| My Recent 10-Shows-in-6-Days NYC Theatre Experience (briefly?, with maybe some Spoilers here and there?) ... | |
| Last Edit: T.B._Admin. 09:38 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
| Posted by: flaguy 09:30 am EDT 04/05/18 | |
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| I was in New York from March 20th to the 26th, and am only just now getting around to posting these thoughts on the new shows I saw this trip. I'll be back in June, the week prior to the Tony Awards, to attend the annual Talkin' Broadway Party and see 'HARRY POTTER,' "ANGELS IN AMERICA,' BOYS IN THE BAND,' "SUMMER,' etc. I don't think there are any really big spoilers below, and I did - believe it or not - try to keep it brief. ... SHOW # 1 - 'HELLO, DOLLY!' - Bernadette Peters is absolutely adorable in the part, hugely funny, and sings it all beautifully. My favorite Dolly, maybe ever. Yeah, that's right. And I saw Midler and Murphy in the part, not to mention Channing and a host of others, over the years. But then, I've had a crush on Peters for the last five decades, so you understand where I'm coming from when I say that. Victor Garber is a riot in his role; Santino Fontana is not quite as youthful as Gavil Creel seemed, but sings it all very well; and Charlie Stemp is a STAR. Production is still gorgeous and fresh and not to be missed. SHOW #2 - 'MY FAIR LADY' - It's big and it's handsome, and it's - dare I say it? - a little dull. Maybe I've just seen this show too many times, and/or I'm too familiar with the material. But, with this three-hour revival, nothing very exciting happens till Lauren Ambrose finally sings 'I Could've Danced All Night' near the end of the first act. And she blew the roof off the joint with that number the snowy afternoon I saw it. Some nice touches here and there - the orchestra on stage at the Embassy Ball, beginning of Act Two, for example. And a good cast! Diana Rigg gets the biggest entrance applause, stunning in her small part. Norbert Leo Butz is Norbert Leo Butz (yeah, give him the Tony now), and his big showstopper 'Get Me To The Church On Time' will no doubt be the number we'll see the night of the Tony Awards telecast in June. As for the controversial new rethought "ending," ... I can live with it. Anyway, I'm going back that Tony week in June to take one more peek. There'll never be another 'MY FAIR LADY' revival of this magnitude mounted in my lifetime, so why not? And who knows? Maybe the pace will have picked up, by then! But, just to be on the safe side, I plan to take a big nap before I return. SHOW #3 - 'THE LOW ROAD' - I'm a fan of playwright Bruce Norris. And - in spite of a cool critical reception this play received down at The Public Theatre recently - I found it to be a big, epic story told through a handsome production featuring a large, wonderful cast and, for two-hours-and-thirty-five minutes, it was never ... dull. The audience I saw it with seemed to enjoy it very much, too. And at intermission and the play's conclusion, they were loudly puzzling over its mixed reviews!? With a cast of 18, it's unlikely we'll ever see another production of this one anytime soon anywhere, so I'm glad I caught it now. SHOW #4 - 'MEAN GIRLS' - Is Tina Fey's book funny? Yeah. It pretty much follows the movie, but by the second act it starts to get a bit muddled and tired. (Maybe the movie does, too? I don't remember.) ... Is Tina Fey's husband's music any good? Yeah, more tuneful than I thought it might be. ... Is the cast terrific? Yup, but - good as they are in it - when will some of these performers (like Taylor Louderman, pushing 28 years of age) outgrow being cast in high school roles, I wonder? ... How's the production? The sets are chiefly made up of elaborate projections, with only minor set pieces coming and going when needed, The costumes are ... cute. And the dancing, and overall "energy" on that stage, is huge. Straight out of the 'LEGALLY BLONDE' mold, the audience loved it. And, though the great director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw has probably done everything he possibly could with it, I still don't think it's quite as good a show as 'LEGALLY BLONDE.' I did, however, enjoy myself, and I do look forward to the cast album. But I paid twice to see 'LEGALLY BLONDE' when it was a new hit at the Palace. I think one viewing of 'MEAN GIRLS' was enough for me. All that said, I smell a big fat funny tuneful hit!, and Tina's a critic's darling, isn't she? Unlike what happened to 'LEGALLY BLONDE,' the Tony nominations will be plentiful (in a weak season like this one), and it will run for years and make its money back, plus a healthy profit. And it'll tour, and every high school will produce it, and the money will keep rolling in forever! SHOW #5 - 'CALAMITY JANE' - After 20 years of musical presentations, this was 'MUSICALS TONIGHT!'s 100th revival and final show. It wasn't their best effort, and the show itself is not nearly as good as the movie it's based on. But the cast was game, and it was a pleasant way to spend a Friday afternoon. I will miss 'MUSICALS TONIGHT!' so much. Their audiences were always half the fun, filled with friendly aging hardcore New York theatergoers eager to talk about old flops. SHOW #6 - 'FROZEN' - Chief complaint: the price of their magnet is $15. GRRR! ... Like 'MEAN GIRLS,' I loved the first act and found the second to be not as much fun. Were the critics too hard on it? Yeah. This is a big, handsome show, with some wonderful performances in it. Too true to the movie? Maybe. But the audience, who adored it, wouldn't have it any other way. I think it's probably a better show than 'ANASTASIA,' but it doesn't have a better score, for my money. And that's the weakest thing about 'FROZEN,' if you ask me. But, with a fine cast, handsome sets (projections and all) and costumes, and very good choreography, it's a HIT! Too many kids in the house for my liking, though. Singing along to many of the songs. UGH! And yet, ... I STILL enjoyed myself! Go figure. SHOW #7 - 'HANGMEN' - Martin McDonagh's latest. I had a front-row-center seat at the Atlantic Theatre Company, where it was easy for me to be pulled right in to this grim, funny story -- yes, like all of his plays, there is actually a story/plot to follow, unlike so many other plays written today -- and, in the end, I loved it. So did the sold-out house around me. Coming to Broadway in the fall, I believe. It's a big show, with a large cast and an elaborate set design that should play well in a Broadway house. But it baffles me how so many playwrights are getting produced currently Off-Broadway with these enormous (by today's standards) casts!? 'THE LOW ROAD' at The Public Theatre has a cast of eighteen, this one has a cast of twelve, 'GOOD FOR OTTO' at The New Group has a cast of fourteen. Huh? Every regional theatre company I know is looking for a good two-character play. Where are they, I wonder? SHOW # 8 - 'CAROUSEL' - It's a fine, if not great, revival. After a weak opening, things settle down and we get very nice (though not sensational) sets and costumes from old Broadway pros Santo Loquasto and Ann Roth, respectively. We also get some pretty sensational dancing throughout, from choreographer Justin Peck (Resident Choreographer of the New York City Ballet.) As for the cast, ... Joshua Henry is very good, and sings the best 'Soliloquy' at the end of Act One that I have ever heard. Jessie Mueller (and I'm a BIG fan of hers) comes across cold and vague in this part, and seems like a supporting player. No Tony nomination for her this year! Renee Fleming, with her blonde hair done up and wearing a lovely blue dress, looks a lot like Liv Ullman in another Richard Rodgers musical, 'I REMEMBER MAMA.' She sings beautifully, but her acting is limited. Lindsay Mendez is - to me, anyway - sensational as Carrie. I smell a Tony Award for this performance in her future! Alexander Gemignani is pretty perfect as Mr. Snow, with a great singing voice. And Margaret Colin (as Mrs. Mullin) in a smallish, non-singing part, comes off as the best actress on the stage. Again, it's a fine, if not great, revival. But ... something's missing when, at the end, with Renee Fleming reviving 'You'll Never Walk Alone' so movingly, ... I remained unmoved. Ah, yes. There WAS a dry eye in the house that night: mine. SHOW #9 - 'THREE TALL WOMEN' - Everything you've already read and heard is true. Three great performances in a stunning revival. Probably the highlight of my trip. And Glenda is ... beyond anything. In theatre circles, this is one revival they'll talk about with great reverence for years to come. SHOW #10 - 'GRAND HOTEL' - Closing performance at Encores! I loved the original. I loved this production, as well. The cast was terrific, and the show was STOPPED with wild, huge applause three times, by my count: FIRST by James Snyder (as the Baron) singing 'Love Can't Happen' (hitting those big, high notes at the end of it and holding them for what seemed like forever); SECOND by Snyder and Brandon Uranowitz (as Kringelein) singing 'We'll Take a Glass Together' (always a showstopper, but somewhat rethought in terms of its choreography here, and quite sensationally different from the sensational original); and THIRD by the dance team of Junior Cervila & Guadalupe Gacia doing a spectacular 'Bolero' that brought the house down (and was revived briefly, to great effect, FOLLOWING the curtain calls!) Bravo to director/choreographer Josh Rhodes. Too bad dark, adult musicals are so difficult to make a buck on over at that Broadway street. |
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