KENTUCKIANA KAFFEEKLATSCH (formerly known as Alphabet Soup) - vol. 2

 KENTUCKIANA KAFFEEKLATSCH

(formerly known as Alphabet Soup)
vol. 2

More random files. These are all from the second half of the alphabet. A by-the-book musical starring a Big Star, and earning said Big Star her second Tony Award, and based on a classic 1942 film starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn? Check. A rarely-performed Ibsen that had me mesmerized? And, yes, I said Ibsen. Check. A musical about Oz and witches, based on a best-selling novel? Check. An insanely funny, very British play about snooker? Check. A comedy hit in London that had me giggling with glee on the Isla Verde beach, but which, oddly and unexpectedly, didn't translate as well as I thought it would on the Chicago Shakespeare stage? Check. A musical about some devilishly entertaining goings-on in Eastwick, Rhode Island, based on the hit movie and novel of the same name, that has, puzzlingly, yet to receive a Broadway production and likely never will? Check. Fix a cuppa and let's begin!                     

WOMAN OF THE YEAR – Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago

Chicago critics quite liked the show if the quotes are any indication.

An "all new production"? Guess the powers-that-be felt Messrs Charmoli and Moore's contributions weren't good enough. Good thing their agents, and, most likely, unions, insisted their work bringing the show to Broadway to begin with deserved full credit. For the record, Robert Moore died in May, 1984. Did that have something to do with his being replaced for the tour?

The New York marquee. There was some sort of logo after all (Katz, the Cat).

The font carried over to the New York program, but not Katz. As in Chicago, it's all about Bacall. (I didn't see the show in NYC. Somebody gave me this program.)

February, 1984. It would be completely understandable if one confused Woman of the Year with Applause. Both are based on films, Woman of the Year and All About Eve, respectively; both are about strong, successful women at the top of their respective careers who want to throw it all away to have a man in their lives (Applause's Margo Channing even warbles in the show's final minutes that "something greater" than her career is "being to your man what a woman should be." That ish-inducing lyric courtesy of Lee Adams, who really should have known better.); both won multiple Tony Awards in relatively weak seasons; both shows start off with its leading lady at an awards ceremony; WOTY's "One of the Boys" and Applause's "But Alive" are virtually the same song; and perhaps most importantly, both starred the same Tony Award-winning leading lady, Lauren Bacall. Now this isn't to diss WOTY, and none of the above mattered a whit to the audience who filled the horror known as the Arie Crown Theatre because when all was said and done, WOTY was a fun, energetic, fast-moving, vastly entertaining, and solidly professional piece of escapism that had the very good sense to have Lauren Bacall as its lead. Now, the redoubtable Ms. Bacall's take on Margo Channing and Ms. Bacall's take on Tess Harding were pretty much the same, which is not to say anything about anything really, because you paid your money to see the glamour and sophistication that was Lauren Bacall and that's what you got … in spades. Peter Stone's book, which followed the movie, but wasn't a slave to it, got the job done. Worth a Tony? No, but the competition was weak. John Kander and Fred Ebb's score fared better with a tuneful collection of tunes that kept the evening rolling to its conclusion. The score is second drawer Kander and Ebb, but second drawer Kander and Ebb is better than many songsmiths' top drawer, so perhaps that's a moot point. Again, worth a Tony? In a stronger season, no; in the 1980-1981 season, it was the best of a weak lot. Harry Guardino, a star in his own right, though nowhere near Bacall's status, was engaging in a basically thankless role. The large supporting cast and ensemble were all pros. Marilyn Cooper, a Tony winner for Featured Actress in a Musical for this show, almost stole the show from Bacall in her brief appearance late in the musical's second act as Bacall's ex-husband's wife. Bacall and Cooper's duet, "The Grass Is Always Greener," brought down the house and was the highlight of the evening. Bottom line, though, the show was all about Lauren Bacall. And Lauren Bacall delivered. The glamour. The sophistication. The voice. The looks. The superb timing. If the material given to her wasn't always first rate, she never let her audience know it. She was the reason for Woman of the Year and she knew it. Today we have Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Betty Buckley, any number of sensational and talented Broadway leading ladies. What we don't have is a Lauren Bacall. – at the Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago

WOTY and the Tonys:  It's no secret that the Tony Awards aren't always won because the winners are the best in their categories. Actually, this is true with all awards contests. Sometimes sentimentality plays a part. Sometimes the winners are current Flavors-of-the-Month. And sometimes it's because the winner is the best of an unimpressive lot. Take the 1980-1981 season, Woman of the Year's season. The David Merrick/Gower Champion smash 42nd Street won, unsurprisingly, the Best Musical Tony in a field that included Sophisticated Ladies, Tintypes, and Woman of the Year. In this case, the other nominees really didn't have a chance over the enormous sentimental value attached to the death of Gower Champion on the day his final show, 42nd Street, opened on Broadway. (And let's be fair here. 42nd Street is quintessential musical theatre and probably would have won in any season.) But WOTY walked away with four Tonys, two more than the Tony-winning Best Musical, two performance Tonys (for Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Cooper) and two creative ones for book and score. For Best Book, WOTY's competition included 42nd Street, which was less of an actual character-driven book and more of a device to get to the next song, Tintypes, and, curiously, The Moody Shapiro Songbook, a one-performance flop. The best of the lot, Peter Stone collected a Tony for WOTY. For Best Score, Kander and Ebb were up against Charlie and Algernon (17 performances), Copperfield (13 performances), and Shakespeare's Cabaret (54 performances). Again, the strongest in a weak field, Kander and Ebb collected their second, of three, Tony Awards for Best Score. (Their other wins were for Cabaret and Kiss of the Spider Woman, both superior scores.)

ROSMERSHOLM – Duke of York's Theatre, London

No crowding around the stage door at the Duke of York's. The security folks kept everything civilized.

The graphic is stunning and haunting.

The exquisite set. The detail was amazing.

May, 2019. Who would've thought that an 1886 play written by a brooding Norwegian could be so socially, morally, and politically relevant, especially in 2019 with Donald Trump infecting the very lifeblood of the United States, a so-called leader whose bile was felt across the globe. Not one of Ibsen's more familiar works, I had never heard of this play until it was recommended to us by London friends, acquaintances of star Tom Burke. It's a play about the liberal left and the conservative right, about the desire to change and yet incapable of doing so, the desire to look forward, yet shackled by the past. The play may have been set in the 19th century, but in Duncan Macmillan's adaptation, Rosmersholm was vibrant and current. This was an exquisite production, faultlessly directed, and acted with conviction and honesty by the entire cast lead by Tom Burke, Hayley Atwell, and Giles Terera. And when the stage flooded with water at the play's end? Simply no words. Thrilling theatre. – at the Duke of York's Theatre, London

WICKED – Oriental Theatre, Chicago

January, 2006. If you had gone to a performance of Wicked expecting *a musical version of Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked, upon which the musical is based, you would have left the theatre quite likely entertained, but also quite likely disappointed. For in converting Maguire's complex and nuanced political, social, and ethical commentary on good and evil into a two and one-half hour musical, including songs, book writer Winnie Holzman jettisoned most of what made the novel great and instead gave the book's plotlines very broad strokes and wrote a musical that is essentially the story of two girls, a story that resonated with the ticket-buying public, in spite of reviews that would have closed a lesser show within a week, and continues to resonate with them as Wicked, even after over seventeen years on Broadway, continues to rack in sell-out or near sell-out sales week after week. Yes, the show is entertaining, ridiculously so. But it's also calculated to the nth degree and without a lot of heart or warmth. It's slick as snot, professional to the max, and empty. Now, I'll freely admit, we had a great time at Chicago's sit-down production, especially since we were in some terrific house seats, courtesy of Bob's friend of many years, Gene Weygandt, who was playing the Wizard. Chicago favorite Rondi Reed was playing Madame Morrible, and the two pros seemed to be having a blast in their respective roles. If neither Kristy Cates as Elphaba nor Stacie Morgan Lewis as Glinda blew us away, they were both more than satisfactory and gave the material more care and attention than it deserved. Like I said, I was entertained. So was Bob. So were our two boys. But is it a good show? Not really. For all the glitz and glam, there's a reason for the bad reviews, including a really unremarkable score by Stephen Schwartz. However, all concerned are laughing their way to the bank, and have been since 2003, so what do I know? Defying gravity? How about defying critics? – at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago

Wicked in Chicago: A sold-out six-week engagement led immediately to a sit-down run, the likes of which had not been seen in Chicago before or since. It ran just over 3 ½ years and, in all likelihood, could have continued its run for at least another 3 ½ years. (By comparison Hamilton's Chicago residency was a mere 3 ¼ years.) Touring productions have returned twice to Chicago for short, but sold-out runs. The musical, in New York, in London, and on the road, shows no signs 

of slowing down, at least pre-pandemic. It may well run until the next millennium.

THE NAP – Friedman Theatre, New York

Alex and I having a bit of a chinwag after her performance. She was magnificent and hysterically funny. 

September, 2018. Pure farce, ridiculous and funny as only the Brits can do. It wasn't groundbreaking, but I learned a bit about snooker and, well, the more you know, and the ensemble of terrific farceurs assembled on the Friedman stage all seemed to be having a grand time entertaining us. Lots of big scenery, efficient staging by the always-reliable Daniel Sullivan, and even a bit of audience participation! The divine Alexandra Billings, in her Broadway debut, was absolutely hysterical as, wait for it, Waxy Bush. Her backstory in the play was a highlight. Brava! Lots and lots of laughs and a terrific way to spend a couple of hours. Props to all. And a low bow to the Manhattan Theatre Club for presenting this gem. We had a grand time! - at the Friedman Theatre, New York

NELL GWYNN – Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago

September, 2018. Preview. Luxe set, sumptuous costumes, atmospheric live music, effective lighting, and solid acting throughout were all derailed by static, dull direction by Christopher Luscombe that basically ignored 2/3 of the house, especially the right side where we were seated, and staged the show as though the Shakes' Courtyard Theater were a proscenium house. This meant we missed a lot of facial expressions, gestures, and saw a lot of backs. Scarlett Strallen as the title character was charm personified, though her cockney was a little too thick at times and I missed more than a few of her lines. Big props go to Natalie West as Nancy in a lovely performance full of sardonic humor and attitude. The singular Hollis Resnik, in two small roles, almost stole the show, and just for the record, her cockney was intelligible throughout her scene as Nell's mum. I read this play the previous February on the beach in Isla Verde and absolutely loved it. So much so that I told Bob he simply had to direct this ASAP. I'm sad to report I wasn't much in love with it in its American premiere at the Shakes. Perhaps it's one of those pieces that reads better than it plays. But I suspect, in a proscenium house or with a director who knew how to stage in a thrust environment, I would have felt differently. Didn't hate it, but…  - at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago

THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK – Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London

January, 2001. The 1987 film gave its four leads (Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer) an opportunity to engage in some very satisfying scenery-chewing. Based on the film and the John Updike novel, the engaging musical version likewise gave its four leads, Ian McShane, Lucie Arnaz, Maria Friedman, and Jocelyn Hawkyard (filling in for Joanna Riding), ample opportunities to chew some scenery, of which there was plenty of on the Drury Lane stage, and even let its leading ladies fly, a la Peter Pan, over their audiences at the end of Act One. Talk about bringing down a curtain! Ian McShane, as Daryl Van Horne, in an eagerly-awaited return to the West End after thirty years, was at least ten years too old to be an irresistibly sexy devil, but he attacked the role with vigor, delight, and unabashed sleazy smuttiness that smoothed over his tentative musical comedy skills. The Misses Arnaz, Friedman, and Hawkyard were all wonderful, individually and together, with Arnaz, in her West End debut, especially enchanting. Rosemary Ashe, as Felicia, the town gossip and guardian of Eastwick's morals, came very close to stealing the show in a delicious performance. Production values were top-notch, the direction and choreography were crisp and efficient, John Dempsey's book and lyrics and Dana P Rowe's score were better than many musicals and reminiscent in construction of the golden musicals of yore. The "Dirty Laundry" number was as good a production number as one could hope for. We enjoyed it immensely and the cast album is a delightful listen. – at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London

Hello, Broadway? The Witches of Eastwick received mixed to positive notices on its London opening, especially positive for its leading ladies. But the 2100-seat Drury Lane proved too large to bring in profitable houses week and after week, so after nine months, it received a scenic slimming-down, a few revisions here and there, and reopened at the 1200-seat Prince of Wales Theatre, overall a better fit for the show. Popular enough for a respectable seventeen-month run, it nevertheless closed at a loss. It received its American premiere in 2007 at Arlington, Virginia's Signature Theatre, and despite fine reviews and rumors that the show was Broadway-bound, it never made it there, and has for all intents and purposes disappeared from the American musical theatre scene. In fact, the only show of Americans Dempsey and Rowe to have any real play in the States has been their late-1990s Zombie Prom. But Broadway isn't the be-all-to-end-all, and The Witches of Eastwick has enjoyed a post-West End life that includes productions in Australia, Russia, Brazil, Poland, Norway, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, a couple of UK tours, and a short run in 2014 at Maine's Ogunquit Playhouse. Broadway remains elusive, probably always will, and The Witches of Eastwick doesn't figure on America's musical theatre radar. And that, folks, is America's musical theatre's loss.

And that's it for now. Until the next time, stay safe and social distance!
© 2021 Jeffrey Geddes

IF THE SHOE FITS… (The Shoebox Files) Part 1

IF THE SHOE FITS…

(The Shoebox Files)

Part 1

Shoeboxes are more than just places to put one's shoes. In my case, they work as overflow storage for my theatre programs until a larger, more permanent solution can be found. Most of the programs in my shoeboxes are relatively recent, but not all. So to start off a new series, I'll chat about a brilliant revival that brought new life to, in my opinion, an indifferent show in its first incarnation; a return visit to what could become the most successful musical of all time, still regularly selling out after nearly fourteen years (at the time of this writing); the first preview of a Noël Coward play starring a beloved star in a much-anticipated return to Broadway; a revival of the musical about a helicopter, imported from London; and, finally, some thoughts on, arguably, the most hyped show ever. Let's begin, shall we?

THE COLOR PURPLE – Jacobs Theatre, New York

November, 2016. I saw the Equity tour of The Color Purple when it rolled through Chicago years ago during its national tour. Despite an outstanding performance by its leading lady, I found the show bloated, static, a bit dull, and just plain overworked. So when this overhauled revival crossed the Pond from London, I was hesitant about seeing it. Fortunately, I listened to my niece, and, impressed by its selection on that summer's Tony Awards broadcast, we went to the TKTS booth on a crisp November day and were rewarded with fifth row, just off center seats. Sparse, yet elegant in design, this production was everything the original was not. It was wasn't bloated; it wasn't static; it wasn't overworked. Instead it was filled with heart, humanity, and unabashed joy. There is a moment in this exquisite revival of The Color Purple when the audience holds its collective breath and then bursts into ecstatic, screaming applause. And that moment is when Tony-winning star Cynthia Erivo brings to a rapturous close her eleven o'clock number, the jaw-droppingly wonderful "I'm Here." This is why live theatre is truly a gift from the gods. Add stunning performances by Danielle Brooks (Taystee in Orange is the New Black) and Broadway legend Jennifer Holliday. (And, yes, there is a reason she is a legend.) And all of it topped off with a beautiful supporting cast of talented actors. It made me glad to be alive. – at the Jacobs Theatre, New York

WICKED – Gershwin Theatre, New York

March, 2017. When I first read that they were going to make a musical out of Gregory Maguire's fascinating take on what happened in Oz pre-Dorothy, I was curious to see how they would condense Maguire's complex story into a two-and-a-half hour musical. Bottom line? They didn't. And, to their credit, they didn't really try, though there was a nod here and there to Maguire's book. Our niece, Colleen, works backstage at Wicked as a swing dresser and a wardrobe day worker (and during Sheryl Lee Ralph's tenure, a favorite dresser). That day Colleen was working the Sunday night show as the dresser on the Nessarose/Boq/Dillamond track, and since we hadn't seen the show in over a decade, during its initial Chicago run, we thought we'd check it out. Armed with 9th row center seats, thank you, Box Office Guy, we settled in and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Professional, technically amazing, beautifully designed (those costumes!!), and slick as snot, librettist Winnie Holzman and composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz's Wicked is a triumph of style over substance. And let's be honest, there are reasons why Avenue Q won Tonys for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score over Wicked. It simply was, and is, the superior show. As the central characters, Jennifer DiNola (Elphaba) and Kara Lindsay (Glinda) were both wonderful and sang the songs without screeching. (Take note, Ms. Menzel.) The divine Sheryl Lee Ralph (one of the original Dreamgirls) chewed scenery with delicious abandon as Madame Morrible. (Met her afterwards. Class and elegance!) Remember the TV live version of "The Sound of Music"? Well, Michael Campayno, who played Rolf, was a very fine Fiyero. (Met him afterwards...nice guy.) PJ Benjamin was a competent, if unexciting, Wizard. Big orchestra, adoring audience. We had a blast. - at the Gershwin Theatre, New York

 The show curtain from the cross-over aisle in the stalls.

 The dragon's impressive in its brief time onstage. Impressive backstage as well.

Upstage. Lots of lights.

 Here we are with Sheryl Lee Ralph. Elegant. Cordial. A diva is the most complimentary sense of the word. 

Did I say how much we enjoyed meeting her? 

Sidebar: Even after nearly fourteen years, a hopeful crowd gathered outside the theatre to see if they won that performance's lottery, and a line had already begun for cancellations. Inside the theatre was a virtual Wizard store, everything anyone could possibly want pertaining to the show, including photos against an Oz background (actually a green screen, so I'm guessing here.) And people were buying the stuff like it was going out of style. In over fifty years of theatregoing, I have never seen merchandising at this level. Insanity. A cast-proof show, Wicked shows no sign of slowing down, and for the producers and creatives, this continues to be a money machine.

Sidebar 2: The 2004 Tony Awards actually were not very kind to Wicked when all is said and done. Director Joe Mantello didn't even get a nod, unusual for the director of that season's must-see smash, and out of Wicked's ten Tony nominations, it would only win three: Best Actress (Idina Menzel), Best Scenic Design (Eugene Lee), and Best Costume Design (Susan Hilferty). People may be surprised to learn that Wicked was pretty much panned upon its Broadway opening. Many critics found the show bloated and unfocused with an indifferent score. Hard to believe considering the show's off-the-charts popularity. (Mamma Mia! was panned. So was Cats. See a trend here?) Wicked's loss to Avenue Q must have been particularly hard for composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz. Despite penning the ubiquitous Godspell (blech!), the never-done Doug Henning musical, The Magic Show (1900+ performances, a financial goldmine, if not exactly a critical darling), the very fine Pippin (the revival was superior to the original), and what I consider his best score, the closed-out-of-town The Baker's Wife, and despite making buckets of money along the way and employing hundreds, hell, thousands of theatre professionals in his shows, Schwartz has never won a Tony Award. He's won three Academy Awards and the Isabelle Stevenson Award (a special Tony), but never an actual in-competition Tony Award. I'm not sure how he feels about that, but, let's face it, with Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked, he's laughing all the way to the bank.

PRESENT LAUGHTER – St. James Theatre, New York

March, 2017. The discussion after the interminable first act was whether we should jump ship or not. We stayed and it got better, even had a really first-rate and very funny scene in Act 2, but overall it was pretty dull and lifeless. Thank god for Kate Burton, Kristine Nielsen, and Cobie Smulders because, bless their hearts, they gave the show most of its sass and fizz. Kevin Kline was surprisingly underwhelming, lacking the charisma and charm the part calls for, and was hard to both hear and understand. At 69, he's really too old to play a fading matinee idol, and some of the scenes with the young wannabe actress bordered on creepy. Now, having said all this, we saw its first preview performance, so perhaps that accounted for some of the restrained delivery. However, since the producers deemed it proper to charge full box office prices for previews, I think it's only reasonable to expect a show to be ready for an audience. Or perhaps it's simply that "Present Laughter" is second drawer Coward. A miss. - at the St. James Theatre, New York

Sidebar: Things must have greatly improved at the St. James by the time it opened a few weeks later. The reviews were mostly positive with glowing words for Kevin Kline. He was rewarded with the 2017 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

MISS SAIGON – Broadway Theatre, New York

March, 2017. Last minute TKTS pick. This production crossed The Pond with three of its leads, all excellent. I'd heard this was a more intimate version than the rather tattered-looking tour-tired production I'd seen in Chicago years ago, but it looked pretty damn elaborate to me. Sensational physical production, and the famed helicopter was impressive and, I'll admit, cool, the climax of the really well-done fall of Saigon scene. With more than the occasional nod to that musical about barricades, the Boublil/Schönberg score was beautifully sung. Jon Jon Briones, was suitably slimy and his "The American Dream" was a home run…sleazy, creepy, and a show-stopper. Tony-nominated Eva Noblezada as Kim and London import Alistair Brammer as Chris gave their considerable all and did what they could with those vapid roles, and I still have issues with the character of Kim, but, honestly, character development is all but non- existent in Miss Saigon, so there is that. All in all, though, a satisfying evening. - at the Broadway Theatre, New York

Sidebar: Like the original production, this version of Miss Saigon met with its share of controversy. Instead of the focus being on casting, however, the controversy this time around concerned itself with stereotypes and racism. You may or may not agree with the issues being brought up, but isn't it terrific that people are actually using theatre as a springboard for intelligent, thoughtful discussion?

HAMILTON – Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York

November, 2016. The most brilliant thing about Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton isn't the insanely successful PR machine which convinces folks that this is the Second Coming, and not just a musical, and dupes them into plucking down nearly $850 per ticket for an orchestra seat in New York and a staggering $500 for the same in Chicago. (see Sidebar) It even isn't Miranda's remarkable score that seamlessly integrates rap, hip-hop, and good, old traditional musical theatre into a cohesive whole. It isn't Thomas Kail and Andy Blankenbuehler's superb staging and choreography that keeps everything going at a brisk pace, but has the good sense to slow down every now and then. It's none of those. Instead, the most brilliant thing about Hamilton is the ethnically and racially diverse casting that, instead of looking like stunt casting, is natural, unforced and, really, isn't that the way casting should be? Now…what about the show itself? First, let me preface this by saying our seats were in the second-to-last row of the rear mezzanine at the Rodgers. Terrific sightlines, if a tad distant, but, unfortunately, directly under a speaker that delivered extraordinarily loud, often muddy sound (due to the proximity of our seats to the speakers?). Diction was not everybody's friend (especially Okieriete Onaodowan, whose diction throughout the entire show was so awful, I barely understood a word he said/sang), though overall it seemed to improve somewhat in Act Two. And please don't tell me I wasn't familiar enough with a) the score, b) hip-hop, c) rap, or d) all of the above. That's nonsense. I shouldn't have to be familiar with a musical's score or study it in advance to understand it. (Case in point, a few years earlier we saw American Idiot, Green Day's rock musical, a score I had never heard before, and it was rare when I didn't understand what was being sung onstage, so that blows that theory.) And finally, the audience acted as though they were at the Coliseum throwing Christians to the lions instead of at the theatre, and screamed at a feverish, frenzied pitch at absolutely everything that happened onstage, good, bad, or indifferent. I know everyone was excited beyond words to actually be seeing Hamilton, but the rock concert behavior took away from the show. Moving on…Javier Muñoz as Hamilton was so, so good. Seriously. Props also to Michael Luwoye's Aaron Burr (filling in for Brandon Victor Dixon), Nik Walker's George Washington (filling in for Christopher Jackson), and Rory O'Malley's delicious King George. Unfortunately, the ladies didn't fare as well. Though professional and competent, neither Jasmine Cephas Jones (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds) and Mandy Gonzalez (Angelica Schuyler) made much of an impression. Lexi Lawson, making her Broadway debut as Eliza Hamilton in the role originated by Phillipa Soo, was, frankly, a disappointment. With an underwhelming stage presence, she had her moments, but, for the most part, barely registered in a part that should have crackled with electricity. This was most evident in the magnificent "Burn," Eliza's glorious Act Two song, which never got above the "simmer" setting. I do wish Mr. Miranda would have given us less hip-hop/rap and more dialogue, because the strict rhythmic requirements of both genres made things often sound, well, the same, lacking vocal dynamics and nuances. Verdict? Hamilton is a good musical, a very good musical. I'd like to see it again. It is not, however, the be all to end all. And, under no circumstances, worth those New York and Chicago premium prices. – at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York

Sidebar: It's not an overstatement to say that Hamilton is over-hyped. It is. For the first year of its run, if someone so much as farted backstage at the Richard Rodgers, that news was posted with breathless verbiage on TheaterMania.com, Playbill.com, broadwayworld.com, chat boards, fan sites, etc. etc. And while it is probably the most over-hyped show in history, that claim to fame is primarily due to the way shows are marketed today, utilizing all the various tools available: press, television, radio, and most especially the Internet and social media. But hype isn't new. Looking back over the decades, it seems that since the mid-1950s, at least, a show comes along roughly every twenty years that causes a box office feeding frenzy and PR firms working overtime. Consider the following.

On March, 15, 1956, My Fair Lady opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre to ecstatic reviews. This prompted long, long lines at the Hellinger box office, ticket unavailability for the foreseeable future, and unprecedented media coverage. The was the greatest musical, the biggest hit ever! All the hype even warranted a nod by humorist/playwright Jean Kerr in her book Please Don't Eat the Daisies: "Do you mean to suggest that down through the echoing corridors of time there will never be a Wednesday night on which two seats will be available? I don't wish to inject an empty note of pessimism but even you, in the first flush and fever of success, must concede that there is a possibility at least in theory that sometime, say in 1962, you might be willing, even anxious, to sell two seats." My Fair Lady would close in 1962 after a record 2717 performances.

Jump ahead nearly twenty years to 1975. A Chorus Line opens at the Public Theater on April 15, 1975, is a critical and audience sensation there, immediately sells out, and transfers to Broadway's Shubert Theatre opening in July, 1975. The press goes wild. This is the greatest musical ever! So innovative, so unique, so brilliant. Long, long lines at the Shubert box office. Sold-out for the foreseeable future. Sweeps the Tony Awards. Closest rival Chicago, which opened at the 46th Street Theatre six weeks earlier, is shut out, winning nothing. Even wins the Pulitzer!   A Chorus Line rules! The musical runs and runs and runs, finally closing after fifteen years and 6137 performances, a new record. (In an ironic twist, a revamped and "slimmed-down" Chicago opened in 1996, is still running today, and at 8587 performances, as of July 30, 2017, has long surpassed its former rival.)

Just over twenty years later, in January,1996, a new rock musical called Rent, now inexplicably called RENT, began preview performances at the New York Theatre Workshop under tragic circumstances. In the early morning hours before the first preview, Rent's author/composer/lyricist Jonathan Larson died of an aortic aneurysm. In true show business tradition, the show went on, became an off-Broadway sellout, transferred to Broadway's Nederlander Theatre, bringing new life to that previously undesirable house, and opened on April, 29,1996, to critical acclaim, lines at the Nederlander box office, sold-out status, and Rent-heads, those obsessed uber-fans who camped out in front of the theatre both in New York and on tour stops (yes, Rent-heads even on Monroe Street in front of the Shubert to get those scarce tickets) to snatch up the handful of $20 tickets sold before each performance. (In New York, this policy changed to a lottery about 18 months into the run, becoming Broadway's first show to use a lottery.) Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Jesse L. Martin, Taye Diggs, and Indina Menzel were in the original cast. Critics hailed it as a landmark musical, a Hair for the 90s, a show that truly spoke to today's generation, a musical that "shimmers with hope for the future of the American musical." No day but today! Rent rules! It even picked up a Pulitzer. And some Tonys. It closed after 5123 performances after making a crapload of money. Not bad for a show whose central characters whine about paying rent.

And we're full circle. Nineteen years years after Rent, Hamilton. Another Pulitzer. Lots of Tonys. People camping out in front of the theatre in hopes of scoring tickets on the cancellation queue. (The Hamilton lottery, as in many lotteries today, has gone digital. No need to spend your entire day braving the elements in front of a theatre.) Tickets remain scarce, even with a replacement cast, and over two years into its run, is still regularly selling out those astronomically priced premium seats, with seats on Ticketmaster's Verified Resale Tickets, i.e. legalized scalping, going for much higher. The media overload has died down somewhat, but every cast replacement seems to be greeted with cries of ecstasy on fan sites and, like it or not, Hamilton will be the ruler of the theatre scene for a least a few more years to come. (Sorry, Dear Evan Hansen.)

And remember…if the shoe fits. Until next time.

© 2017 Jeffrey Geddes