WALKING IN A WEST END WONDERLAND PART 5

WALKING IN A WEST END WONDERLAND

PART 5

It's been a long time since we've crossed the Pond. Let's fix that. Five shows from London's fabulous West End make up today's post.  And to start us off… What could be more quintessentially British than royalty?

I guess this is one way to avoid the scrum at the bars during the interval.

Coffee or, rather, tea ready? Let's begin.

ROSE – Duke of York's Theatre – London

6.50 pounds today is $9.82. No matter how you slice it, in 1980, theatre was still quite the bargain in London.

The Duke of York's Theatre opened in September, 1892.

May, 1980.  A typically British domestic comedy about marriage and life, it enjoyed a successful run in London primarily because of the sensational Glenda Jackson. (It had a limited run a year later in New York, playing to marginal houses after middling reviews.)  It had something to do with an unfulfilled, feminist school teacher in the Midlands and if the plot sounds dodgy, it had enough humor to carry it along and keep the audiences happy. Make no mistake, however. Everyone, and I mean everyone, in the Duke of York's that Thursday evening was there to see two-time Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Glenda Jackson up close and personal. I know I was. A word here about Ms. Jackson...I am a huge fan. Full stop. The woman is so talented and can do comedy and drama with equal ease.  (Witness Oscars for a drama, "Women in Love" and a comedy, "A Touch of Class," one of my favorite films. And let's not forget her Emmy-winning television mini-series "Elizabeth R," still a marvelous bit of television.) To see one of my idols in a play a few scant feet away from me was, and remains, something to treasure. "Rose" also is the source of one of my favorite expressions, uttered to hysterical perfection by Ms. Jackson: "Find 'em, feel 'em, fuck 'em, forget 'em!"  I think it's a jolly little phrase, appropriate for many occasions! Ta, Glenda!

Sidebar: From the early 90s until March, 2015 Glenda Jackson was a MP (Member of Parliament) and, during that time, retired from acting. She's 79 now, but returned to acting this November in a radio "mash-up" of novels by French writer Emile Zola. Lucky Radio 4.

A DELICATE BALANCE – Theatre Royal Haymarket – London

the elegant Theatre Royal Haymarket

March, 1998. A Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Edward Albee. A cast that included Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins and John Standing. Excellent reviews, especially for the two leading ladies, one already a Dame and one a future Dame. Now imagine you are Ellenor Wilkinson, a working actress with West End credits, cast as the cover for the parts of Claire (Dame Maggie) and Julia (the young, abrasive daughter). Dame Maggie never misses a performance. But then, sadly, Beverely Cross, Dame Maggie's husband, dies and you are now going to go on in the place of two-time Academy Award-winner and top-billed Maggie Smith. The line at the box office requesting refunds/rebookings wasn't as long as you'd have thought, and Bob and I wanted to see the play, so we stayed. Those who did would not be disappointed. Ms. Wilkinson started out a bit tentative, but then, as the play progressed, she got stronger and stronger, mining the laughs in the role of Claire, the alcoholic sister, for all that they were worth and giving co-star Eileen Atkins a run for her money. She was rewarded with cheers and heavy applause when she took her bow. The audience acclaim was well-deserved. Maggie Smith's part was in good hands until her return. In the arguably more difficult role of Agnes, Claire's sister and the less "fun" of the two, Eileen Atkins gave a master class in understated, yet powerful, acting. Like her terrific performance three years earlier in Broadway's Indiscretions, it was a privilege to watch her work. We thought the entire cast did a fine job and, for me, it was a kick to see Annette Crosbie, the fairy godmother in the underrated film musical The Slipper and the Rose, in a serious and somewhat creepy part. This is not a happy play, but one that will get you thinking.

KAFKA'S DICK – Piccadilly Theatre – London

 The interior of the beautiful Piccadilly Theatre.

January, 1999. Who could resist a play with a title like Kafka's Dick? I mean, seriously. And most especially when it stars Julia McKenzie? I know I couldn't and didn't.  Written by a pre-The History Boys Alan Bennett, this silly and terribly British "literary" farce concerned itself with fame and biography, implying that, as far as the public is concerned, the more libidinous, the better, with the supposedly modest size of Mr. Kafka's titular dick being the plot driver. Having read The Metamorphosis in the original German in high school in Mr. Oglesby's fourth year German class, I was fascinated by Gregor Samsa and his story. I never once, however, thought about Mr. Kafka's private parts. See how the theatre expands one's mind?  Positively gave a whole new spin on Kafka. Julia McKenzie took the acting honors with her signature comic timing, solidly delivering the laughs, yet keeping the character grounded in reality. A daffy reality, to be sure, but an endearing, human one. Bob had heard me praise McKenzie for years. This was the first time he'd seen her, and, like me, he was enchanted with her. Often very, very funny and staged at appropriately farcical speed, this is B-drawer Alan Bennett that will give you two hours of pleasure, but will not leave you with much of an impression afterwards other than that you'd had a quite funny evening at the theatre.

AMY'S VIEW – Aldwych Theatre – London

The beautiful Aldwych Theatre. It opened in 1905.

We like to think our granddaughter Esme was named after Dame Judi's character. 

March, 1998. David Hare's dense, talky, yet rewarding play is a veritable feast for the two actresses playing the leading roles. It's also a veritable feast for the audience if the two actresses playing the leading roles are Dame Judi Dench and Samantha Bond, both probably best known to the general public for their portrayals of "M" and Miss Moneypenny in later James Bond films. Under Richard Eyre's skillful direction and greatly enhanced by a terrific design by Bob Crowley and Mark Henderson, Dame Judi and Ms. Bond made this financial (!!), political, anti-Thatcher, new media versus traditional theatre, mother/daughter dynamics, love and loss-themed play more than the sum of its various parts. These were two richly-nuanced and very human women on that stage and that was crucial, because the play sometimes became mired in what it wanted to say. At close to three hours, it was a tad too long, but as long as either Dench or Bond were onstage, either separately or, especially, together, the theatre crackled with electricity. This wasn't a two-hander, however, and solid jobs were turned in by Donald Pickup, Eoin McCarthy, Christopher Staines, in a small role at the very end of the play, and especially Joyce Redman as Dench's feisty mother. Samantha Bond was a revelation. To see Dame Judi Dench in anything is a privilege. To see Dame Judi Dench at her finest in a rich and complex role is something you never forget. Bob and I were in awe. A truly unforgettable and thrilling afternoon at the theatre.

LA CAVA – Piccadilly Theatre – London

 

The ever-ubiquitous marketing. Even for unsuccessful shows.

The publicists must have worked overtime to get those quotes.

January, 2001. When this show opened on the West End, it received dismissive reviews. We knew about them, so I'm not quite sure why we saw this. We saw it at a matinee, so maybe it was the only thing on the boards that we hadn't seen.  (God forbid Bob and I should actually see a … gasp … tourist attraction or museum on a matinee day!)  Or maybe we just wanted to see what qualified as a disaster on the West End.  Bottom line? It was far from being the worst thing I'd seen. In fact, while it wasn't especially good, it really wasn't awful, either. It was professional, slick and entertaining. Epic in scope, very epic, in the fashion of Les Miserables with a big, all-encompassing, if forgettable, score, La Cava had a convoluted plot that involved Florinda, a governor's daughter in Spanish North Africa, sent to mainland Spain to learn tapestry and other at-the-time girl things. But, while there,  the Moors threaten to invade and she becomes the mistress of the Spanish king after she first claims he raped her, which causes her father to start a war to avenge her lost honor. In the ensuing melee, her Moorish boyfriend is killed, Florinda discovers she's preggers with the King's kid, but now is madly in love with him, but it's all too late and an onstage bloodbath closes the show. Confused?  Yeah, frankly, so were we.  But it had a superlative physical production, was well-sung, and featured an outstanding performance by Paul Keating as the Spanish queen's conniving page.  Originally we were close to the stage, but moved back in the stalls during the interval because it was just visually and aurally too much.  It closed shortly afterwards. I doubt this musical will ever burn up the Am-Dram circuit. Glad we saw it, though, if only as a curiosity piece.

Sidebar: La Cava originally opened at the off-West End West End Victoria Palace Theatre (no, I really didn't repeat myself), more or less across from Victoria Station. It did dismal business there, but the producers, for whatever inexplicable producer reasons they may have had, claimed the location of the theatre prevented the crowds from coming, so they packed their bags six weeks later and moved to the much more centrally located Piccadilly Theatre. It ran longer there, but still didn't make any money. Curiously, Billy Elliot has been at the Victoria Palace since it opened in 2005. The location hasn't seemed to hurt that show's financial bottom line. Just saying….

And that's it for now. Stay warm!

© 2015 Jeffrey Geddes

AN EARLY FALL WEEKEND IN NEW YORK - October, 2014

AN EARLY FALL WEEKEND IN NEW YORK - October, 2014

Six shows; four days. Two musicals from the Golden Age of Musicals, a Kaufman and Hart classic lovingly revived, a revised and totally hysterical production of a 1985 Terrence McNally play, a star-studded remount of one of Edward Albee's most highly regarded plays and a thoughtful and very funny work by an exciting new(ish) talent. Quite a weekend! Here's the scoop.

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YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU - Longacre Theatre, New York - October, 2014

  

Way, way up in the second balcony of the Longacre. I'm getting far too old to schlep up that many stairs! Great view and could hear every syllable.

Taken just before going in.

Next day...daytime shot. I like the logo better than Bob does.

  

An artistic director for a theatre company in the suburbs thinks of You Can't Take It with You as a high school play. Seriously? Well, then, I suggest seeing what's onstage at the Longacre to dispel that misguided opinion. Sumptuous to look at and acted with humor and affection by an A-list cast, this was a delightful revival of a theatre classic that magically transported the capacity audience back to a gentler, simpler time when everything could be solved with humor and good common, if sometimes eccentric, sense. I'm convinced that James Earl Jones could read the proverbial phone book and we would all be thrilled. His quiet, commanding presence gave a gentle gravitas to the role of patriarch Martin Vanderhof. Kristine Nielsen was a delightfully flaky Penny and, seriously, folks, would you have thought from her role in Damages that Rose Bryne could play comedy with such skill? And seeing Elizabeth Ashley onstage once again was a special treat. (Ashley was the original Corie in Barefoot in the Park back in 1963 and made her Broadway debut in 1959!) Filling in for Annaleigh Ashford in the role of ballerina-wannabe Essie was Barrett Doss and, as we've always experienced with New York understudies, she was excellent. She's also the understudy for Alice and Rheba. Three distinct roles with completely different energies all covered by the same actress. Think about it. In other words, this lass is very talented. A directorial choice by Scott Ellis to have actor Will Brill play Ed very gay was odd, unnecessary and out of step with the rest of the show in general and his otherwise spot-on direction in particular. Kudos to all, but special mention must go to the inimitable Julie Halston as Gay Wellington, whose drunken crawl up the stairs with unabashed scenery-chewing abandon was three minutes of non-stop hilarity. - at the Longacre Theatre, New York.

CAN-CAN - Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ - October, 2014

On the way to the theatre...downtown Millburn, NJ 

 Bobby in front of the theatre.

 Gorgeous show curtain.

The Abe Burrows script, even with the new rewrite, wheezes and lurches along a bit, but that's all right because you have a terrific Cole Porter score, sensational show-stopping choreography, a splendid physical production and a talented cast that featured some star power from the dashing Jason Danieley and the golden-throated Kate Baldwin. Greg Hildreth as the sculptor in love with Claudine impressed yet again with his spot-on comic timing and his all-around likeability. Michael Berresse as Jussac was appropriately all ooze and slime and delightfully as close to a villain as this show gets. Special note must go to Megan Sikora as Claudine. We saw her earlier this year in Marriott Lincolnshire's underwhelming production of Cabaret and found her Sally Bowles bland and uninteresting. Not here. Funny, charming, with a terrific voice and outstanding dance moves, she proved what a talent she is with a good director and choreographer. Both Bob and I are big fans of the aforementioned Mr. Danieley and Ms. Baldwin. Both infused their performances with class, charisma and lush vocals. "C'est Magnifique," "I Love Paris," "It's All Right with Me," "Allez-Vous En" and "I Am in Love" were thrillingly, goose-bumpily sung to perfection by Mr. Danieley and Ms. Baldwin. And I can't forget the comic highlight of the show "Never, Never Be an Artist." There are lots of reasons why the original production ran nearly 900 performances. A piece of fluff, perhaps, but ooh-la-la, c'est magnifique! - at the Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ

ON THE TOWN - Lyric Theatre, New York - October, 2014

First it was the Ford Center, then the Hilton, then the Foxwoods, now the Lyric. What will it become next?

Just two days earlier, this revival of On the Town opened to rave reviews. This is the show that put Adolph Green, Betty Comden and Leonard Bernstein on the musical theatre map. It's a show many put on the short list of seminal, iconic musicals. For me, however, it's a musical of diminishing returns, despite a stunning production, a huge orchestra in the pit (30 if my count is correct) and a likable, attractive bunch of talented actors. The characters, especially the women, are cartoons. Only Jay Armstrong Johnson as Chip registered as a three-dimensional person. The plot is wafer-thin. The second act is all but non-existent. The choreography was perky or artsy as the situation warranted, but paled in comparison to that over at Can-Can and simply became too much of a good thing. Like You Can't Take It with You, this show also features a bonafide scenery chewer. But unlike Julie Halston, whose unerring instincts inform her just how far to take a bit or a piece of business before it becomes too much, Jackie Hoffman was mugging and ad-libbing to the extent that after a while, I actually cringed whenever she made an appearance. That made me sad because I love Jackie Hoffman. Her performance in Xanadu was a comic marvel, but in this show, she seriously needed to be reined in. And I found the portrayal of the MC of the Miss Turnstiles segment as a mincing, gay black man offensive. Ditto that of the two gay men in the Carnegie Hall scene. I'm sure neither were in the original. I don't care when the show was written; this is 2014. It wasn't fun. It wasn't clever. It was just offensive. But that's just me. The audience was clearly having a ball, giving long and loud ovations to many numbers. Curiously, however, when bows came, the hard-working cast received the obligatory standing ovation, but the cheers that accompanied the numbers were absent. It was almost as though the good folks at the Lyric enjoyed the parts more than the whole. Having said all this, though, to hear the Bernstein score played and sung with such skill was great and the evening was enjoyable. I'm glad I saw it. I just wasn't bowled over. For me, it's just On the Town. And, frankly, I could have done without the national anthem being played at the start of the show. Somehow that seemed, I don't know, inappropriate. - at the Lyric Theatre, New York.
        Sidebar: The time has come to keep theatres theatres and not substitutions for your

        living room, your favorite bar or a restaurant. Theatres have long allowed beverages

        and snacks into the auditorium, but at the Lyric they have finally gone too far and have

        introduced something called "Ordertorium." Menus were placed in a holder on the back

        of the seats and patrons can hold up these menus and order food and drinks directly

        from their seats. Thankfully, not during the show itself, but the ease one can obtain

        these things diminishes the experience. During the second act, the smell of Scotch was

        so overwhelming, I was getting an alcoholic rush. By all means, enjoy a snack and 

        cocktail…in the lobby. In the auditorium, let's keep it to just bottled water. Okay…I'll 

        get off my soap box now.

IT'S ONLY A PLAY - Schoenfeld Theatre, New York - October, 2014

The all-star lineup.

Yours truly with some pals from the play. We're all thisclose.

It wasn't at all surprising, given the star-studded cast of theatre vets, that Terrence McNally's play about the theatre would be funny. What was surprising, perhaps, was how relentlessly funny it was. Gasping-for-breath funny. Applause-on-exit funny. And who knew Stockard Channing could be so downright hysterical? A cast with this many award-winning stars could result in everyone stepping on everyone else's toes, but this cast was crisp, precise and a true ensemble. Special kudos to "and introducing" Micah Stock at the would-be-actor working as one of the party staff. His deadpan delivery and earnest cluelessness was a delightful contrast to the zaniness of the rest of the characters. McNally revised his 30-year-old play to make it up-to-the-minute current and everything theatrical was fair game. The simply gorgeous set by Scott Pask was a treat for the eyes. Packed house. Good luck getting tickets. - at the Schoenfeld Theatre, New York
        Sidebar: Definition of both a trouper and a star… During the run of Other Desert Cities,

        Stockard Channing had knee surgery to correct an earlier injury and was out of the show. 

        When we saw it, she had just returned to the show, having missed only a handful of 

        performances. Performing in a brace, she was absolutely brilliant. The knee flared up 

        again during previews of It's Only a Play and she was out on doctor's orders. She 

        returned ASAP to the show and when we saw the show, she was absolutely brilliant 

        (again!) and this time had a cane with her, which she used from time to time, primarily

        for support when standing. This is what true theatrical troupers and genuine stars do. 

        They get their injuries taken care of and then they get back to business as soon as they 

        can get a doctor's release because, well, they're stars and above the title and people paid

        a lot of money to see them. And they deliver the goods. Something younger performers 

        should remember as they call in sick because they have the sniffles or a hangover. Just 

        saying….

BOOTYCANDY - Playwrights Horizons, New York - October, 2014

The scenes in which the protagonist was not directly involved were all a shade too long, but overall Robert O'Hara's bracing play about being black and gay was full of both laughs and thought-provoking scenes. Playwrights clearly doesn't skimp where money is concerned and the physical production was impressive. Even more impressive was the caliber of acting given by the ensemble cast of five. This was the final performance and everyone was giving their "A" game. Not a perfect play and it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I hope this play has a long and successful life. - at Playwrights Horizons, New York

A DELICATE BALANCE - Golden Theatre, New York - October, 2014

First preview! Edward Albee's unhappy, elegant and literate play about the delicate balance called life was brought to vivid life by a cast that included Glenn Close, John Lithgow, Lindsay Duncan, Martha Plimpton, Clare Higgins and Bob Balaban. I wanted to move into Santo Loquasto's beautiful set. There were a few minor tech issues and some lines flubbed here and there, all duly noted, I'm sure, by the production staff sitting a few rows behind us and armed with laptops and yellow legal pads. Ms. Close, making a return to the stage in almost twenty years, has a presence even when she is an observer in the proceedings. Lindsay Duncan has won a Tony and two Oliviers (the London equivalent of the Tonys) and for good reason. Claire is arguably the showiest role in the piece and Duncan skillfully mined all the humor and sadness of this complex character. Martha Plimpton was simply wonderful. In the smaller roles of the neighbors, Clare Higgins and Bob Balaban (the original Linus in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown back in 1967!) were powerful and really kinda creepy. John Lithgow's breakdown scene, however, clearly took the evening's acting honors with an almost terrifying depth and nuance. Already in good shape, this is a solid revival of one of Albee's finest works. - at the Golden Theatre, New York

And that's it for now. Next time, I'll chat about some more top twenty-five musicals. Ta!
© 2014 Jeffrey Geddes