At This Theater: The Minskoff

At This Theater:

The Minskoff Theatre

Named for the man who developed the building where it is located, the Minskoff Theatre opened in 1973. It's first production was a splashy revival of the musical Irene, starring Debbie Reynolds and featuring her daughter, Carrie Fisher, in the ensemble. The venue is actually on the 3rd floor of an office building and is one of three Broadway houses that transports audiences to the seating area via escalator. (The other two are the Gershwin, and just recently, the Palace.) It has been home to a range of shows with a range of success. Solo shows include those by Henry Fonda, Patti LaBelle and Bette Midler, and some of its notorious flops include Metro, Teddy and Alice, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Dance of the Vampires. Longer runs have included the Tony-winning revival of Sweet Charity, a revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and 1995's Best Musical, Sunset Boulevard. The house was reconfigured to increase capacity for that show, and has remained that way ever since. Of course, its current tenant, The Lion King, having been there since June 2006, is its longest-running show.

The arcade that allows audiences to enter from both 44th and 45th Streets

Number of shows we've seen there: 7

Sweet Charity, Black and Blue, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1993), Sunset Boulevard (1995), The Scarlet Pimpernel, Saturday Night Fever, and The Lion King

      

         

Favorite shows we've seen there:  While I can honestly say that there was at least something enjoyable about each of these productions, three of them really stood out:

Sweet Charity (1986): Back when revivals were more reproduction* than revision, what a privilege it was to see one of Bob Fosse's signature shows, just as he directed and choreographed it. And to see Bebe Neuwirth and Michael Rupert perform their Tony-winning roles live was amazing. But the biggest thrill was seeing both Debbie Allen and Ann Reinking in the title role! *-The show won the Tony for Best Reproduction, not Revival!

Sunset Boulevard (1995): What would become one of my favorite musicals (and certainly one of my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber shows), this show is the only one I have ever seen twice in one day! The lush, sweeping score, the fabulous costumes and lavish scenery won my heart immediately, and after the matinee, we got right in line for cancellations for that evening. We got them! The four central performers, Alan Campbell, Alice Ripley, George Hearn and the over the top Glenn Close were campy perfection and chilling. Later, my favorite Norma, Betty Buckley won me over with her sensual, darker star turn. 

The Scarlet Pimpernel (Version 1 - 1997): Famously, this show played three different versions with three different casts and two theaters. But I loved the original in all of its old-fashioned grandeur. Though everything about it seemed old-school - a huge orchestra, splashy production numbers, drama, romance and lots of very funny moments - the whole thing felt very 90s modern, too. Sexy Douglas Sills swash-buckled and pranced his way to snarl the nefarious plans of the sinister Terrence Mann, while both vied for the attention of the stunning and duplicitous Christine Andreas. They all seemed to be having a ball, and so were we. The song "The Riddle," remains one of the best Act One closers of all my 40+ years of Broadway shows.

2024 - 2025 Broadway Musical Logos: Tammy Faye

Last week, we continued our logos series with a look at the first of the season's bio-musicals, A Wonderful World (HERE). This week, we dive into the show art for the other one, Tammy Faye, which recently began previews at the newly refurbished Palace Theatre. We thought the logo for the show about jazz legend Louis Armstrong did its subject well and with dignity. Will the advertising for a show about cultural icon/religious fraudster be as effective?

2024 - 2025 Broadway Musical Logos:

Tammy Faye

All decked out in "heavenly" shades of blues, yellows and pinks, the key art embraces both the pastel decadence of the 80s - the Bakker's biggest era - and the accouterments of the evangelical belief system - the puffy clouds surrounding the path to the "golden light.' The hot pink metallic sheen of the letters (not to mention the swirly capital "T" is both feminine and wholesome, yet still somehow manages to  capture the phony, show-bizzy quality of its subject matter.

To date, there are two iterations of the logo that feature Tammy Faye Bakker herself. First, the window card version, featuring both Tammy Faye (Katie Brayden) and Jim Bakker (Christian Borle), brings the version of our heroine and husband as most of us know them, as religious grifter co-hosts of The PTL Network. With a glittery "stairway to Heaven" amid the puffy clouds (or are they puffs of stage smoke?) and distant rainbow, they beckon you to join them with outstretched hands and hand mics. Vegas meets salvation in all its gaudy glory, draped in a blue tuxedo and a pink chiffon party dress. You can almost feel the suckers being drawn in. How 2024...

The other iteration features Tammy Faye all by herself. Here, I think, she seems a bit more sympathetic. She was, after all, not entirely a villain, but rather, a true ally to the gay community for example. Her heart was (mostly) in the right place, and in many ways, she was a victim of the machine she helped create. Arms up, palms open she reaches for her God. With her head back, a wide smile of exaltation on her face, she looks, dare I say it, genuine and innocent. It looks like she's practicing what she preaches.

On a final note, I'm a little surprised that it doesn't really lean heavily (not at all in some versions) on showcasing Sir Elton John as the show's composer. Is he not the draw he once was? Is there some element of distance from his efforts? Or do they want the focus to remain squarely on the title subject.

I think this expansive show art will look pretty terrific on the Palace's new, giant screen billboard. But no matter what key art the ad team landed on, the show's subject matter is polarizing. Either you are interested or repulsed, and that more than anything will have a lot to do with your ticket-buying decision. I'll be honest. This is a fine enough effort as a piece of key art, but has not persuaded me to go see it. I'm simply not interested in the Bakkers. Living through their saga was enough for me.

Grade: B

Broadway Games: Marquee Match-Up VI

Like most theater fans, we long ago set a goal of seeing a show in each of Broadway's 41 theaters. We've been lucky enough to have done just that some time ago. How many have you been to? Whether you've been to all of them or not, we bet you can remember which shows you've seen and where! This week's game has a lot to do with that. 

Broadway Games:

Marquee Match-up VI

DIRECTIONS: Match each of the marquees with two of the shows below. They may be current, past or future shows. Good luck!   

1.      2.      3. 

4. 5. 

 

A.   B.  C. 

D.   E. 

F.   G.   H. 

I.   J. 

STOP SCROLLING

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWERS YET!

1.    F.   I. 

2.  H.   J.      

3.   A.   C. 

4.   E.   G. 

5.   B.   D.