ok, ok... hi. my name is joseph. and i'm a smart ass.

The only reason I'm posting this (other than for my own entertainment) is because I feel my blog still has a lot to grow into. It's pretty darn new. And besides my general layout and my title, there's very little I like design wise. My subtitle is lame-icious, unoriginal, and forced. My 'about me' section uses 'much appreciative' in a completely wrong way for the English language (let alone grammatically). My sidebar is cluttered and sometimes just acts really weird. In some internet browsers my header doubles up on itself and creates an awkward tiering effect that wouldn't look out of place in a 7-layer bean dip or a creative, overpriced shot of alcohol.


All these things I'm well aware of. And quite frankly, they bug the crap outta me. But I have a life. And I'll get to them when I can. But while I have attracted a few theatre-bloggers to my site, there is still very little content here to compete with them. Well, I'm not here to compete. I'm here to share. Share my thoughts on theatre-related subjects. Yet I have not really given an apt description of my blog anywhere. Or my credentials (or lack thereof). Or anything that would offer at least a glimpse into what i have to offer that is unique and substantial to the world of theatre blogdom. So here you go bloggers:

I'm not a professional writer. As a matter of fact, I'm not a professional anything. I act (unprofessionally). I sing (unprofessionally). I blog (unprofessionally). But I do have opinions. And I like to share them with other people who like to read them. Hopefully I present them in an entertaining or informative or creative or unique voice. I'd like to think I'm hit and miss. But I crack myself up and philosophically speaking, isn't that what blogging is all about? Self-indulgence? Giving prolific viewership to un-prolific thoughts/events/opinions? Maybe, maybe not.

I write when I am given motiviation to write. And nothing motivates me more sometimes than a bit of self-defense. anonymous left a comment on my previous post stating that I should consider using spell-check or a proofreader more often. I wasn't offended. But I feel as if though this mysterious anonymous wasn't a regular reader of mine. Even if they are, I feel like they weren't. All other comments that I have had are of the "i agree/disagree" or "thanks for the mention" variety. And I heart them. They are what they are. But this one was different. And made me want to write. Soooooo... I wrote. A reply-comment. And I decided to post it here. Maybe it would offer a little more insight into the kind of person I am to my readers. And maybe it would give a little more voice to a blogger who hasn't been around as much as others have. I enjoy reading SarahB, and Steve, and Esther, and the dude who's (whose?) name escapes me at the moment over at Modern Fabulousity. Just to name a few. And I do so becasue I feel each one offers a unique take on what we all love. I hope to do the same.

Whatever it does or doesn't say about me and my character is up for debate. But now that I've been building up to it over a ridiculous amount of web-time, I might as well not live up to your anticipated expectations now than later. Kinda like Borat. Oh, hype.

Anonymous said at 8:25 AM...
You might want to consider using your spell-check or a proofreader. As a professional, it is not good form to publish articles with misspelled words.

Joseph Gomez said at 1:25 PM...
anonymous,

if this sounds vindictive or battle-ish, please forgive me. not my intention. i do use spell-check, and i proofread, but sometimes i'm just posting and don't even notice the mistakes until after the post. i use an unnecessary amount of exclamation points, the word 'uber' so much so that it really loses its effectiveness, and I add '-ish' and '-ness' to the end of exaggerated adjectives to make them a new noun. i like to think of it as my 'author's voice.' or something like that. really, honestly, i'm no professional, nor do i claim to be one. i'm a blogger from podunk texas who just happens to like theater. maybe it's quirkiness that i can use as an excuse for my sloppiness. whatever the case may be, i do agree that misspelled words are the most annoying things to find in a blog post (besides inside jokes that nobody gets [oh, i'm guilty of that too]). i do make an effort to re-read my own posts and edit details as i see fit. but quite frankly, i just don't give a damn enough. if i were to make this blog-thing into a lucrative career, then i might consider having a proofreader and double spell-check everything. but for now, i'm too self-absorbed with entertaining myself to put too much time into this bloggy-thing. but once again, thank you for your comment. it gave me motivation to write. so much so, that i think i'm gonna post this.

it made me laugh.

Comments? Thoughts? No. Ok. :-)

New Braunfels Theatre Company presents Hello, Dolly!

Tonight is my opening night in my hometown of New Braunfels, TX as Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly! The show had its official opening weekend lask week, but becuase of many contributing factors, my understudy filled in for me while I finished my stint in San Antonio in Side Show at the Sheldon Vexler Theatre.

I'm incredibly sad that I missed opening weekend. The show, from reports, seemed to really come together despite last minute hiccups. So I'm happy for them. The cast is such a blast (hee hee, that rhymes) to work with and they deserve to have a great show. New Braunfels Theatre Company had tons of support to produce the show from volunteers and donators. And it's perhaps one of the largest shows to be produced in the area (last year's Jekyll and Hyde with Cal Collins Productions was another large scale show).

Another reason why I'm sad (which I blogged about earlier) is that the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung featured its premiere theater review for the newspaper over Hello, Dolly! But the critic went to see the show opening weekend and missed my performance. The review is in the paper today and as soon as I get a copy or it's available online, I'll post a capsule.

But moving on, I feel pretty good about my opening night. I think I play the part well and have great chemistry with Raquel Hindman (Irene Molloy) and Cody Jordan (Barnaby Tucker). And my best friend Adrianna is a hoot as Minnie Fay. Yesenia McNett plays Dolly and is wondrous in the role. She has a great voice and is extremely funny.

To opening night! Curtain rises at 7:30pm!

"L'chaim!"

Shout Out!

To SarahB over at Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment for providing the first external link to my blog! On the right sidebar I'm cozily placed between Jan at Broadway & Me and Lani Anderson's The Drama Girl.

I'm familiar with Broadway & Me; however, The Drama Girl was new to me. Turns out, Lani is from a small town in Texas - just like me! Very cool. And that's what I love about social blogging. You always find new and interesting people with the help of other fellow bloggers.

So thank you SarahB for thinking my blog is worthy enough for a link to your much more consistent site. Means a lot. And thank you, too, for helping me to find new theater going lovers!

2008 Tony Award Predictions – Part 3: Who Should Win (the Big Ones)

So everyone is aware that the American Theatre Wing’s 62nd Annual Tony Awards will be presented on Sunday, June 15 at 8/7c on CBS. And if you’re a theater lover, well you’ve probably been blogging away on all things Tony for the past month. Or you’ve been giving your end of the year round-up on your favorite shows of the season.

Well now it’s my turn in the spotlight. Steve on Broadway has done a fantastic job of consistently wrapping-up awards season with an almost daily roll of posts. (That SOB. How do you make the time? Jealous.) Me? I haven’t posted in almost a week.

I’ll admit - I’m not proud. A bit ashamed to be honest. But now all you bloggers can suck it up and get over it and just read who I think should win at this year’s race. This blog is pretty new and I’m still working on a lot of design thingies. So I’m whoring myself out to all the theater blogs. And because I’m a comment whore, I cordially invite you to leave your thoughts and comments. Nay – I DEMAND YOU!! (and scene)

Best Musical
Cry-Baby
In the Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu

In the Heights was my favorite of these four shows. Cry-Baby was my least favorite (along with everyone else). The 2 best shows here are Passing Strange and In the Heights. And while Passing Strange is getting lots of kudos for its innovative use of story telling and musical funk, In the Heights touched my heart a lot more.

Yes, it has a cheesy book – ok a really cheesy book. But the actors portraying the characters had so much energy and talent; I was touched by all their performances. Maybe it’s because I found myself relating to soooo much of what was happening – I am a Hispanic male lest I try to forget – but I was crying a lot throughout the show. Very sweet and very fun. When the cast begins to dance in ensemble numbers such as “96,000” and the opening number “In the Heights,” it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen on the stage – it’s electrifying. Kudos to Andy Blankenbuehler! And Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Latino infused score is nothing short of impressive.

Should have been nominated: Adding Machine
Now that is the best new musical of the season. Too bad it was Off-Broadway.

Best Play
August: Osage County
Rock ’n’ Roll
The Seafarer
The 39 Steps

I’m on board here with the rest of the English-speaking world (minus Ben Brantley; his choice is Rock ‘n’ Roll!) August was stupendous. Great writing, great directing, great acting… Everyone else has talked about this show and its uber greatness, so I’m gonna just gonna relax on this one and let you read the other blogs. But I will admit, The 39 Steps is the most enjoyable time I’ve had at a play all season long.

Should have been nominated: Meh… I’d say these were the best of the season.

Best Musical Revival
Grease
Gypsy
South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George

You’ve heard me say it before, Sunday is absolutely brilliant. While South and Gypsy have their own beautiful merits, Sunday stood high above any production I saw this year. It was glorious. And mad props to David Farley and Timothy Bird & the Knifedge Creative Network for making the second act of the show a complete success. For once, the show was complete and didn’t suffer from a second act slump. The use of modern technology actually lifted the piece to even higher stakes. Already a masterful work of art, Sunday in the Park with George is now meaningful to the current state of the artistic world and has a lot to say. Brava!

Should have been nominated: Meh… Grease just shouldn’t have been nominated. Leave the category alone with just the best 3 revivals of all time to speak for themselves. By adding in Grease, the nominators have done nothing but allow the inherit badness of the show to be highlighted even more.

Best Play Revival
Boeing-Boeing
The Homecoming
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Macbeth

I adored this show. So cinematic in its staging, Macbeth remains one of the most powerful visual odysseys of a play that I have ever seen. Images from this production are the stuff of nightmares (Hollywood could learn a thing or two about horror from this production. Oooh, who’s gonna make me cream and do a movie version??? William Friedkin? Please say yes.). Oh and not to mention the best Macbeth you’ll probably ever see in Patrick Stewart. And trust me, Kate Fleetwood is an underrated gem as his trophy wife.

Should have been nominated: Top Girls and Cyrano de Bergerac. Sorely missed. Enough said.

Best Original Score
Cry-Baby, David Javerbaum & Adam Schlesinger
In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda
The Little Mermaid, Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Glenn Slater
Passing Strange, Stew and Heidi Rodewald

Injecting the Broadway stage with a dose of kinetic energy, Miranda catapulted the current state of music to the stratosphere on the Great White Way. In the Heights has its moments of blandness, but when it shines, it sparkles. The orchestra pit sounds like they are having as much fun as the actors on stage. Miranda’s lyrics are also genuinely smart (“Too darn hot!”) and are an homage to great shows from the past (“L’chaim!”) Stew’s contributions to Passing Strange can’t be overlooked, though. Two fantastic scores. Two fantastic shows.

Should have been nominated: Adding Machine’s Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt. The closest to Sondheim in recent years. Buy the album if you haven’t already!!!

Best Book of a Musical
Cry-Baby, Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
In the Heights, Quiara Alegria Hudes
Passing Strange, Stew
Xanadu, Douglas Carter Beane

For me there’s no competition. Beane provided such a refreshing and hilarious take on the God-awful movie musical Xanadu and really made the show a success. There is no doubt that show would have bombed if it weren’t for Carter Beane. Now if only his damn viral campaign would just shut the hell up and stop annoying me. Runner up – Stew for his creative story telling in Passing Strange.

Should have been nominated: I’ll give you one guess… it begins with an 'A' and ends with a 'dding Machine.'

Best Actress (Musical)
Kerry Butler, Xanadu
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O’Hara, South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park with George

Yes, Jenna Russell was remarkable. Yes, Kelli O’Hara brought life back into the ingénue. But it’s Mama Rose. And it’s Patti LuPone as Mama Rose. This is legendary. When you can honestly and without hesitation say that Ethel Merman’s claim to this role is forever diminished, you have something to savor. Perhaps the best actress to tackle the role (along with Angela Lansbury), Patti is a force of nature. And no one can act a song quite like she can. Her closing act numbers are a master class in nuanced breaking-downness. Never has “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” been so devastating. Congratulations Ms. LuPone. You will now live on forever.

Should have been nominated: I would have loved to have seen Mandy Gonzalez from In the Heights; but there’s only room for 5. Buy the album and enjoy her gorgeous voice in the song “Breathe.”

Best Actress (Play)
Eve Best, The Homecoming
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton, August: Osage County

While Eve Best remains one of the best new talents to hit Broadway and Deanna Dunagan provides a definitive portrayal of a soon to be classic, my head bows to Kate Fleetwood as the power-hungry trophy wife of Patrick Stewart’s Macbeth. Providing a different take on the character, Fleetwood brings out the evil and humanity in a role too many have attempted (and failed). The best Lady Macbeth I have ever seen. She stands right up to Patrick Stewart and acts the hell out of herself, keeping up with the legendary actor. Her breakdown is second only to Patti LuPone’s in Gypsy. The use of her hands and walk throughout the show was inspiring to watch as an actor. I know she has her detractors, but when I look back at the season, this is the performance in a play that remains with me.

Should have been nominated: Elizabeth Marvel from Top Girls. Gosh, I wish this show would have been nominated for so much more.

Best Actor (Musical)
Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park with George
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In the Heights
Stew, Passing Strange
Paulo Szot, South Pacific
Tom Wopat, A Catered Affair

Daniel Evans is the only one of these performances that made me forget that I was watching an actor. I was immersed from the start with his portrayal of Georges Seurat and was transported to another world entirely in the second act as George. Never beore have the Georges been so empathetic. Never before have they been so driven. Never before have they brought such humility to a piece that some consider pretentious.

Should have been nominated: Cheyenne Jackson in Xanadu. At least just for his Cubby Bernstein and [title of show] show appearances.

Best Actor (Play)
Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Rufus Sewell, Rock ‘n’ Roll
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth

Mark Rylance provided such a wonderful entertainment; however, Stewart is legendary. Ben Brantley says it better than I could ever hope to:

What makes this one a must-see is Mr. Stewart’s thrilling recognition that his character is as close kin to the fatally introspective Hamlet as he is to
power-wielding men of ill will like Richard III. His performance is the first I
have seen to realize completely what the scholar Harold Bloom means when he
calls this play “a tragedy of the imagination.”

Should have been nominated: Kevin Kline for Cyrano de Bergerac. I mean, come on!!! It’s Kevin Kline!!!

From here on out, I’m gonna try and keep my writing to a bare minimum. My boss is lurking in the dark corners of my office somewhere.

Best Featured Actress (Musical)
Laura Benanti, Gypsy: Her transformation from Louise to Gypsy Rose Lee is the first time it has ever worked for me in a near-perfect show.

Best Featured Actress (Play)
Laurie Metcalf, November: Best thing about the show.

Best Featured Actor (Musical)
Boyd Gaines, Gypsy: Daniel Breaker in Passing Strange is a close second, but Gaines helped to make Gypsy a production for the ages.

Best Featured Actor (Play)
Jim Norton, The Seafarer: My heart goes to Raúl Esparza, but I have to admit that Norton was the best.

Direction (Musical)
Sam Buntrock, Sunday in the Park with George: Yes Bartlett Sher provided an amazing presentation, but Buntrock made Sunday even more meaningful than ever.

Direction (Play)
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County: Classic in the making.

Whoopi is set to host this year. Hopefully she'll bring in some entertainment to the already boring show.

"I wish I could quit you!"

New York City Opera is gonna do Brokeback Mountain - the OPERA!!! Minus the caps and exclamation point (I think). This is hilarious. I hope it's good. But they do have until 2013. Even if it sucks, I guarantee you I will be able to enjoy it. Yay for gay cowboys who sing opera!! Is anyone else ballsy enough to admit this is a tad bit ridiculous?? Anyone???? I know I'm not the only one. But quite frankly, I'm tired of shows based on movies. Well, bad shows based on movies. And this just seems ready for the kill.

I am jealous of my understudy...

Sorry for the recent "lack of posting." My run at Side Show ended and I started rehearsals for Honk! the following day. Plus, I open this Thursday (tomorrow!!) as Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly! Oh and the critic from the New Braunfels Herald reviewed the show already - without me in it. I'm soooooo bitter. Stage rage is emanating from my ears.

The ever-increasing senility of Frank Scheck and Clive Barnes never ceases to amaze me.

The fundamental respect shown for all the characters is refreshing: The show doesn't mock their religious fervor even when it's misguided or hypocritical. That quality may help secure a life for "Saved" -- even in its present, imperfect form -- as a viable property for school and youth-theater productions. But further development is needed for the fledgling show to find salvation in the commercial arena.

What a great closing sentence written by David Rooney for Variety in his review of Saved, the new Off Broadway musical that officially opened last night. If only I was as clever and witty...

So I heart the movie, but according to reviews, Saved seems to have lost its satirical edge (along with the exclamation point appended to the title). And that's a bummer. I really like Celia Keenan-Bolger and Julia Murney; but according to reports, the show is still in need of some adjustments in the book and especially the score. The title of my post refers to my growing disagreements with the two critics of the New York Post - Frank Scheck gave an amiably favorable review to the new work. Granted, I haven't seen the damn show, but I'm pretty sure I'd disagree with Frank anyway.

Playwrights Horizons are the ones responsible for Sunday in the Park with George and more recently Grey Gardens. Saved does not seem destined to achieve the same fate as those heavenly shows.

*awkward silence*

In case you couldn't tell, that was my lame ass attempt to one-up Rooney. (Didn't quite work.)

The Best Musical Revivals of All Time???

The New York Times has a great piece today written by Ben Brantley about the 3 uber musical revivals this season. An excerpt:

It’s rare that the race for best revival of a musical is the sexiest category at the Tony Awards, which will be bestowed this year on June 15 at Radio City Music Hall. But what’s most striking about “South Pacific” (first staged on Broadway in 1949) “Gypsy” (1959) and “Sunday in the Park With George” (1984) is how much fuller and juicier they feel than any of the newer musical fare this season.

How true! These 3 productions were the best musical fare the season had to offer (along with Adding Machine, the only new musical this year that I thought was brilliant. Expect an album review shortly).

Looking back at a list of new productions this year, it's amazng to see there are 3 of the best musicals ever written playing down the street from one another. And what's more, all 3 productions of these musicals are perhaps the best versions I've ever seen of each. Since when have Broadway audiences been treated with so much wonderfulness? I'm sure if I research a bit, there are a few seasons that were just astronimcal in terms of great productions, but nothing springs to mind right off the bat.

Of the 3, Sunday was my favorite. I'm a bit biased though towards Sondheim's creations. But for me, this production was so innovative in its use of technology to foward the art of the material itself that it left me feeling excited about the possibilities of the new era of the musical theater. Minus big star names, it managed to utterly astound me. I only hope that it drew in new crowds of people so they could experience one of the great literary and musical works of all time.

Not to take anything away from the South Pacific and Gypsy, though. The best thing about both of these shows is their direction and superb casts.


Ben Brantley goes onto mention a few other noteworthy musical revivals over the years (Carousel, Cabaret, Sweeney Todd) that he feels were great but for different reasons than the current crop of South Pacific, Gypsy, and Sunday. However, while I loved John Doyle's teeny Sweeney, I still prefer the original. Teeny Sweeney acts as a companion peice to the original production - taking its directorial cues from oustide the source material. It still remains one of my favorite revivals and interpretations of all time, but like Brantley says, these new produtions of Gypsy, South, and Sunday, reach within the text and create fresh mountings out of older shows, further highlighting the strengths of the resepctive source material itself.

It's all very exciting for me! I'm a nerd when it comes to "great art." Of the three shows (once again, each classic masterpieces), South Pacific has the weakest material. Of course this is all relative. However, it overwhelmingly has the some of the best production values to ever grace the Broadway stage. And most people seem to think it's the best of the lot and will win at this year's Tony Awards.

Gypsy provides a legendary performance under the direction of a legendary writer/director. Patti LuPone has taken Ethel Merman's claim to Mama Rose for herself. For me, she is the definitive Rose. And her supporting actors are the definitive cast of Gypsy. By keeping the focus on Rose and keeping that what revolves around her just as magical, director Arthur Laurents showcases the strength of his and Sondheim's own work. As good as Patti is, Boyd Gaines as Herbie and Laura Benanti as Louise are just as superb. It elevates an already classic show to a truly powerful, masterpiece for the ages.


All in all, what a year for classic shows. I only hope the trend continues throughout the following seasons. Broadway goers, relish in this time. It may be a while before we are so lucky again.

Thoughts on your favorite revivals? What was your favorite of the three? Am I full of shit? Let me know.
All photos by Sara Krulwich.

My Amazon.com review of A Catered Affair Original Broadway Cast Recording

A Dreary Affair
June 2, 2008
By Joseph A. Gomez

As was the general critical concensus, A Catered Affair, Harvey Fierstein (book and lyrics) and John Bucchino's (music) new kitchen sink musical, is far from perfect. Based on a 1956 movie, the musical remains a flawed show at best with some strong performances (and one entrirely ill-conceived interpretation).

The show is filled with numerous anachronisms that just make little sense. For instance, the premarital bedroom scene between the two soon-to-be-newlyweds, played by Leslie Kritzer and Matt Cavenaugh. However that didn't bug me as much as Fierstein's openly gay and outspoken Uncle Winston. Fierstein's voice doesn't help. At all.

The story concerns Irish-American cabdriver Tom Hurley and his wife, Aggie, the unhappily married parents of Janie, whose impending marriage to Ralph acts as the show's center. Aggie yearns for a big, splashy affair (the one she never had) that would helped to be payed for with Tom's savings for part ownership of his taxi cab. Janie and Ralph want something simpler. Winston has his own ideas for the wedding (and the Hurleys have their own, too, that don't include Winston) and the soon-to be in-laws add their own visions of grandeur to the proceedings. After much hubub, City Hall seems more and more intriguing.

This recording manages to stick in a fair amount of dialogue (mainly from Fierstein - who acts almost as a narrator to the story); however, the book is unbearably pretensious and unimaginative - as is the music. The lyrics are adequate enough to not sound riduculous, however bring nothing more than a few decent rhymes. The main issue here is the music itself. Bucchino's score is lacking any true melody and the musical quickly turns into one of those shows that seem to go on forever without so much as a tune to remember. The recitative offered is sorely lacking in interest and just blabs on. The underscoring works better than the songs and confirms my belief that this would have made a better play with music.

Aggie's "Married" and Janie's "One White Dress" are the only notable songs, and this has less to do with the songs themselves than with the performances. And yet, even these songs will leave your memory once they are over. Everything else gets lost in an endless loop of vamping and melodic searching.

The performances are solid throughout. Faith Prince is a touching Aggie and Tom Wopat does what he can with Tom Hurley. They both are seasoned actors and have the skills to engage when necessary. However, given weak material, even the best performers can be easily challenged to entertain. And they falter here under the the laborious score and book. Leslie Kritzer and Matt Cavenaugh sing well and look good together.

Then of course you have Harvey Fierstein. When his croak is used to maximum effect (Hairspray), it can be a tool used to convey pathos and comedy. However, unashamedly casting himself in a role made for someone else, Fierstein unfortunately shines a light on a miscast and ill-conceived character. His voice is distracting at best and his vocal inflection (leaning towards an almost effeminate lilt) helps not.

The show reeks of self-indulgence and nihilism. I blame it all on Fierstein. His shtick doesn't work here. His handprints are all over the production and you can tell. In a noble effort to bring a serious-minded musical to the Broadway stage, A Catered Affair provides a boring and pretensious snorefest and gives inconsequential, yet fun, shows like Xanadu a reason to thrive.