MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE
MUSICALS
The Honor Roll - Part 8
After a break for rehearsals for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Forum (I play Erronius), it's time to chat about the last two musicals in
my Musical Honor Roll. The only thing these two shows have in common is that
they both start with the letter "K." (Okay, okay…one starts with
"The," but still….)
So without further ado….let's start.
KISS OF THE
SPIDER WOMAN – Book by Terrence McNally,
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
"Sooner
or later/You're certain to meet/In the bedroom, the parlor or even the street/There's
no place on earth/You're likely to miss/Her kiss." The 1985 film
adaptation of Manuel Puig's acclaimed novel won an Oscar for star William Hurt.
It was depressing, violent, and yet, oddly life-affirming and hopeful. But,
when your locale is a South American prison, your protagonists are a gay man
imprisoned for having sex with a minor and a political activist imprisoned for
belonging to an anti-government group, and where torture is part of the
everyday routine, how do you translate that material into a musical? When I
first heard of this project, I immediately thought of Stephen Sondheim. It's
the sort of dark and serious material he excels at. I was a bit surprised,
then, when I heard that John Kander and Fred Ebb were going to supply the
score. In retrospect, I have no idea why since Kander and Ebb were the music
folks behind the landmark Cabaret, and
if they could write a stunning musical with Nazis lurking in the background,
well, a prison locale should be no problem. Add Terrence McNally as the book
writer and the legendary Harold Prince as the director and the prospects for an
exciting evening of musical theatre were indeed great. But the road to Broadway
acclaim wasn't an easy one. An expensive 1990 workshop by the now-defunct New
Musicals, directed by Prince and starring Lauren Mitchell, Kevin Gray, John
Rubenstein and Harry Goz and choreographed by Susan Stroman, did not succeed
either artistically or critically. In 1992, Canadian producer Garth Drabinsky
(before he went to prison for fraud and forgery…oops) and his production
company, Livent, opened a revised production in Toronto, which subsequently
crossed the Pond to a successful run on the West End, and then on May 3, 1993,
it opened in New York starring Chita Rivera, Brent Carver, and Anthony Crivello
and, a few weeks later, would win seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and
Best Score. Like a spider, Kiss of the
Spider Woman weaves a web, it draws you in. You become invested in the
story. Fantasy and reality crisscross and intersect each other as you applaud a
fantasy production number one moment and then, in the next, become deathly
quiet when a scream from a tortured prisoner jolts you back to the horrid
reality of the musical's locale. Kiss of
the Spider Woman is unsettling. It is profoundly human. It is breathtaking.
And it will haunt you long after the curtain has come down.
October,
1993. Starring the one and only Chita Rivera as Aurora/Spider Woman (Tony
Award), the very hot and sultry Anthony Crivello as the political prisoner
Valentin (Tony Award) and a magnetic and touching Jeff Hyslop, replacing Brent
Carver, as Molina, the gay window dresser sex offender, this was one of those
truly magical evenings at the theatre. Harold Prince's thrilling staging was
matched by spectacular choreography by Vincent Paterson and Rob Marshall, and
boy, would I love to know who did what, and provided a layered, sensitive
production filled with both unexpected tender moments and flat-out,
jaw-dropping production numbers. Exquisitely designed by Jerome Sirlin
(Scenic), Howell Binkley (Lights) and Florence Klotz (Costumes/Tony Award), the
environment fit the smallish Broadhurst Theatre (just over 1150 seats) like a
glove. Using projections, a vibrant sound design, and blessed with some of New
York's finest actors, Terrence McNally's glorious book, and Kander and Ebb's
memorable score ("Dear One," "You Could Never Shame Me,"
"Where You Are," and the title song are all high points in a score of
riches), we in the audience were taken on a journey we would not soon forget. And
I still haven't. – at the Broadhurst Theatre, New York
Sidebar: In June, 1994, Vanessa
Williams, in her Broadway debut, Howard McGillin and Brian Mitchell, as Stokes
was known then, took over the leading roles. The critics came back to review
the show and threw their figurative hats in the air in salute to Ms. Williams,
some even suggesting that this was a superior, sexier cast than the original. A
new cast album was recorded featuring the Williams cast. It's the recording I
have. It's damn tasty.
September,
1995. When Livent made the bold decision to tour Kiss of the Spider Woman, and, yes, it was pretty bold because even
with the big Tony wins, the subject material does not scream boffo road box
office, they had the good sense to hire their original Tony-winning star, Chita
Rivera, to head up the affair. And, not surprisingly, she brought star quality and charisma to the Merriam
stage. A duplicate of the Broadway production, this had all the bells and
whistles and a skilled cast that put it all across. Merle Louise recreated her
role as Molina's mother for the tour. Juan Chioran was an effective Molina,
sensitive, graceful and ultimately heroic. Dorian Harewood, replacing the
originally-billed John Dossett as Valentin, gave a competent, but not very
exciting performance. He wasn't bad, mind you; he just didn't seem to always be
on the same page as the rest of the folks. A first quality tour of an
outstanding show. – at the Merriam Theater, Philadelphia
Sidebar: For decades the Merriam
Theater was the Sam S. Shubert Theatre and a popular out-of-town tryout stop
for New York-bound plays and musicals. Renovated and buffed to a sheen, it's
truly a gorgeous venue.
March/April,
2008. As part of their Kander and Ebb celebration, the always-reliable
Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, mounted a stunning production of Kiss of the Spider Woman. Beautifully
designed to take full advantage of the intimate space, played by an outstanding
10-piece orchestra, and performed by a talented cast of just fourteen men and
women (the original cast had 21), this production provided an immediacy to the
show, made the audience feel they truly were part of the action. Starring a
vibrant and engaging Hunter Foster as Molina, a sexy and swaggering Will Chase
as Valentin and a smoking-hot Natascia Diaz as Aurora/Spider Woman, this
production was dazzling. Bob had never seen the show before and he was
absolutely hooked. Perhaps not as show-business spectacular as the original,
this was equally spectacular, but in a grittier way that gave the show an
unexpected jolt of power, passion, and even more potent violence. Signature
never fails to impress. – at the Max (Signature Theatre), Arlington, VA
THE KING AND I – Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II,
Music by Richard Rodgers
The original poster and marquee for The King and I starring the legendary Gertrude Lawrence in her final Broadway triumph. She would, tragically, die during her run in the show.
I have always found
it unfair when folks accuse Rodgers and Hammerstein of writing only popular,
tuneful, but ultimately inconsequential musicals. Even a cursory glance at
their "Big Five" disproves that assumption. Carousel's leading couple are in an abusive relationship. The Sound of Music has Nazis mucking up
things in Act Two. South Pacific has
a subplot about racism. Even Oklahoma! has
a dark side to it with the arbitrariness of mob "frontier" justice
and how easy it is for people to misjudge others. (If Jud in reality was such a
vile character, why did R&H give him the gorgeous "Lonely Room,"
arguably the best song in the score?) In The
King and I, Rodger and Hammerstein take Margaret Landon's novel Anna and the King of Siam, a
semi-fictionalized work based on Anna Leonowens memoirs, and weave a tale of East
versus West, tradition versus change, and even man versus woman. The lyrics to
the song "Western People Funny," often a throwaway to open the second
act, not-so-subtly point up the perceived Western superiority to Eastern values
and traditions. In the show, Anna emphasizes that the way to impress the
contingent of arriving British officials is to emulate European standards of
dress and deportment. Tradition versus change: the King wants to bring his
country into modern times, but not necessarily at the expense of the traditions
of his country, e.g. the keeping of slaves, the absolute authority of the king,
etc. This conflict runs throughout the entire show right up to the final
curtain in the moving closing scene where the present and future meet. The theme
of men versus women also is always present, especially in the song "Shall
I Tell You What I Think of You?," and the playful, yet pointed, final
scene in Act One. For me, the most potent scene in the show is near the end,
when Tuptim is captured after her runaway attempt. The King takes the whip to
punish her, but, under Anna's gaze, cannot. He throws the whip down and exits, a
broken man and monarch. And Anna, realizing that her efforts to bring Siam into
modern times have had some disastrous, unexpected results, is equally
devastated. Played and directed well, it's a powerful, uncomfortable, and
telling scene. The King and I would
have made the Musical Honor Roll if it had nothing more going for it except for
the song "Something Wonderful," in my opinion one of the finest songs
ever written for the stage. But, thankfully, Oscar Hammerstein gave us an
layered book with emotion and humor and outstanding lyrics, and Richard Rodgers
gave us that memorable, wonderful score that starts with that incomparable overture
and doesn't end until the curtain falls. Often overlooked as a masterpiece of
musical theatre is Jerome Robbins' thrilling "The Small House of Uncle
Thomas" with its in-your-face anti-slavery message. Pretty heady stuff for
1951, when the show first premiered, and just as compelling today. The
legendary Gertrude Lawrence, in a part written for her, originated the role of Anna when the show open at
the St. James Theatre on March 29, 1951. Yul Brynner was the King. As written,
the King is almost a supporting role. After all, it's not called Anna and I. Over the years, however,
especially after Yul Brynner's Oscar win for Best Actor in the film version of The King and I, and most especially with
the numerous Brynner-led revivals and tours of the show, the focus shifted from
Anna to the King to the point where Anna almost seemed superfluous. The 1996
revival restored character integrity and the show, happily, is now about Anna
and the King and not the King and, oh yeah, Anna. I found this quote on
Wikipedia, and it's a lovely summary of the show, so I'm going to use it.
"The King and I is really a celebration of love in all its
guises, from the love of Anna for her dead husband; the love of the King's
official wife, Lady Thiang, for a man she knows is flawed and also unfaithful;
the desperation of forbidden love; and a love that is barely recognized and can
never be acted upon." (Meryle Secrest, Somewhere
for Me – A Biography of Richard Rodgers). A beautiful show, still
"something wonderful" sixty-five years after its premiere.
Sidebar: The Muny engagement was
produced by impresarios Lee Guber and Shelly Gross, famous for their large
suburban in-the-round venues located on the East Coast. Depending on the
source, this was either a stop on a national tour prior to Broadway or it was
considered a regional tour. In any event, this particular production played the
Muny, the Starlight of Kansas City (another huge outdoor venue) and Guber and
Gross' Valley Forge Music Fair, Painters Mill Music Fair, and Westbury Music
Fair. Of the last three venues, only Westbury is still around, but under a different
name. I suspect that the physical production traveled across Missouri to Kansas
City, but probably not to the other theatres since they were not proscenium
houses. Messrs. Guber and Gross would produce the first major revival of The King and I on Broadway in May, 1977,
a production which also starred Yul Brynner and Constance Towers. None of the
designers, the director, or the supporting players from the Muny production are
listed on the IBDB.com opening night cast/credits for the revival, so I'm
wondering if the Muny production was just as the one source called it, a
regional tour, and based on the success of that tour, Guber and Gross decided
to mount an entirely new production for Broadway. This production would have a
long post-Broadway tour, including a stop in Chicago. (See the next entry.)
January,
1979. This sumptuous production came to the Arie Crown after a long Broadway
engagement. The draw, of course, was Yul Brynner recreating his signature role
as the King of Siam. And, on the surface, he was very good at it. But, if you
looked closer, you could tell that, though not quite just going through the
paces, he truly wasn't in the moment. Big mistake because co-star Constance
Towers WAS in the moment and as a result she stole the show from him. At bows,
the audience stood as one and cheered mightily for Towers, but when Brynner
came out for his solo bow, the volume decreased noticeably. Oops. Towers for
the win! Not-at-all Asian Martin Vidnovic played Lun Tha, and sang it
beautifully, but overall this was a more racially diverse cast with actors of
Asian descent playing Tuptim (a radiant June Angela) and Lady Thiang (a
majestic Hye-Young Choi). Curiously, I would see Vidnovic as the King in
another touring production decades later. A grand production that almost managed to make the Arie
Crown tolerable. – at the Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago
Sidebar: There is no doubt that
the role of the King will forever be associated with its originator, Yul
Brynner. And perhaps rightly so. Over the years, however, and before the 1996
revival that shifted the focus back to Anna as it always should have been, an
interesting parade of actors tried their hand at singing "A Puzzlement,"
etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Among them: Farley Granger (!), Rudolph Nureyev
(huh?), Herbert Lom (the original London King), and Darren McGavin (TV's Mike
Hammer). A recording of Darren McGavin and opera's Risë Stevens, as Anna, from
the defunct Music Theater of Lincoln Center's 1964 production, makes for
interesting listening. To give you an idea of Yul Brynner's box office clout,
when Brynner and Towers took a three-week vacation from the show during this
1977-1978 revival, Michael Kermoyan, Brynner's long-time standby and stalwart
Kralahome veteran, and Angela Lansbury, yes, the Angela Lansbury, took
over the leading roles. The box office tanked.
Not the cast we saw, but it's a cool marquee design.
May,
1997. The revival that sailed into the Neil Simon Theatre in April, 1996, had
its origins Down Under in a 1991 production starring Hayley Mills. Director
Christopher Renshaw took a hard look at the show and gave it a fresh, darker,
more dynamic look that made the show more vibrant, more alive, more human.
Still magnificent to look at, though perhaps not as over-the-top sumptuous as
previous productions, all Asian roles in this production were played by actors
of Asian descent. Lou Diamond Phillips (the film La Bamba) was a sexy,
compelling King, sometimes playful, sometimes monarchial, sometimes maddeningly
stubborn, and sometimes touchingly vulnerable. (Mr. Phillips is a true "coat of many
colors" of ancestry. He's of Scots-Irish, Cherokee, Filipino, Chinese,
Japanese, and Spanish descent. Wow.) Faith Prince was a spunky, cheeky Anna.
Interestingly and puzzlingly, Prince seemed somewhat robotic for the first twenty
minutes or so. Don't get me wrong. She was still hitting all the notes and
doing all the right things, but her heart didn't seem to be into it. But then
along came "Getting to Know You" and it was as if someone flipped a
switch and Prince became truly alive and nailed the rest of the performance.
Strange. This was a wonderful new take on an old familiar friend. – at the Neil
Simon Theatre, New York.
Sidebar:
Though critically acclaimed, at least one theatre arts professional dismissed
Renshaw's vision as a The King and I
for the age of political correctness. Really?
June, 1998. The final stop on the First National
Company's tour of North America, the Christopher Renshaw-helmed production of The King and I starred Victor Talmadge,
the King for the entire tour, and pop singer Maureen McGovern as Anna, a
newcomer to the role having played Anna for only a few weeks prior to Chicago.
I hate the term "pop singer" and it hardly applies to the supple
voice of Ms. McGovern. Yes, she still
is probably best known for providing the vocals to the treacly "The
Morning After" from The Poseidon
Adventure and the equally banal "We May Never Love Like This
Again" from The Towering Inferno,
but this talented songstress can sing pop, jazz, and show music with equal ease
and skill. The fact that she kicked butt singing the classic R&H tunes
didn't surprise me in the least. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by her
acting chops and her portrayal of Anna as a feisty, independent woman. The
physical production looked splendid in the beautiful Auditorium Theatre and
overall it was a first-rate production. – at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago
August,
2004. Under the auspices of Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, this 2004 tour had
its admirers and its detractors. Though this had more sumptuous elements in the
design departments than the 1996 Broadway revival and the 1998 national tour
that also played at the Auditorium, it didn't have the edge that Christopher Renshaw brought to his
production. Under the reverential guidance of Baayork Lee, a veteran of the original 1951 production (she was one of
the King's children), this was a more traditional The King and I. Martin Vidnovic, a previously-seen un-Asian Lun Tha
in 1979, was now playing an un-Asian King. I like Mr. Vidnovic and enjoyed his
performances in Oklahoma! and Brigadoon, but I'm drawing a blank on
his performance here. (And I'm truly not picking on Mr. Vidnovic because he's
not Asian. But in 2004, there was absolutely no reason why a professional Equity production of The King and I should not be appropriately racially cast.) Sandy
Duncan played Anna as you would expect Sandy Duncan to play Anna…full of spunk
and sass. That spunkiness and sassiness worked wonders in Peter Pan, but here it wasn't quite as successful, especially in the more serious moments. Now, I must say
I had a grand time watching her, and her stage presence and charm are
undeniable, but I missed the depth that Misses Towers, Prince and McGovern
brought to the role. The admirers loved the traditionalism of this production;
the detractors thought Duncan needed to be reined in and the production overall
a bit cheesy. Not my favorite production of it, but I enjoyed it. – at the
Auditorium Theatre, Chicago
It's official! Betsy's going on!! So stoked!
And
that concludes my Musical Honor Roll. Let's recap in alpha order: 1776, Annie, Bells Are Ringing, The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas, Billy Elliot, Fun Home, The Full Monty, The King
and I, Kiss of the Spider Woman, La Cage aux Folles, Mame, The Scottsboro Boys,
She Loves Me, Sweeney Todd, They're Playing Our Song, Titanic
More
to come….
©
2016 Jeffrey Geddes
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