SIMPLY "S" – Part 1

SIMPLY "S" – Part 1

(a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Soup)

"S" is a very popular letter of the alphabet with lots of programs. In fact, I grabbed so many of them, I've decided to break "Simply 'S'" into three parts. For Part 1, we have two Rodgers and Hammerstein classics originally produced a decade apart, a clever and superlative thriller, one of the most important plays in American theatre, and an extraordinarily imaginative and inventive musical that did not get the love it deserved. Lots to talk about. Get your bev, get comfy, and let's begin.

SOUTH PACIFIC

Let's talk about Bloody Mary, shall we? Typically, Mary is played as a cheerful, sassy vendor hawking over-priced goods. And one could buy that until you realize what she is doing as well is pimping out her daughter, Liat, to the highest bidder. One could argue that Mary wants her daughter to have a better life, but I believe what she really wants is for Mary to have a better life. Perhaps the well-liked, but cloying, "Happy Talk" prevents audiences from seeing the dark side of Mary. Audiences see a happy Mary painting a utopian picture of marital bliss, whereas the song could also be interpreted as a manipulative hard-sell to get Cable to commit to Liat, thus ensuring Mary's future. I admit it's difficult to dislike a character who sings the lush "Bali Ha'i," but Mary has pretty much always creeped me out. Underneath the ever-present smile and her signature "You like? You buy?," there lurks something much darker, much more sinister, an avaricious predator searching for her next victim, a survivor willing to "sell" her daughter to achieve her goals. Am I reading too much into the character? Perhaps, but I believe the justification for this approach is in the script if one digs a little deeper. For the record, the original Broadway production ran 1,925 performances and won the 1950 Tony Award for Best Musical as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2008, it won the Tony for Best Musical Revival. Among the many gems in its score are the monster-hit "Some Enchanted Evening" and the haunting, evocative "Bali Ha'i." Its theme of racism, controversial in 1949, sadly still resonates today. It is a true treasure of the musical theatre and will be performed and loved for decades to come. Here are some thoughts on productions I've seen.

– Municipal Opera, St. Louis

The Muny's 1973 season included two musicals on a tryout stop in St. Louis, Lorelei and Gigi.

July, 1973. Mary Travers and Jerome Hines in South Pacific. Wait. What? Mary Travers and Jerome Hines in South Pacific? Did I read that correctly? Yes. Mary Travers? Yes. As in Peter, Paul and Mary Mary Travers? Yes. In a musical? Yes. Seriously? Yes. Was she any good? That depends, I suppose, on how you define "good." She worked hard, very hard, throughout the entire evening. She remembered her lines, blocking, and choreography. Her singular voice gave Nellie's songs a vibrant freshness. But, I have to admit, she was pretty stiff on the massive Muny stage. Let's be fair, though. This was her acting debut, and to my knowledge, her only venture in theatre. It takes balls to tackle an iconic role for your first time out on a legit stage. And if her signature straight blonde hair didn't look very 40s, and if the aforementioned signature straight blonde hair didn't get very wet while she was washing that man right out of her hair, apparently a wig was out of the contractual question, no one could deny her stage presence, honed by years of concerts as a member of Peter, Paul and Mary, or her obvious desire to give her audiences the best possible performance. Definitive Nellie? Hardly. But it was also not an embarrassing effort. Opera star Jerome Hines was a full-voiced Emile. Walter Willison looked good without his shirt and was a vocally polished Cable. Television's Frank Sutton (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and The Jim Nabors Hour) gave comic heft to the role of Billis. (Sutton would sadly die a year later of a heart attack at the young age of fifty.) African-American actress Theresa Merritt delivered a standard, but satisfying, performance as Bloody Mary, giving full reign to her considerable voice and acting chops. (Back then, racial/ethnic authenticity was not a priority and the role of Bloody Mary was often performed by black actors or white ones made up with a darker foundation.) Overall, a good performance. I went to see Mary Travers. I wasn't disappointed. – at the Municipal Opera, St. Louis

– Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

August, 1981. As I mentioned in an earlier post, back in the day, Alene Robertson was the go-to actor if you were looking for an Ethel Merman type or simply wanted an actor with stage presence to spare and a loud, diction-perfect voice. In 1981, she was a favorite at Marriott, so it wasn't surprising to see her don some dark-hued foundation to give her that South Pacific islander glow and play Bloody Mary in this standard-issue production of the R&H classic. Opera singer Walter Hook played Emile, Marriott alum Susan Gordon-Clark played Nellie, James W. Sudik played Billis, Kurt Johns was a handsome Cable, and Alene Robertson was Bloody Mary. As usual with Marriott productions, everything was done professionally, and if their South Pacific had a comfy familiarity to the proceedings, with nothing to challenge its primarily white, primarily suburban audience base or make them uncomfortable, well, that was director/choreographer David Bell's intention. This was as innocuous a production of SouPac as I've ever seen. The Tribune critic praised its freshness, its ability to minimize the "earnest preaching on racial misunderstanding" that "has not withstood the test of time." Begging Mr. Christiansen's pardon, but that's just bull. The evening was fine for what it was, and the audience left happy. – at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

Casting Tidbit: Adam Hunter had just finished first grade when he played Jerome in Marriott's South Pacific. Bob taught him years later at New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL. Adam would have a career on Broadway, but then gave it up, moved to Los Angeles and became a hugely successful and in-demand interior designer. Bravo, Adam. In a six-degrees-of-separation moment, Adam's mom, singer Kari Howard was good friends with the late composer Arthur Siegel. Arthur Siegel was the BFF of Janet Gari. Janet Gari was my collaborator on an off-Broadway Equity showcase musical. Arthur was our original musical director. Small world.

– Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York 

October, 2008. The star of this glorious South Pacific, the first Broadway revival ever, not counting productions at City Center, Carnegie Hall, etc., was the 30-piece orchestra that played the original orchestrations, dance, and vocal arrangements. To hear the iconic R&H score as it sounded way, way back in 1949 was simply thrilling and alone worth the price of admission. Bartlett Sher's production gave its audiences a less carefree South Pacific than is the norm. The themes of class divides and racism may not have held center stage, but they were always there, lurking just beneath the surface of wonderful guys and honey buns. More racially diverse than any other production of South Pacific that I've seen, this one featured more ethnically-accurate actors in the roles of Bloody Mary, Liat, Jerome, and Ngana. Bloody Mary, as skillfully interpreted by Loretta Ables Sayre, in an impressive Broadway debut, was a darker, more opportunistic character. Her "Happy Talk" was less about happy and more about the hard sell of Liat. Kelli O'Hara was out that evening, but her cover, Laura Marie Duncan, gave a terrific performance that earned her a loud ovation at bows. Paulo Szot won the Tony that year for his performance as Emile de Becque, and with good reason. Not only was he sexy as hell, but he was also the most fully developed Emile I've seen. And his voice!! When he sang "This Nearly Was Mine," you could hear a pin drop. Cough? Not on your life. We barely breathed we were in such thrall. In my book, Danny Burstein can do no wrong, and his Billis hit all the right notes. Andrew Samonsky was a convincing Cable, successfully balancing the lonesome, sympathetic Cable with the less-than-nice-guy Cable. The Beaumont stage is wide and deep, but designers Michael Yeargan, Catherine Zuber, and Donald Holder conquered the somewhat inhospitable space with their combined creative talents. Originally scheduled for a limited run, it ended up with an impressive run of over 1000 previews and performances. An exquisite production. – at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York   

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Eagerly awaited, the First National Tour of The Sound of Music would play at Chicago's Shubert for a year. This was back in the day when stars actually toured in shows. 

Okay, I'm just going to come right out and say it: The Sound of Music doesn't get the respect it deserves. It's not just about singing and dancing nuns and adorable children dressed in clothing made from discarded curtains. Wrongly derided and dismissed as a saccharine piece of family fluff, SOM is a mature, fully-realized musical that just happens to feature kids. Popular rumor has it that the critics savaged the show when in premiered on Broadway in 1959. Far from the truth according to Opening Night on Broadway by Steven Suskin. According to his research, out of seven reviews, SOM received three rave reviews, three favorable ones, and only one unfavorable review. It won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in a year that puzzlingly shut out Gypsy in all categories. The Sound of Music ran on Broadway for over 1400 performances and made a ton of money on Broadway and on tour.

You could mail-order tickets for the engagement of The Sound of Music, giving alternate dates, of course. This was a roadshow film, i.e. reserved seats and a performance schedule that closely followed that of legit theatre. Like all roadshows, this had an intermission.

In 1965 it was made into what would become for many years the highest grossing film of all time. Popular doesn't describe the success of the Julie Andrews-starrer. But the film The Sound of Music did not do the property any favors, and, in fact, contributed greatly to the show's bad rap. In the stage version, Rodgers and Hammerstein gave two songs to Max and Elsa, songs that are as urbane and sophisticated as anything coming from the pen of Stephen Sondheim. They add a bracing cynicism to the proceedings. In the film, they were cut. "My Favorite Things," sung in the stage play by Maria and the Mother Abbess was moved to the spot where "The Lonely Goatherd" once was, resulting in the Mother Abbess becoming a Yoda-like figure spouting out pearls of wisdom and the big ballad Act One curtain instead of a fully-realized character. For the film Rodgers added two new songs, "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good," supplying the lyrics for both, which demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that, although Rodgers was one of the finest composers in the theatre, he was painfully lacking as a lyricist. Neither song was appropriate for the characters involved or the show in general, and removing the lovely "An Ordinary Couple" in favor of the nonsensical "Something Good" was unforgivable. Under Robert Wise's direction the show became, frankly, a family-friendly frolic that couldn't support the arrival of the Nazis in Act Two, so that ugly reality was glossed over. As written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, in the stage production, the Nazis loom ominously in scenes that subtly shift the show into another gear. In any well-written show, everything you need to know about how to direct and perform the show is contained in the script and, if present, songs. The Sound of Music is a well-written show. Take the song "Maria," for example. Yes, the nuns sing and dance, but it also tells the audience that Maria is a bit of a bad ass, unwilling or unable to adhere to established standards of behavior. "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is more than just a top-drawer first act curtain song. It's a song about determination, plowing ahead no matter what, and new beginnings. Elsa and Max? Charming villains, but villains nonetheless. During the war, I'm sure Elsa would host lavish dinner parties for the Nazi elite, and Max, ever the consummate opportunist, would cheerfully work for whichever side served him the best. Nice meaty roles in the stage production, but in the film, little more than afterthoughts. If directed and performed with truth and honesty, it can be a musical of depth, yet still be entertaining for the entire family. When I saw the film back in 1966 as a sixteen-year-old at the Michael Todd Theatre in Chicago, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now fifty-four years later and much older and wiser, the film is just too treacly for me. The latest Broadway revival of Oklahoma! went back to the words and music, re-examined it all and gave its audiences a thrilling new look at the timeless classic. It's time for The Sound of Music to get the same treatment and become all it can be. I've prattled on enough. Some thoughts on two productions follow.

– Shubert Theatre, Chicago

February, 2000. The producers of The Sound of Music had the great good sense to hire many of the cast of the recently closed Broadway revival, use the original physical elements (sets, costumes, lights), and give its hinterland audiences a first-class touring production of the enduring R&H favorite. Leading the cast of pros was a handsome and commanding Richard Chamberlain, fondly remembered by those of a certain age, that means me, by the way, as television's Doctor Kildare, as Captain Georg von Trapp, Broadway Maria alternate (An alternate was needed for the part of Maria? Seriously? It's not that challenging a role.) Meg Tolin as a vibrant and feisty Maria, and a luminous Jeanne Lehman as the Mother Abbess. It was a pleasure to hear the two Elsa/Max songs, especially when performed with the proper cynicism by Rachel deBenedet and Drew Eshelman, but this version catered to the film and served up the pointless "I Have Confidence," took away "My Favorite Things" from the Mother Abbess, replaced "An Ordinary Couple" with the horrific "Something Good," and relegated "The Lonely Goatherd" to the Festival Hall near the end of the show, making the song even more redundant than it already was. But even despised song replacements couldn't diminish the happiness I felt at seeing this fully-realized, joyful production that managed to keep the gooey sentimentality in check to give audiences a more adult version of the show than they're used to. Bravo director Susan H. Schulman! – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

Licensing Tidbit: In Concord Theatricals' listing for The Sound of Music it states that "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good" are available for an additional fee leading me to believe that Concord is licensing the show as it was originally written. Nice!

– Cabot Theatre (Skylight Music Theatre), Milwaukee

November, 2012. Niece Colleen was working at Skylight at the time as the light board operator and told us that we would fall in love with the kids playing the von Trapp children. She was right. Adorable without being precocious or precious, they stole our hearts and were the highlight of the evening. I believe we were at the first preview. The set was not complete, and obviously so, which gave the unfortunate look of cheapness to the visual aspects of the show. Elizabeth Telford, who would soon get her Equity card and become a frequent visitor to Chicago stages, played Maria as best she could given director Molly Rhode's lackluster staging. During "I Have Confidence," Telford went from one side of the stage to the other and back again and again with no motivation or reason to do so. It made me dizzy watching it. And during the first half of the show, her Maria seemed frenetic and a bit unfocused. Here's the thing, though. In Act Two, arguably the weaker act, Telford shone as Maria the moment she came back as Baroness von Trapp. She was strong, she was confident. It was an exciting change. Go figure. I got the impression Rhode either didn't have a clear vision of what she wanted to do, or was simply an incompetent director. Harsh, perhaps, but that's what I saw on stage. This version used the song changes I saw in 2000. My feelings about that remained the same. The huge cast sang well accompanied by a strong orchestra in the pit. None of the principal actors soared, but none were subpar either. Overall, a pleasant evening. The critics gave it strong reviews, but based their notices on comparisons with the film version. Odd. – at the Cabot Theatre (Skylight Music Theatre), Milwaukee

Skylight Spaces: Skylight Music Theatre owns and operates the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. (Lots of great places to eat in the Third Ward!) The Cabot Theatre, where Skylight's productions are performed, is a stunning 358-seat theatre which replicates an 18th century European opera house. It's a lovely place to see a show.

SLEUTH

– The Music Box, New York

June, 1971. Anthony Shaffer's 1971 Tony-winning Best Play was a tasty piece of superlatively written suspense, set in a beautiful décor, and directed with crisp precision. Five actors are listed in the Playbill, and since the reviews very carefully gave nothing away, I was truly shocked when I finally figured out that Anthony Quayle and Keith Baxter were the only two characters in the play. Now that's some skillful writing. The play revolves around a successful mystery writer obsessed with inventions, deception, games and game-playing (Quayle) and his wife's lover (Baxter). One plot twist follows another, and I was kept guessing until the very end. Like the critics, I'm not about to give away the actual ins and outs. I already said enough revealing the actual cast size. Read the play, see a production of it, or even rent the 1972 film version. My lips are sealed. Both Quayle and Baxter were excellent. I met Baxter at the stage door afterwards, and he was charming and personable to the small group of folks waiting for him. The classic mystery play at its finest. – at The Music Box, New York

 – Blackstone Theatre, Chicago

April, 1972. When Sleuth arrived at Chicago's Blackstone Theatre for a seven-month stay, Chicago Tribune critic William Leonard wrote: "It's a mystery melodrama so baffling with a plot so filled with shocking surprises, twists of direction, and of purpose, all amazingly fit together and interlocked, and with an ending so unexpected that no decent man ever would tell his neighbor anything at all that might reveal any of its secrets." Mr. Leonard hit the proverbial nail square on the equally proverbial head. Anthony Quayle was on hand to repeat his Broadway performance and was joined in Chicago by Donal Donnelly, no stranger to Sleuth having played Milo Tindle in both London and New York. Both men were excellent. With Clifford Williams at the directorial helm for the tour and Carl Toms and William Ritman recreating their design wizardry, this Sleuth was Broadway quality all the way. The audience responded with frequents gasps of surprise and terror. Just as fun the second time around. – at the Blackstone Theatre, Chicago

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE – Ivanhoe Theatre, Chicago

August, 1973. Sandy Dennis played Blanche. And who better to play the neurotic, alcoholic, yet vulnerable and touching Miss DuBois than Sandy Dennis, who made a remarkable, too-short career out of playing flawed characters, even in a comedy as broad as film's The Out-of-Towners, with the signature Dennis ticks, fluttering hands, and vocal mannerisms. She was mesmerizing. She could make you feel sympathy for Blanche one moment, then in the next make you despise her, then in the moment following that make you feel sympathy for her again. All in one speech, one scene. Director George Keathley, widely regarded as one of Tennessee Williams' favorite interpreters, his Out Cry had its U.S. premiere at the Ivanhoe in 1971, staged Williams' unforgettable story with sensitivity, yet not shying away from the play's violence and ugliness. As per usual with Keathley productions, Streetcar was well-cast from top to bottom with David Wilson, Rochelle Oliver, and James Broderick (Matthew's father) delivering excellent performances as Stanley, Stella, and Mitch respectively. From my front-row seat, I saw and felt everything up-close and personal. Riveting theatre. – at the Ivanhoe Theatre, Chicago

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL – Oriental Theatre, Chicago

 

July, 2016. Exuberant, bursting with vibrant color, and immensely enjoyable from start to finish, The SpongeBob Musical, in a pre-Broadway shakedown run at the Oriental, was in far, far better shape than the other tryout around the corner at the Goodman, War Paint. The score by a cavalcade of popular songsmiths was surprisingly coherent, given the range of styles involved,  always tuneful, and even boasted at least two knockout ballads that should become audition and cabaret favorites. The superb cast aimed to please, and please they did, with all of it anchored by Ethan Slater's crazy good performance as SpongeBob. The casting was diverse and ethnically inclusive without all the Hamilton hoopla, as things should be. Directed with flair by Tina Landau and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, everything was a joyous delight. I would be absolutely remiss if I didn't mention Gavin Lee's, as Squidward Tentacles, stop-the-show-stone-cold-dead Act Two highlight, "I'm Not a Loser." The critical response in Chicago ranged from Highly Recommended to Somewhat Recommended, but what do they know? This was the first full-length musical we took Esme to, and she loved every minute of it. So did her grandfathers. – at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago

Tony Robbery: It took Spongebob and his friends from Bikini Bottom over a year to make the trek from Chicago to New York and the Palace Theatre. Now titled SpongeBob SquarePants, it received good reviews, but never set the box office on fire, often grossing 50% of its potential. When the Tony nominations came out, it received 12 nominations and hope was high that it would get at the very least something in the design categories and, probably, one for Ethan Slater's performance. There was even buzz that it could snatch the Best Musical Tony away from front-runner The Band's Visit. But, alas, that was not to be. Spongebob would win its sole Tony for Best Scenic Design of a Musical. Deservedly so, but the evening went to the cerebral, serious, and, in my opinion, dull The Band's Visit. SpongeBob would hang on through the summer, but then close after only 29 previews and 327 performances at a considerable loss. The Ethan Slater snub in favor of The Band's Visit Tony Shalhoub frankly surprised me. Shalhoub was fine and all, but his performance didn't come close to the inventiveness of Slater's. If it's any consolation for SpongeBob, Tina Fey and her Mean Girls also got 12 Tony noms, but went home empty-handed.

And finally… A mystery program for South Pacific. I suspect this was the program for a non-Equity bus-and-truck tour that, given that it was part of The Community Concert Association's 1979-1980 season, I am going to assume it played in Waukegan, my hometown and where I lived at the time, and most likely at the West Campus auditorium, a 2,000 seat barn of a theatre. I have no memory of it, and internet research didn't offer any information. Oh,well.

That's it for Part 1. Coming Soon: Part 2!  Stay safe and healthy! And social distance!!!

© 2020 Jeffrey Geddes