Review of "Bring it On"

With high-flying flips and aerial maneuvers, Bring It On, the new musical inspired by the popular movie of the same name, is fitfully appealing.  At times stereotypical, at other points refreshing and engaging, the show has a hard time settling into one coherent identity.  The big draw of the production, which will appeal greatly to the pre-teen and teenage crowd, are the highly choreographed cheerleading routines.  For the most part, they provide the pizzazz to the musical though by the final curtain you may have had enough of the precision numbers.

The plot centers on two competing high school cheerleading squads.  Campbell, played with a determined enthusiasm by Taylor Louderman, is about to start her senior year as captain of the school’s cheerleading team.  But, with a mysterious twist of fate she and a friend Bridget, portrayed with a bubbly eagerness by Ryann Redmond, are suddenly redistricted across town to the inner city high school that has no squad.  Determined to fit in with the mostly African-American and Latino student population proves daunting at first until she befriends Danielle, who is the leader of the school’s hip-hop dance crew.  She is played with a gritty fortitude and toughness, edged with a layer of warmth and caring by Adrienne Warren.  Together, after much teenage angst and bonding, they form a cheerleading squad so Campbell can compete with her old high school team, now led by her scheming protégé, Eva, a plotting minx portrayed with evil relish by Elle McLemore.  There are new boyfriends, subplots, and more, but the focus is on the associations Campbell and Bridget have once they transfer to their new surroundings at Jackson High.   Their interactions with the new student population are characterized by more honest teenage depictions and feelings.  At their former school the students are more the boilerplate variety as exemplified by the self-centered blonde Skylar; and her frumpy follower, Kylar.

But the emphasis of Bring It On is the world of extreme cheerleading and that is when the show shines.  These daredevil routines bring the musical to life since they are mostly combined with the sizzling choreography of Director/Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler.  His urban, street smart feel, epitomized in his Tony Award winning dance sequences for In the Heights, produce some of the best production numbers of the early Broadway season.  His direction of the musical, however, is more perfunctory. 

Bring It On could be described as high-powered fluff.  But, in addition to Andy Blankenbuehler, it has a notable creative team behind the scenes.  The score is by Tom Kitt (Tony Award for Best Score and Pulitzer Prize for Next to Normal), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Tony Award for Best Score for In the Heights), and Amanda Green.  The book is by Jeff Whitty (Tony for Best Book of a musical for Avenue Q).  It is interesting the aforementioned group would be involved in such a light-weight concoction.  Jeff Whitty’s libretto fluctuates between the standard formula for teenage crisis and concern and the more realistic portrayal of the post-pubescent crowd.  The score, while not the caliber of the team’s previous work, is well-crafted and tuneful, providing some appealing songs to augment the action on stage. 

Bring it On—a spotty, yet exuberant musical more for the middle to high school crowd then those with more sophisticated taste.

Review of "Chaplin"

Chaplin, the new musical that chronicles the life of The Little Tramp, Charlie Chaplin, lacks buoyancy and zip.  Add to that a lackluster score and a pointless Act II and you end up with the first major disappointment of the new Broadway season, which is a shame because of the mostly winning performance by Rob McClure as Chaplin.

The musical starts off with an affecting look at Chaplin’s impoverished younger years in London, his early music hall days, family (brother Sydney and mentally ill mother) and, finally, his formative years in Hollywood.  The book by Christopher Curtis and Thomas Meehan provide an engaging and entertaining look at Chaplin’s growth in the movie industry.  Director/Choreographer Warren Carlyle moves the production along with a steady hand.  The problem holding back Act I from blossoming is the colorless and banal score by Christopher Curtis.  The action on stage is engaging enough, but there is no musical spark to energize the show, to elevate it from a conventional biography to a spirited Broadway production.

Heading into the second act the show simply implodes, for a variety of reasons.  First, the book by Curtis and Meehan turns from a mostly absorbing and satisfying examination of Chaplin’s movie-making and personal life to an unappealing and listless mess focusing solely on Chaplin’s left-leaning political sentiments as well as the witch hunt conducted by gossip queen Hedda Hopper to discredit the man.  That’s Act II.  Chaplin gives speeches supporting the Russian people.  Hopper, upset because The Little Tramp will not appear on her radio program, prowls the stage digging up dirt on him and trying to prove he is un-American.  Not exactly absorbing or enthralling musical theater.  Second, the score by Christopher Curtis continues to be humdrum and forgettable.  Third, the choices by Director/Choreographer Warren Caryle, agreeable and adroit in Act I, become tired and aimless later on.  The Act II opening, where Chaplin dukes it out in a boxing ring with his ex-wives, is rather strange.  A roller skating number, with only three skaters, is tame and boring.  All the freshness and wonder surrounding Chaplin’s early days has simply vanished.

Rob McClure, as Charlie Chaplin, is lively and energetic.  He also displays the pathos and intensity of a ground-breaking artist.  I hesitate to wonder what the show would be like without his talents.  The rest of the cast is fine.  Yet only Zachary Unger as the young Chaplin truly resonates with the audience.

Chaplin, one to miss.

Review of Goodspeed Opera House's "Carousel"

Composer Richard Rodgers has stated that Carousel was the favorite score he wrote during his collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein.  Who could argue with his choice when you have should songs as “Mister Snow,” “If I Loved You,” “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” “Soliloquy,” “When the Children are Asleep,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” interwoven within the show.  The musical selections are just one of the highlights of the Goodspeed Opera House’s marvelous production of Carousel, running now through the end of September.

Rodgers and Hammerstein were always looking to stretch the boundaries of musical theater.  Oklahoma! in 1943, their initial effort together, was a landmark event.  It was truly the first time the score, book, and dance were so well-integrated into a musical production.  The songs and choreography developed naturally through the storyline.  Their second effort, Carousel in 1945, continued their experimentation.  For example, the overture was displaced.  Instead, a pantomime prologue, performed to the beautifully haunting “Carousel Waltz,” starts the show. 

Rodgers and Hammerstein adapted Carousel from the play Lilliom.  The locale was moved from Budapest to the Maine coastline.  The plot centers around Billy, a charismatic, yet roguish carousel barker, who falls for the innocent, but strong-willed mill worker, Julie Jordan.  Soon married, their marriage, is about to dissolve when Billy learns Julie is pregnant.  Suddenly, he becomes a changed man looking forward to fatherhood.  Not knowing how to support his impending family, since he has been out-of-work the night he met Julie, Billy agrees to team-up with his scheming and treacherous friend, Jigger, to rob the mill’s owner.  The plan goes horribly wrong and Billy stabs himself rather then going to jail.  Now in heaven, waiting to be judged, he is given a chance to return to earth, for one day, to redeem himself.  He meets his daughter, now 15 years old and more of an outcast due to Billy’s legacy in town, in an encounter that does not go well.  As the musical ends Billy’s spectral presence stands by his child, seated at her high school graduation, as the commencement speaker states “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

Hammerstein’s book successfully shifts the action to a quaint Maine town in the late 1800’s, which enables him to encapsulate a bygone era when life was simpler.  The end can be viewed as rather schmaltzy and preachy, but does leave you exiting the theater with a lump in your throat.   The score, as mentioned before, is outstanding.  Enough said.

All of the main actors are outstanding, leading off with Erin Davie as the vunerable, yet resolute Julie Jordan.  When she started with the first notes of “If I Loved You,” I got goosebumps.  Jenn Gambatese, as Julie’s best friend, Carrie, also has a golden voice and the perfect comic touch for her role.  James Snyder’s Billy Bigelow is rakish, stubborn and proud, with a full-throttled baritone.  Tally Sessions’ Jigger Craigin provides a menacing presence that hangs over the New England village.

The choreography by Parker Esse, while muted throughout the production, breaks out for the act two ballet sequence, an homage to adolescent passion and youthful abandon.

Rob Ruggiero’s direction, sure-handed as ever, effortlessly guides the musical through its multi-layered storylines.

Carousel, now at the Goodspeed Opera House though September 29^th.

Summer Theater Recommendations

Summer is just around the corner, which means an influx of tourists to the Big Apple and Broadway.  I am always asked for recommendations.  “What’s good?”  “I like musicals.”  “How about for the kids?”  There are many variables that can dictate my choices for individuals or families.  But, since I cannot personally advise everyone (even though you can email me at Broadway99@comcast.net with your parameters) I have put together two lists--one for musicals and the other for comedies/dramas.  I have given a one or two sentence description as well as an appropriate age minimum.  These are my conservative estimates.  There are not many shows for the very young.

As you will see from the non-musicals, the list is rather skimpy.  This is more a factor that I have not seen all the plays this year even though many—Clybourne Park, Other Desert Cities, The Lyons, and Venus in Fur—have all received critical acclaim.  If drama is your cup of tea you probably could not go wrong with either of these four.  The four I have seen are listed in priority order.

I have also listed the musicals in priority order.  I have left off the list such perennial blockbusters as The Book of Mormon, Lion King, and Wicked.  Finding tickets for these shows, at reasonable prices, is very hard.  It would be better to see one of the other musicals on the list.  If you "have" to see one of the aforementioned productions you may have to go on the secondary market.

There are a number of ways to purchase discount tickets for many shows.  The first place to review is the Broadway Rush, Lottery and Standing Room Only Policies on the Playbill.com website.  Believe it or not there are lottery tickets to most shows-at huge savings-even to The Book of Mormon.

Another great place is Broadway Shows Discount Codes on Broadwaybox.com.  You simply choose a show, print out the page with the specific code and can go directly to the box office to purchase tickets (you can also call, but will have to pay the service charge which could be over $10.00 per ticket).  No waiting in line at the TKTS Booth.  However, the lines at the newly refurbished TKTS Booth snake to the front very quickly.  You always seem to meet interesting people in the queue, which makes it go even faster.  For information about the Booth, go to - http://bit.ly/NLwrh9

One other useful piece of information is finding out your chances of getting into a show or having it listed on the availability board at the TKTS Booth.  Playbill.com posts the weekly grosses for each Broadway show, the week’s percent of capacity, andthe average ticket price.  So, for example, during the week of June 11^th – 17^th the musical Memphis was playing to 66% capacity and the average ticket price was only $69.00.  Translation – there is an excellent chance Memphis will have tickets at the TKTS Booth and they will have a great coupon on Broadwaybox.com.

So, here are my recommendations.  Shows I have reviewed are linked to the review:

MUSICALS

•  Newsies – Since winning two high profile Tony Awards (Best Score and Choreography), Newsies has been selling out.  But you never know if there might be tickets at the TKTS Booth Tuesday-Thursday nights (slower nights).  This is a longshot, but if tickets are available, grab them.  Tuneful, incredible production numbers and charismatic cast.  Good for all ages 6 and up.

•  The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess – Riveting, powerful drama with Tony winner for Best Actress, Audra McDonald anchoring a superb cast.  Classic Gershwin score.  Good for ages 12 and up.

•  Memphis – Tony winner for Best Musical a few years back.  Strong score, compelling storyline, and the golden voice of Montego Glover.  Good for ages 12 and up.

•  Once – I will admit I have not seen Once, but since it was the big winner at this year’s Tony Awards I wanted to include it.  Probably good for ages 14 and up.

•  Anything Goes – The 2011 Tony Award for Best Revival of a musical.  Fabulous Cole Porter score and some of the best dancing this side of Newsies.  Closing in early August.  Good for ages 12 and up.

•  Nice Work If You Can Get It – A musical, loosely based on the Gershwin’s Oh Kay, this breezy comedy won both Best Supporting Actor and Actress Awards.  Outstanding score, the beautiful Kelli O’Hara and a slightly puffy Matthew Broderick.  Good for ages 12 and up.

•  Mary Poppins – Disney magic lives on with a very good adaptation of the classic movie.  Small children will be enchanted.  Good for ages 6 and up.

•  Jersey Boys – One of the most popular musicals of the last few years, the show has been creeping up on the TKTS Booth board as of late.  Even if you are not a huge Four Seasons fan you will find the story compelling.  The music ain’t bad either.  Good for ages 10 and up.

•  Ghost the Musical – I will admit I did like Ghost.  It is not a great musical and I disliked the projections, but if you are looking for an entertaining show this could be it.  Good for ages 12 and up.

PLAYS

•  One Man, Two Guvnors – One of the funniest shows you will ever see.  Tony Award winner James Corden is priceless.  Tom Edden (who should have won the Best Supporting Actor Award) is hysterical.  Good for ages 10 and up.

•  War Horse – The 2011 Tony Award for Best Play, War Horse has been playing to about 72% capacity which means tickets should not be a problem.  Probably the best drama I’ve seen in the past ten years.  The life-size puppets are truly amazing.  The end will have you on your seat (and a hanky in your hand).  A must see.  Good for ages 10 and up (NOTE:  the war scenes can be a bit scary for small children).

•  The Best Man – A superb all-star cast.  With the presidential nominating conventions just around the corner, what better show to see.  Good for ages 14 and up.

•  Harvey – Classic, Pulitzer Prize winning revival of a man and his imaginary six foot rabbit.  Jim Parsons, from TV’s Big Bang Theory is perfectly cast.  Good for ages 12 and up.

 

2012 Tony Award Musings

Just a reminder that I will be updating throughout the Tony Award telecast...

The opening number from THE BOOK OF MORMON to start off the show.  One of the best songs from the musical.  Why THE BOOK OF MORMON on tonight's program?  Purely to sell more tickets and tease people that cannot pay $477.00 for premium seats.  Oh, no Josh Gad.  Right.  He just left the show for TV stardom.

Neil Patrick Harris is hosting for the 3rd time.  Ties for second with Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, Rosie O'Donnell, and Hugh Jackman.

Opening number - not one of the best.  Only livened up with the guest stars popped in like Patti Lupone and Annie.  where's Hugh when you need him?

Do you think Judith Light didn't rehearse her speech?

NEWSIES - Should have done "King of New York" as their number.  "Seize the Day" is also excellent, but "King of New York" was much better.  Would have been nice if they also sang the song.  Haven't seen such acrobatics since WEST SIDE STORY.

I have loved Michael McGrath - Best Supporting Actor Tony Award - since I saw him on the Goodspeed stage many years ago.  He has always been so solid in his comedic roles.  When I first saw him performing all I could think of was a younger Nathan Lane.  I thought Dave Alan Grier should have won, but no regrets.

Great number from FOLLIES with Tony Award nominee Danny Burstein.  So glad they didn't sing the old warhorse, "I'm Still Here."  FOLLIES or PORGY & BESS for Best Revival?  Too close to call.

Who's the guy whining behind THE LION KING?

GHOST song too loud and uninteresting.  There were better options.  Not going to bring in the crowds .  HINT:  the guy bathed in blue is dead.

Two director awards at once...Yes, the inevitable run of ONCE to Best Musical begins as John Tiffany wins the Best Director of a Musical.  My choice, NEWSIES, will probably just settle for Best Choreography and Best Score.  Like with WICKED, beaten out by AVENUE Q, NEWSIES will have the last laugh at the box office over the years.

Trivia question - what person has won the most Tony Awards for directing a play?  Answer - Mike Nichols with five...now six!

Did they have leisure suits back in the days of Jesus?  Are those blue suede shoes?

SPIDERMAN bit was quite good.  Ted Chapin and Angela Lansbury were good sports.

Trivia question - who was Christian Borle once married to?  Answer - Sutton Foster!  He was good in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (congratulations), but Tom Edden in ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS, was absolutely hysterical.  Would have liked to see him win.

Love Kelli O'Hara.  She's excellent in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT.  Matthew Broderick is one of my favorite actors, but he just seems to sleepwalk through his role in the show.  Not much energy.

Why a musical number from a cruise ship?  Is this the same cruise line that is advertising on the Tony Awards?

Boy, ONCE is cleaning up.  They've won almost all the creative awards so far.

Judy Kaye was fun in NICE WORK...I remember her in her Broadway debut.  She took over when Madeline Kahn suddenly left ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY back in 1979.

Dear Ms. Barkin--the reason for a buffo year at the Broadway box office is because of the huge amounts producers are charging for premium seats.  I'll be impressed if the attendance figures are way up.

I saw PETER AND THE STARCATCHER and was just not impressed.

I thought the year in plays montage was great and then stopping for a few minutes for the nominated shows.  They might have finally gotten it right.

Neil Patrick Harris' musical interlude was entertaining, but he lacks razz-ma-tazz.  Sheryl Crow writing the score for the upcoming DINER.  Could be interesting.  Best score to NEWSIES!  What a surprise.  :-)  Alan Menken's first Tony Award.  Can you believe it?  All the shows he's written.  He has a ton of Oscars.  Now maybe, one day, Stephen Schwartz will win one.  Of course, most of the good songs from NEWSIES were in the movie.  Just a few new ones for the musical.  Most not so great.  Still cannot believe that the scores for PETER AND THE STARCATCHER and ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS were nominated.  LYSISTRATA JONES had a tuneful, catchy score.  It most definitely should have been nominated.  Even SPIDERMAN and GHOST were not terrible and should have been given consideration over the two plays.  I can't even remember anything from PETER AND THE STARCATCHER.

Wow!  Audra McDonald has such a dynamite voice!  Good performances from Norm Lewis and David Alan Grier in a well-coordinated segment from PORGY AND BESS.

 "Gold" - one of the songs from ONCE I played on my radio show this evening, which was music from all Tony Award nominated shows.  I know ONCE will probably win Best Musical, but I am more of a NEWSIES type guy.

I was never a fan of EVITA, even the original with Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin.  Did this segment lack oomph?  It was more ho hum then holy moly.  Wouldn't you have Elena Roger sing a bit more?  She is EVITA?

Uninspiring GODSPELL.  Nuff said.

Love seeing Mandy and Patti on stage together.  I wondered if they cringed during the EVITA number?  Whoa!  Best revival to PORGY AND BESS.  Good for them.  It was a powerful show.  Are Norm and Audra next?  Wonder what Sondheim is thinking?

I think I'll keep my musical theater going to terra firma, thank you.

Very nice, Hugh Jackman's wife surprising him with his special Tony.  He is so smooth.

Toot!  Toot!  The ONCE steamroller keeps chugging along.  Nice heartfelt acceptance speech.

YEAH!  for James Corden.  The funniest show on Broadway.  Corden was very gracious.  He was in such incredible company.

Can we get the LEAP OF FAITH number over with so we can finish the broadcast?  It's not like it's still playing.  Is that too mean-spirited?  Still can't believe this was even nominated.

Audra McDonald wins her FIRST leading actress award in a musical.  Previously, she was two and two--Best Featured Actress in a play and in a musical.

So, winners and losers from the musicals?

WINNERS:
-Obviously, ONCE with 8 awards including Best Musical
-PORGY AND BESS with Best Revival and Best Actress
-NEWSIES with two major awards for Best Score and Choreography

LOSERS:
-NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT with only two Best Featured Player awards
-FOLLIES with one minor award out of eight nominations

Finally, I'll give Neil Patrick Harris a solid "B" for his hosting efforts.  Tough job anytime.  You just want to keep the show moving which he performed admirably.

Tony Award News

On my radio show tomorrow I'll be playing music from Tony nominated shows including NEWSIES, BONNIE & CLYDE, ONCE, LYSISTRATA JONES, and PORGY AND BESS.  The program, "On Broadway," airs Sunday from 5:30-6:30pm EST on WRTC-FM, 89.3, in Hartford, CT.  It streams live via our website at http://www.wrtcfm.com so you can listen anywhere in the world.

I will also be blogging live during the Tony Award telecast to give you my take on the ceremony, the winners and losers.  I hope you will tune in.

Review of Goodspeed Opera House's "Mame"

One day the Goodspeed Opera House will produce a musical starring Kirsten Wyatt instead of just employing her considerable comedic talents as a featured actress.  She was one of the bright spots from last year’s My One and Only and her performance as Agnes Gooch in the season opener, Jerry Herman’s Mame, is one of the show’s highlights.

Mame is one of the legendary characters in the musical theater canon.  Angela Lansbury starred in the 1966 Broadway original and her portrayal of the free-spirited, liberated Mame Dennis set the bar for other actresses to come.  The Goodspeed production, which plays through July 7^th, features Louise Pitre, a Tony Award nominee for Mamma Mia, as the feisty, unorthodox jet-setter.  She looks fabulous in the numerous costumes designed by Gregg Barnes, but her performance lacks the necessary zip and liveliness.  In fact, the whole production is missing a certain bounce and effervescence.

"It's Today!"  Louise Pitre and the cast of Mame.

The book of the show is based on the popular novel, Auntie Mame, and the subsequent play of the same name by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.  Lawrence and Lee adapted their play into the musical Mame which tells the story of young Patrick Dennis and his nanny, Agnes Gooch, who travel to New York City to live with Patrick’s Auntie Mame now that his father has died.  Mame takes an immediate liking to the lad and introduces him to her bohemian ways and eccentric friends, which includes actress and lush, Vera Charles.  Their adventures from pre-Depression wealth through the Stock Market Crash and back to the monied life (thanks to the unfortunate death of Mame’s newly minted rich husband) are riddled with high-flying exploits and silly escapades. 

Patrick grows older and falls in love with a snobbish and pretentious girl, in reaction to both his unusual upbringing and need to have a more normal, regimented life.  Mame, of course, sets him straight in the nick of time and he ends up marrying a more sensible, down-to-earth woman.  As the curtain falls, Mame is conniving to take the young couple’s son on an adventure to India.

My main problem with the show was the aforementioned absence of pacing and vitality of the production.  Director Ray Roderick should have done more to kickstart the musical to overcome the languidness of some scenes and episodic nature of the show.  Choreographer Vince Pesce adds some nice flourishes but, unlike most Goodspeed musicals, the dance numbers seem a tad forced and not as integrated into the entire production.

Kirsten Wyatt's character Agnes Gooch learns to "Live Live LIVE!" from her tutors Vera Charles (Judy Blazer) and Mame Dennis (Louise Pitre).

In addition to Louise Pitre, as Mame, Judy Blazer plays best friend, Vera Charles.  Blazer, a seasoned Broadway veteran, who also looks spectacular in her outfits, seems to relish her role.  But as one who is almost always without a drink in hand when on stage she is a bit too controlled.  Instead of the life of the party, she is just a guest.  Charles Hagerty, as the older Patrick, has boyish good looks and a fine voice.  Eli Baker, as young Patrick, can act, sing, and keep in line with the rest of the more mature cast.  A slightly disconcerting aspect of the show is the cast’s lack of aging.  The timeframe of Mame is between 1928 thru 1946, but most of the central characters, besides the older Patrick, do not seem to get older at all.  It was a curious dynamic.

The strength of Mame is the outstanding Jerry Herman score, probably his best.  There are so many marvelous numbers including “It’s Today,” “Open a New Window,” “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Mame,” and “Bosom Buddies.”  I could quibble with the pacing of “Bosom Buddies,” one of the all-time duets in Broadway history, but that’s more because I play the song often on my radio show and how can you compare any version to the two originals--Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur?

Mame, a respectable staging at the Goodspeed Opera House thru July 7^th.