My Favorite Performances, 2012

Bertie Carvel – Matilda. Hearing Carvel’s performance on the original cast recording was my main impetus in making sure I got to London to see the show while he was still in the cast. As Agatha Trunchbull, the grotesque headmistress at war with Matilda Wormwood, Carvel creates one of the great comic villains in music theatre, a domineering physical presence whose second act anti-child number “The Smell of Rebellion” is a show-stopper. There are panto elements in the performance, but he plays Miss Trunchbull without winking or leering, showing shades of the insecure bully who resorts to all sorts of nasty business. I’m so thrilled NY will have a chance to see his performance in the upcoming Broadway transfer.

James Corden – One Man, Two Guvnors. The most brilliant comic creation I’ve seen since Mark Rylance took Broadway by storm with Boeing Boeing, Corden’s Francis Henshall – portly, silly, lovable – was a delight from start to finish. It’s rare that pure silliness can beget pure joy. Corden managed to do this through the mix of high and low (mostly low) brow humor in Richard Bean’s updating of A Servant of Two Masters. I saw the show a total of three times, including opening night and the utter free-for-all that was the closing night (hijinks, pranks, nudity, and all sorts of glorious hijinks in the spirit of the show) and I consistently laughed until my sides ached every time. Much of this is due to Corden’s brilliance. I do wish the play had continued after his scheduled departure, but fortunately it’s still running in London for those who want some breathless hilarity.

Linda Lavin – The Lyons. Lavin gave up supporting roles in Broadway transfers of Follies and Other Desert Cities to play this leading role off-Broadway, and with good reason. Rita Lyon is one of the most fascinating mothers in American drama since Violet Weston went nuts on her family. Lavin was able to turn a magazine page turn into a comic gold mine, and constantly surprised. Her exit speech was so brilliantly delivered that she received two back to back showstopping ovations.

Tracy Letts – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Albee’s play is one of my favorites and I would gladly see any production of it anywhere. This Steppenwolf import is an intense, visceral experience that makes the battle for the upper-hand one of the games along the way. Intense work by a superb ensemble, but Letts comes out on top in this reimagined look at the fascinating George. He is terrifying, hilarious, charming, dangerous and unsettling making a role seem new. Everyone else in the ensemble is the better for this searing portrayal. A must-see performance.

Donna Murphy – Into the Woods. Critics were mixed on this production (and having seen it three times throughout its run, I think it was a mistake to let them in early), but Murphy’s portrayal of the Witch was one of the most galvanizing performances I have ever seen. Playing up the character’s pragmatism and relationship to Rapunzel, it was as though I understood a maternal need for the character that either I missed before, or just wasn’t present in other performances I have seen. Her “Last Midnight” was nothing short of legendary; one of then most terrifying and devastating showstoppers of the year.

Imelda Staunton – Sweeney Todd. I made it a point to catch this highly-acclaimed revival while in London, and I am so glad that I did. Michael Ball was Sweeney Todd, and while he was better than I expected, it was Imelda Staunton’s searing, gritty portrayal of the enterprising, conniving Mrs. Lovett that I left thinking about. Practically every facet of her performance is seared in my memory – from her reaction to Pirelli’s dead body, to the chilling look out front while James McConville finished singing “Not While I’m Around,” to the spectacular work she did in the show’s searing final scene. Apparently Ms. Staunton is uninterested in a Broadway transfer, and that is truly New York theatre’s loss.

Katie Thompson – Giant. There was much to admire in the Public Theater’s presentation of Michael John La Chiusa’s Giant, including the winning lead performances of Brian d’Arcy James and Kate Baldwin, but as Vashti Hake, the jilted cowgirl heiress turned tycoon’s wife, Katie Thompson took me completely by surprise. Ms. Thompson got two of the best songs in the show,”He Wanted a Girl” and “Midnight Blues” and delivered a featured performance so striking I want to see her star in her own musical.

Anthony Warlow – Annie. This Australian powerhouse made his Broadway debut as Daddy Warbucks the current revival, recreating a role he has played several times before. Much to my surprise, Mr. Warlow managed to steal this classic musical about that orphan from both of its leading ladies, with his gruff but sincere demeanor and a voice that is nothing short of spectacular. His rendition of “Something Was Missing” brought down the house, something I wouldn’t have thought previously. He is the heart and soul of this uneven, but entertaining production.

Eleanor Worthington-Cox – Matilda. In the past year I have seen an inordinate amount of child performances. In the past I haven’t taken too well to kids on stage – not unlike the stage manager in Gypsy – but for the most part I saw real children giving strong performances that weren’t overly precocious or cloying. And while I was in London, I so loved Matilda that I saw it twice. While the Matilda I covered was the exceptional Sophia Kiely, I think Eleanor Worthington-Cox gave the greatest child performance I have ever seen in my life. (With all respect to Ms. Kiely, who was superb). It felt like I was watching the perfect embodiment of Dahl’s character.

In a category all its own was the sublime reunion concert of Assassins, which brought back almost the entire 2004 cast at Studio 54. A sterling ensemble, it’s a shame they couldn’t have a revival of the revival as they are all still so extraordinary.

Also worth mentioning: Victoria Clark and Christopher Fitzgerald who both walked away with the Collegiate Chorale’s concert presentation of The Mikado. Clark entered like a virago, stopping the show before she even opened her mouth. She and Fitzgerald created pandemonium with their eleven o’clock performance of “There is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast.”

Summer Vacation

I can’t believe it’s fall. I had an incredibly busy summer, with work and life requirements getting much of my attention. I took a mental health break from formal blogging, but in the interim I discovered the rabbit hole that is Tumblr. I don’t quite know what to make of the site, except that I’m incredibly addicted. (You can follow me by clicking here).

Made it to Peter and the Starcatcher just prior to Christian Borle’s departure. The play was charming, if occasionally twee (I saw the big “reveal” coming a mile away). I wanted to make sure I made it to the show before Borle departed for season 2 of Smash, and I am not sorry I did. His Tony-winning performance as Black Stache was truly something spectacular and a triumph of comic madness. I was amazed with the laugh he got late in the second act, one of the longest sustained I’ve experienced in a theatre. It was also nice to be back in the Brooks Atkinson, my first time since the revival of Noises Off.

I also caught The Lyons on its closing performance. I’m not quite sure I love the play, but I was bowled over by Linda Lavin. It became quite apparent why Lavin passed up the Broadway productions of Follies and Other Desert Cities to do the play’s off-Broadway run. Rita Lyons surprised me in ways I didn’t expect. Her eleven o’clock aria-like monologue to her awful children was one of the most astonishing things I have seen (from a character perspective, I was genuinely surprised). Lavin received two back-to-back ovations: one when she told her kids to go fuck themselves, and immediately following on her exits. A euphoric audience shouted “Bravo!” and stamped feet. At the curtain call, Lavin started her curtain speech by saying “I’m going to give my Tony speech now…” met with a huge ovation from the audience and her fellow cast members. Also: The Cort Theatre needs to be refurbished. Those mezzanine seats were downright cramped and uncomfortable and I’m practically a hobbit.

Also caught up with the revival of Evita (loved the production, Roger and Cerveris; Max von Essen was a thrilling Che), the Sydney Theatre Company’s visiting production of Uncle Vanya (wrong venue, but Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh were sublime. The production made me want to throw myself in front of a bus – in a good way). I also spent three Midnights in Central Park with the thrilling (if bewilderingly controversial) revival of Into the Woods, with a new concept that I bought hook, line and sinker. This outdoor production at the Delacorte marked the first time I have ever cared what happened after the Witch left. Speaking of the Witch – Donna Murphy was utterly astounding; her “Last Midnight” was one of the most terrifying and electrifying musical theatre experiences I have ever had. The critical consensus was mixed; I do think they should have allowed four weeks of previews before letting in the press a la Playwrights Horizons.

Made it a point to catch Will Chase during his week-long stint in Nice Work If You Can Get It. The show has been doing remarkably well in spite of its chilly reception from critics. I am in the minority of reviewers who enjoyed the show for what it was and was in an even smaller minority who enjoyed Matthew Broderick’s performance. Revisiting the show with Chase was fun, he sings exceptionally well and has ample charm. I know that they are otherwise attached, but if he and co-star Kelli O’Hara ever mated that would be the ultimate musical theatre super baby. Interestingly enough, he was not nearly as funny as Broderick in the role. Tony winners Michael McGrath and Judy Kaye are even funnier now. The first act drags a bit, but the second act works like a piston – gags and shtick went over like gangbusters. I’m still in love with the glorious orchestrations by Bill Elliott and dance arrangements by David Loud.

I read producer Ruby Preston’s Broadway-related novel ShowBizwhich details the adventures of an aspiring Broadway producer and her whirlwind life working for a feared Broadway impresario (shades of Merrick, including the last name Margolies). The style isn’t spectacular, and the writing is fairly pedestrian but the yarn was amusing for a quick read. Hijinks involve the death of a major critic, the opening of a spectacle with echoes of that whole Spider-Man debacle, romance with a vicious but earnest gossip columnist and other hijinks. Preston is writing under a nom de plume, as her characters are apparently based on people that are major Broadway players. The book won’t win a Pulitzer, but I doubt high literary standing was the intent.

Finally, some thrilling news: one of my favorite actress (and Twitter pal) Holland Taylor is coming to Broadway in Ann, a one woman play that she wrote about late Texas Governor Ann Richards. Richards is an iconic political personality, with her trademark wit, brutal honesty and larger than life demeanor (to say nothing of that “Republican hair”) and ripe for dramatization. I have been following the development of the play rather closely over the last year, and have been anticipating this announcement for some time now. This is Ms. Taylor’s first experience as a playwright, a personal project that has been seen to great acclaim throughout Texas and in recent engagements in Chicago and Washington DC.

The playwright/star invited me to a brief presentation of Ann to NY theatre owners in May, and that just ramped up my excitement. Though we were only treated to about 20 minutes or so of the play, the star’s transformation is astounding. I was sitting in the second row at New World Stages and it felt like the late Governor herself entered and took court. Also: this isn’t hagiography nor is it a collection of familiar colloquialisms and sayings. The dialogue is almost entirely original, the product of years of painstaking research and revision. Opening night is March 7 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, and I cannot wait.

Now onto the new season…

“The People in the Picture”

I’m convinced Donna Murphy can do anything. I firmly believe this from having seen her past performances, however, the versatility of the two-time Tony winner never fails to surprises me every time. That she manages to captivate, entrance and devastate as Raisel (or Bubbie) in the otherwise forgettable The People in the Picture, now playing at Studio 54, is only a testament to her immense talent. Wearing a grey wig, glasses and a house dress, Ms. Murphy (who is one of the most gorgeous women on Broadway) is utterly convincing as a Polish immigrant and Jewish grandmother, a woman who adores her granddaughter and desires to pass down to her the truth of the Holocaust and her life before, during and after Nazi oppression and depravity, but whose health and mental faculties are fading fast.

Murphy alternates between the younger and older version of her character as fragments of her story are told. The transformation is stunning; the most subtle and nuanced shift in body language add or subtract fifty years in the blink of an eye. Murphy is also playing an actress and has the opportunity to partake in Yiddish theatre sketches and send-ups of old films, including one memorable scene as a Dybbuk. Ultimately Murphy is forced to rise above her material and carry the entire show on those thin shoulders. It’s not an easy burden to bear, but she does so with absolute professionalism and grace.

The idea behind The People in the Picture is admirable: a multi-generational family dealing with their internal troubles while stressing the importance of cultural identity and historic legacy. The ideas and ideals are so strong and ambition that it makes the show’s failure all the more disappointing. Iris Rainer Dart’s script is laden with cliches, hammy dialogue and is chock full of cheap sentiment. Raisel’s memories and recollections bring to life the title characters, theatre folk from her past. There is a lot of shtick, fragmented storytelling and an overall lack of clarity. (The memories from the picture: are they merely memories or are they ghosts haunting Raisel? If memories, how does Raisel’s long lost lover bring her closure?)

The score, with music by Mike Stoller or Artie Butler, is mostly unmemorable; an incohesive mix of klezmer and pastiche. Even worse are Dart’s lyrics, which are so rote and poorly rhymed they at times feel like parody. The nadir comes in the soliloquy “Red’s Dilemma”, in which the daughter expresses mixed emotions whether or not she should put her mother in a nursing home. However, there is one lovely song in the second act, “Selective Memory,” as Raisel sings to the specter of her long lost love Chaim about the strong memories she still holds onto. It provided the most genuine moment of emotion in the entire score.

Nicole Parker, who possesses a captivating voice, presents a woman facing the difficulties of becoming a parent to her own parent. Rachel Resneff as Maisel’s granddaughter, is supposed to be wise beyond her years but comes off completely disingenuous. The title characters, of Raisel’s Warsaw Gang (and supporting cast), are all archetypes and stereotypes; broadly drawn figures of larger-than-life theatre people. Alexander Gemignani and Christopher Innvar play the men of Raisel’s life, but have little to work with. Hal Robinson plays the dying impresario while Joyce Van Patten gets the one genuinely funny line in the whole show as an aging diva. Lewis J. Stadlen and Chip Zien play off each other like old vaudevillians. They are all wonderful performers, but unable to rise above the material as Murphy does so effortlessly.

The musical’s second act is better than the abysmal first, most specifically for the final twenty minutes in which Raisel’s secrets are finally revealed. At the height of Nazi power and out of fear for her safety, Raisel gave up her daughter to save her life, then after the war took her back from the barren Gentile couple who took her in. The resentment and bitterness has existed between them, unspoken, ever since. This inevitable “truth will set you free” revelation is where the audience is finally told the truth in its entirety. Afterward comes the denouement and requisite deathbed scene. Even those around me who were suppressing laughter throughout much of the first act were getting choked up. This was The People in the Picture at its most compelling, but it was simply not enough.

My Favorite Performances, 2010

Kate Baldwin, I Do! I Do!  I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience at the esteemed Westport Country Playhouse. I had never seen the Schmidt and Jones musical of the Jan de Hartog’s The Fourposter, which offers an intimate portrait of a fifty-year marriage. Her performance was exquisite, with an earnest but achingly honest portrait of an early 20th century wife. Its sensibilities may be of another time, but through her performance she brought out elements of the play’s universality. It was not difficult to fall in love with her as she was flirting with, arguing with or encouraging her not-always-appreciative husband Michael (expertly played by Lewis Cleale).

Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro BoysI didn’t see the show at the Vineyard Theatre earlier in the year, and can only base my thoughts of Brandon Victor Dixon based on his stellar performance on the original cast album. But seeing Henry onstage at the Lyceum is something I will never forget. His performance was tough, grounded and always riveting and I find when I listen to the sublime cast album I miss some of his vocal flourishes and power. If there’s justice in the world (and the musical itself expertly showed there isn’t always), Henry will be adding a Tony nomination to his resume this spring.

Annette McLaughlin, Brief Encounter.  I was swept away by this adaptation of Noel Coward’s play Still Life and eponymous film adaptation, even though I wish I had seen it from the orchesta section or in its more intimate venue at St Ann’s. The entire cast is superlative, but as the tall, lithe cafe proprietress Beryl, McLaughlin grabbed my attention almost immediately. She is always on the periphery of the main relationship of the star-crossed lovers, but help add some levity and perspective with her timing, delivery (“sau-cay”) and musical abilities. I was so thoroughly charmed by the experience, but most especially with her exceptional supporting turn.

Jan Maxwell, Lend Me a Tenor.  It has yet to be proven that there is something that Jan Maxwell cannot do. I’ve seen her in a searing period melodrama, an elegant period comedy-drama and then her supporting all-out farce turn in Lend Me a Tenor, the funniest performance in this rather amusing revival of Ken Ludwig’s contemporary favorite. The play itself, admittedly, isn’t that funny. But Maxwell took the script and had a field day with it. Her character’s jealous mood swings and violent temper made for some of the play’s best moments. A mere hiss stopped the show dead in its tracks. Much of her time is spent off-stage and she was missed. She followed this farce with an acclaimed turn as a stroke victim in Wings at Second Stage. Again – this woman can do everything and I look forward to her Phyllis Rogers Stone in Follies at the Kennedy Center next spring.

Janet McTeer, God of Carnage.  I had seen and enjoyed the original Broadway cast with Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden, but didn’t feel compelled to see the play again. It’s an amusing play, but it’s really an actor’s play and its enjoyment hinges on the performances on display. However, I dropped everything when I heard that Janet McTeer, who originated the role of Veronique in the original London cast, would be stepping into the Americanized Veronica for the Broadway production. She was utterly superb – and this was the first performance this company had given. I was fascinated by her from the moment she entered to her exit, every flourish and nuance compelling. Funny and fierce, she was better than her Tony-winning counterpart and as a whole made the play even more interesting to watch.

Donna Murphy, Anyone Can Whistle.  “Ooh I could think all night!” If Encores productions were eligible for Tony Awards, we wouldn’t have never had any of the post-Tony controversy regarding Catherine Zeta-Jones’ win for A Little Night Music. Donna Murphy would have (and dare I say, should have) walked away with every award in sight for her gut-busting performance as evil Mayoress Cora Hoover-Hooper in this concert version of Anyone Can Whistle (even the way she said her own name reduced the audience into laughter). Every gesture, every nuance, every note – everything she did on that stage was so fascinating and so damned funny. As a result of this performance, I am convinced that she should be our next Mame.

Bernadette Peters, A Little Night Music.  Replacing a Tony-winning star is one of the toughest gigs on Broadway. Sometimes the performer is an improvement on the original, but that’s a rarity. However, in this case, the replacement was not only an improvement but also somehow transformed the entire production into a must-see. A Little Night Music somehow fell into the hands of Trevor Nunn, who did his best to ruin it. While the sublime Angela Lansbury was the reason to see it when it opened, the rest of the ensemble lacked cohesiveness. Every actor seemed to be in a different production, some even seemed to be in another theatre entirely. Somehow Bernadette’s presence made them a unified presence and while the revival still has its considerable shortcomings (and length), she gave the production the credibility it needed from the beginning. And her near-definitive performance of “Send in the Clowns” is worth the price of admission. If the Tonys hadn’t botched the replacement category, Bernadette would win in a heartbeat.

Lucky to Be Me: The Music of Leonard Bernstein

When I purchased my ticket to NYCO‘s Lucky to Be Me: The Music of Leonard Bernstein a couple months back, it was for two reasons – Victoria Clark was singing and there would be selections from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I’m a big Bernstein fan and love his other shows, but I revel in the opportunities I’ve had over the past couple of years to hear songs from this lost score performed in NY.

You see, ever since I first heard the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue score and Patricia Routledge’s performances of “Take Care of This House” and “Duet for One” a few years back, I’ve wanted to hear Clark sing those numbers, as she is the closest we have to a Routledge on Broadway today. When the revised score, under the title A White House Cantata, is performed, opera singers without musical theatre backgrounds have been cast and much of the warmth and humor is gone from the role of the First Lady. So you can imagine my reaction when I opened the concert’s Playbill to see that she would be delivering this particular number in the eleven o’clock spot of the show. I think I summed it up best in my tweet: ‘Victoria Clark. Duet for One. They might to need to take me out of here on a stretcher.’

But I love Leonard Bernstein music in general. His material is interesting, tuneful and memorable. There is a distinctive sound that is his and his alone, with syncopation and variation and a love of difficult time signatures. His music evokes many reactions from me personally, and I find I’m pretty much able to appreciate and often love every piece of music he has written (that I’ve heard so far). Even when the wordsmith fails, the melody is still often compelling. And hearing his music live makes me wish I had been able to witness him conduct in person; his melodies are as impassioned and enthusiastic and full of life as he was on the conducting platform.

The entire concert was a delight from start to finish, with only minor quibbles about the technical aspects and staging. The performance was onstage at the David H. Koch (formerly the New York State) Theater. The songs were performed in front of the show curtain, which I found a strange choice. The chorus spent much of its time singing from either side of the first tier seats and the space limitations while not overly distracting, seemed generally constricting.

The first act was dedicated entirely to Bernstein’s classical repertoire, with selections from Mass, Songfest and a segment from his Kaddish Symphony No. 3. Aside from a brief introduction by Donna Murphy, the first act consisted of opera singers from NYCO’s current production of A Quiet Place as well as the reliable NYCO chorus and children’s chorus. Christopher Feigum sang “To What You Said,” Bernstein’s setting of Walt Whitman’s poem in Songfest, which amused me greatly as the melody has been recycled from the Prelude to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Feigum and Joshua Jeremiah, who sang a lovely “Simple Song” from Mass, were the solo highlights of the first act.

There were some other great singers onstage, unfortunately the acoustics in Koch Theatre made it difficult to hear them over the orchestra. The best sound seemed to come from the front orchestra section, where the children’s chorus lined up to sing – facing the stage – and could be heard clearer and louder than any of the trained opera professionals. Sound remained an issue throughout the evening, though it improved greatly during the Broadway themed second act.

As for act two, it was one showstopper after another from Bernstein’s five Broadway musicals. While the shows themselves run the gamut from classic hit to obscure failure, one thing remains consistent: Bernstein wrote damned good scores for all of them. The audience, which was exceptionally polite during the more solemn first act came to life during this portion. Darius de Haas, Michael Urie and Jeremiah Johnson got it started with a lively reading of “New York, New York” from On the Town which segued directly into a winning “Something’s Coming”  from West Side Story. Kelli O’Hara was the ideal Eileen with “A Little Bit in Love” from Wonderful Town, while Christine Ebersole had a field day as On the Town’s Hildy, with dynamite renditions of “Come Up to My Place” (with Urie) and “I Can Cook Too.” Cheyenne Jackson offered a lovely “Lucky to Be Me,” with the unbelievably gorgeous choral arrangement. Michael Baritone Sidney Outlaw held the audience captive with the most haunting rendition of “Seena” from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that’s been heard since Gilbert Price originated the part.

Other highlights included Donna Murphy’s hilarious showstopping “One Hundred Easy Ways” from Wonderful Town, while Michael Cerveris countered with a beautifully understated, wistful rendition of “A Quiet Girl” from the same score. Clark and O’Hara danced and trilled their way through the comic duet “We Are Women” written for the original London production of Candide.  The high point of the evening was the combination of “Tonight” (sung by Jackson & O’Hara) with the “Quintet” which featured Cerveris as Riff and our Murphy as Anita. It was an electrifying performance that brought about one of the largest audience responses of the evening.

The finale packed a one-two punch: Ebersole, Murphy, Jackson and Cerveris performed the plaintive “Some Other Time” from On the Town. Then Armstrong and Jakubiak returned to lead “Make Our Garden Grow,” the finale of Candide. There is a section in the song at its climax where the orchestra cuts out while the choral group is singing in 8 parts; its effect is almost indescribable. It is one of the most spine-tingling experiences a person can have as an audience member and a perfect way to cap off the evening.

As for “Duet for One (The First Lady of the Land),” I relish every opportunity I have to hear it. It’s a challenging nine minute number that involves more than just the woman at its center and a successful performance hinges on mastering its deliberately schizophrenic nature. It was probably the starriest version I’ve ever seen with Jackson standing in for Rutherford B. Hayes and Michael Cerveris delivering the oath of office. Clark was a wonder, clearly having a field day with the material. The staging was far more cumbersome than it needed to be, but Clark was a delight. I want to hear her perform it again and again.

The Bernstein estate should seriously reconsider the withdrawal of the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue score and create a new recording, akin to John McGlinn’s landmark reconstruction of Show Boat. While the show suffered an embarrassing failure in 1976, the score contains some dazzling material, including some truly great music left out of the concert revision, A White House Cantata. I had conversations with some concertgoers after the show and they asked me how I knew this score. They were astonished from the selections they heard and seemed genuinely interested in hearing more. “What a shame they didn’t record a cast album!” The Cantata does have a recording, but its staid and rather boring. Mr. Outlaw and Ms. Clark proved last night that the score deserves better. In the unlikely event the score ever does get a full recording, Clark should be first in line to play the First Ladies.

Donna Murphy for Mame

The Encores! production of Anyone Can Whistle has been closed for a mere two weeks and I can’t stop thinking about Donna Murphy’s triumphant turn as Mayoress Cora Hoover-Hooper. In the last line of my assessment of the production, I speculated as to whom we’d have to talk to in order to mount a major revival of Mame showcasing Murphy.

With her performance fresh on my mind, as well as the second Broadway revival of La Cage Aux Folles settling in with great notices, I’ve been thinking more and more about Murphy taking on the role of that great bohemian aunt. I’m not the only one who has thought so. The other night I was talking about this with die hard “Mame-ist” SarahB, who has come up with a grassroots campaign slogan “Murphy for Mame!”

And why not? After the last La Cage revival, the Nederlanders promised to revive both Mame and Hello, Dolly! successively. I’m sure the failure of that production had something to do with putting the kibbosh on their Herman project. Both shows have only been seen in their original productions, or in replications of their original productions and it’s time to pass along both treasures to a new generation of theatre kids who think Idina Menzel is the epitome of Broadway belting (saints preserve us!)

I went into further detail last September pondering who would be the right actress for the part. When you look at our leading ladies, it’s easier to find a Dolly or a Vera, but Mame requires an alchemical element to pull off successfully – that unspeakable star quality that Lansbury brought to NY in 1966. She’s funny, sexy, larger-than-life, the belle of the ball; the ideal aunt that we all wish we could have. But she’s also got an immense heart, a fiery liberal passion and is well, a borderline alcoholic in an idealized world where that’s just part of the fun. All of this is rolled into one strikingly costumed, timeless creation of sheer theatrical joy. The shoes are not easy to fill.

Murphy is fearless, versatile and brilliant. Yes, she missed performances of Wonderful Town. However those critics are quick to harp on her attendance record even after it turned out she was seriously sick and could have permanently damaged her voice. I say, cut the lady some slack and welcome her back. This is a woman who was able to bring the Mayoress Hoover Hooper, who’s more a cartoon than character, to genuine tears while singing “A Parade in Town.”

Like the role’s originator, Angela Lansbury, Murphy is mindbogglingly versatile and there is very little she can’t do. With the right director (maybe Nicholaw? we can decide that later), we’d have a production of Mame for the 21st century. I’m convinced there is – at this moment – no other musical theatre actress who could successfully pull off one of the most iconic leading lady roles in musical theatre.

"Anyone Can Whistle" at Encores


I would like to call for a coronation in New York City. I don’t know if there are any statutes in the NY government that allow for such activity, or even whether her colleagues would appreciate my hubris, but if there is anyone who deserves to be crowned the Queen of Musical Comedy (at least this year) it is Donna Murphy, who experienced another in a series of career triumphs in this weekend’s Encores! revival of Anyone Can Whistle. If you missed her performance, I am legitimately sorry for you because it was the most scrumptious, delectable, laugh-out-loud hilarious musical comedy performance I’ve seen in the last several years.

Lusty, shallow, greedy, neurotic and deliriously oblivious, Murphy sashays through the evening like a Vegas nightclub diva, complete with a quartet of male dancers who follow her everywhere she goes. Her voice is in exceptional form and each one of her numbers was a pure knockout. Every nuance in her delivery, her physical movement, even the way she pronounces her own last name is enough to bust a gut. Her physicality is fearless, brash and just about the greatest thing since sliced bread. Every moment she is onstage you can’t help but watch her – she’s not only funny, but fascinating.

Murphy, coiffed by Gregg Barnes in an homage to the role’s originator Angela Lansbury (who insisted she play the part), is so winning that she would win every theatre award in sight were she eligible. It’s even more impressive when you think of her career trajectory: the bleak, depressive Fosca in Passion, the prim Mrs. Anna in The King and I, Ruth Sherwood in Wonderful Town and Phyllis in Follies. There are not many actresses with such extensive range and ability.

It bears mentioning that Ms. Murphy is not onstage alone. Sutton Foster is lots of fun as a Fay Apple, the uptight pragmatic nurse who can only let down her guard when dolled up like a French tart. She brings that now trademark belt to “There Won’t Be Trumpets” and offered a touching rendition of the title song. Raul Esparza flits around wildly as Hapgood, the would-be doctor who is actually a patient running the asylum. Edward Hibbert, Jeff Blumenkrantz and John Ellison Conlee provide enormous comic support as ‘Hoovah-Hoopah’s’ sidekicks, partners in crime (and possibly some more unmentionable extra-curricular activities).

This legendary flop played nine performances at the Majestic in 1964, an overreaching satire about a bankrupt city whose corrupt mayoress (and minions) concoct a phony miracle in order to capitalize on it. I won’t get too far into the plot as, well, with this show it doesn’t particularly matter. Laurents’ libretto is a meandering mess that tries too hard to lampoon everything imaginable. It seems that by trying to make the show all about everything that the creators inadvertently made it about nothing. David Ives made judicious cuts to the book, but to little avail: the piece as a whole is still unworkable and unsalvageable.

But there is still that score. Goddard Lieberson had the foresight to record the score in spite of the show’s closing. Sondheim, at this point, was primarily known as a lyricist and whose only Broadway composing credit was the smash hit A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. It was in Anyone Can Whistle that Broadway had its first taste of the Sondheim style and sound, which would revolutionize the genre in 1970’s Company. The album turned the show into a cult favorite, keeping Sondheim’s music and lyrics alive.

In honor of the composer’s 80th birthday, Encores! offers the rare NY revival and it is highly doubtful this production could be bettered. Director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw, also responsible for the memorable Encores! concert of Follies three years ago, has staged the piece with winning originality, especially in the subtitled bedroom scene. His dances are especially polished. They culminate in a showstopping climax with the “Cookie Chase,” a comic ballet complete with butterfly nets and tumbles. It’s a zany, absurd piece that simultaneous recalls the Keystone Cops and Tchaikowsky and is utterly ingenious, and an homage to the work of Herbert Ross, the original choreographer.

This is one of the best I’ve seen at the City Center. However, if producers are thinking of transferring this one, I don’t think that would be a wise move. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever see a commercial production that could make the show work or make it as fun as this one. But this is the ideal Encores! experience: a show that wouldn’t ordinarily be revived. This one will be best remembered for its triumphant weekend. Let’s hope next season can produce such a winner. Now I just wonder who’ll we have to see about getting Donna Murphy onstage in that other Lansbury star vehicle, Mame.

How Donna Murphy Got Cora Hoover Hooper

Playbill’s Andrew Gans talks to Donna Murphy on her relationship with Sondheim and her upcoming role as the Mayoress in Encores! Anyone Can Whistle. The following is an excerpt on how she got the part:

‘Murphy is now getting ready to tackle her latest Sondheim role, Mayor Cora Hoover Hooper in the upcoming Encores! production of the short-lived Sondheim-Arthur Laurents musical Anyone Can Whistle, which co-stars Tony winner Sutton Foster and Tony nominee Raul Esparza. It was another multiple Tony winner, however, who Murphy says helped get her the gig: Angela Lansbury, who starred in the original production of Whistle.

“This year [the Drama League was] lucky enough to be honoring [Lansbury], and I was asked by Michael Mayer to learn and sing [Anyone Can Whistle’s] ‘Me and My Town.’ I’d only heard that song once before, and I thought, ‘Oh, what a great song!,’ and I said, ‘Yeah! Yeah!’ . . . I had such a good time, and that night [Lansbury] came up to me afterwards and kind of took me by the shoulders and she said, ‘Have they called you?’ And I said, ‘Who?’ And she said, ‘Encores! Have they called you?’ And I said, ‘No.’ And she said, ‘Why aren’t you doing it?’ And I said, ‘Well, I haven’t been asked.’ She said, ‘I’m calling them! I’m calling them!’ And, it was incredibly flattering, but it was also one of those situations where I [didn’t] know what’s going on [with the casting]. It certainly was on my radar that they were doing this show because any time that there’s a Sondheim show happening, my ears prick up and I’m like, ‘Is there something in it for me?,'” she laughs.’

Does this mean Angie is entitled to ten percent…?

Kennedy Center Tribute to Chita

For some inane reason or other I missed the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002, even though I knew Chita Rivera was on the dais. However, a good friend taped it for me just in case, so I had a save. (For you younger folk out there, this was before the youtube). About six weeks later, I was back from college in order to have my four wisdom teeth out.

After the surgery, I came home and waited for the painkillers to kick in (I was Violet Weston that weekend, kids…), I popped in this video to ease my discomfort as the novocaine wore off. That was a memorable morning kids, for various reasons (hear my brother tell the story of how I fell out of a chair).

In spite of the pain I was feeling, I picked myself off the couch and rewound the tape again and again. I still get chills seeing it.

Charlotte d’Amboise, Donna Murphy, Valerie Pettiford and countless dancers pay tribute to the Queen of the Gypsies.

Now this, Tony folks, is how you do a Broadway medley: