Review: The Best Man – Our Modern Political Nightmare

 “You are worse than a liar. You have no sense of right or wrong”

–  The Best Man

Maybe it’s the blunt nature of the accusation or the notion that this quote so accurately characterizes what most Americans currently think of our politics.  But to think that Gore Vidal first wrote this line for his play The Best Man 50 years ago is unbelievable.  Currently being revived in a brilliant, star-studded Broadway production, The Best Man asks us to question whether our elected officials really are the best candidates, or just the status quo. 

Set in 1960 at a political convention, The Best Man is about two men fighting for the party’s nomination.  Influencing them is a cadre of political officials including: a former president, party elders, their wives, campaign staffers and not to mention, the candidate’s respective personal history.  Each candidate has something to hide, and something to gain, but will their political survival instincts betray them in their quest to be, the best man?

What makes The Best Man so intriguingly scary is that for a play written in 1960, it feels like Vidal was foreshadowing the 2012 Republican Primary season.  The main candidates consist of: an older, wealthy, moderate New Englander and a young, conservative upstart from a modest background.  Blocking their way to the nomination is a fight over delegates, the endorsement of party officials, the use of their wives to appeal to voters, and social issues such as birth control.  Sound familiar?

I know, a 50 year old play about politics and political mores isn’t the most original idea, but that’s where you’re wrong.  The Best Man reminds us that too often in today’s media-obsessed culture, we see candidates who will say anything to win.  The play is prophetic in its skill to make us realize that politics comes at a cost and we (the electorate) need to question the price we’re willing to pay.

All throughout this election we’ve heard the same arguments in the echo chamber: conservatives are not happy with Mitt Romney and liberals are disappointed with Barack Obama.  As a public we’ve accepted this fate of political melancholy.  Or have we?  Have we sold out?   It’s hard not to notice, or judge, how contorted our presidential candidates will become to win the Iowa Caucus, let alone the general election.

When the moderate candidate in the play, accuses his opponent of being worse than a liar, my reaction was visceral.  I leaned forward in my seat, and a sickening feeling in my gut made me realize that one candidates fear was our political reality.  The Best Man was thrilling, and watching it was one of the best theatergoing experiences of my life.  It reaffirmed the belief that in politics that there is no shame in fighting for the best man, only in consciously rejecting one’s moral compass.

For more information on The Best Man, or to purchase tickets, please visit: http://thebestmanonbroadway.com/ 

For more information on President Barack Obama’s Re-election campaign, please visit: http://www.barackobama.com/

For more information on Governor Mitt Romney’s campaign, please visit: http://www.mittromney.com/

 

Review: Newsies on Broadway

Apparently I was denied a childhood, because I never saw the movie Newsies growing up.  So when a Broadway musical, based off the movie, was announced there was no way I was going to miss this!  Regretfully, I wish I had.

Newsies the musical, features bland music with boring songs, underwhelming choreography, a generic 3-tiered set and an uninspired leading actor.  To say the show is enjoyable would be a stretch.  Quite frankly, I found Newsies outright boring.

For those who also were denied a childhood, and like me never saw the film version, Newsies is about the boys whole sold newspapers, or newsies, in 1899.  The newsies go on strike, after newspaper baron Joseph Pultizer raises newspaper prices to make up for dwindling profits (I guess some things never change).  Since this is a Disney musical, I’ll leave it up to you to ponder who wins.

Newsies main problem is that the music, which carries the show, is bland and generic.  The songs feel cookie-cutterish, as if they could fit into any show about young people fighting “the man.”  I’ve always upheld the belief that a good musical leaves you leaving the theater humming a show tune.  With Newsies, I left the theater not even remembering a song title. 

The leading character played by Jeremy Jordan was uninspiring.  He didn’t make you route for his success, rather that the show would move along so that it could just end.  It also doesn’t help that choreography was uninventive and the set sterile.  For a show that takes place in 1899, the set did nothing to add to this already mind-numbing show.

Many reviews have compared Newsies to Annie, the 1977 blockbuster about a red-headed orphan in the depression.  On first glance, I could see the comparison.  However, the difference is that Annie’s songs had a heart.  They made you feel Annie’s longing to be loved and optimism in her anthem “Tomorrow.”  Newsies songs didn’t make you feel anything.

Regardless of this review, it would not shock me if Newsies won the Tony Award for Best Musical this year.  Why?  Because despite being a weak year for new musicals, Newsies is thrilling theatergoers.  At my sold-out performance the audience roared with approval after each number and cheered every minute of this show.  Newsies may lack the emotion and reviews of Annie, but as history shows us, audiences have the last word.

For more information on Newsies, please visit: http://www.newsiesthemusical.com/

Picking A Winner….

MarqueePolitics is headed to New York City for a theater weekend.  So, I figured I’d spend this entry answering a frequent question I receive:

“How do you decide what shows to see while in New York City?”

The answer differs for each person, but below are few tips I use to guarantee an enjoyable theater weekend.

• Decide when you are going and how many shows you want to see.

Most Broadway shows perform 8 times a week.  Twice on either Wednesday, Saturday and/or Sunday.  If you’re going to NYC to specifically see theater, plan a weekend trip.  Show’s offer the most performances on the weekends.  Also, stay away from Mondays as most shows don’t perform on that day.

•  Consult a list of currently playing show’s and pick the top 3 you want to see.

Playbill.com offers a great list of currently running shows, show times, plot summaries and links to the production’s official ticket buying venue.  Prioritize what you want, not  based on the critics, but on what sounds fun/interesting/intriguing to you.

Note: Use common sense when doing this.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been asked on a Thursday how to buy tickets for that weekend’s performance of Wicked or The Book of Mormon.  If a show is usually well known (i.e….everybody knows about it/or is talking about it) then chances are tickets will be quite scarce.  So be prepared in case your first and/or second show is sold out.

• Don’t listen to the critics.  See what you want to see.

Broadway is so expensive nowadays that gone is the era when audiences saw everything.  Now they can only see a limited quantity of shows.  So see what interests you. 

Who cares what the Tony awards or The New York Times thinks?  I can’t tell you how  many times I have hated a show the critics raved about.  See what you want to see, because if you don’t…chances are you’ll probably regret it.

• Buying tickets and not breaking the bank…Cue the TKTS booth

Broadway is expensive…but, that doesn’t mean you have to pay full price.  Most show’s offer discount tickets either through the TKTS Booth or through rush programs. 

 Below are two links which detail these services.

 TKTS: http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56

 Broadway Rush: http://playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428-Broadway-Rush-Lottery-and-Standing-Room-Only-Policies

 Caution: Just because a show offers rush doesn’t mean you’ll get tickets.  The Book of  Mormon typically has 200+ people who attempt to win tickets through their daily lottery.

• Have fun!

 A trip to the theater is always special.  Go to the stage door or out for drinks or a meal afterwards.  Sometimes, the best part of the show is the post-discussion with you’re friends.  So enjoy.

As for MarqueePolitics, we’re off to see The Best Man, Evita and Newsies this weekend!  Reviews will be posted soon….