The Best Man

Quite possibly the most star-studded success story ever to grace the Broadway stage.  Gore Vidal's The Best Man has been resurrected once again in an election year where it seems that, as the play testifies to, nothing seems to change.  And what a cast!  The budget for this show must be astronomical - and in this case - worth every penny and more in ticket prices!  Broadway, with more than its fair share of star-vehicle disappointments to grace the stage these past few years - That Championship Season and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown come to mind - this show, a history lesson unto itself, allows each star to shine individually and collectively ignite the political bonfire known as politics.  

The outstanding cast - James Earl Jones, John Larroquette, Candice Bergen, Eric McCormack, Kerry Butler, Jefferson Mays, Michael McKean, and Angela Lansbury - are firing on all cylinders to make one magical evening in the theatre.  Mr. Jones and Ms. Lansbury bring gravitas to the subject matter.  Mr. Larroquette and Ms. Bergen bring intelligence, wit, and incredible presence to the characters.  Mr. McCormack brings youth and a very believable do-anything, say-anythig attitude.  Ms. Butler, Mr. Mays, and Mr. McKean being high quality character acting back into fashion.  All combined, they electrify the evening culminating in a riveting climax.

The entire theatre is decked out in convention regalia from orchestra to the rear mezzanine.  A box seat is taken over by a Walter Cronkite-like news broadcaster who periodically covers the goings-on in classic old-fashioned style which is also broadcast onto period black and white television sets though out the theatre.  Rotating sets (whose design and form may have been borrowed from Chinglish) are outstanding - kudos to Derek McLane.  Director, Michael Wilson, keeps the action crisp and the momentum always edging forward.

All around a not-to-be-missed evening in the theatre with a once-in-a-lifetime assembled cast entertaining you from the first minute to the very last.  Like any devoted conventioneer - you'll be on your feet, cheering in the aisles for this revival.

Catch Me If You Can

Just when I thought I'd seen the best new musical of the year, along comes another!  Look out theater aficionados, another potential blockbuster has just landed on Broadway.  Terrance McNally's book transforms the already slick, fast-paced silver-screen story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. into an elegant, high-energy Broadway show with beautiful show-girls (and boys) and a fantastic musical score by the creative team of Shaiman and Whitman.

Piloting this juggernaut are the ever adorable and talented duo of Aaron Tveit (Frank Jr.) and Norbert Leo Butz (FBI Agent Hanratty).  Supporting cast and crew includes Kerry Butler (Brenda Strong) as his fiance and Tom Wopat (Frank Sr.) as his father.

This version takes a more personal route of storytelling, cleverly weaving the story of who Frank Abagnale, Jr., one of the largest con-men of our generation, was, what motivated him, and perhaps a hint at why he did it.   The story is told as a flash-back.  The story opens up with Frank being caught and he has the thought that the people around him just might be interested in why he's being shot at and pursued (the preverbal light bulb moment).  The show (within the show) then unfolds as he literally tell the story and introduces the characters from his rather surreal life.

For the entire 2:40 minutes - you'll be dazzled and treated to top notch performances  - most of which include Tveit who is rarely off-stage.  And speaking of the stage - the sets by David Rockwell are incredibly classy - an elegant, big-band feel, the orchestra on stage atop a dual grand staircase which provids for perfect showy entrances and exits.  The production did have an out-of-town try-out in Seattle, but changes are still being made.  Is it perfect yet?  Not quite - but I took a few notes for choreographer Jerry Mitchell and director Jack O'Brien.  I hope they can tighten up the dancers.  The choreography is brilliant but on more than one occasion the tires tended to come off the bus.  The Family Tree number presents physical challenges - one mis-step (as Mr Tveit had at my performance) and it could all fall apart.  Mr. O'Brien needs to cut the drawn out final scene and two numbers - and for God's sake - do an encore of "Don't Break The Rules".  It would bring the audience to its feet right in the middle of Act I.   These few notes aside, for only its 2nd week of previews this show is in terrific shape.

Dare I say - we have a battle Tony battle brewing on Broadway already?  Book vs Catch.  There's plenty to be smiling about leaving the theatre these days.   I just may go back for more of both!

HERE'S A LITTLE PEAK AT THE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM:

Rock of Ages

 One pure guilty start to the summer pleasure, coming right up.  Let's just get this out of the way right up front.  This show is so bad, it's delicious!  There is marginal talent on the stage - certainly not much good dancing, plenty of loud 1980's power ballads and anthem like songs we all remember, and plenty of fairly decent, but not breakthrough acting going on.  Frankly, from a pure theater standpoint, it gets a C- at best.  But from the entertainment angle, it's a B+.  A simply enjoyable evening that includes lots of bad hair, fairly decent tunes, a giggin' rock band, a couple of sexy as all hell boys - and on top of that I could have a beer at my seat!

I did at times feel like I should have been at Madison Square Garden - partly because of the aforementioned beer and partly because of the strange non-traditional theatre crowd drawn in for the music.  Many yelled and pumped their pinkies and thumbs in the air and some just talked throughout the show, probably because their girlfriends did not inform them that they were going to a Broadway show rather than a rock concert.

All this aside, I was entertained.  James Carpinello  - hot and dripping with sex.  Kerry Butler (Sherry) finally got to make out with him (since he never made it to the opening night of Xanadu because of his injury!).  I didn't see Constantine Maroulis, but his understudy was darn good.  Fill in the comedy factor with Hertz and his son Franz (um, super funny and sexy and the boy could dance his cute little ass off!).

I've said it a few times this season - the show was good, but is this Broadway?  I think not.  I'd pay to see it at the Beacon Theatre or in this case even the Theatre at Madison Square Garden - I'm not happy that this crap ends up on Broadway!

Xanadu

OK, it does occasionally happen. I was wrong. I admit it fully and publicly right here. Like the movie, I expected Xanadu on Broadway to be the world's worst! (Right behind anything Kurt Weil had something to do with, of course). How could I be wrong? Most of the free world considers Xanadu, the movie, to be a big bomb and CLM (career limiting move) for Olivia Newton-John. Boy was I wrong about this new show.

Xanadu on Broadway mocks everything - including itself ! The very clever book is written by Douglas Carter Beane - the genius behind The Little Dog Laughed. Make no bones about it- this play is a parody of the movie and the entire 1980's and everything that might ever be remotely connected to either! I thought that maybe you had to "know" the movie to "get" the musical - but the answer is a resounding "No"! This show does not require a cult following throwing toast at a movie screen (Rocky Horror Picture Show) or an audience that shows up knowing every line the author wrote (Monty Python's Spamalot). It simply requires a sense of humor and some inkling of what was funny about the 1980's.

Xanadu is pure candy - for the eye and soul. It's sweet, it's hysterical, it's got leg warmers, disco balls, roller-skates, Cheyenne Jackson (*sigh*), Tony Roberts, Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa!! How could you go wrong with a cast like that?! The answer is - you can't!

It's 90 Minutes - no intermission - a formula that will probably benefit this show in the long run. Any longer and the jokes would get old and someone besides the original leading man might break a leg (he did and that's why Cheyenne was brought in). Curtis Holbrook and Andre Ward ham it up like two true divas really would. Be sure to notice that Curtis also showcases his tap dancing talents like a pro. (If Cheyenne is busy tonight, I'd be glad to keep Curtis company)

I'm not sure this one will knock Mama Mia off the Broadway boards - but it's got the same look and feel just in a much more intimate theater. It's not the same story as the movie - although loosely based on it. It's got much of the music from the movie - for which some might try to consider it a Juke Box Musical - but it's not exactly the music of a particular group (a la Jersey Boys), but it's not altogether different - being all the music sung by Olivia Newton John in the movie.

Put all that in a blender and out comes this outrageously funny and bewilderingly alluring new Musical playing over at the Helen Hayes Theater on West 44th Street - the street that is now home to Spamalot, Xanadu, and soon-to-be Young Frankenstein! Yikes!!

Rehearsal Video: http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/10867

Miracle Brothers

Dear Andy Karl,

Seems that your buddy, Tyler Maynard got the better end of the stick! He, too, jumped the Alter Boyz ensemble smash hit to take the leading roll in a less-well-known off broadway production. The difference? A well written, significantly better scored new musical - with a Brazilian beat and some meat on its bones!

Make sure you read the program beforehand, unless you're Brazilian or at least a Brazilian history buff. Once you get the basic (and odd) premise down, it's all about love - in this case the love between two brothers - or half brothers, to be exact. Not a brand new concept, but its certainly unique - especially with the added twist of the Brazilian folklore.

Dolphins, Portals, Slaves, Pirates, two mothers, and two sons - both with green eyes - all in one heck of an enjoyable show in the Rain Forest. If nothing else, you'll leave Miracle Brothers having enjoyed the good looking, scantily-clad cast and tapping your your toes to the funky Brazilian beats.