MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS The Honor Roll - Part 4

MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS

The Honor Roll - Part 4

Some more musicals from the fifteen shows that make up my musical Honor Roll. Lots to talk about, so sit back, pour some coffee and let's begin.

SHE LOVES ME - Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, Book by Joe Masteroff

If the only thing She Loves Me had going for it was the glorious score by Sheldon Harnick  and Jerry Bock, that alone would be enough to place it among my top twenty-five musicals. Happily, though, this jewel box of a musical has many more beautiful gems on display. Joe Masteroff's book sparkles with wit and sophistication with a smattering of adult themes all told with taste and class. Unique, perhaps, among musicals, each principal has at least one solo musical moment to shine and the show goes from one musical treat to another. And what musical treats! "Dear Friend," "Will He Like Me?," "She Loves Me," "A Trip to the Library," "Vanilla Ice Cream." I think it's fair to say there isn't a bad, or even mediocre, song in the lot. Not often done, this bon-bon of a show had a too-short original run despite a press kit full of great notices. Producer/director Harold Prince, in an isn't-hindsight-great reflection on the show's financial failure, suggested that the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, which Prince praised as the "perfect" theatre for this show, at just over 1000 seats was too small to financially support the show. Try telling that to the producers of The Book of Mormon, which has been making fistfuls of money at the O'Neill since it opened.  It's also been suggested that She Loves Me was just too delicate, too quiet of a show when most musicals being offered at the time were louder, more obviously there to entertain you. Whatever the case, it played a respectable, though money-losing, nine months and quietly slipped away to the Music Theatre International (MTI) catalog. A revival by Roundabout Theatre in the early 1990s did fine in its Roundabout run, but, sadly, failed once again to find an audience to embrace its remarkable charms in a Broadway transfer. This much-neglected show deserves better. UPDATE: Roundabout has announced She Loves Me as part of its 2015-2016 season!!

October, 2010. As performed at Writers' Theatre's intimate Tudor Court  venue, Michael Halberstam's production of She Loves Me was a mostly lovely affair that played things a bit too gently and sang the songs a bit too delicately. Part of this, I believe, was due to the size of the cast. In the original production, the cast numbered twenty-two. In a 1993 revival by Roundabout Theatre, the cast numbered seventeen. In the Writers' production, the cast numbered only twelve. What this meant was that the ensemble numbers were under-populated and didn't register as well as they should have, most especially in "Twelve Days to Christmas," which just sounded anemic. The five ensemble members needed to be beefed up by three. With an orchestra of four, the score sometimes sounded a bit too thin and I wonder if just using a piano might not have worked better. The talented principals all played their roles with skill and professionalism, including a perfectly charming performance by Jessie Mueller as Amalia, but the acting also seemed muted at times, almost as though Halberstam didn't trust the show enough to let it sing out with unrestrained joy. Yes, She Loves Me is not your typical brassy Broadway musical, but it is a Broadway musical, after all, and far from being a delicate flower, it's full of brio and sass and doesn't need to be handled with kid gloves. Having said all this, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, I really did, but I wanted to be enchanted, and, frankly, I wasn't. – at Writers' Theatre, Glencoe IL

December, 2011. All the sass and brio that was missing from the Writers' Theatre production was in ample supply in this one-night only staged reading benefit for Roundabout Theatre. This was a star-packed, joyous evening that respected the gentle charm of the property, yet let it be funny, stylish, and joyous at the same time. Jane Krakowski as "bad girl" Ilona knows how to work both a stage and an audience and nailed her two solo numbers. Gavin Creel, handsome and debonair, was a suitably sleazy Kodaly. Michael McGrath was a wise and sardonic Sipos (the part I would love to play….attention, Bob!). Rory O'Malley's Arpad was adorable innocence. Peter Bartlett's pinched and overly-proper Headwaiter made a smallish part memorable. Victor Garber can practically do no wrong in my book. His talent has impressed me for decades and he made Mr. Maraczek a warm, yet formidable, character. Josh Radnor's wildly appealing and thoroughly well-sung Georg was a treat. And, best for last, Kelli O'Hara's luminous Amalia centered the entire evening. When she hit that magnificent high note near the very end of "Vanilla Ice Cream," the audience burst into rapturous applause. Yes, she was that good. Yes, she is always that good. It was pure pleasure from beginning to end, smartly staged by Scott Ellis and played to perfection by a seventeen-piece orchestra. I cannot wait for Roundabout's remount next season! – at the Sondheim Theatre, New York

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One of our favorite companies, this was their stellar 2011-2012 season. We saw all of them except for "The Road to Mecca."

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MAME - Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman, Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

From Pinterest...the Winter Garden marquee heralding the first post-Angela Lansbury Mame.

Auntie Mame, Patrick, Vera, Gooch and the cavalcade of fabulous characters that inhabit their lives are old friends of mine. The original novel by Patrick Dennis is a much-loved favorite in my library, a book I have read an almost obscene number of times. The play adaptation by Lawrence and Lee is among my top twenty-five favorite plays. I adore the film version of the play featuring Rosalind Russell's definitive portrayal of Mame Dennis. Lawrence and Lee skillfully adapted their play to a musical book and Jerry Herman added a delightful score to the mix and…voila!...a top twenty-five favorite musical. (The less said about the legendary-for-all-the-wrong-reasons film version of the musical starring a woefully miscast Lucille Ball, the better. Come to think of it, the woefully miscast Barbra Streisand made a hash out of the film version of Hello, Dolly! Mr. Herman just doesn't have good luck with screen versions of his shows apparently.) Mame is not a perfect show. The character of Ito seems more annoying than ever in the musical version. The title tune, while catchy and a toe-tapper, is, well, boring; a lot of cakewalking, running around in circles, twirling parasols and serenading the leading lady who does nothing but smile and nod and look thrilled. She sings not a single note in the song. Odd. "That's How Young I Feel" is an extraneous number for Mame and the younger members of the chorus that's supposed to be fun and festive, but comes off as annoying and makes me want to jump up on stage, smack Mame and tell her to grow up and act her age. "Open a New Window" could be cut by half. It's a great song, but goes on for too long. Yeah, we get it. "Open a new window," blah, blah, blah. Great philosophy, nice tune, but do we really have to open every window in New York City before the song ends? But then, ah…but then, Mr. Herman also offers us "My Best Girl," "Bosom Buddies," "We Need a Little Christmas," "Gooch's Song," and, most especially, the soaring, magnificent "If He Walked Into My Life." Jerry, love, you are forgiven those little musical oopsies. It's a show that makes me smile and feel on top of the world, a joyous romp celebrating life. We all should have an Auntie Mame!

June, 1968. To celebrate graduating from high school, some friends and I went to see the final performance of the 1st National Touring Company of Mame. While the tour did well up to this point, apparently the six-month Chicago run did not live up to financial expectations and the producers decided to close the tour. And that was a pity because Celeste Holm was a marvelous Mame. Not as outwardly madcap or lovably eccentric as either Angela Lansbury or Rosalind Russell, Holm infused the part with a wry wit and genuine warmth that gave this Mame a softer patina. Make no mistake, Holm was no schlub in the glamour department and sang the score with power and confidence. A duplicate of the then-running Broadway original, this production featured an outstanding cast including Wesley Addy (Babcock…and Holm's husband), Ruth Gillette (Mother Burnside), Arsenio Trinidad (Ito), Robert Kaye (Beauregard), Shawn McGill (young Patrick) and especially delicious performances by Vicki Cummings as an hysterical and acerbic Vera and a pre –"M*A*S*H" Loretta Swit (!!) as Gooch. Lovely production. – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

 The Muny program was so loaded with adverts and sponsors that the credits were awkwardly spread out over three pages. A bit cheesy and disrespectful of the talented folks involved in my book.

July, 1976. Ten years after she set Broadway on fire with her Tony-winning performance as everyone's favorite aunt, Angela Lansbury traveled to the historic and massive Municipal Opera in St. Louis, affectionately called The Muny, to show the folks who packed the 11,000 seat outdoor venue exactly what all the fuss was about. So was all the hoopla and the Tony Award win justified? Absolutely. Elegant, funny, loving and just plain fun, you wanted to be Patrick almost from the moment she made her entrance. She commanded the giant Muny stage and that's no small feat. Accompanying her were old pals from the original production, Anne Francine as Vera (Bea Arthur's replacement) and the original Gooch, Jane Connell, and the affection and ease that these ladies had for each other was obvious. Robert Kaye and Arsenio Trinidad were back as Beauregard and Ito, respectively, and Charlotte Jones was a formidable Mother Burnside. Staying close to the look and feel of the Broadway original, the show pretty much copied Gene Saks' original direction and Onna White's original choreography was recreated. How great it was to see this incredible actress in one of her iconic roles. And what a perfect way to spend a warm July evening in beautiful Forest Park. – at the Municipal Opera (Muny), St. Louis

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"In sight, it must be right." 

One of the full-page Muny adverts, this is interesting because none of these places still exist. The Holiday Inn Riverfront Resort (Resort??) is now either the Crowne Plaza or the Mansion Center Apartments, can't tell for sure, but all the establishments that formed "St. Louis' Number One Entertainment Center" are gone.

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June, 2006. You would be justified in thinking that a lavishly mounted, spare-no-expense production of a beloved musical starring a two-time Tony Award-winning and Emmy-winning star and featuring both a Tony-nominated actress and a Tony-winning actress as its primary supporting players and played to musical perfection by a great, big, full orchestra would be greeted with valentines by the critics. Yes, you would be justified in thinking that, but you would be wrong. Curiously, the lush Kennedy Center production of Mame starring a vivacious and radiant Christine Baranski as Mame and featuring Harriet Harris as a peerless Vera and Emily Skinner as a hapless Gooch received less than enthusiastic notices. Primarily focusing on what the critics felt was a lack of connection between Mame and Patrick and a fuzziness in some of the supporting players, the reviews just did not reflect the quality of the performance that we had the pleasure of seeing. Exquisitely designed by Walt Spangler (sets), Gregg Barnes (costumes) and the redoubtable Ken Billington (lights), choreographed with energy by Warren Carlyle and directed with great taste and great fun by Eric Schaeffer, this was overall my favorite production of Mame. Christine Baranski's Mame was vibrant, classy, and touching and her chemistry with both her Patricks was palpable. In terrific vocal form, her rendition of the iconic "If He Walked Into My Life" blew me away in what I now consider the definitive version. Harriet Harris has few peers when it comes to comic timing and her Vera was priceless. Happily, Baranski's comic timing is equally spot-on and the scenes between Mame and Vera were sensational. Emily Skinner's Gooch was winsome, Jeff McCarthy's Beauregard made the most out of a usually thankless role and Max von Essen and Harrison Chad were both charming as Old and Young Patrick, respectively. Both of us thought the production was fantastic. Sorry, critics. You were dead wrong on this one. Sadly, this production did not move to Broadway as was widely rumored and, except for a short-lived 1983 production starring Angela Lansbury, Mame has not been coaxing the blues right out of Broadway's horn. – at the Eisenhower Theatre, Washington D.C.

Sidebar: After the performance, we had the pleasure of meeting Christine Baranski and chatting with her in the outdoor plaza at the Kennedy Center. Gracious, charming and very funny, when I commented how off-base I felt the reviews were, she revealed that many in the production, including her, felt that the show had been reviewed too soon, after only three previews, following a rigorous rehearsal schedule, but the powers-that-be refused to push back the press opening. By comparison, a pre-Broadway tryout of First Wives Club during its Chicago run played a month of previews before being reviewed by the critics. Later reviews of Mame were more in tune with what we felt.

 Bob in front of the Kennedy Center.

 The two of us pre-show.

Bob and Christine enjoying a beautiful day and a chat in the Kennedy Center courtyard. Christine Baranski=class.

That's it for now! Take time out to enjoy a show.

© 2015 Jeffrey Geddes

"B" SHOWS: The Underrated Gems

"B" SHOWS: The Underrated Gems

Back in the days of vinyl records (remember those?), and most especially in the case of 45s, there was an "A" side and a "B" side. Typically the "A" side was the song that the record company wanted promoted; the song that they hoped would become a hit. The "B" side was considered the secondary recording, the stepsibling, so to speak, of the "A" side. That isn't to say, however, that the "B" side songs were bad songs. Not at all. They simply were the other side of the record. I wonder how many of you only played the "A" side of a 45 until one day, either by accident or design, you played the "B" side and went, "Wow. That's pretty good! What a surprise!" I know I did. And according to Wikipedia, the monster hits "I Will Survive," "Maggie May," and "I'll Be Around" were originally the "B" sides to "Substitute," "How Could I Let You Get Away," and "Reason to Believe," respectively. Remember those great "A" side tunes? Me, neither.

Similarly in the movies, a "B" picture was originally the less publicized second film of a double feature. Often the production values were excellent with quality actors, but for whatever reason, just not commercial or good enough to get the full studio treatment. (Sidebar: "B" movies also referred to wonderfully cheesy horror movies and vanity projects that still often featured well-known actors and/or creatives.) Today, a direct-to-DVD film could be considered a "B" picture. A good example of a modern "B" movie would be the enjoyable, direct-to-DVD  "Unconditional Love" with Kathy Bates, Jonathan Pryce and Rupert Everett.

Unlike the film and recording industries, the theatre doesn't have a "B" category. Nowadays, the only categories that seem to exist are hit and flop with nothing to categorize the shows that fall in the middle. Ben Brantley, main theatre critic for the NY Times, uses three measurements: a thumbs up and a big smile for shows he likes, a thumbs down and a "bleh" frown for shows he doesn't and an "on the fence" for those he's ambivalent about. So what is a "B" play or musical? Since there's no official definition, let me give you mine. A "B" show, for the purposes of this blog, is a musical or play that for whatever reason just doesn't catch on. These shows may be written by newcomers, but often they have a good and/or proven pedigree. These shows usually, though not always,  receive mixed reviews, have a short(ish) run and, more often than not, close as financial failures. The reasons can involve something in the production itself that's the "fatal flaw" (often it involves the writing) or it simply could be a really decent work, but nothing out of the ordinary that would attract that all-important, for lack of a better term, tourist audience, especially with today's ticket prices. Offhand I can't think of a single playwright, lyricist or composer who doesn’t have at least one "B" show in their oeuvre. These shows are usually not the ones you immediately think of when the authors are named. For example, do you automatically think of Dear World when Jerry Herman is mentioned? Jule Styne wrote Gypsy, but he also wrote Do-Re-Mi. Harnick and Bock, those Fiddler guys? The Apple Tree. (Yes, I know, I know. I love the show and it had a run of over a year, but it still lost money and has enough flaws in its construction to merit "B" show status.)   What about the Cabaret duo of Kander and Ebb? The Happy Time.  Surely not Rodgers and Hammerstein. Yep. Allegro. And let's not forget the playwrights and their "B" shows. Arthur Miller has After the Fall; Edward Albee has Everything in the Garden; Tennessee Williams wrote the divinely "B" Suddenly Last Summer. Well, you get the drift. All of these shows featured top creative and performing talent. In a handful of cases, a "B" show has won the Tony Award (one to be discussed later). What I guess I'm trying to say is that the true "B" show and especially those I'll chat about, all have wonderful qualities, yet they all are missing that sometimes indefinable something that puts a play or musical into the "A" ranks. Before the costs of producing a show became so onerous with musicals costing in the double-digit millions and plays in the single-digit millions (compared to 1971's Follies which was, at the time, one of the most expensive shows produced on Broadway at just over $525,000 or, depending on the source, $675,000 or thereabouts), a "B" show could run the better part of a season and might even have an afterlife. Sadly, today's theatrical financial environment doesn't allow much wiggle room for a show that doesn't get critical approval (exceptions exist, of course, for those "critic-proof" shows like Wicked and Mamma Mia! that bring in the crowds despite critical ennui).The "B" show, while it still exists, is now typically just a blip on a Broadway season and we theatregoers are the worse for it. But for now, sit back and join me in celebrating some of my favorite "B" shows.

August & September, 1967. I love this quirky, muddled show. Talk about pedigree! Take a look at this: book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner; score by Burton Lane; direction by Robert Lewis; musical staging by Herbert Ross; scenery by Oliver Smith; costumes by Freddy Wittop; lighting by Feder. And that was just the creative team. Heading up the original cast was Barbara Harris, John Cullum, William Daniels, Clifford David, Rae Allen and Tito Vandis. Now that's a damn impressive lineup all the way around. On a Clear Day has a terrific hook and the Lerner/Lane score should rank, if it already doesn't, as one of the finest in the musical theatre. But what it doesn't have is a consistently coherent book and plot and that's why this is perhaps the quintessential "B" show and not the "A" show it could have been. Lerner's take on reincarnation, past lives, psychological therapy, and how chain-smoking, psychic powers and gardening are all somehow and improbably related was often witty and engaging, but there were times when it all just fell apart. It closed after a Broadway run of only 280 performances.  Several of the songs became pop standards and that apparently was good enough street cred for producer Zev Bufman to mount a first-class national tour and this, a revised version as I've since discovered, was the production I saw both on opening night in Chicago and on my 17th birthday. The production starred Howard Keel of movie fame and he scored top marks for being a handsome, big-voiced leading man. For me, however, the star of the show was the young lady who played the female lead (the Barbara Harris role) - Barbara Lang. A fine actress, a good comic and a sensational, earthy singer (note: her "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" stopped the show cold at the Shubert and kept it stopped for a while), she was able to earn a living acting and should have been one of the great theatre discoveries of the late 60s. But, for whatever reason, she wasn't and that, truly, was the theatre's loss. I've tried Google/Wikipedia, etc., but apparently she just disappeared from show business sometime in the late 80s. (No, she is not Barbara Lang, the movie actress, who died in 1982.) On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is my all-time favorite "B" show. Sadly, over the years it has been subjected to a dreadful movie adaptation starring a woefully miscast Barbra Streisand and a 2011 reimagined (mis-imagined?) revival starring Harry Connick, Jr., that will be featured in a future post. - at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

May, 2007. The critics didn't care much for this as a play, but to a person, they praised the estimable talents of its two A-list-and-then-some stars, Angela Lansbury and Marian Seldes. This play marked Lansbury's return to Broadway after a 24-year absence. The plot concerns two former women's doubles tennis champions who are reunited for a tribute at the U.S. Open. During the course of a match, they reminisce about the good old days, old grudges, old friends and the reasons they ended their partnership and, essentially, their friendship. When Mr. McNally kept his focus on the two ladies, the play had a certain easy charm and some surprisingly big laughs. Unfortunately, however, he also added two sports commentators who provided "color" and gave the audience a lot of background history (couldn't that have been woven into the dialogue between the leads?) and a fan who sort of functioned as a one-man Greek chorus, with a number of heartfelt soliloquies about what these two ladies mean to him. While the actors portraying these characters were all very professional and competent, their contributions muddied the play and that is why this is a "B" show. Had McNally written a two-hander, this could easily have been the sleeper hit of the season. As it was, it completed its advertised limited run of 121 performances, plus previews, and closed at a loss. For the record, the audience at the attended matinee, including us, were quite enraptured with Misses Lansbury and Seldes. Talk about your class acts! - at the Music Box Theatre

July,2005. A rare opportunity to see this underrated musical: the sole collaboration between theatre greats Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents. Based on his play, The Time of the Cuckoo, Laurents' book is a bit of a mess which some nicely drawn characters and others who, well, could be cut without any real harm to the story. The heroine is a bit of a pain in the ass, the hero is a dishonest opportunist and adultery abounds. The glory, though, is in the score: a richly melodic, lyrically nuanced treat for the ears. With a better, more consistent, book (and, I suppose, if the authors had actually all played well together), this could have been a modest "A" list show instead of a negative memory for the creative team. A surprising choice for the we-usually-play-it-safe Theatre at the Center, this well-produced, well-directed and well-acted production featured outstanding performances by Chicago favorites Hollis Resnick (a stunning Leona) and Paula Scrofano (a wise and worldly Signora Fioria), with Larry Adams ably portraying the somewhat despicable DiRossi. The matinee audience  seemed to enjoy it, yet at the same time I felt they secretly wished they were watching something a bit lighter in flavor.  In my opinion, long overdue for an Encores production with, perhaps, a revised and sharpened book. - at the Theatre at the Center, Munster, IN

March, 1979. Fourth preview performance. Unofficially based on the film, Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (there's no program credit), the plot revolved around Carmelina Campbell, three GI lovers, a daughter from one of them, 17 or so years of triple child support, a secret admirer and a GI regimental reunion. Myriad complications ensued and there was a happy ending as the curtain fell. With a creative team to die for - book by Alan Jay Lerner and Joseph Stein, lyrics by Lerner, music by Burton Lane - and designed by the cream of theatre designers to give the show a lush look and performed by a cast that included Cesare Siepi for that Italian ambiance and the incomparable Georgia Brown to provide some good, old-fashioned star power, this certainly should have been a winner. Sadly, however, most of the critics dismissed it as being old-fashioned and out-of-step with the times and it closed after only 17 performances. I loved it. It was funny, literate, gorgeous to look at, well-acted (and Georgia Brown was divine!) and had a phenomenal score, capped off with a killer 11:00 number for Brown that had the capacity audience at the St. James applauding like mad. It deserved a much longer run. Old-fashioned? Out-of-step with the times? Perhaps, but I hope the theatre always has a place for the well-written, solid show with great production values; one that places good story-telling and defined characters above flashy projections and gimmicks. Had Carmelina been produced 10-15 years earlier, the critical outcome probably would have been much different and the show would have had a decent, profitable run. Ironically, twenty years later, another version of the source film would open in London (2001 in New York), this time not nearly as well-constructed with a really mediocre script, but with an ABBA treasure trove of hits for a score. It would survive critical drubbings in London and New York and at this writing (May, 2013), is still packing them in eight times a week. That show, of course, is Mamma Mia! and it's one of my guilty pleasures. I wonder, though, if the creators of that show ever think about or know of this little gem that did it all first. - at the St. James Theatre, New York

November, 2006. Bob and I saw this very funny and sometimes very silly play on our anniversary. Considering the plot revolves in part around the U.S. government's legal definition of marriage, it was an appropriate choice. From a production point-of-view, this show was an absolute wow: fabulous set, wonderful lighting and gorgeous clothes. The fabulous Christine Baranski and the late George Grizzard headed up the fine cast, with a tasty and tart turn by Sian Phillips and the scene-stealing Jackie Hoffman doing her best in a role that was simultaneously both overwritten and underwritten.  It finished its scheduled run and that was that. What's the "B" show factor here? Well, folks, it's the Paul Rudnick script. Now understand, I like Paul Rudnick, but I do feel all of his writing, including his fiction, just runs out of steam somewhere along the line, loses focus, and strives too hard to be witty and this play was no exception. The pivotal plot point of gays going on strike for a day to show the world how much the world relies on GLBT people and their talents is a great one and he mined it to good advantage here, but at two acts, it all just seemed too long and I believe the play would have benefited enormously by cutting and trimming it into a smart and sassy 90-minute one act. The reviews were dismissive; reader comments were negative. I liked it quite a lot. It deserved better. - at the New York City Center Stage 1 (MTC), New York

May, 1997. This charmer by Kander and Ebb received mixed to negative reviews and managed only a three month run. Set in Atlantic City at a marathon dancing competition during the Depression, Steel Pier was about second chances, redemption, fleeting fame and making choices on how to live your life. Susan Stroman provided the choreography and mighty good choreography it was, too. Kristin Chenoweth made her Broadway debut as a small-town girl who turns out to be more devious that her wholesome looks indicated. Debra Monk was both hilariously bringing the show to a grinding and sustained halt with "Everybody's Girl" and heartbreakingly desperate in "Somebody Older." Daniel McDonald, who would tragically die at a young age from cancer ten years later, played the hero in a charming, understated performance. Gregory Harrison was the handsomely sleazy marathon manager in a very un-Trapper John, M.D. performance. But it was the remarkable Karen Ziemba's portrayal of faded celebrity Rita Racine which gave the show its heart and center. Ziemba is highly-regarded in the theatre world. There's a reason for that. A terrific, expressive singer, an amazing dancer and a sophisticated, nuanced actor, she's been pretty damn wonderful in everything I've seen her in. "Well, Jeff, if this show was so good, why do you consider it a "B" show?," you ask. It's a "B" show simply because it couldn't find an audience. It just didn't have the must-see reviews. In a season of disappointing and critically underwhelming shows (FYI: this was the season of the dreadful Jekyll and Hyde), this flawed beauty should have run much longer, but sadly that was not to be. I'm so glad we saw this! (Sidebar: future Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler was a member of the ensemble!) - at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York

Winter, 2005. Remember my mentioning that on occasion a "B" show has won the Tony? Hallelujah, Baby! Is one of those shows. Winner of the 1968 Tony Award for Best Musical, this has a dynamic score by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne, shown off to top advantage by the original cast album featuring a awesomely wonderful Leslie Uggams. I somehow managed to miss the tour when it came through Chicago, so I was very excited to finally get the chance to see this in Washington, DC while on a layover. (Note: I planned my flight schedule for that month so I would have a DC layover that would allow me to see this.) The show initially ran for just under 300 performances in New York, opened to very mixed reviews and would close at a loss. Ironically, the Tony Awards the show won would garner no box office bump since it had already closed months before the Tonys were handed out. What makes this Tony winner a "B" show is its confusion about what it wants to be. Ostensibly it's about the history of African Americans over the last century using show business as its narrative engine. But was it supposed to be an entertainment? A political study? A lesson in race and race relations? Arthur Laurents revised his book for this production, first produced at the George Street Playhouse, in part, I believe, to remedy some of the critical concerns of the original production. Even with the revisions, however, the show remained somewhat of a mystery to me. It was very entertaining, the story line was compelling and the performances were all excellent, but there was a undercurrent of anger throughout the show that kept me from truly caring about the characters. Yes, there has been rampant prejudice and despicable behaviour from whites towards blacks, but, as portrayed in the show, the leading character, Georgina, sometimes caused the bad things to happen to her because she was just an insufferable bitch and despite all of Suzzanne Douglas' talents, it was hard to warm up to her character. This has the potential to be a great show. It just needs a loving, balanced revision of its confused book. (Sidebar: songwriter Amanda Green contributed additional lyrics to this production.) - at the Kreeger Theatre (Arena Stage), Washington, DC

That's it for today. Comments welcome. More later!