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

OFF THE RAILS OR THEATRICAL TRAIN WRECKS - Part Four

OFF THE RAILS OR THEATRICAL TRAIN WRECKS

Part Four

And now the show that, after forty years as the Gold Standard of Theatrical Train Wrecks, booted Wild and Wonderful from its pedestal. It deserves a blog post all its own. It was a re-imagined revival or "revision" or whatever the hell they called it of one of my personal favorites. Here it is. Drum roll, please!

ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER – St. James Theatre

I thought the marquee, though bright and colorful, was pretty ugly. Especially when compared to the design for the 1965 cast recording. It's pretty obvious that Harry Connick, Jr. was the main thing here and not the show itself.

December, 2011. Blessed with one of the finest scores from the sixties, and arguably among the best from any decade (lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner/music by Burton Lane), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever was perversely cursed with a problematic and muddy book. When it kept to its basic story -- that of a mid-1960s lass, Daisy, who is the reincarnation of a late 18th century English woman, Melinda, and the psychiatrist who falls for Melinda -- everything chugged along nicely. When it veered off course, however, that's when trouble occurred. Why is this character here? Why is this song there? Why is Dr. Bruckner being mean to Daisy and whatever happened to his professional ethics? Overall, though, it's a pleasant diversion and, actually, one of my favorite shows. Part of the charm is that the same actress plays both Daisy and Melinda and, with a talented performer (Barbara Harris in the original; the sensational Barbara Lang on tour), the part(s) can be a true tour de force. It had a modest nine-month run on Broadway, a year-long national tour, and then, sadly, a monumental flop of a film version, starring a woefully miscast Barbra Streisand, who mugged her way through the picture. Until 2011, it had not had a full-blown Broadway revival. Enter Michael Mayer, Tony-winning director for Spring Awakening, who decided, apparently with the blessing of the Alan Jay Lerner estate (they must have been on some really heavy duty drugs), to "re-conceive" ("Danger, Will Robinson, danger!") Clear Day by keeping big chunks  of the original score, jettisoning the 18th century storyline, and interpolating songs from Lerner and Lane's film musical Royal Wedding and a song or two from the Clear Day film, and rethinking most of the character arcs in general. To make his vision a reality, book writer Peter Parnell was hired to refurbish the problematic and muddy Alan Jay Lerner original. The end result was even more problematic and muddier. A hot, icky mess is a better description of it. Where to start? First of all, let me state unequivocally that Clear Day needed some retooling if it had any hope of succeeding in 2011. But Mr. Parnell somehow managed to take every bit of charm and humor out of Alan Jay Lerner's book. Then the reimaginers bumped up the time period from present day (in 1965, present day was 1965) to a specified 1974. Why they just didn't figure out a way to reimagine the script to present day 2011 is beyond me. All going to the psychedelic, Me Decade 1970s did was force us to look at ugly sets and costumes and watch really cheesy choreography. But then, ah, but then, the creative power folks went on their own psychedelic trip and made Daisy/Melinda into two separate parts played by two separate actors. The fun of seeing the same actress switch characters with a change of posture, attitude and voice? Gone. And not only that, but Daisy is now David, a commitment-challenged smoker who is eager for the good doctor to cure him of the habit so he can move in with his boyfriend, and Melinda is still Melinda, but instead of being an 18th century Londoner, she's now a 1940s nightclub singer who can apparently make time travel between 1974 and the 1940s a reality, since she and the good doctor actually interact in real time or, rather, theatrical real time. In the Mayer/Parnell vision, Dr. Bruckner is now the show's central focus, a shift which causes the entire show to spin dizzily out of control. And let's not even talk about how many violations of doctor-patient ethics are shamelessly broken in this version. Yikes! With the stage presence and charm of a 2x4, Harry Connick Jr., who was sexy and fun in a revival of The Pajama Game five years earlier, bored the living crap out of me as Dr. Bruckner. Looking puffy and seriously uncomfortable, he didn't even sing all that well at the preview we attended. Kerry O'Malley was shamefully misused as Connick's adoring colleague. Sarah Stiles, as David's BFF, was bitch-slap perky and generally supremely annoying. Drew Gehling, as David's boyfriend, was not only cute as all get-out, but also the true bright spot among the supporting players. David Turner played David, née Daisy, and took the challenges and ran with them. He was as charming as the script and direction would allow him to be and really shone with the songs. His "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" was right up there with the best and provided the show's second showstopper. (The first was Jessie Mueller's "Ev'ry Night at Seven." Connick didn't stop anything. Well, he did, but not in a good way.) Jessie Mueller, in her Broadway debut, played the new version of Melinda. Blessed with a fine voice and charisma and presence to spare, she sang the daylights out of her material, but sadly wasn't given a character, so she almost seemed like an extraneous character in the proceedings. Ironically both Jessie Mueller and David Turner could have easily played the Daisy/Melinda role with great charm and talent depending on the direction the show wanted to go in…a gay theme or the traditional one, though the former would have posed some lyric challenges for the luscious "Melinda." None of the interpolated songs quite worked, the book was part caricature, part pseudo-serious, part stereotypes, and, oddly considering that Michael Mayer is a gay man, I found it bordered on homophobic. Since the biggest problem onstage was Connick, perhaps another leading man would have better served this new vision. Will Swenson? Brian d'Arcy James? Will Chase? This handily became the new Gold Standard because they took a lovely, if flawed, property and, unforgivingly, made an unrecognizable hash of it. During the interval at our preview performance, we were standing next to Michael Mayer and some of the creatives. It was obvious something wasn't quite going the way they planned. (Really?) Mayer asked, "What do you think we should do?" I so wanted to tap him on the shoulder and say, "Close the show." The days were not clear for Clear Day. The reviews were mostly negative and the audiences did not flock to the box office for Harry Connick, Jr. The show closed after 29 previews and a paltry 57 performances. It is perhaps telling that Tams-Witmark, the show's licensing agent, only offers the original version for performance rights. – at the St. James Theatre, New York

Sidebar: I have somewhat of a history with Clear Day's delightful "Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here." When I was high school senior, I was invited to join Modern Music Masters, now Tri-M, a secondary school honor society for music. At the installation ceremony for the new members, each new member had to do some sort of musical performance. I accompanied two of my classmates as they performed an operatic aria. This in and of itself is remarkable since I can't actually play the piano, but can bang out the right notes if the piece is simple. (I also, astonishingly, during my days at ISU, played the piano, as a sort of substitute for a bass, for a campus-wide evening of musical entertainments put on by each of the dorms.) I digress. For my MMM performance, I went unconventional (lots of classical and art song stuff went on that night) and sang "Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here." As the only theatre song that evening, it got a great response. Then later that year in drama class, one of our assignments was to perform a 15-minute scene from a play. I chose the opening scene from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and, foretelling by some forty-plus years what Michael Mayer and Peter Parnell would attempt to do, changed Daisy Gamble to David Gamble, but also changed Dr. Mark Bruckner to Dr. Melinda Bruckner. Part of that scene gave me yet another opportunity to perform, this time to a taped accompaniment, "Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here." And last, but not least, jump ahead to 1980-81 to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and that year's entertainment for the National Word Processing Association's conference. Working with the same people, more or less, that I'd worked with the previous year in New York for that year's conference, the hour-long show was a story about word-processing and romance in the work place (I think) and somehow or another, the second number in the show had me singing, yep, you guessed it, "Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here." (Haven't a clue what this had to do with anything in the story, but it was a big hit with the happily drinking audience.) And, yes, it's still a favorite of mine.

And that's the end of the series on my Top Ten Theatrical Train Wrecks. Coming up in future posts...more Alphabet Soup, more Musical Mayhem, and more Walking in a West End Wonderland. Cheers!

© 2015 Jeffrey Geddes  

MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS The Honor Roll - Part 4

MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS

The Honor Roll - Part 4

Some more musicals from the fifteen shows that make up my musical Honor Roll. Lots to talk about, so sit back, pour some coffee and let's begin.

SHE LOVES ME - Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, Book by Joe Masteroff

If the only thing She Loves Me had going for it was the glorious score by Sheldon Harnick  and Jerry Bock, that alone would be enough to place it among my top twenty-five musicals. Happily, though, this jewel box of a musical has many more beautiful gems on display. Joe Masteroff's book sparkles with wit and sophistication with a smattering of adult themes all told with taste and class. Unique, perhaps, among musicals, each principal has at least one solo musical moment to shine and the show goes from one musical treat to another. And what musical treats! "Dear Friend," "Will He Like Me?," "She Loves Me," "A Trip to the Library," "Vanilla Ice Cream." I think it's fair to say there isn't a bad, or even mediocre, song in the lot. Not often done, this bon-bon of a show had a too-short original run despite a press kit full of great notices. Producer/director Harold Prince, in an isn't-hindsight-great reflection on the show's financial failure, suggested that the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, which Prince praised as the "perfect" theatre for this show, at just over 1000 seats was too small to financially support the show. Try telling that to the producers of The Book of Mormon, which has been making fistfuls of money at the O'Neill since it opened.  It's also been suggested that She Loves Me was just too delicate, too quiet of a show when most musicals being offered at the time were louder, more obviously there to entertain you. Whatever the case, it played a respectable, though money-losing, nine months and quietly slipped away to the Music Theatre International (MTI) catalog. A revival by Roundabout Theatre in the early 1990s did fine in its Roundabout run, but, sadly, failed once again to find an audience to embrace its remarkable charms in a Broadway transfer. This much-neglected show deserves better. UPDATE: Roundabout has announced She Loves Me as part of its 2015-2016 season!!

October, 2010. As performed at Writers' Theatre's intimate Tudor Court  venue, Michael Halberstam's production of She Loves Me was a mostly lovely affair that played things a bit too gently and sang the songs a bit too delicately. Part of this, I believe, was due to the size of the cast. In the original production, the cast numbered twenty-two. In a 1993 revival by Roundabout Theatre, the cast numbered seventeen. In the Writers' production, the cast numbered only twelve. What this meant was that the ensemble numbers were under-populated and didn't register as well as they should have, most especially in "Twelve Days to Christmas," which just sounded anemic. The five ensemble members needed to be beefed up by three. With an orchestra of four, the score sometimes sounded a bit too thin and I wonder if just using a piano might not have worked better. The talented principals all played their roles with skill and professionalism, including a perfectly charming performance by Jessie Mueller as Amalia, but the acting also seemed muted at times, almost as though Halberstam didn't trust the show enough to let it sing out with unrestrained joy. Yes, She Loves Me is not your typical brassy Broadway musical, but it is a Broadway musical, after all, and far from being a delicate flower, it's full of brio and sass and doesn't need to be handled with kid gloves. Having said all this, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, I really did, but I wanted to be enchanted, and, frankly, I wasn't. – at Writers' Theatre, Glencoe IL

December, 2011. All the sass and brio that was missing from the Writers' Theatre production was in ample supply in this one-night only staged reading benefit for Roundabout Theatre. This was a star-packed, joyous evening that respected the gentle charm of the property, yet let it be funny, stylish, and joyous at the same time. Jane Krakowski as "bad girl" Ilona knows how to work both a stage and an audience and nailed her two solo numbers. Gavin Creel, handsome and debonair, was a suitably sleazy Kodaly. Michael McGrath was a wise and sardonic Sipos (the part I would love to play….attention, Bob!). Rory O'Malley's Arpad was adorable innocence. Peter Bartlett's pinched and overly-proper Headwaiter made a smallish part memorable. Victor Garber can practically do no wrong in my book. His talent has impressed me for decades and he made Mr. Maraczek a warm, yet formidable, character. Josh Radnor's wildly appealing and thoroughly well-sung Georg was a treat. And, best for last, Kelli O'Hara's luminous Amalia centered the entire evening. When she hit that magnificent high note near the very end of "Vanilla Ice Cream," the audience burst into rapturous applause. Yes, she was that good. Yes, she is always that good. It was pure pleasure from beginning to end, smartly staged by Scott Ellis and played to perfection by a seventeen-piece orchestra. I cannot wait for Roundabout's remount next season! – at the Sondheim Theatre, New York

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One of our favorite companies, this was their stellar 2011-2012 season. We saw all of them except for "The Road to Mecca."

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MAME - Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman, Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

From Pinterest...the Winter Garden marquee heralding the first post-Angela Lansbury Mame.

Auntie Mame, Patrick, Vera, Gooch and the cavalcade of fabulous characters that inhabit their lives are old friends of mine. The original novel by Patrick Dennis is a much-loved favorite in my library, a book I have read an almost obscene number of times. The play adaptation by Lawrence and Lee is among my top twenty-five favorite plays. I adore the film version of the play featuring Rosalind Russell's definitive portrayal of Mame Dennis. Lawrence and Lee skillfully adapted their play to a musical book and Jerry Herman added a delightful score to the mix and…voila!...a top twenty-five favorite musical. (The less said about the legendary-for-all-the-wrong-reasons film version of the musical starring a woefully miscast Lucille Ball, the better. Come to think of it, the woefully miscast Barbra Streisand made a hash out of the film version of Hello, Dolly! Mr. Herman just doesn't have good luck with screen versions of his shows apparently.) Mame is not a perfect show. The character of Ito seems more annoying than ever in the musical version. The title tune, while catchy and a toe-tapper, is, well, boring; a lot of cakewalking, running around in circles, twirling parasols and serenading the leading lady who does nothing but smile and nod and look thrilled. She sings not a single note in the song. Odd. "That's How Young I Feel" is an extraneous number for Mame and the younger members of the chorus that's supposed to be fun and festive, but comes off as annoying and makes me want to jump up on stage, smack Mame and tell her to grow up and act her age. "Open a New Window" could be cut by half. It's a great song, but goes on for too long. Yeah, we get it. "Open a new window," blah, blah, blah. Great philosophy, nice tune, but do we really have to open every window in New York City before the song ends? But then, ah…but then, Mr. Herman also offers us "My Best Girl," "Bosom Buddies," "We Need a Little Christmas," "Gooch's Song," and, most especially, the soaring, magnificent "If He Walked Into My Life." Jerry, love, you are forgiven those little musical oopsies. It's a show that makes me smile and feel on top of the world, a joyous romp celebrating life. We all should have an Auntie Mame!

June, 1968. To celebrate graduating from high school, some friends and I went to see the final performance of the 1st National Touring Company of Mame. While the tour did well up to this point, apparently the six-month Chicago run did not live up to financial expectations and the producers decided to close the tour. And that was a pity because Celeste Holm was a marvelous Mame. Not as outwardly madcap or lovably eccentric as either Angela Lansbury or Rosalind Russell, Holm infused the part with a wry wit and genuine warmth that gave this Mame a softer patina. Make no mistake, Holm was no schlub in the glamour department and sang the score with power and confidence. A duplicate of the then-running Broadway original, this production featured an outstanding cast including Wesley Addy (Babcock…and Holm's husband), Ruth Gillette (Mother Burnside), Arsenio Trinidad (Ito), Robert Kaye (Beauregard), Shawn McGill (young Patrick) and especially delicious performances by Vicki Cummings as an hysterical and acerbic Vera and a pre –"M*A*S*H" Loretta Swit (!!) as Gooch. Lovely production. – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

 The Muny program was so loaded with adverts and sponsors that the credits were awkwardly spread out over three pages. A bit cheesy and disrespectful of the talented folks involved in my book.

July, 1976. Ten years after she set Broadway on fire with her Tony-winning performance as everyone's favorite aunt, Angela Lansbury traveled to the historic and massive Municipal Opera in St. Louis, affectionately called The Muny, to show the folks who packed the 11,000 seat outdoor venue exactly what all the fuss was about. So was all the hoopla and the Tony Award win justified? Absolutely. Elegant, funny, loving and just plain fun, you wanted to be Patrick almost from the moment she made her entrance. She commanded the giant Muny stage and that's no small feat. Accompanying her were old pals from the original production, Anne Francine as Vera (Bea Arthur's replacement) and the original Gooch, Jane Connell, and the affection and ease that these ladies had for each other was obvious. Robert Kaye and Arsenio Trinidad were back as Beauregard and Ito, respectively, and Charlotte Jones was a formidable Mother Burnside. Staying close to the look and feel of the Broadway original, the show pretty much copied Gene Saks' original direction and Onna White's original choreography was recreated. How great it was to see this incredible actress in one of her iconic roles. And what a perfect way to spend a warm July evening in beautiful Forest Park. – at the Municipal Opera (Muny), St. Louis

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"In sight, it must be right." 

One of the full-page Muny adverts, this is interesting because none of these places still exist. The Holiday Inn Riverfront Resort (Resort??) is now either the Crowne Plaza or the Mansion Center Apartments, can't tell for sure, but all the establishments that formed "St. Louis' Number One Entertainment Center" are gone.

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June, 2006. You would be justified in thinking that a lavishly mounted, spare-no-expense production of a beloved musical starring a two-time Tony Award-winning and Emmy-winning star and featuring both a Tony-nominated actress and a Tony-winning actress as its primary supporting players and played to musical perfection by a great, big, full orchestra would be greeted with valentines by the critics. Yes, you would be justified in thinking that, but you would be wrong. Curiously, the lush Kennedy Center production of Mame starring a vivacious and radiant Christine Baranski as Mame and featuring Harriet Harris as a peerless Vera and Emily Skinner as a hapless Gooch received less than enthusiastic notices. Primarily focusing on what the critics felt was a lack of connection between Mame and Patrick and a fuzziness in some of the supporting players, the reviews just did not reflect the quality of the performance that we had the pleasure of seeing. Exquisitely designed by Walt Spangler (sets), Gregg Barnes (costumes) and the redoubtable Ken Billington (lights), choreographed with energy by Warren Carlyle and directed with great taste and great fun by Eric Schaeffer, this was overall my favorite production of Mame. Christine Baranski's Mame was vibrant, classy, and touching and her chemistry with both her Patricks was palpable. In terrific vocal form, her rendition of the iconic "If He Walked Into My Life" blew me away in what I now consider the definitive version. Harriet Harris has few peers when it comes to comic timing and her Vera was priceless. Happily, Baranski's comic timing is equally spot-on and the scenes between Mame and Vera were sensational. Emily Skinner's Gooch was winsome, Jeff McCarthy's Beauregard made the most out of a usually thankless role and Max von Essen and Harrison Chad were both charming as Old and Young Patrick, respectively. Both of us thought the production was fantastic. Sorry, critics. You were dead wrong on this one. Sadly, this production did not move to Broadway as was widely rumored and, except for a short-lived 1983 production starring Angela Lansbury, Mame has not been coaxing the blues right out of Broadway's horn. – at the Eisenhower Theatre, Washington D.C.

Sidebar: After the performance, we had the pleasure of meeting Christine Baranski and chatting with her in the outdoor plaza at the Kennedy Center. Gracious, charming and very funny, when I commented how off-base I felt the reviews were, she revealed that many in the production, including her, felt that the show had been reviewed too soon, after only three previews, following a rigorous rehearsal schedule, but the powers-that-be refused to push back the press opening. By comparison, a pre-Broadway tryout of First Wives Club during its Chicago run played a month of previews before being reviewed by the critics. Later reviews of Mame were more in tune with what we felt.

 Bob in front of the Kennedy Center.

 The two of us pre-show.

Bob and Christine enjoying a beautiful day and a chat in the Kennedy Center courtyard. Christine Baranski=class.

That's it for now! Take time out to enjoy a show.

© 2015 Jeffrey Geddes