Friday 5: 5 Favorite Designs by Beowulf Boritt

5 Favorite Designs by Beowulf Boritt

Six-time Tony nominee and two-time winner, Beowulf Boritt burst on to the Broadway scene in 2005 with his scenic design for The 25th Annual Putnam County County Spelling Bee. Since then, he's designed 32 more productions, including Left On Tenth and Our Town this season. His work is never boring, and when you see his name in the Playbill, you know you are going to see some fascinating scenery. Here's our Friday 5 favorites:

Be More Chill

While we had some qualms with the show itself, the set was pretty cool. It felt like we were inside a computer chip...err...The Squip.

Chaplin

I loved the show, even though the critics didn't, and part of that was the dreamy aesthetic that played out in a black and white/sepia tone movie style. It was a sight to behold!

Come From Away

The homey Canadian solitude of Gander was presented on an expansive blue plank set, punctuated by trees whose roots extended into the auditorium. It was simple, but powerful - sometimes a clear September sky, sometimes a pub or Tim Horton's, and sometimes all at once. Magnificent and humble all at once, just like the subject of the show.

Rock of Ages

For my money, the set was the best thing about the show. As it stretched out into the house, you instantly felt like you were in the seedy 80s nostalgia of the Sunset Strip. The composite effect added to the overall rock and roll vibe.

The Scottsboro Boys

Still at the top of my list of the great musicals of the 21st century, this show's design might be a surprise to make this Friday 5. It was, after all very bare bones and representational. But that was the real genius of it. A plank and a chair could be a courtroom as easily as it could be a train car. Your imagination filled in the gaps, making you fully engage with the events as they played out. Brilliant.

At This Theatre: The Ethel Barrymore

Having been a legit theater for just over 92 years, it should not be a surprise that during its history the Ethel Barrymore Theatre has had some notorious tenants on its stage. Among them, the original productions of The Women, Pal Joey, and, notably, both A Streetcar Named Desire and A Raisin in the Sun. Of course, we haven't been around for as long, but we have seen our share of pretty amazing shows.

At This Theatre:

The Ethel Barrymore

The Shows We Saw There: The Life, Company (2006), Chaplin, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Band's Visit

How They Rate:

5. The Life (1997): Here's a show that everyone around me seem ecstatic about, while I sat there scratching my head. There were some terrific performances from Chuck Cooper, Pamela Isaacs, Sam Harris and especially Lillias White. And there were a few standout songs from Cy Coleman's score. But mostly, it wasn't as funny, meaningful or edgy as it thought it was.

4. Chaplin (2012): Mike and I were split on this one. We both enjoyed it, but I liked it more. The cast was aces, with stand out supporting performances from Wayne Alan Wilcox and Jenn Colella. Her songs, in particular, stood out for their catchiness and Colella's biting delivery. For me, though there were two stars of this underrated musical: the mesmerizing, detailed and completely magical star turn of Rob McClure, and the exciting tech that brought Chaplin to life as a black and white/sepia-toned movie. 

3. Company (2006): My second revival of one of my favorite Sondheims was so good, I saw it multiple times. We agreed that we loved the spare, actors-as-musicians, and it worked for us (though not everyone was as impressed). Barbara Walsh was an icy, delicious Joanne, and the vacant look in Elizabeth Stanley's eyes was something I don't think I'll ever forget. But it was the always wonderful Raul Esparza that really made this revival soar. I'm so glad it was recorded!

2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2014): Easily one of our favorite plays of all-time, it had spectacular production values (the lighting! the projections!) and a thoroughly engaging company of actors, lead, in our case, by the unbelievably superb Taylor Trensch, What really put this one to the top of our list, though, was the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat story. I held my breath for nearly three hours.

1. The Band's Visit (2017): I miss the singular feeling of being in a theater with over a thousand people in complete silence, so mesmerized were we all. I miss the singular feeling of being so involved in what I am watching that I completely lose track of time and space. The Band's Visit gave me both of those intense feelings. When was the last time a musical was as enthralling during its silent moments as during each of its gorgeous songs? The human experience of helping strangers because it is the right thing to do is something the world sorely needs, and that was the beauty of the show.

What's your favorite show or memory at The Barrymore? Email us at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet us @jkstheatrescene.

#2515

Ms. Broadway January 2018: Jenn Colella

After tabulating the votes from this site and on Twitter, I'm very pleased to announce that you chose Tony-nominated actress, Jenn Colella as 2018's very first Ms. Broadway!

I've been a fan of hers ever since the first time I saw her (in High Fidelity) and have had the pleasure of seeing her perform 4 times (soon to be 5 when I finally get to see Come From Away. Her versatility and powerhouse voice captivate me every time.  And her honesty, kindness and humanity inspire me.  Thank you, and congratulations!




A FEW FACTS:

• Birthdate: September 22
• Birthplace: Summerville, South Carolina
• IBDB Credits: 6 (My favorite: "Virtual Community Voice" in Dear Evan Hansen)
• IMDB Credits: 17 (My favorite: Great Performances - "Sondheim: The Birthday Concert"... and All My Children)
• Website: http://www.jenncolella.com/
• Great Interview: Out Interview

Headshots:

Off-Broadway/Regional:

Slut with Andy Karl

Lucky Guy with Jim Newman

Lucky Guy (That's her in the red dress!)

The Beebo Brinker Chronicles

Title Characters: Annie Get Your Gun and Peter Pan

Broadway:

Urban Cowboy (Sissy)

High Fidelity (Laura)

Chaplin (Hedda Hopper)

If/Then (Anne)

Come From Away (Capt. Beverley Bass)

Tomorrow: Mr. Broadway January 2018

DON'T FORGET! VOTE IN THIS WEEK'S POLL (TOP LEFT COLUMN)

CD Review: Bring It On: The Musical and Chaplin

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THIS WEEK'S TICKET CONTEST!

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK'S "HOT OR NOT" POLL!

As the theatre year rapidly draws to a close, with new shows grabbing all the headlines, I thought it might be nice to revisit a couple of shows from the beginning of the season.  I enjoyed both (click the "Show Reviews" tab at the top of the page to read my reviews) despite their flaws.  Both Bring It On: The Musical and Chaplin, like just about every other show this season, seemed to polarize theatre fans, and neither had spectacular runs or finances.  But I do think it is erroneous on the part of the "against" camps to completely dismiss either show.  Nowhere is that more obvious than the Original Broadway Cast Recordings of these shows.

Both recordings are high quality in terms of packaging, sound quality, and very high performance levels.  Both definitely have their highlights, and both will still likely have their detractors.

Bring It On: The Musical

Grade: A

Title: Bring It On: The Musical

Artist: The Original Broadway Cast 

Label: Ghostlight Records and Back Lot Music

Number: 5797-00022-5

Format: Single CD

Case: Card Stock Folder, with pocket

Booklet: Full color, 38 pages.  Complete lyrics.  Package Designed by Jennifer Wroblewski.  Cover Art by Peter Lang and Jennifer Wroblewski.  Production photos by Paul Aresu, Joan Marcus and Craig Schwartz.  Produced for Records by Alex Lacamoire, Tom Kitt and Kurt Deutsch.  Executive Producer Kurt Deutsch.  Executive in Charge of Back Lot Music Mike Knobloch.

First and foremost, like the show, the CD is FUN.  It hardly aspires to more, and yet there is much to admire beyond the Sports Center vibe and the pounding rhythms of the cheer-dance mix sounds infused in much of the score.  It was nearly impossible to keep my feet still when I listen to this.   And like most catchy songs on the radio, it is fun to sing (or chant) along with the infectious hooks.  Second, it is fun to guess who wrote which songs, and who provided the mostly catchy and sometimes insightful lyrics - Tom Kitt, Amanda Green and/or Lin Manuel Miranda.  For the most part, the lyrics are spot on for trendy teens in the Twitter era, offering humorous and heaping loads of irony.  Even the over sincerity of the inner-monologue numbers work.

Third, and most importantly, the recording introduces some amazing talents who can sing and act.  It is darned near impossible not to fall for the sweet charms of misfit Bridget in the dynamic hands of Ryann Redmond, or the sassy bravery of La Cienega in the dramatic hands of Gregory Haney.  The comic Valley Girl-ish turns by Janet Krupin, Kate Rockwell and Neil Haskell as Kylar, Skylar and Steven are just as fun here as they were live.  As the geeky hero of the story, Jason Gotay really comes across on the recording as the smart and romantic voice of reason.  And "Eva's Rant" is a scream in the devilish power belt provided here by Elle McLemore.  But is it the star turns provided by the co-starring ladies of the show, Taylor Louderman and Adrienne Warren that really make this CD a must have for your cast recording collection.  What amazing voices!  Here's hoping we hear a lot more from the entire cheer-tastic cast in the future!

Chaplin

Grade: B

Title: Chaplin

Artist: The Original Broadway Cast 

Label: Masterworks Broadway

Number: 88765 43950 2

Format: Single CD

Case: Single Jewel Case

Booklet: Full color, 10 page booklet.  Logo illustration by Alex Trochut.  Production photos by Joan Marcus. Design Direction by Roxanne Slimak; Design by Frederico Ruiz; Packaging Manager Jennifer Liebskind.  Liner notes by Thomas Meehan.  Album produced by David Lai.  Complete lyrics available at chaplinbroadway.com and masterworksbroadway.com/music/chaplin .

That the show was even recorded should be enough.  And I'm glad they did, since the pleasures of the recording outweigh the problems.  One of the reasons I really enjoyed Chaplin was watching how it was staged - from the black and white pallet to the recreation of silent film scenes to the often brilliant conceptual numbers.  Of course, you can't see the staging when you are listening to the cast recording.  Were the score by Christopher Curtis more consistent in quality and tunefulness, the whole thing would that much better.  Numbers like "Sennett Song" and "The Look-a-Like Contest" lose something without the visual.  The better songs are just fine without the visual - "Just Another Day in Hollywood" and "All Falls Down" work no matter what.  Character-driven songs that come out very nicely here include "Look at All the People," "Where Are All the People" and the Finale.  Still, I can't imagine what a listener might think of "Man of All Countries" without having seen it on stage.

One of the biggest benefits of the recording is that it has preserved some wonderful performances, including all three leading ladies - Christiane Noll (heartbreaking), Erin Mackey (warm and powerful) and Jenn Colella (terrific in every sense).  And of course, there's the memorable performance of Rob Mc Clure, who sings the hell out of all his numbers.  Still, as Chaplin, his entire physical performance is lost here.  One hopes that in a few weeks, his efforts won't have been forgotten.

Everyone who has an interest in musical theatre benefits every time a show is recorded.  Great performances are memorialized, tunes are remembered, closed shows are brought back to life.  Even the weaker scores have moments of greatness; a lack of recording means that those scores, like the live show itself, would be just a memory.  Like a given show or not, we should all be thankful that these two made it to CD.

Jeff

4.216