Midnight in the Oval

It’s close to midnight in the Oval Office on January 19, 2017, in the waning hours of the Obama administration. Eight years after first promising hope and a change in the tone of our politics, the United States remains politically divided and the capital gridlocked.  Thinking back, President Obama is left to ask, “What could I have done?”

This past weekend, the world saw something rare come out of Washington, DC, honesty.  When Newark Mayor Cory Booker said on NBC’s Meet the Press that the Obama 2012 campaign ad on Mitt Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital was, “Nauseating to me on both sides. It’s nauseating to the American public. Enough is enough. Stop attacking private equity.”  Bookers’ statement was a rare display of candor and honesty, something that caused many to pause and take note.

At his post-NATO Conference presser in Chicago Monday, President Obama disregarded the comment saying, “It’s important to recognize this issue is not a distraction.  It’s part of the debate we are having in this election.”  And yet, the president seemed to miss the point of the question.  With the economy stumbling, Europe a lamentable mess, and foreign threats abroad; does the tone of the campaign need to be cheap attack ads?

What is so surprising, to me at least, is the zero-sum game mentality with which the President is waging his re-election battle.  A stark contrast, and dare I say the antithesis, of his 2008 message.  Indeed, even in a 2010 address at the University of Michigan, the President said,

“We can’t expect to solve our problems if all we do is tear each other down. You can disagree with a certain policy without demonizing the person who espouses it.”

President Obama’s strategy is reminiscent of Mama Rose, the main character in the musical fable Gypsy.  Rose pushes her children mercilessly to become stars, only to have them become successful and literally disavow themselves from her.  She’s left asking why; only to realize that it never was about them, it was about her.

The parallel is that President Obama is campaigning much more for himself, rather then for the country.  He forgets that on Election Day, it’s not about him, but rather the country.  Returning back to 2017 and the Oval Office, the President is having his Gypsy moment.  As his own political curtain descends he may suddenly be faced with the thought that his service to the nation was, perhaps subconsciously, about himself.  It’s a terrible thought, and one he may very well arrive at.

To watch Mayor Cory Booker’s comments on Meet the Press please visit: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/

Obama’s Sunset Pivot

Last week I bought an interesting poster off of eBay from the original London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard.  The poster simply contained the show’s logo and a statement which read:

“Following its overwhelming success, the Los Angeles Award-Winning production [of Sunset Boulevard] will now be seen in London.”

On first glance the statement is an enigma, but when read between the lines, a motive appears.  Something similar happened last week with President Obama’s speech from Afghanistan.  The line itself didn’t generate much coverage, but it maybe what wins him re-election.

Sunset Boulevard was supposed to be Lloyd Webber’s big splashy new hit musical in 1993.  After the show opened to dismal reviews in London, Sunset was reworked for its pre-Broadway tryout in Los Angeles.  The changes were a smash hit, and the London production was immediately overhauled to incorporate elements of the Los Angeles production.  The poster I bought was printed announcing the changes, but was really also saying, “Look, we learned our lessons the first time, and hope you’ll give us a second chance.”

Now you’re asking, “How does any of this relate to Barack Obama?”  In his speech last week Obama said this about his Afghanistan policy:

“As we move forward, some people will ask why we need a firm timeline. The answer is clear: Our goal is not to build a country in America’s image or to eradicate every vestige of the Taliban”

So what’s the significance of the quote?  Well in 2008, candidate Obama was continuously attacked as ‘weak on defense’ for supporting the idea of a timeline in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  Yet, Obama never rebutted his critics’ charges.  Until last week!

Obama’s Afghanistan speech was very interesting.  The text presented centrist policy goals, and stated why this was the right direction.  It showed that Obama had not only listened to his critics, but gave a thorough and valid response to their questions.  This demonstrates a maturity in the Obama presidency, and an asset that will serve this president well in re-election.  One only wonders, how different his first term would have been had he used the same skills during the healthcare debate.

In 1995, Sunset Boulevard went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical.  In 2012, Barack Obama is struggling to win re-election.  He will only accomplish this if he is able to listen and directly respond to his critics and the concerns of the electorate.  A skill he’s now demonstrating he not only has, but is willing to use when communicating from the pulpit that is the American presidency.

To read President Obama’s speech from Afghanistan: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/01/remarks-president-obama-address-nation-afghanistan

And the nominees are(n’t)…….

The 2012 Tony nominations were announced yesterday, and as a 2009 Tony Award Holder, I feel that I am justly qualified to talk about the nominees. So below is your quick and dirty, Tony nominations roundup:

Bravos:

Follies

My 2011 musical obsession snagged 8 Tony nominations including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for Jane Maxwell’s layered and brilliant performance as Phyllis in Follies. After 40 years, Follies is finally getting credit as an American Masterpiece. I expect to see this show on-stage a lot on Tony Night.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Wow, talk about a category with star power: Nina Arianda, Tracie Bennett, Stockard Channing, Linda Lavin and Cynthia Nixon. This is the category I’m most excited for. Each of these women played characters that were multi-faceted, deep and commanding. All of them deserve this award, it’s a tragedy that only one will walk away with it.

Regional Theatre Award – The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C.

Congratulations to The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C. As a Washingtonian, I am so thrilled for them. The Shakespeare Theatre not only does the most imaginative productions, but they also are bringing Shakespeare alive for a new generation of theatergoers. All of DC is in their debt.

The ticked off, I cannot believe they got overlooked category:

(Sorry, but this part of the post is very emotionally charged.)

Evita

Funny how a show can bomb with critics and be a smash with audiences, and that’s exactly Evita’s story. The show recieved only 3 nominations, and it’s star Elena Roger was snubbed. Regardless, I thought this production was dazzling and Elena Roger’s Eva was seductive. This is a terrific production, and Roger’s performance is my current show recommendation for anyone going to Broadway. Who cares about Tony Awards, this show is going to be around for a long time, and deservedly so.

Elaine Paige in Follies

Aside from Roger in Evita, Elaine Paige’s Carlotta in Follies was this season’s most overlooked performance. Carlotta is a tough role, because the character has very few lines, and yet her solo song “I’m Still Here” is the message of Follies. Plenty of actresses have sung “I’m Still Here” but Paige nailed it. And that alone deserves a Tony nomination at the very, very, very least!

Best Musical

This was a pathetic year for new musicals. With Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark being the first show to open, the omen’s should have been clear. None of the nominated musicals deserve this award, and yet we have four nominees. I often moan about how new musicals seem to lack quality/character/imagination/risk. Maybe the only way to fix this problem is by not nominating shows unless they are really-truly-deserving. Here’s hoping that the 2013 season brings better shows!

The 2012 Tony Awards will air on CBS on Sunday June 10, 2012.

For more information on the Tony Awards, please visit: http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/index.html