son goût.

[Silver Raven]

A brief overview of what the Sacramento Music Circus is all about.

I am so happy they have a real building now instead of the old tent, because the old tent had no air conditioning, and it can be 110 degrees in Sacramento.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmhS-Elz4hw
 

Edited July 12, 2017 by Silver Raven

[Silver Raven]

Falsettos coming to movie theaters.

http://www.playbill.com/article/broadway-revival-of-falsettos-hits-movie-theatres-july-12

[Rinaldo]

Yep, I'm going tonight.

[aradia22]

I forget @Rinaldo, did you see it in the theater? Either way, I hope you enjoy it! I'm interested to hear what you think. I didn't find it as emotional as a lot of audience members did. Borle's and Rannell's performances didn't connect with me as much as they were supposed to and the characters were a little underdeveloped to me. I thought we were popping in and out of their lives too much rather than seeing a musical that had been carefully constructed from start to finish to express a certain point. I could see where it was stitched together from an initially small concept. But still, very enjoyable. 

[ebk57]

6 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Falsettos coming to movie theaters.

http://www.playbill.com/article/broadway-revival-of-falsettos-hits-movie-theatres-july-12

I'm going Saturday afternoon.  Really looking forward to it.

[Rinaldo]

@aradia22, I saw the first Broadway production of Falsettos in 1992, but not this revival (till now).

I still have my issues with William Finn’s ideas about craftsmanship and structure (including, still, the lack of any coherent meaning for "falsettos" or "falsettoland" as used in the show; none of the "explanations" make a lick of sense). I continue to find its serious side emotionally unengaging.

However: this is an excellent production of the musical. Well cast, well designed, well directed; and well captured by the cameras (not too impatient with changes of angle). It’s actually kind of rare for a director who keeps returning to a show to get better at it (we have the cautionary examples of Arthur Laurents’s returns to Gypsy, and James Lapine’s own new thoughts about Merrily for Encores!). But (admitting that I have only memory to go on), I think this is a tighter, more inventive (but not overdone), more insightful take on the material than Lapine directed back in 1992. I’m glad such a good rendition has been preserved on video, and I recommend it if you can see it and are so inclined.

[aradia22]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I'm especially glad to hear you approve of the filming. I think that my brain has adapted to modern filmmaking but there are some directors who are too frenetic or have too many quick cuts for me. Maybe it's the genres I'm used to watching. Anyway, glad to hear this doesn't have that problem. I definitely want to check it out. I've been needing to see Stephanie sing "I'm Breaking Down" again since I saw the show. Now if only PBS would tell me exactly when it's going to air so I don't miss it... 

[aradia22]

I think Lesli's Adelaide has a little too much Audrey (Little Shop) in it. But she was brilliant in Matilda so maybe she still needs to find the comedy.

[aradia22]

Quote

Broadway stars Rachel York and Tom Wopat will turn up the heat at Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston, starring in 42nd Street from August 3-13, 2017!

I need Rachel York to be in Manhattan. Not Sag Harbor. Not Boston. Manhattan.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Broadways-Rachel-York-Tom-Wopat-Star-in-42ND-STREET-at-Reagle-20170714

Someone bring Little Dancer to Broadway.

[aradia22]

Thoughts on Assassins at Encores Off-Center. This time I think it's easiest to go character by character.

Quote

Steven Boyer as John Hinckley... Loved him. I forgot I've been watching an entire season of him in Trial & Error. And loving him, too. He was perfect in this role. I don't know how strong his normal singing voice is but if he does have a stronger voice, he held back just the right amount so it still sounded good but also realistic. He was weird without overplaying it. 

Alex Brightman as Giuseppe Zangara... Fine. I give him credit for handling all the Italian (even if they were all on book for that song... still tough). He just hadn't totally found the character yet. At this point, he was just managing all the demands of the performance, he wasn't adding anything.

Victoria Clark as Sara Jane Moore... Very good. She got a lot of laughs. I did think about how Julie White probably would have been a better choice. Also, I didn't remember the women being this incompetent when I've listened to the album or seen amateur production videos before. More on that later.

John Ellison Conlee as Charles Guiteau... Loved him. Another actor who had totally found his character. His Ballad of Guiteau was a showstopper. He totally got the balance between razzle dazzle/humor and darkness. 

Clifton Duncan as The Balladeer... Great. I didn't think much of him in the promo video but I think it was a smart choice to have all these (historically) white would-be Assassins and cast a black man as the Balladeer. Also, he sounded great and was incredibly charming and winsome. I felt bad that he disappeared in the latter 1/3 or 1/4 of the show.

Shuler Hensley as Leon Czolgosz... Great. I didn't love him in Sweet Charity but he was much better cast as Czolgosz. What the others did with their comedic performances, he did with a dramatic performance. He knew exactly how to play the character and was fully committed. 

Ethan Lipton as The Proprietor... I know people have had complaints. My thought was... meh? Unless they've changed it, I didn't see what was so off-putting about it. He was a dude in a maroon suit. There wasn't some big concept there. He reminded me a bit of Sonny Bono. His singing wasn't great but it wasn't distractingly bad. He wasn't an outright conman type (like the father in Matilda), just kind of a schmuck. 

Hudson Loverro as Billy/Ensemble... I couldn't place him until I looked in the program. I thought he was one of the kids I saw as Colin in The Secret Garden. Turns out he's young C in A Bronx Tale. 

Erin Markey as Squeaky Fromme... I thought she was a weak link. Fine but unlike Zangara, she has more to do so it's more noticeable if she's not really bringing it. She was dull in Unworthy of Your Love (which is one of my favorite songs) and only slightly better playing off Victoria Clark. I don't know if she was intentionally dull but I would have rather seen her play it weirder and bigger because it's hard to tell if you're intentionally sullen and dead-eyed or just not a very strong actor. Her singing wasn't the best either. Again, I'm not sure if it was a choice or she had trouble reaching those high notes. 

Steven Pasquale as John Wilkes Booth... Look, you already know he sounded gorgeous. He always sounds gorgeous. I thought he could have brought more. The acting was just fine and he has to carry so much of the plot that it's a problem if he's just fine. He had his moments, sure. I just think he didn't have enough time to work on the character. I wish he was still doing Brigadoon. I don't really want to see Junk to see him again... 

Cory Michael Smith as Lee Harvey Oswald... Meh. For some reason I thought LHO showed up earlier in the play. Not that he's a matinee idol but he's relatively attractive and very fit. I thought he was too attractive for LHO and there was nothing in his performance to make him weirder. He's better in Gotham. He was a little outclassed by everyone else. He just seemed like he was reciting his lines. 

Pearl Sun as Emma Goldman... Fine. The one drawback to being in the balcony was that almost none of her performance was directed at us. Does she always kiss Czolgosz? 

Danny Wolohan as Samuel Byck... Loved him. Again, maybe the weirdos have it easier but he was fantastic. He was like a stand up. He had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Again, fully committed performance. He knew the character he was playing. 

General thoughts... I do think this is a show that needed more development, tighter direction, more developed performances. It's a hard one to sell successfully on maybe 2 weeks of rehearsal. The impact wasn't as intense. The albums make me emotional. This didn't have that resonance. The assassins weren't weird and bitter and intense enough. The aftermath of the JFK assassination with the ensemble didn't work. Instead of evoking emotion, having them frozen just made it feel cold and at that point in the show it felt like it was dragging down the momentum. Like Cabaret and Chicago, I think a lot of the success of Assassins is tricking you with how fun it all is and then bringing the darkness in. Sometimes that worked with this production. Oftentimes it didn't and the impact was lost. It's hard for me to put it into words without relistening to the albums but it just didn't have the bite I wanted it to have though it was still very enjoyable through most of it. But when it lost the thread it became like typical musical theater and Assassins can't work as typical musical theater. 

[aradia22]

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Gonzalez-and-Iglehart-Channel-Their-Inner-Audra-McDonald-and-Brian-Stokes-Mitchell-20170716

[ebk57]

I saw Falsettos yesterday and loved it.  I agree pretty much totally with @Rinaldo's take on it, other that I was engaged with the serious, emotional parts.  I'm fairly certain I saw March of the Falsettos when it happened way back in the day (I must look through my programs at some point - it's just that there are so many of them), but I did not see Falsettoland, so the second act here was gut punch.  Lots of sniffling in the theatre.

 

I got tickets for King & I next Sunday evening at the Kennedy Center.  Looking forward to it!!

[Silver Raven]

On the Town today at the Sacramento Music Circus:

Clyde Alves as Ozzie (he did the role on Broadway)

Matt Loehr as Chip ( he starred in Nice Work if You Can Get It at Music Circus last year)

Sam Lips as Gabey.  He is superb.  An awesome dancer, a great singer, a wonderful stage presence.

Courtney Iventosch as Ivy Smith

Jenn Cody, the wonderful Jenn Cody, as Hildy Esterhazy

Holly Ann Butler as Claire De Loone (she co-starred in Nice Work if You Can Get It last year)

There was an ensemble performer named Joseph Torello who had a glorious bass voice

The music is nice, there is a lot of wonderful dance, but it's just sort of meh to me.  The only memorable song is "New York, New York", although "Lonely Town" and "Some Other Time" are beautiful songs.

[Rinaldo]

11 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Sam Lips as Gabey.  He is superb.  An awesome dancer, a great singer, a wonderful stage presence.

Ha! I was hoping to hear more of Sam Lips. He was the understudy I saw (in place of Santino Fontana) as Prince Topher in Cinderella on Broadway. (It was a scheduled understudy put-in performance, though I didn't know that beforehand.) Anyway, he saved me from disappointment, because he's really excellent and I didn't feel cheated at all. He deserves a fine career.

Edited July 17, 2017 by Rinaldo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Cast list for Sondheim on Sondheim at the Hollywood Bowl (this Sunday!):

Sarah Uriarte Berry (Les Mis, Beauty and the Beast, The Light in the Piazza)
Phillip Boykin (Porgy and Bess, Sunday in the Park with George)
Lewis Cleale (Book of Mormon, Spamalot)
Carmen Cusack (Bright Star)
Claybourne Elder (Bonnie and Clyde)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (he 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Modern Family)
Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening, Hamilton, Glee)
Ruthie Ann Miles (The King and I, Here Lies Love)
Matthew Morrison (The Light in the Piazza, Finding Neverland, Glee)
Solea Pfeiffer (Hamilton)
Vanessa Williams (duh!)

Quote

SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM will be directed by Sarna Lapine with Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic and YOLA, who will join the show to perform "Children Will Listen" alongside the LA Phil. The production will be choreographed by Michele Lynch with lighting design by Ken Billington in addition to new orchestrations by Michael Starobin, arrangements by David Loud and video created and designed by Peter Flaherty.

[Milburn Stone]

14 hours ago, ebk57 said:

I got tickets for King & I next Sunday evening at the Kennedy Center.  Looking forward to it!!

Is this the Lincoln Center Theater production directed by Bartlett Sher? If so you're in for a treat.

[ebk57]

9 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Is this the Lincoln Center Theater production directed by Bartlett Sher? If so you're in for a treat.

That's the one!  You said don't miss it, so I'm not going to miss it.  And, I got a ridiculously great discount. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

More #Ham4All videos!

The cast of Groundhog Day:

 

Ryan Vasquez (Hamiltour cast):

 

Chanhassen Dinner Theater cast of Grease did the Ham4All challenge too:

 

Retta:

 

Busy Philipps:

Amy Schumer:

Edited July 18, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Silver Raven]

Ooh, ooh, ooh, the next Sacramento Music Circus production is 9 to 5, and it stars Vicki Lewis as Violet.  I looooove Vicki Lewis.

[dbklmt]

55 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Ooh, ooh, ooh, the next Sacramento Music Circus production is 9 to 5, and it stars Vicki Lewis as Violet.  I looooove Vicki Lewis.

So do I.  Enjoy!

[Rinaldo]

Vicki Lewis is wonderful. It's interesting how she had a spell of of being a TV star, with NewsRadio, a brief followup series, and a bunch of guest appearances. Onstage, she's always a dynamo, with a specialty in the daffy second-banana comediennes of 1930s musical comedy, including recordings of Pal Joey and Girl Crazy. "Barbary Coast" in the latter usually goes for nothing (or is cut), but listen to how much she makes of it.

[Rinaldo]

I'm just back from the movie theater showing of the National Theatre production of Angels in America Part I: Millennium Approaches. As a veteran of the Broadway production and three or four others since (plus the HBO film version), I can say that this one is very fine indeed. Russell Tovey and Nathan Lane take top honors for me, but everyone is excellent, and the production elements are most impressive. Part II is scheduled in a week, and many theaters are scheduling encore showings of Part I this weekend. I find it very much worth seeing.

[aradia22]

Just curious @Rinaldo Did you see Assassins and/or are you going to check out the other Encores off-Center offerings this season?

[Rinaldo]

No and no.

[aradia22]

Quote

Hugh Panaro is set to join the cast of the immersive Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Off-Broadway beginning August 29. Panaro will take over the title role from Tony nominee Norm Lewis, who will play his final performance at the Barrow Street Theatre—transformed into a working pie shop—August 13.

David Michael Garry will play the role of Sweeney Todd from August 15 to August 27, and Carolee Carmello will stay on as Mrs. Lovett.

Also joining the cast August 29 will be Jake Boyd (Rock of Ages), who will take over from Matt Doyle as Anthony, Eryn LeCroy (Assassins), who will assume the role of Johanna from Alex Finke, Michael James Leslie (Senator Joe), who will take over from Jamie Jackson as Judge Turpin, and John Rapson (Les Misérables) who succeeds Tony nominee Brad Oscar as the Beadle.

Oscar is set to play his final performance on August 20, with Colin Anderson playing the role of the Beadle from August 22–August 27. The remaining departing cast will wrap up August 27.

http://www.playbill.com/article/hugh-panaro-to-succeed-norm-lewis-in-off-broadways-sweeney-todd

Also, I finally listened to Bubbly Black Girl and while there are some interesting ideas I'm not sure I enjoyed the music enough that I really care about seeing how it works in the context of the story. Perhaps it's surprising since I saw Bella three times but even though I love Nikki M. James, I'm not really feeling this one. 

[Silver Raven]

I was wondering what role Matt Doyle was playing, I thought he was too callow to play Sweeney, but he's a little old to play Anthony.

[Rinaldo]

The Guys and Dolls at Bucks County Playhouse is a good one, on its modest scale. This review, by the friend I attended with on opening night, is close enough to my reaction to let it stand without much further elaboration. Darius de Haas is the stand-out of the cast as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and all three of the songs that feature him come sparklingly to life. Of the others, Elena Shaddow and Clarke Thorell are both good but perhaps in ways that don't quite match up (she has a stunning vocal instrument, he sings well enough but stands out more in his acting), and Steve Rosen is a master of the low-comedy persona (but grounded in character) that makes Nathan work. Hunter Foster's knowing direction is a big asset, as it was in their Company two years ago. The tiny orchestra in its loft sounded as if it needed one more rehearsal, but further performances should take care of that.

What a fun, satisfying show this is.

[ebk57]

I was thinking of seeing that Sweeny Todd when I'm up at the end of August, but I'll be there during the week when everything is in a state of flux, so now I'm not sure.  Decisions, decisions........

[Silver Raven]

Yay, my tickets came today for the Broadway Sacramento fall/winter season.

Beautiful, the Carole King Musical

Something Rotten

Book of Mormon

Finding Neverland

American in Paris

The subscriber had an option of Book of Mormon or Jersey Boys.  I've seen both, but I adore Book of Mormon, so there was no question as to which I would choose.  :)

[Quof]

Mandy Patinkin will star in Natasha and Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, 3 weeks only.

[ebk57]

1 minute ago, Quof said:

Mandy Patinkin will star in Natasha and Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, 3 weeks only.

Yay!  It's happening while I'm there!!!

[Silver Raven]

24 minutes ago, Quof said:

Mandy Patinkin will star in Natasha and Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, 3 weeks only.

Will he leave in the middle of his contract, like he always seems to do with TV series?

[Rinaldo]

More important to his colleague, will he throw a tantrum, refuse to leave his dressing room till everything works as he wants, and make his colleagues' life miserable? He has given more than one apology for his past behavior, but this is the first actual musical he's done since his antics during The Wild Party. We'll see.

[aradia22]

OH MY GOD. I was saving my post-dated ticket to see Ingrid but now I'm torn. Should I wait for Mandy? 

I do wonder (aside from the boost his starpower will hopefully give to the box office) how he'll play as Pierre. I think casting someone that much older is a bit more problematic but he might be the perfect blend between Josh's beautiful voice and Dave's interpretation/acting. 

[aradia22]

Quote

Taylor Louderman will take on the role of queen bee Regina George, with Ashley Park and Kate Rockwell  as her fellow "Plastics" Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith, respectively. Erika Henningsen will play the central role of Cady Heron.

The musical, featuring a book by Emmy winner Tina Fey (who wrote the screenplay for and appeared in the original 2004 film), music by her husband Jeff Richmond, and lyrics by Tony nominee Nell Benjamin, will run through December 3 at the D.C. venue. Tony winner Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs. A Broadway bow is expected in 2018, though no official dates have been announced.

The cast will also include Barrett Wilbert Weed as Janis Sarkisian, Grey Henson as Damian Hubbard, Tony nominee Kerry Butler as Ms. Norbury, Kyle Selig as Aaron Samuels,  Cheech Manohar as Kevin Gnapoor, and stand-up comedian Rick Younger as Mr. Duvall.

Rounding out the company are Stephanie Lynn Bissonnette, Tee Boyich, Collins Conley, Ben Cook, DeMarius Copes, Kevin Csolak, Devon Hadsell, Curtis Edwin Holland, Myles McHale, Chris Medlin, Brittany Nicholas, Becca Petersen, Nikhil Saboo, Jonalyn Saxer, Brendon Stimson, Kamille Upshaw, Zurin Villanueva, Gianna Yanelli, Iain Young.

God damn, you guys. I'm not sure if Taylor is the perfect Regina because she played a similar mean girl character in Gigantic and even then she didn't seem all that bad (and that character is dialed down next to Regina). But Nell Benjamin and big voices like Ashley, Barrett, and Kerry? Getting excited. Freaky Friday and Mean Girls (aside from the revivals) are the only shows really interesting me for next season what with Spongebob and Margaritaville.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Behind the scenes of Immigrants (We Get the Job Done) from the Hamilton Mixtape

[Silver Raven]

Mandy Patinkin has withdrawn from Great Comet due to casting controversy.  Apparently the show is having ticket problems and they asked Oak to step down in order to pick up a big name, like Patinkin.  When he found out that he was replacing Oak, he said no way.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Mandy-Patinkin-Withdraws-From-Broadways-GREAT-COMET-Following-Casting-Controversy-20170728

[aradia22]

Beat me to it @Silver Raven 

God damn it all to hell. Twitter is why we can't have nice things. Well, I guess I'll still be trying to see Ingrid and Oak in August then unless they make the announcement for the next Pierre before then. I really hope the show can continue to survive. Dave's tweets made things seem dire.

[Silver Raven]

Immigrants (We Get the Job Done) is nominated for a Video Music Award.