2018: A Theater Year in Review

This is my personal 18 favorite theater trends, topics, and events of 2018. I hope you enjoy and agree! Thank you for reading my blog, and I hope you continue to do so in 2019. I will try to post at least once every other month. I admit I got the idea from a SiriusXM special, but here they are. In no particular order:

Theater Moment 18: Times Square Angel

Every year Charles Busch puts on an affectionate tribute to 40’s Christmas movies at Theater for the New City. Jaded nightclub star Irish O’ Flanagan (Busch) gets a chance to reconsider her life through the eyes of a dead magician angel (Carl Andress). Such performers as Flotilla DeBarge, one of the best, get to shine. DeBarge, or Kevin Joseph, sparkles as Irish’s maid. Especially funny is when she must be dragged offstage at Irish’s funeral by the other guests, a moment which caused the narrator, dry Julie Halston, to crack up beyond the point of speaking. Halston garnered many laughs, especially when reminiscing about “coffeehouses in the Village”. Tickets sold out within the first day, so I definitely recommend doing it in advance.

Theater Moment 17: The Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction

A must for every theater fan, the ultimate gathering of shopping and autographs, this year was especially enjoyable for me. Tyne Daly, manning her own station of clothes, was stopping to sign autographs. Chita Rivera was discussing costumes with the auction hosts, Officer Lockstock and Little Sally, from Urinetown, as portrayed by Jen Cody and Tom Hewitt. Richard Ridge, extraordinarily nice, was manning a table with CDs and DVDs of such events as Gypsy of the Year and Red Bucket Follies. The signing table was the main hub of action, with Kevin Chamberlin and more on hand to sign adoring fans’ merchandise. Everything from signed Actor’s Fund concert posters to Broadway flip books was available. Performances existed as well, from Mean Girls’ Demarius Copes advertising to the employees at the Kinky Boots table putting on a Celebrity Autobiography with a cast memoir. Broadway scholars Peter Filichia and Ken Bloom were part of the Theater World and Dancers Over 40 tables. It was truly a haven for fans.

Theater Moment 16: BroadwayCon

In late January, panels, games, and singalongs made for a true Broadway fan’s dream. BroadwayCon consists of 8-ish panels every hour for three days, with everything from show spotlights like Dear Evan Hansen, to remembrance panels like the West Side Story anniversary, to games like BroadwayCon feud. I was delighted to meet another Do Re Mi fan, as well as author Jennifer Ashley Tepper in the dining room. Lynn Ahrens, Christy Altomare, and Hailey Kilgore discussed what it means to be a strong woman in the theater. Since this returns every year, consider going. It’s not too late to buy tickets! You can even hear your favorite theater podcasts taped live!

Theater Moment 15: Red Bucket Follies

The newly christened Red Bucket Follies are an exclusive event where currently running shows perform variety numbers. The rules are loose, so each number is entirely different. The Lion King danced to tapes of sexual harassment trials over dramatic music, while Ryan Steele danced to “Is That All There Is?” Kinky Boots performed a sarcastic number in which they said they were being forced out of their theater by “a show with lots of cash”, Moulin Rouge. Performances mostly excelled, while a few seemed entirely out of place and slightly grotesque. Seth Rudetsky was a very funny host, simultaneously moderating the event and doing his own schtick. Fans of his will be glad to know he finally played the recording of pop songs he made as a child that he talks so much about. It is very special in tone, and every ticket you buy gets to a worthy cause!

Theater Moment 14: The Drama Book Shop (Closed)

One of the oldest theatrical institutions, The Drama Book Shop, the only one of its kind in the city, will close down. Perhaps one of the most upsetting news items of the year, it is nearing the deadline (early 2019) with no hope. I attended events there for Kevin Winkler’s Big Deal and Broadway art book Fraver by Design. The loss will sadden the community, as it has such a history. Old owners used to make cracks about retitling plays as musicals, parodying other titles, such as for Lolita, Take Her, She’s Nine. While there is hope to relocate, such stories as the Paramour “relocation” do not bode well. I encourage you to go there for advanced gift shopping before it is too late.

Theater Moment 13: 92y: Terrence McNally and “Every Act of Life”

The 92nd Street y, a source of many theater panels and events, this year hosted one particularly good one. Terrence McNally, famed gay playwright, has had a documentary in his honor entitled “Every Act of Life”. The documentary not only provides a deep insight, also featuring interviews with theater luminaries, but the event had a live panel. McNally’s husband, Tom Kirdahy talked before the candid documentary, which featured details like his bad relation ship with his parents, and his love affair with Edward Albee. Afterwards, McNally, Christine Baranski, Nathan Lane, Lynn Ahrens, filmmaker Jeff Kaufman, and moderator Tom Viola. They had an oddly chiding view of Terrence. Nathan Lane was grateful for the gift of his dog, but Lynn Ahrens was slightly less enthused about a gift he gave her. Then shocking but greatly subtle and funny performances by Lane and Baranski, and then Michael Urie and Michael Benjamin Washington. Christy Altomare performed a painful “Journey to the Past”, and then the audience joined in on Happy Birthday (his 90th). It was a unique evening of theater.

Theater Moment 12: Barnes and Noble Broadway signings

The amazing bookstore Barnes and Noble, at its 86th street location, likes to hold signings. Many times fiction and non-fiction authors will come in, but they ar lso do CD signing events. Some create a very special atmosphere, and of course meeting your favorite stars is the best part. I know such stars as Andy Karl, Norbert Leo Butz, Kelli O’Hara, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have participated. Lines can be very long, but you can still see from the TV or through the glass door. Performances and interviews are first. My Fair Lady held a lengthy panel, while Once on This Island was all singing. Falsettos, Tuck Everlasting, and Seth Rudetsky’s book events have been the most warm and fun ones. It’s not too far, it costs nothing except for the price of the cd/book, so drop by! *Note: The next event has not yet been announced*

Theater Moment 11: The Royal Family of Broadway in the Berkshires

Few places other than NYC have really excellent theater, but the Berkshires is one of those few. And this season, a little theatrical gem based on a play by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman opened. Seeing the names Will Swenson, William Finn, and Harriet Harris involved with a project gets you excited. I knew we should take a trip just for this. The show starts with a classic ‘40s dance number, and goes on through caustic comedy songs, intense ballads, and tour de forces. Will Swenson’s solo, “Too Much Drama in my Life” is a highlight after he breezes in which garners constant laughs and applause for the audience. The John Barrymore-esque role was almost written for him. William Finn defies his usual bitter, edgy format with a relax-and-have-fun musical, interrupted only by the grotesque hamming of Kathy Fitzgerald. A Pirates of Penzance pastiche falls flat on its face, but it is a bon-bon of a musical. The only song featured in that particular show that is widely available is “Stupid Things I Won’t Do”, on William Finn’s Make Me a Song. Let’s hope for a future for this show.

Theater Moment 10: The Prom

What better throwback to the golden age mixed with modern flavor than this show which currently plays at the Longacre Theater. Brooks Ashmanskas plays a flavorful character with funny lyrics (and this tour de force/will not be forced to tour) and a pastiche of an Onward Victoria-based flop about Eleanor Roosevelt. The New Jersey Star Ledger gives a positive review, but the rest are negative (within the show). Then they decide to help small-town lesbian Emma (Caitlyn Kinnunen). Kinnunen exudes charm, and what she lacks in raw talent, she makes up for in sweetness. Beth Leavel fans, rejoice! She has more to do than in most of her shows, and insider jokes such as (on her Hamptons house) “Do you know how many Broadway cruises it took to pay for that thing?”. The touching journey of her character guided by Michael Potts, makes for a few touching moments. People can enjoy the glitzy comedy side, the darker side including a Dear Evan Hansen based video, or the intense hip-hop music and dancing. A note: don’t buy side seats towards the front, as the orchestra speakers will blast at you.

Theater Moment 9: Stagedoor

It is the ultimate resource for fans, and source of annoyance for actors. Here are some tips mixed with anecdotes on the stage door,

• Don’t do anything crazy. Someone egged Barrett Wilbert Weed and people waited on top of buildings for Daniel Radcliffe.

• Find out about little promotional things that could happen. The Tuck Everlasting brothers made fan trading cards.

• Don’t be too stalwart about waiting if they don’t come out. Some people use the back door. At Mean Girls, fans just waited even despite the doormen protesting that no one was coming.

• Be respectful to other fans. A woman at the Anastasia stage door was being very nasty and pushed people away.

• Don’t take advantage of stars. Stars Christy Altomare and Hailey Kilgore are incredibly gracious, but as a result of that people make them do all kinds of things.

• If actors don’t come out, you can always send them fan mail. I did that with Brooks Ashmanskas. 

• Feel free to resent those who get to go back stage but NEVER say anything. Stars will eventually come out after they see their visitors. 

• It is usually in your best interest to ask the doorman/attendant about who’s coming out. They usually know or can ask.

Whenever you see a show, it’s always worth a try!

Theater Moment 8: My Fair Lady: Lauren? Laura?

We surely all remember the moment a revival of the legendary show was announced. Everyone was buzzing up with suggestions, people went as far as to suggest Ashley Park and Andrea Martin. And yet, the day they announced the cast, we all saw it and collectively cried, “who?” Who was this Six Feet Under star and this Harry Mumble-Jumble? We were angry because we didn’t know. And yet, as soon as this show opened, we were proved wrong. Harry Hadden-Paton is one of the best actors of his generation and while Lauren Ambrose didn’t exceed serivceable, she had a few nice coloratura moments. Then the impossible happened. Ambrose started taking days off, much to the protest of Diana Rigg and suddenly, Hamilton-style, almost the entire cast was changed. This is what it was and now is.

Eliza: Lauren Ambrose-Laura Benanti

Henry’s Mother: Diana Rigg- Rosemary Harris

Karpathy: Manu Narayan- Clarke Thorell

Freddy: Jordan Donica- Christian Dante White

Alfred: Norbert Leo Butz- Danny Burstein

The impossible was happening. Everyone’s original dreamcast was now happening! However, the old threat if missing performances is still in place. Benanti is notorious for that, and indeed on my second time she, Butz, and Donica were all out. Let’s hope for a third cast just as great as this.

Theater Moment 7: Broadway on Talk Shows and Other Media

Such running gags as Laura Benanti as Melania Trump, Crosswalk Musicals, and other Broadway appearances have begun to populate the small screen as a medium, too. Just the other day stars Lin- Manuel Miranda and James Corden did a fast musicals program on his show. It wasn’t a big success, but that’s beside the point. Laura Benanti keeps us in Christmas cheer with her latest “Benania” video, a funny satire of how Trump is not truly loved by his wife. Corden also frequently utilizes stars like Hugh Jackman to put on full 1-minute musicals in crosswalks. Tyler Mount has pretty much covered the bases of Broadway on youtube. With his celebrity games, cheerful banter, top ten lists, and extreme popularity, he well takes care of the video portion. Such educational shows as CUNYTV’S Theater Talk with Susan Haskins-Doloff (who I saw on a plane) and rotating guests and cohosts, it provides an insiders’ look.*It is now defunct. The broadway.com show, the only other alternative, is a more simple facts and a few extras about what’s opening and such. Broadway has always tried to keep up with the times, and so far has been succeeding *As of this publication, Tyler Mount does not actively do videos*

Theater Moment 6: The Encores! Series- Both Off-Center and On

Of course no true forgotten musicals fan could overlook Encores, the yearly 3 old shows that are revitalized for performing. You might object to Chicago and Gypsy being “forgotten”, but they’ve gotten more obscure. 1776 and The New Yorkers have been highlights, and so have last seasons’ Hey, Look Me Over! (with the hilarious Bob Martin) and Me and My Girl. They really have started to lean more towards full productions. This year we can look forward to Call Me Madam, Lady in the Dark, I Married an Angel, and High Button Shoes. For those of you who take kids, Take 5 tickets for only $5 are available.  We’re annoyingly left in suspense about the cast, but it leaves room for speculation (like LuPone as Perle Mesta?) Any true fan will love these and want to go to every one every year. Now for those of you who prefer more recent shows like Songs For a New World and Assassins, Encores Off Center is for you. A summer program in which 3 more recent shows are performed, it is cheaper and more intimate than the main 3 shows.

Theater Moment 5: (Going to) Theater Circle and One Shubert Alley

You’ve probably heard of these stores, they are simply merchandise vendors that collect things from every show and such items as books, CDs, and cards. It is a great place to get things you like the look of without having to go inside the theater or order them from the shows’ dubious online pages. While it leaves more to be desired, it is a nice little haven and Theater Circle has many play scripts in the back. The most popular books are available. I have obtained copies of books by Sam Wasson and Susan Schulman there. It is also a great tourist spot, though real fans may not need anything they have there. They do have extraordinary shirts in many sizes there, from all the shows you have and want to have seen. Yes, there pretty simple, but the people and ambiance are nice.

Theater Moment 4: Trend: Could little-known professions become more well known?

All right, I admit it. I’m going a bit off of this year with this category. But anyway, I believe that all these theater jobs that people always say no one really knows about are being detailed in books! John Breglio, theater lawyer, has taken down his personal account, and it is a unique insight into a veiled field. Peter Bogyo has taken the pains to tell us about being a general manager, and Susan Schulman, Richard Maney, and Merle Debuskey have put their pens to paper about being a producer. One all-encompassing book, theater careers, is available used. So could it be that stagehands, doormen, ushers, sound designers, projection designers, and all these other un-heard from areas will start writing their own stories. Also, more books like The Business of Broadway populate the shelves, which talks heavily about investing, something that when we used to think of we thought of backers’ auditions and men in suits smoking cigars. Even lectures are available through Audience Rewards. Is this a good trend? Definitely. It can only help a career to be expert in all areas.

Theater Moment 3: Theater Podcasts

What better way to hear your favorite stars being interviewed? Let me tell you the names and descriptions of what I believe to be the best podcasts

• Behind the Curtain- producer Rob Schneider and actor Kevin David Thomas do in-depth interviews one week, where we get to learn the most about guests like Chip Zien and Lee Wilkof. Other weeks, they pretty much do orally what I do on this blog, and just talk about theater and their “favorite things”. 

• Theater People- Avid fan Patrick Hinds interviews Broadway stars and although the questions are not always superb, we do get to discover the attitude of the stars. He also may be more relatable than other hosts. 

• Broadway Radio- Today on Broadway gives quick but anecdote-filled news summaries whereas the higher quality This Week on Broadway, featuring Peter Filichia, is an in-depth discussion of shows and their high and low points.

Now there are some podcasts that the ideas are tacky, they are overpromoted, and are not that great to listen to. I’d avoid…

• Broadwaysted

• Hamilcast

• The Ensemblist

American Theater Wing’s Working in the Theater is also very informative. Each show is about 30 mins.-1 hr., so why not? If you’re doing errands or in your car, give one a listen!

Theater Moment 2: 90s/2000s movies being turned into musicals

Mean Girls, Clueless, Dave, Beetlejuice. It’s a trip to the AMC in 2002, no? No. It’s the roster of Broadway shows this season. I admit, Mean Girls has made for a pretty fantastic show, and while Clueless has been said to be meh, and Dave to be great, I have not seen them. Groundhog Day was pretty torturous to the ear, and Beetlejuice has yet to make its presence known. This is all very good, because some of these movies are well adaptable. But then you get into things like, well, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. It's as if you made Easter Parade and Top Hat into stage musicals, then there’s no need to adapt Carefree! There are some properties that no one really needs to see again. I mean, I would actually petition a Mean Girls 2. Pretty Woman floats on the edge, but with all this talk of sexism, why is My Fair Lady the show accused? Why not Pretty Woman, something not from a different time? I’m all for making any good movie into a musical. They are honestly the best source, in my opinion. But I’d draw the line at a, say Twin Peaks musical. These are things that don’t need to be seen, and therefore shouldn’t be.

Theater Moment 1: The eternal “dismal season”

What Golden Age? This is the question seasoned veterans always ask. Any season you’re in, it’s always a “bad season” for one reason or another. Ask a pro, and they might say the shows this season show a steady decline in taste and standards. But didn’t they also think that in 1964, which we now consider a great year? As Peter Filichia says in response to being asked what he’s excited for, “everything.” It could be true that some shows this season are inferior to those of long ago, but we forget there were some bad ones! Now I'm not saying this is a new golden age, I acknowledge that bad musicals abound today too. But I'm only saying there never was a golden age. We think of it all as part of the process, and let’s hope that process moves forward in 2019.

Essay on Theater Criticism

Hi! This is an essay I wrote for other purposes that I thought might be interesting to post about being theater critic. It even mentions this blog.

Charles Kirsch

                THEATER CRITICISM: A CONSIDERATION

Theatrical reviews can take many forms. There was even an obituary notice for one opening night. Reviews have consisted of “ouch”, “what piffle”, or simply “no”, as theater scholar Peter Hay reveals in his book Theatrical Anecdotes. I fall under a slightly different category of critic. Kid critics are a group with a different reputation. Sometimes they’re ignored or restricted in certain ways. Bias is always a factor in critics’ reviews. Many times, we feel pressured into “liking” a show for any of several reasons. Actually, papers usually send another critic just for this reason. As you may know, critics have a reputation for being cruel. Many a time on my blog I have insulted a show. However, expressing an honest opinion can be interpreted as mean. Critics, however, are losing their prescience. Oklahoma got good reviews and was a hit. Ankles Aweigh was panned, or given a bad review, and flopped. Cats got panned and was a hit. Significant Other got good reviews and was a flop. I will include anecdotes and stories, also talk about being a kid critic, and their prescience and boundaries, and include information about what it means to be any kind of theater critic.

REPUTATION

Many theater critics are fearsome, and others in the business try to stay on their good side. After all, you do want your show to get good reviews. When I tell people I’m a critic, they often say something to the effect of “No! Don’t do it!” It’s not just me. Many critics have that happen to them. One way of sucking up sneakily is by flatteringly portraying critics. In the play It’s Only a Play, New York Times critic Frank Rich gives a brutal review that is said to be accurate. He is mean, but still accurate. Because of things like this, critics are careful of how they come off. On the other hand, people often despise critics, and think they are needlessly cruel and often “don’t get” a show. When I saw An American in Paris I subsequently realized I wasn’t grasping the concept. I then talked out the plot, listened to the music, and did research online in order to understand it better before reviewing it. Some shows like Cats have been misunderstood in the form of over-analysis, and sophisticated shows have been accused of being jumbled messes. Times critic Martin Gottfried said roughly that his predecessors didn’t “get” Follies. To be a fair critic, getting it is very important.

Kid critics have an entirely different reputation. People see them and think, “how cute”, not “I really respect their opinions.” A kid they mentally patronize, never taking our recommendations seriously. Why? A couple of reasons. One is that we are young, so we don’t know as much. Two is that the image of a kid makes the brain unable to listen as seriously. The only way to discourage this is by being totally serious, and then you will be thought of as pretentious. On the other side of that, people might think that kids good enough to be given a platform should be respected.

BIAS

As a critic, you never want to disappoint a friend when they are in a show. But if you honestly hate them, it presents you with a difficult decision. Friendship or integrity? I once had a friend who was in a Broadway show that I was reviewing. I felt I needed to mention her, even though she wasn’t my favorite. Critics will often try to avoid being faced with that situation. Reviewing Bernhardt/Hamlet, where I knew the set designer, I felt I should say all positive things. Other critics have been faced with this problem too. Critics Hedy Weiss, Ben Brantley, and others have been accused of larger personal biases. They have faced challenges of being racist, transphobic, and weight-obsessed. Critics must consider their reputation. When they show personal bias or racism, they must first ask themselves, “Why?”

Paid bias is also an issue that occasionally pops up. Can a critic be “encouraged” to revise their opinion with money? Producer David Merrick bribed one critic to give his show a bad review, so the people involved would keep trying. This is not the customary thing, though. Usually it’s the reverse. Sometimes actors and writers, too, will not exactly pay, but sucking up isn’t beyond them. Walter Kerr, a Times critic, thinks critical integrity is too high for this. “Let a… tiresome play… come along, and a reviewer’s going to censure… it, even if a surprise grand piano was hoisted into his apartment.” So apparently some critics are too good to give in to the lure of money. However, this is something a kid critic doesn’t have to worry about, but will if they continue with the job through adulthood.

CRUELTY

One thing you want to avoid being is too cruel. On my blog I usually pull few punches, but I don’t ever want to talk about a show with no redeeming qualities. I, as a kid critic, don’t want to seem like I’m being an adult simply by being acidic. Another reason is because people sometimes doubt pure hatred. Often people will assume you’re just trying to be controversial. If too much of this happens, people doubt your truthfulness and stop reading and considering your work. Another possible outcome is that actors will hate you, which isn’t fun for you or good for your standing. Always remember that excessive cruelty doesn’t benefit anyone. As Peter Filichia, critic emeritus for The Star Ledger said, “I’m rarely cruel. I like that we have a night to sleep on reviews before we write them- because even if we’re angry, a night’s sleep calms us down!” He doesn’t believe in cruelty, and won’t write a gut reaction review.

Retractions are the act of taking back an objectionable comment made in a review. It could be oral or written, but it’s essentially the same thing. When Michael Riedel kissed the hand of actress Bernadette Peters at popular theater hangout Sardi’s, it concluded a 15-year fight. Times critic Laura Collins-Hughes was attacked for her alleged fat-shaming of actress Alysha Umphress. Often critics will refuse to retract or not make physical comments in the first place. I would never call attention to someone’s physical or emotional traits. That’s what usually triggers a retraction. When that happens, you are ridiculed and scorned. This probably wouldn’t happen to a kid, though.

A DYING ART

Not as many people read reviews anymore. In the old days, people would read whatever was there. But today, the internet can help you be more selective about what you read. Another reason is because people can access any review site. For bloggers like myself, it’s hard to ensure that people will actually see your work. I mean, when you see a random blog, why would you read it? You could try to use social media, but the same question might apply. People are not getting read because, say, of the 5,000 critics, each person reads 10.

Also, people who read critics don’t always listen to them. People will read them for fun and then disregard them. This does not bode well. Reviews have been eclipsed by word-of-mouth. I mean, if your best friend hates a show, you assume it’s bad and don’t buy a ticket. When people hear kids say, “It was amazing!” and their best friend say “I hated it”, who are they going to listen to? Also, a new and dangerous attitude has arisen. “How can I trust one person?” This contradicts the basic principles of reviews. There must be a mutual trust between a critic and a reader. Another threat is advertising. Shows use subways, taxis, billboards, buses, websites, food stands, and pretty much everywhere else they can think of to put up a poster for their show. A tourist might not know that reviews even exist and buy a ticket for the first show they see. Reviews are hard to get to, but visual propaganda is unavoidable. Sometimes critical quotes are used in ads. Great! But no one sees the pans. One “Amazing!” in a crowd of “Horrible”is the only one really spread. So are critics important? Not as much.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, critics are both feared and respected. Kids don’t get the same kind of attention or reaction. It is disappointing, but it is a fact of life. You might forfeit ethics and integrity for a friend, money, or employment.  For instance, after interviewing performers at Miscast, a gala featuring Broadway stars, I thought I couldn’t be negative. You can’t always be as negative as you want, but don’t go to the other end of the spectrum. No one reads or listens to critics as much anymore. Their importance is fading. As noted playwright Edward Albee said, “If Attila the Hun were alive today, he’d be a drama critic.”

Thanks for reading!

Summer Theater Roundup

A SUMMER OF THEATER

This is a paragraph or two on some of the shows I have seen this summer.

ANASTASIA

i have seen this show 4 times. Ahrens’ and Flaherty’s score is pleasant to hear sometimes, and sometimes deeply moving. Their lyrics are always clever, and most of their characters are endearing. Max Von Essen, who plays Gleb, the villain, one of my favorite performers, manages to equal the brilliance of Ramin Karimloo, who played it originally. They were both downright scary. The other replacements do not shine quite as bright. The book, by Terrence McNally, is not very clever, but the songs more than make up for it. For those of you who want to “come out of the theater humming”, you definitely will in this show. As I can verify by having met some of them 4 times, the actors in this show are as nice as they are talented. 

CHITA RIVERA: LIVE IN CONCERT

What more extraordinary than to see a true legend of Broadway onstage. She did some of her hits, like “All That Jazz”, and some of her flops, like “Camille, Collette, Fifi”, from Seventh Heaven, which was my personal favorite, and also a rather bland song from Jacques Brel… that the lighting did something to improve. The stage at the 92nd Street Y is usually not one for effects, but I suppose for her they made an exception. She did two songs from The Visit, which I found somewhat bland, though I’m sure her enthusiasts didn’t. I was pleased to hear “Chief Cook and Bottle Washer” from The Rink, as were many there. She didn’t tell many anecdotes, she did say in her interviews that “she never gives dirt”, and while she payed tribute to several friends, it would have been nice to hear more about her experiences in those shows. She can also still dance amazingly, despite a car accident and being in her 80s, and she even has a concert date at 54 Below booked for New Year’s next year! So let’s look forward to seeing more of Chita!
MEAN GIRLS

Mean Girls is a show with jokes and pop songs that are funny and catchy, but it’s just for fun, and it’s not supposed to be analyzed as a great work of art. Tina Fey manages to write funny dialogue, Nell Benjamin witty if disingenuous lyrics, and Jeff Richmond can’t write music. The performers in this show are wasted on it. One of my personal favorites was Erika Henningsen, who shines, and although she has been criticized for seeming fake, I think she seems very real. She gets to shine in her song "It Roars", and although she's not quite as good as she is on the cast album, some of the projections make this more effective than it would be otherwise. (e.g., a fake "plane" from Africa to America) The part where she feels awkward is represented convincingly as a dance metaphor. She shows the journey to power very well, and makes you sympathize with Cady, even when she becomes "a clone" of Regina. "Stupid With Love", not containing the best lyrics, is a fun song, if a bit bland. Here you can see a bit what is meant by her "thin emotion", but really, what opportunities does that song give? "More is Better", a totally forgettable song, almost the opposite of an "I want" song, more of an "I got" song, is about how now that she's popular she is better, hence the title. Taylor Louderman, as Regina, is funny and appropriately domineering, without being overdone, and much better than her movie counterpart. She is given appropriate material, and manages to milk every drop out of it. Ashley Park, who plays Gretchen, is somewhat annoying though also endearing, especially in “What’s Wrong With Me?” Kate Rockwell, as Karen, is awful. She’s annoying and tacky. Grey Henson, as Damian, is so good in his number “Stop”, that it had me uncontrollably laughing. Henson manages to be funny without stooping to being tacky/insultingly stereotypical. Barrett Wilbert Weed, as Janis, is not very good, and she always seems angry, not a good quality in a performer. The supporting cast is fairly good, but nothing worth mentioning. I recommend this show to anyone out for a good time, however people who like a serious show that gives them something to think about, this is not for you.
SPONGEBOB

I’m going to have to keep this one brief, or it will turn into a brutal tirade on all the show’s faults. It distresses me that this is some people’s first Broadway show, because this is not what Broadway is like. Spongebob is a completely mindless and annoying show that gets on your nerves. I don’t think even a young child would enjoy it because there’s just nothing there. When you peel away the great spectacle, what’s there but treacly nothingness? Gavin Lee, as Squidward, is one exception to that rule. He is funny, and has references to musicals. Other than that, the cast is as mediocre as the material.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF IN YIDDISH

This is a total reimagining of Fiddler, different from the 2016 revival in every way. It’s more serious, especially in a pogrom scene, you hear more graphic screams and sirens. It takes on a more serious tone, which the cast helps. Steven Skybell, as Tevye, gives an incredibly moving performance. The young performers, except for Motel, are nothing special. Motel played his role very well, though not better than Adam Kantor, one of the best young actors now. Jackie Hoffman, as Yente, doesn’t chew up the scenery, and there are times when we even wish we would. The production is extremely realistic and moving, and I do recommend it to everyone. 

Diary of a Mad Playwright Book Review

Diary of a Mad Playwright, by James Kirkwood, is an account of the show Legends, as told by a mad playwright. Though Terrence McNally says, in the introduction, that it is not good gossip, it is certainly something you can’t hear anywhere else. He talks about the original choices, Harvey Fierstein and Betty Bloolips (a drag performer), and how he thought that was insane, though no more insane than its ended up being. He talks about the insane process to get Mary Martin, she being frustratingly noncommittal. Getting Carol Channing was more straight forward. He talks about Kevin Eggers, the impossible, self-righteous, and jerky producer, the typical producer, Ahmet Ertegun (“The Dread Turk”), and the ever-absent director, Clifford. The director went off to England immediately after it opened, causing the show to re-lapse. Kirkwood had to somewhat “stand in” as director. He once got so mad at Kevin Eggers that he asked his underworld friends how much it would be to “disappear” someone. Mary Martin had an odd sort of mental block where she could not remember a line. They tried everything, even hypnotism. At last, for the first half of the run, her lines and blocking were fed her through a monitor in her ear. They opened to outstanding reviews for the actresses, but for the playwright they pulled no punches. Something like this would continue to happen in every town on their tour. They kept making changes, like adding another scene for the late Gary Beach, wherein he imitates Channing. Channing objected to this, but it was kept in the show. Eggers and he often disagreed about when it was appropriate to cut, and Kirkwood, after screaming and pouting, usually got his way. While both the ladies loved Kirkwood, they weren’t always so nice to each other. While, being co-stars, they would support each other, they did not become best friends. Channing disapproved of Mary not knowing her lines, and Mary of Channing audibly correcting her on stage. They realized they needed help, their director was in London, and no one else was taking power, so whoever was left sort of banded together, like survivors of a war. They all became directors, and it resulted in too many cooks in one kitchen. Eggers wanted to cut Martin’s mastectomy speech, the only serious moment in this comedy. Martin, Channing, and Kirkwood were against it. In fact, after Eggers suggested it, Martin announced she would no longer continue to play the show on Broadway. Even after an infuriated letter from Kirkwood, calling them ”two of the dumbest white ladies he’d ever met”, they still wouldn’t go on. They had several names in the pot, Debbie Reynolds, Elaine Stritch, Shirley MacLaine, the list goes on and on. However, none ever materialized. Kirkwood said his goodbyes to the cast, Annie-Joe Edwards, the first maid, who miraculously did a split, but occasionally acted sullen, Roxy Rokker, current maid, who was hired after long discussion, Gary Beach, crooked producer, who always got his laughs, Eric Riley, stripper, who everyone loved- he was a breath of fresh air, and Trish Garland, the choreographer who’s work was long and hard. He never got to say goodbye to the ladies, saying that at the same time there was “too much to say and not enough”. He writes that they may do another revival. In fact, they did, in about 2009, also a just-touring production. Will it ever see the light of Broadway? Who knows? Kirkwood has pictures in his book before each chapter, showing him going gradually insane. First has him in a straitjacket, next has him showing a book to a statue, next has him evilly grinning in a straitjacket, and finally, his Christmas card, him with the two ladies. He told Mike Nichols he was “thinking about doing the same thing this year, but with Xs grease penciled over their faces”. This book is not reading the play, it’s being James Kirkwood. He lets you get into his experience rather than just telling you about it. As McNally correctly states in his introduction, he allows you to feel for the characters, and you along with him are sad when the show does;t come to Ne work, frustrated with everyone in the cast and crew, and want it to succeed. It’s a book that’s important to read for every theater fan.

Bernhardt/Hamlet Review

I was lucky enough to see the invited dress rehearsal last night of Bernhardt/Hamlet, so I thought I would review it for you. The show is about Sarah Bernhardt making the choice to play Hamlet. Within that basic premise are love affairs, critical doubts, and family matters. The play, while Bernhardt knows it is a gamble, is supposed to be a money maker for her, as she is near bankruptcy. Janet McTeer is a force of nature, a person hard to describe. She so enraptures the audience that they never think about anything else. While it’s easy to think in the first scene that McTeer has genuinely gone up on her lines, that is, in fact, part of the script. Out pops actor Dylan Baker, another brilliant performer who’s talents we get to see in full late in the show. We meet the company of Hamlet. They consist of a typical ingenue, Ophelia, two “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” style character actors, and another man whose purpose is never quite clear. Next we meet Edmund Rostand and see his love for Bernhardt. He is married, but that does not stop them from having much sexual contact. Next we see Rostand with the amazing Paxton Whitehead, playing a theater critic. They discuss their doubts and you can see that Rostand gets immediately tense about any criticism of Bernhardt. Throughout the play, you will hear several lines suggesting that their relationship is not merely that of an actor/playwright, but although we know those rumors are true, both parties always deny it. Whitehead believes the decision is vulgar, which makes Rostand, too, nervous. Subsequent scenes show the actual Hamlet, and Bernhardt’s frustration in not quite being able to grasp the role. She knows she is breaking the rules, and goes even further with a female-female sex scene and cutting lines. As a parallel, we see Rostand’s frustration, not being able to get her out of his mind or heart. At the same time, artist Alphonse Mucha has been commissioned to make a poster for the show, but he too, is having trouble designing it, saying he can’t quite capture the look in her eyes. His drafts receive increasingly horrified “Oh, My God!”’s from both Rostand and Bernhardt. At the act’s end, Bernhardt somewhat seduces Rostand into attempting to rewrite Hamlet for her. There is a scene from Hamlet which, as all these scenes, is not well transitioned into, and while it is a pleasure to watch McTeer play Hamlet, Rebeck (playwright) should make up her mind which half of the title she wants to emphasize. Rostand and Mucha meet and express how hard it is to work on their respective assignments, and both threaten to abandon the project. Though after Rostand expresses that idea, Mucha inquires “Then why did you say yes?” Rostand then counters,“Have you ever tried to say no to Sarah Bernhardt?” There is a dinner party, in which Bernhardt is forced to confront her doubt(er)s. However, she quickly eliminates them all. Also, getting an opportunity to see Baker playing drunk is one of the funniest moments in the entire show. He spews sarcastic and nonsensical comments, all of which are irreverent and very funny. Then her son enters, ruining the party by insinuating an extramarital affair with Rostand.Then, once the guests leave, they have a heart-to-heart chat. Neither, it seems, is too good at handling money, as both are near broke. The son forbids her to love a young, married man. But she cannot help but succumb to nature. As the scene ends, he pleads “Mother, just think, for once.” Then, Rosamund enters, played by a convincing and powerful actress, Ito Aghayere. Rosamund is Rostand’s actual wife, who is not coming, surprisingly, to accuse her of having an affair, but to force her to make him stop rewriting Hamlet, and continue work on his play, saying “it’s about you”. She then insist that Bernhardt read it. She does, she loves it, and then she has Rostand come, while she and Baker read from the script. This humble play, his “pet project” is Cyrano De Bergerac, one of the most highly regarded plays of all time. She then goes on a frustrated tirade about how the character of Roxanne is too one-dimensional for “the divine Sarah”. She and Rostand get into a fight, which was probably for the worse in her career. We don’t know if they’ll ever reconcile. However, we get to see a scene from that play, and it, especially Baker, is very enjoyable. Then we see Bernhardt and her son, staging a fake sword fight. Then, as one of the most anticlimactic endings I’ve ever seen, a movie of her actually playing Hamlet shows. But, if one didn’t already know, it would not be clear that it was her, plus it leaves the audience completely unsatisfied. The way this play is written makes you feel as if you are Bernhardt, going through the trials and tribulations of putting on a show, Yet never able to be satisfied. The other actors simply create a background for McTeer, who is on a whole other level. Mark Twain’s quote about Bernhardt could be changed to fit her. The direction was so natural that it was hard to believe they weren’t just moving around of their own accord. The creative design on this show was excellent, and I personally think it should win the Tonys. Especially Beowulf Boritt (The man who was kind enough to invite me)’s set, which was lavish and really suited the period. The costumes were also luxurious, and you could see by those designs how she went bankrupt. I’m writing this before the first preview so you know whether you want to see it or not. But I hope you do, as it’s a chance to see a truly amazing new play, something that doesn’t happen a lot. 

Update!

Hi, Readers!
You may have noticed that I haven't blogged in a while, because I've been busy, but I just want to let you know that there will be another blog post by Memorial Day. In the Works are pieces about Mean Girls, Anastasia, On a Clear Day, Fiddler in Yiddish, and possibly Bernhardt/Hamlet. Here's a preview.
... Henningsen shines, and although she has been criticized for seeming fake, I think she seems very real. She gets to shine in her song "It Roars", and although she's not quite as good as she is on the cast album, some of the projections make this more effective than it would be otherwise. (e.g., a fake "plane" from Africa to America) The part where she feels awkward is represented convincingly as a dance metaphor. She shows the journey to power very well, and make you sympathize with Cady, even when she becomes "a clone" of Regina. "Stupid With Love", while not containing the best lyrics, is a fun song, if a bit bland. here you can see a bit what is meant by her "thin emotion", but really, what opportunities does that song really give? "More is Better", a totally forgettable song, almost the opposite of an "I want" song, more of an "I got" song...
Remember to check back on Labor Day!

Miscast Article

It’s not often one has as exciting an experience as getting to go to MCC’s benefit Miscast. I had the privilege of interviewing all of the cast members, and each shared an insight into their work. After the red carpet, we were ushered into the gorgeous and spacious Hammerstein Ballroom. Immediately after we sat down and ate our appetizers, Greta Gerwig came out and praised the evening’s honoree, Laurie Metcalf. Gerwig introduced a video where everyone from Nathan Lane to Glenda Jackson said that Metcalf was a delight to work with. One in particular said, “She is what we are all striving to be.” While Metcalf didn’t get a chance to perform, clips were shown of her in numerous TV shows, plays, and movies such as Roseanne and Ladybird. We could understand everyone’s compliments after witnessing her acting. Metcalf gave a charming acceptance speech, in which she thanked MCC for putting her in a play which people still say affected them. While her monologue in that play was not shown, it was alluded to so often that we wish it had. Then we ate dinner, after which the evening’s other honoree, Amy Leon, made a very touching speech. To anyone who wasn’t there, MCC recommends donations to their youth program which you can make at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/store/32215/alldonations/26207? If Leon is any example, it really should keep running. She sang a song from her new musical that was touching and creative.

Then, finally, the revue itself started. After a countdown from 10, artistic director Robert LuPone said, “Cassie, stay onstage please.” That started a fantastic rendition by Robert Fairchild of “The Music and the Mirror.” He likes a challenge. He’s been dancing his whole life, and singing has come later on, but you’d never know it, because his voice is just as good as his dancing. And although the dancing was not ballet, which Fairchild excels in, he did just as well at modern/jazz dance. No choreographer is listed in the program, but it must have been choreographed, because no one could just make all of that up. You can tell from the dialogue portion of the song that Fairchild himself, and not only Cassie, has probably had the experience of going for the chorus even when people think of him as a star. And Fairchild himself is beginning to equal the level of Gene Kelly, who he told me is his idol. Then Alex Newell did his first of 2 numbers, making a song that is not very clever more interesting, namely “Being Good Isn’t Good Enough” from Comden and Green’s Hallelujah Baby! While I appreciate him making a more esoteric choice than most people (or maybe it wasn’t him; as artistic director Bernie Telsey said, the team collaborates with the actors to choose the songs), there are probably better songs from old flops that are more suited to him. But he really shone in his other song, which I will discuss later. 

Gavin Lee, Ethan Slater, and Wesley Taylor formed one of the best acts in the show. As a jokingly conceited opening, they came out and pretended that the audience wouldn’t stop clapping. No one could after the song that followed. While they didn’t choose a song from any of their favorite shows (respectively Chess, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, or Spongebob (which was all of their favorites)), they still managed to incorporate Spongebob into their song. They talked about how hearing character voices onstage each night could drive a person crazy, and then proceeded to sing as April, Marta and Kathy in the song of that name from Company. They notably changed a few lyrics such as (Bobby is my hobby and I’m giving it up) to (Spongebobby is my hobby and I’m giving it up). It was definitely the most fun song of the entire evening. James Monroe Iglehart, Javier Muñoz, and Lexi Lawson definitely gave it a run for its money, though. Iglehart has moved on from Disney’s Aladdin to replacing Daveed Diggs in Hamilton. But he wishes he could’ve replaced someone else, namely Renee Elise Goldsberry, because he sings “Satisfied” with the help of the certainly not Miscast Javier Muñoz and Lexi Lawson, who actually play Hamilton and Eliza on Broadway. While Muñoz says that Hamilton is hard and emotionally difficult, he doesn’t show it in this number. 

But not all numbers were happy and fun. One great number, by Jayne Houdyshell, was touching and moving. Going in a much different direction than her dream role of Mrs. Lovett, she sang two short excerpts of “It Only Takes a Moment,” between which she told about how she and honoree Metcalf met and became friends. Resuming the story with (it only takes a moment/to be loved a whole life long) brought tears to many people’s eyes. Afterwards, Metcalf came up and she and Houdyshell shared a hug, making for one of the sweeter moments of the show. Soon, however, we would get comic relief with Caissie Levy singing “Shiksa Goddess” from The Last 5 Years. While she partly takes her current portrayal of Elsa from the movie, her “Goddess” was not inspired by Jeremy Jordan’s at all. It is a fun and funny song, and Levy managed to get all the laughs out of it possible. She even updated it for today’s political climate (If you had a strong connection/to your firearm collection/I say grab a bead and shoot) to (If you had a strong connection/to your firearm collection/well, that might be a dealbreaker, actually) and made it into one of the best acts of the evening.

Although another singer, Auli’i Cravalho, has never been on Broadway, she has switched from cartoons (Moana) to live singing and acting (Rise). She says that voice acting is natural for her, but it is different when she sees her face, because she doesn’t know what to do with it. She shared how when she first heard this song she thought it was obscure, and she proceeded to sing “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story. She added a pop flair, and it was enjoyable to listen to.

The aforementioned Jeremy Jordan conveniently sang a song from his dream role (we know who picked that one), or “She Used to Be Mine” from Waitress. He managed to make this song very entertaining and also wowed us with his vocal range. Victoria Clark managed also to make The Wiz’s “Be a Lion” very entertaining, and show off her vocal range in the processs. She said that there is no difference between performing for adults and kids, on her end of the process. She shows a remarkable ability to do both. This song is an absolute delight, as is everything she sings. Although Sara Bareilles restarted several times, it was definitely worth it to hear her take on the anthem “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime. Strobe lights helped make it into the showstopper that it turned out to be, but the strength of her voice alone is enough to carry any song. Bareilles has experience being both a song writer and an actor, and she believes that both are telling a story, whether from an internal or external perspective. She shows an immense talent for both, but especially for bringing the house down. She showed an equal ability to do so in the recent Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, in which she sang “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”

While Jordan Fisher disappointingly did not get to dance in this or Hamilton (he won Dancing with the Stars), he showed an equal ability to sing while belting “I’m Here” from The Color Purple, which Cynthia Erivo also sang brilliantly at the Tonys two years ago. While it’s not a fun number, it is a great way for performers to show of their voice, which Fisher did admirably in this song. At one point in the show, Katrina Lenk suddenly stood up in her seat and started doing an impromptu piece on the violin, which led into the famous violin piece from Fiddler on the Roof. She then pop-ized “If I Were a Rich Man,” while adding her own special je ne sais quoi which made it a bring-down-the-house number as well.  While silence is her favorite moment in The Band’s Visit, there was none of it in this tour de force. It was the only song that actually got a  standing ovation, and it definitely deserved it.

And finally, at the end of the show, Alex Newell, backed up by Krystina Alabado, Marcus Paul James, Tiffany Mann, and Ben Thompson, gave Keala Settle a run for her money singing “This is Me.” This song was especially powerful coming from Newell, as one can assume that he has faced some obstacles throughout his life. He can be so dramatic, it is no wonder that he looks up to Viola Davis. It was also more powerful with the four backup singers, adding the ensemble number quality that it needed. Certainly Miscast employed an old technique called saving the best for last. Finally, everyone took their bows to ferocious applause.

Afterwards, I was able to go up on stage and interview some more actors. I would like to thank everyone I interviewed for letting me interview them and giving great answers, and more than anyone, executive director Blake West for inviting me. I would like to end with a quote from Robert LuPone, another artistic director. “My favorite part of Miscast is the end.”