What If Broadway Fans Were Like Football Fans?

As you probably know, even if you've only read a few of my blogs, I am not knowledgeable AT ALL about football.  Like the cast of Lombardi, before I go to that show this winter, I will need to read Football for Dummies.  But it is around this time of year when I start to feel a little left out.  Everyone, it seems, pulls out the stops for the playoffs and, of course, the Super Bowl.

I see it everywhere - sweatshirts, sweaters, team jerseys, hats, pins, buttons on people of all shapes, sizes, colors and creeds.  Homes are adorned with full-sized team logo flags, front yards have inflatable football players in the appropriate team colors.  And even cars are done up!  Everything from painted slogans on windows to football helmet door magnets, and those little flags - one on each side of the car - that flap elegantly in the breeze as the car goes down the highway.

My favorite is the arm carrying the football on the driver's side door!

As someone who enjoys being a fan of certain things, I whole-heartily approve of such excitement, loyalty and plain old fun.  Heck, in my neighborhood alone, the only time the guy next door to me on the left even speaks to the guy next door to me on the right is the few weeks each year that the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the playoffs.  Lately, that's been nice, but a few years there it was like the Hatfields and McCoys with years between truces.

Imagine that kind of fervor for Broadway shows!  The Tony Nominations are like the playoffs... we all pick "teams":  last year, I'd have been Team Memphis.  The Drama Desks, Outer Critics Circle and Broadway Audience awards are like those nifty bowl games.  And, of course, the Tonys would be the Super Bowl/

Picture Team Memphis in T-shirts - logos AND slogans, faces painted in neon pink, red and blue.  We are all wearing knit caps or baseball caps, and we are all screaming "Huck-adoo!"

Team Addams Family would have been eliminated in last year's playoffs, but picture everyone dressed as Lurch, Morticia, and Uncle Fester!  The banner? A nasty cobweb, of course!

And Team Fela! would have been, hands down the most colorful on the field!

And just imagine the half-time show...

I think I'm going to find investors for my show logo car door/bumper magnets.  I bet people would buy them.  You can probably guess which show would be on my bumper!

(Merchandise pictures from footballfanatics.com and playbillstore.com)

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.134

Goodbye Old Friends, Part I

Let the "Great Broadway Shut Down of 2011" begin.  Just as shows close after the Tonys each spring, a bunch of shows usually close after the holidays as Broadway hunkers down for the cold, lonely winter.  It is an annual cycle, one which allows theatres to become available for that next big hit.

Still, this year seems very brutal, with 14 shows scheduled to close before February starts.  A lot of them are limited engagements, a problem in and of itself.  A few are long timers who just ran out of steam.  And a few, most problematically to my mind, are brand new shows that never caught on with audiences.

Today, we mourn the loss of 8 Broadway shows.  EIGHT!   As the lights dim and each becomes a memory of Broadway history, here are my thoughts:

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Opened: October 13, 2010
Previews: 26     Performances: 94
My Review Grade: A
My Thoughts:  While I can understand the thinking behind saying things like "this show is too off-Broadway for Broadway," I think it is wrong to perpetuate the notion that Broadway audiences can't handle something a-typical and boundary pushing.  Heck, isn't that what most theatre fans beg for?  Well, they gave it to us with this show, and no one showed up.  Like it or not, it was different and fresh and deserved more attention.  Shame on us.  Still, we got a set of hot new writers and director in Michael Friedman and Alex Timbers, and a brand new Broadway Male Star in Benjamin Walker.  And can you beat the tag line, "History just got all sexy pants!"?  An open run sadly cut short.

Brief Encounter
Opened: September 28, 2010
Previews: 21     Performances: 119
My Review Grade: A+
My Thoughts: Director/writer Emma Rice spun gold out of two middling Noel Coward pieces, combing them into a glib, romantic and thrillingly theatrical evening.  Noel would be thrilled.  The visuals were stunning and memorable, but instead of overwhelming the story, it only enhanced it.  The show was part of the Roundabout season, and so was only ever to be a limited engagement, and it was extended at that.

Elf: The Musical
Opened: November 14, 2010
Previews: 15     Performances: 58
My Review Grade: A
My Thoughts: Finally, a holiday show that I would like to see again, and any time of the year.  My love affair with writers Chad Begeulin and Matthew Sklar, as well as Amy Spanger.  And Sebastian Arcelus is at the top of my favorites list.  A limited engagement always, the show made a ton at the box office - I hope it recoups - and I really wouldn't mind it if it showed up this time next year.

Fela!
Opened: November 23, 2009
Previews: 34     Performances: 462
My Review Grade: I didn't see this one.
My Thoughts:  You could have knocked me over with a feather back in the fall when it was announced that the show would close so soon.  I can only judge by people's reactions, many of whom put the show on their best of the year lists in 09 and 10.  Still, a unique entertainment that lasted this long is to be commended.  When it opened off-Broadway, did they really think Broadway, London and National Tour?

The Pee-Wee Herman Show
Opened: November 11, 2010
Previews: 18     Performances: 62
My Review Grade: I didn't see this one.
My Thoughts:  A hit show is a hit show, right?  Lots of people just a bit younger than I am went, loved it, and would never have dreamed of seeing a Broadway show before this.  Maybe Pee-Wee has birthed a few life long theatre goers.  A limited engagement that was extended and recouped is a great thing these days.

Promises, Promises
Opened: April 25, 2010
Previews: 30     Performances: 291
My Review Grade: A+
My Thoughts: I loved this show and will miss it terribly.  I won't dwell on the controversies that plagued the show.  But it did provide me with two unforgettable experiences that I will cherish always: Kristin Chenoweth Tweeting about my review, and later, meeting her at the stage door to thank her.  She actually stopped for more than a minute to shake hands and speak to me.  People looked at me like I was a star.  And I was smitten all over again!  Too short a run for a great old-fashioned, beautifully staged musical.

West Side Story
Opened: March 19, 2009
Previews: 27     Performances: 748
My Review Grade: A+
My Thoughts: This classic is one of my all time favorites, and a staging that recreated the original was both nostalgic and profound.  The dancing was as breathtaking as I always imagined.  I didn't even mind the Spanish.  And how many shows get better when replacements come in?  This is one show I wish I had gotten to one more time.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Opened: November 4, 2010
Previews: 30     Performances: 69
My Review Grade: I didn't formally review the 2nd preview - I had hoped to get back to it on the 16th.  But even as it was, I'd have given it a B- at the 2nd preview.
My Thoughts:  Congratulations, Internet rats!  You finally killed one before it got off the ground.  OK, it probably still lacked some how (Sherie Rene Scott was miscast, and really not good.  It wasn't the material.) as it was busy, but never frenzied.  Ultimately, it was a mix of circumstances, including unrealistic expectations that killed this one.  Still, it was a lot of fun and a thrill to see such talent all a one time.
Prediction: Laura Benanti will be Tony nominated and could even win.

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene or Tweet me!@yahoo.com
Jeff
2.124

And the Grammy Goes to...

The Grammy Award nominations were announced a couple of days ago, and as usual the big pop music nominees grabbed the headlines (you go, Eminem!).  But my favorite category went by without so much as a notice beyond the theatre websites.  No biggie! We all know a good thing when we hear it, right?

 

The good news is (at least in my opinion) that the Best Musical Show Album category has zero filler this year and it represents the fair spectrum of musicals that have played Broadway in the last year.  But I'm not sure who votes for the winners.  Is it people that are part of that category?  Is it the entire voting population? Have the voters seen the productions, too and does that influence the voting?  And do they vote on just the recording -quality of sound, music and lyrics - or the whole package - the CD booklet, the entire production of the album?  (If you know the facts, please feel free to share with me and I'll post it!)

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I own only three of the five cast recordings nominated, and I have actually seen four of the five productions.  So the opinions I offer here are somewhat incomplete, and for that I apologize.

 

Here are the nominees, in alphabetical order, and my thoughts:

 

Green Day's American Idiot

 

The link to my CD review is HERE.

 

My thoughts:

• The album plays as well, if not better than the actual show.  Free of all the visual clutter, the CD allows you to really listen to the lyrics and the music.  Tom Kitt's orchestrations are superb and really add to the music without making any of them sound like typical show tunes.
• If it matters, the the CD itself is wonderfully produced with great pictures, and a booklet that includes liner notes and full lyrics.
• Depending on who votes, the fact that this was once a rock album (or two) could be a plus if everyone votes, or a minus if the stuffy old school theatre folk only vote.  If that is the case, the nomination is the award.
• Unless musicians who know what they are hearing vote, Kitt's masterful contribution will again go unnoticed, much like his snub at the Tonys.

 

Personally, it is my favorite of the cast recordings nominated this year.

 

Fela!

 

I do not have the CD, nor have I seen the show.  But based upon what I know...

 

My thoughts:

• The producers of the show, namely Will Smith and "Jay-Z" are popular and well-regarded in the music business, a real plus here.
• The show itself got nearly unanimous raves.
• Its political underpinnings could be a plus or a minus, again depending upon who votes.
• On the down side, the style of music, minus the staging visuals may have very limited appeal.
• And I certainly hope that when recorded, the cast sounded better than any of the live on TV performances I've seen.

 

Ultimately, the recording may lose out, due to its narrow appeal, despite its acclaim and musical producers.  Or it could win just because of those very things!

 

A Little Night Music -The New Broadway Cast Recording

 

The link to my CD review is HERE.

 

My thoughts:

• Amongst theatre goers, feelings about this production are sharply divided, which might come into play depending on who votes.
• A Sondheim score is pretty much a given in terms of quality, so that isn't an issue, especially with a known score like this one.
• What might play against it is that the score is already beloved in its original cast version with a very full orchestra.  Despite what you think of the smaller orchestration (I like it), and no matter what you thought of it as played live in the theatre, purists and musicians alike may shy away from the less is more approach.
• What it does have going for it is its completeness, including superbly acted short scenes from Angela Lansbury and company.  It makes the whole thing more understandable, especially if you haven't seen the show.

 

I love the recording.  But I don't think it is "showy" enough.

 

Promises, Promises - The New Broadway Cast Recording

 

The link to my CD review is HERE.

 

My thoughts:
I personally love this recording, but I see more "against" it than "for" it.
"For" it: 

• The performances are uniformly good, and fairly jump out of the speakers.
• The orchestrations and pit voices are crystal clear and sound great.
• Kristin Chenoweth is in terrific voice here, and Lord knows the girl is popular in any medium.  And Sean Hayes also sounds great, which might surprise people who know him only from Will and Grace.
• The production values of the CD and booklet are top rate, if that counts at all.

"Against" it:

• The original cast recording is a classic, and that production is still remembered fondly.
• This version suffers in comparison because, while it replicates (very well) the distinctive "Bacharach-David" sound, the fact that it is so crystal clear might actually work against it.
• If the voters follow theater, they might be influenced by the controversy surrounding Ms. Chenoweth's performance, though the recording by itself offers a wonderful characterization and superb readings of the songs, including "I Say a Little Prayer" and "A House is Not a Home."  Their addition to the score could be a plus or minus.

 

I have never taken this out of my CD player since I got it - that is how much I love it.  But I'm thinking its chances are 50-50.

 

Sondheim on Sondheim

 

I saw this production, but I do not have the CD yet.  I can, however, offer this:

 

My thoughts:

• As always, depending upon who votes, the styling of the songs, most of which veer far from their original interpretations, may be a plus for musicians who can appreciate the styling, the re-arrangements and out-of-context nature of the selections.  For purists who like their Sondheim shot straight, this could be a turn-off.
• If seeing the show plays into it at all, this show had the shortest run.
• The singers - particularly Vanessa Williams and Barbara Cook are well-known and loved by the music community, Broadway and otherwise, which is a definite plus.
• Not having heard it, but knowing that some of the Sondheim narration is included.  How it plays on the CD, I can't say, but if they've worked it into the CD as well as they did the show, it is a definite plus.
• And whether this should influence votes or not, Sondheim is a master, and he has been the focus of dozens of tributes, etc., to the extent that the public at large knows who he is and that he has hit an age milestone.
• Will the fact that two of the five recordings have all to do with Stephen help or hurt?  Will it split the vote and open the door for one of the other three nominees.

 

I have no idea how this will play out.  But I can say that -even without hearing two of them - the quality of the selections this year is very high.  It may be cliche, but cliches all have a grain of truth to them:  all of these choices are winners!  And think about the shows with CDs that did NOT get nominated...

 

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.94

Bits and Pieces for 08.15.10

NEW POLL!  VOTE NOW!

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED!

• Best of the Decade: Best Musical Revivals, Part II
• Virginia's Tony-Winning Signature Theatre
• Words, Words, Words!
• REVIEW: next to normal (New Cast)
• Looking Back: The Capeman
• Broadway Ladies: Ms. August 2010

(NOTE: The answers to last week's "Broadway Drinking Game" are at the very bottom of today's blog!)

SPIDER-MAN IS OFFICIAL...AT LAST!

In reviewing all of my blogs over the past year - yes, a whole year has almost come and gone - I had to laugh when I saw that my SECOND blog ever discussed the troubles facing Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.  And as I always say, good or bad, I never hope or wish a show has bad luck.  Well, this show has had (and will likely continue to have) its share of public troubles.  But at least now we have some firm news:  previews 11.14.10, opening 12.21.10, at the Foxwoods Theatre, starring Reeve Carney, Patrick Page, and Jennifer Damiano.  Considering that full cast rehearsals begin TOMORROW, I am surprised we don't know the rest of the cast yet. 

It is a year later, and nothing surprises me about this show anymore...

CHESS AT SIGNATURE: THE VIDEO

I will not be posting my review of the show until it officially opens in a couple of weeks, but thought I might post this video they put together to promote the show.  You will notice that the signature song (no pun intended) they are using is "Nobody's Side," a song that gets the same emphasis in production.  What I will say is that the video is slickly produced and does reveal the strongest aspect of the production, though not necessarily in the visual sense.  I would love to hear from you what you think of this video, and if you saw the show in Virginia, too, let me know what you thought.  I wonder which "side" of the consensus opinion I will be on...

DIDN'T SEE THIS ONE COMING...DID YOU?

Well, I wasn't too surprised to see the confirmation after weeks of speculation that Patti LaBelle would be replacing Lilias White in Fela!  But you could have knocked me over with a feather when I went on to read that the show was posting a closing notice of January 2, 2011!  I guess the producers would know much better than I how future sales look, but it is definitely not the show I'd have picked to fold next based on the weekly B.O. reports.  Of course, a national tour was announced, blah blah blah.  Some have immediately jumped on the "it didn't win the Tony, so it is closing" bandwagon.  I think their numbers don't indicate that as much as say for Come Fly Away.  I do, however, think it could at least in part be because it simply does not play well out of context and what did play on national television looked sloppy, sounded out of key, and made little sense.  That and its advertising campaign, which I love visually - colorful, eye-catching, and if looked at closely, right on target as to content.  But ads for shows are worth 4 to 5 seconds to anyone other than a theatre-goer who really looks each and every one over.  Maybe a quite a few paused when reading that Will Smith and Jay-Z are producers, but when they aren't in the show?  And still others interested in African history and in Fela himself might have paused longer.  But really, everything about that aspect of the show - advertising - is definitely aimed squarely at a very small segment of the theatre-going public.  Regardless, it is a shame that a different, culturally/historically relevant piece couldn't last longer.

Coming Sooner or Later to this Blog!

• Trends of the Decade: The Downsizing of Broadway
• The Top Two Best New Musicals of the Past Decade
• REVIEW: A Little Night Music (re-visit)
• REVIEW: Signature Theatre's Chess
• REVIEW: The London Cast Recording of Promises, Promises
• Fall on Broadway: The Must-See Shows
• Broadway on TV: Which Stage Stars will light up your living room this season?

and...

• JK's Theatrescene Turns 1 Year Old!  (Can you believe it?  I can't!)

Broadway by the numbers:

• 160: Performances left of Fela! at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre
• 8: Performances left of the stunning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center
• 
  
  2: The number of additions coming to the Harris/Burtka family!  Congratulations, Neil Patrick and David on your impending blessing of twins!

Happy Birthday Last Week to...

08/08: Marcia Lewis (Chicago)

08/09: Brandon Espinoza (Big, The Will Rogers Follies)

08/10: Antonio Banderas (Nine)

08/11: Ian McDiarmid (Faith Healer)

08/12: Dana Ivey (Sunday in the Park with George)

08/13: Euan Morton (Sondheim on Sondheim)
08/14: Sarah Brightman (The Phantom of the Opera)

ANSWERS TO THE BROADWAY DRINKING GAME:
1. "Moonshine Lullaby" Annie Get Your Gun
2. "You're the Top" Anything Goes
3. "Hand Me the Wine and the Dice" Aspects of Love
4. "Are You There?" bare: a musical
5. "Gaston" Disney's Beauty and the Beast
6. "All That Jazz" Chicago
7. "Ladies Who Lunch" Company
8. "As We Stumble Along" The Drowsy Chaperone
9. "Man" The Full Monty
10. "We'll Take a Glass" Grand Hotel: The Musical
11. "Cocktail Counterpoint" La Cage aux Folles
12. "Memphis Lives in Me" Memphis
13. "God, That's Good!" Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
14. "There She Is"  Titanic
15. "Gin/Wild" LaChuisa's The Wild Party

The "Tony Bump": Is It Real?

Another thing that gets bandied about during Tony season is the"Tony Bump at the B.O."  I really wanted to see if this was a real or imagined result of Tony nominations.  And of course, after the awards are given, I'd like to see if there is actually a "bump" then, too.

So, I gathered the statistics of the four Best Musical nominees as well as two of the new musical non-nominees to what, if anything happened to ticket sales for these shows as a result of being (or not being) Tony nominated.  (I did not pick Sondheim on Sondheim or Everyday Rapture because at least some of their box office is subscription driven, and I don't know enough about that to even try an educated guess.)

What I looked at are the two fairest comparison points, I think: % of seats taken and average ticket price.  I also thought to consider how long a show has been running, keeping in mind that longer running shows might have had larger audiences when they were newer - their is a significant disparity in length of run between Fela! and Memphis, versus American Idiot and Million Dollar Quartet.  The two other shows, The Addams Family and Come Fly Away are relatively close in performances themselves.  The number of performances listed below is as of May 23rd, which is also the last day of the period studied.  And of course, I took into consideration the number of Tony nominations to see if they, in fact caused a change in box office.

BEFORE means the two weeks before the Tony nominations, DURING means the week of the announcement, and AFTER means the two weeks after the announcement.

Here are the numbers for each show:

American Idiot: 40 performances, 3 Tony nominations

BEFORE: Avg. Attendance: 75.5%     Avg. Ticket Price: $75.29
DURING: Avg. Attendance: 68% (down 7.5%)     Avg. Ticket Price: $82.75 (up about $5.50)
AFTER: Avg. Attendance: 75.5% (up 7.5%, but even overall)  Avg. Ticket Price: $80.50 (down, but still more than before)

• American Idiot  seems to be at a level in the mid 70%s over the whole period, while their average ticket price is moderately up.

BUMP-O-METER:  Barely a change, but trending upward.

Fela!: 207 performances, 11 Tony nominations
BEFORE: Avg. Attendance: 76.5% Avg. Ticket Price: $68.49
DURING: Avg. Attendance: 93% (up 16.5%) Avg. Ticket Price: $71.92 (up about $3.43)
AFTER: Avg. Attendance: 94% (up 27.5%! from before) Avg. Ticket Price: $76.50 (up $8.00 from before)

• Fela! certainly has benefited from its Tony nominations; it has the most nods and the highest percent increase of any show.  And their average ticket price is moderately up.

BUMP-O-METER: Fela! is really working its Tony mojo!

Memphis: 248 performances, 8 Tony nominations 

BEFORE: Avg. Attendance: 72% Avg. Ticket Price: $66.22
DURING: Avg. Attendance: 69% (down 3%) Avg. Ticket Price: $69.50(up about $3.25)
AFTER: Avg. Attendance: 77.5% (up 8.5%, overall) Avg. Ticket Price: $69.50(trending up, but leveling off)

• Memphis seems to be at a level in the mid 70%s over the whole period, while their average ticket price is moderately up. Throughout the run, the show is usually in the mid 70% range, peaking occasionally in the low 80% and going as low as mid-60s.

BUMP-O-METER: With 8.5% overall increase and ticket prices creeping upward, Memphis seems to be feeling the Tony bump, especially given that it is the oldest show on the list.




Million Dollar Quartet: 49 performances, 3 Tony nominations

BEFORE: Avg. Attendance: 68.5% Avg. Ticket Price: $72.15
DURING: Avg. Attendance: 58% (down 9.5%, the largest drop of any on the list) Avg. Ticket Price: $76.30 (up about $4.15)
AFTER: Avg. Attendance: 68% (up 10%, but even overall) Avg. Ticket Price: $72.40(down, but even overall)

• Million Dollar Quartet, just like American Idiot, seems to be at the same level (in the high 60%s over the whole period, but their average ticket price has leveled off.

BUMP-O-METER: Barely a change, and not trend at all.


Of the Best Musical nominees, the biggest winner is also the show with the most nominations, with the second biggest show nominations wise is also a strong second, while the two shows with the lowest number of nominations seem to be pretty level.  Looks like there might be something to this "Tony Bump" thing, after all.

But wait!

The Addams Family: 52 performances, 2 Tony nominations, not Best Musical

BEFORE: Avg. Attendance: 97% Avg. Ticket Price: $115.08
DURING: Avg. Attendance: 95% (down 2%) Avg. Ticket Price: $109.90 (down about $5.10)
AFTER: Avg. Attendance: 97.5% (up 2.5%, but even overall) Avg. Ticket Price: $109.64(up, but leveled out)

• The Addams Family, critical whipping boy, is the highest grossing, highest attended and highest average ticket price of any new musical this season.  And there don't seem to be any significant ticket discounts, either.  No one seems to care that it didn't win the Tony committee over. 

BUMP-O-METER: Who needs a bump when you are the top of the heap?

Come Fly Away: 40 performances, 2 Tony nominations, not Best Musical

BEFORE: Avg. Attendance: 70.5% Avg. Ticket Price: $90.93
DURING: Avg. Attendance: 66% (down 3.5%) Avg. Ticket Price: $99.55(up about $8.50)
AFTER: Avg. Attendance: 69% (up 2.5%, but even overall) Avg. Ticket Price: 96.57(down, but still more than before)

• Come Fly Away seems to be at a level in the low 70%s over the whole period, while their average ticket price is leveling but still incredibly high.  The discounts are not huge, and again, it seems to be doing a great job considering the ho-hum critical response, the economy, and lack of Tony recognition.

BUMP-O-METER: Barely a change, but with Frank on board, the future looks like it could be decent.


THE BOTTOM LINE:  While the Tony nominations did help the biggest two nod-getters, when you factor in two shows that by all rights should be closed, but are outselling all four Best Musical nominees, either by attendance and/or ticket averages, one thing is abundantly clear:  Audiences will pay more for what they want to see, critics or Tony nominations be damned.


Comments?  Leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.
Jeff

YouTube on Broadway: The Tony Nominees, Part 1

It's been some time since I last blogged about the television commercials for shows.  Thanks to YouTube, those of us who don't live in the NYC viewing area can see these little 30 second gems. 

I thought today that I'd take a look at the commercials for the two most diverse musicals that are up for Best Musical 2010, Fela! and American Idiot.  I can't imagine two more diametrically opposed shows, can you?

Fela!

First up is the only show of the four that I haven't see yet, Fela!  Can someone please write and tell me how the title is pronounced?  I've heard it pronounced like "filet," which I'm pretty sure is wrong.  I've heard it pronounced, on the Broadway Channel, no less, as "feh LAH."  And this commercial pronounces it like "fella."  Anyone?

From an advertising standpoint, I have to say that this commercial really works for me, and has even gotten me one step closer to going.  I love the emphasis on Fela himself, while is culture surrounds him - the dancers are beautiful and colorfully dressed, and oh so limber!  His signature sax figures prominently, too.  And I especially like how the reviews appear in the background, like handwritten graffiti (and I don't mean the vandalism kind, I mean the artistic kind).  And of course, selecting a segment of the show (assuming it is actually in the show, and if it isn't I'd be very disappointed) that highlights the African tribal culture through the use of florescent body paint.  It is exciting, dark and colorful all at once, and really gives the flavor of the show.  I'd give this ad a grade A.  What do you think?





American Idiot

I will assume that since it has opened, a newer commercial is on TV for American Idiot, considering that this one trumpets its impending opening.  Still it is easy to see where the voice over and screen shots could be easily switched out.

Now I come to this one with knowledge of the production, so I might be a bit less naive about its content, but I can still say that this one works as well.  And I think this show is a tough sell.  Let's face it, Green Day's audience is not made up primarily of theatregoers.  In fact, I'd venture to say that the vast majority of initial audiences has been made up of first timers.  To that end, I think it was wise to include the genesis from the album to the stage and interspersing animated graphics that resemble the album's iconic images. 

As far as the stage footage, I think they again chose wisely.  They show exciting theatricalized moments - I bet the flying sequence gets a few tickets sold each time it airs.  It also shows close ups of John Gallagher, Jr. singing directly at us, sounding very rock start-concertish, and it sounds very much like the album when he wails, "I don't wanna be an American idiot!"  Again, this might lure those skeptical Green Day fans as well as theatre fans who remember their beloved Moritz.  And finally, how wise to also show that the cast doesn't include the band itself, and in fact has a fairly large cast, rocking their asses off, including several girls, which, of course, would not be at a Green Day concert. 

In short, I think this ad captures both the genre of the music and the theatricality of this version.  The best of both worlds, I think.  I'd give this ad a grade A as well.  What do you think?



Coming up this week: the commercials for the other two Best Musical nominees, Memphis and Million Dollar Quartet.  Plus, a look at commercials for shows that didn't make the cut:  Come Fly Away and The Addams Family.

For all of my blogs related to this season's Tony Awards, click on "Tony Awards" at the top of the blog, just under my title.  Thanks for reading!

Comments?  Leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.
Jeff

To Tour or Not To Tour: That is the Tony Question!

THIS BLOG ENTRY HAS BEEN EDITED AFTER ITS INITIAL POSTING.  SEE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

What follows is a bit of a rant, a bunch of conjecture, and a few sour grapes. Almost none of it can be verified, but I am pretty sure it is accurate, if not in detail then in spirit.

Tony nominated and tour-ready Fela!

The Tony Awards, as we know, have the potential to generate a lot of business for a season’s plays and musicals. And that is mainly because they get national exposure. So audiences that can’t get to New York, and may not even have heard of a certain title, can recognize guaranteed quality if the ads read “Winner! 2010 Tony Award!” And because everyone knows the Tonys are fair and really reward the very best talent and productions on Broadway. Right? Ummm…

Well, that may be the case in the acting categories (if you believe that no lobbying goes on there) because the actors in a Broadway production will eventually leave, get replaced, and rarely end up on the national tour. LA maybe, but beyond that, rarely do the folks in Des Moines get to see the big names.

But you’d have to live under a rock not to know that major lobbying goes on for productions to be nominated, and then voted upon in numbers strong enough to win. They put the kibosh on major swag several years ago, when huge dinners and expensive gifts were sent out. Now, I believe, productions are limited to cast recordings, press kits and photos and souvenir programs. And lobbying still continues.

The biggest thing, though, is that the majority of Tony voters are tour producers and the like, who have a vested interest in which shows they think will play well in the middle of the country. Just ask Urinetown: The Musical – winner of best book, score and direction, yet somehow was not best musical.

"Ah, Wednesday!  The critics hate us, the Tonys ignored us!

I love being an Addams, don't you?"

With today’s announcement by the previously un-headline maker, laying low Fela!, that it would in fact be touring, it has likely sealed its fate as Best Musical of 2010. Whether or not it deserves it is immaterial. Its biggest competition is probably Memphis, which announced its intentions to tour months ago, back before it mattered. Just before the nominations were announced, the critically raped The Addams Family threw its touring hat in the ring. Not that it needed to…it will sell coast to coast, but announced nonetheless in hopes that it might tip the scales for that 4th spot. Holy Julie Andrews, it went to the ridiculous Million Dollar Quartet, anyway!

Why am I so pumped up about this? Well, I remember two incidences in recent memory, aside from the obvious Urinetown/Millie debacle that have to do with the Tonys and touring.

"Vote Your Heart" won us the Tony!

Back in 2003, Avenue Q lobbied hard for its Tony for Best Musical. It made headlines for throwing “campaign parties” with guest lists heavy on touring management and the like. What tipped the scales? A promise that Avenue Q would indeed tour the country. The award was won, and then the tour plans were promptly cancelled – a Vegas run would be cheaper instead. (As it turned out, AQ flopped in Vegas and toured, anyway.) To that I cry "foul!"  Of course, Wicked, like The Addams Family, didn’t really need the Tony… business is still booming over at the Gershwin and nation-wide. (For the record, I think the Tony went to the right show that year.)

"Oh! Mr. Todd!  We got gypped!"

Then there was the one that really irked (still irks) the hell out of me. In 2006, Roundabout Theatre Company produced the revival of The Pajama Game starring Harry Connick, Jr. and Kelli O’Hara. That same season, the critically acclaimed John Doyle –Patti LuPone-Michael Cerveris revival of Sweeney Todd opened to rapturous reviews. The show re-imagined completely, the performances stellar, etc. etc. When both were nominated for Best Revival of a Musical, the press, the pundits and the websites were overrun with competitive articles - traditional versus avant-garde, both with respect to Pajama Game vs. Sweeney Todd and Original Sweeney Todd vs Revival Sweeney Todd. They were, by all conjecture, neck and neck. Then just when the voters started seeing the shows to vote on them, Pajama Game announced a national tour. The voters voted and artistic achievement lost to possible cha-ching. The producers got their beloved Tony, the show closed less than 3 weeks after the awards, and cancelled its tour. Sweeney ran almost a year and had a national tour. But it deserved the Tony.

My advice to the American Idiot camp: announce a tour, and if you can afford it after, have it. If not, you still might up your chances for being taken seriously.

And does anyone really think Time Stands Still will re-open if it loses the Tony award for Best Play?

It would just be nice to know, for sure, that whatever show is named Best Musical of 2010, really deserves it.  If it really is Fela!, great.  If it is Memphis, great.  American Idiot, no problem.  Million Dollar Quartet?  I want a public counting of the votes!

Comments? Leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.
Jeff

Bits and Pieces for 04.25.2010

Don't forget to vote in this month's poll!  It closes at noon on Friday, April 30th!

 

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS WEEK!
(And it was a lot!)

• REVIEW: La Cage aux Folles
• 2010-2011 Season Preview: The Musicals
• REVIEW: American Idiot
• On the Radar: Nightmare Alley
• REVIEW: Sondheim on Sondheim
• Shakespeare: The Musicals

**The solutions to Broadway Soduko are all the way at the bottom of this blog entry.  If you want to try them before you see the solutions, click on "Broadway Games" above and scroll down until you see the link for Broadway Soduko #1.

 

WELCOME BACK HOME, DAD!

 

Brian d'Arcy James and Alice Ripley in next to normal

 

While it is always sad to say goodbye to a favorite actor in a show you love, it is always exciting to see who will be the replacement.  Well, in this week's high profile departure/arrival news, we have a return!  On May 16th, J. Robert Spencer will play his final performance as Dan, beleagured father, in next to normal.  On May 17th, Brian d'Arcy James will take over the role.  I wonder how different the show is now from when James departed it.  Now that his "family" - Alice Ripley, Jennifer Damiano,  and "new" son, Kyle Dean Massey are thoroughly deep into their roles, I wonder how he will fit.  Like a glove, I'm betting.  And now I have ANOTHER reason to see n2n again!

 

(Asa Somers has also rejoined the company - he played the doctors in the off-Broadway version - as an understudy to the roles he originated...)

 

UM, MEMPHIS LIVES IN ME...

 

Charlie Williams - Mr. Memphis

The 4th Annual Broadway Beauty Pageant has been completed and this year's winner is Charlie Williams, Mr. Memphis.  This handsome guy is also one of the poster boys for Broadway Bares 20.  (A full "spread" on that is coming soon to this blog!).  The annual contest has some of the hottest guys currently onstage vying for the title through talent, interview, and, of course, bathing suit competitions.  All of the proceeds from this charity event go to the Ali Forney Center, which is a homeless shelter specifically for LGBT youth.

 

Other contestants included Wes Hart (Mr. West Side Story), Eddie Pendergraft (Mr. Wicked), Daniel Soto (Mr. Fela) and Rickey Tripp (Mr. In The Heights).  All of these guys, and their cause, are winners in my book!  But in case you needed more urging to finally go see Memphis, isn't Charlie a great reason to go??!!

Wes Hart and Daniel Soto

 

Rickey Tripp and Eddie Pendergraft

 

THERE WILL BE MUSIC
This week, three Broadway-related CDs were announced.  Currently on sale is music inspired by Come Fly Away (or is it the other way around).  I think they should have recorded the actual Broadway band, not compiled them from somewhere else.  And it isn't even complete to the show!  (The best number, "Take Five", isn't on it, either!)

 

 

Then the track listing for Fela! due in June was released.  I haven't seen the show, but I do think it is cool that both male leads, who alternate, recorded it.  Apparently both versions will be available for download and at the theatre, but only one will be available in CD across the country.  Get your money ready, collectors!

 

And finally, they are going to record The Scottsboro Boys.  looks like a Broadway run is a sure thing now...

 

SPEAKING OF THAT
It worked for next to normal, so why not The Scottsboro Boys?  Both shows have controversial subject matter, traditionally better suited to off-Broadway, so both started there.  Both shows hooked up with great producers, with deep pockets, and faith in the material.  And both will have gone out of town for a "clean up try-out" - normal went to DC's Arena Theatre, and the Boys are going to Minneaoplis' Guthrie Theatre.  Next stop, Broadway!

 

BROADWAY BY NUMBERS
4: The number of days left in the 2009-2010 season.  Time sure flies!
1: The number of principals still attached to Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark.  His name is Reeve Carney.

 

Happy Birthday last week to:

 

4/18: Gavin Creel
4/19: Ashley Judd
4/20: Jessica Lange
4/21: Patti LuPone
4/22: Alan Campbell
4/23: Melina Kanakaredes
4/24: Barbra Streisand

 

BROADWAY SODUKO SET #1 SOLUTIONS

Easy: She's drowsy!  CHAPERONE

Medium: Kander and Ebb's most recent Broadway musical.  CURTAINS  extra letter K

Difficult: He has written the lyrics for three current Broadway shows.   SONDHEIM  extra letter J

Look for more Broadway-themed puzzles soon!

 

Comments?  Leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.
Jeff

Reality Broadway

As I review the season thus far on Broadway, it is easy to point out that only two musicals will have original scores - Memphis and The Addams Family.  And that four musicals - Come Fly Away, Sondheim on Sondheim, American Idiot  and Million Dollar Quartet are all centered around existing catalogues of music (by Sinatra, Sondheim, Green Day and Perkins, Presley, Lewis and Cash, respectively).  And notice how careful everyone is to NOT use that term... "Jukebox Musical"...

But what is really strinking about this season is the sheer number of real-life people are being portrayed in a wide variety of plays and musicals!  And they really run the gamut, too.

MUSICALS

• It has been awhile since I saw this, but I think Perry Como makes a brief appearance in Memphis.

The "Real" Million Dollar Quartet

• Million Dollar Quartet features Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as Sam Phillips of Sun Records.

• Sondheim on Sondheim features Stephen Sondheim (as himself), and half of All About Me is about a real person, Micael Feinstein (who also plays himself), and you'd swear Dame Edna was the real thing, though she isn't really, possoms.

Fela!

• Fela! has Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and several people who were influential in his life. 

• The revival of Ragtime featured Evelyn Nesbit, Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, Admiral Peary, J.P. Morgan and others from American history.

"Real Life" Evelyn Nesbit (center) mixes with "Fictional" Younger Brother in Ragtime

And that doesn't even count Jersey Boys (though not from this season) which is a musical full of "real people."

PLAYS

There are also several plays this season that feature people that really lived (or live).

Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller and the Keller Family appear in The Miracle Worker

• The Miracle Worker features Alison Pill as Anne Sullivan and Abigail Breslin as Helen Keller, while Matthew Modine, Jennifer Morrison and Elizabeth Franz  portray the rest of the Keller clan.

Valerie as Tallulah

• The just opened Looped stars Valerie Harper as Tallulah Bankhead.

Alfred Molina stars in Red

• Red  features real-life artist Mark Rothko, played by Alfred Molina.

A Scene from Enron

• Enron will be full of real folks: Jeffrey Skilling, Andy Fastow and Claudia Roe among others will be portrayed by Norbert Leo Butz, Stephen Kunken and Marin Mazzie, respectively.

All told, there will have been more than 25 actors portraying rael people this season.  Does this mean that Broadway has joined the "Reality" entertainment business, too?  Let's hope not!

(NOTE: In the time between when I wrote this (Sunday, March 14) and it appears (Wednesday, March 17), a similar blog was posted on Playbill Online.  Any "copying" was unintentional.  I guess great minds think alike!  :-) )


Comments?  Leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.
Jeff