It’s that time of year, when shows are starting rehearsal, full casts are being released and the Spring Broadway buzz is starting! It’s exciting!
Last year I posted the 2011 Spring Broadway Posters and it started a lot of interesting commentary in the comments, on Twitter and Facebook. After 192 votes, Born Yesterday and Wonderland ended up being everyone’s favorites from last year. (Interestingly enough, both of those shows closed early last season.)
Let’s take a look at this year’s posters. I’ve included every play/musical that is on Broadway this Spring season because a lot of the shows have changed their graphics like Chicago,Sister Act, and Memphis. Others like Wicked and The Jersey Boys are too iconic to change (though Phantom has varied it up).
My favorite poster of the new musicals is Newsies. I love the font, the background newspapers and how the star, Jeremy Jordan, is singing and dancing at the same time. The infectious energy is bursting from the poster. It’s gonna be amazing. My close second is Once. I love the simplicity of the poster and how the words come from the guitar. It’s perfect for that show!
My least favorite is Leap of Faith. It seems like a “mock-up”, instead of a finished product. It doesn’t show what the show is about. It doesn’t give us any clue to what we should expect and frankly, as much as I love Raul Esparza, his name is almost bigger than the title of the show. Most people are going to be like: “Who the hell is Raul Esparza?” I’m thinking that they pushed this show to open this Spring and it’s all too soon. (Have you seen their website? It’s terrible.) Hopefully, they will have a new poster before they open this Spring.
Overall, the best play poster is Peter and the Star Catcher. The font is magical, child-like but interesting and makes me want to see the show. It seems so inventive. I absolutely love it. One of my other favorites is A Street Car Named Desire. It’s beautiful.
I don’t really care for the other play posters — big block letters isn’t catchy, or original.
Which poster grabs your attention the most?
Check out all of the 2012 Spring Broadway Posters below… and don’t forget to vote in our poll below.
Now it’s your turn to decide… what’s your favorite new Broadway poster?
Vote below.
Make sure you comment and let us know your thoughts…
By now, you’ve heard that new Broadway revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever will be closing up shop on January 29th, 2012. Maybe you are wondering: Why is this show closing?
Here’s the top 5 reasons I think On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is closing:
5. Shortage of Tony Nominations Come May - I have a feeling that the Tony committee might be overlooking this revival come May. With other huge revivals like Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar I don’t think that On a Clear Day… stands a chance. You also have to throw in the newly refreshed and revamped Godspell and Porgy & Bess into the mix and both of those shows are still running. There might be a few nominations in the technical categories but not for Harry Connick, Jr. or anyone else, though we have heard so many positive things about Jessie Mueller’s Broadway debut. Actually, come to think of it, that’s the only positive thing that I’ve heard about this production. (Watch a video of Mueller performing below.) If the producers don’t think they are going to get any Tony buzz, then it’s a lot easier to close a show “early”.
4. Not Enough Starpower to fill the St. James Theatre - We can all agree that Harry Connick Jr. has been very successful on Broadway. Generally, the critics have loved him and his fans have flocked to the theatre to see him perform. The question is, can he fill a 1300-seat theatre eight times a week? That’s a total of 10,400 people a week, 41,600 (roughly) a month. That’s a crazy amount of people! I think he has enough draw and appeal to fill seats, just not enough seats in this case. (Check Playbill Vault for all of the stats.)
Photos by Krissie Fullerton - Playbill.com
3. The St. James Theatre is the Wrong Theatre - The St. James Theatre was selling out when The Producers opened April 2001. Since then, it hasn’t really had a hit. Recently, Hair (the touring cast), American Idiot and Finian’s Rainbow have all struggled trying to fill seats. All three of those shows probably could have run for a longer time in a smaller theatre. (I’ve been saying all along that American Idiot should have never been produced at the St. James Theatre.) Though producers thought On a Clear Day, with a huge star, could sell seats, I think they continue to under think the power of “selling out” in a smaller theatre. (See The Book of Mormon as an example of pure genius when it comes to marketing and selling a show.) Overall, it has done fairly well, but an average of 75% attendance over the last two months just isn’t enough to keep the show afloat during the Broadway winter slump.
2. The Critics Hated It - There are some shows out there that the critics, regardless of what they say, can’t kill like The Addams Family. Other shows, the critics have an easier time swaying the public. I think On A Clear Day falls in the latter category. People knew that On a Clear Day… didn’t do very well the first time on Broadway (even though it ran for a year), so they were waiting to hear what the critics had to say. Ben Brantley of The New York Times said, “This wholesale reconception of a fluffy, muddled 1965 musical about reincarnation appears to have given everyone who appears in it — including its charismatic star, Harry Connick Jr. — a moaning case of the deep-dyed blues.” Ouch. Stage Grade gave the entire production a C- overall. The Broadway Critic Blog posted some of their thoughts back in previews, and anticipated the nasty reviews and early closing. With iffy reviews and okay word-of-mouth, the ticket sales just weren’t at the producer’s expectations.
1. Make Way for Leap of Faith - When a show is not living up to expectations and there’s another show in the pipeline, then producers jump on the chance to push another show into the theatre. This happened with On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Leap of Faith was eyeing Broadway for a fall 2012 opening, but when they heard that On a Clear Day… wasn’t doing as well as predicted, then they jumped on the chance to put Leap of Faith into the centrally-located St. James Theatre. They even announced it’s opening before On a Clear Day… posted its closing notice. (Tacky, if you ask me.) But let’s see if Leap of Faith can do what On a Clear Day… couldn’t.
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Why do you think On a Clear Day You Can See Forever closed so soon?
Last night, the first musical of 2012, Porgy & Bess, opened to great reviews. This upcoming six months on Broadway should be a very exciting. At least, it’s going to be a lot better than the 2010-2011 season, and the first half of this season. The 2011-2012 Broadway season started off with a few major flops: Bonnie & Clyde, Lysistrata Jones, and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Another revival, Godspell is doing fairly well but might be overlooked come Tony season, especially with the new revivals that are opening in the next couple of months.
There’s a few shows this Spring that you can not miss! Here are my top five Broadway shows that I’m most looking forward to this upcoming season:
5. Evita
Starting previews on April 10th, this is a musical revival that I’ve been waiting for an extremely long time. Out of all of the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals, Evita is my absolute favorite. I fell in love with it a long time ago, and I’ve never seen it produced professionally. Pop star Ricky Martin and Olivier Award-winning actress Elena Roger portray Che Guevara and Eva Perón and it also stars Michael Cerveris as Peron — can’t get much better than that!
4. Leap of Faith
It has Raul Esparza in it. What else do you want? I’ve seen him in Tick, Tick Boom, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Company (twice). And luckily, Brooke Shields is not part of the project anymore!! Leap of Faith received mixed reviews during its out-of-town tryout, but it looks like they’ve revamped it for Broadway and they are ready to go. They only announced this Broadway production yesterday, when it was announced that On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is closing at the end of January.
3. Ghost
Straight from the wildly successful West End production, Cassie Levy and Richard Fleeshman are starring in this new musical. It apparently has some incredible stage illusions that I’m dying to see. Generally, I’m not too thrilled in seeing 80′s movies reimagined for the theatre but every once in awhile it works (like Hairspray). We will see though. This show’s success will come from two main things: brand recognition (just like how Addams Family ran on Broadway a lot longer than it should have) and reviews. Let’s hope they are good reviews, because if not, I could see it running through the summer months and dying off. I’m still very excited to see it.
2. Once
If you had to turn a movie into a musical, then Once is the perfect choice. Straight from its hugely successful, sold-out run at the New York Theatre Workshop, Once is going to be a huge hit on Broadway. I’m dying to see this for a number of reasons, but mainly because the music is absolutely fantastic. And from what I’ve heard from clips, the new arrangements sound gorgeous. Lucky for us, the cast recording is being recorded fairly soon and will be released this Spring. So even if you don’t get a chance to go to New York City, you’ll be able to get your hands on the CD. I have a feeling that Best Musical will either go to Once or Newsies – either way I’m happy.
1. Newsies
If you have read my review of Newsies when it premiered at Papermill Playhouse, then you’ll know that I’m absolutely crazy for it. The music, choreography, set, and performances were all sensational. I was on the edge of my seat the entire show. The audience was eating it up, clapping mid-number, and hollering like it was a concert! This stage adaptation is absolute gold! Currently, it’s being sold as a limited run, but after the reviews come out and winning a few Tony Awards (namely for Jeremy Jordan, choreography and score), this show will sell and sell and sell. This is going to be a huge hit! Make sure you get your tickets early, because it will sell out in the small Nederlander Theatre.
Honorable Mentions:
Rebecca - It has Sierra Boggess attached, so I am interested in seeing her once again. (I loved her in Love Never Dies in London.) But, I don’t know anything about the show besides there is suppose to be a huge fire on the stage. It seems to be an epic show like The Pirate Queen, but hopefully it will be a lot better.
Nice Work If You Can Get It - I love Kelli O’Hara and Gershwin’s music, but I’m not that excited about this one. Maybe after some word-of-mouth hits the blogosphere, I might jump on the bandwagon, but right now, I’m playing it safe and will wait.
Jesus Christ Superstar - If I had a 6th place, this is the show that would be in that slot. I’ve heard great things about this production and it’s gotten rave reviews! I just don’t have any personal attachment to this show, yet. Maybe after seeing it, I will see what all the fuss is about.
What musical are you most excited to see this upcoming season? Be sure to take the poll below.
Every Friday look for a column written by The Broadway Critic Blog’s newest columnist, Tyler Martins (@mrtylermartins). His passionate love for Sondheim will probably dominate the conversation, but his love for musical theatre is palpable.
Growing up, I was a huge fan of Disney movies. It is not surprising that Disney’s animated musicals were my favorite. The way they made me suspend belief and burst out into song, the way the stories unfolded before my eyes with sweeping melodies and chilling harmonies. Whether I was transfixed by the world under the sea, or amazed by a magical rose, and flying carpets, the music within each of these movies always stayed with me. There is one man who is responsible for that music, for that magic, and that man is Academy Award winner (and Tony Award nominee) Alan Menken. Today, Alan Menken celebrates his 62nd Birthday.
Alan Menken composed the music to many animated films, such as “The Little Mermaid.” As I child, I would watch “The Little Mermaid” just to hear the opening measures to “Poor Unfortunate Souls” sung by the devilish and villainous Ursula. (Ursula happens to be one of my favorite Disney villains, thanks to this song. Besides, she’s cunning, ambitious and sassy, and who doesn’t love sass?)
When Ursula gave me nightmares, I would turn to another Menken film: “Beauty and the Beast.” One of my fondest childhood memories was my mother putting me to sleep with the title song, sung by the transcendent Angela Lansbury. It was only recently that I discovered that she was the voice of Mrs. Potts. I had grown to love Angie when I first entered the theater world. I loved Angie’s Rose, Aurelia, Lovett, etc. But now, my love for her runs deeper.
Perhaps the most famous Disney tune of all time, “A Whole New World,” comes from the Menken-penned “Aladdin.” Like many of Menken’s hit animated films (including “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast”), “Aladdin” was adapted for the stage and opened last night, at 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. (Read review here.)
Also receiving a stage adaptation is another of Menken’s films, “Newsies.” “Newsies” was a total box-office failure but gained a cult following and this September, Paper Mill Playhouse (only a few miles away from me, in Millburn, New Jersey) will offer the musical as part of its season subscription. Featuring a book by Harvey Fierstein, more original music by Alan Menken and direction by Jeff Kalhoun, “Newsies: The Musical” has generated a large amount of buzz, hinting at possible future plans for the show. Jeremy Jordan will lead the cast as Jack Kelly, the role originated by Christian Bale in the 1992 film.
Menken recently received high acclaim for his score to “Tangled,” Disney’s latest animated film. “Tangled” is the story of Rapunzel, and stars Mandy Moore, Zachary Quinto and Broadway Diva Donna Murphy as Disney’s very own animated Mamma Rose, Mother Gottel. Menken received his 14th Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Song for “I See the Light.”
Menken hasn’t only been composing for the silver screen – he’s been working for the stage as well. The musical that launched Alan Menken to fame is one of my favorite works, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Produced Off-Broadway in 1982, the show was based on the 1960 black comedy film of the same name. The musical was later made into a film to critical acclaim, starring Ricky Moranis and original stage Audrey, Ellen Greene. The musical is performed routinely around the world, and was revived on Broadway in 2003 starring Hunter Foster and Kerry Butler. (I wonder if his Dentist father was anything like the sadistic dentist in the musical.)
Just this past Broadway season, Alan Menken penned the score to the stage adaptation of the hit film SISTER ACT, receiving a Tony Award Nomination for Best Musical. (Read our London review here and Broadway review here.) The show opened in London to rave reviews in 2009 and is currently starring Patina Miller as funky Deloris and the ever-perfect Victoria Clark as Mother Superior, both receiving Tony Award Nominations for their performances.
While Alan Menken may not have won a Tony Award for Best Original Score or for Best Musical, he isn’t quitting yet. Currently, he is working with lyricist Glenn Slater on a stage adaptation of “Leap of Faith”, about the fraudulent Christian faith healer Jonas Nightengale. LEAP OF FAITH made its world premiere in Los Angeles, starring Raul Esparza as Nightengale and Brooke Shields as Marva McGowan, the woman whose love redeems Nightengale. Plans for a Broadway production are in the works, although no official announcements have been made.
Celebrate Alan Menken’s birthday today by watching your favorite film, or listening to your favorite Menken score. In the comments below, share (and post videos) of your favorite song, or moment from an Alan Menken score, film or stage work.
Happy Birthday, Alan Menken! Thank you for the music that filled my childhood with joy and allowed my imagination to grow wings and fly among the stars.
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Wish Alan Menken a Happy Birthday on Twitter! @AIMenken
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My least favorite is Leap of Faith. It seems like a “mock-up”, instead of a finished product. It doesn’t show what the show is about. It doesn’t give us any clue to what we should expect and frankly, as much as I love Raul Esparza, his name is almost bigger than the title of the show. Most people are going to be like: “Who the hell is Raul Esparza?” I’m thinking that they pushed this show to open this Spring and it’s all too soon. (Have you seen their website? It’s terrible.) Hopefully, they will have a new poster before they open this Spring.
