A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT – Part I - Some Potpourri

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT – Part I

Some Potpourri

This will be a little different than usual. I'm far behind on filing recent programs, so I thought I'd do a potpourri of programs…no special letter of the alphabet, a range of shows from a Tony-winning play, to an underrated and under-patronized musical, to a flashy and entertaining popular Disney musical, to a star-studded revival of a former Tony-winning play, to a musical version of a classic film musical, and finally to a musical celebrating the work of an iconic American musical voice.

Comfy? Let's start

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS – Palace Theatre, New York

September, 2015. If there's a better way to spend the afternoon of your 65th birthday than at a Broadway show, especially if that Broadway show is a critically-acclaimed musical, well, I simply have no clue what that better way is. Perhaps unbelievably, I have never seen the iconic film of An American in Paris. Not being a Gene Kelly fan, I never saw the need. But I do love the Gershwin score and I am a big Max von Essen fan, so this was high on my list of must-sees. Elegant and beautifully designed, this was a feast for the eyes and the ears. All that unforgettable Gershwin music played by a big, fat, gorgeous orchestra. Yum! Stunning, breathtaking dancing. There's just something about seeing men lift ladies with such grace and beauty. With a wonderfully talented cast featuring Garen Scribner (the matinee alternate for the role of Jerry Mulligan), Leanne Cope, Broadway favorites Jill Paice and Veanne Cox, and Brandon Uranowitz, and the aforementioned Mr. von Essen, this was sung, danced, and acted with sincerity, playfulness, and ease. The capacity audience purred with delight. Did I mention the outrageously divine dancing? - at the Palace Theatre, New York

Sidebar: At the time, our niece Colleen, a dresser on some of Broadway's biggest hits, was working as a stitcher at An American in Paris and we were able to get a backstage tour of this legendary house. The backstage area isn't as big as one would think. Much of AAIP's scenery was flown and hanging from the fly loft. Got to see all the costumes, the quick changing areas downstairs, and, for me at least, the highlight, a stupendous birthday gift from Colleen, the opportunity to stand on the Palace stage…the same stage that Judy Garland, yes that Judy Garland, once stood on. It was a totally cosmic gay moment.

 A lone piano on stage at the Palace before the overture begins.

Move over, Judy Garland! I'm on the short side. So with crew-length socks and below the knees shorts and at my weight, I look like I'm getting ready to replace Chris Sieber as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda.

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL = Stephen Sondheim Theatre, New York

February, 2015. The classic songs of Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil were the stars of this entertaining jukebox musical and pretty much made me forget about the paper-thin, and-now-we-did-this book that got far better than it deserved from the talented cast at the Stephen Sondheim. Too often folks overlook the ensemble, so I want to give a special shout-out to those remarkable men and women in the Beautiful ensemble who added so much spice and flavor to the show. Bravo, brava!  The production values were spot-on and helped the show flow seamlessly from one scene/song to the next. Scott J. Campbell (Gerry Goffin), Liz Larsen (Genie Klein), Anika Larsen (Cynthia Weil), Jarrod Spector (Barry Mann), and Paul Anthony Stewart (Don Kirshner) were all very good in their parts, but, with all due respect and admiration to the talented folks just mentioned,  it was Tony-winner Jessie Mueller as Carole King that the audience came to see and Mueller did not disappoint. Like a hostess entertaining her favorite guests at a party at her house, she charmed, she seduced, and she truly connected with the audience. She was effortless in performance. The material, however, did not allow Mueller or any of her castmates delve into any depth of character, so this show was played on the surface. Mind you, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't leave the theatre thinking I knew anything about Carole King that I wouldn't find out about in a well-written press bio. Overall, a tuneful, fun evening. This was everything Motown was not. - at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, NYC

Sidebar: Jessie Mueller, a talented, vibrant actress, is a Broadway darling and has been ever since she first appeared in 2011's criminally misguided revival/revision/whatever-the-hell-it-was production of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. She won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical over some pretty heady competition. Yes, Mueller was good. In fact, she was very good, but the Tony that year should have gone, hands down, to Kelli O'Hara for her luminous portrayal of an Iowa housewife in the beautiful The Bridges of Madison County. O'Hara would win her Bridges Tony the following year for The King and I, an award that that year should have gone to Fun Home's Beth Malone. As I type this, Ms. Mueller is up for another Tony for Waitress. Again she's with a strong slate of talented women. Who will win?

ALADDIN – New Amsterdam Theatre, New York

February, 2015. James Monroe Iglehart won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a musical. Why, you ask? Well, just watch the Act One scene, or rather tour-de-force, in the Cave of Wonders, which includes the bring-down-the house-and-then-some number "Friend Like Me," which, incidentally, is worth the price of admission, and you'll see what I mean. It's good, old-fashioned, scenery-chewing, show biz pizzazz at its finest and Mr. Iglehart is simply amazing in it. Tore. Up. The. Place. With sensational scenery, incredible lights, gorgeous costumes, talented folks, and lots of eye candy, this was a dandy way to spend some time in the theatre. In addition to Mr. Iglehart, props go to Courtney Reed, who manages to give the underwritten role of Jasmine some brio and sass. Big applause also to Brian Gonzales, Jonathan Schwarz, and Steel Burkhardt as Aladdin's faithful friends, Merwin Foard as a gleeful Disney villain, Don Darryl Rivera as a this-close-to-being-over-the-top-but-still-very-funny Iago, and, blast from the past, 1971's Two Gentlemen of Verona's Tony-nominated leading man, Clifton Davis, in a return to the Broadway stage after an absence of forty-plus years, as the Sultan, and still showing off some impressive vocal chops.  And last, but most certainly not least, it was the handsome and thoroughly likeable Adam Jacobs, as the eponymous Aladdin, who had the bulk of the heavy lifting and he did it with true leading man aplomb. This may not be landmark musical theatre, but Disney put a lot of money into this solid piece of professional entertainment and it shows…and shows…and shows. As an added bonus, the show plays at the gorgeous New Amsterdam. The score is a classic with the highlight being the beautiful "Proud of Your Boy." This will continue to make buckets of money for Disney for years to come. - at the legendary New Amsterdam Theatre, New York

Sidebar: Disney came under some heavy-duty flak for the lack of actors of Middle Eastern descent in the cast of Aladdin. And, admittedly, though this cast was ethnically diverse, I couldn't spot a Middle Eastern surname among the performers. Did Disney deserve the flak? Or is it an overreaction in an over-cautious time? Whatever the case, it does raise some questions about diversity in the theatre and the purpose of color-blind casting. Aladdin is a fairy tale which takes place in a mythical and, one assumes, Arabian desert nation. But, with some rewriting, it could really take place anywhere. Oh, you might not get the flowing costumes and the bevy of shirtless or nearly shirtless men, but the story is kind of universal. So, since this is a fairy tale, what exactly is racially appropriate casting? This isn't The King and I or A Raisin in the Sun that has specific racial expectations. And if one takes as a basic tenet of color-blind casting that one's race or national origin should have nothing to do with the casting of most roles, and that the best person for the role should get the job, then expecting a certain percentage of whatever ethnic group sort of defeats the purpose of color-blind casting, doesn't it? Or does it? I certainly don't have an answer, but I applaud shows like Hamilton that, frankly, break with the obvious choices and introduce us to superb talents we may never have seen had their roles been cast along traditional racial/ethnic lines. I also firmly believe that directors, producers, creatives, casting agents, etc. should promote more diversity in all areas of the theatre. There are so many men and women out there whose work and talents may be undiscovered because they don't fit a traditional mold. It's important we all do our part to make sure theatre is a safe, creative, diverse haven for everyone. (This issue recently made local Chicago and national theatre news when a Chicago-based actor challenged the casting of Eva Peron in a regional production of Evita. I couldn't determine if this actor's concern was genuine or whether it was grandstanding or whether it was a sour-grapes thing because the actor isn't cast much in Chicago. It made a big splash for a few days, then made way for other news.)

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME – at the Barrymore Theatre, New York

The technicals were a complete, smack-your-head WOW!

February, 2015. OH. MY. GOD. Every now and then a play comes along that simply takes one's breath away, renews your faith in humanity, and reaffirms your love of the theatre. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is one of those plays. Alex Sharp's Christopher….OH. MY. GOD. Absolutely thrilling performance, mesmerizing in scope, flawless in nuance and detail.  Brilliantly directed and designed, and acted by a sterling ensemble, this is essential viewing for everyone who cares anything about theatre. This was one of the most exciting and memorable two hours and thirty minutes I have ever experienced in the theatre. I repeat... OH. MY. GOD!!! – at the Barrymore Theatre, New York

THE ELEPHANT MAN – at the Booth Theatre, New York

Mr. Cooper truly has his name up in lights!

February, 2015. Originally we were supposed to see this in October during the first week of previews, but conflicts pushed back the start of performances and this was our rescheduled date. I wish I could say it was worth the wait, but... Don't get me wrong; Bradley Cooper was wonderful in a very difficult role, both vocally and physically, and he never misstepped, and Alessandro Nivola was excellent as Treves, but Patricia Clarkson's Mrs. Kendal was surprisingly disappointing, making a meaty role almost a throwaway. Far too casual in posture, diction and attitude, I didn't believe that she was a celebrated actress of class and sophistication, and even though her final scene with John Merrick was well-done, it was a case of too little, too late. Diction was sometimes lacking and the play just seemed dated and taIky. The running time was a brisk two hours, but it somehow seemed longer and, somewhat contradictory, the revival's shortened length gave the play an unfinished feeling and seemed to rush details that would have given this production the richness that I remember from the original. (The most noticeable cut was a nightmare scene involving Treves and Merrick that I vividly remembered and greatly missed.) I enjoyed it, but I wish I'd enjoyed it more. - at the Booth Theatre, New York

Sidebar: The Elephant Man was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2015 and won none. Interestingly and somewhat bafflingly, Carole Shelley, the original Mrs. Kendal, won the Best Actress Tony when the play debuted in 1979, but in 2015, Patricia Clarkson was nominated for the same role, but in the Best Actress in a Featured Role category. How can a part be leading one time around and then featured the next?

HONEYMOON IN VEGAS – Nederlander Theatre, New York

February, 2015. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Honeymoon in Vegas was one of the freshest and funniest musicals I've seen in years. Well-executed and designed, with a fabulously bouncy and tuneful score by Jason Robert Brown, and who knew the masterful Mr. Brown could do "bouncy," a terrific onstage orchestra, and a sparkling cast headed by a suave and mellow Tony Danza, an appropriately perky and appropriately feisty Brynn O' Malley, very, very funny turns from David Josefsberg as a lounge singer, in the worst sense of the word, and Matthew Saldiver as an hysterical and clueless Danza right-hand-man, a take-no-prisoners comic gem of a performance from Nancy Opel, and an amazing star turn from Rob McClure, this was just, in a word, wonderful. There's nothing serious in it, no hidden subtext, no scenes of social conscience. Instead, it's exactly what a musical comedy, emphasis on comedy, should be…tuneful with great choreography, a cast that's talented, attractive and likeable, and loaded with big laughs. Being a retired flight attendant, I howled with delight at the second act's "Airport Song." We both loved it. Sadly, despite very favorable reviews, it struggled at the box office from its first preview onward. It had a two-month preview period, unusually long for a show that had a previously well-received incarnation at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ, and ran less than one hundred performances. Baffling and, really, quite criminal. The show is a gleeful treasure that clearly delighted the audience. – at the Nederlander Theatre, New York

Sidebar: Surprisingly for me, Honeymoon in Vegas did not receive a single Tony nomination. Now granted, it's no Fun Home, which won the Tony, but it was certainly on a par with the nominated Something Rotten! and even though I'm a huge fan of The Visit, this was a superior show. Honeymoon in Vegas could, however, have a long and profitable life in regional and amateur/community theatre.

That's it for now. More later!!

© 2016 Jeffrey Geddes

MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS The Honor Roll - Part 8

MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS

The Honor Roll - Part 8

After a break for rehearsals for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (I play Erronius), it's time to chat about the last two musicals in my Musical Honor Roll. The only thing these two shows have in common is that they both start with the letter "K." (Okay, okay…one starts with "The," but still….)

So without further ado….let's start.

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN  – Book by Terrence McNally, Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb

"Sooner or later/You're certain to meet/In the bedroom, the parlor or even the street/There's no place on earth/You're likely to miss/Her kiss." The 1985 film adaptation of Manuel Puig's acclaimed novel won an Oscar for star William Hurt. It was depressing, violent, and yet, oddly life-affirming and hopeful. But, when your locale is a South American prison, your protagonists are a gay man imprisoned for having sex with a minor and a political activist imprisoned for belonging to an anti-government group, and where torture is part of the everyday routine, how do you translate that material into a musical? When I first heard of this project, I immediately thought of Stephen Sondheim. It's the sort of dark and serious material he excels at. I was a bit surprised, then, when I heard that John Kander and Fred Ebb were going to supply the score. In retrospect, I have no idea why since Kander and Ebb were the music folks behind the landmark Cabaret, and if they could write a stunning musical with Nazis lurking in the background, well, a prison locale should be no problem. Add Terrence McNally as the book writer and the legendary Harold Prince as the director and the prospects for an exciting evening of musical theatre were indeed great. But the road to Broadway acclaim wasn't an easy one. An expensive 1990 workshop by the now-defunct New Musicals, directed by Prince and starring Lauren Mitchell, Kevin Gray, John Rubenstein and Harry Goz and choreographed by Susan Stroman, did not succeed either artistically or critically. In 1992, Canadian producer Garth Drabinsky (before he went to prison for fraud and forgery…oops) and his production company, Livent, opened a revised production in Toronto, which subsequently crossed the Pond to a successful run on the West End, and then on May 3, 1993, it opened in New York starring Chita Rivera, Brent Carver, and Anthony Crivello and, a few weeks later, would win seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score. Like a spider, Kiss of the Spider Woman weaves a web, it draws you in. You become invested in the story. Fantasy and reality crisscross and intersect each other as you applaud a fantasy production number one moment and then, in the next, become deathly quiet when a scream from a tortured prisoner jolts you back to the horrid reality of the musical's locale. Kiss of the Spider Woman is unsettling. It is profoundly human. It is breathtaking. And it will haunt you long after the curtain has come down.

October, 1993. Starring the one and only Chita Rivera as Aurora/Spider Woman (Tony Award), the very hot and sultry Anthony Crivello as the political prisoner Valentin (Tony Award) and a magnetic and touching Jeff Hyslop, replacing Brent Carver, as Molina, the gay window dresser sex offender, this was one of those truly magical evenings at the theatre. Harold Prince's thrilling staging was matched by spectacular choreography by Vincent Paterson and Rob Marshall, and boy, would I love to know who did what, and provided a layered, sensitive production filled with both unexpected tender moments and flat-out, jaw-dropping production numbers. Exquisitely designed by Jerome Sirlin (Scenic), Howell Binkley (Lights) and Florence Klotz (Costumes/Tony Award), the environment fit the smallish Broadhurst Theatre (just over 1150 seats) like a glove. Using projections, a vibrant sound design, and blessed with some of New York's finest actors, Terrence McNally's glorious book, and Kander and Ebb's memorable score ("Dear One," "You Could Never Shame Me," "Where You Are," and the title song are all high points in a score of riches), we in the audience were taken on a journey we would not soon forget. And I still haven't. – at the Broadhurst Theatre, New York

Sidebar: In June, 1994, Vanessa Williams, in her Broadway debut, Howard McGillin and Brian Mitchell, as Stokes was known then, took over the leading roles. The critics came back to review the show and threw their figurative hats in the air in salute to Ms. Williams, some even suggesting that this was a superior, sexier cast than the original. A new cast album was recorded featuring the Williams cast. It's the recording I have. It's damn tasty.

September, 1995. When Livent made the bold decision to tour Kiss of the Spider Woman, and, yes, it was pretty bold because even with the big Tony wins, the subject material does not scream boffo road box office, they had the good sense to hire their original Tony-winning star, Chita Rivera, to head up the affair. And, not surprisingly, she brought  star quality and charisma to the Merriam stage. A duplicate of the Broadway production, this had all the bells and whistles and a skilled cast that put it all across. Merle Louise recreated her role as Molina's mother for the tour. Juan Chioran was an effective Molina, sensitive, graceful and ultimately heroic. Dorian Harewood, replacing the originally-billed John Dossett as Valentin, gave a competent, but not very exciting performance. He wasn't bad, mind you; he just didn't seem to always be on the same page as the rest of the folks. A first quality tour of an outstanding show. – at the Merriam Theater, Philadelphia

Sidebar: For decades the Merriam Theater was the Sam S. Shubert Theatre and a popular out-of-town tryout stop for New York-bound plays and musicals. Renovated and buffed to a sheen, it's truly a gorgeous venue.

March/April, 2008. As part of their Kander and Ebb celebration, the always-reliable Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, mounted a stunning production of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Beautifully designed to take full advantage of the intimate space, played by an outstanding 10-piece orchestra, and performed by a talented cast of just fourteen men and women (the original cast had 21), this production provided an immediacy to the show, made the audience feel they truly were part of the action. Starring a vibrant and engaging Hunter Foster as Molina, a sexy and swaggering Will Chase as Valentin and a smoking-hot Natascia Diaz as Aurora/Spider Woman, this production was dazzling. Bob had never seen the show before and he was absolutely hooked. Perhaps not as show-business spectacular as the original, this was equally spectacular, but in a grittier way that gave the show an unexpected jolt of power, passion, and even more potent violence. Signature never fails to impress. – at the Max (Signature Theatre), Arlington, VA

THE KING AND I  – Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Music by Richard Rodgers

The original poster and marquee for The King and I starring the legendary Gertrude Lawrence in her final Broadway triumph. She would, tragically, die during her run in the show.

I have always found it unfair when folks accuse Rodgers and Hammerstein of writing only popular, tuneful, but ultimately inconsequential musicals. Even a cursory glance at their "Big Five" disproves that assumption. Carousel's leading couple are in an abusive relationship. The Sound of Music has Nazis mucking up things in Act Two. South Pacific has a subplot about racism. Even Oklahoma! has a dark side to it with the arbitrariness of mob "frontier" justice and how easy it is for people to misjudge others. (If Jud in reality was such a vile character, why did R&H give him the gorgeous "Lonely Room," arguably the best song in the score?) In The King and I, Rodger and Hammerstein take Margaret Landon's novel Anna and the King of Siam, a semi-fictionalized work based on Anna Leonowens memoirs, and weave a tale of East versus West, tradition versus change, and even man versus woman. The lyrics to the song "Western People Funny," often a throwaway to open the second act, not-so-subtly point up the perceived Western superiority to Eastern values and traditions. In the show, Anna emphasizes that the way to impress the contingent of arriving British officials is to emulate European standards of dress and deportment. Tradition versus change: the King wants to bring his country into modern times, but not necessarily at the expense of the traditions of his country, e.g. the keeping of slaves, the absolute authority of the king, etc. This conflict runs throughout the entire show right up to the final curtain in the moving closing scene where the present and future meet. The theme of men versus women also is always present, especially in the song "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?," and the playful, yet pointed, final scene in Act One. For me, the most potent scene in the show is near the end, when Tuptim is captured after her runaway attempt. The King takes the whip to punish her, but, under Anna's gaze, cannot. He throws the whip down and exits, a broken man and monarch. And Anna, realizing that her efforts to bring Siam into modern times have had some disastrous, unexpected results, is equally devastated. Played and directed well, it's a powerful, uncomfortable, and telling scene. The King and I would have made the Musical Honor Roll if it had nothing more going for it except for the song "Something Wonderful," in my opinion one of the finest songs ever written for the stage. But, thankfully, Oscar Hammerstein gave us an layered book with emotion and humor and outstanding lyrics, and Richard Rodgers gave us that memorable, wonderful score that starts with that incomparable overture and doesn't end until the curtain falls. Often overlooked as a masterpiece of musical theatre is Jerome Robbins' thrilling "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" with its in-your-face anti-slavery message. Pretty heady stuff for 1951, when the show first premiered, and just as compelling today. The legendary Gertrude Lawrence, in a part written for her, originated the role of Anna when the show open at the St. James Theatre on March 29, 1951. Yul Brynner was the King. As written, the King is almost a supporting role. After all, it's not called Anna and I. Over the years, however, especially after Yul Brynner's Oscar win for Best Actor in the film version of The King and I, and most especially with the numerous Brynner-led revivals and tours of the show, the focus shifted from Anna to the King to the point where Anna almost seemed superfluous. The 1996 revival restored character integrity and the show, happily, is now about Anna and the King and not the King and, oh yeah, Anna. I found this quote on Wikipedia, and it's a lovely summary of the show, so I'm going to use it. "The King and I is really a celebration of love in all its guises, from the love of Anna for her dead husband; the love of the King's official wife, Lady Thiang, for a man she knows is flawed and also unfaithful; the desperation of forbidden love; and a love that is barely recognized and can never be acted upon." (Meryle Secrest, Somewhere for Me – A Biography of Richard Rodgers). A beautiful show, still "something wonderful" sixty-five years after its premiere.

 August, 1976. Back in 1976, diversity in casting was pretty much an unknown concept, which could perhaps explain why the very un-Asian Marti Rolph, John Stewart and Terry Saunders played Tuptim, Lun Tha and Lady Thiang, respectively. Let me hasten to add, they were all very talented and good in their roles. I don't know how "Asian" they were made to look, since our seats were in the last row of Terrace B in the massive 11,000 seat Muny Opera in St. Louis. Perfect sightlines, mind you, but everyone was sooooo small. (I'm sure to be even vaguely seen from the cheap seats, stage makeup was liberally applied with a trowel.) But at four bucks, the price was right and it was my first time seeing Yul Brynner in his iconic role. The Muny does not do cheap, so the production was well-designed, well-sung, and, in addition to Brynner, had Broadway vet Constance Towers as Anna and the aforementioned Ms. Saunders, recreating her film role as Lady Thiang, to amp up the star power. Sitting in beautiful Forest Park under a star-filled sky and listening to the lush sounds of Rodgers and Hammerstein's gorgeous score is a pretty terrific way to spend a summer evening. It was all grand, pretty, tuneful, and satisfyingly acted. I would have a more vivid memory of another Brynner/Towers performance two and one-half years later. – at the Municipal Opera, St. Louis

Sidebar: The Muny engagement was produced by impresarios Lee Guber and Shelly Gross, famous for their large suburban in-the-round venues located on the East Coast. Depending on the source, this was either a stop on a national tour prior to Broadway or it was considered a regional tour. In any event, this particular production played the Muny, the Starlight of Kansas City (another huge outdoor venue) and Guber and Gross' Valley Forge Music Fair, Painters Mill Music Fair, and Westbury Music Fair. Of the last three venues, only Westbury is still around, but under a different name. I suspect that the physical production traveled across Missouri to Kansas City, but probably not to the other theatres since they were not proscenium houses. Messrs. Guber and Gross would produce the first major revival of The King and I on Broadway in May, 1977, a production which also starred Yul Brynner and Constance Towers. None of the designers, the director, or the supporting players from the Muny production are listed on the IBDB.com opening night cast/credits for the revival, so I'm wondering if the Muny production was just as the one source called it, a regional tour, and based on the success of that tour, Guber and Gross decided to mount an entirely new production for Broadway. This production would have a long post-Broadway tour, including a stop in Chicago. (See the next entry.)

January, 1979. This sumptuous production came to the Arie Crown after a long Broadway engagement. The draw, of course, was Yul Brynner recreating his signature role as the King of Siam. And, on the surface, he was very good at it. But, if you looked closer, you could tell that, though not quite just going through the paces, he truly wasn't in the moment. Big mistake because co-star Constance Towers WAS in the moment and as a result she stole the show from him. At bows, the audience stood as one and cheered mightily for Towers, but when Brynner came out for his solo bow, the volume decreased noticeably. Oops. Towers for the win! Not-at-all Asian Martin Vidnovic played Lun Tha, and sang it beautifully, but overall this was a more racially diverse cast with actors of Asian descent playing Tuptim (a radiant June Angela) and Lady Thiang (a majestic Hye-Young Choi). Curiously, I would see Vidnovic as the King in another touring production decades later. A grand production that almost managed to make the Arie Crown tolerable. – at the Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago

Sidebar: There is no doubt that the role of the King will forever be associated with its originator, Yul Brynner. And perhaps rightly so. Over the years, however, and before the 1996 revival that shifted the focus back to Anna as it always should have been, an interesting parade of actors tried their hand at singing "A Puzzlement," etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Among them: Farley Granger (!), Rudolph Nureyev (huh?), Herbert Lom (the original London King), and Darren McGavin (TV's Mike Hammer). A recording of Darren McGavin and opera's Risë Stevens, as Anna, from the defunct Music Theater of Lincoln Center's 1964 production, makes for interesting listening. To give you an idea of Yul Brynner's box office clout, when Brynner and Towers took a three-week vacation from the show during this 1977-1978 revival, Michael Kermoyan, Brynner's long-time standby and stalwart Kralahome veteran, and Angela Lansbury, yes, the Angela Lansbury, took over the leading roles. The box office tanked.

Not the cast we saw, but it's a cool marquee design. 

May, 1997. The revival that sailed into the Neil Simon Theatre in April, 1996, had its origins Down Under in a 1991 production starring Hayley Mills. Director Christopher Renshaw took a hard look at the show and gave it a fresh, darker, more dynamic look that made the show more vibrant, more alive, more human. Still magnificent to look at, though perhaps not as over-the-top sumptuous as previous productions, all Asian roles in this production were played by actors of Asian descent. Lou Diamond Phillips (the film La Bamba) was a sexy, compelling King, sometimes playful, sometimes monarchial, sometimes maddeningly stubborn, and sometimes touchingly vulnerable.   (Mr. Phillips is a true "coat of many colors" of ancestry. He's of Scots-Irish, Cherokee, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish descent. Wow.) Faith Prince was a spunky, cheeky Anna. Interestingly and puzzlingly, Prince seemed somewhat robotic for the first twenty minutes or so. Don't get me wrong. She was still hitting all the notes and doing all the right things, but her heart didn't seem to be into it. But then along came "Getting to Know You" and it was as if someone flipped a switch and Prince became truly alive and nailed the rest of the performance. Strange. This was a wonderful new take on an old familiar friend. – at the Neil Simon Theatre, New York.

Sidebar: Though critically acclaimed, at least one theatre arts professional dismissed Renshaw's vision as a The King and I for the age of political correctness. Really?

June, 1998. The final stop on the First National Company's tour of North America, the Christopher Renshaw-helmed production of The King and I starred Victor Talmadge, the King for the entire tour, and pop singer Maureen McGovern as Anna, a newcomer to the role having played Anna for only a few weeks prior to Chicago. I hate the term "pop singer" and it hardly applies to the supple voice of Ms. McGovern. Yes, she still is probably best known for providing the vocals to the treacly "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure and the equally banal "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno, but this talented songstress can sing pop, jazz, and show music with equal ease and skill. The fact that she kicked butt singing the classic R&H tunes didn't surprise me in the least. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by her acting chops and her portrayal of Anna as a feisty, independent woman. The physical production looked splendid in the beautiful Auditorium Theatre and overall it was a first-rate production. – at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago

August, 2004. Under the auspices of Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, this 2004 tour had its admirers and its detractors. Though this had more sumptuous elements in the design departments than the 1996 Broadway revival and the 1998 national tour that also played at the Auditorium, it didn't have the edge that Christopher Renshaw brought to his production. Under the reverential guidance of Baayork Lee, a veteran of the original 1951 production (she was one of the King's children), this was a more traditional The King and I. Martin Vidnovic, a previously-seen un-Asian Lun Tha in 1979, was now playing an un-Asian King. I like Mr. Vidnovic and enjoyed his performances in Oklahoma! and Brigadoon, but I'm drawing a blank on his performance here. (And I'm truly not picking on Mr. Vidnovic because he's not Asian. But in 2004, there was absolutely no reason why a professional Equity production of The King and I  should not be appropriately racially cast.) Sandy Duncan played Anna as you would expect Sandy Duncan to play Anna…full of spunk and sass. That spunkiness and sassiness worked wonders in Peter Pan, but here it wasn't quite as successful, especially in the more serious moments. Now, I must say I had a grand time watching her, and her stage presence and charm are undeniable, but I missed the depth that Misses Towers, Prince and McGovern brought to the role. The admirers loved the traditionalism of this production; the detractors thought Duncan needed to be reined in and the production overall a bit cheesy. Not my favorite production of it, but I enjoyed it. – at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago

It's official! Betsy's going on!! So stoked!

September, 2015. Lincoln Center knows how to produce Rodgers and Hammerstein classics. The iconic score was played as it should be heard with a full orchestra, complete with a string section and, be still my heart, a harp! Bob's former student, Betsy Morgan, was Kelli O'Hara's standby for the role of Anna Leonowens. Not the understudy, you understand, but the standby, thank you very much. Via an article on Playbill.com, I found out that Betsy would be subbing for O'Hara for three performances when O'Hara went out of state to fulfill previous benefit commitments. Well, obviously, this was not to be missed, so we contacted Betsy, bought her house seats, and were dazzled by this beautiful, spare-no-expense production. More traditional in approach than the Christopher Renshaw version, this production, under Bartlett Sher's assured direction, had a strong focus on character and character interaction, especially in the Anna/King dynamic. The production was absolutely stunning to look at and when Anna's ship glided out over the orchestra to start the show, it was a breathtaking moment that reminded me once again how incomparable live theatre is. Jose Llana, Lun Tha in the 1996 revival, was a magnetic, exuberant, yet also regal, King. Tony-winner Ruthie Ann Miles was majestic and strong as Lady Thiang. Ashley Park and Conrad Ricamora (Oliver in TV's How to Get Away with Murder) were suitably both attractive and tragic as Tuptim and Lun Tha. They also sang the parts really, really well! And what about Betsy? She was, in a word, glorious. From her first entrance on the ship as it entered Bangkok to her final curtain, she was assured, intelligent, feisty and just plain terrific. The audience loved her. And let's get serious here...how thrilling is it to see a former student take a well-deserved last bow on Broadway to a standing ovation? Bob was just bursting with pride. Visiting her backstage afterwards was the perfect end to a marvelous evening. (This is kind of fun. This is from my Facebook entry on the evening…"One quibble...Bartlett Sher, your curtain doesn't touch the floor and from we were sitting, the hem looked uneven. You might want to look into that.") – at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York

And that concludes my Musical Honor Roll. Let's recap in alpha order: 1776, Annie, Bells Are Ringing, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Billy Elliot, Fun Home, The Full Monty, The King and I, Kiss of the Spider Woman, La Cage aux Folles, Mame, The Scottsboro Boys, She Loves Me, Sweeney Todd, They're Playing Our Song, Titanic

More to come….

© 2016 Jeffrey Geddes