Great Expectations... Greater Disappointment (Usually)

Does The Book of Mormon live up to the hype for most
audience members?

These days, with the advent of chat rooms, message boards and tell-all blogs, it is almost impossible to avoid Broadway show hype - good or bad, positive or negative, existent or (horribly for some shows) not.  Back in the day, as they say, the whole hype machine/word-of-mouth thing took longer.  But the result was the same: the shows that people talked about, or that got screen time on TV, were more than likely going to be hits, if not critically, than popularly. And so it is nearly impossible to go into a show completely cold, with just your personal reasons for wanting to see a particular show getting you there, like a favorite performer, a favorite subject, a favorite writer/composer, etc.

What brings me to this rambling discussion?  Well, ironically enough, a message board (from my nemesis Broadway website, no less) concerning a show I'll be seeing next week and that will be opening soon. Why look, if I know the messages will infuriate me, spoil the show for me, and so on?  Well, this particular show has almost no buzz beyond a few clever advertisements, and a comparatively lacking PR machine (at least so far).  Curiosity was killing this cat.  As I read about people's impressions of a first preview, followed eventually by people who have seen it before its main stem bow, and then those who have seen later previews, I was getting a real idea of early consensus .  Interspersed are what I call the "voices of reason," posters who remind us that we shouldn't judge a new show before it is completely ready, or that we should completely dismiss a show without having seen it for ourselves, blah blah blah.

What sets this particular thread apart, though, is the pervasive theme of disappointment in the show not living up to preconceived expectations, most based upon the slim description of the show by its press corps than by anything else.  "I thought it would be more like XYZ or ABC."  "It wasn't nearly as funny as LMN, or a fast-paced as EFG."  "It is too much like a cross between HIJ and PQR, but not as good as either."  And that reminded me  that in more than 30 years of going to Broadway shows, it is generally true that shows that I was really really excited about ended up disappointing me, while shows I didn't know much about, or better yet, I wasn't really interested in, more often than not, ended up being the shows I loved the most.  Only rarely has the hype matched my reaction to it.  (Oddly enough, it has happened twice in 2013: I loved both Pippin and The Glass Menagerie as much, if not more, than I thought I would after hearing so much about both.  Generally, it is much rarer.)

You can't get much more hype than the
cover of a national magazine!

I think about three major musicals, all three major hype machines in the 1980's, and all three  big disappointments to me. First, there was Cats, which opened when I was a junior in high school, and getting to Broadway was a once a year treat.  Well, by the time I got to see the show for myself, there was no way it could ever live up to my expectations.  Almost all of my theater friends in school got to see it before I did, all saw it with the original cast.  Their excitement was infectious.  To their credit, their descriptions of the cats, the sets, the incredible finale were entirely accurate.  But it's funny what the mind will do with facts and no visuals to go with them - no Google image searches then - and it is true.  The imagination can create far more interesting images than reality ever could.  And so it was when I finally saw the show, sans Betty Buckley, Terrence Mann or most of the original cast.  I enjoyed it, alright, but I remember distinctly thinking, "That's it?"

Well, I was determined that the next big show was not going to suffer the same fate.  I was going to see it early and bask in the glow of enraptured friends who would hang on my every word about it.  That show was Les Miserables, and I read everything I could find about it, and memorized the London Cast Recording.  In short, I was fully prepared to love it.  I didn't.  I really didn't like it.  When the show didn't start with the rousing "At the End of the Day," like the tape did, it threw me off, and I sat there for a good 20 minutes wondering if they cut it altogether.  Then, worst of all, the boredom set in.  It was monotonous, monotone and only occasionally interesting (mostly when they sang loud), and even, I felt, insulting.  Those Thenardiers sure pandered to the lowest common denominator, right?  I actually nodded off during both acts, original Broadway cast or not.  I was two for two: high expectations with low returns.

The third show, The Phantom of the Opera, I'm afraid suffered the same fate as Cats, only this time it was simply because you had to wait months - just short of a year in my case - to even get a ticket\.  Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman were looonnnggg gone.  And the cast recording did nothing to gain my interest - every long, boring opera aria sounded the same, each love ballad so sappy I feared diabetes from all the sugar.  Only two numbers kept my interest, the title song and "Masquerade."  Seeing the show, at last, didn't change my opinion, either.  The chandelier falling was literally a laugh out loud moment for me - not scary, but lumbering and awkward instead.  And despite some lovely costumes, the rest of the show was as dull to me as listening to the CD.  And even my two favorite songs were disappointing - one was clearly done to a pre-recorded soundtrack, the other, eye-popping until you realize half the "cast" was mannequins!

Can you pick out which of these are living human beings?

Maybe Phantom was about more than disappointing.  I simply do not like it.  Cats and Les Miz both grew on me, though.  Once I made peace with what they actually were versus what I imagined them to be, I learned to enjoy them for the shows they are.

That message board that started all of this now includes a posting from someone who hit the nail on the head when she asked: "Well, now that you know what the show is, do you think you might enjoy it more now on its own merits?"  I wish I could go into EVERY show with that in mind: enjoy it on its own merits.  I'll let you know what I think about the show in question in about two weeks.

But what about those shows I went into with no expectations, or even better, going into with dread?  That I'll leave until next week!  In the mean time, are there any shows that you saw with great expectations, but ended up being disappointed in?  Write in with your story!

Jeff
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Two Down...

So, yesterday came with the announcement that two new Broadway shows were closing.  One of them, A Time to Kill, I really wanted to see, despite the mixed-to-negative reviews it received.  The other, First Date, I did, thankfully, get to see.  Neither closing really comes a surprise.

Given the public-a-large's penchant for tried and true titles, you would think A Time to Kill, would have lasted longer.  Of course, the title alone isn't enough to get butts in the seats.  Maybe it needed more star power - you can rent the movie for $2.99 or buy it for $6.99 on Amazon.com and get the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey, Samuel L. Jackson and Sandra Bullock.  Even at 1/2 price, the cheapest seat would be $34.75, and you'd get a pretty distant view of Sebastian Arcelus, Patrick Page, John Douglas Thompson, and Ashley Williams, moderately famous for their stage and screen efforts, but not an Oscar nominee, winner or Hollywood heartthrob among them.  Yes, deeper in the cast are Tony-winner Tonya Pinkins and Emmy nominees Fred Dalton Thompson and Tom Skerritt.  Still, not a "must-see" on the list as far as the general public (read tourists) is concerned.

Then, too, is the idea that Broadway thrillers are a thing of the past.  Films can do it more graphically, with exciting cross cuts, multiple locations and special effects.  TV procedurals and court room dramas (the entire CSI and Law and Order ouvre) have taken a large bite out of the "shock and awe" of the controversial, socially important crime and punishment drama.  I'm thinking, despite the popularity of the novel, its author and the film of the same name, A Time to Kill would have REALLY needed to be something special - star-studded, visually unique, and doling out dramatic theater that can't be replicated on film.  A tall order.

The trial is over November 17.

You have longer to get to see First Date, which will call it quits after the holidays, on January 5th.  I can't say I'm too surprised that this one is closing so soon, either.  But it is a little surprising in a couple of ways.  First, until this week's opening of After Midnight, only Janis Joplin got slightly better reviews (StageGrade.com says it got a median review grade of B-; the bigger, more hyped Bug Fish got the same).  It is also the show I've liked best so far this season as well (my review HERE).

But there is so much going against this show, too.  First, with money still tight for most people, especially tourists, you get considerably less bang for your buck, even at a discount or buying the cheap seats.  The show is 90 minutes, not very splashy, scenery-wise, and by a bunch of unknowns.  Not exactly a great alternative to those unable to get tickets to The Book of Mormon.  Second, despite two moderately well-known TV stars above the title, you'd have a better shot at seeing someone famous in Chicago, After Midnight or decent replicas in A Night with Janis Joplin, Jersey Boys or Motown.

Still, First Date fits the bill of exactly the kind of show that avid Broadway aficionados always lament is missing: a new show, not based on anything but a decent idea, but new, up-and-coming writers.  The problem is that lately all of the best musicals that fit that exact bill are happening off-Broadway - The Great Comet, Here Lies Love, Fun Home.  And so many similar shows have made the transfer to Broadway and failed miserably - Lysistrata Jones, Grey Gardens, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson to name a few - making producers jittery at best to take the leap.  Don't get me wrong, First Date isn't the artistic, envelope-pusher of any of those other titles, but it doesn't try to be, either.  In a lot of ways, it is a throwback to Broadway shows of old - fun romps with a New York edge, that provide an escape from the every day humdrum life.

Too slight? Probably.  Too New York for tourists? Maybe.  Too many "sure thing" shows for your limited budget? Definitely.  That said, I'd still say to those of you who haven't seen it, go see it.  It is fun. And people are going to say they saw Zachary Levi's Broadway debut, one that'll be talked about for awhile, I'm thinking.  So why not actually see him than just say you saw him?  He is really that good.

The Musicals of the 2013 - 2014 Season By Type

As the season heats up, I thought I'd take a look a where all the new musicals come from.  What are their sources?  Will this season be different than others, or will it just be more of the same?  Previously, I looked at the Tony nominees for Best Musical over the past decade (HERE). So I thought I'd look at the whole season of announced new shows and their sources, and then, later in the season, dissect them as I did in the other blog.

Here are the "types" and the shows from this season that fit them:

Completely Original: A new idea, not based directly on anyone or anything.

• First Date
• If/Then
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Based on the Book: A  musical based on a novel or other literary source.

• Big Fish
• A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
• The Bridges of Madison County
• Les Miserables
• Cabaret

Based on the Film: A "new" musical based on a movie.

• Big Fish
• A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder
• The Bridges of Madison County
• Aladdin
• Rocky: The Musical
• Bullets Over Broadway

It's My Life: A musical based on the life of someone famous.

• Soul Doctor
• A Night with Janis Joplin
• Beautiful

The Jukebox: A musical that uses the canon of songs of an artist or artists, not written for the stage specifically.

• Let It Be
• Forever Tango
• A Night with Janis Joplin
• After Midnight
• Beautiful
• Bullets Over Broadway

As you can see, there are several shows that fit more than one category.  As has been the trend for the last several years, the majority of "new" shows are based on films or are jukebox musicals.  But within those categories, there is something interesting to note.  Three of the six "Based on the Film" shows are based on movies that are based on books.  And two of the six "Jukebox" shows - After Midnight, and Bullets Over Broadway - use those canons of songs completely out of their original contexts.  Is this an improvement in the sub-genre?  So far, given the raves for After Midnight, it looks like a definite possibility. I mean, look at Mamma Mia!

Jeff
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Megan + Brian + My 5 Favorite Broadway Couples

My favorite Glinda ever, Megan Hilty, got married over the weekend to another Broadway baby, Jekyll and Hyde's Brian Gallagher.  Congratulations to you both!  And it got me thinking about other Broadway couples that I enjoy... here are 5 of my favorites (though I can think of probably 20 more... maybe that'll be another blog!).

Will Swensen (Hair, Priscilla..., Les Miserables) and Audra McDonald (Porgy and Bess, Ragtime)

Terrence Mann (Pippin, Les Miserables, Cats) and Charlotte d'Amboise (Pippin, Cats, Jerome Robbins' Broadway)

Neil Patrick Harris (Assassins, Cabaret, Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and David Burtka (Gypsy)

Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, Bonnie and Clyde, West Side Story) and Ashley Spencer (Rock of Ages, Grease)

Nathan Johnson (Broadway photographer) and Laura Osnes (Cinderella, South Pacific, Grease)

and here are 5 of my favorite Broadway couples....

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow (Bonnie and Clyde)

Georges and Albin (La Cage aux Folles)

Sweeney Todd and Nellie Lovett (Sweeney Todd)

Anita and Bernardo (West Side Story)

Edwin Drood and Rosa Bud (The Mystery of Edwin Drood)


Who are your favorites?  Write in and I'll do a blog about your choices!

Jeff
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Making the Move: When Shows Switch Theatres

Over the weekend, Broadway's 10th longest-running show, Mamma Mia!, resumed performances at its new home, the Broadhurst Theatre.  After a dozen years at the Winter Garden Theatre, the show moved to make room for Rocky: The Musical.  It also moved for economic reasons, I'm sure, since the Broadhurst is somewhat smaller.

This type of move, while pretty rare, is the latest in a long line of Broadway shows to make a switch (or two, or four...).  Whether the show is moving for economic reasons or to make way for newer productions, both reasons pretty much insure a longer run.  In fact, there are currently five shows in New York that have made the move: Mamma Mia!, Rock of Ages, Peter and the Starcatcher, Avenue Q and Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.  The middle three above "downsized" theatres - Peter  and Q  moved off-Broadway - and the last on the list couldn't find a theatre, so it built one on an empty lot on 45th Street!

Some other shows that have moved around include the original production of Les Miserables, The 39 Steps, the 1998 revival of Cabaret (which moved when its original theater was demolished by a crane collapse), the original production of Cabaret played 3 theatres, and the 1987 revival played 2! The original production of Grease played 4 theatres, and original production of Fiddler on the Roof played 3.

My favorite, though, is the original production of 42nd Street.  A long-runner in its own right (13th longest-running show, 3,468 perfs), this show also paved the way for two more of Broadway's biggest hits.  It opened at the Winter Garden, then moved to the Majestic to make room for Cats, which went on to become the second longest-running show.  It then moved from the Majestic across the street to the St. James, to make room for a little show called The Phantom of the Opera!  Talk about being a good neighbor...

Jeff
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CD Review: Godspell (2011 Revival)

Talk about late to the party!  I finally got my hands on a copy of the cast recording for the Broadway revival of Godspell at this year's flea market.  I guess I just never got around to making the purchase; at least this way I got it for a bargain and for a good cause at the same time.  And I'm glad I finally got it.

Grade: B+

Title: Godspell

Artist: The New Broadway Cast 

Label: Ghostlight Records

Number: 8-4456

Format: Single CD

Case: Single Jewel Case

Booklet: Full color, 36 pages.  Complete lyrics. CD package design and layout by Davenport Theatrical/Jamie Lynn Ballard. Production photos by Jeremy Daniel.  Liner notes by Paul Shaffer and Stephen Schwartz. Album produced by Stephen Schwartz, Michael Holland and Kurt Deutsch.  Executive producer Ken Davenport.
Bonus: "Beautiful City" sung by Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik and the "After Hours" version of "Learn Your Lessons Well"

THE BIGGEST DRAWBACKS TO THE RECORDING

Godspell is really a visual show: Like Stephen Schwartz's other show early in his career, Pippin, this show really depends upon the visual aesthetic and concept of the given production.  Perhaps even more so here, with its series of scenes and more vague, conceptual story line (not to give Jesus' last days the short shrift), Godspell is a series of little shows.  And this production really, really was a visual one - each number was a showcase of creativity, theatricality and the individual performers in the cast.  Unfortunately, the recording, without the visual, really points up the relative weakness of the score.

The updates to the score: Don't get me wrong, there is a lot to love about the score to Godspell.  There is something endearing about its simplicity, and a few numbers are very catchy, while others are very touching.  But part of the charm of it is that it shows us a young composer on the verge of really big things, and that it is such a product of its time.  The updates to the score - and there are soooo many - take away that 70's vibe from the tunes.  They are so overly produced that it takes away from the innocence and love with which this story is being told (it is a sweeter, much gentler Jesus Christ Superstar). 

THE 3 REASONS YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS IN YOUR CAST RECORDING COLLECTION

Recording is a keepsake of the production: Ghostlight Records really did a nice job packaging this cast recording.  The booklet has two great essays from original band leader Paul Shaffer and from composer/recording producer Stephen Schwartz.  And the complete lyrics are accompanied by dozens of full color production photos, many not found online.  If you didn't by the souvenir program, this booklet will more than suffice.  And like its new brother, the new cast recording of Pippin, with its fan sing-along, this booklet also includes a bit of Broadway history:  there is a complete list of  The People of Godspell, the first-ever fan-based funding of a Broadway show.  Is your name on that list?

The updates to the score: I know what you are thinking: how can this be a drawback AND a good thing?  Well, updating the score does add a modern vibrancy and relevancy to this old chestnut.  And it really does add to the pastiche score, making each number even more a separate endeavor.  You can enjoy each number all by itself.  And, as I said above, there is still some simplicity here ("Day by Day"), some very catchy numbers ("All for the Best," "Turn Back, O Man"), and touching ("On the Willows," "Beautiful City").  This recording also preserves the inclusion of "Beautiful City," a  song from the film, as well as complete recording of "Tower of Babble."

The cast: I have a feeling that this cast recording, like those of RENT and the revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (to name but two), preserves a group of super talented young performers on the verge of huge careers.  Look at Lindsay Mendez, clearly the first breakout star from Godspell, who has since gone on to starring roles in Dogfight and Wicked.  Others who stand out as up and comers (to me, anyway) include Nick Blaemire (Dogfight), George Salazar (F#%king Up Everything, Here Lies Love),  Morgan James (Motown: The Musical, 54 Below), and Telly Leung (Broadway-bound in Allegiance).  And I'm sure we haven't heard the last of Hunter Parrish, Wallace Smith or Celisse Henderson.

Jeff

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