Dream Casting the Hello, Dolly Revival

On the same day that the Internet blew up with news that psuedo-celeb Sophia Grace has been cast as Little Red Ridinghood in the film version of Into the Woods, came news that Kristin Chenoweth is in talks to head a revival of Hello, Dolly!  While I could proably write pages about the casting of Into the Woods, I spent the day with my head in the clouds thinking about who would be great in a Cheno-led Dolly.

Here's what I came up with!  Please feel free to write in and tell me who else you'd like to see...




As Dolly Levi

Kristin Chenowewth

As Horace Vandergelder

Norbert Leo Butz

As Irene Malloy

           

Kate Baldwin or Ashley Brown or Betsy Wolfe

As Cornelius Hackl

Matt Bomer or Zachary Levi

As Minnie Faye

Allison Case or Kara Lindsay

As Barnaby Tucker

Ben Fankhauser or Jay Armstrong Johnson or Cody Williams

As Ambrose Kemper

Erik Altemus or Andy Mills or Ryan Steele

As Ermengarde

Laurie Veldheer

As Rudolph, the Head Waiter at Harmonia Gardens

Brandon Rubendall or Charlie Williams

As the Waiters at Harmonia Gardens

All of the Newsies Past and Present

Jeff

4.300

Broadway on TV : The Pilot Season

If you follow TV at all - and I freely admit that I watch way too much of it - you know that now is the time that the networks announce cancellations and new series, which may picked up after their pilot episodes have been filmed, critiqued, polled, focus grouped, etc.  (Kinda like Spider-Man 2.0!).  "Out with the old and in with the new," they always say.

Kristin Chenoweth: From Glee to Good Christian Belles

This year, a lot of Broadway favorites have joined the TV ranks, which is bittersweet.  I mean, sure, if the ratings are good, we'll get to see the likes of Cherry Jones and Kristin Chenoweth every week.  On the other hand, that also means we probably won't be seeing them on Broadway any time soon, either.  Naturally, I wish them all every success, but hope that they don't forget us theatre fans and come back to the stage soon.

Janney and MacFarlane: Gone from the TV screen, back to Broadway?

I was, first of all, saddened by the announcement of the cancellation of a few ABC series which have Broadway ties: Off the Map, sort of Grey's Anatomy meets Tarzan got cancelled.  It featured one of my favorite young actresses, Mamie Gummer.  Then there is the comedy Mr. Sunshine, whose co-star, Alison Janney (9 to 5: The Musical) was the biggest reason to watch that show.  But I am heartbroken about Brothers and Sisters.  With that show gone, however, maybe Calista Flockhart (The Glass Menagerie), Sally Field (The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?) and Luke MacFarlane (The Normal Heart) will return/stay on Broadway.

Still, there are a lot of Broadway babies to be excited for (and I'm sure I'll miss a few):

• Laura Benanti: The Playboy Club (NBC)
• Kristin Chenoweth, Annie Potts: Good Christian Belles (ABC)
• Katie Finneran: I Hate My Teenage Daughter (FOX)
• Cherry Jones: Awake (NBC)
• Megan Hilty, Christian Borle, Brian d'Arcy James: Smash (NBC)

Megan Hilty on the set of

the pilot for Smash

Of course, most Broadway eyes will be on Smash for several reasons.  One, it is about the birth of a new Broadway musical.  Two, if it is made into a series - more likely now that the pilot has been chosen - it will likely be filmed in New York, which means day jobs for Broadway actors.  These are at a premium with soaps dying off or moving, Law and Order winding down and no more Sex and the City.  And three, not only will it star some of Broadway's brightest, but its pedigree and production staff is all Broadway: Steven Spielberg (Catch Me If You Can) produces, Michael Mayer (American Idiot) directed the pilot, and March Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can) are penning the original musical score for the show.

I guess TV this year will be a win-win for everyone!  I hope all of these shows make it and run for years.  Just don't forget the stage, OK stars?


Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.257

THEATRE BOOK REVIEW: A Little Bit Wicked

Theatre Book Review: A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love and Faith in Stages. By Kristin Chenoweth and Joni Rodgers.  Published by Touchstone a division of Simon and Schuster. Copyright 2009. Hardcover. 232 pages, plus 16 pages of color photographs. (NOTE: This review is NOT based on the revised Second Edition. See note at end of review.)

As you can see, I am still behind in my theatre reading.  Everyone else is salivating over Patti LuPone: A Memoir, while I am just getting around to last year's Broadway celebrity bio, A Little Bit Wicked: Live, Love and Faith in Stages, the autobiography of Kristin Chenoweth (with the help of Joni Rodgers).  My only regret is that I didn't get to it sooner!  For like the star herself, the book is sweet, honest, full of life-learned wisdom, and just a wee bit wicked.  How refreshing to read something that makes you feel like you are learning about a real person, warts, mistakes, embarrassments, triumphs and tragedies and all.  Make no mistake, while the book (as she freely admits) is not a sleazy tell-all, she certainly doesn't skimp on the details about herself that might be unflattering.  In short (no reference to the small in stature star), she is honest.  Would that every person who becomes as famous as she remain as grounded and overall selfless as Ms. Chenoweth.  Sure some hard knocks and bitter lessons learned have required her to be more careful personally and professionally.  But as this terrific, easy read of an autobiography shows, she remains open and accessible to ideas, her profession, her religion and her fans.

If you are looking for a blow by blow description of every event leading up to the opening of Wicked through Ms. C's departure from the show, you won't find it here.  While she references her biggest success to date frequently - most amusingly as she describes her legion of tranny-fans who dress like her as Glinda (Glindafied, she calls it) - not very much of the book it devoted to the show.  She briefly (as in Readers Digest) describes various changes in cast from workshop to workshop, and she does address the persistent rumor that she and Idina Menzel hate each other and that she is jealous that Menzel won the Tony.  Clearly, she is not jealous, and sounds sincerely congratulatory.  Whether they hate each other, I really doubt that, too. 

But, if you are interested in Kristin Chenoweth, the person, and her rise to stardom, then this book is for you.

In a mostly conversational tone - think "cozy by a fire reminiscing" - Chenoweth does not tell her story in chronological order, but rather in almost stream-of-consciousness, letting one event or detail lead to another.  Each chapter is anchored by a significant event - the death of her grandfather, meeting her life mentor and voice teacher, Florence Birdwell, winning the Tony for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and having the show post closing the next morning - but each chapter also meanders back and forth as memory takes her.  Let me assure you, it is not at all confusing the way she tells it.

And while it seems that she has rarely a negative thing to say about others, she graciously tells us that there were issues between her and former boyfriends Marc Kudisch and Aaron Sorkin, but that they are none of our business.  It is fun to read her fan/co-star take on cast members from Pushing Daisies and The West Wing, and I admit to shedding a tear when she describes finding out that her great friend and co-star John Spencer passed away.

For me, the most interesting part is reading about her constant struggle to reconcile her devout Christian background with her personal beliefs.  One of the best parts is her candid discussion of her disastrous appearance on The 700 Club, which alienated her Christian fan base AND her gay fan base, and how she overcame all of that.  Then, as a follow up she explains why a Playboy spread was a no-go, while a flirty spread in FHM was something she needed to do.

I also found it interesting just how much her faith seems to - or as she believes that to be the case - have guided her career.  For example, her decision to not take a role in The West Wing because she was committed to Wicked, or how she got to work on her favorite show to date, The Apple Tree, with none other than ex-boyfriend, Marc Kudisch, are two examples of what she thought was part God, part career move.  Of particular interest to theatre fans of the 21st century, too, might be that she and best friend Erin Dilly were attached to Thoroughly Modern Millie, but neither made it to Broadway in that show... I'm thinking Kristin was Miss Dorothy... and Erin, as we know, was dismissed, and Sutton Foster became a star overnight as a result.

But perhaps the most heart-warming parts of the book are when she talks about her family and close friends.  Just from reading this book, I'd love to meet her other best friend, Denny, her ex-agent, Danielle, and of course, her magnificent teacher, Florence Birdwell.   Then there is her family.  By the time it is over, you feel you really know her mom, dad and brother, Mark.  And, sweetly, you find out what a blessing they were to Ms. Chenoweth, whom they adopted as a baby.  It may be old news to some "Cheno" fans, but I found her telling of her adoption, and even seeing someone she thinks might have been her birth mother, to be both touching and telling.  In genuine Kristin Chenoweth form, she thanks her birth mother for giving her life and God for giving her the family she has.

Throughout the book is laced with self-deprecating humor, some sad lows and some wonderful highs.  And along the way she has many helpful hints for those of us who aspire to the Broadway/Hollywood life.  Clearly, her support system, her belief in something bigger than all of us, some genuine luck, and a ton of talent all conspired to give the world the Kristin Chenoweth we all love and admire.  Thank God for that.

NOTE:  Since the publication of this first Edition, a Second Edition with additional material has been published.  I understand, though I have not read it, that includes more on Pushing Daisies, Promises, Promises, and her recurring role on Glee.

GRADE: A

(The pictures included, aside from the book cover, are not from the book, but rather represent ideas expressed in the book.)

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.49

What Happened on Broadway Last Week (9/6 -9/12)

Let's see if the second week of September was any more noteworthy than the first in Broadway History.

The old Morosco Theatre

September 6:

• One of those "return engagements" of original productions opened today in 1943.  It was Blithe Spirit at the Morosco Theatre (it would be right across from Shubert Alley if it hadn't been demolished for the Marriott Marquis).  The production lasted 32 performances and starred Mildred Natwick and Clifton Webb.
• The Oldest Show to Open This Week: 155 years ago.  On this date in 1855, a play called Adrienne Lecouveur opened.  Little else is known about the production other than that it opened on this date and was written by Eugene Scribe and Ernest Legouve, and it starred someone named Rachel.

Sandy Duncan as Peter Pan
• One of the weeks two big openings happened on this date in 1979.  A revival of Peter Pan starring Sandy Duncan and George Rose opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and ran 554 performances.

September 7:

• The "newest" show to open this week was 1999's Epic Proportions which lasted all of 93 performances at the Helen Hayes Theatre.  It is notable for its star, one Kristin Chenoweth, hot off her triumph in Steel Pier, and on the verge of a Tony and a little show called Wicked.

September 8:

• The Oddest Title goes to The Man Who Reclaimed His Head a 28 performance play which opened at the Broadhurst Theatre.  It did star two rather well known actors, Claude Rains and Lucille Lortel.
• The longest time between Broadway openings: 41 Years.  Carnival in Flanders  opened in 1953, and the revival of Philadelphia, Here I Come! opened in 1994.  The former is notable for being a 6 performance run and still a Tony winner (Delores Gray won Best Supporting Actress in a Musical).  The latter starred Milo O'Shea and Robert Sean Leonard.  It played at the now demolished Criterion Center Right, former home of Roundabout Theatre Company.

September 11:

• 2001: A national tragedy that continues to influence the country, New York City and Broadway.

September 12:

On Golden Pond

• The other big opening of the week is listed as a "return engagement" on IBDB, On Golden Pond actually reopened at the Century Theatre in 1982-83, with the original cast, after changing theatres.  The show starred Tom Aldredge and Frances Sternhagen, and ran another 252 performances here.  The theatre was in the basement of the Paramount Hotel!

Jeff
2.15

CD Review: Promises, Promises (The New Broadway Cast Recording)

It may have been critically dismissed, and some of Broadway's biggest fans may have taken issue with its star trying on a new type of role, but Promises, Promises was one of my favorite shows of the season just ended.  I loved it so much, I've already gone back for a second look and hope to return to it this summer.  The Burt Bacharach/Hal David score has always been a favorite of mine - I especially love their vocal arrangements, even on their pop hits - and so I was really excited to find out that the revival would get a New Broadway Cast Recording, and that it would be out relatively quickly. 

Well, here we are.  And after several days of listening to it over and over, here are my thoughts:

Title: Promises, Promises

Artist: The New Broadway Cast Recording
Label: Masterworks Broadway
Number: 88697 73495 2
Format: Single CD
Case: Single Jewel Case
Booklet: Full color production photos; complete lyrics  (Note:  The booklet contains most of the photos in the souvenir program, and is one of nicest such booklets I've seen with a cast recording in some time.)


Of the Show and Its Stars, I wrote: In my review, I said, "From the opening notes of the overture, with its breathtaking choreography - period fruging mixed with Broadway jazz and even ballet - and the most original inclusion of props in a number since Crazy for You, the show takes off and rarely slows down. The entire production dances from start to finish, including the entr'acte and the curtain call (mercifully NOT a mega-mix!), and everywhere in between. And the ensemble is up to the considerable task. It is no wonder they have orchestra singers to supplement the vocals.  Director/choreographer Rob Ashford has taken the lead out of the old school script, however. Gone are the vamps while the scenery changes or the cast changes costumes. Today's Promises, Promises moves with a vitality that can only be compared to a busy beehive - ordered chaos - and it does so with a fluidity usually reserved for camera tricks and long non-stop pans in movies. Ashford has made this into a theatrical onstage movie, appropriate given its source material. It may look and sound like 1962 urban America, but it moves like the 21st century."

"Tony winner Dick Latessa was born to play one of Neil Simons' patented been-there-done-that-weary-of-the-world New Yorkers. And boy does he embrace that here, as Dr. Dreyfuss, Chuck's next door neighbor and Fran Kubelik's (Kristen Chenoweth) savior. He is funny, sweet and delivers his one number, "(You Should Be) Happy" with aplomb.  I was very pleased to find out that Tony Goldwyn can take charge of a scene, even on the enormous Broadway Theatre stage, and even up against his larger than life above-the-title-stars. His Sheldrake is everything it needs to be: smooth, in charge, desirable, smouldering, sexy, cowardly, and really cruel. What makes Goldwyn so good is that he somehow can convey all of those things simultaneously, and even can make you sympathize with him.  Katie Finneran does an amazing star turn in the 12 minute role of Marge MacDougall. She is everything you've read about and more. She steals the scenes she is in, but not without the grace required to bring Sean and Kristin and Dick along with her. In fact, that's what I like best about her energetic appearance."

"As Chuck Baxter, Sean Hayes gets to bring his trademark smile, rapier wit and considerable physical talents to the stage. They translate very well from TV screen to stage. He also brings some pretty decent dance moves and a crystal clear and very pleasant singing voice. The only time I ever felt like he wasn't 100% was during the title number, where he never really lets go. He could and should belt out those last notes. His voice can handle it.  Let there forever be no more doubt that Kristin Chenoweth is a true star, and that she can handle drama with as much, if not more, skill than as a comedienne. This is a challenging role, and she does not hold back. We are all the better for witnessing it. And while the inclusion of two more sings to the score - "I Say a Little Prayer" and "A House is Not a Home" - isn't really necessary, it does give us two more chances to hear her glorious voice sing songs worthy of her time, and she integrates them well into her performance and character."

Of this Recording, I say:  This recording is more complete than the OBC, not including the interpolated songs.  It includes the odd little intro to "It's Our Little Secret", reprises of "A House is Not a Home" and "I'll never Fall in Love Again."  The former solidifies, for me at least, why, dramatically, including the whole song makes sense.  The reprise really ties the two characters together.  The latter gives a nice ending to the CD, and includes some nice dialogue.  Also, if you keep listening, there is a hidden "bonus track" at the end - Chuck Baxter's "Theme Song."  Funny and complete, it also is a nudge to the "gay playing straight" controversy that will forever be associated with this production.

Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations are first rate, as one might expect, but they are particularly notable for sounding both 21st century modern and 60's kitschy all at once.  And the vocal arrangements are, as I also expected, first rate, and deliciously audible throughout the recording.  Kudos to the "Orchestra Voices," who supplement the instruments and give the show its signature Bacharach/David "sound": Sarah Jane Everman, Kristen Beth Williams, Nikki Renee Daniels, and Chelsea Krombach.

I stand by my comments about the principals' performances.  Though there are a few surprises, some nice: Tony Goldwyn's voice sounds much more sure, and his lower register is quite good, and he blends perfectly with Mr. Hayes; some disappointing:  "A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing" comes across rather flatly, considering the bombast it creates onstage.  You can hear that both Ms. Finneran and Mr. Hayes are trying to create the magic, but it is largely a visual performance.  This is one case where some inclusion of a scene would really have made it great, too. 

But the two absolutely best things about the show come across in the recording:  Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes.  Mr. Hayes sounds much more sure of himself than he did the first time I saw the show, and that same build in confidence comes across here, too.  And he can hold a note very well, which makes the short cut at the end of the title song even more vexing.  Meanwhile, Ms. Chenoweth proves, just through her sheer vocal power that she is a brilliant pop song interpreter, but best of all, her heart-breaking performance, angst, melancholy and desperation come out here as well as they do in the theatre.  Brava!

And if you ever need to come up with an example of "chemistry" go no further than this recording.  The chemistry between the leads is unmistakable.

Standout Songs:  "Upstairs" showcases Sean Hayes' acting and singing, and the orchestra voices are super here.  I love Ms. Chenoweth's interpretation of "I Say a Little Prayer," and I also love that the dance sequence has been included.  The Overture is also excellent, and images of what happen during it fly through my head every time.  My favorite Hayes/Chenoweth moment is "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," while my favorite number of all might come a surprise.  I know it surprises me.  I just love "A Young Pretty Girl Like You" (usually referred to as "Happy").  It summarizes why I love this revival.  Dick Latessa, Hayes and Chenoweth, who merely supplies a giggle or two, sing the hell out of the song, and it is clear that they are enjoying doing it for us.  The timing, the joy, the undercurrent of pain all converge here and it is magical.

The whole show is.

Grade: A+

(Photos by Joan Marcus)

Comments?  Leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com.  (note spelling!)
Jeff

REVIEW: Promises, Promises

Review of the May 30 matinee performance. At the Broadway Theatre, New York City. 2 hours, 45 minutes, including one intermission. Starring Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth, Tony Goldwyn, Katie Finneran, Dick Latessa, Brooks Ashmanskas, Helen Ankler, Matt Loeher, Sean Martin Hingston and Ken Land. Book by Neil Simon, music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David. Directed and choreographed by Rob Ashford.

Let me take care of all of the elephants in the room before I start.  No, he doesn't.  She sure can!  And, if you worked in an executive office today, like I do, you'd realize that Promises, Promises is not nearly as dated as you think it is.  In fact, change the sex of a couple of the secretaries, call them administrative assistants, and then add a female executive, and the show could take place today!  Of course, if it did, we'd lose one of the show's chief assets, the glorious score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.  Its sound is distinctly sixties and works better than anything Green Day, Rihanna or Lady Gaga might come up with to replace it.  No, the quaintness of the piece serves the themes just fine.  It is nice to laugh at (and long for) an America before we became so jaded, while still being able to recognize that office sexual politics hasn't really changed save for the addition of a Ladies' executive washroom right next to the men's.  Say what you want about Neil Simon's hilarious, touching and, yes, old fashioned book.  But don't you long for the days when you didn't have to worry about so much even at work?  When your iPhone, iPad or iWhatever doesn't interrupt your every meal?  When a doctor came to your door and helped you without asking for your insurance card or consulting good Samaritan laws before treating you?  And isn't it nice to see a drunken, lonely woman get her way without having to be a slut, hooker or criminal?  Come on people!  Lighten up!

Director/choreographer Rob Ashford has taken the lead out of the old school script, however.  Gone are the vamps while the scenery changes or the cast changes costumes.  Today's Promises, Promises moves with a vitality that can only be compared to a busy beehive - ordered chaos - and it does so with a fluidity usually reserved for camera tricks and long non-stop pans in movies.  Ashford has made this into a theatrical onstage movie, appropriate given its source material.  It may look and sound like 1962 urban America, but it moves like the 21st century. 

From the opening notes of the overture, with its breathtaking choreography - period fruging mixed with Broadway jazz and even ballet - and the most original inclusion of props in a number since Crazy for You, the show takes off and rarely slows down.  The entire production dances from start to finish, including the entr'acte and the curtain call (mercifully NOT a mega-mix!), and everywhere in between.  And the ensemble is up to the considerable task.  It is no wonder they have orchestra singers to supplement the vocals.  Perhaps the only mistake Ashford has made is in not recreating the iconic "Turkey Lurkey Time" choreography.  Oh, he pays homage to it, but it never really takes off like the original.  Of course, we are assuming that recreating was an option; it could very well be that the Michael Bennett estate wouldn't allow it.  If that's the case, we can forgive, right?  Well, yes and no...the number is still the flattest spot.

And the book scenes are equally rapid fire and cinematic.  With the exception of the realistic apartment and the bar scene, the rest of Scott Pask's nostalgic set is more suggestive than realistic.  The set pieces whirl in and out at a dangerous, urgent pace, and, when combined with Donald Holder's equally nostalgic lighting (on the darker side with pools of light) the elements come together with Ashford's sure handed direction and we always know whether we are to be looking at a close up (say of Sean Hayes doing incredible Lucy-style physical comedy on an ultra modern and very slippery chair, or of a tear slowly rolling down Kristin Chenoweth's cheek) or if we should be looking at the whole stage in a sweeping scene.  Often, two places are suggested at once, and their mere placement speaks volumes where mere words would not do.  Add in Bruce Pask's deceptively simple yet complex costumes (they coordinate secretary to boss, and to each given set piece), and you are definitely back in time.  And what a ride to get there!

As I mentioned, the entire ensemble is first rate, each with plenty of character and background business when they are not dancing.  And when they are dancing, they really look like they are having a great time...a genuinely great time.  The opening looked like so much fun, I could barely sit still, and I had to fight the urge not to get up there and join in.  And let me also interject here that "Turkey Lurkey Time"'s flatness is also relative.  It still moves, led by Cameron Adams, Megan Sikora and Mayumi Miguel, fine dancers, all. the cast does everything it can with the number, and they are breathless at the end of it.

The supporting cast includes the four executives who rotate their conquests in and out of the apartment rented by Chuck Baxter (Sean Hayes) played by Brooks Ashmanskas (a trip here as always - God, is he funny - but also much more subdued than in previous shows), Sean Martin Hingston (a great dancer, whom I've admired since Contact), Matt Loeher (on for a missing Peter Benson, but terrific, and a smooth fill in - you'd never know he was the understudy) and Ken Land (stage and screen veteran).  All four are funny, but also disgusting pigs of men, more lascivious than the wolf in Into the Woods, and with no shame.

Newcomer Helen Ankler does a nice turn as the obedient secretary turned scorned mistress, bent on destroying her horny boss and warning all others who cross his path.  Her final speech gets a well-deserved hand, and I'll bet it's because the audience realizes things haven't necessarily changed as much as we think it has.  Tony winner Dick Latessa was born to play one of Neil Simons' patented been-there-done-that-weary-of-the-world New Yorkers.  And boy does he embrace that here, as Dr. Dreyfuss, Chuck's next door neighbor and Fran Kubelik's (Kristen Chenoweth) savior.  He is funny, sweet and delivers his one number, "(You Should Be) Happy" with aplomb.

I was very pleased to find out that Tony Goldwyn  can take charge of a scene, even on the enormous Broadway Theatre stage, and even up against his larger than life above-the-title-stars.  His Sheldrake is everything it needs to be: smooth, in charge, desirable, smouldering, sexy, cowardly, and really cruel.  What makes Goldwyn so good is that he somehow can convey all of those things simultaneously, and even can make you sympathize with him.  And then there is that moment.  That moment were he does something so outrageously wrong that, as cliche as it has become, it still elicits an audible gasp and angry rumblings from the audience.  It is a hairpin turn moment, expertly staged and delivered.

OK, so, yes, Katie Finneran does an amazing star turn in the 12 minute role of Marge MacDougall.  She is everything you've read about and more.  She steals the scenes she is in, but not without the grace required to bring Sean and Kristin and Dick along with her.  In fact, that's what I like best about her energetic appearance.  She could be a complete diva and take it away.  But it is to her credit (and her co-stars and director) that she gives as much as she takes.  And she's smart enough not to push too hard, and really shows that it is best to leave them wanting more. (For the record, Ms. Finneran would be welcome in my home should she win the Tony from Angela Lansbury, her only real competition.  If you follow this blog, you know my profound love for all things Lansbury, so you must know how highly I think of Finneran's performance.)  The other thing I will say is that, despite the level of excitement she brings to the stage during her scene, she is NOT, contrary to popular press opinion, the only reason to see this near perfect revival of a musical.

As Chuck Baxter, Sean Hayes gets to bring his trademark smile, rapier wit and considerable physical talents to the stage.  They translate very well from TV screen to stage.  He also brings some pretty decent dance moves and a crystal clear and very pleasant singing voice.  The only time I ever felt like he wasn't 100% was during the title number, where he never really lets go.  He could and should belt out those last notes.  His voice can handle it.  I won't even caveat my overall assessment by saying "Considering this is his Broadway debut".  I will say he is giving an accomplished, terrific and exhausting performance.  He has leading man written all over him, and let's hope this is the first of many such opportunities for him.  That he can go toe-to-toe with a group chock full of stage veterans speaks to his immense talents.

And finally, one of today's brightest stars period is giving a spectacular star turn in Promises, Promises.  Let there forever be no more doubt that Kristin Chenoweth is a true star, and that she can handle drama with as much, if not more, skill than as a comedienne.  This is a challenging role, and she does not hold back.  We are all the better for witnessing it.  And while the inclusion of two more sings to the score - "I Say a Little Prayer" and "A House is Not a Home" - isn't really necessary, it does give us two more chances to hear her glorious voice sing songs worthy of her time, and she integrates them well into her performance and character.

Which brings me to those first two elephants in the room which I alluded to at the top.  They are the unnecessarily controversial performances of Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth.  Let me clear it up.  Mr. Hayes does not play a single second of the show like he is covering up his sexuality, nor does he ever "slip."  There is not one shred gay stereotype to his performance - ask Katie Finneran who wrestles with his very obvious tongue 8 shows a week, or just follow his eye as he watches his co-star's departing hemline.  (I know that by even addressing it, I am contributing to the Newsweek flap, but it still enrages me, especially after watching his spectacular performance.  I just hope that if he wins the Tony, it won't be clouded by recent events in the press.)  As for Ms. Chenoweth, I will simply say that I stood up for her at the curtain call and I don't ever stand if I don't think it is appropriate (I am often alone in my seat).  Brava to her for going outside her comfort zone (and apparently the public's comfort zone for her).  Fran Kubelik is a depressed and depressing character, and I think it takes immense courage for Ms. Chenoweth to go out there and play a character that isn't chipper and loved by all.  Her version of Fran has built in aversions.  You can tell she's been hurt many times before.  You can tell she hasn't yet learned her lesson, and you find yourself hoping she'll drop the strong veneer and actually become strong.  That you can still love her and her performance after a very ballsy, emotional and graphic suicide attempt should have her fans cheering.  Shame on you "Cheno" fans who can't support her for being an actress in a new role. SHE IS NOT GLINDA! Get over it!  Mini-rant over.  Thank you.

Promises, Promises suffers from the damned if you do/damned if you don't syndrome that plagues at least one show every season.  Rob Ashford was damned if he had "modernized" the show, and damned because he actually didn't.  Most shamefully, in a business where critics often take actors to task for not stretching, it seems Ms. Chenoweth was damned for doing just that.  Don't let that same should I/shouldn't I type thinking keep you from running to the Broadway Theatre.  Just because "the committee" didn't see fit to honor it, Promises, Promises is one of the four best (actually the top two for me) revivals of the year.  See it!

Grade: A+

(Photos by Joan Marcus.)


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

Bits and Pieces for 05.30.10

SO SAD TO SAY GOODBYE

Mark your calendars.  July 18 marks the departure of Broadway favorite Brian d'Arcy James, and Tony winning Alice Ripley from next to normal.  Mr. James, who just got here, leaves to return to Time Stands Still, which apparently is going through with its threat to reopen.  Ms. Ripley, who leaves behind a legendary diva performance likely to be talked about for years, has been with the show from its off-Broadway start two seasons ago.  If you are lucky enough to live where the show tours, though, you will still have chances to see her, as she is headlining the national tour!

EVEN THE MERCHANDISING HAS GONE GREEN
Kudos, environmentally, to both Wicked and Rock of Ages who now both print their window cards on roll up poster paper (as a collector, I hate this trend with a passion) but if it saves a tree or two...

Now comes news that the folks over at Hair, who are putting their hippie money where their hippie mouths are:  they took their Times Square giant sign down (replacing it with the new, more fun logo).  But instead of putting it in the landfill, they turned it into collectible, one of a kind tote bags, on sale at the merch stand over at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Not to be outdone, Bebe Neuwirth and The Addams Family  have gotten together to create a three bottle collectible set of nail polishes named for and inspired by Morticia Addams!  The sets will be sold online at the show site and at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.  Proceeds with go to a fund for aging and disabled performers, dancers and other theatre folk, a charity near and dear to Ms. Neuwirth's heart.

BEFORE SHE WAS AILING...

Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes  sat down to answer reader questions at Broadway.com.  The questions are characteristically interesting/annoying/stupid often at once, but the two give hilarious answers.  Their rapport off stage is awesome... and they get a pretty good dig in at Newsweek's expense.  You can catch it here.

And glad you are better, Kristin!  I'm coming to see you very soon!

IN MEMORIAM
Broadway keeps losing great ones.  This past week, beloved critic and friend of the theatre, Michel Kuchwara passed away.  And he went just the way I'd like to go... smiling with my iPod on, listening to the overture of his favorite show, Gypsy.  It is rare to hear the whole community rally for a critic, but he was revered for being fair, kind-hearted and open-minded.  If he loved you he told you why.  If he didn't his reasons were always clearly given, sans any sense of snarkiness or self-congratulations.  It is testimony to the kind of man he was that Broadway dimmed its lights in his honor, a rare thing for anyone who is not a performer.  Kuchwara was 63.

And Friday, we lost Gary Coleman, whose Broadway connection was a strong, but odd one.  He is a character in the long running, Tony winning musical Avenue Q, which makes loving fun of his reputation post Diff'rent Strokes.  Odder still, the role, in the US at least, is played by a woman!  The statement from the AQ team was appropriate and sincere.  I can only imagine how difficult it must have been Friday night to play the role.  Coleman was 42.

Happy Birthday last week to:

05/23: Randy Graff
05/24: Alfred Molina
05/25: Ian McKellen
05/26: Ron Holgate
05/27: the late Vincent Price
05/28: Justin Kirk
05/29: Rupert Everett



OH!  And who didn't nearly pee themselves at the news that Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch might replace Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury in A Little Night Music.  Just the idea thrills me, but if it happens, SIGN ME UP!!!

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