NOTES FROM NEW YORK CITY

NOTES FROM NEW YORK CITY

(June 6-11, 2013)

Six shows; five days. It's what Bob and I do. We love the theatre. Museums and sights are fine, but for me, nothing beats sitting in a darkened theatre and watching the magic that only occurs in live theatre. Oh sure, sometimes the shows are not very good; sometimes, in fact, they're pretty awful, but good, bad or indifferent, it's fascinating and exciting and I love it. (Sidebar: I am also mad about theatres, the buildings, as well. I'm thrilled when I have the opportunity to wander around a theatre…walk on the stage, go up to the highest balcony, poke around the backstage area. When doing that, the history of that building comes alive for me. It's as exciting as watching a show, walking on the same stage as some of our finest actors and seeing what they see as they look out from center stage.) I digress. Seeing shows on Broadway during Tony week has an extra layer of excitement to it. Actors in Tony-nominated shows seem to add a bit more spark to their performance. We saw Pippin on the afternoon of the Tonys and the cast was almost giddy with excitement. You could feel it and it made an electric performance even more electric. During this visit, all except one of the shows we saw had at least one Tony nomination to its credit (more on that later) and over the past Broadway season we saw many of the nominated shows, revivals and actors. It was a privilege to spend time with so many talented artists and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you! You all have enriched my life.

Without further ado....

June, 2013. Family. Expectations. Friendship. Loss. Betrayal. Love. A memorable evening at the theater. Flawless acting by the entire cast, but special kudos to Jessica Hecht, Jeremy Shamos and Tony-winner Judith Light for anchoring this exceptional cast with their honest, truthful performances. Gorgeous set by Santo Loquasto provided the environment for Richard Greenberg's solid, wonderful and multi-layered script that skillfully and effortlessly worked its magic. A perfect way to start the weekend. - at the Friedman Theatre, New York

 

June, 2013. When Nathan Lane is on target, he's a wonderful, nuanced actor. And he was a wonderful, nuanced actor often during the evening. When he screams, however, he's not. He screamed a lot in this play which isn't to the play's benefit. (Note: He screamed a lot in The Iceman Cometh last season at the Goodman here in Chicago and that didn't work either.) I don't know if the screaming is a Nathan Lane thing or a director's thing, but, news flash, kids, screaming is not always the best choice when expressing strong emotion. When Lane screams his way through dialogue, all subtlety disappears and he's just another loud actor. I felt there were too many burlesque routines, which were entertaining and telling in their own way, but took away from the story. I wanted to know more about Chauncey and his internal and external struggles. Solid performances by a talented cast, but I have to single out Jonny Orsini as Chancey's lover, Lewis J. Stadlen as Chauncey's boss, and an especially wonderful turn by Cady Huffman as the socialist-leaning and wise burlesque performer. From a production point of view, this was awesome (and won Tony Awards for Scenic Design (John Lee Beatty), Costumes (Ann Roth) and Sound Design (Leon Rothenberg)). A super band helped provide period atmosphere.  I felt there were missed opportunities in Douglas Carter Beane's script, but overall, I enjoyed it quite a lot and I'm glad I saw it. But, Nathan, honey, turn down the volume!! - at the Lyceum Theatre, New York

June, 2013. The critics fainted over it. This was it: the musical everyone had been waiting for. I was so looking forward to it and, sadly, so disappointed by it. Rarely have I seen a show so manufactured to such a shiny sheen. Lots and lots of money was spent on this show. And yet, for all its glitz and technical wizardry, I have seldom seen a show so almost totally devoid of heart and warmth. Low bows to Lauren Ward as the caring Miss Honey for providing what warmth there was with a nice, understated performance. Playing Matilda that afternoon was Milly Shapiro, the Matilda of opening night and the recipient of glowing reviews. Although obviously talented, she had little presence and not a whole lot of energy. I know the character is downtrodden, but, seriously, a little energy would be nice. Gabriel Ebert's Tony-winning turn as Matilda's loathsome dad was fun - cartoonish, but fun. Bertie Carvel recreated his celebrated role here in New York and it was good, but I'm not quite sure what the fuss was about. Full disclosure: there were great moments here and there throughout the show, but great moments do not make for a great show. Major, major complaint: diction pretty much sucked (exceptions: Ms. Ward, Mr. Ebert, and Lesli Margherita who played Matilda's mother), especially by the overwrought tykes who played their roles as though they were hyped up on massive doses of amphetamines. And in my book, with all the electronic aids available to boost an actor's volume these days, there is absolutely no excuse for bad diction. Except for the scenes with Ms. Ward, everything was played at the same level: loud and very intense. Tim Minchin's score was not terribly memorable with the exception of Ms. Ward's numbers, especially the really quite wonderful "My Room" (I said there were moments throughout) and "Quiet," which was nicely done by Miss Shapiro, in a rare exhibition of stage presence. I suspect I might have felt differently about the score had I been able to understand what was being sung. Production-wise it was a wow. The kids seated near us were bored out of their minds and the audience reaction was somewhat muted. The other show named after a girl is so much better. Major misfire. - at the Shubert Theatre, New York

June, 2013. A gentle, life-affirming play beautifully designed and sensitively directed and performed by a cast of talented actors who brought everything brilliantly to life. Vanessa Williams, Cuba Gooding, Jr and Condola Rashad were pitch-perfect. (FYI: Tom Wopat was out; his cover was fine.) Cicely Tyson took my breath away. Funny, dignified, determined, loving and stubborn, she effortlessly wound the audience around her talented little finger. So much so that during a scene where her character started singing a hymn, a large portion of the audience, by this time completely in the palm of Ms. Tyson's hand, started singing along with her. Not softly, mind you, but at full volume. There was even a "Amen, sister!" at the end of the hymn. And then later when Ms. Tyson's character received bad news about a childhood friend, there were gasps and groans of "Oh, no!" from the house. I'm telling you, this audience was involved. There's a reason why she's considered one of our premiere actors, folks. A theatrical treat! (Note: her Tony win as Leading Actress in a Play was well-deserved. Brava!) - at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, New York

June, 2013. Simply put...Pippin is terrific! To be truthful, this rather surprised me since up until now, I've never been a big fan of the show. The original production was performed without an intermission, which made for a very long sit, the finale went on forever and pretty much made no sense, and there was an archness to it that I found off-putting. Back in the early 70s, I found it entertaining enough and have always felt the score was one of Stephen Schwartz's two best, but never especially wanted to see another production of it. (Sidebar: the other best score is The Baker's Wife, which contains his best song ever, and one of the finest theatre songs written, "Meadowlark." Sorry, kids, but Wicked is skillful pabulum and "Defying Gravity" is a lot of over-amplified screechiness.) When I read reports of director Diane Paulus' reinvention and reinterpretation, I feared it would be a hot mess. Happily, and deliriously so, I was proven wrong. The circus motif works beautifully, adds meaning and depth to Roger O. Hirson's book and even manages to camouflage the show's weak spots (primarily in Hirson's book). The ensemble is not only gorgeous to look at, but also insanely talented who not only sing and dance, but also do acrobatics the likes of which I have never before seen on the musical stage. A deserved standing ovation mid-Act One for Tony-winning Andrea Martin after she knocked it of the park with her show-stopping number. Terrence Mann and Charlotte d'Amboise delightfully chewed the scenery (and Charlotte gave us a nifty dance as well...bonus!!). Rachel Bay Jones was both funny and touching as Catherine. Matthew James Thomas was spectacular as Pippin and, hold on to your Ben Vereen hats, Tony-winner Patina Miller was a wow as the Leading Player, seductive and dangerous, often at the same time, and with a million watt smile. FYI: Thomas & Miller's version of "On the Right Track" killed! Suitably impressive production bells and whistles. This had everything Matilda lacked. I was completely bowled over! - at the Music Box Theatre, New York

June, 2013. I have no idea what the Tony nominating committee was thinking, or more appropriately not thinking, when they failed to nominate Bette Midler for her riveting, hysterical, profanity laden, vulnerable and ultimately touching tour-de-force as agent Sue Mengers in I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers. She was simply sensational and reaffirmed my belief that given good material, she's an amazing actor. Everything was first-rate, especially  John Logan's solid, involving and gossipy script delivered to perfection by the Divine Miss M. A perfect end to our latest journey to theatre Nirvana. - at the Booth Theatre, New York

This was such a terrific excursion to New York. We stayed at an apartment downtown (Airbnb...highly recommeded) which made for a home-away-from-home atmosphere and saw some terrific theatre. What are you going to see this week? And I'm trying out a new format with this edition. I felt the credits page was hard to read so I decided not to combine the cover and credits on one page. Until next time..... Ciao.

ALPHABET SOUP 1

ALPHABET SOUP 1

A mash-up of plays and musicals picked at random . There's a little bit of everything here.  Enjoy!

January, 2006. I quite enjoyed this musical adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic. Rather than being the rather heavy-handed (in my opinion) story about the March family and Pilgrim's Progress and doing good, etc. etc., I found Allan Knee's adaptation nicely tart with all of the sisters played as intelligent women and Jason Howland's and Mindi Dickstein's score a pleasant treat for the ears with a knockout first act curtain tune ("Astonishing"), two kick-ass songs for Marmee ("Here Alone" and "Days of Plenty") and a fine, understated eleven o'clock number for Jo ("The Fire Within Me").  Maureen McGovern made a splendid Marmee. For those of you who only know of McGovern as one of our finest singers, you may be surprised to know she's also an accomplished stage actress of warmth, presence and intelligence.  Kate Fisher was a very satisfying Jo. This tour also featured Michael Minarik, who I would later see in an outstanding performance in The Happy Time in D.C. Beth still dies, but this musical dispenses with the simpy and syrupy of Alcott's story. I was very pleasantly surprised. - at the Palace Theatre, Chicago

April, 2008. Speaking of Mr. Minarik…. A rarely-produced musical by Kander and Ebb.  Far from the reportedly over-produced Broadway production of years ago, this intimate, sparse production made the most of the show's quiet virtues, but, curiously, also pointed up its shortcomings.  It's charming, but uneven.  I felt part of the unevenness lay with Jace Casey's portrayal of Bibi, the nephew.  I just didn't believe him as an adolescent teenager; he seemed too young and, frankly, a bit annoying.  The centerpiece of the show was Michael Minarik's Jacques...beautifully acted and sung.  (Didn't hurt that he was very easy on the eyes, either.)  Glad I saw it, but easy to understand why it failed on Broadway. - at the Signature Theatre, Arlington, VA

August, 1979.  Liv Ullmann in a musical?  A Richard Rodgers musical?  The same Liv Ullmann who angsted her way through all those Ingmar Bergman films?  Yep.  That's the gal.  And she was pretty damn good, too.  This was the last musical Rodgers wrote.  He died later that year.  After a hellish Philadelphia tryout, "Mama" limped into New York, received negative reviews, and closed promptly after its advance ran out.  It wasn't a great show, but Ullmann, though she wasn't much of a singer, had lots of warmth and charm and provided a lovely Scandinavian aesthetic to the show.  Rodger's score, though certainly not his finest, was tuneful, but unmemorable, with nothing really standing out - good, bad or indifferent.   A fitting end to an illustrious career?  Not really, but this show deserved better.  - at the Majestic Theatre, New York

This graced the back of the I Remember Mama program. Smoking was still accepted everywhere in 1979 and I was among the smoking class. I was a Marlboro Lights man, however. Tareytons were vile.

Another ad. The Algonquin...historic, classy, atmospheric. It was also the home of the late and lamented Oak Room where the cream of cabaret singers would perform in the oddly-shaped, yet intimate room. 

April, 2012. London loved it; New York hated it. And thanks to the fearless TimeLine Theatre Company, we were able to make our own decisions. When it talked finance, it sometimes got, for me a least, a bit obtuse, but this tale of corporate greed and indifference to anything except profit was both compelling and disturbing. TimeLine exhibited its usual fine production values and superb casting choices with standout performances by Stef Tovar, Amy Matheny and the always reliable Terry Hamilton leading an excellent cast. It's quite possible in a larger venue, the show may have gotten lost, but in TimeLine's intimate space, this was a powerful evening of thought-provoking material. - at TimeLine Theatre, Chicago

May, 1991. This staged revue of songs by composer/lyricist Brian Gari was sharply executed on the small stage at Don't Tell Mama on West 46th in New York and performed by a quartet of talented singers (Tammy Quinn, Michael McAssey, Larry Victor and Angela Warren) with Gari at the piano. Gari is the son of Janet Gari, my collaborator on the musical Such a Pretty Face (see a previous post). I met Gari a year earlier at Margaret Whiting's club act at the Algonquin and we struck up an acquaintanceship, which led to meeting his mother, and so on and so on. The show was timely and could have had a nice post-NYC life had it been properly marketed. Sadly, that didn't happen and it all seems a bit dated now.  A sad footnote: Larry Victor would die from AIDS in late 1992 at the age of only 33. - at Don't Tell Mama, New York

March, 2011. Residents of the seedy Hotel Baltimore are facing eviction when the property is sold/condemned/whatever. Full of  "colorful" characters, I found the play deadly dull when I first saw it at the Ivanhoe when it was a hot property back in the 70s and found it even duller decades later at Steppenwolf as part of a GLBT Theatre Series we had subscribed to that year. I felt the production was murky in all aspects: direction, scenically and acting. The atmosphere was one of "Look at us! This is an important play!!" We left at the interval, something I very rarely do, but I just felt I couldn't waste my time anymore with this mind-numbing production. - at the Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago

November, 2012. This play still has the power to thrill, educate and move audiences to tears nearly 60 years after it made its debut. A long moment of silence at the end of the play and then the audience burst into loud and sustained applause. First professional production I've seen of this and it was a thrill to see adult actors. Bob really wants to direct this with age-appropriate actors. As usual at Milwaukee Rep, outstanding production values (though we both felt the sound effects often sounded exactly like that, although the effects accompanying the Nazi's arrival were chilling) and superb casting. A wonderful and necessary play for any time, but so timely today. Bravo, Milwaukee Rep. - at the Milwaukee Rep, Milwaukee

That's it for now. We head for a long w/e in NYC on Thursday. Next post: Notes from New York!