Theatre Talk: In Our Own Little Corner

[ancslove]

Can Chris Pratt even sing?

The list of potential Fiyeros is endless, I feel.  Depending on who wants it, you have so many possible candidates:  Aaron  Tveit and Andrew Rannels (both who I believe played the role on stage), maybe George Blagden, Billy Magnussen, Jonathan Groff, Matthew Morrison, Elijah Kelley, maybe even Adam Lambert.  
 

[angora]

Rannells has never played Fiyero (though he and Tveit both played Link in Hairspray,) but he’d fun. Tveit would be great, and I’d really enjoy Elijah Kelley too. Since Elphaba and Galinda are both cast older, they’re not locked in to casting someone really young as Fiyero.

Just for fun, here’s Ariana Grande singing “Popular Song” with Mika (which borrows from “Popular.”)

 

[aradia22]

I think Billy Magnussen would be a decent choice since he has film/TV credits and that's important in Hollywood even if they can't actually attract an audience. 🙄 I've heard Derek Klena's name floated. Lots of theater credits but I think he's only been in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and now the new Pretty Little Liars reboot. Whoever it is, I think they need someone to bridge the gap between Cynthia and Ariana so I'd expect an actor in his early 30's. 

[Spartan Girl]

4 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Ugh, were they actually considering casting him?!

No, there’s no reports that he’s even being considered as far as I know, but at the rate he’s been getting cast in stuff I’m not taking any chances.

[aradia22]

Quote

The Public Theater announced casting today for the World Premiere of SUFFS, a new musical with book, music, and lyrics by Public Theater Artist-in-Residence Shaina Taub, choreography by Obie Award winner Raja Feather Kelly, and direction by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman. SUFFS will begin performances in the Newman Theater with a Joseph Papp Free Performance on Thursday, March 10 and run through Sunday, April 24, with an official opening on Wednesday, April 6.

The ensemble cast of SUFFS will feature Jenna Bainbridge (Harry T. Burn/Ensemble), Ally Bonino (Lucy Burns), Tsilala Brock (Dudley Malone), Jenn Colella (Carrie Catt), Hannah Cruz (Ruza Wenclawska), Nadia Dandashi (Doris Stevens), Aisha de Haas (Alva Belmont/Phoebe Burn), Stephanie Everett (Understudy), Amina Faye (Robin/Ensemble), Holly Gould (Alice Paul Standby), Cassondra James (Mary Church Terrell), Nikki M. James (Ida B. Wells), Jaygee Macapugay (Mollie Hay/Ensemble), Grace McLean (Woodrow Wilson), Susan Oliveras (Nina Otero-Warren/Ensemble), Mia Pak (Mrs. Wu/Ensemble), Monica Tulia Ramirez (Understudy), J. Riley Jr (Phyllis Terrell/Ensemble), Phillipa Soo (Inez Milholland), Shaina Taub (Alice Paul), Angela Travino (Understudy), and Ada Westfall (Mrs. Herndon/Ensemble). Complete casting will be announced at a later date.

A musical event one hundred years in the making, SUFFS brings to life a complicated chapter in the ongoing battle for the right to vote: the American women's suffrage movement. Written by and featuring one of the most exciting new voices in theater, Shaina Taub, this epic new musical takes an unflinching look at these unsung trailblazers. In the seven years leading up to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, an impassioned group of suffragists-"Suffs" as they called themselves-took to the streets, pioneering protest tactics that transformed the country. They risked their lives as they clashed with the president, the public, and each other. A thrilling story of brilliant, flawed women working against and across generational, racial, and class divides, SUFFS boldly explores the victories and failures of a fight for equality that is still far from over.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Jenn-Colella-Nikki-M-James-Phillipa-Soo-More-to-Star-in-SUFFS-at-The-Public-Theater-20211116

So curious how this will turn out.

[aradia22]

Amex sale is on for Suffs right now. I could buy a ticket. But $100 feels like a lot for a show I've only heard one song (that was just okay to me) on. I wish I knew more about the score, the book, if the show is going to be mostly sung-through

I could do the IDNYC thing if they'd ever mailed it to me. 😒 Rush seems risky for a small theater and a potentially buzzy project but maybe if I try for previews?

[Lady Whistleup]

So I saw Caroline, and Change and Moulin Rouge and Troubled in Mind.

I actually really disliked Caroline, and Change and wrote about it on my blog.

Really liked Moulin Rouge and Trouble in Mind. 

Next up: Company!

[bosawks]

RIP Mr. Sondheim.

It is the pebble not the stream…..

[aradia22]

Quote

He was busy right until the end. On Nov. 14 he attended the opening of an Off Broadway revival of his musical “Assassins,” directed by John Doyle at Classic Stage Company. The next night he went to the first post-shutdown preview for the Broadway revival of “Company” — a reimagined production, opening Dec. 9, in which the protagonist, who has traditionally been played by a man, is now played by a woman. And just this week, two days before he died, he did a doubleheader, seeing a Wednesday matinee of “Is This a Room” and an evening performance of “Dana H.,” two short documentary plays on Broadway.

“I can’t wait,” he said as he anticipated seeing those shows. “I can smell both of those and how much I’m going to love them.”

Quote

Why did he hope to keep working when he could just bask in appreciation?

“What else am I going to do?” he asked. “I’m too old now to do a lot of traveling, I’m sorry to say. What else would I do with my time but write?”

Quote

But he was obviously delighted about the Steven Spielberg-directed film adaptation of “West Side Story,” a musical for which Mr. Sondheim wrote the lyrics, that is scheduled to be released next month. “I think it’s just great,” he said. He added, “The great thing about it is people who think they know the musical are going to have surprises.”

He was looking forward to even more in the months to come: a new production of “Into the Woods,” for which Mr. Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics, is scheduled to be staged by the Encores! program at New York City Center next May. Also, Mr. Sondheim revealed, New York Theater Workshop is hoping to stage an Off Broadway revival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” for which he wrote the music and lyrics, directed by Maria Friedman, who has previously directed well received productions in London and Boston.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/theater/stephen-sondheim-final-interview.html

I am glad he got to see the opening of this revival of Company and seemed to be living his best life 'the the end, working and also knowing just how much he was revered and respected and beloved. The world has lost a legend.

[aradia22]

0:15 for Stephen Sondheim

 

[aradia22]

 

[Spartan Girl]

Stephen Sondheim’s death has made me revisit Passion and let’s talk about Fosca for a second. Did she really deserve all the test audience vitriol she got before her big “Loving You” number? Yeah, she’s obsessive and manipulative and I don’t care much for one-sided romances, but I think it’s quite frankly hypocritical that the same viewers that were shouting “Die Fosca!” were likely the same ones that were rooting for the Phantom. Fosca at least doesn’t kill anybody, and yet she was somehow seen as more despicable?

Fucking double standards.

Edited November 29, 2021 by Spartan Girl

[aradia22]

@Spartan Girl You will find my thoughts buried in this thread but I didn't like the pro-shot of the OBC Passion but I loved the cast album of the Judy Kuhn/Ryan Silverman CSC revival. I think there needs to be a certain deftness in handling complicated characters... strong casting, good directing, intelligent interpretation. But I've also never liked Phantom that much.

Which is to say... I wouldn't have been that angry but I kind of get why audiences didn't take to Fosca originally. I don't think it was the material but the way it was presented. 

[bosawks]

I saw both productions and I really do believe it works better as a one act as it builds and builds and the interior logic of the show becomes inevitable.

I also think the gender inequities that were always there were more pronounced in both the production and Judy’s performance.

Imagine being the smartest person in the room and never, ever being allowed to give your intellect free reign.

[aradia22]

@bosawks For me, it was that Ryan Silverman (even just on the recording) felt like Judy Kuhn's intellectual equal in a way that Jere Shea didn't with Donna Murphy. And I'd argue that Murphy wasn't nailing that part of the character either. So I did genuinely feel like Ryan and Judy had a connection. I think you need that chemistry or else it does feel like one person with an unrequited crush dragging another person unwillingly into a relationship. 

I went to see Kimberly Akimbo on November 26th. It’s still in previews so it has the potential to change but right now I’d say it’s in pretty good shape and the cast was giving it their all. The real major “flaw” of the show is that it isn’t profound. There are things to quibble over but really Kimberly Akimbo is “what if Fun Home but shallow?” Nothing has heaviness or weight or grounding. I will make more comparisons later but what this show feels like more than anything is a sitcom. Like Malcolm in the Middle or Raising Hope. It’s a very particular kind of sitcom about a working-class family. But it’s not Rabbit Hole or Fun Home. It’s very specifically pitched as light entertainment but that holds it back from even having the pathos and inspirational vibes of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

I do think the musical style is more Fun Home than Shrek. What I mean is that it’s very contemporary musical theater. Not exactly in the Jason Robert Brown/Tom Kitt way that’s a little more lyrical but almost attempting to mimic speech. When I was reaching for musical theater shows to compare it to, I thought of The Mad Ones and Kid Victory. The scale and the ambition are similar but rather than wading through all that melodrama and teen angst, this show feels a lot lighter and funnier. It is a very entertaining night at the theater and I laughed a lot. And the talents of the creatives do elevate the material. For a show like this, it is very well done (much better than The Mad Ones or Kid Victory). There aren’t clunky lyrics. It didn’t lose my interest. I do think you have to take it in as a period piece though because otherwise the children come across as way too young for their actual ages (16).

There’s been a lot of chatter about Victoria Clark. For me, she was never believably 16. She’s not giving a transformative performance. It’s very solid. She’s conveying the emotion well. But another actress could very much give the same performance. I do think she’s put effort into trying to sound younger but she loses it whenever she goes into her upper register or when she sings out. I guess you just can’t stamp out that training. That sound is unquestionably legit and it’s also the voice of an older woman. But once I became accustomed to that, it didn’t bother me that much. But it underscored that even just in her acting, she was never believably 16.

Justin Cooley who played Seth was very charming. He plays a super sweet dorky character and he nails it. Like all the young characters, he seems a little young or written as a teen from an earlier era but with the role being what it is, he sells the hell out of it. He’s adorable and very funny. He manages to just sidestep Perfect Boyfriend Syndrome. I look forward to seeing what he does from here. Like, Tuck Everlasting, this show has the problem of a child actor and an adult actor in an romantic relationship (though it’s improved here by Justin being older than the actress playing Winnie). The story manages it by again writing the characters a little young and quite chaste (like there isn’t even a real sense of desire in the text or performances) and restraining the physical interaction

Spoiler

to one kiss.

For me, the stand out song was Bonnie Milligan’s. Something about making your shitty life better. It was the most hummable and catchy but also the biggest showstopper in an appropriately small, off-Broadway show. She’s not called Belting Bonnie for nothing. The ensemble is wonderful. Obviously, Alli Mauzey was great. I’ve seen Stephen Boyer sing before but I thought he really held his own here without needing powerhouse vocals. The younger actors (who range from high school to college grads) all come across fantastic and enthusiastic as show choir types. They were very charming and added a lot to the show. While I enjoyed having a great view up close, I would actually sit a few rows back or even further in this theater to get the full impression of what’s going on. Sometimes you miss things having to divide your attention between the leads and the ensemble with the way this is directed if you’re sitting too close.

[aradia22]

It very nearly didn’t happen but I just managed to make it back to the diner for Jennifer Nettles’ final performance in Waitress. Straight off the bat I will say that I’m very glad that I got to see her in the show but I wish she’d had more time to settle into the role and that the production was in better shape. It’s still a good material but the show didn’t feel cohesive. Jennifer was 75% of the way there to an incredible performance (I think her run was almost a month but with quite a few scheduled absences). Erich Bergen was hilarious perfection. I’m always happy to see Eric Anderson as Cal and Dakin Matthews as Old Joe. But Dawn (Ashley Blanchet), Becky (Maiesha McQueen), and Ogie (Nik Dodani) were various levels of messy and it dragged down the show. Also, Ben Thompson is not my favorite Earl.

Let’s start with the good. I’ve seen five Jennas (Sara Bareilles, Alison Luff, Shoshana Bean, Jessie Mueller, and now Jennifer Nettles). With more time, Jennifer would give Sara a run for my favorite Jenna. She navigates the score very easily, only coming second to Sara. Her accent is the strongest since Jessie but she’s a lot less fragile vocally. Like Sara, Jennifer plays the role of Jenna as compartmentalized but to an even greater degree. I really wished for more solid supporting performances to help her nail this. Where Sara played Jenna as more of a tough, experienced waitress who acted differently with her abusive husband at home, Jennifer played the role as sunny and cheery and then cowed by Earl. I believed in Jennifer’s work persona and her joy in baking pies. Her joy in baking came through more strongly than it did with any other actress. And she had a lot of fun with Erich as her Dr. Pomatter. But I don’t think she quite found the balance between catatonic/numb and sad for Jenna whenever Earl was around and I was frustrated by the glimpses of the Jenna she could have been with a bit more time to settle into the role and a stronger supporting cast. Aside from getting Charity and Caitlin and Christopher back, I would have liked to see Jennifer with Will Swenson as a smarter, more dangerous Earl or Mark Evans as a more romantic Dr. Pomatter. I think either switch would have brought out something different in her Jenna and helped sell her fear of Earl or given more resonance to You Matter to Me which was the only weak part of the Bergen/Nettles combo for me.

But make no mistake, I did love Erich Bergen. He is the perfect balance of Jeremy Jordan adorkable and Mark Evans romantic leading man. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at a Dr. Pomatter performance. He nailed that perfect exaggerated comedic stage acting without mugging too much. He didn’t let a single moment go to waste. He hit every single comedic beat in the script and then some. His vocals were Broadway quality but not quite as strong as other Dr. Pomatters but I didn’t mind. His acting more than made up the difference.

Circling back to Dawn, Becky, and Ogie. I think Ashley Blanchet just needs a little more time and she’ll settle into Dawn. She was oversinging a bit like she hadn’t figured out the score yet and where to take her moments. I’ve been spoiled seeing Caitlin so many times. But even compared to Colleen Ballinger, I thought there was an awkwardness where Ashley can clearly handle the role but she wasn’t comfortable yet. Maiesha was just totally flat as Becky. She was barely acting it. She sang “I Didn’t Plan It” well but that was the only thing I liked about her performance. Dodani was the worst. You may have heard reports about how bad his performance is elsewhere. At least when I saw it, it had become bearable but it still wasn’t good. Look, I’ve seen Noah Galvin and Todrick Hall. They were both slightly miscast so they weren’t as good as Christopher Fitzgerald but they’re still capable performers and they sold it. Dodani’s singing is not up to Broadway standards but when I saw it, it was at least bearable. High school theater singing. He didn’t struggle with the notes even if there was no power behind them. But the dialogue? CHRIST. He was milking every word in a godawful accent and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I was cringing so hard. I did think he settled a bit in Ogie’s later appearances and was less exaggerated, hopefully recognizing he wasn’t the focus of those scenes. But when he does have the spotlight, he makes all of the worst choices on how to play it.

I most likely won’t go back for Ciara Renee and Joshua Henry much as that’s great casting. They’d have to get a new Charity and Dawn and Ogie or I’d have to hear about them making massive strides in order to sit through all of that again.

[aradia22]

OK, third review. I do have notes but I want to get these written while my thoughts are still somewhat fresh. I caught Beyond Babel at the Gym at Judson. I'm not big on dance-heavy shows or ballet but it was surprisingly breezy for a musical-length show with no important dialogue. The "story" was a goddamned mess though. 

tbh, I kind of feel like I was gaslit. There's a bit in the beginning that implies a lesbian relationship. The two female dancers could be mistaken for just being friends but part of their sequence is pantomiming walking down the aisle. Then somehow they go to a club and everything becomes very hetero. One character ends up in a very muddled portrayal of harassment/non-consensual sexual pursuit. And then later in act 2, she's depicted as lonely and longing for love, but only with the male dancers... who are the same dancers from before. This would have made so much more sense if it was even just her pining for her friend, but no. The other character in this duo is drawn into the main romantic relationship of the show. After that beginning scene, all her attention is on the one guy so whether she's bi or straight doesn't matter anymore. 

There are these blue and red divisions (represented by arm bands) that are assigned by some (government?) authority. There's an announcement at the beginning for all the citizens of Babel and guards to enforce this throughout the show. This felt pointless and fearful to me since most of the actual divisions in society are chosen by people and not arbitrarily assigned. Even the Capulets and Montagues didn't feud because the duke told them to. 

The part with the prison held no weight. The whole character of the guard seemed to be advocating individual disobedience over societal change which was a weird choice. I guess there was sort of a point about gun violence but it was entirely random.

Spoiler

As in, the first person shot is a character we have no investment in and when the female lead is killed, it's by a crowd that means nothing to us as a tangent of the main action. 

They needed a tighter story structure because dance can be such an inarticulate medium. It was a baffling choice to tell this as a nonlinear narrative. The choreography was mainly an expression of the music with a few literal gestures thrown in. It wasn't really a vehicle for acting or communicating but more expressing the song through motion. There was a mix of styles, half ballet/lyric in that So You Think You Can Dance way and half B boy/hip hop. I saw bits that are slightly encouraging for Karate Kid and Once Upon a One More Time but I think it's really going to depend on the casting because you could definitely see where some dancers were less comfortable with the style they were being asked to channel. And from this show, I didn't get the impression that Keone and Mari have much flexibility in their choreography style.

The crochet art was interesting to look at in person but I can't imagine what narrative purpose it served. The story wasn't really about an interwoven community or building something homemade. 

[DisneyBoy]

Think Sondheim's Square One was in sufficiently good shape to be staged next year, as planned?

...I suspect its inevitable that it will be produced, even though I'd feel strange about it being done without SS around to edit and tweak it.

Edited November 30, 2021 by DisneyBoy

[Spartan Girl]

I think my favorite of all Sondheim’s numbers is the Johanna quartet in Sweeney Todd. It’s so poignantly haunting, even without the fact that it’s being sung while he’s murdering a bunch of people.

It’s hard to believe that I like this musical when that poster drawing of Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett laughing and covered in blood terrified me so much as a kid. It still makes my skin crawl.

There’s something I’ve wondered for the longest time: would knowing Lucy was still alive have made any difference? I’m pretty sure Sweeney still would have wanted to kill Judge Turpin for what he did to her. But would he still have had his “Epiphany” and murdered a bunch of innocent people? I don’t know. I mean, it’s not like Lucy was going to make a miraculous recovery….

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by Spartan Girl

[aradia22]

Quote

There’s something I’ve wondered for the longest time: would knowing Lucy was still alive have made any difference? I’m pretty sure Sweeney still would have wanted to kill Judge Turpin for what he did to her. But would he still have had his “Epiphany” and murdered a bunch of innocent people? I don’t know. I mean, it’s not like Lucy was going to make a miraculous recovery….

I agree he would have still been motivated by revenge. I think there would have been more inner turmoil and introspection about his own monstrousness because I'm highly doubtful his response to her wouldn't be heavily laden with ableism... especially with the way he idealizes Lucy and Johanna. I think he would have dealt with more shame and guilt about not being able to love her anymore rather than just being able to use these women as beacons in his action hero revenge plot. 

[Spartan Girl]

Sweeney Todd is an example of villain apologia done right. We feel terrible for him and we want him to get revenge on the judge—who wouldn’t?—while at the same time we have no illusions about what he has become. And it comes to back to bite him in the most horrific way, and the consequences forces him to reckon what he’s done. So that like in Carrie, his death at the end is both is punishment and a relief.

Though I really hated that he might have killed Anthony to keep Johanna to himself. I mean, we don’t know for sure he would have gone through with it: Mrs. Lovett was the one that suggests it and he doesn’t exactly reject the idea. Still, I was like, “He saved your life, you asshole!!!!”

Edited December 4, 2021 by Spartan Girl

[SomeTameGazelle]

I am not a particular fan of jukebox musicals, and although the concept of Six could under certain conditions have been appealing to me the clips I saw of it were not for me at all in any way. However recently I have found myself tempted to buy a ticket for & Juliet when it comes through town next year. (Tickets are not on sale to hoi polloi just yet so I am making up my mind what to do when the time comes.) Maybe it is because I have been listening to the OBC recording of Tootsie lately and the concept of Juliet's Curse/Nurse is causing me to respond to & Juliet?

Good idea? Bad idea? Worth the risk?

[Pallas]

On 12/2/2021 at 6:41 AM, Spartan Girl said:

I think my favorite of all Sondheim’s numbers is the Johanna quartet in Sweeney Todd. It’s so poignantly haunting, even without the fact that it’s being sung while he’s murdering a bunch of people.

"Oh look, Johanna, a star..." (pulls lever, sends warm body down the chute) "....A shooting star..."  (frisbees victim's top hat down the chute as well).

In a marvelous documentary on the 1980 London premiere production, Hal Prince says that this number is his favorite in the show, and represents the best of his and Steve's work (to date). I agree. Haunting is right. The yearning; those staccato strings with that cello descant; the deft, daft stage business, and the sight of a soul disappearing right before our eyes. 

[Spartan Girl]

19 hours ago, SomeTameGazelle said:

I am not a particular fan of jukebox musicals, and although the concept of Six could under certain conditions have been appealing to me the clips I saw of it were not for me at all in any way. However recently I have found myself tempted to buy a ticket for & Juliet when it comes through town next year. (Tickets are not on sale to hoi polloi just yet so I am making up my mind what to do when the time comes.) Maybe it is because I have been listening to the OBC recording of Tootsie lately and the concept of Juliet's Curse/Nurse is causing me to respond to & Juliet?

Good idea? Bad idea? Worth the risk?

If you want to see it, go for it. Take it from someone who got excited about certain shows only to be let down: you won’t regret the chance.

After two years, I’m finally going back to my theater to see Hadestown next week!!!!!

[SomeTameGazelle]

22 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

If you want to see it, go for it. Take it from someone who got excited about certain shows only to be let down: you won’t regret the chance.

Regrets... I've had a few: not seeing The Frogs when I was in NYC on a business trip; not getting to see Something Rotten; steering my mother away from Hedwig because she always hates modern music (except I think she likes Michael C Hall in Dexter); not seeing The Coast of Utopia. 

This is a useful way to think about it for sure. I have also read a couple of reviews that have reassured me that & Juliet does cater to some of my interests. I have already ordered a ticket for Leopoldstadt and when & Juliet comes available I'm in. 

[aradia22]

Excerpts from the NYT review of Company (mostly for me to look back at when I can't get around the paywall)

Quote

As directed by Marianne Elliott, however, in a gender-flipped version abetted by Sondheim himself, what was once the story of a man who is terrified of intimacy becomes something much less interesting: the story of a woman who is justifiably tired of her friends.

That woman — now Bobbie instead of Bobby, and played by the winsome Katrina Lenk — no longer hears the busy signal of missed emotional connections that pulsed through the songs in their original incarnation. This time, what accompanies her as she studies five partnerships and samples three lovers is the ticking of a biological clock.

Reframed that way, and with heaps of oversize symbolic baggage piled on top, the story comes to seem overwrought and incoherent. Gone is the affirmative lesson Bobbie learns from the smothering couples attending her 35th birthday party — a milestone she’d rather ignore. Instead, as if to prove that “Company” loves misery, this production drags her off the pedestal of her aloofness and into the mud of a long, dark night of the soul. At one point she vomits into a bucket.

Quote

Reframed that way, and with heaps of oversize symbolic baggage piled on top, the story comes to seem overwrought and incoherent. Gone is the affirmative lesson Bobbie learns from the smothering couples attending her 35th birthday party — a milestone she’d rather ignore. Instead, as if to prove that “Company” loves misery, this production drags her off the pedestal of her aloofness and into the mud of a long, dark night of the soul. At one point she vomits into a bucket.

That moment rings true. But when Bobbie takes advantage of Jamie’s jitters to suggest that he marry her instead of Paul, she doesn’t seem needy or wolfish, as Bobby did when propositioning Amy; she seems foolish and disrespectful. That Lenk fails to make sense of the moment is not her fault. There are no lines or logic that would allow her to do so.

Even more flummoxing is the scene in which, as originally written, Joanne, tired of Bobby’s passivity, and perhaps her own, suggests they have an affair. Short of turning Joanne into a lesbian, which might have been more interesting, Elliott has little choice but to turn her into a pimp, goading Bobbie to “make it” with her husband, Larry. Perhaps if Larry were not a tertiary character, barely fleshed out in Furth’s script, this might not seem like a directorial hail-Mary pass.

Quote

Too bad that Lenk, so beguiling in “The Band’s Visit” and “Indecent,” is not as lucky, both miscast and mishandled. Bobby’s transformation into Bobbie has been accomplished at the cost of a few ribs, turning the character into a rag doll. Unable to meet the dramatic and vocal demands of the role, Lenk seems merely pummeled by it. To be fair, Elliott’s staging, full of athletic busywork and “Alice in Wonderland” contortions of scale on Bunny Christie’s almost too-fascinating set, is quite a workout. Maybe that’s why Christie, who also designed the costumes, has oddly given Lenk plain white sneakers to wear with her dressy scarlet pantsuit.

But in trying to disguise the show’s revue-like structure by centering the action in Bobbie’s mind, Elliott paradoxically causes her to recede even further than usual. (At one point she brings on a battalion of Bobbies, as if to compensate.) In response, you become uncommonly grateful for secondary characters who have clear things to do and do them smartly, like Jennifer Simard as the jiu-jitsu wife and Claybourne Elder as a himbo flight attendant.

Quote

In that sense, this “Company” is perfectly in line with his intentions: It’s new. And truth be told, I was never less than riveted — if usually in the way Bobby is, eyeballing messy marriages. Nor is the chance to hear the great score live with a 14-piece orchestra to be taken lightly; is there a more exciting opening number than the title song?

So I guess I’m sorry-grateful. Sorry for not liking this version of “Company” better — and grateful to Sondheim for providing the chance to find out.

 

[aradia22]

Well, that didn't take long...

Quote

Sunday, December 19, 2021, marks the closing date for Diana, The Musical at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street). Tickets purchased for cancelled performances will be refunded at the point of purchase.

Diana, The Musical began previews on November 2, 2021, and opened on November 17. At time of closing, it will have played 33 performances and 16 previews.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/DIANA-THE-MUSICAL-to-Conclude-Broadway-Run-December-19-20211210

[Spartan Girl]

3 hours ago, aradia22 said:

Well, that didn't take long...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/DIANA-THE-MUSICAL-to-Conclude-Broadway-Run-December-19-20211210

Maybe putting it on Netflix before opening on Broadway was a mistake…

I feel bad for the cast. The producers could have at least waited til AFTER Christmas to close.

[Spartan Girl]

Just got back from Hadestown and holy freaking hell, what a show! So glad this was my first show in two years. Everyone at the theater was required to wear masks, so I felt surprisingly comfortable, even though I saw a couple idiots wearing it under their nose. Ugh. Hopefully we were safe.

Happy to report that the touring cast is just as great as the OBC. Kimberly Marable and Kevyn Morrow were definitely standouts as Persephone and Hades. Morrow was such a magnificent bastard and he had that deep, deep voice that hits you right down there.

Nicholas Barasch and Morgan Siobhan Green were wonderful as Orpheus and Eurydice. Barasch could really hit those high notes. I thought Levi Kreis was okay as Hermes, though not as good as the Broadway one—my mom only saw clips of the Broadway from commercials and even she agreed he was better.

The “Wait for Me” number—chills. Absolute chills. The lanterns, the smoke effects, the music…pretty sure that got the biggest applause in the whole show.

Oy, that ending. I swear there were gasps/groans when Orpheus turned around. Only instead of Eurydice sinking down a trapdoor, she’s just standing near the “train doors”/elevator wall that closes in on her. Maybe not the same emotional impact as the original but effective nonetheless.

Poor Orpheus. I don’t blame him for succumbing to doubt. After all, Eurydice did choose to leave before…though she really came to regret it. I’m not saying the trade-off was fair, but there are consequences to Faustian deals.

So good to see shows again! 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Spartan Girl

[theatremouse]

On 12/10/2021 at 11:29 PM, aradia22 said:

Well, that didn't take long...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/DIANA-THE-MUSICAL-to-Conclude-Broadway-Run-December-19-20211210

I'm actually sort of surprised it took that long.

[Jane Tuesday]

On 12/12/2021 at 4:20 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Just got back from Hadestown and holy freaking hell, what a show!

I LOVE the cast album, so I'm glad to hear this!

[aradia22]

I finally watched that One Night Only special from last year hosted by Tina Fey. Real mixed bag. I think they made some of them perform in the rain/snow!?!

ngl, the Jagged Little Pill performances were good. I still think the show would be a nightmare to sit through and imagining how those lyrics could possibly fit the characters was cringe but I'd listen to a concert of covers from that incredibly talented cast. Going to finally check out the cast album.

Also, as talented as the Mean Girls actors were from the tour, it just highlighted how un-melodic that score is. It's like the show is fighting against being musicalized. Everyone who composes music can't just write a musical. 

Jersey Boys' opening performance was bad. Their performance in the second half was better but no desire to see it off-Broadway with that cast.

NaTasha Yvette Williams is a treasure.

[theatremouse]

<small voice> I've always disliked Jersey Boys.

[bosawks]

9 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

<small voice> I've always disliked Jersey Boys.

My people!

”Oh, what a night”, to be bored shitless. 

And I’m from Jersey…..

[aradia22]

The OBC album makes a perfect Greatest Hits album. And it has Tituss Burgess! I can't be mad at it. But it's probably less fun with the story parts around it. Curious if Once Upon a One More Time and &Juliet will push things back in a Mamma Mia direction and away from the biomusicals. Hard to predict anything from Moulin Rouge and Jagged given the weirdness of the pandemic year plus Moulin Rouge really being it's own thing and pre-established. 

[Lady Whistleup]

I went and saw Company tonight. I loved it:

https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2021/12/company-not-sorrygrateful.html

[Dr.OO7]

Bad news. . .

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/arts/dance/rockettes-shows-canceled-coronavirus.html

Damn this thing. Will it ever go away? I was looking forward to resuming my Christmas tradition of seeing it each year. First Alvin Ailey cancels their performances, now this. Is The Nutcracker next?

Good--no, PHENOMENAL news. . .

https://www.playbill.com/article/emilie-kouatchou-will-take-over-as-christine-daae-in-broadways-the-phantom-of-the-opera

[aradia22]

Broadway is getting rocked by cancellations left and right. But it's really not surprising about the Rockettes given the chatter about how lax the mask policies and behavior apparently are at Radio City for... reasons.

[Dr.OO7]

I usually wait until the week between Christmas and New Year's to see the Christmas shows (tickets are usually cheaper and more available), but I made sure to see The Nutcracker tonight lest it shut down too.

It was lovely as always, but the Dawson Casting (11/12 year olds as 8 year olds) was a little distracting.

[Spartan Girl]

The Royal Ballet Nutcracker remains my favorite. People were griping about the changes made to the Arabian/Chinese segments this year, but they can shove it. As long as they still use the music, it’s fine to change the dances so it’s not so stereotypical.

[Dr.OO7]

10 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

The Royal Ballet Nutcracker remains my favorite. People were griping about the changes made to the Arabian/Chinese segments this year, but they can shove it. As long as they still use the music, it’s fine to change the dances so it’s not so stereotypical.

I love that one too. Having Clara and the Prince participate in almost all of the dances instead of just sitting there watching is very inventive.

The Australian Ballet does it even better. It, the American Ballet Theater version, and the San Francisco Ballet version are tied for my favorite.

https://youtu.be/AXP6bnyqjHw

Edited December 20, 2021 by Dr.OO7

[EtheltoTillie]

Has anyone seen Flying Over Sunset?  The new production got great reviews in the WSJ. 

[aradia22]

Le Gasp! We've had early closings of limited runs (e.g. Chicken and Biscuits) and quick closings after opening (e.g. Diana) but after weathering all of its scandals, I did not expect Jagged Little Pill to go out like this.

Quote

Jagged Little Pill, the Broadway musical of Alanis Morissette songs, will not reopen at the Broadhurst Theater following its current Covid suspension, producers announced tonight.

All tickets for canceled performances will be refunded at the original point of purchase.

The musical opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on Thursday, December 5, 2019 

https://deadline.com/2021/12/jagged-little-pill-closes-broadway-omicron-surge-1234899968/

Producer statement

Quote

We are so proud of this extraordinary show, and this extraordinary company, who every night in difficult circumstances, have told the Jagged Little Pill story. This show about healing, human connection, and catharsis, has been a salve to audiences, and to all of us, throughout these trying times.

Yet, the drastic turn of events this week with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant has, once again, changed everything. We are dismayed by what appears to be another substantial public health crisis, and – due to the detection of multiple positive Covid-19 cases within the company – need to prioritize the health and safety of the cast, crew, and entire team working on Jagged Little Pill. In light of the extreme uncertainty ahead of us this winter, and forced to choose between continuing performances and protecting our company, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our doors.

We know that the Jagged Little Pill story will continue to be told – and in the new year, will be announcing plans for subsequent productions, building on the show’s triumphant launch in Australia earlier this month. We also hope and intend to find a way to bring this vibrant and vitalizing musical back to the Broadway stage, once the current crisis is past, but at this time we are in the unfortunate position to determine Friday, December 17, 2021 as the final Broadway performance of Jagged Little Pill.

There is nothing in the world like live theater. There is no community in the world like this great Broadway family of artists and audiences. We will make it through this, together.

– Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David and Eva Price

 

[theatremouse]

There's probably about to be many more that close more than temporarily due to positives.

[SomeTameGazelle]

Mirvish has canceled Leopoldstadt. Wondering if there will be a way to stream the NTLive instead. 

[Spartan Girl]

Clip from The Music Man revival’s first preview:

Well, of course he’ll get a huge amount of applause at his entrance but still…

[EtheltoTillie]

8 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Clip from The Music Man revival’s first preview:

Well, of course he’ll get a huge amount of applause at his entrance but still…

That could get old. I bet Robert Preston didn’t even get that kind of a reaction. 

[Lady Whistleup]

Has anyone seen the Music Man? I got sticker shock looking at the ticket prices.

[Spartan Girl]

3 hours ago, GussieK said:

That could get old. I bet Robert Preston didn’t even get that kind of a reaction. 

I mean, they knew Hugh was the lead, that big of a reaction would only be merited if it were an actual surprise. But it was the first preview and maybe you can just chalk it up to excitement that the show was finally going on after a year-long delay.

Still, save the big cheers for the curtain call.

[EtheltoTillie]

53 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

I mean, they knew Hugh was the lead, that big of a reaction would only be merited if it were an actual surprise. But it was the first preview and maybe you can just chalk it up to excitement that the show was finally going on after a year-long delay.

Still, save the big cheers for the curtain call.

Yes, it is the first preview.  AND, after the long Covid hiatus.  But still, they should do something.  It just seems excessively narcissistic.  Perhaps they will develop a way of starting the action again and cutting the reaction short as the run goes on.  (Count me among those who hates that every show gets a standing ovation now, so I can't enjoy sitting in my seat to see the people take bows.  Ugh.)

And I like Hugh Jackman!  I enjoyed him in The Boy From Oz. 

2 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Has anyone seen the Music Man? I got sticker shock looking at the ticket prices.

I doubt anyone here has seen it yet.  I think they just had that first preview.  I'd love to go, but it's going to be hard to get tickets. 

Edited December 22, 2021 by GussieK