ALPHABET SOUP (16): FEATURING A RANDOM LETTER OF THE ALPHABET AND SOME SHOWS THAT BEGIN WITH THAT LETTER: "L"

ALPHABET SOUP (16):

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

L

A.R. Guerney's uber-popular play that has been done by, I suspect, practically every theatre company in the world; Eugene O'Neill's epic masterpiece performed by a cast the likes of which dreams are made of; a blissfully mindless, thoroughly entertaining musical that probably should have stayed off-Broadway where it started; an acclaimed musical that I couldn't warm up no matter how hard I tried; and finally one of the funniest musicals in existence, full stop. Let the "Ls" begin!

LOVE LETTERS – Chicago Theatre, Chicago

February, 1992. Not that it matters, but neither of the two Broadway productions of A.R. Gurney's Love Letters were smoking box office smashes. What it lacked in Broadway durability, however, it more than made up for in popularity and has resulted in the gift that keeps on giving…and giving…and giving to Mr. Gurney's estate. It literally is a money machine. And with good reason. There are only two actors. The set can be whatever you want. Limited rehearsal is required since the actors use scripts. The play itself is gentle and eager to please. No heavy-heavy-hangs-over-thy-head themes. World peace will not come out of a performance. And depending on your socioeconomic status, you may or may not relate to the antics of the two characters. In its favor, it's often funny, sometimes moving, and solidly authored, but there's just not much meat on Love Letters' bones. For this tour, which stopped off in Chicago for a brief seven-performance run, the producers hired everyone's favorite TV couple, Jennifer and Jonathan Hart. Oops. I meant Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner. It didn't matter that the play seemed lost in the huge Chicago Theatre (3600 seats). The packed house came to see Jennifer and Jonathan in person, and that's exactly what they got. Sitting on two tall stools with backs and with music stands in front of them, Wagner and Powers, with the help of some great lighting, managed to make the theatre seem almost intimate. Surprisingly at ease on the stage, they delivered genuine star charisma. Powers was the better actor, able to handle both the comedy and drama with ease. Wagner was competent, handled the lighter stuff better than the heavier sections, and looked damn fine even from the reaches of the middle balcony, a million miles away from the stage. It was professional and polished, and we all had a great time. – at the Chicago Theatre, Chicago

Jon and Jen: Hart to Hart ran for five seasons, from 1979 to 1984. It was a favorite of Steve's and myself, and we would religiously tape and save the episodes. (Remember, these were the days before DVRs and streaming video.) Curiously, considering how much we loved the show, we never rewatched any of the episodes and the many VCR tapes languished on the shelves until I finally got rid of them prior to a move after Steve died. Jump ahead ten years or so. I'm a cabin hag for Comair. Hart to Hart had been released on DVD, available on Netflix. While on a layover, I eagerly popped in the Season 1, Disc 1 DVD and began the episode. Not even halfway through the episode, I stopped watching. What I thought was so clever, stylish, and glamorous in the early 80s, now seemed, well, none of the above. I guess I'd moved on from Jon and Jen. Ah, well.

LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT – Plymouth Theatre, New York

August, 2003. On a layover in New York on a steamy Sunday in July, I stood in the cancellations line at the Plymouth Theatre in my synthetics-are-us-so-we-don't-breathe flight attendant uniform, and was the very last person called to purchase a ticket to the multi-Tony winning revival of Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece. To say I was in theatrical bliss for four hours would be a gross understatement. To say the cast of Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Dennehy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Robert Sean Leonard was perfection would be grossly inaccurate. They were so much more than that. It wasn't what they did that was so impressive; it was what they didn't do that was extraordinary. And what they didn't do was act. Oh, trust me, they were all acting up a storm, but damned if I could spot a single false move, a single dishonest emotion, a single dip into tricks, artifice, and "acting." They were the Tyrone family and we, the audience, were the proverbial flies on the wall witnessing as they railed at each other only to beseech forgiveness in the next moment, as they shrieked in anger, fueled by alcohol and drugs, to be followed soon after by a scene of unexpected warmth. In a cast of such accomplished actors, Vanessa Redgrave's Mary Tyrone was a revelation. The subtleties she brought to her role; the frailty, the strength, the despair, the dignity she gave that troubled, tragic character. Brilliant doesn't do her justice. She truly is in a class by herself. Robert Falls directed this with sensitivity and grace. I am still in awe of this production. – at the Plymouth Theatre, New York

FUN FACTS: Tonys were won by the production itself for Best Revival, Vanessa Redgrave for Leading Actress in a Play, and Brian Dennehy for Leading Actor in a Play. Robert Sean Leonard won a Featured Actor in a Play Tony in 2001 for his role in Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love, which I found to be a fascinating, if extraordinarily dense afternoon of theatre. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman would win a 2005 Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote in Capote. Like I said…a class act.

LYSISTRATA JONES – Walter Kerr Theatre, New York

December, 2011. Preview. First off, let me say no one will ever confuse Lysistrata Jones with Follies. Not a bit of angst in sight in this light, breezy frolic of a show. A musical that uses as its basis Aristophanes' anti-war comedy in which the ladies of ancient Greece, in an attempt to end the Peloponnesian War, decide to withhold all sex from the menfolk until peace is declared? Indeed, only this time the locale is a D-List college where the cheerleaders decide to withhold sex from their basketball-playing boyfriends until the BFs lose their ennui and contentment at having never won a game in decades and start upping their game. Not quite as lofty a goal perhaps, but it somehow all worked. A pleasant, energetic score by Lewis Flinn with a sensational ballad to close Act One, sold-to-the-rafters by leading lady Patti Murin, kept everything enjoyably tuneful. Nifty choreography and direction courtesy of Dan Knechtges kept the show moving. Lots of boy eye candy in various states of dress and undress was an unexpected bonus, and the fine performances by the talented cast, led by Patti Murin, Josh Segarra, Jason Tam, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, and Liz Mikel, gave the musical a satisfying professional sheen. Douglas Carter Beane's book got the job done with heart, warmth, humor, and the occasional political jab. Plus he provided me with my 2nd most favorite line: "I'm moist like a snack cake!" A perhaps ill-advised transfer from a successful summer booking off-Broadway, Lysistrata Jones, though entertaining as all get-out, didn't seem comfortably at home in the modestly-sized Walter Kerr. It was, at heart, a little musical trying to make it in the big leagues, and, despite decent-enough reviews, including pretty much a rave from the all-important New York Times, it just couldn't draw an audience willing to pay Broadway prices for this unassuming delight. Perhaps it would have played better at the smaller Helen Hayes, former home of Xanadu; perhaps it should have just transferred to an open-ended engagement off-Broadway. Whatever the case, it didn't make it and closed after 34 previews and only 30 performances. Sad. – at the Walter Kerr Theatre, New York

Cast Tidbits: Liz Mikel's only Broadway appearance to date was in Lysistrata Jones. Jason Tam will be appearing in this season's (2018-2019) Be More Chill and was a recorded voice in Dear Evan Hansen. Lindsay Nicole Chambers won my heart as Gail in the fabulous web series Submissions Only. Josh Segarra, a cool drink of water if ever there was one, played a dumb-as-rocks cop in the sadly short-lived TV series Sirens, and won praise for his long stint as Emilio Estefan in Broadway's On Your Feet! Patti Murin, so, so good in Lysistrata Jones, would effortlessly steal the show as Anna from the showier, but less substantial, part of Elsa when we saw the musical Frozen during its Denver shakedown.

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA – Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York

June, 2005. About ten days before we saw The Light in the Piazza, the musical had racked up six Tony Awards at the 2005 ceremonies, including Best Actress for Victoria Clark, Best Score for Adam Guettel, Richard Rodgers' grandson, Best Orchestrations, and swept the musical design categories. And indeed Piazza was lovely to look at. And Victoria Clark was, in a word, magnificent, and she had a slew of fine actors with her in the cast, including Kelli O'Hara and pre-Glee Matthew Morrison, but, frankly, her performance was just about the only thing that kept the show from becoming a ponderous slog that moved at a snail's pace. I found little joy in the show, and just could not get into Guettel's score. Was that a melody trying to get through? Wait. Nope. To my ears, it was unmelodic noise masquerading as an "important score." And since I couldn't get involved with the music, and since Piazza is, after all, a musical, I just couldn't become invested in the characters. It didn't help that our seats were on the far side of the Beaumont's wide thrust stage, making everything seem somewhat removed. I wasn't bored, and I didn't hate it, but I was disappointed. What didn't disappoint was the radiant Clark. She made the evening worthwhile. – at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York

LITTLE ME – Criterion Center Stage Right (Roundabout Theatre Company), New York

December, 1998. One of the funniest musicals ever written, Little Me is blessed with a hysterical, joke-laden book by Neil Simon, a sensational, tune-filled score by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, and based on the ridiculously funny book of the same title by Auntie Mame's Patrick Dennis. Ostensibly about the life and trials of poor-trailer-trash-turned-rich-celebrity Belle Poitrine, it's really about the opportunity to get a cast of inspired comic actors together and collectively make their audiences weak with laughter. Heading Roundabout's cast of zanies were Martin Short and Faith Prince, two actors whose comic skills are honed to a laser-like precision. Playing the men in Belle's life, Short spun the lightweight material to comic gold at every turn, almost turning the invaluable Prince into an afterthought. The operative word there was "almost." If the material didn't allow Prince the number of opportunities to shine, she made sure she made the most out of every appearance and was Short's equal in the scenery-chewing department. And look at this supporting cast: Brooks Ashmanskas, Peter Benson, Michael McGrath, Michael Park, Christine Pedi, and an especially droll and divine Ruth Williamson. The score, one snappy song after another, has one major pop hit, "I've Got Your Number," and a secondary one in "Real Live Girl." But there's also the poignant "Poor Hollywood Star," the effervescent title tune that gets things off to a grand start, the celebratory "Here's To Us," and, well, there's not a bad song in the lot. The show, newly revised, featured satiric nods to the film Titanic and the musical Chicago, and had a crisp, delightful staging by Rob Marshall. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. It's a shame Little Me isn't more well-known. – at the Criterion Center Stage Right, New York

Background Stuff: Little Me made its Broadway debut during the 1962-63 season and starred Sid Caesar (roles later played by Martin Short), Virginia Martin and Nancy Anderson (roles combined in 1998 and played by Faith Prince), and Sven Swenson, who made "I've Got Your Number" the show's true showstopper. It received mostly favorable reviews, with only one unfavorable review among four raves and two favorable ones according to Steven Suskin's Opening Night on Broadway. Yet despite the star power and the good notices, Little Me never caught on and closed after a mere 275 performances. A major revival twenty years later starring James Coco and Victor Garber, splitting the seven roles originally played by Caesar, was a critical miss and closed a few weeks after it opened. The Roundabout revival didn't exactly win over the critics, but it's reviews were good enough to ensure a healthy limited run at the 499-seat Criterion. Little Me would be the Criterion's penultimate show. It would close in 1999 to make room for the gigantic Times Square Toy R Us.

    

And on that note… Until later….

© 2019 Jeffrey Geddes

ALPHABET SOUP - Part 3!

ALPHABET SOUP (3)

It's that time again to shake up things, draw a letter from my blue London coffee mug and pick the first five shows from that letter's pile of programs.

Without further ado, drum roll, please…. Today's letter is….

U

Ready? Set? Go!

August, 2002. At the 2002 Tony Awards, Urinetown won three Tonys: Best Book of a Musical (Greg Kotis), Best Original Musical Score (Music by Mark Hollmann, Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis) and Best Direction of a Musical (John Rando). Curiously, in spite of those three major wins, which are,  for all intents and purposes, the three most important creative components of a musical (designers, orchestrators, musical directors, choreographers and all you other important folk, you know I love you as well…xoxo), the Best Musical Tony went to the enormously entertaining and very traditional Thoroughly Modern Millie. At the time, the general consensus was that the Tony voters wanted to return to safer, more familiar ground after the sweep of the previous year's Tony Awards by The Producers. But winning book, score and directing Tonys isn't exactly chopped liver and Urinetown would enjoy a long and profitable run. This tart and tasty political satire about corporate and political corruption and greed, using the premise that people had to pay for the privilege to pee, as the song goes, was exquisitely written by Messrs. Kotis and Hollmann and directed to satiric perfection by Mr. Lando and produced at The Henry Miller, as it was called, as the final production before the theatre closed to make way for an office building. (The interior would be demolished and a gorgeous new theatre rebuilt. It reopened as the Henry Miller, but in 2010 was rechristened the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.) In 2002, The Henry Miller was a bit, well, dowdy. It had obviously seen better days and looked very rough around the edges. It was the perfect theatre for designers Scott Pask, Gregory Dale, Jonathan Bixby and Brian MacDevitt to work their magic and to set the stage for this wonderfully off-kilter show. Leading actors John Cullum and Nancy Opel were both out at the matinee we attended, but were skillfully covered by Don Richard and Rachel Coloff, respectively. Jeff McCarthy and Spencer Kayden were hysterical as Officer Comstock and Little Sally. Jennifer Laura Thompson was both luminous and clueless as Hope Cladwell and the really, really talented Hunter Foster was a terrific hero and stopped the show with the raise-the-roof "Run Freedom Run." For my money, though, the best song in the show is the devilishly evil "Don't Be the Bunny." Satire is hard to do. It can easily go south and just be unbearable. Really good satire is rare. Urinetown is really good satire. Think Threepenny Opera without the tiresome Brecht and Weill stuff. (No, I'm not a fan. Shoot me.) Bob and I laughed and laughed and laughed. It was truly an unexpected delight. - at The Henry Miller, New York

(Sidebar: a 2006 local sit-down production of Urinetown at Chicago's Mercury Theatre was embroiled in a copyright dispute with the creatives of Urinetown who accused the Chicago creatives of plagiarizing the work of the original director and designers. The Chicago production team vehemently denied the charges. The dispute caused the show to close suddenly and at a complete financial loss. The case was settled in federal court and the Chicago production team was ordered to pay the original Broadway team an undisclosed sum of money.)

A snapshot of what was going on in August, 2002. How did we miss Dance of the Vampires?

July, 2003. The marvelous American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco mounted this raucous reproduction of the Broadway original at its home base at the gorgeous Geary Theatre. The exceptionally strong cast was headed by Ron Holgate as Caldwell B. Cladwell, who seemed to absolutely relish his every moment on stage, Charlie Pollack as a handsome hero, the radiant Christiane Noll (one of the few good things in Jekyll and Hyde and who would dazzle us a few years later in the revival of Ragtime) as Hope Cladwell, Jim Corti as Hot Blades Harry, Beth McVey as Penelope Pennywise, Meghan Strange as Little Sally and the reliable Tom Hewitt as Officer Lockstock. Hewitt is a consistently fine actor and a favorite of mine. We went with Bob's brother Andy and his husband and sat in practically the last row of the Geary's second balcony. Once again we laughed lots. And take my word for it, the second balcony at the Geary Theater is very high and very steep. Not for the faint of heart. - at the Geary Theatre (A.C.T.), San Francisco

Oops! "U" had only one show, so let's draw again….drum roll……. And we have….

H

April, 2011. Matthew Lombardo's play about a recovering alcoholic therapist nun, a 19-year-old homeless gay drug addict and a priest with control issues was at times very, very funny, at times very, very dramatic and at times very, very melodramatic. The play starred the divine Kathleen Turner as the recovering alcoholic therapist nun, and, yes, it took me a moment or two to wrap my brain around that bit of casting. Kathleen Turner as a nun? No matter. She was a marvel. That inimitable voice combined with her commanding stage presence made her a force to be reckoned with. Evan Jonigkeit played the homeless gay drug addict in a powerful and sympathetic performance with an added dose of full frontal nudity for good measure. Stephen Kunken was fine as the priest and did what he could with the role, but his part was the weakest and easily overwhelmed by the showier roles of the nun and drug addict. I thought it was a powerful, if flawed, play with an accomplished cast, fine production values and good direction. Bob and I liked it; our friends were less than enthused. We saw a preview performance. Good thing, too, since, despite mostly positive notices from tryout productions in Hartford, Cincinnati and St. Louis, the play was soundly spanked by the New York critics and closed at the end of its first week of performances. I suspect it will have a profitable afterlife in regional, educational and amateur theatre. - at the Booth Theatre, New York

February, 2008. There is a scene in this chilling revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming where Raul Esparza, as Lenny, confronts his new sister-in-law, Ruth, played by Eve Best. (Yep, Nurse Jackie's Eve Best.) The scene was so quiet, so sexually charged, so dangerous, and in its way, so evil that it literally took my breath away. Rarely have I seen such understated and such powerful acting. Those few minutes alone were reason enough to see this masterful revival of one of Pinter's most highly-regarded plays. Raul Esparza was so robbed of the Tony that year. (Actually, so was this production. Best Revival of a Play Tony went to the slight, if extremely well-done, Boeing, Boeing.) This is not a happy play. It's filled with loathsome characters engaging in despicable behavior and you wonder if anyone among them has any normal interactions in society. The only moderately sympathetic character in the bunch, Teddy, played by James Frain, eventually yields to his monstrous family. Ian McShane played the head of the household and he was a nasty piece of work. (He was a delightfully over-the-top Devil in The Witches of Eastwick in London.) The always excellent Michael McGrath play McShane's brother and Gareth Saxe played brother Joey. They were all superb, but for me the acting honors went to Esparza and Best. I usually find Pinter on the obtuse side. Not this time. This was truly exciting theatre. - at the Cort Theatre, New York

(Note: in the National Tour of the original Broadway production, Carolyn Jones played Ruth. Yes, Morticia from The Addams Family was more than just smoldering looks and finger snaps. She was a well-regarded actress. I so wanted to see that production, I was still in high school when the tour played Chicago and I couldn't manage a matinee. I probably wouldn't have understood it anyhow at that age.)

July, 2011. Part The Boys in the Band, part My Night with Reg, part Love! Valour! Compassion! with a hint of Company thrown in, with none of the qualities of any of the originals, this so-called "epic" play had lots of zingy one-liners, but not a lot of heart and not a lot of characterization. An unlikeable leading character, though well-enough acted, didn't help, nor did the political/sociological riffs that didn't advance the plot. With one glaring exception, the acting was good, and two performances, Elizabeth Ledo and Stephen Cone, were outstanding.  At times I felt like I was at a production of "Party;" it had that camp-for-camp's sake mentality.  At about 2:15, it's at least 15 minutes too long and could probably be a very good play at a snappy, intermission-less 90 minutes.  To be fair, it was liked by the critics and the audience ate it up.  It wasn't bad; it wasn't good, and it does have some promise, but it won't become the next great gay play, even though that was clearly what the author intended this to be. - at About Face Theatre, Chicago

 This talented quartet...don't they all look so young!...would continue to shine in show business. 

September, 1995. At the risk of being tut-tuted, I must confess that I am not much of a Frank Loesser fan. I don't care for Where's Charley? at all, though that could just be a reaction to a bad audition for a local production a century ago down in Bloomington, but I think it's simply because I don't like the show. The supposed charms of The Most Happy Fella escape me. I don't think Guys and Dolls is one of the greatest musicals ever. And although on the cast recording, much of Greenwillow is actually quite beautiful, there are, sadly, more than a handful of real clunkers (e.g. "Clang Dang the Bell" and "Could've Been a Ring") Having said that, however, I'm wild about his zippy satire on big business, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The book is funny and pointed, as good satire should be, and the score is one great tune after another. By 1995, this show had long been a staple of community theatre groups and high schools, so the opportunity to see Broadway pros in a Tony-winning production directed by Des McAnuff and choregraphed by Wayne Cilento was not to be missed. Matthew Broderick won his second Tony for his portrayal of J Pierrepont Finch. Broderick has the charming hangdog thing down to an art and it worked to his advantage in this role. Pre-Will and Grace Megan Mullally was a total delight as Rosemary, free from Karen-isms and showing off impressive vocal chops. And look who played Smitty…Victoria Clark! Lillias White was a full-throated and funny Miss Jones, Jeff Blumenkrantz whined and kowtowed with vigor as Frump, Ronn Carroll was an appropriately pompous J.B. Biggley and Pamela Gold did a fine job subbing as Hedy. In the chorus were Jeffry Denman and Martin Moran! Enormously entertaining. - at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York

June, 1996. All-grown up at 33, the Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio, gave a solid, entertaining performance in the First National Company of the 1995 Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Duplicating the look and feel of the Broadway version, this was a high-quality tour with a troupe of seasoned actors including Shauna Hicks as Rosemary, Richard Thomsen as J.B. Biggley, Susann Fletcher as Smitty, who admirably gave a program nod as sharing her home and heart to her female partner and this was in 1996!, a big-voiced Tina Fabrique as Miss Jones, Roger Bart as Frump a few years before he skyrocketed to fame in The Producers, and as a special treat Pamela Blair (the original "Tits and Ass" girl) as Hedy. Professional and enjoyable. - at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

August, 2011. The 1995 revival was pure pleasure, but the sparkling 2011 revival was an infectious, joyous romp, in no small measure thanks to the ridiculously wonderful performance by its leading man, is-there-anything-he-can't-do?, Daniel Radcliffe. When he was only 17, Radcliffe made an impressive West End debut that won him critical acclaim in the award-winning Equus. Critics were not only impressed by his considerable range as an actor, but also by the fact that he fearlessly shattered his Harry Potter persona by performing the famed nude scene with class and dignity. He repeated his Equus assignment on Broadway two years later in his Broadway debut and once again received acclaim from the critics. For only his second appearance on Broadway, Radcliffe chose to portray one of the most difficult young leading man parts in musical history, that of Finch in How to Succeed. This part requires the actor to not only be charming and impish and adorable, but also show cunning and ambition, yet that cunning and ambition can never be overpowering or threatening. Radcliffe carried the part with great élan not only due to his considerable talent, but also due to the fact that he worked tirelessly to make sure everyone in the audience had a terrific time. While he may not have carried off the singing and dancing chores with the same slick professionalism that a more seasoned musical performer would have, he more than compensated for it by sheer energy and a smile that made us feel like he was having the time of his life. And I suspect he was. The fact that he wasn't even nominated for a Tony Award still has me shaking my head in disbelief. Mr. Radcliffe wasn't alone in this endeavor, however. He was surrounded by an sensational group of fellow actors who added immeasurably to the fun. John Larroquette, in his Tony-winning role, was just so good as J.B. Biggley and the visual of the 6'4" Larroquette opposite the 5'5" Radcliffe was priceless. Rose Hemingway was excellent as Rosemary, Christopher J. Hanke pouted to perfection as Frump, Tammy Blanchard was a comic sexy Hedy, Mary Faber, Patty Goble and Rob Bartlett were great as Smitty, Miss Jones and Twimble, respectively. Brightly designed, directed and choreographed with crisp efficiency and played by a superb pit band, this was just pure joy. I was grinning from ear-to-ear when we left the Hirschfeld. - at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York

That's it for today. More later....Ta!

© 2013 Jeffrey Geddes