Honeymoon in Vegas

In what might be one of his smoothest moves yet - the always slick and sexy Tony Danza seems to have been a part of bringing a show to Broadway starring.... well, none other than himself!  Honeymoon is delicious fun and a delightful escape from a cold and snowy New York City night.

Modeled after the movie, Andrew Bergman and Jason Robert Brown have penned an entertaining evening in the theatre.  Colorful, Vegas-style costumes and lighting fill the theater, while the large cast fills the stage with dancing, frivolity, and a whole lot of heart.   Don't get me wrong - the show ain't gonna win a Pulitzer price for literature or drama in any stretch of the imagination.  It's simply pure, unadulterated entertainment for just about 2 ½ hours.  And why didn't anyone think of this sooner - Vegas show girls, gangsters, a mad-cap plot, and a couple you know - right from the start - have got to end up together.

If Mr. Danza is selling the tickets with his name (and still handsome looks), the secret weapon this show wields is Rob McClure.  When he graced the stage in Chaplin, I believe it was the wise Newsday journalist who penned "Welcome to the show that's going to make you a Broadway star". And a star he is indeed.   Mr. McClure is both nebbish and infectiously adorable.  He can sing to the rafters, dance, and of course act the pants off this rom-com that graces the Nederlander stage 8 shows a week.  While another Tony nod wouldn't be out of bounds, this show may not carry as much weight being a silly movie remake and all but if talent rules the day, he's a shoe-in.

I had a slightly difficult time thinking that Brynn O'Malley (Betsy Nolan) was actually the age they claim in the show, but that minor detail aside, she was a terrifically talented on-stage pawn in the game of Mr. Danza and Mr. McClure.

With a fine ensemble cast including Raymond J. Lee, George Merrick, Zachary Prince, and Nancy Opel (Bea Singer), if this show can sustain the winter blues, it just might make a splash this spring in the fun department in what is already lining up to be strong in the musical department.

 This is a show that will tour well even if it doesn't succeed on Broadway.  Des Moines - look out!

Gypsy

Gypsy was truly one of the most anticipated theater event of 2007 - post Tony's no-less. As Rose says - "Ya either got it ...or ya ain't". And folks - Ms Lupone has got it! (video hightlights link below)

OK - so we were on our feet applauding the minute she pranced down the right center orchestra aisle - "Sing out Louise!", Rose exclaims as she opens the show. And sing out she did for the next 2 hours. She owned the role. She dominated the stage just as she did her daughters. With her signature vocal power and precision she belted out each Jule Styne note and each Sondheim Lyric. It's no wonder we were on our feet hollering as the "Rose" sign fell at the end of Act II and she belted out Roses Turn.

Now this show was not a Patti Lupone-only concert. Encores! now has air conditioning in City Center - so this show is a 3 week summer run off-book with full staging, orchestration, and choreography. There are other cast members and they indeed are stars in their own right and truly made the entire evening a production we will not soon forget.

Boyd Gaines played the beaten down, love-sick Herbie. Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book, directed this show (he's still alive and kicking) gave us a Herbie and Rose who were truly in love and you could see the chemistry between the two from the minute he laid eyes on Rose.

Laura Benatti could not have been a more beautiful and elegant Gypsy Rose Lee. When she performed Let me Entertain You at the end of act two and came out in a sequence of progressively more sexy outfits - I knew by the last one when she came out in a dress that appeared to be pure dripping-wet gold that we would be on our feet - - and indeed we were (again!).

And I can't let an opportunity pass to drool over another cute boy - so I'll just say now that Tony Yazbeck and I are getting married (I had a dream.... a dream about you, Tony...). I mean you can't stop looking at him anyway but it's an even bigger bonus that the dancing is so flawless and graceful too. (*sigh*)

Let's not forget about the kids... the newsboys and the farm boys... the Louises and the Junes - so many to cast and so cute to watch. One of my favorite scenes is the transition "gimmick" with the strobe light and the dancing kids where they "age" right before your very eyes. Kudos Arthur Laurents and most probably Jerome Robins whose original choreography was used in this production.

This production seemed to emphasise a Rose more comedic and sarcastic, all the while never losing the sense she had of the (albeit twisted) love she had for her daughters. It focused on the kids and the Act I production numbers in a bit more classical musical theater production sort of way. Each Rose and each production is always different. Ethel, Angela, Tyne, and Bernadette each put her stamp on the role. Now Ms Lupone has done the same.

All you need is $88 bucks... grab yourself a ticket and don't miss this very limited run. Everything's coming up Roses over at City Center for the next two weeks only. Curtain Up! Light the Lights! They got nothing to hit but the heights!

Video Highlights!! http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.cfm?colid=19980