SIMPLY "S" – Part 2

SIMPLY "S" – Part 2
(a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Soup)

More shows beginning with the letter "S"… a quintessential 1970s comedy, a Donald Driver play that smashed all records at Chicago's Ivanhoe Theatre, a valentine of a musical, the 2007 Tony-winning Best Musical, and a revue celebrating early Sondheim. Let's dive right in, shall we?

 SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR – Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York

Full disclosure-Poster is not mine. Downloaded from internet.

June, 1975. Despite the snappy one-liners and despite the superb performances by Ellen Burstyn, who would win a Tony for her performance, and Charles Grodin, there was a persistent smarminess lurking just beneath the surface in Bernard Slade's paean to adultery, his Broadway debut. And this had nothing to do with morality or one's opinion one way or another on marital monogamy. Instead it was all just too safe, too pat, too aren't-we-being-naughty?, too adultery-for-Middle America-and-community/dinner-theatre-audiences to have any real resonance or emotional heft. Having said all that, I laughed a lot, and the more serious moments and events in Doris (Burstyn) and George's (Grodin) lives gave the play some needed breathing room, but no matter how wonderful Burstyn and Grodin were, and they were wonderful, I never became invested in their characters. It's not a bad play. It's solidly written and was popular with audiences, as its 1,453 performance Broadway run will attest. It was made into a successful film. It's been a popular choice in the Samuel French catalog. It's also severely dated, felt a bit dated even when new, and since its time frame is from 1951 to 1975, and playwright Slade is dead, I suspect that, even as a period piece, it would be just a bit too twee in the 2020 world. A quick check of Samuel French's website shows only a handful of upcoming productions. For Same Time, Next Year its time has come and gone. – at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York

About Mr. Slade: Bernard Slade's theatrical career peaked with his Broadway debut and ended a scant seven years later with the ignominy of a one-performance flop. But, it would be foolish to feel sorry for Mr. Slade, for he had a very successful career in television, writing numerous episodes for Bewitched, being a script consultant for The Courtship of Eddie's Father, and the creator and writer for The Flying Nun, The Partridge Family, Bridget Loves Bernie, The Girl with Something Extra, and Love on a Rooftop. He wrote the screenplays for his three most successful Broadway shows and received a Tony nomination for Same Time, Next Year and an Oscar nomination for its screenplay. He died in 2019.

 STATUS QUO VADIS – Ivanhoe Theatre, Chicago

September, 1971. "In theoretical democracy all men are equal. In theoretical democracy there is no class system. Both assumptions are patently absurd. White the American Dream pursues this naiveté, a clearly defined strata of classes has evolved in which equality, theoretically horizontal, has become singularly vertical according to birth, intelligence and whatever union you happen to belong to. Equality has become our inalienable right to be equal with the people above so we need not be equal with the people below." So said author Donald Driver in his author's notes. A play about social status, social climbing, and the temptation to keep people in their places, this was a very funny satire, commentary, often both. According to William Leonard's review in the Chicago Tribune, one of the lines was this little bon mot: "It isn't any fun having something unless you can keep it away from somebody else." In Driver's world, one's status was prominently displayed on one's clothing, ranging from 5 (the lowest) to 1 (the highest). The hero is a "5," the woman he wants is a "1," and on the way he dallies with a "3." This was nearly forty-nine years ago, and to be perfectly honest, I don't remember much about it. I remember liking it quite a lot, laughing a lot, and I thought Gail Strickland, as the number "1" teacher, was coolly elegant, sexy, and classy. A handsome David Wilson played the hero and would later be a formidable Stanley Kowalski in Ivanhoe's Streetcar, and Ivanhoe alum Rebecca Taylor played the number "3" secretary David Wilson's character would meet, and use, as he tried to climb the social ladder. Loaded with Chicago favorites, Status Quo Vadis received terrific press in Chicago, became a massive sell-out smash, and kept extending and extending until it finally closed after more than fifteen months, smashing all Ivanhoe records. Buoyed by both the Chicago reviews and the Chicago success, it went to Broadway in an ill-advised move where it closed after its opening night performance. For the record, I saw Status Quo Vadis on my 21st birthday, and, yes, I celebrated with a couple of now-legal drinks afterwards. – at the Ivanhoe Theatre, Chicago

 

SHE LOVES ME

I've written at length about She Loves Me in an earlier post. This priceless gem of a musical is among my top twenty-five. It's romantic and gently funny with a killer score, tightly written, and loaded with primo roles. In fact, there's not a bad one in the bunch, from the ensemble to the leads. But despite its many charms and that magnificent score, She Loves Me, sadly, is largely unappreciated, but not, happily, by New York's Roundabout Theatre. That stellar company first revived it in 1993 in a run that exceeded the Broadway original, then again in 2011 as a one-night only benefit for the theatre with a star-studded cast (we were there), and finally in a glorious jewelbox of a production presented at Studio 54 in 2016. I never knew this before until I did some research for this post, but, unbelievable as it may seem, She Loves Me wasn't nominated for Best Score in the 1964 Tony Awards. Sorry? With an April 23, 1963, opening date, the musical opened too late to be considered for the 1963 Tonys, and with its closing date of January 11, 1964, it had played its final performance by the time the 1964 Tony Awards nominations were announced. Then, as now, shows that are no longer running at the time of nominations, and especially at the time voting takes place, are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to picking up the Tony prize. She Loves Me was nominated for Best Musical, along with big winner Hello, Dolly!, Funny Girl, and the Blithe Spirit musicalization, with my favorite overture, High Spirits. But when it came to Best Score, Harnick and Bock's divine score didn't make the cut with noms going to the above three and the lovely 110 in the Shade. Now, with all due respect for Jerry Herman's ebullient and tuneful score for Dolly!, the winner, She Loves Me is the more complex, the more nuanced work. Was She Loves Me's closed status detrimental to its chances? Yes, I believe so. Also, the works nominated that year were musically very strong. Had the cutoff date for the 1962-1963 season been later, would She Loves Me have had a better showing at the Tonys? Yes, I believe so. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum won Best Musical. She Loves Me is as good, if not better, than Forum. Lionel Bart's Oliver! won Best Score. I love Oliver!'s score, but, frankly, it can't compare to She Loves Me. Often in theatre, timing is everything, and in She Loves Me's case, the timing was unfortunately off.

– Studio 54, New York

March, 2016. Scaffolding may have obscured Studio 54's marquee, but inside this gorgeous theatre, musical magic was being made. This jewel of a musical showed its age every now and then, but the score is a marvel...not a bad tune in the lot. Scrumptious in design and beautifully played by an exquisite orchestra that featured a harp! Be still my heart! The starry cast, including Laura Benanti, Zachary Levi, Gavin Creel, Michael McGrath and Jane Krakowski, was uniformly warm and charming and sang the shit out of the score. One of Bob's former students, Laura Shoop, was in the hard-working ensemble. Met her afterwards backstage. Bonus...meeting Laura Benanti. I must admit I did a little Fan-Boying there. (PS: It's really very cool to be on the Stage Door list!) What a treat! - at Studio 54, New York

June, 2016. So, Bob and I are having a between-shows Saturday night early dinner at the terrific Italian restaurant, Amarone, on 9th in New York with our niece Colleen and nephew-in-law Andrew when Bob reads a Facebook post from his former student Laura Shoop stating that she just found out she was going on for Laura Benanti as Amalia at that evening's performance of She Loves Me. We already had tickets for The Father that night, but, well, we just couldn't miss an opportunity to see Laura in the lead role, now could we? So after some FB messaging back and forth between Bob, Laura, and the House Manager at Studio 54, we scored some really prime seats for that evening. Bob scurried over to the Friedman, thankfully only a couple of blocks away, to see if we could exchange tickets for the following day's closing performance. According to Bob, he explained the situation and the box office folks graciously changed our seats! Bob returned to the Amarone, and we all had a yummy meal. Tom McGowan was now playing Sipos, having replaced Michael McGrath. Jane Krakowski was out that night as well. And let me just say that cover Alison Cimmet was superb as Illona. Better than Ms. Krakowski in my book. And what about Laura's performance as Amalia, you ask? As the kids would say, she slayed. Truly. She gave a confident, charming performance that was effortless and sung to the nines. And with the rest of the cast giving it their considerable all, we had a grand time. (And enjoyed chatting with Laura afterwards in the star dressing room!) – at Studio 54, New York

Bob, Laura, and Me

 – Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, Il

 May, 2017. Marriott Theatre, in the northern suburbs of Chicago, usually manages to put together a diverse season of familiar, comfort-food musicals along with shows that aren't as well-known or as often mounted as your Hello, Dolly!s and The Sound of Musics. For example, She Loves Me. Aaron Thielen's frenetic staging made everything unfocused and oddly flat. What this did was take away from the singing and acting talents of its generally excellent cast. You don't try to take away focus during Ilona's first number by obviously changing the scenery. You don't try to imitate New York's successful revival if you can't do the bits as well. And you don't have your female lead sing her wonderful ballads while moving around like a whirling dervish. Perhaps the fault isn't so much Mr. Thielen's unimpressive direction as it is that She Loves Me simply isn't a show that translates well to an arena staging. (Marriott's The Drowsy Chaperone had the same staging issues.) Sometimes it was hard to tell in group scenes who was singing what; sometimes the group scenes were a total miss. Both weren't problems in Roundabout's proscenium staging. Having said all that, it's hard not to adore Alex Goodrich, and he was simply wonderful as Georg. Ditto a golden-throated Allison Sill, the Amalia cover, whose soprano was lustrous. Their supporting castmates were all uniformly fine, with the exception of Steven Strafford's Headwaiter, who was directed to imitate Roundabout's inestimable Peter Bartlett. He tried, but... This was one of the few times I wasn't overly impressed with Marriott's ensemble work, especially the customers who seemed to have an attitude that was off-putting, almost like they were all thinking "I'm too good to be in the ensemble." The orchestra sounded terrific and the audience seemed to enjoy it, though the reaction throughout was muted. In my opinion, this was one of Marriott's less-successful efforts, but still worth seeing just to relish the glorious Harnick and Bock score. - at the Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

 SPRING AWAKENING – Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York

February, 2007. Set in late 19th-century Germany, Spring Awakening, with its themes of teenage angst and burgeoning sexuality, was fresh, exciting, and innovative. With tight direction by Michael Mayer, crisp choreography by Bill T. Jones, and a rock-infused score that pleased even this non-rock person, Spring Awakening was really quite unlike anything I'd ever seen. Despite its time frame, it somehow managed to feel current and relevant. And thanks to its awesome cast of  talented young actors, including Skylar Astin, Lilli Cooper, Jennifer Damiano, John Gallagher, Jr., Gideon Glick, Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, Lauren Pritchard, and Krysta Rodriguez, among others, and two hard-working older actors (Christine Estabrook and Stephen Spinella), the musical was performed with urgency and sincerity. I loved it. So much so that I bought the poster and had it framed. (It's currently hanging in our second bedroom.) It won eight Tony Awards in 2007, out of eleven nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score. It had a long and profitable Broadway run, successful tours, and a 2015 Broadway revival of Deaf West's acclaimed production. Here's the thing, though. Like future Tony-winner Once, though I was crazy about the show when I saw it, I've never had any desire to see it, or listen to it, again. It happens. – at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York

SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM

– The Music Box, New York

May, 1977. The first evening devoted to the works of Stephen Sondheim took place on March 11, 1973 at New York's Shubert Theatre. It was a one-night performance, a benefit for the American Music and Dramatic Academy and the National Hemophilia Foundation. It featured a jaw-dropping cast of theatre A-listers, and was thankfully preserved on a LP (back in the day), then a remixed and remastered DVD. Forty-seven years later, it's still thrilling to hear. But that was 1973. His most current show, A Little Night Music, had just opened. So, one could justifiably say it was a tribute to early Sondheim, the Sondheim who won three consecutive Tony Awards for Best Score (Company, Follies, A Little Night Music). Jump ahead a mere four years. Leading Sondheim producer, Harold Prince, imported a new revue smash hit celebrating Sondheim from London, and, thankfully, received permission from Actors Equity Association to bring over the original London cast for a limited run. The show? Side by Side by Sondheim. The cast? Ned Sherrin, Millicent Martin, David Kernan, and Julia McKenzie. The urbane Mr. Sherrin provided the continuity, while Mr. Kernan and Misses Martin and McKenzie did the vocal work. I thought it was sophisticated, informative, and delightful. From my front row center aisle seat, I was thoroughly enchanted and often felt the performers were singing directly to me. I know I was grinning ear-to-ear throughout the show, so maybe. Highlights included Martin's "I'm Still Here" and her dry and laden with innuendo "I Never Do Anything Twice," McKenzie's "Broadway Baby" and her soaring "Losing My Mind," Kernan's blistering "Could I Leave You?", and the trio romping through "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" and "You Gotta Have a Gimmick." This became a gold standard of musical revues, and with 1975's Pacific Overtures the only new Sondheim show since the 1973 benefit, this was still very much a celebration of early Sondheim. This has nothing to do with anything, but I had an immediate and intense crush on the very handsome Mr.Kernan. Alas, it was not to be! I loved every minute of this. – at The Music Box, New York

What's in a Name?: As anyone who follows this blog knows, I'm a huge fan of the insanely talented Julia McKenzie. A familiar face in the U.K., she is not well-known on this side of The Pond. In fact, SXSXS was her only Broadway appearance. Broadway's loss. During her time in New York, she performed as Julie N. McKenzie because an American Equity actor had the "Julia McKenzie" moniker locked up. (Lest there be any confusion, the name change and the reason for it was noted in her Playbill bio.) In 2018, she was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to drama.

Excuse Me, Mr. Gottfried?: SXSXS got basically excellent reviews when it opened. According to Steven Suskin's More Opening Nights on Broadway, the breakdown for seven critics was three raves, one favorable, one unfavorable, one pan. The New York Times's Clive Barnes titled his review "Side by Side by Sondheim is a Dream," and urged his readers to "turn cartwheels to the box office." And then there was Martin Gottfried of the New York Post. He hated the show. That's his right, of course, but then he crossed a line when he stated, "(Ned) Sherrin's supercilious manner and campy attitude turn the whole performance slantwise. Playing to the boys in the balcony, he regularly colors the show lavender blue and all too unfortunately, the three singers go along with it." I'm sorry, what? This sort of remark in 1977 and the Post kept him on? He was a theatre critic for years, the author of a handful of biographies, and even did some guest teaching at several universities. His reputation seems pretty unassailable, at least according to Wikipedia. But here's what author Boze Hadleigh had to say in his book Broadway Babylon: Glamour, Glitz, and Gossip on the Great White Way quoting Beverly Hills columnist and former Warner Bros. executive Richard Gully: "Critics have their own agendas, often fueled by green – money and jealousy. Or insecurity… One is Martin Gottfried…An out and out homophobe." Absolutely.

Meanwhile on the AmDram Front: In 1985, Waukegan Community Players mounted a one-hour version of SXSXS to send to a community theatre competition in downstate Springfield, the state capital. I was asked/recruited by my BFF Pat to handle the Ned Sherrin chores, which I agreed to providing I got to sing "Could I Leave You?" No problem. The problem turned out to be the director…a nice guy, but, well, inept at directing a revue. So, a peaceful coup brought about unbilled directing by the cast, and, eventually, a well-received performance in Springfield. I can't say enough about my fellow castmates. All of them oozed talent and generosity. It was a joy. Following that, I took a 23-year hiatus from the theatre, tired of all the politics of suburban AmDram. A short-lived return to the stage proved that not much had changed. Ah, well.

 – Drury Lane Theatre (Water Tower Place), Chicago

Pre-opening ad. Cyril Ritchard starring.

After Ritchard's heart attack and subsequent death, Burr Tillstrom took over the narrator spot.

January, 1978. Side by Side by Sondheim was still playing on Broadway when Harold Prince mounted a Chicago company at Drury Lane-Water Tower Place's in-the-round venue, starring Cyril Ritchard, Carol Swarbrick (understudy for Millicent Martin in New York), David Chaney, and Bonnie Schon (understudy for Julia McKenzie in New York) in the Ned Sherrin, Millicent Martin, David Kernan, and Julia McKenzie roles respectively. Early in the run, Ritchard suffered a heart attack, from which he would die a couple of weeks later, and was replaced by beloved Chicago faves, Burr Tillstrom, Kukla, and Ollie from the iconic "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" television show, a staple for many Chicago area kids of my generation. Wait. What, you say? Puppets? In a Sondheim show? I kid you not. And you know what? It was absolutely charming. If the sophistication level went down a few notches, the show still retained the marvelous Sondheim tunes and even featured a song Sondheim wrote specifically for The Kuklapolitan Players. One of the reviews in New York called the original Broadway production very "British," meaning there was a certain easy urbanity to the proceedings, an understated polish, and, of course, the accents. The production at Water Tower Place with Burr Tillstrom and his friends was definitely American. I was wild about Ms. Swarbrick. Mr. Chaney and Ms. Schon did their chores with great professionalism and fine voice. One of the highlights in New York for me was David Kernan's thrilling rendition of "Could I Leave You?" In Chicago, it was replaced with "Something's Coming." Why? Was Mr. Chaney uncomfortable with the song? Did the powers-that-be decide that Chicago audiences would react negatively to a man singing that song? Nothing against the West Side Story number, but, sorry, not nearly as powerful as the Follies song. In my opinion, the arena staging did the show no favors, and despite the talents of all involved, especially Ms. Swarbrick, I preferred the New York original. That being said, I enjoyed it enough to drag my roommate to the closing performance a week later. – at the Drury Lane Theatre (Water Tower Place), Chicago

 – Signature Theatre (The Max), Arlington, VA

June, 2011. With the narrator role eliminated and the continuity shared by the three talented performers serenading us with the early Sondheim catalog, Signature's production of Side by Side by Sondheim was sleek and personal. Wonderful as Mr. Sherrin and Mr. Tillstrom were in New York and Chicago respectively, this sharing of continuity duties gave us a chance to see more of the performers' personalities, invest in them as people and not just as singer/dancers. Signature's Max Theatre, the larger of the two theatres in the complex, is a lovely space and made this intimate show warm and inviting. Interestingly, "Could I Leave You?" was still absent from the program, with "Being Alive" now in the spot, a better choice than Water Tower Place's "Something's Coming," but both still not as good as "Could I Leave You?" Matthew Scott, Sherri L. Edelen, and Nancy Andrews were the singing and dancing trio onstage. I'm a big fan of Ms. Andrews, versatile and so, so good, so her appearance in the musical was a big plus in my book. The time flew by in the excellent company we were in. First rate production of one of the best musical revues. – at the Signature Theatre (The Max), Arlington, VA

About "Could I Leave You?": You may be wondering why I keep lamenting the loss of "Could I Leave You?" in productions of SxSxS. Here's why. The original trio of "Losing My Mind," "Could I Leave You?," and "I'm Still Here," all from Follies, are three superb examples of Sondheim's genius at encapsulating human emotions. "Losing My Mind" devastates us with heartbreaking longing. "Could I Leave You?" revels in its searing bitterness. "I'm Still Here" celebrates towering resilience. Each on their own is a brilliant number; sung one after the other is a mini-lesson in life. They fit together perfectly. Now "Being Alive" and, to a lesser degree, "Something's Coming" are good numbers, but neither fits the emotional journey that "Losing My Mind" sets us up for.

 And on that note… That wraps up Part 2. Next up: Part 3. Stay safe and healthy! And social distance!!!

© 2020 Jeffrey Geddes