At This Theatre: The Al Hirschfeld

At This Theatre:

The Al Hirschfeld

On November 11, the Al Hirschfeld Theatre turned 100 years old! Back then, it was known as the Martin Beck Theatre, and it stayed that way until June 21, 2003, when the name was changed to honor the great American caricaturist, famously known for his iconic images of Broadway shows. In 1924, the doors opened to a brand new musical, Madame Pompadour. Over the century, the theater was host to a variety of plays and revivals, new and revival. Among the high profile productions that played there are: Victoria Regina starring Helen Hayes, original productions of The Teahouse of the August Moon, The Crucible, and Candide. Transfers of the original runs of Man of La Mancha and Bye Bye Birdie. Celebrated flops include Tony-winner Hallelujia Baby!, Bring Back Birdie and Drat! The Cat!. Over the past forty seasons or so, big names have trod the boards there, including Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli in The Rink, Brian Stokes Mitchell in both Kiss Me, Kate and Man of La Mancha, Nathan Lane and Faith Prince in Guys and Dolls, and Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed...

Number of Shows We've Seen There: 10

Curtains, Elf, Grand Hotel, Hair, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying! (2011), Into the Woods (1987), Kinky Boots, Moon Over Buffalo, Moulin Rouge!, The Wedding Singer

The 5 Shows That Were Our Favorites at the Hirschfeld:

5. Hair (2009) I caught this one in early previews and was completely bowled over by its energy, artistry and importance. At the performance I attended, I got to see the actual Broadway debut - his very first performance - of Jay Armstrong Johnson on as Claude, not to mention a very up close encounter with Will Swenson, and a patchouli scented cloud surrounding Caissie Levy, all of whom have become some of my very favorite performers. It was an exciting bolt of theatrical lightning!

4. Moulin Rouge! We caught this exciting show first in Boston, and knew immediately we would see it on Broadway. Spectacular doesn't really quite do this amazing production justice. The sets, costumes and lighting are eye-popping, and the choreography by Tony-winner Sonya Tayeh is thrilling. But for me, the original cast was the reason to see the Rouge again. Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivo had smoldering chemistry, and the always wonderful Danny Burstein was extra special. 

3. Moon Over Buffalo When the great Carol Burnett announced her long-awaited Broadway return, I had to see her. She was, of course, brilliantly funny and bursting with joy. But the rest of the company was no slouch, either. A cast that included Philip Bosco, Randy Graff and Jane Connell was more than up to the task of sharing the stage with Burnett. The best part of it all was that Ken Ludwig's ridiculously funny script was smart and clever enough to be worth the comedienne's time. This is a truly cherished memory of mine.

2. Into the Woods (1987) One of the things I am most proud of in my theater collection is a Playbill from an early preview of this show, as it includes songs that are no longer part of the script, now familiar tunes not in the song list, and a different order to some songs. A devout Sondheim fan, seeing it as a work in progress was a distinct thrill. I would end up seeing the original production and cast several more times. I mean how could I resist seeing Bernadette Peters, Chip Zien and the brilliant Tony-winning turn of Joanna Gleason multiple times?

1. Grand Hotel I knew I was going to love this show when the pre-show announcement came on: "Grand Hotel: The Musical, like the film upon which it is based, will be performed without an intermission." (Back then, one act Broadway shows were rare.) From that moment, I was smitten. The mysterious score, the non-stop choreography and tight Tommy Tune staging were a feast for the eyes, heart and mind. The opportunity to see such great performers as Lillian Montevecchi, Karen Akers, Jane Krakowski and Michael Jeter at their peak is an honor I fully recognize and will cherish for the rest of my life.

Do you have any favorite memories at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre? Share with us on Twitter, Instagram, Threads or Blue Sky!

Play It Again: Hair's "Aquarius"

 Play It Again:

Hair's "Aquarius"

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 recordings (plus one) of the opening song “Aquarius” from Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni and James Rado’s seminal rock musical Hair. Introduced by a solo singer before being joined by the rest of the tribe, the song functions as a call to begin the communal celebration that essentially constitutes the rest of the musical. The song’s trippy, astrology-informed lyrics and haunting melody haven’t changed at all over the past half-century, but the singing and the overall sound have varied quite a lot (especially the introductory section). Because it’s the first version many of us heard, and a classic in its own right, I’ve included my evaluation of The 5th Dimension’s hit single alongside the stage and screen versions as a bonus, but I didn’t consider it when awarding stars.

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 (1968) - YouTube

Soloist: Ronnie Dyson

SINGING: Dyson’s voice is strong and pleasant, with very measured notes often placed slightly off the beat, but lacks some of the dramatic effects of later singers. The ensemble functions in unison here and sounds great.

ORCHESTRA: The introduction features lots of clangy and jingly sounds, eventually joined by a funky bass. Overall, the sound is driven by the rock ensemble, with just some small brassy interruptions here and there.

SOUND: The sound is quite muddy; the vocals dominate the band, and the brass details in particular are often very hard to hear.

*MISCELLANEOUS: This original version features the fastest tempo of them all, and in general it has a certain quality (hard to pin down) that gives it a strong forward momentum that’s never quite matched again (5th Dimension excluded).

ORIGINAL LONDON CAST (1968) - YouTube

Soloist: Vince Edwards

SINGING: Edwards has an edgier, more strained sound than the other vocalists, which proves to be another valid choice for this song. The ensemble is a little raggedy but more textured than the original, with different groups playing against each other in the middle section before joining together again.

ORCHESTRA: This time the introduction features some electronic, almost voice-like sounds, giving it a horror-movie kind of vibe. The brass is used more effectively here, and I really like the very forward, syncopated percussion that pops up near the end.

SOUND: Still not a great sound, but it does have a better balance between singers and accompaniment.

MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is a little sluggish compared to the two Broadway versions.

**ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK RECORDING (1979) - YouTube

Soloist: Renn Woods

*SINGING: Woods has a very full-bodied, lovely voice, technically proficient but with pyrotechnic inclinations. This is a good thing, because she dominates this song, with the ensemble very much relegated to a backing role in this version. Her embellishments admittedly border on the indulgent in the second half of the song, but the overall effect is more exciting than over-the-top.

ORCHESTRA: This version features a very different, quite long, more symphonic introduction, with a four-square funky bass eventually being joined by a full brass section and even some strings. The layered brass parts are really nice throughout, but especially in the mid-song instrumental break.

*SOUND: The sound is crystal-clear and perfectly balanced, and the very rich stereo makes for a glorious listening experience through headphones.

MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is again a bit slow. Unlike the other versions, the soloist sings the whole song, even the bridge (“harmony and understanding…”). As mentioned above, this version includes a mid-song instrumental section, followed by another repeat of the bridge and chorus. It’s no wonder this version is about two minutes longer than the original! (It’s possible that this version is so divergent that, like the 5th Dimension single, I shouldn’t really be comparing it with the stage recordings. But it’s definitely the same song with identical melody and lyrics, and I’ve always considered soundtracks alongside cast recordings before, so I’m going to stick with my ruling.)

BROADWAY REVIVAL CAST (2008) - YouTube

Soloist: Sasha Allen

SINGING: Allen has a much softer, friendlier voice, very appropriate for this director and this cast’s take on the material. The ensemble sounds terrific in the nicely layered middle section, if a little underpowered when divided into groups. 

*ORCHESTRA: The introductory section resembles the London version, but it’s shorter and its electronic sounds are more ethereal than creepy. The very effective brass arrangements are largely held over from the movie version. Some subtle touches from the familiar 5th Dimension single have been slipped in under the repeated choral intonations of “Aquarius” near the end, I think. This is the only version with a really satisfying concluding gong effect.

SOUND: This is a nice modern-sounding recording, generally clear and well-balanced, with the sound coming out just slightly pinched at louder moments with chorus and brass together.

MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is faster again here.

BONUS: FIFTH DIMENSION COVER (1969) - YouTube

Soloists: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.

SINGING: McCoo’s take on the “Aquarius” solo material is powerful but restrained, lending this version a kind of unearthly tension. In the middle section, band members do a fine job substituting for the usual chorus, with their unique voices playing against each other in rapid succession. Davis’ freestyle vocals in the “Let the Sunshine In” section clash wonderfully with McCoo’s precision.

ORCHESTRA: The brief but iconic introduction features two flutes competing in beautiful but dissonant melodic lines, quickly giving way to a strong and steady pop beat, establishing this single as very much its own thing. Overall, the track is dominated by its densely textured rock-ensemble sound, with piercing brass providing contrast and extra intensity.

SOUND: The sound is very full but not as perfectly clear as a couple of the others, probably designed for radio speakers rather than headphones.

MISCELLANEOUS: A little less than half of this track is taken up by “Aquarius”; the rest is an extended riff on the final song of the stage show, “Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures).” I don’t know who gets the credit for the decision to juxtapose these two radically different songs so abruptly, like yin against yang, but it was a masterpiece of an idea that rightly won this single enduring popularity as well as a Grammy for Record of the Year.

Broadway in a Box CD Review: Hair (1968 OBCR)

BROADWAY IN A BOX CD REVIEW:

Hair (1968 OBCR)

At Christmas a few years ago, Jeff gave me a copy of Broadway in a Box: The Essential Broadway Musicals Collection. He has now given me the opportunity to use his blog to share my impressions of each of the 25 cast recordings contained in the set, in alphabetical order.

This week’s entry is about the 1968 Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hair.

   

I became a huge fan of the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical Hair through its most recent revival, seeing the production on Broadway and twice on tour. While this original cast album did not match that experience for the laughs and tears it inspired, it was very satisfying hearing this score as it was originally intended to be heard, as an authentic product of its time.

The cast is mostly top-notch; I’ll summarize my thoughts of those playing the larger roles, in alphabetical order:

• Steve Curry (Woof) is amusing but perhaps a little too “out there” even for a far-out song like “Sodomy.”
• Lynn Kellogg (Sheila) delivers a beautiful “Easy to Be Hard” and is very effective in the final few, dramatically tense songs.
• Melba Moore (Dionne) probably has the best voice in the whole cast and is delightful throughout.
• Shelly Plimpton (Crissy) makes the most of her quirky and heartbreaking solo, “Frank Mills.”
• James Rado (Claude, and one of the show’s lyricists) has a nice rock tenor voice, but comes across as just a bit too slick to carry the full weight of his dramatic arc.
• Gerome Ragni (Berger, and the other lyricist) does a lot of good singing here and mostly succeeds as the glue holding all of the motley parts together.
• Lamont Washington (Hud) nails his big numbers and their very tricky comedy.

While this recording has many virtues, and I was glad to finally hear it after years of exposure to the show, I have to admit that the experience wasn’t quite as satisfying as I had imagined it would be. Some of that, without a doubt, has to do with the way the show has evolved into the version I am familiar with. While I don’t expect (or want) the show to sound like the Fifth Dimension, newer versions have a somewhat fuller instrumental sound and, especially, more sophisticated vocal arrangements that make the music more interesting to listen to. In addition, without the guiding hand of someone like Diane Paulus, the many moving parts of this show can seem to move in different directions - though I appreciate that this is probably a deliberate feature of the creators’ vision.

To some extent, however, Hair is just one of those shows that needs to be seen, and is harder to appreciate when it’s only heard. With dozens of mostly very short musical numbers that swing wildly in topic and tone, it can be hard to apprehend what the show is really about, or that the people we’re hearing really are a cohesive unit. This is obviously much clearer when we see them interacting on stage, but without that sense of community, we’re left with a seemingly random collection of songs, some of them very beautiful and most of them very odd. Also, at least fifty percent of the lyrics seem to be lists of various things, from sexual taboos to environmental pollutants.

To be clear, this recording did not damper my appreciation for the importance and impact of the show. It just made it clear to me that, with the exception of several “hit songs” from the score, the achievement is more theatrical than purely musical.

Next up is the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hello, Dolly!

This Week in Broadway History: June 8 - 14

This Week in Broadway History:

June 8 - 14

🎭OPENING NIGHTS🎭 

 June 10, 1982: Transferring from off-Broadway, Torch Song Trilogy  opened at The Little Theatre (renamed The Helen Hayes Theatre during its Tony-winning run), starring Harvey Fierstein and Estelle Getty. It went on to play 1,230 performances.

June 10, 1993: The acclaimed Roundabout revival of She Loves Me opened at the Criterion Center, starring Boyd Gaines, Judy Kuhn, Sally Mayes and Howard McGillin. Later, it would transfer to the Brooks Atkinson for a commercial run.

June 14, 2011: Has it really been 10 years? After 182 previews, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark opened at the Foxwoods Theatre, where it would spin its troubled web for 1,066 more performances.

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY🎂

June 8: Actor Robert Preston (The Music Man), actor Alexis Smith (Follies), actor Anthony Boyle (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child)

June 9: Actor/dancer Robert Fairchild (An American in Paris), composer/lyricist Benj Pasek (A Christmas Story, Dogfight), playwright Aaron Sorkin (To Kill a Mockingbird), author Gregory Maguire (Wicked)

June 10: Actor/icon Judy Garland, actors Gina Gershon (Bye Bye Birdie, Cabaret), Sean Allan Krill (Jagged Little Pill), Nick Adams (Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Colton Ryan (Girl From the North Country)

Anthony Boyle     Chris Evans

Judy Garland     Uta Hagen

June 11: Actor Matt McGrath (Cabaret, Girl From the North Country), actor/dancer Jane Lanier (Fosse), actor Adrienne Barbeau (Grease), director Daniel Sullivan (The Little Foxes)

June 12: Actor/educator Uta Hagen (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), diarist Anne Frank (The Diary of Anne Frank)

June 13: Actor Chris Evans (Lobby Hero), actor Richard Thomas (The Little Foxes), actor Joy Franz (Into the Woods)

June 14: Orchestrator Harold Wheeler (Dreamgirls, Ain't Too Proud), actor Jere Shea (Passion), actor De'Adre Aziza (Passing Strange, Women on the Verge...), actor Ryan McCartan (Frozen, Wicked)

📆ON BROADWAY THIS WEEK IN 1968📆

The watch word for this week is "star-power." Lots of chances to see marquee names in plays and musicals in mid-June of 1968!

This was your last chance to see the long running I Do! I Do! starring Gordon MacRae and Carol Lawrence at the 46th Street Theatre, as well as How Now, Dow Jones at the Lunt-Fontanne, with Barnard Hughes, Brenda Vaccaro and Tommy Tune in the chorus!

If a play's your thing, 1968's Best Play Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead was doing great business following its move to the Eugene O'Neill, and Neil Simon's Plaza Suite was the comedy hit of the season at the Plymouth, with George C. Scott and Maureen Stapleton checking in nightly. If you preferred drama to comedy, Zoe Caldwell was giving lessons eight shows a week at the Helen Hayes in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

There were several musicals to choose from including long-running hits like Mame at the Winter Garden, Man of La Mancha at the Martin Beck, Cabaret at the Imperial. New musicals included The Happy Time with Robert Goulet, David Wayne and a child named Michael Rupert. The Palace was home to Joel Grey and a young Bernadette Peters in George M!. The big hit of the year, though, was the controversial Tribal Love-Rock Musical, Hair at the Biltmore. Nudity, drug use and a variety of sexual expression has come to Broadway!

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