MISFILES! or WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT BOX? (1)

MISFILES! or WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT BOX? (1)

Misfiles. All of them. My organizational skills failed me and these were just hanging out on top of the "Favorite Plays/Musicals" box. Oops. My bad! They represent a diverse collection of shows. Let's begin.

VENUS IN FUR – Lyceum Theatre, New York

March, 2012.  David Ives' 2010 play was much-lauded when it arrived in 2011 at MTC's Friedman Theatre, via an off-Broadway production at the Classic Stage Company, later transferring to the Lyceum for a commercial run. It received, for the most part, favorable reviews with its female star, Nina Arianda, becoming very much that season's critics' darling. It was touted as being funny, sexy, dangerous and erotic, with critics making much of the sexually-charged, sadomasochistic power plays between the play's two characters. I found it not funny enough and not terribly sexy or erotic, and the S&M aspects all seemed rather tame and not dangerous at all. Forty-five minutes in, I was ready either for it to end or for it to get better, become more involving. Sadly, it trudged along for another forty-five minutes or so, and didn't. I admired the actors, a handsome Hugh Dancy, and the aforementioned Ms. Arianda, and I applauded their hard work, but I simply didn't care. Perhaps I was having an off night. Perhaps they were having an off night. Or perhaps, nobody was having an off night, and it just wasn't all that good. Variety called the play pretentious and overwritten. I agree on both counts. – at the Lyceum Theatre, New York

Sidebar: Nina Arianda would win that year's Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, which shocked me since I didn't see the magic everyone was raving about, in an upset that robbed the brilliant Tracie Bennett the deserved win for her performance in End of the Rainbow.

VERY GOOD EDDIE – Studebaker Theatre, Chicago

October, 1976. Producer legend David Merrick brought The Goodspeed Opera House's production of Jerome Kern's 1915 musical Very Good Eddie to New York right before Christmas in 1975. With not a single Kern standard to be heard, this small, relatively unknown piece of early, non-operetta musical theatre pretty much charmed the New York critics, and it enjoyed a modest, yet profitable, run of 304 performances. Midway through its equally modest three-month tour, "direct from Broadway," Very Good Eddie stopped off for a month-long stay at the Studebaker Theatre, the smallest of Chicago's touring houses. It didn't especially charm the Tribune's critic, her major complaint being the lack of hearing and understanding what was being sung and spoken on the Studebaker stage. I didn't have a bit of trouble either hearing or understanding, but this is one of those shows of which I have absolutely no recollection, and not remembering anything about a musical is rare for me, so I can't tell you whether Very Good Eddie was very good or merely very meh. I suspect the latter. – at the Studebaker Theatre, Chicago

Sidebar: Ed Dixon was in the cast, in what appears to be a primarily dancing role, if his song of "I've Got to Dance" is any indication. We loved Ed Dixon's remarkable one-man show, Georgie, which we had the pleasure of seeing on a recent trip to New York. Very Good Eddie was relatively early in his impressive career.

And while we're in a nostalgic mood….

NO, NO, NANETTE

 – 46th Street Theatre, New York

Standing Room $4.00! Could you die?

June, 1971. Could a hit 1925 musical still work in 1971 America, an America beset with protest and war and a new Broadway sound with the arrival of Hair a couple of seasons back? As No, No, Nanette proved, the answer was "absolutely." With a cast of, wait for it, forty-five (!!!), headed by film's favorite tapper of the 30s, Ruby Keeler, Broadway favorite Jack Gilford, Broadway sweetheart Susan Watson, Broadway über-pro Helen Gallagher, hoofer Bobby Van, and acclaimed comic, and out lesbian, Patsy Kelly, Nanette was a beautifully designed, class operation from the first notes of the overture to the final curtain following bows. With new orchestrations (and please note the "at the twin pianos" credit…you don't see that today!), Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar, and Otto Harbach's songs, loaded with melody and crisp lyrics, sounded, if not exactly new, then skillfully refreshed. Even the familiar standards, like "Tea for Two" and "I Want to Be Happy" had a freshness to them. Burt Shevelove "adapted" the original book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, though I suspect he did more than just merely adapt. The chorus boys and girls often entered and exited scenes without any real explanation as to how or why 30-odd people were hanging out at the Smith household, and there was an archness to some of the dialogue that caused my eyes to roll, but it was done with honesty, sincerity, and lack of irony, so you really didn't care that sometimes things just didn't make sense. For example, after Jack Gilford and Susan Watson exited after singing "I Want to Be Happy," why did a handful of chorus boys enter strumming ukuleles? When Ruby Keller came down the staircase to join the boys, why is she wearing tap shoes? It all became irrelevant in a few moments because, hold on to your hats, boys and girls, Ruby. Is. Going. To. Tap!!!!! And she did, boy, did she ever!, and more chorus members joined in and soon the 46th Street Theatre stage was filled to the brim with tapping people led by a 61-year-old woman who did not miss a beat…or a tap. And the audience exploded! And even though you still didn't know where those damn ukuleles came from, you just didn't care. Ruby tapped. Life was good. And no, she couldn't act her way out of a sack, but she was gracious and just plain nice, so again, didn't care. Susan Watson and Roger Rathburn were cute and wholesome as the ingenue and juvenile, though at 33 and 31, respectively, they were a tad too old to be called that, but they sang and danced beautifully and were overall adorable. Patsy Kelly, perhaps not surprisingly, chewed the scenery, and the audience loved her for it, but I must have been in the minority because I wasn't bowled over by her. Everyone else was playing it straight; she was playing it strictly for laughs. (To be fair, she won that year's Tony for Supporting Actress in a Musical, so her approach obviously worked for her.) Jack Gilford was professional, but he annoyed me for some reason. Too cute, maybe? Too I'm-going-to-break-into-a-chorus-of-"Meeskite," perhaps? I'm glad I saw him, but… When all is said and done, Ruby Keeler notwithstanding, the show's true stars were the smooth talking, smooth singing, and smooth dancing Bobby Van and the drop-dead-fabulous Helen Gallagher. Both remarkable together and individually. Their "You Can Dance with Any Girl" was a textbook example of just how exciting couples dancing can be. Undisputed high point of the show, however, was Gallagher's torchy "'Where-Has-My-Hubby-Gone' Blues" in the third act. (Again, chorus boys appeared out of nowhere to provide backup vocals. Again, nobody cared.) The pinnacle of a career that had spanned by this point nearly thirty years, including a Tony for a revival of Pal Joey, the title character in Hazel Flagg, the original Nickie in Sweet Charity, and later Gwen Verdon's replacement, and playing both Gooch and Vera in the original Broadway run of Mame, No, No, Nanette finally allowed Gallagher the long-overdue opportunity to step into the spotlight as a Star. She won the 1971 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical, an honor richly deserved. She was amazing. I was obsessed with her performance. A glorious evening of nostalgia and tap. I was twenty. I was in Standing Room. I was one happy young man. – at the 46th Street Theatre, New York

Sidebar: This was the second show I saw during my first official visit to New York. (My first two trips were not parent-approved. They thought I was visiting school chums in Normal. Yes, I lied to my parents. Sue me. And please remember that in 1971 the age of consent for males was 21, so I was still a minor!). I went with an ISU friend and we had a ball. Spent a week at a hotel that no longer exists as a hotel, and was a bit dicey back in 1971 (the Times Square Motor Hotel at 43rd & 8th), and saw a lot of shows. The trip ended on a sour note when my luggage was stolen from my friend's locked car in downtown Washington, D.C. while parked in front of the American Legion headquarters. "In God We Trust," indeed! Since I was a minor, the cops had to call my folks. I was mortified!

More Sidebar: No, No, Nanette ushered in a brief period of nostalgic-driven revivals of 1920s musicals, featuring beloved stars of the past, both distant and not-so-distant. Irene, the next big one to come down the pike starred Debbie Reynolds, got really mediocre reviews, sold a lot of tickets, but never paid back its costs. (Patsy Kelly was in that one as well.) So maybe nostalgia wasn't a sure thing. But producer Harry Rigby just didn't get the memo and on his third go, produced the really pretty awful Good News, which starred Alice Faye and John Payne, who left the show during previews and was replaced by Gene Nelson. It wasn't good in Chicago, a stop on its tryout tour, and the New York critics would have none of it. It lasted a scant 16 performances. For a fascinating, tell-all tale about Mr. Rigby and the subterfuge and intrigue behind-the-scenes at Nanette, a good read is The Making of No, No, Nanette by Don Dunn.

  

– Shubert Theatre, Chicago

Typical display ad in the Sunday Chicago Tribune Arts & Fun section.

"Hamilton," currently at the PrivateBank Theatre (née

 Shubert) charges $82.00 for a seat in the Balcony (née

Second Balcony) today. My $5.00 ticket seems like an absolute steal!

November, 1972. Back in the day, producers struck the road while the Broadway hit status iron was still hot and sent out national companies within a year or so after the show's premiere in New York. In Nanette's case, the First National Company started criss-crossing the nation only eleven months after the Broadway opening. And, they toured with stars. (Sadly, practically the only times you get genuine above-title names today are in out-of-town tryouts or in New York itself, with regional theatres sometimes snagging a big name for their seasons. I guess stars just don't tour anymore.) Nine months into its tour, Nanette settled in at Chicago's Shubert for an extended run with film star Virginia Mayo and tenor Dennis Day as the draw. Not quite Ruby Keeler and Jack Gilford, but whatever. (For the record, June Allyson, arguably a bigger name, started the tour, but left when her contract expired shortly before the Chicago opening.) With a cast of 37, slightly smaller than in New York, Nanette looked and sounded like the big smash hit it was. Virginia Mayo played the Ruby Keeler role with spunk, tap-danced with flair, and certainly had better acting chops and a better voice than Keeler. Mayo was better than the role called for, but having said that, however, the excitement that Keeler brought was missing. Judy Canova, in the Patsy Kelly role, basically bulldozed her way through the part, garnering a lot of laughs, but lacking even a soupçon of subtlety. Dennis Day was fine in the thankless of role of Mayo's husband. As in New York, the true stars of the show were Jerry Antes and Sandra Deel in the Bobby Van and Helen Gallagher roles. Both brought an exciting level of polish and professionalism that elevated the show. The young leads were charming, the ensemble busy as ever, and everyone at the Shubert had a grand time. – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago    

– Shubert Theatre, Chicago

 A display ad welcome. Note the "and ANNE ROGERS" billing. That's pretty much top billing.

 

January,1973. Anne Rogers' opening night! By the time Nanette's run hit the three-month mark, the cast had undergone major changes. And, perhaps as a nod to its Chicago audiences, producer Cyma Rubin, known not affectionately as "The Black Witch," had the good sense to cast three Chicago favorites as part of the cast overhaul. Playing the Dennis Day role now was Elliott Reid, returning to Chicago after a very long run at the Blackstone as Felix in The Odd Couple. Anthony S. Teague, who endeared himself to audiences and critics alike as Chuck Baxter in Promises, Promises at the Shubert, was now playing the Jerry Antes role, a role he played previously in New York. But the Chicago favorite that sparked the most press and excitement was the return of Anne Rogers to Chicago to take over the role of Lucille from Sandra Deel. Having created the role of Polly in the original London production of The Boy Friend, and this was before the show hit Broadway with a young Julie Andrews in her Broadway debut, Rogers was more than familiar with the twenties and brought that knowledge to the role, imbuing it with sophisticated world-weariness that gave added depth to Lucille, yet retained the fun of the part. Her "'Where-Has-My-Hubby-Gone' Blues" stopped the show cold. Okay, I'll admit I'm a bit prejudiced here, since Ms. Rogers was a big favorite at the time, but she was damn sensational. The show itself continued to chug along like a well-oiled machine. It would close two months later after what was called a "disappointing" twenty week run, and the tour would end. (Note: Nanette was the latest show to close early in Chicago. In 1968, the Celeste Holm-led Mame would end its tour after six months in Chicago. In 1971, Promises, Promises closed after an eight month engagement at the Shubert, a long run for a tour stop by anyone's standard, but far short of the planned year-long stay.) – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

Sidebar: Anne Rogers first won the hearts of Chicago theatregoers as Eliza Doolittle when My Fair Lady played Chicago. Primarily a West End star, she has been quoted as saying she truly loved Chicago and Chicago returned the favor. She only appeared in two Broadway shows: Half a Sixpence, for the two weeks prior to launching the national tour, which would play Chicago (see previous post), and as a replacement for Dorothy Brock (the Tammy Grimes role) during the long initial run of 42nd Street. She appeared in Zenda, which closed out of town in 1963. In London, she played Eliza for three years, succeeding Julie Andrews, then starred in She Loves Me and I Do! I Do! She would also recreate Lucille for the London version of Nanette. One of her more interesting credits is a turn at the long-gone-and-much-lamented Ivanhoe Theatre in A Shot in the Dark. At 83, she's primarily retired now and only makes rare appearances on stage.

THE NETHER – Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York

February, 2015. After watching Jennifer Haley's "The Nether," one can never think of the Internet in quite the same way again. In a world where you can be anyone you want to be and where you can log onto virtual reality sites under false names and cloaks of anonymity and where cyber behaviour rarely has consequences, and where you're encouraged to indulge in your darkest fantasies without fear of reprisal, who's to say what is right or wrong? In the real world, these excursions into the realms of the netherworld result in no crimes, produce no victims. Or do they? Thought-provoking, provocative, and very, very, disturbingly creepy, this extremely well-acted (Frank Wood, Merritt Wever, in a role completely different from her "Nurse Jackie" character, Peter Friedman, Sophia Anne Caruso, and Ben Rosenfield) and well-designed play often felt like it should be an episode of "Black Mirror." It certainly will not be everyone's cup of tea. And I wanted to take a shower after the performance. Yes, it was that ishy. And compelling. – at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York

That's it for now. Up next….more misfiles!

© 2017 Jeffrey Geddes