Falsettos

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a revival of a much loved show now playing again on Broadway after a long rest.  Falsettos, a book by James Lapine with music and lyrics by William Finn returns to Broadway with great fanfare.  The show is actually two shorter plays, March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland combined into one musical.  It seems that in a rush to the stage with the subject matter, Mr. Lapine threw it all together without much thought as to what would look like.  It's cute, tender, and touching - yes.  However, the requisite "he's dying from AIDS" storyline seems a bit disjointed, sloppy, and thrown on the stage in a rush to get it before the public.

Marvin seems a bit mis-cast (Christian Borle).  He's a bit older, he was (tragically) married and has a kid - it was the generation for such nonsense i suppose.   Wizzer (Andrew Rannells) is younger, sexier, and quite clearly gets around as it were.  Even the name of the character seems a bit dated, to be honest.  The performance I attended was quite unique in the fact that both Stephanie J. Block (Trina) and her understudy Courtney Balan (Trina).  A second understudy Stephanie Umoh (Trina) with a mere 2 hours of rehearsal time went on - script in hand.  I was nervous for the first 15 minutes but soon realized she was not going to miss a note, a step, or a line.  In fact she was fantastic.

I sort of wish the entire show was as rewarding as watching an actor really executing her craft with aplomb.  I still do not really know exactly what the falsettos are or were or represent.  Bizarre to say the least.  I think the best character and actor on stage was perhaps Mendel (Brandon Uranowitz).  By far he seems to be comfortable in his own shoes in this show.

While I enjoyed the overall performance, it left me with a feeling of being incomplete, unexplained at times, and disjointed.  The actors seemed mostly mis-cast and the lack of set (mostly a geometric block of shapes that fit together to all sorts of un-identified formations) did not do the production and favors.  I don't see this one lasting very long.  But stranger things have happened.

The Music Man - In Concert

A benefit concert for Transport Group, The Music Man in Concert brought together some of the biggest and brightest stars on Broadway today at the Signature Theater.

Conceived and directed by Jack Cummings III and brilliantly narrated by Joe Iconis, the evening was filled with artistic back-stories, laughs, song, smiles and pure joy.  Over 80 performers and musicians generously donated all of their time and talents to the evening's performance.

Each taking a turn at Harold Hill, Santino Fontana, John Ellison Conlee, Andrew Samonsky, and Jeffry Denman each stole the show - one after the other.

As Marian, Alexander Silber, Lauren Osnes, and Betsy Wolfe, and Jessica Hershberg were all absolutely divine.

The Barbershop Quartet was delicious and sublime - Stanley Bahorek, Bob Stillman, Robert Lenzi, Richard Costa.

The Traveling Salesmen - Jonathan Hammond, Jason SweetTooth Williams, Robert Dusold, James Hindman, Jim Fyfe, Bob Walton, Michael De Liberto were perfectly syncopated.

The Pick-a-Little ladies were priceless - Susan Blair Ross, Heather Mac Rae, Tina Johnson, Danette Holden, Diane Findlay.

Andrew Keenan-Bolger was 100% adorable and pure delight as Marcellus Washburn - lisp and all.  And last but not least, the whole ensemble and the wonderful orchestra was pitch perfect and dashingly dressed!

An enjoyable and unexpectedly educational evening all around.  Joe Iconis' suit certainly took the top prize and the tales he wove made you long for a big silly musical about Iowa on Broadway - once again!

Bullets Over Broadway

I was moderately entertained.  Indeed, I was.  However, knowing what I know, I feel a bit cheated.  If I didn't know any better (as most of the out-of-towners who attend these sorts of big productions), I guess nothing would seem to of place.  In his new musical this season, Woody Allen chose to not create any original music for the stage adaptation of his film by the same name.  Seems odd to me.  Such a prolific and arguably successful director, actor, and writer - why would he omit such a core ingredient from a new "musical".  Oh yes, there was music, but it was all existing and just carefully selected, recycled, re-arranged, and plopped into the story.   It frankly hit a sour note in my book.  That aside, the music chosen seemed stylistically appropriate.  Nothing too bad.  Just not original.  Not fresh.

If music were the only problem with the show, I'd be inclined to overlook the issue mostly.  However, when you combine it with the problem of casting - Houston, we've got a problem.  Don't get me wrong, Zach Braff turned in a decent performance and I can honestly say that even for a Wednesday evening performance (after a matinee) it seemed he gave it his all.  But it just wasn't enough.  His character, playwright David Shayne, cries out for a performance by none other than the goof-ball Matthew Broderick.  The entire performance, from beginning to end, was delightful, but not excellent.  It was as if Zach himself invested in the show, so they felt obliged to give him the lead over much more appropriate choices (you'll get the reference once you see the show).  I don't really even know if the part was even offered to Mr. Broderick, but it certainly seemed to me that it should have been.

Nick Cordero turned in a tortured and hysterical performance as Cheech the gangster with a penchant for writing - including one steal-the-show number.  Vincent Pastore may have appeared as goomba Johnny on The Sopranos, but his stage presence is about as engaging and entertaining as a wet sponge.  Marin Mazzie's (Helen Sinclair) star power out-shinned just about everyone else in the production except, perhaps, for Karen Ziemba, whose talents seemed utterly wasted on Eden Brent, the adorable dog-carrying actress to whom that had to give a solo number in Act II just to make sure she didn't quit.   Helene Yorke (Olive) turned in a great performance, but once again, you felt the part was perhaps written for someone else - maybe, let's speculate, Katie Finneran.  Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.  The show had a spectacular chorus of male dancers (think gangsters) and female dancers (think The Rockettes) both sets of whom dazzled throughout the entire show.

Uneven casting and poor choices by Woody with respect to music detract from what would otherwise have been another smash hit just like The Producers.  Maybe next time Ms. Stroman.  Given these challenges, this show is destined for mediocrity.

The Last Five Years

A powerhouse.  Packs a punch.  Profound.  These are some of the words used to describe Jason Robert Brown's musical tour de force, The Last Five Years.

Jamie and Cathy both sing the tale of their relationship - but there's a twist.  Jamie tells it from beginning to end.  Cathy tells it from the end to the beginning.   But wait, there's another twist.  While the two performers both grace the stage together, they are essentially alone -never looking at nor speaking to each other.    Isolated.  Lonely.  In love.  Out of Love.  

It is only once at the confluence of their story in the exact middle of the story when they get married in Central Park, that they unite and proclaim their love to each other in song as they exchange vows.  And as quickly as it happens, they continue on their journeys and the story proceeds (and/or regress as it were).

Adam Kantor (Jamie) is pure delight - boyishly handsome, devilishly talented.  Betsy Wolfe (Cathy) blows the roof off the joint multiple times (and that's tough because this theater was formerly a bank!).

Two actors.  One story.  Plenty of potent song.  A mere 90 minutes on-stage.  A lifetime in your heart.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

OK, take a deep breath.  Ready?  This one is a mouthful.  A delightful, delicious, and audaciously entertaining mouthful.

Charles Dickens started a novel and died before it was finished.  Rupert Holmes (Book, Music, and Lyrics) thought it would be clever to write a musical that offered a cast - playing actors - who were playing actors - in a  musical where the audience would vote on the outcome of Dickens' novel in an interactive, "first-ever" theatrical experience.  Got all that?   Don't worry it's not all that complicated.  It's actually quite fun.

OK, so each of the actors plays and actor playing an actor.  For example, the stalwart, Jim Norton, plays the Chairman of the theatre company and then by proxy, Mr. William Cartwright in the musical.  Will Chase plays Mr. Clive Paget playing John Jasper in the musical.   And I could go on and on and on... This cast is one of those endless pools of talent both young and old - Stephanie J. Block, Jessie Mueller, Andy Karl, and living legend, Chita Rivera - just to start things off.

It's an entertaining, interactive, and fun Roundabout Theater Company production over at Studio 54.  Since the cast is intentionally interacting with the audience as their actor-characters, the joviality and camaraderie shines through and brings joy and delight - literally out into the audience and up in the mezzanine.  And at the end of act 2, you'll vote not only on who you think killed Edwin Drood, but a mash-up of other outcomes as well.

Well, I can't really tell you the ending.  While I haven't studied the book, i suspect there are a multitude of endings possible and ever more fun to be had rehearsing them all!

Everyday Rapture

A rare revisit of a show on my part - not by total choice, i might add.  This show had a fairly decent run at Second Stage Theatre last spring during which I paid it a visit.  Due to an "opening" in the Roundabout schedule and a stroke of fairly decent luck the show was granted a run on Broadway.

The story is mostly unchanged from the original - Small town girl with an overly-religious (flavor of the month = Mennonite) upbringing and generally racist/intolerant family wants to be a Broadway star.  Broadway here she comes... Broadway here she is!  Trouble is, the show is not really designed for a large Broadway stage, nor is the story very engaging.  It's basically still  a one woman show with a keyboard, guitar and drum set.  To fill the American Airlines Theatre they turned up the mics and put up lots of colored lights and background set filler.  Eamon Foley (broadwayislove2009@earthlink.net) is still a show stealing cutie.

I doubt this show would have made it to Broadway were it not for Megan Mullally's temper tantrum and subsequent abrupt departure from Lips Together Teeth Apart.  I thought the show was marginally entertaining off-Broadway, but for a repeat run - stay home and plan a trip to the beach this summer instead.

Everyday Rapture

110 In the Shade

For those that do not know (like me), this is the musical version of the play The Rainmaker. Although a bit dated, not stale. Audra McDonald plays Lizzie Curry, the middle aged woman who is too smart, honest, and plain for the likings of most of the men in her era - 1936 in the Texas Panhandle. A con man, Starbuck, comes to town (the rainmaker) in the dead heat of the summer and promises to make it rain (Steve Kazee). But what he does instead is to stir up the emotions and passions in the town and awaken dormant love.

H.C. Curry - Lizzie's caring and doting southern father is played by the delightful John Culum. Her two brothers are played by Chris Butler (Noah) and the incredibly adorable Bobby Steggert (Jimmy).

I must say that the musical seemed a bit "forced". Music popping up here and there without an overriding consistency and cohesiveness. And visually, i was not always connecting with the idea of family given the mixed race cast. I know I was supposed to look beyond that into the story, the art and music, but it was a constant visual disconnect that I kept coming back to.

Audra also seemed to struggle with her powerhouse classical voice (it is one of the best there is!) juxtaposed against the need for a plain and poor southern accent Lizzie's character required. One of the biggest delights of the evening was indeed her amusing rendition of Raunchy.

Audra is an extremely talented young woman and certainly deserves a Tony nod for this performance, but i just don't think this show is a vehicle for her to win in 2007.