Theatre Talk: In Our Own Little Corner

[ebk57]

19 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

I've been teaching history of musicals for years, but sometimes get fearful that I get out of touch, so I'm always glad to learn new things. May I please ask: what is a "deep-cut song"? Thanks. (Thanks for the whole report, too. Gratefully received and read.)

I meant songs not necessarily on the most well known list for Gershwin, ones that I don't hear all that often like Fidgety Feet and Liza.  And one I've never heard - For you, For Me, For Evermore.  Which reminds me of the one complaint I had.  As much as I love Liza, I felt it was really shoehorned into the show. I wasn't feeling the Lise to Liza thing. 

I did love hearing the orchestral numbers that one doesn't hear in musicals - Concerto in F, Second Prelude and Second Rhapsody/Cuban Overture.  

I adore Gershwin.  (And I hope not knowing For You, For Me doesn't get me thrown out of the club)

[aradia22]

Quote

Which reminds me of the one complaint I had.  As much as I love Liza, I felt it was really shoehorned into the show. I wasn't feeling the Lise to Liza thing. 

I agree. To me it went along with the Jerry character kind of railroading Lise. Changes like that and the love triangle weren't that effective for me though Garin Scribner's charm did smooth things over a bit more than having Gene Kelly in the role. I wish that I'd seen Leanne Cope. I'm not sure if it would be worth it to go back just to catch her. This is a packed season that's already going to be straining my budget.

[Rinaldo]

Ah, I did my PhD dissertation on Gershwin songs, so I'm familiar with all of them myself, but yes, it's gratifying when a newly compiled score of his songs stays away from the half-dozen most familiar and digs into some of the less known ones. There needs to be a law against ever using "Someone To Watch over Me" again for this purpose.

[Milburn Stone]

On September 3, 2016 at 10:54 PM, ebk57 said:

.I adore Gershwin.  (And I hope not knowing For You, For Me doesn't get me thrown out of the club)

ebk, just filling in some background on that song for you. It was completed some years after George's death, when Ira added lyrics to the composition (and others by George) for use in the Betty Grable flick The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947). My favorite of the songs completed by Ira for that film is one called "Changing My Tune." A number of versions of it are on iTunes if you're curious--including one (my pick from among all of them) by Anthony Perkins, of all people. 

[ebk57]

2 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

ebk, just filling in some background on that song for you. It was completed some years after George's death, when Ira added lyrics to the composition (and others by George) for use in the Betty Grable flick The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947). My favorite of the songs completed by Ira for that film is one called "Changing My Tune." A number of versions of it are on iTunes if you're curious--including one (my pick from among all of them) by Anthony Perkins, of all people. 

Thanks so much.  I will definitely look these up!

[Rinaldo]

Filling out the narrative a bit: On two occasions Ira Gershwin was contracted to create a new Gershwin-brothers song score for a movie, by digging out unused music by George (who left an archive of such songs-without-words at his death) and providing lyrics to fit the given situations. One was The Shocking Miss Pilgrim in 1947, the other was Kiss Me, Stupid in 1964.

[DisneyBoy]

Request - there is supposedly a "naughty video" of the new musical War Paint floating around. I want to see it, if anyone here stumbles upon it.

Just watched the "naughty video" version of Anastasia, even though I would much prefer to see the show live and I know it's coming to Broadway next year. I both really liked it and really disliked it in parts.

The story is largely the same as it was in the animated movie but the character that they replaced Rasputin with loses any importance to the plot by Intermission and I felt like they could have made him much more vital. Just like in the movie, I wanted more of the grandmother-granddaughter dynamic and could have done without a few other things. The final two or three scenes that conclude the show fell very flat, which was a bummer after a rather emotional second act. I definitely found the focus on Communism in Act 1 felt like padding and had no payoff. And can we talk about that dance choreography? It's one thing that none of the actors sound remotely Russian or French, but they could have at least put more Russian dance choreography throughout Act 1 if they were going to have the characters dance around like that. We get one number in Act 2 with some traditional Russian dancing but a lot of the stuff with the Romanov family for example feels very random and amateurish.

 

Still, the cast is very strong and the woman playing Anastasia is blessed with quite the voice. The costumes were good, and the projections were used to good effect...but the show suffered from a lot of people standing at the front of the stage or dead center without much purpose. I would definitely like to see a significant revamp of some of the staging, especially the Once Upon a December flashback which was fine but could have been a far grander. I really wanted to see Anya do a quick change! I can't be alone in that...

They changed a number of lyrics in ways that really worked, though. Have to give them kudos for that. A few of the new songs were quite good.

I could have done without Anya's 10 small realizations that she was in fact the princess. Having so many really undercut the drama in the show.

Overall, it feels like a decent production on the way to greatness if it is willing to undergo some changes (which I fear it won't), or a really impressive theme park show.

Has anybody actually seen the production or the "naughty video"?

Edited September 9, 2016 by DisneyBoy

[aradia22]

I saw Marie and Rosetta tonight. I don't really have time to break the whole thing down but since it's only running until the very beginning of October, I wanted to tell you something in case you're interested in seeing it. I don't see a lot of jukebox musicals that are about the artists (you know, Jersey Boys/Beautiful as opposed to Good Vibrations or Mamma Mia). That said, from what I know of them, I'd assume that this play is more like Million Dollar Quartet than Jersey Boys. I don't want to ruin it for you but, in general, it's more about a moment and less about their entire lives, though they do some backstory-filling-in exposition. I think that both helped and hurt the piece. It kind of lives in that middle zone. There are brilliant moments when Kecia Lewis and Rebecca Naomi Jones act a song and you can see what the show would be like if they performed like all the songs were related to their lives/things that were happening in the story. But you also have the looseness of this jam session which is great and leaves you open to a lot of humor. It's only 90 minutes and only got tedious a few times. 90 minute no intermission shows are difficult. You're walking the line between justifying more than an hour but not fleshing things out as much as a longer show. The vocals are amazing. It took me a little bit to warm up to it because it's not entirely rock/gospel and it's not entirely musical theatre... plus I think they warm up their voices to the bigger songs as well. But when they come... DAMN. Totally worth the price of admission. I don't think it's a great show though. The book is funny at times but it's not spectacularly well written. I don't know if it's the way it was written or the direction but Rebecca in particular plays her arc... not over the top but stereotypically. Still, I think it's definitely worth catching while you can. The music and humor make it a great night out and it made me tear up a little at the end.

The audience was a little restless. With all the things on my calendar, I'm already dreading nights of endless coughing.

[choclatechip45]

I saw School of Rock last night. Alex Brightman is fantastic. It definitly does not feel like your typical Broadway show. My only complaint is so many people arrived late. If you enjoy the movie you will like the show.

[aradia22]

I saw The Layover this afternoon. I might break it down more at a later date once I get all my thoughts together. But since it's closing this week and I know we have some crossover here with the TCM thread, I was just curious if anyone else has seen it or has any interest. For the record, I thought it dragged but I appreciated that it at least had the ambition of wanting to do something like a romantic noir film on stage even if it wasn't entirely successful. I would recommend seeing it at a discount if you're interested in that kind of thing. Definitely not at full price. It still felt too much like a draft that needed some more edits and not a finished product. I feel like going to NYMF (plus a smattering of festival/off-Broadway plays) has really affected how I see writing and the development of projects. 

[dbklmt]

Yesterday I saw the 2nd performance of October Sky , a new musical which is running at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego until October 23, 2016.  It has Broadway aspirations, but they may be delayed with a $20 million lawsuit pending that was filed in June 2016 by the real Homer Hickam who had his own musical planned for his book Rocket Boys saying he never gave Universal the rights to make a musical.  The production at the Old Globe is staged by Universal Stage Productions who is being sued by Homer H Hickman, Jr.  Only time will tell whether this ever makes it to Broadway.

 

If you're not familiar with the 1999 movie which starred Chris Cooper as the Father, Laura Dern as the teacher, Miss Riley and Jake Gyllenhaal as Homer Hickam it takes place in Coalwood, West Virginia, where all the boys grow up to be coal miners and Homer Hickam has no reason to think he'll be any different. Too small to earn a football scholarship, Homer has no way out of his predetermined life -- until the soviet satellite Sputnik flies over the October sky and changes everything. It's 1957 and Homer's world just got a lot bigger. Though his father is mine superintendent and has no greater wish than to see his sons follow in his footsteps, Homer embarks on a mission to build and launch his own homemade rockets with the help of his loyal band of friends. Though their frequent mistakes nearly get them shut down, their successes inspire the whole town to believe that miracles can happen even in Coalwood, and there's nothing wrong with shooting for the stars.  I loved the movie and was very excited to see if it would succeed as a musical.  I was intrigued to see how they would depict the coal mine scenes and all the rocketry which I'm happy to say they've succeeded.

This musical was first presented at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, in 2015.  Review and video here    http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-october-sky-review-20150827-column.html 

In Chicago the running time was listed as 2:30 and at the Old Globe it clocked in at 2:45.  Ouch!  It was too long and just as in Chicago they need to cut badly.  Much of the storyline is right out of the movie even with some of the same lines, but as in the Chicago review too much time was spent on setting up the mines storyline in Act 1.  The better part of the story was rushed in Act 2.

 

This show is in the vein of Bright Star which debuted one year ago this time at the Old Globe with both set in mining towns, this one in West Virginia.  The set for Bright Star was really simple, but this one was quite elaborate.  The proscenium was either a railroad or coal mining track leading across the stage to steps on both sides of the stage which the actors used to enter and exit through the audience.  If you were in the curved front row center you were a part of the staging because they performed scenes right in front of you.  I've sat there for other shows but have no desire to sit there for this one.

 

The set was impressive with a blank screen at the back of the stage to use for projections which were quite good.  Sad thing for me is that now that projections are being used to create scenic backdrops the days of real painted backdrops seem to be gone most likely forever.

They used a lift to move people up or down on stage during the coal mine scenes and it worked.  For other scenes the sets moved onto the stage or were pushed on stage by the actors.

The best scene for me was when they used the lift to bring part of the orchestra, a jug band, up from below who played "Moonshine" which was what the boys needed to make their rockets fly.  It was the best song in the show and got the biggest applause! 

The score was almost all sung but for me was mostly forgettable.  The musical score by Michael Mahler who I've never heard of, although he's created some new music for Miss Saigon which is being revived on Broadway in the Spring, had 14 numbers in Act 1 and 12 with six being reprises in Act 2.

Best songs for me were with the mother played superbly by Broadway vet Kerry O'Malley, "Couldn't That Be Alright?" and Sandra DeNise, seen on Broadway in Kinky Boots, Bright Star and Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder--"As They're Told" and "Something That's Devine".  Another excellent number, "The Last Kiss Goodbye" opened Act 2  and was sung superbly by 4 women in the town.  I guess you could say the women were the star singers for me in this production. 

 

The cast were all good but some of the Teen scene needs to be directed to be more like what was seen in the film.  As the Chicago reviewer said,

Quote

The show cannot decide how much to feature Homer, as an individual, and how much to focus on the group efforts of the Big Creek Missile Agency, a misfit teen group also comprised of Quentin, O'Dell and Roy Lee. As the boys try to build their rocket (problematically, the girls in this show are kept to the edges), it's never clear that Homer is really doing anything more than the others.

It still a big problem in the Old Globe production.  This Homer is nothing like the one played by Jake Gyllenhaal who definitely was a leader.  At the Old Globe Homer is played by Kyle Selig who was Elder Price in The Book of Mormon.  I'm sorry; I'm just not a fan of his high pitched singing voice let alone his weak acting here. His two big numbers, "I Want to Know" and "Look to the Stars" (pales in comparison to Derek Klana's version here) 

The Old Globe audience loved him, but my friend and I did not.  IMO his role needs to be recast if and when it gets to Broadway.

The Old Globe gave the performance its customary Standing O.  My friend and I really didn't want to stand up, but we did just so we could see who in the cast was coming out for their curtain call.  My friend didn't love it, but said that it was okay.  That's my assessment too **3/4 out of **** 

Edited September 13, 2016 by dbklmt

[aradia22]

Dear Evan Hansen is moving from the Belasco to the Music Box. Of course, it hasn't actually started performances yet but I just wanted to post this for those of you who have tickets/are interested in purchasing them.

Out of curiosity, is this something that used to happen without fanfare or speculation? Are either (or both) announcing/claiming theatres in advance and then changing start dates and theatres and other plans born out of what seems like a new scramble for theaters with too many shows angling to fill them?

[aradia22]

Groundhog Day will take the August Wilson in March 2017 when Jersey Boys leaves.

[DisneyBoy]

So...did anybody see Anastasia? I think the parts that worked in the movie also worked on stage, but the parts that didn't work so well in the movie, namely the villain, also didn't work on the stage even with the revisions.

I liked Gleb well enough in Act One but he never proved more integral to the story than Rasputin.

Has anyone heard if they'll be doing significant revisions on the piece before it opens on Broadway?

[Whimsy]

Hello all. There was a bit of discussion earlier in the week around bootlegged versions of theater productions. Since I was unsure what the official ruling would be, I took it up the mod chain. It has been determined that is not an issue here at PTV.  So please feel free to continue discussing any production (regardless of how you saw it). Obviously, we ask that no links to illegally recorded stuff be posted at all.

Thanks and happy posting!

[DisneyBoy]

Thanks for clarifying, GenL!

[DisneyBoy]

Eden Espinosa just finished starring in a production of Evita in Tennessee...anyone catch that?

I really liked what I heard of Eden in Wicked but I can understand why there are criticisms about her voice being somewhat unpredictable. Still, if she's in good form this is exactly the kind of role she would rock...and I heard that this was a non-replica production, which opens up possibilities for staging quite a bit. I'd be curious about how they did certain numbers like Rainbow High. I think I saw that Elena Rogers just stood at the front of the stage and was handed clothing. Hopefully they came up with something more dynamic for this show.

Apparently Eden tried out for the London Revival but didn't land the part...

[aradia22]

The bombing shook me up a little bit. I had planned to see Marie and Rosetta again the night after it happened. (If you're not aware, the theater is located very close to where the bomb in Chelsea went off). I'm trying to get back to normal. I've mostly been staying close to my apartment for the past few days. I have some plans coming up though and I'm determined not to cancel anything else. 

Also, I still definitely want to try to catch The Color Purple while Heather Headley is in the show and I still need to see Waitress. 

I hope all of you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. :)

[Charlie Baker]

The trailer for the forthcoming documentary on the original production of the Sondheim/Firth/Prince Merrily We Roll Along:

 

Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened

[Scott]

The Wallis here in Los Angeles has a production of Merrily this fall, directed by its new artist in residence, Michael Arden.  Thank you for reminding me I need to get tickets.

[aradia22]

Quote

The recent Broadway production of the new musical Allegiance, starring George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes) will come to movie theaters nationwide for one night on December 13 at 7:30pm local time. George Takei's Allegiance: The Broadway Musical on the Big Screen will begin with an exclusive introduction from Takei and also feature behind-the-scenes footage as well as interviews with the cast and creators.

Excellent news! It's far from a great show. The material is just not there. But I think it's a stepping stone to the show that we deserve and it's worth seeing, especially at movie theater prices. Lea Salonga is amazing as always. George Takei was wonderful as the grandfather and so adorable. Telly Leung is good but it didn't help that his character provided a rather weak driving force for a lot of the plot. The ensemble also has some nice moments. The music is not quite there... it borrows too much and not wisely. The tone is off. But there are some really powerful moments. It's an important show for many reasons. Now, if they could only get Shuffle Along into movie theaters... (I'm kidding, sadly. Not even a cast album...)

[aradia22]

Ramin Karimloo is back in Anastasia. I wish I were more excited about this cast. I hope the set and costumes are gorgeous and the new book is good. Because right now I'm mostly hoping this will run long enough for this cast to be replaced. Karimloo is a good singer but I found him rather dull as an actor in that Secret Garden concert. 

[aradia22]

Happy BC/EFA Broadway Flea Market day! I spent $53 (less than last year, I think). I went later in the day and there wasn't as much that caught my eye... plus my apartment is pretty crowded already. I picked up some Zhivago merch, random $1 items (shirts, mirrors, CD's, buttons, magnets, mugs), 2 Aladdin cups, and then mostly Playbills. I definitely have some photos to share and also some questions about older shows but I have a show tonight and I still need to eat lunch/dinner so I'll check back in later. Overall, I had a good experience. I got a lot of practical stuff cheaply and some nice Playbill finds but if you were really going for special Broadway memorabilia I can understand being disappointed unless you're willing to pay for the expensive (e.g. original costume artwork) items. There were a lot of signed posters in lieu of more interesting items at a lot of the show tables. 

[Jac]

Any opinions on Fun Home? I don't know much about it but my college is offering $15 tickets to the Broadway in Chicago production. 

Speaking of Broadway in Chicago, it is less than a month until I get to see the Chicago production of Hamilton and I am ridiculously excited. I've basically listened to the broadway cast recording every day for a month now. 

And speaking of Lin-Manuel Miranda, I got to see the West End production of In The Heights on 30 August. The theatre was a little odd, very small (maybe 300 seats) and an old railway siding so the stage is where the tracks used to be and the audience sits either side. My sister thought that the theatre was a little small for the show and that the stage needed to be bigger so the different settings could be better differentiated but I didn't find it a problem. The cast were all excellent, especially the guy who played Usnavi who is a ridiculously close sound alike for LMM and an extremely good dancer. I went in not knowing the songs, I knew the plot and I loved it. LMM's lyrical style and his use of multiple genres including many that are not typical of broadway is really engaging to me.

Finally speaking of the West End, my parents have gone from being non-musical people to the type of people who see four shows in 10 days! We all saw Once in Dublin and then my parents went to see Beautiful, the Motown one (I think it is just called Motown: The Musical) and the Kinks one (I think it is called Sunny Afternoon) in London and they have charged me with getting them seats for the Australian productions of Book of Mormon and when it is announced, Hamilton. As a theatre nerd I am so excited by this development. 

[ebk57]

22 minutes ago, Jac said:

Any opinions on Fun Home? I don't know much about it but my college is offering $15 tickets to the Broadway in Chicago production. 

Speaking of Broadway in Chicago, it is less than a month until I get to see the Chicago production of Hamilton and I am ridiculously excited. I've basically listened to the broadway cast recording every day for a month now. 

And speaking of Lin-Manuel Miranda, I got to see the West End production of In The Heights on 30 August. The theatre was a little odd, very small (maybe 300 seats) and an old railway siding so the stage is where the tracks used to be and the audience sits either side. My sister thought that the theatre was a little small for the show and that the stage needed to be bigger so the different settings could be better differentiated but I didn't find it a problem. The cast were all excellent, especially the guy who played Usnavi who is a ridiculously close sound alike for LMM and an extremely good dancer. I went in not knowing the songs, I knew the plot and I loved it. LMM's lyrical style and his use of multiple genres including many that are not typical of broadway is really engaging to me.

Finally speaking of the West End, my parents have gone from being non-musical people to the type of people who see four shows in 10 days! We all saw Once in Dublin and then my parents went to see Beautiful, the Motown one (I think it is just called Motown: The Musical) and the Kinks one (I think it is called Sunny Afternoon) in London and they have charged me with getting them seats for the Australian productions of Book of Mormon and when it is announced, Hamilton. As a theatre nerd I am so excited by this development. 

I hate to quote myself (it can cause blindness), but here's what I said on the bottom of the previous page about Fun Home:

"Fun Home:  I so wanted to love this show.  Honestly.  The production is wonderful.  The acting is wonderful.  I can see that the story is very touching and real.  But I just didn't connect with it.  And I don't know why.  And it upsets me.  A friend I talked to afterwards said the same thing.  He told me when he saw it a second time, he totally got it.  Maybe when it comes to DC, I'll give it another go. "

For $15, I'd definitely go.  

Your West End experience sounds great.  And congrats on having parents that have come around to see what's right and good in the world! :-)

 

 

I'm going to see "Come From Away" at Ford's on Saturday.  Looking forward to it.  I will report back.

[DisneyBoy]

Quote

Any opinions on Fun Home? I don't know much about it but my college is offering $15 tickets to the Broadway in Chicago production. 

 

I watched it and was moved. I got it. I think it's as much about the process of growing up and seeing your family dynamics in a different light as anything. I would absolutely see it if I were you. And then after you can compare it to the graphic novel. I've yet to do that but plan to.

...so no one checked out Anastasia? Apparently the cast took part in the Broadway Flea Market this weekend.

[aradia22]

@Jac Fun Home is fantastic. I saw it with the original cast and cried buckets. I'm not sure if it's a show that holds up though as I was far less affected seeing it a second time (for Rebecca Luker) but my personal criticisms aside, there is some great craft at work in the show. 

I hope you enjoy Hamilton in Chicago! Please report back, especially on Karen Olivo and Joshua Henry. 

[Rinaldo]

I think Fun Home is a fine piece of musical theater, original (by which I mean, different in plan from other musicals), deep, and affecting. Not everyone sees it just the same, so everyone should try it for themselves.

[Charlie Baker]

I'll add that I think Fun Home is an excellent, moving piece, and agree it is not a conventional musical.

Garth Drabinsky, convicted of fraud, is making a producing comeback, with Broadway in its sights, as reported in the linked article.  He produced some fine, ambitious shows, and this new one, Sousatzka, has me excited for its potential and its cast and creators. (I've seen the movie version of the source novel and like it very much.)

A Broadway Comeback

[DisneyBoy]

GD is an interesting fellow. Definitely passionate about theatre, in spite of his legal woes. I hope he succeeds in getting his career on track again.

I just watched a pre-Broadway preview of Kinky Boots and had a few questions. I suspect things changed before the show reached Broadway because I remember hearing people criticize the show to the degree that I'm sure the creative team must have made changes. As much as I like Billy Porter's Lola and the set, I found Act 2 really lacking in most respects - the songs were less memorable, the lyrics were less memorable, and the climax of the show fizzled out pretty quickly. We didn't find out if the runway show was a success with potential buyers, or what was next for Lola and her career and Charlie and his new girlfriend just kind of ended up together by default. Did they tighten things up in Act 2 for Broadway?

That 11 O'Clock number (? Can I call it that?) with Lola at the nursing home was particularly unremarkable. The tune and lyrcs were just generic. Hope they fixed that.

I really liked Simon and Charlie's relationship -an unusual one in a musical but heartfelt - and definitely wanted to like the show more than I actually did.

Edited September 30, 2016 by DisneyBoy

[Charlie Baker]

So FringeNYC is not happening in 2017.  Despite the statements from management that it will return, there is speculation about that it's folding. 

Fringe NYC Taking 2017 Off

[aradia22]

I like the idea of festivals to give newer artists who might not have all the backing and financing a chance to test out their work for a short run without the obligation of filling a big theater night after night. However, having taken advantage of a lot of those seat-filling services, I know that it can be hard to get people even during short runs. (There is of course a trade-off with publicity and word of mouth if people only have a week or something to see your show.) On the one hand, I really loved Far From Canterbury and now I'm looking forward to seeing what that composer does in the future. But yeah, they don't want to get the reputation for putting on poor quality shows. And I have to say that a lot of festival offerings are in some ways disappointingly not that different from the major commercial endeavors. There's still a lack of diversity. Sometimes there's still questionable gender politics. And many times the creators don't seem to have pushed themselves to tell a short worth telling. You would think that these smaller festival offerings would give artists an opportunity to take more chances.

[aradia22]

Quick thoughts. The Met's new production of Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. Disclaimer: I was distracted by the rudeness of the guy in front of me for act 1 but thankfully for some reason he never returned and I was able to enjoy acts 2 and 3. 

It took me a while to warm up to it. I'm not in love with the production. It's grand in that it encompasses the stage but I feel like the modernity just obscured the meaning too much and was just really dreary. If everyone's wearing black and gray and it's poorly lit, it's hard to tell who everyone is (and also my binoculars won't work that well). The video sections were also confusing. It felt like film student stuff. Stop trying to be clever and artsy and just tell me what you're trying to say. I mean, I got the gist of it, but I wasn't entirely sure who the people were supposed to be, etc. 

BUT. All that fell away with the singing. In act I, I got into it when Isolde is telling Brangane about how she healed Tristan and he betrayed her. The reconciliation/argument/drink scene with Tristan and Isolde was good too. But I fell in love with the romantic duets in act 2. GORGEOUS. The singing was also good in act 3 but 5 hours is quite a marathon, even with two breaks, so my attention wandered a bit. If you can make the time in your schedule, I would definitely suggest checking out the Live in HD showing, or waiting for when it'll probably be on TV, DVD, or streaming. 

54 Below Sings My Fair Lady. I was so happy with this. I think her acting could have had more depth (but you know, it's just a concert) and she needed time to get into the legit soprano part of her voice but I would 100% champion a Laura Michelle Kelly-led revival. Her cockney Eliza was fantastic and she was so charming. With a bit more refinement of the role and direction I think she could be a Tony-worthy Eliza. Josh Young's voice is just stupid gorgeous and while admittedly, Freddy is a smaller part, he nailed it. Gavin Lee was amazing as her father though too young to be playing the role opposite LMK. It did make me rethink the part though. With a younger Eliza, I think it might work better to have an Alfred in his 40's or 50's. Some outdated politics aside, I love this show so much. The score's so good. 

[methodwriter85]

I got to see the Delaware Theatre production of the War of the Roses, which has Broadway aspirations. It was really good- having not seen the film, I didn't have any expectations, and it wound up being a very fun dark comedy.

[aradia22]

La Boheme for the first time tomorrow night! I'm excited. I had a ticket last season but I was too sick to go. 

[DisneyBoy]

I just rewatched The Light in the Piazza and found myself very moved all over again. I knew I liked this show the first time I saw it but now I think I'm really really feeling it in a bigger way.

I hope this isn't a spoiler for anyone, but at the end of Act One do you think Margaret actually interrupts the lovers as they are getting frisky? The way the door swings open it seems almost impossible that they wouldn't hear the noise and realize she's standing in the room... but the lights (brilliantly) go out before we can see what happens. Thoughts?

[Charlie Baker]

I love The Light in the Piazza.  I never read the novel and it's been ages since I saw the movie version of it, so I don't know how the scene you mention is handled there, but in the musical my feeling was that Margaret witnessed what was going on and they were not aware of it, at least initially.  Does she sneak away or break things up after the lights are down?

[Rinaldo]

The fact that the act stops there, and the scene is never revisited, even in narrative, leads me to say that there's no "real" answer to the question: it's a theatrical moment with its own reality, and that's it. I'm not trying to be a curmudgeon or spoilsport; I just love this show so much that I just want to experience each scene as it happens without intellectualizing (as I usually would do). When I saw The Light in the Piezza in the theater during previews, I was so gobsmacked, I was in a kind of trance just soaking it all up visually and aurally. I lucky I managed to understand the story at all. That's very unlike me, and it's never happened at anything else.

[aradia22]

I very much enjoyed my first La Boheme though it wasn't as thrilling as the best parts of Tristan and Isolde. I can see why La Boheme is popular because both the music and the plot struck me as fairly accessible for opera and tending towards the romantic/sentimental. I wasn't a huge fan of the supertitles this time. There were phrases no one was even bothering to translate which should not be happening with an established production like this. I mean, it wasn't hard to follow the plot (though it was sometimes hard to figure out which of the guys was singing) but even in translation, I think words are important. And for three hours, it felt like they were racing through plot developments. I'm not opposed to insta-love as a hard rule but it was hard to take these characters at face value sometimes.

Anyway, I loved the set. This is one of the few times I've been at the Met and thought they used the space really well. I wasn't watching tiny ants swallowed up in this huge barn that was mostly negative space. The set made the stage feel more like a regular musical theatre stage, while taking advantage of the big space and also managed to feel oddly cozy. I'm sure there's a more technical term but with the way the curtains fell, it gave me that feeling of looking at a diorama. In it, but at a remove. It was charming.

Speaking of charming, Susanna Phillips was very cute but I didn't get a lot out of her Musetta. Ailyn Perez was a pretty great Mimi. It was beautifully sung and there were moments when her acting was projected up to the Family Circle. I had some issues but they were minor. The Rodolpho was good. I think it was his Met debut. I didn't really think much of the other actors or characters. If I'm being honest, I spent a good chunk of my brainpower comparing this to RENT. I think there are strengths and weaknesses to the choices made in both but RENT scores points for making you care about all the characters. Rodolpho and Mimi were thankfully more compelling than Roger and Mimi though.

[aradia22]

Mean Girls musical to D.C. Fall 2017 with Nell Benjamin attached. I'm hopeful it'll be at least as good as Legally Blonde.

[DisneyBoy]

Quote

When I saw The Light in the Piezza in the theater during previews, I was so gobsmacked, I was in a kind of trance just soaking it all up visually and aurally. 

It is a very mesmerizing show. It puts you in touch with your emotions I think in a deeper way than most other musicals...or make that any other musical. Lucky you, getting to see it in previews!

Since I've only seen the filmed version with Katie Rose Clarke, I have a hard time picturing Kelly O'Hara in the part. She would just read as older in a way that I don't know I'd like (even if her character is supposed to be older than Fabrizio). Katie really embodies the childlike qualities of her character brilliantly. Although of course I love Kelly O'Hara too from other things. Have you watched Katie's performance? How would you compare the two?

I am so so glad Aaron Lazar was in the filmed version, because I find Matthew Morrison so smarmy.

I get what you're saying about the end of act one. It's a wonderfully theatrical moment but I do sort of wish it tied into the narrative a little bit better. I'm happy with act two as it is, because it would have been really scarring for her daughter to have what I assume is her first sexual encounter in the presence of her disapproving mother. It's more comfortable assuming Clara got her groove on and was taken to Florence by her mother who opted to keep her mouth shut about what she saw. Still, there's just no way for that door hitting the wall not to have startled them! And isn't it at least past midnight by the time Fabrizio visits her hotel room? Hardly an ideal moment to avoid Margaret who probably would be returning to sleep shortly, LOL.

I don't know if Aaron Lazar is a nice person or not but I really like his performances and hope to see him in some bigger part someday. He was also really good in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes...

I think it's a really moving message that Margaret, in spite of the painful realities of her failed marriage, chooses to believe in the possibilities of her daughter's future. The first time I watched it, I thought it was lazy of the show not to resolve whether Fabrizio actually understood Clara's mental handicaps. Now I have less of a problem with it since I understand the story is really Margaret's.

Edited October 8, 2016 by DisneyBoy

[Jac]

Thank you for the input re. Fun Home I will definitely be getting tickets. 

I saw David Rabe's new play Visiting Edna at Steppenwolf in Chicago last night. It was the first straight play (as opposed to musical) I've seen and I loved it. I wasn't really sure what to expect, I knew the basic plot, that it is about the relationship between a terminally ill elderly woman and her middle-aged son but I was unfamiliar with Rabe and didn't really know what to expect in terms of tone. It is probably best described as a family drama with overtones of dark comedy and it was something that I found very relatable. 

The acting was just amazing. Both Debra Monk who plays Edna, the mother, and Ian Barford who plays who plays Andrew, the son, have long monologues (I would estimate 10-12 minutes in length) in the second act and Monk in particular was extraordinary in her delivery, the way her anger, fear and guilt built and built over the course of the monologue without ever becoming overblown or too actor-y. I was hugely impressed. Sally Murphy, Tim Hopper and Michael Rabe play the remaining roles and are very much supporting characters but in many ways also have the more difficult job to do performance wise as they are playing actors, playing the personification of a television, cancer, and an angel respectively.

I don't want to say anything more than that as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might want to see it, but I will say that I highly recommend it.  

I'll se seeing two more performances at Steppenwolf in the coming weeks, The Burials, which is part of their theatre for young adults program and The Fundamentals, which is part of the main program. I'm also going to both the main Second City revue and the Second City ETC revue. I also might check out a couple of other things, depending on my schedule. 

Then I hit NY on Thanksgiving and the festival of theatre will be kicked into even higher gear.

[Charlie Baker]

I hope you share your thoughts here on what you see, Jac.

Disney Boy,  I saw Kelly O"Hara and Matthew Morrison twice in Light in the Piazza.  I saw the video with Katie Rose Clarke and Aaron Lazar. Kelly O'Hara didn't come across so much as older or more mature, but more reticent, shyer perhaps, than Katie Rose Clarke's more gregarious, heart on her sleeve Clara to me.  And I  prefer Ms. O'Hara's voice for the music. Matthew Morrison really impressed me--I think the somewhat smarmy factor didn't really emerge until his post-Glee exploits.  Aaron Lazar was also excellent.  (And also good in that uneven revival of A Little Night Music, BTW).

[Rinaldo]

As I said above, I saw The Light in the Piazza during previews, but I had been following its previous engagements (a run in Seattle, then Bart Sher's home base, and another in Chicago). They had to replace Steven Pasquale for Broadway because of his commitment to Rescue Me, but they replaced Celia Keenan-Bolger as well. The story is that given that CKB read as too young for the part, given that her age is a plot point, and O'Hara (who had been playing one of the secondary roles till then) was bumped up. I found KOH utterly convincing in the role (don't imagine her present-day self -- this was 15 years ago), true to the character and yet complex and fascinating. Matthew Morrison was new to me at the time (surprising to realize that his whole rise to fame has happened after this), and I respected his take on Fabrizio but realized that he was "imitating" an Italian-tenor sound rather than having it innately, and he probably couldn't keep it up indefinitely (neither could Lazar, I bet).

[Charlie Baker]

At risk of going on too much about The Light in the Piazza, may I ask, Rinaldo, how would you say Steven Pasquale's handling of the music compared to Morrison and Lazar?

[DisneyBoy]

I was just wondering the exact same thing! I really loved Lazar's ability to inhabit the part of a somewhat geeky, dorky lover struggling to communicate (but improving over the course of the show). I feel like Matthew Morrison would have played it with less vulnerability and, as you said, struggled to sound remotely Italian. Lazar's Fabrizio felt plausibly Italian and he clearly wasn't a ladies man. Morrison....well I have a hard time picturing him as the kind of guy who would be a virgin still at 20. I think a big part of why the story works for me is that in spite their age difference and in spite of her handicap, they're both in a similar emotional place. I guess it also helps that he doesn't speak English, though LOL!

I'll have to give the original soundtrack a listen. I think partly because my first exposure to Kelly was The Bridges of Madison County Musical, I almost don't want to go back and imagine her playing a young character. She certainly has range, but that beautiful operatic voice almost seems too big for Clara. Plus I think Katie knew how to use her face in such a way that you could see she was still a child at heart.

How did Patti Cohenour do in the role of Margaret when she was able to play it?

Do you guys think Fabrizio and Clara's marriage would have survived the eventual revelation of her handicap? I don't know that we know enough about him to get a sense of who he would be 10 or 15 years down the line. We know much more about Clara. Fabrizio is essentially a sort of Prince Charming. I would like to think he would hang around after realizing neither Clara nor Margaret made her circumstances clear on purpose. Maybe Lazar's Fabrizio would. I wouldn't trust Morrison's....

And honestly, I watched only part of the televised version of Once Upon a Mattress, but I found him smarmy in that too and I think that predates Glee. Zooey Deschanel certainly seemed uncomfortable around him.

I have to be honest and say I don't enjoy CKB. So glad she wasn't in the filmed version of the show. 

Back to Kinky Boots for a second. I just realized that the version I watched was the pre-Broadway run. Did anybody see it since it opened on Broadway? I'm asking because I found the ending to the show very rushed, and noticed that on the cast recording of the song "Raise You Up" we get to hear Charlie's crush confirm he wants to date her in the middle of the song. it's a nice touch that gives us some closure on their romantic subplot...but I still feel like that final number needed more closure, like some follow-up on whether or not the public-at-large appreciated the boots and whether the company stayed in business because of their runway performance. One can assume the answer is yes, but considering all of the conflict in the show was about whether or not the company would survive I found the lack of an answer really irritating.

Lastly, I just watched the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast of A Little Night Music. I didn't really love it but I found it cute and mildly entertaining. Did Lazar play the soldier in the restaging?

And am I missing why that show is so loved? Or was I just spoiled by Follies and Sunday in the Park with George?

[Scott]

Saw The Hunchback of Notre Dame in La Mirada, CA last night.  Thoroughly enjoyed it.  I may have liked this production even better than the original in La Jolla in 2014.  They took the role of Quasimodo and split it--he was primarily played by a deaf actor, who spoke most of the character's lines and signed his songs.  He was joined by another actor who sang the songs (while Quasi was signing, and sometimes signed with him while he was singing) and spoke a few lines as well.  There were a couple of other places where they had tightened things up, and the results were pretty impressive overall.

[Rinaldo]

7 hours ago, Charlie Baker said:

At risk of going on too much about The Light in the Piazza, may I ask, Rinaldo, how would you say Steven Pasquale's handling of the music compared to Morrison and Lazar?

I didn't see The Light in the Piazza before it came to Broadway; I apologize if I gave the impression that I did. I had only read about the earlier productions. So I'm unable to say anything about the quality of his performance. From my experience of his work, I would expect him to come closer to the "legitimate" vocal delivery for which the role of Fabrizio seems to be written, but I mustn't make the error of assuming something I didn't witness in person. That's where I thought Morrison (and to a lesser extent Lazar) fell short: in sounding like a true tenor, and avoiding a pop-style delivery. I didn't have any problems with the acting.

5 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

I'll have to give the original [cast recording] a listen. I think partly because my first exposure to [Kelli] was The Bridges of Madison County Musical, I almost don't want to go back and imagine her playing a young character. She certainly has range, but that beautiful operatic voice almost seems too big for Clara. Plus I think Katie knew how to use her face in such a way that you could see she was still a child at heart.

Lastly, I just watched the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast of A Little Night Music. I didn't really love it but I found it cute and mildly entertaining. Did Lazar play the soldier in the restaging?

And am I missing why that show is so loved? Or was I just spoiled by Follies and Sunday in the Park with George?

Once upon a Mattress is a different matter; it's a goofy contemporary joke about fairy tales, so Morrison's style fit in just fine for me. It's Zooey D, of that pairing, who bugged me, but she always does. I know that response to her is a very personal matter.

I long ago abandoned the idea of Kelli O'Hara being miscast, vocally or dramatically; she transcends usual ideas of "type." My first exposure to her (barring an unheralded appearance as Young Phyllis in a Follies revival in 2001) was as Clara, for whom she seemed perfect. Then when her casting in The Pajama Game was announced, I thought "whoa, that's all wrong, you don't cast an ethereal soprano ingenue as a tough working-class gal with loud raucous songs." And then I saw her, and she was... perfect. Then came Nellie Forbush, a different vocal adjustment and a complicated introspective character; and Ella Peterson at Encores! (Bells Are Ringing), a zany comic creation; and both times... perfect. Now I know that if I put limits on what she can do, it's my mistake.

Yes, Lazar played Carl-Magnus in the more recent revival of A Little Night Music (which I didn't see -- I avoid revivals that declare "full-size orchestras are stupid" if I can). I suppose, since you ask, that you are indeed missing why the show is liked, if you don't care for it, as it has always had more appeal to the public than the other two, and run longer in any revival. I find the score glorious, start to finish -- on the highest level throughout. But Hugh Wheeler's book irritates me and always has -- not the story (which is straight out of the Bergman film), but the line-by-line writing, which is full of ineptitudes and amateurish errors that I itch to rewrite.

[Charlie Baker]

I'm a fan of Night Music--that Lincoln Center video is quite respectable.  I saw the most recent revival, for one thing, because I missed the production when it turned up again at New York City Opera;  for another, despite its popularity, NYC hasn't seen a lot of productions of the show, like we've seen a lot of Sweeney Todd, and are getting yet another Off-Broadway, or Into the Woods.  I no way condone the reduced orchestra, especially for a grand score like Night Music, and no question that was a problem with that particular production.  Even more of a problem was the coarse direction--if ever a show needed a light touch, it's this one.   Some of the performances were way overboard.  But Aaron Lazar and Alexander Hanson as Fredrik were good.  So was Catherine Zeta-Jones, she surprised me. But then her Tony ceremony performance almost made me forget.   Angela Lansbury was perfection as Madame Armfeldt.  But even Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch weren't enough to get me to go see the production again. 

[dbklmt]

13 hours ago, Scott said:

Saw The Hunchback of Notre Dame in La Mirada, CA last night.  Thoroughly enjoyed it.  I may have liked this production even better than the original in La Jolla in 2014.  They took the role of Quasimodo and split it--he was primarily played by a deaf actor, who spoke most of the character's lines and signed his songs.  He was joined by another actor who sang the songs (while Quasi was signing, and sometimes signed with him while he was singing) and spoke a few lines as well.  There were a couple of other places where they had tightened things up, and the results were pretty impressive overall.

I agree with your comments wholeheartedly!  I saw it twice in La Jolla and three times in La Mirada including yesterday's closing show which was fantastic!  This production which Tom McCoy of McCoy/Rigby Entertainment announced yesterday before the show is most likely going to tour and in my opinion it now deserves to be seen nationally.

Some of the changes from La Jolla for me that were for the better are:

• A smaller Notre Dame cathedral with the choir sitting upstairs on the left and right which allowed for more action in other scenes below in the rear.  Bigger is not always better as it was in La Jolla.
• The gargoyles were confusing in La Jolla, but they were fully costumed here and sitting on stones.  When they interacted with Quasimodo as Scott said, they signed.  The closing signing sequence in Finale Ultimo was so much better than in La Jolla where they just put black lines on their face while singing.  I loved the gargoyles in this production whereas, in La Jolla I did not.
• McGinty's signing while Dino Nicandros, the singing voice sang was mesmerizing.  I don't want to ever see it again with only one person playing Quasimodo.  Glenn Casale's vision for Quasimodo being played with two people is the way this show should be seen.
• The ending which I presume they used at Papermill
• Spoiler

  • with Quasimodo being found entwined with Esmerelda's body years later
• was a vast improvement than the one at La Jolla.
• Act 2's opening number, “Flight Into Egypt” which was big in the movie and sung by St. Aphrodisius was done in a comical manner at La Jolla with a face singing the song in the stained glass window at the top of the cathedral.  Although enjoyable and I laughed it didn’t fit and was out of place in what was a dark musical.  It’s been transformed now with him singing it in costume at the top of the cathedral and then he joins the gargoyles below at the end of the song.
• The costumes which were created by Sacramento Music Circus were really good especially that purple dress that Esmerelda wore; 100 % better than what they wore at La Jolla.
• I really enjoyed the new choreography by Dana Solimando especially in the gypsy numbers!!

 

If this show does tour with McCoy/Rigby Entertainment and it comes to a regional theatre near you it's now a Must See for any musical theatre lover!

Rick Kitchen, what did you think of it when you saw it at Sacramento Music Circus before it transferred to La Mirada?