The Year of Living Cinematically

Here’s my annual list of movies I’ve seen throughout the year, which I keep more out of personal curiosity than anything else. It always amazes me to look over what I’ve seen and just how much I’ve seen. The list only contains films I watched in their entirety and the asterisk indicates that it’s the first time viewing the film.
 
Love Actually (2003) 1/1
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) 1/1
*Zodiac (2007) 1/1
The Rare Breed (1966) 1/2
An American in Paris (1951) 1/2
Titanic (1997) 1/2
Father Goose (1965) 1/3
Mister Roberts (1955) 1/3
Operation Petticoat (1959) 1/4
A Few Good Men (1992) 1/5
Ratatouille (2008) 1/5
Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) 1/6
In the Heat of the Night (1967) 1/6
Georgy Girl (1966) 1/7
Women in Love (1969) 1/7
Carousel (1956) 1/7
Batman (1989) 1/7
Zoolander (2001) 1/8
The Crucible (1996) 1/8
Mother (1996) 1/8
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) 1/9
Patton (1970) 1/9
*Thirteen Days (2000) 1/10
*The Hurt Locker (2008) 1/17
The Hurt Locker (2008) 1/22
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) 1/24
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) 1/27
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 1/28
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) 1/28
*Rachel Getting Married (2008) 1/30
*Nights of Cabiria (1957) 1/30
Slap Shot (1977) 1/30
The Longest Day (1962) 1/31
*Reversal of Fortune (1990) 2/1
Groundhog Day (1993) 2/2
South Pacific (1958) 2/2
The Graduate (1967) 2/3
*Up (2009) 2/3
*Food, Inc. (2008) 2/4
*An Education (2009) 2/4
*The Blind Side (2009) 2/5
*Up in the Air (2009) 2/5
*Kitty Foyle (1940) 2/12
Wall-E (2008) 2/14
Mary Poppins (1964) 2/15
Amelie (2001) 2/16
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) 2/16
Show Boat (1951) 2/19
Annie Hall (1977) 2/20
*The Reader (2008) 2/20
*The Champ (1931) 2/20
His Girl Friday (1940) 2/21
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) 2/22
*Norma Rae (1979) 2/23
*The Verdict (1982) 2/24
Flags of Our Fathers (2006) 2/25
The Addams Family (1991) 2/26
Addams Family Values (1993) 2/26
West Side Story (1961) 2/28
*Anastasia (1956) 3/4
*Tender Mercies (1983) 3/4
*Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) 3/5
*The Young in Heart (1938) 3/6
*A Star is Born (1937) 3/6
*America, America (1963) 3/12
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) 3/13
*Irma La Douce (1963) 3/13
The Quiet Man (1952) 3/14
*Friendly Persuasion (1956) 3/16
*Three Cheers for the Irish (1940) 3/17
*Sunrise (1927) 3/18
*One Two Three (1961) 3/19
*The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) 3/20
*The Front Page (1931) 3/22
*Show Business: The Road to Broadway (2007) 3/26
*Z (1969) 3/28
*Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) 3/29
*Missing (1982) 3/30
*Old Acquaintance (1943) 4/8
*Old Dogs (2009) 4/14
*Tumbleweeds (1999) 4/16
*Julie and Julia (2009) 4/21
*Broadcast News (1987) 4/26
*The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) 4/27
*Private Benjamin (1980) 4/27
*Watch on the Rhine (1943) 4/28
*Breaking Away (1979) 4/29
*District 9 (2009) 4/29
*The Member of the Wedding (1952) 5/1
*Ship of Fools (1965) 5/3
*The More the Merrier (1943) 5/10
*Venus (2006) 5/11
*I Am a Camera (1955) 5/14
*Libeled Lady (1936) 5/21
*The Battle of Algiers (1965) 5/30
*Easy Rider (1969) 5/31
Psycho (1960) 6/16
The Trouble with Angels (1966) 6/18
*Crazy Heart (2009) 7/24
*Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007) 7/25
*Inception (2010) 7/27
*The Seventh Seal (1957) 8/2
*Withnail and I (1987) 8/3
*I Love You Man (2009) 8/3
*Sherlock Holmes (2009) 8/8
*49th Parallel (1941) 8/8
*Fanny and Alexander (1983) 8/8
*Mean Streets (1973) 8/15
Cradle Will Rock (1999) 8/16
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) 8/22
*Inglourious Basterds (2009) 8/30
*A Serious Man (2009) 9/3
Dirty Harry (1971) 9/6
The Sundowners (1960) 9/12
Ghost Town (2008) 9/21
*My Man Godfrey (1936) 9/22
*Alice Adams (1935) 9/22
*The Last Station (2009) 9/23
*Zombieland (2009) 9/26
*Taken (2008) 10/1
*The Social Network (2010) 10/1
*The Informer (1935) 10/3
*Frozen River (2008) 10/5
*Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) 10/13
*Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) 10/14
*Trouble in Paradise (1932) 10/18
*The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) 10/19
The Sound of Music (1965) 10/19
Wait Until Dark (1967) 10/24
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 10/25
Life with Father (1947) 10/26
*Sweet Smell of Success (1957) 10/26
*Nine (2009) 10/27
Carrie (1976) 10/28
*Lenny (1974) 10/31
*Roberta (1935) 11/2
*Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) 11/3
*The Trip to Bountiful (1985) 11/9
Young at Heart (1954) 11/14
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 11/15
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) 11/16
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) 11/16
Auntie Mame (1958) 11/17
*Ragtime (1981) 11/18
*The Lady Eve (1941) 11/24
*The Miracle Worker (1962) 11/27
Bachelor Party (1984) 12/4
*Cabin Boy (1993) 12/4
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) 12/5
*Harry and Tonto (1974) 12/7
*The Other Guys (2010) 12/20
*Dazed and Confused (1993) 12/26
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 12/27

Theatrical Highlights of the Year

1. Lend Me a Tenor. April 13, @ the Music Box Theatre. Don’t you love farce? I do. But it’s a genre that is very difficult to pull off successfully. Ken Ludwig’s 80s comedy isn’t particularly funny on the page, but first-time Broadway director Stanley Tucci did a marvelous job bringing out the laughs. The ensemble was mostly terrific: Anthony LaPaglia as the opera singer, Tony Shalhoub as the harried producer, Mary Catherine Garrison as the virginal but hormonal ingenue and Jennifer Laura Thompson as the resident diva were all quite fun. Justin Bartha made an amusing Broadway debut as the sad-sack mistaken for the great divo (even if his vocal prowess brought Ohio’s taste into question). But it was Jan Maxwell as the fiery wife of the opera singer who walked away with the evening, in a hilarious performance.

2. Anyone Can Whistle. April 11 @ the City Center. One of the biggest flop musicals in Broadway history was given a rare NYC revival courtesy of Encores for Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday. I doubt it could be any better than this production. The book is a hot box of crazy, with ideas and satire swirling around a wonderful score. It was superlatively cast with Sutton Foster and Raul Esparza, but it was Donna Murphy in an inspired performance who put the show in her pocket and took it home. Casey Nicholaw directed and choreographed with great ease. Original cast member Harvey Evans helped Nicholaw to reconstruct the Cookie Chase and the lunacy was inspired.

3. A Little Night Music. July 31 @ the Walter Kerr Theatre. While I love the musical itself, this production didn’t do very much for me when it opened a year ago and didn’t make the cut for ’09. I don’t generally put revisits on the list, but this is one exception that I’m more than willing to make. Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch joined the cast during the summer and the maudlin evening was transformed into something far more pleasant. I’ll never love the production with its drab sets and costumes, anemic orchestrations and glacial pacing, but Bernadette is a sparkplug that the production needed from the very beginning.

4. I Do! I Do! August 21 @ the Westport Country Playhouse. This pleasant production was so charming and so polished, I was hoping someone would bring it to NY for a nice off-Broadway run. Kate Baldwin and Lewis Cleale starred as Agnes and Michael, a couple whose marriage is explored during the musical’s two hour running time. The show was an unusual Broadway property in the 60s: a two-hander musical with full orchestra. Gower Champion created a wonderful period piece (based on de Hartog’s The Four Poster) which holds up surprisingly well. Elements may have dated, but marriage – and the good, bad and ugly that go with it – remain the same. Baldwin was enchanting and Cleale was delightful.

5. Our Town. August 27 @ the Barrow Street Theatre. I was a bit late to this party, but I greatly admired David Cromer’s spare, bare bones production of the Thornton Wilder classic. I have to confess that until I saw this, I had never read nor seen the play before. Sitting in the front row, I was privileged almost immediately to Cromer’s performance as the Stage Manager (which was a brilliant, non actory showing). He opened up the audience’s imagination, making us work to get into the world of Grover’s Corners. What he was preparing us for was the startling and unbelievably moving display of theatrical realism in the third act. It was a coup de théâtre of the highest order.

6. Brief Encounter. September 25 @ Studio 54. Imaginative, witty and ever-so-British, this import from the Kneehigh in UK made a stop in Brooklyn and the Guthrie before finding its Broadway berth via Roundabout – and with much of its original cast intact. Better late than never. This charming adaptation of the David Lean film of the same name, based on Noel Coward’s Still Life uses theatrical imagery, imagination and Coward’s music to tell the story of an unrequited affair between a British housewife and doctor. A swell cast, esp. Annette McLaughlin in a choice supporting role as Beryl and one of the best bands on Broadway made this one a real treasure. Wish they had recorded a cast album.

7. The Scottsboro Boys. October 7 @ the Lyceum Theatre. One of the best musicals I’ve seen in the last five years. A horrible chapter in our nation’s history is given life through an archaic and racist form of entertainment. Kander and Ebb’s score – their final collaboration – is as rich and fulfilling as their classics of the 60s and 70s. The musical pushed envelopes in storytelling and was not without controversy over its use of minstrelsy to tell the story, but it was a story of empowerment and abandonment. Director/choreographer Susan Stroman returned to top form with some of the best work of her career. The brilliant ensemble was led by John Cullum as the Interlocutor and Joshua Henry as Haywood Patterson, in what should be a break out role for the young actor.

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 Boys.  I 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.

A Decade in Review

As we approach the end of 2010 as well as the first decade of the 21st century (There’s no such thing as Year 0 in our calendar), I’ve been looking back on the ten years of theatregoing I have had and have compiled a list of some favorite moments:

January 9, 2001 – It was my third Broadway show, but the sublime revival of Kiss Me Kate was the first show in NY that made me feel as though I were ten feet in the air. Stylish, elegant and irrepressibly funny, I went with my high school AP English classes (one section was reading The Taming of the Shrew). Starring Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie (whom I adored from the original cast recordings of Ragtime), the revival (at the Martin Beck). I can remember every detail. We gathered after school, caught a train and headed right to TKTS (my first time at the booth) then dinner at TGI Fridays. I sat with my favorite English teacher, Fran Schulz, and we just laughed and laughed. We were breathless by intermission and practically needed oxygen by the end of act two. It’s become the standard by which I judge all musical comedy revivals. The London company was preserved for PBS telecast and DVD, but that incarnation doesn’t live up to my memories of this enchanted evening.

July 9, 2002 – Noises Off! I didn’t think I’d see the revival, which had recently won a Tony Award for featured actress Katie Finneran. However, while roaming the local mall on school break with a friend, I saw there was a contest for free tickets to the production. For the hell of it, I just put my name on the piece of paper and tossed it into this vat of thousands of slips. You can imagine my surprise when I got a phone call telling me how to arrange my free tickets. Knowing that the revival’s original cast would be departing, I arranged for the final week of their run. I’m glad I did; it was one of the most hilarious productions I’ve ever seen. It was my first time seeing Patti LuPone, Faith Prince, Richard Easton and T.R. Knight onstage. On top of it, it was also the first time I stage-doored a production and as a result I fell in love with Katie Finneran, who showed me great personal kindness and graciousness in a brief moment. Noises Off was the funniest production I’d seen until The Norman Conquests in 2009.

November 27, 2003 – Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim. I’ve long been a huge admirer but had never seen her perform live. Then I received word that she’d be in my very town while I was on Thanksgiving break. I had the CD of the 2001 Carnegie Hall concert, which featured Malcolm Gets. However, in Peekskill, it was just Barbara and her three man band. I sat in third row center and just basked in the performance. Her nuance with the lyrics, her warmth and humor, the depth of her feeling as she delved into the lyrics. The pinnacle, though, was hearing Cook sing “Ice Cream” her trademark number from She Loves Me. In the original key, no less. Chalk that one up to musical theatre zen.

May 27, 2004. I’ve talked about this day before, as it remains one of the most important of my life. Without the final performance of Gypsy with Bernadette, I wouldn’t have such marvelous friends like Noah and SarahB (and the extended family as a result). It was my first time at a Broadway closing (I’ve now done 14) and it was the first time I ever went backstage at a Broadway house. It was also the first time I saw Bernadette onstage, and in spite of what you see in print these days, her performance was well received by critics and audiences alike. And she should have won the damn Tony.

April 18, 2005. My first opening night. The Light in the Piazza at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. (To date I have done 7 opening nights). It was the start of an obsession with a superlative musical, which I ended up seeing 12 times throughout its run. There have been many other important theatregoing experiences of my life, but none that have been this magical. Victoria Clark’s performance as Margaret Johnson was one for the ages, and Kelli O’Hara was equally sublime as her daughter. Adam Guettel’s score was one of the best of the decade and it’s a shame we haven’t yet heard anything new from this brilliant composer/lyricist.

December 4, 2007 – August: Osage County opening night at the Imperial. I’d never gotten more dressed up or cared more about my appearance than this particular opening, as I was a guest of Noah. Because of the union strike, the opening had been delayed and by my great good fortune I was allowed to attend. It was a lot of fun standing in the lobby with Sarah, Kari and Sally people watching people as the stars made their entrance into the lobby. But what was even more amusing was the fact that there were celebrities who were there because they just had tickets for that performance – and celebrities who brought celebrity friends as plus-ones. But nothing prepared me for the searing power of Tracy Letts’ play with a dynamite cast including Deanna Dunagan, Amy Morton and Rondi Reed. After the second act, I was in need of air. Saw this three and a half hour play 7 times.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007. My first post-Tony performance. We were in attendance after Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson won Tonys for their brilliant work on Grey Gardens. I had seen and loved the show earlier in its Broadway run, but the audience at this show made it something to behold. The applause at the top of the show threw the actresses off of the pre-recorded track (charmingly saved by Wilson) and Ebersole received the only second act standing ovation I’ve ever seen upon her entrance as Little Edie just before stopping the show with “The Revolutionary Costume for Today.”

March 27, 2008 & April 4, 2008. Two glorious revivals of American musical classics opened: Gypsy at the St. James Theatre, South Pacific at the Vivian Beaumont. I was in attendance for both and just adored both productions. I’m of the school that loved both Bernadette and Patti, so comparisons are a moot point there. However, this second revival was aided considerably by the sublime Tony-winning performances of Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines. Over at Lincoln Center, Bart Sher directed what is probably the best production of a musical I’ve ever seen. Superbly cast, thrillingly sung and acted – and that orchestra of 30. I couldn’t ask for a better week at the theatre (interspersed between the two were favorite flops Juno and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue/A White House Cantata).

May 11, 2008. Two-fold. Brunch at Joe Allen’s and No No Nanette at City Center Encores. Each in itself was an event worth rejoicing, but the combination made it a day for the ages. It was the first gathering of the Bloggers Who Brunch (as I like to call our gatherings). At that point, I had only been blogging for seven months and it was the first time I was aware that there were other people whom I didn’t know that were reading what I had to write! It was the start of many wonderful friendships that I continue to cherish wholeheartedly. The afternoon was spent SarahB in my first visit to the TLC before we took in the fabulous production of Nanette, which is still the best of the best when it comes to the Encores productions I’ve seen – and the only one I think deserved a Broadway transfer. The performances were all top-drawer (esp. Sandy Duncan and Beth Leavel), the choreography was sublime as were the costumes and orchestrations and… well everything. The evening ended at Seppi’s afterward with many of the folks from brunch, all of us smiling and singing “I Want to Be Happy” until the wee hours.

March 15, 2009. I had seen Angela Lansbury make her Broadway return in Terrence McNally’s Deuce opposite Marian Seldes and I would see her sublime portrait of Madame Armfeldt in the revival of A Little Night Music. But there was something extra-special about her Tony-winning performance as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit. I never would have imagined Lansbury would have such a Broadway renaissance, but am so grateful to have been here to witness it. As Arcati, Lansbury was an utter delight and continued to become even more entertaining as the run progressed. She nailed every laugh, gesture and indignant expression. And watching her improvise her spirit dance around the Condomine living room was worth the price of admission. This opening night was like something out of a 50s movie: tie and tails, elegant evening gowns and a party at Sardi’s. We maintained our own mad-cap party of sorts on the street and gleefully applauded the Liz Ashley as she got into her car (“I’m not in the show!”)

May 16 & July 26, 2009 – The Norman Conquests. I had been out of the country for the birth of my nephew when the announcements and the marquee went up and was a little surprised to see the play’s logo at Circle in the Square upon my return. I confess, I knew very little about Alan Ayckbourn’s trilogy of plays. But on a whim, I decided to take in a Saturday marathon of all three. It would become one of the most personally satisfying theatrical experiences of my life. A brilliant ensemble, impeccable direction by Matthew Warchus made these plays the funniest dramas or the saddest comedies I’ve ever seen. I was aching with laughter. I loved it so much, I had to be there for the final marathon which only cemented its place in my estimation. The ensemble was brilliant, but Stephen Mangan’s turn as Norman remains a personal favorite of all time.

September 18, 2009. I only knew of The Royal Family from its place in theatrical lore, but was excited to see the play at Manhattan Theatre Club. Sarah and I attended this early preview and were in awe. Jan Maxwell owned the stage as Julie Cavendish, in a sublime study in comedy. I also just adored Rosemary Harris as the aging matriarch, whose eleven o’clock moment took my breath away both times I saw the show. But more than the production itself, it was the way it made me feel – I loved the Cavendish dynasty and reveled in their love of all things theatre and would have loved to have been a member of the extended family.

December 12, 2010 – The final performance of The Scottsboro Boys. The performance was brilliant, as I knew it would be. However, it was the audience that surprised me this time. Before the show started, the audience gave composer John Kander a spontaneous full-house standing ovation – a gesture I’ve never seen in my ten years of theatregoing. At the curtain call, Kander toasted the late Fred Ebb, librettist David Thompson toasted the real-life Scottsboro Boys and director/choreographer Susan Stroman toasted the entire audience.

Every trip to the theatre is a memory for me, some good and some bad. (The Philanthropist, Bye Bye Birdie, The Ritz, Next Fall… but why dwell on the negative?) So here’s to the next decade and all the wonderful theatre it will bring.

Jerry Herman’s Kennedy Center Tribute

I don’t know about you, but I was rather disappointed with the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Jerry Herman that aired last evening. Herman, whose songs continue to bring great joy to audiences around the world every day, was one of the five recipients of the Honor. His musical theatre career involves some of the most life-affirming and tuneful musical scores of the last half century with smash hits Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage Aux Folles and fascinating failures like Dear World, Mack and Mabel and The Grand Tour. His other credits include the revue Parade, his first Broadway hit Milk and Honey and the 1996 TV musical Mrs. Santa Claus.

Make no mistake it was a joy seeing Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury and Chita Rivera, all of whom have sung Jerry’s songs on Broadway (Chita was Tony-nominated in 1986 for being fabulous in the all-female revue Jerry’s Girls). But where was George Hearn and Bernadette Peters? Or for that matter, some of Herman’s other favorites like Karen Morrow and Leslie Uggams? As a whole, the tribute, cheesily staged by Rob Ashford, felt rushed. Kelsey Grammer got things off to a start with a clever variation on his opening monologue from La Cage. 89 year old Channing sang an all-too-brief “Hello, Jerry!” Christine Baranski and Christine Ebersole, both former regional Mames (DC and NJ, respectively) sang “Bosom Buddies” but like much of the tribute was truncated and hurried. The two Tony winners weren’t given enough room to really score as they should have. The chorus boys were used far too much; it was distracting on the solos and duet.

Matthew Morrison proficiently delivered the most joyless rendition of “It’s Today” I’ve ever experienced (and that includes Lucy’s – at least she looked like she was having fun). Morrison is a major talent and a star thanks to Glee, but he should have been staged as a star not as a glorified chorus boy. Matt Bomer, who seemed to channeling the voice of Charles Nelson Reilly, and Kelli O’Hara sang “It Only Takes a Moment.” Sutton Foster belted a wooden chorus of “Before the Parade Passes By.” A chorus (of what looked like mostly teenagers) sang “I Am What I Am” at its most vanilla. The obligatory finale was “The Best of Times,” (led by the glorious Lansbury) but overall it didn’t seem as rousing as it should have been (maybe I’m still expecting the Jerry Mitchell hand-claps from the 2004 revival). It was great having Angie, Carol and Chita on hand, whose mere presence made the segment better than it was, but our Jerry deserved better. (Meanwhile the telecast spent an interminable amount of time on Paul McCartney).

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When I was looking on youtube at various tributes from past years, I stumbled upon this one that I hadn’t seen until now. In 1998, John Kander and Fred Ebb were honored with a rousing and clever tribute. At the time, their musicals Cabaret and Chicago were both playing on Broadway in smash revivals. In a clever twist, both “Wilkommen” and “All That Jazz” were presented with the original and revival stars. The performance culminated with Liza Minnelli singing the signature “New York, New York” (You’ll see this when you watch the video, but how many NYC cab drivers can say they’ve shared the Kennedy Center stage with George Grizzard and Edward Albee?). Other exciting tributes have included those for Julie Andrews and Chita Rivera, herself. (I’ve yet to see the Angela Lansbury tribute from 2000).

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Flash mob: “Hallelujah Chorus”

This video clip crossed my desk earlier this evening and I couldn’t help but smile. Flash mobs are amusing, if becoming a trifle overdone, but this one struck me as I am a big fan of the piece. One of the traditions of the holiday season tend to be concerts of Handel’s Messiah, with its famous “Hallelujah, Chorus.” This was done on November 13 of this year in a mall food court. It’s an extraordinary piece of music and also extraordinary to see people stopping and reveling in the moment.

I’ve heard it live twice. Once in a Christmas concert, where I learned of the tradition of standing for the piece. And the second (and third time, actually) was in the short-lived Broadway production of Coram Boy, which I loved in spite of American critical disinterest (it was an Anglophile’s Dickensian dream). The play had quite a bit of music. So much so that there was a choir on a second level onstage and an orchestra in the pit at the Imperial. Handel was a character and the play climaxed on the premiere of his Messiah. Jan Maxwell and Xanthe Elbrick were Tony-nominated for their brilliant performances. (Melly Still’s production is one of the most breathtaking visual experiences of my theatregoing life).

After the company bow, the familiar strains strck up from the pit and they started singing the famed chorus. The audience had been quite generous with its applause, but it did not lead to a standing ovation. However, I was seated in the front row and was the first person on my feet for the piece, which triggered the rest of the Imperial to do likewise. I shared a moment with a couple of the cast members who smiled at me gratefully. My friend thought it was a cheap way to incite a standing-o. I thought it was just glorious. To each his own. I didn’t need to lead the charge at the closing performance as the audience lept to its feet before the curtain call commenced.

Anyway, as the Christmas season reaches its pinnacle (and since I’m frankly sick to death of Spider-Man reports, though I’m glad to hear Chris Tierney is up and walking around) this video just felt appropriate. Enjoy.

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“Second Chance? Thank you, Lord!”

Following on the heels of this past Sunday’s closing performance of The Scottsboro Boys, the show’s producers are trying something a little different in order to gauge whether or not to bring the short-lived musical back for a return engagement this spring. It was announced today that fans and supporters could pledge to buy a ticket by signing up on the show’s website (which, by the way, has one of the best study guides I’ve seen for a Broadway show). From the results of that drive, they will check to see if the demand is worth the risk.

Barry Weissler went on record today to say:

“We’ve heard from people who told us what a difference The Scottsboro Boys made in their lives – how the show changed their perception of what a Broadway musical can do. We’ve also heard from countess others who have expressed disappointment that they missed seeing the show on Broadway and who were unable to get to us before our untimely closing.   In the final two weeks of our run, we also witnessed some of the most extraordinary audience response I’ve experienced in over 40 years of producing theatre.  We’ve seen similar passion on our Facebook and Twitter pages and in the audience reviews at our show website.”

“In 1931, the world came together to fight against the terrible injustice that occurred to these nine innocent African American teenagers.   Their story has too often been overlooked, but now, almost 80 years later, we’d love nothing more than to keep the story of the Scottsboro Boys alive.   Rumors have been circulating about a return limited engagement for The Scottsboro Boys this spring, but we cannot do this without the support of the ticket-buying public.   We encourage those who would like to have The Scottsboro Boys return to Broadway to sign up with the intent to purchase tickets for a spring limited engagement.  If we can make the numbers work, we will be back.”

Weissler also talked to media outlets about touring the show through various subscription based non-profit theatres around the country, who would provide a built in audience. It’s a risk, but one that I hope the producers take. The new musicals slated for the second half of the year are more traditional musical comedies and revivals. It would be nice to have one serious show from this season (particularly this fall) on the boards around Tony Award time. It’s refreshing to see producers putting so much effort into a show that is clearly very important to them.

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again – whether or not you like the show is besides the point: if you care about the American musical you’ll want to see The Scottsboro Boys. (I only hope if they make this happen, they are able to keep the cast together). I’ve pledged to buy my ticket. Will you?

Closing Night: “The Scottsboro Boys”

Scottsboro Hey

When I find myself really taken with a particular show, I make it a point to try to return to see it at its closing performance. The closing  is filled similar fans (as well as family and friends) who want to come back one last time to savor the theatrical magic that drew us in the first time around. I was startled when The Scottsboro Boys announced its closing notice two weeks ago; I had expected the show to last through the holiday season and well into Tony time. But after only 29 previews and 49 performances, the final Kander and Ebb musical set its last show at the Lyceum Theatre for December 12. In spite of some strong reviews and a vociferous audience response, the show couldn’t muster up an audience or advance sales. When asked if I wanted to go to the last show, I said yes immediately.

The musical is one of the best I have seen in the last few years. It was bold, daring and audacious while being literate, tuneful and clever. Kander and Ebb’s score, evoking the sounds of the South, is one of the best I’ve heard in some time and I think ranks with Chicago and Cabaret. There’s not a dud in the score, from the jubilant “Hey Hey Hey Hey!” opening to the chilling title number in the finale with its climactic and impactful use of blackface. (For what it’s worth, the minstrelsy was used in a way that spoke of empowerment and abandonment of the archaic and racist form of entertainment).

In one of the classiest gestures I’ve ever seen from an audience, there was a spontaneous full-house standing ovation for John Kander as he was led to his seat pre-show. It’s a moment in my theatregoing life that I will never forget. (To the Broadway producers out there – I’m still waiting for the NY premiere of The Visit). It was a moving gesture to a man whose 50 year career is synonymous with Broadway excellence (starting as dance arranger for the original production of Gypsy). It struck me that many of Kander’s contemporaries haven’t had new work on Broadway in years. Jerry Herman’s last musical (La Cage) opened on Broadway when I was less than two months old. Bock and Harnick never wrote another musical together after The Rothschilds in 1970. Even the master, Stephen Sondheim hasn’t had a brand new Broadway musical since Passion in 1994.

Kander and Ebb have been represented continuously on Broadway since 1996, when the still-running revival of Chicago opened. They’ve had three new musicals have opened on the Rialto in that time (Steel Pier, Curtains and Scottsboro). When not on Broadway, other new musicals have been in gestation in regional theatres – including Over and Over/All About Us (adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth) and The Visit. Scottsboro marked the final debut of a Kander and Ebb score and brings to a close one of the greatest chapters in musical theatre history.

There’s that final performance quality for anyone who has been involved on either side of the footlights. Energies and emotions are high and that usually channels itself into a riveting performance with a heightened electricity and pace that adds to the special quality of the day. This was no exception. Numbers received extenuous applause – the opening number, “Shout” and “Never Too Late” all but stopped the show dead. “Go Back Home” is the loveliest ballad I have heard in quite some time and has an emotional resonance which brought many in the house to tears.

As for the cast, if there was yet again ever a reason for a Tony Award for Best Ensemble, this is it. John Cullum guides the evening as the Interlocuter, the sole white actor onstage. Colman Domingo and Forrest McClendon were brilliant as Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo. As for the nine actors playing the Scottsboro Boys, all are exceptionally talented singers, dancers and actors. Seeing it a second time allowed me the opportunity of picking up elements on the periphery, including the really striking way in which The Lady is used throughout the show (and given a beautiful, mostly silent portrayal by Sharon Washington), often observing on the periphery. It was especially interesting this time just to see how much thought went into the character’s function (for those who didn’t see it, it was ultimately revealed that she was Rosa Parks).

The classiness of the evening continued through the curtain call, which brought the entire cast and creative team together with members of the production team. After glasses of wine were passed around, Kander offered a toast to his late collaborator Fred Ebb (who died in 2004) then librettist David Thompson offered a toast to the real Scottsboro Boys and finally Stroman offered a toast to the audience. Of the many closings I’ve attended (this was my 14th), this was the first with such a gesture and it was one of the most understated and effective ways to celebrate the run of a show I’ve seen.

There has been talk of The Scottsboro Boys returning in the spring, just in time for Tony recognition. Many succes d’estime shows talk about tours and return engagements when forced to close and nothing comes of it. However, this time I would really love to see it come to fruition. Scottsboro was not seen by nearly enough people. This is a bit premature as there are many, many musicals left to open this season, but I really do hope that Kander and Ebb take home the Best Score Tony this spring. (I’m also hoping Stroman is double-nominated in one of her finest outings as director/choreographer). It may have run only 49 performances, but The Scottsboro Boys have set the bar exceedingly high. I only hope the Tony nominating committee and the Tony voters aren’t in their usual out of sight, out of mind mentality when it comes to fall shows that have closed.

After the show, I went to Angus to decompress with dramaturge Russ Dembin, my web designer Chris Van Patten and a few of Chris’ friends. Sitting in the bar in what could be best described as stunned wide-eyed silence. There was a lot to process, but eventually we talked about their reactions to the show which were overwhelmingly enthusiastic and also just depressed at the premature closing. But I do have a feeling that while this original production is short-lived, the musical will maintain a reputation that other noble failures have achieved. There is early talk of a film adaptation to be made by Oscar nominated director Lee Daniels. But even if that weren’t to come to fruition, The Scottsboro Boys does have that one important link that keeps a musical from total obscurity: an original cast album.