At This Theater: The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

Opening in 1927 as the Royale Theatre, the house was renamed the John Golden for a few years (the John Golden today is one door down now, of course), then back to the Royale for 65 years. That's the name on several Playbills in my collection. Then, in 2005, the theater was renamed for the longtime president of the Shubert Organization: The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Home to the plays and musicals of many legends, the theater has hosted premieres of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker, and both The Glass Menagerie and The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams, among others. Modern classics include 'night Mother, Cactus Flower, Who's Life Is It Anyway?, Speed-the Plow, Lend Me a Tenor and Art. Among the musicals that have left their mark are Grease, Hollywood/Ukraine, and a pair of Andrew Lloyd Webber works: Joseph...Dreamcoat and Song and Dance. 

  

  

Much like its neighbor, the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, there hasn't been a single performance I've seen there that I didn't enjoy. My first was A.R. Gurney's Sweet Sue starring Mary Tyler Moore and Lynn Redgrave, and most recently, the 2024 Best Musical Tony winner, The Outsiders. All told, I've seen 12 productions there. It is one of my favorite Broadway houses.

At This Theatre:

The Bernard B. Jacobs

Number of Shows We've Seen There: 12

      

      

      

The Shows We've Seen There:

13, Almost Famous, An Inspector Calls, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Company (2021), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Once, Parade (2023), Sweet Sue, The Color Purple, The Outsiders, and Triumph of Love

Our Favorite Shows Here:

Of the even dozen, here are our six favorites. We loved each of them so much, it would be impossible to rank them, so here they are in alphabetical order:

Almost Famous: Here's a show I went into knowing very little about it beyond knowing that it was based on a beloved film that I had never seen, and it featured a score by one of my favorite composers, Tom Kitt. What a delightful surprise! I loved every single minute of it. And with it, I was introduced to some of my now-favorite performers like Casey Likes and Chris Wood, as well as reconnecting with other already favorites like Drew Gehling, Gerard Canonico and Van Hughes. I wish I'd have had the chance to see it again.

Company (2021 Revival): Marianne Elliott reinterpreted one of my favorite Stephen Sondheim shows/scores, and with a cast full of my Broadway favorites including Tony-winners Patti LuPone and Matt Doyle, as well as star Katrina Lenk. Then there's Etai Benson, Nikki Rene Daniels, Claybourne Elder, Christopher Seiber and Jennifer Simard. And it was an absolute thrill to be in the same room as LuPone singing "The Ladies Who Lunch."

Once: Much like Almost Famous, I went into this one knowing only that it was based on a small independent film. It took all of about five minutes for me to fall completely in love with the love story of Guy (Steve Kazee) and Girl (Cristin Milioti) and their pub friends. Creatively told and with a lovely score, I cried throughout most of it, most inconsolably during its signature song, "Falling Slowly."

Parade (2023): Michael Arden does it again, reinventing and reinvigorating modern classics in such a way as to make them feel brand new. After Spring Awakening and Once On This Island, I couldn't wait to see what he'd do with Parade. I was not disappointed. Ben Platt has never been better with a simultaneously powerful and fragile performance, and Micaela Diamond soared as the tower of strength that was Lucille Frank. Stellar performances from Sean Alan Krill, Paul Alexander Nolan, Howard McGillin, Alex Joseph Grayson and Jay Armstrong Johnson were truly an embarrassment of riches. 

The Color Purple: Here's a show we almost didn't see, but we have Audra to thank for our seeing this brilliant production. I had seen the original production and really didn't care for it, so we got tickets for Shuffle Along. But that day, Ms. McDonald was out, so we got a refund, and scored tickets for this instead. Turns out that John Doyle stripped it down, tightened it up, and assembled a company of actors up to the challenge. We saw the return of Heather Headley in a dazzling turn as Shug, and the supreme privilege of seeing the star turn of Cynthia Erivo - a true performance for the ages.

The Outsiders: I'm still reeling from the sheer theatricality of Danya Taymor's staging, the gritty design of every element, and the brilliance of the earthy and violent choreography of Rick and Jeff Kuperman. For me, though, it is the poetic and rich book by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine, and score by Jamestown Revival that elevated and expanded the already exquisite novel by S.E. Hinton. Then, too, there is the thrill of seeing a crop of new, exciting talent explode on the scene. I expect big futures from Brody Grant, Sky Lakota-Lynch, Brent Comer, Joshua Boone and Jason Schmidt to name a few.

2023 in Review: Our Favorite Productions

Before we sign off for 2023, Mike and I thought we'd weigh in on our favorite productions that we saw over the past twelve months. Overall, the shows we loved far outweighed those we didn't. That said, there were those we felt were the cream of the cream of the crop. Here they are:

2023 in Review:

Our Favorite Productions

(6 Categories)

Favorite New Musical

What we said: & Juliet is proudly, unabashedly a jukebox musical. Heck, there's an actual jukebox center stage and spotlighted at the start and the finish of the show! And just when I was ready to write off such fare, along comes this perfect gem of a show. The entire enterprise has elevated the genre and is now the gold standard of catalog musicals. Everyone involved should be proud. Grade: A+

Favorite New Play

Mike:

What we said: So rarely does a play receive such rave reviews as Leopoldstadt. Even more rarely does a production so fully deserve such accolades.This one is as advertised. It is a masterpiece. Grade: A+

Jeff:

What we said: When people ask me why I love theater as passionately as I do, I answer by talking about shows like Life of Pi. Nothing compares to seeing such artistry and sharing a deeply human experience happening right in front of you. Grade: A+

Favorite Revival

Jeff:

What we said: There simply aren't enough adjectives or words that even do justice to the magnitude of this production. All I can think of is "thank you." Grade: A+

Mike:

What we said: This is not a Sweeney for the faint of heart. And it just builds from there. Part psychological thriller, part horror show, part musical comedy, this production embraces all of it. It is traditional yet acutely modern. The result is one of the top theater experiences I've ever had. Grade: A+

Favorite Off-Broadway Production

What we said: The Encores! presentation of The Light in the Piazza is the perfect example of the joy and pain of the ethereal nature of the art form we love so much. It's that "capturing lightning in a bottle" thrill of witnessing a once in a lifetime moment, savoring the memory of it, and lamenting that it'll never happen again. Grade: A+

Favorite Regional Production

What we said: Pacific Overtures is a stunning classic, rarely performed, and perhaps underappreciated. True, it isn't for the faint of heart, and you need to bring your "A" game to fully understand it as an audience member. But, when there's as glorious a production as Signature Theatre's current revival, it is most definitely worth the extra effort. Grade: A+

Most Disappointing Production

What we said: They say in the show that well-behaved princesses rarely make history. Neither do rotten musicals. If pop hits and girl power re-write is what you need, head over to the Sondheim and grab tickets for & Juliet. Grade: F

2023 in Review: The Final Tally

Over the course of our yearly review, we honored 19 of the 21 productions we saw in 2023. 90 acknowledgements were made and here's how they broke down by show:

Shucked 12

& Juliet 10

Parade 10

Sweeney Todd 9

Here Lies Love 8

The Light in the Piazza 8

Bad Cinderella 5

Life of Pi 5

Bob Fosse's Dancin' 4

Pacific Overtures (Signature Theatre) 4

Back to the Future 3

Leopoldstadt 2

New York New York 2

Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center) 2

The Gardens of Anuncia 2

A Beautiful Noise 1

Camelot 1

Once Upon a One More Time 1

The Play That Goes Wrong (Kennedy Center) 1

Thank you all for joining us this year. We wish you all the very best for a happy, healthy and theatrical new year!

2023 in Review: Our Favorite Performances

2023 in Review:

Our Favorite Performances

(6 Categories)

We were fortunate enough to see 21 different productions in 2023: 14 Broadway, 3 off-Broadway, and 4 regional; these are the shows we considered in all categories for our favorites this year: & Juliet, A Beautiful Noise, Back to the Future, Bad Cinderella, Bob Fosse's Dancin', Camelot, Here Lies Love, Leopoldstadt, Life of Pi, New York New York, Once Upon a One More Time, Pacific Overtures (Signature Theater), Parade, Shucked, Spamalot (Kennedy Center), Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center), Sweeney Todd, The Frogs, The Gardens of Anuncia, The Light in the Piazza and The Play That Goes Wrong (Kennedy Center). We also saw Kimberly Akimbo two additional times - what can I say? We are Fanagrams! We made our lists separately - so below you'll see where we agreed, plus performances we each just had to include! I'm surprised at how much we were in sync this year!

How did we compare to your favorites? Leave a comment below, or catch up with us on Twitter or Instagram! (@jkstheatrescene for both)

Favorite Leading Performance

Ruthie Ann Miles as Margaret Johnson in The Light in the Piazza

HONORABLE MENTION

Stephanie J. Block as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center)

Micaela Diamond as Lucille Frank in Parade

Ben Platt as Leo Frank in Parade

Favorite Supporting Performance

TIE: Alex Newell as Lulu in Shucked

        Gaten Matarazzo as Tobias in Sweeney Todd

HONORABLE MENTION

Jordan Donica as Lancelot in Camelot

Anna Zavelson as Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza

Favorite Duo Performance

TIE: Josh Groban & Annaleigh Ashford as Sweeney Todd and Nellie Lovett in Sweeney Todd

        Ben Platt & Micaela Diamond as Leo and Lucille Frank in Parade

HONORABLE MENTION

Anna Zavelson & James D. Gish as Clara and Fabrizio in The Light in the Piazza

Caroline Innerbichler & Andrew Durand as Maizy and Beau in Shucked

Favorite Dancer

Kolton Krouse - Bob Fosse's Dancin'

HONORABLE MENTION

Bobby "Pocket" Horner - & Juliet

Tony d'Alelio - Bob Fosse's Dancin'

Favorite Ensemble

& Juliet

HONORABLE MENTION

Here Lies Love

Pacific Overtures (Signature Theatre)

Favorite Full Company

TIE: The Light in the Piazza and Parade

HONORABLE MENTION

Bob Fosse's Dancin'

Shucked

Sweeney Todd

REVIEW: Parade (2023 Revival Cast Recording)

REVIEW: Parade 
(2023 Broadway Revival Cast Recording)

That Jason Robert Brown's Tony-winning score for Parade was worthy and wonderful back in 1999 was never seriously in doubt. But this 2023 Broadway Revival Cast Recording solidifies its place in Broadway history as one of the great scores of the 20th century. And what makes this recording an invaluable addition to any musical theater fan's collection is the exquisite sound quality and uniformly sterling performances of the entire company. The orchestrations by Brown and the late great Don Sebesky are as much the star of this recording as anything else.

It is when - every single time - the company sings as one that just listening to it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, while my mind swirls with the memories of witnessing this first hand several weeks ago. "The Old Red Hills of Home" alone makes this recording a must-have. Even as a supporting group of back up singers, the company wows time and again with their stunning choral mix, superb diction and overwhelming emotion.

Led by Ben Platt as Leo Frank, and Micaela Diamond as his wife, Lucille Frank, this definitive recording is in excellent hands. Neither over-indulge in any self-aggrandizing in their vocals here. Instead, wonderfully, they each give complete performances as meticulously acted as they are sung. Platt surely shows his most mature and thoughtful work here, from the contemplative "How Can I Call This Home?" to the sinister "Come Up to My Office" to the tragic "Sh'ma." His emotional range is awesome, in the truest sense of the word. Meanwhile, Diamond gives a heartbreaking, sturdy turn as a dutiful wife turned heroine. Her solo numbers "You Don't Know This Man" and "Do It Alone" are nothing short of masterful, full-blown arias, perhaps even more powerful here than in theatrical performance. That said, the recording nearly explodes in musical glory in their two showpiece duets, "This Is Not Over Yet" and "All the Wasted Time." Both songs and their singers are stunning and sublime.

So many individual cast members get their moments to shine on this perfect companion piece to the production. Each individual is a stand-out, for sure, but for me, here are the stand-outs that really stand out:

• Charlie Webb (Young Soldier) who starts the whole recording with the powerful opening to "The Old Red Hills of Home," a combination of heroic determination, wistful loneliness, and a touching undercurrent of fear.
• Howard McGillin (Old Soldier) stuns in the years later end of that same song, with fierce pride, a sad longing, and a touching undercurrent of failure. Later, as Judge Roan, he is powerful, if misguided, in "The Glory."
• Paul Alexander Nolan (Hugh Dorsey) impresses throughout, especially in "Somethin' Ain't Right" where his ambition is at old with his ineptitude. And his duet with McGillin, "The Glory," is a startling reminder of today's political climate.
• Alex Joseph Grayson (Jim Conley) is truly chilling and brazen in his chain gang number, "Blues: Feel the Rain Fall." This is a performance I won't soon forget.
• Douglas Lyons (Riley) and Courtnee Carter (Angela) start Act Two off with a wry and pointed delivery about the pecking order of social (in)justice with "A Rumblin' and a Rollin'."

There are two performances here, though, that are superlative and give me great hope for the future of American musical theatre: Jake Pederson (Frankie Epps) and Erin Rose Doyle (Mary Phagan), both of whom made their Broadway debuts in Parade. Pederson's journey from love-struck hayseed - as evidenced by his thick Southern drawl in "The Picture Show" - to a radicalized rebel is a shocking one. You can hear him mature - as evidenced by his much less severe drawl that helps reveal his growing anger in both "There Is a Fountain/It Don't Make Sense" and "Frankie's Testimony." On just the recording alone, he amazes. Perhaps even more miraculous is that Doyle makes such an impression with as little time as she has on this recording - her role in the show is a much larger presence. Yet her teasing joy in "The Picture Show" only makes her journey even more tragic with her haunting delivery during "Frankie's Testimony." Notable, too, is that even on the recording, you can feel her presence in "The Factory Girls/Come Up to My Office."

I don't think I'll ever be able to put fully into words the profundity of the impact that this production has had on me. Rarely a day goes by that I don't think about it. I - and you - should be thankful that this masterpiece has been preserved.

REVIEW: Parade

Review of the matinee performance on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City. Starring Ben Platt, Micaela Diamond, Alex Joseph Grayson, Sean Allan Krill, Howard McGillin, Paul Alexander Nolan, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Manoel Felciano, Kelli Barrett, Aurelia Williams, Eddie Cooper, Erin Rose Doyle, Danielle Lee Greaves, Douglas Lyons, Jake Pederson. Book by Alfred Uhry. Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Orchestrations by Don Sebesky and Jason Robert Brown. Co-conceived by Harold Prince. Scenic design by Dane Lafferty. Costume design by Susan Hilfery. Lighting design by Heather Gilbert. Sound design by Jon Weston. Projection design by Sven Ortel. Choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant. Direction by Michael Arden. 2 hours, 30 minutes including one intermission. Closes August 6, 2023.

Grade: A+

The original production of Parade was award-winning, yet short-lived, and like many challenging pieces, it was ahead of its time. For better or for worse, now is the perfect time for a moment of history so beautifully, horrifyingly captured by Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry's masterwork. Now heading into its final two months of a limited engagement, this stunning, important production is not to be missed. 

Helmed by Tony nominee Michael Arden (and choreographed by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant), this musical is tight and fat-free. Not a single moment is wasted - every second is in service to the compelling events of the book and its themes. The red, white and blue of the Confederate, Georgian and American flags are literally in your face throughout, fraught with deadly emotion masquerading as patriotism, and frightening in its ever-changing meaning. Act one is particularly maddening in its nearly bias-free presentation - just the facts, the politics, the belief systems, boldly portrayed as if we are only to observe, then draw our own conclusions. It is ugly and difficult. Even during several thrilling flashbacks, we see only what we are allowed to see, interpreted by those who lived it. It is only when the trial begins and in its aftermath, that we are allowed to make connections between truth and lies, justice and power, life and death. Arden carefully doled out the emotions up to this point, then opened the flood gates during act two. 

The presentational style of this staging is breathtaking throughout, aided by a fully realized physical production. Dane Lafferty's austere wood-planked platform festooned with patriotic bunting, and surrounded by a variety of period chairs for the citizenry of Georgia to observe (and often look away), fairly reeks of Americana. It is not a good smell. The projections, brilliantly curated and presented by Sven Ortel, are stunning and provide real faces with the names of all those involved - a constant reminder that what we are watching happened in real places with real people. Often it struck me that, as these are largely black and white portraits, all seemed like wanted posters. Heather Gilbert's lighting, moody and sometimes harsh definitely added to experience, most notably for its lack of subtlety (in this case a good thing), and Jon Weston's sound design was perfection. The costumes by Susan Hilferty, historically accurate down to the buttons and hairpins, had the feel of both a living museum and sepia-toned camera readiness. The look and sound of the whole thing was as wondrous as the performance itself.

Much like the now-historic Encores! Chicago, and this season's Into the Woods,  this transfer to Broadway includes a cast of all-stars and exciting up and coming talent - a wonderful by-product of such a move. To that end, this company is top-notch from above-the-title stars to the swings and understudies. The supporting ensemble - aces, all - includes such stand-outs as Charlie Webb as the Young Soldier, who opens the show with a gorgeous rendering of "The Old Red Hills of Home." The factory girls are played by Sophie Manicone, Ashlyn Maddox, and Emily Rose DeMartino, and "The Factory Girls/Come Up to My Office" was a chillingly executed scene. Their haunting, broken innocence was uncomfortable and sad to watch. 

No one in Southern society escapes the machinations of the events portrayed in Uhry's book. The duplicity of life for African Americans shows up in many forms, from the brutally honest and wry "A Rumblin' and a Rollin'" act two opener, delightfully delivered by Douglas Lyons and Aurelia Williams, as staff in the Governor's mansion. The guilty until proven innocent reality of life portrayed with a world-weariness by Eddie Cooper as the accused janitor, and the guilt of betrayal of the Frank's maid poignantly played by Danielle Lee Greaves both captured their moments perfectly. Alex Joseph Grayson's bravado and arrogance as escaped convict, now murder suspect Jim Conley, is jaw-dropping in its intensity. His chain gang number, "Blues: Feel the Rain Fall," deservedly brings down the house. He is simply stunning, and someone I look forward to seeing again soon.

Stacie Bono, as the First Lady of Georgia, and Kelli Barrett, as the murder victim's mother, offered strong depictions of women on each end of the economic spectrum. Mary Phagan, the murdered young girl, was played with a coy and ethereal presence by Erin Rose Doyle, while Jake Pederson as Frankie Epps morphed from an awkward, smitten teen into a seething, impressionable rebel with frightening ease. I see wonderful careers ahead for both Ms. Doyle and Mr. Pederson, both making their Broadway Debuts here.

Scary in its parallels to the current state of our country, the confluence of far-right politics and religion are on full display here, as embodied by Georgia Governor Slaton (Sean Allan Krill), Judge Roan (Howard McGillin), Hugh Dorsey (Paul Alexander Nolan), and Reverend Tom Watson (Manoel Felciano). How these events are so much like what is going on today is mind blowing. All four Broadway veterans are bringing their A-game here: Felciano's fiery righteousness is horrifying, Krill has never been better in a truly challenging role, McGillin is in fine voice and grand stature, and it is great to see Nolan in a role and production worthy of his talents. (His duet with Mr. McGillin, "The Glory," is a highlight.) Finally, Jay Armstrong Johnson plays the journalist-as-showman role with a seedy fervor recognizable from many a modern news channel today. 

I knew from the moment I saw her in The Cher Show, that Micaela Diamond was going to be a force to be reckoned with. But nothing prepared me for her earth-moving triumph here. Brilliant in its specificity and attention to the smallest of details, her performance as Lucille Frank sets a new standard. Often rigid and unmovable, her Lucille is a force, albeit a stoic one at first. The result is a feeling of detached loneliness. One wonders if this woman actually loves her husband. Slowly, the layers peel back, and when she gets to "You Don't Know This Man," the near explosion of emotion grabs you by the throat. The exhilaration of "This Is Not Over Yet" is a jolt of empowerment, but her tour-de-force moment is one of the last of the show. The picnic scene brought me to tears, with her unwavering strength and belief that all will turn out well. She is heartbreaking.

From that picnic scene through the soul-crushing finale, Ben Platt had me completely won over. What an absolute revelation his performance here is. His unnerving calm in the face of impending doom, followed by a resolute coming to terms with Frank's ultimate demise, was by turns maddening and cathartic. A complete and full performance, I am at a loss still as to how to reconcile what I saw. Whether he was reenacting how it wasn't at his office that day, or that gorgeous picnic scene with Ms. Diamond as they blew the audience away with "All the Wasted Time," or the desperation of needing to die with dignity, Mr. Platt gives a performance for the ages. 

There simply aren't enough adjectives or words that even do justice to the magnitude of this production. All I can think of is "thank you." Every one of you.

📸: M. Klein, J. Marcus