CONCERTS AND TUNERS AND PLAYS…OH, MY!
vol. 1
Spring is finally
here. And what better way to celebrate than by strolling down theatrical memory
lane? In today's post, I chat about the 1970 Tony-winning musical, a Sean
O'Casey classic, the 1980 Tony-winning musical, a couple of concerts, trips to
the ballet, a play about family dysfunction, the 2019 Tony-winning musical,
and, last, but certainly not least, a stunning one-man tour de force about a
beloved Broadway star. Lots to chat about (I think I got a bit carried away. Oops!) Grab a cuppa and let's begin.
APPLAUSE
– Palace Theatre, New York
$12.00 top price! Sigh. But, to be fair, that was considered to be a bit high. Perhaps, but absolutely nothing compared to the prices today.
Bacall danced her way into the audience's hearts in this totally nonsensical, but fun, number.
February,
1971; June, 1971. Margo Channing sings! Eve Harrington
dances! It's All About Eve set to
music. A more or less faithful
retooling of the beloved movie, Applause largely
owes its success, in addition to its iconic source, to a magnetic performance by
its legendary leading lady, Lauren Bacall, in her musical theatre debut. The pleasantly
innocuous and dismissible score by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse for this
Tony-winning show is hopelessly a product of the 70s, including an energetic,
but totally unbelievable number where the star mingles with the common folk. On
opening night. In a gay bar. Nope. Don't believe it. Not a bit. Doesn't work
that way. And let's not forget the horror of a final number where Margo
Channing sings about "being to your man what a woman should be."
WTF?? Yes, I'm looking at you, Lee Adams. Dude! Even in 1970 that was
offensive. But despite that monumental lapse in taste and judgment, the by
default Tony-winning score has a clever opening number ("Backstage
Babble"), a wry, self-deprecating piece of fun sung by the leading lady
("Who's That Girl?"), an ironic paean to the theatre to close the
first act ("Welcome to the Theatre"), a cute ode to friendship
("Good Friends"), and the best song in the show, in my opinion, Eve's
chilling "One Halloween." Oh, there's duds in there as well. I mean,
who seriously thought that Lauren Bacall had the pipes to put across a ballad
of longing? She didn't and, sadly, "Hurry Back" sounded like a dirge
no matter how hard Bacall tried to sell it. The upbeat title tune, complete
with bare bums (What? Nudity in a mainstream musical? In 1970? Shocking!), belongs
at the top of the show, and the big, cloying chorus number in the second act,
totally extraneous, just needs to go away. Betty Comden and Adolph Green's book
fares better the score and gave audiences the choice All About Eve moments. The show was classy, directed and
choreographed with flair by Ron Field, and featured a top tier cast including a
young and very handsome 31-year-old
Len Cariou as love interest Bill Sampson, Robert Mandan as producer Howard
Benedict, Gwyda DonHowe and Brandon Maggart as Karen and Buzz Richards, Lee Roy
Reams as Duane Fox, Margo's gay confidante and hairdresser, and Bonnie Franklin
as the lead gypsy and lead singer of the title tune. But it was Lauren Bacall
as Margo Channing and Penny Fuller as a duplicitous and ambitious Eve
Harrington who made this well-crafted, but not extraordinary, show rise above
the material. Fuller was a cold and calculating Eve, all two-faced charm and
singular devotion to herself. It was a divine performance. And Bacall? Well, let's
just say she brought her hefty arsenal of star pizzazz and power to the Palace
stage and easily made everyone in the theatre her acolytes. She was a marvel. Applause hasn't aged particularly well,
in my opinion, and has yet to receive a first-class revival. With some prudent
tinkering and pruning, especially getting rid of that disastrous final number,
and some high-powered casting (Patti LuPone, anyone?), it's possible Applause could find some new fans today.
– at the Palace Theatre, New York
Miscellaneous Tidbit: Applause was the second show I saw on
Broadway. The first was Coco the
previous August, followed that evening by my first off-Broadway show, Steambath. Like the August trip, this
was a stealth mission to the Big Apple. I was only twenty, and at the time, boys were considered minors until they turned
twenty-one. I knew my folks would forbid a trip to New York on my own, so once
again, I was visiting friends at ISU in Normal. Ah, youth! And I digress. Anyhow…
.The June, 1971 trip to see Bacall and Co. was the first show of a ten day
"official" trip to New York and D.C., cautiously sanctioned by the
parents since I was in the company of my ISU chum, Steve, not to be confused
with my late partner Steve, who, at twenty-three, was an adult and therefore to
be trusted with their still-minor son. (That opinion may have changed a bit
during the Washington, D.C. portion of this journey, but that's another story.)
This was Steve's first trip to New York and his first Broadway show. He loved
it.
Representation Matters: 1969's Coco won a Tony Award for supporting player René Auberjonois'
portrayal of bitchy gay designer (?)/assistant (?). Even at nineteen, I found
the performance offensive and obnoxious. I hasten to add this is not a personal
attack on Mr. Auberjonois, but rather his character and the way it was
presented. 1970 brought Applause and
Lee Roy Reams' Duane Fox, Margo Channing's gay hairdresser and confidante. This
time around, however, the character was treated with humor and affection, and
as a young gay man, I frankly found it thrilling to see someone like me in a
big hit musical. And, well, it didn't hurt that Mr. Reams was a muffin! Even
then, representation mattered.
At The Tonys: Applause picked up four Tony Awards out of
eleven nominations, one for leading lady Bacall, two for Ron Field (Best
Choreography and Best Direction of a Musical), and the biggie, Best Musical.
The other Best Musical nominees were Coco
and Purlie. In my opinion, the score
to Purlie is far superior, far superior, but in 1970, the Best
Musical took it all. Perhaps the most surprising/not surprising moment of that
year's Tonys was Bacall's win over Katharine Hepburn. Hepburn's Coco number was pre-taped and she wasn't
even at the ceremony, so perhaps she knew something we at home didn't.
From The
Why-Didn't-I-Know-This Department: While
doing research for this post, I came across a NY Times article about a 1996 production of Applause at the superb Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New
Jersey, that was being touted as a brand-new production, with revisions in both
book and score being handled by its creators. What interested me most were the changes
in the score, which included getting rid of "Hurry Back," "She's
No Longer a Gypsy," and the dreadful "Something Greater." And
per a Variety review, the title tune was moved to the opening! Who knew? Great
minds, etc. Starring Stefanie Powers, it was hoped the show would have a
successful tryout tour and then head to Broadway. According to IBDB.com, the
post-Paper Mill tour closed for "retooling" after a mere five weeks
and never resumed. (For the record, a 2008 Encores production starring
Christine Ebersole, and going back to the original 1970 script and score, never
ventured past its City Center environs. Concord Theatricals, which handles the
amateur/regional rights, is using the 1970 original for licensing.)
$5.00! Couldn't you just cry?? Standing room places weren't assigned for this performance. First come, first serve. I scored dead center,
Lee Roy Reams was one handsome devil.
Before TKTS, there were twofers. Available at a tourist center in Times Square, hotels, and other places, you took these to the box office and got your tickets. The major difference was that you could buy in advance.
November, 1971. The casting of All About Eve's Eve, Anne Baxter, as Applause's Margo Channing, replacing Lauren Bacall, ranks among the
most inspired Broadway replacement casting.
Talk about full circle! So, what was the verdict? Let me state upfront
that while I adored Bacall in the role, Anne Baxter was the better actor, and
she gave her audiences a more fully realized Margo Channing. Baxter brought an
actor's sensibilities to the role; Bacall brought her considerable star
persona. With Bacall, Applause's
shortcomings were glossed over with good, old-fashioned star power; with Baxter,
while you admired the leading lady's outstanding portrayal, you noticed the
cracks in the show's glossy veneer, and
you were left wondering why the hell Purlie
didn't win the Best Musical Tony over Applause.
By this time, Bonnie Franklin was seriously infected with the "cutes"
and I wanted to slap her silly. Keith
Charles was the new Bill Sampson and Janice Lynde was the new Eve, and both
were fine. Capacity audience at the Palace. Baxter rocked! – at the Palace
Theatre, New York
Sad Footnote: Gwyda DonHowe (Karen) was married to
producer Norman Kean. In 1988, Kean killed DonHowe, then committed
suicide, in a murder/suicide that stunned New York's theatrical scene.
Arlene Dahl took over from Anne Baxter and was the final Broadway Margo Channing. The show was now in its third year and Dahl didn't cause much of a stir at the box office, and the show closed a few weeks after she went into it.
– Civic Opera House, Chicago
January, 1972.
Opening night! Well, until it was called off after Act One with refunds or
exchanges being offered to the disappointed theatergoers. The villain? Sound
issues. And, yes, I can attest there were plenty of those.
By the
following day, however, everything got fixed and Applause began its Chicago run to critical applause, especially for
star Lauren Bacall. With a superb supporting cast, including Lee Roy Reams
recreating his Broadway role, and a deliciously nasty Virginia Sandifur as Eve,
direct from her stint as Young Phyllis in the recently opened Follies, Applause satisfied its large audiences, and I thoroughly enjoyed
both visits during its Chicago run. Once again, Bacall's star power and
charisma made the show's weaknesses irrelevant. And can I just say that Leland
Palmer, in the role Bonnie Franklin originated in New York, was such an improvement over Franklin's
cloying cuteness. Applause never was
an "A" musical, and, as written, it's very much a product of its time,
but in the five times I've seen it, one time as a community theatre production
in Peoria, it's never failed to entertain me. I suspect it would do the same
today, warts and all.– at the Civic Opera House, Chicago
JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK – Aldwych Theatre, London
February,
1981. I've never been a fan of Irish plays. Like Shakespeare, I don't have an
ear for them and reading them doesn't resonate with me either. So why did I buy a
ticket to this? Well, for one, it's considered a masterpiece in contemporary
theatre. For another, it was the RSC. And finally, it starred Judi Dench as
Juno, a big star in the UK by 1981, but for me London's Sally Bowles as
immortalized in the London cast album of Cabaret.
Yes, I went to see Juno because of a
cast recording. Well, two actually. I was also quite fond of her performance on
the cast recording of the 1974 Johnny Mercer/André Previn West End musical, The Good Companions. I honestly don't
remember much about this performance. It was dark, it was somber, I was bored.
Sorry, Judi. – at the Aldwych Theatre, London
EVITA – Broadway Theatre, New York
February,
1980. The hottest ticket in New York at the time, my BFF Pat and I scored two
tickets in the Broadway's large rear mezzanine. Evita is a perfect example of how my attitude towards a show has changed
over time. In 1980, my opinion was mixed. Loved the cast, the design elements,
and the staging. Neutral towards the score and the show itself. Everything
about Evita was intense, unrelentingly
so, especially Patti LuPone, who was a performance tornado and who tore into
the role as if it were a big juicy steak. She was thrilling. Not always
understandable, but always thrilling. The London edition seen shortly after
this was less frenetic and let the remarkable Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
score shine. I didn't praise the score in 1980 and rather dismissed it. I was
wrong. It's a stunning score. Come to think of it, when all is said and done, Evita is a remarkable show. I will
always treasure LuPone and "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," the
brilliant and exciting "A New Argentina" which closed the first act,
the thrilling "Buenos Aires," and those three amazing leads, Patti
LuPone, Bob Gunton, and Mandy Patinkin. Glorious theatre. – at the Broadway
Theatre, New York
SAY IT WITH MUSIC – Shubert Theatre, Chicago
October,
1992. There was a time when singers believed in enunciation, who didn't need to
have a microphone millimeters from their mouth, who didn't need to scream at
full volume, and who knew how to interpret a song. Two such singers were on
display in the Michael Feinstein/Rosemary Clooney revue/concert Say It With Music. A generation and
twenty-eight years separating them, both musicians handily demonstrated how to
devote an evening to timeless songs and yet make each of them seem fresh and
new. Both Feinstein and Clooney were at the top of their respective games, and
while Feinstein wowed the audience, it was Clooney who took the evening's
honors with her smooth, effortless vocals. They simply don't make 'em like her
anymore. – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago
THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER IN
CONCERT – Auditorium Theatre, Chicago
October,
1989. The part of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera was written by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, not
yet Sir Andrew, for his then-wife, soprano Sarah Brightman, and she originated
the role in both London and New York. Praised for her singing, but dismissed
for her acting, Brightman was star and, in my opinion, the reason for this
concert. Accompanied by a huge orchestra and an ensemble of twelve, Brightman
was the focal point of the proceedings and treated the capacity audience to an
evening of exquisite singing and interpretation. My opinion of ALW went up
several notches. For me highlights included a smashing "Unexpected
Song," "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," and a lengthy Phantom segment that thrilled the crowd.
She even displayed an unexpected and absolutely delightful sense of humor, even
poking fun at herself and her notices in Phantom.
She was charm personified. – at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago
AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE – Civic Opera House, Chicago
Coppelia cast
February,
1991. One of Steve's clients was the house manager for the Opera House and the
Civic Theatre next door, and, that being the case, we got a lot of free tickets
to performances that needed an audience boost. The ABT, one of the country's
leading dance companies, was in residence on one of their frequent visits to
Chicago. We saw two ballets during their stay in 1991: Coppélia and Don Quixote.
Guest artist Cynthia Gregory was possibly the starriest person we saw from the
ABT's impressive roster of principals, at least to non-ballet knowledgeable me.
The live orchestra was a classy touch, none of that recorded stuff, and both ballets
were pleasantly forgettable. I wish we'd seen something more classic or,
conversely, more modern, but, hey, a free ticket is a free ticket. – at the
Civic Opera House, Chicago
Oops: Claiming Cynthia Gregory was possibly
the starriest person we saw at the ABT ballets was simply because I had heard
the name before. Some simple Googling revealed that my knowledge of the dance world was,
and is, well, non-existent. Coppélia
lead, Johan Renall was considered one of the premiere male stars of the
contemporary ballet world. His co-stars, Marianna Tcherkassy and Terry Orr, not the football player, were major
stars within and outside of the ABT. In Don
Quixote, Julio Bocca and Victor Barbee both have impressive dance creds,
with Barbee possessing some musical theatre credits, including a tour with
Melissa Manchester in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song
and Dance, which Steve and I saw during its Chicago stop. Guess I should
have been paying more attention to what was happening on the Opera House's
stage. Oops.
INDISCRETIONS – Barrymore Theatre, New York
June,
1995. Les Parents Terribles was the name French playwright Jean Cocteau
gave this work of an unsavory and dysfunctional family unit. "Les parents
terrible" translates to "terrible parents" and that's exactly
what the mom and dad on the Barrymore stage were. Yet, when this production
make the trek from London, via the National Theatre, the American producers
inexplicably changed the name to Indiscretions,
implying that adultery, obsessive love of one's adult son bordering on incest,
and treachery are mere, well, indiscretions. The NY Times hailed the play as a satirical, often hysterically funny
farce. I guess we didn't see the same show. To be fair, I saw this shortly
after Steve's death, so that could have had something to do with my
indifference to the show. For me, the two most striking aspects of Indiscrestions were Jude Law's full
frontal nudity at the top of Act Two and the design of Cynthia Nixon's Paris
flat, also Act Two, which featured a very tall circular staircase. Striking and
impressive, but why? As for Mr. Law's full frontal, this was no
blink-and-you'll-miss-it or dimly lit, shadowy scene. Far from it. Lights full
up and several minutes of Law and Nixon chatting away after Law got out
of his onstage bathtub. I have no idea what the conversation was about. Didn't care.
In the end, despite the stellar cast (Kathleen Turner, Eileen Atkins, Roger
Rees, Mr. Law, and Ms. Nixon), I left the Barrymore not quite sure what the
play was really about. When I read the play a few years later, I felt the same
way. – at the Barrymore Theatre, New York
Jude and I: My dear friend Pete played Jude Law's
dad in a play at the RSC a year earlier. When I told him I was going to see
Jude in Indiscretions, he suggested I
pop by backstage after the show to say "hi." So I did. When I
mentioned Pete, Jude brightened up and we settled in for a nice backstage chat,
with a "guest appearance" by Roger Rees. He was warm, gracious, and
totally charming. So was Rees, for that matter. Both devoid of star attitude.
Great memory.
HADESTOWN – Walter Kerr Theatre, New York
September, 2019. Orpheus turns around; Eurydice
turns into a pillar of salt. Uh...wait. I have my myths mixed up. In any case,
the second act was the better one. Ensemble member Timothy Hughes was so
smoking hot, you forgot about how pretentious much of the show is. It all but
screamed "WE ARE AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THEATRE!!" What twaddle, Hadestown. You're a musical, nothing
more, nothing less. The show looked terrific, and the band was excellent.
However, diction was frequently lacking (I'm looking at you, André De Shields),
except, curiously, in the ballads, which were lovely, when enunciation was
spot-on. Amber Gray inexplicably turned her potential showstopper that opened
Act Two into a scream-belt mess that lacked any sense of fun. Talent abounded
on the Kerr stage. It's unfortunate they weren't always well served by either the
material or the staging. I kept wondering how much better the show would have
been had Jeanine Tesori written it. Final observations...The Kerr's mezzanine
is punishingly tight. And I'd see Reeve Carney in anything. He was adorable. I
want to adopt him. Hadestown won a
bunch of awards at the 2019 Tonys to no one's surprise. I don't think it should
have won the Best Musical Tony, but they didn't ask me. Didn't love it; didn't
hate it. – at the Walter Kerr Theatre, New York
Our niece Colleen worked as a swing dresser at Hadestown, and we were treated to a backstage tour one afternoon.
The Walter Kerr is a lovely, intimate house with
a vertigo-inducing mezzanine and a holy-shit-is-that-high balcony.
Some of the band's area.
Set
More set.
From the mezzanine, the set looks rather
spacious. The reality, however, is much different. Hats off to the cast for managing
to not fall off the stage while executing some pretty tricky dance moves on a
space about the size of our living room.
GEORGIE: MY ADVENTURES WITH GEORGE ROSE – The
Loft at the Davenport Theatre, New York
March,
2017. This was, in my opinion, essential viewing for anyone who cares about
theatre. Written and performed by veteran actor Ed Dixon (do yourself a favor
and read his autobiography...superb!), this was a 90-minute slice of theatrical
heaven. Using his long friendship with George Rose as its base, I laughed...a
lot..., but was also sobered, dismayed and, yes, disgusted, when the play took
its necessary dark turn. George Rose was a two-time Tony-winning actor,
successful in his career, but with a sinister side to his personality, a side
that included widely-rumored dealings in sex trafficking and pedophilia. I saw
Rose in my first Broadway show, Coco,
as Kate Hepburn's confidant. In Georgie, Dixon brought George Rose, and a
multitude of others, vividly to life. Reviewer David Barbour summed up Georgie perfectly: "For all its
show business hilarity, Georgie is at heart a tragedy, summed
up in the question Dixon asks the audience: What would you do if you discovered
that a beloved friend or relative repeatedly committed heinous acts? And how would
you go forward with your life?" This was a tour-de-force by a seasoned
actor at the height of his considerable powers. – at the The Loft at the
Davenport Theatre, New York
An Ignominious Finale: While on a break from touring in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, recreating
his Tony-winning role, George Rose was brutally murdered at his vacation home
in the Dominican Republic by his 18-year-old adopted son, the boy's biological
father, an uncle, and a friend of the biological father. Although all admitted
to the crime, there was no trial, no formal convictions. All spent time in
prison and have since been released. The son, since he was not actually
convicted of the murder, under Dominican Republic law, inherited Rose's house
and a portion of his estate. Rose was buried in an unmarked grave in a cemetery
by his home in the Dominican Republic. A sad final curtain for a beloved star.
That's all for now. Until the next time, stay safe
and social distance!
© 2021 Jeffrey Geddes
