My Favorite Things

MarqueePolitics is turning two this month, and this blogger is turning the big 27. With these milestones on the horizon, it got me thinking.

I’m often asked about my favorite performances, and to identify which ones made the biggest impact on me.  With my birthday right around the corner, I thought that this would be an appropriate time to reflect on the performances that have never quite left me.

Phantom/Miss. Saigon/Cats

“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.”

All it took was: a crashing chandelier, helicopter landing and dancing cats.  These were first shows I ever saw (ages 3, 6, 7).  Their combination of: high emotions, grand spectacle and memorable pop scores sent my young imagination soaring.  I often call them the holy trinity of musicals, because it was these three shows that introduced me to the great love of my life, the theater.

Evita – 1979 Original Broadway Cast Recording

I had an epiphany in high school, and it was the first time I ever listened to the original Broadway cast recording of Evita.

The rock opera’s themes of politics, revolution and media manipulation hooked this young politico at age 16.  Evita was further electrified by Patti LuPone’s fierce portrayal as Argentina’s First Lady and her ambition to succeed at all costs.  Despite having the album for the 11 years, not a week goes by when LuPone and the original Broadway cast of Evita can been heard from my apartment, giving this show a touch of star quality!

Elaine Stritch at Liberty – 2002 Broadway Production

Rare, intense, humorous, honest and a triumph of the human soul.

I was lucky enough to attend the last Broadway matinee performance of this show.  From that Sunday afternoon, I learned that human’s can triumph over any adversity as long as we don’t stop fighting.  Accompanied by a songbook of classic Broadway hits, Stritch walked the audience thru her: fights with alcoholism, struggles with love, triumphs working with Noel Coward and Stephen Sondheim, and life’s journey from being raised in Detroit to having her name adorn Broadway marquees.

Great actors leave it all out on the stage and Stritch set the bar for generations to come.

 Company – 2006 Broadway Revival

Company, more than any other show, changed my perspective on life.

My parents split when I was very young, and what understanding of marriage I had came from television.  Because of that, I never understood the emotional complexity involved when two people enter into a relationship, and what I did know was very one-sided.   Company threw cold-water on that idea, teaching me that relationships are about sharing your life with somebody, not just some-body.  Theater is often a reflection of life through art, and its through art that we learn so much about ourselves as individuals.

The Audience

The one constant in all these productions is the audience, and I’ve been lucky to have always had a supporting audience of my own.  While I won’t use their names, I want recognize the friends and family who have encouraged my love of the theater: My parents who introduced me to the musical at age 3, grandparents who were always game to see a show on Broadway – even if they didn’t quite “get it”, Chief of Staff, and dear friends living across the country in: New York, Pittsburgh, Rockville, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, DC.  All of which I owe a debt a gratitude for indulging in my life’s great passion!

The cast albums to all shows mentioned above are available on amazon.com.

Furthermore, video productions of: Cats, Company, Elaine Stritch at Liberty and Phantom may also be found at amazon.com.

From Bush to Chicago: A Comeback Story

Last week Gallup revealed a once unthinkable poll result: former President George W. Bush now has a higher approval rating than President Barack Obama.  Considering how much of Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaign narratives were about being the anti-Bush candidate, it’s an interesting twist and one the current West Wing must not be enjoying.

In discussing the poll result with a former Bush White House colleague who follows my blog, I was asked: “Perceptions of presidents have changed over time, is the same true for musicals?”

It’s an interesting question and the answer can be found in this statement:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, you are about to see a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery – all those things we hold dear to our hearts.”

There’s been no greater second act for a musical than Chicago, currently playing at Broadway’s Ambassador Theater.  With more than 6,583 performances on Broadway, the winner of seven 1997 Tony Awards and six 2002 Oscars, it’s hard to believe but Chicago was once on the verge of being condemned to the Playbill archives.

On paper, Chicago had the makings of a hit with: Bob Fosse as the director-choreographer, written by the composer-lyricist team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, and a cast that included theatrical legends: Chita Rivera, Jerry Orbach and Gwen Verdon.   What it didn’t have was timing, and sometimes on Broadway that’s the most important ingredient.

A week prior to Chicago’s opening in June 1975, the most groundbreaking musical since Oklahoma opened down the block at the Shubert Theatre, A Chorus Line.  Compared to Chicago’s overtly cynical view of the justice system, Chorus Line’s story about the dreams and struggles of dancers on Broadway was cheered by critics and audiences.  When the 1976 Tony Award nominations were announced, Chicago received 10 nominations, losing everyone of them to A Chorus Line.

Despite a respectable Broadway run of 936 performances, the original Broadway production of Chicago closed in 1977 with little fan fare.  Chicago’s portrayal of justice and celebrity seemed in poor taste.  That perception would change overtime, all thanks to OJ Simpson, 24 hour cable news and a growing tabloid media culture in the United States.

At New York City’s City Center Encores, a program dedicated to performing musicals that are rarely produced, the creative team knew that by 1996 the time was right for audiences to get reacquainted with Chicago.  The coverage of the Simpson Trial had only validated the show’s concept of criminal celebrity.  So they scheduled a revival concert and well, the rest is history.

The concert production was turned into a full-blown Broadway revival, opening in November 1996.  In 2002 Chicago, which was first deemed too cynical for audiences, further advanced its comeback with a hit movie that grossed more than $306 million worldwide, and became the first movie-musical to win the Oscar for Best Picture  in more than 30 years. 

Time changes our perspective on everything, from politics and musicals, to policy issues and songs.  What both President Bush and Chicago demonstrate is that the verdict of the critics is only temporary.  It is history who will render the final judgment…and all that jazz!

For tickets to the Broadway, US Tour and International Productions of Chicago please visit: www.chicagothemusical.com/

Review: Elaine Paige at The Birchmere

Last Thursday at 8:06 p.m., the earth stopped when a musician at a black Steinway piano played the chords: D-D-E-G-E-G-E-D and a 4’11, 64 year old British lady announced to the crowd, “It  won’t be easy, you’ll think it strange…”  Yes, the time-space continuum of the nation’s capital paused, sat and listened to Elaine Paige make her American concert debut in one of the greatest shows to ever be performed in the history of Washington, DC.

Paige is not a household name, and you’ve probably never heard of her; however her voice has dominated radio and the international theater scene for the last 40 years.  She was the first EVER woman to portray on-stage, Eva Peron in Evita, Grizabella in Cats, Florence in Chess, not to mention reviving some of the theater’s greatest female roles  including: Edith Piaf in Piaf, Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard and most recently Carlotta in the Kennedy Center’s smash hit production of Follies.

Despite becoming an overnight sensation with Evita in 1978, Paige never made it to America until two decades later replacing Tony-winner Betty Buckley in the original Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard.   Even after receiving rave reviews on the Great White Way, recording numerous hit records, having a top rated BBC radio show and performing for countless heads of state (including President Reagan), Paige never embarked on a US concert tour, until now.  Hence what made last Thursday so special.

Paige’s show is a combination of her two albums: Encore and Elaine Paige – Celebrating 40 Years on Stage, making it part autobiographical and part hit parade.   For her musical hits, Paige performed each song in the character and context of the show.  This is quite a departure as her theater contemporaries tend to put their own spin on a song.

Not Paige, she stuck with the music, lyrics and even stage direction for how she originally performed each song.  The result of her performance showcased the beauty that is the perfect marriage of music and lyrics in a show tune.  Each song became a mini-scene from her performance repertoire.  If that wasn’t enough she even performed one song in French, “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” from the show Piaf.

It was clear throughout the 90 minute concert that the audience recognized Paige’s extraordinary performance and they rewarded with her several, roaring standing ovations throughout the show.  Paige was clearly touched, as she even teared up at the audience’s response to her performance of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.”  When the audience cheered her mention of the flop musical Chess, Paige became overcome with emotion.  A bond had formed between performer and audience.

Paige is currently touring the US with her show, and you should use every LEGAL method possible to get tickets.  Her show is testament to the notion that great performers simply only need an empty stage and a piano to create something truly special.  At the end of her show, it seemed that Paige had played every audience request except one: please keep performing in the states!

And with her grand departure from the stage, the earth resumed its rotation and Washington went about its business.

Ms. Paige’s set list includes: All That Jazz, Broadway Baby, Hello Young Lovers, Easy To Be Hard, Yesterday, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, As If We Never Said Goodbye, I Get A Kick Out Of You, Non Je Ne Regrette Rien, If You Loved Me, I Know Him So Well, Memory and With One Look.

Ms. Paige’s Tour Schedule maybe found here: http://www.elainepaige.com/news.html

Movie Review: Les Miserables

The movie version of the hit musical Les Miserables can best be described as a traffic jam.  Why?  Because when the movie hits its stride and proceeds at full speed it reminds of you of how Les Mis can be brilliant and uplifting.  However, when the movie is slow, it’s painfully slow and loses focus on its message: man’s enduring humanity.

Full disclosure: Les Mis has never been one of my favorite musicals. Despite having some great songs, catchy lyrics and an uplifting message, I always felt the show was too long.  Regardless, having seen the show on Broadway, the 25^th anniversary tour and read the original Victor Hugo novel, I feel justified to be in a position to critique the movie.

The overall problem with the movie is it’s uneven pace and loss of focus on the story of Jean Val Jean towards the middle and end of the movie.  Director Tom Hooper did a wonderful job of not cutting any characters from the stage show, however many of the transition scenes/music/lyrics have been cut and that poses a great problem to the movie.  On stage those scenes helped to move the action along.  Part of the problem in cutting those lyrics is that those scenes now move at a glacial pace.

The biggest casualty of the film’s uneven tempo is the ultimate loss of Val Jean’s message: To love another person is to see the face of God.  In its purest form, the stage show and original Victor Hugo novel is about man’s humanity and struggle to do what is good and just.  Somehow, somewhere, Les Mis lost that message in its jump from stage to screen.

The production team behind Les Mis must be credited for not only translating this epic musical to the big screen, but retaining many of the set and costumes designs from the iconic original London and New York productions.  Further credit most also be given to Hugh Jackman (Val Jean), Anne Hathaway (Fantine), Sacha Baron Cohen  (Thernadier) and Helena Bonham Carter (Madame Thernadier) for being outstanding in their roles.

However, none of these big name stars can help the movie when it arrives at the slow parts (of which there are many).  Fans of the stage show and the book will not be disappointed.  Overall, the movie retains much of what made the musical an internal phenomenon.  Turning stage musicals into movies is hard and I don’t envy anyone who tries.  I just wish however that they would be more even in their pace, because while I loathe traffic on the highway, I especially loathe it in the theater.

Les Mis is currently touring the United States, playing in London’s West End and still in theaters.  For tickets to these productions please visit: http://www.lesmis.com/

Review: War Horse, A Journey Back to Childhood

Growing up in the theater during the 1980’s I was a child of the mega-musical: an era where productions used special effects to enhance shows with simplistic plots. The last show I ever saw do this to do great effect, was the first national tour of Miss Saigon. That is until I saw the current touring production of the Tony award winning Best Play, War Horse, currently performing at Washington, DC’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

War Horse’s plot is simple; a boy grows attached to his horse named Joey, Joey gets shipped off to the front during World War I and the boy joins the army to find Joey.  As one theater friend recently stated to me, “It’s the story of Shiloh retold with a horse.”

What makes War Horse so special is how the production team tells the story. Rather than using real horses (to0 tricky), stuff animals (too camp), they instead use puppets to great effect. The horse is life-size and the design is so successful that you feel the audience’s emotional attachment to Joey. For a non-speaking puppet, there was no doubt as to the kind of horse Joey would be in real life.  I took a friend who was raised on a ranch in Nebraska to see War Horse, and even she remarked that what made the show so believable was the puppet’s behavior was so realistic.

Enhancing War Horse, and adding a sense of epic urgency to the story, is the fact that much of Act I and all of Act II takes place in the battlefields of World War I. Using a combination of lights, sounds and projections, the creative team takes the audience on Joey’s journey through War without using a literal stage design and going overboard on set pieces.  This challenges the audience, in a good way, to use their imaginations to enhance Joey’s surroundings at the British and German fronts.

Watching War Horse I was transported back to my childhood when crashing chandeliers, a turntable, dancing cats and helicopters landing on stage brought the theater to life. Despite its critics, the mega-musical fueled my imagination and forever bonded me to live theater. War Horse doesn’t have a complicated story, what it has is a heart.  And for one theatergoer, it was a journey back to childhood, all thanks to a life-size horse puppet named Joey.

To learn more about War Horse, or to purchase tickets, please visit: http://warhorseonstage.com/tickets/us_tour

Review: The Book of Mormon

The message on religion was enlightening and the production quality stellar, yet with dated jokes and lacking memorable songs, The Book of Mormon falls flat and is anything but God’s gift to musical theater.  I know, I know…this was supposed to be the greatest musical ever!  Regardless, I entered the theater really hoping to like it, but two acts and one intermission later, I found myself completely bored.

For those who don’t know, The Book of Mormon is about two young Mormon missionaries assigned to work in Uganda.  Their task is to spread the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to a country ravaged by war.  The show has the potential to be both a comedic masterpiece and a prophetic statement on faith in the 21^st century.  And yet, The Book of Mormon fails in both areas because of three key problems: direction, humor and music/lyrics.

The Book of Mormon’s plot is solid; however the direction of the show is what keeps it from being more than mediocre.  Much of the show’s problem is that it never seems to define itself.  Is The Book of Mormon a, critique of the Mormon faith, personal statement on faith in general, satire of religion/religious missionaries or musical farce?  With a solid creative team that includes Matt Stone and Trey Parker (South Park) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q); it’s tragic to think the writers couldn’t provide the show with greater guidance.

Adding to the misdirection are the show’s jokes, some of which are good, but most seem like old-school shtick you’d expect to see in a second-rate lounge act in Atlantic City.  This includes mispronouncing foreign names, mocking religion and jokes about homosexuals misinterpreting their sexual identity.  Some of the jokes can be cruel, but most seem like material that failed to the make the cut of a South Park episode.

And if the jokes were bad, the songs weren’t any better.  Sounding like someone threw Avenue Q, Wicked and Spamalot into a blender, The Book of Mormon’s music and lyrics lack originality.  Yes, there is a song which says ‘F&$% You God in the A$$,’ but much like the jokes, the songs are second rate.  Once you move past the shock value, there isn’t much that’s really there.  It’s a disappointment since the same creative team also gave us such phenomenal musical numbers as “Blame Canada” from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and “America (F&$% Yeah)” from Team America: World Police.

I went into The Book of Mormon really wanting to love it. Entering Los Angeles’s Pantages Theater, I couldn’t have been more thrilled and excited.  Leaving, I was bored and felt ripped off.  All this hype and it wasn’t worth it.  If the show has one redeeming quality, it’s the message about a person’s own relationship with the idea of faith.  For a show charging upwards of $60 to sit in the last row of the theater, faith alone wasn’t worth the price of admission.

The Book of Mormon is currently on Broadway, touring the United States and preparing for a London Production.  To get tickets or to learn more, please visit: http://www.bookofmormonbroadway.com

On the road again…..

MarqueePolitics is hitting the road this week for vacation.  One of the stops along the way is to see the national tour of The Book of Mormon in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre during its opening week.  So with that on the agenda, let me take this time to answer some frequent questions I get about touring productions of Broadway shows.

Q: Why see a show on tour?

A: Sometimes I choose to wait to see a show go on tour for various reasons.  As for The Book of Mormon, like you, I couldn’t get tickets to the Broadway production, nor could I afford tickets to the Broadway production.  When I heard the show was going on  tour I decided to wait.

In Los Angeles, I’m sitting in the front mezzanine, a ticket which costs me $80.  On Broadway, that very same ticket would have cost me upwards of $155.  So sometimes, to be cost effective, I wait to see a show on tour.  Hey, theater isn’t cheap.

Q: What’s the difference between a touring production vs. Broadway production?

 A: It really depends on the show, but generally not much.  A few of the sets maybe scaled down, but the show is generally a carbon copy of the Broadway production.   Music, lyrics, plot and choreography are all the same, nothing changes. 

Q: Is there a quality difference between touring and Broadway productions?

A: No, all Broadway tours are Broadway quality.  There are some minor differences, but generally none that are very noticeable.  In some cases a touring production is better than  the Broadway production; see my recent post about The Addams Family.

Q: Since tours don’t have the original Broadway casts, are they worth seeing?

 A: This is the most frequent question I get asked, and the answer is absolutely!

Just because a tour isn’t the original cast, it shouldn’t dissuade you from seeing a show.  Many tours are populated with Broadway veterans, and in some cases their performances are better than that of the original casts.  Also, Broadway shows aren’t written for stars like they used to be when Irving Berlin would write for Ethel Merman.  

Finally, I’ve seen many regional and touring productions where the local leads are better than their Broadway counterparts.  And who knows, you may be seeing a star in the making.  A star doesn’t make the role, the role makes the star! 

Q: Where can I find out which shows are coming to my town?

A: The following are all great websites to find information about shows coming to your town.  Also, many public libraries and art museums also have information touring and regional productions. 

            http://playbill.com/events/listing/3/Regional-Tours-Shows/

            http://broadwayacrossamerica.com/

 See you when I get back, and yes, there will be a Book of Mormon review!