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Theatre Review: “Bring it On” @ Orpheum Theatre, SF, 12/14/11

15 Dec

With a combined creative team that brought us some of the best musical theatre in the last decade – Next to Normal, In the Heights,  and Avenue Q - you might think Bring it On would end up being another amazing musical theatre masterpiece, but unfortunately this hot mess is nothing but an uninspired mess. It’s like Glee after the second episode. The story meanders but doesn’t give an real insight into any of the characters (I don’t even remember any of their names), the unmelodic music is a mash-up of In the Heights throwaways and through-composed whiny Next to Normal bits and the choreography looks like In the Heights, and yet tries to be something you would see on “America’s Best Dance Crew” but doesn’t even land close to either.

Nothing works, except for the real cheerleaders that are in the production. They fly to new heights, quite literally and amazingly. And because of this, Bring it On ended with huge cheers from cheerleaders (young and old) in the audience when they leapt to their feet and gave it a standing ovation.

Finally, someone put their life on the stage.

I sat there annoyed and felt cheated that some of my musical theatre idols delivered a sugar-coated passionless production of a movie musical that isn’t really based on the movie (except the subject manner). It is, after-all, only “inspired” by the original movie, written by Jessica Bendinger. Can we say, false advertising?

Maybe my expectations were high, but come on, Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights) wrote the music and Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q) wrote the book and they have all won Tony Awards for their previous works on Broadway. This should have been the musical theatre “dream team”. Yet, the style was disjunct and the music is split between Miranda’s signature rapping (which didn’t work into this production at all, especially when the white girls are rapping at the beginning of Act 1) and Kitt’s (usually) brilliantly through-composed compositions. I left not being able to remember a single melody. The only few good songs in the show were the ones that were pre-recorded: “Legendary”, “Don’t Drop” and “Cross the Line”. And those are not even close to anything I would listen to on my iPod.

Opening Night at "Bring it On" - photo by SHNSF

Then, there’s the other pre-recorded tracks. To be honest, the whole show was mostly tracked. They left a few songs, mostly in the second act, that aren’t pre-recorded, I guess, to give the musicians in the pit something to do. There’s even pre-recorded singers on these tracks. Are we serious? With a cast of 30, you’d think you wouldn’t need to pre-record singers, but you do when it sounds like there are only 10 people singing on stage during the big group numbers.

The vocal stylizations by Taylor Louderman (Campbell), a character fashioned after Elle Woods but without any of the charisma or charm, was so bright that is was borderline screaming at points. She could obviously belt notes that most girls only dream of, but song after song sung in these high belts were absolutely obnoxious. I don’t fault her because she had nothing to work with. Even her character’s arc was uninteresting. She does her damnest to carry the show, but it’s hard when the material you are given is spiritless.

One of Campbell’s best bits in the show, is when she shows up to the dance crew in her new high school’s mascot: the leprechaun. She dances the hell out of it and gets the girls on the dance crew to be her friend because she dances so well. But the best part is that Louderman isn’t the one wearing the leprechaun costume, it’s another cast member (supposedly unbeknownst to the audience), so she doesn’t even know the dance. Totally unfortunate.

The best part of the show was the “chubby” sidekick, Ryann Redmond (Bridget). She’s the only one that kept landing her lines and bits consistently throughout the night. While, there were a few good oneliners in the show (“I got google. Bitch.” and “No cheerleading squad? What’s the point of school?”), Redmond was the only character that felt fresh and new. The rest of the characters were a colliding mess of Legally Blonde, In the Heights and Next to Normal. (Three really awkward shows to put together.) And, of course, none of it fit.

"Bring it On" cast during opening night bows - photo by SHNSF

The set design (David Korins) and lighting design (Jason Lyons) were pretty spectacular. The set used four different LCD screens that moved around the stage extremely well and created some very cool stage pictures. It was unlike anything I have seen. And the lighting was perfectly amped up for all of the big production numbers. Overall, both elements were extremely impressive.

The producers were right not to transfer this to Broadway. Besides, the huge overhead that it would cost to run nightly on Broadway and the fact that the musician’s union would probably boycott the show since everything is pre-recorded, the critics would rip it to shreds in New York City. Instead, Bring it On will bring cheer and happiness to cheerleaders all around the country. People will go, enjoy themselves, laugh at the silly jokes, and walk away entertained. But, Bring it On will never land in the same category as Wicked which is the very demographic they are trying to sell this show to.

And the show will not even be readily produced on the regional/community/high school musical theatre circuit because of the cast demands, technical difficulty and pre-recorded tracks. There’s not even life after this national tour for this show.

The creative team had the opportunity to mold pop music, cheerleading and musical theatre together all into one amazing package, but instead it was just a big tug-of-war and no one won. Instead, it just ended up being a unenthusiastic mess that the creator’s worked on to pass the time, waiting until their next stroke of genius will come. And God, I hope it’s soon, for everyone’s sake.

 
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Posted by on 12/15/2011 in Bay Area Theatre, Broadway, Theatre Review

 

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Thoughts on “Lysistrata Jones” Preview @ The Walter Kerr Theatre, 11/21/11

28 Nov

Michael Riedel has written at length about the recent scramble by Broadway producers to find open theatres for their new shows. As many as a dozen productions are looking for a home on the “Great White Way”. Even some of the big names were almost left out in the cold, as the new vehicle for Broadway heavyweights Matthew Broderick and Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It, looked like it might be in trouble until Funny Girl fell by the wayside last month, leaving an opening at the Imperial.

However, I’m here to deliver a bit of good news for those other producers, who are undoubtedly biting their fingernails…. The Walter Kerr Theatre should be open by Christmas!

Lysistrata Jones, the new musical from Douglas Carter Beane (Sister Act, Xanadu, The Little Dog Laughed), is the season’s early front-runner for the “Glory Days Memorial Trophy” for the shortest run in Broadway history. An updated retelling of the Greek comedy, Lysistrata, the show centers around the plight of the Athens University basketball team, who hasn’t won a game in 30 years. A perky cheerleader and revolutionary named Lysistrata Jones tries to change their fortune by convincing the rest of her squad to not “give it up” until the boys wins a game. The show had a well received tryout at the 100 seat Judson Memorial Church in Washington Square that was successful enough to convince producers to transfer to Broadway.

And oh, where do I even start with this…

First of all, the press release for the show promises that Lysistrata Jones “takes student activism to a whole new level”. Herein lies the first problem. In an age of the “Occupy” movement, where young people are getting pepper sprayed in the face for protesting a hierarchy of power that they feel is oppressive to the “99 percent”, it feels a little shallow to sit through a two-and-a-half hour musical about college athletics, packaged as a tale about “activism”. Of course, the production team cannot be blamed over the current political landscape. It’s more an issue of “the wrong show at the wrong time”. However, there are numerous other problems that do fall on their shoulders.

Case in point, it’s completely unclear to me as to when this show is really taking place. I mean, I walked into a curtain with an Athens University logo that read “411 B.C.”.  Yet, all of the students are carrying Macbooks, and spitting out “jokes” about Siri and Herman Cain. So is the show set in the present day? Is our heroine using the tale of Lysistrata for inspiration on how to fix the basketball team?  Or is this show really set in 411 BC and we are to believe that we are watching a different spin on Aristophanes’ characters? If it’s the latter, why are they making so many references to 2011 pop culture?

The same device is used (far more effectively) in Godspell, where they riff on Steve Jobs, Lindsay Lohan, and Donald Trump. At least in the case of that show, they establish early on that we are seeing a present day retelling of the parables and applying them to life in 2011. In Lysistrata Jones, the pop culture references do little to advance the story or prove a point. They just seem forced in to get cheap laughs for a script that isn’t that funny on its own.

Perhaps I would have better understood the context of the show if I could have understood anything that happened in the first 15 minutes. Sadly, I was left to my own devices as 3rd row center wasn’t good enough to hear anything due to the muddiest sound mix ever. Shouldn’t this be fixed after 8 days of previews?? Liz Mikel, as the one-woman Greek chorus, Hetaira, was nearly inaudible as she raps through the opening number of the show.

If Mr. Beane, who successfully punched up the Sister Act book after its West End run, fails to work any magic with this script, the songs aren’t helping either. Almost every number in the first act of Lewis Flinn’s score sounds like that “Getcha Head In The Game” song from High School Musical. At one point, a character actually sung the lyric “What’s The Word? Tweety Bird”, which is just flat-out indefensible. The only two musical highlight’s are Lysistrata’s act one ballad “Where Am I Now?”, and the show’s closing number “Give It Up”, which is quite catchy. The rest of the songs are pedestrian, at best.

There are many instances over the last few seasons where great, veteran, stage actors, can lift up bad material. For instance, for all of it’s problems, I was able to still enjoy The Addams Family, due mostly to the work of Nathan Lane and Carolee Carmello. Brian D’arcy James and Sutton Foster made Shrek the Musical far more watchable in New York than it was with a less seasoned touring cast. Unfortunately, Lysistrata Jones does not have this luxury. Patti Murin, as the title character, has a nice voice and a perky personality, but she doesn’t have the star power to carry the show on her back. Josh Segerra, who has no Broadway resume to speak of, is a hard bodied, uninteresting, piece of wood as basketball captain, Mick. Lindsay Nicole Chambers, despite being a more capable performer, looks ten years older than the rest of the cast, making her the Lyssie Jones equivalent of Gabrielle Carteris in 90210.  The only cast member that shines in their role is Ms. Mikel, who doubles as the narrator and madam of the local brothel. She gets the most consistent laughs quite honestly deserves to be in a better show than this.

At the end of the day, “Lyssie Jones” will go down as the single worst show I’ve ever seen in New York. I have no problem with fluff pieces, as long as they are done well. I continue to be closet fans of Xanadu and Legally Blonde. Lysistrata Jones lacks the charm and fun of both of those shows. It’s the first time I have ever paid full price for a Broadway show and wanted to leave during the second act. While the reviews for the off-off Broadway version of this show were favorable, perhaps it would have made more sense to move the production to an Off-Broadway venue like New World Stages, because it’s not a show that is a fit for a 1000 seat house.

I will set the over/under for a closing date at January 3rd and take the under.

 
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Posted by on 11/28/2011 in Broadway, Preview, Theatre Review

 

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Theatre Review: “The Mountaintop” @ Bernard Jacobs Theatre, 11/22/11

25 Nov

Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop, is the Broadway transfer of a show that was enormously successful in Britain, winning that country’s Olivier award for “Best New Play” in 2010. American critics have been far more harsh in their treatment of Hall’s fictionalized account of Martin Luther King Jr’s final night before his assassination, and although I can see where they are coming from, I would disagree.

In order to buy into what Hall is selling, there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind when you walk in the theatre.

1. The play isn’t shedding new light on the Civil rights movement.

2. The play isn’t really telling us anything that hasn’t been said about MLK. In fact, the depiction of the human side of Dr. King, as a man who chain smokes, drinks, womanizes, and has really smelly feet, might be a problem for American audiences, who are more inclined to feel a sense of ownership over King’s legacy than the Brits.

3. The play isn’t really making any big statements about present day race relations.

In essence, “The Mountaintop” is like MLK “fan fiction”, and if you can follow Hall on a giant leap of faith through a plot twist that requires a certain suspension of disbelief, you will enjoy the show. I won’t giveaway the plot twist on this blog, although the info is certainly out there if you google search it (or you can tweet @djdan1079).

The two person show is set in a run down Memphis Motel, where King (a more subtle than expected Samuel L. Jackson) is in town to help settle a sanitation worker strike, and is in the midst of preparing a sermon on why America “is going to hell”. While waiting for a colleague to bring back a pack of Pall Mall’s, King meets a hotel maid named Camae (Angela Bassett). She arrives at his room to deliver coffee, but it’s obvious that King is looking for reasons to keep her there. The two seem to find an instant chemistry and the next 40 minutes shows the two in a flirty, sometimes foul-mouthed exchange, on a variety of topics, including family, race relations, the proper way to smoke, violent versus nonviolent protests, Malcom X, Jesse Jackson, and more. The banter is more suited to a sitcom than to a MLK play, but it works largely due to Bassett’s impeccable comic timing.

And that’s when we get to the plot twist.

It is at that moment, an hour into this one-act show, that the audience might feel like they have hopped aboard the “WTF Express”. The show takes a turn for the metaphysical, and it starts to get weird. Dr. King and Camae are engaged in a pillow fight straight out of the slumber party scene in Grease. We even learn that God is actually a black woman with spotty cell phone coverage. But if you can follow Ms Hall’s journey through a choppy 15 minutes, the payoff on the backend is breathtaking. David Gallo’s motel room set literally blows apart before your eyes into a film projection documenting the last 50 years of black American history. Bassett narrates with a spectacular slam poetry monologue set to original music by Branford Marsalis. It is a sequence that you would more expect to see in a $14 million dollar Broadway musical, but it doesn’t feel at all out-of-place in this production. After it’s completion, Jackson delivers one final, stirring monologue that brings the show to a satisfying close.

As MLK, Jackson brings a natural energy to the character, giving us more of a sense of the “man” rather than the “preacher”. However, he is completely overshadowed by Ms. Bassett, who gives as fine of a performance as I’ve ever seen on any stage in my lifetime. It’s almost hard to believe that this role was originally set to be played by Halle Berry. While she might have been a bigger box office name, I can’t imagine that she would have brought the same ferocity to the role.

The Mountaintop might not be a perfect play, but it’s a show that needs to be seen. The engagement has been extended through late January, with talk of possibly extending again with a new cast thereafter.

Grade: A-

 
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Posted by on 11/25/2011 in Broadway, Theatre Review

 

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Theatre Review: Godspell @ Circle In The Square – 11/19/11

22 Nov

Written by: Dan Mason


SPOILER ALERT (For Dummies) – Jesus gets crucified in the second act of Godspell. I don’t think I’m giving too much away by telling you that the last image the audience sees is that of Christ’s followers carrying his body away towards the great, white, light. Interestingly enough, that image is the perfect metaphor for this revival of the Stephen Schwartz musical at Circle in the Square.

If I told you that Jesus was the least charismatic performer in the show, you would automatically assume that the show itself is certain to be nailed to the cross. However, through the benefit of a talented and extraordinarily energetic ensemble, combined with clever, fast paced,direction by Daniel Goldstein, you can’t help but smile through all 2 hours and 15 minutes of the show.

Theatre snobs are likely to scoff at the cutesy, tongue in cheek, pop culture references that permeate the production. Everything from Lindsay Lohan, to Steve Jobs, to Occupy Wall Street, to LMFAO’s song “Shots” are integrated into the retelling of the parables. But Godspell has never been a show intended to challenge the audience or its beliefs in Christianity. This is lighthearted, family fare, designed to appeal less to Ben Brantley, and more to the masses who remember performing the show in high school.

As Jesus, Hunter Parrish (Spring Awakening, Showtime’s Weeds), is arguably the weakest link in the cast. Despite possessing boyband good looks and the whitest teeth you have ever seen, his vocals in the first act on songs like “Save The People” and “All for the Best” sounded thin, and his presence is almost too goofy to be believable as a leader of men. Parrish is a talented actor though, and shines much more in the second act, when the stakes are raised and Christ comes to terms with his impending demise.

Doubling in the roles of John and Judas, Wallace Smith (American Idiot, The Lion King, Hair) boasts the longest Broadway resume in the cast, and it shows. He is the most polished performer on the stage. A recent blog in the NY Post suggested that producers missed the boat by not casting Smith as Jesus, and I would be hard pressed to argue that point. Although Parrish has more of a commercial name from his TV work, and ultimately, this show will need some crossover celebrities to maintain ticket sales. Other standouts in this production include Uzo Aduba (Coram Boy), who is breathtaking as the prostitute that Jesus saves from stoning, but also generates huge laughs with a hysterical Donald Trump impersonation. Aduba is hard to keep your eyes off of when she is onstage, which led to a post show discussion between my fiance and I as to whether you could cast a charismatic woman as Jesus as the run goes on. Hannah Montana’s Anna Maria Perez De Tagle sounds beautiful on “Day by Day”, and Telly Leung (Rent, Glee) kills it on “All Good Gifts”.

The show takes advantage of the intimate space of Circle In The Square, placing the orchestra throughout the house and routinely bringing audience members onstage to participate in the fun, including an intermission jam session where you can join the cast onstage to partake in the drinking of “wine” (it’s really grape juice). Michael  Holland’s orchestrations breathe new life into Schwartz’s score. Goldstein’s direction is fun, yet tasteful in its handling of the crucifixion.

Grade – B+

 
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Posted by on 11/22/2011 in Broadway, Theatre Review

 

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Thoughts about “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” Preview – 11/19/11

21 Nov

Written by: Dan Mason

It’s not unheard of for Broadway producers to gamble on reviving a dated piece of material and using it as a star vehicle for Broadway royalty. Just last season Kristin Chenowith packed houses at the Broadway Theater for the critically panned, but commercially successful Promises, Promises. Given the fact that the show recouped a sizeable investment, it seemed like an intelligent risk to team Harry Connick Jr (The Pajama Game) with Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) and let them take a crack at the 1965 flop, On a Clear Day, a show largely praised for its score, and crucified for a book about reincarnation, ESP, and other psycho-babble nonsense.

Mayer has completely re-conceived the show, taking the original story about an eccentric young woman, who was an English aristocrat in a past life, and turning it into a story of a young, gay, florist, who was formerly a female jazz singer. David Turner (Arcadia) plays David Gamble,  the love interest for Connick’s recently widowed psychoanalyst, Dr. Mark Bruckner. Except he’s not really the love interest, because middle-aged females aren’t paying to see their beloved Harry Connick romancing a man on stage. So the real love interest is the jazz singer, alter-ego, Melinda Wells (Jessie Mueller in her Broadway debut).

Confused yet? Because that love triangle is only part of what’s going on in this cluttered mess. Drew Gehling (Jersey Boys) is David’s badly treated boyfriend, Warren. Kerry O’ Malley (Into The Woods, White Christmas) is completely wooden and uninteresting as a medical colleague who is secretly in love with Dr Bruckner.

There are many different things happening in Clear Day, and the problem is that it’s hard for the audience to feel emotionally invested in any of it. The notion that Dr. Bruckner could be in love with a jazz singer who died 30 years before is completely implausible and hard to buy into. Yet, you don’t believe for a second that the doctor has a true romantic interest in David Gamble. In fact, Bruckner comes across as largely uncaring about his patient, using him only to gain more knowledge about a dead jazz singer. The only character that elicits any sympathy through the first two and a half hours is David Gamble’s long-suffering boyfriend Warren, but he gets treated so badly that you just wish he would run off and find someone new who actually appreciates him.

All that being said, there is one genuinely beautiful scene in the last 15 minutes, where the show exquisitely explores the one relationship that is compelling. That is when Dr. Bruckner confronts the idea of death and tries to find closure over the death of his wife. It’s a powerful scene, and one of the few moments in the show where Connick appears emotionally connected to anything happening onstage. Unfortunately, the payoff still doesn’t justify the stupidity of the previous two and a half hours, where we are treated to ridiculous dialogue about reincarnation, ESP, and even a song asking whether it’s possible for one to learn of “pre-incarnation” and know what their next life will be.

The pacing of the show is something that needs to be addressed as previews continue. The first act checks in at 80 minutes, but feels like two hours. The second act does move along better, although the songs that feature Dr. Bruckner’s students could be cut completely, as they serve no purpose to the show at all. The set design is an eyesore, using a black and white, checkered, opt art look that gives way to bright, vivid colors, that may be appropriate for the 1970′s era, but stand in stark contrast to a show that is not “bright” at all.

The audience reaction from the Connick fan base that I spoke with at intermission seemed to be mixed, with some women just excited to see him onstage, and others who found the story to be ridiculous. One couple sitting next to us left at intermission and never returned. It will be interesting to see whether Connick’s name alone can get this show through it’s run. It will likely have to because I think the script problems are too great to be fixed in previews.

 
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Posted by on 11/21/2011 in Theatre Review, Broadway

 

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Theatre Review: “Follies” @ Marquis Theatre, 10/06/11

14 Oct

At this point, it’s impossible to not have heard or read about the rave reviews of recent revival of Sondheim’s Follies, directed by Eric Schaeffer. The New York Times calls it, “vibrant“ and Time Out New York says, “…this is a show no grown-up should miss”.  It’s a masterpiece of a production. The cast, the orchestrations, and design are all stellar. Currently, it’s playing as a limited engagement and it’s breaking box-office records at the Marquis Theatre. I can’t argue with numbers and the general reaction that everyone has had with the production, but I can say that I walked away not caring as much as I probably should have.

I think the main error was the fact that I wasn’t able to connect to the material as quickly as I needed to. It took me until, “Who’s That Woman”, sung by the unbelievable, effortless Terri White, to actually feel something for the characters. The lack of emphasis of the younger characters at the beginning of the show created a sense that this musical is only for old people. (Obviously, that changed in the 2nd Act, but it was hard to digest at the beginning.)

Jan Maxwell in "Follies". Photo by Joan Marcus

As the characters started to unfold, the raw emotions were easily relatable to at any age. Jan Maxwell (Phyllis Roger Stone) was a triumph in her song, “Could I Leave You?”. It was an absolute triumph (worthy of an instant Tony nomination). Ron Raines (Benjamin Stone), Maxwell’s onstage husband, was equally as impressive with his rich baritone voice that made his solo, “The Road You Didn’t Take” sound like honey. The two of them had an uncanny stage relationship that was deeply moving.

My other main hang-up I had was Bernadette Peters (Sally Durant) and Danny Burstein’s (Buddy Plummer) relationship. I just didn’t get it. Peters’ vocals were filled with her classic “character” charm, except I felt it didn’t fit Durant’s character. (Granted, she could have been tired because the cast had spent the beginning part of the week in the recording studio creating the cast recording. I honestly think that Peters’ voice was tired and worn-down.) Peters’ two main songs, “In Buddy’s Eyes” and “Losing My Mind” were completely lackluster. I felt Burstein was making up for this issue and was working too hard throughout the entire show. Since I never really believed their relationship, I wasn’t heartbroken for either, nor was I happy when they walked off the stage together. Durant was a psychotic emotional drunk, with little redeeming qualities. Do I dare say that the musical theatre legend, Bernadette Peters, was miscast? I feel blasphemous and shameful even questioning my allegiance to Ms. Peters. It was after all my first time seeing Ms. Peters live.

Photo by: Sara Krulwich - The New York Times

Sondheim’s beautiful lush score and witty lyrics is where the true masterpiece lies in this piece. The orchestra, directed by James Moore, was remarkable. I’m very excited that I will be able to relive the score with the new cast recording. (Hopefully, Ms. Peters performance will “read” different on the recording.)

It was also an honor to see Ms. Elaine Paige (Carlotta) perform. Her rendition of “I’m Still Here” was stunning – funny, heartfelt, engaging and deeply emotional.

Overall, I was very impressed with the production qualities and performances of Follies but I needed to connect on a different level to really “love” the show as so many others have already have. Whether or not that was the director, Eric Schaeffer’s, fault or my own, I still left thinking that it missed the opportunity to be sensational. Fantastic, yes, but it never reached sensational for me.

 
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Posted by on 10/14/2011 in Broadway, Theatre Review

 

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Theatre Review: “Newsies” @ Papermill Playhouse, 10/08/11

11 Oct

The energetic newsboys of Newsies are going to help change the Broadway landscape once again (if it does, in fact, land on Broadway this Spring). This show is a major throwback to an earlier era of musicals, and yet it seems completely fresh and unique. I walked out feeling like I’ve seen a old-school 50’s styled musical, but the updated vocal styling’s, choreography, and set design keeps Newsies in the 21st Century.  That is the reason why there is so much hype and excitement surrounding this production. It’s fresh, yet familiar. The creators, Harvey Fierstein (book), Alan Menken (music), and Jack Feldman (lyrics), have done an incredible job recreating this cult movie classic into a theatrical masterpiece worthy of the Broadway stage.

Back in 1992, I remember seeing Newsies in the movie theatres as an 11 year old. The story seemed to be written just for me. I was ready to take on the world – the kids in Newsies did, so why couldn’t I? I realized that my dreams could actually come true. That power of dreaming is exactly why Newsies is going to be so successful. You can never stop dreaming. Even 19 years later, I’m still dreaming, being inspired and wanting to “seize the day”. And that’s the best part – every age can walk away from this production inspired to do something great. That inspiration and raw energy is infectious.

The Newsies, Newsies at Paper Mill Playhouse, Photo by T. Charles Erickson, courtesy of Paper Mill Playhouse

Starting with the music, Alan Menken’s score is absolutely thrilling. I was tentative at first when Jack (Jeremy Jordan) opened the show with a different arrangement of “Santa Fe”. I was nervous that my favorite songs would be changed and my expectations ruined. But as soon as the next scene started with the newsboys singing, “Carrying the Banner”, I knew I was going to love it. There are several new songs in the production. Katherine (Kara Lindsay), Jack’s love interest and daughter of newspaper mogul, Joseph Pulitzer (John Dossett), beautifully sings “Watch What Happens” toward the end of Act I. Another great addition is “Don’t Come a-Knocking” that Jack, Katherine and Medda (Helen Anker) sings in Medda’s Theatre.

The updated arrangements and orchestrations (Danny Troob) of classic songs like “Santa Fe” and “Seize the Day” are perfect. The best new song arrangement, besides “Santa Fe”, is “Once and For All” at the end of the 2nd Act. I get chills even thinking about it. The updated choral arrangements are absolutely fantastic, especially when an entire chorus of newsboys are blending together like glue.  There is a reason that several times throughout the production, the show stopped (often mid-song) to thunderous applause.  Basically, I’ll be extremely disappointed if this production doesn’t get a cast recording, because I wanted to relive the score the second I walked out of the theatre (and that’s a rare feat for any production in my book).

Then, there is the riveting newsboy choreography created by Christopher Gattelli that takes the original choreography by Kenny Ortega (High School Musical) and pumps it up with the best kind of steroids. These triple-threat newsboys could do it all and with the energy of a ten year old after a sugar rush. They flew across the stage with flips, cartwheels, and round-offs and then landed triple pirouettes with ease. Gattelli created a “newsboys” style of dance that connected all of the movement together and never once felt out of place. Throughout the production they would move across the stage during scene changes and kept the energy going throughout the entire production so there was never a dull moment. The beginning of Act 2, they blew the roof off with a full cast tap number to “King of New York.” It was unbelievable.

I felt like I had seen something ground breaking like seeing the original Jerome Robbin’s choreography in West Side Story or Fosse’s iconic stylings in Cabaret. Some day, students will be learning the choreography of Newsies in their “Intro to Choreography” class as they earn their BFA degree in Musical Theatre.

Fierstein’s book was also updated and fully realized for the stage. Yes, there were some changes from the movie, but nothing that felt out of place or left out. The character developments and arcs were right where they needed to be especially for Jack Kelly at the end of Act 1 when he sang “Santa Fe” (which Jordan blew everyone out of their seat when he belted the climax of the song). Amazing. There were a few things that felt a little forced in the script, but I think they will be able to iron out those kinks if it transfers to Broadway.

The loyalty tying those working children together and their cause for better working conditions is compelling. It’s impossible not to love them and what they are fighting for. The interesting part is that even a 100 years later, the younger generation still needs to fight for their voice to be heard.  Obviously, the conditions have dramatically changed, but children still need a voice and Newsies let’s them have one!

Kara Linsey (Katherine Plumer) and Jeremy Jordan (Jack Kelley), Newsies at Paper Mill Playhouse, Photo by T. Charles Erickson, courtesy of Paper Mill Playhouse

The cast could almost literally transfer as is to Broadway and I would be 100% happy. If I was transferring it to Broadway, I would make sure Jeremy Jordan was attached to the project. (That means, of course, that Bonnie & Clyde will have to close in January/February. With Wildhorn’s recent track record with Wonderland, it might very well happen.) Jordan is not to be missed. His love interest, Katherine (Kara Lindsay) was equally as impressive. This will be Ms. Lindsay’s Broadway debut and a perfect role to showcase her beautiful voice and tenacious attitude. (She reminded me of Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie.)  I wasn’t totally sold on Davey (Ben Fankhauser), Kelly’s best friend, but he did a fine job. I especially loved Crutchie (Andrew Keenan-Bloger). He always put a smile on my face. The newsboys were perfect – all triple-threats and one of the finest choruses I’ve ever seen on a stage. Each character was unique, yet they worked together as one. It was very impressive.

It’s rare for me to walk out of a production and feel so connected to it that I instantly want to see the show again. Newsies was one of those shows for me. It also happened with Spring Awakening, American Idiot and Next to Normal but those shows I was hooked for very different reasons.  All three of those shows were breaking musical theatre boundaries and I applauded it. Newsies, on the other hand, sticks to old-fashioned musical theatre and yet seems completely updated and fresh as something like American Idiot and Next to Normal was. The best part is that even though Disney Theatricals is producing the piece, this doesn’t feel like one of Disney’s over-produced productions like The Lion King or Tarzan. It already has real “street” cred in New York (the New York Times absolutely loved it), and the Tony Awards wouldn’t be able to overlook it.

Not only will it be a critical success, but the show will easily recoup their investment. It has a universal appeal. My nieces, ages 10 and 13, loved it and they are some fiercest critics I know. The fan-girls and fan-boys will come out in droves and their parents will also enjoy it! It already has brand recognition with the 1992 movie, but it’s not based on an original dramatic movie turned into a musical like Legally Blonde or Shrek. It was already a musical and so there isn’t any awkward adaptations surrounding the production like Catch Me If You Can had.

It would be huge missed opportunity if Newsies doesn’t transfer to Broadway. Not only will the masses not be able to see this overwhelmingly fantastic production, but Newsies’ story deserves to make headlines in New York City. It will sell-out and I have a sneaking suspicion that if all goes as planned, then they should get ready to win the Tony Award for Best Musical. It’s just that good.

 
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Posted by on 10/11/2011 in Broadway, Theatre Review

 

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Theatre Review: “Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup” @ Berkeley Rep, 09/07/11

12 Sep

What can I say? It’s Rita Moreno. Her new show, Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup doesn’t disappoint. Moreno beautifully sings and dances her way into your heart with her unforgettable stories, songs and dances.

Now 79 (turning 80 in December), Moreno continues to shine in her new one-woman show at Berkeley Rep about her life’s journeys in and out of Hollywood, Broadway, TV and dating Marlon Brando. Moreno is one of the few people who has been awarded a Tony, Emmy, Oscar and Grammy and was the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award. Her work ethic throughout all of her career is outstanding, but especially now. In an interview with Tony Taccone, the show’s writer, he said, “I think Rita shocked everybody by being the hardest worker in the room. I mean, she was there before everybody else and she left after everybody else, and she wouldn’t stop… there’s a reason why this person is who she is”. And there’s no doubt about that.

She starts her story on a boat that takes her from Puerto Rico to New York City at age 5 with only her mother (her only brother left behind). In New York City, she started Spanish dancing lessons with Rita Hayworth’s uncle, Paco Cansino. Moreno instantly realized that performing was her destiny. From then on, she was a force to be reckoned with, working her way through Hollywood, continually being typecast in several different “ethnic stereotypes” but eventually breaking through a huge barrier and winning an Academy Award for Anita in West Side Story in 1961 (age 30).

Photo courtesy of kevinberne.com

As she tells her stories, Moreno comfortably recants the “characters” in her life with ease and numerous hilarious accents. The music was interspersed perfectly into the dialogue. And then she surprised us all by performing an incredible tap number to “Broadway Rhythm” from Singing in the Rain, with the help of her two male dancers, Ray Garcia and Salvatore Vassallo. Later in the evening, they perform ”The Dance at the Gym” from West Side Story. This is an unforgettable moment for anyone who has seen and fell in love with West Side Story. (I get goose bumps just thinking about it!)

Moreno was born for the stage and with Tony Taccone’s beautiful written script, Moreno’s life is celebrated in a way she should be extremely proud of. Beautiful videos and media, by Alexander V. Nichols, accompany and punctuate her stories perfectly, and the music, directed by Cesar Cancino, was lovely.

Throughout the fascinating 2-act narrative, Moreno’s grace and ease on stage is incredible. It was an honor to witness her performance and it’s one that will not be forgotten.

This show celebrates Moreno’s life but instead of being a biography, you get to watch it in 3D — a true honor.

 
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Posted by on 09/12/2011 in Bay Area Theatre, Theatre Review

 

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Theatre Review: “City of Angels” at Hillbarn Theatre, 09/04/11

07 Sep

Matt Swafford; www.swaffordimaging.com

City of Angels, by the incomparable Cy Coleman (music), David Zippel (lyrics) and Larry Gelbart (book), has an incredible jazz-infused score with a fantastic look into “real” world vs. fiction. The contrast between the two worlds is extremely complex and completely interwoven together. On top of the intricate book, Cy Coleman’s score is one of the most difficult pieces of music to sing and play that’s been written in the last 20 years of musical theatre. This is no Rodgers & Hammerstein. That’s not to mention the difficult set design, lighting and costume plot that needs to be executed brilliantly to help the audience to understand the cleverly written plot. With all that said, Hillbarn Theatre undertakes this task with gusto and does their best creating two different worlds on their small, intimate stage.

The vocals and 14-piece orchestra were the real “stars” of this production of City of Angels. First off, the “Angel City 4″ (Zach Yaholkovsky, Juliet Green, Michelle Hawkins, and Dave Duran) were vocally spot-on. The intricate harmonies in the opening number, “Prologue”, blew my socks off! It was absolutely fantastic. Throughout the production, their tight vocals continued to soar, especially in “Everybody’s Gotta Be Somewhere” and “Stay With Me” — two of my favorite songs in this show. Other standout vocalists were the two male leads, David Martin (Stine) and David Sattler (Stone). Both had a beautiful rich baritone voice and they handled the material with ease. The Act 1 finale, “You’re Nothing Without Me”, was fantastic and I couldn’t wait for the reprise in the Act 2!

The orchestra, conducted by Greg “Suds” Sudmeier, sounded outstanding, even though they were behind the set in the back room. (A huge congratulations to the sound designers, David McCollum & Stephen Thorpe for making them sound fantastic!) I was extremely impressed with the balance between instruments and the vocalists — no small feat. This is an extremely hard score to play and I was very impressed with the level it was played at. I just wish we would have been able to see the orchestra play.

The two female leads, Patti Appel (Carla Hayward/Alaura Kingsley) and Corrie Lenn Borris (Donna/Oolie) were also fantastic. Also, Victoria Morgan’s (Gabby/Bobbi) rendition of “With Every Breath I Take” was spell-binding. Seriously, great vocals. Morgan and Borris’ duet, “What You Don’t Know About Women” was also another great song!

Unfortunately, the production suffered because of the vagueness between real life and fiction. The story became unclear because the production values weren’t supporting the action on the stage. The lighting design needed to help clarify the two different worlds, but instead it muddled them together. While there were some unique ideas in the set design, overall it wasn’t flushed out in a way that truly made sense. It seemed frantic and didn’t fit the space well. The two worlds need to be distinctly separated until the very end when everything collides and Stone and Stine both have their epiphanies. Since it was confusing at the start, the ending didn’t pack the punch that it deserved.

I truly admire and applaud Hillbarn Theatre for producing a musical that is rarely done, especially since it’s one of my favorite shows. I only wish I would have been able to follow the story a little bit better. But if you are lover of vocal jazz, then grab your tickets, because you will not be disappointed with the music in this production. It’s some of the best vocals I’ve heard in a musical in the Bay Area in a long time!

 
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Posted by on 09/07/2011 in Bay Area Theatre, Theatre Review

 

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A Reflection on the 1st Preview of “Follies”

12 Aug

Disclaimer: Tyler Martins saw FOLLIES on the first preview. No press tickets were given; He purchased his own ticket. FOLLIES opens on September 12th, 2011. 

The essence of FOLLIES is captured by a single moment, as Heidi takes the stage during the second act to sing the haunting operatic waltz “One More Kiss.” As Heidi looks over to her ghost counterpart, she sings “all things beautiful must die.”  Up on the stage, you see Heidi, a frail, elderly woman join her younger, beautiful ghost in singing a lush and rich operetta about lost love. Juxtaposed against a theater in ruins, the audience realizes that all things beautiful do die. The rose-colored glasses of youth break, the future seems hopeless and the past is glorified because everything was possible (and nothing made sense).

The orchestra, led by Musical Director James Moore, is in top shape. From the wailing saxophone in the “Prologue,” the harps in “In Buddy’s Eyes,” the Ginzler Flutes in “Waiting for the Girls Upstairs” to the violins in “Losing My Mind” – not a note was missed and the score came to life in a dazzling, spectacular way with rich, beautiful orchestrations. Musically, the cast was vocally strong and in good shape. The reinstated trio ending of “Rain on the Roof/Ah, Paree!/Broadway Baby” came through excellently, with Jayne Houdyshell’s Hattie delivering a very memorable rendition of “Broadway Baby” – bringing to mind the role’s originator, Ethel Shutta, yet still distinctively different.

Elaine Paige delivered an impassioned “I’m Still Here” – it was exhilarating to see her build the number the way she did. Many complain about the staging of the number but the more thought I put into it, the more I realize it’s genius.  At first, she starts off surrounded by waiters and begins to sing with a cool attitude. Then, almost as if the party setting fades away, Carlotta takes center stage and builds the song with such anger and triumph. Carlotta was singing the song to all the naysayers who tried to keep her down, not to the waiters around her. You believe that Carlotta fought for her survival. It was a thrilling moment that left me panting.

Terri White brought the house down with her powerful contralto in “Who’s That Woman,” leveling the roof of the Marquis Theater and stopping the show cold. Backed up by the cast of leading ladies hoofing and tapping, shadowed by their ghost counterparts, the show was stopped for minutes. The applause surged, dimmed, surged, dimmed and surged yet again before the Terri White tried to gain control of the show with her line “Well, wasn’t that a blast?” The mirror number was a highlight of the show and is truly one of the best choreographed numbers in this production.

Of the four leads, Danny Burstein and Jan Maxwell are standouts. Danny Burstein’s Buddy blew me away – he was a thrilling surprise. His take on “The Right Girl” was heart-wrenching and angry. You felt his pain, his hurt. You understood that he had a mistress only to fill the hole in his heart, put there by Sally. For the first time, I understood the complexity of the “The Right Girl.” Applause did not follow the song – it as almost as if the audience had applauded, the buildup to the following scene would be ruined. Danny knocked “Buddy’s Blues” right out of the park. Jan Maxwell stopped the show cold whenever she was on stage. Whether it was her off-the-cuff remarks to Ben about puppy love at 53, or looking bored while a young, attractive waiter kissed her, Jan Maxwell brought the show to a stop. When Jan delivered the waltz “Could I Leave You,” it was as if the air was sucked out of the room. I would not be surprised to see the Tony Awards go to Jan and Danny. Ron Raines sings the role beautifully, and Bernadette Peters is heartbreaking as Sally.

The Broadway production of FOLLIES is a rich, dazzling and first-class production. From the Showgirls costumes in Loveland to the draperies covering the entire Marquis Theater, to the ornate stairs where the former Weismann Girls parade one last time, each scene, each moment of FOLLIES delivers. It can only grow and tighten during the preview period and should not be missed. As Ben and Phyllis leave the stage at the end of Act Two, you know they will be alright. They are going to make their own hope and it’s the hardest thing they’ll ever do. But as Sally and Buddy exit, their situation is direr. There is no hope for them. Sally ignores Buddy as she leaves and Buddy stops himself from putting his arm around her. Eerily, a ghost of a former showgirl follows them out and slams the door of the Weismann Theater on the Young Four. It’s a metaphor, you see: some ghosts can be left behind, but sometimes, as in the case of Sally and Buddy, the past cannot be erased.

 
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Posted by on 08/12/2011 in Broadway, Theatre Review

 

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