LET'S START AT THE VERY BEGINNING – Episode 2

LET'S START AT THE VERY BEGINNING – Episode 2

(a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Soup)

"Let's start at the very beginning/A very good place to start/When you read you begin with A-B-C…"

I grabbed a lot from the "A" pile, so here's some more "A"-level memories. Today's theatrical recollections include: a rarely done Paul Zindel play, a much-anticipated musical that should have been better than it was, a Cole Porter classic, Margo Channing and Eve Harrington together at last onstage, and a storefront production of one of my favorite musicals. Let's start.

AND MISS REARDON DRINKS A LITTLE – Civic Theatre, Chicago

 Different program covers and different publisher.

January, 1972; March, 1972. Paul Zindel's and Miss Reardon drinks a little (letter case as indicated on the program), while a financial hit in its 1971 Broadway run despite a short run of 108 performances, is one of those plays that didn't age well. It's a play about three sisters, all educators: one an alcoholic, one mentally unstable and accused of molesting a male student, and one a cold, calculating ice queen who drops in on her family after years of no contact when the family matriarch dies . Pretty grim and hardly the stuff comedies are made of, yet Zindel packed his play with enough zingers to rival Neil Simon. (Interestingly, Neil Simon's seriously-flawed, yet fascinating, The Gingerbread Lady, also about an alcoholic lady, opened in the same season on Broadway. It, however, did not make its money back.) I reread the play a few years back to see if it might be suitable for the theatre company that Bob works with. It still had the laugh lines, but Zindel never successfully married the kitchen-sink type drama with the comedy, and it read a bit like a hot mess. In fact my 21st century opinion of the play is in line with what the Chicago Tribune's William Leonard wrote, and I quote, "Slapstick and tragedy work at cross purposes in And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little…But if Paul Zindel…thought he could make the customers both laugh and cry, it doesn't seem to have worked out that way." Having said that, though, the 21-year-old Jeff thought the play was quite dandy, and the performances of Sandy Dennis, Betty Garrett, and DeAnn Mears were powerful. I mean, seriously, Sandy Dennis and Betty Garrett? C'mon!! I liked it so much I saw it twice. Apparently Chicago audiences liked it despite the lukewarm reviews, for the show, originally scheduled for a four-week run, extended and closed after an eight-week run. Zindel's plays, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, are rarely done today. – at the Civic Theatre, Chicago

THE ADDAMS FAMILY – Oriental Theatre, Chicago

Full-page ad.

December, 2009. Preview. Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth above the title. A trio of Broadway stalwarts sharing "starring" status (Terrence Mann, Carolee Carmello, Kevin Chamberlain). A comic favorite (Jackie Hoffman). Two up-and-rising youngsters (Krysta Rodriguez, Wesley Taylor). Beloved characters from cartoons, TV, and film as the source material. The anticipation was high; so were the expectations. How could it miss? And yet, and yet, it did. Oh, it wasn't a disaster by any means. That actually may have been preferable. Instead it was, well, mediocre. Professional and glitzy, with enough Addams family references to make us boomers happy (finger snaps, iconic poses, etc.), the show overall lacked the wicked and subversive wit of the cartoons, the TV series, and the two films. Stars Lane and Neuwirth brought their star charisma, but neither seemed like they were having much fun with these deliciously over-the-top roles made famous by John Astin and Carolyn Jones on TV and especially Raul Julia and Angelica Huston on film. And someone please explain to me why you would cast a dancer with Neuwirth's creds, and then give her sinfully little to dance? The plot was contrived, but it gave Carolee Carmello a chance to blast the show skyward for its only real moment during the evening with her "Waiting" during the excellent "Full Disclosure" segment which closed Act One. Terrence Mann, poor guy, had an unfortunate and perplexing encounter that bordered on sexual with a tentacled creature that went on for far too long. Kevin Chamberlain's Uncle Fester wanted to talk about love, and he did...endlessly.  Even the ever reliable Jackie Hoffman was pushing too hard, trying her best to put across the meh material. No one was terrible; nothing was poorly executed. It just sat there. Considering the talent involved, that was as surprising as it was sad. – at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago

Duh-Duh-Duh-Duh (snap, snap): The Chicago critics and bloggers were a mixed bag, but, if theatreinchicago.com is to be believed (6 Highly Recommended; 6 Recommended; 2 Somewhat Recommended) mainly positive in their assessment of the musical. Changes were made, the original directors were replaced by Jerry Zaks, but kept their directorial credit, and the show opened on Broadway to almost unanimous pans. (Link to the Variety review….https://variety.com/2010/legit/reviews/the-addams-family-1117942554/) As in Chicago, the show did seriously good box office, largely, I assume, on the bring-in-the-money power of Nathan Lane and, to a lesser extent, Bebe Neuwirth. Without those two leads, the show's finances faltered and it closed in the red after a respectable run of 35 previews and 722 performances. Since then, The Addams Family has been extensively reworked, went on a successful 15-month tour, and has been a popular choice for amateur/school groups. Duh-Duh-Duh-Duh (snap, snap)!

ANYTHING GOES

– Stephen Sondheim Theatre, New York

August, 2011. Ethel Merman is said to have quipped that Anything Goes is about "a girl on a boat." Short, sweet, and in this case, absolutely correct. The triple-threat talents of the delicious Sutton Foster were on ample display in this mostly-satisfying version of this Cole Porter classic. When the show stuck to its, frankly, ridiculous plot and sang and danced, it worked. When it tried to be a "book" musical, it was not as successful. The cast was loaded with Grade-A talent: John McMartin, who should have been declared a National Theatre Treasure years ago; Joel Grey, impishly delightful as Moonface Martin; Kelly Bishop, the original Tony-winning Sheila of A Chorus Line; Walter Charles, a terrific Albin in the tour of La Cage aux Folles when it played Chicago; Adam Godley, Laura Osnes, Jessica Stone, and a polished Josh Franklin filling in for Colin Donnell as Billy Crocker. Not to diminish the talents of any of these folks, Sutton Foster was the reason to see this. Her huge, warm smile with an effervescence that would challenge the best champagne anchored the proceedings. No surprise when she won the Tony for Leading Actress in a Musical at the 2011 Tonys. And big applause to those fabulous men and women in the pit! – at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Chicago

– Cahn Auditorium (Music Theater Works), Evanston, IL 

August, 2018. And then there was this version. Erica Evans, the singular Equity member in the cast, played Reno Sweeney and blared everything out with no attempt at subtlety or variance in delivery. It was just loud. When she wasn't singing, loudly, she was doing her damnedest, and loudly so, to channel Ethel Merman, all volume and brass and no interpretation, instead of giving us her take on the role.  I blame director Rudy Hogenmiller for that. The production's costumes were fine, but the scenic elements looked cheap. Low point of the afternoon was during the second act when the wagon representing the brig failed to roll down to its spot and both actors in the scene stayed where they were!! No apparent realization that they weren't where they were supposed to be and adjust accordingly, so the whole scene was played upstage. Amateur stuff. The orchestra was excellent, as always with Music Theater Works. Glad we had a Goldstar comp for this. – at the Cahn Auditorium, Evanston, IL

And then there was this production: In the spring of 2019, a colleague of Bob's was the musical director of a production of Anything Goes at the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and invited us to the closing performance. We were blown away! The exuberance and talent on display were amazing. The dance numbers were superb. If you didn't notice how young the actors were, you'd've thought you were at a professional Equity production. This beat the socks off of the Evanston production.

ALL ABOUT EVE – Noel Coward Theatre, London

May, 2019. Director Ivo van Hove pulled many A View from the Bridge and Network staging tricks out of his toolbox, which resulted in a "Been there, seen it, Ivo" production. Actually, I found van Hove's staging overall on the unimpressive side. And seriously, Ivo, was it absolutely necessary to see Margo puke in the toilet via video screen during the party scene? What did you promise Gillian Anderson for her to agree to this? This was a slavish homage to the film, though interestingly the program stated source material also included Mary Orr's excellent play version, The Wisdom of Eve. Gillian Anderson, as Margo, apparently was directed to imitate Bette Davis' vocal cadences and attitude, resulting in a professional, competent performance, but not an exciting or fresh one, and I love Gillian Anderson, so this was disappointing. Lily James fared better as Eve, but for my money, the best thing in this high-priced and, frankly, over-priced show was Monica Dolan's engaging and spirited Karen Richards. Enjoyed it; didn't faint over it. Rent the film. - at the Noel Coward Theatre, London

BONUS SHOW (because it was mistakenly filed under "A")

110 IN THE SHADE – Theater Wit (BoHo Theatre), Chicago

November, 2018. 110 in the Shade is one of my top ten favorite musicals. The book sometimes creaks, but the score by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt is one of the musical theatre's glories. Unfortunately, BoHo Theatre's production was a somewhat indifferent affair and was at its best with the performances of the Curry men, which, frankly, shouldn't be the case. The vocals were serviceable throughout, but never soared. "Rain Song" should thrill; it didn't. "Old Maid" should be the act one emotional peak; it was mostly screeching with a soupçon of interpretation. File was underplayed and on the dull side. Starbuck was not very charismatic and lacked the sexual energy essential to the role. Lizzie was either loud or angry, often both, which made her not very likeable. In fact, I wanted to shout at her to stop her whining. The direction was often aimless, and the limited choreography was just sad. This was the second local production of a musical in my top ten that I'd seen that disappointed. (Porchlight's overrated Gypsy was the previous week.) The bloggers all seemed to faint over the leading lady's vocals. Guess they like their songs loud and unfocused. Wish I'd skipped this. - at Theater Wit, Chicago

And with that, I'll close another edition of Remembrances of Performances Past. Social distancing! Do it. Stay at home!

© 2020 Jeffrey Geddes

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