The Book of Mormon

I don't usually "jump the gun" on buying tickets to see Broadway shows.  They're so expensive these days and you can almost always find them discounted once it gets closer to opening night.  But I just had a feeling about The Book of Mormon and thought that if I waited too long, I might not get to see it for a while.  Two months ago, all the press was still on the disaster that has turned out to be Spider-Man but this musical from Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the creators of South Park) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q)  was quietly building its own little buzz and I decided then I wanted to see this on my birthday.  It was worth EVERY penny of the full price!

The sound of a doorbell is the first thing you'll hear when you go to see BOM.  You'll see a handsome, smiling face wanting to tell you about a third part to the Bible... and then it's all downhill from there!  The story starts with the elders each being paired off and receiving the assignments for their missions.  Elder Price (Andrew Rannells) is the pretty, overachiever who has been praying for Heavenly Father to pair him with a worthy elder and send them to that most wonderful place on earth... Orlando!  Elder Cunningham (Josh Gad) is the schlubby, chubby underachiever who just wants a new best friend.  Needless to say, the two are paired together and sent to, not O-Town, but Uganda to help spread the word to the African Villagers.

Of course when they get there, the village is not what they expect.  They meet up with the other elders, led by Elder McKinley (Rory O'Malley), who fills them in on the village and what's been going on.  Elder Price sets out to convert everyone in the hapless village but, soon learns that they have their own way of dealing with their issues.

I have to say, this is, quite possibly, the funniest thing I've ever seen on stage!  The writers have taken controversial subject matter and created a friggin' hilariously wrong show that I spent two and a half hours laughing out loud at.  Part of what makes it so funny is the extreme sincerity with which it has been written.  Also, that sincerity transfers to the stage and there's no "wink wink" moment where they're  like, "Aren't we funny?"  

Director Casey Nicholaw has staged a show that zips along at a rapid pace that had me thinking, "Really?  It's already over? "  But the it's great, leaves you wanting more and you don't miss a single joke! And believe me, there are a TON of them.  

The book and score from Parker, Stone and Lopez is full of songs that you may be surprised at yourself for wanting to sing(no matter how wrong) long after the show is over.  And it's full of jokes that make sure to offend everyone but they're too funny for you to care.  Well ok, the two people behind us who left at intermission cared but, that's their problem for not knowing what they were getting into.

Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad are a perfect odd couple pair.  They play off of each other hilariously and are great in their quest to bring the story of Joseph Smith to the people of the village. As a team and apart, the two find more to their characters than just the superficial differences to make you want them both to succeed on this mission.

As Nabulungi, the young lady in the village who tries to help the boys with their teaching, Nikki M. James is a sweet girl with a big voice dreaming of something better for her life and that of her fellow villagers.  She truly believes that the boys are offering a better way of life to her and her people and does her best to help convince the others.

Rory O'Malley is great as Elder McKinley!  When the boys first arrive, he tells them how to deal with their feelings by teaching them to "Turn It Off."  It turns into one of many show stopping moments in the show.

Overall I'd have to say, if your easily offended, don't go see the show.  You'll just be wasting your money getting pissed off and you won't get a refund.  But if you stick it out, you'll realize the show isn't really about offending people at all.  There really is a heart at the center of BOM and if you allow yourself to notice it, you'll be pleasantly surprised.  And you might pee your pants laughing, in the process! I'm not kidding when I say it might be the funniest musical ever!  If you've got the money, I highly recommend it but don't be shocked if you can't get tickets.  The performance we were at was packed.  And from what I understand, they've all been like that lately.

I'd love to see it win some major Tonys in June!  But, that remains to be seen.  If I could, I'd certainly vote for it.

Until next time...

Richard Skipper as "Carol Channing" In Concert

Due to the last minute cancellation of a play reading I was supposed to be part of, I had a chance to go see Richard Skipper as "Carol Channing" in Concert now playing at St. Luke's Theatre.  It turned out to be a nice evening learning a little history about the star so associated with the role of Dolly Levi.

The show is in the style of a cabaret with Ms. Channing singing many of her well known songs and telling stories of her legendary career.  Now I must admit, I don't know all that much about Carol Channing other than what I've seen of her on television but, I'm pretty sure that Mr. Skipper has the woman down.  From her unique way of speaking to her quick wit when chatting with audience members, you really felt you were in the audience with the woman herself.

Throughout the show, the audience is treated to stories from many of her well known hits such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Thoroughly Modern Millie, as well as, some lesser known shows like The Vamp.  Of course, a good section of the show is devoted to Hello Dolly!  As someone who holds a special place for this show (it was the show I earned my Equity card with), I particularly enjoyed hearing the story of how she won the role of Dolly and the medley of accompanying songs.

My only issue with the show would be that we heard too much about the members of the audience.  Being the opening night, there were several actors and musicians from Ms. Channings' hey day who were in the audience.  I guess in the instance of kindness and fairness, Mr. Skipper wanted to give ALL of them a proper "shout out" but, I kept thinking, "I don't care about these people. I want to hear about Carol."  Of course any other night, would probably be a different story.  Don't get me wrong, it was a sweet gesture on the star's part but for me, it just took time away from the main attraction and why we were there.

There was also something funny going on with the lighting. I've seen several other shows at St. Luke's and never noticed a lighting issue before so, I'm going to assume that was just a one time glitch.

Overall, it was a really nice evening getting to know a little about Carol Channing.  Love her or not, Ms. Channing is a true theatre legend and Mr. Skipper is doing a great job of paying her a tribute.  The show only runs through January 26th and if you're a Channing fan, make sure you go to see it.

Until next time...

Devil Boys After the Revolution

The past two days I've had the pleasure of seeing two plays that are total opposites.  The first, dealt with family secrets coming to the surface in Amy Herzog's After the Revolution.  The second, was the campy alien invasion piece Devil Boys From Beyond written by Buddy Thomas and Kenneth Elliot.

I had no idea what to expect when I went in to see After the Revolution at Playwrights Horizons.  The only thing I new about the play was that it had Mare Winningham.  So, I was a little surprised that it was a tense family drama about secrets exposed.

You see Emma, played by Katharine Powell, grew up believing that her grandfather was always fighting for the little man.  The types of people who are always being pushed around for not fitting the status quo.

Well, he did that but fifty years before, he was also a spy for the Soviet Union.  Her whole world is turned upside down to learn this and deals with the new knowledge of the man she's always known to be one thing, who now turns out to be someone else.

Overall, it was certainly a show to make you think.  What your hero turns out to be not quite so heroic?  How would you react?  It's easily the kind of play that could head straight down a boring path but, is kept on the interesting side thanks to an overall excellent cast.  My biggest problem was really that we didn't get to see more of the lovely ladies, Mare Winninham and Lois Smith.  The show could have used more of both of them.

On Friday, I got to see something that was the polar opposite of After the Revolution.  That, of course would be Devil Boys From Beyond.  A funny, campy play now playing at New World Stages.

Devil Boys follows newspaper reporter Mattie Van Buren (Paul Pecorino) and her photographer and former husband Gregory Graham (Robert Berliner) as they travel to Lizard Lake, Florida to investigate news of a possible alien invasion and abduction.  Along the way, Mattie is trying to keep the alcoholic Gregory away from booze while not having her story "scooped" by her bitter rival, Lucinda Marsh (Chris Dell'Armo).

This play is high camp of the first order.  In fact, it reminded me of a Charles Busch play and Pecorino's Mattie, reminded me a lot of one of Busch's trademark characters.  That's a true compliment from me, being a big Charles Busch fan.  Everything is played so over the top you can't help but laugh at the situation, no matter how ridiculous it may seem.

Overall, I'd say that both plays were definitely worth a viewing.  They're also a good way to see some diversity in theatre because they are so different from each other.  From the serious realistic nature of After the Revolution, to the over the top camp of Devil Boys.  I'd say depending on what you're feeling, they're both worth it.

After the Revolution runs through November 28th at Playwrights Horizons and Devil Boys From Beyond is at New World Stages for only 36 performances which began Nov. 3rd.

Until next time...

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

I think it's such a great experience to see a brand new show that is still in previews!  At that point, barely anyone has heard the music and so you feel like you're being let in on a little secret.  That's how I felt going into the Belasco Theatre, Thursday night, to see the new musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

The musical, written by David Yazbek with a book by Jeffrey Lane, is based on the Pedro Almodovar film of the same name.  The show is written in a kind of telenovela format for the stage.  I'm not quite sure that everyone around me really got that concept.

I do have to say, as of now, the show isn't really easy to get into.  The opening number (My Crazy Heart) just felt a little odd as an introduction to the show.  I'm not quite sure what the purpose of it was because, while all the women are there, you don't really "meet" any of them.   Anyway, the story doesn't really get started until after it ends and, from then on, I had no problem getting it.

In fact, my biggest problem with the music was the fact that the songs that started both acts just didn't seem necessary.  The Act Two starter, "Madrid", was an ok song but did nothing to help advance the story and could easily have been cut (it still could be, seeing how there's still two weeks of previews left).  It didn't help that the Act One closer, "On the Verge", was a great ensemble number that left us with a really cool closing image.  It just seemed as though someone thought, "We need more dancing.  Let's hold off on really starting the second act until after we after we've added some more dancing."  And really, the choreography by Christopher Gattelli didn't really deserve its own number.

The impressive and constantly moving set was designed by Michael Yeargan.  There were also projections by Sven Ortel that added to the overall production.  These helped to move the action along and were pretty much characters in themselves.  The night we saw, everything moved smoothly with no stops.

The human characters of the show were played by what has to be, in my mind, the best ensemble on a Broadway stage right now.  Each of them had their moment in the spotlight and grabbed it.  Sherie Rene Scott had what would be considered the lead role of Pepa, the mistress with great gazpacho and a message to deliver.  I was excited to finally get to see her on stage and she didn't disappoint.  Her accent seemed a smidge shaky at the start but, her performance wasn't.  She took control of the stage and everyone around her like the star should.

As great as she was though, she had two ladies stealing the show at every turn.  Patti Lupone (another one I was SO excited to see!) and Laura Benanti both were hilarious playing a crazed ex-wife (Lucia) and a suspicious model (Candela).  I wasn't too keen on Patti's first number, "Time Stood Still", mainly because of the way it was staged but her second, "Invisible", gave her the chance to shine the way she deserves.  Laura's number "Model Behavior", was easily one of the highlights of the show.

As this show is about women, the men were relegated to being off stage for a lot of the time.  Danny Burstein was very funny as the taxi driver but, unfortunately, he's the one that gets stuck with the "Madrid" number.  Brian Stokes Mitchell, easily has the "paycheck" role.  He comes on, sings a song or two and then leaves but, he makes the most of it.  Justin Guarini was the nicest surprise of the cast for me.  Expectations were low for this American Idol runner-up but, he did a very nice job as Carlos.  But then, you'd better do a nice job when you're playing the son of Patti and Brian Stokes!

Overall, I thought the show was great for where it was.  It still has two weeks of previews to gel before opening but, I think they've got it for the most part.  I DO find it a bit unfortunate that, as of now, my two biggest issues with it were the beginnings of both acts.  Also, the ending was a bit abrupt and the audience didn't know it was over until the ensemble came out to take their bows.

I liked the way that the audience is thrown into the story but, I don't think that was the general consensus from the crowd around me.  During the intermission, some were still confused as to who some of the characters were since they weren't really introduced.  Maybe this will work itself out during the rest of previews.  Possibly by fixing that opening number?

Anyway, I think the show is in good shape and would love to go back and see what that cast and director Bartlett Sher do with it between now and opening.

Until next time...

The Deep Throat Sex Scandal

For the first time, I got to attend my first opening night of an Off-Broadway show.  Now no, I'm not actually in the show but it was still pretty exciting to be a part of it.  Although I have to say, what I imagined in my head, wasn't quite how the whole thing turned out.  But, I still had a great time and got to see and interesting new show that could be the next Off-Broadway hit.

I guess because deals with the film that brought the world "porn chic", I was expecting to see a lot of old school adult film stars in attendance.  Either they didn't show or I just didn't recognize anyone because I don't know of any of them being there.  Plus the stars of the original Deep Throat, Harry Reems and Linda Lovelace, have either moved on from the business or passed away.

Speaking of Reems and Lovelace, the play's action features them both with Reems acting as the narrator.  We meet them at the start of their careers.  Reems (Malcolm Medera) is an actor working in way Off-Broadway plays and trying to make a living and Lovelace (Lori Gardner) is brought in to the adult film world by her abusive husband, Chuck Traynor (Zach Wegner).

The first act of the play deals with Linda and Harry meeting each other and how they both came to be a part of the film that would change their lives.  We also meet Gerard Damiano (John-Charles Kelly), the Queens hairdresser who directed the film.  Aside from those three characters, I'm not sure if any of the other characters are actually real people or just based on them.  Anyway, we also learn that the film was originally a flop before a Tennessee prosecutor decided to have 60 people, including Reems, arrested and tried on obscenity charges.

Act Two focuses on the trial and the defense's attempts to proclaim first amendment rights to protect the subject matter of the film.  As the narrator, of course, the focus is on Reems and what he is going through in trying to stay out of prison.

As a whole, the play is an entertaining "history" lesson.  Deep Throat and its trial were all events that occurred before I was born so, it was interesting to see what happened.  Malcolm Madera and Lori Gardner were both great as Harry and Linda.  In fact, one of my biggest gripes was that Linda all but disappears in the second act.  I realize that she wasn't part of the trial but, I wish they could have found a way to use her more.

My only gripe with the overall good cast was that John-Charles Kelly, the actor who plays director Damiano and attorney Alan Dershowitz, is almost indistinguishable in the two roles.  He was the same character just in different clothes and hair.

Also, I could have done without the the play's beating me over the head with its first amendment preachiness and thought it was pushing it a bit to claim that the film paved the way for every envelope pushing form of entertainment since,  even going so far as to have cast members listing off the names of film and television shows.

More on the positive side though, the costumes by Jeffrey Wallach were great in evoking that 70's porn vibe.  Also, the use of lights and video (designed by Graham Kindred and A2K Productions, respectively) really helped the look of the overall production.

The show may not be perfect but, it was fun to see.  I liked how David Bertolino and Jerry Douglas (the playwright and director) decided to play up the comic levels of the play instead of just trying for drama.  I think the humor and the cast are what save the show from being the total mess that it could have become when dealing with what still seems as a bit of a taboo subject.

Until next time...

Rock of Ages

Ahh, the eighties!  The decade in music where the guys had longer hair than the girls and if your rock band didn't have a power ballad or a hard driving anthem, no one was gonna listen.  The time of free-wheeling, dirty fun was about to come to an end.  City officials were discovering that cleaning up their streets and catering to the wealthier citizens and tourists would make them more money.  Love was also in the air, amongst the sweat and drugs but, it was a hard thing to find.  You had to watch the band's lead singer to make sure he didn't lure your girl into the bathroom.  All of this is the basis for Rock of Ages, the musical that has been playing the Brooks Atkinson Theatre since March of 2009.

I didn't experience any of this stuff in the 80s because I didn't even reach my teens until the next decade but, I do remember the music from that time.  Every power ballad and rock anthem was such an "important" expression of love and rebellion that even now, you can't help singing along and/or moving your to the beat.  The music is, for me,  the main draw to the show and the biggest star.

It kind of feels like someone said, "This is the music of my decade.  Let's build a show around it."  And that's what they tried to do.  If you want the full synopsis, you can read it here.  Chris D'Arienzo has written a book that incorporates all the songs well and has some funny moments but, doesn't really give any weight to the multitude of plots going on.  Are we focusing on the club's possible closing, the relationship between Drew and Sherrie or... oh wait, they're singing Styx so who cares?

The set, costumes, lights and sound were done by, respectively, Beowulf Boritt, Gregory Gale, Jason Lyons and Peter Hylenski.  Each of them do their jobs of transporting you to that dirty little bar on the Sunset Strip in 1987.  I think the design team here worked hard and did a great job of getting the details just right.

Kristin Hanggi and Kelly Devine take on the tasks of directing and choreography for the show.  They both do well at keeping the action going so as not to get boring.  The dancing certainly had that "music video writhing on the hood of a car feel" although, it did get a little repetitive after a while.

Other than the music, the best thing in the show is definitely the cast.  They're all busting their butts on the stage and look like they're having a great time doing it.  There were some clear standouts for me.  Adam Dannheisser was great as Bourbon Room club owner Dennis. Michelle Mais showed off her powerful vocals as Venus Club owner Justice.  And Derek St. Pierre as the effeminate Franz, took a one-note role and stole the show.  

Unfortunately, these great performances from the featured players overshadowed our two romantic leads, Joey Taranto and Ericka Hunter (in for Emily Padgett) who played, Drew and Sherrie.  Both had the great voices that were needed for the music but, I wasn't all that interested in them.  Although, I think that's more the story's fault than the actors.  But, I kept wanting to see more from the supporting characters and not the ones I was supposed to be rooting for.

And maybe that was my problem with the show.  The music was great, the cast was great and having fun but, there was so much going on that I didn't get chance to care about the central plot.  Or WAS it the central plot?  And did it even matter?  I'm really not sure but, I don't think the main characters are supposed to be the least interesting thing in a show.  I will say though, it was a blast and the audience loved it!  You definitely won't find anything else like it on Broadway right now.

Until next time...

Next To Normal, revisited

Last night, I went back to see Next To Normal with it's new cast and, I dare say, I think the show is better than it was before.  Headed up by real life married couple Marin Mazzie and Jason Daniely, I felt like this was more of a cohesive family unit than what I had seen the last time I visited the Goodman family.

Six Pack Review

Hey all!  For anyone who's interested, the Six Pack showcase that I did, a few weeks ago, was reviewed at Theatreonline.com.  You can check it out here.  Read on, if you wanna know my thoughts about it...

Red

I was a little nervous about seeing Red, the new play at the Golden Theatre, because my knowledge of art and, particularly, painter Mark Rothko is virtually non-existent.  Luckily, that lack of knowledge didn't matter.  What I saw was a great play and two brilliant performances that blew me away for 90 minutes.

Into The Woods

Recently, we got NetFlix streaming through the Wii.  How cool!  Now, we don't even have to wait for the movies to come in the mail.  Anyway, one of the categories of movies is Musicals and, flipping through the list, I found one that I had to watch for, about, the 15th time.  A show that's always too much fun to pass up, Into the Woods.

Billy Elliot

Ever since it was announced that a musical version was coming to Broadway, I've had some reservations about seeing Billy Elliot the Musical.  Based on one of my favorite movies ever, I wasn't sure that there would be any way that the musical could live up to how much I loved the original film.  As a couple of friends and I walked by TKTS, we happened to notice that the show was up (which, to my knowledge, is extremely rare because the show is typically sold out) and, on a whim, decided to go see it.  Turns out, it was gonna be one of my best theatrical experiences EVER!

The Addams Family

One of the more anticipated new shows, of the Broadway season, opens on April 8 (my birthday, coincidentally).  I got an early birthday surprise in getting tickets to go see the next to last preview!  What I saw was a show that, while far from perfect, had a great cast and a ton of fun!  That show, of course, is The Addams Family.

God of Carnage

So the other night, I had the opportunity to see the 2009 Tony Winner for Best Play.  That show, of course, is God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza.  Now with its third cast, the show is playing at the Bernard Jacobs Theater on 45th street.  I went in feeling like I was prepared to be underwhelmed but luckily, that wasn't the case at all.

Brighton Beach Memoirs

   So last night, I had another lucky opportunity to see a show that I didn't think I would have the chance to see.  It turns out that a friend had a pair of comps that she wasn't going to be able to use and so, with a little begging to get the night off at my job, I got to see Brighton Beach Memoirs.  I have to say, it was worth the begging!

Next to Normal

     So this past Monday, I had the opportunity to see another show that I'd really been wanting to see, Next to Normal.  It was, to say the least, quite the contrast to Shrek.  But in my opinion, if you're planning a trip to NYC, this is another must see!

Shrek the Musical

     Friday night, I had to chance to go see one of the shows that I've been most wanting to see for the past year.  I sat in my seat, at the Broadway Theatre, waiting for it to start with great anticipation.  I'm not sure why I wanted to see it so badly.  I liked the original movie but, found the sequel to be better than the first one.  I guess for me, it was all about seeing the original cast which isn't totally intact but the ones who matter are still there.  Of course, the show I'm talking about is Shrek the Musical.  And did it live up to the hype I'd built in my head?  Hell yeah it did!

The 39 Steps

     On Wednesday, I got to meet a friend of mine from Florida whom I hadn't seen in about two years.  We had lunch together and chatted for a few hours and then, I walked him to the Helen Hayes Theater where he was going to see The 39 Steps.  As I walking toward 8th Ave, I heard him yell my name from down the street.  When I went back, he told me two women were just giving away a ticket if I wanted to see the show.  So of course, not being one to pass up a FREE Broadway show, I said, "YES!!"  And that's how I got the surprise of seeing, The 39 Steps.

The Toxic Avenger

  

     So, I finally had my first chance to take advantage of 20 at 20 yesterday.  For the first two weeks in September and, again in January, several Off-Broadway shows run a special which offer $20 tickets to the show 20 minutes before the show begins.  It's a way to help boost sagging ticket sales in, what are typically, the slowest theater weeks of the year.  Yesterday I had the chance to see The Toxic Avenger which is playing at the New World Stages.