Broadway Blitz 2011

Happy 2012, everyone!

 
Wow. Have I really not blogged since June of 2011? I guess I could offer my very real excuses that of course make sense to me: after 6 months on the job at SLU (hello, learning curve!), one of the other Assistant Vice Presidents (AVPs) left for a Vice President job at another school so the remaining other AVP and I split up his remaining responsibilities while we conducted a search to fill the vacancy. Those additional tasks basically ate up the "free time" that I guess I would have spent blogging. It would be impossible for me to recap my first year in Saint Louis, MO in one long overdue (and probably just very long) blog post. Suffice to say I believe I learned a lot, I made mistakes and had to face some of my own failings, but I also think I made some positive contributions and had good impact on others. I continue to look for and develop new friendships in this city, and I was able to fill my thinly stretched times with theater for fun. Which brings me to this post...

My 2011 year ended with my annual Broadway Blitz during my Christmas holiday week in my hometown of New York City, so in many ways, I think this return to the blog is fitting, since my last entry was about the 2011 Tony Awards. See? - It's all the "Circle Of Life" (cue the music from "The Lion King" which will be returning on tour to St. Louis in 2012, and yes I already have my season subscription add-on ticket, thank you very much). So by popular demand (did someone say "Popular?" - cue the music from "Wicked" and be sure you read my last post from June 12, 2011) - and by "popular," I mean that all of six of my friends have asked for reviews of the shows I saw - here is my full account of the personal best, record-setting, great Broadway Blitz of 2011! (Sit back and relax, have a beverage of your choice ready, and get set for a good story or many stories...)

Other Desert Cities
How could I not put this show on the top of my (play) list to see during the Blitz? Rave reviews out-of-town before it got to NY, and a powerhouse cast that included Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach, Rachel Griffiths, Judith Light, and Matthew Risch - sign me up. The scenic design was the only competition to that star power: it was a gorgeous palatial Palm Springs home, right in the Booth Theatre. The familiar story of a dysfunctional family that comes to blows was surprisingly complicated with a twist of Robert Ludlum political/historical intrigue thrown in, and for some reason that worked and didn't work for me: it was interesting but it also felt a bit forced, the way a plot twist in an M. Night Shyamalan movie feels surprising at first, then obviously appropriate, but then disconcertingly bizarre. I got over it easily enough because these actors just lived their roles and told this story with no hesitation, no artifice, and no remorse. That willful abandon was thrilling to experience. [Special thanks to Ana-Liza Quirolgico, for stage door photography duties!]

"There are worse things I could do" than chat up the ever-gorgeous Stockard Channing!

The very gracious and sweet Judith Light - she's the boss!

Matthew Risch looking more smoldering than he did on stage (or in "Sex & The City 2").

"Goodbye, Porpoise Spit!" It's OK, Rachel Griffiths - if the play confused you, I'll explain it later when we karaoke some ABBA song.

  
The Mountaintop
I have sometimes wondered what will happen after Tony Kushner. Who will write great theater that can successfully and deftly combine intellect and heart, fantasy and reality, multiple timelines and familiar settings, and challenge conception while stirring emotion? Well, I just saw the future and her name is Katori Hall! There's a reason why she became the first black woman to win the Olivier Award for Best New Play. I'm so happy I saw this work in its Broadway transfer from London - it is masterful and engaging. It imagines Martin Luther King, Jr.'s last night on earth before his assassination, but it also examines that event in the larger context of all human rights in the modern age. Impossible, you say? Not here. I would say this play took my breath away, but I'm pretty sure my respiratory system was still working as I clapped and cheered and laughed and cried all the way from beginning to thunderous standing ovation end. As I Facebooked (is that an accepted legitimate verb yet, Oxford English people?), the cast of two - Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett - gave one muthaf***in' performance. The dialogue is rapid-fire, non-stop, and tightly delivered. Amazing drama with some comedic touches, and maybe even dazzling special effects when you least expect them. And although the play is described as taking place entirely in that fateful Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, that is not entirely accurate. There is a jaw-dropping moment of theatrical magic that simply must be seen to be understood and it quite literally transforms the theater into a whole new universe of the playwright's incredible imagination. And Angela Bassett...Turned. It. Oooot. With a monologue that will be every actress's dream audition piece from now on. No joke. And maybe every drag queen will want to perform it anywhere too. Samuel L. Jackson will never again be fighting snakes on a plane for me, and Angela Bassett will no longer just be turning those big wheels. This play had more power than "Proud Mary" ever had. Wow.

Anything Goes
If you know me, then you know that I will see anything with Sutton Foster. Heck, I even saw her in "Little Women." (What? You didn't know that was a musical on Broadway? Yeah, I was one of the 38 people who saw that one in 2005.) She didn't need her second Tony Award for her role in this show to prove her triple threat talent of singing, acting, and dancing. And there is dancing! To all the naysayers, I just want to mention the so-amazing-it-was-almost-exhausting-to-watch Act One closing number (the title song): Sutton hit every singing note and belted out the final notes after what seemed like an eternity (but was in actuality probably 8 or 9 minutes) of tap dancing. That number now rivals "Defying Gravity" as my all-time favorite way to close a first act. Best Revival of a Musical 2011 Tony Award? Naturally. This good old fashioned song-and-dance fest is simply too "Easy To Love."

Smitten-inducing Colin Donnell ("Billy Crocker"): he gets to perform with Sutton Foster AND he was also "Fiyero" in "Wicked?" Can I please swap lives with him?

Chinglish
This Blitz was a good one for smart plays - this one from David Henry Hwang (who authored "M. Butterfly," the revised "Flower Drum Song," "Tarzan" and co-authored "Aida") uses as a starting point those poorly translated signs in China that you have probably seen on the Internet. (For example, click here.) It then explores language and culture, love and understanding, power and relationships, within the context of an American businessman trying to land a lucrative manufacturing contract in China. Needless to say, many things get lost in translation, but the writing is sharp and funny and full of bright energy. To match the whirlwind of cross-cultural exchange, this production's set was an example of brilliance: counter-rotating turntables, revolving doors, and modular interlocking furniture that made the small stage feel like an endless stream of cityscapes and the kind of dizzying action that come with international travel.

Godspell
This was the show I worked on at UVA, that included a then-first-year student Tina Fey in the cast, with whom I subsequently danced on top of a radiator at the cast party hosted at my fraternity house. But more importantly, it's an all-time favorite movie musical, and perhaps the only time I can actually not be afraid of clowns because the songs are just all consistently good. This young cast is simply dynamic and blows the roof off the small theater-in-the-round (and was incredibly gracious after the show too - take note of their names, you'll be seeing and hearing them again soon). I didn't even need the on-stage-wine-at-intermission mixer: the final scenes always make me cry (they did in rehearsals at UVA, and they still do). A truly lovely restaging (trampolines and confetti and all), complete with updated comedic splashes. Bravo to Facebook friend, Ken Davenport for producing a truly spirited joy! [Special thanks to audience seatmate and new Facebook friend, Anna Carol, for stage door photography duties!]

Morgan James: "Turn Back, O Man."

George Salazar: "Light Of The World."

Nick Blaemire: "We Beseech Thee."

Wallace Smith: "Prepare Ye" ("John" and "Judas").

You know him as one of The Warblers on "GLEE" but Telly Leung's musical, singing, and (comedic) impersonation skills are not showcased correctly, so thank goodness he is on Broadway now: "All Good Gifts!"

Celisse Henderson.

Uzo Aduba: (literally) "By My Side."

After his "Spring Awakening," Hunter Parrish is back on Broadway (where he belongs), in the "Jesus" role made famous by Victor Garber. When will God "Save The People," the song asks? Well, he enters in a tank top and boxer shorts - um, yeah, that would make anyone a believer! (And he was very sweet to chat with!)

Sister Act
No, I'm not a sucker for every movie they turn into a musical these days, but I did want to see what earned Patina Miller her Tony Award nomination. And although Victoria Clark ("The Light In The Piazza") had already left the cast, Carolee Carmello is another reason for me to take my seat. The setting of this story was changed (with additional book material from Douglas Carter Beane - see "Lysistrata Jones," below) but the plot was largely what you would expect and so a rollicking good time was had by all. Yes, these nuns did indeed rock the house.

 
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
"My name is Melinda," said Barbra Streisand an infamous and oft-mocked scene from the movie version of this musical. I was intrigued with the news that Michael Mayer ("Spring Awakening," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "America Idiot") had reworked some pretty songs into a new story that involved the psychotherapist falling for a gay man client's past life as a lovely songbird of a woman. Scenic and Lighting Design were mesmerizing (almost literally) but unfortunately, this book is just a bit of a clunker no matter who or how it is revised. Yes, the music and tunes are pleasant, and the some of the choreography was really inspired and clever, but the featured cast almost always upstaged the star (Harry Connick, Jr.). The real revelation, though, was Jessie Mueller, in her Broadway debut as Melinda Wells. Wow. That voice - lush, resonant, clear, jazzy, breezy, heartfelt. Yeah, forget the past life craziness: she'll be going places in this lifetime.

David Turner (last saw him in "Arcadia" - a Broadway past life, so to speak).

Harry Connick, Jr. - surprisingly tall and disarmingly handsome in person!

 
Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark
After all the drama of the development of this show, and then the surprising news that it was still selling out houses a year into its run, of course I had to see it for myself. Sadly, the backstory of how this show came to be, combined with stunning visuals (the aerial acrobatics and lighting and scenic projections), is all this show amounts to. Hard to believe that U2 hitmakers Bono and The Edge could fill over two hours of time with not a single memorable song. Yup: it's all an endless patter of numbers that are barely serviceable in an attempt to move the narrative along. The only really nice musical moments were the instances of U2 songs being used as incidental background music - come on, that doesn't say much for the rest of the behemoth. You know it's bad when the adults in the audience are matching the kids in the audience with every groan (especially in Act Two) when a character busted out a plodding ballad to express some soul-searching dilemma that I was barely interested in. It was kind of cool to be on the "Flying Level," which means that several times Spider-Man would land or take off from small ledges built on top of the mezzanine railing, but after waving hello to Spidey a few times, that magic was over and I was wondering what other show I could have spent my money on. It is a technical wonder to behold for sure, much like I often ask in a Cirque du Soleil show "How do they manage to choreograph all of that?" But at least those shows are astounding and delightful for many reasons. This show just had me stumped. "Turn Off The Dark?" No, just turn it off. Number of technical holds due to mechanical problems in the rigging = 1 (in the second number of the first act, no less!); Number of hit songs I was left humming as I exited = 0; Number of kids throwing tantrums to leave in Act 2 = over 17 (yes, I counted - it was a game that helped me stay awake). Out of the entire Broadway Blitz, this was the only real clunker. Wah wah.

An Evening With Patti LuPone & Mandy Patinkin
Luckily, the Spider-Mess of a matinee was followed by these two Broadway legends in an absolutely lovely concert. I was hoping for an endless stream of songs from all of their hit shows, but what I got was even better: a really incredible tour de force lesson in how to perform a musical theater song (not just sing it). These two stitched together an arc of characterizations with songs mostly from Sondheim and Rodgers & Hammerstein, and fiercely emoted their way through each and every one of them. The audience had many opportunities to cheer "Bravo!" and "Brava!" as we cried right along with them. And if all you have to accompany you on stage is a lifelong performer friend, a pianist, and a bassist, then by all means please also add the production and lighting design of this show because it was more nostalgic and moving in its sparseness than the current revival of "Follies" is in all of its stark opulence. And the bonus: the house manager moved me and Mom up to the super-choice Producer's Row/House Seats: 6th row, center. Well, well, well. There are indeed angels on Broadway!

"Oh What A Circus" oh what a show: Mandy Patinkin (obviously he was better lit onstage)!

"Don't Cry For Me Argentina," Patti LuPone (La LuPone!) signing my Playbill, thanking me for loving her entire career.

Porgy & Bess
I don't really have much to say about this one, except that it was probably the best production of this musical I have ever seen. Gershwins + Norm Lewis + Audra McDonald = must see! The opening soprano notes of "Summertime" signaled a first-rate show like a clarion bell, Norm Lewis and his rich baritone just got more powerful with each scene, and Audra McDonald...well, there's a reason why she earned 4 Tony Awards before the age of 40 (3 of them by the age of 28 - forget my caption about Colin Donnell, above: can I swap lives with her?). And this performance may just get her Tony #5 (or at least a nomination). This show "Got Plenty Of Nothing"...but sheer talent.

I suspect that a thematically designed stage door is a good omen for high production values and a good show.

 

Private Lives
A Noel Coward comedy with two television stars? OK, I'll bite. The cast of five was very good, but the costumes and sets almost outstaged everyone. And that's saying a lot for this play, where the characters of Amanda and Elyot eat up every line, every character, and every moment. A three-act play is hard to stage and rare to find anywhere, but this one moved along at a good pace and the action filled a cavernous stage well. Much like the action onstage, this one was a good evening romp.

Paul Gross, from TV's "Due South" - maybe I shouldn't let the gorgeous leading man volunteer to use my camera for a self-portrait of the two of us? Clearly I affected him enough to result in a blurry photo.

Transferring from an acclaimed and popular Off-Broadway run, to the theater that has my vote for "Best Marquee."

Lysistrata Jones
I think I would see anything written by, or even associated with Douglas Carter Beane (who wrote the screenplay for the movie "To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar" and wrote the plays "Like Bees In Honey Drown" and "The Little Dog Laughed" as well as the book of the musical "Xanadu" which I just loved, loved, loved with gleeful glowstick abandon). I can cheat on this review, because my review was actually accepted for publication on The New York Times! Okay, it's just their web page for reader comments of shows already reviewed, but I was pretty excited, and my review is lucky number 100. Click here for the review on the NYT site. And if the link doesn't work for some reason, here is the text of what I wrote after giving it a 5 out of 5:

Smart, Witty, Energetic Talent: Is That Enough to Survive?
Douglas Carter Beane has written another very sly and sassy book that brings the 411 B.C.E. Aristophanes play into a decidedly modern day as it drops punchlines about Emma Goldman, Amelia Earhart, Joel Shumacker, Greek city-states, pop culture, iPhones, white rappers, and even Kim Jong-il (trust me, it's well done, so no, it's not too soon). Alas, that kind of intelligence combined with a score that is tart and bold one minute, and then sentimentally earnest in another might doom this show to be (a) too esoteric for a mainstream Broadway audience that is lured in with "Glee"-like casting and publicity of the cute cheerleaders, hunky basketball players, and big brassy Black Diva (all accurate), or (b) too much of a crowd-pleaser to stay in a small house off-Broadway. But since there is no in-between on the Great White Way, this fantastic new musical that overflows with originality and exuberance may have outlived its possible lifespan at the Walter Kerr. Fortunately, Broadway greatness has always been measured by more than just number of performances played ("Grey Gardens" vs. "Cats," anyone?) so I say, "Long live, Lysistrata Jones." So if you are willing to have your brain go for a rollicking genre/time-and-space mash-up storytelling workout while you smile at song-and-dance numbers that outshine anything you will see on MTV, don't miss this one. It's what live theater is all about: great fun entertainment!
— Ray Quirolgico, St. Louis, MO

So in my ideal world where I make all the rules, this would be the hands-down winner of the Best New Musical Tony Award. (And I would be swapping lives with whomever I choose, among other super powers.) But it might just be too quirky to get the much-needed buzz (a la "Avenue Q" or "The Book of Mormon") to win all the votes. Too bad: I really thought it had a lot going for it.

12 cast members = 12 signatures: check!

Josh Segarra, perfectly cast as the hunky jock, Mick.

Patti Murin, who, as the title character, dispels any misconceptions that tiny blonde white girls can't dish out a sassy Broadway belt (or three or four).

Liz Mikel, who, as Hetaira, absolutely confirms one Broadway rule: you want a hit? Bring on the big sassy, smokin' hot, black girl with an attitude that matches her voice!

Jason Tam, who made me weep in the recent revival of "A Chorus Line" made up for it by inspiring endless smiles in this show.

 
Rent
Last year I discovered the joyful surprises of sprinkling some Off-Broadway shows into my Blitz schedule, so this year, I made sure to add this lifelong favorite (yes, I'm a "RENThead"), just to see how it was adapted for its new post-Nederlander home at the New World Stages. The casting for this show is always amazingly strong, and any future regional or local production should study this company for lessons in how to make a small, sparse set totally work (even though I felt it heavily referenced "Urinetown" and "Next To Normal"). The one weak link was the actor playing "Roger" - I thought he searched for all his right notes throughout the first act which left me uninterested in him in the second act. In a tighter space, the characters felt more intimately familiar, and the ensemble was forced to frequently appear above and around whoever was performing front and center, giving the emotional impression of a constant chorus of angels. No matter how many times I see this show (staged, or in either movie version - yes, I have the DVDs of the movie and the filmed stage performance), I still cry at the same distinct moments. It happened again here, which is a testament to Jonathan Larson (R.I.P.) more than anything. Still a solid turn, and I'm happy this was my penultimate matinee in this Blitz.

My first Broadway closing performance Playbill: I thought this would be a fitting way to end the Broadway Blitz of 2011.

Bonnie & Clyde
I pity Frank Wildhorn. Maybe he should compose his next musical and get Douglas Carter Beane to write the book. That might break the infamous Frank Wildhorn Broadway Curse ("Dracula" and "Wonderland" - anyone? anyone?). But I have to give this production a lot of credit: great scenic and lighting and costume design, young actors with powerful voices, and a book that tackles a tough challenge head-on: how can you make an audience sympathize with a pair of homicidal, maniacal, sociopathic criminals? Well, I found it hard to believe, but it actually worked for me. Mostly. To fit the era and the place of this (mostly) Texas life-of-crime saga, the music maintains a southern/western tone while the book delves into what makes children/teenagers/young adults slip down a lifelong path of criminal choices and delude themselves into some justification for that life. But the music sometimes felt like an iTunes playlist of country-folk ballads set on shuffle, but that gets stuck on too many consecutive ballads to keep your interest sustained. So yes there are some pockets of slow energy, but there seemed to be enough there worthy of salvaging. Sadly, I guess the audiences and the critics and those technical elements just didn't come together in time to make it. (Again, see my previous June 12, 2011 blog post to review just how much work goes into telling a story on Broadway.) So it was definitely an extra-emotional night for the audience and the company, which perhaps elevated my opinion of the production - here was a company of artists giving this story all the gusto that that substance deserved while also letting it go and closing up shop. That's show business, folks.

Joe Hart, such a sweet man!

Tad Wilson.

Louis Hobson, "Ted Hinton" (also the original "Doctor Madden" from "Next To Normal").

Alison Cimmet.

Leslie Becker.

Mimi Bessette, heatbreaking as Emma Parker (Bonnie's mom).

Matt Lutz - totally sweet with the fans.

Kelsey Fowler, who defies her age as a kid by opening the show with a capella notes that ring loud and true ("Young Bonnie")!

Victor Hernandez.

Claybourne Elder, holding the big jar (signed by the company) of fake blood collected from all of his Broadway performances as "Buck Barrow."

Talon Ackerman ("Young Clyde"): Broadway must age the spirit of kids quickly - he is already post-pubescent in swagger!

Melissa Van Der Schyff, "Blanche Barrow" - emotional and sweet, another heartbreaker. 

Direct from the Papermill Playhouse run of "Newsies," is Star #2: Jeremy Jordan, as "Clyde Barrow."

And top billing goes to Star #1: "You're The One I Want," Laura Osnes, as "Bonnie Parker" - as jaw-droppingly gorgeous in person as her voice is to hear (give this woman a record contract already!)

Holiday lights above the World Market at Columbus Circle.

Thanks for the Broadway Blitz of 2011, Times Square and Broadway, NYC!

And that's the full report: the Broadway Blitz of 2011 is over. If you lost count, that was 14 shows in just over 8 days. Phew! I had declared December 2011 to be my personal theater month, and my total is 21 shows in three cities in that month. So I think I did pretty well. Here's to more in 2012 - but first, I need to restock on Playbill binders!

One surprise bonus for seeing a show on 12/26: "Sister Act" ornaments were free with any merchandise purchase - "Fabulous," indeed!

Broadway Blitz 2011: Veni, vidi, vici...and I even got a photo with the Peeps-mobile!

Wishing you all endless entertainment and great stories in this new year!