Tag: Musical

“The best thing a girl could be in this world is a beautiful fool”.  Say it isn’t so Daisy!  After churning through another American election cycle slandering women with glee, this line came back to me.  Now seems a good time to take in The Great Gatsby.  New money versus inherited wealth.  Social classes.  A critical view of the American Dream.  Excess in abundance.  Abject racism.  Take your pick or consider them all.

I was never a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel.  I could not get through it in high school.  A brilliant off Broadway production entitled Gatz straightened me right out.  (That production is back for its twenty year anniversary.)  In that play, Nick reads the entire novel – every single word – in an office.  The action morphs from there with co-workers.  If you can still snag a ticket, go.

If you rather a lesser but still entertaining evening of theater, the new musical offers some real pleasures.  The show is absolutely stunning to look at.  Scenic and Projection Designs were crafted by Paul Tate dePoo III.  His set transitions are awe inspiring.  Linda Cho’s Costume Design is a never ending avalanche of Jazz Age treats to savor.

During the 1920’s women’s fashions began to relax and become more casual with shorter hemlines and looser fabric.  The next decade would welcome the Hays Code and motion pictures were required to follow morality guidelines written by a Catholic priest.  Some turning point occurred.  Maybe the Great Depression was a part of the catalyst?  Conservatives and religious zealots clamping down on individual freedoms?  Impossible now you might think.  Eyes wide open because we may be exiting another Gatsby cycle and letting women know they have advanced too far.

Please note that this fluff show is nowhere near that dark but it does make you think.  The music and especially the lyrics are forgettable.  There is a bizarre yet effective scene in the second act where a death happens.  The music screams Sweeney Todd which is jarring but at least interesting.  A musical with subpar tunes is usually a no go for me.

Visually, however, this show is sumptuous to experience.  The plot is well known and handled here with some small adjustments.  The performers are generally far better than the material they are given.  Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, Bonnie & Clyde) portrays the titular character Jay Gatsby.  He sings well and is appropriately vague.  Daisy Buchanan was played by understudy Traci Elaine Lee (Shucked).  She was really quite fine and appropriately shallow and self-absorbed.

In the role of white supremacist Tom Buchanan, John Zdrojeski (Good Night, Oscar) nailed his underwritten character.  Paul Whitty and Sara Chase were also memorable as the Wilson’s who play a pivotal role in contrasting financial fortunes.  Samantha Pauly (SIX) shined as the sarcastic Jordan Baker.  I had not realized until writing this blog that the character was named after two Cleveland car companies (Jordan Motor Car and Baker Motor Vehicles).  Her name alludes to her “fast” reputation and comments on the new freedoms won by women during this era.  Not surprisingly this novel is a banned book.  Back to making babies and doing laundry ladies!

Nick Carraway narrates the story (less pronounced in the musical than in the novel).  His optimism will fade as he assesses this world around him.  Noah J. Ricketts does a nice job representing the “us” as we gaze at the wealthy excess of the American Dream of inequality and selfishness.  The Great Gatsby is an average musical but I found the themes incredibly timely.

The Great Gatsby is running at the Broadway Theatre.  Mr. Jordan’s final performance is January 19, 2025.  Gatz is being performed at the Pubic Theater through December 1, 2024.

www.broadwaygatsby.com

www.publictheater.org/gatz

If you have the urge to smile, as you must in these days of political woe, then head on down to the intensely fun antics of Once Upon A Mattress.  This revival has been born as part of the Encores! series.  As such the sets are minimalistic but enough.  The performers here are the reason for the joy.

First of all, Will Chase (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, High Fidelity) perfectly embodies Sir Harry, the noble knight of this 15th century kingdom.  His two duets with glorious voiced Nikki Renée Daniels (The Book of Mormon) are utterly transporting back sixty years in the theater.  Romantic duets still exist but this style is past.  So remarkable then to bask in this truly exceptional display.  Mr. Chase gives a memorable nod to Robert Goulet realness and, somehow, the spur jokes never failed to land.

The plot here is a retelling of The Princess and the Pea.  Queen Aggravain (Ana Gasteyer) is quite the royal pain, to put it mildly.  She screeches as she dismantles any hope of her son Prince Dauntless finding a suitable mate.  When Princess Winifred arrives – a mess – the courtly proceedings take on a decidedly different and far sillier turn.

Of course Sutton Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie, the Drowsy Chaperone) is delightfully goofy and supremely athletic as Fred, her preferred name.  Fun fact:  Carol Burnett made her Broadway debut in this role.  Michael Urie (Buyer & Cellar, Torch Song) portrays the childlike Prince who becomes instantly smitten with the bedraggled Fred.  Both of them exude charm and nicely balance the old school ridiculousness and sheer charm of this show. Fans of both will be rewarded here.

The performers are really very good with the unusual exception of Brooks Ashmanskas (Something Rotten) as the Wizard.  I’m a big fan and he is usually an outsized presence on stage.  This outing was oddly back burner.  Step in David Patrick Kelly as King Sextimus the Silent for all the required clowning and then some.  Daniel Breaker’s Jester number “Very Soft Shoes” was a highlight as well.

Overheard leaving the theater: “that was fun and I liked the colors of the costumes”.  Indeed.  And that is why this little musical has been produced by high schools and community theaters everywhere.  The parts are great, it’s old school musical comedy and the audience leaves both entertained and in a great mood.  We can’t ask and shouldn’t expect this revival to wipe the political television ads from our minds or the incessant money begging texts from both parties.  At least I forgot that for a couple hours and time traveled back to an idealized Broadway from days gone by.

Mr. Chase also slayed, as any good knight should, in delivering the night’s most fabulous ad lib.  He ran onstage in response to a question and blurted out “the Yanks are down 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth!”.  We all howled and this very talented, very experienced cast absorbed the moment brilliantly.  Yes it’s very old school.  But this production is also a reminder of the intoxicating draw of live theater where moments like that become unique memories that keep this entertainment form vital, exciting and surprising.

Shows like Once Upon a Mattress don’t come around very often.  With this high octane cast, now is the time to see if the bed is lumpy or to your liking.  The worse thing that could happen is you laugh.  A lot.

Once Upon a Mattress is running at the beautiful and comfortable Hudson Theatre through November 30, 2024.

www.onceuponamattressnyc.com

The Tony Awards will be awarded this weekend.  Hell’s Kitchen has a bountiful thirteen nominations including Best Musical.  Based on what I saw (along with two others), that hefty praise seems wildly generous.  I love Alicia Keys so I presume her aura has enabled this show to be viewed through rose colored glasses.  Our take was this show was somewhat mediocre on the whole.

Kristopher Diaz wrote the book for this loosely biographical tale of the making of a major pop superstar.  She grew up in the then rough Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, fights with her mom, enters into some questionable relationships, has no father in her life and discovers her genius through a spiritual piano teacher guide.

There is a paint-by-numbers approach to this story which left me feeling that all the characters were fairly one dimensional.  The story moves through these influential relationships but did not gel for me until we meet Miss Liza Jane.  Kecia Lewis delivers the bravura performance which sparks Act One to life.

The second act was muddier to me.  The long absentee father showing up at a funeral and becoming the center of the eulogy was a plot stretch I could not swallow.  Squeezing Ms. Keys’ amazing hits into the storyline was sometimes too forced.  Mom’s “Pawn It All” tirade makes absolutely no sense.

The direction (Michael Grief) and choreography (Camille A. Brown) were equally muddy.  Ali (Maleah Joi Moon), the Alicia role, can be seen wandering through dances which looked odd.  The ensemble meant to represent the hood stand around watching on tenement set pieces which seem to be trotted out at least every other year.  Why are they watching?  I’m still trying to figure that out from Lempicka so don’t ask me.

Performances in the show can be enjoyable and I totally bought the mother (Shoshana Bean) and daughter energy.  There is just not enough depth here to make this musical stand out as more than a reason to use this music as a surface treatment of what is obviously a vastly deep and rich life experience.

The current Broadway season is a perfect time to make up your own mind about what you like.  The critics and Tony nominators were head over heels in love with this one.  The three of us saw a below average offering.  No critic can destroy a song as powerful as “Girl on Fire” so there’s that indestructible defense!

Hell’s Kitchen dutifully follows the jukebox formula and ends with a rousing smash hit (cue last year’s New York, New York).  “Empire State of Mind” is a great song indeed.  Anthem level famous.  That, to me, is not enough to be wowed after the jumble which preceded it.  Rumors abound that this one will win Best Musical as it is being touted as the most commercial property for a national tour.  Ah, the business of show!!!

Hell’s Kitchen is performing at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway.

www.hellskitchen.com

My first Broadway show was with friends on a middle school trip to see The Wiz.  The tornado dance was a brilliant introduction to creative stagecraft and the allurement of live theater.  I still remember the show vividly, including Stephanie Mill’s knockout rendition of “Home”.  Much time and many changes to musicals happened from 1975 to 2024.  How will this chestnut hold up?

When I started this blog in 2017, I began watching archival footage of shows at the New York Public Library.  The Wiz was the first one.  This Tony winning Best Musical retold L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel through a then contemporary African American cultural perspective.  The show showed its age most notably in the book.  Jokes were wildly dated but the songs still worked.

In my blog post I wondered if the book could be fixed.  Amber Ruffin has used her magic wand to reorganize and enhance William F. Brown’s original.  Even the good witches are impressed.  “I have heard of houses and I have heard of murder… but to combine the two!”  When our band of misfits finally reach the city gates the guards simply dismiss them as “talking trash and a dusty cat”.

This rewrite certainly links old jokes but instead of using the slum descriptor “projects” the reference becomes the “housing market”.  The book was never the most important element since nearly everyone knows the story of Dorothy and her trip to see the wizard of Oz.  All of the fun is still intact and a significant number of truly memorable scenes can be had if you just follow that yellow brick road.

Filling Stephanie Mills’ legendary ruby slippers is a tall order and Nichelle Lewis makes the role her own.  She’s both a stabilizing presence in a world of outrageous inventions as well as a vocal powerhouse.  The “Home” finale, which everyone in the audience waited for with bated breath, is better than one could hope for.  Ms. Lewis put her spin on these songs but always let Charlie Smalls’ music and lyrics shine.  She has a big, beautiful voice but there is no bombast obstructing the melodies or her gorgeous vocal stylings.

The cast is entertaining throughout.  There is usually a battle between the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion for favorite sidekick.  Phillip Johnson Richardson has far different ideas.  His Tinman is a scene stealing wonder from his entrance song “Slide Some Oil to Me” to his second act showstopper “What Would I Do If I Could Feel?”  That song is typically a middling moment in a lesser second act.  Mr. Richardson turns the moment into solid gold. (I wanted to say Tin Pan Alley showstopper but that pun is both dated and far too silly.)

Understudy Allyson Kaye Daniel played Aunt Em and Evillene the night I caught The Wiz.  Her witchy “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” remains a high point.  Glinda (Deborah Cox) belted “Believe In Yourself” a little too strongly which smothered the words but it was certainly rousing.

Along with the enjoyable performers is a staging concept that was inspired.  Schele Williams has directed The Wiz with a nod to 1970’s variety shows.  Jaquel Knight’s choreography definitely references that period but also, and ingeniously, takes these highly memorable and admired tunes and gives them a modern kick.  The Wiz bridges 1970’s disco movement with hip hop and other more recent dance styles.  Many shows try this but do not exceed at this high level.

If all of that is not enough goodness, the visuals on stage are a technicolor fantasia.  Sets (Hannah Beachler) and video projections (Daniel Brodie) are superlative, both old school and bursting with color.  The harken back to this century old story is nicely glossed with a futuristic flourish.  Evillene’s Palace is a particular visual treat.  Forest transitions are elegant and varied.  Ryan J. O’Gara’s lighting design makes this kaleidoscope of color an eye-popping feast.  Even the show’s curtain is alive.

Costumes are hugely important and Sharen Davis has given the characters and this talented ensemble an array of clever designs.  The Poppies and the Yellow Brick Road crew are two excellent examples.  The Scarecrow (Avery Wilson), Lion (Kyle Ramar Freeman) and Tinman outfits are all expertly realized.

This musical has been reworked and reorganized to great effect.  The lagging second half has been restructured to guarantee entertaining moments throughout.  The first act now closes with “Be A Lion,” one of the show’s best numbers.  If you have never seen this show or want to relive an appealing, popular score from yesteryear, simply ease on down the road to the Marquis Theatre.  Green sequins seem to be the perfect fashion choice for a number of attendees.

I have always found the ending of the Wizard of Oz to be a bit sad.  Saying goodbye to new friends who have bonded in a life changing and life affirming adventure.  The final reprise of “Ease on Down the Road” here is stunningly poignant and truly lovely.  This technicolor spectacle even knows how to pause and conjure touching intimacy.

The Wiz is for theatergoers who connect with this material in any of its many incarnations.  The Wiz is also for people excited to see a well staged, memorably sung, big Broadway musical.  Isn’t that nearly all of us?  “Can you feel a brand new day?”  I can and did.

www.wizmusical.com

theaterreviewsfrommyseat/thewiz(Retrospective Series)

Tamara de Lempicka was an Art Deco artist who gained fame for her highly stylized nude portraits.  Her work is described as refined cubism combined with neoclassical.  Her entire story is fascinating.  This musical based on her life is not.

All of the historical ingredients are there.  Born in Warsaw she married a Russian dignitary in 1917 as the projections will dutifully inform.  Immediately following it’s 1918 and the Russian Revolution has changed life forever.  She flees to Paris after arranging for her incarcerated husband’s freedom.  They need money, she likes to paint and an artist is born.

She discovers her bisexuality while ogling a carefree prostitute whom she paints.  Her fame comes at a major Parisienne art expo with 1932’s Adam and Eve painting, one of few which contain a male nude.  In this telling Adam is her husband and Eve is her lover/muse.  On and on it plods along.  An interesting story turned into a dull musical.  You know a show is falling flat when the too frequent belting numbers pause for extended ovations which do not come.

The sets and look of Lempicka seem to have little to do with her or the Art Deco style.  There is an Eiffel Tower like structure providing stairs and platforms which remains through the whole show.  People traverse these elevated platforms here and there.  For what purpose is the obvious question.

There are indeed some cool lighting effects in certain scenes such as when she discovers lady love in a beautifully lit smoky fade out.  Other time the lights are just harsh or weird.  Nothing says cheap like the depiction of the nightclub Le Monocle.  Speaking of gay, the men in the ensemble are directed and choreographed to be effete caricatures which seemed overly exaggerated.

The house and the studio (same set platform) slides on and off stage awkwardly and frequently.  It lumbers more than glides.  Go see The Who’s Tommy or The Outsiders to get a glimpse of well designed and directed transitions.  To make matters worse, people enter and exit at odd times.  During Rafaela’s love ballad, Tamara departs the platform mid-song for no apparent reason.

Not all is lost.  There are several supporting performances worth mentioning.  Marinetti is one of Tamara’s teachers.  George Abud delivers big in each of his scene stealing numbers.  Beth Leavel is the Baroness who is an early supporter of Lempicka’s art.  Everything Ms. Leavel does is right for the characterization.  “Just This Way” is sung near the end of Act II and the song deservedly receives an extended ovation.  The show finally has something memorable to say.

Amber Iman is believable and even charming as the model/whore stereotype.  As the husband, Andrew Samonsky is not given a great deal to do but the growth of the person makes sense.  As the titular star, Eden Espinosa is enjoyable.  The show surrounding her takes so much focus off her that she is overshadowed by the theatrical excess.  Multiple supporting characters overshadow the protagonist.

Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown) staged Lempicka and the direction seems to be the show’s most glaring flaw.  A great history about an inventive artist for sure.  A decent Broadway musical, however, this is not.

Lempicka is playing at the Longacre Theatre.

Avid theatergoers are occasionally rewarded by a musical that is nearly perfect.  Even less frequently is one that is essentially flawless.  Such is the case with this magnificent staging of S.E. Hinton’s bestselling classic novel The Outsiders.  All the themes are present: communities divided by economic inequality, the circle of violence, individual identity, overcoming struggle, self-sacrifice, honor and the value of friendship and loyalty.

Two rival gangs are featured in this coming of age story.  Their socioeconomic class defines them as either working class Greasers or the upper middle class Socs (as in Socials).  The novel and this musical are narrated by Ponyboy Curtis.  The story begins one night when he is jumped leaving a movie theater in the wrong neighborhood.

The Outsiders was published in 1967 and is considered a classic, selling fifteen million copies.  Francis Ford Coppola made a film starring soon to be famous young actors in 1983.  Imbeciles have been banning this book for years.  A new generation has mined this dramatic gold and adapted Ponyboy’s tale into a superlative Broadway musical.

This adaptation is written by Adam Rapp and Justin Levine.  The story is clear eyed and focused from the initial violent act through the intense gang warfare and quietly devastating conclusion.  Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance) along with Mr. Levine penned the music and lyrics.  The songs propel the story, showcase the characters and completely belong in a tale which takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1967.

Scenography is by AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian.  This entire show is staged on one primary set, a marvel of dreamlike imagery and function.  The lighting design (Brian MacDevitt) is stunningly evocative and menacing as needed.  We completely know where we are at all times.  We are watching a character based drama inside a consummate diorama.

Many members of this cast are making their Broadway debuts.  Bravo to Tara Rubin Casting and Xavier Rubiano who assembled this impressive ensemble.  Everyone is perfect.  Perfect.  Absolutely everyone.  They all look right for the parts they are playing and inhabit the roles with unceasing conviction.  When conflict comes, therefore, it arrives with unbearable tension even for those who know what’s about to happen.

In a supremely confident Broadway debut, Brody Grant is Ponyboy Curtis, the center of this maelstrom.  Brothers Darrell (Brent Comer) and Sodapop (Jason Schmidt) are outstanding as Ponyboy’s only remaining family who valiantly try to maintain a safe home with few prospects.  A scene in the house near the end of the play is so damn fine with an enormous emotional payoff.  Watch their body language which equals, or even exceeds, the spoken words.

Joshua Boone’s Dallas is the roughest of the Greasers.  His bond with Ponyboy is strong and his character drives key plot points.  Mr. Boone is an extraordinary presence but his performance never throws the musical off balance.  The critical part of Johnny Cade, Ponyboy’s damaged best friend, is portrayed by Sky Lakota-Lynch with all of the heartbreak and bravado required.

The Socs cannot be forgotten here either.  Kevin William Paul’s Bob is spot on  as the uber privileged rich white jock terrorizing the unfortunate with his best bros.  Emma Pittman plays Cherry Valance, the girl who converses nicely with Ponyboy at the Drive-In.  The realism achieved in that scene is amazing.   I have not yet mentioned Rick & Jeff Kuperman’s intricate, muscular choreography.  There is just so much to love here.

How nice it is to see fresh faces mounting new shows on Broadway.  I have previously seen three plays directed by Danya Taymor off-Broadway (Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Evanston Salt Costs Climbing and queens).  Ms. Taymor knows how to tell stories brilliantly in memorable tableaus while drawing out intensely realized performances.  This time she does it with music and we are the beneficiaries beholding her massive talent and storytelling vision.

The Outsiders is a theatrical masterpiece from beginning to end.  This production seamlessly blends a great streamlined book with supremely tuneful and character appropriate songs.  A striking and superbly creative production design launches this riveting drama into the stratosphere of artistic excellence through a unbeatable cast of young actors giving phenomenal performances.  Pay the extra money for really good seats in the orchestra if you are able.  That is the ideal location to be astonished.  Thank you Ms. Taymor and the entire company of The Outsiders.  I am in awe.

www.outsidersmusical.com

theaterreviewsfrommyyseat/heroesofthefourthturning

theaterreviewsfrommyseat/evanstonsaltcostsclimbing

theaterreviewsfrommyseat/queens