TheatreScene: February 7 - 13

ATTENTION READERS!!  BE SURE TO CHECK THE BLOG THIS WEEK FOR A VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?  BECOME A FOLLOWER!

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THIS MONTH'S POLL!  AND THE SECOND ONE STARTS TUESDAY!

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS WEEK!

LOGOS: The House of Blue Leaves and Arcadia
CASTING: Anything Goes
2011 Chorus Boys and Girls, Part II
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark: A Second Open Letter to Julie Taymor
Back In Time: 2002: Into the Woods (Revival), Part III
Broadway Crossword by Blog #5: Original vs. Revival, Clue Set #3

BROADWAY BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK:

• February 7:  Matthew Gumley - Actor (Elf: The Musical)
• February 8:  Sherie Rene Scott - Actor (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)

• February 9:  Judith Light - Actor (Lombardi)
• February 10:  Stella Adler - Late Actor, Acting Teacher (Awake and Sing! 1935)
• February 11:  Leslie Nielson - Late Actor (Seagulls Over Sorrento)
• February 12:  Christina Ricci - Actor (Time Stands Still)
• February 13:  Stockard Channing - Actor (...Joe Egg, Sic Degrees of Separation)

TOPS AND BOTTOMS (January 31 - February 6)

• Top Attendance: The Merchant of Venice (100.1%)
• Top Gross: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark ($1.297M)
• Bottom Attendance: Million Dollar Quartet (46.7%)
• Bottom Gross: Colin Quinn: Long Story Short ($167K)
• $1M Club: The Merchant of Venice, The Lion King, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Wicked
• SRO Club: The Merchant of Venice

THIS WEEK IN BROADWAY HISTORY

• The Longest Time Since a Show Opened: February 8: 1973 was the last time a show opened on this date.  Finishing Touches with Barbara Bel Gedes played the Plymouth Theatre for 164 performances.
• The Oldest Opening Of the Week: The World's Fair, or Columbia in the Clouds, which opened in 1851 at Braughm's Lyceum Theatre on February 10, and ran 20 performances.
• Oddest Title of the Week: The Frisky Mrs. Johnson, which opened in 1903 at the Princess Theatre.  It ran 80 performances.

Major Openings This Week:

• February 9, 1984: The Rink at the Martin Beck Theatre.  The Kander and Ebb musical ran for 204 performances and earned Chita Rivera her very first Tony Award.  We won't really talk about the hot mess Liza Minelli was - just listen to the OBCR...
• February 10, 1991: La Bete at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.  The original production, produced by none other than Andrew Lloyd Webber, ran a disappointing 25 performances.
• February 11, 1981: They're Playing Our Song at the Imperial Theatre. It ran for 1,082 performances without winning a Tony, or even nominations for its score by Marvin Hamlisch or its star, Lucie Arnaz!
• February 12, 1998: Freak at the Cort Theatre.  Just as John Leguizamo prepares for his next Broadway opening, Ghetto Klown, his 1998 effort ran 144 performances, earning Tony nominations for Best Actor and Best Play.

BROADWAY NEWS THIS WEEK
February 7:

• Despite a "gentleman's agreement" that shows are not to be reviewed prior to the official opening night, it was reported today that several major news outlets worldwide - The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The London Telegraph, Variety, The Washington Post among others - would be publishing reviews tomorrow, the day after what was supposed to be opening night at Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

February 8:

• The storm begins - not only are reviews (mostly nasty) published, but the great debate began: was it the right thing to do?  Damage control also begins, with producers obviously unhappy.  Bringing in the big guns - Oprah has "outed" herself as a fan - the producers have to be thrilled that crowds continue to flock to the Foxwoods.  Ben Brantley may have hit a journalistic low with his "review."  Who gives a shit that he hangs out with nervous men and a woman who hangs out at Sardi's bar during act two? In what was a long article, there was exactly one paragraph - not even the longest one - that was actually theatre criticism.
• RAIN - A Tribute to the Beatles on Broadway resumes its "limited engagement" at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

• The contestants for the 2011 Broadway Beauty Pageant were announced today: Matt Anctil, La Cage aux Folles; Mikey Cusamano, Chicago; Ray Lee, Anything Goes; Brandon Rubendall, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark; and James Tabeek, Mary Poppins.  Last year's winner was my boyfriend Mr. Memphis, Charlie Williams.

February 9:

• My guess is no one told her that the "Special Event" Tony category was no longer around.  Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony will play the Belasco Theatre March 11-19.

February 10:

• Good for them!  Looks like the folks over at American Idiot are really in it for the long haul!  Major cast replacements were announced today: Van Hughes will replace John Gallagher, Jr. as Johnny (see this BLOG for some thoughts on him), Davey Havok will take over the role of St. Jimmy, Women on the Verge's Justin Guarini will replace Michael Esper as Will, and Libby Winters will move up to the role of Extraordinary Girl, taking over for the departing Cristina Sajous, who is headed across the street to Baby, It's You!
• BRING BACK THE SPECIAL EVENT TONY AWARD!  Pee Wee Herman's Playhouse on Broadway has been deemed eligible in the Best Play category, and RAIN - a Tribute to the Beatles on Broadway has been deemed eligible in the Best Musical category.  Really?  Tony Committee, here's a hint: if the show's title includes "on Broadway" it is a special version of an event.

February 11:

• American Idiot is on a roll!  It was announced today that a National Tour is in the works.  Very cool! 
• OK, I'll admit that I am not a Rock of Ages fan, but even I am disturbed by the news that Tom Cruise has signed to play Stacee Jaxx in the film version.  Have they re-imagined the character as an old guy past his prime or has CGI gotten that good?  I shudder to think.

February 12:

• I hate to sound like a broken record, but you really should see the play Fat Pig.  Tickets go on sale today.

February 13: 

• What a week for American Idiot!  Today, it won the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album, beating out Promises, Promises, Sondheim on Sondheim, A Little Night Music and Fela!
• I always hate to end a week on a sad note.  Betty Garrett, who had a Broadway, film and television career passed away at the age of 91.  I had the treat of seeing her perform in 1989's Meet Me in St. Louis.  She last appeared on Broadway in the 2001 revival of Follies.  TV audiences will most likely remember her for her role as Edna Babbish, landlady to Laverne and Shirley.
• BE SURE TO CHECK THIS BLOG STARTING TOMORROW FOR A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!  BIG!  HUGE!  OK, it is big to me... and I hope you'll like it, too.

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.166

Broadway Crossword by Blog #5: Original vs Revival, Clue Set #3

The most recent Broadway crossword puzzle was inspired by the fact that the season's two scheduled revivals are revivals of shows I saw the first time they were revivals: Anything Goes and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.


I decided in CLUE SET #1 to mix things up a little bit and not give the clues out in order. The first set revealed the 9 plays and musicals and their revivals that the rest of the clues are about. That clue set also includes instructions for setting up your grid, tells you which lines contain no new clues, and other details about the way shows were picked. CLUE SET #1 is the best place to start this puzzle.  CLUE SET #2 contains 7 pairs of clues about 7 of the 9 plays and musicals and their revivals that are part of the whole puzzle.  If you kept track of which shows have had clues given about them, you know which two haven't been "clued" about.  In today's clue set, the first two pairs are about those two shows.  The rest of today's pairs, and those of the last clue set (#4, next week) are about all of the shows involved.

Good luck!

Here are this week's clue pairs.  Remember: Each pair has to do with the same show/character/etc.

44 Across:  Row 31, Block 17.  11 Letters: The original Anita
41 Down:  Row 29, Block 34.  10 Letters:  Tony Award-winning Anita

12 Across:  Row 8, Block 9.  16 Letters: Tony-winning lead actor in 2010 Best Play Revival
20 Down:  Row 13, Block 8.  14 Letters: Tony-winning lead actor in 1987 Best Play; he drives Miss Daisy

28 Across:  Row 20, Block 27.  10 Letters: In 1987, she was a 3D prop
23 Down:  Row 15, Block 34.  11 Letters: In 2002, he played the bovine prop

11 Across:  Row 6, Block 20.  14 Letters: 2011 Narrator; popular CNN show host/reporter
29 Across:  Row 22, Block 10.  14 Letters: 1995 Narrator; CBS news anchor legend

30 Across:  Row 23, Block 29.  10 Letters: 1995 director; he also directed Jersey Boys
51 Across: Row 36, Block 19.  10 Letters: 2011 director; he also directed Promises, Promises

22 Across:  Row 14, Block 8.  15 Letters: 2010's Henrik, a London import
37 Across:  Row 27, Block 14.  9 Letters: 1973's Henrik, the original Demon Barber of Fleet Street

13 Down:  Row 8, Block 22.  10 Letters: He directed the Catherine/Angela 2010 revival
19 Across:  Row13, Block 27.  12 Letters: He directed the 1973 original

Here are the clues, crossword style:

Across
 

 
11  2011 Narrator; popular CNN show host/reporter
12  Tony-winning lead actor in 2010 Best Play Revival
19  He directed the 1973 original
22  2010's Henrik, a London import
28  In 1987, she was a 3D prop
29  1995 Narrator; CBS news anchor legend
30  1995 director; he also directed Jersey Boys
37  1973's Henrik, the original Demon Barber of Fleet Street
44  The original Anita
51  2011 director; he also directed Promises, Promises
 
 
Down
 

 
13  He directed the Catherine/Angela 2010 revival
20  Tony-winning lead actor in 1987 Best Play; he drives Miss Daisy
23  In 2002, he played the bovine prop
41  Tony Award-winning Anita
 
 
Find a mistake?  Have an idea for another puzzle?  Leave it here, email me at jkstheatrescene@ yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.165

Back in Time: 2002: Into the Woods (Revival), Part III

Here is the third of four blogs discussing the 2002 revival of Into the Woods.  Previous installments in this series discussed the show itself and the creative team.

Given that Into the Woods is such an intricately woven story, with each character large and small offering some impact on the overall piece, I hesitated to divide the cast into supporting and principal groups.  But, after reviewing the cast list, listening to the cast recording, and considering the script again, I decided to do so.  Of course, this Tony-winning revival, like its original cast predecessor, has an outstanding ensemble company, so delineating between the groups mostly comes down to size of role, and in no way diminishes the impact that each actor brought to the piece.

So, here's a look at the supporting cast of the 2002 revival of Into the Woods:

Chapman (left) in Caroline, or Change

Tracy Nicole Chapman (Florinda)

Before Into the Woods: The Who's Tommy, How to Succeed..., The Life, The Lion King (original cast - Shenzi), The Music Man
During Into the Woods: She understudied the role of the Witch.
Since Into the Woods: Caroline, or Change (The Radio)

Dame Judith Dench

Judi Dench (The Giant)

Before Into the Woods: A storied career in London, New Work, and on film, television and stage.  She has appeared on Broadway only 3 times, including her Tony-winning turn in Amy's View in 1999.  Her honors include 7 Olivier Awards, and 6 Oscar nominations/1 Oscar (Shakespeare in Love).  She was named Dame by the The Order of the British Empire in 1988.
During Into the Woods: The acclaimed actress never appeared in the show.  Her voice was recorded for the production.
Since Into the Woods: She continues to make films (including the role of M in every James Bond film since 1995's Golden Eye.

Dye (left) with Woods co-star Vanessa Williams at

the opening of Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Melissa Dye (Rapunzel)

Before Into the Woods: Grease! (1994 revival - as Sandy (replacement))
During Into the Woods: She, along with Vanessa Williams, introduced the song "Our Little World" to Broadway audiences.
Since Into the Woods: She has not appeared on Broadway since.

Kelly (right) with Into the Woods original cast member,

Joy Franz, in the National Tour of Damn Yankees

Dennis Kelly (Cinderella's Father)

Before Into the Woods: Damn Yankees (1994 revival as Joe Boyd), Annie Get Your Gun (1999 revival as a replacement Buffalo Bill Cody)
During Into the Woods: He understudied the roles of Narrator and Mysterious Man.
Since Into the Woods: He has not appeared on Broadway since.

Kendall (center, left) in the National Tour

of The Color Purple

Trent Armand Kendall (The Steward)

During Into the Woods:  The revival was his Broadway debut.
Since Into the Woods:  He has not appeared in another Broadway show, but has been very active in the benefit performance area of the New York theatre scene, having appeared in benefit productions of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Hair and Chess.

Chad Kimball in Memphis

Chad Kimball (Milky White)

During Into the Woods: The revival was his Broadway debut.  He is (so far) the only human to play this role on Broadway.  He also understudied the roles of Jack, Rapunzel's Prince and the Wolf.
Since Into the Woods: Good Vibrations, Lennon and Memphis (Tony Award nominee - Best Actor in a Musical)

Malenke in a regional production

of The Pirates of Penzance

Jennifer Malenke (The Horse)

During Into the Woods: The revival marked her Broadway debut.  She is (so far) the only human to play this role on Broadway.  She was also the Dance Captain and understudied the roles of Florinda, Milky White and Rapunzel.
Since Into the Woods: She has not appeared on Broadway since.

Myers (right) in the original Broadway

production of Company

Pamela Myers (Cinderella's Stepmother)

Before Into the Woods: Company (original cast as Marta; 1971 Tony Award nominee Best Featured Actress in a Musical)
During Into the Woods: She understudied the role of Jack's Mother.
Since Into the Woods: She has not appeared on Broadway since, though she continues to direct and produce regionally.

Amanda Naughton (Lucinda)

Before Into the Woods: The Secret Garden
During Into the Woods: She understudied the role of the Baker's Wife.
Since Into the Woods:  She has not appeared on Broadway since, but has an extensive resume in regional theatre and television.

Coming soon:  The Principal Cast of the 2002 revival of Into the Woods.  Which of them lived happily ever after?


Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.164

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark: a Second Open Letter to Julie Taymor

NOTE:  The following blog contains plot spoilers.  If you want to know nothing about Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark as it was as of Wednesday afternoon, February 9, please come back another day!  Thank you.

Dear Julie and Creative Team,

This letter is a follow up to the one I posted over two months ago, which you can re-read HERE if you'd like to.  I am writing today because I specifically bought a ticket to the first performance after what was to be your other opening night, February 7th.  I have read the reviews that came out yesterday, and I feel for you, I really do.  And so, I will continue to honor your producers' wish to not post a formal review until after you officially open, March 15th.  But in the interest of full disclosure I want you to understand that regardless of whether or not you open on the 15th, I will feel free to post a formal review at any point after that.  Fair enough?  I think so.

If I am going to be 100% honest (and trust me I will considering how much time and money I have personally invested in your "vision") after reading those reviews, it sounded to me like you made absolutely no substantive changes to the show.  You'd have thought that the reviewers saw what I saw last December, not something over the past week or so.  So, as much as I've supported you all along, I must admit I arrived at the Foxwoods Theatre ready to be disappointed.  And shame on me.

In the 2 months since my last visit, the entire show has so vastly improved I can hardly believe it.  And good for you.  In my previous letter, I told you that your show has provided me with 8 minutes of the most thrilling theatre going of my life.  I'd say that you have now delivered about 38 minutes of thrilling, interesting and thought-provoking theatre.  Maybe as you read this you might think that 38 minutes is great, but what about the other 132 minutes?  Well, I'd say that about 100 of those minutes are fun and satisfying spectacle, which, I believe, what you are trying to accomplish with this production.  And before we talk about that last 30 minutes or so, let me thank you for the attention paid to the bulk of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

• First, what was working to start with - about 85% of the first act and about 10 minutes of the second act still work amazingly well.
• Second, the general overhaul of the sound quality has VASTLY improved improved the entire show.  You can actually understand the lyrics and the dialogue and you can tell who is talking almost the entire time.  That alone makes 90% of act one and probably an hour of act two work where it didn't before.
• Third, I must give credit where it is due.  And, please no offense to either Natalie Mendoza or America Olivo (who I saw in December), but you have a real gem in T.V. Carpio, and I mean a Hope Diamond size gem!  She sings like an angel, and acts the part perfectly - even the parts that could still use some work.  She is sexy, sinister and down right evil when she needs to be, and that she is selling some of the stuff she has to sing is amazing.  And I'm going out on a big limb here, but now that I can fully comprehend the story, I take back what I said about trimming Arachne down to a supporting character.  Clarity is an amazing thing, isn't it?  (And, as I thought, and Ms. Carpio proved, the title song really does have a lot to say about the story and the theme of the show.)

Thank you, too, for addressing some of the grievous ugliness that defined your show earlier.  Your tweaks to act one have really improved the pacing and the clarity of the story.  But your work on act two is to be applauded.  Seriously.  The motivations of the Sinister Six, the Green Goblin, and, ultimately, Arachne, are now crystal clear, all thanks to a well-placed short book scene, impeccably delivered by Ms. Carpio.  I now understand somethings that I took you to task for previously:  Why the Green Goblin hates Spider-Man - check!  Why J.J., the newspaper guy, hates Spider-Man - check!  Why Peter doesn't hate Mary Jane after her being involved with the death of Uncle Ben - well, you re-did the whole sequence and WOW! - check!  And why Peter/Spidey only fights the film images of the super villains makes legitimate sense now - check!

Finally, though, the new finale was totally worth the wait.  The last 20 minutes or so of the show is EXCITING!  Thoughtful as it is though-provoking!  And it really makes you give a damn about Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and, I can't even believe I'm typing this, Arachne!   The final flying sequence - I won't elaborate here because I hope people who see the show can have the same thrill of discovery that I got - is absolutely beautiful and thematically powerful.  It really ties the whole show together.  And the ending that you producer announced would please fans of the film was worth the wait, and is a fun way to close the show.

It also bears repeating, especially in light of the early reviews, that your cast from top to bottom is to be commended for really believing in what you are trying to do.  Ms. Damiano, Ms. Carpio and Mr. Page are consummate professionals who are all doing top notch work, as are your tremendous Spider-Man aerialists.  In December, I had the privilege of seeing Reeve Carney in the title role, and he was terrific then, so I can only imagine how wonderful he must be by now.  That said, anyone who happens to see a performance where Matthew James Thomas is Peter/Spidey is in for a real treat.  He is superb.  Simply superb.  Regardless of how things ultimately turn out, both young men have so much to be proud of.

Now... about those pesky 30 minutes...

• While I can now add "Rise Above" - both times it is in the show - and the title number to my short list of songs that I like and that work, the rest of the score still remains problematic.  Were this a typical musical, it would probably kill your show altogether, but since a lot of the songs blur into the background as we get swept up in the visuals, the spectacle, it seems, can trump musical numbers in this type of show.  Still, "Pull the Trigger," with its parade of marching soldiers needs to be re-thought.  It is just ugly.  Period.  And the still unseen "Let It Be" movement sounds infinitely more interesting than the army we do get to see. 
• With the addition of Ms. Carpio, I am willing to meet you half way on the "Deeply Furious" number.  She and the Furies are much more vicious and mean than before, which makes sense.  Visually, it still looks like it is trying to be campy number.  Get rid of the colorful, laugh-inducing shoes, and make the furies' legs shorter to match Arachne's instead of making them comically full-sized.  They wouldn't look silly when their demeanor and delivery says, "we are the bad girls, watch out for us!" 
• The Geek Chorus, while much better integrated now, needs their scenes seriously trimmed.  They bring the show to a screeching halt a few times.  Part of that might be fixed, though, if you helped them deliver funny lines (which they are) like they are doing a comedy, instead of like they are doing King Lear. 

Which brings me to my still biggest concern...

While overall it is vastly improved, the unevenness of tone is still a huge problem.  As much as you are pushing boundaries here, there are several place where you aren't pushing enough.  When the show is funny, let it be funny.  They are saying funny jokes, but delivering them like an O'Neill monologue.  And when the bad guys are being bad, let them be BAD.  The furies, for example, look tough (facially) and what they are singing is evil enough, but they aren't delivering serious evil.  And when Peter and Aunt May or Peter and Mary Jane are having a touching moment or two, let us savor it for more than a split second, will you?  I mean, yes, I found myself actually caring about the characters much more than I did two months ago, but they still need a little extra pep.  But most importantly, remember that this is about a comic book hero, who has plenty to say for sure, but it is still a comic book legend.  LIGHTEN UP A LITTLE!  This is way too serious in places where it doesn't need to be.

So in short, laugh a little more, bring out more extreme emotions in places, deal with the shoes, and oh, before I forget - Sean Samuels is doing a bang up job as a reporter and as Swiss Miss.  But the Busker has to go.  And fast.

To all the naysayers and people who read the early reviews as if they are the final word, and to Ms. Taymor, cast and team: if you can make some final improvements to the show in this last month like you did since December, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark will be a legitimately huge hit.  Huge.  And entertaining.  And a great spectacle.  It is not, nor does it really try to be, traditional musical theatre.  To judge it as such is a mistake.

You'll probably see me again this spring.  Keep going in the same direction!

Jeff

Comments?  Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me.
2.163

2011 Chorus Boys and Girls, Part II

Late last month, I selected two cast members from each of the first five musicals to begin previews in this "second half" of the 2010 - 2011 season, the idea being that I'd try to focus some more of my viewing energy on the unsung heroes of the Broadway musical - the chorus or ensemble.  And specifically, I'd keep my eye on one guy and one gal in each show's ensemble.  My selections for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, The Book of Mormon, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and Catch Me If You Can are HERE.

And here are my selections for the final 5 musicals to begin previews this season:

Anything Goes
Previews: March 10     Opening Night: April 7

Chorus Boy: Adam Perry (Ensemble)
Credits: A Chorus Line, Promises, Promises, Wicked

Chorus Girl: Joyce Chittick (Angel/Ensemble)
Credits: Cabaret, The Pajama Game

Why Them: He: Still somewhat new, but with a wide variety of experience in dancing.  She: Ms. Chittick is the very definition of "Broadway gypsy" and deserves my undivided attention.

Perry (center) in Broadway Backwards 5

Chittick in Broadway Musicals of '64

 

Wonderland
Previews: March 21     Opening Night: April 17

Chorus Boy: Derek Ferguson (Ensemble)
Credits: Broadway debut; We Will Rock You, High School Musical National Tour

Chorus Girl: Sae La Chin (Ensemble)
Credits: White Christmas, Fosse, The King and I

Why Them: Aside from a variety of credits, he has toured/danced with Miley Cyrus, Ne-Yo and Paula Abdul, and she has danced as a Radio City Rockette.  Both have made a career out of shining in the background without pulling focus from the front!

(Top) The National Tour of Disney's High School Musical

(Bottom) Broadway's Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Sister Act
Previews: March 24     Opening Night: April 20

Chorus Boy: Blake Hammond (Ensemble)
Credits: Hairspray, Elf: The Musical, Kiss Me, Kate

Chorus Girl: Christina DeCicco (Ensemble)
Credits: Broadway debut, Wicked National Tour as Glinda

Why Them:  Can these two, who have played major leading roles in two giant musicals, do good work in the background?

He was Pumbaa in The Lion King;

she was Glinda in the National Tour of Wicked

Baby, It's You!
Previews: March 26     Opening Night: April 27

Chorus Boy: Brandon Uranowitz (Ensemble)
Credits: Broadway debut; regional/tour credits: Brighton Beach Memoirs, RENT

Chorus Girl: Alison Cimmet (Ensemble)
Credits: A Tale of Two Cities

Why Them:  Two Broadway newbies...

Brandon was in Broadway Bound regionally with Karen Ziemba.

Alison has apppeard in Don't Quit Your Night Job with Marc Kudisch.

The People in the Picture
Previews: April 1     Opening Night: April 28

Chorus Boy: Jeremy Schecter (Ensemble)
Credits: A Chorus Line, The Pajama Game, Beauty and the Beast

Chorus Girl: Megan Reinking (Ensemble)
Credits: Hair, Lestat, Dracula: The Musical

Why Them: Can they go from featured roles to ensemble members?  You bet they can!

Both center: he in A Chorus Line; she in Hair

Any chorus folks you think I missed?  Let me know!  Leave your thoughts her, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.162

CASTING: Anything Goes

My goodness, the talent that has trod the boards this season has been exceptional (even if the shows have not).  And the cast of Roundabout's Anything Goes revival is the perfect example: current Broadway stars, legendary Broadway stars, up and coming Broadway stars and Broadway debutantes make up this cast of 28, plus 2 swings.  This company makes this revival even more exciting!

The principal cast is made up of Sutton Foster (Tony-winner, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Women, Shrek), theatre legend Joel Grey (Tony winner, Cabaret, George M!, The Grand Tour, Wicked), and relative newcomer Colin Donnell (Jersey Boys, national tours of Wicked and Mamma Mia!) as Reno Sweeney, Moonface Martin and Billy Crocker, respectively.

Foster, Grey and Donnell

The immediate supporting cast is equally distinguished: theatre legend John McMartin (5 time Tony nominee, and 2009 Theatre Hall of Fame Inductee: Into the Woods, Follies, Sweet Charity, Show Boat), stage and screen star Jessica Walter (Rumors, TV's Arrested Development), Broadway up and comer Laura Osnes (Grease, South Pacific, Bonnie and Clyde), London stage actor Adam Godley, and Broadway veteran and up and coming director, Jessica Stone (Grease! 1994, The Odd Couple).

Osnes, Walter and McMartin

Rounding out the supporting cast are: Walter Charles (41 years on Broadway, including Sweeney Todd, La Cage aux Folles, Me and My Girl, Cats), Robert Creighton (Chicago, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King), Andrew Cao (Broadway debut!), and Raymond J. Lee (Mamma Mia!).

The ensemble is equally accomplished.  It includes: Clyde Alves (Wicked, Hairspray), Ward Billeisen (Curtains, Fiddler on the Roof), Joyce Chittick (Cabaret, Grease, The Pajama Game), Nikki Renée Daniels (Promises, Promises, Lestat, Nine), Margot De La Barre (White Christmas, South Pacific), Daniel J. Edwards (Broadway debut!), Kimberly Fauré (Broadway debut!), Josh Franklin (Grease, Legally Blonde), Justin Greer (Shrek, Urban Cowboy, Seussical), Tari Kelly (national tour Little Shop of Horrors, The Boy from Oz), Shina Ann Morris (West Side Story), Linda Mugleston (Into the Woods, Young Frankenstein, Wonderful Town), Kevin Munhall (Broadway debut!), Adam Perry (Wicked, Promises, Promises), William Ryall (Grand Hotel, How to Succeed..., Amadeus), Jennifer Savelli (Guys and Dolls, The Boy from Oz), Anthony Wayne (Broadway debut!) and Kristen Beth Williams (Promises, Promises).

Given the material, the company, the creative staff and the producing theatre company, I sure have high hopes for this revival.  Still, I worry that we could have another Bye Bye Birdie on our hands, or that it simply won't measure up to the spectacular 1987 revival, equally star-filled and grandly produced by Lincoln Center.  I am confident, in the very least, that it will be a slick, nice to look at, highly professional production.  And there is always that fantastic Cole Porter score!


Are you looking forward to Anything Goes this spring?  Comments?  Leave it here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
2.161

LOGOS: The House of Blue Leaves and Arcadia

Soon Broadway will be host to two star-filled revivals: The House of Blue Leaves and Arcadia.  And as the date approaches for first previews and Opening Nights, the PR is gaining momentum.  I thought I'd take a look at their logos and see if they impress me enough to want to buy a ticket.

First up: The House of Blue Leaves by John Guare.  Starring Edie Falco, Ben Stiller and Jennifer Jason Leigh.  The Queens set play features a host of oddball characters, including a zookeeper who longs for a career in songwriting and a schizophrenic named Bananas, whose next stop is the House of Blue Leaves.  The action unfolds (including a bomb) on the day the Pope is to visit New York City.

Hmmm...where do I start?  The large, fill-the-screen version that came up when I opened this, actually made me turn away because it literally hurt my eyes, kinda like when it is dark in the house and you open the refrigerator for a midnight sip of milk.  After adjusting to it - and it still does funny things when you look at it for more than a few seconds at a time - I did start to notice a few things that suggest that the play might be interesting.

First, there is the lone window on the huge wall, closed and curtains shut.  This suggests a lonely household or one that even in a huge building is still lonely.  And because it isn't a bright, garish color it draws attention.  Second there is that tiny (relatively) Papal hat, almost out of the picture.  Even if I didn't know the basic plot, I'd have to notice that the hat, along with the shut window, means that important things are going on outside in the world, but the people behind the window are missing it.  A huge theme; is it in the play?  I'm not sure, but this art certainly suggests it.

Still, those two little things only came to me after a few minutes of closer looks and some thought.  I've read that people spend less than 30 seconds looking at a logo for a show, and only spend more time on it if they are initially interested.  I have a feeling that whoever came up with this was thinking" the bright red/orange will get them to stop, and the bold names of the stars will get them to look longer.  And if that doesn't get them, the title will."  I couldn't disagree more.  The red/orange is off-putting at best, and that shade of blue makes it look like the words are moving.  I am annoyed, not interested in the first 10 seconds, and will likely keep walking.  Also, I hate to say it, and no offense to the stars, but as big as they are (and I consider all three to be big names) how many people know them by last name, especially Ms. Leigh, whose last name is a first name, or a last name made famous by a dead movie star?  I would need at least the whole "Edie Falco" were I the average theatre goer happening upon this ad in the subway, and probably a picture, at which point I'd more than likely say, "Oh! Mrs. Soprano is in a play!".  And given that this is the third major NY production of the play, IF I got to figuring out the title, and IF I was interested enough to re-read it again, "Stiller" might make me think Jerry, not Ben, even though Ben was in the last revival, too.  Why?  Because Anne Meara - who goes hand in hand with Jerry Stiller - was part of the original, ground-breaking production.

Finally, I think that making the title exactly the same style size and color of the rest of the print minimizes the play itself, and its author and director who are in considerably smaller print.  The message I get is that the stars are more important than the play, its writer or its currently very hot director.  And that, as much as the ugly color turns me off.

Grade: D-

Next up: Arcadia by Tom Stoppard.  In import of a recent London revival, the American cast includes Billy Crudup and Margaret Colin.   The comic-drama takes place at an English country manor, in the 19th and 20th centuries simultaneously.  An exploration of the relationship between yesterday and today, modern thinking, history, proof and disproof, the play is elegantly complex.  As riveting as it is demanding of the audience, the experience is a heady one.

The logo for this play perfectly matches the dichotomy of the play's time periods, the elegance of a time long ago and the stark clean lines of all things modern.  My eye is first drawn to the image, not only because it is the largest thing on the logo, but because it is intertwined in the words.

That image speaks volumes about the play even at one glance. A white rose, not a red one, suggests purity and maybe romance, but not love, and a rose one of nature's perfect creations, visually pleasing and mathematically calculable.  The stem is complete, too, with a leaf and a small thorn, suggesting that even with the beauty comes some danger.  It is the stem, winding its way through the lettering that continues to hole your eye.  And suddenly it morphs into a computer plug, bright blue and not anything in common with the rest of the logo's classic beauty.  I find myself immediately intrigued, and knowing the plot/set up of the play find the image completely clever and apt.  But even if I didn't know the set up, I'd still be intrigued by the image.

Set against a marbleized background, one can recognize, too, that the setting will be classic, elegant, and probably one of wealth.  The bright red lettering of the title ad the playwright's name also draw your eye.  The capital A's on both ends suggest a symmetry, and the style of the lettering itself practically screams "classic."  Tom Stoppard's name is certainly still a draw to serious theatre goers, and I think it interesting, that in this version, at least, the director's name is present, but smaller, and blends in with the background.  David Leveaux has had a hot/cold Broadway track record at best - even with 5 Tony nominations, those that marvelled at his take on Nine were equally taken aback by his tinkering with the classic Fiddler on the Roof, for example.  So perhaps it is best that he gets recognized, but the powers that be want to emphasize the strength and draw of the title and the writer.  (To be fair, there are other versions of the logo with the director's name in red, too, and the same size.)

I think either version of this logo does its 30 second job very well, and probably earns itself another 15  or 20 seconds.  The iconography is compelling and in one image summarizes the play.  The background and the lettering convey tone and the fact that in this production, the play is the thing.

Grade: A+

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Jeff
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