MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS – Part 17a: THE TOP TEN – #2

MUSICAL MAYHEM: MY TOP TWENTY-FIVE MUSICALS – Part 17a

THE TOP TEN – #2

NOTE: Due to the length of this entry, I'm dividing it into two parts. This is part one of two.

"In 1902, Father built a house at the crest of the Broadview Avenue hill in New Rochelle, New York, and it seemed for some years thereafter that all the family's days would be warm and fair." The glorious Ragtime.

# 2: RAGTIME – Book by Terrance McNally, Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens

Based on E.L. Doctorow's 1975 novel and possessing one of the most gorgeous scores in musical theatre, Ragtime has had trouble winning over critics since its beginnings in Toronto in 1996. Although widely admired, it hasn't been necessarily embraced. Critics have complained that the show is too big, too loud, too long, that it lacks a human scale. They've said that stereotypes abound; secondary characters such as Emma Goldman, Evelyn Nesbitt, Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, Henry Ford, etc, are little more than line drawings, with none of the characters, including the principals, really fleshed out. Despite winning two hot-ticket Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Book of a Musical out of its four wins that year, it lost the biggie, Best Musical, to another "spectacle" show, The Lion King, directed by that year's flavor-of-the-season, Julie Taymor, who would have a much-publicized fall from Broadway grace a decade later with her firing from the much-maligned Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (not nearly as bad as one would think given the negative press). Some Broadway analytical-type folks believe the loss of the Best Musical tchotchke, along with the high weekly costs associated with the lavish original production, were major factors in the original production's money-losing run.

Whoa, you say. That's a lot of negative remarks there. How can Ragtime possibly be in the number two spot? Easy. Because it is big; it is loud; its humanity is bold, in-your-face, and powerful. Are there stereotypes? Yes. And you want to know something? That's fine with me, because stereotypes exist in real life. The minor characters do what they are supposed to do: add color and atmosphere. And excuse me, but few musicals give you fully-defined, subtlety-written characters. Gypsy is one. My Fair Lady is another. Most musicals give you a bullet-point character profile, and Ragtime's characters are actually developed better than in a lot of shows. The Flaherty and Ahrens score transports the listener, shamelessly at times tugging on your heartstrings, and Terrance McNally's book guides the theatergoer through the multiple layers of the story. If you just sit back and let the show work its magic, you will, like me, become a devotee. No, it's not perfect. Yes, it has its flaws. But when all is said and done, Ragtime is truly one of the glories of the American musical theatre. And that opening number!!!

 – Ford Centre for the Performing Arts (Apotex Theatre), Toronto

 Future Tony-winner Heather Headley was in Ragtime's ensemble during its Toronto run, but was out that evening. Future Broadway star and multiple Tony-nominee Brandon Uranowitz was playing The Little Boy at the time. 

March, 1997. Toronto: where it all began. Well, not precisely Toronto. To be absolutely correct, the Ford Centre, now called the Meridian Arts Centre, is located in North York, just north of central Toronto and one of the administrative districts of Toronto. Not that it matters, really. The theatre itself, typical of new theatres, was sleek and comfortable, but a bit cold and barnlike. Not that that mattered, either. What unfolded on that stage was nothing short of magic. Let's talk about that opening number, shall we? Addictively melodic, the number introduced the major characters and gave us the flavor of the times ("Ladies with parasols,/Fellows with tennis balls./There were no Negroes/And there were no immigrants.") Graciela Daniele's brilliant staging blended the privileged whites, the Harlem blacks, and the arriving immigrants in a triumph of musical staging that built excitement to an almost feverish pitch by the time the number ended. The story of Ragtime was enveloped in a lush, elegant environment by Eugene Lee (sets), Santo Loquasto (costumes), and Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (lights). The music, played by a 28-piece orchestra, soared. Frank Galati directed the show with broad strokes that may have lacked subtlety, but gave the story clean lines and clarity. And who can possibly forget that magical original cast of Brian Stokes Mitchell (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.), Peter Friedman (Tateh), the luminous Marin Mazzie (Mother), Audra McDonald (Sarah. Already a two-time Tony winner, she would win a third for Ragtime.), Mark Jacoby (Father), Jim Corti (Harry Houdini), Lynnette Perry (Evelyn Nesbitt), Steven Sutcliffe (Younger Brother), and Camille Saviola (Emma Goldman)? Each of them created characters that even today linger in the mind. And I defy anyone to not submit to McDonald's "Your Daddy's Son," McDonald and Mitchell's "Wheels of a Dream," the emotional "Till We Reach That Day" which closes Act One, and Mitchell's "Make Them Hear You." But for me, the crowning glory was Mazzie's soaring and beautiful "Back to Before," which had the audience cheering the moment she hit the final note. Breathtaking in interpretation and the perfect song for that moment in the show. At Ragtime's conclusion, the audience couldn't get to its feet fast enough. Nearly twenty-three years and many productions later, this original version in Toronto remains my favorite. But you know something? After all this time, I still discover something new every time I see the show. – at the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts (Apotex Theatre), Toronto

Hey, Mr. Producer!: Ragtime was produced by Livent, Inc, headed by Garth Drabinsky. Founded in 1989, Livent quickly became a major player in the theatre, especially in his native Canada, and put Toronto front and center on the theatre map, second only to New York. He bought theatres, he produced musicals, all of which could justifiably use as a subtitle, "Money Is No Object." Drabinsky spent the big bucks and you could see every penny onstage. Ragtime was a perfect example. He was on top of the theatrical world, but a short decade after its formation, Livent declared bankruptcy when "accounting irregularities" were discovered. Livent's assets, including the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in New York, and Ragtime, which was playing at the Ford Center, were sold to SFX Entertainment in August, 1999. Livent's bankruptcy, and, some Broadway insiders believe, Ragtime's high operating costs, forced what many consider a premature closing of Ragtime on January 16, 2000, after a too-short run of only 27 previews and 834 performances. Drabinsky and his partner Myron Gottlieb were tried and convicted in Ontario on charges of fraud and forgery (damn, boys!) and sentenced to jail time and fines. Drabinsky completed his sentence in 2016. Even with production costs reaching into the tens of millions today for big musicals, the lavishness of the Drabinsky era has never been duplicated and probably never will be.

The Show Biz: Our Toronto program doesn't list "The Show Biz" as one of the Act 2 songs, but both Bob and I distinctly remember it. It could have been part of the song listed as "Atlantic City." Research on genius.com says that "The Show Biz" was in the show during rehearsals, but cut before the final staging, with elements sung by Harry Houdini and Evelyn Nesbitt during "Atlantic City." Separate song or incorporated into another, I remember the song in performance. It was wonderful. Dry and sardonic, all elements of it were gone by the time the show played Los Angeles a short few months later. A shame, too. We really liked the song, and it gave the show a rare dose of genuine levity. To be fair, though, it didn't really serve a purpose or advance the plot, and, in a three-hour show, there's little room for an extraneous number. Thankfully, it's preserved on the Toronto concept album. (An official original cast album would be recorded when the show moved to Broadway.)

Above: the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts, then called the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts post-Livent bankruptcy. Below: a Ragtime brochure with some show info, prices, and theatre info.

What's In a Name?: When the Ford Centre opened in 1993, it was called the North York Performing Arts Centre. In 1994, the city of North York awarded management of the complex to Livent, and they sold the naming rights to the Ford Motor Company of Canada. As the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts, it would house long runs of Livent's Showboat, Fosse, Sunset Boulevard, and, of course, Ragtime. With Livent's bankruptcy, the name changed once again, this time to the Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts. After a long run of Jersey Boys concluded in 2010, the large main theatre had trouble attracting tenants, in part due to its distance from Toronto's main theatre district. As a result, the main theatre was converted into two smaller theatres, and in September, 2019, the complex was renamed once more, this time as the Meridian Arts Centre. No longer housing mainstage theatre, the Meridian Arts Centre keeps its theatres busy with music and dance events.

– Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles

An early ad for Ragtime in the LA Times.

Opening night ad. We saw it at the final preview the night before.

 

June, 1997. Nobody could ever accuse Garth Drabinsky of following the rules. In May, 1997, while his 10-million-dollar production of Ragtime was still playing in Toronto, Drabinsky and Livent took the unusual step of mounting a new 10 million-dollar-production of the show for its US premiere in Los Angeles, rather than waiting for the Toronto production to transfer to Broadway, which it would do in the winter. Incorporating changes made since the Toronto opening, notably a new finale, this Ragtime was as lush and expensive as its Toronto cousin. Heading up the cast was Brian Stokes Mitchell recreating, in fine form, his Coalhouse Walker, Jr. His Sarah, LaChanze, was superb and vocally sublime. I don't wish to be churlish, but, despite his award-winning Broadway cred, I found John Rubenstein's Tateh to be underwhelming, and Marcia Mitzman Gaven's Mother didn't quite have the elegance and ease of Marin Mazzie in the same role. This was the final preview before opening the following evening. The LA Times review was positive and flattering. It would run more than eight months in the City of Angels. – at the Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles

 The elegant entrance. Modern and sophisticated.

 The Shubert looks vast, but the 2100 seat house in reality was suitably intimate.

 The exterior.

The seat map. For the most part, it was continental seating at the Shubert. Kind of a pain if you're seated in the middle of the row!

RIP Shubert Theatre: The 2100 seat Shubert Theatre, part of the ABC Entertainment Center in Century City, was brand-new when it opened its doors in 1972 to a post-Broadway engagement of Follies, starring most of its original cast. Over the years, it would be the Los Angeles home for many shows including long runs for Les Miserables, Annie, Sunset Boulevard, Beauty and the Beast, and, of course, Ragtime. But ABC moved out of the ABC Entertainment Center, and the owners decided to demolish the complex, including the Shubert, to make way for more profitable office buildings. Though lacking in the old-school elegance of traditional theatres, the Shubert was attractive and modern, and the liberal use of the red color palatte gave it warmth. Our seats were way up in the balcony, yet sightlines were good and the sound was pristine. The Shubert faced the wrecking ball in 2002. It was only thirty years old, a youngster by theatre standards.

Post-LA: When Ragtime closed at the Shubert in March, 1998, Drabinsky packed the whole thing up and sent the production out on a year-long tour, playing extended engagements in five cities, including a four-month stint in Washington, D.C. Now that's not so unusual in and of itself. What made it a bit out of the norm was that the Broadway production had opened only two months earlier. Was launching a tour so soon after the Broadway opening a brilliant business move or ill-advised? When Livent declared bankruptcy in November, 1998, a closing notice was posted for the Ragtime tour, effective with the end of its Minneapolis engagement a few days later. But then, a happy ending. Pace Theatrical Group acquired the touring rights and the show continued to play the remainder of its scheduled tour.

– Ford Center for the Performing Arts, New York

December, 1998. Bob was attending a Broadway lighting master class. Since two of the keynote speakers/instructors were Ragtime's incomparable lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, tickets to Ragtime were part of the package. Ragtime was the first production at the old/new Ford Center, and since the theatre was equipped with all the latest theatrical mod cons, Ragtime's huge production fit quite nicely into the space. Lawrence Hamilton and Monica L. Richards filled in for Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald, and, as is the case with New York understudies, they performed their roles with talent and professionalism. Marin Mazzie's performance was even more layered than in Toronto and her "Back to Before" thrilled. Bob and his colleagues and their significant others went backstage after the show for a tour of the stage. All of a sudden the lighting folks went into geek mode and started talking in tongues, lighting designer version, while we S.O.s rolled our eyes and stood around and took in the sights. I think for Bob the backstage tour was the highlight of the evening. – at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, New York

What's In a Name? (Part 2): So you thought the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto had a lot of names. You ain't seen nothing yet! New York's Ford Center opened in 1998 as part of an extensive Times Square renewal. Occupying the sites of the condemned Lyric and Apollo Theatres, the facility combined restored elements of both theatres and ended up being a pretty barn seating about 1900 people. Originally owned by Livent, Inc., ownership changed in 1999 to SFX Entertainment, which was bought by Clear Channel Entertainment. In 2005, after an extensive renovation, the theatre was renamed the Hilton Theatre and ownership changed to Live Nation. Then it became the Foxwoods Theatre, after a deal was made between Live Nation and Connecticut's Foxwoods Resort Casino. Classy! Not. Finally in 2013, the theatre was acquired by the Ambassador Theatre Group, a major, very-expensive renovation took place, seating capacity was cut down to just over 1600 seats, and in 2014, it was named the Lyric Theatre, where it is currently home to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Whew! Curiously, the theatre's address is listed as West 43rd Street as opposed to 42nd Street. Whatever!

– Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, Chicago

Look who was playing The Little Boy!

April, 1999. The 10-million-dollar Chicago sit-down production of Ragtime was the perfect vehicle to premiere the gorgeously-remodeled, long-dormant Oriental Theatre in the heart of Chicago's Loop. A duplicate of the Broadway version, this production received a glowing review by the Tribune's Richard Christiansen and would run for eight months, not shabby by any standards. With one glaring exception, the cast was up to the material. Barbara Walsh's Mother was the best performance in the show, parlaying both strength and warmth. Broadway vet and three-time Tony-winner Hinton Battle played Coalhouse, and, frankly, I didn't like him. At all. Technically all the elements were there, but his heart just didn't seem to be into it. Was he bored? Was he tired? Was he reacting to the relatively sparse Tuesday night house? Whatever the case, his performance brought down the entire evening. This production deserved better. – at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, Chicago

Last Hurrah: The Chicago company of Ragtime was the last to have Livent as its producer. After its Chicago run, the production shut down. Scenic elements from this company as well as the recently-closed Boston company were used in a slimmed-down, scenically and cast-size, new tour, licensed by Pace Theatrical Group, that began in Houston in July, 1999, and closed two-years later. To date, the touring world would never again see a musical of such opulence and extravagance as Ragtime. Drabinsky and pals may have been crooks, but, damn, they knew how to put on a show!

What's In a Name? (Part 3): When the theatre unveiled its beautiful redo, it was called the Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, the Oriental being the name of the theatre when it opened in 1926. Nobody in Chicago called it the Ford Center, etc., however. It was always the Oriental, but naming rights, blah, blah, blah. When Livent went under, the theatre, like all the other Livent-owned properties, was acquired by SFX Entertainment, later Live Nation. In 2007, Live Nation sold the theatre to the Nederlander Organization, founder of Broadway in Chicago. In 2018, the Nederlanders announced they would change the name from the Oriental Theatre to the James M. Nederlander Theatre. A part of Chicago history was destroyed when the iconic and singular Oriental Theatre name disappeared from the marquee and the name Nederlander went up. Sad face.

 Above: Billy Elliot was a long-run tenant at the Oriental. Below: the iconic sign. It will never, ever be the Nederlander.

With Livent going bust and the last Livent Ragtime closing, this is the perfect place to end Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2!

© 2020 Jeffrey Geddes

DISCOVERING THE END OF THE ALPHABET – Part 2 (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Soup)

DISCOVERING THE END OF THE ALPHABET – Part 2

(a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet Soup)

Part 2…more end of the alphabet adventures. To start things off, let's begin with a magnificent revival of an intense, disturbing Arthur Miller play.

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE – Lyceum Theatre, New York

January, 2016. There are some productions that are so unique in design, so superb in concept and direction, so dazzling in performance, that typical words of praise fail to do it justice. This justifiably critically-acclaimed revival of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge was one of them. Arthur Miller, one of our truly great playwrights, will never be accused of writing cheery, optimistic plays. Nor will he ever be accused of writing simple plays. His plays, both the masterpieces and the less-thans, almost demand our attention, our concentration, and when the plays are good, and, trust me, A View from the Bridge is one of the best, we willingly surrender to his words. The soaring artistic vision of director Ivo van Hove, immeasurably aided by designers Jan Versweyveld (scenic and lighting design), whose physical environment, a boxing ring-like square with benches on two sides and a door upstage, and Tom Gibbons (sound design), whose music was ominously playing softly in the background throughout the performance, never actually intruding on the action unless for a dramatic reason, but always there, adding a unnerving element to the proceedings, gave the play, set in a 1950s Italian Brooklyn neighborhood, a Greek tragedy feel. Stripped of kitchen-sink realism and the accoutrements of a traditional scenic design, van Hove focused on Miller's text, and the themes of denial, sex, and family blazed forth with the intensity of a laser. The superb cast (Mark Strong, Nicola Walker, Phoebe Fox, Russell Tovey, Michael Zegen, Michael Gould, and Richard Hansell), all veterans of London's Young Vic production, commanded our attention. The final tableau, a true coup de théâtre, of a blood-soaked stage as the top of the set slowly, very slowly, descended to enclose the playing area, stunned the audience into an almost reverential silence, the likes of which I have rarely experienced in the theatre. The New York Times' Ben Brantley put it this way: "This must be what Greek tragedy once felt like, when people went to the theater in search of catharsis. Ivo van Hove’s magnificent reconception of Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge, which opened on Thursday night at the Lyceum Theatre, takes you into extreme emotional territory that you seldom dare visit in daily life. At the end of its uninterrupted two hours, you are wrung out, scooped out and so exhausted that you’re wide awake. You also feel ridiculously blessed to have been a witness to the terrible events you just saw." Well said, Mr. Brantley.  Breathtaking theatre. – at the Lyceum Theatre, New York

YOUR OWN THING – Capen Auditorium, Normal, IL

How many of these songs are in your audition book?

April, 1970. First there was Hair, which had musical theatre purists wringing their hands in despair that rock music would take over Broadway and the traditional musical would die. They needn't have worried. By the early 70s, the craze had more or less ended, no doubt fueled by mega-bombs like Dude and Via Galactica. 1968's Your Own Thing, suggested by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, but set in present day, i.e. the late 60s, was a huge off-Broadway success, spawning touring and resident companies, and launching the careers of many young, talented performers. One of these tours, a bus-and-truck job, made its way to Illinois State University's Capen Auditorium for two nights under the auspices of ISU's Entertainment Board. Back in the day, these were Equity tours, often with the same production credits as the originals, modified to accommodate one and two-night stands. As a result, even in the hinterlands, audiences often got a product that was first-rate and as close production-wise to the New York original as possible. Then, as now, I wasn't a big rock person, and, truthfully, I don't remember anything about the show, except that I found it entertaining enough and totally forgettable. Casting tidbit: Roger Rathburn, who played Orson, would make his Broadway debut the following year as the juvenile in the smash revival of No, No, Nanette. The local paper, The Pantagraph, gave Your Own Thing a positive review. – at Capen Auditorium, Normal, IL

THE VAMPIRES – Immediate Theatre Company, Chicago

March, 1988. Steve knew one of the actors, I forget who, so off we went to the far north side to a somewhat tatty storefront theatre on West Pratt. According to the director's notes, The Vampires is about career changes, mid-life crises, and the choices we make when we are at the end of the proverbial rope. Pretty much everything au courant in the 80s got a nod here, including drugs, meditation, gurus, and even vampirism. The Chicago Tribune's critic, Richard Christiansen, praised the show, and between the review and the director's notes, I wish I had better recall of the evening, but, alas, I don't. What I do remember, however, is having a couple of pre-show beers at a bar around the corner on Sheridan, where I think we may have been the first gay folks ever to walk into the place. It was actually quite fun. Of the play, no clue. – at the Immediate Theatre Company, Chicago

Immediate Sidebar: The original Immediate Theatre Company was an ensemble formed in the early 1980s and was disbanded in the early 1990s.  According to broadwayworld.com, "the company was known for its tight ensemble work and truthful acting," whatever that means. (I suspect it's actor psychobabble.) Their production of The Vampires consisted of a largely Equity cast, impressive for store front operations.

ZANNA, DON'T! - Bailiwick Theatre, Chicago

October, 2007. Tim Acito and Alexander Dinelaris' Zanna, Don't! is the musical equivalent of a puppy with sad brown eyes and a furiously wagging tale that is begging you to "love me, love me, love me." And I tried. I really did, but, despite the earnestness of the cast and the message that the world would be a better place if we all just loved each other more, I never really warmed to the piece. Set in a high school in an alternate, parallel universe where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality is the exception, Zanna's cast work tirelessly to put across the unexceptional material. Worked too hard, in fact, under Elisa Woodruff's trying-too-hard direction. I didn't hate it, but nothing stood out as special. The music was pleasantly bland and the characters sweet, but one-dimensional. At 57, perhaps I was simply too old for it. I'd lived through my generation being decimated by AIDS, experiencing first-hand the toll of the plague, and it's possible that Zanna's cheerfully optimistic message struck me as naïve and clueless about the harshness of the real world. Kerry Reid, of the Chicago Tribune, gave the show a nod. A modest show, modestly produced and modestly performed. – at Bailiwick Theatre, Chicago

YANK! – York Theatre Company (The Theatre at Saint Peter's Church), New York

March, 2010. A lovely, low-key, unassuming musical about love during World War II, Yank! (subtitled "A WWII Love Story) was fresh, original, and loaded with talent. Focusing more on story, and less on polemic preaching, Yank!'s tale of a gay young man, out of place and lonely, trying to navigate the dual land mines of his sexuality in a, let's face it, not friendly environment, the U.S. Army, and the terrifying reality of a war, received a loving production at York Theatre's intimate Theatre at Saint Peter's Church, seemingly in the bowels of the earth, based on the long elevator ride. If the production values were a bit, well, storefront, the performances sizzled, especially those of Jeffry Denman as the brash, unapologetically gay photographer for an Army weekly magazine, Ivan Hernandez as the hunky love interest, the remarkable Nancy Anderson, who played all of the women in the story, and Bobby Steggert, absolutely indispensible as Stu, the lonely, out of place lad. An homage of sorts to 1940s musicals, clichés abounded, and deliberately so, with book and score by brothers Joseph and David Zellnik. It didn't all work, but we and the rest of the audience left the theatre happy. Yank! won't ever change the world or redefine musical theatre, but as an evening of charm, it's first-rate. – at the York Theatre Company (The Theatre at St. Peter's), New York

About Mr. Steggert: We've been fans of the talented Bobby Steggert since we saw him in the Audra McDonald 110 in the Shade. Ragtime, Yank!, Big Fish, and Mothers and Sons followed. There was always honesty and humanity in Steggert's performances, and I truly believe he was poised for major stardom. But then, in 2016 or so, Steggert left the business, got his master's in social work, and now practices as a psychotherapist. Well done, sir. Theatre's loss is definitely mental health's gain.

XANADU – Helen Hayes Theatre, New York

There were a lot of slips in that afternoon's Playbill. All of them excellent, by the way.

July, 2007. James Carpinello was still being billed as "Sonny," but never returned to the show following his rehearsal (preview?) injury.  Even though Cheyenne Jackson opened the show two weeks earlier, he had not yet permanently joined the cast, so Curtis Holbrook was playing Sonny that afternoon. We went to this as an "it could be fun" Saturday matinee and had a blast!  OMG!  The songs and book were both campy and fun, the performances deliciously over the top, yet sincere, and that's rather a neat trick, and a master class in scenery-chewing technique was effortlessly taught by the divine Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa, who have no shame whatsoever!  None. I loved them.  Kerry Butler, in the role played by Olivia Newton-John in the unfortunate film, was casting genius. Channeling her best Olivia N-J, she was truly a skating goddess. Curtis Holbrook was a delightful, clueless Sonny. Even Tony Roberts, whom I've never been a fan of, was quite wonderful and seemed to be having a terrific time. (Casting nugget…Patti Murin, currently playing Anna in Frozen at the St. James, performed the roles usually played by Holbrook.)  Love, love, love this show.  Mindless, happy, and a guilty pleasure. – at the Helen Hayes Theatre, New York

The Little Show That Could: Xanadu surprised the nay-sayers by receiving positive reviews, including a couple of out-and-out raves. The critics loved its campiness, it's cheerful spoofiness of all things Broadway, and it's almost puppy-dog desire to entertain. In a year that included In the Heights, Young Frankenstein, and critical darling Passing Strange, it scored four Tony nominations, including a Best Musical nod, but won none, losing the big award to In the Heights, that year's flavor of the month. (Sorry, not a fan of Heights. Sue me.) Quite an accomplishment for an unassuming little show playing at Broadway's smallest house. During that year's Tony season, Xanadu pulled one of the best, funniest PR-promotional campaigns I've ever seen. Go to YouTube and type in "Cubby Bernstein Xanadu" and enjoy. You can thank me later.

February, 2008. Just as delicious and campy good fun the second time around.  Annie Golden subbed for Mary Testa and proved she could shred scenery with the best of them. Jackie Hoffman was still criminally funny and the two of them took no prisoners. Kerry Butler and Tony Roberts seemed to have comfortably settled into their roles, and Cheyenne Jackson, now permanently in the cast as Sonny, was adorable and VERY tall. It's curious that for all the good press and positive reviews, Xanadu never was terribly successful on the road. Too campy? Too gay? Too New York? Today, it's a popular property with MTI and even, scarily, has a Xanadu, Jr. version. A proposed tour starring RuPaul Drag Race stars Ginger Minj and Jinkx Monsoon was cancelled due to poor ticket sales two weeks before opening earlier in September, 2019. A great show? No. But, dear lord, is it fun! – at the Helen Hayes Theatre, New York

YOUR ARMS TOO SHORT TO BOX WITH GOD – Shubert Theatre, Chicago

April, 1983. When is a venerable, old Chicago playhouse no longer a theatre, but instead a hand-clapping, Yes, Lording, amening gospel tabernacle? Short answer: when Patti LaBelle takes up residency on that venerable, old Chicago playhouse's stage. I don't think I'm far off when I say that I believed most of the people who crowded into the Shubert on that April Saturday night weren't there to see Vinnette Carroll's take on the Biblical Book of St. Matthew. After all, Box with God had been kicking around since 1976, had already been revived twice on Broadway, and had played Chicago three times before this engagement. Besides, if one wanted to see a musical based on St. Matt, there was always the insipid Godspell to quell any pseudo-Bible appetites. No, the reason the Shubert was hand-clapping, Yes-Lording, and amening was because this particular production had Ms. LaBelle heading up the thing, and with all due respect to the creative talents of Ms. Carroll, Alex Bradford, and Micki Grant (music and lyrics) and the abundantly talented folks sharing the stage with LaBelle, I don't remember anything about the evening except Patti LaBelle, all glorious voice, dynamic stage presence, and contagious joy. Could she act? Did anyone care one way or the other? I know I didn't. There's a reason why Patti LaBelle is a living legend.  All anyone had to do was to attend a performance at the Shubert in April, 1983 to find out why. – at the Shubert Theatre, Chicago

That's it for now… Until next time!

© 2019 Jeffrey Geddes