A Declaration

I once worked with a director who told me that 1776 was his favorite musical, which puzzled me. He was very into new, edgy works, and I couldn't wrap my mind around how a show about the signing of the Declaration of Independence could hold his interest. His answer? "There's a moment when you actually believe they're NOT going to sign it."

OK. Granted, it's always interesting to see a behind-the-scenes take on an infamous event--for example, even though I knew very well what the end result would be, I was still captivated by "Recount"--but the signing of the Declaration of Independence? Seriously?

But I must say that when I finally saw a production of 1776 (at the Paper Mill Playhouse), I could see what he meant. Who would have thought that watching gussied-up gentlemen sweating in a tiny room could be so entertaining?

Show Business Weekly review: 1776

Daisy Chain

I was in Atlanta recently for an archaeology conference, and I reviewed yet another fabulous production at Theatrical Outfit. Last fall, while in Atlanta for a music conference, I reviewed their exquisite revival of the musical Big River; this time, they've remounted a hometown favorite, Driving Miss Daisy, featuring an evocative original score by Robert Waldman.

In November I'll head to Atlanta again for a women's studies conference, and I'm looking forward to seeing what will be playing next time ...

Talkin' Broadway review: Driving Miss Daisy

A New Normal

I have never had such an about-face with a show as I have had with Next to Normal.

When I saw last year's Off-Broadway production (at Second Stage), I walked away from the theater feeling not only disappointed, but downright angry. And the people who know me well would tell you that I don't typically get all riled up about theater; even when I'm writing a less-than-glowing review, I'm the optimist looking for the silver, quasi-artistic lining peeking through the murky clouds.

But the Next to Normal that sprang up in New York last year--with its cloying, flip depictions of grief and mental illness--made me furious. Especially in the new voices of contemporary musical theater, we need stories that address tough issues and parse tricky human behavior. But not with jazz hands.

So even though I had heard that the recent out-of-town revision (at Arena Stage, in Washington, D.C.) had snagged some excellent reviews, I literally groaned when I heard that the show was planning to transfer back to New York (and on Broadway!?!?). But I have friends who have been disciples of this show from the beginning (and have seen it 6 or more times), so I decided to give it another chance.

And BAM! POW! KAZAM! am I ever glad I did. (Although that music will likely NEVER get out of my head ...)

Show Business Weekly Review: Next to Normal

Lonesome as a moon at dawn ...

Yet another ambitious production from the Prospect Theater Company, this time with a snappy bluegrass soundtrack:

CurtainUp Review: Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge

Durang-Durang ...

If you loved The Marriage of Bette and Boo but wondered how (and why) anyone sat through The Coast of Utopia, you'll love Christopher Durang's latest invention, a surprisingly moving new play that uses the surreal, absurd machinations of theater to explore the very real, absurd musings of our minds. As conceived on David Korins's fantastic turntable set, the play is (literally) a wild ride from start to finish, but somehow, startlingly, ends up at a very familiar place with some very familiar questions. How do we construct and conceive our own (theatrical) worlds? And if Christopher Durang could pilot my life for a while, would it all start to make more (surreal) sense?

Show Business Weekly Review: Why Torture Is Wrong, And The People Who Love Them

Something toxic this way comes ...

How many Toxic Avenger musicals does the world need? Apparently, at least three ... The Toxic Avenger Musical, which recently opened Off Broadway at New World Stages, marks the third effort at turning the campy '80s flick into a singing-and-dancing stage fest.

CurtainUp Review: The Toxic Avenger Musical

This was my first Toxic musical outing, but I brought along my friend Nora to get a veteran's take on the material. (She played the blind girlfriend, Sarah, in a production that debuted at Omaha's Blue Barn Theatre several years ago.) She seemed to enjoy the new take on "Toxie", but declared that the productions were like "apples and oranges" -- all too different to truly be compared.

So why The Toxic Avenger? It seems that audiences have had a fondness for the green-tinged sci-fi genre in recent years. Throughout the show, I kept a running list of other shows that are similar in theme/music/atmosphere: Urinetown, Reefer Madness, Little Shop of Horrors, Bat-Boy, etc. ... and green creatures are already well-represented on New York stages with Shrek, Wicked, and the now-closed Young Frankenstein.

Geek + Green = Superhero? Sounds like wishful thinking on the part of computer nerds everywhere. (Or, if green = $$, we've unearthed the dreams of many a producer on this small island.)

Green goo aside, I highly recommend the show based on the phenomenal fortitude of three fabulous performers: wise-cracking chameleons Matthew Saldivar and Demond Green, and, especially, the formidable force of nature that is Nancy Opel. It appears that one of her secrets is her shoes, but if the right pair of shoes could make everyone sing like that, Broadway would be a happier place indeed (and Carrie Bradshaw would be crooning ballads in her Blahniks).

Lottery Winners!

Props to my inadvertently artsy brother Jeff for my new favorite New York photo! This is his girlfriend Mara and I moments after winning the lottery to see In the Heights. We didn't win $96,000, but getting to experience the show's euphoric energy from the front row was well worth the $26.50. Sometimes in New York, dreams do come true ...

When you see a guy reach for stars in the sky ...

You can bet that it's Des McAnuff stunt-casting Guys and Dolls ...

Show Business Weekly review: Guys and Dolls

I love contemporary musicals, but Guys and Dolls will always be one of my favorites, thanks to its gorgeous, jazzy, perfect score; its snappy, vivid dialogue; and its alluring mix of sweeping romance and brash comedy. It also features two of the musical theater's juiciest female roles -- two women who, at the onset, are at quite opposite ends of the female continuum, but who discover, by the end, that they have quite a bit in common. (And that's the truth, ladies -- sharing stories of woeful relationships and bemoaning misbehaving men are still two of the quickest paths to fierce female friendship. We dolls always have much to discuss -- thanks, guys.)

It's interesting now to remember the appeal of Sarah and Adelaide at two very different points in my own life. Guys and Dolls was my very first high school musical, and I was desperate to play Sarah, insert myself into a seamless musical-theater plot, and fall in love with my costar (of course, right?). I put my swoony heart and soul into "I'll Know" at the audition -- and ended up playing the second Hot Box Girl from the left. But I remember prancing off the stage one night after "Take Back Your Mink" and jumping up and down for about fifteen minutes. The audience was a drug, and I was one addicted 15-year-old.

It seems only fitting then, that by the time I got to graduate school, I had turned into a scenery-chewing, audience-hungry performer and could slink comfortably into Adelaide's mink stole and shiny dressing gowns. Faith Prince has been something of an idol/role model for me in my performing career, and her Tony Award-winning performance as Adelaide in the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls is legendary (and still preserved on CD, thank goodness). Sweet, saucy, lovable, and adorable, she is the very definition of the brassy bombshell -- a quirky heroine with enough personality, pluck, and moxie to knock your average, paper-thin ingenue to the floor.

So while I give Lauren Graham kudos for trying a more remote, deadpan take on the role, it's hard to imagine a Guys and Dolls that could support such a lifeless Adelaide at its center. And then there's the problem of stunt casting. Before the show began, the older woman seated next to me turned to her friend and stage-whispered: "Is she really going to sing and dance -- Lorelai?" Lorelai was Graham's character on the WB series "The Gilmore Girls," for which Graham is best known (but doesn't, for the record, have much to do with Guys and Dolls). So in a sense, maybe Graham felt that she had to do something new to differentiate herself even further from the character people "know" her as playing in a different medium ... ?

Now I've confused myself, but I do know that something doesn't add up in a Guys and Dolls where the bookish Sarah becomes the quirkier, more lovable character (hooray for Kate Jennings Grant!) and Adelaide simmers quietly in the background.

For those of us who live and love theater, different characters speak to us at different moments in our lives. I'm all for reinventing female archetypes, but juicy characters need juice.

Want some church with your theater?

I love The Civilians. I love this show.

Show Business Weekly review: This Beautiful City

Florida in February (or why traveling for work sometimes really isn't all that bad)

This past week my work travel took me to Gainesville (University of Florida), Tampa (University of South Florida), and Orlando (University of Central Florida).

Besides the sunshine and delicious 70-degree weather, here are a few other reasons why my glass was more than half full (or palm tree was more than half grown?) in Florida:

1. Spanish moss dripping from the treetops:




2. A cool-cat jazz professor/saxophonist who gave us free CDs: I especially recommend the "Singin' in the Rain" track from "Ridge Lines".

3. Sensational sushi. If you're ever in Tampa, run, don't walk, to Samurai Blue Sushi in Centro Ybor for the Blue Moon roll.

4. This view from my ($50!) hotel room:



5. Random campus oddities, like this:



6. The well-intentioned efforts of the anthropology department to keep us out; but not to worry, we so got in.



7. Not being in the office = getting to traipse through settings like this one (at UF):



Next up: Missouri, where I will do my very best not to shoot eye darts at the football stadium ...

Keeping Austin Weird (and Running)

I'm rather embarrassed to admit that my main experience of the New York Marathon has been minor irritation at the roadblock I encountered when trying to have brunch at one of my favorite restaurants. But now I'm redeemed: I have a new reverence for marathoners after watching two people I love compete in one.

[Full disclosure: Personally, I only run when chased. Or when trying to catch the subway. I much prefer a pool (as do my knees).]

I just got back from a long weekend in Austin, Texas, where I got to watch my brother Jeff and his girlfriend Mara sail through the Austin Marathon! I am so enormously proud of them and all of the training they did to get to this point. My parents flew down from Nebraska, and we all got to meet Mara's parents, brother, and grandparents. (Her sweet grandfather even gave yellow roses to my mom and me to commemorate the "Yellow Rose of Texas" for Valentine's Day. I was almost more excited to learn that he attended the opening night of Sweeney Todd on Broadway!)

Fittingly, because Austin is one of the music meccas of the world, there were eclectic bands playing at many of the checkpoints. As we waited to watch them complete the home stretch, we heard a girl-guitar band play such marathon-friendly covers as "I Will Survive" and "500 Miles".

We found two great spots from which we could see them -- at the 6-mile mark and then at 200 meters from the finish line (in between we rather guiltily grabbed brunch and kept remembering how they were still running ... and running ...). Jeff finished at 4 hours, 7 minutes, and Mara finished about an hour later.

I love to find the theater in everyday life, and there was no shortage of entertainment from the runners and spectators. At the 6-mile mark, we saw runners dressed up as such random things as a bumble bee and superheroes (pictured). I even saw a 60-ish man wearing nothing but a large garbage bag (or so it appeared). One of the highlights was the man who stopped and did a cartwheel before continuing on (somehow, I doubt that he was cartwheeling by mile 25).

Jeff and Mara were still hobbling a bit today, but I think they're both glad that they did it. If nothing else, in addition to the running festivities, we ate scads of good food. If you're in Austin, I would recommend:

Austin Java: especially the chai latte (home brew), spinach omelette, oatmeal, and muffins (per my parents, who thought the blueberry and morning glory varieties were the best they'd ever tasted)

La Traviata: excellent pistachio-crusted salmon. Even more excellent orange-ricotta cheesecake.

Trudy's: Tex-Mex the way it should be. Chips & salsa galore, delicious fish tacos, expert service. Will someone please bring some decent Tex-Mex to New York?

Lambert's Downtown BBQ: scallops grilled with grapefruit, goat cheese, and radishes? Yes, please!

Pho: excellent bubble tea & friendly waitstaff with cheeky "Go Pho It!" T-shirts.

I'll leave you with parting shots featuring two of my favorite things about Austin: 1) My phenomenally talented, mothering-and-lawyering-and-multi-tasking friend Simi; and 2) The horizon at sunset (even when marred by a Hitchcock-looking tree of birds).

Ragtime, in Your Time

Presidents’ Day seems like the perfect occasion to exhort you, implore you, and beg you to do yourself a favor and go see Ragtime at the Astoria Performing Arts Center this weekend. And please hurry – it closes on Sunday! In the age of Barack Obama, Ragtime has truly become a profound, riveting, immensely resonant experience.

CurtainUp review: Ragtime

Ragtime was the first Broadway show I ever saw (spring break '98), and the show is such an enduring masterpiece. In a way, I’m actually surprised we haven’t seen more of it around the city since then, but it took director Tom Wojtunik (newly anointed Artistic Director of APAC) to give the show a dazzling new treatment for our own historical era.

For one thing, this Ragtime is not designed to be a box-office blockbuster; it’s intimate, in-your-face, and visceral. You’ll likely make eye contact with a performer at least once, and you might get nervous at times that you might be whisked from your seat and into the show. (But not to fear: this isn't a physically interactive show, just an immensely emotionally and intellectually interactive one.)

And then there’s the cast—my highest praise and respect goes to D. William Hughes and Janine Ayn Romano, who tell the show’s central love story as Coalhouse Walker, Jr., and Sarah. The roles were played on Broadway by the inimitable Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald. (And although the show ran only a few years, thanks to the power of cast recordings, their powerhouse duet “Wheels of a Dream” has been listened to/sung along with by theater geeks for more than a decade.) We know those songs. With those voices.

In fact, I actually got to hear them reprise their big duet in October, when Mitchell was the special guest star during Audra McDonald and Barbara Cook’s “Broadway Voices for Change” benefit concert. The left-leaning crowd was abuzz with the upcoming election, and McDonald actually brought a Barack Obama action figure on stage at one point. We all knew there would be a "special guest", and when Mitchell strolled on stage, McDonald quickly interjected: “Brian Stokes Mitchell, everyone!” She was sure that a few people in the back of the theater might mistake him for Obama, and Mitchell gamely pushed out his ears to further play up the resemblance. And then they broke into a glorious, unrehearsed (that’s what they told us, anyway) performance of “Wheels of a Dream,” a song which seemed magnificently appropriate for this moment in history.

But as you’ll see when you visit Ragtime (and maybe I’ll see you there again this weekend), Hughes and Romano inject their performances with a youth and vitality that feels fresh, true, and totally their own. And that’s just the beginning … For a mere $18, you’ll get a history lesson that will make you incredibly aware of the history you’re living. Right now.

Broadway in Brooklyn

Review #2 of 2009 found me at one of my favorite theaters--The Gallery Players in Park Slope, Brooklyn--where I reviewed their latest musical revival, a snazzy production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. It didn’t move mountains with its perky dance numbers, but it was a faithful incarnation of the sweet, jazzy story – complete with some wink-wink little-theater flourishes and a phenomenal turn by newcomer Alison Luff in the title role. (Not to mention the scene-stealing Miss Flannery, pictured here.)

offoffonline review: "One in a Million": Thoroughly Modern Millie

Curtain Up on CurtainUp!

In January, I contributed my first review to the wonderful, oh-so-comprehensive website CurtainUp, which was founded by (and continues to be edited by) the terrific and tireless Elyse Sommer. Elyse and I have been bumping into each other during intermissions for years now, and I’m so happy to be contributing to her site and getting out to see even more shows.

CurtainUp review: Looking for the Pony

My first assignment was the play Looking for the Pony, a heartbreaking, but often hilarious, play about the relationship between two sisters when one of them is diagnosed with cancer. I feel like there is never enough material out there that dares to really confront the issues surrounding death and illness, and I found this play to be an excellent addition to other productions of its ilk (including the oft-produced Wit and Lisa Kron’s genre-bending Well). As I frequently remark to friends, death is one of the few things in life that we all share (it’s a given, no matter how assiduously you might fight it with regular treatments of Botox or heavy doses of denial). Isn’t it time we could dialogue more about it – and not only about death itself, but about all of the living that continues to be done around it?

It seemed appropriate that a play like this would get wildly mixed reviews, as you can see in these two. (The Times liked it, TheaterMania loathed it.)

NYTimes review
Theatermania review

But then again, perhaps much of how we experience the subject is colored by our own experiences. My younger sister died of cancer almost six years ago, and I find myself extremely sensitive to anything approaching the hackneyed/maudlin/syrupy sentimental. Far from therapy, to me this play bravely mixed the fear of “going there” with the relief of hearing someone articulate (with wit and empathy) a few very real aspects of these (literally) life-or-death experiences.

On the Road and Glued to My Seat

What a difference a year makes! A year ago this week I was promoted from copywriter to product manager at Oxford University Press; perhaps not uncoincidentally, I also managed to stop blogging from that moment on. And then there was that other big news (see left) ...

I blame my absence in part on the travel demands of my new job: in 2008, I flew more than I ever have in my life -- 15 trips total, and most of them for work. I attended academic conferences and went on campus to promote the textbooks in the disciplines I focus on, including anthropology, criminal justice, music, and sociology.

I visited Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, California (a fabulous 30th birthday/anthropology conference in gorgeous San Francisco), Massachusetts, Ohio, Maine, and Georgia. And did I mention Ohio? I somehow managed to get there FOUR times within a year; once to Columbus for a friend's wedding, but the other three times (Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cincinnati) for conferences. Happily, not only did I have ample opportunity to patronize my beloved Dairy Queen (symbol of all things homespun), but I also discovered the wonders of Graeter's ice cream.

And don't think there wasn't drama on the road -- professors often have histrionics to spare, and it's been exciting to jump onto various college campuses and talk up our books.

One particularly fun aspect of traveling has been getting to visit regional theaters along the way. I started contributing some regional reviews to Talkin' Broadway this year, and I loved getting to see local theater on some of my trips.

In Ohio, I visited (and dined at) the wonderfully appointed Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park to see their stirring production of Doubt.

In Atlanta, I was able to review two shows while attending the College Music Society meeting in September. If you're ever in Atlanta, I implore you to visit the Fox Theatre, where I saw a revival of Les Miserables. There's a reason they call it the "fabulous" Fox -- with stars glowing in a blue sky from the ceiling, it's the most divine theater I've ever seen.

I was also fortunate enough to visit the more intimate company Theatrical Outfit, where I saw an absolutely unforgettable production of the musical Big River, which is -- without question -- the best production I've seen this year.

I just LOVE visiting theaters when I can feel such a strong sense of family/community amongst the actors and patrons. Not only did Theatrical Outfit present an impeccable production of the show, the audience was one of the more diverse I've seen anywhere -- a sure sign of a theater's health and potential. I'm already looking forward to a return trip the next time I find myself in Atlanta.

Another regional treat was the San Francisco Playhouse's production of Conor McPherson's Shining City, a play I missed when it was on Broadway and thoroughly enjoyed in this intimate, beautifully acted production.

So despite my prohibitive travel schedule, I did review quite a few shows this year; for this first post of 2009, I've decided to include a listing (with links) of shows I've reviewed over the past year. And I'm resolving to update this thing at least a few times a month; over the past year I've also joined Facebook and had sufficient time to mull over the merits (and misfortunes) of social networking, but when it comes down to it, I do love to write, and this has been a great way of bringing my writing (and head) together on occasion. Thanks for reading along ...

And so ... my year in theater:

JANUARY

The Peach Tartes Peel for Repeal: offoffonline review - bawdy burlesque; tart, jazzy, and sweet

Glimpses of the Moon: offoffonline review - a sophisticated, sparkling musical in the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel; now playing again on Monday nights

FEBRUARY

The Wild Party: offoffonline review - the Gallery Players' excellent rendition of Andrew Lippa's musical; the composer sat across the aisle from me the night I attended

Grace: offoffonline review - the phenomenal Lynn Redgrave starred in this provocative London import

The Play About the Naked Guy: offoffonline review - the title pretty much says it all; the desperate measures taken by a struggling theater company to bring in patrons

Next to Normal: Show Business Weekly review - Alice Ripley gave a gripping performance in this excruciatingly emotional new musical

MARCH

Dead Man's Cell Phone: Show Business Weekly review - Sarah Ruhl's writing brings out the love/hate in critics, but I'm definitely on the adoration end of the spectrum; Mary-Louise Parker's craftily controlled performance also made this insightful assessment of technology/death one of my favorites of the year

In the Heights: Show Business Weekly review - I reviewed the Off-Broadway version of this irresistible show in 2007, and it only got better--fiercer, bolder, brighter--when it moved uptown

Doubt: Talkin' Broadway review - a fantastic effort by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

Juno: Show Business Weekly review - an excellent City Center Encores! revival starring the indomitable Victoria Clark, who proved that she doesn't need a big song to steal the show and emote like a champ

APRIL

Gypsy: Show Business Weekly review - Patti LuPone was (and maybe is?) Mama Rose, and I can't imagine that I'll see such magnificence in that role ever again

Cry-Baby: Show Business Weekly review - wow, did I really review this? It burned bright, Hairspray-style, for a few moments, but then fizzled in a fog of forgettable songs

A Catered Affair: Show Business Weekly review - this one smoldered and faded all too soon; one of the most moving, emotionally transparent shows I've seen, made all the more fabulous by the touching, heartbreaking performance of Faith Prince

Triumph of Love: offoffonline review - an okay production of a rather obnoxious show; the Astoria Performing Arts Center can do better. It has and it will -- look out for their intimate revival of Ragtime, opening in February

MAY

Honor: offoffonline review - this intriguing new musical from the always ambitious Prospect Theater Company transported Shakespeare's As You Like It to feudal Japan with sumptuous costumes and scenery to match

How Theater Failed America: offoffonline review - a raucous Mike Daisey monologue that was a must-see for theater artists in this day and (Disney-fied) age; he scored again at the Public in the fall with the ballsy attack on homeland security If You See Something, Say Something

JUNE

Saved: offoffonline review - oh, the show this might have been with a bit more sass and sparkle; Mary Faber stole the show as a holier-than-thou high-schooler

Little Shop of Horrors: Show Business Weekly review - I always love visiting the Paper Mill Playhouse (see ode to regional theater, above), and this faithful revival of the near-perfect musical was the perfect air-conditioned antidote to a sticky-steamy summer afternoon

JULY

The Little Hours: Show Business Weekly review - another fantastic dose of regional theater, this time from the New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch, NJ, the hometown of the tart-tongued Dorothy Parker, whose writing was the inspiration for this chamber musical

Damn Yankees: Show Business Weekly review - neither the slickest nor spiffiest version of this dogeared classic, but it had lots of "heart"

The Marriage of Bette & Boo: Show Business Weekly review - a slick and saucy revival of Christopher Durang's biting-yet-somehow-moving play (and another score for the sensational Victoria Clark)

Around the World in 80 Days: Show Business Weekly review - a winning, whirlwind adventure from the Irish Repertory Company

AUGUST

Johnny Law: offoffonline review - the one Fringe show I made it to this year; a heroic effort that sometimes hit its one-man legal humor

SEPTEMBER

What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling: Show Business Weekly review - a witty mockumentary for musical theater types

1965UU: offoffonline review - experimental theater is usually not my cup of tea, and this is why

The Marvelous Wonderettes: Show Business Weekly review - bubblegum fun from start to finish, with four sensational singing performances

A Tale of Two Cities: Show Business Weekly review - Les Miserables redux, minus the haunting melodies

Les Miserables: Talkin' Broadway review - faithful revival at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta

Big River: Talkin' Broadway review - everything musical theater should be, from Atlanta's Theatrical Outfit

DECEMBER

Slava's Showshow: Show Business Weekly review - you haven't experienced interactive theater until you've had your coat flung into the air

And about this year's Tony Awards ... this year I was lucky enough to attend -- as a seat-filler, which was one of the more interesting experiences of my life. But I'll save the scintillating story of that event for another post later this month ...

Coming soon: reviews of Ragtime (Astoria) and Thoroughly Modern Millie (Brooklyn) -- Broadway moves to the boroughs!

In the meantime, here's to another year of seat-filling at its finest!