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Attack of the Theatre People

Bloggers, if you haven’t read it, this is the novel that celebrates you:

How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theatre

Marc Acito took his own experiences as a theatre student and came up with this amusing caper about Ed Zanni, the sexually confused star of his high school drama club and his misadventures (and criminal acts) with his motley crew of theatre geeks in achieving his dream of going to Juilliard. It’s an amusing quick read with a lot of references for the obscure and lots of laugh out loud moments (particularly anything involving the deviant Nathan, who is my hero – and catalyst for all the scheming). (I do admit, I take some reservations with the author’s style sometimes, but there’s a lot to be appreciated. Hell, even Marian Seldes shows up!)

Well anyway, there’s a sequel being published soon called, appropriately Attack of the Theatre People. It follows Ed through his Juilliard days and into the real world. His gang shows up. Nathan plots (the true hero). More hijinks ensue.

"1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" – a synopsis of sorts

I found this posted by WesternActor on ATC this evening and felt that it was worthy of sharing; it takes a close look at the songs and scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as it played in NY in 1976.

Act I

1. Overture (different from the one played at A White House Cantata, but more on that later), a mixture of “American Dreaming” (see below), “Rehearse!”, “Take Care of This House,” and “The President Jefferson March.”
2. Prologue: A march-and-tambourine opening in which the “actors” playing the four leads introduce themselves, their characters, and what the evening will be about.
3. “Rehearse!”: The complete casts sings about the American virtue of trying things over and over agqain until you get them right (“In the course of human events / There’s only one event that makes sense / Rehearse and rehearse / Rehearse and don’t stop / And if we do / And if we don’t drop / It’s gonna be great!”)
4. “If I Was a Dove”: Little Lud, a runaway slave, tries to hide from the people who are trying to track him down in the night.
5. Abigail Adams’s carriage, lost en route to Washington, almost runs over Lud. They strike up a friendship when he gives Abigail directions, and she takes him with her. Along the way, she explains how President Washington founded the city (“On Ten Square Miles by the Potamac River”).
6. “Welcome Home Miz Adams”: The black White House staff greets Abigail and Lud as they begin to get situated in the unfinished White House.
7. President John Adams arrives and immediately begins making plans to leave the house he already hates (“On Ten Square Miles by the Potamac River” reprise, sung by Abigail in Cantata).
8. “Take Care of This House”: Abigail, though distressed at the distressed state of the house, is nonetheless enchanted by it, and sees it as a symbol for the freedom the United States represents. She convinces John to give the house a chance, and he agrees; Lud stays on and joins the serving staff.
9. “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue”: Adams writes an invitation to Abigail for a house-warming party to christen the new Executive Mansion. (“May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof).
10. When Thomas Jefferson becomes president, he insists that all the serving staff, including Lud, learn to write.
11. “The President Jefferson Sunday Luncheon Party March”: Lud writes a letter to Abigail telling her of Jefferson’s latest innovation: music during brunch. During the number, it becomes clear that Jefferson has been having an affair with one of the servants. (In different lyrics in the “oom-pah-pah” section, the women sing “Father of democracy / And I’m told there is proof.”
Lud finishes his letter and time passes).
12. “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue” reprise: Dolly Madison writes an invitation to a Presidential reception during the war of 1812. Lud, now an adult, prepares for the celebration with Jefferson’s daughter, whom he happens to love: “Seena.”
13. “Sonatina”: The Madisons escape from Washington when the British invade Washington, afraid that all the city’s black residents will defect. Lud alone stays behind in the White House and confronts the British. They burn down the city, but a torrential rain prevents the White House from being completely destroyed.
14. “They Don’t Have to Pull It Down”: The original White House architect returns to inspect the damage house, and declares it fixable, though it will take three years.
15. “Lud’s Wedding (I Love My Wife)”: Lud, overjoyed, asks Seena to marry him, and she accepts. The proceedings are overseen by Reverend Bushrod (“Lord look into da window / Where dere’s love dere is life / Take de cake from de oven / We got a lovin’ / Husband and wife!”) and a dance follows.
16. “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue” reprise: Eliza Monroe begins writing an invitation to the official reopening of the White House, but can’t see to complete it because none of the furniture has arrived.
17. “Auctions”: Eliza complains to her husband James about the slave auctions in the streets, which she finds especially detestable because the auctioneers are snatching free people off the streets and selling them into servitude. (This, for the record, is what Lud and Seena are discussing in their duet “This Time,” in the Cantata but not in the show on Broadway.) James is afraid to do anything about this, and proposes ending the problem once and for all by sending all black Americans to Liberia—beginning with the White House staff. Outraged, Eliza goes to bed.
18. “Monroviad (The Little White Lie)”: James tries to convince Eliza this plan is the best way to make things better for everyone, but she refuses to accept it.
19. “The President Jefferson March” reprise: A parade of presidents leads us to
20. “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue” reprise: On the eve of the 1960 election, President James Buchanan writes an invitation to a party celebrating the arrival of the Prince of Wales.
21. “We Must Have a Ball”: Buchanan, aware of the troubles brewing in the country, believes a party between representatives of the North and South will reduce tensions.
22. “Take Care of This House” (reprise): It doesn’t work. Abraham Lincoln is elected, South Carolina secedes, and the curtain falls.

Act II

1. Entr’acte (not in the Cantata in any form), a combination of “The President Jefferson March,” a bit of “Yankee Doodle,” and “Rehearse!”
2. “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue” reprise: President Andrew Johnson’s staff celebrates his impending removal from office.
3. “Forty Acres and a Mule”: Johnson’s staff holds a mock trial while the real trial is being held in the Senate.
4. “Bright and Black”: The staff celebrates the better world that will result from Johnson’s absence.
5. Mrs. Johnson, suffering from consumption, worries about her husband’s fate. Johnson returns, in high spirits, and sends her to bed. Alone with Seena, he confesses he expects to be found guilty. She’s cold to him at first, but he convinces her that he truly has black Americans’ best interests in heart, however the opposition may have made it look. He is saved from removal from office by a single vote.”Hail”: Ulysses Grant is elected.
6. “Duet for One (The First Lady of the Land)”: Grant leaves office and is replaced by Rutherford B. Hayes, following a complicated and controversial vote recount. Grant’s wife, Julia, believes he stole the office, while Hayes’s wife Lucy revels in her new role.
7. The servants roil at the results of the election, with Lud saying that Hayes is “repealing the Civil War” all by himself.
8. “American Dreaming”: Lud, outraged, screams that Lincoln’s advances are being destroyed (this is also not heard in the Cantata).
9. “When We Were Proud”: Lud and Seena, in despair at the state of affairs, leave the White House, Lud’s promise to Abigail echoing sadly in his ears. (This song uses the same melody as the Cantata‘s finale, “To Make Us Proud,” but has entirely different lyrics.)
10. “Hail” reprise: James A. Garfield is elected and assassinated.
11. Chester Alan Arthur assumes the presidency but finds himself fighting powerful forces of corruption.
12. “The Robber-Baron Minstrel Parade” and “Pity the Poor”: These and the two following songs are presented in the form of a minstrel show, complete with tambourines, end men, and blackface. Senator Roscoe Conkling of New York wields much power, and the rich men of America can’t stop singing about their impact over the powerless president.
13. “The Mark of a Man”: Arthur resists the allure of wealth and power, and stands firm in the face of adversity. (In the Cantata, this song is sung following “The Little White Lie.”) He feels good about himself, even if the rest of the country isn’t convinced.
14. “The Red White and Blues”: The robber-baron minstrels, however, are too powerful, and Arthur can’t win against them. He isn’t even nominated for reelection, but escapes the White House with his morals intact.
15. “Hail” reprise: Grover Cleveland and William McKinley are elected, and McKinley is shot.
16. Funeral sequence: The music heard as the overture in the cantata serves as the music playing under the country’s mourning for McKinley.
17. The actors—or their characters—make speeches about how far they and the country has come since 1800. “A fine old house. I’ve seen an enemy try to burn it and fail, one part of the nation try to divide it and fail, one branch of the government try to capture it and fail, and a group of men try to buy it and not fail,” the president actor says… “Until now.” Teddy Roosevelt assumes the presidency.
18. “Rehearse!” reprise: The Roosevelts and the country rejoice in the new opportunities ahead. “1900 is here / Stand up and cheer / It’s gonna be great / 1800 adjourned / The corner is turned / It’s gonna be great / All of the wrongs we never put right / Can have a happy ending in sight / If we will rehearse / Rehearse and don’t stop / And if we do / It’s gonna be great!” Everyone continues rehearsing as the curtain falls.
19. Exit music: Several different variations on “The President Jefferson March.”

"A White House Cantata"

Colossal failure. That’s the summation I generally give 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Leonard Bernstein-Alan Jay Lerner flop that played a tumultuously chaotic out of town tryout and limped into New York for a 7 performance run. Where did it go wrong? Probably at the very start. Lerner was frustrated over the Watergate scandal of 1972 and collaborated with Bernstein on a concept musical that would examine the first hundred years of the White House, with an emphasis on race relations through that time. Highly ambitious stuff.

Tonight I was at the condensed revision of the piece (which eliminated practically the entire book and focused on the historical musical scenes) called A White House Cantata. The event was presented by the Collegiate Chorale under the artistic direction of Tony award winning actor Roger Rees and marked the NY premiere of this revision, and the first time the score had been heard in NY since it closed May 8, 1976.

The piece calls out for a more theatrical staging rather than the staid classical production it received tonight. The Collegiate Chorale stood and sat upstage in a semi circle, with four chairs and four mike stands (everyone had a binder) downstage. Chills were to be had several times throughout. “Take Care of This House” and “To Make Us Proud” (which reminded me so much of “Make Our Garden Grow”) are stunning pieces. The crescendo of the latter was beyond gorgeous. (“To Make Us Proud” should never have been cut as the finale. It is a stunning summation of liberal patriotism – and that last note is held forever and a day). Hearing those original orchestrations (by Bernstein, Hershy Kay and Sid Ramin) was worth the price of admission alone. Dwayne Croft was amusing as the President, and in stellar voice, if no great shakes as an actor. Emily Pulley‘s “Duet for One” was well executed – she found the comedy where June Anderson failed in the initial presentation/recording ten years ago. And needless to say, the number stopped the show. However – she did not take the high D above C at the end which separates the good First Ladies from the superlative First Ladies (like Patricia Routledge and Judy Kaye, who made the first official recording of the showcase for John McGlinn). Robert Mack and Anita Johnson were fine as Lud and Seena; especially with the infectious “I Love My Wife.” Rees also made an amusing cameo as Admiral Cockburn during the “Sonatina.”

As the show is performed now, with practically nothing left of the book it runs an intermission-less 90 minutes. Basically it’s everything you hear on the disappointingly lifeless album they recorded after the London premiere ten years ago (with Thomas Hampson and June Anderson). But I feel though that by removing the entire book, you’re left with just songs and little context. They tried to make up for that with a historical Powerpoint presentation that lasted the entire performance. They also wisely used supertitles for lyrical clarity. Which brings me to my aforementioned quibble. The piece is eminently theatrical and not classical – it would have fared better with musical theatre actors in the leads. Say for instance, Marc Kudisch and Victoria Clark as the President and First Lady. (Let’s face it, Victoria Clark should just do the Patricia Routledge songbook). There was a lack of cohesion that was made even more obvious with the lack of dialogue or even a narration. Hmm.. That sounds like an idea for the cantata, link the fragmented musical sequences with narrative. That would make more sense than just jumping from one musical piece to another. It could also help the audience care more for Lud and Seena, since they are the fictional characters of the piece, who really come out of nowhere and go nowhere, except to serve as catalysts for racial discussion within the musical numbers. We should have an opportunity to care for them. But let’s face it, it is a problematic show, otherwise it wouldn’t be obsessed by elitists and curious flop fiends.

I am, as many of you are well aware, fascinated to no end by the piece, especially since it’s one of such breadth and scope. And there seems to be a masterwork yearning to break out of the confines of the show in each of its revisions. I found that there was more fun to the piece when it was a Broadway musical and not an oratorio (the piece demands the energy and acting, especially in regards to the satiric numbers). They’ve reinstated the much more reserved original Prelude as opposed to the lively overture that opened the show on Broadway (which is decidedly Bernsteinian) and the framework of “Rehearse” which is infectious and little tidbits, like “The Honor of Your Presence is Requested” which for whatever reason I just love the melodic line. The impeachment scene between President Johnson and Seena is one of the most compelling dialogues that the show had to offer. It was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the servants rarely interact with the President and First Lady in the revision. The fragmentation sort of defeats the author’s original intent, doesn’t it?

The following quote from John Adams’ correspondence with his wife Abigail, written on his second day of occupancy was missing – and it makes for a beauty of a line:

“I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.”

After the show, there was a highly engaging talkback hosted by Seth Rudetsky with Richard Muenz, Beth Fowler, co-director George Faison and Fowler’s husband John Witham (they met during this production and were married a year later). Also present was Warren Hoge, who covered the show during its preview period in 1976 – and told an amusing anecdote about how he sang “Take Care of This House” to Ronald Reagan at a White House dinner. One of the audience questions was actually a comment from a man who was at the closing and recalled how Routledge received such an ovation for “Duet for One” that she performed an encore. Fowler backed him up saying it was the only time she had ever seen anything like that “They wouldn’t let the show go on.” She also does a rather amusing Pat Routledge impersonation. They mused on what worked and didn’t work. The chaos of rehearsals and being out of town. The confusion of having rehearsed half a scene, only to perform the new first half and the old second half at the evening perform. Yikes. Many mixed reactions on the original work from all onstage. “A wonderful-terrible experience.” They were all thrilled to hear the score again – and Faison summed it up best when he said that Lerner and Bernstein were trying to say too much.

Erik Haagensen, who was cited in the concert notes as having written an article about the musical for Show Music magazine in 1992, has worked on an estate-approved revision of the work that was done in the early 90s. What a shame we can’t get his work out in the open, because I feel that there is a masterwork among this ruin that has yet to surface.

One final quibble. For a show that deals with race it was jarring that the chorale was almost all white, with nary an African American woman in sight, save for Ms. Johnson.

While it was a treat to hear the piece live in NY, A White House Cantata is not and should not be the final word on this score.

One-Armed Dancing and the Celtic aura of "Juno"

It’s a whirlwind couple of days for me. In the span of two days I’ll have had the privilege of hearing two favorite flops scores. Unbelievable, huh? Tonight it was Juno, the Blitzstein-Stein adaptation of Sean O’Casey‘s acclaimed tragicomedy Juno and the Paycock at City Center Encores! Tomorrow night it will be A White House Cantata, the concert revision of Bernstein-Lerner’s 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which is being presented by the Collegiate Chorale at Frederick Rose Theatre.

There is much to admire in Juno. Running for only 16 performances in 1959, the musical was plagued by the lack of a solid director, as well as being considered far too dark for its time. I treasure the original cast album. The score is fascinating to no end: Shirley Booth and Melvyn Douglas lead the way as Juno and Jack Boyle, with support from Monte Amundsen as their willful daughter Mary and Jack MacGowran (Squire Danaher’s lackey from The Quiet Man, playing a similarly sycophantic role) as Boyle’s drinking buddy Joxer Daly. Tommy Rall was Johnny, their son, who was left with one arm and the guilt of betraying his comrade in the rebellion to the British. When a British attorney comes to town, he says that the Boyle’s have come into an inheritance, and let’s just say it is downhill from there.

There are certain issues to be had with the musical. One: Juno and the Paycock is considered so deft a masterpiece that many critics feel musicalizing the material was necessary. Two: (and this could be from the Encores! treatment, not necessarily the show itself) the libretto is underwhelming and lacking cohesion. Three: Garry Hynes could have done a better job staging the piece. Four: A query more so than a critique… would Juno have fared better if it had involved the Irish civil war of 1922 (when the play is set) as opposed to the Irish rebellion against the English of 1921 (a not so subtle shift for which the author’s received O’Casey’s permission).

I am certainly most grateful to the Encores! crew for sticking to their mission this year (as much as I loved the Follies) and giving us these shows. I couldn’t help but feel that there were many directorial choices that could have been fleshed out further. Victoria Clark was a force of nature as Juno, the sharp tongued and long-suffering (yet good-hearted) earth mother. She sang with conviction and made the most of what is, musically, an underwritten role. Conrad Shuck was amusing, if not entirely successful as the Captain. He sang with gusto, but he missed much of the humor, particularly as Joxer’s foil in “Daarlin’ Man” (Listening to the cast album afterward, was a night and day experience; I was actually laughing out loud at the number). A stand-out was Tyler Hanes as Johnny; while we didn’t get the first act ballet, we got the second act nightmare in which the character faces much of his demons and fears onstage. It was a particularly breathtaking moment, and as pointed out to me, really difficult because he’s dancing with one arm. Celia Keenan-Bolger was excellent as Mary, even if her upper register is a bit under-developed. Michael Arden was good if vocally underwhelming (You couldn’t give us a real Irish tenor for the resplendent “One Kind Word”? Or at least one who could sustain those notes under Mary’s dialogue?). Celia’s art songs were fine; though “My True Heart” got awkward when it became a soft-shoe duet. Keep it a solo. But dramatically those songs are a marvel. The orchestrations are full and rich; Blitzstein really was wondrous at capturing the feel and texture of Irish folk music (even a parody of a John McCormack mother-worshipping tear-jerker). The “Hymn” and staged funeral should have not been placed upstage, I feel it would have had a better impact had it been placed downstage, with a more prescient force.

The surprise of the night to me? Juno and Mary’s madrigal “Bird Upon a Tree” stopped the show. And what a gloriously sung piece it was too.

Not a perfect piece but I’ll take it. And I’d gladly like to see it tried and attempted to be fixed once again…. all for love 😉

Milo O’Shea was in the house last night; why wasn’t the man onstage?

Had a grand time at Seppi‘s afterward with some grand company and some daarlin’ white Russians. One flop down, one to go…

The most electrifying moment in American theatre this season…

All due respect to Patti & co, as well as everyone else currently chewing up the scenery this season, but this picture captures the greatest moment in American theatre today. I’m not explaining the context. If you haven’t seen it yet, go and you will know why it comes out on top.
The Weinstein’s and Jean Doumanian are rumored to be teaming up for a film version of August: Osage County. They’ll cast name actors as Violet and Barbara, what else is new? As long Violet isn’t played by Meryl. I think Kathy Bates would do the role justice. But perhaps Laura Linney as Barb? Or perhaps Felicity Huffman? There are probably a great many character actors to fill the male supporting roles.
I know a film would give the piece an accessibility that would transcend the normal theatre-going audience. However, my preference would be to see the current production taped for telecast.
Casting ideas anyone? Particularly for Vi?

"The Ecdysiast Play"

Oh you know the one I mean. Where crazed patrons choke one another. Where vents fall from the ceiling and light bulbs explode. Oh, and curtains come down on Laura Benanti. Yes. It’s the latest revival of Gypsy. It’s a little strange for me since it’s the first time I’ve seen a second production of a show on Broadway (especially in so short a lapse between). Bernadette Peters. Remember her? Well, anyway, Gypsy is welcome back on the Rialto anytime, as far as I’m concerned. And tonight was one of those electric nights where everything aligned for that certain 5’2″ bundle of dynamite, Ms. Patti LuPone in what early ads were referring to “the role she was born to play.” They were not wrong.

Patti came.
Patti saw.
Patti conquered.

Taking the early mold of her previous experiences with the musical, both at the Ravinia Festival in ’06 (the start of the journey that culminates in her opening last night) and the City Center presentation last summer, LuPone has refined her character with the precision of a diamond cutter. Rose is a determined mother of two very lovely young girls that she thrusts into the throes of show business in an effort to assuage her own unfulfilled ambitions. It just screams musical comedy, no? Well, anyway. It’s genius. The score. The orchestrations (and that overture. yowza!) The book. It’s almost fool-proof (so why did you tamper with it, Mr. Laurents?) You follow through Rose, the character as she goes from unmitigated determination (“Some People”) through desperation when she uses Louise in an effort to mask her emotional scarring and fear of failure (“Everything’s Coming Up Roses”) through her eventual breakdown when confronted with the reality that both show business and daughters have passed her by (her defeat: “Rose’s Turn”). Might I add, Patti’s diction was almost too perfect (not a problem, just an observation) and her vocals were the best I’ve ever heard live. Just for the record.

From Mr. Brantley, who was decidedly mixed this summer:

“When Ms. LuPone delivers “Rose’s Turn,” she’s building a bridge for an audience to walk right into one woman’s nervous breakdown. There is no separation at all between song and character, which is what happens in those uncommon moments when musicals reach upward to achieve their ideal reasons to be. This Gypsy spends much of its time in such intoxicating air.”

Nuance, chemistry and impressively layered acting abounds. From Patti. From Laura. From Boyd. From Leigh Ann. From Nemora. From Alison. From Tony. All of whom are superlative in their roles. (For my money, Laura, Boyd and Tony are definitive in theirs). As for the ending, I’m not really sure what I think. I guess if you tamper with what has been for years, you’re bound to notice. But on the flip side, the staging of the new ending is a bit more naturalistic and honed into the unresolved rift between mother and daughters. It’s not really going to make or break the experience. That happened five minutes before.

Did I mention, it was opening night? Yep. Noah and I sat in the balcony behind a deluded crone and her rude mother. One insisted on leaning forward the entire show and the other chimed in with an extensive crinkling of a candy wrapper, for literally the entire show; except when she leaned forward. That group clearly had no idea what was going on and looked out of water when the crowd continually went to pieces, especially the overwhelming standing ovation received at the end of the “Turn.” Thankfully it didn’t detract too much from the overall experience. Kari and Sarah were also among the first nighters reveling in what was a thrilling experience. Post show, we had dinner at Angus McIndoe’s. As Kari and I sat waiting like wallflowers for Noah and Sarah while they kibbitzed, I spotted none other than Mr. Stephen Sondheim at the bar. Kari and I immediately made our way over; not to speak with him make no mistake, but to sit near at the bar like the total theatre geeks we became in about, oh I don’t know, 3 seconds. (Kari surreptitiously snapped a photo with her iphone – and no one was the wiser. And she was literally trembling from her proximity to musical theatre’s living deity). Dinner was fantastic. The booze was fantastic – and I drank almost half a bottle of water – not a Poland Spring or Fiji, no I guzzled one the size of a large merlot bottle – as we made our way out. Pity it wasn’t vodka or gin. I might have had another act to my evening.

Those sighted: Angela Lansbury, Mandy Patinkin, Laura Linney (flawless with little to no makeup), Martha Plimpton, Corky from Life Goes On, Thomas Meehan, John Weidman. Others I probably had no clue were in the house. They even had a red carpet and an official opening night sticker on the playbill.

Oh, and after her curtain call, Patti LuPone lay fully prostrate onstage to her cast. It was that kind of event. Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents got their props. And Sondheim gave a shout out to the late Jule Styne. (Class act). Though it appears Laurents gave Patti notes as they exited the stage…

Hey guys. Gypsy is back on Broadway. What the hell are you doing reading my blog? GET TICKETS AND GO NOW!!!!

David Lean Centennial

Today is David Lean‘s 100th birthday. One of the most legendary directors in cinema, the two-time Oscar winner (who is also the namesake of the BAFTA’s Best Director award) was known for his epics, but also crossed genres with considerable ease. His early career got off to an impressive start with several collaborations with Noel Coward on adaptations of Coward’s works. He followed this with definitive screen adaptations of two of Dicken‘s most famous works (Oliver Twist and Great Expectations). I’ve not yet seen all of his films, but allow me to recall those I have…

Blithe Spirit (1945) – Highly amusing Technicolor feature starring Rex Harrison as Charles. Constance Cummings is Ruth. Original cast member Kay Hammond recreates her Elvira. Most notable is Margaret Rutherford, also from the original company, preserving her role as the scene-stealing eccentric medium Madame Arcati. (For the record, I might add that the ever-delightful Mildred Natwick originated Arcati in the first Broadway run).

Brief Encounter (1945) – Has a fleck of ash flying into a person’s eye ever been more romantic or devastating? Adapted from Coward’s one-act Still Life, the film was an overwhelming success, winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes as well as gathering a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Celia Johnson. The film is rather iconic: it’s use of the railway station, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 for the musical score, Celia Johnson’s voice-over narration, character actor Trevor Howard as a romantic lead, the memorable climax and of course the overwhelmingly British sensibility throughout. It’s remarkable to watch today.

Summertime (1955) Lean again tackles a stage adaptation. this time Arthur Laurents’ The Time of the Cuckoo, a stage success for Shirley Booth as a spinster who carries on with a married man in Venice. Katharine Hepburn is the star. Or is it Venice? Both are remarkable to watch. The color cinematography is extraordinary and in spite of the ways the screenplay was softened, the film is still masterful and dare I say it, preferential to the original play or subsequent musical adaptation. Filmed in 1955, I’m surprised that Lean opted to use the standard Academy ratio of 1.37:1 instead of going for the widescreen expansiveness of CinemaScope or VistaVision. For such a romantic film, it starts to point towards his creative peak.

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Fascinating (and fictionalized) account of British POWs who are forced to build a bridge for Japanese forces in Southeast Asia during WW2. Frequent Lean collaborator and antagonist Alec Guinness won his Academy Award as the obsessive Colonel whose behavior borders on collaboration with the enemy. William Holden stars as the sardonic escapee who reluctantly returns on a mission to the destroy the bridge. Won 7 Oscars total, including Best Picture and Director.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) His most famous film. Hands down. If Lean had never made another film, he would still be held in renown for this desert epic. Peter O’Toole is T.E. Lawrence in this lengthy epic of the rise and fall of a megalomaniac and bizarre military genius. Two years were spent making this film and the results are extraordinary. It needs to be seen on a big screen for the first sand shot to be appreciated. It’s so stunning you think it can’t be real. A dynamic achievement that also won Best Picture and Director. Also Lean’s first collaboration with composer Maurice Jarre (who also won for that extraordinary score).

Doctor Zhivago (1965) The first Lean film I ever saw. My brother was in high school and had to watch it for his Russian class. I was entranced. The poet/doctor (Omar Sharif) whose romance for his wife and for his muse, Lara (in the role that made Julie Christie an icon) is set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Russian Revolution. Based on the Nobel prize winning novel by Boris Pasternak (which to date is the only “Russian novel” I’ve successfully read), the film is a visual delight. Also, the most famous score of any David Lean film with the balalaika-based “Lara’s Theme” later adapted into the popular song “Somewhere, My Love.” Another Oscar for Jarre. Lean didn’t hit the trifector: The Sound of Music bested Zhivago for Best Picture and Director.

A Passage to India (1984) Lean’s final film. An adaptation of E.M. Forster‘s novel about racial tensions in Colonial India. Judy Davis stars as Miss Quested, a repressed British tourist who falsely accuses a successful Indian doctor of rape (and the resulting chaos and inevitable trial). The film is superb, but most notably for the brilliant Oscar-winning turn by Dame Peggy Ashcroft as Mrs. Moore, the open-minded and kindly chaperone, whose performance alone makes the film required viewing.