While in the process of compiling my list of the best movies of the 'aughts,' I had to take pause on certain occasions to further emphasize the brilliance that is Pixar's Wall-E.
This first shot comes at the end of the first act of the movie. It's almost identical to an earlier shot that shows Wall-E in his day to day activities working. It is also my favorite shot in the entire movie.
The shot the second time evokes isolation and, in context to the story, loneliness (subjects touched on in Sondheim's musical "Sunday in the Park with George."). Wall-E drops the trash bundle and existentially faces a revelation: since the discovery and loss of love, work is meaningless for the first time. Furthermore, since Wall-E's sole purpose was to work, existence itself is rendered meaningless.
Furthermore, the credit sequence drives home the ideas of creation, isolation, art, and science and their effects on humanity. These themes crossover into Geroges Seurat's pointillist painting "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" and more poignantly in Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George."
Wall-E's tribute to Georges Seurat's "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" in the closing credits (that conceptualize the progression of technology by referencing major eras in art history with the evolution of human society) also reflects themes explored in Stephen Sondheim's musical "Sunday in the Park ...with George," itself inspired from the original painting.
Seurat developed pointillism as a more scientific style to mimic technological progress when Impressionism had grown too mainstream and failed to address the changing industrial world or the populist leftist politics emerging with the rise of the modern middle class. While less political in concept, the film's subjects of science, art, creation, and human society (both historically and economically) run parallel with objectives in pointillism and ideas in Sondheim's modernist musical.
These two shots express major themes and ideas that are explored in the film itself. Now take the whole movie into context and you have yourself a helluva picture to contemplate.
UPDATED 7/29 at 5:17pm Thank you to my friends Jillian and Amy for this! (And by the way, congratulations to both of you!)
The San Pedro Playhouse has been shooting its proverbial casting wad the past couple of weeks with its 2009-2010 season audition announcements. With a high profile season coming up (Evita, A Christmas Carol [again], Beehive, Curtains, Boeing-Boeing, and The Music Man), San Antonio theater peeps have been anxious for any further announcements concerning casting.
I was given the cast list of Curtains a couple of weeks ago but hadn't posted anything on it. It was still early in the process and people were still needing to accept roles. Now that some time has passed, I've decided to go ahead and post what I believe to be the final casting of the Spring 2010 production of Kander and Ebb's backtage-murder-comedy musical.
The cast will include Ben Gamble as Lt. Frank Cioffi, Annela Keys as Jessica Crenshaw, Anna Gangai as Carmen Bernstein, Jillian Cox as Georgia Hendricks, Jason Mosher as Aaron Fox, Paige Blend as Niki Harris, Lizel Sandoval as Bambi Bernet, Chris Berry as Bobby Pepper, Byrd Bonner as Christopher Belling, Taylor Maddox as Johnny Harmon, Mark Hicks as Oscar Shapiro, and Greg Hinojosa as Sidney Bernstein. The ensemble will feature Chris Rodriguez, Petra Pearce, David Davila, Ashley Mitchell, Mike Duggan, Amy Sloan, Rita Duggan, Robby Vance, Shane Noel, Constanza Roeder, Kate Miller, Alyx Gonzalez, Kenny Patterson, Jim Frazier, Julianne Snyder, David Stautzenburger, Amy Dullnig, and Dave Watts.
Congratulations to all my close friends and past castmates Ben Gamble (The Pajama Game), Jillian Cox (Man of la Mancha), Jason Mosher (Man of la Mancha), Paige Blend (Side Show, The Pajama Game), Lizel Sandoval (PJ Game), Chris Berry (Xmas Carol, Frankenstein in Love, PJ Game), Byrd Bonner (Urinetown, Xmas Carol), Taylor Maddox (PJ Game), Mark Hicks (Urinetown, Vexed), Chris Rodriguez (Thouroughly Modern Millie, Sound of Music), Petra Pearce (Beauty and the Beast, High School Musical, Jekyll and Hyde, Bye Bye Birdie, Xmas Carol), David Davila (Millie, Hair), Ashley Mitchell (Xmas Carol, PJ Game), Amy Sloan (Rimers of Eldritch, la Mancha), Robby Vance (Sound of Music), Shane Noel (PJ Game), Kate Miller (PJ Game), Alyx Gonazalez (Xmas Carol, PJ Game), Jim Frazier (Xmas Carol), David Stautzenburger (B&B, Jekyll and Hyde, BBB), Amy Dullnig (Xmas Carol, PJ Game), and Dave Watts (Frankenstein in Love).
Judging from the cast list, it seems like it's gonna be a fantastic production and a fun cast! Curtains is scheduled to open March 26 (my birthday) and close April 25, 2010.
The Cameo Theatre of San Antonio has been home to some stellar productions in the area. Particularly well done was their 2007 production of Kander and Ebb's Cabaret. That production had the benefit of two strong lead performances by Anne Gerber as Sally Bowles and Rick Sanchez as the Emcee.
Rick has become an acquaintance of mine in recent months (we've even had the opportunity to party it up - a welcome pastime of mine). I have yet to actually work with Rick on a show (I had opportunities for the upcoming production of Sound of Music at San Pedro Playhouse and the recently closed Man of La Mancha. Unfortunately both shows I was unable to commit to because of work), however that hasn't stopped us from still being friends (we did go see Transformers 2 at a midnight showing along with other friends - thank God for alcohol.).
Now Rick will soon be directing a production of Psycho Beach Party at the Cameo Theatre due to open I think on August 14 (dates have been somewhat up in the air and sources still are conflicting a bit. I'll update as soon as I know for sure.). The movie and the original Off-Broadway play that it's based on are send ups of 1950s and 60s beach movies with a nod to 70s slasher films. The Cameo's website offers this description:
Summer, 1962. Malibu Beach. Imagine ‘Gidget’ crossed with ‘The Three Faces of Eve’ and ‘Mommie Dearest’. Sun, surf, sand, and ‘Chicklet’ Forrest wants nothing more than to learn to ‘shoot the curl’. Ride the waves. And who better to study under than the Great Kanaka? The macho king of the surfers, who rode the killer wave off the coast of Bali... handcuffed....But something isn't right...People are turning up shaved from head to toe by a mysterious assailant. The star of “Sex-Kittens Go To Outer Space” has disappeared from the set of her latest film. Surfers are coming out of the closet. And who, exactly, is Ann Bowman, the dominatrix who has risen to claim her birthright: World Domination? The big luau is only days away. Will our heroes thwart her evil scheme in time? Will Chicklet learn to surf? Will they still have time to prepare the finger foods? Will any of these questions be answered? Come see this bizarre hybrid of the best the Sixties had to offer: beach movies, bikinis, psychological melodramas, bikinis, surf guitar, bikinis, laughter, and... surfing. Not to mention the bikinis!
The movie is entertaining enough with the always fantastic Lauren Ambrose (Exit the King) cast as Chicklet. Rick has cast the show true to playwright Charles Busch's original intentions; that is to say he has cast major roles in drag.
My good friend Walter Songer - the Jeffy to my Hunter - (Side Show, The Pajama Game, and Vexed are the 3 shows we've worked on together) has been cast as the central female role of Chicklet. Other friends of mine cast include Chris Berry (A Christmas Carol, Frankenstein in Love, The Pajama Game) as Kanaka, fellow New Braunfels native Kate Miller as Marvel Ann, Chris Rodriguez as Yo-Yo, Paige Hansel as Bettina Barnes, and Cassie Moczygemba (who I worked with originally in Bye Bye Birdie and later Frankenstein in Love at the Overtime Theater).
The rest of the cast includes some people I don't know and a few others that I've seen in other productions. Judging from the production team and cast list alone, the show is gonna be a blast; at least it'll be fun for the actors. Lots of friends working together can amount to a lot of fun (it's also been known to cause lots of drama too, but I don't see that happening). I have a small regret of not auditioning; unfortunately work has gotten in the way of my Summer acting.
But nonetheless, with so many productions coming up, at least my Summer viewing will be plentiful. This Friday I'm stopping in at the San Pedro Playhouse to catch a final weekend performance of Take Me Out (with my soon to be going away to NYC buddy Ryan Ramirez) in the Cellar Theater with a brief stop upstairs in the Russell Hill Rogers Theater to catch the opening night celebrations of Sound of Music (gotta love champagne); hopefully by Saturday night I'll be able to get over my hangover and catch Cal Collins original revue titled Broadway's Best at the Brauntex Theater in New Braunfels; next weekend I'm looking forward to productions of Buddha Swings! at the Overtime Theater and the previously mentioned Sound of Music; and somewhere in there I'll squeeze in Seussical at Circle Arts Theatre in New Bruanfels, the Cameo's current production of I Hate Hamlet, and AtticRep's Blackbird.
I was wanting to go in depth with my review of the new Hair cast album, but there really isn't any need to. The score by Galt McDermot (music), Gerome Ragni and James Rado (lyrics) is superb (well for the most part – act 2 does get bogged down a bit). The cast sounds fantastic (especially Gavin Creel, Will Swenson, and Sasha Allen). Plus, there are a large number of tracks available here all on one disc. Overall the disc really is great.
The packaging blows hard. No lyrics, a flimsy imitation cardboard case (no jewel case here), and some boring essays. Meh.
The original cast recording still packs a wallop but this version is just as memorable. It's worth mentioning that I like about 75-80% of the score from Hair. The rest of the filler is probably enjoyed much more under the influence of purple haze.
Or if drugs aren't your thing, from what I hear the actual live show is freakin' awesome. I was lucky enough to catch the Public's mounting in the park last summer with Jonathan Groff. Loved it then. Apparently it's better now. And check out the Tony award performance or the David Letterman show performance for some electrifying staging. Woot woot.
I was originally planning on posting full reviews today of Chess in Concert (CD & DVD) and the new cast recording of Hair. Looks like things are changing a bit.
I've been listening to Chess now for the past hour and still am bored out of my mind. Early thoughts: Idina Menzel is no Elaine Paige. Adam Pascal has ruined his voice. Josh Groban is giving a good effort with a strong "Anthem." The live mixing and producing isn't as high a quality as other live shows. And this disc has done nothing to change my opinion on the show itself: Chess is still a failure; still a product of its creators and their time. I'm gonna stop listening now and spend the rest of my afternoon/evening enjoying other recordings. I'll tune into the broadcast of the "live" show tonight on PBS and just supply a brief capsule review of the DVD/CD package. Sorry guys, I don't get paid to write here. And I have a pretty strong feeling that most of my readers will understand my case.
As for my upcoming Hair review, well I decided to hold off on it until June 23, the day the hard copy is available in stores, for my official review. The recording is available via downloads right now - and believe me, it's fantastic. However, no matter how enthusiastic I may feel about the recording, I feel I should wait for the entire package - jewel case, booklet, etc. - to dish out a full fledged reccomendation. The quality of the tracks themselves is superb, but the tracks of Spring Awakening were too and as anyone who owns that album can attest, the overall packaging was dissapointing at best (of all things there was no plot synopsis. Really?!?!?). So to be fair, I'll gestate over my digital copy in the mean time. It'll allow me to write more in depth too.
If I get around to it tonight, expect a Chess review and if not, I'll post it tomorrow with a second review that is long overdue - the [title of show] original cast recording.
Now in the meantime, take a look around at the rest of the theatre blogosphere to catch some pretty interesting thoughts. Here's the callboard...
Steve on Broadway (SOB): While Steve has been taking it easy, he still finds time to post blogs and fill us in on his recent trip to Chicago and tell us the effect a certain pointillisitc painting had on him.
There’s not much else to say that hasn’t been said about West Side Story and this revival. Therefore this will be a short review. We are all aware of the exceptional Leonard Bernstein score (perhaps the greatest score ever); we are all aware of the influential Jerome Robbins choreography; we are all aware of Karen Olivo’s fantastic performance as Anita. And of course we are all aware of the show's inherent flaws: a couple of low key performances that can’t measure up to their respective costars; and namely Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Spanish foiling of Stephen Sondheim’s wondrous lyrics.
To start, yes, the score is still phenomenal more than 50 years after its debut. Back in the ‘50s it was considered too "dissonant" and "complex" for the mainstream. In retrospect, those who spoke too soon look foolish. There is no denying the sheer beauty of the ballads like “Tonight” and “Maria” and the absolutely influential sounds of “Cool” and “America.” When was the last time you were able to listen to an album all the way through and be able to recognize every single track as a standard? And with the large orchestra accompanying the mostly successful cast, the songs really do sound as equally good as they do on the film soundtrack.
Speaking of quality sounds, Matt Cavenaugh is the best sounding Tony ever committed to disc. It’s a privilege to hear Bernstein’s music for Tony sung by a strong vocalist who can do it justice. Josefina Scaglione is fine as Maria, if not completely powerful in voice at least sweet. Cody Green’s Riff and Curtis Holbrook’s Action do solid work, with Holbrook creating a memorable presence for his minor role.
However one must single out Karen Olivo. The role of Anita has always been a coveted role for actresses of all races, and two of the most influential Latina actresses of all time made their marks performing in the original Broadway cast (Chita Rivera) and the Oscar winning film (Rita Moreno). Here Olivo gives a standout performance among the whole cast. She attacks her songs with confidence and with the sense of an actress. She is also given the opportunity to be the first Anita to be able to incorporate Spanish into her performance, allowing her to distance herself acting wise from Rivera and Moreno. Olivo claims in various interviews and news articles that she embraced that opportunity and was able to be liberated from sticking to the standard interpretation. By doing so, she has laid out a career path for her that is set to take off and go places. Her first major exposure as Vanessa in 2008’s Tony winner for Best Musical, In the Heights, landed her this role. Her own performance and hard work in this revival of West Side Story has paved the way for her to continue the legacy of influential Latina actresses and their connection to Anita. It gives me great joy and pride to predict great things for Karen Olivo in the future. May her career continue to blossom and flourish.
Olivo thanks her good friend Lin-Manuel Miranda for her breakout in In the Heights. It’s no small coincidence that Miranda was commissioned to adapt Spanish-language lyrics to Sondheim’s originals. Fellow blogger Chris writes much more eloquently and intelligently on this subject than I could hope to do so. So please refer to his review of the cast album for reference, particularly in the Spanish translations. I agree for the most part with the naysayers about the unnecessary gimmick. But the execution seems to trump the concept. While it’s kinda cool to hear a different sound, one definitely yearns for Sondheim’s remarkable lyrics in “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love.” Thankfully, the English language tracks of this song and “I Feel Pretty” are available via iTunes and a special edition disc available only at Barnes and Noble. Unfortunately, you do have to buy the entire album on iTunes and the whole B&N disc to obtain the recordings along with some extra bonus tracks. Kinda silly, but if you’re a WSS fanboy and lover, it's worth the (i.e. my) effort and money (this is where a playlist becomes handy for substitutions for key tracks).
Still, this is West Side Story. And a new recording can only do so much wrong. The essential quality of the material is still present and the strong vocal abilities of Karen Olivo and Matt Cavenaugh are jovial. Is this the definitive recording of the show? Maybe not. But neither is the movie soundtrack or the original Broadway cast recording. And the only reason the revival recording isn’t as essential of a disc as the previous two (which were important to bringing new sounds to both film and stage) has to do more with the familiarity of the material than with the disc itself. However, I can say without reservations that the revival recording will perhaps be the most played out of all of them in my life.
I seem to have written more than originally planned for West Side Story. I adore the show and it remains close to my heart as a highly influential landmark to my life. Perhaps I’d forgotten in recent years how much the show actually means to me. This revival has rekindled that love. And for that, I am grateful. Hopefully, I can make it out to New York to catch the show live before it closes. It will be at the top of my list.
Certainly Not Ordinary People, Definitely Not Normal
A couple of years ago when I was listening to the drek that is High Fidelity, my thoughts prematurely wrote off composer Tom Kitt as a talented writer with no sense of musicality and character. What should have been an excellent rock score for a would-be rock musical came off as amateurish with no direction and no sense for the (bad) book and elementary-grade lyrics (“climb the chart… to your heart” *gag*). Fast forward 3 years and what has emerged from Mr. Kitt is a developed composer of grade-A quality work (and a Tony to show for it) and, more importantly, an entertaining rock score that can finally give my Spring Awakening cast recording a much needed break.
next to normal is a gem of a show.In a season where there were flying ballerina boys, a green ogre, a mash-up of ‘80s power ballads, and a group of annoying kids, next to normal gives us a family who is struggling to stick together in the face of sickness and grief.The show is electrifying and shocking, two things that are sorely missing from this year’s Tony Award winner for Best Musical IMHO.
The music is fantastic for the most part.I will admit, on my first listening, I was not impressed.The songs seemed derivative of a Jason Robert Brown score trying to be Jonathan Larson with a bit of Duncan Sheik thrown in for coolness factor.While I was immediately drawn into the story, I was a bit baffled by the score and its connection to the themes.The songs seemed blatantly unsubtle (“Superboy and the Invisible Girl”) and forced into a rock sound that didn’t seem to fit thematically for me (“Just Another Day”).However after learning of the show’s strong critical reception and reading a trusted blogger’s second opinion of the production, I decided to give the show a second listen.And I’m happy that I did.Now the album is in constant rotation in my car stereo and on my computer.The songs that seemed at first obviously symbolic now just seem simple and pure.The songs that seemed a bit “too rock” for the material, now come off as angry and confused – apt adjectives for a show about mental illness and family angst.
**spoiler**
The strongest part of the album is the middle of disc one starting with the revelatory “He’s Not Here.”After showing up to dinner with a birthday cake for her son Gabe (Aaron Tveit), Diana’s (Alice Ripley) husband Dan (J. Robert Spencer) has to painfully let her know that she is suffering from hallucinations.Their son Gabe has been dead for over a decade.**spoiler end**This escalates into the stirring and riveting “You Don’t Know/I Am the One” segment that was performed on the Tony Awards.These two songs are so well written; it must be a joy for actors to be able to play a song as though it were scripted dialogue by Arthur Miller.Kudos to Kitt’s music and Brian Yorkey’s lyrics for capturing not only the intensity of the moment, but the pain and power dynamics of the life these characters live.It’s like the dishwasher scene in Rachel Getting Married or the dog chasing scene in No Country for Old Men in that it captures the essence and tone of the whole show in a brief 5 minutes that resonates strongly.
The fact that daughter Natalie (Jennifer Damiano) is not present in the previous segment is a beautiful choice on behalf of the creators.The next number segues into Natalie’s situation brilliantly.“Superboy and the Invisible Girl” manifests out of an unaccepted apology to Natalie from her mother.Jennifer Damiano soars here and takes her moment and seizes it.Always overshadowed by her brother, Natalie laments over her non-existent relationship with her mom.It’s an important song and all the more poignant for Gabe’s ending taunts.
Then we are given the opportunity to get the perspective of Gabe in “I’m Alive” – a deliciously melodic, almost folksy/Blues Travelers-esque song that bounces with energy and spirit.Aaron Tveit’s sweet tenor sounds fantastic throughout the score, especially here.
What wasn't looked over on my first listen of the show (and what was extremely apparent) was the strong performances of the entire cast, particularly J. Robert Spencer and Alice Ripley.Spencer anchors the show with an incredibly rich emotional core.His voice is superb and emotionally textured.His last song with Aaron Tveit is heartbreaking.Alice Ripley deservedly won her Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical (despite her crazy in-character acceptance speech).next to normal offers her the part of a lifetime.And she takes it by the horns and runs with it.What could have come off as hysterical and manic, her vocal performance is powerful and rich.I’ve never been a big fan of her (at least to me) strained high notes and seemingly forced vibrato, but what was a dislike for me years before is a strong suit for this show and role.She sounds marvelous, actually, and I’ve developed a new respect for her belt.
Bravo to Adam Chanler-Berat for his superb Henry, Natalie’s would-be boyfriend.In the hands of a lesser performer, Henry could have easily been a throw away character; however, Adam’s Henry is ever present throughout the score where the story does not center on him, but couldn’t have existed without his ever-present persona.This is in part due to Kitt and Yorkey’s work, but elevated by Adam’s humorous, strong, and ultimately sympathetic performance.
I do wish there was more dialogue on the disc.The first act is pretty well represented, but when things go a bit crazy (hee hee) in the second half, the story and situations become a bit vague.Some of the songs I just plain don’t like (“I Miss the Mountains”), and the opening number “Just Another Day” still seems jarring and forced for the introduction of the material.Minor complaints about a mostly terrific listen.
I now consider myself an avid supporter of this show.I hope it does well, but feel nonetheless that it will have a life beyond Broadway.I can’t wait for the opportunity to perform the piece in the possible future in community and regional productions.What a treat to be able to sing not only melodic and fun tunes, but richly textured and emotional material.
Playbill.com has posted an article reflecting back on the cast albums of the 2008-09 theatrical season. After reading it, I've concluded that while the season may have been a bit blah for new musicals, it was still a pretty good year for cast albums. And while not every new show was of my personal liking (13, Shrek), there was one show that I fell in love with and one more that I am currently falling in love with more and more.
Now this past year was a little cough*crazy-hard-ridiculous*cough rough financially, so my New York trip didn't manifest itself, thus I missed most of the new shows (all but one to be more precise) live. Sad. Very sad. And being from Texas, It's not quite as effective for me to try and win $25 lottery tickets to some productions. As a result, I've returned to cast albums and television performances once again (which I must admit brought back a certain nostalgic mystery to discovery again) as my window to Broadway. So my judgments on the productions of the Broadway musicals of the past season are based solely on cast albums (with a little help/influence from Wikipedia, theaterwebsites, publications, forums, bloggersIadorewithallmyheart, and a couple of illegal bootlegs - I in no way condone this practice, but they just happened to fall into my lap... and alcohol impairs your judgment, so I've heard).
No Spark, No Electricity
First up - Billy Elliot, the Musical. My quips: where's the Broadway cast recording? Ugh. What we are left with is the original cast recording from London that, for my money at least, is a dud. I've had the recording in my library for a couple of years now and even upon initial listening, the album was lame.
While the story is strong and heartwarming (see the excellent movie from which this musical is based), as a stage show I was never swept up. Perhaps it's Elton John's lukewarm and workmanship-like quality score - it gets the job done minus, pardon the musical pun, the 'electricity'. Or maybe it's the so-so performances of the cast members that fail to ignite a spark for me (although I must confess to liking the London Billy, Liam Mower, over Kiril Kulish). And Haydyn Gwynne is fine as Billy's dance teacher.
However, I think my main problem with the cast album is its inability to portray the heart of the show - the dance. That's not the cast album's fault; it's a fundamental thing. Cast recordings are made to preserve a show to the best of a compact disc's abilities. We're not talking DVD here (although I think Broadway creators/producers need to start looking into that medium's untapped potential more). But even with that said, from videos that I have seen of the show, while the actual choreography and dancing are great, my opinion of the production and staging is that they are overblown and weird. And the acting from Kiril Kulish, not to mention his singing voice, leave a lot to be desired. From what I've heard and read, David Alvarez seems to be fairing well as the most well-balanced Billy. And a former cast mate/friend of mine (and Broadway performer) Andy Richardson tells me that his friend Trent Kowalik is giving a wonderful performance (based on his Tony Awards performance, I can say he's a spirited young performer indeed).
In the end, I'm not an avid fan of the show. Maybe if I saw it live I would be inclined to think otherwise. But what the cast album has yet to do, is intrigue me enough to want to see it live. And from what I've seen of the recent production, I'm not biting. ** (out of ****)
Marcy Harriell begins her run as Vanessa in the Tony-winning musical In the Heights starting tonight. She's been in previews since the 15th.
Tony Award winner Elaine Stritch will again portray the mother of Alec Baldwin's character Jack on the Emmy-winning NBC comedy series 30 Rock. The veteran actress will appear on the Dec. 11 episode, which is titled "Christmas Special."
This is from the Nov. 11 episode of The View on ABC. I'm sorry, that Kiril kid is a fabulous dancer, but his singing is making me wanna take a poop on my television. Not to be mean-spirited.
***This was supposed to be posted on Nov. 12. I have no idea what happened. Never late than never. Here ya go.
Some good news for those who are afraid behemoths like Shrek and Billy Elliot will leave smaller shows out in the dust:
Despite increasing unreliability and turmoil with the economy, it seems that the new musicals Vanities and The Story of My Life are still gearing up for Broadway engagements early in 2009.
Early today, the producers for Vanities, A New Musical announced they will play Broadway's gorgeous Lyceum Theatre starting February 2, 2009 and officially open the 26th of the same month.
The tuner by Jack Heifner, with music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Judith Ivey (who I heart), is a musical version of Heifner's popular '70s play about Texas cheerleaders who come of age between the 1960s and 1980s. The cast consists of a talented trio of actresses: Lauren Kennedy as Mary, Sarah Stiles as Joanne, and Anneliese van der Pol (the only good thing about TV's "That's So Raven") as Kathy.
And in more news for small musicals, The Story of My Life, with music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and a book by Brian Hill, has made sure that it will be playing a not-yet-announced Broadway theater by way of a casting notice seeking an understudy for the roles of quirky bookstore owner Alvin Kelby and best-selling writer Thomas Weaver, who is creatively blocked as he attempts a tribute to his friend. As in the recent Goodspeed Musicals developmental run of the show in Connecticut, Alvin will be played by Malcolm Gets and Thomas will be played by Will Chase.
So an all girl cast of 3 and an all guy cast of 2. Hopefully these shows will follow more in the suit of the popular Xanadu and [title of show] and not follow in the footsteps of Glory Days. Even though Xanadu and [tos] weren't entirely successful commercially, they were creatively and artistically superior to much of the dreg that his been plaguing Broadway for a while.
And speaking of [tos], if Hunter gets his wish, where will the return of my favorite 4-person musical play now that the Lyceum is being occupied by an even smaller show?
This really comes as no surprise as Ms. LuPone's contract ends on the same night. But it is good to see the show will not shutter earlier than expected due to economic hard times. The show so far has grossed $26 million and producers hope that the revival will recoup its investment of $9 million by the end of the nearly year-long run.
In a statement lead producer Roger Berlind said, "I know I speak on behalf of my partners when I say that this production has been one of the most gratifying endeavors of our professional careers. Legendary director Arthur Laurents assembled a superb company lead by the incomparable Patti LuPone. And, while we wish Gypsy could entertain us all much longer, it has become clear to us that there is no way to replace the irreplaceable."
No lie. As you can attest from my 4-star review, Gypsy still remains one of the best productions I have ever seen in my life. The cast was definitive, the staging was brilliant, and the timing (no matter how close it was to that other revival) was perfect.
Gypsy will have played 27 previews and a total of 388 performances since beginning shows March 3, 2008 with an official opening of March 27, 2008.
NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW: "Your inner dancer is calling. Its voice, sweet but tough and insistent, pulses in every molecule of the new Broadway musical Billy Elliot, demanding that you wake up sleeping fantasies of slipping on tap or ballet shoes and soaring across a stage. Few people may have the gift of this show’s title character, a coal miner’s son in northern England who discovers he was born to pirouette. But the seductive, smashingly realized premise of Billy Elliot, which opened Thursday night at the Imperial Theater, is that everybody has the urge. And in exploring that urge among the population of a down-at-heels coal town suffering through the British miners’ strike of the mid-1980s, this show both artfully anatomizes and brazenly exploits the most fundamental and enduring appeal of musicals themselves."
USA TODAY REVIEW: "Sure, this adaptation of the 2000 film about a coal miner's son struggling to realize his dreams of ballet glory is already an established hit in London. There, its plot — set in Northern England in the 1980s, when those in Billy's dad's line of work were doing battle with Margaret Thatcher — resonated with audiences accustomed to a more rigid class structure and thus less likely to take social mobility for granted."
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REVIEW: "It's not often that a musical comes along that is as ambitious as it is emotional — and then succeeds on both counts. But Billy Elliot, which opened Thursday at Broadway's Imperial Theatre, is an exceptional work that exemplifies what the best musicals are all about: collaboration. Everything comes together in this impressive, warmhearted adaptation of the 2000 British film about a North Country coal miner's young son who yearns to dance and join the Royal Ballet School in London."
AMNY REVIEW: "Billy Elliot: The Musical is the real deal: a truly compelling and absolutely spectacular theatrical experience destined to be a smash hit. Easily the best British musical since Les Miz, it feels appropriate that it is playing at the Imperial Theatre, once home to that long running musical. Simply put, you cannot miss it."
VARIETY REVIEW: "Three-and-a-half years may seem a long time for an instantaneous London smash like Billy Elliot: The Musical to cross the Atlantic, but the delay looks to have played serendipitously into the producers' hands. With unemployment figures soaring and the economy in the dumps, the zeitgeist could hardly be more attuned to the stirring story of a Northern England miner's son liberated from bleak reality by his passion for ballet. But even without that happy accident of timing, American audiences would have no trouble connecting with the universal sentiment of this bittersweet dual celebration of community and individuality."
In case you missed last night's episode of South Park (still one of the funniest shows on television), South Park Studios is streaming the full episode for viewing pleasure online here.
And musical theater aficionados will want to take a glance at the new episode entitled "Elementary School Musical." Matt Stone and Trey Parker are still able to milk laughs out of an already tired (and over-parodied) High School Musical satire.
Not funny:
Funny:
And pay close attention to the song and how it actually improves upon the original. And Cartman's closing line is genius: “Well, I’m out guys. If this is what’s cool now I think I’m done. I no longer have any connection to this world. I’m gonna go home and kill myself.”
And what makes it even funnier is the fact that he tried to actually follow through and only failed due to technical problems (Billy Elliot and 9 to 5 take note).
Kyle: What happened? I thought you were gonna kill yourself. Cartman: I tried. Went to sleep in my mom’s car in the garage with the engine turned on. Stan: But you didn’t die? Cartman: Freaking hybrids man. They just don’t do the trick anymore.
For all of its faults (the way I feel about HSM is the same way Sparky from Bring It On feels about cheerleaders: "...dancers who have gone retarded."), High School Musical, as we all know, is entirely commercially successful. And even though it is musical theater gone retarded, at least it exposes something to little kids of the wonderful art of the American musical.
Perfect material for parody. And South Park has hit all the right notes in its most recent episode.
And has also provided my favorite new character in Mr. Queermo, the dad of a young student who longs to be a part of the basketball team and step out of the spotlight of the theater. Despite all the gay stereotypes and cliches with the character, Mr. Queermo and his slap-happy hands had me rolling.
"Go right back to your room and sing a ballad!" I think I just peed a little.
Watch the next 2 clips and enjoy the wonderful comic timing and tight direction of the creators. The editing towards the end of the second clip is spot on.
Remember, South Park is supposed to be offensive - so if you are gonna watch this and then leave negative comments at my admiration for the show and its (non-existant) 'anti-gay' slant, don't say I didn't warn you.
Tonight marks the American debut of the London box-office smash Billy Elliot: The Musical. The new musical, about a working-class boy with a talent and drive for dancing while living in the slums of London, opens at the Imperial Theatre after beginning previews October 1st.
Elton John provides the score with Lee Hall supplying both lyrics and book. Peter Darling is responsible for the show's plentiful choreography and musical staging.
Adding Machine fans will also be glad to see Mr. Zero himself, Joel Hatch, making his Broadway debut in a supporting role as the boxing coach George.
The production's official website offers this brief synopsis: "Billy Elliot is a funny, heart-warming and feel-good celebration of one young boy's dream in a gripping tale of triumph over adversity. Based on the enormously popular film, this powerful new musical is the story of a boy who discovers he has a special talent for dance, while the boys all around him are more interested in boxing."
Cancellations of some preview performances due to set complications (see also 9 to 5) have plagued the show's word of mouth. However audiences have remained large and the box-office continues to be bring in money ($980,000 during the week of Halloween).
Citing an unremarkable score along with stylistic achievements trumping creative substance, fellow theater blogger Chris was rather ho-hum in his review of the show in previews (albeit considerably more receptive to his initial viewing of the London production). And while Chris rather despised the London incarnation, Steve on Broadway quite enjoyed it when he took in a performance back in 2005; he thinks the score is "exceptional" and describes the feeling audiences receive at the show as "electricity."
Two rather different points of view from two very well regarded bloggers. We'll see what the mainstream critics have to say tomorrow.
The recent Ninecast promo pic is intriguing (if only for Fergie's tramp-ish look).
The film adaptation of Doubt is getting great buzz and will debut in limited release here in the US on December 12, 2008. If you haven't already seen it, here's the great looking trailer for the movie. I heart Amy Adams. :-)
And now, it looks like August: Osage County has acquired some big moneys in the form of the Weinstein Co. The film is scheduled for release in 2011 (ugh - so far away) and Tracy Letts himself will be penning the screenplay for his awar-winning opus (the Broadway show is one of the best theatrical productions I have ever seen in my life).
But for my money, the ultimate choice for Violet would be the goddess Angela Lansbury. Yes, she is much older than the 65 years that the Weston matriarch is supposed to be, but think of the wonders this glorious actress could do with such a meaty role. Lansbury has laready proven to be a stirring actress in roles that are not quite-so-lovely (Lovetts, Rose, Mrs. Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate - a role that should have won her the Oscar). Plus, Lansbury has never won an Oscar (-twat?!?) and in an interview with Turner Classic Movies, she has mentioned how much it would mean to her to win one.
***trying to find the interview. Apparently it's not on YouTube anymore. Grr...***
UPDATE*** Not able to find the Turner Classic Movie interview with Robert Osbourne anymore. But here is part 5 of a 7 part interview where she discusses her return to Broadway in Mame. SarahB take note :-) 10:53 is when she starts talking about it if you want to skip the rest of the interview. I highly suggest you take in all seven parts when you get a chance. Definitely worth it. You can find them here.***And for God's sake, the woman effing deserves it!!
I had no idea Kate Hudson was in the cast. And Fergie seems out of place in the pic. But really, what a cast. I love Nicole Kidman and I'm glad to see her in anything really. Cruz looks beautiful and if her singing in Volver (not dubbed!) is any indication of what she is capable of, well then I look forward to seeing what she can do with this material.
I'm a big fan of Day-Lewis also. No telling what his musical talents are, but his workmanship and dedication always serve him well. And I doubt he will disappoint here.
The concept of Nine seems to work well for the film medium. With the announced plans for In the Heights and talks of a Spring Awakening film, I got thinking of other shows that would lend themselves nicely to the film medium.
The one that immediately pops into my head is Stephen Sondheim's and George Furth's Company. The 'concept' musical is already in a format that's just as innovative and compelling today as it was in 1972.
Sondheim's Assassins also would seem to lend itself well to a movie adaptation.
And of course, those talks of Follies had me creaming my pants.
Maybe I'm biased (i.e. I am), but Sondheim just seems to be a genius and ahead of his time. Not only do his shows work extremely well as their intended stage platforms, but because the material is so well crafted, it easily can transfer from one medium to another.
This puts the total Broadway performance count for the Dickens-based historical romance at 60 regular performances and 33 previews.
And to add salt to the wound, the producers felt it necessary to fill the company in through telephone calls just a couple of hours before curtain call for tonight's performance.
Actor and sometimes director/writer. This blog is dedicated solely to my thoughts on the wonderful world of live theater. If you wish to read my take on film, head to "And That's a Wrap," [http://j.mp/ThatsaWrap] syndicated at TheMoviePool.com [http://j.mp/TMPBlog].
Posts
