Review: The Wild Party

Review of the Sunday, March 29, 2026 matinee performance at New York City Center - Main Stage. Starring Jasmine Amy Rogers, Jordan Donica, Adrienne Warren, Tonya Pinkins, Jelani Alladin, Wesley J. Barnes, Joseph A. Byrd, Claybourne Elder, KJ Hippensteel, Andrew Kober, Lesli Margherita, Evan Tyrone Martin, Betsy Morgan, Meghan Murphy and Maya Rowe. Music and lyrics by Michael John LaChiusa. Book by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe. Based on the poem by Joseph Moncure March. Orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin. Scenic design by Arnel Sancianco. Costume design by Linda Cho. Lighting design by Justin Townsend. Sound design by Alex Neumann. Choreography by Katie Spelman. Direction by Lili-Anne Brown. 2 hours with no intermission. This was the production's final performance.

"How's about a wild party?" snarls Burrs, a black-face vaudevillian with an even blacker heart. And damn, did City Center's Encores! deliver one hell of a Wild Party. As March's poem - and Michael John LaChiusa's brilliant and woefully underrated musical - promises, there's enough gin, skin and sin and this thrilling production to ignite every single one of your senses and then some. Having seen (and adored) the original Broadway production, I'll admit a certain amount of skepticism as to how this take would measure up. I'm a little surprised but pleased to say that I found this to be the superior of the two.

With LaChiusa's red hot jazz score thrives with a jarring pulse played by the Encores Orchestra under the baton  of Daryl Waters. The book, by LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe is as sinister and sexy as always, but now with a somewhat more dangerous vitality, it comes to life under the very tight, tense and claustrophobic direction of Lili-Anne Brown. An acclaimed regional director, Brown makes her New York debut with this show. What a debut! Like the poem upon which the show is based, her direction provides an ever-evolving living tableau of a microcosm of the American Jazz Age, and its decadence, excess and too little too late regret. There is much to look at in the sharply focused main action of each scene, while what is going on in the background offers a feast for those looking for more depth. Choreographer Katie Spelman adds both to the staging and controlled chaos of the era with sharp dance numbers and movements that facilitate a deeper understanding of the subtext. There's a lot going on here, most of it the uglier side of humanity, and it is nearly impossible not to get swept up in it all.

The design team perfectly captures, in visual terms, the themes of the source material, the commentary of the book and lyrics, and the concept of this presentation. All of the elements are impressive, but for me the biggest stand out is Justin Townsend's smoldering lighting, as impressive for what it shows us as for what it hides. What goes on in the shadows he creates are as illuminating as those bathed in harsh, theatrical beams of light. Then there are the stunning costumes by acclaimed designer Linda Cho, who allows us to merely glance at this rogues gallery and know quite a bit about who these people really are. It should be noted, too, that the costume design is just as effective when each character strips down to varying degrees. Kudos, too, to the hair and wig design by Tom Watson.In short, they are brilliant. Finally, there is the unit set by Arnel Sancianco, a blazing red apartment with every room on view simultaneously, compact and flexible with many doors that allow the place to morph into different playing spaces, and yet, one cannot escape the feeling that we are watching increasingly broken, angry animals in a cage, each vying for places to be seen and places to hide.

The cast of 15 is uniformly superb, each bringing their considerable talents to create characters that are equal parts broad stereotypes and keenly specific studies of humanity in a world of excess and self-indulgence. Sound familiar? The company provides a cross-section of society that runs the racial, gender and economic gamut. Each has a desire, and each has something to hide. As budding Broadway producers in over their heads and struggling with their Jewish-ness, KJ Hippensteel and Andrew Kober play the unwitting rubes to a room full of vultures with a crazy lack of irony (a good thing, as they seem as surprised at how things turn out as we are as sure of it from the moment they enter.) Then there's the former chorine Mae who gave it all up to be the blonde trophy girl of the boxing champ, played to the hilt by the always wonderful Lesli Margherita, who almost breaks your heart when she realizes she made a huge mistake. With her is the aforementioned boxing champ, a slab of arrogant meat played by Evan Tyrone Martin, who matches Margherita jab for metaphorical jab. Maya Rowe completes this trio as the youthful Nadine, Mae's sister nearly blinded by her dreams of the lights of Broadway. What happens to this character is troubling at best, and Miss Rowe handles her steady decline with an alarming dexterity.

On the sexual spectrum, we have lesbian stripper Miss Madelaine True (a robust and frank Meghan Murphy) and her sidekick/lover Sally, played by Betsy Morgan, who, in a mostly silent role, astonished with her unbelievable limberness - she makes Gumby seem stiff. (She also delivers the best exit line in 21st century musical theater!) Self-described as "ambi-sex-trous," there's Jackie, a guy who thrives in society as a people pleaser and clinger. He likes anything and anyone he can get his hands on. At first funny and charming, Claybourne Elder oozes and schmoozes with an endearing quality that takes increasingly darker turns as booze and coke begin to take their toll. His is ultimately a terrifying journey. Even by today's standards the incestuous relationship on full display is a shocking one, as Wesley J. Barnes and Joseph Anthony Byrd take on the roles of the Brothers D'Armano. The thin veneer of their four hands piano-playing act becomes even thinner as they are unafraid to display their affections - and frightening jealousies - in front of the other guests.

Original Broadway cast member Tonya Pinkins is back, this time as aging, but still glorious Delores Montoya, a woman who has been there, done that and holds all of her knowledge close to the vest, ready for one more shot at the spotlight. Like the true diva she is, both Delores and Ms. Pinkins know how to command a stage just by standing there. Every moment she is there is to be savored, and the audience lapped it up like cream. Brava!

As Queenie's best friend. Kate, with razor sharp claws (think Mame and Vera, only uber-vicious) Adrienne Warren is a dazzling presence, a singer/dancer/actress of a caliber that is rarely seen. What a thrill to see her grow yet again. Kate brings with her a hot man, a "moocher," to purposely stir up trouble. His name is an enigma - Black - and he is played with a suavity and cool detachment by Jelani Alladin. He's pretty amazing, and completely the opposite of his most famous role to date (Kristoff in Frozen). This kind of range bodes well, and I am already looking forward to whatever he does next! Of note, his sensuous duet with Rogers, "People Like Us," is a highlight of the evening.

As much as The Wild Party is a true ensemble piece, the success of it all surely rests on the performances of Queenie and Burrs, a co-dependent pair of nearly spent vaudevillians - she's a dancer, he's a black-face clown. This production has found the perfect pair in Jasmine Amy Rogers and Jordan Donica. Their palpable chemistry is all the more mesmerizing as they spar and abuse each other to the point of mutual destruction. Donica is violent and vicious as described, and downright scary as he writhes and seethes, literally spitting out his anger pain. And, Ms. Rogers is everything I've read about her and so much more. The role fits her like a glove, and her presence is like that of only Broadway's most famous divas. For my money, they are giving the leading performances of the season. All four of these main performers - Rogers, Donica, Warren and Alladin - give me great hope for the future of Broadway.

This is the best Encores! production I think I've seen, which is really saying something given their success with such challenging shows as Titanic, The Light in the Piazza and The Most Happy Fella. This is one party I am so glad I didn't miss.

📸: J. Marcus

REVIEW: Assassins

Review of the Sunday, January 23, 2022 matinee performance at the Classic Stage Company in New York City. Starring Adam Chanler-Berat, Eddie Cooper, Tavi Gavinson, Lee Harrington, Bianca Horn, Steven Pasquale, Ethan Slater, Will Swenson, Wesley Taylor, Brandon Uranowitz, and Danny Wolohan. Book by John Weidman. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Scenic design by John Doyle. Costume design by Ann Hould-Ward. Lighting design by Jane Cox and Tess James. Projection design by Steve Channon. Direction by John Doyle. 105 minutes, with no intermission. This was the final performance. Grade: A++

NOTE: This was written before today's unfortunate announcement of early closing.

When we arrived at the Classic Stage Company theater, we were told to wait in line outside. Typical, until it got to be 1:45, and they wouldn't even let us in to pick up will call tickets. Then a Tweet from Judy Kuhn came where she announced she had Covid and would not be appearing in the show that day. Would the show even happen at all? At last, the line moved, and we got inside. We sat. We waited. Eventually, some of the actors appeared and were milling around, but looking... edgy. Now it was after 2:15 and the show still hadn't begun. Finally, the lights dimmed and the music started. 

Well, it took 32 years and three productions for me to finally see a New York production of Assassins, and boy, was it worth the wait. I rarely say this about any production - even my beloved favorites, but this revival was flawless. From the design to the casting to the John Doyle concept and direction it was utter perfection. A difficult, uncompromising and, yes, terrifying piece to begin with, this production made the show feel both timeless and eerily timely. Never before has it struck me so hard that we live in such a precarious balance between the seen and the unseen, the heard and the unheard. 

In the current social media age where anyone and everyone says and does whatever they have to to be recognized - where everyone who wants a platform can have one - it is a real gut-punch when you realize that despite all of that (or even scarier because of all that) people are still desperate to be heard and to get their "fucking prize." Have we ever been so close to a mass assassination before? Those questions and more are posed by this production, be it with Steve Channon's projections, or the frightening use of face masks as the company dons them to blend in with the rest of us. Here, industrial brick walls and steel beams collide with rustic barn style wood, and a sickening side show/carnival of red, white and blue lights beckons and warns of danger and risk. Doyle's stage design and the lighting created by Jane Cox and Tess James trap all of us - citizens and assassins alike - inside a surreal version of Americana. It chills me even as I write this, some days after being a part of it all. And, yes, I mean "a part of it all." The elements are so intertwined that the audience - American and not - are all a party to what is revealed.

The quadruple threat ensemblists (Brad Giovanine, Whit K. Lee, Rob Morrison and Katrina Yaukey) not only play instruments, but participate in a variety of roles and are as integral to the storytelling as any of the main characters, and in this version, they represent the "everyman" American quite well. This production also makes great use of the actors who play the proprietor (Eddie Cooper) and Emma Goldman (Bianca Horn) - both excellent in those roles, and a variety of others.

   

In the featured roles of Zangara and Hinckley, Jr., Wesley Taylor and Adam Chanler-Berat, respectively, excel at the odd quirks of their characters and exude an intensity that lingers as it permeates the room. Lee Harrington, rumored to be playing Sara Jane Moore for the very first time, was truly excellent; funny and scattered, she also gave a sobering hint that that can be a lethal combination not to be dismissed. As demented Santa suit-wearing Samuel Byck, Danny Wolohan delivered his multiple monologues with ever-increasing fervor. And Brandon Uranowitz's sullen turn as immigrant Leon Czolgosz gave a glimpse of the intersection of two major issues in today's society.  Collectively, each of these actors created characters that made for a sickening realization that people just like them live among us and are easily disregarded. 

   

Having seen the show at other local and regional productions, I can say that the two roles which uniquely stood out here did so in all the right ways, thanks to the perfect casting of two amazing actors. One of those, Will Swenson, I've had the pleasure of watching perform several times, and here makes a meal out the delusional Charles Guiteau, all impish grins, awkwardness and stunning self-absorption. He disappeared in this role. The other, Tavi Gavinson, is new to me, and I'm already looking forward to what I am certain will be a long, storied career from her. Other times, I've always felt that "Squeaky" Fromme was more a whiner and crazy loon. Here I felt drawn to her; her passion about what she was saying drew me in, and her presence, humorous at times, was oddly intoxicating and that is a troubling admission. What a pair of performances!

   

As much as this rogue's gallery is an ensemble piece, so much of it hinges on two roles - the one who started it all: John Wilkes Booth, and the last successful one: Lee Harvey Oswald. And here, both are embodied by actors giving masterful performances. Steven Pasquale's Booth is a frightening mix of pompous hilarity (he sees it all as a colossal joke) and cruel arrogance. Beautifully sung, and thrilling in its intensity, this is a pure star turn. Ethan Slater does a lot of the heavy lifting here as both the Balladeer and Oswald. With the benefit of having seen the whole thing, I can fully appreciate how Slater (and Doyle) uses his time as the narrator of the piece to insinuate himself into the other assassins' scenes, commenting, of course, but always with an amused but smug grin on his boyish all-American face. Somehow, that makes his transition into becoming a full-fledged member of a growing cult all the more powerful. Gone is the grin, replaced by a disturbing fury.

There is still so much I need to unpack from my mind. It raises as many questions as it provides answers. We are a sick country, full of people crying out to be seen and heard. Attention must be paid.

With news today of their cut run, we are so grateful to have experienced this superlative production. Bravo! And thank you all.

📸: J. Kyler, J. Cervantes

REVIEW: Three Tall Women

Review of the Saturday, March 24, 2018 matinee preview performance at the Golden Theatre in New York City, New York. Starring Glenda Jackson, Laurie Metcalf and Alison Pill, with Joseph Medeiros (uncredited). A play by Edward Albee. Scenic design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Paul Gallo. Directed by Joe Mantello. 1 hour, 45 minutes, with no intermission. Limited engagement through June 24, 2018.

Grade: A+

I'm guessing that like me, other bloggers and legit critics will be consulting their thesaurus to find enough different superlatives when evaluating the revival of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women, which opened last night. I will start off simply: this brilliant masterpiece is the best play I have seen in years, on-, off- or nowhere near- Broadway.  And the same can be said for the entire production of the play, as well.

The scrim rises to reveal designer Miriam Buether's elegant, well-appointed bedroom suite, so tidy it borders on sterile. The room is a carefully calculated arrangement where everything is in its place, covered with the sheen of wealth and all masking the turmoil within its walls. The nearly frigid lighting (designed by Paul Gallo) has the feel of life draining from the air.  All of this remarkable physicality mirrors the room's chief inhabitant, an ancient, miserable woman who spends her days fighting pain and tormenting her caregivers, even as she torments herself with a myriad of memories that pop in and out of her head on a cruel whim.  The second half of the play includes a jaw-dropping change to that remarkable physicality, which further mirrors all of the inhabitants of that room.

How wonderful to report that as jaw-dropping and perfect as the set is for this production, the biggest thrills come from Albee's often hilarious, always sharp, and thoroughly thought-provoking script, some of the tightest direction, by Joe Mantello, who creates a lot of poignant physical movement in a very wordy play, and three Tony-worthy star turns by three generations of actresses. Three tall women, indeed.

In a role that will likely always seem like the least of the three, Alison Pill's performance is one that creeps up on you.  For about the first third of the play, she comes across as a pragmatic, almost supercilious millennial lawyer, and as such is not the most sympathetic of the three ladies. She also seems to have the least to contribute to the forward motion of the plot. But as the play progresses, and you see her not only survive, but hold her own against a barrage of acidic barbs, you come to respect her efforts. Then as the play enters its enlightening second phase, Ms, Pill not only holds her own against two titans of the stage, she joins their ranks as an equal, delivering a powerfully emotional performance that perfectly captures the arrogance of youth and the heart-breaking reality that all of us face as we start to age.

Again, I'll state it simply. Laurie Metcalf is one of the greatest actresses of her generation, and certainly one of the greatest currently on our stages. Like Ms. Pill, Ms. Metcalf plays two different variations on a theme - this time of middle age.  As is her trademark, she plays every moment with an astonishing immediacy as if it is really happening for the first time, and each of those moments reveals a rapier wit with an undercurrent of sadness, regret and a certain been-there-done-that attitude.

The role also offers her a few well-chosen chances to show off some nice physical comedy skills in the first section, while it offers ample opportunity for her to explore the darker end of human emotions. During a late play monologue, she held the entire audience in silent captivity as we hung on her every word while tears streamed down her face. Will she be winning a Tony two years in a row? Quite possibly.

I rarely make such a prediction in a review, but, barring a HUGE late season surprise, the winner of the 2018 Best Actress in a Play Tony will go to the glorious Glenda Jackson, who is giving one of those performances that people will be talking about for years to come.  That is no small feat, considering Ms. Jackson's career which is filled with many such pinnacles. Like the others, she plays two distinct characters in the course of the play, and yet she is the only one who actually plays the same character the entire time.

To say more would be to give away too much of the story, but suffice it to say Ms. Jackson is at the top of her game, delivering sometimes lengthy stream of consciousness monologues that often change emotion mid-sentence in the first part, which makes the relatively more subdued second part of her performance all the more delicious, as she strolls around the stage in full command. Two distinct facets of the same hard diamond, I was almost afraid to take my eyes off of her - will she break or explode? Either way, I don't remember blinking. Or breathing.

With three such amazing performances, such terrific visuals and beautifully timed direction, Three Tall Women fires on all cylinders and time flies. The result is a riveting, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, the kind often reserved for the latest roller coaster. This is a don't miss production.




(Photos by J. Kyler, B. Lacombe)

REVIEW: The Most Happy Fella

Review of the Saturday, April 5th evening performance at the New York City Center.  A presentation of the Encores! series.  Starring Shuler Hensley, Laura Benanti, Cheyenne Jackson, Jessica Molaskey, Heidi Blickenstaff, and Jay Armstrong Johnson.  Musical direction by Rob Berman.  Direction and Choreography by Casey Nicholaw.  Final performance Sunday, April 6, 2014.

Grade: A+

For musical theatre lovers, one of the greatest pleasures we get is when a classic musical is revived well.  Another is seeing favorite performers surprise you and delight you with their efforts.  As it so happens, I attended two revivals, both full of some of my favorite performers.  One of them ranks among the worst of the season (that review will be posted Wednesday).  The other, The Most Happy Fella, ranks among the best of this and several recent seasons.  Unfortunately, if you didn't get to see it over the past week, you missed it, as this most recent production in the Encores! series closed yesterday.  And boy, did you miss something special!

The sheer logistics of giving this show the treatment it deserves are daunting - there is a huge cast of singers and dancers, and Frank Loesser's lush, alternately operatic and musical score needs a huge orchestra.  In today's Broadway economical environment, a commercial revival seems very unlikely.  But that is the beauty of Encores!  There were a whopping 77 people on the New York City Center stage - 38 each in the cast and orchestra, and conductor Rob Berman, whose skilled baton and masterful musical direction brought this masterpiece to loving life.

Armstron Johnson and Blickenstaff
lead the Company in "Big D"

As a big fan of Loesser's Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed...I am kind of embarrassed to admit that the very little I knew about Fella was limited to a vintage I Love Lucy episode.  But, given how dissimilar the first two shows are, it wasn't too surprising that Fella is even more dissimilar to anything he wrote before.  I can only imagine the reaction of the first-nighters in 1956.  Things we take as pretty regular today must have seemed very unusual then.  Mostly through-composed, the show features opera-style numbers, musical comedy numbers, songs sung in counterpoint, some that are short snippets that fit the precise moment, and still others stop midway and then resume later (a musical running joke, if you will). It is a complex, beautiful tapestry of song, dance, and interludes.  Today, we'd say things like "that's so Sondheim," but Sondheim has barely gotten started - West Side Story hadn't even opened yet.

Casey Nicholaw proves again that he has a variety of skills in his directorial arsenal.  This production requires economy - there is little scenery and no effects to rely on, and pretty limited space, and yet he has created a stylized, smoothly flowing production full of memorable moments.  And his dances are just as smooth and definitely flowing, combining ballet, jazz and traditional Broadway-style hoofing.  There are several times when the huge company is dancing and it never looks crowded or like any compromises were made due to space restrictions, either.  Even more to his credit is that he did all of this while shepherding Aladdin to its opening night!

Jessica Molaskey and Shuler Hensley

But the best part of this thrilling evening was watching the principal cast in action.  Fine turns by featured actors include Bradley Dean, Zachary James and Brian Cali as the trio who sing the very funny "Abbondanza," and Kevin Voortman does nice work as the doctor, a voice of calm and practicality.  Jessica Molaskey makes quite an impression as the antagonist, no small task considering what a downer of a role she has.

The secondary couple of the story, providing much of the comic relief, is wondrously brought to life. The utterly charming Jay Armstrong Johnson is a real song and dance man here, singing the show's most famous song, "Standing on a Corner."  His "partner in crime" is the perfectly cast, big-voiced Heidi Blickenstaff, who opens the evening with the hilarious lament "Ooh! My Feet!," an ode to anyone who has ever waited tables.  And the two of them lead the company in the rousing dance number "Big D," which got a huge, well-deserved hand.  They were terrific.

Cheyenne Jackson and Laura Benanti

The central love-triangle of the story features Cheyenne Jackson as the suave, handsome vineyard foreman, Joe.  Loesser's score assigns the character a pair of smoldering, sexually charged numbers ("Joey, Joey, Joey" and "Don't Cry") with which Jackson holds everyone in the theatre spell-bound.  And the absolutely luminous Laura Benanti shows off yet another one of her amazing skills in the operatic style required of her character, Rosabella.  What a singer!  What an actress!  Could this really be the same woman who sang to a dumpster in The Wedding Singer?  Then there's the commanding performance of Shuler Hensley, as the titular "fella," who goes from the highest highs to the lowest lows and back again.  Hensley handles each moment and emotion with such depth and variety, and all with a booming voice and commanding presence.

It is said that they just don't write 'em like that any more.  And it is so true - tight story-telling, a variety of emotional characters and an even wider variety of music just doesn't happen like this much anymore.  And a lot of what we look for these days in the "modern musical" was already around nearly 60 years ago.  We have so much to be thankful to Frank Loesser for.

Jeff
5.144

UPDATE: Casting Promises, Promises

Boy, producers of all the biggest shows are pulling out all of the stops casting wise.  Maybe it is a sign of the times, and a paycheck is a paycheck.  But have you noticed the caliber of even the smallest parts in shows being taken by the top talent on Broadway?  And that doesn't even include the Hollywood types - and even there the quality has vastly improved (welcome to Broadway, Scarlett!).

And so it comes as no surprise really, that the cast list for Promises, Promises is right up there with the recently announced casts of Come Fly Away and La Cage aux Folles.  This company consists of a multiple Emmy winner, 3 Tony winners, and a Tony nominee, co-stars a respected stage and screen star, and is directed (his directorial Broadway debut) and choreographed by Tony winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Cry-Baby).

By now, I'm sure you've heard that Sean Hayes (Will and Grace, Damn Yankees at Encores! Summer Stars) will be making his Broadway debut in a role that won the legendary Jerry Orbach a Tony Award.  His co-star will be the very popular and very talented Kristin Chenoweth, a Tony winner for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, who also starred in a little show called Wicked.  She recently won an Emmy for her work in Pushing Daisies.

The supporting cast features Katie Finneran (Tony-winner for Noises Off, Cabaret), Dick Latessa (Tony-winner for Hairspray, Damn Yankees (1994 revival), Cabaret), Brooks Ashmanskas (Tony nominee for Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, The Ritz, and currently, Present Laughter), and Tony Goldwyn (the film Ghost, on stage in The Dying Gaul).  The rest of the supporting cast includes: Peter Benson (Cabaret, Wonderful Town, Pal Joey), Sean Martin Hingston (Contact) and Ken Land (Victor/Victoria, The Scarlet Pimpernel).

The Promises, Promises ensemble will be made up of Cameron Adams (Shrek, Cry-Baby, Hairspray), Ashley Amber (Cry-Baby, Curtains), Helen Anker, Nathan Balser (Legally Blonde), Wendi Bergamini (South Pacific), Nikki Renee Daniels (Lestat, Les Miserables (Revival)), Sarah Jane Everman (Shrek, The Apple Tree), Chelsea Krombach (Wicked), Keith Kuhl (The Times They Are A-Changin', Sweet Charity), Matt Loehr (Mary Poppins, Movin' Out), Mayumi Miguel (Cry-Baby, Contact), Brian O'Brien (Beauty and the Beast, Chicago), Sarah O'Gleby, Adam Perry (Wicked), Megan Sikora (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Curtains), Matt Wall (The Drowsy Chaperone, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Ryan Watkinson (Xanadu) and Kristen Beth Williams.

The 1968 musical has a book by Neil Simon, music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David.  Promises, Promises will have scenic design by Scott Pask (Tony-winner for The Coast of Utopia and The Pillowman, 9to5, Hair), costume design by Bruce Pask (twin brother of Scott Pask), lighting design by Donald Holder (Tony-winner for The Lion King and South Pacific), and sound design by Brian Ronan (next to normal, Spring Awakening, Grey Gardens). Orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick (Tony-winner for Titanic, the original Promises, Promises, both the original and revivals of A Chorus Line, and just about every Broadway production of a Stephen Sondheim musical) , with music direction by Phil Reno (The Drowsy Chaperone), and dance music arrangements by David Chase (Billy Elliot, Cry-Baby, Bye Bye Birdie).

I've always been excited about this show.  I love the score, and I can't wait to see this company in action!

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

UPDATE: Casting La Cage

Just when I was really settling into the obvious observation about the forthcoming Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles: Why!?  There was just a revival of it and it FLOPPED, big time - 2005 Best Revival Tony or not.

And the addition of Kelsey Grammer as Georges (above, left) didn't really impress me, and I am still praying that he doesn't just do more "Frasier" here.  His name on the marquee of a Broadway theatre has yet to equal even a smidge of success.  I guess we will see.  And as great and awarded as the performance of Douglas Hodge (above, right) was in the London version, he isn't coming with the kind of buzz most London-to-we-gottta-have-him-on-Broadway-he's-so-good transfers have.  I mean everyone had heard of Michael Crawford's greatness in Phantom long before it got here.  Ditto Les Miz's Colm Wilkinson.  No, Hodge's arrival is more on par with Louise Pitre's in Mamma Mia!  Let's hope that he, like she, turns out to be a welcome addition to the Broadway family.

No, until today (I'm writing this on February 3), my chief interest in seeing this revival - aside from the need to see every new musical each year - was seeing how they strip down and "seedy up" a sweet Jerry Herman musical.  I mean what's next?  Dolly Levi chugging sliders at TGIFriday's?  But I digress.  Today, they announced most of the supporting cast, and when someone the caliber of Chris Hoch (FABULOUS as  inderstudy Lord Farquaard in Shrek) and Bill Nolte (wunderbar in The Producers, 1776 and Joseph...) (both above) are signing on as glorified walk-on actors, there must be something special about this show!

It doesn't really get much more exciting than the exquisite Christine Andreas (glorious in the national tour of Light in the Piazza, and heart-breakingly great in The Scarlet Pimpernel, above, left) as Jacqueline and the always terrific Veanne Cox, (above, bottom center) who I have loved ever since I saw her in Smile, as Mme. Dindon.  Then there's Elena Shaddow (who will be fresh off the title role of Fanny at Encores! and who co-starred in the Piazza tour with Andreas, above, right) as Anne.  And a newcomer always adds great fun to the mix, as in the case of A.J. Shively, (below, left) who will star as Jean-Michel.  Broadway debuts are such fun to watch - I always hope to see a new star born.  But the supporting character I can't wait to revisit is the hilarious Jacob, this time in the terrific hands of Robin De Jesus,  (below, right) who was (well, is since he's still in the show) wonderful as Sonny in In the Heights.  I have a feeling he will be terrific!  The rest of the supporting cast includes Heather Lindell (Hairspray) and David Nathan Perlow (White Noise).  (bottom, below - Perlow is in center of High School Musical picture)

Then there are the "Notorious Les Cagelles"(pictured below in this order): the delicious Nick Adams (A Chorus Line, Guys and Dolls, Chicago), Nicholas Cunningham (La Cage aux Folles - West End), Sean Patrick Doyle, Yurel Echezarreta (West Side Story), Terry Lavell and Logan Keslar.

The production also features Christophe Caballero, Todd Lattimore, Dale Hensley and Cheryl Stern.


The production will begin previews on April 6 and open April 18 at Broadway's Longacre Theatre. And now I am more than just a little interested in this show!


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