Monday, February 17, 2025

Review: Gypsy

Review of the Saturday, February 8, 2025 matinee at the Majestic Theatre in New York City. Starring Audra McDonald, Danny Burstein, Joy Woods, Jordan Tyson, Kevin Csolak, Lesli Margherita, Lili Thomas and Mylinda Hull. Book by Arthur Laurents. Music by Jule Styne. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee. Scenic design by Santo Loquasto. Costume design by Toni-Leslie James. Lighting design by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer. Sound design by Scott Lehrer. Choreography by Camille A. Brown. Direction by George C. Wolfe. 2 hours, 50 minutes including one intermission.

Here she is boys! Here's the new gold standard Rose! Here's Audra McDonald in Gypsy! I'm not sure what I could possibly say to add to the acclaim for her titanic performance in the musical theater equivalent to Lear. But everything you've heard about her is true and then some. From the moment you hear her bellow, "Sing out, Louise!" from the back of the theater to her heartbreaking, self-delusional bows during "Rose's Turn," McDonald has us under her spell and electricity fills the air. That she can sing the role was never in doubt, nor that she could act the part. But the real shocker is just how deeply she disappears into it. Fierce and unrelenting, she leaves nothing but a path of destruction in her wake. By turns domineering and cruel, this Rose is of a single vision: stardom for her children, and by proxy, herself. And yet, there's always an undercurrent of humanity. This is a performance that people will talk about for years.


Already acclaimed as one of the greatest musicals of all time, Gypsy shows no signs of age or passé tropes. Created by the perfect storm of collaboration, the tight, fat-free book by Arthur Laurents, and the tuneful, iconic score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim are as fresh as ever. Even still, I found myself feeling nostalgic. They simply don't write them like this anymore. And under the brilliant direction of George C. Wolfe and with freshened choreography by Camille A. Brown, this revival never forgets its auspicious beginnings, but allows the show to breathe on its own terms today. It would be disingenuous to ignore the casting of this revival; it is important and integral to this staging in both obvious and implied ways. 
The message - especially these days - is not to be forgotten. But it also doesn't hit you over the head with the point. Instead, it simply is, reminding all of us that regardless of race, the desire for attention and struggle for acceptance is universal. 

Lavish throughout, and appropriately spare when it serves the story, the design team has created a feast for the senses. Here, too, this Gypsy is both a tribute to the original and still a new thing all its own. Santo Loquasto's scenery, even when it doesn't take up the stage, is flush with details and clever clues as to where we are, and Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer's lighting blankets the space with warn hues, troubling shadows and bright, show biz-y flare. All three are storied pros who continue their legacy here with panache. Toni-Leslie James's costumes - and there are a lot of them - are gorgeous, character and period perfect, and serve the piece beautifully.


It speaks volumes for the level of the company - and to the perfection of Audra's star turn - that the rest of the cast not only doesn't get lost, but thrives as part of the glorious whole. The comic centerpiece of the second act is the backstage burlesque scene featuring three world-weary, but razor sharp strippers. One can't imagine a better trio than Lili Thomas, Mylinda Hull and Lesli Margherita, who rightly stop the show cold with their triumphant "You Gotta Get a Gimmick." The always terrific Kevin Csolak is a charming Tulsa, and Jordan Tyson gives a dazzling performance as Dainty June, whose anger and frustration permeates the house. Her heart-pounding and raw duet with Woods, "If Momma Was Married," is a scorching highlight of the entire performance (if not the season). She really impressed me with such an about face from her role in last season's The Notebook, and I wish they both had more to do.


Star on the rise Joy Woods continues her ascent to the pantheon of Broadway divas, as Louise - later Gypsy Rose Lee - with a brilliant performance. Hardly recognizable as the shy, unsure young girl, watching her metamorphosis into the greatest stripper of all time is truly something to behold. And that final showdown with her mother is no less than breathtaking. One feels a sense that it is a passing of the torch not only from Rose to Gypsy, but from McDonald to Woods as well. 
As Herbie, the great Danny Burstein both warmed and broke my heart. The perfect match for this Rose, his Herbie is a careful and precarious balance between a too kind doormat and a man with a drive to provide and love. One of the many highlights of this production is when he, Ms. Woods and Ms. McDonald join forces for an uplifting "Together, Wherever We Go." Here, in sharp focus, we see what could've, no should've, been for these people.

In a season full of career defining performances and high quality productions, this one may prove tough to beat. Bravo, to all concerned.


📸: J. Cervantes

Friday, February 14, 2025

Broadway Games: Broadway Valentines

Lovers! Broadway lovers! It's that time of year when love is in the air... Whether you have a Valentine of your own or you are on your own, let's see if you can match up these musical couples.

Broadway Games:
Broadway Valentines

DIRECTIONS: Match the two lovers, and pick the show they are from!

❤     ðŸŒŸ     ❤     ðŸŒŸ     ❤     ðŸŒŸ     ❤     ðŸŒŸ     

1. Maureen                           A. Sky                            a. Falsettos

2. Carrie                               B. Alison                        b. Spring Awakening

3. Sophie                             C. Georg                         c. Fun Home

4. Christian                         D. Melchior                     d. Hadestown

5. Whizzer                           E. Claire                          e. She Loves Me

6. Oliver                               F. Eurydice                     f. Mamma Mia!

7. Joan                                G. Joanne                       g. Rent

8. Amalia                             H. Mr. Snow                    h. Moulin Rouge

9. Wendla                            I. Marvin                           i. Carousel

10. Orpheus                       J. Satine                           j. Maybe Happy Ending
     
❤     ðŸŒŸ     ❤     ðŸŒŸ     ❤     ðŸŒŸ     ❤     ðŸŒŸ     


STOP SCROLLING NOW
UNLESS YOU ARE READY TO
SEE THE ANSWERS!

1. G & g
2. H & i
3. A & f
4. J & h
5. I & a
6. E & j
7. B & c
8. C & e
9. D & b
10. F & d

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Review: Urinetown

Review of the Sunday, February 9, 2025 matinee performance at New York City Center in New York City. Starring Jordan Fisher, Riann Wilson, Christopher Fitzgerald, Greg Hildreth, Tiffany Mann, Stephanie Styles, Kevin Cahoon and Pearl Scarlett Gold. Book by Greg Kotis. Music by Mark Hollmann. Lyrics by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann. Scenic design by Clint Ramos. Costume design by Sophia Choi. Lighting design by Justin Townsend. Projection design by Peter Nigrini. Sound design by Nevin Steinberg. Music direction by Mary-Mitchell Campbell. Choreography by Mayte Natalio. Direction by Teddy Bergman. 2 hours, 30 minutes with one intermission. Closes Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Urinetown is that odd experience that is both powerfully relevant to our times, and somehow out of place at the same time. Given the lightning quick turnaround time of an Encores production, a certain amount of leeway could be granted, I guess, but if recent productions are any indication, new insights and big ambitions are not out of reach. 

Maybe my feelings about this production would be much stronger if my memories of the original production weren't still so vivid in my mind. Mayte Natalio's choreography, for example, rarely rises above the mundane, where as the original's was as sharp and witty as the rest of the show, full of clever sight gags and tributes to the various musicals Kotis and Hollman reference throughout their score. But by and large, director Teddy Bergman has contributed little to this show's legacy beyond simply doing it again in New York. That's not to say it is a waste of time; no, the show is still entertaining and a decent metaphor for the rule of the oligarchy. We are closer to that than ever it would seem.


Dominated by a wall of port-a-potty doors and a few pieces that roll on and off, Clint Ramos' set design is efficiently dystopian, as are Sophia Choi's Goodwill-esque hodgepodge of costumes. (Capitalist pig Cladwell looks positively Musk-like in his black suit and turtleneck combination.) Justin Townsend's lighting is serviceable, but one wishes Nevin Steinberg's sound design was better balanced between the orchestra and the cast.

Speaking of the actors, we once again reap the benefits of the short production schedule that allows top-notch casting for the Encores! series. The small ensemble is game for anything thrown at them, be it campy Brechtian characters, hyperbolic snootiness, dancing, singing and acting multiple roles. And the smaller bit roles are handled hysterically by pros Christopher Fitzgerald (Officer Barrel) and Jeff Hiller (Mr. McQueen); the former plays a cuddly shlub, the latter a second banana yes man, with all the affectations his character name implies. As Little Sally, Pearl Scarlet Gold is refreshing as an actual child playing the role, perfecting a tightrope act between blind innocence and world-weary sage, and the endlessly versatile Kevin Cahoon is a riot in a pair of over-the-top comic roles the fit perfectly in his wheelhouse. Greg Hildreth is ultra meta as the narrator and head cop, Officer Lockstock, and turns in the best for the piece performance of them all.

Through no fault of her own, really, understudy Tiffany Mann gives a decent, but uneven performance as Pennywise, gatekeeper to the public toilets. Her readings fall flat and she occasionally struggles with some of the more extreme demands of her songs. Still, it's hard not to root for her and be thankful that she was there to take on the role. Arguably the marquee name here is Rainn Wilson, and he is very funny as the villain, Cladwell B. Cladwell, though he comes off as a bit stiff. Finally, as the ingenue pair, Bobby and Hope, Jordan Fisher and Stephanie Styles are a hilarious duo, playing their roles as hero and heroine with the perfect blend of silliness and earnestness. When Fisher launches into the showstopper "Run Freedom, Run" everyone seems to relax and musical comedy bliss is achieved.

While this isn't my favorite offering from this series, and it is a shadow of its original self, it is still a privilege to see Urinetown,


📸: J. Marcus

Monday, February 10, 2025

Review: Romeo + Juliet

Review of the Friday, February 7, 2025 evening performance at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City. Starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler. With Gabby Beans, Daniel Bravo Hernandez, Jasai Chase-Owens, Tommy Dorfman, Nihar Duvvuri, Sola Fadiran, Taheen Modak and Gian Perez. A tragedy by William Shakespeare. Music by Jack Antonoff. Scenic design by dots. Costume design by Enver Chakartash. Lighting design by Isabella Byrd. Sound design by Cody Spencer. Movement direction and choreography by Sonya Tayeh. Direction by Sam Gold. 2 hours, 25 minutes including one intermission. Closes Sunday, February 16, 2025.

One of the wonders of Shakespeare, all these centuries later, is that his works are so timeless. And in that timelessness, directors have continued to find new, exciting ways to present these plays to speak to their modern audience. 


Sam
Gold
 has done just that with this highly entertaining, if uneven contemporary spin on Romeo + Juliet (even the "+" instead of "and" is a signal). The show's tagline says it all: "The Kids Are F*CKED." This youthful aesthetic smacks you in the face the minute you descend into the Circle in the Square lobby, throbbing club beat, disco lights, and towers of stuffed animals assault the senses. That continues into the house itself, with giant teddy bears and a shopping cart full of more stuffed creatures center stage (scenic design by dots., lighting by Isabella Byrd). Soon, the cast takes to the circular stage, dancing, skateboarding and playing with the toys. They are a rough hewn bunch (costumes by Enver Chakartash) that present an intriguing if spot on contradiction that hounds young people: they are children at heart - when left to their own devices, but present as confident adults making often disastrous decisions. This is all a bit heavy-handed though, most obvious when the play actually starts, as several lapse into adult roles.

Gold has assembled a small company of actors, with all but the title characters playing multiple roles. Sometimes this works, and to humorous, thought-provoking effect, as when the same actor plays Mercutio and Friar Laurence in the same scene. Other times, it only makes things confusing, as when the same actor plays both Lord and Lady Capulet. Of course, a bit of this comes from the specific assignment of the actor in question: the former is Tony-nominee Gabby Beans, who uses her voice and physicality to clearly define her roles; the latter is Sola Fadiran, whose costumes seem at odds with the roles, and effeminate affectations while playing Lady aren't really enough of a differentiation, either. To be fair, a lot probably has to do with how they were directed. 
All of that said, every actor in the company has considerable skills and an enviable effervescent energy that fills the room. I found myself as invested in what they were doing as I was with what the main characters were doing. 

I should note here that I am very well-versed in this work particularly, and if it weren't for my proximity to a closed captioning screen where I could see which character was saying the lines, I'd have been confused several times.

Another actor, Tommy Dorfman of 13 Reasons Why acclaim, played the dual roles of the fiery Tybalt and the scattered if loving Nurse. She was a force to be reckoned with in both cases. As Tybalt, the tension was thick and even felt unpredictable - the edginess only deepened the characterization, while as the Nurse, she nailed the intended comic relief and the heartbreak of loss perfectly. Here as another performer I hope to see on Broadway again, sooner rather than later. I wish I could say the same for Gian Perez, who as both Paris and Samson seemed to be in his own special world, chewing the non-existent scenery and behaving like a reality show contestant. Perhaps that was Gold's intent, though I can't imagine why. Perez is also saddled with a ridiculous bit in act two, where he stops the show - the houselights even come up - and tries to get the audience to sing along to fun.'s "We Are Young." Why? Well, that has to do with the aforementioned unevenness of the production. The director doth tinker too much.


Of course, any production of Shakespeare's most produced, well-known play hinges on the actors playing the title roles, and here they have found two mostly excellent performers. Rachel Zegler provides a clear, well-thought out modern interpretation, with line readings that strike a perfect balance between contemporary phrasing and classic poetry. Her youthful, all-in-love exuberance makes her tragic final moments not only heartbreaking, but honest and true. Ms. Zegler is given opportunities to display her singing talents in a pair of lovely, but entirely unnecessary songs by Jack Antonoff. For me, though, the real star of the show is Kit Connor (known in the US mostly for his Emmy-winning role in Heartstopper) who gives us a completely classical reading of Romeo. Here is proof that one can deliver Shakespeare's lines as written without any vocal gymnastics. Together, their chemistry is - as it should be - palpable, making the reality of their situation wholly believable. Connor gives a masterful, highly charged performance that one hopes will inspire the very young audience in attendance to seek out more classic works in the future.

The production starts with a pile of stuffed animals center stage and ends with the company in a bloody pile center stage. An apt pair of images for this production. Would that the whole thing were as cleverly and powerfully presented.

📸: M. Murphy, E. Zimmerman

Friday, February 7, 2025

Friday 5: 5 Broadway Props

If you think about it, the story of Into the Woods hinges on four central props: a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. Broadway shows are full of iconic props and scenery pieces, from Eliza Doolittle's flower basket to a can of Ultra Clutch from Hairspray, sometimes props are so integral to the storytelling that they become iconic. Today, we share 5 that we remember fondly

Friday 5: 5 Broadway Props

1. HwaBoon - Maybe Happy Ending
On the theater scene for just a few months now, HwaBoon has become an internet sensation (and my obsession). Whether co-starring as the 5th character in MHE, or stealing away to visit his friend, Audrey II, over at Little Shop of Horrors, or causing jealousy between the HelperBots, this plant is already big and destined to become even bigger!



2. The Enchanted Rose - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Maybe HwaBoon gets some of his Broadway swagger from a relative, the enchanted rose. Even if you knew the story, that floating bloom had us on the edge of our seats, gasping each time a petal fell, worried that this time the Beast would lose our and love would not transform him into the prince. It was pure Disney magic.




3. The Barber's Chair - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There are a lot of really important props in this musical - meat pies, miracle elixirs, silver handled razors. But it is Sweeney's chair that captivates us. Practical for giving close shaves, and flexible enough to dispatch a dead body to the basement with a click and a swoosh. It plays a big part in the Act Two opener, "God, That's Good," and a thrilling series of murders throughout the rest of the show. Every time I get a haircut, I think of the show, and take a quick look at the floor for a trap door.






4. The Pineapple - Cabaret
The beautiful symbol of romance in hard times in Cabaret is a small item but a grand gesture. A gift from Herr Schultz - a poor, but kindly fruit seller - brings his most exotic offering to his lady love, Fraulein Schneider. There's even a song about it, "It Couldn't Please Me More (A Pineapple)." Most people think about Hawaii or tropical drinks when they see that spiny fruit. Me, I think of the Kit Kat Club.




5. Elphaba's Broom - Wicked
Here's another show with lots of iconic props. There's Glinda's wand, the green elixit bottle, the wizard's "wizard." But is there anything better in Wicked than that magical broom? As Elphaba defiantly raises the stick, she takes flight, defying gravity and thrilling all of us as she wails her battle cry and raises that broom even higher. Just the sight of it makes my heart soar.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Remembering David Edward Byrd

 Remembering David Edward Byrd


Generations of theater fans are familiar with the work of artist David Edward Byrd, who passed away yesterday. You may have some of his work hanging on your wall, or maybe you have a t-shirt or program from your school production of Godspell or Little Shop of Horrors.







Show logo lovers like me have long been mesmerized by his works, staring at the symmetry of Jesus' hair on the Godspell cast recording, finding the tiniest fun detail on the original Little Shop artwork, and scrutinizing each crack on the Follies poster. His brilliant use of dynamic colors was perfectly matched with his eye for composition. The genius of his work was that it told you everything you needed to know about its subject without giving anything away.

His reach as an iconographer extended well past the theater district as he created brilliant posters for some of the greatest music acts of all time. Prince, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, The Grateful Dead, David Bowie and Janis Joplin among many others. He was also the resident artist for The Fillmore.

Thankfully, his art is readily available to be enjoyed, be it in our personal collections, online or in a number of published books.

RIP Mr. Byrd and thank you.

Monday, February 3, 2025

Broadway Who's Who: Mary Rodgers

It seems that Mary Rodgers was famous for many things. She's part of a Broadway family - she was the daughter of Richard Rodgers, and she's Adam Guettel's mother. She was an acclaimed and popular children's author, writing such works as A Billion for Boris, Summer Switch and her most popular novel, Freaky Friday. That book has taken on a life of its own as two motion pictures (and an upcoming sequel), a TV movie and even as a musical! But theater fans know her best as the composer of such shows as Working, The Madwoman of Central Park West, The Hot Spot, The Mad Show and her most famous musical, Once Upon a Mattress, which made Carol Burnett a Broadway sensation, and was televised in two different versions, and most recently as an acclaimed Encores! presentation and Broadway revival.

Even after her death in 2014, her legacy continues, with the publication of her autobiography, Shy, and the continued popularity of Mattress, which has remained a staple of high school, college and community theater seasons more than 60 years after its premiere!

Broadway Who's Who:
Mary Rodgers


DID YOU KNOW?
BIRTH: January 11, 1931
DEATH: June 26, 2014
BROADWAY LIGHTS DIMMED: June 28, 2014
BIRTHPLACE: New York City, NY
EDUCATION: Wellesley College
HONORS: 2 Tony Award nominations: Best Musical 1960 (Once Upon a Mattress) and Best Score 1978 (Working)


with dad, Richard Rodgers (left) and son, Adam Guettel (right)

THEATER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

THE MAD WOMAN OF CENTRAL PARK WEST, THE HOT SPOT


THE MAD SHOW - Off-Broadway, starring Linda Lavin and JoAnn Worley



WORKING - 1978 Tony Award nomination, Best Score

   

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS - 1960 Tony Award nomination, Best Musical





AUTHOR HIGHLIGHTS



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