Author: Joe

In Cob County “we love Jesus but we drink a little”.  Shucked plants its corn firmly and relentlessly.  The result is more laugh out loud jokes per hour than perhaps any musical I have ever seen.  Robert Horn (Tootsie) has slathered Broadway with lip smacking butter.  Escapist entertainment is very rarely this delicious.

Superstar country music songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McNally have written terrific character driven songs.  The music and lyrics match the tone of the book, are exceedingly tuneful and refreshingly different than other shows currently running.  This musical comedy is confidently oddball.  Jack O’Brien’s direction encases the show in a relaxed professionalism in which every line, song and character are given a brilliant chance to shine.

Why is the corn dying in Cob County?  The overtly dumb and happy locals do not know.  This community is surrounded by cornfields.  No one alive has seen the outside world.  They don’t feel any reason to do so.  Small town gal Maizy heeds the call to find a solution.  An outsider will enter this insular world.  Cue the shenanigans.

A perfectly cast show reaps a bumper crop of pleasures.  The seven principals all have spotlight moments.  Two storytellers (Ashley D. Kelley and Grey Henson) energetically set the tone and narrate the action.  Maizy (Caroline Innerbichler) and Beau (Andrew Durand) are the town’s popular sweethearts.  Beau’s brother Peanut (Kevin Cahoon) is an agreeable idiot.  What comes out of his mouth is imbecilic and gut busting hilarity.

Maizy’s best friend is Lulu (Alex Newell), an experienced gal in the matters of men.  “Independently Owned” is her perfectly performed show stopper.  Lastly, John Behlmann is the unctuous conman Gordy.  All of these performances are lovingly portrayed caricatures.  Each actor nails their well written and developed characters so the whole is significantly greater than the sum of very excellent parts.

Is there more to love?  Yes.  Sarah O’Gleby adds inventive choreography.  All of the creative designers unify the rural theme.  Every facet makes sense and the rustic nature of the setting adds to the merriment.  The sensibility fully supports the story being told.  All the elements in Shucked are impressively balanced.  That these elements are all truly excellent makes this one a must see.  Ebullient and phenomenally corny, Shucked is “farm to fable” at is zenith.

www.shuckedmusical.com

The classic Billy Wilder 1959 movie is generally considered one of the greatest films ever made.  Some Like It Hot was also groundbreaking in its time for featuring gender ambiguity.  The movie was released without approval from the Hays Code due to its content.  The Code disappeared in the mid- 1960s in part due to this movie’s huge success.

A Broadway environment where gender acceptance is a major theme in nearly every musical makes revisiting this material timely.  The pedigree of the creative team ensures success.  Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray) wrote the tunes.  Matthew López (The Inheritance) and comedienne Amber Ruffin penned the book.  Casey Nicholaw (The Drowsy Chaperone, Aladdin, The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten!) directed and choreographed.  That is a enormous pile of hits.

This adaptation is built to be a big showy Broadway musical comedy filled with eye filling dance numbers, costumes and sets.  There are numerous pleasures to be savored.  The production falls short of greatness probably because it is oddly less edgy than the original.  Some lines do hit the mark:  “we sat alone just fingering our scales”.

Joe/Josephine and Jerry/Daphne are confidently played by the reliably hilarious Christian Borle and  a wonderfully transformational J. Harrison Ghee.  Their early tap duet “You Can’t Have Me (If You Don’t Have Him)” is a winner, establishing the tone of what will follow.  You likely already know they have to escape the gangsters.  They skip town crossdressing as women before joining a traveling all-girl band.

Raena White is a boisterous Sweet Sue who attempts to keep her girls in line.  Kevin Del Aguila undeniably steals the show as Osgood, the wealthy Mexican bachelor who woos Daphne.  Everything he does is quirky and magnetic.  All the villains are cartoonishly mean, fun and ridiculous hams.

The all-girl band is a mixed bag.  Two veterans (Angie Schworer and Jenny Hill) outshine the younger chorines by an incredibly obvious amount.  They look gorgeous and are beamingly alive on stage.  The others, in comparison, are distant and flat which deflates some of the group numbers.  Just watch the “old” ladies.  They are awesome throughout.

Adrianna Hicks (Six) has the unenviable task of inhabiting Sugar, one of Marilyn Monroe’s iconic roles.  Her voice is very nice and she exudes chemistry with Mr. Borle during the yacht scene.  The overall characterization is pretty ingenue rather than oft jilted, slightly damaged goods.  Waving a flask around doesn’t hide the disappointing tameness.

A Casey Nicholaw show always contains in-your-face entertainment and immense production numbers.  You can count on that here.  “Tip Tap Trouble” near the end of Act II is justifiably a show stopper.  You cannot possibly watch it without smiling.

Some Like It Hot balances messaging with entertaining well.  The world has progressed immensely since 1959 and, despite some pathetically self-righteous conservative prudes, most people support the idea that people should be their authentic selves.  I assume the classic ending line from the film was eliminated as a result of changing times.  I missed hearing it but, after all, nobody’s perfect.

www.somelikeithotmusical.com

Stepmother describes her daughters with the funny line, “One daughter is an imbecile, the other is half as bright”.  If everything in Bad Cinderella were over-the-top silly and ridiculous then this show might be a winner.  That would assume different songs as well.

In Belleville the townspeople brag about their shallowness.  “Beauty is our duty” is the mantra.  The world is colorful and vapid.  In walks Cinderella with her opening number “Bad Cinderella”.  There are a lot of duds and too many ballads sung from center stage in this show.  This tune is one of the flops, not ideal for setting up the lead.

The Cinderella story is well known.  Of course the update here is to make it more inclusive.  Just like practically every other new show.  That being the case, there are far better musicals currently on the boards empowering young women and celebrating gender fluidity (& Juliet).  With today’s ticket prices skyrocketing into the stratosphere, hopefully someone recognizes the grinding repetitiveness of these themes.  Not to mention the business folly of competing for the exact same audience.

Are there pleasures in Bad Cinderella?  Absolutely.  Carolee Carmello’s Stepmother and, especially, Grace McLean’s Queen are a hoot.  Their bitchy duet “I Know You” is a true highlight.  I saw an understudy play Prince Sebastian (Julio Rey) and his characterization was spot on.  The two evil daughters are embodied by Sami Gayle and Morgan Higgins.  They chew the scenery and it looks delicious.

Godmother arrives during the final scene of the first act.  Christina Acosta Robinson gorgeously sings “Beauty Has a Price”.  The staging of this number is visually arresting.  The set contains a turntable which is sometimes wildly overused.  Watch the log circle the action in multiple directions for no meaningful reason in an earlier moment.

Gabriela Tylesova’s costumes are an eyepopping feast of colors.  Nearly everyone is dressed well with the unfortunate exception of the title character.  She’s “bad” so she needs to be different.  Here her look is an odd combination of Hunger Games and Sherwood Forest with little grime.  Think squeaky clean dystopian young adult Disney television and you’ll be close.  Her ballroom gown is from an entirely different show than the rest of the cast.

The male chorus is amusingly and accurately labeled “The Hunks”.  They sing with the Queen about being a “Man’s Man”.  It’s campy and fun.  In act two when the real man’s man arrives, the show briefly shines with gleeful lunacy.  Cameron Loyal, oddly classified as ensemble, was a terrific and welcome jolt of self-aggrandizing energy.

For a musical to be good, the music needs to be.  Borrowing a little bit of a Marie melody from Sunday in the Park With George isn’t enough.  (Listen for it in Act II.)  Andrew Lloyd Weber’s fans will recognize his style in Prince Sebastian’s memorable “Only You, Lonely You”.  But the oft boring songs slow the story down.  More zaniness would be welcome for this comedy.

I had a good time watching Bad Cinderella.  “You’re a charisma vacuum” is a line worth stealing.  I hoped leading lady Linedy Genao would have commanded the stage as is required.  The role is a tad generic despite being labelled bad so the circus surrounding her gets all the attention.  This musical can be recommended for fans of Grace McLean who is most definitely a Queen.

Bad Cinderella is running at the Imperial Theatre.

www.badcinderellabroadway.com

theaterreviewsfrommyseat/&juliet

A descent into madness, mayhem and mischief in yet another revival of Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim’s brilliantly macabre musical.  I have seen many versions of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street both on and off Broadway (and the film too).  The element of surprise is long gone for me despite its still effective horror.  The book, score and lyrics, however, remain stunning.

This production is definitely not my favorite staging but there are numerous highs to savor.  Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford play the title character and Mrs. Lovett, that clever baker of meat pies.  Mr. Groban’s Sweeney is perhaps the most introspective I have seen.  Controlled anger in combination with an always burning lit fuse makes this a nicely uneasy characterization.  Of course he sings beautifully if not quite as chill inducing as others.

Romantic entanglement between the central characters have always been part of the storytelling.  This duo dials up the heat establishing sex as a major driver bonding them together in a relationship of convenience.  This Mrs. Lovett is overtly satisfying her carnal desires.

Ms. Ashford is a goofy yet calculating Mrs. Lovett.  This comedienne actress lands all of her jokes and makes her trademark faces which lighten the mood.  This revival clearly elevates the musical comedy elements.  When Mrs. Lovett pauses for a moment to consider the nightmare she has immersed herself into, however, the terror expressed is intense.  A scene where she observes the action sitting on a staircase underscores the impending dread.

How do two people make “A Little Priest” feel fresh and funny?  These fine performers ham it up nicely.  The evening I attended Ms. Ashford took a tumble off the table.  The fall, subsequent tumbling and hijinks had the two of them laughing and attempting to stay in character.  The audience was in stitches and the bit seemed cleverly executed.  A week or so later I saw her on Seth Meyers’ late show where she mentioned this unplanned mishap.  The “mistake” was hugely memorable and reminds us of the joys of live theater.

Other accolades must be given to a pitch perfect Johanna (Maria Bilbao) and her suitor Anthony (Jordan Fisher).  Their chemistry was excellent.  I saw understudy Felix Torrez-Ponce play a very fine Tobias.  Nicholas Christopher’s Pirelli was the best one I have ever seen.  Judge Turpin’s “Mea Culpa” has been cut and not missed.

So what’s holding this version from being superb?  Ruthie Ann Miles’ Beggar Woman is bizarrely aggressive in an unique but oddly maniacal portrait.  The tale fails to deliver on its melancholy as a result.

Sweeney Todd is being presented with its original full orchestra for the first time since the original.  I sat in Orchestra Row H and had to strain to hear the music and often the lyrics.  Hopefully the sound design was fixed by the end of previews.

The set is big, dark and looming.  It is also annoying.  The upper area which functions both as a bridge and the barbershop has poles.  When Sweeney is giving a close shave, he and his victim should not be blocked from view.  Why Mrs. Lovett’s lowly pie shop transforms so unbelievably for Act II is anyone’s guess.

Steven Hoggett’s choreography is recognizable.  “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” was particularly interesting.  There are other moments where bodies move around which are distractions.  The talented Thomas Kail directed.  There was an obvious effort made to return Sweeney back to a grand large scale Broadway vehicle.  Some storytelling got lost in the tinkering and a flatness in overall tone is evident.

In the final song, composer Stephen Sondheim asks us whether we “gave a nod” to this killer.  What I loved about this version were the last seconds of the show.  The fate of evil is abundantly clear.  An imperfect Sweeney is still enjoyable as a theatrical masterpiece within the Broadway canon.  There are far worse pies currently on stage right now.

www.sweeneytoddbroadway.com

theaterreviewsfrommyseat/sweeneytodd2017

Wayne Cilento has directed and staged a first ever revival of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’.  He was Tony nominated for his performance in the 1978 production.  This version is a visual feast with faithfully recreated choreography and new material.  Take your seat, open your eyes and drink it all in.  Dancin’ is athletic, seductive and bursts with color.  Mr. Cilento definitely accomplishes his mission of celebrating the legend and deservedly adding his name to the title.

Mr. Fosse mounted this musical to showcase dance on Broadway.  He noted at the time that A Chorus Line, a classic about dancers, contained very little dancing.  They frequently stand and sing about the craft.  His all-dancing spectacle was a big hit.  Certain famous numbers were recreated for the career retrospective Fosse in 1999.  That show was mounted by one of his muses, Ann Reinking (also a Tony nominee from the original Dancin’).

I saw Fosse which was satisfying like a good smorgasbord with lots of tasty bits.  This presentation, however, is far more sumptuous.  An ecstatic celebration of dance.  An opportunity to witness extremely talented individuals excelling in their art.  I was mesmerized throughout.

Changes have been made such as the addition of scenes and numbers from Fosse’s infamous 1986 flop Big Deal.  Despite being a financial failure he won a Tony for his choreography.  This turned out to be his last work as he died the following year.  For theater buffs here is a golden opportunity to see a tiny piece of history.  And Mr. Cilento was in that show so authenticity is an added bonus.

There are some vague attempts to have the dancers tell us snippets of Fosse thought but thankfully they are kept to a minimum.  We are here to worship the dance and that we will do.  The ensemble in this musical are vividly alive no matter whether they are front and center or in the back row.  Mr. Cilento has to be given credit for this abundance of professionalism.

Difficulties arise in picking out favorites so I will mostly avoid the task.  “Sing, Sing, Sing” is as fantastic as you would hope.  Kolton Krouse’s trumpet solo is awesome.  “Percussion” thrilled, especially the boxing in “Part II”.  Little nods to other Fosse shows were short-lived and fun such as the medieval costumed soldiers in “The Bookstore”.

The costume design by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung is one of a slew of creative high points.  The clothing manages to be functional, eye popping, kaleidoscopic, sexy and even muted a dull gray when called for.  David Grill’s exceptional lighting design enhances the action in interestingly varying ways.  Signage including Peep Show and Pussycat evoke a seedier New York which is also part of Broadway history.  The dancing is unquestionably the star but the total production is dazzling.

Famous for being a Razzle Dazzle man, Fosse loved dancing and dancers.  The original Dancin’ was the first Broadway musical where every ensemble member had principal contracts and the related financial rewards.  Let’s hope that is the case once again for this uber talented and diversity inclusive group.  Watching their exquisite movements and Mr. Cilento’s glorious staging is simply a joy.  Fans of dance should pounce.

www.dancinbway.com