IF THE SHOE FITS… (The Shoebox Files) Part 4

IF THE SHOE FITS…

(The Shoebox Files)

Part 4

Tucked away in the bedroom closet was an ECCO shoe box filled with programs. Another random mixture of plays and musicals. What's on for today?

HAIR – Metropolis Performing Arts Center, Arlington Heights, IL

May, 2017. When Hair premiered in 1968, it revolutionized a somewhat moribund musical theatre scene. It was angry; it was sexy; it had a message; it had full-frontal nudity (!!!!!), albeit dimly lit; it had a sensational score that throbbed with a rock beat while, at the same time, being a traditional Broadway score. When I saw the sit-down in Chicago a year later, at the tender age of nineteen, I was enthralled. Twenty years later, original producer Michael Butler produced a local 20th anniversary production at Chicago's Vic Theatre that, while enjoyable, and let's face it, nothing can dim that score, came off as somewhat of a dusty museum piece. Jump ahead twenty-one years later, and once again Hair lit up Broadway in an exciting, sexy, angry revival by Diane Paulus. Looking more relevant than ever, it was hard to believe that Hair, at that time, was forty-one years old! And then along came Metropolis' production of Hair. (Metropolis is a well-funded performing arts center in suburban Chicago with a score of corporate sponsors.) Sigh. Where do I begin? The director, clearly out of her element, basically made short shrift of the anti-war anger and theme, and instead made the show pretty much just about sex. The choreography was unfocused and messy. The cast had talented young men and women in it, but they never really seemed connected to the material. (A notable exception was Alex Levy's charismatic Berger.) The low point in the evening came when the actor playing Sheila took the iconic "Easy to Be Hard" and turned it into a screeching vocal horror. Truly painful. Remember when I said earlier that nothing can dim that score? Well, I was wrong. This production managed to do the impossible. Argh. – at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center, Arlington Heights, IL

MAMMA MIA! – Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

April, 2017. Mamma Mia! is one of my great guilty pleasures. The plot...woman screws three different men and doesn't know which of the three fathered her daughter. And who hasn't done that? All show up at said daughter's wedding. Chaos and ABBA ensues. Wholesome family entertainment. Well, actually, it is. The plot line above might be a little risqué for the wee ones, but how can anyone hate a show with all those great ABBA tunes? This was one of the best shows I've seen at Marriott, and I've seen some really good ones over the decades. Directed with flair by Rachel Rockwell, who would tragically die a year later at 49 due to ovarian cancer, the show featured knockout performances by its trio of leading ladies, Meghan Murphy, Danni Smith, and Cassie Slater, terrific work by the hard-working ensemble, spot-on vocal work, and high-energy choreography by Ericka Mac, who would make a complete hash of the charming Bright Star two years later. (See later post.) I loved this production from start to finish. This show just makes me happy. – at the Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL.

Critical Firestorm: In an otherwise favorable review of this production, the Chicago Sun-Times' long-time theatre critic Hedy Weiss made this comment when discussing the costumes: "Theresa Ham’s character-defining costumes make the most of the many “real women” figures on stage, just as the gold and silver spandex outfits outline the perfect bodies of the terrific chorus dancers." And, bam!, the internet lit up with cries of body shaming. A review of another show a few months later brought complaints about racial insensitivity. Weiss became persona non grata in Chicago's theatre community, even though many theatre companies continued to provide her and/or her publication with free tickets because, frankly, they wanted the review from Chicago's second major paper, the first arguably being the Chicago Tribune. In February, 2018, the Sun-Times dropped her, fired her, dismissed her, whatever you wish to call it, ending a 30+-year career at the paper. Cries of joy erupted on local social media. But guess what? Local PBS station WTTW quietly hired Weiss to review for them, and she's still on reviewer lists throughout the Chicago area.

But this isn't about Hedy Weiss and whether or not you agree with the complaints about her. Personally, I've not been a fan of hers for a very long time. I often questioned not only her judgment, but also her basic critical acuity. For my money, the best Sun-Times theatre critic was the late, great Glenna Syse. My question is this…Since Weiss' comments obviously hit a raw nerve in today's theatrical environment, how in the hell would these folks have survived back in the days when critics were actually critics, men and women who could discuss the merits of a show from the writing, to the physical design, to the direction, to the acting, and pretty much everything else in the production, and where, frankly, they didn't care much about creative egos, being politically correct, or current sensitivities . Their reviews could be valentines; they could be total slams; they could be anywhere in-between, but you knew where they stood, and you could judge with a fair amount of confidence if the show involved was any good.  In New York, there still is a critical community with folks who write critical notices, perhaps with a bit more sensitivity and political correctness than in the past, but critical nonetheless. In Chicago, however, we've become a community of, for lack of a better term, blogger summarizers, who spend 90% of their "review" on regurgitating the plot, followed by brief comments on everything else. If the summarizer doesn't like something, it's usually framed in words whose subtext is "That's okay, you did your best. Good job!" Sorry, if I want a summary, I'll read the Cliff's Notes. Actual press critics are few in number and actual critical reviews are equally few in number. Instead, it's largely bloggers, and they rarely say anything really negative about any show, and I'm convinced that's because they're afraid of losing their free tickets. So, if that's the case, what's the purpose of reviews today? Do they really serve a purpose if nobody is actually looking at a production with knowledgeable and critical eyes? Or are they around only to provide quotes for the shows' press folks?

NOTES FROM THE FIELD – Second Stage Theatre (Tony Kiser Theatre), New York

 

NOTES FROM THE FIELD – Second Stage Theatre (Tony Kiser Theatre), New York

November, 2016. The story goes like this... We got two seats for what passes for a balcony (upper level far stage right side of theatre) for $60. A steal. But since the tickets indicated something called "B Stool," Bob checked them out before the show. Turns out they're narrow bar stools BEHIND a row of regular theatre seats. They sold them as partial view, and we knew that, but Bob said the view was more obstructed than partial, so he went to the box office to see is they could do anything, and those lovely folks said we can change them for you and gave Bob two returned premium seats in the 4th row...no extra charge. Thank you, 2st box office!!

We waited over one hour while the folks at Second Stage figured out a wonky fire alarm, but the wait was so worth it! Discussing issues surrounding race, class and America's school-to-prison pipeline, Notes from the Field used interviews from over two hundred students, parents, teachers, and administrators to tell its story of a generation of American youth, most from poorer communities, who don't catch a break in our broken educational system. It was freaking awesome! Anna Deavere Smith, Notes' star and author, was even more freaking awesome. She had the audience in the palm of her hand. Powerful, sincere, and acted from the heart with compassion and integrity, Notes from the Field was a master class in the power of the theatre. – at Second Stage Theatre, New York

SWEET CHARITY

– The Pershing Square Signature Theatre, New York

November, 2016. Rather than the rather upbeat ending that has, frankly, haunted Sweet Charity since its 1966 premiere, the show ended with the poignant and despairing "Where Am I Going?" And that new ending was simply smashing. Sutton Foster took Gwen Verdon's iconic role and made it her own. Funny, vulnerable, yet worldly, with just the right amount of optimism blended with cold reality, she captivated our hearts. The crowning jewel in the show, however, remains the Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields score, full of brass and sass. The entire cast worked their collective asses off in, often, multiple roles, and this pared-down version was intimate and personal. Special props to Shuler Hensley's Oscar, Asmeret Ghebremichael's Nickie, and Emily Padgett's Helene. Leigh Silveerman's direction kept everything on point and moving along. Joshua Bergasse's choreography, for the most part, captured the essence of the show. I missed the ennui in "Rich Man's Frug," however, and "Rhythm of Life" was a miss, but that song's garbage anyhow and the one misfire in an otherwise wonderful score. Yes, Foster's costume was beyond hideous, but she, and her show, were just so good, you didn't care. – at the Perishing Square Signature Theatre, New York

– Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL

"Dance hall hostesses." Yeah...right.

September, 2018. I find it hard to believe that, with Chicago's large and talented community of Equity actors, the folks at Marriott could not have found three Chicago-based actors to play Charity, Helene, and Nickie in Sweet Charity. Also find it hard to believe that the colorless Anne Horak was the best of the lot for the title role. Sure, she sang the notes, said the lines, and danced the steps, but it was all bland and unexciting. There was absolutely no camaraderie among Charity, Helene, and Nickie. Having said that, the ensemble was terrific, and the show lifted whenever they had a number. Terrific, perhaps, is too tame. They were simply astonishing. As in "WOW!" The "Rich Man's Frug" number was sensational, best thing in the show. Props go to Alex Goodrich, reliable and excellent as always, and Adam Jacobs, Broadway's original Aladdin, who sang the crap out of "Too Many Tomorrows" in the smallish role of Vittorio Vidal. Sitting in section 1, we saw lots of back and overall felt cheated. The usually excellent orchestra sounded thin at times, and the entire show, with the exceptions noted above, never really soared. Better than Writers' production from a few years back, but miles from the Sutton Foster production we saw recently in New York. Not a total miss, but not one of Marriott's better efforts. - at the Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL.

Casting: In the not-so-distant past, most of Chicago's Equity first-tier, non-touring houses cast locally, using Chicago's large and diverse Equity community of actors. Over the last few years, that's been changing, and a perfect example is the casting of Sweet Charity at Marriott, where the three major female roles were all cast with non-Chicago-based Equity actors. Why? Certainly there must have been at least three Chicago-based actors who could do the roles justice. Now I could understand it if Marriott had cast actual stars, folks who would bring some added oomph to the box office, give the show a little extra pizzazz, but the three ladies cast weren't box office names and certainly brought no extra pizzazz with their lackluster performances. And this is not a rare exception. Marriott does it. So does Paramount, Drury Lane, Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman, etc. They all do it now. So why doesn't Chicago's Equity office say anything? Well, I suspect, Equity's view on it, and probably rightly so, is an Equity actor is an Equity actor is an Equity actor. So the onus, really, is on the theatres themselves. And I rather doubt their casting policies will change. It's a shame that Chicago actors now often get the short end of the stick when it comes to star casting. Sigh.

NORTHANGER ABBEY – Lifeline Theatre, Chicago

August, 2016. Final performance. There was a character in Northanger Abbey called Mrs. Allen. The actress playing her reminded me a lot of Cloris Leachman as Phyllis in the old Mary Tyler Moore show. She was very funny. She was in a different show than the rest of the cast, mind you, but very funny, and the best thing in the show. And the wonderful Jeanine Tesori should get royalty payments since one of the songs sounded very much like This Is Our Story from Shrek. The Tesori song is better. The critics fainted over this. It wasn't awful, and I didn't hate it, but faint? Nah, don't think so.  – at Lifeline Theatre, Chicago

BRIGHT STAR 

– Cort Theatre, New York

 A gorgeous night view of the marquee and the front of the Cort.

June, 2016. In a Hamilton­-obsessed season, this lovely, unflashy musical didn't have a chance. A pity, too, because I fell in love with this show minutes into it. Full of laughter,life, and love with a gorgeous country/bluegrass score, Bright Star dared to be unapologetically sentimental, perhaps at times even corny, dared to tell its story without bells and whistles, but instead with honesty and emotion, and dared its audiences to feel and connect. Loaded with a cast of talented pros, including Paul Alexander Nolan, Michael Mulheren, A.J. Shively, Hannah Elless, Stephen Bogardus, Dee Hoty, Stephen Lee Anderson, Emily Padgett, and Jeff Blumenkrantz, Bright Star was blessed with a kick-ass Broadway debut by leading lady Carmen Cusack as Alice Murphy. Sensitively and creatively directed by Walter Bobbie, with choreography by Josh Rhode, and beautifully designed and lit, it's possible that the commercial juggernaut that is Broadway theatre wasn't an ideal home for this soft-spoken musical, and an off-Broadway venue could have been a better fit. No matter. We cheered and applauded like mad at the show's end, and stayed until the band, a terrific group of musicians one and all, played the last note of the exit music. The bright star that is Bright Star had a short life on Broadway, but it's memory shines bright, indeed. – at the Cort Theatre, New York

Sidebar: In a Facebook post I noted that Bright Star would have a long life on the regional circuit and wondered which Chicago theatre would produce it first, hoping that it would not be Porchlight Theatre. Well, it wasn't, but….(see below)

– BoHo Theatre at the Greenhouse Theatre Center, Chicago

Sadly, this poster was more interesting and better designed than the show itself.

Greenhouse really needs to get its act together re: opening houses, seating, etc. It was an inexcusable scrum.

April, 2019. Oh. My. Well, at least the band was good! And dinner was delicious! (Rickshaw Republic. Highly recommended.) – at BoHo Theatre at the Greenhouse Theater Center, Chicago

COME FROM AWAY

– Schoenfeld Theatre, New York

Don't be deceived. This set did lots and lots of VERY cool things!

March, 2017. Opening night was two days earlier. Quite possibly the best new musical I'd seen in a very long time. On a snowy, miserable day in New York, the talented actors and musicians of this remarkable show touched our hearts with their stories of hope, sadness, joy, compassion, and just plain kindness. Beautifully performed, played, and sung, with inventive staging, and a brilliant production design, there was not a single sloppy or ineffective moment and not a single weak performance. I simply cannot recommend it enough.This lovely show, like Bright Star the previous season, was caught in the hoopla surrounding the year's big flavor-of-the-season, the overrated, in my opinion, Dear Evan Hansen, and frankly was robbed at that year's Tony Awards. Unlike Bright Star, however, Come From Away found and continues to find its audiences, and remains at this writing (April, 2019), a sell-out, and profitable, hit. – at the Schoenfeld Theatre, New York

– Schoenfeld Theatre, New York

 

September, 2018. Welcome to the Rock! With many of the original cast still in the show, including the awesome Jenn Colella, this was, once again, a remarkable evening of theatre. This should have won the Tony for Best Musical instead of that show across the street that glorifies a liar. Essential viewing for anyone who cares about musical theatre. Well done, all! – at the Schoenfeld Theatre, New York

********************

And on that note, I'll stop for today. An American Tribal Love-Rock icon, ABBA tunes, an evening with a master storyteller and documentarian, dance hall hostesses, a musicalization of a Jane Austen novel, bluegrass music and a Southern story, and the true story of bravery and kindness in the wake of a world tragedy. That's quite a wide-ranging group of shows! Until later, and remember, if the show fits….

© 2019 Jeffrey Geddes

ALPHABET SOUP (9) FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER

ALPHABET SOUP (9)

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

M

More misfiled "M" programs. Let's remedy that and talk about this mixed bag of plays and musicals. First up….

A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE – Apple Tree Theatre, Highland Park, IL

July, 2004. This quiet, unassuming musical by Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens, and Stephen Flaherty lacks the epic scope and score of the team's earlier masterpiece, Ragtime, but that is as it should be and as it must be for A Man of No Importance to work its charms and touch the heart. The 1994 film starring Albert Finney is lovely and the 2002 musical adaptation keeps all the virtues of this modest film and adds the bonus of a Ahrens/Flaherty score. As produced by the sadly now-defunct Apple Tree Theatre, director Mark E. Lococo assembled a first-rate production team and a marvelous cast that featured memorable performances by Ross Lehman as Alfie, the closeted Dublin bus conductor, and Mary Ernster as his sister, Lily. 1964 Dublin was not an especially welcoming place for a gay man and, in the show, the homophobia that Alfie encounters was not shied away from. Not your typical musical, A Man of No Importance wore its large heart on its tuneful sleeve and made for a unexpectedly moving evening at the theatre. – at the Apple Tree Theatre, Highland Park, IL

MASTER CLASS

 – Northlight Theatre, Skokie, IL

September, 1998. Not everyone is enamored with Terrence McNally's 1996 Tony-winning Best Play. I am not among them. It's a fascinating, often very funny, always interesting portrayal of one of the most revered and iconic opera divas of any century, Maria Callas. Somehow Bob and I missed the Faye Dunaway-led tour when it played Chicago, and I'm still kicking myself. For whatever reason, I don't remember much about Northlight's production except for Carmen Roman's skilled performance as Callas and that's pretty much it. The other five actors in the cast didn't make an impression on me, something that would be remedied in a New York production we would see thirteen years later. Whether that was due to weak acting or weak direction, I'm not sure. One of our party hated the show so much, he sat out the second act. Due to Roman's performance, this wasn't a bad production, just not a terribly memorable  one. – at Northlight Theatre, Skokie, IL

– Friedman Theatre (MTC), New York

August, 2011. Take my advice. If you have the opportunity to see Tyne Daly in anything, buy tickets. You can thank me later. As different from Northlight's production as apples are from oranges, Manhattan Theatre Club's exquisite production of Master Class was a master class, not of singing, but of how to take control of an audience and make them bend to your every whim. Yes, Tyne Daly was that good. Seriously. The woman was ferocious, take-no-prisoners ferocious, as Maria Callas, yet there was a haunting vulnerability to her and a wicked sense of humor that made this epitome of a diva human. (For the record, Daly brought this same skill set to her powerful 1990 Tony-winning portrayal of Rose in a revival of Gypsy.) Sitting in the fourth row center, we were up close and personal, which added to the performance's power. At Northlight, I had no memory of the other actors. Not so in this production, where even the small role of the Stagehand (Clinton Brandhagen) resonated. Jeremy Cohen was terrific as Callas' hapless pianist. And Garrett Sorenson, Sierra Boggess and Alexandra Silber showed off some pretty impressive pipes and acting chops as Callas' students. Callas called herself a terrible teacher, but I am so glad I attended her master class! – at the Friedman Theatre (MTC), New York

MAMMA MIA!

 – Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago

July, 2001. Mamma MiaI is one of my guilty pleasures. I am simply wild about this show with its ABBA score and cheerful disregard regarding plot believability and songs adding to character and plot development. Go ahead. Judge me. I don't care. At this performance, our program was loaded with "At this performance" slips…a total of seven, the most I've encountered at a single performance since Dreamgirls at the Shubert twenty years earlier. Not that it really mattered. This isn't a star-driven vehicle and you couldn't tell the difference anyhow. The remarkable Dee Hoty led the cast as mama Donna Sheridan, all matronly warmth combined with a cougarish sexiness. Mary Ellen Mahoney and Gabrielle Jones played her best mates, and this trio deftly showed the younger cast members how it's done. Individually and together they were sensational. Highlights: ”Dancing Queen" (duh!), "Mamma Mia," and a stunning "The Winner Takes It All," delivered late in the show by Hoty. Bob and I took our boys to see this and I think they were a little appalled at the behavior of their dads and, well, pretty much the rest of the middle-aged audience as we whooped and hollered as each familiar ABBA tune was performed. We won't even discuss the curtain call medley where the entire audience stood and pretty much acted as though we were all at a rock concert. Totally mindless. Totally wonderful. – at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago

– Colonial Theatre, Boston

August, 2004. An afternoon arrival and a late-morning next-day report on a Boston layover made a visit to the glorious Colonial Theatre and the sunny climes of an ABBA-infused Greek island possible. An energetic and full-voiced Colleen Fitzpatrick as Donna Sheridan led the equally energetic and full-voiced cast, including future Beautiful star Chilina Kennedy, through a rollicking evening of great tunes, ridiculous plot, and great dancing. Again, as in Chicago, a largely middle-aged audience, and it was great fun to see proper Bostonians get down and dirty with the ABBA tunes. I left the theatre smiling. – at the Colonial Theatre, Boston

– Mandalay Bay Theatre, Las Vegas

February, 2008.  A rarity in Las Vegas…an unabridged Broadway show in an open-ended run.  This production ran for over five years in Vegas. Impressive by any standards, a record in Las Vegas. A well-mounted repro of the original with a top-notch cast of Broadway vets and Equity local talent, the performance attended was, sadly, undermined by a poor sound system that distorted more than it enhanced. Top honors of the evening, without question, went to Carol Linnea Johnson, whose luminous portrayal of Donna Sheridan elevated the entire performance, especially when she absolutely nailed it with a definitive "The Winner Takes It All." Time to get real. Can we talk about the chorus boys?  Can you say "gay, gay, GAY!"  Certainly nothing against hot-looking gay boys, but not a one vaguely approached "questioning" let alone "straight."  And, again, as a gay man, there's nothing wrong about that, either. But, these boys were supposed to be straight and the obvious preference for the other team made for some unintentional laughs ("Afterwards, I'll give you a back rub!" Well, alright then!) The audience was an odd, very odd, mix, and I got the distinct impression that hardcore Vegas gamblers were wondering WTF they had gotten themselves into. Sound system notwithstanding, we quite enjoyed ourselves. – at the Mandalay Bay Theatre, Las Vegas

MAN OF LA MANCHA

 – Shubert Theatre, Chicago

June, 1969. Returning to Chicago a year after completing a five-month run at the McVickers and with an Academy Award-winning star as Don Quixote, this production was a bit of a mixed bag for me. While star José Ferrer acted the role of the mad knight with crazy-good skill, I missed the lustre of Keith Andes' singing voice, and the glorious songs given to Don Quixote were somewhat lacking due to Ferrer's unimpressive vocal abilities. The passion was there, but not the vocal power and technique that those lovely songs deserve. Maura K. Wedge was a fiery Aldonza, and Tony Martinez (Sancho), George Wallace (The Innkeeper) and Norman Kelley (The Padre), all above the title, incidentally, provided able support. I greatly admired this production, but if "The Impossible Dream" doesn't stop the show cold, well, that's saying something. Sadly, Ferrer's rendition got lots of applause, but it definitely did not stop the show. – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

Sidebar: Maura K. Wedge who? According to IBDB.com, Ms. Wedge made her Broadway debut in 1961's forgettable The Happiest Girl in the World, then understudied and eventually played Nancy in the original production of Oliver!, took that show on tour, returned for a limited engagement of it as Nancy, performed in the London cast, then went into Man of La Mancha with Ferrer in New York before joining him on the tour. She must have had a thing for "bad" girls. A Google search shows she performed Oliver! in summer stock and died in 1979 of cancer at the young age of 40. In the Chicago Tribune  review, William Leonard noted that Wedge was too "well scrubbed for the part and has beautifully manicured silver fingernails which never could belong to a kitchen scullion." Now that's attention to detail! Jana Robbins, a future Broadway star, a Rose understudy, and now a producer, and an acquaintance of mine, was in this production as Fermina, a Slavey and was the Aldonza cover. No, I don't remember her. Sorry, Jana.

– Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL 

April, 1981. Marriott's first production of Man of La Mancha starred two true Chicago stars, John Reeger as Don Quixote and Alene Robertson as Aldonza, in impressive performances. Reeger arguably is the better actor and brought a youthful exuberance and life to a part often played by older actors. Robertson is arguably the better singer and has the feisty, loud, blowsy woman character down cold, but skillfully avoids the obvious coarseness of this particular part to bring a vulnerability to the role. Able support was provided by James W. Sudik as a very young Sancho, Michael Lloyd as a cold, calculating Duke/Dr. Carrasco, and Kevin Dearinger as the Padre. Marriott sometimes drops the ball on their productions, but not this time. It was tight, thoroughly professional and absolutely enjoyable. Curiously, this production added an intermission to a show that is normally played without one.  – at Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre (as it was known then, now simply Marriott Theatre), Lincolnshire, IL

Sidebar: Mr. Dearinger's agent must be very good at his/her job. His billing was "and Kevin Dearinger as The Padre" with a box around it, which meant he had higher billing, or at the very least, more prominent billing than Robertson for a much smaller role. Years before this, I worked with Michael Lloyd, then acting as Michael Hughes, his real name, in a local summer tent production of Oklahoma!. He played Curly; I was 16 and in the chorus. Around the time I saw this production, ironically, I was in the Waukegan Community Players production of Oklahoma!, with his brother David. Like his older brother, Dave played Curly, and once again I was in the chorus and the sometimes singing voice of Curly. Long story. Don't ask. We also had an alto-ish Laurey. Again, don't ask. And in 1972, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Mike's wife, the really, really wonderful Connie, in WCP's You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I was woefully miscast in the title role and Connie played Patty. As Rose would say, "small world, isn't it?"

– Hirschfeld Theatre, New York

July, 2003. Scenically spectacular and beautifully cast, this production proved that time has not withered the show's appeal and power. As Don Quixote, Brian Stokes Mitchell gave one of the most thrilling performances I've ever witnessed in the musical theatre. His "The Impossible Dream" soared with a passion and intensity that rocked the theatre and had the audience standing and cheering. Frequent co-star Marin Mazzie was the new Aldonza. It took her a few minutes to get into the part, but once she did, she absolutely nailed it and her "Aldonza" was filled with an angry, bitter fire that thrilled us all. Broadway vets Ernie Sabella, Mark Jacoby, and Stephen Bogardus brought talent and distinction to the roles of Sancho, The Padre, and The Duke/Dr. Carrasco, respectively. Natascia Diaz, who in 2008 would be a thrilling Aurora/Spider Woman in Signature Theatre's Kiss of the Spider Woman, played Antonia, and Andy Blankenbuehler, before he became an in-demand and two-time Tony-winning choreographer, was in the ensemble. Man of La Mancha came thisclose to getting on my Honor Role list. It might be a bit hokey, but it would be foolish to underestimate its emotional punch. Bob was sniffling throughout the admittedly touching final scene. Man of La Mancha will be a mainstay in the musical theatre for decades to come. – at the Hirschfeld Theatre, New York

That's all for now. Until next time…

© 2016 Jeffrey Geddes