WALKING IN A WEST END WONDERLAND

WALKING IN A WEST END WONDERLAND

PART 2

Today, let's return to the fabulous West End where I have spent many wonderful afternoons and evenings at the theatre. From the musical classic that ushered in the era of the modern musical to the worldwide sensation set amidst Parisian barricades to a play that celebrates in dialogue and music the life of one of the world's most evocative singers to a lesser effort by an accomplished playwright that achieved initial fame due to its somewhat unorthodox casting, there's something for everyone. 

January, 2001. Playwright and, in this case, director Richard Nelson is a Chicago native who achieved fame with his plays Some Americans Abroad, Two Shakespearean Actors, and The General from America, all initially produced by the RSC at their Stratford home. This memory play, with some "The Graduate" flavor, is not quite the slam dunk of success that the initial London reviews would lead you to believe. This is a story about a 15-year-old American student who finds himself alone in the Paris flat of one of his teachers, an attractive, single woman in her 30s. During the course of the play, they talk about art and music and literature and tumble into bed and the boy discovers sex and the next door neighbor comes in for some, actually, quite funny comic relief and it's all a bit messy and a bit creepy. The highly-regarded, and, based on her performance here, well-deserved regard, French actress Irène Jacobs, in her West End debut, played the teacher with a bracing authenticity and Madeline Potter was excellent as the neighbor. But the actor who put bums in seats was a twenty-year-old Macaulay Culkin making his stage debut as the young boy (and, framing the play on both ends, his older self). I kid you not. While I wouldn't call his performance riveting, he did a competent job and was able to hold his own on stage. I seem to remember a flash of naked Culkiness; Bob believes there was no nudity. Nudity or not, it was pleasant enough without being especially memorable. - at the Vaudeville Theatre, London

February, 1981. Australian Curly? Check. English Laurey? Check. Very English chorus? Check. How all-American can this all-American musical get? Okay, so the accents didn't exactly ring with middle America authenticity, this loving revival was wonderfully acted, beautifully sung (with one exception) and energetically danced with Agnes De Mille's groundbreaking choreography recreated by Gemze De Lappe. The one vocal exception was Rosamund Shelley's Laurey. Acting-wise she nailed the part, but it seemed, at least to my ears, that she was more mezzo than soprano and her songs didn't sound as effortless as they should have. John Diedrich was a handsome and sexy Curly (we'd see him years later as Billy Flynn in Chicago in Sydney). Featured as Ado Annie was Jillian Mack, a delightfully funny gamin who is now perhaps better known, despite a successful West End career, as Mrs. Tom Selleck. Also featured was a young Alfred Molina as Jud and a mighty fine Jud he was. Interestingly, the cast recording for this revival was recorded live during performances at the Palace Theatre. Highly theatrical. - at the Palace Theatre, London

May, 1980. Pam Gems' mesmerizing play with music about the life of Edith Piaf was, for me, one of those truly memorable evenings in the theatre. Jane Lapotaire's electrifying Piaf set the standard for all future portrayals of this complex person. (She would win the Tony for her performance when the play crossed the Pond.) Zoe Wanamaker was also memorable as Piaf's best friend, Toine. Songs were interspersed throughout the evening with a mini-concert near the end of the play. My friends and I were thrilled, along with the rest of the capacity audience. Everything was just right…the design, the direction, the music, the performances by a large and skillful cast. But in the end, it was Jane Lapotaire who flung this evening into the theatrical stratosphere. Brava, Mlle. Lapotaire, brava! - at the Piccadilly Theatre, London

March, 2006. The Donmar is one of London's most prestigious venues. An intimate space, it features top-name actors in challenging original works or stunning revivals. (The acclaimed Roundabout Theatre revival of Cabaret started here.) We didn't know anything about this play when we bought our tickets, but with Sir Ian McKellen heading the cast, what do you really need to know? As it turned out, this was a disturbing, quasi-political piece centered around a mysterious procedure called the Cut, which was presented in a way that offered multiple interpretations (I thought it was a super-lobotomy), administered against dissidents of a unnamed regime in an unnamed country and one of the leading administrators of the procedure (McKellen). Positively chilling, especially the second scene - a domestic scene between McKellen's character and his wife. Production values were spot-on perfect. Michael Grandage's direction was invisible. The acting was superlative from the entire company, but most especially from Sir Ian and Deborah Findlay as his wife. With the great divisiveness currently prevalent in the United States, this play is even more relevant than it was seven years ago. - at the Donmar Warehouse, London

October, 1987. True story. I bought the CD of the London original cast on a Thursday. One of Steve's days off was Friday. The next day he called me at work and exclaimed with great excitement, "You have to hear this!" and put the phone next to one of our stereo's speakers and played "I Dreamed a Dream," sung by the original Fantine, Patti LuPone. He then went on for the next several minutes about how wonderful the entire CD was. This may not seem like a big deal, but Steve, although he liked going to the theatre, wasn't nearly as devoted to it as I am, so this unexpected and unqualified rave was a bit out of the norm. (His other big favorite was Follies, showing his good taste.) So, when we planned our October trip to London (his first), Les Misérables and Follies were the two shows we saw. What we didn't plan on was the Great Storm of 1987 ravaging London and the surrounding area as our British Airways flight was enroute from Chicago. We were later told that our flight was one of the first to land after Heathrow Airport had been reopened. Mayfair was a mess, but the Savoy Hotel was open for business and, as everyone knows, the show must go on, so off we went to the Palace Theatre to see Fantine and her pals. Ms. LuPone had long gone, but this replacement cast was excellent, with Kathleen Rowe McAllen singing and acting the crap out of Fantine and solid performances by Craig Pinder (Valjean), Martin Smith (Marius) and Clive Carter (Javert). Steve, along with the entire audience except, apparently, me, sniffled and quietly sobbed through the more emotional moments. Unlike a lot of people, I don’t consider Les Misérables to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it has a great theatrical score and, at least in John Napier and David Hersey's original scenic and lighting design, a wow physical production. Worth noting… Broadway has seen both the original and revival productions come and go. The original London production is still running nearly 28 years after its opening night (as of this writing in August, 2013). Obviously the creators have done lots of things very, very right. - at the Palace Theatre, London

August, 1995. Alan Ayckbourn is, for lack of a better description, the UK answer to Neil Simon, though even more prolific than Mr. Simon with nearly 80 plays to his credit. Although several of his plays have been produced on Broadway, Ayckbourn has a distinctly British sensibility that makes his works far more accessible to UK audiences than to American audiences. (Likewise, Mr. Simon's works have an American flavor to them which is why he's more popular here than across the Pond.) The somewhat convoluted storyline concerns a dominatrix, two murdered wives, a crooked businessmen, his evil henchman and communicating doors in a London hotel suite that work as a time machine. People switch decades willy-nilly changing the course of the future as they do so and it all works itself out in the end. It was often quite funny and I enjoyed it, though not as much as the rest of the audience who howled to my titters. The reason for going was to see I-will-see-her-in-anything Julia McKenzie and she did not disappoint. Smartly acted, smartly designed and smartly directed, this was an agreeable enough way to spend the afternoon. - at the Gielgud Theatre, London

May, 1980. My friend Gordon and I picked the Thursday matinee performance because, for reasons that completely escape me now, we wanted to see Stephanie Lawrence, the alternate Eva, and logically thought, at least in our minds, the alternate would play the matinees. It never occurred to us to ask at the box office when we got our seats. We were, therefore, a bit disappointed to discover that the "regular" Eva, Marti Webb would play the role that afternoon. No need to be disappointed. Ms. Webb did a thoroughly fine job as did the rest of the cast. Evita is a show I have grown to like and admire. Before this performance, I saw Patti LuPone tear up the stage at the Broadway Theatre in the original NYC production a few months after it had opened. Ms. LuPone tends to be a rather intense performer, so the entire performance was played at a fevered, though very exciting, pitch. The characters were thrillingly portrayed, but the show itself got a bit lost. In London, Ms. Webb and her cohorts were a bit more subdued than their NYC counterparts which let me focus more on the production itself and allowed me to enjoy and truly appreciate Harold Prince's and Larry Fuller's remarkable direction and staging and fully appreciate the subtlety, focus and even complexity of Tim Rice's lyrics, the best of ALW's collaborators. The recent London-then-Broadway revival was very good in its own right, but for sheer theatricality and excitement, the original can't be beat. For the record, Ms. Webb continues to perform as I write this (August, 2013) and has had a very successful career in the UK. - at the Prince Edward Theatre, London.

May, 1994. This is the only show Andrew Lloyd Webber has written to date that can truly be called a star vehicle. Steve and I saw this a few weeks after Betty Buckley took over the role of Norma Desmond from its originator, Patti LuPone. She looked great and sounded terrific, but she was a bit too perky for a faded and forgotten movie queen and not imperious enough for a screen legend used to getting her way. (She would grow in her portrayal as evidenced by a superb performance Bob and I saw in New York after she had replaced Glenn Close.) This was a big show in all respects. It was sumptuously designed, lit and costumed. It had a big orchestra to play the big score. It had a big and talented cast. Yet for all that and despite the iconic pedigree of the Billy Wilder film, the musical adaptation seemed, well, flat and one-dimensional. Spectacle won out over depth of character and that's a shame. The story is terrific, but it's really quite an intimate one and with all the bells and whistles of this production, it sometimes simply faded into the background. John Barrowman, yes that John Barrowman, played Joe Gillis and he did a damn fine job of it, too. Face it, the man's talented. The gay lads sitting next to us were positively in a frenzy over the show and as the lights came up for the interval, one of them turned to me and breathlessly asked, "Oh, my God!! Can you believe this? What do you think?" To which I replied, "The house goes up; the house goes down." - at the Adelphi Theatre, London 

August, 1995. Despite my initial, uh, restrained opinion of Sunset Boulevard, I found the show strangely irresistible and returned for a repeat visit during my "Lick My Wounds" tour. The main impetus was the chance to see the much admired and loved Elaine Paige, who, at the time, arguably was the top musical theatre star in the UK. (I say arguably because, frankly, I think Julia McKenzie is more talented.) My friend, Rob, bless her heart, couldn't for the life of her figure out why I would spend good money to see, in her words, not mine, that "shrieking suburban midget." (Not PC, I realize, but those were the words used.) But then Rob doesn't get musicals, so it was rather pointless to try to explain it to her. This time around a very handsome Alexander Hanson (we would see him years later, still handsome, in the Broadway revival of A Little Night Music with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury) played Joe Gillis in a nicely performed turn. The mechanics of the show continued to frequently dwarf the story, but it was still gorgeous to look at and listen to. As for Ms. Paige? Well, frankly, she was quite good, yet I wasn't all that impressed. She is very short and the costumes just looked far too big on her, almost like she was a little girl playing dress up. It was a bit disconcerting. She's noted for her big voice, yet I found it strangely subdued. The two main songs for Norma should have the audiences going crazy, but, though Paige got hearty applause for both and was note-perfect, she lacked an excitement. Maybe she was having an off performance. Maybe, because it was a matinee, she was saving her energy for the evening show. And it wasn't just me. The guy sitting next to me and I were chatting it up during the interval and he also felt Paige's performance was not at 100%. It happens, I guess. Over the years, Sunset has become a guilty pleasure and I would love to see what could be done with a more intimate version of the show. - at the Adelphi Theatre, London

Treat yourself to a play or musical this week!

Til later....

Overture - "Let's start at the very beginning...."

OVERTURE

(of sorts…or a bit about me)

Contrary to what some people believe (I won't reveal names, but you know who you are!), I did not emerge from my mother's womb shouting, "Hello, Everybody!  My name is Jeff!  What's yours?" Nor did I try to seduce the other boy babies in the nursery at Victory Memorial Hospital.  And I didn't have this tragic childhood full of disappointment and despair where the theatre saved me from a life that surely would have been depicted in an ABC Movie of the Week or as a recurring storyline on "OZ."  In fact, boring as it may seem, I had a pretty unremarkable childhood with parents who loved me and brothers (one older, one younger) who I hated or loved, depending on my mood and whether they were being jerks or not.

Back when I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s (I'm a true baby boomer!), hit songs from Broadway shows were routinely recorded by the top recording artists of the day.  Television also often promoted theatre, most especially Broadway musicals, via the many variety shows that were on the air, the gold standard of which was, of course, The Ed Sullivan Show.  So I grew up listening and enjoying theatre music, and from my mom, singers like Doris Day, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, etc., and from my dad, classic country music featuring Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves and the magnificent Patsy Cline.  While I enjoyed all the angst of country music (I mean, seriously, folks, who didn't get all verklempt when Tammy Wynette sang about her D-I-V-O-R-C-E?) and could twang right along with Patsy on "Crazy," it was the show music that captured my imagination.  It should have been a big clue to my folks, on several fronts, when the first records I bought with my own money were the Original Broadway Cast recording of "The Sound of Music" and "Judy at Carnegie Hall" (Hello, Barb and Cliff??), but it was the early 60s, after all.  Both albums were in thrilling monaural.  At the time, stereo records were more expensive than monaural (sort of like Blu-Ray DVDs costing more to rent on Netflix…same scam, different times!) and we didn't have a stereo player at the time, so it was all moot anyhow.  (Sidebar: I still have both albums and a well-played, very scratchy, much-loved 78rpm cast album of "South Pacific.")

The first show I remember seeing was "Brigadoon," done by our community theatre group.  I was enchanted the Scottish highlands and "Brigadoon" remains a favorite.  Then there was "The Wizard of Oz" at a tent theatre in nearby Highland Park, where the Wicked Witch's meltdown fascinated me at the time and still does (How did she do it?) and high school productions of "Carousel," "My Fair Lady" (my older brother Cliff, Jr. was in the chorus) and "How to Succeed…" (I thought the H.S. senior who played Finch was cute as all get-out. I'm not being pervy.  I was 14.  Cut me some slack.)  I performed in high school productions, got my degree in Speech/Theatre, which, of course, I have never used, and did community/semi-pro stuff until I got tired of the politics of amateur theatre and for all intents and purposes retired from performing.  I wish I could say it's the theatre's loss, but….

But what hasn't changed, however, since that first production of "Brigadoon" over 50 years ago, is my love of going to see a show and being a part of the audience.  And that's what this is all about.  I started doing this on Facebook, but several of my friends told me that other people might be interested in this as well, other fans of live theatre who may enjoy my memories of a zillion years of going to the theatre.  Feel free to comment and share.  This won't be in chronological order or in any order at all.  But I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy going down memory lane.

Let's start with some firsts….

I thought it would be fitting to begin this archival record with the program from the first professional production I saw. January, 1966. I was -- gasp -- 15 and a high school sophomore. I went my school's drama club. From my seat in the first row of the second balcony, and that's a long way up at the Shubert, I was mesmerized from the moment the lights went down until long after the final bows. Although I had previously seen a handful of musicals produced by the local community group or  at the high school, this was the show that truly started a life-long love affair with the theatre. Channing was at the peak of her powers and delivered a PERFORMANCE of Dolly Levi rather than a caricature of it. Honest, at times moving, often hysterical, and just plain wonderful. — at  the Shubert Theatre, Chicago, IL.

My first Broadway show. August, 1970. I was 19. My parents thought I was in Normal visiting college friends. Oh, the deceit! This was her second-to-last performance in NYC. Okay, she couldn't sing, she couldn't really dance, and she was no more Chanel than the man in the moon. What she WAS was Katharine Hepburn. Kate the Great! As the legendary critic Walter Kerr quipped on her performance in "Coco," "Hepburn gave a benefit performance - for OUR benefit." She was magnificent! Rene Auberjonois won a Tony for his portrayal of a vicious gay assistant. Even then I thought it was a hateful role that made the Boys of "The Boys in the Band" look sweet and loving. The physical production was stunning, the supporting actors all did their jobs with professional aplomb, but in the end it was all about KATE! Even after over forty years of going to the theatre, this remains a highlight I'll never forget.

 - at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York

August, 1970. My first off-Broadway show. I saw both performances that evening. I enjoyed the play, but the best part occurred afterwards. Since this was my first visit to New York (remember, I was supposed to be visiting friends in Normal…bad, Jeff, bad!), I was very unsure where things were. After the show, I got turned around going to the subway, realized my mistake, turned around and promptly walked into Anthony Perkins, the show's star. Literally walked into him. Like BAM! After a multitude of embarrassed and star-awe apologies on my part, Perkins actually walked with me to the subway stop six blocks away to make sure I got there okay. He didn't have to do it; he just did. He was a generous and gentle man who went out of his way to help a rattled and somewhat lost teenager. I'll never forget his kindness.   — at the Truck and Warehouse Theatre, New York City.

May, 1972. My first West End show. My first trip to London. I was 21. A B&B cost under 2 quid a night; you could see a show in the gallery for 50p. I left the States with just over $100 and lived off that for my week's stay. Ah….those were the days. "Company" is among my top ten musicals, so it's not surprising I would see this. Actually I saw it twice that week. Plus, a chance to see Elaine Stritch again in her landmark performance? Of course I had to see it. Another reason I really wanted to see it was to see Dilys Watling, who was Tony-nominated for her role in the short-lived "Georgy." She played Amy and was very good in the role, but it was Julia McKenzie as April who captured my heart. I adore this woman and have had the pleasure of seeing her since that wonderful first performance in several shows and have had the privilege of sharing a drink with her after a performance of "Sweeney Todd." Surprisingly, this very New York show was quite a success in London. A perfect introduction to the West End and a perfect way to begin my love affair, not only with Ms. McKenzie, but also with the London theatre scene.

 — at Her Majesty's Theatre, London.