As referenced in the title, I saw Roundabout Theatre Company's presentation of Kneehigh Theatre's production of Noel Coward's Brief Encounter. The show was 90 min long so it was indeed a brief encounter. It was a combination of songs, scenes, film, music and some puppetry. It told the story of two married people having an affair in 1930's London, and then going their separate ways and continuing on with their lives. A lot of the action took place in the cafe at a railroad station, with two additional couples involved in the action. The play was a bit weird with some of the interludes randomly occurring so that the play didn't seem to have fluidity at times. I thought the play was good, but wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others, although it's set to close January 2.
In some ways, the play reminded me of another show currently running and set to close soon, The 39 Steps. Both plays are adaptations of movies from the first part of the 20th century by British theatre companies with some impressive stagecraft. In this case, characters walk through a screen and suddenly become visible on film, and props are brought on and offstage in fluid motion. The cast is seven actors and two musicians, so the stage is often well-populated. I hadn't been to Studio 54 in over six years actually, and I think it's a wonderful space, as the mezzanine overhangs much of the orchestra so the sightlines are quite wonderful and I could see the whole stage and most facial expressions quite clearly. It's a fairly intimate space with the capacity to mount moderate to large-scale musicals, as Cabaret, Assassins, 110 in the Shade, Pal Joey, The Apple Tree, and Sunday in the Park with George have all been performed there within the last decade. Outside of the Sondheim revivals, a lot of their musicals seem to be hit-or-miss, with their revivals of classic plays usually faring better. I am interested in their new production of The Importance of Being Earnest which just began previews and am crossing my fingers that they will do a great job with Anything Goes, as I have my doubts. If I do see these shows, I will post reviews!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Mrs. Santa Claus
I was watching some of this on YouTube tonight. The songs are up there but not the dialog, so it goes a bit quicker and jumps ahead in the story. For those who are unfamiliar with it, this was an original musical that premiered on TV in 1996. The songs were written by Jerry Herman and the book was by Mark Saltzman, whose Tin Pan Alley Rag was off-Broadway in 2009. I believe Rob Marshall choreographed, paving the way for the ABC-TV versions of Cinderella and Annie and the movie version of Chicago. The musical stars Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Santa Claus whose sleigh crashes into the Lower East Side of New York in 1910. Her introduction to the neighborhood, the song "Avenue A" is one of the highlights of the show, showcasing the Irish, Italian, and Jewish factions (each with their own dance sequence) as well as the odd Chinese food vendor. The main story-lines consist of Mrs. Santa Claus becoming involved in the women's suffrage movement as well as interfering at a shoddy toy sweatshop run by Augustus P. Tavish, played by Terrence Mann. (Why does he only have one song?? There's about eight or nine songs total in this production, and he only gets one for himself?) He is pretty funny in that cheesy/gleefully evil villainous sort of way he has, singing and dancing with a cane around moping kids in a gloomy toy factory. He looks like he is having quite a bit of fun, and gets a human moment in the second half when it's revealed that he's still mad at Santa for not bringing him a teddy bear when he asked for one as a child. A Beast/Chauvelin character combintion, which fits chronologically in terms of Terrence Mann's musical roles.
Other Broadway veterans pop up too: Michael Jeter plays the head elf in a wonderful role for his talents, and the secondary elves are headed by Jamie Torcellini (Billy Elliot, Beauty and the Beast, Cats) and Kristi Lynes (Cats, How to Succeed). Rosalind Harris, who played Tzeitel in the film version of Fiddler on the Roof appears as the boarding house matron Miss Lowenstein, and Linda Kerns (Wicked, Big River, Beauty and the Beast) appears as an Irish neighbor. David Norona, who played Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys's pre-Broadway tryout at La Jolla, is featured as your friendly Italian stable boy who first befriends Mrs. Claus and apparently knows how to take care of reindeer. Charles Durning plays Santa Claus himself, and Lyndsey Bartilson, who later starred in the sitcom "Grounded For Life" has a large role as an Irish girl who misses her mother and is mentored by Mrs. Claus. Future Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan appears somewhere too, as does Alon Williams (Peter Pan, "Sid the Science Kid")
Which brings me to the question I have for anyone who knows the answer- Who is the ensemble for this production? The IMDB cast list is incomplete, and I am curious to know who the adults and kids dancing in this production are. If you have any information, please help me out!
Other Broadway veterans pop up too: Michael Jeter plays the head elf in a wonderful role for his talents, and the secondary elves are headed by Jamie Torcellini (Billy Elliot, Beauty and the Beast, Cats) and Kristi Lynes (Cats, How to Succeed). Rosalind Harris, who played Tzeitel in the film version of Fiddler on the Roof appears as the boarding house matron Miss Lowenstein, and Linda Kerns (Wicked, Big River, Beauty and the Beast) appears as an Irish neighbor. David Norona, who played Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys's pre-Broadway tryout at La Jolla, is featured as your friendly Italian stable boy who first befriends Mrs. Claus and apparently knows how to take care of reindeer. Charles Durning plays Santa Claus himself, and Lyndsey Bartilson, who later starred in the sitcom "Grounded For Life" has a large role as an Irish girl who misses her mother and is mentored by Mrs. Claus. Future Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan appears somewhere too, as does Alon Williams (Peter Pan, "Sid the Science Kid")
Which brings me to the question I have for anyone who knows the answer- Who is the ensemble for this production? The IMDB cast list is incomplete, and I am curious to know who the adults and kids dancing in this production are. If you have any information, please help me out!
The Secret Garden
This post is going to be about the children's book-turned- musical The Secret Garden. I found this musical to be amazing, scary, and emotionally haunting at the same time. Mandy Patinkin as a man haunted by the past, and Rebecca Luker as a ghost watching over the proceedings are both magical. I really like Daisy Egan and John Cameron Mitchell a lot as well. The show really emphasizes the connection between the past and present, and between humans and nature. It's such a wonderful score and story and I hope one to be able to produce a production of the show.
I'm not quite sure what exactly are the reasons I am attracted to the show, as I had never actually read the book until this past year, and I might have seen the movie remake when I was 7, but I don't remember much from it and I may be confusing it with A Little Princess, also based on a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I think what I like about the show is the connection to family, both past and present, and the idea of benevolent ghosts watching over you and communicating with you. I also like the theme of nature being beautiful and magical and being able to rejuvenate and bring life to the barren and forlorn. The Yorkshire dialect adds another layer of fascination with this show, and the performances of the original Broadway cast bring the material to life superbly. This show is alternately haunting and uplifting, and I highly recommend it.
I'm not quite sure what exactly are the reasons I am attracted to the show, as I had never actually read the book until this past year, and I might have seen the movie remake when I was 7, but I don't remember much from it and I may be confusing it with A Little Princess, also based on a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I think what I like about the show is the connection to family, both past and present, and the idea of benevolent ghosts watching over you and communicating with you. I also like the theme of nature being beautiful and magical and being able to rejuvenate and bring life to the barren and forlorn. The Yorkshire dialect adds another layer of fascination with this show, and the performances of the original Broadway cast bring the material to life superbly. This show is alternately haunting and uplifting, and I highly recommend it.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Scottsboro Boys- Lyceum Theatre, Broadway
I saw The Scottsboro Boys on December 8, and it was a very emotionally moving and powerful show and should be required viewing for American history buffs or anyone interested in civil rights and human rights. It tells the true story of nine African-American teenagers and men who were falsely accused of rape and languished in prison for many unnecessary years as a result. The show is told through the guise of a minstrel show, which adds some humor to the surroundings and possibly softens some rough edges, although some sharp points still poke through.
First, the drawbacks: The cast was very talented but I wish more of an effort had been made to distinguish the individual characters and give them time in the spotlight. Haywood Patterson (Joshua Henry) was the most fleshed out and the focal point of the play, with Clarence Norris (Rodney Hicks) and Eugene Williams (Jeremy Gumbs) also getting some dimensionality, but for the most part I found it hard to attribute which traits belonged to which character, although that could also have been due to my vantage point in the balcony. I also wondered why Eugene was played by an age-appropriate actor but Roy Wright wasn't, as historically they were 13 and 14 respectively at the time of their arrest. Not that I didn't think Julius Thomas III was great, but he blended in with the other prisoners at times and was only distinguishable as Roy when he talked to his brother Andy (Derrick Cobey). I was glad that I was familiar with some of the songs from hearing a demo CD previously, because at times the cast's voices didn't carry as well over the music (again, this could have been due to my seat location).
Now, a more positive breakdown of what I liked: I liked the pervasiveness of gallow humor which made me laugh and cringe at the same time. To be clear, most of the jokes were not aimed at the Scottsboro Boys themselves, but rather at the white authority figures (lawyers/guards/sherriffs) they encounter played by African-American actors, the two minstrel "end-men" Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo. Any jokes aimed at the Scottsboro Boys come from these two characters in their various villainous roles, perhaps the worst being their "Electric Chair" song/nightmare which featured some wonderful tap performances by Jeremy Gumbs, Kendrick Jones, and Julius Thomas III.
At this point, I want to compliment Colman Domingo and Forrest McClendon on their performances as Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo for their wonderful irreverent portrayals, mainly for their turns as Samuel Liebowitz and the Alabama Attorney General. They balanced trite jokes with sharp humor and brought a sinisterness to their comic characters. John Cullum presides over the proceedings as the Interlocutor, the only white character in the show. Honestly, there is no one else I would rather see play an arrogant, old white racist SOB more than Mr. Cullum. (I wonder how much this dynamic would change if/when JC Montgomery plays the role). His role is mostly to move the proceedings forward and occasionally he becomes involved in the action as a judge or governor, but he is not a real antagonist.
I thought the use of blackface in the show somewhat worked in that it was for a short period of time and had the specific purpose of showing the edge of how far the Scottsboro Boys were willing to go to celebrate/lampoon their trials and references how the first four Boys released performed in vaudeville afterwards. But I'm not sure if it was fully needed although possibly expected/wondered about by some of the audience. After they take their makeup off and leave the Interlocutor alone on stage was one of the most human moments in the play. I have a similar feeling about Joshua Henry's affectations in "Nothing". I think it more clearly served a purpose but was a bit odd/cringe-inducing at the same time. Mr. Henry made it work well by juxtaposing it with Haywood's anger. It's as if he realizes he has to perform that way for the white onlookers to listen to him. I would really love to get opinions from the cast members about their feelings towards these moments in the show that most specifically recall the minstrel show format and tendency to denigrate/lampoon its subjects.
Joshua Henry gave a great performance as Haywood Patterson, who knew his beliefs and convictions and stuck to them, determined to survive while remaining honest. The scenes of him learning to read and write by writing letters in the dirt under the teaching of Roy Wright were an amazing piece of stagecraft and a powerful emotional moment in the show. Rodney Hicks gave a fine performance as Clarence Norris. I had never seen Mr. Hicks perform, but was familiar with him from Rent and a "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" episode he was featured in, and he portrayed Clarence as a fire-brand angry and eager for an outlet. Christian Dante White and James T. Lane amuse as the two white women who invented the rape. The show ends in a small scene showing the legacy of the Scottsboro Boys and a glimmer of hope for the future, tying up the thread of a silent character who has been watching the proceedings. The show's score by John Kander and Fred Ebb serves the story and enhances the proceedings but I would not want to listen to it outside of the show because the visual performances of the songs are needed in order to get their full meanings across.
This show reminded me a lot of the musical Parade, which takes place in Atlanta beginning in 1913 and focuses on the trial of Leo Frank, who was also a target of Southern prejudice. That is another show I recommend for viewing, to ensure that the situations and trials portrayed in these two shows never happen again. It's the most emotionally wrenching show I can remember seeing.
For more information about the men on their trials, this Wikipedia article is fairly extensive and also contains references and external links for additional detail and information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottsboro_Boys
Angels in America, Part II- Signature Theatre Company
The first thing I have to say is I haven't seen Part 1 live yet, I might accomplish that this week and I might have to wait until February when the cast changes. Unfortunately for me, the only times Part 1 is being performed this week are times when I have other plans, which is annoying. I have read the play and I have seen the HBO miniseries as well, so this post is about how the actors brought the text to life for me. Now for the actual review:
First I give the actors a lot of credit for being able to perform this seven hour two-part epic politcal/social opus. It's quite an amazing piece of theater with many fluid scene transitions and simultaneous scenes, so I would imagine the memorization would be quite difficult because there would be the tendency to get confused about which lines/scenes go where.
I think my favorite actor in the cast would have been Billy Porter as Belize/Mr. Lies. Jeffrey Wright's performance in the role is still vivid in my mind as he was my first, and until now, only actor to have seen play the role. (This reminds me to look into A Free Man of Color at Lincoln Center. I keep wondering if it's worth trying to get a student ticket to see it. It probably is as long as my seat is decent.) (P.S. If you don't like parentheticals, you are going to have a hard time reading this blog.) I've been a fan of Billy Porter's from hearing/seeing video footage of him in Grease! and I saw him voice Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors down in Florida, so this was really my first time seeing him live onstage. (Side note: I forgot he was in Songs for a New World off-Broadway. Why is Ty Taylor on the recording instead of him? Was it not recorded during the run?) I thought he was spectacularly amusing and funny as Belize, the right combination of tough, rational and effeminate qualities needed to showcase Belize's facets. He had more flourishes than I remember Jeffrey Wright having, who seemed a bit more subdued from what I remember. Billy's Belize showed more emotion and expression in being the qualified nurse who didn't back down from disagreements and arguing with people.
Christian Borle is probably the actor in the cast I was most familiar with, despite having not actually seen him perform live either, but being familiar with his performances. Some reviews I had read said that he was campy as Prior Walter, but I didn't really see that quality in him. His Prior was scared out of his mind by the vision of the angel and the idea of being a prophet and then slowly begins to embrace it and to love and embrace life, as terrible and imperfect as it can be and often is. He is terminally ill and dying but by the Epilogue he enjoys being alive and looks forward to new occasions. I thought he did a wonderful job as the play may be an ensemble piece, but the play seems to revolve around Prior. I was surprised when he was cast in a non-musical dramatic role, and I think he did an amazing job.
I'm debating if I should continue reviewing each cast member individually (two down, six to go) and I think I will just keep writing that way until I run out of steam. The play is an ensemble piece with most actors playing multiple roles, but they still seem to stand out individually to me rather than as a cohesive unit. I see them as eight distinct people sharing scenes and moving the plot forward. The play focuses on so many human issues: physical, theoretical, and emotional and some ideas fly by so fast that I am glad I already was familiar with the play. The play takes place in a certain time period, the second term of Ronald Reagan and an Epilogue set in 1990, but it doesn't really feel dated although at times it is a history lesson/reminder, which is something I like.
Zoe Kazan is a talented actress but I still think she seems too young for Harper. I suppose that it is plausible for her and Joe to have gotten married young and moved east, but I keep thinking of Mary-Louise Parker's loopy portrayal or Marcia Gay Harden. Zoe comes across as a very intense teenager. I look forward to seeing her future performances though. Robin Bartlett does a great job as Hannah Pitt/Ethel Rosenberg with her different wigs and accents. I like Hannah's transformation from a stereotype into a vibrant human being functioning among others. Zachary Quinto is quite amazing as Louis, who is possibly my favorite character in the play with all his jokes and one-liners. He is the most flawed character to me, and Mr. Quinto brought a lot of depth to the role. Frank Wood was also solid as Roy Cohn, but it was hard to have a lot of sympathy for him. Bill Heck was also solid as Joe, seems to connect everyone together in the relationship spider web. He's mostly a passive character where a lot happens around him and he can't always make up his mind about what he wants to do. Although the few moments he does try to lead are startling, Which brings us to the angel herself, Robin Weigert, who was quite spectacular as the mysterious Angel haunting Prior as well as his hospital nurse. She showed the humanity inside an otherworldly, luminous, and often authoritative being and her entrance/exits were quite amazing as well, as I had been wondering how those moments would be staged. She had the right amount of authority and gravitas while floating in mid-air, giant wings flapping (Kudos to my friend Laurie who built them). She excelled at all her roles of dispensing advice to misguided souls.
Angels in America is quite an opus which needs to be seen and/or read more than once for all the ideas and themes to really sink in. It's still powerful and resonant now and I look forward to February when I will be seeing the show again with some new cast members. Performances continue at the Signature Theatre through March 27.
First I give the actors a lot of credit for being able to perform this seven hour two-part epic politcal/social opus. It's quite an amazing piece of theater with many fluid scene transitions and simultaneous scenes, so I would imagine the memorization would be quite difficult because there would be the tendency to get confused about which lines/scenes go where.
I think my favorite actor in the cast would have been Billy Porter as Belize/Mr. Lies. Jeffrey Wright's performance in the role is still vivid in my mind as he was my first, and until now, only actor to have seen play the role. (This reminds me to look into A Free Man of Color at Lincoln Center. I keep wondering if it's worth trying to get a student ticket to see it. It probably is as long as my seat is decent.) (P.S. If you don't like parentheticals, you are going to have a hard time reading this blog.) I've been a fan of Billy Porter's from hearing/seeing video footage of him in Grease! and I saw him voice Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors down in Florida, so this was really my first time seeing him live onstage. (Side note: I forgot he was in Songs for a New World off-Broadway. Why is Ty Taylor on the recording instead of him? Was it not recorded during the run?) I thought he was spectacularly amusing and funny as Belize, the right combination of tough, rational and effeminate qualities needed to showcase Belize's facets. He had more flourishes than I remember Jeffrey Wright having, who seemed a bit more subdued from what I remember. Billy's Belize showed more emotion and expression in being the qualified nurse who didn't back down from disagreements and arguing with people.
Christian Borle is probably the actor in the cast I was most familiar with, despite having not actually seen him perform live either, but being familiar with his performances. Some reviews I had read said that he was campy as Prior Walter, but I didn't really see that quality in him. His Prior was scared out of his mind by the vision of the angel and the idea of being a prophet and then slowly begins to embrace it and to love and embrace life, as terrible and imperfect as it can be and often is. He is terminally ill and dying but by the Epilogue he enjoys being alive and looks forward to new occasions. I thought he did a wonderful job as the play may be an ensemble piece, but the play seems to revolve around Prior. I was surprised when he was cast in a non-musical dramatic role, and I think he did an amazing job.
I'm debating if I should continue reviewing each cast member individually (two down, six to go) and I think I will just keep writing that way until I run out of steam. The play is an ensemble piece with most actors playing multiple roles, but they still seem to stand out individually to me rather than as a cohesive unit. I see them as eight distinct people sharing scenes and moving the plot forward. The play focuses on so many human issues: physical, theoretical, and emotional and some ideas fly by so fast that I am glad I already was familiar with the play. The play takes place in a certain time period, the second term of Ronald Reagan and an Epilogue set in 1990, but it doesn't really feel dated although at times it is a history lesson/reminder, which is something I like.
Zoe Kazan is a talented actress but I still think she seems too young for Harper. I suppose that it is plausible for her and Joe to have gotten married young and moved east, but I keep thinking of Mary-Louise Parker's loopy portrayal or Marcia Gay Harden. Zoe comes across as a very intense teenager. I look forward to seeing her future performances though. Robin Bartlett does a great job as Hannah Pitt/Ethel Rosenberg with her different wigs and accents. I like Hannah's transformation from a stereotype into a vibrant human being functioning among others. Zachary Quinto is quite amazing as Louis, who is possibly my favorite character in the play with all his jokes and one-liners. He is the most flawed character to me, and Mr. Quinto brought a lot of depth to the role. Frank Wood was also solid as Roy Cohn, but it was hard to have a lot of sympathy for him. Bill Heck was also solid as Joe, seems to connect everyone together in the relationship spider web. He's mostly a passive character where a lot happens around him and he can't always make up his mind about what he wants to do. Although the few moments he does try to lead are startling, Which brings us to the angel herself, Robin Weigert, who was quite spectacular as the mysterious Angel haunting Prior as well as his hospital nurse. She showed the humanity inside an otherworldly, luminous, and often authoritative being and her entrance/exits were quite amazing as well, as I had been wondering how those moments would be staged. She had the right amount of authority and gravitas while floating in mid-air, giant wings flapping (Kudos to my friend Laurie who built them). She excelled at all her roles of dispensing advice to misguided souls.
Angels in America is quite an opus which needs to be seen and/or read more than once for all the ideas and themes to really sink in. It's still powerful and resonant now and I look forward to February when I will be seeing the show again with some new cast members. Performances continue at the Signature Theatre through March 27.
Welcome to my Blog!
Hello Cyberspace!
So I finally caved in and decided to indulge in some ego coddling and inflating and I will now begin posting my thoughts and viewpoints online, time and energy permitting. The goal of this blog is mainly geared toward theatrical reviews, thoughts, and opinions, and also some lessons I have learned from various offices. Occasionally there might be a general life observation thrown in here as well. If you like what you read, become a follower and tell your friends!
So I finally caved in and decided to indulge in some ego coddling and inflating and I will now begin posting my thoughts and viewpoints online, time and energy permitting. The goal of this blog is mainly geared toward theatrical reviews, thoughts, and opinions, and also some lessons I have learned from various offices. Occasionally there might be a general life observation thrown in here as well. If you like what you read, become a follower and tell your friends!
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