Friday 5: 5 Favorite One Act Musical Flops

5 Favorite One Act Musical Flops

5. Glory Days (2008 - 1 performance) Yes, I actually saw this show - prior to Broadway - and I really enjoyed it. The performances were solid, including that of Andrew C. Call, who I have enjoyed in several shows before and since Glory Days. Maybe it's a guy thing, but an impromptu high school reunion of old buddies hit me in all my feels.

4. 13 (2008 - 105 performances) Several of these youngsters have gone on to big things, so that alone makes having seen this one a thrill. Graham Phillips has grown up on several TV shows I've enjoyed, and has certainly come into his own on stage recently, including a current run in Little Shop of Horrors with 13 cast mate Elizabeth Gillies. Al Calderon  is currently on Days of Our Lives, Eamon Foley is making his mark as a director and choreographer, and Allie Trimm has a sustained Broadway career, including stints as Glinda in Wicked. But who knew I'd be maybe 20 feet from someone who is now one of the most famous people in the world, Ariana Grande? Oh, and the show was charming.

3. Swept Away (2024 - 48 performances) Dark and stormy, literally and figuratively, this show is one I'm so glad I got to see. It's a shame that the current Broadway economic climate allows so little wiggle room for gaining an audience. Still, it was an emotional and mental exercise definitely worth my time. Plus, a chance to see John Gallagher, Jr. and Stark Sands at the peak of their abilities was one not to be missed. 

2. The Story of My Life (2009 - 5 performances) I've often written about my love for this little, charming and devastating two-hander. There wasn't a dry eye in the house, and it remains one of my most cherished theater memories. "The Butterfly" is one of the best songs in all of the 21st century. It was so good, they made a book out of it!

1. The Scottsboro Boys (2010 - 49 performances) I could make a strong argument that this show (like so many of the Kander and Ebb oeuvre) was way ahead of its time, and history will show this to be one of the - if not the - greatest musicals of the first quarter of the century. Headed by Colman Domingo, John Cullum and Joshua Henry, the cast was flawless. The material was uncomfortable, but the show was energized and entertaining. In that way, it reminded me of Cabaret, Chicago and The Visit (another ahead of its time shows).

I am so grateful that I had the chance to see each of these. Each one expanded my view of what musicals could be. And I don't think it's the last we've seen of any of them, either. 

Broadway Who's Who: Rachel Hauck

One of today's most creative and acclaimed scenic designers, Rachel Hauck seems to just be getting started. And yet, she's been a fixture off-Broadway, regionally and internationally, as well as a highly credentialed educator. She's a multi-award winner, including a Tony Award, and we wouldn't be surprised to see her name on the nominees list in 2025 for her stunning design of Swept Away. Ms. Hauck is definitely qualified to make our Broadway Who's Who. 

Broadway Who's Who:

Rachel Hauck

DID YOU KNOW?

BIRTHPLACE: Ohio

EDUCATION: BA in theater from UCLA

TEACHING: Brown University, Vassar College, NYU, Cal Arts and Princeton University

INTERNATIONAL DESIGN: She's designed productions in London, Australia and Tokyo

REGIONAL COMPANIES: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Guthrie Theater, Arena Stage and McCarter Theater

OFF-BROADWAY: Signature Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, The Public, Playwrights Horizons, Ars Nova and SoHo Rep

HONORS AND AWARDS: Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Scenic Design (2016)

BROADWAY: 6 productions:

Latin History for Morons 

(2017 - Studio 54)

• Broadway debut

 

What the Constitution Means to Me 

(2019 - Hayes Theatre)

 

Hadestown 

(2019 - Walter Kerr Theatre

⭐ - Winner: 2019 Tony Award - Best Scenic Design of a Musical 

 

How I Learned to Drive 

(2022 - Samuel J. Friedman Theatre)

 

Good Night, Oscar 

(2023 - Belasco Theatre)

⭐- Nominee: 2023 Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play

 

Swept Away 

(2024 - Longacre Theatre)

 

Review: Swept Away

Review of the Sunday, November 10, 2024 matinee preview performance at the Longacre Theatre in New York City. Starring John Gallagher, Jr., Stark Sands, Wayne Duvall and Adrian Blake Enscoe. Book by John Logan. Music and lyrics by The Avett Brothers. Arrangements and orchestrations by Chris Miller and Brian Usifer. Scenic design by Rachel Hauck. Costume design by Susan Hilferty. Lighting design by Kevin Adams. Sound design by John Shivers. Choreography by David Neumann. Direction by Michael Mayer. 90 minutes with no intermission.

I'm wondering if taking longer to write a review of a show than that show takes to perform is a good thing. Whether or not it is remains to be seen, but it is nonetheless true. You are reading the third version of my thoughts on the new musical, Swept Away, which opened last night. Maybe part of the reason for that is that since I saw it some ten days ago, it hasn't really left my mind, or maybe it is because what I think about it seems to change with the tide. No matter the reason, this show is perplexing and thought-provoking. And that's better than being left cold by it.

Technically, the show is beautiful to look at and listen to. That's no surprise considering the caliber of the design team. A mostly quiet, almost ethereal show, John Shivers' sound design is clear as a bell and appropriately atmospheric, while Susan Hilferty's costumes convey the seriousness of the piece and the harsh realities of 19th Century whalers. Each man in the company has costumes with fully unique details that silently portray their characters, even though we ultimately only get to know four of them.

The real stars of the design team, though, are Kevin Adams (lighting) and Rachel Hauck (scenery). Adams creates a world of bright hope with yellow washes of color and gentle blues in a calm sea, and in stark contrast, a dangerous world of man vs sea, with foreboding greens and sharp blasts of white light, then later, gloomy pools of light and darkness. He never disappoints. Hauck's ship design is stunning, as its sheer size overwhelms and awes, teetering dangerously close to patrons in the first few rows, and later, as it morphs into a tragically sinking ship, settling as an upright monolith of beams and reflections. We are left then with another stark contrast - the large ship has given way to a small, singular life boat. The memory of what was looms large over everything that happens from this moment on.

A study in contrasts, Swept Away is really two short musicals: one a boisterous seafaring spectacle with larger than life characters, who sing, dance and swashbuckle with gusto, the other, a dark character study. David Neumann's boisterous, hyper-masculine choreography is both fun and tragic, as we know the fate of the men who are full of life one minute and gone the next. Similarly, Michael Mayer's direction takes on two opposing themes: a zesty reverence for men whose lives are cut short, and then, a solemn character study of survival, introspection and sacrifice. Mayer deftly portrays both. He gives the entire crew moments to shine, and then bringing the heartbreaking conclusion that even had they lived, their lives were headed toward a crushing end, soon to become obsolete. Were these career whalers perhaps spared a longer death by being taken out of the equation while doing what they loved? As the show settles into a quiet sense of dread, he directs moments of revelation juxtaposed against moments of deafening silence - we contemplate life and death, regret and resignation right along with the four men who are left to their own devices.

In creating this dichotomy, the score, made up of folk-rock songs from a concept album by The Avett Brothers, serves not to really advance the plot, but more so to reveal mood and character. Ultimately, the songs have a sameness about them that is both comforting and repetitive. As the survivors survive, the music becomes less interesting (boring, even), and one wonders if they were trying to mimic the monotony of weeks in a boat with nothing but the waves happening? Still, the music fits the mood, and the lyrics are poetic and revealing. 

Then there is the book by John Logan, who seems to be wrestling with bringing these contrasts to full light. On the one hand, the framing device tells you the end before the piece is even three minutes old. On the other hand, it isn't really about the inevitable conclusion, but rather, the journey to that end. As it starts, the scenes are quick with exposition, and we get a clear picture about who the four men are, but then as they are set in their static situation, the characters also become static. Since they can't really move, the action needs to come from the dialogue. Sure, there are flare-ups, and the final twist earned appropriate gasps, but there isn't enough development to generate more than passing interest and a nagging impatience to get to the end promised us in the opening moments. Dare I say, the show might have benefited from some expansion and some trimming?

All of that said, the real reason this musical needs to be seen is its main cast. These four men are each remarkable individually and as a collective whole. Wayne Duvall is Captain, a formidable man set in his ways, and regretting that his way of life has not afforded him a fuller one. His moments on the lifeboat are really wonderfully rendered bits of madness as his survivor's guilt is exacerbated by visions of his men begging to be saved swirling around his semi-consciousness. His cries of remorse are chilling. Broadway newcomer Adrian Blake Enscoe is Little Brother, a young man with love in his heart and an insatiable need for adventure. His exuberance in the opening scenes is completely infectious, and offers a harsh counterpoint to his scenes in the boat, where Little Brother, severely injured, clings to hope and life. Enscoe is definitely an actor to watch for - he has that "it" factor and then some. 

In sharp contrast, Big Brother is a God-fearing religious man with an unflinching sense of duty, made all the more significant because the wasn't even supposed to be on the ship. 

Stark Sands brings this relatively complex character to vibrant life, being fully believable in his piousness and his inspiring love for his brother. It is nice to see him in a dramatic role with chances to show off his many solo talents. The role of Mate is a very complicated one in that he is a man who has lived his life selfishly and with little regard for the consequences of his choices. Played with a fierce bravado, and balanced with moments of desperate uncertainty, John Gallagher Jr. is really pretty magnificent. Beautifully sung and brilliantly acted, I haven't seen him be this good since his Tony-winning turn in Spring Awakening. I just wish he had more to work with.

It is the rare thing to say that a show could benefit from more scenes and songs, but in this case it's true. The stakes need to be higher and the characters need more depth. Maybe the contrasts need to be even sharper, more extreme. Knowing how it turns out even before it starts can actually work for a show - just ask the people behind Titanic. All of that said, even if I wasn't completely swept away, I'm glad I spent some time with four men in a boat.

📸: E. Madrid

2024 - 2025 Broadway Musical Logos: Swept Away

The fall Broadway season has been a pretty busy one for musicals this year. The newest of them, Swept Away, has one of my favorite logos. Everything about it intrigues me. I can say for sure that I am not alone in feeling this way. When I saw it just over a week ago, several people stopped to look at it outside the Longacre Theatre, including the three people who asked me to take their picture with it. (More about that in a future article.) 

2024 - 2025 Broadway Musical Logos:

Swept Away

So why am I (and others) drawn to it? Lets start with the title and tagline. I really love the font they used - an old-fashioned font that feels both 19th Century nautical - penny dreadful-ish and bold and gallant. The parchment color and texture they used fits the overall color scheme and really stands out. And the tagline, "A New Musical Tale," works in the typical "a new musical" way, and by adding "tale," it entices with the inferred adventure and mythic feel the piece seems to be going for.

The colors of the rest of the key art are as eye-catching as the title, and that color is used to highlight the rest of the image. The sea green-blue and black combine to offer a sort of two-tone pen and ink feel. The color choice definitely fits the seafaring theme, while the pen and ink style with extreme detail and realism is a great representation of the very way a late 19th Century story might be told in newspaper accounts of the time. Think back to the time before photographs accompanied titillating stories of heroism and epic adventures. The central image depicts the four characters at the height of their misfortune, tempest-tossed and facing their fate in a tiny lifeboat in an overwhelming gigantic sea. All of this looks so compelling, I can tell you that it did, in fact, impact my personal choice to purchase tickets.

TOP: Little Brother (Adrian Blake Enscoe), Big Brother (Stark Sands)

BELOW: Captain (Wayne Duvall), Mate (John Gallagher, Jr.)

The show art is also extended to specific iterations that adorn the outside of the theater and in advertising. Each of the four images depicts - in amazing life-like detail - a character and a thematic question that matches each character's place in the story. They provide food for thought before and after the performance, the perfect way to advertise a new show.

Grade: A+

Around the TheatreScene: August/September 2024

Over the course of each month, we'll collect pictures and newsy tidbits from the "TheatreScene." We'll be scouring Twitter, Instagram and other social media for interesting items. And we'd love to share your love of theater, too! Send us your pics from your theater scene - local stuff, school shows, fan art, stage door encounters! Send them to: jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (careful of the spelling!).

Around the TheatreScene

August/September 2024

Back to School with The Outsiders

These guys have some of the greatest fans - and their fan art is so timely!

Opened: The Roommate

Dueling divas took to the stage of the Booth! Welcome back, Mia and Patti!

Closed: The Wiz

The super successful revival ended on a high note in the box office, and no less than acting icon Wendell Pierce went to the final performance!

FANTASTIC! Closing Night of THE WIZ on Broadway!! The National Tour begins! Coming to a city near you! “CAN YOU FEEL A BRAND NEW DAY?”🎶 Don’t Miss It! pic.twitter.com/V6dqZYki7U

— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) August 18, 2024

Something's Coming!

Broadway newbies and folk rock stars The Avett Brothers are on the scene of their soon-to-preview new musical, Swept Away. This show is on our must-see list! 

Something's Coming! - Update!

Just when it looked like Maybe Happy Ending was maybe not happening, they've gone full court press on, well, press to herald its soon-to-preview show! These co-stars sure look excited!

 

🤖🤖 pic.twitter.com/Vkor9YQp3p

— Maybe Happy Ending Musical (@mhemusical) August 21, 2024

Broadway in the Comics
Whether it's a political cartoon captures a current show's importance, or a fun Fosse-themed meme (I want this on a t-shirt!)...

Broadway Beefcake

Here's some vintage beefcake... 

Before Jeremy Jordan became Jay Gatsby, he posed for the Rock of Ages pin-up calendar!

Before Darren Criss became a Helperbot named Oliver, he took his Opening Night bows as Hedwig!

Farewell

How fortunate we were to watch master actor James Earl Jones share his craft in the 2012 revival of The Best Man. Thank you for the privilege, sir. Rest in Peace.