SIMPLY "S" – Part 1

SIMPLY "S" – Part 1

(a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Soup)

"S" is a very popular letter of the alphabet with lots of programs. In fact, I grabbed so many of them, I've decided to break "Simply 'S'" into three parts. For Part 1, we have two Rodgers and Hammerstein classics originally produced a decade apart, a clever and superlative thriller, one of the most important plays in American theatre, and an extraordinarily imaginative and inventive musical that did not get the love it deserved. Lots to talk about. Get your bev, get comfy, and let's begin.

SOUTH PACIFIC

Let's talk about Bloody Mary, shall we? Typically, Mary is played as a cheerful, sassy vendor hawking over-priced goods. And one could buy that until you realize what she is doing as well is pimping out her daughter, Liat, to the highest bidder. One could argue that Mary wants her daughter to have a better life, but I believe what she really wants is for Mary to have a better life. Perhaps the well-liked, but cloying, "Happy Talk" prevents audiences from seeing the dark side of Mary. Audiences see a happy Mary painting a utopian picture of marital bliss, whereas the song could also be interpreted as a manipulative hard-sell to get Cable to commit to Liat, thus ensuring Mary's future. I admit it's difficult to dislike a character who sings the lush "Bali Ha'i," but Mary has pretty much always creeped me out. Underneath the ever-present smile and her signature "You like? You buy?," there lurks something much darker, much more sinister, an avaricious predator searching for her next victim, a survivor willing to "sell" her daughter to achieve her goals. Am I reading too much into the character? Perhaps, but I believe the justification for this approach is in the script if one digs a little deeper. For the record, the original Broadway production ran 1,925 performances and won the 1950 Tony Award for Best Musical as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2008, it won the Tony for Best Musical Revival. Among the many gems in its score are the monster-hit "Some Enchanted Evening" and the haunting, evocative "Bali Ha'i." Its theme of racism, controversial in 1949, sadly still resonates today. It is a true treasure of the musical theatre and will be performed and loved for decades to come. Here are some thoughts on productions I've seen.

– Municipal Opera, St. Louis

The Muny's 1973 season included two musicals on a tryout stop in St. Louis, Lorelei and Gigi.

July, 1973. Mary Travers and Jerome Hines in South Pacific. Wait. What? Mary Travers and Jerome Hines in South Pacific? Did I read that correctly? Yes. Mary Travers? Yes. As in Peter, Paul and Mary Mary Travers? Yes. In a musical? Yes. Seriously? Yes. Was she any good? That depends, I suppose, on how you define "good." She worked hard, very hard, throughout the entire evening. She remembered her lines, blocking, and choreography. Her singular voice gave Nellie's songs a vibrant freshness. But, I have to admit, she was pretty stiff on the massive Muny stage. Let's be fair, though. This was her acting debut, and to my knowledge, her only venture in theatre. It takes balls to tackle an iconic role for your first time out on a legit stage. And if her signature straight blonde hair didn't look very 40s, and if the aforementioned signature straight blonde hair didn't get very wet while she was washing that man right out of her hair, apparently a wig was out of the contractual question, no one could deny her stage presence, honed by years of concerts as a member of Peter, Paul and Mary, or her obvious desire to give her audiences the best possible performance. Definitive Nellie? Hardly. But it was also not an embarrassing effort. Opera star Jerome Hines was a full-voiced Emile. Walter Willison looked good without his shirt and was a vocally polished Cable. Television's Frank Sutton (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and The Jim Nabors Hour) gave comic heft to the role of Billis. (Sutton would sadly die a year later of a heart attack at the young age of fifty.) African-American actress Theresa Merritt delivered a standard, but satisfying, performance as Bloody Mary, giving full reign to her considerable voice and acting chops. (Back then, racial/ethnic authenticity was not a priority and the role of Bloody Mary was often performed by black actors or white ones made up with a darker foundation.) Overall, a good performance. I went to see Mary Travers. I wasn't disappointed. – at the Municipal Opera, St. Louis

– Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

August, 1981. As I mentioned in an earlier post, back in the day, Alene Robertson was the go-to actor if you were looking for an Ethel Merman type or simply wanted an actor with stage presence to spare and a loud, diction-perfect voice. In 1981, she was a favorite at Marriott, so it wasn't surprising to see her don some dark-hued foundation to give her that South Pacific islander glow and play Bloody Mary in this standard-issue production of the R&H classic. Opera singer Walter Hook played Emile, Marriott alum Susan Gordon-Clark played Nellie, James W. Sudik played Billis, Kurt Johns was a handsome Cable, and Alene Robertson was Bloody Mary. As usual with Marriott productions, everything was done professionally, and if their South Pacific had a comfy familiarity to the proceedings, with nothing to challenge its primarily white, primarily suburban audience base or make them uncomfortable, well, that was director/choreographer David Bell's intention. This was as innocuous a production of SouPac as I've ever seen. The Tribune critic praised its freshness, its ability to minimize the "earnest preaching on racial misunderstanding" that "has not withstood the test of time." Begging Mr. Christiansen's pardon, but that's just bull. The evening was fine for what it was, and the audience left happy. – at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

Casting Tidbit: Adam Hunter had just finished first grade when he played Jerome in Marriott's South Pacific. Bob taught him years later at New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL. Adam would have a career on Broadway, but then gave it up, moved to Los Angeles and became a hugely successful and in-demand interior designer. Bravo, Adam. In a six-degrees-of-separation moment, Adam's mom, singer Kari Howard was good friends with the late composer Arthur Siegel. Arthur Siegel was the BFF of Janet Gari. Janet Gari was my collaborator on an off-Broadway Equity showcase musical. Arthur was our original musical director. Small world.

– Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York 

October, 2008. The star of this glorious South Pacific, the first Broadway revival ever, not counting productions at City Center, Carnegie Hall, etc., was the 30-piece orchestra that played the original orchestrations, dance, and vocal arrangements. To hear the iconic R&H score as it sounded way, way back in 1949 was simply thrilling and alone worth the price of admission. Bartlett Sher's production gave its audiences a less carefree South Pacific than is the norm. The themes of class divides and racism may not have held center stage, but they were always there, lurking just beneath the surface of wonderful guys and honey buns. More racially diverse than any other production of South Pacific that I've seen, this one featured more ethnically-accurate actors in the roles of Bloody Mary, Liat, Jerome, and Ngana. Bloody Mary, as skillfully interpreted by Loretta Ables Sayre, in an impressive Broadway debut, was a darker, more opportunistic character. Her "Happy Talk" was less about happy and more about the hard sell of Liat. Kelli O'Hara was out that evening, but her cover, Laura Marie Duncan, gave a terrific performance that earned her a loud ovation at bows. Paulo Szot won the Tony that year for his performance as Emile de Becque, and with good reason. Not only was he sexy as hell, but he was also the most fully developed Emile I've seen. And his voice!! When he sang "This Nearly Was Mine," you could hear a pin drop. Cough? Not on your life. We barely breathed we were in such thrall. In my book, Danny Burstein can do no wrong, and his Billis hit all the right notes. Andrew Samonsky was a convincing Cable, successfully balancing the lonesome, sympathetic Cable with the less-than-nice-guy Cable. The Beaumont stage is wide and deep, but designers Michael Yeargan, Catherine Zuber, and Donald Holder conquered the somewhat inhospitable space with their combined creative talents. Originally scheduled for a limited run, it ended up with an impressive run of over 1000 previews and performances. An exquisite production. – at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York   

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Eagerly awaited, the First National Tour of The Sound of Music would play at Chicago's Shubert for a year. This was back in the day when stars actually toured in shows. 

Okay, I'm just going to come right out and say it: The Sound of Music doesn't get the respect it deserves. It's not just about singing and dancing nuns and adorable children dressed in clothing made from discarded curtains. Wrongly derided and dismissed as a saccharine piece of family fluff, SOM is a mature, fully-realized musical that just happens to feature kids. Popular rumor has it that the critics savaged the show when in premiered on Broadway in 1959. Far from the truth according to Opening Night on Broadway by Steven Suskin. According to his research, out of seven reviews, SOM received three rave reviews, three favorable ones, and only one unfavorable review. It won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in a year that puzzlingly shut out Gypsy in all categories. The Sound of Music ran on Broadway for over 1400 performances and made a ton of money on Broadway and on tour.

You could mail-order tickets for the engagement of The Sound of Music, giving alternate dates, of course. This was a roadshow film, i.e. reserved seats and a performance schedule that closely followed that of legit theatre. Like all roadshows, this had an intermission.

In 1965 it was made into what would become for many years the highest grossing film of all time. Popular doesn't describe the success of the Julie Andrews-starrer. But the film The Sound of Music did not do the property any favors, and, in fact, contributed greatly to the show's bad rap. In the stage version, Rodgers and Hammerstein gave two songs to Max and Elsa, songs that are as urbane and sophisticated as anything coming from the pen of Stephen Sondheim. They add a bracing cynicism to the proceedings. In the film, they were cut. "My Favorite Things," sung in the stage play by Maria and the Mother Abbess was moved to the spot where "The Lonely Goatherd" once was, resulting in the Mother Abbess becoming a Yoda-like figure spouting out pearls of wisdom and the big ballad Act One curtain instead of a fully-realized character. For the film Rodgers added two new songs, "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good," supplying the lyrics for both, which demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that, although Rodgers was one of the finest composers in the theatre, he was painfully lacking as a lyricist. Neither song was appropriate for the characters involved or the show in general, and removing the lovely "An Ordinary Couple" in favor of the nonsensical "Something Good" was unforgivable. Under Robert Wise's direction the show became, frankly, a family-friendly frolic that couldn't support the arrival of the Nazis in Act Two, so that ugly reality was glossed over. As written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, in the stage production, the Nazis loom ominously in scenes that subtly shift the show into another gear. In any well-written show, everything you need to know about how to direct and perform the show is contained in the script and, if present, songs. The Sound of Music is a well-written show. Take the song "Maria," for example. Yes, the nuns sing and dance, but it also tells the audience that Maria is a bit of a bad ass, unwilling or unable to adhere to established standards of behavior. "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is more than just a top-drawer first act curtain song. It's a song about determination, plowing ahead no matter what, and new beginnings. Elsa and Max? Charming villains, but villains nonetheless. During the war, I'm sure Elsa would host lavish dinner parties for the Nazi elite, and Max, ever the consummate opportunist, would cheerfully work for whichever side served him the best. Nice meaty roles in the stage production, but in the film, little more than afterthoughts. If directed and performed with truth and honesty, it can be a musical of depth, yet still be entertaining for the entire family. When I saw the film back in 1966 as a sixteen-year-old at the Michael Todd Theatre in Chicago, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now fifty-four years later and much older and wiser, the film is just too treacly for me. The latest Broadway revival of Oklahoma! went back to the words and music, re-examined it all and gave its audiences a thrilling new look at the timeless classic. It's time for The Sound of Music to get the same treatment and become all it can be. I've prattled on enough. Some thoughts on two productions follow.

– Shubert Theatre, Chicago

February, 2000. The producers of The Sound of Music had the great good sense to hire many of the cast of the recently closed Broadway revival, use the original physical elements (sets, costumes, lights), and give its hinterland audiences a first-class touring production of the enduring R&H favorite. Leading the cast of pros was a handsome and commanding Richard Chamberlain, fondly remembered by those of a certain age, that means me, by the way, as television's Doctor Kildare, as Captain Georg von Trapp, Broadway Maria alternate (An alternate was needed for the part of Maria? Seriously? It's not that challenging a role.) Meg Tolin as a vibrant and feisty Maria, and a luminous Jeanne Lehman as the Mother Abbess. It was a pleasure to hear the two Elsa/Max songs, especially when performed with the proper cynicism by Rachel deBenedet and Drew Eshelman, but this version catered to the film and served up the pointless "I Have Confidence," took away "My Favorite Things" from the Mother Abbess, replaced "An Ordinary Couple" with the horrific "Something Good," and relegated "The Lonely Goatherd" to the Festival Hall near the end of the show, making the song even more redundant than it already was. But even despised song replacements couldn't diminish the happiness I felt at seeing this fully-realized, joyful production that managed to keep the gooey sentimentality in check to give audiences a more adult version of the show than they're used to. Bravo director Susan H. Schulman! – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

Licensing Tidbit: In Concord Theatricals' listing for The Sound of Music it states that "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good" are available for an additional fee leading me to believe that Concord is licensing the show as it was originally written. Nice!

– Cabot Theatre (Skylight Music Theatre), Milwaukee

November, 2012. Niece Colleen was working at Skylight at the time as the light board operator and told us that we would fall in love with the kids playing the von Trapp children. She was right. Adorable without being precocious or precious, they stole our hearts and were the highlight of the evening. I believe we were at the first preview. The set was not complete, and obviously so, which gave the unfortunate look of cheapness to the visual aspects of the show. Elizabeth Telford, who would soon get her Equity card and become a frequent visitor to Chicago stages, played Maria as best she could given director Molly Rhode's lackluster staging. During "I Have Confidence," Telford went from one side of the stage to the other and back again and again with no motivation or reason to do so. It made me dizzy watching it. And during the first half of the show, her Maria seemed frenetic and a bit unfocused. Here's the thing, though. In Act Two, arguably the weaker act, Telford shone as Maria the moment she came back as Baroness von Trapp. She was strong, she was confident. It was an exciting change. Go figure. I got the impression Rhode either didn't have a clear vision of what she wanted to do, or was simply an incompetent director. Harsh, perhaps, but that's what I saw on stage. This version used the song changes I saw in 2000. My feelings about that remained the same. The huge cast sang well accompanied by a strong orchestra in the pit. None of the principal actors soared, but none were subpar either. Overall, a pleasant evening. The critics gave it strong reviews, but based their notices on comparisons with the film version. Odd. – at the Cabot Theatre (Skylight Music Theatre), Milwaukee

Skylight Spaces: Skylight Music Theatre owns and operates the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. (Lots of great places to eat in the Third Ward!) The Cabot Theatre, where Skylight's productions are performed, is a stunning 358-seat theatre which replicates an 18th century European opera house. It's a lovely place to see a show.

SLEUTH

– The Music Box, New York

June, 1971. Anthony Shaffer's 1971 Tony-winning Best Play was a tasty piece of superlatively written suspense, set in a beautiful décor, and directed with crisp precision. Five actors are listed in the Playbill, and since the reviews very carefully gave nothing away, I was truly shocked when I finally figured out that Anthony Quayle and Keith Baxter were the only two characters in the play. Now that's some skillful writing. The play revolves around a successful mystery writer obsessed with inventions, deception, games and game-playing (Quayle) and his wife's lover (Baxter). One plot twist follows another, and I was kept guessing until the very end. Like the critics, I'm not about to give away the actual ins and outs. I already said enough revealing the actual cast size. Read the play, see a production of it, or even rent the 1972 film version. My lips are sealed. Both Quayle and Baxter were excellent. I met Baxter at the stage door afterwards, and he was charming and personable to the small group of folks waiting for him. The classic mystery play at its finest. – at The Music Box, New York

 – Blackstone Theatre, Chicago

April, 1972. When Sleuth arrived at Chicago's Blackstone Theatre for a seven-month stay, Chicago Tribune critic William Leonard wrote: "It's a mystery melodrama so baffling with a plot so filled with shocking surprises, twists of direction, and of purpose, all amazingly fit together and interlocked, and with an ending so unexpected that no decent man ever would tell his neighbor anything at all that might reveal any of its secrets." Mr. Leonard hit the proverbial nail square on the equally proverbial head. Anthony Quayle was on hand to repeat his Broadway performance and was joined in Chicago by Donal Donnelly, no stranger to Sleuth having played Milo Tindle in both London and New York. Both men were excellent. With Clifford Williams at the directorial helm for the tour and Carl Toms and William Ritman recreating their design wizardry, this Sleuth was Broadway quality all the way. The audience responded with frequents gasps of surprise and terror. Just as fun the second time around. – at the Blackstone Theatre, Chicago

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE – Ivanhoe Theatre, Chicago

August, 1973. Sandy Dennis played Blanche. And who better to play the neurotic, alcoholic, yet vulnerable and touching Miss DuBois than Sandy Dennis, who made a remarkable, too-short career out of playing flawed characters, even in a comedy as broad as film's The Out-of-Towners, with the signature Dennis ticks, fluttering hands, and vocal mannerisms. She was mesmerizing. She could make you feel sympathy for Blanche one moment, then in the next make you despise her, then in the moment following that make you feel sympathy for her again. All in one speech, one scene. Director George Keathley, widely regarded as one of Tennessee Williams' favorite interpreters, his Out Cry had its U.S. premiere at the Ivanhoe in 1971, staged Williams' unforgettable story with sensitivity, yet not shying away from the play's violence and ugliness. As per usual with Keathley productions, Streetcar was well-cast from top to bottom with David Wilson, Rochelle Oliver, and James Broderick (Matthew's father) delivering excellent performances as Stanley, Stella, and Mitch respectively. From my front-row seat, I saw and felt everything up-close and personal. Riveting theatre. – at the Ivanhoe Theatre, Chicago

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL – Oriental Theatre, Chicago

 

July, 2016. Exuberant, bursting with vibrant color, and immensely enjoyable from start to finish, The SpongeBob Musical, in a pre-Broadway shakedown run at the Oriental, was in far, far better shape than the other tryout around the corner at the Goodman, War Paint. The score by a cavalcade of popular songsmiths was surprisingly coherent, given the range of styles involved,  always tuneful, and even boasted at least two knockout ballads that should become audition and cabaret favorites. The superb cast aimed to please, and please they did, with all of it anchored by Ethan Slater's crazy good performance as SpongeBob. The casting was diverse and ethnically inclusive without all the Hamilton hoopla, as things should be. Directed with flair by Tina Landau and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, everything was a joyous delight. I would be absolutely remiss if I didn't mention Gavin Lee's, as Squidward Tentacles, stop-the-show-stone-cold-dead Act Two highlight, "I'm Not a Loser." The critical response in Chicago ranged from Highly Recommended to Somewhat Recommended, but what do they know? This was the first full-length musical we took Esme to, and she loved every minute of it. So did her grandfathers. – at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago

Tony Robbery: It took Spongebob and his friends from Bikini Bottom over a year to make the trek from Chicago to New York and the Palace Theatre. Now titled SpongeBob SquarePants, it received good reviews, but never set the box office on fire, often grossing 50% of its potential. When the Tony nominations came out, it received 12 nominations and hope was high that it would get at the very least something in the design categories and, probably, one for Ethan Slater's performance. There was even buzz that it could snatch the Best Musical Tony away from front-runner The Band's Visit. But, alas, that was not to be. Spongebob would win its sole Tony for Best Scenic Design of a Musical. Deservedly so, but the evening went to the cerebral, serious, and, in my opinion, dull The Band's Visit. SpongeBob would hang on through the summer, but then close after only 29 previews and 327 performances at a considerable loss. The Ethan Slater snub in favor of The Band's Visit Tony Shalhoub frankly surprised me. Shalhoub was fine and all, but his performance didn't come close to the inventiveness of Slater's. If it's any consolation for SpongeBob, Tina Fey and her Mean Girls also got 12 Tony noms, but went home empty-handed.

And finally… A mystery program for South Pacific. I suspect this was the program for a non-Equity bus-and-truck tour that, given that it was part of The Community Concert Association's 1979-1980 season, I am going to assume it played in Waukegan, my hometown and where I lived at the time, and most likely at the West Campus auditorium, a 2,000 seat barn of a theatre. I have no memory of it, and internet research didn't offer any information. Oh,well.

That's it for Part 1. Coming Soon: Part 2!  Stay safe and healthy! And social distance!!!

© 2020 Jeffrey Geddes

M-PHATICALLY "M" (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Soup)

M-PHATICALLY "M"

(a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Soup)

We're emphatic about the letter "M" today. Emphatic. Get it? Yes, well, moving on… Today's shows include a breathlessly-hyped musical where the parts were better than the whole; a charming "B" musical based on an equally charming "B" movie; Tina Fey's much-anticipated Broadway debut as a writer; a play about the gay porn industry that wasn't nearly as bad as it sounds; a classic musical about windmills and dreamers; and, finally, one of the greatest musicals ever written. 3-2-1…Go!

MOULIN ROUGE! – (Emerson) Colonial Theatre, Boston

August, 2018. Amid the admittedly spectacular and very expensive bells and whistles, there actually lurks a story in Moulin Rouge! (yes, there is an exclamation point). Not that it matters, but it's there. Short version. Studly American Boy (the hot, yet surprisingly innocuous Aaron Tveit) arrives in Paris to write music. He immediately goes to Montmatre where he meets Toulouse-Lautrec (the incredible Sahr Ngaujah...his "Nature Boy" is a highlight) and Santiago, the best tango dancer in Paris (a breezy Ricky Royas...his number with Robyn Hurder which opens Act Two is totally superfluous and totally wonderful). Within five minutes, they become BFFs and head over to the Moulin Rouge, a louche showroom run by Harold Zindler, who, as portrayed here, is first cousin to Cabaret's Emcee (played by Danny Burstein in a sensational performance). There Studly American Boy meets Moulin Rouge Headliner (the incandescent Karen Olivo) and instantly falls in love with her. But wait! There's a villain in the wings (the handsome Tam Mutu in a sadly underwritten part) and complications ensue. SPOILER ALERT! Moulin Rouge Headliner gets consumption. Cough, cough. She dies. Show ends. Wild applause.

   With a nod to Cabaret, a touch of Mamma Mia!, and even a pinch of the Joseph megamix, Moulin Rouge! was a feast for the eyes and the ears. My relative lack of enthusiasm for Mr. Tveit wasn't his fault. He was good, very good in fact, at what he was asked to do. His character just wasn't as interesting as the others. Much was made of Karen Olivo's performance. Believe the hype. She was simply magnificent. Her entrance with "Diamonds Are Forever/Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend/Material Girl/etc." was so brilliant, you wished she'd just climbed back onto her swing and started it all over again. But it was Danny Burstein's brilliant performance that provided the glue to the often breathlessly hectic goings-on. You very often felt dangerously close to sensory overload, but the creators had the good sense to let things slow down a bit on occasion, but, frankly, not enough. One odd thing...the pre-show tease of male sensuality hinted at a bawdier show that never materialized. For all its talk of wicked Paris, love, illicit and otherwise, and sex, Moulin Rouge! was pretty PG-13. Not really a complaint. Just don't tease us that things will get down and dirty later on. The show could lose some second act fat and perhaps more time could be spent developing the evil Duke's part, if for no other reason than Tam Matu's general sexiness. For a pre-Broadway tryout, it was in solid shape and always entertaining. Set in the insanely gorgeous, newly-renovated and newly-reopened Colonial Theatre, a star in its own right, you tended to overlook the flaws and instead focused on the sheer theatrical wonder of it all. - at the (Emerson) Colonial Theatre, Boston

The view from our seat.

The Colonial: I love the Colonial. Prior to Rouge, I saw That Championship Season (from the balcony) and a tour of Mamma Mia! there. One of the nation's most legendary theatres, in the heyday of pre-Broadway tryouts, the Colonial was a favored stop on the tryout circuit.  In 2006, Boston's Emerson College bought the Colonial Theatre with the intention of converting the building's upper floors into dormitories. Various entertainment entities continued to use the Colonial for theatrical productions until 2015 when the last of the leases expired and Emerson closed the Colonial. At first, Emerson planned to convert the theatre into a dining hall (sacrilege!!!), but after a deluge of bad press, petitions, and pleas by show business luminaries, historians, and pretty much everyone who cared about the arts in Boston, Emerson did a 180 and announced plans to renovate the theatre and return it to its rightful place as a treasure of the Boston, and national, theatre scene. After a costly and splendid renovation, and under the management of London's Ambassador Theatre Group, the Colonial, now the Emerson Colonial Theatre, reopened its doors with Moulin Rouge! and rightly received as much praise as its pre-Broadway occupant. (For the record, the ATG group has absurdly high fees and charges when purchasing tickets online. Shameful what they tacked onto our online ticket order for Rouge.)

MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS – Noёl Coward Theatre, London

The Noel Coward Theatre. Across the alley is the Salisbury Pub, which at one time was a bit of a gay hangout in the left-hand side of the pub, as you entered it. Now it seems to be overloaded with tourists.

Tracie Bennett and Ensemble

May, 2016. There is a reason, well, lots of them, actually, why Tracie Bennett is one of the UK's biggest stars. Oozing star charisma, talent, and warmth, she portrayed a larger-than-life, yet very human Mrs. Henderson in this delightful and very British musical adaptation of the popular movie of the same name. Loaded with talent, including nifty turns by a rock-solid Ian Bartholomew and an enchanting Emma Williams, this was a solidly entertaining show with a score by Don Black, George Fenton, and Simon Chamberlain that included bouncy period-flavored numbers and some stunning ballads, all of it beautifully sung. Terry Johnson provided the witty book and some unobtrusive direction, and Andrew Wright choreographed some pretty tasty numbers. Mrs Henderson wasn't the greatest musical I've seen by a long shot, but it was so lovingly and professionally done, and it was so obvious that the cast loved performing it, that I fell in love with it. A lovely bit of period charm that sadly would never work in the United States. It received mixed reviews and closed after its advertised four-month season – at the Noël Coward Theatre, London

Sidebar: The British have a knack for making charming, low-key films. Among them Calendar Girls, The Lady in the Van, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Mrs. Henderson Presents. Devoid of the bells and whistles of a typical American blockbuster, these films feature some of the UK's top talents and provide gentle stories with characters to enchant us for a couple of hours.

MEAN GIRLS – August Wilson Theatre, New York

One of the best men's room signs ever!

Scaffolding. Well, it is New York after all!

May, 2018. Slick, commercial, and wildly entertaining. And instantly forgettable. The excellent projections may have been the best things in the show. The mainly young cast was fine, if unremarkable, with two nice turns by Tony-nominated Grey Henson and Barrett Wilbert Weed as your "hosts" of sorts and reigning school outcasts. The score was completely unremarkable, but functional. Tina Fey's book was often very funny, but not worthy of the huge buildup. BIG FLAW....Supposedly takes place on Chicago's suburban North Shore, but Regina, her mother (an odd performance by the usually spot-on Kerry Butler), and Karen all sounded like Valley girls and not at all North Shore. Considering Fey lived in Chicago for a spell and at one time worked at Evanston's YMCA, I found this weird accent thing unexplainable and jarring. Casey Nicholaw directed and choreographed the show at a breakneck speed which glossed over the indifferent material and resulted in a surprisingly fun afternoon. The millennial audience in the mezzanine at the performance we attended were clearly grooving on the show. Nominated for twelve 2018 Tonys, it won none. I think Mean Girls will be very popular for a few years when amateur rights are released, but I can't see it being done twenty, or even ten years from now. Not great, but one could do a lot worse. – at the August Wilson Theatre, New York

MAKING PORN – Theatre Building, Chicago

July, 1997. Straight guy tries his hand at gay porn in order to make some money and, what do you know?, he becomes a gay porn star. Hilarious situations ensue.The surprise here is that the show was actually entertaining with lots of laughs and a few minutes of easy-on-the-eyes nudity. The show attempted a bit of a message, but it didn't come through. The actors all performed their roles with gusto, if not exactly character-driven, and it was all silly fun. Productions of Making Porn have been done everywhere it seems. There was even a 25th anniversary production down in Florida. The show debuted in Chicago in 1995; this was a return engagement. This is Larsen's best-known play. – at the Theatre Building, Chicago

Porn Outtakes: Gay porn legend Ryan Idol was the box-office draw when the show opened in Chicago. He was out by the end of the weekend. (see below)

MAN OF LA MANCHA – Quadracci Powerhouse (Milwaukee Rep), Milwaukee

Another stunning physical production at the Rep.

September, 2016. It's unfortunate, but probably inevitable, that Man of La Mancha would become known in ads for touring productions as "'The Impossible Dream' Musical." Inevitable because that's what audiences come to hear. Unfortunate because it relegates a gloriously emotionally manipulative musical to a single song, and not even the best song in the show. Stop it. You know I'm right. Oh, "The Impossible Dream" is a dandy song. A zillion covers of it have been recorded in the fifty-five years since Man of La Mancha debuted in 1965, and what high school choir hasn't sung a SATB version of the song? Back in the dark ages when I was in high school and college, the song was practically a requirement at graduations and/or baccalaureate services. But in my opinion, the better songs in a really good score are "To Each His Dulcinea," "What Does He Want of Me?," and "Dulcinea." The show itself skillfully tells its story and shamelessly tugs at the heartstrings in the final scene. It became an instant classic and deservedly will be done for decades to come. I'm a big fan of the show and knew the Milwaukee Rep would do the show justice. And, for the most part, I was right. However, there was a big hole in the Rep's overall well-done production of The Impossible Dream, I mean Man of La Mancha. That hole was a wildly miscast Aldonza, who played the role as though she'd just nipped in from Naperville to do the part. The notes were there, but not the passion, and the throwaway interpretation just didn't work. And there were other issues. The rape scene lacked any real sense of violence, physical or sexual. The costumes and actors all looked too clean and would have benefited from some distressing and dirt. And the red KKK-inspired robes for the Inquisition folks were glaringly inappropriate. Having said all that, however, the singing was superb, the orchestra vibrant, the physical production gorgeous, and the supporting roles played with gusto. Full-voiced Bethany Thomas, who played the Housekeeper, should have been Aldonza. Just saying. Nathaniel Stampley's powerful Cervantes/Don Quixote anchored the show with talent and class, and positively nailed the big hit tune...you know what it is. This was a preview. The production was highly praised by the critics, Aldonza included. An off night, perhaps? - at the Quadracci Powerhouse, Milwaukee

MY FAIR LADY

– Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee

An ad for the Arie Crown engagement. Finding Milwaukee newspaper archives is oddly hard to do. Mulhare may have taken over as Higgins during MFL's long original tenure at the Shubert, but the original Higgins was a much-praised Brian Aherne.

October, 1977. Breezing into Milwaukee's Uihlein Hall for a week as the second stop on a 7 ½ month tour of the recently-closed Broadway 20th anniversary production, this Fair Lady featured the original Chicago Eliza, Anne Rogers, and a Broadway-replacement Higgins, Edward Mulhare, as its above-title stars. Also in the cast were many My Fair Lady veterans of various national tours, including Marie Paxton, the show's Mrs. Higgins, who, at the start of this tour, had played over 3,000 performances of the show. Recreating Oliver Smith's original scenic design and Cecil Beaton's original costumes, Robert Russell Bennett and Phil Lang's original orchestrations, Trude Rittman's original dance music arrangements, and Jerry Adler, director, and Crandall Diehl, choreographer, using Moss Hart's original staging and Hanya Holm's original choreography, this tour gave 1977 audiences the chance to see a good approximation of what the 1956 original looked and sounded like. As a musical, My Fair Lady is one of the finest musicals ever written. It's tight with nary a wasted word and is blessed with that Lerner and Loewe score. I'm more of an admirer of the show than a fan. I loathe the Alfred Doolittle role, and cringe during Doolittle's two numbers, the only exception being when we saw the show at the Guthrie. For whatever reason, the Doolittle there and his numbers actually worked. Go figure. The main reason I went to see this production, my first time seeing a professional production of it, was to see Anne Rogers recreate her Eliza. I was a huge fan of Anne Rogers, and was happily not disappointed by her performance. She was effortless in the role and hit that final high note in "I Could Have Danced All Night" with ease. At this juncture probably known more for TV's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir than his impressive theatre credits, Edward Mulhare was equally at home as Higgins. Both Rogers and Mulhare, at 44 and 54 respectively, were at least two decades too old for their roles, but their experience shone through, and I had a perfectly loverly time. – at Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee

Anne and Julie: Anne Rogers was the original star of The Boy Friend when it premiered in London in 1954 and made her an instant star. Enmeshed in her London run, Rogers didn't go to New York to appear in the Broadway production later that year. Nineteen-year-old Julie Andrews would cross The Pond instead, make her Broadway debut to great reviews, and eighteen months later, become a Broadway star as the original Eliza Doolittle. In the First National Tour, Anne Rogers would conquer Chicago as Eliza and win that year's coveted Sarah Siddons Award. After a long run in New York, Andrews recreated her Eliza in the London production of My Fair Lady. When she finished her run there, Anne Rogers took over her spot in the Drury Lane production. And the Rogers-Andrews circle was complete.

– Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York

May, 2018. What the bleeding hell was up with that ending, Bartlett Sher? Did Eliza leave? I assume she did, and if she did, why did she exit through the house? Was there an entrance/exit to the Higgins abode that we weren't aware of? Seriously, dude, wtf? Sumptuous to look at and with a glorious string-laden orchestra, which made an onstage appearance during the ball sequence prompting loud and extended applause, this My Fair Lady was lacking its promised fresh, new approach, and that kept it firmly in the 1950s when the show was written. Treated with great reverence, it sometimes felt like a museum piece. Harry Haddon-Paton was a handsome Henry Higgins and Lauren Ambrose was a believable Eliza and sang the part beautifully. Fine performances from both of them, but neither offered any new insights. Diana Rigg was out (see sidebar), and her cover did fine, but lacked Dame Diana's regalness. Norbert Leo Butz's Doolittle was nothing special, and once again I hated his part and his songs. (This was after the Guthrie production…see Milwaukee post.) I really liked Jordan Donica's Freddy, Allan Cordunner's Pickering, and Linda Mugleston's warm, but weary, Mrs. Pearce. Some negatives: the constantly revolving set during "Quit, Professor Higgins" was unnecessary and distracting. From our seats in the mezzanine, we saw and heard everything, but we just seemed far away. Part of that was because the set was upstage and not much happened more downstage. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed myself, but that ending!!!!! ARGH! - at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York.

About that ending: Although I could sense our audience wasn't really buying the ending, and overheard snippets of exit conversation verified that, there were some critics who thought the entire production was a #MeToo My Fair Lady, praising Ambrose's fiery Eliza as a new and vibrant interpretation and going gaga over Sher's ending. And I had to wonder: For these reviewers was their exposure to My Fair Lady limited to the film version and some community theatre productions? I say this because both the 1977 tour and the Guthrie production featured strong Elizas, able to hold their own and speak their minds. I've yet to see a wallflower Eliza. The role as written doesn't allow for a meek little thing. Ambrose was a first-rate Eliza in a classy, expensive production, but this MFL was hardly a radical departure from what audiences have come to expect. Yes, okay, the original left everyone with the impression that Eliza returned to Higgins, but the original original, GBS' Pygmalion, ended with Liza (Eliza) telling off Higgins and walking out. Far more satisfying than the 50s romantic happy ending Lerner and Loewe attached to their musical. (But then, Lerner and Loewe made adultery romantic in Camelot, so there is that.) Face it, folks, Higgins is a twat. Dream role for an actor, perhaps, but absolutely nothing redeeming about him. The 1977 tour had the "Eliza Returns" ending, but the Guthrie's production implied that Eliza was done with Higgins, though that was also perplexingly staged with Eliza in a dim special upstage in her ball gown. Was she really in the room? If so, why was she dressed in formal duds? Or was she in Higgins' imagination? Whatever. The point I'm trying to make is that this was not the first time a different ending was done. And the material as written supports the Eliza-Leaves-Higgins option. Personally, I would have Eliza leave Higgins, too. But, Bartlett, couldn't she have left via the front door?

Dame Diana vs. Lauren Ambrose: After a few months of eight shows a week, Lauren Ambrose decided to cut out the Sunday matinee. She claimed the role was too taxing, plus she wanted to spend time with her family. This was not unprecedented. In Chicago in the 60s, there was a matinee Aldonza in Man of La Mancha. During the run of  I Do! I Do! there was an actual matinee cast.  Well, Dame Diana didn't take to that at all and had a major much-publicized hissy fit. For one, apparently Ambrose didn't inform her cast in advance. And for another, and for Dame Diana this was the biggie, in her day (Dame Diana's), actors didn't miss a performance unless they were on death's doorstep, and perhaps not even then. That's all well and good, Dame Diana, but, uh, how can I say this?, you were out at the performance we saw. Enough said. For the record, Ambrose's replacement, Laura Benanti, also played only seven performances a week, and later in the run Michael Halling went on for Harry Hadden-Paton on Wednesday nights. And in both cases, nobody said a word.

Higgins: This cannot possibly be the first time this has come up, but I'll ask it anyway. Is Higgins gay? Discuss. 

 Vintage ad from My Fair Lady's original run: November, 1957 - February, 1959.

And on that note… Stay safe and healthy! And social distance!!!

© 2020 Jeffrey Geddes