I Am Sick of Broadway! (#SickofBway)

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Over the past few days, news has broken about a potential revival of Les Miserables on Broadway.  First it was The Hollywood Reporter interviewing Alfie Boe, a former/current/sometimes Jean Valjean, who told the paper that he "was in negotiations to play [the role] on Broadway in 2014."  The Internet was abuzz.  Then Cameron  Mackintosh responded that, in fact, the new staging was something he had always thought of bringing to New York.  BUT he also said it wasn't even in the discussion stage, as the touring company was going gangbusters with bookings into 2014, it would be at least 18 months before it could happen, anyway.  As for casting, he hadn't given it much thought, but that Boe would always be considered along with a handful of others.

Or is it a nightmare?

Add to all of that the news that the film version of Les Miserables would be pushed back to Christmas Day (big shock there, right?) AND the release of an "extended look" at the film, and Les Miz is EVERYWHERE these days.

And then, yesterday, I finally had enough of the news, the Tweeting (does Aaron Tveit know he has Twit-stalker??) and the endless debate about who should be in it, what theatre it will go in (18 months out, and people are SURE it will be the Winter Garden), and blah blah blah.  I came to a very blunt and, even for myself, surprise realization:

I AM SICK OF LES MISERABLES!

Oh, I'll go see the movie - a shirtless Hugh Jackman, and counting all the furtive glances Aaron Tveit gives to Eddie Redmayne's crotch and ass (it's in all of the movie stills), plus the lovely Anne Hathaway are enough to keep me entertained.  But I am DONE with the show.

So I quickly asked the Twitter-verse, "Are there any Broadway shows you are sick of?"  I got a few responses - not enough to be scientific - but the 8 or so I got were all the same shows.  Here they are in alphabetical order, along with some comments I got:

1.  Grease  I'm guessing the title speaks for itself?

2.  Gypsy "It is a great musical, really.  But they revive it like every 3 years or so.  At least give us a decade before Sutton Foster gets her shot at it!"  Hmmm.. maybe 2 decades?

3.  Into the Woods "Enough already!  The first revival was too soon.  The second even more too soon. And I'm tired of hearing it will/it won't come to Broadway."  "As the song says, 'Please...NO MORE!'"

4.  Love Never Dies I found it interesting that none of the responses I did get said The Phantom of the Opera, but that 2 of less than 10 mentioned the ill-fated sequel.  "Let it die!"  "No one cares about what happens to these people - a murderer/terrorist, a marginally talented diva, and what turns out to be a drunk aristocrat!"  Ouch.

5.  Mamma Mia! "It has become a joke, just like Cats and the original Les Miz.  Let it go with some dignity."  "When most of the audience doesn't even speak English, it is time to close the show."  Harsh!

6.  Wicked "I am more sick of the fans than the show itself, I guess.  Tired of hearing who went on as the 4th student at Shiz at the matinee." "Funny, for a show that doesn't send out much more than casting news, it seems like it's all u hear about."

7. ANYTHING by Tennessee Williams  "What next? An all-Martian cast of The Glass Menagerie?"  "Didn't he write more than 3 plays?"  I laughed my ass off at those Tweets!  Thanks!

So, what shows (and why) are you SICK OF HEARING ABOUT!!??

Tweet me: @jkstheatrescene and use #SickofBway in your Tweet!

You people are a riot!

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Jeff

4.023

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REVIEW: Love Never Dies (Film)

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Review of the filmed Australian production of Love Never Dies as presented nationwide on March 7th.  Starring Ben Lewis and Anna O"Byrne.  Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Lyrics by Glenn Slater and Charles Hart.  Book by Glenn Slater, Ben Elton and Frederick Forsythe.  Choreography by Graeme Murphy AM.  Direction by Simon Phillips.  2 hours, 10 minutes.  Alcohol, mild violence and horror film-style thrills.

Grade: C

If you don't want to know the plot or ending, I'd suggest that you skip this review.

I'll be completely up front.  I am NOT a fan of The Phantom of the Opera.  But I actually had somewhat higher hopes for Love Never Dies owing mostly to the slick filmed bits I've seen in the commercials.  At the very least, I went to support this kind of event which brings theatre to those of us who live outside New York, London or Melbourne.  As it turns out, that's pretty much all I did.  The most interesting part of the evening was listening to the very vocal audience during the Broadway coming attractions.  (HERE)  I couldn't help leaving thinking I am glad to have spent only $20 on it rather than $150 when it inevitably steam rolls into New York.  Still, that doesn't mean that the filmed version isn't without its merits.

5 REASONS TO ENJOY LOVE NEVER DIES

• The spectacular opening.  I thought I was going to LOVE this when it started.  It opens with a Prologue, "Til I Hear You Sing," a beautiful aria of a number that has the Phantom pining for his muse, Christine Daae. Love certainly hasn't died for the Phantom in the 10 years since they last parted.  This number soars in the way I always wanted "Music of the Night" to.  And that number segues into the absolutely gorgeous "Coney Island Waltz" (it owes more than a tip of its hat to "The Carousel Waltz") which introduces us to the locale and Mister Y's Phantasm, a spectacular freak show.  It is this device that allows the Phantom to roam freely (pretty much) about the place, though he mostly keeps to himself.  Webber's music here approaches the grandeur and scale of Sunset Boulevard, and the lyrics by Glenn Slater and Charles Hart show surprising depth of emotion. Throughout, the entire score benefits from the assembled full orchestra and the magical orchestrations by David Cullen.

• The spectacular scenery.  Designed by Gabriela Tylesova, the scenery is even more stunning than Phantom.  With some rather cheeky references to the original - mirrors, broken and two way, appear somewhat frequently, the organ room and lair (for lack of a better term) of the Phantom are adorned with curled brass and flame shaped light bulbs that do more than call to mind the infamous chandelier, she reminds us of the original.  But the specific location of Coney Island is jaw-dropping.  A giant labyrinth of ominous roller coaster tracks frames the stage, and colorful tents come and go at eye-popping speeds to reveal glass wonders, a colorful and a bit scary carousel, and a full stage of a burlesque show.  Even the pictures I've included here don't do it justice.

• The spectacular costumes.  Also designed by Ms. Tylesova, the costumes are equally dazzling.  This production is said to have 300 of them.  It is to her credit that the "street clothes" are as wondrous as the "theatrical costumes."  They transport us to a time, that at only 100 years ago, seems so far removed from us - a time when you dressed to travel and to attend the theatre.  And the colorful, exotic, erotic and circus clown scary costumes of the Phantasm dazzle and disturb in all the ways you should be when watching a Gothic horror story.  Something tells me that not a few people have left the show only to have nightmares that evening.

• The spectacular lighting.  Designed by Nick Schlieper, the lighting enhances, amplifies and colors the magical world of Love Never Dies.  The use of darkness does much the same.  Rarely has lighting  been so neatly intertwined with a piece's story and themes.

• The spectacular two leads.  Both Ben Lewis (The Phantom) and Anna O'Byrne (Christine) have the requisite vocal skills.  In fact, Ms. O'Byrne may be the first Christine I haven't found to be shrill and impossible to believe.  And Mr. Lewis is both menacing and extremely sexy.  That sensuality and sense of danger make the Phantom at last have the combination that makes the fear he instills as believable as having women swoon at his feet.  Their chemistry is smoking hot and fairly leaps off the screen.

5 REASONS WHY LOVE NEVER DIES PROBABLY SHOULD

• The horrid score.  Despite the spectacular opening minutes and consistently lush orchestrations, one song blends into the next with a bland monotone that lulls one into a battle to keep one's eyes open.  My companion for the film dozed a couple of times, and I'm not sure I didn't miss a minute or two.  There is exactly one up tempo number, something about bathing beauties meant to show us that Meg can be a star, after all.  It is about as rousing as a third cotton candy in one night.  Lord Webber calls it his best, most personal score.  That means he really is the bore he comes across like.

• The unbelievable story.   Separately, the idea that the Phantom has escaped and joined a society of misfits makes sense, and that Christine has become a world-famous opera diva is not beyond possibility.  But together, it comes across as a trite convenient plot machination.  And you can almost believe that Meg and Madame Giry followed and have made the Phantom's business is a success.  But Meg is now vying for the Phantom's attentions - mentorship and otherwise?  Really?  10 years has turned this third-stringer into a Prima Ballerina?  Hmmm.  But the best, um, worst thing is that Raoul has become a jealous, angry drunk!  There is a scene with Raoul at a bar, trading what appears to be a button and some pocket lint for one last drink.  And when the "day shift bartender" arrives in the person of the Phantom, the entire movie theatre laughed long and loud.

• The complete lack of (intended) humor.  If we were meant to laugh at the freaks then shame on the authors.  Because there is nothing remotely funny in this show.  Who would have thought we'd actually miss Carlotta?  Of course, I did enjoy my giggles at the final moments of the show (SPOILER ALERT) what with a pistol-wielding Meg dangling Christine's 10 year old love child over the edge of the coaster tracks.  Maybe if the Comet were hurtling toward them...
• The ridiculous ending.  A murderess named Meg is running amok on Coney Island.  An opera diva lies dead in the arms of her lover while her drunken husband tearfully tries to get the boy that isn't his son to come to him.  The boy does, but then returns to the Phantom to touch his mask in wonder.  And this is the ONLY (literally) time there is not even underscoring.  Well, at least it is consistent.  Both the original and the sequel end with a quiet moment that makes you go, "huh?"

• Some seriously sketchy casting.  As great as Lewis and O"Byrne are, the rest of the principals are more dinner theatre than West End or Broadway.  With a list of amazing credits, it is shocking at how one-note Maria Mercedes is as Madame Giry.  Boring and bland don't begin to tell the tale of this miscast.  The same and be said for the Raoul of Simon Gleeson.  No wonder Christine has kept the torch burning for the Phantom for 10 years.  He isn't even an interesting drunk.  But one has to wonder what they were thinking when casting Sharon Millerchip as Meg.  It must have been one rough decade for the littlest ballerina.  She looks about a decade too old for the role (ah, the perils of high def!), and laughably bad as a "performer" and shockingly bad as a crazed murderer.  And don't get me started on the annoying boy soprano that plays the child...

At the beginning of the showing, there is a documentary featuring Lloyd Webber talking about how great it is to have the technology to record theatre in this way and bring it to the masses.  He is right.  It is potentially a great thing.  And Love Never Dies is beautifully filmed.  But it could lead to a false impression.  Film and careful editing tells you wear to look and cuts out the less interesting things.  And it also robs you of the experience of it happening right before your eyes and of the excitement of seeing something so huge unfolds before you.

I hope more productions are filmed - a cross between the treatment Memphis got and this would be the closest to seeing a show from a center orchestra seat.  But in this case, as great as the film is, the show isn't worthy of such treatment.  Heck, it makes me appreciate The Phantom of the Opera.  I NEVER thought I'd say that.

(Photos by Jeff Busby)



Jeff
3.192
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Coming Attractions: Broadway at the Movies

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There were two distinct crowds of people at the showing of Love Never Dies that I attended last night. People who are Phantom of the Opera fans and complete Broadway fans.  Yes, there is an overlap, but it became apparent that there was a distinction once the "Coming Attractions" started.

They started with a 2 minute bit about Sister Act, featuring Whoopi Golberg extolling the 100% family fun of "every single scene!"  (I take exception to that - a point blank shooting murder doesn't qualify as "100% family fun," and I'm pretty liberal.  But I digress.)  Complete Broadway fans' reaction: "Did you hear that that Cosby girl is going to be the lead in that show?"  Phantom only fans: "How does Whoopi do that show AND The View?"

Then there was the commercial for Ghost: The Musical... Complete Broadway fans: "Another movie as a musical.  Isn't she the girl on the poster for Hair? No!  She's the one who sang "Easy to Be Hard" (singing that ditty followed, while the woman two seats over from me did the following when Richard Fleeshman is stripped of his tank top) "Oh My God, he is HOT!  I am wet!  How do I get tickets?"  I kid you not.  She was LOUD.  Note to producers of these ads: Tell us where to buy tickets!

Then there was the 10 second blip of Jesus Christ Superstar that garnered this from Phantom only fans: "I forgot HE wrote that, too." Complete Broadway fans: "Didn't they just revive that?"  "No.  This is not the same show we have on DVD.  This is the Canadian production."  "Really?  Is Jesus different in Canada?"  (Hearty laughter.)

Second to last was the 16 seconds of Evita: Phantom only fans:  "Without Patti LuPone, that is going to suck!"  "Oh, who cares?  Phantom is the only decent show HE wrote."  Complete Broadway fans (sitting right behind me): LOUD LAUGHTER  (Watch the commercial and see if you can figure out why!)


"The truth is she never left you... Ricky Martin...!"  LAUGHING CONTINUES... "Ricky Martin plays Evita!!  THAT I HAVE TO SEE!!"

Finally, the ad for the DVD of the 25th Anniversary Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall came on.  Complete Broadway fans: "Thank God!  Maybe after this the show will start..." "I am so over Phantom..." "Then why are you here?  Because I'd rather sit through this for $20 here than shell out $150 on Broadway."  Phantom fans: (General applause, sighs and pointing at the screen) "Now THAT's what I'm talking about!"  "I ordered my DVD the other day... AND I saw it on PBS the other day!"

The lights went down and the show started... 10 minutes of Lord Webber gushing about how amazing he is... never a good sign... come back tomorrow for my review of Love Never Dies...

Jeff
3.191

Broadway on Film: Company, Merrily, Love

If all goes as planned, this time next year theatre fans should have three new DVDs to enjoy.  Let's keep our fingers crossed that everything will come together for all three projects.




COMPANY
The first has already happened, and would logically be the first to come out for home use: the New York Philharmonic's Company, starring Neil Patrick Harris and Patti LuPone, among many other stars.  In addition to the actual event - 2 performances live - the production was broadcast to movie theatres all over the country.  Talk of a DVD surfaced, then was quickly squashed by the NYP.  Recently, however, talk of a DVD release came at the same time as an announced broadcast of the performance over in the U.K.  Sounds like a win-win to me - Londoners can marvel at LuPone's boozy and brilliantly sung Joanne and Harris' sexy, youthful take on Bobby.  It is one DVD I am really looking forward to.




LOVE NEVER DIES
We all know the history of this one... huge advance in London, promised simultaneous openings in New York and Australia.  Critical drubbing, plans scaled back, creative team dismissed.  Contest/double dog dare to see what international team could create a silk purse out of this sow's ear. Enter an Australian theatre team, a now twice revised script, and much adoration from the one who counts, Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Now that production has been filmed and will be broadcast in this country on February 28 and March 7.  A DVD is to follow... unless, of course, this version is so popular that it gets picked up for Broadway.  Then, who knows?  We shall see if Love Never Dies becomes the hit Lloyd Webber thinks it should be, or if it will be his...




MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
Revised and re-staged as much as Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along has been, one hopes that the great score can eventually be held up by a great book that works.  With two productions currently working toward opening (John Doyle's treatment and the soon-to-open Encores! production at City Center), comes news from original cast member and NYP Company stager, Lonny Price that he plans on having a full documentary about the cast, that moment they were all together in a new show by Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince, and how much their lives have been influenced by that show some 30 years later.  He promises to include footage of the original production, filmed sequences for an ABC special that never aired, and scenes from the 2002 reunion concert (my God, it has been 10 years sibce that already??).  Fans of the show, fans of Sondheim and fans of musical theatre history have to be salivating for this one!

I know I am!

Jeff
3.157

The 2010 - 2011 Season: Easy Come, Easy Go

Just as the first new show of the season gets started, Mrs. Warren's Profession, the season ahead has begun to fluxuate, as it always does.  Sure things are no longer sure things.  New shows announce and settle in, other shows postpone.  This week has had a flurry of such announcements, and for those of you keeping score, it ended in a tie.

LOSSES

POSTPONED

Anna Shapiro

• You Can't Take It with You (Play Revival):  When the production that this revival was supposed to be based on didn't happen (at Boston's Huntington Theatre Company), the director (Tony Winner Anna Shapiro) took another job, effectively eliminating the possibility of a fall 2010 opening.  The producers also admit that they are having a bit of trouble with casting - something about finding a star to attach to the project.  This Pulitzer Prize winner hasn't been on the Great White Way since 1983.
• Postponed: Until Spring 2011. Could still make it this season.
• Chances: I'm going to say 75% that it will happen, but fading...

• Yank! (Musical):  Book troubles, not surprisingly, are putting this one off... I'm sure the writer, David Zellnik, is feeling a bit at odds with producers who want a bigger Broadway show.  And after three successful productions as it is, he might just be wondering why.  The hit York Theatre Company production was great as a small, sweet show, where the limitations of the theatre's size actually inhanced the intimacy and urgency of the show.  I loved it there.  But I have always said that if it were to go to Broadway, the Helen Hayes and no bigger.  There are plenty of ways/places to expand the show - huge production numbers could make sense.  But it could lose something in the expansion.  And with the show banking on the timeliness of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and "Prop 8", timeliness could be running out.  Still both director David Cromer and star Bobby Steggert are said to be fully committed to the project, which ups the ante some.  BUT both are very hot right now, and both have to eat... timing will be everything.
• Postponed: Until Fall 2011.
• Chances: 80% with Cromer and Steggert; 50% without or as the "timeliness" factor lessens...

UNOFFICIALLY POSTPONED/GONE

• Love Never Dies (Musical):  A dog, albeit a money-making one in London, the Phantom sequel has been in trouble for sometime.  First there was Lloyd Webber's health scare.  Then the reviews.  Now, though no one seems to want to admit it, both Jerry Mitchell and Jack O'Brien, are off the project and onto other things, namely Catch Me If You Can.  Then, too, is the rumor that Lloyd Webber wants two different teams to create two new productions for Canada and Australia, and the better of the two get to Broadway... Reality show anyone?  It is a curiosity, and I know I'd buy a ticket, but I don't know anyone, aside from those involved who think this is a good idea to begin with.
• Postponed: Not Officially
• Chances: Getting slimmer every day.  Still, Spider-Man seemed to make it to production...

GAINS

DEFINITE

Elling's Brendan Fraser and Denis O'Hare

• Elling (Play; begins previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre November 2):  This interesting little play came almost out of nowhere, but now has a movie star (Brendan Fraser) making a Broadway debut (check), has two Tony winning co-stars (Denis O'Hare, Richard Easton) to add legitimacy to the project (check check), helmed by a director (Doug Hughes) who is both acclaimed and still hot (check check) and a title that is at least odd enough to make people pause and take a look (check minus).  The synopsis sounds like a modern day Odd Couple.  Welcome aboard!

TENTATIVE (LIKELY)

The Book of Mormon's Matt Stone and Trey Parker

• The Book of Mormon (Musical):  I am loathe to admit that the Post's Reidel is usually right with his gossipy columns, and the one he ran about the recent backer's audition for Book of Mormon cites both Stephen Sondheim and Mike Nichols as "doubled over with laughter."  If that is true, and the rumor that they have a hold on the Eugene O'Neill Theatre is true, I'd say we have another Best Musical contender this season.  And, written by Avenue Q's Robert Lopez and South Park's Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the show certainly has both legitimate and pop culture roots that are valid and sturdy to say the least.
• Probability: Unless every new musical that opens this fall is a BO/critical extravaganza, I would say this one is almost a done deal.  I have a feeling that they will announce definites after the dust settles a bit.  But look at AQ... who knows?

If Over Here! happens, is Cody Linley in or out?

• Over Here! (Musical Revival):  Talk about out of nowhere!  While the Sherman Brothers remain relevant with Mary Poppins showing no signs of slowing down, the 1970's show, which was a vehicle for the Andrews Sisters, and took place during WWII, seems totally unexpected.  I hadn't even heard a word of gossip about it, since it dropped off the radar late last year, when Hannah Montana/Dancing with the Stars star Cody Linley was attached to a production slated for last season.  He seems to be no longer attached.
• Probability:  These spur of the moment deals usually happen, and unfortunately usually flop.  But hey, Anything Goes and How to Succeed in Business... could use a little competition.  And the first time around, Over Here! exceeded expectations, and made stars out of chorus members John Travolta, Treat Williams and Ann Reinking!

And so there you have it.  One play and two musicals likely out, one play and two musicals likely in.  Ain't Broadway fun?

Jeff
2.6

2010 - 2011 Season Preview (Already!): The Musicals

It is hard to believe, especially since we aren't even really that far into awards season for 2009-2010, but there are a lot (compared to recent years) of shows already a "sure thing" for next season.  So far, 8 musicals have been officially announced as "coming in" for the new season, and only one is a revival!

So I thought, why not get excited about next year and take a look at what we got?

(Keep in mind, none of these shows may even open!  And the list changes daily... and one could come out of nowhere... like American Idiot this year...)

In alphabetical order:

Catch Me If You Can, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying!, Love Never Dies, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, The Scottsboro Boys, Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and Yank!

BIGGEST TREND (BY FAR):

 

Spider-man's Reeve Carney and Yank!'s Bobby Steggert

 

All but one of these shows focuses on male leads or ensembles.  Already the race for Best Actor and Best Featured Actor are interesting...

CONTINUING TREND:

Movies turned into musicals...three of these are directly adapted from films - Priscilla, Women on the Verge, and Catch Me If You Can.  And one, Spider-man, will be heavily identified with the film series, despite all pleas to the contrary that it is based on a comic...

DOES TWO YEARS IN A ROW COUNT AS A TREND?:

This year, we had The Addams Family, which has publicity begging us to believe it is based solely on those cute New Yorker panels, though it uses the TV theme song and relies somewhat on the public's knowledge of the movies.  Next year, we have Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark , which has the same issues, PLUS it is already setting itself up to be next season's whipping boy...just like The Addams Family...  (A good first step might be to change the title...it invites a perverbial "kick me" sign, doesn't it?)

SPEAKING OF WHIPPING BOY:

 

Ramin Karmiloo and Sierra Boggess

How about Love Never Dies?  I mean really, does it stand a chance over here?  No one likes it, it doesn't star anyone compelling (at least with his clothes on), and no one seems to want to give Sierra Boggess a break.

A MORE POPULAR BOY:

Daniel Radcliffe

I bet Daniel Radcliffe hopes he can shed his little boy Harry Potter image altogether when he comes back to Broadway in a new revival of How to Succeed...  It seems the perfect role.  He plays a grown up character that relies heavily on boyish charms and looks... just ask Robert Morse, Matthew Broderick, Ralph Macchio or John Stamos.  Let's hope he can sing... he proved he can act in Equus.  It would be nice to have another genuine star who does both Broadway and big films.  There is room for another Hugh Jackman, I'm sure.

WILL SMALL STAGE SUCCESS WORK ON A BIGGER STAGE:

Susan Stroman and the actual Scottsboro Boys

I'm guessing that both the producers of Yank! and The Scottsboro Boys think so.  The latter seems like it was born to make the uptown move... Susan Stroman, Kander and Ebb, John Cullum are all names that are just a wee bit big to settle.  Were they smart to try it out first?  ABSOLUTELY!  The subject matter and the format (a minstrel show) are controversial to say the least.  Hey, it worked for next to normal...

Nancy Anderson and the boys of Yank!

Yank!, on the other hand, seemed to embrace its smallness.  I am not exaggerating when I say that the waiting room outside the restrooms at the Booth Theatre is bigger than the entire York Theatre Company stage and house.  Still, it could easily (if done with care) grow... I mean it uses the old 40's propaganda and musical films as touchstones for the entire show.  And, God, please let Bobby Steggert stay with the show AND be in a hit!

DRAG QUEENS RULE!:

Priscilla in London

Matt Cavanaugh and Will Swensen

La Cage looks like it'll be a hit.  Chicago features a drag role.  And Mamma Mia's finale might as well be a drag show.  So Priscilla: Queen of the Desert should fit right in.  Plus there is the pop score - I've always considered "Shake your Groove Thing" to be a show tune, anyway.  And now rumors that two of Broadway's hottest (smoking hot) stars are being courted for two of the three starring roles!  If Will Swensen and Matt Cavanaugh sign on, get me to the box office!!!

I LOVE THE MOVIES!:

David Yazbek and Jeffrey Lane

And at least the other two movie-based films have some serious pedigree.  Women on the Verge... which also has the honor of being 2010-2011's first new musical, has David Yazbek as its musical writer and Jeffrey Lane for its book.  Yazbek has spun gold from two marginal films - in fact, he improved them both in their stage versions - The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (with Lane).

The Seattle try-out of Catch Me If You Can,

Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz, center

Of course, Catch Me If You Can, is based on a critically acclaimed film on its own, but add Marc Shaiman (music and lyrics), Scott Wittman (lyrics) and Terrence McNally (book), and you have a better than average shot.  I mean these men are responsible for such screen to stage gems as Hairspray, Ragtime and Kiss of the Spider Woman!  And if they can keep them, two of the hottest stars on Broadway these days, Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz...

No matter how you look at it, the new season is already exciting with just the possibilities!


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