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

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

THE TOP TEN – #3

Note: This is Part Two of Two

"Maybe there's something wrong with your bumper." – Mazeppa, Revoluntion in Dance. 
"I'm a strip woman, slob. I don't do no scenes. Now screw!" – Tessie Tura.

Gypsy … continued!

2006 – 2018

LuPone/Rose…A Tale of Show Biz in Three Parts

Part One: The Tryout

– Ravinia Pavilion, Ravinia, IL

August, 2006. Not a script in sight. Actual scenery. Not a lot, but more than your typical staged concert version. Costumes. Lights. Come to think of it, this wasn't a staged concert version at all. This was a fully-staged, fully-choreographed production of the 1959 classic. With an honest-to-god Broadway STAR. Icing on the cake? The famed Chicago Symphony Orchestra as the pit band. Some pit band, right? The cheering going on throughout the evening from the capacity crowd inside the Pavilion and the crowd on the lawn outside probably was heard in nearby Highland Park. Hearing Gypsy's famed overture played by the CSO is a treat not to be missed. Director Lonny Price didn't offer any new insights in this production, but he did offer us a nicely-paced, efficient staging cast with skilled actors. Bonnie Walker recreated the original Jerome Robbins' choreography. Everything looked and sounded good. The Tribune critic didn't much care for either Jack Willis' Herbie or Jessica Boevers' Act Two Gypsy Rose Lee, though he loved her Act One Louise. Truthfully, I don't remember Willis at all, and I found Boevers charming. But above all, this was LuPone's show. Although she'd done Ravinia gigs before in other Sondheim vehicles, Rose was the role everyone wanted to see her tackle. And tackle it she did. Again, not a blazing new interpretation of Rose, but a solidly acted, charismatic, take-no-prisoners characterization that served her well and sent her audience into frequent rapturous applause. And the famed voice? Well, Jule Styne's score never sounded so good. Little did we realize at the time, though I think we all hoped, that this was just the first step on a journey that would end up at Broadway's St. James Theatre. – at the Ravinia Pavilion, Ravinia, IL

"I Like Men Without Hair…" After the disastrous 1998 Marriott production of Gypsy, I was surprised that we were able to convince our friends to come with us to Ravinia, but we did. As luck, or good timing, would have it, I was able to switch our seats from the back of the Pavilion to the front row, so we were able to see everything really up close and personal. One of our friends is pretty bald. During Louise's strip, one of her lines in the Minsky's segment is "I like men without hair." Apparently she spotted Michael, came down front, leaned over and pointed at him and said the line. Perfect. Just perfect. And for the record, our friends loved this production.

Part Two: The Dress Rehearsal

– New York City Center, New York

Possibly the best logo for the show...ever! Seriously. Is a first name necessary?

July, 2007. Prior to the Ravinia outing, there was a legendary feud between Patti LuPone and librettist/director Arthur Laurents, with Laurents famously stating that he would veto casting LuPone as Rose in any New York production of Gypsy. Fortunately for the theatre world, Ravinia is nearly 800 miles from New York, and equally fortunately, Lonny Price could not have cared less about a feud and cast Patti LuPone as Rose. Word apparently reached Laurents about LuPone's performance, peace overtures were made, and the feud ended. (For more about the feud and an extensive recounting of this production as well as the 2008 Broadway production, I highly recommend reading Laurents' Mainly on Directing: Gypsy, West Side Story, and Other Musicals. Fascinating, detailed read.) If Ravinia was the tryout, City Center was the dress rehearsal for the Broadway productions a few months down the road. Already in command of the role, LuPone added more subtlety and nuances, began to discard the "standard" Rose portrayal to make it her own. She purred, she charmed, she yelled, she terrified, she sang her songs to the rafters. With no disrespect to her Ravinia castmates, the folks Arthur Laurents assembled for this outing were superior in every role, especially in the pivotal roles of Herbie, Louise, June, and Tulsa (Boyd Gaines, Laura Benanti, Leigh Ann Larkin, and Tony Yazbek, respectively). A limited three-week run at the massive City Center, this was as good as they get. From a close-up seat in the orchestra, we were in musical theatre heaven. – at the New York City Center, New York

Part Three: Broadway

– St. James Theatre, New York

October, 2008. LuPone on Broadway and Bob's 60th birthday, one day late, two memorable events! Patti LuPone's journey as Rose to Broadway took three productions, from a slimmed-down version in an outdoor venue to a limited-run production in a massive Midtown barn to, finally, a fully-mounted, mouth-watering Broadway production that had critics praising production, Arthur Laurents' direction, the cast, and, especially, leading lady LuPone. Gone were any suggestions of tentativeness. Gone were any nods to any other Rose. What LuPone gave us was a Rose as portrayed by an actor of uncommon skill, who just happens to have a singular singing voice that can thrill and enchant at the same time. With invaluable support by co-stars Boyd Gaines, Laura Benanti, Leigh Ann Larkin, and Tony Yazbek, this was a Gypsy to revel in, rich in subtlety, depth and nuance, yet never once did it forget that the show also has a great deal of fun and humor, most especially on display when Marilyn Caskey (Electra), Lenora Nemetz (Mazeppa), and Alison Fraser (Tessie Tura) tore up the stage in "You Gotta Get a Gimmick." Lest anyone question LuPone's iconic position as one of the great Broadway stars, the ovations she received upon her entrance, and the conclusions of "Everything's Coming Up Roses," and "Rose's Turn, and when she took her bow, would put anyone's doubts to rest. Thrilling. Spectacular. Breathtaking. – at the St. James Theatre, New York

Tony Time: Although Gypsy would be overshadowed by the stunning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center, it picked up three Tonys for acting: Boyd Gaines (Supporting Actor in a Musical), Laura Benanti (Supporting Actress in a Musical), and Patti LuPone (Best Actress in a Musical). This would be LuPone's second Tony Award, long overdue, and the third Tony awarded to leading ladies playing Rose, the other two being Angela Lansbury and Tyne Daly. As mentioned in Part One, the original Rose, Ethel Merman, was snubbed in favor of Mary Martin in The Sound of Music.

– Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago

February, 2014. Someone really needs to give Gary Griffin a director's handbook since the poor dear doesn't seem to grasp the difference between a proscenium stage and a thrust stage. The main stage at Chicago Shakes is thrust. Don't direct the show as though you're at the Shubert. He also could use a mentor since his direction was pedestrian and lackluster. This production didn't really hit its stride until late in the first act when Louise and June sang a sensational version of "If Momma Was Married." The song gave what was, up until that point, a sporadically entertaining show, the shot in the arm it needed. Jessica Rush as Louise was a marvel. I loved, loved, LOVED her. Kudos to the delicious trio of strippers - Rengin Altay, Molly Callinan and Barbara E Robertson - who chewed the scenery with abandon and stopped the show with "Gimmick." Keith Kupferer's Herbie was competent, if unmemorable. But Gypsy, for all its glories, needs a dynamic Rose to send it soaring. Louise Pitre got there at the end with a full-stop terrific "Rose's Turn" and her acting was solid throughout, but her singing wasn't strong. It was almost as if she was saving her voice for the two big act-closing numbers and she nailed both of them, but the other numbers felt tentative, even uncomfortably lackluster. (In fact, Bob and I thought she may have been ailing and that accounted for the weak voice. She wasn't.) Don't get me wrong... Pitre ended strong, but getting there, vocally at least, was a challenge. Overall, fine production values with a big (for the Shakes), brassy orchestra. The house was curiously small. We enjoyed it, but not my favorite production of this true musical theatre classic. - at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago

– Connecticut Repertory Theatre (Harriet Jorgenson Theatre), Storrs, CT

Those eyes say everything.

(edited from an earlier post)

July, 2014. Michael James Leslie must have one helluva agent to get that kind of billing for that small of a role. He did a fine job, mind you, but still. The staging needed polishing and tightening, the costumes and hair were ghastly and the sets varied between good and we-ran-out-of-time, but the lighting was excellent, the small orchestra crisp, and the cast generally up to their tasks. (The strippers were far, FAR too young and had the misfortune to wear the show's worst costumes, but were energetic and exceedingly funny and delivered these wonderful parts with great glee.) As Rose, Leslie Uggams sang the crap out of the iconic score and delivered a strong, vibrant performance that would have been improved with stronger direction and some more rehearsal. (Bob wanted to spend some one-on-one time with her.) Ms. Uggams can do more with her eyes than many actors can do with a much-rehearsed speech…warm and loving one second, fierce and scary the next. Her "Rose's Turn" was just plain fabulous. The theatre was very small and from our second row seats, we got Madame Rose and pals up close and personal. Summer stock, even a bit cheesy at times, but glad we saw it. A terrific show with a true star. – at Connecticut Repertory Theatre (Harriet Jorgenson Theatre), Storrs, CT

– Savoy Theatre, London

May, 2015. A fresh, vibrant production that proved once again that Gypsy may be the best musical ever written. Although director Jonathan Kent's production egregiously billed star Imelda Staunton as "Momma Rose" in the program, oh, the horror, the horror!, that was just about the only thing in this production one could find fault with. The actor playing Herbie was, frankly, too old, but did a solidly professional job. Lara Pulver's Louise was simply excellent. And what about Imelda Staunton, you might ask? Did she live up to the breathless hype? The answer is an unequivocal "yes." She was that good. Kent offered some unique directorial touches throughout that added nuance to the show, especially in the final scene between Louise and Rose. After her fiery and desparate "Rose's Turn," the final slow, resigned, if not defeated, walk offstage behind her daughter at the show's conclusion, gave Rose a frailty not seen before. Her Rose was unique, thrilling, unforgettable. And the audience ate it up. Great production values, sparkling orchestra, packed house. Worth the trip to London. — at the Savoy Theatre, London

– The Muny (Municipal Opera), St. Louis

 Free seats way, way up there!

The massive stage of the Muny.

 

July, 2018. The 11,000 seat outdoor Muny is a tough house to play. It's just so massive, but director Rob Ruggiero kept a laser focus on what was happening on that enormous stage, making the 11,000 seat house seem almost intimate. That, my friends, is talent. Ann Harada's entrance as Electra was one of the funniest bits I've seen in ages. In less accomplished hands, it could have been too much, but Harada's timing was comic flawlessness. It's been said time and again, but Gypsy's success depends on its Rose, and Beth Leavel's Rose was nothing less than phenomenal. Truly, this was one of the best portrayals of this complex role that I've seen, full of love, rage, fierceness, tenderness, and full-on selfishness. Her "Rose's Turn" was a powerful explosion of talent, and the audience greeted it with a full-on ovation. This was a first-rate, first-class production from start to finish. And all of it performed in beautiful Forest Park with majestic, giant trees framing the stage. Magical. – at The Muny, St. Louis

– Porchlight Music Theatre (Ruth Page Center for the Arts), Chicago

November, 2018. Sadly, saving the worst for last… In the cold, uninviting environs of its new home, the star of Porchlight's production of Gypsy, E. Faye Butler, displayed three qualities: loud, yelling, and inaudible. What she didn't display was any subtlety or interpretation. But then, neither did her production. It looked cheap. It looked under-rehearsed. There was absolutely no warmth or chemistry among the cast. The staging was lots of wandering around. And what was with that idiotic decision to combine "Goldstone" and "Little Lamb," robbing Louise of her own applause? Leave the damn material alone. This was, to my distress, a production rampant with misses. Overall, it played like a not-very-good community theatre production. I liked the orchestra. "If Momma Was Married" was good. "You Gotta Get a Gimmick" stopped the show as usual. The actress playing Louise was quite good until she became Gypsy Rose Lee, then she inexplicably became bland. I've never been a fan of Porchlight, and this did nothing to change my opinion. Their slogan is "American Musicals, Chicago Style." If this is an example of "Chicago Style," the city should sue for defamation of character. The critics absolutely fainted over this, and for the life of me, I can't imagine why. I suspect the cast gave a different performance at the start of the run, but, by this time, had gotten bored, lazy, tired, whatever. Or it could just be Porchlight's critic-proof status in Chicago. A major and sad disappointment, especially since I've long been a fan of Ms. Butler and thought she would be an exciting Rose. Guess not. After a thrilling production of Downstate at Steppenwolf the previous week, this was truly a letdown on the local theatre front. Sad, just sad. – at Porchlight Music Theatre (Ruth Page Center for the Arts), Chicago

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And with that, I'm up to date with Gypsy. So, who was my favorite Rose, you ask? Hands down…Tyne Daly. Surprised? Arthur Laurents claimed LuPone was his favorite, and without a doubt her performance was jaw-dropping. But, and this is a big "but," despite all the praise lavished on her performance by myself and the critics, I was still aware I was watching Patti LuPone. Good as she is as an actor, and believe me, she is mighty good, she cannot completely shake off the LuPone aura, charisma, whatever you want to call it. That voice is just too damn good and too damn distinctive. Tyne Daly, however, became Rose. She was Rose from her "Sing out, Louise" and never once became Tyne Daly. And to be honest, there were times, like at the end of "Everything's Coming Up Roses," where she scared the crap out of me. She may not have had the LuPone voice, but Daly was magnificent,  truly unforgettable. In my book, the definitive Rose.

"Something wrong with stripping?" See ya!

© 2019 Jeffrey Geddes

ALPHABET SOUP (6) - FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER

ALPHABET SOUP (6) -

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

It's been a very long time since I've drawn a letter from my blue London coffee mug and picked the first few shows from that letter's pile of programs. Far too long. Time to remedy that. 

Today's letter is ….

J

Here's some of what "J" has to offer…an Irish classic, a rarely-done play by an American original, a revue celebrating a favorite theatre composer, and, a, well, you-just-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it, uh, play.

JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK – The Artistic Home at Theatre on the Lake, Chicago

 

July, 2009. I first saw what is considered to be playwright Sean O'Casey's masterpiece in 1981 in a Royal Shakespeare Company production starring Judi Dench. I didn't especially care for it then, finding it a long, dense haul, and I didn't especially care for it in 2009. Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of Irish theatre. I often find it too melancholy, too oh-woe-is-me for my tastes. But a former colleague of Bob's was in the cast, so off we went for a melancholy, oh-woe-is-me evening with the dysfunctional Boyle family. This production, in its initial run, received good reviews from the Chicago critics. Resurrecting it for a week's run at the Theatre on the Lake was a bold choice for the Chicago Park District since O'Casey is not anyone's first choice for a summer evening's entertainment on the Lake. To The Artistic Home's great credit, they managed to do a creditable job in the less-than-ideal space they had to work in. Production values were solid and the direction did the job. The acting, for the most part, was able and competent, but at times, it veered towards broad comedy that teetered towards caricature. Pacing, volume and diction were also sometimes a challenge for the cast in this ¾ round space. It was still a long, dense haul, but this production was earnest and I didn't hate it. Didn't convert me to an O'Casey fan, however.

JUST SAY NO – Bailiwick Repertory Theater, Chicago

David Zaks must not have seen the same production that we saw.

'The Pride '99 lineup. 

May, 1999. With author Larry Kramer in the audience, Just Say No lumbered through its performance with scattered bits of humor, some decent production values, and committed, though not always successful, performances by its cast. And, yes, "lumbered" is the correct word. The play aspired to be a hysterical, yet politically astute farce that would skewer the early Reagan years in general and the Reagans themselves and their cronies, especially then-NYC-mayor Ed Koch, in particular, something that I would normally really get into. Sadly, however, the whole endeavor lacked the wit and zaniness of a farce. Even sadder, however, was a lack of political astuteness and biting satire. Oh, there were moments, but it often just sat there, spewing dialogue that reflected Mr. Kramer's obvious distaste for everything Reagan while not really making a point. (I have a definite distaste for everything Reagan and even I found the most of the proceedings pointless.) The plot had something to do with a sex tape cover-up that supposedly really did happen during the Reagan years. I know, sex tape and Reagan? Ewww. With a stereotypical gay confidant and an equally stereotypical sassy black maid, an often shirtless and equally often wooden, though likeable, Greg Louganis (yes, the Olympic champion swimmer Greg Louganis) as the play's version of Ron Reagan, and a darkly comic Alexandra Billings, looking stunning in a red dress, as the thinly-disguised Nancy Reagan, this revised version of Kramer's 1988 off-Broadway original missed far more often than it hit its satiric mark. Panned as vastly inferior to Kramer's landmark The Normal Heart, Just Say No has only had three professional productions to date. There's a reason for that.

JERRY'S GIRLS – Shubert Theatre, Chicago

The La Cage segment was, curiously, with the exception of Leslie Uggams' "I Am What I Am," the weakest part of the show. It seemed forced somehow. And really, we're ending with "The Best of Times"? No. Stop it.

November, 1984. Capitalizing on the previous season's smash hit success of Jerry Herman's Tony-winning La Cage aux Folles, and the overwhelmingly positive reviews Jerry's Girls had received a few years earlier in a cabaret format, lead producer Zev Bufman and his cohorts thought the time was right for a Jerry Herman revue, celebrating the beloved tunesmith in an evening of some of his best songs and  performed by a trio of leading ladies and a chorus of five female singer/dancers. Conceived by Jerry Herman himself and director Larry Alford, whose billing, to be precise, was "Staged and Directed by Larry Alford," though I don't quite get the difference, and touted as "A Broadway Entertainment," Jerry's Girls was amiable enough in a summer stock-tent theatre sort of way with great tunes and modest production values. Pleasant, professional, but not quite enough for "A Broadway Entertainment." What propelled this overgrown cabaret show into the big leagues was its powerhouse trio of leading ladies: Carol Channing, Leslie Uggams, and Andrea McArdle. Playing it safe and playing to audience expectations, this trio did exactly what was expected of each of them. Carol Channing, the quintessential larger-than-life performer, reprised Dolly (duh!), in full Dolly drag for the title tune, and handled most of the evening's comic chores, with her highlight being a beyond funny take on a striptease called "Take It All Off." Leslie Uggams, singer extraordinaire, delivered the goods on the show's more ballad-y, mature lady songs and especially shone with a haunting "If He Walked Into My Life" in Act One and a powerful "I Am What I Am" in Act Two. Twenty-one-year-old Andrea McArdle, all grown-up and no longer the red-headed urchin that catapulted to fame in one of Broadway's most auspicious debuts, sank her considerable vocal chops into the more, for lack of a better word, "youthful" material, and sent soaring versions of "Wherever He Ain't" and "Time Heals Everything" to the last row of the Shubert's second balcony. For me, one of the evening's highlights was an unexpected "The Tea Party" from the underrated Dear World, nicely executed by the three leading ladies. It didn't all work and, frankly, a few things just tanked, but the Chicago critics were kind and the audience absolutely ate it up.

Sidebar: When Jerry's Girls opened on Broadway a year later with only Leslie Uggams still in the show and 2/3 of the design staff replaced, it received negative reviews and never played to a capacity higher than 67% and at one point played to an abysmal 28% capacity. It closed after a run of only four months. It's somewhat staggering to realize that the last original Jerry Herman musical, La Cage aux Folles, opened over thirty-two years ago.  

JEFF STRYKER DOES HARD TIME – Bailiwick Repertory Theater, Chicago

No understudies were listed. Guess it didn't much matter.

April, 2001. The star attraction of Jeff Stryker Does Hard Time didn't make its appearance until the last five minutes of Act Two. Suffice it to say that when the star attraction finally did appear, it was, well, impressive. For in Jeff Stryker Does Hard Time, Jeff Stryker himself playing himself was not the main attraction of the evening; rather, it was his, uh, star quality that took the honors. Yeah, that's it. Oh, wait. I'm assuming everyone knows who Jeff Stryker is. Well, for those of you who don't, Jeff Stryker was a major, even iconic, adult film star in both straight and gay porn in the late 80s and throughout the 90s, a man whose main "acting" attribute was, and still is, a rather sizeable endowment. So it was this attribute that Mr. Stryker brought with him when Stryker Productions brought Jeff Stryker Does Hard Time for an engagement at Bailiwick. (Actually it says "Stryker Productions is proud to bring to Chicago…") Without a credited author, it's hard to know who actually wrote the damn thing, although some internet research says that Stryker and John Travis were responsible for the deed. With the quality of the dialogue that was spoken on the Bailiwick stage, I think I'd remain uncredited, too. There was a plot of sorts. It all took place supposedly in Cook County Jail, though the set looked more like a dormitory at a less-than-classy university. I'm not sure what prompted Mr. Stryker's stay there. I'm not sure anyone cared. The best performance by far of the evening was that of Cory Krebsbach's Queenie, a stereotypical portrait right out of the early 70s (can you say The Boys in the Band?), but, sadly, that's not saying much. The rest of the cast, well, all I can say is they knew their lines. It was a mess, with almost every scene not making any sense or connecting with any other scene. But, bewilderingly, it was rather fun, in a so-bad-it's-good way. I don't think anyone onstage took it seriously, least of all Jeff Stryker, who genuinely seemed to be enjoying making fun of his image, while at the same time not being terribly concerned about his chances of nailing a Jeff nomination. Now back to the star attraction. Near the end of the show, and for absolutely no reason that made any dramatic sense, Stryker stripped down, oiled up, and stroked the aforementioned sizeable endowment, aka the Star Attraction, to being thisclose to a full erection, thus avoiding any nasty public obscenity and/or public pornography charges. He then took himself and Star Attraction up the theatre aisle to give the audience a good view. Bob, seated on the aisle, got an especially up close and personal look. I was expecting nudity, but I wasn't expecting that. (That bit of nudity, if memory serves, was the only actual full monty nudity of the evening.) To end the evening, Jeff Stryker, discreetly robed with Star Attraction nowhere in sight, greeted each patron as they exited the theatre. I don't want to say it was classy, exactly, but given everything else that had gone on that night, it was an unexpected, nice touch. The run sold out and Jeff Stryker went on to other cities. As far as his supporting cast goes, if any of them are still in the business, I suspect this credit has mysteriously dropped off of their resume.

Sidebar: Bailiwick Repertory Theater was the center of LGBT theatre in Chicago until it closed in 2009. The quality ranged from excellent to okay to bad, but the one thing you could always pretty much count on was that there would be nudity of some sort during the performance, at the very least very cute shirtless men if not full frontal stuff. I once quipped that if Bailiwick did a production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Nick would be showing us the goods before the evening was over. Kidding aside, though, they were an important, even vital, part of the Chicago theatre scene and they are missed. Pride Films and Plays now fills that void, to an extent, and continues Bailiwick's proud tradition at presenting bare skin whenever possible.

That's all for today. See you soon!

© 2015 Jeffrey Geddes

SUMMER SNAPSHOTS: NYC, WASHINGTON, MINNEAPOLIS, STORRS (WHERE?) AND CHICAGO - Summer, 2014 - Part 2

SUMMER SNAPSHOTS: NYC, WASHINGTON, MINNEAPOLIS, STORRS (WHERE?) AND CHICAGO - Summer, 2014 - Part 2

THIS IS PART 2 of what we did during our summer vacation!  Two classic musicals in much-heralded regional productions, one far more successful than the other, some tryout action, a bit of summer stock, a historic Tony winning performance, one of the most terrible times I've had in nearly fifty years of going to the theatre and some really first rate playwriting. A very good summer, indeed. 

BRIGADOON - GoodmanTheatre, Chicago

July, 2014. Brigadoon, the beloved classic from the early days of the Golden Age of Musicals, was, sadly, not done any favors in the lackluster, sloppy production at the Goodman.To its credit, the magnificent score was beautifully sung by a vocally talented cast and played by an excellent pit orchestra, but, other than that, there was no magic to be found in those highlands. The leads had zero chemistry; I was wondering if they even liked each other. Flavor-of-the-month Rachel Rockwell's direction was pedestrian and tired. Inspired by Agnes de MIlle's original choreography, the dances were better, but relatively bland at best and not crisp and precise at worst. The cast was too small by about one-half dozen and as a result, the group scenes looked anemic and underpopulated, especially during "Down in MacConnachy Square" and "Entrance of the Clans." (A clan of two? Well, okay then!) The acting had no color and everyone was the same shade of boring gray. The only thing all this reimagining and refreshing did was fuck up a perfectly good, if at times clunky, show and pretty much bore the crap out of me. I love Brigadoon and really, really wanted it to be wonderful. Sadly, it was just another Goodman show...big on hype, big on attitude and small on results. 

SEUSSICAL - Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago

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July, 2014. Absolutely delightful. Full production values, a sparkling band and terrific performances made Esme's first theatre outing a rousing success. The show is a bit too old for a four-year-old and by jettisoning most of the book, there were odd plot bumps that, frankly, made no sense and characters that were there for no apparent reason. But then there is that fabulous Flaherty/Ahrens score! Don't have a kid? Go anyhow. 

GYPSY - Connecticut Repertory Theatre (Harriet Jorgenson Theatre), Storrs, CT

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July, 2014. Michael James Leslie must have one helluva agent to get that kind of billing for that small of a role. He did a fine job, mind you, but still. The staging needed polishing and tightening, the costumes and hair were ghastly and the sets varied between good and we-ran-out-of-time, but the lighting was excellent, the small orchestra crisp, and the cast generally up to their tasks. (The strippers were far, FAR too young and had the misfortune to wear the show's worst costumes, but were energetic and exceedingly funny and delivered these wonderful parts with great glee.) As Rose, Leslie Uggams sang the crap out of the iconic score and delivered a strong, vibrant performance that would have been improved with stronger direction and some more rehearsal. (Bob wanted to spend some one-on-one time with her.) Ms. Uggams can do more with her eyes than many actors can do with a much-rehearsed monologue… warm and loving one second, fierce and scary the next. Her "Rose's Turn" was just plain fabulous. The theatre was very small and from our second row seats, we got Madame Rose and pals up close and personal. Glad we saw it. Gypsy currently reigns as #3 in my top ten musicals, so more will be said about the show itself in a later post.

MY FAIR LADY - Wurtele Thrust Stage, Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis

Great to see one of my favorites from my early days of theatre-going in another role after 42 years!

July, 2014 Higgins enters the study after "I've Grown Accustomed, etc." and turns on the gramophone. Eliza's voice is heard. Eliza enters in a special and, inexplicitly, IN HER BALL GOWN, utters the famous penultimate lines while looking straight ahead and never EVER reacts to Higgins. Higgins says the final line, the music soars, Eliza remains unmoving in her ball gown and in her special and the show ends. WHAT??!! I won't even go into the train wreck that was the staging for "On the Street Where You Live," though it was impeccably sung. These missteps marred an otherwise solid production starring three top-notch leads (Jeff McCarthy, Tony Sheldon and an refreshingly feisty Helen Anker), a talented supporting cast (special nod to Donald Corren's terrific Doolittle, and I normally detest everything about that role) and a super orchestra that played the iconic score with a bracing crispness. This was not as elegantly designed as other Guthrie shows and a bit under-populated in the big full-cast scenes. The highlight for me was to see, for the first time in 42 years, the wonderful Melissa Hart, as Mrs Higgins, once again on stage. 

And though it pains me, here's the horrid experience mentioned at the top of this post….

MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL - Oriental Theatre, Chicago

July, 2014. Excessively inappropriate theatre behavior, an ineffective and un-empowered house staff to rectify the situation (shame, shame Broadway in Chicago), and a paid usher who flatly refused to help paying patrons (again, shame, shame Broadway in Chicago) caused us to leave moments after the second act began. What prompted us to leave angered and appalled me, but, truthfully, I wasn't all that upset at leaving the show. The lighting totally rocked and the singing/dancing was great, but the volume was at an ear-piercing volume encouraging folks in the audience to chat away at full volume as though sitting in their living rooms throughout the entire first act, the constant use of medleys instead of singing the full songs was both frustrating and annoying (really…I want the entire "Stop! In the Name of Love," not just a verse), sensationally bad writing for the ineffective book scenes made the stretches between medleys seem endless and the dull, listless acting was, well, dull and listless. I suspect the performers were chosen more for their singing and dancing abilities, which were very impressive, rather than for their acting chops or lack thereof. It was obvious money was liberally spent on this Equity national tour and I'm sure it will make pot loads of money on the road. I wish them well. I just plain pretty much hated it…or at least Act One.

And that's how we spent our  "summer vacation." Hope you all had a grand one! Until next time!

© 2014 Jeffrey Geddes