MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS – Part 16a. THE TOP TEN – #3

MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS – Part 16a

THE TOP TEN – #3

NOTE: Due to the length of this entry, I'm dividing it into two parts. This is part one of two.

The one, the only, the incomparable Gypsy.

The original marquee, the original theatre, the original star.

# 3: GYPSY – Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

When Gypsy opened at the Broadway Theatre in New York on May 21, 1959, esteemed critic Walter Kerr gushed in his review the following morning that Gypsy  was "the best damn musical I've seen in years." New York Times critic Ben Brantley, when reviewing the Bernadette Peters' 2003 revival, proclaimed that Gypsy "may be the greatest of all American musicals, a show assembled by the magical team of Arthur Laurents (book), Jule Styne (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics)." The alternately reviled and admired former New York Times reviewer, Frank Rich, stated, in covering Tyne Daly's triumphant 1989 production, that Gypsy "is nothing if not Broadway's own brassy, unlikely answer to King Lear." Many musical theatre scholars and experts consider Gypsy to be the perfect musical, and who am I to disagree? Gypsy is like a lean, mean, musical machine. Not an ounce of fat on it, well maybe a teeny bit of bloat, every scene, every word of dialogue, every lyric, and every melody is exactly right for developing character, scene, and moving the action forward. The one teeny bit of bloat mentioned in the last sentence occurs during the "Mr. Goldstone" scene when the hotel manager interrupts the scene and chaos ensues, ending with Rose faking a sexual assault. In the 2008 revision by Arthur Laurents, the hotel manager and that part of the scene is cut, and the scene now seems more organic, more real. And in 2018, do you really want anyone faking something as serious as sexual assault? It wasn't funny in 1974 when I first saw the show, probably wasn't all that funny in 1959. Maybe the original Rose, Ethel Merman, managed to wrangle some humor out of it. Moving on….

While the book, lyrics, and music of Gypsy give a director, a choreographer, designers, and actors everything they need to create a memorable production, there are a few traps skulking around. One: It's far too easy to make Rose nothing more than a leather-lunged monster, and with an interpretation like that, the production is doomed. The audience doesn't have to root for Rose, they can even hate her with all their being, but they have to see her as a person, with, perhaps, an overabundance of faults, but also with some redeeming qualities. Rose may be selfish, egotistical, delusional, single-mindedly stubborn, and sometimes flat-out cruel, but she also has a sense of humor, an unshakeable belief that what she is doing is right for her daughters, and a perhaps unconventional, but equally unshakeable love for her children. The flip side to all of this is that it's also easy to try to soften Rose too much, make her likeable. Rose isn't likeable. Admirable, maybe. Charismatic, most definitely. Honest and direct, without a doubt. Uniquely singular, absolutely. But likeable, no. Trap number two: directing and playing Herbie as an afterthought. At first glance, Herbie may seem like a throwaway role, but he's far from it. If Rose is the driving force behind the action, Herbie is the glue that grounds the show, gives it a moral and compassionate compass. He is genuinely a kind and good man, endlessly patient, and he sincerely loves the train wreck that is Rose. So, when she pushes Louise to do the star strip in Wichita, she delivers the coup de grâce that almost destroys Herbie and he realizes he has to leave in order to survive. When Herbie is directed and performed with skill and subtlety, that scene should be a shattering one. Sadly, that's not always the case, and the scene devolves into a shouting match. (This also often happens in the Louise/Rose scene right before "Rose's Turn.") In my opinion, if you don't remember Herbie's performance, the role was tossed away. Trap number three: Louise's "Let Me Entertain You" strip sequence. It's vital to the show because it shows us, the audience, how Louise morphs from the nervous neophyte into the glamourous, sophisticated, elegant star, Gypsy Rose Lee. But, for whatever reason, directors and choreographers seem to want to rush through it, not take the time that it needs to fully land. You need to see Louise become more comfortable, more relaxed, more skilled with her striptease. You need to see her humor develop and, finally, you need to see her having fun and being comfortable in her new skin. You can't skimp on the costumes and it's imperative that you play each short segment as its own scene. And, finally, when Louise finally reaches the peak of stardom at Minsky's, you can't chintz on the production values.The best version of the strip I've seen was in 1974 with the Angela Lansbury production, where they used both showgirls and chorus boys in the Minsky's segment; the worst, by far, was the sanitized version done just recently by Porchlight Music Theatre in Chicago. Let's give this segment the respect it deserves.

Ethel Merman. Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Linda Lavin, Jana Robbins, Bernadette Peters, Maureen Moore, Patti LuPone, Louise Pitre, Imelda Staunton, Beth Leavel, Alene Robertson. All of these talented ladies have played Rose in first-class professional productions. Bette Midler played Rose on television to great reviews, but, frankly, I found it lacking. The inimitable Rosalind Russell played Rose on film, in a movie largely derided today, but, when released in 1962, was a major hit, and, in my opinion, is a flawed, but underrated film, no matter how much Lisa Kirk dubbed for Roz. And how many thousands of talented women have created their own Roses over the decades in regional and amateur theatre? It just may be the single most challenging part ever written for a woman in musical theatre, and I'm confident that it's on many a bucket list. A complex, thrilling role in a perfect musical. It really doesn't get much better than Gypsy.

Fun Fact: In Steven Suskin's essential Opening Night on Broadway (and its sequel More Opening Nights on Broadway), Suskin remarks that Gypsy's relatively short run of 702 performances, less than half that of the inferior The Sound of Music, which won that year's Tony Award, tied with the very-good-but-not-as-good-Gypsy Fiorello!, might have been due to the rather adult-for-the-time content of the show, but, based on complaints from creators Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents, more likely due to Ethel Merman (Rose) and Sandra Church (Louise) often walking through the show, resulting in some adverse word of mouth. (Bob and I saw Tony winner Christine Ebersole walk through her performance in 42nd Street and experiencing that is indeed disappointing.)

A Baffling Fact: Gypsy won no Tony Awards at the 1960 awards ceremony. None. Zero. Nada. Given its reputation today, that seems inconceivable, but there it is. Even the great Merm was snubbed; the tchotchke for Best Actress going to audience and critic uber-favorite Mary Martin for The Sound of Music. Not the first time the Tony Awards have bewildered and certainly not the last.

Original Cast Recordings and Such: Gypsy has had many original cast recordings. The major recordings include the 1959 Original Broadway Cast with Ethel Merman, the 1962 film starring Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood, the 1973 Original London Cast with Angela Lansbury, the 1989 New York revival starring Tyne Daly, the 2003 New York revival with Bernadette Peters, the 2008 New York revival starring Patti LuPone, and the 2015 London revival with Imelda Staunton. The only one of these I don't own is, perhaps surprisingly, the Merman version, and that's because, well, I don't like it. I'm not a Merman fan to begin with and I think all she does is bray throughout the recording, no subtlety, no nuance. I know, I know. Turn in my card, but it is what it is.

And now, without further ado, curtain up, light the lights…GYPSY!

1974 – 2003

The first Broadway revival-1974, Winter Garden Theatre. I tried to get in on a trip to NYC, couldn't get standing room and the cancellations line was enormous.

– Opera House, Chicago

The London cast recording. Mimicking the logo from the Merman original. This was dumped in favor of the stunning logo as shown in the Broadway window card.

London program.

July, 1974. Opening and closing nights. This was the first time I saw a production of Gypsy and the first time I saw Angela Lansbury on stage. What an introduction to both! I bought tickets for the opening night as soon as the show was announced. Listening to the 1973 London Cast Recording, starring Angela Lansbury, after being familiar only with the Merman original and the somewhat flat film soundtrack, was a revelation. Did I hear interpretation? Did I hear something other than just shouting out the lyrics at full volume? Indeed I did. And live, in person, and in character, Lansbury was just jaw-droppingly good. Her Rose was funny, yet could be cold as steel in a heartbeat, ambitious, determined, and yet, ultimately, affecting. I will never forget her "Rose's Turn" and the moment after the thunderous ovation ended and the audience sat down, but with Lansbury still smiling and bowing, when the audience realized that the applause, the ovation, everything, was all in her mind. You could see the mania in her eyes. It was chilling. Rex Robbins was a capable Herbie, a likeable, honorable man. Zan Charisse, niece to famed dancer Cyd Charisse, was a lovely Louise, and her transformation from shy Louise to the confident Gypsy Rose Lee was a joy to behold. British child star Bonnie Langford recreated her London role as Baby June. Also in the cast were Maureen Moore as Dainty June, Mary Louise Wilson as Tessie Tura, John Sheridan as Tulsa, Broadway vet John C. Becher as Uncle Jocko, Gloria Rossi as Miss Cratchitt/Mazeppa, and Sally Cooke as Electra. I bought tickets for the closing performance two weeks later at the interval. Stunning. – at the Opera House, Chicago

Cast Tidbits: By this time, Angela Lansbury had won two Tony Awards, for Mame and Dear World. She would win her third for Gypsy. Mary Louise Wilson was Lansbury's standby and would win a Tony Award in 2007 for her riveting portrait of 'Big Edie' Beale in Grey Gardens. Maureen Moore made her Broadway debut with this production, but thirty years later, would renew her acquaintance with Gypsy as Bernadette Peters' standby in the 2003 revival of Gypsy. There is a YouTube audio clip of Moore performing "Rose's Turn" in performance and it's so good, all you can say is "lucky audience."

– Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

January, 1984. It was over nine years before I would once again experience the many joys that are the musical Gypsy. In 1984, as now, Marriott Theatre, then Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre, was noted for producing quality productions of musicals with a live orchestra, tucked away in their own sound-proofed booth in the back, and, then (see "From the Casting Department"), starring the best of Chicago musical talent. By this time, star Alene Robertson had earned a reputation as 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. While Marriott's Gypsy didn't land with the same "wow" as Angela Lansbury's production, Robertson prowled around the Marriott stage with authority and that booming voice of hers that had me thinking that this was probably the closest I would see of what Ethel Merman did with the part all those years earlier. She was magnetic…and certainly pretty much made everyone else fade into the background. For the record, Paula Scrofano, another Chicago name to be reckoned with, played Louise, and I remember liking her quite a lot, and Vince Viverito played Herbie, and I don't remember a thing about him, which says something about his performance, the sheer overpowering of everything by Ms. Robertson, or both. My reaction would be quite different when I revisited star, venue, and vehicle nearly fifteen years later. – at the Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

From the Casting Department:  Back in the day, most Chicago theatres primarily cast local Chicago talent. Oh, sure, the occasional star popped in now and then, but usually not in a theatre like Marriott or Candlelight, the two primary non-Loop musical houses. Not anymore. It's almost become rare to see local talent headlining a Marriott show. Witness a recent production of Sweet Charity at Marriott where the three leading female roles were all cast with non-Chicago actors, none of them bona fide stars and, though competent enough, certainly could have been cast with local talent, if the quality of the magnificent ensemble was any indication. You'd think the local branch of Equity would care about this practice, but, apparently, they don't. Sigh.

– St. James Theatre, New York

Me in front of the St. James. Back when I was...young(er), much younger.

The St. James as seen from our hotel room at the then Milford Plaza Hotel, now known as Row NYC.

June, 1990. The lights dimmed. The audience burst into applause. The iconic first bars of the overture began. The audience burst into applause. The audience burst into applause as the overture segued from song to song before erupting into the closest thing to a standing ovation while sitting down when the overture finished. The audience applauded when the curtain rose. And when Tyne Daly made her way down the aisle of the St. James shouting out that legendary line, "Sing out, Louise!, " well, frankly, I wondered if the applause would ever stop. You see, both show and star had won Tony Awards that previous Sunday, Best Revival for Gypsy and Best Actress in a Musical for Daly, and audience excitement and expectation was at a fever pitch. We were not disappointed. Not one teeny, tiny bit. Tyne Daly is an actor of almost frightening range, and she brought this skill to a portrayal of Rose that was fierce, sexy, funny, but always, always driven, focused, unapologetic, and determined to get her way at any cost. Daly may not have the vocal chops of a Merman or a LuPone, but she took Rose's songs and acted the living crap out of them, always hitting the notes, never being off pitch, and always making sure the numbers were honest. Seared into my memory are the last minute or so in "Everything's Coming Up Roses" when Daly grabs Louise, a remarkable Crista Moore, in a hug, before, a second later, abruptly and violently pushing her away, and then, in the final moments of the song, claws at the stage floor, rises, faces front and on the last "you", still looking front and totally ignoring everyone and everything except herself, points stage left to where Louise is holding onto Herbie, an equally remarkable Jonathan Hadary, as the curtain quickly descends. Thrilling…and absolutely chilling. And it just got better, culminating in "Rose's Turn," which brought the audience, cheering, to its feet. With not a weak performance in its cast, principals and ensemble alike, this was a Gypsy to savor. I feel privileged and honored to have seen it. – at the St. James Theatre, New York

– Marquis Theatre, New York

May, 1991. House seat. A former friend of mine was friends with Jana Robbins, who played Mazeppa in the show and was standby for Rose, and since I was in New York to see a revue he'd written at Don't Tell Mama and wanted to revisit Gypsy, he arranged for Jana to get me one of her house seats. This was officially a continuation of the original run, though a couple of months after Linda Lavin, replacing Tyne Daly, closed the show at the St. James. The cast was essentially the same as that at the St. James. Tyne Daly was, if possible, even better as Rose, and vocally more powerful and secure. Crista Moore and Jonathan Hadary remained in top form as Louise and Herbie, respectively. And I'd be remiss if I didn't give a nod to Robert Lambert's flawlessly danced Tulsa, and Barbara Erwin, Anna McNeely, and Jana Robbins as the seen-it-all-done-it-all strippers. Once again, Gypsy wove its spell. – at the Marquis Theatre, New York

Jana Sidebar: After the performance, I meet my friend and Jana at a restaurant for drinks. Jana was/is charming, funny, and delightfulling brassy. I liked her immediately. Her CD, "Face to Face" is eminently listenable, and you can find YouTube clips of her doing a couple of numbers from Gypsy. Sadly, haven't seen her in decades, but she remains very much in the business, now concentrating on producing and directing.

– Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

April, 1998. In Marriott's 1984 production of Gypsy, Alene Robertson basically was the show. In Marriott's 1998 production with Robertson reprising her role as Rose, she basically sunk the show. Oh, the Robertson powerhouse vocals were there for the big three numbers, but three strong vocals do not a performance make, and, in the end, she delivered a lackluster, indecisive Rose, neither earth mother nor monster. We went with friends of ours, and they absolutely hated it. Bob and I pretty much felt the same way. I searched and searched for programs, etc. from this production to no avail. I must not have kept any of it. And, that, folks, is an indication of how much I didn't like this production. For twenty years, this ranked as the worst professional production of Gypsy I'd seen. In 2018, however, a truly awful production would take its place. (See Part 2.) – at the Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire IL

– Shubert Theatre, New York

December, 2003. New Year's Eve matinee performance. The casting of beloved Broadway star Bernadette Peters as Rose was met with equal parts disbelief and excitement. Excitement because, well, it's Bernadette Peters, two-time Tony winner, returning to a Broadway stage. Disbelief because, well, it's Bernadette Peters, sweet, soft, dare we say 'adorable?' Bernadette Peters with that unmistakable and unique voice. Could she believably inhabit the coarse, earthy, brassy, monstrous Rose? Well, yes and no, as it turned out. The audience clearly adored her, she turned on the charm when Rose had to be charming, and the stage presence and charisma were at full force. But, director Sam Mendes' vision of a more 'human' Rose muted the life force of the role, and Peters, despite working very hard, ultimately couldn't completely deliver the goods. Regrettably, Peters' distinctive voice just couldn't do justice to Rose's three big aria-like songs, "Some People," "Everything's Coming Up Roses," and "Rose's Turn." She didn't bomb with them, but I didn't get goosebumps, either. And, ultimately, though enjoyable, I felt the whole endeavor was just ill-advised. Reviews for this production were all over the place. Ben Brantley of the New York Times loved the production and hailed Peters' performance. Variety, the show biz "Bible," criticized both the production and its, in their critic's opinion, miscast star. Everyone, however, liked Tammy Blanchard's Louise. I did as well. John Dossett did well as Herbie. Also in the cast were David Burtka as Tulsa (Neil Patrick Harris' husband), Kate Reinders, Brooks Ashmanskas, MacIntyre Dixon, and, as the showstopping strippers, Heather Lee, Kate Buddeke, and the indispensible Julie Halston. In his book, "Mainly on Directing…," Arthur Laurents heavily criticized Mendes' direction and the scenic design, and felt Peters had the potential to be a great Rose, but wasn't properly directed. She was too buttoned-up. It's rumored that later in the run, the directorial shackles came off, either per director Mendes or per Peters' demands, and her performance became electrifying. What we saw was hardly electrifying, but Bernadette Peters and the Rose we saw was professional and hard-working, but not especially remarkable, in an equally competent, but not especially remarkable production. – at the Shubert Theatre, New York

And with that ends Part 1. Part 2 coming soon!

© 2019 Jeffrey Geddes

ALPHABET SOUP (12): SPECIAL EDITION! FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER

ALPHABET SOUP (12): SPECIAL EDITION!

FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER

L

All about a Sondheim masterpiece in three-quarter time. For sophisticated tastes. 

Cue the strings….

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

"Good God! – an adult musical!" was how New York Times' critic Clive Barnes ended his review of Hugh Wheeler, Stephen Sondheim, and Harold Prince's A Little Night Music upon its premiere on February 25, 1973. Nearly forty-five years later, this musical, suggested by Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night, remains a work of sophistication, elegance, and musicality that few musicals since then, if any, have even approached, let alone surpassed. Wheeler's book is clever and witty and compact with nary an extraneous word. Sondheim's score, written in variations of three-quarter time, envelops the entire show with melodies that both caress and soar, and lyrics that are filled with finesse, style, and, frankly, brilliance. The last of the triumvirate of musicals in the early 70s that cemented Sondheim's place as our greatest contemporary lyricist/composer, the other two being 1970's Company and 1971's Follies, A Little Night Music charms and enchants. This is not Sondheim's masterpiece. That title belongs to Sweeney Todd. (Sorry, kids. Sunday in the Park with George is wonderful, but I find the score often unapproachable, and the second act is a letdown from the first act. Into the Woods is pure commercialism…with a message. Nothing wrong with that, mind you. It just doesn't create a masterpiece.) A Little Night Music still has us waltzing to its three-quarter beat and that's a reason to celebrate.

 – Majestic Theatre, New York

Barbara Lang, one of my favorites, was Glynis Johns' understudy.

April, 1974/June, 1974. The glittering design trio of Boris Aronson (scenic), Florence Klotz (costumes), and Tharon Musser (lighting) created the gorgeous environment that complemented A Little Night Music's story of love: young, puppy-like love, past love, mature love, and good, old-fashioned lust. Jonathan Tunick's orchestration were, as always, a joy and the sizeable orchestra in the pit, especially in the string department, gave the score a glorious instrumental voice. Patricia Birch's choreography/musical staging flowed with grace, and Harold Prince's seamless, effortless direction seemed almost invisible. William Daniels was now playing Fredrik and he gave a solid, musically strong performance. You felt his frustration at the unrequited love from his still-virgin bride and his desire for his great love, Desiree. Follies' Victoria Mallory (Young Heidi) and Mark Lambert, in his Broadway debut, were delightful as the hormonally-challenged youngsters. D. Jamin-Bartlett, in her Broadway debut, oozed barely suppressed sexuality and her "The Miller's Son" was one of the show-stoppers of the show. Laurence Guittard as Carl-Magnus was a sexy, vain, and handsome strutting peacock of a man. And acting as a sort of a Greek chorus was that wonderful quintet of singers, Benjamin Rayson, Joy Franz, Gene Varrone, Beth Fowler, and one of my favorite performers, Barbara Lang. Wonderful as everyone was, however, much of the critical praise, and in my opinion deservedly so, fell to three remarkable ladies, each in a different season of life. At seventy-six years old, the legendary Hermione Gingold was a wise, seen-it-all-and-then-some Madame Armfeldt, gruffly affectionate to her daughter and granddaughter, and showing us all how it's done…and from her character's wheelchair, no less. Patricia Elliott, as Charlotte, was a young thirty-five when I saw the show, and her cynical acceptance of the vicissitudes of love was dignified and truthful, and her duet with Ms. Mallory, "Every Day a Little Death" was a highlight. Leading it all was Glynis Johns, then fifty, whose radiance and breeziness as Desiree gave A Little Night Music its glorious heart. And when she sat down in that gorgeous red dress and sang "Send in the Clowns," as it was meant to be sung, you could hear a pin drop, and you felt all her regrets expressed in that smallish, unusual voice. Divine. But this was not the showstopper of the evening. Nope. That distinction fell to the first act finale, the dazzling "A Weekend in the Country," a number so brilliantly conceived and executed, I didn't want it to end, and when it did, I didn't want to stop applauding. – at the Majestic Theatre, New York

Sidebar: A Little Night Music won six Tony Awards at the 1973 Tonys: Best Musical, Best Actress in a Musical (Glynis Johns), Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Patricia Elliot), Best Costumes, Best Book, and Best Score. At 601 performances, it was a financial success. At 23, I was terribly excited to see Glynis Johns, an actress I'd admired since her delicious turn in Mary Poppins and in the little-known aviation potboiler, No Highway in the Sky. I was not disappointed. Favorite Barbara Lang was Johns' understudy and both times I saw the show in New York, I kind of hoped she'd be on as Desiree. No such luck, though. (Johns became ill before the New York opening and Lang took over for a bit, a turn praised by Harold Prince in his autobiography.)

– Shubert Theatre, Chicago

October, 1974/November 1974/November 1974/December 1974. Okay, so I was a teensy bit obsessed with the show when the National Tour stopped off at the Shubert. But, it was so good, I had to see it more than once. This was a duplicate of the original production: gorgeous to look at and listen to, expertly staged, and well-cast. Original cast alum (the original Frid) George Lee Andrews was perhaps, at thirty-two, a bit too young to play Fredrik, but he was handsome and a superb actor and singer. Ed Evanko, who became a priest in his sixties (!!), Virginia Pulos, Andra Akers, Stephen Lehew, and Mary Ann Chinn were cast in the major supporting roles, and they were all excellent. The big difference between this production and the original was in its two primary ladies, Desiree Armfeldt and her mother, Madame Armfeldt. In New York, Glynis Johns was an earthy, bawdy Desiree, with a full-throated laugh and an obvious love for life. Hermione Gingold was equally earthy and though cynical as she went down memory lane in "Liaisons," you knew she had a grand time doing it. Johns and Gingold complemented each other perfectly. For the tour, Harold Prince had the good sense to cast two actresses who would give their own takes on these roles and complement each other as well. Film star Jean Simmons took a break from her cinematic career to take on the role of Desiree Armfeldt. Arguably, Simmons was more glamorous than Glynis Johns, and her Desiree was a bit more sophisticated, a bit more reserved than Johns'. The Wicked Witch of the West as Madame Armfeldt? Seriously? Yes, indeed. Margaret Hamilton's long career was more than just one movie, of course, and she worked constantly for decades, but The Wizard of Oz and the WW of the West, are what she will forever be remembered. So let's give her some props for going on stage at seventy-two, in what would be her final stage role, in a role identified by its originator. Unlike Gingold, Hamilton was more regal, haughty even, as she prowled the Shubert stage in her wheelchair, dismissing the people who invaded her house as though they were beneath her. Her "Liaisons" was more spoken than sung, and you got the impression her affairs were truly more business transactions that paid off handsomely than affairs of the heart, a performance truly in harmony with Simmons' more reserved Desiree. They were both magnificent. The show received a warm reception from the Chicago critics and had a successful run of nearly three months. – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

– Melody Top Theatre, Milwaukee

The Melody Top sign on Good Hope Road, Milwaukee

 The interior of Melody Top. It was not a small venue.

The dinner at the top of Act 2. Lois Hunt, center, looks years older than Earl Wrightson (behind her) even though he was eight years her senior. That's David Holliday at the right and a young and quite glam Holland Taylor, as Charlotte, behind him.

Melody Top

August, 1976. It's not especially often that I don't remember much about a show I've seen. That usually means there was nothing particularly memorable, good or bad, about the production. Curiously, both shows I saw at Melody Top Theatre in Milwaukee that summer, Bells Are Ringing with Tab Hunter and Rita Moreno, and this production of A Little Night Music, fall into the "don't remember much" category. As summer stock goes, Melody Top was highly-regarded. They hired really good people, and if the production values weren't on a par with, say, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse or Marriott Lincolnshire, the shows still had a professional sheen to them. I do remember not especially liking Zoya Leporska's Madame Armfeldt. Not-married-to-each-other-but-everyone-thought-they-were performing duo of Earl Wrightson and Lois Hunt played Fredrik and Desiree. Company alum Alice Cannon played Anne. David Holliday, all blond and good-looking, and the rather insipid male romantic lead in Coco, played Carl-Magnus and, most interesting of all, a young Holland Taylor, already known from television and who go on to great fame as the lead in Moose Murders, played Charlotte. I suspect everything was done well, if not especially compelling. What I remember most about the evening was what I wore that night: a dark blue (roughly the color of my car) suit made out of Qiana, that god-awful, completely unnatural faux-silk fabric popular in the 70s because it flowed really well on the dance floor. Didn't breathe, you sweated like a pig, but you looked good. Designed and impeccably made by my good friend, Durkin, it consisted of a pirate-style shirt cut down to there and loose-fitting drawstring pants. Now granted, I was a mere wisp of a thing back then, but, seriously, what was I thinking? I cringe to this day. – at Melody Top Theatre, Milwaukee 

Sidebar: Old-school, classic summer stock, Melody Top was a celebration of the golden-age of musicals, with the occasional foray into the 70s, operetta, and pre-Oklahoma! musicals. In addition to A Little Night Music,1976's season included: A Funny Thing…Forum starring Arte Johnson, 1776 starring Ross Martin and Stubby Kaye, My Fair Lady with Leonard Nimoy (huh?), the aforementioned Bells Are Ringing, Shenandoah with John Raitt, and Irene starring Jane Powell. No skimping on recognizable names there. Many stars returned to Melody Top season after season. One of the more interesting castings was in the 80s when Jo Anne Worley starred as Rose in Gypsy. Melody Top was class, but the times and public tastes changed, and after twenty-three seasons, it rather unceremoniously closed its doors, cancelling its planned 1987 season.

Apologies to Holland Taylor: Okay, mentioning 1983's Moose Murders perhaps was a bit naughty, but MM is one of Broadway's legendary flops, perhaps the gold-standard for sheer awfulness. Taylor, an established star in 1983, took over the lead role during previews from Eve Arden, fired after only a handful of performances. (Shades of Sandy Duncan and Finding Neverland!) For the record, Samuel French holds the rights to Moose Murders. A ghastly read, but fun in a train-wreck way. Thankfully, the wonderful Ms. Holland survived the ordeal and went on to further acclaim and set the theatre world on its ear with her exquisite performance as Ann Richards in the solo show, Ann. I saw Ann.  I can vouch for her performance.

– Ravinia Pavilion, Ravinia, IL

August, 2002. For those of you who don't believe Patti LuPone ever tanks in a show, I give you Exhibit A: A Little Night Music in a staged concert presentation at the Ravinia Festival in north suburban Ravinia, IL. A year after Ms. LuPone and co-star George Hearn thrilled us all with Sweeney Todd at Ravinia, the powers-that-be decided to pair the two again in another Sondheim classic. And it was pretty awful. And it was pretty awful primarily because Patti LuPone was miscast and poorly directed in a part that simply didn't translate well to her formidable skill set. Putting her in a ghastly blonde wig didn't help either. The discussion at the interval was whether or not we wanted to subject ourselves to more of the same. We decided to stay and were rewarded with, pre-Spamalot and Tony Award, Sara Ramirez as Petra kicking all sorts of serious butt with her thrilling rendition of "The Miller's Son." (see YouTube) The cast was laden with talent: George Hearn (Fredrik), Zoe Caldwell (Madame Armfeldt...oddly subdued), Marc Kudisch as Carl-Magnus (appropriately asshole-ish), and a really good Hollis Resnick as Charlotte. But Patti was the big ticket item, and, sadly, she just failed to deliver. The role of Desiree requires a careful balance of theatricality and subtlety, and LuPone couldn't or wouldn't walk that tightrope. In the interest of fairness, the Tribune's critic did critical cartwheels over this production. I stand by my opinion that this was a miss. – at the Ravinia Pavilion, Ravinia, IL.

Sidebar: LuPone would redeem herself and then some a few years later when her first visit as Rose in Gypsy stormed this same venue. There are many reasons why Patti LuPone is one of our contemporary musical theatre legends, and I'm a big fan, but even legends have their off shows and this was one of them.

– Walter Kerr Theatre, New York

December, 2009. Preview performance (one of the last before opening). A long line at the Kerr box office greeted us when we arrived to hopefully purchase tickets. From overheard snippets while waiting on line, it looked grim. But the fates were with us, thanks to a potential customer who didn't like what was offered to her, and we snared two seats for that evening's performance near the back of the orchestra of the smallish Walter Kerr. To our pleasant surprise, we discovered that one of Bob's former students, Betsy Morgan, was one of the quintet. To our not-so-pleasant surprise, the curtain rose on a dour, gloomy, and frankly ugly set. Gorgeous costumes, though. The nine-piece orchestra, wisely using a harp as one of its instruments, played the score excellently, but it sounded thin and under-nourished, and I often felt, well, musically cheated. Plus the slow tempos for many of the songs gave a lumbering feel to the evening. I felt Trevor Nunn's direction was often heavy-handed. This is a romantic, diaphanous show, Trevor. We're not storming the barricades here. "A Weekend in the Country," partially because of the scenic design, partially because of the size of the orchestra, and partially because of the tempo, lacked pacing and excitement, didn't soar, and didn't leave us panting for more. Where this production shone, however, was in its three principal players. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Desiree was a revelation, giving the part subtlety, humor, and refreshing dollop of sexiness. The magnificent Angela Lansbury gave Madame Armfeldt a regal edge that was slightly self-mocking at the same time. Alexander Hanson, reprising his London Menier Chocolate Factory role, was astonishingly good, sexy, and handsome as Fredrik. Erin Davie (Charlotte), Leigh Ann Larking (Petra), Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, especially endearing as Henrik, Ramona Mallory (Anne), playing the role her mother, Victoria Mallory, originated in 1973, and Aaron Lazar, all bluster and ego as Carl-Magnus, rounded out the major roles. The quintet (Stephen R. Buntrock, Jayne Paterson, Marissa McGowan, Kevin David Thomas, Betsy Morgan) sang beautifully. The Menier Chocolate Factory, where this production originated, is a very small London venue, not capable of all the bells and whistles available in larger houses. By not adapting the production design to the larger Kerr stage, the show itself looked on the cheap. (This cheap look was also noticeable in the 2016 West End transfer of Menier's Funny Girl.) The critics were divided; some loved it and some hated it. I was a fan of the performances, but not of the production. Catherine Zeta-Jones would win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the revival's only Tony win. Some felt she didn't deserve it. They were wrong. – at the Walter Kerr Theatre, New York

Sidebar: Much was made of Zeta-Jones' performance of "Send in the Clowns" on the Tony Awards. It wasn't particularly good. Vocal problems were cited as the reason. At the performance we caught, she was excellent and in fine voice. So there.

Backstage Sidebar: Betsy met us afterwards and took us backstage. Bob was in geek heaven.

And as the final waltz comes to an end, we'll say goodbye to A Little Night Music.

© 2017 Jeffrey Geddes