WALKING IN A WEST END WONDERLAND PART 5

WALKING IN A WEST END WONDERLAND

PART 5

It's been a long time since we've crossed the Pond. Let's fix that. Five shows from London's fabulous West End make up today's post.  And to start us off… What could be more quintessentially British than royalty?

I guess this is one way to avoid the scrum at the bars during the interval.

Coffee or, rather, tea ready? Let's begin.

ROSE – Duke of York's Theatre – London

6.50 pounds today is $9.82. No matter how you slice it, in 1980, theatre was still quite the bargain in London.

The Duke of York's Theatre opened in September, 1892.

May, 1980.  A typically British domestic comedy about marriage and life, it enjoyed a successful run in London primarily because of the sensational Glenda Jackson. (It had a limited run a year later in New York, playing to marginal houses after middling reviews.)  It had something to do with an unfulfilled, feminist school teacher in the Midlands and if the plot sounds dodgy, it had enough humor to carry it along and keep the audiences happy. Make no mistake, however. Everyone, and I mean everyone, in the Duke of York's that Thursday evening was there to see two-time Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Glenda Jackson up close and personal. I know I was. A word here about Ms. Jackson...I am a huge fan. Full stop. The woman is so talented and can do comedy and drama with equal ease.  (Witness Oscars for a drama, "Women in Love" and a comedy, "A Touch of Class," one of my favorite films. And let's not forget her Emmy-winning television mini-series "Elizabeth R," still a marvelous bit of television.) To see one of my idols in a play a few scant feet away from me was, and remains, something to treasure. "Rose" also is the source of one of my favorite expressions, uttered to hysterical perfection by Ms. Jackson: "Find 'em, feel 'em, fuck 'em, forget 'em!"  I think it's a jolly little phrase, appropriate for many occasions! Ta, Glenda!

Sidebar: From the early 90s until March, 2015 Glenda Jackson was a MP (Member of Parliament) and, during that time, retired from acting. She's 79 now, but returned to acting this November in a radio "mash-up" of novels by French writer Emile Zola. Lucky Radio 4.

A DELICATE BALANCE – Theatre Royal Haymarket – London

the elegant Theatre Royal Haymarket

March, 1998. A Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Edward Albee. A cast that included Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins and John Standing. Excellent reviews, especially for the two leading ladies, one already a Dame and one a future Dame. Now imagine you are Ellenor Wilkinson, a working actress with West End credits, cast as the cover for the parts of Claire (Dame Maggie) and Julia (the young, abrasive daughter). Dame Maggie never misses a performance. But then, sadly, Beverely Cross, Dame Maggie's husband, dies and you are now going to go on in the place of two-time Academy Award-winner and top-billed Maggie Smith. The line at the box office requesting refunds/rebookings wasn't as long as you'd have thought, and Bob and I wanted to see the play, so we stayed. Those who did would not be disappointed. Ms. Wilkinson started out a bit tentative, but then, as the play progressed, she got stronger and stronger, mining the laughs in the role of Claire, the alcoholic sister, for all that they were worth and giving co-star Eileen Atkins a run for her money. She was rewarded with cheers and heavy applause when she took her bow. The audience acclaim was well-deserved. Maggie Smith's part was in good hands until her return. In the arguably more difficult role of Agnes, Claire's sister and the less "fun" of the two, Eileen Atkins gave a master class in understated, yet powerful, acting. Like her terrific performance three years earlier in Broadway's Indiscretions, it was a privilege to watch her work. We thought the entire cast did a fine job and, for me, it was a kick to see Annette Crosbie, the fairy godmother in the underrated film musical The Slipper and the Rose, in a serious and somewhat creepy part. This is not a happy play, but one that will get you thinking.

KAFKA'S DICK – Piccadilly Theatre – London

 The interior of the beautiful Piccadilly Theatre.

January, 1999. Who could resist a play with a title like Kafka's Dick? I mean, seriously. And most especially when it stars Julia McKenzie? I know I couldn't and didn't.  Written by a pre-The History Boys Alan Bennett, this silly and terribly British "literary" farce concerned itself with fame and biography, implying that, as far as the public is concerned, the more libidinous, the better, with the supposedly modest size of Mr. Kafka's titular dick being the plot driver. Having read The Metamorphosis in the original German in high school in Mr. Oglesby's fourth year German class, I was fascinated by Gregor Samsa and his story. I never once, however, thought about Mr. Kafka's private parts. See how the theatre expands one's mind?  Positively gave a whole new spin on Kafka. Julia McKenzie took the acting honors with her signature comic timing, solidly delivering the laughs, yet keeping the character grounded in reality. A daffy reality, to be sure, but an endearing, human one. Bob had heard me praise McKenzie for years. This was the first time he'd seen her, and, like me, he was enchanted with her. Often very, very funny and staged at appropriately farcical speed, this is B-drawer Alan Bennett that will give you two hours of pleasure, but will not leave you with much of an impression afterwards other than that you'd had a quite funny evening at the theatre.

AMY'S VIEW – Aldwych Theatre – London

The beautiful Aldwych Theatre. It opened in 1905.

We like to think our granddaughter Esme was named after Dame Judi's character. 

March, 1998. David Hare's dense, talky, yet rewarding play is a veritable feast for the two actresses playing the leading roles. It's also a veritable feast for the audience if the two actresses playing the leading roles are Dame Judi Dench and Samantha Bond, both probably best known to the general public for their portrayals of "M" and Miss Moneypenny in later James Bond films. Under Richard Eyre's skillful direction and greatly enhanced by a terrific design by Bob Crowley and Mark Henderson, Dame Judi and Ms. Bond made this financial (!!), political, anti-Thatcher, new media versus traditional theatre, mother/daughter dynamics, love and loss-themed play more than the sum of its various parts. These were two richly-nuanced and very human women on that stage and that was crucial, because the play sometimes became mired in what it wanted to say. At close to three hours, it was a tad too long, but as long as either Dench or Bond were onstage, either separately or, especially, together, the theatre crackled with electricity. This wasn't a two-hander, however, and solid jobs were turned in by Donald Pickup, Eoin McCarthy, Christopher Staines, in a small role at the very end of the play, and especially Joyce Redman as Dench's feisty mother. Samantha Bond was a revelation. To see Dame Judi Dench in anything is a privilege. To see Dame Judi Dench at her finest in a rich and complex role is something you never forget. Bob and I were in awe. A truly unforgettable and thrilling afternoon at the theatre.

LA CAVA – Piccadilly Theatre – London

 

The ever-ubiquitous marketing. Even for unsuccessful shows.

The publicists must have worked overtime to get those quotes.

January, 2001. When this show opened on the West End, it received dismissive reviews. We knew about them, so I'm not quite sure why we saw this. We saw it at a matinee, so maybe it was the only thing on the boards that we hadn't seen.  (God forbid Bob and I should actually see a … gasp … tourist attraction or museum on a matinee day!)  Or maybe we just wanted to see what qualified as a disaster on the West End.  Bottom line? It was far from being the worst thing I'd seen. In fact, while it wasn't especially good, it really wasn't awful, either. It was professional, slick and entertaining. Epic in scope, very epic, in the fashion of Les Miserables with a big, all-encompassing, if forgettable, score, La Cava had a convoluted plot that involved Florinda, a governor's daughter in Spanish North Africa, sent to mainland Spain to learn tapestry and other at-the-time girl things. But, while there,  the Moors threaten to invade and she becomes the mistress of the Spanish king after she first claims he raped her, which causes her father to start a war to avenge her lost honor. In the ensuing melee, her Moorish boyfriend is killed, Florinda discovers she's preggers with the King's kid, but now is madly in love with him, but it's all too late and an onstage bloodbath closes the show. Confused?  Yeah, frankly, so were we.  But it had a superlative physical production, was well-sung, and featured an outstanding performance by Paul Keating as the Spanish queen's conniving page.  Originally we were close to the stage, but moved back in the stalls during the interval because it was just visually and aurally too much.  It closed shortly afterwards. I doubt this musical will ever burn up the Am-Dram circuit. Glad we saw it, though, if only as a curiosity piece.

Sidebar: La Cava originally opened at the off-West End West End Victoria Palace Theatre (no, I really didn't repeat myself), more or less across from Victoria Station. It did dismal business there, but the producers, for whatever inexplicable producer reasons they may have had, claimed the location of the theatre prevented the crowds from coming, so they packed their bags six weeks later and moved to the much more centrally located Piccadilly Theatre. It ran longer there, but still didn't make any money. Curiously, Billy Elliot has been at the Victoria Palace since it opened in 2005. The location hasn't seemed to hurt that show's financial bottom line. Just saying….

And that's it for now. Stay warm!

© 2015 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

ALPHABET SOUP (6) - FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER

ALPHABET SOUP (6) -

FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER

It's been a very long time since I've drawn a letter from my blue London coffee mug and picked the first few shows from that letter's pile of programs. Far too long. Time to remedy that. 

Today's letter is ….

J

Here's some of what "J" has to offer…an Irish classic, a rarely-done play by an American original, a revue celebrating a favorite theatre composer, and, a, well, you-just-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it, uh, play.

JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK – The Artistic Home at Theatre on the Lake, Chicago

 

July, 2009. I first saw what is considered to be playwright Sean O'Casey's masterpiece in 1981 in a Royal Shakespeare Company production starring Judi Dench. I didn't especially care for it then, finding it a long, dense haul, and I didn't especially care for it in 2009. Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of Irish theatre. I often find it too melancholy, too oh-woe-is-me for my tastes. But a former colleague of Bob's was in the cast, so off we went for a melancholy, oh-woe-is-me evening with the dysfunctional Boyle family. This production, in its initial run, received good reviews from the Chicago critics. Resurrecting it for a week's run at the Theatre on the Lake was a bold choice for the Chicago Park District since O'Casey is not anyone's first choice for a summer evening's entertainment on the Lake. To The Artistic Home's great credit, they managed to do a creditable job in the less-than-ideal space they had to work in. Production values were solid and the direction did the job. The acting, for the most part, was able and competent, but at times, it veered towards broad comedy that teetered towards caricature. Pacing, volume and diction were also sometimes a challenge for the cast in this ¾ round space. It was still a long, dense haul, but this production was earnest and I didn't hate it. Didn't convert me to an O'Casey fan, however.

JUST SAY NO – Bailiwick Repertory Theater, Chicago

David Zaks must not have seen the same production that we saw.

'The Pride '99 lineup. 

May, 1999. With author Larry Kramer in the audience, Just Say No lumbered through its performance with scattered bits of humor, some decent production values, and committed, though not always successful, performances by its cast. And, yes, "lumbered" is the correct word. The play aspired to be a hysterical, yet politically astute farce that would skewer the early Reagan years in general and the Reagans themselves and their cronies, especially then-NYC-mayor Ed Koch, in particular, something that I would normally really get into. Sadly, however, the whole endeavor lacked the wit and zaniness of a farce. Even sadder, however, was a lack of political astuteness and biting satire. Oh, there were moments, but it often just sat there, spewing dialogue that reflected Mr. Kramer's obvious distaste for everything Reagan while not really making a point. (I have a definite distaste for everything Reagan and even I found the most of the proceedings pointless.) The plot had something to do with a sex tape cover-up that supposedly really did happen during the Reagan years. I know, sex tape and Reagan? Ewww. With a stereotypical gay confidant and an equally stereotypical sassy black maid, an often shirtless and equally often wooden, though likeable, Greg Louganis (yes, the Olympic champion swimmer Greg Louganis) as the play's version of Ron Reagan, and a darkly comic Alexandra Billings, looking stunning in a red dress, as the thinly-disguised Nancy Reagan, this revised version of Kramer's 1988 off-Broadway original missed far more often than it hit its satiric mark. Panned as vastly inferior to Kramer's landmark The Normal Heart, Just Say No has only had three professional productions to date. There's a reason for that.

JERRY'S GIRLS – Shubert Theatre, Chicago

The La Cage segment was, curiously, with the exception of Leslie Uggams' "I Am What I Am," the weakest part of the show. It seemed forced somehow. And really, we're ending with "The Best of Times"? No. Stop it.

November, 1984. Capitalizing on the previous season's smash hit success of Jerry Herman's Tony-winning La Cage aux Folles, and the overwhelmingly positive reviews Jerry's Girls had received a few years earlier in a cabaret format, lead producer Zev Bufman and his cohorts thought the time was right for a Jerry Herman revue, celebrating the beloved tunesmith in an evening of some of his best songs and  performed by a trio of leading ladies and a chorus of five female singer/dancers. Conceived by Jerry Herman himself and director Larry Alford, whose billing, to be precise, was "Staged and Directed by Larry Alford," though I don't quite get the difference, and touted as "A Broadway Entertainment," Jerry's Girls was amiable enough in a summer stock-tent theatre sort of way with great tunes and modest production values. Pleasant, professional, but not quite enough for "A Broadway Entertainment." What propelled this overgrown cabaret show into the big leagues was its powerhouse trio of leading ladies: Carol Channing, Leslie Uggams, and Andrea McArdle. Playing it safe and playing to audience expectations, this trio did exactly what was expected of each of them. Carol Channing, the quintessential larger-than-life performer, reprised Dolly (duh!), in full Dolly drag for the title tune, and handled most of the evening's comic chores, with her highlight being a beyond funny take on a striptease called "Take It All Off." Leslie Uggams, singer extraordinaire, delivered the goods on the show's more ballad-y, mature lady songs and especially shone with a haunting "If He Walked Into My Life" in Act One and a powerful "I Am What I Am" in Act Two. Twenty-one-year-old Andrea McArdle, all grown-up and no longer the red-headed urchin that catapulted to fame in one of Broadway's most auspicious debuts, sank her considerable vocal chops into the more, for lack of a better word, "youthful" material, and sent soaring versions of "Wherever He Ain't" and "Time Heals Everything" to the last row of the Shubert's second balcony. For me, one of the evening's highlights was an unexpected "The Tea Party" from the underrated Dear World, nicely executed by the three leading ladies. It didn't all work and, frankly, a few things just tanked, but the Chicago critics were kind and the audience absolutely ate it up.

Sidebar: When Jerry's Girls opened on Broadway a year later with only Leslie Uggams still in the show and 2/3 of the design staff replaced, it received negative reviews and never played to a capacity higher than 67% and at one point played to an abysmal 28% capacity. It closed after a run of only four months. It's somewhat staggering to realize that the last original Jerry Herman musical, La Cage aux Folles, opened over thirty-two years ago.  

JEFF STRYKER DOES HARD TIME – Bailiwick Repertory Theater, Chicago

No understudies were listed. Guess it didn't much matter.

April, 2001. The star attraction of Jeff Stryker Does Hard Time didn't make its appearance until the last five minutes of Act Two. Suffice it to say that when the star attraction finally did appear, it was, well, impressive. For in Jeff Stryker Does Hard Time, Jeff Stryker himself playing himself was not the main attraction of the evening; rather, it was his, uh, star quality that took the honors. Yeah, that's it. Oh, wait. I'm assuming everyone knows who Jeff Stryker is. Well, for those of you who don't, Jeff Stryker was a major, even iconic, adult film star in both straight and gay porn in the late 80s and throughout the 90s, a man whose main "acting" attribute was, and still is, a rather sizeable endowment. So it was this attribute that Mr. Stryker brought with him when Stryker Productions brought Jeff Stryker Does Hard Time for an engagement at Bailiwick. (Actually it says "Stryker Productions is proud to bring to Chicago…") Without a credited author, it's hard to know who actually wrote the damn thing, although some internet research says that Stryker and John Travis were responsible for the deed. With the quality of the dialogue that was spoken on the Bailiwick stage, I think I'd remain uncredited, too. There was a plot of sorts. It all took place supposedly in Cook County Jail, though the set looked more like a dormitory at a less-than-classy university. I'm not sure what prompted Mr. Stryker's stay there. I'm not sure anyone cared. The best performance by far of the evening was that of Cory Krebsbach's Queenie, a stereotypical portrait right out of the early 70s (can you say The Boys in the Band?), but, sadly, that's not saying much. The rest of the cast, well, all I can say is they knew their lines. It was a mess, with almost every scene not making any sense or connecting with any other scene. But, bewilderingly, it was rather fun, in a so-bad-it's-good way. I don't think anyone onstage took it seriously, least of all Jeff Stryker, who genuinely seemed to be enjoying making fun of his image, while at the same time not being terribly concerned about his chances of nailing a Jeff nomination. Now back to the star attraction. Near the end of the show, and for absolutely no reason that made any dramatic sense, Stryker stripped down, oiled up, and stroked the aforementioned sizeable endowment, aka the Star Attraction, to being thisclose to a full erection, thus avoiding any nasty public obscenity and/or public pornography charges. He then took himself and Star Attraction up the theatre aisle to give the audience a good view. Bob, seated on the aisle, got an especially up close and personal look. I was expecting nudity, but I wasn't expecting that. (That bit of nudity, if memory serves, was the only actual full monty nudity of the evening.) To end the evening, Jeff Stryker, discreetly robed with Star Attraction nowhere in sight, greeted each patron as they exited the theatre. I don't want to say it was classy, exactly, but given everything else that had gone on that night, it was an unexpected, nice touch. The run sold out and Jeff Stryker went on to other cities. As far as his supporting cast goes, if any of them are still in the business, I suspect this credit has mysteriously dropped off of their resume.

Sidebar: Bailiwick Repertory Theater was the center of LGBT theatre in Chicago until it closed in 2009. The quality ranged from excellent to okay to bad, but the one thing you could always pretty much count on was that there would be nudity of some sort during the performance, at the very least very cute shirtless men if not full frontal stuff. I once quipped that if Bailiwick did a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Nick would be showing us the goods before the evening was over. Kidding aside, though, they were an important, even vital, part of the Chicago theatre scene and they are missed. Pride Films and Plays now fills that void, to an extent, and continues Bailiwick's proud tradition at presenting bare skin whenever possible.

That's all for today. See you soon!

© 2015 Jeffrey Geddes