And Then There Was One...The Musicals of Whoopi Goldberg

By the time this blog posts, there will be only one left.  Just one.   Two weeks ago, there were three.  Now, it will be 147 days until there are two again.  It sounds like one of those word problems from math class, doesn't it?

It's not that complicated when you realize I'm talking about Broadway musicals based on films featuring  Whoopi Goldberg.  As of the the time this blog posts, Sister Act will have closed, leaving only The Lion King playing.  Two weeks ago, there were three Whoopi-inspired shows on the Rialto: The Lion King, Ghost: The Musical, and Sister Act.  And in 147 days, on January 21, 2013, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella begins previews.  You may recall that she, along with Whitney Houston, Brandy, Bernadette Peters and Victor Garber starred in the most recent version of the classic tale.

So what will be the next Whoopi-film to be a musical?  I've got it narrowed down to 3 possibilities.

Jumpin' Jack Flash: The Musical 

• Whoopi and why it might work: She starred as Terri Doolittle, computer worker/bank data entry worker.  She gets mixed up in some spy espionage stuff and falls for a guy via text messages.  Romance, modern themes, and another chance to use video screens... a hit musical in the making.  
• What I'd pay to see: Patina Miller being dragged around the stage in a phone booth while singing about it.  
• Who should write it: The same team behind Bring It On.

Corrina, Corrina: The Musical

• Whoopi and why it might work: She plays a maid in the 60's who helps a grieving widower and his daughter who has become mute from the shock.  It's The Help meets The Miracle Worker meets Caroline, or Change.  Emotional, powerful, and a definite tear-jerker ending.  
• What I'd pay to see: Terri White consoling Will Chase and any young girl who has never played Little Cossette, Little Eponine or Annie.  
• Who should write it: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman with a book by Brian Yorkey.

Clara's Heart: A New Musical

• Whoopi and why it might work: She played an island resort maid who saves a grieving mother, and ultimately a whole family - including an emotionally neglected little boy - from the depths of despair.  Think Once on This Island meets next to normal with a dash of Billy Elliot.  
• What I'd pay to see: Capathia Jenkins using island wisdom on Marin Mazzie while boosting the self-esteem of any little boy who made the cut for Billy Elliot but never went on because the show closed early.  Plus, Neil Patrick Harris has to play the father, in a casting coups since he starred in the film version as the little boy.  
• Who should write it: I'd love to see what Adam Guettel would do with it.

I have a feeling it will a long time before Broadway is Whoopi-less.  Anyone taking bets on when The Lion King will close?  Who knows?  Maybe Fatal Beauty: The Musical will outlast them all...


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Jeff

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ON THE RADAR: Prometheus Bound

NOTE: SOME OF THE IMAGES BELOW MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED
WORK-SAFE (CONTENT, NOT NUDITY)

When you think of all the larger-than-life drama found in Greek mythology, it is hard to believe that more of it hasn't cropped up in Broadway musicals.  Well, Tony Award winner Steven Sater (Spring Awakening), Grammy Award winner Serj Tankian and Tony nominee (and environmental staging go-to girl) Diane Paulus (Hair) have come together to tell the story of Prometheus as a hard-edged rock musical.  Currently, the piece is being performed at A.R.T. in Boston, where it opened last night.  It stars Tony-nominee Gavin Creel as the title character.

TOP: Classic art version of the logo

BOTTOM: The Collaborators:

Serj Tankian, Steven Sater and Diane Paulus

If you are unfamiliar with the story... Prometheus, a Titan,  is chained on a mountainside as punishment for  having given the gift of fire to the human race, which freed them from their dependence on the gods.  The original epic is by Aeschylus.  This version is staged like a rock concert, with patrons standing mosh-pit style around the main stage and elevated playing spaces throughout the theatre.  As I said, Paulus knows a thing or two about using the whole environment for a theatrical staging.

Prometheus in a mosh pit:

100% environmental theater

To be fair, I have nothing to go on about this show beyond some statements about modern democracy and timeliness from Sater, so what I'm about to say may be just pure conjecture on my part.  But from the looks of it, Prometheus Bound has the look of what is becoming a trend - and perhaps even a trend that is growing tired quickly.  Judging from the photos, it looks very similar to - obviously - Spring Awakening  and Hair, but also Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and most of all, American Idiot.  A little of this style goes a long way is all I'm saying.

Deja vous?  Or something new?

And the show has already, despite having its first opening night just yesterday, had some impact beyond the theatre, which is usually a great thing.  It has caught the eye of Amnesty International.  And a recent release of the single "The Hunger" from the show will have all proceeds going to that organization.  Click HERE to read more about that.

Classic religious imagery with a modern rock sensibility

Even having conjectured the above, I still find the story, staging and star to be worth further attention.  Given the pedigree and caliber of the creative team and members of the cast, it wouldn't be too presumptuous to assume that there are higher hopes for this show past Boston.

Here is a sample of the show:



(Production photos by Marcus Stern, logos from American Repertory Theatre, collaborators photo from the Boston Globe.)

Comments?  Suggestions for other shows to put "on the radar"?  Leave them here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.186

From Ireland to Broadway and Back Again: 1916: The Musical

A few days ago I was contacted by the press agent for a new musical in the UK.  She was very complimentary about this blog and the quality of the comments that all of you leave.  And so she thought we might be able to help her out.  They have a website, a Facebook group and a brief video (below).  First, here is the press release I was sent, their words in BLUE:

1916: The Musical – Brief Summary

1916 is a new sung-through, epic musical on the scale of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. It is a love story set in Dublin during the Easter Rising of the same year. At its heart lies a relationship between a beautiful girl who falls in love with a British Soldier, but whose brother is a determined Republican. As the events of battle ensue this love triangle is tested to breaking point in both directions.

Production History - So Far

The original concept has been developed by Sean Ferris over the last three years. Over the last two years the writing team of Simon Humphreys, David Christmas and Stuart Hancock have now completed 70% of the libretto and score which is now in workshops in London and will complete by December this year.

This work is so good that Abbey Road Studios in London agreed to support us and we have just completed recording and mastering the concept album at their studios, which contains eight key songs from the show. We have also been offered a worldwide distribution contract for the original cast album by EMI Records.

In July this year we were invited to perform a half hour segment at the theatrical showcase event “West End Live” in Leicester Square. This was an unprecedented invitation as all other performances over the weekend were from existing and well known London shows. As a direct result of this we have been asked for a fuller length performance to be staged in Trafalgar Square next year as part of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations.  We will also be performing a set from the current workshops at The London Irish Centre in December this year for interested investors, coproducers and broadcasters.

The Future of 1916: The Musical

It had been our original intention to open this show in Dublin, however following discussions in Ireland with, amongst others, the President of the Hibernian Society, The Arts Council and Sinn Fein’s leader Martin McGuiness, we have been advised to open in Boston in April 2012, on the 96th anniversary of the Rising, from where the show will transfer to Broadway, London and return to Dublin for the Centenary itself in 2016.

Mr McGuiness described the work as “inspirational” and we are now in discussions with the Irish Governments on both sides of the border to make this the centrepiece of the Centenary celebrations.

While the work does have political threads by its very nature, this is not a revolutionary, anti-British piece, indeed quite the opposite is true. It tells the story of hungry people who overthrow their oppressive masters, but the history contributes greatly to the healing and reconciliation process begun by the Good Friday Agreement. It will change a generation’s perceptions about we know as “The Troubles”. Its subject matter and portrayal are not about violence, bombings and sectarian killings. This is a story of real people who drew up a charter for freedom and the right to peace.

Every member of the team to date has worked on this project as a volunteer, including the creative team, producers and musicians. We have had some notable volunteers including Paul Monahan, formerly The Phantom Of The Opera and The Bishop of Digne is Les Mis, and our Bridie has been chosen by Sir Cameron Mackintosh to play Eponine in his 25th anniversary production of the show. We are now in the process of raising the necessary funding for launch.

On the broadcast side, we have been approached by a US TV production company with a view to them securing the rights for a network TV show in the USA, covering the opening, and we are filming for a documentary series as well to coincide with the Centenary.

There is a fantastic story to tell here, not just the historical side of it, but also about the phenomenal impetus this has achieved in such a short time and the unbelievable collaboration of writers and producers to develop this project to this stage. We have also been approached by BBC Radio to present a concept for a series to be written and presented by Tim Rice. We have also planned a Centenary Concert of the entire work to be performed at Croke Park, Dublin on 24th April 2016 in front of a massive live audience of 80,000 and a global TV audience with simultaneous concert in the USA.

You can see our website at www.1916themusical.com and join our Facebook group to see what people are saying for real!

• “Look's good! Can't wait to go and see this one!”
• “Looks very exciting- can't wait to see it, looking forward to this one already....”
• “Great concept and looks to be being very well put together- looking forward to seeing this on the West End stage.”
• “Exciting!! Looking brilliant, really coming together!! Forget Les Mis! All eyes on 1916!”
• “What a fantastic, original idea! The music from that short clip? was so powerful - I can't wait to hear more! SO exciting!!”

This is truly an epic musical piece, imagine the wonderful orchestral
score infused with Celtic rhythms, pipes, harps and flutes.....

Sean Ferris and Martin Cox
Producers, 1916 The Musical

The website (http://www.1916themusical.com/) is pretty full of information, especially considering that a full production has yet to be completed.  Perhaps most importantly, there is information about the historical events being portrayed, events that most Americans probably do not know a thing about (myself included).  But that hasn't stopped us before - how much did you really know about the French Insurrection before you saw Les Miserables?  (I bet a lot of you still think it takes place during the French Revolution, like A Tale of Two Cities.  It doesn't.)  And if we can embrace the sad world of Billy Elliot, I'm pretty sure we can give this a chance, too.

Check out this video, a short documentary about the show to date, along with a rather bold announcement at the end:



And here is a bit of the show in performance at this year's West End Live (think Broadway on Broadway):



The folks associated with this show really want to hear your thoughts, so be sure to tell then what you think about what you've read and seen.

(Photos of 1916: The Musical at West End Live! courtesy of 1916 Productions (UK))
Jeff
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On the Radar: Nightmare Alley

I love a dark show, and those one looks pretty dark.  Currently having a regional run ay Geffen Playhouse, Nightmare Alley is set during the Depression, at a traveling circus side-show.  The show is based on the novel by William Lindsay Gresham.  It was later turned into a film starring Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell.

This musical has book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Brielle (above left).  With environmental stage design by John Arnone, this show, from the pictures at least, looks very interesting and creepy cool.

The company is lead by James Barbour, Mary Gordon Murray, Sarah Glendening, Larry Cedar and Michael McCarty.  There is an ensemble of 6 tarot ladies and roustabouts.  Direction is by Gilbert Cates, who is producing director at the Geffen Playhouse.

The Geffen Playhouse show logo.

Nightmare Alley star James Barbour

Mary Gordon Murray with James Barbour

Sarah Glendening and James Barbour

Larry Cedar and James Barbour

The Nightmare Alley Company

The Nightmare Alley set, designed by John Arnone.

The show began previews April 13 and plays through May 23.

For more information on the writer, go to http://www.jonathanbirelle.com/.

(Photos by Michael Lamont.)



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

On the Radar: The Scottsboro Boys

Like people who go to action and horror movies to get their vicarious fill of murder, violence and mayhem, I tend to get the maximum enjoyment out of theatre that provides me the vicarious thrill of delving into the dark side of the human experience. I think that seeing the performers live and just a few feet away makes the thrill even greater.

I bring this up because as I look back on similar "On the Radar" and review blogs, I notice (and you might, too) that I am drawn to musicals that have a darker side to them - Memphis, next to normal, Bonnie and Clyde, and even Wonderland. And so, too, is the next musical I've put on my personal radar: The Scottsboro Boys by John Kander, Fred Ebb (music and lyrics) and David Thompson (book), with direction and choreography by Susan Stroman.

This show, which was workshopped earlier in 2009, and will subsequently be produced by The Vineyard Theatre, is a musical about about a sad chapter in American history. In the 1930's nine black men were sentenced to death by a jury comprised entirely of whites for the rape of two white women on a freight train. After spawning several riots and protests, the Supreme Court overturned their death sentence, effectively killing the notion that a juror can be excluded because of his/her race. They did not, however, over turn the conviction and the men spent much time in prison.

Word-of-mouth and an article in The New York Post said of the workshop that this is Kander, Ebb and Stroman at their best, saying that the music and lyrics (as well as the staging) hearken back to the time when they were doing "adult," "serious and thought-provoking work," not unlike the shows Sondheim and Prince once did. Stroman's work, with just a few chairs and a bare stage apparently showed as much or more creativity than her previous works, The Producers and Crazy for You.

The Vineyard company will be headed by Tony-winner John Cullum, Brandon Victor Dixon(above), who also did the workshop, and Colman Domingo. Other cast members include Sean Bradford, Josh Breckenridge, Derrick Cobey, Rodney Hicks, Kendrick Jones, Forrest McClendon, Julius Thomas III, Sharon Washington, Cody Ryan Wise and Christian White.

This entirely new production, staged by Stroman (below) as a minstrel show, with Cullum acting as "interloper" between the whites and the coloreds, features one of the last full works Kander and Ebb completed before Ebb's death in 2004. Boys sounds similar in tone to their dark, but richly satisfying The Visit, and marks a departure from their more "show bizzy" works like the recent Curtains.


What the future will hold for this show (and The Visit) remains to be seen. But in these capable hands and with the backing of The Vineyard (birthplace of [title of show] and Avenue Q) it is as bright as it can be. Tickets go on sale on January 4; the show runs February 12 - March 21, 2010, with an Opening Night scheduled for March 10.

Photos: TOP: Kander and Ebb (Getty Images); CENTER: The Scottsboro Boys (Getty Images) and Brandon Victor Dixon (Broadway World.com); and BOTTOM: Susan Stroman (from her website).

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

On the Radar: Wonderland

The other day, I blogged about Frank Wildhorn's new musical, Bonnie and Clyde, which began its first public viewing this past week. A second Wildhorn show, Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure begins previews early next month in Tampa, with another engagement in Houston after the first of the year. While I am not looking forward to this one as much as B & C, there are many reasons to keep this one "on the radar."

Alice in Wonderland, which seems to pop up regularly as a property "newly musicalized," is, at least here, taking the familiar and bringing it up to date, with an adult Alice returning to Wonderland to save her daughter from the evil Queen of Hearts. One thing that makes this an interesting choice for Mr. Wildhorn is that it doesn't seem ripe for the power ballads he so enjoys - maybe one or two; Alice worried, Alice having and epiphany, Alice and daughter reunited. On the other hand, it does seem like a vehicle for his more catchy side, so maybe there will be a cool "Facade"-like number or two.

This production also reunites him with much of his Civil War crew, namely Jack Murphy (lyrics) and Gregory Boyd (book and direction). I loved The Civil War, despite its brief stay on Broadway. Wonderland also features the choreography of Marguerite Derricks (Hot Feet). And a cast full of Broadway veterans and Broadway newcomers has also been assembled, which definitely speaks to both the potential quality of this try-out and to the seriousness with which we should take it. Cast members include: Janet Dacal (In the Heights), Karen Mason (Mamma Mia!, Sunset Boulevard), Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde, A Chorus Line - tour) and Jose Llana (Spelling Bee, The King and I)


Finally, this property seems to be close to how the authors envision it, as a "concept" recording has already been made and will be for sale shortly. Many of Wildhorn's works have received such treatment, including Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Civil War. All had their definite pluses, but only The Civil War came close to what eventually made it to the stage, and The Scarlet Pimpernel to some extent. Jekyll and Hyde, the concept recording, in my opinion far exceeds what eventually came to pass, both in quality, interest, and orchestration.

The reason I'm not as excited about this project is likely more to do with personal taste than anything. Alice in Wonderland never appealed to me as a book, an animated film, a mini series or even as a theme for Broadway Bares. And yet, I've tried them all, searching for what makes it so appealing to everyone else. And should it come anywhere near home or New York, I'm sure I'll try it again.

Thoughts? Let me know by leaving a comment!

Jeff

On the Radar: Bonnie and Clyde

Occasionally, I'll be blogging about shows that are just getting started, their Broadway sights set, but the future uncertain.

First up is a new show by none other than Frank Wildhorn (The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War, Jekyll and Hyde), who is prolific if not as frequently produced as he once was. I guess Dracula and a divorce will cool down even the hottest of writers. Broadway and this writer have had a love-hate relationship with the guy. Broadway snobbery holds that he is too "poppy", too "commercial." I have no problem with either if the entertainment value is there. I mean I saw Pimpernel at least four times, and I loved (truly, I did) the moving, soaring The Civil War. Oddly enough, I really disliked the Broadway version of Jekyll and Hyde, much preferring the original concept album to the final version. That said, "Facade" remains one of my absolute favorite Broadway tunes ever. Man, is that catchy!

Well, the man with a thousand shows up his sleeve (will Havana ever come to life?) has not one, but two shows going up this month and next, both with reported "Broadway-aimed" status. And considering the talent rallying around each, I wouldn't be surprised to see one or both on the Main Stem in the next year or two.

Bonnie and Clyde began previews Tuesday, with an opening on the 22nd, and running through December 20 at The LaJolla Playhouse. This one intrigues me because I tend to gravitate toward the darker shows and usually find them more perplexing and satisfying than a fluffier piece. Not based on the film, but on real-life accounts, the show chronicles the affair and doom of one of America's most famous criminal couples, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. I think this line from the press release says it all: "This seductive and cinematic new musical examines how a troubled Texas teen and a love-sick waitress became America's most infamous couple, with a thrilling new score that combines rockabilly, blues and gospel music." The words "seductive," "cinematic," "troubled," "love-sick," "infamous," and "thrilling" set off all the goosebumps my theatre loving skin can take! It is an Assassins flashback, I tell you!

I am also excited by the lead casting - the dashing, and younger-looking as every year passes Stark Sands (Journey's End) and the definitely proving she's no reality show flash in the pan Laura Osnes (Grease!, South Pacific). You can sometimes tell a lot about a show from its publicity shots. Look at these! See what I mean about Mr. Sands? Look at the chemistry! What comes to mind here? Seductive, cinematic, troubled, love-sick, infamous and thrilling!

Then there is the creative team: Wildhorn's music, Tony winner (Sunset Boulevard) Don Black's lyrics, Ivan Menchell's book - he of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame, and Jeff Calhoun's direction and choreography - he of Deaf West's Big River and Tommy Tune's Grease! fame.

This is one show I am definitely going to keep an eye on!

Jeff

(Photos of Bonnie and Clyde by Craig Schwartz.)

Coming soon: the other Wildhorn show opening soon, Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure.