WALKING IN A WEST END WONDERLAND - PART 6

WALKING IN A WEST END WONDERLAND

PART 6

Bob and I took a quick trip to London late last month.  Spring is a lovely time to visit London: the weather is usually agreeable, the summer crowds have yet to come, and great theatre is on display. Here are five shows from earlier trips to this fabulous city.

Let's have a cuppa and begin.

VIRGINIA – Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London

The actual program was inserted in this folder-like cover. Quite classy.

February, 1981.  The origins of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket date back to 1720, making it the third oldest London playhouse still in operation. It's been at its current location since 1821, which by any standards makes it an old theatre. And sitting in the very high and very steep Gallery, one almost felt as though one were back in 1821. If memory serves, the seating up in the cheap seats (a mere two pounds!) was of the bench variety, hard and pretty uncomfortable. But, one willingly sacrifices comfort in order to witness the legend known as Maggie Smith, now Dame Maggie Smith. And so it was with Virginia, Edna O'Brien's play about Virginia and, to a small degree, Leonard Woolf, and Virginia's lover, poet and novelist Vita Sackville-West. Virginia Woolf was a complicated woman, and for me, came most vividly alive in her diaries. Maggie Smith was interesting as Virginia Woolf, but there was more than a whiff of academia and research about the whole thing. I remember the play being very talky, a bit pedantic, and, yes, I'll say it, a bit dull. The three actors onstage weren't dull, but I didn't get a sense of who they were. It was as though Ms. O'Brien was afraid to make her characters human, with the human foibles that make them interesting. I wasn't bored, though. It just wasn't as good as I had hoped. – at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London

EPITAPH FOR GEORGE DILLON – Comedy Theatre, London

Mr. Fiennes looks especially hot here.

October, 2005.  There are three things you should know about Joseph Fiennes: 1) He's tall. Not extraordinarily tall, but tall enough to tower over the rest of his cast. 2) He's very handsome. As in very. 3) He's one talented dude. The last two are important because Mr. Osborne's and Mr. Creighton's play sometimes didn't seem to go anywhere and Mr. Fiennes' grand good looks and his abundance of talent kept one from getting restless. This was written before Look Back in Anger, but was produced a year after Anger. It's a 50s British kitchen-sink drama, sometimes compelling, sometimes not and with an undercurrent of sleazy opportunism and fluid morals. Tidily directed and designed, it featured solid, competent British ensemble acting, with standout performances by Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax), Geoffrey Hutchings and Francesca Annis.  But it was Joseph Fiennes the audience came to see and he did not disappoint. Charming, charismatic and amoral, he made for a compelling anti-hero. – at the Comedy Theatre, London

Six Degrees of Separation Moment: In May, 2015, we saw our friend, Rob, in the world premiere of a new play called As Good a Time As Any, at a small theatre in Notting Hill. Prior to the performance we had lunch at a terrific Italian place a few steps from the theatre. We were the only patrons there except for an elderly man who also was enjoying his lunch. After the play, we saw the same elderly man in the lobby and Rob introduced him to us. He smiled and said, "Oh, yes, I remember you both. You were at the restaurant earlier." He was the play's author, Peter Gill, a well-known playwright and director, who was, and here's the six degrees moment, the director for George Dillon. Cue "Small World" underscoring.

JOURNEY'S END – New Ambassadors Theatre, London

October, 2005.  Haunting. Devastating. The horrors and anguish of war were brought vividly to life in this stunning return engagement of a hugely successful revival of R.C. Sherriff's 1928 anti-war drama. Taking place over four days in March, 1918, during the First World War, the action of the piece takes place in a dreary, yet, strangely, somewhat homey British bunker in the trenches in NE France. Staging-wise, it wasn't flashy, but director David Grindley, recreated for this cast by Tim Roseman, gave the production an immediacy that put the audience side-by-side with the soldiers in the bunker. The New Ambassadors (it has since reverted back to its original name, the Ambassadors Theatre) is a very intimate theatre, even by London standards. This gave the superbly-designed and lit production a claustrophobic feel, similar to what, I'm sure. soldiers in the actual trenches felt. The interplay between the soldiers and officers, the distinction and behavior of different social classes, even in war, the stiff-upper-lippedness of many of the men were poignant as the men tried to carry on as best they could. Even in war, tea will be served. We in the audience got to know these very human characters and we grew to care about them, so when the final mortar hit the bunker and the cacophony of shelling continued after the final blackout, we, as a whole, were rattled and unsettled. And then the lights came dimly up and our cast stood in a line. Complete silence. And then the men took off their helmets, indicating to us it was safe to applaud. And applaud we did! I still get chills thinking about this play.  – at the New Ambassadors Theatre, London

GUYS AND DOLLS – Piccadilly Theatre, London

October, 2005. We stood on the cancellation line for this and were rewarded with terrific seats in the Stalls. Well, look at those four above-the-title actors. You'd stand on line, too! Jane Krakowski, while very funny, was, strangely, not as good an Adelaide as I had hoped. It wasn't bad performance by any means, but it lacked…something.  Ewan McGregor was not only stunningly handsome in person, but also sang well, oozed charm and gave a solid performance. Jenna Russell was a treat for the ears and a sassy Sarah Brown, which I liked…a lot. Gave a blast of life into a part that can be a bit drab. Douglas Hodge was a quietly scene-stealing Nathan. West End veteran Martyn Ellis as Nicely Nicely Johnson gave a standout rendition of "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," and marked the first time I actually liked  the song. (I know I am in the minority, but that song has always annoyed me for some reason.) A transfer from the acclaimed Donmar Warehouse, this was nicely designed, with solid direction by Michael Grandage and crisp choreography by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford. I know it’s a classic and all, but Guys and Dolls has never been a favorite. It still isn't, but this was delightful and fun. Very glad we saw it. – at the Piccadilly Theatre, London.

ABSOLUTE HELL – Lyttelton Theatre, London

August, 1995. Picture The Hot L Baltimore  with British accents and in a seedy, run-down pub instead of a seedy, run-down hotel lobby and you have the basic thrust of Absolute Hell, only more interesting than The Hot L Baltimore, which I find deadly dull, because, well, pretty much anything is more interesting with a British accent. Set right after the end of World War II in a disreputable West End club called La Vie en Rose (Piaf would probably have approved!), nothing much happens during the three-hour play. Oh, people talk…and talk and talk…and old grievances are aired, sexual liaisons, both hetero and homosexual, are arranged, and much alcohol is consumed, but it's more slice-of-life than anything else. I found it interesting at times, dull at others, and I found my attention wandering occasionally throughout the evening. The large cast was competent and did their jobs, but even star Judi Dench couldn't quite hold it together. But, like I indicated with Maggie Smith, one simply does not forgo an opportunity to see a living legend at work. And Dame Judi definitely qualifies as one. She commanded the stage and made a memorable character as the proprietress of the club, but the unevenness of the script couldn't be overcome. I went with friends, both established London actors, and they admired the play more than they liked it. I think that's an accurate appraisal of it. – at the Lyttelton Theatre, London.

Sidebar: Although quite prolific, playwright and screenwriter Rodney Ackland, despite the success of Absolute Hell, remains little more than a footnote in the annuls of British drama. Never a critics' darling, his work was criticized for being too realistic, and when the original version of Absolute Hell, entitled, rather cheekily,The Pink Room, opened in 1952, it was critically panned. Reviewers  found him "vile and witless," with the play populated with so-called degenerates, as defined by 1950s mores. Critic Rhonda Koenig, in her review of Absolute Hell in London's The Independent, suggests that Ackland's work was rejected because people found his realism unpalatable in the naïve and hypocritical 50s. Ironic considering John Osborne would burst onto the scene in 1956 and herald in kitchen-sink realism in the theatre and be praised for it. While homosexuality was vaguely portrayed in the 1952 original, with the abolition of censorship, Ackland revisited his script and made the homosexuality more explicit. A 1991 BBC version of the play, also starring Judi Dench, can be viewed on YouTube.

That wraps things up for today. More later.

© 2016 Jeffrey Geddes

MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS The Honor Roll - Part 6

MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS

The Honor Roll - Part 6

Just one musical today from the Honor Roll of my top twenty-five musicals. A Tony winner for Best Musical, just this one show fills up an entire post. In its way, it was a groundbreaker back in 1983. But, before we begin, let's take a look back at the New York theatre lineup in December, 1983.

 And now….Open your eyes. You have arrived at…La Cage aux Folles. (Cue intro music)

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES  – Book by Harvey Fierstein, Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman

When La Cage aux Folles opened at the Palace Theatre in New York on August 21, 1983, it caused quite a stir. The very first musical to feature a homosexual love affair at its center, La Cage, despite the sexual orientation of its leading men, was just about as traditional a Broadway musical as they come. It had everything a 1983 audience could want. You wanted glitzy show biz? La Cage had production numbers with an abundance of glamour and pizzazz that dazzled its patrons. You wanted hummable tunes? Jerry Herman gave 'em to you song after song after song. You wanted great sets, lights and costumes? Check, check, and check. Solid direction and terrific choreography? No problem there. How about some great acting? With George Hearn and Gene Barry as the original Albin and Georges, the leading roles were infused with charm, pride and humanity. Based on the French play La Cage aux Folles by Jean Poiret and later made into a delightful French film of the same name (watch the version with subtitles), this is infinitely better than the grating Americanized film version, The Birdcage. For me, as a gay man, it was thrilling to see a gay relationship portrayed onstage and even more thrilling to have the show embraced and cheered and I fell in love with the show. It won a slew of Tony Awards that season, including Best Musical, ran for nearly 1800 performances in New York, had multiple North American touring companies and international productions, including major ones in Australia and London, and has become a popular money-maker for licensor Samuel French. But as time marched on, the sweet innocence of the inhabitants of St. Tropez seemed out of step with the rise of AIDS, the growing power and influence of LGBT organizations, and the anger of playwrights like Tony Kushner and Larry Kramer. It became almost a period piece, enjoyable to be sure, but decidedly old-fashioned. The first major revival of La Cage in 2004-2005 did nothing to change that impression. But in 2010, a pared-down, newly invigorated production from London's famed Menier Chocolate Factory opened at the Longacre Theatre that made the twenty-seven-year-old La Cage seem penny-bright and fresh, with the focus firmly on Albin and Georges. Yes, it was still predictable and old-fashioned and it's certainly not a perfect show. The ending has always been a bit problematic in both film and musical versions. (I've not seen the original play version, so I can't comment on its ending.) It's as if the authors went "We need to wrap this up…now!" and whipped up the frantic, unbelievable finale. The penultimate scene in the restaurant has the tiresome "The Best of Times," which just goes on forever and, for some reason, has always irritated me. (Possibly because it's a second-rate tune?) But then, everything calms down and the show is once again about Albin and Georges, if only for a few final moments, and all is right once again at La Cage aux Folles.

Sidebar: One of La Cage's Tony wins was for Jerry Herman's last original Broadway score. In accepting his Tony, composer Herman, gave an uncharacteristically ungracious acceptance speech with a not-so-subtle dig at fellow nominee Stephen Sondheim's ambitious and challenging score for Sunday in the Park with George. It was definitely not one of Herman's finer moments.

Digital records and CASSETTES!

Box office sales were still the most preferred method of getting the best seats. For a Wednesday night, top price was a staggering $45.00. Ah, memories!

December, 1983. New Year's Eve performance. Champagne was being poured in the Palace lobby. It wasn't free, mind you, but it was being poured nonetheless and the atmosphere was festive. A beautiful New Year's Eve night at the hottest ticket on Broadway. What could be better? The audience excitement was palpable, an excitement that would escalate as the show played, culminating in a screaming, rapturous standing ovation at the show's end. The hottest ticket on Broadway did not disappoint. From the glamour and wow factor of the opening number to the final strains of "Song on the Sand" that brought down the final curtain, La Cage charmed us, utterly and completely. It was something old and comfortable…a traditionally-made musical with hummable tunes and lots of great production values, yet at the same time, something new and, for the time, daring…a gay couple as its leads. Hard-working George Hearn played Albin in a breakout performance that netted him a well-deserved Tony. Outrageous and proud, he gave a layered performance that was exciting to watch. When he finished "I Am What I Am" and stormed up the Palace's aisle to end Act One, the theatre exploded in cheers and applause. Gene Barry as Georges oozed his trademark charm from "Bat Masterson" and "Burke's Law" and was an unexpectedly good musical performer, a definite yin to Hearn's yang. I can't say enough about the direction (Arthur Laurents), choreography (Scott Salmon), sets (David Mitchell), lights (Jules Fisher) and costumes (Theoni V. Aldredge). Boasting a solid supporting cast, I need to give a special shout-out to the ten men and two women who were the "notorious" Les Cagelles. As I said earlier, it's not a perfect show, and even then, I found "The Best of Times" to be a bit too perky and feel-good for the show. It sounded as though it was a discarded song from Hello, Dolly! Quibbles aside, this was a simply grand way to welcome 1984. – at the Palace Theatre, New York

June, 1986. It took a long time for La Cage aux Folles to find its way to Chicago, and when it did, it unfortunately landed at the inhospitable barn that everyone loved to hate, and with good reason, the vast Arie Crown Theatre tucked away inside McCormick Place. But producer Allan Carr made sure we got to see what New York was raving about…at least physically. Duplicating the same fantastic design elements as the original, La Cage looked great and sounded great, but lacked, oh, I don't know, the same heart (?) as the production I saw 2 ½ years earlier. Producer Carr cast one name from television, but one who did have some theatre bona fides, and a Tony-winning actor much admired in the theatre world. As Georges, "Hollywood Squares'" Peter Marshall was amiable enough without being particularly memorable. As Albin, Keene Curtis brought true star power to the evening and gave the part a heart and soul that was especially effective in "I Am What I Am." One interesting note: on Broadway the show was cast with twelve Cagelles; on tour, it was reduced to ten. The show seemed a bit lost in the Arie Crown, but then, every show was a bit lost in the Arie Crown. I enjoyed it, but felt it somewhat lacking. – at the Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago

Sidebar: Best known for hosting "Hollywood Squares" for fifteen years, Peter Marshall also had some Broadway cred to his name. He was a replacement for Georges in the New York company of La Cage near the end of its run (paired there as well with Keene Curtis). But, as a musical theatre nerd, I know him best, billed as Peter L. Marshall, from the original cast recording of Skyscraper, the Julie Harris (!!)-starring musical. What? You've never heard the recording? Once you've listened to "Haute Couture," you'll know why the show was a 1965-66 failure.

December, 1987. The one thing that you could always count on whenever you saw a show at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in suburban Summit was a Broadway-quality production that was impeccably cast, designed and staged. Their production of La Cage aux Folles was just that. Bright and shiny with a cast that included a very handsome and debonair Joel Craig as Georges, a sweet and vulnerable, but with core of strength, James Harms as Albin, and Chicago favorites Dale Benson as the pompous conservative politician and Ami Silvestre as restaurant owner Jacqueline, this production was a bouncy, tuneful delight with production values that belied the theatre's function as a dinner playhouse. Make no mistake. This was a thoroughly classy production in every way. Candlelight clearly spent some money on this production and spent it well. Perhaps it was the intimacy of the venue, perhaps it was the joyous cast, but whatever the reason, this was the one time I actually didn't mind "The Best of Times." It was performed with such infectiousness, it seemed curmudgeonly not to clap along. So I clapped along with the rest of the sold-out house. A stunning production. – at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, Summit, IL

Sidebar: James Harms is a versatile, much sought-after Chicago-based actor who, when he's not stealing the show with a bravura performance, is quietly giving a masterful performance in a supporting role. His Albin is widely regarded as a Chicago legendary performance and who am I to disagree? In the cast as one of the six Cagelles (reduced from the touring production's ten) and also credited as co-choreographer along with James Harms (what can't the man do?) was a young Rudy Hogenmiller who decades later would be the Artistic Director of the highly-regarded Light Opera Works in suburban Evanston.

February, 2005. The first Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles featured an all-male, consistently hard-working "Les Cagelles," which added an extra bit of spice to the proceedings. Starring Daniel Davis, best known as the butler in television's "The Nanny," as Georges and Tony-winner Gary Beach as Albin, this production had more than its share of ups and downs. On the up side…Jerry Mitchell's sensational choreography for his talented group of Cagelles gave the show a vibrancy and a vitality that was often missing elsewhere in the performance. Costume designer William Ivey Long outdid himself in feathers, fur and sparkle. The show wore its heart of its collective sleeve and it was obvious everyone on stage was there to entertain you. On the down side…even with its themes of family values, homophobia, respect and equality, La Cage seemed a bit tired and clunky in 2005. The normally likeable Gavin Creel as the son was directed as a selfish, nasty little toad and, as a result, his "Ah Ha!" moment near the end of the show was too little, too late and rang false. Michael Benjamin Washington as Jacob, the sassy, flamboyant maid, was so over-the-top, it was, frankly, irritating. Perhaps, most interestingly, I found Gary Beach's performance as Albin to be, while competent and enjoyable overall, to be a bit stilted, a bit flat. Everything was done well, mind you, it just didn't seem to have much heart to it. His "I Am What I Am" was sung powerfully, but it came off, for me at least, as an effective rendition rather than an emotional one. I much preferred Daniel Davis' wry and sardonic Georges, even if at times he seemed to be channeling his character from "The Nanny." Whatever. It worked. – at the Marquis Theatre, New York

Sidebar: A few weeks after I saw it, La Cage was in the news when Daniel Davis was abruptly fired, effective immediately, after a late March Sunday matinee. Although Davis has never publically spoken about this, to my knowledge, the reasons given were a toxic backstage environment caused by Davis' intense dislike of co-star Gary Beach, his disrespect to Beach and other company members, and, due to the situation, missed performances. Although his departure had been rumored, the actual event, and the immediacy of it, took Broadway insiders by surprise. The backstage drama did not transfer on to the stage of the Marquis and watching the performance, you'd never know anything was amiss between Davis and Beach. That's onstage professionalism.

June, 2005. Robert Goulet has been a star since he took his first bow as Lancelot in Camelot  in 1960.  His rendition of "If Ever I Would Leave You" became an instant standard. A Tony-winner for the minor Kander/Ebb musical, The Happy Time, Goulet's star career spanned forty-seven years until his death in 2007 and included a wildly successful recording career and acclaim both on stage and on television. Prior to taking over for Daniel Davis in La Cage, Robert Goulet had been absent from Broadway for nearly a decade. There are worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon than with a Broadway legend, so Bob and I bought two really good seats at the TKTS booth and spent some quality time with Albin, Georges and the Cagelles. We weren't disappointed. Although the flaws in this production were still present, Goulet brought a suave sophistication that was missing in Davis' performance. Handsome and commanding, if at times a bit tentative in his scenes, his voice, even at seventy-one, was rich and powerful and lovingly caressed the lovely "Song on the Sand" and "Look Over There." Gary Beach's performance this time around was sharper, more involving, almost as though the change in casting prompted him to up his game. All in all, a good afternoon. – at the Marquis Theatre, New York

Sidebar: Although La Cage aux Folles won the Best Revival of a Musical Tony at the 2005 Tony Awards, surprising since the superior revival of the rarely-done Pacific Overtures was also in the running, the show was never a box office smash. It never played to sold-out houses and even with the addition of a bona fide star like Goulet, it closed shortly after we saw it.

 December, 2010. Conventional wisdom would advise that it would be foolish to bring back another revival of a musical only five years after the last (its first Broadway revival) revival of it, especially since that revival, despite winning a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, received less-than-rave reviews and did less-than-stellar box office. But then conventional wisdom hadn't reckoned with London's scrappy Menier Chocolate Factory, a tiny Fringe theatre that consistently does great things in a small space and consistently brings home awards and critical praise. The show that arrived at the cozy Longacre Theatre had a well-used look about it, a genteel shabbiness that was comforting. This was a place where the locals hung out for a good time. Yes, everything onstage looked worn and a bit cheesy and that was the glory of it. It let the heart of the show shine through. In toning down the production values, the glitz and the glamour, the show's focus also shifted to Albin and Georges, as it should always have been, and the event that set the story in motion, the engagement of their son to a right-wing politician's daughter. In spirit, this resembled the wonderful version I saw at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse twenty-odd years earlier. Understand, this was most definitely not a bare-bones production. There was a sizable chunk of scenery and lots of costumes, in various states of delicious tattiness. The direction by Terry Johnson, ably assisted with sparkling choreography by Lynne Page, was crisp and on mark. The six "notorious and dangerous Cagelles" were six individual human beings, each delightful in their own way. Robin De Jesus, as the maid Jacob, was suitably out there, but had the good sense to keep everything real. The exceedingly easy on the eyes A.J. Shively essayed the potentially problematic role of the selfish, priggish son, but managed to make him less selfish, less priggish, and created a nice portrayal of a young man truly having a struggle of conscience. In the most curious casting choice, one-time Eliza Doolittle Christine Andreas was cast in the thankless role of Jacqueline, and try as she might, Andreas wasn't able to make much of this one-note role. As Albin, Olivier-winner Douglas Hodge, in his Broadway debut, recreated his Menier Chocolate Factory triumph here. It was a stunning performance…vulnerable, tender, tentative, proud, loving. His towering "I Am What I Am" was awesome and thrilling. He justifiably won the 2010 Tony for Best Actor in a Musical. The biggest surprise for me, however, was television's Kelsey Grammer's ("Cheers," "Frasier") performance as Georges. It was a terrific performance with nuance, great humor, and a surprisingly agile voice. The chemistry between he and Hodge was obvious, which only made the show stronger. We were able to snag table seats in the front row, which allowed us to get immersed in the love, laughter and song that took place on the Longacre stage. During the title tune, one of the Cagelles danced on our table. Talk about up close and personal! It was a magnificent performance, a magnificent production. I fell in love with the show all over again. – at the Longacre Theatre, New York

Sidebar: At the 2010 Tony Awards, this revival won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical competing against some very strong competition. It's reviews overall were considerably better than the 2004 revival's, but, perhaps surprisingly, it never was a box-office runaway. It did well, actually it did very well for a spell, but then it chugged along for most of its run playing to houses that were probably just above breakeven.

Autographed by the cast in support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, my number 1 charity.

April, 2011. As wonderful as Kelsey Grammer and especially Douglas Hodge were as Georges and Albin, respectively, it was the replacement cast that made this wonderfully old-fashioned, marvelously tuneful love story come truly alive. I've long been a fan of Christopher Sieber. He's talented, personable and he totally charmed my niece and nephew, and, by extension, me, when they met him at the stage door following a performance of Spamalot, their first Broadway show. Displaying an impressive amount of leading man charisma, his Georges was the best sung of the ones that I've seen. And what can I saw about Harvey Fierstein's Albin? By far, the most full-figured of the Albins, he was also unquestionably the funniest.  His comic timing was both flawless and shameless. If there was a punch line in his script (remember Harvey Fierstein is also the author of the book…and won a Tony for it.), Fierstein found a way to put it across. His nipple and croissant bits had us laughing so hard, we were practically crying. Not known as a singer, he nonetheless put across the numbers with a casual panache and it was his foghorn of a voice that made "I Am What I Am" the most potent rendition I'd heard. Tony-winner for Rent, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, was the new Jacob and he did a fine job with keeping it real and funny. We had such a great time at the stage-side table seats, we bought them again. This time Bob's seat was right next to the stairs that Albin used to exit the theatre at the end of Act One. He also sat on the top step and engaged in some scripted, yet improv, audience interaction during the title song. Bob, being right next to him, got serenaded and kissed by Harvey, to everyone's delight. It was one of those only-in-the-theatre moments. The physical elements were the same as the Grammer/Hodge production, but the approach and interpretation were different. I know it's called acting, but having openly gay actors play gay parts just brings an innate sensibility and nuance that straight actors, no matter how skilled, can manage. It was this added something that made this version my favorite of all the versions I've seen. This was as close to a definitive La Cage aux Folles as you could get. I loved every minute of it.– at the Longacre Theatre, New York

That's all for now. More later!

© 2015 Jeffrey Geddes