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| THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night | |
| Posted by: sergius 06:21 am EST 02/07/22 | |
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| A revival revived. Just when it’s about to finally expire, this lifeless heap of banalities jolts to improbable attention. Joshua Henry, here truly a brother from another planet, wrests THE TAP DANCE KID from its makers and effectively re-writes it in seven minutes. It’s a sheer and brilliant display of musical theatre performance craft that wrests a searing history lesson from a dull and desultory situation comedy. Beyond this signal achievement, THE TAP DANCE KID has nearly nothing to recommend it. It’s basically a nap. Until, at eleven o’clock, it isn’t. | |
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| Program notes. | |
| Last Edit: kieran 02:51 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| Posted by: kieran 02:47 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night - sergius 06:21 am EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Someone posted on Facebook that the program notes state that pre-2022 Encores! was an “archeological site” and that “Almost zero shows written before the 21st Century have a worldview and politics that sit well with a contemporary viewer.” Can you tell me who wrote the program notes and if these statements are taken out of context? | |
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| re: Program notes. | |
| Last Edit: sergius 03:07 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| Posted by: sergius 03:06 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: Program notes. - kieran 02:47 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Not program notes but an article--Encores! Returns with a Broader Embrace--by Felicia Fitzpatrick. Lear deBessonet, the new Encores! Artistic Director, says: "Encores! had been this gorgeous archeological site that had been perfectly excavated. So what's next? The question that had always been there but became the most urgent was, 'How do we decide when we give audiences a second look at a show? Almost zero shows written before the 21st Century have a worldview and politics that sit well with a contemporary viewer, so what is the criteria? I love that question." Let the debate (maybe) begin... |
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| re: Program notes. | |
| Posted by: WWriter 12:52 am EST 02/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - sergius 03:06 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Perhaps I'm misreading what deBessonet wrote, but couldn't she mean that when they do 20th century shows, they need to think carefully about how to present them, rather than not do them at all? Or am I being optimistic/naive? I'm not often either. | |
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| re: Program notes. | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 03:54 am EST 02/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - WWriter 12:52 am EST 02/08/22 | |
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| I definitely think that is what she meant. I think people are concerned that too many shows that merit being done will be perceived by deBessonet and others at Encores! as either too problematic to be adapted or presented in a way that they think is acceptable or, perhaps even worse, will be adapted to death (and perhaps end up being made offensive in ways that the original was not, which we have seen happen). For example, I think a great choice might be Simply Heavenly, with book and lyrics by Langston Hughes, but would Simple no longer be simple? And would Mamie no longer be a ”plump domestic”? Would a role originally played by Claudia McNeil be cast with, say, Heather Headley? For the time being, I have given up hoping that Encores! might do the original Flower Drum Song. The revisal of which offers an excellent example of my parenthetical in the first paragraph. |
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| re: Program notes. | |
| Posted by: lowwriter 11:07 am EST 02/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - AlanScott 03:54 am EST 02/08/22 | |
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| I would like Encores to do Flower Drum Song with all the original songs with Look Away sung by the original character. Also it would force Encores to hire Chinese American actors since they rarely do. |
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| re: Program notes. | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:10 pm EST 02/16/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - lowwriter 11:07 am EST 02/08/22 | |
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| Very good point. | |
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| thanks! nm | |
| Posted by: kieran 03:23 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - sergius 03:06 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| nm | |
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| re: Program notes. | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 03:13 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - sergius 03:06 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| In other words, the new Encores! Artistic Director doesn't really like Encores!, but she needed a job, so she's going to remake Encores! into something she personally finds worthwhile. I guess that's what Artistic Directors do, make organizations reflect their own personal tastes, but, since Encores! is such a unique organization in NYC, I wish someone had been chosen who appreciated that and embraced what the organization actually was created to do and why so many of us attend. |
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| re: Program notes. | |
| Posted by: babs1950 07:49 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - JereNYC 03:13 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| I wonder if a couple of the folks on the City Center Board of Directors like Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara and Ted Chapin would agree with Ms. deBessonet about those shows written before the 21st century not sitting well with a contemporary audience. | |
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| re: Program notes. | |
| Posted by: lowwriter 10:33 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - babs1950 07:49 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| I’m not sure what Tap Dance Kid some posters here watched last night but much of the audience was loudly cheering and applauding the singing and dancing of the actors on the stage through you the performance last night. Joshua Henry was not the only actor or dancer who impressed—Trevor Jackson, Alexander Bello, Shahadi Wright Johnson, Andrienne Walker, Dewitt Fleming Jr., Tracee Beaver, and the whole ensemble gave their all. I think The Tap Dance Kid was a show that wouldn’t be brought back except at Encores. It is a flawed show but was hardly the snooze another poster called it above. The people sitting all around me were thoroughly enjoying themselves and said as much at the end. I had not heard the score since I saw the show on Broadway and I’m glad Encores resurrected it. But I don’t get why they don’t do Raisin. | |
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| I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. | |
| Posted by: ChattaMatta 04:28 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - JereNYC 03:13 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Below is what I wrote, which has spurred much discussion. I tried to keep it short for Facebook (hahaha), because I could dive much deeper into their well-intentioned, but misguided new mission, and further unpack that article in the Playbill: --------------- R.I.P. Encores!, which used to be one of New York's greatest theatrical institutions. For those who don't know, the beautiful mission of Encores! for the past 28 years had been to recreate forgotten Broadway musicals so we today can get a glimpse into Broadway's glorious past. There was nothing in the world like it. It was as close to time travel as possible. For folks like me, it was sheer heaven three times a year, like living in a waking dream, with a full orchestra. No more. In a program note, the new leadership, who took over beginning with this season, refers to pre-2022 Encores! as an "archeological site." They believe "Almost zero shows written before the 21st Century have a worldview and politics that sit well with a contemporary viewer." Wow. Says who? Certainly not the loyal audience base that has stood by Encores! for the past 28 years happily soaking up numerous musical gems written well before the year 2000 A.D. Now, the new leadership plans to rewrite, often completely, the work of a century of writers into what they deem is suitable for audiences today. Case #1 is THE TAP DANCE KID, a perfect choice for pre-2022 Encores!. I saw this last night, and was excited because it was the rare Black show with a family that looked like mine. I also applauded that they brought on Black creators to mount this production. Despite a fantastic cast and stellar choreography, the production saddened me. The work of one of Broadway's few Black bookwriters, Charles Blackwell, was needlessly tampered with. The groundbreaking portrayal of an upper middle class Black family from the 1980s is erased. It was deemed more suitable set in the 1950s. (It isn't, and misses the point.) A rare powerhouse role for a plus-size Black actress has also been erased, presumably because someone decided the character's insecurities about her weight won't "sit well with a contemporary viewer." How is any of this progress in the name of representation? Bios for the original bookwriter, lyricist, and composer are NOT printed in the program. This speaks volumes. They don't matter, it appears. This would never pass with a playwright. It should not pass for musical theater writers. The next show, THE LIFE (one of my favorites, despite flaws), is being reconceived top-to-bottom. The premise sounds great . . . for a theater that's not Encores! It would have been great to see THE LIFE again as originally written, broken heels and all. Yes, some shows indeed have material around race and gender that feels queasy today. But these are the exceptions, not the rule. And sometimes much older shows, like those from the '20s to the '40s, have jokes that are better cut for concert presentations or that are simply no longer funny. No one can argue with some trimming. Hopefully, a new organization will arise that carries the torch of the previous mission of Encores!, one that understands the vital voice of Broadway to American history, and doesn't feel it needs to be tampered with. If not, it will be deeply missed. Please send condolences in the form of Broadway Cast Albums I don't yet own. At least those can't be changed willy-nilly! POSTSCRIPT: I, as a writer, have a few "problematic" Black shows I'd love to conscientiously revive and/or recreate. Among them, HALLELUJAH, BABY!, 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE., and the work of Micki Grant and Langston Hughes. I'd also love to rediscover the work of turn-of-the-last-century Black songwriters Paul Laurence Dunbar and Will Marion Cook. What is potentially uncomfortable about them can teach us so much about today. Just putting it out in the universe! |
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| re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. | |
| Posted by: den 07:16 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. - ChattaMatta 04:28 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Bravo, ChattaMatta. This RIP is excellent — heartfelt, astute and spot on. | |
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| yeah, all the shows worth doing were done, and if the people in NYC during the 7-performance run got to see it 20 years ago, there's no reason to do it again | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 07:03 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. - ChattaMatta 04:28 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| This insanely false premise that they've excavated all they need to for mounting relatively "as they were", and now it's time to reinvent for the future is really, well, false. Not only were many of the Encores revivals not the ideal production in terms of cast and direction and could be well served to be tried again, these runs are extremely short and seen by relatively few people. The could start over and produce paired down concert-staging revivals of every show they've already done with different casts/creative teams and there'd be no problem and many many new audiences who didn't get to see the show, never heard of it, or are happy to see it again in a new production, could have the chance to experience these shows. Re-conceiving and "fixing" shows from the past, specifically to please a current day audience's sensibilities, tailoring them to this audience, with most of the authors nor even alive to weigh in, is foolish. |
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| re: yeah, all the shows worth doing were done, and if the people in NYC during the 7-performance run got to see it 20 years ago, there's no reason to do it again | |
| Posted by: ChattaMatta 07:07 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: yeah, all the shows worth doing were done, and if the people in NYC during the 7-performance run got to see it 20 years ago, there's no reason to do it again - Chazwaza 07:03 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Agreed on all counts. | |
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| re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. | |
| Posted by: AcidJazzHands 05:25 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. - ChattaMatta 04:28 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| I am 27 years old and very upset by those awful comments made by the new Encores leadership. I only started being able to afford to see shows shortly before the pandemic happened, when I was 25 and finally got a decent job. I had never even heard of Encores pre-pandemic, but during the shutdown I listened to a ton of their cast albums and learned so much about 20th century musicals as a result. I was so excited to go to Encores shows post-shutdown. I really hope those comments by the leadership don't mean that they won't be doing older, less-well-known shows by the Gershwins, Berlin, Porter, Ellington, Weill, etc. I guess this is probably a stupid thing to be upset about, I just hope it doesn't mean I (and the rest of my age cohort) will NEVER be able to see all those shows. PS I was at the Tap Dance Kid last night and thought all the songs were bad except the 11 o'clock number, brilliantly performed by the amazing Joshua Henry. I'm a big fan of his and it was great to finally see him in person. Other than that it was a waste of time. |
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| re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. | |
| Posted by: ChattaMatta 05:40 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. - AcidJazzHands 05:25 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Thank you for this, 27andAngry. I suspect (I could be wrong) that the new leadership views the classic Encores! fanbase as old and needing to update their thinking. They do not understand that legions of young people from various backgrounds also love Broadway history, and wish to time travel back to different Broadway eras and experience shows as they may have originally felt. ENCORES! at its heart IS about preserving Broadway for the future. The history itself IS relevant. It's not about rewriting it to suit a small handful of people's expectations on what is socially acceptable in 2022. In the article in the playbill, Kenny Leon says, "We're not creating museum pieces." A rather flippant comment. Every time I go to The Met, I see stunning works of art I had never known before. There is extraordinary value in museum pieces. ENCORES! is (was) The Met of the Broadway musical. |
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| re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. | |
| Posted by: AcidJazzHands 05:46 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. - ChattaMatta 05:40 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Yeah, I think they are probably under the impression it's all old people who like the old shows. But while I am not super young (ie under 25) anymore, I am certainly not old and I really love older shows (AND a lot of newer ones...) I think there is this mistaken idea that young people are all offended by older materials. But I'm a millennial leftist and not some snowflake, I'm able to process dated ideas like an adult, and the same goes for my friends. | |
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| re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. | |
| Posted by: pagates 05:53 pm EST 02/08/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. - AcidJazzHands 05:46 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Hah. This reminds me of something i heard on NPR this morning in re the culture at large: (an intro line for The Takeaway) “The real damaging thing that seems to be happening in the culture these days is that even young people seem to be listening to old music.” I was unable to listen to the program, so I don't know the actual context of the quotation, but the show's production extricated it from its context to draw in listeners pretty much as I quote it above. |
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| re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. | |
| Posted by: ChattaMatta 05:55 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. - AcidJazzHands 05:46 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| YES!!! Well said! You are the future as it must be! An important voice! | |
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| re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. | |
| Posted by: AcidJazzHands 06:00 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: I was the one who posted on Facebook. Here is my R.I.P to the Encores! that was. - ChattaMatta 05:55 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Aww thank you, that's very kind :) | |
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| DISASTER. And based on the emptiness of City Center yesterday, the word's already gotten around. | |
| Last Edit: ShowGoer 03:59 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| Posted by: ShowGoer 03:57 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Program notes. - JereNYC 03:13 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Either that, or there just wasn't any interest in their new mission, or whatever you wanna call it, from the time it was announced. But quality aside, after grabbing a discounted seat at the last minute, this was easily the most sparsely attended Encores production I've seen in their entire history: the dress circle maybe half-full, the rear mezzanine very spotty, and to quote Georgie Jessel, they were nearly shooting deer in the balcony. (Some will say I'm being unfair, that it's still a pandemic year, etc., but that's not hurting attendance at shows that people have interest in like "The Music Man", "Six", and the forthcoming "Plaza Suite.) There was a Sunday performance during a snowstorm a few years back that was nearly as empty (Big River? Applause? The 2nd Call Me Madam? I can't remember) but that's the only one that's come close to this amount of empty seats. Billy Porter on the one hand doesn't have a tough act to follow, based on this disconcertingly poor offering - but I'd think the pressure's on him to restore a little of Encores' past luster. Whether ticket sales can improve with a similarly negligible title like "The Life" remains to be seen, but I at least trust Porter to give that one more of an overall cohesive sense of showbiz than what was on display this past weekend. Still, the implication by deBessonet that they've basically already done all the pre-20th century musicals that are palatable to today's audiences – and the justifiable reaction to them knee-capping perhaps the most fondly remembered character in the show they revived this weekend by excising one of her most definable characteristics - combined with the poor attendance, means that some over there already have to be thinking how to course-correct. Encores has had only 3 previous artistic directors in its 3 decades of existence, with Viertel there for the past 20 years. All of those people, love 'em or hate 'em, were more established pros who knew and respected the history of the art form. If they don't find a way to program shows like "Nymph Errant", "The Happy Time" or "Dear World" alongside, say, "Passing Strange", "Passion" and "Parade", I think interest will quickly continue to decline to the point where this institution soon becomes irrelevant, if it's even still in existence. But if they stick to their guns along this line of programming choices and don't venture any earlier than the mid-1980s – if the next season once again has no "Love Life" but is comprised of "Juan Darien", "Fela!" and a special multi-generational production of "Bright Star" featuring public school students – I'm out for good, and I'm 100% positive many subscribers who reluctantly renewed for this year will be joining me. |
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| re: DISASTER. And based on the emptiness of City Center yesterday, the word's already gotten around. | |
| Posted by: ChattaMatta 05:30 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: DISASTER. And based on the emptiness of City Center yesterday, the word's already gotten around. - ShowGoer 03:57 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Exactly. One must respect the history of the art form, and the writers who crafted even dramaturgically imperfect shows. Not view it all as inherently problematic, and therefore necessary for reconfiguring and updating. Take those issues to St. Ann's Warehouse! Also, frankly, ENCORES! for nearly three decades simply works as is. It ain't broke. It doesn't need fixing. |
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| re: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night | |
| Posted by: singleticket 10:54 am EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night - sergius 06:21 am EST 02/07/22 | |
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| It's nice to see your reviews up again. I hope to agree or disagree with them in the upcoming months. | |
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| re: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night | |
| Posted by: reed23 08:21 am EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night - sergius 06:21 am EST 02/07/22 | |
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| "Joshua Henry, here truly a brother from another planet, wrests THE TAP DANCE KID from its makers and effectively re-writes it in seven minutes." I get that you're writing in hyperbole, but to be earthbound and literal, of course the "makers" wrote the song, along with the rest of the show of which it was a highlight. While Joshua Henry can do no wrong in my book, ever since his sensational performance in THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, I vividly remember (after almost 40 years) Samuel E. Wright who originated both the role and the song, absolutely knocked it out of the park, and got a Tony nomination for his accomplishment in THE TAP DANCE KID. Attention must be paid to such a man, who created the voice of "Sebastian" in the "Little Mermaid" film, and performed a racial-injustice-themed showstopper in OVER HERE!, 9 years before TAP DANCE KID ("Don't Shoot The Hooey To Me, Louie," written by the Sherman Brothers.) Samuel E. Wright was Ben Vereen's replacement in the original PIPPIN. While it was by no means a major work, I liked the original TAP DANCE KID, which was absolutely busting with performing talent, and featured the Tony-winning sensational choreography of Danny Daniels ("Pennies From Heaven") in his triumphant return to Broadway. The show was directed by the always-outstanding Vivian Matalon. I've read a number of reports that this Encores cut-down was directed at the speed of molasses rolling up hill, with much of the dramatics and emotion in the book scenes excised, and the wildly memorable Martine Allard role knee-capped for some obscure reason. If, as you say, the Encores rendition has "nearly nothing to recommend it," that would indicate a total failure in direction, casting, choreography, musical direction and book scenes, and given some statements issued by the new head of the organization, I'm not surprised. The original got 7 Tony nominations and won Best Featured Actor (Hinton Battle) and Best Choreography (Danny Daniels.) |
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| re: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 06:19 pm EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night - reed23 08:21 am EST 02/07/22 | |
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| Link | 1984 Tony Awards: 'The Tap Dance Kid' featuring Tony winner Hinton Battle and Danny Daniels' Tony-winning choreography |
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| re: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night | |
| Posted by: DavidEsq 11:18 am EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night - reed23 08:21 am EST 02/07/22 | |
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| I was lucky enough to see the original (albeit when I was 13) and remember really liking it. As I reflect I think it was something that had flashes of amazing stuff that sticks with you connected together with a lot of forgettable stuff. (I barely remember any of the flashy production numbers - it was the more intimate stuff that sticks out). But there is no doubt which are the top two things I remember: Four Strikes Against Me with Martine Allard and Samuel E. Wright's version of Soliloquy, Rose's Turn or whatever else you want to call it. The number was even more powerful as he did not sing a note in the production prior to that song (which dramatically made sense). I haven't seen the Encores version but I think there would have been a lot of potential with what they could have done with this as so much of the feeling of the story and the issues addressed still resonate but by all reports - they really blew it. |
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| Let's pause to remember and praise Samuel E. Wright. | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 11:19 am EST 02/07/22 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 11:17 am EST 02/07/22 | |
| In reply to: re: THE TAP DANCE KID Last Night - reed23 08:21 am EST 02/07/22 | |
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| I must agree with the praise for Samuel E. Wright. When I saw the show -- which was workmanlike yet lackluster back in the 80s -- Wright alone turned it into something more arresting and even disturbing. His explosion suggested a show that might've been (and yes, I get that his eruptive set piece was designed thus, in stark contrast to the other narrative elements). Over the weekend I listened to his performance of the number, and remembered how we all leaned forward in the theater. Wright was a great gift to musical theater. I, too, saw him in Over Here! back in the day. | |
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