The 2024 Tony Awards: If We Were Nominators

This year, Mike and I still have several Tony-eligible shows to see before the nominations are announced tomorrow. So, instead of our typical list of informed predictions, we are going to talk about each show we have seen so far, and name those people, elements and productions we hope the committee honors. The plays and musicals we saw this season (as of April 28, 2024) are: Appropriate, Back to the Future, Days of Wine and Roses, Harmony, Here Lies Love, Illinoise, Lempicka, Merrily We Roll Along, Once Upon a One More Time, Purlie Victorious, The Notebook and Water For Elephants. (We will be seeing The Outsiders, The Who's Tommy, Stereophonic and Suffs in the weeks leading up to the Tony Awards on June 16th.)

The 2024 Tony Awards:

If We Were Nominators

Appropriate

• Best Revival of a Play
• Best Leading Actress in a Play: Sarah Paulson
• Best Featured Actor in a Play: Michael Esper, Corey Stoll
• Best Direction of a Play: Lila Neugebauer
• Best Scenic Design of a Play: dots.
• Best Lighting Design of a Play: Jane Cox
• Best Sound Design of a Play: Bray Poor and Will Pickens

Back to the Future

• Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Casey Likes
• Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Roger Bart
• Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Tim Hatley and Finn Ross
• Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone
• Best Sound Design of a Musical: Gareth Owen

Days of Wine and Roses

• Best Musical
• Best Book: Craig Lucas
• Best Score: Adam Guettel
• Best Orchestrations: Adam Guettel and Jamie Lawrence
• Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Brian d'Arcy James
• Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Kelli O'Hara
• Best Direction of a Musical: Michael Greif
• Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Ben Stanton
• Best Sound Design of a Musical: Kai Harada

Harmony

• While both of us enjoyed this production very much, no performances, design or creative elements stood out enough to warrant inclusion on this list. 

Here Lies Love

• Best Musical
• Best Score: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim
• Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Arielle Jacobs
• Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Conrad Ricamora
• Best Direction of a Musical: Alex Timbers
• Best Scenic Design of a Musical: David Korins
• Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Justin Townsend

Illinoise

• Best Musical
• Best Book: Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury
• Best Orchestrations: Timo Andres
• Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Ben Cook, Ricky Ubeda
• Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Gaby Diaz
• Best Direction of a Musical: Justin Peck
• Best Choreography: Justin Peck
• Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Brandon Stirling Baker
• Best Sound Design of a Musical: Garth MacAleavey

Lempicka

• Best Musical
• Best Score: Matt Gould and Carson Kreitzer
• Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Eden Espinosa
• Best Featured Actor in a Musical: George Abud
• Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Amber Iman
• Best Direction of a Musical: Rachel Chavkin
• Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Riccardo Hernandez and Peter Nigrini
• Best Costume Design of a Musical: Paloma Young
• Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Bradley King

Merrily We Roll Along

• Best Revival of a Musical
• Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Daniel Radcliffe
• Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Lindsay Mendez

Once Upon a One More Time

• Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Justin Guarini
• Best Costume Design of a Musical: Loren Elstein
• Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Kenneth Posner

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

• Best Revival of a Play
• Best Leading Actor in a Play: Leslie Odom, Jr.
• Best Featured Actor in a Play: Jay O. Saunders
• Best Featured Actress in a Okay: Kara Young
• Best Direction of a Play: Kenny Leon
• Best Scenic Design of a Play: Derek McLane
• Best Costume Design of a Play: Emilio Sosa

The Notebook

• Best Musical
• Best Book: Bekah Burnstetter
• Best Score: Ingrid Michaelson
• Best Orchestrations: John Clancy and Carmel Dean
• Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Dorian Harewood
• Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Maryann Plunkett
• Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Ryan Vasquez
• Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Joy Woods

Water For Elephants

• Best Musical
• Best Book: Rick Elice
• Best Score: PigPen Theatre Co.
• Best Orchestrations: Daryl Waters, Benedict Braxton-Smith and August Eriksmoen
• Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Grant Gustin
• Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Paul Alexander Nolan
• Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Sara Gettlefinger
• Best Direction of a Musical: Jessica Stone
• Best Choreography: Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll
• Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Takeshi Kata
• Best Costume Design of a Musical: David Israel Reynoso
• Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Bradley King and David Bengali
• Best Sound Design of a Musical: Walter Trarbach

No matter how the nominations turn out tomorrow, we congratulate every single person and show that opened this season. Each opening, design, direction and performance is a major accomplishment in and of itself.

REVIEW: Illinoise

Review of the Wednesday, April 24, 2024 evening performance at the St. James Theatre in New York City. Featuring dancers Benjamin Cook, Gaby Diaz, Jeanette Delgado, Rachel Lockhart, Ahmad Simmons, Byron Tittle, Ricky Ubeda and Alejandro Vargas, and singers Elijah Lyons, Shara Nova and Tash Viets-VanLear. Music and lyrics by Sufjan Stevens, based on his album Illinois. Story by Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury. Scenic design by Adam Rigg. Costume design by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung. Lighting design by Brandon Stirling Baker. Sound design by Garth MacAleavy. Orchestrations by Timo Andres. Choreography and direction by Justin Peck. 90 minutes, no intermission.

Illinoise is a rarity in my decades of theater-going experience. It not only lives up to its hype, it exceeds it. When it arrived at the St. James Theatre, the artform known as the Broadway musical changed forever. It has certainly expanded my sometimes stubborn mind to see things in fresh and unexpected ways. Here is a world where the familiar becomes mysterious, where the specificity of individuality unlocks the universality of the human experience, and where the senses blur just as the poetry, music and movement blur what a musical is. 

All of this brilliance comes from its source material, an album of genre-defying music by Sufjan Stevens, whose catalog is largely unfamiliar to me, save for his work on the soundtrack of Call Me By Your Name. A collection of songs, riffs and history (and everything in between) about the state of Illinois, the musical has transformed it into a beautifully rendered collection of stories told through dance and crafted into a magical piece of theater by book writer Jackie Sibblies Drury and creator of this work, Justin Peck. A celebration of community, of love and despair, of death and rebirth, the show tells of Henry, a lost and grieving young man who comes upon a group of storytellers who gather to express and explore the human experience. They tell stories that honor the past, offer a humorous take on American politics (with zombies, no less), a "Tale of John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," (danced ominously by Alejandro Vargas) that would please Sondheim and Fosse, and even a rumination on whether it is Superman or Clark Kent who is the real superhero (danced joyously by Brandt Martinez). Finally, it is Henry's turn to tell his story, and it is a sweeping, emotional, and ultimately thrilling tale of finding oneself, finding love, jealousy, anger, and the pain of profound loss, before finding oneself again. There are only words in the songs; not one word of dialog is spoken, and yet, this show may have the best book Broadway has seen in years.

Bringing Stevens' masterpiece to life starts with Timo Andres' stunning, vital orchestrations played by an onstage ensemble of musicians, each of whom play multiple instruments and provide occasional backing vocals. Under the sure and thoughtful hand of musical director/conductor/musician Nathan Koci, the score becomes the canvas upon which the dance becomes the paint. Coloring and framing that canvas is the brilliant lighting design of Brandon Stirling Baker (whose use of stadium lighting and handheld orbs is next level) and the simple, yet striking scenic design of Adam Rigg. Garth MacAleavy's sound design is perfection, while the costume design by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung is deceptively simple in its delicate balance of meeting the needs of the story and the demands of the rigorous choreography.

Director/choreographer Justin Peck is certainly not resting on his Tony-winning laurels here. Every movement - large and small, soloist and full company - is so meticulously planned in service of the story, one might expect a so well-executed series of numbers to lose a bit of emotional weight (I'm thinking of Hamilton here). This work is anything but that. It is so organic and so personal to each dancer, that even when they create tableau after tableau in perfect synchronicity, you feel a heady mix of emotions always. Using a vast mix of styles - from above-standard Broadway, to contemporary and ballet - Peck's stamp is all over this, but never once does it get repetitious. A big highlight early on is a show stopping number that combines the youth of hip-hop (danced by the beautifully energetic Rachel Lockhart) with the sage precision of old school tap dancing (danced by the remarkable Byron Tittle). Mr. Peck has assembled a glorious company of dancers who make their joy and passion palpable for 90 minutes.

There are three principal vocalists (Shara Nova, Tasha Viets-Vanlear and Elijah Lyons) who give us the words to go with action, and their stylings are an exquisite match for each and every mood the score demands. They are as much a part of this campfire community as the dancers. In fact, so much so that they are named after different moths to match the moth wings each wears. They are figuratively moths to a flame and symbolically represent what moths do throughout history and literature: life, change, transformation, death, and rebirth.

There are four principal dancers who tell the majority of the story, and sure, they shine as a cohesive mini-ensemble, but it is the gifts that they bring to the piece as individuals that makes this show the truly special thing that it is. I won't tell you why they are important as you really need to experience it for yourself, but here goes... Ahmad Simmons (Douglas) is a quiet tower of strength, athletic and elegant. Gaby Diaz (Shelby) is a feather in the wind, gracefully, silently, tragically, whirling about the stage. Ben Cook (Carl), youthful and exuberant, is charisma personified, and a flawless combination of his three co-stars all at once. But as the lead of the whole thing, it is Ricky Ubeda (Henry) who captivates whether he is center stage or mixed in with the ensemble. He so bravely and unselfishly bares his soul through his dancing; not a single person in the packed house could be untouched by the feelings he was emitting. I wouldn't be surprised to hear any of their names read out next week.

Technically a "jukebox" musical, I dare say this has safely and confidently turned that sub-genre on its ear, and expanded the definition by leaps and bounds. I've admitted before that I've grown weary of such endeavors, but this really is a gorgeous, ravishing game changer. A new bar has been set. I say this with all sincerity: nothing I could possibly write about Illinoise could do it justice. Here is art that demands to be seen felt by all of the senses.

📸: M. Murphy

Play It Again: Man of La Mancha's "Dulcinea"

 Play It Again:

Man of La Mancha's "Dulcinea"

For this new series, Jeff has invited me to choose some classic Broadway show tunes and compare versions of these songs from several different cast recordings. Wherever possible, I’ll link to the songs on YouTube, where I listen to most of them myself.

This week I review four versions of “Dulcinea,” Don Quixote’s gentle serenade for a skeptical Aldonza in Man of La Mancha. The whole score of this show has a very distinctive feel, with folksy but classically-tinged music (by Mitch Leigh), character-specific and often poetic lyrics (by Joe Darion), and unique guitar-inflected orchestrations. Though not the best-known of Quixote’s songs, or even the second-best, I think “Dulcinea” exudes all of those qualities in spades, and when I recently heard part of it sung by Kevin Spacey and Jill Eikenberry (don’t ask), I knew I had to revisit this simple but compelling song. (I renew my hope that we’ll see a high-quality revival of the show sooner rather than later.)

My overall favorite version is marked with two stars (**); one star (*) is used to indicate that a particular version stands out in terms of singing, orchestra, sound, or other miscellaneous qualities.

**ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST (1965) - YouTube

Don Quixote: Richard Kiley

*SINGING: Kiley’s vocals are subtle but powerful and he is, frankly, unlikely ever to be bested in his interpretation of this song. He achieves so much just with his careful note placement and deft juxtaposition of commanding sustained notes against quiet, vulnerable passages - in other words, he establishes character through his singing voice alone. The muleteers’ mocking repetition of Quixote’s serenade makes for a vivid and jarring end to the track.

*ORCHESTRA: The understated orchestrations play various instruments against each other, including colorful woodwind groupings and noble-sounding horns, punctuating the spaces between sung phrases. All of this is subtly blended with the ubiquitous guitar, a key part of the show’s sound. The brassier texture of the mocking section of the song makes for a nice contrast.

*SOUND: The sound is flawless to my ears, with vocals and orchestra perfectly clear throughout. I’m not an expert on recording techniques, but I think engineers were much more aggressive with stereo effects in this era than they are now, and I find that very satisfying.

MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is quite fast compared to later versions.

MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK (1972) - YouTube

Don Quixote: Peter O’Toole

SINGING: O’Toole, of course, can’t match the other three singers for power and vocal control, but he does contribute lots of personality, and he builds up to a nice ending. The film’s approach to this song in general is quite different from the other versions, really leaning into Quixote’s daftness, and O’Toole is a good match for this take.

ORCHESTRA: As with O’Toole’s performance, the orchestration of the film version is very much its own thing, with a decidedly ethereal, string-oriented sound.

SOUND: The sound is terrible, but I am not quite sure of the original source and how it was captured for YouTube, so I won’t judge too harshly. The muleteers’ part of the song in particular is a raucous aural mess. 

*MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is very slow compared to the other versions, which is again in keeping with the movie’s approach to the song and character. I awarded this one the star because of the lovely orchestral passage included between Quixote’s song and the sneering response.

STUDIO CAST (1996) - YouTube

Don Quixote: Plácido Domingo

SINGING: Domingo’s formidable vocals are quite effective for this song, but he can’t match the vulnerability communicated by Kiley and Mitchell. I know it sounds absurd to say this about a Spanish tenor playing a Spanish character, but Domingo’s accent gets in the way a little bit, especially with some of the deliberately archaic lyrics that have to be sung quite quickly.

ORCHESTRA: Quite similar to the original orchestrations.

SOUND: This exemplifies what I’d call a muddy sound, by which I mean that the bass is heavily favored in the mix, to the detriment of some other vocal and orchestral details.

MISCELLANEOUS: Tempo is slightly slower than the original; the mocking response isn’t included on the track (and I don’t particularly miss it).

BROADWAY REVIVAL CAST (2002) - YouTube

Don Quixote: Brian Stokes Mitchell

SINGING: Mitchell’s delivery doesn’t veer too far from Kiley’s, and I’d say he’s about 95 percent as good, which is meant as a huge compliment. He leans a little more on what you might call “character touches” in his interpretation rather than conveying Quixote’s noble essence through singing technique alone. This track includes the most succinct and amusing version of the muleteers’ recap of the song.

ORCHESTRA: The orchestrations are very much along the lines of the original version, but the orchestra is noticeably smaller. The guitar is more prominent in this version than the others, which works nicely for this song and this score.

SOUND: Mostly quite good; some of the loudest vocals seem a little clipped, but the balance between voice and orchestra is good.

MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is again a bit slower than the original. The track includes a somewhat longer spoken intro before the song starts. This version is really a very close second in all aspects; a few years ago I wrote a glowing review of the whole recording.

Thanks, as always, Mike. It's fun to look back at a song from one of my favorite shows and scores! - Jeff

2023 -2024 Broadway Musical Logos: Suffs and Hell's Kitchen

Two of the last shows of the season are the subject of today's show art analysis. Though both started life off-Broadway at the Public Theater, on paper, they couldn't be any more different. One is a "from scratch" show full of historic heroines, starring the book writer/composer. The other is loosely based on the life of the singer/songwriter of the 90s-set jukebox musical. But they are alike in a very important way: they are both all about the power and empowerment of women. So are the logos as different as their subjects, while celebrating their common themes? And are they successful? The answer is a resounding "yes!"

2023 - 2024 Broadway Musical Logos:

Suffs & Hell's Kitchen

Suffs

Suffs, of course, refers to the suffragettes, who changed American history, through their movement to gain the right to vote. The key art reflects that significance in an elegant way. The rich textured purple is regal and elegant...strong.

The simple, bold font, is also elegant in white with gold doubling. But it stands out in all the right ways. The final "s" has "the musical" on its gold "sash," and is particularly effective as a subtle not to the female figure. The sash drapes on the letter as it would have on a suff.

The full key art only improves the already wonderful title. The taglines say a lot, and sets up an urgency and conflict, and tells you right off that there will be female power here. I also think the way the Suffs themselves are perfectly rendered. You see their 19th century garb - their boots and skirts, feminine and strong, but the rest of them are seen in shadow silhouette, advancing. It's really quite good.

Grade: A+

Hell's Kitchen

 
The first thing I noticed when the Broadway Logo was revealed was the vibrancy of the colors. A rich, bright yellow with some orange, balanced with darker reds, oranges, and blues of the Manhattan skyline - including the World Trade Center - of the 1990s. The bright blue of the title uses a font that suggests spray painted like so many areas of the time (while not ripping off Rent).

The full logo, though, really reveals the power of the story - a young woman stands tall over the city, atop a piano, styled to blend in with the skyline. She, the music and the city are inextricably linked, each a foundation of the other. This logo is among my favorites of the season.

Grade: A+

Broadway Games: Where Haven't We Seen You Before II

 Broadway Games:

Where Haven't We Seen You Before II:

This week's game asks you to pick the one show each Broadway luminary below didn't work on.

1. Jason Robert Brown

A. Broadway: The Last Five Years

B. Broadway: The Bridges of Madison County

C. Broadway: Honeymoon in Vegas

D. Broadway: Parade

2. Rachel Chavkin

A. Director: Hadestown

B. Director: Come From Away

C. Director: Lempicka

D. Director: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

3. Sutton Foster

A. Actor: The Scarlet Pimpernel (original production)

B. Actor: Jekyll and Hyde (original production)

C. Actor: Violet (revival)

D. Actor: Anything Goes (revival)

4. Casey Likes

A. Broadway: Back to the Future

B. Workshop: The Outsiders

C. Broadway: Almost Famous

D. Workshop: Water For Elephants

5. Terrence Mann

A. Actor: Cats (original production)

B. Actor: Pippin (revival)

C. Actor: Chess (original production)

D. Actor: Barnum (original production)

6. Paul Alexander Nolan

A. Actor: Water For Elephants 

B. Actor: The Phantom of the Opera

C. Actor: Jesus Christ Superstar (revival)

D. Actor: Parade (revival)

7. Lea Salonga

A. Actor: Miss Saigon

B. Actor: South Pacific

C. Actor: Once On This Island

D. Actor: Here Lies Love

8. Jessica Stone

A. Director: Kimberly Akimbo

B. Actor: Grease (revival)

C. Director: Water For Elephants

D. Director: Anything Goes (revival)

9. Paul Tazewell

A. Costume Design: Suffs

B. Costume Design: MJ: The Musical

C. Costume Design: Hamilton

D. Costume Design: The Wiz (2024)

10. Joy Woods

A. Actor: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical

B. Actor: The Notebook

C. Actor: Six

D. Actor: Little Shop of Horrors (current revival)

STOP SCROLLING NOW

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWERS!

1. Jason Robert Brown

A. Broadway: The Last Five Years

2. Rachel Chavkin

B. Director: Come From Away

3. Sutton Foster

B. Actor: Jekyll and Hyde (original production)

4. Casey Likes

D. Workshop: Water For Elephants

5. Terrence Mann

C. Actor: Chess (original production)

6. Paul Alexander Nolan

B. Actor: The Phantom of the Opera

7. Lea Salonga

B. Actor: South Pacific

8. Jessica Stone

D. Director: Anything Goes (revival)

9. Paul Tazewell

D. Costume Design: The Wiz (2024)

10. Joy Woods

A. Actor: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical